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JOHN MACL.&AN,

THE

LIFE AND TIMES

ID ZEISBERGEK

i THE WESTERN PIONEER AND APOSTLE OF THE INDIANS.

EDMUND DE SCHWEINITZ.

PHILADELPHIA:

J. B. LIPPINOOTT & CO.

18 70.

^ —

CAIMOIAM

Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by

J. B. LIPPINCOTT & CO.,
In the OfHee of the Librarian of Cons;re.s.s, at Washington.

2.^~\-^0

PREFACE.

Among the philanthropists who dedicated them-
selves to the work of reclaiming the aborigines of
our country and spreading civilization throughout
the West, is a man who has remained comparatively
unknown, although he defeerves a prominent place in
history. His name is David Zeisberger. As a \
missionary and an Indian linguist he is the peer
of John Eliot; while he far outranks him as a
herald of the Gospel and a forerunner of the race
that has since possessed the land in which he
labored. As regards the frequency of his journeys
among the Indians and the privations which he en-
dured in his efforts to convert them, no one is his
equal except the Jesuit Fathers of the seventeenth
century.

I have attempted, in the following pages, to give
a narrative of his life, devoting, for a number of
years, such time to this work as was not occupied
by official duties.

The only Life of Zeisbergev which has been pub-
lished^ is a smalL„jmiaElietjof ,, sexi?^^^^^ p nges,

( iiO' ^

(f^

/y^SAM/!»<^

f^AjuJXc*^ ;lZ?e^^^*^

PREFACE.

printed at Bielefeld, in 1849, in the German lan-
guage, and written by J. J. Heira, a clergyman of
Switzerland. It is an edifying production, but full
of errors in all points relating to Indian history. In
fLoskiel's and Ileckewelder's Histories of the Mora-
vian Mission among the Indians, Zeisberger is a
leading character, and much may be learned from
these volumes concerning his labors.

The present work is based upon original Lnanu-
scripts, preserved in the archives of the Moravian
churches at Bethlehem and 'other places.

In addition to their regular correspondence with

}the Mission Board, Zeisberger and his fellow-mis-
sionaries wrote voluminous journals of their every-
day life among the Indians, as also complete reports
of any occurrences of special interest. These manu-
scripts, which are mostly in the German language
and number many thousands of pages, have been
preserved, and I have carefully studied them all.
As a rule, references to them have been given in
the foot-notes only in connection with events of
unupual importance.

It has been my endeavor to weave into the narra-
tive a full account of the manners, customs, charac-
ter, and religion of the aborigines, without, however,
entering into any critical investigations. In all
cases I have reproduced what Zeisberger says upon

PREFACE.

these subjects. His residence of sixty-two years'^
among the Indians reiiders him an important au-/
thority. I have also set forth his life in close coxi-j
nection with the history of the Colonies and of thej
United States, from 1735 to 1808. Hence the In-
dian and other wars which broke out in our country
during this long period all find a place in my work.

The narrative may seem, at times, to go too mi-
nutely into details. But this was unavoidable if I
remained true to my purpose of writing not merely
for the general reader, but also for the student of Mo-
ravian history among the Indians, and of furnishing
a book of l-eference on this subject. I have endeav-
ored to embody, as much as possible, biographical
notices and local facts in the foot-notes. The details
which I have given when treating of events of colo-
nial or national interest, such as the Paxton Insur-
rection and the Western Border War during the
Revolution, may be deemed important because they
are mostly drawn from sources that have never
before been used by the historian.

In the orthography of the Indian names, whicK^
varies so much that it cannot be subjected to rules, (
I have followed Zeisberger, who was guided by thgj
German mode of pronunciation.

I have added a geographical glossary, setting forth
the situation of those early settlements, Indian vil-

PREFACE.

lages, forts, and the like which are mentioned in
the work. This glossary, with the aid of an ordi-
nary atlas of the United States, will answer all the
purpoi. ;8 of a special map.

My sincere acknowledgments are due to the many
/friends who have, in various ways, assisted me in
my researches, and I take pleasure in mentioning
particularly John Jordan, Jr., Esq., of Philadelphia,
and Jacob Blickensderfer, Jr., Esq., of Tuscarawas
County, Ohio. Both these gentlemen have put me
under the deepest obligations.

My object is not merely to bring out from ob-
scurity an illustrious man, and to make prominent
in the history of our country a name which should
never be forgotten. I have a still higher aim in
view. I humbly lay this work at the feet of that
Divine Master whose glorious Gospel I am permitted
to preach. If the following pages shall incite my
readers to greater zeal and devotedness in the ser-
vice of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the only hope
of America and of the world, and shall thus serve
to promote His honor, I shall feel that my labors
have not been in vain.

Bethlehem, Pa., June 11, 1810.

ABBREVIATIONS IN THE FOOT-NOTES.

B. A. Archives of the "Moravian Church at Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
L. A. Archives of the Moravian Church at Litiz, Pa.
P. A. Archives of the First Mo|>vian Church in Philadelphia.
G. A. Archives of the Moravian Church at Gnadenhiitten, Ohio.

(vii)

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

The early Years of David Zeisberger.— 1721-1743

CHAPTER II.

The Indians at the Time when Europeans began to settle on the

North American Continent.— 1497-1620

PAOI

CHAPTER III.

New Tork and Pennsylvania about the year 1746. — Their Settle-
ments and Indian Tribes 48

CHAPTER IV.

Government, Manners, Customs, Character, and Religion of the
Delawares and Iroquois in the Times of Zeisberger • ,

CHAPTER V.

Missionary Operations among the Indians previous to Zeisberger's
Times.— 1549-1746 . . .97

CHAPTER VI.

Zeisberger a Student at Bethlehem, a Prisoner at New York, and
an Envoy to Onondaga. — 1744, 1746 119

CHAPTER VII.

His Labors at Shamokin and in the "^ alley of Wyoming. — 1746-1750 140

CHAPTER VIII.
Zeisberger and Cammerhoff on an Embassy to Onondaga. — 7750 . 156

CHAPTER IX.

His Visit to Europe and first Labors after his Return. — 1760-1752 . 176

CHAPTER X.

Zeisberger a Resident of Onondaga. — 1752 187

CHAPTER XL

Zeisberger a Resident of Onondaga. — 1758-1766

204

(ix)

1 1

X CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XII.

FAOE

The Months prior to the Indian War, and the Massacre at Gna-
denhiitten.— 1765 , . 220

CHAPTER XIII.
The French and Indian War.— 175«-1761 211

CHAPTER XIV.

Zeisberger's first Labors after the French and Indian War.— 17G2,
1763 254

CHAPTER XV.

The Pontile "War and the Paxton Insurrection.— 1763, 1764 . 274

CHAPTER XVI.
Zcisberger at Friedenshiitten.— 1765, 1766 307

CHAPTER XVII.

Zeisbcrger's Exploratory Tour to the Indians of the Alleghany
Eiver.-1767 321

CHAPTER XVIII.

Zeisbcrger a Missionary at Goschgoschiink. — 1V68, 1769 . . 336

CHAPTER XIX.
Zcisberger at Lawunakhannek.— 1769, 1770 350

CHAPTER XX.

OntheBeavcrRivcr, and first Visit to Ohio.— 1770,1771 . . 360

CHAPTER XXI.

The Susquehanna Converts settle in the West. — First Missionary
Town in Ohio.— 1771, 17T2 3^

CHAPTER XXII.

Zeisbcrger's Visits to the Shawanese. — Progress cf the Mission in
Ohio.— 1772-1774 382

CHAPTER XXIII.
Dunmore's War.— 1774 399

CHAPTER XXIV.

The Great Plans of Zeisbe^ger and White Eyes.— 1774 ... 410

FAOE

220

. 211

254

. 274

307

321

336

350

360

3''

CONTENTS. xi

CHAPTER XXV.

PAOl

Religious Liberty in the Delaware Nation, and great Prosperity
of the Mission. — 1775 421

CHAPTER XXVI.
Lichtenau founded on the Muskingum. — 1776 .... 432

CHAPTER XXVII.

The Mission during the Western Border War of the Revolution.—
1776,1777 441

CHAPTER XXVIII.

The Mission during the Western Border War of the Revolution
(continued).— 1773, 1779 460

CHAPTER XXIX.

Lichtenau abandoned and New Schonbrunn and Salem built. —
1779,1780 472

CHAPTER XXX.

Zeisberger's Marriage and last Visit to the Settlements.— 1781 . 480

CHAPTER XXXL

Capture of the Missionaries, and Overthrow of the Mission on the
Tuscarawas. — 1781 486

CHAPTER XXXIL

The Missionaries and Christian Indians carried off to the San-
dusky.— 1781 523

CHAPTER XXXIIL
TheTrialand Acquittal of the Missionaries.— 1781 . . .518

CHAPTER XXXIV.

The Missionaries at Captives' Town until their Remandment to
Detroit.— 1781, 1782 ggg

CHAPTER XXXV.

The Massacre at Gnadenhutten.- 1782 537

CHAPTER XXXVL

Zeisberger at Lower Sandusky and Detroit.— 1782 . , ,558

Xll

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XXXVII.

PAGE

Second Campaign against the Christian Indians, and News of the
Massacre in the States.— 1 "82 564

CHAPTER XXXVIIL

Zeisberger at New Gnadenhutten, in Michigan.— 1782-1786 . 578

CHAPTER XXXIX.
Zeisherger on the Cuyahoga, Ohio.— 1786, 1787 .... 590

CHAPTER XL.

Zeisberger founds New Salem on the Pettquotting. — 1787-1789 . 600

CHAPTER XLL

Zeisberger at New Salem amid the first Indications of War. —
1789-1791 , . 612

CHAPTER XLIL

Zeisberger at the Mouth of the Detroit River.— 1791, 1792 . . 623

CHAPTER XLIIL

Zeisberger founds Fairfield, i:T Canada.— 1792.-1795 . . .631

CHAPTER XLIV.

Further Stay of Zeisberger at Fairflelu.— 1795-1798 . . .644

CHAPTER XLV.

Zeisberger returns to Ohio and founds Goshen. — 1798-1807 . . 652

CH/^PTER XLVL

The last Year of Zeisbergcr's L'fe.— 1808 667

CHAPTER XLVIL
The literary Works of David Zeisberger 686

CHAPTER XLVIIL

The Indian Mission from the Death of Zeisberger to the present
Time.— 1809-1870 093

APPENDIX.

A Brief Sketch of the Moravian Church 698

Geographical Glossary ........ 701

Ihdbx , . . , 717

LIFE AND TIMES

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

CHAPTER I.

THE EARLY YEARL OF DAVID ZEISBERGER.— 1721-4." ,

Zeisberger's birth. — Flees with his parents from Moravia to Saxony. —
His parents emigrate to Georgia. — Zeisberger remains in Europe. —
Becomes an errand-boy at Herrendyk, in Holland. — Being harshly
treated, he runs away and joins his parents. — Zeisberger in Georgia
and South Carolina. — Goes to Pennsylvania; and helps to found Naz-
areth and Bethlehem. — Remarkable manner in which the plan of
sending him back to Europe is frustrated. — Zeisberger's conversion.
— He devotes himself to the mission among the North American
Indians.

In the eastern part of Moravia, where the Oder takes
its rise, and the pastures are so luxuriant that the peas-
antry term the country KuhlUndl, or Kine-land, there lies,
in a beautiful valley inclosed by the spurs of the Middle
Carpathians, a small village named Zauchtenthal. For-
merly a sequestered spot, seldom visited/oy the stranger,!
it is now a station on the railroad fron/Cracow to Vienna.!
In this village David Zeisberge r was\.b orn. on Good-
Fridav, the 11th of April ^1721 .

His parents were David and Rosina Zeisberger, and
their progenitors belonged to ^he ancient Church of the

IJFE AND TIMES OF

Bohemian Brethren, foui.docl, sixty years before the Re-
|oa™jUionjb\M\^^ of John IIuss. He came, there-

fore, of an ancestry that had been the iirst to kindle the
torch of evangelical truth amid the darkress of the
Middle Ages; and was born in a valley which had
heard the stirring hymns of the Brethren, swelling in
harmony from their modest sanctuaries, and making
glad the day of the Lord.^

But when he saw the light of the world, the besom of
persecution had, long since, swept ttie Church of his
fathers from the land. The Reformers before the Refor-
mation were forgotten, except by a few of their descend-
ants, who groaned under the yoke of Romish oppression,
and longed for the time when they would be free. That
time was approaching. God had already sent Ilis mes-
senger to call the remnant from the land of bondage.
'One ^-ear after tlie birth of Zeisberger, ten Moravian
' emigrants, guided by Christian David, "the servant of
J;he Lord,"^ fled from their native country, under cover

1 Biographical Skotcli of David Zeisliergor, written in Gcriiian, by
the Kcv. John Heckcwcldcr, MS. Library of ^Moravian Historical iSo-
cicty. Tho substancn of this sivctcli is published in " Nachrichtcii aiis
dor liriidorgemeinc," and transhitcd into English in "Periodical Ac-
counts," vol. viii. London, I81JI.

, 2 Christian David (born December 31, 1000, at Senf.leben, in Moravia ;

idled February 8, 17.S1, at Ilerrnhut), a Roman Catholic, and by protes-

jsion a carpenter, having been converted, became a zealous (evangelist of

{Protestantism, and began a niissionary work, in his native country,

^ among the descendants of the Hrethren, which resulted in u general

awakcming. Having n-eeived i\w promise from Count Zinzendorf of a

homo fot* ]\roravian r(^fugees, he brought a number of them to Saxony,

at various times. Ho aftei'ward became an elder of the Church, and was

one of her first missionaries to Gritenland. In Moravian history he bears

the title of " the servant of the Lord."

DAVID ZEISBERGEK.

of the night, took their way to Saxony, aud in Upper
Lusatia, on an estate of Count Zinzeudorf, founded
lierrnhut, and formed the nucleus of a colony in the
midst of which their venerable Church was renewed.'

When Zeisberger ,. was^ iive years old hia_ jj^;ent8 ■
escaped to this place of refuse, with their, children
(Jul y, 1726). They had considerable possessions at/
Zauchtenthal, but sacriticed them all for the sake o^
religious liberty.

Herrnhut, however, was not to be their rest. In the ^
year 1733, that noble hearted philanthropist, James ^Oj^
Oglethorpe, founded the colony of Georgia. It was an J ^^^
asylum for the oppressed. To that class the MoraviansJ ^^ ^^^
now belonged. They had fallen into disfavor with ^^^o. -•
the Saxon Government, and it became a question ^-i.

whether they would be permitted to remain at Herrn-
hut. Hence Zinzeudorf, himself an exile from his
native country through the machinations of embittered
enemies, secured other retreats. One of these was
in Georgia, where Augustus Spangenberg^ received

• For a brief account of Count Zinzendorf and the Monivian Church,
see Appendix.

'■' A ugustus Gottlieb Spangcnbcr g (born July 15, 1704, at Klettenborg,'
in Prussia ; died September 18, 1792 at Bertheisdorf, in Saxony) was a
professor of the University of Halle, and an assistant director of tlw
Orphan House. In 1733, he joined the Moravians, having been de
prived of his oflSccs at Halle, by ti royal mandate, on account of his
connection with their Church. He subsequently presided over the
Church in America for nearly eighteen years. In 1762, he entered the
Ger.eral Executive Board of the Unitas Fratrum, and died in that
office, in the eighty-ninth year of his age. He was known among
Moravians as "Brother Joseph," and was one oi her greatest men. 1

LIFE AND TIMES OF

'■from the Trustees, for the Count, five hundred acres of
land, and, for himself, fifty acres additional. The first
if these tracts lay on the Ogeechee River; the other
formed a part of the present site of Savannaii.
Htre a little company of Moravians settled (1735),
^planting the Church of their fathers in that Western
\ "World whose existence was unknown when, at the fiery
( stake of Constance, the blood of Huss became her seed.
. A .=<eonnd body of immigrants JQliQ^ed iiLJLT^B, led by

\ Bishop Nitschmann/^^Hs^ il^Bkil^^J^V^lili^-'-^SSS.'iliS?
.an d am o ng the m were David and_Ro8ina_Zei8berger.
;Soon after, the Moravians of Georgia organized a
j church (February 28, 1736), choosing Anthony Seyfert,
la Bohemian by hirth, as their pastOk. Bishop Nitsch-
^mann ordained him, in the presence of John Wesley,
who thought himself transported back to the times of
the Apostles when he witnessed the impressive sim-
plicity of the act, and the demonstration of power and
of the spirit which accompanied it* Thus, ten years
after having fled from the fertile valley of their Mora-
vian fatherland, where they had enjoyed temporal

' David Nitschniann (born December 27, 1696, at Zauchtenthal, Mo-
f ravia ; died October 8, 1772, at Bethlehem, Pa.) was ihe lirst bishop of
I the Renewed Moravian Church, consecrated at Berlin (March 13, 1736),
1 by Bishop Daniel Ernst Jablonsky, Court-Preacher of the King of
t Prussia, and Bishop Christian Sitkovius, of Poland, the two survivors
) of the ancient Moravian Episcopate. John and Charles Wesley crossed
\ the Atlantic with hin) and his party, which led to that fellowship
I whose results are identitied with the early history of Methodism.
I After paying three visits to America, ho settled here permanently
l^in 1765.

2 Wesley's Journal, i. 20.

DAVID ZEISBEROER.

prosperity but suftored spiritual bondage, Zoisbcrger's
parents found themselves in a new world, amid pri-
meval forests, pioneers of civilization and heralds of
the Gospel of Christ.

Dayid_\va3 not with them. . IIo had been left at
IIoiTuhui.„til^fi i^i_Jiis^_^ At sghoo,! li(L dis; ^-^^^

tinguishcd himself bv bis

The ^;, ^

case^v/ith which he acquired Latin, in particular, gave """""V^fS^

early evidence of the extraordinary facility that he
afterward displayed in learning the Indian languages.
Courage and resoluteness were the prominent traits
of his character.

When ho was fifteen years of age, ho attracted the'
notice of Count Zinzondorf, who took him to Holland,
where, at the invitation of the Princess Dowager oiv^P
Orange, the Moravians had established a settlement/* ^'y. "•
called Ilerrendyk, in the Barony of Ysselstein, near tlic ^
City of Utrecht. In this settlement <vere shops belong
ing to the Church, and visited by the gentry of th(
surrounding country. David was employed as ai:
errand-b oy. Active, punctual, and mastering the Dutch
with little trouble, he became a favorite among the
customers.

But he was not happy. The educational principles of
the Moravians were severe to a fault. Rigidly enforcing
a system, they paid no regard to the disposition of the
individual. Under this iron rule he suffered ; and, on a
certain occasion, was mercilessly beaten with the rod,
although innocent of the fault imputed to him. Noi;
was this the greatest of his trials.

'!' J'
ll i

.:i.

I : f

Vv\J^

LIFE AND TIMES OF

One day a gentleman of rank visited ITerrcndyk.
Requesting a guide to Ysselstein, Zeisberger was sent
witli liim, and so won liis good-will that ho offered him
an unitsually liberal foe. David had been forbidden to
accept i)resents from visitors under any circumstances,
and therefore declined the gift. "You must take it,"
said the gentleman, " I feel it to be my duty to give you
this money. Keep it for yourself; it is yours !" And
pressing the gold into the boy's unwilling hand, he
turned away. Poor Zeisberger was in great perplexity.
The stern prohibition in regard to fees waa ringing in
his ears. "If I conceal this occurrence," he reasoned,
"it will be an act of disobedience; if I make it known,
and deliver the fee, my story will not be credited." At
last he concluded to keep one half of the money, and
carry the other half to his employers. But the very
suspicion which he wished, by these means, to avert,
immediately fell upon him. "No stranger," said his
frowning Brethren, "ever gives so large a reward as this
to an errand-boy ! You have not come honestly by this
money. Hold! "VVe will expose your wickedness."
Two persons took him back to Ysselstein, in order to
confront him with the gentleman. But he had left the
place, and no one knew whither he had gone. Instead,
therefore, of establishing his innocence, Zeisberger
returned to Herrendyk, stigmatized as a liar and a
thief.

This he determined not to brook. Findiuir a fellow-
countryman, John Michael Schober, equally indignant
with the tyranny they were enduring, he proposed to

ili C^'y^Aa^AJtJOLj

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

him to run away. Scliober consented, and their attempt
proved succcsstiil. The quiet settlement hiy behind, the
wide worhl before them. But they did not intend to
misuse their t'reodom. Tlieir fathers' God Avas still to
be their God, and His people their people. Resolved no
longer to submit to the yoke of Ilerrendyk, they were no
less resolved to seek some other eolony of the Brethren ;
bat to which one they should bend their steps was a
question that caused them no little disagreement. Zcis;
bergcrj van ted jUj^ Joi n his parentsJnjGeoi'^ia ; Schober
was afraid of such an undertaking, and insisted upon
going to Ilorrnhut. At last, however, he yielded. " That
is right," said David; "you will see that God will pros
per us." This was the hope with which the two friend
less kids, not seventeen years of age, resolutely set thei
faces toward the Western World.

Having heard that General Ogletliorpe, who was then
in London, took an active interest in the Moravian
colony of Georgia, they concluded to go to England and
ask his assistance. They found a vessel which was on
the point of sailing to that country, and secured a pas-
sage with the money which Zeisberger had retained of
the amount given him by the stranger at Ysselstein. To
this end that man had been prompted to reward him so
liberally. His gold was to speed the future missionary
to his field of labor.

Through the kind offices of the landlord of a German
inn in London, they obtained an interview withGeneral
Oglethorpe, who no sooner heard the story of their
wrongs than he warmly espoused 'heir cause, gave them

il^J

20.

LIFE AND TIMES OF

money, supplied tlicm with clothing, and procured a free
I)assago for them in a sliip ready to weigh anchor for
Savannah. Thus were Zeisberger's pious anticipations
fulfilled.

Before embarking, he wrote a letter to I)ajaiLiJccke-
welder, one of the clergy at Ilerrendyk, and the father
of the celebrated missionary, with whom he subse-
quently spent many years among the Indians, setting
forth the cause of their flight, and informing him of
their future plans.

The voyage across the Atlantic was expeditious. But
Schobor soon Jell a.yictim, to the cliniat o and died. Zeis-
berger took up his abode with his parents ; he had grown
out of their recollection, and they were overwhelmed
with astonishment when he announced himself to be
their son.

Little did they anticipate that he was destined to be-
come a chosen vessel unto the Lord, to bear Ilis name
before the gentiles. Yet such was the purpose of God.
His overruling providence had brought the intrepid lad
to America. While those traits of character were mani-
fested, in this flight to the Xew World, which afterward
distinguished the zealous missionary, whom no wilder-
ness, however tangled, could keep from the Lidians, and
no peril, liowever imminent, could deter from duty, there
are also revealed a divine plan and counsels more than
liuman. In later years, Zeisberger himself acknowl-
edged this. *' From the day I left the Brethren in Hol-
land," he writes, "to the day of my arrival in Georgia,
the Lord graciously preserved me from all harm, in body

DAVID ZEISBEROER.

and in soul. I was in great danger of being seduced to
ffross wickedness ; but the Lord Jield Ilis hand over nie.
At tlie time, I never realized this danger. Subsequently,
however, it became plain to me, and I liave often thanked
my Saviour for His protection. Upon the whole, I see
the finger of God in all that occurred ; hence I can the
more readily forgive the Brethren in Holland the injus-
tice which I sufiered at their hands. Indeed, I have
forgiven them from my heart."

A few weeks after Ins arrival in Georgia he engaged
in an adventure which again showed his fearlessness, but
which nearly cost him his life. Hearing of the devasta-^
tions committed by the deer in the rice-fields of the set-
tlement, he went out one night, armed with a heavy
rifle, to the place where they were accustomed to break
through the inclosure, climbed up a tree, and fired at the
approaching herd. The recoil of the weapon in his inex-
perienced hands was so great that he lost his balance,
and fell senseless to the ground. In this state he re-
mained for hours, with a deep and dangerous wound
in his head. When consciousness at last returned, he
dragged himself to the nearest cabin, where he was
cared for.

Zeisberger^8_jta^n_Georgi^^ great benefit to\

him ; it ^ "gjj^tjbini to endure privations. The settlers
were poor, and although they did not actually sufier
want, yet their mode of life was very different from that
to which he had been accustomed in a luxurious coun-
try like Holland. He now received the training o fan
Ainerican pioneer and backwoodsman. At the same

LIFE AND TIMES OF

time his intercourse witli Pe^crJ^oghlci-,' the pastor of

the church, who took a partieulur interest in him, served

to develop his mind. Thir^ was especially tiic case in the

year 1730, the greater part of which Boehler spent at

L/ Puryshurg, a small German settlement in South Caro-

P(/^', Una, twenty miles from Savannah, with the intention of

I i /) jl/^^Xpi't^aching the Gospel to the negro slaves. After the

"' |o^*^ , ' death of his associate, Zeirfhorger was his sole compan-

f ion for several months, and had the benefit of his daily

J instruction. In later years, Zeishorger often spoke of

his abode in Georgia and South Carolina as a pleasant

and profitable time.

It was, however, of short duration. War having
broken out between England and Spain (1739), the
Spaniards of Florida threatened to attack the Georgia
colony, which flew to arms. Th^e^ Mora vians st ood aloof ,
as the beariiijjof jirnisj\v_a^CQntr£U]y to thch^
and, eventually, in consequence of the disturbances
which ensued, and the want of harmony among them-
selves, broke up their settlement. A remnant proceeded
to Pennsylvania, arriving at Philadelphia in George

1 Burn, Deccmbor Gl, 1712, at Franktbrt-on-tho-Miiin, and celobrntod
as tho agiMit, in God's hands, through whom John Wesley, the fovindcr
of Methodism, was converted. Having been clucated at the Univer-
sities of Jena and Leip.-ic, he joined the Moravian Cliiireli in 1736, and
in 1738 went to Georgia and South Carolina, where he labored until 1740,
when he proceeded to Pennsylvania, and in the following year returned
to Europe. In 1742 he came back to America, and remained until 1745.
In 1748 he was oonsec.'rated a bishop, and labored in England, revisiting
America in 175:], and continuing his work hero until 17G4, when ho en-
tered the General Exi^entive Board of the Church in Saxony, and died
in Li ndon, April 27, 1774, while on an official visit to England.

c-rr.'

DAVID ZEJSDERGER. 23

Wbitclield's sloop (April 25, 1740), after a voyage of
twelve days from Savamiah.

AVhitetield accompanied the party, and engaged tliem
to build a scliool-house for negro children, on a tract of
live thousand acres of land, which he had purclui.sed iu
the " Fori-cs of the Delaware," now Northampton County.
Thither accordingly journeyed, on foot, with PeterN
Boehler at their liead, seven men, two women, and two /
lads, one of whom was David Zeisberger, and, in the V
midst of a wilderness, began an edifice which is still I
standing, a venerable structure of unhewn stone, known]
as the MVhitcJicld House.

Ere long, however, differences arose between liim and')
the Moravians, fostered by the inhabitants of the Scotch- v
Irish settlements, and he ordered them to leave his landj
" forthwith."

In great distress, without money or friends, they asked
God to help them. As if in answer to their prayers,
Bishop Nitschmann arrived from Europe, bearing a
commission to buy land in Pennsylvania and found a
Moravian settlement. Ten miles to the south of White-
field's improvements, a tract was selected on the Lehigh
Iliver. In spite of intensely cold weather and a deep
snow, the now rejoicing immigrants began to clear the
ground, and erected their first cabin. In September,
1741, Nitschmann laid the corner-stone for a chapel.'
Three months later. Count Zinzeudorf, who had mean-

1 It was a large structure of logs, containing, besides the chajiel, a
number of (Iwelling-rooms. This house is still standing, on Church
Street, at Bethlehem, but entirely remodeled.

LIFE AND TIMES OF

II '11

while reached the country, celehrated Christmas with

ilia Brethren, and gave to the new settlement the name

'of Bethlehem. This place soon became, and has always

Iremained, thgs. chief scat of the Moravian Church in

(A_n\erica.'

/ In the following year a company of sixty-seven Mora-
vians, from Saxo'iy and England, arrived at Bethlehem.
Those were stirring times for young Zeisberger. He
loved the broad forests of Pennsylvania; he loved the
hardy life he was leading; he loved to fish, to hunt, to
fell trees, and build houses. It was, therefore, a bitter
disappointment for him when the elders of the Church,
with the consent of his parents, designated him as one
of the escort which was to accompany Count Zinzendorf
to Europe.^

On the 9th of January, 1743, the ship James, which
had been chartered by the Church to bring immigrants
to America, lay ready for her return-voyage. The Count
was on board, surrounded by numerous friends, and

1 Bethlehem, togotnor with scvonil otlior Moravian vilhigcs in its

vicinity, constituted, nt first, an altogether peculiar settlement. The

i inhabitants were united as one family, and established, not a commu-

; nity of goods, for eacn one retained his own private property, but of

. labor and housekeeping. All worked for the Churc' at their respective

I professions ; and the Church gave all a sup[)()rt, realizing, besides, suffi-
cient moans to pay for her land, and to sustain, in a great measure, the
^ Mission among the Indians. This arrangement, which bore the namo
j of "The Economy," was dissolved by common consent in 1702, after an
^ existence of twenty years, and the individual inhabitants became owners
of the real estate by purchase. Bethlehem is no longer an exclusively
Moravian town, but a large and flourishing borough.
/ 2 Zeisberger lost both his parents a few years after this. His father
}d'nid at Bethlehem, August 25, 1744, and his motlier, at the same ()lacc,
f February 23, 1746.

DAVID ZEISDERGER.

encao-ed in animated conversation. Zcisbcrger stood,
unnoticed and alone, in a retired part of the vessel,
mournfully gazing upon the land of his choice, which
he was about to leave perhaps forever. The signal for
departure roused him from his reverie. With bursting
heart he watched his. associates, who had come to bid
their friends farewell, as, one by one, they left the ship.
" Cast otf the cable !" commanded Captain Garrison.^
In that moment Bishop Xitschmann, who had been the
last to take leave of Zinzendorf, passed by, and, observ-
ing Zeisbergcr's dejected looks, stopped short.

"David," said he, "do you not return to Europe
willingly ?"

"jSTo, indeed!" was Zeisberger's reply. "I would
much rather remain in America."

"For what reason?"

" I long to be truly converted to God, and to serve
Ilim in this country."

Surprised and rejoiced at this answer, the bishop
said, " If this be so, and I were in your place, I would
at once return to Bethlehem."

1 Nicholas Garrison was born on Staton Island, in 1701, began lifo as a\
sailor in his twoll'th year, and subsequently commanded various vessels /
and sailed to many parts of the world. In 1788, ho made 'he acquaint- {
anco of Count Zinzendorf in St. Thomas, and after taking him to Europe i
in the Juries, traveled with him to Germany, where ho joined the Mo- '
ravian Church. In the course of time, ho took tho command of her .
missionary vessel, and served her faithfully in this capacity for a number ;
of years, going as far as Greenland and Surinam. Having retired from ».
the sea, lie lived for some time in Germany. In 1703 ho returned to \
America, and took up his abode at Bethlehem, where he died, at the ago I
of eighty-one years, September 24, 1781.

LIFE AND TIMES OF

Zeisberger did not wait to br :old a secoiia time, but
hurrying with the bishop from the vessel in the hist
moment in which this was possible, went his way re-
joicing to the quiet settlement amid the wilds of Penn-
sylv^ania.

The desire was sincere which he had expressed, of
feeling in his own heart the regenerating power of the
Gospel of Cln-ist. He had experienced it for a long
time, and it grew in intensity after his return to Beth-
lehem. In later years, when speaking of this period of
his life, he said: "At that time my heart was not yet
converted to God, but I longed to enjoy His grace, and
that fully." A serious conversation, which his friend
Biittner had wnth him, upon the subject of religion,
deepened the impressions which he had received, and,
at last, he passed from darkness into light.

One day, the young men of the community reverentlj'^
united in singing, at their dinner-table, in the way of
grace, a German hymn treating of the love of Christ.*
Its words pierced his heart like a two-edged sword. lie
burst into tears, left the table, and spent the whole after-
noon in weeping and praying, until he found the peace
of God which passeth all understanding.

In the holy tire of his first love, he resolved to devote
his life to the spread of the Gospel among the aborigines
of his adopted country, and immediately made known
this determiiuition to the elders of the Church.

1 An English translation of (hi- liynin is found in tliu Hymn Book of
tho Moravian Cluirch, No. 17.

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

Thus was the divine purpose, to which David Zeis-
berger had been foreordained, worked out by God him-
eolf, in Ilis own time and way. As He had called John
Eliot, in a former century, to be the apuatle of the I^ew
England Indians, so he now set apart this young man
to be the apostle of the Indians of the West.

LIFE AND TIMES OF

CHAPTER 11.

THE INDIANS AT THE TIME WHEN EUROPEANS BEGAN TO SET-
TLE ON THE NORTU AMERICAN CONTINENT.— U97-1620.

Obscurity of Indian history. — The generic stocks of the Indians oast of
the Mississippi. — Traditions of the Algor^juins and Iroquois. — The
Alftonquin family. — The Iroquois Confederacy. — First European set-
tloments.— Manner of life and character of the Indians in this period.
— The Delawarcs made women by the Iroquois. — Traditions and
history. — Population of the Indian tribes.

The race, to the evangelization of which Zeisberger

resolved to devote his life, stands forth among the

savage nations of the earth a people of general interest

/and strange mystery. It is the theme of romance, the

jsubject of the poet's song, the topic of the philosopher's

speculations, and yet continues an unsolved problem in

ethnography. Ne ither the origin of the Indianaj^iiQr

th^'appea.rance._^ugon the cpnthieuto^f Aij^ei^^ ever

i been satisfactorily explainQd.* Even that part of their

/ history which immediately precedes the corning of the

) white man is shrouded in obscurity. The inquirer

meets with nothing but traditions and fables. And

when the European chronicler takes up th^ subje^^^'^

' Among the earliest Moravian missionaries the well-known theory
.prevailed, that the Indians are the descendants of the lost ten tribes of
•^j Israel. Zeisberger, however, seems not to have entertained this opinion.
II have found no trace of it in any of his writings.

DAVID ZEISBERGEB.

there ensue such widely difl'erent accounts, and such
frequent changes among the natives, that the Indian, in
man}' particulars, remains half hidden amid his forests.*
Tlio present narrative will be confined. to^Jhose_abo-
riffines who lived east of the Mississippi Eiver. It will
not enter into any critical investigations, but will serve
merely as one part of the introduction which the history
that we propose writing calls for ; settj^gJo,^d)^l j)_ar J
ticular, os interesting relics^ those traditions, touching /
the eTirlv times of the Indians with Avhich Zcisberger!

■'K^^-O . ..!. ^

met.^

v.. -- ' '

2r atj

> By far the bi^st records of the Indians in the seventeenth century are
the so-calle^ Je^^uit jRg^ailipKS, consisting of the reports of tlio Je;
missionaries transmitted, every year, to the Provincial of the order
Paris, and there published.

2 Besides the various general sources — among which .^clmolcraftjs
32lii§_JU;£, *^^'^'^.?iUl].»lXJiH^>cURl).lc, however necessary it is to consult \
them — and Ba ncroft' s admirable chapter oji tho^ ludinos. in J'jsjiistory i
oi^llc^.JJ_.^,.^ (vol. iii. chap, xxii.), the above sketch is based, mainly,
upon the investigations of Zeisberger himself, and of his fellow-mis-
sionaries. In the archives of the Church at Bethlehem, Pa., I was for-
tunate enough to find a voluminous German MS., buried out of sight.
It was written by Zeisberger, in 1778, as is clear from its allusions to
national events of that year, although it bears no date; and it contains
a full account of the Indian nations with which ho was acquainted.
Internal evidences in Loskiol's work, as well as the acknowledgment
which he makes (Preface, x.), prove conclusively that the entire first part
of his history is based upon this MS. I have no doubt that Zeisberger
wrote it specially for Loskiel's use. The latter lived in Europe, and
had no per,sonal knowledge of the Indians until after the publication of
his work. Tliis MS. has been invaluable to me. For the cor-v-niencc
of reference I shall call it " Zcis_bcr2 ;er'.s^Jtistory of the Indians."
Publi-shed works are, '' Hi,sJittj^^ojLJjj£jJLj§sjpn,p£.thoJJj^^
\n mong_ tjio_Jjji^linn3„ija..J^jarUj_^mcrica, in three parts, by George H.
iLosklel, translated from the German by Christian Ignatius Latrobe."
London, 1794. >' An^A^fioiintpfiJjQ History, Iilanncrs, and Customs of
the Indian Is ations who once inhabited Pennsylvania and the.oeigh-
boring Sjatcs, l^y ^PY:. Z^"^" neckewcldcr." Philadelphia, 1818.

LIFE AND TniES OF

!■! ^:|!

!'<1

Thqse natives existed in a multitude of tribes and of

8mall(y' clans. Their generic stocks, however, were few

in number, and may bo reduced, upon the basis of

•Cradicallj distinct languages, to the following eight: the

/Mpljilian, Natchez, Uchee, Cherokee, Catawba, Dahcota,

JIurou-Irpquois, aiid Algonquin.

The Cherokees had their seats in the upper valley of

the Tennessee River, and among the mountains of
"Western Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama. It is a
country that from its lofty hills proclaims the wonderful
works of God. The Indian must have felt this in his
day. Climbing over the moss-covered rocks of the peak
now known as Mt. Mitchell, the highest summit in the
United States east of the Rocky Mountains, and emerg-
ing from its deep forest of black balsams, the hunter
beheld, as far as his eye could reach, one vast wilderness
of mountains, crowned with chaplets of clouds, and
standing, in silent majesty, the impregnable bulwarks of
his country. The rich valleys abounded in game of
every variety; and the winding streams, which he could
see sparkling in the morning sun, teemed with fish.
Within this secluded territory the Cherokee lived safe
from every foe.

Not so favored were the Natchez. Their land
stretched south of the Yazoo River, in the present State

of Mississippi, and was a narrow country, with but four
or five villages, where, fev in number, the tribe wor-
7* shiped the Great Sun, from which it claimed descent.
The lichees, too, were a weak nation, dwelling south-
east of the Cherokees, in the region above and below

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

the town of Augusta. At an early period the Creeks
subdued tliem, so that their right to a generic position
rests upon traditionary sayings.

Far more numerous and powerful was thoJV^ql^irian
or Floridian stock of Indians. To it belonged that wide / .(^ J
territory which extends from the former seats of the | "'■'^-<-
Cherokees south, southeast, and west, to the Atlantic )/^, ^ y

•>«v

'Vf

.0\

and the Gulf of Mexico, to the Mississi[)pi, and where
the waters of the Tennessee and of the Ohio mingle. In ■ '■^ ,m,
this region lived three confederacies, — the^J^hi^clvasaSj^^ ^■•«— -

Chog^iSj and Creeks^, emhraQiug various, subordijiat,©.

tribes.

.^- - —

East of the Cherokecs, in the midlands of Carolina, \ ^
the Catawhas had their home. They did not count '-"* -f-Vi' ('<>>' -
many warriors, but they were brave, and the inveterate
qnemies of the Iroquois, with whom they continually
warred.

The Dahcotas dwelt, for the most part, west of the Mis
sissippi, and belonged to a great and potent fiimily ; but
bands of them pitched their camps in the prairies east
of the river, and these must find a place in the present I / ) -;
enumeration. They were the hereditary foes. of tl^e/ " ""^'^-'---^
ChJppewas, and are also and perhaps better known by
the, name of Sioux. 4r small branch of t.heni,calledjtlie
^Yi^JiC.]jag0.es, dwelt in the midst of Algonquin tribes on
the western shore of Lake Michigan. ~~'

By far the most prominent nations, in the times of)
Zeisberger, were the Algonquins and the Iluron-Iro-/
qnois. These, therefore, claim a more extended inves-!
tigation.

/f;

LIFE AND TIMES OF

,; ' At tlie head of the former group, " the grandfathers "
iT-'j/ of all its many trihes, stood tlic DcLawarcs. In their
own tongue they were known as the Lenni-Lenapo,
Qi:.. I' Original rcople." The Iroquois, who eventually
f \ [ahsorhed the other group, called themselves Aquano-
i scliioni, or " United People." ^ They were the celebrated
t y Five, afterward Six, Nations of colonial history.'

*" Delaware traditions unfold an interesting narrative.'
,' Several centuries before the eye of the white man first
J beheld the primeval glories of the American continent
the Lenni-Lenape lived in a country of the Far West.
At a time which they do not pretend to determine, and
for reasons of which they are ignorant, many of their
fathers emigrated toward the east, and came as far as
the Mississippi. Upon its banks were encamped the
.Aquanoschioni, moving eastward, like the Lenape, in

1 The Dclawarcs are often represented as but one division of the Lenni-

Lcnape, the other being the Monseys, or Minsi. Zeisberger, however,

' particularly asserts the identity of the names Delawarcs and Lenni-Le-

,napo, and shows that they designated one nation, consisting of three

[tribes, whereof the third was the Monseys.

' 2 Great confusion prevails among the names of the various Indian
/ tribes, on account of the numerous synonyms which came into use. This
f holds good of the Iroquois also. Iroq uois is . their French nanio.; Six
I Nations their English ; Aquanoschioni one .ef thoir_..yriginul,l!am(^ ;
! and Ilodenosaunee, pr "People of the Long Ilousej" another. It has
been maintained that Aquanoschioni is a corruption of Ilodenosaunee, and
. that they did not themselves make use of if. But the latter assertion is
disjiroved by facts. I;i all the many negotiations which Zeisberger car-
ried on with their Grand Council they invariably employed the name
Aquanoschioni when speaking of themselves, as his journals abundantly
show. Lafitau and Charlevoix, two Jesuit missionaries, translate it
"House-Makers."

' Ilcckcwd^r's Hist, of the Indian Nations, chapter i. Schoolcraft .
^Hist-^^LtTie Jfldkm iribQS pf th^^^^ Part vi. 170-178.

n>f^\.r 'J

DAVID ZEISBEROER.

Ifothcrs "

In their

-Lenape,

rentually

Ac[uano-

clobrated

arrativc*

•yj

man first

•'■■:^-

'ontincnt

■>

ar West.

line, and

of tlieir

as far as

iped the

niape, in

tlio Lenni-

', however,

Lenni-Lc-

ig of three

0U3 Indian

) use. This

^ni

nanio^Six

uiLuanK^ ;

3j\ It has

;aunec, and

assertion is

hcrgor car-

tho name

ibundantly

.-'f^

ranskitc it

■5*

search of new homes. The two nations, meeting thus
unexpectedly, interchanged the courtesies of Indian life.
Before them rolled the mighty river of which their old
men had told them when sitting in the lodges of their
distant hunting-grounds, and beyond its deep waters lay
an unknown country, amid whose hills and within
whose valleys they hoped to find rich lands that would
rejoice their hearts. But to reach these they had to|
traverse the territory of the Alligevyi, or Allegans, a fierce -
and warlike people, with whom the Lenape entered intoj
negotiations, obtaining permission to advance. Scarce
a moiety of them, however, had crossed the river when
the Alligewi, alarmed at the number of the strangers,
treacherously attacked them. In a juncture so perilous,
the Aquanoschioni, who had been watching the course
of events, hastened to oflFer their assistance. An offen-
sive alliance having been concluded between the two
nations, they unitedly fell upon the Alligewi. Fierce
battles ensued; much blood was shed; many heroic
deeds were performed, until at last the Alligewi, ex-
hausted and dismayed by a succession of defeats, fled
with their women and children from the broad valley of
the Ohio. The victors divided the hunting-grounds
which they had gained. Around the Great Lakes, and
on the banks of their tributary rivers, settled the Aqua-
noschioni; farther to the south the Lenape built their
villages. Thus domiciliated, the two nations for a long
period of time lived in amity and peace.

In the course of years some adventurous hunters of
the Delawares conceived the idea of exploring the coun-

(\ ■ •'

iiiii

r-w^/v

^ • » w')

LIFE AND TIMES OF

try eastward. Pressing tlirongh forests where none of
their nation had ever been, thoy reached the Allcgluuiy
Mountains, and, crossing these, came to tlie West
Branch of the Susquehanna. Upon the bosom of this
beautiful river they hiunched a l)ark-canoe, and followed
its winding current between lofty hills and through rich
lowlands, until tlioir astonished eyes beheld the broad
expanse of Chesapeake Bay gleaming like a sea of silver
in the noonday sun. Leaving their canoe, they plunged
into the tangled thickets of the Eastern Shore, and,
speeding across the level plains of Delaware, stood on
the bank of a second river rolling in silent majesty to
the ocean. The farther they advanced the bolder they
grew. Perhaps a third stream, deep and wide, like
those which they had discovered, might yet bo found ;
nfcr were they disappointed. Ere long they scaled tl^e
Highlands of the Hudson, and looked down from the
rocky Palisades upon the sleeping waters of Tappan Sea.
They had traversed a wide territory where the smoke of
not a solitary wigwam was seen; where no war-whoop
met their ears ; where onlj- the carols of birds and the
crashing of the bushes under the feet of the startled
deer and the heavy step of the bear trudging to his den,
broke the solemn silence which nature kept.

With wondering hearts the intrepid explorers hastened
back to the council-fire of their nation and reported their
I discoveries. A part of the Lenape immediately emi-
.' grated to these new hunting-grounds, and spread their
1 towns along the Hudson, Susquehanna, Potomac, and
JDeltyvare. Around the latter riyer they_..clustere(l

I/-

none of
llcgluuiy
10 AVest

1 of this
followed
ui^h vieli
le broad
of silver
plunged

)re, and,
3tood on
lajesty to
der they
ide, like

2 found ;
faled tliC

rom the

pan Sea.

moke of

ir-whoop

and the

startled

his den,

fastened
ted their
ely emi-
ad their
lac, and
luatei'fid

DAVID ZEISBERGEE.

[

^■'/>

1 -''

thic-kly. It was yle_Lcnapewihiittuelv,/^l^c_^
Lonape."

But not all the Lenape left the western country; nor""!
had all of them crossed the Misnissippi at the time of the;
original emigration. Hence, in this period of its his^J
tory, the nation consisted of three bodies. The one still .
resided beyond, thejithcron this side of the Mississippi;
and the largest division occupied the territory stretching
from the four great eastern rivers to the Atlantic Ocean.
AjyLtli.(iae. changes took place long beforoj^urop^eans had;
settled on the continent.

The Atlantic Lenape were divided into three jtribes.
Most distinguished among them were the Unamis or |.j_'/
TWtloJribe, who, with the Uaiah'i^htgQ? or_Turl£Oj/^tribe, ■,'[:'.(. -s^Xi
lived nearest to the sea-board, from the coast to the i /.
mountains of Eastern New York, and from the upper i
waters of th'^ Hudson to the region beyond the Potomac. 1
The third tribe w\as the Wolf, called Minsi or Monseys. '
They dwelt from the Hudson to the north heads of the
Delaware and Susquehanna, and southward to the Le-
high Hills of Pennsylvania, and the Musconetcong of
New Jersey. From these three trioes descended, in the'\
oourse of time, many others known by various names, )
living in ditibrcnt parts of the continent, and forming!
the great Algonquin stock of Indians. Thus far the
Delaware traditions.

Whether there is any historic basis for them other
than the undisputed fact that the Algonquin tribes, as
we have saj.c(^&n^rfi£ogiiizejl.llie-Xi^m as their,

" £E£"il^]i£?'5;," cannot at this day be determTnetl". The \

«i\

.L/

^y,^^ "fL ^■^^^^•'>^/-- '■'- /'^^.v^/w

LIFE AND TIMES OF

wide diffusion of this family, however, ia established be-
yond 11 doubt. It was scattered from the rocky wastes of
Labrador to the pine forests of I^orth Carolina, extend-
ing through more than twenty degrees of latitude along
the Atlantic coast, and thence eastward to the Missis-
sippi, over tluit vast territory which now embraces fifteen
teeming commonwealths of the United States and three
^provinces of British America. The A^beuakis^JPQqupds,
Pokauokets or "Wampanoags, Narragansetts, and Mo-
hicaus of Now England; the Lenni-Lenape of Pennsyl-
vania a»d Xew Jersey; the^Susquehannocks and Nanti-
cokes. of Maryland; the Powhattan Confederacy of Vir-
ginia ; the Shawanese, Kaskaskias, and Illinois west of
the Ohio ; the Chippewas, Ottawas, Potawatomies, and
Miamis of the Great Lakes and the wild Northwest;
together Avith others whose names need not be enu-
merated, all belonged to this stock. It was relatively
80 populous that it constituted, as has been computed,
about one-half of the natives east of the Mississippi and
south of the St. Lawrence.*

The Aquanoschioni, too, had a traditionary history,
subsequent to the conquest of the Ailigevn, preserved,
in part, by their aged men, but, in part, imputed to them
by the Lenape.

Alive to their own interests, so runs the story of the
latter, as they always were, they no sooner perceived
that the Lenape had discovered new hunting-grounds
beyond the Alleghanies than they also moved east-

1 Bancroft, iii. 243.

■IJ-

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

jhed bc-
astes of
extcntl-
le along
Missis-
9 fifteen
id three
*Qquod8,
ind Mo-
Pennsyl-
l1 Nanti-
f of Vir-
yvest of
lies, and
rth west ;
be enu-
elatively
mputed,
ippi and

history,

■eserved,

to them

y of the
erceived
grounds
2d east-

ward. Following the great basin of the lakes, they got
to the shores of Ontario and the rushing waters of the
St. Lawrence. There they established thenaselves, and ^
again became the neighbors of the Lenape. But the ',
harmony which had subsisted between the two in their
western homes was marred in this new country. The ,
AquanoBchioni, moved with envy, entangled the Lenape
in wars with their own allies ; the Lenape, indignant at
such duplicity, turned their arms against the Aquano-
scbioni, determined to extirpate the whole perfidious race, j
A succession of wars raged for more than a century.

The fathers of the Aquanoschioni, without acknowl-
edging such an origin of the conflict, continue the tale.

A crisis had come in their history. They were unsup-
ported by allies, and divided among themselves; whereas
numerous "grandchildren" flocked to the aid of the
Lenape. IIow could they hope for victory in so unequal
a struggle ?

Quickened by the danger which threatened the very
existence of his people, Thannawage, a wise and aged
chief of the Mohawks, proposed the union of its five i
nations as one confederacy. This suggestion met with i
universal favor, and, about eighty years before the com-|
ing of white men, the league was organized at a council,!
in which the Mohawks were represented by Toganawita,;
the Oneidas by Otatschechta, the Onondagas by Tato-j
tarho, the Cayugas by Togahayou, and the Senecas by}
Ganiatario and Satagaruges.*

» The above tradition is preserved in a German MS. work upon the j
Indians, by Chri^pher Fyrlaeus, a Moravian missionary. It is the '

(\j'jii>

LIFE AND TIMES OF

, Wo turn from traditions to history. To the Huron-
/ Iroquois family of Indians belonged, originally, the
• Hurons, or, as they were also called, Wyandots; the
, Tionnontates, or Tobacco Nation ; the Attiwandarons,
) or Neutral Nation ; the Eries and Andastes ; together
I with the Five Nations of the Mohawks, Oneidas, Onon-
\ dagas, Cayugas, and Senecas. These tribes all spoke
I dialects .of the generic tongue of the Iroqupis, and pos-
i sessed that section of Canada which is inclosed by Lakes
\ Huron, Erie, and Ontario, as also New York and a part
j of Pennsylvaria. The_Hurons ^yere conquer^, Jy^ the
; Eive_^ja[tion8 in 1649; the other tribes succumbed to
! the same domination, so that in the course of time
j the Iroquois proper were the sole but puissant represen-
I tatives of their stock, with the exception of some insig-
i nificant remnants.

The supremacy which they thus gained was owing, as

their traditions correctly set forth, to the league that

bound them together. It existed at the discovery of the

continent. To determine anything further touching the

time when it was formed, or the circumstances under

which it grew into being, is impossible. But its advan-

/tages are evident. The Algonquins knew noihing; oj^

(lefilHl^J ^'^y.6i'°'??^.?5t' They had no system of polity,

/there was no unity '^^ action among them. The affairs

property of the Bethlehem Archives, but deposited in the library of the
American Philosophical Society, at Philadelphia. He has recorded the
, tradiiion as he found it, without meaning to imply that it is anything
, more than a tradition. He says, moreover, that the names of the chiefs
' who pro))OBed and organized the league were perpetuated by calling,
\ from time to time, a person in each nation after them.

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

even of a single tribe were managed in the loosest
manner. Over the Iroquois, on the contrary, was set a ;
Grand Council of fifty sachems, in which each tribe en- :
joyed equal rights. Several inferior councils, moreover,
brought the idea of a government, practically, to all
classes, to every age, and even to both sexes, giving them
a personal interest, and, to some degree, a share in the
same. Hence councils regulated tribal life in all par-y
ticulars; while matters of national importance, in war/
and peace, were adjusted by the Grand Council. Thus
they became both a political and a military power araor.g
the aborigines. The influence of their league was folt
everywhere, and their conquests extended in every direc-
tion. Sometimes they overawed the Algonquins by em-i
bassies; again, they sent war-parties into their territory^
for hundreds of miles, and filled the whole wilderness[
with the terror of the Iroquois name.

Such are the traditions and the history of the Indians
up to the time when the first settlements of the white
man were begun on the North American continent.

But the aborigines had been known to Europeans for
n; ore than a century before this. As early as 1497 — only
five jears after Christopher Columbus had landed in the
New World — John Cabot and his son Sebastian, sailing
under a commission from Henry VII. of England, dis-
covered the North American continent, in the latitude
of the Arctic regions. In 1498, Sebastian Cabot visited
the main-land again ; and, turning to the south, where
the cliflfs of Labrador lift their hoary heads, rounded
Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, and, coasting along

LIFE AND TIMES OP

New England, saw the country where American liberty
should be born. Passing Long Island, he looked upon
the shore of New Jersey, where summer tourists now
mingle in the gay scenes of fashionable watering-places,
and the Absecom fisherman iilh his boat with luscious
oysters ; and, running up, first a part of Delaware Bay,
and then of Chesapeake Bay, came, at last, into the
latitude of Albemarle Sound. It was a bold voyage ;
an era long to be remembered by the natives. Not
many years after, the Spaniards visited the savannas of
Florida and the inlets of South Carolina. In 1624, an
Italian adventurer, John de Verrazzani, in the service
of France, sailed north, and, anchoring in New York
Bay, beheld the chiefs of the Mohicans, decked with
their eagles' plumes, standing on the shore to bid him
swelcorae; and stopped for two weel- < h\ the harbor of
|Newport, where the red men were b • ^lendly that he
described them as "the goodliest people' V , had met on
his whole voyage ; and, finally, approached the latitude
of fifty degrees. Ten years later (1584), Cartier sailed
up the St. Lawrence River, and reached the homes of
the Iroquois. But all these voyages were mere explora-
tions, and resulted in no colonie?

Nor did the brilliant discoveries of Ferdinand d^Sotp,
in 1538 and the subsequent years, eventuate in any per-
manent settlements. With a proud array of mail-clad
warriors, with flying banners, sounding trumpets, and
prancing steeds, he began his march through Florida ;
and, in spite of fearful hardships and constant hostilities
with the Cherokees, the Mobilian Confederacies, and

DAVID ZEISBERQER.

n liberty
ced upon
•ista now
ig-place8,

luscious
'are Bay,
into the

voyage ;
es. Not
annas of

1624, an
e service
3w York
jed with

bid him
larbor of

that he
I met on

latitude
ier sailed
lomes of

explora-

Id^Soto,
. any per-
mail-clad
)ets, and
Florida ;
lostilities
pies, and

the Natchez, traversed Georgia, parts of South Carolina,
Alabama, and Mississippi, until he stood on a lofty blutf
and beheld the Father of American rivers bearing his
uuequaled tribute of waters to the ocean ; nor stopped
there, but, crossing to the ^:^e^tern bank, pressed through
Missouri and Arkansas, and, at last, worn out in body
and in mind, died amid the wilderness, and found his
grave in the great stream which he had discovered.
His followers, after incredible toils, reached the Gulf in
brigantines, and finally escaped to the Panuco River of
Mexico, without having gained a foothold in any part
of the regions which they had traversed.

Twenty-two years later, Mfilg ndez, another Spaniard,
whose atrocious massacre of the Huguenot colony on
the St. John's River has made his name notorious,
founded the town of St. Augustine, the oldest settle-
53£SliB^^i£^iL4535li<ia ; but after the inroad of Dom-
inic de Gourges, who avenged the blood of his brethren,
it languished, and did not become a center of power. "*

The expeditions which Sir "Walter Raleigh sent to the
coast of North Carolina seemed to promise more abid-
ing results. The^colonj^on^th^^Jal^^^^^ X.
IkeOi^e^t^e first cgnygrt^^^f^ in they/
person of Manteo, who was baptized by command of \ ^-^'X^' ^
Raleigh, and receivedJhg,.titJe_.of ." Lord p^^^ {/ft.'.',^'^
But when its governor, John White, returned, in 1590, -
from England, with supplies, the island was a desert, the
settlers had disappeared, and were never heard of more.
Thus the continent, with the exception of St. Augustine,
again lay abandoned to its aboriginal inhabitants.

LIFE AND TIMES OF

The year 1607 marks a new era. Then the foot of
the European race was firmly planted upon this western
buttress of the world, and never again removed. Under
jthe auspices of the "London Company," Jamestown
]was founded in Virginia, amid the Powhattan Con-
federacy. In spite of hardships and dangers, the
colony increased, and triumphantly outlived the bloody
massacre of 1622. This settlement was followed, in
1608, by the permanent abode of French immigrants,

under Sam uel Ch amplain,. .jja Canada, among the

Iroquoi s. Five years later (1613), the Dutch estab-
ished themselves at the mouth of the Hudson River,
in the territory of the^Mphicans ; and, seven years
fter that (1620), the Mayflower cast anchor in the
harbor of Cape Cod, and the Pilgrims landed at Ply-
mouth to lay the foundation for the present greatness
of New England.
Thus there began, on our continent, that struggle
ft ,/ /between civilization and barbarism which is now nearly
at an end, leading to the extermination of the abo-
rigines as its inevitable issue. Either they must grasp
the band of the Old World, and suffer themselves
to be led in its ways, or they must be crushed under
^ts heel.

i The Delawares preserved among themselves a tradi-
' tion that the coming of the white man had been fore-
told by aged Indians of the Algonquin stock. These
prophets are said to have affirmed that the Great Spirit
I would send to their shores a race of men different from
'their own, and superior to it in power.

} foot of
i western
. Under
mestown
aa Con-
fers, the
e bloody
5wed, in
nigrants,
311^ the
h estab-
n River,
3n years
' in the
. at Ply-
jreatness

...^

DAVID ZEISBERQEB.

The Indian of that period lived in his original
simplicity. He was a hunter and a warrior. In time
of peace he pursued the game of his primeval forests,
or speared the fish with which the rivers teemed. But
when the honor of his tribe was to be upheld he sang
the war-song, and went with his fellow-braves to the
battle, fighting cautiously from a covert, or, boldly and
fiercely, man with man. His arms were of the crudest
kind. He wielded the war-club ; hurled, with unerring
aim, his tomahawk of stone ; and sent his arrows,
barbed with sharp flint-heads, deep into the breast of
his foe. Nor had he other weapons when he stalked
the deer or tracked the bear, — when he shot the wild-
turkey or chased the raccoon. His household imple-
ments were equally simple. To hoe the corn-plant,
beans, and pumpkins, which were the only staples, his
women used hoes made of the shoulder-bones of the
deer or the shell of a turtle, with long handles of wood ;
to cook his food, they took pots of clay mixed with
pounded shells. He cut fuel in the forest w^ith a heavy
axe of stone, unwieldy, and slow to perform its work ;
or kindled a fire either with tinder made of a desiccated
fungus or by rubbing together two pieces of dry wood,
and brought down a tree by burning off its trunk. The
skins of animals served him for clothing; his women
wore petticoats of wild flax; and the blanket, that
indispensable article of forest-comfort, was curiously
manufactured of the feathers of the turkey. For)
wampum^-::::W^^^ used in such manifold ways, which(

formed Jhii.curre^Qcyjind^ his letters of friend-J

•f

„.^... -- ^

•^ LIFE AND TIMES OF

, ship, his manifestoes of war and seals of peace —he

strung together bits of wood of various colors. By
1 way of exception only it was made of sea-shells, and

this latter kind he deemed precious as gold.

The moral character of the Indian, prior to his con-
jtactjvith_the white ^^m^ has been variously estimated.

It presented, without doubt, difterent traits in different
j tribes. That it was more elevated than, in la,ter times

seems very probable. Zeisberger often met, especially
Jj among the Algonquins, aged men who mourned over
jthe degeneracy they had lived to see ; and he believed
\ former generations to have been, at least relatively, far
Ibetter than those natives among whom he spent his life.
lOn the other hand, the Jesuit missionaries found licen-
itiousness prevailing, both among the Hurona and Iro-
I quois, to a fearful extent, although some of these chroni-
|clers likewise speak of this as a decline from the
imanners of an earlier age. In general, it may be said
[that the primitive Indians were distinguished by hospi-

jtality, kindness to the poor and the distressed, and

bourtesy in their social intercourse ; that some of their

jtribes deemed chastity in women a virtue, kept from

■'stealing, and discountenanced lying, but among others

I the female sex was shamelessly dissolute, and honesty

j and truth were the rare exceptions ; while pride, vin-

I dictiveness, cruelty, in forms which might be called

' devilish, were the vices common to the race. Canni-

/ balism was of frequent occurrence, in times of war,

I among the Iroquois, Hurons, and some other tribes.

I It is evident, therefore, that the Indians even in this re-

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

)eace —he
lors. By
hells, and

his con-
estimated.

1 different
ater times
especially
rned over
e believed
itively, far
nt his life,
and licen-
j and Iro-
jse chroni-

from the
ly be said
by hospi.
ssed, and
e of their
cept from
ng others
i hoDesty
3ride, vin-
be called
I. Ganui-
\ of war,
ler tribes,
in thia re-

mote period, does not deserve, from any point of view,^
that exalted character which is popularly ascribed to him. j

After the Dutch had settled in ISTew York, and the (
French in Canada, the Iroquois became the friends of
thp former, and the enemies of the latter. Against these
they often warred. At the same time, their protracted
struggle with the Lenape was not yet over. To this '
period of their history relates that singular Delaware '
tradition with which the missionaries met.

The Iroquois, so the story begins, finding the contest
in which they were engaged too great for them, as they
had to cope, on the one hand, with European arms, and,
on the other, with native prowess, excogitated a master-
stroke of intrigue. They sent an embassy to the Lenui-
Lenape, with a message in substance as follows : That
it was not well for the Indians to be fighting among
themselves, at a time when the whites, in ever-larger
numbers, were pressing into their country; that the
original possessors of the soil must be preserved from
total extirpation ; that the only way to effect this was a
voluntary assuming, on the part of some magnanimous
nation, of the position of "the woman," or umpire ; that
a weak people in such a position would have no influ-
ence, but a power like the Lenni-Lenape, celebrated for
its bravery and above all suspicion of pusillanimity,
might properly take the step; that, therefore, the Aqua-
noschioni besought them to lay aside their arms, devote
themselves to pacific employments, and act as mediators
among the tribes, thus putting a stop forever to the
fratricidal wars of the Indians.

> ^Hj

• ii'

'.' ■' i.>f..

^^..^'IW'''-

L/FJSJ AND TIMES OF

To this proposition the Lenapc cheorfally and trust-
ingly consented ; for they believed it to be dictated by
exalted patriotism, and to constitute the language of
genuine sincerity. They were, moreover, themselves
very anxious to preserve the Indian race. At a great
/feast, prepared for the representatives of the two nations,
■and amid many ceremonies, they were accordingly
(made women, and a broad belt of peace was intrusted to
'their keeping.

The Dutch, eo the tradition continues, were present
on this occasion, and had instigated the plot. That it
was p plot to break the strength of the Lenapo soon be-
came evident. They woke up from their magnanii^ous
dream, to find themselves in the power of the Iroquois,
From that time they were the "cousins" of the Iroquois,
and these their "uncles,"

This tradition is as ingenious and unique as it is fabu-
lous and absurd. It was devised by the Delawares to
conceal the fact that they had been conquered. And
yet history recognizes, and will ever know them, as the
vassals of the Iroquois, who exercised authority' over
them, stationed an agent in their country, and would
not permit their lands to be alienated without the con-
sent of the Confederate Council. The story of the Dela-
wares contradicts itself. Suspicious as Indians arc, to
the present day, this nation could not have been so com-
pletely duped ; and brave as it was, it would never have
submitted to such a degradation. The whole character
of the aborigines renders the thing impossible. In the
figurative language of the natives, the Delawares un-

-■t

■i.^

DAVID ZEISDEROER.

nd trust-
•tatcd by
^nage of
lenisclvos
t a threat
) nations,
cjordingly
;rusted to

e present

That it

! soon be-

nanir^ous

Iroquois.

Iroquois,

it is fabu-

iwares to
d. And
ni, as the
rity over
id would
the con-
the Dcla-
is are, to

n so com-

ver have

character

In the

Is-ares un-

questionably were "women," but they had been reduced
to this state by force of arms.'

The number of the Indians, in the first era of the ,
white man, more than two hundred years ago, cannot be
determined with any degree of accuracy. They were
more numerous than in Zeisberger's times, yet not to
be compared with the populous nations found by the
Spaniards in Mexico and Peru. The harmonious testi-
mony of the French and English proves that, about
IGGO, the Iroquois, redoubtable conquerors liough they
were, had but twojtheusand two hundred warriors.*,^
This gives a basis of computation which must lead to
surprising results. It has been estimated that all the^
tribes together, east of the Mississippi and south of the /
St. Lawrence, numbered but one hundred and eighty^'
thousand souls.' Wide tracts of that territory were,
consequently, uninhabited. The explorer could travel
for hundreds of miles without meeting a single human
being. Between the scattered tribes lay great solitudes.

• Hockewelder {IIisto2'i/ of tjie j2idia.n.^7^tio7is, Intro duc tion and chap,
i.) arguos in favor of this story. Zuisbcrgcr J^il/^ Ilistorj^^jift/ie In;-
dinnti) and Loskjel {Ilistori/ oj the Indian Mitssion, V2o and V2(j) both
mention it, but merely ns a tradition. It is a matter of furpriso that
the author of the "History of the Conspiracy of Pontine," page 27,
asserts tliat Bishop Losliiel records the story "with tlio utmost good
faith." Loskiel introduces it into his work as an interesting tradition,
and says not one word in its lavor. As well might the brothers Grimm
be accused of believing the national fables of Germany, because they
collected and published them.

* IM!iL''iL*'|t^_iLi''t:..Uv.§/aJii/,24i^^ ParkrB.anls..,Jjc^iits _of_ North
Aia.jriua, Introduction, p. OG.

■' Bancroft's Hist. U. S., iii. 2-53. The following is his estimate: Al-
gonquin tribes, 80,000; Eastern Siou.x, less than 3000; Iroquois, about
17,000; Catawbas, 3000; Cherokees, 12,000; Mobilian Confederacy,
50,000; lichees, 1000; Natchez, 4000.

"■»«,.

If II

LIFE AND TIMES OF

CHAPTER III.

NEW YORK AND PENNSYLVANIA ABOUT THE YEAR 1745.-
SETTLEMENTS AND INDIAN TRIBES.

■THEIR

III I' ■

il II

If II

New York City. — The Counties of the Province. — Its trade, govern-
ment, unci religious spirit. — The Indians of New York. — Clans of Mo-
hicans. — The Iroquois and their territory. — Relations to the English.
— Population. — Pennsylvania. — Its liberal institutions and religious
freedom. — Philadelphia. — The Counties of the Province and its gov-
ernment. — The Indians of Pennsylvania. — Dela wares, Shawanese, and
Nanticokcs. — The West. — Its Indian tribes and French posts. — A
struggle for supremacy between England and Franco approaching.

Having given an account of the Indians in general,
and of the Delawares and Iroquois in particular, among
whom Zeisberger labored, we will now present a picture
of the country which he traversed with the feet of a mes-
senger of peace, as it appeared at the time when he
began his mission.

New York was not then the Empire State. In the
eighty-one years of British sovereignty, since the inglo-
rious end of New Netherlands, its population and re-
sources had indeed increased, yet not in proportion to
the developments expanding some of its sister colonies.
But ten counties were under cultivation, scarcely a third
part of its area and one-sixth of the present number.*

' The principal sources for the sketch of New York are : The Docu-
mentary Hist, of N. Y.,in 4 vols., published by the Legislature; and
History of the late Province of N. Y., from its Discovery to the Appoint-

VA\\:\

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

745.— THEIR

ade, govern-
■Clans of Mo-
1 the English,
[ind religious
; and its gov-
lawanese, and
eh posts. — A
proaching.

n general,
ar, among
t a picture
t of a mes-
) when he

e. In the
the inglo-
in and re-
portion to
r colonies,
ely a third
uniber.^

The Docu-
slature ; and
the Appoint-

First among them, embracing the island of Manhat-
tan, was the County of New York, with the capital of
the Province, and the seat of the Colonial government at
its southern extremity. This city— the New Amster-
dam of the Dutch— had existed eighty-nine years, and
although, with its eleven thousand seven hundred and
seventeen inhabitants,' it formed a place of no mean pre-
tensions, yet it also exhibited an almost ludicrous con-
trast with the metropolitan magnificence which now
makes it the rival of Paris and London, and one of the
emporiums of the world.

Its streets were irregular, and paved v/ith what Smith
calls round pebbles; its houses, mostly of brick, covered
with tiles ; a City Hall, an Exchange, and Almshouse,
formed its public edifices; and, ten years subsequent
to 1745, it had but eleven places of worship.^ Of the
three public buildings, the most remarkable was City
Hall. It was a strong, brick structure, in the shape of

mont of Gov. Colden, in 1762, by Hon. William Smith, late Chief Jus-
tice of Lower Canada.

• A census, including the county, was taken June 4, 1746. Docu-
meniary Hist. N. F., i. 605.

"^ Smith wrote the first volume of his history in 175G, and gives the
following churches as existing at that time : Two Episcopal chapels,
Trinity and St. George's, the former founded in 1696, the latter in
1752 ; two Reformed Dutch churches ; two German Lutheran ; one
Moravian ; one Presbyterian ; one French Protestant ; a Quaker Meet-
ing-house ; and a Jewish synagogue. The Moravian Church was
organized by Count Zinzendorf, in 1743. The first church edifice was
built on FuHon Street, in 1752. Smith's brief account of this church
is interesting. He says (p. 261), "The Moravians, a now sect among
us, a church consisting principally of female proselytes from other
societies."

.\M\

LIFE AND TIMES OP

■■§

an oblong, two stories high, had an open walk, two
jails and the apartments of the jailer on the lirst floor,
and the rooms where the Council and Supreme Court
met on the second; the cellar was a dungeon, and the
;^arret a common prison.

Now York, in accordance with a charter granted in
1730, was divided into se- ware , and governed by
a Mayor, whom the Gov*. . appointed each year, a
Recorder, seven Aldermen, and as many Councilmeu.
Four Aldermen and four Councilmen, together with
either the Mayor or Recorder, made up the Common
Council.

The city could not deny its Dutch origin. The
language of Holland still prevailed, to a considerable
extent, and corrupted the English which was spoken;
while life, both at home and in society, was marked by
many Dutch customs.

In the northeastern part of the county lay the village
of Harlem, surrounded by vegetable gardens, which
were cultivated for the markets of the city. Like that
whole region, it was inhabited, principally, by Dutch
farmers.

The_two islands, which the Creator has constituted
arms to guard New York — to hold back the waters of
its noble bay, and permit great ships, coming from all
the ends of the earth, to anchor only after having passed
within their reach — were well populated, and formed
regular counties of the Province. But_Staten_„l8JLand,
or Richmond County, was not the resort it now is. No
summer-villas beautified it, rivaling those of Italy ; no

DAVID ZEISDERGER.

alk, two
rst floor,
[le Court
, and tlie

anted in
3rned by
I year, a
mcilmen.
her with
Commou

in. The
isiderable
I spoken;
larked by

le village

busy ferries brought jaded merchants to its refreshing
shore. It presented a wild appearance, and Richmond-
town, the only village, was a very poor place. I^ong
{^ind, on the contrary, with its three counties. King's,
Queen's, and Suftblk, and its numerous villages, formed
one of the most fl )iirishing parts of the Colony. Its
soil was fertile, supi»orting a population of twenty-one
thousand two hundred and twenty-five persons. Many
of the formers were graziers, and carried their products
to Boston and Rhode Island. In the eastern section
lived a remnant of Indians, in that state of semi- !
civilization which tends to debase rather than elevate]
; the character of the aborigines.
mk On the east side of the Hudson River lay the
Counties of Westchester and Dutchess. The former
was rich in rough but productive land, and, among its
towns, had an incorporated borough, Westchester,
which enjoyed the right of representation in the As-
sembly. The villages of Dutchess County were few
and small. In Zeisberger's history, Poughkeepsie and)
Rhinebeck occur. This county, however, was thetj
abode of mixed clans of the once powerful Mohican ]
and Wampanoag nations. The valley of Shekoracko, )
around the foot of the Stissinor Mountain, aftbrded them ^
a lovely retreat ; and here the Moravian Church had I
established a flourishing Mission.

Skirting the west bank of the Hudson were Orange
and Ulster Counties, inhabited by English, Scotch,
Irish, and Dutch settlers. Tappan or Orangetown, and
Goshen, ah'eady famed for its butter, were the prin-

>'v •■

,/-■

'imi

.< >

I li!

LIFE AND TlJUrjS OP

•imm

cipal places in the one ; ciiid Esopus or Kingston,
Huile}^, Rochester, and New Paltz in the other. Esopus
had a court-house, formed a town of some distinction,
and was a favorite resort of Moravian missionaries.
On Catskill Creek, now Greene. County, stood a small
frontier settlement calbd Freehold.

The horder county was Albany, whose undefined limits

were lost in the wilderness. On the site of Fort Orange,

a primitive Dutch post, had arisen an incorporated city,

now tlie capital of the State. It was built in the Dutch

style, governed by a Mayor and Common Council, and

growing in importance. At Albany not only treaties of

/»reat xnoment were concluded with the Six Nations, but

jthe Colonies learned some of the rudiments of that politi-

Wl philosophy which produced American independence.

/Scarcely less noted was Schenectady, on the Mohawk

\ River, in a rich flat surrounded by hills. A very old

I town, dating almost from the times of the first colonists,
I and near the Indian country, it had, by common consent,
ibeen made the general rendezvous for Iroquois, and for
traders coming to barter, or preparing to pursue their
traffic at more distant posts. To the west of it, on both
sides of the Mohawk, lay the settlements of the Pala-
tines, who had immigrated to New York by invitation of
Queen Anne. About 1723, many of them had removed
to Pennsylvania, but the tract had remained a German
neighborhood, and its villages, looking out from the
midst of wheat-fields and pea-patches, spread life and
industry as far as the Schoharie Creek. Beyond this,
isolated farms, reaching to th Mohawk territory, con-

iHii

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

Kingston,
. Esopus
istiuction,
isionaries.
d a small

lied limits

I't Orange,

•atcd city,

:he Dutcli

uncil, and

treaties of

itions, but

hat politi-

pendence.

Mohawk

vcr}' old

colonists,

n consent,

[s, and for

rsue their

t, on both

the Pala-

i^itation of

1 removed

1 German

from the

1 life and

yond this,

itory, con-

■:»

stitnted the western bounds of civilization. To the
north, land had been reclaimed as far as Schaghticoke
and Saratoga, where a fort had been erected, around
which clustered a few rude homesteads. But in 1745,
an attack of French Indians from Crown Point obliged
the settlers to seek a safer refuge. From,Saratoga to
Camida. rei^ujid jhejspliJ^ude and ^laud^^^
wilderness.

Exclusive of Albany County, the population of New
York amounted to sixty-one thousand five hundred and
eighty-nine souls, of whom ^fty-one thousand eight hun-
dred and seventy-two were whites, and the rest negroes.
Four years later (1749), it had, including Albany County,
increased to seventy-three thousand four hundred and
forty-eight.' While, therefore, this Province, in most
respects, was not the first among the American Colonies,
it foreshadowed, in one particular, its future greatness as
a commercial power. Productions of various kinds, and
in large quantities, were exported to difterent parts of
the world.

The government embraced a Governor, appointed by
King's commission; a Council, numbering twelve mem-
bers, designated by the King's mandamus and sign
manual, and forming advisers of the Governor, exercis-
ing also Iegi8lativ3 power and judicial authority upon
writs of error and appeals; and a General Assembly of
twenty- seven representatives, elected for seven years by
the people.

> Doc. Hist. N. Y., i. 695. In 1746 no census could be taken m
Albany County on account of the war.

LIFE AND TIMES OF

New York did not afford to Christians of various per-
suasions the same quiet retreat which they found in
Pennsylvania. Several Governors betrayed a desire to
render the Episcopal Church an Establishment; the
Roman Catholics were held in great abhorrence ; and
the Moravians suffered persecution. That the expulsion
of their ministers, whose faithful labors among the In-
dians God crowned with abundant success, was owing to
the jealousy of bigoted religionists, cannot be doubted.
The Presbyterians and the Reformed Dutch were the
most numerous Christian denominations ; the Epis-
copalians comprised but a small minority. Their
clergy were missionaries of the " English Society
for Propagating the Gospel," and ordained by the
Bishop of London, who had a commissary in the
Province.

The aboriginal lords of the soil still maintained their

'position. However unimportant the scattered clans of

Mohicans and Wampanoags, the Confederacy of the Six

I Nations was a power on the continent. From the limits

\ of Orange, Ulster, and Albany Counties to the waters

of the Lakes, and from Canada to Pennsylvania,

stretched out their broad hunting-grounds, covering

two-thirds of the present State.

Next to the settlements lived the Mohawks, who
formed the strongest and brightest link in the chain of
friendship that bound together the League and the Colo-
nies.^ They were partially civilized, enjoying the instruc-

1 Zeinberger's MS. Hist, of the Indians ; Morgan^s League .ftL .the
,Iroc[i,iois, with a map of their country in 1720.

DAVID ZEISBEROEB.

tions of Barclay, an Episcopal missionary.^ Among them "^
lived Sir William Johnson, the Indian agent, who knew j
better than any other man how to sway the proud Iro- \^
quois. His seat, at Kolaneka, the present Johnstown, in]
Fulton County, was a place of great celebrity, where j
he was accustomed to entertain their sachems and w|^

riors.

One of the chief towns of the Mohawks was Canajo-
harie. Between it and the plantations of the Palatines
lay William's Fort, which was both an English post and
a village of natives.'

Neighbors of the Mohawks were the Oneidat, whose)
territory extendi *1 from the St. Lawrence River toPenn-^
sylvania, and, by a westward deflection of the b'mndaryj
line, included the lake bearing their name. Tben came Q| J-^,
the Tuscaroras, the youngest branch of the Confederacy, j
originally from North Carolina, whence they, had beenj
driven for attempting to extirpate the colonists of that \
Province. Adopted by the Iro(][uoi8 in 1712, they weref f[
made^.the_8ixtli..tribe of the Leaguej which waa..thencej i
forth known a,s the Six Nations. Tuscarora towns, on\
the main road to Onondaga, were Anajot, Ganatisgoa, j
Ganochserage, Tioehrungwe, an«l Sganatees. <«!::

-fX

J Smith's Hist, of N. Y., ii. 77.

' Williiim Joiinson immigrated to America in 1734, and undertoolc tho
managcmont of an estate in the Mohawif valley for Sir Peter Warren, /
embarking also in tho fur trade witli tho Indians, whose language ho
learned. Having been commissioned a General in the Colonial army, he
received, in 175'), the appointment of Superintendent-General of Indian'
Affairs. In tho same year ho defeated tho French and French Indians!
under Count do Deiskaa, and for this victory was knighted. "^

8 Zeisberger's Journal of a Visit to the Mohawk Country in 1745.
MS. B. A.

III

! !

'1 '^

'i ii.

1 'i M

Clip:! I

IMP yi

mi-'

I i )

irH

/Ov^^--^^*

7.>*

L/F£ ^iVZ) 27if^5 OF

In the middle of the Iroquois country lay the posses-
Bions of the Ouondagas. This nation was the head of
I the Confederacy, and the custodian of the coraraon coun-
1 cil-iire. A few miles southeast of the Salt Lake, on the
jZinochsaa,^ stood Onondaga, the capital of the League,
jdivided into an upper and lower town, the latter called
fTagochsanagechti. It was a place of note and a seat of
power. In its long and arched council-house assembled
the sachems, from every part of the Confederacy, in order
to deliberate upon the aflairs of the same ; and when
the occasion was important hundreds of their followers
often accompanied them, filling the village or bivouack-
ing in the surrounding forest. Here, with the most
punctilious adherence to parliamentary propriety, as
established by the Indian, and with a decorum greater
far than can be found in some of the legislative bodies
of the white man, plans were adopted and principles
settled which had an important bearing upon the his-
tory of America. Here were duly considered the over-
tures of friendship, which the Iroquois received from the
two greatest kingdoms of Europe, whose statesmen
waited, not without anxiety, for the decision of this
council of American savages.

Nor were political emissaries the only visitors at Onon-
daga. Messengers of the Gospel of peace came there ;
[bishops of the Moravian Church concluded alliances;
jand.Zei8ber^er had a house of his own, aiidjva8..rggjirded_

> The present Onondnga Creek, flowing into Onondaga or the Salt
Lake.

-iM

DAVID ZEISBEKGER.

the Salt

The nearest British post, and a second rendezvous for
traders, was Oswego.

West of the Onondagas lived the Cayugas, whose )
principal towns were Cayuga, Ganutarage, Sannio, and ;.
Ondachoe, which all enlivened the shores of tlie lake to!
which the tribe has given its name.

The remainder of New York, to the crested flood of \
Niagara, leaping into its deep abyss, and to the broad
waters of Lake Erie, radiant in the light of tlie setting
sun, afforded the wild Senecas a home. TJiojiiostjiu-
merous and j)owerful people of the Confederacy, they
offered a determined opposition to the encroachments
of the white race. Zonesschio, Ganataqueh, and Ilach-
niage were some of their villages.

The country of the Iroquois was well adapted to their
habits. "Wooded hills and beautiful lakes diversified it ;
salt springs poured out their abundance ; a system of
creeks and rivers stretched from one end of it almost to
the other. Around these water-courses lay the favorite
haunts of the hunter. There he trapped the beaver, or,
launching his canoe of birch-bark, threw out his fish-
baskets and caught thousands of eels in a single night,
or, paddling up the small streams when the forests began
to glow in their autumnal hues, speared the delicious
salmon. The villages, too, were generally near to some
stream, and environed by orchards. In many parts of
the land swamps of white cedars spread their gloom,
deep and silent homes of the bear. Deer were not as
common as in Pennsylvania, but other game abounded.

Numerous trails intersected this country ; they led to

■\

LIFE AND TIMES OF

its principal towns, and had been trodden by the Indians
for generations. One of them in particular deserves to
be mentioned : commencing at Albany, it followed the
Mohawk River and passed through the Oneida, Tusca-
rora, and Onondaga cantons to the metropolis, continu-
ing thence through the lands of the Cayugas and Sene-
cas, it divided into two branches near its end, reached
Niagara on the north and the head of Lake Erie on the
south, not far from Buffalo, thus traversing the entire
length of the present Empire State. This was the
great highway of the Six Nations, and designated the

I course for the future multitudes which would sweep

\ westward along trails of iron on the wings of steam.
S Other trails going south centered at Tioga, in Pennsyl-

i vania.'

Writers are much divided in opinion with regard to
the number of the Iroquois. The middle of the seven-
teenth century was, in the judgment of Morgavi, the era
of their greatest prosperity, for he supposes them to have
then had at least twenty-five thousand souls.^ In 1745,
they counted, according to some authorities, about one-
half less; according to ethers, scarcely four thousand per-
i sons, women and children included. This latter estimate,

^ however, is entirely too low. Many of them lived in
I Canada, Pennsylvania, and the West. Sucl^^emigrant^
\J[rog[uois \yere called Mingoes^

1 The Iroquois country described by Zeishcrger in his MS. Hist, of he
\ Indians; the trails by Morgan in his League of the Iroquois, 412.
/ ' Morgan's Iroquois League.

^y/<i^:■^^-^

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

} Indians
serves to
3vved the
a, Tusca-

continu-
,nd Sene-
, reached
'ie on the
he entire

was the
iiated the
lid sweep
of steam.
L Pennsyl-

regard to
;he seven-
(i, the era
m to have

In 1745,

30ut one-
isand per-

estimate,
1 lived in

emigrant^

Hist, of he

:, 412.

Pennsylvania fills an important place in our picture.* j
When Zeisberger entered the missionary field the work
of building up this Province to a broad and massive j
Keystone State was progressing. William Penn slept;
with his fathers; but the wise policy which he had!
initiated, and the liberal principles which he hadj
established, had borne fruits. The first charter given
by him was based upon two fundamental truths of
political economy : that the happiness of society is the
real object of civil power, and that freedom exists only
where the laws rule and the people are parties to them.^
Hence his Province enjoyed a greater share both of civil
and religious liberty than any of its neighbors ; its
population rapidly increased, and its progress in other
respects was extraordinary. Only sixty-three years had
elapsed since the landing of Penn at New Castle, and
already Pennsylvania numbered about one hundred and
ten thousand inhabitants,' carried on a considerable
trade, possessed large tracts of well-cultivated land, and
had for its capital a city ranking second among all the
cities of the Colonies.*
From many countries of Europe immigrants had

' Authorities : Gordon's History of Ponnsylvaniu ; Watson's Annals
of Philadelphia; Rupp's Hif-torios of Lancaster, Berks, and Lebanon
Counties ; Pennsylvania Historical Collections ; and various MSS. in
B. A.

' Gordon, 173

' The population, in 1745, cannot be exactly ascertained; the number
I give is based upon figures for 1731 and 1751, in Proud's History of
Pennsylvania.

♦ At that time Boston was the largest city in the Colonies. In 1742
its population was 16,582.

<-<vJ

LIFE AND TIMES OF

sought and found a home within its hospitable confines.

SHere lived together Quakers and Episcopalians, Presby-
terians and Moravians, Schvvenkfelders and Lutherans,
Tunkers and lleformed. Baptists and Seventh-day Bap-
tists, Roman Catholics' and Mennonites, Separatists and
■•the Inspired, Hermits and the New Born, and there was
/none to make them afraid. It is true their spiritual
state was often lamentable. Spangenberg draws a dark
/picture of the Germans especially. "Thousands," he
i says, " concerned themselves so little about religion
\ that it had become a proverb to say of a person wholly
i indifferent to God's will and word: He is of the Penn-
isylvania religion. "^ Others were given up to the
jmost extravagant fanaticism, while the young generally
remained without an education, uncared for and for-
lorn.

Although Spangenberg is mistaken when he assigns
one hundred thousand Germans to Pennsylvania,^ yet
they outnumbered all other nationalities, and, being
mostly landholders, their votes at elections were eagerly
solicited. The Quakers constituted not one-third of the
population.* German industry, therefore, was changing
the wilderness into fruitful farms, and developing the
resources of the country. At the same time, the

< 1 The Eomnn Catholics wore held in such abhorrence in England that
(_even Pcnn reluctantly received them. — Qordon's History of Pennsyl'
vatiia, 570, etc.

* Spangonberg's Leben Zinzendorf, Part v., 1380.

* Spangenberg's Leben Zinzendorf, Part v., 1379.

J * Gordon's Hist, of Pcnn. Proud, in his Hist, of Penn,, states that
j in one year (1749), 12,000 German immigrants arrived.

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

yet

the

tenaciouaness with which this people clung to their
mother-tongue, over against the manifest destiny of
the English to heeome the language of the American
Colonies, was the cause of the gross ignorance that
still gives to many of our German farmers so unenviable
a notoriety.

To Pennsylvania belonged three counties on the
Delaware River — New Castle, Kent, and Sussex —
which now make up the State of Delaware. In the
early period of Colonial history they were known as
"The Territories." Of these we will not speak, but
turn to an account of the Province itself. Under
cultivation was that part which is bounded by the Blue
Mountains on the west, the Delaware on the east, and
Maryland on the south. This section was divided into
four counties — Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, and Lan-
caster — of which the first three had been laid out by
Penn himself as early as 1682, and the last dated to
1729. They all embraced larger areas than at presnt.

Philadelphia County, extending in a northwesternly
direction to the mountains, and including a part of
Berks and the whole of Montgomery, was the seat of
Penn's original settlements, and of the capital of the
Province.

The City of Philadelphia, founded in 1682 on the
Delaware, numbered, in the first year of its existence,
eighty-two houses; in 1745, it had fifteen hundred}
houses, and a population of thirteen thousand souls. It
stretched along the river, and High or Market Street,
its principal thoroughfare, reached barely to what is

ill

1 ill

LIFE AND TIMES OF

now Sixth. The market-houses, which for so long a
period made tliis thorouglitUre celebrated, but which
to-day belong to the things that were, had been erected
from Front to T lird Streets.

One of the most interesting public edifices of the city,
altiiough its glory had departed in 1745, was the "Old
Court House," at Second and High Streets — a quaint
structure set on arches, beneath which markets were
held, and having a gallery along the front gable on a
level with the upper story, and steps on both sides lead-
ing down to the street. A cupola with a bell surmounted
(the building. Until the year 1735, it formed the
/"Greate Towne House," where the Assembly met, and
\from the gallery of which the Governors addressed the
Ahe people.' It was superseded by the present State
fllousc.^ Notable, too, was the Stone Prison, at the
southwest corner of Third and High Streets, consisting
of two houses, joined by a lofty wall, that on High
Street being the Debtor's Jail, and that on Third, the
Work House. The " Carpenter Mansion," a handsome
edifice on Chestnut Street above Sixth, had been set
apart as the residence of the Governor. It was' sur-
rounded by grounds and orchards from Sixth to Sev nth
Streets, and in front of it stood a range of fine cherry-
trees.

/ 1 This gallery once scrvocl Wliitcfield ns a pulpit, where he preached
jwith so stentorian a voice lliat ho was heard far out on the Delaware
j River.

^Commenced in 1729. finished in 1734; afterward it underwent
various changes until it assumed its present appearance.

■M

DAVID ZEISBKRQER.

JO long a
lut which
n erected

F the city,

the "Old

-a quaint

vcts were

ible on a

ides lead-

rmounted

■med the

met, and

essed the

ent State

1, at the

onsisting

on High

ill I'd, the

landsome

been set

was' sur-

) Sev nth

e cherrj-

iie preached
e Delaware

underwent

The churches of tlie city numbered eleven, and were
distributed among the Baptists, Presbyterians, Quakers,
Moravians, Episcopalians, Lutherans, llelbrmed, and
Roman Catholics. Particularly interesting were the
Swedes' Church and the Academy. The former was .
the oldiest place of worship in_Pha[ajdelp,hiii, having been /
founded by the Swedish colonists in 1G77, five years ■ -
before the arrival ot Penn ; the latter, at the instance of|
Whitelield, had been built by subscription, " for the use\ V
of itinerant preachers forever."

Public squares were unknown. Washington Square,
which now offers its refreshing shade to the weary
citizen, was a potter's-field. Instead of such artificial
grounds, however, a natural park of noble trees covered
the entire area between Market and South Streets,
Broad Street and the Schuylkill liiver. It was called
the " Center Wood," also "Governor's Wood."

A chaitcr, granted in 1701, constituted the people
of PhiladeljOiia a body- corporate, under the name and
style of " The Mayor and Commonalty ol' the City of
Philadelphia, in the Province of Pennsylvania." The
government was composed of a Mayor, Recorder,
Aldermen, and Common Council, all elected by the
corporation.

Among the neighboring towns, Frankford and Ger-\
mantown were best known. The latter, founded in I
1683 by Francis Pastorius and a body of immigrants (
from Germany, was an incorporated borough ; contained /'
meeting-houses for the Friends, Bunkers, and Menno-
nites; and churches for the Lutherans and Reformed.

LIFE AND TIMES OF

Ui :i ,

In 1746, the Moravians began a boarding-school, at the
house of John Bechtol. The handsome summer-resi-
dences which now beautify the place were not seen.
It was, as its name denotes, a settlement of German
farmers. Germans, too, occupied parts of tlie present
Montgomery County ; both Schwenkfelders, whose plan-
tations clustered around Skippack, and Lutherans from
the Palatinate, who had a church at Trappe. Other
parts were settled by Quakers, and Gwynedd Township
by Welsh.

Bucks County, running in the same direction and as
far iS that of Philadelphia, was bounded by the same
mountains. It subsequently shared its area with North-
ampton and Lehigh. Quakers and Irish inhabited the
(lower half, in which Bristol, an incorporated borough on
jthe Delaware, was the principal town, and Po nnsbur y
jManor, five miles from Bristol, once the handsome coun-
\ try-seat of William Penu, lay neglected and fallen into
I premature decay. The upper section bore the name of
Ith^^Fprks of the^ela\vare."^

/ In 1737, the Indian title to its lands had been extin-
/guished by the far-faraed "walking purchase;"'* but it

1 Now Northampton County, which was established in 1752.

" At a treaty held by the Proprietaries in 1737, in relation to a tract

; of land purchased by W. Pcnn in 1686, but never laid off and ceded, it

was agreed that the natives should alienate so much as a man could walk

over in one and a half days, beginning near Wrightstown, Bucks County,

\. and going north toward the Blue Mountains. The Proprietaries having

'' advertised for the most expert walkers, several offered their services. Of

these three were selected, who undertook the walk on the 19th and 20th

of September. By no' ii of tli' 20th one of them reached the Tobihanna

Creek, beyond the mountains, much to the indignation of the Indians.

.if.

DAVID ZEISBERQER.

)ol, at the
iiner-resi-
not seen.
German
e present
lose plan-
ran 8 from
!. Other
lownship

)n and as
the same
th North-
bited the
)rough on
e nnsbur y
me coun-
illen into
I name of

en extin-
''^ but it

)2.

)n to a tract
nd ceded, it
1 could walk
cks County,
irics having
ervices. Of
th and 20th
! Tobihnnna
le Indians.

was, as yet, sparsely settled. The first inhabitants came
from North Ireland, and established themselves below
Bath, in the "Irish Settlements." They wore followed
by Germans, among whom Zeisberger's people, the Mo-
ravians, soon attracted the attention of the entire Prov-
ince. Building Bethlehem and Nazareth, having a log
church at Maguntsche, laying out Christiansbruun and
Gnadenthal,' they created centers of a wide-spread in-
fluence, both in a material and spiritual point of view ;
for they were no less successful as farmers and mechan-
ics than they were zealous as missionaries and faithful
as preachers of righteousness.

Easton, the flourishing^ county-town of Nprthanipton,N
clR|_not ejdst iii^Jl745; it was begun five years later.^
There were, in fact, no villages other than the Moravian,
and these were quite small. The settlers were found atk^'
wide intervals as far as the Blue Mountains, and a few in'^
Smithfield Township, beyond the ridge; but the larger,
part of that territory was a dense wilderness, the Towa- \
mensing of the Indians, where they delighted to hunt.*
In an earlier period another of their chosen resorts had
been the Minnisinks, broad flats east of the Delaware
Water-Gap. Th_ercjheJ^on8eys had kindled their great j
<^u«.^ldfii:fiJ. JH^3^1tfi_ incn:8",cabins usu rped its place,^

The County of Chester included the present Delaware

1 Th e Indian s called Bothlohcm Mpiagachsjlnk ; Nazareth. ]Velaga-
inikaj ChriMiimslmajin.aMjGnadenth^

' The Indian name fglL^aston was Lechaijmjtml.''

» The Moravians called this wilderness "AnthoiTy's Wilderness " after")
the Rev. AiUhonj.,Seyfcrt, the. first. Jloravian minister ordained in
America. " "" " *''■"- *"-J

LIFE AND TIMES OF

County, aud was first settled by Quakers. Later came
Scotch-Irisli Presbyterians and Welsb, the latter select-
ing tbe Great Valley for tbeir farms. Old Chester, or
Upland, was the seat of justice.

Lancaster County, the fruitful mother of the present
York, Cumberland, Berks, Northumberland, Dauphin,
and Lebanon, supported a numerous population, mostly
of Germans. Its county seat was Lancaster Town,
wliich had a Quaker meeting-house, a Lutheran and a
Reformed church. Soon after 1745 an Episcopal chapel
was erected. Ten years later there were two thousand
inhabitants. A public high-way to Philadelphia had
been laid out as early as 1733.

This county was divided into eight districts, whose

plantations stretched along Conestoga Creek toward the

Susquehanna, through Strasburg Township, where the

Mennonites congregated, and along Mill Creek, in the

Weber Thai. Besides these homesteads, the villages of

Reamstown, Siiue Schwamm, now New Holland, and

Adamstown had been begun. At Ephrata were found,

l in all their original simplicity, under the guidance of

'j Conrad Beissel, their " father," the Seventh-Day Bap-

^' tists, living in a convent for the "brethren," and in u

I nunnery for the "sisters," eating their simple meals

Ifrom diminutive wooden platters of their own mami-

'facture, and sleeping at night on hard benches, with

Jsharp-corncred blocks for their pillows. The Moravian

/town of Litiz was not yet in existence; on its present

site George Klein garnered plentiful harvests, and Ny-

berg, a Lutheran minister of Lancaster, preached the

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

iter came

ter select-
hester, or

le present
Dauphin,
)n, mostly
or Town,
ran and a
pal eliapel
> thousand
Iphia had

cts, whose
:oward the
where the
ek, in the
illages of
and, and
e found,
idancc of
)ay Bap-
and in a
le meals
n manu-
hcs, with
Moravian
ts present
, and Ny-
ched the

Gospel in a small log church, called St. James.^ To
the north, near tlie Furnace IlilLs, were iron -works,
established in 1728, by the Grubb family.

Where Columbia sees the busy trade of the Pennsyl-
vania 'Railroad, nestled a little settlement; another was
visible on the opposite bank, at AVrightsville ; and far-
ther west, in York, Adams, and Cumberland Counties,
were isolated farms. The Town of York, laid out in
1741, was an insignificant hamlet; but Harris's Ferry,
the nucleus of the present City of Harrisburg, by the
courage and indomitable perseverance of John Harris,
its founder, had been made so celebrated an outpost of
civilization that its fame spread not only through the
Colonics, but to every country of Europe, whence immi-
grants had come to Pennsylvania.

That smiling valley, wliicli lends its name lO the Leba-
non Valley Railroad, was well settled ; but neither with
Lebanon nor with any of the other thriving towns, at
which the cars now stop, did the trader and the occa-
sional traveler meet, Y'et there were some points of
interest. Near the site of Lebanon, the Moravians, in
1745, organized a church, and soon after erected Ile-
V)ron, a large chapel of unbewn stone; in Tulpehockeu
Township, the new home of the Palatines from New
York, another church, under the auspices of the same

1 Gcorgo Klein hiivincj donatod hi« farm to the Moravian Church^
Litiz was laid out in 17oG, and made a Moravian settlement, like Beth-
lehem and Nazareth. The exclusive system, as in all former Moravian 1
towns of this country, has long since been relinquished. St. .Tanios'sl
Ciiureh stood on the present turnpike to Lancaster, just above the firsti
houses of Litiz.

LIFE AND TIMES OF

\'m

religionists, was built in the same year ; a'xl about lialf a
mile east of the present Wommelsclorf lay the seat of
1 Conrad Weisser, that distinguished Indian Agent au 4,
.'Government Interpreter, who exercised so great an in-
»liuence over the natives, and so zealously promoted the
•Moravian Mission.^ At Reading, now a prosperous city,
the terminus of live railways, on one of which the coal-
treasures disemboweled from the hills of Pennsylvania
hourly pass by, in trains of prodigious length, to the
emporium at Philadelphia, there stood probably but a
single house.^ To the south of it, was Oley Township,
settled by French Huguenots, among whose descendants
the Moravians had established a boarding-school and a
small congregation.

In some respects the government of Pennsylvania

difl'ered from that of New York. William Penn having

'entered into negotiations with the Crown to sell his title

land claim, but dying before they could be concluded,

the proprietorship gave rise to protracted legal action.

(Finally, however, liis three sons by his second wife,

f Thomas, John, and Richard, became his successors.

tin 1745, Thomas and John Penn lived at Philadelphia,

where was their Land Office, from which warrants were

' C. Woissor, liorn atHorrciiborj^, Wurtombero;,Nov. 2, 1000, inimisriitiHl
I with his fatlicT to America in 1710, settled in tli£ AIohu^]i..vjilU^-j iiiid
j live d with Quagnunt, an Indian chief, from wliom l.c learned the Mylm^iyk
fand othe r native lansjuajje^. Komovinsjf, in T720, to Tiilpehciclcen, he
,' was appointed Indian Agent, Government Interpreter, and Justice of
I the Peace by Governor Thomas. In the Indian and French War lie
e.ommanded the second battalion of the Penn. Reginu^nt. Ho died
July 13, 17(iO, and lies buried on hi:^ farm,

^ Heading was laid ou' in 1748; Berks County organized in 1752.

I'!

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

>ut half a
e seat of
gent au4,
at an iu-
loted the
I'ous city,
. the coal-
nsylvania
th, to the
bly but a
["ownship,
iscendauts
ool and a

msylvania

nn having

11 his title

oncluded,

al action.

ond wife,

uccessors.

adclphia,

ants were

irnminratiHl
-V-iaii^i..!>l!i

ichiickcn, he
1 Justice of
nch War \w
It. Ho (]i<il

Ml 1762.

issued for newly-purchased tracts. The Proprietaries, |
with the consent of the Crown, appointed the Governor i
or Lieutenj.nt-Governor, as he was styled. In the period >
under review, George Tliomas, a planter from Antigua,
filled this office. The Council, whose Secretary was
Richard Peters, an Episcopal clergyman, formed a body
of advisers U the Governor; and the Assembly was
electe.l annually by the people. This yearly election
constituted a prerogative which Pennsylvania enjoyed
over other Colonies. The Sheriffs were designated for
three years by the Governor, within three days after
return made to him from two persons chosen by the
freemen of each county ; and Clerks of the Peace were
nominated in the same way, from three persons
returned by the Justices. The Assembly numbered |
thirty \ rsons, and was wholly under the influence of >
the Quakers. In 1741 there were only three members]
not of this persuasion.

Over all that wide country which lies beyond the .
Blue Mountains to the several limits of the State, and
wiiich now is its bono and sinew, roamed clans of
aborigines. Some of these were without permanent
homes, broken remnants of former nations, weak, poor,
and degenerate; others were mixed bodies of vagrants
from various tribes, having little villages in common,
and even inhabiting the same wigwams;^ while still
others, like the j ^onesto ga IjKliaJJS, resided in the

•"t^.

' Ou the gii^U'^'-'Uaanuj Zcisb«g(ix.fy.uiad.^uhicju\9jJJ,lVJLa.W.«S UOd

!!' Mil:'

I '^

1 1

?i , 'ffl

i:. i

i:;

!' !

!
_)

i" .

ill

11 '^^'''

LIFE AND TIMES OF

counties, supporting themselves by the sale of baskets,
brooms, and wooden dishes.'
' Two tribes of the Wyoming Valley — the Shawanese
'iand Nanticokes— were more numerous and powc-rful.
' The former had been expelled from Florida, and
i adopted as nephews by the Dolawares. In their new
Iseats they increased so rapidly that a portion of them
emigrated to the Ohio River, and erected their lodges
below the mouth of the Scioto.' Those who remained
in Wyoming built a village on the west baidc of the
Susquehanna, opposite to the confluence of the Lacka-
wanna.^ They were a savage and perfidious race.

The llTanticokes, having been driven from the Eastern
Shore of Maryland, had likewise been adopted by the
Delawares. They took up their abode below the
Lackawanna, on the east bank, of the Susquehanna,
,not far from Pittston, in sight of the Shawanese
town.* At a later time, single parties of them moved
to the north, as far as Chemung; and, in 1753, the
whole tribe left Wyoming, and settled in the Iroquois
country.*^ The Shawsxnese had, before this, joined their
brothers in Ohio.

The most influential and important among_jthe
aboris;ines of Pennsylvania were the De^AWAres. Their

1 Such. Indians were often called ^'JRiyer Indians."

» Bancroft's Hist. U. S. iv. 77.

' Draft of Wyominij; Valley by the Missionaries. B. A.

♦ Ibid. A part of the tribe came to Pennsylvania before 1745, and
lived near Harris's Ferry ; the main body, however, removed in that
year.

5 Zeisberger's Journal of Journey to Onondaga in 1753. MS. B. A.

iv-'»

■M

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

f baskets,

Ihawanese
iveiuiL
rid a, and
their new
1 of tliem
eir lodges
remained
ik of the
le Lacka-
ice.

le Eastern
2d by the
lolow the
luchanna,
(hawanese
!m moved
1753, tlie
3 Iroquois
ined their

long the
38. Their

favorite hunting-grouudd lay along the North and West
Branches of the Susquehanna. It was a rich and
beautiful country. The land yielded m^n^e in great
abundance ; the river swarmed with rock-tish and
shad; the beaver abounded along the smaller streams;
and tlic forests were stocked with deer, elk, foxes, and
raccoons. Nor were retreats for the bear wanting, —
great swamps of beech, white-pine, and spruce trees
interlocked so closely, and surrounded with so thick a
growth of underwood, that the rays of the sun never
penetrated their deep recesses.*

Shamokin, the present Sunbury^ was. .tlie.jj]3iet^
of the Indians.'' Its importajice in Pennsylvania
equaled that of Onontlaga,an New York. It was the
residence of x\llemoebi, who, although a decrepit, blind, /'
old man,^ ranked as the "King of the Delawares."
It was the post of Shikellimy, the Executive Deputy
of the Grand Council of the Six Nations, and the real
ruler of the Delaware dependencies. The Iroquois'
were still masters ; the Delawares women.

About a daj^'s journey from Shamokin lay Oston-

re 1745, and
oved in tliat

MS, B. A.

1 Zei.>ibergcr's MS. Hist, of tho Indians.

-David Brainord, in his Diary, Sept. 13, 1745, gives the following'
description of the town: "It lies partly on tho cast side of tho river, I ,
partly on the w:>»t, and partly on a large island in it, and contains | /*, - ,

upward of fifty houses and nearly three hundred persons, though j f ' '*^'^ '■'^'■*'*-'''^
never saw niueli more than half that number in it. They are of three /' ,.,———*—
different tribes of Indians, speaking throe languages wholly unintel-
ligible to eacli other. About one-half of its inhabitants are Delawares, I
the others called Senekas and Tutelas." — Brainerd's Life, p. 107. Am. !
Tract Soc. Ed.

8 Spangenberg's Journal of his Journey to Onondaga in 1745. MS.
B. A.

LIFE AND TIMES OF

111 <l

■■V

■\,

wacken on the West Branch, where, among a mixed
clan, dwelt Madame Montour, the French widow of
Carondowana or Robert Hunter — an Iroquois chief
who fell in a battle with the Catawbas— and her eon,
Andrew Montour, a warm and faithful friend of the
Colonies.

Other towns on the Susquehanna were "Wamphallo-
bank, in the present Luzerne County; Neskapeke, no\v
Nescope, at the mouth of a creek of the same name,
where lived a Delaware family, named Natumus, dis-
tinguished for its relative wealth, and owning a num-
ber of negro slaves;* and Machiwihilusing, in Bradford
County. The Alleghany, too, was enlivened by Dela-
ware villages; while, in Ohio, they were multiplying
so rapidly that they could there boast of five hundred
warriors (1750).^ They owned, moreover, a large tract
,of land on the Wabash, presented to them by tkfi-.?^k^
agoos, but it was uninhabited,^

The Pennsylvania homes of the Delawares, in their
own figurative mode of speech, were but "night-lodges."
The Y^hilanthropic wish of the original Proprietary had
not been realized. There was no room for the abo-
rigines. The steady advance of the white man com-
pelled them, at almost every treaty with the Colonial
authorities, to alienate more of their land, and retire to
ideeper recesses of the western wilderness.

This wilderness, rich in broad lakes and noble rivers,

1 Map of Wyoming Valley, by the Missionaries. B. A.

'Bancroft's Hist. U. S., iv. 77.

' Zeisberger's MS. Hist, of the Indians.

liS'j'i'

DAVID ZKISBERGER.

a mixed

idow of

''i^

is chief

her son,

I of the

mphallo-
ike, no\v
le name,
nus, dis-
• a num-
Bradford
by Dela-
Itiplying
hundred
rge tract

in their
lodges."
tary had
the abo-
an com-
Colonial
retire to

e rivers,
A.

in magnificent forests and blooming prairies, one of the
most luxuriant territories on the North American Con-
tinent, and big with the great future which it should
bring forth, constituted the hunting-grounds of many
tribes. Around the western head of Lake Erie, in
Canada and Ohio, lived a remnant of the Ilurons, or '
Wjandots; about Sa^ginaw Bay, Jhe Ojibwas had their !
wig\yams; th e wa ters of Lake Michigan r.cjdcateil .the
coun cil-tir^,-Q£-thc..i)ttawas and Potawatoniigs, on the
east, and of the Monqmonies, Winnebagoes and Kipka-/* "^;
goos^on the west; the Chippewas — a powerful nation
mustering many braves — were scattered in Canada,
along Lake Huron, and south of Lake^uperior; the
towns^of the Sacs, Foxes, and Ottigamies lay betweeti
Lake Michigan and the Mississippi ; and farther down*
that river were domiciliated the Illinois.

These Lidians, together with numerous other clans,
were claimed as allies by France, which had established
military posts among them, on the Wabash, the Ohio,
the Illinois, the Wisconsin, and the Mississippi. In a
report made to the home government, in 1736, the
E'rench Colonial authorities asserted that no less than
one hundred and three nations, comprising sixteen thou-
sand four hundred and three warriors, and eighty-two
thousand souls, were under their control.^ However
exaggerated this report may have been, or at least,
however nominal such a sway, France, since the peace
of Utrecht (1713), had again become a formidable rival

Schoolcraft's Ind. Tribes, Part vi. 198.

M99I

LIFE AND TIMES OF

of England, in the New World, and was active in
spreading her influence through the valley of the Mis-
sissippi in particular. Hence the new war which had
broken out between these two countries (1744), although
it raged chiefly in Europe and on the sea, may be called
the prelude to a final struggle for the supremacy of the
North American Continent.

iJi :ii

active in
f the Mis-
vhich had
, although
7 be called
acy of the

DAVID ZEISDEBOER.

CHAPTER IV.

GOVERNMENT, iMANNERS, CUSTOMS, CHARACTER, AND RELIGION

OF TUB DELAWARES AND IROQUOIS IN THE TIMES OF

ZEISBERGER.

Idea of government. — The Iroquois polity. — Sachems. — Grand Council. —
Chiefs. — Chins. — Tlie later Iroquois different from their fathers. — The
Delaware government. — National and tribal chiefs. — Counselors and
cajitains. — Aboriginal life changed through the influence of the white
men. — Hunting, its laws and charms. — Other employments. — House-
hold utensils. — Towns and houses. — The Indian at home. — Dress of
the men and the women. — Children.— Social intercourse. — Games. —
Environs of a village — Magazines, rum-shops, vapor-baths, and burial-
grounds.— Dances.— Moral character, and the false estimate of the
same. — Zci.sberger's views. — Cause of the false estimate. — Religious
belief of the primitive Indians. — Outlines of their superstition in the
labt century. — Indian oratory.

The idea of government, as found among the abo-
rigines, pi-esented interesting and peculiar features.
The Indian was absolutely free, acknowledged no",
master, and yielded obedience to law only in so far as
he chose. His chiefs did not rule, in the ordinary
sense; they had no power which they could enforce;
they could claim no tribute, however common it was
to bring them giftst Their authority was based upon
personal inHuence, and upon the skill with which they
guided their counselors. And yet there existed systems
of government that, in spite of their many imperfec-
tions, were far in advance both of the lawlessness of
some savages and the tyranny which enslaves others.

Iio

lis

i'' [
- I

L//'^ AND TIMES OF

/ Wliat a contrast, for example, was there not betvvoon
jtlieluJiau nations of our own country and those African
tribes which siil)mitted to the crnelMca of a despot, sell-
iing thousands into servitude, or putting to deii^h wives
and subjects for the most trivial ofteni^e! The grand
princii ' of self-government appears among the former,
although in a crude cast; and it may well be said, that
the race which came to establish upon our Continent
the great republic wo have lived to see, found a
faint type of it amid the children of its primeval
forests.

This holds good of the Irocpiois system in particular,
which was the best matured and most successful. Their
nations were independent in some respects, but confed-
erated in a central government, to which certain privi-
leges and powers had been delegated. Its distinguishing
feature, however, was altogether peculiar, and consti-
tuted the League, as such, an oligarchy rather than a
republic.
>• There existed sixty permanent sachemships, eacjh
/with a title of its own, and each hereditary. The laws
of descent were carefully regulated ; and before a sachem
"could discharge the duties of lii^^ office he must be in-
, vested with his title by a council of his peers, or to use
their own term for the ceremony, "raised up."

They were all of the same rank, and exercised juris-
diction, not separately or territorially, but in common,
throughout the Confederacy. At its organization the
iMohawks received nine such sachemships, the Oneidas
jthe same number, the Onondagas fourteen, the Cayugas

--■VC'-

t betvvoon
ic African
(spot, sell-
ii+h wives
'he grand
le former,
said, that
Continent
found a
primeval

•articnjar,
il. Their
it eonfed-
ain privi-
iguishing
(I consti-
}r than a

ips, oacjb
The laws
a sachem
ist be in-
or to use

sed juris-

coinnion,

ition the

Oneidas

Ca^'ugas

0/'

•V--

(p. /■

DAVID ZEISBERGEB. ^'

./-

ten, and the Senecas eight. This difference in numbers,
however, caused no dispuiity of power. The saclienis,
in their associated capacity, formed the Grand Council,
where each representative enjoyed equal rights and the
same privileges. Some, indeed, were considered more
dignified than others; but this depended upon their
titles. That one of the Onondago sachems who was
known as Tododiiho ranked first. The Council was the
ruling body, and exercised legislative, judicial, and
executive authority. Besides this confederate position,
such sachems .-tood at the head of their own nations also.'

Next in power were the chieis, whose office was
elective, but^terminated, \yith the individual. They
generally received this distinction as a reward of merit,
and their number was not limited. At first, they w ere
merely the counselors and assistants of the sachems;
in the course of time, however, their influence grew to
be coequal. l]hc_dudes.QLboth. sachems and ehieia vvere^
altogether of a civil character. A sachem, going to war, \ i ,-
ranked as a common brave. Indeed, there existed no!'"'^'''*''"'''^"!^
regxii^- ..war-chiefs. Any warrior could form and lead a ' , / lA^''^

band. In case of a general war, two supreme military i "

chieftains, whose office was hereditary, directed th&J
campaign.

Another characteristic of the Iroquois polity was the\
subdmsion of their nations into clans or familie8~of/
which there were eigbt, known bj the names of TurtleA

> Mo^gan^Xcasiiq. of tjie Iroquois, pp. 62, 63. I follow this author^
and Zeisbergcr in my account of the Iroquois government. ^

yiyicxj

LIFE AND TIMES OF

^ /Hear, Wolf, Beaver, Deer, Snipe^. Heron, and Ilawk.
I Each of thoso had for its onihlcm the figure of the
I animal or hird aftei' which it was designated. Such em-
I blenis were called talons, and were tattooed on the
/ persons of the clansmen, or painted over the doors of
their huts. The clans were constituted irrespective of
nationality, and embraced such as formed one family, in
whatever tribe they might be found. Hence two per-
sons of the same clan never married. The child
belonged to that of its mother.

As an illustration, we may adduce the example of
Zeisberger himself. He was adopted intoj^^lie nation

of the Onondagas and the clan of th e J ^^rtle. Conse-
quently all those Iroquois who were comprised in this
jclan, whether Onondagas, Cayugas, Senecas, Oneidas,
Tuscaroras, or Mohawks, acknowledged him as their
kinsman.

'The Turtle family, or the Anowara, was the jnost
noble of the whole League; next came the Ochquari,
or clan of the Bear, and the Oquacho, or that of the
Wolf. These three were so prominent thiit Zeisberger
hardly recognizes the others.'

Of the Iroquois generally, it may be said that they
had grown to be, in his time, a conglomeration of
nationalities, wholly diiicrent from the original Aqua-
noschioni. This was owing to the adoption of prisoners
taken in the wars which each successive generation had

1 Clark, in his Onondaga, i. o2, includes the Benvcr among the supe-
rior chins, and adduces the Eiiglo and the Eel, in place of the Snipe and
the Hawk.

Mill I

DAVin ZKISUEROEB.

nd Ilawlt
uro of the
Such em-
hI on the
e doors of
ipeetive of
} fiiniily, ill
e two per-
Thc child

ixaniple of

the ii^aiiaiL
Le. Co rise-
3ed ill this
3, Oneidas,
(1 as their

the most

Oehquaii,

hat of the

Zeisberger

that they
eratioti of
inal Aqua-
f prisoners
ration had

ong tlic supo-
he Snipe and

been carrying on with nearly all the tribes of tljo conti-
nent. If they had not thus replenished their ranks
they would have died out long before he canio among
them.

The Delaware government bore some analogy to that>
of the Six Nations, but was less of a system, and lackedj
a proper development.

Each of the three tribes, into which this people wasY
divijied, had a national chief at its head. The chief of
the Turtle tribe stood highest, and bore the title of
"King of the Delawares." It was his duty to pre-
serve the council-bag, the belts of peace, as well as all
documentary records of Colonial treaties; and, jointly
with the other two chiefs, to administer the foreign'
afiairs of the nation. A general council was sometime^
called, in which all the three headmen and their advisers]
took part.

In addition to these rulers, however, there were raany^
subordiuiltG chiefs, who, togetlier with their counselors,'
formed the tribal councils. They were civil officers,?'
nominally chosen by the people, although the captains':
controlled the election. In case of their decease, their
sons were ineligible; but grandsons, or other male
relatives, might succeed them. They had the right,
also, to select their own counselors, who were men of
expsrience that not unfrequently filled, at the same
time, the office of captain.

This latter position was neither hereditary nor
elective, but created by the individual himself. His
first claim to it generally rested upon a dream. In

LIFE AND TIMES OF

%M I

:i; '^f

!' :ii!ii

the visions of the night he saw himself a captain, and
announced this as liis destiny, substantiating it by war-
parties which he led out six or seven times in suc-
cession. If he came back victorious, with scalps or
prisoners, and no loss on his own side, his claim was
allowed. Ii", on the contrary, such expeditions proved a
failure, he was disgraced, and had to relinquish all hope
of securing the dignity to which he aspired. Captains
were intrusted with the en+ire management of a war.
They could not, however, conclude peace. This was
the province of the chiefs in council assembled.'

Turning now to aboriginal life, we find the Indian,
in many respects, difterent from his ftithers in a former
era. The influence of a superior race, mingling freely
with tne Iroquois and Delawares, in particular, had
become apparent. The nations farther west remained,
comparatively, in their primitive state.

When the Indian was not engaged in war, the chase
formed his principal occupation. It had its regular
seasons. The deer-hunt began in September or Octo-
ber, and lasted until January. Throughout the rest
of the winter, as also in spring, the fox, the raccoon,
beaver, and bear were sought for. In February, the
women joined their Imsbands in the forests, where
little encampments had been provided for them, and
boiled maple-sugar. Meanwhile the men continued to
hunt, and supplied them with food. Next followed the

' This ticcount of the Delaware government is based upon Zeisber-
ger's MS. Ilisfori/ of the Indiduts, whicli docunu'ut is my ehicf authority
for all that follows in this chapter.

DAVID ZEISDEROEB.

ptain, and
it by war-
39 in snc-

scalps or
3] aim Avas
s proved a
li all hope

Captains
of a war.
This was

le Indian,
I a former
iug freely
iular, had
remained,

the chase
ts regular

or Octo-
t the rest
' raccoon,
uary, the
ts, where
hem, and
1 tinned to
lowed the

pon Zeisber-
iof uuthoiitv

■•^,..

"V>

■.¥^^'-^ -

■/-u

summer deer-hunt, in June and July, when the fur of
these animals assumes a reddish hue, which increases
the value of tlioir pelts. And it was, mainly, for the
sake of these that they were chased during six months
of the year. The meat was often wasted, lying un-
touched where the creature had been flayed^ or hung
from the branch of a tree, as a gift to the hungry.
An expert hunter would shoot, in a single a itumn,
from lifty to one hundred and fifty head. That they
rapidly decreased, even in Zeisberger's time, was a ne-(^;<^
cessary consequence of such wholesale slaughter, which
had never been known prior to the peltry-trade with the'-^;^ ''^ '^
white men.

Tlie agility and endurance with which the Indians
pursued deer are marvelous. It was no uncommon
thing for d liunter to chase one or more of them a
distance of eight or ten milts, from early moi-ning to
evening, without getting a shot, until they were run
down and could 2:0 no farther.

The Delawares and Iroquois used the rifle, both in /r',
war and on the chase; for small game, however, the(
bow and arrow were still in vogue. Western nationsj
employed ordinary shot-guns.

There existed well-defined laws of the chase.
Whenever several hunters went out in company, thel'"'*^''
oldest, especially if he was a counselor, took the
command, and it was deemed disgraceful to desert
such a party, and hunt independently of the rest.
In case a deer was wounded by one, and afterward
killed or found dead by another, the skin belonged

^..

'4-

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"ry

■ ''1...

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1,: '■

I II

LIFE AND TIMES OF

*' 4/'

/■

v:/

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■ *

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/to the first; the meat, or half the meat, to the second.

I If several discharged their rifles siiiiultaneonsly at

the same deer, so that it was impossible to determine

I whose bullet brought it down, the oldest received the

skin, whether ho had or had not fired, but the meat

jwas divided among all. Aged men accompanying a

/ iparty must be plentifully supplied by the young both

iwith pelts and meat.

''' Charms, carried in the pouch, in order to make a
(hunt successful, were in universal use. They were
! for the most part prepared, by superannuated hunt-
I ers, of roots, herbs, or seeds, and sold at high prices.
In some cases they were administered as emetics.
, Zeisberger mentions an instance of a Delaware who
j persistently employed such a charm for three weeks,
every alternate day, submitting to all its painful con-
sequences, and yet did not shoot a single deer in that
whole time.

A protracted hunt was inaugurated by a feast,
given to the old men of the village, and bearing the
character of a sacrifice, inasmuch as the guests in-
voked the aid of the good spirits on the hunter's
behalf,
lu addition to hunting, the men built huts and lent 9l_
. .hand in laying out plantations. All other work fell to
\\i^ '\ J (the share of the women, who tilled the around, gathered
^> If jthe harvest, collected fuel, and cooked. Their staples
-) ,>' /^ were maize, pumpkins, potatoes, and beans, as also
fj/" / several other vegetables introduced from the settlements,
W ^ such as turnips and cabbage

^Ai'

le second,
eonsly at
letermiiie
ieived the
the moat
)aiiying a
»ung both

o make a
'hey were
ted hunt-
gh prices.
; emetics.
ware who
ce weeks,
tinful Con-
or in that

a least,
aring the
ffuests in-
hunter's

and lent a_
)rk fell to
, gathered
oir staples
, as also
ttlcments,

■ oh old

DAVID ZEISBERGER. 83

id garments of these tribes

en an go.

utcnsi
had undergone a grea
pot^ of primitive times, iron or copper vessels were uni- ■
vcrsal; the turkey-feather blanket had given place to
the woolen ; other articles of dress were mostly made of
stuffs procured from the traders; and the wiuiipuriicon-.
sisted almost exclusively of bcadj.

Indian towns were small, irregular clusters of huts on i
a creek or river. There was a marked difference be-\
tween the houses of the Iroquois and those of the Dola-j
wares.

The former were constructed of bark, with arched
roofs, and often of great length, so as to accommodate
from two to four fiimilies, to each of which was assigned
one of the fires that were kindled on the ground in a
line down the middle of the house. Running along the
entire crown of the roof was an aperture, through which,
the smoke escaped and the light came in. Under the^
roof poles were fastened, laden with haunches of yen--,
ison, ears of corn, and other stores.*

Among the Delawares each family had a house of"]
its own, which was of much smaller dimensions, with ,

a peaked roof, and a frame of posts or boards covered

' yuch houses wore modclod iiftcr those rernarkablo structures which
tho Jesuits found ninoiig the Hurons sind Iroquois in the soveuteciitli cnn- ■
tury, and some of which wore said to liavo been between two hundred
and three hundred feet in length, or oven longer, accommodating the
population of an entire village. Thoy wore made of posts and poles, or
of saplings, planted in rows, covered with bark, and had two tiers of ,;
platforms stretching through the interior on both sides, with a line of ?
fires in the open space between them. ~

"-v/

ft s

|i!li|i

s>-

h '

LIFE AND TIMES OF

with bark. A hole in the top gave exit to the smoke,
aiul small openings in the sides, with sliding shutters,
aftbrded light. Not a few, however, were well-con-
structed log-cabins, such as formed the liomesteads of
the borderers, who were occasionally' hired to build
them.

The center of attraction in the dwellings of both these
nations was the lire, surrounded by a kind of bunk, that
served as a seat and table in the daytime and as a bed
jat night. It was covered with deer and bear skins, or
with mats of rushes, plaited and skillfully painted by
the W'Omen. Such mats were also fastened to the sides
of the house, in order to beautify it and keep out the
cold in winter.

Let us look in upon an Indian family. The husband
is lying in his bunk, the personilication of indolence,
sleeping or smoking, his beardless face, his broad chest,
sinewy arms, and supple legs tattooed with curious
figures ; his head is bald, excepting Ji circle ..of hair oii_
its crown, and two twists hanging down on either side,
tricked out with strings of beads, or brass and silver orna-
ments. Similar trinkets dangle from liis ears and nose.
A small blanket, known as a match-coat, covers his
shoulders, and the breech-cloth his middle. His feet
are cased in buckskin moccasins, decorated with beads
and embroidery.

His wife is engaged in :■'> ^kinz. t*? vhich she attends
twice a day; lei long '-h "k Lau, pfofusely anointed
with bear's grease, hangs dc n to the hips, and is
wrapped in cloth, gay with Tri/nous and silver buckles.

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

be smoke,
1 sliuttors,

well-con-
ostetuls of

to build

both these
bunk, that
I as a bed
■ skins, or
)aiiitcd by
the sides
3p out the

10 husband
indolence,
oad chest,
th curious
of hair oii_
ither side,
silver orna-
and nose,
covers his
His feet
vith beads

;he attends
anointed
[)s, and is
sr buckles,

Another piece of cloth, laid double, and reaching below
her knees, is bound round her waist, like a petticoat,
over which foils a white shirt daubed with red paint, or;
a shirt of colored cotton. Her moccasins are embroid-
ered even more richly than her husband's. She is boil-
ing venison, or some other meat, along with maize,
taking pains to let the former be so well done that
it falls to pieces — for half-cooked food, whether flesh
or fish, is deemed an abomination — and occasionally
looking after her corn-bread, which is baking in the
ashes.

If her supply of meat is exhausted, she serves up corn,
which she can prepare in twelve dift'erent ways, or mush,
milk, and butter; or she gives her husban. a hint that
fresh meat would be acceptable, whereupon he rouses
himself and goes out to hunt. Returning with game,
he throws it down outside of the hut at the door, and
re-enters in silence. This game belongs to the woman,
who brings it in and prepares a plentiful meal, after
having sent choice parts of it to her neighbors.

In one corner of the house stands a mortar, cut out
of the tr.aik of a tree. A girl, with nothing on her
person but a short skirt, is using it to pound corn;
while several boys are idling around, some nude,
others wearing a flap of buckskin over the groin, at-
tached to a leathern strap that passes across their
shoulders. In anothti- corner, upon a peg, hangs a
primitive cradle, consisting of a board coverea with
moss and surmounted by arched strips of wood, beneath
which an infant is imprisoned, wrapped in furs or

I >

LIFE AND TIMES OF

cloth.' Several lean, wolfish clogs are stretched around
the fire.

The boys of such a fiimily are left to educate them-
selves, receiving instruction in regard to the chase only.
They do what they please; and punishment even for
the worst ofi:buses is rarely inflicted. Their parents
fear that they might avenge themselves when they aro
grown. When they do venture to correct them, tlio
chastisement is nothing more than a dash of cold water
in the face. Girls arc trained to the various duties
of their slavish life, as also to nuike pouches and
girdles.

Such girdles or bands were used for carrying burdens.
They were woven of wild flax, three fingers in breadth,
and ornamented with symbols and figures. Those for
the women were fostened round their heads, witli
another band suspended behind. To this was attached
the load, the strain of which, consequently, was thrown
upon their foreheads, .although tlie load itself rested
on their backs. They could easily cany a hundred-
weiii'lit. The men secured their burdens with the band
around the breast, and were accustomed, in this way,
to bring the unflayed carcass of a deer, weighing per-
haps one hundred and fifty pounds, from the forest to
their towns.

But see! the blanket or sheet of bark which covers
the d(/or is lifted, and visitors enter.^ They grasp the

' Owing to tlio many nctidonts which thi? mode; of cradling cliildren
produced, it wai' given tip more and more iti Zei^borgor's tim(>.

■' riiis was of very frequent occuireneo ; for, in spito of their ordinary

3d around

ite them-
lase only,
oven for
I' parents
they aro
hem, the
old water
us duties
dies and

burdens,
breadth.
rho.se tor
ds, with
attached
3 thrown
if rested
hundrad-
tlie band
his way,
ling per-
forest to

d) covers
rasp the

g children

r ordinarv

Cxi

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

hands of their friends, addressing each one by the title

station confers. After having

wliich sex, or age, or

»"-'

seated themselves, they perhaps renew this ceremonial
a second time, in all its details. Meanwhile the house-
wife hastens to prepare a kettle of food, which she
places before them, giving them bowls made of wood,
or of the excrescences of trees, and large spoons of the
same material. When they have satisfied their hunger,
they hand the bowls and spoons to the family, which
proceeds to finish the meal.

Such a repast would not have been appetizing to a
white man, other than a missionary or trader, whose
stomachs are hardened. The cooking utensils, the bowls
and spoons, are seldom washed, except by the tongues
of dogs; and, not unfrequently, there is but one spoon
for the whole ^-onipany. The hut itsel^' is filthy in the
extreme, infested with fleas, and half-ti''c-d with smoke.
Of all this the natives are not conscious, but enjoy
the visit. A pouch of otter or weaver «kJ)], richly
ornamented with beads, and containing ajnijxture of
t^)baceo and sumach, is brought out; the pipes are
tilled and lighted; and the circle begins a chat upon tho
latest news of the village or the tribe, upon political
aft'airs, hunting, and other similar topics. Intelligence
known to be fiilso, or tho most improbable adventures,
are rehearsed, exciting peals of laughter, but listened to
without any other interruption. And, while jokes are

reserve, iind the haughty iinpiissiveiiess which they often assumed, the
Indians were exceedingly fond of society. Tlie houses of tho chiefs,
in iuirticuUir, wero visited, where tho latest news might bo lieard.

,y.

n,-

1!!^ :l

LIFE AND TIMES OF

(

A-

passed, they are never offensive. Throughout the visit
a courtesy prevails which is astonishing.

When the conversation begins to flag, the host
; produces a pack of cards, and dice made of the pits
of wild pkuns. Both are recolvod with silent satis-
faction. Some betake themselves to ii giime ol' (uirds,
taught them by the traders from whom tliny wul'o
purchased; while others put tin; dice in a bowl, which
they lift up and then strike against the ground, eui'li, in
turn, staking some article of value upon the fall of llio
dice. This latter is a national and favorite game that
excites the deepest interest, and is often protracted for
an entire day.'

Weary of such in-door amusements, the visitors leave,
and, followed by their host, join the other men of the
village, who have assembled for more athletic sports.
The town is soon full of life. One party plays nine-
pins, another ball ; here two young men begin to
wrestle, — there several try their strength in lilting
boulders, or in throwing stones; while the boys bring
out their bows and arrows to shoot at a mark.

Meantime the women gather in groups and look on,
or, more frequently, talk of their plantations and house-

1 Two towns sometimes pluyed to£;etliei'. Zeisbcrgor spoiiks of a game
of this kind wliich he witncs.sed iiniung the Iroquoi.-^, and whicli lasted
eight days. The inhal)itants met daily, and each one dumprd the bowl
once. Thi'n they separated until the next day. The evenings were
devoted, in the respective villages, to saeriiiees and dancing. At the
former an Indian walked around a fire, chanting incantations and
strewing tobacco into the flames. The stakes were blankets, cloth,
shirts, linen, and other valuable wares, which were carried oft", on the
eighth day, by the winning party.

'If

■1

' the visit

the host
the pits
ent satis-
ol' I'lirds,
my worn
v], whicli

I oiu'li, in
ill ol' tlin
line that
acted for

'I's leave,

II of the
J sports.
ys nine-
•egiii to
^ lifting
8 brina;

ook on,
1 house-

of a gurno
ich la.stud
tlio bowl
ngs wore
At tho
ions and
ts, cloth,
H", on tho

:-^<

/ ry^

> ,'■

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

hold work, or gossip and spread the plumpest lies.'
They are not as cautious as the men, and fall to quar-
reling, bandying sharp words, or calhng one another
by the names of certain parts of the human body
as the most opprobrious epithets which they can em-
ploy.

While all this is going on, we will inspect tho
environs of the village. Pigs, horses with bells
around their necks, and a few cows, avu roaming
through tlio woods.^ This rouncl ]\u\o, In tlie earth,
lined and covt ed with dry grass, ('(i|iHliti|ln« ft mnga-
ziue where some fmnily lias stored its hai'vest, t)je
knowl(idge of which will be careiully kepi U'oUi \\\ti
other iidiabitants; that Isnliilnd liul nnmng III/) tl'efiS JS
a rum-shop, in which old women retail lirpior at enor-
mous prices; and the singular structure near it nuiy bo
cidled a va[)or bath-house, whither the Indians repair
three or four times a week, when fatigued or unwell,/
in order to perspire.'^ Posts appear in the distance.

1 Thn men, says Zcisbcrgcr, cntertaini'd tho most sovereign contempt •
for thd voraeity of the women. Any news brouglit by a woman was :
deemed false until it had been corroborated through other sources.

2 Horses, which were never used for agricultural purposes, belonged
to tho men, cows to the women. Cows were not common; but tho
better classes of natives began to keep them in Zeisbergor's time, milk
and butter being deemed great lu.vuries

' Sucli bath-houses consisted of wooden ovenb covered with earth, \
and liaving, ai one end, a small oriflco, tiirough wliicli the natives crept \
in, and squatted iietween stones that had been previously heated red \
hot in a Are built at the opening. After a time they came out and \
cooled themselves ; then re-entered, and perspired anew. This was '
repeated three or four times. The bath-houses of tho women were ■
apart from those of tho men.

1 i

iii

' i 1

11!

LIFE AND TIMES OF

They mark a burial-place. At the foot of each is a
grave. If the post be plain and unadorned, it is the
memorial of a cliiof; if painted red, with warlike
devices, it tells of the deeds and death of a captain ;
if a small turtle 'lell is suspended from it, it designates
the tomb of a u ^ctor.

Returning to the village, let us again visit the same
house upon which we looked in before.

It is evening. The husband paints his face and
entire head with vermilion, puts on a shirt over his
breech-cloth, and cloth loLiglns stretching above the
knee, ornamented along the seams with ribbons and
white beads ; exchanges his match-coat for a stroud,
and fastens a plume to the crown of his head. Ilis
wife tinges her cheeks, eyebrows, and other parts of
her face with various colors, but chiefly with red;
chasps silver bracelets on her arms; winds strings of
wampum or of beads around her neck ; twists silver
buckles in her hair, and pins them to the bosom of her
shirt, or binds a girdle, glittering with such trinkets,
around her forehead ; decorates her petticoat with
ribbons, and throws a stroud, similarl}' garnished,
about her shoulders. They are now both in full
dress, and ready for the dance, which is to take place
that night in their lodge, as it does every night in
some hut, except when the young men are absent
hunting.

It is protracted to a late hour. The men, following a
leader, and singing discordantly, dance in a circle around
the fire, contorting their bodies in the most unnatural

i:-i«^

DAVID ZEISDERGER.

each is a
, it is the
h warlike
I captain;
designates

the same

face ami

over his

ibovo the

bons and

a strouu,
cad. His

parts of
vith red;
itrjmjs of
sts sllvei'
'111 of her

trinkets,
oat with
arnislied,
in full
ke place
night in
3 absent

ways, assuming ridiculous attitudes, now leaping high
and stumping violently upon the ground, again squalling
with tlieir necks stretched out and faces close together
•)Vor the flames. The women come next, in anothei
circle, but with u gentle motion, swaying to and fro, and
demean themselves as though they were patterns of
niodesty, neither laughing nor talking, but grave and
silent, exchanging never a word with the men. An
Indian beats the time on a sort oi' drum ; and, when
one dance is ended, continues singing until another
opens.

This is a picture of the home-life of the natives as
seen by Zeisberger. It would, however, be incomplete
if we failed to give it that finishing touch which will
mar what may, possibly, have seemed attractive. The
rum-shop of an Indian village was its bane and curse. ^'
Drunkenness prevailed to a fearful extent, and mani-
fested itself in outrageous forms. It was a common
occurrence to see almost the entire population in a state
of wild intoxication, brawling, fighting, and giving full
sway to the worst propensities of their untamed nature.
At such times the Indians were little better than fiends,
and it is not an extravagance to say that their towns
became outlets of hell.

Nor did their general character present many re-
deeming traits. It is true, the pen of romance has}
made heroes of their warriors, and crowned their race)
with exalted virtues. But this is more than an error.
It is absurd. The aborigines of the last century could
not rightfu' claim such a position in a single particular. ^

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Sciences

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23 WEST MAIN STREET

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LIFE AND TIMES OF

Morally considered, they belonged to the most ordinary
and the vilest of savages. Upon this point Zeisberger's
testimony is as clear as it must be deemed conclusive.

He loved the Indians. He spent his life in doing
them good. It is impossible to suppose that he would
have depicted their character in darker colors than
truth warranted. And yet, instead of clothing it with
those illustrious features which other writers have por-
trayed, he represents it as low and detestable. Lying,
cheating, and theft were universal. The marriage re-
lation was of the lowest kind. Husbands forsook their
wives whenever they pleased. To grow weary of a
woman was a sufficient cause of desertion. Fornication
and adultery prevailed. The ordinary state of a ma-
jority of both sexes was unchastity. Other vices, of
tho most abominable kind, were common. Moreover,
while the Indians continued to practice hospitality, as in
the primitive times of their history, and wore often
steadfast friends, their vindictiveness knew no bounds,
and they would spend years in seeking opportunities
to avenge an injury. And although they showed them-
selves to be brave warriors, when put to the test, their
ordinary mode of lighting was cowardly in the extreme.'

The false estimate which has been made of the abo-
rigines of the last century, arose from their aptitude to
dissemble and their eagerness for praise. Zeisberger

, ■< The utter contempt with which Zeisberger, in his MS. History
\ speaks of the eowardico of the Indians, doubtlessly uroso from the eon-
•i stant massacres of women and children, along the Western frontier dur-
ling the revolutionary war, in the midst of which he wrote that work.

/ ■

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

has laid this bare by a single pithy sentence. " They
love tO be deemed honest and good," he writes, " even
when detected in the worst of villainies." In almost
every respect, therefore, they were double-faced and
doublo-licartcd ; one character they assumed for show,
the other was theirs in reality. This misled the casual
observer. Zeisberger, however, not only saw them in
all their moral deformity as savages, but was made the
confidant of his numerous converts, and listened to con-
fessions, even from the lips of sorcerers, such as other
white men raiely heard.

Among such a race the triumphs of the Cross were^
the more wonderful. The novelist may regret to see |
"the noble red men" reduced to their savage and proper
level; but the Christian rejoices that, in the case of
this nation too, the Gospel proved to be the power of
God.

The popular notion that the Indians originally be- \
licved in one Great and Almighty Spirit is incorrect.
Such a belief grew into existence only after they had
been brought in contact with the white race. This is
shown by the earliest records, as well as by the Rela-
tions of the Jesuit Fathers. ifTot^ a^ single aboriginal
language contained a word to express the idea of God.
The missionaries of the last century were deceived by
the fact that they everywhere met with this doctrine.
Even Zeisberger was misled.* They did not make suf-

1 Loskiel, on tho contrary, instructod, wiUiout doubt, in this p.irticn-
Inr, by Bishop Spungcnborg, sopnif? to havo had a.i intimation of the true
Ftato of tho case. lie says : "As tho Europea'i'i have lived so lo ,g, both

LIFE AND TIMES OF

ficient allowance for the readiness with Avhicli the na-
tivea appropriated religious ideas learned from the Euro-
peans, and. moulded them to salt their own darkened
understanding. And yet the scheme of the so-called
preachers alibrded a notable illustration, for it was sub-
stantially a parody of the Gospel,^

The religion of the primitive Indians was, ii\ part,
fetichism, and, in part, a vague belief in higher deities,
ri.sing, in some instances, to a Being exalted above all
the rest, yet always in connection with space and time,
or with bodily shape. It embraced, however, the germs
of the system which the Moravian missionaries found
jirevalent.

Of this latter superstition we here present short out-
lines, that will be tilled up in the course of our narra-
tive.

The Great Spirit, or God, created the heavens and the
earth, together with all beings and things that are in
them. This Spirit is good, gracious, and omnipotent.
Hence men must bring him sacrifices, not directly but
through the agency of lesser spirits and subordinate
gods, called manitous. These are to be found every-
where in all material things, whether animate or inani-
mate, in birds, beasts, and fishes, in the sun and the
moon, in lakes and water-falls, in the rocky clift' and the
dismal cavern, in the very stones of the earth. Each

in their ncighljorhood unci iimong them, it may rensonnbly be supposed
that the present religious notions of the Indians dift'er in many rc.s])ects
from tliose of their forefathers." — LoskieVs Uistonj of the Indian Mis-
sion, Part i. p. o3.

' For iin account -'»f these preachers, consult chapter xiv.

-i— 1, ■'■■■

If ifMI 1^.

DAVID ZEISBERGEB.

Indian, with rare and most unhappy exceptions, has a
tuteUiry nianitou, revealed to him in a dream, and car-
ries about his person the animal or a part of the animal
forminf it, or some other emblem of its existence. In
other respects, too, dreams constitute a principal part of
his religio! He has implicit faith in what they tell hira
or in what h imagines them to prognosticate.

The devil is a wicked spirit, working evil, but chiefly
among white men. Some say that he does not inolesi,
Indians at all. Subordinate spirits of evil, however,
abound, and tempt them to sin. Their idea of hell is
expressed by its Delaware name, machtand owinenk, which \
means "• to bo with the devil."

They believe in the immortality of the soul, which the ^
Delawares call wtellcnapcwoagan : that is, " the substance )
of man;" and, also, wtschitschank^ signifying "spirit."^
The souls of good men go to a place of happiness after ^
death ; the souls of the wicked wander about in great
misery. God, add some, permits the former, if they
prefer it, to migrate back to earth and to bo born a
second time in the person of a child.

In addition to five great sacrificial feasts, which will )

be described in another connection, they have numerous
secondary and private sacrifices. A solitary hunter, for
example, cuts up an animal in the depths of the forest,
and lets the birds of prej? feast on its flesh, while he
stands behind a tree and watches them. The friends of
the dead bring meat and drink offerings to their manes.
The growing corn is propitiated with oblations of bear's
meat, and the bear with ears of corn. The fish receive

ftii

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LIFE AVD TIMES OF

small cakes, and, to appease the screeching niglit-owl,
tobacco is cast into the camp-fire. Indeed, there is

I scarcely an occasion on which they do not sacrifice, or
a thing that they do not thus honor.

Their only idol was called, in Delaware, WsinkhoaUcan.

'It was the fiijure of a miniature human head carved of

(wood and carried about their persons, or cut, life-size,

lout of a post, and set up in the middl-s of the house

'where they sacrificed.

The Delaw.nres and Iroquois, particularly the latter,
were natrye orators, and their frequent councils gave
them every opportunity to practice this art. Their
speeches, which they delivered in a loud tone of voice,
with much gravity of manner and man}- gesticulations,
were often instinct with beautiful imagery. They could
be so clear upon any point as to make it transparent, or,
if they chose, so ambiguous that it became almost unin-
telligible. Hence their messages required the closest
attention, and every word must be carefully weighed.

fin regard to the things of common life, their langdages
were exceedingly rich. Thus the Delawares had ten dif-
H ferent names for a bear, according to its age or s^x. As

^ touching religious ideas, on the contrary, there prevailed
a dearth of words. "Nevertheless," says Zeisberger,
" the more the Gospel spreads the more copious their
language becomes. New words grow into use in exact
proportion to the growth of the converts in the knowl-
edge of the Word of God and of the Lord Jesus
Christ"

EliiV.^

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

CHAPTER V.

MISSIONARY OPERATIONS AMONG THE INDIANS PREVIOUS TO
ZEISBFRGER'S TIMES.— 1549-1745.

CL Istian Henry Rauch begins a Mission among the Mohicans of New
York. — The Jesuit Missions and the work of the Puritans in the
seventeenth century. — Labors among the Indians in the first hi.lf
of the eighteenth century. — Difficulties and success of Rauch's
enterprise. — Baptism of the first converts. — Count Zinzendorf visits
the Indian countrj'. — Organizes a church at Shekomcko. — Zinzen-
dorf in the valley of Wyoming. — Progress of the Mission in New
York. — It extends to Connecticut and Massachusetts. — Church-edifice
built at Shekomeko. — Persecution of the missionaries. — They are
banished from New York by Act of the Legislature.

Zeisberger was not the first messenger of the Gospel
from the Moravian Church to the Indians of I^ew York
and Pennsylvania. Three years before he devoted
himself to the work of a missionary, when there was
as yet no settlement of the United Brethren in any of
the Northern Colonies, and a band of fugitives, from
the scat of war in Georgia, constituted the whole body
of that people in the country, a lone preacher landed at
New York (July 16, 1740), sent from Europe to tell the
aborigines the story of redeeming love. Hi^ name was.
Christian Henry Rauch.*

1 Born July 5, 1718, at Bernburg, in the Principality of Anhalt
After serving the Church in various capacities in America, bo went to
Jamaica, as a missionary among the negroes, where be died November
11, 17G3.

. 7

Ill^'-

LIFE AND TIMES OF

Meetiiifr with two Mohicans, Shabash and Wasama-
pah,' from Shekomeko, he offered to become the teacher
of their tribe. In the fleeting seasons of soberness
which dawned on their muddled minds, they accepted
the ofl'er; but rejected it again, as often as they were
intoxicated; and, at last, slunk away to their village
without him, although they had promised to take him
along. Ranch followed them, asking his way from
farm to farm.

Near by the Indian hamlet lay the homestead of
John Rau. There he found a temporary domicile,
upon condition of keeping school for the children of
the famil}'. His design to preach to the Indians was

ir;

\ ■ ? ■

• This Indian is called Tschoop by Loskiol. The same name is in-
scribed on his tombstone at Bethlehem, — placed over his grave about
twenty- five years ago. It occurs also in the oflScial record of his death
in the Church Register, as follows: Johannes, sonst Tschoop genannt, that
is, "John, otherwise called Tschoop." His real Indian name was Wasa-
mapah; his English name, prior to his baptism, Job; and the name he
received in baptism John. I incline to the opinion that ho never boro
the name Tschoop among the natives, but that it originated among the
early Moravians, in consequence of their German mode of pronouncing
Job, und that Loskiel mistook it for an original name. It is not found
in any early documents other than the Church Register. Zeisberger
never uses it, but calls the man either Job or John, and the official
register of Indian baptisms knows nothing of it, but gives Wasama-
pah. I am strengthened in my opinion, first, by the fact that those
early Moravians who came to this country from Germany often misspelt
English names, so as to render them almost unintelligible ; second, by
the circumstance that in Pyrlaeus'a Narrative of the Work of the
Brethren among the Indians of North America, a MS. in the B. A.,
corrected by Count Zinzendorf, the latter, in the margin, gives this
Indian the name of Copp, evidently another corruption of Job; and
finally, by the opinion entertained among students of Indian history,
living at Bethlehem fifty years ago, that Tschoop is a misnomer for
Job.

DAVID ZEISDERGER.

denounced as wild and preposterous, but this did not
keep liira back.

Behold him, then, full of zeal and courage, going on
his first visit to Shekomeko ! It is the sixteenth of
August. Job and Shabash welcome him ; the whole
tribe gathers around him, while he explains the object
of his coming.

He told us of a Mighty One, the Lord of earth and sky,
Who left His ^'lory in the heavens, for men to hleed and die ;
"Who loved poor Indian sinners still, and longed to gain their love,
And be their Saviour here, and in his Father's house above.

And when his talo was ended — " My friends," he gently said,

" I am weary with my journey, and would fain lay down my head ;"

So beside our spears and arrows ho laid him down to rest,

And slept as sweetly as the babe upon its mother's breast.

Then we looked upon each other, and I whispered, "This is new;
Yes, we have heard glad tidings, and that sleeper knows them true ;
He knows ho has a Friend above, or would ho slumber here.
With men of war around him, and the war-whoop in his ear ?"

So wo told him on the morrow that he need not journey on,
But stay and tell us further of that loving, dying One ;
And thm we heard of Jesus first, and felt the wondrous power
Which makes His people willing, in His own accepted hour.'

» These lines represent Job as the speaker, and are based upon an
interesting account given by him after his conversion, at a missionary
conference held at Bethlehem, in 1745, of the manner in which Ranch
won the confidence of the Shekomeko tribe. The incident is set forth
in detail by Bishop Spangenberg in his "Account of the manner in
which the Protestant Church of the Unitas Fratrum preach the Gospel
and carry on their Missions among the Heathen." English translation.
London, 1788, pp. 62 and 63.

