USA > Virginia > A history of the valley of Virginia, 3rd ed > Part 23
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After the work of death was finished, and the plunder secured, all the buildings in the town was set on fire and the slaugh- ter-houses among the rest. The dead bodies were thus con- sumed to ashes. A rapid retreat to the settlements finished the campaign.
sbi. Such were the principal events of the horrid affair. A massacre of innocent, unoffending people, dishonorable not only to our coun- try, but human nature itself.
> ..!! Before making any remarks on the causes which led to the dis- graceful events under consideration, it may be proper to notice the manner in which the enterprise was conducted, as furnishing evi- dence that the murder of the Moravians was intended, and that no resistance from them was anticipated.
In a military point of view, the Moravian compaign was con- ducted in the very worse manner imaginable. It was undertaken at so early a period, that a deep fall of snow, a thing very common in the early part of March, in former times, would have defeated the enterprise : When the army came to the River, instead of construct- ing a sufficient number of rafts to transport the requisite number over the River at once, they commenced crossing in a sugar trough,
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which could carry only two men at a time, thus jeopardizing the safety of those who first went over. The two sentinels who shot Shabosh, according to military law ought to have been executed on the spot for having fired without orders, thereby giving premature notice of the approach of our men. The truth is, nearly the whole number of the army ought to have been transported over the River ; for after all their forces employed, and precaution used in getting possession of the town on the east side of the River, there were but one man and one squaw found in it, all the others being on the other side. This circumstance they ought to have known before- hand, and acted accordingly. The Indians on the west side of the River amounted to about eighty, and among them about thirty men, besides a number of young lads, all possessed of guns and well accustomed to the use of them ; yet this large number was attacked by about sixteen men. If they had really anticipated re- sistance, they deserved to loose their lives for their rashness. It is presumable, however, that having full confidence in the pacific principles of the Moravians, they did not expect resistance ; but cal- culated on blood and plunder without having a shot fired at them. If this was really the case, the author leaves it torjustice to find, if it can, a name for the transaction.
One can hardly help reflecting with regret, that these Moravi- ans did not for the moment lay aside their pacific principles and do themselves justice. With a mere show of defense, or at most a few shots, they might have captured and disarmed those few men, and held them as hostages for the safety of their people and property until they could have removed them out of their way. This they might have done on the easiest terms, as the remainder, of the army could not have crossed the River without their permission as there was but one canoe at the place, and the River to high to be forded. But alas ! these truly christian people suffered them- selves to be betrayed by hypocritical professions of friendship, until "they were led as sheep to the slaughter." Over this horrid deed humanity must shed tears of commisseration, as long as the record of it shall remain.
Let not the reader suppose that I have presented him with a mere imaginary possibility of defense on the part of the Moravians. This defense would have been an easy task. Our people did not go on that campaign with a view of fighting. There may have been some brave men among them; but they were far from being all such. For my part, I cannot suppose for a moment that any white man, who can harbor a thought of using his arms for the killing of women and children in any case, can be a brave man. No, he is a murderer.
The history of the Moravian settlement of the Muskingum, and the peculiar circumstances of their inhabitants during the revolutionary contest between Great Britain and America, deserve a place here.
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In the year 1772, the Moravian villages were commenced by emigration from Friedenshutton, on the Big Beaver, and from Wya- lusing and Sheshequon on the Susquehanna River. In a short time they rose to a considerable extent and prosperity, containing up- wards of four hundered people. During the summer of Dun- more's War, they were much annoyed by war parties of the Indians, and disturbed by perpetual rumors of the ill-intention of the white people of the frontier settlements towards them ; yet their labors, schools and religious exercises, went on without inter- ruption.
In the Revolutionary War, which began in 1775, the situation of the Moravian settlements was truly deplorable. The Englishi had associated with their own means of warfare against the Americans, the scalping-knife and tomahawk of the merciless Indians. These allies of England committed the most horrid depredations along the whole extent of our defenseless frontier. From early in the spring until late in the fall, the early settlers of the western parts of Vir- . ginia and Pennsylvania had to submit to the severest hardships and privations. Cooped up in little stockade forts, they worked their little fields in parties under arms, guarded by sentinels, and were doomed from day to day to witness or hear reports of the murders or captivity of their people, the burning of their houses, and the plun- der of their property.
The war with the English fleets and armies, on the other side of the mountains, was of such a character as to engage the whole at- tention and resources of our government, so that, poor as the first settlers of this country were, they had to bear almost the whole bur- den of the war during the revolutionary contest. They choose their own officers, furnished their own means, and conducted the war in their own way. Thus circumstanced, "they became a law uuto themselves," and on certain occasions perpetrated acts which govern- ment was compelled to disapprove. This lawless temper of our peo- ple was never fully dissipated until the conclusion of the whiskey re- bellion in, 1794.
