USA > Virginia > A history of the valley of Virginia, 1st ed > Part 34
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Going from thence along the Susquehanna, for the space of six miles, loaded as I was before, we arrived at a spot near the Apalachian mountains, or Blue-hills, where they hid their plunder under logs of wood. From thence they proceeded to a neighboring house, occupied by one Jacob Snider and his unhappy family, consisting of his wife, five children, and a young man his servant. They soon got admittance into the unfortunate man's house, where they immediately, without the least re- morse, scalped both parents and children : nor could the tears, the shrieks or cries of poor innocent children, pre- vent their horrid massacre. Having thus scalped them, and plundered the house of every thing that was mo- vable, they set fire to it, and left the distressed victims amidst the flames.
Thinking the young man belonging to this unhappy family would be of service to them in carrying part of
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their plunder, they spared his life, and loaded him and myself with what they had here got, and again march- ed to the Blue-hills, where they stowed the goods as be- fore. My fellow sufferer could not support the cruel treatment which we were obliged to suffer, and com- plaining bitterly to me of his being unable to proceed any further, I endeavored to animate him, but all in vain, for he still continued his moans and tears, which one of the savages perceiving, as we traveled along, came up to us, and with his tomahawk gave him a blow on his head, which felled the unhappy youth to the ground, whom they immediately scalped and left. The suddenness of this murder shocked me to that degree that I was in a manner motionless, expecting my fate would soon be the same. However, recovering my dis- tracted thoughts, I dissembled my anguish as well as I could from the barbarians; but still, such was my terror, that for some time I scarce knew the days of the week or what I did.
They still kept on their course near the mountains, where they lay skulking four or five days, rejoicing at the plunder they had got. When provisions became scarce, they made their way towards the Susquehanna, and passing near another house, inhabited by an old man, whose name was John Adams, with his wife and four small children, and meeting with no resistance, they immediately scalped the mother and all her chil- dren before the old man's eyes. Inhuman and horrid as this was, it did not satisfy them; for when they had murdered the poor woman, they acted with her in such a brutal manmer, as decency will not permit me to men- tion. The unhappy husband, not being able to avoid the sight, entreated them to put an end to his miserable being ; but they were as deaf to the tears and entreaties of this venerable sufferer, as they had been to those of the others, and proceeded to burn and destroy his house, barn, corn, hay, cattle, and every thing the poor man a few hours before was master of.
Having saved what they thought proper from the
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flames, they gave the old man, feeble, weak, and in the miserable condition he then was, as well as myself, bur- dens to carry, and loading themselves likewise with bread and meat, pursued their journey towards the Great Swamp. Here they lay for eight or nine days diverting themselves at times in barbarous cruelties on the old man: sometimes they would strip him naked, and paint him all over with various sorts of colors; at other times would pluck the white hairs from his head, and taunt- ingly tell him, "he was a fool for living so long. and that they should shew him kindness in putting him out of the world." In vain were all his tears ; for daily did they tire themselves with the various means they tried to torment him; sometimes tying him to a tree, and whipping him; at other times, scorching his furrowed cheek with red-hot coals, and burning his legs quite to the knees.
One night after he had been thus tormented, whilst he and I were condoling with each other at the miseries we daily suffered, twenty-five other Indians arrived, bringing with them twenty scalps and three prisoners, who had unhappily fallen into their hands in Conoco- cheague, a small town near the river Susquehanna, chiefly inhabited by the Irish. These prisoners gave us some shocking accounts of the murders aad devas- tations committed in their parts; a few instances of which will enable the reader to guess at the treatment the provincials have suffered for years past. This party, who now joined us, had it not, I found, in their power to begin their violences so soon as those who visited my habitation, the first of their tragedies being on the 25th of October, 1754, when John Lewis, with his wife an 1 three small children. were inhumanly scalped and mur- dered, and his house, barn, and every thing he possess- ed burnt and destroved. On the 28th. Jacob Miller, with his wife and six of his family, with every thing on his plantation, shared the same fate. The 30th, the house, mill, barn, twenty head of cattle, two teams of horses, and every thing belonging to George Folke,
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met with the like treatment, himself, wife, and all his miserable family, consisting of nine in number, being scalped, then cut in pieces and given to the swine. One of the substantial traders, belonging to the province, having business that called him some miles up the coun try, fell into the hands of these ruffians, who not only scalped him, but immediately roasted him before he was dead ; then like cannibals, for want of other food, ate his whole body, and of his head made what they called an Indian pudding.