1 1

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-^..v,.x- /uH'v. yy^MA-o.:i.-

V V

100 Z//F^ AXD TIMES OF

/ Thus arose . a new factor in the evangelization of
the aborigines of North America. Attempted by the
Roman Catholic Church as early as 1549, three years
after Luther's death, when Protestantism *vas struggling
into independence; having for its forerunrer Louis Can-
cello, a Domini'jan friar, who suflered death at the hands
of the savages of Florida, soon after landing on their
shores; its successful beginning was left to the daunt-
less disciples of Ignatius Loyola. TUcj&rst of these
'. reached Canada on the twelfth of Juno, IGll, and were
the pioneers of a work which was illustrious by reason
of the faith and zeal that sustained it, and un-
surpassed in the sufferings it involved and the courage
it evoked.

In 1634, Brebeuf, Daniel, and Lalleraand inaugurated
a mission among the Hurons, whijch_jDros£ered greatly.
Christian villages clustered around the lake of this
people ; and upon the banks of the Matchedash, joining
Lake Toronto to Huron, stood St. Mary's, the central
station. Thither came, two or three times a year, the
various missionaries, recounting what God had wrought
in the wilderness, and preparing for new conflicts and
triumphs. From 1634 to 1647, not less than forty-
two Fathers traversed the wide hunting-grounds of the
natives, besides eighteen evangelists not yet initiated.

Meanwhile a public hospital had been endowed at
Quebec, for the benefit of Indians and of white pien,
a colony of converts established near the town, and a
seminary founded to train Jesuits that should explore
still more distant regions of the Forth and West.

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

101

In such explorations Charles Raymbault and Isaac
Jogues Lad already taken the lead. They visited the
Chippewas, and brought the Gospel to the tribes of
Michigan. Some time after this, while on his road to
the Huron Mission, Jogues was captured by a roving
baud of Mohawks, and made to endure the cruelties of
the gantlet, all the way from the St. Lawrence to their
own country. There his life was unexpectedly spared,
and he wandered through the forests, writing the name
of Jesus and carving the cross on the bark of trees.
He was, therefore, the first to proclaim, although by
these silent emblems onl}^ the Son of God within the
hunting-grounds of the Five Nations.

Kor had the East been forgotten. Among the
Abenakis of Maine lived Gabriel Dreuillettes, who
baptized converts, and said mass for them in a chapel
erected a few miles above the mouth of the Kennebec. -

Four years after his captivity, from which he had
been ransomed by the Dutch, Father Jogues was sent
to convert his captors. True to his vow, he obeyed the
call, but expressed a presentiment that it would cost
him his life. This presentiment was fulfilled. No
sooner had he reached the Mohawk valley than he was
condemned as a sorcerer and put to death. This
brought about a new war between the Iroquois and
Hurons, resulting most disastrously for the latter.
Their 'country was invaded, its Christian villages were
destroyed, the converts massacred, and some of the
missionaries subjected to the most barbarous tortures.
Brebeuf, cut, scorched, seared with hot iron, scalded

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102

LIFE AND TIMES OF

|;< \'i

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with boiling water, and scalped while yet alive,
agonized for three hours; Lallemand, cased in burn-
;ing pine-bark full of rosin, lingered for seventeen
■hours amid excruciating pains. The Ilurons, totally
defeated, sued for peace; and the unfortunate remnant
I of the tribe was embodied with the nations of its
'conquerors.

. Such experiences, however, could not repress the

(ardor of the Jesuits. The fiercer the Five Nations

■/showed themselves to be, the more clearly it became

their duty to convert them. Father Le Moyne, while

. on a political embassy to Onondaga (1G53), preached the

^Gospel wherever he found hearers, opened the meetings

/of the Grand Council with the prayers of his church,

and prepared the minds of the Iroquois for the cora-

ving of the missionaries. These appeared, two years

later, in the persons of Chaumonot and Claude Dablon,

who established a station in the metropolis itself, built

a chapel, instituted all the ceremonies of the Romish

ritual, and baptized hundreds of converts. And

although, in the course of time, this mission had to be

abandoned, it was eventually renewed, and stretched

its branches to every canton of the League.

With the same indefatigable zeal .these propagandists
penetrated to the Far West. In 1670, the two extremities
of Lake Superior heard the matin-bells of Ste. Marie du
'Sault, and the vesper hymns of the Mission du St.
; Esprit, while the heads of Lakes Huron and Michigan
Iwere the seats of other stations. Three years later,
iMarquette descended the Mississippi to the junction of

Hi'i

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VN •^•

D^r/Z) ZEISBERGER.

-■i ■■I -— **

the Arkansas, and he was followed by La Salle (1G82),|
who founded colonies and missions.

Thus the Church of Rome, through that order which
had been organized to crush out Protestantism from the
Old World, became the herald of the Gospel in the New,
In the seventeenth century, however, the glory of this
work began to wane ; and after the conquest of Canada,
when the sway of the Continent passed into the hands
of Great Britain, the most of the Fathers abandoned the
field (17G3V

But the tribes had not been left to the spiritual
embraces of Rome alone. However stern the religion
of the Puritans, it could not permit heathens to perish
at the very doors of its sanctuaries. As early as 1647,
tjie__ clergy' of New^England solicited Parliament to ]
aid in evangelizing the Indians ; and, in 1649, that body
passed an ordinance authorizing the organization of a
"Society for the Adva.. cement of Civilization and
Christianity" among them. This society established >
schools, and caused the Gospel to be preached. Fore- \
most among the men who engaged in such enterprises 1
was John Eliot, the illustrious apostie of the Ne\v^ |
England In dian s. Beginning at Nonantum, now a |
part of JSTewton, he devoted forty-four years of his life i
to the work, in various parts of Massachusetts and within |
the limits of the Plymouth patent, proclaiming Christ, [
teaching the Indians to read and write, translating the]

> Cl ark's Ononda.g n, i. chap, vi.; Bancroft's Hist, of the U. S., i. ii. and
iii.; Map of the Jesuit Missions, in 1670 and 1671 ; Fa rkni a n's Je suits
in N orth America i n tho_Seyente^thjCentury.

!.w

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104

LIFE ANl TIMES OF

entire Bible into their language, and bripcjiiig many of
them to the personal enjoyment of faith and peace.
Secoiided by Mayhew, he established villages of "pray-
ing Indians" on Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, and
Nantucket, and so /en of them around Boston. And
when, at last, after the toils of fourscore years and six,
he slept with his fathers, other Protestant evangelists
trod in his footsteps. In 1700, there were thirteen
missionaries in the English Colonies supported by
fgovernmentj besides several whr) labored on their own
i^aecount. At the instance of the Earl of Belloraont,
"^Governor of New York, Queen Anne was led to interest
; herself in these missions. Under her auspices, clergy-
imen of the Anglican Church were sent to "instruct the
IFive Nations and to prevent their being practiced upon
<by the French priests and Jesuits." Thoroughgood
;Moor came from England, on this service, in 1704;
iWilliam Andrews followed, in 1712; ind later, for many
■years,, Henry Barclay and John Ogilvie, of Albany,
, labored among the Mohawks.*

It was well, however, that God had brought a new

element into the work ; for, at the time when the Mora-

(vians took it up, it met with little Bympathy and was

Neither amons: the Mohawks nor the

/pmmg away.

• Oneidas, nor the tribes of New England, were the pious
^efforts of God's servants successful. An evil and corrupt
(generation met them. " There is no hope of making

•Ihem better," reported Andrews of the Mohawks after

> Clirk's Onondaga, i. chapter vii.i Bancroft's U. S., ii. 94-97.

DAVID ZEISBERQER.

105

six years of toil and disappointments ; " heathen they
are, and heathen they still must be." David Brainerd '
was not yet in the rich fieUl which was ripening for him
in New Jersey; nor had Azariah Ilorton come to glean
among the Montauks of Long Island. And as for the
Jesuit Mission, its heroic dpys were past. The priests
seldom induced their still numerous converts to lead
even outwardly better lives. Baptized savages strutted ^ >;
among the unbaptized, decorating their persons with
rosaries, as though they were strings of wampum, but '
were carnal and dissolute as before. Genuine conver-
sions, manifested by a sober, righteous, and godly life,
were rarely known. Hence the Indians had come to be
regarded as brutish savages, whose salvation was hope-
less. Earnest Christiana in New York asserted this
opinion in Kauclrs hearing, and it was entertained even
by a man like Conrad Weisser.

For a time, indeed, it appeared as if Ranch's enter-
prise would but serve to establish such arguments. As
long as his instructions were a novelty he was welcome
at Shekomeko; after that the tribe grew tired of him.
But he persevered, preaching Christ from hut to hut, ;
and quenching the oicions that self-interested white
men had excited in the minds of the natives as to the \
purity of his motives. A whole year passed in thl8\
way. At last a sunbeam burst through thr spiritual!-
darkness which enshrouded the village. Job, Shabash,/*
and several others, who had for some time been strug-!
gling against their better convictions, experienced the;
grace of God and were converted.

V.y

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106

/.;, ..

L7FE AND TIMES OF

::i'- V

Such was the humble beginning of that Moravian Mis-
sion in the service of which Zeisberger spent his life.
Meanwhile several young men, John Chnstopher Pyr-
( laeus, Gottlob BUttuer, and William Zander, had come
.'to Bethlehem from Germany, eager to aid Rauch in his
I work. BUttner, whose short but illustrious career makes
' his name a bright star in the galaxy of Indian missiona-
ries^* was sent, at New Year (1742), to invite Rauch to
the third Pennsylvania Synod.'' After a protracted stay
at Shekomeko, on which occasion he preached his first
sermon to the Indians, he accompanied Rauch and three
converts to Oley, where this Synod was to meet, in the
house of John de Turck. Several days having been de-
voted to its ordinary business, there assembled, in the
afternoon of the twenty-third of February, in Mr. de
Turck's barn, the whole body of its members, consisting
of Moravians, Lutherans, Reformed, Tunkers, Menno-
nites, Schwenkfelders, Separatists, and Hermits, in whose

' Bom in Silesia, December 29, 1716; came to America, October 26,
1741 ; married to a daugbter of Jobn Bechtel, of Germantown, Pa.; and
died at Shekomeko, February 23, 1745.

* The Pennsylvai a Synod, as it is commonly called, embraced repre-
sentatives of all tl) German religious denominations in that Province,
and was organize! it Germantown through the influence of Count Zin-
zendorf, January 12, 1742. Its members adopted tho title of " The Con-
gregation of God in the Spirit," and it had for its aim the union of the
German churches upon the basis of experimental religion. It continued
its labors for six years, although sustained, after a time, almost exclu-
sively by tho Moravians. In 1748, it was changed inta a Synod of tho
United Brethren's Church. This interesting movement was a beautiful
but premature ideal, which, in tho end, served rather to augment tho
existing differences among religionists than to establish the unity of tho
spirit in tho bonds of peace.

DAVID ZEISDERGER.

107

pre eence Rauch ..baptized the^lnjians^call^^ Skafcash
Abraham, Seim Isaac, aud KIop Ja.cob.^ Uoder cir-,
cumstauces so remarkable, the first converts of the Mo-'
ravian Mission among the aborigines of our country were ,
embodied with the Church of Christ. Job, the fourth
convert, was subsequently baptized at Shekomeko (April
16). lie received the apostolic name of John. In au-
tumn (October 1, 1742), BUttner became the resident
missionary.

In the mean time Count Zinzendorf had himself gone
to preach to the natives, accompanied by an escort of i
fifteen persons, among whom were his young daughter,
Beuigna, three of her female companions, Zander, and
an Indian interpreter. Setting ou^ from Bethlehem
(July 24), they first visited Moses Tatemy,'' on the site-
of the present Stockertown, as also other Indians near
Nazareth. Thence they proceeded to the wilderness
beyond the Blue Mountains, as far north as the Long Val-
ley, stopping, on their way back, at Moniolagomekah.'

'ex..

'-<•- ■'■•

' In the morning of that day Rauch, Biittncr, Pj'rlaeus, and Andrew
Eschenbach, the Home Missionary at Oley, had been ordained to the
ministry by Bishops Zinzendorf and Nitsehmann. At the baptism,
Rauch first preached on Rev. v. 9 ; tlicn was sung Welt^ sieh' hier dcin
Leben! during which hymn the Indiana came forward. Rauch, with
much emotion, addressed to them an earnest charge. The hymn Nim
ist'sgcthmi followed, during which they knelt around a large vessel filled
with water. Thereupon Rauch baptized them, and with the imposition
of hands imparted the blessing of the Lord. — Scelle's Hist. Account of the
Origin of the Work at Oley, MS. L. A.

Tat

...A;

imiy, or IMosos, was a Delaware chief, owning 300 acres of land, >
presented to him 'jy the Proprietaries, on the present site of Stocker- \
town, near Nazareth.

' This Indian village, which lay in Eldred Township, Monroe County,
eight miles west of tho Wind Gap, in the so-called Smith's Valley, on

;t "I

108

LIFE AND TIMES OF

£'<'„

m I

slii

(

Here they took a trail which is hard to trace, but which
brought them through Allemaengel to the Schuylkill
River, where they proclaimed Christ to a party of na-
tives bivouacking on its banks. That same day Conrad
Weisser welcomed them to hi.; homestead in Tulpe-
hocken.

At this place they found a delegation of Iroquois
sachems, on their return from a treaty at Philadelphia,
whom Zinzendorf, by "Weisscr's aid, won over to his pro-
ject of beginning a mission among them. "Brother,"
they said, in reply to his overtures, " you have journeyed
a long way, from beyond the sea, in order to preach to
the white people and the Indians. You did not know
that we were here; we had no knowledge of your
. coming. The Great Spirit has brought us together.
; Come to our people. You shall be welcome. Take
'\ this fathom of wampum. It is a token that our words
are true."

J This was the beginning of the friendship which ex-
isted for many years between the Moravians and the
League of the Iroquois, and which gave the former a
iBtanding among all other tribes. Zinzendorf took the
fathom, composed of one hundred and eighty-six piece s
/of wampum, to England^ where he committed it to the
/keeping of Spangenberg, at a convocation of clergy
I held at Lamb's Inn, or Broad Oaks, in Essex (March
1 10, 1743), with instructions to use it wisely for the
'spread of the kingdom of God among the aborigines

the north bank of tho Aqunnshicola, afterward became a Mission sta-
tion. — Memorials of the Mo7'avian Vhu"-:h, i. 35.

DAVID ZEISBEROER.

109

of North America. Spangenberg brought it back to'
this country, and it was often employed in subsequent,
negotiations with the Iroquois.*

Three days after his retriru from Tulpehocken, the \
Count set out on his second journey to the Indian /
countrj', again accompanied by his daughter (August j
10, 1742). By way of the Delaware Water-Gap, the
Miun'sinks, and Esopus, they traveled to Shekomeko,
where they lodged in a bark hut, which had been
constructed for them, and which they pronounced to
be better than a palace. They spent eight days in the
village, during which time six new converts were .
baptized, and the fi,rst MoravJan Mission Church j
among_ the Indian8_wa£ organized. It consisted of the |
following ten personSjWhojyere all either Moliicans or \
"Wampanoags : Abraham and his wife Sarah, Isaac and
his wife Rebecca, Jacob, John, Thomas (Pechtawapect) |
and his wife Esther, Jonah (Anamapamit), and Timothy \
(Kaupaas).'* John was appointed Interpreter; Abraham, v

1 The following sachems took part in the negotiations with Zinzendorf :
Gannssateco and Caxhayion, of the ( nondaga Nation ; Sasislaquo and
Shikelliiny, of the Oneida ; Cadgaradasey and Sahuchsova, of the
Cayuga ; and Wehvehcagy, a Shawanose chief, as the representative of
the Tjscarora. Shikellimy and the two Onondagas presented the
fathom. — Buedlngische Sammlung, vol. ii. art. xxx. p. 940.

Ganassateco, called Cuna.-sctogo in the Penn. Col. Records, was one
of the principal men at Onondaga, and a warm friend of Zeisberger.
He died in 1750. Shikellimy is called an Oneida in the Buedlngische
Sammlung, but according to the unanimous testimony of all the sources
other than those of Moravian origin, he was f. Cayuga. His Mohawk
name was Swatana.

» Kegister of Indian Baptisms, 1742 to 1764. This invaluable record
was presented to mo by the lato Miss Ileckowelder, of Bethlehem, a

iy ,1

I" u

•)h

110

LIFE AND TIMES OF

Elder; Jacob, Exhorter; and Isaac, Sexton. Zinzendorf
Bays of them, "They are incomparable Indians, true men

; of God among their tribe, and form a conference which

' we often attended with astonishment."*

Toward the end of September, at the head of a
numerous party, he undertook his longest and most
perilous tour. Among his companions were Martin
and Joanna Mack,'' Peter Boehler, Conrad Weir,ser,
Anna Nitschmann, the Deaconess,' and two Indian
interpreters, Joshua and David, who had recently been
baptized at Bethlehem.

On their way to Shamokin, they came tj a ridge of
forest-crowned mountains, across which led a blind trail,
full of loose, sharp stones, and close to high rocks, the
rugged sides of which rendered horseback riding ex-
ceedingly dangerous. These mountains being without
a name, Conrad "Weisser called them "The Thiirn-

daughter of the well-known missionary, to whom it originally belonged.
After I had had it in use for a long time, I found the official Register,
1742 to 1772, in the B. A. The Register subsequent to this date must
have been destroyed in the Revolutionary "War.

, 1 Of Zinzendorf's second iourney, and of a part of the third, we have
(a MS. journal, written by himself, in a bark hut, at Ostonwacken. Ho
-■complains of the want of a secretary, and says that ho writes from
[memory, having taken no notes. This MS. is in the B. A.

* Martin Mack, born April 13, 1715, at Lysingen, in Wurtemberg,

was a distinguished missionary among the Indians, and subsequemtly a

imissionary bishop among the negroes of the "West Indies. He died

iJunj 9, 1784, while Superintendent of the Mission in St. Croix. His

jyife was a daughter of John Rau, of Shekomeko.

•The daughter of David Nitschmann, known as the "Founder of
Bethlehem," born November 24, 1715, in Moravia, and died at
Herrnhut, May 21, 17G0, a woman of extraordinary talents, piety, and
:zeal.

t I

VJ!

DAVID ZEJSBERGEB.

Ill

stein," in honor of Zinzendorf.^ They were the parallel
chains of the Blue Eidge now known as Second, Third,
and Peter's Mountains. Thence the party found their
way to the Susquehanna, and, passing up the eastern
bank, reached the Line and Mahanoy Mountains of
Northumberland County.

Zinzondorf describes that country an the wildest he
had ever seen. But its shaggy hills and precipitous
cliffs seemed to inspire the Deaconess with a courage
above her sex. She was on her way to heathens, who
knew nothing of her God and Saviour; and, burning
with impatience to proclaim His love, she dashed
forward at the head of the company, and would not
relinquish that place even when they crossed the
Mahanoy, which was so steep that they were forced to
ride linked together, like Swiss mountaineers.

At Shamokin, Shikellimy received them with all the"
hospitality of ai Iroquois sachem. Zinzendorf hadf
conceived a strong affection for this Indian, and looked
upon him as a chosen instrument for the evangelization;
of the aborigines. He spent three days in his lodge,,
enlisting his co-operation in this great work.

Riding on to Ostonwacken, through glades tinted
with the first hues of autumn, his heart was lifted up
in praise to Him by whom these glorious forests of
America had been created, and in whom their roving
tribes should be blessed. The village received him with/
military salutes ; Madame Montour* and her son An^

* Lord of Thuri';'',oin W93 ono of Zinzendorf'sjitles.

» iladame Montour burst into a flood of tears when she saw Zinzen-

!; \

ii f!

112

LIFE AND TIMES OF

drew^ with a hospitable welcome. Here he preached
. the Gospel in French to large gatherings.'
'" In the second week of October, the party separated,
Conrad Weisser and others going back to the settle-
ments, while Zinzendorf, Mack, Joanna Mack, and
Anna Nitschmann, together with Andrew Montour,
proceeded to Wyoming. It was a perilous undertaking.
Thoy were in a part of the North Susquehanna wilder-
ness, which, as far as is known, had never before been
visited by a white man ; and, after four days of incessant
hardships, reached the plains of Skehantowanno, and
encamped near the village of the Shawanese.

With this people Zinzendorf spent three weeks,

") preaching the glorious Gospel of the blessed God. But

its cheering promises found no response in their hearts.

In spite of all his efforts to gain their confidence they

regarded him with suspicion, and persisted in believing

»<'m

dorf, and heard that he had como to preach the Gospel, the truths of
which she had almost entirely forgotten. She believed Bethlehem, the
Saviour's birthplace, to be in France, and his crueifiers to have been
Englishmen. This silly perversion originated with the Jesuits, and
prevailed among the French Indians.
1 Zinzendorf's description of Andrew Montour's appearance may
;■ prove interesting, since he was so important a character in the Colonial
i history of our country.* " His face," he writes, " is like that of a Euro-
i poan, but marked with a broad Indian ring of bear's grease and paint
\ drawn completely around it. He wears a coat of fine cloth of cinnamon
color, a black necktie with silver spangles, a red satin vest, pantaloons,
over which hangs his shirt, shoes, and stockings, a hat, and brass orna-
jTients, something like the handle of a basket, suspended from his ears."
» Here Zinzendorf's journal stops. My authority for what follows, of
his visit to Wyoming, is a MS. letter (B. A.) from Martin Mack to
Bishop Peter Boehler, detailing, at the request of the latter, the inci-
dents of the journey. It was written after the Count's death.

DAVID ZEISDEROER.

113

that he wanted their land, and had come to rob them

of the silver mines which were reputed to exist in that

region. And although he embraced every opportunity

to do them good ; negotiated with the principal chief

of the Shawanese ; called together the Mohicans of the • ^ ^

valley and offered these the Gospel ; — his labors were ',

unsuccessful, and the animosity of the natives but;

increased. To add to his distress, the provisions of the

party began to fail. For ten days they lived on boiled

beans. At last, Mack's wife found a Mohican squaw

more friendly than the rest, who furnished corn-bread;

until the arrival of supplies from Bethlehem.

One afternoon, while the Count sat in his tent, which

had been removed from its original site to the top of a

hill, arranging his letters, Mack, who was outside in

conversation with some others of the party, saw two '^

spreading adders basking in the sunshine, but a few

feet from the door. Startled by his approach, the}'

reared their heads, dilated with rage, and passed swiftly

beneath the canvas, just as Zinzendorf was stooping over

his manuscripts, which he had spread upon the ground.

In the next instant his ears were filled with sharp hisses,

and, before he could spring to his feet, the serpents

had glided over his body and disappeared among the

papers. His friends rushed in, and discovered the hole

of the adders within the folds of the tent. It was

a wonderful escape from death. The words of the

prophet, when describing, in a figure, the peace of the

millennial kingdom of Christ, may be said to have been

literally fulfilled in the midst of one of the heathen

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114

LIFE AND TIMES OF

WAU

strongholds of the kingdom of Satan,— not a child, but
a man, played on the hole of the asp, and put his hand
on the cockatrice' den.'

Not long after this, God interposed, a second time, to
save his life. David Nitschmann, Anthony Seyfert,
and one Kohn, having arrived from Bethlehem with a
package of letters, containing reports of the work of
the Church in different parts of the world, he expressed
a wish to be alone, while he examined these jjapers.
Accordingly he had his tent transferred to a solitary
place, higher up the river. This excited the suspicions
of the Shawanese more than ever. " Why does this
white man stay on our lands ? "Why does he pitch his
tent first here, and then there? Why do we submit
to his presence?" These questions, discussed at the
council-fire of the tribe, resulted in a deliberate plan to
murder him. The time was fixed, and the savage
designated who was to strike the blow, when, unex-
pectedly to all, Conrad Weisser reached the valley,
alarmed by Zinzendorf s protracted absence, and filled
with a presentiment of the danger which threatened
him. The presence of the government agent, and the
bold authority with which he *;reated the Shawanese,
put an end to their sinister design.*

\\'

1 Isaiah, xi. 8.

' These facts, given upon the authority of Mack, one of Zinzcndorf's
companions at Wyoming, explode the notorious rattlesnake story, first
published by Chapman in his History of Wyoming (pp. 21, 23); re-
peated by Mi -"er in his History of Wyoming (pp. 38, 39), and in all
subsequent histories of this kind down to Stewart Pcarcc's lutest Anyuils
of Luzerne County, as also in many other works. That story is an

/'.

DAVID ZEISDEROER.

115

Count Zinzondoi'f, the first white man in the valley \
of Wyoming, sitting alone in his tent within sight of the '
lodoos of the savasjes whom he had come to teach the
name of Jcsna, but who disdainfully refused to listen to :
his instructions, presents a picture which the Christian /
may well pause to contemplate. Descended from one
of the noblest houses of German}', counting princes and
kings among his ancestors, an ornament to any royal
court, trained as a statesman, and endowed with talents
that might have made him a leading mind in the politics
of Europe, he had turned away from these flattering
prospects, had exchanged the dress of the courtier for
the garb of the pilgrim, the sword of the peer for the
staff of the stranger; and, cheerfully taking up as his ap-
pointed burden the displeasure of some of his own family,
the scoffs of the world, the false accusations of enemies,
had devoted himself and all that he possessed to the
service of Christ; preaching in his own country, in Amer-
ica, and on the islands of the tropics, among nobles and
peasants, to settlers, Indians, and negroes, the "Word of
reconciliation," and glorying everywhere only in the
Cross. As in all former periods of his labors, so in the
dark experiences which Wyoming brought him, he re-
mained true to the cause which he had espoused, and firm
in his dependence upon God. The nights which the
Shawanese spent in dancing and revelry he passed in

unmitigated fable, which probably grew out of the combined tradition
of the incident of the adders and the plot to murder Zinzendorf. To
his experience with the adders the Count himself refers in one of his
poems: Anfiang, xii. No. 1902.

116

LIFE AND TIMES OF

wrestling with the Lord on their behalf, and on behalf
of all the Indian nations ; and while the fitful blasts of
jthe autumn wind bore to his ears the shouts of inebri-
'ated savages, he lifted up the voice of impassioned inter-
cession until his lonely tent echoed with the fervent
|eftectual prayer of a righteous man. And these suppli-
cations availed much, according to the promise. Not at
that time, but in after-years, when some of the most
desperate characters among the Indians were led into
the church of God; and Zoisberger established flourish-
ing missions among the "grandfathers" of the Shaw-
anese, and gained single converts from the midst even
of this wild people. Narrow minds may deem the phi-
lanthropy of Zinzendorf misapplied, and may call his
visits to the Indians quixotic ; but the student of the
Bible, who sees history in its light, does not entertain
a doubt that this man, as he sojourned among the abo-
rigines of America, was the priest of the Church of the
Brethren, and secured a blessing which, in due time,
ripened into fruits.

A proof of this was the prosperity of the Mission at
Shekomeko. The converts fulfilled the highest hopes
of their teachers. John especially was a living monu-
ment of grace, and an enthusiastic preacher of righteous-
ness. According to their unanimous testimony, his elo-
jquence was irresistible. Bishop Spangenberg used to
Isay of him that he had the countenance of a Luther.

On the thirteenth of March, 1743, the converts re-
jceived the sacrament of the Lord's Supper for the first
[time, and in July a chapel was dedicated. This little

DAVID ZEISDERGER.

117

sanctury, nestling in the shade of the Stissing Moun-
tain, whose leafy top is mirrored in the clear waters of
Lake Halcyon, became the center of a work that spread
rapidly among the tribes of New England and of Eastern
New York. At the end of the year there were sixty^
three baptized converts at Shekomcko, while new sta- '
tions had been begun at Pachgatgoch and Wechquad- ;
nach, in Connecticut, and preaching-places at Whetak
and Potatik in the same Province, as also at Westenhuc,,.
in Massachusetts. Four additional missionaries entered
the field. These were Christopher Pyrlaeus, Martin'
Mack, Joachim Senseman, and Frederick Post*

The settlers were astonished when they saw all this.
Some rejoiced in the work ; others, however, opposed it
with great bitterness. Among the latter, a part were/
actuated by the pernicious idea that their traffic with the \
natives would suffer if they were converted, — a part
gave way to sectarian bigotry. In the spring of 1744, |
a formidable persecution broke out. The missionariesi

1 Pachgatgoch lay two miles southwest of Kent, in Connecticut, and
TVechquadnach on the confines of New York and Connecticut, partly in
a tract known as " the Oblong," and partly in Sharon Township, Litch-
field County, Connecticut, a few miles from the town of Sharon. Whe-
tak was near Salisbury, and Potatik about three miles northeast of
Newton, Connecticut. Westenhuc was, probably, the present Housa-
tonic, in Massachusetts. The inhabitants of these villages were Narra-
gansetts, Mohicans, and Wampanoags. In 1859, the Moravian His- I
torical Society erected a marble monument at Pachgatgoch, to the
memory of David Bruce and Joseph Powell, two of the former mis-
sionaries.

The Mission at Shekomeko was located on what is now (1859) Mr.
Edward Hunting's farm, in the Township of Pino Plains, Dutchess
County, New York.— TAc Moravians hi Neic York and Connecticut.

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118

Life and times of

were accused of being Papists, iu L-^ague with France,
which had just joined Spain in its war against England.
A Justice of the Peace was sent to Shekomeko to inves-
tigate these charges, and subsequently the missionaries
were cited before the Governor and Council of New
York. Their innocence, however, was invariably estrb-
lished. The only thing which could be shown to their
prejudice was their scruples with regard to oaths and
bearing arras, points which, at that time, they held in
i common with the Friends. Nevertheless their enemies
i did not rest until the Assembly of New York had passed
I two acts which crushed the Mission. The first required
• all suspicious persons to take the oath of allegiance, or
emigrate ; the second commanded " the several Mora-
vian and vagrant teachers among the Indians to desist
from further teaching or preaching, and to depart the
Province."'

On the fifteenth of December, the Sherifi' of Dutchess

'County came to Shekomeko,. with three Justices of the

Peace, and closed the doors of the Mission Chapel. The

missionaries were recalled early in the following year.

They left behind them seventy-one converts.

' Documentary Hist, of li. V. iii. 1019 and 1020. The same work con-
tains various other papers, especially " Reasons for passing the luw
against the Moraviiuis residing among the Indians," which show the
inveterate prejudice that existed against the Church,

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

119

CHAPTER YI.

ZEISBERGER A STUDENT AT BETHLEHEM, A PRISONER AT NEW
YORK, AND AN ENVOY TO ONONDAGA.— ir4l-1745.

Bishop Spangonborg. — His plans for the development of the Indian
Mis.^ion. — Zeisborg'''' a prominent member of a class of candidates
for missionary service. — Sent to the Mohawk country to learn tho
language. — Arrested by tho authorities of New York and impris-
oned. — Tho first Delaware converts. — Zoisberger on the Mahony
Creek, in Pennsylvania. — Ho accompanies S})angenberg to Onon-
daga. — Perilous journey. — Adopted into tho Onondaga nation and
calli'u Ganoussera-heri. — Negotiations at Onondaga and journey back
to BethlelKm.

The Moravians were not discouraged, but continued*
their missionary efibrts with zeal, stimulated by Bishop !
Spangenberg, who had returned to America in the
autumn of 1744.

This accomplished scholar and simple-hearted preacher
was peculiarly fitted for his ofiice. A.^rofessor of the.
University of Ilalle, an^ evangelist in different parts of
Euroj^jc, one of the pioneers of the German colony in
Georgia, an itinerant among the numerous sects of
Pennsylyania, — he~had passed through a school of
experience which taught him to become all things to
all men, to ^^-^ar no reproach, shrink from no difiiculties,:
and tremble at no dangers. Strong in faith, bold in
God, burning with love to Christ, — the purpose of his
whole life was Christ's glory.

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120

LIFE AND TIMES OF

One of his first measures was the organization of a
Mission Board, at Bethlehem.* Its meetings were
attended by such missionaries as happened to be in
the settlement; and, influenced by these, it began to

-accommodate itself to the usages of the Indians,
;adopted their forms of address when negotiating with

ithem, delivered written speeches, and employed belts or

; strings of wampum.

; The next step which Spangenberg took was no less
important. He instituted a class of candidates ^for
missionary service, appointing Christopher Pyrlaeus^ as

: their instructor in the Indian languages.'^ Pyrlaeus

:had studied the Mohawk tongue, partly among the
Mohawks themselves and partly with Conrad Weisser.

"' Prominent among these young men was David Zeis-
berger. In the corner-stone of that venerable edifice
at Bethlehem, which was originally a "Brethren's
House," and which still attracts the attention of the
stranger by its quaint architecture, massive buttresses,
and walls of unhewn stone, was deposited a scroll of

1 It was called the " Mission Conference," and was subsequently
absorbed by the Provincial Conference which governed the Moravian
Church in America, and which boro different names at diflerent times.
As these ecclesiastical arr"ngcments of the Moravians, in the last
century, were exceedingly complicated, I employ the title " Mission
Board" throughout this work, for the sake of convenience.

' Spangenberg's Observatiotis on the Evangelization 0/ the Heathen in
North America. MS. B. A. The following wore members of this class:
David Zcisberger, Joseph Bull, known as John Joseph Schebosh, Michael
Schnall, Joseph Moller, Abraham Bueninger, and John Hagen.

John Christopher Pyrlaeus was born at Pausa, in Swabia, in 1713,
studied at the University of Leipsic, and died at Ilerrnhut, May 28,
1785. He married a daughter of Stephen Benezet, of Philadelphia.

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

121

parchment containing the names of the first inmates,
and among these names his was recorded as follows :
David Zeisberger, destinirter Heidenbote (1744).*

In the beginning of tlie year 1745, he set out for the \
Mohawk valley, accompanied by Frederick Post,^ m
order to perfect himself in the knowledge of the Mohawk
tongue. On the way, they stopped at Shekomeko. jt^
was Zeisberger's first visit to the Indian country; and
his desire to preach to the natives was intensified when .
he beheld Job, once debased almost to brutishness,
walking with God, a patriarch among his people, and
heard the glad testimony of many other converts. The

' That is : David Zeisberger, destined to be a Messenger to the Heathen,
The edifice referred to is the southwest corner-building of the present \
"Sisters' House." In that house the young 'nen of the s'^ttlcment lived ,
together under the supervision of an elder, devoting themselves either i
to their studies or working at trades. Thcj had a common dinii.:'- '
room, and daily worship in a chapel of their own. Similar establish- (
meats for young men, young women, and widows formerly existed in I
every Moravian settlement. There was nothing monastic in the prin- /
ciples by which they were governed. They were simply homes, where j
the inmates remained at their option, and were bound by no vow. ,
These institutions have all been given up in America ; in Germany,
however, tliey are still to be found. "^

Whenever Zeisberger was at Bethlehem he lived in that building
from 1744 to 1748; after that he occupied a room in the new " Breth-
ren's House," which was the middle building of the present Moravian
Seminary for Young Ladies.

2 FredorkJj JPostj born. &> C.ouit;^, in, Polish Prussia, wivsa^dijUn^ ^
guished mJa aionary. amnng, the Indiansj with ^yhom he wft? comiected
by marriage. Uis first w]fo was Rachel, a Wampanpag, baptized Feb- ,
ruary 13, 1743, by BUttner ; and died in 1747, at Bethlehem, where she
lies buried. In 1749, he married Agnes, a Delaware, baptized by
Cammerhoflf, March 5, 1749. She died in 1751, at Bethlehem. His
third wife was a white woman. Post eventually left the service of the
Moravian Church. He died at Germantown, Pa.

If-!
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122

LIFE AND TIMES OP

missionaries had been forbidden to continue their work,
but they remained at the station ministering to one of
their own number, Gottlob BUttner, who was wasting
under the blight of an incurable disease. After his
death (February 23, 1745), they left Shekomeko in a
body.^

Meantime Zeisberger and Post, together with Rachel,
who had here joined them, proceeded to Freehold, and
thence to "William's Fort. It was a time of great
excitement, both in New England and New York.
The one was preparing an expedition against Louis-
burg ; the other rang with a false report of the disaf-
fection of the Iroquois. The suspicions of the garrison
were awakened at seeing two young men, unprovided
with passports, and coming from a Church accused of
sympathy with the French, on their way to the Indian
country. A rigid exnnanation was instituted by some
of the soldiers, although without authority; but, as
nothing appeared to prove them spies, they were al-
lowed to go on. At Canajoharie, Hendrick, the illus-
i trious King of the Mohawks,'* bowing low to the salu-
Hation from Pyrlaeus which they brought him, received
Hbem into his lodge, and consented to instruct Zeisberger
[in the language.

' Biittner was turied at Shekomeko. A marble monument, erected
in 1859 by the Moravian Historical Society, marks his grave, in a field
on the farm of Mr. Edward Hunting.

y » Soi^ngaralita, or King Hendrick, the principal sachem of the
\ Mohawk s, wa§^._bl&Kg..a"rrJor, and a warm friend of England, which
/country he visited, and where he had an audience of King George. Ho
was killed in the battle of Lake George, September 8, 1755.

DAVID ZEISDERGER.

123

Intelligence of their visit had, meantime, been trans-
mitted to Albany, from "William's Fort. Ten days after
their arrival, as they were about going into the forest to
chop wood, two strangers met them at the door, but
precipitately retreated when they saw their hatchets.
Upon their return, however, thej' were invited to a
neighboring house, and there found the same men, who,
displaying a warrant from the Mayor of Albany, re-
ceived them with the announcement, ""VVe are con-
stables, and you are our prisoners !" This arrest filled
the town with indignation. "Your poople," said Hen-
drick, " have just settled their disputes with us, and now
you begin a new quarrel ! You deserve to be killed !"
Such a threat induced the redoubtable officers of the
law, who had scarce recovered from the shock produced
by two domestic hatchets, to hurry their prisoners into
a sleigh and speed to Albany.

There Mayor Schuyljr sent them to the Court House,
to be examined by the magistrates. In the course of
the inquest '• many filthy and scornful questions" were
proposed to them, the Justices " laughing among them-
selves," until Zeisberger with grave dignity remarked:
" We hope the Honorable Magistrates will behave more
discreetly, and beg they will forbear asking us such-like
questions." This silenced their ribaldry. They " seemed
as if they were asham ;d ;" and the missionaries, having
avowed themselves to ie loyal subjects of King George,
but, on conscientious grounds, declined to swear an
oath of allegiance, were permitted to retire to private
lodgings. Early the next morning, however, came a

I i

124

LIFE AND TIMES OF

corporal and four soldiers with loaded muskets, and
marched them through the streets — "as though we v;ere
the vilest malefactors," saj'S Zeisberger — to the castle,
where Captain Rutherforth committed them to the safe-
keeping of a guard, with orders to convey them to New
York. To their inquiries respecting the offense of
which they were accused, he could give them no in-
formation, except that they had refused the oath of
allegiance. The Mayor's parting words, although they,
too, contained no answer to their question, were more
explicit. " If you, or any of your Brethren," said he,
" come here again without a pass from the Governor, I
will have you whipped out of town !" Nor would he
permit Rachel to accompany them, until Zeisberger
pleaded in her behalf, and then he consented only on
condition of her traveling as fast as the guard. The
whole party being afoot, this was impossible, and, by
noon of the first day, she was obliged to leave her
husband, auu take her wav alone to Shekomeko.

At New York they were confined in the jail of
City Hall. A note, which they dispatched to Thomas
Noble, a merchant of the city, brought him to their
assistance; while Peter Boehler and Anthony Sey-
fert, who were waiting for a ship to carry them to
England, hastened to confer with them, but only by
letter, from prudential motives.' They likewise sent

iliii-"

> The original letter is extant (MS. B. A.) which Boehler and Seyfert
conjointly wrote to the two prisoners, in English, and which they were
permitted to read, after it had been carefully inspected by tho Sheriff.

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

125

Henry Van Vleck to Bethlehem, to notify the Board of
what had occurred.*

The news soon spread through the city, and excited
much comment. " There appears, however," writes
Boeliler to Spangeuberg, "to be more indignation
against the government than suspicion of our Church ;
although some persons, I am told, have declared that
they would bo glad to act as hangmen in the event of
the execution of our two brethren as spies."^

On the following day (February 23d) the prisoners
were cited before Governor Clinton and his Council.
"We remembered," says Zeisberger, "the words of our
Saviour: 'Ye shall be brought before governors and
kings for my sake ; but when they deliver you up, take
no thought how or what ye shall speak : for it shall be
given you in that same hour what ye shall speak."
And we trusted in the Saviour that He would make good
His words."

Zeisberger was examined first, and alone. After
several preliminary questions, with regard to his birth-

1; i!

It conveyed the warmest sympathy of the writers, without expressing
any opinion upon the course of the government. Zeisberger writes in
his Journal, that when Post and he had perused this communication,
they "rejoiced and were exceedingly happy."

1 Henry Van Vleck (born at New York, September 17, 1722) was a
clerk in Thomas Noble's store, and sub.iequently became a prominent
mnmbor of the Church and her Mission Agent in New York. His
house w'lS the resort of the missionaries. In 1773 he moved to Beth-
lehem, where he died, January 25, 1785. Thomas Noble was one of the
original members of the Moravian Church in New York.

' Bochler's original letter to Spangenberg. MS. B. A.

» Matthew, x. 18 and 19.

126

LIFE AND TIMES OF

'■■''.'<i

place and arrival in America, the examination continued
as follows:

"How long have you been in this government?"

" Since last New Year's Day, when we passed through
here."

" How far up did you go into the country ?"

"As far as Canajoharie."

"Who sent you thither?"

"Our Church."

"What church is that?"

" The Protestant Church of the United Brethren."

"Do you all do what she commands you ?"

" With our whole heart !"

" But if she should command you to hang yourselves,
or to go among the Indians and stir them up against the
white people, would you obey in this?"

" No, I can assure your Excellency and the whole
Council that our Church never had any such de-

signs.

"What did she command you to do among the
Indians ?"

"To learn their language."

" Can you learn the language so soon ?"

" I have already learned somewhat of it in Pennsyl-
vania, and I went up to improve myself"

"What use will you make of this language? What
is your design when you have perfected yourself in it?
You must certainly have a reason for learning it."

" We hope to get liberty to preach among the Indians
the Gospel of our crucified Saviour, and to declare to

DAVID ZEISDERGER.

127

them what we have personally experienced of His grace
in our hearts."
"Did you preach while you were among them

now?"

"No, I had no design to preach, but only to learn
their language."

""Were you not at "William's Fort? "Why did you
not stay there ?"

" "We were there, but finding no Indians, as they had
all gone hunting, we went farther.'*

"But their wives and children were at home; you
could have learned of them."

" That was not proper for me, being a single mar>."

"You will give an account to your Church, when
you come home, of the condition of the country and
land?"

" I will. "Why should I not ? But we do not con-
cern ourselves about that land ; we have land enough of
our own — we do not need that."

" You observed how mary cannon are in the fort, how
many soldiers and Indians in the castle, and how many
at Canajoharie ?"

" I was not so much as within the fort, and I did not
think it w^orth while to count the soldiers or the In-
dians."

" "Whom do you acknowledge for your king ?"

"King George of England."

"But when you go up among the French Indians,
who is your king there ?"

" I never yet had any mind to go thither."

128

LIFE AND TIMES OF

' ■'

&•> ■

'[ •

" Will you and your companion swear to be faithful
subjects of King George, acknowledge him as your sov-
ereign, and abjure the Pope and his adherents ?"

" We own ourselves to be King George's faithful sub-
jects ; we acknowledge him as our sovereign ; we can
truly certify that we have no connection at all with the
Pope and his adherents, and no one who knows anything
of us can lay this to our charge. With regard to the
oath, however, I beg leave to say that we are not inhab-
itatts of this government, but travelers, and hope to
enjoy the same privilege, which is granted in other
English Colonies, of traveling unmolested without taking
the oath."

" You design to teach the Indians, and we must have
the assurance that you will not teach them disaftection
to the King."

" But wc have come at this time with no design to
teach."

"Our laws require that all travelers in this govern-
ment shall swear allegiance to the King, and have a
license from the Governor."

" I never before this heard of such a law in any coun-
try or kingdom of the world !"

" Will you or will you not take the oath V

"I will not."

Having put some other unimportant questions, the
Council dismissed Zeisberger and examined Post. Then
Zeisberger was recalled, and the secretary read to him
the new act against the Moravians.

" Do you understand this?" he continued.

DAVID ZEISBEROER.

129

((

Most of it, but not all," replied Zeisberger.

"Will you take the oath now ?"

" I hope the Honorable Council will not force me to
do it."

" AVe will not constrain you ; you may let it alone if
it is against your conscience ; but you will have to go to
prison again."

"I am content."

Zeisberger's request to be informed of the crime laid
to his charge was met with the sententious remark, that
it would be too late to take measures against a crime
after it had been committed. " We must prevent the
mischief," said a far-sighted counselor, " before it is
brought about." The ofter which the Council, finally,
made to set him and Post at liberty, if they would give
security to appear at the next term of the Supreme
Court, they held under advisement. Meantime they
were remanded to jail. There *hey were visited, the
next morning, by Boehler and Seyfert, who told them
to await instructions from Bethlehem.

The Mission Board had appealed to influential
friends of the Church in Pennsylvania. But sevens
weeks passed by before the expected response came,
during w^hich period the young men remained in con
finement. Zeisberger devoted the time to the study of
the Mohawk, assisted by Post. Both were content to )
wait. "We count it a great honor," writes the former,!
"to suft'er for the Saviour's sake, although the world)
cannot understand this." While in prison tJiey saw)

many visitors. Not only Moravians came frequently,-

9 " ^'

,1 ,

r;/

^i'..

/^'

•/-

I !

130

LIFE AND TIMES OF

'it ('■

and, among these, Nathaniel Seidel/ as a special mcs-
senger of the Board ; but strangers from the city and
various parts of the Province called upon them nearly
every day. Their extraordinary cheerfulness deeply
impressed such persons; and many who had been loud
in their denunciations of "Moravian priests," and
" vagrant, strolling preachers," became convinced that
they were victims of groundless mistrust and religious
bigotry.

At last, on the eighth of April, they were enabled to
send a petition to Governor Clinton, covering certifi-
cates in their favor from Conrad Weisser and Governor
Thomas, of Pennsylvania, and praying to be set at
/liberty. These documents were considered in Council,
ion the same day. An order tollowed, relieving them
ifrom confinement, " on paying their fees," and permit-
ting them to return to Bethlehem. On the tenth the
Sheritf declared them free. Inscribing several verses,
', from their German Hymn Book, on the walls of their
'! room, as an expression of their faith in God, they
1 betook themselves to the house of Thomas Noble,
\ and reached Bethlehem on the sixteenth.*

1 Nathaniel Seidel was born October 2, 1718, at Lauban, in Saxony,
and lamc to America in 1742, where he filled various ofBces, among
others that of " Elder of the Pilgrims," or Superintendent of the Itin-
erating Missionaries of the Church. In this capacity he spent many
years in traveling, going as fr.r as the West Indies and South America.
In 1758, he was consecrateci bishop, and, in 17(11, succeeded Bishop
Spangenberg as President of the Mission Board.

' Copy of Petition ; Copy of the Order of Release ; Letter from
Conrad Weisser to Spangenbcr^r ; and Zeis'jerger's Journal. MSS.
B. A.

DA VID ZEISBKROKR.

131

This exporieuco belonged to the prcpariitions whicli
fitted Zeiaberger for the career of a missionary. It;
taught him one of the most essential conditions of,
success. Descended from a Church of martyrs, the/
faith of his fathers was called into exercise; and he\
was thenceforth ready to sufi'er reproacli, or even toj
lose his life, in the cause which he had espoused.

A few days after his return, the first converts from)
the Delaware nation, a chief of the Turtle Tribe and ;'
his wife, were baptized at Bethlehem. They came from
Waraphallobank, and, belonging to a family of distinc-
tion, their baptism caused sucli a sensation among their
kindred that thirty-six warriors marched to the settle-
ment, in order to carry them ofl:' by force. But the
testimony of the converts, and the friendly welcome
of the inhabitants, disarmed them of their design.

The Board had not forgotten the Mission at Sheko-
meko. A project wa^ set on foot to transfer it to the
valley of Wyoming. This necessitated negotiations
with the Iroquois Confederacy, to whose dependencies \
Wyoming belonged, and Bishop Spangenberg deter- j
mined to visit Onondaga in person. Zeisberger and
Schebosh* were appointed his associates.

1 John Jo seph Schcbosh, as ho was universally called, although hif^<

real__name was Joseph Bull^-r-SchcbosiL (Eunning Water) being tht/,
name given him by the Indians, and John the name bestowed upoil
him when ho was baptized as an adult, — was born of Quaker parents,'
May 27, 1721,at Skippack, Pa., and joined the Moravian Church in 1742,
receiving baptism at the hands of Andrew Eschenbach, September 15,
1742. He married Chris tiana, a Sopus Indian, baptized by xMartin Mackf
(July 24, 1746), and devoted his life to the service of the Indian Mis-J
sion. He died in Ohio. — See chapter xL

•h

■•PWaUP

132

LIFE AND TIMES OF

^K'

They' set out on horseback (May 24th), and pro-
ceeded, by way of the Heidelberg settlements, to Tul-
pehoeken, where they were joined by Conrad "Weisser,
who had been commissioned by the government of
Pennsylvania to treat with the Six Nations. The place
of rendezvous was Shamokin. There they spent a
!iweek, preaching the Gospel to the Indians and to
] Madame Montour, who had recently taken up her
'abode in the village.

On- the seventh of June, the whole party, to which

had now been added Shikellimy, one of hie sons,

and Andrew Montour, took the trail for Onondaga.

/Crossing the Susquehanna, they followed its West

I Branch, and passed th( tirst night in the "Warrior's

! Camp."

; It was the custom of the Moravian missionaries, in
those days, when passing through the wilderness, to
give to their camping-grounds names, the initials of
which were carved on trees, and remained as land-
marks for other evangelists. In the couise of time,
the valleys of the Susquehanna, and the forests of New
j York, were full of these mementoes of pious zeal ; and
: as the localities were described in the journals of the
; itinerants, and the appellations used by subsequent
? visitors, a geographical nomenclature grew into exist-
ence which was peculiarly Moravian.^

1 Spaiigcnberg'p, Journal of tho Tour to Onondapra. MS. B.A. The
original notes, taken on the way, are extant.

2 Woissor's Eeport to the Colonial Government. — CoL Records of Pa.,
iv. 77&-784.

3 At the present day, the difficulties of a study of the old topography

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

133

The arrival of two Iroquois warriors, who noiselessly ;
glided to the tire, suggested the name for this particular >
camp. They belonged to a band that had been defeated
by the Catawbas, escaping with nothing but their lives.
One of them, at the request of Weisser, hurried on to
Onondaga, the next morning, in order to announce the_;
coming of the party.

This proceeded more slowly. Soon after leaving Os-
tonwacken, they plunged into a fearful wilderness. It
was that part of Lycoming County which lies between
the Alleghany and Laurel Hill Mountains. Even at
the present day it is a wild country ; of its appearance,
more than a century ago, we can scarcely form a con-
ception. The forests were a broad waste, in many parts
impenetrable to the sun ; thick underwood entangled
the travelers on every side; the ground, for miles, was
a morass, into which the horses sank up to their knees ;
and, not unfrequently, gigantic trees, uprooted by the
storm, were found obstructing the trail.

Amid such obstacles, they pressed through the valley
of the Pine Creek — called by the Indians the Tiadagh-
ton — and bivouacked, in the evening" of the tenth, near
a large salt-lick, the resort of elk. While sitting
around the fire, the lurid glare of which made the night
in the surrounding forest to appear more profound,
Shikellimy and his son, with the formalities usual on \
such occasions, adopted the three envoys into thej

of tho country, from the records of the early missionaries, uro enhanced
in a tenfold degree by this custom. After the Pontiac Conspiracy itj
fell into desuetude.

1.^ i

I j

I 'I

i biSl Ji

71' [A.d4^i--0''-

'\^y'

-av».i2>c ..:Tx^ ^>u>:.-'.7'

■7-<'

1^"

LIFE AND TIMES OF

/Iroquois Confederacy ; Spangenberg,_ whom they named
/Tgirhitontie,^ into the tribe of the Oneidas, and the
( clan of .the Bear, and Zeisberger, who was called
^Ganousseracheri,^ into the tribe of the Onondagas, a_nd
the clan of the Turtle. Schebosh received the name
jof Ilajingonis.^

Taking, now, a northeasterly course, they passed the

source of the Second Fork of Pine Creek, in Tioga

County, emerged from the swamps, and struck the

North Branch, below Tioga Point. At its junction

with the Chemung, in the small triangle formed by

the two rivers and the northern extremity of Bradford

( County, they found a fruitful tract upon which a tribe

(of Mohicans had built a village. "While preparing to

} pitch their camp, a deputation of head men came out

land said: "Brothers! We rejoiced when we saw you

"approaching; our houses are swept; our beds are pre-

1 pared; we have hung the kettle over the fire; lodge

! with us."

After having enjoyed this generous hospitality, they
proceeded into that part of the wilderness which is
now the State of New York, journeyed three days
longer, in a course north by east, through Tompkins,
Cayuga, and Onondaga Counties, over wastes almost as
wild as those of the Alleghanies, until, in the afternoon
of June the seventeenth, they reached the capital of the
League. As this little body of wayworn pilgrims,

1 A row of trees. a On tlio pumpkin.

'OpS-M^-l'-'? -twists tobacco. Most of tUcmisaioJOHries were thus,
?i£EiteiiW?i Sl'^Vays used their ladiau names when among the IroquoiC

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

135

with their Indian guides, moved into the town, Louis-
bur^, in another part of the continent, the strongest
fortress of North America, opened its gates to an
undrilled army of New EngUind husbandmen and me-
chanics, and the Colonies achieved a victory over
France that filled the whole country with joy.

The Council met, on the twentieth, to receive the
embassy. Conrad Weisser communicated two points.*
First, in the name of the Governors of Pennsylvania
«md Virginia, he invited deputies from the Six Nations
to a congress with deputies from the Catawbas, their !
hereditary enemies, to bo held at Williamsburg, in i
order to settle the ancient feud between the League |
and this tribe, through the intervention of the English. ;
Second, by authority of the Governor of Pennsylvania, •
he f{<'manded satisfaction for the murders perpetrated, >
wiii'!' the dependencies of the Iroquois, by Peter!
Chart;: and his revolted Shawanese. Bishop Spang- !
enberg proposed to renew the friendship established
with the Six Nations by Count Zinzendorf, and ask'^d
permission to begin a settlement for Christian Indians^
at Wyoming.

The answers of the sachems were given on the fol-
lowing day. To Conrad Weisser they said, that they
would agree to an armistice with the Catawbas until
the spring of the next year, when they were willing to
treat with them at Philadelphia, but not at Williams-

1 Pcnn. Col. Kocords, iv. 778, etc.

" A hiilf-brcc'd trader in the interests of Fruncc, who had incited tho
Shawunusc to take up tho hatchet against the Colonics.

136

LIFE AND TIMES OF

Is.;;-' ^

■■^* ''.

If;' •

'ii .:^

',*i;! t'W

im^vM

burg; that the whole League, with all its chiefs and

war-captains, must be consulted, before so important

a question as a permanent peace with their hereditary

enemies could be settled; that they would complain

to the Governor of Canada of the conduct of Peter

Chartier, and secure satisfaction for the Colonies. To

(Bishop Spangenberg they replied, that they were glad

'to renew their compact with Count Zinzendorf and the

jBrethren; and that they gave their consent to the pro-

•posed settlement at Wyoming.

*'^ The mission of Conrad Weisser was opportune. If
he had arrived but a week later, the sachems would
have been in Canada, listening to the persuasions of the
Governor, who used e\ ■^»'y means to gain them over to
his side. Now they were pledged to neutrality, and his
efltbrts were unavailing.

After a stay of twelve days, the visitors began their
homeward journey. At the first village they separated.
Conrad "Weisser and Andrew Montour took a circuitous
trail; Spangenberg, Zeisberger, Schebosh, Shikellimy
and his son followed that which had brought them_Jo„
Onondaga.

The experiences of this latter party were even more
trying than when they had come that way the first time.
Not only had they to contend with the same horrors of
the swamps, but a succession of rain-storms occurred
that made traveling almost unendurable ; and, greatest
calamity of all, their provisions failed ! They braved
these hardships for eight days, until they reached Oston-
wackeu, almost exhausted, yet full of hope. A bitter

DAVIP ZEISBERGER.

137

disappointment awaited them. There was not a morsel
of food to be had in the village, and not even a fire burn-
ing in a single lodge. Riding on in garments wringiug-
wet, and barely alleviating the worst pangs of hunger
with a few fishes which they had caught in the Susque-
hanna, they lay down on the bank of the river at noon,
of the seventh of July, utterly overcome. They could
go no farther. It was an hour to try their souls. A
handful of rice constituted the remnant of their pro-
visions. Faint and silent, the bishop and his young
companions waited to see what God would do; while
Shikellimj' and his sou, with the stoicism of their race,
resigned themselves to their fate. Presently an aged
Indian emerged from the forest, sat down among them,
opened his pouch, and gave them a smoked turkey.
When they proceeded, he joined their party, camped
with them at night, and produced several pieces of de-
licious venison. They could not but recognize in this
meeting a direct interposition of their Heavenly Father.
The next day they reached Shamokin, where a trader
supplied all their wants.^

On their way to this town they came upon a rattle-
snake nest, amid the hills of the Susquehanna. At first
but a few of the reptiles were visible, basking in the sun.

* Loskicl, in his History, and Hcckewclder, in his Biographical
Sketch, both relate a wonderful drauglit of fishes made by Zeisberger,
at Spangenbcrg's request, in water where fishes are not commonly found,
and say that this saved the lives of the party. This incident has been
often quoted by other writers. It may have occurred, but tlicre is no
authority for it, cither in Spangenbcrg's Journal or in his original notes ;
hence I omit it.

138

LIFE AND TIMES OF

\l\\

|iS

No sooner, however, did thev kill these than the whole
neighborhood seemed to be alive with thera, and a rat-
tling began which was frightful. Snakes crawled out
of holes, from crevices in the rocks, and between loose
stones, or darted from thickets, and lifted up their heads
above patches of fern, until there was a multitude in
motion that completely surrounded the travelers, who
hastened from the spot. It was a place where the rep-
tiles had gathered in autumn and lain torpid, coiled
together in heaps, during the winter.

Zeisberger says that he once met with some Indians
who had found such a nest, and set fire to the dry leaves
and trees around it. The result, as narrated by them,
was marvelous. First a terrific concex't ensued of roar-
ing flames and hissing, rattling serpents ; and then these
came rolling down the mountain-side, scorched to death,
in such quantities that they would have filled several
wagons, while the air was laden with an intolerable
stench.'

' From Shamokin, Spangenberg and his associates hast-
ened to Bethlehem. When they approached the ridge
which formed the boundary between the wilderness and
the settlements, a terrific storm of rain and hail burst
upon them; but, just as they reached the top of a
peak of the Second Mountain, the sun broke through
the clouds in all his glory, and a rainbow spanned the
firmament. Greeting this gorgeous arc as a token of
God's mercy to His servants when traveling in the

Zeisberger's MS. Hist, of the Indians.

DAVID ZEISDERGER.

139

wilderness, they encamped by the dark waters of the
Swatara. On the following evening, they enjoyed the
hospitality of Christopher Weisser's homestead, in Tul-
pehocken, and, two days later, arrived at Bethlehem.

This^toiir was anothcrjchool of preparation for Zeis- j
bei;ger. It made him acquainted with the usages of the^
Indians at their councils, and taught him to rely ever j
upon God, amid all the hardships incident to his mis- !
sionary life.

140

LIFE AND TIMES OF

B ' ■.

CHAPTER VII.

HIS LABORS AT SHAMOKIN AND IN THE VALLEY OF WYOMING—

1745-1750,

The converts of Shekomeko refuse to emigrate to Wyoming. —
Friedenshiitton near Bethlehem. — Gnadcnhiitten on the Mahony.
— Shamolcin and its smith-shop. — The principles of the work among
the Indians. — Bishop Cammerhoff. — Zeisberger at Shamokin. — His
Ii'oquois Dictionary. — E.\ploration of the two branches of the Sus-
quehanna. — Indian treaties at Lancaster and Albany. — Peace of
Aix-la-Chapelle. — John de Wattevillo. — His tour to Shamokin and
Wyoming, witli Zeisberger as his interpreter. — Conversion and death
of Shikellimy. — Ordination of Zeisberger. — Running the gantlet. —
Indian treaty at Philadelphia. — Council of bishops with the sachems
of the Iroquois. — Eenewal of the Missions in New York and New
England. — Act of Parliament in favor of the Moravians. — General
prosperity of tha work.

After his return from Onondaga, Zeisberger devoted
himself jinew to the study of the Indian languages.
The following year (1746), however, brought him work
of a different character.

Contrary to the expectations of the Board, the Indians
of Shekomeko refused to emigrate to Wyoming. No
persuasions availed. They were as loath to leave their
pleasant homes at the foot of the Stissing, as they were
afraid of the savages of the Susquehanna. But it soon
became evident that they could not remain in their
village, on account of the increasing animosity of
the settlers. Accordingly, a temporary asylum was
offered them at Bethlehem. Ten families embraced

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

141

this offer, and built a little hamlet, called Friedens-'
hUtten, on the slope and around the base of a hill
near the Lehigh.^ A tract of land which the Church
had recently purchased on the Mahony Creek, in the
present Carbon County, was selected as a permanent
seat for the converts. Thither Mack, Zeisberger, and
several other young men, together with a few Indians,
now proceeded in order to lay out a town. It received,
the name of Gnadenhlitten. A Mission was organized
at this place, in July, and put in charge of Mack aud_
Rauch.^

But the Board discussed still another project. Sha-
raokin was deemed to be an important place for a
missionary enterprise, in view of its metropolitan
character, and its situation on the prin< ipal trail to the
South, whither Indians of various nationalities were
constantly going. To gain this spot was to plant the
banner of the Cross upon one of the most formidable

1 Friedenshuttcn, or "Tents of Peace," lay on, and at the base of,
the hill now partly embraced in the grounds of the Moravian Semi-
nary for Young Ladies and partly within the inclosure of the Beth-
lehem Skating Park, including the ridge on which the Gas Works havo
been erected.

2 Gnaden hlitten, orj' Tents of Grace," was built on a part of a tract
of land lying on both sides of the Lehigh Kivcr, and comprising alto-
gether about thirteen hundred and eighty acres, purchased at seven
different times, — the first tract in 1745, and the last in 1764. In 1747,
u grist- and saw-mill was erected on the Mahony. The original town
lay on the declivity of the hill which rises from the creek with a gentle
slope, and the top of which is still crowned with the old grave-yard, in
the outskirts of Lehighton. It consisted of three streets, built in the
form of parallel arcs, and bisected by a fourth, in the middle of which
stood the church. — Plan of the Town. MS. B. A.

142

LIFE AND TIMES OF

.!'' t

yii

strongholds of paganism in the land. The prospect of
success was, indeed, not encouraging. Mack had spent
a part of the autumn there, and found the savages

/averse to the Gospel. Nevertheless a plan, suggested

• by Conrad Weisser, for securing a foothold, seemed so

I feasible that it was adopted in faith and hope.

^" Ever since the introduction of tire-arms among the
natives the smitheries of the white people had been in
high repute, and visited both by hunters and warriors.
On account of their distance from the Indian country,
however, Shikellimy applied to the Colonial government
to have one put up at Shamokin. The Board, by the

/advice of Weisser and with the consent of the Gov-
/ernor,^ undertook to fulfill this request, provided that
<they be allowed, at the same time, to begin a Mission.

^To this Shikellimy agreed. In April, 1747, John Hagen
and Joseph PowelP erected a shop and a Mission-house.
The former remained as resident missionary, and was
joined, in June, by Anthony Schmidt, who opened a

'. smithery in the shop. Hagen's usefulness, however,
came to a speedy end. He died in early autumn.

i Mack succeeded him.

The enlargement of the field of labor demanded in-
creased faith and new zeal. In February (1747), a gen-
eral meeting of the Board and of all its missionaries was

I Two letters from Charles Brockden,of Philadelphia, to Spangenberg,
June 27 and November 9, 1746. B. A.

/i'2^ Joseph Powell was an itinerant missionary, born in Shropshire,
1 England, in 1710, and died September 23, 1774, at Wechquadnach,
'Conn., where, in 1859, the Moravian Historical Society erected o
I monument to his memory.

DAVID ZEISDERGER.

143

called, at which the character and claims of the work
were discussed. It w^as enthusiastically resolved to carry
on the evangelization of the Indians in an " apostolical
manner," with resistless . energy, to the glory of God;/
and to deem tit for this service such men and women
only as were willing to lose their lives for Christ's sake.^'
Zeisherger joyfully renewed his vows on the occasion of i
this conference.

Among_it8 members was Bishop Cammerhoff, Spang'
euberg's newly-arrived assistant.^ Cammerhofl' was a /
remarkable man. An alumnus of the University of I
Jena^a^bishop at the age of twenty-tivc years, a divine /
of rare scholarship, conversant, in particular, with the]
church-fathers and the various systems of philosophy; I
amiable, devoted to the God-Man, bold in Christ, and
ready to endure all things for His cause; but deeply
tinctured, too, with the fanaticism of the " time of sift-
ing;'" he exercised great influence among the Brethren,

1 Discourse delivered by Spangenberg, February 6, 1747. MS. B. A.

' John Christoph Frederic Cammerhoff was born near Magdeburg,
Prussia, July 28, 1721, and arrived in America in 1747.

» This is the term by which a brief period of Moravian history, ex-
tending from 1745 to 1750, is generally known, during which time sev-
eral churches of Germany fell into fanaticism. It consisted chiefly in a
religious phraseology that was antiscriptural, puerile, and extravagant.
The Saviour's wounds, and especially the wound in his side, were spirit-
ualized, and made the subject of a flood of hymns which often degen-
erated into irreverence. Through the exertions of Zinzendorf, Spangen-
berg, and others, the evil was wholly suppressed. It is owing to this
temporary fanaticism that such gross slanders wert. spread concerning
the Moravian Church, in the last century, by men like Eimlus, and
works like "the Moravians Detected," and are occasionally revived
even at the present day.

•I

^11 1

f:;i

4 * ■

144

LIFE AND TIMES OF

\'l"

both for good and evil. lie inspired ministers and
(people with enthusiasm for the work of the Lord ; he
|led many souls to a knowledge of the truth ; he gained
[numerous converts among the Indians, and infused life
Unto all the operations of the Chureb. But he also intro-
duced the puerile sentimentality which was disgracing
some of the churches in Germany, and, in spite of Spang-
euberg's opposition, would have made it to triumph
among American Moravians likewise, had he not been
removed by the hand of death after a service of but lour
years.

Zeisbcrger had now acquired great fluency jn^the
. • ..y-^ Mohawk language, and, in April, 1748, was appointed
\/^' Mack's assistant at Shamokin. There he began to pre-

5>'^^>^:pare an Iroquois dictionary, with Shikellimy for his
^ teacher. He found that some ideas could not be ex-
; pressed by any terms in use among the natives, and was
'compelled to introduce words from the German or the
fEuglish in Indian idioms.

In the couree of the summer he accompanied Mack
on an exploration of the two branches of tho Susque-
hanna. This tour showed him the Indian in the depths
of misery. Ostonwacken lay deserted and in ruins. Other
villages and isolated wigwams, along the West Branch,
were likewise uninhabited. After traveling for days,
they at last found a Delaware, living on an island cov-
ered with rank grass. " Where are all our brothers
who used to hunt along this river?" asked Zeisberger.
Lifting the blanket which covered the door of his hut,
he pointed, in the way of an answer, to several sufferers

i -

the

•era

DAVID ZEL^BEROER.

145

hideous with the small-pox. This scourge was dopopu-
liiting tliern. Those that had escaped it were begging
food iu the settlciuents. The missionaries made similar
experiences everywhere. They spent two days at Great
Island, surrounded by natives ill of the disease.
Others were starving. A kettle of boiled grass ( oiisti-
tuted a luxury. Gaunt figures, huddled around tires,
ate voraciously of such food.

Along the North Branch, too, which they followed
as far as Wyoming, a dire famine was prevailing. The
most of the Indians were gone in search of provisions;
such as were at home scarcely sustained life on boiled
tree-bark, unripe grapes, and roots.

The missionaries went their way sorrowful and yet
rejoicing. They mourned over the distress of the na-
tives. Their hearts bled to see misery of body and soul
in so frightful a combination. But, for themselves, they
had peace in God ; and, as they journeyed, they sang
hymns to His praise until the forests of the Susquehanna
were vocal with sacred melodies; or, attracted by the
sanctuary-like beauty of some grove, they fell upon their
knees and prayed most earnestly for the conversion of
the Indians. On the first of August they reached Beth-
lehem and reported to the Board. This entire journey
had been accomplished afoot.

Meantime two important treaties with the aborigines
had taken place. The one was held at^Lancasterj where
commissi oner s of Pennsylvania formed. an alliance with
the Twigh twees of the Far West, in accordance with their

146

LIFE AND TIMES OF

xk !

lilH-

IB.iJi,

own wish;' the other at Albany, where Governor CHu-
ton, of I^ew York, and Shirley, of Massachusetts, met a
\ large deputation of Iroquois, in order to strengthen the
chain of friendship which united the League and the
Colonies.^ Some time before this the news of the peace
of Aix-la-Chapelle had reached America. Preliminaries
had been signed ou the nineteenth of April; and now,
toward the end of August, the king's proclamation was
received, ordering a cessation of hostilities.' Thus there
seemed to open, for the development of the Colonies
and the spread of the Gospel among the Indians, a
promising future. But ere long it became evident that
a mere hollow truce, and not a lasting peace, had been
concluded.

Zeisberger spent two months at Bethlehem, at which
place John de Watteville arrived from Europe, on an
official visit to the Moravian Churches and Missions.
/ Baron John de Watteville, a bishop of the Church,
,Hhe principal assistant of Count Zinzendorf, and his son-
fin-law, was one of those lovely characters that reflect
v:he image of Christ. Mild gentle, persuasive, yet full
of courage and zeal, he was a John among the Brethren,
living In a daily fellowship with Jesus, and knowing no
happiness more exalted than to show forth His praise.
A character such as this attracted Zinzendorf. There
subsisted between them a bond stronger and holier than

1 Col. Eccox .3 of Pa., V. 307.
* Bancroft's U. S., iv. chap. ii.
" Col. Records of Fa., v. 381.

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

147

even that of the family. They were one iu heart, as
they were one in Christ.*

Hence the evangelization of the Indians, concerning
whori) he had heard so much from his father-in-law, /
excited Watteville's warmest sympathies, and one of ;
the first duties which he undertook, was a tour through
their country. Bishop Ctimmerhotf and Martin Mack ■
accompanied him, and ZeisJaerg^r was apppjuted Li;tej>
preter_to the pai't^-

Tliey^ first visited Gnadenhlitten (October 1), taking
the trail through the Lehigh Water-Gap, where no
shrieking steam-whistle, but only the music of nature,
filled their ears. Beyond Gnadenhlitten they struck to
the north, and entered a wilderness of hills, clothed in
their bright autumnal garb, and pregnant, even then,
with untold stores of anthracite coal, — hills that should
give birth to no small part of the commercial greatness
and industrial power of that Commonwealth which now
boasts of the mines of Mauch Chunk. At night the}-
bivouacked under a white oak, and called their camp

1 Watteville was born Oct. 18, 1718, at "Walschloboii, In Thuringisi,
and was the son of a Lutheran clcigyinan, named John M. Longguth.
Ho was educated at the Universitj^of Jonn, and subsequently joined the
Moravian Church. Hrving been adopted by Baron Freder ck de
Watteville, he was created n Baron of the Germanic Empire by
Francis I., in 1745. In the following year be married the Countes?;*
Benigna, Zinzendorf's oldest daughter, and was consecrated a bishop m
1747. At a later period, he became a member of the General Executive
Conference of the CI urch, in which office ho remained until his death,
Oct, 7, 1788. In 17:33, lio paid a second visit to America, where he
spent three years.

' Wettevillo's Journal, in his ov " handwriting. MS. B. A.

' II:

]'.

li '

'' I f

if ^

»i\ 111

K'l'

.1 f

II. *'

S ' ti ' rt

1" ^f

148

L/F£? AND TIMES OF

ClJi!lillX-S§st," in honor of Watteville, whose initial
'letter was carved on the tree. Three days later they
reached Wyoming.

A visit to places that have gained a name in the fire-
side recollections of a family, in the t... editions of a
church, or the history of a people, is an occasion of
deep interest and rare enjoyment. The localities are
familiar and yet new, well known and yet strange; the
present is linked to the past ; and the past reappears in
the present. With feelings such as these, Watteville,
guided hy Mack, explored the lovely valley which here
/opened to his view. They found the plain of Skehanto-
Uvanno, where Zinzendorf's tent had first been pitched,
.the little hill where God had delivered him from the
■fangs of the adders, and the spot where the Shawanese
had watched him with murderous designs. The very
Uroe was still standing on which he had graven the
.initial of his Indian name, and they could even trace its
^faiut outlines.

Among the inhabitants however, many changes had

taken place. The majority of the Shawanese lived by

•the waters of the Ohio, and but few natives of any

Jother tribe remained, with the exception of Nanti-

/cokes. Watteville fai+hfully prpqlaimed the Gospel,

! Zeisberger interpreting. At nightfall of the seventh of

\ October, he gathered his companions around him and

t celebrated the Lord's Supper. It was the first time that

ithis holy sacrament was administered in that valley

where many Christian churches, in this way of divine

appointment, now show the Lord's death. The hymns

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

149

3S luicl

red by
any

Nauti-
ospel,

nth of
■pi and
e that
valley
divine
Liymns

of the little company swelled solemnly through the
night, while the Indians stood listening, in silent awe,
at the doors of their wigwams. And when they heard'
the voice of the stranger lifted up in earnest interces-/'*
sion, as had been his father's voice in that same region
six years before, they felt that the white man was pray-^
ing that they might learn to know his God.

From "Wj'oming the travelers followed the North
Branch, visited Wamphallobank and Neskapekc, and,
passing through Skogari, at present in Columbia County
— the only town on the whole continent inhabited b}^
Tutelees, a degenerate remnant of thieves and drunk-
ards, who crowded in rude wonder around the horses
of the Brethren, ejaculating m broken English, " See 1
Moravian preachers !" — reached Shamokin just as the
sun was sinking beyond tlie Susquehanna in all the
splendor of an October sky. Hastening from the
Mission-house came Powell, and from his shop Schmidt,
to bid them welcome ; nor was it long before Shikel-
limy took them by the hand and proffered the hos-
pitalities of the village.

Watteville's visit mad e a deep impression upon this
sachem. Zinzendorf had sent him a costly gift' and
au affectionate message, entreating him to remember'
the Gospel which he heard from his lips, and turn to
Christ. Watteville urged the subject with all the

1 It consisted of ti silver knife, foik
ivoi'j' drinking-cup hciivily moiin
morocco-ciise, to whicli was attached u long loop of silk

fork, and sjioon, togetlier with an^
ted witli .-iiver, all inclosed in a^

\' :

S.V1

i! 5,1

111.

f'fri

150

LIFE AND TIMES OF

i^o-lowinar warmth of his own love, Zeisherger inter-
l.preting his words into the Mohawk language. The
>heart*^ot' the old cTiie? was touched ; and several weeks
/ after the departure of the party, he arrived at Bethle-
\ hem, in order to hear more of Christ. He was daily
instructed in the plan of salvation, until he experi-
enced the power of divine grace and could make a
/profession of personal faith. He had been baptized
by a Jesuit Father, in Canada, many years before this.
Laying aside a manitou, the last relic of his idolatry,
I he took his way rejoicing to his forest-home. At Tul-
jpehocken, however, he fell ill, and had barely strength
Uo reach Shamokin. There he stretched himself on his
biat, and never rose again. Zeisberger, who had re-
f'turned to his post, while Watteville and CammerhoiF
I had gone to Bethlehem, faithfully ministered to his
I body and his soul. He died on the sixth of December,
I conscious to the last, but unable to speak, a bright
i smile illumining his countenance."

He left. three sons, James Logan or Sogechtowa,
John or Thachnechtoris, and John Petty. Runners
were sent out to summon them to Shamokin. James
Logan arrived the next day, and, on the ninth, the
sachem was buried, in the presence of the whole
population. Zeisberger wrote the news to Conrad
"Weisser, who reported it to Governor Hamilton.'' The
Colonial government transmitted a message of con-

' Journal of Shamokin Mission.
' Penn. Archives, ii. 23.

MS. B. A.

DAVID ZEISBERGEE.

161

doleuce, and the usual presents for the sons of the
deceased, requesting Thachnechtoris to act as Iroquois
deputy until a permanent appointment could be made
by the Grand Council. To Bethlehem the intelligence ,
was brought by Zeisberger in person, and created af
profound sensation, especially among the members of f
the Synod, which was sitting at the time, under thej
presidency of Bishop de Watteville.

It had been Zeisberger's intention to go back imme-
diately to Shamokin. But Watteville detained him,
took hira along on a tour to the churches of Pennsyl-
vania and New York, and, after their return, ordained
him to the ministry (February 16, 1749).' Then he
sent him to his post, with a written message, from the
bishops and the Synod, to Shikellimy's sons, sympa-
thizing with them in their loss, telling them of their
father's faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and urging them
to follow in his footsteps.^

Zeisberger resumed his work with new zeal, assisted \
by Jonathan, a Christian Indian from Shekomeko, sor/
of the first convert. But his experiences were of a/
trying character. He could not stem the tide of
wickedness that was sweeping through Shamokin.
N'ot only the inhabitants themselves continued unim-
pressed by the truths of the Gospel, but the numerous
visitors helped to maintain the supremacy of heathen-
ism. Hunters coming to the smith-shop, and Iroquois

» Certiflcato of Ordination. MS. B. A.
' Copy of tho Message. B. A.

152

LIFE AND TIMES OF

,|r/*'" ^War-parties going against the Catawbas, engaged in
U^, M'*"' drunken revelries and bloody brawls, while, not un-
;frequently, large bodies of savages arrived in order to
Icelebrate their sacrificial abominations, which led to
' debauchery in its worst forms. At other times, scenes
of cruelty occurred which the missionaries were unable
)to prevent.

One day, for example, the death-whoop rang through
the forest. A band of thirty Iroquois was returning
from the country of the Catawbas, with three prisoners,
one of whom was a little girl. She was spared, but
;the two men were obliged to run the gantlet. In this
(brutal sport all the Indians of Shamokin took part.
Two lines were formed, between which the captives
were made to run, amid furious blows dealt with fists,
sticks, and war-clubs, until they reached a hut that had
previously been pointed out to them as their place of
refuge. Thither the warriors came and bound up their
wounds ; after which they were led forth again and com-
pelled to dance for the amusement of the assembled
people. To force their prisoners thus to run the gant-
let, at every town to which they brought them, was the
inhuman custom of the Six Nations.

In midsummer, the Board sent for Zeisbcrger to meet
Bishop John Nitschraann,^ who was officiating as Spang-

^ 1 John Nitschnianrij Son., was born in 1703, at Schonau, in Moravia,
'^ancl omii^ratccl to liorrniiut in 1725. He became tiio private tutor ol"
) Count Christian Zinzenclorf, v.-honi ho acoompaniod to the University
I of Jena. In 1741 he was consecrated a bishop, and came to America in
) 1749, with a colony of 120 immigrants. He was President of the Board

DAVID ZEISDERGER.

153

enberg's successor,' and Bishop do Wattevillo, who had
returned from a visit to the Mission in the West Indies.
They had important news to communicate.

An Indian treaty had been hekl in PhiUidt^lphia, at(
which the Iroquois had sold a tract of hand to Pennsyl-
vania, extending from the Bkie Mountains more than
thirty miles up the Susquehanna, and thence in a
straight line eastward to the junction of the Lecka-
wacksein Creek with the Delaware River, thus aliena-
ting their dependencies to within a short distance of
Shamokin, where James Logan now had his seat, as "
deputy of the Grand Council, in place of his father.^
On the occasion of this treaty, "Watteville, Cammer- /
hoff, Spangenberg, Pyrlaeus, and Seidel had instituted, j
at the Parsonage, oii Race Street, a council with the /
sachems of the Six IsTations, at whose head stood Ganas-/
sateco, and had received permission to send an embassy )
to Onondaga, in the following spring, in order to arrange ]
preliminaries for a missionary enterprise in their coun- 1
try.' This embassy was intrusted to Cammerhoff and \
Zeisberger; the former to be the accredited envoy, the
latter interpreter.

until 1751, when lie roturncd to Europe, iiiul sorvcd tlio Cliurch in
England, Germany, and Ildlland. He died at Zoist, ilay G, 1772.

1 On the oceasion of a Synod held at Bethleliem, October, 1748, under
the presidency of Watteville, the "Congregation of God in the (Spirit"
was given up, and, at the same time, Sjiungenberg, owing to the jealousy
of some of his fellow-hiborers, was relieved of his ofliee. Ho retired,
deeply hurt, to Philadelphia.

2 Indian Deed. Penn. Archives, ii. 03.

•' At tlns_councilj Wattoyille was adopted into the Turtle clan of tho
Onoijday ti_ N'.itionj^_nnd__r*tSe]y cd tliQ namc,.£f Tjianhontio^ or _;^^_A JUcsi-
f-enjj^Qr."

' ,riv^m

154

LIFE AND TIMES OF

While the work at Shamokin was unsuccessful, other
Missipnsjonrished. In the early part of 1749, those in
New York and Xew England were renewed, through
the exertions of Watteville. The opponents of the
cause were to be effec .uall}' silenced. In the course of
the summer there was sent to America an Act of
Parliament " for encouraging the people known by the
name of the Unitas Fratrum, or United Brethren, to
settle in his Majesty's Colonies." This Act allowed
them "to make a solemn affirmation in lieu of an oath,"
exempted them from military service, and acknowl-
edged them as "an ancient Protestant Episcopal
Church."' Thus were those "Moravian priests," and
"vagrant, strolling preachers," against whom the petty
legislators of New York had taken counsel, and whom
they had driven like vagabonds from their Province,
recognized by the highest legislative body in the British
dominions, and put on a parity with the clergy of the
Anglican Church.

At GnadenhUtten, too, the cause prospered so much

that a larger chapel was erected in 1749. Meniolage-

/mekah, moreover, was now a missionary station, and

Chad a little band of confessors under George Rex, the

/captain of the village, who had been baptized at Beth-

(lehera, and received the name of Augustus; while

1 22 George II., c. xxx.; Ada Fratnim Unitatis in Anglia, 1749. This
Act was framed, at the instance of Zinzendorf, mainly on account of
the persecutions which the Church had suffered in New York. It was
introduced into the House of Commons March 25, 1749, passed by the
House of Lords May 12, and signed by the King, June 6.

DAVID ZEISBEBOER.

155

aloni? the Susquehanna lived single families of Christian
Indians. Therefore Watteville, who sailed for Europe,
with Spangenberg, on the fifteenth of October, could
bear the gratifying news to his father-in-law, that the
Indian Mijaiuii-,ka^inci£aa£d J^._8eyejal^ j

verts.'

1 Loskiel (Part ii. p. 118) gives the number at five hundred, which is,
unquestionably, an error. There could not have been more than about
three hundred persons in fellowship with the Mission, inasmuch as there
were but two hundred and thirty baptisms up to that year, as is seen
from the official register.

-1

■I

i
i

156

L/F£ ^iVZ) TBiES OF

CHAPTER VIII.

ZEISBERGER AND CAMMERIIOFF ON AN EiMBASSY TO ONONDAGA.—

1750.

Zcisbcrgor and CammerhofT at Wyoming. — Sot out in a canoe, guided
by a Cayuga chief. — Visit the scattered converts. — Koach tiie Cayu2;a
country and talvo horses. — Lake Cayuga. — The liistorie monuments of
the Cayugas. — Cayuga Town. — Arrive at Onondaga and reception by
the Grand Council. — Visit the Senccas. — Great perils. — The escape
from the Zonessehio. — Danger of drowning. — Return to Onondaga.
Their message to the Council. — Journey home. — The rattlesnake.

The hopes awakened by the past success of the In-
dian Mission made the new enterprise in which Zeis-
berger was to engage a pleasure and a privilege, in spite
^of its hardships. To bear the Gospel to the powerful
( League of the Six Nations and bring these proud sav-
;ages into the Church of Christ was the ultimate purpose
Jof this second embassy to Onondaga. Mohicans, Wam-
ipanoags, and Delawares had been converted to the
'living God, and were learning the ways of civilization, —
why not Iroquois also, one of whose greatest sachems
'had died a Christian in Zeisberger's arras?

Such were the thoughts with which he took his way
to Wyoming, whither Bishop Cammerhoff had preceded
him. They met in the town of the Nanticokes, and
spent a week waiting in vain for their Indian guide. At
last they resolved to begin the journey alone, confident
that He who had led the Israelites through the wilder-

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

167

ness would help them to find thoir path. A part of
the way could not be missed, for Zeisburger had planned
a new route. He proposed to ascend the Susquehanna
in a canoe, as far as the present boundary of New
York, thus avoiding tlie great swamp in which
Bishop Spangenberg's party had suffered so many
privations.

On the twenty-eighth of May, the little vessel which
was to carry them lay ready, fashioned with all the
ingenuity of a native builder. Their packs were put on
board, the indispensable ride and powder-horn not for-
gotten, the hatchet, flint, and steel securely stowed away.
Surrounded by the friends who had accompanied Cam-
merhoff to Wyoming, they were sending messages of
love to their brethren, when their long-expected guide
arrived — Ilahotschaunquas, a chief of the Cayugas. ]
He had been detained by high water in the Susque-
hanna. An hour later, at two o'clock in the afternoon,
they embarked, — Hahotschaunquas and Gajehene, his
wife, in their canoe ; Cammcrhotf, Zeisbcrger, and the :
chiefs two children — Tagita, a lad of fourteen, and
Gahaea, a littb girl of four years — in that belonging
to the missionaries. "Waving a last farewell to their
friends on the bank, Zeisberger seized the paddle, f
and, using it with the expertness of an Indian, the ■
canoe glided swiftly on its way to the country of the^
Iroquois.

The journey which the two envoys thus began was
one of the most romantic ever undertaken by Moravian/
missionaries. Great sufferings and wonderful escapes)

kdi

'livi

158

LIFE AND TIMES OF

distinguished it; faith and courage, such as the heroic
age of the Church of the Brethren had never before seen,
will ever render it memorable. No two men among
her clergy could have been found better fitted to stand
fast and endure. The intense love to Christ which filled
Caramcrhoff's heart gloried in tribulations; and Zeis-
berger's soul longed so ardently for manifestations of
God's power among the Aquanoschioni that famine,
nakedness, or perils were as nothing in securing such
an end. Associated as the two had been on former
tours through the wilderness, having many recollections
in common, this mission bound 11 ^m together like
David and Jonathan. One in their Saviour, His divine
name was continually on their lips ; and the " Man of
sorrows and acquainted with grief formed the source
of their daily joy and strength and peace.

In the evening of their first day's journey they fast-
ened their canoes to the shore, and built a walnut-bark
hut, in the center of which they kindled a fire. On the
one side, wrapped in their blankets, lay the missiona-
ries ; on the other, the Indian family. Thus they slept
in peace. Sirnilar^sheltera werQ.eyected every ni ght y ajid
leach camping-ground received a nariie.

Having reached a village near the line of the present
Wyoming County, where Nathaniel, a convert, baptized
jby Cammerhoft", had his home, and near which lived
'other Christian Indians, the first fruits of the Mission
in that valley, they stopped a day in order to visit these
'"brown sheep," as the bishop was accustomed to call
fhis incjjan converts, and strengthen them in their holv

DAVID ZEISDEROER.

159

faith. It was a time of great eneouragtmeut. Not
only did they Hud the baptized Indiana faithful to their
vows, but the savages unwittingly bore testimony to '
the reality of their conversion. " What have you done
to our brothers," said the indignant warriors, crowding
around the bishop, " that they are so entirely dift'erent
from us, and from what they used to be ? What is this
baptism which has made tliem turn from our feasts and
dances, and shun all our ways?" Cammcrhoft"8 re-
sponse was a fervent discourse upon the atonement o^
Christ.

The winding course of the river, after leaving this
village, led them through a romantic country and a
primeval wilderness. - Wooded hills stretched from the
Susquehanna to the spurs of the Alleghanies, the young
foliage of early summer clothing them in a mantle of
soft green, variegated by the flowers of the tulip-tree
and the blossoms of gorgeous forest-shrubs. Sweep-
ing around blutfs, the stream in many places burst into
wild rapids, through which they found it almost im-
possible to paddle their canoes. From the coves,
between the hills, ducks rose at their approach, or the
startled deer bounded back into the thicket ; above
their heads, clouds of wild pigeons passed on their swift
way; while stretched upon the rocks, basking in the
sun, or coiled with head erect, appeared occasionally,
and on one day in extraordinary numbers, the mottled
rattlesnake, the terror of the American wilderness.

Through such scenes they journeyed for nearly ten j
days ; Zeisberger and Hahotschaunquas shooting gamej

PI' <;1:

fiSi f

J' ' ^p

^ih vl

160

Z,/F^ ^iV2) T/i/£5 OF

for their food, and Caramcrhotf speaking with the
Indian tlimily about the salvation of their souls, or
listening, at night, to the tales of the chief as he
related, by the fire, the heroic deeds of his ancestors.
Now and thou a straggling village of Delawares ap-
peared on the bluffs, or a canoe, with its solitary hunter,
crossed thoir track. At Tioga they turned from the
, Susquehanna into the Chemung, the current of which
jwas so strong that it almost exhausted Zeisberger's
i strength, and reached Ganatocherat the first village of
I the Cayugas, probably near the boundary of New York.
fHaetwe, an acquaintance of Zeisberger, met them at
jthe bank, and invited them to stop at the hut of the
[chief. The latter was absent, but Haetwe took his
•{ place as host. When they entered the lodge, he turned
I to Zeisberger, and said with all the dignity of a well-
I bred gentleman, " i salute you, my brother Ganous-
\ seracheri!''

Thoy rested at Ganatocherat for two days, and then
continued their journey on horseback, still guided by
the Cayuga chief. Struggling through a swamp, where
the fruitful farms of Tompkins County now rejoice the
tourist's eye, they reached, after four days of hard
riding, the southernmost point of Lake Cayuga, or
Ganiataragechiat, as it was called by the natives. Here
they met a party of Indians encamped in a cave, who
generously replenished their scanty stores with a supply
of turtle-eggs and dried eels.

Advancing now along the eastern shore of the lake,
they forded numerous creeks, and came to a spot which

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

iw^5«»wv;__ ;;

161

their guide approached with proud steps and glowing-
eyes. It was the rude, but to him glorious, monument , ^
of the warlike deeds of his nation. The trees all around; '^^■t::!^
were full of figures and curious symbols carved on the; tiy ,_> '
bark, — telling of battles fought and won, of scalps ^^/l

brought home, and of prisoners taken. He led them
to one tree in particular, and pointed out the history of '
his own exploits. '

Man, in every age, and in all states of civilization,
is swayed by the same desire to leave to posterity the
tokens of his renown. Gigantic blocks and pillars of
stone, arrayed in mysterious hieroglyphics, formed the
national chronicles of the ancient Egyptians; statues,
upon which Art exhausted hor highest powers, im-
mortalized the heroes of Greece and Rome ; beautiful \
bass-reliefs, cast out of cannon which Napoleon Bona-
parte captured from the Austrians and Russians, and
covering the Column VendSme, at Paris, celebrate the
victories of this mighty conqueror; a colossal obelisk
of hewn granite, towering above Bunker Hill, marks
that momentous struggle for American Independence
which there took place. So, in the remote wilderness,
by the waters of Cayuga Lake, the trees of a primeval
forest published the fame of its children. But while'
Egypt, Greece, and Rome still live in their memorials,
broken though many of them be, and while the monu-
ments of our times are viewed by admiring thousands,
the oak and the ash, which recorded Cayuga greatness,
have long since bowed under the white man's axe, and

162

LIFE AND TIMES OF

r'A\-''>kM

the history which their bark unfolded, like the race that
it concerned, is well-nigh extinct.

After. nightfall, the party arrived at Cayuga Town, the
capital of the nation. This was Hahotschaunquas's
(home, and they were hospitably entertained by his
1 grandmother, an aged matron of more than ninety
lyears. The village, nestling among the trees on the
shore of the lake, and distinguished by its roomy and
substantial houses, excited their admiration ; they spent
a pleasant day among its people, and joyfully antici-
pated the til iC when the true God would here have a
sanctuary. Their course from this place was to the
northeast, and brought them into a thick wilderness,
embracing Lakes Owasco and Skaneateles, and stretch-
ing to within a short distance of Onondaga, which they
reached on the nineteenth of June.

As they were entering this forest-metropolis, their

guide asked them where they proposed to lodge. "At

I the house of Ganassateco," said Zeisberger. " Ganas-

{ sateco !" echoed the chief in great surprise. " Ganas-

'l sateco is a very mighty sachem !" His lodge proved

; to be of unusually large dimensions, and in front

; of it stood a flag-staff from which the English colors

.floated.

; Ganassateco's wife welcomed them, — her husband
'being absent at the Council. As soon as he v/as
informed of their arrival, however, they were invited
^to the Council House, where they found twonty-four
]heads of the League assembled, who received them
»with every mark of distinction. Their guide sat

I
i

DAVID ZEISBERGEB.

163

humbly at the door, gazing upon this reception in
mute astonishment. Now that lie saw the respect
with which the Princes of the Aquanoschioni treated
his fellow-travelers, he began to realize their dignity.

The envoys having taken the places assigned to
them, a brief but profound silence ensued, until
Bishop Cammerhoff rose, and spoke as follows, —
Zeisberger interpreting his words into the Mol^awk
language: "Brothers! Gallichwio* and Ganoussera-
cheri have come to visit j^ou. They promised to
visit you when they saw you at Philadelphia, and
gave you a fathom of wampum. They have been sent
by their brothers to bring you a message, and have
reached your Council-fire, here at Onondaga, in health.
They rejoice to see you all togeth(M'. But first they
will rest a few days from the fatigues of their long
journey, and then they will meet you, and tell 3'ou
their thoughts, and wh^ they have come." This
speech was greeted with applause ; wlieieupoij the
bishogi^ gresentecL, u.^p.ipe of tobacco, which passed from
mouth to mouth, and Zeisberger gave a short account
of their journey. Then the Council continued its
deliberations in the presence of the envoys. A plen-
tiful meal closed the sitting.

The_ foliovviug jday. Cammerhoft' and Zeisberger
devot ed j )artly to religipus exercises. Retiring into
the forest, they prostrated themselvoH before (iod, and

' QalHchwioj^ racuniti^ J' u ^ood message,' jyas Camuierliotf's a
[iidian namo, IIo hud been adopted by the Six Nations on the^
ISthof XprTl, 1748. "^

■I, I

164

LIFE AND TIMES OF

/offered up ferveut intercessions on behalf of the Six
I Nations, that this people might soon be led to embrace
'the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Afterward, sit-
ting in the shade of a great tree, they celebrated the
Lord's Supper, according to the solemn ritual of their
Church. The " Communion Hymns" swelled in sweet
harmony through Nature's lofty sanctuary, and He,
whose promise to two or three gathered in His name
^stands fast, bestowed upon His servants the fullness of
peace.

The twenty-first of June had been appointed for
their neo-otiations with the Council, but it could not
meet because a majority of its members were intox-
icated ; and, as days passed without any sign of
i returning soberness, Ganassateco, at last, advised the
! envoys to go back to Shamokin, and there await the
i answer of the sachems, which he pledged himself to
send by a special runner. But they were too well
acquainted with the unreliableness of the Indians to
adopt such a suggestion, and knew that if they left
the country the object of their mission would never be
gained. Hence they persuaded Ganassateco to present
their message and strings of wampum as soon as the
Council could be called together, while they paid a visit
to the Senecas.

r- They set out, first, for Cayuga Town, each carrying

a pack, and Zeisberger his rifle. There they were

\ joined by Hahotschaunquas, whom they had again

^engaged as their guide. Onechsagerat, a venerable

'old chief, gave them a farewell breakfast of corn-

DAVID ZEISBEROER.

165

bread r.nd tea, the tea service consisting of a large
spoon and a wooden bowl placed on two corn-mortars
instead of a table. Gannekachtacheri, a celebrated war-
rior, whose name had been conferred upon Secretary
Peters, ferried them across the lake. They traveled
afoot. Taking a trail west by north, they entered
a fearful wilderness, in which they sweltered amid
intense heat, unable to find a drop of water, except
a turbid pool, until they had walked thirty-five miles,
when they came to a stream whose murmuring current
was music to their ears. An hour before sunset they
reached a village lying on the outlet of Lake Seneca,
which bore the name of Nugniage among the natives,
probably not far from the present flourishing town of
Waterloo, in Seneca County. A French trader lent
them his canoe to cross the outlet to the head of
the lake, where they stopped for the night, the
rain descending in torrents upon their defenseless
heads.

At early dawn they continued their journey in a
course west-southwest, which brought them to the
first hunting-grounds of the Senecas, — a beautiful
valley, blooming like a garden. It was the eastern
section of Ontario County. Their guide told them
that a large town bad enlivened this region more than
half a century ago, but had been destroyed by the )
French in a war with the Six Nations. Contiguous to
this valley, and in dismal contrast with it, lay a swamp,
nearly six miles in extent. To pass this involved so
many difficulties that men less determined would

..r

■'!^j:t>^

160

LIFE AND TIMES OF

1,1* n " ; ¥%

I r iS

have relinquished the journey in despair. The gloomy

wood; the tangled thickets; the deep sloughs, through

which they had to creep on trunks of prostrate trees,

frequently slipping into the mire up to their knees ;

the stifling atmosphere; the swarms of mosquitoes; — all

this rendered their way arduous beyond description. A

terrific thunder-storm, which burst upon them, was a

relief, for it scattered the insects and purified the air.

Toward evening they built a hut, and spent a dreary

night, with nothing to eat except a small quantity of

/pounded corn. The next morning, however, they

(emerged from the swamp, and reached the beautiful

{waters of Lake Cauandaigua.

Near its outlet they crossed an Indian bridge, made

of small trees and poles thrown loosely upon stakes,

which were bound together with thongs of bark and

driven into the bottom of the lake, and came up with

a Seneca hunter, from Ganataqueh, currying a juicy

haunch of venison, whereof he invited them to partake

at his lodge. Nearly fomished as they were, they eagerly

(accepted the oifer. The huts of the village were all

j ornamented with the totems of the various clans to

/which the inmates belonged, painted in rude outlines

jabove the doors. Tanochtahe — such was the name of

their host — having fired a salute of four shots, to

^announce the arrival of distinguished guests, the head-

Imen of the village came to welcome them.

j That night Bishop Cammerhoff lay ill of a violent

^ fever. Zeisbcrger was sitting by him and ministering

[to his wants, when a messenger summoned him to a

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

167

hut in a distant part of the village. There he was unex-
pectedly introduced into the presence of the whole male
population, engaged in an uproarious drinking-bout,
shouting, laughing, and dancing in wild confusion. As
soon as he entered, profound silence ensued ; while the
chief, who presided at the debauch, informed him that,
as a mark of special respect, the people of Ganataqueh
had sent for him to take part in their feast. Zeisber-
ger's situation at that moment was critical in the highest
degree. He was at the mercy of the Indians, whom
rum had made mad. To offend them might prove
instant death. AVhat surety had he that a tomahawk,
hurled from the midst of the drunken crowd, might not
be the response if he refused the invitation? But Zeis-
berger was the servant of the H0I3' Lord. To Him he
remained true. Speaking in the tongue of the Cayugas,
he declined to Join in the revelry, delivered a powerful
speech ou the evils of intoxication, and besought them
to turn from the fire-water which was destroying their
race. The Indians pressed around him with threat-
ening looks, and insisted on his at least drinking their
health. Zeisberger still refused, but seeing that they
were determined, and that there was no other way of
escape, at last took the profl'ered cup and barely lifted
it to his lips. Then they let him go. Thus he showed
himself bold and prudent, each in season. To have re-
sisted any longer would have been courting martyrdom
for an insufficient cause.

Hejoining the bishop, he prepared for rest; but there
was no rest for either of them. Parties of inebriated

A'-

168

LIFE AND TIMES OF

^':^

savages burst into the lodge, shouting and singing, now
heaping disgusting tokens of affection upon them, and
now menacing them with fierce anger. Their situation

' became intolerable, especially as their guide was intoxi-
cated like the rest. They must escape without delay,
s- although Cammerhoff was so weak that he could barely
walk. Issuing from the hut as the morning began to
break, they hoped to get away unmolested, but the In-
dians followed them with wild whoops, jostled and wor-
ried them in many ways, pointed their rifles at them,

, and every few minutes sent a ball whistling just above
the head, first of the one and then of the other. This
cruel sport continued for a mile or two, when the savages
suddenly rushed back to their town.

The next night the missionaries spent at Hachniage,

'where the people were sober, and a venerable chief en-
tertained them. Having been rejoined by their guide,
they continued their journey, passed Lakes Iloneoye,
Hemlock, and Couesus, and, on the second of July, at
last reached Zonessc hio,^ the cajpital of the Senecas.

This village was composed of about forty large huts,
and lay in a beautiful region, where, however, with the
exception of occasional traders, a white man was seldom

/ seen. The missionaries would have rejoiced to spend

) some days here preaching the Gospel ; but the time of

( their visit was most inopportune, and God saw fit

• severely to try their faith.

They had heard shouting from afar, in every part of

1 Situated in Livingston County, probably near Geneseo.

-i.Cr ,

DAVID ZEISBERQER.

169

Zonesschio ; and, when they entered the town, it
presented an appearance that would have appalled
any heart. Almost the entire adult population was
intoxicated. Two hundred men and women, in all
the frenzy of drunkenness, conducted them to the
lodge of Garontianechqui, who had, at Philadelphia,
invited Camnierhotf to be his guest. The sachem's
wife received them kindly, but trembled for their
lives. Her husband, inebriated like the rest, yet not
to a degree that prevented him from recognizing the
bishop, bade them welcome in the maudlin accents
of a sot. But it was a welcome to a Pandemonium.
The savages came rushing into the house and crowd-
ing around them, some as wild as maniacs, others
silent, but with dark looks that boded no good to the
missionaries. These retreated to a small hut near by,
whither the sachem's wife sent her brother-in-law, the
only sober man in the village, to protect them. His
presence was of little avail. The Indians discovered
their hiding-place, and tormented them as before, until
they climbed up to the second bunk or platform,
which, according to the Iroquois mode of construct-
ing houses, was at a considerable elevation from the
ground. It was just large enough to permit them
to lie side by side ; immediately above them was the
roof. As soon as they had ascended, the ladder lead-
ing to this loft was removed. Here they spent the
night, almost suiibcated by the heat, and CammerhofF
burning with fever. The solitary Indian kept watch
below. In the town the revelry continued; cask after

170

LIFE AND TIMES OF

'' A-

cask of rum was drained; all the abominations of
heathenism, in its worst form, made that summer night
hideous; devilish laughter, yells, such as can proceed
;■ only from drunken savages, filled the air, and were
borne to the ears of the missionaries. But not all
;the fury of Satan's reign, in this hi larkest strong-
hold, could shake their faith in the converting and
sanctifying power of the Gospel. That the savages

\ > ' ' around them might soon be transformed into children
'*' y^ ^^ QtO(i, and found sitting in their right mind at the feet

^ I of Jesus, was the purport of their intercessions.

The next morning Cammerhoff was so weak that all
thoughts of an immediate return to Onondaga had
to be abandoned. Lying in the bunk, they counted
the long and weary . hours that seemed to bo days ;
or ventured occasionally to descend to the hut below,
where their faithful guard s'lll held his post. They
/jpanted for fresh water. Cammerhoff's feverish thirst,
at last, became so agonizing, that Zeisberger could
endure the sight no longer, but risked every danger
in order to relieve his sufferings. The nearest spring
lay half a mile from the village. He stole out of the
hut, and reached it in safety. But, on his way back,
some of the savages espieu him, fell upon him, hustled
him from side to side, and jerked the kettle from his
ihands. A fight among themselves for its contents
saved him from worse treatment. Havins: induced them
, to give up the kettle, he returned to the spring, and
filled it a second time. His tormentors were on the
watch for him, but turning abruptly into the wood, he

IM^ ^/H^-^^^'

DAVID ZEISBEROER.

171

lirst,
could

ran at the top of his speed, and gained the hut by a
loii^ circuit.

Toward evening, as there seemed to be less noise in the
town, Zeisberger walked out once more panting for fresh
air. lie saw no one, and was congratuUiting himself
upon his good fortune, when a sudden turn in the path
brought him into full view of a troop of women. Some
of these were nude, others nearly s:;, and all intoxicated.
"With one accord they rushed toward him, each trying
lasciviously to lay hold of his person. In this disgust-
ing dilemma, there was but one resort. Doubling his
fists, and dealing out blows to the right and the left, he
drove the squaws aside, and then ran for the hut. The
whole party followed, their long hair streaming in the
wind, their lips swelling with unearthly shrieks, their
hands clutching the empty air. They seemed to be a
body of incarnate fiends ! Before he could reach the
bunk, they were in the hut, seized the ladder on which
he was ascending, and tore it from under his feet, so
that lie barely succeeded in grasping one of the cross-
poles of the roof, and swinging himself into his retreat
by the side of Cammerhoff. Their guard ejected the
women, and soon night came on.

As they lay sleepless and discouraged, the bishop*
said to Zeisberger, " \\^e cannot stay here; let usj
escape at once ; although I am still very weak, I willj
risk the journey." Finding that the Indian below, who}
had been faithfully protecting them for nearly thirty-j
six hours, continued to sleep in spite of their repeatedl
calls, their simple-hearted faith suggested the thouglitj

^^ ^

"yoAJi-'

172

LIFE AND TIMES OF

\'A

that this was a Divine intimation to leave without his
knowledge.

The opening in the arch of the roof, eommon to all
Iroquois dwellings, offered u wiiy of flight. Through
this narrow aperture Canimerhoff crept first, with great
difficult}', and dropped to the ground. Zeisberger then
threw out one of their packs ; the other was so large
that he could not force it through the hole, but had to
cast down its contents singly, although every moment
was precious. At last he too climbed out. It was
between four and five o'clock, and the day just began to
break. But perils still surrounded them. If they were
detected by the intoxicated savages in the act of thus
secretly leaving Zonesschio it would be equivalent to dis-
covering a war-party stealing from an attack ; and they
would inevitably be made prisoners, perhaps murdered.
There were, moreover, nearly one hundred fierce and
hungry dogs in the village. Committing their lives into
the hands of Him for whose glory they had ventured
into that den of iniquity, they proceeded straight
through the town. A thick fog enshrouded its strag-
gling lodges, between which they hurried on. Zonesschio
lay in a profound slumber. Not an Indian appeared ;
not a dog barked ; not a sound was heard, except the
occasional voice of a bird, hidden in the mist, and
chirping its morning song. Only one hut more to pass,
and they would be safe! As they approached, they
saw, to their consternation, a squaw standing at the
door. Their fate now hung upon a thread. If she
gave the alarm, escape would be impossible. A second

DA VID ZEISBERGER.

173

glance, however, reassured them ; the woman was
sober, returned their greeting, and let them go.

But even now their trials were not at an end. With-
out provisions, and unable to find any game, for it
seemed to have disappeared from those hunting-grounds,
they auttbred greatly from hunger. In attempting to wade
across the outlet of Lake Seneca, they missed the ford
and were carried into deep water, struggling for theirl
lives. After superhuman exertions, Zeisberger gained ( C^;^.^,/^
the shore; Oammerhotf, whose strength the fever had] (5x<a
weakened, sank, and remained so long immersed that his
companion gave him up as lost. At last he rose, and
almost by a miracle, himself could not tell how, he too
reached the land. Barely sustaining life on a pheasant(
which Zeisberger shot, they proceeded to Onondaga. |
In its vicinity they met Hahotschaunquas, who had I
ignobly fled from Zonesschio and left them to their fate.^

The news which awaited them at the capital was
not encouraging. Ganassateco had gone to Oswego
without laying their message before the Council. A
week passed before he returned, and then he could
scarcely be persuaded to fulfill his promise. Yielding,
at last, to the urgency of Zeisberger's arguments, the
sachems were convened.

The message embraced three points: greetings from^
the Church of the Brethren ; a request that two or threel
of her members be allowed to live at Onondaga, and im
other towns of the Confederacy, in order to learn the!
languages of the Iroquois ; and a petition from the
Nanticokes of Wyoming to have a smith-shop erected

H^ ■

!i-i

T' ■ if-

'.Ui'

J' ''Ml
^ J

174

l/fje: ^iVi> y/i/i75 of

among them, uuder the auspices of the Mission Board,
like that at Shamokin,

In response the Council accepted the greetings of the
IChurch, permitted any two of her members to live
jamong the Six Nations and learn their languages, but
irejected the petition of the Nauticokes, who were told
Jto frequent the smithy at Shamokin.

The chief end wnich they had in view having thus
been gained, Cammerholi" and Zei?berger took their
way from Onondaga to Ganatocherat, where they found
Hahotschaunquas with their horses. Having disposed
of these, and bidden farewell to their guide, who, in
spite of his faithlessness in the Seneca country, had
served them well, they entered their canoe, and floating
down the Chemung, passed into the Susquehanna.
Animated by the prospect of a speedy return to the
settlements, Zeisberger propelled the canoe with rapid
strokes, while Cammerhoff's gushing heart found utter-
ance in liymns of praise.

A sign from Zeisberger interrupted him. *'See," he
/'whispered as he guided the canoe to the bank, *' there
is a flock of wild turkeys just perched for a shot !"
Seizing his rifle, he crept noiselessly through a patch
of high grass, when, on a sudden, a familiar but
terrible sound made him stop short. In the next in-
stant a gigantic rattlesnake, with distended jaws, darted
toward him and bit his leg. The thick buckskin log-
gins wiiich he wore, heavily ornamented with frii!ge8,
saved his life.

Five days later, they reached Wyoming, and on the

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

175

ill,)
ley]

sixth of August, Shamokin. Cammerhoff was very
and spent a week in the Mission House. Then they
took horses and rode rapidly toward the settlements.

On the seventeenth, an hour after midnight, they
entered Bethlehem. According to a computation
made at the time — which, however, in the very nature
of the case could not be exact — they had traveled
more than sixteen hundred miles on horseback, afoot,
and in their canoes.

IM '

1' . f. I '1' ;

iiM'l':

176

LIFE AND TIMES OF

\W"i ■

Hi-

'I.

CHAPTER IX.

HIS VISIT TO EUROPE AND FIRST LABORS AFTER HIS RETURN.

1750-1752.

Hostilities rcnowocl bfitween England and Fr.inco.— The loyalty of the
Moravians att'icked. — Interview between Governor Hamilton and
Bishop Cammerhoff. — Progress of the Mission. — ;_nsberger visits
Europe. — Pevilous voyage. — Stay at Herrnhut. — Appointed perpetual
missioniiry to the Indians. — Iveturn to America. — Death of Cam-
raerhofi". — Prosperity of the Mission. — Explorations of Gist, and treaty
at Albany. — Zei.sberger at Gnadenhutten, ^.hamokin, and Wyoming.
— Bishop Spangenberg's return. — Bishop Hehl. — Zeisberger at Sha-
mokin. — Apjiointed to Onondaga. — Great deputation of the Shawa-
nese and Nanticokes to Gnadenhutten and Bethlehem.

Ab»)UT tlie time of Zcisberger's return from Onondaga
an event occurred which led to serious consequences,
affecting the peace of the whole country. In so far as
the American Colonies were concerned, the conflicting
interests of England and France had not been adjusted
at Aix-la-Chapelle. Each continued to struggle for
supremacy in the New World, At the head of three
hundred men, De Bienville passed through the valleys
of the St. Lawrence and the Ohio, and laid title to both,
in the name of France, burying, under an oak on the
southern bank of the Ohio, a plate of lead with an in-
scription setting forth this claim.'

The English, on their part, organized the "Ohio

> Bancroft's U.S.,iv. 42, 43.

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

177

Company," and founded the town of Halifax, in !N"ova
Scotia. Thither the French immediately began to press.
At Chiegnecto, now Fort Lawrence, on the isthmus be-
tween Nova Scotia and the main-land. La Carne estab-
lished himself. This post lay within the jurisdiction of
Great Britain ; and an expedition was sent against it
from Halifax, which, however, accomplished nothing,
not venturing an attack. But in August, 1750, a second
attempt was made, and Chiegnecto fell into the hands of
the British. Thus was blood again shed between Eng-
land and France ; and, sooner or later, another war be-
came inevitable.

Under such circumstances, amid a general feeling
of uneasiness which pervaded the Colonies — and which
the capture of a French brigantine, off Cape Sable,
by the British ship of war "Albany," served to intensify^
— the enemies of the Moravians had abundant opportu-
nities to malign them. That the Church stood in
league with the French, formed an accusation which
was not given up until five years later, when it was
fearfully disproved by the bleeding corpses of her mis-
sionaries. While at Onondaga, Bishop Cammerhotf
had received a letter from Aaron Stevens, Colonial
Literpreter at Albany, demanding to know the purpose
of his negotiations with the Iroquois. And now the
newspapers made his visit the occasion of bitter attacks
upon his own loyalty and that of the Church. He was
proclaimed to be an emissary of France, who had

» Bancroft's U. S., iv. 73,
12

'!■. I

178

LIFE AND TIMES OF

endeavored to entice the Six Nations from their com-
pact with the English. Governor Hamilton, whose
suspicions had thus been aroused, cited him to Phila-
delpliia, and had an interview with him (February 8,
1751) at the house of Secretary Peters. The bishop
gave a circumstantial account of his negotiations, and
explained the prospect which the Church had in vicv
to bring about the conversion and civilization of the
Iroquois. Hamilton was satisfied, but not the public.
Indeed, as the Governor informed him, the privileges
granted by Parliament to the Moravians, and the ac-
knowledging of their Church as an ancient Episcopal
body, had excited the utmost envy among some other
religious denominations. Hence their persistent ac-
cusations.*

Nevertheless the Indian Mission continued to flourish.
During Zeisberger's absence a spirit of inquiry had been
awakened in the villages of the Delawares, and of other
tribes, along the Susquehanna; many visitors had come
to Gnadenhiitten in order to hear the word of God;
in some instances, heathen Indians had voluntarily as-
sembled to talk of Christ. The Board had sent out as
many missionaries as possible, who were traversing the
wilderness and breaking to its famishing children the
bread of life. But their number was loo small to sup-
pl}' all who hungered and thirsted after righteousness.

Zeisberger would have esteemed it a privilege to

1 Copy of a letter, dated Fob. 9, 1761, Philadelphia, from Cammer-
hoflf to Bishop John do Wuttevillo.

-IPS

DAVID ZEISBERGEft.

179

|ig the
ju the
8 up-
less .,
Isre to

liimmer-

assist in this work had not the Board commissioned him
and Nathaniel Soldel to visit Europe, in order to report
to Count Zinzendorf and his coadjutors the character
which the Mission was assuming, as well as to explain its
difficulties and necessities. They sailed in the "Irene,"
Captain Garrison, on the second of September.*

The earlji.years of Zejsberger's missionary life were a
succession of journeys, and the journeys a succession of
dangers and escapes. What the apostle of the Gentiles
said of himself, when writing to the Corinthian Church,
this apostle of the Indians could reiterate: "In journey-
ings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in
perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the hea-
then, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in
perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in wea-
riness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and
thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness."^ He
had just returned from a tour in the wilderness of
America, marked by hardships and sufferings of the
most extraordinary' kind; and now, upon the bosom of
the Atlantic, new risks surrounded him, and again
brought him within a step of death. At first the voy-
age was prosperous, but at five o'clock on the morn-
ing of the twentieth, a tremendous hurricane struck
<^he vessel, and raged for a day and a night with the

•' T ic " Irene" was « s«ow, huilt at Now York for the use of mi?sion-
ario? and immigrants, and owned by the Church. Sho cleared the port
for the first time on Sept. 8, 1748, and was used until 1758, when she fell
a prey to a French privateer, and while on her way to Capo Breton, in
charge of a prize crew, was wrecked and totally lost.

•^ II. Cor. XX. 26 and 27.

II- i

180

LIFE AND TIMES OF

utmost fury. "She cannot live an hour," said Captain
Garrison; "our only hope is to cut away the masts."
"While preparing to do this, both the masts snapped
asunder like dried-up reeds, and the hull rolled help-
lessly in the trough of the sea. On the second day after
this disaster a ship hove in sight and steered for the
wreck, which had hoisted signals of distress. It proved
to be a Danish merchantman from St. Christopher,
commanded by Captain A. Remmack, who supplied
the "Irene" with yards, a top-gallant mast, and whatever
else of rigging he could spare. Jury-maats were put
up, and she proceeded on her voyage ; but the weather
continued so unpropitious that week after week passed
and she made no land. At last, toward the middle
of K'oveniber, when provisions had begun to fail, and
that most terrible of all experiences — famine at sea —
threatened, the shores of England loomed into view,
and, on the fourteenth of the month, the vessel dropped
anchor in the harbor of Portsmouth, after a voyage of
seventy-eight days.

By way of London, Zeisberger and Seidel proceeded
to Holland, and thence to Ilerrnhut, where they arrived
on the nineteenth of December. " We reached Ilerrn-
hut safely and in a happy frame of mind," writes Zeis-
berger, " Our coming was immediately announced to
Count Zinzendorf; but we waited from day to day, until
a week had passed, without being invited to visit him.
We could not imagine to what this was owing. At last
Bishop de Watteville informed us that the intelligence
of the feud which had broken out at Bethlehem be-

-gjljjggm

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

181

tween the European and American members of the •
Church, and the consequent withdrawal of a number of '
active men, among whom was that most zealous agent
of the Lord, Henry Antes, had so depressed his mind
that he refused to receive any one except his son-in-law,
and that not even the name America must be mentioned
in his presence." ^ Finally, however, Zinzendorf desired
an interview. Watteville introduced them with these
words, — " Here are two messengers from the Indian
country, who can tell yor many things concerning the
Mission there; otherwise they have nothing to say about
America." The Count smiled pleasantly at this remark,
and greeted them with his usual affability.

Zeisberger remained in Germany half a yea?, spend-
ing the most of the time at lierrnhut. He had frequent
conversations with Zinzendorf, and gave him a full re-
port of the work among tho Indians. The Count was
deeply interested, and conceived so high a regard for
Zeisberger that he appointed him perpetual misHionary
to this peoplo, and laid upoti him a .special blessirig with
the imposition of hands,^

On the fifth of June^l751, Zeisberger and Seidel
lai^IIerrn hut for Amer ica. The '* Irene," having been
thoroughly repaiied, again conveyed them across tho
Atlantic; and they reached l!Tew York on the twenty-
fourth of September. Four days later, Zeisberger was

1 Ilcckewoldor's Biographical Sketch. MS. Lib. Mora. Hist. Soc.

' Ilcckewoldor's MS. Biographical Sketch. The intention of this ap-
pointment evidently was that Zeisberger should never be employed by^
tho Church in any work other than the Indian Mission.

182

LIFE AND TIMES OF

M?'

y''

ouce more in the midst of his associates at Bethlehem,
eager to resume the work which, by an extraordinary
commission of the Church, had now been given to him
as the sole purpose of his life.

The lirst news "vhich he heard was of a distressing
character. Cammerhotf slept in death. The hardships
of the journey to Onondaga had exhausted his feeble
frame, and he had breathed his last on the twenty-eighth
of April, universally lamented in the Church and among
the Indians. His influence over the latter had been
extraordinary. In the four years of his ministry he
had baptized eighty-nine of them ; and, more than a
quarter of a century subsequent to his death, Zeisberger
found warriors, in the Western country, who called him
" a great man," and mentioned his name with reverence.

The Mission, however, was in a prosperous state. At
Gnadenhiitteu the organization of the Church had been
perfected, by introducing a woll-devised system of dis-
cipline ; and, in order to provide for the temporal
wants of the visitors who were flocking to the town,
an additional tract of land, on the east side of the
Lehigh, had been purchased and divided among the
converts by lot. Nor was their spiritual condition less
encouraging. Many had been converted. Even the
savages who came to the settlement had often been
impressed, anu had spoken to their people at home of
the " great words" which had been preached to them.
A Shawanese had traveled three hundred miles fryni.
the Ohio, in order to hear the Gospel, At Meniola-
gomekah, likewise, the work flourished, in spite of the

DAVID ZEISDERGER.

183

interference of certain settlers, who claimed the land,
and to escape whose persecutions George Rex and his
tribe were preparing to emigrate.

In the history of the Colonies, two events of im-
portance had transpired during Zeisberger's absence.
While he was sailing across the Atlantic, that bold
ndvunturcr, Christopher Gist, at the instance of the
•'Oliin (^niiipiiiiy," liad left the shores of the Potomac,
and explored the laiuls in the valley of the Ohio, west
of the gloat niKuntains. lie hnd visited the Mus-
khiguni and the Hcioto ; crosHcd the Little and the
Great Miami; and ponntrated to within fifteen niilos
of the Falls of Louisville. Thus the Uulitnios, for
the first time, obtained correct knowledge of the vast
resources of that country where a republic should
develop its strength in some of its most marvelous
forms, and where, prior to the coming of the white
man, Zoisberger should build up a community of
Christian Indians that would excite the astonishment
of settler and savage alike. The other event had been
a great treaty, held at Albany, with the Iroquois (July,
1751), on which occasion the hereditary feud between
them and the Catawbas had been settled, and the
representatives of the two people had smoked togetlier
the sacred pjpe of geace. At the same time. South
Carolina, which had been standing aloof from confedera-
tion, joined New York, Connecticut, awd Massachusetts
in council, so that another step had been taken toward a
future union of all the Colonies.*

» Bancroft's U. S., iv. 88 and 89.

184

LIFE AND TIMES OF

f;i

II ^

Zelaberger first visited Gnadenhutten, where he
introduced to the Indians John Jacob Schmick, who
liad come with him from Europe, in response to the
call of the Board. He was an alumnus of the Uni-
versity of Kcinigsberg, and took charge of the Mission
School. In subsequent times he became a s' cessful
//lissionary in the West.'

The next journey which Zeisberger undertook was to
Shamokiii, and through the region of the Susquehanna
as far as "Wyoming. Gottlieb Bozold accompanied him.''
They preached the Gospel wherever an opportunity
ofi:'ered, and visited the scattered lodges of the converts.
In the begiuii.ag of November they returned to Beth-
lehem.

Thither came J3ishop Spangenberg (Decembei- 10th),
ia order to resume his place at the head of the Church.
The difi'erences of opinion, which had estranged from
him some of his brethren, were settled, and he again
enjoyed, as he so richly deserved, their implicit con-
fidence, lie succeeded in healing the hurt which Beth-
lehem had received, by reason of those jealousies that
had filled Zir ^-eudorf s heart with sorrow, and he in-
fused new life into the work among the Indians, partic-
ularly on the occasion of a Synod convened soon after

> Schmick was born at Konigsberg, in Prussia, October 9, 1714.
He was a Lutheran Pastor in Livonia, where he became acquainted
with the Moravians. In 1748, ho joined them.

2 Born November 1, 1720, at Bischofswerda, Saxony; died April 1,
17G2, while on a visit to Litiz. He was the Elder-General of all the
unmarried men or "Single Brethren," as they were called, belonging
to the American Moravian Church.

DAVID ZEISDERGER.

185

his arrival. Witli him was associated Bishop Matthew
Hehl, an alumnus of the University of TUbingeu, an
eloquent preacher and a worthy successor of Cammer-
liotf. He took up his residence eventually at Litiz as
superintendent of the churches in that part of Pennsyl-
vania, remaining, however, a corresponding member of
the Board. ^

In the iirst month of th new year (1752) Zeisberger
went to his old post at Shamokin. He was the bearer
of a message and belt of wampum from Spangenberg to
ThachnecLtoris. This message, which forms a specimen
of the bishop's style of addressing the Indians, ran thus :

" I have been over the Great Water, but I did not for-
get you. I have kept you in kindly remembrance. Now
I have returned, and bring you greeting from your
brother Tgarihontie and his dear father Johanan, which
this belt of wampum testifies. Our dear brother, the
blacksmith, we would like to see at Bethlehem. Let
him come. Here is our dear brother Ganousseracheri ;
he will remain with you a time. Hold him dear." ^

Zeisb erge r fa ithfull y preached the Gospel at Shamokin,
but..iiia.lifiart^was with the Six Nations. In a letter to
the Board,' written about this time, he referred to the
progress of religion at Gnadenhiitten in these wordn:
" I rtyoice to hear of the revival at Gnadenhiitten; but I
will rejoice still more when a church like that will have
been established among the Aquanoschioni. I will not

1 He was born in 1704 in Wurtemberg, and died at Litiz in 1787.

» Bethlehem Diary. MS. B. A.

» Copy of letter, Feb, 28, 1762, in Diary of Bethl em. MS. B. A.

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186

LIFE AND TIMES OF

U'i'

be satisfied until this is accomplished; I am ou their
side. Who knows what the Lord may do?" These

(longings for the Iroquois country were soon satisfied.

fHe was appointed to take up his abode at Onondaga,

iagreeably to the compact made with the Council.

He first joined a party consisting of Spangenberg,
Seidel, Sehraick, and Kaske, that went to Shamokin and

i the valley of Wyoming, in order to preach the Gospel.

] In the course of this tour fifty bushels of wheat were

1 distributed. This induced a body of one hundred
and seven IN'anticokes and Shawauese to visit Gnad-

i enhiitten (July, 1751) and thank the Board for their
kindness. Spangenberg, Zeisberger, several other cler-
gymen of Bethlehem, all the resident missionaries of the
station, together with the converts; met them in council,
and established a covenant of friendship, whose chain
should never be broken as long as the great God should
permit the world to stand. A few days later the most
of these visitors proceeded to Bethlehem, where they
were hospitably entertained, and a second council was
held. Returning to Wyoming, they spread throughout
the Indian country the fame of Bethlehem and its
teachers.

"^.

PAVID ZEISBERQER.

187

CHAPTER X.

ZEISBERGER A RESIDENT AT ONONDAGA.— 1752.

Object of Zeisberger's residence at Onondaga. — Journey thither with
Kundt and Macli. — Interference of Oneida sachems. — Meeting of tho
Grand Council. — Speeches and replies.— Zcisberger and llundt re-
main at Onondaga. — Mack returns to Bethleham. — Indian life at the

capital. — Lamentations for the dead. — Funerals and inheritances.

Widows and mourning.- Councils.— War-parties.— Cannibalism.—
A day of barter with an agent of Sir William Johnson.— Drunken-
ness.— Zeisberger's Iroquois Dictionary.— liundl adopted.— Zeisberger
visits Oswego.- Goes to the Cayuga country.— Zeisberger attacked and
cruelly beaten by a trader. — Keturns to Onondaga. — Twenty kegs of
Kum. — Leaves for Bethlehem.

The purpose of the journey which Zeisherger at thisV
time undertook to Onondaga was not, in tho first in-!
stance, to officiate as a missionary, but to perfect himself j
l^LJiielroauoisjlmlects and^gain a more "thorough ac-t
guaintance^2X!i!^„their_^ Such were the instruc- ,'

tions of the Board. He had been adopted by the Six /
Nations; now he was to be nationalized among them, so 1
that he might eventually preach the Gospel to them as a J
brother in name and fact.

However much forethought this plan displayed, it was
radically unwise. It tended to mislead the Iroquois as
to the real object of the Church, and was calculated to
place her missionaries in a false position. Of this Zeis-
berger soon became convinced.

The party leaving for the Iroquois country consisted,

188

LIFE AND TIMES OF

besides himself, of Martin Mack and Godfrey Rundt.
Mack was commissioned to take part in the negotiations
with the Council, and then return to Bethlehem and
report their result. Rundt, a novice in Indian life, but
willing to learn its hardships, acted as Zeisberger's as-
sistant. In his own country, he had served in the army
of Holstein as a hautboy ist; now he was a poet, and
beguiled their weary way, and their adventurous abode
among the Six Nations, by descriptions, in quaint verse,
of their various experiences.*

In* the evening of the twenty-first of July, they left
Bethlehem for New York, where they embarked in a
sloop for Albany, and thence proceeded on foot, with
one pack-horse.

Their way led them through that district of country,

back of the Hudson, which the brawny arm of industry

was developing, and they were astonished at the many

( changes that they saw. At "William's Fort w^as an Indian

\ Mission, in charge of Ogilvie, an Anglican minister ; at
' Canajoharie they found a similar enterprise, inaugurated
iby the same cburch. Along the Mohawk, Dutch settle-
ments and German plantations were multiplying; the
last V. f these, the homestead of one Kash, lay in the Oneida

* Eine Collection verschiedener Gedanken bei diverse • Umstanden und
Vorgiingen unserer Onondnger Iteise, und tinsers dortigen Aufenhalts.
Auctore O. Rundt. MS. B. A. Charles Godfrey Eundt was born at
Konigsberg, May 30, 1713 ; entered the army of Holstein as a musician .
joined the Church at Ilerrnhut in 1747; emigrated to America in 1751,
and became an itinerant missionary among the Indians and white sot-
tiers ; died at Bethlehem, August 17, 1764.

' Mack's Journal of the Journe;^. MS. B. A.

•1

DAVID ZEISBEROER.

189

country, a day's journey beyond the Rapids, now Little
Falls, in Herkimer County. A new source of traffic, too,
had been opened in that region. The ginseng root, that\
much-coveted panacea of the Chinese, began to be in
great demand, on account of the increasing exportations
of it to their country. It was collected by the Indians '
and sold to traders at a high price. Zeisberger's party
met a body of more than one hundred Iroquois digging
up these roots.

In the vicinity of Kash's cabin were encamped four
prominent Oneida sachems, with a large number of
their followers. These unexpectedly forbade the mis-
sionaries to continue their journey to Onondaga. " We
have been warned by a white man to beware of you
and of your Brethren," they said. "He has told us ;
many evil things of you. He has advised us to send you ,
out of our country. To-morrow morning you must turn )
back and go to live in your own towns." Zeisberger's ,
expostulations were received with a fierce threat to
murder them all if they ventured to proceed.

In this dilemma, his knowledge of Iroquois usages,
did him good service. He proposed a council, to be !
held, in the manner of the Six Nations, on the next day. '
Such a request seemed eminently reasonable to the^
sachems, and they granted it at once. At this council j
he succeeded in overcoming their opposition by a brief
speech, in the sententious style of the Indian orator, and
by explaining the import of the strings of wampum
which he was carrying to the Grand Council. Indeed,
the Oneidas were so fully pacified that they dispatched

■cL'

'-l.^

190

LIFE AND TIMES OF

K '

runners to the Cayuga and Seneca nation8 to summon
their headmen to Onondaga, in order to receive the
missionaries, who reached the capital in the afternoon
of the twentieth of August, and found a hospitable
welcome in the lodge of Ganatschiagaje.

On the following morning they had a preliminary
interview with the local council of the town. Three
days after that they met a part of the Grand Council,
at the hour of noon. There were present Thagechtate,
Tolchactone, Ilanazaeni, and Thojanoca, sachems of the
Senecas ; Gletterowannee, a sachem of the Ca^ugas ;
Otschinochiata, Ganatschiagaje, Garachguntie, and Ha-
tachsocu, saohems of Upper Onondaga; Zagona and
Ganechronca, saclicms of Lower Onondaga ; Shegual-
lisere, a sachem of the Tuscaroras; and more than
twenty other Indians. Gietterowanne was the speaker
on the one side ; Zeisberger on the other. These two
consulted together privately; Zeisberger unfolding the
import of the strings, and Gietterowanne committing
to memory what he said.

Thus prepared, he rose, and exhorted the Council
to give ear to what he had to recite. By way of intro-
duction, he chanted the Indian names of Zeisberger
and Mack, and of all other Moravian missionaries and
bishops known to the Six Nations, mentioning par-
ticularly Johanan as a man of note and influence.
Taking up the first string ot wampum, he continued :

" They are sent by cur brothers Johanan (Zin-
zendorf), Tgarihontie (Watteville), Tgirhitontie (Sparj&:
euberg), Anuntschi (Seidel), and by the rest of the

gmdmm

DAVID ZEISBEROER.

191

par-
ence.
Id:

the

Brethren, on this side and on the other side of the
Great "Water, in order to bring words to the Aquano-
schioui, and they hope that their chiefs will receive
these favorably, although they do not fully know how
to express them."

The string was hung upon one of the poles under ^
the roof of the house, and accepted with a loud'
Juheh!

Grasping the second string, he proceeded : " Our
brothers inform the Aquanoschioni that Gallichwio
(Camraerhoff) is dead. They loved him ^/ell, and
know that he loved the Indians well. Tney were
sorry to part with him, but they are assured that his
spirit has gone to their God, whom he faithfully served,
and therefore they do not mourn. They would have
brought these news sooner, but several of their chiefs
were on a«»'visit beyond the Great "Water, and they could
not send an embassy until their return." I

This string was disposed of and accepted in the same^^
manner as the first.

Holding up the third, he began again : " Our
brothers inform us that Tgirhitontie (Spangenberg),
Anuntschi (Seidel), and Ganousseracheri (Zeisberger),
who is present here, have come back from their visit
beyond the Great Water, and bring to the Aquano-
schioni fraternal greetings from Tgarihontie (Watteville)
and Johanan, his father."

Finally the speaker took the fourth, and said: "Our
brother Ganousseracheri, and a white brother, hufQ
come to live among the Aquanoschioni, according to

192

LIFE AND TIMES OF

the compact made, two years ago, with Galliehwio, that
they may learn our language."

These two fatruigs having also been received and
suspended from the pole, Zeisberger delivered presents

/ of linen, thread, and tobacco. The speaker annou nced
each gift as it was put on a blanket, at the feet of the

' sachems. These directed two of the Indians who were

\ in attendance to make three shares, one of which was
given to the Cayuga chief, another to the Senecas, and
the third to the Onondagas. The third share was again
divided between the chiefs from Upper and Lower
Onondaga. In the same manner the four strings of
wampum were distributed. And now the Council

) once more broke out into a very loud Jiiheh !

On leaving, the 'sachems shook hands with the mis-
sionaries, assuring them that they would take their
messages into immediate consideration, and return an
answer before the sun set. Expeditiousness such as
this was so contrary to their usual habits that Zeis-
berger doubted its reality. But in the afternoon, at
four o'clock, the Council actually convened and opened
with the customary formalities. The following replies
were given, each corroborated by a string of wampum,
to the four points presented by the embassy :

" Brothers, we have heard that Tgirhitontie and
Anuntschi, our brothers, that their Brethren, and even
those beyond the Great Water, among whom is a man
of influence who directs the affairs of your people, also
Tgarihontie, have sent messengers to the Aquano-
Bchioni to tell them words. We have well understood

'■i

4
K

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

193

their words. "We were glad to hear them. We thank
you that you have commissioned Ganach''agejat (Mack),
Ganousseracheri, and this white brother (Rundt), to
come among us. "We rejoice also to hear that you
and your Brethren are well, and sit around your coun-
cil-fire in peace.

" Brother Tgirhitontie, you and your Brethren, those
also beyond the Great Water, have informed us that
our Brother Gallichwio is dead. Therefore, Brother
Tgirhitontie, the Aquanoschioni say to you, give
diligence to seek out among your Brethren another
Gallichwio ; for of this we are assured that he loved
the Aquanoschioni well, and was toward them an
upright, honest man, in whose heart no guile was
found.

"Brother Tgirhitontie, you have informed us that
you and some of your Brethren have been beyond the
Great Water, and have now returned bearing fraternal
greeting from Tgarihontie, our brother, and Johanan,
his fiither. We are glad that you have come back.
We thank you for the greetings. Salute your brothers
in turn, on the part of the united Six Nations.

"Brother Tgirhitontie, you have also assured us that
the league between you and the Aquanoschioni still
stands, and that you will uphold it. We too will
uphold it."

Here the speaker clasped his hands together, lifted
them up, and showed how firm the covenant w^as,
saying that these were the sentiments of all the chiefs

194

LIFE AND TIMES OF

6 '

I't. is. I

i I

"If

of the Aqnanoschioni, — a declaration corroborated by
the Council with an emphatic Jiiheh!

Having taken the fourth string, the speaker first

(remarked that, two years ago, Gallichwio had pro-

f posed to the Council that two of his brothers should
live among the Iroquois and learn their language, so
that they might tell one another their thoughts. Then

; he continued :

"And inasmuch as you. Brother Tgirhitontie, and
your Brethren have again brought this proposition to our
notice, we tell you that it is wise and good. "We are

'Well pleased that you have sent Brother Ganoussera-

! cheri and this white brother, whose name we cannot

' name, in order to learn our language. We believe that

this is a good work. It shall be as you desire. All the
chiefs of the Aqnanoschioni are so minded. These two
brothers shall live some years among us, and learn our
, tongue, that we may tell one another the thoughts of oar
\ hearts. They may begin here at Onondaga ; they may
then go to the Cayugas, and next to the Senecas."

After each answer, the speaker delivered the string
of wampum to Zeisberger. When the latter had re-
ceived the fourth string, he repeated the acclamation, in
, which his associates, and then the whole Council, joined,
, sachems and missionaries reiterating it three times with
} loud voices, — Juheh! Juheh! Juheh!

Two large kettles of boiled maize were now brought
in, and the assembly partook of a hearty meal.

Taking into consideration the inordinate pride of the
chiefs of the Six Nations, and the suspicion with which

DAVID ZEISBEROEH.

105

the aborlgiiios regarded every attempt of white men to
gain a foothold in their country, the results of this
Council were "emarkable, and proved the high esteem
in which the Church of the Brethren was held at Onon- }
daga, and the personal influence which Zeisberger had
acquired among the same tribes whose favor the Co- ;'
lonial government purchased with much difficulty andj
by constant presents of great value.

Toward evening of the twenty-fifth of August, Mack i
left for Bethlehem. Zeisberger and Rundt accompanied
him as far as the country of the Tuscaroras. The}" devoted
the last night which they spent togr^ther to religious ex-
ercises, and partook of the Lord's Supper by the light
of a camp-fire in the depths of the forest. Early the
next day they reached Anajot. About a quarter of
a mile beyond it lay a wooded hill. To the top of
this they proceeded, and, standing together beneath a
spreading tree, sang with deep emotion several parting
hymns, the morning wind murmuring its soft accom-
paniment among the leaves. Then they separated. Zeis-
berger and Rundt returned to Onondaga ; Mack, alone;
with his God, followed the trail through the wilderness, i

*A8 the two friends, who were to remain among the:
Indians, pursued their way back to Onondaga, their (
hearts were sad ; but their trust in God did not waver, [
and they mutually pledged themselves to stand fast by /

each other whatever might happen.

;

Domesticated as they now were among the Iroquois,;

1 Zeisberger's Journal. MS. Bethlehem Archives.

196

LIFE AND TIMES OP

viw

ki-

i •-

in tlic lodge of Ganatgchiagaje, which had been formally
.assigned to thcra by the Council as a permanent dn'ell-
iing, they had many opportunities of observing their
manners and customs, Indian life, with all its strange
jways, its simplicity and formalities, lay open before
j them.

Early one morning they were awakened by female
voices, in a ledge near by, uttering the most clamorous
lamentations. An Indian had died in the course of the
night; and these women were the friends of the family,
who gathered in his hut, at sunrise and sunset, to
bewail his loss, until he was buried.

The interment took place near the town. Aged
squaws dug the grave, the head of which was toward
the east, and lined it with loose boards. The body,
robed in new garments, of which the shirt was daubed
with vermilion, the head and face being painted of the
same color, was conveyed from the house of mourning
in a blanket, and interred amid the dismal howls of
the women. With the remains were buried the tomar
hawk of the dead man, a kettle, and his pouch, con-
taining a knife, flint and steel, a pipe and tobacco.
A blanket and a board were put over him ; the grave
was tilled up, and a post erected to mark its site.

This, however, was neither the primitive mode of
burial, nor that which came into vogue in Zeisberger's
time. Graves were, originally, cased with bark and
not filled up, but covered on the top with branches
and bark, over which was raised a large mound of
earth. The introduction of tools among the Iroquois

lii:

DAVID ZEISDERGER.

197

and Delawares enabled them to substitute boards in
place of bark, and gradually led them to make coffins
similar to those of the whites. By-and-by, too, the
custom was relinquished of burying weapons and other
articles with the corpse.

For some weeks after a funeral, the widow, mother,
and grandmother of the deceased wept at his grave
every morning and evening, occasionally leaving him
food, which was devoured by the dogs. After a time
their visits became less frequent, and, at last, ceased
altogether. But the widow remained in mourning for
a year, laying aside her ornaments, wearing old clothes,
and rarely washing. She was obliged to support her-
self, and had to forego eating meat, unless some one
took pity on her and gave her an occasional supply
in secret. This was owing to the absurd superstition
entertained by the Indians, that their rifles would miss
aim if a widow partook of the game which they had shot.
At the exp'i'ation of the year, she received a new outfit
of clothing, from her children and the friends of her
late husband, and was at liberty to marry again. In
case she wedded sooner, nothing was given her except-
ing evil words.

The movable property of one deceased was heaped
up by the side of his grave, on the day of interment.
Those who had assisted at the burial were, first of all,
liberally rewarded; what remained was given to his
friends of both sexes. After the funeral at Onondaga,
several women made use of the lodge of the missionaries
in order to divide by lot the articles which had fallen

198

LIFE AND TIMES OF

to their share. The uatives kuow nothing of inherit-
auces. Mementoes of t- ^ dead would revive the
sorrow of the Hving. Widows, however, retained r.uch
effects as had been presented to them by their husbands.
Hence the frequent practice of keeping distinct the
proj 2rt.y of man and wife.

Every opportunity was afforded Zeisberger to gain
an insight into the operations of the system of coun-
cils which distinguished the Iroquois. The Council of
Onondaga usually m(:t in his house, and the sachems
took pleasure in teaching him the import of the
many belts and strings of wampum that were re-
ceived, as rlso the mode of sending and answering
messages. What he here learned was of real use
to him in after-years. He became as familiar with all
such details, and as ready to interpret obscure messages,
as any native.

Nor did he fail to see the manner in which the
(iroquois prepared for war. The night previous to the
I departure of a war-party was spent in feasting and
dancing. Fork formed the principal dish; sometimes,
however, a dog was oaten, the flesh of which was sup-
posed to generate courage. The chiefs and the wives of
the men were guests. After gorging themselves — and
the women, too, swallowed dog's meat with great relish
— the dance began, in M'hich the captain led off. He
either moved alone, around another warrior, with the
head of the hog in his hands ; or, more commonly, was
followed by the whole company. Dancing and war-
songs A'ere kept up until daybreak. Thea the braves,

( .■■'

/ •■ *" , ■ . Y/ '' '. "-^ / '

DAVID ZEISBERGEB.

199

hoarse and exhausted though they were, formed in Hue
and marched through the town. At the last hut, first
the captain and next each of his men discharged their
pieces ; aud, as they took their way into the forest, the
war-song was again raised. Their first camp was,
generally, but a short distance from the village. In
the evening, their friends and wives joined them, and a
second night was passed in dancing.

Upon the return of war-parties, tlie Iroquois of
a former age were often guilty of the most horrible
cannibalism, feasting on the bodies of the prisoners
whom they had tortured to death, and distributing
pieces of their roasted hearts among the boys of a
village to give them courage. The Hurons and other
nationj of that stock did the same ; and single in-
stances occurred in Algonquin tribes. This revolting
practice, of which the Jesuit Fathers have recorded
such painful details, had not been entirely relinquished
even in Zcisberger's times, although it seldom occurred..

Among the many traders who visited Onondaga,
while he lived there, was an agent of Sir William
Johnson. His coming assumed all the importance of
an embassy. It was announced by a runner and a
str of wampum. Having brought his boat, laden
with goods, into the lake, he pitched a tent near the
shore, and met the headmen in council. Zeisberger
and Rundt were present by " oecial invitation. After
the usual preliminary silence, one of the sachems, in
the name of his peers and people, delivered half a
bushel of ginseng roots, as a gift. The trader

)

.„/,..,

■^

•V

200

LIFE AND TIMES OP

responded by reading a speech from Johnson, which
/an interpreter, whom he had brought along, found
/ great difficulty in rendering into the Onondaga dialect ;
j and by a presentation of t^yo barrels of rum. Mean-
while the Indians without sat in groups on the ground,
patiently waiting for this Council to close. No sooner
divi it break up than they pushed their way into the
tent from all sides, each one eager to effect a good and
speedy exchange for his roots. The noise and con-
i fusion increased every moment, and at last grew so
uproarious that the missionaries were glad to escape.

These are some of the views which Zeisberger had of
life among the Iroquois. At the same time their moral
j degradation, especially in respect to drunkenness, be-^
i came painfully apparent. This vice prevailed at Onon-
Idaga, at Zonesschio, and throughout the Six Nations.
Indeed, the missionaries could not have remained in the
country if they had not been careful to avoid ihc In-
dians whenever they were intoxicated, by retiring into
j the forest, where they put up a bark-hut and lived in

J-'

seclusion until the revels were over.

Zeisberger devoted himself with great diligence to the

study of the Onondaga dialect and the com plet ion of

(hi^^rog^uois Dictionary, assisted by Hatachsocu^^ine^of

iC^'tle sachems. He became very intimate with Otschi-

\ i nachiatha too, the principal sachem of the town. Rundt

' yp^ \ appears not to have engaged in such studies. In the

y opinion of Otschinachiatha he was too old to learn the

language of the Aquanoschioni. He gained their good

, will, however, for he was adopted into the nation of the

laauBfifi^B-

DAVID ZEISDERGER.

201

Onondagas and the family of the Turtle, receiving the
name of Thaneraquechta.

In the beginning of November, after Zeisberger's re-
turn from Oswego, whither he had gone to make some
necessary purchases, the two missionaries set out for the
country of the Cayugas, with the intention of passing the
winter among this people. At Ganatarage, the first of
their villages which they reached, they were told that a
party of tradere had arrived in the country vvith rum ;
and when they came to Tgaaju they found one of them
established there.

The natives gave them a cordial reception, saying that
they knew of the compact subsisting between the Grand
Council and the Brethren at Bethlehem; but the trader,
a surly, ill-faced Dutchman, whose name remains in
well-merited oblivion, had no words of welcome for
them. As they were about lying down to sleep, he
entered the lodge where they were guests, and seated
himself by the fire in moody silence. "What are you
doing in the Iroquois country?" he said, at last. " We
nrc here," replied Zeisbergcr, "to learn their language
by permission of the Grand Council and the Colonial
government." "Produce your passports !" he contin-
ued. With this insolent demand Zeisberger refused to
comply, although they had three passports,* telling him
that he had no authority to call them to an account. A

1 Those passports are in the Bethlehem Archives: the first is froDi
Sqviirc Timothy Horscfleld, of Bethlehem ; the second from Daniel
Schuyler, Alderman of New Brunswick, N. J.; the third from Edward
Holland, Esq., Mayor of New York City.

202

LIFE AND TIMES OF

y-. \

volley of taunts and oaths was the trader's ansv^er, in the
/midst of which bo suddenly sprang to his feet, seized an
I Indian war-club, and struck Zeisberger headlong to the
ground; then snatching a brand Trom the fire, he beat it
about his head, and kicked and stamped upon him with
his heavy boots. Ihe attack was so unexpected that
Zeisberger lay helpless in a moment. What Eundt, the
poet, did to save his friend is not recorded ; but a squaw
ran for the chiefs, who rescued him, intoxicated though
they were. The Dutchman, however, remained defiant,
drew a knife, and would have stabbed Zeisberger had
not the Indians seized and dragged him away. It is evi-
dent that he either believed the missionaries to be traf-
fickers in disguise come to interfere with his business, or
recognized their true character, and feared their influ-
ence among the natives.

Zeisberger had been severely wounded. He spent
the night in great pain. The revelries of the Indians,
whom strong drink was making wilder every hour,
rendered his situation still more distressing. Toward
morning, as soon as he had regained sufficient strength
to attempt the journey, he left the town with Kundt, in
spite of the assurances of their entertainer that they
should be protected. The trader had come to spend
the winter among the Cayugas. Under such cir-
cumstances, the missionaries could not remain there.

When Otschinachiatha was informed of what had
taken place, his indignation knew no bounds that the
sacred laws of Iroquois hospitality had been thus
abused, and an adopted brother of the Aquanoschioni

mmmimmmmi

1 -

» ■ ,v

DAVID ZEISBERQER.

203

treated so outrageously. The investigation which
he instituted among the Cuyugas had the desired
effect. Thereafter no trader ever interfered with
Zeisberger.

But he could not remain at Onondaga. One of the
female dealers in rum brought twenty kegs of it to her
shop, soon after his return. The men of the town were
nearly all absent, hunting or on the war-path. Excesses
and debaucheries of the worst kind were imminent;
inebriated squaws were, in some respects, more to be
feared than drunken warriors; and the season would
prevent the missionaries from retiring into the forest.
Accordingly they were constrained to go back to Beth-
lehem.

In the dusk of the evening before their departure,
they went to the top of a hill near the town, and, i
kneeling down, prayed most earnestly for the people /
of Onondaga, for the Six Nations, and for themselves ; \
beseeching God to pardon whatever faults they might
have committed while among the Iroquois, and to lead \
them safely to their distant home. Early in the morn-
ing of the I, venty-tifth of November they set out, .
and, by the same route which they had followed iu ;
summer, reached Bethlehem after a journey of three .
weeks.

204

LIFE AND TIMES OF

CHAPTER XL

ZEISBERGER A RESIDENT OF ONONDAGA.— 1753-1755.

Zeisberger in New York and New England. — Second visit of Nanti-
cokes and Shawanese to Bethlehem. — Proposed removal of the
converts from Gnadenhiittcn to Wyoming. — Lpangenberg goes to
Europe. — French aggressions. — Zeisberger and Frey go to Onon-
daga. — Perilous journey. — Rumors of a now war with France. —
Famine. — In attempting to fetch provisions from Tioga, the two
missionaries nearly perish. — Death of their hostess at Onondaga. —
Sickness among the Indians. — Simples. — Indian doctors. — Treaty at
Onondaga with Sir William Johnson. — Zeisberger and Frey return
to Bethlehem. — Zeisberger's views upon the Iroquois Mission. —
Division at Gnadenhatten and exodus of a part of the converts. —
Abraham and Tadcuskund. — Site of Gnadenhiittcn changed. — George
Washington and the French.— Zeisberger returns to Onondaga,
builds a house, and begins to labor as a missionary. — Made the
Keeper of the Archives of the Grand Council. — Indian cos-
mogony.

