USA > Pennsylvania > Annals of Buffalo Valley, Pennsylvania, 1755-1855 > Part 16
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In a letter from Sunbury, dated January 27, 1783, to General James Potter, member of the Executive Council, Colonel Hunter
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incloses a roll of the men taken prisoners at Fort Freeland, the 28th July, 1779. " Captain's company, John Neely, sergeant; George Bailey, George Armitage, Aaron Martin, (died at Fort Chambly, January 8, 1780,) Thomas Smith, Isaac Wilson, and John Forney. The following persons, being those of the militia that enrolled themselves for the defense of the garrison : John Lytle, adjutant ; Cornelius Vincent, quartermaster ; sergeant, Samuel Gould ; Henry Townley, Peter Williams, Isaac Williams, Elias Wil- liams, Henry Gilfillan, James Durham, Daniel Vincent, John Watts, { William Miles, John Dough, Thomas Taggart, (died 16th January, 1780 ;) Francis Watts, made his escape on the same day he was ! taken ; Peter Vincent, likewise made his escape the same day." Colonel Hunter adds : "I appointed Captain Thomas Kemplen to recruit a company under a resolve of Congress authorizing the Council to raise a company for each frontier county, and to ap- point the officers thereof, in place of Captain John McElhatten, who was not in the county, or expected soon. Kemplen engaged on the 7th of May, and was of as much service as any man could be with the small company of men he had during the time. A number of his men who were taken prisoners at Fort Freeland, have come home poor and naked."
Colonel Kelly went over with a party from Buffalo Valley, and buried the dead at Fort Freeland.
November 27, the German regiment arrived at Sunbury, and Colonel Hunter proposes to station a sergeant's guard at Titzell's mill, in Buffalo Valley. Among the deaths this year are Samuel Allen, of White Deer, in May. In July, William McLaughlin, of the same township. Samuel Allen left a widow, Lavinia ; children, Ruth Reynolds, Agnes, Mary Rippey, Elphina, Samuel, Joseph, James, John, and Robert.
Joseph Weeks, (of now Gregg township,) left a widow, Rachel ; children, Jesse, Hannah, Frances, Jemima, Sutherland, Hyllothem, Nacum, and Fronk.
John Foster, Esquire, who died at Buffalo Cross-Roads some years since, and who was a son of Captain John Foster, was wont to relate an incident occurring at this time. One night the family were alarmed by Indians, and fled to a rye patch adjoining the house, where they passed the night. A small dog that was usually very
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noisy at night stayed with them and made no noise. The family always considered it a special act of Providence, as the next morn- ing plenty of Indian tracks were found around the house.
1780.
INHABITANTS OF BUFFALO, WHITE DEER, AND PENN'S-INDIAN TROUBLES- DAVID COUPLES KILLED-ATTACK AT FRENCH JACOB'S MILL-GEORGE ETZWEILER AND OTHERS KILLED -- ROLL OF CAPTAIN THOMPSON'S COM- PANY-PATRICK WATSON AND BALTZER KLINESMITH KILLED-PETER GROVE'S PURSUIT OF THE INDIANS-BARBER'S MILL BUILT.
OUNCILLOR, General James Potter. Representatives in the Assembly, William Montgomery, David Mc- Kinney, and Major John Kelly. Prothonotary. Cap- tain Matthew Smith, appointed February 4. County Commissioners, Daniel Montgomery, William Clark, and John White. Collector of Excise, Daniel Montgomery.
Names of the Inhabitants of Buffalo Township, in the beginning of April, 1780.
