History of Berks county in Pennsylvania, Part 23

Author: Montgomery, Morton L. (Morton Luther), b. 1846
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts, Peck & Richards
Number of Pages: 1418

USA > Pennsylvania > Berks County > History of Berks county in Pennsylvania > Part 23

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" That your petitioners humbly conceive that it would be the safest way to have the said Fort con- tinued and rebuilt, as it is very much out of order and repair.

" Therefore your petitioners humbly pray your Honor to take the premises into consideration and issue such orders as will prevent the removal of the said Fort, and order a sufficient number of men in it, and to grant your petitioners such other relief as to you in your wisdom shall deem meet.

"This petition was signed by George Gilbert and Adam Spittlemeyer, at the request and in behalf of the following persons, 'all inhabitants of Berks County, within four miles of and about Fort Franklin over the Blue Mountains ' :

" George Gilbert. William Weigand.

Adam Spittlemeyer. Anthony Krum.

Henry Hauptman. Philip Scholl.

Casper Langeberger. Jacob Keim.

Nicholas Kind.

John Frist.

George Merte. William Gable.

Henry Norbeck. Philip Kirsbaum. Widow of Mark Grist (deceased).1 John Wissemer. George Wartman.

Widow of Geo. Krammer Jacob Richards.

William Ball.

(deceased).1 Christopher Sprecher. John Scheefer.

Philip Annes.

George Sprecher."

Peter Gersinger was shot and scalped abont the middle of June, 1757, while plowing in a field. The place of this murder is not named, but the report of it seems to indicate Bethel township.

TRUMP MURDER .- James Read, Esq., ad- dressed the following letter from Reading on the 25th of June, 1757:

"Last night Jacob Levan, Esq., of Maxatawny, came to see me, and showed me a letter of the 22d inst., from Lieutenant Engel, dated in Allemangel, by which he advised Mr. Levan of the murder of one Adam Trump, in Allemangel, by Indians that even- ing, and that they had taken Trump's wife and his son, a lad of nineteen years old, prisoners; but the woman escaped, though upon her flying she was so closely pursued by one of the Indians (of which there were seven) that he threw his tomahawk at her, and cut her badly in the neck, but 'tis hoped not danger- ously. This murder happened in as great a thunder- storm as has happened for twenty years past; which extended itself over a great part of this and Northamp- ton Counties-for I found much mischief done, as I came from Easton, Northampton County, to this

1 ".Which said Grist and Krammer have lost their lives in the defense of their country last fall."

Jacob Leisser.

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town, the length of fifty-two miles-the day before yesterday, and which I hear has broken down the dams of seven forges and six grist-mills on Maxa- tawny Creek, chiefly in this county, the rest in Phila- delphia County.

" Mr. Levan told me that at the same time that the Indians did the mischief in Allemangel, another party killed and scalped a man near Fort Henry, in this county, and the next day carried off a young woman from the same neighborhood. I am told too-though I cannot tell what credit is to be given to it-that two persons were killed and scalped near the Fort at Northkill, in this county, Wednesday evening last, at the time of the thunderstorm.

" I had almost forgot to mention (for I am so hur- ried just now, 'tis no wonder) that the Indians, after scalping Adam Trump, left a knife and a halbert, or a spear, fixed to a pole of four feet, in his body."

In a letter from Tulpehocken, dated 4th of July, 1757, to the Pennsylvania Gazette, it was stated,-

"If we get no assistance from the county all the inhabitants of Tulpehocken will move away. The county should rise and send a large body to drive the Indians off, and keep a strong gnard in the houses on the frontiers besides the soldiers, or all will be lost."

On the 4th of July, 1757, two Indians were seen near Reading.

