ORIGINAL LETTERS OF JOHN HARRIS, JR.

The following letters are copied verbatim et literatim from the original, in the hand-writing of John Harris, Jr., now in the possession of his grandson, David Harris, Esq.:

"PAXTON April 30, 1757.

SIR: I sent you Butter with * * * Hambright last Command w'ch I hope you Received safe. I shall Endeavor to Procure another Crock for you against next trip. I forwarded all the Letters you sent me by * * * to Lancaster Immediately & Capt'n M'Kee was going to Philada. from there, & took them with him, so that there was not the Least Delay. Mr. West wrote me this week that there was an English Packet arrived at Antigua w'ch left Spithead the 26th Feb'ry. * * & that there was laying there 200 Transports, Storeships, &c, with 16 Sail of the Line Commanded by Admiral Knowles, which were to sail in a few Days for North America (God send them a Quick & Safe Passage) there is actually arrived at Ft. Cumberland 126 Catawba warriers & 50 or 60 other Indians & a number more Expected who seems Hearty in our Cause. I Expect they'll pay our Cruel Enemys in their own Coin this Sumer I am sir in Hase your most obed't Humble Serv't

To Major JAMES BURD att Fort Augusta.”

"Dr. Sr:

JOHN HARRIS.

"PAXTON Nov'r 15, 1757.

I am Just arrived from Philada. No News of Importance, the Troops from the Northwerd are Part arrived in Philada., such as are to be Quartered there this Winter, & three Companys if not more of the first Battallion of Ye Royal American Riegement from Carlisle is to Pass here Next thursday, on their way to Winter Quarters in Philada., the 2nd Battallion is to soon follow & Remain at Lancaster, Excepting some who is by

the General Report, to be at York, Reading, &c, this Winter. We have acco'ts of our Grand English Fleet Sailing in September last on a Secret Expedition, & good accounts soon Expected from them. No Battles Lately in Europe Except Skirmishing between us, the French, Prusians, Austrians, Rusians, &c, tho' its currently Reported Generally Believed that ab't Seventy thousand Turks is actually on their March against the Queen of Hungary, & a Larger Army of Turks & Tarters is also marching against the Russians, to make a Diversion on the side of Prussia. Good accounts is also Expected from his Prussian Majesty, tho' his Enemy is numerous on all sides the French seems to be yet to strong for the Duke in Hanover but considering the Numbers Greater Strokes might have been Expected from them. We have been Tollerably Quiet n all the Frontiers this Long time (from Indian Incursions) the Barracks in Philada. in Great Forwardness. Humble Serv't

I am sir your most obed't

JOHN HARRIS.

P. S. Mrs. Shippen & Mrs. Burd and family's well yester

day.

I am sr. &c.,

To Major JAMES BURD at Fort Augusta."

J. H.

THE PAXTONIANS RETALIATE.

The constant scenes of warfare infused a military and adventurous spirit into the young men of this vicinity incompatible with the quiet habits of agricultural life, and we find them, in time of peace, roaming through the mountain wilds as traders, or seeking out rich lands yet unpurchased from the Indians; and in time of war or frontier disturbance, they were ranging the border, watching the movements of the Indians, cutting off occasional parties, and breaking up their haunts. Being beyond the reach of the laws of the Province, as well as beyond the protection of the lower counties, the Paxton men were under

the necessity of protecting themselves, and were governed by usages of their own. Many of their families, as we have shown, had suffered by the tomahawk, and it was suspected by them that the hostile Indians were harbored, if not encouraged, by the friendly Indians at Conestoga, and among the Moravians. A deadly animosity was thus raised among the Paxton men against all of Indian blood, and it was during the height of this feeling that the bloody and unjustifiable massacre was perpetrated at Conestoga.