Allison, Archibald; Auld, George ; Aurand, Henry ; Aurand, Jacob; Baker, Wendel; Beatty, Hugh; Beatty, Alexander ; Bernhard, Mathias ; Bickle, Henry ; Bickle, Christopher ; Bilby, John ; Black, Thomas ; Brady, Mary; Braton, Caldwell; Brindle. John ; Bolen- der, Henry ; Book, Conrad; Book, John ; Book, George ; Boveard, James; Bower, Casper ; Burn, Peter ; Burger, Martin ; Chambers, Robert; Charters, William; Clarke, John ; Crawford, Edward ; Cri- der, John; Conner, Jacob; Coon, Nicholas; Cox, Tunis ; Cox, Widow; Davis, John ; Derr, Ludwig ; Doudrick, John ; Dreisbach, Jacob; Duncan, David; Elder, Thomas; Emerick, David; Etzweiler, George ; Ewig, Adam; Eyer, Abraham; Fiddler, Stephen ; Filey, John ; Fleming, Robert ; Fleming, James; Frederick, Peter ; Fred-
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erick, George; Foster, John; Foster, William; Foster, Captain John; Gibson, Andrew; Gibson, James ; Gilman. Henry, senior ; Gilman, Henry, junior; Glen, Andrew ; Green, Joseph ; Greenlee, William ; Groshong, Jacob, grist-mill ; Grove, Michael; he was taxed with a ferry, which was at the old Judge McPherson place, near Winfield; Gothard, John; Hains. George; Hains. George. junior ; Hains, John ; Huntsman, James ; Hamilton, Robert; Harb- ster. David; Harbster, Jacob; Hiltman, John; Henry, Christopher, distillery; Hessler, John; Hessler, Michael: Holman, Charles ; Hone, Henry; Hoy, Philip; Hub, Daniel ; Hunter. Samuel ; taxed with servants, negro, horses, cows, spoons. &c .: he resided on Penn's creek, on the tract he took up, now owned by the Messrs. Oldts, in Union township; Irvine, William, ( Irish :) Irwin. James. distillery; Jenkins, James; Jermony, Thomas; Johnston. William: Johnston, John; Kester, Peter; King, Samuel; Kishler. Francis ; Klinesmith, Baltzer; Links, Jacob; Laughlin. Samuel ; Lee, John, two stills; Leech, William; Leonard, Peter; Lewis. Daniel; Low- don, John ; McCaley, Alexander ; McCandlish. William, senior ; McCandlish, William, junior ; McClung. John; McCoy. James ; McDonald, Randall ; McGee, James ; McGrady, Alexander ; Mc- Kelvey, James: Metzgar. Jacob; Miller, Benjamin ; Milligan, John ; Mitchell. John ; Mizener, Henry ; Mizener, Conrad; Mook, John ; Moore, William, saw mill; Morrow, Andrew ; Nees, John, grist mill ; afterwards Green's and Bellas'; Noble, Robert ; Overmeier, George, senior; Overmeier, George, junior: Parkinson, Daniel; Price, Thom- as ; Pontius, Andrew ; Pontius. John, senior : Pontius, John, junior ; Pontius, Nicholas ; Pontius, George ; Pontius, Henry; Quinn, Terrence ; Ray, John; Rees, Abel ; Richard, Henry ; Rinehard; Frederick ; Rinehart. George ; Rosabaugh, George; Rote, George; Scott, John; Sharp, Daniel : Shirley, Charles; Shively, John ; Shively, Christian ; Sierer. John; Sips, Joseph; Shaw, William ; Slack, Henry; Smith. Adam; Smith. Ludwig; smith, David ; Snyder, Peter ; Snyder. Michael : Speddy, William ; Storms, Chris- tian : Storms, David ; Stroh. Nicholas ; Sutherland, William ; Tate. Edward; Taveler. Joseph ; Templeton, Samuel ; Thom, James ; Thornburg, Thomas; Thompson, John ; Trester. Martin. senior : Trester, Martin. junior ; Trinkle. Charles ; Vandyke, Henry. tan- yard; Vought, Michael ; Walker, John; Watson, Hugh; Watson ..
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Patrick; Watson, David; Welker, Leonard, grist and saw-mill ; Weyland, Henry; Williams, William ; Williams, James ; Wilson, Robert; Wise, Jacob; Wise, Frederick; Wolfe, Andrew ; Wolfe, George; Young, Samuel, distillery; Young, Matthew ; Zeller, Peter.
Of these the following returned money for taxation only : Bickle, Christopher, £100 ; Chambers, Robert, £60 ; Frederick, George, £500 ; Green, Joseph, £140 ; McCandlish, William, £40 ; Storms, Christian, £450.
Additional Residents or Taxables of White Deer in 1780.
