History: Local: Chapters XVI - XIX : Davis's 1877 History of Northampton Co, PA

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                                  HISTORY

                                    OF

                       NORTHAMPTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.


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42 (cont.)

                               CHAPTER XVI.

                             THE MISSIONARIES.

  A LITTLE before the middle of the best century, the hills and vales and
forests in the Forks of the Delaware, and across the Blue Mountains, seemed
to be the focus of religious missionary labors among the Indians.
Zinzendorff, Grube, Post, Mack, Zeisberger, Watteville, and other no less
devout, and scarcely less noted Moravians, with Whitefield and Brainerd;
all men of the deepest devotion, and who had in life but one impelling
desire to into Willis towards the Saviour these men were all there,
announcing the glad tidings of the Gospel to the ignorant red men.

  The Rev. George Whitefield, was the first who came. He reached America,
from England, in November, 1731. On the twenty-second of that month, he
was announced to preach in the meeting house at Neshaminy, in the county of
Bucks, but on his arrival at the place, he found a concourse of three
thousand people awaiting him, to whom he preached in the open air, as the
meeting house could not contain the fifth part of those who had come to
hear him. So great were the eloquence and fervor of his words that they 
"melted the great audience down, and caused many to cry aloud." On the next
day, he preached to an auditory of two thousand people, from a porch window
of the meeting house at Abington, and the effect of his burning words was
much the, same as before. His travels extended up through Montgomery
county, and thence to that upper portion of Bucks, which is now
Northampton, and everywhere his preaching wrought the same result.

  His personal appearance was described as that of a man "of middle
stature, slender body, fair complexion, comely appearance, and extremely
bashful and modest. His delivery was warm and affectionate, his gestures
natural, and the most beautiful imaginable."

  Benjamin Franklin wrote of him that "he had a loud and clear voice, and
articulated his words so perfectly that he might be heard and understood at
a great distance. I computed that he might well be heard by thirty thousand."

  His eloquence, and the pathos of his appeals, are said to have been
something marvelous, and they moved Indian and white man alike those who
understood the language in which he spoke, and those who could interpret
only the wonderful mesmerism of his tone, all manner-all gave testimony to
the power and persuasiveness of his exhortations. It was said of him that
he could move all audience to fears, simply by his pronunciation of the
word Mesopotamia, The truth of this statement cannot be vouched for, but
certain it is, that his powers were almost supernatural, He, aroused the
country to such a degree that the season was called the "Great Awakening."

  Among the Indians he was very successful in his preachings. In all old
account of his labors with them, it was mentioned that a stanza was
sometimes, sung, which ran in this wise

                     "Ye Indian boys, lift up your voice,
                      For Whitefield now has come
                      He loves you all great and small,
                      As Indians love strong rum."

  The two list, words being brought out with extraordinary emphasis. No
Indian needed assurance of a stronger affection than that he secured their
full confidence, and his persuasive words brought many a wanderer into the
fold of Christ.

  It was one of the benevolent schemes in the contemplation of Mr.
Whitefield to establish at Nazareth,1 an asylum and free school for negro
children, and in the prosecution of this project, he did, in 1740, commence
the erection of it large stone house at that place for the purpose mentioned.

 If he had succeeded in this, it would probably have been his intention to
give much of his personal attention to it, and in that event, the county of
Northampton would have been in a manner the base of his operations against
ignorance and irreligion. But his laudable plan failed, as have so many
other praiseworthy projects before and since his time.

  The causes of failure were principally the lack of sufficient pecuniary
support, and the inveterate hostility which was entertained against the
enterprise, by Captain John, and the clan of Delawares under his immediate
command, who lived about Nazareth, and gave much trouble, not only to
Whitefield, but to the community who located there afterwards.

  These Indians feared the encroachments on their lands, which they foresaw
would be inevitable-lands which they believed were entirely and
indisputable their own, and which they were firmly resolved not to yield to
the white-sand they also contemplated the, coming of colored people among
them with great aversion. Besides which, this chief-who was a brother of
Tadeuskund-was not at all favorably disposed, at that time, towards the
missionaries in general, nor to their efforts to draw their Indian brethren
into the told of conversion, away from the religion and belief of their ancestors.

  It has also been said that theological contentious arose between
Whitefield and the Moravian people whom he had employed 2 to erect the
house, and that these bickerings hastened the abandonment of this
benevolent project; but of this there is, at least, wide room for doubt,
knowing, as we do, how little of the spirit of contention arid intolerance
was in the Moravian creed and character.  Sure it is, however, that
whatever may have been the cause, the establishment of the colored school
and asylum was unwillingly given up, by the enthusiastic Whitefield, and
that thereafter the Forks of the Delaware knew but little more of him or
his matchless exhortations.

  The Rev. David Brainerd was another of those earnestly pious men who gave
their whole souls, to the work of Christ among the unlettered natives, and
the centre and principal field of his labor was the present county of Northampton.

  He was born at Haddam, in the State of Connecticut, April 20th, 1718,
Upon his graduation at Yale College, in 1740, he studied divinity, and
determined to devote all the energies of his life to missionary work among
the aborigines. In pursuance of that noble resolve, he came to the Forks of
the Delaware in 1744, 3 and built his cabin at Sockmavotung-Martins Creek-
in Mount Bethel township, near the Hunter settlement. This domicile he
occupied alone until near the time of his death, and from here, be made
continual journeys from point, to point, preaching by day and by night to
great numbers, both of natives and of white Settlers. These itinerations
extended to the Minisinks, to the upper Lehigh, and the country beyond the
Blue Mountains, even as far as the, Susquehanna, and Southward to
Neshaminy, and other points in lower Bucks. Moses Tatemy,4 a Delaware,
acted as his interpreter until Brainerd had himself mastered the Indian
language, Often he preached four, and sometimes five consecutive days at
the same place; and great was the religious feeling which he awakened, and
many were the souls which he turned heavenward.
__________________________________________________________________________

1 This name was first given to the place by Whitefield himself.

2 From the diary John Martin Mack afterward one of the Moravian
missionaries is the following:
"On the 13th of April 1740 we conclude to beak up our settlement in Georgia
on account of the war as we had no religious liberty and removed to
Pennsylvania where we had arrived the same month and were engaged as
mechanics and daylaborers by Mr. Whitefield at Nazareth, in order to build
a house for him at that place, as he had purchased land for converted
people in England. We had a pleasant household; every one laid hold where
he could and the Lord was with us."

Mr. Mack however is mistaken. The building was not intended -at any rate not
Exclusively for converted people in England but -chiefly if not wholly for
colored children.

3 Of the sad plight in which this devoted man arrived upon the ground of
his future labors, the reader may gain some idea from the following
transcript from his diary at that time:

    "Lords Day, May 13 Rose early; felt very poorly after my long journey
and after being wet and fatigued. Was very melancholy; have scarcely ever
seen such a glommy morning in my life; there appeared to be no Sabbath; the
children were all at play; I a stranger in the wilderness and knew not
where to go; and all circumstances seemed to conspire to render my affairs
dark and discouraging. Was disappointed respecting an interpreter, and
heard that the Indians were much scattered. 0, I mourned after the presence
of God, and seemed like a creature banished from His sight! Yet he was
pleased to support my sinking soul, amidst all my sorrows so that I never
entertained any thought of quitting my business among the poor Indians, but
as comforted to think that, ere long death would set he free from these
distresses. Rode about three or four miles to the Irish people where I
found some who appeared sober and concerned about religion. My heart then
began to be a little encouraged; went and preached first to the Irish and
then to the Indians; and in the evening was a little comforted; my soul
seemed to rest on God, and take courage."

4 This Delaware chief was one of the first conversions made by Brainerd in
Pennsylvania. He always used all his influence among his people for the
preservation of peace.

____________

  This and other services rendered in the interest of the whites had been
recognized by the agents of the Proprietaries in their confirmation to him
of a tract of more than two hundred acres of land on the waters of Bushkill
Creek which streams from that cause was often known and mentioned in the
old records as "Tatemy's Creek". On this land he made his residence and
lived there quietly until some years after the erection of the county,
often acting as interpreter not only for the missionaries but for the
agents of the in the various councils and treaties held towards the last of
his life. He was held in the high estimation, on account of his pacific
disposition and Christian character by the Proprietary government the
Quakers and the white settlers in general-particularly so by the Moravian
community at Nazareth near whom his land was located.

 It has sometimes been stated that he was wantonly shot, by a reckless
young white man-or-rather boy-near Bethlehem; but it is probable that this
is a mistake growing out of the fact that Bill Tateman- a son of Moses was
mortally wounded in July 1757 between the Irish settlement and Bethlehem by
a young man belonging to the former place. Bill was at the time on his way
with it considerable body of Indians from Fort Allen to Easton to attend a
treaty and carelessly straggled away from the party with the above fatal
result. At this inexcusable act, the Indians were mostly incensed and to
such a degree that trouble seemed inevitable but Governor Denny at the
opening of the treaty spoke to the afflicted father in terms of the most
sincere condolence for his bereavement and promised that the murderer
should he brought to speedy justice. This course allayed the resentment of
the savages for the time.

 The young Tatemy will was killed was, like his father a professing
Christian-a convert made by Brainerd.

  The old chief Moses died about 1761, and was buried at the Forks Lutheran
Church in Williams township.


43


  In August, 1749, he was joined in the work by his brother, John, who was
present with him in his humble cabin, at the time of his death, on the
ninth of October, the same year, After this, John Brainerd occupied the
same lowly dwelling and continued the work of evangelization, but with a
less degree of success than had attended the labors of his brother. During
the "French war," he received the appointment and honorably performed the
duties of chaplain in one of the provincial commands.

  Of the Moravian missionaries, Count Zinzendorff is frequently spoken of as
the chief; but it would seem that it was more his title and wealth than the
length or severity of his labors in the missionary field, which caused
people to award him a preeminence, which, by right, unquestionably belonged
to David Zeisberger.

  Zinzendorff was the patron and protector of the Moravian Church in
Germany, from which sprang all of their order who settled in Pennsylvania,
North Carolina, and Georgia.

  Having been banished from his own country, in 1736, "for disseminating
false religious doctrines," and for the protection which he had given to
refugee Moravians, he came to America, and reached the valley of the Lehigh
in December, 1741. Here perhaps he intended to spend the remainder of his
blameless life, in the service of his Redeemer, and in the advancement of
His work among those who had need of salvation.

 But though man proposes, yet God disposes. In 1743, the Count sailed for
Europe, intending only a short absence, but for some reason not fully
explained, be never returned to Pennsylvania. During the two years of his
presence here, however, he accomplished much good, and made numerous
conversions to Christianity among the Indians, who regarded him as a
superior being: one under the especial protection and favor of the Great
Spirit.