The Moravian villages were situated between the settlements of the whites and the towns of the warriors, about sixty miles from the former, and not much farther from the latter. On this account they were dominated "the half-way house of the warriors." Thus placed between two rival powers engaged in furious warfare, the preservation of their neutrality was no easy task, perhaps impossi- ble. If it requires the same physical force to preserve a neutral station among belligrent nations that it does to prosecute a war, as is unquestionably the case, this pacific people had no chance for the preservation of theirs. The very goodness of their hearts, their aversion to the shedding of human blood, brought them into diffi- culties with both parties. When they sent their runners to Fort Pitt, to inform us of the approach of the war parties, or received, fed, secreted and sent home prisoners, who had made their escape
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from the savages, they made breaches of their neutrality as to the belligerent Indians. Their furnishing the warriors with a resting place and provisions was contrary to their neutral engagements to us ; but the local situation rendered these accommodations to the warriors unavoidable on their part, as the warriors possessed both the will and the means to compel them to give whatever they wanted from them.
The peaceable Indians fell under suspicion with the Indian warriors and the English commandant at Detriot, to whom it was reported that their teachers were in close confederacy with Ameri- can Congress, for preventing not only their own people, but also the Delawares and some other nations, from associating their arms with those of the British for carrying on the war against the Am- erican colonies.
The frequent failures of the war expeditions of the Indians was attributed to the Moravians, who often sent runners to Fort Pitt to give notice of their approach. This charge against them was cer- tainly not without foundation. In the spring of the year 1781 the war chiefs of the Delawares fully appraised the missionaries and their followers of their danger both from the whites and Indians, and requested them to remove to a place of safety from both. This request was not complied with, and the almost prophetic predictions of the chiefs were literally fulfilled.
In the fall of the year 1781, the settlement of the Moravians were broken up by upwards of three hundred warriors, and the mis- sionaries taken prisoners, after being robbed of almost everything. The Indians were left to shift for themselves in the barren plains of Sandusky, where most of their horses and cattle perished from famine during the winter. The missionaries were taken prisoners to Detroit ; but after an examination by the Governor, were perinit- ted to return to their beloved people again.
In the latter part of February, a party of about one hundred and fifty of the Moravian Indians returned to their deserted villages on the Muskingum, to procure corn to keep their families and cattle from starving. Of these, ninety-six fell into the hands of Willia !!!- son and his party, and were murdered.
The causes which led to the murder of the Moravians are now to be detailed.
The pressure of the Indian war along the whole of the western frontier, for several years preceding the event under consideration, had been dreadfully severe. From early in the spring, until the com- mencement of the winter, from day to day murders were committed in every direction by the Indians. The people lived in Forts which were in the highest degree uncomfortable. The men were harrassed continally with the duties of going on scouts and compaign. There was scarcely a family of the first settlers who did not, at some time or other, lose more or less of their number by the merciless Indians. Their cattle were killed, their cabins burned, and their horses car-
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ried off. These losses were severely felt by a people so poor as were at that time. Thus circumstanced, our people were exasperated to madness by the extent and severity of the war. The unavailing en- deavors of the American Congress to prevent the Indians from tak- ing np the hatchet against either side in the revolutionary contest, contributed much to increase the general indignation against them, at the same time those pacific endeavors of our government divided the Indians amongst themselves on the question of war or peace with the whites. The Moravians, part of the Delawares, and some others faithfully endeavored to preserve peace, but in vain. The Indian maxim was, "he that is not for us is against us." Hence the Moravian missionaries and their followers were several times on the point of being murdered by the warriors. They would have been done it had it not been for the prudent conduct of some of the war chiefs.
On the other hand, the local situation of the Moravian villages excited the jealousy of the white people. If they took no direct agency in the war, yet they were as they were then called, " half-way houses" between us and the warriors, at which the latter could stop, rest, refresh themselves, and traffic off their plunder. Whether these aids, thus given to our enemies, were contrary to the laws of neutrality between belligerents, is a question which I willingly leave to the decision of civilians. On the part of the Moravians they were unavoidable. If they did not give or sell provisions to the warriors, they would take them by force. The fault was in their situation, not in themselves.
The longer the war continued, the more our people complained of the situation of those Moravian villages. It was said that it was owing to their being so near us, that the warriors commenced their depredations so early in the spring, and continued them until late in the fall.
