The History of Tuscarawas County, Ohio, Part 30

Author: Warner, Beers & Co.
Publication date: 1884
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1017

USA > Ohio > Tuscarawas County > The History of Tuscarawas County, Ohio > Part 30

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having seen at Tuscarawas in 1762, and complimented. He repeated his friendly assurances, and soon after departed with his warriors, first declaring to the inhabitants assembled in the street that " if at any time they should hear it said that Pachgantschililas was an enemy to the believing [Christian] Indians, they should consider such words as lies." 'Zeisberger had gone to Bethlebem in the spring of 1781, and did not return till after the departure of this war party. Rev. John Youngman and his wife returned with him, and resumed their labors among the Indians of the valley. There were now six missionaries on the Tuscarawas-Zeisberger and Youngman at New Schon- brunn; Senseman and Edwards at Gnadenhutten; Heckewelder and Young at Salem. While they ministered to the spiritual wants of the people, their wives taught the women and children. Peace reigned in the three missions till the storm burst that swept them from the valley. It had been gathering from the commencement of the war.

To the Muncey tribe of Delawares, with Capt. Pipe at his head, the missions were an object of hatred, and several times the lives of the missionaries were attempted by warriors from this tribe. The three renegades, Elliott, McKee and Girty, hated the Moravians with equal intensity, and since their first visit to Gashachgunk, three years before, they were constant in their efforts to accomplish the ruin of the missions. They represented to Col. DePeyster, successor of Hamilton as Governor of Detroit, that the missionaries were par- tisans and spies of Congress, and that their influence was extremely prejudi- cial to the British interest. At length that officer was induced to insist upon the removal of the missions farther west, and to arrange for an expedition to effect this result. Through McKee, as agent of Indian affairs, he proposed to the Six Nations, assembled in general council at Niagara, to make an expedi- tion against the Christian villages. Unwilling to do so themselves, the gen- eral council sent a message to the Ottawas and Chippewas to this purport: " We herewith make you a present of the Christian Indians on the Muskingum [Tuscarawas] to make broth of," signifying "we wish you to put these people to death." But these two nations, who were related to the Delawares, de- clined, saying that their grandfather (the Delawares) had done them no injury. The same message was then sent to Half King, chief of the Wyandots or Hurons. He was equally disinclined to assume the task, for he had already avowed himself the friend and champion of the Muskingum mission. He would not accept the message in the form it was sent, but finally suffered himself to be persuaded by Capt. Pipe, Elliott and others to put himself at the head of the expedition, provided Capt. Pipe and his Munceys would act in concert with him. A body of about 300 warriors, consisting of Wyandots, under Half King and Kuhn, Delawares under Pipe and Wingemund, and other nations, with Elliott, whose rank in the British service was Captain, and several attendants, left Sandusky under the British flag. The object of the march was known only to the leaders.

On the 9th, the people of Salem were apprised of the arrival of this formida- ble host by two runners from the Half King, and on the day following, at 4

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o'clock in the afternoon, the expedition reached Salem. Assurances were given by Half King and Elliott that no injury of any kind was designed. Alexander McCormick, the color-bearer of the band, secured a secret interview with Heck- ewelder, and informed him that the expedition was for the purpose of remov- ing the Indians and either killing or capturing the missionaries, and that El- liott was the instigator and leader of the expedition. McCormick begged him to accede to whatever demands were made as his only hope of safety. This information was at once sent to Zeisberger, at New Schonbrunn. Elliott and others in the meantime acted the hypocrite with consummate skill, and made every protestation of friendship and good feeling. A conference was arranged for at Gnadenhutten, and on the 11th the warriors marched from Salem to that village and encamped to the west of it. For more than a week they passed their time here, eating, drinking and sleeping, while the head men were de- liberating on the best manner of carrying their designs into execution. On the 20th, a conference was called for the next day, when Half King delivered the following speech:

" Cousins ! Ye believing Indians of Gnadenhutten, Schonbrunn and Sa- lem : I am much concerned on your account, perceiving that you live in a dangerous spot. Two powerful, angry and merciless gods stand ready, open- ing their jaws wide against each other ; you are setting down between both, and thus in danger of being devoured and ground to powder by the teeth of either the one or the other or of both. It is, therefore, not advisable for you to stay here any longer. Consider your young people, your wives and your children, and preserve their lives, for here they must all perish. I therefore take you by the hand, lift you up and place you in or near my dwelling, where you will be safe and dwell in peace. Do not stand looking at your plantations and honses, but arise and follow me. Take also your teachers with you, and worship God in the place to which I shall lead you, as you have been accustomed to do. You shall likewise find provisions, and our father beyond the lake [the Governor of Detroit] will care for you. This is my message, and I am come purposely to deliver it."