  This feeling of reverence with which the savages regarded Zinzendorff,
was exemplified, and perhaps in a measure explained, by an incident which
occurred in 1742.

  The Count, accompanied by Martin Mack, and also by the wife of the latter
who traveled with him as an interpreter had penetrated as far into the
wilderness as the neighborhood of Wyoming, and pitched his rude tent on the
North Branch of the Susquehanna; resolved to prosecute a vigorous
missionary work among the Indians of that section of country.

The Shawnees, who were the occupants of the six lands, regarded the party,
and particularly Zinzendorff, with the greatest distrust and jealousy. They
could have no appreciation of the pure and holy motives which had induced
him to seek them in their wilderness domain; but they thought him to be a
spy, in the interest of those whom they had learned to look upon as enemies
and land thieves the Proprietaries of the province-and entertaining, as
they did no doubt, that his presence there was portentous of evil, and of
naught but evil, to their people, they resolved on his assassination.

  Fully intent on their hellish mission, the murdering party silently
sought the place where, under the dark trees upon the river bank, the good
missionary rested in his little tent, absorbed in holy meditation,
forgetful of all things terrestrial. The weather was cool, and he had
kindled a small fire to temper the chill of the keen night. As the savages
stealthily reconnoitred the interior of the shelter, the flicker of the
firelight showed to them the noble features and attitude of the Count, as
he sat, serenely unconscious of danger, wrapped in heavenly contemplation,
and wholly oblivious of his surroundings. The awe-inspiring aspect of the
holy man caused them to hesitate and just then, during that moment of
suspense, an enormous rattle snake, which was seeking the warmth of the
fire, issued from the shadow, and slowly drew his hideous length right
across the extended foot of the pious Moravian, who, in his abstracted
state, was neither conscious of, nor injured by, the loathsome contact.

  Awed and amazed at what to them seemed so clear a proof of the Count's
supernatural protection, they at once withdrew and left him unharmed, glad
enough in their hearts that they had escaped the unpardonable sin of
reddening their hands in the blood of one whom the Great Spirit so
evidently held under His sheltering wing.

  After this, his person was esteemed by the natives as sacred and
inviolable; and when they also learned that his mission was one of
benevolence and goodwill to themselves, he was, by many of them, regarded
with feelings of love, as well as veneration.

  At a meeting with the Indians, held not long after, when, through Conrad
Weiser as interpreter, he told them of the nature of the heavenly errand on
which he came to their people, he received this reply from one of the
principal chiefs: "Brother, you have made a long journey over the seas to
preach the Gospel to the white people and to the Indians! You did not know
that we were here, and we knew nothing of you. This proceeds from above!
Come, therefore, to us, both you and your brethren; we bid you welcome
among us; and take this belt of wampum in confirmation of the truth of our words."

  The reverence in which he was held by the Indians operated most favorably
for him in his labors for their evangelization; and probably considering
the short time of his stay among them there were none of the missionary
workers who achieved more of success than he.

An estimate of the, character and it description of the personal
characteristics of Zinzendorff, is given in Barber's Historical Collections
of New Jersey, in these word: "The Count was undoubtedly pre-eminently
fitted for a pioneer in the cause. He is represented to have been one of
the most extraordinary divines who has appeared since the Reformation-a man
of fervent piety, powerful imagination, original genius, and extensive
acquirements, and a sound, though perhaps eccentric, theologian.  In his
portrait he was dressed in a plain, single-breasted coat, a mantle
partially drawn over the shoulder, and a white cravat, gathered in a,
simple told; the hair dark, smoothly parted on the left side, and hanging
in graceful ringlets, down the neck and shoulder; the forehead high and
even; eye, penetrating; nose long and aquiline; mouth large, but well
formed, and the general expression high and intellectual, denoting purity
of thought and benevolence. When here, he traveled much among the Indians,
generally on horseback, but, not unfrequently on foot. Once or twice he
narrowly escaped being slain2 by them.

  In 1747, the King of Saxony recalled the decree of banishment, issued
eleven years before, against the Court, who thereupon seem, to have
abandoned all thought of revisiting Pennsylvania, and returned to his
native country, where he died, at Hutberg, in 1760.

  The, first Indian missionary sent out by the Moravians, was Christian
Henry Rauch, who, as Heckewelder says, "sat out, otherwise knowing nothing
of the people to whom he was to preach the Gospel, nor even where to find
them, being an utter stranger in the land; but being assured of his call,
he placed full confidence in God, that He would assist him, and lead him to
those heathens to whom he was sent."

  The instructions which he received when he entered the field, were "not
in anywise to interfere with the labors of other ministers or missionaries,
or cause any disturbance among them, but silently to observe whether any of
the heathen were, by the grace of God, prepared to receive and believe the
word of life-that if even only one was to be found desirous if hearing, to
him the Gospel should be preached, for God must give the heathen ears to
hear the Gospel, and hearts to receive it," all of which is most clearly
indicative of life spirit of unalloyed Christianity which animated and
strengthened them in this, their self-denying labor of love. The tone of
those instructions is remarkable, as, being wholly devoid of jealousy or
intolerance toward other denominations. No matter how inimical others may
have been in thought or action, towards the Moravians, they felt nothing
but a desire for the furtherance of Gods work, and at earnest wish to
extend most cordial friendship find cooperation to any and all who, like
themselves, were engaged in that mission.
__________________________________________________________________________

1 The allusion here is probably to the occasion when the rattle snake.
saved him, as mentioned above.


44


  Pertinent to this subject, is the following short extract from the
"Narrative of the Mission of the United Brethren," as showing the mutual
esteem which existed between the Moravians and the missionaries of another,
and-as it might be thought by some-a rival sect, operating in the same field:

   "About this time the brethren also paid a visit to the Rev. David
Brainerd, missionary to the Indians; and rejoiced at the success with which
that faithful servant of God had been blessed in preaching the Gospel to
the Indians, and, some time after this, that worthy man, accompanied by
some of his converts, visited the brethren both at Bethlehem and
Gndenhutten, much to his satisfaction."

  Well might it be expected that the good work would prosper apace, when
laborers of all creeds, so cordially laid aside their theological
disagreements if they had any, and meeting on the common field of
missionary effort, worked in perfect accord in the cause of Christ against
ignorance, superstition, and paganism.

  It must not be opposed, however, that all were so ready and willing to
bury sectarian prejudices, and to hold in subordination every predilection
of creed, personal feeling, and uncharitableness. In this groveling world
of ours, no man, and no body of men have ever attained to great excellence-
whether of piety, or other form of virtue-without provoking the ill-will of
others to whom such excellence. seemed a rebuke. And so it was with the
Moravian missionaries-lowly, unpretending, and sincere Christian workers as
they were.

  In their field of labor they cattle in contact with some who, although
they wore Christ's livery, yet possessed not one iota of the honest,
single-minded devotion to His work-exclusive as it was of all other
feelings and passions-which pervaded the life of the Rev. David Brainerd,
and which animated that high-minded evangelist to extend the right hand of
fellowship to all those fit whom he recognized co-servitors of their common
master; however much they might be dissevered by creed, nationality, or the
outward forms of religious observance.

  In Heckewelders "Narrative," may be found the mention of a case which is
in point, and which is told by that venerable missionary, in these words:

  "During his1 four months absence, some new members; had joined the
congregation; while on the other hand, new members had sprung on, among
whom was a new preacher, who had already propagated such lies among the
Indians, ass he imagined would sufficiently serve the purpose of having the
missionaries banished out of the country.

  "Of Zeisberger, he said that it was well known among the white people,
that he was a seducer of Indians, for the purpose of having them
transported as slaves, where they would be harnessed to the plough, and
whipped to work. Added to this, there were among the Indians, rumors of a
war soon taking place, in consequence of several murders which had lately
been committed by white people, on harmless, inoffensive Indians, which
seemed to hold out sufficient provocation for this step.

  "Indeed, scattered Indians living near to the river, were already fleeing
to the respective inland villages, some threatening to take revenge on the
missionaries, they being of the same color as the murderers. At length,
liquor being procured for the execution of their diabolical design, obliged
the brethren to keep a strong guard over their missionaries, the Indian
sisters, having already fled to the woods for safety."

  The "Narrative" goes on further to say: "Unfavorable reports had been
spread by white people from different quarters against the brethren, and
various were the accusations laid to their charge. By some, they were hated
on account of their religion-which was supposed to be tincture with
Catholicism, by others, they were censured for endeavoring to civilize file
savages, a race of beings which-in their opinion-had no claim to
Christianity, and whom to destroy both root and branch, would not only be
doing God a service, but also be the means of averting His wrath, which,
otherwise, they might incur by suffering them to live, they being the same
as the Canaanites of old, an accursed race, who, by Gods command, were to
be destroyed.

  The enmity of some was so inveterate that they sought nothing short of
the total destruction of the brethren; and, indeed, at that time when the
Indians had joined the French, in their wars against the English nation,
seemed to favor their design, the more so since the brethren were known to
labor amongst the Indians. They were first accused of being in the next of
being in league with the French, and of supplying the Indians with arms and
ammunition to carry on their wars.

  In the beginning, the Indians had been represented to the missionaries
its a race of savages, who were incapable of embracing the Christian
religion, and among whom it would be madness to attempt to dwell; but when
the falsehood of that statement began to be manifest, and when it was seen
that some of the Indians did embrace Christianity and lead a virtuous life,
then every device was resorted to prevent them from enjoying Christian
privileges, and to procure the banishment of the missionaries from the country.

  By this disreputable class of white men it was considered a serious loss
which they sustained in not having the Indians so much under their control
and in their interest as formerly, when they were accustomed to take advan-
tage of them by defrauding them of their just dues and by imposing liquor
on them, and encouraging drunkenness in them, for the sake of their own
gain; and besides this, the regenerated natives would frequently detect and
reprimand offenders, which was very distasteful to these white men, who,
ascribing the cause of the change in the life and morals of the Indians to
the efforts of the missionaries, used every possible stratagem to
counteract and destroy their influence, and even in some cases were known
to have offered liquor to any Indian who would kill them.

  "Unfavorable reports were soon spread respecting the conduct of the white
people towards the Indians, since they had come into the country, and
predictions were circulated as to what they would do to them if they should
get a footing in their country. By many, fears were entertained of their
being made slaves should they tolerate preachers from among the white
people, and suffer themselves to be instructed by them. Even the old women
went about publicly complaining of the failure of many necessaries of life,
saying that the Indian corn was devoured by worms; that the game had begun
to flee the country; that neither chestnuts nor bilberries ripened anymore;
all of which they ascribed to the Indians having changed their ancient way
of living in consequence of what the white men had told then, and what the
white preacher-Zeisberger-was saying to them.

