. M9 G53 . f\ s ?°J o I • -f <* ^ °- 0.* ... \> v ' * ' • °- o / V* *o 0* »• <\» o . » * .0 o O. _^ -£• r o t* ' 0° TRUE HISTORY OF THE Massacre of Ninety -six Christian Indians, AT GNADENHUETTE^, OHIO, ■Tof 4? March 8th, 1782. Published by the Gnadenhuetten Monument Society. Organized Ootober 7th, 1843. iSt NEW PHILADELPHIA, OHIO: PBINTKD AT THE OHIO DEMOCRAT OFFICE. 1870. 9. >. GNADENHUETTEN MASSACRE. Alas ! alas ! for treachery ! the boasting white men came With weapons of destruction, — the sword of lurid flame : And while the poor defenceless ones together bowed in prayer, Unpitying they smote them while kneeling meekly there. The cry of slaughter'd innocence went loudly up to heaven ; And can ye hope, ye murdering bands, ever to be forgiven ? We know not, — yet we ween for you the latest lingering prayer That trembled on your victims lips, was, "God, forgive and spare !" HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. The first successful attempt at preaching the Gospel to the heathen Delawares, inhabiting the eastern section of the present state of Ohio, was made by the Moravian Missionary, David Zeisberger, in the spring of 1772; and in the course of a few years several flourishing congregations of Christian- Indians were planted on the banks of the Tuscarawas River. But after the breaking out of the Revolutionary war in 1775, the Moravian Missionary establishments at Gnadenhuetten, Salem and Schoenbrunn on the Tuscarawas River, in Ohio, among the Indians, were frequently interrupted, and the faith and patience of the Missionary brethren and their Indian con- gregations often severely tried. As their religion taught them to cultivate the art of peace instead of war, and as they wished to preserve neutrality between the English and their Indian allies on the one hand, and the Americans on the other, they were subject to constant suspicion, and were treated in a hostile manner by both parties. The English Governor at Fort Detroit, influenced by the calumnies of their enemies, believed that the Christian Indians were partizans with the Americans, and that the Missionaries acted as spies. In order to rid himself of them, he sent a message to Pimoacan the half-king of the Wyanclots, to take up the Indian congrega- tions and their teachers, and carry them away. This man, instigated by the Delaware, Captain Pipe, a sworn enemy to the mission, at length agreed to commit this act of injustice. In August 1781 a troop of warriors amounting to upwards of 300, commanded by the half-king, the Delaware Captain Pipe, and an English Captain Elliott, made their appearance at Gnadenhuetten to accomplish this cruel object. The half-king and his retinue put on the mask of friendship and prooosed the removal of the Christian Indians as a measure dictated by a regard for their safety. This proposal they respectfully declined, promising, however, to consider their words, and return an answer, the next winter. The half-king \v<>uM probably have been satisfied with this answer had not the English officer Elliott, and Captain Pipe urged him to persevere. The consequence was that the hostile party became peremptory in their demands, and insisted on their removal. Their vengeance was particularly directed against the missionaries, and they held frequenl consultations in which it was proposed to murder all the white brethren and Bisters, and even the Indian assistants. Finally after much violence, and many barbarous cruelties they compelled the Christian Indians and their teachers to emigrate, leaving behind them ;i great quantity <>f corn in their -tores, besides a Large crop just ready t<> be gathered, together with potatoes and other vegetables and garden fruits. In the beginning of October, L781, the Missionaries, with the greater part of their congregation, arrived under the escort of the Wyandots at Sandusky. Here their Bavage con- ductors abandoned them, and loaded with plunder, returned to their homo-. Leaving them to shift for themselves in a country that was destitute of game, and every means of Bupport. Pimoacan exulted in the accomplishment of his 2jns, and informed them that In -mil;- now in his dominions, they wore hound to obey his mandates, and commanded them bo hold themselves in readiness to go to battle with him. For a time the exiles roved to and fro, seeking a favorable locality for their Btay over winter, and at length pitched upon ;i Bpot, situated on the East Bide of the Upper Sandusky, -t they could find, "tot even here the country was ry and barren, and they were at a Loss to conceive whence the means of supporting bo many Bhould