1755 — Nov 14-15, Delaware Natives attack German settlers, Berks County, PA –9-~15
Nov 14:
— 6 Sipe. The Indian Wars of Pennsylvania. 1929, pp. 234-235.
–3 Group of six settlers ambushed on way to Dietrick Six plantation.
–3 Settlers fleeing toward block-house.
— 7 Weiser account to PA Gov. Morris, in Sipe.
–6 Men killed in two separate attacks.
–1 Young man who was injured on 14th, but died by the time Weiser wrote on 17th.
Nov 15:
— 3 Sipe. The Indian Wars of Pennsylvania. 1929, pp. 235.
–1 Cobbler at home.
–1 One of three scalped children found by Bower family.
–1 Woman found dead with living two-week’s old child under her body.
— 5 Wiser account
–1 A shoemaker shot and killed at house of Thos. Bower on Swatara Creek. (Weiser)
–1 One of three scalped children found by party up from Tulpenhacon and Heidelberg.
–2 Woman and boy found scalped by another rescue party, having just expired.
Total, Nov 14-15:
— 9 Individualized deaths noted in Sipe narrative.
— 11 Individualized deaths noted in Weiser narrative quoted in Sipe.
–~15 Weiser total noted in letter to PA Gov. Morris, quoted in Commission (p. 72)[1] and in Sipe.
Narrative Information
Sipe: “Swatara and Tulpehocken Massacres. While Conrad Weiser,[2] Scarouady,[3] and Anthony Montour[4] were holding their final councils with Governor Morris,[5] on November 14th, the hostile Delawares, possibly accompanied by some Shawnees, entered Berks County, the home of Weiser, and committed terrible atrocities upon the German settlers. On this day, as six settlers were on their way to Dietrick Six’s plantation,[6] near what is now the village of Millersburg, they were fired upon by a party of Indians. Hurrying toward a watch-house, about half a mile distant, they were ambushed before reaching the same, and three of them killed and scalped. A settler named Ury, however, succeeded in shooting one of the Indians through the heart, and his body dragged off by the other savages. The Indians then divided into two parties. The one party, lying in ambush near the watch-house, waylaid some settlers who were fleeing toward that place and killed three of them.
“The next night [Nov 15] some savages crept up to the home of Thomas Bower, on Swatara Creek, and pushing their guns through a window of the house, killed a cobbler who was repairing a shoe. They set fire to the house before being driven off. The Bower family, having sought refuge through the night at the home of a neighbor, named Daniel Snyder, and returning to their home in the morning, saw four savages running away and having with them the scalps of three children, two of whom were still alive. They also found the dead body of a woman with a two week’s old child under her body, bur unharmed.
“Such, in brief is the account of the atrocities committed in Berks County during the absence of Weiser at Philadelphia. It is interesting to read his report of the same, written to Governor Morris on November 19th, after arriving at his home in Heidelberg Township, as follows:
On my return from Philadelphia, I met in the township of Amity, in Berks County, the first news of our cruel enemy having invaded the Country this Side of the Blue Mountains, to witt [sic], Bethel and Tulpenhacon (Tulpehocken). I…hastened to Reading, where the alarm and confusion was very great. I was obliged to stay that Night and part of the next Day, to witt, the 17th of this Instant, and sat out for Heidelberg, where I arrived that Evening. Soon after, my sons Philip and Frederick arrived from the Persuit of the Indians, and gave me the following Relation, to witt, that on Saturday last about 4 of the Clock, in the Afternoon, as some men from Tulpenhacon were going to Dietrich Six’s Place under the Hill on Shamokin Road to be on the watch appointed there, they were fired upon by the Indians but none were hurt nor killed, (Our people were but Six in number, the rest being behind.) Upon which our people ran towards the Watch-house which was about one-half mile off, and then the Indians persued [sic] them, and killed and scalped several of them. A bold, Stout Indian came up with one Christopher Ury, who turned about and shot the Indian right through his Breast. The Indian dropped down dead, but was dragged out of the way by his own Companions. (He was found next day and scalped by our People.)
The Indians divided themselves into two Parties. Some came this way to meet the Rest that was going to the Watch, and killed some of them, so that six of our men were killed that Day, and a few wounded.
The night following [15th] the Enemy attacked the House of Thos. Bower, on Swatara Creek. They came to the House in the Dark night, and one of them put his Fire-arm through the window and shot a Shoemaker (that was at work) dead upon the spot. The People being extremely Surprised at this Sudden attack, defended themselves by firing out of the windows at the Indians. The Fire alarmed a neighbor who came with two or three more men; they fired by the way and made a great noise, scared the Indians away from Bower’s House, after they had set fire to it, but by Thomas Bower’s Deligence [sic] and Conduct was timely put out again, So Thos. Bower, with his Family, went off that night to his neighbour, Daniel Schneider, who came to his assistance.
