182 MORAVIANS. [CHAP. X. CHAPTER X. WILLIAMSON'S CAMPAIGN. THIS is a chapter in our history which we would fain drop, and draw over it the curtain of oblivion, did not our duty require us to speak in deference to a higher obligation. The murder of the Christian or Moravian Indians, was one of the most atrocious affairs in the settlement of the west. It is a reproach upon the character of the country, and a living stigma upon the memory of every man known to have been engage in the diabolical transaction. It is but justice, however, that those who protested against the enormity should be exonerated from blame. The Moravian Indians consisted chiefly of Delawares, with a few Mohicans. These simple-minded children of the forest had become converted to Christianity through the zeal and influence of Moravian Missionaries. Their homes embraced the villages of Gnadenhutten, Schönbrunn, Salem and Lich tenau. For ten years they had lived in peace and quietness. The harsh savage had been softened by the mild influences of Christianity; peace, content and happiness smiled upon him from year to year, and blessed him with their joys. But, alas, the destroyer came, and blotted this fair field of Christian labor utterly from existence. The Moravian Indians early became objects of suspicion to both the whites and surrounding savages. The latter, because they had given up the customs of their race; and by the former, on account of their supposed protection to, or harboring of, hostile Indians. Their towns lay immediately on the track 1782.] EXPEDITION ORGANIZED. 183 from Sandusky to the nearest point on the Ohio; and while passing to and fro, the hostile parties would compel their Christian brethren to furnish provisions. Thus situated, as it were, between two fires, it is not surprising that they should have fallen a sacrifice to one or the other. During the whole of our Revolutionary struggle, the Moravian Indians remained neutral, or if they took any part, it was in favor of the whites, advising them of the approach of hostile Indians, &c. Yet, notwithstanding all their former friendliness, they fell under the displeasure of the border settlers, who suspected them of aiding and abetting the savages, whose depredations upon the frontier had caused so much terror and misery throughout western Virginia and Pennsylvania. To add to this feeling, early in February, 1782, a party of Indians from Sandusky, penetrated the settlements, and committed numerous depredations. Of the families that fell beneath the murderous stroke of these savages was that of David Wallace, consisting of himself, wife and six children, and a man named Carpenter. Of these all were killed, except the latter, whom they took prisoner. The early date of this visitation, induced the people at once to believe that the depredators had wintered with the Moravians, and the excited settlers uttered vengeance against those who were supposed to have harbored them. An expedition was at once determined upon, and about the first of March a body of eighty or ninety men, chiefly from the Monongahela,1 rendezvoused at the old Mingo towns, on Mingo Bottom, now Jefferson county, Ohio. Each man furnished himself with his own arms, ammunition and provision. Many of them had horses. The second day's march brought them within one mile of the middle Moravian town, and 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, their videttes having reported that there were Indians on both sides of the river. The other party was Whittlesey, Am. Pioneer, 428. 184 ARRIVAL AT THE TOWNS. [CHAP. X. 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 the third at its upper end. The victims received warning of their danger, but took no measures to escape, believing they had nothing to fear from the Americans, but supposed the only quarter from which they had grounds for apprehending injury, was from those Indians who were the enemies of the Americans. When the party designed to make the attack on the west side, had reached the river, they found no craft to take them over; but something like a canoe was seen on the opposite bank. The river was high with some floating ice. A young man by the name of Slaughter swam the river, and brought over not a canoe, but a trough, designed for holding sugar water. This trough could carry but two men at a time. In order to expedite their passage, a number of men stripped off their clothes, put them into the trough, together with their guns, and swam by its sides, holding its edges with their hands. When about sixteen had crossed the river, their two sentinels, who had been posted in advance, discovered an Indian, whose name was Shabosh, whom they shot and scalped. By this time, about sixteen men had got over the river, and supposing 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 on the east side of the river, to move on instantly; which they did. In the mean time, the small party which had crossed the river, marched with all speed, to the main town on the west side of the river. Here they found a large company of Indians gathering the corn, which they had left in their fields the preceding fall, when they removed to Sandusky.—On the 'In the fall of '81, a Huron chief, with 300 warriors, accompanied by an English officer, visited the Moravians, and compelled them to remove to Sandusky. Many outrages were committed on them, their property destroyed, &c. 1782.] INDIANS SURRENDER. 185 arrival of the men at the town, they professed peace and goodwill to the Moravians, and informed them that they had come to take them to Fort Pitt, for their safety. The Indians surrendered, delivered up their arms, even their hatchets, on being promised that every thing should be restored to them on their arrival at Pittsburgh. The murderers then went to Salem, and persuaded the Indians there to go with them to Gnadenhutten, the inhabitants of which, in the mean time, had been attacked and driven together, and bound without resistance; and when those from Salem were about entering the town, they were likewise deprived of their arms and bound. The prisoners being thus secured, a council of war was held to decide 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. David Williamson,' then put the question to them in form, "Whether the Moravian Indians should be taken prisoners to Pittsburgh, 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. Most of those opposed to this diabolical resolution protested in the name of high Heaven against the atrocious act, and called God to witness that they were innocent of the blood of those inoffensive people; yet the majority remained unmoved, 'Colonel David Williamson, the leader of this expedition, has been greatly reproached for his supposed participation in it. As it is our duty to render justice where justice is due, we must briefly state, that from the best evidence before us, Colonel Williamson deserves not the censure belonging to this campaign. He is acknowledged on all hands to have been a brave and meritorious officer, and had he possessed proper command, none can doubt but that the result would have been very different. 186 ATROCIOUS MURDER. [CHAP. X. and some of them were even in favor of burning them alive. But it was at length decided that they should be scalped in cold blood, and the Indians were told to prepare for their fate, that, as they were Christians, they might die in a Christian manner. After the first burst of horror was over, they patiently suffered themselves to be led into buildings, in one of which the men, and in the other, the women and children were confined, like sheep for slaughter. They passed the night in praying, exhorting each other to remain faithful, asking pardon from each other for any offences they had committed, and singing hymns of praise to God. From the time they had been placed in the guard-house, the unfortunate prisoners foresaw their fate, and commenced singing, praying, and exhorting one another to place their faith in the Saviour of men. The particulars of this catastrophe are too horrid to relate. When the morning arrived, the murderers selected two houses, which they named slaughter-houses-one for the women and children. The victims were then bound, two and two together, and led into the slaughter-houses, where they were scalped and murdered. The number of the slain, as reported by the men on their return from the campaign, was eighty-seven or eighty-nine; but the Moravian account, which no doubt is correct, makes the number ninety-six. Of these, sixty-two were grown persons, one-third of whom were women, the remaining thirtyfour were children. All these, with a few exceptions, were killed in the houses. A few men, who were supposed to be warriors, were tied and taken some distance from the slaughter-houses, to be tomahawked. Of the whole number of the Indians at Gnadenhutten and Salem, only two made their escape. These were two lads of fourteen or fifteen years of age. One of them escaped through a window on the night previous to the massacre, and concealed himself in the cellar of the house to which the women and |