come during the winter which had already Bet in. Their small Btock of provis- ion- was aearly exhausted, and the missionaries had to depend upon the voluntary contributions of those members who had a lilt Le Indian corn loll . i their usual diligence, rising through faith above all disheartening trials, they commenced at once building huts for t In- winter. — I luring 1 1n.dr Labors their daily meetings were under the broad canopy of heaven. When the Bnadows rening fell upon them, they Beated themselves around in the open air; one of the missionaries delivering to the listening circle a short discourse. At times, some of the strolling would also attend, ool to hear the gospel :. but to Bcoff and Laugh. What a Bight ! The genius of religion might hover over it, and point to the redeeming ompanied the cross of Christ I Wild Sn\ to the hope of eternal life amid all the ill fortune -•d at e\ ery Bten to mark their christian pilgrimage! n could take from them. \ ■ tme to i hem from the commandant at the Missionaries Bhould quickly repair thither. opportunity to exculpate themselves and refute tin- 1 1 1 : 1 1 1 \ liesprni »ecting them, four of the teachers, with Indian brethren, obeyed the Bummons. Thev appeared before the court martial at that place; their conduct was investigated, especially in relation to the imputed "correspondence with the rebels, and frustrating of the intend- ed attacks of Indians upon the frontiers," and they were completely exonerated from all blame.* The governor endeavored to, atone for the ill treatment he had brought upon them, by every act of kindness. He pro- vided them with suitable clothing- and other necessaries, repurchased their watches for them, and parted from them with most marked expressions of esteem. Thankful for the gracious interposition of God in their behalf, the Missionaries returned home, and were greeted with unbounded joy by their people, who had apprehended thai they would be kept prisoners, as had also been the comman- dant's original intention. Notwithstanding their extreme poverty the following months were a joyful season to them, and they celebrated Christmas with cheerfulness and a blessing, in their newly built log-chapel. The year 178- had now commenced, and their situation was distressing in the extreme. A supply of 400 bushels of Indian corn which had been fetched from the deserted towns was again exhausted, and famine stared them in the face. Pro- visions of all kinds were wanting: corn was very scarce throughout the country, and such as had it asked a dollar for three or four quarts; the winter was unusually severe, and wood difficult to be obtained. The cattle began to die of hunger; and the congregation were driven to the necessity of supporting themselves upon their carcasses. In some instan- ces babes perished for want of nourishment from their mothers' impoverished breasts. In these deplorable circumstances, alter due deliberation, the Indians came to the determination to return once more for food to their forsaken fields, where the corn was still standing. Having formed themselves into several divisions. they set out, in all about one hundred and fifty, men, women and children, the greater part to return no more, but to fall a sacrifice to the treachery and revenge of the white men in the notorious massacre at Gnadenhuetten.f The actors in this foul transaction consisted of a military band of about one hundred men, from the western pails of *Dr. Doddridge in his Notes on the Indian Wars appears to me to have given credence to the charge* of th» Moravians having often *ent runners to fort Pitt to give notice of the approach of war parties and so far violating the terms of neutrality, upon insufficient authority. It is no' denied that the Christian Indians relieved the prisoners who were carried through their settlement, and often dissuaded their heathen kinsmen from pursuing their expedions, but their hearts were equally open to every other appeal of suffering humanity. It would appear strange thai a circumstance like the one conceded by Dr. Doddridge should not have come to light b< fore the tribunal at Detroit, confronted as they were with their enemies, the chief of whom, Captain Pipe, after some fruitless evasions, was obliged to confess, that he had calumniated them tMy authorities for the following narration are Zeisbcrger's Journal, Holmes' and Loskiel's Histories, Willet's Scenes in the Wilderness, and Doddridge's Notes. 