By 8 of ye Clock [15th], Parties came up from Tulpenhacon and Heidelberg. The first Party saw four Indians running off. They had some Prisoners whom they scalped immediately, three children lay scalped yet alive, one died since, the other two are likely to do well. Another Party found a woman just expired, with a male Child on her side, both killed and scalped. The woman lay upon her Face, my son Frederick turned her about to see who she might have been and to his Companion’s Surprize they found a Babe of about 14 Days old under her, rapped up in a little Cushion, his nose quite flat, which was set right by Frederick, and life was yet in it, and recovered again.
Our people came up with two parties of Indians that Day, but they hardly got sint of them, the Indians Ran off Immediately. Either our party did not care to fight them if they could avoid it, or (which is mot likely) the Indians were too alarmed first by the loud noise of our People coming, because no order was observed.
Upon the whole, there is about 15 killed of our People, Including men, women and children, and the Enemy not beat but scared off, Several Houses and Barns are Burned; I have not true account how many. We are in a Dismal Situation, Some of this murder has been committed in Tulpenhacon Township. The People left their Plantation to within 6 or 7 miles from my house [located near the present town of Wolmesdorf]….
P.S. I am creditably informed just now that one Wolf, a Single man, killed an Indian the same Time when Ury killed the other but the Body is not found yet. The Poor Young Man since died of his wound through his Belly.” (Wiser, from PA. Archives, Vol. 2, pp. 503-504, in Sipe, pp. 235-236.)
Immediately following the Weiser letter to PA Gov. Morris excerpted in Sipe, Sipe continues:
“The following is a partial list of the slain:
A man named Beslinger,
Sebastian Brosius,
the wife and eight-year-old child of a settler named Cola,
Rudolph Candel,
John Leinberger,
Casper Spring,
a child of Jacob Wolf and
a young man also named Wolf.” (Sipe 1929, pp. 234-237.)
Sources
Commission to Locate the Site of the Frontier Forts of Pennsylvania. Report of the Commission to Locate the Site of the Frontier Forts of Pennsylvania (Volume One). Clarence M. Busch, State Printer of Pennsylvania, 1896.
rtgenealogy.net. “Dietrich Six: Six’s For / Fort Henry…Berks County, PA, and the French and Indian War.” 8-29-2006 update. Accessed 2-11-2017 at: http://www.rtgenealogy.net/dsix.htm
Sipe, C. Hale. The Indian Wars of Pennsylvania. Harrisburg, PA: The Telegraph Press, 1929.
Wikipedia. “Andrew Montour.” 11-21-2016 modification. Accessed 2-11-2017 at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Montour
Wikipedia. “Conrad Weiser.” 1-24-2017 modification. Accessed 2-11-2017 at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conrad_Weiser
Wikipedia. “Robert Hunter Morris.” 11-21-2016 modification. Accessed 2-11-2017 at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Hunter_Morris
Wikipedia. “Scarouady.” 5-25-2016 modification. Accessed 2-11-2017 at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scarouady
[1] In 1893 the PA Legislature approved an Act authorizing and requiring the Governor of the Commonwealth (Robert Pattison) to appoint a five-person commission “to make inquiry in relation to the various forts erected by the early settlers of this Commonwealth prior to the year one thousand, seven hundred and eighty-three, as a defense against the Indians.” [from p. iii, Prefatory Note] The Weiser letter to Gov. Morris is included in the first section of Volume One, entitled “The Indian Forts of The Blue Mountains,” by H. M. M. Richards.
[2] Born in Germany while Dutch father was serving in the Wurttemberg Blue Dragoons. Family moved to England sometime after father’s discharge to escape religious persecution, and were subsequently shipped by English government with about 3,000 others, to New York area as indentured camp workers. After release from indenture service family moved to Schoharie Valley in PA colony. Conrad Weiser Jr. grew up to be a pioneer, interpreter and diplomat between PA Colony and Native Americans. (Wikipedia. “Conrad Weiser.” 1-24-2017 modification.)
[3] An Oneida (Five, later Six Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy) leader in Western Pennsylvania. (Wikipedia. “Scarouady.” 5-25-2016 modification.)
[4] “…an important Métis interpreter and negotiator in the Virginia and Pennsylvania backcountry in the latter half of the 18th century…of Oneida and Algonquin ancestry, with a French grandfather…commissioned as a captain in 1754 by Pennsylvania officials during the French and Indian War.” (Wikipedia. “Andrew Montour.” 11-21-2016 modification.)
[5] Robert Hunter Morris, Deputy Governor of Pennsylvania Colony, 1754-1756. (Wikipedia. “Robert Hunter Morris.” 11-21-2016 modification.)
[6] Settler whose “farm was just south of the Blue Mountains, 3 miles north of Bethel (then Millersburg), along a trail leading from an Indian village at present day Sunbury (referred to at the time as Shamokin) all the way to Philadelphia.” (rtgenealogy.net. “Dietrich Six: Six’s For / Fort Henry…Berks County, PA, and the French and Indian War.” 8-29-2006 update.)