  "The conjurers, in turn, advised that the Indians should make sacrifices
to appease the wrath of the Great Spirit, who was offended by the presence
of these white teachers, and at the doctrine which they preached.

  "Secret messages were sent by the Six Nations to these Indians-the
Delawares-aware-to rid themselves of the preachers-either by banishing or
killing them."

  There was no limit to the false reports spread abroad among the.
benighted Indians, by designing and evil-disposed white men, to the
prejudice of these devoted missionaries. It was told to them that if they-
the natives adhered to the doctrines preached by the Moravians, their maize
would be destroyed by the parching heat of the sun; that the deer and the
turkeys would leave the woods, and that the rivers would no longer swarm
with fish. An Indian preacher who was especially antagonistical to them;
assured his people that he had obtained a view of the interior of both
heavens-that of the Indian and that of the paleface; that in the Indians
heaven, there was an overflowing abundance of every good thing; while in
that of the white man, there was scarcity and famine; that the Indians, in
their natural state, on fainted by the, heresies of the white teachers, and
true to the ancient, religion of their fathers, were most acceptable to the
Great Spirit, who loved not the innovations and false teachings of the
white, men.

  It was also stated by him that, several warriors of another tribe bad
visited England, and had spoken with the king, who had especially cautioned
them not to listen to the false doctrines of the Moravians, as by so doing,
they would assuredly be led toward towards hell.

  "And as a last resort-says Heckewelder-the traders, in liquor were
permitted to traffic in that article; it being expected that what the
Indians would not venture to do when sober, might easily be effected when
in a state of intoxication.

  "During all these threats and troubles, many Indians remained faithful;
and, apprehending that during a state of intoxication, the missionaries
might be murdered, they endeavored to prevent liquors being brought into
their settlements."

In the face of all these discouragements, the missionaries steadily pursued
their work, unheeding the evil reports of their enemies, and never for a
moment allowing their thoughts to be diverted from the object for which
they entered the field. It was not, possible that so earnestness, sincere
piety, and complete self-abnegation as theirs, should fail to produce their
legitimate results. It is true that converts did not flock in great numbers
to the standard of the Redeemer as it was borne aloft by these Men; there
was no marvelous awakening" among the savages; but slowly, by plait, hard-
working, persistent effort, and by the convincing example of their own
steadfast and blameless Christian lives, these patient and devoted rescuers
brought in-one-one-a goodly number of the benighted natives to secure fold
of the Heavenly Shepard.
___________________________________________________________________________

1 Referring to the Moravian, David Zeisberger, and the Christian
congregation at Grandenhutten.


45


  Among the most notable of the conversions effected by the Moravians was
that of Tedeuskund, an Indian of the highest, rank-he being then known
as "King" of the Delawares. Loskiel thus recounts the circumstances of
his baptism: "Among those baptized in 1750, was, one Tadeuskund, called
'Honest John', by the English. His baptism was delayed some time, because
of his wavering disposition; but having once been present at a baptism, he
said no one of the brethren, 'I am distressed that the time is not yet
come that I shall be baptized and cleansed in the blood of Christ. O! that
I were baptized and cleansed in His blood'.

  "He received this favor soon after, and was named Gideon.
"The missionaries hesitated also about baptizing another Indian, living in
Meniolagomekah, called Big Jacob, but he was, after close examination,
baptized and named Paul. He remained faithful unto the end. Not so,
however, with Tadeuskund. Four years afterwards, when the Susquehanna
Indiana were secretly plotting to join the French, and commence hostilities
against the English, it was a part of the scheme to persuade the Christian
Indians to remove to Wyoming, that the others might fall upon the white
people below the mountains.  Abraham, a Mohican, and Tadeuskund were the
most active in promoting the affair. The latter soon proved, by his whole
behavior, that the doubts, of the missionaries concerning his steadiness
were but too well founded. He was like a reed shaken with the wind."

  The baptism of this treacherous Indian took place at Gnadedhutten
missionary station, and the rite was performed by Bishop Cammerhoff, It
does not appear that life conversion ever caused him to attempt to live a
Christian life, but on the contrary, he lived in a state of drunkenness,
only limited by his ability to obtain firm; and, indeed, this was among the
mildest of his sins, for he added to it the darker one, of conspiracy,
bloody treachery, and murder-although Heckewelder and the other
missionaries, with their unvarying lenity of judgment towards the savage,
speak of his sins in much milder language.

  In all the missionary records, there stands no more striking instance of
the power of saying grace, their that of Tschoop, the Mohiccan. It is said
that he was the father of Uncas, "the last of the Mohicans," and that he
was the identical Indian made famous in Fennimore Cooper's novel of that
title, under the name of Chingachgook-the big serpent.

  Be this as it may, Tschoop was a Mohican chief, and among the very worst
and most ungodly of his tribe and race. There was hardly a form of Indian
vice, outrage, and sin, in which he was not a leading spirit. He was
bloody-minded, false, treacherous, and drunken; and yet, under the
persuasive and godly power of the Moravian, this devotee of sin and the
Evil One, became a meek lamb, a servant of God, and a pious and fervent
preacher to his ignorant countrymen.

  How very marked was the change which was wrought in him by the Spirit of
God, is well shown in air account which he himself once gave, of the
circumstances and reasons which had effected in him so striking a change.

  He said: "Brethren, I have been a heathen, and have grown old among them;
therefore I know how heathen think. Once a preacher came, and began to
explain to us that there is it God.  We answered: 'Dost thou think us so
ignorant as not to know that? Return to the, place whence you came, Then
again, another preacher came, and said: 'You must not got drunk, nor steal,
nor lie'.  We answered:  'Thou fool dost thou think us ignorant of this?
Learn first thyself and then reach the people to whom thou belongest to
leave off these things; fier who steal, he, or are more drunken than turns
own people? And thus we dismissed him. But, after a time, Brother Rauch
came into my hut; sat down, and spoke like this:  'I am come to You in the
name of the Lord of Heaven and Earth.  He sends to let you know that he
will make you happy, and deliver you from the misery in which you lie at
present. For this end, he became human, for this he gave his life as a
ransom, and shed his blood for sinners. When he, had finished his discourse
he lay down, and so much was he fatigued with the labors of his journey
that he fell into a sound sleep, I thought, what kind of a man is this who
lies and sleeps, when I might kill him, and throw him into the woods, and
none would ever know it? But this gives him no concern. However, I could
not forget his words, they came back again and again to my mind. Even when
asleep, I dreamed of the blood of Christ, shed for us. I found this to be
very different from anything I had heard before; and I interpreted the
missionary's words to the other Indians. Thus through the grace of God, an
awakening commenced among us. I say, therefore, brethren preach Christ nor
Saviour, and his sufferings and death, if you expect your words to gain a
belief among the heathen."

  This chief who had been so deep in the mire of utter godlessness, was
baptized on the seventeenth of April 1742, under Christian name of John,
and in very happy contrast to the case of Gideon " Tadeuskund, he remained
true and faithful until the end, which came to him in great peace, five
years after he received baptism.

  In the, cemetery at Bethlehem, in a space allotted to the graves of the
Indian converts, may yet be seen the mound under which lies the remains of
the converted Mohican chief, with a rose bush growing at the head, and upon
the stone which marks his peaceful resting-place, is this inscription:

                    In Memory of
               TSCHOOP- A Mohican Indian,
           Who, in holy baptism April 17th, 1742,
                   received the name of
                       JOHN
            one of the first fruits of the
              Mission at SHEKOMEKO
            remarkable instance of the power
              of divine grace, whereby he
            became a distinguished teacher
                 among his nation.
            He departed this life, in full
          assurance of faith, at Bethlehem,
                 August 27, 1747
              "Thee shall be one fold
             and one Shepard."- John x:16.


  By such instances as this most gratifying conversion of Tschoop the
hearts of the brethren were made glad, and their hands strengthened for the
continuance of the good work, By persistency in the ways of piety and
benevolent labor, find by steadily refusing to give heed to the slanderous
revilings, of those who had, without other cause than wicked hardness of
heart, arrayed themselves as their enemies, the missionaries, little by
little, gained ground in the confidence of the Indians, and by degrees drew
many of them out from their benighted state, and induced them to walk in
the pleasant paths of the Christian life.

  But, to accomplish this, these self-denying men were obliged to
relinquish the delights of home, family, arid friends, and to pass weary
months food years in traversing the wilderness, and in a continual exposure
of their lives among rude barbarians. The veteran Heckewelder paints their
sacrifices, and trials in this wise:

  The prospect of bringing souls to Christ by the preaching of the gospel
of salvation, brightening more and more, the brethren were indefatigable in
their labors, each striving to do his utmost for Christ's sake.

  "Journeying at that time through wildernesses and swamps-suffering often
from hunger as well as from heat and cold-and above all, when thoroughly
wet, from a want, of change of linen and other clothes-as such journeyings
were made chiefly on foot, with scarcely any baggage-bore hard on weakly
constitutions, and caused frequent sickness, sometimes ending in death. 
This last had been the case with a most worthy divine, the Rev, Bishop
Cammerhoff, a man of extraordinary talents and great piety, who had been
sent into this country by the directors of the society in Europe, for the
general superintendence of the internal concerns of the society here, and
who, on seeing the prospect of the conversion of the heathen, had devoted
much of his time in visiting the scattered Indian villages, oil the
branches of the Susquehanna and elsewhere, preaching the Gospel with great
freedom wherever he came. During the four years he resided in this country,
he baptized eighty-nine Indians. His death was a great loss to the society
generally. Two other missionaries, one John Hagen, and the other, David
Bruce, had also departed this life within the last two years at their posts."

  Any account of the Moravian missions would be grossly imperfect, if it
should omit an especial mention of the Rev, David Zeisberger, the senior,
and chief of the missionaries, the pious and unselfish man who, after a
labor of sixty-two years in the Lords service among the heathen Indians,
departed to his heavenly reward on the 17th of November, 1808, at the great
age of eighty-seven years and seven months.

  There can be no better tribute to the memory of his, honored find useful
life, than this, which was, written at the time of his death, by the Rev.
Benjamin Mortimer, a close friend, and for little years a constant
companion of the old missionary.

  He was a native of Moravia, in Germany, from whence he emigrated with
his parents, at an early age, to Herrnhuth, in Upper Lusatia, for the sake
of obtaining religious, liberty.