In the latter end of the year 1781, the militia of the frontier came to a determination to break up the Moravian villages on the Muskingum. For this purpose a detachment of our men went out under the command of Col. David Williamson, for the purpose of inducing the Indians with their teachers to move farther off, or bring them prisoners to Fort Pitt. When they arrived at the vil- lages they found but few Indians, the greater number of them hav- ing removed to Sandusky. These few were well treated taken to Fort Pitt, and delivered to the commandant of that station, who after a short detention sent them liome again.
This procedure gave great offense to the people of the country, who thought the Indians ought to have been killed. Col. William- son, who, before this little campaign, had been a very popular man, on account of his activity and bravery in war, now became the subject of severe animadversion on account of his lenity to the Moravian Indians. In justice to his memory I have to say, that although at that time very young, I was personally acquainted with
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him, and from my recollection of his conversation, I say with confi- dence that he was a brave man, but not cruel. He would meet an enemy in battle, and fight like a soldier, but not murder a pris- oner. Had he possessed the authority of a superior officer in a regular army, I do not believe that a single Moravian Indian would have lost his life; but he possessed no such authority. He was only a militia officer, who could advise, but not command. His only fault was that of too easy a compliance with popular opinion and popular prejudice. On this account his memory has been loaded with unmerited reproach.
Several reports unfavorable to the Moravians had been in cir- culation for some time before the campaign against them. One was, that the night after they were liberated at Fort Pitt, they crossed the River and killed or made prisoners a family by the name of Monteur. A family on Buffalo Creek had been mostly killed in the summer or the fall of 1781; and it was said by one of them, who, after being made a prisoner, made his escape, that the leader of the party of Indians who did the mischief was a Moravian. These with other reports of a similar import, served as a pretext for their destruction, although no doubt they were utterly false.
Should it be asked what sort of people composed the band of murders of these unfortunate people? I answer they were not mis- creants or vagabonds ; many of them were men of the first stand- ing in the country ; many of them were men who had recently lost relations by the hands of the savages. Several of the latter class found articles which had been plundered from their own houses, or those of their relations, in the houses of the Moravians. One man, it is said, found the clothes of his wife and children, who had been murdered by the Indians a few days before ; they were still bloody ; yet there was no unequivocal evidence that these people had any dir- ect agency in the war. Whatever of our property was found with them had been left by the warriors in exchange for the provi- sions which they took from them. When attacked by our people, although they might have defended themselves, they did not ; they never fired a single shot. They were prisoners and had been prom- ised protection. Every dictate of justice and humanity required that their lives should be spared. The complaint of their villages being "half-way houses for the warriors," was at an end, as they had been removed to Sandusky the fall before. It was therefore an atrocious and unqualified murder. By whom committed-by a majority of the campaign? For the honour of my country, I hope I may safely answer this question in the negative. It was one of those convulsions of the moral state of society, in which the voice of the justice and humanity of a majority is silenced by the clamor and violence of a lawless minority. Very few of our men imbrued their hands in the blood of the Moravians. Even those who had not voted for saving their lives, retired from the scene of
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slaughter with horror and disgust. Why then did they not give their votes in their favor? The fear of public indignation restrain- ed them from doing so. They thought well, but had not hero- ism enough to express their opinion. Those who did so, deserve honorable mention for their intripidity. So far as it may here- after be in my power, this honor shall be done them, while the names of the murders shall not stain the pages of history, from my pen at least.
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INDIAN SUMMER.
CHAPTER VII.
THE INDIAN SUMMER.
As connected with the history of the Indian wars of the western country, it may not be amiss to give an explanation of the term "Indian Summer."
This expression, like many others, has continued in general use, notwithstanding its original import has been forgotten. A backwoodsman seldom hears this expression without feeling a chill of horror, because it brings to his mind the painful recollection of its original application. Such is the force of the faculty of association in human nature.
The reader must here be reminded, that, during the long con- tinued Indian wars sustained by the first settlers of the west, they enjoyed no peace excepting in the winter season, when, owing to the severity of the weather, the Indians were unable to make their excursions into the settlements. The onset of winter was therefore hailed has a jubilee by the early inhabitants of the country, who, throughout the spring and early part of the fall, had been cooped up in their little uncomfortable Forts, and subjected to all the dis- tresses of the Indian wars.
At the approach of winter, therefore, all the farmers, except- ing the owner of the Fort, removed to the cabins on the farms, with the joyful feelings of a tenant of a prison recovering his release from confinement. All was bustle and hilarity in preparing for winter, by gathering in the corn, digging potatoes, fattening hogs, and re- pairing the cabins. To our forefathers the gloomy months of win- ter were more pleasant than the zephyrs of the flowers and May.