/ Zeisberger devoted the winter partly to his studies
(' and partly to itinerancies in New York and New Eng-
/ land, where the Indian Mission was progressing, and
opportunities were beginning to multiply for preaching
the Gospel to the settlers, whose sentiments with regard
|to the Church had undergone a great change.

In March, a second deputation of Nanticokes and
Shawanese came to Bethlehem, agreeably to their
promise, and met the Board. Two of the points which
they brought forward were unexpected. The Grand

DAVID ZEISBERGER

205

Council at Onondaga had determined to remove the
Nanticokes from Wyoming to the country of the Tusca-
roras, and to invite the Christian Indians of Gnaden-
hiitten to emigrate to Wyoming. It was evident that
both these measures would interfere with the work of
the Gospel. The first was beyond the control of the
Board ; the other, however, concerned it very nearly.
Some of its members iuspected a plot to break up the
Mission. Nevertheless, the invitation would have to be
submitted to the converts.

Soon after this visit, Bishop Spangenberg left for
Europe (April 20th), encouraged by the actual growth,
and the bright prospect of the Mission. And yet, at
that very time, complications were arising which would
mar its prosperity. The Governor of Canada sent a
body of armed men to the valley of the Ohio in order
to substantiate the claim of the French crown, and take
formal possession of that rich country. As soon as this
became known at Onondaga, fleet runners hurried along
the great trail of the nations to the seat of William
Johnson, and warned him of the coming crisis.* At
first, the Colonies displayed a singular want of energy
and even of interest, although war was approaching
with rapid strides and bloody footsteps.

The news of these events had not yet reached Beth-
lehem. Eager to resume his place at Onondaga, Zeis-
berger, four days after Johnson had received the belt

» Bancroft's U. S., 107, etc.

206

LIFE AND TIMES OF

of warning, accompanied by Henry Frey,' set out for his
Indian home (April 23d). At Shamokin, he heard of
what was transpiring in the "West; but determined to
proceed, relying upon Divine protection. Frey was of
the same mind.'

They came to Wyoming in a canoe, and found the
Nanticokes preparing to emigrate.

This tribe had a singular custom in connection with
I the burial of their dead. Three or four months after
\ an interment, the corpse was exhumed, its arms and
legs lopped off, and the flesh cut from the bones, which
were dried, wrapped in clean cloths, and then recom-
mitted to the earth. The trunk was burned. When-
■ ever the tribe removed to new hunting-grounds these
' bones were taken with them.

The missionaries, declining the invitation of the
Nanticokes to join them, pushed on alone through
^the same country which Zeisberger had visited with
) Cammerhoff. It was almost depopulated. The natives
were moving westward. Among the few that re-
mained, however, they met with a hospitable welcome,
as soon as it became known that they were from
Bethlehem. The visits of the Nanticokes and the
Shawanese had rendered that settlement famous. One

1 Born May 12, 1724, at Falkncr Schwamm, Pa. In 1742 Count Zin-
zendorf visited his parents, and, on taking leave, said : " Tliis your son
Henry you must give to me, for he is destined to devote his life to the
service of the Saviour." In 1744 Frey came to Bethlehem and joined
the Moravian Church, which ho served in various capacities. He died
at Litiz, Septemher 26, 1784.

a Letter to the Board, in Bethlehem Diary, 1753. MS. B. A.

DAVID ZEISBFHOER.

207

day, indeed, an exception to such kindness occurred.
The missionaries were pursued by a canoe, filled with
Delawares and one Oneida, and compelled to run to
land. "Now give us your fire-water !" cried the Indians.
"We have none," said Zeisberger. But they would
not believe him, and were preparing to use force, when,
fixing his eyes upon the Oneida, with whose family he
was well acquainted, he remarked : "Brother, you seem
not to recognize me. I am Ganousseracheri. Have
you never heard of Ganousseracheri, the brother of the
sachems of the Aquanoschioni, who is well known at
Onondaga, and in all the Indian country?" This had
the desired effect. The savages let them go, with many
apologies.

Instead of entering the Chemung, at Tioga, they
proceeded up the Susquehanna to Owego, a forsaken
village in Tioga County, New York, intending to as-
cend the river as far as Zeniinge, a town of the
Tnscaroras, and thence to travel to Onondaga on foot.
But, after having paddled a whole day, they were
obliged to turn back, finding it impossible to proceed
without a guide. Sinking their canoe in a creek near
Owego, they now struck out for that trail on which
Bishop Spangenberg's party had traveled in 1745.
It had grown so indistinct that they could not dis-
cover it, and groped for three days in the swamps,
without provisions and in great distress. At last they
succeeded, by the aid of a pocket-compass, in retracing
their steps to Owego, where they took to their canoe
once more, and ascended the Susquehanna until they

208

LIFE AND TIMES OF

came up with the Nanticokes in a little fleet of twenty-
five canoes, who supplied all their wants and brought
them to Zeniinge. Guided by a Tuscarora, they then
advanced, on branches of the Susquehanna and affluent
creeks, to within fifty miles of Onondaga. The rest of
the distance they traveled afoot, and reached the town
on the eighth of June. As they crossed the cornfields,
the women, who were hoeing, called out, "Welcome,
Ganousseracheri ! welcome, brothers !"

It was a time of great excitement at Onondaga. The
sachems looked grave ; the warriors were eager for the
conflict. Otschinachiatha showed Zeisberger a belt
which the Governor of Canada had sent, with a message
to the effect that he was approaching; that the Aqua-
nosehioni should open a way for him through their
country to the Ohio; that he had a hatchet in his hand,
and whoever attempted to stop him would be cut down.
In consequence of this message, the Council had dis-
patched a body of seven hundred braves to watch the
French, and protect the Indians of the Ohio.

Notwithstanding these threatening troubles, Zeis-
jberger resumed his studies and usual intercourse with
j the natives. Frey, too, was soon domesticated. He was
adopted into the Oneida nation, and called Ochschugore.
In the course of the summer a dire famine broke out,
compelling the two missionaries to go to Tioga for food.
Of the many journeys which Zeisberger undertook, this
was perhaps the moat disastrous. He and his com-
panion both fell ill on the way, and lay in the forest
without shelter, without medicine or provisions or aid

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

209

of any kind, and almost perished. At last, by super-
human exertions, they dragged themselves to the door
of Kash's cabin, in the Oneida country. Kash took
thera in ; but, with all the force and plainness of speech
of which the German language is capable, berated Zeis-
berger for wasting his life in so miserable a manner
among thankless savages. He saw no glory in the^
very sufferings of his guest. His mind was "of the;
earth earthy ;" it could not grasp the ideal which made
Zeisberger strong when he was weak, and joyful when
he was tried. In every age that philanthropy which is
begotten of love to God and Jesus Christ, Hi'i Son, has
been reviled as the offspring of fanatical enthusiasm.

Having recovered their health, the missionaries re-
turned to Onondaga in a canoe laden with supplies.

Not long after this their hostess, the wife of Ganat-
schiagaje, died, in spite of all the efforts of her Indian
doctors to save her life.

However hardy the constitution of the natives natu-
rally was, they were subject to much sickness, on ac-
count of their manner of life, which exposed them to
all the extremes of the weather, and often forced them
to fast for days or subsist on insufficient food. Rheu-
matism, fevers, boils, and dysentery were very common
among them. Small-pox and other similar diseases
came from their white neighbors.

They had a thorough knowledge of simples, among
which white walnut-bark and the root of the sarsaparilla
were in general use, and could cure the bites of snakes
with great readiness. For the poison of each species

^1 '"I

/,-

3^-

-'/'

210

LIFE ASD TIMES OF

they employed a diftercnt uiitidnte. They were expert
''too in healing fractures; and hied their patients with
a flint or a hit of glass, in place of a lancet. The sick
were laid on a hed of grass or hay near the fire, and
fed with a thin soup of n: ize. A kettleful of u decoc-
tion of roots or herhs constituted an ordinary dose.
But such simples were rarely administered without the
intervention of a friend or neighbor. Superstition pre-
vented a patient prescribing for liimself. Indeed, in
almost every case the doctors were called in, whom the
Indians feared to offend, because they were looked upon
as conjurors.

In reality, however, they were not only gross de-
ceivers, but also the most avaricious usurers. Their
fees were enormous. Goods or peltries, to the value
of twenty or thirty pounds sterling, must be paid them
as soon as they entered a lodge. Until this had been
done, they refused to begin their incantations; and yet
incantations formed the chief object of a visit. They
seldom administered medicine. The patient was laid at
their feet. Bending over him, they breathed into his
face, or ejected a decoction of herbs from their mouths
upon the affected part of his body. By-and-by they
worked themselves into a fury, made the most frightful
grimaces at him, screamed and howled over him with
maniacal contortions, or threatened and commanded him
with the authority of a master. If all this did not avail,
they had him carried to a sweating-oven and placed in
front of the door, while they crept in and perspired for
him, frequently looking out at him, however, with faces

DAVID ZELSDEROER.

211

distorted more Lideouflly than at first. As a last expo-
dieut, ho was told that he was bewitched, and must sacri-
fice to the angry manitou who had caused the affliction.

In case one doctor was not successful in effecting a
cure, others were sent for, and a patient often squan-
dered his entire property in satisfying tlieir demands.
Meanwhile the simples which ho took really restored him
to health. A poor man could count only upon a part of
the incantations; and one wholly without means must
forego them altogether, unless his friends contributed
the required fee. Old hunters, who had retired from the
fatigues of the chase^ often becanie doctors and grew rich.

In the beginning of September Sir William Johnson
reached Onondaga. The sachems had gathered, with
numerous followers, from all parts of the Coutodcracy
to meet him. He was escorted into the town by the
entire population, young and old, and proceeded to
hold a treaty. The chain of friendship between Eng-
land and the League was brightened, and the proposal
accepted to defer the great Indian Congress at Albany
to the following 3'ear, on account of Governor Clinton's
illness and the expected arrival of a new governor.'

The missionaries were present at this treaty, and
made the acquaintance of Johnson. Although he mani-'
fested considerable interest in the progress of the Gospel)
among the Iroquois, his own conduct was grossly in-(
consistent. In his speeches he inveighed witli muchf'
eloquence against the vice of drunkenness;'' but at thej

' Report of Treaty, Doc. Hist, of N. Y., ii. 632-041.

« Ibid.

212

LIFE AND TIMES OF

close of the negotiations distributed such quantities of
'rum that the Indians became intoxicated, and Zeis-
" berger and Frey had to flee into the forest for their
! lives.

7 Zeisberger had now improved so rapidly in th e
(Iroquois languages that he was perfect master_of the
,./'"! Moiiavvk, and spoke several other dialects with fluency ,
f vBy the advice of Otschinachiatha, howei/er, who deemed
I speedy hostilities inevitable, he broke oft" his studies,
i and returned to Bethlehem (November 12th). Frey
1 accompanied him.

About the same time, George Washington, a young
man of but twenty-one years, set out from Virginia as
the special envoy of Governor Dinwiddle " to the
commander of the French forces on the Ohio River,
to know his reasons for invading the British domin-
ions while a solid peace subsisted." It was a journey
as full of hardships and perils as any that Zeisberger
had undertaken ; and led to results which hastened
the impending war, and were of lasting importance
in the history of freedom, opening the way for a
great republican empire to be founded in the "Western
World.

Zeisherger's first duty at Bethlehem was to give an
exposition of his views concerning the work among the
Iroquois to Bishop Peter Boehler, who had just arrived
from Europe as Spangenberg's temporary successor.
These views he subsequently wrote out, in the form
of Memoranda, addressed to Count Zinzendorf, Bishop
de Watteville, and Bishop Spangenberg, and sent the

c J

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

213

■v^'

r' '

document to Europe, with a letter to the latter divine.^
From both these papers it is evident that he realized?
the incongruity of the principles regulating the MissionJ
amonsi: the Six i^atious; and repudiated the caution
which had been observed, urging that the ultimate
object which the Church had in view — the conversion
of the whole League to the living God — should be
impressed upon the Council, To this end, he prG-"j
posed that among the students of the Iroquoisl
languages, who should thereafter be sent to Onon-\
daga, one should always be accredited as a miuistaij
of the Gospel.

He explained, likewise, in its true light, the invita-
tion which the Guadeuhiitteu Indians had received to
remove to "Wyoming. The Grand Council had not
given this invitation. It had been concocted by the
Oneidas and the Nanticokes, but involved no evil
design. According to Indian law, which sets personaf
liberty above every enactment of a council or order of
a chieftain, the converts could do as they pleased. An
offer had been made them ; nothing more. The mere
agitation of the subject, however, led to deplorable
consequences. Some of the converts were in favor of
a removal, others opposed it. Among the former,
Abraham, the first convert of the Mission, and Gideon
Tadeuskund, made themselves conspicuous. The one
had recently been elected captain by the Mohicans

» Copy of the document. MS. B. A. Original letter to Spangen-
berg, dated November 26, 1753.

111' '

214

LIFE AND TIMES OF

of New York; the other, chief, by the Susqueha'- aa
Delawares. These honors made them proud, especially
Tadeuskund, who had never been distinguished for his
consistency, and who now began to despise his position
as a Christian. They succeeded in gaining a party of
seventy converts, who left Gnadenhlitteu (April 24th,
1754), and proceeded to Wyoming, Afterward fifteen
of them took up their abode at Neskapeke. The
Board and the missionaries were overwhelmed with
sorrow at this exodus ; although the deserted houses
at Guadenhiitten were soon filled by the converts from
Meniolagomekah, who had been forced to abandon
their village, on account of growing persecutions.

Not long after this, Gnadenhiitten was removed to

the eastern bank of the Lehigh, where the land was

better suited to the wants of the natives, the soil being

sandy and easy to till, whereas that on the Mahony

f was stifl:' and clayey. At this latter place, which now

/received the name of its creek (properly Mahonhanne),

tsignifying a "Deer Lick," several farmers and mechanics

)established themselves. They were all in the employ

/of the Church, and in connection with the Mission,

\ teaching the converts the arts of husbandry, and their

young people various trades. The new town occupied

the site of the present Weissport. Its chapel was

erected in 1754.

Bishop Spangenberg, having meantime returned to
Ameri'^a, took an early opportunity to confer with
Zcisberger upon the Iroquois Mission. The Mem-
oranda of Zcisberger had been accepted, and he

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

215

received instructions to inform the Grand Council,;
on tlie occasion of his next visit to Onondaga, that ,
the Brethren would soon begin to preach to them the.
Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

This visit he undertook in June (1754), although
the events transpiring in the country were porten-
tous. Washington had returned, in January, from
his expedition to the Ohio, and reported that the
French commander had boldly avowed his purpose of
seizing the valley through which that "beautiful river"
runs, and, in fact, of making the entire West tributary
to France. This roused England and her Colonies;
and yet there existed so many conflicting interests
that the measures adopted were neither prompt nor
decisive. England expected the Colonies to defend
themselves, or, at least, to contribute jointly toward
their defense; the Colonies acted independently of
each other, and produced no t>ower adequate to the
crisis. The most important step was taken by the Ohio
Company, which built a fort at the confluence of the
Alleghany and the Monongahela, on the site of Pitts-
burg. But, in April, a strong body of the French
emerged from the forest, and obliged the little garrison
of thirty-three men to surrender. The post was imme-
diately strengthened by its new occupants, and received
the name of Fort Duquesne. Meanwhile Washington
had raised a small force and marched to the Youghl-
ogeny, where he attacked and defeated the French,
under cover of the night, at the Great Meadows. The
war had, therefore, virtually begun.

t> i\

216

LIFE AND TIMES OF

j"^ Three' weeks after this, Zeisberger set out for Onon-
]daga, with Charles Friedrich for a companion.'' They
reached Albany on the day of the opening of the great
Congress (June 19th, 1754), composed of Commissioners
from every Colony north of the Potomac, who, under
the presidency or Lieutenant-Governor Delancy, of New
York, deliberated upon the state of the country, and
adopted Franklin's famous plan of union.' At the
same time a new treaty was made with the Iroquois,
of whom the Pennsylvania Commissioners bought a
large tract of land, to the indignation of the Delawares
and other tribes. In the war that followed, this sale,
more than anything else, tended to embitter the French
Indians against the Colonies.

Having heard from Ganatschiagaje, whom they met
at Albany, that the trail to Onondaga was open, the
missionaries pursued their way, and reached the capital
in safety. Those sachems who were not at the Congress
assembled to receive them ; and Zeisberger, in words of
great earnestness, brought to their recollection the ulti-
mate object of his frequent visits to their town, which
was to preach the Gospel and convert them to the
living God.

With this purpose in view, his first care was to erect
a substantial log-cabin as a Mission House. The natives

I Zeisberger 's Journal. MS. B. A.

' Charles Friedrich was born at Husom, in Holstein, October 4th,
1715; labored as missionary among the Indian.s and negroes ; and died
in Surinam, January 24th, 1701.

» Penn. Col. Records, vi. 57-129.

DAVJD ZEISBERGER.

217

rendered him every assistance in their power. He was
not less welcome among them because he had officially
introduced the subject of the Christian religion. He
had won their respect and love. They confessed that
his works were iu harmony with his words. They
believed that he sought their real good. They trusted
him, in all respects, as Oxxe »f their nation, correctA
ing their children when these, sometimes, called after!
him "Assaroni" (white man), and saying, "No, (
Ganousseracheri is an Aquanoschioni, and noc au^
Assaroni!" The most distinguished token of con-\
fidence, however, was given him by the Grand
Council, which deposited its entire archives, com-
prising many belts and strings of wampum, written \ .
treaties, letters from Colonial governors, and other/ _^ «?^
similar documents, in tho Mission House, and con-1 X^-^-^ ^
Btituted him the keeper of these important records.^_J '"

Zeisberarer, on his part, faithfully strove toDrpclaimN
the _SaviouL.^.^- the .ajorld, jiot^^asjL^ J^^ j ' -^

ministrations, but by visits from lodge toloi^ge. / ^^r^-

^ — ,-v_,-^„..-»,'. "... ..•!_, ,.-^„-~> .j*--v-'--— ^^"^ I <r_

This gave him not only a. thorough insight into the / *>,. i

superstitions of the Indians, but made him acquainted
also with their cosmogony, the absurdities of which
were, however, so great and contradictory that he^^j^
corded but few of its details.

According to the saying of some old Iroquois, the
. latives originally lived in the interior of the earth. A

1 Statements made at a missionary festival, at Bethlehem, as recorded
in the Bethlehem Diary, under date of August 2, 1755.

\m;M

Qyv^/^- (^'Vfri^

218

.:.yE AND TIMES OP

/"badger burrowed his way to the surface, and was so

pleased with the land he there found that he hastened

/ back to report his discovery. Thereupon they came

/ forth from their subterranean abode and took possession

' of this new country.

I Others asserted that there existed in the heavens a

j world of men and animals. From that a pregnant

' woman was hurled down to the earth by her enraged

• husband, who had detected her faithlessness. She gave

; birth to twins, through whom the earth was peopled.

! The legend of the N"anticokes was equally trivial.

■ Several Indians, men and women, tney said, had sud-

"■ denly found themselves sitting on the sea-shore. Whence

they had come, whether they had crossed the waters,

or been created in America, they could not tell. From

these the whole race was descended.

Those vague notions of the deluge with which Zeis-
' berger met seem to have been a mixture of Algonquin
; traditions touching their great manitou, Manaboyho,
1 and of Iroquois sayings with regard to the origin of
the earth.

The earth, ho was told, having been submerged,
several human beings, among them two or three
women, saved themselves on the back of a turtle, who
had reached so great an age that his shell bore moss.
These requested a loon, who happened to cross their
path, to look for land. lie complied, diving to the
depths of the waters ; but found none. At last ho
flew far away, and returned with a small quantity of
^arth in his bill. Guided by him, the turtle swam to

DAVID ZEISBERGER

219

the place, where a little spot of dry land was seen, on^
which the survivors settled and ropeopled the world. (^

Hence the illustrious position of the Turtle clan among

the Indians.

After an abode of ten months at Onondaga, Zeis-
berger und Friedrich paid a visit to Bethlehem (June,
1755). The former intended to go back soon and begin
to preach the Gospel in public. This intention, how
ever, could not be carried out. His work among th<
Six Nations was done. A time of tribulation and blood
was at hand ; and when the wilderness again opened
to the messengers of peace, they took their way to the
Delawares and not to the Iroquois.

)

220

LIFE AND TIMES OF

I'lJ

I'd' i

I!''

It*

CHAPTER XII.

THE MONTHS PRIOR TO THE INDIAN WAR, AND THE MASSACRE
AT QNADENIliJTTEN.— 1755.

Renewed agitations at Gnadenhutten. — Zcisberger itinerates in the
valley of Wyoming. — Preaches to - tribe of Monseys. — Braddock's
defeat. — Distress of the Colonies. — Fearlessness of the Moravians. —
Their loyalty questioned. — Zeisberger visits New England. — Indian
war begins. — First massacre in Pennsylvania. — Zeisbergcr again visits
Wyoming. — At Easton among the Jerseymen. — The twenty- fourth of
November. — Zeisbergcr is sent to Gnadenhutten, and barely escapes
the massacre. — The massacre. — Zeisbergcr brings the news to Beth-
lehem. — The leader of the war-party. — The Indians of Gnadenhiitten
retire to Bethlehem and claim the protection of the government. —
Fort Allen built.

There had again been agitations at Gnadenhutten,
during Zeisberger's absence. Tadeuskund, and Pax-
nous, chief of the Shawanese of the Susquehanna, had
made a second attempt to entice the inhabitants to
Wyoming. Although there were, at first, not a few
in favor of yielding, the representations of the Board
finally prevailed, and a unanimous refusal was given.
To this the converts .adhered, in spite of other subse-
iquent efforts to break up their Mission.

Paxnous's visit was overruled by God to promote the
(glory of the Gospel. A deep impression of its truth
J was made upon his heart; while his wife was con-
Werted, and received baptism at the hands of Bishop
jSpangenberg.

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

221

LSSACRE

The first m i^icuiar}LJ:o_ yL'H, Jhe_^£iifi42Jl^^QL^ ^PA?
denh^ttJ^l^wils^t^&t J&ii

who hastened to their lodges, scarcely two months after
their departure, warning, admonishing, and reproving,
them with words of power and of love. This led to)
stated itinerancies in the valley of "Wyoming. In this
work Zeisherger now engaged, having allowed himself
but ten days of rest after his return from Onon daga.
Christian Seidel was his companion.'

They found Frederick Post at "Wyoming, where he
had established himself in order to minister to the con-
verts and entertain visiting missionaries ; and when they
saw the dire famine which was prevailing, their first
care was to relieve his wants and those of the Indians,
by going back to Shamokin for supplies. Then they
began t o preach th e Gospel to a tribe of Monseys, orL\
the Laekawannock, not far from the present Scranton.L C
Zeisherger was but imperfectly acquainted with taeiia '' ,
dialect, yet the women said that he spoke "words of/
gold," and the whole clan invited him to repeat his visitJ

At onadenhlitten, on his way back to Bethlehem, he
heard of that disastrous event which had sent a thrill of
dismay through every British Colony of America. Al-
though war between England and France had not been
declared, it existed. The very day (July 9tli) on which
Zeisherger and Seidel had pushed their canoe from the

S£.

1 Born 1715, ncir Erfurt, Germany; died 1808, in the ninety-third
year of his age, at Bethlehem.

2 An elder of the young men of the Church. He died in North
Carolina.

222

LIFE ASD TIMES OF

I
h

^ *

lyi

^j-

river-bank at Shamokin, eager to bring food to the fam-
ishing Indiana of "Wyoming, General Braddock, whom
the British government had sent to defend the frontiers,
had sufiered an utter defeat, ten miles from Fort Dn-
quesne, himself receiving a mortal wound, and, before
he died, ordering a retreat to Cumberland. It was not
only the victory which France had gained that caused
such general consternation, but the opportunity thus
given to the French Indians to ravage Pennsylvania
with their murderous hatchets and their burning brands.
XheMora^jiiils^j;o\YCvei:3^id not Totirg^iom JJiejReld.
Strong confidence in God and great calmness of mind
were vouchsafed to Bishop Spangenberg, the Board, and
all the missionaries throughout this whole period. "The
country," wrote Spangenberg to Count Zinzendorf, "is
full of fear and tribulation. In our churches there is
light. Wo live in peace, and feel the presence of the
Saviour."' The missionaries m>t only r eniained at thei r
sexeralstation^, but measures were taken to extejjd,
the work. The eighth of September, which witnessed
the defeat of Count Dieskau, near the waters of Lake
George, and gained a baronetcy for "William Johnson,
was distinguished at Bethlehem by an enthusiastic mis-
i.sionary conference, composed of four bishops, sixteen
missionaries, and eighteen female assistants, w'ho cove-
nanted anew to be faitnful to the Lord, and to press for-
ward into the Indian country, as long as it was possible,

With regai'd to

in spite of wars and rumors of wars.

• Rislor's Spangcnbcrg's Lolxni, p. 313.

DAVID ZEISBEBGER.

223

Zeisbergcr, this conference determined that he should!
continue to be a traveling evangelist, but that it shouldV
be his special work to establish a Mission among the SixJ

Nations.'

Strange as it may seem, the confidence thus mani-
fested, amid the prevailing trepidation, tended to bring
the Church into still more general disfavor. The manly
courage of her missionaries was imputed to a secret un-
derstanding with the French and the French Indians,—
their faith perverted into an evidence of treason. A i
letter from an officer in Quebec appeared in the news- ^ X
papers. It was said to have been intercepted by the y<^^
government. The writer, addressing a friend, asserted ^ '
that the French were certain of soon conquering the
English, for not only the Indians had mostly espoused
their cause, but the Moravians were also their good
friends, and would give them every assistance in their
power. This letter was a gross forgery ; but it inflamed
the public -nind to such a degree that for a time no
Moravian clergyman was safe from insult, and the whole
Church was threatened with extermination. Of this
state of feeling Zeisberger had abundant evidence while
on a tour to :he stations in New England in the month
of October. The work, however, prospered notwith-
standing all opposition.

Meanwhile those Indians who were hostile to the
English had begun to prepare for war. The nations
were divided. William Johnson had induced the

1 Minutes of the Conference. MS. B. A.

I. i

i^/f\

^(Ci^

224

LIFE AND TIMES OF

H-i

;ii

'Mohawks, Tuscaroras, and Oneidas to take sides with
the British, aud the Onondagas, Cayugas, aud Senecas
to remain neutral; although it required all his influence
and the most strenuous efforts to hring this about. Not
a_few of the^^l^"^^'^'*- Ii'oquoia, howe ver, went gver
to the Frer^ch. Of the Susquehanna Delawares and
'Shawanese, a part, influenced by Logan, John Thach-
iiechtoris, Scarrooyady, Paxuous, The Belt, Zigarea, and
Andrew Montour, remained true to the Colonies; and
'several of these chiefs otiered to collect their people at
Shamokin, and make this a post against the French.'
But another part seized the. hatchet with fierce eager-
ness. The Delawares and Shawauese of the Ohio, and
many other Western nations, did the same. Among
the leaders of these blood-thirsty enemies were Shingas,
a great warrior of the "Western Delawares; Buck-
shanoath, a Shawanese, of Wyoming; and Tadeuskuud,
once that "Brother Gideon" who had vowed, in holy
baptism, to renounce the devil and serve the living
God. He had been elevated to the dignity of " King
of the Delawares;" and this had extinguished the last
glimmering spark of faith. lie became an apostate ;
made common cause with the savages ; and was
acknowledged as one of their boldest captains. At
Neskapoke, the rendezvous of the warriors, he aud
Shingas planned more than one bloody massacre.

The first token of the existence of an Indian war was

the burning of homeyteitds-onthe Potonjf^c. But Peun-

» Colonial Kecords of Penna., Part vi. 640, etc.

DAVID ZEISDEROER.

225

:e sides with
aud Senecas
bis influence
about. Kot
iJient_j)VQr
lawarea and
Fohn Tbach-
Zigarea, and
clonics; and
jir people at
he French.'
fierce eager-
le Ohio, and
16. Among
ere Shingas,
ires; Buck-
Cadeuskund,
^ed, in holy
i the living
y of " King
aed the last
n apostate ;
; and was
ptains. At
)r8, he and
acre.

ian war was
But Peun-

Bylvauia soon felt its horrors. On the sixteenth of
October, a band of French Indians attacked the farms
on Penn's Creek — in that part of Cumberland County
which is now Snyder — and murdered or captured
most of the inhabitants.' This catastrophe was not\
known at GnadenhUtten when Zeisberger and Seidel
arrived, on their way to the Monseys of the Lacka-
wannock, although the settlers were fleeing to the
towns, from every part of the frontier, in wild con-
fusion. At Wyoming, too, nothing had as yet been
heard of the massacre, and the missionaries began
their work. But the Monseys were preparing to
celebrate one of their sacrificial feasts, and had no
ear for the Gospel. Its words no longer seemed golden
to the women of the village. "You grieve us," said
Zeisberger, as disappointed he turned back, with his
companion, to Wyoming ; " you listen rather to the
drum at your idolatrous feast than to what we telly
you of your God !"

Paxnous, who had been at Shamokin, awaited them
with a letter from the missionaries of that station,
detailing the massacre at Penn's Creek, and warning
them of their danger.' They remained, however, for
two days longer, preaching Christ with overflowing

-<^

' Colonial Becords of Pa., vi. 645, etc.

' There were two missionaries at Shamokin — Ropssler and KicierV)
besides Peter Wesa, the smith. The massacre occurred only six(
miles from the town, and the murderers came thither. Eocsslcr and
"Wesa escaped to Bethlehem. Kiefer was concealed for two weeks in
the lodge of a friendly Indian, and then escorted to Bethlehem ^
Thachnechtoris.

226

LIFE AND TIMES OF

hearts, especially to Paxnons, whom they entreated to
lay hold on eternal life. They feared that perhaps for
years that lovely valley would be closed to the Gos-
pel. On the last day of October they bent their steps
homeward. At GnadenhUtteu they found the converts
and their teachers trusting in God ; but at the Water-
Gap they met two hundred excited militia-men, who
overwhelmed them with eager inquiries, which were
repeated at every plantation. In the night of the
second of November they reached Bethlehem,^ and
immediately visited Squire ^lorsfield, giving him an
account of all they knew respecting the movements
of the hostile Indians. lie took a deposition of their
narrative, and sent it by express to Governor Morris.'^

But this was not the only information which the Gov-
ernor received. Conrad "Weisser, John Harris, the sur-
vivors of the massacre, Logan, Andrew Montour, as
well as all the friendly chiefs, urged him to adopt
speedy and energetic measures for the defense of the
Colony. Instead of do'.ig this, he engaged in acrimo-

> At the end of tho MS. Journal describing this tour is the following
indorsement by Bishop Hehl : " Logit cum suspirlls pro prosperitate
sementis inter frigora et turbines, Matthaeus."

2 Pa. Archives, ii. 459, etc. Timothy Horsfiold was born at Liver-
pool, April 25, 1708, and immigrated to Ap^^'ica in his seventeenth
year. In 1748, he joined the Moravian Church in "^Tew Yoik, and
moved to Bethlehem in the following year. There ho was appointed
Justice of the Peace, which office he filled for about twelve years. In
the Pontiac Conspiracy he was commissioned Colonel of the county,
but resigned this position on account of tho jealousy which his ad-
vancement had awakened outside of Bethlehem. Thereupon he was
deprived of his justiceship also. He died March 9, 1773.

DAVID ZEISBEEGER.

227

y entreated to
it perhaps for
1 to the Gos-
nt their steps
1 the converts
at the Water-
itia-mcn, who
!, which were
night of the
hlehem,^ and
iving him au
le movements
sition of their
lor Morris.'^
hich the Gov-
^arris, the sur-
' Montour, as
tiim to adopt
lefense of the
ed in acrimo-

iT is the following
3 pro prosperitate

lis born at Liver-
n his seventeenth
■^Tcw Yoik, and
ho was appointed
twelve years. In
lel of the county,
isy which his ad-
["hereupon he was
773.

nious disputes with the Assembly concerning the legality
of taxing, alotig with other real estate, the estates of the
Proprietaries, in order to raise funds for the crisis. Still
other points of dic?greement occurred, which were tena-
ciously upheld by both parties, in spite of the constant
entreaties of the inhabitants of the frontier counties, —
in spite of the arrival in Philadelphia of a body of four
hundred Gern-ans, imploring the authorities to defer
their unseasonable debates and protect the people, — in
spite of the jeers of the Indian allies, and, at last, of their
threats to desert the English cause and espouse that of
the French if the government delayed any longer. It
was not until a letter from the Proprietaries had been
received — written immediately after the news of Brad-
dock's defeat had reached England — and announcing a
donation from them of jG5000 toward the defense of the
Province, that this shameful wrangling ceased. By that
time, however, the tomahawks of the savages were
reeking with blood.

After his return from Wyoming, Zeisberger spent
some weeks at Bethlehem, Christiansbrunn, and Gna-^
denhiitten, am'd growing alarm throughout the Colony
He was occasionally employed by the Board as a mes-
senger to Moravian settlements, and also as an escort
to friendly Indians.' In the latter capacity he accom-
panied Thachnechtoris — who was going back to his ^
kindred, after having acted so noble a part toward!
Kiefer — as far as GnadenhUtten, and brought the ue\va/

1 Bethlehem Diary, Nov. 1755. MS. B. A.

Hi ill

1 1 II

'is

U'!^

228

LIFE AND TIMES OF

from that station that savages, painted and armed for
war, sometimes appeared in the neighborhood, and that
the}' had attempted to alarm the inhabitants and induce
them to forsake the town, but without success, the con-
verts affirming their determination to live and die with
their teachers. In the same capacity, Zeisbergei-, on the
twenty-second of November, attended several natives
who had arrived from Wyoming to Easton, where he
testified before Squire Parsons to their peaceable dispo-
sition, and secured for them a pass to Philadelphia. On
this occasion he had an opportunity to vindicate the
character of the Brethren. Easton was full of armed
Jerseymen. They were discussing the events of the
war, accusing the Moravians of a secret understanding
with the French Indians, and threatening to attack
Bethlehem and lay it even with the ground.^ Zeis-
berger hastened to explain to them the character of '.he
work which the Church was carrying on in the Indian
country, giving them at the same time an account of
the flight of the missionaries from Shamokin, and set-
ting forth everything known at Bethlehem with regard
to the war-parties. His statements were well received,
even by the most violent of the men, who confessed that
they had been misinformed. Two days later the calum-
nies under which the Moravians were sufteriuff were
disproved in a manner that overwhelmed their traducera
throughout the Colonies with shame.

The twenty-fourth of November was an exciting day

1 Bethlehem Diary, Nov. 1755. MS B. A.

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

229

iirmcd for
d, and that
and induce
38, the eon-
id die with
gcr, on the
ral natives
, where he
able dispo-
Iphia. On
dicate the

of armed
nts of the
erstandinsj

to attack
nd.i Zeis-
3ter of 'he
the Indian
.ccount of
I, and set-
ith regard
I received,

the calum-
sring were
f traducers

cciting day

at Bethlehem. Several bodies of militia arrived, on
their road to the frontier, and made the little settlement
as noisy with the drum and fife as though it were a mil-
itary post. As some of these troops intended to pass <y
through Gnadenhiitten, Zeisberger set out on horseback
to notify the missionaries of their coming. At the Le-
high Water-Gap he fell in with a company of Irish
militia, who detained him for several hours as a sus-
picious character, when they heard that he came from
Bethlehem. This delay saved his life.

At that time the Mission at Gnadenhiitten was in
charge of Mack, Grube, Gchmick, and Schebosb, who
all lived with the converts in the new town on the east
side of the Lehigh. Of the settlement on the Mahony,
besides the mill, the following buildings remained : the
Chapel, or Congregation House, as it was called in the
phraseology of the Moravians, the House of the Pil-
grims, Brethren's House, store, barn, stable, kitchen,
and milk-house. In the House of the Pilgrims lived
Joachim and Anna Catharine Senseman, Gottlieb and
Joanna Anders, Martin and Susanna Nitschmann, and
George and Maria Partsch. In the Brethren's House
resided John Gattermeyer, George Fabricius, George
Schweigert, Martin Presser, John F. Lesly, Peter Wor-
bass, and Joseph Sturgis. This little colony was under
the pastoral care of Anders. Senseman was the over
seer of the property; Fabricius, an alumnus of a Eu
ropean university, was engaged in studying the Dela.
ware language, and at the same time taught the Indianl
school; Gattermeyer assisted both Anders and Sense

il,i;

230

LIFE AND TIMES OF

% >

i H *

9 J I r < «

e ,

. r

.r^y

(man ; Lesly instructed the natives in farming ; Presser
\\\\ carpenter-work; and Xitscbmann, Partsch, Schwei-

1 gert, Worbass, and Sturgis cultivated the land.

The shades of evening were falling when Zeisberger
reached GnadenhUtten. Having delivered his letters,
he prepared to go to the Mahony settlement. Mack
earnestly begged him to wait until morning. " The
tracks of French Indians," he added, "have been dis-
covered, this very day, in the neighborhood, and if
you venture across the river, now that it is nearly dark,
you may expose yourself to imminent danger." "I
have promised," was Zeisberger's answer, "to carry
these letters to the Brethren on the Mahony this even-
ing; I "annot stay. Be unconcerned about me. Good-
night !" So saying, he rode off.

How good and pleasant the social fellowship of Mora-
vian settlers in those early days ! They toiled in com-

^ mon, and in common they ate the bread of their

■«. industry. Whether as missionaries or farmers, as minis-
ters or mechanics, their work was performed iu the
interests of the Gospel and to the glory of God. To
them religion was not an austere principle, not the ful-
filling of a code of duties; but a life of holy happiness.
Her beauty smiled upon them in the midst of their
labors; her sweet breath animated them in the hours
of recreation ; her presence made them, whenever they
met, not only brethren of one fraternity, but friends,
among whom existed affinity of thought and feeling
and enjoyments.
An instance of all this was the circle of "Brethren"

'*'' riw^^^ 'yMi.ULVtAJi^^.-.

DAVID ZEISBERGER. 231

and " Sisters" around the supper-table, in the House of
the Pilgrims, toward which Zeisberger had taken his
way. The whole family was present, except Mrs. Sense-
man and Worbass, both of whom were unwell, and had
remained, the former in another apartment, the latter
in the Brethren's House. The simple meal was just
over. And while, without, the chill autumnal wind
sighed among the fallen leaves, and, within, the crack-
ling logs of a great chimney-fire sent up a cheerful
blaze, and gave to the room that rough but welcome
comfort M-^iich characterizes forest-life of evenings, the
little company sat talking about the incidents of the
day's work, the faith which the converts were mani-
festing amid the temptations of the times, and the
blessedness of a communion with the Saviour. The
prolonged barking of the farm-dogs interrupted this
conversation. " It occurs to me," said Senseman, "that
the Congregation House is still open; I will go and
lock it; there may be stragglers from the militia in
the neighborhood." He rose, and left the table. The
rest remained together, unsuspicious of any danger.

Meanwhile Zeisberger was fording the Lehigh. Sud-
denly a thrilling shout of distress bur^t from the bank.
He heard it not, amid the splashing of the water under
his horse's hoofs, and the rushing of the river in its
rocky bed. But the cry reached the Mission House at
Gnadenhlitten, where stood Mack, in great anxiety,
looking into the dark night. Running to the Lehigh,^
he found Senseman and Partsch, who had fled across
with the fearful intelligence that savages were attacking

" uW

232

LIFE AND TIMES OP

r 'i S

( 1

lif

♦ !

;,)*

the Houso of the Pilgrims on the Mahony. By this
time Zeisberger had almost reached the western bank.
His friends called to him to turn back; but not until his
horse had gained the land did their warning voices
excite his attention. Then he made haste to reford the
stream. Almost in the same moment young Sturgis
came struggling through it; while a big volume of
flames rose, with lurid glare, in the direction of the
Mahony.

From Partsch and Sturgis, Zeisberger obtained the
particulars of the attack. Soon after Senseman had
left the house footsteps were heard approaching the
door, which one of the company at the table opened
to see who was coming. Great God! before them
stood a band of painted savages, who, raising a terrific
war-whoop, instantly discharged their rifles into the
room. Martin Nitschmaun fell dead on the spot; a
bullet grazed the cheek of Sturgis; the rest retreated
toward the stairs leading to the loft; while Partsch,
being near a window, crept out unobserved and escaped.
The Indians continued firing, and five more persons
were killed before they could reach the attic. Nitsch-
mann's wife had nearly gained it, when she fell back-
Avard among the savages, crying in piteous tones, "Oh,
Brethren, Brethren, help me !" The entrance to the
loft was a trap-door, which Schweigert succeeded in so
efiectually barricading that, for a quarter of an hour,
the enemy were foiled. They fired, incessantly, through
the floor, roof, and window, but hit no one. All at
once the shooting ceased; deep silence prevailed; and

DAVID ZEISBEROER.

233

. By this
tera bank,
ot until his
ling voices
I reford the
ng Sturgis
volume of
ion of the

stained the
8 em an had
aching the
ble opened
jfore them
g a terrific
8 into the
le spot ; a
it retreated
le Partsch,
id escaped.
)re persons
c. Nitsch-
fell back-
ones, "Oh,
nee to the
eded in so
if an hour,
ly, through
le. All at
'ailed; and

hope began to awaken in the hearts of the survivors.
But they soon recognized the terrible fate which
awaited them. The cruel torch had been applied:
the house was in flames. When Anders saw this, he
went to the w'ndow, which was in the gable end, and
shouted vehemently for help. No friendly voice re-
plied ; only the triumphant yells of the murderous
band. But the Lord, of whom they had been con-
versing so joyfully a few minutes before, was witT5N
them, and made them strong. Mrs. Sensemau sat (
down upon a bed, and exclaimed, "Dear Saviour,
just as I expected !" These were her last words^^
Mrs. Anders, wrapping her apron around her infant
daughter — who screamed in so heart-rending a manner
that her cries were heard above the roar of the fire
and whoops of the Indians — expressed anxiety only
on her babe's account, and wished that it could be
saved. Just then, Sturgis noticed that the savages
had gone to the other side of the house. Quick asN
thought he leaped from the window and escaped.^ /
Meanwhile Partsch had met Sensemau coming from/^
the Congregation House, and fled with him across thej
Lehigh.

Having listened to these harrowing details, Zeis-
berger rode at full speed to Bethlehem, where he

1 Sturgis, a lad of seventeen years, who escaped in so wonderful*"^
manner, afterward settled at Litiz, where he died in 1817, in the/
eightieth year of his age. He hecame the father of ten children, and at /
the time of his death had thirty-four grandchildren and three groat- I
grandchildren. In the year 1864 there were living at Litiz more than I
thirty of his lineal descendants, all bearing his name.

('^.

-'^■J

•J :

i^:

234

LIFE AND TIMES OF

arrived at three o'clock in the morning of the twenty-
fifth, and roused Bishop Spangenbcrg from sleep with
the startling news. Two hours later, at five o'clock,
were heard the solemn tones of the church bell, calling
the congregation to the early matins which were daily
held. The bishop opened the service in the usual way,
delivering a short discourse upon the words, " And
Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made
himself strange unto them."' In the course of his
remarks, he applied the passage tc the Lord's deal-
ings with men, and, as an illustration, announced the
massacre. A thrill of horror agitated the assembly ;
but the bishop immediately fell on his kncis, — the
pastors and people followed his example, — and, with
earnest prayer, they all humbled themselves under the
mighty hand of God.

The first of the survivors that reached Bethlehem was
fWorbass, who came later in the morning, alone and on
jfoot. He had escaped from the Brethren's House. In
fthe afternoon appeared Senseman and thirty of the
Christian Indians ; and, in the afternoon of the follow-
ing day, Sturgis, Partsch, and Mrs. Partsch, who was
\ supposed to be among the victims. From her further
particulars were obtained.

Encouraged by Sturgis's success, she, too, sprang from
the window. But having arrived at the Mahony only
a few days before, she knew not where to find Gna-
denhiitten, and hid herself amid some bushes. From

» Gen. xlii. 7.

DAVID ZEISDERGER.

235

twent}'-
ep witli
o'clock,
, calling
re daily
aal way,
, "And
it made
of his
I's deal-
iced the
serably ;
<js, — the
id, with
ider the

aem was
I and ou
use. In
of the
} follow-
vho was
r further

mg from
3ny only
nd Gna-
1. From

this shelter she saw the Indians falling upon Fabricius,
who had also leaped to the ground. In a moment he lay
weltering in his blood, — shot, tomahawked, and scalped.
Next she beheld them running to the several buildings,
plundering and setting them on fire. At the milk-
house they divided the spoils, prepared a feast of the
provisions which they had found, and finally applied
the torch to this structure likewise. Then they left \
the spot which their merciless hands had made deso- j
late. Creeping from her place of concealment, Mr-». |
Partseh took her way to the river, and spent the !
night wandering up and down the bank, with cries to ^^
God for aid. When the day broke, her prayers were :
heard. She descried a man and a boy crossing the I
stream, followed by a party of militia. They came i
nearer. It was her own husband and young Sturgis^
On the Mahony, amid charred logs and smoking
embers, they found what the fire had spared of the
remains of the victims; and, not far off, the mutilated] a) . .
body of Fabricius, guarded by his faithful dog.* Upon a' ^ ' ^'"
stump of a tree lay a blanket and hat, with a knife stuck " '/ >vl6o.(^
through them, a symbol of the savages signifying, " Thusjj "- — '
much we have done, and are able to do more !""

' These remains were subsequently interred by Anthony Schmidt,
of Bethlehem, in one common grave, on the consecrated ground of
the Indian congregation. Through the exertions of Bishop JLttwein,
on December 2, 1788, a slab with an inscription was placed upon the
grave. In 1848, a small marble monument was erected by private con-
tributions, through the industry of the late Mr. Joseph Leibert, of
Bethlehem, whose wife was the granddaughter of Martin Nitschmann.
The ground is still used as a burial-place.

» Pean. Col. Records, vi. 622.

• ja.w

286

LIFE AND TIMES OF

—,'■1'-/ ., .•

/ Thus perished ten persons : Anna Catharine Sense-
jman, Gottlieb and Joanna Anders and their babe, John
vGattermeyer, George Fabricius, George Schweigert,
I Martin Presser, John Lesly, and Martin Nitsch-

•mann.

A worse fate overwhelmed Susanna Nitschmann.
'r' For months she was deemed to be among the dead.
/But, in the following summer, the Mission Board
ascertained, through a convert of Gnadenhiitten who
had fled to the Susquehanna at the time of the mas-
sacre, that she had been carried ofi^ as a captive.

At Wyoming believing women ministered to her
wants, and unsuccessfully tried to shield her from a life
more terrible than death. Her captors claimed her,
4 dragged her to Tioga, and forced her to share the wig-
wam of a brutish Indian. The horror of her situation
^ broke her strength. She relapsed into melancholy ;
spent her days and nights in weeping; until, after a

'-\^i:V

/ captivity of half a year, God released her from her
•> "^1 'c^ f misery, and took her to His eternal rest.^
', '* > " The news of the massacre was sent by Horsfield to
JS u Squire Parsons, at Easton, who dispatched an express to
Secretary Peters, at Philadelphia.' A few days later.

t^'

:}>

,-r

\ V

• My authorities for this narrative of the massacre are the Beth-
lehem MSS. Diaries for November, 1755, and July, 1756; Spangen-
berg's Circular to the Churches ; short MSS. Memoirs of the Victims ;
and Heckewelder's Biographical Sketch of Zeisberger.

2 Fenn. Col. Records, vi. 736 and 737. This letter to Parsons shows
that Horsfield wrote it under groat excitement, and before accurate
information of the occurrence had been obtained.

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

237

ohmann.
\e dead.
I Board
:en who
;he mas-

to her
3111 a life
fied her,
the wig-
situation
incholy ;
, after a
rem her

■sfield to
{press to
ys later,

the Beth-
; Spangen-
,e Victims ;

sons shows
:e accurate

Horsfield wrote a full account to Governor Morris
himself.' The intelligence created a profound sen-
sation throughout the country. The most violent
enemies of the Moravians now acknowledged that
they had done them a gross wrong.

To the churches under his charge Bishop Spangen-
berg sent a circular instinct with faith and resignation
to God's mysterious will. The material loss which the
Mission had sustained by the destruction of the build-
ings, he estimated at more than fifteen hundred pounds
sterling.'

With regard to Zeisberger, all his friends confessed
that his escape was providential. Nor did he fail to
acknowledge this. Speaking of that memorable even- 1 j^^^,
ing, he said, "Had I arrived at Gnadenhiitten either
a little earlier or a little later, I would inevitably have
fallen into the hands of the savages. But such was
not the will of my Saviour. He would have me serve
Him longer."'

On his way to Bethlehem, in the night of the mas-
sacre, Zeisberger met, six miles from Gnadenhiitten, the
same militia who had detained him in the afternoon.
These hastened to the scene of the disaster, as did like-
wise Colonel Anderson and his company, whom he
found at the Gap, and a messenger, ordered to apply for

1 Penn. Archives, ii. 520-523.

' By the subsequent turning of Gnadenhiitten this loss was increased
to over £2000.
» Heckewelder's Biographical Sketch of Zeisberger.

238

LIFE AND TIMES OF

P bMi

•J'.

«;> :>'H

vS-'

imruod'uite reinforcements, accompanied him to the Irish
eettlemcut.'

Meanwhile the Christian Indians gathered around
their teachers, and, kindling with the tire of their war-
rior-days, offered to cross the river and attack the sav-
ages. But, as the missionaries would not c(' out to
such a measure, they dispersed and fled into t' -est.

The party that made tlie. assaul t wag comjjosed of
Monseys, and numhered ahout twelve^ braves.^ It was
led by Jacheabus, the chief of Assinnissink, a Monsey
town in Steuben County, New York. In the Pontiac
War this town was destroyed by the Mohawks and
Jacheabus taken prisoner. He ended his life as a
captive.'

In the course of a few days numerous volunteers
hastened to GnadenhUtten, Squire Ilorsfield having sent
out letters to call the whole neighborhood to arms.
Protected by these troops, the missionaries brought the
most of the converts from their hiding-places and led
them to Bethlehem. The rest found their way to Wyo-
ming. From Bethlehem the Indians sent an address to
Governor Morris, professing their allegiance to the
British crown, and putting themselves under its protec-
tion. "As you have made it your own choice," the
Governor wrote in response, " to become members of
our civil society and subjects of the same govcrnnlent,

J Penn. Col. Records, vi. 736.
* Penn. Archives, ii. 622.

> Zeisberger's Journal of his Exploratory Tour to the Alleghany River
in 1767. MS. B. A.

'^^tr? A.V W :i«v

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

239

the Irish

1 around
;heir war-
k the sav-
V out to

•est.
iposed__of
.2 It was
a Mousey
e Pontiac
awks and
life as a

volunteers
aving sent
to arras.
I'ought the
38 and led
ly to Wyo-
address to
ice to the
its protec-
loice," the
Lembers of
r)vernnient,

leghany River

and determiuGd to share the same fate with us, I shall
make it my care to extend the same protection to you
as to the other subjects of his Majesty; and, as a testi-
mony of the regard paid by the government to the dis-
tressed state of that part of the Province where you
have suffered so much, I ha-e determined to build a
fort at Gnadenhiitten, from which you will receive equal
security with the white people under my caie." * Buf]
before such a fort could be erected, the savages, on Newf
Year's Day of 1756, surprised the guard of forty militia- /
men who were stationed there, routed them, and laid 1
the entire village in ashes, together with the mill on \
the Mahony.* On the seventh of January, Benjamin ^
Franklin arrived at Bethlehem, in order to superintend /
the defenses of Northampton County. His measures
were energetic. He put up a log fort on the site of
Gnadenhiitten, mounting two swivels, and properly 1
garrisoned.' It was called Fort Allen, and formed/
one of a series of posts established along the Blue/
Mountains, from the Delaware River to Maryland, com-'
manding the principal passes of the chain. Bethlehem,
meanwhile, had become a refuge for numerous settlers,
who flocked thither from every part of the country. It
was surrounded with stockades, and now formed both a
frontier post and a protection for the settlements south-
ward to Philadelphia. *

Meantime those Christian Indians from Gnadenhiitten

1 Pcnn. Col. Records, vi. 747-750.

' Bethlehem Diary, Jan. 1756. Penn. Col. Records, vi. 772.

* Penn. Col. Records, vii. 15-17.

240

LIFE AND TIMES OF

who were of the Mohican tribe were quartered at Beth-
lehem, in a large stone-house, near which was subse-
quently erected a log structure, containing a chapel.
Both these buildings stood on the west side of the
Monocasy Creek, near the mills and tun-yard of the
'Settlement. The Delaware converts established them-
selves at Gnadenthal, in the vicinity of Nazareth. They
jworked industriously in the fields and farm-yards of
"^the neighborhood, or by making wooden bowls and
ladles, shovels, brooms, and sieves, for which they
found a ready sale. Many of these articles were sent
in wagons to New Brunswick and New York.

DAVID ZEISBERQER.

241

i at Beth-
vas subse-

a chapel.
,de of the
ird of the
ihed them-
eth. They
m-yards of
bbwls and
^hich they

were sent

CHAPTER XIII.

THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR.— 1756-1761.

War in the East and West.— Missionary work interrupted. — Zeisberger
frequents the Indian treaties.— Treaty at Piiiladelphia, 1756.— Decla-
ration of war against tlie Dolawares and Sliawanese. — Zeisberger
escorts j>eaco-onvoys to Fort Allen. — Journey to North Carolina. —
The treaties at Easton, in July and November, 175G. — The machina-
tions of Tndcuskund. — Tiie treaty at Lancaster, May, 1757. — Nain
founded.— The treaty at Easton, July, 17;'(7.— Tht reverses of England.
— A new and victorious campaign in 1758. — Frederick Post, tho
messenger of peace.— Zeisberger at the great congress at Easton,
October, 1758. — Visits Schoharie and Pachgatgoch. — Second journey
to North Carolina. — Capitulation of Quebec and conquest of Canada.
— Zeisberger Superintendent of the Brethren's House at Litiz. — Second
great congress at Easton. — Zeisberger government-interpreter. — His
literary labors during the war.

The Av^ovld was convulsed with the throes of mighty
conflicts. In Europe raged the Seven Years' War; in
the East, Clive was conquering a vast empire that had,
for centuries, been enriching a proud but feeble race ;
on the bosom of the broad Atlantic the ships of England
and France met in deadly strife; while, in Korth
America, the final struggle between these ancient rivals)
for the supremacy of the continent was at its height, V
and made terrible by the wild excesses and murderouaj
cruelties of an Indian war.

In such a crisis, it was impossible to preach the Gos-)
pel to the aborigines who roamed beyond the blood-(
stc'ned frontiers of the Colonies. For six years uqJ

msm

I^H

242

L/i^E AND TIMES OF

servants of the Most High God made known the grace
of His only-begotten Son, at Onondaga or Shamokin,
on the Susquehanna or in the shadow of the Blue
Mountains. To care for the spiritual welfare of the
refugees from Gnadenhutten, and of the converts at the
stations in New England, was all that the Mission
Board could undertake.

^ Zeisberger gave himself to the discharge of such
'missionary duties as the times permitted, and of such

jother labors as they called for. During the first four
years of this period, Christiansbrunn appears to have
been his place of residence. But he was sent to vari-
ous settlements as a messenger of the Board. The
duty, however, in which he most frequently engaged,
called him to the several treaties instituted by the
government of Pennsylvania. On these occasions his
presence was always welcome to the natives, and they
believed it would help to secure them justice.* He did

/not act as interpreter, or take part in the negotiations ;

I but mingled with the Indians in order to embrace the

'^only opportunHies which were afforded to present the

JQospel.

The_fir8t_treaty which he attended was held at Phila-
d^el^hi^ in February, with John Thachnechtoris, The
Belt, Jagrea, Captain New Castle,^ the Conestoga In-
dians and others. New Castle and another Iroquois —
whom Governor Morris, after an interview at Carlisle

' Heckowcldcr's MS. Biography.
"Captaiti Now Castle, or Ciisliiowayah, was an Iroquoisji
t££egts.^fths!^Ei}glish, and cmployedas ji messenger.

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

243

the grace
Shamokin,

the Blue
ire of the
erts at the
e Mission

) of such
id of such
first four
's to liave
it to vari-
ird. The
' engaged,
2d by the
asions his
, and they
} He did
^otiations ;
ibrace the
resent the

LatPhila.-
itoris, The
lestoga In-
Iroquois —
at Carlisle

is in the in-

with several friendly chiefs, had dispatched to the Sus-
quehanna in order to gain information of the move-
ments of the savages — reported the result of their
journey; and Thachnechtoris, who had been invited by
these messengers to consult with his white brethren,
assured the government of the amicable disposition
of the ShikolUnn-Jaiiiil^'.^

In April, Governor Morris, with the approval of his*
Council, except James Logan, who entered his protest/
on the minutes, formally declared war against the Dela-|
wares and Shawancse, and offered large bounties for.
scalps or prisoners. The Quakers were shocked at the
barbarity of this measure, and, by petition and other-
wise, urged conciliatory measures. The way for these,
unexpectedly to the Governor, was opened by Sir Wil-
liam Johnson, who was dissatisfied with the measures
adopted by Pennsylvania, and expressed his surprise
that one Province should declare war without consulting
the rest. While negotiating with the Six Nations on
other subjects, this far-sighted officer induced them to
promise that they would exercise the authority which
they claimed ove'' the Delawares and Shawanese, andj
command them to lay down the hatchet. As soon as
Governor Morris was informed of this, he called together
his Council, invited Bishop Spangenberg to be present,'
and sent for Captain New Castle, Jagrea, and William
Lacquis. A peace message was prepared, and intrusted
to New Castle and his two associates; and Spangen-

'I,

■■'*'■<<

\'-'.

< ..

't ,

'-V

' Penii. Col. Records, vii. 46, etc.

»l

*tl^

>\^'
^

«;

i 4

244

LIFE AND TIMES OF

berg was solicited to send along with them a Christian
Indian as a fourth envoy. They were to tell the hostile
^tribes that Onas — the Indian name for the Governor
of Pennsylvania — was not averse to peace, provided
that they delivered to him all their white prisoners,
and instantly ceased from further attacks upon the
settlements.'

At Bethlehem, Augustus Rex joined the envoys, and
Zeisberger escorted the party as far as Fort Allen f
while the whole Church prayed that their mission
miffht be crowned with success. In order to accom-
plish this end, the Governor suspended, in part, the
declaration of war; and published a cessation of hos-
tilities for twenty days, as far as the Susquehanna.'^
The Western tribes, however, were not included in this
truce.

A few days subsequent to Zeisberger's return from
Fort Allen, he was sent on a longer and more peril-
ous journey. The Moravians had begun a settlement
in western North Carolina, on a large tract of land
purchased from the Earl of Granville.* Thither Zeis-
berger took his way, the bearer of letters to the infant
colony from Bishop Spangenberg and other elders.
After an absence of two months, he came back to
Bethlehem in safety, on the thirteenth of July.

1 Penn. Col. Records, vii. 107, etc. » Ibid., vii. 118. » Ibid., vii. 134.

( * This tract embraced 98,985 acres, and was called "Wachovia,"
J after a valley in Austria, formerly in possession of the Zinzcndort'

I family. It lay in the present Forsyth County. Bethabara, the first
jj,own, was founded in 1763.

DAVID ZEISBEROER.

245

a Christian
the hostile
3 Governor
e, provided
} prisoners,
upon the

envoys, and
lort Allen ;2
eir mission
r to accom-
in part, the
tiou of hos-
isquehanna.*
luded in this

return from
more peril-
a settlement
tract of land
Thither Zeis-
to the infant
other elders,
ame back to
ruly.

3Ibid.,vii. 134.
2d "Wachovia,"
f the Zinzcndort'
thabara, the first

His arrival was opportune. New Castle and hie
fellow-envoys had fulfilled their mission ; had re-
ported to the Governor a favorable answer from the
Susquehanna Indians; and had visited them a second
time to invite them to a treaty. And now Tadeuskund
and some of his warriors reached Bethlehem, on their
way to the treaty which was to take place at Easton.
Zeisberger failed not to be there ; and, during the six
days of the negotiations, moved about among the
Indians with the words of eternal life upon his
lips.

For these words Tadeuskund had wj ear. He
conceived himself to be a great man ; strutted with
assumed authority ; pompously proclaimed that he""
appeared in the name of ten nations — meaning the/
Iroquois and four tribes on the Susquehanna — andl
that the Delawares were no longer women, but had! ' vA'*-,' tx^<j<3
been made men again.' The Colonial authorities bore (^.-y^ij,^ c4
Avith his arrogance. Preliminaries of peace were ^7^, ,'"
arranged, and another treaty was appointed to be ' .,^ ^
held in November.

True to this appointment, Tadeuskund presented
himself at the designated time, with a small escort,
and was received by Governor Denny, who had super-

e( "^

1 This assertion of Tadeuskund probably refers to what Zeisberger \
relates in his MS. History of the Indians: that in the Indian and/
French War the Six Nations told the Delawares their petticoat should \.
be shortened, so as to reach only to their knees ; and that they should
again receive a hatchet to defend themselves. This, no doubt, was u
message from the Senccas, who at first took part in the war againstj
the Colonies, and not from the whole Iroquois League. ;^

•''"•'>A,tV

' I

A'-'

^^'

246

LIFE AND TIMES OF

seded Morris. Zeisberger was again present, accom-
Tpanied by the whole male part of the Indian Congrega-
"Ition at Bethlehem. After nine days of speeches and
deliberations, the business was iinished satisfactorily to
all parties, and, in conclusion, the Governor solemnly
said, "Peace is now settled between us, by the assist-
ance of the Most High."' Further negotiations were to
take plate in spring, at a third treaty; and Lancaster
was designated as the place of meeting.

But these paciiications included the Susquehanna
Indians only. The warriors of the West still con-
tinued their ravages along the frontiers, and the war
;:was not at an end. That the border-men had learned
to retaliate with the tactics of the savages, was tri-
jumphantly shown by a sudden assault, planned and
carried out by Armstrong, upon Kittanning, on the
( Alleghany. There was wailing in the wigwams of the
I Western Delawares when the news of this exploit
' reached them.

On his road to the treaties at Easton, Tadeuskund
was accustomed to stop at Bethlehem, where his in-
fluence upon the converts was of the worst kind. But
it was not until negotiations at Lancaster began that
all the evil intentions of his heart became manifest.
Among the minutes which George Croghan, the
deputy of Sir Willia«i Johnson, laid before the
Governor, was a message received from Tadeuskund
to this effect: "Brothers, there is one thing that gives

' Penn. Col. Records, vii. 313-338.

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

247

nit, accom-
1 Congrega-
•eeclies and
sfactorily to
31' solemnly
J the assist-
ious were to
d Lancaster

Jusquelianna
at still con-
ind the war
had learned
^es, was tri-
planned and
ling, on the
;wams of the
this exploit

Tadeuskund
^^here his in-
5t kind. But
r began that
,me manifest.
Jroghan, the
before the
, Tadeuskund
mg that gives

us a great deal of concern, which is, our flesh and blood
that live among you at Bethlehem, and in the Jerseys,
being kept as if they were prisoners. We formerly
applied to the minister at Bethlehem,* to let our people
come back at times and hunt, which is the chief in-
dustry we follow to maintain our families; but thatv^,
minister has not listened to what we have said to him,
and it is very hard that our people have not the liberty . -
of coming back to the woods, where game is plenty,
and to see their friends. They have complained to us
that they cannot hunt where they are, and, if they go
into the woods and cut down a tree, they are abused for
it, notwithstanding that very land we look upon to be
our own ; and we hope, brothers, that you will consider
this matter, and let our people come into the woods,
and visit their friends, and pass ajid repass, as brothers
ought to do."^ Thus did this reprobate, who well knew
the real sentiments of the converts, and that they were
at Bethlehem of their own free will, attempt to make
the government his tool in destroying that holy work
which his carnal heart now hated. But the government
paid no attention to this message. The Mission Board,
however, when informed of it, recognized the neces-
sity of providing a new settlement for the Christian
Indians.

At the treaty (May, 1757) which brought to light this')
plot of tl3£^mg of the^daA^aj-ga, he failed to appear, r
although it had been appointed at his suggestion. Nev-J

\^y

1 Probably Bishop Spangenberg is meant.
» Penn. Col. Records, vii. 516.

248

LIFE AND TIMES OF

y' i^-^

ertheless, it proved an occasion of some importance to
the British cause. A number of Nanticokes and Dela-
wares, together with deputies from the Six Nations,
were present.* The latter advised the Governor to hold
another confereiTce with Tadeuskund, invite the chiefs
fof the Shawanese to attend, and settle anew a definite
' peace. At the same time they prepared the way for the
reconciliation of the Senecas, whom French intrigues
I had made the fiercest enemies of the Colonies.

In the course of the winter Zeisberger was employed
as the bearer of dispatches from Bishop Spangenberg
to the Governor. These dispatches contained whatever
intelligence reached Bethlehem of the movements of the
savages. At the treaty at Lancaster he met with several
of his personal friends among the Iroquois sachems, who
begged him to return to their capital. This was impos-
sible while the war continued.

Going back to Bethlehem, he found a new enterprise
in progress. By permission of the Colonial government
a site for a Christian Indian town had been selected.

on land belonging to the Church. It lay about two
miles from Bethlehem, in Hanover Township, Lehigh
County, on what is now known as the Geisinger farm.
/The first house was put up on the tenth of June; but,
; owing to the unsettled state of the country, it was not
until October of the following year that the chapel could
be dedicated (October 18, 1768). This village received
the name of Nain.

• Penn. Col. Records, vii. 519-549.

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

249

rtauce to
ind Dela-
Nations,
•r to hold
he chiefs
1 definite
y for the
intrigues

employed
iigenberg
whatever
ats of the
h several
ems, who
18 impos-

interprise
I'ernment

selected,
bout two
, Lehigh
jer farm,
me; but,
t was not
pel could

received

The conference, which had been suggested by the^
deputies of the Six Nations, was held in July, at Easton,!
and continued seventeen days.* Tadeuskund, with one/
hundred and fifty-nine Delawares, Paxnous, and other)
representatives of the Shawanese, Abraham, the Mo-j
hican, and many Senecas were present. The King of|
the Delawares had not grown more humble. He in-
sisted upon having a piivate secretary, like the Gov-
ernor, and made many other peremptory demands, allj
of which were granted for the sake of peace, and thej
articles previously agreed upon ratified. On this occa-
sion Zeisberger did not stay at Easton, but rode over
from Bethlehem almost every day. He found, however,
only a few Indians with whom he was acquainted.

The two years which England, through her Colonial
government in Pennsylvania, had devoted to negotia-
tions with her savage foe, were most disastrous in her
struggle with France. Tlj£,^Ep4:l,ofLoudoun, who had
been^sent to America as viceroy, was wholly un fi t ^ for
the^^^j^sitiom Overbearing to the Colonies, a- i pusil-
lanimous in the face of the enemy, he tried to crush out
the republican spirit which was rising among the people,
but suffered the Marquis de Montcalm to gain, unhin-
dered, a series of brilliant victories. Oswego was taken;
Fort William Henry, at the southern extremity of Lake
George, with a garrison of two thousand men, surren-
dered; the whole basin of the Ohio fell into the hands
of the French; the valley of the St. Lawrence and of

■■ ',«^.'«»

» Penn. Col. Records, vii. 649-714-

250

LIFE AND TIMES OF

ii\\l

>^-

the Mississippi submitted to the same power. These
reverses were deeply felt. Englniid was almost in a state
of anarcliy. America blushed at the incompetency of
her British leaders, who despised the brave provincials,
but who themselves possessed neither the character nor
the courage which the times demanded.
^ In this crisis William Pitt re-entered the cabinet and

(took the reins of government (July, 175T). Loudoun
was immediately recalled ; the conquest of Canada and

Jof the Western territory planned; provincial soldiers
were summoned to arms ; and Amherst, Forbes, Howe,
and Wolfe sent to carry out these measures, under the
direction of Abercrombie, as commander-in-chief. The
war now assumed a new aspect. Abcrcromb[e_wa s in-
deed defeated at Ticonderoga by Montcalm; but Louis-
burg, ^ri^ntenac (now Kingston), and Fort Duquesne
passed into the possession of the English as the fruits of
the campaign of 1758. In another quarter, too, France
sustained a heavy loss. Her allies in the West, the
fierce warriors who had so persistently refused tgbury
^he^hatchet, were at last persuaded to send deputies to a
congress at Easton. It was the fearlessness of Frederick
Post, who traveled through their country as the agent

if of the government, exposing himself to perils of every

Ikind, that accomplished this great work.*

The congress began on the eighth of October, and

r I Post undertook this mission in the sumnicr of 1758. The journal of

this tour was published in England in 1759. It is also found in iho
J'enn. Archives, vol. iii. 520 to 544. A copy in MS. is in the B. A.

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

251

abinet_and
Loudoun

/anada and
iial soldiers
rbes, Howe,
1, under the
chief. The
ibiewasin-
; but Louis-
•t Duquesne
the fruits of

too, France
e West, the
ised tg bury
deputies to a
of Frederick
as the agent
rils of every

Dctober, and

Tho journal of
so found in iho
in the B. A.

(<^tfu

:• ir^-^f\jL4^

continued eiarhtoen days. Nearly five liundred Indians
assembled; among tiicm Tadeuskund and many sachems v-^^ /<*«...,,-
of the Six Nations. They were met by Governor Denny, .,^>
of Pennsylvania; Governor Bernard, of New Jersey; • ''"■^
George Croghan, and a num^^er of commissioners and -J^.

magistrates. The result was a general pacification, em-
bracing all the hostile tribes except the^w^htwces., vLu-<>/-.<^
And when Post visited the West a second time, publish- ^
ing the proceedings of the congress, the Twightwees too
buried_tlie li%tcjiet. Tll]sJ^(>u£M^^theJ;Iu^^
end.

On the occasion of this treaty, Zeisberger met with
numerous friends among the aborigines, and had a wide
field in which he silently sowed the seed of the Word.
At Croghan' 8 request he afterward escorted an old Mo-;
hawk chief as far as Schoharie, and thence proceeded',
to Pachgatgoch, where he assisted the missionaries in
preaching the Gospel. He returned to Bethlehem in
December.

About this time Nain exhibited indications of pros-
perity such as marked GnadenhUtten before the war.
Not a few of the fugitive converts emerged from the
wilderness and sought its peaceful cabins. The village
was enlarged, and presented a pleasing appearance. It
was built in the form of a square, of which three sides
were lined with dwellings, and the south side left open,
so as to permit the inhabitants to fetch water from a little
stream that flowed by. In the center of the square was
a well. The houses were of sqn ired timber, and had
shingle-roofs; back of them lay the gardens. Besides the

252

LIFE AND TIMES OF

' K

L^l

J- .

(chapel and school-house, there was a public building for

iiudigeiit widowsjjvhom the congregation supported.'

This town was an eye-sore to Tadeuskund, who di«l

what he could to mar its prosperity, and succeeded

in enticing Augustus Kex from its benign influences.

'Frequent ettbrts were made to reclaim Tadeuskund, but

all in vain. His wife, however, remained true to her

baptismal vows.

In August of 1759, Zeisberger undertook a second
journey to North Carolina, bearing letters to Bishop
Spangenberg, who had gone to cheer his isolated
brethren at Betuu,bara. This settlement had become a
green spot in the rn'dst of a dreary wilderness.

Meantime, on the heights of Abraham, in the rear of
/Montcalm's fortifications at Quebec, was fought that
[battle which decided the future of the Western World
I (September 13th). Wolfe and Montcalm both fell ; but
\ victory crowned the army of Britain and gave her the
! sway of the continent. Four days later, Quebec capitu-
lated, and the conquest of Canada became a question
[jnerely of time.

But the state of the_ColiijQie8_ and _Indian couiitryjlijj
not, as yet, admit of the renewal of missionjajcy^y/jji^.
Hence Zeisberger, after his return from the South in
November, spent the winter at Christiansbrunn, and in
spring was appointed Superintendent of the Brethren's
fHouse at Litiz (April, 1760). In this office he spent
] fifteen quiet months, and hud no intercourse with the

1 Heckewelder's Report of the Indian Mission. MS. B. A,

DAVID ZEISDERGER.

253

)uildiiig for

p orted .'

id, who did
succeeded
influences.

iskund, but

true to her

k a second

to Bishop

lis isoL'ited

id become u

!SS.

the rear of
|fought that
5tern World
'th fell ; but
ave her the
eboc capitu-
! a question

coujtit^r^(iid

)narj^_w;)xk.
16 South in
unn, and in
I Brethren's
;e he spent
se with the

«'^-S

Indians. At last, however, an opportunity offered to
visit them again.

On the eighth of September (17.60)^ ^Iontreal and
all Canada had been c eded to England . JThe FrQUfib

War was virtually at an end; and in August, 1761, a q

I. ... .. - . . ..^ / J y

second General Congress was held with the Indian '"~*--^ c •..<;», v-
tribes at Easton, in order to arrange the delivery of
their prisoners, and renew the peace previously con- " "^vvW
eluded. Zeisberger was present at this Congress,^
laboring both as missionary, and, at the earnest V
request of Governor Hamilton, as Government Inter-
preter.' After nine days of incessant duties, he
returned to Litiz, where he remained until the dedi-
cation of the new "Brethren's House" (December 5,'^
1761),^ when he resigned his office and proceeded to '
Bethlehem, awaiting the first opportunity to resume,;
his work among the aborigines.

In the six years of war, he wrote an Iroquois",. ^'^, /♦
Grammar and finished his Iroquois -German Diction-/ / j -, i^
ary, the materials for which he had collected at] '.'. " y' ^ '^ 'X.
Shamokin and Onondaga.

> Col. Records, viii. 630-654.

'^ This house is now tlie Litiz Academy for Boys, which, for half a
century, was under the superintendence of John Beck, Esq., but is at
present in charge of Messrs. Rickert and Hepp.

S. B. A.

254

LIFE AND TIMES OF

CHAPTER XIV.

ZEISBERGER'S FIRST LABORS AFTER THE FRENCH AND
INDIAN WARS.— 1762, 1763.

New epoch in American history. — Progress of civilization. — Traders
and hunters. — The mission-iries. — The Mission stations in 1762. —
Bishop Spangonberg leaves Anierica. — The wilderness in 17G2, its
Indian tribes and British forts. — Zeisberger at Wyoming. — Death
of the first convert. — Post endeavors to draw Zeisberger away from
the Cluireh. — The dissatisfaction of the Indians with the triumph
of England. — Pontiac forms a conspiracy. — Zeisberger at Weehque-
tank. — Indian preacher.?. — Their doctrines and bible. — Papunhank
of Machiwihilusing. — Remarkable awakening in his town. — Zeis-
berger hastens thither. — Death of Tadeuskund. — The Connecticut
settlers. — Zeisberger at Machiwihilusing. — Appointed resident mis-
sionary. — Papunhank baptized. — Zeisberger recalled on account of
the war.

/ In the year in which preliminaries of peace between
^England and France were signed (November 3, 1762),
IZeisberger began again to preach to the Indians.

It was the dawn of a new epoch for America and
the world. England had been victorious both in the
East and the West. The riches of India were poured
out at her feet ; America was hers, from the Gulf of
Mexico to the ice-fields of the Arctic lands. " To
England were ceded," says Bancroft, *' besides islands
in the West Indies, the Floridas, Louisiana to the
Mississippi, but without the island of New Orleans ;
all Canada; Acadia; Cape Breton, and its dependent

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

256

INCH AND

ation. — Traders
ions in 1762. —
OSS in 1762, its
roming. — Death
rger away from
Lh the triumph
er at Wcchque-
ic. — Papunhank
lis town. — Zeis-
'ho Connecticut
d resident mis-
on aecount of

ace between
ber 3, 1762),
Hans.
\.merica and

both in the
were poured

the Gulf of
lands. " To
ssides islands
siana to the
evv Orleans ;
ts dependent

islands." A continent, abounding in natural resources
of almost every kind, and with a soil adapted to the
productions of nearly every clime, opened to the Anglo-
Saxon race, the English tongue, and the Protestant
religion. Thui, God prepared the^jVQiX^rjL-n^lioii^^^^
developjii^jit_jiiipju;:aJ[I,elad The British

Colonies in America were to become the United
States of America. A great republic was to assume
its place among the kingdoms of the earth.

Sixteen years had_^ela£sed since Zeisbergerjirst^trar-
vgrsed the^Anierican Jbrests in^search of their roving
tribes^ During this period white settlers had been
advancing westward with slow but sure steps. The
wilderness was dotted with flourishing settlements.
There were isolated homesteads almost to the foot of
the Alleghauies. The war had, indeed, put a stop to
such progress; but no sooner did peace once more smile
upon the land than the sturdy strokes of the back-
woodsman's axe were again heard in the forest, as he
came to clear his plantations and build his cabins.

Iti^ advance of him were the traders and hunters.'^
They formed a class of their own ; bold, courageous,
and with a sagacity almost equal to that of the Indians, [
but unscrupulous and dishonest, of degraded morals,
intent upon their own advantage, and indifferent to thej
rights of the natives.

Pioneers like them, yet of a character and with pur-
poses altogether different — disinterested, inured to hard-
ships, undismayed by dangers, yearning to convert and'
civilize the savages, in all they said and did " constrained.

<,^

-rr*

^U^^Si

256

LIFE AND TIMES OF

ht .

f.'i'^l

(by the love of Christ" — were the missionaries, who wei-
^ y icomed the return of peace with that joy which he alone
•^ can appreciate who knows what it is to "save a soul
from death."

The only stations that remained to the Church, at the
close of the war, were Nain; Wechquetank, a new place,
begun in April, 1760, on the north side of the Blue
Mountains, iu the present Monroe County, by those con-
verts who had been quartered at Gnadentlial;' and Pach-
gatgoch, where, however, the cause languished, owing
to the rapid decrease of the natives. Besides these sta-
tions, Frederick Post, independently of the Board, was
trying to establish a Mission in Ohio, near the site of the
present Town of Bolivar, on the Tuscarawas River, and
with him was associated young John Heckewelder.^

About this time Bishop Spangenberg, the President
of the Mission Board, resigned his office and sailed
to Europe (July 1, 1762), in order to take his seat in
that Directory of bishops and elders which governed
the Unitas Fratrum after the death of Count Zinzendorf
(May 9, 1760). He was succeeded by Bishop Nathaniel
Seidel, whose assistants were Bishop Boehler and Fred-
erick de Marshall.'

i'^\^

1 Wechquetank Ir.y in Polk Township, Monroe County, Pennsylva-
nia, between the Wechquetank and Heads Creeks. For this informa-
tion I am indebted to Abraham Huebcner, M.D., of Bethlehem.
/ '■* Born at Bedford, England, March 12, 1742. A distinguished mis-
1 fiionary, whoso labors are identiiled with our history, as the sequel will
1 show.

» Born Feb. 5, 1'21, in the garrison-tow u of Stolpen, Saxony, of which
his father, Baron G. E, do Marshall, was commandant. Ho received a

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

257

es, who wei-
ich he alone
'save a soul

mrch, at the
a new place,
of the Blue
)y those con-
. ;^ and Pach-
ished, owing
les these sta-
! Board, was
ae site of the
IS River, and
iwelder.^
he President
e and sailed
3 his seat in
ch governed
it Zinzendorf
op Nathaniel
ler and Fred-

inty, Pcnnsylva-
or this informa-
cthlchem.
stinguishcd mis-
,s the sequel will

Saxony, of which
, He received a

The wilderness, to which the Church again turned \
her attention, ofiered te the Indian tribes the same/
forest-homes and broad hunting-grounds, as before the
war. Some changes, indeed, had taken place. At'
Shamokiu and Wyoming was found only a remnant of i
natives; thc^_l)cliiw^rej» ami Mohicaiis, on the North
Branch of the Susquehanna, had dwindled away to in-'
significant clans; and tU£.,..ShavYjanese had all retired^)'
to the Muskingum and the Scioto. But beyond the
mountains, on the Alleghany, and farther west, on the
Beaver Creeks and the Muskingum River, the Dela-
wares wore still domiciliated; and in New York the
Jroguois held undisputed possession of their ancient
seats ; and the great Northwest continued to shelter
the Ottawas and Ojibwas, the Potawatomies and^many
ot]K>rAl^onc[uin tribes ; while along the Mississippi, in
the ] 'esent State which bears their name, were scat- :^--
tered. is of old, tlie_yillages^ the dissolute Illinjiis.

The ar had brought into existence numerous forts
and military posts. Besides those in New York, among
which Forts Stanwix on the Mohawk, and Brewerton
at the western end of Lake Oneida, deserve to be par-
ticularly mentioned, there were, in Maryland, Fort
Cumberland, and in Pennsylvania, nearest to the settle-
ments. Fort Allen at Gnadeuhlitten, Augusta at Sharao-

'V<

■w^

-^•t \ I. ,t

t-W

strict military education. At Bethlehem, his office was that of "Gen-
eral Warden." Subsequently he stood at the head of the Southern
Di.^trict of till' American Church, and died at Salem, N. C, in 1802,
aged eighty-one years.

258

LIFE AND TIMES OF

'iiil '-

\ i

kin, and Bedford on the site of the present town of the
same name. This was the starting-point of a road to the
West. Another, laid out by General Braddock, passed
from Cumberland across tlie mountains. On the former,
about forty-five miles from Bedford, stood Fort Ligo-
nier; and about fifty-five miles farther on, rose the
brick-faced ramparts of Fort Pitt, a strong post con-
structed, in 1759, by General Stanwix, on the ruins
of Fort Duquesne. Here the Western road stopped.
North of Fort Pitt, at the junction of French Creek
with the Alleghany River, appeared Fort Venango;
still farther north, on French Creek, Le Boeuf, and on
the site of the present City of Erie, Presque Isle. All
these works belonged to the English, who had either
built or captured them.

More remote forts were Sandusky, on Lake Erie ;
Detroit ; Miami, on the Maumee River, near the present
Fort Wayne in Indiana ; Ouatanon, just below Lafay-
ette, in the same State ; Vincenucs, on the Wabash
River; Michilimackinac, on the Straits of Mackinaw;
La Baye, on the site of Green Bay, in Wisconsin ; St.
Josephs, at the mouth of the river of the same name, on
Lake Michigan ; and Chartres, ou the Mississippi above
Kaskaskia, in Illinois.

These posts — of which possession had been taken,
immediately after the capitulation of Canada, by^Major
Rogers^ with two hundred rangers — were important not
only in a military point of view, but likewise as the
nuclei of future settlements. Ax some of them such
settlements already existed. Detroit was jthQ .Jiomii^f

^VlvI^'i^.^frvN^^'"''-^ j1^^:',*.v..^a*

DAVID ZEISDERGER.

259

; town of the
a I'oad to the
dock, passed

II the fomier,
1 Fort Ligo-
011, rose the
ig post coii-

III the ruins
■oad stopped,
rcnch Creek
rt Venango ;
Boeuf, and on
ue Isle. All
10 had either

. Lake Erie ;
ar the present
below Lafay-
the Wabash
f Mackinaw;
/"isconsin ; St.
ame name, on
isissippi above

1 been taken,
ada, by Jrlajor
important not
cewiso as the
of them such
Jhe homfi-^f

numerous^ traders^nd C anad ians ; and Chartres formed^
the capital of a colony of two thousand soub, immi-j
grants from Canada and disbanded French soldiersj
besides nine hundred negro skives. These settlers had
founded Kaskaskia, St. Genevieve, and Cahokla, and
built their huts around Forts Chartres and Vincennes.

Zeisberger paid his first visit to the Indian country in^
the capacity of an envoy, on the part of Sir WilliamJ
Johnson and Governor Hamilton, to Tadouskund.* On
the sixteenth of March, he left Christiansbrunn on
horseback, and by nightfall reached the north foot of
the Blue Mountains, where he found a large encamp-
ment of Delawares and Nantico,kes. His heart was
strangely stirred as he sat again by a camp-tire in the
wilderness, with members of that race around him, to
convert which was the exalted mission of his life. Six
years, spent away from the Indians, had made him only^
the more eager to do them good.

The next morning he proceeded on his journey,!
taking with him one of the Delawares as a guide, for theV
whole country was covered with a deep snow. Afterj
three days of hard and perilous riding in forests ob-
structed by great drifts, through snow-banks from Which
it was almost impossible to extricate the horses, and in
"weather," says Zeisberger, "the severest I ever knew,'"^
he arrived at the lodge of Tadeuskund. Having de-
livered his letters, he turned his attention to the con-

1 Documentary Hist, of N. Y., iv. 310, and letter from Zeisberger to
Spangenbcrg. MS. B. A.
■' Doc. Hist. N.y., iv. 310.

260

LIFE AND TIMES OF

W n,

liif

). -;

roi

verts of Wyoming. Tl^ie most of them had not heard
the Gofijiel preaclied since the breaking out of the war.
More than one backslider was reclaimed, among them
George Rex, who, on the occasion of a subsequent
visit to Nain, was readmitted to the Church. On
the twentj'-fourth, Zeisbergor came back to Bethlehem,
*uk1 thence went to Philadelphia with the answer of
Tadeuskund.^

Toward the end of autumn, he visited Wyoming
again, accompanied by Gottlob Senseman. The dysen-
tery was raging in the valley, and many Indians were
prostrated. Among these was Abraham, the first con-
j vert. He had sent an urgent request to Bethlehem :
I "Brethren, let a teacher come to see me ere I die!"
But the missionaries arrived too late; th^jiged^ Mohican
had fiiijished Jiis course. Yet not as a reprobate; he
had repented and bet^n forgiven ; and, with his dying
] breath, had exhorted the Indians to remain faithful to
; Jesus. In the same spirit George Rex passed away, ad-
I monishing his countrymen to avoid his evil example,
land professing a sure hope of eternal life. Zeisberger
■spent several days in comforting the sick; and a new
"interest was awakened among all the scattered converts
I of the valley. On the day of his departure, he called
I them together to a farewell service, and preached a
touching discourse upon the words, "For the Sou of
'Man is come to seek and to save that which is lost."^
''He reached Bethlehem on the thirtieth of November,

> Bethlehem Diary. MS. B. A.

2 Luke, xix. 10.

DAVID ZEISDERGER.

261

1 not heard
of the war.

mong them
subsequent

hurch. On
Bethlehem,

) answer of

d Wyoming
The dysen-
^ndiaus were
he first con-
Bethlehem :
ere I die !"
ged^Mohiean
3probate; he
th his dying
in faithful to
!cd away, ad-
ivil example,
Zeisberger
; and a new
)red converts
re, he called
preached a
? the Son of
ich is lost.'"'
f November,

bringing a petition to the Board for a resident teacher
at "Wyoming.

At Bethlehem, John Ileckewelderj who had returned
from the Muskinffum. awaited him. He was the bearer
of a message from Frederick Post; and delivered it/
in the presence of Bishop Seidel. " Cast in your T
lot with me," said Post to Zeisberger; "we will
go out as independent evangelists, establish God's
kingdom among the Indians, and extend it as far as_;
the Mississippi." Without a moment's hesitation, Zeis-
berger replied : " Post is free to undertake what he
pleases; I am not. I belong wholly to the Church of
the Brethren."^ This was a turning-point in Zeis-
berger's life. Had he embraced this ofter, severed hie
connection with the Moravians, and joined his friend in\
an independent Mission, he would scarcely have earnedj
the honorable title and the enduring fame which are!
accorded to his memory, ^[o^jwhile Post was a j;oodJ
and zealous man, he was uji^sta]il^ej^id,.,ei3jlc ; wandered
from the wilds of Ohio to the lagoons of Central America,
accomplishing nothing ; and finally withdrew altogether
from missionary work.

The occupation of the military posts of the West was,^
in the highest degree, irritating to the Indians. Their
"fathers" — the French — knew how to conciliate them;^^
adapted themselves to their customs and prejudices,
and succeeded in almost removing the impression froni^
their minds that they were being conquered. The

like, xix. 10.

1 Hockcwcldcr's Biogiuphical Sketch.

262

LIFE AND TIMES OF

<En<ilish had not the faculty of winning their confidence.
Moreover, while the straggle for supremacy between
France and England continued, the natives felt their
own importance, and perceived that they held the
balance of power. But as soon as Canada had been
ceded, and the sway of England established, there
was a great change in their position. Sir William

fjohnson, indeed, still brightened the chain of friend-

xship which bound the Iroquois League to his country ;

[but, in the West, the nations fell into insignificance.
At the same forts where the French had treated them
with uniform kindness and urbanity, the harsh man-
ners of the British, who despised them, formed a most
galling contrast; while the systematic dishonesty of
the traders, and the steady advance of the settlers, who
often usurped land which had never been alienated,
inflamed their proud spirits still more. There were
some among them whose animosity struck deeper root,
and grew to be a persistent hatred of the English.
Such natives had mind enough to understand the
true posture of aflairs, and felt that the crisis of their
race had come; that either a bold, united, and desperate
eftbrt must be made to extirpate their conquerors, or
the doom of the aboriginal lords of the American conti-
nent was sealed.

No one realized this more keenly than Ppntiac,

- t?ie gre at chief, of the Ottawg,^^ The Iroquois, and

especially the Senecas, in spite of Sir William John-

' Bancroft_'s_U. S., V. iii.; Zcisbcrgcr's MS. History of the Indians;
Pontiac^sjOonspiratw, bj^^^arkm^i.

confidence.

cy botwccu

felt their

y held the

I had been

ished, there

Sir William

1 of friend-

lis country ;

significance.

reatcd them

harsh man-

■med a most

shonesty of

settlers, who

n alienated,

There were

deeper root,

the English.

lerstand the

I'isis of their

ul desperate

nquerors, or

eriean couti-

an^PpnUac,
roquois, and
illiara John-

if the Indians;

' ^ ^ ^n -_

DAVID ZEISDERGER.

263

efibrts, liad, for two years, been looking ">

son 8 unccasn

with extreme aistrust upon rne progress oi ine lirmsn i
flaff, and had incited the Dehiwares and Shawanese to
take nj)Jhe hatchet; and the Delawares and Shawanese!
had again stirred up the tribes of the West, with the(
note of alarm, " The English mean to make slaves op
us, by occupying so many posts in our country !" But
it is not likely that a well-concerted, general rising of
the natives would have occurred had it not been for
Pontiac. He was the head of a confederacy which
embraced his own tribe and the Ojibwas and Pota-
watomies, but exercised, also, undisputed and supreme
influence throughout the Northwest, being "the king
and lord of all that country," as Rogers called him.
Endowed with natural qualifications of a high order,
born to rule, brave, far-sighted, a wild statesman, and
a savage hero, he organized and upheld that conspiracy
which has made his name famous, which had for its
aim the expulsion of the English from the American
continent, which inflicted severe injury upon the Colo-
nies, and which might have been successful had France,
as he hoped, lent her aid.

As the year 1762 drew to a close, Pontiac sent
out his ambassadors. They passed through the entire
West to the many tribes that hunted there ; they pro-
ceeded far down the Mississippi, almost to its mouth ;
they everywhere displayed the broad war-belt of the
chief, and rehearsed his words of fiery eloquence, call-
ing upon all red men to save the race to which they
belonged from slavery and ruin. A chief of the Abana-

264

LIFE AND TIMES OF

.■) '

i^^

I. kis, who gave out that lie was possessed of a prophotio

* spirit, and that the Groat Manituu coiumanded the ex-

'tirpation of the English, etll'ctually seconded Pontiac's

sche/iie, until nearly the whole Algonquin stock of

j Indians, tii^LSjliUii^'^ts, several trihes of the lower Afis-

sissippi, and the Se, cas, were handed in a eonspiiacy.

WiUi_JJiiL-juhdmACS8 for .which ,llie,4d).oni^\es^arc
noted, _tlii8wide-sprea(l^ plot was kept a secret. In
February of the new year, when the j)eace of Paris
had been ratified (February 10, 1703), which gave a
continent to England, not one of her Colonial olUccn-s
suspected that, in all the villages of the West, the
savages were silently preparing to wrench that conti-

Snent from her grasp. On the twenty-seventh of April,
jPontiac con^vene^d^^ ..j30uncil on the bank of the
Ecorces, a small stream not far from Detroit. Rep-
resentatives of many tribes were present ; and. their
deep ejaculations of assent to the chief's impetuous
speech showed that they were terribly in earnest. First
Detroit, next the other posts and forts — the garrisons
of which severally numbered a mere handful of men —
were to be captured, and then desolation, with bloody
strides, was to take its way to the settlements.

On the day of this council, Zeisberger was descending
\ [the Blue Mountains from Wechquetauk, where he had

id Nain both flourished;

storm was rising which

would burst with such fury as almost to de^^troy, a

second time, the work of the Gospel among the natives.

To the encouraging signs, which excited the hopes

Av C ,.vlj been visiting. Wechquetauk ai
-^ Jl jand he little suspected that a

DAVID ZEISDERGER.

205

ided the ex-
id To'itiac's
n stock of
lower Mis-
jonspiiaey.

^L'iijii?'^ are
secret. In
ce of Paris
lieh gave a
•nial officers
: West, the
that conti-
th of April,
ink of the
troit. Ilep-
; and. their
3 inipetuoiis
•nest. First
lie garrisons
ul of men —
with bloody
Is.

I descending
here he had
1 flourished;
ising which
1 destroy, a
the natives.
1 the hopes

of the Board, eminently belonged a remarkable awak-
ening at Machiwihilusing, the seat of an Indian
preacher, named Papunhank.

Preacher-* arose among the Indians after the intro- j
duction of the Gospel through the agency of the ^
Moravians ; and seem to have l)e longed especially to
the Delawares. Perhaps their appearance nuiy be fixecl]
about the year 1750. Different from the^ow^vowB
and sorcerers, whom the natives had always had, they
constituted a distinct class, assuming the character both . >^
of prophets and teachers. As prophets, they claimed
to receive revelations from the Gi-eat Spirit, to be
translated into heaven, and to see him face to face. As j
teachers, they made known the existence of a Son of
Manitou, of a devil, and a hell. Their journeys to the ,
upper regions, they said, were always perilous ; but ,
by them they learned to know the road. This they/
depicted upon tanned deer-hides, as the Indian's path '
to heaven; also another and more circuitous way, in- ;
tended for the white people ; likewise God's abode,
and hell, together with a pair of scales, symbolizing i
the dishonesty of the white man. With these hides,
which were meant to take the place of the Bible, they ';
appeared before their people, expounded the meaning '
of the figures, and set forth the conditions of salvation. )
Whoever would be saved, must purge out his sins with'
emetics of twelve varieties, or beat them out with)
twelve rods, each of a different species of wood, begin-
ning at the feet and proceeding upward, castigating
himself until all his iniquities suddenly issued from his

i 'T, M

■I

it;

If^

t ?

:] \

-i

266

L/Fi? >lA^/> TIMES OF

/neck; he must besides practice morality, avoiding
especially the lusts of the ilesh, murder, and theft.

It is evident that this singular manifestation was an
attempt to counteract the influence of the missionaries,
and to incite the Indians against the white race. The
ideas of a Bible, of Satan, of hell, and particularly of the
Son of God, were all borrowed from the Gospel. Far-
sighted natives felt that they needed more than their
barren creed of a Great Spirit, of manitous, and elysian
hunting-grounds, at a time when the power of the
Divine Word was captivating so many hearts. Hence
this eftbrt to show that the work of the white teachers
was one of supererogation ; that the Indians had the
same and even better knowledge ; and that their road
to eternal happiness was the shorter.

Some of these preachers used every means to prevent
the influence which the doctrine of a crucified Saviour
has ever had upon the heathen. They derided it in va-
rious ways. The Son of God, they said, whom they saw
'■ in heaven, had no wounds, yet they found a place in
his side, referring to the piercing of Christ's side, and
whenever they came to him he gave them a piece of
bread to eat as white as snow, alludino; to the wafer used
in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper. One of them,

; on a certain occasion, having prepared a beverage of the
juice of whortleberries, held up a cupful and exclaimed,
" See, this is the blood of the Son of God !"

The morality which they taught they failed to prac-
tice. To their example was owing the spread of
polygamy, which they defended in their own case by

///Jl*.

-^.

UM4-lPri t^

DAVID ZEISDERGER.

207

y, avoiding
theft.

tion wag an
missionaries.

nice. Tlio

iilarlv of the
ospcl. Far-
! than their
and clysian
wcr of the
irts. Hence
lite teachers
ans had the
,t their road

[IS to prevent
ificd Saviour
ded it in va-
lom they saw
d a place in
3t's side, and
n a piece of
le wafer used
])ne of them,
verage of the
id exclaimed,

liled to prac-
e spread of
own case by

asserting that a union with friends of the Great Spirit,")
such as they were, would further the salvation of the
women concerned ; that for them to marry several wivesj
was therefore a work of mercy.*

Tliesepreachers llourislied tm- about Uiirtj years. At
tirst their success was great. But when thoy began to
predict future events, which never came to pass, and
when Zcisbergcr had either silenced or brought into the
Christian Church some of the most noted, they passed
away.

Eminent among thcuL was rapiin hank, ^f_Machhyi-
hihising. But God was using hira for His own holy
purposes. He overruled the man's discourses upon mo-
rality to the real awakening of his tribe, so that theyf
began to seek the way of life, and sent to Bethlehemj
for a teacher.

To this call Zeisberger and Anthony, a Delaware con-
vert,'^ eagerly responded. Leaving Wechquetank on the
sixteenth of May, they traveled afoot in a course north-
west, with the intention of striking the trail from the
Minnisinks to Wyoming. This they succeeded in doing
after two days of fearful hardships, amid drenching rain,
in the pathless forests and swamps of the Broad Mount-
ain, where, guided by a pocket-compass, they crept for

1 This account, of the Indian preachers is hascd upon Zcisbcrger's MS
History of the Indians.

^Baptized by CanimprhofT, Fob. 8, 1750, at Bethlehem. Ho came'*, f\^
from Tunkhannock, and was for many years a faithful native assistant,
one of the most brilliant illustrations of the power of the Gospel among
the Indians. Nature had made him an orator, and grace sanctified his
eloquence.

*mi

!■

268

LIFE AND TIMES OF

.- !S

.C^

miles on hands and feet beneath and between laurel-
bushes, the tangled mazes of which rendered walking
impossible. At Wyoming they preached to the few-
natives who were still in the valley.

Among these Tudeuskund no longer had a place.
One night in early spring, while lying intoxicated in his
^odge, it was set on fire and he perished in the iianies.
This was, no doubt, tlie cruel work of Iroquois warriors,
whom he had offended by his proud bearing at the Colo-
nial treaties. Ignoble end of the King of the Dela-
wares ! Miserable fate of the apostate Gideon I Ilis
countrymen and the missionaries both mourned for him,
but from dili'erent motives. The former had lost their
great chief; the I'ltter could not forget tliat he had re-
mained recreant to his baptismal vows, and crucified the
Son of God afresh.

Zelsbcrger paid a short visit to the Connecticut
settlers who lived in "Wyoming, the first white men,
other than Moravian missionaries, that there established
themselves, and found several houses erected at the
mouth of Mill Creek, others a short distance below the
present site of Wilkesbarre.^ It was a settlement
which not only incensed the Indians and formed one
of the causes of the Pontiac Conspiracy, but which gave
rise to that disgraceful episode in Colonial history known
as the Pennamite and Yankee War. Both Connecticut
and Pennsylvania claimed Wyc<ming, so that, in course
of time, settlers from these two Provinces were arrayed

I T,

'carce's Annuls of Liizerno County.

i!i

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

269

etween laurel-
lered walking
d to the few

had a pLace.
)xicated in his

ill the flames,
luois warriors,
ig at the Colo-

of the Dela-
Gideoii I His
urned for him,
had lost their
hat he had re-
d crucified tlie

3 Connecticut
5t white men,
jrc estahlished
rected at the
ice helow the

a settlement
d formed one
ut which gave
liistory known
li Connecticut
hat, in course

were arrayed

one against the other with arms in their hands, This^
strife continued for thirty years, Zeisberger found only
six colonists, but more were on their way, and, in the
course of the year, their number increased to one hun
dred and seventeen souls.*

In tlic evening of the twenty-third of May, Zeisberg<2r
and his conipunion reached Machiwihiiusing. Papun-
hank received them into his lodge. They were very
tired, but found no time to rest. The Indians flocked
together from every part of the village to hear the Gos-
pel. On the next morning the work was resumed, and
continued for three days with great power. .Y deep "* •'
impression was made upon the hearts of the natives.
Tears rolled down their cheeks, and their whole frames^,
were convulsed with emotion as they listened to that
Word which is "sharper than any two-edged sword,
piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit,
and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the
thoughts and intents of the heart. "^ I'apunhank seemed
to be moved even more than his former disciples. On
one occasion, after an earnest discourse, Zeisberger
turned to him and exclaimed, "Brother, what have you
to say to this people?" "Nothing," he replied, with
a subdued voice, " except that they shall listen to their
new teachers." On another occasion ho attempted to
speak, but his feelings overcame him, and the words
died away on his lips.

Toward evening of the twenty-sixth, having preached

.v<N«.;

' Pcarce's Annuls of Luzerne County.
2 liebiows, iv. 12.

.1 -' i

■I

,/:!

}-'i.vZv-^«'-

■t',

.-'/ ', lA-

270

L/i'^^ ^.VZ) r/il/^<S OF

by turns almost without interruption from early morn-
ing, Zeisberger and Anthony went back to Bethlehem
with a message from the council of the town to the
Board, asking that a resident teacher might be sent
them and a Mission established.

/ The Board responded hy appointing Zeisberger to un-
(dertake this work, who retraced his steps to Machiwi-
hilusing in the second week of June. Nathaniel, a
native assistant, accompanied him.^

At ^joining, he lieaiid of Pontiac's CQua piracv '. The
whole valley rang with the news, and the scattered
Christian and friendly Indians were preparing to leave.
The war had b-oken out in all its vengeful fury. AVhile
nature was robing the forests of the West in the green
mantle of May, the savages had silently stolen through
them, seized most of the forts unawares, and massacred
the garrisons. Thus fell Sandusky, St. Joseph, Miami,
Ouatanon, Venango, and Michilimackinac. Detroit, the

Imost iniportant post of all, the honor of taking which

I Pontiac had reserved for himself, remained, indeed, in
the hands of the English, his plot having been betrayed
to Major Gladwyn ; but the fort was now regularly

■ and closely besieged by seven hundred savages. In the
course of June, Pre«que Isle capitulated, and Le Bceuf

^ was deserted.

What wonder that the converts at Wyoming were
alarmed ! Zeisberger, iiowever, considered the reports
exaggerated ; and proceeded on his way. Nor did he

• A Deliiwarc! from Tunki.-mnock, the brother of Anthony, buptizcd
by Ciimmerhotl", May 17, 1749.

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

271

I early morn-

o Bethlehem

town to the

liu^ht be sent

iberger to un-
to Macliiwi-
Nuthaniel, a

iiacy-. The
the scattered
rini; to leave.

fury. AVhile
: in the green
tolen through
and massacred
oseph, jMiami,
. Detroit, the
' taking which
led, indeed, in
been betrayed
low regularly
vages. In the

and Le Bauif

Wyoming were
ed the reports
. Nor did he

Anthony, baptized

turn back when he met a canoe filled with Indians and
settlers, who were tleelng to Shamokin, and who cor-
roborated all that he had heard.

At Machiwihilusing he resumed bis work with fer-
vency and joy. He was in his element; preaching and
in:^tructing ; teachmj£^tlj^ . Indmns to^___sin^
Imnus : calling them to repentance ; and unfolding to '
their astonished rninds free grace in Jesus Christ, — ai,
doctrine so entirely different from the absurd and'
painful conditions of salvation which Papunhank bad.
made known.

Wiiile so engaged, John "Woolman, a Quaker evari-\ /•'*
gelist, arrived. A council was called to receive him, ; ^ r * *y
and he spoke to the people at first by the mouth of an
interpreter, but afterward feeling "his mind covered
with the spirit of prayer," he expressed a wish that the f
interpreting should be omitted. Divine love was shed
over the meeting; and when he left, he prayed that
the "great work" which Zeisberger had undertaken,
might be crowned with success.'

I\i|)^imh{mk_grew_in grace and asked for baptism^ '^-'t;.
Another convert did the same. Their repentance was :.,,',
thorough and agonizing. Papunbank's distress of
mind, at last, became so great that he could neitlig^
sleep nor eat.

On the twent^'-sixth of Juno, the whole town gathered
to a solemn assembly. Zeisberger opened the service
with a Delaware hymn. Then he preached upon the

1 John Woolman, an article in tho " Eclectic Review," republished in
No. 29, vol. xvii. of "Friend's Review."

v' > ■

s^..

272

LIFE AND TIMES OF

!';•'*• I.

IH^

subject of baptism, and examined Papmihank conceru-

iug his fiiith, who added this vohiutary confession :

" The Saviour has made me feel my misery and utterly

depraved state. I used to preach to you ; I imagined

myself a good man ; I did not know that I was the

: greatest sinner among you all. B''others, forgive and

forget everything I have said and done." So speaking,

he fell on his knees, and Zeisberger baptized him in

the name of the Triune God. lie was called John.

This was tiie first prophet whom Zeisberger brought

inta-the Church of Chnst^ and "he rejoiced more over

thisconvert," says Ileckcweldsr, "than he \\:ijuld_Jiave

rejoiced had he inherited a kingdom." In the after-

Inoon the other convert was baptized, and received the

; name of Peter. " Now my heart is light," he joyfully

exclaimed ; "before it was heavy, so heavy that I could
scarcely endure it."
Strano-e siajht! While the hatchets of Pontiac and
;^ his fierce warriors were reeking with the blood of the
race that had invaded their hunting-grounds, and were
ready to spread devastation and death throughout the
Colonies, these Monseys were learning to know the true
God and Jesus Christ His Son, shedding tears of re-
pentance, blessing the white man who taught them the
Gospel, and, instead of the war-scn'^j: tsingiiig hjnnns of
praise to the Prince of Peace !

The next three days Zeisi oiger an^i Na-htinlal spent
at Tawandaemenk, ten miles from Tiog xvhere an
awakening had taken place, and the word oi' God was
received with the same avidity as at Macliiwihilusing.

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

273

nk concern-
confession :
' and utterly
I imagined
t I was the
forgive and
3o speaking,
ized him in
called John.
irer brought
d more over
.^ViiuliLiiave
[n the after-
received the
' he joyfully
that I could

Pontiac and
blood of the
ds, and were
•oughout the
now the true
tears of re-
yht them the
t!i> hvmns of

But this work could not continue. On the thirtieth
of Juno, a runner arrived with a letter for Zeisberger
from J3ishop Seidel, detailing the massacres at the
Western forts, and recalling him to Bethlehem, He
reluctantly obeyed the summons. The prospect of
establishing a Mission was bright. But it would have
been foolhardiness to remain. ,^^ont\ac^_^^es \vere^
beginniij^ tp_ visit the_to3vu._

At Wyoming, Zeisberger lodged with the Connecticut
settlers. They had, unhappily, determined to stay in
the valley and brave the danger. On the tenth of July
he reached Bethlehem.

rhuniel spent
p. \vhere an
oi' God was
ivihilusing.

■ 11 I -I " «i«i»"IF^^W''^^"^^RPPPpiB|ip

iff'?'?

274

LIFE AND TIMES OF

CHAPTER XV.

THE PONTIAC WAR AND THE PAXTON INSURRECTION.— 1763, 1764.

Indians dovastato the frontiers. — Battle at Bloody Run. — Fort Pitt be-
leaguered. — Battle of Bufrliy Run. — Zei.sbergcr at Ciiristiansbrunn. —
The animosity of tiio settlers and the danger of the Christian Indians.
— The Governor promises proteetion. — Their badges. — Murder of some
of the convert.s. — The murderers killed by the savages. — The Christian
Indians threatened with extermination. — One of them arrested, < uthe
charge of nuirdor, and taken to Philadelphia. — Marshall negotiates
with the government. — The converts disarmed and brought to Phila-
delphia. — Refused admittance to the barracks. — The mob. — Quartered
on Province Island. — Massacre of the Conestoga Indians. — Excitement
in Philadelphia. — The Presbyterians and the Quakers. — The Christian
Indians sent to New York. — Ordered back by the Governor of that
Province. — Return to Philadelphia and arequartered in the barracks.
— ThePaxton Insurrection. — Great sufferings of the converts by reason
of sickness. — Their release at the close of the war.

About the time of Zeisborger's return, the war drew
nearer to the settlements. While an army of savages,
with imparalleled obstinacy, still continued the siege of
Detroit, other bodies of them menaced the posts re-
maining in Pennsylvania, and numerous scalping-parties
attacked the frontier inhabitants. Farms were laid
waste, homesteads burned, defenseless women and chil-
dren butchered, Hundreds of fugitives flocked to Car-
lisle, or sought refuge in the woods on both sides of
the Susquehaima. All tlie horrors of the fii:gt_Ij3i4iau
War were re-enacted.

Toward the end of July, Captain Dalzell, from Fort

iK-

-A'v y

^ (jU fy^J^X

(Tt

DAVID ZEISBERGEB.

27f

ON.— 1763, 1764.

—Fort Pittbc-
istiansbrunn.—
ri;itian Indians.
Murder ofsomo
_Tlio Christian

arrested, < uthe
shall negotiates
'ougbt to Pbila-
lob.— Quartered
,js. —Excitement
.—Tho Christian
iovcrnor of that

in the barracks.

nvcrts by reason

lie war drew
y of savages,
1 the siege of
the posts re-
alping-parties
lis were laid
neu and chil-
ocked to Car-
botli sides of
e iiKgtljidiau

oil, from Fort

Niagara, succeeded in throwing reinforcements into
Detroit; but, two nights later, attempting a sortie
against the Indians, contrary to the convictions of Major
Gladwyn, who had given a most rohictant consent, he
suiiered a total defeat at Parent's Creek, which after
that took the expressive name of " Bloody Run.''
About the same time, a furious assault was mad
upon Fort Pitt, and kept up for five successive daysj
Whether the sorely-pressed garrison could have held
out much longer is doubtful, had not Colonel Bouquet,
with live hundred men, advanced to its relief from
Carlisle. The savages left Fort Pitt, in order to inter-
cept him, ;^.ud attacked his army (August 5th) near
Bushy Run, beyond F(irt Ligonier. A hard-fought
battle of two days ensued. Bouquet suffered severely,
but at last defeated the Indians by a bold stratagem.
This victory saved Yuri Pitt, and gave new h>ues to
the bleeding J'rovince of Pennsylvania.

Meanwhile Zeisberger had taken up hi«< abode at
Christiansbrunn, whence he was frequenf5y sent U)
Wechquetank, as the messenger of the Mi^*»iion Beyar*!.
Both at this station and at Nain the Indians were in
no little danger. Exasperated by the many and cruel
massacres that occurred, the inhabitants of the frontier
counties breathed vengeance against the "Moravian In-
dians," as the converts wore called, whom they accused
of being in league with the savages. Especial bitter-
ness was manifested by the Scotch-Irish settlers, in
whom the zeal of their forefathers had degenerated into
fierce fanaticism upon the subject of the aborigines of

'""!'W^"P"P"»«"»i"iHI«P"

ihi

'^'^^^mmmmmmm

l:i

.^:

On.'

LIFE AND TIMES OF

America. They professed to believe that the Indians
wore the Canaanites of the "Western Worhl ; that God's
command to Joshua, to uttei'ly destroy these nations,'
heUl good with regard to tlie savages also; that, there-
fore, the whole Indian race ought to be exterminated;
and that the war then raging was a judgment from the
JVTost High, because this had not been accompllshod.

On the twenty-second of July, the converts Hont nil
address to the Governor claiming his protection, which
he promised them.^ At the same time, as they would
be liable to great danger from tho scouting-purtles it
would be necessary for him to send out, ho suggested
to Squire Ilorstield, that " some visible, apparent badge
of distinction should be agreed on, by which they might
be known to be friends."'

In accordance with this suggestion, Ilorsfield drew
up eight articles, describing their appearance, regulating
tiieir conduct when meeting white men, and calling
both upon soldiers and civilians, "not to upbraid these
Indians with the acts of other Indians, not spiteful'y
to treat them, not to threaten to shoot them." These
, articles, having been approved at Nain and Weehque-
tank,* were communicated to the Governor, and made
known among the settlers.

The description of the Christian Indians was as
follows: "They are always clothed; they are never
painted, and wear no feathers, but hats or caps ; they

1 Dcut. vii. 2. » Copy of the address. MS. B. A.

8 Letter from Governor Hamilton to Ilorsfield. B. A.
* Diury of Wechquotauk. MS. B. A.

DAVID ZEISDERGER.

277

the Indians
; that God's
2se nations,'
; that, there-
scterminatcd ;
ont from tlio
miiUshod.
^'ui'tH floiit nil
ectioti, which
IS they would
tit»g-iuvrt\cs it
ho suggested
^parent hadgo
c\i they might

[orsfiohl drew
ice, regulating
1, and dialling
upbraid tliese
not spitcfnlh'
hem." These
and WechquG-
nor, and made

ndians was as
hey arc never
or caps; they

MS. B. A.
B. A.

fil

-if

let their hair grow naturally; they carry their guns on ^^■7'y
their shoulders, with the shaft upwards." The rule to ' .'
be observed by them, when meeting a wliite nian, was C'^k
this: "They will call to him, salute him, and coming' ' '''
near will carry their guns either reversed or on the
shoulder." "Lastly, they intend, when they go out
liunting, to get a pass of Mr. Timotliy Ilorslield, if he
bu at home; or else of their ministers, Mr. John Jacob
Schinii'lc, at Nain, or Mr. Bernard Adam Grubo, at
Weidupietunk.'' That the Christian Indiana tnoekly
submitted to siudi restrictions, so galling to the |)rble
of their race, is one of the many eviduiicus id' llm gltutt
change wrouglit in them through the fiower of tjje,
Gospel.

For several weeks after the issuing of the articles,
they remained undisturbed. But, in the night of the
twentieth of August, an event occurred which was the
beginning of their troubles. Zacharias, his wife and little ,\,
child, and Zijjora, all Christian Indians on their way toLy

Long Island, a village on the Suscpiehanna," were tran-/ ^ J^^\j
quilly sleeping in a barn, near the Buchcabuchka CreokJ , ^
relying for protection upon Captain Jacob Wetterhold' vj
and his company, who happened to be quartered at the
same place; when, suddenly, these very protectors,
who had been drinking hard, fell upon and murderedj

» Copy of articles. MS. B. A.

^ Zacharias and his family had belonged to the Mission at Weehque-
tank, but had withdrawn from it and removed to Long Island. They
were returning from a visit to Wechquetank, and had persuaded Zipora,
a member of the Mission, to accompany them.

I.,:

lit

•^^

ill

••I

v.^

fflrvi

i^:

tlioni all, not sparing even tlio mother and her child,
although she knoolod aL their iVot, in an agony, and
besonclit thorn to have niercv. That this ha.-<e act
vvoukl excite the vengeance of Zacharias's four brothers,
who ivod at "Wechquetai '', was the prevailing opinion.
Hence the militia haste .-d to anticipate the expected
retaliation, and three several parties appeared at Wech-
(pietaiik, in order to destroy the village. It was with
the utmost difficulty, only by appealing to the pledge of
protection received from the government, and, at last,
by threatening to report Captain Wetterhold to the
Governor, his Commander-in-chief, that the missionaries
averted an assault.'

But, although Wetterhold and his troops had nothing
to fear from the_Wcch(^uctank_Indunis, other avengers
were on their track. Early in the morning of the eighth
of October, while the militia wore encamped on John
Stinton's farm, in the Irish settlement, the savages sur-
prised them, killed Stinton and several of the soldiers,
and mortally wounded Wetterhold, who died the next
day. A storm of indignation swept o\er Northampton
County. Man}- of its inhabitants, indeed, thought only
of their own safety, and, excited by the most extrava-
gant rumors, Hocked to Bethlehem and to the Crown, a
tavern on the south bank of the Lehigh, for protection,^
But a body of militia hastened to Wechquetank to mas-

' Diary of Wechquetank. MS. B. A.

2 Bethlehem Diary, Oct. 1762. This tavern stood east of the old Phil-
adelphia road, not far from the depot of the North Pennsylvania Rail-
road.

DA^ID ZEISDERGER.

279

md her child,
n agony, and
this ha.-<e act
four brotliers,
liling opinion.

the expectctl

ared at Wceh-

It was with

tlie pledge of
t, and, at last,
3rhold to the
le missionaries

)s had nothing
other avengers
(r of the eighth
niped on John
le savages snr-
of the soldiers,

died the next
r Northampton
I, thought only

most extrava-
:o the Crown, a
for protection.''
luetank to mas-

east of the old Phil-
Pennsylvania Kail-

■-'■«.

sacrc the whole congregation, and were prevented from
carrying out their purpose only by the most earnest per-
suasions of Grube, who, at midnight of the day of 'he
murder, had received an express from the Board, in-
forming him of the catastrophe, and advising immediate
measures for the safety of his people.

That the Weehquetank Indians were suspected of
having omniitted the assault on the Irish settlement, or
at least of having instigated it, was natural ; that, how-
ever, they were innonent does not admit of a doubt,
and is fully established by evidence both circumstantial
and positive.'

' The author of the History of_ the Cons -pirac 'ij of Po7itiafi, y. 422^,
says that the charges against the Moravian Indians of having taken
part in the murders in Northampton County " were never fully con-
futed," and adds, that "it is highly jn'obable that some of them were
disposed to sympathize with their hoatlien countrymen." I am sorry
that ho has marred his interesting and valuable work by such an impu-
tation u])on the memory of the "Moravian Indians;" and as this is a
matter of importance, because it serves to illustrate the complete change
produced in their hearts by the Gospel, I here give the proofs which
establish their innocence.

1. All the records of the missionaries positively assert it, which these
records would not do if they had been guilty; for, in a later period,
when the Mission hud been transferred to Ohio, such converts as took
part in the wars are mentioned in the Diaries of the Missionaries,
and were excluded from church-fellowship. 2. The peculiar discipline
observed in all Moravian Indian congregations rendered it almost
impossible for a convert to join a war-party without being detected;
and this discipline in the Pontiac "War was particularly strict, the mis-
sionaries at Nain and AVechquetank keeping an exact journal of where
each convert spent every day and night. (Letter from Bishop Boehler
to Governer Hamilton, B. A.) 3. The Weehquetank Indians, in July
and August, 17G8, twice actually prevented, of their own accord, attacks
upon the settlements by persuading the warriors who stopped in their town
to return to the West. 4. When the Indians were removed from Wech-

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280

LIFE AND TIMES OF

Grube and his converts now fled to Nazareth, leaving
their village and stores of corn to the mercy of their
enemies, who destroyed both. At Nazareth they were
quartered in the Widows' House.* Thither Zeisberger
proceeded and took charge of the converts ; Gruoe, ac-
companied by Squire Ilorsfield, Schraick, and Marshall,
having gone to Philadelphia in order to report to the
Governor and deliver a letter from Bishop Boehler,
-urgently entreating his immediate aid.'' Meantime Zeis-
berger and the Christian Indians encircled Nazareth
* with stockades, in the event of an assault on the port of
I the savages.^

The Nain Indians too were in trouble. An attack
upon their town was averted by one of their nearest
neighbors, who met the party that was advancing against
it, and, upon his personal knowledge, testified to their
peaceable disposition.* After that none of them ven-
tured to leave the Mission-land, except in company of
a white man. The intelligence, received about this
time, of the massacre of the Connecticut settlers at

'^quetank, their nearest white neighbors, who certainly know them well,
petitioned the Governor to send them back, stating that these Indians
were the best safeguard they could have against assaults of the savages.
(Copy of this petition as delivered to Governor Hamilton by Mr. Fred-
crick, the minister of these settlers. MS. B. A.) 5. The Indian who
was afterward accused of having aided in the attack upon the Irish sct-
•! tlement, and who was arrested and tried at Easton, was declared "not
■^ guilty" by a jury of white men, who could not resist the mass of evi-

Idenco brought in his favor in spite of the universal desire to see him
condemned and executed. This: alone is conclusive.
» Bethlehem Diary, Oct. 1763. T>.is Widows' House is one of the log
buildings at Ephrata, near Nazareth.
» Copy of the letter. B. A. « Grube's Diary. MS. B. A.

« Bethlehem Diary, Oct. 1763. B. A.

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

281

reth, leaving
rcy of their
;h they were
r Zeisberger
Gruae, ac-
nd Marshall,
eport to the
lop Boehler,
antime Zeis-
ed Nazareth
n the part of

An attack
their nearest
icing against
ified to their
)f them ven-
company of
i about this
it settlers at

know them well,
at these Indians
3 of the savages,
on by Mr. Fred-
Thc Indian who
)on the Irish set-
as declared "not
the mass of ev5-
iesiro to see him

Wyoming served but to increase the apprehensions of
the converts and the excitement of the country. Three
anxious weeks passed by. The Indians were in con-
stant expectation of an assault; suspicion and distrust
tilled the minds of the settlers ; the militia were hardly
restrained from acts of violence.

'On the twenty-eighth of October, John Jennings,
Esq., Figh Sheriff of Northampton County, appeared
at Bethlehem with a warrant from Judge Coleman, of;
Philadelphia, authorizing him to arrest Renatus, a mem-
ber of the Nain Mission, accused by John Stiuton's
widow, under oath, of having formed one of the scalp-;
ing-party that had murdered her husband. Renatus j
was a Mohican, baptized on the twenty-eighth of Sep- ^
tember. 1749, at GnadenhUtten, by Bishop Cammerhoff.*
His father, Jacob, the venerable patriarch of the Indian
Mission, was the only survivor of the first three con^J
vorts.

Jennings having made George Klein' deputy sheriff
for the occasion, the latter arrested Renatus on the fol- /
lowing day, and then appointed Schmick, a deputy!
under him, to take the prisoner to Philadelphia. His;
father accompanied h^m. The party traveled in a wagon
with one Lisher as the driver, and was followed a few I
hours later by Marshall and Klein, the former empow-J

> Journal of Frederick de Marshall, from October 28, 1763, to Jan. 18,
1764. MS. B. A. This is an invaluable MS. for a proper apprehension
of this intcresti: g period of the Indian Mission.

* Record of Baptisms.

» The original owner of the land on which Litiz is built, and which
ho gave to the Church.

282

LIFE AND TIMES OF

/ered to represent the Mission Board at the seat of gov-
'ernment. Not only Renatus required the services of
this Board, but the Christian Indians r? a body. The
accusation brought against the young Mohican inflamed
the minds of the people to the highest pitch, — a crisis
in the Indian Mission was come ; energetic measures for
its safety were immediately necessary, or else its de-
struction would be inevitable. To negotiate such meas-
I urea with the government was the purpose of Marshall's
( visit.

Schmick and the two Indians arrived at Philadelphia

toward evening of the thirtieth, just as the inhabitants

were recovering from the consternation which a severe

earthquake and a loud roaring noise had occasioned.

/In the midst of this aflfrighting phenomenon, John

|Peunj__the new Governor ,, of Pennsylvania^ stepped

Jashore, at High Street wharf, from the vessel that^ha,d

• borne him across the Atlantic* Marshall and Klein

reached the city later in the evening.

Eventful scenes were about to transpire in Phila-
delphia. A drama was maturing, which had some
comic features, but more that threatened to change
it into a bloody tragedy. It will be proper, therefore,
to introduce those residents who were its principal
characters.

First among them must be mentioned the new
Governor, a s on of Richard and grandson of William
Perm. Desirous to redeem the promises of his prede-

{

' Watson'a Annals of Phiki., ii. 413.

seat of gov-
services of
body. The
can inflamed
eh, — a crisis
measures for
else its de-
e such meas-
)f Marshall's

Philadelphia
> inhabitants
lich a severe
occasioned,
lenon, John
lia, stepped
sel that_had
I and Klein

e in Phila-

had some

to change

r, therefore,

ts principal

f the new
of William
' his prede-

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

283

cessor, he manifested a becoming interest in the
Christian Indians, but, at the same time, showed his
inexperience in administering tlie aftiiirs of govern-
ment. AsHociitted with him was ex-Governor Ham-
ilton, wlio retained his seat in the Council, — a
liberuiiy-minded man, a friend of tlie aborigines,
acknowledging the character and importance of the ;
work the Moravians were doing among them. Exer- 1
cising great influence in the Assembly, of v/hif'h he \
was ii member, we find Doctor Benjamin Franklin, /
the Postmaster-General of the British Colonies in!
America. He had visited Bethlehem, and was well I
acquainted with the Moravians and their missionary!
labors. Another prominent member in the Assera-j
bly was Joseph Galloway, a wealthy and eminent^
lawyer. He had no faith in the professions of the
Christian Indians, and looked upon them with dis
favor, until Papunhank and his tribe voluntarily:
surrendered themselves. Then his views changed.'
Particularly active in upholding their cause were two
leading members of the Society of Friends,— William
Logan, who belonged to the Governor's Council, and
Israel Pemberton, a benevolent philanthropist, who
strove to carry out the ideas of William Penn, and
to gain the affection of the aborigines, instead of sub-
jugating them by force of arms. The whole Society
approved of such a course, and lent its aid. Other

» In the Revolution, Galloway espoused the cause of the British.
His estates were forfeited, in 1777, for treason, and sold only about
twenty years ago. Duiham Furnace was a part of them.

:^^

284

L/i^^ JAT/? TIMES OF

important characters were Joseph Fox, a Commis-
sioner on the part of the Assembly, in charge of
loans ; Thomas Apty, appointed by the government
to lead the Indians to New York; John Dickinson, a
distinguished. lawyer;^ and especially Lewis Weiss, the
Attorney of the Moravian Church.^

The day after his arrival, the last of October, Renatus
was committed to the Stone Prison, at the southwest
corner of Third and High Streets. The legal services
of Dickinson were engaged ; and Pemberton and Logan
both promised to use their influence to secure him a
ftiir trial. Not less obliging was Ex-Governor Hamilton,
who assured Marshall, with much emotion, that it was
his earnest wish to assist tlie converts and deliver them
from further persecutions, requesting him to suggest
whatever measures would, in his judgment, conduce
to their safety. Marshall, aided by Lewis "Weiss, drew
up a plan, of which the principal points were the follow-
ing: That the Christian Indians, until further orders,
I should remain on the Bethlehem and Nazareth lands,
and not go beyond these, on pain of forfeiting the
iprotection of government; that being thus deprived
I of the liberty of the chase, on which they chiefly
I depended for a subsistence, they should receive from
!governraent each a public allowance of Bd. per diem;

,- ' W hen a member of Congress, ho refused to sign the Declaration

^ of Indepcnd cncc._ Afterward he w^sPresiddnt of the State. Dickin-
; tion Collcgo .i3 named, ttJftQr hjm.

* He had a brother, Jacob, who subsequently lived at Gnadcnhiitten,

now Weissport, where he died. The present town is named after

him.

I ,A*,; "J^^O. tf^

^ (z

-J eVi-^n -

■^MMMkACM

DAVID ZEJSBEROEB.

285

Commis-
large of
ernment

'eiss, the

Renatiis
'utlnvest
services
d Logan
i him a
imiltou,
t it was
or them
suggest
conduce
!s, drew
follow-
orders,
lands,
iig the
'prived
chiefly
! from
diem;

[amtipij
Dickin-

hutten,
d after

that two creditable persons of Northampton County
should be appointed their Muster-Masters.*

This plan William Logan laid before the Governor
and Council ; but, at the instigation of other parties, it
was rejected, and, in place of it, a resolution adopted to
disarm and remove the converts to Philadelphia, which
project the Assembly sanctioned, with little dissent.

Hamilton had not been in Council when the removal
of the Indians was decided upon ; nor had his advice
been asked. At this he took offense ; and, for a time,
showed no further interest in their cause.

Governor Penn's express to the Mission Board, With
the decree of the Council and the Assembly, reached
Bethlehem in the evening of the iifth of November,
and Nazareth on the sixth. Although distressed at
the thought of being shut up in the city, the converts
obeyed the mandate ; and when Sheriff Jennings came
lirst to Nain, and then to Nazareth, to disarm them, they ''
yielded up their rifles with astonishing readiness. This/
was again an evidence of the reality of their conversion. '■
They had been warriors; they prized their weapons, \
the insignia of their freedom, as highly as did their-
wild fellow-Indians ; they might have dispersed, and
betaken themselves to the "Western hunting-grounds, \
where the tribes would have received them with open i
arms; but they valued the Gospel more than their/
rifles, and loved the Saviour, whom they had found (
precious to their souls, more than liberty or life.^

1 Draft of Plan. MS. B. A.

' The author of the History of Pontiac's Conspiracy fails, in his

286

LIFE AND TIMES OP

On the eighth of November, the Indians from
Nazareth arrived at Bethlehem; and, after a farewell
discourse delivered in the church by Bishop Boehler,
upon the words, " Make thy way straight before my
face,"^ proceeded to the south bank of the Lehigh.
There they were joined by the Nain Indians, under
Zeisberger and Roth. The inhabitants of the town
came to see their departure, bringing gifts of blankets
and clothing. During their absence, Nain was intrusted
to a farmer, who lived there with his family. Their
cattle were sold.

Headed^ by the Sheriff, the procession moved about

the middle of the afternoon. Eight wagons, each under

the charge of a white man, bore the aged, the sick, the

women and children, together with Mrs. Grube and

Mrs. Roth ; the men followed on foot, Zeisberger,

Grube, and Roth among them, passing from rank to

/rank with words of encouragement and peace. The

1 t otal numb er of Indians was-^ne hijadred^ aiiiLtwenty-

( fivg . After a journey of but five miles, they spent the

I night on Stoffel Wagner's farm. The next morning,

they pursued their way amid a pelting rain, and passed

the second night at two adjacent taverns. Having hired

an additional wagon, the journey was resumed. From

nearl}'^ every hamlet came curses ; almost every traveler

/narrative of those events, to make this point. He says, page 424,
\that the Indians "reluctantly" yielded up their arms. This is a mere
) supposition. The diary of Grube states particularly that it was done
i with astonishing "patience and resignation."

1 Psalm, V. 8.

a Grubo'8 Journal. MS. B.A.

DAVJD ZEISBERGER.

287

greeted them with imprecations. When they ap-
proached Germautown, the rabble of that whole
neighborhood was roused, and angry threats were
made to kill them. The Sheriff restrain ad the people
with no little ditHculty. Indeed, had not a heavy rain
set in, and cooled their murderous desires, ho would
scarcely have succeeded in preventing an assault.

Meanwhile the Governor had designated the Phila-
delphia Barracks as the quarters of the refugees; and,
at the instance of Marshall, appointed Joseph Fox, Esq.,
Commissary to provide for their wants.

The "British Barracks," as they were called, were
erected soon after Braddock's defeat, and extended from
Tammany to Green and from Third to Second Streets,
in the form of a hollow square. On Second Street was
situated the parade-ground ; the three other sides of
the square were lined with two-story brick houses, hav-
ing inside porticoes along the entire length ; the quarters
of the officers were on Third Street, in a three-story
building. At the time of our narrative several com-
panies of Highlanders were quartered in these barracks.

On the morning of the eleventh, Marshall, Schmick,
George Neisser,^ and Commissary Fox, proceeded thither
in order to receive the Indians. They arrived about half-
past nine o'clock, and the first three wagons, filled with
women and children, passed in at the gate. But sud-)
denly the soldiers divined the meaning of this strange
visit. Seizing their muskets, they rushed tumultuouslyj

' The Pastor of tho Moravian Cliurch in Philadelphia.

1^1

288

LIFE AND TIMES OP

J ■'together, stopped the rest of the wagons, and threatened
to fire among the cowerhig women in the yard if they
did not instantly leave. Persuasions and threats were of
no avail ; and Fox hurried oil' to report to the Governor.
, Meanwhile a large crowd had assembled, which soon

Welled into an excited mob. Second Street rang with
shouts and yells fierce as the war-whoops of the savages;

' maledictions and rcvilements poured like a torrent
upon the Indians; blood-thirsty menaces passed from

i mouth to mouth : " Shoot them ! hang them ! scalp the

1 accursed red-skins !" The presence of the missionaries,
and of clergymen like Marshall and Neisser, was no
restraint upon the rabble, but inflamed them still more.
Zeisberger and Grube, Schmick and Roth, Marshall
and Neisser, were each and all denounced and execrated

. most violently. From ten o'clock until three in the
afternoon the converts and their teachers " were made
a gazing-stock, both by reproaches and afflictions," to
this Philadelphia mob, and endured every abuse which
wild frenzy or ribald vulgarity could clothe in words.
But they were not left altogether without sympathizers.

; Many Quakers came braving the scorn of the rabble,

^ took the Indians by the hand, and called them friends.

- Nor did the faith of the converts themselves fail. ''Vhile

I the crowd maligned and threatened them, they talked

(together of Him whose name they bore. "Jesus was

/ despised and rejected of men," they said; "what else

can we expect? Jesus was buft'eted and spit upon, yet

He opened not His mouth ; why should we not patiently

bear these indignities?"

DAVID ZEISDERQER.

289

At last Commissary Fox returned, with some mem-
bers of the Council, and proposed to convey the Indians
to Province Island, the government being afraid to
quell the mutiny by force. Surrounded by the mob,
they proceeded down Second Street " like sheep among
howling wolves," said the missionaries, to the outskirts
of the city. There the mob dispersed, while they
were brought to the ferry, and thence taken in flats to
the Island.

Province Island constituied the summer-quarantined
of the port of Philadelphia,' and the Indians, in charge I
of Grubc and Zeisberger, occupied two large hospital-/
buildings. The first weeks of their sojourn were bu8y\
weeks for Zeisberger, who officiated as minister, acted '
as superintendent, and labored indefatigably as pur^j
veyor, Grube having been taken ill. The measures of
the government for the support of the colony were, at
first, wholly insufiicient. For a day they had to subsist")
on a few fishes caught in the Delaware, and for four
days there was no fuel other than some half-rotten I
stumps. Hastening, therefore, to the city, he made/
such representations as induced the Council to provides
supplies. The religious services, usually held at th^J
Mission, were all instituted.

Not long after the arrival of the converts on the]
Island, John Papunhank and his family, from Machiwi-(
hilusing, joined them, and subsequently, by invitation f
of the Governor, Job Chilloway and others from thej

> Marshall'8 Journal.
19

1 . ■ I I ■ mn r

I: fli

290

LIFE AND TIMES OF

same village, so that the nu^mbcr__o£ ^ho InJijing in -
c rease d to one hundred and forty persons.

In Decen»ber, Zeisberger returned to Bethlehem, and
Schmick took his place. He left the Indians with the
best hopes. They had a comfortable, although novel,
winter home, and a safe retreat from their adversaries.

But these hopes were destined to bo disappointed.
Not far from Lancaster, on a tract known as the Manor
! of Conestoga, lived a small clan of twenty Indians,
; friendly to the English, as had been their fathers in the
j times of William Penn, semi-civilized, — a poor, squalid,
; inoffensive band. Not so thought the Scotch-Irish set-
! tiers of Paxton and other neighboring villages. Armed
' savages, it was said, were harbored in their cabins. On
the fourteenth of December, Matthew Smith put him-
self at the head of fifty men, fell upon the hamlet,
burned it to the ground, and killed six of the Indians.
The remaining fourteen happened to be absent. They
were hastily collected by the Sheriff of the county and
lodged in the Lancaster jail. But, on the twenty-sev-
enth, the same party galloped into town, burst open
the prison-doors, and massacred every Indian, sparing
neither woman nor child.

The news of these disgraceful proceedings caused in-
tense excitement in Philadelphia, which increased still
more when a rumor spread that the rioters were march-
ing to the city in order to exterminate the Indians on
Province Island. Even the Governor and his Council
were alarmed, and, in the night of the twenty-ninth,
ordered three flats and three boats to the Island, so that

DAVID ZEISDEROER.

291

nuians in-

thc converts could escape, " till more effectual measures
should bo fallen on for their i»rotection." ' On the
thirty-first, intelligence having been sent them that the
insurgents were near Philadelphia, they fled to League
Island. But it proved to be a false report, and they
returned to their quarters, closing the year with mid-
night liymns of praise to God, the strains of which were
borne far down the silent Delaware.

The efforts of the government to arrest the murderers
of the Couestoga Indians were unsuccessful, in spite t)f
two proclamations, and a reward offered of two hundred
pounds sterling. This apathy had its cause. Not only
animosity against the Indians, without discrimination,
was on the increase in the border counties, but also a
general dissatisfaction Avith the government. The
people complained that their interests were neglected ;
that there existed more sympathy at Philadelphia for
the savages than for themselves and their families ; that
they were made .>, barrier behind which the interior
settlements enjoyed peace, " ate, drank, and were
merry," while they " braved the summer's heat, and the
winter's cold, and the savage tomahawk."* Such indif-
ference was ascribed to the influence of the Quakers and
of their non-resistant principles. The Quakers, it was
said, swayed the Assembly, and otherwise had an undue
preponderance in the administration of the government.
Against them, therefore, the anger of the inhabitants

» Col. Records of Penn., ix. 100.
» Lazarus Stewart's " Declaration."

'ila>^

ti'--^ ^iZ</,cl^ci:i

292

LI ^ AND TIMES OF

of the frontier counties was inflamed almost as hotly
as against the Indians. The Scotch-Irish settlers,
especially, berated the whole Society of Friends in
unmeasured terms. Excitement and fanaticism led
them too far, making them unjust to the Quakers and
cruel to the Indians ; but many of their complaints were
reasonable and founded in fact. The border had been
neglected by the government. This was the opinion
even of the principal magistrates of those counties.

Rumors and alarms ushered in the year 1764. On
,the twenty-ninth of December, Bishop Hehl, of Litiz,
had sent an express to Bethlehem with a letter detailing
the slaughter of tue Conestoga Indians, and announcing
that the rioters were about to move to Philadelphia.'
This express reached "Bethlehem on the thirty-first.
The Mission Board, having delivered the converts
into the keeping of the government, could only urge
it to redeem its promises. To this end, Zeisberger
and Horsfield were sent to Philadelphia as additional
envoys.

Meantime the Quakers had devised a new project.
Nantucket Island, belonging to Massachusetts, was
peopled mostly by persons of their persuasion, among
whom the Indians would find a shelter. Israel Pem-
berton accordingly proposed to Marshall that they

1 Original MS. letter B. A. This letter states that on the evening of

itho duy of the massacre a party of the rioters, on their return, passed
through Litiz, along the present turnpike street, cursing the Moravians
in chorus; nnd having crossed the stream which runs from the Litiz
I Spring, halted and fired repeated volleys in order to alarm the in-
[Labitaats.

DAVID ZEISBERQER.

298

should be conveyed thither.' Marshall dispatched Zeis-
"berger to Province Island with this offer, which was,
however, declined.

At the instance of Galloway, Cornelius Sturgis and
Nicholas Garrison, Jr., were sent to Lancaster County as
scouts; while Governor Penu wrote to General Gage,
the new commandtr-in-chief, requesting hira to put
at his disposal three companies of regulars quartered at
Carlisle;* and the Assembly considered and rejected a
wild scheme which had been concocted, to convey the
Indians to England.'

Garrison having reported that the insurgents might
soon be expected, and that the popular voice in the
frontier counties was in their favor, which was corrobo-
rated by other f:couts, the Governor transmitted an urgent
message to the Assembly, and Lewis Weiss a petition,
both asking for immediate action. In response, the
Assembly voted (January 4th) one thousand pounds'
sterling, to be used in protecting the Christian Indians
in any way the Governor might deem proper.* The
Governor, by the advice of his Council, determined to
send them to Sir William Johnson, under escort of
Captain Robinson's Highlanders, and to apply thisj
grant to t^ cpenses of their removal. However good
such a project, and however much in accordance with
the wishes of the converts, its execution was strangely
hurried and mismanaged; proving the trepidation of

• Marshall's Journal. ' Penn. Col. Records, ix. 104, 106.

» Votes of the Assembly, v. 293. * Penn. Col. Records, ix. 108, 109.

M '

294

LIFE AND TIMEii OF

the goveruraent. Without consulting the Governor of
New York, or waiting to ascertain whether Johnson
was willing to receive them, an order for their 'ustaut
departure was issued.

This order Zeisherger brought to Province Island
toward evening of the same day. He found the Indians
assembled at worship, but they joyfully prepared for
their journey. It was arranged that they should leave
the Island in the night, at a preconcerted signal to be
displayed from Jacob Weiss' farm, which seems to have
been on the opposite bank of the river. At two o'clock
in the morning of the fifth the signal was given, and
they came over in flats. Lewis and Jacob Weiss re-
ceived them, and led them through the city to the
Moravian church on Race Street, which thej' reached,
unobserved, at half-past five o'clock. There a breakfast
had been prepared, to which they sat down girded for
the journey. "It seemed like the passover-supper in
*Egypt," says Marshall. Commissary Fox looked ou
Avith emotion, and distributed blankets among them.

Meanwhile five large wagons drew up before the
; church. This excited the attention of the neighbors,
I who fio' ked together in large numbers. At half-past
six o'cl ok the church-door opened, and, to the amaze-
;ment of the people, there came forth the entire body
I of" Moravian Indians," followed by Zei8berger,Schmick,
, Grube, and Mrs. Grube, by Joseph Fox, Thomas Apty,

j and William Logan. A few miles beyond Philadelphia,
I they were joined by Captain Robinson and seventy
[ Highlanders.

BAVW ZEISBERGER.

295

ice Island
he Indians
spared for
3uld leave
^nal to be
118 to have
wo o'clock
given, and
Weiss re-
ity to the
J' reached,
I breakfast
girded for
-supper in
looked ou
J them,
before the
neighbors,
-t half-past
:he amaze-
[itire body
r,Schmick,
mas Apty,
iladelphia,
id seventy

They spent the first night at Bristol, and the second
in the barracks at Trenton. Here Fox and Logan took
leave of them, the latter delivering a message to the'N
Six Nations^ explanatory of the massacre of the Cones-[
toga Indians, and sending them "twenty-one black
stroud matchcoats" for the relatives of the deceased,
that they might *' cover their graves," and " twenty-one
handkerchiefs to wipe the tears from their own eyes." '

Apty now assumed command, and led the Indians
to Princeton, where they bivouacked ou Justice Len-
nert'b plantation. On the ninth of January they
reached Amboy, whence they were to sail, in two
sloops, to New York. But, ou the eve of embarking,
an express arrived with a letter from Governor Golden
to Apty forbidding them to enter his Province, and
another from General Gage to Captain Robinson order-
ing him to prevent their advance. The reasons which
Golden subsequently assigned for this course were the,
following:^ That his Gouucil unanimously disapproved!
of receiving the Indians, whom the government of \
New Y<^rk was " rather disposed to attack and punish,
than to support and protect;" that the Indians on the
east side of the Susquehanna were the most obnoxious
to the people of New York of any, having done most
mischief, and consisting of a number of rogues and
thieves, runaways from other nations, and for that)
reason not to be trusted; that the government ofj

1 Copy of the speech and message. MS. B. A.

« Letter from Golden to Gov, Penn. Penn. Col. Records, ix. 120-122.

Ill

296

LIFE AND TIMES OF

fS:.

Penusylvania ought first to have consulted the gov-
ernment of New York before sending on so large a
body of natives. All this was the necessary result
of the precipitancy with which Governor Penu had
acted.

"While Apty sent an express to Philadelphia, and
another to Governor Franklin, of New Jersey, for in-
structions, the Indians spent eight days in the barracks
of Amboy, holding their religious services as usual,
which were attended by many visitors, upon whom
their singing made a deep impression. Indeed, this
whole unprecedented pilgrimage of nearly three weeks,
undertaken by the Indian Mission and its teachers,
through one of the most thickly populated parts of the
country, seems to have been permitted by God, in order
to establish the glory of His Gospel. The bearing of
the converts was so extraordinary, so humble, and yet
manly, so clearly the result of the Christian faith which
they professed, that the reviler forgot his revilements,
and the scofter looked on amazed. Even their escorts
of soldiers, among whom were such as had been at
Detroit during the siege and hated Indians with all
the bitterness of their past experience, began to show
them respect.

Governor Penn remanded the converts to Philadel-
phia. In a message to the Assembly, he said :* *' I am
heartily disposed to do everything in my power to
afford these poor creatures that protection and security

^ Fenn. Col. Becords, ix. 122.

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

297

which, under their circumstances, they have an un-
doubted right to expect and claim from us, and shall be
glad of your opinion and advice in what manner this
can most eftectually be done." To these sentiments the
Assembly replied by advising the Governor to carry
out his intentions, if necessary, by " an armed force,"
adding : " It will be with the utmost regret we shall
see your Honor reduced to the necessity of pursuing
these measures ; but, with an abhorrence altogether
inexpressible, we should behold ' these poor creatures,'
who, desirous of living in friendship with us, as proofs
of this disposition, quitting a settlement that made them
suspected, and surrendering their arms, have delivered
themselves, their wives and children, into our power, on
the faith of this Province, barbarously butchered by a
set of ruffians whose audacious cruelty is checked by
no sentiment of humanity and by no regard to the laws
of their country." *

Robinson and his command having gone on to New
York, General Gage sent a guard of one hundred Royal)
Americans under Captain Schlosser as their escort. Onf
the eighteenth of January they left Amboy, and reached}
Philadelphia in the afternoon of the twenty-fourth,
amid a heavy snow-storm, entering the barracks without
opposition.

Three days later Zeisberger returned to Bethlehem.
"While recording the faith of these converts, we must
not forget the tribute of praise that is due to their

> Fenn. Col. Records, iz. 122-125.

298

LIFE AND TIMES OP

teachers. It was no ordinary heroism that induced
Zeisberger and his brethren, and especially frail women
like Mrs. Grube and Mrs. Schmick, to stand by them
amid all these experiences, braving a tempest of ridi-
cule and reproach and the storms of one of the severest
winters.

The return of the Indians was the signal for renewed
disturbances in the frontier counties. The people met
at taverns and other gathering-places to hear i.be news
and recount their grievances. Self-constituted orators
harangued them and advised everything that fanati-
cism against the aborigines, hatred of the Quakers, and
dissatisfaction with the government could suggest.
Toward the end of January, a body of insurgents, va-
riously estimated at from five hundred to fifteen hun-
dred men, with Matthew Smith as a prominent leader,
advanced toward Philadelphia, avowing their purpose
to be the extermination of the "Moravian Indians" and
the overthrow of that Quaker party which was said to
control the government.

In the beginning of February intelligence of this
movement reached the city. Popular sentiment was
divided. Many respectable persons sympathized with
the rioters, although they did not approve of their deeds
of blood, and censured the course of the government;
others, among whom were the Quakers and nearly all the
men of wealth and influence, held that the government
must, at all hazards, redeem its pledge to the Indians
and support the authority of the laws. Between the
Presbyterians and the Society of Friends there prevailed

DAVID ZEJSBERQER.

299

induced
1 vvomeu
by them

of ridi-
severest

renewed
pie met
he news
orators
t fanati-
ers, and
suggest,
ants, va-
|en huu-
; leader,
purpose
ns" and
said to

of this
Hit was
id with
r deeds
nment;
' all the
rnuient
[udians
en the
evailed

such bitterness of feeling that anonymous advertise-
ments appeared, offering a reward of three hundred
pounds for the scalps of certain prominent Quakers.

The drama opened, on the second of February, with
a message from the Governor to the Assembly, asking
that the English Riot Act be extended to the Province.
This was done by a decided vote.* In the forenoon of
the fourth the Governor and Council devised means of i
defense. The Indians were removed to the second story/
of the barracks ; eight cannon were planted, a stockade!
was erected in the middle of the yard, and Captain \
Schlosser received written instructions " to defend the
Indians to the utmost of his power, by opposing, withi
the detachment of the king's troops under his command,!
any attempt' to destroy them, the Riot Act being first
read by u proper civil officer."' In the afternoon a
general town-meeting was called at the State House.
Governor Penn, Ex-Governor Hamilton, the Council,
Benjamin Franklin, and many members of the Assera- 1
bly were present. The Riot Act having been communi- /
cated, Benjamin Chew, a councilman, addressed the i
meeting. He explained the posture of affairs, appealing j
to the citizens to uphold the laws and sustain the gov-
ernment ; he showed that this was not the time to de-
termine whether it had or had not done right in receiv-
ing the Indians, but that these must now be protected,
since the eacred faith of Pennsylvania had been plighted^

1 Penn. Col. Records, ix. 129, 131, 132.
« Penn. Col. Records, ix. 182.

800

LIFE AND TIMES OF

to them ; he read a letter from Sir "William Johnson,
saying that, in the event of the massacre of these In-
' dians, peace with the Western nationa would he impos-
eihle; and finally, there being no militia-law, he called
for volunteers. About five hundred persons enrolled
their names, and were formed into companies, six of
which were of infantry, one of artillery, and two of
horse. After the meeting the Governor dispatched
feorae of them to hold the ferries across the Schuylkill
Kiver, and then proceeded to the barracks, where he
passed the night. At midnight he visited the Indians,
and assured them of his protection.

The next day was Sunday, and the city remained
comparatively quiet, except at the barracks, where prep-
arations for defense were continued, many idlers look-
ing on and trying to get a sight of the Indians. These
met for the worship of God, as usual, and then received
visits from several council- and assemblymen, who told
them that they would be shielded whatever might hap-
pen. Israel Pemberton stayed with them through the
night, and a guard of volunteers joined the regulars.
At eleven o'clock the Governor received intelligence
that the insurgents were approaching in two bodies on
the Reading and the Lancaster roads. The Council was
immediately convened; it sat until one o'clock of Mon-
day morning, and then ordered a general alarm. In
accordance with preconcerted arrangements, one of the
field-pieces at the barracks was discharged, the drums
beat, the bells were rung, candles were placed in the
windows of the houses, and the volunteers hurried to

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

301

the State Ilouse to receive their arms. Soon a coufused
mass of people tilled the streets, especially in the neigh-
borhood of the barracks, many of them very much ex-
cited, and many thoroughly frightened. The rabble
shouted exultingly; the friends of the insurgents quietly /
enjoyed the prevailing alarm ; the Germans gathered
around the Moravian church on Race Street, and vented |
their spleen by cursing, in their deep vernacular, Mora
vians in general, and Moravian Indians in partie
ular; a number of young Quakers astonished the mul- '
titude by seizing muskets and joining the volunteers, \
so that by daybreak six hundred men were under'
arms; while the soldiers at the barracks, full of Zeal-
and courage, almost fired into a company of mounted
butchers, who were coming up Second Street to aid inj
the defense of the city. Franklin and Hamilton were at
the State House directing the troops, Governor Penn
having been taken ill, so that he was obliged to retire i
to a neighboring house on Market Street.* Meanwhile'
the Indians, the cause of all this commotion, were^
asleep.

