Daily stories of Pennsylvania : $b prepared for publication in the leading daily newspapers of the state...Godcharles, Frederic Antes
History
Daily stories of Pennsylvania : $b prepared for publication in the leading daily newspapers of the state...
Godcharles, Frederic Antes
Pennsylvania -- Biography; Pennsylvania -- History
“The first Party saw four Indians running off. They had some prisoners,
whom they scalped immediately; three children lay scalped, yet alive,
one died since, the other two are like to do well. Another Party found a
woman just expired, with a Male Child by her side, both killed and
Scalped. The Woman lay upon her Face, my son Frederick turned her about
to see who she might have been and to his and his companions Surprize
they found a Babe of about 14 Days old under her, and life was yet in
it, and recovered again.
“Upon the whole, there is about 15 killed of our People, Including Men,
Women and Children, and the Enemy not beat but scared off. Several
Houses and Barns are Burned; I have no true account how many. We are in
a dismal Situation, some of this Murder has been committed in
Tulpenhacon Township. The People left their Plantation to within 6 or 7
miles of my house (which was located at the present town of Womelsdorf)
against another attack.
“Guns and Ammunition is very much wanted here. My Sons have been obliged
to part with most of what was sent for the use of the Indians. I pray
your Honour will be pleased, if it lies in your Power, to send us up a
Quantity upon any Condition. I must stand my Ground or my Neighbours
will all go away, and leave their Habitations to be destroyed by the
Enemy or our own People. This enough of such melancholy Account for
this.”
Conrad Weiser had been on a mission to the seat of government, to which
place he had escorted a band of friendly Indians, and it was on his
return that he learned of the terrible murders. In fact, the trusted
chief Scarouady, also known as the Half-King, and a company of Delaware
were still with him at his home when his sons recited the melancholy
news.
It is not to be wondered that many of the settlers did not fully
understand the exact position which Colonel Weiser held, both toward the
Provincial Government and towards the Indians. Both had implicit faith
and confidence in him. The angry settlers were so incensed at Weiser
that had not the smoke of fire along the mountain scared them off he
might have paid the price of his friendship toward the Indians with his
own life.
These atrocities decided the position of Fort Henry, and January 25,
1756, Captain Christian Busse, with a company of fifty provincial
soldiers, reported there and began the erection of a fort. Governor
Morris advised Governor Dinwiddie, of Virginia, and Colonel George
Washington that he had ordered Fort Henry built at this important place.
It was at Fort Henry where Colonel Weiser held his councils with the
officers of the other forts and planned the protection of the farmers
during harvest, etc.
During June, 1756, Fort Henry was honored by a visit from Governor
Morris, which was occasioned by a threatened attack by the French on
Fort Augusta, and at a time when the terms of enlistment of many men had
expired.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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