F 153 . B45 P2 j Copy 1 A TRIP NO. 2. INTO THE "SWATARA" REGION OR AMONG THE "BETHEL MORAVIAN' 1 SETTLEMENT OE BETHEL TOWNSHIP, LEBANON COUNTY, PENNA. By E. W. S. PARTHEMOUE. Readatthe Twenty-eighth Anniversary of the Dauphin County Histoi ical Sot iety, May 13th, 1897. HARRISBURG, PA.: Harrisburg Publishing Company. 1897. THE MORAVIAN SETTLEMENT IN BETHEL TOWNSHIP, LEBANON COUNTY. The month of December, 1S9G, will long be remembered for the mildness of the weather. Almost every day resembled [ndian summer. On just such a day the writer on the loth of the month started from the city, before the gray streaks of the morning appeared in the eastern hori- zon, for Lebanon county, in the Swatara region, or Bethel township, to the Bethel Moravian Graveyard, which location gave the name to the township. On arriving at Jonestown, originally called Williamsburg, we were reinforced by Esquire Christian D. Zehring, aged Ttl years, and whose recollections of long ago are very good ami his memory quite com- plete. He has been a justice of the peace for almost fifty years — one term in East Hanover township, four terms in Swatara township, which district was originally a part of Bethel, and is now closing his tilth term as the justice of Jonestown bor- ough, originally a part of Bethel. We started for Fredericksburg, which lays three miles, or as the German would tell you. "ein stunde." to the northeast, near the Blue Mountain. When the town was founded, it was named "Stumpo," after the founder, Frederick Stump, and in later years became famous as (he birth- place of John Lied;, (he California mil- lionaire and founder of the Lick Observa- tory, which stands on Ml. Washington, the gift of his munificence. The first place we come to after leav- ing Jonestown, is the farm known from the earliest day as the Winger farm, and still in that name, upon which farm is erected a Dunkard meeting house and of which sect the Wingers are members. After driving a short distance farther, we pass another farm upon which is erected a barn which has stood there for more than a century, and the style of architec- ture does not betray the time in which it was erected, not very deep nor high in the square, with a very steep coned roof, which, when it was first erected, was cov- ered with a thatched or straw roof. When the farm was originally taken up and occupied it was by a German, Jacob Suavely, who when the Indians entered into this district on one of their marauding tours, met the fate that befell so many in this region at that time, but his family escaped (o the TulpehoeUen settlement, where they found protection in the neigh- borhood where resided Conrad Weiser, the Indian diplomat, and Peter Spyker. the jurist. Sometime after the murder of Mr. Suavely, when everything seemed to be quiet ami settled in the Bethel district, his wife, Mrs. Suavely, started for her home where her husband was murdered and scalped, to see if everything was peace and quiet, and if it were safe for her to return with her family. On re- turning to the Tulpehoeken settlement, be- 4 The Moravian Settlement. lieving that it was judicious to bring her family back, after proceeding about two miles eastward from her farm and passing the old Swatara Church, a building long since razed and the graveyard destroyed, two Indians rushed forward to catch her horse. She applied the whip vigorously upon the horse and for a few minutes the race was unto death, for the Indians fol- lowed In r and so close that one of them grasped the saddle cloth, but the horse being fleet of foot and urged by the terrible whoop of the Indians, she managed to make her escape. Mrs. Suavely afterwards married Michael Decker, a German, who settled npou the place, and they were the par- ents of a number of children, one of whom, John Adam Decker, was a soldier in the Revolution, a member of Capt. Ja- oob Moscr's o pany, Sixth Regiment of the Pennsylvania Line. After driving a short distance to the eastward, about one and one-half miles from the public road, on an elevation, the place was pointed out where the Swatara Church stood, which was built prior to the year 1740. one of its first pastors being Rev. Conrad Templeman. li is one of the few dead and lost churches of the Reform- ed and Lutheran, and the cause for this is that when William Jones laid out the town of Williamsburg, now Jonestown. the members of the Swatara Church in that region became mmunioants of the Jonestown churches and others at the vil- lage of Fredericksburg, which lay to the north of the lost church, where we soon arrive and stop with Gideon Schnatterle. whose age borders on three score and ten. 1 Ie was a son of Jacob Schnatterle and like father, like son. was long a justice of the p ace for Bethel township, surveyor, ven- due-crier and scrivener. Jacob Schnat- terle in his life time settled thirty-three es- tates, and the conveyancing and screen- ing business done by the father and son are verified by the large number of deeds and legal papers in their possession. Henry Schnatterle, the grandfather of our host was the son of Henry, the son of George Philip Schnatterle, born in the year 170-1. who emigrated to America from Germany, landing at Philadelphia, October 11. 