spelled july young woman slain native americans associated british army lieutenant general american revolutionary war loyalist serving army led expressions outrage increase patriot military recruiting especially days following killing propaganda followed greatly beauty fact associated loyalists family primarily active serving patriot cause undermined british claims protection loyalists inability punish alleged killers undermined british conduct war propaganda contributed success patriot recruiting drives new_york years fiancé reported bitter affair married story life death entered american folklore arms life born younger children large family new_jersey mother death father living brother john near new_york engaged war began brothers joined american forces fiancé fled expedition neared hudson_river summer colonel took duty regiment militia jones serving lieutenant loyalist militia units accompanying stationed fort capture left brother home travelling join fiancé reached village old war staying home loyalist elderly cousin british general morning july group native americans advance party army led known descended village family killed walked ambush happened subject dispute known taken natives separated eventually taken british camp recognized supposedly distinctive carried native traditional version happened appears based account british officer warriors escorting british camp expected reward bringing killed ended claimed taken rumors escorted fiancé request second version story apparently advanced questioning killed bullet fired pursuing americans supporting version events history campaign asserts body revealed bullet wounds wounds reaction killing heard killing went native american camp ordered culprit delivered threatening executed told general agent leading native americans act cause native americans cause revenge went north relented action taken native americans news death traveled relatively quickly standards time news accounts published pennsylvania august august far away virginia accounts exaggerated traveled describing killings large numbers loyalists patriots alike campaign intended use indians means colonists american reaction news hoped propaganda war received boost wrote letter american general complaining american treatment prisoners taken august battle gates response widely reprinted news accounts elaborated beauty describing lovely disposition graceful manners intelligent features favorite knew hair extraordinary length beauty measuring yard quarter contemporary accounts actually saw described country girl honest family circumstances beauty accomplishments later accounts embellished details historian notes color hair described black blonde red cites 1840s examination alleged lock hair described reddish death similar raids inspired resistance invasion leading defeat battle effect expanded reports incident propaganda rebel sympathies later war especially apparently bitter experience married settled canada story eventually american folklore anonymous poet wrote ballad jane set music popular folk song philadelphia circus performed death miss written painted portrait shown described similar events novel markers near commemorating death remains moved times time second moved body hopes solving mystery death unexpectedly bodies found grave placed remains atop burial vault died natural causes skeletons largely complete skull missing possibly reported grave looting 19th century bodies analysis time separate graves
Jane McCrea