USA > Pennsylvania > Early history of western Pennsylvania, and of the West, and of western expeditions and campaigns, from MDCCLIV to MDCCCXXXIII > Part 23
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On the other hand, these peaceable Indians fell under the suspicion of the Indian warriors who were in the service of the British, and also of the English commandant at Detroit, to whom it was reported that their teachers were in close confederacy with the American Congress, for preventing, not only their own people, but also the Delawares, and some other nations, from entering into the war against the American colonies.(2)
The frequent failures of the war expeditions of the Indians against the white settlements, were attributed to the Moravians, who often sent runners to Fort Pitt to give notice of their approach, and this charge was certainly true.
In the spring of 1781, the War Chief of the Delawares fully apprized the missionaries and their followers of their danger, both from the whites and hostile Indians, and requested them to remove to a place of safety from both. This request was not complied with, and the almost pro- phetic predictions of this chief were literally fulfilled.(3)
In the fall uf 1781, the settlements of the Moravians upon the Mus- kingum, were broken up by upwards of three hundred Indian warriors, their villages destroyed, their fields desolated, and these unhappy con- verts to Christianity turned into the wilderness upon the plains of San- dusky, where many of them perished by famine during the ensuing winter. The missionaries were taken prisoners, robbed of almost every thing, and sent to Detroit, where, after being strictly examined by a Council of British officers, they were permitted to return to their people at Sandusky.(4) 'This removal of the Moravians, by the hostile Indians, from their happy homes on the Muskingum to Sandusky, was at the instigation of three white men-Alexander McKee, Matthew Elliott, and Simon Girty. These three men, whose hostility to the American colonies was unbounded, were continually plotting the destruction of the Christian Indian settlements, as the only means of drawing the Delaware nation, and with these, the Christian Indians, into a war with the Ame- ricans. A plot was laid at Sandusky to take off the missionary Zeisber-
(1) Doddridge's Notes, p. 262.
(2) Doddridge's Notes, p. 260.
(3) Doddridge's Notes, p. 259.
(4) Hall's Sketches of the West, I., p. 211.
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ger, or bring in his scalp; and Simon Girty conducted a murdering party to Sandusky for the purpose; the discovery of which prevented it.(2)
In the latter part of February, following, the famishing state of the Moravian Indians at Sandusky, compelled about one hundred and fifty to return to their deserted villages on the Muskingum, to seek among the desolated hearth-stones, some remnants of their once plentiful stores (2) of food, for their perishing families. Here, while peaceably gathering their corn, without any provocation, and without the least resistance, more than ninety of these unoffending creatures were barbarously and deliberately murdered, not by hostile Indians, but by worse than savage white men ! ! ! (3)
It appears that some murders had been committed by the hostile In- dians, near the Ohio river, in the month of February. The early period of these fatal visits by the Indians, created a pretext for charging the Moravians with being the murderers, or affording winter quarters to the hostile warriors. But it is more than probable that motives of plunder and a desire for innocent blood, was, with many, the cause of the charge.
Accordingly, between eighty and ninety men were hastily collected together, for the purpose of destroying the Christians Indians, and were commanded by Colonel John Williamson. They encamped the first night on the Mingo bottom, on the west side of the Ohio river, about sixty miles below Fort Pitt. The second day's march brought them within one mile of the middle Moravian town, where they encamped for the night. In the morning the men were divided into two equal parties, one of which was to cross the river about a mile above the town. The other party was divided into three divisions, one of which was to take a circuit in the woods, and reach the river a little distance below the town, on the east side; another division was to fall into the middle of the town, and a third was to enter at its upper end.
When sixteen of the party designed to make the attack, had crossed the river, their two sentinels discovered an Indian whose name was Shabosh. One of them broke one of his arms by a shot; the other sentinel fired, and killed him. These heroes then scalped and toma- hawked him. Fearing that the firing of the guns which killed Shabosh would lead to an instant discovery, they sent word to the party designed to attack the town. to move on instantly, which they did. In the mean time, the small party which had crossed the river, marched to the main town, on the west side.