Allen, Joseph; Allen, John; Auman, Philip; Barber, John ; Caldwell, John; Campbell, Charles; Cherry, John ; Clendenin, John ; Collins, Daniel ; Couples, Sarah, widow; Crawford, Robert; Daraugh, Ephraim ; Derr, Widow ; Eakins, John ; Heckle, Andrew, distillery ; Gibson, James; Glen, Joseph; Gray, Robert; Hammel, Charles ; Hayes, David; Hill, Elizabeth ; Hill, Jacob; Hoffman, Joseph ; Huling, Marcus, of the Island; Hood, Moses; Huston, Samuel ; Iddings, Jonathan ; Kelly, Lawrence; King, William; Love, Robert; McClenachan, William; McCracken, John ; Mc- Cord, Robert; McCord, James ; McGowan, John ; McKinney, James ; Mclaughlin, John ; Marshall, Willian ; Miller, Archibald ; Millwright, Mathias; Montgomery, Samuel; Murray, William ; Poak, John; Randels, Joseph; Randels, Hugh; Row, James ; Shields, Widow; Shearer, Widow; Turner, Thomas, distillery; Swartz, Peter, junior; Tanahill, John; Vandyke, Lambert. Im- provements, saw-mill at William Blythe's, Red Bank run.
Among the Residents of Penn's Township in 1780.
Barnard, France; Bart, Jacob; Bartges, Stophel ; Beard, Wil- liam ; Berts, Benjamin ; Bickard, John ; Bickle, Thomas ; Bickle, Simon, distillery ; Bickle, Tobias, distillery ; Bickle, Jacob ; Borald, Adam ; Bolender, Adam, senior; Bolender, Adam, junior ; Bom- baugh, widow, still; Borer, Peter ; Bower, Peter; Bunker, Abra- ham ; Carstetter, Martin ; Cline, Jacob) ; Cline, Andrew ; Coleman, John ; Collins, Moses ; Copenberger, Paul ; Crow, Godfrey ; Dean- er, George; Deininger, Jacob; Dowdle, widow, (widow of Cap- tain Dowdle ;) Dreese, Joseph ; Eberhart, Bernard ; Egeh, William ;
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Evans, John ; Faucy, Benjamin ; Fisher, Abraham ; Freyburg, Lud- wig; Gan, Frederick; Gaws, Christian ; Ginney, (weaver ;) Gray- bill, Christian ; Green, John; Graybill, John; Guyer, Valentine ; Hains, John ; Harman, John ; Heffling, Jacob; Heffling, Conrad ; Hermon, Henry ; Hoan, Michael, senior; Hornberger, Charles ; Hooks, Stephen ; Horn, Samuel; Kemerer, Peter; Kemerer, Dan- iel ; Kerstetter, Leonard ; Kerstetter, widow; Kerel, Hugh ; Ket- tleman, David; Kreek, Philip; Kreek, Jacob; Koch, Daniel ; La- bel, Jacob; Leist, David; Liber, Adam ; McTaget, Billy ; Man- ning, John ; Manning, Richard ; Mateer, Robert ; Meikle, Simeon ; Mattig, Daniel ; Merkley, George ; Motz, Michael ; Meyer, John ; Meyer, Charles, distillery ; Mogel, Valentine; Moon, Thomas ; Moon, James ; Moore, Andrew, four hundred and seventy-nine acres of land, oil-mill, two distilleries, one grist and one.saw-mill ; Morton, Jacob ; Mull, Anthony ; Neyman, Jacob; Newcomer, Peter ; Nitz, Philip; Nitz, John ; Ogden, Joseph ; Oudly, Edward; Peters, Michael ; Reybert, John, senior ; Reger, Elias ; Reger, Michael ; Reichenbaugh, Jacob ; Reed, Casper, saw-mill; Reihm, Henry ; Retzel, Youst ; Reit, John ; Ritchie, Robert ; Rodgers, John ; Roush, Jacob ; Row, Martin, junior ; Row, Ludwig; Ryhart, John ; Schock, George ; Schock, John ; Shaffer, George ; Sharrer, Michael ; Shoemaker, Pe- ter; Smith, Stephen ; Snyder, Thomas ; Stees, Jacob, grist and saw- mill ; Steffy, Adam; Straub, John; Styer, Henry ; Styers, Jacob ; Sutton, Zachariah ; Swineford, John; Swineford, Albright, six hun- dred and eighty acres, and grist-mill ; Tremgel, Peter ; Trenkle, Matthias; Truckenmiller, Frederick; Ulrich, George, junior ; Wood- ward, Simon ; Zellner, John.