By this time the vanguard of the insurgents, com-
posed of two hundred men and led by Matthew Smith,
had crossed the Schuylkill at Swedes' Ford, which
had remained unguarded, and had proceeded to Ger-
mantowu. The measures taken for their reception,
however, prevented their advancing to the city, so that
the night of Monday passed without any fresh dis-

> Neisser'8 Letter to Marshall. MS. B. A. Another account saya
that he fled to Franklin's residence from fear of the mob.

302

LIFE AND TIMES OF

turbynccs. But early on Tuesday morning another
general alarm was sounded. Again the volunteers
rushed to arms, and were clamorous for an assault.
Instead of acceding to this wish, the Governor, in spite
of the protestations of many citizens, cent Benjamin
Franklin and several other commissioners to negotiate
with the insurgents and persuade them to disperse.
They gave these commissioners a respectful hearing,
stated their grievances, appointed Smith and James
Gibson to set them forth in writing, and, finally, as-
serted that among the Christian Indians were several
notorious murderers, whom they pledged themselves to
identify. Franklin promised them redress for their
grievances, and gave them permission to send some of
their party, unarmed, to the city, in order to point out
the alleged murderers. Upon this they agreed to return
'to their homes.

But on the following morning a third alarm was
raised. Four hundred men, it was said, were approach-
ing the city. This thoroughly roused the people, and
nearly one thousand of them marched forth to meet —
forty frontiersmen peacefully riding to Philadelphia, as
agreed upon with Franklin. Turning back, in no very
placid mood, the volunteers were dismissed at the State
House with the thanks of the government. The eity>
which for days had been a military camp, resumed its
wonted appearance ; shops were reopened, and business
was transacted as usual.*

• Besides the Penn. Col. Records already cited, the following are my
authorities ior the narrative I have given: Marshall's Journal, MS.

DAVID ZEISDERGER.

303

The next day, IIusc, one of the commissioners who
had been sent to Germantown, brought to the barracks
that insurgent who was pledged to identify the murder-
ers. The Indians were mustered, but he confessed that
he did not recognize a single one.'

Such w as tho-Berio-comic drama of the_Fa xton Insur-
rection. There followed an afterpiece less penlous but J
not less interesting. Smith and Gibson drew up two I
papers, cjdled a Declaration and Remonstrance, addressed
to the Governor and the Assembly, rehearsing the
grievances of the frontier inhabitants, attacking the
Quakers, and containing flagrant falsehoods concerning
the Christian Indians.* Of these papers the Moravians^
took no notice ; but the Quakers issued an address, in
which they defended themselves against the aspersions,
of the borderers.' Thereupon the press began to teem
with pamphlets, farces, dialogues, and poems. Thej
scurrility of some of these publications is unprecedcntedj

At this late day it is not hard to form an impartial
opinion of the Paxtou Insurrection. While the blood-
thirstiness of the insurgents deserves to be condemned.

B. A.; Orube'8 Diary, MS. B. A.; Tho Pennsylvania Gozotto of Febru-
ary 9, 1704, preserved in tho B. A.; Tho New York Qazctto of March 5,
1764, containing a letter from an eye-witness describing tho insurrec-
tion ; and especially a MS. letter in tho B. A. from tho Kcv. George
Neisser to Marshall, dated Feb. fi, 1764, giving a full account of all that
transpired in tho city up to that date.

• The report which spread after this visit, that thcQunkcrs had secreted-^
the guilty Indians, is so evidently a fabrication, owing its origin to the'
chagrin of tho Paxton party, that it needs no refutation.

» The N. Y. Gazette of March 5, 1764.

» Tho Penn. Gazette of March 1, 1764.

" 1

i "

804

LJFE AND TIMES OF

their sentiments and those of their fellow-frontiersmen,
with regard to the Indians, are explained by the atroci-
' ties of the savages and their own indescribable suiFcr-
ings. The great error into which they fell was inability,
ior unwillingness, to make a distinction between Pon-
tiac's cruel warriors, and God's converted children, who,
for the sake of Jesus Christ, had given up all chat an
Indian prizes.* Ajcentury has elapsed sincethePon-
tiac^onsgiracj, and, whUe we^vmtCj^an^ Indi^^
raging in Minnesota,* where the enormities of the sav-
ages are so great that many voices, and among them
those of worthy citizens, are heard, as of old, demand-
ling the extirpation of the aborigines as a race. This
iiwas the feeling which actuated the frontiersmen of
I Pennsylvania in 1763.

After the disturbances caused by the Paxton party
were over, the Christian Indians became the object
of general curiosity, so that the barracks were often
crowded with visitors. On the twenty-fifth of February
they celebrated the Holy Communion, for the first time
since their departure from Nain and Wechquetank.
Their hymns of praise swelled triumphantly through
the building.

In March, Zeisberger again joined them, as they
expected to go to New York, whither both their
friends and foes were anxious that they should be

1 A wholly one-sided article upon the Paxton Insurrection in the
Presbyterian Quarterly Review of April, 1860, fails to make the same
distinction.

' The above was written in 1863.

DAVJD ZEISDERGER.

805

tiersmen,
le atroci-
le auffer-
inabillty,

en Pon-
•cn, who,

that an
jie Pon -
n war ia

the sav-
ng them
deraand-
This
smen of

3n party
e object
sre often
February
irst time
quetank.
through

as they
:h their
ould be

ion in the
I the same

sent.* To this end the Governor had dispatched
Thomas Apty to Sir William Johnson, who expressed
his willingness to receive them. But Golden and his
Council again interfered, declining to allow them to
pass through New York. General Gage was also op-
posed to their removal.' They now begged Governor
Penn to have them conveyed to the Pennsylvania
frontier, where they would care for themselves. But
to this he could not consent, as long as the war
lasted. His refusal was a sore trial. Many began to
lose heart; some were almost in despair. They sighed
for their forests, for the liberty of the chase, for that
way of living which was essential to ♦heir happiness.
It was worse than death to be immured in the British
barracks. To add to their afflictions, the dysentery
and the small-pox broke out. Zeisberger spent two
months in Philadelphia, helping Grube and Schmick tO'
cheer them. But it was a hard task, as the journals of
the missionaries show. Men of less devotedness and
faith would have given up the cause as hopeless. lj[^
less than^ftyjaJaL-Of the converts died jg„,tlie_cgLiirse of
the summer and autumn.

Among these was old Jacob and his daughter-in-law,
the wife of Renatus. The latter was still in prison ; but,
soon after this, his trial took place at Easton, and hej
was fully acquitted.

Toward the end of September (1763) the savages

> MS. letter from Lewis Weiss to Marshall, March 2, 1764. B. A.
» Penn. Archives, iv. 165, 167, 168. Col. Records, ix. 170, 171.

73^2

,^p,s,..,y^.. .^^.„.,

I '

3u6

LIFE AND TIMES OF

raised the siege of Detroit, and. Gladwyn conclndea a
truce with several of their tribes. A month later, the
French commandant at Fort Chartres, which post had
not yet been delivered to the English, sent a letter, by
request of General Amherst, to the Indians around
Detroit, assuring them that their expectations of aid
from France were vain. This served to cool their ardor;
and, in the following spring, when they heard of the
formidable expeditions which were being organized for
their subjugation, they lost heart entirely. One of these
expeditions, under Colonel Bradstreet, proceeded to
Detroit, where the Indians hastened to sue for peace,
which was concluded in September, and embraced
Pontiac, although he was not present. The other,
under Colonel Bouquet, penetrated the Delaware
country as far as the Muskingum, and forced this
nation, as well as the Shawanese, to laY d own the
hatchet and give up their prisoners. The^ontiagJt^Jai
"vyfigjit an en^l.

On the sixth of December, Governor Penn issued a
proclamation announcing this auspicious event. The
way to their own country was now open to the Chris-
man Indians. On the twentieth of March, 1765, they
jleft the British barracks, after having passed one year
land four months in Philadelphia, and after having borne
jnearly one-half of their number to potter's-field.

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

307

CHAPTER XVI.

ZEISBERGER AT FRIEDENSIIUTTEX.— 1765-1766.

The Christian Indians return to Xain and romovo to Macbiwihilaslng on
the Susquehanna. — Zeisberger appointed resident missionary. — In-
structions of the Board. — Distressing journey across the Broad Mount-
ain and through the Great Swamp. — A forest on fire. — A new town is
built at Machiwihilusing. — Happiness of the converts. — Illness of Zeis-
berger. — Grant of flour and blankets. — A revival begins. — The Go.^pel
made known among many tribes through the agency of the Mission.
— Zeisborgor's account of the revival. — Nitschmann "the Syndic" at
Bethlehem. — The Iroquois deputy at Cayuga Town forbids the Chris-
tian Indians to remain on the Susquehanna. — Newallike, the Dela-
ware — A deputation, led by Zoisberger, visits Cayuga Town. — Grant
of land to the Christian Indians. — They enlarge their town and intro-
duce municipal regulations. — The Christian Indians send a bel' of
wampum to the General Board of the Moravian Church in Europe. —
Their town named Friedenshiitten. — Its size and population. — Zeis-
berger recalled from Friedenshiitten. — His last visit to Onondaga. —
The Iroquois Mission abandoned by the Moravians.

On the twenty-second of March the Indians returned i
to Nain, and its empty houses and deserted square oneeV
more and for the last time saw the life of a settlemeixtl
of Christian natives. But it was not the life of former \
.days. Eighty-three persons constituted the entire body )
of converts, and, with the exception of a handful atf
Pachgatgoch, the whole remnant of the once flourishing]
Mission. Nor could the survivors remain at Nain. The
senders were still too much excited by the events of the
war to permit an Indian town in the midst of their
farms. There woui.l be, moreover, no opportunity of

.^^:^f^^^^,,^^„^^„^,,. ,, ,.„..... ,..„MI.,UiJM»JPUI«^ll1H^

308

LIFE AND TIMES OF

V-.'

making it the center of new enterprises among heathen
tribes.

Influenced by such considerations, and following a
suggestion of the converts themselves, the Mission
Board resolved to place them at Machiwihilusing,
where lay hunting-grounds in their original wildness,
and several tracts already cleared. Zeisbergcr was ap-
pointed resident missionary, and Schmick his assistant
on the journey. They received written instructions in
' substance as follows : ^ It shall ^be the 4uty pf the mis-
I sionaries to study the Indian huiguages ; to train native
assistants; to teach the Indians to read and write; to
translate into Delaware all the most important parts of
the Bible, and as many hymns as possible; to instill
principles of peace into the hearts of their converts, so
that in the event of another war they may conduct
themselves as children of peace, and in the event of
persecutions, may forgive their enemies, and leave their
cause to the Judge of all the earth, who will do right ;
I to educate the congregation in the idea that whatever
! nationalities it represents and tribal distinctions it em-
braces, the Christian Indians are all one in the Lord
, Jesus Christ.

The houses of Nain having been sold at public auc-
tion^ and a farewell-service held, that seat of native cul-

1 Original Instructions. MS. B. A.

» They wore bought by inhabitants of Bethlehem, and six of them,
among these the chapel, removed to that town (Bethlehem Diary, 1765,
MS. B. A.), whore one of them remains. The land at Nain was put in
charge of a tenant.

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

309

ture was deserted (April 3), and, like so many other
similar places, thereafter never again known us a Chris-
tian village. Ere long the plowshare upturned its site.

Escorted by Thomas Apty, the Commissary of the
government, Sherift" Kichliue, Justice Moore, and Lieu-
tenant Ilundsccker, and led by Zeisbergor, the Indians
proceeded to the Rose Tavern,^ whore Marshall wel-
comed them, and whither many of their brethren "after
the common faith," from Nazareth and Christiansbrunn,
came to wish them God-speed. The evening saw them
encamped at the foot of the Blue Mountains, and the
next day they built a little hamlet of bark-huts on the
desolate site of Wechquetank and amid its cheerless
ruins. There they spent the Holy Passion-week, and
engaged in all its services.

On the eleventh of April their journey was resumed.
In order to open a new and direct trail from the Susque-
hanna to the settlements, they crossed the occep ridges
of Monroe County, climbed the Broad Mountain, and
traversed the Great Swamp, cutting a road through for-
ests and tangled underwood, bridging creeks, and laying
tree-trunks over deep sloughs. But the hardships of
this undertaking were almost too severe even for the
natives. Unable to advance more than five miles a day,
two long and distressing weeks were spent in such
work, and, suffering painfully from hunger, much time

1 A house of entertainment built by and belonging to tbo Moravians,
about one mile to the northeast of Nazareth. The Colonial Governors
of Pennsylvania often stopped there when they were out grouse shoot-
ing. The old building was torn down only a few years ago.

310

LIFE AND TIMES OF

y -■.

was lost in hunting. On one occasion their want of

]■ ; food was so great, and the cry of famished women and

y\- ' children so heart-rending, that, while some of the most

'^j*' /^ . expert hunters went out just hefore dark to shoot game,

r I Zoisberger and Schmick betook themselves to prayer.

Their intercessions were answered. The hunters came

' back with six deer.

At another time they were delivered from a different
but not less fearful peril. The congregation, encamped
in a thick wood, lay sleeping. Suddenly the sentinels
were startled by a loud, crackling noise. They knew
what it portended, and gave the alarm. The wood
was wrapped in a blazing sheet of lire. Gathering
the women and children to the center of the camp, and
bringing in the horses, the Indians encircled it, and
kindled a counter-lire. It soon spread among the pine-
trees; a second volume of flames, with fiery strides,
leaped roaring lo meet the first. The sight was grand
but terrific. Night was transformed into day. For
three hours this conflagration raged, sweeping down
the tallest trees, devouring the forest with insatiable
fur}', and covering the firmament with a pall of smoke.
The following day they reached the Susquehanna, ten
miles above Wyoming, and, borrowing canoes of the
natives, arrived at Machiwihilusing a fortnight later
(May 9). Their journey from Nain had occupied five
weeks.

A three days' hunt was first undertaken, and crowned
with great success. Meanwhilo Zeisberger, Schmick,
and Papunhank, selecting the site of the old village.

DAVID ZEISDERGER.

311

want of
neii and
ho most
ot game,
prayer.
3ra came

different
leamped
sentinels
ey knew
le wood
atliering
imp, and
\ it, and
he pine-
' strides,
IS grand
ly. For
ig down
iisatiable
i" smoke,
nna, ten
3 of the
:ht later
jied five

crowned

Ichmick,

village,

laid out a town, and staked off plantations. A mcssageN
was sent to Togahaju, the Iroquois sachem at Cayuga/
Town, who ruled this part of the Delaware dependencies f
of the League, asking his permission to begin a settle-!
ment.

Delivered from the restraints of that city which had
been to them a prison-house; at home again in the
forests of their fathers' hunting-grounds, in the canoes
tliat glided over the familiar waters of the Susquehanna,
in the cornfields where many of their women had been
accustomed to labor, the converts were tilled with
gratitude and joy. The stoical indifference into which
even a Christian Indian relapses had disappeared ; they ,
were all rejuvenated. Here were men laboring with
the energy of civilization, there women and children
eager to do their part. The new town which came into
existence rang with the melody of praise even while it
was being built. In every place the feelings of the
people burse into song. And when they went out to
the chase, or fished in the river; when they roamed
through the woods gathering roots and herbs ; the game
that they found, the fishes that they caught, and every-
thing that grew upon the ground, seemed given to them
by a special act of Providence.^ "Behold," said Zeis-
berger, as he saw this general happiness, and heard
fome of his own Delaware hymns echoing through the
forest, *' t iis is making good use of their liberty ! Be
ginning i leir work in this way, God will richly bless

V-

44^

» Heckewelder's MS. Biographicui Sketch.

'1 i

r .

312

LIFE AND TIMES OF

them. Under such circumstances it is joy to be among
the Indians."*

Soon after this, Zeisberger was prostrated with sick-
ness, induced by the unusual fatigues of the journey
from Nain, and was obliged to intrust the Mission to
young Ileckewelder, whom the Board had sent to his
i relief. In summer, however, his health improved so
much that he led the Indians to Nazareth and Chris-
tiansbrunn, where a liberal grant of flour from the
Colonial government, and a lot of blankets from the
Moravians of Germany, were distributed.

But God had in store for them a better benefaction.

In October, the first baptism took place, and proved

to be the beginning of a great revival. Not a few were

.converted. Upon wild Indians, in particular, descended

the power of the Holy Ghost. They came from far and

near, and represented different nations. Mohawks and

Qpyugas, ^ne(;4as and Ononda^as, Mo ltlct^n s and Wam-

panc^gs, Delawai;es and 'J^utelas, Xuscajr^r^s and yaxiti-

1 ^^S? — these all heard the Word of Salvation. Many

I went their way believing, and scattered among their

own tribes the seed of truth.

This feature of the Mission is apt to be overlooked.

Statistical tables are counted the law of success. But,

however correct this may in general be, success was

» conditioned, in the case of the aborigines of our country,

• not alone by the number actually added to the Church

[through baptism. The impression made upon indi-

1 Heckewelder'E MS. Biographical Sketch.

nth. sick-
3 journey
ission to
lit to liis
>roved so
id Chris-
rom the
from the

lefaction.
d proved
few were
escended
a far and
■wka and
id Wam-

i. Many
ng their

jrlooked.
58. But,
3es8 was
country,
I Church
an indi-

-X —

DAVID ZEJSBEROER.

313

viduals who never built themselves lodges in Christian
villages; the impulse which visiting warriors received
to aims higher and holier than those of barbarism ; |
above all, the ray of light from the Cross streaming intOj'
their souls as they sat in some forest-sanctuary, or stood,
in the shade of a tree beneath which a traveling mis-
sionary had stopped to proclaim Christ — a light, perhaps,
never quenched, but. intensified through the spirit of
God, showing grace, forgiveness, and heaven — this, too,
must be taken into account. Many a death-bed, i:t
which no evangelist ever prayed, may thus have beenj
cheered by the presence of the Christian's hope ; many a
wigwam, never visited by a messenger of peace, may
thus have become a home of peace.

The correctness of these positions will be established
by the further narrative of Zeisberger's labors. His own
testimony to the efficacy of the influences exerted in this
respect by the present revival is important. " For sev- 1
eral months," he writes to the Board, "a great revival' "^-'
has been prevailing among the wild Indians who visits, .-
here. All those who attend our services are deeply ' ^x^
impressed, and cannot hear too much of the Saviour.-, "Q^
It often happens, while I preach, that the power of the
Gospel takes such hold of them that they tremble with
emotion and shake with fear, until consciousness is'
nearly gone and they seem to be on the point of faint-)
ing. This shows with what violence the principalities
in them oppose the "Word of the Cross. As soon as
such a paroxysm is over, they generally begin to weep
silent tears. We have many candidates for baptism.^

■i

■i , mMi

1 i: 1

'i m

814

LTFE AND TIMES OF

Anthony, who enjoys tlie particular esteem of the In-
dians, sets forth the Saviour with such feeling that not
unfrequently his auditors all hurst into tears, and he is
constrained to weep with them."'

. No one rejoiced more sincerely over news like this
than David Nitschmann, "the Syndic," who had reached
America on an ofdcial visit.'' Zeisherger, who happened
to be at Bethlehem when he arrived, found in hira a
countryman and a friend, — one of thcDC five young Mo-
I'avians who came to Ilerrnhut, exiles for conscience'
sake, just as Count Zinzendorf, surrounded by the little
band of fugitives who had preceded them, was on the
point of laying the corner-stone for the first house of
worship in that infant settlement, and in time to hear
the memorable prayer of his coadjutor. Baron de Wat-
teville, which foretold the resuscitation of the Church
and her future missionary labors.

The embassy sent to Togahaju in the summer of
1765 had not been successful. He refused to permit
the converts to build a town at Machiwihilusing,
because it "was stained with blood," but invited them
to settle at the head of Lake Cayuga. The deputies

» Copy of letter, dated Jan. 20, 176G, in Bethlehem Diary of Jan. 17C6.
MS. B. A.

* A member of the Executive Board in Europe. He arrived at Beth-
flohom Nov. 28, 17G5. His title "Syndic " referred to the jilice he filled
j in the time of Count Zinzendorf, when ho negotiated, as the represent-
Sativo of the Church, with various European governments. Besides
'; itinerating in Germany, ho visited Denmark, England, Kussia, Switzer-
■j land, North America, the Cape of Good Hope, and the Island of Ceylon.
f After his return from America he became the Archivist of the Unitas
iFratrum, and died at Zeist, in Holland, in 1779.

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

315

promised to lay his decision before their people, and to
send an answer "when the corn would be ripe." Un-
fortunately, however, they failed to do this. And
now the sachem dispatched a runner to the Susque-
hanna with the following message : " Cousins ! What
kind of corn have you at Machiwihilusing? You prom-
ised an answer to my proposition when your corn would
be ripe. My corn has been ripe long ago. It is nearly
consumed. I think of soon planting again. Why do
you not fulfill your promise ?"

This caused great consternation at the Mission. The
authority of Togahaju was so great, and the fear which
the Iroquois League inspired so general, that the Chris-
tian Indians deemed it necessary to cor filiate the sa-
chem by every proper means within their reach. Hence
they applied to Newallike, an influential chief of the
Delawares, at Wechpakak, on the Tunkhannock, to
plead their cause, but he ungraciously refused. There-
upon Zeisberger oflered to negotiate with Togahaju,
and persuaded them to elect four of their number as his
assistants. This embassy proceeded to Cayuga Town,
where the sachem and his council received them. For
the converts it was an august assembly, which they en-
tered with awe. Encouraged by the words and pres-
ence of Zeisberger, however, they soon regained their
self-possession, and delivered a succession of speeches,
which he interpreted, setting forth the necessities and
wishes of the Mission, as well as the advantages which
Machiwihilusing offered, with such sagacity and elo-
quence that they gained their point. Zeisberger, too,

V<i

316

LIFE AND TIMES OF

«;.

» • ••

addressed the council, and 8pokej3anadQp]^J[i:gJia^oi8,

_w^2hadji claim on the liberality of Jhe Lea^ie. The

/" result was a formal grant of land at Machiwihilusing,

extending along the river " as far as a man can Avalk in

two days."

Upon the return of the embassy, the town was en-
/larged, and a code of municipal laws adopted. Traders
were forbidden to stay more than two or three days at
a time; and such heathen Indians as came merely to
enjoy the outward advantages of the settlement, and
not to hear the Gospel, were no longer allowed to build
lodges. A Synod, held at Bethlehem in May, gave to it
, the appropriate name of FrkdenshMien^ or Tents of
Peace. Of this Synod Nitschmann was the president,
and received, soon after its adjournment, a deputation
' of converts, with Anthony at their head. They deliv-
ered a belt of wampum and a written speech to be pre-
sented to the Executive Board in Europe in the name
of the Christian Indians.

FriedenshUtten continued to prosper, until it grew
to be a settlement that excited the admiration of every
visitor, and that we even, of to-day, must look upon
as a wonderful instance of the civilizing power of the
Mission. It embraced twenty-nine log-houses, with
windows and chimneys, like the homesteads of the set-
tlers, and thirteen huts, forming one street, in the center
of which stood the chapel, thirty-two by twenty-four
feet, roofed with shingles, and having a school-house as
its wing. Immediately opposite, on the left side of the
street, was the Mission House. Each lot had a front of

.'AJ

IZ^^'*^

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

317

tbirty-t\vo feet, and between every two lots was an alley
ten feet wide. Back of the houses were the gardens
and orchards, stocked with vegetables and fruit-trees.
The entire town was surrounded by a post and rail
fence, and kept scrupulously clean. In summer, a
party of women passed through the street and alleys,
sweeping them with wooden brooms, and removing the
rubbish. Stretching down to the river lay two hundred
and fifty acres of plantations and meadows, with two
miles of fences ; and moored to the bank was found a
canoe for each household of the community. The
converts had large herds of cattle and hogs, and poultry
of every kind in abundance. They devoted more time
to tilling the ground than to hunting, and raised plenti-
ful crops. Their trade was considerable in corn, maple-
sugar, bucter, and pork, which they sold to the Indians;
as also in canoes, made of white pine, and bought by
the settlers living along the Susquehanna, some of them
as far as one hundr'>d miles below Friedenshiitten.*

1 List of Houses and Plan of the Tmvn. B. A. Heekcwelder' s Report ',
of the Indian Mission to the Society for Propagating the Gospel.
Friedenshiitten lay in Bradford County, Pennsylvania, about two miles
from the present mouth of th« Wyalusing Creek, on the east side of tho
Susquehanna, and on land now owned by the Hon. Levi P. Stalford,
whose father and grandfather were on tho pi-eiiiises before him, and \
whose great-grandfather, Gen. Henry Pawling, who was with Washing- !
ton at Valley Forge, purchased the tract from the Indians. The site is
two miles below Wyalusing, and one and a half miles above Browntown i
Post-oflBce. Sugar Run is just opposite, on the west side of the river.
For this interesting and valuable information I am indebted to the Kev. :
David Craft, pastor of tho Presbyterian Church at Wyalusing, who •
identified the site, drew a plan of it, and had a large photographic view
of the neighborhood taken. Tho mouth of Wyalusing Creek is nojt.
nearly a mile above where it was in Zcisbergei 's time.

h-i;

it i

" S:i

!■ I

818

LIFE AXD TIMES OF

[The population had increased, from tho remnant that
(left the Philadelpliia barracks, to one hundred and fifty
Bouls.

In September, Zeisberger was rccalledj and Schmick
took his phice as resident missionary. A report had
spread that tho Iroquois Council had pronounced the
grant made by Togahaju null and void. However
improbable this seemed, the issues at stake justified
every precaution, and Zeisberger was sent to Onondaga
to ascertain tho truth. Gottlob Sensoman accompanied
him.'

They reached the capital after a journey of four
weeks, by way of Zeniinge, and met the Council iu
the Long House, over which floated tho British flag.
Zeisberger addressed [\\o sachems in an elaborate
speech, in whicii he rehearsed the history of the Mis-
sion, set forth the purpose of the Church to convert
the Indians, and demanded to know whether Togahaju
had acted on his owi.^ responsibility, in granting the
' Christian Indians land, or with the consent of his peers.
.Thereupon he proceeded to Cayuga Town, and con-
jferred with Togahaju himself. He was determined to
i do all in his power to establish the title of the Mission,
land bore himself, throughout these negotiations, with
^nusual dignity.

The sachem assured him that the report which had
been brought to FriedenshUtten was untrue ; and, on

/■ 1 The son of Joachim and Catharine Senscman, one of the victims of
jtho massacre on tho Mi;hony. His father had gone to Jamaica, as a

] missionary among tho slaves.

DAVID ZEISBERGKR.

319

Lis return to Onondaga, the Council gave the following;
answer to his speech : " The grant of land made, last
spring, l)y Sanunawuentowa (the great pipe of peace) —
which was the title of the sachemship with which
Togahaju had been invested — is approved by the
Council. The Aquanoschioni have a tiro at Friedens-
hiitten; let their Christian cousins, and the teachers
of their Christian cousins, guard it well. Newallike,
the Delaware, baa no authority in tlic town; let him \
not venture to usui-p auth'^-ity. Their Christian cousins '
are to consult directly with the Council, or with Sanuna-
waentowa, its accredited deputy." "^

Tbo_8achcm3 treated Zeisberger with great distinction,
an d beg]g:od hi rri tojLakc^up his residence iitjOiioiidagai
a3_of^ldjjvher^ his Mission IIouso was still standing^
His answer was: " I am glad that you still acknowledge-
me as an Aquanoschioni. But I cannot consent to live
among you until you want me as a preacher of the:
Gospel of the great God." At parting, they exacted!
a promise from him that, if possible, he would visit)
them again. Such a visit, however, was never under-',
taken. ThiijKa§4]isJ3(SiJ^rne^U^^ beard_\

at Onondaga. The work of convertinj; the Six Nations /
was left to missionaries of other churches, and especially >
to Samucl_Kirkland, thej distin guishcd teacher of thci
Oneidas.* Why the Moravians relinquished all their!

1 Samuel Kirklnnd was born at Norwich, Conn., December 1, 1741^)
cdvicatcd at Princeton, and spent part of the year 1765 among the Senecas./
Commissioned by the "Connecticut Board of Correspondenls of the So-
ciety in Scotland," he began a Mission among the Oneidas, in July, 1766,
which was very successful, and in which he was engaged for more than

'! li

A-

V/.t^

>,A'^.,AyV '

320

L/i?'^ AND TIMES OF

great projects with regard to the Iroquois, and devoted

themselves exclusively to the Delawaves and tribes of

jthe West, we do not profess to determine. None of the

I authorities we have examined explain this change in the

jpolicy of the Church.

forty j'ears. He established the " Hamilton Oneida Academy," incor-

porated in 1793, for tho, mutual benefit of the frontier injiabita nta and

In dians . His assistant was Samson Occom, a native clergyman, from

one of the Long Island tribes. Other missionaries, laboring among the

Iroquois, were Ashby, Crosby, Peter and Henry Avery. In 1816, an

^ Episcopal Mission was inaugurated by Bishop Hobart among the Oneidas

j and Onondagas. Eleazar Williams, an Oneida, was the first missionary.

j It was relinquished in 1833, owing to the removal of a majority of the

, Oneidas. In 1829, the Methodists began a work among the same tribe,

and, in 1841, among the Onondagas. The latter is still in progress, on

the Onondaga Keservation.

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

321

CHAPTER XVII.

ZiiiSBERGER'S EXPLORATORY TOUR TO THE INDIANS OF THE
ALLEGHANY RIVER.— 1767

England's w"ak policy in the West. — The first congress a hiirbinger
of independence. — Zeisberger at Christiansbrunn and Bethluhcm. —
Visits from his Indian relatives. —Death and burial of his brother
Ilaehsitagechte. — Message of the Board to the Onondaga Council. —
Zeisberger prepares to visit the Indians (>n the Alleghany, at Gosch-
gosehiink. — Anthony and Papunhank accompany him. — The journey.
— Incident at Tiozinossongochto. — A feast and dance in honor of
Ganousseracheri. — Arrival at Goschgoschiink. — Its situation. -Zeis-
berger's first sermon there. — His further labors. — The wickedness of
the place. — Wangomen, the false preacher. — Discomfited by Zeis-
berger. — The Council asks for a resident missionary. — Return to
Bethlehem.

In the two years of Zeisberger's activity at Friedena-
hiitten, it became evident that England's triumph on
the Western Continent might prove to be but the pre-
cursor of a far greater triumph on the part of her Colo-
nies. The children whom she had sent to the New
World were no longer i»' their swaddling-clothes ; they
had grown to be a nation. EngkBdJm;g;ot jhi8.i^_She
knew not how to rule America. Her Stamp Act was
an..,a£t^ JoHj.^^ H|^^^ in the Far West disp layed

weak ness anjifear . Fort Chnrtres, the last remnant
of French power in the vail =*y of the Mississippi, had
peacefully passed into her possession; but she "had
conquered the West," says Bancroft, "and dared not
make use of it; she set it apart to be kept as a desert."

¥i P'

1.1 I

1*0

'V\:

322

LIFE AND TIMES OF

Tremblins: lest Colonies so remote micflit become inde-
pendent, she sent (1763) " a solemn protest," which shut
all the country beyond the Alleghanics against the
emigrant; while the two thousand persons of Euro-
pean descent already in the valley of the Mississippi
were put under "the rule of the British army, with !i
local judge to decide all disputes." '

But, in the very nature of the case, such timidity
and unreasonableness could not prevail. The nuclei of
States already existed in the West, and no proclamation
could prevent the hardy sous of America from peopling
its broad prairies. JiTor could schemes of unjust taxa-
tion quench their spirit of liberty. When the first con-
[gress of deputies had assembled at Now York (October
7, 1765), clear-sighted eyes throughout the land saw a
harbinger of independence.
^ ^ After his return from Onondaga, Zeisberger took up
J^^ [his abode at Christiansbrunn, where he spent the winter
^V^ ■(and spring. In early summer (1767) the arrival of a
'' -'' ideputatiou of chiefs and sachems called hiai to Bethle-
hem. Sent by Sir William Johnson, they were on their
way to the remnant of Nanticokes in Maryland, in order
to induce them to join the main body of the tribe at
Zeniinge. Among these visitors were two of Zeisber-
iger's Indian relatives, his nephew, and Ilachsitagechte,
i his elder brother, a distinguished sachem, tlie_5ee],^r of
theAjx^ives of„tli.e J[ro(iUQis, G The ties

that united Zeisberger with the Onondaga family, into

1 Bancroft's U.S., v. 840.

DAVID ZEISBEBOER.

323

omo inde-
vliich shut
gainst the
of Euro-
Mississippi
ny, with a

timidity
} nuclei of
)clamation
1 peopling
ijust taxa-
; first con-
c (October
md saw a

r took up
the winter
'rival of a
to Bethle-
'e on their
1, in order
e tribe at
if Zcisber-
sitagechte,
geej^er^f
The ties
mily, into

which he had been adopted, were of the closest kind.
He had frequent occasions to perceive that he was
honored and loved as though he had been their kins-
man by birth. While attending the Synod in the prc^
vious year, Tiozihostote, one of his younger brothers,
who had expected to meet him at Cayuga Town, had
come all the way to Bethlehem to see him.

In September tliis party of Iroquois returned from
Maryland, bringing with them the Nanticokes. Zeis-^
berger again proceeded to Bethlehem. Ilachsitagechte
had been taken ill, and had to be left in the town. Ilis \
nephew and two sachems remained behind as his escort. !
He grew rapidly worse, but received the Gospel, which, i
his white brother preached to him, and died as a Chris-, S. /"

i- y,-

Immediately after the funeral his three Iroquois com

panions seated themselves around his grave and smoked -'
the pipe of peace. Then thej' left for their own coun-
try, bearing to the Council of Onondaga the following V

US.

*J.

'^'/

■"l^

message

" Brothers, Onondagas ! "We inform yoa that your
brother and our brother, Ilachsitagechte, came to us
sick from Philadelphia, and while among us left this \
world. Wo are glad that he reached our town, so that |
we could nurse hini as our brother. We told him the
great words of that God who became man, and as man
shed His blood for all, that all might be saved. He re-
ceived these great words into his heart, and in the^
hope of them he died. We buried him."

324

LIFE AND TIMES OF

I A string of wampum.

\ " Herewith we wipe the tears from j'our eyes. Grieve

inot. Hachsitagechte has gone to God."

A striiig of loampum}
Immediately after these events, Zeisberger prepared
to undertake a new and distinguished missionary.,tour.
Its purpose is set forth in the opening sentence of liia
journal. "Intelligence having reached us," he says,
"although in a ver}' unreliable form, that there were
Indians living on the Alleghany River who desired to
hear the Gospel, and the Brethren having, as yet, no
knowledge of that country, the Mission Board resolved
upon an exploratory journey, in order to ascertain
whether anything could there be accomplished for the
Saviour." ^

I Anthony and Papunliank consented to accompany

I him ; and, on the last day of September, they set out

\from FriedenshUtten on foot, with one pack-horse.

JTheir place of destination was Goschgoschlink.

Crossing the Susquehanna to its western bank, they
came to Schechschiquanunk,^ a Mousey town, the seat of
Echgohund ; and in the evening stopped at Wilawane,
another Monsey village, near the junction of the Che-
mung. Along this river they pursued their way through
prairies of tall grass, until, not far from where it is
formed by the confluence of the Tioga and the Conhoc-

' Bethlchom Diary, June, .July, and September, 1767. MS. B. A.
» Journal of Tour to the Alleghany. MS. B. A.
' This was old Shosequin, opposite and a little below the present
town, in Bradford County, Pa.

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

325

immpum.
es. Grieve

vampum}

r_j[)re^red

ona,r^.toiir.

nice of Ilia

' he says,

there were

desired to

as yet, uo

d resolved

ascertain

led for the

accompany
ey set out
3ack-horse.
ik.

bank, they
the seat of
Wilawane,
f the Che-
ly through
/■here it is
le Conhoc-

MS. B. A.

' the present

ton, they reached the site of Assinnissink, once the
homo of Jacheabus, the leader in the massacre on the
Alahony. They now followed the Tioga to the mouth
of the Covvanesque Creek, up which they proceeded a
day's journey, and then entered a dense swamp. Amid
a drenching rain, they forced their way through the
underwood, and over the miry ground, to the head-
waters of the Alleghany, in Potter County. Around
them was an almost impenetrable spruce-forest; and,
as they plunged into its thickets, they lost the river,
and were so completely environed by a vast wilderness
that even the Indians stood amazed. Toward evening,
they struck the Alleghany again, and bivouacked on
its bank, perhaps not far from Coudersport.

It may, with great probability, be asserted that Zeis^
berger was the first white man to thread these dark/
forests of Northwestern Pennsylvania and build night- \
lodges in Potter County. Indeed, after his visit, nearly
half a century elapsed before settlers were permanently
located in that region, and even now it is one of the*
waste places of the State.

At one of the first Seneca villages which they reached,
their appearance caused such suspicion that a mesf-onger, )
mounted on a fleet horse, hurried to Tiozinossongochto,
the next town, a distance of thirty miles, in order to in-
form its chief of their coming. And when they arrived
there the first person whom they saw was this chief, a
man of noble presence, standing at the door of his lodge
on the watch for them. He barely acknowledged their
greetings ; but yet did not forget the rites of hospi-
tality. They rested by his fire and were refreshed.

t..<x><j

326

LIFE AND TIMES OF

"Whither is the pale face going?" was the first ques-
tion with which he broke the paiufal silence, and sat
down beside his guest.

"To Goschgoschiink, to visit the Indians," answered
Zeisberger.

" Is that all ?"

"Yea, that is all."

"Why does the pale face come so unknown a road?
This is no road for white people, and no white man has
ever come this trail before."

" Seneca," replied Zeisberger, "the business that calls
me among the radians is entirely diflerent from that of
other white people, and hence the roads I travel are dif-
ferent too. I do not come to trade or barter ; I do not
undertake journeys for the sake of gain ; I am here in
order to bring the Indians good and great words."

" What words are these ? I want to hear them."

"The words of life!" responded Zeisberger, with
kindling eye. " I teach the Indians to believe in God,
and by believing to be saved. Are not these good
words?"

"No!" fiercely exclaimed the chief; "no, they are
not good words for the Indians !"

" My friend, answer me, are the Indians not human
beings ? ai*e they not to be saved ? But kow can they
be saved unless they hear of their Saviour ?"

" The Indians are as much human beings as 3'ou pale
faces, but God created them for other ends than you.
He gave them hunting-grounds ; the game of the forest
is theirs. Of the Bible they know nothing. God did

v-V

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

327

V-:^

not give them that ; nor can they understand it. lie

gave the Bible to the whites ; and yet wliat does it help

even these ? See how many of them live in wickedness !

Explain this to me. In what respect are the whites,

with their Bible, better than the Indians without it?"

This conversation was kept up for more than two

hours, the chief assailing the Christian religion, and

Zeisberger preaching its divine Author. "Behold,"

said he in conclusion, "these are the words which I

I
come to tell the Indians. You say they are created in

order to roam through the forest and run after bears

and deer. Oh, no, my friend ! They are made for

liigher purposes. Believe me, it is God's will that they,

too, should be saved."

"By what name is the pale face known?" asked the
chief after a time.

" I am Ganousseracheri," answered Zeisberger.

In an instant his whole demeanor changed ; a smile
broke over his stern face ; he crrasped Zeisberger's hand, ~
called him his brother, said he had often heard of him, \^
and begged him to excuse the coldness with which he
had treated him. "I thought my brother was sent to ^^ X
spy out the land of the Senecas. Had I known his ^ ' K^,
name he would have been most welcome." '"^^

Entire cordiality now prevailed between the two ; but
the chief warned Zeisberger of the perils he would
encounter. "The Indians at Goschgoschiink," he
said, "bear a very bad character; they use the worst
kind of sorcery, and will not hesitate to murder you."
Zeisberger, however, assured him that he was not

-<^

328

LIFE AND TIMES OF

afraid. " ^"0 harm can befall me if my God, in whom
I believe, does not permit it. Are the Indians at Gosch-
goschiink very wicked? Tbat is just the reason why I
iOught to go and preach to them !" At parting, he once
more besought him to think of his soul aid of his
Saviour. All this time the chief's wife had listened to
the discourse of the pale-faced stranger with that thirsty
intenseness which drinks in every word. "Was this
first blast of the Gospel-trumpet in Tiozionossongochto,
where white man had never been before, altogether in
vain ? The day of the Lord will tell.

At the next Seneca town were two Onondagas of

/Zeisberger's acquaintance, who hastened to proclaim his

standing among the Iroquois. An invitation to spend

the day in the village, and be its honored guest,

immediately followed. Although most unwilling to

(accept it, the persistent kindness of the natives pre-

i vailed.

"With ceremonious politeness, they led him to the
largest hut, and begged him to look upon it as his own,
while busy squaws hastened to serve up a feast. The
woods, the river, and the cornfield yielded their choicest
delicacies, and, surrounded by the warriors, painted and
dressed as for a festival, he was royally entertained.
Toward evening the Indians began a war-dance. At
the tap of a drum — a deerskin stretched over an empty
cask — they left the hut, all stripped to the breech-
cloth ; but suddenly they returned, flourishing clubs and
tomahawks, leaping into the air, filling the house with
strange outcries, and going through the mazes of their

ii;i!_

•;i!il

Z)^r/Z) ZEISDEKOER.

329

in whom
at Qo3ch-
on why I
, he once
d of his
Jtened to
at thirsty
Vas this
ngochto,
^ether hi

iagas of
3laim hie
to spend
d guest,
illing to
ves pre-

i to the
bis own,
It. The
choicest
ted and
rtained.
ce. At
I empty
breech-
abs and
se with
)f their

dance with increasing fury, until it btirst into a bewil-
dering whirl of mad confusion. At another signal, they
stopped, took seats around the fire, and, with the enthu- i^'
siasm of old Scotland's bards, began to sing their own ' -^k/.
heroic deeds, the drum beating a discordant accompani- ^q^^
ment. These savage ballads continued so long that ^
Zeisbcrger's patience was quite exhausted, and he pre- st,
pared to retire to rest. " Does Ganousseracheri wish to
sleep?" said one of the Indians as soon as he perceived
this. "Yes," he replied, " I do wish to sleep, for I am
very tired." The singing ceased at once, another meal
was served up, and, courteously saluting their guests,
the company departed. Alone with his two Christian
brethren, Zeisberger led in the worship of God by the
dim light of the expiring tire.

At Goschgoschiink, which :hey reached on the six-
teenth of October, they were entertained by one of
Papunhank's friends.

Goschgoschiink had a history of but two years.
Founded (1765) by Monseys from Machiwihilusing and
Tioga, it comprised three straggling villages. The '( i-i «
middle one, at which Zeisberger arrived, lay on the
eastern bank of the Alleghany, near the mouth of "^"^

the Tionesta Creek, in Venango County. Two miles
up the river was the upper village, and four miles
down, the lower. It was a region which had been the
theater of important Colonial events; but since the
Pontiac War, when the fort was destroyed, barbarism
had again reigned supreme, and Zeisbgrggr ag^gars to
have been th e fir^t to^reJDtrjSiJuftejjix^^

'"Yv'- '^■■^-J*-V't.<j '■ r

fH iiii

ill' lifl

ji 'ill

830

LIFE AND TIMES OF

As soon as he had rested from the fatigues of the
journey, he dispatched his two companions to appoint a
religious service for the evening. The news that the
great teacher from Machiwihilusing was corao excited
general interest, and the natives flocked to the Council
House, where the meeting was to be held, from the
middle and upper villages. Those from the lower
village sent word that it was too late for them to be
present that night ; that they would, however, not fail
to attend the next day.

Several of the Indians having witnessed the religious
services of the Moravians, they arranged the Council
House as much as possible like a church. Retaining
Hhe indispensable tire, which burned in the center of the
building, they seated themselves in rows, the men on the
one side and the women on the other.
j As Zeisberger rose, every eye was fixed upon him,
Kvith curiosity or a tierce gleam. Some of the most
\ desperate characters were before him, ruffians and
murderers, whose names were a terror among the In-
dians. There were, moreover, several warriors present
who had been engaged in the massacre on the Mahony.*
It was no ordinary assembly even for him to address.

"My friends," he began, "we have come to bring
you great words and glad tidings, — words from our God
and your God, tidings of our Redeemer and your Re-
deemer. We have come to tell you that you will bo
happy if you will believe in Jesus Christ, who shed His

1 Bethlehem Diary, Nov. 1767. MS. B, A,

-^1/:.

■bAVfb ZEJSBERtfER

../

' ./

■^A

831

.^,^%'r*^>

blood and gave ^Ilis" life for you. These great words
and glad tidings we have presented to your friends at
Priedenshlitten. They have received them; they are
happy; they thank the Saviour that He has brought
them from darkness into light. Now we bear to you
the peace of God. The time is here ; the visitation of
God your Creator, who, as man, died for you. You are
not any longer to live in darkness without Ilim ; you
are to learn to know Ilim, whom to know is life and
peace. Say not in your hearts, these doctrines are not
for us ; we were not made to receive them. I tell you
Jesus Christ died for me, for you, for all men. You,
too, are called, and called to life eternal."

In this strain he continued, warming with his subject,
until the house rang with his stirring words. No one
knew better how to speak to Indians. lie had studied
native oratory at their councils, and he now employed
it with power in the interests of the Gospel. On this
occasion his hearers were spell-bound. Their counte-
nances showed the impression which he had produced,
and revealed that irrepressible conflict between truth
and error into which he had forced their minds.
"Never yet," he writes, "did I see so clearly depicted
in the faces of Indians both the darkness of hell and
the world-subduing power of the Gospel." '

1 Of this first religious service iit Goschgoschiink, Mr. Schucsselo, ,
an eminent artist of Philadelphia, has painted a large and beautiful )
picture, which was on exhibition son'i'> years ago in the Academy of Fine /
Arts, Philadelphia, and engravings of which, in the oxquisitestyle of Mr. y
Sartain, have since been published. Mr. Schuessele represents the inci- [
dent as taking place in the midst of a forest, and not in the Council Ilouse. J

■J

1
1

832

LIFE AND TIMES OF

Tlie next clay all the three villages were represented,
and numbers crowded the Council House, among them

, Alleraewi, a blind but distinguished old chief, and Wan-
gomen, the preacher of the town. Zeiaberger and his
assistants by turns proclaimed the Gospel, with only

. brief interruptions, from morning until evening, when
the inhabitants of the upper and lower villages left.

IThose of the middle village remained, and Anthony

jjiistructed them until ten o'clock at night.

But although the Word of God made itself felt, and
although some natives were impressed, it soon became
evident that the majority had been attracted by the
novelty of the religious services, and that the wicked-
ness of these Monseys had not been exaggerated. The
blasphemies of "Wangomen, the sorceries of the pow-
\ wows, the wild excesses of the young people, the powers
of darkness in the worst of their heathenish manifesta-
tions, made up a sum of iniquity so appalling that
Zeisberger writes in his journal, " I have never found
such heathenism in other parts of the Indian country.
Here Satan has his stronghold ! Here he sits upon his
throne ! Here he is worshiped by the savages and carries
on his work in the hearts of the children of darkness !

.'Tms i.s my fault. In 1858, when my sources of information were limited,
1 I wrote a few articles for the Moravian on Zeisberger's life, and in one of
ft these I described the incident in the manner in which Mr. Schuesselo
r has represented it. That article was shown him, and led to his picture,
f Subsequent researches convinced me that I had been in error, and that
J the occurrence took place in the Council House, and not in the forest.
\ I do not, however, regret my mistake, for had I not been guilty of it,
I Mr. Schuessele's painting would hardly have appeared.

DAVID ZEISDEROFAl.

833

esented,
ig them
1(1 Wail-
and his
th only
;, wlien
!:cs left,
nthony

bit, and
became
by the
wicked-
1. The
ie povv-
powers
inifesta-
ig that
[• found
onntry.
pon his
carries
rkness!

limited,
in one of
;huesselo

picture,
and that
a forest,
ty of it,

Here God's holy name is blasphemed at their sacrificial
abominations, at which they venture to take it into their
unclean months, and to sa}' that what they do is to
His honor!" Addressing the readers of the journal,
he adds : '* Beloved brethren, here arc needed the pa-
tience and the faith of the saints, if tl c Saviour is to
see of the travail of His soul, if the prisoners of hope
are to turn to the stronghold."

The false preacher, in particular, opposed the Gospel ;
but the champion of the Truth was too mighty for him.
AVangomen began a disputation ; Zeisberger silenced
him. Wangomen announced that he would preach,
and summoned the inhabitants of all the three villages '
to hear his refutation of the ^yhite teacher ; when ,'
they had assembled, Zeisberger entered the Long i
House and preached in place of Wangomen, and, as ii^
soon as he was done, Anthony and John published ' fj^--
Christianity until it was too late for the prophet to say : ^^
a word. Most signal, however, was his discomfiture f <5^
on the day previous to the departure of the party, w'
Zeisberger had called a council and proposed a perma- ' .
nent Mission. This proposal met with favor; one voice
only was dumb. Wangomen sat in moody silence.
The Council called on him by name to give his opinion.
He was silent still. Again the Council entreated him to \
speak. At last he stood up. Avoiding the question at '?
issue, he began to declaim with all the assumed au- (
thority of his class, and to set forth, by a diagram drawn '^
on the ground, two ways of salvation — the one for thai
Indians, the other for the whites. Zeisberger, deeming

■n

334

LIFE AND TIMES OF

the matter settled, had meanwhile gone out of the
house. Ou his return, he found Wangomen in the
midst of a fiery speech, and Anthony, who was quick
to reply, strangely embarrassed. Abruptly interrupting
Wangomen, he exclaimed: "Did I not tell you some
days ago that there is only one way of salvation, and the
Saviour that way? All men, whether white or black or
brown, must come to Ilim if they would be saved, —
must feel that they are sinners, and seek forgiveness
of Him. Now, what kind of a god is your god ? By
what attributes do you recognize him?" "Wangomen
was silent. "If you cannot tell me," continued Zeis-
berger, in a loud, stern voice, "I will tell you. The
devil is your god ; you preach the devil to the Indians.
You are a servant of the devil, who is the father of lies;
and being a servant of the devil, the father of lies, you
preach lies and deceive the Indians?" The prophet was
startled, and, in a much humbler tone, complnined that
he could not understand Zeisberger's doctrines. "I will
show you the reason," said the latter. " Satan is the
Prince of Darkness; where he lives all is dark. Now
he lives in you ; therefore your mind is dark, and you
cannot understand the truth which comes from God."
Then changing his invective into earnest admonition,
he exhortec'i him to forsake his false doctrines and blas-
phemous practices, and give himself to Christ. " There
is yet time," he s? ^, in conclusion; "the Saviour yet
grants you grace. .' you will turn to Him, you may
yet obtain salvation. But beware ! delay not ! hasten
to save your poor soul !" Wangomen was utterly con-

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

335

founded, and throughout the Council reigned profound
silence.

Zeisberger was in a den of paganism, completely in
the power of this false prophet, who might have mur-
dered him with impunity ; but the honor of hi^ Lord
was at stake and made him stvong. " I could not," he
says, *'8pe?k otherwise, however severe my words Ever
since my arrival I had tried, by affection, to gain this
man for Christ, hoping to establish the Gospel through
his instrumentality. But when I saw that he willfully
opposed the Saviour, and the Saviour's atoning blood,
and tried to rob Him of that honor which belongs to
Him, I could bear it no longer."

After a time, the Council once more asked Wango>
men for his opinion with regard to the coming of a
resident missionary. "Let us decide the matter now,"
was said on all sides. "It is decided," remarked Zeis-'
bergcr with dig.aty. " I know j'our wishes ; that is j
enough for me; I want nothing more." "I, too, am]
willing," said Wangomen at last.

On the twenty-third of October, after an earnest fare^\
well-discourse, Zeisberger left the village and returned/
to Friedenshiitten. Thence he hastened to Bethlehem, '
to report to the Board. His journal was read at ai
public meeting, and caused a great sensation.

336

LIFE AND TIMES OF

CHAPTER XVIII.

ZBISBERGEn A MISSIONARY AT GOSCIIGOSCHiJNK.— 1768, 1769.

Massacre of Indians In Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. — Measures
to prevent an Indian War. — Treaty at Fort Pitt. — Zcisberger, Sense-
man, and a colony of Christian Indians begin a Mission at Gosch-
gorichunk. — A Mission House is erected. — Conflict between the Gospel
and heathenism.— Something about Indian sorcery. — The Missic.i
opposed from without and from within. — The courage and endurance
of Zcisberger and Senseman. — Two plots against the life of the
former. — The influence of the Mission. — A Christian and heathen
party formed. — The influence of the Iroquois League on the wane
among the Delawares. — Zcisberger and several deputies go to
Zonesschio. — Indian Congress at Fort Stanwix. — New boundary
lino settled. — The three tribal chiefs of the Delawares, and their
friendly messages to the Christian party at Goschgoschiink.

After hia return from Goschgoshiink, Zeisberger
spent the winter at Christiansbrunn. It was a time
of anxiety for the frontier settlements of Pennsylva-
nia. Ten inoffensive nat'ves, among them three squaws

land three children, encamped in Penn Township, Cum-
■berland County, were brutally murdered (January 10,
1768) by u German, one Frederick Stump. To avenge

I so gross a wrong, would not the Indians seize the

* hatchet, and reinaugurate all the horrors of a border

-(war ?

Governor Penn took prompt measures to prevent such
a calamity. He offered a reward of two hundred pounds

res, 1769.

-Measures

jer, Scnse-

ut Gosch-

thc Gospel

le Missici

endurance

ife of the

d heathen

the wane

ies go to

boundary

and their

isberger

a time
nnsylva-

squaws
p, Cum-
lary 10,,

avenge
nze the

border

!iit such
pounds

I I

DAVID ZEISBERQER.

337

sterling for the apprehension of the murderer, and
sent conciliatory messages to J!«J^ewallike, the Christian
Indians, and the clans of the North Branch. Sir;
William Johnson came to his assistance. His runners
traversed the wilderness with bolts of peace, and at hisf
own hall he moUitied the anger of the Six Nations.f
By these efforts the storm was averted. And even,'
when Stump, who had been arrested and lodged in;
the jail of Carlisle, was rescued by force, the Indians^
remained quiet.* A great treaty, to be held at Fort
Pitt, absorbed their minds. George Croghan, represent-
ing the Crown, together with John Allen and Joseph'
Shippen, Commissioners of Pennsylvania, met (April,!
1768) el even Ji ^jn dred rcpresenta tvves of variou8,.trjii.e8 —
Iroquois, Delawares, Shawanese, Mohicans, and others
— and, in a figure of their own mode of speech, buried
the bones of the murdered natives, while at the same
place the Indians buried the bones of murdered white
men, "with ours," they said, "and so deep that none of
our young people may ever know that any misfortunes
have happened between us." On this occasion, too,
they were convinced of the sincerity of the government
in its attempts to remove the squatters of Red Stone
Creek, the Monongahela, and Youghiogeny, who had
so long been an offense to the Councils of the Dela-
wares and the sachems of the Six Nations. An official
manifesto proclaimed " death without the benefit of

1 Dini-y of Frieden.shutten. MS. B. A. Penn. Col. Records, ix, 414,
420, 428, 436, 448, and 497.

•4)iFMaiiiBiiiaMiiiiMaittiii

1: I f

Kf^

■■'/■y

■'r'

338

LIFE AND TIMES OF

clergy" as the penalty of a continuance of their usur-
pations.'

Toward the end of April, runners reached Friedens-
hiitten to inquire whctbor the teachers, who had been
promised the Monseys of Goschgoschiink, were coming.
A few days later, Zeisbcrger and Gottlob Senseman
arrived, on their way to that town.

Three families of Christian Indians — Anthony and
Joanna, Abraham and Salome, Peter and Abigail —
consented to accompany them and form the nucleus of a
church on the Alleghany. On the ninth of May, es-
corted by John Ettwein,^ and several converts, as far as
Schechschiquanunk, this little colony left Friedens-
J-' * hlitten in canoes, taking with them a small drove of
cows and horses. At Wilawane, twenty chiefs, with
.» ^' speeches and a belt, attempted to hinder the enterprise ;
but Zeisberger rejected the belt and silenced their inter-
ference. "Do not imagine," said he, "so vain a thing

■ as that you will prevent us from preaching the Gospel at
Goschgoschiink." On the ninth of June they arrived
at the upper town, where Wangomen received them

I into his lodge, which Zeisberger at once converted
into a house of God, holding daily worship.

1 Penn. Col. Records, ix. 481 and 482; Report of Treaty in Penn.
Col. Records, ix. 514-543.

* Born, 1712, in the Schwarzwald, in Germany. In 1754, he emigrated
to America, and served the Church both in Pennsylvania and North
Carolina. In 17C4, ho became a member of the Mission Board. In
1784, he was consecrated a bishop, and stood at the head of tlio Church
in Pennsylvania until his death in 1802. He was a stern, but zealous,
aithful man.

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

339

He found Goschgoschunk changed. The inhabitants
were scattered; the middle town was wholly desei'ted;
the upper had no proper chiefs ; and only in the lower
existed somewhat of a government. The tribal rela-
tions, too, were of the loosest kind. Several other
nationalities mingled with the Monseys, and even a few
former converts of Gnadenhiitten, fast relapsing into
heathenism, had found their way thither. Of this^vlifil^
nj^Ue^l^liuiJhe jvirtual head was AVa ngonjeji .

Ze isberg cr_selected_a site for a Mission^ House, closd,
by .9',_sjmiiS:_Jibout_^half a mile from the town^^ ftir^
enough to be undisturbed by the revelries of the sav*
ages, and j'ct not too far for such as might wish to^
attend his meetings. Hero a logJ^Udin^, twenty-six
by sixt een f c^, was put up, and occupied (June 30) by
the whole colony. Around it new converts were^o
erect lodges, and gradiii \llv form a^eparate viljage.

Established thus at this outpost of civilization, Zeia-
berger and Senseman looked hopefully into the future.
They were ready to spend and be spent in the service
of their Lord, and, in fellowship with their Indian
brethren, mutually covenanted, in the sacrament of the
Supper, to be faithful unto death.

They had need of grace and of the courage to which
grace gives birth. When tirst they arrived, the people
showed them due kindness. Had not these Monseys
extended to Zeisberger a formal invitation to live and
teach among them ? and now that he had accepted it,
should they not receive him and his friends ? Had they
not sent to FriedenshUtten to hasten his coming? Had

\JiAy^o(. U"-?.-

340

LIFE AND TIMES OF

they not dispatched a canoe to meet him? It would
have been contrary to their character to refuse a wel-
come. Hence they helped the converts to build their
house, to plant their corn, to make themselves a home
amid the rude comforts of the wilderness. And, while
worship was held in Wangomen's hut, attracted by its
novelty, niuny came to sec and hear. But when they
began to realize what a Christian Mission involved, their
sentiments changed; bitter enmity to the Word of God
broke out, and determined opposition to God's minis-
jHers. This was owing, chiefly, to the influence of the
(sorcerers, of whom Waugomen was the most notorious.
Sorcerers abou nded am ong the aborigines _o f our
counti'v. The j iui jority of them w ere cunning jugglei's,
j or scU'-d eluded victims of superstition. According to
I Zeisberger's testimony, however, some existed by whom
1 Satan himself worked " with all power, and signs, and
f lying wonders."' He says that he disbelieved the stories
I he heard of what they could do until several of them
1 were converted. Those unfolded to him things, from
' their own past experienco, which forced him to acknowl-
■) edge the reality of Indian sorcery, and to adopt the
I opinion, which was universal among the early Church
1 Fathers, that the gods of heathenism were not visionary
' beings represented by idols, but satanic powers and
1 principalities, to worship whom was to worship demons
• and be under demoniacal influences. He refers to
: t hree ^ i n ds t>f' uatWe iuagij3 : nj imcly ^the. a r t to_pro-

' II. Tliessuloninns, ii. 9.

jiU^^i,..,t.Q^ U) 7i^V^^44.lfr^'^f^'^--'i^

DAVID 7AUSBERGER.

341

(luc e sud den death without the use of ppi s pn ; the\
wa«(7j;flss^«j a_dea(llj^ cha^^^^ by vy h ich cpide ni i cs could/
bo brought n]2on_eu.tixe_xilhuj:e&, and persons at a dis-i^
tance sent to their graves; and tho_ witch craf't of the|
klmo chwe, wlio passed through the air by niglit, visiting;
towns, casting the inhabitants into an unnatural slee^
and then stealing what they wanted.'

We neither adopt these views of Zeisberger, nor pro-
nounce them absurd. In the present aspect of demou-
ology, opinions of this kind remain an open question.

The sorcerers of Goschgoschiink were not slow
perceive that if any should embrace Christianity whomj
they had initiated, their arts would be exposed. Hence,
at a secret meeting held soon after Zeisberger's arrival, j
they bound ihemselves to incite the clan against him by
every means in their power, while outwardly observing!
the semblance of friendship. Of this he knew nothing^
until he had removed from the town. Thus was in-
augurated a desperate struggle between the lies of
paganism and the truth of God. The antagonistical
power of the former came from without and within.

From without, it began to show itself in the first days
of the Mission. The Senecas claimed the land on whicli)
Goschgoschiink was situated, and by their permissionj
the Monseys had built the town. To make it the seat
of a Christian Church was a project which, according
to aboriginal law, must be submitted for approval to the^
propric taries of the domain. This Zeisberger well knew.

1 Zeisberger's MS. Hist, of the Indiana.

342

LIFE AND TIMES OF

and had determined upon an embassy to Hagastaak,
the sachem of Zoncaschio. But while he was still the
guest of Wangoraen, there came a Seneca chief, with an
escort, from i;he Onenge, who, upon hearing of the
presence of the white teachers, burst into so vehement a
iiood of denunciation that Zeisberger had to be con-
coaled from its fury. A week later, a mysterious mes-
sage was brought: " Cousins! you that dwell at Gosch-
goschUnk, you have cause to be afraid. Danger
/threatens you!" Accompanying it were alarming sym-
bols — a string of wampum, a stick painted red, with
several prongs, and a leaden bullet. This message
caused much sensation, its origin being unknown, and
its words enigmatical. Zeisberger, indeed, soon dis-
covered that it had been carried by two Onondagas and
; a Cayuga of his acquaintance, who professed to have
(received it from a Seneca sachem; but it continued a
source of much embarrassment. A fortnight later, it
was followed by another, ostensibly from Hagastaak,
and enforced by a bunch of wampum, or as many
strings as a man can hold in one hand. " Cousins,"
this ran, "you that live at GoschgoschUnk, on the Alle-
\ ghany downward, and you Shawanese ! I have risen
I from my seat and looked around to see what is trans-
ipiring in our country. I see a man in a black coat.
(Against him I warn you. Avoid the man in a black

-( coat. Believe not what he tells you. He will deceive
I your hearts!" A message like this was, in the last
degree, pernicious. The powerful sachem of Zones-
achio, with all the authority of his office, as a deputy

D^r/Z) ZEISDEROER.

343

Eagastaak,
s still the
f, with an
ig of the
ehcniont a
:o be eon-
nous mes-
at Gosch-
Danger
iiing sym-
red, with
message
nown, and
soon dis-
dagas and
i to have
)ntinued a
t later, it
lagastaak,
as many
Cousins,"
the Alle-
lave risen
t is trans-
lack coat.

I a black

II deceive
the last

3f Zones-
a deputy

of tlie Grand Council, incites the Delawares of the
whole Alleghany valley, and even the Shawanese, who
live two hundred miles off, against Zeisberger and his
work, although he knows him to be his peer in the
Confederacy. However keenly Zeisberger felt the in-
dignity, his faith wavered not, and he met it, in his
journal, with an appeal to the Lord, in whose name and
by whose will he had established himself on the Alle-
ghany, leaving the issue in His hands. Not long after
this, menaces came from the capital of the Delawares,
obscure in their import, but yet evidently directed
against the Mission. And finally, a report spread, which
gained general credence, that certain New England In-
dians, lately returned from a visit to Old England, were
the bearers of a letter from the British King, warning
the natives of every name in his American Colonies to
beware of the Moravians, who would lead them not
to heaven, but to hell. These were some of the mani-
festations of the antichristian spirit that warred against
the Gospel from without.

From within, this spirit was still more vehement, and
rendered the situation of the missionaries far more
perilous. The first instance of it was the prediction ofi
a sorcerer, that worms would destroy the corn crop,(
because there were white teachers in the country.
After a time, they began to perceive that their enemies,
particularly among the . women led on by Wangoraen's
sister, were doing their utmost to prevent the Indians
from attending religious service. This opposition
became gradually bolder; here and there squaws raigh]^

ihl

1 r ^

■■ i',

1 ''

•(

844

LIFE AND TIMES OF

-V*:

be beard publicly denouncing the Christian colony, and
asserting that, since its coming, the game had disap-
peared from the forests, the trees had ceased to produce
chestnuts, and the bushes whortleberries. The young
men now lent their aid. They disturbed the meetings
in the Mission House, and tilled the town with threats.
" The two white men ought to be killed," said some of
them. " Yes, and all the baptized Indians with them,
and their bodies thrown into the Alleghany," added
others. Incited by such sayings, the sons of the chief
of the lower town formed a plot to murder Zcisberger,
which was, however, detected before it could be carried
out.

Toward the end of July, the principal powwow
himself. " The manitous," he said, " are

/bestirred

1 **"

'P'

.<»..

^<v

I angry with us because we harbor white teachers.
I must sacrifice to appease their wrath." Accordingly,
j one night a hog was slaughtered and a sacrificial feast
j instituted. The savages sat in a hut, in total darkness,
^T and silently gorged themselves with meat, while the
voice of the powwow was lifted up, appealing to the
manitous to accept the oii'ering of swine's flesh which he
brought. After a time, he announced that they were
propitiated. Thereupon the Indians emerged from the
darkness — fit emblem of their wicked rites — and retired
to their several wigwams.

But it was especially after the message from Zones-
schio had been received that the hostility of the savages
increased. Wangomen had, thus far, been passive, and
treated the missionaries with courtesy ; but now, sup-

CivCfe,

v^Vt^U^v

h '•'■.l^.u:

i^-v'V

DAVID ZEISBEROER.

345

ported, as he believed himself to be, by so powerful" a ■
sachem as Ilagustaak, ho threw off his mantle and stood |
revealed in the nakedness of his malice. Going from [
luit to hut, he forbade his people to attend Christiaiij
service in the Mission House. Not a few, who had been
regular worshipers, became alarmed, and ol)cyed this
interdict; while two young warriors broke up the next
meeting which Zeisberger attempted to liold, and tried
to draw him into a dispute and the utterance of harsh
words, so that they might have n pretext to murder
him. His calmness, however, and the firm attitude of
the converts, prevented this second j)lot against his life.
Such were some of the means employed in the town
itself to hinder the spread of the Gospel.

Amid this antagonism from without and within, Zeis- ,
berger and Senseman stood fast, preaching with such/
power, and laboring with such energy, that they estab-,--
lished for themselves a noi inconsiderable influence,/
gained some souls for the Gospel, and induced others to]
seek the Truth.

Of their confidence, Zeisberger's journal gives fre-
quent proofs. While his enemies were most violent,
he sat in the Mission House by night, and wrote : " Will
it be possible for these adversaries to prevent the spread
of God's Word ? They will certainly not succeed, for
He that is with us is stronger than they." When
informed of the plot to murder him, he recorded his
presentiment of such a catastrophe, and his willingness
to sutler, if God had foreordained him to a vi >lent death,
but expressed a hope that it might not occur in a reli-

^'' /

t /-

•y,/'

346

C-4-i. '* i.'-< ■( L w^sy

L/Fii; AND TIMES OF

in -I

gious service. And when his Indian companions began
to be discouraged, and to speak of returning to Frie-
denshiitten, ho inspired them with new zeal, so that all,
except Peter and Abigail, remained at their post.

The influence of the Mission was illustrated by the

success with which it kept from the savages the luring

cup of " iire-water." Traders were forbidden to sell it

,. at Goschgoschlink, and a petition, drawn up by Zeis-

berger and signed by all the headmen of the clan, was

[sent to Justice Elliott, at Fort Pitt, asking liim to pre-

'vent its introduction.' Nor was it less an evidence of

Christian power in so no', jrious a nest of murderers,

that, after the second attemnt had been made to take

Zeisbernfcr's life, those Monseys who attended his

preaching held a council, and appointed two of their

number to administer a public reproof to the young

men engaged in the plot. That God's Word v/as not

proclaimed in vain its most vindictive opponents had to

lacknowledge. Goschgoschlink separated into a Chris-

Itian andjiheathen party. At iirst the former timidly

succumbed to every persecution. By-and-by, however,

it gained courage and stood forth openly on the side of

the Gospel, while several of its adherents built them-

, selves huts around the Mission House. The accession

iof Allemowi and of Gendaskund, a distinguished head-

/man, was the crowning triumph of this party.

We have thus seen the character of the struggle be-
tween light and darkness which rendered memorable

1 Copy of Petition. MS. B. A.

^i"

DAVID ZEISDERGEB.

847

on 8 began
; to Fric-
o that all,

DSt.

ed by the
the luring
II to sell it
t by Zeis-
clan, was
im to pre-
idence of
nurderers,
le to take
jnded his
of their
he young
i v,^as not
nts had to
a Chris-
er timidly
, however,
he side of
uilt them-
) accession
hed head-

ruggle be-
[lemorable

t he cs tablMli'toilt oJ\the first Protestant Mission beyond
the Alleghanics. This struggle was, indeed, not yet at
an end, but the missionaries could no longer be driven
back to the Susquehanna. Should they be obliged to
retire from Goschgoschiink, which they anticipated,
they wouhl carry the (3 0si)el westward.

Zoisberger now took into serious consideration the^
unfriendly attitude of the Senecas. It appeared to him
important to conciliate Hagastaak by a formal embassy,
but the Monseys wore not of his mind. In sympathy'
with their fellow-tribes, their feelings toward the Six j
Nations had received a groat shock in the Pontiac Con-j

tl-.

spiracy. The Iroquois, and especially the Senecas, had K — -
incited the Dolawares to take part in that war, and had
then helped the English to humble them. This du
plicity received its due reward. The influence of th
League was broken. The Delawares practically, if not
by a national act, shook oft' the yoke of their vassalage
and scouted the idea of being " women." Hence
the Christian party at Goschgoschiink wanted to defy
Hagastaak, and deemed an informal notice sufiicient, i
which AUemewi had given him, of the establishment]
of the Mission. At last, however, they yielded to thef
persuasions of Zoisberger, and a deputation, consisting'
of himself, Senseman, Abraham, and two Monseys,
left Goschgoschiink in October for the capital of th^
Senecas.

They found that Hagastaak was attending the Con-
gress at Fort Stanwix, where three thousand Indians
were gathered to settle a sfeneral boundary with the

348

LIFE AND TIMES OF

'mm

Middle Colonies. A line was established which "began
at the north, where Canada Creek joins Wood Creek,
and leaving Xcw York, passed from the nearest ibrk
of the West Branch of the Snsquehanna to Kittanning
on the Alleghany, whence 't followed that river and the
Ohio down to the Tennessee."^ The wide area which
Pennsylvania thus secured embraced Friedenshiitten
and all the land of the Susquehanna Mission.

In the absence of Ilagastaak, the embassy from Gosch-
goschlink iiad an interview with his councilors ; and,
while Abraham asked for leave to transfer the Mission
to the Seneca territory on the Onenge, Zeisberger de-
livered an earnest protest against the warning which
had emanated, at least ostensibly, from the Council of
Zonesschio. He appealed to the character of his work,
to his long residence among the Aquauoschioni, to his
adoption into one of their nations, and asked whether
these things ought not to keep the Seuecas from in-
citing the Delawares and Shawanese, or Indians of any
other name, against his doctrines and his life. The
Council assured him that the warning of which he com-
plained had never been issued by them, but had been
devised by irresponsible parties; and promised to lay
the petition for a grant of land on the Onenge before
Ilagastaak.

Meanwhile Allemewi had opened negotiations with
the th ree tribal ch iefs of the Delawares, namely , Neta-

1 Bancroft's TJ. S., vi. 227, 228; Ponn. Col. Records, ix. 554, 555;
Penn. Archives, iv. 308, 309; Taylor's Ohio, 181.

DAVID ZEISBERGEB.

349

wiitweSj|_jQJLthe. TjiT'tle T.i^^ or Amochk,

of the .Turkey Tribe^ uud Packaixke, of the Wolf Tribe.
He found that the threutening message which had been
brought in their name to Goschgoschiink was likewise
spurious, and that they favored the Mission. Packanke <
added, that the land on the Onenge was his, and did not>-
bclong to tlie Senecaa, and that he would be glad to seej
it occupied by Christian Indians.

Such friendly responses were not without their iuflu-N
euce at Goschgoschiink. The Christian party separatedf
more completely from the heathen, and took a morej
decided stand in favor of the Gospel. Seven huts,
inhabited by six families, now clustered around thej*
Mission House.

' Netawiitwos, who was often callod King Nowcomor, from New
comorstown, or Gokcleniukpccliunk, his capitiil, was the head of thO( .
Delaware Nation. Colonel Bouquet had deposed him for refusing to f* ^^
attend a conference at the close of the Pontiac War, but this deposition! ^
was merely nominal, and did not invalidate his authority among thoJ''>*T '/
natives.

■/;

350

LIFE AND TIMES OF

CHAPTER XIX.

ZEISBERGER AT LAWUXAKIIANNEK.— 17C9, 1770.

Wholesale slimghter of door. — Opposition to the Christian party breaks
out afresh. — Sacrificial feasts. — The Mission temporarily removed to
Lawunakhannek. — The new settlement in the heart of the present
Oil Region. — Zoisberger's account of the wells. — His hopes of tJie
ultii..ate triumph of the Gospel. — Glikkikan's first visit to the
Mission. — He comes as the champion of heathenism and leaves
convicted of sin. — Anthony's sententious arguments. — A dire famine.
— Zeisberger and Senseman go to Fort Pitt to procure food. — A
frontier Indian war prevented by this visit. — The ruins of Fort
Venango. — Glikkikan brings an invitation from Packankc to transfer
the Mission to his land. — The first baptisms at Lawunakhannek.
— Allemewi baptized. — I'ackanko's oft'er accepted. — The farewell
council instituted by Wangomcn. — Departure from Lawunak-
hannek.

In the beginning of 1769, the hunters of the clan

'^'returned from their autumnal chase, bringing the pelts

of more than two thousand deer. The fur trade had

greatly increased after the Pontiac War; hence such

1 wholesale slaughter, by wliich the deer in the valley of

' the Alleghany were almost extirpated.

Some of these hunters had been violent opponents of
the Gospel; but now they began to be present at the
services of the Mission. This excited the heathen party
anew. The same falsehoods were revived that had
been used with such success when the Mission was first
established. Nightly dances were, moreover, planned

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

351

and sacrificial feasts inaugurated, to which the con-
verts received urgent invitations. They continued true
to their Christian vows, however, without exception.

Such feasts deserve a more par ticular de scription.
They wercfivii__in_jj^ml)fir. Tji£_^r8t^hi;ce consisted
of otferiu^sofbear's meat or venison, which was pro-
cured by a hunting-party appcMited for this purpose.
While such a party was on the chase, women garnished
the house in which the sacrifice was to be held. On
their return, the hunters fired a volley in the outskirts
of the town, as a signal, and then moved to the lodge
in procession, carrying their game. There the guests
seated themselves on litters of grass, and were supplied
with meat and corn-bread. Portions of the fat, together
with the bones, were cast into the fire ; all the rest was
eaten. A feast was repe; '^ed for three or four succes-
sive days, l/cginning in the afternoon, and continuing
through the n' ''ht until morning.

A t the fi jcst te. "rificCjafter each meal, there was a slow
and measured d uce, led by an li'dian rattling a small, >•'
tortoise-shell filled with pebbles, and singing of dreams,
or chanting the names of the various manitous which .^^x
the assembled company worshiped. The second
diftered from this merely in the disgusting appear-
ance of the men, who, before beginning to dance,
stripped themselves to their })reech-cloths and smeared
their persons with white clay. At the third, ten or
more tanned deer-skins were distributed among old
men and women, who wrapped them around their
shoulders, left the house, and, turning to the east, in-

■'..-.

'v..

,v,'-l

A"^

ft)

;

..-t

gi-

.;i352

L/F^ ^iV^/> T/Jf£:S OiJ'

I p

^ /

,x'

voked the Great Spirit on behalf of the family which
••gave the feast.

The foiirtli was called Machtugu. It required an oven,
[constrncted of twelve pieces of twelve difl'erent sorts of
Vwood, not more and not less, and covered closely with
jblankets. Into this were put twelve stones of medium
'size, heated to their greatest intensity, and then the
entertainer crept in, with eleven guests, strewing
/ jtobacco upon the stones, and praying to his raanitou.
Meanwhile a friend, hired with twelve fathoms of wam-
pum, stood in front of a post covered with the head and
hide of a buck, and, turning his face toward the east,
called upon the same manitou. This continued until
the occupants of the oven were unconscious, when they
were dragged out. A feast of bear's meat began as
soon as they had revived. 4£2C^{^£!<^ep^ted^_twfii£,e

tJ£i2S^J3ii^'A^-i'' -Si^'i certain of salvation.
At the last feast the Indians gorged themselves with

!^the flesh of the bear, which they devoured as long as
they could, in the natural way. "When this was no
longer possible, they forced it down their throats until
the stomach rejected the monstrous load. Thereupon
they fell to again, passed through the same ordeal,
/and finally drank the liquid fat. The sicker they got,
and the more frequently they vomited, the better
pleased was the manitou.

- '^^^1'*^ were never less than four Indians engaged

o w'ait^nMthe guests. Their pay was wampum, and

hey had, moreover, the privilege of selling refresh-

Iments to the spectators, who gathered from far and

DAVID ZEISBEROER.

353

ly which

an oven,
t sorts of
sely with

medium

then the

strewing

maniton.

of wara-

head and

the east,

:ied until

hen they

began as

Ives with
3 long as
was no
'ats until
lereupon
5 ordeal,
they got,
3 better

engagejd
iim, and
refresh-
far and

near. On the last day, rum-dealers generally made .
their appearance, so that drunken brawls and murders'''
usually formed the close of these gross rites. What
some of them imported, the natives were themselves
unable to explain. They_could3ot__eyeji__^ive_intd^
llgibly JJie_j2ifiiuniig_of^lj_Jhe_^ nani£^^^
feasts \\3u:ie3»ii2iy-Jtl^---^Ptbiii^ shp tb.e bw^tejidency j
of theh'_r9J[i^iin_rnqre clearly than these sacrifices.*

About the time that they were employed at Gosch-
goschiink to lure the Christian party from their faith,
Wangomen returned to the village, after a protracted
absence, and lent all his influence to the heathen
faction, whose persecutions grew to be intolerable.
Another savage willfullj' broke the regulation with)
regard to strong drink, and introduced such quan-j
tities of it that drunkenness became common. The
converts were discouraged, and Zeisberger recognized
the necessity of removing the Mission to some other
place, where it would be undisturbed, until he could
determine in what part of the Western wilderness
to establish it permanently. To this end he selecte'9\
Lawunakhannek, three miles above Goschgoschiink, on)
the eastern bank of the river, whither all the Chris-
tian Indians, except two families, betook themselves^
in April, in spite of the opposition of the heathen
party, that was glad to see the teachers go, but unwill-
ing to have their town depopulated by the exodus oX
any of its native inhabitants.

> Zeisbergor's MS. History of the Indians.
23

Ill

*»

■"^

..>-•

354

LIFE AND TIMES OF

^^ The new village, which consisted of substantial log-

' /houses and a chapel, stood in the heart of tjie present

Oil Region. Its rich springs were known in that early

day. Both Indians and traders prized the petroleum

j for its medicinal qualities, but its excellency as a burn-

i ing fluid was not appreciated.'

As soon as the Christian Indians had left Goschgosch-

unk, it relapsed into still grosser darkness. But Zeis-

berger's faith in the power of the Gospel remained

/'unshaken. "We have now lived," he writes, "for ten

\montlis between the two towns of Goschgoschunk.

(That the Saviour has kept and preserved us amid these

(godless and malicious savages is wonderful. They have

heard, but they resist, the Gospel, not only because

they are blind, and under the influence of the Prince

of Evil, but also because they are desperately wicked.

I doubt not, however, that more than one among them

will yet be convicted of sin, rud seek forgiveness with

Jesus."^

1 Zeisborgcr says, " IJiavcLJPW) .tlipee kinds of oil spriQgs,— ^ucli us
have an outlet, such as have nonCj and siich as rise from thojjottora of
creeks. From tlie first water and oil flow out together, the oil impreg-
nating the grass and soil ; in the second it gathers on the surface of the
water to the depth of the thickness of a finger ; from the third it rises
to the surface and flows with the current of the creek. The Indians
prefer wells without an outlet. From such they first dip the oil that
has accumulated ; then stir the well, and, when the water has settled,
fill their kettles with fre.?h oil, which they purify by boiling. It is
used medicinally, as an ointment, for toothache, headache, swellings,
rheumatism, and sprains. Sometimes it is taken internally. It is of
a brown color, andean also be used in lamps. It burns well." — Zeis-
bei-ger's MS. History of the Indians.

' Zcisberger's Journal. MS. B. A.

■4

._-V

Z>^ r/T) AFASBFAIGER.

355

In the begiiinin^of June^ he met Glikkikaii for the
first time, who_ subsecjuently became__tl^e^jaio§t^^stjn-
guished convert pfjtlie^Western Mission. A captain,
the speaker in the Council of Kaskaskunk, and Pac-
kanke's principal adviser, his fame as a warrior wa^
eclipsed only by his reputation for eloquence. He
had fought in many a battle, both in the internecine
wars of the Indians and the protracted struggle of the
French against the English ; and he had made many a
council-house ring with bursts of native oratory. Even
the white man was no match for him. At Venango, he
had sileiiced_^tlie_ Jesujts, who wojild have gon verted his
nation j^at^ Tuscarawas, Frederick Post had succumbed
t£ his, power. And now he came to confound the mis-
sionaries on the Alleghany. Soon after their arrival,
he had sent them a tantalizing message with regard to {
the manufacture of gunpowder, and ever since that time j
this visit, which was to result in their disgraceful retreat;
to the settlements, had been anxiously expected by'
Wangomen, who was his brother, and the other leaders ■■
of paganism. These escorted him to the Mission House
at Lawunakhannek in a body. He had prepared him-
self for the interview, considered the points of his
harangue, and, in fact, committed its very words to*
memory; but, when in sight of the town, be could not
recall a single sentence, as he afterward acknowledged,
and wisely resolved first to hear what the Christians
would say. Zeisberger being absent, Anthony received)
him. "Anthony," writes the former, "was as eager to)
bring souls to Christ as a hunter's hound is eager toj

K-'

- Vw,

^J-' -■''-'

v.-v

356

LIFE AND TIMES OF

.chase the deer." Placing food before his guests, he
limrnediately introduced the subject of religion.

"My friends," he said, "hear me; I will tell you a
great thing. God made the heavens, the earth, and all
things that in them are. Nothing exists which God
has not made." Pausing a little, he continued, "God
has created us. But who of us knows his Creator?
Not one ! I tell you the truth, not one! For we have
fallen away from God ; we are polluted creatures ; our
minds are darkened by sin." Here he sat down, and
was silent a long time. Suddenly rising again, he
exclaimed, " That God, who made all things and
created us, came into the world in the form and
fashion of a man. Why did He thus come into the
world? Think of this !" He resumed after awhile: "I
will show you. God became a man, and took upon
himself flesh and blood, in order that, as man. He
might reconcile the world unto himself. By His bitter
death on the Cross He procured for us life and eternal
salvation, redeeming us from sin, from death, and from
,the power of the devil." In such apothegms he un-
I folded the whole Gospel. When he had liuished, Zeis-
;berger, who had meanwhile entered the house, briefly
j corroborated his words, and exhorted Glikkikan to lay
them to heart.

Glikkikan was an honest man, and open to conviction.

\ He upheld the superstitions of his fathers because he

had not yet been convinced of the reality of Christian

j faith. On this occasion, however, the truth began to

j dawn upon his mind. In place of his elaborate speech,

DAVID ZEISBERGEE.

357

res ; our

■/

he merely replied : " I have nothing to say. I believe
your words." And when he returned to Goschgosehunk,
instead of announcing the discomfiture of the teachers,
he urged the people to go to hear the Gospel, and re-
proved them for their wickedness. lie had been hired,
like Balaam, to curse God's own, but, like Balaam, he
wfis constrained to bless them.

About this time, a dire famine broke out along the
Alleghany, and compelled Zeisberger and Senseman to
visit Fort Pitt, where Mellegan, a trader and corre-
spondent of "William Henry, of Lancaster, supplied
their wants, according to instructions from the Mission
Board.

Their arrival was opportune. Depredations, com-
mitted by irresponsible bands of Senecas, on their way
to the south country, had been understood by the com-
mandant, and the settlers as far as Ligonier, to signify
war. Great consternation prevailed. Many farms were
deserted ; from others the women and children had
been sent away ; while at the fort active preparations
were going on to punish the savages. Coming from
the heart of the Indian territory, Zeisberger knew this
to be a false alarm, and reassured the commandant. A
rising among the AVostern Indians, he said, was not
thought of. He would ask them, on his return, to send /
peace-messages to the fort, to substantiate this assertion, j
"With regard to the mode of treating the aborigines in/
general, he gave the commandant such counsel as his!
long residence among them suggested, and urged par-1
ticularly the appointment of an Indian agent for tlie/

368

LIFE AND TIMES OF

I <-'

^^^

ill

Wodt. Thus Zeisborger saved the border from a con-
tlict which might have grown into a protracted war.
Ill response to his appeal, the tribes of tlic Alleghany
hastened to bring white belta and friendly messages.

, Ooniidence was restored.

The trail baek to the Mis. n led him over the site of
Fort VenatJgo, one of the posts destroyed in the Pontiac
War. '• The fort," he writes, "was entirely consumed.
A short distance from it stood a saw-mill. This the
Indians spared, probably with the intention of using
it, but not understanding its machinery, it has been
[neglected and fallen to pieces. On the bank above
Onenge we found a cannon of curious workmanship,

.'brought that far by the savages from tlio fort. Had we

Idiscovered it on our way down we would have taken it

(along to Fort Pitt." »

A second visit from Glikki^kan cheerod^lus heart. He
came to tell him that h(> had determined to embrace

^Christianity, and to invite him, in the name of Packanke,

|to settle near Kaskaskunk, on a tract of land which

I should be reserved for the exclusive use of the Mission.

: "Wangomen had been intrusted with a similar invitation,
months before this, from all the three tribal chiefs, but
had never delivered it. Zeisberger saw the advantages

*■ of the offer. Deeming himself, however, unauthorized
to accept it, he sent t\yp runners to the Board at Beth-
lehem, asking for instructions. The Board gave him

; unlimited power to act as he might deem best.

1 ZeisbiTgei- .Juurnal. MS. B. A.

DAVJD ZEISBRRGER.

359

Pleasing experiences were now in store for him. In
the ear ly hou rs of a Dece^inber ^vening^ the first Pro t
estant baptism in thejralj^; ofj^ie^^^iio^fjiftii^: took pla^e
at Lawii nakhanne k, and was administered to Luko
and Paulina. It was followed, at Christmas, by that of
AUemewi, who was named Solomon. In the beginning
of the new year several other converts were added tQ^
the Church.

The power of the heathen party was broken, through
the unexpected defection of Glikkikan, and the j'crse
cutions, from which the Mission liad so long suffered
came to an end. As the converts had accepted tho)
offer of Packankc, and were about to withdraw fromi
Lawuuakhannek, Wangomen invited them, and their
teachers, to a farewell-council, at whieh he proposed
that they should part as friends, and apologized for
the two attempts which had been made, by his young,
people, to take Zeisbergcr's life. In reply, Zeisbergerf
forgave all tho injuries which he had endured while
among the tribe, and once more earnestly appealed to
them to turn to tho living God.

On the^a cj-gn tcenth of -4P£J^> 1770, the Christian,^
Indian-^ left L awunjikhannek in fifteen canoes. As)
they approached Ooschgoschlink, its inhabitants came
down to th bank to see them pass, from which, unex-
pectedl}- to all, a solitary canoe put off and joined them.
It contained Gcndaskund and his family. Celebrating
this open triumph in the ad: of their departure, the ^'
converts swept out of sight of Goschgoschlink anjjj
its iniquitous savages.

360

LIFE AND TIMES OF

III

lii

CHAPTER XX.

ON THE BEAVER RIVER, AND FIRST VISIT TO OHIO.— 1770, 1771.

The Christian Indians at Fort Pitt. — Sail down thoOiiio and ascend the
Beaver Itiver. — A wonuin's town. — Languntoutcnunk, or Friedcns-
stadt, founded. — An embassy to I'aekunkc — Kaska.~kunk his capital. —
Glikkikan beeomes a Christian. — Keproaches of I'ackankc. — Glik-
kikan's calm reply. — Zeisberger is naturalized among tiie Monseys. —
The Christian Indians and tribute. — A new Mission town built on the
west bank of the Beaver. — Jungmann and his wife become Zeis-
berger's assistants. — Senseman ri'turns to the settlements. — An
awakening. — Zeisberger visits Gekelemukpechunk, the capital of the
Delawares. — Description of the town. — First Protestant sermon in the
State of Ohio. — The doctrine of emetics. — A crusade against Zeis-
berger proclaimed by an Indian preacher. — Dedication of a new
Church at Languntoutoniink.

||'.

'■h- ' .ii'iiiiii jl

Gliding down the Alleghany, the little flotilla reached
Fort Pitt on the twentieth of April. When this post
still bore the name of Duquesne, and French priests
were as active as French soldiers, it had often been

But now, .for tjie first
of Protestant converts. It
was a novel sight. Traders and the garrison thronged
the camp, and beheld, with astonishment, the problem
solved, that savages can be changed into consistent
Christians.

Leaving this testimony behind them, they proceeded
down the Ohio to the confluence of the Beaver. This
region, which now teems with the traffic of the Ohio and
Pennsylvania Railroad, and of the Beaver and Erie

j' J*" visited by baptized Indians
' j^ [time, app eared a company c

DAVW ZEISDERGER.

361

'•«

■r-.

^'^.

1 Day's Perm. Hist. Collections fixes the locality at Darlington, Beaver
County. An egregious error !

2 Day places Kaskaskunk in Butler County. This is wrong, as Zeis-
berger's MS. Journal proves.

Canal, and is enlivened by a clnster of four towns', was)
then a deep solitude. Not a wigwam even of a native)
could be seen, only the ruins of 8akunk, an Indian vil-1
lagc abandoned long ago. They steered ni) the Beaver,/ j,
and beyond its rapids eanio to the first town since leav- ^tT
ing the fort. It was inhabited — strange to say — by a » ^ ^^
community of women, all single, and all pledged never- '■'.'-^
to marry ! One mile above this place was a broad plain, jr,
on the east side of tlie river. Here an encampment of * '
bark-huts was put up. It must have been in Lawrence*
County, between the Shcnango River and Slippery Rock^
Creek.'

The first business undertaken was an embassy toi
Packanke, whose capital. New Kaskaskunk, stood near,y
or perhaps on the site of New Castle, at the junction of^,
the Neshannock Creek with the Shenango.^ Old Kas-
kaskunk, the former capital, was at the confluence of
the Shenango and Mahoning, which form the Beaver.
Pa ckanke, a venerable, gray-haired chi^^Jbut active^s
inj he days of his youth j received the deputation at his
ownj^oijse. In response to the speeches of Abraham
and Zeisberger, who thanked him for the home which
he had granted the Christian Indians, and made known
the principles of their faith, he said that they were wel-
come in his country, and should be undisturbed in the
worship of their God. A great feast was in course of

ft .1

362

LIFE AND TIMES OF

■\.

preparation, and Indians were coming in from every

side. Nadvc etiquette required that the deputies should

grace tlic occasion by their presence; but after Abra-

I ham's exposition of their views, Packauke made no

j^attompt to detain them.

The encampment w^as now changed into a town, to
' which Zcisberger gave the name of Languntouteniink
uFrkdenssia^H, or City_of Peace). It soon began to at-
tract the Indians. The first to arrive were a number
!of Mousey s from Goschgoschiink, who avowed them-
I selves disgusted with its wickedness, and joined the
';Mission. They were followed by Gllikkikan, from Kas-
Kaskunk. Zcisberger gave him a cordial reception, but
failed not to tell him all that he must relinquish, and
the persecutions to which he would be subjected. Glik-
ikikan, however, had counted the cost, and Avas deter-
■' mined to live and die with God's people. And from
I that day until he fell in the massacre at Gnadenhiitten,
he remained true to his resolution.

Not only the persecutions, which Zcisberger had
predicted, followed this step, but it produced a change
m the sentiments of Packanko. He was not prepared
to lose his bravest warrior and best counselor. He
reproached Glikkikan, and denounced the Mission.
"And have you gone to the Christian teachers from
our very council ?" he said. " What do you want of
them ? Do you h.ope to get a white skin ? Not so
much as one of your feet will turn white • how then can
your whole ^kin be changed? Were you not a brave
man ? Were you not an honorable counselor ? Did

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

363

you not sit at my side in this house, witli a blankets

before you and a pile of wanipuni-belts on it, and' TA.: •••(><«,', w

help me direct the affairs of o,\y nation? And now

you despise all this. You think you have found some-f

thing better. Wait! In good time you will discover

how miserably you have been deceived." To this burst

of passion Glikkikan replied, " You are right; I have

joined the Brethren, Where they go, I will go; where

they lodge, I will lodge. Nothing shall separate me

from them. Their people shall be my ])eopk', and their

God my God,'" Attending church at Languntouten- '

link, a few days after this, he was so moved by a dis-!

course on the heinousness of sin and the grace of the

Saviour, that he walked through the village back to his

hut, sobbing aloud. '• A haughty war-captain weeps

publicly in the presence of his former associates,"

writes Zeisberger. "This is marvelous! Thus the

Saviour, by Ilis Word, breaks the hard hearts andc^

humbles the proud minds of the Indians."

Meanwhile Gendaskund had succeeded in conciliating
Packanke, who resumed his friendly relations to the
Mission, He could not but grant the force of the argu-
ment that if he invited preachers of the Gospel to his[
country, he must permit them to prciich : and if they/
preached, he must expect the Indians to accept their)
religion. A b o u t _ 1 1 io_ j.a m e time, moreover, Zeisbergwj
gaiiiedajK^ti()n simong Jhg Monseys which coiij^;
strained the old chief to be his friend.

1 Zcisborgor'.s Journal. MS. B. A.

364

LIFE AND TIMES OF

It grew out of a suggestion, made by Wangomen at
the farewell-council with the Goschgoschiink clau, to
appoint an umpire who should settle all differences be-
tween the Christian Monseys and the rest. Zeisberger
rejected the plan, not understanding its object. But
when this had been subsequently explained to him,
, he sent Geudaskund and Allemewi to consult with
Wangomen. The result was a formal offer, on the part
' of the Monseys of Goschgoschunk, to adopt Zeisberger
\ into their tribe, and to constitute Woachel apuehk, one
j of their headmen, the umpire. This offer was accepted,
! and the act of naturalization consummated, with due
'\ ceremony, at Kaskaskunk, in the presence of Packanke
I and his council (July 14). Zeisberger was invested
' with all the rights and privileges of a Monsey. Any
complaint which he, as the head of the Mission, might
have to bring against such Monseys as were not con-
nected with the Church, was to be submitted to Woa-
chelapuehk. It was further stipulated that the covenant
thus made should be published at Gekelemukpechlink
and Onondaga, to the Shawanese and Wyandots, as well
as to all other friendly tribes.

On this occasion, too, the views of the Christian In-
dians were set forth with regard to tribute. The only
/tribute of which the aborigines knew consisted in
wampum and peltries. The former was used for the
jmessages which were constantly passing from tribe to
\ tribe ; the latter for the pledges interchanged at treaties.
A report luid spread that the converts refused to con-
tribute their share. This Wai.gomen contradicted in

'■M

DAVID ZEISDERGER.

365

^.-

their uamo and by their authority. They were willing
to pay a due part, except for the purposes of war. As
an evidence of their sincerity in the matter, he pre-
sented to Paskunke a string of live fathoms from Lan-J .;
irnntouteniink. ^y

2jii^!l£l'S£i'.'3 Bi^P^^*^'^ among the Monseys proYe8.J;Jie ^y
complete triumph which he had gained over the In- >■ .
dians of Goschjspschunk. Thev flocked to his vil- "*< '
lage. Their preacher, who had moved all the powers
of heathenism to crush the Mission, avoided an open
disgrace by nationalizing the cause which a majority
of his clan had espoused.

Toward the end of July, Zeisberger laid out a new'~
and larger town, with a church, on a hill on the west/
side of the river, opposite the tirst. In October, John/
George Juugmann^ and his wife arrived to aid him in)
his work. Senseman returned to the settlements.

Sustained by_his new assistant, and especially by Mrs. Ct^
Jungmann, who spoke the I)elawarc_ tongue ^fl^^e^_tJy'''f-^ii^ -
and exerciseda^ood influence ovciMiIto IndiayijY^omen,
Zeisberger proclaimed the Gospel with power and great
success. An awakening took place. Not a few be-
lieved. Inquiry-meetings were held every evening in
Abraham's new house, often histing until midnight.
The very children were impressed and tiilked of Jesus.

'-'i.

>, .

1 John G. Juiigmiinii was Ixji'ii, Api'il I'.t, IT'JO, Jit IIotlvonheim,'ni\
the PiiliUinute. In 17ol he iiniaigiatecl wiili liis ratiior to America, and j
settled near Oley, in Pennsylvania. There lie became acquainted with/
the Moravians, whom lie joined, to the great indignation of his family. I
In 17'15 ho married the widow of Gottloh Biittner, and served the^
Church in various capacities at Falicner's Swamp, Gnadonhiitton, Pach-
gatgoch, Bethlehem, and Frlcdenshiittcn, until he was called to the
Beaver Iliver.

366

LIFE AND TIMES OF

/Oil. Christmas eve, Glikkikaii and Gcndas kund r eceived
( baptis m ; the former' was called Isaac, and the latter
! Jacob. Otlier converts were baptized on subsequent
'Occasions. Twenty-two persons had followed Zeisberger
from the Alleghany ; now his flock numbered seventy-
three, of whom thirty-six had conie out from Gosch-
gosehiink. Ilis pious anticipations were realized.
Having sown in tears, he was at last reaping a liarvest
[with joy eveii from that barren ground.

In March of 1771, he undertook his first visit to
Gekel^eiaukjjechuuk-, Anthojiy, Glikkikan, Jeremiah,
I Mingo chief, and a Delaware Indian, escorted him,
:The whole party was mounted. They reached the Tus-
carawas River in six days, crossed it on a raft, and rode
down its northern bank to a beautiful plain, rising from
the lowlands in a sudden sweep, wliero Nugen's Bridge
now spans the stream, and extending to the hills that
/bound the valley. Here, amid a clearing of nearly a
^square mile, a little distance east of the present New-
coraerstown, lay Gekelemukpechiink, the capital of the
Delawares and seat of their Grand Council.^ It was a
large and flourishing town of about one hundred houses,
mostly built of logs. On the south side of the river
were the plantations. Zeisberger was the guest of
\ Netawatwes, whoso roomy dwelling, with it^. rljir-irlc-
\roof and board-floors, its staircase and scone-.hiniM^3\
formed one of those Delaware lodges that rivu fd t'T-
jhomesteads of the settlers.

• frokolcmukpoclnink occujiipd tlio out-lots of Newcomprsto-, .t. ■!;
'Jxt'oi'd Town-hip, Tuscariiwas Comity, Ohio, and extended I'ruiii the
field next above the school-house to Nv.2;pn's Brid<'e.

'•t

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

367

At noon of tlu; t'ourtecntli this house wiis tilled with^
Indians eager to hear the teacher whose iUnie had pre-j
ceded liitn. Thi; thioiig was so great that many stood
outside. Nearly a dozen white men, most of them
traders, were present. Netawatwes having introduced )
him to the assembly, ZeitiUej:ger preached the tirs_t Prot-j
estant sermon within the State of Ohio. Ills subject
was the corruptness of human nature and the efficacy of
Christ's atonement. lie took particular pains to expose
tlie absurdity of the doctrine, which the Indian preachers i
were at that time universally urging, that sin must be
purged out of the body by vomiting, and which was
ruining the healtli of their victims. After a stay of ,^
some days, devoted lo missionary labors, he returned to
Friedensstadt in time for the Passion-week, which wasj
distinguished by the baptism of new converts.

He had scarcely left the Delaware capital, wlien one
of those preachers appeared, whose silly falsehoods he .^
had laid bare, and proclaimed a crusade against him,
denouncing him as a notorious deceiver, that enslaved
the Indians, and threatening the most terrible judg-
ments of the Great Spirit in case the people gave him
any further countenance. This produced no little ex-
citement in the town. When Glikkikan came there,
sevaral weeks later, lie found a strong party opposed to
the Gospel, but succeeded by his earnest appeals in
counteracting its influence.

On the twentieth of June, the log church at Langun-
toutenlink was dedicated. The Mission had increased
to one hundred persons.

•t*'

"N,.

iiil
ffl

368

LIFE AND TIMES OF

CHAPTER XXL

THE SUSQUEHANNA CONVERTS SETTLE IN THE WEST.— FIRST
MISSIONARY TOWN IN OHIO.— 1771. 1772.

il'i

A deputation from the General Board. — Zoisborgor visits Bcthleliem.
— Removal of llio whole Mi.^r>ion to the AVest determined upon. —
Zeisberger luj.s this plan before the Susquehanna con\erts. — John
Heckcwelder appointed his assistant. — Zeisbcrger's illness at Lan-
caster. — Return tn Beaver River and second visit to Ohio. — Diseovers
the Big Spring in the Tusearawas valley. — Ancient fortifications
in its neighborhood. — Tlie Christian Indians receive a large tract
of land from tlie Dclawarfs. — Zeisberger begins tlie first missionary
town in Ohio. — Description of tlic Tuscarawas valley and of the
Delaware country in general. — Homes of the Shawaneso and Wy-
andots. — Exploration of tlie West by Carver and Boone. — Progress
and population of Western Colonies. — Description of the site of the
first missionary town. — The Mission House. — Arrival of the Susque-
hanna converts. — Their journey to tlie Wi'st. — A missionary confer-
ence at Friedensstadt. — The first church-bell in Ohio. — More land
ceded to the Christian Indian-. — Zeisbcrger's illness and its self-
denying cause. — A second missionary conferenci;. — The Statutes and
Rules of the Christian Indians. — Two evangelists of the Scotch So-
ciety for propagating tlie Gospel come to convert the Delawares. —
Progress of the Mission. — Descrifition of Schiinbrunn. — Founding of
Gnadenhiitten.

A DEPUTATION from the General Board in Germany,
coni^isting of Christian Gregor,* John Loretz,^ and John

1 Born. 1723, in Silesia; a member of the Gi'ueral Board from 1764
to 1801; consecrated a bishop in 1780; died, 1801, at Berthelsdorf, in
Saxony. He_was . onq of. tho_ inost distinguisJied hymnologists of the
Church, and ilii' editor of her Gerrnan Hyjiiu Book.

3 Born in Switzerland, a polishi'd man of the world, who entered the
Moravian ministry after his conversion, became a member of the Gen-

DAVID ZFASBERGER.

3G9

r— FIRST

Christian Alexander de Sclnvcinitz,' hud arrived at Both-
leheni (November, 1770), in order to visit the Moravian *
Churches of America. Schweinitz remained in this
country, became the "Administrator" of the estates of;
the LInitas Fratrum, a member of the Mission Board,/
and a warm supporter of the Avork among the Indians. J

To meet these deputies, Zeisbergor was called toj
Bethlehem (July, 1771), where a missionary conference'"^
was held which led to important results.

While he was preaching to the natives on the Alle-
ghany and Beaver Rivers, the Mission at Friedenshiitten,
under the faithful ministry of Schmick, had prospered
greatly. In 1709 a second enterprise had been begun
by John Roth, at Schechschiquanunk, so that there
no\y existed three towns of Christian Indians, two on
the Susquehanna and one on the Beaver.^ But, as has
been mentioned in another conne^'tion, the land granted
by the Iroquois Council to the Husquehauna converts

crnl Udurd in ITOl*, iind died in 1708. Hsjj;as_ tla3j(mli,<ir,«f the Batit
Disaplina:.

• Son of John Christian do Schwi mit/., and born on liis father's cst*te
of Niodcr Loulta. in Saxony, October 17, 1740, whoro those; Moravian
emigranls who fmindcd Hcrrnhiit wen- i-ntortaincd oa their flight from
thoir nativt,' country. His father having joined tlie Moravian Church,
ho was educated for service in tliesame, and appointed the firi't Admin-
istrator of her American estates, wliich important trust he discharged
for twenty-.-even years (1770 to 1797). In 1707 ho was ek'cled to the
General Board in Germany, and died in oflV'ci in 1802, after having
been ordained a Senior Civilis the year before.

- The Mission at rachgatgocli, in New England, was sustained untily
1770, amid many adverse cireumstanccs. In tliat year, Thorp, the last)
mi.'isionary, was witlidrawn, and Francis TJoehler, stationed al Sicheml
as a preacher among the white settlers, was commissioned occasionally
to visit the remnant of Indians. — Bethlehem Diary of 1770. MS. B. A.\

370

LIFE AXD TIMES OF

V\m

F 'liii

now formed a part of the tract sold by the same Council
to Pennsylvania at the treaty of Fort Stanwix. Gov-
ernor Penu had, indeed, forbidden the surveyors to run
a line within live miles of either town; nevertheless the
Misy on had too often experienced the evils resulting
from the proximity of settlers to be satisfied with such
a guarantee. Moreover, the Yankee and Pennamito
War raged in the valley of Wyoming; and the disturh-
ances which had been inaugurated were bcgii 'ing to
ati:ect Fi'iedenshiitten, whose teachers saw that it was no
•lonffer a safe retreat for the Mission, On the other
ihand, tlie Grand Council at (Tekelemuk])ecliiink had
•jUrgeJitly invited the Christian Indians to settle among
fthe Delawares.

In consideration of all this, Zeisberger was persuaded
that the unreclaimed wilderness of the present State of
,Ohio constituted the future field for the missionary
^operations of the Church, and advised the removal of
'the whole body of converts to that country. The con-
^ference adopted his views, and he was commissioned to
lay the project before the Indians of Friedenshiitten and
Schechschiquanunk. At t he sa me time, John Ilecke-
^vclder was^ajjjjointed his assistant, with special instruc-
tions to perfect himself in the Delaware language.

Taking Philadelphia on his way, where he had an
interview with Vice-Governor Hamilton, he came to
Friedenshiitten in the beginning of September and
co.ivened a council of the converts from both stations.
They unanimously accepted the offers of the Delaware
chiefs, and resolved to emigrate to the West in spring.

le Council
ix. Gov-
:ors to run
thelcss the
I resulting
with Much
Pounumito
lie distuvh-
jinitinu; lo

t it \V!IS ll(»

the ollu'l'
■hiiiik hiul
tie among

persuaded
nt State of
missionary
removal of
The con-
issioned to
hiitten and
hn Ilecke-
;iai iustruc-
uage.

he had an
came to
niiher and
th stations.
3 Delaware
in spring.

DA VI n Z EISD EK G FAl

371

Having recovered from a severe and dangerous fever,
with which ho was suddenly seized at Lancaster and
which brought him to the brink of the grave, Zeisberger
hastened back to the Beaver River.

In early spring (1T72), accompanied by several con-A

verts, one of whom was Glikkikan, he proceeded to
(h'keleniukpcchunk 1
HnH(|nohanna Indians.

It is intercstlntf to traof his route. lie took the great
trail from Fort Pitt to Tuscarawas, wliich old for.sakeii
town formed one of the Imidmarks of that day. Its s'lfe
was the Westerti bank of the Tuscarawas Kivt-r/ inUUt'-
diately opposite the crossing-|iluce of the trull, on the
line of Stark and Tuscarawas Counties. Turning to
the south, he followed the river, and passed Ihrougli
that part of the valley which is now enlivened by
Zoar, Canal Dover, New IMiiladebhia, and olhei'
towns. In the morning of the sixteenth of Afarcli, he
discovered a large spring, in the midst of the riclnsst
bottom-lands, above which lay a plateau offering an
exc

■perhaps more than a century ago, Indians must havt\jn'..i)/^j^^

/**

xcellent site for a town.. The natives of a former age, 7. » .
ad recognized its advantages. "Long ago," he writesV ], "-' ^-v

lived here, who fortified themselves against the attacks
of their enemies. The ramparts are still plainly to be
seen. We found three forts in a distance of a couple of

' In jci sbcrgcr's tim n. t.]i(^.Iuscariu\as Rjycr was called ^tlicMusliin-
^um. At present it does not receive this name \intil after its junction
witli the Wallionding, at Cosliocton. I use the names in tlieir present
acceptation.

872

LIFE A SI) TIMES OF

■' ' '

/^milos, TliL' wliole town must luivo been fortified, but
'(its site is now eovored with a tliick wood. No one
"f knows to wliat nation tliese Indiana belonged; it is
plain, however, that they were a warlike race." Con-
tinuing- Ilia jt)urney to the eonHuence of tlie Gekeleniuk-
peehlink (Htill Water Creek), he lure struck a direct
trail, wliich did noc wind along tne river, to the Dela-
ware capital. His negotiations with Netawatwea were
.eniinently aatisl'actory. The chief suggested that the

flission should i»c establisliod at the "Big Spring;" and
ladc H grant of all the land from the mouth of the
♦Tckelcninkpechlink northward to Tuscarawas.

Tluoe weeks later, with live families numbering

twenty-eight persons, Zeisberger, leaving the Mission on

jthe Beaver in charge of Jungnuum, went to build the

raj;;8t^Cln'istiau town in Ohio_. He reached the spring

iat noon of the third of May, and began to clear the

ground on the following morning.

IJej}^is^ now in that valley wliich w'as to be the scene

(2niis^reatest works and severest trials. Blooming like

the rose, with its farms, its rich meadows and gorgeous

,;;] orchards, it was in his day, although a wilderness, no

1 1^ less a land of plenty, and abounded in everything that

, \: makes the hunting-grounds of the Indian attractive. It

• - '-•" extended a distance of nearly eighty miles, inclosed on

both sides by hills, at the foot of which lay wide plains

terminating abruptly in blufts, or sloping gently to the

lower bottoms through which the river flowed. These

plains, that now form the fruitful tields of " the second

bottoms,'' as they are called, were then wooded with the

rhiil

DAVID ZEISDERGER.

378

e tlie scene

oak and the hickory, the ash, the chestnut, aixl ihe maple,
whicli interlocked their brandies, but stood compara-
tively free from the undergrowth of other forests. The
river-bottoms were far wilder. Here grew walnut-trees'
and gigantic sycamores, whose colossal trunks even
now astonish the traveler; bushy cedars, luxuriant
horse-chestnuts, and honey-locusts, cased in tlicir armor
of thorns. Between these clustered laurel bushes, with
their rich tribute of flowers, or were coiled the thick
mazes of the vine from which more fragrant tcndiils
twined themselves into the nearest boughs; while here
and there a lofty spruce-tree lift<d its evergreen crown
high above the groves. These forests \vere generous to
their jihijdreiK^JThe^ gave them the elm-bark to make
canoeSy the rind of tl ie birch for medicine, and every
variety of game fojrthei.r.food. The soil was even morci
liberal. It produced strawberries, blackberries, rasp-
berries, gooseberries, black currants, and cranberries;
nourished the plum, the cherry, the mulberry, the
papaw, and the crab-tree; and yielded wild potatoes,
pcasnips, and beans. Nor was the river chary of its
gifts, but teemed with fish of unusual size and excellent
flavor.*

J i I

1 It may lie intcrpstina; to some reaclers to hoar what Zr-ishorgor says^ ■^-
of the cliinatu of tlio Tuscarawas valley, in that day: " The summer is \
hot, especially in July and August; the winter very mild. The snow /
is seldom deep and soon melts. Thrro is little frost before .January. / ^jr-
Throughout the winter rain falls in great quantities, and there are fewi ••
bright days. Nevertheless the Muskingum generally freezes, once or/
even twice, in the course of this season. The grass of the river-bottomiV
remains green, and i.s found in full lu.vuriance by the end of Marehi x

East wind seldom continues longer than for half a day, and is not a sign';

-a.

■■

..>*^v*

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

''<" C,5

C/j

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I !^ Ilia

1.8

1.25 1.4 III 1.6

■== III —

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►

'c^l

%^^

Photographic

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Corporation

23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580

(716)872-4503

■;

4^j

1 1

i i

1 1

374

LIFE AND TIMES OF

111

¥'

This valle}', however, did not embrace the whole ter-
ritory of the Dclawares. Driven from the Delaware to
the Susquehanna, from the Susquehanna to the Alle-
ghany, and thence still I'arther west, they had at last
settled upon that tract which formed the munificent gift
of theAYyandots. Its boundary line began at the Beaver
River, extended to the Cuyahoga and along Lake Erie
to the Sandusky, up the Sandusky to the Hocking,
down the Hocking to the Ohio, and up that river to
Shingas Town, including nearly one-half of the present
State of Ohio.' The chief seats of the Monsey^^were^n
theBeavej^^J_ui_the^
iiiullJa^Qchtgfls.

The rest ofjOluD was inhabited by Shawanese and
Wvandots. Of the former, who were divided into four
tribes — t he Mequachak e, to whom be].o}igeu_the^hej:ed-
.tUood ; t he Chi llicothe ; the Kiskapocok, and
^iliS-.i^iSl'**'^ — some were found on the Muskingum, but
more on the Scioto.^ A part of the latter, with their
Half-King, had settled at the mouth of the Sandusky ;
the other part near Detroit. Thjg^se^ two Jribes were
nearly equal in point of population, but not as

of rain. This is broujf^ht by the south nnd west winds, and even by tho
northwest wind. Rain setting in with a west wind often continues for
a week."

' Boundiirios given by Glikicikan, in 1772, to John Ettwein. Ett-
wein's Journal. MS. B. A.

? Tli eir ciiicf towns on the Scioto were Piokuway, Kischbuki,

j^^[^cho'nchii^j^ and Chelokraty, where Henry, a white trader and

Jgunsmith, brother of Judge Uenry, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, was

"(domiciliated. This^ trader's wife, when aj^ild,Jiad been carried oft'

I O il i^ti ve b^ t he SJi invimjsci, and j^iad grown up nmqng them.

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

375

numerous as the JDela^\vares.^ At. that time there were
no settlements within the present State of Ohio,
although they stretched as far as the Virginia shore
of the Ohio River.^

More distant regions of the West were likewise
becoming known. Jonathan Carver, of ConnecticutJ*,
had explored the borders of Lake Superior and the
country of the SiQUj;^ b cypft d it, bringing back glowing

'^:^^

accounts of the copper mines of the- Northwest, and of

the great River Oregon, which he reported to flow into]
the Pacific ; and Daniel Boone had traversed Kentucky.
The British settlements had everywhere increased, in
spite of the efforts of the Home Government to prevent
their growth. Vincennes counted four hundred white
persons, and Detroit six hundred. The Colonies under
Spanish sway were still more flourishing. Saint Louis
had become an important center of the fur trade with
the Indians on the Missouri; New Orleans numbered
thirty-one hundred and ninety souls, among whom were
twelve hundred and twenty-five slaves; and the whole
population in the Mississippi valley amounted to about
thirteen thousand five hundred persons.^

Zeisberger's explorations around the Big Spring
convinced him of the many advantages of that site.
On both sides of the river were bottom-lands inter-
spersed with small lakes, reaching, on the western

1 Authoritips for the above description of Ohio nro : Zeisberger's
MS. Hist, of the Indiiin.s ; his Journnl at Schonbrnnn ; and Ettwcin's
Journal, MS. B A.

« D-ddridgu'.s Notes, P25. ' Bancroft's Hist. V S., vol. vi.

Hi.

- .4 ♦

"^X

i ^<y^

!^M

1 u

' li

I' i

li!

I i

up
III

376 I'/i?'^ ^iV7> T/ilfL'S OF

bank, to the foot of a precipitous bluft*, on the eastern

to a declivity not quite so high. Near the base of the

latter the spring gushed in a copious stream from

beneath the roots of a cluster of lindens and elms, and

fed a lake nearly a mile long, united by an outlat wi'^-

the Tuscarawas. Both the lake and the outlet were

navigable, so that the Indians could paddle their canoes

from the river to the very foot of the declivity. On its

[top, just above the spring, where one of the old ram-

\parts had been discovered, and not far from an ancient

tumulus, was the site of the town.^ While engaged in

J- ,/ 'building it, many Delawares visited the spot. Zeis-

berger was so eager to instruct them that he frequently

■ laid aside his axe, sat down on the tree he had felled,

I and told them of the Redeemer of the world. On the

. ninth of June, the Mission House was completed ; and

\ within its rude walls the converts celebrated the Lord's

"^Supper, for the first time, on the twenty-seventh of the

'same month.

Not long after this, Zeisberger proceeded to Friedens-
stadt to welcome the Susquehanna converts.

These had (June 11th) set out in two bodies, — the
one by land under John Ettwein, the other by water
under Roth, numbering together two hundred and
four persons.^ They united on the West Branch, and

• The tovn was siluatP<l on tlio prosont (18C3) farm of Rov. P. E.
Jacobj', two inilus gouthoast of Now Philadelphia, in Goshon Township,
Tuscarawas County. The road from Now Philadelphia to Gnndcnhiitten
passes over its .lito. The " Bo'iutiful Spring " is dried up, and the lake a
marsh choked with water-lilies.

* The Indians were mustered on the 1st of June. One hundred and

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

377

e eastern
so of t^ie
am from
elms, and
utlot wi''^
itlet were
ir canoes
On its
old ram-
ui ancient
ngaged in
3t. Zeis-
frequently
lad felled,
. On the
oted; and
the Lord's
iith of the

Friedens-

dies, — the

by water

dred and

anch, and

Rev. P. E.

1 Township,
indenhUtten
d the lake a

lundred and

began the passage of the Alleghanies in company.
Tormented by sandflies, in constant danger from rattle-
snakes, suft'ering many other hardships, they toiled for
a month across these lofty ridges, and then lannched
canoes on the Alleghany River, down which tney
passed to the Ohio, and down the Ohio to the Beaver,
which brought them to Friedensstadt.

A conference of all the missionaries and native \'*',,
assistants, held at this station, determined to send
an embassy to Gekelemukpechunk, to call the new
town Welhik-Tuppeek (Schonbrunn or^Beautiful Spnug),j
and to revise the_ Delaware hymns and litanies, which

wor k w as intrusted to Zeisberger and a committee :

^- "" ' — ■ — ■■ ' - ■■-^■— ■■_ ^ -j

o^__Indian8. On their way to the capital, the deputies
appointed by the conference put up (August 26th) \
on the Mission House the first church-bell used inj
Ohio.
Netawatwes received them with evident satisfaction,

fifty-ono camo from Friedonshiitten, and fifty-three from Schcchsehi-
quanunk. Amoi iff the ]si^cr were two_.sons and a n,opliCK-„oLJiiog
Tadpiisliund. In the time uf the Mission at Friudensiiiitton, 17G5 to
1772, one hundred and cighty-siv. persons were added to the Church.
The only equivalent which the converts received for their imjjrcvcments,
at the two stations, was a grant of one hundred and twenty-live pounds,
Pennsylvania currency, from the Assembly of Pennsylvania, to which
grant some benevolent Quakers added one hundred dollars. The lists,
in Ettwein's handwriting, containing the names of the families who
received the money, and the amount given to each, are still extant in
the B. A. After the Indians were domiciliated in the West, they
wrote a btter of thanks to their Quaker triends. It is dated Schon-
brunn, May 21, 1773, and addressed to " Israel Pcmberton, John
Reyncll, James Pench, Anthony Benezet, John Pcmberton, Abel
James, Henry Drinker, and the rest of the friends in Philadelphia."
— Eiiweiii's Journal. MS. B. A.

^ f

i'l I

378

LIFE AND TIMES OF

and ceded to the Mission an additional tract of land,
stretching iVom the mouth of the original boundary-
creek southward to within three miles of Gekelemuk-
pechiink^ Thus a large part of the Tuscarawas valley
passed into the possession of the Christian Indians.

The state of Zeisberger's health at this time caused
Ettwein much anxiety. He was prostrated, and yet not
J., by any apparent illness. Ettwein's persisten' questions
*^ at last elicited the truth. In order not to burden the
Mission Fund, Zeisberger had been satisfied with in-
sufficient supplies and the coarsest fare, and was suf-
fering from the eftects of his abnegation. Against
such sacrifices Ettwein protested, beseeching him not
to jeopard his valuable life, and assuring him that the
Board would willingly provide for all his wants.^

At a second missionary conference, held at Schon-
brunn, the rules of the Indian Mission were revised.
As these rules beautifully portray the religious and
domestic character of the converts, we here reproduce
them in full :

^ Statutes agreed upon by the Christian Indians, at Langun-
toutenunk and Welhik-Tuppeek, in the month of August,
1772.

I. We will know no otlior God but the one only true God, who made
us and all oroaturo3, and came into this world in order to save sinners ;
to Him alor e we will pray.

II. We \till rest from work on the Lord's Day, and attend public
ecrvicc.

> Memoranda by Ettwein. MS. B. A.
» Ettwein'9 Journal. MS. B. A.
» Original copy. MS. B. A.

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

379

Til. Wo will honor father and mother, and when they grow old and
needy wo will do for them what wo can.

IV. No person shall get leave to dwell with us until our teachers
have given their consen'. and the helporis (native assistants) have exam-
ined him.

v. We will have nothing to do with thieves, murderers, whoremon-
gers, adulterers, or drunkards.

VI. We will not take part in dances, sacrifices, heathenish festivals,
or games.

VII. We will use no tshajyiet, or witchcraft, when hunting.

VIII. AVo renounce and ahhor all tricks, lies, and deceits of Satan.

IX. We will be obedient to our teachers and to the heljicrs who are
appointed to preserve order in our meetings in the towns and fields.

X. We will not be idle, nor scold, nor best one another, nor tell lies.

XI. Whoever injures the property of b'' neighbor shall make resti-
tution.

XII. A man shall have but one wife — shall love her and provide for
her and his children. A woman shall have but one husband, bo obe-
dient to him, care for her children, and be cleanly in all things.

XIII. We will not admit rum or any other intoxicating liquor into
our towns. If strangers or traders bring intoxicating liquor, the helpers
shall take it from them and not restore it until the owners are ready to
leave the place.

XIV. No one sh.tU contract debts with traders, or receive goods to
sell for traders, unless the helpers give their consent.

XV. Whoever goes hunting, or on a journey, sliall inform the min-
ister or stewards.

XVI. Young persons shall not marry without the consent of their
parents and the minister.

XVII. Whenever the stewards or helpers appoint a time to make
fences or to perform other work for the public good, wo will assist and
do as we are bid.

XVIII. Whenever corn is needed to entertain strangers, or sugar for
love-feasts, we will freely contribute from our stores.

XIX. We will not go to war, and will not buy anything of warriors
taken in war.'

While the Mission was being organized, David
McClurc and Levi Frisbie, educated in Dr. Wheelock's
Moore Charity School, at Lebanon, Connecticut, and

' This last statute was adopted at a later time, during the Revolu-
tionary War. \

'.'

380

LIFE AND TIMES OF

I:,

"si^t out by the " Scotch Society for propagating the
« Gospel," arrived to preach to the Delawares, but relin-
quished this project when they found them provided
, with teachers. Ettwein, with that blunt honesty so char-
acteristic of him, suggested that if the Scotch Society
desired to aid in converting the Delawares, the Moravian
Mission would accept any gifts it might choose to make.
Having attended to all the duties that brought him
to the West, Ettwein bade his brethren farewell. Tears
of gratitude bedimmed his eyes as they talked, at part-
ing, of what God had wrought. The Mi'^sion was firmly
established in its new field, and fair prospects were open-
ing on every side. At Friedensstadt, Roth carried on
the work ; at Schbnbrunn, which now rejoiced in a
chapel dedicated September 19, labored Zeisborger,
Jungmann, and Heckewelder;^ and farther down the
valley, at a spot where stood the Delaware hamlet in
which King Beaver had died, admonishing his people
to accept the Gospel,^ and whence a direct trail led to
the Beaver River, Joshua, a native assistant, was pre-
paring to build for the Mohican converts a third settle-

1 Schonbninn had two streets laid on in tlic form of a T. On the
transverse street, aVout the middle of it and opposite the main street,
whieh ran from ea.^t to west, and was both long and broad, stood the
church ; adjoininc; it on the right hand, Zeisberger's house — on the left
hand, Jungmann's; next to Zcisberger lived John Papunhank; next to
him, Abraham; next to Jungmann, Jcremiali ; and on the fifth lot,
Isaac Glikkikan. At the northwest corner of the main street was the
school-house. The bottom, from the foot of the bluff to the river,
was converted into cornfields. The town contained more than sixty
houses of squared timbiT, besides huts and lodges. — Planof Sclidnbrunn.
MS. B. A.

* A foot-note by Ettwein in one of Ileckewclder's Journals. MS. B. A.

DAVID ZEISDERGER.

381

ling the
ut relin-
rovided
so char-
Society
Iforavian
o make,
[ght him
Tears
at part-
us firmly
re open-
rried on
ed in a
isborger,
own the
aralet in
3 people
11 led to
vas pre-
d Stittle-

. On the
lih street,
stood the
in the Joft
;; next to
fifth lot,
t Wiis the
he river,
lan sixty
onbrunn.

mcnt, afterward called Gnadenliutten.' Of this entire
Mission Zeisbcrger was the superintendent. Ilis town
soon became the bright center of Christian influence in
the West.

Away ill tho forest, how fair to the sight
AVus tho eloar, phicid hike ns it sparkled in light.
And kissed with iuw nniriniir the green shady shore,
"VVlieiice a triht^ had departed, whose traces it bore;
Where thi- lone Indian hasten'd, and wond'ring hush'd
His a.vo as he trod o"er the nionlderiiig dust !
How bright were tin; waters — how cheerl'ul tlie song
"Whieh the wood-bird was chirping all tlie day long;
And how welcome! tho refuge the^e solitudes gave
To the i)ilgrinis who toiled over niount'dn and wave I
Here they rested — hero gush'd forth salvation to bring,
The fount of the Cross, by the " Beautiful Spring."

• Joshua arrived from Friedensstudt, with a party of Mohicans, on the
18th of September, and on tho 24th laid out a town on the west side of
the river, four miles above Schonbrunn, near Canal Dover. It was
called the Upper Town. But, as Netawatwes insisted that this colony
should go to the j)laeo agreed upon between him and Zeisbcrger, Joshua
began to build Gnadoidiutten (October 9th), the exact site of whieh is
still preserved, it being tho inclosed lot of ground at the southeastern
extremity of tho present Gnadenhiitten, in Clay Township, Tuscarawas
County. It received its nam^ in memory of Gnadenhiitten on the
Lehigh, a settlement which was revived (1770) by a number of Mora-\
vians. This place is now known as Weissport, so called after Jacob ^
Weiss, of Philadelphia, one of the? settlers, tho brother of Lewis WeissJ
the attorney of the 3Ioravians.

tf S. B. A.

382

LIFE AND TIMES OF

CHAPTER XXI I.

ZEISBERGEirS VISITS TO THE SIIAWANESE. PROGRESS OP THE
MISSION IN OHIO.— T772-1774.

Zcisberger visits the Shawancso and projects a Jlission among thorn. —
The first religious si-rvico at Gnadenhiitten. — Much spiritual life
among the converts. — Instances of their faith and jo\'. — Opposition to
the Gospel. — Echpalawchund a convert. — The Dehiwares attempt a
moral reformation as a substitute for the Gospel. — The Mission at
Friedcnsstadtrelinqui.^hed. — Interview between the Delaware Council
and Christian deputies. — The perple.\ity of Natawatwes with regard
to the dififerent creeds of Christianit}^ — John Jacob Schmick joins the
3Iission. — The first white child born in Ohio. — Death of Anthony, the
national assistant. — Zcisberger 's second and last visit to the Shawanese.
— His meeting with White Eyes. — The opposition of the Shawanese
chief to the Gospel. — His bitter philippic against the white race. —
The project of a Shawanese Mission relinquished. — New church-
edifices at Schonbrunn and Gnadenhiitten. — The work prospers. —
Baptism of Echpalawchund. — Newalliko, and the first Cherokee con-
vert. — Zcisberger offers to explore the Cherokee country. — Translates
the Easter Morning Litany into Delaware. — Its first use at Schon-
brunn.

jSio sooner bad the Delaware Mission gained a foot-
hold in Ohio than Zeisbcrger looked around, with faith
and hope, to find other nations to which the Gospel
might be brought. The Shawanese of the Muskingum,
whom the Church had attempted to convert in x'ennsyl-
vania, attracted his notice. At the first of their villages
he found a son of his old friend Paxnous; and, in his
company, proceeded to Waketameki, their principal

DAVID ZEISDERGER.

383

S OP THE

town, on 11 creek of the same name, near its continence
with the Mnskingum.' It was known among traders as^
the "Vomit Town," because its inhabitants liad been, for j»
years, tlie miserable dupes of that doctrine which raadej
emetics the means of salvation.

Zeisberger was well received. The native preacher,
who ignorantly proclaimed this abomination, manifested
a sincere desire to learn the truth, and was the first to [
proposv-^ that a missionary should live among his country-l
men. The whole clan enthusiastically adopted this sug-j
gestion, to the great joy of Zeisberger. These Shawa-l
nese were warlike and perfidious ; ever ready to instigate'
or begin hostilities against the Colonies. If the}' could
be brought under the sway of the Christian religion,
one of the worst elements would be removed from
Western border-life.

On the road back to Schcinbrunn, Zeisberger visited
Gnadenhiitten, where several log-houses had been
finished, in one of which he held the first public ser-
vice at that settlement (October 17). Like his own
town, it flourished greatly. The Spirit of the Lord
God came upon both places. The hearts of the con-
verts and of many heathens were moved ; and, es-
pecially at Christmas, grace was given in rich measure.
Of these experiences, and of the manner in which the
Indians expressed themselves upon the subject of reli-
gion, the following instances are on record :

1 Waketameki was situated near Dresden, a town on the Muskingum,
just below the mouth of Waketameki Creek, in Jefferson Township,
Muskingum County, Ohio

WW7W.

if!;

: I

....'. ^.. ^^u

384

LIFE AND TIMES OF

Convoraiiig with a hciithcMi Doltiware, one of the
assistants said, "Why shall wo uot believe? The Word
preaehed to us shows its power in our conversion."
"Yes," added another, "as soon as I sought tlie Saviour
with my whole lieart I found Ilini, and what I asked
for I received, and now I am daily growing liappier, so
that ray heart sometimes burns with love like a flaming
fire." "Ah," exclaimed a third, "lieretofore I only
heard, but now I believe, that my Creator became a man
and shed llis precious blood for me, which cleanses me
from all sin." An unbaptizcd convert said, " When
I longed for comfort and stood thinking of Jesus, it
seemed to me that I could see Ilim on the Cross — then
I found peace." " I feel," joyfully professed Michael,
" as though the Saviour had taken up His abode in my
heart. It is a blessed feeling! I can only weep and
give myself wholly to Him." "And I," said Eve, "have
never spent such a Christmas. I have obtained a deep
insight into the mystery of the incarnation of God my
Saviour." "As for me," remarked old Abraham, "my
soul is full of joy. Oh, how good to give one's self to
the Saviour !"

This religious interest spread to the Delaware capital.
Echpalawehund, a noted and influential chief, who had
spent Christmas at Schonbri'un and carried away im-
pressions which he could not shake olF, determined to
become a Christian. This caused a great sensation.
The Delawares were not willing to lose so distinguished
a man, and, in the first burst of their anger, talked
of expelling Zeisberger and his coadjutors from their

ill

DAVID ZEISUEllOER.

385

territory. Calmer reflection, however, showed them the
folly of such an attempt. The Christiana constituted
too powerful a party. Hence they adopted a dift'erent
policy. Having called a council to devise means that ,
would prevent the further spread of Christianity, they
fell upon the idea of a reformation, not through tho i
agency of the white teachers, but in the power of their '
own united will. Drunkenness, games, and whatever
tended to demoralize were prohibited ; traders bringing
intoxicating drink, or teaching the Indians to play cards,
were to be banished ; ardent spirits, wherever found,;
were to be destroyed. Six overseers of mora]^ werei
appointed to enforce the new order of things, which was j
actually inaugurated by staving ten kegs of rum. Thu8 i
they hoped to lead lives as correct as those of the .
Christians ; and thus would neither chief, nor councilor,
nor captain have an excuse to leave the town and build '■.
his lodge at Schonbrunn or Gnadenhiitten. j

But Echpalawehund assured his countrymen that
such efforts would be in vain, and that faith in the
Lord Jesus Christ must be the beginning of a genuine
reformation- He was right. Their good intentions,
like the fire of tl e council at which they had been
adopted, flared for a little while, and then lay a heap
of dead embers.

In the midst of these agitations, Shawanese from
Waketameki arrived, on their way to Zeisberger, to
renew their request for a teacher. Into their ears
the excited Delawares poured the venom of their
anger; and said so many evil things of the mission-

-^ c

■*. •

386

LIFE AND TIMES OF

aries that the Shawanesc grew distrustful and did not
deliver their message. The instigacor of this opposition
to the Christian party was John Killbuck, a son of
Netawatwes.^

The Mission at Fricdonsstadt had, meanwhile, been
contending with serious difficulties. Owing to the
proximity of Kaskaskunk, intoxicated Indians overran
the town and disregarded its municipal regulations.
Under these circumstances, Zeisberger called the con-
verts to the Tuscarawas valley. The " City of Peace"
was deserted (spring, 1773) ; its sanctuary laid even
with the ground;'' and its inhabitants were trans-
ferred in part to Gnadenhutten and in part to Schon-
|brunn.'

In the following June, a deputation of Christian
Indians, with Glikkikan for their speaker, met the
Council of Gekelcmukpechunk, and once more made

1 Killbuck was not ar. enemy of the Gospel itself; or, rather, he was
willing to accept it outwardly for the sake of the advantages it would
bring his nation. His opposition to the Christian party originated in
his dissatisfaction with the Jloravians, who, he said, were unable to
protect the Indians in times of war, and, by a perversaness character-
istic of his race, adduced the Paxton Insurrection as an instance,
/ ttlthough it proved just the reverse. — Jones's Journai, Phila., 1865.
J 2 This was dune whenever the Christian Indians a'^andoned a town,
i 80 as to prevent their chapels from being desecrated by the heathens.
•In the course of the spring, the Kcv. David Jones, Baptist
minister at Freehold, N. J., visited the Dcla^-arcs with the intention
of bringing them the Gospel, and spent some time at tue capital. He
came likewise to Schiinbrunn, where ho preached. By request of the
Council, ho wrote a letter to Governor Pcnn, informing him of the
reformation which the Dclawares had inaugurated, especially in regard
to the sale of rum. — Jotics's Journal of his Visits to some Nations of
Jr,jrfia»is^^ Eej)rintcd, Phila., 1865.

DAVID ZEISBEROER.

387

""%

^
^^^

known the principles of their faith and the regulations
of their communities. Glikkikan spoke not as a sup-^
pliant, but with authority and great boldness. And)
although the enemies of the Gospel did not believg^'
they were silenced for a season.

Netawatwes, about this time, was in much Tfoume^
both with rearard to national affairs and the Christia
religion. Anxious to promote the welfare of his'
people, and half convinced that their conversion to
Christianity would prove the means, he Avas, neverthe-
less, weak-minded, and halted between two opinions.
The ditferences prevailing among Christians augmented
his vacillation. He could not understand that God'sjv^ ^
children were not of one name, faith, and practice. He
could not believe that they were all right.. He could
not decide who was wrong. The Roman Catholics insti-
tuted forms and ceremonies; their rosaries and cruci-
fixes seemed to him not different from the manitous.
of his own nation. The Moravians taught the necessity
of personal faith and baptism, preaching Christ Jesus)*
and Him crucified. The Quakers repudiated baptism,
and gloried in the beauty of morality. The Episco-j
palians asserted that theirs was the true church and
the apostolic ministry. Amid these conflicting views,
Netawatwes, at last, devised a' way of arriving at the
truth. He ^wuld go _Jo.. England, anc^ ^^]s^^li ._th^
King as to the syst^gMgJt religion which tiie Delawai^s
ouffht to adop t.

It was not a new idea. Months before this he had
sent a message to Governor Penn, saying, "I am ready

"4,

388

LIFE AND TIMES OF

to go over the Great "Waters to see that great King.
Brother Governor and fi Sends, I desire you to prepare
a ship for me next spring."^ And now that several
Quakers visited liira, he pertinaciously claimed their
aid in eflecting this purpose. It was, however, never

[carried out. The old chief remained in his rude

■Icouncil-house and did not see the splendor of St.

Pames.

In August two more laborers entered the field — John

(^ Jacob Schmick and hif^ wife — so that the corps of
missionaries now embraced eight persons, namely,

' Zeisberg fiJN Ilecke,welder^ -J?2tbj...^aJl£L J^t£a*„S.Qilji^t
Schon brunn ; Schmickj^^ra. Schmickj^ Jujagmaiinj^jiB^
Mrs. J ungmann, jtt Gn^dmihujtifin.

A few weeks before the arrival of Schmick, there
had been born, in the midst of this Mission-family, on
the fourth of July, 1773, at GnadenhUtten, t he first
T yhit e child in the present State qf^hio. Mrs. Maria

1 Agnes Roth was his mother, and he received in

baptism, administered by Zeisberger, on the fifth of
July, the name of John Lewis Roth.^

Simultaneously with the accession of so active a

1 Penn. Col. Eeeords, r. 62, etc.

« This interesting fact is established by the official diary of Gnaden-
hUtten (MS. B. A.), which says, "July 4th, 1773. To-day God gave
Brother and Sister Both a young son. He was baptized into the death
of Jesus, and named John Lewis, on the 5th inst., by Brother David
Zeisberger, who, together with Brother Jungmann and his wife, came
here this morning." Of the parents of this child we know the fol-
lowing :

LHis father, John Roth, was born at Sarmund, a village in the Mark
Brandenburg, Prussia, February 3, 1726, and was the oldest son of

DAVID ZEISBERQER.

889

teacher as Schmick, the Mission lost Anthony, its\
most valued native assistant. "With lips eloquent even
in death, he exhorted his countrymen to remain stead-
fast in the faith, and delivered a last testimony as bright
as had been the daily testimony of his life. lie passed f
away in the morning watches of the fifth of September, 1
a patriarch of seventy-six years. Zeisberger mourned]
for him as for a brother.

In the same mouth, accompanied by Isaac Glikkikan
and another convert named "William, he paid a second
visit to the Shawanese, hoping to renew the project of a
work among them. At Gekelemukpechiink he found
not onl^^_^uron^3n^,J)t|aAv^ Ihrough whigni..J;lie_,']['ug-

John and Anna Maria Roth. He was educated in the Catholic
Church, and learned the trade of a locksmith. In 1748, he joined
the Moravian Church at Nousalz, in Prussia, whence he emigrated to
America, arriving at Bethlehem, where he settled, in July, 1756. In
1759, ho entered the service of the Indian Mission.

His mother was Maria Agnes Pfingstag, a daughter of John Michael
and Rosina Pfingstag, m. n. Ketsohl, and was born at Wirscho, in the
Kingdom of Wiirtembcrg, on the 4th of April, 1735. When she was
two years of ago her parents emigrated with her to America (1737).
She married John Roth at Bethlehem, Pa., on the 16th of August, 1770.
They took up their abode at Schechschiquanunk, the Mission-^tation on
the Susquehanna, where their oldest child, John Roth, was born,
August 4th, 1771. On the 11th of June, 1772, they loft that station,
accompanied the Christian Indians to the West, and settled at Friedens-
studt, Pa., where Roth became the resident missionary. This station
having boon relinquished, they proceeded to Gnadenhiittcn, Ohio,
arriving on the 24th of April, 1773. Here their second son, John
Lewis, was born. About the middle of August, of the same year,
they removed to Schcinbrunn. In the documents relating to the
Indian Mission Roth is called Rothe ; but in that church register at
Bethlehem which records his marriage, the name is written Roth.
That this latter was his true name becomes clear from his own sig-
natures to letters and his official signature to records in the register
of the church at York, where he died.

PfPT

lil||!|

i|l!:i !||ii

mmii

!ini!{i:l

390

L/iJ'£; AND TIMES OF

'carawas Mission might be made known on the shores
|of Lake Erie, and in the groat Northwest, but also that
tuative who was destined to become its most eriinent
'supporter at homo.

Among the councilors of Netawatvves, no one
enjoyed a more honorable name, and exercised a
more commanding influence, than Kocjucthagachton,
/or White Eyes,^ a Miami chief, and thci ii- ^t ^ w'ar -
oaptain of that tribe. His achievementshad^^giycn
*.glory to the Delaware nation^ and, wherev er the fi re§
"of their lodges burned, his fame was rehearsedl. When
[Zeisberger first came to the valley, he was absent on
a long journey down the Ohio and the Mississippi to
New Orleans, whence he returned by sea, landing at
New York, and traveling from there, by way of Phila-
delphia, back to his kindred and liis people. This
tour enlarged his views. The benefits of civilization,
and the contr.ast between the state of its children and
that of the aborigines, made a profound impression
upon his mind. He pondered the subject long and
earnestly, until it became the all-absorbing purpose
of his life to reclaim the Indian from barbarism and
elevate him to an equality with the white man. That
Zeisbergyr and Glikkikan would prove influential co-
adjutors in carrying out this project he was not slow to
recognize, more particularly as the latter had been, for
man}' years, his most intimate friend, to whom he could
freely unfold his plans. He gave them both a cordial

So called from the peculiar whiteness of his eyeballs.

DAVID ZEISBERQER.

391

''^.

welcome, took them to bis own towu, and enter-
tained them for the night.* Zeiaberger improved the'^
opportunity to instruct him in the Gospel. They sat'
together on a little hillock, near bis lodge, talking of,
Jesus.

It was Zeisberger's purpose to visit the Sbawaneso
of the lower towns, but he found their chief at Wake-
tameki. His name was Giescbenatsi, a fierce savage'
and bitter enemy of the white race. Among the
settlers he was known us the " Hard Man." To
gain him for the Gospel was worth every effort.
Zeisberger approached him with its glorious truths.
At first he listened patiently, but, by-and-by, his true]
character burst out.

" I suppose," he said, " you come to speak ' good
words' to the Shawanese. Go, and see what you can
do. Perhaps they will hear you. Perhaps you will
succeed better than I, when I attempt to exert my
authority.

" The whites tell us of their enlightened understanct?^ .
ing, and the wisdom they have from Heaven; at thei
same time, they cheat us to their hearts' content. For
we are as fools in their eyes, and they say among them-i';? "^
selves, ' The Indians know nothing ! The Indians \ *'^. \ »^
understand nothing !' Because they are cunning
enough to detect the weak points of our character,
they think they can lead us as they will, and deceive

1 "V V^iito Eyes' Tow n was situated on the Tuscarawas, six miles belcpw
Gekelemukpechiink, near White Eyes' Plains, n Oxford Township,
Coshocton County.

IJ:!!

; I

^i;

392

LIFE AND TIMES OF

I us as they please, even while they pretend to seek our

i good. See them coming into our towns with their

! rum ! See them oflbring it to us with persuasive

kindness ! Hear them cry, ' Drink ! drink !' And

when we have drunk, and act like the crazed, behold

these good whites, these men of a benevolent race,

standing by, pointing at us with their fingers, laughing

among themselves, and saying, ' Oh, what fools ! what

I great fools the Shawaaese are!' But who make them

I fools ? Who are the cause of their madness ?"

Pausing for a moment and pointing to Zeisberger, he
proceeded in a furious tone :

" This man and the like of him ! They ire the cause
of our being fools and of our madness. But they always
tell us 'good w^ords;' they always Move' us and want
* to save our souls.' * Behold,' they say, * thus and so
has God taught us ; He has given us knowledge ; we
: are wiser than you ; we must instruct you.' Oh, cer-
tainly, they are wiser than we ! — wiser in teaching men
to get drunk; wiser in overreaching men; wiser in swin-
dling men of their laud ; wiser in defrauding them of
I all they possess !"

The excited chief poured forth this tirade until after
midnight, when sheer exhaustion forced him to stop.
Neither Zeijberger nor Glikkikan answered him a word.
The next morning, however, they sent for him, and in a
series of speeches replied to his invectives, explaining
the character of their missionary work, challenging him,

I or any other Indian, to establish a single instance of
fraud on the part of a white teacher, setting forth the

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

393

Jk our
their
uasive
And
)ehold
race,
ghing
what
them

'^^,

Gospel as that knowledge which makes a race of Chris- *'j
tians superior to a race of heathens, but assuring him
that it constrains no one — free itself, it must be freely
received. " You may not believe my words at present,"!
remarked Zeisberger, " but the time is coming wheui
you and I and all men will stand before God, and every-/*
thing will be known and revealed. In that day it will
appear that I have this day spoken the truth, and you
will then acknowledge the reality of what you nowj
denounce."

Gieschenatsi had recovered from his burst of passion
and gave them a courteous hearing, but his hostility to
the Christian religion continued unchanged. Indeed, it ^.
became evident that there was no prospect of founding
a Mission in his tribe so long as his influence was ^
arrayed against it. The country, moreover, was filled
with rumors of an approaching Indian war. Nor could
anything be accomplished at "Waketameki. Those of C
its inhabitants who had been so eager to embrace the
Gospel were gone; the rest showed themselves indif-
ferent. Zeisbergc^r returned to Schonbrunn, and gave
up this last attempt which the Church jnade to cjonvert
Shawan^se.

Both at Schonbrunn and Gnadenhiitten new chapels
were now dedicated, to which the Indians flocked in
large numbers. Scarcely a day passed that did not
bring such as were eager to hear the Gosp-^l. From\
Christmas to the end of January (1773, 1774), more than/
twenty converts were baptized, among them Echpalawe- T
hund, who received the name of Peter. In the pre-J

394

LIFE AND TIMES OF

/• ««.

vious summer, Nouh, the fii;8t_CheiNokcc_.convert^^

been added tcijIiejChurch.* These baptisms encoura<£ed

^Zcisbergcr. His Mission now embraced represeuta-

Jtivesofuiue tribes. There were Unamis, Uiialjichtgos,

l aud Mou seys; Mohicans, Nanticokes, an d. Shawauese ;

Canais, Miu'?oes, and a Cherokee. And yet he was

willing to let others reap, while he went to new fields

in which the "Word had never been sown. A letter to

the Board conveys the offer to undertake an exploration

of the Cherokee country, and one to Bishop llehl says:

" Upon the whole, I wish that I were free to leave here.

There are so many other places where God's Word

ought to be preached, and so many Indians who have

not yet heard that their Maker is their Redeemer."

The Mission continued to prosper throughout the
winter and spring. Scarcely two months after Echpala-
wehund's conversion, Newallike arrived from the Sus-
quehanna, with his whole family, and built himself a
house at Schonbrunn. "We have," said he, "no greater
wish on earth than to become Christians." ^ Thus, one
by ouCj the head men of the Delawares^^were gathered
in. When Natawatwes beard of this alienation of an-
other chief, he began to turn his attention still more
earnestly to the claims of the Gospel.

Zeisberger ijowundertook an important literar y work^
The festival of the Lord's Resurrection was approach-
ing, and he translated into Delaware the Easter Morning

f ' He was taken prisoner by the Delawares in 1753, and was now domi-
) ciliated among them, having married one of their women, who was also
j baptized and named AVilhelmina.

'^ » Ho was baptized on Ascension-day, May 12, 1774, and received the
name of Augustin.

*>-»*/\,

DAVW ZEISDERGER.

395

Litauy of the Church, that the converts might observe)
the occasion in accordance with the solemn usage still
prevailing among Moravians throughout the world.^ '

"Very early," "when it was yet dark,"' the church-
bell broke the silence of the night and called the Indians <
to the sanctuary. Standing up among the expectant
worshipers, Zeisberger chanted the Easter greeting of]
the primitive Christians, " The Lord is risen !" and the \
congregation answered with a burst of song, "The Lord .♦
is risen indeed!" Then, at daybreak, they all moved
out in procession, two by two, to the consecrated
ground where seventeen of their number already lay
enshrined, waiting for the resurrection of the just. It
was the third of April ; nature had flung aside her veil
of morning mist, and it lay in transparent folds on the
bosom of the river. The gemmed trees were gently
swayed by the first breath of spring, the sky was cloud-
less, and over the eastern hills came the sun to awaken
the valley.

Zeisberger's heart was deeply moved as he looked^
upon the Indians gathered around the graves of their),
friends, and. began the Litany in their own tongue. \

"Nolsittam," he said, " nekti Getanittowitink, We-i^
tochwiuk, Wequisink woak "VVelsit Mtschitschangunk,
nan gischelendangup weml koecu untschi Jesus Chris- ^<^ ^\_
tiuk, woak Christink achpop, mawindammenep Pemha-j |^ *
kamiksit li hokeuk." "^ ^

• Tho JEastgr M orning Litiiny embodies the Moraviu n Confession of j
J'jiith. It is prayed annually early in the n.orning of Easter Sunday, '
and, wherever this is practicable, on the consecrated burial grounds ofj
the Church.

' Mark, xvi. 2 ; Luke, xxiv. 1; John, zx. 1.

■"^fT

396

{I believe in the One only God, Father, Son, and Holy
Ghost, who created all things by Jesus Christ, and was in
Christ, reconciliny the world unto himself.)