6 Virginia and Pennsylvania, under the command of Col. David Williamson. The murder was premeditated; for their purpose u.i- to proceed ae far as Sandusky, in order to destroy all the Moravian Indians. Among the incentives to this expedition against a quiet and peaceable people, were the unusually early depredations of the savages upon the Ohio settlements, in the month of February, Which, it is alleged, led to the conclusion thai the murderers were cither Moravians- or that the \\ arriors had their winter quarters at t heir towns; in either the Moravians beingin fault, the safety of the frontier settlements required the destruction of their establishments, les the dismissal — of Shabosh and some Christian Indians, who had been captured in the fall, (by Col. Gibson of Pitts burg) which was but a common acl of justice, gave great offence to Lhe neighboring settlers. Men of the first standing m those parts, in consequence, volunteered to accompany Col. Williamson; each man furnishing himself with his own ammunition, and provisions, and many of them traveling on horseback. Col. Gibson, of Fort Pitt -dispatched messengers, (as soon as he heard 01 the plot i to warn the Indians of the appr< big danger, bul they arrived too late. From another quarter, however, tney received timely notice, but, unfortunately they thought the information unworthy of credit. So secure did they feel at their occupations, thai they neglected all their usual precautions. Par ies were at work in the cornfi Ids, at each of the three settlements, Gnadenhuetten, Salem and Schoenbrunn. They had already made fine progress. gathered a lame quantity ol grain, and were beginning bundle up their packs in order to take their final leave of the places, when suddenly the militia made their appearance. When within a mile of Gnadenhuetten, Col. Williamson's party had encamped for the nighl and reconnoitered their position. On ihc morning of the 6th of March the following for an assault was thou devised. One hall' of the men were to cross the river, and attach the I sre at in their cornfields on the West side, whilst the other half, . divided int<> three detachments, were to fall simul om different quarters upon the village on the W hen the former division reached t he river, 1 hey could leit ford it, because il was high and tilled with floating ice ; omcthiug like a canoe on the opposite side, a .mi ol the parti swam across, and brought over what ■ igh. In this, going two by two, they commenced crossing, but impatient al the delay, a few *wimminjj ai its side and holding fasl to th< 1 - manner sixteen had crossed over, when the sentinels, who* nice, disci i lad, named Joseph Shabosh, >narv, fired at him and broke one hastened to i \\r spot, r< nding \\ ord by emained on the Kasl or 1 he ol her detacli menU i" march upon Gnadenhuetten without a moment's delay, supposing that the firing would have alarmed the inhabitants. With most piteous entreaties young Shabosh begged them to spare his life, representing that he was the son of a white man; but, regardless of his cries and tears, they killed him with their hatchets, and scalped him. After thus whetting their appetites in his warm life-blood, the party approached the plantations. The first to discover their approach was an Indian named Jacob, a brother-in-law to young Shabosh, who was employed near the banks of the river, tying up his corn. Remaining unperceived, he was about to hail them, supposing them to be a friendly party, when at that instant they shot at one of the brethren who was just crossing t lie river from the town. Upon perceiving this, Jacob fled with the utmost precipitation, and before their faces were turned towards him, was out of sight. Had he acted with some coolness and courage, he might have saved many a valuable life; especially by proceeding to Salem, and giving the alarm. But instead of this, fear led him to flee several miles in an opposite direction, where he hid himself a day and a night. The party of sixteen now drew near to the Indians, who were at work in the fields in considerable numbers, and had their guns with them, and finding that they were greatly out- numbered, accosted them in a friendly manner. They pre- tended to pity them on account of their past sufferings, said they had come to conduct them to a place of safety near Pittsburg; and advised them to discontinue their work at once, and return with them to the town to hold a further parley. To all this the Indians, anticipating no harm from American soldiers, and ignorant as yet of the murder of Shabosh, cheer- fully acceded.