The following, from "Day's Historical Recollections," combines the substance of the several conflicting statements in regard to this massacre :

"On the night of the 14th December, 1763, a number of armed and mounted men from the townships of Paxton and Donegal, most of them belonging to the company of frontier rangers of those townships, concerted an attack on the Indians at Conestoga, Lancaster county, for the purpose, as they alleged, of securing one or more hostile Indians who were harbored there, and who were supposed to have recently murdered several families of whites. The number of the Paxton men is variously estimated from twenty to upwards of fifty. Few of the Indians were at home, the men probably being absent either in hunting or trading their baskets at Lancaster. In the dead of night the white men fell upon the village. Some defence was doubtless attempted by the few male Indians present, (Dr. Franklin's narrative says there were only three men, two women and a young boy,) but they were overpowered, and the whole, men, women and children, fell victims to the rifle, the tomahawk, and the knife of the frontier men. The dwellings were burned to the ground.

The citizens and magistrates of Lancaster, shocked at the horrible outrage, with commendable humanity gathered the scattered individuals of the tribe who remained, into the stone workhouse at Lancaster, where, under bolts and bars, and the strict

supervision of the keeper, they could not doubt but the Indians would be safe until they could be conveyed to Philadelphia for more secure protection.

But the Paxton men were satisfied with nothing short of the extermination of the tribe, alleging, however, that one or two of the hostile Indians were still among the Indians protected by the civil authority at Lancaster. Concealing themselves at night near Lancaster, they waited until the next day, (27th December,) when the whole community was engaged in the solemnities of the sanctuary; then, riding suddenly into town in a gallop, the band seized upon the keeper of the work-house and overpowered him, and rushing into the prison, the work of death was speedily accomplished. The poor Indians, about fourteen in number, were left weltering in gore, while the Paxton men left the town in the same haste with which they entered it. The alarm was raised through the town, but before the citizens could assemble, the "boys" were beyond their reach. In consequence of this affair, the Morovian Indians at Wyalusing and Nain, who had come to Philadelphia for protection, were removed to Province Island, near that city, and placed under the charge of the garrison.

The Paxton men, elated by their recent success, assembled in great numbers early in January, and threatened to march to Philadelphia in a body, and destroy the Indians there. The people of the city were prodigiously alarmed, and several companies of foot, horse and artillery were formed to repel the expected attack. The Paxton men, who had approached the Schuylkill on their march, finding such a force prepared to receive them, returned home."

Rev. John Elder, in a letter to Gov. John Penn, dated Paxton, December 16, 1763, says: "On receiving intelligence, the 13th inst, that a number of persons were assembling on purpose to go and cut off the Conestoga Indians, in concert with Mr. Forster, the neighboring magistrate, I hurried off with a

written message to that party, entreating them to desist from such an undertaking, representing to them the unlawfulness and barbarity of such an action; that it was cruel and unchristian in its nature, and would be fatal in its consequences to themselves and families."

In another letter to Gov. Penn, Rev. Mr. Elder describes Mr. Stewart (one of the Paxton boys) as humane, liberal and religious. In a subsequent letter to the Governor, he says: "The storm which had been so long gathering has at length exploded. Had Government removed the Indians from Conestoga, which had frequently been urged without success, this painful catastrophe might have been avoided. What could I do with men heated to madness? All that I could do was done; I expostulated, but life and reason were set at defiance. And yet the men in private life are virtuous and respectable; not cruel, but mild and merciful. The time will come when cach palliating circumstance will be calmly weighed. This deed, magnified into the blackest of crimes, shall be considered as one of the youthful ebullitions of wrath caused by momentary excitement, to which human infirmity is subjected."

There is no doubt that the massacre was committed by the younger and more hot-headed members of the Rev. Col. Elder's corps of Rangers, residing at and about Harris' Ferry, joined, as they proceeded on their way to the fated village, by residents of Derry and Donegal townships, who were led on by one Lazarus Stewart, a daring partizan, and a man of considerable influence and standing in the Paxton settlement.

The following extracts are from a series of historical papers written by Redmond Conyngham, Esq., of Lancaster:

"Imagination cannot conceive the perils with which the settlement of Paxton were surrounded from 1754 to 1765. To portray each scene of horror would be impossible; the heart shrinks from the attempt. The settlers were goaded on to desperation; murder followed murder; scouts brought in intelligence that the