At a Council held at the State House, the 16th December, 1755. Robert Strettell, Benjamin Shoemaker, PRESENT: Joseph Turner, Thomas Cadwalader, Esq'rs. The following Letters and Papers received by Express from 'Northampton County, informing the Government that the Indians had began hostilities there, were read : A Letter to the Governor from Timothy Horsfield, Esq "May it please your Honour: "Sir-The Inclosed are a faithful Translation of two Original German Letters to the Reverend Mr. Spangenberg, which are just now come to hand, & which will inform your Honour of the particulars which I have to lay before you; Your Honour will thereby see what Circumstances we are in in these parts. I would also just mention to your Honour, that the bearer brings along with him some pieces of arms which fail in the using, and which makes the people afraid to take them in hand. I pray your Honour will take it into your further Consideration & give us all the assistance that lays in your power. "I am, With all due respect, Your Honour's most Obliged humble Servant, "TIM HORSFIELD. "P. S.-I have sent to alarm the Country with all the expedi tion possible, but when we have the people we have no proper persons to lead them, & what can we Expect?" A Letter from Mr. Nathanael to the Reverend Mr. Spangenberg. "NAZARETH, 11th December, 1755. "Mr. Bizman who just now came from the Blue Mountains, & is the bearer of this Letter, will tell you that there is a number of 200 Indians about Broadhead's Plantation, they have destroyed most all the Plantations thereabouts, and killed several Families at Heoths. You will be so kind & acquaint Mr. Horsefield directly of it, that he may send a Messenger to Philadelphia & let all our Neighbours know what we have to expect, and that they may come to our Assistance. "NATHANAEL." A Letter from Mr. Graff to the Revd. Mr. Spangenberg, dated 11th December, 1755. "An hour ago came Mr. Glotz and told us that the 10th Instant in the night Hoeth's Family were killed by the Indians, except his Son & the Smith, who made their Escape, and the houses burnt down. Just now came old Mr. Hartman, with his Family, who also escaped, and they say that all the neighbourhood of the above mentioned Hoeth's, viz: Broadhead's, Culvers', McMichael's, & all Houses and Families thereabouts were attacked by the Indians at Daylight and burnt down by them. "Mr. Culvers' and Hartman's Family are come to us with our Waggons & lodge partly here in Nazareth, partly in the Tavern. Our Waggons, which were to fetch some Corn, were met by Culvers 3 Miles this side his House, and when they heard this shocking News they resolved to return & to carry these poor People to Nazareth. They say also that the number of Indians is above Two hundred. We want to hear your good advice what to do in this present Situation & Circumstances, and desire if possible your assistance. "GRAFF. "Nazareth, 11th Decem'" 1755." A Sec Letter to the Governor from Timothy Horsfield, Esq" "May it please your Honour: "Sir:--I have dispatched an Express this Morning to your Honour in Philadelphia to inform you of the Circumstances we are in. But since hearing that you was in New York, I thought it my Duty to dispatch another Messenger with this, thinking it might yet find your Honour there. "In the night an Express arrived from Nazareth, acquaint me that there is certainly People now in Nazareth who fled for their Lives, and informs us that one Heoth and his Family are cut off, only two escaping, & the Houses, &, of Heoth, Brodhead, and others, are actually laid in Ashes, & People from all Quarters flying for their Lives, & the common report is that the Indians are 200 Strong. "Your Honour can easily Guess at the Trouble and Consternation we must be in on this Occasion in these parts. As to Bethlehem, we have taken all the Precaution in our Power for our Defence; we have taken all our little Infants from Nazareth to Bethlehem for the greater Security, and these, with the rest of our Children, are near 300 in number. Altho' our gracious King & Parliament have been pleased to exempt those amongst us of tender Conscience from bearing Arms, yet there are many amongst us who make no scruple of Defending themselves against such cruel Savages. But, Alas! what can we do, having very few Arms & little or no Ammunition, & we are now as it were become the Frontier, and as we are circumstanced, our Family being so large it is impossible for us to retire to any other place for Security. "I doubt not your Honour's goodness will lead you to consider the Distress we are in, & speedily to afford us what relief shall be thought necessary against these merciless Savages. "I am, with all due respect, Your Honour's most obedient h❜ble. Serv TIM HORSFIELD. "Bethlehem, 12th Decem" 1755. "P. S.