— Not dreaming that they were to be caught "like fish in an evil net, and as birds that are caught in the snare, " they rejoiced that they had found such true friends. and imagined they saw the hand of (rod in it, — who was about to put an end to all their suffering, and lead them to a more secure and pleasant country. The other detachments had meanwhile arrived at the village, where they found but one man, and a woman, whom they shot, as she was hiding in the bushes. But so prepossessed were the Indians with the idea of removing thai nothing was able to shake their confidence in the white men. They cheer- fully surrendered their guns, hatchets and other weapons, upon receiving the promise that they should be restored at Pittsburg, showed them where they had secreted their com- munion wine and other property in the woods, helped them to pack it up, and began to make every preparation for the journey to Pittsburg. The native assistant .John Martin had gone to Salem, imme diately upon the arrival of the party, to inform the inhabitants of the state of affairs; and the next day a troop of horsemen rode down to bring them all in. With the same confiding trust in their professions of peace and good will, they returned 8 with them, conversing on the road upon religious topics, in which their attendants joined with much appearance of piety. Simple children of the forest, how dove-like had Christianity made you! Bow little did you dream of deliberate deceit and base treachery, and that as sheep you were being led to the slaughter!— Arriving al the river bank opposite Gnaden- huetten, their eyes began to open, however, when it was too late. Tney discovered a spol of blood on the sand, which excited disquietude and alarm. Soon their boding fears received full confirmation. A- soon as they entered the tow n all were seized, as i hose in to\* o had been a short time before, their guns and pocket knives were taken by their conductor- ; they wore pinioned, and confined in two houses standing some distance apart; the men in our. the women and children in the other. Here they mel together— associates tor the last time in sorrow . They mingled their tears and their sympathies together, and their prayers ascended to the throne of grace. The miscreants now held a consultation, to decide the fate of the prisoners. The charges which they broughl against them were, thai their horses, as also their axes, pewter basins and Bpoons, and all t hey possessed had been stolen or obtained by improper mean- from the white people, and al-o that they were warrior-, and not christians. — All of them were utterly false and frivolous. < >n the contraryit is presumable that the expedition would never have been undertaken, or at leasl not -o imprudent PWonducted,if 1 hey had anticipated resistance. They well knew the pacific principles of the Moravian [ndians, and calculated on blood and plunder without having a shol lind at them. With a mere -how of defence it i- likely that such men mighl have been repulsed. Some deeds of blood wen- in. don I it. imputed to these Indian-, for according to the statement of the missionaries, the Wyandol ami Delaware warrior-, w ho were inimical to the Gospel, bad always made n b point to return from their campaigns through their settlements, in the expectation that it would bring the whites upon the Moravians. Borne warriors, too, accompanied them on their return from Sandusky, crossed the < Ihioand committed several murders, and on their way back stopped near Gnaden 1 1 net i en where t hey impaled a woman and child ; but is equally certain that the ("hri-lian- hail no part or lot in the matter. Two of these warrior- were captured at the Bame time, and tomahawked outside of the town by the white men. — A- to the other charge, it rested upon no other foundation than thai one man i- -aid to have found here the Moody clothes of hi- wile and children, which were plainly those of the woman and child killed near the town, and -ecreted here bj then- enemii Others may have recognized property in the hand- of the Indian-, -ince it i- probable thai the warriors, in their passage through the villages, m tin- hal.it «.i bartering various articles of value, for provisions, in lien of monej ; but if this was contrary totneir neutral i iciits, it was unavoidable, as the warriors possessed both the will and the means to compel them to give them whatever they wanted. On such pretexts, the Indians were condemned to death. The blood-thirsty troops were clamorous to begin the butchery without delav. The officers hesitated. But can it be doubted, that if they "had been really averse to the crime, they might have checked the vindictive spirit of their unprincipled subordinates? And had Col. Williamson been the brave man he is represented to