173*2. He shortly afterwards came to Bethel township. Lancaster, now Lebanon county. Province and State of Pennsylvania. He was the father of six sous and two daughters. Two of his sons were murdered by the Indians April 7, 17.-. 8. Before we start on our tour of the Swa- tara region and while our friend. Mr. Schnatterle, who is to accompany us, pre- pares to do so, we take a look at the town of "Nassau," which name was given by the founder, Frederick Stump, and like most towns founded a century or more ago. nick-named "Stumpe Stettle," after the founder's surname, which the town bore until the year lS2ti. when the post office was established. In the year 1S43. almost a century after its founding, it was changed and the founder further honored by naming it after his christian name. Fredericksburg. It is a quiet village with no railroads or electric cars to annoy the staid descendants of the worthy German pioneers who settled in this region. We start to the westward, and on the farm adjoining the town, originally owned by John Groh, now by Joseph Gipple, we are pointed to the place where stood dur- ing the provincial wars a block house, which was only removed a few years ago. The lay of the land here is just such as The Moravian Settlement. would be traveled by parties on a maraud- ing excursion. Elizabeth Run leads by this place northwest towards the moun- tain, and on both sides of the stream are meadow lands which in early days were grown up with tall underbrush such as any one bent on mischief and harm would follow and at the same time have the stream to guide or lead them back to the Swatara, for the woods were composed of large trees and very little underbrush and hence the Indians could not conceal them- selves so readily. We proceed on our journey following the public road running parallel with the mountain, and when about two and one-half miles west of Fredericksburg, after passing some six or seven farms once owned by Henry Sehnatter'.e, Sr., our friend's great-grand- father, we come to the farm now owned by a Mrs. Hummel, on which is located a graveyard on the top of a hill and in a very neglected and sad condition, and by the size and height of the trees prove that it is more than a century and a harf old. Here are buried two of Henry Schnat- terle'a Sr.. brothers, who on the evening of April 7, 1758, were murdered and scalp- ed by the Indians, and during the same day ami night a woman was killed and scalped further down the valley, and Michael Sauter and William Hart and a widow woman taken captive. We are now within sight of the Swatara creek, but turning back from the Schnatterle farm a short distance we face toward the mountain and drive some distance to the northward and are soon at the place we wish to visit — the Bethel Moravian grave- yard at the "Loch" or Swatara. When in the month of May. 1S96, in company with the Scotch-Irish Congress of America to the battlefield of Gettys- burg, I stood at the place called the "High Water Mark" of the Rebellion, my bosom swelled with love and admiration for those brave and valiant boys in blue as they stood the charge of Pickett's men and at last restored to this laud of ours n united country and destroyed any further hope of State sovereignty. Just so on tie day of my visit to this historical spot on the Swatara, did my mind run back one hundred and fifty-eight years ago and saw through the vista of history what terrible devastation of property and loss of lives by those savage red men, whose natures had become inflamed by the treacherous Frenchmen, perpetrating deeds unequaled by any set of pirates and robbers, that I exclaimed to myself, here is the high water mark of the Indian warfare — butch- ery and robbery in the Province of Penn- sylvania, for cruelty marked every path and step of the Indian in this region. Hus- band and father stricken and scalped bi fore his wife and children, the mother and wife ruthlessly torn from children anil husband, outraged and then murdered, and scalped, and the helpless children were either murdered or carried into cap- tivity and forced to make long distances as in the instance of Regina Hartman. which occurred but a short distance from where we are, or the Barnett and Mackey children, who resided in Hanover. Well could the late I. D. Rupp, fur whom the Pennsylvania-German