VAN WERT COUNTY OHIO - HISTORY: County history, Chapter 1 - MASSACRE OF 
THE MORAVIANS (part 2)  
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from History of Van Wert County, Ohio and Representative Citizens
Edited and compiled by   Thaddeus S. Gilliland Van Wert, Ohio


        MASSACRE OF THE MORAVIANS

    About this date or perhaps a little earlier, some Moravian missionaries
established missions among the  Indians along the  Muskingum River and later
others joined  in the good work and were successful in converting many of
the  indians and withdrawing them from the more warlike tribes.  To these
were added Christian Indians from Pennsylvania.  But as times became more
strained between the whites and the Indians, the Christian Indians became
objects of suspicion to both sides.  This culminated in their being forcibly
removed to Upper Sundusky as prisoners by the Wyandots in September,1781.
Their cattle were driven along but were held as trophies of war by the
Indians.   After suffering for want of food and clothing during the winter,
as nearly everything had been stolen by the Indians, in March, 1782, a part
of the Moravians were permitted to return to their former homes to gather
their corn which had been left in the fields.  But about this time an attack
had been made on some of the border white settlers.  A company of white men
under the command of Captain Williamson started out to retaliate and wreaked
their vengeance on this innocent Christian Indians and not one was allowed
to escape.  After they had bound their captives Williamson, their commander,
asked if the men, women and children should be taken to Pittsburg or be
killed: less than 20  voted to take them to Pittsburg, the rest voting to
kill.  Forty men , 20 women and 24 children, --defenseless, innocent, fellow
Christians ----were murdered in cold blood by 80 or 90 Americans, who were
too cowardly to follow up and punish the guilty parties.
    Another expedition was immediately formed to annihilate the Delawares
and Wyandots, no Indian to be spared, friend or foe.  The expedition
consisted of about 500 or 600 men under the command of Col. William
Crawford.  They marched to Upper Sandusky carrying a black flag; no quarters
were to be given to man, woman, or child.  On reaching Upper Sandusky they
found the Indians waiting for them nearby.  In the battle that followed the
whites were defeated with great slaughter and among the prisoners was
Colonel Crawford, on whom the Indians wreaked their vengeance by burning him
at the stake.  At this late day we can have some charity for the untutored
savage when the whites were scarcely less barbarous.



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