SEVEN PERSONS MURDERED -On July 5, 1757, " seven persons (three men and four chil- dren), who had been murdered and scalped all in one house, were brought to our burying- ground for burial. They were killed by the Indians yesterday, about sun-down, five miles from here." This was at Tulpehocken church.1

MOTHER'S DEFENSE OF CHILDREN .-- The following extract is taken from a letter dated at Heidelberg, on 9th of July, 1757 :

Yesterday, about three o'clock in the afternoon, between Valentine Herchelroad's and Tobias Bickel's, four Indians killed two children,-one about four years old and the other five. They at the same time scalped a young woman of about sixteen, who, with proper care, is likely to live and do well. A woman was terribly cut with the tomahawk ; but she was not scalped-her life is despaired of, Three children were carried off prisoners. Christian Schrenk's wife -who was among the party-bravely defended her- self and her children for a while. During an assault upon her, she wrested the gun out of the Indian's hands, and also his tomahawk and threw them away ; and in the meantime, whilst saving her own life, two of

her children were taken captive. In this house there were also twenty women and children who had fled thither from their own habitations to take shelter. The men belonging to them were distant about one- half a mile, engaged in picking cherries. They came as quickly as possible and went in pursuit of the In- dians, but to no purpose, for the Indians had concealed themselves."

APPEAL FOR AID .- It would seem that as- sistance was asked generally from the people of the province by the inhabitants of Tulpelocken township during their terrible sufferings and losses. A notice to this effect was advertised in the German newspaper, published at German- town by Christopher Sauer, in July, 1757. It was as follows (being translated from the Ger- man) :

" The distant inhabitants of Tulpehocken would pray for assistance to enable them to give more atten- tion to their security, inasmuch as the forts lay so far from one another, and the persons therein do little service. Whoever may be willing to give anything, can inform Reverends Otterbein and Gerock, Lutheran ministers in Lancaster ; Revs. Muhlenberg and Leydig. at New Hanover and Providence; Dr. Abraham Wagner in Mudetsche; Mr. Michael Reyer, in Gosch- enhoppen ; Christopher Saner, Sr., at Germantown ; and Rev. Handschuh, in Philadelphia, and write also how much they may have given. And these persons can forward the same to Col. Conrad Weiser or Peter Spycker, or Rev. Kurtz, as each may be pleased to do. Those who have been able to carry on their har- vest in peace and security, cut and deliver it at home, have reason to be thankful to God."

FOUR KILLED AND SIX SCALPED .- A letter from a place in Lynn township (now included in Greenwich) reported the following cruelties:

" Adam Klaus and his neighbors were surprised by a party of Indians on the 9th of July, whilst they were engaged in reaping rye; two men, two women and a young girl escaped ; Martin Jaeger and his wife were killed and scalped ; John Kraushaar's wife and child, Abraham Seckler's wife and one of Adam Clauss's children were scalped, but they still lived, though badly wounded; one of the women is wound- ed in the side and the other in the hip; two of Kraus- haar's children were killed, and one of Seckler's and one of Philip Eschton's, but these were not scalped. . The alarm being raised, a party went in pursuit of them, and, overtaking nine, fired upon them. But they soon eluded the pursuit of the whites."

Conrad Weiser, whilst at Easton for the pur- pose of conferring with the Indians, detailed the circumstances connected with a murder of ten

1 Pennsylvania Gazette, July, 1757.

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HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

people, in a letter to the Governor on the 15th of July, 1757 :

"In coming along through Maxatawny I heard a melancholy account of ten people being killed by the enemy Indians. They passed by two or three planta- tions on this side of the mountain before they at- tacked. A certain woman ran off towards her place and told her husband of the attack, who cut the gears off his horses then in the plow, and rode as fast as he could to Licut. Wetherholt, about three miles off. Lieut. Wetherholt, with a small detachment. I am told seven in number, came away immediately, and came to the place where the murder was committed, where by that time a number of people had gathered. Weth- erholt proposed to pursue the enemy, but none would go with him, so he took his seven men and pursued the enemy a few miles from the house and found the place where they rested themselves, and in about three miles he overtook them in thick bushes, at a very little distance. It seems they saw one another at once. One of the Indians was beforehand with Wetherholt and aimed at him, but his gun flashed. Wetherholt, a moment after, fired at the Indian, and thinks he hit him, but is not sure. Several guns were fired by our people, but did no execution, and the In- dians' guns missing fire, they ran off and left two horses behind them, one belonging to the man they killed, laden with the best of his household goods."