To this confession the choir »aug the response :
" Quawullakenimellenk "Wetocheraollan, Nihillataman
Awossagamc woak Pemhakamike, ktelli gandliatta-
wanep jiilil Lelpoatschik woak rittawi Nostangik, woak
ktelli gemitaehcauiechtauwanep Amementittak. Gohan,
Wetocheiuellan ! utitechquo ktelgiqui wuliuaraenep
elinquechinan."

( We thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent,
and hast revealed them unto babes : even so. Father ; for so it
seemed good in Thy sight.)

" Wetochemellan !" he continued, "gischachsi mehit-
tachcaniechtol Ktellewunsowoagan !" — that is, Father,
glorify Thy name ! And with one voice the congregation
answered in the words of the Lord's Prayer :

" Ki Wetochemellenk Awossagamewunk ! machelen-
dasutseh Ktellewunsowoagan. Ksakimawoagan peje-
wiketsch. Kcelitehewoagan leketsch talli Achqu'd-
hakamike, elgiqui leek talli Awossagame. Milineen
j'lke Gischquik gunigischuk Achpoan. "Woak miwe-
lendaraauwineen Ntschannauchsowoagannena elgiqui
nilana miwelendamauwenk nik Tschetschanilawequen-
gik. Woak katschi npawuneen li Achquetschiechto-
woaganink ; schukund ktennineen untschi Medhikink.
Alod knihillatamen Ksakimawoagan woak Ktallewu-
powoagan woak Ktallowilipowoagan li hallamagamik.
Amen."

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

307

[Our Father who art in heaven, halloiced he Thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth as it is in
heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our
trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And
lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil : for thine
is the kingdom, and the j)ower, and the glory, forever.
Aynen.)

Proceeding with the Litany, he confessed faith in the
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, the people adding to each
confession. This I most certainly believe; and published
the great doctrines of u Christian Church, of her sacra-
ments, and of the resurrection from the dead. Amen
being the solemn response. Then all united in the
petition: "Niluna gettemaki Matschilipijenk pataniol-
hummena, pendawineen echvalan Xihillalijenk Patta-
mawos!"

( We poor sinners pray, hear us, gracious Lord and God !)

""Woak glennineen," Zeisberger went on, "hallama-
gamik AVitauchsundowoaganink li Meniechink gischta-
wamit, hunak woak witsche enda hallogaganitschik
Kimachtonnanak, woak Chesraupenauk, nik metschi
mentschimat juke getink, woak lelemineeu tamse
newitschitsch allachimuineen enda achpekok hakey."

[And keep v^ in everlasting fellowship with our brethren,
and with our sisters, who have entered into the joy of their
Lord ; also loith the servants and handmaids of the Church,
whom Thou hast called home in the past year, and with the
whole Church triumphant; and lei us rest together in Thy
presence from our labors.)

And when the Amen that followed this petition had

898

LIFE AND TIMES OF

I t

died away, there swelled from many lips the sweet-toned
hymn :

*' Tamse jun ugattumano,
Ajunc Wdtilhuwink,
Mocum nhiigutnmano

Nhukcuchsowoagunink,
WenUcliihliilluk Erchiuiwcsit,
Prtknnt.sc;hit>?ch kikcuchgiin,
Neniechink hokunk epit
!Nduun, Chriist ndumuignuk-
giin."

When I shall gain permission

To leave this mortal tent,
And get from pain dismission,

Jesus, thyselj presen'' ;
And let me, when expiring,

Recline npun Thy breast,
Thus I shall be acquiring

Eternal life and rest.

Once more Zeisbergor resumed the Litany, and now
in exalted tones proclaimed :

" Machelerauxowoaganitetsch nanni Anmiwoaganid
woak Pommauchsowoaganid! auwen welsittawot pom-
mauchsutsch quouuatsch angel.

" Machelemo achgenimo ne talli Meniechink uik pe-
hachtit, woak nik ika pemachpitschik hokenk."

( Glory be to Ilim ivho is the Ilesurrcdion and the Life ;
He was dead, and behold, He is alive for evermore : and he
that bdicvcth in Him, though he were dead, yet shall he live.

Glory be to Him in the Church which waitethfor Him, and
in that which is around Him.)

From everlasting to everlasting, said the congregation.

Then came the benediction :

" Wulanittowoagan Nihillalquonk Jesus Christ, woak
Wtahoaltowoagan Getanittowit, woak Witauchsundo-
woagan Welsit Mtschitschank, achpitaquengetsch wemi."

( The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God,
and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with ns all.)

Loud and full of joy, ringing far over the plateau and
into the depths of the forest, rose the final Amen.

DAVID ZEISBEROER.

399

Jt-toned

lasion

ejii,

innioyi.

CHAPTER XXIII.

DUNMORE'S WAR.— 'i774.

pc-

Rupture between Virginia and Pennsylvania. — Lord Dunmoro and
Connolly. — The conduct of the Western Indians sinco the Pontine
Conspiracy. — Irresponsible border warfare. — Unlawful sale of land
by the Iroquois to Virginia. — Excitement among tlio Sliawanesc. —
Massacres. — Retaliation on the part of the settlors. — Indians indis-
criminately murdered near "Wheeling and opposite Wollsvillo. —
Logan's family among the number. — Ilis revenge. — The Mission
and the Delaware Council advocate peace. — White Eyes its great
champion. — Glikkikan'a appeal to him to become a Christian. — The
converts ask the Delaware Council to naturalize all their teachers. —
Roth and family return to Pennsylvania. — The subsequent life of the
first white child born in Ohio. — Tlio war begins. — E.'ccitement among
the young Delawares, and threats against the missionaries. — The
nation still for peace. — Preliminary campaign against the Shawaneso
on the Muskingum. — Their towns destroyed. — Dunmoro's and Lewis's
campi'ign. — Battle of Point Pleasant. — Cornstalk. — Dunmoro on the
Scioto. — Adopts White Eyes' counsel and opens negotiations. — Peace
concluded at Camp Charlotte. — Logan's speech. — White Eyes and the
Delawares reap praise from Lord Dunmore.

Seasons of spiritual refreshing, like the Easter Fes-
tival just referred to, were rudely interrupted by an
Indian war, the prelude to which was a rupture between
the governments of Virginia and Pennsylvania, of a
most unwarrantable character on the part of the
former.

Lord Dunmore, the Governor of Virginia, who
favored colonization in the West because he knew
how to make an official position subserve his private

400

LIFE AND TIMES OF

liii'

interestc, fell upon the idea of extending his govern-
ment and increasing hir- Oi\>ortunitie8 of self-aggran-
.dizeraeut by a bold act of usurpation. The-e came to
Pittsburg (1774) a certain John Connonj,_a,_d£ctor^of
medicine, land-jobber^ and willing tool of any evil
schemCj^ and, without notice to the government of
Pennsylvania, assumed command of that post and all
its dependencies, issued a proclamation announcing his
commission from Lord Dunmore, and ordered a muster
of the militia. In opposition to such unlawful proceed-
ings, Governor Penu instructed Arthur St. Clair, the
Clerk of Westmoreland County, to enforce the Riot
■ Act.^ This Dunmore pretended to take as a persona^
' insult, and obstinately refused to settle the dispute, in
spite of the most honorable offers on the part of the
Council of Pennsylvania. The confusion thus prevail-
ing along the frontier was increased by hostilities with
the savages.

Whatever other writers may say to the contrary, we

/have the united testimony of the missionaries, whose

I opportunities to ascertain the truth will not be disputed,

\that the Indians, after the close of Pontiac's '^^onspiracy,

jremained faithful, as nations, to their treaties with the

iColonies. Irresponsible parties, indeed, occasionally

(murdered white men. But such acts were not acts

Jof war, and found their equivalents among the back-

wcodsmen themselves, the most of whom aa little

hesitated to shoot an Indian as to shoot a "bear or a

» Penn. Cul. Kecords, x. 140, etc.

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

401

goveru-
aggran-
came to
octor of
inj evil
nent of
and all
cing his
1 muster
proceed-
lair, the
he Riot
persona'
3pute, in
t of the
prevail-
ties with

rarj, we
I, whose
lisputed,
ispiraey,
^ith the
.sionally
lot acta
e back-
.0 little
;ar or a

buffalo." Irregular and bloody proceedings of this
sort are inevitable when a superior race dispossesses an
inferior one of its homes.

An instance occurred in the spring of 1773. Somei
Shawanese who came to Gekelemukpechunk with\
white scalps were rebuked by the Delawares, andj
ordered to leave their territory.* Nor did they raeetl
with anything but censure in their own towns. Soon;
after this, however, the Iroquois ceded to Virginia a|
large tract of land south of the Ohio, below the mouth
of the Great Kanawha.'^ It was an illegal transaction.
That country belonged to other nations and not to the
League; but settlers immediately pressed forward, and
built their cabins close to the Shawanese. Then first
this tribe openly talked of war. Before the excitement
could be allayed, another lawless massacre added to its
intensity. Three traders fell victims to the cupidity of
some Cherokees, with whom they were going down the
Ohio, and to whom they incautiously displayed a large
quantity of silver trinkets.' At the same time, Indians
on the Great Kanawha had, it was reported, stolen a
number of horses. Instead of seeking redress from the
tribal authorities, the settlers began to avenge them-
selves by indiscriminately slaughtering Indians of any
name.

A body of land-jobbers and their adherents had col-

' Zeisberger's Diary, Schonbrunn, May, 1773. MS. L. A.

» Ibid., July, 1773.

•Ibid., April, 1774. MS. L. A.

'!■

:iU:

Hi , 1 'flj'

'^'

402

Z/7FJ5; A^D TIMES OF

lected at Wheeling, under Captain Cresap.' On the
twenty-seventh of April, regardless of the earnest pro-
testations of Colonel Zane, the proprietor of the place,
who predicted an Indian war as the inevitable result, they
shot, in cold blood, two natives descending the river in a
canoe with white traders ; and, in the evening of the
same day, attacked a peaceful encampment at the month
of Captina Creek,* killing a number of Indiana. A few
days later, thirty-two men, under Daniel Greathouse,
marched to the Baker Plantation in Virginia, opposite
the present Wellsville, where was another encampment
of natives, and having enticed some of them to cross
the river brutally murdered them, and then killed
several more who cams to inquire the cause of the
firing. Twelve Indians fell on this occasion, and a
number were wounded.* Among the dead was the
entire family of Logan.

^ Hostilities so unjustifiable inflamed the Seneca Min-
^ goes of the Ohio valley, and a majority of the Shawa-
nese, with the desire of revenge. The Shawanese towns
OD the Muskingum inclined to peace,* but the rest of the
nations clamored for war; while Logan, his soul turned
to gall against that race whose friend he and his father
Shikellimy had ever been, calling around him chosen

\' 1 Doddridge's Notes on the Settlements and Indian Wara of the
Western Parts of Virginia and Pennsylvania, p. 226.
» In Belmont County, Ohio, flowing into the Ohio River.
« Doddridge's Notes, p. 227.
_■ * Tenn. Archives, iv. 568, Deposition of Richard Butler, a trader,
who vindicates the good faith of those Shawanese among whom he had
been living.

JDAVir ZEISBERGER.

403

On the
lest pro-
he place,
suit, they
river in a
g of the
16 month
A few
eathouse,
, opposite
ampment
to cross
en killed
ie of the
, and a
was the

neca Min-
le Shawa-
ese towns
•est of the
ml turned
his father
m chosen

rVars of the

sr, a trader,
rhom he had

followers, went out to strike blow for blow, and ceasotT
not until for each of his thirteen murdered kinsfolk a
scalp had been torn from a white man's head. "Now,"
he said, " I am satisfied for the loss of my relations aucU
will sit still." Nor did he take any further part in th0,
war.

Jungmann and Schebosh, returning from Pittsburg,
were the first to bring to Schonbrunn the news of Con-
nolly's usurpation and the approaching conflict. This
intelligence was confirmed a week later, on a tranquil
Sunday evening, by the arrival of a messenger frorn
Gekelemukpechiink, who announced, with fearful war-^
whoops, ano^er_jtta33g;Cre^^of_Indig, ns on th e Ohio.'
There followed, for Zeisberger and the Mission, several
months of anxiety, but also of earnest labors in the in-
terests of peace. While Lord Dnnmore was collecting'
forces to crush the Sr>awanese, and his tool at Pitts-/
burg was augmenting the complications by his brutal/
treatment of the Indians, the converts, in conjunction'
with the Delawares, encouraged by S'r William John-
son and Croghan, did what they could to avert a wai\
Their eftbrts met with varying success. A part of the
Shawanese continued friendly, the rest sometimes list-
ened to reason, and then again fiercely turned away from
every attempt at a pacification, even firing upon Dela-
ware messengers sent to conciliate them. Without
doubt, however, the negotiations would eventually have
been crowned with the happiest results if the impetu-
ous young braves could have been i-estrained from the
war-path, and the settlers could have been kept from

^^m

404

LIFE AND TIMES OF

:^ I

Ify IMil

■P

r^'N

„/

provoking and retaliating their assaults. A council of

!Dela\vares, Shawanese, Ilurons, and Cherokees, lield at
Gekeleniukpechiiuk in June, seemed to promise peace;
iiut scarcely had it separated when three Shawanese of
the lower towns, who had magnanimously protected
several traders and escorted them to Pittsburg, were
attacked on their homeward way by a party of borderers
and barely escaped with one of their number wounded.
T he most active upholder of peace was White E^es.
This brought him into closer union with the Christian
Indians, and he recognized, more and more, the bene-

;ficial influence which they were exerting among the
Delawares. Glikkikan lost no opportunity to impress
upon him the truths of the Gospel. On one occasion

I he made a touching appeal to him.

"Brother," said he, "you remember our ancient
friendship. We pledged ourselves to be faithful one to
another and love one another as long as we lived. We

; placed our schewondican (tobacco-pouch) between us, that
each might take from it at will. We agreed to tell each
other if either of us should discover the true way to

I happiness, so that both of us might walk therein. I

( wish to redeem that promise. I wish to testify to you

, that I have found this vv^ay and am following it up. It
is the Word of God. This leads to salvation and life
eternal. Come, go with me ; share my happiness."
Tears rolled down the cheeks of White Eyes as he

' listened to these words, and he assured his friend that
he often thought of becoming a Christian. Nor was it
long before he had an opportunity of evidencing his

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

405

sympathy with the Mission. The converts presented a\
belt to the Council at Gekelenmkpechiink, and askedl
that all their teachers, and not Zeisberger only, should j
be naturalized as Delavvares, and thus enjoy the protec-
tion of the tribe in the event of a war. This measure
White Eyes warmly urged. It was, however, not
adopted, but referred to the councilors for further con-
sideration. Meanwhile Roth and his family — the only
one of the missionaries that had children — returned to
Bethlehem, by the advice of Zeisberger.*

Toward the end of June the war began. Eight par-
ties of Shawanese and Mingoes lurked in the forests.

' In this way, John Lewis Koth, the first white child born on the soil
of Ohio, was brought to Pennsylvania when not quite one year of age.
There his parents lived suci;essivoly at Mountjoy, York, Emmaus, and
Hebron, at all of which places his father was pastor of the Moravian
church. In 1790, his father took charge a second time of the church at
York, where ho died in the following year on the ii2d of July. His
mother died at Nazareth, February 25, 1805.

John Lewis Koth himself was educated at Nazareth Ha11,nnd formed
a m ember of the c lass of_lJ85j the first organized in that institution.
After leaving Nazi.reth Ilall there are no traces of him for a number •
of years, until ho is found living on a farm near Nazareth, married, ■
and the head of a family. In 1836, he became a resident of Bath, Pa., \
and joined the Lutheran church which the Kev. A. Fuchs gathered in
that neighborhood. Of this church he remained a consistent and worthy
member. He died on the 25th of September, 1841, in the C9th year of*
his age, and was buried in the Bath grave-yard, where his remains now\
lie. His tombstone bears the following inscription:

"Zum Andenken a:i Liidwig Roth, (jeborcn Ath Juli, 1773. Qestorhen 1
2bth September, 1841, Alter 68 Jalire, 2 M., 21 Tage." \

2iIt. Fuchs preached his funeral sermon on the jiarable of the prodi-
gal, which text Iloth himself selected previous to his death. He left •
five children, ibur sons and one daughter. For the.se facts I am in- ;
debted to Mr. Andrew G. Kern, of Nazareth, and especiaJly to Rev. A.
Fuchs, of Bath.

I! Il^

X y:,,,.. ^(^^

406

LIFE AND TIMES OF

'.r.i V

while Virginia volunteers were drawing near to the Tus-
carawas valley. This excited ihe young Delawares to
the highest pitch. They snuft'ed the coming battles,
und could hardly be restrained. Taking advantage of
I the absence of White Eyes, they insisted upon an offen-
isive alliance with the Shawanese, and upon forcibly
[silencing the Christian Indians and their teachers.
LeD the teachers be put to death !" they said. Two
(families of converts, one of them that of old Allemewi,
(3'ielded to these evii influences, forsook the Mission,
jaud made common cause with the savages. Assurances
sent by the volunteers, that they would not molest the
Delawares, but were advancing against the Shawanese,
somewhat calmed the storm ; and when White Eyes
arrived from Pittsburg with ofl[icial messages of the
same import, it came to a sudden end. Prompted by
i the Christian party, the Council decreed neutrality, and
J advised all Delawares to remain in their towns during
'_tl)e approaching attack upon the Shawanese.

This took place in the beginning of August.^ Colonel

Angus McDonald, at the head of four hundred men

collected from the western part of Virginia, by order

of Dunmore, proceeded against W"aketameki, and, after

a feeble resistance on the part of the Indians, destroyed

' this town together with four other villages. The tribe

I itself, however, escaped, and but three chiefs were

[brought back as prisoners.

1 Zeisberger's Diery, Schiinbrunu, MS. L. A.j Doddridge's Notes,
241-243.

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

407

The war, which had thus been inaugurated, was
now carried on with vigor.* Two other bodies of men
had been mustered : the one, composed of Southern
Virginians, at Camp Union, in the Greenbrier country*
— the other from the Northern counties, at Pittsburg,
whither Dunmore had gone in person to lead it to the
field. These two divisions were to unite at the mouth
of the Great Kanawha.

On the eleventh of September the Southern forces,
numbering eleven hundred men, began their march
through the pathless wilderness and over mountains
covered with tangled thickets and massive rocics. The
supplies and ammunition were transported on pack-
horses. After nineteen weary days of hardships, they
encamped, on the first of October, at Point Pleasant,
which had been designated as the place of rendezvous.
On the ninth, an express arrived informing Colonel
Lewis that Lord Dunmore had changed his plan of
operations and ordering him to march to old Chillicothe,
in the Scioto valley. The following day two of the\
men, while hunting, suddenly encountered a Shawanese
camp, all alive with preparations for an immediate at-/
tack. One of them was shot, the other escaped and|
gave the alarm; but before Colonel Lewis could call,
out more than two detachments, eight hundred con-1
federate Shawanese and Mingoes were upon him. At
about four hundred yards from the encampment the

> D oddridge's Notes, chap, xxv i.; Bancroft's Hist. U, S,jjj:ii. 167/ etc.
* Now Lewisburg, Greenbrier County, Virginia.

408

LIFE AND TIMES OF

l^'

^'^

"battle began. Th^ savages were commanded b^.their
great elKinipion, Cprnstalk, who displayed consum-
mate ffenoralship. After the first onset, he so manoju-
vred his men that the Virginians were inclosed within
a triangle, of which the Ohio and Kanawha Rivers
formed the two sides and the Indian army the base.
j All day long, from sunrise to sunset, the battle raged.
! Both parties fought with the utmost fur}'. Above the
din of the conflict rose Cornstalk's voice, encouraging
his men, and saying, " Be strong ! be strong !" Finally
the Indians fell back, crossed the Ohio in the night, and
hurried to the Scioto. Their loss was never ascertained.
That of the Virginians was heavy; seventy -five were
killed, and one hundred and forty wounded. Yet they
might well claim the victory. The foe was gone, and
they moved unmolested toward his towns.
^ Thither Dunmore had preceded them, with White
*,Eyes as his adviser and the representative of the Dela-
i ware Council.' White Eyes used every means to pre-
vent further bloodshed. He induced the Earl to re-
linquish his plan of scouring the forests on his way
from the Ohio to the Scioto, and advocated a treaty,
urging that the mere presence of the army would
bring the Shawanese to terms. Convinced of the rea-
sonableness of this policy, Dunmore began negotiations,
and sent orders to Colonel Lewis to return to Virginia.
But Lewis, upheld by the sentiments of his whole com-
mand, disregarded this order, continued to advance,

1 Zeisberger's Diary, Schonbrunn. MS. L. A.

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

409

c-C C( ;* 1

and, on the twenty-fourth of October, effected a junction
with the main body in Pickaway, near old Cliillicothe.'
The Earl reiterating his orders in person, he was forced
to obey, although with extreme reluctance, his men
burning to overrun the Scioto valley and exterminate
the Shawauese.

Toward_the end of October, peace was concluded at
Ca mp Charlott g.' Logan refused to attend the nogotia-")
tions, and sent that brief but celebrated speech which y
has been considered a master-piece in the annals of! {_^\ > [^ ^
oratory. The Indians yielded in every particular ; gave |
up their prisoners, restored their plunder, and pledged
themselves to peacf and friendship with the Colonies.'
Lord Dunmore took occasion to extol White Eyes and
his people. They had been, he said, the unflinching
advocates of peace ; he and they were one body ; and
the Shawauese must remember that only out of regard
for these, their grandfathers, had he treated them so
leniently.

Carrying off four Shawauese and ten Miugoes as
host ages^ the Earl m arched back to Virgiuja.

if: '\

i: Ji]

'1'

• Now Pickaway Township, on the Scioto, at the southern end of
Pickaway County, Ohio.

" On the left bank of Sippo Creek, seven miles southeast of Circle-
ville, Pickaway County, Ohio.

• Zeisberger's Diary, Schonbrunn. MS. L. A.

>< . ■- 1.

410

LIFE AND TIMES OF

CHAPTER XXIV.

THE GREAT PLANS OF ZEISBEIiaER AND WHITE EYES.— 1774.

False rumors at Sohonbrunn and Gekclemnkpechiink concerning the
results of Dunmorc's War.— The Delawares send a message to the
Shawanesc denouncing the missionaries and the Christian religion.
— Insolent behavior of young warriors and the rabble. — Zeisbcrgcr's
restrospect and thoughts amid these troubles. — Determines to insist
upon a formal recognition of the Mission, and hopes to build up a
Christian Indian state. — White Eyes returns from Dunmore's War.
— A national council called to hear his report. — His speech. — Ho
brings back the message sent to the Shawanese, shows its illegality,
rebukes his countrymen for sending it, and publicly weeps over it.
— He refuses to have any further connection with Nctawatwes,
and resigns his councilorship. — The Christian deputies mediators
between him and the chief. — White Eyes' ultimatum. — Visits
Schonbrunn and unfolds his plans to Zeisberger. — Their character.
— Spiritual prosperity of the Mission.

The conclusion of peace was not known at Schon-
brunn and Gekeleraukpechiink. In the latter town the
Indians began to grow suspicious and the evil-disposed
to plot. False reports of the most alarming character
came from the Scioto. Lord Dunmore, it was said, had
slain or taken prisoners the whole Shawanese nation ;
treacherously murdered White Eyes ; and was now
marching against the Delawares. These rumors gained
such credence that the seizure of the white teachers, to be
held as protective hostages, openly found favor. And al-
though it was not attempted, the missionaries made other
unpleasant experiences. The Shawanese had taunted the

DAVID ZEISDERGEB

411

Delawares as Schwonnaks (Christians). This filled the
young warriors of Gekelemukpechiink with indig-
nation, uud they induced Netawatvvcs to send the
Shawanese a message, saying that they neither were
nor ever would be Schwonnaks; that they had not in-
vited white teachers to live among them ; and that
those who were in their country must have come at
the bidding of foolish persons. By this message, which\
was so flagrantly untrue that it could have emanated 1 ,
from an Indian council only, the converts and the /•' ^f

missionaries were, in a manner, outlawed. Young
braves from the capital, and the most of its idle
rabble, flocked to Schbnbrunn, and demeaned them-
selves in a way no Indian had ever before ventured to I
do in that town, disregarding its municipal regulations, )
and insolently saying that it was their town ; that the
land on which it stood was their laud ; that they would
hU at Schbnbrunn as at Gekelemukpechiink; that the
Christian Indians had no special rights or privileges.

Although this state of aflairs continued for several
days, Zeisberger was not discouraged. Convinced that
the reports from the Scioto were fictitious ; that the
assault upon the Mission was but the bluster of rash
young men, and the weakness of timid old councilors,
he hopefully waited for "White Eyes' return. It was his
opinion that this Indian had been chosen by God not
only to deliver the Church from existing difliculties, but
also to carry out lofty plans which he had long been
revolving in his mind, and which these troubles but
served to develop.

Vi.

t ,

-iV

IN-I

412

LIFE AND TIMES OF

A retrospect of liis experiences lu the Tuscarawas
valley showed him things in their true light. He saw
now that self-interest, and not a real desire for the
Gospel, had induced the Delaware chiefs to ofi'er the
^Christian Indians a home. They wanted to increase
the power of their nation by incorporating with it so
prosperous a community. The missionaries were to
ibe dismissed as soon as possible. But these cunning
plotters had been caught in their own toils. Ignorant
of the power of the Gospel, they had not taken its
influences into account. The converts came and were
gladly received ; their teachers arrived and were hypo-
critically welcomed ; the Word of God was preached,
und — marvelous issue in the eyes of the savages ! — ere
the second year drew to an end, it had pierced the
hearts of some of the worst abettors of this scheme
of aggrandizement, and brought many others into the
Church of Christ. Hence, in point of numbers and
influence, the Mission had gained a standing which
/must be respected. It was no longer a handful of

(I shrinking converts ; it counted more than four hundred
souls, and among them chiefs, captains, and councilors
who had given renown to the Delaware name. This
was the time, thought Zeisberger, to assert its rights.
It must not be merely tolerated ; the Christian Indians
and thoir teachers must have all the privileges of
citizens; be on a footing of equality with the other
Delawares ; hold their land, not at the will of the
Council, but in their own right, so that "they would
{not be like a bird sitting on a bough," but have a

DAVID ZEISDEROER.

413

\ «,

pcMMiiancnt home ; and throughout tlie luvtion ah8oluttf\
religiouf" liberty must be proeluinied by a formal dccreo/
of the Council, allowing any Delaware, or all the Dola-''
wares, to embrace the Gospel without fear of oppo-
sition. \
Zeisberger's plan challenges admiration. lie aimed!
at nothing short of a Christian Indian state in .th©i
midst of the aboriginal domain. He would establish)
a center of religion and civilization, whence benign,
influences would stream forth and enlighten the land,
lie would build for the Gospel a stronghold from which
it could not be driven. He would have the tribes of tho/

South and the nations of the Northwest and the League
of the Iroquois to acknowledge that a people of tho
living God was arisen among them — a people whose
voice must be heard, whose rights must be respected,
and whose principles must be honored.

"While dwelling on such hopes, White Eyes returned,
and invited deputies from the Christian towns to attend
a national council culled to hear his report of the cam-
paign. It met in the Council House of Gekelemuk-
pechiink (November 5) — a structure about sixty feet
long b}' twenty-four broad, with one post in the middle
and two fires — and there were present Netawatwes,
together with all his advisers, many other chiefs and
captains from the three tribes, a delegation of five con-
verts, who were all former headmen of the Delawares,
and a large body of spectators.

Standing in the center of the house, in the proud
consciousness of having done his duty to his country,

f I J .

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r, I: ■

414

LIFE AXD TIMES OF

to the Colonies, and the Shawanese, White Eyes began
his speech, giving a detailed narrative of Lord Dnn-
more's expedition to the Scioto and the treaty at Camp
Charlotte, and rehearsing, in conclusion, the eulogy
pronounced by the Earl upon the Delawares. This
awakened general enthusiasm, the whole Council
bursting into applause and complimenting their brave
captain. He paid no attention to their flattering words,
but continued his address.

He well knew, he sold, that he had been reviled,
accused of ingratiating himself with the Virginians,
and endangering the prosperity and even the existence
of his nation. Such reproach had been cast upon him
while he was yet among the Shawai.ese, and repeat-
edly on his way home. He had been trying to deliver
the Shawanese from destruction, and his own country
from the presence of an army, but its chiefs and cap-
tains, his friends and companions, had impugned his
motives, and incited the Shawanese to threaten him
with death.

Not a word was said in reply ; the whole assembly sat

/silent and confused. After a brief pause, he resumed :

"Kcquethagachton is not yet done. Returning to his

lodge, he met a messene^er to the Shawanese with a

] string of wampum and these words, * "Why do you call

I me a Schwonnak, seeing I have twenty hatchets sticking

I in my head?* If you call me a Schwonnak because

1 A figurative form of speech, moaning that, since the last treaty
between the Colonies and the Delawares, twenty of the latter had been
slain by white men.

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

"1^

415

Christian Indians and their teachers have their night-
lodge on the Gekelemukpechiink, know that I do not
listen to what they preach, and will never accept the
Word of God — no, not in all eternity I'

"I stopped this message," continued the speaker,
" and brought it back. Now I will consider its points.

"The first is unlawful. It refers to the hatchet, to
war. Neither Netawatwes, nor any other chief, has the
right to send a message about the hatchet, about war,
without my consent. This is my prerogative. I am
the principal captain a.nd war-councilor of this nation.
This point is foolish, too. Have we not been urging
the Shawanese to remain at peace, and now our chief
sends them a war-message !

" The second point fills me with grief. What, not in
all eternity will the^Delawares accept the Gospel ! I
spent the whole summer in efforts to restore peace, that
we might sit, with our women and children, around our
fires and not be disturbed by every passing wind of
rumor and every rising storm of fear. To gain this
eiid I sacrificed my health and gave my strength. I
d.d this willingly, because I had a still higher and better
purpose in view. I wanted my people, when peace
should be established in the country, to turn their
attention to peace in their hearts. I wanted them to
embrace that religion which is preached by the white
teachers. We will never be happy until we are Chris-
tians. This, I say, was the real object which I pursued
all summer. I rejoiced in it, for it is good ; and because
I rejoiced in it, no trouble was too great for me, no

!i'

416

LIFE AND TIMES OF

hardships were too severe. But now, scarcely is peace
concluded and our country delivered from danger — be-
fore ever I come back to my own fire — I hear that my
people will not in all eternity accept the Word of God.
This grieves me. All my tro:ib''\ mxiety, and labors
have been in vain !"
£;' , A big sob shook the speaker's frame. He could say
jiA*^ Jj no more, but wept aloud. The Christian deputies wept

■ v:.

/<■

with him. Strange sight! A national assembly of the

Delawares awed into painful silence by the praises of

jthe Gospel from a heathen's mouth, and he the hero

o f tlje Lenui-Lenap e, a man of war and blood, shedulng

.tears of penitence before them all, and a baud of their

I great men, baptized and now men of God, mingling

their tears with his. It was an epoch iii Delaware

jhistory.

As soon as "White Eyes had composea n' uself, he

, threw the confiscated belt at the feet of Netawatwes and

' \said: "Because you sent this belt, I resign my coun-

jcilorship." "Wrapping his blanket around him, he im-

jmediately left the Council House, followed by Glikkikan

land Echpalawehund, to whom he beckoned as he went

lout. In a few minutes the two latter returned, bearing

a string of wampum, which they formally presented.

" Koquethagachton bids us say," they added, turning to

the old chief, "Look for another councilor to fill my

place. I renounce all further connection with you !"

The assembly was confounded. "White Eyes' services
were indispensable. "Without him the Delawares would
be without their right aim. Hence they made every

■F

'■■ I

DAVID ZEISBERQER.

417

effort to conciliate him, and entreated the Christian
deputies to act as mediators, Netawatvves sending him a
string by their hands, with an humble apology, begging
him to resume his seat in the Council. " This is satis-
factory as far as it goes," said the irate councilor; "but
I intend to teach Netawatwes a lesson. If he under-
stands it, well ; if he does not understand it, let him not
remain chief any longer." Declining the string, he
therefore returned this answer: "As regards me per-
sonally, your words are acceptable. That you usurped
my authority, that you spoke evil of me and reviled me
among my people and among the Shawanese, I will for-
give and forget. But that you said that you and my
people would not, in all eternity, receive the Word
of God, I will not forget ; because of these words the
wound in my heart is incurable, unless you take them
back."

This answer, as he told Glikkikan to explain to the\
chief, referred to Zeisberger's plan of a national recog-/
nition. If the Christ; m Indians and their teachers were >
made a part of the Delaware nation, and if religious*!
liberty were granted, he would resume his seat in the 1
Council — not otherwise. ■

Soon after this. White Eyes came to Schonbrunn to
visit Zeisberger. He informed him of his ultimatum
with Netawatwes. He believed that the chief would
accept it; but if not, he would desert him and live at (
Schonbrunn. This would be equivalent to a deposition (
of Netawatwes. He added that, in his judgment, the '
Delaware country ought to be divided between thej

418

LIFE AND TIMES OP

P 1 1

■:^r-F

Christian Indians and the rest; and that, in order to
give the former more room, he intended to propose the
evacuation of Gekelemukpechiink and the building of
a new capital farther down the river.

With regard to his own religious views, he said that

f he sincerely believed the Gospel, desired to be a Chris-

Itian, and hoped that God would accept him. He was

Idebating the question in his own mind whether ho ought

>iot at once to move to Schonbrunn. Zeisberger advised

niim not to do this, urging the assistance which he could

render the Mission by remaining at the capital. After

Christianity should have been legalized in the country,

'he should ioin the Mission.

' Acknowledging the force of this argument, "White
Eyes proceeded to unfold his other plans, which proved
to be in entire harmony with those of Zeisberger.
Christianity having been made the national religion, he
proposed to go to England, accompanied by John Mon-
tour, and visit the King. Lord Dunmore had promised
him every assistance. He would lay before the King
the whole question at issue between the Delawares and
white people, tell him of the westward progress of the
latter, and induce him to guarantee to the former the
.country they then possessed, which should be the home
of the Lenni-Lenape to all generations — a land respected
fby the whites, whereon no blood should be shed. The
^whites might settle beyond it, but within its confines
Delawares only should dwell ; not in savage wildness,
but as a civilized and Christian people. And to bring
about this result should be the work of the Mission.

hr.' i

..t L

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APWMI I jM.VII. Jill

;i. i

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

419

W hite E yes deserved^ his fame as a cqungelor. This
was a statesman's plan. Pontiac had attempted, by
deeds of cruelty and streams of blood, to secure for the
aborigines their Western domain. White Eyes hoped,
by tokens of peace and manly negotiations, to keep for
his nation a home. Pontiac gloried in barbarism : the
Indian was to remain a warrior and hunter. White
Eyes deemed the plow a blessing, and every implement
of civilization a good: his. countrymen were to wor-
ship the true God and Jesus Christ His Son.

But however noble his thoughts — however philan-
thropic the corresponding plans of the missionary —
their aspirations were dreams. Neither of them could
anticipate the resistless westward march of that race
which now possesses this Continent. In point of popu-
lation and power, Ohio has grown to be the third State
of the Federal Union. Gekelemukpechiiuk's council-k ^ '"
fir e is extinguished ; a^ railroad traverses the site of) "7"^
the town. Schbubrunn has passed away. The spot^ %
where stood its chapel, to which hundreds of natives^..' \ i, ^
used to flock, is an object of the antiquary's explora- •. *!,>

tions. And along the Tuscarawas and the Walhonding, V, «.
the Muskingum, flockhocking, and Scioto, not a solitary,
Indian lodge remains ; from the waters of Lake Erie to)
the bluflTs of the " Beautiful River," not a remnant of)
the Lenni-Lenape can be found. A great and teeming i
commonwealth of Americans is in the place of that(
home which White Eyes would have given to hisj
people. Such was the will of God.

Amid all the perils of Dunmore's War, and the sub-

"•<:..

fffipfl

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420

LIFE AND TIMES OF

sequent difficulties with the Delawares, the spiritual
state of the converts continued encouraging. Religion
grew and bore fruits. Many were baptized ; others for-

isook the heathens and built huts in the Christian towns.

/Among these latter was a family of Mingoes, belonging
to the Onondaga nation, and to that clan into which
Zeisberger had been adopted. They became zealous
members of the Church.

DAVID ZEISDERGER.

421

CHAPTER XXY.

RELIGIOUS LIBERTY IN THE DELAWARE NATION, AND GREAT
PROSPERITY OF THE MISSION.— 1775.

The American Revolution. — Zeisberger's views and feelings. — Great
prosperity of the Mission. — Religious liberty. — The edict of the
Delaware Council. — Netawatwes espouses the cause of Christianity.
— General agitation among the Delawares upon the subject of the
Christian religion. — The Conner family joins the Mission. —
Christian deputies and the Council. — Goschachgiink, the new
capital, founded. — The converts present their own belts of wam-
pum for a national embassy to the Wyandots. — White Eyes relin-
quishes his projected visit to England. — Lord Dunmore's motives in
furthering it. — Death of John Papunhank. — Zeisberger visits Beth-
lehem. — A Delaware spelling-book. — A third Christian town spoken
of. — Progress of the Revolution. — The status of the Indians. —
Congress resolves to secure their neutrality. — Three Indian depart-
ments organized. — The cruel and dishonorable policy of Great
Britain. — Treaty at Pittsburg. — White Eyes and the Senecas. — His
bold speech. — Colonel Gibson visits Schonbrunn with the " Congress
Belt."— White Eyes' mysterious journey to Philadelphia.

The American Revolution was approaching. Through-
out the Colonies, and especially in New England, there
prevailed that heavy stillness which precedes the storm.

Of this crisis Zeisberger heard from traders who
visited Schonbrunn toward the end of January (1775).
Devoted to the cause of the Indians, separated from the
settlements, the wilderness his home, he had paid no
attention to the political questions of the day, and his
prayer to God now was that He would overrule the
conflict to the spread of the Gospel in the West, and
the establishm'ut of His glorious kingdom. Nor did

422

LIFE AND TIMES OF

\f]

\;i

he allow himself to be troubled. Matters of immediate

interest occupied his mind. A season of unparalleled

prosperity began in the Mission. The Grand Council

of the Dclawares decreed religious liberty, and adopted

all his other suggestions, together with those of White

Eyes.

f Tlie edic t-,of the G^and Council desejxesjtojje^e-

' corded: 1. Liberty is given to the Christian religion,
which the Council advises the entire nation to adopt.
2. The Christian Indians and their teachers are on an
absolute equality with other Delawares, all of them

I together constituting one people, 3. The national ter-
ritory is alike the property of the Christian Indians
and of the native Delawares. 4. Converts only, and
no other Indians, shall settle near the Christian towns;
such as are not converts, but are now living near such
towns, shall move away. 5. In order to give more
room to the Christian Indians, GekelemukpechUnk is

jto be abandoned, and a new capital founded farther

fdown the river. 6. The Christian Indians are invited

jto build a third town.

Netawatwes himself came to Gnadenhutten, accom-
panied by White Eyes, to whom he was reconciled,
and by numerous other councilors, in order to promul-
gate this edict. He had laid aside his indecision, and
boldly espoused the cause of truth. Of this his message
to Packanke was an evidence. " You and I," he said,
"are both old. How long we may live we know not.
Let us do a good work before we die. Let us accept
the Word of God, and leave it to our children, as our

DAVID ZEISDERGER.

423

ediate

lleled

ouncil

last will and testament." That he was sincere his
whole subsequent life testified.

The Gospel now had free course and was glorified.
Many still remained its foes, either openly or in secret ;
but the Council was pledged to its support, and the
power of heathenism broken. Upon this outward
prosperity the converts, by their walk and conver-
sation, set a crown fragrant as the evergreens of their
valley. Not a few heathens believed and were bap-
tized. From every side, and even from >he hunting-
grounds of other tribes, visitors flocked to their towns.
The chapel at Schonbrunn could hold five hundred
persons, and yet it was often too small to accommodate
the worshipers. Religion, as taught by the mission-N
aries, became a subject of general inquiry among the
Delawares, so that Netawatwes expected to see them all
converted within five or six years; and the Christian-
settlements were famed in the entire West, even iiij
remote regions of tlie Northwest. To this a company
of traders bore witness, who came to see Schonbrunn
They had heard so much of its prosperity, in every part
of the wilderness, that they had gone many miles out
of their road to gratify their curiosity.

And, indeed, these villages on the Tuscarawas de-
served their reputation. In them the system which
Zeisberger pursued to reclaim the savagos, and teach
them the ways of civilization, reached its highest state
of development. Such settlements were remarkable
not merely as towns, built with surprising regularity
and neatness, but also as communities governed,

[F.

f^^-M. > iJ S

i <1

"A ^

mr^

f^^v^. •'"■■

f . ' c

'_!.

' i'\'l,l4\^ ^-f .f .' ^

424

L/f"A^ AND TIMES OF

tVi i

(without the aid of Colonial magistrates, by a complete
/code of laws. In order to administer these, a council
was set over each village, consisting of the missionaries
rand national assistants, or "helpers," as they were
/called. In such a council the influence of the white
teachers, properly and necessarily, continued supreme;
but a native element was, at the same time, brought
out that reconciled personal liberty, which the Indian
prizes so highly, with restrictions tending to the
common good. Ou occasions of extraordinary import-
ance, such as the removal of the Mission to a new
locality, the decision was invariably left to a vote of
the people. But, from one point of view, perhaps the

imost remarkable feature of these towns will appear
in this, that they were centers of agriculture and not
a collection of hunting-lodges. The chase was by no
means abandoned, but it had become a secondary
object. To raise grain, cattle, and poultry formed
the principal employment of the converts. Their
plantations covered hundreds of acres along the rich
bottoms of the valley ; herds, more numerous than the
West had ever seen, roamed through the forests or
were pastured in their meadows; while few farm-yards
of Pennsylvania had fowls in greater variety. Men of
judgment and distinction, coming from the Eastern
Colonies, were often filled with astonishment when they
here beheld Indians not only civilized, but changed in
all their habits and growing rich.*

I The testimony of Colonel George Morgan, Indian Agent for the
Western District, of whom more will be said in another connection,

DAVID ZEISBERQER.

425

Among those who joined the Mission about this time
was a family of white persons. Richard Conner, a';
native of Maryland, ranging through the Indian country,
met and married a captive white girl among the Shaw-
auese. They remained with this tribe until the close
of Dunmore's "War, when they were delivered at Camp
Charlotte, according to the stipulations of the treaty,
and settled at Pittsburg. But their sou had been'
kept back, and they now came to Schonbrunn, on their
way to redeem him. Mrs. Conner stayed at the Mission
while her husband proceeded to the Shawanese. Its
influences captivated her. She saw Indian life, for
which she had a strong predilection, developing itself
in a Christian form ; and recognized the Gospel as that
principle which satisfies the soul. Her husband, who 1
returned without their son, or any information concern- 1
ing him, being similarly impressed, they applied fori
reception into the Indian Church. They said that they

^ir

and whose insight into the character of the natives is well known, J^
may prove interesting. He stated, some years later, during the Revo-1
lutionary War, according to Heckewelder, in his Report of the Indian!^ ^
Misnon to the Society for Propagating the Gospel (MS. B. A.), "thatS
he WHS astonished at what ho had seen in our towns. That the im-(
provements of the Indians bespoke their industry; and that the clean- 1 ,
liness, order, and regularity which were everywhere observable, added l
to their devotion, gave them a claim to be ranked among the civilized ,'
part of mankind. That they deserved to be set up as an example to )
many of the whites. That to him it was now evident that the Indians, )
when living by themselves and out of connection with the white ( ,^
people, could easily be brought to a state of civilization and become} /'
good citizens of the United States; and that he considered our mode' ''*!
the surest, if not the only successful method, of training converts who
had been brought from paganism, idleness, and debauchery to a state

'■I

of Christianity."

^t^ <ii:.£^S..<:

'^til

{FW^^TT

426

LIFE AND TIMES OF

would not expect any privilec^cs other than those enjoyed
by native members, but would submit to all the municipal
regulations of the town. Zcisbcrger hesitated to grant
theii request, fearing that the incorporation of a white
[family with the Mission would awaken mistrust among
the Delawares and affect its n -acquired status. At
last, however, ho yielded to l».^ urgency of the appli-
cants. They built themselves a house at Schonbrunii,
.and, after a probation of an entire year, were admitted
into the full communion of the Church (Easter, 1776),
.vhereof they remained consistent and worthy members.
^ In accordance with Indian usage, the formal thanks
(of the Mission for the edict passed by the Grand Council
<were now delivered. At the same time, the converts
jsent their quota of belts for a grand national deputation
to the Wyandots in acknowledgment of the land which
Jthey had ceded to the Delawares. This embassy was a
jlong-neglected duty. Thejbdts of the .Chris tian Jndian s
I were half a fathom long, without devices, ex cept a _white
1 cross at one end and a band through the midd]e. They
jhad been made expressly for the occasion. From a
"" native point of view, the converts thus assumed an ira-
, portant position. Their belts proclaimed their national

1 equality with the Delawares, and yet their religious
distinction from them.
Netawatwes was no longer living at Gekelemuk-
pechiink. He had gone, with the most of hie tribe,
to build a new capital, which received the name of
Goschachgiink, at the junction of the Tuscarawas and
"VValhonding. It was laid out in the form of a cross,

DAVID ZEISDERGER.

427

enjoyed
nnicipal
to grant
a white
nmonir
us. At
appli-
nbrunn,
Lclniittetl
r, 177G),
embers.
I thanks
Council
converts
pntatiou
id which
sy was a
.^ndians
,a_white
' They
From a
I an ira-
national
eligious

slemuk-
8 tribe,
ame of
vns and
1 cross,

in cxaf^'t imitation of Schlinbrunn.' There the council
with the Christian deputies was held.

On their way back, they met White Eyes, at Gekele-"/
niukpochiink. lie had returned from Pittsburg, and,
by the advice of Lord Dunmore, given up his projected i
visit to England, on account of the unsettled state of
Colonial aiiairs. The Earl regretted this necessity, for.
he had really fallen in with his plans. Connolly him-
self was to have accompanied him and urged his suit
at court. But self-aggrandizement was Dunmore's
motive, and not philanthropy. The Delawuro country
would form a convenient barrier to Pennsylvania, and
keep her within her proper limits, while all around it,
the noble land-jobber might give free play to his specu-
lations.^

After having closed the eyes of his tried assistant,, .->
John Pg^punlia nk, once the noto.rio.U8_prophet of thjgf ' ■'"^^■'-■■^'i. c/

•'t

Sus quehanna cou ntry — who died (May 15, 1775) at the
age of seventy years — Zeisberger spent a part of the
summer at Bethlehem, in conference with the Board
Among other important resolutions which were adopted,
was the issuing of a Delaware Reading- and Spelling-
Book. On his return to the Mission (August 10, 1775),
the Council proposed to him to build a third town, in
order to bring the Gospel to that part of the nation
which yet remained in heathenism, and of which John

' Goschftchgiink occupied the site of the lower streets of the present
Coihocton, stretching along the river bank.

' Letter from Arthur St. Clair to Joseph Shippen. Pcnn. Archives,
iv. 637.

^^•

ii.(^

«/.,

428

LIFE AND TIMES OF

I
\

Killbuck was the implacable head. Negotiations upon
this subject were, however, broken off by a treaty, held
at Pittsburg, between the Western Inditins and Com-
missioners of the American Congress.

The Revolution was advancing with rapid strides.
"While Zeisberger and his assistants were sitting in the
Mission House of Schbnbrunn, on the nineteenth of
April, examining applicants for church-membership,
the brave sons of Massachusetts fought the battle of
Lexington. Soon after, Ethan^^Allan^and Jhis^^reen
Mountain Boys surprised Ticonderoga, while C rown
Point fell intolEe hands of Seth Warner. The struggle
on Bunker Hill kindled a general enthusiasm. There
existed, as yet, no formal union of the Colonies, but
their Congress, which had hastened to reassemble,
began to exercise all the functions of a government,
and was cheerfully sustained by the people.

Next to the appointment of George Washington as
commander-in-chief, and the regulation of the Conti-
nental finances, the most important subject which en-
gaged the notice of Congress was the status of the
Indians, whose nev.trality must, if possible, be secured.

/Th ree Indi an departments were organized. (Jjilyi^II^i
I and_ treaties held with the various tribes. To the

^ first department belonged the Six Nations and those
of the North and East; to the second, the Western
tribes; and to the third, all the aborigines south of

i^Kentucky.

It was high time to adopt sue] measures. Not con-
tent with honorable warfare, Great Britain had inaugu-

i Ml

:iii ■

%'■

DAVID ZEISBERQER.

429

ons upon
-aty, held
nd Corn-
strides.
igin the
eenth of
ribership,
battle of
is^J^reeu
e^Crown
struggle
. There
uies, but
issemble,
ernment,

ngton as
le Conti-
hich en-
3 of the
secured.

To the
id those
V^^estern
outh of

l^ot con-
inaugu-

rated a policy of blood and cruelty against which the
good of her own nation protested. In the previous
year, the Governor of Quebec had been empowered
to raise Indian levies and march them "into any of
the plantations of America;"* and, recently, arms had
been forwarded to Dunmore with which to equip the
savages; while the King himself had sent instruc-
tions, in his own name, to the Canadian agent to per-
suade " his faithful allies, the Six Nations," to take up
the hatchet against the rebels. Through the baneful
efforts of Colonel Guy Johnson, the son-in-law and suc-
cessor of Sir "William Johnson, who had died suddenly
in June of 1774, this policy was, in part, successful, and,
after the battle of Lexington, alJ_Jhe^rq3uois^_exce£t
the Queidas and Tuscaroras, espoused the British cause.
The treaty at Pittsburg took place in October. On
the part of Congress appeared as commissioners Colo-
nels Walker and George Clymer; on the part of the
Western tribes, a large body of Delawares — including
representatives of the Christian towns* — some Shawa-
nese, and a few Senecas. The commissioners made
known the existing war between the Colonies and the
mother country, showed that the questions in dispute
did not afiect the interests of the natives, and exhorted
them to observe a btrict neutrality. To this the Dela-
wares pledged themselves, in spite of the opposition

» Baucroft's Hist. U. S., vii. 118.

* The Christian deputies were Isaac Glikkikan, Nathaniel, and Wil-
liam.

f. ' > '

{'-^jj^

\f^C *»^

430

LIFE AND TIMES OF

of the Senecas, who tried in every possible way to

interfere with the negotiations.

i "White Eyes took a prominent part in this treaty,
/and openly avowed that his people had embraced Chris-
Itianity. His manly course and evident sympathy
I with the Americans gave ofiense to the Senecas, who
j haughtily reminded him that the Delawares were women.

fr,

Women!" was his disdainful reply. "Yes, you say

that you conquered me, that you cut off my legs, put a

1 petticoat en me, and gave me a hoe and corn-pounder in

\ my hands, saying, ' Now, woman, your business hence-

i forward shall be to plant, hoe, and pound corn for us

who are men and warriors!' Look at my legs. If, as

i you assert, you cut them off, they have grown again

\ to their proper size. The petticoat I have thrown

\ away, and have put on my own dress; the corn-hoe and

\ pounder I have exchanged for these iire-arms; and I

i declare that I am a man. Yes, all the country ou the

\ other side of that river" — waving his hand in the direc-

\ tion of the Alleghany — "is mine!"^

♦s. Soon after the treaty, Colonel John Gibson, the

; /"Western agent of Virginia, and several other Ameri-

jeans, undertook a tour through the Indian country,

J bearing to its tribes t ^^ reat^'jCongress BeU^_dx^leet

j long and more than half a foot wide, as an emblem of

the neutral friendship to which the Del awares h ad

agreed. They spent some time at Schbnbrunn, where

a baptism, which they witnessed, so deeply impressed

' Heckewelder's Narrative of tho Indian Mission, pp. 140, 141.

DAVID ZEISDERGER.

431

their hearts that they sat far into the night by Zeis-
berger's fire, conversing with him upon the subject
of personal religion. Richard Conner accompanied
them to the Shawanese territory, and returned, in the -
following spring, with his little sou, whom he had ut last ,
succeeded in ransoming.

White Eyes did not go back to Goschachgiink from^
Pittsburg, but traveled alone to Philadelphia, without [
informing any one of his purpose. Ere long, however, ,''
a strange rumor reached Schonbrunu to the effect that .
he was negotiating with Congress for missionaries of a |
church other th;in the Moravian.

432

LIFE AND TIMES OF

CHAPTER XXVI.

LICHTBNAU FOUNDED ON THE MUSKINGUM.— 1776.

Prosperity of Schonbrunn and Gnadenhutten. — Netawatwes desires a
third town to be built near to the capital. — Its site. — A part of the
heathen Delawares secede from the nation. — Lichtenau laid out and
built. — The first Sunday thereat. — New converts from the families of
the chiefs. — Netawatwes himself a convert. — White Eyes negotiates
with Congress for missionaries and teachers other than Moravians. —
The reply of Congress laid before the Delaware Council. — Zeisberger
opposes the project. — Ambition its origin. — Colonel George Morgan
asks for a decision. — The Delawares abide by the Moravian Church. —
The first communion at Lichtenau. — Zeisberger 's Delaware Spelling-
Book.

/ The year 1776, which formed an epoch in our national

j history, became illustrious in the history of the Indian

[Mission on account of its rapid growth. In the first

five weeks eighteen baptisms occurred at Schonbrunn;

others took place at Gnadenhutten ; a general revival

began among the children ; and the project to build a

third town was carried out. Netawatwes wished this

settlement to be near to his capital. He argued that

the evil consequences which had formerly grown out of

the proximity of heathen villages were not any more to

be expected, the nation having resolved to embrace the

Gospel; that every opportunity must be afibrded his

people to hear the "Word of God; and that the influence

^of the new enterprise ought to be felt at Goschachgiink.

I He confessed that he expected to lean upon Zeisberger

and the converts in the administration of national aflair^,

DAVID ZEISBERQER.

433

and that he had already selected a site which would
render this feasible. "If the Brethren," said he, "will
live near me, I will be strong. They will make me
strong against the disobedient."

Zeisberger acknowledged the force of these arguments,
and rode out to view the spot. It was well chosen. Two
and a half miles below GoschacbgUnk, on the eastern
side of the Muskingum, a broad level of many acres
stretched to the foot of the hills, with an almost imper-
ceptible ascent. The river-bank, swelling out gently
toward the stream in the form of an arc, was covered
with maples and stately sycamores. Materials for
building abounded, and the rich soil promised abun-
dant crops. Numerous remains showed that the
primitive aborigines of America had here had a
home. Zeisberger was delighted with the place, andj
perceiving the great change going on in the hearts of ;
the Delawares, and the morning of a new era dawn-[
ing in their history, he gathered them around him, oni
his return to the capital, and delivered an animated (
discourse upon the words, " The glory of the Lord is j
risen upon thee,'" — setting forth that the day of salva-'
tion for the whole people was at hand.

Alarmed by the rapid progress of the Mission,\
and the increasing influence of the Christians, some f
Mo usey s. undec -CaDtain Pipe." seceded from the Dela

' Isaiah, Ix. 1. .

2 Captain Pipe, or Kogieschquanoheel, was the pr inci pal captain of/
theWolf Trite, and became its tribal chief after the death of Pack-j
anke.

434

LIFE AND TUIES OF

i\>

Jti

■■•^

^ware nation, and formed a clan of their own on the
J hunting-grounds of Lake Erie. As a reason for this
f step they did not assign the Christian religion, but
White Eyes' speech at Pittsburg, and the principles
he had there enunciated. They feared, they said, the
wrath of the Iroquois, which he had unnecessarily
provoked ; and they would not stay to share the pun-
ishment to be expected from that powerful League.
But, although there did prevail among the Monseys
dissatisfaction with White Eyes, and although Pipe
j^was his rival, the true cause of the secession was
J hatred of the Gospel. Unable to prevent its suprem-
I acy, afraid to persecute it openly, they fled from its
1 sweet promises and words of eternal life.

This breach among the Delawares did not, however,

prevent the new enterprise. On the twelfth of April,

.at the head of eight families, numbering thirty-five

t persons, and with John Heckewelder as his assistant.

j Zeisberger encamped on the site of the future town,

I and, toward evening, called his little colony together

under the open canopy of heaven to worship God.

I The next morning the sturdy strokes of the axe

began to ring through the bottom, and with a great

crash tree after tree fell to the ground. Indians from

Goschachgiink stood by, looking on in silence. To

these the converts talked of Christ. Here was Glik-

kikan, hewing the branches from a prostrate trunk and

at the same time magnifying his Saviour's name ; there

stood another, resting for a moment from his work and

setting forth the communion of saints as exemplified in

DAVID ZEISDERGER.

435

the towns of the Mission. Everywhere mingled in
unison the energy of civilization and the eloquence of
faith.

Sunday followed upon this day of toil. Xetawat-]
wes, with almost the entire population of the capital,*'
attended religious service. On the river's bank,
beneath the gemmed trees ready to burst into verdure,
gathered the congregation of Christian and of pagan
Indians. Zeisbcrgcr preached on the words, " Thus
it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and
to rise from the dead the third day : and that repent-
ance and remission of sins should be preached in His
name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."'
Afterward fires were lighted, around which the con-)
verts continued to instruct their countrymen in ther
way of life, until the shades of evening fell.

The new town^j^^rogressed rapidly. Its Missioa\
House served, at first, as the place of worship ; the!
other buildings formed one street, running parallel to
the river; and, midway between its northern and
southern extremities, a chapel was subsequently

erected. Th is town .recelYfid^the ftHS2«*£l-JilL^^"

tejnaij.''

1 Luke, xxiv. 46 and 47.

* That is, a ^^ Pasture of Li fjhf' — a green pasture illumined b y the
li ght of the Gospel . This is the explanation given in the Bethlehem
Diary of 1776. Lichtenuu was situated on what are now (1863) the farms
of Messrs. Samuel Moore and Samuel Forker, in Tuscarawas Township,
Coshocton County, Ohio. These two farms are separated by a long
lane extending from the river to the eastern hills. The town begin-
ning near the residence of Mr. Moore — the church probably stood in
his present yard — stretched across the lane to the land of Mr. Porker.

436

LIFE AND TIMES OF

A grandson of Netawatwoa and his family of six eliil-

Idren wore the first new converts who settled there;'

next came a son of the old chief; then arrived Welu-

pachtschiechen, or Captain Johnny, the principal chief

of the Turkey Tribe, from Assiiniink,^ together with his

own and ten other families ; while Gelolemend, or John

Kilibuck, Jr., Netawatwes' destined successor, selected

a lot on which to build at a future time. Owing to his

position in the Council he could not leave the capital

for the present. Netawatwes himself visited Lichtenau

I nearly every day, and became a convert, although he

fwas not baptized.

After a silence of more than half a

year.

White

Eyes sent word to the old chief, from Philadelphia, that

and, after all the converts had boon concentrated at Lichtenau, was
built up for a considerable distance ujion his farm. On the 18th of
Juno, 18G.J, my friend, Jacob Blickensdcrfer, Esq., of Tuscarawa^;
County, and I discovered tliis site, and idcntiliod it as that of Lich-
tenau by numerous relics and the exact correspondence of former land-
marks, as described to us by IMr. Moore, with the topograj)hy set forth
in Zeisberger's manuscripts. We were greatly aided in our explora-
tions by Mr. David Johnson, of Coshocton. The remains that date
from the prehistoric times of the aborigines arc a circle of five acres,
quite near to tlio site of Lichtenau, and a mound, three quarters of a
nulftfartUcr down the river.

' His wife, when a child of twelve years, had been baptized (Jan. 7,
1758) in the church at Bethlehem, and named Hannah, but afterward,
through the influence of her mother, relapsed into heathenism.

2 A town of the Turkey Tribe, on the Hoekhocking, near the Shawa-
nese towns. Captain Johnny's wife was a white woman from Virginia,
'captured (1757) in the French and Indian War. After attending the
first religious service at Lichtenau, she exclaimed: "Oh, how glad I
am that I am here, and, after nineteen years, can again listen to the
Word of Godl I have often wished to live with you, and now God has
granted the desire of my heart. When I awoke this morning, I felt
happier than I ever remember to have felt before,"

.//.<

six ehil-
there;'
d Welii-
al chief
vvitli his
or John
selected
g to his
capital
ichtenau
ough he

White
hia, that

tonnu, was
he 18th of
riiscannvas
it of Lich-
•nior huul-
ly .set forth
ir cxplora-
tliat date
five acres,
arters of a

-'d (Jan. 7,
afterward,

he Shawa-
Virginia,
nding the
ow glad I
;en to the
n God has
ng, I felt

DA VID Z EISD ER G ER.

437

Congress had granted the Deluwarcs a minister and a'
school-teacher, and that they should build a church at
Goschachgiink. It thus appeared that the rumor whicli
had come to the ears of the converts was not without
foundation. The motives which actuated White Eyes \
could not be divined, but the line of conduct to be pur- j
sued was plain. Moravian missionaries had brought the
Gospel to the Delawares when no man cared for their
souls, had led hundreds of them into the Church, and.^'
made the Christian party dominant in the nation. At
such a time a new mission, begun by a minister of an-
other persuasion, would confuse the minds of the natives
and mar the existing work. It.tliierefore became Zeis-
b ci'ger's duty to opp ose White Ejes.

The latter having returned to Goschachgiink, a coun-
cil was called to hear a report of his proceedings. He
brought out an address from Congress, and asked Zeis-
berger to interpret it; it contained the following points:
1. White Eyes has applied to Congress for a minister j
and a school-teacher to labor among the Delawares. 2. f
If an Episcopal minister is sent, the Moravian Brethren «
are to be informed that he will not hinder their work.
3. White Eyes has also asked for mechanics to live
among the Delawares and teach them trades. 4. Con-
gress requests the Delawares to designate the church
to which they wish the minister to belong, and to say
whether they are unanimous in their application for
white mechanics.

Profound silence followed the reading of this address
until other and unimportanc matters were introduced,

438

LIFE AND TIMES OF

wliicli excited so little attention that the councilors, one
fhy one, retired, including White Eyes. At hist Neta-
watwes and two councilors, together with Zeisberger and
his deputies, alone remained. "I see," said Zeisberger,
"that the Council has separated without attending to
the business for which it was convened. I, too, will now
; go home. But before I go I wish to inform you that I
. will have nothing to do with these plans, and will never
give my consent to them ; and I advise you to consider
well before you sanction them." With these words he
fjeft the house and rode back to Lichtenau.

IIow different this Council from the one in which
fWhite Eyes had advocated the cause of the missiona-
i vies ! He and N^etawatwes liad exchanged places. By
ihis unauthorized negotiations with Congress — by at-
i tempting to inaugux'ate a new work without consulting
fhis peers — he had transgressed against Indian law as
, gravely as Netawatwes when this chief had sent a war-
1 message without his permission. White Eyes read this
in the dissatisfied faces of his countrymen, and was con-
strained to receive Netawatwes' well-merited rebuke in
silence.

'*"' Qn_ S^aturday ev euin^(May_18^ 1776), tlje Lord's_Sup-
per was celebrated^ for the first time, at Lichtenau.
The next morning visitors from Goschachgunk filled
the church. White Eyes was among them, friendly as
lof old, but ill at ease. Perceiving this, Glikkikan
t strolled with him into the forest, and induced him to
I unburden his heart. Ambition swayed it. He was no
'longer satisfied with the mere conversion and civiliza-

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

439

tioii of the Delawares, and with securing for them a
permanent home ; ho desired to make them great and
powerful, like the Americans, and to see himself at their
head. In order to accomplish this, he must have minis-
ters of a more numerous and influential church than the
Moravian. The Moravians were too humble for such
aspiring schemes. Upon the whole, he no longer sought
personal religion, but was a friend of the Gospel only in
80 far as the Gospel would help him to power and glory, i
Glikkikan uncovered the evil of this course in language
so severe and condemnatory that Zeisberger remarks in;
his Journal, " I would hardly have ventured to speak ta'
him in such a way."

A few weeks later. Colonel George Morgan, the new
Indian Agent for the Middle Department,' asked the
Council to decide the matter by either sanctioning or
repudiating "White Eyes' application. Congress re-
quired an immediate answer. The Council sought
advice of the converts, and these discouraged the pro-
ject, as unjust to the Moravians and tending to con-
fusion. White Eyes, who by this time had realized
the grossness of his blunder and perceived that his
popularity was waning, gladly adopted the same view.
Colonel Morgan was informed that the Delawares would
abide by the Moravian Church.

7 ei8bcrg;or's Delaware Spelling;- Book appeared at

1 Colonel Morgan was a native of Princeton, N. J., and enjoyed great]
popularity among the Indiana. Ho was adopted by the Delawares, who >
gave him the name of Tamanend, the highest honor which they could]
confer.

440

LIFE AND TIMES OF

. J' Philadelphia, and was sent to the Mission. In a letter

^^ ^.•^.- ^to Bishop Ilehl he expresses great dissatisfaction with
I ,/^ \^ jits typographical arrangement; says that his instruc-
■^tions have been neglected; that it is more of a diction-
1 ary than of a spelling-book ; and, above all, that the
: Delaware and the English ought to have alternated
( page for page.

DAVID ZEISBERGEB.

441

CHAPTER XXVII.

THE MISSION DUUINQ TIIK WESTERN I30UDER WAR OF THE
REVOLUTION.— 1770, 1777.

Continued cflbrts of the Briti.sh to stir uii the Indians. — IJafitism of tho
first convert at Lichtcnaii.- -A now treaty witli tlio "Western tribes. —
Death of Netawatwes. — Zeisberger's position in the Indijin country as
tho advocate of peace. — A survey of the West and its military posts
about 1777. — William Edwards joins tho Mission. — Beginning of tho
Western border war. — TIk; Dilawares continue neutral. — White Eyes
tho champion of peace and religion. — Correspondence of the Delaware
Council with Colonel Morgan respecting the missionaries. — Apostacy
of tho Monsoy converts at Schonbrunn. — Their i)lot to remove tho
missionaries and bring back tho Christian Indians to heatiienism. —
Schonbrunn deserted. — Schmick refuses to leave Gnadenhiitten. —
Heckowoldcr returns to Bethlehem. — All the other missionaries at
Lichtenau. — Murder of Cornstalk. — Tho Delawares still maintain
their policy. — Jungmann and Schmick retire to tho settlements. — The
entire ^lission in charge of Zeisberger and Kdwards. — Arrival of tho
Wyandot Half King and his warriors. — Danger of tho two mission-
aries. — Tho Half King conciliated. — Edwards takes charge of Gnaden-
hutten. — Progress of the Indian War. — Zei.sberger's influence in tho
Delaware Council. — Encouraging state of religion. — The Gospel
preached to war-parties. — Keturn of the apostate Monseys.

The tranquillity of the Mission wasjdisturbed by the
pe rsisten t eflforts of the British to stir_ up the Indians.
In July, rumors of the warlike disposition of tho Iroquois,
Ottawas, and Shawanese agitated the Delaware and
Christian towns. The peaceful answer received from
the Wyandots to a message sent by the Council re-
lieved their anxiety for a time. But it soon became
evident that a season of tribulation was at hand.

In the midst of such forebodings, the first baptism

442

LIFE AND TIMES OF

■'iiii

Plfeni

' ^ill

■n

H>i

W|!

nil

S'lL

II;

took place at Lichtenau. The convert was that grand-
son of Netawatwes who had been the first heathen to
build himself a house in the town. He received the
name of John, and became a bold confessor. A friend
advising him not to speak of his religion, lest its enemies
might take his life, he replied : " If my life is in danger,
I will the more cheerfully witness of the truth. Do you
imagine that a baptized Indian fears your sorceries as
he did when he was a heathen, and that he will hesitate
to make known what the Saviour has done for him and
for all men ? No ! "While I live, I will not hold my
peace, but proclaim salvation. This is the command
of God."

When the autumn opened, the intentions of the

British Indians could no longer be doubted. Parties

of Iroquois took to the war-path, and the Wyandots,

changing their policy, prepared to follow them, in spite

|of a second message from the Delawares, which they

onsented to receive only in the presence of the

overnor of Detroit, who imperiously cut the belts

n pieces, threw them at the feet of the deputies, insulted

fWhite Eyes, and bade them all begone within half an

'hour. The more cause had the Americans to make a
new treaty with the Western tribes, in October, at
Pittsburg. The Delawares again declared for peace,

; and promised to advocate it among their grandchildren.
Unusual solemnity was given to this pledge by the

I death of Netawatwes, who breathed liis last before
the treaty was ratified, beseeching his councilors, and

^jWhite Eyes in particular, to uphold neutrality and the

DAVID ZEJSBEEGEE.

443

I ''i'-^-V<', ■

Christiau religion. It was a worthy end of the career
of this aged chief, wliose scheme of national aggrandize-
ment God had overruled to the spread of the Gospel and
the sai ;^ation of his own soul.

The principles which Netawatvres bequeathed to his
nation he had learned from Zeisberger, who was the
indomitable champion of peace in the Western border I
war. While the Church of God enshrines his memory -^ •''^t.sW
as an apostle among missionaries, America must call'
him a benefactor, because he averted a blow that would i
have made her children east of the Alleghanies wail'
with anguish.

It^ has been compu ted that the Indians of IS'ew York,
Ohijpj^iUidthe Lakes^could muster, at the beginning
of the Revolution, not less than ten thousand warrior
But that was a time of frequent disaster to the American
cause. Both the army and the people were discouraged,
and had it not been for the fortitude and perseverance
of Washington, the struggle would have come to a
speedy and ruinous end. In such a juncture, if the
British had succeeded in establishing an offensive con-
federation among the Indian tribes, — if ten thousand
savages had advanced from the West, incited by the
demon of war that changes an Indian into a fiend,
and had hurled themselves upon the Colonies simul-
taneously with an attack from the East by the regulars
of England, the result would have been fearful. But
God himself did not permit such a calamity. While
Saniuel Kirkland secured the neutraUty, of thfi..O}ieidas
aud^^uscaroras, so ths\i Jhe Irai^paois , .wer:e._., divided

'^^v4

hit
lit

il,

t :

444

LIFE AND TIMES OF

/against themselves, Zeisberger prevented the Delawares

and thereby restrained

1 S • ^> \l

(\ V *'^>}from taking up the hatchet,

jf^' '; J)^' »the many tribes that acknow
• '\\p j/ " fathers.' Thus two ordained

^;^

:ledged them as grand-

,/' "fathers.' Thus two ordained missionaries, the one in

\ the East and the other in the West, prompted by the

J principles of a common faith and tliie spirit of their
t common Lord, tacitly joined in a compact to hinder
a general rising of the savages. The greater part of
the Delawares, it is true, eventually went over to the
enemy; but by that time the States had gained a
decisive victory through Burgoyne's surrender, and
France, with all her resources, had arrayed herself on
their side, quieting the "Western nations by the respect
which her name awakened, and rendering the issue
of the Revolution no longer doubtful. It was in the
fmost gloomy years of the conflict that Zeisberger
stretched out his hand, and, in the name of humanity
'and the Gospel, kept back the Western hordes.^

1 In his MS. Hist, of the Indians, Zeisberger says : " If the Delawares
had taken part against the Americans in the present war, America

1 would have made terrible experiences ; for the neutrality of the Dela-
J wares kept all the many nations that are their grandchildren neutral

\ too, except the Shawanose, who are no longer in close union with their

I grandfathers."

/^ > The importance of his services, in this respect, and of the influence
of the Mission among the Delaware?, was acknowledged by such men as

'Generals Butler, Hand, Biodhead, Gibson, Irvine, and Neville. The

following is the testimony of General Richard Butler, as delivered to

Hcckeweldcr: "Had the chiefs of the Delaware nation, together with

the Christian Indians, pursued a dift'civiit course than that which tlicy

* ad ipted, all joined the enemy, and taken up the hatchet against the

I American people, it would have cost the United States muih blood and

\ treasure to have withstood them and checked their progress, besides

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

445

lawares
trained

grand-

Ill order +o understand the developments of the three
eventful years which he spent at Lichtenau, a brief
survey of the West, about the beginning of 1777,
will be necessary.

Two rival centers of influence. Fort Pitt and Detroit,
controlled 'he niitlves. At the former lived Colonel
Mo'gan. Familiar with the habits of the Indians,
frank, generous, ai^^ hone«t in his treatment of them,
be enjoyed their conlidence and exercised a beneficial
authority. The commandant was Colonel John Neville.
At Detroit, wliich was garrisoned by but sixty-six men,'
Governor Hamilton had his headquarters, and asso-
ciated with him were the Indian agents, who ceased not
to incite the tribes to war.

Tl ■ WjMidots and other British allies rend^zyou^ed\
at Sand usky ; the^Iro^uois at Niagara; and a mongrel!
band of some sixty or eighty, banditti and murderers/
of the worst sort, at Pluggy's Town, so called from the
name of their leader, on the head-waters of the Scioto^
In Dunmore's War, Point Pleasant, at the mouth of the
Great Kanawha, had been made a fort; and, at Wheel-
ing, Fort Fincastle had been erected. These were now
Ameri can posts. In 1776^^ the name of the latter was
chau jijjd to Fort H en ry, in honoi- of Patrick Henry. It
stood on the bank of the Ohio, about a quarter of a

wonkening our already fecblo armies on the soa-boiU'd, by draining them
of troops for the Western serviee, and this might have proved fatal to
the cause." — Ifrckeweltlcr's Report ofihe Mission to the Society for Propa-
gating the Oosprl. MS. B. A.
' Morgan's Letter to Patrick Henry. Penn. Archives, v. 286.

»!

^Pnfr

i^^ 'i\

.—f.

446

LIFE AND TIMES OF

,':

mile above the outlet of Wheeling Creek. Twenty or
thirty log-huts near by formed the town.

At the Delaware capital, Gelelemend had taken the
place of Notawatwes. His principal advisers were:
White Eyes, Memoacanund, — Wiiite Eyes' cousin, —
Lehelengochwa, Paomaholend, Pegilend, Majachqui-
cund, and Nanias, or Fish, who, together with Muchu-
somoechtin, the messenger of the Council, warml}' sup-
ported the Mission, while the remaining councilors,
Tetepachkschiis — the Speaker — Machingwi Puschlis, or
Big Cat, and Weliechsit, or Delaware Greorge, were its
secret enemies. The captain next in rank to White
Eyes was Wenginund, living on the Walhondiiig, ten
miles from Goschachgtink, and with him Woakaholend,
another noted headman. Captaui_ Fjpe»^ re[oicjnj[ iu
waronjj, had made over the duties of his chieftain-
ship to Gulpicamen, or Captain Thomson, once a
convert and baptized at Gnadenhlitten on the Mahony.
Those Monseys who had not seceded from the nation
dwelt on the Walhonding, a few miles above Goseh-
achgUnk, and were under a subordinate chief, Nach-
quachkschiis, or Elias, who had chosen as his councilors
Unumhamen, Tenaungochwe, and Queepackange. In-
stigators of evil, leaders in wickedness, the oracles of
the Delaware rabble, were Twegachschasu, an assistant
chief, Schigalees, a councilor, — both connected with
Pluggy's gang, — and Thechsallancepi, or John Snake,
a Shawanese, who made common cause with the
murderous Mingoes.'

1 List of some of the headmen among the Delawares. MS. B. A.

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

447

i^'

-^./

The number of missionaries had been increased by'j
the arrival (November 4th, 1776) oi" William Edvvard8,(
an Englishman, who became Zeisberger's associate atf
Lichtenau,' ITeckewelder' had joined Jungmann ati
Schonbrunn, and Schmick remained alone at Gnaden-
hUtten.

The Western border war began in the spring of 1777.
A hat chej, wrapped in a belt of red andjv^te beads,
was se nt fro m Detroit and accepted by the Shawanese,
Wy andots, and Min ^oes. liumor said that it was to be ^^^-Z,
offered to the Delawares, and through them to all their '^'tv,
grandchildren ; and that, if they refused it, they were <^^
to be treated as common enemies: in any case, the '^ >'>[,
Mission was to be destroyed. Cornstalk* him8elf\
came to Goschachgunk and reported that the Shaw-
anese, except in his own tribe, were all for war; he
could do nothing to prevent it; parties were already
out ; and ammunition was being forwarded from Detroit,
for their use.

On the ninth of March, a general council of Dela-
wares assembled to adopt measures in so perilous an
emergency. It was resolved to decline the hatchet
should it be o fl er e d; to protect the missionaries; and

1 William Edwards was born April 24, 1724, in the Parish of Brink-)
worth, Wiltshire, England. Hisparentsbelonged to the Anglican Church.
Ho joined the Moravian Church in 1749, and emigrated to America,*
where hQ bccame,tLdistinguishcd_fliissionary among the Indjan^.

* On a previous visit to Gnadenhiitten, with more than one hundreo*
warriors. Cornstalk conceived so great a regard for Schmick and his »
wife that ho adopted them both into the Shawanese nation, makingj
Schmick his brother and Mrs. Schmick his sister.

■ k

■f[

'^.% "^ r^^

448

LIFE AND TIMES OP

to uphold their work. WhitoEyes sjjokej^thjfervid
i earnestness, iu^fayor of the Gospel. Snatching up
va Bible and several of Zeisberger's Spelling-Books,
(he held them aloft, and said :

" My friends, all of you here present ! You know
what our aged chief believed, and that he told us how
good a fiiith Christianity is. Listen to me. I, too,
believe, even as these my Christian brethren, and
know, even as they know, that the Word of God is
true. Some of you, although you are not yet
Christians, entertain the same views ; others of you
oppose this faith, because you think it is not good.
Listen to me. Here I take my j'oung people and
children by the hand, and, with them, I kneel before
that Being who gave them to us, and pray to Him that
He may have mercy upon us all; that He may reveal
His Wcid and will to us and to them, yea, to our
children's children.

"My friends," turning to the Christian deputies, "you
hear what I say. Let us labor together for our children,
and show them our good intentions. Brethren, take
pity upon me, join with me in working for their happi-
ness."

He closed amid general emotion, the tears running
down his own cheeks. On the following day, at a
second session of the Council, the Christian deputies
returned a warm-hearted answer to this appeal, pledging
themselves to aid him in bringing all the Delawares to
a knowledge of the truth.'

1 Minutes of the Council. MS. B. A.

I, too,

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

449

Anxious to provide in time against oveiy danger
that might threaten the missionaries, the councilors
of Goschachgiink now sent the following message to
Colonel Morgan :

"Brother Tamanend, we want your advice what we
shall do with the Moravian ministers and their people,
if the Mingocs should attack us. We think it would
be best to bring them all together into one town, and to
keep one minister only. But whatever you recommend
we will adopt."

Colonel Morgan replied :

"Brothers, in case you remain in the fear that the
Moravian ministers and school-teachers will be badly
treated by the Mingocs and yourselves attacked, I wish
that you would agree to act as the Brethren may deem
best. They have been sent among you by the Almighty
God to do good, and I hope the Evil Spirit will never
get power to injure them.

" Brothers, I desire that you may listen to their
words, and do them all the services in your power."*

Accordingly Gelelcmend and White Eyes proposed to
Zeisberger to concentrate the whole body of converts
and missionaries at Lichtenau. He approved of the
plan, and proceeded to Schonbrunn (March 23d), in
order to carry it out.

But there confusion reigned. Ever since the pre-
ceding autumn the Monsey faction on the Walhonding

-4

1 Message and Reply recorded in the Bethlehem Diary, May, 1777.
MS. L. A.

^ .

- in^*£it^*^mnfwtHmi^-

450

L/F£ AND TIMES OF

m m

had been secretly inveigling their countrymen among
the converts into a plot both against the Delaware
Council and the Mission. They won over Augustin
Newallike, who, apostate-like, immediately lent all his
influence to seduce the rest, so that, by the end of the
year, there existed a rebellious party which defied the
authority of Jungmann, and Avas fast relapsing into
heathenism. In February, Newallike openly renounced
the Church and betook himself to the Walhondiug.'
The disaft'ccted, soon after, held a secret conclave, at
midnight, with one of his emissaries, at which they
agreed to disown Christianity, forsake Schbnbrunn, and
join the Wyandots. But when their faction grew in
numbers as rapidly as the influence of the missionaries
waned, they became bolder, and concocted a rising
of all their adherents, the seizure of the teachers, their
forcible removal to Pittsburg, and the return of the
converts to the faith and practice of their fathers.

It was a base conspiracy, unparalleled in the history
of the Indian Mission. The machinations of the Mon-
seys, however, did not alone give it strength ; the mis-
sionaries themselves unintentionally fostered it by the
difllerences of opinion which prevailed in their councils.
Zeisberger artlessly says : " Schonbrunn was neglected.
Th oj^ was a want of harmony among the missionaries ;

' 1 White Eyes meeting him, said : " You joined the Brethren because

l| nowhere else in tlie world could you find that happiness which your

J heart desired. This I have heard you say with your own lips. But

j hardly have you tried this happiness when you relinquish it and go

j back to heathenism. I call that not acting like a man."

DAVID ZEISBEROER.

451

they were jealous one of the other, and the Indians'^
were left as sheep without a shepherd. Not slow to use (
this opportunity, Satan sowed tares among the wheat, ■
and the tares grew so rapidly that the wheat was almost \
choked." '

Of all these troubles he had hitherto been kept \ii\
ignorance ; but now his measures were prompt and
authoritative. Supported by his colleagues, who cheer-
fully united to lend their aid, he announced that the I
Mission must forthwith be removed to Lichtenau. The
faithful part of the membership agreed to go ; of the
apostates a number refused obedience, and declared
that they no longer acknowledged him as their teacher,
but others repented and withdrew from this faction.
Before the settlement could be broken up, however,'
and after Zeisberger had returned to Lichtenau, u ,
false report was spread by the perverts that Mingoes; ^^^ ^
were on their way to murder the missionaries. Jung-
mann and his wife, accompanied by the Conner family,';
fled to Lichtenau; Heckewelder to Gnadenhiitten.j*'
Thereupon the conspirators took possession of Schcin-
brunn, the majority of the converts retiring at their ap- ' '* ^
proach. As soon as Heckewelder discovered the strata-
gem, he hastened back to the town, but heathenism wasj
already rampant, and the few Christians that remained (
seemed to be powerless. He sent for Zeisberger, who/
came at once, and, to some extent, restored order.

Meanwhile everything had been prepared for the

'v-^.

-^w

-J.*

1 Zeisberger's MS. Sketch of the Indian Mission. B. A.

I •

.r^

452

LIFE AXD TIMES OF

emigration

Early in the morning of the nineteenth
ot' April, a short religious service was held, at the close
of which Zeisberger fell on his knees and ottered up a
ferven<^ prayer, committing the converts to the protec-
tion I Ood, and interceding, with strong cries ami
tear-i, for the apostate Monseys. As soon as the
benediction had been pronounced, the chapel was
razed to the ground. The next day, turning their
backs upon the pleasant town, and the beautiful
spring, and the fair fields, the converts took their
sorrowful road to Giiadenhutten, and thence to Licli-
tenau. Schonbrunn_jvas_ Jiift^ hi. Jt,h.e. hau^ ,fi^..tlie
Mongers.

Schmick would not permit his people to join their
fellow-converts, but kept them at GnadenhUtten. In
a letter to Bishop llehl/ he exjiresses his disapproval
of the evacuation of Schonbrunn, denounces it as un-
necessary, and Zeisberger as the cause of the evil. But
Zeisberger deserves no blame. There can be no doubt
that his prompt mea'^ures saved the entire Mission from
ruin; and his con<luct was fully vindicated by the
\ experiences that followed.

I Zeisberger, Jungmann, Mrs. Jungmann, and Edwards

now lived together at Lichtenau. Heckewelder, by the

advice of Zeisberger, returned to Bethlehem.

The complications of the war increased. Cornstalk,

(who had gone to Point Pleasant to report the move-

iments of the Shawanese, was basely arrested, kept as

' Original Letter, May 24, 1777. L. A.

fr .y^U^

V w

/..

DA VI I) Z KJSD ER a tJR.

a hostage, aiul, soon :(ftcr, rnurderofl in cold blood,^
together with Ellini[isico, his aoii, i)y the soklicrs off
the garrison, in revenge for tlie loss one of their
companions who, wiiile hunting, had met liis death at
the hands of a Briti^^h Indian. Tims fell one of the
Ijravest^n d noblest o f the natives_^ that age. That
90 unwarrantable an outrage did not convert thei
neutral tribes of the West into blood-thirsty enemies'
was owing more to the good fortune than to the merit!
of the Americans.

The Delawares firmly maintained their position.)
They_j:e|jgi8tM]__Uifi__waj^^^ three times in the course
of tbo summ er; and although, when it was pressed
upon them a fourth time, they accepted it as tlie
easiest mode of satisfying the pertinaciousness of the;
Wyandots, which began to be manifested in a threat- \
ening form, they sent it back to Sandusky the moment/
the messengers had left their capital.

Nor were they less determined in protecting the
missionaries, although it was not in their power to
guarantee to them absolute security. War-parties
commenced to pass that way, bringing death to the
white man and tlestruction to his settlements. Such
parties were not to be controlled. Respect for the
pledges of the Delawares formed no article in their
instructions. Some painted savage might, at any time,
dash his tomahawk into the head of a missionary or a
missionary's wife. It became the duty of these teachers
to consider their danger and decide, each one for him-
self, what he ought to do. Jungmann, urged by

•v-J*«»

r/ - -

LIFE AND TIMES OF

'^Zoisborger, left the Mission (August Gth) on Mrs.
Jnngtnunn's account, iind rotuniod to Bctlilehera.
A low days later, Schmick and his wife, with
J Schubosh, fled from Gnadenhiitten to Litiz.' Hence

I the entire Mission was left in charge of Zeisbcrger
and Edwards. In a letter to the Board, the former
ju' rites :

" My heart docs not allow me even so much as to
think of leaving. Where the Christian Indians stay
I will stay. It is impossible for mc to forsake them.
If Edwards and I were to go, they would be without

V,*

■' a guide, and would disperse. Our presence gives
authority to the national assistants, and the Lord
gives authority to us. lie will not look upon our
remaining here as foolhardiness. I make no preten-
sions to false heroism, but am, by nature, as timid as
a dove. My trust is altogether in God. Never yet
has lie put me to shame, but always granted me the
courage and the comfort I needed. I am about my
duty ; and even if I should be murdered, it will not
be my loss, but my gain, for then will the fish return to
his native element."*

The confidence of the missionaries was soou put to
the test and the crisis of their fate brought on. There
arrived at GoscliachgUnk, with two hundred warriors
from Sandusky, Pomoacan, the wild and haughty Half

I At Litiz, Schmick assisted Bishop Hehl, nnd preached in the U. S.
Hospital which had been established in the town, until early in the
next year, when he died, January 23, 1778, in the 64th year of his

^ Zeisberger's Letter. L. A.

P^^^v5-iX^«AV t^^^'y *^^ -'tr^ V/^w^T^,

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

455

Kin g_pf-tho WyandptB . Accordinor to tlio barbarous^
usage of Indian warfare, the two white teachers were \
at the mercy of" these savasjjes, who might scalp them,
or carry them into captivity, as they pleased. "No
exceptions," writes Zeisberger, "had theretofore oc-
curred ; no white persons found in the Indian country
during a time of war had ever been saved ])y friendly
natives from the hands of passing warriors, unless
they were prisoners adopted into a tribe ; on the con-
trary, many cases were known of headmen and chiefs,
trying in vain to rescue their white friends.'"

Zeisberger and Edwards m^re equal to their j)erilou8 ,
situ ation . Calm in the strength of their faith, they j
said one to another, "If we perish, we perish!'";
Prudent in their efforts to save their lives, they '
employed all the means of conciliation common 1
among the aborigines. A speech was prepared, setting'
forth that the believing Indians of Lichtenau andj
Gnadenhiitten had accepted the "Word of God ; that!
they prized it as a great treasure ; that they held daily
councils at which it was made known ; that they had
two white teachers who proclaimed it ; and that they
begged the Half King to recognize these teachers as
their own flesh and blood. Sending a large quantity
of their choicest provisions in advance, a deputation of
converts, headed by Isaac Glikkikan, sought an inter-
view with Pomoacan. It was the eighth of August^

; t

III

1 Zcisbergcr's MS. Sketch of the Indian Mission. B. A.
« Ibid.

■r »----»-JJM,y

456

LIFE AND TIMES OF

He met tliem in the Council House of Goschachgunk.
j The missionaries remained at Lichtenau, where a canoe
Iwaa launched ready to convey them to a place of safety;
I while at the door of the Council House stood a mes-
*' senger on the watch, who was to mount his horse at the
I first token of unfriendliness on the part of the Wyan-
f dots, and bring Zeisberger timely notice.

Giikkikan delivered the speech and several fathoms
ofwam£uni. Both were well received, and after a brief
' consultation with his captains, the Half King replied :
"I rejoice to hear that the believing Indians have ac-
cepted the "Word of God, and have two white teachers
. among them to proclaim it. Let them continue to hold
' their daily councils, undisturbed by passing warriors.
Their teachers I herewith acknowledge a., my fathers ;
the Wyandota arc their children. I will make this
known among the nations, and tell it to the Governor
of Detroit." The next day he visited Lichtenau with
his warriors, all of whom, one by one, pledged their
hands to Zeisberger and Edwards. " Thus," writes
the former, "was suddenly removed a mountain of
difficulties." The missionaries were now under the
protection of the warriors themselves; and although,
r shortly after, an army of Mi^ngoes, Ottawas, Chij| )pewas ,
) Shawa nese, "Wampanoags, Potawatomies, and French
Canadians encamped near their town, their work was
carried on as freely as though it were a time of profound
peace.

Edwards now hastened to Gnadenhiitten, and took
cliarge. of that forsaken station. Zeisberger remained

DAVID ZEJSBERGER.

457

at Lichtenau, whe re lia rdl}'^ a week passed without the
arrival of n A^ll^^iirt^- But no harm hefell him. He
was treated with the respect due to a " father," even
when he ministered to the wants of prisoners and
interdicted the running of the gantlet in his town.

The Half King's band, after totally defeating a body^,
of borderers who were advancing against the Delaware!
capital without authority from Pittsburg ai^d in spite''
of the orders of its commandant, gathered around Fort
Henry, toward the end of September, and on the
twenty- seventh attacked it with the utmost fury. But
although its garrison was a mere uandfni, the assault _^
was unsuccessful, and, the following day, they loft on|
their homeward march.

The news of the attempt against Goschachgiink
startled its councilors; and when further intelligence
reached them, that General Hand, the new commandant
of Pittsburg, and said to be a bitter enemy of the Indians,
v/as on his way with lour hundred men to devastate the
country, the excitement grew so intense that it carried
along even White Eyes, although he had letters both
from Hand and Morgan assuring him of the unwavering '
friendship of the Americans. The Council would inevi- '
tably have declared war had not Zeisbcrger, the same' y
night in which he heard of its intentions, sent several)'
Christian Indians, at the full speed of their horses, toj
prevent such an issue. He expostulated with the
members upon their impetuosity; proved from their
letters that they were misled by false rumors; and^

; ft

'K-:'>

•X

458

LIFE AND TIMES OF

'ii

v,-<.

•^

' besought them not to leave their neutral ground. His
arguments prevailed. War was not declared.

But Captain Pipe and his fiiction were indefatigable
in their attempts to bring about a rupture. By dark hints
and open persuasions, by alternately exciting their fears
and appealing to their honor as Indian braves, by filling
the whole month of October with incessant agitations,
they, at last, caused a majority in the Council and
#ijiation to incline to war. But again Zeisberger inter-
■ . posed. By his authority it was proclaimed at Goschacli-
[ gunk, that the very day the Delawares took up the
] hatchet the whole body of Christian Indians would
I leave their country. Alarmed by this threat, and well
I knowing that if it were carried out the prosperity of the
nation would wane, Gelelemend and White Eyes called
-, a general council at which the neutrality of the Dela-
■ wares was reaffirmed.
/.v. In the letter which reported these events to the Board,
'^ X Zeisberger expresses his belief that he will be able to
. /maintain his position at Lichtenau. It is clear, too,
(from the same missive, that he was, at this time, the
/most influential councilor among the Delawares, and,
un conjunction with White Eyes and Gelelemend,
Virtually ruled the nation. His connection with na-
Jtional afl'airs, he says, is not agreeable to him, but
it is necessary, and gives him great authority. What
he most fears is the evil influence of the warriors upon
the religious state of the converts. In conclusion, he
writes: "Edwards and I commend ourselves, with all

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

459

our people, to your prayers and earnest intercessions,
which the Lord will certainly hear."

His apprehensions were, however, not fulfilled. In
spite of the frequent enticements which surrounded
them, the people grew in grace and in the knowledge
of God, distinguishing themselves at this time, even
more than in other periods, by their consistency and
zeal. The national assistants were full of holy fi'-e, and
dften went to Goschachgunk to preach, where they '^
gained new converts, some of whom were not ashamed
to rise publicly in the Council and confess Christ. Nor^
were the warriors forgotten. To band after band, as it
came and went, was the Gospel proclaimed with great
boldness. Painted braves wdtli their nodding plumes
often_filled the_chajDeij^ overflowing. By i

far the most encouraging experience, however, was the
return of the majority of the apostate Monseys, who {
confessed their sins, and entreated Zeisberijer to receive '\
them again into fellow^ship. In all the history of the )
Mission there is not a more brilliant evidence of the?
power of the Gospel.

: S'

460

LIFE AND TIMES OF

CHAPTER XXVIII.

THE MISSSTON DURING the WESTERN I30RDER AVAR OF THE
REVOLUTION (CONTINUED).— 1778, 1779.

New porils threaten the Mi^i;i(in.— Governor Hamilton's reputed letter
ordering the missionaries to arm tlieir eonverts. — Alexander McKeo,
Matthew Elliot, iSinion Girty. — Their intrigues anu)ng the Dela-
wares. — Captain Pipe and his party elamor for war. — Its deelara-
tion postponed lor ten days at the instance of White Eyes. — Arrival
of Heekew(^lder with peaee-nie.-^sage.s, and complete diseomliture of
Pipe's faction. — Ueckewelder"s meeting with Zeisberger. — All the
converts conontrated at Lielitcnau. — Alajor Clark's dash on the posts
of the Mississippi.. — Governor Hamilton incites the savages to greater
violence. — The Delawares maintain their po>ition. — Treaty at Pitts-
burg. — Its stipulations and baneful results. — The commissioners give
the Delawares the war-biilt. — Indignation of Morgan and Zeisberger.
— Mcintosh's expedition against the Sandusky tcwns. — Requisition
for Delaware! warrior.s. — Zeisberger's protest against enlisting con-
verts. — Fort Laurens. — Death of White Eyes. — Hamilton's expedi-
tion against Goschaehgiink and Lichtenau frustrated. — Plots of the
British Indians in the.-e towns. — The Council and Ze'sberger call
Mcintosh's army to their aid. — Siege of Eort Laiirens.

In the early spring of 1778, Zeisberger unexpectedly
found himself again in the midst of perilous complica-
tions. They came upon him from two different sides.

One day a Wyandot e:;''^"c'1 the Mission House and
handed him a letter v.- i'i an oiiio;.' seal. It purported
to be from Governor Tin 'liltoM, ran commanded the
Moravian miss! narics i.> jun <ucir Indians, put them-
^selves at their head, and niin ■! against the "rebels"
beyond the Ohio, whom tl.o] were indiscriminately to
attack on their farms and in tlieir settlemeUco, tlaying

Hi^\.M'f . '

V '. V V-

,« t-t v'

P4t7/i ZEISDEROER.

461

OF THE

without mercy and bringing the scalps to Detroit' Ter-)
rible threats were added if tlicy refused to obey this ,
order.

Zc isbcrgt jjMia§^.0-Uroi'.-.gtJL'icketi. To an ordained min-
ister of Christ, preaching peace, having ibr years de-
voted his strength of body and mind to civilize the
savages, using every eftbrt, at this time, to stop the
massacres and alleviate the misery of the border war,
the idea that a Christian man and British officer should
require missionaries to incite their converts to deeds of
blood seemed iniquitous beyond expression. Hurrying
to the tire-place, he threw the sheet into the flames.
But he could not forget its contents. It plunged him \
into a state of mental depression which he vainly en-
deavored to shake otf. Unl)urdening his heart, several
weeks later, to lleckewelder, he said: "Oh, what sor-l
row that letter has caused me! T cannot think of itj
without dying a sort of death — it was too horrible ty
production !"

It appears not to have occurred to him that the letter
was a forgery lie believed that it had been written
by Hamilton. And yet, although the truth was never
ascertained, it is more than probable that tliis mis-
sive was an attempt on the part of some subordinate
and perhaps irresponsible agent to alarm the mission-
aries and drive them from the Delaware country.
Whatever the character of Hamilton, he would not have
ventured officially to bid mhiisters of the Gospel be-

' Heckowelder's MS. Biographical Sketch.

462

LIFE AND TIMES OF

\^ '■;

!■ « p"v

[?rifi-ri

•^

(come murderers, tear reeking scalps from the heads
of their countrymen, and lead Christian Indians to
.those scenes of carnage in which the savages engaged.
/Against such a measure the civilized world would have
" protested.

Zeisberger was alone, harassed by many responsibili-
ties, worn out by much labor. It ia not surprishig that,
under such circumstances, his usual sagacity failed him
and he accepted as true what was so evidently false.

The other cause of trouble was more serious. There
came to Goschachgunk some disaife ;ted persons from
Pittsburg, with Alexander McKee, Matthew Elliot, and
Simon Girty, an ignoble trio of go-betweens and des-
peradoes.

McKee was an Indian agent of the British govern-
ment, a prisoner released on parole, hurrying, in flagrant
violation thereof, to Detroit, in order to give all the in-
formation he had gathered while among the Americans.
Elliot, a trader, but secretly holding the commission of
a British captain, had been at Pittsburg as a spy.
/SiniQri .:Gii'ty, an adopted Seneca, an inveterate drunk-
tard, a blustering ruffian, seduced by British gold to for-
jsake the Americans, whose interpreter he had been, was
mow espousing the royal cause with all the baseness of
{his character.^

Soon after the arrival of this party a second appeared,
consisting of a serjeant and twenty privates, deserters

> Taylor's Ofiio, 281, 282. Girty had two brothers, Gcorire, an adopted
•'Delaware, and James, an adopted Shawancse. They were all three
'Pennsylvariians, and carried oli' prisoners by the Indians, about 1756.

i:i ■'*

DAVID ZEISDERGER.

463

d have

from the fort, who joined the British Indians.* These
mea all vied one with another in spreading falsehoods
among the Delawarea. The Americans, they said, had
been totally defeated in the Atlantic States ; driven
westward, they were now about to wage an indiscrimi-
nate war against the Indians. Such reports produced a
general excitement in the nation. Captain l^ipe, who
had been eagerly watching for an opportunity to sup-
plant White Eyes and overthrow the policy of the
Council, hastened to the capital, called upon his coun-
trymen to seize the hatchet and defend their homes.
Who would venture to prate of treaties now ? White
Eyes barely succeeded in having the declaration of war
postponed for ten days, that time might be given to
ascertain whether the reports were true or false. But
this did not hinder preparations for the conflict. Qpsch-/
achgUnk rang with tiie war-song rifles were cleaned^
and tomahawks sharpened ; the warriors painted theiri
faces and selected their plume*. Meanwhile Zeisb<'rger\
sat alone at Lichtenau, uuab'e to control this istorm.
His words were as a whisper amid its fury.

But it was ruled by a high<^ir hand. The Board
having, for a long time, heard nothing from the Mis- i
sion, Heckewelder and Schebosh were sent to Pittsburg/
(March 23d), to gather what intelligence they could, or
to visit tlie Indian churches in person should the traijj
be open. Tb.ey found the fort in great alarm at the/
escape of the spies and deserters and the success of}
their intrigues among the Delawarea. In order to

7 '.:/:•

' Ponn. Archives, vi. 445.

iiit

,<1 'Smf '

.^>M ''

:}■

ilfiB L '•

vi;. .'iJiil

Ml '1 "

4 ,'ii«ii .

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W '^'

^'4'ipi^

' ';ij

464

LIFE AND TIMES OF

prevent the rising of this nation and its numerous
grandehihh-en, peace-messages must at once be sent to
Goschachgiink. Such messages were prepared, but not
a runner could bo induced to take them. General
Hand's offers of the most liberal rewards were all in

vain ; the risk was too great.

In this emergency, IXeckewelder and Hchobosh volun-
teered their services. Riding throe tjays uutl two niglits

i without stopping, except to feed their horsoH, in con-
stant danger from the war-partioH that lurked in the
forests, they reached Gnadenhiitten an hour before
midnight of the lifth of April. The next day was the

i ninth of the stipulated term. No contradiction of the

; reports spread by Girty and his confederates had been
received. War was accepted as a necessity oven by

' White Eyes. Of that crisis John Ileckewelder was

, the illustrious hero. Although scarcely able any
longer to sit upon his horse, and although it was at

j the risk of his life, ho pressed on, after but a brief
rest, accompanied by John Martin, a nat: /e assistant,

^ and got to Goschachgiink at ten o'clock in the morning.

i The whole population turned out to meet him. But

\ their faces were dark and sinister. There was no
welcome given. Not a single Delaware reciprocated
his greetings. He extended his hand to White Eyes,

' but even White Eyes stepped back.

Holding aloft the written speeches of which he was

', the bearer, Heckewelder addressed the Indians from his

/ horse. He told them that they had been deceived ;

/that the Americans, instead of being defeated in the

l^vJ.

DAVID ZEISDERGER.

465

Atlantic States, liad gained a great victory and forced
Burgoyne and his whole army to surrender; and that,
so far from making war upon the Delawares, they .
were their friends and had sent hin to establish a new '
alliance. Such news brought about a sudden chansre in.;
the aspect of affairs. A council was called; the misy
gives of General Hand were delivered and accepted ia
due form ; the warlike preparations ceased ; and, while
Captain Pipe and his adiierents left the town in great
ohti;j:rin, the instigators of this whole plot fled to mor»
tiniignniai fribus.

lleckeuHildar no}i; ..j)(}8fei|0(| |,q p))op^* ^pjs))evger with
the g\m\ tidin^H. lilnteHng the Allssloli (toiise at Jy)«h-
tenau with all the ph.'asuralde excilouiL'iijt of o/ie n\)i^W\.
to surprise a IViciid, liii was sdirthid to HCij \i\U\ sitting
by the iii-o, pah^, emaciated, the image of despair.
"Ah, my dear John!" exclaimed Zeisberger as ho
rose to welcome him, "are you here? You have
come into the midst of the lire ! If God does not
work a miracle the Mission is at an end ! The
Indians of Gnadenhiitten arc on the point of fleeing
hither for safety. I it there is no safety here ! Satan
rules! One evil folbnvs the other! All Goschachgiink
is preparing for war! "What will be the issue of these {
things ? What will become of the Mission ? If the '
Delawares really go to war, we pre lost ! I care not
for myself^ — but oh, my poor Indians!" Thus burst
forth tiie pent-up emotions of his breast until tears
choked his utterance. In all the dark days that
boded ruin to his work, he had no friend to whom

ii« J

iB>""»

I : I

1 1: .I

!' :■'

466

LIFE AND TIMES OF

/to open his heart, and now that his faithful coadjutor
unexpectedly stood before hiin, he sought relief in

1 these wails of agony. Ileckewelder seated himself
Vat his side and recounted the events of the morning.
Then his -ooping faith renewed its youth like the
eagle's.'

In consequence of the disturbances caused by the
war, and the refractory spirit of some of the young
people, the GnadonhUtten Indians were brought to
Lichtenau, so that the whole body of converts might
be concentrated at one place, under the combined
care of Zeisberger, Edwards, and Ileckewelder. Zeis-
berger regained his influence in the Council, and
caused a deputation to be sent to Pitt^^burg in

/response to General Hand's dispatches. In a letter
to the Board, written about this time, he said that
the three united churches hoped to be able to hold
out until the end of the war. If, however, this should
prove impossible, ho would put himself at their head
and lead them to the south country far beyond the
reach of danger.

Stirring events now transpired in the West. Com-
missioned by Virginia, Major George Rogers Clark, a
brave Kentuckian, set out from the Falls of Ohio,
with a small force of volunteers, for the British posts
on the Mississippi. At midnight of the third of July,
he took Kaskaskia by surprise and sent the command-
ant, together with important papers, to Williamf^burg.

-■■5
'1

> Heckewclder's MS. Biographical Sketcii.

DAVID ZIISDERGER.

467

In the same way, Piirradoruaki, rft. Philijij^s, uiid
Cahokia fell into his hands. Vincennes, wliero the
Blench cletncnt i»i'cdominated, v(>liint:irily yielded as
soon as he had conveyed to its inhabitants the news
of the alliance between France and tlio American
States,

These unexpected disasters roused Governor Ham-
ilton, who was holding a treaty with the Indians at
Detroit. lie gave them the hatchet anew, and urged j
them to more general and \ iolent assaults upon the \
fronliers. The Delawares who were present in vain
attempted to advocate peace. Their words were ,
scorned and their towns soon filled again with Wyandot/
and Mingu war-parties. By one of these Hamilton sent,
the Council a menacing letter, and once more, and " for
the last time," called upon it, in his own name and thatj
of the confederate nations, to join them against the)
Americans. But the Council replied: "Years agoj
we promised Sir Willian Johnson to remain at peace)
with the white people, and this promise we intend to]
keep."

On the seventeenth of September, an Indian treatjj^
on the AraericansidOj took place at Pittsburg. Auuiew
and Thomas Lewis, special commissioners of Congress,
General Mcintosh, comnuu\der of the Western depart-
ment, and numerous other officers, represented the
States. It was stipulated, on the one hand, that the
Americans should, at any time, be allowed to march
troops through the Delaware country and erect a fort
within it ; and, on the other, that the Delawares

:,a

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23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. 14380

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468

LIFE AND TIMES OF

y .

{ should bo adinitted to u pcM'petnal alliance and cou-

f federation with the United States.* But, however

propitioi.3 such a result seemed to be, this very treaty

formed one of the reasons of the subsequent .nlienation

of the Delawares. Tno ^•nmmi.'i^.f^ione rs secretly ^ave th e

war-belt to tjio chie fs, and thus subv erted the whole past

policy of" their youn^ republic. It was an unpardonable

blunder. Morgan, who was absent at Philadelphia,

condemned the proceedings in the most unqualified

manner. 'There never was," he wrote, "a conference

(with the Indians so improperly or so villainously con-

j ducted as the late one at Pittsburg." Similar sentiments

^he expressed in a letter to Zeisbcrger, who was himself

ihighly displeased. The war-belt was in flagraat oppo-

|sition to all that he was urging in the Council of the

y Delawares, by the request, and upon the authority of

I the Indian agents. It is not likely, however, t^at the

commissioners acted under instructions from Congress.

The measure rather seems to have been urged by the

West, in retaliation for its terrible sufferings.

Mcintosh had come to Pittsburg in the spring, with a
small force of regulars, for the defense of the frontier,

:^y

. 1 Taijlnr'd Ohio, 291, 422, etc. At this treaty White Eyes' fuvoritc
; scheme of !ui indeyeiKlcnt Delaware nation was adopted in a modified
i form. One of the articles of the treaty reads as follows : " It is further
agreed on between the eontractinij; parties, should it for the future be
.J found conducive for the mutual interests of both parties, to invite any
1 other tribes, who have been friends to the interests of the U. S., to
join in the present confederation, and to form a state, whereof the Dela-
ware nafiuu shall he the head, and have a representative in Congress :
provided noll.in;,' in this artich? to be considered us conclusive until it
meets with the !ipi)robation of Congress."

'liH i

and con-
however
iry treaty
lienation
^avc th e
hole past
irdonable
adelphia,
1 qualified
onferenee
usly con-
ontiments
s himself
aat oppo-
cil of the
;hority of
, t^at the
Congress,
ed by the

ig, with a
J frontier,

yes' favorite
L a modi lied
It is further
»o future be
J invite nny

ho u. a., to

lof the Dolii-
1 Congress :
isivo until it

DAVID ZEISDERGER.

469

and had constructed a stockade fort at Beaver, named
after him, with four bastions, each mounted with a six-
pounder. Toward the end of September, he undertook
an expedition against the Sandusky towns. Ilis army
consisted of about one thousand men. Upon the
Delitware Council he had made a requisition for two/
captains and sixty warriors. Whether these were fur-
nished does not appear, but Wlyte .Eyes joined his
c omman d.

As soon as Zeisbergcr heard of this requisition, he^.
wrote to the Board and ui'gedji^petition to Congress for/
a special act forbidding the officers of the tJnited States/'
to enlist Christian Indians.' Such an enlistment, how-]
ever, was never attempted.

Mcintosh encamped at Tuscarawas and built Fort
Laurens, so called in honor of the President of Congress.
This delayed him so long that advancing winter ren-
dered the further campaign impracticable. Leaving a
garrison of one hundred and fifty men, under Colonel
Gibson, he prepared to move back to Pittsburg."

It was at Tuscarawas — that ancient seat of theN
aborigines where their old men had, for generations, 1
rehearsed their deeds of glory — that White Eyes, one/ y./^ '' .
o f the greatest andbt^st of the later Tndian a. finished hisi^ '"' ^
career, in the midst of an army of white men to whonjj ^' J_
he had ever remained true. lie died of the small-pox,
on the tenth of November, 1778. No unbaptized native J

> Letter to Bishop Seidel, B. A.
• Doddridge's Notes, chap. xxix.

i f

470

LIFE AND TIMES OF

of any tribe or name, did so much for the Mission and
the Gospel. The period in which ambition alienated
him was but as the time of autumnal clouds, that darken
the firmament for a little while, and then leave it
brighter and clearer. Where his remains are resting
J no man knows; the plowshare has often furrowed his
grave. But his name lives; and the Christian may
hope that in the resurrection of the just he, too, will
be found among the great multitude redeemed out of
every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.

White Eyes' death^ caused deep soitow thro ughout t he
Indian country. Runners hastened from GoschachgUnk
to every part of the West bearing the sad intelligence;
and nuiny embassies were sent to condole with the
Delawares. At the head of their Council now stood
Gelelcmcnd. Big Cat, and Tetepachkschus. Captain
Pipe still continued the leader of the war fa'^tiou.

When Governor Hamilton received the Council's
answer to his letter, he grew infuriated, and devised
means to wreak his vengeance upon the councilors, and
especially upon Zeisberger, whom he professed to regard
as an emissary of the Americans. A formidable expe-
dition against GoschachgUnk and Lichtenau was set on
toot. It consisted of Indians and a few British soldiers,
and was commanded by two ciptains. Orders were
/given to bring back, without fail, the heads or scalps of
iWhite_ E^^cs, Gelelemend, and Zeisberger.' The day of
marching was already fixed, when, suddenly, both cap-

1 Zcisborger's Letter to Bishop Hchl, .Jan. 4, 1779. L. A.

DAVID ZEISBEROER.

471

tains (lied. This the Indians deemed so bad an omen
that the undertaking had to be relinquished.

Hamilton now incited the Wyandots, Mingoes, and
seceding Monseys to attack the Delawares. They re-
fused, indeed, to lift up the hatchet against them, but
began an assault with the weapons of intrigue that was
even more alarming. Many, and among the converts
too, wavered in their neutrality and clamored for war.
At last, seeing no better way to silence such outcries,
the Council and Zeisberger dispatched a runner to
General Mcintosh, and begged hira to come to their
aid with his troops. lie was on the point of breaking
camp at Fort Laurens, and immediately complied with
the request. No sooner did the British Indians, who
were filling Goschachgunk and Lichtenau with their
plots, hear of his approach than they hurried off, as
Zeisberger had anticipated.

In the beginning of 1779, an army of several hundred
Shawanese, AVyandots, and Mingoes passed through
Lichtenau on their Avay to Fort Laurens, which they
besieged for six weeks, reducing the garrison to terrible
straits. Soon after they had raised the siege, Mcintosh
arrived with supplies and a relief of seven hundred men.
Major Vernon assumed the command of the post, and
Mcintosh returned to Pittsburg, where he was relieved
by Colonel Daniel Brodhead.

'( 1

472

LIFE AND TIMES OF

CHAPTER XXIX.

LICHTENAU ABANDONED AND NEW SCHONBRUNN AND SALEM

BUILT.— 1779, 1780.

The border war abating. — Governor Hamilton taken prisoner. — Di-
vision of the Christian Indians into three colonies. — Founding of
New Schiinbrunn. — Simon Girty's attempt to capture or kill Z '.sber-
ger. — A second attempt to murder him. — Tlio campaign against the
Iroquois. — Lichtenau deserted and Salem built. — Arrival of new mis-
sionaries. — Marriage of John Hcckewelder. — Adam Grube's visit. —
Michael Jung. — Prosperity of the Mission. — The Delawares scatter
find mostly join the British Indian .

The border war was abating. Governor Hamilton, the
main instigator of it, could no longer promote its cruel-
ties. After having recaptured Vincenues, which he
found garrisoned by a captain and one private only, he
fell into the power of Major Clark, who suddenly made
his appearance a second time at this post and took it
"by assan.lt (February 24, 1779). The "hair buyer" was
carried to "Williamsburg, where the Virginia Council
ordered him to be confined in irons and fed on bread
and water, as a punishment for his barbarities. But
Washington interposed, and secured for him the treat-
ment of a prisoner of war.

Zeisberger new determined to divide the Christian
Indians into tt.ree colonies again. They had spent a
year at Lichtenau, and had been a shining light to their
neighbors and hundreds of warriors from the Western
villages. But the_permanent success of the Mission

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

473

required smaller churches, as soon as the w^ir would
ad mit of their reorj^aniza tiou. Besides, there no longer^,
existed that cordiality between him and the Delaware!
Council which had prevailed while White Eyes was its
ruling mind. Tetepachkschiis and Big Cat, as we said
in a former chapter, were secret enemies of the Gospel,
and although Gelclemend ranked among its supporters,
he was too weak a character to be its champion.

Th£_di vis^n tooly^place on the sixth of April, 1779.
EdwardSjWith a part of the converts, reoccupied Gna-
denhiitten; Zeisberger, with another part, proceeded to
Schbubrunn, which had been destroys i in the course , of
the w ar, an d encaniped amid its ruijis ; tljiiJcg^^tsJltSLi'sd
at Lichtenau in charge of Ileckewelder.

Nearly opposite to the Big Spring, on the western
bank of the Tuscarawas, were broad and fruitful bot-
toms skirted by a plateau that extended to the foot of
the hills. Ilcre^Zei&berger's colony began a new^tov^ii,,'^
It progressed but slowly, and for eight months theyj
lived in their encampment close by the spring.

Zeisberger passed much of liis time in visitin^ thev
other stations, especially at Communion-sea^son^. In
the early part of July, he spent such a season at
Lichtenau, and was about to return to Schbnbrunn,
when Alexander McCormick, a trader and friend of
the Mission, arrived with evil tidings. McKee, Elliotj^

>i '!

• It was situated on what is now (18G3) the farm of Mr. John Gray, in
Goshen Township, Tuscarawas County, a quarter of a mile from Lock-
port, and one and a quarter miles south of New Philadelphia. In con-
structing the Ohio Canal, a part of its site was dug away.

LIFE AND TIMES OP

?Tj

in !

TiT

/and Girty, he said, wore still plotting Zcisberger's
I ruin ; a party of Indians, led by Girty himself, was on
j his trail, with orders either to bring him alive to
; Detroit, or to shoot him down and take his scalp. It
, was a most timely warning, to which, however, he
\ listened unmoved, and mounted his horse to go. "My
(life," he said to Ileckewelder, who would have detained
I him, "is in the hands of God. How often has not
I Satan d?sired to murder me? But he dare not! I
i shall ride to Schonbrunn." Seeing that he was not
f to be kept back, Ileckewelder persuaded him to take
■ along a guard of Indians. To this he conseiited, but as
'their horses could not immediately be found, he pro-
ceeded alone, calling back: "I will slowly push on;
send the Brethren after me; farewell!" A short dis-
tance from Lichtenau, the trail forked, one branch
leading to a salt-lick about two miles distant. Down
this branch he turned, lost in raedit?tion, and did not
perceive his mistake until he had advanced a consider-
; able distance. Retracing his steps, he got to the fork
j just as his escort came up. If he had not missed the
road they would not have overtaken him, and he would

• have been at the mercy of his enemies. For, sud-
"^ denly, at the foot of a little hill, Simon Girty and his,

band stood before them. " That's the man !" cried
: Girty to the Indian captain, pointing out Zeisberger.
i"Now do what you have been told to do!" But in
I that instant there burst through the bushes two athletic

* young hunters of Goschachglink. Divining at a glance
\ the posture of afliiirs, they placed themselves in front

sbergcr's
, was on
alive to
icalp. It
^ever, he
o. " My
detained
has not
not ! I
was not
1 to take
;d, but as
, he pro-
lush on ;
short dis-
3 branch
:. Down
i did not
consider-
the fork
lissed the
he would
For, sud-
y and his
i!" cried
lisbergcr.
But in
D athletic
a glance
in front

' 7 '

1 •

DAVID ZEISDERQER.

475

'^\r

of Zeisberger, drew their tomahawks, and began de-
liberately to load their rifles. As soon as the Wyandot
captain saw this, and moreover recognized among Zeis-
bergcr's escort the great Glikkikan, he shook his head,
motioned to his men, and disappeared with them in the
forest. Girty followed him, gnashing his teeth in
impotent rage.'

Not lon^ after this, Zeisberger was again in immineiit
danger. An Indian noted for his inveterate enmity to
the Gospel came to Schbnbrunn, and sought an inter-
view with him. The usual salutations of friendship
were interchanged. But, suddenly, drawing a toma-
hawk, which ho had secreted under his blanket, the
savage exclaimed, with a fierce gleam of his eyes.
" You are about to see your grandfathers!"^ — lifted up '
his arm, and was in the act of striking the fatal blow, '
when Boaz, a convert, who suspected and had been/
closely watching him, sprang forward and wrenched)
the weapon from his hand. Zeisberger maintained]
"his usual presence of mind," says Mortimer, from\
whom we have this incident,^ and spoke to him witht
such "serious friendliness" that the man repented of( .;<»> <^
his sins, joined the Mission, and, in the course of tirae,^
was baptized, receiving the name of Isaac. He re-1 n:'.

1 ,j

-*J^

X>L

' Heckewolder's MS. Biographical Sketch.

* This was a common saying among tlio Indians when thcy"^
murdered a man, or supposed that he was otherwise on the point,j
of death.

' Mortimei-'s Journal, December, 1779. MS. B. A. Mortimer, of]
whom more will be said in another connection, was Zeisberger's assistant \
during the last years of hia life,

<•?..

"TT

476

LIFE AND TIMES 0^

''maiued a worthy nicinbcr of the Church until the
general dispersion, and held out bravely against the

' seductions of heathenism even when he was separated

' from his teacheis.

In the same summer in which Zeisberger was thus
marvelously delivered out of the hands of his enemies,
a terrible retribution overwhelmed the Iroquois, in
whom he continued to take a deep interest. The
valleys of the Mohawk and the Scoharie, where they
had been raging with the brand and the tomahawk,
and the nameless atrocities of the Wyoming massacre,
called for vengeance, and the Americans prepared to
strike a fearful blow. Washington himself planned the
campaign, which was intrusted to General Sullivan.
On the last day of July, 1779, the army marched
from Wyoming, and, toward the end of August, de-
feated the allied Indians and British, eighteen miles
above Tioga Point. For an entire month, the besom
of destruction swept over the Iroquois country.
Orchards, fields, towns, and every other vestige of
culture were demolished. About the same time,
Colonel Brodhead marched to the head-waters of
the Alleghany, "burned many villages, laid waste five
hundred acres of corn, and captured a valuable
booty of pelts. In spite of these reverses, however,
(the Six Nations were not subdued. They merely

j abandoned their hunting-grounds.

Toward the end of the year (December, 1779), Zeis-
bgrger's colony moved into their town, which recejved
tji^ name of New Schonbrunn; and in the spring of

■

DAVID ZEISBEBOER.

477

until tlu

gainst the

separated

was thus
8 enemies,
oqiiois, in
est. The
t'here thoj
tonuiluiwk,
massacre,
repared to
lanned the
Sullivan,
marched
LUgust, de-
teen miles
the besom
country,
vestige of
ime time,
waters of
waste five
valuable
however,
)y merely

r79), Zeis-
I recejved
spring of

1780, Ileckewelder's division left Liohtenau (Ai)ril 6th),
in order to begin a settlement farther up the valley. It
was an exodus which the conduct both of the Goschach-
giink Indians and of the Wyandot and Mingo warriors
rendered necessary. The former wore growing more
and more unfriendly; the latter had made Lichtenau
a place of rendezvous and the starting-point for a new
war-path to the Ohio.

A few miles from Gnadenhiitten, on the site of'a*
Delaware village, the inhabitants of which had been
removed by the Council, in a beautiful plain on the *
western bank of the Tuscarawas, Ileckewelder founded i
the town of Salem.*

In its chapel, dedicated on the twenty-second of May,
there gathered, on the fourth anniversary of American
Independence (July 4, 1780), a large congregation of
Indians from the three towns, together with the whole
Mission family, recently increased by the arrival of
Gottlob Senseman, Mrs. Sensenian, and Miss Sarah
Ohncberg. In the presence of this assembly, that veteran
missionary, Adam Grube, whom the Board had senl;^'

1 It wiis .«ituatod in Salem ' wnsliip, Tusciirawurt County, one and a
half niilos southwost of Port Washington, on what is now (1803) Mr.
Honry Stoclcpr's farni,jur-t o[)posito throo bald hill-tops, and between
the track of the Stcubenville and Indiana Railroad and the Tuscarawas
River. On the twentieth of .Tunc, 1863, Mr. Blickonsderfer, to whom
I have referred in a ft)rnaer note, and I dis(!0vered the site of Salem.
The plain in which it stood was well known; but we succeeded in
identifying the very spot which it once occupied, and clearly traced
the line of its houses by the discoloration of the soil, at regular in-
tervals, in a field of young corn, and by numerous relics which we
dug up.

t, f

478

LIFE AND TIMES OF

¥U

'slll

■\ -r

/ ^

on au official visit to the valley, united John Ilecke-
jvveldcr and Miss Ohnebcrg in marriage. It was, doubt-
(less, the first wedding of a white couple in the present
State of Ohio.i

Grube spent six weeks at the Mission, in conference
with his brethren, and then went back to Bethlohcni to
report to the Board. In the following autumn, Michael
Jung arrived as Edward's assistant.'' Sensoman was
stationed at New Schbnbrunn, and Zeisberger, as super-
intendent of the Mission, itinerated from church to
church. The whole year was one of peace and pros-
perity, distinguished, too, by the return of the rest of
the apostate Monseys. In the course of the winter,
"Zeisberger wrote that lengthy account of the manners
and customs of the North American Indians which
forms the basis of the Introduction to Loskiel's History
of the Mission.^

' The party from Bethlehem, consisting of Grubc, Senseman, Mrs.
Senseman, and Miss Ohneberg, was escorted from Pittsburg to Schon-
brunn by a number of Christian Indians. Upon those three American
scouts tired from an ambush, in spite of the presence of white persons,
with tlio intention of talking their .scalps, for which bounties were now
paid. A bullet passed tlirough tlie sleeve of the Indian leading Grubc's
horse.

2 Michael Jung was born, January 5, 174.3, ac Engoldsheim, in the old
province of Elsass, or Alsace, in Germany. His parents belonged to the
Keformed Church. In 1751, ho immigrated with them to America.
They settled at Broadbay, in Maine, whce he joined the Moravian
Church. In 17G7, ho proceeded to Bethlehem, and rem ained an inniate

, of the Brethren's House until he was called to serve tlio Indian Mission,
« in 1*780". Ho was a faithful missionary, and labored among the Indians
I for thirty-three years. In 1813, he retired to Litiz, Pa., wbere he
Idled December 13, 1826.

3 Comp. chop. ii. note 2.

DAVID ZEISBERQER.

479

Meantime Captain Pipe had gained the ascendency
at Goscliachgiink. Gelelemend and those of his coun-
cilors who sided with the Americans fled from the
town ; the most of the other cliiefs were scattered ; the']
great council-tire which Netawatwes and AYiii^eEyes,
had made to burn with so bright a flame was dying out.
Distracted, without a proper head and a national center,
the majority of the Delawares yielded to the persuasions
of the British Indians and joined them. Pipe built a
town near the Half King's, and stood in open league
with him against the United States. When this aliena-
tion became known to the converts, they renounced, by
several formal embassies, all further fellowship with the
Delawares.

1 '

If.

48'

LIFE AND TIMES OF

CHAPTER XXX.

ZEISBERGCR'S MARRIAGE AND LAST VISIT TO THE SETTLE-

MENTS.— 1781.

Zeisbergcr vi.'its Bothlchcni. — Bishop Keichcl — Interview with Presi-
dent Kood at Phihidelphia. — Zoisborger's views on the expediencj' of
his remaining a single man. — Yields to the persuasions of his friends
and marries. — Broadhead's expedition against the Delawares. — His
proposal to the niissionarii^s — The Christian towns disturbed by war-
parties. — Narrow e.seape of Edwards and Jung. — Zeisbergcr returnb
to the Mission with his wife and Jungmann.

In the spring of 1781, Zeisbergcr visited Bethlehem in

order to attend a Synod convened by Bishop Heichel,*

livoxn. Germany, who had been spending two years in

ithe United States on an official visit to the Moravian

'churches. He found his old friend. Bishop Seidel, with
i' ■ , _

jwhom he had followed up many a forest-trail, weak anu

iv.;eary, longing to be at rest. But the other members

jof the Bo.vrd — Ettwein, Schweinitz, and Huebener —

' John Frederick Reichcl was born at Obi'rliidel, in Altenburg, in 1731,
and was the son of the Rev. Jacob Daniel lleichel, of the Lutheran
Church. Having studied ot Jena, he took charge of the parish of
Taubenheim. In 1758, ho resigned this parish, joined the I.oravians,
and became pastor of the church at Nisky, I'russia. In 1709, he was
eleeted to the General Executive Board of thn Unitas Fratrum, and in
1775 consecrated bishop. He died November 17, 1809.

'John Andrew Huebener (born June 10, ''737, at Ascherslcben, in
Halberstadt^ joined the Moravian Chu'-ch in 1759, and filled various
oflicos in Germany. In 1780, he came to America as a member of the
Mission Board and pastor of tho churcL at Bethlehem. In 1790, ho was

J i

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

481

were in the midst of their activity, which the complica-
tions of the Revolutionary War rendered both arduous
and embarrassing.

After the adjournment of the Synod, Zeisberger pro-
ceeded to Philadelphia with a letter of introduction
from Colonel Broadhead to President Reed, of the Su-
preme Executive Council of Pennsylvania. Brodhead
wrote: "1 have requested him to go to Philadelphia, as
I expected the Honorable Executive Council, Congress, '
and the Board of War would be glad of an opportunity'
to examine him respecting his Mission and the disposi- ■
tion of the Indians in general. Tie is a faithful man,'
and what he says may be relied on."^ President Reed
received him with great distinction, and thanked him,>;
in the name of the whole country, for his services^
among the Indians, particularly for his Christian hu-.
manity iii turning back so many war-parties that were*
on their way to rapine and massacre.^

Zeisberger now spent several weeks in conference^
with Bishop Reichel and the Mission Board. He was/
sixty jg^ears of age, thirtyj -seven of which had been^
d evoted to the s ervice of God among the Indians.!
Of days of comfort, or the cheering presence of a wife!
and the joys of a family, he had scarcely thoughtj
Indeed, applying the contrast drawn by the Apostle

consecrated bishop, and took up his residence at Litiz, of which church
he was, at the same time, the j)astor. In 1801, lie was elected a -nembor
of the General 'Joard in Europe, and filled that office until his death,
December 20, 1809.

' Ponn. Arcliivcs, ix, 57.

» Philadelphia Diary, May, 1781. MS. P. A.

♦•■• f.

-V/

;

482

LIFE AND TIMES OF

■«- I!

K-

Paul between the married and single state* to the cir-
cumstances and work of his own life, he had long since
jmade up his mind never to marry.^ On this occasion,
however, his friends urged him to abandon such a
/determination, reminding him of the dreariness of his
old age, on a distant frontier, without a helpmate. He
''yielded to these persuasions, and made proposals of
marriage to Miss Susan Lecron, of Litiz, who accepted
him.^

On the first of June, he left Bethlehem, which he had
j helped to found forty years ago, and which lie never
1 saw again, and, in the evening of Whit-Monday (June
j 4th), the marriage took place in the church at Litiz, the

I patriarch Grube performing the ceremony.
I,,

During Zeisberger's absence, events of importance

transpired in the Tuscarawas valley. Informed of the
disaiiection of the Dolawares, Colonel Brodhead organ-
ized an expedition of about three hundred men, nearly
one-half of whom were volunteers, and having rendez-
voused at Wheeling, where he was joined by John Mon-
/tour and several friendly Indians, advanced into their
I country to punish them for their breach of faith. By a
i rapid march he surprised Goschachgiink and Lichtcnaii,
"^ in the evening of the nineteenth of April, killing fii-
iteeu warriors and taking twenty prisoners. Among the
jlatter were five Christian Indians, from Salem, on a visit

» I. Cor vii. !52, 33.

* Hcckowcldcr's MS. Biographical Slcetch.

'Susan Lecron was born at Lancaster, Pa., February 17, 1744. In
1758, lipr parents, •who were Lutherans, removed with her to the neigh-
borhood of Litiz, whore she joined the Moravian Church.

■«ll

DAVID ZEISDERGER.

488

to their former homo. These he set at liberty. P>ut.
as they were going up the Muskingum iu a canoe, some
of the militia, contrary to orders, stealtliily followed and
made a furious attack upon them from a convenient
ambush. The converts took to the hills, and suc-
ceeded in reaching Salem with but one of their number
wounded.

Having destroyed both Goschachgiink and Lichte-
nau,^ together with the corn, poultry, and cattle of the
Indians, the army proceeded up the valley to Gekolo-
muckpechiink, where Gclelcmend and the remnant of
friendly Delawares were living. At the request of
Brodhead, the missionaries and native assistants visited
his camp. He proposed to them to break up their set-
tlements and iccompany him to Pittsburg. It was a
well-meant overture. The Delawares having joined the
British Indians, the Mission Avould be exposed to their
attacks. But, in the very nature of the case, the invi-
tation could not be accepted. Gelolemend and his
band, however, were glad to profit by a similar offer,
and put themselves under the protection of the United
States. The rest of the nation had set up their lodges
in the Wyandot country, among the Shawanese, and
farther west ; so that the entire valley of the Tusca-
rawas now embraced no Indians other than the Chris-
tian converts in their three towns.

Brodhead's apprehensions were fulfilled. A few
days after his departure, a body of eighty savages, led by

' After tho exodus of the Christian Indians, Lichtonim win occupied
by the Delaware?, who named it Indaoehaio. — Penn. Archives, ix. 161.

i{ ;;

isssa

oars:

"Pf"

484

LIFE AND TIMES OF

I f

■liii.

./•

Puchgantschihillas, u noted Delaware captain, surprised

Gnadcuhiitten, demanding the surrender of Gelelemeud

and his followers. When it was found that this party

had retired to Pittsburg, the Delaware band endeavortd

to break up the Mission by persuading the converts to

seek a refuge among the Wjandots. Some of the war-

; riors made three several attempts to murder Hecke-

i welder, whom they considered a stumbling-bToc k^i n the

I way of their purpose. At last, alarmed by a false icport

4 of the approach of an American army, they departed,

. carrying with them more than a dozen of the Salem

\ Indians, who renounced the Gospel and fell back into

I heathenism. As he was about leaving the town, Pach-

I gantschihillas, with almost the vision of a prophet,

j warned the converts against raids on the part of the

1 Americans. " If you pass safely through this war," he

said, " and I see you all alive at the close of it, I will

] regret not to have joined your Mission."

After tliis, marauding-parties prowled through the

valley, stealing horses and whatever else they could

iind. One of these parties lay in ambush near a field

of Gnadenhiitten. Into this Held came Edwards and

Jung, and began to plant potatoes. Instantly seven of

' the savages cocked their rifles, took aim, and were

upon the point of shooting them down, when the cap-

^ tain, seized by an unaccountable impulse of mercy,

persuaded his men to spare their lives. The band crept

away, and the two missionaries continued working in the

^lield, ignorant of the death which had threatened them.

On the twelfth of June, Zeisberger and his wife, to-

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

48.0

n, surprised

Gelelemend

it this party

endeavored

converts to

o f the war-

•der Hocke-

block in the

- false 1 oport

!y departed,

' the Salem

11 back into

town, Pach-

a prophet,

part of the

his war," he

; of it, I will

through the
they could
near a field
Idwards and
itly seven of
I, and were
I en the cap-
•■ of mercy,
3 band crept
rking in the
tened them,
his wife, to-

gether with John Jungmann and Mrs. Jungmann, who)
had consented to resume their labors among the Indians, •
set out from Litiz for the West. They traveled on
horseback, and, after crossing the Alleghanies, found
them^2lve8 in such constant danger from the savages,
who were on the war-path in great numbers, that they
took refuge in New Store, on the Monongabcla, eighteen
miles from Pittsburg, whither Zeisberger proceeded
alone for a boat and guard of soldiers. At the fort an
escort of twenty Christian Indians awaited them, under -
whose protection they reached New Schonbrunu in J
safety, on the fifteenth of July.

ft?

k I

; ,

-7P— "

486

LIFE AND TIMES OF

CHAPTER XXXI

CAPTURE OF THE MISSIONARIES, AND OVERTHROW OF THE
MISSION ON THE TUSCARAWAS.— 1781.

Tlifi Mission family and its labors. — Causes of thcovortlirowof the work
in the Tusciiriiwas valley. — An expedition against the Christian towns
planned. — Tlu' tribes that took j art in it, and their motives. — Intelli-
gence of the upproaehing raid. — Arrival of the Wyandot llalf Kinj,'
and his warriors. — Elliot the British eaptain. — Friendly words and
base purposes. — McCormick and liis secret information. — Zcisberger's
trust in God. — Arrival of more warriors. — The encampment ut Gna-
donhiitten. — Speeches of the Half King, and reply of the Chri.«tiaii
Indians. — Diti'erenees of opinion among tlie latter. — Zeisbcrgor's nirs-
sngo to liethlehem. — Quarrels between Elliot and the w; -riors. — He
insists upon the seizure of the missionaries.— The Half King and his
Council deciding their fate. — Hesitation of the savages to take their
lives. — The missionaries refuse to flee. — The morning service of tlui
third of Sept-rnber at Gnadenluitten. — Final demand of the Iliill"
Kin;.r. and answer of the missionaries. — Their motives in giving this
answer. — They are seized and held as captives. — The night of the
third of yej)temlK>r. — Their wives are seized and brought to Gnadcii-
hiitten. — Scalp-ylls. — Flight of a young squaw with the news to
Pittsburg. — Anger of the warriors. — Capture and release of Glikki-
kan. — The missionaries set free on promising to leave the valley with
their converts. — Their last Communion at Salem. — The news at Beth-
lehem.

\m'-

There were now six missionaries on the Tuseara\yas :'
ZGisber^erjind Jiinginaiui at New Schonbrunn ; Sjense-

, 1 Sources for this chapter are : Diary of Bethlehem, April to Doccni-
' ber, 1781, MS. B. A. ; Diary of Litiz, April, 1781, MS. L. A. ; Zcis-
berger's Journal of 1781, compendium, in his own handwriting,
MS. B. A.; the same journal uku'c in detail, copied, AIS. B. A.; Ilccko-
welder's Diary of Salem, 1781, MS. B. A.; Ileckewelder's English
Narrative of th(! Capture of tlu; Mi.ssionurics and Massacre of the In-

i't-:!::

-Y^r-

DAVIE ZEISBERGER.

487

kV OF THE

man^ and W illiam Edwards at Gnadenliiitton ; IlcJkc-
wcld cr and Michael Jung at Salem. They all zealously
preached the Word, dispensed the sacraments, instructed,
the children, comforted the aged, and ministered to the/
sick; while their wives went about among tlie women,' ?/,'.
taught them to be Christian mothers and fill the posi-
tion which the Gospel assigns to their sex. Peace
reigned in the churches, until that storm burst upon <
them which swept them from the valley. The elements '
which produced it had silently been gathering ever sincej
the commencement of the war.

Placed in the heart of a country which lay between
the frontier settlements of the Americans and the west-
ern posts of the British, the situation of the mission-
aries was, in th: highest degree, embarrassing. They
and their people were neutral. But, while they never
attempted to interfere with legitimate warfare, the case
was different in regard to the massacres perpetrated by
the Indians. They werepledged bj^^heir responsibjlities
t o God to prevent suc h massacres, as far as lay in their
power. It was not enough to theorize in the Delaware
Council upon the wickedness of burning homesteads and
butchering women and children. Their sacred office,
their ordination vows, the Gospel which they proclaimed,
all forbade them to enjoy the security of their houses and
rich abundance of their plantations, without bestirring

{

'*^'».

^^^ j

'■■*-C.-^

dians, 1781 and 1782, MS. B. A.; Ileckcweldor's Biographical Sketch
of Zeisbcrgcr, MS. Lib. Morv. Hist. Soc; Uockewcldor'.s Corrections of(
Loskii'l's Ili.^tory of the Captiiro of the 3Ii.ssionarics, JIS. B. A.;|
Jungniann's Autobiography, MS. B. A.; Susii3iia.2Ieisbergcr'§ j^utobi-
*'2^''ElliL;..M.^iJi;,-^-i ru"i- Col. liecords,xii. xiii.; Penn. Archives, ix.

488

LIFE AND TIMES OF

themselves to save other non-combatants from death,
^ence they frequently persuaded war-parties, stopping in
their towns, to turn back, and, by request of the Delaware
Council, wrote letters to the commandant at Pittsburg
reporting the movements of the savages. But these acts
were not the acts of American spies. They were not
performed in the interests of the Americans politically
considered; they were done in the name of humanity
and by the authority of the Prince of Peace. With the
/political aspects of the Kevolution Zeisbergiy^ aiid his
I coadjutors wished to have nothing to dp; they espoused
neither cause, but waited until the struggle should be
over, in order then to obey those powers that should be
ordained of God. If to induce bloodthirsty savages to
Igo back to their villages and not dash their tomahawks
;into the brains of women and sucking children mili-
Itated against such neutrality — if to fulfill the solicita-
tions of the Delaware councilors, themselves unable to
' write, and transcribe messages to American officers
whereby border families were warned of the approach
of murderous gangs, was to take si^los with the "rebels"
against the crown — then, in both cases, they followed
the higher law, the law of God, which supersedes every
other. But a position like this the British agents
''vould not, and indeed could not, understand. Blunted
by the associations of the Indian war they had evoked,
they did not realize that their policy deserved to be con-
demned at the bar of nations, not to speak of a divine
tribunal. The Moravian missionaries and their converts
were to them, not upholders of principles which neces-

DAVID ZEISliERGER.

489

n death.

Tpiiig in
Delaware
'ittsburg
lese acts
kvere not
oliticallj
uinanity
^Yith the
aiid his
espoused
lould be
hould be
Lvages to
nahawka
reu mili-
solicita-
inable to
i officers
approach
"rebels"
followed
les every
li agents
Blunted
evoked,
) be con-
a divine
converts
h neces-

sarily grew out of their sacred vocation, but abettors
of the American rebellion, on a par with its frontier
scouts.

To none wore they more hateful than to Elliot,
McKeo, and Simon Girty. Ever since the lirst visit of
these men to Goschachgiink, where they saw the influ-
ence which Zeisbergcr was exercising, they had persist-
ently plotted the ruin of the Mission. Thus far their
eflbrts had been without success. Now, however, an-
other attempt was to be made. A treaty with the Iro-
quois took place at Niagara. Thither went AIcKee. as
Agent 01 Indian Affairs, and proposed, by authority of
the commandant of Detroit, an expedition against the
Christian towns. The Six Nations were unwilling them-'
selves to engage in it, but sent, iirst, to the Chippewas
and Ottawas, saying, " We give you the believing In-
dians and their teachers to make broth of;" and whenj
they had declined the gift, the same message was trans-
mitted to the Half King of the Wyandots. lie accepted
it, but, as he protested, merely in order to save the lives ''
of the Christian Indians. At a barbecue in a Shaw-^'
anese town, on the Scioto, the raid was planned, in the
presence and by the help of British officers, and under
the folds of the British flag. Wyandots, Mingoes, and)
Delawares, together with a few Shawanese, formed the!
troop. To the captains only was the real object of the
expedition made known. They received secret instruc-
tions to drive the Christian Indians from their seats, to
seize their teachers, and either to convey them as pris-
oners to Detroit, or put them to death and bring theii;:^

t ^

490

LIFE AND TIMES OF

1,1 . i

scalps. The Wyaudot and Mingo captains consented
for the Bake of the plunder and the promised reward;
of tlie Delaware captains the Unaniis w^erc actuated by
their implacable animosity to the Gospel, the Monseys
by the desire of revenge for the neutral policy which
the GoschachgUnk Council had maintained in opposi-
tion to Pipe, and whicli they correctly ascribed to the
Influences of the Mission, and for Broadhead's ravages
on the Muskingum, unjustly laid to its charge.

The first intelligence which the missionaries received
of this threatening invasion was brought during Zeis-
berger's absence, and induced them to hold a consulta-

. tion (June 11) with the national assistants, at which it
was determined not to leave the Tuscarawas valley ex-

; cept by force. Of this resolution Zeisberger approved
when he got back; but, as no further tidings came from
the Scioto, he began to li()})e that the expedition had
been given up. In the lirst days of August, however,
reports of its speedy arrival again circulated ; and, on
the ninth, they Avcre unhappily verified by two runners
who came to Salem from the Half King himself, an-
nouncing that he and his warriors were on their way to
have a talk with their father, Zciaberger, and with their
cousins, the Christian Indians, and requesting to be in-
formed in which of their towns they should encamp.
Zeisberger, to whom this message was referred, desig-
nated Gnadcnhiitten as the place of rendezvous.

In the afternoon of the tenth, at four o'clock, the first
party reached Salem with a painful attempt at martial
array. Most of them were mounted, and rode in the

DA VID ZEISUERGER.

491

following order : tlio Half King and his men, from
Upper Sandusky ; Abraliani Coon' and Wy:;ndots, from
Lower Sandusky ; Wyan dots from Detroit; Mingoes;
two Shawanesc captains, John and Thomas Snake ;
Captain Pipe and Captain Wenginund, witli Monseya
and Delawarcs ; Matthew Elliot, in his capacity of
British captain, attended by Alexander McCormick,
as ensign, bearing a British flag, as also by Michael
Herbert and five other Englishmen and Frenchmen ;
stragglers from various tribes bringing up the rear.
The whole troop numbered one hundred and forty
men. They encamped on the plain between Salem
and the river, and were hospitably entertained. The
Half King, the captains, and Matthew Elliot visited thc\
Mission House, where Heckewelder received thera inj
the presence of the native assistants. The interviewi
was of the most friendly character. With a polite im-t
pudence, possible only among arch-deceivers like the /
Indians, Pomoacan addressed Heckewelder; /

"Fathci-, I thank the great God in heaven that He ■
has preserved us both until this day, and permitted us /
to see one another again.

" Father, I rejoice to bo with you, and beg you to fill
m}' tobacco-pipe."

Turning next to the assistants, he complimented them ',
with all the phrases usual on occasions of amity. Kot (
the remotest hint was given of the evil designs whicl\j

* Abraham C'loii was a white man, capturod by tlic Indians in tho
first French War, adopted by tho Wyandt>ts, and now a captain among
them. lie was tho interpreter of tlio expedition

fnr

492

LIFE AiWO TIMES OF

■O

had brought the party to Salom. Elliot, too, cojisnm-

Anatcly acted the hypocrite. His words were soft and

kind; his heart full of gall and bitterness. Of this

McCornuck, who had been forced, against his will, to

accompany the expedition, assured Ileckcwelder, with

whom he had arranged a secret meeting u!ider cover

I of the night. "Elliot is the real leader of these men,"

I he said, " and you missionaries and all your Indians are

• to bo carried away from your towns. At first they

intended to kill you, but now they have concluded to

begin with milder means. Agree to their demands, Mr.

Heckewelder; there is no other alternative. This is my

earnest advice."

Several hours later a rider was hastening through the
silent forests to New Schonbrunn with a letter to Zeis-
berger containing this calamitous intelligence. It was
not unexpected. " Satan appears indeed," he wrote in
reply, "to be about to trouble and persecute us again,
and to make merry at our expense. What wonder! —
seeing the many subjects he loses by our preaching.
But his roaring must not frighten us. We have a
heavenly Father. Without His will Satan dare not
touch us. Let us rely on that Father who has so often
delivered us !" These noble sentiments were reiterated
'"by all the missionaries at a conference which they held,
on the twelfth, at Gnadenhiitten. They could not, as
yet, agree upon measures to meet the emergency be-
cause Pomoacan did not make known his intentions,
and Elliot still professed friendship, accepting Hecke-
welder's hospitality, and but occasionally dropping

DAVW ZEISBEROER.

498

vague liinta about the insecurity of the Mission in the
Tuscarawas valley.

Meanwliilc the troop had proceeded to Gnaden-
hiitten, where it was augmented by other parties of
Dclawares and Wyandots, which arrived from time to
time, until, by tlio seventeenth, it mustered three hun-
dred warriors, besides a number of old nicii and squaws
who came to take charge of the spoils. An encampment
was put up on the green whicli crowned the lofty river-
bank west of the town, one part being appropriated to
the AVyandots, the other to the J)elaw;ire8 ; in the center
stood Elliot's tent surmounted by the British flag.

On the twentieth, the Half King, at last, called a
council of the national assistants, and unfolded the pur-
pose of the expedition, the missionaries being present.

"My cousins," so ran his s()eoch, "ye believing In-^
dians in Gnadenhiitten, Schonbrunn, and Salem! '

"I am much distressed on your account. You live >
in a dangerous place. Two exceedingly mighty and
wrathful gods stand opposed one to another with ex-'
tended jaws, and you, seated between them, will be
destroyed by the one or by the other, perhaps by both,
and will be crushed between their teeth.

" You must not any longer remain here. Remember
your young people, remember your women and your
children. Care for their lives; here they will all perish.

" Therefore I take you by the hand, lift you up, and/
set you where I have my lodges. There you will be '
safe and can dwell in peace. f

"Do not regard your houses, fields, and property.;
Rise up and come with me.

*: ,

lim^

I'i

J:S:' ■

1 ;i| ;:

|ij||i-;:

||Miii;i

H||l^

Lpr '

1 :||:;;; ;,

i 'ill ' ■,

iillj'l ill

nil J:-

494

LIFE AND TIMES OF

" Take your teachc-rs along. Hold your religious

'Councils as you are accustomed to do. You will find

an abundance of provisions in my country, and our

English lather beyond the lake wiii care for you. To

tell you this I have come."

A string of loampam.

The next da}', the nationul assistants I'eturned the
following; answer :

'■ Uncle, and ye captains of the Delawares and
Monseys, wlio are our friends, and one nation with
us, je Shawanese, our grandchildren, ond all ye who
are assembled here !

" We have heard your words, that we live in a
dangerous place ; that we ought to remember our
young people, our women and cliildren ; that wo must
bring them to a place of safety, and care for their
lives ; that we are to rise up and go with you ere
evil befall us. We have heard and understood your
words.

" But we do not see the danger of which you speak ;
we do not believe that we cannot stay here. We are at
peace with all men. We have no interest in the war.
We interfere with none ; and all we desire is that none
shall interfere with us.

"You see yourselves that we cannot now go with
you. We are heavy and must have time. But we
promise to keep and consider your words; and, next
winter, after we shall have reaped our fields, we will
give you a reply upon which you may depend."

So well was this speech received by the Half King

^ ^

.U-^ t

J^W

-»*•■"•-— !.»,.

t i

DAVID ZEISBERGEK.

495

and the majority of liis civptaius that the missionaries
imagined the danger to be past, and each returned to
his town.

But EUiot was not satisfied. He persuaded Pipe, and
Pipe persuaded Pomoacan, to ii'sist upon an inniiediato
removal. On the twenty-fifth, the Half King accord-
iiigly convened the national assistants of Gnadcnhiitteu, ' ' / '-'V/a

I 11 >t

and tohl tlieni that he was not pleased — first, because •
no string of wampum had been given him; and
secondly, because the term which they had set was too
The Christian Indians must leave their towns

long,
now.

Zeisberger having been sent for, a second speech was
delivered, setting forth that the converts could not
lose their crops and all their property ; that it would
be wrong to expose their women aMd children to the
danger of starvation ; that time should be given them
at least to gather their corn ; that the Half King should \
have pity and think of the distress into which he was ■
plunging them.

Several days of great anxiety for the missionaries'^
followed. It was a grievous burden to feed three
hundred warriors, whose frecpient association with the
young members of the Church was bearing evil fruits;
and — worse than all ! — differences of opinion began to
prevail among those of maturer years and even among
the assistants. Misled by the artful words of the cap-
tains and their men, not a few believed that the country
to which they were to be taken was a land flowing
with milk and honey, and favored a speedy emigra^J

!<l

i I

>' h

496

L/i'^i; AND TIMES OF

Ml- !

"f'

tiou. Zeisberger and his fellow-laborei's did wha
they could to undeceive such as these, trying to God
for aid. It was not their personal safety which atFectcd
them, but the prosperity of the Mission, — the eternal
welfare of the souls intrusted to their care. Wisdom to
guide them aright, amid such dark experiences, was the
boon for which they prayed. "With regard to them-
selves, they had no fears, as is shown by a message
'^ which Zeisberger succeeded in conveying to Colonel
Brodhcad for transmission to the Board at Bethlehem.
"We are beset," ho wrote, "by upwards of three hun-
dred warriors of different nations. They are deter-
f mined to take us away from our settlements, and
^threaten to kill us and carry ofi' our scalps if we
do not yield. We are resigned to our fate."

Pomoacan and his captains were in perplexity. The
request of the Christian Indians for time to gather
their corn was reasonable, and ought, they said, to
be granted. But as Elliot would not hear of this,
they fell to quarreling, and some of the warriors con-
ceived such disgust for his pertinacity that they insulted
him and shot at the British flag. This roused his
anger. " Of whom are you afraid ?" he exclaimed.
"If you go home without these ministers, expect no
favor from your English father; if you fail to seize
them, I will leave this place and report your faithless-
ness. Then you will have not a father, but a powerful
enemy at Detroit; and, the English and the Americans
both against you, what awaits your tribes but destruc-
tion ?" With tliis threat he instantly began to prepare

DAVID ZEISDERGER.