  In 1738, he came to this country, landed in Georgia, where, at that time,
some of the United Brethren had begun a settlement, merely for the purpose
of preaching the Gospel to the Creek nation. From thence he removed to
Pennsylvania, and assisted at the commencement of the settlements of
Bethlehem and Nazareth. Ever since the year 1746, a period of sixty-two
years he has, with a few and short intervals, been a missionary among the
Indians, making himself master of sundry of their languages.


46


  "He was blessed with a cool, active, intrepid spirit, not appalled by
ally danger or difficulties, and a sound judgment, to ascertain the best
means of meeting and overcoming them, Having once devoted himself to the
service of God among the Indians, lie steadily, from the most voluntary
choice, and with the purest motives, pursued his object, namely, the glory
of his Redeemer, in the salvation of his fellow men, whom he found sunk in
heathenish darkness and error. Never was he so happy as when he could
believe that the souls to whom he preached had sought and found forgiveness
of their, sins, and could truly rejoice in their Saviour; he their rejoiced
with them as if he hall gained the utmost object of his wishes; for, with
the Apostle Paul, he counted all things but lost, in comparison of the
excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord, and the being found
in Him (Phil. iii: 8, 9), and, it may truly be added, that the gaining over
one soul, to this excellent knowledge and experience was, with film, of
more estimation than if he had acquired possession of the whole world. His
endeavors, for the conversion of the Indians, were crowned with very signal
success, as may be seen at large, in Loskiel's History of the Mission of
the United Brethren among the North American Indians.

  "In the course of a long life thus spent among the savages, he was, of
course, exposed to innumerable hardships and privations. In addition to
these, he had, at times, to suffer much persecution from the enemies of the
truth, and was frequently in imminent danger of his life.

  "Nothing of this kind, however, dismayed him for a moment, but only
served to whet his zeal; and he has more than once had the pleasure to
baptize those of his converts, who had not long before lifted tip some
weapon of death to destroy him. In reliance upon his God, in whom alone he
trusted, and not in man, he had always good courage in the carrying on of
his work. At the same time, he was of an humble, meek spirit, and always
thought lowly of himself. Self was the least of all the considerations that
occupied his mind-universal love filled his bosom. He was it most
affectionate husband, a faithful and never-failing friend, and every
lineament of his character showed a sincere, upright, and benevolent soul,
with, perhaps, as few blemishes as can be expected in the best of men, on
this side of the grave."

  This is no studied eulogium to give art exalted opinion of a much
esteemed departed friend; it is a free description of that genuine worth
which every one, well acquainted with Mr. Zeisberger, must have perceived
and found irk him, and which trust, therefore, long endear his memory among
them.

  In the last forty years of his life, he never was, at ally one time, six
months absent from his Indian flock, and during that time he only paid two
visit, to his friends and acquaintances in the Atlantic States. His last
journey to Bethlehem was in the year 1781, from which time to his
death -full twenty-seven years- he continually dwelt with his Indian
congregation, wherever their settlements were.

  "In the evening of his days, as his faculties began to fail him, his
desire to depart and be with Christ, increased more and more. At the same
time he awaited the dissolution of his mortal frame with an uniform, calm,
dignified resignation, to the will of his Maker, and with the sure and
certain hope of leaving this world for the better. His last words were: 
Lord Jesus, I pray thee, come and take my spirit to thyself!

  "During the time of his being a missionary, he learned two different
Indian languages-the Onondago (one of the idioms of the Six Nations), and
the Delaware, and understood other languages connected with them.

  "In the Onondago, he, about the year 1768, wrote and completed two
grammars, one written in English and the other in German, and a copious
dictionary (German and Indian), containing upwards of one thousand seven
hundred pages. In the language of the Lenape-or Delaware-he published, in
the year 1776, his first edition of a spelling-book, and, in 1806, his
second edition, enlarged. Two other books were published by him in this
language, the one, Sermons to Children, and the other a hymn-book,
containing about three hundred and sixty pages, and upwards of five hundred
hymns, translated by him, partly from the German and partly from the
English hymnbook, which is in use in the Brethrens congregations.

  "Zeisberger would never consent to have his name put down on a salary-
list, or become a hireling -as he termed it- saying that, although to some
missionaries, a salary might be both agreeable and proper, yet with him it
would not be so, as he had, from the beginning, devoted himself to the
service of the Lord, among the heathen, without any other view of a reward
than such as his Lord and Master should deign to bestow upon him, well
convinced that if he proved faithful and deserving of remuneration, he
would receive it, especially when he had finished his earthly career, and
joined Him whom he had served here below."

 The establishment of permanent stations, among the Indians formed a
prominent feature in the Moravian plan for their conversion. The stations
which were so established by them, for the benefit of the, tribes in the
Forks of the Delaware and the adjacent country were:

  Friedenshutten, near Bethlehem, founded in 1746, for fugitive Indians,
principally those which had fled from New England to avoid persecution, and
even murder, at the hands of evil disposed white men. The first preacher at
this station was Martin Mack.

  Gnadenhutten, on Mahoning Creek-now within the limits of Carbon
county-established in 1746, for Delaware and Mohican Indians, Mack was also
the first teacher at this station.

  Shamokin, an Iroquois town, was made a station of the Brethren in the
year 1747, under the teaching of Anthony Schmidt.

  Meniolagomekah, a Mohican town, was made a station in 1749, and Nathaniel
Seidel was first to preach there.

  Wayomick, a Shawnees station, made in 1756, and opened by David
Zeisberger.

  Neskopeko, a Shawnees town, made a station in 1876, with Zeisberger as,
first missionary.

  Nain, another station, near Bethlehem, for fugitive Indians, under
Schmidt and Grube.

  Wechquetank. -Fugitives, preached to by Brother Senseman.

  Machwihilusing, on the Susquehanna, where Zeisberger preached to
different tribes.

  There were numerous other stations in the State, as also in Ohio,
Indiana, Michigan, Georgia, and Upper Canada. Indeed, it would require many
volumes to record the extended missionary operations of the Brotherhood in
every part of the globe; but our purpose has been merely to glance briefly
at what was done by them in the country contiguous to the Delaware, Lehigh,
and Susquehanna rivers.

 In the efforts made for the Christianization of the Indians of
Pennsylvania, and in the lives of the devout workers who made those
efforts, during the thirty years following 1740, the county of Northampton
may justly claim a preponderating interest, and she may justly feel proud,
too, of the part which was hers in that beneficent work.


                            CHAPTER XVII.

                        SCHOOLS IN THE FOREST

  In the earliest settlers upon their arrival here, gave their first
attention to the question of religious worship, the did not long postpone
that of schools; for they believed that education made better citizens, and
enhanced the ability and usefulness of it, possessor.

  As early as 1673, the Assembly had passed an Act, making it obligatory
upon parents and guardians to teach every child in their control to read
and write; which is all the comment that is necessary on the progressive
spirit-as touching educational matters -which tell actuated the people of
Pennsylvania, even at that early time.

  In this county, the establishment of schools-almost with the building of
the first forest homes-became a question of which all saw the importance;
and it was met in the most liberal and enlightened mariner by the Moravians
who were numerically strong -numbering more, than five hundred, within the
Forks of the Delaware, by the year 1746- and were likewise, many of them,
people, of the highest cultivation.

  Their policy was as far-sighted as it was benevolent. Not only did they
establish schools for children of their own faith, but separate ones, at
which the children of the Irish Presbyterians, and of the German, alike,
might attend, free of expense.

  Not less than fourteen of this last-named class of schools bad been
established by them among their neighbors, before the close of the year
1745; and they left upon the education of Northampton county an impress
which has never entirely disappeared.

  Both the Scotch-Irish and the German settlers, were, in general, people
of some education, and they were not lacking in an appreciation of the
advantages accruing to a community through a general diffusion of
knowledge. They were not dilatory in the establishment of schools for
themselves, but these were of a character far inferior to those which were
under the management of the Moravians. Usually their term of teaching
covered only a few weeks of the winter season; for the Germans,  in
particular who subordinated all other questions, except that of simple
religion, to the one of material accumulation; and neither pupils nor
teacher could, in summer, be spared from the labors of the field.


47


  In any locality where, a sufficient number of families lived near enough
to each other to render the project of a school practicable, all would
assemble at ionic central point, armed with axes, handspikes, mauls, and
wedges, to erect a school house; and while some felled the trees, others,
notched the logs and put them in their place, and still others split
clapboards or shingles for the roof, Some sought out add hauled shapely
stones for the fire-place, and some prepared the sticks and mud for the
chimney. When the house was completed, it was almost invariably a cheerless
and uncomfortable one, deficient in light, and, in fact, deficient in every
necessary quality except ventilation; but it answered some sort of purpose
as a school house, and was roost commonly compelled to do duty as church
also.

  Then, if there was, in the vicinity, any one who had ever acted as
preacher, be, of course, by virtue of his calling, had the preference in
the right to assume charge of the school, if he desired the position, and
if not, then some ambitious one who wielded scythe or sickle in summer, but
who, in winter, was more than willing to take the position and title of 
"master " over the rising youth, must canvass the heads of families for
scholars, and when sufficient names were procured to assure a revenue of
two pounds ($5.33) per month, in excess, of board, the school was opened.
Of course there were no districts, no school officers, nor any standard of
qualification for teachers.

  Thus, although something was accomplished educationally, the result was
very far from being what it should have been. There were none of the aids
and expensive accessories of the present system, and the schools bore
scarcely a resemblance to those of our own time; yet they were, in their
humble way, institutions of learning, in which were laid the foundations of
many all honorable career; and, it is hard to believe, that general
education at that time was in as low a state as was represented by Mr.
Henry, who, when speaking of the Germans in Northampton county, says: 
"Very few Germans were able to write their own names; the writer has
observed on petitions to the county courts, that nearly one-half of the
signers made the X, and one instrument, presented with nine names, has
seven of these insignias of ignorance, and the remaining two are so
execrably written, as to be barely intelligible. In the sessions office is
a paper, professedly air inventory, the spelling of which is so strange,
that no other person than the learned justice of the peace D. Brown)
himself, who wrote it, call make out the meaning; one word therein spelt
kaughy bud" for coffee-pot."

  But, at any rate, this is far from being true of the German-descended
inhabitants of Northampton at the present time; it cannot now be denied
that they are as much a progressive people as those. who sprung from the
English-speaking races; their schools and school buildings are as good,
and, in the matter of church edifices, their superiority is very
noticeable; particularly outside of the towns.


                            CHAPTER XVIII.

                        ERECTION OF THE COUNTY.