It, however, sometimes happened, after the apparent onset of winter, the weather became warm ; the smoky time commenced, and lasted for a considerable number of days. This was the Indian Summer, because it afforded the Indians another opportunity of visiting the settlements with their destructive warfare. The melt- ing of the snow saddened every countenance, and the genial warmitli of the sun chilled every heart with horror. The apprehension of an- other visit from the Indians, and of being driven back to the detest- ed Fort, was painful to the highest degree, and the distressing ap- prehension was frequently realized.
Toward the latter part of February we commonly had a fine 28
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spell of open warm weather, during which the snow melted away. This was denominated the " pawwawing days," from the supposi- tion that the Indians were then holding their war councils, for planning off their spring campaigns into the settlements. Sad experi- ence taught us that in this conjecture we were not often mistaken.
Sometimes it happened that the Indians ventured to make their excursions too late in the fall or too early in the spring for their own convenience.
A man of the name of John Carpenter was taken early in the month of March, in the neighborhood of what is now Wellsburg. There had been several warm days, but on the night preceding his capture there was a heavy fall of snow. His two horses, which they took with him, nearly perished in swimming the Ohio River. The Indians as well as himself suffered severely witli the cold before they reached the Moravian towns on the Muskingum River. In the morning after the first day's journey beyond the Moravian towns, the Indians sent out Carpenter to bring in the horses, which had been turned out in the evening, after being hobbled. The horse had made a circuit, and fallen into the trail by which they came, and were making their way homewards.
When Carpenter overtook them, and had taken off their fet- ters, he had, as he said, to make a most awful decision. He had a chance and barely a chance to make his escape, with a certainty of death should he attempt it without success ; while on the other hand, the horrible prospect of being tortured to death by fire presented it- self. As he was the first prisoner taken that spring, of course the general custom of the Indians, of burning the first prisoner every spring, doomed him to the flames.
After spending a few minutes in making his decision, he re- solved on attempting an escape, and effected it by way of Forts Laur- ens, McIntosh and Pittsburg. If I recollect rightly, he brought both his horses home with him. This happened in the year 1782. The capture of Mr. Carpenter, and the murder of two families about the same time, that is to say, in the two or three first days of March, contributed materially to the Moravian campaign, and the murder of that unfortunate people.
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CRAWFORD'S CAMPAIGN.
CHAPTER VIII.
GEN. 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 finish- ing the work of murder and plunder with the Christian Indians at their new establishment on the Sandusky River. The next object was of destroying the Wyandotte towns on the same River. It was the resolution of all those concerned in this expedition, not to spare the life of any Indians that might fall into their hands, whether friends or foes. It will be seen in the sequel that the result of this campaign was widely different from that of the Moravian campaign the preceding March.
It should seem that the long continuance of the Indian war had debased a considerable portion of our population to the savage state of our nature. Having lost so many relatives by the Indians, and witnessed their horrid murders and other depredations on so exten- sive a scale, they became subjects of that indiscriminate thirst for revenge, which is such a prominent feature in the savage character ; and having had a taste of blood and plunder, without risk or loss on their part, they resolved to go on and kill every Indian they could find, whether friend or foe.
Preparations for this campaign commenced soon after the close of the Moravian campaign, in the month of March ; and as it was intended to make what was called at that time "a dash," that is, an enterprise conducted with secrecy and dispatch, the men were all mounted on the best horses they could procure. They furnished themselves with their own outfits, except some ammunition, which was furnished by the Lieut .- colonel of Washington county.
On the 25th of May, 1782, four hundred and eighty men mus- tered at the old Mingo towns, on the western side of the Ohio River. They were all volunteers from the immediate neighboor- hood of the Ohio River, with the exception of one company from Ten Mile, in Washington county. Here an election was held for the office of Commander-in-chief for the expedition. The candi- dates were Col. Williamson and Col. Crawford. The latter was the successful candidate. When notified of his appointment it is said that he accepted it with apparent reluctance.
The army marched along " Williamson's trail," as it was then
.
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called, until they arrived at the Upper Moravian town, in the fields belonging to which there was still plenty of corn on the stalks, with which their horses were plentifully fed during the night of their en- campment there.
Shortly after the army halted at this place, two Indians were discovered 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 had reached the camp, more than one-half the men rushed out, without com- mand, and in the most tumultuous manner, to see what happened. From that time, Col. Crawford felt a presentiment of the defeat which followed.
The truth is, that notwithstanding the secrecy and dispatch of the enterprise, the Indians were beforehand with our people. They saw the rendezvous on the Mingo Bottom, and knew their number and destination. They visited every encampment immediately ou their leaving it, and saw from their writing on the trees and scraps of paper, that "no quarters was to be given to any Indian, whether man, woman or child."
Nothing material happened during their march until the 6th of June, when their guides conducted them to the site of the Moravian villages, on one of the upper branches of the Sandusky River ; but here, instead 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, but who moved off to Scioto some time before.
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