He then delivered a string of wampum. The answer returned by the mis- sionaries and Indian assistants of the three settlements was this:

" Uncle, and ye captains of the Delawares and Munceys, our friends and countrymen : Ye Shawnees, our nephews, and all ye other people here assem- bled : We have heard your words, but have not seen the danger so great that we might not stay here. We keep peace with all men and have nothing to do with the war, nor do we wish or desire anything but to be permitted to enjoy rest and peace. You see yourselves that we cannot rise immediately and go with you, for we are too heavy [have too much immovable property and crops ungathered], and time is required to prepare for it. But we will keep and re- member your words and let you, Uncle, know our answer next winter, after the harvest ; upon this you may rely."

The Half King and the greater part of the warriors appeared satisfied with this answer. They declared that it would be wrong to compel their cousins to

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remove from a favorite spot where they were dwelling in contentment and hap- piness, especially as they themselves had been treated with so much kindness and hospitality since they arrived. To still further show their disapprobation of the project, some of the warriors drew up and discharged their pieces at the British flag. This was then conveyed to Detroit by McCormick. Capt. El- liott continued to urge Pipe and the Half King to resort to severe measures. He told them that the English Governor at Detroit would be greatly dissatis- fied if they returned without the missionaries. Two Moravian Indians, who had been dispatched to Pittsburgh with intelligence of the extremity of the mission, were captured on their return, and Elliott exaggerated their jour- ney into a proof of complicity of the Moravians with the Americans. Nearly another week was spent in fruitless deliberation in the Indian camp, and on the 25th of August, Half King, at a second conference with the Moravians and their assistants, more strenuously urged their consent to removal. The Chris- tians returned a mild but firm reply, that to leave at that time would reduce them to misery. Their large crops were ripening, and to deprive them and their families of these necessaries of life appeared ungenerous. Half King listened to the answer in silence, and it was believed by Heckewelder that had he and Capt. Pipe been at liberty to act according to their inclinations, they would have withdrawn their men.

Elliott, however, busily continued his machinations against the missionaries. He pretended to be apprehensive of an armed force of Americans coming upon them unawares; he induced the rabble in his train to commit outrages by shooting fowls, hogs and even cattle, and he prevailed on the chiefs to seek by stratagem to divide the Christians. Accordingly the most artful of the chiefs visited the most timid of their Christian brothers and impressed them with the belief that, if they remained here longer, they would be murdered. They then gave enchanting descriptions of the Miami country, so that many were ready to take a speedy departure, if the missionaries would but consent. The Moravian ministers thus appeared to be the greatest obstacle. "If you go home without these ministers," said Elliott to his Indian allies, " expect no favor from your English father; if you fail to seize them, I will leave this place and report your faithlessness. Then you will not have a father, but a powerful enemy at Detroit; and, the English and Americans both against you, what awaits your tribes but destruction ?" He pretended to make ready for an instant departure, and Half King in alarm promised immediate compliance with his wishes.

Council after council was then held to decide the fate of the missionaries. It was proposed to kill them at once, and a sorcerer, present, was consulted. He opposed the plan as unwise, for the national assistants in that event would immediately take their places. The national assistants, it was then proposed, should be included under the death sentence. The sorcerer contended strongly against this design, and it, too, was abandoned. Finally it was concluded to carry the missionaries and their families prisoners to Detroit. A third con- ference was called September 2, at which Zeisberger, Senseman, Heckewelder

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and Edwards appeared. For the last time Half King demanded an immediate answer whether they would go with him, and received the reply that they must abide by the answer given him at the last conference. A secret conference of the savages was held, extending far into the night, when the proposal of murdering the ministers was again made and rejected, and that of taking them prisoners adopted. The missionaries had been informed the next morning of the result, says Heckewelder, through a trusty person, who had been admitted to the council, and though aware of their speedy seizure, would not omit the regular morning service. At 8 o'clock on the morning of September 3, the chapel bell pealed its final notes of invitation, and a throng of people flocked to the sanctuary. Besides the members of the congregation, many savages attended, and listened with the closest attention to an eloquent and powerful discourse delivered by Zeisberger. He was greatly affected, and preached on the great love of God through afflictions and tribulations, closing with an appeal to his congregation to make no resistance to whatever the enemies about them might do that day.