  THE county of Bucks, at its establishment by Penn, and for seventy years
thereafter, embraced an immense territory, extending northward as far as
the boundary of the Province of Pennsylvania.

  As early as 1745, the project of a division of the county began to be
discussed, and it soon became evident that such a partition could not much
longer be delayed. The upper portion, comprising Williams,  Saucon, Upper
Milford, Macungie, and Heidelberg townships, and nearly all the territory
lying to the northward of these, had been, to a great extent, peopled by
Germans and others who politically affiliated with the Quakers, in
opposition to the Proprietary party which, since the death of the Founder,
had invariably arrayed itself against the chosen people who, in an especial
manner, had enjoyed his favor.

  By means of this alliance, the Friends were enabled to hold a commanding,
if not controlling voice in the affairs of the county -as indeed they did in
those of the province -being for many years the ruling power in the
Assembly. This condition of things was viewed with uneasiness and
disapproval by the Proprietaries, and by the governmental party, and they
looked with disfavor on the Quakers allies -the Germans- who were termed 
"political makeweights." Samuel Wharton, a writer of some eminence at that
time, and whose prejudices were evidently on the side of the Proprietary
party says that the party in alliance with the Friends derived their
own language, and published at Germantown, by one Sauers, who was a man of
enterprise, ability, and great ambition. This newspaper, lie says, had been
established in 729, and was widely circulated among that people,
influencing them to the side of the Friends, and in opposition to the
Governor and council.

  Through this means they were persuaded that there was entertained, by the
government, a design to enslave them; to enforce their young men, by a
militia law -which they had in contemplation- to become soldiers, and to load
them down with taxes beyond the bounds of ability or endurance. From such
causes, he says, they came down in shoals, from the upper portions of the
counties, to vote, carrying all before them. The effect of these successes
of the Germans, he continues, will be felt probably through many
generations. Instead of an industrious and peaceful people, as they were,
they become sullen, insolent, and turbulent; sometimes even threatening the
lives of those who opposed their views, for the reason that they are taught
to regard government and slavery as one and the same thing.

  All who are not of their party, says he, they call "Governors men," and
themselves they deem strong enough to make the country their own. Indeed,
they come in  such force -say upwards of five thousand in the last year
see. not but they may soon be able to give us law and language, too, or
else, by joining the French, eject all the English.

  That this may be the case, is too much to be feared, he remarks, for
almost to a man they refused to bear arms, in the time of the late war, and
they say it is all one to them which king gets the country, as their
estates will be equally secure with either. "Indeed, it is clear that the
French have turned their hopes upon this great body of Germans."

   Wharton attributed all this to "their stubborn genius and ignorance,"
and this, he thought, should be eradicated by education; and he proposed
that their children should be obliged to learn in the English tongue, and
that, in the meantime-while this was being accomplished-that the government
should suspend their right of voting for members of Assembly; and that, the
sooner to incline them to become English, in feeling and education, they
should be compelled to make all bonds, and other legal writings in the
English, and that no newspaper or almanac (in German), be allowed
circulation among them, unless accompanied by its English translation.
The opinions of this ancient writer are recounted here to show how strong,
at that time, was the prejudice against the Germans, their habits of
thought, and their language, to the use of which they so persistently
adhered; and it also shows the alarm which was felt, by the government
party, at their rapidly increasing political consideration.

  The following extract of a letter from Thomas Penn, to Governor Hamilton,
dated February 25th, 1750, discloses this feeling of apprehension still
more, clearly.

  He says: -"I am greatly alarmed to find that the Germans behave so
insolently at the elections; they must, no doubt, do so from the numbers
given them at the back counties.

  "The taking of counties from Bucks and Philadelphia (Northampton and
Berks) will take off our settlements, and leave them only two members of
eight, and prevent them, for many years, from having a majority."

  Here, it is plainly shown, that the plan of division was a political one,
originating with the opponents of the Quaker-German alliance; its purpose
being to sever that alliance -so far as county affairs were concerned-by
setting off the Germans in the new county, and thus, by depriving the.
Quakers of their support, to restore the control of old Bucks to the
government party.

  Naturally, the Friends were inclined to make a strong and determined
opposition to the project; for the loss of political power was a dismal
prospect, even to that gentle and non-resistant people; but the Germans,
such of them as would fall above the partition line, were not disposed to
contest it so strenuously, for they believed they could control the affairs
of the new county quite as easily as they had those of the old one; besides
this, they were wearied and worn out by the disadvantages they had
experienced in the remoteness of the county seat, at Newtown, which they
must reach, by traveling over exceedingly bad roads, whenever their
attendance at the sessions became necessary.


48


  So, seeing that, by the formation of the new county, they would
necessarily have a much nearer and more accessible seat of justice, which,
with its other advantages, they believed, would overbalance all those,
which might accrue to them by the continuance of their combination with the
Friends, in old Bucks, at last yielded to the proposition; add so the
partition and the erection of the new county of Northampton was effected by
virtue of the following Act of the Assembly, passed March the 11th in the
year 1752.

  "Whereas, a great number of the inhabitants of the upper parts of the
county of Bucks, by their petition, have hereby represented to the Governor
and the Assembly of this province, the great hardships they lay under, by
being so remote from the present seat of judicature and the public offices;
that the necessary means to be used for obtaining justice, is attended with
so much difficulty and expense, that many forego their right, rather than
attempt the recovery of it under such circumstances; while others, sensible
of these difficulties commit great villanies with impunity. For remedying
whereof, and for the relief of the inhabitants, Be it enacted by the Hon.
James Hamilton, Lieutenant-Governor, under the Hon. Thomas Penn and Richard
Penn, true and solvent Proprietaries of the province of Pennsylvania, and
of the counties of New Castle, Kent, and Sussex, upon Delaware, by and with
the advice and consent of the representatives of the freemen of the said
province, in General Assembly met, and by authority of the same, that all
and singular the lands, lying within the province of Pennsylvania
aforesaid, be erected into a county; and the same is hereby erected into a
county named, and hereinafter to be called, Northampton; to be divided from
the county of Bucks by the upper, or northwestern line of Durham tract, to
the upper corner thereof; thence to be run by a straight line
southwestwardly to the line dividing the township of Upper and Lower
Miford; thence along the said line to the line dividing Philadelphia and
Bucks counties; and thence by a line to the extremities of the said province."

  By the provisions of the same Act, the town of Easton was made the county
seat, and Thomas Craig, Hugh Wilson, John Jones, Thomas Armstrong, and
James Martin, were all, or any three of them, empowered as trustees, "to
purchase, and take assurance to themselves and their heirs, of a piece of
land situate at some convenient place, at Easton, on Lehietan, in the Forks
of the river Delaware, in trust and for the use of the inhabitants of the
said county, and thereon to erect and build a court house and prison,
sufficient to accommodate the public service of the said county, and for
the ease and conveniency of the inhabitants;" and a sum of money, not to
exceed three hundred pounds, was to be raised, by tax, for that purpose.

  Among the people who had believed that in the new county they would at
least be safe from the encroachments of the Proprietary interest, great
disappointment and dissatisfaction was manifested where they found that
even here, the influence of the Penns had proved strong enough to procure
the selection of their own town of Easton, as the seat of justice.
Particularly was this the case with residents in the most western portions,
who now averred that Easton was, in fact, more inaccessible to them than
even Newtown. But it was, now too late to recede; and, to add to their
chagrin, the petition which they presented to the court -setting forth their
grievance in this particular failed of its object, which was, the
abandonment of Easton and the adoption of Bethlehem, or some other equally
convenient town, as the location of the court house, prison, and public
offices. So they were compelled to submit, and Easton remained the
shire-town.

  Northampton, at the time of its partition from Bucks, embraced not only
its own present area, but that which is now comprised in the counties of
Lehigh, Carbon, Monroe, Pike, and Wayne; and also parts of Luzerne,
Wyoming, and Susquehanna.

Its population, at that time, was about as follows:
Williams township, about                       200
Lower Saucon township about                    700
Upper Saucon Township about                    650
Milford  township about                        700
Macungie township about                        650
Bethlehem township about                       600
Allen township about                           300
Smithfield about                               500
The part now embraced in the townships of
Weissenberg, Lynn, Salisbury, Lowhill,
Heidelberg, and Whitehall, about               800
Other parts of the county, including town of
Easton,                                        800
                                              ____
Total, about                                  5900



  The first session of court in the county, was held at Easton, on the
sixteenth of June, 1752, before justices
Thomas Craig
Timothy Horsfield
William Craig
James Martin
Hugh Wilson.

  The second session was held on the third of October, in the same year, at
which time was empanelled the first Grand Jury; these following being the
Samuel Depot, foreman
William Casselbury
Robert Lile
Alexander Miller
Garret Brink
James Rawlston
Robert Gregg
Michael Moore
Charles Broadhead
James Horner
John Atkins
John McFarring
Nathaniel Vernon
David Owen.

  For many years, Northampton county formed but one election district, and
the elections were uniformly held at Easton.

  The first of these occurred on the first of October, 1752, and resulted
in the choice of
William Craig for sheriff
Robert Gregg, Benjamin Shoemaker, and Peter Trexler for county commissioners
James Burnsides for member of Assembly.

  This last named gentleman -a Moravian, whose residence was near
Bethlehem-was the Quaker candidate, and his defeated opponent was William
Parsons, the candidate of the Proprietaries. The election was carried on
with great heat and acrimony, each party accusing the other of fraud and
foul play, and the candidates themselves -particularly Parsons -showing great
excitement and anger. The Proprietary party were badly defeated, coming out
several hundred votes in the minority.

  At a subsequent election (held in October, 1756), the contest appears to
have been still fiercer, and the manner of conducting it more disgraceful.
William Plumstead, of Philadelphia, the Proprietary candidate, was returned
as elected to the Assembly, from Northampton; but his election was
resolutely contested by Daniel Brown, John Jones, and Samuel Mechlin -not
on the ground of non-residence, for that fact did not then constitute
ineligibility, but -as they alleged in their petition to the Assembly, "that
one of the inspectors, notwithstanding his oath, destroyed several of the
tickets which were in favor of William Edmonds, and were delivered to said
inspector -and that one person was seen to deliver tickets repeatedly to the
inspector, and thirdly, that a great number of tickets were folded up
together, some, one in another, kind some two in one, which were received
by the inspectors as one ticket," etc.; and Plumstead never was seated,
for, after having, the matter under advisement for nearly a year, the
Assembly decided adversely to his claim.