From these few instances of savage cruelty, the de- plorable situation of the defenseless inhabitants, and what they hourly suffered in that part of the globe, must strike the utmost horror, and cause in every breast the utmost detestation, not only against the authors, but against those who, through inattention, or pusillani- mous or erroneous principles suffered the savages at first, unrepelled, or even unmolested, to commit such outrages, depredations and murders.
The three prisoners that were brought with these addition al forces, constantly repining at their lot, and almost dead with their excessive hard treatment, con- trived at last to make their escape; but being far from their own settlements, and not knowing the country, were soon after met by some others of the tribes, or na- tions at war with us, and brought back. The poor creatures, almost famished for want of sustenance, ha- ving had none during the time of their escape, were no sooner in the power of the barbarians, than two of them were tied to a tree, and a great fire made round them, where they remained till they were terribly scorched and burnt; when one of the villains with his scalping knife ripped open their bellies, took out their e itrails, and burned them before their eyes, whilst the others were cutting, piercing and tearing the flesh from their breasts, hands, arms and legs, with red-liot irons, till they were dead. The third unhappy victim + Was reserved a few hours longer, to be, if possible, sa- crificed in a more cruel manner; his arms were tied
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close to his body, and a hole being dug, deep enough for him to stand upright, he was put into it, and the earth rammed and beat in all round his body up to his neck, so that his head only appeared above ground. They then scalped him, and there let him remain for three or four hours, in the greatest agonies ; after which they made a small fire near his head, causing him to suffer the most excruciating torments; whilst the poor creature could only cry for mercy by killing him imine- diately. for his brains were boiling in his head. Inexo- rable to all he said, they continued the fire till his eyes gushed out of their sockets; such agonizing torments did this unhappy creature suffer for near two hours be- . fore he was quite dead. They then cut off his head, and buried it with the other bodies; my task being to dig the graves, which, feeble and terrified as I was, the dread of suffering the same fate enabled mne to do.
A great snow now falling, the barbarians were fear- ful lest the white people should, by their tracks, tind out their skulking retreats, which obliged them to make the best of their way to their winter quarters, about. two hundred miles farther from any plantation or in- habitants. After a long and painful journey, being al- most starved, I arrived with this infernal crew at Ali- mingo. There I found a number of wigwams, full of their women and children. Dancing, singing and shouting, were their general amusements : and in all their festivals and dances, they relate what successes they have had and what damages they have sustained in their expeditions, in which I now unhappily became part of their theme. The severity of the cold increas- ing. they stripped me of my clothes for their own use, and gave me such as they usually wore themselves, bei g a piece of a blanket, a pair of inoccasons, or shoes, with a yard of coarse cloth, to put round me instead of breeches.
At Alamingo I remained near two months, till the snow was off the ground. Whatever thoughts Imight have of making my escape, to carry them into execu-
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tion was impracticable, being so far from any planta- tions or white people, and the severe weather rendering my limbs in a manner quite stiff and motionless. How- ever, I contrived to defend myself against the incle- mency of the weather as well as I could, by making myself a little wigwam with bark of the trees, covering it with carth, which made it resemble a cave; and, to prevent the ill effects of the cold, I kept a good fire al- ways near the door. My liberty of going about, was, indeed, more than I could have expected, but they well knew the impracticability of my escaping from them. Seeing me outwardly easy and submissive, they would sometimes give me a little meat, but my chief food was Indian corn. At length the time came when they were preparing themselves for another expedition against the planters and white people ; but before they set out, they were joined by many other Indians.