Society, if not the State of Pennsylvania, owe a monument to be erected somewhere, for what he has done to preserve the records and history of the German pioneers, in gathering his- torical matter more than fifty years ago, securing much from the lips of those who were upon the fields of carnage in the dark days of the early settlers and during 6 The Moravian Settlement. the days of the Revolution, and we re- peat here what he recorded when writing of Bethel township, Lebanon county, when he says: "The condition of the frontier settlers or inhabitants were truly deplorable; not only were they surprised by the ferocious, blood-thirsty savages, bul sickness rendered their unenviable condition still more dismal. They had not the means to engage forces or scouters to apprise them of the Indians' invasions, or prevent their incursions. In these cir- cumstances they had to appeal to a deaf government and to the sympathies of their fellow citizens for means." Yonder, tis true, scarcely three miles to the northwest, stood Fort Swatara at Tolihaio Gap, and a short distance south of the fort "Hess' Block House," where under orders dated January 6, 1756, the year the barbarous deeds were done in this region, Capt. Frederick Smith draft- ed "fifty of the best men beongiug to his company, who were mustered by James Reed, Esq., and were engaged fur a cer- tain time — not more than three months." On January lit! they were ordered to pro- ceed to the "Gap at Tolihaio, where Swatara comes through the mountain, and erect a fort;" but as the depredations were then going on all along the valleys bordering the "Blue Mountains," it made it necessary to distribute the soldiers around among the various farm houses and thus they were divided and not so effective. This place. Fort Swatara, was in ile the central point where the men were arranged for distribution, and eight men of Capt. Smith's company were to assist the people in the "Hole," where murder had Keen committed, to gather in the harvest anil stay over night in the Moravian meeting house. So it can lie seen with men distributed along the sparsely settled region from Fort Mana- day to Dietrick Sixs they were of very little effect, and destruction of property and life continued, the Talatinate and French Hugenot, whether Moravian, Lu- theran or Reformed met their fate. I might mention that our own brave sol- dier and useful civilian. Col. James Burd. was here at various times. We stated a moment ago that at this point the Swatara Gap passes through the mountain, and the earliest records we have locates a trail or Indian path leading from the Delaware River westward through the Tulpchocken settlement on its route to Shamokin or Fort Augusta, ami passes this location along the "Hole Mountain" or "Kleine Berg," and came within one-fourth of a mile of the Mora- vian church. This path afterwards be- came the King's highway, which was or- dered laid out January 30, 1768. Another Indian path led from this point along the south side of the mountain westward to Harris' Ferry, anil then northward along the river to Shamokin. And as Bishop ( 'aininerhoff records in his narrative in the year 1748. on a visit to his Bethel brethren, took "this latter route after we reflected it is true imposed upon us addi- tional miles of travel, but we would have the river for a guide and that at the set tlements we could bait our horses." While the Indian depredations were se- vere all along the Kittatinny or Blue Mountains from the River Susquehanna down through the Swatara region, then leaving the mountain at Dietrick Six's, which place is located across the Lebanon county line in Berks county, and then, as path and afterwards King's highway, on through the Tulpehocken region. No- The Moravian Settlement. whore were the outrages so severe and the atrocities so great as here in the Swatara region or Bethel township, now Lebanon county. We have spoken of the "Hole" and which may, and in fact has been referred to by many as the gap where the creek passes through the mountain. This is an error no one should fall into, as it derives its name,"the hole," or"Dorloeh" from an entirely different circumstance. There is a peculiar depression in the earth's sur- face between two mountains extending from Swatara creek on the west about nine miles eastward, ending near Millers- burg in Berks county. On the north it is bounded' by the Kiltatinny or Blue Mountain, and on the south by a small mountain, which is not more than a ridge at some places and is called the Hole Mountain, "Der Loch Berg" or "Der Kleine Berg." At the western end it was frequently called in early days "Der Grosz Loch" and at the eastern end "Der Kleine Loch." It is now mostly known as Monroe Valley, having received its name in honor of President