(1) Heckewelder's Narrative, pp. 170, 205, 230.
(2) Hall's Sketches of the West, I. p. 211.
(3) Heckewelder, p. - Loskiel, p. - Hall, I. p. 211. Doddridge, p. 252.
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Here they found a large company of the Christian Indians gathering the corn which they had left in their fields the preceding fall, when driven away by the British Indians, to Sandusky. On the arrival of the murderers at the town, they professed peace and good will to the Chris- tian Indians, and informed them that they had come to take them to Fort Pitt, for their safety. (1) The Christian Indians, not doubting their sincerity in the least, walked up to them, and thanked them for being so kind, (2) delivered up their arms, and appeared highly delighted with the prospect of their removal, and began with all speed to prepare victuals for the white men, and for themselves on their journey. (3)
A party of white men and Indians, was immediately dispatched to Salem, a short distance from Gnadenhuetten, where the Indians were also gathering in their corn, to bring them to Gnadenhuetten. (4)
" The language of the white people being the same at Salem as at Gnadenhuetten, the brethren and sisters were easily persuaded to go with them, especially as many of them professed to be very religious, admi- ring their fine and spacious place of worship, and discoursing constantly on religion, both here and on their way to Gnadenhuetten ; frequently saying to the Indians : " You are indeed good Christians !" and made use of the same language to one another, in their hearing. Some of them, on leaving Salem, set fire to the houses and church, which was disapproved of, by the Christian Indians ; they however, pretended that they meant no harm, but had merely done it to deprive the enemy of a harbouring place." (5)
On arriving at the bank of the river, opposite Gnadenhuetten, their eyes began to open ; but, it was now too late. They saw where one had been murdered. They had given up their arms, like their brethren i on the opposite side of the river, to those who had solemnly promised, that on their arrival at Pittsburg, they should be returned to them again. But had they been in possession of their arms, they could not conscien- tiously, and probably would not have attempted to resort to them for defence.
They were then taken over to the town, where the murderers threw off the masks, divided the men from the women and children, and shut them up in two houses some distance apart, where their friends of Gnadenhuetten, had before been divided and confined, and placed under guards. These they called slaughter houses.
(1) Doddridge's Notes, p. 250.
(3) Doddridge's Notes, p. 251.
(4) Heckewelder's Narrative, p. 316.
(2) Heckewelder's Narrative, p. 314.
(5) Doddridge's Notes, p. 251.
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The prisoners being thus secured, a Council of War was held to de- cide on their fate. The officers, unwilling to take on themselves the whole responsibility of the awful decision, agreed to refer the question to the whole number of the men. The men were accordingly drawn up in a line. The commandant of the party, Col. Daniel Williamson, then put the question to them in form, " Whether the Moravian Indians should be taken prisoners to Pittsburg, or put to death ?- and requested that all those who were in favor of saving their lives, should step out of the line, and form a second rank." On this, sixteen, some say eighteen, stepped out of the rank, and formed themselves into a second line ; but alas ! this line of mercy was far too short for that of vengeance.
The fate of the Moravians was thus decided and they were told to prepare for death.
The prisoners from the time they were placed in the guard houses, foresaw their fate, and begun their devotions of singing hymns, praying and exhorting each other to place a firm reliance in the mercy of the Saviour of men.(1) On being accused of having aided the hostile In. dians, they declared their innocence. They were told that they had the property of the white people in their possession. They were prepared to render a satisfactory account of every article-where, or from what trader, they had purchased it. But the number of horses, and other property, which the Christian Indians possessed, was an object with these murderers, who concluded, that-" when they killed the Indians, the country would be theirs ; and the sooner this was done the better !" Accordingly they told the poor creatures that they must die.(2)
" Finding that all entreaties to save their lives were to no purpose- and that some, more bloodthirsty than their comrades, were anxious to commence the slaughter, they united in begging a short delay, that they might prepare themselves for death-which request, at length, was granted. 'Then asking pardon for whatever offence they had given, or grief they had occasioned to each other, they kneeled down, offering fervent prayers to God their Saviour-and kissing one another, under a flood of tears fully resigned to his will, they sang praises unto him, in the joyful hope that they would soon be relieved from all pains, and join their Redeemer in everlasting bliss."