  Throughout this contest the Proprietary party upheld their candidate
Plumstead) through all the evil report, and Richard Peters (the secretary 
of the Penns) and William Parsons were both rather unpleasantly implicated,
The statement of these facts is rather staggering to the belief of many who
assert that, in the old times, elections were honest and honorable, and
that fraud and corruption, as means of defeating the peoples will, are
agents, whose employment is purely a modern invention.


                              CHAPTER XIX.

                     THE INDIAN TROUBLES OF 1755.

  THE county had been ushered into existence auspiciously enough, and, in
spite of the heart-burnings occasioned by the establishment of the county
seat, and the somewhat bitter feelings which subsisted between the
government party and their adversaries, its affairs went on, for three
years, and more, without shock or disaster; the settlements spreading, the
soil yielding its increase, and the people, making reasonable advances on
the road towards prosperity and comfort.

  But it was not long before there loomed, upon the horizon, a cloud-at
first not "larger than a mans hand" -which was destined soon to burst on
them with desolation and terror. All through the summer and early fall of
1755, there were whispers of alarming disaffection among the Indian tribes,
and the air grew more and more pregnant of forebodings; but even these did
not prepare the minds of the inhabitants for the thunderbolt which fell
upon them on the morning of the 25th of November, when couriers, traversed
the lower settlements, front end to end, announcing a savage massacre, on
Mahoning Creek, during the previous night, and warning till to abandon
their homes and seek safety from the red butchers as best they could.

  The hate and revenge of the Indians had at last culminated, and their
onslaught fell where there was least reason to expect it: on the Moravian
brethren, at Gnadenhutten, on Mahoning Creek.

The wreaking of the savage vengeance on these people wits unlocked for.
There were many, among the whites, who even professed to believe that they,
the brethren, were themselves acting in league with the Indians; and,
although the better portion of the settlers never, for a moment gave
credence to this


49


monstrous charge, yet it did seem as if a peaceable people, like the
Moravian missionaries, whom none could possibly charge with fraud or
violence, and whose, whole lives were devoted to the single object of doing
good, particularly towards the benighted Indians, should have escaped their
vindictive fery.

  "But," says Loskiel, God had otherwise ordained; on a sudden, the mission
house on the Mahoning was, late in the evening of the 24th of November,
attacked by the French Indians, burnt, and eleven of the inhabitants
murdered.

  "The family, being at supper, heard an uncommon barking of dogs, upon
which brother Senseman went out at the back door to see what was the
matter. Here the Indians stood, with their pieces pointed toward the door,
and firing, immediately upon its being opened, Martin Nitchman was
instantly killed. His wife and some others were wounded, but fled, with the
rest, up-stairs into the garret, and barricaded the door with bedsteads.
Brother Partsch escaped by jumping out of the back window. Brother Worbas,
who was ill in bed in a house adjoining, jumped likewise out of a back
window and escaped, though the enemies had placed a guard before his door.

  "Meanwhile, the savages pursued those who had taken refuge in the garret,
and strove hard to burst the door open; but finding it too well secured,
they set fire to the house, which was soon in flames. A boy, called
Sturgeous, standing upon the flaming roof, ventured to leap off, and
escaped; though, at first, upon opening the back door, a ball had grazed
his cheek, and one side of his head was much burnt. Sister Partsch, seeing
this took courage, and leaped likewise from the burning roof. She came down
unhurt and unobserved by the enemies; and thus the fervent prayer of her
husband was fulfilled, who, in jumping out of the back window, cried aloud
to God to save his wife. Brother Fabricius, then leaped also off the roof,
but, before he could escape, was seen by the Indians, and instantly wounded
by two balls He was the only one whom they seized upon alive, and having
dispatched him with their hatchets, took his scalp, and left him dead on
the ground. The rest were all burned alive, and brother Senseman, who first
went out, at the back door, had the inexpressible grief to see his wife
consumed by the flames. Sister Partsch could not run far for fear and
trembling, but hid herself behind a tree, upon a hill near the house. From
hence she saw sister Senseman, already surrounded by the flames, standing
with folded hands, and heard her call out: 'Tis all well, dear Saviour, I
expected nothing else'. The house being consumed, the murderers set fire to
the barns and stables, by which all the corn, hay, and cattle were
destroyed. Then they divided the spoil, soaked some bread in milk, made a
hearty meal, and departed-sister Partsch looking off unperceived.

  "This melancholy event proved the deliverer of the Indian congregation at
Gnadenhutten; for, upon hearing the report of the guns, seeing the flames,
and soon learning the dreadful cause from those who had escaped, the Indian
brethren immediately went to the missionary and offered to attack the enemy
without delay. But being advised to the contrary, they all fled to the
wood, and Gnadeuhutten was cleared in a few moments; some who already were
in bed having scarce time to dress themselves. Brother Zeisberger, who had
just arrived in Gnadenhutten from Bethlehem, hastened back to give notice
of this event to a body of English militia, which had marched within five
miles, of the spot; but they did not venture to pursue the, enemy in the
dark."

  A little after midnight, the alarming news reached Bethlehem, where, for
hours, all had been in an agony of suspense -the light of the burning
buildings being plainly visible, away to the northwest, and the dark
outline of the Blue Mountain ridge standing boldly out against the red
glare of the conflagration. The news did not reach Easton until morning;
but there, as at Bethlehem, and in every other portion of the county, it
was received with the greatest dismay and consternation, and most of the
settlers in that portion of the county fled for their lives.

  To all such, the utmost kindness was shown in the towns; particularly was
it so at Bethlehem, where the brethren kept their wagons 1 continually
busy in bringing in the terrified women and children, and freely provided
for their wants after their lives.

 There was a lull of only a few days before the savages were again at their
deadly work, this time in another part of the county, the township of
Smithfield, just across the mountain. The first attack, in this section,
was made at about eleven o'clock in the morning of the 10th of December, on
the "plantation " and dwelling of Daniel Broadhead, which was near the
mouth of Broadheads Creek, and not a great way from the present site of
Stroudsburg. Broadhead and his sons 2 barricaded the house and succeeded in
beating off the savages-or, more properly speaking, succeeded in repelling
their attacks-upon which they withdrew, and proceeding to the houses of
other settlers in the viciuity -Hoeth, Culver, McMichael, Carmeckle, and
others- attacked and burned them, killing many of the people.

  The state of affairs at Broadheads, at this time, is well described in a
letter from Judge Horsfield, to the Governor, dated-
                                            "BETHLEHEM, December 12th, 1755
May it please your Honor:
 "SIR: -I have dispatched an express this morning, to your Honor in
Philadelphia, to inform you of the circumstances we are in; but since
hearing you were in New York, I thought it my duty to dispatch another
messenger with this, thinking it might yet find your Honor there.

  "In the flight, an express arrived from Nazareth, acquainting the that
there is certainly people now in Nazareth who fled for their lives, and
informs us that one Hoeth find his family are cut off, only two escaping,
and the houses of Hoeth, Broadhead, find others, are actually laid in
ashes, and people from all quarters flying for their lives; and the common
report is, that the, Indians are two hundred strong.

  "Your Honor can easily guess at the trouble and consternation we must be
in, on this occasion, in these parts. As to Bethlehem, we have taken all
the precaution in our power for our defence. We have taken our little
infants from Nazareth to Bethlehem, for their greater security; and these,
with the rest of our children, are nearly three hundred in number.

  "Although our gracious King and Parliament have been pleased to exempt
those among us, of tender conscience, from bearing arms, yet there are many
amongst us who make no scruple of defending themselves, against such cruel
savages. But, alas! what call we do, having very few arms and little or no
ammunition, and we are now, as it were, become the frontier; and ass we are
circumstanced, our family being so large, it is impossible for us to retire
to any other place for security.

I doubt not, your Honors goodness will lead you to consider the distress we
are in, and speedily to afford us what relief shall be thought necessary
against these merciless savage.
                 I am, with due respect,
                             Your Honors most obedient servant,
                                                 "TIMO HORSEFIELD."

Another letter, addressed to Governor Morris, by Hon. James Hamilton, tells
the story still more minutely. Mr. Hamilton being then at Easton on public
business for the Governor.
                                  "EASTON, Monday Evening, Dec. 25th, 1755.
DEAR SIR: -The Commissioners came to this town on Saturday evening, where we
found the county under the greatest consternation, and everything that has
been said of the distress of the inhabitants, more than verified upon our
own view. The country along the river, is absolutely deserted, from this
place to Broadhead's; nor can there be the least communication between us
and them but by large parties; of armed men, everybody being afraid to
venture without that security, so that we have had no accounts from thence
for several days.

  "Broadhead was stoutly defended by his sons and others, till the Indians
thought fit to retire, without being able to take it or set it on fire,
though they frequently attempted it. It is thought several of them were
killed in the attacks; but that is not known with certainty.

  "We have here upwards of one hundred men, being the companies of Captain
Aston, Captain Trump, and Captain McGlaughlin, and are impatiently
expecting more from below, for the people here are not very numerous, and
are besides very backward in entering into the service. Though the
encouragement is great, and one would think they would gladly embrace the
opportunity of revenging themselves on the author of their ruin; but, the
terror that has seized them is so great, or their spirits so small, that
unless men come from other parts of the province, I despair of getting such
a number here as will be sufficient to garrison the block-house we propose
to build over the hills, whither we intended to have gone tomorrow, but
that our provision wagons have not corms up, find that we have not men
enough for the above-mentioned purpose.

 "I understand that Aaron Depui is still at home, and that it is very
unlikely that he will be able to leave his house in this time of distress,
to carry your message to Wyoming, so that I believe the expectations of the
treaty will fall to the ground; nor does anybody, either here or there,
believe we have a single Indian that we may call a friend; nor do I see it
possibility of getting that message conveyed to them form hence, even
supposing they were friends; everybody is afraid of stirring a step,
without a strong guard.


50


  "I heartily wish you were able to declare war against them, and offer
large rewards for scalps, which appears to be the only way to clear our
frontiers of those savages, and will, I am persuaded, be infinitely cheaper
in the end.  For I clearly foresee the expense of defending ourselves, in
the way we are in, will ruin the province, and be far from effectual at
least, principally from want of a good militia law, by which the men might
be subjected to discipline; for at present they enter themselves, and then
leave their captains at their own humor, without a person in the offices to
punish them for that or any other misbehavior.

  "I have commissioned several captains here, who engage to raise men, but
principally two, who have undertaken to range the Country between the two
branches of this river, for the security of the two Irish settlements, in
hopes that those who have deserted by the whole of those on the main branch
may be induced to return to their plantations, which, after all I very much
question, so very great are their apprehension of the Indians."