As soon as the snow was quite gone, they set forth on their journey towards the back parts of the province of Pennsylvania, all leaving their wives and children behind in the wigwams. They were now a formidable body, amounting to near 150. My business was to car- ry what they thought proper to load me with, but they never intrusted me with a gun. We marched on seve- ral days without any thing particular occurring. almost famished for want of provisions; for my part, I had nothing but a few stalks of Indian corn, which I was glad to eat dry; nor did the Indians themselves fare much better ; for as we drew near the plantations they were afraid to kill any game, lest the noise of their guns should alarm the inhabitants.
When we again arrived at the Blue-hills, about thirty :niles from the Irish settlements before-mentioned, we uncamped three days. though God knows we had nei- ther tents.nor any thing else to defend us from the in- clemency of the air, having nothing to lie on but the grass,-their usual method of lodging, pitching, or en- camping. by night, being in parties of ten or twelve men to a fire, where they lie upon the grass or brush,
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wrapped up in a blanket, with their feet to the fire. During our last stay here, a sort of council of war was held, when it was agreed to divide themselves into companies of about twenty men each ; after which every captain marched with his party where he thought pro- per. I still belonged to my old masters, but was left behind on the mountains with ten Indians, to stay till the rest would return, not thinking it proper to carry me nearer to Conococheague or the cther plantations.
Here I began to meditate an escape, and though I knew the country round extremely well, yet I was very cautious of giving the least suspicion of any such in- tention. However, the third day after the grand body left us, my companions thought proper to traverse the mountains in search of game for their subsistence, leav- ing me bound in such a manner that I could not escape : at night, when they returned, having unbound me, we all sat down together to supper on what they killed, and soon after (being greatly fatigued with their day's excursion) they composed themselves to rest as usual. I now tried various ways to ascertain whether it was a scheme to prove my intentions or not ; but after making a noise and walking about, sometimes touching them with my feet, I found there was no fallacy. Then I resolved, if possible, to get one of their guns, and, if discovered, to die in my defense, rather than be taken: for that purpose I made various efforts to get one from under their heads, where they always secured them, but in vain. Disappointed in this, I began to despair of carrying my design into execution : yet. after a little reflection, and trusting myself to the Divine protection, I set forward, naked and defenseless as I was. Such was my terror however, that in going from them I halted, and paused every four or five yards, looking to- wards the spot where Ihad left them, lest they should awake and miss me; but when I was two hundred yards from them, I mended my pace, and made as much haste as I possibly could to the foot of the moun- tains; when, on a sudden, I was struck with the great.
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est terror at hearing the wood-cry, as it is called, which the savages I had left were making upon missing their charge. The more my terror increased, the faster I pushed on, and, scarce knowing where I trod, drove through the woods with the utmost precipitation, some- times falling and bruising myself, cutting my feet and legs against the stones in a miserable manner. But faint and maimed as I was, I continued my flight till daybreak, when, without having any thing to sustain nature but a little corn, I crept into a hollow tree, where I lay very snug, and returned my prayers and thanks to the Divine Being, who had thus far favored my es- cape. But my repose was in a few hours destroyed at hearing the voices of the savages near the place where I had hid, threatening and talking how they would use me, if they got me again. However, they at last left the spot, and I remained in my apartment all that day without further molestation.
At night I ventured forwards again, but thinking each twig that touched me a savage. The third day I concealed myself in like manner as before, and at night, traveled, keeping off the main road as much as possi- ble, which lengthened my journey many miles. But how shall I describe the terror I felt on the fourth night, when, by a rustling I made among the leaves, a party of Indians, that lay round a small fire, which I did not perceive, started from the ground, and, seizing their arms, ran from the fire amongst the woods. Whether to move forward or rest where I was I knew not, when to my great surprise and joy, I was relieved by a parcel of swine that made towards the place where I guessed the savages to be; who, on seeing them, and imagining that they had caused the alarm, very merrily returned to the fire, and lay again down to sleep. Bruised, crip- pled, and terrified as I was, I pursued my journey till break of day, when, thinking myself safe, I lay down under a great log, and slept till about noon. Before evening I reached the summit of a great hill, and look- ing out if I could spy any habitations of white people,
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to my inexpressible joy I saw some which I guessed to be about ten miles distant.
