In the predawn hours of October 16, 1780, the settlement of Royalton, Vermont was attacked by Indians under the command of a British Lieutenant named Horton. The residents were rousted out of their beds by the screaming horde of painted warriors as their once peaceful village was plundered and burned. Murder and mayhem were everywhere. People watched helplessly as their wives, husbands and children were put to death and their homes were burned. They suffered unspeakable pain and suffering at the hands of their attackers. Some were taken captive and forced to march through the wilderness to Canada as prisoners to be turned over to the British or to be tortured and killed. Zadock Steele was taken captive and managed to survive and return to his home. This is his story as told by himself. This book is part of the Historical Collection of Badgley Publishing Company and has been transcribed from the original. The original contents have been edited and corrections have been made to original printing, spelling and grammatical errors when not in conflict with the author's intent to portray a particular event or interaction. Annotations have been made and additional contents have been added by Badgley Publishing Company in order to clarify certain historical events or interactions and to enhance the author's content. Photos and illustrations from the original have been touched up, enhanced and sometimes enlarged for better viewing. Additional illustrations and photos have been added by Badgley Publishing Company.