About 1 o'clock in the afternoon of September 3, as Zeisberger, Heckewelder and Senseman were walking back of the mission garden, three Wyandots rushed upon them, took them prisoners, and marched them to Captain Elliott's tent, about one hundred yards distant. On the way, an " ugly looking " Wyandot aimed several blows with his tomahawk at the head of Senseman, but they were avoided. Elliott placed them in the charge of the Wyandots, who stripped them of the greater part of their clothing, their watches, buckles, sleeve buttons, etc. Edwards, whom the savages had not taken, soon approached and gave himself up. They were closely confined in miserable huts, and to- ward evening they were supplied with blankets and victuals by the Christian Indian women.

A band of thirty armed Wyandots set out for Salem in the afternoon. Young, seeing them approach, barricaded the house containing himself, Mrs. Heckewelder and her child, but the savages soon broke it open with their war hatchets. On entering, one Indian aimed a blow at Young's head, but it was parried by Kuhn, the chief. Young, Mrs. Heckewelder and child were then placed in the street while the Indians plundered the house. They returned to Gnadenhutten with Young, leaving Mrs. Heckewelder and her child with the Indian women of Salem, on their promise to bring them to Gnadenhutten the next day.

Two Wyandots on the afternoon of the 3d, accompanied by a squaw, also departed for New Schonbrunn. They arrived late at night, and informed Mrs. Youngman and Mrs. Zeisberger that a large force would soon arrive, take them prisoners and rob them of their property; that if they would do as they required their effects would be preserved. Regarding them as friends, they induced Mrs. Zeisberger to assist in packing her own linen, but soon they threw off the mask, robbed the house, destroyed what they could not use, forced Mrs. Senseman to arise, though it was but the fourth day after her con- finement, and dragged her with Mrs. Zeisberger and Mrs. Youngman through

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a pelting rain to a canoe, where Youngman was already secured, his house having been previously plundered. The young men could scarcely be restrained by the National assistants from rescuing them, but remembering Zeisberger's instructions, no resistance was offered. The prisoners all embarked, and were taken that night down the river as far as the mouth of Stillwater Creek, where they encamped; the prisoners were scantily dressed, had nothing but the ground to lie on, and scarcely anything with which to cover themselves. Early the next morning, they continued down the river to Gnadenhutten. The Wy. andots spent the day in pillaging and dividing the spoils, and strutted about the camp dressed in whatever garments fell to their lot. In this the Dela- wares took no part.

A young Indian squaw, a relative of Isaac Glickhican, witnessing the out- rages perpetrated upon the missionaries, secretly mounted Capt. Pipe's horse, the fleetest one, and rode with all speed toward Pittsburgh, to obtain assist- ance if possible. The loss and her absence were soon noticed, and a band started in hot pursuit, but too late to overtake her. They caught sight of her, but she was better mounted and escaped. The commandant at Fort Pitt at first determined to send a large force to the rescue, but it became apparent that it would arrive too late if sent, and the project was abandoned. In the meantime intense indignation raged against the missionaries, who were sus- pected of sending for aid. It was soon learned that the escaped woman was a relative of Isaac Glickhican, and toward that converted chieftain the rage of the savages was then directed. Twelve warriors were dispatched to Salem to bring him, dead or alive, to Gnadenhutten. They surrounded his honse, fearing to enter, and awaited his appearing. Glickhican, seeing them, stepped out, exclaiming, " Friends, by your maneuvers I conclude you are come for me. If so, why do you hesitate? Obey your orders; I am ready to submit. You appear to dread Glickhican as formerly known to you. There was a time when I would have scorned to have been assailed in the manner you contem- plate. But I am no longer Glickhican; I am Isaac now, a believer in the true and living God, and for whose sake I am willing to suffer anything, even death." He submitted to be bound and taken to the camp. A general uproar ensued, many savages loudly demanding his death. Half King interposed and granted him a regular trial, which resulted in establishing his innocence.