497

for his dcpirture, and made it appear that he was iu
great haste to return to Detroit. The Half King took
the ahirm, and promised immediate compliance with
his wishes.

Council after council was now called to decide thai
fate of the missiouaiies. At Itjgth, it was resolved to'
put them to death, provided this should meet with the
approval of a noted sorcerer who accompanied the
expedition. But he pronounced the decision unwise,
inasmuch as the national assistants would then till the i
place of the teachers, and nothing would he gained.
Another council thereupon included the national assist-
ants in the sentence of death. "What!" stormed the
sorcerer when this new plan was submitted to him,
"you have determined to kill my countrymen, and
friends, and near relations ! Lay but a finger upon a
single one of them, and I know what I will do !" So
great was the fear of this m-ai that the project imrne- ^
diately fell through. Finally the council determined/
to spare the lives of the missionaries, but to carry them \
off to Detroit. The converts, it was believed, would (
follow of their own accord.

God undoubtedly )\ere made, as He often docs, an
agent of Satan to praise Him ; but the Indians were
influenced by other motives also, and hesitated to shed
the blood of the white teachers, because they had always
received kindness at their hands, because their fame
was in all the land, and their towns were everywhere
known to be the seats of generous hospitality. Many
of these savages were ill at ease. They would not have

; ^

Wlli

lie

498

LIFE AND TIMES OF

\^y

, ^scrupled to murder the innocent; but to slay men who

t^' had so often fed them when they were hungry and given

them to drink when they were thirst}^, was contrary to

their instincts. This explains, what would otherwise bo

- an enigma, why three hundred armed warriors Avavered

for an entire week before seizing a liandful of mission-

/ aries.

On. the first of September, the Half King again sum-
moned them to an interview at Gnadenhutten. Zcis-
berger, Senseman, Edwards, and Ileckeweldev appeared.
Jungraann, with his wife, Mrs. Zeisberger, and Mrs.
' Senseman — who had but two days before given birth
to a son^ — remained at New Schonbrunn ; Michael Jung
i with Mrs. lleckeweider at Salem.

Gnadenhutten, by this time, presented a dreary scene
of rioting and ruin. Savages tilled it, running about
with terrific war-whoops, darcing and singing, shooting
down cattle and hogs, and leaving the carcasses to

-'0'='?

rot in the streets and the stench to infect the air.
The missionaries kept the hocise, their meeting with
Pomoacan having been appointed for the following day.
Late at night, a national assistant came and begged
them to flee to Pittsburg, saying that the converts were
all ready to aid and protect them. But they declined.
In no case, they added, would they desert the Mission.
Their lives were in the hands of God. The next morn-
ing, Saturday, September the third, John Martin pre-

» Christian David Sonseman, born August 30, 1781, who afterward
settled at Nazareth, Pa., where he was a merchant for many years, and
at which place he died in 1834.

DAVID ZEISDEROER.

499

sentecl himself, and with tearful eyes iufornicd thoni
that that day would decide their fate. " A warrior," he
said, "a relative of mine, who was at the Half King's
council last night, assures me of this, and tells me, too,
that there again exists a difference of opinion. Some
have changed their minds and want to kill you in spite
of the sorcerer's, judgment. Dear brethren, it is certain
that to-day you will either be put to death or taken
prisoners."

N ever d id Zeisberger's Christian heroism shine more
brightly than on this occasion. lu all the towns of the
Mission a public service was held daily, at 8 o'clock.
To omit it that morning would have been but natural.
Not so, however, thought this stanch confessor, who
had so often stood up to his duty " in perils among the
heathen," and so often found his father's God " a sun
and shield." At the appoinced hour, he gave directions
to ring the bell of the chapel. Its clear tones filled
Gnadenhiitten and sounded through the encampment
and were borne to the plantations of the river bottom,
until they died away in the forest beyond. The con-
verts heard them, and flocked to the sanctuary from
every house, hut, and field; the warriors lieard them,
and many bent their steps to the same place; the Half
King heard them, and a shade of remorse fell upon his
heart at the thoufjht that that bell would never rino"
again; the British captain heard them, and, with an
uneasy mind, sought the recesses of his tent; the ensign
heard them, and hastened to take part in the worship
ot the men whom he \o\(i{\ : the distant scouts, guard-

■ r

600

LIFE AND TIMES OF

i,s •

I. t

U-<

m ■

ing the trails, lieard them, and wondered whether that
morning's prayers would be the hist the teachers would
bring to the white man's God. When Zeisbergor
centered the church he found it tilled to overflowing
and the doors wide open, that the throng without might
*oatch his words. His tried associates were calm and
self-possessed ; the national assistants manifested deep
anxiety ; the converts sat with sorrow iu their eyes; the
warriors looked grave as when gathered to a council.
Deep silence pervaded the assembly.

Zeisbcrger gave oyit a hymn in the Delaw are .la n-
guage. That roused the faith of the congregation, and
here ensued such a burst of song as had never before
been known within those walls. His discourse, which
now followed, had for its text the passage appointed for
that day in the churches of the Brethren: "Behold,
thou art wroth ; for we have sinned : in those is contin-
uance, and we shall bo saved." ^ The spirit of the Lord
God was upon him. Taking for his theme divine love,
which, while the Lord is wroth because of their sins,

' Isaiah, Ixiv. 5. Both in his MS. Biographiad Skcic.h and in hi?
published Ilisfory of the Mission, Hockeweldor adduces a diSerent text,
namely, Is. liv. 8. This, however, is manifestly an inadvertency. 1
have before me his own official diary of Salem, written a few days after
the event, and in that he crives the text I have cited. His MS. Sketch

en m' "111 I'll I «„,iMi.^ ^%|

w_as written twenty-seven, and his history thirty-ninejj'ears later.
, The Moravian Church annually publishes a little vohimo, in the Gor-
/man, English, P'rench, Dutch, Swedish, Danish, Esquimaux, and Negro-
English languages, containing two texts — ihc one from the Old, the
other from tin,' New, Testament — for each day in the year, with appro-
priate stanzas from the Hymn ]}ook annexed. This manual has ap-
peared ever since 1731, and is, consequently, now in its one hundred and
fortieth year. It was from it that Zeisbcrger took his text.

DAVID ZEISDEROER.

501

prompts Ilim to chasten men that they may repent and
be saved, he illustrated the subject, tirst, by the example
of ancient Israel, and then by that of the converts from
heathenism in modern times. He showed that in Green-
land and Labrador, in South Africa and the West In-
dies, in South America and the Western wilderness,
where they then were, God had choseu for himself a
people redeemed from pagan errors, delivered from Sa-
tan's snares, and waiting to join those who were already
before His throne. It was a people that lie would never
forsake, however much He might try them in His right-
eous wrath.

"We here," he continued, "are a part of this chosen
nation. And shall we who have thus been brought out
of darkness to the light, who have experienced the good-
ness of the Lord, and in so many instances seen His
protecting hand over us, who have braved so many
storms and the threatenings of the children of darkness,
wljo have never yet been disappointed in our hopes —
shall we forget this? Did we not frequently hear the
same menaces? Were we not told, time and again, wliat
would be done to us if we did not leave our habitations and
live among the heathen? And did we obey? or were we
molested for not obeying? No! And why not? Because
we put our trust in the Lord and depended upon His pro-
tection. Will we, then, not continue in the same faitli
and place the same trust in Him, assured that He is both
willing and able to protect us at all times? Have we
growMi weaker in our faith instead of stronger? Will we
give the heathen cause to mock and laugh at us that they

I, 1

,y -■'1 - ' J I

i()2

LIFE AND TIMES OF

may siiy, 'These pretend to believe wliat they believe
not' ? No, my brethren ! Not ouly will wo abide in that
faith which, through grace, we have received, but wo
will endeavor to grow in such faith. Death itself shall
not rob us of this treasure. And though, in times of
old, the Lord was sometimes wroth with Ilis people,
and peraiitted the heathen to chastise them a little when
they bojame indifferent and departed from His Avays;
yet, as soon as they repented, He turned to them again
in mercy. Lot it be so with us also, and particularly
with those who, at this time, have been led astray, who
have been overwhelmed by fear and timidly would
choose rather to submit to the dictates of the heathen
than to rely upon Ilim to whom all power has been
given both in earth and heaven, and who is able to
withstand Satan and his whole host.

"My brethren, our present situation, in some respects,
is indeed unparalleled. \Yc are surrounded by a body
of heathen, by enemies to the glorious Gospel, by those
who threaten to take our lives if we do not go with
them and riudce them our near neighbors. Nevertheless
we trust in the Lord and subuiit to our fate. Ho will
not forsako us. We will quietly await whatever lie
j)ermits. We will not defend our lives by force of arms,
for that would be putting ourselves on a level with the
heathen, and wo are the children of God. Neither will
we hate our enemies. They know not what they do.
Wo are Christians, and will therefore rather pray for
them, that the Lord God may open their eyes and turn
their hearts, that they may repent and be saved. Per-

K 'hM

iy believe
de in that
1, but we
tselt' sliall

times of
is people,
ttle when

is "vvays;

lem again
articularly
itnxy, who
\\y would
e lieuthen
has been
is able to

a respecto,
by a body
I, by those
t go with
svertheler^s
, He will
itcver He
e of arms,
1 with the
sither will
t they do.
pray for
and turn
ed. Per-

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

603

haps we may yet see some of those who are here now,
seeking Christ and joining His holy church, against
which the gates of hell shall not prevail."

Deep feeling agitated the congregation during the\
delivery of this discourse, of which the foregoing are]
but mere extracts; tears were shed on every side, not'
of fear, but of repentance and joy in the Lord; even/
the savages, of whom Zcisberger spoke so fearlessly,!
and whose wicked designs he laid bare with so un-*
sparing a hand, bowed their proud heads in shame.]
The power of God was so manifest, that IIeckewelder\
affirms he never witnessed anything like it, and thati
it seemed almost as though Jesus himself were visibly >
present. A fervent prayer followed, in which the
missionaries and converts were commended to the pro-t

tecting care of their heavenly Father, and His bene-\
diction was invoked upon the warriors present, upon\
those in the camp, upon every person in the town, that/
thev mio'ht all be converted.

At eleven o'clock, the Half King, with his councilors
a'vl captains, repaired to the Mission House, whither
the missionaries and assistants had retired immediately
after the* morning service. He told them that their
speech of a week ago, asking for time to harvest, was
not acceptable, and that he had called them together
in order to ati'ord them one opportunity more to yield
voluntarily to his demands. They must leave their
towns at once, and accompany him to the "Wyandot
country ; if they refused, it would be at their own peril.
According to a previous understandin

'O'

i. 1

604

LIFE AND TIMES OF

sistants, in the name of Zeisberger as the head of the
Mission, replied : " Wo have ah-eady informed you of
our determination. We repeat it now. We cannot
leave our towns at once. We ask for time at least to
harvest. We have nothing further to say." As soou
as they had received this answer, the Half King and
his captains left the liouse.

,. In declining to submit freely to the will of the sav-
-ages, the missionaries were moved by a high sense of
duty. It was clear to their minds that they would, in
the end, have to give way; but every effort, consistent
with their principles, must iirst be made to avert such a
catastrophe. They must uphold the Mission as long as
it was possible, even if it should cost them their lives.
A forcible abduction they could not prevent ; but not
until this was attempted would they feel at liberty to
leave a spot where their work prospered so abundantly,
and expose the converts to the perils which would sur-
round them in the Wyandot country.

Word had been brought to Zeisberger, by one of his
/converts, from a Mousey captain, that he should assert
Ihis rights as a naturalized citizen of their nation,
/promising him full protection if he did so. But his
! fellow-missionaries not being included in the offer, he
'did not deem it worthy of his notice. In the afternoon,
i about one o'clock, as he was walking with Senseman
and Ileckewelder back of the Mission garden, this cap-
jtain himself hurried up and renewed the suggestion,
\ telling him that he must make the claim at once, or it
would be too late. While in the act of declining, n

i .

■m

/*.

/t '^

fff : ' ii r^ '^-<-'''(yZ<Ur^C<y^^'\U>^

DAVID ZEISDEROER.

505

guard of three Wyaudots, sent by Pomoacan, ruslied upon'
the three mi.ssioiuiries, took them prisoners, and, with i
loud st'uli)-yells, dragged them to the Dehnvare camp, i
Thither the Wyandots came running, and while some j
stripped them to tlieir shirts, others plundered the Mis-
sion House, wantonly destroying wliatever they did not
want. One savage only — an "ugly-looking" Wyandot i
— attempted to excite the cruelties of the gantlet by
aiming several blows with his tomahawk at Sensemau's
head ; another — a dark-faced Monscy — seized each of
them by the hair, shook them violently, and said: "I
salute thee, my friend !" But a third hastened to their
assistance. "You vile fellow," he exclaimed, "what
have these done that you treat them thus ? You are a
worthless Indian! leave this camp instantly!" The
Delawares generally did not participate in the pillage j
of the Mission House. The captains withdrew in evi- \
dent disgust, remembering too well the good works '
which these teachers had wrought in their nation. In-
deed, the treatment which they experienced was far
more lenient than would have been meted out to other
captives. This Ileckewelder ascribed to Zeisberger's
public declaration in the morning that they would not
allow the converts to resist by force of arms.

The prisoners weiG now conveyed to Elliot's tentT
There stood God's ordained servants, almost naked, in
the presence of this British captain who had frequentlyi
enjoyed their hospitality ! For a momieut he was over-''
whelmed with shame; then made some lame apologies,!
and finally ordered them to be taken to the Wyandot )

^-/

50G

LIFE AND TIMES OF

i;^ 1

ht]

'bamp, after having indnecd the savages to restore to

them a fen' okl rags and torn garments, that they might

I to some extent at least cover their nakedness. Zeis-

bcrger and Ileckewelder were pnt in one hut, and

guarded by Coon ; Senseman came into the keeping of

^'Snip, a Mingo captain, notorious for his cruel murders,

I who was with diiHculty dissuaded from fastening his

feet in stocks. The prison-huts were mere roofs sup-

< ported by low polos. Edwards had been overlooked

jwhen his brethren were seized. He now gave himself

^up, of his own accord, and shared their confinement.

A band of thirty warriors set out for Salem, and an-
other of but two, accompanied by a squaw, for New
Schonbrunn, in order to capture the rest of the Mission
familv The prisoners saw them wildly riding oif with
fearfii! yells, and knew that their wives and children
were at their merc^'. Soon night came on and a cold
rain began to fall. It was a night memorable amid all
the eventful experiences of their lives. Wrapped in
blankets, brought by the Christian Indians, they lay on
the ground, each silently wrestling with God that He
would protect their loved ones, and all expecting death
in the morning.
^ The party sent to Salem broke into the Mission

(House, which Jung had barricaded. He was imme-
diately attacked with tomahawks, from which Captain
Coon rescued him upon his promising to surrender.
The house having been sacked, he was hurried to Gna-
j denhiitten. and, at midnight, brought to his associates.
]_" Good-evening, my brethren," was his greeting; "our

DAVID ZEl^DERGER.

501

eartlily career seems to be near its oiul; we liave reached^
the borders of eternity, but we die in a good eause."
At tlie ur<j;oiit entreaty of tlic Salem women, Mrs.
Ilec'keweldcr and her bal)e of iive montlis had been
permitted to remain with them until morning.'

The lamily at Xew Hchonbrunn had spent an anxious
day. Toward evening they heard of tlie events at Gna- j
dcniiiitten and that warriors were approaeliing their
own toNv'u. But when only two arriviid, they took
them to be visitors, and while Jungmann went to en-;
tertain them at his house, to whieh they had ridden, the
ladies, deeming the danger past, retired for tlie night in
Zeisl)erger's dwelling. Jungmann found at his door a
Wyandot captain, together witli his sister and one of his
men. Tliis captain had, on the previous day, paid a
friendly visit to the Mission House and requested to be

' This fliilil Wii^ .loiiniiii JIariii llecki'wcldcv, Ixirn April C, 1781,
at Suloni, iiiul, in all jyrobiibility, the socoiiJ wliite child born in thu^
Stiiti! of Ohio. Sho ri'iiiiiincd at llic ^lissioii iiiuil 1785, when lior
parents sent her to Bctlilc'licni witli the Jiini^inann family, whore she
Wi.s educated. In 1801, she was ai>pointed a teacher in the Ladies'
BoardinLT-School at Litiz, Pa., but was obliged to retire, after live year.s,
on account of her impaii'cd hearing. Eventually she lost her hearing
altogether. After the death of her parents, she took up her residence
in tlu) Sisters' Uouse at Bethlehem, where her room became the resort
of visitors i'rom far and near, anxious to see one of the lir.~t white chil-
dren bcn-n in Ohio, and to nnike the acquaintance of a lady who iin-
piesscd every one that a]iproachcd Ikh' by her high culture, her gentle
ways, her deep Christian piety, and the childlike resigtiation with
which she bore her affliction. Communication was carried on with hcri
by writing on a slate, which .she always had lying on her table. Shoj
was a life-long friend of the Indians, and never ceased to jn'ay for them. I
Her many friends will always remember boras a handmaid of Jesus,!
with whom it was a privilege to associate. She died on the 19th ofj
September, 1868, aged 87 years, 5 months, and 2 days.

I ;

508

LIFE AND TIMES OF

\ I

\ '

shown throngb the premises. Jungmaun was imme-
diately seized and the house plundered. Going next to
Zeisbcrger's, the two savages pretended to be friends
anxious to protect the pale-faced women and save their
property, inducing Mrs. Zeisberger to rise and help
them pack up her own linen. But soon they grew tirc^l
of the part they were acting, threw olt'the mask, robbed
the house, destroyed what they could not use, including
the books and papers of the Mission, forced Mrs. Sense-
man out of bed, although it was but the fourth day after
her continement, and dragged her, together with Mrs.
Zeisberger and Mrs. tlungmann, all shivering in their
night garments, through the pelting rain to a canoe,
where Jungmann had been previously secured. The
young men of the Cburch would have flown to arms and
rescued them, but were prevented by the assistants, in
accordance with Zeisbcrger's instructions, of which the
, Wyandots were well a\vare, else they would have dis-
patched more than two of their warriors to overawe the
population of an entire village. Amid the wails of the

/ Indian women, who, writes Zeisberger, " lifted up their
voices and wept aloud until the night was filled with
lamentations," the canoe put off" and proceeded down

,^__the river.

, On Sunday morning, the fourth of September, while
it was yet dark, the prisoners at Gnadenhiitten caught
the faint sounds of scalp-yells in the direction of New
«•' Schbnbrunn. These yells grew louder, and were an-
swered ny their guards, until, as the day broke, their
I wives and Jungmann landed from the canoe, and were

DAVID ZEISDERGER.

509

taken to the Delaware camp, where the whole body of
savages, in terrilic chorus, repeated the whoop twelve .
times ill succession for the twelve members of the Mis-
sion family.' But all this was mere show. The cruel
import of the halloo was not carried out; and the mis-
sionaries were even permitted to have an interview with
their wives, who came guarded to the Wyandot camp,
and fell weeping into their husbands' arms. After this
outflow of feeling, they grew calm, and during all their
subsequent hardships not a murmur or a complaint fell
from their lips. Of Mrs. Scnseman, Zeisberger's jour-
nal says : " He to whom all things are possible did not
permit the slightest injury to befall her, or her babe,
from the unnatural events of that uio-ht." Later in the
morning, she and her female companions were set at
liberty, and betook themselves to Schebosh's house.
Jungmann was also released; and only Zeisberger,
Senseman, Edwards, Jung, and Ileckewelder remained^
captives.

The Wyandots spent the day in dividing the spoils ;\
dressed themselves in the clothes which they had stolen,/ Jl, V/^^ /^
and strutted about the camp with childish vanity; ori '' ^
brought 'inen to the ladies and obliged them to raakej
it up into shirts. But tbe Delawares took no part in\
all this ; some of them spoke kindly to the prisoners '

^ -ft'

I f-

' Hcckowcldcr says tlie scalp-yell consists of the sounds aw and o/t,^
successively utter.vj, the last drawn out at groat length, us long indeed.'
as the breath will hold, and raised about an octave higher than the first. (
He adds, that it is a fearful yell, and the inii)res;;iou it makes, when)
heard for the first time, is not to be do.-cribed.

i'-ih

\m'

510

LIFE AXD TIMES OF

and expressed their regret at their sufibrings. An unex-
pected occurrence, however, exposed them to new
danger.

A young woman of Salem, a repentant prostitute, pos-
sessed herself of Pipe's horse and "o^lo oft' toward
Pittsburg for assistance, moved by tlio tribulations
which her teachers, to whom she owed so much, were
enduring. She was followed, in hot haste, b}' a whole
party ofwarriors, who caught sight of and galloped after
her for many miles, but being better mounted, she suc-
ceeded in effecting her escape. Intense indignation
raged against the missionaries. " You have sent for the
Long Knives!" was the cry. "We will kill you!"
With dark looks and threatening gestures the savages
crowded around them, until their anger found a new
vent. It becam e known that the woman was .>. i-olutive
of Isaac Glikkikan. Twelve men were instautK' ^ nf to
Salem Avitli orders to bring him alive or dead. So g oat,
however, was the fear which his name still inspired that
these warriors manifested no little trepidation when he
stood before them and heard the object of their coming.
"There was a time," said he, "when I would never
have yielded myself prisoner to any man ; but that Avas
the time when I lived in heathenish darkness and knew
not God. Now that I am converted to Ilim, I suft'er
willingly for Christ's sake." So saying he allowed his
hands to be bound behind his back. He was dra<?o;ed
Jto Gnadenhiitten with triumphant scalp-whoops. As he
/passed the hut where his teachers were confined, one
' of them called to him : " Be '^f good cheer, Isaac, you

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

511

are our fellow-prisoner !" He looked back with a smile
of manly truBt unintelligible to Ins captors. Nor did
he forget his profession amid the abuse that was now
heaped upon him. His own countrymen were his worst
tradueers ; they both hated and feared him ; and having
got him in their power, at last, wanted to tumahaAvk
him on the spot. But the Half King interposed. He
was arraigned, in regular form, before a council, which
found him as innocent of ail complicity with his relative
as the missionaries had shown themselves to be.

After an imprisonment of three days and three nights," '<
the captives in the V^yandot camp perceived that they -
were not to be put to death but to be forced to break up >
the Mission. Having done all in their power to pre-
vent this, even to the offering of their lives, they finally .
yielded to an imperative necessity. On Tuesday, the'^
sixth of September, the national assistants delivered a/
speech to the Half King and his captains, intimating!
that their teachers were willing to do what was required 1
of them, and praying that they might be liberated.!
They were, accordingly, se*^ free. (

Zeisberger appointed Salem as the place of rendez->
vous, where the whole Mission family met on the eighth, j
and, the next day, in fellowship with the church of that 1
town, celebrated the Lord's Supper in faith and hope.

The woman who had fled from GnadenhUttcn went
to Fort Mcintosh, and the comniandant of this post
sent the intelligence which she brought to Pittsburg,
whence Jacob Haymaker transmitted it by letter, dated
September 7th, to John Ileckedoru, the pastor of the

512

LIFE AND TIMES OF

. :. f

Moravian church at York, Pennsylvania. Heckedorn
dispatched this letter to the Board at Bethlehem, where
it arrived on the twenty-seventh.' Its statements were
not fully credited. There were those who treated them
as an idle tale. Zeisberger's message had not yet been
received.

Original letter, and Bethlehem Diary of 1781. MSS. B. A.

ill

; / ■> pJ^.^^ .:iJ f( :(., /j;., ^p

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

513

CHAPTER XXXII.

THE MISSIONARIES AND CHRISTIAN INDIANS CARRIED OFF TO
THE SANDUSKY,— 1781.

Departure from Salem. — Losses sustained by the Mission. — Keflections.
— Journey to Gokhosing. — The prisoners in the liands of the "Wyandots.
— Their harsh treatment. — Arrival at the Sandusky, and building of
Captives' Town. — Pomoacan's visit. — Other visits. — The missionaries
summoned to Detroit for trial.

On the morning of Monday, the eleventh of Sep-
tember, the whole body of Christian Indians, with the
missionaries and their families, left Salem, closely
guarded by some Delaware and Wyandot warriors.
They traveled in two divisions, the one in canoes onj
the Tuscarawas, the other on land driving the cattle, of;
which there was a large herd.

It was a sad journey. They were turning their
backs upon the scene of more than eight years' in-
dustry, and of a Christian communion never equaled iiij
the history of the Indians. They were leaving behind
rich plantations, with five thousand bushels of unhar-
vested corn, large quantities of it in store, hundreds
of hogs and young cattle loose in the woods, poultry
of every kind, gardens stocked with an abundance of
vegetables, three flourishing towns, each with a com-
modious bouse of worship, all the heavy articles of
furniture and implements of husbandry, — in short, their
entire property, excepting what could be carried on
pack-horses or stowed in canoes.

'^ J

514

LIFE AND TIMES OF

> I

But it was not the loss of earthly goods that caused
Zeisberger the bitterest pang as he looked back, for the
last time, upon the settlements which his faith and
energy had called into existence. Nor was it the mere
removal from the Tuscarawas valley that bowed him
down. He had often, before this, led the converts to
new places of the wilderness and built new sanctuaries
to his God. It was, rather, the conviction that a fatal
blow had been given to his work ; that the prestige of
the Mission was gone ; that the independence of the
Christian Indians had been destroyed ; that under the
most favorable circumstances, their influence in the West
would decline, and they would themselves suffer spiritual
harm. A philanthropist, in the highest sense of the
word, had been rudely stopped in mid-career as he was
establishing a Christian nation which bade fair to hold
the balance of power among the Western savages, and
to bring them, as docile children, from a barbarism that
fiercely struggled for existence into the school of a gen-
erous civilization and common faith. Who can tell all
the thoughts that crowded his mind while riding, a pris-
oner, down the river-bank which his feet had so often
trod as a free messenger of peace ?
, Mysterious, too, is the providence that permitted the
/overthrow of the Mission at this time. The surrender
'of Cornwallis at Yorktown (October 19, 1781) took place
, less than four weeks after the abduction of the Christian
Indians. It was the virtual close of the war which had
drawn upon them the animosity of the British.
After having passed the ruins of GoschachgUnk, th*^

•*'P^"

^€

lat caused
k, for the
faith and
the more
owed him
ouverts to
(anctuaries
hat a fatal
>restige of
ace of the
under the
i the West
3r spiritual
ise of the
as he was
Ar to hold
vages, and
)arism that
1 of a gen-
can tell all
lug, a pris-
d so often

mitted the
surrender
took place
! Christian
which had
1.
igUnk, thf'

1
L

J /

.,f-

DAVID ZEISDERGER.

^■.^

^ 61?)

troop spent six days in camp, at two different places on
the Walhonding, partly in order to wait for Pomoacan and
the main body of Wyandots, who had remained behind
plundering the towns, and partly on account of a freshet
that swamped the canoe laden with what little property;
the missionaries had saved from the hands of the sav
ages. On the twenty-second, they reached the junctiorii
of the Walhonding and Vernon, and, following the lat-
ter, arrived at Gokhosing on the twenty-fifth, where, as^'
its name denotes, they found the wilderness alive with^
owls.'

From Goschachgiink, Elliot and his escort had taken
t':eir way to the Scioto to rejoice with McKec over the
success of their plot; the Monseys and the Shawanesc
captains had also dispersed to their villages ; and now
the rest of the Delawares turned off on another trail, so
that the prisoners- were left in charge of the Half King
and his Wyandots. These grew harsh and insolent,
especially in their treatment of the missionaries, whom
they carried off, on the twenty-seventh, in advance of
the converts, striking their horses until they were mad
with fright and plunged through the swamps at a fearful
rate, refusing the mothers time to nurse their babes,]
and pushing forward in a wild, reckless career. Mrs.)
Zeisberger was twice thrown from her saddle and
dragged some distance, her foot catching in the stir-
rup. Michael Jung, who was afoot, received a cruel
blow to make him walk faster. At last the Half KingJ

1 Gokhosing, "a habihition of owls." It was in Knox County, prob-
uWy near Mount Vernon.

516

LIFE AND TIMES OF

ordered a bait for the night, and the Christian Indians

rejoined them.

, At noon of the first of October, they reached the

Sandusky River. Here Ponaoacan, not deigning a word

of explanation or an offer of assistance, drew oft" his
I band to Upper Sandusky end left the captives to their

fate. Deserted thus in a howling wilderness, without
Wovisions, and no game to be seen, they were compelled

ko trust to their own exertions for subsistence. Having
f selected a better camping-place two miles down the

river, in a small wood on a blutfof the eastern bank, not

'far from u Wyandot village,^ they proceeded to survey

ithe country for the site of a town in which they might

j spend the winter. About one mile above their camp

Ithey found timber, and on that spot put up a village of

very small log-houses. It stood on the north bank of the

Sandusky, one mile above the junction o{ the Broken

Sword Creek, in Antrim Township, Wyandot County.

1 The Christian Indians must have reached the Sandusky, in Antrim
Township, "Wyandot County, ten miles below Upper Sandusky — now
the capital of that, county — which was tlie Half King's resideiioo.
Zeisberger particularly mentions that the place was ten miles from
the Half King's town. The camp, two miles farther down the river,
no doubt was quite near to the junction of the Broken Sword Creek
and the Sandusky, and the village in its vicinity was Upper San-
dusky Old Town. All this is evident from a comparison of the map
of Ohio with Zeisborger's Journal.' Taylor, in his otherwise excellent
History of Ohio, has (pages G81 and !382) wholly mistaken these locali-
ties. He fixes the Half King's town at Springville, in Seneca County.
But the original manuscripts of the missionaries show that the Half
King's town was on the Sandusky, whereas Springville is nearly ten
miles away from it. Moreover, at the rate the Indians were traveling,
it is quite impossible that they could have gone, in three and a half days,
from Iiiouut Vernon, in Knox County, to Seneca County.

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

517

As this village received no name at the time, we, will,
call it Captives' Town. Here the Zcisborger and Jung--
maun families occupied a cabin in common, suftering for
want of clothing and blankets, and with hardly enough
food to satisfy the worst cravings of hunger. The rest
of the missionaries made similar experiences.

As if in derision of all this, Pomoacan came to con-
gratulate the converts upon their safe arrival in his
country, the abundance of which he put at their disposal.
At the same time he proclaimed himself their oh, f, and
announced that he would organize them into war-par-
ties and lead them out against the Americans. Soon
after this, however, when news reached him of the
death of two of his sons, who fell in an attack upon the
frontiers, he conceived a bitter dislike to them, espe-
cially to their teachers, and, with a perverseness char-
acteristic of the Indian, blamed the missionaries for his
loss. Other visitors were not wanting. Such Deluwares
as had persistently opposed the Gospel flocked to the
town in triumph ; while an agent of McKee hastened to
bargain with them for their cattle at reduced prices.

On the fourteenth of October, "VVingenund and Cap-
tain Pipe's brother brought the missionaries a summons
from the commandant at Detroit to present themselves
before him for trial, with their families and some of the
national assistants.

Meanwhile the most conflicting reports of the fate of
the Mission had been agitating Bethlehem. The Board^
dispatched John Wiegand to Pittsburg to ascertain thej
truth.

■(

518

LIFE AND TIMES OF

CHAPTER XXXIII.

Ill

■*■ ■: V,i

THE TRIAL AND ACQUITTAL OF THE MISSIONARIES.— 178L

Journey of the nii^sioiiar'u's to Detroit. — Scliebo.^h find a party of Chris-
tian Indians captured by American militia. — The Bhick Swamp.—
Preliminary hearing at Detroit. — Tlio missionaries at Tybout's house.
— Negotiations with Captain Pipe. — News at Bethlelicm of the de-
struction of the Mission. — The trial of the missionaries. — Pipe's speech
in their favor. — Their examination by the commandant. — They are
acquitted. — The commandant'.s private interview with them. — His
kindness and character. — Keturn of the missionaries to their converts.
— The night-gathering on the bank of the Sandusky. — A church built
and dedicated.

, The teachers were ready to go to Detroit, but not to

carry along their families.' By permission of the cap-

l tains who had brought the summons, their wives and

|ohildren remained at Captives' Town, with Jungmann

and Jung as their protectors; while Zeisberger, Sense-

jman, Edwards, and Heckewelder, together with the

I national assistants, William, Tobias, and Isaac Eschica-

jnahund, set out for Detroit on the twenty-fifth of Octo-

I ber. At the same time Schebosh led a party of converts

I to their plantations in the Tuscarawas valley to gather

' corn, there being a dire famine along the Sandusky.

At Pipe's Town, where they arrived in the afternoon,^

' Zeisberger 's Journal, 1781 ; Heckewelder's English Narrative.
MSS. B. A.

* Pipe's Town was, therefore, only a few hours' rido from Captives'
Town. Hence Taylor {Hist, of Ohio, 382) is wrong when he puts it on
the Tymochtee, eight miles above its junction with the Sanduslcy.

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

519

I Narrative.

the missionaries expected to put themselves under the
orders of Pipe and Wingenund, who had been detailed
as their escort. But the former had not waited for
them, and the latter was unwilling to take them in
charge. Hence they pursued their journey alone.
Strange anomaly, — prisoners, to be tried as spies, are
left to themselves ! Without a guard, opportunities
opening on every side to flee to the settlements, they
are allowed to find their own way into the presence of
their judge !

Three days' hard riding brought them to the Maumee
River, on whose bank Pipe was encamped with many
Delawares. Here they stopped to rest; and, by a
strange coincidence, met with Elliot going to distribute
among the warriors of his late command the rewards
which had been sent by the British government to
Maumee Bay, in a sloop from Detroit. Here, too, they
received intelligence of the capture of Schebosh's party
by a body of American militia, under Colonel David
Williamson. These militia had invaded the Tuscarawas
valley in order to remove the Christian Indians to Pitts-
burg, by force if necessary, ignorant of the fact that the
iuglorioas achievement of breaking up the Mission had
already been accomplished by the British.'

Following the Maumee down to the lake, Zeisberger;
and his companions saw many Indians gliding home/
with the gifts thus ignobly earned. Whatever feelinga
this might bave awakened under other circumstancesj

Doddridge's Notes, 262.

i^i^

r^li.j-

520

LIFE AND TIMES OF

the hardships of the trail precluded every thought of the
past. They were in the midst of the horrors of the
Black Swamp. Plunging through mud-holes, creeks,
and half-frozen morasses, or entangled in undergrowth
that was almost Impassable, they had to rouse all their
energies in surmounting these obsta' ^es, especially as
they were benumbed with cold, agair hich their thiu
and scanty garments ottered but an lusutiicient protec-
tion. Even men used as the}' were to the trials of the
wilderness acknowledged that day to have been one
of unprecedented sufferings.^ At last they reached
the outlet of the Rouge into the Detroit River, with
Detroit itself only five miles otf. They could see the
fort in the distance, but there was no means of cross-
ing the stream. They spent the night on a bleak
point, exposed to a chilling wind, without a morsel
to eat, or a fire to warm them, until, early next morn-
ing, a canoe with Indians hove in sight, who set them
over, in answer to their signals. Tattered and weary,
hungry and friendless, they arrived at the western
gate of the town, where they were kept waiting for
hours on the drawbridge, and then led to the house
of Major de Peyster. A sentinel ushered them into his
presence.

/■ 1 In a lecture on "the Moravians in Michigan," delivered before the
Historical Society of that State, in March, 1858, Judge Campbell, of De-
troit, pays of this journey : " The journey through the Black Swamp,
from Sandusky to Detroit, can be appreciated by those who have lived
here long enough to experience the inconvenience of that almost impass-
able barrier between Michigan and the rest of the world."

DAVID ZEISDERGER.

521

"Arc you the Moravian missionaries from the Musk-
ingum ?" began the commandant.

"We are."

"Are you all here? I have heard that there are six
of you. "Where are the rest?"

'* Two of our numl) r remained on the Sandusky
with our wives and children, whom we could not leave
alone."

'* Why did you not bring along your wives and chil-
dren, as I expressly ordered? I intend to send you all
back to Philadelphia."

"We asked the chiefs whether our families must
accompany us, and they said it was not necessary."

"I have heard that you correspond with the rebels
to the injury of this government; many accusations
have been brought against you; for these reasons I
have had you removed from your settlements on the
Muskingum."

"We do not doubt that many accusations have been
brought against us; the treatment we have received suf-
ficiently proves that. But we know that you have been
told much that is false, and which, when examined into,
will appear in a light very dift'erent from that in which
you have been made to see it."

" Where are your Indians? What is their number?
How many of them are men ?"

" Our Indians are on the Sandusky, numbering about
four hundred persons. The exact number of men we
cannot give."

" Did your Indians ever go to war?"

1 1

hi '

C-

V^X^' -^

'U:.-

}

yU-'ii^-

X^y<^:

622

LIFE AND TIMES OF

III

" Never, while under our charge."

"Do you intend to return to them ?"

" That is our earnest desire. We would deeply re-
gret, and it would be wholly unjustifiable, if we were
prevented from rejoining them. In that ease the Mis-
sion would be ruined and the work of the Moravian
Brethren among the Indians, which has now existed
forty years, would come to an end."

" Do you think so ? But what if your Indians injure
the British government ?"

" They will not injure the British or any other gov
ernment, as you will understand when you know them
and us better; they are civilized, and have learned of us
to be industrious and to work."

After this preliminary examination, of which he took
notes, the commandant dismissed the missionaries to
the house of a Frenchman, one Tybout, there to await
their regular trial, which was to take place upon the
arrival of Captain Pipe, their principal accuser. They
were not required to give their parole, nor put under
arrest. Having traveled, unguarded,, more than two
hundred miles to present themselves before a court-
martial, this was. no doubt, deemed a sufficient guar-
antee that they would not now attempt to escape.

Their arrival excited much attention, and many
officers called to see them, including several of the
American army, prisoners of war at Detroit. The
French priest, an aged Jesuit, also visited them. Sym-
pathy with their misfortune was the general feeling in
the town.

DAVID ZEISBERQER.

623

Zeisberger made repeated attempts to get another'
audience of the commandant, and, when these failed, to
present a memorial. But no communication, he was
told, would be accepted until the trial. Hearing that
Pipe was come and lay encamped near the fort, he
turned to him for aid, sent him a string and speech,
and entreated him to advocate the cause of the teachers,
that they might get back to their families and Indians.
" Ho\v sad it is," he writes in his Journal, " to know that
our fate depends upon a savage, and he a bitter enemy
of the Gospel, when we are among persons who call
themselves Christians!" Pipe accepted the string and
speech, but gave no promise of assistance.

On the same day on which these negotiations took
place, "Wiegand returned to Bethlehem fron\ Pittsburg,
with a letter from Colonel Brodhead containing the
first reliable intelligence of the abduction of i\\e mis-
s"onaries. The congregation being upon the point of
assembling for evening worship, the news was imme-
diately announced, and fervent intercessions went up to
God for the safety of His servants. Where they then
were had not yet been ascertained. Joseph Horsfield
hastened, the next morning, to New York to inform
Bishop Reichel and Schweinitz of what had occurred,
that the former, who was about to sail to England,
might plead the cause of the missionaries hi that coun-
try, and the latter endeavor, through the government of
New York, to ascertain their fate and send them aid.'

1 Bethlehem Diary, Nov. 1781. MS. L. A.

U--

\^ -■'

t K

1,0-'^

W^W

524

LiFJS AND TIMES OF

i\'

Captain Pipe's band entered Detroit in procession on

Jthe eighth of November, with their prisoners and scalps,

; whooping the scalp-yell. The trial took place the next

[day in the council-chamber of the commandant's house.

/Major de Peyster occupied the head of a table in the

center of the room ; to his right Mr. Bawbee, the Indian

Agent ; to his left, a secretary. Behind them were

I numerous officers ; and behind these, interpreters and

1 servants. The missionaries and national assistants were

ranged on a bench opposite the table; on one side of

i them sat Pipe and the Delawares ; on the other, Min-

' goes and Indians of various nationalities.

^"^ A few words from the commandant, setting forth the
purpose of the "council," as he called it, opened the
proceedings. Then Pipe rose and made a formal speech,'
giving an account of his recent exploits, and deliver-
V ing a stick to which were fastened seven human scalps.
A Mingo chief followed in a second speech, and pre-

- sented a stick with three scalps ; he was succeeded by
other warriors, each of whom brought forward the
scalps which his band had taken. These trophies of
barbarism having been placed in a corner, the "live
flesh" — a term by which prisoners were known — was
turned over to the keeping of the guard.

Pipe now rose again. "Father," said he, "you com-
manded me to remove the Christian Indians and their

• This speech has been preserved by Heckeweldcr in his Hisi. of the
Indian Nations (pp. 121-124). It is full of ironical allusions to the war
"[ Eetween Great Britain and the Colonies, in which the Indians had been
(inveigled to take part.

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

625

58ion on
i scalps,
the next
'a house,
e in the
e Indian
3m were
iters and
mts were
! side of
ler, Min-

forth the
ened the
1 speech/
I deliver-
in scalps.
and pre-
ceded by
tvard the
aphies of
the "live
)wn — was

you com-
and their

Hist, of the
IS to the wur
ms had been

teachers from the Muskingum. I have done as you
commanded me.

"Father, when I had conducted the Christian Indians
and their teachers to the Sandusky, you sent me word
that I should bring the teachers and some of the Chris-
tian Indian chiefs to Detroit, that you might see and
speak with them.

" Father, they are now here, and you can see and
speak with them as you wished to do.

"Father, I hope you will speak kindly to them. I
say to you, speak good words to them. They are
my friends. I do not want them to be treated ':vith
severity."

Repeating the last sentence two or three times, he
sat down.

The commandant answered by rehearsing the charges
against the missionaries; the messages he had trans-
mitted to them to leave the Muskingum and settle else-
where; and the measures he had finally adopted to
remove them by force. "Now tell me," he continued,
addressing Pipe, "whether all these accusations are
correct and founded in fact, and, especially, whether
these men have or have not corresponded with the
rebels."

" There may be some truth in the accusations," re-
plied the captain. " I am not prepared to say that all
that you have heard is false. But now nothing more
of that sort will occur. The teachers are here."

" I infer, therefore," rejoined the commandant, " that
these men have corresponded with the rebels ; and sent

526

LIFE AND TIMES OF

s f •

i J

letters to Fort Pitt. From your answer this seems
evident. Tell me, is it so?"

Pipe grew confused. He whispered to his councilors,
urging them to speak ; but they hung their heads in
silence. At last, springing to his feet, he exclaimed:

" Father, I have said that there may be some truth in
the reports that have reached you ; but now I will tell
you exactly what has occurred. These teachers are
innocent. On their own account they never wrote
letters ; they had to do it ! I," striking upon his breast,
" and the chiefs at Goschachgiink are responsible. We
induced these teachers to write letters to Pittsburg, even
at such times when they, at first, declined. But this
will no more occur, as I have said, because they are
now here."

A further examination elicited the fact that Pipe and
the other Delaware captains had pledged their word to
the Christian Indians that their teachers should remain
with them, and that the nation considered itself bound
by this promise.

Turning to the missionaries themselves, the com-
mandant inquired :

"Are you all ordained ministers?"

"We are."

" Is any one the superior among you ?"

"Yes, the Rev. David Zeisberger."

" Mr. Zeisberger, how long have you and your col-
/ leagues been with the Indians ?"

' "Forty years ago the Mission was begun; thirteen
years ago I came to the West; the others followed at
different times."

'■; >. . ■■!

DAVID ZEISDEROER.

527

lis seems

ouncilors,
heads in
aimed :
e truth in
I will tell
.chei'S arc
ver wrote
his breast,
ible. We
burg, even
But this
e they are

t Pipe and
3ir word to
uld remain
self bound

the com-

i your col-

u; thirteen
followed at

"Did you go out among the Indians of your own
accord, or were you sent, and if sent, by whom ?"

" We were sent by our Church, which is an ancient
Episcopal Church."

" Where are your bishops ?"

" In Europe and America."

" Whence do your American bishops come ?"

"From Europe."

" Were you ordained and sent out by your bishops?"

"We were."

"Did you receive instructions from Congress when
you went out among the Indians."

"We did not, but from our bishop?."

"Did Congress know of your being among the In-
dians, and give you permission to labor among them ?"

"Congress knew of it, and in no way hindered our
work, but never gave us instructions."

" Have you taken the test-oath ?"

"We have not, and have never been asked to do so."

"Then I will not exact from you an oath of allegiance
to the British government."

After this conversation. Major de Peyster gave his
verdict. To the missionaries he said that he was not
opposed to the preaching of the Gospel among the
Indians, on the contrary, heartily favored it ; but that
they must not meddle with the war ; that having been
falsely accused, they were at liberty to return to their
converts as soon as they pleased ; that he would consult
the commander-in-chief, at Quebec, with regard to their
future place of residence ; that he would further confer

II-

528

LIFE AND TIMES OF

I iiy

with them; unci that, as they had been plundered, he
would supply them with clothing from the public stores.

To the national assistants he said that he was glad
to see them; that they should obey their teachers, and
not interfere with the war ; that he would provide for
their wants, and if any of their people hereafter visited
him they should not go away with empty hands. Then
the council broke up.

At a subsequent interview with the missionaries, he
excused himself for having removed them from the
Tuscarawas valley, assuring them that his duty, as a
sworn officer of Great Britain, had demanded the
measure; but earnestly protested that he had never
given orders to maltreat and rob them, or plunder their
homes, and had never intended that anything of this
kind should be done. True to his promise, he furnished
them with clothing, and redeemed their watches which
the Wyandots had sold to Detroit traders. His example
was followed by others in the town, who voluntarily
restored to them such articles of their property as had
been disposed of by the Indians.

The readiness with which De Peyster accepted the
explanations of Captain Pipe presents his character in a
favorable light when compared with that of Hamilton.
Like his predecessor, he encouraged, indeed, the cruel-
ties of the Indian "War, but these belonged to that in-
human policy which the Americans had, by this time,
learned almost as well as the English. It was deemed,
by the one side, a legitimate means to reduce the rebels,
and, by the other, a just mode of retaliation. But while

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

529

Hamilton pursued it with ungenerous vindictiveness,
De Peyster looked upon it as a necessary evil. The one
was a vulgar ruffian ; the other a high-toned gentleman.
Supplied with a passport which permitted them to
resume their missionary labors,' Zeisberger and his ,
brethren hastened back to their families and people,
arriving at Captives' Town on the twenty-second of No-
vember. Five days later the Christian Indians and their
teachers met around a large tire, on the bank of the
river, under the open canopy of heaven. The night
was clear, the stars looked down with solemn bright-
ness, the crackling logs threw a lurid glare upon the
houses of the town, and conjured into existence fan-
tastic shapes in the dark forest beyond. Standing in
the center of the circle, Zeisberger gave the converts
a narrative of the journey, trial, and acquittal of their
teachers, exhorting them to render the glory unto God. j
A unanimous resolution to erect a church, as a thank- 1
offering, was the response ; and in less than a fortnight |
it was completed and dedicated to the worship of the \
Most High (December 8). It was a structure of poles '-.
laid horizontally between upright stakes, the crevices ]
being filled with moss.

1 By Arent Schuyler de Peyster, Esq., Major of the King's 8th Eegl- \
ment, Commandant of Detroit and its Dependencies, etc. The bearers, /
David Zeisberger, John Heckewelder, William Edwards, and Gottlob i
Scnseman, are hereby permitted to return to Sandusky, there to remain |
with John George Jungmann and Michael Jung, and to follow their |
spiritual functions among the Christian Indians unmolested, they bo- {
having as becometh. "^

Given under my hand and the seal of Detroit, November 12, 1781

530

LIFE AND TIMES OF

CHAPTER XXXIV.

THE MISSIONARIES AT CAPTIVES' TOWN UNTIL THEIR REMAND-
MENT TO DETROIT.— 1781, 1782.

Severity of the winter. — A famine. — Sufferings of the missionaries.—
Mrs. Zeisberger's testimony. — Return of the captured converts from
Pittsburg. — Visit of the Half King, and Glilvkikan's stinging rebuke.
— Insolent conduct of the heathen Indians. — Zeisberger's influence
among them at an end. — A party of converts go to the Tuscarawas.
— The missionaries remanded to Detroit. — Zeisberger's anguish of
heart. — The scattered converts recalled to Captives' Town. — Rumor
of a massacre on the Tuscarawas. — Departure and journey of the
missionaries to Lower Sandusky. — Authentic news of the massacre.

The missionaries, as well as their converts, had need
of all the faith which the assembly on the bank of the
Sandusky had evoked. The winter that followed was
uncommonly rigorous, and the contrast between its
hardships and the comforts of their homes in the Tus-
carawas valley painful in the highest degree.

In spite of McCormick's friendship, who sent them
provisions from Lower Sandusky, and the assistance
rendered by the S,hawanese of the Scioto, in remem-
brance of what the Moravians had done for them, thirty
years ago, in a time of scarcitj', when they were living
in Wyoming, the insufficiency of their supplies grew
more and more aggravated, and, at last, caused a ter-

i rible famine. A bushel of corn sold at eight dollars.

■ The missionaries reduced their allowance to one pint a

-'..

'.X-^-i^^-vv^^.

'• wy

DAVID ZEISBERGEE.

531

day for each momljcr of their families ; the Indians
often had nothing to eat but wild potatoes and the flesh
of their dead cattle, of which one hundred and forty
head miserably pined away and perished. The cold, too,
became extreme, and, owing to the smallness of the
liouses, no generous fires, such as had warmed their
former dwellings, could be kindled. In a brief autobi-^
o^-aphy^written after her ret i remQn t jfrpm. thQ ^Iisgion ,
Mrs. Zeisberg er gives a dreary glimpse of the sufferings
of that winter: "Many a time," she says, "the Indians
shared their last morsel with me, for many a time I |
spent eight days in succession without any food of my>
own."

In the midst of this distress, some of those converts
whom Williamson's men had carried oft' to Pittsburg
returned to the Mission, having been set at liberty by
General Irvine, Broadhead's successor in the command
of the Western Department.' As soon as the Half
King heard of their arrival, he came with a troop of
warriors to learn the news. At Zeisberger's requests
Isaac Glikkikan undertook the entertainment of these/,
visitors, but found absolutely nothing to eat in the wholev.
town, excepting carrion. With deep indignation he pre-|
sented himself before Pomoacan, described his bootless \

1 Schebosh did not return with thorn, but proceeded to Bethl(3hem to
report to the Board, which, for more than one-quarter of a year, could
not ascertain whither the Christian Indians 'nid been abducted. The
first intelligence which reached the Board of the settlement on t!ie
Sandusky was conveyed to Bishop Hohl by a letter from Schebosh,
written while a prisoner, and forwarded from Litiz to Bethlehem, where
it arrived on the 15th of December, 1781.

■■^'

WM:: : •'■

l-y

532

LIFE AND TIMES OF

/searc'u for food, contrasted it with the plenty that had
prevailed in the Tuscarawas towns, and reminded liim
of his promise to take the Christian Indians to a hetter
land than theirs. " Yes," said he, " you have brought
us to another, but not to a better land. It is a miser-
able country; and you have not offered us one single
grain of corn. We suffer; }ou rejoice. We are perish-
ing; you triumph over us!" So unexpected and yet
well deserved was this rebuke, that the Wyandots knew

.not what to answer, and hurried away.

But the heathen Indians were not often thus abashed.
On the contrary, they showed themselves rude and inso-
lent, glorying in the distress of the converts, and saying
that now these Christians were not above other Indians,
but as poor as any. And when they found them erect-
ing a chapel, they threatened the lives of the mission-
aries. There should be no more praying and preaching
h the Indian country. Or when they met with con-
verts who had rendered themselves liable to discipline,
they incited such to resist Zeisberger's authority. The
teachers were their prisoners, and had no right to
punish a red man. In short, the relationship between
the Mission and the unconverted natives was com-
pletely changed ; and Zeisberger, accustomed to mould
the savage mind almost at will, whether as a councilor
or a preacher, saw himself suddenly without influence,
and even laughed at if he attempted to proclaim the
'unsearchable riches of Christ.

The famine increasing, about one hundred and fifty
Christian Indians, by permission of the Half King, set

DAVID ZEISBERQRR.

588

out for the Tuscarawas to gather corn ; others visited
the Shavvanese; and still others roamed throuffli the
forests, boiling maple sugar. By the end of February,
almost the entire Mission had scattered ; the teachers
and a few old people remained in the town.

On the first of March, a runner called Zeisbergor tON
the Half King's village. He found a council of Wyan- 1
dots and Delawares assembled, and Simon Girty in
attendance, who gave him a letter to read which he had
received fiom Major de Peyster. It contained the fol-
lowing passage : " You will please to present the string.*

I send you to the Half King, and tell him that I have!
listened to his wishes. I therefore hope he will give
you such assistance as you may need in order to bring i
the teachers and their families from the Sandusky toj
this place. I will by no means allow you to suffer themj
to be plundered or in any way ill treated."

Never did blow fall more unexpectedly upon a
troubled heart. In spite of the difficulties which sur-
rounded him, Zeisberger had anticipated a gradual
reorganization of the Mission, either in the Sandusky
valley, or at some other place, on the plan which had
proved so successful in the valley of the Tuscarawas.
He had the written promise of the commandant that he ,

should not be hindered in his work ; and there existed I

j
no other cause which could make the future hopeless. ;

But now came this order. To obey it, was to disperse I

the converts ; to render void, in a day, the labor of forty/

years. Hence the anguish of Zeisberger's soul. "We,

cannot be satisfied," he writes in his Journal, " to leave J

iLki I,

K_J^

i^-'.J^le.jl^

534

J^.t'^ ■

'(^■O

^1 ', • *Jl^ t^i^^OL\

VC^

LIFE AND TIMES OF

,our Indians. It seems impossible tluit the Lord will

permit it. If we were to be slain it would be better, we

j would then be relieved, at last, of all our troubles; but

Inow wo seem to be reserved for many deaths. Our

thoughts stand still; our counsels come to naught."

Zeisberger having given a written pledge to meet
Girty, with the whole Mission family, in two weeks
at Lower Sandusky, runners were dispatched to the
Shawancse villages, the Tuscarawas vlilley, and the
forests arr'vaid Captives' Town to recall the converts.
Those neai by came at once, and when informed that
the missionaries Avere to leave them, wept and lamented
" in a way," writes Zcisberger, "that might have moved
a stone." Confessions of sin and sentiments of manly
faith wore not wanting. Said one: "That I have lost all
my property and am poor, that my cattle are dead, that
I must suffer hunger — all this I bear and complain not;
but that our enemies are about to deprive us of our
teachers, and keep food from our souls — this I cannot
bear, it deeply wounds my heart. They shall, however,
see that I will have no communion with them, and will
not be enticed back to heathenism. They shall not get
me into tlieir power, or force me to grieve the Saviour.
Kather will I flee to the forest and miserably eke out my
life alone!"

On the twelfth of March, some of the converts re-
turned from the Shawauese country, but not one from
the Tuscarawas. Zeisberger neut another urgent mes-
sage, bidding them hasten to their teachers. And still
ithey came not. He could not divine the cause. At last

_ >,

D-dF/i^ ZEISBERGER.

686

there arrived a Delaware warrior with the news tliat they
had heeu captured hy American militia, and suhHo-
qiiently, report said, put to death. So great, however,
was Zeitibergcr's contidenee in the integrity of the officers
at Pittaburg, that he gave no credit to the rumor of a
massacre. He deemed it possible that they had been
carried oft"; but ho could not be induced to believe that
Indians, whom the whole West knew to be professors
of Christianity, had been slain in cold blood.

Nevertheless the uncertainty of their fate was distress-
ing, more especially as the missionaries could no longer
postpone their departure. "With those converts that had
gathered at Captives' Town Zeisberger held a farewell
service, on the fifteenth; commending them to God;
exhorting them to stand fast in the faith and endure to
the end. The separation itself wrung his soul. He
was filled with the darkest forebodings; and when, at
last, he tore himself away, " it was," says Ileckewelder,
*'with an agony almost like the agony of death."

Guided by Francis Levallie, a Frenchman, whom Girty
had deputed to take his place, the little band of teachers
moved off, in the presence of the Half King, who
watched them with exultant eyes. Not being able to
muster enough horses, some of them had to travel afoot.
Th^e_ ^wo child ren of _the_Mismon,* wrapped in blankets,
were carried by ^ndian women on their backs.

A weary journey of four days brought them to Lower

•J-

* Joanna Maria Hcckcwelder, who was nearly a year old, and Chris-
tian David Senseman, not yet seven months of age.

it ;.!

536

LIFE AND TIMES OF

Sandusky,* where they were hospitably received by
Messrs. Arundle and Robbins, traders from Detroit.
Lower Sandusky was at the head of navigation, and
they were here to take boats, which Major de Peyster
had promised to send. While waiting to embark, Joshua
and Jacob arrived from Captives' Town with their lug-
gage (March 23), and brought at the same time the most
- heart-rending corroboration of the reported massacre in
I the Tuscarawas valley. Of the converts who had gone
I thither nearly two-thirds — men, women, and children —

L_had been put to death.

1 A trading-post, near which lay a small Wyandot village. The
present Fremont, in Sandusky County, occupies the old site.

DAVID ZEISBERGEU.

537

ived by
Detroit.
:ion, and
I Peystev
c, Joshua
heir hig-
the most
issacre in
had gone
liildren—

illago. The

CHAPTER XXXV.

THE MASSACRE AT QNADENIIUTTEN.— 1782.

The suspicions to which the Tuscarawas towns of the Christian Indians
expose them. — They hear the ill-will hoth of the Americans and the
Briti-sh. — The animosity of the borderers against all Indians. — The
first attack upon the frontier in 1782. — Jloravian Indians accused of
having taken part in it. — Williamson's militia. — The converts arrive
in the Tuscarawas valley, and liarvost their corn. — Warning of a war-
party. — AVilliamson's command takes Gnadonhiiiton. — The Indians
duped by a pretense of friendship. — The Salem Indians snared in tho
same way. — Salem burned to the ground. — Religious conversation,
with the militia on their way to Gnadenhiitten. — The Indians sei/ed,
bound, and put under guard. — The accusations against them rebutted.
— A majority of W^illianison's comniiind vote in favor of putting them
to death. — The preparations of the converts for their end. — The mas-
sacre. — Escape of two lads. — Number and names of tho victims. —
Their heroic death. — Gnadenhiitten and New Scbonbrunn burned to
the ground. — Escape of the New Schonbrunn Indians. — The character
of tho expedition against the Christian towns. — Doddridge's views.

While' living in their towns on tlie Tuscarawas, the\
Christian Indians were an object of suspicion not to the;
British only ; frontierinen on the American side looked
upon them with equal distrust, ignorant of the benefits
which the settlements were deriving from the Mi.ssion. \
The officers of the military posts might, indeed, have
enlightened them; but their lips were sealed by pru-

1 Sources for this chapter are: Zelsbergor's Journal, March, 1782,
MS. B. A.^ Heckewelder's English Narrativcof tho Massacre, MS. B. .\,;
Heckewelder's History of the Mission ; Doddridgts Notes ; Pennsylvania
Archives, vol. ix.; Taylor's History of Ohio.

538

LIFE AND TIMES OF

deutial reasons. Thus the converts were placed in a
false position. Their towns, it was commonly said,
formed "half-way houses," where the warriors rendez-
voused and gained strength for their murderous expe-
ditions. That they entertained war-parties is undeni-
able ; but this was a necessitj'^, forced upon them by
the sacred laws of hospitality and by a local situation
that put them at the mercy of the savages. This situa-
tion was their misfortune. It brought them the ill-will
of both parties. The British heaped maledictions upon
them as American spies ; the Americans burned with
indignation against them as allies of the British. Taylor
well says: "It was the peculiar hardship of these inof-
fensive religionists, that every act of benevolence or
humanity, on their part, was sure to excite distrust and
hostility in some quarter. But whatever appeared like
a complication with the savage enemy was so notorious
as to provoke exaggeration, while the evidence of an
opposite or friendly disposition was diligently guarded
by IMorgan, Mcintosh, or Broadhead as confidential
communications." '

In addition to all this, there prevailed along the
"Western border an intense hatred of Indians in gen-
eral, W'ho, by common consent, were outlawed. Their
barbarous cruelties had evoked this spirit. The last
years of the Revolution, in the "West, were years of
blood. From early spring to the beginning of winter,
murders were committed in every direction.* The
frontier was almost uninhabitable ; the people lived

1 Taylor's Ohio, p. 346.

iced in a
)ii]y said,
'8 rendez-
OU3 expe-
3 undeni-

them by
i situation
'his situa-
the ill-will
tions upon
rued with
h. Taylor
these inof-
7olence or
istrust and
) eared like
) notorious
ence of an

y guarded
;onfidential

along the
Lus in gen-

cd. Their

The last

c years of

of winter,
tion.* The
eoplo lived

f>)/uv^^A u-.. ^' Y

DAVID ZEISDEBGER.

639

in stockade furts; worked their little fields in parties
under arms witli scouts on the watch ; had their cattle
killed, their horses carried off, and their cabins burned; >
and saw the plantations which they had reclaimed with
heavy toil lap.^ing again into their original wildness.
Moreover, few I'amilies could be found that had not lost
some memhers by the merciless hands of the savages.
It may well be said, that in the Pontiac Conspiracy
Pennsylvania never thirsted for vengeance as the West
did now, amid the closing acts of the Revolutionary
War.

Such was the state of feeling when, in the beginning,
of 1782, war-parties from Sandusky appeared much'
earlier than usual, before the last of the winter mouths'
was past One of these ^nuids attacked the farm of
William Wallace, murdered his wife and five children
— impaling one of the children with its face toward the;

settlements and its belly toward the Indian country — -

-J

and carried off" John Carpenter as a prisoner.

This monstrous deed roused the whole frontier, and
the opinion gained ground that the Christian Indians .
had either themselves been engaged in it, or that the
savages had spent the winter in their towns. In eitherj
case, these " half-way houses" must be destroyed. About '
ninety men,' many of them mounted, mainly from the
settlements on the Monongahela, were collected iu\
great haate, rendezvoused at the Mingo Bottom,^ and]

' Some authorities ostiiiiate tho numbor to have been more tliuii ono
hundred and fifty men.

' Mingo Village, or Mingo Bottom, was ■^u the west bank of the Ohio,
seventy-fivo miles below Pittsburg.

liihi

M I

540

LIFE AND TIMES OF

thence set out for the Tuscarawas, with Colonel David
"Williamson as their commander.

Meanwhile the converts were on their peaceful way to
the same place, unsuspicious of danger, and encouraged
to proceed by several of their friends who had heen with
Schehosh's party, and were loud in their praises of Gen-
eral Irvine and his officers at Pittsburg. Arrived in the
valley, the Indians scattered to their towns, each family
occupying its former house, and organized three little
churches, of which the national assistants took charge.
Soon after this, the warriors that had murdered the Wal-
lace family passed through Gnadenhiitten, and warned
the inhabitants of the peril to which they were exposing
themselves. Carpenter, with noble magnanimity, did
the same, pointing out its imminency, however peace-
able their intentions. "My captors," he added, "will
undoubtedly be pursued and tracked to this place."

The converts were alarmed, but the national assist-
ants allayed their fears. In conformity with the sug-
gestions of a council held at Salem, it was determined
to finish the harvest, relying, in the event of the appear-
ance of American militia, on their innocence, their
friendship for the States, and their common religion.
The seventh of March was designated as the time of
their departure.

In the morning of the sixth, they accordingly re-
sumed their work, laboring hard to complete it that
day. The plantations were alive with activity. Some
gathered the corn in heaps; some bagged it; while
others stored what could not be transported in such

Colonel David

peaceful way to
md encouraged
> had been with
praises of Gen-
Arrived in the
'ns, each family
zed three little
ts took charge,
rdered the Wul-
en, and warned
J were exposing
guauimity, did
however peace-
le added, "will
his place."
national assist-
' with the sug-
vas determined
t of the appear-
inocence, their
mmon religion,
as the time of

accordingly re-
)mplete it that
ictivity. Some
gged it; while
ported in such

DAVID ZEISDERGER.

641

rude but safe garners as the forest afforded. Into the
midst of this scene of peaceful industry burst the pitiless
destroyer.

Williamson's command had reached the neighbor-
hood of Gnadenhiitten the evening before, and lay
encamped, all night long, but one mile from the town,
without being discoyered. And now preparations began
for an immediate attack. The men were formed into
two divisions, of which the one received orders to cross
the river and gain the fields on the western side,
where the scouts had reported Indians, while the other
was to advance upon the village itself by a circuit
through a wood.

On reaching the Tuscarawas, the first division found
no canoes; but what appeared to be one was seen
moored to the opposite bank. A young man, named
Sloughter, swam the river and brought back not a
canoe, but a trough for maple-sap, and large enough to
accommodate but two persons. In order to expedite
their passage, a number of the men stripped off their
clothes, put them into this trough, and, holding fast to
its sides with one hand, swam across with the other.
Sixteen of them had passed over in this manner, when
Joseph Schebosh was seen coming from the plantations
in search of his horses. One of the two scouts, who
had been thrown forward, immediately tired upon him,
breaking his arm ; the rest of the men ran up, and,
in spite of his protestations that he was Mr. Schebosh's
son, the son of a white man, buried their tomahawks
in his head and tore off' his scalp. Fearing that the

^1 I I i:

642

LIFE AND TIMES OF

shot might have alarmed the Indians, they pressed
on, without waiting for the other part of the divi-
sion, and reached the fields where their victims were
at work. These the}- greeted, as previously agreed
upon, with all the tokens of amity usual among the
natives, and told them that they were come to convey
them to a place of safety, where they would be housed,
clothed, and fed. Duped by these protestations, the con-
verts received the militia with joy and escorted them to
Gnadenhiitten. There they found the second divloion,
which had meanwhile quietly possessed itself of the
town, killing but one Indian, who was crossing the river
in a canoe. To this act Jacob, Schebosh's son-in-law,
who stood on the bank tying up his corn-sacks, was a
witness. Had he given the alarm, the most of the
converts might have been saved. But he was so con-
founded by what he saw, having taken the militia to be
friends, and recognizing among them some of his per-
sonal acquaintances at Pittsburg, that he fled to the
forest and hid himself amid its bushes. The entire
command was hospitably entertained at Gnadenhiitten,
and the rest of the day passed in an interchange of the
most friendly courtesies.

John Martin, a national assistant, and his son, return-
ing from a distant part of the forest, noticed the tracks
of shod horses, and mistrustfully crept to the top of a
hill, on the western bank of the river, whence the town
could be seen. But when they beheld their people asso-
ciating on the most familiar terms with the white men
that filled the place, their suspicions vanished. Young

DAVID ZEISDERGER.

543

' pressed
the divi-
ims were
y agreed
mons; the
to convey
e housed,
s, the con-
id them to
d divloion,
elf of the
g the river
son-in-law,
cks, was a
ost of the
as so con-
ilitia to he
of his per-
led to the
The entire
denhiitten,
mge of the

?on, retnrn-
the tracks

le top of a
e the town

leople asso-
white men

>(]. Young

Martin hastened across, while his father wont to Salem
to tell the news. There the opinion, which he urged,
that the Americans were come to deliver the Christian
Indians from their troubles, found general favor, and
was corroborated by the belts and strings of wampum
which Israel had received, in his former capacity of
chief, as tokens of the friendship of the States, and
which he now spread before the gratified eyes of his
countrymen.

Taking with him Adam and Henry, John Martin
returned to Gnadenhiitten, and informed Colonel Wil-
liamson that the Salem Indians, too, would put them-
selves under his protection, and follow him to the
promised place of safety. He was assured that they
would be cared for; and that a part of the command
would, the next morning, escort them from their town,
which could not be done at once, because the men were
engaged in helping their Gnadenhutten friends to col-
lect from the forest such of their goods as had been
hidden at the time of the Wyandot invasion. Overjoyed
to hear all this, John Martin, in the simplicity of his
heart, made the colonel his confidant with regard to an-
other project. Some of tho converts, he said, deemed
it best to establish a branch Mission in the place of
refuge to which they were going; they would send to
Bethlehem for new teachers, and have churches and
schools of their own, while their brethren on the San-
dusky would continue to enjoy the ministrations of
their old teachers. What did their friends think of
this plan ? Williamson approved of it, and all his

544

LIFE AND TIMES OF

men, to whom it was mentioned, said it was well
thought of, and praised the Indians for their piety.

Amid such converse night came on. Murderers and
victims lay down to sleep like brothers, in the same
town and the same houses, the one dreaming of scalps,
the others of new and happy homes. Never were In-
dians more guileless ; never was the most marked trait
in their character more completely wiped out. Chris-
tians had faith in Christians. Though of difterent
races, they worshiped one God and adored one Saviour.
Early in the morning of the seventh, a division, with
Adam and Henry as guides, set out for Salem, and
found the Indians not only ready to accompany them,
but prepared to yield to all their demands. They sur-
rendered their arms — "for safe-keeping," said the mi-
litia — without a shadow of doubt. They acquiesced in
the firing of their town — "to prevent warriors from
harboring there" — and pleasantly remarked that their
American friends would soon build them another.
They put themselves wholly into the power of their
escort, and did not entertain the remotest idea of
treachery. Indeed, even from a spiritual point of view,
it was for them a day of joy. They had opportunities to
glorify their God. The white men seemed deeply inter-
ested in religion, asked many questions with regard to
it, and listened to what they told them of their personal
experiences with the profoundest attention. Samuel
fMoore, who was a Jersey Indian, Christian, a national
^assistant, and Tobias, an aged servant of the Lord — who
jail spoke English fluently — proclaimed the unsearchable

,--;■

DAVID ZEISDERGER.

>45

t was well
piety.

rderers and
1 the 8ame
g of scalps,
er were In-
iiarked trait
3ut. Cbris-
of different
ne Saviour,
ivision, with
Salem, and
Qpany them,
. They sur-
aaid the mi-
cquiesced in
arriors from
d that their
im another,
tver of their
est idea of
oint of view,
)ortunities to
deeply inter-
th regard to
heir personal
on. Samuel
n, a national
e Lord — who
unsearchable

riches of Christ, with the eloquence of faith. " Truly j'^
you are good Christians !" exclaimed the militia./
Meanwhile the Indian boys sported with some half-''^
grown lads of the command, taught them to make
bows and arrows, and frolicked gleefully through the
forests.

On the bank opposite Gnadenhiitten the eyes of the
deluded converts were suddenly opened. Coming upon
a pool of fresh blood and a bloody canoe, they stopped
in mute surprise; but in that momoht the militia seized
them, bound their hands behind their backs, and hur-
ried them across the river, where ^'hey found the rest of
the Indians also prisoners, confined in two houses, and
closely guarded.

The militia now tried to criminate them, bringing
forward the following accusations: First, that they were
warriors and had taken part in the war against the
Americans ; second, that the}' had harbored and fed, in
their towns, British Indians on the march to the American
frontiers ; third, that their horses must have been stolen
from the Americans, inasmuch as they were branded
with letters like the horses of the frontier settlers, a
thing unknown among the natives; fourth, that those
articles of clothing and children's caps, those tea-kettles
and household equipments, those saws, axes, and chisels,
and ail those many other implements found among
white people only, of which both Gnadenhiitten and
Salem were full, constituted a positive proof that they
had helped to plunder farms and attack settlements.

i{ m\

I i

s|.i>S-;',

546

LIFE A. WD TIMES OF

The prisoners dearly rebutted every one of those
charges. They appealed to their fri( ndahip for the
white people — of which the militia could not be igno-
rant, since '1 the West knew of it — and to the eflbrts
which they had, for years, successfully made to keep the
Delawari-s neutral, as evidence that, since tlieir conver-
sion, they had never gone to war. They explained
the necessity which compelled them t(< ctitertain British
Indians passing through their towns, but showed that
they had, at the same time, persuaded many a war-party
to turn back ; and, further, that when Colonel Broadliead
had come into their country, on his expedition against
Goschachgiink, they had furnished his army, too, with
provisions. They reminded them, that Gnadenhiitteu
and Salem were towns belonging to civilized natives, to
Christian Indians, to Indiana who hiid been tiuight to
dress like the whites, to work their horses like the
whites, and to use the same household utensils,
mechanical tools, and agricultural implements.

But this vindication did not satisfy the militia, be-
cause they were predetermined not to be satisfied.' A

1 On thoir return to the settlements, the militia assorted that they had
1 found among the clothes of the converts the blood-stained garments of
Mrs. "Wallace, whose own husband recognized them, and that this was
an unanswerable proof that these Indians had been engaged in tho
atrocious murder of his family. But i his was, by no means, a valid
evidence of their guilt, even granting that sucii garments were dis-
covered, a thing which, as it rests solely upon thi.' authority of tho uuir-
derors themselves, is, to say the least, open to serious doubt. It i3
' known that the warriors who murdered tho Wallace family put up their
plunder at public a\iction, a mode of disposing of spoils not unusual
f, among the natives. This sale took place one mile from Gnadcnhiittcn.

\i I

/),4r//> ZEISBERQER.

547

connci] of war was called to deou^o upon ibeir fate.
The oflBc'crs, unwilling to assume the responsibility,
agreed to submit the question to the men, Thoy were
accordingly drawn up in a line, Colonel "Williamson
stcp})in,tij forward and saying: "Shall the Moravian
Indians be taken prisoners to Pittsburg, or put to'
death? All those in favor of sparing their lives, ad-'
vance one step and form a second rank I" On this
but sixteen men — another report says eighteen — stepped
out of the line, leaving an overwhelming majority for
the sentence of death.

The mode of execution created not u little debate. '
At last it lay between two proposals: one was to set ,
fire to the houses in which the captives were kept and
burn them alive ; the other, and this prevailed, to toma- )
hawk and scalp them, so that there might be trophies of
the campaign.

Although startled when informed of the fate which
awaited them, the Indians soon recovered their self- /
possession. Solemnly protesting their innocence, they \
nevertheless declared themselves willing to die, and
asked no favor other than time to prepare for death,,

Nuw, although it was a hiw among the Christian Indians never to buy
booty thus offered for sale, and although the national assistants had, •
on this very occasion, prohibited their companions from doing so, it is
possible that some of the young peojile secretly attended the sale and
purchased that dress. It is just as po-^sible, however, and not at all in
conflict with the warnings which they gave the converts, that it was
intentionally left by the warrior- in one of the houses of Gnadcnhiitti'n,
without the knowledge of the inmates, in order to fasten suspicion i
upon the Christian Indians.

548 . LlFiil A'S'D TIMES OF

^-^

7«

This was granted them, and the following morniug
fixed lor the execution.

There now ensued a scene that deserves to tind a
place in the history of the primitive martyrs. Shut
up in their two prisons, the converts began to sing
and pray, to exhort and comfort one another, to mu-
tually unburden their consciences and acknowledge
their sins. Abraham, surnamed the Mohican, took the
lead in humbling himself under the mighty hand of
God. "Dear brethren," said he, "we are soon all to
go to the Saviour. You well know that I am a bad
man ; that I have grieved my Lord ; that I have caused
our teachers much sorrow ; and have not done the
things that I ought to have done. But now I give
myself anew to Jesus. I will hold fast to Ilim until
I die. I believe that He will not cast me off, but
pardon all my sins." As the hours wore away, aud
the night deepened, and the end drew near, triumph-
ant anticipations of heaven mingled with their hymns
and prayers. Converted heathens taught their Chris-
tian slayers what it means to die " as more than con-
querors."

At last the morning broke. It was the eighth of
March. Impatient to begin their work of blood, the
militia selected two buildings, which they wantonly de-
nominated " slaughter-houses," the one for the killing
of the men, the other for the massacre of the women;
and brutally called to their captives, who continued to
sing and pray in exultant tones, whether they would
not soon be ready. " AVe are ready now," was the

g morniug

._^ I — II 4 .~..^ _ .__ — > I - -

DAVID ZEISDEROER.

540

reply; "wc have committed our souls to God, who has
given us the assurance that He will receive them."

Several of the men immediately seized Ahraham,
whose long, flowing hair had attracted their notice tho\
day hetbre as fit for making "a fine scalp," tied him and!
another convert with a ro[)e, and dragged them to th(^
appointed house. There they were deliherately slain,
and afterward scalped. The rest suffered in tlie same
way, two by two. W hen all th e men and^boys were
dead, the women and small children were brought j)utj
two by two as befor e, taken to the other house, ajid
dispatched with the s ame systematic barbarity. Judith,]
a venerable widow, was the first among these victims.
Christiana, another widow, who had been an inmate of |
the Bethlehem "Sisters' House" in her youth, spoke i
English and Gorman fluently, and was a woman of I
education and refinement, fell on her knees before (
Colonel Williamson, as she was being led away, and, (
addressing him in English, besought him to spare her'
life. "I cannot help you!" was his cold reply. She
rose and submitted to her fate, patiently like the others. |
Tomahawks, mallets, war-clubs, spears, and scalping- I
knives were used to efiect the slaughter, in which, how-/*
ever, only some of the militia appear to have taken an)
active part.*

' There are various discrepancies in the accounts of the massacre that
have come down to us. Heckewelder, in his English MS, and also in his* i
printed history, says that the militia entered the two houses in which (
the Indians wore confined, and murdered them with a wooden mallet,!
taking turns in the slaughter. Zeisberger, in his Journal, says thcy|
were led out singly to the "slaughter-houses," and implies that there i

: :''3|.

: *. I'i'

mu ' HI

550

LIFE AND TIMES OF

It was uot a carnage perpetrated in the flush, of
victory, ere the heat and passions of battle have passed
away. It was not as when a long-beleaguered city is
taken, and half-intoxicated horsemen dash through the
streets, hewing right and left with their sabers, and

^sparing neither age nor sex. It was a butchery in cold
blood, without the least excitation of feeling, as leisurely
and dispassionately done as when animals are slaughtered

I for the shambles.

Two lads, Thomas__amd^.Jacob, escaped the commou
fate. The former received a blow that merely stunned
him, and revived toward nightfall. Hearing footsteps
approachi-ig, he gave no signs of life. A militia-
man entered the house to view the bodies, and dis-
)atchcd Abel, who had likewise been but stunned and

were two nmssacTesi, tliut of the GniKlenhiitten IndiuD.s on the seventh
of ISIarch, and that of the Sulcm Indians on the eighth, the latter being
brought to Gnadenhiitton after its inliubitants had been put to death.
Loskiel agrees with tho representation wliich I have given. Its cor-
rectness is proved by a careful examination of all the sources extiint,
,: including those not of Moravian origin. Zeisbergor's Journal was
i written soon after the occurrence, when the dill'erent reports brought in
Ihad not yet been sifted. It is, moreover, impossible, as his Journr.l
seems to indicate, that John Martin and tho two Salem Indians should
have come to Gnadenhiitten, on the seventh of March, after all its In-
idians had been murdered, should have treated with tho militia, and then
.led a part of them to Salem, without discovering what had taken place.
]There exist two lists of tiio victims, both of which, it is true, say that
(they were killed on the sevoiith and eighth of March ; but this, no doubt,
jrefers to the fact that four of them were shot the day before tho massacre,
itwo while ttttemj)ting to escape. Its wliole history rests upon the testi-
mony of Samuel Nanlieoke, a national assistant of New Schonbrunn ;
of two l/ids who fled from the very midst of the slaughter ; and of tho
militia themst^lves, who boastfully detailed, on their return home, all
^the incidents of the campaign.

e fludh» of
[lave passed
ered city is
:h rough tlie
sabers, aud
liery in cold
as leisurely
slaughtered

;he commou
rely stuuued
ug footsteps
A niilitia-
es, and dis-
stuuned aud

OH tho seventh

the latter being

en put to death.

given. Its eor-

souree.s extiint,
i-'.s Journal was
ports brought in
, as his Journr.l
n Indians should
, after all its In-
niilitia, and then
had taken place.
; is true, say that
)Ut this, no doubt,
"ore the massacre,
ts upon the testi-
cw Sehonbrunn ;
;hter ; and of the

return home, all

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

551

was in the act of rising. Thomas kept close amidol ^
the ghastly corpses until it was dark, and then made -
his way to the forest, although suffering excruciating
pain from the loss of his scalp.' Jacob succeeded in
slipping, unobserved, from the house in which the
women suffered, into the cellar by means of a trap-door, )
and when their blood began to stream uj)on him HiroughS
the floor, forced an exit out of a narrow window, con- (
cealed himself iu some hazel-bushes, and at night also
gained the forest. The day before the massacre,
Anthony and Paul, John Martin's sous, had not been so
fortunate. They got out of their prifon and fled, but
were shot down by the sentinels.

According to a careful computation made by the mis- ■^
sionaricf., with the aid of the national assistants, the /
whole number of victims was ninety. The militia*
brought back ninety-six scalps ; hence six of the mur- \
dered ones must have been heathen Indians, probably J
visitors at Gnadenhiitten.

It is proper that their names should be enshrined in
history. Here follows the roll:

National Assistants.

Isaac Glikkikan.
Jonah.
Christian.
John Martin.
Samuel Mooro.
Tobias.

Thei7- Wives.

Anna Benigna, Glikkikan's wife.
Amelia, Jonah's wife.
Augustina, Christian's wife.

* Thomas lived four years longer, and was commonly known as the
"scalped boy." On the thirtieth of June, 1786, when the Mission was
located on tho Cuyahoga, he was found drowned in a creek, where ho /
had been 'Ishing, and into which ho had fallen in a fit, having been sub-
ject to 8uch attacks ever since the loss of his scalp.

! n

<P_

■^..

1:1

i* ■

552

LIFE AND TIMES OF

Other Men.
Adam.
Henry.
Luke.
Philip.
Lewis.
Nicholas.

Israel (Captain Johnny).
Abraham, the Mohican.
Joseph Schebosh.
Mark.
John.
Abel.

Paul, of Salem.
Henry.
John.
Michael.
Peter.
Gottlob.
David.

Oiher Wvmen.
Cornelia, Adam's wife.
Joanna Salome, Henry's wife.
Lucia, Luke's wife.
Lorcl, Philip's wife.
Ruth, Lewis's wife.
Joanna Sabina, Nicholas's wife
Hannah, Joseph Pcepi's wife.
Catharine.
Judith.
Christiana.
Mary.
Eebecca.
Kacbel.

Maria Susanna.
Anna, a daughter of the assistant

Joshua.
Bathseba, the same.
Julianna.
Elizabeth.
Martha.
Anna Bosina.
Salome.

All o f these were baptize^, adults

Boys.
Christian.
Joseph.
Mark.
Jonathan.
Christian Gottlieb.
Timothy.
Anthony.
Jonah.

Gottlieb, a son of Joanna.
Benjamin, the same.
John Thomas.

Oirls.
Christiana.
Leah.
Benigna.
Christina.
Gertrude.
Anna Christina.
Anna Salome.
Maria Elizabeth, a daughter of

Mark.
Sarah, a daughter of Philip.
Hannah, a daughter of Mary.
Anna Elizabeth.

All of these were baptized children.
There were, besides, twelve babes aud five adults not
bajjtiz,ed. Of the latter but one name has been

DAVID ZEISDEROER.

553

the assistant

preserved, uamelj, Scappiliillen, the husband of IlelenJ
Thus it appears that of the victims tweutj-nine \\xrje '
men, twenty-seven women, and thirty-four children. "'

Their^death was the beginning of the decline of the
Mission; but it was also the most illustrious exemplifi-'
cation of what the Church and Zeisberger, her apostle, f
had accomplished among the aborigines. Ne^gr di(ji.-*
Christian Indians leave a brighter testimony. Their
very murderers confessed that, by their faith and pa-
tience, by their fearlessness and resignation, they had
glorified God. Successive generations have brought a
tribute to their memory. There is not a writer of thei,
history of our country who does not mourn over their/
fate. Even at this late day the traveler, as he passes)
through the blooming valley of the Tuscarawas, stops/
to see the spot where they sufl'ered. The heathens'
themselves, while vowing vengeance on their slayers,!
acknowledged the piety of the dead. " We sought,")
they said, " to compel our Christian countrymen to^
return to the wild sins in which we live; but the great
Manitou loved them too well; he saw our schemes;,;
he saw their pious lives ; ho took them."

After the massacre had been consummated, the ml
litia spent the day in securing their plunder; then, set- (
ting fire to the " slaughter-houses," with their mangled
corpses, and to the whole village, marched off to New 1
Schonbrunn to kill its Indians.

In the execution of this new atrocity, they were, how-
ever, happily disappointed. The messenger whom Zeis-
berger had commissioned to summon the converts to

654

LIFE AND TIMES OF

I* -i ■■»•-

Sandusky, reached Xew Schoiibrunn on the sauie day
on which the command came to Gnadenhiitten. Too
much fatigued to continue his journey, ho sent two of
the Schijnbrunn Indians to the other stations. These
found the body of Josepli Schebosh, saw at a gUuice
that he had been murdered, and discovered the trucks
of Williamson's horses. Allowing themselves barely
time to bury their comrade, they sped back to the town
and gave the alarm. The Indians immediately' fled, and
the militia had to content their bloodthirstiness with
plundering and burning its houses. Some of the con-
verts watciied them from their hiding-places.

The expedition against the Christian Indians was
wholly unnecessary, and the massacre at Gnadenhiitten
an act of inhuman barbarity. Williamson's men anti-
cipated a safe campaign, relied upon the pacific prin-
ciples of the converts, and expected no resistance,
thus tacitly giving the lie to their own accusations
■ against them. They went out, at least the major part
of them, with the intention of murdering and not of
1 fighting. All tliis is evident from the unjustifiable
I looseness, in a military point of view, with which the
I attack upon Gnadenhiitten was conducted. At the
same time, it is but right to adduce what may be
said in extenuation of their- ciime. Tit '!:^e we uppend
/the following extract from Dotidvidgc, wii' writes with
commendable fairnet^, and, hanng spen' his youth
among the men who engaged in t) c campaign, must
be a well-informed witness :

'The longer the war continued, the more our peor'~

DAVID ZKISDERGER.

655

complained of the situation of the Moravian villages.
It was paid that it waa owing to their l)oing so near U3
that the warriors commenced their depredations so early
in the spring, and continued them until so late in the fall.

"In the latter end of the year 1781, the militia of the
frontier came to a determination to break up the Mora-
vian villages on the Muskingum. For this purpose a
detachment of our men went out under the command
of Colonel David Williamson, for the purpose of in-
ducing the Indians with their teachers to move farther
off, or bring them prisoners to Fort Pitt. When they
arrived at the villages, they found but few Indians, the
greater number of them having removed to Sandusky.
These few were well treated, taken tc F'ort Pitt, and
delivered to the commandant of that station, who, after
a short detention, sent them home again.

" This procedure gave great oft'ense to the people of
the country, who thought that the Indians ought to have
been killed. Colonel Williamson, who, before this little
campaign, had been a very popular man^ on account of
his activity and bravery in war, now became the subject
of severe animadversions on account of his lenity to the
Moravian Indians.

"In justice to the memory of Colonel Williamson, I
have to say that, although at that time very young, I
was personally acquaiiited with him, and from my recol-
lection of his conversation, I say with confidence that lie
was a brave man, but not cruel. lie woulu meet an
enemy in battle and tight like a soldier, but not murder
a prisoner. Had be possessed the authority of a supe-

C^ 1-

556

L/F^ J.Vi) TIMES OF

rior officer in a regular army, I do not believe that a
single Moravian Indian would have lost his life ; but he
possessed no such authority. He v^'as only a militia
officer, who could advise, but not command. His only
fault was thr.i; of too easy a compliance with popular
opinion and popular prejudice. On this account his
memory has been loaded with unmerited repi'oach.

" Several reports unfavorable to the ^loravians had
been in circulation for some time before the campaign
against them. One was, that the night after they were
liberated at Fort Pitt, they crossed the river laid killed,
or made prisoners of a family of the name Oi' Monteur.
A family on Buffalo Creek had been mostly killed in
the summer or fall of 1781, and it was said by one
of them who, after being taken a prisoner, made his
escape, that the leader of the party who did the mis-
chief was a Moravian. These, with other reports of a
similar import, served as a pretext for their destruction,
although, no doubt, they were utterly false.

" Should it be asked what sort of people composed
the band of murderers of these unfortunate people, I
answer, they were not miscreants or vagabonds ; many
of them were men of the first standing in the coun-
try; many of them were men who had recsntly lost rela-
tions by the hand of the savages. Several of the latter
class found articles which had been plundered from
their own houses, or those of the relations, in the houses
of the Moravians. One man, it is said, found the
clothes of his wife and children, who had been mur-
dered by the Indians but a few days before. They were

DAVID ZEISDERGER.

657

still bloody; yet there was no unequivocal evidence that
these people had any direct agency in the war. "What-
ever of our property was found with them had been loft
by the warriors in exchange for the provisions which
they took from them. When attacked by our people,
although they might have defended themselves, they
did not. They never fired a single shot. They Avere
prisoners, and had been promised protection. Every
dictate of justice and humanity required that their lives
should be spared. The complaint of their villages being
'half-way liouses for the warriors' was at an end, as
they had been removed to Sandusky the fall before. It
was, therefore, an atrocious and unqualified nmrder.
But by whom committed? By a majority of the cam-
paign? For the honor of my country, I hope I may
safely answer this question in the negative. It was one
of those c/^ttvulsioDH of the moral state of society iu
wliieh the voice of the ju.-^tice unv .iumanity of a ma-
jority is silenced by the clamor and violence of a lawless
minority. Very f-ew of our m«<fi imbrutd their hands
in the blood of the Moravians Even th<r^ who had
not voted for saving their lives retired from the »c4!.'ue
of slaughter with horror and disgui*t. Why, then, did
they not give their votes in their favor? The fear of
public indignation restrained them from doing so. Thjy
thought well, but had not heroism enough to express
their opinion. Those who did so, deserve honorable
mention for their intrepidity. So far as it may here-
after bo in my power, this honor shall be done them;
wliile tlio names of tlie murderers shall not stain the
pages of history, from my pen at least."

558

LIFE AND TIMES OF

CHAPTER XXXVI.

ZEISBERGEU AT LOWER SANDUSKY AND PnTRniT. I7S3.

Funprai siTvire in memory of the (load. — Tlu> convert? nt Cnptivos'
Town iifter the massacre. — Conversation with Samuel Nanticulto.
Massacre at Pittsburg, and dispersion of the Christian Inillaiis. — Z' in-
berger's wail of anguish — Tlie missionaries leave Lower Sundufky tind
reach Detroit. — Majorde Peyster's reasons for removing thc'm. — They
determine to renew the Mission in the Chippewa coimtry. — Ue Pey-
ster'.s message to the Christian Indians. — Thereligi(>us^tnte()f Detroit.
— Zeisberger and a few converts embark in order to begin a settlement
on the Huron Kiver.

1. r

i|:r.J '3

;!l

^.:

Havinq listened, with bursting lieart, to all the
details of the massacre which Jo.shua and Jacob could
give him, Zeisberger called together his fellow-ndssloii-
aries in Ariindle's house, and read the burial-service
of the Church in memory of the dead. From the
orphaned flock at Captives' Town he often heard.
Among others, Robins visited there, and reported that
the converts sang and- praj-ed together in the most
touching manner, exhorted one another to stand fast in
the faith, but often, in the midst of their assemblies, fell
to sobbing like children. Deprived of their teachers,
overwhelmed by the massacre in which the most of them
had lost a kinsman, as in Rama of old, so in Captives'
Town now, there was a voice heard, lamentation, and
weeping, and great mourning.

With Samuel !J,'antieoke, who came to see him, Zeis-

DAVID ZEISBEROEE.

)59

I7«8.
iinljciiko.

lll-i. — Kria-

iilu^kviinil
■III. — They
. — Ue l\.y-

i>t" Uctroit.
settlement

illl the
ob could
-mission-
al-aervice
'roin tlio
n heard,
rtod that
:he most
id fast in
blies, f't'll
teachers,
t of them
Captives'
tioii, and

im, Zois-

bcrger had a conversation upon the state of the Mission \
and the sufferings of the Christian Indians. Zeisbcrger/
pointed out to him the chastising liand of God. The
iiery trial through which the converts were passing had
not occurred by chance; their own disobedience had
helped to produce it. "AVe well know," he added,
" that the most of you have been true to your piv>fcs-
sion in spite of all your afflictions, but wo also know
that i*ome of you are recreant. I rotor to thv^so who
ndv i^cd the AVynndots, uf the \\\\]Ci of t|)i3 invasion, to
carry us ofl" from the Afuskiiignni ! n|if1 who now, in-
stead of acknowledging what we are enduring ibc ^n\\\'
Bakes, and what we have borne in Ijio iiiany ypflfs of
our missionary service, iiru baao oiioiigli (o ImfilJ^e the
blame of your present trials to us, and even to assert
that we were aware of the projected nuissacro. Wo
liope that sui'ii deluded souls will seek forgiveness of
the Lord. "With tlie rest of you we deeply eympatliize.'
This conversation affords an interesting glimpse of
the stale of feeling both among the converts and in the
heart of their leader. Many of the former recognized
the judgments of God as well deserved. "We have
drawn all this misery upon ourselves," said Abraham, a
national assistant, in o, e of their meetings; "we have
sinned against the Saviour; every one of us is guilty;
I, too, am guilty. Let us return again to the Lord our
God an 1 pray for mercy." But others, staggered by
their misfortunes, without a teacher's hand to guide
them, lost their faith, lot tlieir love grow cold, and like
the Israelites of old, murmured against their Moses and

I X!

'^■^.'.

660

•f-- -H:'k

.■>■ :k.

LIFE AND TIMES OF

against God. Zuiaborger, on the other hand, while ho
felt for them and confessed that theirs was no ordinary
sorrow, was deeply wounded that among his own sjii ritual
children there si uld be those who requited his long-
tried devotion , ith such low su8j)icion8 and unmanly
ingratitude.

His cup of woe was filled to the brim by the intelli-
gence that Colonel Williamson's command, on their
ireturn to Pittsburg, had massacred the majority of
/friendly Delawares encamped near that post, under the
protection of the American flag; and that the converts
,at Captives' Town had been forced by tlie Half King to
; disperse. Mark, at the head of one body, had gone to
the Shawanese of the Scioto ; Abraham, "William, Cor-
nelius, and Samuel Nanticoke had led the rest to the
vicinity of Pipe's Town, whence they thought of pro-
ceeding to the Maumee. '* Where shall we find a
retreat," he writes in his Journal, "nay, but a little spot
lof earth whither we may flee with our Indians? The
iworld is not wide enough. From the whites, who call
jthemselves Christians, we can hope for no protection ;
lamong the heathens we no longer have any friends.
iWe are outlawed ! But the Lord reigneth. He will
{not forsake us. I believe that He is punishing us for
'our sins, but will afterward gather us with greater
_ mercies. I believe that, in His own time, He will stop
jthe mouth of our enemies, who mock us and say,
j' Where is now their God? Let us see whether He of
'whom they preach, and on whom they depend, will
. protect them. Let us see whether their God is stronger
than our god!' "

^-.-c.t ^ ^

I , A >

md, while he
s no ordinary
own spiritual
ted his long,
and unmanly

:>y the intelli-
ind, on their

majority of
)3t, under the

the converts

Half King to

, had gone to

^Villiam, Cor-

le rest to the

3ught of pro-

11 we find a

it a little spot

Klians ? The

ites, who call

o protection;

! any friends.

ith. He will

ishing us for

with greater

He will stop

us and say,

lother lie of

depend, will

>d is stronger

DAVID Z/'USDERGKR

501

After an abode of four weeks at Lower Sandui^ky, the)
missi'Miariea took the long expected boats to i'etroit,*
with an escort of fourteen rangers under cunimand of
Sergeant Ilau (April 14). Levallie still accompanied'
them. Sailing down the I'ivor, they entered Lake Erie,
and, after rounding ^Lirl)lehead Point and leaving si
group of islands on the right, infested in summer by
such a multitude of ratth'snakes tliat they were unin-
habitable, coasted westward, crossed Maumec liay on
the nineteenth, and at noon of the following day
readied Detroit, where convenient quarters were as-
signed them in the barracks. Subsequently they re-
moved to Jenky ILiU, beyond the gates of the town.

Major de Peyster gave them u cordial welcome, and
explained the cause of their removal. The Half King
had again accused them of corresponding with the
American commandant at Pittsburg; he had insisted
upon their immediate deportation from his country,
avowing that he could not prosper while they were
near; that their presence brought him misfortune; that
they were an eyesore and a stumbling-block to hira;
he had even threatened to murder them, if they were
not called away. "Hence, Mr, Zeisberger," continued

the major, "you see that I was compelled to have you
conveyed hither. Your own personal safety demanded
it. I did it most reluctantly, but there was no alter-
native. You may now either stay here or go to Beth-
lehem, as you may deem best. While you remain at'
this post, I will provide for all your wants."

There 'as but one sentiment among the missionaries.

■ '1

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Sciences
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23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. MS 80

(716) 872-4503

'^Z^^U

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562

LIFE AND TIMES OF

^They determined to revive the Mission. N'othing but
^absolute necessity could induce them to^ forsake their
Iconverts.

Such a self-sacrificing spirit awakened the warmest
i sj-mpathies of the commandant. Ke induced the
' Chippewas to grant them permission to begin the work
" on those of their huntinsj-jrrounds which stretched
' along the Huron River ; and he transmitted both a
written and a verbal message to the Christian Indians,
offering his services. This message, which was sent
off on the third of May, ran, in substance, as follows:
That their teachers were about to settle in the Chip-
pewa country, and r'^suscitate the Mission ; that Detroit
was to be the rendev5vou8, whither he earnestly invited
them to come, and where he would supply them with
provisions ; that he was sorry for their sufferings, but
had not been the willing author of them, inasmuch as a
time of war often rendered things necessary which, in
themselves, were most distasteful to those who executed
them ; that he did not wish to bear the name of
destroyer of so flourishing a work as the Indian
Mission, — no, not for the whole world, and would
therefore do all in his power to aid its renewal.

Weeks passed by without an answer. Coimer and
(his family arrived, but not an Indian. It was a time
I of anxious suspense, which Zeisberger endeavored to
^'render profitable by proclaiming the Gospel to the
[people of Detroit. He found religion at its lowest
ebb. The Roman Catholics had one priest, an old
man, who never preached, but read mass, which was

uuA

DAVID ZETSDERGER.

563

attended bj the French inhabitants and such baptized
Indians of the Jesuit Mission as passed that way. The
Protestants had no minister, or public service of any
kind. A justice of the peace attended to their wed-
dings and funerals, administering, occasionally, even
the sacrament of baptism. Iniquity abounded in all
its forms.

At last two families, Samuel Nanticoke's and
Adams's, reached the town. They said that the
commandant's message had been received, but subse-
quently contradicted through the machinations of the
enemies of the Mission, who were determined to
prevent its renewal. A second, more urgent message,
dispatched by Zeisberger, shared the same fate. After
a time, however, two more families arrived, so that
there were no\v gathered at Detroit nineteen Christian
Indians. With this little band, Zeisberger resolved to
begin the new enterprise. Leaving Heckewelder and|
Senseman in the town, in order to take charge of such I
other converts as might come, he embarked, on the j
twentieth of July, in boats well laden \ni\\ supplies, and
ascended the Detroit River.

He had led the Indians along the Susquehanna, the
Alleghany, and the Ohio, the Tuscarawas, and the |
Muskingum, — ever seeking a home for the Gospel, i
And now, with a mere remnant of them, his course!
was westward still, to a strange land, amid a rew
nation, "hoping all things, believing all things."

' --<-v^V

-i-ijp'

-tr-

*:,.^

564

LIFE AND TIMES OF

CHAPTER XXXVII.

SECOND CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE CHRISTIAN INDIANS, AND
NEWS OP THE MASSACRE IN THE STATES.-1V82,

Crawford's expedition. — The march to Sandusky. — Battle with the
savages. — Indian reinforcements. — Flight and rout of the Americans.
— Cruel fate of the prisoners. — Crawford burned at the stake. — Hia
conversation with Wingenund. — Uecaliation for the Gnadenhiitten
mas>aci'e. — Koports of the occurrence at Bethlr'hom. — Leinl)ach'.« and
Schebosh's negotiations with Congress and E.\ecuti\e Council of
Pennsylvania. — Schebosh goes to Pittsburg. — General Irvine's letter.
— Sentiments at Pittsburg. — President Moore's message to the Assem-
bly of Pennsylvania. — Publications authorized by the Mission Board.

Soon after the return of Williamsou's command from
the massacre, a second campaign was inaugurated, with
the purpose of destroying the rest of the Christian
Indians, and attacking the Wyandot settlements as
well as Pipe's Town.*

" It was," says Doddridge, " the resolution of all
those concerned in this expedition not to spare the
life of any Indians that might fall into their hands,
whether friend or foes. It would seem that the long
continuance of the Indian War had debased a con-
siderable portion of our population to the savage state
of our nature. Having lost so many relatives by the
Indians and witnessed their horrid murders, and other
depredations on so extensive a scale, they became sub-

I Doddridge's Notes, chap, xxxii.

■' v' *;, ' ^ , ' '-- y Jr~

«>-•

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

5G5

jects of that itidiscriminatiug thirst for revenge whicli
is 8uch a prominent featnre in the savage character,
and having had a taste of blood and plunder, without
risk or loss on their part, they resolved to go on, and
kill every Indian they could find.

" It was intended to make what was called, at that
time, 'a dash,' that is, an enterprise conducted with
secrecy and dispatch. The men were well mounted on
the best horses they could procure, and furnished them-
selves with all their outfits, except some ammunition."

On the twenty-fifth of May, nearly five hundred
volunteers mustered at Mingo Town, and elected
Colonel Crawford as their commander. Williamson
was his unsuccessful competitor. Following " William-
son's trail," they came to the ruins of New Schonbrunn,
where they encamped, and fed their horses on the un-
harvested corn of the plantations. A glimpse of two
Indian scouts, watching their movements, threw them
into such confusion that dark forebodings filled the
mind of their leader. On the sixth of June, they
reached Sandusky, and prepared to surprise the Chris-
tian Indians as they had done at Gnadenhiitten. But
Captives' Town was deserted, its huts lay in ruins, its
gardens and fields were covered with rank grass. The
Half King's brutal expulsion of the converts had saved j
them from a second massacre.

The disappointed volunteers held a council, and re-
solved to proceed one day longer in search of the
Indians, but if they did not fall in with them by that
time, then to march back to Pittsburg. They knew not

I! i

:i:

},■.

tl i

I i

./.

■y..K,

' . / ^ /'-- ^.'{T .,

566

/■

LIFE AND TIMES OF

.,^> .^.mVn-^A^'

thut they had already advanced too far, that warriors
were reconnoitering all their movements, and that they
would meet not the inoffensive religionists of the Mis-
sion, hut braves, painted and plumed, and burning to
avenge the blood of their murdered countrymen. The
very next afternoon, about three miles north of Upper
Sandusky, and one mile west of the river, a large body
of savages suddenly rose from the high grass of the
plains and disputed their progress. A battle imme-
diately ensued, and continued until dark. Both parties
lay on their arms during the night. In the morning,
the Ind'.ans did not resume the engagement, but sent
for reinforcements, which arrived in such numbers as to
threaten the Americans with an overwhelming discom-
fiture. Their only hope was an instant retreat. It
began in the night, in good order. But some shots, in
the direction of the enemy, caused a disastrous panic;
the cry was raised that their design had been discovered,
straggling parties broke away from the army and sought
safety in headlong flight, until the retreat became a
general rout. In the midst of this confusion, the sav-
ages fell upon the volunteers with the utmost fury, but
ceased their attack on the main body, in order to pur-
sue the stragglers, nearly all of whom were either cut

I down on the spot, or taken prisoners. The victory of
^ the Indians was complete. Scarcely three hundred

I Americans reached the settlements.

A terrible fate awaited the captives. They were tor-

:tured to death with all the arts of savage cruelty.

/ Among these suflerers was Colonel Crawford himself,

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

667

who fell into the hands of Captain Pipe. lie was
taken to an Indian village for execution. A post,
about fifteen feet high; was set in the ground and a
large fire of hickory poles kindled around it, at a
distance of six yards.

While these p.'eparations were going on, Crawford
recollected that Captain Wiugenund had been several
times entertained at his house, and that they had parted
as friends wiio would stand by one another in adversity.
He requested that this warrior might be f,ent for. Win-
genund obeyed the summons, but with extreme reluc-
tance. Approaching the colonel, he waited in silence
for the communications he might choose to make.

"Do you recollect me, "VVingenund ?" began Craw-
ford.

" I believe I do. Are you not Colonel Crawford ?"

" I am. How do you do ? I am glad to see you,
captain."

"Ah!" replied Wingenund, with much embarrass-
ment. *' Yes, indeed !"

"Do you recollect the friendship that always existed
between us, and that we were always glad to see each
other?"

" I recollect all this. I remember that we have drunk
many a bowl of punch together. I remember also other
acts of kindness that you have done me."

"Then I hope the same friendship still exists be-
tween us."

" It would, of course, be the same were you in your
proper place and not here."

t I

568

LIFE AND TIMES OF

" And why not here, captain ? I hope you would not
desert a friend in time of need. Now is the time for
you to exert yourself in my behalf, as I should do for
you were you in my place."

*' Colonel Crawford, you have placed yourself in a
situation which puts it out of my power and that of
otners of your friends to do anything for you."

" How 80, Captain "Wingenund ?"

" By joining yourself to that execrable man, "William-
son and his party; the man who but the other day mur-
dered such a number of the Moravian Indians, knowing
them to be friends — knowing that he ran no risk in
murdering a people who would not fight, and whose
only business was praying."

" Wingenund, I assure you that had I been with him
at the time this would not have happened ; not I alone,
but all your friends and all good men, wherever they
are, reprobate acts of this kind."

"That may be; yet these friends, these good men,
did not prevent him from going out again to kill the
remainder of these inoffensive yet foolish Moravian In-
dians I I say foolish, because they believed the whites
in preference to us. We had often told them that they
would be one day so treated, by those people who called
themselves their friends ! We told them that there was
no faith to be placed in what the white men said ; that
their fair promises were only intended to allure us, that
they might the more easily kill us, as they have done
many Indians before they killed these Moravians."

I am sorry to hear you speak thus ; as to William-

DAVID ZEISDERGER.

569

Bon's goirg out again, when it wa^ known that he was
determined on it, I went out with him to prevent him
from committing fresh murders."

" This, colonel, the Indians would not believe were
even I to tell them so."

"And why would they not believe it?"

''Because it would have been out of your power to
prevent his doing what he pleased."

"Out of my power! Have any Moravian Indians
been killed or hurt since we came out ?"

"Is"one ; but you went first to their town, and finding
it empty and deserted you turned on the path toward
us. If you had been in search of warriors only, you
would not have gone thither. Our spies watched you
closely. They saw you while you were embodying your-
selves on the other side of the Ohio; they saw you cross
that river; they saw where you encamped at night; they
saw you turn oft' from the path to the deserted Mora-
vian town ; they knew you were going out of your way ;
your steps were constantly watched, and you were suf-
fered quietly to proceed until you reached the spot
where you were attacked."

" "What do they intend to do with me ? Can you tell
me?"

" I tell you with grief, colonel. As Williamson and
his whole cowardly host ran oft" in the night at the
whistling of our warriors' balls, being satisfied that
now he had no Moravians to deal with, but men who
could fight, and with such he did not wish to have any-
thing to do ; I say, as he escaped, and they have taken
you, they will take revenge on you in his stead."

570

LIFE AND TIMES OF

" Aud is there uo possibility of preventing this ?
Cun you devise no way to get me off? You sliiill,
my friend, be well rewarded if you are instrumental
in saving my life."

" Had Williamson been taken with you, I and some
friends, by making use of what you have told me,
might perhaps have succeeded in saving you ; but, as
the matter now stands, no man would dare to inter-
fere in your behalf The King of England himself,
were he to come to this spot, with all his wealth and
treasures, could not effect this purpose. The blood of
the innocent Moravians, more than half of them women
and children, cruelly and wantonly murdered, calls
aloud for revenge. The relatives of the slain, who are
among us, cry out and stand ready for revenge. The
nation to which they belonged will have revenge. The
Shawanese, our grandchildren, have asked for your
fellow-prisoner ; on him they will take revenge. All
the nations connected with us cry out, Revenge !
revenge! The Moravians whom they went to destroy
having fled, instead of avenging their brethren, the
offense is become national, and the nation itself is
bound to take revenge!''

" Then it seems my fate is decided, and I must
prepare to meet death in Hs worst form ?"

"Yes, colonel! — I am sorry for it; but cannot do
anything for you. Had you attended to the Indian
principle, that as good and evil cannot dwell together
in the same heart, so a good man ought not to go into
evil company, you would not be in this lamentable

.1-.^

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

571

situation. You see, now, when it is too late, after
Williunison has deserted you, what a bad man he must
be ! Nothing now remains for you but to meet your
fate like a brave man. Farewell, Colonel Crawford, —
they are coming!"*

So saying, Wingenund burst into a flood of tears and
turned away, seeking a place where he could not see
the approaching torture. lie never, afterward, spoke
of the fate of his unfortunate friend without strong
emotions of grief.*

The savages now stripped Colonel Crawford, and,
having first beaten him with sticks, tied him to the
post by a rope long enough to allow him to walk two
or three times around it. Then they began to dis-
charge gunpowder at his person, and to burn him with
brands, coals, and hot ashes. In a little while the
space between the tire and the post was covered with
coals, on which he was made to walk. Simon Girty
stood by and looked on, answering with a derisive
laugh his appeal to shoot him that he might be
relieved from his misery.' Thus the unfortunate officer

» This conversation is recorded by Heckewelder, in his History of
the Indian^Natioji^^^ 281-284^ who had it, word for word, from "Win-
genund himself, with whom he was well acquainted. As Hockewel-
der's work has become exceedingly rare, I have inserted the dialogue,
which serves to illustrate the feelings of the savages with regard to the
massacre at Gnadenhiitten.

* To this Heckewelder again bears testimony, who was a frequent
witness of such emotions. — Heckewelder' a Hist, of Ind. Nations, p. 284.

' Another account says that Girty, at first, tried to ransom Craw-
ford, which so incensed Pipe that he threatened to put Girty to a similar
torture, whereupon ho made common cause with the savages.

572

LIFE AND TIMES OF

] :

Buffered for three hours, until death mercifully came to
\m aid.

The Indians distinctly avowed, as is clear from the
conversation bet»veen Wingenund and Crawford, that
they inflicted such tortures in retaliation for the mas-
sacre at Gnadenhiitten ; and, indeed, a number of their
victims had actually taken part in that atrocious deed.
We here recognize that law in the government of the
world which men have so often been made to feel, and
which is thus written in the statutes of God: "Vengeance
is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord."*

Crawford's doom awakened universal sorrow in the
States. He was the friend of Washington and greatly

^ beloved. We will neither detract from his fame nor
reproach his memory; but that he lent himself, after a
confession of the principles of the Prince of Peace such
as had been given under the blows of the tomahawk
and the crash of the war-club at Gnadenhiitten, to the
command of an expedition destined to slay the remnant

I of God's people among the Western Indians, can be

\ palliated only by the barbarism which the Revolution

• evoked on the frontiers.

Meantime the news of the massacre had reached Beth-
lehem and spread throughout the States. The first Mo-
ravian who heard of it was Frederick Leinbach, who
had charge of the church-store at Hope, in New Jersey.
One of his neighbors had been at Pittsburg, and seen
the bloody scalps of the converts displayed as trophies

^ Bomans, xii. 19.

DAVID ZEISIiERGEll.

573

and tlielr property put up at auction. Leiubaeli, in per- *
BOu, hurriod to report to tho Board. At Nazarotli, lio mot
Bislioi* 8eidel, and with him proceeded to Bethlehem.
Tlie intelligence was so authentic tliat it could not he
doubted, and, at one o'clock in the afternoon (April 5),
the congregation was publicly informed of the calamity.
On the same day the Board received a missive from
Krogstrup, pastor of the church at Lancaster, detailing
the occurrence in the words of a traveler fresh from
Pittsburg, only with this difference, that the majority
of the victims were said to have been warriors and
not Moravian Indians. Then followed communicatioii'i
from nearly every quarter where the Brethren had
churches, all describing the event as set forth by differ-
ent authorities. Ettwcin, too, who was on a journey,
wrote to say that he had met with a German who boast-
fully claimed to have been one of "Williamson's party.

"'lie Board sent Leinbach to Philadelphia to notify
Congress of what had occurred, and to petition for
measures wliich would insure the safety of the rest of
the converts. He received from Lewis Weiss the fol-
lowing letter to Charles Thomson, its secretary:

To Charles Thomson, Esquire, Secrefary of Congress, per Mr. Fred-

KKICK LkINBACH.

Sir — I received, this afternoon, a letter from tho Reverend Nathaniel,
Bishop of tho United Churehes of the Brethren, residing at Bethlehem,
dated the 5th instant He informs mc that the same day a melancholy
report was brought to him, by one Mr. Leinbach, relative to a murder
committed bj* white men upon a number of Christian Indians, at a/
place called Muskingum. He continues, in his letter, that the samoj
Mr. Leinbach is to proceed, tho next day, to Philadelphia, in order to!
give Congress information how he came to the knov. ledge of that event^'

574

LIFE AND TIMES OF

i ' I;

:li

so thatC(in£;r(>«.= , unlp=s it hnd i'rpadya bettor account oftbo nffuir than
ho can pive, might, upon his report, take some measures with respect as
well of the mischief alrewdy done as more which might bo jone, and
thus prevent the total extirpation of a congregation of Indians con-
verted to the faith of Jesus Christ, and the judgments of Almighty God
apainst our dear ooimtry, which stands much in need of His divine
p otoction. The Bishop desires me to give attention to Mr. Leinbuch's
report (I have done it), and to direct him where he should make his
addresses. I make bold, Sir, to address him to you, and to bog the favor
that you introduce him, if possible, this night, with the Dologatcs of the
State of Virginia, from whence it is said the mischief originated, and
to-morrow morning wifh Congress.

Your humanity. Sir, gives me confidence to use the freedom to trouble
j'ou this day — the day sot apart for the service of men to their God —
about a cause which is most properly His own. The tragic scenes of
erecting two Butcher Houses, or Sheds, and killing, in cold blood, 95
brown or ♦awny sheep of Jesus Christ, one by one, is certainly taken
notice of by the Shepherd, their Creator and Redeemer.
I am, with particular respect, Sir,

Your most obed. humble servant,

L. "Weiss.'
SuivDAT, 7 April, 1782.

Congress referred the case to President Moore, of
Pennsylvania, and his Chief Executive Council, request-
ing that body to begin an investigation. The Council
sent, by Schebosh, who was going to Pittsburg as the
messenger of the Mission Board, a dispatch to Genera'
Irvine as follows :

In Council,
Philada., April 13th, 1782.

Sir — The Council have received information, thro' various channels,
that a party of militia have killed a number of Indians, at or near Mus-
kingham ; and that a certain Mr. Bull (Joseph Schebosh) was killed at
the same time. The Council being desirous of receiving full informa-
tion on a subject of such importance, request you will obtain and

1 Penn. Archives, ix. 523.

DAVID ZElSIiERGEK.

575

transmit to them the facts relative thereto, nuthcntieated in the
clearest, manner.*

But Schebosh was not satisfied with letters. Ho
wanted action on the part of the government. Writing
from Litiz, he said that both the Coniicil and the Board
of War were, indeed, much concerned about the maa-
sacre, but protested that they co;ild do nothing except
order the commandant at Pittsburg to use all his
authority to prevent such occurrences in the future
" God must help us," adds Schebosh, " we cannot
reckon upon the help of man."

Returning from Pittsburg to Bethlehem, three days

after the second expedition against the Christian

Indians had mustered at Mingo Town, he brought

the following lines from General Irvine to Bishop

Seidel :

Fort Pitt, May 8th, 1782.

Sir — I recoi^'od your letter of the 11th April last, by Mr. Sheboshe;
any attention paid him, when a prisoner, by me, was not meant to lay
him, or any person for him, under the smallest obligation, it was dic-
tated by humanity.

As ho can inform you verbally of the transaction at Muskingham, it
will bo unnecessary for me, at this time, to trouble you with an account
of it. He can also inform you of my intentions respecting future
measures.

I believe the Missionaries are safe, and I can assure you it will
always be pleasing to me to be able to render them service. I hope
(and think it probable) thoy have removed farther than Sandusky, that
being now a frontier, and one of the British and Indian Barrier Towns,
thvy cannot rationally expect to be safe at it.

I am, Sir,

Your obedient, humble servi nt,

Wm. Irv'ne.'
The Rev. Mr. Nathaniel Skidel.

> Penn. Archives, ix. 525.

2 Original Letter. MS. B. A,

t ^

' /

576

LIFE AND TIMES OF

Schebosh reported, further, that tlie commandant, a
majority of his officers, and many intelligent men dis-
approved of the massace, and won 11 do all in their
power to protect the remnant of Christian Indians.
From this it is evident that Crawford's "dash" was
either undertaken without the knowledge of General
Irvine, or that he was unable to hinder it. That Sche-
bosh was correct in his view of the sentiment prevail-
ing at Pittsburg is shown by a letter which President
Moore received from Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Cook,
of "Westmoreland County, dated the second of Sep-
tember, 1782. In this communication he says :

* I am informed that you have it roported that the massacre of the
Moravian Indians obtains the approbation of every man on this side of
the 3Iountain.s, which I assure your Excellency is false ; that the better
part of the community are of opinion the perpetrators of that wicked
deed ought to be brought to condign punishment ; that without some-
thing is done by Government in the matter, it will disgru^-o the annals
of the United States, and be an everlasting plea and cover for British
cruelty.'

Prior to the receipt of this letter, President Moore
had sent a message to the Assembly of Pennsylvania
(August 14th), in the course of which he said :

' We had jreat reason to apprehend a severe blow would be aimed at
the frontiers by the Indians Our fears, in this respect, have been but
too well justified by events that have since happened, and there is
reason to believe that the blow has fallen with redoubled force, in con-
sequence of the killing of the Moravian Indians at Muskinghiim, an
act which never had our approbation or countenance in any manner
whatever.

' Penn. Archives, ix. 629.

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

577

On tins message a committee was appointed, which
reported, Thursday, August 15, as follows : j

Your CommittGO are of opinion that an enquiry, on legal principles,
ought to ho instituted rcspcgting the killing of the Moravian Indians at
MusUingham ; an act disgraceful to humanity, and produetiv(! of the
most dinagreeahle and dangerous consequence?.

llosolved, therefore, that this llouse will give every support in their
power to the Sujjreme Executive Council toward prosecuting an enquiry
respecting the killing of the Moravian Indians at Muskingham.'

Some newspapers having excused the massacre, and
represented the victims as warriors, and the Moravian
Indians generally as ht suhjects for extermination, the
Mission Board published all the documents within its
reach relating to the occurrence, and thus removed
unfavorable impressions from the public mind. Legal
proceedings, however, such r,s had been recommended
by the Assembly of Pennsylvania, never took place.
The fatal issue of Crawford's campaign, and the terrible
defeat of the Kentuckians, at the Big Blue Lick, by a
large body of Indians, under Simon Girty and others,
closed the scenes of Indian warfare in the great drama
of the Revolution; and soon after came the general
peace. A subsequent grant of land, by Congress, to
the Christian Indians was the only official act of
indemnity.

1 A MS. Record of the Message and Report. B. A.

J i:i

:i Ml

678

LIFE AND TIMES OF

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

ZEISBERGBR AT NEW GNADENHUTTEN, IN MICHIGAN.— 1782-1786.

Encampment on the Clinton. — Chiiracter of the country. — New Gnudcn-
hiitten. — The scattered converts. — Sir John Johnson, and English
views of theahductionoi' the missionaries. — Instructions from the homo
government. — Peace between Great Britain and the United States. —
"Renatus, the Mohican. — New mode of hunting and fishing. — The
Chippewas. — Schebosh again joins the Mission. — Letters from the
Board. — Death of BishopScidel. — A winter of unexamiilcd severity. —
Complications in Indian affairs of the West. — Jungmann, Senscman,
and Michael Jungretirc to Bethlehem. — Edwards's visit to Pittsburg.
— Letters from Bishop de Watteville. — A grant by Congress. — Un-
certainty with regard to the future of the Mission. — Treaty at Fort
Finney. — The Mission removed from Now Gnadenbiitten. — The Con-
ner family remains in that town.

/ 'A HALF day's sail brought Zeisberger and his partj^ to^
I Lake St. Clair. Having anchored oflF Point Clinton,
'Sthey entered the Clinton — or, as it was then called,
iHuron River — next morning, and followed it up ui^til
fevening, when they encamped.

On the south bank extended a plateau, unobstructed
by t"ecs, but suriounded on all sides with woods, and
springs of limpid water gushing from its base. Pat
bottoms, with fine timber, skirted the stream. The
sycamore, beech, and lime, the ash, oak, poplar, and
hickory abounded ; sassafras-trees of unusual size were
found; and wild flax grew luxuriantly. The forests
were not open, as in Ohio, but tangled with dense
thickets, and interspersed with morasses.

'■' c'd

DAVID ZEISBEKGER.

570

In the evening of the twenty-second of July, the
little band of Indians gathered around Zeisberger and
set apart this spot, by prayer to God, as the site
of a Christian settlement, to be called Gnadenhiitten.'
"When finished, it consisted of one street of log-houses,
with a church, wliich was dedicated on the fifth of
November. Tovrard the end of August, Senseman and
Ileckewelder joined the Mission, and, on the twenty- \
fifth of September, the Holy CoiTimunion was cele-
brated for the first time in the new villat^e.

The scattered converts came in very slowly, owing to
the machinations of the heathen, as well as to an unfor-
tunate diftarencc among themselves. Mark, with all
the authority of a national assistant, denounced the
gathering on the distant Clinton, and urged the
Christian Indians to settle among the Twightwees.
By the end of the year, but fifty-three persons ^vere
living at New Gnadenhiitten.

Zeisberger frequently visited Detroit. On one occa-
sion, he was introduced to Sir John Johnson, the Gen-
eral Superintendent of Indian Aftairs, who had recently
arrivel from England, bringing with him letters from
Ignatius La Trobe,^ the British Secretary of the Unitas
Fratrum, and Wollin, the Mission Agent in London.

1 In his Ilisioiyof the Indian Mission, Loskiel cliangcd tlii^ name into
Now Gnndcnhiitten, for tho sake of convenience, .aid I will follow him.
The town was situated on the south side of tho Clinton River, between
Mt. Clemens and Fi-cderick, in Clinton Township, Mai'omb County,
Michigan. — Jw.gc Campbell's Lecture before the Michigan Historical
Society, in 1858, published in the Detroit Daily Advertiser.

2 A distinguished clorgynuin of the British lloruvian Chu -eh, born.
1758, at Fulneck, in Yorkshire. He filled tho office yf ''Secretary of

580

LIFE A\D TIMES OF

•III!
Ill

These letters inclosed u draft for one hundred pounds
sterliug, from the "Society lor Propagatini;- the Gospel
among the Heathen,'"' and were to the hearts of the
missionaries like sunbeams after dark days. They
had not heard from tiieir own Board for more than a
year.

Sir John Johnson told Zeisberger that the abduction
ot' the Moravian teachers from tlie Tuscarawas, and the
; overthrow of their nourishing Mi.^sion, had produced a
great stir in England. Well might he say this. Not a
nameless church had been injured, but one acknowl-
edged by Parliament, and invited to labor in the British
Colonies. Some of the most influential men of the
kingdom were her upholders. Johnson himself spoke
of her "powerful friends" in England. Of all this the
instructions which he had received were an evidence.
.The Mission was to be protected in every way, and the
i Moravian ministers to bo treated wnth all respect and
■ distinction. These instructions were a passport to still
j closer intimacy with the commandant, and to general
[favor at Detroit.

With the genial breezes of spring (1783) came joyful
experiences. On his return from a visit to Detroit, Ed-
wards brought the first news of a general peace. Pre-

tho Unity of tho Brothroii in Enp:land," and also that of "Secretary of
the Society for the Furtliorance of tho Gospel," was a Senior Civills of
tho Chinch, and did nuich to develop her literature and sacred music.
Among his works is the English translation of " Lcskiel's History of
tho Missions among the Indians in N. A." Ho died May 6, 1836.

* A Moravian Missionary Society organized in England in 1741, and
one of the oldest in existence.

.^•■',', v' .♦--^"^"^

-r

DAVID ZEISIiERGER.

^.81

limiiiaries had been signed at Paris in the previous year
(i'J'oveniber 30), and on the nineteenth of April a ee.-^sa-
tion of hostilities was proclaimed. About the same time
that such intelliiirencc tilled Xew Gnadenhiitten witli
praise, ^orty-three converts arrived from thu- Hhawanose
towns, in order again to c;ist in their lot with God's
people. These were followed by Renatus, the Mohicun,
whose name occurs in the history of the Paxton Insur-
rection, now a poor wanderer, wdio had been cri-ing and
straying for many years. He liad left the church at Frie-
denshlitten and relapsed into heathenism ; but his con-
science gave him no peace until, accompanied by his ,
w^hole family, he sought out the remnant of the Mission, '.
confessed his sins, and vowed to live to God. He was
read, fitted to church-fellowship, and died sooij after in
the full hope of eternal life. Thomas, the grandson of
Xetawatwes, brcakin<>: awav from the Delaware chiefs,
who tried their utmost to detain him, also arrived and
reunited with the converts.

In their new homes they had to learn new ways.
There being but few hills, and the country covered with
thick forests, they could not hunt singly, as in the Tus-
carawas valley, but, for the most part, went to the chase
in a body. The best marksmen formed a semicircle
around the skirt of a wood, toward which the rest drove
the game from the opposite side. When fishing, tliey
followed the example of the Chippewas, and built weirs
in the river. Ai^d, as Detroit was not far off, they
began an extensive trade in canoes, baskets^ and other
articles of native manufacture. The only heathens

i ! 1

582

LIFE AND TIMES OP

they met wore Chippewas, whose habits were peculiar.
TlicsG Indians often spent a whole winter in the forests
hunting. In spring, they gave up the chase and boiled
maple sugar. This they sold at Detroit, and then passed
the summer fishing in Lake Erie. Thus a party of
Chippewas would be absent from its village for almost
a year.

In the be<jinninff of Julv, Schebosh arrived from Beth-
lehem. His Indian wife and daughters, who had been
living among tlie Shawanesc since the massacre, had
previously come to Kew Gnadenhutten, so that this
much-tried family was, at last, reunited.

John "VVcigand accompanied Schebosh, as a special
messenger from the Board, with letters to the mission-
aries, the first which reached them in two long and weary
years. These letters brought the news of the death of
Bishop Seidel (May 17, 1782), who had gone down to his
^i'ave mourning for his Indian brethren, and lamenting
the inevitable decline of the Mission which he foresaw.
For twenty years he had devoted his Ciergies to its
extension, rejoiced over its prospei'ity, and gloried in
its growing influence. The unexpected catastrophe at
Gnadenhutten was an enigma which he could not solve.
Other intelligence from Bethlehem, however, was more
encouraging. Ettwein, who had succeeded Bishop Sei-
del, aided by Huebner and Schweinitz, was preparing to
jlay a petition before Congress, asking for a grant of
land, on which the Christian Indians might live and
I worship God in peace. The whole Board was animated
'by the determination to do all in its power to resuscitate
the Mission.

28tH

..-i-<

V- y •'

■-it

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

583

The winter set in with nnprecoclcnted severity. Such
weather had not been known in the depcndcnciea of
Detroit, and tlie Indian country generally, for a quarter
of a century. For months in succession the ground
was covered with deep snow. In the Sliawanese coun-
try many cattle perished, and, in other parts, even
deer and buffaloes froze to death. Provisions failed
everywhere, and although the converts obtained sup-
plies from Detroit, furnished by the government, these
proved insufficient as the spring advanced, so that they
were obliged to repair thither in person and earn a
livelihood as best they could. For some time New
Gnadenhiitten was inhabited by the missionaries only.

Occasional visits from the scattered members of the
Mission broke the monotony of this dreary period.
Some were still among the Shawanese; others had fol-
lowed Mark to the Twightwees, on the Maumee. Mark
himself, however, was dead. He had been stricken
suddenly by the hand of God. A Delaware councilor
succeeded him as the chief of the Christian Indians,
who still hesitated to join their brethren.

After harvest, which was a plenteous one, the converts
at New Gnadenhiitten began to build a larger chapel ; but
relinquished this work again at the suggestion of Vice-
Governor John Hay, who had succeeded Major de
Peysier in the command of Detroit. There prevailed,
he said, much uncertainty with regard to the future
government of that part of the "West, and it was doubt-
ful whether the Mission could remain in its present
place. This warning was corroborated by a threatening

11'

i, I

584

LIFE AND TIMES OF

message from the Cliippewas, wlio suid tluit they had
given the Christian Indians a refuge merely until the
end of the war. Under these eircumstanees, Zeisberger

/tesolved to establish the Mission elsewhere in spring;

'.but when spring eame (1785), new complications arose,
and it was deemed best to defer the projected removal
until autumn. Of these complications we must proceed
to give a brief account.

B}' the sixth article of the definitive treaty o\ peace
between the United States and Great Britain, signed on
the third of September, 1783, the King renounced and
yielded "to the United States all pretensions and claims
whatever of all the country south and west of the great
Northern Rivers and Lakes, as far as the Mississippi."
No reservation was agreed upon in favor of the Indian
tribes of that vast territory. These were left to make
their own terms with the young republic. After much
opposition on the part of single States, Congress took
the administration of Indian affairs into its own hands,

] and inaugurated a series of conferences with the natives,

''. in order to settle their future relation to the govern-
ment and fix the boundaries of their hunting-grounds.
The first of these treaties was held with the^ix Nations
(October 3d tc 22d, 1784) at Fort Stanwix, Oliver Wol;
cott, Richard Butler, and Arthur Lee_ being the corn^
missioners.

During the Revolutionary War, the Cayugas and
Oneidas had been the consistent friends of the Ameri-
can cause — the Mohawks, on the contrary, its bitter op-

i ponents. Influenced by Johnson, this nation eventually

DA VII) ZEL^UKliGEli.

58o

had

tho

•gcr

iiiir;

emigrated to Canada, aud their land fell to the State of
New York, although theFrench Moha\vJw.s, uear St.
Regis, who were called Cagnawagas, claimed a part of
it. A new line was now run for the Six Nations. It
began four miles east of Niagara, bearing south to
I'ennsylvania, and passing along the eastern boundary
of that State to tho Ohio. AH claims west of this line
they relinquished with a bad grace, and merely from
necessity.'

The second treaty took place at Fort Mcintosh (Jan-
uary 21, 1784; with the Wyandots, Delawares, Chippe-
was, and Ottawas. George Rogers Clark, Richard
Butler, and Arthur Lee were the commissioners^ who
established a line beginning at the mouth of the Cuya-
hoga, and extending to the portage between this river
aud the Tuscarawas, along which it passed to the cross-
ing place above Fort Lawrence, thence west to the port-
age of the Miami and Maumee, down the Maumee to
its mouth, and along the southern shore of Lake Erie
to the Cuyahoga again. Within these narrow limits the)
Western tribes might live and hunt.^ The land was not
theirs ; it belonged to the United States ; they were
merely tolerated. Hostages for the delivery of prisoners
were invariably exacted.

Congress was of opinion that the treaty of peace
witli Great Britain absolutely invested the United States
with the fee of all the Indian territory embraced within
their limits, and that the American government had the

1 Bntlor's Journal in Craig's Olden Time, ii. 404, etc.
» N. Y. Statutes, vii. 16.

586

LIFE AND TIMES OF

i I-

/•J

•J'

u' r

right to ussigu, or retain, wliatcver portions of it should
bo judged jtropcr.' Such lui idoii, liowevcr, originated a
policy diti'cront from that of Colonial tinu-s, and not
calcuhited to bring about a real pacification of the West.
In the period of Jiritish suprenuicy, the natives never
alienated their land Avithout receiving a due equivalent.
And it was not to be supposed that they would now, in
good faith, submit to a principle so novel, and, as they
thought, so unjust ; more especially as the British gar-
risons, which still held the AVestern posts, sustained
them in their opposition. A general feeling of distrust
prevailed, and, throughout the spring, the question
of war was agitated. Even after the policy of the
United States had been changed, affairs continued in
this posture for years, and finally produced that last
struggle of the Western nations for the homes of their
.-fathers Avhich cost the government two armies, and
i drove Zeisberger, with his Indians, to Canada.

There being no immediate prospect of such an en-
largement of the work as would require the services
of all the missionaries, Jungmann and Senseman re-
turned to Bethlehem (May 17), whither Michael Jung
had previously gone, leaving Zeisberger, Edwards, and
Ileckewelder to take sole charge of the Mission.^

Edwards, soon after, visited Pittsburg, in order to
iobtain information with regard to the treaties, the lands

' American State Papers, v. 13.
(■' 2 Jungmann retired from active service, spending the rest of his days
at Bethlehem, where bo ^ied, July 17, 1808, in the eighty-ninth year of
• his age.

DAVn> ZEL'iUERGER.

687

that liad boon ('odcd, and otlior i>ointH of importance
concorning wliich tlio niissionurios roniainod in igno-
rance, lie brought l)acl< new.s of the treaty at Fort
Mcintosh, and of the passage in Congress of " an '
ordinanet^ for ascertaining the mode of disposing of
lands in the Western Territory," by which a corps-
of surveyors, one I'rom each State, under Thonuia!
Ilutchins, (leographer of tiie United States, was in-,
structed to survey the hinds tiiat luiil been ceded and ;
to divide them into townships. At the same time he
delivered letters from Bishop John de Watteville, who
had arrived at Bethlehem, in the summer of the previous
year (June 2, 1784), on im ollicial visit to the churches,
informing Zeisberger that the ordinance of May re-
served for the Christian Indians their three towns on
the Tuscarawas, and so much land as the Geographer
might see fit to give.'

' In October, 1783, Ettwein, Iluebiicr, iiiul Schwoinitz drew up a me-
morial, setting I'orth the claims of the C'liristiun Indians, which Ettwein
hinisolf t(H)k to Princoton, where Congress was then in session. Ho
found this body on the point of adjourning to Annapolis, and delivered
the paper to Charles Thomson, its secretary. It was presented and re-
ferred to a committee, which reported favorably (March, 1781). Inas-
much, however, as no action was taken on this report, the Mi.^sion
Board sent a second petition, in Blay, as also lotter.s to the Pi-esident and
Secretary. But nothing was done at that time. In the following year,
when Congress was in session at New l-ork, Ettwein again appeared in ;
person, and now, at last, the report was accepted and the reservation
made (Jlay 20, 1785). The news of this favorable issue was brought to
Ettwein by the Hon. William Henry, of Lancaster, a member of Con-
gress and ft Moravian. — Drafts of Petitions am" Letters, MSS. B. A.;
Ettwein's Historical Statement, MS. G. A.

Previous to the receipt of Watteville's letter containing such cheering
information, Zeisberger had received through h'lm (March, 1785) an
epistle from the General Board of the Unita= JTratrum, in Germany,

588

LIFE AXD TIMES OF

• 1

The future now appeared plain. Leaving New
Gnadenhiitten in autumn, they might pass tho winter
on tlie Cuyahoga, proceed to their old seats in spring,
and re-establish the Misr-ion in the valley where it had
so greatly prospered. This Zeisberger announced to
the scattered converts and invited them to join their
brethren. But the autumn brought from the Western
tribes rumors of war, denunciations of the proposed
exodus, and the most violent menaces, in case it were
carried out. To come forth from their secure retreat,
in the face of all this, would have been foolhardiness.
There was no alternative but to spend another winter
at New Gnadenhiitten.

In January, 1786, the Shawanese concluded a treaty
with the United States, at Fort Finnev,^ submittins:
to the new government, and accepting the same terms
which bad been offered to the Ottawas, Wyandots, and
Delawares.

Major Ancrum, the successor of Vice Governor Hay,
believed this to be a definitive treat}', and deemed all
the points in dispute between the United States and the
Indian nations finally settled. His views were honest,
but he wholly mistook the situation. By his advi^u,
i the long-projected removal of the Mission was, accord-

condoling with the missionaries in their distress and protracted afflio-

tions, and encouraging them to stand fast and endure. The original of

this missive, which deserves to he called an apostolical epistle, 1 found at

Gnadenhiitten, amoiig some old papers.

i 1 A post estahlished for the occasion on the left hank of the IVIiami at

. its junction with the Ohio. George Ecgcrs Clark, Richard Butler, and

I Samuel Parsons were the commissioners at this treatj-.

DAVID ZEISBFAIGER.

589

ingly, undortakcn. In conjunction witli John Askin,
a niorclumt of Detroit, and warm tVicnd of tlio Mission,
lie l)ouglit the iniprovonicnts at Gnadouluitton for four
hundred dollars, protesting, after a personal inspection,
that they excelled everything of the kind he had seen
within the circalt of his command, and that the Chris-
tian Indians had done more in three years than the
French settlers in twenty. This purchase was an act i
of real kindness to the Mission. At noon of the ■
twciitieth of April the congregation cmharkcd in
canoes for Detroit.

Richard Conner and his family remained hehind.
Advanced in }cars, he could no longer follow liis Indian
l>rcthren on their many wanderings, hut wished to
spend the remainder of his days in the homestead which
he had acquired at Xcw Gnadoiihntten. Ills family
was confirmed in its rights to the " Conner Farms,"
hecame well known in the Northwest, and some of his
descendants are still living at Detroit and in Indiana.
Ancrum and Askin were less fortunate. When Detroit
and its dependencies were occupied hy the United
States, the Commissioners pronounced their title to the
land illegal, and refused to ratify it. New Gnadcn-
hiitten fell hack into the hands of the Chippewas, who
occupied it conjointly with Conner.'

1 Judge Campbell's Lecture ; Zeisberger's Journnl.

590

LIFE AND TIMES OF

CHAPTER XXXIX.

ZEISBEROER ON THE CUYAHOGA, OHIO.— 1786, 1787.

Askin's offer to convey the Indians in sloops aci-oss Lake Eric. — Their
character at Detroit. — Fearful gales. — The vessels at anchor for four
weeks. — Breaking up of the expedition. — Journey by land, and
encampment on the present site of Cleveland — The converts settle
on the Cuyahoga. — Flour depot at the lake. — Visits from traders.
— Zeisberger's unsuccessful attempt to reclaim the scattered con-
verts. — Tiio speech sent them by the missionaries. — Conversation
between two brothers, u Christian and an apostate. — Zeisberger's
illness. — Council of the Western tribes, and their proposals to Con-
gress. — Change of the Indian policy. — Zeisberger's correspondence
with General Butler touching a removal to the Tuscarawas. — Such a
removal postponed, but the Mission on the Cuyahoga given up.

The Indians encamped in the government ship-yard,
where they were welcomed by John Askin, who offered
to convey them to the Cuyahoga in vessels across Lake
Erie. This offer Zeisbcrger eagerly accepted. Two
sloops, the Beaver, Captain Godrey, and the 31ackinaw,
Captain Anderson, belonging to the Northwest Com-
pany at Michilimakinac, of which Askin was a partner,
having been fitted out, the congregation embarked at
noon of the twenty-eighth of April.
I Detroit was loath to see them go. In all their inter-
i course with its inhabitants they had sustained the
, reputation of the Mission, dealing honestly, and pay-
ing their debts, which, at the time of their departure,
'amounted to hundreds of pounds sterling, with scrupu-

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

591

lous exactness. The town could not but acknowletlge
the great difference between these natives and all the
others, whether heathens or Romanists, who had, for
generations, been coming to its trading depots and
gathering in its council-house.

In the evening of the twenty-ninth, the sloops
anchored in six fathoms of water, between Van Rens-
ealaer and Bass Islands. That night a succession of
easterly gales began, unprecedented in the experience
of the oldest sailor on the lake. For four weeks,
varied only by one unsuccessful attempt to make head-
way against the storm, the Indians were forced to in-
habit these islands, living on fish, ducks, wild pigeons,
and raccoons. The missionaries remained aboard the
vcsssels, whose anchorage had to be repeatedly shifted,
until a deep harbor, which received the name of Hope's
Cove, was found on Bass Islai'd, where the sloops were
moored close by the shore and fastened with cables to
trees. The island itself abounded in beautiful red
cedars and ginseng, but was infested with a multitude
of rattlesnakes.

Toward the end of May, Askin sent a pilot-boat to
look after the expedition, and to order back the Beaver.
The Indians, accordingly, disembarked at Rocky Point,*
and formed two divisions — the one with Zeisberger pro-
ceeding by land ; the other, in charge of Ileckewelder,
coasting along the southern shore in canoes; while Ed-

» Tho promontory at Scott's Point, or Ottawa City, iu Ottawa County
Ohio.

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592

LIFE AND TIMES OF

wards, with the household goods, sailed for the Cuya-
hoga in the Mackinaw.

Zeisbcrger's party were all afoot, and all had packs
to carry. There was no trail. With Samuel JTan-
tieokc foi a guide, they plunged through the wilder-
ness, as far as Sandusky. There they hired canoes
of Ottawa Indians, and crossed the waters of the hay.
Having celebrated Whitsuntide on the eastern bank
of the Pettquotting Creek,* they resumed their march,
meeting numerous hunting- and fishing-parties, and
being joined, occasionally, at night, by Ileckewelder's
division. They were unable to procure a horse for
Mrs. Zeisbergor, until within two days' travel of the
Cuyahoga, which river they reached on the eighth of
June, and pitched their camp where the city of Cleve-
land now stands in all the beauty of its shady ave-
nues. Both the Mackinaw and Ileckewelder's party
had arrived before them.

As their stores were nearl}' exhair>ted, and game was
scarce, Schebosh proceeded to Pittsburg to buy pro-
visions, while Zeisberger explored the river. He found
the 'lanks covered with a dense forest, offering no place
for a settlement; but toward the end of the second
day, a clearing came into view, a lofty plateau, the site
of a former Ottawa village. Here the Indiums began to
erect huts and plant corn, v/ith the intention of proceed-
ing to the Tuscarawas after harvest. By the end of
June, they were housed as comfortably as could be

1 Tho Huron River.

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

593

expected. A chapel was subsequently built, and dedi-
cated on the tenth of November.' Meantime Schebosh
had returned, with an order from Duncan and Wilson,
good friends of the Mission, directed to their agents on
the lake, to sell Zeisberger provisions to any amount.
These agents had charge of a depot of flour, forwarded
from Pittsburg by long trains of pack-horses. The
chase, too, grew more successful, yielding elks in par-
ticular. Moreover, a large (quantity of goods, dispatched
three years before by the Church at Bethlehem, at last
arrived, — so that all danger of famine was removed.
A connection with Pittsburg was kept up by frequent
visits from traders. Among these were Isaac Williams
and Duncan, who united in assuring Zeisberger that the
binderances which had prevented the immediate return
of the Mission to the Tuscarawas were providential,
amid the existing troubles in the Indian country. Any
attempt to resuscitate the work in its old field would
have led to misery and bloodshed.

The scattered converts caused Zeisberger many anx-
ious thoughts. He longed to reclaim them, and prayed
for their speedy coming ; but they continued recreant.
One day, Samuel Nauticoke, while boiling salt at the
springs of the Pettquotting, met a party of them, among
whom was Anthony, once a faithful Christian, now
decked in the trappings of a warrior, which, as he said

• The Indi: • 3 gave no name to their new village, but Loskicl calls it
Pi/grerr MATor Pilgrims' Kest. It was situated on the enstorn bank of
the river, in Independence Tovnship, Cuyahoga County, probably not
far from the northern line of that township.

594

LIFE AND TIMES OF

himself, were an evidence of the apostasy of his heart.
Having lost all his children, and nearly all his other
kin, at Gnadenhutten, he had cast away both his faith
in God and trust in man, and accused the missionaries
of being the instigators of the massacre. Samuel suc-
ceeded, with much difficulty, in convincing him of his
error. At last he said: "I will come to greet our
teachers. You may tell them my suspicions with
regard to them." Zeisberger's inmost soul was moved
with pity when he heard of this conversation, and,
summoning the national as"'stants, he suggested the
propriety of sending a deputation to the scattered
converts, and inviting them to a conference. Samuel
and Thomas undertook this mission, and set out, in
September, bearing the following speech from the mis-
sionaries :

To ALL OUR SCATTERED BRETHREN, THIS OUR. SALUTATION :

Wo have not forgotten you. Wo think of you constantly, and wish
that you could again ho in fellowship with us, believing that you, on
your part, have not forgotten the Word of God which wo have taught
you. Hence wo desire to know your mind as to how you may again be
brought to hear this Word and expcrienco its divine influences. To
this end, wo invite some of your understanding men to visit us, that
we may consult with thorn. Do not cast away your confidence, or give
up your hope; do not imagine that this efl'ort to reclaim you will be in
vain, that you have strayed too far away, and sinned too grievously,
to be gathered again as a congregation of the Lord. Do not say,
"The Saviour and the Brethren have cast us off!" Take courage.
Turn to the Saviour, who is merciful and gracious, full of compassion
and truth, and who will forgivo your sins. As for us, wo do not seek
an opportunity to reprove you. Wo ask you to h <ld a conference with
us, that wo may, together, determine how to relievo you from your
present unhappy mode of life, and to bring you back to the Lord Jesus
Christ, whoso biood was shed for the worst of sinners.

In a month's time the deputies returned. They had

) ,

• <

DAVID ZEISDERGER.

595

been kindly welcomed by those who lived in the Shaw-
anese towns, hut their mission was unsuccessl'ul. Some,
indeed, expressed ii wish to rejoin the Church; others
avowed thiit nothinof could induce them ever iiffain to
cast in their lot with Christians. The massacre, perpe-
trated by Christians, had completely extinf-o.ished their
faith. The remnant on the Miami did not even notice
the urgent message sent by Samuel, whom a severe
illness prevented from visiting them in person. They
were fast relapsing into heathenism, to the joy of the

savages.

Perhaps the wide contrast between the spirit which
animated the apostates and that which filled the taithful
ones, cannot better be shown than by a conversation
that Samuel had with his own brother. " By the waters
of the Tuscarawas," said the latter, "the whites gained
the end for which they strove so long. There lie all our
many murdered friends. I avoid the whites and flee
from them. No man shall induce me to trust them
again. Never, while I live, will I reunite with you
Christians. If your town were near, I might, perhaps,
visit you ; but that would be all. Our forefathers went
to the devil, as you say, and where they are I am
content hereafter to be." To Avhich Samuel replied :
"I have heard your views. Hear mine. Nothing shall
bring me from the Saviour and His Church — nothing
while I live; neither tribulation, nor distress, nor perse-
cution, nor famine, nor nakedness, nor peril, nor sword.
None of these things move me. To be in communion
with Jesus Christ and save my soul is all I want. And,

f^.

. J-f..'>

1.4-m-

«K«4iNti>nr.«M «<

596

LIFE AND TIMES OF

I 'I

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■U

while I abide in Him, my salvation is certain. It can-
not be taken from me."

While these fruitless ne^^-otiations were progressing,
Zeisberger fell ill, in consequence of the hard work
which he had done, with his own hands, in order not to
be a burden to the Mission Board. When this became
known to its members, they united in a fraternal remon-
strance, begging him to draw on them whenever he
needed assistance. " It is our earnest desire," they
wrote, " to make the declining years of your life easy
in every way within our power, so that you may con-
tinue to nurse and minister to the remnant of God's
people among the Indians ; and that He may be pleased
to use you longer in this field is our unceasing prayer."'
At such a time, it was particularly unfortunate that
Ileckewelder was obliged to leave the Mission, owing
to the ill health of his wife. They returned to Bethle-
hem (October 9), so that Zeisberger and his ever-faithful
jfriend, Edwards, were left alone.

' In November, at the instance of Brant, a confedera-
tion of Western tribes held a grand council in the
Huron village, opposite Detroit (November 28 to De-
cember 18, 1786). The Six Nations, Wyandots, Dela-
wares, Shawanese, Ottawas, Chippewas, Potawatomies,
Twightwees, Cherokees, and the Wabash Confederates
■were represented, and conjcincly issued a missive to
Congress, which expressed their desire for peace, but
insisted that " all treaties carried on with the United
States should be with the general voice of the whole

1 Ettwein's letter to Zeisberger. MS. B. A.

DAVID ZEISBRRGER.

SO.

Corfedcracy," attributing to tlie separate conferences
the Tuany mischievous consequences that had hitely
become apparent, and proposing a new treaty in the
following year. These overtures were well received by
Congress, and led to a change of its Indian policy. The
aborigines were recognized as the rightful owners of the
soil, and an appropriation was voted to purchase their |
claims to such lands as they had already ceded to the
States.

The favorable report which ho received of this
Council, induced Zeisherger to consider the propriety
of returning to the Tuscarawas. This report was
brought by a vile fellow, named Mamasu, Avho had
taken part in the raid on +he Mission and had made
several attempts to murder the missionaries, but who
now came, humbled and repentant, asking to be ac-
cepted as a candidate for baptism. Addressing a letter
to General Richard Butler, Superintendent of Indian
Affairs for the Northern District, Zeisherger asked
his advice touching a return to the Tuscarawas valley.
Butier dissuaded him ; but a communication from
the Mission Board, received simultaneously with the
General's answer, urged him to take tliis step, and a
written "speech" from Lieutenant-Colonel Ilarmar,
inclosing the resolution adopted by Congress in favor
of the Christian Indians, and announcing a grant of
five hundred bushels of corn, one hundred blankets,
twenty axe?, and twenty hoes, appearcd to open the
way and render it safe.* This speech ran as follows:

\ ■

' The resolution of Congress was the following :

"By the United States in Congress assembled, August 24, 1786:

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598

LIFE AND TIMES OF

Ft. Harmar, at the mouth of thk Muskikqum.
Duccmbcr (i, 1780.
Brothers 1

Tlio Honorable Congress liavo boon ploasod to pass the enclosed re-
solve in your favor. 1 bnve direoteJ tliat the corn and otber articles
shall bo sent down to this post, wlnro they will be ready to be delivered
to you. Ill obedience to the orders of Congress, I have to inform you
that tliat honoriible body are well pleased to hear of your arrival, and
have granted you permission to return to your former settlements on
the ^luslviiiguin, where you may be assured of the friendship and jirotec-
tion of the United States.