-Heoth's, Broadhead's, & are situate a few miles over the Blue Mountains about 25 or 30 Miles from hence." An Affidavit taken at Philips Burgh in these words: "Colonel : "Joseph Stout received one Express this morning by a young man from that place, where John Carmeckle & Broadhead lives back of Samuel Dupues, where they were attacked Yesterday about 11 o'clock, where the Barn & Barracks was on fire, & heard the Guns a firing (for Broadhead had Barracaded his House), & there was several People killed, and I fled to Jno. Anderson for help; & as near as I could think there was an hundred Enemy that appeared to me, and was in White People's cloathing-only a few Match Coats. "Sworn before me this 12th Day of December, 1755. "HENRY COLE. "Col. Stout:-I desire you would come up directly with your Regiment till you and I see if we can save our Country. Your Compliance will oblige your real friend, "JOIN ANDERSON. "Philips Burgh." A Deposition of John Mich' Hute's taken before William Parsons, Esqr. "The 12th Day of December, 1755, Personally appeared before me, William Parsons, one of his Majesty's Justices of the Peace for the County of Northampton, Michael Hute, aged about 21 Years, who being duly sworn on the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God, did depose & declare that last Wednesday about 6 of the Clock, Afternoon, a Company of Indians about 5 in Number attacked the House of Frederick Heoth about 12 miles Eastward from Gnaden hutten on Pocho Pochto Creek. That the family being at Supper the Indians shot into the House & wounded a Woman; at the next shot they killed Frederick Heoth himself, & shot several times more, whereupon all ran out of the House that could. The Indians immediately set fire to the House, Mill, and Stables. Heoth's Wife ran into the Bakehouse, which was also set on Fire. The poor Woman ran out thro' the Flames, and being very much burnt she ran into the Water and their dyed. The Indians cut her belly open, and used her otherwise inhumanly. They killed and scalped a Daughter, and he thinks that three other Children who were of the Family were burnt. Three of Heoth's Daughters are missing with another Woman, who are supposed to be carried off. In the Action one Indian was killed & another wounded; and further this Deponent saith not. "JOIN MICHAEL HUTE. "Sworn at Easton the day and Year above said, Before me, "WM. PARSONS." The Deposition of Jno. McMichael and others, taken before William Parsons, Esqr., at Easton. "The 12th Day of December, 1755, Personally appeared before me, William Parsons, one of his Majesty's Justices of the Peace for the County of Northampton, John McMichael, Henry Dysert, James Tidd, & Job Bakehorn, jr., who being duly sworn on the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God, did depose and declare, that Yesterday about 3 of the Clock, afternoon, two Indian Men came from towards Broadhead's House, who fired at these Deponents and several others, who returned the fire and made the Indians turn off. And the said Deponents, James Tidd and Job Bakehorn, further said, that as they were going round the Stack Yard of the said McMichael, where they all were, they saw, as they verily believe, at least 4 Indians on their knees, about twenty perches from the Stack Yard, who fired at the Deponents. And these Deponents further say, that they were engaged in manner aforesaid with the Indians at least three Quarters of an hour. And these Deponents, John McMichael and Henry Dysert further say, that they saw the Barn of the said Broadhead's on fire about nine of the Clock in the morning, which continued Burning till they left the House, being about 4, afternoon, and that they heard shooting and crying at Broadhead's House almost the whole Day, and that when they left McMichael's House, the Dwelling House of said Broadhead, was yet unburnt, being, as they supposed, defended by the people within it. And the Deponents, James Tidd & Job Bakehorn, further say, that they did not come to McMichael's House till about 3 in the afternoon, when they could see the Barn and Barracks of the said Broadhead's on fire. And these Deponents further say that they did not see any one killed on either side, but James Garlanthouse, one of their Company, was shot through the Hand & Arm; and further these Deponents say not. "Sworn at Easton the Day and Year aforesaid, Before me, "WILL PARSONS." A Letter to Governor Morris from Conrad Weiser, Esquire. "Honoured Sir: "Notwithstanding my hurry in leaving Philadelphia, I got no further than here, being obliged to stop by the way, especially in this County, to consult with some of the Magistrates and others about the present alarm of Broadheads, & being cut off according to a Warrant to the Constables of the County of Northampton by Justice Horsfield. The People of this Town and County are in very great Consternation. Most of this Town are but day labourers, owing Money, are about to leave it, they have nothing at all wherewith to support their Familys. All Trade is stoped, and they can get no employment, and without the Govern' takes about 30 or 40 of them into pay to guard this Town, they must go off and the rest will think themselves unsafe to stay, & the back Inhabitants will have no place of Security left for their Wives and Children when they are out either against their enemy, or taking care of their Plantations & Cattle, & when things should come to Extremity. I have signed a Recommendation for a Captain's Commission to John Lesher in Oley, one Conrad Care for Lieuten" & Eberhard Martin for Ensign should have been included. John Lesher had a Captain's Commission from your Honour before the Act was made. Î gave it to him according to your Honour's direction. I would be so free as to recommend Jonas Seeley, Esqr., for a fit person to serve the Province as an Officer in Companys that will be employed as outscout; he is a man of Conduct and Courage; the same I can say of Mr. Christian Bussey, the Doctor of this Town; he is a hearty and very worthy person, has neither Wife nor Child, and will do all what he can to recommend himself to the Government. This Country is in a dismal Condition: believe me, kind Sir, that it cant hold out long. Consternation, Poverty, Confusion Partics is every where. If no haste is made for our Relief, I cannot stay but must move with my |