  "I cannot say for certain when we shall leave this place, that depending
on the coming of the provisions, and our getting a sufficient number of
men, many of these already here, not being able to march for want of shoes,
which has obliged its to send down for a supply to Philadelphia.

  "I have but a moment to write, the express being ready to depart. I shall
from time to time keep you informed of anything that may be worth your
notice, but at present nothing of that kind offers.

                     "I am with great respect,
                                               "Sir, your obedient servant,
                                                          "JAMES HAMILTON."


The province authorities at once acted upon the urgent requests of the
dismayed people of Northampton, and seat troops and supplies, and the
inhabitants themselves, without a moments delay, set about raising
companies of men for the protection of their homes, their wives, and
children. In less than a month, there were in the field, and holding
themselves in readiness, for any emergency, as follows:

                       Major William 1Parsons' company,  24 men.
                       Captain 2Trump          company,  50 men.
                       Captain 2Ashton's       company,  50 men.
                       Captain 2Wayne's        company,  55 men.
                       Captain 3Foulk's        company,  46 men
                       Captain 4Trexler's      company,  48 men.
                       Captain 5Wettholt's     company,  44 men.
                       Captain 2Orndt's        company,  50 men.
                       Captain 5Craig's        company,  30 men.
                       Captain 5Martin's       company,  30 men.
                       Captain 6Van Etten's    company,  30 men.
                       Captain 5Hays'          company,  45 men.
                       Captain 1McLaughlin's detachment, 20 men.
                                                         ______
                                                                   
                                                        522 men

  And there were, without doubt, other small bodies, of which no account is
preserved. Nearly all of these were raised in Northampton arid Bucks. They
were intended to act in detached bodies wherever alarm or actual attack
should call them.

  Some of the companies served without any pay, and furnished their own
arms and ammunition, but both arms and ammunition were woefully scarce
among the people then 7 and it devolved on the government to supply the
deficiency, which was done with great dispatch. It was also determined to
build at once a "line of forts" -by which was meant four or five stockades-
one at Broadheads, one at Mahoning Creek (where Weissport now is), and two
or three at intermediate points, for the protection of the inhabitants: and
Colonel (afterwards Doctor) Benjamin Franklin, was commissioned by the
Governor to take charge of their erection, as well as of the entire line of
operations along the Northampton frontier.

  After the attack on Broadhead and the other families in Smithfield, the
Indians had continued their marauding, all along the northern settlements,
until the commencement of January, and, in one ofthe attacks had inflicted
defeat and heavy loss on Captain Hays company of rangers.

  In the execution of the duties which the Governors commission had
devolved on him, Franklin arrived at Bethlehem on the eighteenth of
December, 1755, and he thus informed Governor Morris -by letter -of what he
found in his arrival at that town-

GOVERNOR MORRIS:
"SIR: -As we draw near this place, we met a number of wagons, and many
people moving off with their effects and families, from the Irish
settlement and Lehigh township, being terrified by the defeat of Hays
company, and the burnings and murders committed in the townships on New
Years Day. We found this place filled with refugees, the workmens shops,
and even the cellars, being crowded with women and children; and we learned
that Lehigh township is almost entirely abandoned by the inhabitants. Soon
after my arrival here, the principal people of the Irish settlement-as
Wilson, Elder Craig, etc -came to me, and demanded an addition of thirty men
to Craig's company, or threatening they would immediately, one and all,
leave their country to the enemy. Hays company was reduced to eighteen men
(and those without shoes, stockings, blankets, and arms), partly by the
loss of Gnaden Huetten, and partly by desertion. Trump and Aston had made
but slow progress in building the first fort, complaining for want of
tools, which, it was thought, the people in those parts might have supplied
them with.

  "Wayne's company we found posted at Nazareth, agreeable to your Honors
orders, I immediately directed Hays to complete his company, and he went
down to Bucks county with Mr. Beatty, who promised to assist him in
recruiting. His lieutenant lies here lame, with frozen feet, and unfit for
action; but the ensign, with eighteen men, is posted among the present
frontier inhabitants, to give some satisfaction to the settlement people,
as I refused to increase Craig's company. In my turn, I have threatened to
disband, or remove the companies already posted, for the security of
particular townships, if the people would not stay on their places, behave
like men, do something for themselves, and assist the province soldier.

  "The day after my arrival here, I sent off two wagons loaded with bread
and some axes, for Trump and Aston, to Nazareth, escorted by Lieutenant
Davis and twenty men of McLaughlin's that came with me. I ordered him to
remain at Nazareth, to guard that place, while Captain Wayne, whose men
were fresh, proceeded with the convoy. To secure Lynn and Heidelberg
townships, whose inhabitants were just on the wing, I took Trexler's
company into pay (he had been before commissioned by Mr. Hamilton), and I
commissioned Wetterholt, who commanded a watch of forty-four men, before in
the pay of the province, ordering him to complete his company.

  "I have also allowed thirty men to secure the township of Upper
Smithfield, and commissioned Van Etten and Hinshan, as captain and
lieutenant. And, in order to execute more speedily the first design of
erecting a fort near Gnaden Huetten, to complete the line and the rangers
into motion, I have raised another company, under Captain Charles Foulk, to
join with Wayne in that service; and as Hays, I hear, is not likely soon to
recruit his company, I have ordered Orndt to come up from Rockland, in
Bucks county, to strengthen this part of the province, convey provisions,
etc., to the companies who are and will be at work over the mountains, and
quiet the inhabitants, who seem terrified out of their senses.

  "The arms and blankets, wrote for to New York, are not yet arrived; but I
hear that one hundred guns and fifty blankets are on the road, sent me by
Mr. Condon; those of Mr. Waltons being sold before, I have consulted Mr.
Parsons, and it the wagons come to-day, it is proposed that I proceed
tomorrow with Wayne's company, which is returned, Foulk's, and the twenty
men of McLaughlin's to Gnaden Hutten, to lay out the intended fort, and
endeavor to get it dispatched.

  "Captain Wayne tells me that Trump expects the first fort will be
finished next week. I hope to get this done as soon, having more tools;
though at this season it seems to be fighting against nature. But I imagine
'tis absolutely necessary to get the ranging line of forts completed, that
the people may be secured, as soon as possible, in their habitations, and
the internal guard and companies dismissed, otherwise the expense and loss
to the province will be intolerable.

  I want much to hear the events of the proposed treaty, and the
determination your Honor and the Commissoners may have come to, for the
encouragement, of volunteer scalping parties."8

  It is stated, on authority, that an inspection of the arms in
Northampton-town (Allentown shows only 4 guns-all told-and of that number,
three were entirely unfit for use

  It is not easy at the present day, to understand precisely what was the
nature of the organization which Franklin designated as "volunteer scalping
parties," or what was the "encouragement" to which he alluded. 


________________________________________________________________________

1 Companies from Easton.
2 Bucks county
3 Allemaengel, now in Lehigh county.
4 townships now in Lehigh.
5 Commissioned Captain in 1st Pennsylvania Battalion, December 21st, 1755.
6 Companies from Irish Settlements.
7 Companies from Upper Smithfield.
8 Besides these there was a company of sixty men from New Jersey, under
command of Colonel John Anderson.

51


  After remaining at Bethlehem and Easton for nearly a month, in the work
of organizing the campaign, Franklin, on January 16th, set out from
Bethlehem for the theatre of his operations. His escort was: Foulk's
company, of forty-six men; McLaughlin's detachment, of twenty, and Wayne's
command, of fifty-five, who carne up from Nazareth, and joined the main
body at their first, nights camp. The train consisted of seven wagons,
laden with provisions and stores.

  On the second day they passed the mountain gap, proceeding with extreme
caution, as the pass was considered most dangerous ground, and particularly
favorable thy purposes of surprise from ambush.

  The second flight, they camped at Uplinger's, having made. but twenty-one
miles in the two days march from Bethlehem, as the wagons could move but
very slowly over the excessively bad road -if, indeed, it could be called a
road at all. Of his last days march, add his subsequent operations, we they
best learn by an extract from his own letter, dated Gnaden Huetten, January
25th, addressed to Governor Morris:

  "On Saturday morning we began to march from Uplinger's, towards
Gnaden Huetten, and proceeded near two miles: but, it seeming to set, in
for a rainy day, the men, unprovided with great coats, find many unable to
secure, effectually, their arms from wet, we thought it advisable to face
about and return to our former quarters, where the men might dry
themselves, and lie, warm-whereas, had they proceeded, they would have come
in wet to Gnaden Huetten, where shelter and opportunity of drying
themselves, that night, was uncertain. In fact, it, rained all day and we
were, all pleased that, we had not proceeded. The next day being Sunday, we
marched hither, where we arrived about, five in the afternoon, said before
five had inclosed our camp with a strong breast-work, musket-proof, with
the boards brought here before, by my order, from Dunkers Mills, got
ourselves under shelter from the weather. Monday was so dark, with a thick
fog all day, that we could neither look out for a place to build, nor see
where material were to be had. Tuesday morning we looked round us, pitched
on a place, marked out our fort on the ground, and by ten o'clock began to
cut timber for stockades and to dig the ground; by three in the afternoon
the logs were all cut, and many of them hauled to the spot, the ditch dug
to set them in, three feet deep, and many were pointed and set up. The next
day we were hindered by rain most of the day. Thursday we resumed our work,
and before night were perfectly well enclosed; and on Friday morning the
stockade was finished, and part of the platform within erected, which was
completed next morning, when we dismissed Foulk's and Wetterholt's
companies, and sent Hay's down for a convoy of provisions. The day we
hoisted the flag we made a general discharge of our pieces, which had been
long loaded, and of our two swivels, and named the place Fort Allen,1 in
honor of our old friend. It is one, hundred and twenty-five feet long and
fifty wide; the stockades, most of them, a foot thick; they are three feet
in the ground and twelve feet out, pointed
at the top.

  "This is an account of our weeks work, which I thought might give you
some satisfaction, Foulk has gone to build another fort between this and
Schuylkill Fort, which I hope will be finished (as Trexler is to join him)
in a week or ten days.

  "As soon as Hays returns, I shall detach another party to erect another
at Surfas, which, I hope, may be finished in the 8alne tirne, end then I
purpose to end my campaign.

  "As soon as the convoys of stores and provisions return, which I hope may
be, to-morrow, I propose to send Orndt and Hays to Hoed's to join Captain
Trump in erecting the middle fort there; purposing to remain here, between
them and Faulk, ready to assist and supply both, as occasion may require,
and hope, in a week or ten days, weather favoring, those two forts may be
finished, and the line of forts completed and garrisoned, the rangers in
motion, and the internal guards and watchers disbanded, as well as some
other some other companies, unless they are permitted and encouraged to go
after the enemy to Susquehanna."