Monroe by Jonathan Seidel, who many years ago erected a furnace or forge and named it Monroe. You may consider me sentimental or enthusiastic iu this, but listen to what one, who is more able than I to tell his sentiment on an occasion when he visited the other end of this valley: "Where is the mind that can penetrate into its his- tory, where the pen that can portray its grandeur and glory? How many million times have the magnificent beams of the morning sun crowned its towering head with a halo of light, and how many times have the same beams, after showering their life-giving warmth and brightness" upon these people of the Swatara before it was drawn in behind the mountain. We are now at the "Hcruhute," God's Acre, and on which was err. ted a church. Before cut. ring this sacred en- closure we remain motionless and sur- vey the country from all points, and con- trast the present with what it was more than a century and a half ago as told us by tin- historian at that time. To the east we have the view of the fertile farms of Bethel township, Lebanon coun- ty, while still further east the rich Ger- man county of Berks, the home of Con- rad Weiser and the three Spykers— Ben- jamin, retor and Henry. To the south we have a view of the prolific and well- kept farms of the county of Lebanon, which has given to the country many prominent men. and when we face to (lie north what shall we say of the beautiful and noble Blue or Kittatinny Mountain there, to-day as silent as she was when she sheltered the Red Man and never un- bosomed the stories she could have told of the depredations committed in the past. Stretching from the Empire State of New York on the Delaware, down through the greatest of the States in the Union — Pennsylvania — on through the South- ern States, telling all who gaze upon it that as then, so now and during all the intervening time she is the band which binds the North ami the South as one people. We feel that with burning brain and tired eyes as if we should not wish to view the fourth and last point of the compass, the western stretch along the mountain, but we were then reminded that "westward the empire takes its course." so too we gaze and wander over the territory toward the setting sun and are reminded that but a short distance 8 The Moravian Settlement. beyond the Swatara is the Hanover set- tlement, where located our aggressive Scotch-Irish friends and neighbors, and not Ear from the mountain they erected long, long ago their Ebenezcr, the Mona- day Presbyterian Church and out from that race have gone through all the gen- erations from then until now the descend- ants who have and continue to occupy positions in life that dare be the envy of all our ambitions. But how different now compared with thru, as we call to mind what occurred just one hundred and for- ty years ago from next Monday, May IT,, 17."T. when "wurde Johannes Spitlor. Jr., ohne weid von seinem Hause, an der Schwatara, von moerdeishen Indianern umbefallen und ermordert." Such is a story from the old Moravian church rec- ord of Bethel, where we are visiting and now about to enter the sacred enclosure, which was founded by the Moravian col- ony located here at or prior to the year 1740. The earliest missionary of the United Brethren or "Hernhuter" was Mr. Spangenberg, and he first learned of his people through Conrad TVeiser, the interpreter for the government. The graveyard, like most of the early burial places, where the house of worship has disappeared, is in a very sad and neglect- ed condition. There is but very little trace left of the place where the house of God stood, which was a two-story log weather-boarded building thirty by forty feet; the first floor was divided into three rooms, the second into one. The first floor was where the pious minister re- sided., on the second floor where the re- ligious services were held. The house was removed in 1S78. At first we felt that wo wore not to be rewarded for our trip, as it was mainly to secure a transcript from the ancient, moss-covered and time-stained stones, and as we saw only a few laying here and there our disappointment became painful. Knowing that the custom was to number each grave and each stone lay flat upon the ground, and in size varying, but here about fourteen by sixteen inches, and of different kind and color of stone. After viewing and going over the graveyard we discovered that many of them bad disappeared in the ground, and by much effort they could be found and dug or pried out. After removing the earth and moss deposited there by the hand of time we secured a transcript of nearly all, and they deserve to lie pre- served in this way, as the tooth of time undoubtedly has destroyed some, while a number that we found are almost de- cipherable. They are as follows: No. 4. JACOB HANTSCH geb. Gemorde von den Wilden d. 26 Juny 1750 alt ungefer 27 .Tabr No. ('.. .Kill GEORGE Mies geb ,1. 