In a few days the missionaries were set at liberty, by promising to go with their captors to Sandusky, and to advise the Christian Indians to follow them. The Christian Indians, anticipating this event, had secretly buried many heavy articles, such as plow-shares, harrow teeth, hoes, saws, and pewter and kitchen articles, in the woods. The savages afterward searched for these, and discovered most of them. On the 10th, the Indians resumed their outrages. Yelling and shrieking, they threw down the fences of the corn-fields, turned their horses in, killed hogs and poultry, and in short did everything they thought would injure the inhabitants. The Christian Indians, preferring instant emigration to witnessing this destruction of their property, announced their readiness to advance at once.

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Accordingly, on Monday morning, September 11, 1781, the whole body of Christian Indians, with the missionaries and their familios, left Salem, closely guarded by some Delaware and Wyandot warriors. They traveled in two divis- ions, the one in canoes on the Tuscarawas, the other on land driving the cattle, of which there was a large herd. Never did the Christian Indians leave a country with deeper regret. They were now obliged to forsake three beautiful settlements, Gnadenhutten, Salem and Schonbrunn, and the greatest part of their possessions in them. They had already lost about two hundred head of horned cattle and four hundred hogs. They were leaving behind rich planta- tions, with five thousand bushels of unharvested corn, large quantities of it in store, gardens stocked with an abundance of vegetables, all the heavy articles of furniture and implements of husbandry, and pleasant and commodious homes. According to a very moderate calculation, their loss was computed at $12,000. What gave them greater pain was the total loss by fire of all books and writings for the instruction of their youth. To the missionaries, particu- larly, the journey was a sad one. They were leaving the scene of more than eight years' industry, and of a Christian community whose prosperity was never equaled in Indian history. "It was not," says De Schweinitz, "the loss of earthly goods that caused Zeisberger the bitterest pang as he looked back for the last time upon the settlements which his faith and energy had called into exisience. Nor was it the mere removal from the Tuscarawas that bowed him down. It was rather the conviction that a fatal blow had been given to his work; that the prestige of the mission was gone; that the independence of the Christian Indians had been destroyed; that under the most favorable cir- cumstances their influence in the West would decline, and they would them- selves suffer spiritual harm."

Slowly they traveled down the Tuscarawas. On the third day they reached Goshackgunk, where a halt was ordered for the purpose of shooting a tamned buffalo, belonging to one of the party, and supposed to be feeding in the woods close by. Here Elliott left the Indians for the Scioto, to meet McKee, greatly to the relief of the Moravians, for he had been the instigator of all their evils. The journey was continued slowly up the Walhonding to the junc- tion of Mohican and Vernon Rivers, thence up the latter to Gookosing, whence they proceeded overland to the Sandusky River, arriving, according to Hecke- welder, on the 11th of October. On the way, the missionaries were obliged to submit to many indignities from the savages, and after their destination was reached, Half King and his party, who had the Christians in charge, left them abruptly, with their horses heavily laden with plunder. The Indians had gradually stolen nearly everything from both ministers aud converts, leav- ing them only utensils for making maple sugar. The distress was general, and the missionaries and their families were obliged to subsist on alms gath- ered in the congregation. They commenced building huts for shelter, and suffered greatly from the pinching cold. Their clothing and blankets were insufficient, and of food there was scarcely enough to satisfy the worst cray- ings of hunger.

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Under these circumstances, a party was sent back to the Tuscarawas to gather a portion of the corn still standing in the fields. Schebosh, a native assistant, was placed in charge of the expedition. While engaged in the work of preparing the corn for the return, the party was surprised on the Tuscarawas by a band of Americans, commanded by Capt. David Williamson. Sche- bosh and six converts were captured and taken as prisoners to Pittsburgh. The object of Williamson's expedition to the Tuscarawas, in the autumn of 1781, was to remove the Moravian Indians to Pittsburgh, under the belief that they had not kept faith with them, as against the hostile Sandusky savages ; but they found themselves anticipated in the inglorious achievement of break- ing up the settlements, by the British Capt. Elliott and his band of savages. The converts, after a brief imprisonment at Pittsburgh, were released by the Commandant, Gen. Irvine, and returned to their brethren at Sandusky, ex- cept Schebosh, who proceeded to Bethlehem.

