The father, going on a campaign in search of them, was
exhausted by fatigue, and came home only to die, bequeathing half his
property to his child, if living. The mother, his wife, being redeemed,
and there being several children who had been captive to the Indians to
be seen at Philadelphia, went thither to see and recognize her little
three years' old daughter, from whom, in her captivity, she had been
separated. Her child proved not to be among the little captives; but, in
order to get possession of her husband's property, she claimed another
child, of about the same age. This child grew up gross, ugly, awkward, a
"big, black, uncomely Dutch lump, not to be compared to the beautiful
Fanny Grey," and moreover turned out morally bad. The real daughter was
said to have been married, and settled in New York, "a fine woman, with
a fair house and fair children." At all events, she was never recovered
by her relatives, and her existence seems to have been doubtful. In
1789, the heirs of John Grey, the father, became aware that the claimed
and recovered child was not the child that had been lost. They commenced
a lawsuit for the recovery of John Grey's property, consisting of a farm
of three or four hundred acres. This lawsuit lasted till 1834, when it
was decided against the identity of the recovered child.
Pages:
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129