I should wish to know the names of the principal men who have the
direction of your atlairs, and shall bo hajijiy in rendering you every
assistance in my power. I am. Brothers, your friend,

Jcs. Harmar,
Lt.-Col. Com'd. of the troops in the service of the U. S.
To Tui: Moravian Indians at or near Cuyahoqa.

Zeisbei'ger determined to disi-egard the advice of
Butler and carry out tlie wishes of iiis Board. But a
secoud message from the General, sent by Duncan
and Wilson, assured him that this would be madness,
in the face of the settled opposition which the Indian
tribes of every name manifested to the project. This
warning was, soon after, corroborated by the most

Resolved, that the Secretary at War give orders to Lt.-Col. Harmar that
he signify to the Moravian Indians, lately come from the Kivcr Huron
to Cuyahoga, that it aflbrds pleasure to Congress to hcnr of their arrival,
and that they have permission to return to their former settlement on the
Muskingum, whore they may bo assured of the friendship and protection
of the United States ; and that Lt.-Col. Harmar supply the said
Indians, after their arrival at Muskingum, with a quantity of Indian
corn, not excccdijig live hundred bushels, out of the public stores on the
Ohio, and deliver the same to them at Fort Mcintosh as soon after next
Christmas as the same may bo procured; and that ho furnish the said
Indians with twenty Indian axes, twenty corn-hoes, and one hundred
blankets ; and that the Board of Treasury and Secretary at War take
order to carry the above into effect." -Certified Copy of the Resolution,
signed by Chas. Thornsov, Secretary of Congress. MS. B. A.

DAVID ZEISDERGER.

699

violent menaces from the savages themselves. Hence
Zeisbcrger was reluctantly constrained again to post-
pone the return of the Mission to its old seats. He
proposed, however, that it should he transferred from
the Cuyahoga to some more favorable site, near the
Pcttquotting. To this the Indians agreed, and began
immediate preparations for their journey. In the midat
of these, came a letter from Ileckewelder, announcing
his arrival in Pittsburg, with Michael Jung and J:hn
Wei^-and, who were to bo assistants in the work of the
Mission.

Sending a few Indians to escort them to Pilgerruh,
and leaving Schebosh with several families to receive
them, Zeisberger, on the nineteenth of April, set out
with the rest to seek a new home. In the language
of the natives, Pilgerruh had been but^a "a nighty
lodge."*

Aplace inhajbited. for one year.

600

LIFE AND TIMES OF

CHAPTER XL.

ZEISBERGEU FOUNDS NEW SALEM ON TUB PETTQUOTTINO.—

1787-1789.

II I i

II -f

The valley of the Black Kivcr selected ns the new site of the Mission.
— Interference of Dolinvaro iinil Wyandot chiefs. — The Christian
Indians yield at Qrst, but afterward stand their ground. — New
Salem founded. — Great prosjjerity of the town and Mission. — A
revival and numerous baptisms. — Death of John Joseph Schehosh. —
The Convention of 1787 and the Continental Congress. — Ordinance
for the government of the Northwest Territory. — Sales of Western
land, and first white settlements in Ohio. — The reservation in the
Tuscarawa.' .alley. — Organization of the Society of the United
Brethren for Propagating the Gospel among the Heathen. — John
Heckcwolder appointed its agent. — Unsuccessful attempt to survey
the reservation. — Treaty of Fort Harmar. — George Washington in-
augurated President of the United States. — Visit of the head chief
of the Chippewas to New Salem. — His ofter to receive the Christian
Indians into a peace confederation accepted. — Second futile effort to
survey the Tuscarawas tract.

Several of the converts had been sent in advance to
prospect for a settlement. Directed to the fruitful
valley of the Black River, by a party of Ottawas,
they found a delightful spot, about five miles from
the lake, in Lorain County, which, on the arrival
of the rest, was ficcepted by all as the new site of
the Mission. But, in a few days, Titawachkam, a
Mcnsey captain, made his appearance, and, in the
name of Pipe, the Half King, and Welendawecken,

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

601

of Gigeyunk/ who stood at the head of the Dchiwaro
war faction, forbade them to settle there. Tliey must
come to the Sandusky, ho continued, where the Half
King would give them land between the Lower Wyan-
dot and the Monsey towns, l)ut at such a distance from
both that they could live and worship God in peace.
To Zeisberger he brought a special message: "Listen,
my friend," it ran; "you are my grandfather. I am
not ignorant of the fact that our chici's received you
into our nation. Therefore no harm shall befall you.
You need not fear to come to Sandusky."

Amid the plots and counterplots of Indian diplomacy,
it is hard to understand to what this ill-timed interfer-
ence was owing. Pipe no longer opposed, but was
rather inclined to favor the Mission. He had, more
than once, expressed his regret at the part he had taken
in removing it from the Tuscarawas. Indeed, the fre-
quent reproaches of the Unamis and Unalachtgos had
made the Monseys, as a tribe, ashamed of that measure.
Even Pomoacan had become tolerant. Perhaps tlie
instigator was Luke, a renegade Christian. He had
left Pilgerruh, and was making common cause with
Titawachkam, who aspired to a chieftaincy, and hoped
to swell the number of his clan by incorporating with
it the Moravian Indians.

But, whatever the origin of the mandate, both Zeis-
berger and the national assistants deemed it best to
yield. They foresaw far greater annoyances in case

t 1

Fort Wayne, Indiana.

ii: S; i

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IB II

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602

LIFE AND TIMES OF

they resisted, and constant attempts to seduce their
Indians. And although even a tacit concession that
these three chiefs, or any chiefs, had authority over
them, was very distasteful, and although this claim of
authority was ridiculous in a land which the Indians
had just alienated to the United States, and where the
Delawares lived merely on sufferance, yet the converts
took comfort from the thought that it might he God's
will, hy bringing the Mission into closer connection
witli the heathens, to make it a power again among the
Western tribes.

Accordingly when Jung and Weigand' had joined
;them, the Christian Indiana broke up their encampment,
land continued their journey in several divisions. Zeis-
I berger and his party were the first to reach the Huron
I River, at whose mouth lived a French trader. Monsieur
iHuno, who gave them a cordial welcome. There they
learned from one of the scattered converts, whom they
chanced to meet, that they had been deceived, — that
the place set apart for the Mission was so near to the
Monsey town as to subject them to unceasing disturb-
ances. The rest of the missionaries and Indians having
come up, this intelligence called forth a unanimous
determination to proceed no farther, but to settle on
the Huron and brave the anger of the chiefs. These,
however, attempted no new interference.

A few miles from the mouth of the river, and on its
eastern bank, where they found some old plantations.

• Wcigand returned to Bethlehem after the lapse of a few weeks, as
his services were not required.

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

603

the converts began to build u town, wbicli is known as
New Salem.' By the sixtli of June, a chapel was
erected, and on the ninth the Lord's Supper was admin-
istered for the first time. In the preparatory agapaj, a
farewell letter from the venerable Bishop dc Watteville
was communicated, who sent his blessing to tiie Indian
church, on the eve of his return to Europe.^

New Salem, like Gnadenhiitten of old among the
Lehigh Hills, and Fricdenshiitten on the Susquehanna,
and the villages of tbe Tuscarawas valley, grew to be a
thriving town, and a center of Christianity, whose light
beamed over the Indian country.

God laid a blessing upon its industrial pursuits. The
products of the wilderness and the crops of the fields
combined to fill the measure of its plenty. From the
beach of Lake Erie the Indians gathered turtle-eggs by
the thousand ; from the forests, large quantities of wild
grapes and nuts ; and from the plantations, rich bar- '
vests of corn. Their cattle, too, increased until they
had herds almost as large as those which filled the
meadows of tlie Tuscarawas.

The spiritual state of the Mission was still more
encourag.iig. Not only did the members walk with
God and adorn their profession, but the Gospel once
more began to be a power among the heathens. At

1 New Siilom was probiibly in the vicinity of Milun, in Milan Town-'j
ship, Eric County Ohio. It did not receive its name from Zcisberger, ^
but from Loskiel, who was at that time completing his History of tha\
Mission.

2 Ho left Bethlehem June 4th, nd arrived at Hcrrnhut September
13th.

ill,

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LIFE AND TIMES OF

New Guadenhiitten and Pilgerruh scarcely any bap-
tisms had taken place. Now, however, Indians from
different parts, Dolawares, Chippewas, Ottawas, and,
occasionally, Wyandots, flocked together to l>oar the
Word of God. Of these a large number joined the
Church. A revival began, genuine and deep, as in
former times. Nothing like it had been known since
the abduction from the Tuscarawas; and nothing like
it occurred again in all the subsequent history of the
Mission. There were other seasons of prosperity, but
they could not be compared with this. The palmiest
days of the Mission came back again. The Western
wilderness rang anew with the fame of its apostle, and
the village of the Christians was once more the rock to
which the heathen came thirsting for the waters of 15 {'o.
Amid such experiences Zeisberger grew young ,;giiiii
His afl3.ictions were forgotten. Sustained by Edwards
and Jung, and zealously aided by the national assistants,
he labored with joy and thankfulness. The work con-
tinually increased. In the summer of 1788, hardly a
day passed which did not witness heathen Indians
visiting the Mission to hear of Christ; and f'metimes
the town was crowded with them. Among the most
distinguished baptisms, in this period, were those of
Mamasu, who received the name of Jeremiah ; of
Gegeshamind, a notorious sorcerer, who was called
Boaz ; and of Gelelemend, whose career, as the chief
of the Delaware nation, fills an important page of
American history. He was named William Henry, at
his own request, after Judge Henry, the Congressman.

DAVID ZEISDERGER.

605

In the midst of these triuniplis of the Gospel, the
Mission sustained a heavy loss, hy the death of John
Joseph Sehehosh, or, more properly, John Bull, aged
sixty-eight years (Septenihor 4, 1788). Identified with
its history from its very inception, lahoring for its
welfare with untiring zeal, his name will he illustrious
while men rehearse the works of faith which are done
in God. "He was always ready," writes Zeisherger,
" to serve his fellow-uicn, whether whites or Indians.
He bore his cro^;s with patience. He seldom knew of
eas}' days or the con.forts of life, hut he never com-
plained, not even when suffering the severest hardships
and enduring dire famine. He loved his neighbors and
his neighbors loved him. Of this his last illness was an
evidence. The Indians vied one with another in minis-
tering to his wants, and watched at his bedside, singing
hymns. He will be missed among us. But his labors
of love will remain in blessed memory. lie is at rest,
in peace and happiness. We rejoice over his lot, but
weep that he is gone." '

A convention was called at Philadelphia, in the
spring of 1787, to revise the articles of confederation
which proved insufficient as a basis for the union of
the States. Meantime the Continental Congress con-
tinued its work, and adopted measures of import-
ance, which gave a mighty impetus to the devel-
opment of the country. On the eleventh of July, the

1 Schcbosh's Indian wife, Christiana, died the year before, after a
union with him of fortj'-one years. At the time of his death, there re-
mained, among the Christian Indians, one daughter with two children.

: H H

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606

LIFE AND TIMES OF

celebrated "ordinance for the Government of the Terri-
tory of the United States North'vest of the Ohio" was
reported, and, on the thirteenth, passed by tlie unani-
mous vote of the oiglit States represented.' Tiiis
ordinance l)rou£jht the blessin'^s of civil and relifrious
liberty to the West, and opened the way for that galaxy
of new States which now shine with such luster. In
the same month (July 23), a contract was entered into
with an association of New Englanders, styling them-
selves the " Oliio Company," for the sale of a tnict of
five millions of acres, extending along the Ohio from
the Muskingum to the Scioto ; and, subsequently, a
similar contract was made with John Cleves Symmes,
of New Jersey, for the sale of a tract of two millions
of acres between the Great and Little Miamis.^ And
as the Mission could not, for the present, return to the
Tuscarawas, Congress enacted (July 27), "that the
property of ten thousand acres, adjoining to the former
settlements of the Christian Indians, should be vested
in the Moravian Brethren of Pennsylvania, or a society'
of said Brethren for civilizing the Indians and promoting
Christianity, in trust and for the uses expressed in the
ordinance of May 20, 1785, including Killbuck (Gelele-
mend) and his descendants, and the nephew and
descendants of the late Captain White Eyes, Delaware
chiefs, who have distinguished themselves as friends of
the cause of America.'' Before adjourning, Congress
appointed its President, Arthur St. Clair, to be Gov-
ernor of the new territory.

1 Hildreth's History of the United States, iii. 527, etc. ^ Ibid., iii. 529.

i I

DA VID ZEISBERGEK.

607

It was not long before settlements grew up within its
broad area. A colony came from Massachusetts (April
7th, 1788) to the mouth of the Muskingum, led by Gen-
oral Rufus Putnam, and founded the town of Marietta,
the first white settlement in Ohio. It lay near Fort
Harmar.' Governor St. Clair arriving in July, a code
for the Territory was published, and the district around
the fort erected into the County of Washiiigtcjn. Soon
after this three more settlements were formed on
Symmes's grant, namely, Columbia, Fort Washington,
now Cincinnati, and at Great Bend, near the mouth of
the Miami.^

Kot less active was the Mission Board of the Atora-
vian Church. The Board of Treasury, which had been
empowered to treat with its representatives, touching
the grant in the Tuscarawas valley, resolved " that each
of the three towns should have allotted four thousand
acres of land, and that each tract might be surveyed in
an oblong square, twice as long as broad; and that a
free deed, without any expense, should be given to the
Society."^ In September, 1787, a warrant was granted
to survey the tracts; and, on the twenty-first of the
same month, " The Society of the United Brethren for

1 Erected on the right bank of the Muskingum River, at its junction
with the Ohio, by United States troops, under Major Doughty, in the
autumn of 1785.

» Hildreth's History of the United States, iii. 541; Burnet's Notes on
the Early Settlement of the Northwest Territory, pp. 4G and 56.

» Ettwein's Historical Statement. MS. G. A. Ten thousand acresj)
exclusive of the town plats, had been granted by Congress. The threo
town plats were 660$ acres each, making an entire grant of 12,000 acres.^

I!i

I ii',,

I i;

BK^tliliiililiiMtlifeiiil

:>. ■ ' m

If pi

608

LIFE AND TIMES OF

Propagating the Gospel among the Heathen," was
organized at Bethlehem. This association, which was
incorporated by an act of the Legislature of Pennsyl-
vania (February 28, 1788),' held the land granted by
Congress, in trust for the Christian Indians.

Having appointed John Heckewelder its agent, he set
out for the North^^-est Territory (September 10, 1788),
accompanied by Matthias Blickensderfer, in order to
have the tract surveyed. At Pittsburg, lie met Hutch-
ins, with whom he proceeded down the Ohio to Fort
Hiv.mar. Here he waited until the beginning of winter,
in daily expectation of a treaty which was to be held
with the Indians for the pacification of their country,
and upon the issue of which depended the survey. At
last he was forced to return to Bethlehem without
accomplishing his object.^

/ It was not the fault of the United States that this
, treaty did not take place. The Indians held back.
They were dissatisfied and turbulent; many of them
eager for war. Not until the winter was far advanced
could they be induced to begin negotiations.
\-,The treaty was opened on the ninth of January, 1789,
at Fort Harmar. The boundaries previously settled
were re-established, but under the new principle of pay-
ing for the land. To the Six Nations were given, pay-

1 Tho first officers were; Bishop Ettwcin, President; Bishop Ettwein,
John Hucbner, John Christian Alexander do Schweinitz, Directors;
Bernard A. Grube, Frederick Peter, Jacob Van Vleck, Assistant Di-
rectors ; John Christian Alexander de Schweinitz, Treasurer ; Jacob
Van Vleck, SccTatary —Bethkhein Diary, Sept. 1787. MS. B. A.

' Journal of Hcckcwelder's Journey. MS. L. A.

DAVID ZEISBERGEN.

GOO

able in goods, three thousand dollars for the cessions
they had made; to the Western tribes, of which the
Wyandots, Dehnvares, Ottawas, Chippewas, Potawato-
mies, and Sacs were represented, six thousand dollars.

The Six JSiations were disposed to accept these terms
in good faith. By particular treaties, not with the
United States authorities, they had ceded large tracts
in Western New York, retaining, however, extensive
reservations, and some among them were rapidly pro-
gressing in civilization, especially the Oncidas, on
whose reservation the Stockbridge Indians and other
remnants of Northeastern clans had been established.'
But the Western tribes were as insincere as they were
malcontented. Comparatively few of them had been in
attendance, and these had been sent but to blind the
eyes of the government. General Ilarmar, however,
as well as the Commissioners, believed that the treaty
bad given peace to the Northwest Territory, and
rejoiced in this consummation, — for the power of the
aborigines was not to be despised. According to the
estimate of the War Department, there were five
thousand warriors between the Ohio and the Lakes, and
a population of twenty thousand persons. But the true
number was considerably larger.*

The Christian Indians had sent deputies to the fort,
who, however, grew so discouraged by the long-pro-
tracted delay, that they did not await the opening of
the treaty. But their interests were not forgotten.

.t-

1 Hildroth'9 U. S., i 13P etc.

»Ibid.,i. 139.

! #

jij: •Jp)

V >.''/

LIFE AND TIMES OF

General St. Clair formally notified the tribe8 of the
grant which Congress had made, and added that he
would invite Zeisberger to re-establish the Mission on
the Tuscarawas at once. No abjections were made,
and yet, soon after, Welendawa^ken sent a message to
New Salem, protesting against the attempt. This new
interference incensed the converts, and they transmitted
a spirited reply.

The new Constitution of the United States, framed
by the Convention of 1787, having been ratified, the
Continental Congress gave way to the first Congress
of the United States ; and, on the last day of April,
' 1789, George "Washington was inaugurated President.
One of his earliest acts was to lay before the Senate the
treaty of Fort Harmar. It was not only approved, but
a bill passed substantially reaftirming the ordinance of
the Continental Congress for the government of the
Northwest Territory.

About this time Zeisberger gained a correct insight

into the real state of the Indian country, through Eku-

schuwe, the head chief of the Chippewa nation, who

came to New Salem, attended by a body-guard of ten

warriors, in order to bring "good words" to the

Mission. The treaty, he said, was a mere delusion;

a majority of the tribes were for war. In opposition

to these the Chippewas, Ottawas, Potawatomies, and

Wyandots had formed a confederation, in order to

^ uphold peace with the United States by all the means

\ in their power. Pipe and the Half King had broken

twith Yvelendawacken and joined the confederates. The

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

611

Half King, however, had died at Detroit, in the summer
of 1788, before any decisive measures could be taken.
Not long after this, the other chiefs had met in council,
at the same place, and, while deeming an immediate
return of the Christian Indians to their old seats impos-
sible, had determined to recognize and protect them,
in their present town, as a part of their confederacy,
in case they were willing to assume such a position.

The preservation of peace being one of the fu da-
mental laws of their code, the converts gladly assented
to the proposal. Ekuschuwe was royally entertained,
and departed amid the firing of salutes.

A few weeks later, Heckewelder and Abraham
Steiner arrived, in order to consult Zeisberger with
regard to the pr jpriety of a survey in the Tuscarawas
valley. After what he had heard from the Chippewa
chief, he could not but dissuade them. As long as an
Indian war impended, the attempt would be perilous
in the extreme. Hence Heckewelder was obliged to
return to Bethlehem a second time, without gaining his
object.

N
««

-=J.r

612

LIFE AND TIMES OF

CHAPTER XLI.

ZEISBERGER AT NEW SALEM AMID THE FIRST INDICATIONS

OF WAR.— 178'J-]791.

Indian schools, and Zcisborgor's litorary labors. — New Salcni thrives in
the midst of a famine. — Emigration of Delaware and scattered con-
verts to the ]Mipsissip])i. — Tiie Mission in the height of its jiro.<j)crity.
— Sensemaa rejoins the Mission. — First signs of war. — Scott's raid. —
Harmar's expedition and defeat. — A general war begins. — The plots
of the Indian Council against the Mission. — Zeisberger applies to
the confederate chiefs, and then to the Canadian government, for a
refuge during the war. — Reasons which induced him to seek an asylum
in Canada — Manners and customs of the Chippewas. — Mode of adopt-
ing prisoners. — Exodus from New t^alem. — Andrew ^lontour's sister.
— Zcisberger's opinion of Loskiol's llistory of the Indian Mission.

The further stay of the Mission at New Salem

■aftbrded Zeisberger an opportunity to devote himself

jparticulrly to schools. He established three of them,

;in all of which he gave daily instructions. They

1 numbered about one hundred pupils, including not

a few adults, who were anxious to learn to read and

^ write. At the same time, he engaged in literary labors,

1 translating into Delaware a selection of hymns and a

1 Harmony of the History of the Saviour's Passion.'

In the course of the summer and autumn, a dreadful
famine prevailed at Detroit and along the Lakes. Men
actually starved to death. But New Salem continued
to prosper. God laid upon its plantations a twofold

1 Zcisberger's Letters to Ettwein and Huebener, 1789. MS. B. A.

DAVID ZEJSBERGER.

618

blcssiug. Thoy yioklod richer harvests than over
heforo. Of this the Indians were not slow to take
advantage. They flocked in tVoni all sides. A single
family sometimes entertained as many as thirteen
guests, for weeks together. There was, however, no
complaint on the part of the converts. They showed
their faith by their works.

Induced by this famine, a part of the Delaware nation
emigrated to the Mississippi, and settled near the
Spanish colonics. The most of the scattered members
of the Mission accompanied these emigrants, and were
never again heard of A number had died before this
exodus, and of these some repented in their last hours,
and left behind a sweet savor of the Gospel.

In the year 1790, New Salem reached tlie height
of its prosperity ; but, at the same time, the complica-
tions in the West grew so portentous as to render the
settlement untenable.

The year opened with the genial weather of spring.
Wild flowers in full bloom were found in the forests.
They formed a type of the spiritual beauty of the Mis-
sion. The Gospel was proclaimed with power, and
received with joy. Many heathens were converted and
baptized. Others died full of hope.' The congregati()n
numbered two hundred and twelve persons, a larger
nierabership than at any time, since the massacre, and

1 Among these wa.: a white woman, once a member of John Harris's
family, at the Susquehanna Perry, who liad been taken prisoner in the
French and Indian War, and had wandered about among the tribes
until she became an Indian in all things except color.

i'K

'S,

v-^

614

LIFE AND TIMES OF

I'll'
■
J

ill

i:ll

i'!

I- i I : ■

the town, with its improvements, increased so mucli
that Zeisberger thought of beginning u second settle-
ment, and asked for more laborers. Gottlob Scnsemau
and bis wife hastened to answer this call, and rejoined
the Mission on the ninth of November. The prospect
of bringing it back to its former streng nd i itluence
was continually brightening, when the „.^uds of war
that had been hanging over the distant horizon, instead
of melting away, unexpectedly began to rise in such
dark masses as to obscure these hopes.

Instigated by British agents and officers, and encour-
aged particularly by Sir John Johnson,* the hostile
tribes infested the banks of the Ohio, which thev
claimed as the only rightful boundary of their country,
and commenced to waylay emigrants from the States.
A lofty rock above the mouth of the Scioto, on the
Virginia shore, was their favorite lookout, whence they
could see boats at a great distance. In other places they
committed murders and carried oft' horses. Instances
of this kind became so common, that both Governor St.
Clair and General Harraar could no longer deny that
war existed.

The first attempt at retaliation was abortive. Two
hundred and thirty Kentuckians, and one hundred
regulars from Fort Washington, under General Scott,
marched as far as the Scioto (April, 1790) without meet-
ing any savages, or finding any traces of them except
deserted villages. In autumn, a more formidable expe-

1 Hildreth'a Hist. XJ. S., Second Series, i. 247, etc.; Burnet's Notes,
94, 102, etc.

V-

-•■V

DAVID ZEISBEROER

615

dition was uiidortakon against Giijjoyunk and the other
towns of the Maunieo, by a body of eleven hundred
men, re<ifulars and militia, called out by the President.
General Ilarmar commanded in person. At first be,
too, saw only deserted villiiges, which his troops de-
stroyed, together witli abiiit twenty thousand iMJshels
of corn and large fruit-orchards. By-and-by, however,
he got upon tlie trail of the Indians, and sent two de-
tachments in pursuit. This was a most imprudent
measure. The Indians turned upon the detachments
and totally defeated them. Ilarmar retreated with such
haste as to leave his dead in their hands. The scalped
and mutilated remains became food for birds ai;d beasts
of prey.'

A cry for vengeance passed through the Indian coun-
try wlien the burning of the Maumee villages was
known ; and a yell of triumph followed as soon as the
news spread of the victory which the warriors had
gained. The peace-confederation, under Ekuschwe
and Pipe, lost all influence. A council, held on the
ruins of Gigeyunk, determined to begin a general
war, and to force the Christian Indians to take part in
it. So intense was the excitement, that a project to
seize them and their teachers at once was prevented by
the more prudent of the chiefs, only after they had
pointed out an internecine war as the inevitable result.
The confederates would, they said, make common cause
with the converts. A plot was, accordingly, concocced

' Ze'isberger^s Letter to Bishop Hehl. At his own request, Harmar was
tried by a court-martial and acquitted, but resigned his commission.

X..

T-

l\\

i !

» i I'i:;;
11

i!i;'i

ri (

i ' !

,.a^-

(VV

616

LIFE AND TIMES OF

to invite the Mission to come to Gigeyunk, under the
semblance of friendship, but, in reality, for the purpose
of destroying its liberty and coercing its members into
the ranks of war-parties, upon pain of death.

These machinations were not known at New Salem.
Nevertheless, in any case, it became necessary to secure
a retreat during the approaching storm. In the early
part of the next year (1791), an embassy was sent to the
confederate chiefs, and to Pipe in particular, asking
their aid on behalf of the Mission, in accordance with
the ofiers which they had made. Pipe expressed his
willingness to do all he could, and promised to consult
the other confederates. Meantime two runners arrived
at New Salem, from the, war-council at Gigeyunk.
"Friends and inhabitants of Pettquotting !" — ran their
message — "we hereby inform you that you cannot re-
main in your town. Make ready to go. In two months
you will hear more. Obej' us, or what you sufi'ered at
Muskingum will come upon you again." This was the
firsi; coil which the wily savages wound around the Mis-
sion. But the Christian Indians refused the string that
accompanied the message, and replied : " Friends ! We
are preparing to go. We do not sit in darkness. We
know what to do. We have appealed to three chiefs.
They will care for us. We do not need your advice,
•jfc thank you for it."

Unfortunately, however, the confederates delayed
their tMiswer so long that Zeiaberger was constrained
to apply to the English government for protection. In
March, Edwards went to Detroit to negotiate with

y ,' / . -V

■■ ") yjy i'r\tmm i^^-.***"

DAVID ZEISDERGER.

617

!!• the

rpose

into

Major Smith, the conimaiulant, and McKec, the Indian
agent, for the^ lease of a traet of kind in Canada, where
the Mission might be carried on temporarily, as long as
war existed. Smith and McKee, on their part, sug-
gested a grant, in place of a lease, and wrote to the
government at Quebec upon the subject, advising
Edwards to spend another planting-season at New
Salem.

This Zeisberger deemed impossihle. A general war
had virtually begun. The United States were engaged
in great preparations to humble the savages. Mean-
while irresponsible bodies of militia made incursions
into their country, shooting all they found, whether
frien<ls or foes. On the Beaver River several Indians
had been slain who were connected with the Mission.
The converts were not to be pacitied. Their rich plan-
tations and flourishing town were as nothing to them in
comparison with a safe retreat. All the harrowing recol-
lections of the massacre came up again, and Zeisberger
well knew, from former experiences, that at every alarm
his Indians would take to the woods and disperse.
He believed them to be, moreover, in real danger.
On the other hand, he was not ignorant of the risks
which the Mission would run in the event of an exodus
from the soil of the United States. Congress might re-
sent as an insult his appeal to those British authorities
who were tampering with the savages, and revoke the
grant in the Tuscarawas valley. But all these con-
siderations were outweighed by the personal safety of
the converts. Zeisberger, too, could not forget the

\ .) /

618

LIFE AND TIMES OF

II l!

,Mj 1.

massacre. Another war would produce all the acces-
sories of another massacre. And although Bishop
Ettwein pointed out Presque Isle, or the French Creek,
as a suitahlc locality; and told him of the renewal of
the ancient friendship of the Church with the Six
Nations, at the house of Governor Miiflin, where he
had been in council with Cornplanter, Half Town,
and Big Tree, noted sachems of the Senecas, of their
desire for the Gospel, and of his own hopes with regard
to the Iroquois in case the Mission were, for the time
being, transferred to Pennsylvania;' yet Zeisberger

» Eitwein's Lettei' to Zeisberger, Feb. 1791. MS. B. A. At the time
of writing this letter, Bishop Ettwein entertained high hopes of extend-
ing the Mission in Pennsylvania. On the eleventh of January, 1791,
the Society for Propagating the Gospel had petitioned the Assembly
of Pennsylvania for a tract of land near Lake Erie, or on French
Creek, partly in order to gain an increased income for defraying the
expenses of its work among the Indians, and partly with the view of
beginning a settlement of natives, which, "by the blessing of God, would
become a means of bringing many savages to the Christian religion, to
industry, and to social life with the citizens of the United States." This
petition was shown to Governor Mifflin, who favored the project, and was
presented by Mr. MahoUen. Having been read a second time, on the
twelfth of J inuary, a committee of Ave was appointed to report on it.
This committee strongly urged the propriety of granting the prayer of
the petitioners, upon the following grounds: 1. Moravian Indian set-
tlements near Lake Erie would tend to civilize the natives. 2. Would
prove a protection to the infant settlements of white people in that
country. 3. Would open a connection with distant tribes and divert a
considerable quantity of the fur trade into the State of Pennsylvania.
Accordingly another committee was appointed, which brouglit in an act
that was adopted, and approved by the Governor, April, 9, 1791, grant-
ing the Society five thousand acres in two tracts, one of twenty-flvo
hundred acres on Conneaut Creek, the other of twenty-flve hundred
acres on the heads of French Creek. Warrants for the survc}' were
issued May 28, 1791. Owing to the war, it could not, however, bo
undertaken until May and June, 1794, when Jacob Eyerly and Mr.

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

619

remained true to bis convictions that the only place
of real security in the approaching conflict was the
neutral ground of a British colony. Hence he sent
Edwards back to Detroit to secure an asylum, without
delay, somewhere on English territory, even if it were
only a " night-lodge."

With regard to himself, this prospect of another
migration elicited the following sentiments in a letter
to a member of the Board: "My time is short. I
begin to anticipate my rest with God. But as long as
I am here, I will be diligent to do my part in estab-
lishing the glory of the Saviour among the heathen,
I would very much wish to finish, before I die, th<!
literary labors in which I am engaged. Our frequen;
journeys hinder them greatly."*

During his stay at New Salem, Zeisberger had
many opportunities to observe the manners and cus-
toms of the Chippewas. "Whenever they came to the
town, they engaged in what was called their beg-
ging-dance. Beginning at one end of the village, they
danced from house to house till they had reached the

Mr.

Rees accomplished it, amid considerable danger. The tract on the
Conncaut, which stretched to the lake, was called "Hospitality;" that
on French Creek, "Good Luck." They wore both in Eric County,
Pa., and comprised, in addition to the Assembly's grunt, five hundred
and eighty-two acres purchased by the Society, and four lumdred and
three acres presented to the same by Jacob Eycrly and George Huber,
in all flfty-nino hundred and eighty-five acres. The hoped-for Indian
town was, however, never built, and the Society, in course of time, sold
the land, some of it but twenty years ago. — Drafts, Letters, and other
MSS. in the Societi/'s Archives.
» Original Letter. MS. L. A.

lljiliiil

i mi

y..

LIFE AND TIMES OF

other end, and at the same lime begged from door to
door. Besides the string or belt of wampum, their
messages were always accompanied with a piece of
tobacco, which the recipients were expected to smoke
while in consultation. To cure a sick person they
slaughtered a dog, feasted on its flesh, and chanted
incantations.

A chief, who died near New Salem, was buried in
great state. His face having been painted red, and
his body robed in the best of garments, he was placed,
iu a cofiin such as the Christian Indians used. A
wreath of silver buckles encircled his head, on one
side of which were apples and on the other onions.
Around his neck and arms were wrapped belts of
wampum with silver trinkets. Close by his one hand
lay his tobacco-pouch, pipe, knife, and flint ; near the
other, his hunting-pouch, powder-liorn, lead for bullets,
and a loaf of wheat bread ; at his feet were a pot, bowl,
spoon, hatchet, and a pair of shoes.

The canoes of the Chippewas consisted of a frame of
/cedar wood, around which was a covering of birch-bark
\ sewed together iu bands, the seams being cemented
with gum. They were so light that two men could
j carry the largest of them, and yet so strong that they
I plowed even the waves of Lake Erie with ease.

The custom of adoption into a fam ily by^ foxcejgi'e-
vailed among various tribes. In case of the death
of a son or daughter, the parents, \vith a black belt,
hired a captain to procure a substitute. Collecting his
band, this captain went out as for war, and took a pris-

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

621

oner. If he was a white man, his head was shaved and
painted ; in every case, the belt was wrapped around his
neck, and he was carried ofl' to the bereaved family,
which received him with all aft'ection.

On the last day of March, thirty large canoes having
been completed, the Indians sent their goods and
chattels to Sandusky, which was to be the place of
rendezvous. Soon after, the greater part of them
followed, leaving Zeisberger and a few of his com-
panions in the town. On the tenth of April, ho offici-
ated, for the last time, in the chapel, preaching on the '
words : "Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep
my saying, he shall never see death."' Immediately
after this service, the structure was taken down, and
the bell removed. On the fourteenth, he, too, de-
parted. One of the latest converts, who accompanied
him, was a sister of Andrew Montour. She was a
living polyglot of the tongues of the West, speaking;
the English, French, Mohawk, Wyandot, Ottawa, ChipJ
pewa, Shawanese, and Delaware languages.

From every part of the neighborhood Indians had
flocked to New Salem to see the exodus of the con.
gregation. Into their hands the town fell. Some fifty
applicants for church-membership declined accompany-
ing the Mission.

While at New Salem, Zeisberger received a copy of '•
LoskieVs History of the Indian 3Iission, of which he is ,•
the hero. In a letter to the Board, he says of this '

r,.^'

!.■

* John, viii. 51.

,/''

622

LIFE AND TIMES OF

work: "I have read the History of the Mission with
much pleasure, but the orthography of the Indian
rewords is a disgrace to the book. I wish the English
translation could be postponed. There are persons
still living whose names occur as enemies of our
Mission, who have now wholly changed their views
and sentiments, and are our friends. They ought not
to be exposed. Perhaps the best plan would be to omit
their names altogether." Tliis is an interesting in-
stance of Zeisberger's forgiving spirit. He refers to
such persons as Elliot and McKee, who were the real
cause of all the misfortunes that had come upon the
Mission, however friendly they now showed themselves
under orders from the British government. Zeisber-
ger's suggestion was carried out. In La Trobe's
translation, published in 1794, the names of all former
enemies of the Mission are omitted.

Jl ; III

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

623

CHAPTER XLII.

ZEISBERGER AT THE MOUTH OF THE DETROIT RIVER.— 1791, 1792.

Journey from Sandusky to the Detroit. — The Watch-Tower. — Scott's
raid on the Wabash. — Message to the Christian Indians, requiring
them to take part in the war. — Excitement among the young men. —
Zeisberger'.s policy. — Fruitless attempts at negotiations. — Indian
"talk" at Quebec. — Josepli Brant. — Wilkinson's raid. — March of St.
Clair's army. — His plan of operations.— Surpri.sed by the Indians at
the head-waters of the Wabash. — The news at the Watch-Tower. —
Death of Job Chilloway and Abraham. — Report of the Secretary of
State of the United States upon the exodus of the Mission. — Explan-
atory memorial of the Society for Propagating the Gospel. — A more
permanent settlement undertaken in Canada. — Departure from the
Watch-Tower.

The Saginaic, a sloop chartered from the iN'orthwest
Company for fifty pounds sterling, came to the rendez-
vous at Sandusky and took on board Senseman, Jung,
the aged and infirm, together with the goods of the Mis-
sion. The rest proceeded in two bodies, one by land
with the cattle, the other, led by Zeisberger and Ed-
wards, in canoes, encamping, each night, on the shore
of the lake. One of their halting-places was at the
mouth of the Maumee, on which lay Gigeyunk, the
seat of savage power, where so many threats had been
breathed against the Mission. Gathering the converts ,
around a fire, Zeisberger sang with them a number
of Delaware hymns, expressive of their faith and con-
fidence in God, as though he would send up the river

I!: ill

624

LIFE AND TIMES OF

!i. ii 1

ill

that defiance with which Christians meet the plots of
heathens.

On the third of May, his party reached the mouth of
ihe Detroit, and was, soon after, joined by the other
, division. The Saginaw had been awaiting them. On the
■ eastern or Canada side, lay a tract of land belonging to
McKee and Elliot, which had been put at the disposal
of the Mission. Tliis land was cleared, ready for culti-
vation, and had several houses. In one of these Zeisber-
;ger took up his abode; in another, close by, Jung, both
I on McKee's plantation ; a quarter of a mile nearer to the
river, Scnseman and Edwards found a home in houses
: owned by Elliot. Between those several buildings the
Indians put up bark-huts. This little settlement, which
1 they called the Warte, or the " Watch-Tower," stood in
' full view of the lake.^ Opposite to it, on the American
j side of the river, was a Wyandot village. A few Cana-
dian farmers lived in the vicinity, among them a stew-
j ard of Elliot, with a number of negroes. Otherwise

the converts were isolated.
^^ But even this refuge did not completely secure them
against the machinations of the hostile tribes.

It is true, the war-parties which gathered on the Mau-
mee, the Wabash, and the heads of the Miami, came
from the north, and passed on the opposite bank of the
river, yet messages were sent to disturb them, particu-
larly after the campaign of early summer.

While an army of three thousand men was being

1 The village must have been at or near what is now the garrison^own^
of Amherstburg.

i?"

,'-> 'i,,-^._.4^'>'

' .-^Z--!^'^

'/-

/ ,

DAVID ZEISBEROER.

>25

raised for Governor St. Clair, who had been co^jimis-
sioned as major-general, Washington called out Ken-
tucky volunteers for immediate relief. They crossed
the Ohio in May, numbering five hundred men, under |
General Scott, and proceeded to the villages on the I
Wabash. The Indians made but little resistance, fleeiu"-
yL_oE£'lL£<^"/'^^^^" > ^^^^^ towns were taken and burned
(June 1st). The next day, Colonel Wilkinson marched
against Kethtipecanvvak, an important Kickapoo village
eighteen miles distant, which he captured and destroyed,
together with all its stores and property. The inhab-
itants, however, escaped. Many of these were French
settlers, and, as their papers showed, in correspondence
with Detroit.^

This expedition brought out a message to the
Christian Indians. It professed to come from the
General War Council, although it was, in reality, sent
by the Delawarea alone, and called upon the young men
to join the warriors and fight for their country, threat-
ening death to the whole congregation if +hey refused.
The young men were thrown into the wildest excite-
ment, which the reproaches of a French captain served
to intensify, who taunted them with the assertion that
all the Indians of the West, except the Christians,
were making an effort to save the land of their
fathers. A band of ten was formed, determined to
join the Indian army. Zeisberger did not atteiapt •
to keep them back, seeing that this would be impos- :

> Hildreth's U. S., New Serie?, i. 281 ; Burnet's Notes, 117, etc.

G26

LIFE AND TIMES OF

sible, but persuaded them to accept two of the national
assistants us their leaders. These received instructions
to prevent them from actually taking part in the war,
and to protest, in the Council, against further inter-
ference of this sort with the Mission. It proved to
be a successful policy. After some weeks the assist-
ants brought back the young men, who were satisfied
with a mere sight of the army, and a promise from
the Council that the Christian Indians should not
again be molested. This promise was, indeed, con-
stantly broken, but the influence of the War Council
over the young of the Mission came to an end. Public
opinion among the converts, which had for a moment
wavered, recovered its normal state, and sternly inter-
dicted all further connection with warriors.

Amid the warlike preparations which were going

on, negotiations were not left untried. Cornplanter^ a

Seneca sachem, agreed to be the mediator with the

hostile tribes ; but the unwillingness of the British

^. commandant at Fort Erie to render him the necessary

\y .., assistance put an end to his friendly effort. Nor did the

y-^ /, ("talk" which they had at Quebec with their English

j -y 'Father, lead to any better results. They laid their

i- y^ grievances before him, and professed their readiness

I to conclude peace, if the United States would give up

I their boundaries and accept the Cuyahoga and Mus-

! kingum as the line. But ji either the Indians nor the

■ Canadian authorities were sincere. The former hoped

for aid from the latter, and these would have furnished

it had they dared ; for it galled them to see the abun-

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

627

daut fruits which the United States were reaping from
their independence.

Injthis treaty Joseph Brant' took an active part. He
had passed with Elliot through the Christian settlement,
on his way to Quebec, and made the acquaintance of
Zeisberger; and now he delivered a speech in favor of
the Christian Indians, to the astonishment of their
teachers, who could not divine his object.

The negotiations which had been attempted were
followed by new campaigns. In August, a body of
Kentuckians, under Colonel Wilkinson, destroyed
several towns on the "Wabash, and largo quantities of
corn in the stalk; and, on the seventeenth of Sep-
tember (1791), St. Clair's army, although lacking
nearly one thousand men of its complement, began
its march from Fort "Washington. St. Clair proposed
to open communication between the Ohio and the
Maumee by a line of posts, to build a strong fort on
the latter river, and to garrison it with a force suflS-
cient to overawe the Indians.

In pursuance of this plan, Fort Hamilton' was con-
structed on the Miami, at a distance of twenty-four
miles from Fort Washington ; and forty-five miles
farther north. Fort Jefiiersou. Reduced in numbers by
garrisons for these posts and by desertions, and wait-

1 A celebrated Mohawk sachem, Thnyondanega, born about 1742,
died 1807, civilized and educated, attached to the interests of the
Johnson family and of Great Britain, — a brave warrior and a man
of ^'reat ability. He published the Gospel of Mark in Mohawk. In
England, wherever ho traveled, he was received with distinction.

2 Now Hamilton, the county-seat of Butler County, Ohio.

1 1. t /^-

'^\.y-^ ;

628

LIFE AND TIMES OF

ing anxiously for supplies, the army spent two weeks
in marching the next twenty-nine miles. On the
third of November, fourteen hundred men encamped
at the head-waters of the Wabash, in Mercer County,
Ohio, which stream St. Clair mistook for the St.
Mary's. Early the next morning, about sunrise, as
the troops were dismissed from parade, and while he
was lying sick in his tent, a sudden and furious attack
was made by the Indians. The militia fled in dismay ;
the first line of regulars was thrown into confusion ;
General Bi>!'er fell mortally wuuuded ; many other
officers were killed in their attempts to rally the men ;
and, at last, the remnant of the army retreated pre-
cipitately to Fort Jefi'erson, leaving in the hands of the
savages all the baggage and artillery, a large quantity
of arms, besides six hundred killed and numerous
prisoners. The entire Jo^s^ in J^ill£4j_J?231tl5l6^A §"d
prisonersj amounted to mor e Jhan nine hundred raeii,
including fifty-nine officers. It was a total and most
disastrous defeat, which filled the frontiers with alarm.
■ On the fifteenth of the month, a dispatch-boat,
on its way to Fort Erie, anchored off the missionary
settlement, and sent ashore the intelligence. Zeis-
berger was distressed. He feared a long and bloody
war, and immediate interference, of the most serious
character, with the Mission. But the Indians did
not follow up their victory, bo that the converts re-
mained undisturbed, and peacefully worshiped in
their new church, which had been dedicated on the
nineteenth of June. Two of the most distinguished

» -i.

DAVID ZEISDERQER.

629

among them, and both national assistants, hero fin-
ished their earthly course. The one was William, or
Job Chilloway, who died on the twenty-second of
September. lu his youth a special favorite of Sir
William Johnson, and one of his interpreters, he had
joined the Mission in 1770, and served it for twenty
years with ability and faithfulness, especially in nego-
tiations with heathen chiefs. The other was Abraham,
who passed away on the third of November. Of
him it ma}* be said that he was a prince and a great
man among his people. Besotted, fierce, and cruel
as a heathen, he was consistent, bold, and faithful as
a Christian. He had led a holy life ever since his bap-
tism at Friedenshiitten, in 1765, preaching the Gospel
with eloquence and power, helping Zeisberger to
establish the stations on the Alleghany and in Ohio,
and filling the office of Steward to the Mission until
his death. " We have had," says Zeisberger, " but one
Abraham, and will painfully miss him. But praise be
to God that He permitted this witness of the truth to
be among us for so many years !"

In his report of November eighth, 1791, Thomas
Jefferson, Secretary of State, noticed the transfer of
the Mission to British soil in the following terras : i
" The Indians, however, for whom the reservation was
made, have chosen to emigrate beyond the limits of the
United States, so that the lands reserved for them still ;
remain to the United States." This induced the Society'
for Propagating the Gospel to memorialize Congress (
upon the subject, explaining the necessity which com-j

630

LIFE AND TIMES OF

pelled the Indians to seek an asylum in Canada.* Mean-
while Zeisberger took measures to secure a more per-
manent seat in that Province (1792), justified, as he
thought, by the continuance of the war. An application
to McKee for a grant of land was forwarded to Sir John
Johnson, and well received. Owing to the organization
of separate governments for Upper and Lower Canada,
which was taking place at the time, an immediate
answer could not be given. Hence, as it was important
to leave the Detroit in time for planting, McKee, upon
his own responsibility, permitted the Christian Indians
to remove to the Retrenche lliver.^ On the twelfth of
April, they left in two parties, — one by land, the other
in canoes up the Detroit and across Lake St. Clair.
; They were to meet at the mouth of the Retrenche.

» Draft of Memorial. MS. B. A.

' Now the Thames.

DAVID ZEISS ERG EB.

631

CHAPTER XLIII.

ZEISBERGER FOUNDS FAIRFIELD, IN CANADA.— 1792-1795.

Arrival of the Christian Indians on the Eetrnnche. — Site for a town. —
Influence of the war.— Attempts of the United States to hring about
a pacification. — Murder of Major Truonaan- General Putnam and
John Heciteweldor at Port Vincennes. — Grand Council on the
Maumee. — Joseph Brant's views on the war. — The Peace Commis-
sion and its Quaker assistants.— Tlie gift and letter of the Quakers to
the Christian Indians. — The Commission at the mouth of the Detroit.
— Violent debates in the Indian council. — Pipe's spetcu against the
Shawancse. — Failure of the negotiations.— Wayne's Legion at Green-
ville. — A township donated to the converts. — Description of Fairfield.
— Wayne's victory at the Kapidsof the Maumee. — The position of the
British. — Anarchy among the Western Indians. — The Delawares re-
leased from their position as women by the Six Nations. — Conclusion
of peace. — The Western posts relinquished to the Americans.

After severe experiences oft' the mouth of the
Retreuche, Zeisberger's party landed on the sixteenth
of April, and came, the next day, to Sally Hand, a
colony composed of English, German, and French
settlers. Here they waited for the arrival of the rest,
while Senseman and Edwards explored the river.
Toward the end of the month, the whole congregation
followed, and, in the beginning of May, pitched upon a
site admirably suited to their wants. It lay on the west
side of the river, about eighty-tive miles from its mouth,
and consisted of a sandy biuft' more than seventy feet
high. On the east bank were three large bottoms of
the richest soil, and not hard to clear; while numerous

^^1

111!

632

LIFE AND TIMES OF

■ springs gushed into the river. A town was laid out,

• which received the name of Fairfield, and grew rapidly.
Farther up the Retrenche. w.ere...sevgr.al Mousej' and
Chippewa villages.
With these neighbors the Mission soon came in

.contact; and, at the very outset of its work, made a
discouraging experience. A Mousey captain enticed
ten young men to join his war-party. It is true the
majority of them came back again, praying to be for-
given ; and the captain himself, having been taken
^.dangerously ill, was, at his earnest request, brought to

'Fairfield, where he expressed the most agonizing con-
cern for his soul, and received baptism just before his
death, at the hands of Zeisberger. But yet it became
evident that the war had evoked a carnal spirit among
the young, and that great circumspection and watch-
fulness would be required on the part of the missionaries
to lead their people safely through these evil times.

Active military operations were, however, not going
on. Congress had voted another army, to be com-
manded by General Wayne. While it was being slowly
raised, various attempts were made to bring about a
pacific settlement. The first ended most disastrously.
Major Trueman was sent by the President to negotiate
with the savages. From Fort Washington, where
Colonel Hardin joined him, he took his way, in June,

ito the Indian country, but never returned. The savages
murdered him and his whole party. The next essay
proved more successful. General Rufus Putnam and
John Ileckeweldor, the latter appointed Assistant Com-

DAVID ZEISBEROER.

633

missipner by the War Department, ventured as far as
Port Vincennes, en the Wabash, where they held a
treaty (September 24 to 27, 1792), and concluded peace
with some Wiachtenos, Potawatomies, Kickapoos,
Kaskaskias, and Piankeshaws. Sixteen chiefs accom-
panied them to Philadelphia to visit President Wash-
ington.*

A grand council of nearly all the Northwestern tribes
soon after convened at the confluence of the Maumee
and the Au Glaize, at which Simon Girty was the only
white man permitted to be present. By request of the
government, however, fcty chiefs of the Six Nations
attended, and earnestly counseled peace. The result
was that the Indians agreed to hold a treaty, next
summer, with Commissioners of the United States.''

The convv rts heard of these negotiations while busily
engaged in building their town and clearing the plau-
ations. Joseph Brant with forty warriors, and many
o'her parties of Indians, passed that way to attend the
council. Brant told Zeisberger that he did not be-
lieve the negotiations would result in peace; and spoke
rather favorably of the claims of the United States,
although he was, in fact, one of their most formi-
dable opponents. On the occasion of a later visit, he
confessed, with singular far-sightedness, that the war
then raging would be the turning-point in the history
of the American aborigines, and would end in their
irremediable ruin.

J -'■•

> Rondthaler's Life of Heckewelder, 116, etc.
» Hildreth'8 U. S., New Series, i. 380, etc.

ssm

634

LIFE AND TIMES OF

In the spring of the following year (1793), three Com-
miBsioners, General Lincoln, Colonel Pickering, the
Postmaster -General, and Beverly Rudolph, late Gov-
ernor of Virginia, with whom John Heckewelder was
again associated as Assistant Commissioner, set out to
hold the proposed treaty. At the suggestion of the
Six Nations, and in conformity with the wishes of the
Western tribes themselves, several Quakers accom-
panied them, namely, John Parrish, William Savery,
and John Elliot, of Philadelphia; Jacob Lindiey, of
Chester County; William Ilartshorne and Joseph Moore,
of New Jersey. Arrived at Niagara, they were hos-
pitably entertained by Colonel Simcoe, the new Lieu-
tenant-Governor of Upper Canada, at his seat. Navy
Hall.

From Niagara, Heckewelder paid a visit to Fairfield,

I arriving quite unexpectedly on the thirteenth of June.

; Zeisberger had ten days' delightful intercourse with his

Jold friend; while the Indians reaped a special benefit.

Finding them in want of provisions, as their last year's

crops had failed, he represented their necessities to the

Quakers, who sent them an order for supplies to the

amount of one hundred dollars, accompanied with a

letter of good wishes.'

> The following was the letter {Original letter, G. A.) :

Detroit, 26th of the 6th mo., 1793.

To OUR Brethren the Moravian Indians, settled on the River La

Trench,

Esteemed Friends — We, the subscribers, are your well-wishing
Friends of the people called Quakers. We have left our homes and

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

635

Senseman, who had gone to Niagara to negotiate
with the Governor for a grant of land, and had there

near connections in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, in and near Phila-
delphia, with no other motives but from a sense of Religious duty to
endeavour to promote peace in our Country, and the welfare of our In-
dian Brethren in general, and wo particularly sympathize with you, as
many and deep have been your trials. Wo are thankful there is yet a
little Flock of your people preserved, who love peace, and are endeavour-
ing to pursue it in the Lord's fear. We wish and pray that in all your
afflictions you may look up to Him for his blessing and support, and not
sink under discouragement, for indeed many are the trials and afflictions
of his Children and People in this world. We hope you will be indus-
trious in your business, and follow peace with all men, pressing daily
after a life of purity and holiness, that so your Latter end may be glo-
rious, is the sincere desire of your Brethren the Quakers. We are also
Men of peace and do not fight, nor go to war on any occasion ; we wish
you to live in Love one with another, and hope you may he now settled,
and may be driven about no more, and that you and us may endeavour to
persuade and convince other warlike Indians by our example and by
our peaceable and godly conversation that this is the right way.

Wo have with satisfaction and gladness seen five or six of your People,
who informed us of your present difficulty, and tho' we are strangers
here far from home, yet as a small testimony of our sincere Love and
esteem for you, and a desire for your preservation and prosperity, havo
allowed our mutual friend Matthew Dolsen here, to furnish you with
provision to the amount of One Hundred Dollars, which is Forty Pounds
New York Currency, on our account, which we hope will bo useful to
you, and a token of our regard for your People. With Love and sin-
cere regard to old and young, male and Female, we subscribe ourselves
your aflfectionate Friends, wishing you health and salvation.

John Parrish,
Joseph Moork,
Jacob Lindley,
William Savert,

WiLLM. HART.SaORNE,

John Elliott.

P. S. — Esteemed Friend, David Zeisberger — Wo havo taken the
Liberty to direct the above linos to thee, desiring thou may communi-
cate them to tho friendly society of Indians under thy care generally.

With love and regard to thee and thy wife, tho' strangers to most of
us, we are thy Friends.

I In:

636

LIFE AND TIMES OF

witnessed the satisfactory interview between the Com-
missioners and a body of chiefs, headed by Captain
Brant, the representatives of the nations assembled at
the Rapids of the Mauraee, brought back to Fairfield
flattering hopes of a permanent peace. In a little
while, however, these hopes were disappointed.

Embarking at Fort Erie (July 2d), the commission
reached the mouth of the Detroit River in safety.
There they were met, toward the end of the month, by
Pachgantschihillas and about thirty other chiefs, who
came to inquire whether they would consent to the
Ohio as the boundary line of the Indian territory. The
Commissioners replied that this was impossible, but
ofl^ered large presents if the nations would confirm those
limits which had been agreed upon at the treaties of
Forts Mcintosh and Harmar. This answer was re-
ported to the council on the Maumee. A violent
debate ensued. Some were in favor of peace on these
terms, others advocated a renewal of the war. To the
latter party belonged the Shawanese, who were under
the evil influence of Simon Girty and other British
emissaries ; among the former Captain Pipe was prom-
inent. He earnestly contended for peace, and delivered
a scathing rebuke to the Shawanese.

" See the Shawanese," he said, turning to Captain
Henry, the chief of the Mohawks. " You brought him
to me when he was a little boy ; you gave him to me,
saying, ' Have mercy on this child ; receive him that
he may live; you are old, and he may help you, fetch
you a drink of water occasionally, and shoot you a

DAVID ZEISDEROER.

637

squirrel !' Moved with pity, I consented ; received the
Sbawancse; adopted him as my grandson, because,
without a single friend in the world, he went about for-
saken and forlorn. I kept him with me; I instructed
him in that which is good; I educated him; he was
always about me. But no sooner had he reached man-
hood than he became disobedient. I admonished him;
I punished him ; but he grew more wicked continually.
And now he listens neither to me nor to any one else,
but does evil only. Therefore I am of the opinion that
the Great Spirit did not create the Shawanese, but that
the devil created him."*

After protracted discussions of this character, a writ-
ten speech was at last prepared (August 13th), denying
the validity of the treaties at Forts Mcintosh and Har-
mar, refusing the profi'ered gifts, claiming the Ohio as
the boundary, and declaring the negotiations at an end.
This speech, which bore the marks of British influence,
and which bad been worded not in the manner usual
among the nations, but with an insolence characteristic
of Simon Girty, was delivered on the sixteenth by two
young Wyandots. The Commissioners were greatly dis-
appointed, but sent a dignified reply, rehearsing the
pacific efforts made by the United States, and assuring
the tribes they would now have to bear the conse-
quences of their own folly.

I'i

I n

1 This sarcastic speech was reported to Zeisberger by Captain Henry )
himself. It referred to the circumstance that when the Shawanese were (
but a remnant in Florida, the Mohicans brought them to Pennsylvania;
and induced the Delawares to adopt them as grandchildren. ""

IHT'

638

LIFE AND TIMES OF

A part}' of Mohawks, Chippewas, and MohicaiiB, re-
[turning from the treaty, brought the first news to Fair-
field of the abrupt close of the negotiations and the
renewal of the war. The most of them were dissatisfied
with this result, the entire blame of which they laid
upon the Shawanese, Wyandots, and Twightwees.

As soon as General "Wayne had been informed of
what had taken place, he hastened with such troops as
he had to Fort Washington, and thence marched into
the Indian country (October 7). Arriving at Stillwater
Creek, a fork of the southwest branch of the Miami,
on the thirteenth, he constructed a fortified camp, on a
high plain, six miles in advance of Fort Jefiferson, and
called it Greenville.* There he spent the winter, with
about twenty-six hundred men.

Amid these renewed hostilities the refuge in Canada
was more welcome than ever to the Christian Indians.
It promised to become a permanent home. In January,
(1794), McNefi", the government surveyor, came to Fair-
field, and, under instructions from Governor Simcoe,
/who had visited the settlement and expressed his best
wishes for the spread of the Gospel, laid off an entire
; township, twelve miles long and six broad, which was
I donated to the Mission, the deed being assigned in
I trust to the " Brethren's Society," in London, *' for
Propagating the Gospel among the Heathen."*

1 On the site of the town of the same name, the capital of Darke
County, Ohio.

* Simcoe's Original Letter. G. A.; Draft of Address of Mission-
aries. G. A.

f-" ,

..' /.

v*/^.-

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

G39

The improvements upon this tract advanced rapidly.
Upwards of forty houses were built, forming one street,
which began at the road to Detroit, and ran southwest
to northeast. On the north side, near the upper end,
stood the church, beside it Zeisberger's house, and im-
mediately opposite a dwelling occupied by Edwards
and Jung in common. jS'ext to theirs was Sensemau's
comfortable home, and close by the school-house.
North of the lower end of the town lay the burial-
ground.* The church, dedicated on the nineteenth
of October, was a log structure, boarded, with win-
dows framed and glazed, and a small steeple with a
bell. It was one of the most commodious chapels
belonging to the Missiorx in the West. The planta-
tions embraced several hundred acres; and the entire
tract was surrounded by white settlers. Some of these
would have purchased lots if Zeisberger had consented;
but he held that the land given by government con-
stituted a reservation exclusively for the use of the
Indians.

The opening spring brought many messages from
the hostile Indians, invoking the aid of their Christian
brothers against the Americans. Of these messages
the converts took no notice.

There was good cause for the anxiety which the
tribes manifested. They had to deal with a man of
sound judgment, great resolution, and indomitable per-
severance, who, moreover, took every precaution to

> Plan of Fairfield. B. A.

>^.

^'/ J

\iy-

640

LIFE AND TIMES OF

avoid sarprises. As soon a8 the season permitted, the
Legion— the name by which Wayne's army was kno vn
. — advanced from Greenville to St. Clair's l».ittle-field,
I and built Fort Recovery. This was attacked by the
savages, aided b" many British (June 13); but the
assailants suftert . a terrible repulse. Reinforced by
eleven hundred volunteers under Scott, from Ken-
tucky, the Legion again advanced, in the iirst week
of August, to the confluence of the Au Olaize and
/the Maumee. Here was the "grand emporium" of
the Indians, who were taken by surprise, and ll<^d in
. the utmost confusion, leaving Wayne in possession of
(their wide fields of corn, their well-stocked gardens,
I and clusters of villages extending on both rivers for
several miles.' In order to hold so important a posi-
tion, he erected Fort Defiance, a strong stockade post,
and between it and Fort Recovery, built Fort Adams,
on the St. Mary's River. About forty miles farther
down the Maumee are rapids, at the foot of which
the British had constructed an improved fort. Thither
, the savages retired. Moved by the humane desire to
' avoid further bloodshed, Wayne proposed a treaty.
But being met with evasive answers ho attacked and
completely defeated the Indians, in full sight, of the
: British garrison. This battle decided the fate of the
• Western nations. The bow of their strength was
! broken.

Of all these events Zeisberger was kept informed by

» Burnet's Notes, 169.

DAVID ZEISBEROER.

641

the numerous expresses which passed through Fairfiehl,
on their way to British posts. The day before the
battle, a Chippewa runner appeared, calling all the
Indians along the Retrenche to the Maumee. This
message was sent in the name of the British Colonial
government, whether by its authority or not remains
uncertain. At the same time, Sensoman and Jung,
who were on the road to Detroit, returned with the
intelligence that it was impossible to reach the post,
the whole country being roused, and the British militia
called out.

The prudence with which "Wayne acted under these
circumstances forms an unfading leaf of his laurels./
There existed provocation enough to justify him in
attacking the British fort, which would have led to a
new war with England.* He saved his country from so^
great an evil, and yet maintained the honor of its flag
and made its cause triumphant.

The defeat of the Indians brought on dissensions
among them, and quarrels with the British. Anarchy
reigned supreme. The Delawajes were in a. miserable
st ate. Captain Pipe, the most illustrious of their head-v
menj_^nd the last chief identified with the great days of
the Mission, had died shortly before the battle.

It wagi^jn this disastrous period of their history that
the_Six Nations conceived the idea of formally releits-
in^ them^frpm, their position as women. Joseph Brant'
w'as the master-spirit on the oc asion, — inaugurating
ceremonies, delivering speeches, and causing a war-*
club to be presented to them with the words, "Gol

-■""^-

642

LIFE AND TIMES OF

forth, now, in the ifashion of a man !" But the Dela-
; wares received these muranierics very ungraciously.
! " What shall we do," they said, "with this murder-
ous club, except to use it against you, our uncles, who
have so often and so richly deserved such treatment at
our hands?"
' Zeisberger, who had all the particulars from Brant
himself, explains the proceeding as an attempt, on the
part of the Six Nations, to entangle their old enemies
irreconcilably with the United States, and thus to debar
them from the benefits of the peace wbich was at hand.
Whether this be correct or not, it is evident that mis-
chief of some kind was intended. For, in the following
year, when Brant was on his way to the treaty with
Wayne, he no sooner heard that the Delawares sus-
pected him of a plot against tlTeir nation than he pre-
cipitately returned home.'

Misrule and disorder continually increasing among
them, they sent an urgent message to William Henry
^ /Gelelemend to resume his office of chief. In reply
he reminded them of the testament of his grandfather,
Netawatwes, appealed to them to accept the Gospel,
and declined the chieftaincy. Famine added its hor-
rors to their national distress, and extended to many
\ other of the Western tribes, so that their sufferings,
j according to the testimony of a British agent, were
■ unprecedented. Many Indians died. The Nanticokes,
/ although not from this cause alone, dwindled to four
/ or five families.

I Zeisberger's Journal, Fairfield. MS. B. A.

()-.

DAVID ZEISDERQER.

643

AlJ_.tbcafi_experience8 inclined the nations to peace. \
On the third of August, 1795, a treaty was concluded
ttt Greenville, between General Wayne and the Wyan-
dots, Delawares, Shawaneae, Ottawas, Chippewas, Pota-
watomies, Miamia, Weas, Kickapoos, Piankeshaws, Kas-
kaakias, and Eel River Indians. The whole eastern and
southern portion of the State of Ohio fell into the
hands of the United States, which gavCj^as an ei^uiva-
l ent, twent y thousand dollars in presents, and an annual
allowance of nine thousand five hundred dollars. Thus
the Indians ceded a much larger domain than the Amer*
lean government had asked for before the war began.
They were the more willing to accept these terms,
because the Western posts which Great Britain still
held were now, at last, to be given up to the United j
States, according to an arrangement effected between '
the two countries.

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644

LIFE AND TIMES OP

CHAPTER XLIV.

FURTHER STAY OF.ZEISBERGER AT FAIRFIELD.-1795-1798.

I !.'

t-tate of the Mission. — Work among the white settlors. — Zeisberger's
labors. — A great j.enitential council. — The grant on the Tu.scarawas
renewed by Congress. — Its survey. — The site of the miissaore after
fifteen years. — An emigration from Fairfield agreed upon. — Benjamin
Mortimer joins the Mission. — His sermon to the Indians prior to the
departure of Zeisberger. — Senseman's remarks on Zeisberger's life-
work. — Prosperity of the town. — Zeisberger leaves for the Tuscara-
was with a part of the converts.

The war prevented an increase of the Mission. The
Gospel was preached to the many heathens that came
to Fairfield; but the great struggle going on for their
Western homes filled their minds to the exclusion of
higher interests. Some were occasionally impressed ;
yet there was no general movement, as at New Salem,
or in the towns on the Tuscarawas. The ears of the
tribes remained heavy. Among the white settlers,
however, whose numbers continually augmented, espe-
cially in the spring of 1796, when the Chippevvas sold
their land and emigrated, the missionaries had fre-
quent opportunities of doing good. Seuseman and
Jung preached to them statedly, and baptized their
children. Jung had an appointment at the house of
Francis Cornell, a settler from Connecticut, where
many attended. Senseman gained such repute by his
energy and eloquence, that he was almost unanimously

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

645

selected as a candidate for the Canadian Assembly.
He declined this position as irreconcilable with his
missionary duties.

The spiritual state of the Mission itself was encour- ,
aging. To this Zeisberger devoted himself. The mode
which he adopted to bring the subject of religion \
directly to the hearts of the converts, was peculiar, j ,
lie opened a correspondence with them in the D ila- 1 *
ware language. Selectiug an appropriate topic, he <
expounded it in missives to the heads of families and j
others. These replied in writing, each one bringing i
him a letter, which he read aloud and commented upon '
in the presence of the bearer. He also ueveloped the
native agency, so that, both among men and women, |
national assistants labored in accordance with a regular ■
system. The young people manifested great interest in
the school, which Senseman taught. He had pupils (
who wrote a better hand than many of the mercantile <
clerks in Detroit. .1

Toward the end of the year 1797, Zeisberger per-
ceived that a contaminating influence was beginning
to proceed from some of the neighboring settlements.
The converts grew careless and fell into open sin,
especially drunkenness, of which even national assist- s
ants were guilty. Determined to resist such evils at
the very outset, he convened the entire membership,
on the tenth of December, in a special council. He
addressed them with all the fire of his youthful years,
and the authoritative dignity of his matured age, be-
neechiug them to repent and turn to God. The eflfect

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LIFE AND TIMES OF

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was wonderful. The Spirit that convicts of sin was
poured out upon that meeting. A general and deep
.' emotion ensued. One by one the Indians rose and pub-
; licly acknowledged their transgressions. It was not a
mere momentary excitement. The weeping and mourn-
ing and rending of hearts continued for days. Little
companies gathered for prayer and confession. Every
; face was full of shame; every mouth overflowed with
I self-reproach; the whole town presented the appear-
) ance of a penitential fast. A celebration of the Lord's
' Supper sealed this return to their covenant.

Meantime the " Society for Propagating the Gospel
among the Heathen " took measures to secure the land
granted by Congress. This grant had been renewed by
an act dated June 1st, 1796 ; and President Adams had
issued the necessary deed.^ In the following spring
(1797), John Heckewelder and William Henry, with
whom were associated as assistants, John Rothrock and
Christian Clewell, of Schoeneck.* as also Kamp, of
Graceham,' undertook the survey. From Charlestown,
a new and flourishing settlen^ent at the confluence of
the Bufi'alo Creek and the Ohio,* they proceeded, on
the seventh of May, accompanied by John Carr, their
guide, John Meesemer, a Tunker preacher of Detroit,
on his way home, and two Indians, Captain Bull and
Joseph "White Eyes, a son of the celebrated captain, to

» Ettwein'8 Hist. Statement. MS. G. A.

* A village half a mile north of Nazareth, Pa.
' A village in Frederick County, Maryland.

* Now Wellsburg.

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

647

the site of Gnadenhiitten, where they arrived on the
evening of the eleventh. Heckewelder went on to
Marietta to notify General Rufua Putnam and his son,
who were to represent the government; while the rest
prepared for the survey. The site of the town was a
dense wilderness of bushes and trees, and infested with
rattlesnakes. Here and there the ruins of a chimney
projected from the midst of a blackberry or sumac
thicket. To this wilderness they set fire. When it ]
had been consumed, a spectacle presented itself which'
awoke thrilling emotions within their hearts. The
ground was covered with human bones, that gave evi-
dence of having been dragged about by wild beasts,
and formed the sole relics of the murdered converts, i
For the first time in fifteen years men cared for the
sepulture of these remains.'

The party having been joined by the two Putnams,
and Schmick, of Nazareth, the work of surveying
began, and was completed by the beginning of July.
Three plats, each of four thousand acres, were laid
out, and called respectively the Gnadenhiitten, Schon-
brunn, and Salem tracts.* Of these a part of the con-
verts were invited to take speedy possession.

> In October, 1799, the bones of the murdered Indians were reinterred
iu one of the collars of the old town by John Heckewelder and David '
Peter. There they remain to this day. The site of this grave, which ■
had been intentionally left without a stone, that it might not be dese- '
crated by evil-disposed white men, was lost in the course of time. In,
1847, however, it was again discovered. An association has been formedj
to erect a monument to the memory of the victims, and inter their re-j
mains at its base. That this design may soon be carried out is the wish'
of many hearts.

» WUliam Henry's Journal. MS. L. A. Schmick, Rothrock, and

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648

LIFE AND TIMES OF

But it was not until the next year (1798) that the
necessary arrangements could be made. Then Hecke-
welder came to Fairfield (May 22d) with instructions
from the Board. Pursuant to these, it was agreed
that he and Edwards should proceed to the Tuscara-
was valley with a few pioneers; and that Zeisberger
; and Benjamin Mortimer should follow with a larger
colony. Mortimer had come to Fairfield with Ilecke-
welder, as assistant to Zeisberger.*

' This indefatigable laborer was seventy-seven years of
' age, and might well have left new enterprises to younger
hands. But it was his life-purpose to spread the Gospel
among the Indians, and he deemed this last emigration
a joy and not a burden. It permitted him, moreover,
to end his days in that valley where his greatest works
had been performed.

On the thirty-first of May, Ileckewelder and Edwards,
(together with Nicholas, Leonard, Renatus, Bartholo-
jmew. Christian Gottlieb, and Samuel, all of whom
were native members of th? Mission, left Fairfield.
( Zeisberger remained until the middle of August, trans-
lating into Delaware the liturgical services of the

Clewell had made an attempt, June oth, to explore the site of Salem;
but, after a hard day's toil, were obliged to return without accomplish-
ing their object. The whole country was ovorsrrown and the trail lost.
The next day, accompanied by William Lu-iiry, 'ii ,^. ■>■. ♦, out aguin,
and reached the spot by noon. They louud vcxy t^'-v ri.''.aina. The
bottom was covered with a thicket of scrub oik. knr.w.i :\s iJ.'j -ed-jack.
T[)e,sjM)L.^here Salcm_3tood wa • *' Ucd, in liist. i-'juntcy, Aft -^as^Toion,
^-wjiere the swallow used to live. '

' He was born iu England. Subsequently lue lii-.n.ia pastor of the
Moravian church in New York city, where ho dkA November 10th,
1884.

DAVID ZEISBEUGER.

649

Church. Oil I'liesday, the twelfth, Mortimer delivered
a farewell sermon upon the words of the apostle:
" Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into
death : that like as Christ was raised up from the dead
by the glory of the Father, eveu so we also should walk
iu newness of life.'" His theme was, diviue grace im-
parted to believers through baptism into the death of
Jesus, whereby they enter into a communion with Ilim
and His people, and are strengthened to lead a new life.
Iu the course of his remarks he said :

" For a number of years you have constituted one
body, as you moved from place to place. Now a part
of you are to begin a settlement in your old home,
that the Gospel may spread among your countrymen.
Yo ur beloved father. David Zeisberger, will likewise go
tojthe Tuscarawas. He has preached to you the whole
counsel of God; he has faithfully made known to you
the way of salvation ; he has baptized the most of you
into the death of Jesus; he has consecrated his whole life
to your service, gone with you where you went, and en-
dured with you what you suffered. Love to the Saviour
and to your houIs prompted him to do all this. Ilis
sharpest reproofs were for your good. Ttiat some of
you have become faithless has caused him many a sleep-
less night of sorrow and of prayer. He yearns over you
all ; and his heart's desire before God is that you may all
kuow, love, and serve the Lord Jesus Christ. Those of
you who remain here will see the face of this your faithful

f *

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' 5; II

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> Bomans, vi. 4.

\'-

X-

650

LIFE AND TIMES OF

teacher and venerable father no more. But, although
you be bodily separated, remain united, I beseech you,
with him, and with all of us who will accompany him,
in the glorious communion of saints. In that commu-
nion we will intercede for each other, and by the grace
of God continue true to our baptismal vows."

During the delivery of this sermon, the deepest feel-
ing pervaded the hearts of the people. The next day
Senseman called them together again, and spoke once

, more of Zei&berger's departure, of his fearless courage,
his self-sacrificing spirit, his reaJiness to lose his life
for the Indian's sake, and of all :hat had rendere 1 illus-
trious the many years of his missionary service. In
conclusion, he made a covenant beiween the converts
of Fairfield and those going to the Tuscarawas, to the
end that they would all be faithful unto death and meet
again around the throne of God and of the Lamb.
Afterward, the Lord's Supper was celebrated.

In reviewing his labors at Fairfield, Zeisberger had
reason to be encouraged. He left the Mission in a pros-
perous state, spiritually, and the town growing in re-
sources and importance. Three hundred acres were
under cultivation ; two thousand bushels of corn were
annually furnished to the Northwest Trading Company ;
lan extensive trade in cattle, canoes, baskets, and mats
:was carried on; and five thousand pounds of maple

; sugar were made and sold every winter. Moreover, the
''\ station was well calcuk>ted to become the starting-point

} for other Missions in the Weat.

^'"- On the fifteenth of August, the whole population of

D^F/Z) ZEISBERGER.

651

: n

»1

Fairfield gathered by the river to bid farewell to their ^
leader, counselor, and friend. He came among them, j
and grasped each one by the hand with emotions too /
deep for utterance. Precisely at noon, he entered a
canoe, paddled by three young Indians who had begged
for this hojjQr, and put oiF from the bank amid the sobs)
of the converts. Thirty-three of them, forming the\
colony for the Tuscarawas valley, followed in other
canoes.

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652

LIFE AND TIMES OF

CHAPTER XLV.

ZBISBERGER RETURNS TO OHIO, AND FOUNDS GOSHEN.— 1798-1807.

Journey to the Tuscarawas. — Detroit in 1798. — Arrival on tint Bcliiin-
brunn tract.— John Hcckewelder on tlie reservullon us iigtiiil of llio
Society for Propagating the Gospel. — Goshen foundcMl. — Increase of
emigrtttion. — A prohibitory liquor-luw passed ior the reservation by
the Legislature of the Northwest Territory. — riritt bi(|ili3nii* ut
Goshen. — A part of the reservation lc?".ed to wliltn si'ttlers. — Thu
lirst inhabitants of the present town of GnadenhUttou.— Zoisberger
among them at the sacramental table. — Lewis Huebner their pastor. —
Death of GottlobSonseman and William Edwards. — The new council-
fire of the Delawares on the White River. — Kluge and Luckcnbach
begin a Mission among them. — Indian deputation to President Jef-
ferson. — Visit of the Stockbridgc Indians. — Denke among the Chip-
pewas. — Quakers at Goshen. — Contaminating influence of the traders.
— Bishop Loskiel holds a missionary conference at Goshen. — The
church lit Bcorshobn. — George Godfrey MucUor. — New Mi-^sions on the
Pottquotting and in Georgia. - Drunkenness the destroying lico of the
Indians of the reservation. — Carnal spirit at the other stations. — The
Mi.ssions among the Chippewas and on the White River broken up.
— Zeisberger's health fails. — Visit of Forestier and Cunow. — Zei.=ber-
ger's marvelous deliverances from deadly serpents.

The inhabitants of the various settlements along the
Retrenehe, numbering more than one hundred families,
hailed the missionary canoe as it passed down the river,
that they might bid farewell to Zeisberger and bring
him the best fruits of their gardens and orchards. The
improvements, which everywhere presented themselves,
; filled him with astonishment. Sixteen miles below
Fairfield was a flour-mill ; near by a saw-mill ; and,

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DAVID ZEISBERGER.

663

fourteen miles farther down, Dolson's place, an inn and
farm, the proprietor of which was a warm friend of the
Mission. Hamlets, embowered in fruit-trees, lined the
banks of the Detroit above the town. These villasres
were inhabited by French Canadians, who had inter-',
married with the Indians, and formed an idle, but good-,
tempered and jovial race. Detroit itself had increased
to a population of about two thousand persons. It
was now in the hands of the United States, and com-
manded by Lieutenant-Colonel Strong. Opp(>«it© to it,
on the Caiirtda side, tlie English were building a town,
and, at lint nioulh of the river, Fort Maldun, oti the
Bite of the " Watch-Tower."

Passing tlio outlet (tf the Rouge, a place whli'li 2eis-
berger had cause to remember, where the iiilsslonarjea
had camped, seventeen years before, shivering and dis-
tressed, on their way to the court-martial, and where
the Northwest Trading Company now had its ship-yard,
the colon}' spent two days at Stony Point, and reached
Sandusky Bay on the first of September. Thence tlioy
proceeded to the site of New Salem, which the heathen
Indians had destroyed, and buried a child in the grave-
yard, that was still discernible. Re-entering the lake,
they coasted eastward to tiie mouth of the Cuyahoga,
up which they passed to the ruins of Pilgerruh.
Beyond this point lay a wilderness with which they
were not familiar, and their journey became very
arduous. The river was shallow, full of rocks, and
obstructed by gigantic tree-trunks. Fortunately, how-
ever, they fell in with Nicholas, one of Ileckewelder's

i J;,

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654

L/Fi; uliVi) TIMES OF

party, who had come to meet them. Guided by him,
they reached the portage between the Cuyahoga aud
the Tuscarawas, on the waters of which they joyfully
launched their canoes, and, after a sail of nine days,
entered the well-remembered lake and. landed by the
; Beautiful Spring of cM Schonbrunn (October 4). ^This
' last journey which .isberger undertook, tjirpugb. the
wilderness pf the "West, occupied fifty-one days.

The pioneer-party had encamped on the site of
Gnadenhiitten, where Heckewelder's house formed the
nucleus of the present town.* Heckewelder took up his
abode there as agent of the Socioty for Propagating the
Gospel, and was not any longer connected with the Mis-
sion. Zeisberger's colony pitched their tents near the
center of the Schonbrunn tract. A suitable place for a
permanent settlement was found on the river-bank, oppo-
site to an island to which General Putnam had given Zeis-
berger's name, seven miles northeast of Gnadenhiitten,
just below the fork in the present New Philadelphia
Koad, where one branch crosses Goshen Hill and the
Hill Road goes up a gorge in the mountains. Here a
; little village was laid out and called Goshen. Schmick
'■■ and the brothers Colver having arrived from Nazareth
> to assist in the work, the Mission House was completed
; and occupied on the thirteenth of November. A tem-
} porary church was erected in the following month.*

1 Church Book of Beersheha. G. A. Heckewelder's house was fin-
ished September 9, 1798.

» Goshen was situated in Goshen Township, Tuscarawas County, on the
farm owned, in 1863, by Jacob Keller. East of the New Philadelphia

' V

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

t /

655

A treaty with the Southern tribes followed that of
Greenville, and brought about a pacification of all the!
Indians (1796), much to "Washington's joy, who made
this one of the special objects of his adininistratiou.
The result was a rapid development of the IS'orihwest
Territory, into which a stream of immigrants bfgan to
pour from many parts of the States. That this would
bring temptation to the Christian Indians, past experi-
ence had recorded. It is true, there were no settle-
ments nearer to Goshen than Charlcstown and Marietta,
distant respectively about sixty -five and fifty miles.
Nevertheless it waH necessary to adopt precautionary
measures in time. Accordingly the missionaries sent a
memorial to Governor St. Clair (October 28, 1798), ask-
ing that they and their successors be legally authorized,
"in such manner as to his wisdom might best seem
meet, to prevent any spirituous liquors from being
oftered for sale or barter, or used as an enticement to
trade, in any town or settlement of Indians that might
be made under their direction within the limits of his
jurisdiction." They enforced this request by the follow-;
ing considerations : " The practice of introducing spirit-;
uous liquors into Indian towns is, in its consequences,!

Eoad 18 a frame house erected over the cellar of Zeisherger's dwelling.
A part of the apple orchard remains on the west side of the road.

Zeisberger visited the site of New Schonbrunn, November 11. Single i
posts of the garden-fences formed the only parts of the town that were/
still standing. A grtat many Indian implements and vessels, however,
lay scattered on the ground. The place where Schonbrunn stood was,
called, in that country, Tuppakin, or, by some, Opafcm, or the Upperl
Moldavian Town. The whole region was thickly overgrown with bushes]
and rank weeds.

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(716) 873-4503

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656

LIFE AND TIMES OF

highly inimical to every attempt to reform and civilize

, the Indian nations. Not to enlarge on the wickedness

1 of taking advantage of the weakness of a race of our

fellow-men, for purposes of deceit, and to their manifest

destruction, we believe, also, that the habits of idleness

and vice to which it leads, by enervating their coniititu-

tions, and diminishing their numbers, are inconsistent

with the interests of that very trade which it is meant

to promote. We conceive, therefore, that it must be

the ardent wish of every benevolent and patriotic

mind, that, if possible, an end might be put to so ira-

I moral and pernicious a practice."^ This memorial was

t signed by David Zeisberger and Benjamin Mortimer,

as also by John Heckewelder, in his capacity of agent

of the Society. In response, the Governor sent a mes-

Isage to the territorial legislature, which passed a bill in

/harmony with the wishes of the missionaries.*

Zeisberger began his work in the valley, as of old,
preaching regularly in the chapel, and conversing upon
religion vrith the numerous Indians who came to visit
him. His venerable age and earnest words made a deep
impression upon their hearts. On the twenty-fourth of
;' March, 1799, he baptized Peraahoaland and his wife, as
the first fruits of the renewed Mission. She was the
widow of his old friend "White Eyes. Some time
after, Hakinkpomsgu, Captain Pipe's successor, came
to Goshen. William Henry Gelelemend made him the
I bearer of a message to the Delaware nation, informing

» Copy of the Memorial. MS. G. A.
> Burnet's'Notes, 812 and 884.

t, t

DAVID ZEISDERGER

them of the return of the Christian Indians, and inviting
them to frequent Goshen and hear the Word of God.

But, however auspicious this resuscitation of the
missionary enterprise in the Tuscarawas valley at first /
appeared, the entire reservation could not be used for
the Christian Indians. Hence the Society for Propa-
gating the Gospel leased a part of it to settlers from the |
States, some of whom took up land at Gnadenhut-
ten, and others on the site of Salem.' In the course

1 As this is a point of local interest to the present inhabitants of that
portion of the Tuscarawas valley, we will give, in this note, a brief his-
tory of the first settlements. The Society had foreseen that the land
could not all be used by the Christian Indians, even before their arrival,
and had issued a circular inviting members and friends of the Church
to settle there (Sept. 13, 1796). Certain conditions were fixed upon
which lots cf 100 to 150 acres would be leased. In order that there
might be no misconception concerning this point, Bishop Ettwein drew
up an historic statement (MS. G. A.) setting forth the principles accord-
ing to which the Society acted, and which he had previously explained\
to A committee of Congress : 1st. All the former inhabitants and their )
descendants, together with Killbuclc and White Eyes and their descend- \
ants, should have land rent free, as long as they remained in allegiance (
to the United States and observed the rules of the Mission. 2d. Land •■
not needed by the Indians was to bo let out to white settlers, the rent to ',
be used for the benefit of the former, in providing them with ministers, i
schoolmasters, books, and churches. He adds: "The trustees will not, >
and cannot, mnke any other use of the produce but what is for the benefit ;'
of the Christian Indians, and hold the whole uudivided for them, for- )
ever, in performance of the patent or deed for the land. No part can )
be given away or sold." In response to the circular of the Society, the •
first to arrive were Jacob Bush and two other seUlers, May 6, 1799. On
the twenty-ninth of the same month came Paul Greer, Peter Edmonds, j'
Ezra "Warner, and Peter Warner from Gnadenhiitton on the Mahony;)
and, on October 18th, David and Dorcas Peter from Bethlehem. Peter}
hud been appointed to take charge of a store opened by the Society
Soon after more .'amilies arrived from the Mahony. The first teams;
with goods reached the settlement in June, Henry Bollinger, of Naze-^
reth, and Jacob Ricksecker, of Litiz, being the drivers. John Juu^-(

658

LIFE AND TIMES OF

of the summer, Zeisberger paid them a visit, and, at
their request, administered the Holy Supper of the
Lord (July 13). The associations of Gnadcnhiitten
awakened such deep feelings in his heart that he deliv-
ered an address full of sad reminiscences, and yet in-
stinct with unquenchable faith. For the little band
of communicants it was one of those occasions that
\ memory enshrines.' Lewis Huebner subsequently be-
-came the regular pastor of this colony (July, 1800),
J which erected a church-edifice, dedicated by Zeisberger
|to the Triune God, July 10, 1803.=^

"While God thus permitted His aged servant to labor,

'awhile longer, among the settlers and the Indians, two

of the other heroes of the Western Mission were called

to receive their crowns. On the fourth of January,

X1800, Gottlob Senseman died at Fairfield: and on the

j' ; eighth of October, 1801, William Edwards, at Goshen,

I aged seventy-eight years. Both had been faithful

I coadjutors of Zeisberger. They had toiled and suffered,

reaped and triumphed, together. The summons came

to Senseman in the midst of his activity; Edwards,

broken down by the infirmities of old age, was longing

i to be at rest. For several years he had been unable to

mann, a son of the missionary, was sent out to superintend the clearing
of the liind, and bore the title of Steward. , He returned to the States in
November. -p-CAftrcA Book of Beers heba, G. A., and various MSS. in the
Archives of the Society for Propagating the Oospel.

' Church Book of Beorsheba. G. A.

* Huebner was born, August 8, 1761, at Nazareth, where he was edu-
cated. Prior to his emigration to the West, he was pastor of various
Moravian ciiuiches in Pennsylvania, at Bethel, York, and other places.

DAVID ZEJSBERGER.

659

attend to his duties, but declined retiring to the States.^
He_.wished_to_die among the Indians. "^

About this time, the Delawares were trying to kindle
a na tional co uncil-fire on the White River. Tedpachxit
was their chief, and they had six towns, of which t^^e
large •• were Woapikamikunk, Monsey- Anderson, and
Sarah "^own. From these villages there came, at last,
an answer to the speech of Geleleraend, sent a yearj
previously. The tribe congratulated the converts upon ■•
their return to the Tuscarawas, and expressed a desire ',
for white teachers and a Christian colony. This wish /
having been reported to the Board, John Peter Kluge*"
and Abraham Luckenbach^ were appointed to begin a 1
Mission. They spent the autumn and winter of 1800!^' <•
at Goshen, studying the Delaware language under the
instructions of Zeisberger, and proceeded, in spring,/
to the White River, with fifteen converts, where they';
establitihed themselves twenty miles below WoapikamiJ
kunk.

1 Born October 3, 17G0, at Gumbinnon, in Prussia. In 1780, he joined
the Moravian Church at Klcinwolke, Saxony, and in 1794 wont to Suri-
nam, as a missionary to tiie Arawack Indians. In 1800, he camn to the
United States and served the Indian Mission. After leaving the West
ho was pastor of various Moravian churches, and died at Bothlohom
January 30, 1849, in the eighty-first year of his age.

' Born Mjfy 5, 1777, in Leliigh Co., Pa.; entered Nazareth Hall, a
boarding-school for boys, at Nazareth, Pa., as a teacher, in 1797; be-
came a missionary among the Indians in 1800, and labored as such, i
with great faithfulness, at various stations for forty-three years, when/,
lie retired to Bethlehem, whore he died March 8, 1854. He edited they'
second edition of Zeisberger's Delaware Hymn Book, and published!
"Select Scripture Narratives from the Old Testament translated into.v
Delaware." J

v..

660

LIFE AND TIMES OF

Many hopeful signs followed the birth of thisnew
enterprise. In November, 1802, twelve Delaware chiefs,
among them Tedpaehxit himself, and the representa-
tives of ten other nations, arrived at Goshen, on their
way to Washington, to visit President Jeflferson, and
consolidate the amity subsisting between the United
States and ihe Indians.' A few months later, the East
responded to this act of friendship on the part of the
'West, and there appeared a deputation of Stockb ridge
•'Indians, headed by Hendrich Aupaumut and John

■ Metoxen, who had been educated at Bethlehem, going
" from tribe to tribe, throughout the territory, and exhort-
I ing their brothers of eveiy name to receive the Gospel

■ and adopt the ways of civilization and peace.* In the
,.^/ eame year, Christian De n^e, who had succeeded Sense-

[man at Fairfield, and with whom another new-comer,

1 Oppelt by name, was associated, s et_up a cabin amon g

tbeChippewas^on the Jon^ uahamiky \n Jhe midst of

eight villages, and preached Ch rist ; while a young man

from Fulneck, in England, John Ben Haven, reached
Goshen, eager to assist in the work of the Lord. Nor
was interest in the natives of the West confined to
the Moravians. The year after Zeisberger's arrival at

1 The interpreter of this party was John Conner, a son of Richard,
born at Schonbrunn, and baptized by Zeisberger.

» These Indians lived at New StockbriJgc, in Massachusetts. Their
clan was composed of Mohicans and otiers, with whom had. amalga-
mated the descendants of Brainerd's New Jersey Indians, who had Bold
their land to that State. They were Christians; engaged in farming;
and had a missionary among them, named Sargent, a Congregationalist,
who had devoted his whol" life to this remnant. John Konkaput, a
former pupil of Nazareth Hall, lived among them.

going

-.^.

'.^

Goshen, an aged Quaker preacher, with six members 1
of his Society, came to consult him upon the best mode^
of evangelizing the Indians, in view of extensive Mis-
sions which his people wished to inaugurate among)
the Chippewas and Delawares.

All these efforts to spread the Gospel filled Zeis-
bcrger's heart with joy. The prospects for a general
conversion of the Indians seemed to him to have
been never more favorable. He took new courage \ i
and labored with fresh zeal ; baptizing converts, among r 'X ''
them Joseph White Eyes, a son of the captain; finish- .-^
ing the manuscript of his Delaware Hymn BookjL/j^
(1802); and instructing the various young missionaries I ,.
who entered the field.* The only drawback from"
such cheering experiences was the introduction of | ^y .• ,
ardent spirits by traders, in spite of the prohibitory law I y / ''^v-u,,
and the prompt measures which Zeisberger adopted, / ?* ' '^r4>^
who, on one occasion, seized the casks and had them/ ' '-iwc v.
emptied into the river. These grasping and unprinci-l ^J. ^ -
pled men succeeded in eluding his utmost vigilanc^,^ —^ "^'-h'
and the Indians became contaminated.

Meantime the Board, which had so long and faith-
fully directed the affairs of the Mission, had undergone
an entire change of members. Ettwein had died at
Bethlehem (January 2, 1802); Schweinitz at Herrnhut,
but four years after entering the Directory of the
Unitas Fratrum; and Huebner had become a mem-

1 At the clos cof 1800, the chtfrjkftt Goshen courit
the largest number that Mission ever had.

LJBOUls,

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662

LIFE AND TIMES OF

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ber of the same body. Bishop Loskiel,' the historian of

the Indian Mission, was now President of the Board,

and John Gebhard Cunow had taken Schweinitz's place.

In the autumn of 1803, Loskiel paid an official visit

/to Goshen ; and held a conference of missionaries

('(October 10 to 21), which was attended by Schnall, as

I the deputy from Fairfi^id, who had recently joined that

' post. The whole work was fully discussed, and a re-

'; newal of the Mission at New Salem determined upon.

Zeisberger gave his matured experience, and many a

word of advice and monition fell from his lips. He

i spoke in particulrr, and very pointedly, upon the do-

jgeneracy of the younger missionaries when on journeys.

[Formerly, he said, evangelists went out into every

ipart of the wilderness with scanty provisions but a

'firm trust in God; now well-laden pack-horses were

J deemed essential. Hence exploratory tours, to look

': up new place": where the Gospel could be preached,

( had almost come to an end. At the conclusion of the

conference, Bishop Loskiel ordained Haven (October

j21, 1803), the first ordination ever witnessed by the

• George Henry Loskiel, horn November 7, 1740, at Angermundo, in
Ourland, the son of a Lutheran minister, joined the Moravian Chun li
'in 1759, and filled various oflSoes until 1782, when he became Superin-
tendent of the Domestic Mission in Livonia, ani agent for the Unitas
Fratrum in Russia. During this period he wrote his History. In
;■] ^1789, ho became pastor of the church at Gnadenfeld, Silesia, and sub-
sequently of other German churches. In 1802, he was consecrated a
bishop and caoie to America, as President of the Board, from which
be retired in 1810, and lived at Bethlehem, where he received an ap-
pointment to the Directory in Europe, in 1812, but could not leave
America on account of the war and his failing health. He died February
23, 1814.

DAVID ZEISDERQER.

663

Indians; and distribnted Zoisberger's Hymn Book,
wbich had bcen^j)rintedjjt_PJiila^elph

Anotb'ir result of bis visit was the religious develop-
ment of the colony of white settlers. In response to
the earnest application of those living on the west side
of the Tuscarawas, he gave them authority to begin
an organization of their own. They built a second]
Moravian church, which was dedicated (December 15,}
1805), in the presence of about two hundred persons, ;
by Zeisuerger, who performed the act with patriarchal i
unction, Oft'ering up, says Ileckewelder, a prayer of!
extraordinary fervor. This station received the name
of Beersheba,* and was in charge of George Godfrey
Mueller, Iluebner having been recalled. Mueller^
preached, statedly, in English at Beersheba, and iiil
German at Gnadenhlitten.*

In the spring of 1804, Oppelt and Haven led out a"]

colony from Fairfield, and began the enterprise, pro- (.

jected on the Pettquotting, near to the site of Xewj

Salem. Meantime John Joachim Ilagen joined the Mis- \

eion at Goshen; and AbrahaniSteinei\ and. Gottlieb/

' ■ ' 1
By'.ian comm emied a work among the Cherokees ofV

G eorgia (18 01), after Steiner and Frederick de Schwei-I ■

nitz had undertaken two exploratory tours through theirj

country (1799 and 1800).

1 It was situated on the west side of the Tuscarawas, in Clay Township,
Tuscarawas County, on the farm now (18C3) owned by Benedict Gross.

» Church Book of Beersheba. G. A. Mueller was born, May 22, 1762,
at Hennersdorf, near Herrnhut, in Saxony. He immigrated to America
in 1784, and was pastor of various Moravian churches prior to his
appointment to Beersheba.

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LIFE AND TIMES OP

But this rapid iDcreose of the Indian Mission, which

now numbered twelve laborers and six stations, was its

Uast spasmodic effort to subdue the aboriginal domain,

Mand bring its natives under the swa^ of righteousness

and truth. The very next year (1805) brought on a

mournful change.
I In consequence of the influx of settlers, the prohib-
I itory law could not bo carried out on the reservation.
j Not only passing traders, but its near neighbors,
'(tempted the Indians in every possible way. They
I looked them up in the forest especially, when hunt-
I ing or sugar-boiling, supplied them with liquor, and
I then entrapped them in bargains which were as ad-
j vantageous to themselves as they were ruinous to the
natives. A regular gang of thieves and desperadoes
'infested the vicinity of Goshen, who worked incalcu-
] lable injury to the Mission.

' Durmff the Holy Passion- week, most of the converts
were intoxicatejj. Zeisberger did what he could to
stop ^e evil; and the Indians gave earnest promises
to reform. But a demon had been let loose among
them, and they fell into his power so often that drunk-
^enness became the mortal sin and the destroying vice
\ of the little flock. Some of them, indeed, like Gelele-
mend, remained faithful to the last ; and the majority
of them erred, not with premeditation, but through that
want of stability which is everywhere characteristic of
the aborigines, as soon as they meet the white man
holding out the inebriating cup.

This state of affairs continued to grow worse. Indians

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

665

from beyond the reservation in3titute(l carousals at \
Goshen, defying all control; and, in the course of
time, the prohibitory law w&b repealed, at the instance !
of traders, as being an infringement on the rights !
and liberties of a free people. At the other stations, (
too, a carnal and rebellious spirit manifested itself.
Hitherto, amid the greatest trials of the Mission, even \
when it was reduced to a mere handful, it had remained!
vigorous, because of its faith and spiritual life. Butl
now it was shorn of its strength, and its glory was de- i
parting, because inward corruptioa preyed upon its i
vitals. I

Other distressing experiences occurred. In 1806,'
Denke left his post, on account of the ill-will yvhicb'
the Mission was exciting among the Chippewas, with-j
out having gained a single convert. At the same
time excesses broke out among the Delawares on
the White River. Incited by tha^t notorious prophet
and fierce warrior, Tecunig eb, the young men of the
nation usurped the government, asserting that there
were sorcerers at work whose arts must be suppressed,
and murdered Joshua, a worthy and consistent mem-
ber of the Christian colony, throwing his body into
the flames. The same fate befell their aged chief,
Tedpachxit, whose own son was a ringleader in these
outrages. Kluge and Luckenbach were forced to^
Abandon the Mission. In the following year (1807),
the contaminating influences cf a debauched clan of
Monseys, as well as the alienation of the land to white
settlers, broke up the station on the Pettquotting. The

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LIFE AND TIMES OF

few converts that were left, removed to the west bank
of the Sandusky River.

All these events overwhelmed Zeisberger with such
^poignant sorrow, that his health began to fail, and he
I often expressed a desire to depart and be with Christ.
In June, 1807, Charles de Forestier, a member of the
Directory in Europe, on an official visit to t)iO Moravian
churches of America, came, with John Gebhard Cunow,
to cheer him; but he had little to say to them, and
mostly kept his bed. His eventful career was drawing
to a close.

And yet even now that particular providence was

displayed which had accompanied him through the

world, from his infancy to his hoary age — from the

i time his parents fled with him out of Moravia to the

■ days in which he was to be set free forever from bond-

( age in every form. In the course of his long abode

\ in the wilderness, he had been often delivered from

I the murderous hands of savages ; but his escapes from

deadly serpents had been almost numberless. The

last of such deliverances occurred during the summer.

\ One morning, as he woke from sleep, he found that a

|hnge rattlesnake had been coiled up, all night long,

beneath the pillow on which his head had been resting.

J If ever the promise given by the Lord Jesus, touching

one of the signs which should "follow them that be-

lieve," namely, "they shall take up serpents," was ful-

i filled since the apostolic age, such a fulfillment may

1 be found in David Zeisberger's life.

DAVID ZEISDERQER.

G67

CHAPTER XLVI.

■ If

THE LAST YEAR OF ZEISBERQER'S LIFE.— 1808.

Zcisborgor's literary labors. — Indians from Pettquotting at Goshen. —
Tlioir scandalous bohavior. — Zoii-borgcr'.s last public discourso n de-
nunciation of thoir conduct. — His healtb fails. — His testimony respect-
ing his life and his hopes in view of death. — Interview with tho
Christian Indians. — Farewell to tho Mist'on family. — Ili.s suti'erings
and death. — A review of his work among the Indians. — Sketch of his
character by Heckewelder and Mortimer. — His funeral and interment.

Zeisberger's' general health grew better, but the in-\
firmities of old age began to distress hira. His hearing !
was impaired, and his eyesight fast failing. He could
no longer read or write. This was a heavy trial, but he ;
thanked God that it had been withheld until his literary'
labors were completed.

Of these, besides the Hymn Book, the most impor-
tant was a translation into Delaware of Lieber/cUlm's
Harmony of the Four Gospels, a work that cost him in-
finite trouble, and upon which he expended the greatest ,'
care. He aleo finished his Delaware Grammar, which
was, however, never printed. Of his Spelling-Book, he\
edited a second edition.

He now often spoke of dying, and longed to b*^ at

1 Mortimer's Journal, MS. L. A. ; Heckewelder's Biographical
Sketch; Mueller's Diary of Beersheba, MS. G. A.; Mortimer's Nar-
rative of Zeisberger's Last Days and Characterization, appended to
Heckewelder's Sketch.

668

LIFE ND TIMES OF

rest. Whenever Mortimer, or others, expressed a hope
that he would he spared awhile, he replied: "Why
; shall I stay here ? I can be used no longer. My work
J. is done."

About raid(^ammer, forty Indians from Pel tquotting

H^ arrived, for the most part heathens, with the intention

of staying at Goshen for some time. Several weeks

• JK 'A'v' l^ter, they were joined by a second party, so that the

1 J

■/.

village was full of visitors. Gelelemend welcomed
them in Zeisberger's nam^, but besought them to ab-
stain from strong drink. " Your aged father cannot
bear to see you intoxicated," he added. " It pierces his
i^ >r heart. You will shorten his days if you give way to
this sin." They promised to avoid everything that
would grieve him. Not long after, however, a boat
came up the Tuscarawas laden with rum. The Pett-
quotting Indians were out hunting ; but they no sooner
heard of it than they forgot their promises, flocked to
the river, like vultures around carrion, and began a
carousal so wild and fearful that the Goshen converts
fled to the woods, and the neighboring settlers, seizing
their rifles, hastened to guard the Mission propeity and
protect the missionaries.

Soon after this, a part of the savages left Goshen ;
but the rest continued in debaucheries of every kind.
This stirred up the old fire within Zeisberger's heart.
Summoning all the Indians, both converts and heathens,
to the chapel, he addressed them in substance aa
follows :

" When our friends from Pettquotting came here, we

^■<i

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IMr«iMtau««{Wi* :a n»-

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

669

admonished them to lead a sober, righteous, and godly
life, while at Goshen. They promised to do so, but they
have not kept their promise. Therefore I herewith
notify them, that the time has come for returning to
their own lodges.

*' But this is not all I have to say. There is a house
here in which the following persons" — mentioning them
by name — " are living, who have given themselves up
to every kind of vice. They act like wild beasts, and
not like men. They do not belong to our people ; aq,d
yet they want to be masters in this town. Therefore
I herewith command these persons instantly to leave
Goshen, and never again to show themselves among us.

" Before they go, however, I will add a few words for
their special benefit, and in the way of warning for you
all. As a general thing, your teachers speak kindly to
you, cheer and comfort you, and tell you of the love of(
God. But 1 wish you to know that the Bible contains
no*^ only sweet promises, but also fearful denunciations
upon the children of darkness, and says, particularly,
that neither drunkards, nor harlots, nor fornicators, nor
murderers, nor evil-doers of any kind will inherit the
kingdom of God, but will, unless they repent, be cast,
with the de' od his angels, into hell-tire, where they
will be tormented for ever and ever, without the possi-
bility of escape, or the hope of salvation. I wish j'ou
to hear this, once more, from my lips C"^. you leave this
place ; so that, on the day of judgment, you may not
bring forward as excuse for your wickedness that I and
your other teachers did not tell you the consequences
if you persist in your present course."

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670

I •tl^i' ,*i \ ■' •■ >■' C'i^-\.yC-(f'i-'\A^^'t-CL^t.^-'

LIFE AND TIMES OF

}

This was tbe^Jast^ j^^ubljcaddress^ ever deliver ed by
Zeiaberger^ After having, for more than sixty years,
proclaimed the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, he was
constrained to close his ministrations with a thro^vt of
terrible woe to the ungodly. The result was the dis-
persion of the whole gang. Fear fell upon all. Some
left that same day ; others followed in a few days ; in a
week's time there was not a savage to be seen at Goshen.

In October a_^klj^8ea8^n_ set.inj^ndZ
again fell seriously^jlL- The Rev. Mr. Espich, a Lu-
theran clergyman and physician, who had recently settled
at New Philadelphia,* attended him. On the twenty-
ninth, the sacrament of the Lord's Supper was adminis-
tered to him, at his request, in the circle of the Mission
family. He now failed rapidly, and, with a oomposed-
ness which was characteristic of him, began to conl'>.m-
plate his approaching end and all its circumstances.
To Mortimer he said, that he was ready to die, and
that nothing troubled him except the spiritual state of
the Indians.

This had cast a deep shadow upon the last years of
his life and brought him into many an agony of prayer.
"I may t uthfully assert," writes Ileckewelder, "that
he wrest' d every day with God, from whom alone help
could come, and cried to Him that He world heal the
diseases of His people."* It seemed to Zeisborger as
though he could not leave the converts, while they were

> Tho county town of Tu^cnrawas County, founded, by about fifty
persons, in the spring of 1804. — Moiiimer'a Journal.
* Heckewelder's Biographical Sketch.

DAVID ZEISBEBGER.

671

80 lukewarm, so weak in resisting temptation, so prone
to commit sin.

Mortimer called them together and told them what
Zeisberger had said, beseeching them first to repent
before God, and secure His forgiveness, and then
to go to their dying father, who had spent his life
among them, confess their sins to him also, and ask his
pardon for all the sorrow they had caused him. This
would be acceptable to the Lord. Their father must
not pass away with such a weight upon his mind. The
Indians were moved, and promised compliance.

The next day, Zeisberger remarked to Morumer:
"As my weakness is continually increasing and my
appetite gone, I believe that the Saviour intends to take
me to Himself. Lying here, oft ~;n sleepless, on my bed,
I have employed the time in reviewing my whole past
life, and find so many faults, and so much cause for
forgiveness, that nothing remains to me but His grace. '
Nevertheless, I know that I am His. I trust in the !
efficacy of Ilis atoning blood, which makes one clean !
from all sin. The Saviour is mine. The Saviour's •;
merits are mine. Some Christians die rejoicing, with '
joy unspeakable and full of glory. This is not my case. ,
I leave the world as a poor sinner. My spirit God wilL
receive. I am certain of that. This mortal with all its ;
sinfulness, I leave behind." ^-*

This remarkable testimony, unveiling his innermost
experiences, to which he had never been in the habit
of refe»-ri!ig, given at the brink of eternity, as a legacy
to all who should come after him, was delivered with

•f :

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672

LIFE AND TIMES OF

great meekness of spirit and humility of manner, but
also with the confident boldness of a child of God and
an heir of heaven.

The converts now came to visit him, one by one, and,
amid many tears, prayed him to forgive all the sorrow
they had caused him, assuring him that they had recon-
secrated their lives to Christ. He received them with
that gentleness and authority which he knew so well
how to blend in his intercourse with the Indians ; told
them of his unabated interest in their welfare ; warned
them against drunkenness as the sin which so easily
beset them, and which would ruin their souls if they did
not renounce it; declared to them that in heaven he
would be in the midst of the great cloud of witnesses,
W"\ and would see whether they followed Christ, adding, that
even if but one among them remained behind, he would
grieve in the midst of his glory.

After this he grew weaker and seldom sat up. But
he wanted the latest intelligence of the spread of the
Gospel among the heathen read to him, from some
; missionary reports which had been sent to the station.

On the twelfth of November, the cramp in his bowels

(from which he had often suffered, in the last years,
returned with great vehemence. He was now confined
^ to his bed. Mortimer and the Indians vied with each
other in ministering to him. The following day, he
called the ^hole Mission family around him, thanked
jhis wife, with deep fervor, for the willingness with which
she had shared the hardships, privations, and trials to
I which his missionary life had exposed them, and for

» i

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

673

twenty-six years of true Icve in all other respects ; bade
an affectionate farewell to Mortimer and Mrs. Mortimer;
and laid his patriarchal blessing upon their children.
Toward midnight he seemed to be dying; and Morti-
mer commended his cpirit into the hands of the Lord
Jesus Christ.

But this was not the hour of his release. lie lived
for several days longer, in great pain. It was the last
oross which he had to bear, and he took it up with
resignation, praying much in a voice scarcely audible.
Once he was heard to say : " Lord Jesus, I beseech
Thee, come and take my spirit to Thyself." Again,
being in great agony : " Thou hast never forsaken me
in any of the severe trials of my life; Thou wilt not
forsake me now!" Soon after, as though an answer
had come from the world above, he exclaimed : " The
Saviour is near ! Perhaps He will soon call and take mei
home !" Nothing soothed him so much as Delaware
hymns, from his Hymn Book, especially those appointed',
for the dying, which the Indians sang, grouped aroundj
his bed.

On the seventeenth, Heckewelder came from Gnadeu-
hiitten, and Mueller from Beersheba, to see him once\
more. He expressed his satisfaction by signs, but could >
not speak. Soon after they had taken leave of him, the \
hour of dissolution drew near. The chapel bell was (
tolled. At that signal, all the adult Indians of Goshen )
silently entered, and surrounded the couch, which had )
been moved to the center oi the room, and close by;
which his wife and Mortimer were sitting. At the]

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674

LIFE AND TIMES OF

open door were several Indian boys, and among tbem

Samuel Fry, the son of a white settler. Zeisberger

lay calm, without pain, and perfectly conscious. The

converts sang hymns, treating of Jesus the Prince of

Life, of death swallowed up in victory, and of Jeru-

jsalem the Church above. He occasionally responded

I by signs expressive of his joy and peace. Amid such

i strains, at half-past three o'clock in the afternoon,

; he breathed his last, without a struggle, and went to

God. All present immediately fell upon their knees.

The Indians sobbed aloud, and Mortimer, with much

emotion, thanked the Lord that He had delivered

His servant from death, and that He had blessed his

testimony while living, to the conversion of so many

;> souls among the aborigines of America, beseeching Him

^ to strengthen the converts that remained, so that they

might follow their father's footsteps and meet him in

. heaven. Zeisbe^rger-'a age wageighty-seven ye ars and

^^^evfiojaijontlis .

• "^^ Looking b ack upon his missionarj^ care er of sixty-two
yearsj^weare led to reflections of a ^gc uliar chara ctgr.

From one pomt of view, a cloud hung over his death-
bed, after all his labors, perils, courage, and faithfulness.
For himself, he was certain of his reward ; but for his
life-work, the future was dark. True, he did not
cease to hope. " In the last years of his pilgrimage,"
says Heckewelder, -'whenever the conversation turned
upon the former blessed seasons of grace and glory,
which he had seen among the Indians, his spirit re-
vived, und he expressed a hope that, in His own time,

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DAVID ZEISBERGER.

676

God would renew the days of His people as of old.'"
But as long as such a change was withheld, he knew
that the Mission would continue to decline. It had
flourished like a glorious sjcaraore by the rivers of
Western valleys; but now he saw that a worm was
gnawing at its roots and its beauty withering away.

Maiiy ofjiis aspirations had not been fulfilled. There,
was no Mission, bearing the ancient name of his Church, |
among the Six Nations, and although others had gathered j
into Christ's fold some of their number, the Iroqu'ois, as
a people, were not converted. There was no Christian
state of Delawares in Ohio, flourishing in the arts and
ways of civilization, a center of power, whence messen-
gers were going to the West and the South to lead other
nations to the knowklge of the truth. A broken rem-
nant of the Lenni-Lenape, steeped in all the worst
abominations of heathenism, eked out their existence
far away from their former council-fires. There \ya8 no
station anaong the Chipjpe\vas. The servant of God, i
who had brought them the Gospel, had turned back dis-
appointed from their lodges. There was no prosperous
church anywhere as a monument of Zeisberger's prayers j
and work. Fairfield was not what it had been; on the \
Sandusky stood but a cottage in a vineyard ; around his '
own little chapel, at Goshen, clustered the huts of barely
a score of natives.

He looked to other lands, and he beheld the Zion of
his fathers victorious in her conflict with paganism, in

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Hcckcwelder's Biographical Sketch,

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676 /

LIFE AND TIMES OF

nearly all the ends of the earth. In the West Indies, in
Surinam, on the ieo-bound coasts of Greenland and Lab-
rador, amid the groves of South Africa, thousands had
/been reclaimed. The missionary fame of the Unitas
Fratrnra rang through the Christian world. Not only
single souls, but whole nations were converted. Yet in

i the Indian country, where faithfulness and endurance
jhud been manifested, and hardships and dangers experi-
jenced, unparalleled elsewhere, that evangelization which
lleads 'tribes to the God of Jacob had proved a failure.

This result was, however, not peculiar to his Church.
On the contrar}', it seems to be the end ^f every^mis-
/ siouary^ worjk iuj;he mid^t of races that jj_re_dying_out.
; At no time has there_been a Mission among the Nort h
I American Indians which grew statedh^^'om^_y;ear_to
1 yeaT j spreading abroad its iiifluejjjees, and keeping pace
with other enterprises among the vigorous nations of
the heathen \ yild. Eliot's communities prospered for
a time, and then passed away, like the leaves of the
woods where his converts hunted. Not a vestige of the
tribe remains. But one man is still living, it is said,
who can read the Indian Bible which he translated with
so much labor. On the lands where his Indians wor-
shiped, are communities of the Anglo-Saxon race that
Ihave never seen a native. A few descendants of Brai-
|nerd's Indians may yet exist, but soon they, too, will all
I be gone. Kirkland's work is almost forgotten in the
regions where it prospered. In the West and South
everywhere, Indian Missions have always been feeble,
' and languish now.

f <^ t.iv ;y.u'^ 1.^

*«MMM»#MWHMWw. .

DAVID ZEISDEROER,

677

The discouragements amid which Zeisberger died)
grew, therefore, originally, out of the character and
mournful destiny of the race to which he brought the,
Gospel. At the same time it does not admit of a doubt j
that he might have counted his converts by thousands,
if he had forsaken the principles of his Church and
acted contrai'y to his own convictions. The aiin_.of
t he Mo ravians, in their work among; the heathen, was
the real conversion of souls. Hence they not only with-

•"'•^~^,^^-—..

held baptism until evident signs of a change of heart ap-
peared, but used precautions unknown to other Christian
denominations, and long since set aside in the Moravian \
Church, because they proved to be a barrier of doubtful .'
propriety.

But, from another point of view, Zeisberger's J^oary_

^SftiJ£2S-~£.l?-^*195^ ^yi^A-Kl^^T' Taking into account
the character of his work, and comparing it with
that of other missionaries among the aborigines of
our country, he stands foremost of all the men that
entered the same field in the eighteenth century. In- [
deed, in some respects, he far outranks Eliot himself,
whose labors belong to a preceding age. This apostle
of the Indians remained in New England, and preached
to its tribes; but the apostle of the Western Indians;
traversed Massachusetts and Connecticut, Now York,(
Pennsylvania, and Ohio, entered Michigan and Canada,!
preaching to many nations in many tongues. Ilel
brought the Gospel to the Mohicans and Wampa-|
noags, to the Nanticokes and Shawanese, to the Chip- 1
pewas, Ottawas, and Wyandots, to the Unamis, Una^J

-J...

1^,

i; 1

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678

LIFE AND TIMES OF

laclitgos, and Monseys of the Delaware race, to the
Onondagas, Cayugas, and Senecas of the Six Nations.
SgeakmgthoDelaware hmgmige fliiciitl y, us well as the
Mojiawk and Onondaga dialects of the Iro2^ix>i8j_faiHii:
iar wjtli the Caj^uga and qther tongues ; an adopted
sachem of the Six Nations ; naturalized among the
Monseys by a formal act of the tribe ; swaying for a
number of years the Grand Council of the Delawares ;
at one time the Keeper of the Archives' of the Iroquois
Confederacy; versed in the customs of the aborigines ;
I adapting himself to their mode of thought, and, by long
1 habit, a native in many of his own ways; — no Protest-
jant missionary, and but few men of any other calling,
'ever exercised more real influence and was more sin-
j cerely honored, among the Indians ; and no one, except
the Catholic evangelists, with whom the form of baptism
was the end of their work, exceeded him in the fre-
quency and hardships of his journeys through the
jwilderness, the immbers whom he received into the
j Church of Christ, and brought to a consistent practice
j of Christianity, and the conversion of characters most
\ depraved, ferocious, and desperate.
'^ Then, to Oj the frequent removal of the Mission from
/place to place, while it hindered the \York in some re-
8£ectS;L_served_^to spread thj,,(;J_ospel in^ ...ojthcrs. Zeis-
berger, at the head of the Christian Indians, with the
open Bible in his hands, was a messenger of the truth

Ito nations from nearly every section of tlie West, that,
in theif turn, often became its herald among their own

DAVTD ZEJSBERGER.

679

countrymen. It was thus made knowu m regions where
no missionary ever appeared.'

But, perhaps, the most illustrious feature and succeas-
ful pHr t_of_hJ8_work were the Christian gomniunities
which he established. They were the wonder of all who
saw them, whether white men or natives ; and Ijiey
seem even to us, who can only read of them, miracles
of energy and faith. A hunter and a warrior, the In-
dian was constrained to give up his wild hai/ita and cruel
ways; to quench all the instincts of his savage nature;
to change most of the customs of his race ; to acknowl-
edge woman as his equal ; to perform the labor liimself
which for generations had been put upon her; to lay
aside his plumes, paint, and traditional ornaments of
every kind; to assume the dress which white men wore;
to plow and plant and reap like any farmer; to rove
no longer through the wilderness at pleasure, building
lodges here and there, but to remain with his family in
one town ; and, above all, to submit to municipal enact-
ments, which were of necessity so stringent that nothing
could be more galling to the native pride of American
aborigines.*

' " By tho dispersal and the constant wanderings of the Indian Con- t
gregation," writes Mortimer in his Journal of October, 1798, " a general f
knowledge of them has been spread abroad, their fuith and character /
arc known and spoken of even beyond tho Mississippi River. Many \
who heard tho Gospel through them have witnessed among their ovinj
countryman of a Saviour, in life or death." . i

» In an article on Gnadenhiitten, published in tho AUajitic Monthlyoi)
January, 1809, tho author says: "The success of the good men who.
effected this change seems like a poet's dream, in view of what we know i
of Indian life."

'f-

y /U^^'^'^'^^'^

680

L7FJS -4^/) TIMES OF

\ \ I, I

•if' ■

I!" i

■■<

Nor must wp look upon Zeisberger aa a jpiss iona yy
only; J ^o was oiifi^ Jl^y niost^ uqtablo pigueers^ of jnvil;
ization our country has ever known. We lind him
among the settlers who developed the infant Colony of
Georgia. He came to Pennsylvania, and helped to found
towiis in the Forks of the Delaware, in the Lehigh val-
ley, and in what is now Northumberland County. He
continued to labor in the same Province, and built
Friedenshiitten on the Susquehanna, Lawunakhannek
on the Alleghany, and Friendensatadt on the Beaver.
He passed into Ohio, hying out Schonbrunn, Gnaden-
hiitten, New Schonbrunn, and Goshen, on the Tuscar-
,'awas; Lichtenau on the Muskingum; Pilgerruh on the
\ Cuyahoga; and New Salem on the Huron. He pressed
'forward even to Michigan, and brought into existence
a third GnadenhUtten. He found his way to Upper
Canada, erected a Watch-Tower at the mouth of the
, Detroit, and made Fairiield a center of industry and
trade. Thirteen villages sprang up at his bidding,
where native agents prepared the way for the husband-
man and the mechanic of the coming race,
/r Zei8bergej.;_vvas_a man of sniall stature^ but wo U pro-
.ij/ /portioned. His face wore the marks of constant ex-
.(/"* ^ l5<>5ure and of a liardy'lifer It was lurrowed with deep
jlines, yet always cheerful and pleasing. His dress was
J'jt v/very plain, but scrupulously neat and clean. Except for
medicinal purposes, he never used spirituous liquors.
His words were few. He had adopted the reticence
):]- jr- I of the natives among whom he frpent his life. In con^
•^ ' versation, one of their social ways had become a habit

, 7

Q^K^tf J.
i

^SJf

Cy-u.-'...;>t--W^v

DAVID ZEISDEROER.

681

with him. When queationed, especially in later
years, regarding any incident of his life, or experience
of the Misaion, he often ohaerved a profound silence,!
instead of giving a reply, and allowed the con-
versation to turn upon other topics. After a time,
however, he addressed the querist and delivered ani
answer somewhat in the way of a speech at an Indian]
council.

A sketch of his character is best given in the words
of two of his fellow-missionaries.

Heckewelder, who was associated with him for many
years, when he was yet in the full tide of activity, says :

"lie was endowed with a good understanding and ai
sound judgment; a friend and benefactor to mankind,'
and justly beloved by all who knew him, with perhaps '

the exception of those who were enemies of the Gospel
which he preached."*

"His reticence was the result of the peculiar circum-
8tance8_af_Jiis life. He undertook many solitary i
journeys, and, in the first half of his life, lived at places
where there either was no society, or such as was not
congenial. Hence he withdrew within himself, and,'
lived in a close communion with his unseen but ever- '
present heavenly Friend. In all his views be was very
tjiorough, n ot^ impulsive, not suflering himself to be
carried away by extraneous influences, not giving an ,
opinion until he had come to a positive and settled /
conclusion in his own mind. Experience invariably/

• Heckewelder's History of the Indiaa Mission, 427.

Vj*--

■■■\.-

."sJA.,.: y,.«ji'5

682

Z^^Fi? ^iVZ) TIMES OF

V i:

proved the correctueas of his judgment. To this the
; missionaries who served with him all bear witness.
i lleceiving, as it were, a glimpse of the future, through
■ the - deep thoughts and silent prayers in which he
engaged, he stood up, on most occasions, full of confi-
dence, and knew no fear. Amid distressing and peril-
ous circumstances, not only his fellow-missionavies, but
the Indian converts, iiuariably looked to him; and bis
I courage, his undaunted readiness to act, his comforting
I words cheere(' them all."'

" He would_neyej[_coixsenl to Jia^^e lii^..^

; on a salary-list, or become a ' bjreling^^ as he termedjtj

i saying, that although a salary might be both agreeable

/ and proper for some missionaries, yet in his case it

' would be the contrary. He had devoted himself to the

service of the Lord among the heathen without any

view of a reward, other than such as his Lord and

Master might deign to bestow upon him."*

To this Mortimer, who was daily about him, in the

/last nine years of his life, and knew him as a patriarch,

I adds the following:

j ^ " ZeisbergQr jya^. fjjJly..iX>nv,iBcecLih^

': preach the Gospel to the Indiaiis and s^read^jhejdng;;-

! dom of God wus pf divine orjgiij^ and therefore he

sacrificed all vanities of the world, all convenience, and

whatever is highly esteemed among men, and took up

I the mission of his life in strong faith, relying upon the

I blessing and aid of that Lord whom ho served, and with

i .

1 Hcckewelder's Biogrnphical MS. Skotcli.

"^ Hcckewelder's History of the Indian Mission, 426.

.' / '

,t-f

..v->«-

(^ :i.^-..Xc7^.^'

DAVID ZEISBERQER.

683

joyous courage, in the midst of scorn and reproach, per-
secutions and menaces, hunger and perils, triumphing
at last, in spite of every foe. Hig_jK^jJijfl^is,.dlatiil-
^yji8he(i.J2y...pjrseverance, fiiithfulness, zeal, and courage.
Not^ngafforded him more satisfaction than the genuine
conversion of those to whom he preached. This was
the highest g^al of his ambition. If he could gain but
cue soul, and bring it to a saving knowledge of Christ,
it was for him a more precious gift than if he had come
into possession of the whole world. To describe the
joy he experienced when an erring sheep returned to
the fold is impossible. In his ministry he neither forgot
that he had to contend with 'the prince of the power of
the air, th*^ spirit that worketh in the children of dis-
obedience,' nor that God was on his side. And, truly,
•he did overcome Satan, in an illustrious way, by tho
blood of the Lamb, and by the word of his testimony ;
and loved not his life unto the death.

" He was not only bold in God, fearless and full of
courage, but also lowly of heart, meek of spirit, never
thinking highly of himself. Selfishness was unknown
to him. His heart poured out a stream of love to his
Cellow-men. In spite of his constant journeys and ex-
posure, he never needlessly sacrificed his health. His
whole bearing was extremely venerable. He was an
aflt'ectionate husband ; a faithful and ever-reliable friend.
In a woj;d,.his character was upright, honest, loving, and,
noble, ab free f rom taults as can be expQgted pf anxraan;
this side of the^rave."

The twentieth of November was the day appointed for

'. 1

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II !

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684

LIFE AND TIMES OF

the burial of his mortal remains. It was a Sunday,
shrouded at dawn in a thick fog, but later, clear, warm,
and radiant. From Gnadenhutten came many of its
inhabitants, from Beersheba Mueller, and from the
vicinity of Goshen a large body of settlers. The corpse,
arrayed in the ministerial surplice of the patriarch,
.was placed in front of the chapel, which was tilled
with mourning hearers. At eleven o'clock, Mortimer
opened the service, delivering, in English, which John
Henry interpreted into Delaware, a sermon on the
words, "And they overcame him by the blood of the
Lamb, and by the word of the testimony ; and they loved
not their lives unto the death.'" A brief memoir of
Zeisberger's life was then communicated; after which
Mueller preached, in German, on the text, '' The
memory of the just is blessed,"* the whole service
concluding with a fervent prayer. Then a procession
was formed. First walked Mortimer and Mueller ;
next came the coffin, borne by three Moravians of
Gnadenhutten and three Christian Indians of Goshen,
and followed by Mrs. Zeisberger, supported by Mrs.
Mortimer, and the Indians ; the settlers bringing up the
rear. On the left of the Hill Road to Now riiiladelphia,
a few rods from the fork, still lies the Goshen burial-
ground. There they buried Zeisberger, according to the
solemn ritual of the Church of iiis fathers ; and there,
under the ohade of a small tree, with occasionally a
moss-rose blooming on the lowly mound, planted by the

» Rev. xii. 11.

' Prov. X. 7.

DAVID ZEISBEKGER.

685

pious hand of neighboring residents, his body awaits
the resurrection of the just. A marble slab, simple and ;
unostentatious as his life, bears this epitaph : I

DAVID ZEISBEROER, \

who was bom 11 A2)ril, 1721, \

in Moravia, and departed V,

this Life 17 Nov. 1808, /

aged 87 Years, 7 M. and G Days.
This faith fnl Servant of the
Lord laboured, among the
Atnerican Indiayis as a Mis-
.•iionary, during the last
60 Years of his Life.

The traveler, descending Goshen Hill, who turns into
this way-side cemetery to read its tombstones, and finds
Zeisbcrger's resting-place, stands by the grave of a hero.
While the chronicles of America magnify the men who
wielded the sword and were great in war, or swayed her
councils and earned illustrious sanies under the flome of
her capitol, the church of God enshrines the memory of
this humble missionary of the Cross, who, for- twelve
years more than half a century, used the sword of the
Spirit, wrestled against principalities and powers of evil
where spiritual wickedness reigned in high places, and
fulfilled all the biblical conditions of horoifem, watching,
standing fast in the faith, quitting himself like a man,
being strong. And when national annals shall belong
to that past from which shall proceed no more influ-
ences, when statesmen and men of war 8hall be forgotten
amid the glory of the oaints, he shall be one of those
who, having turned many to righteousness, shall shine
" as the stare for ever and ever."

r (^

686

LIFE AND TIMES OF

CHAPTER XLVII.

THE LITERARY WORKS OP DAVID ZEISBERGER.

His literary activity. — Published works. — Works remaining in manu-
script. — Collections in the Library of the American Philosophical
Society and the Library of Harvard UniverMty.

In the course of our history we have frequently re-
ferred to the literary labors of Zeisberger. This chap-
ter is devoted to a mure complete account of them, and
to a list of his various works.

He _did jcnore than any other man of Jiis.century.i.Q

f develop both tl -' Delaware language and the OijMOiidaga

dialect of^he Iroquois. Unfortunately, however, the

most important of his works, from a philological point

of view, remain in manuscript. These manuscripts have

I been placed, partly, in the Library of the American

/ Philosophical Soc'ety of Philadelphia, and partly in

I that of Harvard University, at Cambridge, Massachu-

j setts. Those at Philadelphia continue the property of

I the Moravian Church, having been merely deposited ;

those at Cambridge have been presented to the Uni-

/ versity.

We proceed to give, first, a. list of Zeisberger's pub-
lished works.

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

687

1 manu-
isophical

itly re-
3 chap-
im, and

londaga
^er, the
il point
)t8 have
merlcan
artly in
assachu-
perty of
posited ;
;he Uni-

er's pub-

I. PUBLISHED WORKS OF DAVID ZEISBERGER.

1. Essay of a Delaware Indian and Enrjllsh Spelling Book, for the use of
the Schools of the Christian Indians on Muskinrjum River. By
David Zcisborgor, Missionary among the Western Indians. Phila-
delphia: Printed by Henry Miller, 1776, pp. 113.

To this work are appended the Lord's Prayer, the]
Ten Commandments, witli Scripture passages iUustratingl
them, and a short Litany, an abbreviation of tlie Church
Litany of the Moravians, all in Delaware and English. '.

A second edition appeared at Philadelphia in 1806J
This omits the Appendix.

The original manuscript of the first edition of thiS:
work is preserved in the Bethlehem Archives. Upon!
comparing it with the printed copy, it is evident that
there was cause for the dissatisfaction which Zeisberger;
expressed with +lie manner in which the book was
brought out. The manuscript does not contain the Ap-
pendix described above, but, in place of it, the following
articles :

1. A Short History of the Bible, evidently original, in
Delaware and English, in parallel columns. /

2. Reading Lessons in Delaware, being Biblical and '^
other Narratives. [

3. Conju^atioiis^of the .I^y.^ .<^q ga^^' giKl_^^

i n Delaware a uOlugljsh. v

4. The_Dela>vare NuineraL^. (
All these articles have been omitted in the printed I

copy.

688

LIFE AND TIMES OF

II '

! i

\ 1

!?|. .

! i 1

it '

1 i.

2. A Collection of Hymns, Jor the use of the Christian Indians, of the
Missions of the United Brethren, in North America. Philiidclphia:
Printed by Henry Swcilzer, at the corner of Race and Fourth
Streets, 1803, pp. 368.

On the reverse of the English title-page stands the
Indian :

Mawuni Nachgohumewoaganali enda auwegenk Welsittangik Lenape-
winink, untschi Nigasundewoagano enda Nguttimachtangundink, li
Lowanewimk Undachqui America.

Then comes a dedication to the Society of the United
I Brethren for Propagating the Gospel among the Hea-
• then, signed David Zeisberger, and dated Goshen, River
< Muskingum, September 30, 1802.

) The hymns are translated from the German Hymn

1 Book of the Moravian Church, edition of 1778, and from

the English Hjmiu Book, of the same Church, edition of

11801. The Easter Morning Litany is introduced after

Ithe Hymns treating of the Resurrection of Christ; the

I Litai^ies for the Baptism of Children and of Adults after

i the Hymns on Holy Baptism ; the Church Litany after

;the "Supplicatory Hymns," as they are called; and

the Burial Litanies after the Hymns relating to Death

j and the Resurrection of the Body. The hymns them-

' selves arc arranged nearly in the same order as in the

German Hymn Book, and have the first lines, as also

the numbers, of their originals, either in the German or

! English Hymn Book prefixed.

The original manuscript of this work is preserved in
the Bethlehem Archives.

A second edition was issued in 1847, printed at Beth-
lehem, and edited by the Rev. Abraham Luckenbach, in

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

689

an abridged form. The Litanies precede the Hymns, as
in the Moravian Hymn Books at present in use; but
those relating to baptism, as also all hymns treating of
this sacrament, are omitted.

3. Sermons to Children. Translated by David Zoisborger. Ehelition-

henk II Amcmensuk Gisohitak Elleniechsink. Untschi David Zcis-
bergor. Philndolphia : Printed by A. and G. Way, 1803, pp. 90.

These jgcmons are translated into Delaware, and are
sey^teeri jn number. The original manuscript is in
the Bethlehem Archives.

4. Aug. Qoitl. Spangenberg. Something of Boduy Care for Children. (_

Translated by David Zoisbort;cr. Axig. Gotil. Spangenberg Kechitti
Koccu Hokeyiwi Latschachtowoagan Untschi Amemc?tsak Li. Gis-
chitak Elleniechsink Untschi David Zeisbergcr. Philadelphia:
1S03.

This is a Delaware..translation of a treatise written bvi
Bishop jpan genberg in_Gernaan. It forms a part of the,
preceding volume, the Sermons and this Treatise beingj
bound together, filling, in all, one hundred and fifteeni
pages. The original manuscript is in the Bethlehem)
Archives.

5. The History of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ: comprehending

all that the Four Evangelists have recorded concerning Him ; all
their relations being brought together in one Narration, so that no
circumstance is omitted, but that inestimable Historj' is continued
in one Series, in the very words of Scripture. By the Ecv. Samuel
Lieberkiihn, M. A. Translated into the Delaware Indian Language
by the Rev. David Zeisbergcr, Missionary of the United Brethren.
New York : Printed by Daniel Fanshaw, No, 20 Slote-Lane, 1821,
pp. 222.
Elekup Nihillalquonk woak Pemauchsohalquonk Jesus Christ Scki
Ta Lauchsitup Wochgidhakamike.

There follows an "Address of the late Rev. David

\'-\:"

|!!'!^

690

LIFE AND TIMES OF

r 1

j Zeisberger to the Christian Indians, on his presenting

them with his transhition of the history of our Lord and

ISaviour Jesus Christ. The address was prefixed by him

to the work, and entitled Preface." It is dated Goshen,

on the Muskingum, May 23, 1806.

The original manuscript of this work is in the Beth-
lehem Archives. A very consplete Table of Contents,
prepared by Zeisberger, has been omitted in the printed
copy.

6. VcThal Biegungen der Chlppewayer, von David Zeisberger. Published
in Viitcr's Analokten der Sprnclikiindc, Leipzig, 1821.

This work is a collection, of_J>elaw^;e_,£Qnj^
andthejMjy|e^_augl^^
" Chippewayerj^' which_[8 a mere j_nadvert £iice.

II. MANUSCRIPT WORKS OF DAVID ZEISBERGER.

I \%

A, MANUSCRIPTS DEPOSITED IN THE LIBRARY OF THE AMERI-
CAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY, AT PHILADELPHIA.

1. Dentsch und Onondagaisches Worterbucfi, von David Zeisberger,
7 Bande.

(Lexicon_of the Ger Ban and Onondagg
7voJa»)

This is one of the most important of his works, which
he began early in life, and upon which he bestowed the
greatest care and the most persevering diligence, calling
in the aid of Iroquois sachems, who rendered him valu-
able assistance.

2. Onondaga and German Vocabulary^ by David Zeisberger.

A shorter work of the same character as the above.

3. Essay toward an Onondaga Grammar, or a Short Introduction to learn

the Onondaga, or Maqua tongue, by David Zeisberger. Quarto.

DAVID ZEISBERGEK.

001

4. Onondafjaiachc Ornmniat'.-a, von David Zeisberger.

A complete graininar of tlie Onondiiga language.

Tliis work was translated into P^nglish by Peter S. '
Dnponcean, LL.B., a Viee-PresKlent of the American
Pliilosopliical Society, which version, however, alsoj
remains in manuscript.

5. Onondagnische Gramniatica.

T he sa me work as tlie preceding (I^o. 4}^^ but in an
incomplete form, appearing tojbe the author's first
attempt.

(i. A Gi-ammar of the LnngnageofJlLC.Lcnni-Lcnapr,r>rDdaware In-
dians^ traiK-latf'd from the Gornum 3IS. of tlie Hi;v. David Zois-
borger, and presented to the American Pliilosopliical Society by
Peter S. Duponcoaii. MS. For tlie original <>i' this work, see
bolow, No. 5.

I i

B. MANUSCRIPTS PRESERVED IN THE LIDRARY OF HARVARD
UNIVERSITY, AT CAMBRIDGE.

We present the titles, in brief, a:^ they were given to

us by the Librarian of the University.

I 1. A Dictionanj in German and De/nwu/c.

( 2. Delau-arc Glossa^'i/.

\ :l. Delaware Vocahulary.

i 4. Phrases and Vocabularies in Delaware.

) y. Delaioare Grammar.

"'i G. HarmoHif of the Gospels in Delawair. T'lis is evidently a duplicati'
^rS. of the work- publislied in 1821.

7. Hymns for the Christian Indians in Drhuiiare. This is a duplicate
I MS. of the Delaware Hymn Book.

8. Litany and Liturgies in Delavmre.

9. Zeisberger's own MS. Hymn Book in Delaware,

10. Sermons by Zeisberger in Delaware.

1 11. Seventeen Sermons to Childreyi. This is a duplicate MS. of the
printed work.

'^12. Church Litany in Delaware.

...w--l^

■.kJ ^

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692

LFF'E AND TIMES OF

13. Short Biblical Narratives in Delaware.
,14. Vocabulary in Maqua and Delaware.

The above fourteen manuscripts, together with some
fragmentary papers, procured from the Archives of the
Church at GnadenhUtten, Ohio, were delivered to Judge
Lane, of that State, by him transmitted to the Hon.
Edward Everett, and received at the University Library,
January 21, 1850.

The Librarian adds : " The manuscripts were sorted,
handsomely bound at Mr. Everett's expense, and placed
in a trunk provided and lettered expressly for the pur-
jpose, and put in a conspicuous place in the Library,
under lock and key, that they may be carefully pre-
served for posterity, and at the same time often call the
attention of visitors to the labors and sacrifices and zeal
of as worthy a class of missionaries as have ever gone
'•forth conquering and to conquer the sins of the world,
since the days of the Apostles."

•\,

DAVID ZE18DEH0ER.

698

C II APT Eli XLVIIL

THE INDIAN MISSION FROM THE DEATH OF ZEISBERflER TO
THE PRESENT TIME— 1809-1870.

Mrs. Zeisbcrger leaves the Mission and retires to Betlilehcm. — Her
death. — Goshen. — Death of Willium Henry Gclelemend. — Tlie War
of 1812. — Its ruinous consequences. — Fairfleld destroyed. — llebuilt in
1815. — Cherokee Mission in Georgia. — The reservation in the Tus-
carawas valley given back to the United States. — Goshen abandoned.
— Emigration of a part of the Fairfield Indians to the West. — Tho
Cherokees expelled from Georgia. — The stations that remain.

After the ^eatli^of Jb.gr^,]iusbandj M'".^- Zeiaberger lin-
gered for ten months iii the yalley where he had hibored.
The Indians revered her as a friend whose dcvotednessj
to their interests had been tried by many self-denials j
and constant afflictions, uad had never been found (
wanting. On the fourth of August, 1809, they assem-/
bled in the Goshen chapel to bid her farewell. Hecke-l
welder, Mueller, and others from Gnadenhiitten were!
present, and Mortimer rehearsed and commented upon'
the last messages of her deceased husband to the(
Indians, beseeching these to consecrate themselves]
anew to God. }

A week later, Mrs. Zeisberger left the Mission and
took up her abode at Bethlehem, where she spent th^a
remainder of her life in the "Widows' House." .§heN
died on the eiffhlh of September, 1824, aged eighty]

'' :'

094

LIFE AND TIMES OF

[^ ]

'V i

years, and was buried in what is now tlie old grave-
yard, where iifty-six representatives of tlie raee aniong
which she and her husband spent their days are sleeping
by her side. Sjie^ lej^jAu chUd^on to ptM'petua^^^^
name of Zeisber^er. It has^died^ut in the Church.
^ In the second year after her departure from Goshen,
j William Henry Gelelemend iinished his earthly course,
llle was one of the last converts of distinction that had
/come down from the heroic times of the Mission, and
bore an irreproachable character. The vices of the
i generation which he had lived to see caused him deep
I sorrow, and he protested, even with his dying breath,
.^against its degeneracy.'

The war that began in 1812, between the United
I States and Great Britain, g;i,vo a severe blow to the work
\of the Church among the aborigines. The station on
, the„W-est baiik of the Sandusky was broken . up; and
I Fairfield, with all its improvements^^yas^destro^d.
. The battle of the Thames (October 5, 1813) took place
near this town, which was overrun by the victorious
Americans, under General Harrison. It was alleged
that some of its Ir.dians had been foremost in the mas-
sacre on the Raisin ; and although the imputation
remained without the least proof, the village was plun-
dered and burned to the ground, including the Mission
House and the chapel. The converts took to the woods.
Of the mission.'iries, Schnall aud Michael Jung, the
latter, by this time, an aged man and infirm in health.

1 Ho was born in 1737, r.oar the Lehigh Water-Gap, in Northampton
County, Pa. ,

Ij : :

DAVID ZKISDERQER.

695

"%_

proceeded to Botliloheni, while Denkc remained to care
for the Indians. lie succeeded in bringing them from
their hiding-ph^ces, and, toward the end of the year,': ■-*^
they built a vilhige of bark-huts on Lake Ontario. In
the following spring this was abandoned, and a new '-'k
town put up about ten miles from Burlington Heights.! -cy
After the close of the war, the converts returned io\"'-i^■^^
Fairliold, and lived in huts on its site until they had;
built a permanent settlement, which received the name J
of New Fairfield, and was situated about a mile and a
half from the former village, on the opposite bank of y
the Thames, but back from the river (1815).

Meantime^ th e Mission__amon^ the Cherokees inl
Georgia flourish ed. It embraced two stations: the one'
called Spring Place, on the site of the town of that
name in Murray County, the other at Oochgelogy, in j
Gordon County (1819).

Goshen, on the contrary, declined, and the reserva- )
tion in the Tuscarawas valley, which had always proved
a source of expense and not of revenue to the "Society
for Propagating the Gospel," grew at last to be an in-J
tolerable burden. Accordingly, after having carried
on protracted negotiations with Congress, at Washing-
ton, Lewis David de Schweinitz, the representative of
the Society, met Lewis Cass, the Commissioner of the
United States, at Gnadenhiitten, and concluded a treaty
with him (August 4, 1823), according to the stipula-
tions of which the Society was divested of its trust of
land. On the eiohth of November, a second treaty was
held with the Christian Indians, at which they ratified

.i I

■K-^

■■"V"

69G

LIFE AND TIMES OF

the former. The United States promised them, in lieu

J of the land, an annuity of $400 ; or, if they preferred
removing to some other part of its domains, a new
grant of twenty-four thousand acres. On the lirst of
:^j April, 1824, the deed of retrocession was executed.

X.i

Goshen was now abandoned, and the little remnant of

Ll-r

^ / converts joined the Mission in Canada.

/In August, 1837, nearly two-thirds of the Indians
/emigrated to the Far West. Some of them spent two
lyears near Stockbridge, a Mohican station, on Lake
iWinnebago, in Wisconsin ; the rest settled in Ne-
foraska Territory, now the State of Kansas, on the
, Kansas River, eight miles from its junction with the
i Missouri, calling the place Westfield. They were
; joined by their brethren from Wisconsin, in 1839.
Westfield was abandoned in 1853, and a new station
begun on the bank of the Missouri, near to what.is now
. Leavenworth City. After the lapse of six years, it was
1 again moved a distance of fifty miles to the southwest,
i on the Little Osage, where New Westfield arose. This
I station remains.

The Cherokee Mission in Georgia came to an end in
consequence of the troubles which broke out between
the settlers and the natives, and their forcible expulsion
from that State. In the autumn of 1837, the major' *y of
the converts emigrated to the territory beyond Arkan-
sas. The rest followed in 1838. A new Mission was
inaugurated on the Barren Fork of Illinois, a branch of
the Arkansas River, about thirty miles west of the State
line, and thirty-five miles northeast of Fort Gibson.

C^-..Attr:^^^--^'-^-^

DAVID ZEISBERGER.

697

lu 1840, this Mission waa transferred to the neishbor-^
.... /

hood of Beattio's Prairie, where a station was estab-
lished which received the name of Canaan. Two years
later, a second station, New Spring Place, was begun,
and subsequently a third, known as Mt. Zion. The
entire Mission among the Cherokees camo to a violent)
end in the Southern Rebellion, a national assistant being ,
murdered by the seceding party, and the other mission- [
aries obliged to flee for their lives (1862). In 1866, NewJ
Spring Place was resuscitated.

Thus it aopears that the Church, at the present day,

^^^ . . . """^ . "" '

has but th t'eojnissi^narj; stations among the aborigines:

2f--SHX-S£H.yl-Vy^TAl^5 ''"^ ^.'i^*^P>^^r^ West^ the second in!
Kans as, and the third in the Cherokee country. Thei
time may not be far distant when even these will dis-
appear, and nothing remain of the Moravian Mission
among the North American Indians, as nothing remains i
of the work of the Jesuit Fathers, except its wonderful i
history, to teach future generations zeal for God and /
faithfulness unto death.

APPENDIX.

A BRIEF SKETCH OF THE MORAVIAN CHURCH.

/ The Churcli of the United Brethren, or Unitas Fratrum,

I commonly called the Moravian Church because her first mem-

1 bers at the time of her resuscitation came from Moravia, was

J founded, in 1457, on the baron\' of Lititz, in Bohemia, by pious

followers of the Bohemian reformer and martyr, John'Huss.

Her original ministjL\rsjverej}r

Church. In 1467 she obtained the episcopacy from a Bohe-
.niian colony of TValdenses, who had themselves received it
} from the National Establishment. In spite of frequent perse-
cutions she flourished greatly, and about the time that Martin
Luther began the reformation of the sixteenth century, had
more than four hundred churches in Bohemia and Moravia,
together with a membership of at least two hundred thousand
souls, among whom were some of the oldest and noblest families
of the land. From thisjifliat of vi(nv t he Brethren pr opcrlY bear
■/ the t itlcj^i!J^R£fornKu:§„lje^ " In the course

lof time they established themselves in Poland also. The three
^branches of their Church were organically united as one, through
the agency of a General Synod ; hence the v\axx\ G _Unitas Fr a-
\trum.

In the first quarter of the seventeenth century, Ferdinand of
Ty rol be gan the Anti-reformation in Bohemia and Moravia.
^Thc Church of the Brethren, and all other cvantrelical churches
lof these two countries, were destroyed. The Polish branch con-
tinued for some time longer, but was gradually amalgamated
with the Reformed Church. In Moravia, however, many fami-
lies secretly maintained the faith and practice of their fathers ;
(698)

Jxt/t c C^'^iV-v^-^"

^.K**«W*"«*' "'•*'*'*' ■'*'**'*^»»^iM ,

"•'•"'^^'nct..^...

APPENDIX.

699

hi:

■Hl^

while Bishop John Amos Comenius, filled with an almost
prophetical anticipation of the renewal of the Church, cared for
the preservation of the episcopacy, with which clerg'ynien in
the Reformed Church were invested, from time to time, that the
succession might not die out.

His hopes wcrfl fulfilled in 1722, when an awr.koning took ,
place among the descendants of the Brethren, through the in-/
strumentality of Christian David, and a number of them fled
from Moravia to Saxony, where they found an asylum on the;
estate of Berthelsdorf, belonging to Count Nicholas Lewis Zin- ;
zendorf.

This pious nobleman, born May 26, 1700, at Dresden, event-,
ually resigned a high oflBce which he held at the Saxon court, I
and devoted himself and his pr(*perty to the interests of theLr
refugees. They built the town of Ilerrnhut, introduced thej
discipline of the Bohemian Brethren, and, in 1735, received thel
episcopacy, from Bishops Jablonsky and Sitkovius, the two sur- '
vivors of the ancient line. Thus the Church was renewed, and
soon spread on the Continent of Europe, to Great Britain, and to ;
North America. Iler first bishop was David Nitschmann and |
Mt'r second Count Zinzendorf. |

^- aring the lifetime of the latter he was her virtual head. \
A :er his death (May 9, 17G0), a system of government was-i
introduced, which still exists in a modified form.

The present U nilas i*Vairu«i__embraces three ecclesiastical ;
provinces — the Contine ntal, the British, and the American. Each i
province is independent in all provincial matters, ami governed ;'
by a Provincial Synod, which elects an Executive Board, called i C
the " Provincial Elders' Conference;" but all the provinces are '
united in matters of doctrine, ritual, and discipline, and carry!
on the work of Foreign Missions as one church. Iltnipojhere^ip
a GeneralSynodjjvhjjch meets every ten jcars, and consists of
an viqual number of delegates from the Continent. qfEgiuope,
Great lir i t am, and tiio United States. This Synod elects ani
Executive Board, known as the " Unity 's Elder s' Co£ ference,"'j
to which is committed the general oversight of the Unitas Fra-
trum and the control of the various foreign missions. It has

A.-'

■'■^

^■^

•-C

(1:1;:

700

APPENDIX.

!its seat in the castle of Count Zinzendorf, at Berthelsdorf, about
one mile from Herrnhut, in Saxony.

TliQ. work of foreign missions is the principal field of Ijdjor in
I which the Clmreh en^a^cs. This fifiJJicnlbl^ce^J[Jl^ecIl]aI^
; I'ador^paiMLs of the Indjan coimtjT^ the Moscjuito

JCoast, the islands of St. Thomas, St. John, St. Croix, Jamaica,
.Antigua, St. Kitts, Barbadoes and Tobago, Surinam, South
Africa, Australia, and Thibet. There are eighty-seven regular
stations; three hundred and seven preaching places; three huu-
, dred and thirteen laborers from Europe and America, including
one hundred and fifty -two female assistants ; one thousand and
fifteen native assistants ; eight normal schools ; two hundred
and thirty other schools ; and seventy thousand three hundred
and eleven converts.'
, FpivfurthQr informatmn ^^^
\ Moray^an J^anyay.' second.editijgn JSethl^hem^^l^

GEOGRAPHICAL GLOSSARY.

This Glossary coiiiains the names of those Indian towns, early settle- /
vients, forts, rivers, and creeks which occur in the "■Life and Times of -
David Zcisberger," with the exception of such as arc niell knoion and cant
readily he found on any map of the United States.

Adamstown. — An early settlement in Lancaster County, Pennsyl-
vania, twenty miles north of the City of Lancaster.

Allemaengel. — Lynn Township, in Lehigh County, and Alhany
Township, in Berks County, Pennsylvania. Tlio__ftafl20_signifies
gener al destitutio n.

ANAlOT.T^An Iroquois tpwn, in the Tuscarora country, on the main
trail from Albany to Onondaga.

Aquanshicola. — A creek flowing through the first valley north of the
Blue Mountains, in Pennsylvania, and emptying into the Lehigh
at the Gap.

A ssiNNissiNK.— A Monscy to wn in Steuben County, New York, near
the confluence of the Tioga and the Conhocton. The residence of
Jache.abus, the leader of the war party that committed the massacre
on the Mahony, in 1755.