" During the time of their devotion, the murderers were consulting on the manner in which they should put them to death. Some were for setting fire to the houses they were in, and burning them alive.
(1) Doddridge's Notes, p 252.
(2) Heckewelder's Narrative, p. 318.
(3)
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Others wanted to take their scalps home with them, as a signal of vic- tory ; while others remonstrated against either of these plans, declaring that they never would be guilty of murdering a people, whose innocence was so satisfactorily evinced; and these proposed to set them at liberty, or, if they would not do that, at least to take them as prisoners and deliver them up to the proper authority ; but finding that they could not prevail on these monsters to spare their lives, they wrung their hands-and calling God to witness that they were innocent of the blood of these harmless Christian Indians, they withdrew to some distance from the scene of slaughter."
" 'The murderers, impatient to make a beginning, came again to them, while they were singing, and inquiring whether they were now ready for dying; they answered in the affirmative, adding, ' that they had com- mended their immortal souls to God, who had given them the assurance in their Learts, that He would receive their souls.' One of the party now taking up a cooper's mallet, saying, ' How exactly this will do for the business,' he began with Abraham, and continued knocking down one after another, until he had counted fourteen that he had killed with his own hands. He now handed the instrument to one of his fellow- murderers, saying, ' My arm fails me! Go on in the same way! I think I have done pretty well !' In the other house, where mostly wo- men and children were confined, Judith, a remarkably pious aged widow, was the first victim.(1) Christina, who had formerly lived with the sisters in Bethlehem, and spoke English and German well, fell on her knees, and begged for life in vain.(2) Only two lads escaped, each between fifteen and sixteen years of age,-one hiding himself in the cellar of the house where the women and children were murdered, be- held the blood run in streams into the cellar, and waiting until night, escaped through the window. The other receiving but one blow, and not being scalped, recovered his senses; but seeing the murderers re- turn and kill a man by the name of Abel, who was endeavoring to raise himself up, he lay still until evening, when the doors being open, he escaped into the woods.(3)
The particulars of this dreadful catastrophe are too horrid to relate .- In addition to what is narrated, it is sufficient to say, that in a few mi- nutes these two slaughter houses, as they were called, exhibited in their ghastly interior the mangled, bleeding remains of these poor unfortunate
(1) Heckewelder's Narrative, pp. 318, 319, 320.
(2) Loskiel's History of Missions of U. B. P., ch. X., p. 180.
(3) Loiskel, Part III. Chapt. X. p. 321.
ilive. 318.
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people, of all ages and sexes, from the aged grey headed parents, down to the helpless infant at its mother's (1) breast, dishonored by the fatal wounds of the tomahawk, mallet, war-club, spear, and scalping-knife.
"Thus O! Brainerd and Zeisberger ! faithful missionaries, who de- voted your whole lives to incessant toil and sufferings, in your endea- vors to make the wilderness of paganism 'rejoice and blossom as the rose,' in faith and piety to God !- thius perished your faithful followers, by the murderous hands of more than savage white men. Faithful pastors! Your spirits are again associated with those of your flocks, -- "where the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary are at rest !" (2)
The number of the slain was ninety-six: forty-one men, twenty-one women, and thirty-four children.
The Indians in the upper town, Shoenbrunn, ten miles further up the river, were apprised of their danger, and providentially made their es- cape, just in time to avoid the fate of their brethren below. A division of murderers arrived at Shoenbrunn just after the Indians left, but finding the place deserted, took what plunder they could find, and returned to their companions.