28 Sept. 1732 Ermondt von den Wilden d. 26 Juny 1756 alt 16 Ja. mot. No. 7. FREDEHICK WEISEK Geb den 1 May 2he Moravian Settlement. 1740 Ermordt yon den Wilden d. 20 .Tuny 1756 alt 16 Ja. 11 mo. 5 da. No. 18. A MM AUG RE DANIEL BORNS liillll JJC'li {]. 25 August 1769 Verschied d. 28 July 177o alt 11 monath. \... 22. MARGARETTAM Borin DANIELS ehefrau Geb in Decern. 1732 verschied d. 5 July 1772 ihrer altes 10 J ; ,lir. No. 23. DANIEL DANIEL BORNS kind geb den April verselieid d. 18 September 1772 ,-ilt L':; svoehen No. 2G. CATHARINE SI'ITLERIN is geborn in .l.iii 10 August 1700 verschied den 14 Mertz 1773. No. 28. JOHN GEORGE MIES Geb d. 20 Nov. 1704 iu Bertenan verschied (1. 20 Nov. 1721. No. 29. Gebohren den 25 Jaoar 1757 CATHARIXA BECKIN aus dem Zeit den 27ten November 1774. No. 30. Gebohren den 17ten den January 1763 ELIZABETHA BECKIN aus den Zeit den 12 Pebruah 1775. No. 31. Gebohren den 15 den December. 1731, MAUI BARB BECKIN Geborhin BORIN und Gerstorben September 17 1775. No. 30. JULIAN MIES, geb i 17 Sept. 1718 in Ner- eberg verschied .1. 17 May. 17S5. No. 38. C ITHARINE MIES Geb .1 7ten Sept. 17:; I in Bethel Township verschied d 7 Juli 1778 10 The Moravian Settlement. No. 41. HEINEICH FABBR geb d. 7 Dec. 1722 \ ersehied d. 5 April 1779. No. 42. CATHARIN SPITLER G< b d. 13 Juny 1743 In Bethel Township versehied d. 30 Juny 1779. No. 48. .lulIN HKIN- RICH HBCKENDORN Gebohren den 5 April 1786 verscheid den 22 April 1 787. No. •">::. MARIA CHRISTENA MIES geb il. 31 August 1787 in Bethel Township verscheid d. 11 Feb. 1 796. No. 54. CATHARIN FABERIN geb d. 2;; Sept. 172'.) in — starb den 15 M.'irz L796. No. 60. JACOB FABER geb d. •"• I ><■<•. 1774 in Bethi I Townshp verscheid d. 1 1 F< b. 17! 12. No. 61. JACOB SPITLER Geb d. 25 August 1722 in dor Schweitz und verscheid d. 5 Nov. 1794. No. 65. JONAS FABER Geb d. 4 Matz 17S5 in Bethel Township verscheid d. 27 Nov 1797. No. 66. CATHARINA CPITLERN Geb d. 12 June 1788 in Bethel Township verscheid d. 17 Oct- 1797. No. 70. ANA MARGARETHA SriTTLELERIN ein geboren Winkel- bleeliin Geb 22 Dec. 1750 vehscheid 8 Feb 1803. No. 72. CHRISTIAN IIKCKFNDOIn Geb d. 21 Merz 1778 verscheid 2.", Aug. 1800. No. 74 GEORGE CASPER KOIIR Gebohren in Erstadt in der Pfalz den 7i.ii Octo. 1724 \ erseheid den 28ten May 1801. The Moravian s, tilt merit. 11 MARIA OATHARINA IIECKENDORNIN Geb d. 21 Oct. 1750 verseheid d. 11 April 1702. No. 70. JACOB SPITLBR Geb in Bethel d. 6 Decb. 1709 verseheid d. 28 May 1S02. No. SO. BBRNHARD MEIS Gebohren in Bethel d. 22ten J.imi. 1771 verseheid d. ten Febu. 1803. No. 81. VERONICA XANDER c geb SFITTLEKIX geb, den 1st Nor. 1720 in Benweil in der Schwertz verseheid d. 10th July 1801. No. 01. ELIZABETH BRONNK Gebohren GIESING Gebohren in Emere den Oten Dee. 1757 verseheid den leten Sept. 1810. No. 80. JACOB FARER Geb in Bethel 'I. 1 I ten .lime 1770 verseheid ■ I. 1.". Oct. 1S04. No. 88. i' \ I'll MEYERIN Geb FABERIN Geb in Bethel d. 24th Merz 1701 verseheid d- 15th Nov. 1804, No. 01. CATHARINE BTJRCHMEYER < Sebohren in Bethel Township Wen 17ten January 1778 verseheid den 21 leu April 1816. No. 113. FRIDR RUCHMEYER (Jeli il 7ten Nov. 1770 Ges. .1 L'Oien Merz 1S-'l d lOten Nov. 1SL'l alt 41 J. 1 ni. 22t. No. 115. JOHN PHILIP BECK Wohreu gebohren den 15 Mai 1768 und starb 15 December 1821. No. 128. CHRISTIAN SCHERT Gebohren d llten Dec. 1770 Gestohben No. 137. MICHAEL BECK WURDER Gebohren den 3 April 1805 Starb .1. is November 1820. w The Moravian Settlement. JOHANNES BECK JOHANN Gebohren den 3 January 1800 utid starb oten December 1S29. JACOB TILL born March 12 ten at Kuhne Walde in Moravia depart Jan. 22 1783. ROSINA TILL. Geb Dec. 3 d. 1721 at Schonbrun in Silesia Starb Jan 21 17.83. ELIZABETH KOHRIN CASPER KOHRS Erefraue Geb in Juli 1708 verscheid Nov. 20 1763. AN ROSINA KOHRIN born Nov. 27 1760 in Beth*) verscheid d. • >ct 1703. MARIN MAGDALENA STOHRIN ist gebohren d. 16ten December 1700 ist gestorben 24ten 17 or,. HIER RUIIET JOHAN PHILIP BECK ist gebohren 2 d Feb. 1727 und Getorben den 22 Feb. 1702. SALOME BECK dochter Ton JOHAN PHI LIP und CHRISTIANA BECK Gebohren November 4 1802 Starb April 29 1858. HIER RUHET ANNA MARIE MEILIN Ehegatten von CASTER KOHR See wurde gebohren den 20th Dee. 1745 und starb den 23th Sept. 1828. As we finish the laborious undertaking and notice that the time is far spent and the orb of day lias already kissed the slopes of the western hills, we retra ur steps back whence we came through Fred- ericksburg to Jonestown, meditating the while upon this historic section, contrast ins out- days with those .it' the early set tiers in the Swatara region. The settlers left their homes and all their fond a