AssuNUNKJ^3:^A town of the Turkey, Tribe of. Pel_awares, in the Revo-
lutionary War, on the Hockhocking, in Ohio.

;*■' ;

Beersheba. — Formerly a Moravian church, in Clay Township, Tus-
carawas County, Ohio, on the west side of the Tuscarawas River.
It stood on the farm of Benedict Gross.

Bethlehem. — A borough in Bethlehem Township, Northampton
County, Pennsylvania, twelve miles southwest of Easton. It was
formerly a Moravian town, where none but Moravians were per-
mitted to own real estate, and it is still their chief seat in the United
States. The exclusive polity was relinquished in 1843.

(701)

702

GEOGRAPHICAL GLOSSARY.

Black Eiver. — A rivor flowing through Lorain County, Ohio, into
Luke Erie.

BuiSTOL. — A borough in Buclis County, Pennsylvania, on the Dela-
ware River, nineteen miles above Philadelphia, and one of the
earliest softlcmcnts in the State. Founded in 1697.

Brokk.v Swouu Creek. — A creek in Ohio flowing into the Sandusky
River, in Wyandot County.

BuciiCABUCiiKA Creek.— The sianie as the Pocopoco or Big Creek, in
Carbon County, Pennsylvania, emptying into the Lehigh River at
Parryvillo.

Buffalo. — See Charlcstown.

Buffalo Creek. — A creek flowing through the "Panhandle" of
Virginia, and emptying into the Ohio River, at WoUsburg.

Catskill Creek. — A creek in Greene County, New York, flowing

into the Hudson, at (-, .skill.
Captina Creek. — A creek in Belmont County, Ohio, flowing into the

Ohio River.
Camp Union. — Lewisburg, Greenbrier County, Virginia
Cahokia. — A French, and later a Britisli village and post on the east

bank of the Mississippi, in St. Clair County, Illinois.
Cayahaga. — The Cuyahoga River of Ohio, flowing into Lake Erie, at

Cleveland.
C ^VKAJOHARiE xT-An Iroquoi jjow n ofJth.g,Mohawlsjj|itiop, on the right

bank of the Mohawk, in Montgomery County, New York, on the

site of the present town of the same name.
C ayuga. — An Iro quois town^ the capUalj)f the Cayuga nation, on the

site of the present village of the same name, on the eastern shore

of Lake Cayuga, in Cayuga County, New York.
Canal Dover. — A town in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, on the west bank

of the Tuscarawas River.
Camp Charlotte. — The spot where Lord Dunmore concluded peace

with the Shawanese and Mingoes, in 1774, on the left bank of Sippo

Creek, seven miles southeast of Circleville, in Pickaway County,

Ohio.

fAPTiVES' Town. — The name given, in the " Life and Times of David
Zeisberger," to the village built by the Christian Indians, in 1781,
on the Sandusky River, about eleven miles below Upper Sandusky,
in Antrim Township, Wyandot County, Ohio.
Christianshrunn. — Formerly a Moravian farm and small settlement,
with a chapel, two miles from Nazareth, on the road to Bath, in
Northampton County, Pennsylvania.

GEOGRAPHICAL GLOSSABY.

703

CiiARLESTOWN.— Xow "WMlsburg, at the oonfluenoe of Butrulo Croek
and the Ohio Kivor, in Brooke County, Virj^inia. This settlement
was also culled Butlalo,

C noAyscniCAy uENK,— An Indian name for Virg inia.

Cii]i:L pKnATY.--^ Sba«faQ.esO town at the 'heads ot^the Scioto, in Ohio,
in 1772.

CuATVAyo - One of tb.Q jQ,wec.ShawAUCSii.J^mtns of the Muskingum
valley, Ohio, in 1772.

CiiiLLicoTUE.— See Old Chillieothe.

CusTOyWACKiy.— A n Indian villago o n t he JJelfly^irn Hi ver, fifteen
miles south of tfie Gap.

Columbia. — One of the first settlements on the Miami Tract, in Ham-
ilton County, Ohio, five miles from Cincinnati.

Columbia. — A borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, on tho
loft bank of the Susquehanna.

CowANE.SQUE Crekk. — A crcck of Pennsylvania, rising in Potter
County and flowing into the Tioga River, in Steuben County, New
York."

CouDERSPOUT. — The capital of Potter County, Pennsylvania, on the
Alleghany River.

CONHOCTON. — A river of New York, rising in Steuben County and
uniting with the Tioga to form the Chemung.

Coshocton. — The capital of Coshocton County, Ohio, on tho left bank
of the 3Iuskingum, just bek)w tho junction of tho Tuscarawas and
W.alhonding.

Crown, The. — A tc'crn belonging to the Moravians, and opened in
1745, on tho south side of tho Lehigh, opposite Bethlehem, Penn-
sylvania. Tho building stood near the Depot of the Lehigh Val-
ley and North Pennsylvania Railroads.

k i

■ ID. '

Damascus. — Name of the lower town of Ooschgoschiink, which see.
Dansbury.— Stroudsburg, Monroe County, Pennsylvania.

Easton. — The capital of Northampton County, Pennsylvania, at tho
junction of tho Lehigh with tho Delaware River.

Ephrata. — Tho seat of the Seventh-Day Baptists, in Ephrata Town-
ship, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, thirteen miles northeast of
Lancaster City.

Esopus.— Now Kingston, the capital of Ulster County, New York.

704

GEOGRAPHICAL GLOSSARY.

'"** Fatr pje^.t). — 4 ^^*'j; i^jjj^ Tridinn town on XUq riplit ba nk .of tlifl fiive r

Thames^ in t he Township of Oxford, Canudu,.Wcat.
Falcknku Sciiwamm. — Fnlckncr Swamp, so rnmod iiftor Daniel Falck-

nor, who settled there about 1700. It included the Townships of

Uanovcr and Fredci ick, in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.
Falls of tiik Ohio. — Louisville, Kentucky.
FoKT Adams. — On the St. Mary's lllvcr, Ohio, between Fort Defiance

and Fort llecovery.
FoKT Allen. — On the site of Weissport, Carbon County, Pennsylvania.
Fort Bedford. — On the site of Bedford, the capital of Bedford County,

Pennsylvania.
Fort Brewerton. — At the west end of Lake Oneida, in New York.
Fort Bull. — On the site of Home, Oneida County, Now York. See

Foj't aianwix.
Fort Cuartres.— On the Mississippi, in Illinois, above Kaskaskia.
Fort Crown Point. — On the site of Crown Point, on the western shore

of Lake Clnunplain, in Essex County, New York.
Fort Cumberland. — On the site of Cumberland, on the left bank of

the Potomac, in Maryland.
Fort Defiance. — At the junction of the Auglaize and Maumee

Ilivers, in Defiance County, Ohio.
FoRTDfiXROiT. — On the site of the City of Detroit, in Michigan.
Fort Duquesne. — On the site of the City of Pittsburg, in Pennsyl-
vania.
Fort Fincastle. — On the site of Wheeling, Virginia.
Fort Finney. — On the left bank of the Miami Eiver, at its junction

with the Ohio, in the southwestern extremity of the State of Ohio.

A post established for the treaty held there in 178G.
^■■•■♦FoRT Frontenac— -Oji the site of Kingston, in Canada.

Fort Hamilton. — On the site of Hamilton, Butler County, Ohio, on

the Miami, twenty-five miles from Cincinnati.
Fort Harmar. — On the right bank of the Muskingum, at its junction

with the Ohio.
Fort Henry. — The same as Fort Fincastle. It received the name of

Fort Henry in 1776.
Fort Jefferson. — In Jefierson Township, Preble County, Ohio, near

the line between Ohio and Indiana, forty-iive miles from Fort

Hamilton.
Fort La Baye. — On the site of Greenbay, Wisconsin.
Fort Laurens. — On the right bank of the Tuscarawas, a little below

Sandy Creek, in Lawrence To'vnsbip, Tuscarawas County, Ohio.

-^!^r

GEOGRAPHICAL GLOSSARY.

705

Fort Le B(EUF. — On French Creek, in Erie County, Pennsylvania,

about fourteen miles south of Erie.
Fort Ligoniek. — On the road from Bedford to Pittsburg, in Pennsyl-
vania, a few miles west of the Laurel Hill Mountains,
Fort McIntosii. — On the site of Beaver, at the mouth of the Beaver

River, in Beavor County, Pennsylvania.
Fort Miami. — On the Maumco River, near Port Wayne, Indiana.
FouT MiciiiLLiMACKiNAC. — On tlio south side of the Straits of Macki-
naw, between Lakes Michigan and Huron.
'^"'ORT Niagara. — On the right bunk of the Niagara River, at its entrance
yito L ake Ontario.
Fort Oswkgo. — On the site of Oswego, on Lake Ontario.
Fort Ouatanon. — A short distance below Lafayette, in Indiana.
Fort Pitt. — On the site of the City of Pittsburg, in Penu.sylvania.
Fort Point Pleasant. — At the mouth of the Kanawha River, in

Mason County, Virginia.
Fort Presque Isle. — On the site of the City of Erie, Pennsylvania.
Fort Recovery. — In Recovery Township, Mercer County, Ohio, on

St. Clair's battle-lield.
Fort Sandusky. — Near the site of Sandusky City, Ohio, on Sandusky

Bay.
Fort Stanwix. — On the site of Rome, Oneida County, New York.

This fort and Fort Bull formed one post.
Fort St. Josephs. — On Lake Michigan, at the n outh of the St. Joseph's

River, in Berrien County, Michigan.
Fort Venango. — At junction of French Creek with the Alleghany
River, in Venango County, Pennsylvania, on the site of Franklin.
Fort Vincennes. — On the site of Vincennes, on the left bank of the

Wabasli, in Knox County, Indiana.
Fort Washington. — Cincinnati, Ohio.
Fort AYayne. — On the site of Fort Wayne, at the confluence of the St.

Joseph's and St. Mary's Rivers, in Allen County, Indiana.
Fort William Henry. — At the southern extremity of Lake George,

New York.
Frankeord. — An early settlement in Philadelphia County, Pennsyl-
vania, now a part of the City of Philadelphia.
Freehold. — An early settlement in Greene County, New York, on

Catskill Creek.
FRiji pENssTAia'. -::;:^' Citj of Fcit£c'^(\^^ A .Chiistiaji

IjjdJJUi.t.QWn, iirst on the east then on the west bank of the Beaver
River, between the Shenango River and Slippery Rock Creek, in
Lawrence County, Pennsylvania.

706

GEOGRAPHICAL GLOSSARY.

to\7n near Bpthlehem, Pcnnsylvaniii,atthe footof tho ridgo crowned
with tho Gas-Woiks and on tho slope of the hill above the Skating-
Park.

Friedensiiuttkn (TVic aeccmd) — "Tents of Pcaco.^' A^i^l?''?.!'!?!?^^""

dian tow n, on tlioonsl sulo of' Tlie Susquehanna River, opposite Sugar
Run, two miles bolow Wyalusing, and one and u half miles above
Browntown P. O., on i\u'. farm of the Hon. Levi P. Stalford, in
Bradford County, Pennsylvania. ••

Or.

G axataraoe. — 'An Iroquois towj of the Cayuga country.

Ganiataraqecuiat. — Lake Cavuga, in New York.

Ganatisooa. — An Iroquois town of the Tuscarora country.

G amocuse rage. — An Iroquoi s to \y n of the Tuscarora country.

G ANUT ARAaE. — An Iroquois town, of the Cayuga country, on Lake
Cayuga.

Ganataqueh. — An Iroquoig town of the Seneca country.

Ganatocherat. — An I roquois_ town of the Cayuga country, on the
Chemung River, near the New York, line.

Germantown. — An early settlement in Philadelphia County, Pennsyl-
vania, now a part of the City of Philadelphia.

Gbkelemukpechunk. — The first capital of the Delaware^nation in
Ohio, on the north bank of the Tuscarawas River, in Oxford Town-
ship, Tuscarawas County. It occupied the outlots of Newcomers-
town.

GiQEYUKK. — Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Gnad enhutten (TOe firsil.—[' Tents of Grace." A Ch ri^tiap t^ dfg j i
town on the Mahony Creek, near its junction with the Lehigh, in
Carbon County, Pennsylvania. It occupied the slope of the
hill crownec 'vith the burial-ground of Lehighton.

GkadenhuttenJ T/ie seconrfj. — A Christian Indian town on the east
DainroF"t1be Lehigh River, in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, occu-
pying the site of Weissport.

Gnadenhutten f TAe third)^.-^^ Moravijttn settlement of white per-
sons on the same site as Qnadenliiiiten the second. This settlement
grew into the town of "Weissport.

Gnadenhutten (^TAe^wr^/i). — A Christian Indian town on the Tus-
carawas ftiver, in Clay J^wnship, Tuscarawas County, Ohio, lying
in tho outskirts of tho p^«nt Gnadenhiitten.
I Gnadenhutten (The fifth). -^a. Moravian village on the Tuscarawas
River, in Clay Township, Tuscarawas County, Ohio, founded after
the return of a part of the Christian Indians froip jQaga^a to the
reservation granted by the Congress of the United States.

GEOGRAPHICAL GLOSSARY.

707

Gnadknthal. — Formerly a Mornvinn sottloment noar Nnzaroth, in
Northampton County, rennsylvania; now the County Poor Houso.

GQK.Btt8JNO.—" Habitation of Owl s." Owl Creek, now the Vernoii
River, flowing through Knox County, Ohio, and emptying into tho
Walhonding.

G oaciiooscniJNK .— A Mousey Indian town on the oast bank of the
Alleghany, not far from the mouth of Tionesta Creek, in Venango
County, Pennsylvania, and the place where Zeisberger established
a Mission after the Pontiac War.

G oscUACHouKK .— The seyoDiJftttnital of the Delawa re nation in Ohio ,
built on the site of Coshocton, on the left bank of the Muskin-
gum, just below the junction of the Tuscarawas and Walhonding,
in Coshocton County.

Goshen. — An early settlement in Orange County, New York.

GosHKK. — The last Christian Indian town founded by Zeisberger, on
the west bank of the Tuscarawas River, in Goshen Township, Tus-
carawas County, Ohio, seven miles northeast of Gnadonhiitten. Ft
was situated on what is now the farm of Jacob Keller.

Greenville. — General Wayne's fortified camp in 1793, on the site of
Greenville, the capital of Darke County, Ohio.

Great Meadows. — Ten miles east of Uniontown, Payette County
Pennsylvania, on the Youghiogheny.

Great Island. — Lock Haven, on the right bank of the West Branch
of the Susquehanna, in Clinton County, Pennsylvania.

Great Swamp. — Calle d also the P incSwamp^ov Shades_of_J)_(g.ih, on
the plateau orCIic'liroad Mountain, in Monroe and Carbon Coun-
ties, Pennsylvania.

Greenbrier Country. — Lowisburg, Greenbrier County, Virginia.

BC.

Ha chniaqe.— An Iroquois town ht the Seneca country.

Haarlem. — An early settlement of Ne'.v York, now a suburb of the
City of New York.

Harris's Ferry. — Harrisburg, the capital of Pennsylvania.

Heidelberg. — Formerly a Moravian log church, in North Heidelberg
Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania.

Hebron. — Formerly a Moravian stone church and parsonage, in the
outskirts of Lebanon, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania. The build-
ing was used as a military prison for the Hessians in the Revolu-
tionary War.

Hope. — Formerly a Moravian town, in Sussex County, New Jersey.

HocKHOCKiNG RiVEB. — A rivcr of Ohio, rising in the southeastern cen-

708

GEOGRAPHICAL 'GLOSS A R F.

tral part of the State and flowing into the Ohio Eivor, twonty-flvo
miles below Marietta.
Huron Eiver.— Now the Clinton River, flowing through Macoml^
County, Michigan, into Lake St. Clair.

Indaoohaik.— The name given by the Dclawaresto^I^jchtenau (w/aV/j

see), after the exodus of the Christian IndiansT
luisu Settlement. — An early settlement of Scotch-Irish below Bath,

in Northampton County, Pennsylvania.

JoBlNSXOWN.. — The seat of Sir William Johnson, in th9 Jlohp.wk coun-
JT^, in Fulton County, New York. Culled also Kqlaiifiiia.

Kaskaskunk. — AJIonsejf Indian town orii;inally at the junction of tho
Slicnango and Mahoning TTivors, in Lawrence County, Pennsyl-
vania ; afterward removed to tlic site of New Castle, tho capital of
Lawrence County. It was t he residence of PackankC) chjcf of thf
^^fjrjie. "" ' ~*

Kaskaskia. — On the right or west bank of tho Kaskaskia River, two
miles east of tho Mississippi River, in Randolph County, Illinois.

Klsoiikubi.— A Shawanese town, at the heads of the Scioto, in Ohio.

Kittannino. — An Indian town on tho Alleghany, about twenty miles
above Fort Duquesne.

KoLANEKA. — See Johnstown.

KuEQumJEKU;j--An_Indj^an name for Philadelphia.

Lawunakhaknek. — A temporary Christian Indian town, three miles
auove Goscngoschiink {vihich see), on tho east bank of the Alleghany
River, in Venango County, Pennsylvania.

Languntoutenunk. — See Friedensstadt.

LAAPHAWACiiTiNK.;;^;vAn Indian name for New York.

Lackawaxen Creek. — Also called Lechawacksein, rises in tho northern
part of Pennsylvania, in Wayne County, and enters the Delaware
in Pike County.

Lackawannock Creek. — Rises in the northeastern part of Pennsyl-
vania, and falls into the North Branch of the Susquehanna River,
about ton miles above Wilkesbarre.

Lechau w eek^— The Lehigh Rivgr , in Pennsylvania.

Lechauwitonk. — Easton, Pennsylvania.

ijf

m"?

GEOORA PHICA L GLOSSAR Y.

709

LEnion RiVKR.— A rivor of Pennsylvania rising in the pino swnmpB
of Luzorno, riiio, and Monroo Counties, flowing througli tlio coul
region of Carbon County, and emptying into tlie Delaware at
Easton.

Leuioh Hills.— a ridgo bounding, on the south, the lower part of the
Leliigh valley, in Northampton County, Pennsylvania.

Lenapewiuittuck.— The River Dela\vare.

Lehietan.— The Bu!.hkill Creek near Nazareth, Pennsylvania, empty-
ing into tlKJ Delaware at Easton.

LicnTEyATJ.-- A Chris t ian India n town, on the east bank the Mus-
kingum. two and a half miles below Coshocton, on the farms
of Samuel Moore and Samuel Forker, in Tuscarawas Township,
Co.shocton County , Ohio.

LiTiz. — Formerly an exclusively Moravian town, in Warwick Town-
ship, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, eight miles from the City of
Lancaster. The exclusive system was abrogated in 1855.

LONQ Island. — Jersey Shore, a borough of Lyeoming County, Pennsyl-
vania, on the West Branch of the Susquehanna River.

LoGSTOWN. — A French and Indian village, fourteen miles below Pitts-
burg, on the right bank of the Ohio.

LouiSBURG. — Formerly a strong fortress and sea-port of the French, on
the southeastern shore of Cape Breton.

Lower Sanduskt. — A trading post and Wyandot village, the present
Fremont, capital of Sandusky County, Ohio.

'»' L
'I

1>K.

Maquktsche. — Emmaus, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. It was origi-
nally a Moravian town ; now it is an incorporated borough.

M^tCHiWlJiiyJsiNa.— An In^ijan_Jo^ji^J8^^j;adford County, Pennsyl-
vania, on or near the site of Friedenshutten the second, which see.

Marietta. — The first town of white settlers in Ohio, on the left bank
of the Muskingum River, at its confluence with the Ohio, the
capital of Washington County.

Menagachsukkk. — An Indian name for Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Meniolagomekak. — An Indian town and afterward a Mission station
in Smith's valley, eight miles west of the Wind Gap, on the north
bank of the Aquanshicola, in Eldred Township, Monroo County,
Pennsylvania.

MiGHBfiSCHAT^-^^r.^hftiy^j^sis^own, at the heads of the Scioto, in Ohio
(1772).

Minqo^Bottom.— Called also Minrjo Village, on the west bank of the
Ohio River, seventy-five miles below Pittsburg.

MiNNisiNKS. — Flats above the Delaware Water-Gap, on both shores.

710

GEOGRAPHICAL GLOSSARY.

MoNOCASY. — A creek of Northampton County, Pennsylvania, emptying

into the Lehigh Eiver, at Bethlehem.
Mo^sEY-A^gBRBON.— A Delaware Indian town on the White Kiver,

Indiana, in 1800.
MuscoNETCONQ HiLLS. — Bounding the valley through which the Mus-

conetcong River flows, in Warren and Morris Counties, New Jersey.

N ain.— A Christi an IndiuTi town in Hanover Township, Lehigh County,
Pennsylvania, on the " Geisingcr Farm."

Nazareth. — Formerly an exclusive Moravian town, now a borough of
Northampton County, Pennsylvania, seven miles northwest of
Easton. The cxclusivj; system was abrogated in 1850.

Neskapeke. — Nescopec, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.

New Fairfieid. — A Moravian Indian Mission in thq Township of
Oxford, Canada West. This Mission still exists.

New Gnadenhutten. — A Christian Indian town on the south side of
the Clinton River, between Mt. Clemens and Frederick, in Clinton
Township, Macomb County, Michigan.

New Paltz. — An early settlement in Ulster County, New York.

New Philawelphia. — The capital of Tuscarawas County, Ohio.

New Salem. — A Christ ian Indian town on the Huron River, in Erie
County, Ohio, near or on the site of Milan.

NewSchonbrxtnn. — A Christian Indian town on the west bank of the
Tuscarawas River, one and a quarter miles south of New Philadel-
phia, on the farm of John Gray, in Goshen Township, Tuscarawas
County, Ohio.

New_Sjrijiq Place. — A Moravian Mission station among the CljecQ.-
kees, in the Cherokfse country. This Mission still ejisjg.

New Westfield. — A Moravian Mission station on the Little Osage,
in Kansas.

Oley. — Formerly a Moravian church in Berks County, Pennsylvania.
Old Chillicothe. — Pickaway Township, on the Scioto, in Pickaway

County, Ohio.
ONEyoK.— F.'cnch Creek, o r V enan go River, in Pennsylvania, flowing

into thi, Alleghany at Franklin, in Venrngo County.
Onondaga. — The capital of the Iroquois Confederacy, a few miles south-

east of Lake Gnor ^ga, on Onondaga Creek, in Onondaga County,

New York.
08 TCNWACKEN . — An li. Han town,, thia.,acat_of Madame M ontour , on

the site of Montou'sville, on the West Branch of the Susquehanna,

in Lycouiing County, Pennsylvania.

GEOGRAPHICAL GLOSSARY.

O wDAC HpE.— An I^uois town of the Caju^a country, on Lake Cayuga,

New York.
OwEGO. — An old Iroquois villaefe i n Tioga County, New York.
Owl Crekk. — The Vernon River, flowing through Knox County,

Ohio, and entering the Walhonding in Coshocton County. See

Ookhoaing.

P achgatqoch. — An Ind ia n town a nd Mission statio n, two miles south-
west of Kent, in Connecticut.

Parraderuski. — A British town on the Missi'^sippi, fifteen miles above
Kaskaskia, which see.

Pknn's Creek. — A creek ia the central part of Pennsylvania, flowing
into the Susquehanna a few miles below Suubury.

Pettquotting Creek. — The Huron River of Ohio, flowing through
Huron and Erie Counties into Lake Erie, at Huron village.

Pr cHTTWAY. — A Shawanese towil at the heads of the Scioto, in Ohio,
in 1772.

PiLQERRUH. — " Pilgrims' Rest." A Chri^tianJiKlj^ujjUuiiyi on the east
t)ank of the CuyahogaT River, in Independence Township, Cuya-
hoga County, Ohio.

Pipe's ^owN. — An Indian_ village Jn Q^uo. about ten miles from Cap-
tives' Town, which see.

Pickaway. — Now Pickaway Township, on the Scioto, at the southern
end of Pickaway County, Ohio.

PlugqyIs Town.— The seat of a. jnon|;relJbag^^X JLiuJijaps, in 1777, on
the hcaa- waters of the Scioto, in Ohio.

Point Huron. — Now Point Clinton, a promontory in Lake St. Clair,
Michigan.

PoTATiK. — An Indian village and Mission station three miles northeast
of lfe\vton, in TTonnecticut.

PuRYSBTTRQ. — An early German settlement in Beaufort County, South
Carolina, twenty miles from Savannah, between Savannah and Port
Royal Harbor.

Q,.

Qu KKELiNiNK.- --An j^a^yiaff e fi)r finn sylyaj^^^^^

lEb.

Reamstown. — An early settlement in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
'-s/ RETRENcnE. — ^T hfl-Bivcr Tnames , in Ca nada, flowing into Lake St.

Clair.
Red Sto^'TE Creek. — A creek of Fayette County, Pennsylvania, falling

into ho Monongahcla River near Brownsville.
Rochester. — An early settlement in Ulster County, New York.

iiil

712

GEOGRAPHICAL GLOSSARY.

Rocky Point. — A promontory now known (is Scott's Point, or Ottawa

City, in Ottawa County, Ohio.
RouGK River. — A river of Michigan, rising in Oakland and Washtenaw

Counties, and flowing into the Detroit River, five miles from the

City of Detroit.
Rose, The A tavern belonging to the Moravians, built in 1752, one

mile north of Nazareth, Pennsylvania.

Sace Schwamm. — New Holland, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

Saratoga. — An old tract of land on the Hudson River, in New York,
now a county of this name.

S AjfNio. — An I roquo is to wn of _,thc Cayuga coimtry, on Lake Cayuga,
New York.

Sakunk. — An old abandoned Indian town (1770), at the confluence of
the Beaver River with the Ohio, in Beaver County, Pennsylvania.

Salem. — Formerly an exclusive Moravian town, now a borough, in
Forsyth County, North Carolinn. The exclusive system was abro-
gated in 1856.

Salem. — A Chris tian Indian town on the western bank of the Tus-
carawas River, one anoa half miles southwest of Port Washington,
on the farm of Henry Stocker, in Salom Township, Tuscarawas
County, Ohio.

Sabah-Towit. — A Delaware yillap:e on thjLSSikite Jliver, in Indiana,

in 1800.
Schenectady. — An old settlement in New York, now the capital of

Schenectady County.
SCHAGHTICOKE. — A township of Rensselaer County, New York.
SCHONBBTJNN. — ]Ve Mik-Ticp^eek ^Beautif ul ^S pring,). A Christian I.n -

^it yi ^p wn two miles southeast of New Philadelphia, on the east

bank of the Tuscarawas, in Goshen Township, Tuscarawas County,

Ohio, on the farm of Rev. E. P. Jacobs.
Sc HECflacHiQUAN Pj.TK — A ^00362 town and Mission station on the

west bank oitne Susquehanna, opposite but a little below Shese-

quin, in Bradford County, Pennsylvania.
Schoharie Creek. — A creek of New York, flowing into the Mohawk,

in Montgoinery County.
Schoeneck. — A Moravian village near Nazareth, in Northampton

County, Pennsylvania.
Sqanatees.— An Iroquois town of the Tuscarora country, in Now York.
Shamokin. — An Indian town on the site of Sunbury, in Northumber-

land County, Pennsylvania.
Shefomeko. — A Christian Indian town, in Pine Plains, Dutchess
"CountyV New York, on the farm of Edward Hunting, twenty miles

southeast of Rhinebeck.

GEOGRAPHICAL GLOSSARY.

718

\ 11;

SiCHEM. — Formerly a Moravian Homo Mission station, in the so-called
" Oblong," bordering on New York and Connecticut. The Mission
House was on the farm of Douglass Clark, in Dutchess County, New
York, quite near to the Connecticut line.

Skippac. — An early settlement in Skippack Township, Montgomery
County, Pennsylvania.

Skehantowanno. — Plains in the valley ofWyoming, Pennsylvania.

Skogabi. — A vil lage of Tutelees in Col umbia C ounty, Pfeiia sslYania.
^^l^j^asT^jmlj; village of thia'txioo r emaining in.JJJL8 .

Sop us. — See Esopus.

St. PniLiPPS. — A British town on the Mississippi, nine miles above
Parraderuski.

Stockertown. — A village of Northampton County, Pennsylvania, a
few miles from Nazareth.

Stony Point. — A promontory of Monroe County, Michigan, in Lake
Erie.

Sxinton's Farm. — Or Stinton^a Tavern, where Captain Wetterhold's
party was attacked by the Indians, in the Pontiac War, one mile
and a quarter northwest of Howertown, in East Allen Township,
Northampton County, Pennsylvania.' It is now Simon Laubach's
place.

Taqochsanaqechti. — The name of the lower village of Onondaga,
which see.

Tappan. — Orange Town, in Orange County, New York.

Tawandaemenk. — A Monsey village, ten miles from Tioga, in Brad-
ford County, Pennsylvania.

TAPEPSKUMT^'g Town.— The yi|lagc.of;,iCfli'^"^yf'^i.';]y,,,'',,Klnft-°f %
Delawares," a little below Wilkesbarre, in the Wyoming valley,
Pennsylvania.

Tgaaju. — An Iroq^uois Yillagc of the Cayuga country, in New York.

Thubnstein, TiiE. — The name given by Conrad Weisser to the Second,
Third, and Peter's Mountains of Pennsylvania, in honor of Count
Zinzcndorf.

'''^"glif.^yi!^"'^'^ —ATI Trff^Uft'" ^^F" "^ tl^tt TnsyaroT^a cnuntrv. in New
York.

TiADAOHTON. — Also Called DiadagMon, the Pine Creek, rising in the
northern part of Pennsylvania, and entering the West Branch of
the Susquehanna, near Jersey Shore.

TiOQA. — Also called Tioga Point, on the North Branch of the Susque-
hanna, in Bradford County, Pennsylvania.

TroNESTA Creek.— A creek of Pennsylvania, rising in the northwestern
part of the State and j9owing into the Alleghany River, in Venango
County.

■itii

714

GEOGRAPHICAL GLOSSARY.

Tir.Ti qyosso NoocnTO. — An Iroquois town of the Seneca country, in
Alleghany County, New York.

ToBYHANNA Crekk. — A Crcok of Monroe County, Pennsylvania, flow-
ing into the Lehigh River.

TowAMENSixo. — The wilderness north of the Blue Mountains, in Mon-
roe County, Pennsylvania.

Trapp, The. — An early settlement in Upper Providence Township,
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.

TuLPEHOCKEN. — A township of Berks County, Pennsylvania.

TuscAUAWAs. — An old, abandoned Indian towg, on the west bank of
flic^uscarawas River, opposite the crossing-place of the trail from
Pittsburg, on the line of Stark and Tuscarawas Counties, Ohio.

Tuscarawas River — A river of Ohio, rising in the northeastern part
of the State, flowing through the Tuscarawas valley, and uniting
with the Walhonding, at Coshocton, to form the Muskingum.

TJ.

Upland. — Old Chester, the seat of justice of the original Chester

County, Pennsylvania.
Upper Sandusky. — The Huron Half King's town, now the capital of

Wyandot County, Ohio.
U^P:gi^,SANDUSKY Old Town.;— A Wyandot village, twelve miles below

Upper Sandusky, on the Sandusky River.

"V.

Vernon River. — See Owl Creek.

■w.

Wampballqijank. — A Delaware Indian town in Luzerne County,

Pennsylvania, on the Susquehanna.
"WAK; y.TAMi.-.KT.— A Shnwnnoijo town, near Dresden, on the Muskingum

River, just below the mouth of Waketameki Creek, in Jeflerson

Township, Muskingum County, Ohio.
Walhondino River. — A river of Ohio, called also the Mohican and

\ Vhitc Woman Ri^e r, uniting with the Tuscarawas, at Coshocton, to

form the Muskingum.
»"Warte, Die. — "The Watch-Tower." A temporary Indian Mission

station (1791, 1792) at the mouth of the Detroit River, "fl *j)lg^tl/\w1/''

side, at or near Amhorstburg.
Wec hqueta nk.— A Christian Indian town, in Polk Township, Mon-

roe County, Pennsylvania, between the Wechquetank and Head's

Creeks.
Wkchpakak. — A. Delaware Indian town on the Tunkhannock, in Brad-
ford County, Pennsylvania.

GEOGRAPHICAL GLOSSARY.

715

WECnQUADJfACH.^An Indian villngcjind Missipjri station on Indian
Pond, on the boundary of Dutchess County, New York, and Con-
necticut.

Wklhik-Tuppeek. — Sec Schdnhrunn.

Wklaoamika. — An Indian name for Nazareth, which see,

Wbstchkstbr. — An early settlement in Westchester County, New York.

"W estenhuc. — An Indiao yillagp aiy\ Mission station in Massachusetts,
on the site of Housa tonic.

W hetak. — An Indian village and Mission station, near Salisbury, Con-
necticut. "'

White River. — A river of Indiana, falling into the Wabash, nearly
opposite Mount Carmel, Illinois.

White Eyes' Town. — An Indian village in Ohio, the seat of White
Eyes, near White Eyes' Plains, Oxford Township, Coshocton County.

Wheeling Creek. — A creek rising in Pennsylvania, and falling into
the Ohio Eiver, at Wheeling, Virginia.

William's Fort. — An Indian villago and British post in the Mohawk
country. New York, between Freehold and Canajoharie.

WiL AWANE. — A Monsey_Indian Jown in Bradford County, Pennsyl-
vania, near the junction of the Chemung and the Susquehanna.

Williamsburg. — In Colonial times the seat of government of Virginia,
now thc'capital of James City County.

Wommelsdorf. — A town on the Lebanon Valley Railroad, in Berks

' County, Pennsylvania.

WoAFiKANNiKUNK. — A Dejft.ware Indian town on the White River,
Indiana, in 1800.

Wood Creek. — A Creek of Oneida County, New York, emptying into
the east end of Oneida Lake.

Wrigetsville. — A town on the Susquehanna, in Pennsylvania, op-
posite Columbia.

Wyalusing Creek. — A creek of Pennsylvania flowing into the North
Branch of the Susquehanna River, in Bradford County.

Youo.iiOGHENT River. — A river rising in Virginia, flowing through
Maryland into Pennsylvania, and entering the Monongahela eigh-
teen miles southeast of Pittsburg.

Zbniinge. — An Iroquois to^g of the Tuscarora country, in New York.

ZiNOCHSAA. — The Onondaga Creek of New York.

ZoNNESsoHio. — The capital of the Seneca country in New York, probably

near or on the site of Genesco, the capital of Livingston County, New

York.

A
A

A
■jA

y/l
A
A

INDEX.

"^Abenakis, an Indian tribe, 3G ; Je-
suit Mission among tlioni, 101.

Abraham, first Moravian Indian
convert, 107; entices some con-
verts from Gnadenhiitten, 213,
214; at the treaty of Easton in
1757, 249 ; death, 260.

Abraham, the Mohican, a convert,
548 1 his confession at the mas-
sacre at Gnadenhiitten, ib.; the
first victim, 549.

Abi'aham, the steward of the Mis-
sion. 629 ; helps to begin Mission
at Gcschgoschiink, 338 ; confesses
his sins after the Gnadenhiitten
massacre, 559; leads the Chris-
tian Indians to Pipe's Town, 560 ;
death and character, 629.

Adcnn, a convert, leads American
militia to Salem, 544.

Adam, a convert, one of the first to
rejoin the Mission after the mas-
sacre, 563.

Adoption compulsory among In-
dians, 620, 621.
•^Algonquins, an Indian race, 31 ; its

wide diffusion, 36.
"^Alligewi or Allegans, an Indian
tribe, 33.

Allen, Fort, on the site of Gnaden-
huttcn, 239.

Allemwi, Mons-y chief at Gosch-
goschunk, 332; negotiates with
Delaware chiefs about the Mis-
sion, 348 ; his baptism, 359 ; for-
sakes the Mission, 406.

Amochk. See King Beaver.

Andaates, an Indian tribe, 38.

Anownro, or Turtle family, among
the Iroquois, 78.

Andrews, William, a missionary
among the Indians, 104.

Anuntschi, Nathaniel Scidel's In-
dian name, 190.

A^idcrs, Gottlieb and Joanna, killed
in the massacre on the Mahony,
229, 233, 236.

Anthony, a native assistant, 267 and
note 2 ; accompanies Zeisberger to
Machiwihilusing, 267; to Gosch-
goschiink, 324 ; settles at Gosch-
goschiink, 338 ; preaches the Gos-
pel to Glikkikan, 355, 356 ; ac-
companies Zeisberger to Gekele-
mukpechiink, 366 ; his death, 389.

Anthony, one of the scattered con-
verts after the massacre, 593 ; his
suspicions with regard to the mis-
sionaries, 594.

Antho7iy's Wilderness, 65, note 3.

Ancrum, Major, commandant of De-
troit, 588 ; advises Zeisberger to
leave New Gnadenhiitten, ib.;
buys the improvements of the
Mission, 589.

Anderson, Captain, commands a
sloop on Lake Erie, 590.

Apty, Thomas, has charge of the
Christian Indians in the Paxton
Insurrection, 284, 294, 295, 296,
305, 309.

Aquanoschioni, a name for the Iro- '
quois, 32. Sec Iroquois.

Armstrong, General, attacks the In-
dians on the Alleghany, 246.

Arundle, a trader at Lower San-
dusky, 536; entertain!) the mis-
sionaries, i&.; burial service at his

(111)

I/'

718

INDEX.

house in memory of the Indians
massacred at Gnadenhiitten, 558.

Askin. John, ii merchant of Detroit,
589; buys the improven\ents of
the Mission at New Gnaden-
hiitten, ib.; ofl'ers to convey tlie
converts in sloops across Lalce
Erie, 690, 591.
■ "'Attiwandaruns, an Indian tribe, 38.

Aupaumut, Hendrick, a Stoclibridge
Indian, 660.

Barclmj, Henry, a missionary
among the Indians, 104.

Barnard, Governor, at the treaty of
Easton, in 1758, 251.

Bawbee, Mr., a British Indian
agent, 524.

Beautiful Spring, the, in Ohio, .371 ;
its prehistoric remains, 371, 372;
site of a Mission town, 372 ; de-
scription of the neighborhood,
376,376.

Belts of ivamptim of Chinsiian In-
dians, 426.

Beersheba, second Moravian church
in Ohio, 663 and note 1.

Bethubara, first Moravian settle-
ment in North Carolina, 252.
''^Bear family, among the Iroquois,
78.

Bethlehem founded, 24 ; the Econ-
omy, 24, note 1 ; threatened with
destruction, 228; receives the
news of the Gnadenhiitten mas-
sacre, 233, 234; a refuge in the
French and India-n War, 239,
240 ; events at, during the wur,
244, 245, 247, 248, 251 ; during
the Pontiac War, 278, 285 ; re-
ceives the news of the captivity
ofthe missionaries, 512; the news
of the massacre of the Christian
Indians, 672, 573.

Bezold, Oottlieb. a Moravian clergy-
man, biography, 184, note 2 ;
visits Wyoming with Zeisbergor,
184.

Blaci: Swamp, 520 and note 1.

Blickensderfer, Matthias, Hecke-
welder's companion on a survey-
ing expedition, 608.

Zinzcndorf, 110;
Zuisberger durini

Bom. See Oegeshamind.

Boehler, Peter, Moravian bishop,
biography, 22, note 1 ; in South
Carolina, 22; at the Whitefield
House, 23 ; visits Shnniokin with
consults with
his imj)rison-
ment in New York, 124, 125;
SpaiigonbiTg's temporary suc-
cessor, 212 ; assistant of Bishop
Seidel, 256 ; writes to Governor
Penn on behalf of the Christian
Indians, 280; farewell discourse
to the Christian Indians, 286.

Bollinger, Henry, drives first teams
to the Tuscarawas reservation,
657, note 1.

Boone, Daniel, explores Kentucky,
375.

Bouquet, Colonel, defeats the Indians
in the Pontiac War, 275; con-
quers the Delaware country, 306.

British Barracks, in Philadelphia,
287.

Brodhead, Colonel Daniel, assumes
commandof Pittsburg, 471; cam-
paign against the Iroquois in
1780, 476; introduces Zeisberger
to President Reed, 481 ; cam-
paign against the Delawares, 482 ;
offers to convey the Christian In-
dians to Pittsburg, 483.

Brant, Joseph, Iroquois chief, biog- "
raphy, 627,«o<e 1; originates the
Western confederation, 596 ; his
speech in favor of the Christian
Indians, 627 ; conversation with
Zeisberger about the Indian War,
633; makes the Delawares men,
641, 642.

Bradstreet, Colonel, expedition
against the Indians, 306.

Brebeuf, a Jesuit missionary, 100 ;
his martyrdom, 101.

Bj'ainerd, David, a missionary^
among the Indians, 105 ; his de-
scription of Shamokin, 71, no{e 2.

Braddock, General, defeated by the
French and Indians, 222.

Butler, General Richard, Superin-
tendent of Indian Affairs, 597;
his testimony concerning the im-
portance of the Indian Mission
during the Revolution. 444, wde

INDEX.

719

2; commissioner at Indian treaty,
584, 685 ; corrospondenco with
Zeisborger about the return of tlie
Mission to tho Tuscarawas, 597,
598; killed in battle, 628.

Bush, Jacob, one of tho first settlers
on tho Tuscarawas reservation,
657, note 1.
"s^Buckshanoath, a Shawaneau— war.-

rior, 224.
\/ Burial- places, among tho Indians,
90.

B'dttner, Goitlob, a Moravian mis-
sionarj', 106; biography, 106,
note 1 ; missionary atShekomeko,
t07; death, 122; grave, 122,
note 1.

Byhan, Gottlieb, a, Moravian mis-
sionary among the Cherokees,
663,

"^^ancello, Louis, the forerunner of
the Jesuit missionaries, 100.

Cannibalism among the Indians, 44,
199.

Canaan, a Moravian mission sta-
tion among tho Cherokees, 697.

Cataicbas, an Indan tribe, 31.
"^ayugas, an Iroquois tribe, 38, 57.

Cayuga Town, ' tho capital of the
Cayugas, 162.

Cabot, John, voyages of discovery,
39.

Cabot, Sebastian, voyages of discov-
ery, 39.

Cartier, Jacques, voyages of discov-
ery, 40.

Camping-places of Moravian mis-
sionaries, 132.

Cammerhoff", Frederick, a Moravian
bishop, biography, 143, 7iote 2;
character, 143, 144; visits the
Indian country with Watteville,
147-150; visits Onondaga with
Zeisberger, 156-175; cited before
Governor Hamilton, 178; death,
182.

Carver, Jonathan, explores the
Northwest, 375.

Caas, Lewis, appointed commis-
sioner of the United States to
treat about the Tuscarawas res-
ervation, 695.

Crtgnnwnijns^ iiii Tndiiiii ^rilin, ■''i8'\'^

Captives' Town, the Moravian Mis-
sion town built after the breaking
upof tho Tuscarawas Alission, 516
and note 1, 517; tlu' assembly uf
converts there by night, 529; a
chapel erected, 520; the town
forsaken by tho converts, 560.

Carpenter, John, cii])tured by the
Indians, 539; warns the Chris-
tian Indians against tho Ameri-
can militia, 640.

CharlcstowH , an early settlement in
the West, 040, 65.').

Cherokees, i\n Indian tribe, 30; first
Moravian convert, 304; Mora-
vian Mission among them in
Georgia, 603; mission broken up,
696; renewed in the West, 697;
given up again in .Southern re-
bellion, ib.; renewed since the
war, ib.

Chickasas, an Iiulian tribe, 31.

Choctas, an Indian tribe, 31.

Chippewas, an Indian tribe, 36, 73;'/'
refuse to engage in a raid upon
the Mission, 480; granttheChris-
tian Indians lancl, 562 ; notify
them to leave the land, 584 ; their
begging-dance, 619, 620; man-
ner of burying, 620; canoes, t6.;
habits, 582; villages in Canada,
632; a Moravian Mission among
them, 660; the Mission given
up, 665.

Champlain, Samuel, 42.

Christian, a convert killed at Gna-
denhutten, converses on religion
with the militia, 544.

Christiana, a convert, appeals to
Colonel Williamson for mercy,
at tho massacre, 549.

Children of the Indians, 85, 80.

Chilloway, Job or Willia77i, a native
assistant, flees to Province Island,
289; baptized at Friedonshutten,
629; accompanies Zeisberger to
tke Shawaneso. 389 ; aecompa- "^
nies the missionaries to the court-
martial at Detroit, 518 ; leads tho
converts to Pipe's Town after the
massacre, 500; his death, 629.

Chew, Benjamin, a Philadelphia
councilman, 299.

720

INDEX.

r^Chillieoihe, e__txihc--^if-thfi.-Sliawo- '

jicsc . 374. !

Church-bell, the first, used in Ohio, '

377. " 1

"^Claiifi, iimoiii? tli(! Iroquois, "7, 78.

Clewcll, Chrislinn, asHisttuit iit tho
surves' of ihc. Tuseamwas hind,
640, G47, note 2.

Clymcr, Coltotel George, United
States coniniisisioiicr at tho treaty
of Pittr^buru: in 1775, 429.

Clark, George Rogers, tal<('s tin;
Britisli posts nn tho Mississippi,
46G ; captures (lovcrnor Hamil-
ton, 472 ; United States com-
missioner at an Indian treaty,
586.

Comenbis, John Autos, a bishop of
tho Unitas Fratrum, 009.
'^Conestoga Indians, 69 ; massacred,
290.

Conesioga Manor, 290.

Convention at Pliiladelpbia in 1787,
605.

Congress of commissioners at Al-
bany in 1754, 210.

Congress, Continental, exorcises the
functions of a government, 428;
organizes Indian departments,
ib.; takes into its hands theadmin-
istration of Indian aflairs, 584 ;
its views witli regard to the In-
dians, 585, 580 ; grants land to
the Christian Indians, 587 and
note 1 ; its ordinance for tho gov-
ernment of the Northwest Ter-
ritory, 005, 006; sells land, 606;
vest' its grant to the Christian
Indians in tho Moravians of
Pennsylvania, 606.

Congress of the United States opens,
, 610 ; reaffirms ordinance for the
Northwest Territory, ib.

Congress Belt, the, 430.

Connecticut settlers in Wyohoing,
268 ; visited by Zeisberger, 269 ;
massacred in the Pontiac War,
280.

Conner, John, a white member of
the Indian Mission, 425, 426;
ransoms his son from tho Shawa-
nese, 431 ; rejoins tho Mission
after the massacre, 562; remains
at New Gnadenhiitten after the

exodus of the converts, 589; his
subsequent iiistory, ib.

Conner, John, son of the preceding,
interpreter of tho Delaware
chiefs who visit President Jef-
ferson, 000, note 1.

Connolly, John, agent of Lord Dun-
more, 400.

Cooking, among the Delawaros and''
Iroquois, 84, 85.

Couk, Lieut.-Coloncl Edward, de-
nounces the Gnadenhiitten mas-
sacre, 570.

Coon, Abraham, takes part ;u the
expedition against the Tuscara-
was towns, 491, note 1, 500,

Cosmogony, Indian, 217-219.

Coldcn, Governor, of New York,
refuses to receive the Christian
Indians, 295; his reasons, t6.; his
second refusal, oOo.

Colver, two brothers, help to build
Goslien, 054.

Cornplnnter, a Soncca . oilers to me- ^
diatc f(jr the United States with
tho hostile tribes, 026.

Cornell, Francis, a Canadian settler
at whoso house the missionaries
preach, 044.

qi^vnsinlU^ .^l)nwnnA^f» ..VilAf, COm- "^

mands at tho battle of Point
Pleasant, 408; advocates peace
with the Colonies in tho Eevolu-
tion, 447; adopts Schmick and
his wife, ib., note 2; murdered,
452, 453.

Cornelius, a convert, leads the
Christian Indians to Pipe's Town
after tho massacre, 560.

Crawford' a expedition against the
Christian Indians, 564-572 ; Dod-
dridge's account of it, 564, 565.

Craioford, Colonel, elected com-
mander, 565; encamps at New
Schonbrunn, ib.; finds Captives'
Town deserted, ib.; defeated by
the savages, 566 ; taken prisoner,
ib.; his conversation with Win-
cenund, 567-571 ; tortured, 567,
.'j71 ; character, 572.

Crown, The, a tavern near Bethle-
hem, 278 and note 2.

Croghan, George, deputy of Sir W.
Johnson, 246; at the treaty of

INDEX.

721

Easton in 1758, 2ol ; trios to pro-
vent Dunmoro's War, 403.

Creaop, Captain, niurdora Indians in
Dunmoro's War, 402.

Creeks, iiii Indian tribo, 81.

Cunow,Jo/in Oebhnrd^a, member of
the Mission Board, GC2; visits
Goshen, 666.

Dnblon, C7aM6?c, a Jesuit missionarv,
102.

Daniel, a Jesuit missionary, 100.
"^Dances, amonc; the Indians, 90, 91,
198, 199, 328.

Da/icotns, iin Indian tribe, 31.

David, Christian, a Moravian elder,
14, note 2; 099.

Dalzell, Captain, reinforces Detroit,
275.

Denny, Governor, at the treaty of
Easton, in 1758, 251.

Detroit, its population in 1771, 375;
British contor of influence in the
Revolution, 445; the Moravian
missionaries on trial there, 520-
529 ; rendezvous fot the Christian
Indians, 502; its condition and
morals, 662, 5G3 ; terrible winter
at, in 1783, 583 ; testimony of its
inhabitants to the character of
the converts, 590, 531 ; the town
in 1798, 653.

Denke, Christian, n Moravian mis-
sionary at Fairfield, 660; begins
a Mission among theChippewas,
660; abandons it, 665; gathers
the ."cattei .d converts in the war
1 of 1812, 695.

\Delawares, an Indian tribe, 32;
identical with the Lenni-Lennpe,
32,wo<el ; early traditions, 32-35;
divisions, 35; their three tribes,
ib.; tradition of the coming of
white men, 42 ; made women by
the Iroquois, 45, 46 ; their nation
about 1745, 70-72 ; their hunting-
grounds on the Susquehanna, 71 ;
their government, 79, 80 ; bap-
tism of first Moravian converts,
131 ; refuse to bo considered wo-
men, 245 and note 1, 347; invite
the Christian Indians to settle

anuing thorn, 370; thoirhunting-
grounds in Ohio, 372-374 ; begin
a moral reform, 385; neutral in
Dunmoro's War, 403, 400; de-
nounce the Mi.ssi()n t j the Sliawa-
nosc, 411 ; their real object in in-
viting the converts, 412; their
griuid coimcil decrees religious
liberty, 422; remain neutnil in the
Revolution, 441, 442; inipurtiinco
of their neutrality to the United
States, 443, 444, and notes 1 and 2 ;
names of their headmen, in 1777,
446; decide anew for j)e»ce, 447,
448, 453, 407 ; changi! in their
policy, the iniijority going over to
the Britiish Indians, 479; take
part in the expedition against the
3Iission, 489; their boundaries
after the Revolution, 585; a part
of them emigrate to the Missis-
sippi, 613; their miserable con-
dition after the Indian War, 641 ;
made men by the Iroquois, 641,
642 ; beg Gelelemend to be their
chief, 642; settle on the White
River, Indiana, 659 ; ask for
Christian teachers, ib.; send a
deputiitionto President Joft'erson,
600; I \( esses and murders among
them, 605.

Dickinson, ./«/ ;;, n lawyer in Phila-
delphia, 284 and note 1 ; employed
to defend a Christian Indian
charged with murder, 284.

Doctors, Indian, 210, 211.

Doddridge, Joseph, his account of
the massacre at Gnadenhiitten,
554-557.

Dreuillettes, Gabriel, a Jesuit mis-
sionary, 101.

Dress, of the Dclawares and Iro-
quois, 84, 85, 90.

Duncan and Wilson, merchants of
Pittsburg, 593 ; bring Zeisborger
a message from General Butler,
598.

Dutch, the, on the Hudson River,
42.

Dntimore's War. See Wa -, Dun-
more^s.

Dunmore, Lord, Governor of Vir-
ginia, 399 ; his usurpations, 400;
quarrels with the Council of

-1

722

INDEX.

Ponnsylvnnift, ih.; commniidstho
nortliorn forces in tho war, 407;
mnrchos to the Scioto, 408 ; opi-ns
nofjotintionswitii tlio Indiuns", ib.;
eoncludcs pciico, 400; promises
to help Wiiito Eyes to visit Eng-
lHncl,418; his motives in promis-
ing this, 427.

Edsfon, a borough in Pennsylvania,
05, nnie'l ; Jerscymen congregate
there, 'J'J8; Indian treaties, 245,
210 ; the treaty of 1757, 249 ; tlie
Indian congress of 1758, 250, 251 ;
the second Indian Congress of
1701, 253.

Eaater Morning, at Schonbrunn,
395-398.

Ec/ipalnwehimd, a convert, 384;
bajitizod, 393 ; at the grand coun-
cil of the Delawares after Dun-
more's War, 416.

Edmonds, Peter, one of tho first set-
tlers on the Tuscarawas reserva-
tion, 657, note 1.

Edwards, William, a Moravian mis-
sionary, biography, 447, note 1 ;
joins the Mission, 447; Zeis-
berger's sole companion among
the Indians, 454; atGnadenhiit-
ten, 450; at Lichtenau, 400 ; re-
turns to Gnadenhutten, 473; in
danger of his life, 484; his expe-
riences during tho British expe-
dition against tho Mission, 498,
500, 509; tried at Detroit, 518;
brings tho news of peace to New
Gnadenhutten, 680 ; visits Pitts-
burg to inquire about tho Indian
treaties, 586, 587 ; sails across
Lake Erie, 591, 592; his labors
at New Salem, 004; negotiates
wit h Canadian authorities for a
refuge for the convertsduring the
Indian War, 016,617,619; leads
the converts to the mouth of the
Detroit, 023 ; leads a colony from
Canada to the Tuscarawas reser-
vation, 648 ; his death, 058, 0-59.

Ekuschmce, head chief of tho Chip-
pewas, 610; visits New Salem, t6.

EUinipsico, son of Cornstalk, mur-
dered, 458.

Elliot, John, a misslonarv among*^
the Indians, 103, 104, 077.

Elliot, John, a (Quaker peace com-
missioni'r in 1793, 034.

Elliot, Matthew, a British captain,
402; incites tho Delawaresagainst
the United States, ih.; his ani-
mosity against the ^lission, 489;
real command(!r of the Briti.-hex-
pedition against the ]VIission,491 ;
incites the Huron Half Kinir to
seize the missionaries, 495, 490 ;
leaves tho exi>edition, 515; dis-
tributes rewards among tho In-
dians, 619.

Ephratn, tho seat of tho Seventh-
Day Baptists, 00.

Erier , n Indian tribe, 38.

Ench aahund, Imae, a convert, ac-
comj)anie3 tho missionaries to
Det^oi^, 618.

Espich, Rev. Mr., Lutheran clergy-
man and physician, attends Zeis-
berger in his last illness, 670.

Ettwein, John, a Moravian bishop
and member of the Mission
Board, biography, 338, 7iote 2 ;
has a marbld slab placed over the
grave of tho victims in the mas-
sacre on tho Mahony, 235, note 1 ;
escorts Zeisberger's colony on its
waytoGoschgosehiink, 338; leads
tho Christian Indians to Ohio,
370; returns to Bethlehem, 380;
active in the Mission Board
during tho Revolution, 480;
meets a German who helped to
kill the Christian Indians at Gna-
denhiitten, 673; negotiates with
Congress for a grant of land for
tho Christian Igflians, 682; de-
sires to remove the Western
Mission to Pennsylvania, 618 and
note 1 ; his historic statement
about tho Tuscarawas reserva-
tion, 657, note 1 ; death, 661.

Fubricius, Oeorge, kilU-d in th*" mas-
sacre on the Mahony, 229, 235.

Fanaticism in the M(travian
Church, 143, note 3.

Fairfield, a Moravian Mission town,^

INDEX.

723

6^2; its sito, 611,632; its growth,
6:5!) ; ii gfiicrul repontnnoo among
its inliiibitiint", lUo, 616; its
trade* and exports, 6.jO; tho ini-
piovomonts around it, 652,65:!;
dfvtroyed by Amorican troopi^,
694.

Fea.ifs, sncrificinl. See Sncrifiees.

Fire, a, in tlie forest, 310.

Floridinn Ind'innn, ill.

Forks of the, Dr/airare, 64.
"vFo./v.v, an Indian trii>o, 73.

Fo.n. Josfp/i, a commissioner of the
Pcnn-ylvania Assembly in tiio
Pa.Yton Insurrection, 284, 294,
295.

FortH, Co/ow/nr/, after the French and
Indian War, 2o"-^59.

Forestier, Charles dn, a member of
tlio Directory of tlio Unitas Fra-
tnim, visits Goshen, 666,

Frirdens/iiiffcn (the Jirst), a Mo-
ravian Mission town, 141 and
noU 1.

Friede'ishiitlen (the second), a Mo-
ravian Mission town, laid out,
310; revival at, 311, 313; en-
larged, 316; description and site
of, 316, 317 and note 1 ; the land
on wliicli it wasi situated sold by
tho Iroquois to Pennsylvania,
348, 370; prosperity of tho Mis-
sion there, 369 ; tho town aban-
doned by tho converts, 376 ;
number of its inhabitants, 376,
note 1.

Friedensstadt, a Moravian Mission
town, 362; awal<ening at, 365
360; prosperity of tho Mission
there, 367; abandoned, 386.

FrisOie, Levi, visits the Delawares
in Ohio, 379.

Franklin, Governor, of New Jersey,
296.

Franklin, Benjamin, at Bethlehem
and Gnadenhiitten, 239; in Phil-
adelphia during the Pa.vton In-
surrection, 283, 301, 302.

Friedrich, Charles, a Moravian mis-
sionary, biography, 216, note 2 ;

^y yisita < , )nnndHg a with Zeisber^er,
216-219.

Frei/, Henri/, a Moravian mission-
ary, biography, 206, note 1 ; visits

Onondaga with Zoisberger, 206-
212.
France, influence of, among the'
Indians, 73, 74; usurpations in
America, 176, 177, 205, 208.

G'fj,(7e,(?c»?orM', commander-in-chief,
293; reAnes t<> allow tho Chris-
tian Indians to enter New York,
295; semis them an escort, 207;
second refusal to permit them to
enter New York, 305.

Onl/owoy, Joseph, a member of tho
Peniisvlvania Assemblv, 283 and
no^pl,'^293.

Oallichivio, Bishop Cammerhofl''8
Indian name, 163 and note 1.

Gantlet, running of, 152.

Garrison, Nicholas, Jr., a sc(Hit in
Paxton Insurrection, 293.

Garrison, Nicholas, biogra])hy, 25,
note 1 ; commands the "James,"
25.

Gatterrneiier, John, killed in tho
massacre on tho Mahony, 229,
236.

Ganassateco, Iroquois sachem, 109,
note I; at Philadelphia, 153; en-
tertains Cammerhoff and Zois-
bergor, 162.

Ganousseracheri, Zeisberger's In-
dian name, 134.

Ganachrafjejat, Mack's Indian
name, 193.

Geqashamind, a, sorcerer, baptized,
604.

Gendaskund, a convert, 359; con-
ciliates Packanko, 363; baptized,
366.

Gckelemukpechiink, capital of tho
Delawares in Ohio, 366 and 7\ote
1; first Protestant sermon in Ohio
preached there, 367; religious
interest begins there, 384 ; a
moral reformation attempted,
385 ; council at, with the Chris-
tian Indians, 386; grand coun-
cil at, after Dunmore's War, 413
-417 ; its council-house, 413 ;
abandoned by the Delawares,
426.

Gcleleniend, a grandson of Ncta-

724

INDEX.

watwes, biography, 694, note 1 ;
at Liclitenau, 430; the_headjit'

^ , tho Delaware natio n, 470 ; faith-
ful 10 the United States, flee^
fr(im tho Delaware capital, 479 ;
puts himself under the protec-
tion of the United States, 48;> ;
his baptism, 004 ; refuses to be
head chief, 012; invites the Del-
awares to visit Goshen, OoO, 657;
entreats heathen Indians at Go-
shen to abstain from stronij
drink, 368; his death, 094.

Giffei/mik, liead-quarters of hostile
indians in the West, 615; Zeis-
berger's defiance sent tliither,
623, 624 ; his protest in its coun-
cil aguinst any interference witli
che Mission, 026.

Oirti/, Simon, his character, 402,
note 1 ; incit es the Dolawar.o s
^^. apainst the~United" Sta tes. 402.
463; tries to capture Zeisbergor,
474; his animosity toward the
Mission, 489; summons the mis-
sionaries to Detroit, 533, 534 ; is
present at Colonel Crawford's
torture, 671 ; defeats the lien-
tuckians, 577; at the council on
the Maumee, 033 ; his innucncc
exerted against the peace com-
mission, 036, 637.
'^€Li &scheuaiai, a Shawanese chief .
denounces tEe white race, 89l,
392 ; bitter enemy of the Gospel,
393.

Gibson, James, a leader of the Pax-
ton insurgents, 302, 303.

Oihsnn, Colonel John, Western
Agent of Virginia, 430; visits
Solionbrunn, 430 ; commands
Fort Laurens, 469.

Ohisentj roof, traffic in, 189.

Gist, Christopher, explores the
Western country, 183.

Girdles, Indian, 86.

Gideon. See Tadcushmd,

Gladwyn, Mnjor. at Detroit, in the
Pontiac War, 275.

Glikkikan,i\ distinguished convert,
355; conies to the Alleghany to
refute Zeisberger, 356, 356 ; de-
clares his belief in the Gospel,
357 ; becomes a convert, 358 ;

joins tho Mission, 362; perse-
cuted, 362, 363 ; baptized, 366 ;
accompanies Zeisberger to the
Delaware capital and there
preaches the Gospel, 366, 367,
371, 386 ; accompanies Zeisber-
ger on his visit to the Shawanese,
389; appeals to White Eyes to
become a Christian, 404; at the
grand council after Dunmore's
War, 416, 417; reproves White
Eyes, 433, 439; his speech to the
Half King in favor of the mis-
sionaries, 450; seized by tho
British Indians and tried by the
Half King, 610, 611; reproves
the Half King, 531, 532; killed
in the massa(?re at Gnadenliiitten,
661.

JriKvJenthnl, a Moravian settlement,

65.
■hiadenhiitten, on tho Mahonj', a
Moravian ^Mission town, 141 and
note 2; its prosperity, 182; exo-
dus of a part of its inhabitants,
214; removed to a new site, 214;
destroyed by the French Indians,
239.

' hiadenhiitten, in Ohio, a Moravian
Mission town, 380, 381, note 1;
tirst public service there, 383 ; its
prosperity, 383; its new chapel,
393; its municipal system, 423,
424 ; revival there, 432 ; the Brit-
ish Indians encamped there, 490 ;
massacre at, 537-557 ; its appear-
ance fifteen years after the mas-
sacre, 047.

' hiadenhiitten, tho present town in
Ohio, 654 and note 1 ; it increases,
657; its first inhabitants, 657,
note 1.

Goshen, a Moravian Mission town,
664 and 7iote 2 ; a colony goes out
from there to Indiana, 669; its
population, 601, note 1 ; a mis-
sionary conference there, 602 ;
overrun by a gang of despera-
does, 064 ; its converts intoxi-
cated, i6.; frequented by Indians
from tho Pettquotting, 068 ; aban-
doned, 696, 696.

Ooschqoschimk, an Indian villago
on the Alleghany, 324, 326, 327,

INDEX.

725

329 ; visited bv Zcisbergor, 329-
336; the towii in 1708,339; a
Mission begun there, 339-349 ;
the Mission removed, 353 ; wick-
edness of tlio town, 354 ; tv niiui-
bor of its inhabitiints join tlio
Mission at Friedensstadt, 302,
805.

Ooschnchgilnk, the second capital
of the Delawarcs in Ohio, 4'20,
427 and note 1 ; destroyed by
Colonel Brodhead, 483.

Gokhosing, a stopping-place of the
converts on their journey to the
Sandusky, 515 and 7iote 1.

Godrey, Captniti, commands a sloop
on Lake Erie, 590.

Oourges Dominic, 41.

Good Luck, the name of a tract of
land in Pennsylvania, granted to
the Moravian Missionary Society,
618, note 1.

Great liriiain struggles with
France for the supremacy in
North America, 176, 177; tri-
umphs over Franco, 254, 255 ;
introduces a foolish policy after
her victory, 321, 322; a cruel
policy in the Revolution by in-
citing the Indians to war, 428,
429, 441 ; interferes in the wur
between tlie United States and
the Western Indians, 641 ; re-
linquishes the Western posts to
the United States, 643.

Griibe, Bernard Adam, a Moravian
missionary, biography, 221, note
1 ; visits Wyoming, 221 ; atGna-
denhutten on the Mahony at
the time of the massacre, 229 ;
in Pliiladelphia during the Pon-
tiac War, 280; accompanies the
Christian Indians on their way
to New York, 294 ; visits the
Ohio Mission, 477, 478 and 7iote
1 ; officiates at the marriage of
Heckuwelder, 477 ; at the mar-
riage of Zeisberger, 482.

Grant of land to Christian Indians
See Society of the U. B. for Propa-
gating the Gospel.

Greaor, Christian, a Moravian
bishop, biographj'. 368, note 1 ;
visits America, 368.

Greathouse, Daniel, murders In-
dians in Dunmore's War, 402.

Greer, Paul, one of the first settlers
on the Tuscarawas reservation,
657, iwte 1.

llagen, John, a Moravian mis-
sionary, 142 ; his death, ih.

Hagen, John .Joachim, a Moravian
missionary, 663.

Hajingonis, Joseph Schebosh's Iro-
quois name, 1.34.

Hahotschaimquas, Cammerhofl''s
and Zeisberger's guide to Onon-
daga, 157, 159, 101, 162, 164, 173,
174.

Hard Man, the. See Gieschenatsi.

Hamilton, Governor of Pennsyl-
vania, interview with Ciiinuicr-
hofl', 178; espouses the cause of
the Christian Indians, 283, 284,
285. 301.

Hamilton, Governor of Detroit,
forged letter from him sent to
Zeisberger, 460-462 ; incites the
Indians against the United
States, 467 ; organizes an expedi-
tion* against the Mission, 470,
471 ; taken prisoner by the Amer-
icans, 472.

Harris family, the, a member of
dies among (he Christian In-
dians, 613, 7tote 1.

Hachsiiagechie, Zeisberger's Indian
brother, 322; dies at Bethlehem,
323; message concerning his
death, 323, 324. " y

Haaastaak, a. Seneca sachem. 342 ; / "^
Zeisberger negotiates with his
council, 347, 348

Harmar, Lieut. -Colonel Joseph, his
speech to the Christian Indians,
697, 598 and note 1 ; disastrous
campaign ugainst the Indians,
616 and note 1.

Hardin, Colonel, murdered by the
Indians, 032.

Hartshorne, William, a Quaker
peace commissioner in 1793, 034.

Haklnkpomsgu, Ca[)tain Pipe's suc-
cessor, 050.

llnl f King o f the Wyam lots^'i^t/'

''V

726

INDEX.

visits Lichtenau, 454, 455; pro- I
tects Zeisbergcr, 456 ; detbats
American militia and attacks
Fort Henry, 457 ; commands
British expedition against the
Mission, 489; anrwunces his
coming, 490; interview with
Hockewelder, 491 ; his speecii to
tlie Christian Indians, 493, 494 ;
hesitates to lay hands on the mis-
sionaries, 494-498; hislastspeech,
503, 504; deserts the Christian
Indians in a wilderness, 516 ;
proclaimshimself'theirchief, 517;
reproved by Glikkikan, 531, 532;
forces the converts to leave Cap-
tives' Tow , 500 ; demands the
removal ot the missionaries, 661 ;
forbids the converts to settle on
the Black Kiver, 600, 601 ; his
death, 611.

Hand, General, commandant at
Pittsburg, 457 ; sends peace nies-
sagoc to the Delawares by Hecke-
welder, 403-465.

Harrison, General William Henry,
destroys Fairfield, 694.

Haymaker, Jacob, sends the news
of the capture of the missionaries
to the States, 611.

Hay, Vice-Governor John, com-
mandant at Detroit, 583.

Haven, John lien, n Moravian mis-
sionary, 660; ordained at Go-
shen. 662; begins a Mission on
the Pettquotting, 663.

Heckewelder, Joanna Maria, born
at Salem, 507; biography, 507,
note 1 ; taken to Detroit, 635 and
note 1.
"^Heckeweliicr, John, a Moravian mis-
sionary, biography, 256, note 2 ;
his father, 20 ; with Post in Ohio,
256 ; bearer of a message from
Post to Zeisbergcr, 261 ; Zeisbor-
ger's assistant at Friedenshiitteu,
312; in Ohio, 370; at Schon-
hrunn, 380, 447 ; returns to Beth-
lehem, 452 ; goes to Pittsburg,
463 ; carries peace-messages to
the Delawares. 404, 465 ; visits
Zeisbergcr at Lichtenau, 465;
takes charge of the Lichtenau
Mission, 466, 473; founds Salem,

477 ; married in its chapel, 477,
478; in danger of his life, 484;
his experiences during the British
expedition against the Mission,
491, 492, 498, 504, 50(), 609; goes
to Detroit to be tried, 518 ; at
Detroit again, 563 ; at New Gna-
denhiitten, 579; on the way to
the Cuyahoga, 591, 592; leaves
the Mission, 696; visits the Mis-
sion, 699; Agent of the Soeloty
for Propagating the Gospel, 608 ;
unsuccessful attempts to survey
the Tuscarawas reservation, 608,
611 ; assistant peace coinmis-
si(jner of the United States, ()32,
633, 634 ; surveys the reservation ,
646-648: at Fairfield, 648 ; leads
a colony to the reservation. i6. ;
his house at Gnadenhiitten, 654
and note 1 ; his memorial to Gov-
ernor St. Clair about the sale of
ardent spirits on the reservation,
650 ; visits Zeisbergcr on his
death-bed, 673 ; his sketch of Zeis-
berger's character, 681, 682.

Henry, Captain, chief of the Mo-
hawks, 636, 637, 7iote 1.

Henry, a convert, leads militia to
Salem, 544.

Henry, Mr., a trader among tho
Shawanese, 374, note 2.

Henry, Judge William, a member
of Congress, 357 ; Gelelemend
named after him, 604; helps to
survey the Tucarawas reserva-
tion, 046-648.

Hehl, Matthew, a Moravian bishop,
member of tho Mission Board,
185 and note 1 ; sends an express
to Bethlehem about the Cones-
toga massacre, 292.

Hcndrirk, the King of the Mo-
hawks, 122 and note 2.

Herrnhut, 15.

Herbert, Michael, takes part in the
British expedition against tho
Mission, 491.

Hcckedorn, John, forwards the
news of the capture of the mis-
sionaries to Bethleliom, 611,
512.
^Honseaof the Iroquois, 83 and note 1.

Houses of the Delawares, 83, 84.

:!■:

INDEX.

727

Horion, Azariah, a, missionaty
among the Indians, 105.
^^^odenosaunee, a ntiinc for the Iro-
quois, 32, note 2.

Hospitaliiy, the name of a tract of
land in Pennsylvania grunted to
the Society for Propagating the
Gospel, 618, note 1.

Horsficld, Timothy, biography, 220,
note 2; takes Zeisberger'a depo-
sition, 220; his dispatches eon-
corning the massacre on the Ma-
hony, ^230, 237, 238; his rules
for the Christian Indians in the
Pontine War, 276; negotiates
witli the government in the Pax-
ton Insurrection, 292.

Huebner, Lewis, a Moravian cler-
gyman, biography, 658, note 2;
pastor of the white settlers on the
Tuscarawas reservation, 658 ;
leaves the reservation, 663.

Huebner, John Andrew, a Moravian
bishop, biography, 480, note 2 ;
a member of the Mission Board,
480, 582; a member o the Di-
rectory in Europe, 661, 002.

Huss, John, 16, 698.

Uutehins, Thomas, ('■(H)grapher of
the United States, 587, 008.

Huudsecker, Lt., escort Christian
Indians, 309.
'-'Huron- Iroquxtis, a, race o. Indians,

31.
"^Hurons, the same as \\ .andots,

which see.
^Hunting , among the Delawares and
Iroquois, 80, 81 ; laws of hunt-
ing, 81, 82; wholesale slaughter

of deer, 350.

Idol, of the Delawares, 96.

Illinois, a tribe of Indians, 80, 73.

Indians, general remarks. 28; gen-
eric stocks, 30 ; description of, in
primitive times, 43 ; curly moral
character, 44; cunnibalism, 44;
population in early times, 47; the
tribes of Pennsylvania in 1745,
69-72; the nHtii)ns of the West, i
72-74 ; general government, 75, |
70 ; their manner of life at home i

in Colonial times, 80-91 ; their
moral chanictcr in the same pe-
riod, 91-03; fal.-e notions con-
cerning tht.r eai'y religion, 93,
94; later superstition, 91-90;
oratory 90 ; lamentations for the
dead and funerals, 190, 197 ; in-
heritances, 197 ; sickness, 209,
210; doctors, 210, 211; cosmog-
ony, 217-219; tribes and hunt-
ing-groun Is after the French and
Indian i.'ar, 2.)7 ; dis^atisHed
with the occuiHition of Western
lorts by the English, 200, 201,
202; faithful to tb-ir treaties
after the I\>ntiac War, 400, 401 ;
hated by the whites in the West
during the llevolution, 538, 539;
no reservations for them after
the lievolution, 58-» ; boundaries
of the Western tribes, 585; dis-
satisfied with the policy of the
United States, 580 ; form a con-
federation in the West and send a
message to Congress, 590, 597;
their condition and number after
the treaty of 1789, 009; hostile
' monstrations, 614; hold a
grand council on the Muumee in
1792, 633; break off negotiations
with the United States, 637; to-
tally defeated by Wayne, 640;
great sufferings among them,
042, 643.
Indians, the Christian, quartered
at Bethlehem and Gnadenthal,
239, 240; their industry and
trade, 240 ; claim the protection
of the Governor of Pennsylvania,
276 ; their jiersonal appearance,
270,277; fulse accusations against
them, 279 ; proofs that they took
no part in the Pontiac War, 279;
note 1 ; disarmed and removed
to Philadelphni, 285-289; quar-
tered on Province Island, 289;
flee lo League Island, 2;tl ; set
out for New York, 294; at Tren-
ton and Princeton, 295; at Am-
boy, 290 ; r.lurn to Philadelphia,
297; no murderers found among
them, M'i, notel; sickness among
them, 305; leave IMiiladelphia,
300; theirjourney from Nam to

728

INDEX.

Machiwihilusing, 309, 310; their
happincs?, 311 ; negotiate witii
the Iroquois sachem at Cayuga
Town, 315, 316 ; send a speech
and belt of wampum to tlie Di-
rectory in Europe, 316; receive
a mei-Hagc from Governor Penn,
337 ; their views with regard to
tribute, 364, 365; invited by the
Delaware chiefs to settle in Ohio,
370; journey to the Beaver liiver,
376, 377 ; receive a grant from
the Assembly of Pennsylvania,
376, note 2; their statutes, 378,
379 ; instances of their joy in
believing, 384; the tribes from
which they are gathered, 394 ;
try to prevent Dunmore's War,
403 ; ask that all the missiona-
ries may be adopted among the
Delawores, 405; secure religious
liberty, 422 ; their growing pros-
perity, 423 ; settlements on the
Tuscarawas, 423, 424 ; Colonel
Morgan's testimony concerning
theni, 424, note 1; their belts of
wampum, 426 ; conspiracy among
some of them to overthrow the
Mission, 449-452; the faith and
zeal of the rest during the Revo-
lution, 459 ; all concentrated at
Lichtenau, 466 ; divided again
into three congregations, 472,
473 ; the apostates return, 459,
478 ; their experiences during the
British expedition against the
Mission, 493-512; leave the Tus-
carawas as prisoners, 513 ; their
losses, lb.; journey to the San-
dusky, 614-517; erect a chapel
at Captives' Town, 529; their
sufferings, 530, 531 ; regarded
with suspicion both by the Amer-
icans and the British, 537, 538 ;
at Captives' Town after the mas-
sacre, 558 ; their feelings in view
of the massacre, 559,560; settle at
New Gnadenhiitten, 578, 579 ;
their life at New Gnadenhiitten,
581, 582; receive a grant of land
from Congress, 587 and not'j 1 ;
leave New Gnadenhiitten, 589;
journey to the Cuyahoga, 591,
592 ; settle at Pilgernih, 592, 593 ;

leave Pilgerruh, 599 ; settle at
New Salem, 602 ; accept the pro-
tection of the peace confedera-
tion, 611 ; disturbed by the In-
dian War, 615, 616 ; leave New
Salem, 621 ; settle at the mouth
of the Detroit, 624 ; ,settle__in^
Ca nada, 631, 632 ; spiriTuaTs tat^
at FaTrlield. 645. 646 ; cxTkIuTot
a part ot them to the Tuscarawas,
651 ; exodus of u part from the
Tuscarawas to Indiana, 659 ; of a
part from Fairfield to the Pett-
quotting, 663 ; great decline of
spiritual life among them, 664,
665 ; the Goshen Indians at Zeis-
berger's death-bed, 672-674; ex-
odus of a part from N5W_j]ai.r- 1/
ticld to the West, 696 .

Iwlians, the Ckristian, masnacred at
Onadenhutten, go from Captives'
Town to the Tuscarawas, 532,
533 ; w^arned by warriors and
Carpenter, 540 ; meet with the
militia, 541, 542; their joy that
the Americans will care forthem,
543; murderers and victims
sleeping together, 544 ; the con-
verts seized by the militia, 545 ;
rebut the charges against them,
545, 546; their innocence, 546
and note 1 ; condemned to death,
547 ; their faith and joy, 548 ;
they are murdered, 548, 549;
names of the victims, 551, 552;
their bright testimony as Chris-
tians, 553; their remains found
and buried, 647 and note 1.

Indians, the Christian, scattered
ajter the massacre, leave Cap-
tives' Town, 560 ; hesitate to re-
join the Mission, 679 ; forty-three
come to New Gnadenhiitten, 583;
they receive a message from Zeis-
berger, 588 ; a written speech
inviting them to a conference,
593, 594 ; their reception of these
overtures, 595 ; emigrate to the
Mississippi and disappear, 613.

Indaochaie, the name of Lichtenau
after the exodus of the converts,
483, note 1.

Irene, the Morayign, uussjoft^ry
ship, 179 and noieT,\m, 181,

INDEX.

729

Trvine, General, commander at
Pittsburg, 631 ; liberates the
Christian Indians tal^en by Wil-
liamson, 531 ; receives a dispatch
from the Executive Council of
Pennsylvania, 674, 575; his Ict-

_. ter to Bishop Soidel, 575.

^Iroquois, synonyms for them, 32,
natm2\ early traditions, 36, 37;
organization of their league, 87 ;
their supremacy, 38, 39 ; account
of them in 1745, 54-57 ; descrip-
tion of their country, 57 ; tlic
trails, 57, 68; population, 58;
government, 76, 77 ; clans or
families, 77, 78 ; the Iroquois a
conglomeration of other nation-
alities, 78, 79; their monuments,
161 ; their feud with the Cataw-
bas settled, 183 ; preparations for
the war-path, 198, 199; missions
among them, 319, note 1 ; cede
land to Pennsylvania in 1773,
401 ; relations to the United
States in the Itevolution, 441,
443, 444; their country devas-
tated by the Americans, 476 ;
give the Christian Indians to
heathen tribes to make broth of,
489; their boundaries after the
Revolution, 585; their condition
after the treaty of 1789, 609 ; ad-
vise the Western nations to con-
clude peace with the United
States, 633 ; make the Delawares
men, 641, 642.

Iroquois Grand Council, 76, 77 ; re-
ceives Cammerhoft" and Zeisbcr-
ger, 162, 163 ; negotiates with
Cammerhoff and Zeisberger, 173,
174 ; negotiate* with Zeisberger,
Mack, and Kundt, 190-194;
negotiates with Zeisberger and
Senseman, 318, 319.

Israel. See Johnny, Captain.

Jacob, a convert, brings news of the
massacre to Zeisberger, 536.

Jacob, a lad, escapes from th-e ma.s-
sacre, 650, 551.

Jacob, son-in-law of Schebosh, falls
to give the alarm to the converts

when the militia attack Gnadcn-
hutten, 542.

Jamestown founded, 42.

Jacheabus, leader of the war-party
that committed the massacre on
the JIahony, 238.

Jablonsky, Daniel Ernst, a bishop
of the Unitas Fratrum, 099.

Jesuit Relations, 29, note 1.

Jesuit Missions, 100, 103.

Jeremiah. See Mamasu.

Jefferson, Thomas, reports the emi-
gration (if the Christian Indians
to Canada, 629; receives visits
from Indian chiefs, 660.

Job, one of the ilrst Moravian In-
dian converts, 08, 99 ; baptized,
107 ; eloquent preacher of the
Gospel, 116.

John. See Job.

John, grandson of Netawatwcs, the
first convert at Lichtenuu, 436,
442.

Johanan, Count Zinzendorf's In-
dian name, 190.

Johnson, Sir William, biography,
55, 7iote 2; his seat, 55; visits
Onondaga, 211, 212; his efforts
in the French and Indian War,
224 ; renewed efforts to bring
about peace, 243 ; conciliates tho
Indians after the war, 262; his
views regarding the Christian In-
dians in the Paxton Insurrection,
300; is willing to receive them,
305; mollifies the anger of the
Six Nations, 337 ; tries to pre-
vent Dunmore's War, 403 ; his
death, 429.

Johnson, Sir John, General Super-'
intendent of Indian Affairs in
Canada, 579 ; his interview with
Zeisberger, 579 ; instructions
from the British government in
regard to the Mission, 580 ; in-
stigates the Indians against tho
United States, 614.

Johnson, Colonel Ouy, incites the
Indians against tho United
States, 429.

Johnny, Captain, a convert at Lich-
tenau, 436 and note 2 ; produces
belts of peace previous to tho
massacre, 543.

)|!|

730

INDEX.

Jones, David, visits the Delawares,
R86, note 3.

Joshua, a native assistant, founds
Gnadenhiitten, 380, 381, note 1 ;
brings the news of the massacre
to Zeisborger, 636 ; murdered
by the Delawares of the White
liiver, 605. •

Judith, the first woman murdered
at Gnadenhiitten, 549.

Jung, Michael, a Moravian mis-
sionary, biography, 478, note 2;
joins the Ohio Mission, 478; in
danger of his life, 484 ; his exp5
rionces during the British expe-
dition against the Mission, 408,
506, 507, 515; protects the wives
of the missionaries at Captives'
Town, 518; goes to Bethlehem,
686 ; returns to ihe Mission, 599,
"602; his labors at New Salem,
604; sails to the mouth of the
Detroit, 623 ; preaches to white
settlers in Canada, 644; leaves
the Mission, 095.

Jungmann, John, steward on the
Tuscarawas reservation, 657,
note 1.

Jungmann, John Oeorge, a Mora-
vian missionary, 365; biography,
365, note 1 ; at Friedensstadt, 372 ;
at Schonbrunn, 380 ; brings the
news of Dunmore's War to
Schonbrunn, 403, 447 ; goes to
Bethlehem, 453, 454 ; returns to
the Mission, 485; his experiences
during the British expedition
against the Mission, 498, 607,
508, 509 ; protects the wives of
the missionaries at Captives'
Town, 618 ; retires from the
Mission, 686 ; his death, 686.
note 2.

Kamp, Mr., assistant surveyor on
the Tuscarawas reservation, 646.

Kash, a German settler in the Iro-
quois country, 188; denounces
missionary work among the In-
dians. 209.
'■'Krtskaski.ns, a tribe of Indians, 36.

Kicfer, Rev. Mr., a Moravian mis-

III ^1
e- ^1

sionary, escapes from the mas-
sacre at Penn'sCreek, 225, wo<e2.

Kichline, Sheriff, escorts the Chris-
tian Indians, 309.

KiUbuck, John, a Delaware opposed*''
to the Moravian Mission, 380 and
note 1, 428.

KiUbuck, John, Jr. See Oclelemcnd.

King Newcomer. See Netnwatwes.

King Beaver, chief of the Turkey*^
tribe of the Delawares, 349;
place of his death, 380.

King of the Delawares, populiir title*^
t)f the head chief, 79.

'iirkland, Samuel, a missionary
among the Iroquois, 319 lind note
1 ; secures the neutrality of two
nations in the lie volution, 443.

Kiekapoos, an Indian tribe, 73.

Jris^gpoco^, a Sliawancse tribe, 374, «<^

lilein, Oeorge, his farm the site of
Litiz, 66, 67, note 1 ; deputy
sheriff in the Pontiac War, 281."

Kluge, John Peter, a Moravian
missionary, 659 ; biography, 659,
note 1 ; on the White River, In-
diana, 659 ; leaves the Mission,
665.

Kogieaehquanoheel. See Pipe, Cap-
tain.

Kolaneka, scat of Sir W. Johnson,
^55.

Konkaput, John, a Stockbridge In-
dian educated at Nazareth Hall,
660, note 2.

Koquethagachton. See White Eyes.

Krogstrnp, Rev. Mr., reports the
massacre at Gnadenhiitten to the
Mission Board, 673.

Lallemand, a Jesuit missionary,
100; martyrdom, 101.

Languntoutenunk. See Friedens-
stadt.

La Salle, a Jesuit missionary, 103.

La Trohe, Ignatius, the Britisli sec-
retary of the Unitas Fratrum,
679 and note 2 ; sends money to
the missionaries, 579, 580.

Lawunakhannek, a Moravian Mis-
sion town, 363 ; first baptisms
there, 359 ; abandoned, ib.

INDEX.

731

LeeroUy Susan, biography, 482, note
3 ; manius Zoisberger, 482.

Lehibach, Frederick, brings the
news of tlio massacre to Bethle-
hem, 572, 573 ; notifies Congress
of the massacre, 673.

Lee, Arthur, United States com-
missioner, 584.
^^Lenni-Lenapc, a name of the De'.a
ware Indians, 32.

Le Moyne, a Jesuit missionary, 102.

Lesly, John F., killed in the mas-
sacre on the Mahony, 229, 236.

Leibert, Joxep/i, places a monument
over the grave of the mission-
aries killed on the Mahony, 235,
note 1.

Lewis, Andrew and Thomas, United
2*rte3 commissioners, 407.

Lewis, Colonel, commands Southern
forces in Dunmore's War, 407,
408, 409.

Lichtenau, a Moravian Mission
town, 433, 435, note 2; founded,
434, 435 ; first celebration of the
Lord's Supper there, 438; first
baptism there, 442 ; all the Chris-
tian Indians concentrated there,
466 ; forsaken by the converts,
477 ; destroyed by Colonel Brod-
heud, 483.

Lindley, Jacob, a Quaker peace
commissioner, 634.

Lincoln, General, a United States
peace commissioner, 634.

Litiz, a Moravian town, 66.

Litiz, barony of, 698.
"^("JWi -Tnin^x^ i^n Ir oquois sachem ,
son of Shikellimy, 150; at Sha-
mokin as deputy of the Grand
Council, 153; n friend of the
Colonies in the French and
Indian War, 224; his family
murdered, 402; his revenge,
402, 403; his celebrated speech,
409.

Logan, William, a member of the
Pennsylvania Council, 243 ; his
protest against the Indian war,
ib.; espouses the cause of the
Christian Indians in the Paxton
Insurrection, 283, 284, 285, 294,
295.

Loretz, John, a member of the Di-

rectory in Europe, 308, note 2;
visits America, 868.

Loskiel, Oeorge Henry, a Moravian
bishop, 662 ; biogra{)hy, 662, note
1 ; his history of the Indian Mis-
sion reaches Zeisbergor, 021, 022 ;
Prosidoiit of the Mission Board,
002; vi.sits Goshen, ib.; ordains
Haven, ib.

Lower Sand.usly, the missionaries
stop there, 535, 530, and note 1,
561.

Luckcnbach, Abraham, a Jloravian
missionary, 059 ; biography, 059,
note 2 ; begins a Mission on the
White Itiver, in Indiana, 659;
abandons this Mission, 605.

Luke, a renegade convert, 001.

Mack, Martin, a Moravian mission,
ary, 110 ; biography, 110, note 2
visits Wyoming with Zinzendorf
110; in New England, 117; at
Gnadenhiitten, 141 ; at Shanio-
kin, 142; explores the Susque-
hanna, 144, 145; visits Shamokin
and Wyoming with Watteville,
147-150; accompanies Zoisber-
ger to Onondaga, 188-195; at
Gnadenhiitten on the Mahony at
the time of the massacre, 229.

Machiugu, a sacrificial feast, 352.

Machiwihiluainp, an Indian town,
awakening there, 205, 207 ; visit-
ed bj' Zoisberger, 269

Mahony settlement, the, 214.

Ma(funische, a Moravian settlement,
65.

Mamasu, a wicked Indian, 597 ; ap-
plies for baptism, ib.; baptized,
604.

Manteo, first convert among the
North American Indians, 4l.

Manitous, 94, 95.

Marquette, a Jesuit missionary, 102*^

Mark, a native assistant, 600;
leaves Captives' Town, ib.; op
poses the resuscitation of the Mis-
sion at New Gnadenhiitten, 679;
his sudden death, 583.

Martin, John, a native assistant
warns the missionaries of theii

732

INDEX.

danger during the British expe-
dition, 498, 499 ; at the massacre
at Onadenhiitten, 542, 543; his
conversation with Colonel Wil-
liamson, 543.

Marshall, Frederick de, biography,
256, note 3; Bishop Seidel's as-
sistant, 256 ; in Philudelphia dur-
ing the Pontiac War uid the Pax-
ton Insurrection, 280, 281, 282,
284, 287.

Massacre o( the missionuries on tlio
Mahony, 229-230 ; of the Chris-
tian Indiam in OhL/, 537-557;
discrjpancies in the account of
the I'lassacre in Ohio, 549, note 1.

Marietta, the first white settlement
in Ohio, 607, 655.

McDonald, Colonel Annus, attacks
the Shawanese, 406.
'^McClure, David, visits Ihg Dela-
wares in Ohio, 379.

McCormlck, Alexander, a trader
and friend of the Mi-sion, 473 ;
warns Zeisbcrger of his danger
during the Revolutinn, ib.; en-
sign to the British expedition,
491 ; warns Heckewelilor of its
object, 492; sends provisions to
the Christian Indians, 530.

Mcintosh, General, conimiuids the
Western department, 4(>7 ; con-
structs a fort at Beaver, 468, 469 ;
_^^makes a requisition on tlio Dela-
ware council for warriors, 469;
builds Ft. Laurens, 469; Jiiarches
into the Delaware country at
Zeisberger's request, 471 ; relieves
Ft. Laurens, ib.

McKee, Alexander, a British In-
dian agent and enemy of the
Mission, 462, 489; proposes an
expedition against the Mission,
489 ; bargains for the cattle of
the Christian Indians, 517 ; as-
sists th e Christia n Tmlinna to
'"V. secure land in Canada, 617, 0.30 .
"SfMequachake, a Shawanese tribe, 374.

Meniolagomekah, a Moravian Mis-
sion station, 107 and note 3.

Menomonies, an Indian tribe, 73.

Melendez founds St. Augustine, 41.

Metoxen, John, a Stockbridge In-
dian educated at Bethlehem, 660.

Miamis, an Indian tribe, 36.

AftMffoes. emigrant Iro 9UoiSj.58 ; en- /
gage m Dunmore s War, 402,
405 ; take part in the battle of
Point Plea,sant, 407, 408 ; a fam-
ily of them, Zeisberger's relatives,
join the Mission, 420; side with
Great Britain in the Revolution,
447 ; besiege Ft. Laurens, 471 ;
take part in the British expedi-
tion against the Mission, 489.

Mingo Bottom, 539, and note 2.

Missionaries, Moravian, tiieir hero-
ism, 298; their Instructions, 308 ;
their influence among the natives,
312, 313 ; hold a conference at
Friedensstadt, 377, 378 ; jealousy
among them, 450 and note 1, 451 ;
their position with regard to the
Indian Border War, 487, 488,
489; resolve to remain with the
converts in spite of every dan-
ger, 490, 492, 504 ; their capture
andsuft'erings at the hands of the
British Indians, 493-512 ; refuse
to flee, 498 ; their trial and ac-
quittal at Detroit, 518-529 ; re-
manded to Detroit, 533; their
farewell to the converts, 535 ; de-
termine to revive the Mission,
661, 562; receive a letter from
the Directory in Europe, 687,
note 1 ; memorialize the Gov-^
ernor of the N. W. Territoryi
about the sale of ardent spirits,)
655, 656.

Mission Board, the, organized at
Bethlehem, 120 ; enthusiastic
meeting of, in 1747, 142 ; goun eil
with Iroquois sachems. 1 53 j*'
meeting of, at the beginning of
the French and Indian War, 222,
223 ; its instructions to the mis-
sionaries, 308; relinquishes the
Mission among the Iroquois, 319,
320 ; removes the Mission to
Ohio, 370 ; its diiHculties during
the Revolution, 481 ; publishes
the documents relating to the
massacre at Gnadenhiitten, 577;
active in resuscitating the Mis-
sion, 582 ; a change among its
members, 661.

Mobilian Indians, 31.

INDEX.

733

Mohicans, nn Indian tribe, 36.
»^Mohnwks, an Indian nation, 38,
54.

Montauks, nn Indian tribo, 105.

Mr)7itour, Madame, 72 ; entertains
Zinzcndorf, 111 ; her i_a;noranee
of tlio Gospel, 111, note 2.

Montour, Andreio, 72 ; Zinzcndorf s
descriptiun of liis appearance,
112, note 1 ; accompanies Zinzcn-
dorf to Wyoming, 112; accom-
panies Spangonberg to Onondaga,
132-137; a .sister of his joins the
Mission, G21.

Moo7-, Thoroitfjhfjood, a missionary
among the Indians, 104.

Moore, Joseph, a Quaker peace com-
missioner, 034.

Moore, President, receives a report
of the massacre at Gnadenhiitten,
Ohio, from Congress, 574 ; liis
message to the Assembly of Penn-
sylvania about the massacre, 576,
577.

Moore, Samuel, a convert, talks on
religion with the militia at the
massacre, 544.

Moore, Justice, escorts the Christian
Indians, 309.

Morgan, Colonel Oeorge, the Indian
Agent for the West, 424, note 1,
439, note 1 ; his testimony con-
cerning the Christian Indians,
424, note 1 ; correspondence with

— -the Delawares about an Episco-
pal missionary, 439 ; at Pittsburg,
44j; correspondence with the
Delawares about the Moravian
missionaries, 449 ; dissatisfied
with the treaty of 1778, 468.

Morris, Governor, receives Zeisber-
ger's deposition, 226 ; disputes
with the Assembly in the Indian
and French War, 227 ; receives
an address from the Christian
Indians, 238 ; promises them
protection, 2.39; dechires war
against the Shawane sejind Dela-
-vsuuajs, 243 ; sends peace-mes-
sages to the Indians, ib.
Moravian Church, ingenei'al, origin
698; an account of, 098-700; in-
crease, 098 ; destruction, 098, 699 ;
renewal, 699 ; present govern-

ment, 699, 70 ; foreign missions,
700.

Moravian Church, in America, ac-
cused of sympathy with the
French, 177; courage of her
members in the French and In-

, dian War, 222; maligned and
persecuted, 223, 228.

Mortimer, lienjamin, a Moravian
missionary, biography, 048, note
1; joins the Mission', 048; Ja.n^y
well disco urse nt. Pniitielil , fiW\
050; his memorial to Governor l
St. Clair ,_Jiiiii; admonishes thoj
Goshen Indians to repent, 671 ;
ministers to Zcisbcrger in his
dying hours, 672; his prayer
at Zeisberger's death-bed, 674;
sketch of Zeisberger's character,
082, 083 ; remarks about the fre-
quent journeys of the Christian
Indians, 079, note 1 ; preaches
Zeisberger's funeral sermon in
English, 084.

Mount Zion, a Moravian Mission
station among the Cherokees, 697.

Mueller, George Godfrey, biogra-
phy, 603, note 2; the pastor of
the white settlers on the Tuscara-
was reservation, 663; visits Zeis-
berger on his death-bed, 673 ;
preaches his funeral sermon in
German, 684.

Nain, a Moravian Mission town,
248; description of it, 251, 252;
threatened with destruction, 275;
an attack upon it prevented, 280;
the town abandoned and its
houses sold, 307-309.

Nanticokes, an Indian tribe, 36 ; in
the Wyoming valley, 70; visit
Gnadenhiitten and Bethlehem,
186, 204; emigrate to the Iro-
quois country, 200, 208; their
mode of burial, 206 ; a remnant
of the tribe joins those in the
Iroquois country, 322, 323 ; they
dwindle to a few families, 642.

Nanticoke, Samuel, a convert, liis
conversation with Zeisberger
about the massacre, 558, 559 ;

784

INDEX.

leads tho Christian Indians to
Pipe's Town, 5GD ; rejoins tho
Mission, 5();5; guides the con-
veris to tho Cuyiihoga, 692; his
conversation witli one of tlie
scattered converts, 593; goes on
an emb;i<>iy to tlieni, 594; his
converstttioii with his brother,
595.

JVarm^rtwse^/s, a tribe of Indians, 36.

Natcltez, a tribe of Indians, 30.

Nathaniel, ii native assistant, 270,

note 1 ; accompanies
to Maciiiwiiiiiusing,

Zeisberger
270.

Nazareth, a Moravian settlement,
65; in tlio I'ontiac War, 280,
285.

Nelsser, Oeoi\ge, a Moravian cler-
gyman, 287.

Netawatwen, the head chief of the
Delawares, .349 and note 1 ; en-
tertains Zeisberger, 366; grants.
tho Christian Indians land, 372;
troubled about tlie ditlerences
among Ciiristian cliurehes, 387,
388; "his disputes with White
Eyes, 413-417; reconciled to
White Eyes, 422; promulgates
the edict of religious liberty at
Gnadenhiittcn, Hi.; sends a mes-
sage about the Gospel to Pac-
kaiil<e, U).; urges Zeisberger to
build a third town, 432, 433 ; his
death, 442, 443.

Neutral Nation, a. tribe of Indians,
38.

Neville, Colonel John, commandant
at Fort Pitt in 1777, 445.

Newallil;e., a Delaware chief, 315;
receives a message from Gover-
nor Penn, 337; joins the Mis-
sion, 394 and note 2 ; becomes an
apostate, 450 and note 1.

New Castle, Captain, an Iroquois
friendly to the Colonies, 242 and
note 2 ; 243.
f^New Fairfield, a Moravian Mission
town, 695.

New Qnadenhiitten, a Moravian
Mission town, 578, 579 and note 1.

New Kaskaskunk, the capital of the
'^ ■ j ^onscys in 1770, 301.

New Orleans, poi)ulation in 1771,
375.

New Salem, a Moravian Mission
town, 602, 603 and note 1 ; a re-
vival tlii-re, CiOl; ii-i prosjicrity
amid a famino, 612, 613; aban-
doned, 621; ileslri'Vcd, 653; u
child buried in its grave-yard,
6.")3.
New Sch'i inn, a ^[oravian Mis-
sion tou . 473 and note 1 ; occu-
pied by the converts, 476; dc-
stroy-d, 553, 554 ; revisited by
Zeisberger in 171IH, 655, note 1.
New Sprinif Plare, a Moravian mis-
sionary station, 697.
New Westfield, a Moravian Mission

station, 696.
Neio Viirk Province, description of,

48, 50-54.
New York City, description of, 49,

50.
New Fork Government, 53.
Nicholas, a convert, Zoisberger's
guide on his last journev, 653,
654.
Nitschmann, David, a iloravian
bishop, biography, 16, note 1 ;
leads emigrants to Georgia, 16 ;
founds Bethlehen., 23; visits
Zinzendorf in Wyoming, 114.
Nitschmann, Daviil, the Syndic,
biography, 314, 7iotc 2; visits
America, 314; convenes a Synod
at Bethlehem, 316.
Nitschmann, A7ina, biography, 110,
note 3; accompanies Zinzendorf
on his last journev to the Indian
country, 110, lU, 112.
Nitschmann, John, a Moravian
bishop, biography, 152, note 1 ;
President of tho Alission Board,
152.
Nitschmann, Martin, killed in tho
massacre on tho ilahony, 220,
232, 236.
Nitschmann, Susanna, carried off
as a captive by the Indians. 220,
232 ; her sufferings and death at
Tioga, 236.
Noah, the first Moravian convert
from the Cherokccs, 394 and
note 1.
Noble, Thomas, aids Zeisberger and
Post during their imprisonment,
124, 125, note 1.

INDEX.

735

Northwest Territory^ ordinnnoe for
its governmont, 60tj; itn tirst
white nottloiiM'nts, 007 ; great in-
crenso of sottler^, 055; its legis-
Ittt' i-e prohibits tho tale of nrdciit
spiri.R on tho Tuscarawas reser-
vation, 050 ; the jirohibitory act
repcnlbil, 005.

'^Oehqunri, or Bear family, among
tlio Iroquois. 78

0-Jisc/ni^ore, Ilcnry Frey's Indian
name, 208.

Oglethorpe, Jnmps, founds the
Colony of G.'orgiu, 15; assists
Zeisborgcr and 8chober, 19, 20.

Offilvie, John, a missionary among
tho Indians, 104, 188.

Ohio Co»ipnny buys land of Con-
gress, GOO.

Ohneberg, Sarah, marries Hecko-
weldor, 477, 478.

Oil Well.'^, in Zeisberger's times,
854 and 7ioie 1.
"^Oy'i''i"r?.'(, an Indian tribe, 73.

O'd K(is/;(iskunk, tlw first capital of
the Monscys in Western Penn-
sylvania, oOl.
''^Oneidas, an Iroquois nation, 38, 55;

neutral in the lie volution, 443.
"^^Onondagas, an Iroquois nation, 38,
50

Onondaga, tho capital of tho Iro-
quois League, 60.

Oochgetogy, n Moravian 3Iission
station, etio.

Opnkiii, a narno for Now Schon-
brunn, 05' " -'c 1.

Oppelt,u ^loi avian missionary, 000;
begins ami -ion on the Pottquott-
ing, 003.

Oquacho. or Wolf family, among
the Iroquois, 78.

Ostonwacken, an Indian town, 72;
visited by Zin^ondorf, 111.

Otsehlnachiatha. wn Iroquoissachem
and friend of Zeisberger, 200, 202,
2(l,s, 212.
''^Otlnivas, an Indian tribe, 30, 73;
side against tl. United States in
the Kevolution, 441; refuse to

take part in tho British expedi-
tion against the Mission, \>*\}.
Oftigamies, an Indian tribe, 73.

Pachgntqoch, a Moravian Mission
station, 117 and note 1, 2.V5, 3G(»,
note 2. .

PaehgnntHchlhiUas, n.T>(>}i\\\[wo cni i- «^
tain, at GiuidenhiittelT! 354 ;
meets tlie poace commissioners
of the United States, O.'JO.

Pa.,':ankr, head cliicf of the WOlf*^
tribe of Dolawaros, 349; invites
Zi'isbcrgtu' to begin a Mission,
358 ; wi'icomes the converts, 301 ;
upbraids Ulikkikun, 3t _', 303;
receives a message about the
Gospel from Netawatwes, 4;i:,'.

Papnnhank, John, an Indian
preacher, 2(17; baptized, 271, 272;
goes to Province Island, 289 ;
helps to lay out Friedepshiitten,
310 ; accomi)anios Zeisborger to
Gosehgoschiink, 324-335; his
death,"427.

Parliament, Act of, in favor of tho
Moravians, 154.

Parrish, John, a Quaker peace com-
missioner, 034.

Part.->ch, George and Maria, escape
from tho massacre on the Ma-
hony, 229, 231, 232, 234, 235.

Pavton Insurrection, 282-304.

Paxion Insurgents leave Lancaster
County, 298 ; reach Gcrmantown,
301; receivecommissioners, 302;
return home, ih.

Paxnous, a Shawaneso chief, 220;
interferes with the Mission at
Gnadenhiittnn, ib.; baptism of
his wife, ib.; a friend of the
Colonies in the Indian War, 224,
225, 220 ; at tho treutvat Easton
in 1757, 249.

Peace of Aix-la-Chapelle, 140, 170.

Peace of Paris, 580, 581.

Peace Confederation, Indian, in
1789, 010', Oil ; offers to protect
the Christian Indians, Oil ; loses
its influence, 015.

Pemahoaland, tho first convert at
Goshen, 050.

736

INDEX,

Pemberton, Israel, cspouBna the
causo of tho Christiun Indians in
tho Piixton Insurrection, 283,
292, 300.

Penn, William, his policy, 59.

Penn, John, Governor of Pennsyl-
vuniu, 282 ; applies to General
Gago for troops, 293 ; sends
Christian Indians out of the
Province, 293 ; his message to
the Assembly, 296, 297 ; taken ill
in tho midst of the Paxton Insur-
rection, 301 ; negotiates with tho
insurgents, 302; his proclama-
tion of peace, 306; his measures
to prevent an Indian war in
17C8, 336, 337; forbids tho sur-
veyors to run a lino near Frie-
denshiitten, 370; his relations to
Lord Dunmore, 400.

Pennaynite and Yankee War. See
War, Pannamite and Yayikee.

Pennsylvania, description of, in
1745, 59-69.

Pennsylvania, government of, 68,
69.

Pennsylvania Synod, the, 106 and
note 2; 153, note 1.
"^Pequods, an Indian tribe, 36,

Petty, John, a son of Shikellimy,
160.

Pettquotting Mission, the second,
663; abandoned, 665, 666.

Peters, Richard, Secretary of tho
Pennsylvania Council, 69; his
Indian name, 165; Cammerhoff
at his house, 178; receives an
express about the massacre on tho
Mahony, 236.

Peter, a convert, helps to begin the
Mission at Goschgoschiink, 338 ;
leaves Goschgoschhiink, 346.

Peter, David and Dorcas, early
settlers on tho Tuscarawas reser-
vation, 657, note 1 ; David buries
the bones of the murdered con-
verts, 647, note 1-

Peyster, de, Major, commandant of
Detroit, 520; examines the mis-
sionaries, 521, 622; conducts
their trial, 524-528 ; his charac-
ter, 528, 529; gives tho missiona-
ries a passport, 529 and note 1 ;
remands them to Detroit, 533,

536 ; his reasons for this measure,
661 ; helps to revive tho Mission,
602.

Philadelphia, description of, in 1745,
01-63.

Pickering, Colonel, United States
peace comnussioner, 034.

Pilgerruh, a IMoraviun Mission
town, 692, 693, and note 1 ; aban-
doned, 699 ; its ruins, 053.

Pilgrims at Plymouth, 42.

Pipe's Town, 618 and note 2.

Pipe, Captain, of tho Wolf tribe of *^
Delg war es. 433, note 2 ; secedes
from tho nation, 433, 434 ; ad-
vocates war against the United
States, 458, 403, 470, 479 ; takes
part in the British expedition
against tho Mission, 491 ; on his
way to the trial of tho missiona-
ries, 619, 622, 523; advocates
their cause, 524-520 ; has Colo-
nel Crawford tortured, 567 ; his
regret at having taken part in
the British expedition, 001 ; joins
the peace confederation, OlU;
aids tho Christian Indians, 616;
his death, 641.

Pitt, Fort, and Pittsburg, visited by
Zeisberger in 1709, 357; the In-
dian converts there, 360; seized
by John Connolly, 400; tho
American Western center in the
Kevolution, 445.

P'qm, "^ §haw ftnnso tribe, 37| , .X*

Pluggy's Town, a Western Indian
village, 445, 446.

Point Pleasant, battle of, 407, 408.

Pokanokets, an Indian tribe, 36.

Pomoacan. See Half King of the
Wyandots.

Pontiac Conspiracy. See War of
Pontiac.

Pontine, a chief of the Ottawas ,^^
262 ; his character, 263 ; his con-
spiracy, 263, 204.

Post, Frederick Christian, a Mora-
vian missionary, biography, 121,
note 2; in New England, 117;
in tho Mohawk country, 121 ;
arrested and imprisoned, 123-
130; in Wyoming, 221 ; his em-
bassies to tho Western Indians
during the War, 250, 261; in

INDEX,

737

Ohio, 2')(5; trios to induce Zois-
borycr to louvo tlio Moravian
Church, 261.
Potaiik, u Moravian Mission sta-
tion, 117 and note 1.
"^Pofnwatom.iqa, an Indian tribe, 30,

73. r

Potv/inttan Confederacy, 80.

Powell, Joseph, biography, 142,
iKite 2; at .Slianioitin, 142, 149.

Preachers, Indian, un account of,
205-207.

Presser, Martin, killed in the mas-
sacre on the Malioiiy. 229, 236.

Putnam, General Jlufits, founds
Marietta, 007; treats with the
Western Indians, 032, G33; sur-
veys the Tuscarawas reservation,
647.

Pyrlaeus, Christopher, a Moravian
missionary, 100; biography, 120;
note 2; in New England, 117;
teaches tho Indian languages,
120.

Quakei'S, the, espouse tho cause of
the Christian Indians in the Pax-
ton Insurrection, 283, 288; ac-
cused of swaying tho Assembly
of Pennsylvania, 291,292; pro-
pose to send tho Christian In-
dians to Nantucket I.sland, 292 ;
rewards ofl'ered for j.he scalps of

-j. pr""'""'"t igcj } among them ^
299; assailed through the press,
303; send a present to the Chris-
tian Indians, 376, note 2 ; a party
of them accompanies tho peace
commission of 1793, 034; their
letter and gift to the Christian
Indians, 034 and note 1 ; send a
deputation to Zeisborger to con-
sult about the conversion of the
Indians, 660, 661.

Raleigh, Sir Walter, his American

expeditions, 41.
Randolph, Beverhy, a United States

peace commissioner, 034.
Rattlesnake nest, 137, 138.

Rati, John, a settler near Sheko-
nicko, 98.

Rail, Srryeant, in command of a
guard sent to protect the mis-
sionaries, oOl.

Ranch, Christian Henry, tho tlrst
Moravian missionary to the In-
dians, 97 ; biograf.hy, 97, note 1 ;
difflciilties, and success of his
work, 10.') ; baptizes the first con-
verts, 107 and note 1 ; at (Jiia-
deiihiitten, 141.

Reichel, John Frederick, a ^lora-
vian bishop, biography, 480, note
1 ; visits America, 480.

Renatusf a convert, arrested for
murder, 281 ; imprisoned in Phil-
adelphia, 284; acquitted, 305;
subsequent history and death,
681.

Reservation, Christian Indian, on
the Tiiscarawas, laid out, 047 ;
ardent sjnrits prohibited on it,
050 ; part of it leased to white
settlors, 057; tho first settlers,
657, 7iote 1 ; receive a minister of
their own, 058 ; evil influences of
tho traders, 001 ; a second church
organized for the settlers, 003 ;
prohibitory law repealed, 005.

Revolutio7i, the. See War of the
Revolution.

Rex, Augustus, a convert, 154 ; car-
ries peace-messages, 244; forsakes
tho Mission, 252; rejoins tho
Mission and dies, 260.

Rise.cker, Jacob, drives the first
teams to the Tuscarawas reserva-
tion, 057, note 1.

Robinson, Captain, escorts tho Chris-
tian Indians, 294.

Robbins, a trader, entertains tho
missionaries, 530; visits Cap-
tives' Town, 558.

Roessler, a Moravian mLssionary,
escapes from tho massacre at
Penn's Creek, 225, note 2.
Rose, The, a tavern, 309.
Rothrock, John, assistant surveyor
on the Tuscarawas reservation,
046, 647, note 1.
Roth, John, a Moravian missionary,
biography, 388, note 2; leads tho
Christian Indians to Philadel-

738

INDEX.

phia, 286; on the Su?quehanaa,
369; lends the Chriscian Indians
to the West, 376; at Friedons-
stadt, 380 ; at Gnndonhiitten and
Suhonbrunn, 388 ; loaves tlie
Mission, 405; subsequent history
and death, 405, note 1.

Roth, John Lewis, tlie first white
child born in Ohio, 388 and n ite
2 ; his subsequent history and
death, 405, note 1.

Roth, Maria Agnes, the mother of
the first white child born in Ohio,
388 and note '2; her death, 405,
note 1.

Rundt, Godfrey, a Moravfan mis-
sionary, 188; biography, 188,
note 1 ; visits Onondaga with Zeis-
berger, 188-203.

Ratherforth, Captain, at Albanj',
124.

Sacs, an Indian tribe, 73.
■jSachenufhips, among the Iroquois,
76, 77.

Salem, a Moravian Mission town,
477 and note 1 ; first wedding of
a wliite couple in Ohio in its
chapel, 477, 478 ; British Indians
encamp there, 4'Jl ; th» last
Lord's Supper, 511 ; its ruins, 647,
note 2 ; white settlers occupy its
site, 657.

Sally Hand, a colony in Canada,
631.

Sacrifices, among the Indians, 95,
96, 344, 351-353.

Savery, William, a Quaker peace
commi.ssioner, 634.

Scalp-yell, among the Indians, 508,
509 and 7iote 1.

Schebosh, John Joseph, an assistant
Moravian missionary, 131 ; bi-
ography, 131. note 1; accompa-
nies Spangenberg to Onondaga,
131 ; adopted among the Iroquois,
134; at Gnadonhiitten, 229;
brings the news of Dunmore's
War to Schonbrunn, 403; flees
to Litiz, 454 ; goes to Pittsburg,
463 ; cjirries peace-messages. to

^^ the Delawares. J M-i captured
with a party of converts by Amer-

ican militia, 518, 519; liberated
by General Irvine and goes to
Bethlehem, 531 and note 1 ; visits
Pittsburg after themassacre, 574,
675, 576; reunited with his fam-
ily at New Gnaden^iitten, 582;
purchasesprovisions'for the Mis-
sion at Pittsburg, 592, 593 ; re-
ceiv('s Heckeweliierat Pilgerruh,
590: hisdeath,605; hischaracter,
ib.; his family, 605, 7iote 1.

Schebosh, Joseph, son of the preced-
ing, hilled by American militia,
541.

Schmidt, Anthony, the smith at
Shamokin, 142, 149; buries the
remains of the victims in themas-
sacre on the Jluhony, 235, note 1.

Schmick, John Jacob, a Moravian
missionary, 184 ; biography, 184,
note 1 ; at Gnacienhiitten at the
time of the massacre, 229 ; in
Philadelphia during the Pontiac
War, 280, 281, 287 ; accompanies
the Christian Indians on their
way to New York, 294; on their
journey to Friedenshiitten, 308,
300 ; at Friodenshutten, 318, 869 ;
in Ohio, 388, 447; udopted/
among ; the Shawnnese, 447 , note
2; disapproves of Zeisberger's
course in the Revolution, 452 ;
flees to Litiz, 454; his death,
454, 7iote 1.

Schmick, assistant surveyor on the
Tuscarawas reservation, 647 and
note 2 ; helps to build Goshen,
654.

Schober, John Michael, 18 ; runs
away from Herrcndyk with
Zeisberger, 19; his death, 20.

Schweigert, George, killed in tho
massacre on the Maliony, 229,
232, 236.

Schonbrunn, a Moravian Mission
town, 372 ; its site, 376 and note
1 ; its name, 377 ; the plan of tho
town, 880, note 1 ; its chapel
dedicated, 380; a i^vival there,
383, 393; its municipal system,
423, 424; a revival in 1776, 432;
a conspiracy against the 3Iission
among some of its inhabitants,
149-451 ; abandoned, 452.

INDEX.

739

Scherfixchlqunnxiik, ii Moravinn
Mis.>*ion stiition, ;ir)0 ; iii)!iiKl(irK'(l,
370; iiuinhiT of its inliahitants,
370, noir 1.

Sr/iweiiiUz, Jn/in C/rri.itian Alr.r-
ander dr, bio<rraphy, 309, nofe 1 ;
comos to Ami'riea, 300 ; ti mem-
biT of the ^[ission Hoard, Ih.;
activ<! in tlio Board during tlu!
Revolution, 480, 58 'J ; endeavors
to a.sc'iTtain whitiifr tiio mission-
aries havo been carried by the
Britisli Indians, o23 ; his dea.tii,
601.

Schivcini./g, Frrder'h-k do. explores
the Cherokee eountrv, 003

tichweiidiz. Lewis David dc, a Mo-
ravian clergynn\n, treats with
Congress and the United States
comnussioner about the Tuscar-
awas reservation, OOu, 000

Schnall, a ]\[oriivian niissionarv,
002; leave.; the Mission, OOo.

Schloifn'r, Cnpidin. escorts tiie Chris-
tian Indians, 297; commands the
British barrack's in the Paxton
Insurrection, 299.

Sf/niessrie's painting of Zcisberger
preaching to tiio Indians, 331,
7iofe 1.

Sc/un/lc)-, Mai/or, at Alb.iny, 123;
his parting words to .'deisbergcr
and Post, 124.

Scoicli- Irish scitlcrs, tlieir animo--
ity toward the Indians, 27t), 2V0 ;
murder the Conestoga Indians,
290 ; their hatred of the Qualcrs,
292.

Scott, Ocncral, his cam)i!'igns
against the Western Indians.
014, 02;').

Scidel, Christian, accompanies Zeis-
berger to "W'voming, 22i and
note 2, 225.

Seidd, Nnthanifl, a ^loraviun
bishop, biograpliy, 130, vote 1 ;
visits Zeisberger and Post in jail,
130; travels to Europe with Zeis-
bcrgcr, 178-181 ; president of
the Jlission Board, 250; recalls
Zeisberger from Machiwihihi-
Bing, 273 ; hears of the massacre
at Gnadenhiitten in Ohio, 573 ;
his death, 082.

Snnsrmnn. JuacJiim, a Moravian
missionary in NewP^ngiand. 117;
escapes from the massacre on tiie
iMahony, i.':^\ 231, 234.

Senscmaii, Anna Catharine, killccl
in the massacre on the >[ahonv,
229, 2;!3.

Senscman, Gottloh, a Moravian mis-
sionary, accompanie.i Zeislierger
to Wyoming, 200 ; to Onondisa,
318-320 ; toGoschgoschtink. 338-
349; to Fort Pitt. 357, 358;
goes to Bethlehem, 3<')5 ; rejoins
the Mission 477 : at New .Sch.in-
runn, 478 ; his experieiK'cs dur-
ing the Briti>h expi'dition against
the Mission, 498, 504, 50r). 500,
509; trial at Detroit, 518; at De-
troit again, 503 ; at New Gnufien-
hiitlen, 579; gftes to Betiilehem,
580; returns to the .Mission, 014 ;
sails to the mouth of the D'troit,
02-'!; atNiagara.035,fi30; prcache^ i

I !

to the white .'^ettlers in CaiuidTTN
044; refuses to serv(> in the Ca-
nadian Assembly, 045; ti'acln's
tlu school at Fairlield, ib.: his
oiscourse previous to the depart-,
ure of Zei.sberger, 0-JO; his deatii,
G.j8.

Senseman, Clirisfian Dnvii/, horn
at the time of the British expe-
dition against the Mis-ion, 498
and nnte 1; taken to Detroit, 535
and note 1.

!:'encca s, an Iroquois nation, 3S. 57. l^''

■Settlements in the West . i\.\nm\ 1771,
375.

Sey/ert, Anthony, theiirst ^lornviari
clergyman ordained in Ann'rica,
10; visits Zinzendorf in ^\'yo-
ming, 114; advises with Zeis-
berger and Post during their im-
prisonment, 124, 125.

SJifiwaucse, an Indjau tribe, WsJJL'^
the Wyoming valley. 70; vi.-it
Gnadenhiitten and Bethlehem,
180, 204; their hunting-grounds
Ml Ohio, 374; thi'ir towns on tho
Scioto. 374. iio/c 2 ; visiteij by
Zeisberger., 382, 383, 389-;!9!;
incline to war in 1773, -102; de-
feated in Dunmoro's War, 400;
take part in the battle of Point

111

740

INDEX.

Ploa.=ant, 407, 40S ; take sides
nL!;aiiist the Uiiitod States ia the
li'^vcilution, 441, 447; besiege
Port Laurens, 471 ; take part in
tlie liritisli expedition asjainst tlie
Mission, 489; send the Chr'stian
Indians provisions. 530 ; submit
to the United States, 588; active
in tlie now Indian War, CoO ;
Captain Pipe rebukes them, G3G,
(i:)7.

S/uibash, one of the first converts
of the Moravian Mission, 98,
99.

Shainokin, the prineijial Indian
vilhige in Pennsylvania, 71 and
nofe 2; visited by Zinzendort'
111; by Span ;;on berg, ]o2; a
smithy and Mission there, 141,
142; wickcdni.'ss of its inliab-
itants, 151, 152.

She/MDieko, tho tii'st iloravian Mis-
sion station, 98, 99; a church
organized, 109; a chaiiel dcdi-
eated, 117 ; the site of the village,

117, tiofe 1; the Mission broken
up bv the New York Assembly,

118. '

*v<S7<;"At///w u/, iroquois sach em at Sha-
inokin, (T7~atTulpeh()('ken, 101^,
note 1 ; entertains Zinzendorf,
111 ; entertains Wftttevi'le, 149;
receives a gift from Zinzendorf,
149 and noie 1; his conversion
and death, 150.
'^S/i'mgos, a Delaware warrior, 224.

Sioux, an Indian tribe, 31.

Six NdiloK/f. See Iroquois.

Sithovlus, Chrisfinn, a bishop of
the Unitas Fratrum, 099.
i—J Simcoe, Colon el^ Governor of Upper
(Canada, 034; grants land to the
Christian Indians, 038.

Smit/i, Major, commandnnt at De-
troit, 017.

Smith, Matthno, a leader of the
Paxton Insurgents, 290. 298.

Snake, John and Thomas, two
Shawaneso captains, 491.

Soperhtowa, another name for James
Logan, 150.

Solomon. See Allemewi.
"^Sorcerers, among the Indians, 340,
341.

Societi/ for the Advanremnit of Civ-
ilization and C/iristiaiiity among
the Indians, 103.

Society for the Furthsrattce of the
Gospel among the Heathen, in
England, 579, 580; holds the
deed for the Mission land in
Canada, 038.

Society of the United Brethren for
Propagating tlie Oospel among the
Heathen, in America, organized,
007, 008; its first officers, 008,
note 1 ; the Tuscarawas reserva-
tion vested in it, 000; dim<>nsions
of the tract, 007 and note 3 ; ap-
points Jolin Ileckewelder its
agent, 008; receives land from
the Assembly tif Pennsylvania,
018, note 1 ; memorializes Con-
gress about the removal of the
Mission to Canada, 029, 030 ; has
the Tuscarawas ri'servation sur-
veyed, 040-048 ; leases a part of
it to white settlers, 057 and note 1.

Soto, Ferdinand de, his discoveries,
40, 41.

Spring Pfaee, a Jloravian Mission
station, 095.

Spangenberg, Augustus Gottlieb, a
]\Ioravian bishop, biography, 15,
note 2; obtains land from the
trustees of Georgia, 15, 10; his
character, 119; organizes a Mis-
sion Board and a school for young
missionaries, 120 and notes 1 anil
2; visits On onduga, 131-139;
adopted amorw^ the Iroquois, 134 ;'
goes to Eurojje, 155; returns to
America, 184 ; visits Europe
again and returns, 205, 214; at
the Governor's Council in 1750,
243 ; enters the Directory of the
Unitas Fratrum, 250.

St. Au(/nstinf, 41.

.S'i!. Clair, Arthur, clerk of West-
moreland Cmmty, Pennsylvania,
400; Governor of the Northwest
Territory, 000, 007 ; notifies tho
Indians of the grant made to the
Christian Indians, 010 ; a major-
general, 025 ; his disastrous cum-
l)aign against tho Indians, 027,
628 ; receives a memorial from
the missionaries, 656.

INDEX.

741

St. LouM, a center of the fur trndo
in 1771, 375.

Sieliier, Abra/mm, u Moravian mis-
sionary, accompanioii Heciiewd-
der to the West, Oil ; among
the Chcrokees, 003.

Stockbridge, a ^lission station, 6'M).

Stockbridge Indians, wh(!re estab-
lished, 009, 000, nofe '2; a depu-
tation of them visits Gosiien, O'i'l.

Strong, Lt.-Coloncl, the American
commandant at Detroit in IT'.iH,
653.

Stinton, John, murdered by tlie
savages, 278.

Sturgls, Joseph, escapes I'rom tlu^
massacre on the Mahony, 229,
232, 233 and note 1, 235.

Stnrgis, Cornelius, a scout in the
Pa.vton Insurrection, 293.

Stevens, Aaron, a Colonial inter-
preter, writes to Cammerhofl"
about his visit to Onondaga, 177.

Stump, Frederick, murders peace-
able Indians, 330 ; imprisoned
and rescued, 337.

Susquehannocks, a tribe of Indians,
30.

Sullivan, General, commands the
expedition against the Iroquois
in 1780, 470.
'^Sweating Ovens, among the Indians,
89 and note 3.

Sgmmes, John Cleves, buys land of
Congress, 600.

Tadeuskund, Gideon, a convert,
■,t, ( i ;hief of the Dclamu :cs, 213; in-
terferes with the Gnadenhiitten
Mission, 220; becomes an apos-
tate and the King of the DeJa-
wares, 224; at Bethlehem and
Easton, 245, 240; incites the
Colonial government against the
Mission, 240, 247; at the treaty
of 1767, 249; entices Augustus
Rex to leave the Mission, 252;
visited by Zeisberger in Wyo-
ming, 259; bis death, 208.
'"vTatemy, Moses, a Delaware chief,
107 and note 2.

Tawandamaenk, an Indian village
visited by Zeisberger, 273.

Tecmvseh, an Indian prophet, 005

Tcdpnchxit, chief of the Delawares
in Indiana, 059; visits Pre.-ident
Jettcrson, 000 ; murdered by his
tribe, 005.

Tgarihontic, John de Watteville's
Indian name, 153.

Tgirhitiintie, Bishop Spangenbcrg's
Indinu name, 134.

Thuchnci-hions, a sonof Shikellimy,
150; temporarily the Ii'oipiois
deputy at v'^iianiokin, 151; a
friend of the Colonies in the In-
dian War, 224 ; escorts a mis-
sionarj' to Bethlehem, 225, note
2; escorted by Zeisberger to Gna-
denhiitten, 227 ; at a treaty in
Philadelphia, 242, 243.

Thaurraqnechia, Godfrey Kundt's
Indian mime, 201.

Thonias, a Christiiin lad, escapes,
scalped, from the massacre, 550,
551 and note 1.

Thomas, a convert, grandson of
Netawatwes, rejoins the Alission
after the massacre, 581.

Thomson, Charles, the Secretary of
Congress, receives a letter about
the massacre, 573, 574.

Thdrnstein, the, the name given to
a mountain-ransre in honor of
Zinzendorf, 110,' 111. i

Thayendanega. Sec Brant, .Joseph. '^

Tiozinossongochfo, an Iroquois vil-
lage, visited bv Zeisberger, 325-
328.

Tionnontates, an Indian tribe, 38.

Titaivachkani, a Mousey captain,
000; interferes with the ^lission,
COO, 001.

Tobacco Nation, an Indian tribe, 38 -

Tobias, a convert, accomjianies the
missionaries to Detroit, 518; at
the massacre, 544.

Togahaju, an Iroquois sachem, 311 ;
refuses to allow the converts to
remain at Friedenshiitten, 314,
315; visited by Zeisbergei' and
Senseman, 318.

Totems, among the Iiulians, 78.

Traders, among thi' Indians, an*'

•^

agent of Sir William Johnson at

742

INDEX.

Onondaga, 199 ; a Dutch trader
beats Zc'isburgcr, %)\, 202; their
general eharaetcr, 2o5.

Treaties, Culoniat, at Lancaster
with the Twightwees, in 1747,
14j; at Albany with the Iro-
quois in 1747, 14tj; at riiihidcl-
jiliia with tlie Iroquois in 1749,
lolj; at Albany witli the Iroquois
in 1751, 18i5; at Albany with the
same in 1754, 210; at Philadolpliia
with several chiefs in 17oG, 242,
243 ; at Easton in July and No-
vember, 17o0, 245, 24(i ; at Lan-
caster in May, 1757, 240-2i8; at
Easton in July, 1757, 249; at
Easton in October, 1758, 2;'0,-
251; at Easton in 1701,253; at
Fort Pitt in April, 1708, 333;
at Fort Stanwix in October, 1708,
347, 348.

Treaties cf the United Slates, with
the Western tribes at Pittsburg,
in 1775, 428-430 ; at Pittsburg in
1770, 442; at Pittsburg in Sep-
tember, 1778, 407, 408; witlj the
Iroquois at Fort Stanwix in 178-^,
584; with the Delawares and
other tribes at Fort Mcintosh in
1784, 585; with the Shawanesc
at Fort Finney, in 1780, 588;
with the AVestern tribes at Fort
Uarrnar in 1789, 008, 009; with
some of the Western tribes at
Port Vincennes in 1792, 033;
unsuccessful treaty with the
Western tribes at the mouth of
the Detroit, 034-037; treaty of
peace with the Western tribes at
Greenville, in 1795, 043 : with
th(^ Southern tribes in 1796, 005;
with the Christian Indians and
the Society holding their land in
1823, Cio, 090.

Ti'ueinan, Major, murdered by the
Indians, 032.

Tschoop, a misnomer for Job, 98,
7iote 1. See Job.

Tuppakin, a name for New Schiin-
brunn, 055, note.

Turek, John dc, tlie first Moravian
Indians baptized in his barn, 100.
■'Turtle, a clan among the Iroquois,
78.

Tascarowas Fffl^/ey, a description of
it, 372, 377 ; its climate, 373,
7iote, 1.

Ta_sca ro)-aii, an Iroquois natio n^Sj ; i^
n I.' u tral iii the lievolutioiu 443.

Tittelees, remnant of, 149.

Twiylitwees, treaty with, 145 ; en-
gage in the war against the
United States, 638.

Tybout, a Frenchman, entertains
the missionaries at Detroit, 5^2.

Uc/iees, an Indian tribe, 30.
'^Unamis, a Delaware tribe, 35.
Vnalacfitfios, a Delaware tribe, 35.
Vnitas Frutruni. See Moravian
Chnrcli.

Van Vleck, Henry, biographj-, 125,
7iufe 1 ; sent to Bethlehem with
the n(!W? of Zeisbergei-'s and
Po>t's imprisonment, l25.

Venango, Fort, ruins of, visited by
Zi.'isberger, 358.

Vernon, Major, commands Fort
Laurens, 471.

Verrazzanl, John, his voyages of
discovery, 40.

Vincmmes, its population in 1771,
375

Walker, Colonel, United States
peace commissioner, 429.

Walking Purchase, 64, note 2.

Wallace, William, his family mur-
dered by the Indians, 539.

Wampnnoags, an Indian tribe, 36.

Wangomen, an Indian preacher,
332; discomfited by ZeisbergC',
333-335; his relation t> the
Mission at (ioschgoschUaiv, iji\
339, 344, 345, 3-53^359; natura;.
izes Zfusberger arcvur the Mc?;-
seys, 364 ; cxplain.s Mo views ot
the Christian Indians witii re-
gard to tribute, 364, 365.

Wariier, Ezra, and Peter, early set-
tlors on the Tuscarawas rcsorva-
tiou, 657, note 1.

INDEX.

743

Warte, Die, or the Watch Tower, n
Moraviiin Mission station, G'J-1
and note 1.

War between England and Sjmin,
in 1730, 2-2.

War between England and Franee,
in 1744, 53, 74, 118, 122.

War, French and Indian, in 1755,
jiroliniin:iiv couiplications, 205,
208,212, 215; Uraddociv's defeat,
222; tlie nanius of tliu tribes en-
gaged in it, 223, 224; first mas-
sacres, 224; progress of the war,
241-25;> : reverses of England,
249 ; William Pitt's energy, 250 ;
decisive battle at Quebec, 252;
Canada c(;ded to England, 253.
"-^ War of I'ontlae })lann cd, 203, 264,
breaks out, 270; the forts cap-
tured, ib.; progress of the war,
274, 275; triumph of the Colo-
nies, 80(3.

War, Pennamite and Yankee, 208,
209, 370.

War, Dnnmore's, 390-409.

War (if the Revolution, approach-
ing, 421 ; progress of, 428; West-
ern border war, 441-471.

War of the United States v;ifh the
Western Indian.i. 614-016, 624,
025, 027, 628, 032, 633, 038-040.

War of the United States with Great
Britain, in lbl2, 694.

Wasamapah. See Job.

Was, 'ngton, George, his mission +0
the French on the Ohio, 212, 215 ;
defeats the French, 215 ; com-
mander-in-chief of the Amer-
ican armies, 428 ; plans a cam-
pahj;n. jigai nst th e Iro^iioiSj^^476j
inaugurated PresichmtrGTCrpre-
ceives a visit from Indian chiefs,
633 ; the pacification of the In-
dians n special object, 055.

Wattemlle, Baron John do, biog-
raphy, 147, note 1 ; character,
146 ; arrives in America, ib.;
visits the Indian country, 147-
150; adopted among the Iroquois,
163, note 3 ; returns to Europe,
155; second visit to America,
587 ; his letter to Zeisberger about
tho reservation, 687 ; his farewell
let; -0 the Christian Indians,

013 ; returns to Europe, 603,
note 2.

Wayne, General, commands an ex-
pedition against the Western In-
dians, 632 ; his victorious ciiin-
paign. 038-640; liis prudence,
641.

Wechqnetanf:, a Moravian Mission
town, 250 and note 1 ; threatened
with destruction, 275, 278, 279;
destroyed, 280.

Wechquadnai:h,i\ Moravian Mission
station, 117 and note 1.

Weigand, John, a messenger of the
Mission Board, 517,582, 509, 602.

Weiss, Lewis, attorney of the ^lo-
ravians, 284 ; his letter to the
Secretary of Congress about the
massacre, 573, 574.

Weisser, Conrad, biography, 08,
note 1 ; his seat, 08 ; entertains
Ziiizendorf, 108; visits Shamo-
kin with Zinzendorf, 110; -\)vo-
tects Zinzendorf in Wyoming,
114; accom))anies Spangenberg
to Onondaga, 13ii-lo0 ; suggests
to the Moravians to establish a
smithy at Shamokin, 142.

W eland aw ecken, a Delaware chief •-'^
inciting to war, 000, 001, 010.

Wesa, Peter, escapes IVom the mas-
sacre at Penn's Creek, 225,
note 2.

Wesley, John, in Georgia, 16.

Westenhnc,^ Moravian Mission sta-
tion, 117 and note 1.

West, the, a survey of, in 1777, 445,
4-0

We.„field, a Moravian Mission sta-
tion, 696.

Wenginund, Cajitain, takes part in
the British expedition against
tho Mission, 491 ; summons tho
missionaries to Detroit, 517 ; re-
fuse? to take tliem to Detroit,
519 ; his conversation with Colo-
nel Crawford at the stake, 507-
571.

Wetterhold, Captain Jacob, muiders
Christiiui Indians, 277; is mur-
dered, 278.

Welhik-Tiippeek See Schonbrunn.

W/iitefield, George, 23.

Whitejield House ^ the, 23.

744

INDEX.

White child, thefirat, born in Ohio.
See Roth, John Lexois.
^^White Eijes, i\ Delaware captain,
390 ; his view.s regarding tlie In-
dians. 3!iO; meets with Zeisbor-
ger, S'.tO, 391 ; his town, 391, 9iof.e
1 ; advocates peace in Dunniore's
War, 404; Glii^kiitan's appeal to
him, 404 ; urges the adoption of all
the missionaries, 405 ; Lord Diin-
more's adviser in the war, 408 ;
his speech in the Delaware Coun-
cil after the war, 413-41G; his
groat plans, 418-420; relinquishes
his project of going to England,
427 ; his speech at the treaty of
Pittsburg in 1775, 430; negoti-
ates with Congress for Episcopal
missionaries, 431, 43G, 437; at
the Delaware^ Council after his
return from Philadelphia, 437,
438 ; his conversation with Glik-
kikan, 438, 439; his appeal to the
Delawares in favor of the Gospel,
448 ; advocates peace in the llevo-
lution, 403 ; his plan concerning
the Delaware nation partly adopt-
ed bv the United States, 468, note
1; his death, 409, 470.

White Eyes, widow of, baptized,
656.

White Eyes, Joseph, baptized, 601.

William, a convert. See Chdloioay,
Job.

William Henry. See Gelelemetid.

Wilkinson, Cohmel, his expeditions
against the Indians, 025, 627.

Wdliamxoyi, Colonel Dnvid, cap-
tures Schebosh and his party of
converts, 519; commands the ex-
fwdition against Gnadenhutten,
640-542; leaves it to his men to
decide the fate of the Christian
Indians. 547 ; refuses to save
Christiana, 540 ; his character
according to Doddridge, 555, 556.
^ Winnebaao es, an Indian tribe, 31,
73.

WolUn, .John G., .sends the mis-
sionaries money from England,
579, 580.

Wolcott, Oliver, United States com-
missioner, 584.
'^-^Wolf, a clan among the Iroquois, 78.

Wool>na7i, John, a Quaker preacher
at Machiwihilusing, 27.

Woi-bass, Peter, e.sca])es from the
massacre on the JVIahony, 229,
231, 234.

Wyandots, an Indian tr ibej 38 ; '^
conquered by the Iroquois, ib.;
remnant of, 73 ; Jesuit Mission
among them, 100; their hunting-
grounds in Ohio, 374 ; take sides
against the United States in the
Revolution., 442, 447 ; besiege
Port Laurens, 471 ; take part in
the British expedition against
the Mission, 489; in the Indian
War after the Revolution, 638.

Wyoming, the Indian tribes there,
70; visited by Count Zinzendorf,
112-116; bv Baron de Watto-
ville, 148, 149; the lirst Lord's
Su]qH'r administered in its val-
ley, 148; visited by Cammer-
hoft' and Zeisberger, 150, 174;
by Zeisberger and Bezold, 184;
by S{»angenberg and his party,
186; stated itinerancies there
of Moravian missionaries, 221 ;
Christian Frederick Post estab-
lishes himself there, ib.; Zeis-
berger's visit there at the out-
break of the French and Indian
War, 225, 226; Zei,*berger itin-
erates there after the war, 259-
201.

Zki.ne, Colonel, protests against mur-
dering the Indians in Dunmore's
War, 402.

Zmnder, William, a Moravian mis-
sionary, 100.

Zauchtenthal, Zeisberger's birth-
place, 13.

Zeisberger, David, his birth, 13;
ancestors, 14; parents, 13, 10,
20, 24, note 2; flees to Herrnhut,
IJ ; early years in Germany and
Holland, 17, 18; runs away from
Herrendyk and escapes to Geor-
gia, 19, 20; his stay in Georgia
and South <Jarolina, 21, 22; goes
to Pennsylvania, 22, 23 ; at the
Whitefield House and Bethle-
hem, 23, 24; his return to

INDEX.

745

Europe prevented, 24, 26; con-
version, 2(1; devotes liiinself to
missionary work amoni; the In-
dians, 26, 27 ; a member of Pyr-
laeiis's cliiss of students of In-
dian languages, 120; inmate of
the Brethren's House at Bethle-
hem, 120, 121, note, 1 ; sent to the
Mohawk eountry, 121 ; atCunajo-
harie with King Ilendrick, 122 ;
arrested as a spy, 123 ; examina-
tion at Albany, trial at New
York, and imprisonment in the
jail, 123-130; first journey to
Onondaga with Spangenberg,
131-139; adopted among the Iro-
quois, 134; his Indian name, i6.;
helps to lay out Gnadenlritton,
141 ; Mack's assistant at Shamo-
kin, 144; explores the two
branches of the Susquehanna
with Mack, 144, 145; interpreter
to Watteville's party at Shamo-
kin and Wyoming, 147-150;
brings the news of Shikellimy's
death to Bethlehem, 151 ; his or-
dination, lb.; labors at Shamokin,
151, 152; second visit to Onon-
daga with Canimerhofl', 150-175;
escape from a rattlesnake, 174;
visit to Europe, 1 78-181 ; ap-
pointed perpetual tnissionary to
the Indians, 181 ; hi- return to
America, ih.; visits Wyoming
with Bezold, 184; missiofiary at
Shamokin, l^"i, iHf); third visit
to Onondaga, 187-190; negotia-
tions with a part of the Grand
Council, 190-194; among the
Cayugas, 201 ; attacked and
beaten by a trader, 201, 202 ; itin-
erates in New York and New
England, 204; fourth visit to
Onondaga, 205-212; his views
concerning the Iroquois iMission,
212, 213 : fifth visit to Onondaga,
215-219; builds n Mission house
at Onondaga, 210 , is made the
keeper of the archives of the
Grand Council, 217 ; his labors
among the Indians of Wyoming,
221, 225, 220; barely escapes the
massacre at Gnadenhiittcn, 229-
233 ; brings the news of the mas-

sacre to Bethlehem, 234 ; present
at Colonial treaties during the
French and Indian War, 242-
251 ; visits North Carolina, 244,
252; superintendent of the Breth-
ren's House at Liliz, 252, 253;
government interpreter at the
Indian congress at Easton in
1701, 253; iirst visit to the In-
dian country after tlie war, 259,
200; itinerates in the Wyoming
valley, 200, 201 ; refuses to leave
the Moravian Church and join
Frederick Tost, 201; visits the
ConneeticutscLtiersin Wvoming,
208; his work at Macliiwilii-
lusing, 209-273; messenirer of
the Mission Board in the I'ontiac
War, 275; leads tlie Christian
Indians to Philadelpliia, 280;
further connection witli the
Christian Indians during the
Pontiac War and Paxtim In-ur-
rection, 289, 290, 292, 294. ;!04,
305; ap]iointed missionary at
Machiwihilu-ing, 308; leads the
Christian Indians from Nain to
Machiwihilusing, 308-310; his
illness, 312; letter to the Board
reporting « revival at Friedens-
hutten,>S)3 , meets David Nitsch-
mann, the Syndic, 314; lead's a
d"putation of Christian Indians
to Cayuga Town, 315, 310 ; leaver
Friedenshiitten, and last vij^it to
Onondaga, 318-320; ,-pend.s th«
w nter of 1706 at Christians-
brunn, 822; meets with his In-
dian relatives at Bethlehem and
buries one of them, 322, 323 ;
his exploratory tour to the In-
dians of the Alleghany at Goseh-
gosehiink, 324-335; his conver-
sation with the chiel' of Tiozi-
nossongoehto, 325-328; his bold
refutation of Wangomen, the
Indian preacher, 333-335; begins
a Mission at Goschgoschiink,
338-349; rem.oves the Mission
from Goschgoschiink to Lawun-
akhannek, 353-359; visits Fort
Pitt and prevents an Indian wat, .
357, 358 ; visits the site of Fort
Venango, 358; journey with the

746

INDEX.

converts from tbo Allcc;lianv to
the Beaver Kiver, 359-3()l ; nat-
uralized nnion£» the Jlonsevs,
363, 364; first visit to Ohio, 366,
367 ; meets deputies from Europe
at Betlileheni, 309; presents an
invitation from 'ho Dehiwiirc
chiefs to tli(! Su? juehanna eon-
verts to come to Ohio, 370 ; dnn-
gerously ill at Lancaster. 371 ;
second visit to Ohio, 371 ; beijins
the first Mission station in Ohio,
372; receives the Susiiuehanna
converts at Friedensstudt, 376 ;
his illness in Ohio, 378 ; mission-
ary at Schihibi-unn, 380, 381 ;
first visit to the Shawaneso of
Ohio, 382, 383; second visit to
the Shawanese, 389-393; intw-
view with Gi'schenatsi, 391-393 ;
offers to leave Ohio and explore
other parts of the West, 394 ; his
position during Dunniore's War,
399-409 ; his views with re2;ard to
White P^yes, 411 ; his irmat plans
concerning the Jlission, 412, 413;
his views concerning the Kevo-
hitionary Witr, 421, 422; visits
Bethlehem in 1775,427; negotiates
with Nctawatwes about a third
Christian town, 432, 433 ; founds
Lichtenau, 434, 435; opposes
White Eyes in his efforts to se-
cure teachers other than Mora-
vians, 436-438; secures the neu-
trality of the Delawares and
their grandchildren in the Revo-
lution, 443, 444 ; importance of
his services acknowledged by
United States genera's, 444, tvtte
2 ; Zeisberger at Sehonbrunn
amid the conspiracy of ><ome of
the coTiverts, 449-452; the Mis-
sion in charge of Zeisberger and
Edwards only, 454 ; Zeisberger's
views with regard to their situ-
ation, i/;.; saved from the danger
of passing war-partic- by the
Huron Half King, 454-456;
maintains iiis position at Lichte-
nau and sways the Delaware
council, 456-459 ; further stay at
Lichtenau amid the difHcullies
and dangers caused by the war,

400-471 ; his dissatisfaction with
the treaty at Pittsburg in 1778,
468, 469; leaves Lichtenau an(l
founds New Sehonbrunn, 472,
473 ; saved from the bands of
Girty's war-party, 473-475; his
life saved again, 475, 476; last
visit to iJethlehem, 480; inter-
view with President Keed, at
Philadelphia, 481 ; his marriage
at Litiz, 481, 482 ; returns to the
Mission with his wife, 484, 485;
is taken prisoner and l'orc(>d to
break up the iIis>ion on the Tus-
carawas, 486-512 ; bis public dis-
course at Gnadenhiitten while
the town is in the power of the
Britisli Indians, 499-503; re-
fuses to claim bis rights as a
Monsey, 504; his feelings at
leaving the TuscarawM-i towns,
514; journey to the Sandusky
region, 514-517; at Captives'
Town, 517; on trial at Detroit,
518-529; returns to Captives'
Town, 529; loses his iniiuenco
among the heathen Indians, 532;
remanded to Detroit, 533; bis
distress of mind, 533, 534; his
agony at ]iarting from the eon-
verts, 535; receives news of the
massacre at Gnadewhutten, 536,
558; reads the burial service in
their memory, 558 ; conversation
with Samuel Nantieoke about
the massacre, 558, 559 ; his feel-
ings at the unjust suspicions of
some of the converts, 5(50; his
agony of mind with regard to
their future, ih.; at Detroit after
the massacre, 561, 562 ; goes to
jVIichigan to resuscitate the Mis-
sion, 503 ; at New (iiiadenluiften
in Michigan, 578-589; interview
with Sir John Johnson at Detroit ,
579, 580; on the Cuvahoga, at
Pilgerruh, in Ohio,590-599; sends
a written siieech to the scattered
converts, 594; his illness, 590;
receives a comforting letter from
the Mission Board, 596; at Ne\r
Salem, on the Pett(|Uotting, 600-
611 ; further stay at New Salem,
612-622 ; applies to the Canadian

INDEX.

747

govrrnmont for a rofiigo durinc;
the Indinn War, OUi-OlO; his
iipinioii of Loskiel's History of
the Mi.siiion, 022; tit the mouth
of the Detroit, G23-G30 ; nego-
tiates with Canadian government
for the permanent establishment
of the Mission in Canada, 630;
at Fairfield in Canada, 031-G51 ;
resolves to hegin ynew town on
the reservation in Ohio, G48;
leaves Fairllidd, G^')! ; last joiir-
ni'v »() Ohio, G52-G')4; founds
(liialien, G^h visits the site of
New Mclliinlinillll, 055, note;
signs a memorial to (Tivernor
HI. Clair ahoiit the Huie of ardent
Bitli'lts, 050; labors at (iosluMi,
in ; administers the fiord's Siip-
per to till) white seltU^rs on th(!
reservation, 058; eoiltinues to
labor at Unshen, GOl ; ids health
begins to fall, 000, 007 ; d(diver-
ance from serpents, ih.; last pub
lie address to the Indians, 008 ;
his health continues to fail, 070;
receives tlio Ijord's Hiipper, lb.;
his testimony conein-ning his
hopes as a Christian, 071; his
dvmg hours, 07-', 073 ; ills death,
674 ;' his work, 074-680 ; his per-
sonal appearance and iudjits, 080,
081 ; bis funeral, 083, 084; his
epitajdi, 085.
Zeishcrr/er's, David, lUernry vmrks,
general remarks, 080 ; MS. His-
tory of the Indians, 20, note 2,
478; his MSS. in Harvard Uni-
vorsitv, 001 ; Iroquois German
Dieticmary, 144, 200, 253, (500;
Iroquois Grammar, 253, 000, 001 ;
Delaware Easter Morning Lit-

any, ri04-30S ; Delaware Si.elling
Book, 427, 430, 440, iw,;], t;t;7, 087 ;
Delaware Ilvmn Hook, 012, 001,
007, 088, G80 ; Delaware Gram-
mar, (i07. 001 ; Delaware Ilnr-
mony of the Gospels, 012, 007, 089,
090; Delaware Sermons to Chil-
dren, 089; a Delaware treatise
on the Bodilv Care for Children,
089.
Zcisbcnir r Ishniit, in the Tuscara-
was, 054 ; named Ijy General
Putnam, ih.
Zi'isbrrgi'i-, SuHnn f.-ee Lrcron, Su-
san), arrives at the Mi-sion. 484,
485; captured by the British In-
dians, 508; thrown from her
bors<', 515 ; sutferings at Ca[i-
lives' Town, 531 ; leaves the
Mission, 003 ; resideniMi and
death at Uetliieliem,603, 0'.l4.
Zinzendorf. Cdunt Nicholm Jjewis,
biograiiiiieal nntiees, liOOj iturril-
hut oil ]i|s ostiitH, 15; lays l|in
cnrniT-stoiie for the (Ir-t chapel,
314 ; secures retreats for the Mn-
ravlaiis, 15; arrives at jJeliile-
hem, 23, 24; lirst visit to the In-
dian coanti'v, 107-109; treaty
witii lr(M|iiiiis saeliems, 108; visits
Shekomeko, 109, 110 ; visits Wy-
oming, 110-] 10 ; th(! adders, 113 ;
plot to nnirder him, 114 ; thi!
rattlesnake story a fable, 114,
7inte 2; bis Indian name, 148,
190; returns to Europe, 24; his
morbid sensibility with regard to
American affairs', 180, 181 ; his
death, 250.
Zonesschio, capital of the Senecas,
168.