After the work of death was finished and the plunder secured, all the buildings in the town were set on fire, and the slaughter houses among the rest. The dead bodies were thus consumed to ashes. They then returned to the settlements, and proceeded to Pittsburg; where, on the opposite side of the Ohio river, they attacked the camps of the peaceable Delaware chiefs, with a number of friendly families, all under the protection of the government ; killed a number, and among them a promising young chief, and went off. Fortunately the chief Gellelmend and others, saved their lives by taking to the river, and reaching the town. (3)
Such are the principal events of this horrid affair. A massacre of innocent, unoffending people, dishonorable not only to our country, but to human nature itself. There may have been some brave men who com- posed this campaign, but those who controlled them were far from being such. For it cannot be supposed for a moment, that any white man who can harbor a thought of using his arms for killing women and children, in any case, can be a brave man. No! He is a murderer.
(1) Doddridge's Notes, p. 252.
(2) Hekewelder, p. 327.
(3) Loskiel, Part III. p. 183.
* TY 368-28
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CRAWFORD'S CAMPAIGN .*
This, in one point of view, at least, is to be considered as a second Moravian campaign, as one of its objects was that of finishing the work of murder and plunder of the remnant of the christian Indians, at their new village on the Sandusky, to which place they had been forced, from their once flourishing homes on the Muskingum, by both the hos- tile Indians and the American whites. The next object was that of destroying the Wyandott towns. It was the resolution of all those con- cerned in this expedition, not to spare the life of any Indians that might fall into their hands, whether friends or foes! But the disastrous result was a terrible example of retribution,-where the white man forgetting mercy, became himself the victim of savage vengeance.
It would seem that the long continuance of the Indian war, had de- based a considerable portion of the white population on the frontiers, to a nearly savage state. Having lost their relations and friends, by the Indian tomahawk and scalping-knife, and witnessed the savage murders that desolated their homes, the same spirit of revenge grew up in their bosoms, which forms a prominent feature in the savage character ; and having a taste of blood and plunder, without risk or loss, they resolved to go and kill every Indian they could find, whether friend or foe.
Preparations for this campaign, commenced soon after the return of the party that murdered the Moravian Indians in the month of March; and as the enterprise was to be conducted with secrecy and dispatch, the men were all mounted on the best horses they could procure, for the purpose of taking the Indians by surprise.
On the twenty-fifth day of May, 1782, four hundred and eighty men, finding their own horses, equipments and clothing, mustered at the old Mingo towns, on the western side of the Ohio river. They were all from the immediate neighborhood of the river, except one compa- ny from Ten-mile creek, in Washington county. Here an election took place for the office of Commander-in-chief of the expedition. The candidates were Colonel Williamson, who commanded the Moravian expedition, and Colonel Crawford. The latter was the successful can- lidate. When notified of it, it is said. that he accepted it with apparent reluctance. (1) Colonel Williamson was one of the officers of the ex- edition. (2)
* The main particulars of this campaign, are from Dodridge's Notes, pages :68-281.
(1) Dodridge's Notes, p. 269. 14
(2) Heckewelder's Narrative, p. 337.
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The army marched along " Williamson's trail," as it was then called, until they arrived at the ruins of the upper Moravian towns, on the fourth day of their march, in the fields belonging to which, there was still an abundance of corn on the stalks, with which their horses were plentifully fed, during the night of their encampment there.
Shortly after the army halted at this place, two Indians were discov- ered, by three men who had walked some distance out of the camp .- Three shots were fired at one of them, but without hurting him. As soon as the news of the discovery of Indians reached the camp, more than one half of the men rushed out, without command, and in the most tumultous manner, to see what happened. (1) From that time Colonel Crawford felt a presentiment of the defeat which followed. (2)
The Indians were observing the motions of the troops. "From the time the christian Indians were murdered on the Muskingum, the sava- ges had kept spies out, to guard against being surprised by the Ameri- cans. There was not a public place on the Ohio, from Pittsburg to Grave creek, below Wheeling, left unobserved. Thus, when in May, two months after the destruction of the Moravian towns, the white set- tlers were seen in agitation, as if preparing for some enterprise, the news was brought to the Indians, and so from day to day, until Craw- ford's men had crossed the Ohio river, and even then their first encamp- ment was 'reconnoitred. (3) They knew the number of troops and their destination, visited every encampment immediately on their leaving it, when on their march, and saw from their writings on the trees, and scraps of paper, that " no quarter was to be given to any Indian, whether man, woman or child." (4)
Nothing of consequence happened during their march, until the sixth of June, when their guides conducted them to the site of the Moravian villages, on one of the upper branches of the Sandusky river. From this retreat, the Christian Indians had lately been driven away by the Wyandotts, to the Scioto. Instead, therefore, of meeting with Indians and plunder, they met with nothing but vestiges of desolation. The place was covered with high grass ; and the remains of a few huts alone, announced that the place had been the residence of the people whom they intended to destroy, as their friends had been in the preceding M'arch, upon the banks of the Muskingum.