MORGAN JOURNAL .- A monthly journal, kept by Jacob Morgan, for the month of July, 1757, indicates that considerable vigilance was exercised in this vicinity, and yet the outrages just mentioned were committed by the Indians. The journal records the following circum- stances :

"July the 1st .- Sent a corporal with 11 men on a scout to Clingaman Hausabough's, at Allemingle, who staid all night.

" 2nd .- The scout returned from Allemingle and re- ported that they had made no discovery of the enemy.

"3rd .- Sent a party to range to Allemingle.

" 4th .- Our men returned from Allemingle and re- ported that some of the inhabitants, who were afraid near the mountain, were removing downwards.

"5th, 6th and 7th .- Was exceeding heavy rain and waters very high.

" 8th .- Being a day of humiliation we applied our- selves thereto.

" 8th .- Rainy weather, we could not scout.

"10th .- I sent out a party to range to Allemingle. This day Sergeant Matthews returned from Colonel Weiser's with orders for me to station 10 men in Windsor township, and to keep 10 men in readiness to go to Easton.

"11th .- The scout returned. I prepared the men

in readiness according to orders; and sent some men to guard the farmers in their harvest.

"12th .- I went with ten men to Windsor township and stationed them there, where I found. the most proper. In the evening very heavy rain and thunder, obliged me to stay all night; we sent some parties to guard the farmers.

"13th .- I returned in the morning to the fort. . . . Parties went to guard the farmers, and this day in my return I met the scout which I had posted in Windsor township, ranging about the farmers' houses.

"14th .- Parties ranged and guarded the farmers.

"15th .- Being all day heavy rain, and the creeks so high that the Schuylkill rose perpendicularly fifteen feet in nine hours' time, being considerably higher than ever was known in these parts; the guards could not return, and we remained in the fort with only eight men to guard."

During the remainder of July soldiers were sent out daily to guard the farmers in their ag- ricultural work, but no Indians came to molest them.

On the 27th of July, 1757, James Read, Esq., at Reading, wrote to the Governor stating that white men had appeared in Bern township and were co-operating with the Indians. His ac- count is as follows :

"It is with great uneasiness I must inform your honor that the day before yesterday four white men took away from a plantation in Bern township, about thirteen miles from this town, one - Good (I think that is the surnaine), a lad about sixteen years old, and carried him to four Indians about eight miles from the place where he was taken. The white men and Indians all got very drunk, and the lad happily made his escape in the night. Of his being taken I heard the evening it happened; of the rest I was in- formed by Robert Smith, a sergeant, who came yes- terday from Fort William (Lebanon), and on his road was told by one Peter Rodermel, a farmer of very good credit, who had seen and conversed with the lad. Monday, in the afternoon, an Indian was seen near Sinking Spring, five miles from the town, by Peter Rood, a person of as high credit as is in the county. Some of the inhabitants went immediately in pursuit of the Indian, but returned without having overtaken him. I have taken care ever since the 9th of this month to keep a patrol of ten of the inhabit- ants every night about this town ; and, as our people are very uneasy upon hearing that white men are among the Indians, we purpose to have a guard to- night of twenty-one,-seven at either end of the town and seven in the centre,-who will keep out a patrol all night. In this service I am cheerfully assisted by Mr. Seely and Mr. Biddle. We hope our very dan- gerous condition will be considered and some measures

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will be taken for our security. . I am sorry to have occasion to assure you that if our defense be committed to the soldiers now in these parts, our people will be still as uneasy as they are now."