2d April, William Maclay writes to President Reed, from Sunbury : " SIR : I will not trouble you with the distress of this county. It will, no doubt, be painted to the Council in lively colors, and, in- deed, the picture cannot be overcharged ; nor should I, at this time, write to you, but for a strong belief and persuasion that a body of Indians are lodged about the head of Fishing and Muncy creek. They were with us to the very beginning of the deep snow last year ; they are with us now before that snow is quite gone. Many of our hunters, who went up late last fall into that country, (which is a fine one for hunting,) were so alarmed with the constant reports of guns, which they could not believe to be those of white men, that they
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returned suddenly back. We are not strong enough to spare men to examine this country, and dislodge them. The German regiment are under their own officers, and, for my part, I expect no service from them. I cannot help uttering a wish that what troops we have might be all Pennsylvanians. There is a certain love of country that really has weight. This is a strange divided quarter. Whig, Tory, Yankee, Pennamite, Dutch, Irish, and English influence are strangely blended. I must confess I begin to be national, too, and most sin- cerely believe every public interest of America will be safer in the hands of Americans than with any others. But I will not trouble you with any more of my opinions. Help us if you can, and much oblige a distressed country."
Colonel Samuel Hunter writes, on the same day : "The savages have made their appearance on the frontiers in a hostile manner. Day before yesterday they took seven or eight prisoners about two miles above Fort Jenkins, and two days before they carried off several people from about Wyoming. The German regiment that is stationed here is no ways adequate to grant us the necessary relief. The case is quite altered from this time twelve months ago. We then had a pretty good garrison at Muncy, Brady's fort, Freeland's, with our own inhabitants. Now we have but forty or fifty at Montgom- ery's, and thirty at Fort Jenkins. The latter was not able to spare men enough to pursue the enemy, that carried off the prisoners, though there were but thirty Tories and Indians, and a pretty deep snow had fallen the night before, by which they could be tracked. I have seen the time within three years that we could turn out some hundred of good woodsmen, but the country is quite drained of our best men."
The rapid depreciation of money may be noted through an item in the State Treasurer's account : May 17, order to Samuel Dale, ad- ditional pay as Member, in consequence of the price of wheat raised from £15 to £20 per bushel. 11th March, cassimere was $300 per yard ; jean and habit cloth, $60 per yard.
April 8, a party of Indians made a descent on White Deer creek. At Redbank, one and one-half miles south of White Deer Mills, a little below where Charley Bly's blacksmith shop used to be, toward the river, lived David Couples, with his wife and two children. They killed and scalped Couples and two of the children, and took his wife
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prisoner. They camped for the night on the hills above the mills, where she made her escape, although one of them had lain himself down upon her clothes, so that her moving would alarm him. The next day, when the people came to the house, they found the chil- dren had crawled under the bed, but their eyes were rent with in- tensity of suffering. One daughter survived, Margaret Couples. She married a man named William Armstrong, a wagoner on Doctor Eaker's place, and they moved to Centre county. The widow mar- ried a man named Elliot, of Chillisquaque. Some of the family live about Northumberland. Captain John M. Huff, of Milton, is a grandson.
In Doctor Harbaugh's Fathers of the German Reformed Church, we find the following notice of the first stated Reformed minister nearest to the region of our annals : As early as the 18th of May, the Reverend Samuel Dubbendorff labored as a minister at Lykens valley. A letter of that date says : " like John the Baptist, he at present preaches to three congregations, bordering upon the Indians. The people greatly love and honor him, yet owing to their poverty, can give him only the most necessary articles of food, but not a cent of money as salary." Mr. Dubbendorff, no doubt, preached as a sup- ply for the churches on Penn's creek, and, perhaps, in Buffalo Valley, as we find that when he beame too feeble, from age, to labor any longer in the ministry, he removed to a friend's, near Selinsgrove, where he died. He is buried in Selinsgrove, but no memorial, we believe, marks his grave.
Attack on French Jacob's Mill.
NORTHUMBERLAND TOWN, May 18, 1780.