In this dilemma, what was to be done? The officers held a council,
(1) M'Clurg says, that a few of the volunteers at this time returned home.
(2) Dodridge's Notes, p. 270.
(3) Dodridge's Notes, p. 270.
4) Heckewelper's Narrative, p. 337.
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in which it was determined to march one day longer in the direction of Upper Sandusky ,and if they should not reach the town in the course of the day, to make a retreat with all speed.
The march was commenced the next morning through the plains of Sandusky, and continued until about two o'clock, when the advance guard was attacked and driven in by the Indians, who were discovered in large numbers in the high grass with which the place was covered. The Indian army was at that moment about entering a piece of woods, almost entirely surrounded by plains ; but in this they were partially prevented by a rapid movement of the whites. The battle then com- menced by a heavy fire from both sides. From a partial possession of the woods which they had gained at the outset of the battle, the Indians were soon dislodged. They then attempted to gain a small skirt of wood on the right flank of Col. Crawford, but were prevented from so doing by the vigilance and bravery of Maj. Leet, who commanded the right wing at the time. The firing was heavy and incessant until dark, when it ceased, and both armies lay on their arms during the night. Both adopted the policy of kindling large fires along the line of battle, and then retiring some distance in the rear of them, to prevent being surprised by a night attack. During the conflict of the afternoon, three of Col. Crawford's men were killed and several wounded.
"On the next morning, the army occupied the battle ground of the preceding day. The Indians made no attack during the day, until late in the evening, but were seen in large bodies traversing the plains in various directions. Some of them appeared to be carrying off their dead and wounded."
"In the morning of this day a council of officers was held, and a retreat was resolved on, as the only means of saving the army. 'The Indians appearing to increase every hour."
" During this day, preparations were made for a retreat by burying the dead, burning fires over their graves to prevent discovery, and pre- paring means for carrying off the wounded. The retreat was to com- mence in the course of the night. The Indians, however, became apprized of this intended retreat, and about sundown attacked the army with great force and fury, in every direction, excepting that of Sandusky."
" When the line of march was formed by the commander-in-chief, and the retreat commenced, the guides prudently took the direction of Sandusky, which afforded the only opening in the Indian lines, and the only chance of concealment. After marching about a mile in this direc- tion, the army wheeled about to the left, and by a circuitous route gained,
P. nd ng and her
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before day, the trail by which they came. They continued their march the whole of the next day, without annoyance, except the firing of a few distant shots, by the Indians at the rear guard, which slightly wounded two or three men. At night they built fires, took their suppers, secured the horses, and resigned themselves to repose, without placing a single sentinel or vidette for safety. In this careless situation they might have been surprised and cut off by the Indians, who, however, did not disturb them during the night, nor afterwards, during the whole of their retreat. The number that retreated in the main body is sup- posed to be about three hundred."
" Most unfortunately when a retreat was resolved on, a difference of opinion prevailed concerning the best mode of effecting it. The greater number thought best to keep in a body, and retreat as fast as possible, while a considerable number thought it the safest to break off in small parties, and make their way home in different directions, avoiding the route by which they came. Accordingly many attempted to do so, calculating that the whole body of the Indians would follow the main army. In this they were entirely mistaken. The Indians relinquished the pursuit of the main army, and followed the small parties with such activity, that very few escaped."
The only successful detachment, was that of about forty men under the command of Capt. Williamson, who late in the night of the retreat broke through the Indian lines, under a severe fire, and with some loss, overtook the main army, on the morning of the second day of the retreat.
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