By the latter statement it would appear that the soldiers were not thoroughly patriotic, hav- ing doubtless done something to sacrifice the confidence of the people. There is no published information on the subject. Read added in his letter that he would not then assign reasons, though he might " some time next week acquaint him with the principal grounds of their objection to such a protection."

In August, 1757, fifty men from Cumru and other townships near Reading set out in expec- tation of bringing in some Indian scalps.

ALARMING CONDITION OF PEOPLE .- The following earnest, pathetic letter was addressed by Conrad Weiser from his home in Heidel- berg on the 4th of October, 1757, to the Gov- ernor's secretary. It narrates the alarming condition of the people at that time, showing that the Indians were still active in their cruel- ties, notwithstanding treaties or the protection afforded by forts and scouting-parties :

"Sir :- I did not think of the post till he entered my door, else I would have written particularly to the ' Governor, though I have been very busy with writing to the commanding officers of the several forts under my care. It is now come so far that murder is com- mitted almost every day; there never was such a consternation among the people; they must now leave their houses again, with their barns full of grain ; five children were carried off last Friday ; some days before a sick man was killed upon his bed ; he begged of the enemy to shoot him through his heart, which the Indian answered, I will, and did so. A girl that had hid herself under a bedstead in the next room heard all this; two more families were about that time destroyed. Inclosed is the journal of last month of my ensign at Northkill. Captain Busse lies dangerously sick at John Harris'. I hear he is tired of everything. I have neither men nor a sufficient number of officers to defend the country. If his honor would be pleased to send orders to recall all the men belonging to my battalion from Fort Augusta he would justly bring upon him the blessings of the Most High. I cannot say any more. I think myself unhappy ; to fly with my family in this time of dan- ger I can't do. I must stay if they all go. I am now preparing to go to Fort Henry, where I shall meet some officers to consult with what may be best to be done. I have ordered ten men, with the Governor's last order, to Fort Augusta; I shall overtake them

this evening at Fort Henry and give them proper in- struction. For God's sake, dear sir, beg of the Gov- ernor, press it upon him in my behalf, and in behalf of these distressed inhabitants, to order my men back from Fort Augusta. I will give my reason afterwards that I am in the right. I conclude with my humble respects to his houor."

PETITION FOR SOLDIERS .-- In March, 1758, Conrad Weiser forwarded to the Lieutenant- Governor a petition subscribed (in German) by a number of the inhabitants of Bern township, with the recommendation that they be favored with soldiers, to be stationed for their defense in some of the most exposed farm-houses. The petition set forth --

"That from the beginning of the Indian incursions into this province, the neighborhood wherein your pe- titioners live hath been frequently harassed by the enemy, and numbers of their neighbors cruelly mur- dered, others captivated, and many of your petition- ers obliged to fly from their dwellings to avoid the same unhappy fate, to their unspeakable terror and distress. That during this winter the severity of the weather had prevented those barbarians from commit- ting their wonted cruelties ; but, as the snow is now melting and the weather is growing fair, your peti- tioners are every moment dreading an attack from the enemy, and find themselves less secure than hereto- fore from their attempts, as the block-house at North- kill is destroyed and no garrison kept in those parts. " Your petitioners, in the deepest distress, implore your honor's protection, and most earnestly beg that they may not be left a prey to the savage enemy, pro- testing that, without assistance from the public, they are utterly unable to defend themselves, and must, on the first attack, abandon their habitations and rather embrace the most extreme poverty than remain sub- ject to the merciless rage of those bloody murderers. And that they have the greatest reason to expect an attack is obvious from the many former successful at- tempts of the enemy-three or four Indian-paths lead- ing into their neighborhood."

In the following month, (April, 1758,) the people of Reading were likewise alarmed, and they, too, sent a petition to the Governor, setting forth their dangerous situation and praying for assistance. The Governor, in pursuance of its earnest representations, said, in a message to the Assembly on the 27th of April, 1758: "We have just received a petition from the distressed inhabitants of the town of Reading ; their un- happy situation scems to be more easily con- ceived than described, occasioned by the want of a due exertion of the military force in that

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quarter." He therefore entreated the Assembly to order provincial forces to be sent to their im- mediate relief. Their prayer was granted and a hundred men were sent.