I am unhappy enough to inform you the savage enemy have, on the :6th inst., made a stroke on the inhabitants of this much dis- tressed county, at Buffalo Valley. At French Jacob Grozong's mills four men killed, viz: Jno. Forster, jr., - - Eytzwiller, James Chambers, and Samuel' McLaughlen. The enemy got only one of the scalps. The neighboring inhabitants, on hearing the firing, briskly turned out, and pursued the enemy very brave, but was not able to overtake them. The inhabitants have stood here, indeed, longer than could been expected, were it not desperation. But, sir, unless some support can be instantly afforded, the State
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[1780.
must shortly count one county less than formerly-which God forbid. I refer you, D'r sir, to the bearer, Gen. Potter, for further information, as he waits on horseback, whilst I write this imperfect, distress'd acc't. Provisions none, cash none, nor can it be had in this place. Gen. Potter's acc'ts from this place to the Hon'ble the Assembly, which I doubt not you will see, will fully satisfy you of the state of this place.
I am, D'r sir, your most obt. humble serv't,
MATTHEW SMITH. Gen. Jos. REED.
Sometime between 1776 and 1779, Jacob Groshong, familiarly known as French Jacob, built a little log mill, the site of which is now familiarly known as Solomon Heberling's, on what he supposed was his own location. He was defeated in a suit at Sunbury, rode home the same night, dismantled the mill, moved the wheels, &c., down to the site of what is now Dater & Reish's mill. Here he re-built his mill in 1782 and 1783, and added a saw-mill in 1785. In 1793, Enoch Thomas got the property, and Groshong moved up to the end of the Nittany mountain, in Centre county, and thence West. From Thomas, it passed into the hands of Christopher Johnson, in 1797, and into the hands of John Hofferd, in 1808, and finally into the Reish's.
The old mill building, where this fight occurred, Mr. Philip Pon- tius told me he took down when he owned the property, and that he carefully preserved the timbers that had the bullet marks in them, and placed them in another building there, where they could still be seen.
This will explain the impression on the minds of some old peo- ple I have talked with, who alleged the site of French Jacob's mill, where the fight occurred, was at the old Hofferd or Reish mill ; whereas, in truth, it occurred at the little old mill, the site of which is on Solomon Heberling's place.
Groshong's name, or rather his nick-name, is still preserved in connection with the large spring a little above the tavern, on the Brush Valley road. I find in 1787 he was assessed by his nick- name, "Jacob, French." He is the hero of all the wild tales of Indian troubles in that part of the Valley. The place where he hid from the Indians, beside this spring, is still pointed out.
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The place became more noted in after years as the residence of Captain John Bergstresser, who, as early as 1811, had an oil, full- ing-mill, saw-mill, and kept store upon the premises. Bergstresser came in after Henry Snyder, who had some sort of mills there as early as 1802.
Christian Shively told my informant, John Beeber, that he heard the signal firing at this time. He was threshing some grain at the time. He had a hard, smooth place tramped on the ground, and was throwing the wheat up in the air to allow the wind to blow the chaff away. He immediately hid his wife and two children near the mouth of White Spring run. He slipped silently about, rolled some logs into Penn's creek, tied them with hickory withes into a raft, put his wife and children on, and floated down to Beatty's, where New Berlin now stands.
Philip Pontius told me his father also heard the signal. He un - hitched his horses, and made a circuit through the woods, gun in hand, and came to the mill. He said William Fisher made a nar- row escape. He was running into the mill, when his foot slipped on a board, and he fell into the door. The bullet intended for him struck the building on a line where his head would have been had he not fallen.
One tradition of the neighborhood is that this was a patrol of five men which passed every day between Titzell's, late Kelly's, mill and French Jacob's, and they were attacked by the Indians in sight of the mills. Another has it that the soldiers were out washing when they were fired on.
John Forster was an uncle of the late Captain John Forster, of Mifflinburg, and a brother of the old Major Thomas Forster. James Chambers was the son of Robert Chambers.