In the morning I continued my journey towards the nearest cleared lands I had seen the day before, and, about four o'clock in the afternoon, arrived at the house of John Bell, an old acquaintance, where knocking at the door, his wife, who opened it, seeing ine in such a frightful condition, flew from me, screaming, into the house. This alarmed the whole family, who immedi- ately fled to their arms, and I was soon accosted by the master with his gun in his hand. But on making my- self known, ( for he before took me to be an Indian,) he immediately caressed me, as did all his family, with extraordinary friendship, the report of my being mur- dered by the savages having reached them some months before. For two days and nights they very affection- ately supplied me with all necessaries, and carefully at- tended me till my spirits and limbs were pretty well re- covered, and I thought myself able to ride, when I bor- rowed of these good people ( whose kindness merits my most grateful returns). a horse and some clothes, and set forward for my father-in-law's house in Chester county, about one hundred and forty miles from thence, where I arrived on the 4th day of January, 1755, ( but scarce one of the family could credit their eyes, believing with the people I had lately loft, that I had fallen a prey to the Indians,) where I was received and embraced by the whole family with great affection. Upon inquiring for my dear wife, I found she had been dead twomonths! This fatal news greatly lessened the joy I otherwise should have felt at my deliverance from the dreadful state and company I had been in.
Remarkable adventures of Jackson Johonnet, a sol- dier under General, Harmar and General St. Clair, containing an account of his captivity. suf- firings, and escape from the Kickappon Indians.
There is seldom a more difficult task undertaken by man than the act of writing a narrative of a person's
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own life, especially where the incidents border on the marvelous. Prodigies but seldom happen, and the ve- racity of the relaters of them is still less frequently vouched for. However, as the dispensations of Provi- dence towards me have been too striking not to make a deep and grateful impression, and as the principal part of them can be attested by living evidences, I shall pro- ceed, being confident that the candid reader will pardon the inaccuracies of an illiterate soldier, and that the tender-hearted will drop a tear of sympathy, when they realize the sufferings of such of our unfortunate coun- try folks as fall into the hands of the western Indians, whose tender mercies are cruelties.
I was born and brought up at Falmouth, Casco-tay, where I resided until I attained to the seventeenth year of my age. My parents were poor, the farm we occu- pied small and hard to cultivate, their family large and expensive, and every way fitted to spare me to seek a separate fortune; at least these ideas had gained so great an ascendency in my mind, that I determined. with the consent of my parents, to look out for a mean of supporting myself.
Having fixed on the matter firmly, I took leave of my friends, and sailed the 1st of May, 1791, on board a schooner for Boston. Being arrived at this capital, and entirely out of employ, I had uneasy sensations, and more than once sincerely wished myself at home with my parents. However, as I had set out on an impor- tant design, and as yet met with no misfortune, pride kept me from this act, while necessity urged me to fix speedily on some mode of obtaining a livelihood.
My mind was severely agitated on this subject one morning, when a young officer came into my room, and soon entered into conversation on the pleasures of a mil- itary life, the great chance there was for an active young man to obtain promotion, and the grand prospect open- ing for making great fortunes in the western country. Ilis discourse had the desired effect; for after treating me with a bowl or two of punch, I enlisted, with a firma
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promise on his side to assist me in obtaining a sergeant's warrant before the party left Boston.
An entire new scene now opened before me. Instead of becoming a sergeant, I was treated severely for my ignorance in a matter 1 had till then scarcely thought of, and insultingly ridiculed for remonstrating against the . conduct of the officer. I suffered great uncasiness on these and other accounts of a similar kind, for some time ; at length, convinced of the futility of complaint, I applied myself to study the exercise, and in a few days became tolerably expert.