In October, 1781, a message was received by the missionaries, requiring them to appear before the British commander at Detroit. On the 25th, Zeis- berger, Heckewelder, Senseman and Edwards, with several assistants, set out, and, after enduring hardships and dangers for nine days, over an almost im- passable road, they reached Detroit. Gov. De Peyster informed them of the charge against them, that of carrying on a correspondence with the'Amer- icans prejudicial to the English interest. Capt. Pipe, their principal ac- cuser, on the day of trial, November 9, asserted that the letters were written by the missionaries at the urgent request of the Delaware chiefs of Goshach- gunk, and that the ministers were innocent of any evil design against the En- glish. He advised that they be permitted to return to their congregations. After putting a few questions, which were satisfactorily answered by the mis- sionaries, Gov. De Peyster acquitted them, and permitted them to return to Upper Sandusky. Here, as the winter advanced, the unfortunate Indians were often on the verge of starvation. The want of even the bare necessaries of life was in striking contrast with the peace and plenty that had reigned in the Tuscarawas Valley. Instead of fertile bottom lands, rich in pastures, the des- olate scope of prairie land about them was covered with only the scantiest veg- etation, and the cattle began to perish of hunger. Food of all kinds was scarce, and corn sold for $8 a bushel. The famine was daily increas- ing, and at last provisions could not be purchased at any price. In several in- stances, suckling babes perished for want of nourishment. The missionaries had reduced their daily allowance to a pint of Indian corn per day, and even this supply would soon be exhausted. The children cried for victuals, and in this dire extremity the only hope of relief was in procuring corn from the un- harvested fields on the Tuscarawas. The project was submitted to Half King, and received no opposition from him. It was resolved that a large party should proceed to their former towns, leave their families some distance be- hind them, gather and carry the corn to the place the women and children would remain, and there bury it. They could then procure it from time to time as their needs would require. This plan was adopted from the snpposi-

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tion that bands of Americans might frequent the old towns, looking for war- riors harboring in the vicinity. For the capture of Schebosh and his party by the settlers a few months previous warned them to avoid the risk of a sec- ond captivity. Had this arrangement been carried out, the terrible sequel of the journey might have been avoided, at least in part ; but on the way they met some of the converts, who had been captured at Schonbrunn, returning from Pittsburgh. These assured them there was no danger of molestation from the American side, and encouraged them to go direct to the towns-ad- vice which was followed. Having made all necessary preparations, this ill- fated expedition, of about one hundred and fifty men, women and children, two thirds of whom were destined never to return, set out from Sandusky in February, 1782, in several divisions, each division intending to work upon the corn which they had raised.

THE MASSACRE AT GNADENHUTTEN.

The return of the Christian Indians to the Tuscarawas Valley was soon known on the frontier, and a force of about 160 men was collected in Western Pennsylvania to march against them. The causes which led to the expedition were the continued Indian depredations on the settlements along the Ohio. On the 10th of February, 1782, the family of William Wallace, consisting of bis wife and five children, was cruelly murdered, and John Carpenter was at the same time carried into captivity. The early period of the season when this outrage was committed induced many to believe it was either the work of the Christian Indians, or that the real perpetrators had received aid and com- fort from them. In either case, they determined to hold the Moravian Indians responsible, and for this purpose a raid against them was organized. It ren- dezvoused at Mingo Bottom three miles below Steubenville. It was a volun- teer corps and Col. David Williamson was placed in command. Most of the men were mounted and had provided themselves with arms, ammunition and provisions. On the 4th of March, 1782, they left the Ohio, marched rapidly through the wilderness and at the close of the second day's journey had reached the Tuscarawas.

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The History of Tuscarawas County, Ohio, Part 30

Author: Warner, Beers & Co. Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Number of Pages: 1017

Author: Warner, Beers & Co.
Publication date: 1884
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1017