LIEBENGUTH MURDER .- About this time the Indians again divided themselves into small parties and surprised the settlers unawares. At Tulpehocken they killed and scalped a man by the name of Liebenguth and his wife ; and at Northkill they killed and scalped Nicholas Gei- ger's wife and two children and Michael Ditzel- er's wife.

The following correspondence in German is added, relative to the murders just mentioned :1

" Wichtige Nachrichten aus Sauer's 'Pennsyl- vanische Nachrichten,' von dato Isten April 1758.

" Am verwichenen Montag sind abermahl bei zwan- zig ganz fremde Indianer zu Bethlehem angekom- men, welche auch willens sind mit den Englischen in Frieden und Freundschaft zu leben. Wie man ver- steht so haben sie der Tidiuskung's Söhne berednet zum Frieden, und haben sie mitgebracht. Sie mel- den auch, dass dem Tidiuskung sei angesagt worden dass der so sehr beruffene Indianer Captain Schingas auch kommen wollte, und wieder mit den Englischen in Fried und Freundschaft leben. Darauf habe Tidiuskung fuer Freiden einen hohen Luft-Sprung ge- than, welches er kaum vermuthet hat.

" Und also dörfften die Forten an der Grenze mit ihren Garisonen von wenig Nutzen sein, und viele von unsern Landes-Leuten aus ihrer Gefangenschafft losz und wieder heim kommen.

"Auszug eines Briefs von einem Officier in dem Dienst dieser Provinz geschrieben zu Dolpehacken den 8. April 1758.

"Ich und Mr. Kern sind soeben bei Jacob Scher- man angekommen, da hat man uns berichtet, dasz den vorigen Abend eine Frau von den Indianern ge- tödtet und gescolpt worden, von feindlichen Indianern etwa drei Meilen von hier.

"Wir sind soeben bereit ihnen nachzufolgen .... Die Liste von denen die getödtet worden, nebst einer die sie mitgenommen haben lautet wie folgt, nehm- lich: zn Schwatara sind zwei ledige Bursche zwei Brueder mit Namen Schnatterle getödtet, Michel San- ter und William Hardt sind auch todt, und eine Wittfrau haben sie mitgenommen. . ... In Dolpe- hacken ist ein Mann mit Namens Liebegut und seine Frau getodtet und gescolpt worden. . . . An der Nord- Kill ist des Nicolaus Geigers Frau und ihre zwei Kin- der getödtet, und auch Michel Ditzeler's Frau, die sind all gescolpt.

"Die Indianern haben sich in kleinen Partheien

vertheilet und kriechen durch das Gebuesch zu den Plantaschen. Es giebt verschiedene Muthmassungen : Einige dencken es seien von den Indianern welche schon Frieden gemacht. Andere aber glauben : Weil die, Franzosen wissen, dass eine grosse Macht von Krieg-Schiffen und Landvölkern aus England kommt. und hier viel Völker angewerben werden, welche alle gegen die Franzosen fechten sollen, so hatten die Franzosen eine sehr grosse Menge Indianer, welche mit ihnen nicht nur in Freundschaft sondern gar in Verwandtschaft stehen, die schickten sie an die Grenze um Schaden zu thun, damit die Völker in den Forten bleiben sollen und nicht gegen ihre grosse Festungen hinziehen sollen u. s. w. Die Todten können eben nicht sagen wer die sind die sie getödtet haben, und wann wirs wustzen, so hätten wir wenig Nutzen dafon. Nur selig sind die im dem Herrn sterben. Sie ruhon ihrer Arbeit, und ihre Wercke folgen ihnen nach.