George Etzweiler, junior, left a widow named Mary. George Etzweiler, a son of the one killed, kept hotel at McKee's Half-Falls, as late as 1812. William Fisher was the grandfather of James Crossgrove and Sheriff John Crossgrove, and resided in Limestone, where James Crossgrove lately resided. William Gill told me he heard old Mrs. Overmeier say that the people who were killed, were brought over to the place adjoining Philip Seebold's residence, above New Berlin, and were buried in the old grave-yard on the bluff at the creek, where Dry run comes in, nearly opposite where
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Tuscarora run enters Penn's, on the Snyder county side.1 Here old John Trester and the first settlers were buried. This grave-yard, probably the oldest in the county, was not used after 1791, when the people commenced burying in New Berlin. It belonged to Thomas Barber, who was killed in 1792, by the timbers of an old barn falling upon him. Some time during this year. one of the Mizener's, who resided where Daniel Pontius now resides, near Reish's distillery, was captured, and carried off from that place by the Indians. Esquire Sheckler informs me it was Adam Mizener, who moved to Ohio, and died there some years ago. He remained in captivity about eighteen months.
On the 14th of July, the Archives state that a man and three children were killed, near the mouth of Buffalo creek. According to the statement of William Wilson, (Doctor T. H's. grandfather, ) this occurred at the old house where Thomas Ream now lives. The woman escaped across the creek and, looking back, saw an Indian dash the brains out of the small child against a tree. The name of the family was Allen.
Copy of Roll found among Colonel John Kelly's papers.
A pay-roll of my company of the first battalion, Northumberland county militia, commencing 16th of July, 1780. Enrolled, July 16, 1780. Discharged, August 15.
Colonel-Kelly, John. Captain-Thompson, James.
Lieutenant-Poak, Joseph.
Ensign-Ewing, Alexander.
Black, William; Black, Thomas; Brindage, Joseph; Fleming, . Hance; Green, Joseph ; Hamersley, James; Iddings, Jonathan ; Poak, John; Poak, Thomas; Poak, James Smith ; Rodman, Hugh ; Wilson, Peter ; Wilson, John; Young, John.
Letters of administration on Patrick Watson's estate, were granted on the 23d of July, of this year ; and his death, perhaps, occurred during May, when the stroke on the Valley, spoken of in Captain Matthew Smith's letter, was made. His cabin was on a slight eleva- tion, a little east of the new school-house (1877) at White Springs,
* Philip Seebold said, in 1872, that George Etzweiler was buried on John Cook's place, now Peter Slear's, in Limestone township.
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Limestone township. The site was pointed out to me, by Jacob M. Shively, whose grandfather, Christian Shively, showed him the spot, and told the story. He said he heard the firing, and went to Watson's cabin, and found Mrs. Watson, Patrick's mother, lying on the floor, shot, and a dog licking her scalped head. She could only make motions in reply to his inquiry, intimating that Patrick had gone down the run. He went out after him, and found him near the White spring. Watson did not know he was shot until, stooping down by the spring to drink, the water ran out of his wound. He died within two hours. He and his mother were among the first buried in the Lewis grave-yard. He was an uncle of David, William, and John C. Watson.
Friday, 14th July, Baltzer Klinesmith, who resided then on George Sholtz's land, lately owned by John Byler, on the second road south of Dreisbach's church leading to Jenkins' mills, and had a small clearing upon it, was killed. The versions of this story are quite numerous. The one in the " History of the West Branch," was furnished by George A. Snyder, Esquire, deceased. The dates I get from the widow's pension papers, and an old certificate, in which it is further stated that he was a private in Captain Joseph Green's company, Lieutenant John Cryder, in Colonel Kelly's battalion. My version is from one who often heard Mrs. Chambers tell it her- self. She, with her father and sister, went out in the field to work. He, seeing some squirrels, sent Baltzer, junior, back for his gun. Meanwhile, the Indians came along and captured the old man and the two girls, Elizabeth and Catherine.
Just where the road winds around the hill, above Heimbach's blacksmith shop, on the road to New Berlin, they killed Klinesmith. Mrs. Dreisbach, the Judge's mother, pointed out the place. She helped carry his body down, and they buried it in the Dreisbach church-yard.
The Indians then made their way to the spring, north of New Berlin, where they left the girls in charge of an old man of their party, and went down Dry valley. After a little while it began to rain, and the Indian motioned the girls to gather brush to cover the flour bag. He laid down under a tree, with the tomahawk under his head. The girls, in passing with brush, worked it gradually from under him as he dozed. Elizabeth picked up the tomahawk,
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