have been, would he not have staked his life upon their defence, rather than that the unoffending and pious captives should perish? It was probably, therefore, more for the sake of appearances, and to devolve a part of the awful responsibility upon their men, than from any motives of mercy that they determined first to let it be put to a vote of the whole corps. Col. Williamson put the question, in form : "Whether the Moravian Indians should be taken prisoners to Pittsburg, or put to death :" and requested that all those who were in favor of saving their lives, should step out of their line and form a second rank. On this sixteen or eighteen stepped forward, and upwards of eighty remained. The fate of the Indians was thus decided on and they were told to prepare for death, a brief respite till the morrow being all that was granted them. During the night the murderers then deliberated whether they should burn them alive or tomakawk and scalp them, and a few proposed milder measures ; but the voice of mercy was overruled, and it was determined to butcher them one by one. The Indians were at first overwhelmed at the news of their impending fate. But quickly collecting themselves again, and patiently submitting to the inscrutable decree of the Lord whose servants they had become, they spent the night in prayer, asking pardon of each other for whatever offence they had given or grief they had occasioned, and exhorting one another to a faithful and meek endurance of their trials to the end. At the dawn of morning they then offered fervent supplications to God their Saviour, and united in singing praises unto Him, in the joyful hope that they should soon enter into His glorious presence, in everlasting bliss. In this hour the consolations of divine grace abounded in their souls ; they felt the peace of God which passeth all understanding, and cheerfully resigned, they awaited the summons of their executioners. It was the morning of the 8th of March when the awful scene was enacted. The murderers came to them whilst they were engaged in singing, and asked, "whether they were ready to die?" and received for answer, "that they had commended themselves to God, who had given them the assurance in their hearts that he would receive their souls." — The carnage then immediately commenced. By couples they were led bound into two houses that had been selected for the purpose, and were aptly termed the "Slaughter Houses," the men to the one, the women and children to the other, and 10 iked down and butchered. A , e party conducted the slaughter of the : i a cooper's mallet, (the house had been id, looking at it. and handling it, ill answer for the business." With this knocking down one until he had killed fourteen with his !, he mallei to one of his fellow l fails me ; go on in i he same \\ ay; I think i 1 1 . i retty well.' M the horrors that 1 in the house of the poor women and children we have no l 1 hal a woman, called ( 'hrist ina, . i 'a., and could speak English the < ipl ain, and begged him bold, ii was impossible. So I hey were nol sal isfie 1 with leir lives, l>nl disfigured the dead and le mam . re down to I he helpless innocent at i . I. he houses winch were now i d!' their vicl ims, Laking m sr i he inn-rid deed; a one named A bel, who .t- attempting and i slain was n ix; of i hese ral massacre, as Shabosh and i in emptin'gto escape by swim i ' warrioi - were likewise killed at i he town. ( );' i he whole number of men, i \\ enty I \\ o wei <• women, an 1 I Five of 1 he men w pectable Moore, Tobias Jones. Isaac rauel Moore and Tobias had ! on of t hal eminent Iv de ( David I'.' a; nerd. i md joined i he Mot a\ ians. .'■ ! with t he English language, i hat The in i . iseful i i li.i lb l ii and ■ i | ; ( hie of I hose in i he slauj r i ie looked around, of t he dead. B» 1.4ft n Among them he observed Abel attempting to rise, whom the white men, coming in soon afterwards, despatched. With great presence of mind he lay quite still anion- the heaps ol slain, and when they had departed crepl over the bodies to the door, still keeping himself in such a position as easily to feign death, if any person should approach. As it began tb grow dusk, he quickly got out at the door, hid himseU behmd the house until it was quite dark and then escaped. lhe other lad had loosed his bonds, soon after it was ascertained that they were to die, succeeded i i escaping out of the house where they were confined, and crept by a small cellar window under the house where the women were subsequently butchered. Here he remained undet acted, and as the butchery proceeded, saw the