" Im ubrigen gehen schwere Gerichte ueber den Erd- boden und das Gericht der Verstockung ist ein sehrwe- res Gericht. Man sollte auf die Hand sehen, die mit der Ruthe streichet, und nicht auf die Ruthe wie ein Hund, der in den Stein beiszt, womit er getroffen ist. Juni, den 16ten. 1758. Wir hören dass seither noch mehr Botschafter von fremden Indianern nach Phila- delphia gekommen sind, welche sich auch erbieten, dass sie mit den Englischen in Freundschaft leben wollen. Es sei ihnen aber nicht gar zu freundlich geantwortet worden. Doch werde eine grosse Menge kommen um ein Träty halten. Ob aber die hin- tern Einwohnern diesen Sommer so ruhig sein wer- den wie den Winter das ist ungewisz, ueberhaupt mo- gen wir wohl ein hartes Jahr haben."

FRANTZ MURDER .-- Captain Busse, at Fort Henry, wrote to Conrad Weiser on 19th of June, 1758,-

"At noon I received news that this morning about eight o'clock the Indians took and carried away the wife of John Frantz, with three children, six miles from here, deep in the country. I sent momently Lieutenant Johnston with a party of nine men to go along the mountains and to stay at the Hole to inter- cept them. They being gone, a farmer who was fol- lowing on horseback, came back and told me that he saw three Indians near the Fort at Six's (Dietrich Six's or Fort Henry, in Bethel township). Being not able to spare more men, as just a detachment was out to meet the wagon with provision, I sent Sergeant Christ. Mowrer with only two men to look for their tracks. It is a cruel fate that we are brought to; we shall fight without powder and lead. If some is there, be pleased to send it to us. . . .

"Just now I received news that the son of John Snabele, not far from Dub's, is killed and scalped, having five shots in his body. As this has happened at the same time there must be undoubtedly a good number of the Indians. It is probable that they are still in the country, all the tracks going in and none

1 Taken from Penna. Gazette, printed by Benjamin Franklin, 1757-58.

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out. I suppose, according to the tracks, that there are about twenty in the country. I believe that our very good allies at Wyoming have done this service to us, as all the tracks over the mountains come from the east.

"The farmers of Tulpehocken have brought up some men toward the Hole, and desired me to join them with a part of the garrison, whereupon I have sent them a sergeant with eight men."

A letter from the same place abont the same time mentions that the wife of John Frantz and three children were carried off by the Indians, and that the woman was murdered a little way from Frantz's house, she having been weakly and not able to travel. Also, that the son of Jacob Snavely, a shoemaker, was killed and scalped about the same time. From the tracks of the enemy, their number was supposed to be about twenty. (Penna. Guzette, June 29, 1758).

" The Indians burnt a house on the Swatara and killed one man. Three men are missing. Two boys were found tied to a tree and re- leased. We are alarmed in the fort almost every night by a terrible barking of dogs; there are certainly some Indians about us. " 1

After General Forbes had taken possession of Fort du Quesne, 25th of November, 1758, many of the soldiers were marched to and quartered at Lancaster and Reading. They were quartered among the inhabitants, and their conduct caused grievons complaints. To rem- edy the evils, the Assembly caused a barracks to be erected at Lancaster, in 1759, large enough to accommodate five hundred men.

HORSES STOLEN .- In the middle of Sep- tember, 1759, three Delaware Indians were hunting near Tulpehocken, and whilst there stole six horses. The owners pursued them as far as Fort Augusta and there informed Major Orndt of their loss. Upon making inquiry the major discovered the thieves. In their confes- sion they expressed themselves sarcastically that when any of their property was taken very little was said about it, but when they took a few horses a great noise was made. Au order was given that they restore the horses to the owners; but they went away without compliance.

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History of Berks county in Pennsylvania, Part 23

Author: Montgomery, Morton L. (Morton Luther), b. 1846 Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts, Peck & Richards Number of Pages: 1418

Author: Montgomery, Morton L. (Morton Luther), b. 1846
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts, Peck & Richards
Number of Pages: 1418