  Below is given a further account of the expedition; for the insertion of
which, as well as of the above correspondence, the readers indulgence is
asked. They seem to be both interesting and somewhat important, as being
really a report, made by his own hand, of military operations, prosecuted
in a very trying time, by so great it man as Doctor Benjamin Franklin.

  The popular conception of him is, that he was anything else rather than
a military man; and, indeed, some portions of his account of the Fort Allen
campaign seem to confirm the idea, particularly the portion where, as he,
says, it "seemed to have set in for a rainy, day we thought it, advisable
to face about and return to our quarters"-aud as the day did prove a very
wet one- "we were all pleased that we had not proceeded." The extract below
is from his autobiography.

  "While the several companies in the city and country were forming and
learning their exercise, the Governor prevailed with me to take charge of
our northwestern frontier, which was infested by the enemy, and provide for
the defence of the inhabitants by raising troops and building a line of
forts, I undertook this military business, though I did not conceive myself
well qualified for it. He gave me a commission with full powers, and a
parcel of blank commissions for officers, to be given to whom I thought
fit. I had but little difficulty in raising men, having soon five hundred
and sixty under my command. My son, who had, in the, preceding war, been an
officer in the army raised against Canada, was my aid-de-camp, and of great
use to me.

  "The Indians had burned Gnadenhutten, a village settled by the Moravians
and massacred the inhabitants; but the place was thought a good situation
for one of the forts. In order to march thither, I assembled the companies
at Bethlehem, the chief establishment of those people. I was surprised to
find it, in so good a posture for defence; the destruction of Gnadenhutten,
had made them apprehend danger. The principal buildings were defended by a
stockade. They had purchased a quantity of arms and ammunition from New
York, and had even placed quantities of small paving stones, between the
windows of their high stone houses, for the women to throw them down upon
the heads of any Indians that should attempt, to force into them. The
armed, brethren, too kept watch, and relieved each other on guard, as
methodically as in any garrison town. In conversation with the bishop,
Spangenberg, I mentioned my, surprise; for knowing they, had obtained an
act of parliament exempting them from military duties in the colonies, I
had supposed they were concientiously scrupulous of bearing arms. He
answered me, 'that it is not one of their established principles; but that
at the time of their obtaining that act, it was thought to be a
principle with many of their people. On this occasion however, they found
to their surprise, that it, was adopted but by a few'. It seems they were
either deceived in themselves, or deceiving the parliament but common
sense, aided by present danger, will sometimes be too strong for whimsical
opinion.

  "It was the beginning of January, 1756, when we set out upon this
business of building forts. I sent one detachment toward the Minisink, with
instructions to erect one for the security of that upper part of the
country; I concluded to go myself, with the rest of my force, to
Gnadenhutten, where a fort was thought more immediately, necessary.

  "The Moravian, procured me five wagons for our tools, stores, baggage,
etc. Just before we left Bethlehem, eleven farmers, who half been driven
from their plantation by the Indians, came to me requesting a supply of
fire-arms, that they might go back and bring off their cattle. I gave them
each a gun, with suitable ammunition. We had not marched many miles before
it began to rain, and it continued raining all day. There was no
habitations on the road to shelter us, till we arrived, near night, at the
house of a German, where, and in his barn, we were all huddled together, as
wet, as water could make us. It was well we were not attacked in our march,
for our arms were of the most ordinary sort, and our men could not keep
the locks of their guns dry. The Indians are dextrous in contrivances, for
that purpose which we are not. They met that day, the eleven poor farmers
mentioned above, and killed ten of them; the one that escaped, informed us
that his and his companions' guns, would not go off, the priming being wet
with the rain. The next day being fair, we continued our march, and
arrived at the desolate Gnadenhutten; there was a mill near, round which
were left several pine boards with which we soon hutted ourselves; an
operation file more necessary at that inclement season, an we had no tents.
Our first work was to bury there effectually, the dead we found there, who
had been half interred be the country people; the next morning our fort was
planned and marked out, the circumference measuring four hundred and
fifty-five feet, which would require as mane palisades to be made, one
within another, of a foot diameter each.  Each pine made three palisades of
eighteen feet long, pointed ,at one end. When they were set out our
carpenter built it platform of boards all around within, about, six feet
high, for the men to stand on, when to fire through the loopholes. We had
one swivel-gun, which we mounted on one of the angles, and fired it as soon
as fixed, to let the Indians know, if any were within hearing, that we had
such pieces; and thus our fort (if that name may he given to so miserable a
stockade) was finished in a week, though it rained so hard every other day,
that the men could not well work.

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1 "This was second stronghold in cordon of stockades erected along the line
of the Blue Mountains between the Delaware and the Susquehanna. It was
built under Franklin's direction on the left bank of the Lehigh at a point
where Colonel Jacob Weiss commenced Weissport, in 1785; and was completed
the twenty-fifth of January, 1756, and named in honor of Chief Justice
William Allen. The well in the stockade may be seen on the premises of the
Fort Allen House. It should be carefully preserved, not only because it is
a memorial of the Indian war but also because it testifies to what poor
Richard knew about digging wells. Fort Allen was garrisoned for five years. 
On its evacuation in January of 1761, the site on which it stood reverted
to the Moravians, being within the limits of a tract of 120 acres,  part of
a greater tract of 5,000 acres, released by William Penn to Adrian Vroesen
to Benjohan Furley of the aforementioned city-surveyed for the heirs of
Benjohan Furley in December of 1735; conveyed in  March of 1745, in its
entirety by Thomas Lawrence of  Philadelphia attorney-at-law for Dorothea
widow of Benjohan Furley and Elizabeth and Martha Furley co-heirs of
Benjohan Furley to Edward Shippen of Philadephia merchant; conveyed by
Edward Shippen, in September of 1745 to Richard Peter of Philadephia;
Peters thereupon deeding the aforementioned 120 acres to Charles Brockden,
of Philadelphia, for the use and behoof of the Morvanians."  -Wm. C. Reichel


52


  This kind of a fort, however contemptible, is a sufficient defence
against Indians who had no cannon. Finding ourselves now posted securely,
and having a place to retreat to, on occasion, we ventured out in parties
to scour the adjacent country.

  "We met with no Indian, but we found the places on the neighboring hills
where they had lain to watch our proceedings. There was an art in the
contrivance of those places, that seems worth mentioning. It being winter,
a fire was necessary for them, but a common fire on the surface of the
ground, would, by its light, have discovered their position at a distance;
they had, therefore, dug holes in the ground about three feet diameter, and
somewhat deeper; we found where they had, with their hatchets, cut off the
charcoal from the sides of burnt logs, lying in the woods, With these coals
they had made small fires in the bottom of the holes, and we observed,
among the weeds and grass, the prints of their bodies, made by their laying
all around with their legs hanging down in the holes to keep their feet
warm, which, with them, is an essential point. This fire so managed, could
not discover them, either by its light, flame, sparks, or even smoke. It
appeared that the number was not great, and it seems they saw we were too
many to be attacked by there with prospects of advantage.

  We had for our chaplain a zealous Presbyterian minister, Mr. Beatty,1
who complained to me that the men did not generally attend his prayers and
exhortations. When they enlisted they w ere promised, besides pity and
provisions, a gill of rum a day, which was punctually served out to them,
half in the morning and half in the evening ; and I observed they were
punctual in attending to receive it; upon which I said to Mr. Beatty:  'It
is perhaps, below the dignity of your profession to act as steward of, the
rum; but if you were to distribute it, out only just after prayers, you
would have then, all about you.' He liked the thought, undertook the task,
and, with the help of a few hands to measure out the liquor, executed it to
satisfaction, and never were prayers wore punctually attended. So that I
think this method preferable to the punishment inflicted by some military
laws for non-attendance on divine service."

  This was a novel way of inducing men to be devotional, but it was
certainly most ingenious, as well as original.

  After a vigorous campaign, embracing nineteen days absence from
Bethlehem, Colonel Franklin returned, through that town, on the fourth of
February, he had with him an escort of thirty men. After remaining there
long enough to have his horse shod and his saddle repaired, he crossed the
Lehigh River-not in the reckless manner in which Alexander the Great
crossed the Granicus, but dry-shod, on Kunckler's ferry flat-after which,
for reasons of his own, he made a short stop at the Crown Inn, and then,
remounting, pursued his way down the road towards his beloved town of
Philadelphia.

  Either the advert of Colonel Franklin, with his imposing military array
of more than five hundred men, and the erection of his cordon of forts, or
else the magnitude of the atrocities they had already committed, seemed to
have appeased the desire of the savage for further revenge-or murder,
whichever term may seem most appropriate-so that, for a time, the settlers
breathed somewhat more freely, though, through many succeeding years, they
never knew a feeling of absolute security. The Governor asked the Indians
to meet him and his friends and advisers at a solemn council, which he
proposed to hold at the town of Easton the next July, and to this
proposition the copper-colored warriors assented. Doubtless they had all
eye to a further installment of Indian merchandise, to be paid by the
pale-faces, as the price of temporary immunity front slaughter; but
whatever may have been their object, they promised to meet and kindle the
council-fire with their "good friend" the Governor, and to abstain from
butchery of whites in the meantime. There was no reason why the white
people should place any faith on these promises, and it does not appear
that they did; but they waited, with fear and trembling, to see what would
come of the ceremonious smoking of the pipe of peace.

  The council was adjourned, without much being done: another was held in
1757, which was also fruitless of good: it third in 1758, which resulted-on 
the twenty-sixth of October, of that year-in a general treaty of peace,
between the white and red men, which was duty announced, with the proper
flourish of trumpets.
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1 "The Rev. Charles Beatty, a native of Ireland obtained a pretty accurate
classical education in his own country; but his circumstances being narrow,
several of the first years of his residence in America in the business of a
peddler. He halted one day at Log College (Neshaminy Bucks County). The
peddler to Mr. Tennant's surprise addressed him in correct Latin, and
appeared to be familiar with that language. After much conversation -in
which Mr. Beatty manifested ferverant piety, and considerable religious
knowledge as well as a good education in other respects Mr. Tennant said 
'Go and sell the contents of your pack and return immediately and study
with me. It w ill be a sin for you to continue a peddler when you can be so
much more useful in another profession.' He accepted Mr. Tennant's offer and
in due time became an eminent minister. He was chaplain in the army, under
Dr. Franklin on the Lehigh. He died at Barbadoes, where he had gone to
solicit benefactions for the New Jersey College." - Miller's Life of Dr. Rogers.