blood Slow in streams into the cellar. He ken! himself concealed till evening, when he with much difficulty made his way out of the narrow window into the woods. These two metprovidentia-lly, and staying a while to watch the movements of the white party, journeyed together mdusky. . . The Indians who were gathering corn at benoenbrunn were saved from the fate of their brethren. They had dispatched two brethren to Gnadenhuetten and Salem, carrying intelli- gence to them from the missionaries, on the day that the band. arrived These, on their way discovered to their great surprise the marks of horses' hoofs along and beside the path, and cautiously followed the tracks, until they found the bodV oi Shabosh." They buried his body, and after observing that there were many white men in the village, and concluding from the fate of Shabosh that their brethren had all perished by the same cruel hands, hastily returned to Schoenbrunn. Here all took to instant flight, concealing themselves in the woods for some days, on the opposite side ol the river. When the murderers arrived therefore upon the following day, hey might easily have been discovered; but, being struck with an unaccountable blindness, and finding no trace of Indians, they soon rode off, after pillaging and burning the village. In the same night of the massacre the white men se ^nre to all the houses of Gnadenhuetten, and to the slaughter hoi] among the rest. The dead bodies were but partially consumed, and their bones remained to bleach in the sun until after some twenl v hey received interment by friendly hands. J-y the light of the burning village the murderers then departed, rending the air with shouts and yells more savage than ever arose in the wilderness before, carrying with them the scalps, abou! fifty horses, numerous blankets and some other articles of' plunder, wl ey exposed to public sale in I Lttsburg. On their way back thee ma.de another attack on an Innm settlen distance from Pittsburg, and were partially successful. . , . ill li- t.\,~ era journey, attended with innumerable hardships, the Indians from Schoenbrunn arrived at Sandusky almosl fam- ished, having left all their provisions behind, they returned 12 toadreary country: and to add to their distress, they returned to take another Leave of their teachers. Well might they say with the patriarch Jacob, "All these things are againsl me." Bui they murmured not— they trusted m God, and took courage. In conclusion, may the memory of our red brethren who at Gnadenhuetten Bealed their faith with blood, ever remain; and may their pious confession of the saviour in Buffering, their meek endurance, and triumphant Christian death, bear testi- mony to the Truth as it ie in Jesus, as long as the memory of tin* ;it rocious deed .-hall Last. THE GUADE1THUETTE1T MONUMENT. In order to perpetuate the memory of the ninety-six Christian Indians, who, on the 8th of .March. L782, fell innocent victims to the savage ferocity of a Lawless band of whites, and whose meek endurance of suffering, crowned with triumph. mi death, i- worthy of commemoration, a society formed and organized in October, L843, having for its object the erecti< d ol .1 suitable monumenl on the spol where the ma— acre was perpetrated, near the presenl village of Gnadenhuetten. in Tuscarawas County, < >hio. This Society having obtained the control of a pari of the ground whereon the former Indian village of Gnadenhuetten BtOOd, Containing about -ix acre-, and where the location of the slaughter bouses can -till be identified, has fenced it in, cleared off the underbrush with which it was overgrown, and in other respects improved and beautified it. iiety begs leave to state thai all fund- heretofore collected for this objeel have been carefully and judiciously invested, and now amount to about $900. But this amount is equate to effect the end in new; it therefore asks aid from the public generally, guaranteeing that when sufficient land- are raised they will bave erected a plain but durable monument on the spot where the massacre was committed. Any donations for the purpose will be gratefully received and • d by any .»! the officers <>!' the Society. The officers oi the Gnadenhuetten Monument Society are JACOB BLIOKEN8DERFER, FreHdmU. WILLIAM HAMILTON. Viot Pruident. 9< '!.< >M< »\ STt N mi;. S( ■ ■<■<>■,,. I DWARD I'll l.l; / 1 urer. I 1 n> - \\ [NSCH, ) Dl II ' I. \\ PUCKER, Direotort. Ml LI. (.INI HER * rP °r -P 1 ' • V* * ,^°. > -V V ° A .0* . • ' ' • • *° * y"^ vV^ ^ * V> *m FLA. IBflfe 084 /-> > ^ V LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 010 547 432 5 #