The beginning of July we left Boston, and proceed- ed on our way to join the western army. = When we arrived at Fort Washington, I was ordered to join Capt. Phelon's company, and in a few days set out on the ex- pedition under Gen. Harmar. Those alone who have experienced, can tell what hardships men undergo in such excursions : hunger, fatigue and toil, were our con- stant attendants. However as our expectations were raised with the idea of easy conquest, rich plunder, and fine lands in the end, we made a shift to be tolerably merry : for my own part, I had obtained a sergeantcy, and flattered myself I was in the direct road to honor, fame and fortune.
Alas ! how fluctuating are the scenes of life ! how singularly precarious the fortune of a soldier ! Before a single opportunity presented, in which I could have a chance to signalize myself, it was my lot to be taken in an ambuscade, by a party of Kickappoo Indians, and with ten others constrained to experience scenes, in com- parison of which our former distresses sunk into noth- ing. We were taken on the bank of the Wabash, and immediately conveyed to the Upper Miami, at least such of us as survived. The second day after we were ta- ken, one of my companions, by the name of George Aikins, a native of Ireland, became so faint with hun- ger and fatigue, that he could proceed no further. A short council was immediately held among the Indians who guarded us, the result of which was that he should
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be put to death. This war no sooner determined on, than a scene of torture began. The captain of the . guard approached the wretched victim who lay upon the ground, and with his knife made a circular incision on the skull; two others immediately pulled off the scalp ; after this they each of them struck him on the head with their tomahawks, then stripped him naked, stabbed him with their knives in every sensitive part of the body, and left him weltering in blood, though not quite dead, a wretched victim to Indian rage and hellish barbarity.
We were eight days on our march to the Upper Mi- ami, during which painful travel, no pen can describe our sufferings from hunger, thirst and toil. We were met, at the entrance of the town, by above five hundred Indians, besides squaws and children, who were appri- sed of our approach by a most hideous yelling made by our guard, and answered repeatedly from the village. Here we were all severely beaten by the Indians, and four of our number, viz. James Durgee of Concord, Samuel Forsythe of Beverly, Robert Delov of Marble- head, and Uzz Benton of Salem, who fainted under their heavy toils, were immediately scalped and toma- hawked in our presence, and tortured to death with every infliction of misery that Indian ingenuity could invent.
It was the 4th of August when we were taken, and our unhappy companions were massacred on the 13th. News was that day received of the destruction of Har- mar's army; numbers of scalps were exhibited by the warriors, and several prisoners, among whom were three women and six children, carried through the vil- lage, destined to a Kickappoo settlement further west- ward. The 15th of August, four more of my fellow prisoners, viz. Lemuel Saunders of Boston, Thomas 'Tharp of Dorchester, Vincent Upham of Mistick, and - Younglove Croxal of Abingdon, were taken from us : but whether they were massacred or preserved alive I am unable to say. After this nothing material occur-
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red for a fortnight, except that we were several times se- verely whipped on the receipt of bad news, and our al- lowance of provisions lessened, so that we were appre- hensive of starving to death, if we did not fall an im- mediate sacrifice to the fire or tomahawk; but heaven had otherwise decreed.
On the night following the 30th of August, our guard, which consisted of four Indians, tired out with watching, laid down to sleep, leaving only an old squaw to attend us. Providence so ordered that my companion had, by some means, got one of his hands at liberty, and having a knife in his pocket, soon cut the withs that bound his feet, and that which pinioned my arms, un. perceived by the old squaw, who sat in a drowsy position, not suspecting harm, over a small fire in the wigwam.
I ruminated but a few moments on our situation, There was no weapon near us, except my companion's knife, which he still held. I looked on him to make him observe me, and the same instant sprung and grasp- ed the squaw by the throat to prevent her making any noise, and my comrade in a moment cut her throat from car to ear, down to the neck bone. He then seized a. tomahawk and myself a rifle, and striking at the same instant, dispatched two of our enemies. The sound of . these blows awakened the others; but before they had time to rise, we renewed our strokes on them, and luck- ily to so good an effect as to stun them; and then re- peating the blow, we sunk a tomahawk in each of their heads, armed ourselves completely, and taking what provisions the wigwam afforded, we committed our- selves to the protection of Providence, and made the best of our way into the wilderness.
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