HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Conococheague Massacre The Conococheague Massacre. to THE CONOCOCNEAGU� i' MASSACRE, OR THE SLAUGHTER OF SCHOOLMASTER BROWN R AND HIS PUPILS, II BY THE INDIANS, =i, NEAR GREENCASTLE, PENNA., JULY 26, 1764. P -mil.- PUBLISHED BY 1 BENJAMIN H. OCKER, FAYETTEVILLE, PA. 1895. t THE CONOCOCHEAGUE MASSACRE, The Conococheague massacre occurred in the heart of the famous Cumberland Valley. This valley extends from the Sus- quehanna to the Potomac, a distance of 80 miles. It averages 12 miles in width,and is hemmed in by two mountain ranges. Its northern portion is drained into the Sus- quehanna by the Conodoguinet and the Yellow Breeches creeks, and the southern portion into the Potomac by the Conoco- oheague and the Antietam creeks. At present the valley is thickly settled with a thrifty, intelligent people. It is an agri- cultural district, in a high state of cultiva- tion, and contains many fine towns and villages. At the time of the massacre the greater part of it was a dense forest. The heart-rending tragedy herein narrated was carefully written up, by Prof. S. H. Eby, while serving as Superintendent of the schools of Franklin county, as follows: "The first authentic account of an ele- mentary school,within the limits of Frank- lin county, dates back to 1764. At this date,settlements were started at various places in the county, principal- ly adjacent to the Conococheague creek. 2 3 The first settlers of this county expert- culture, particularly noted and respected enced all the privations incident to a front- for his truthfulness, integrity, and chris- ier life. During the French and Indian tian character; in short,he was an exem- war they were in constant peril, being ex- glary teacher of his day. On the morning posed to the merciless treatment of Indian above named, he proceeded, as usual, to war parties, who were almost constantly the log school-house, which was a struct- marauding some portion of the frontier, ure of the rudest character,opened it, and destroying and desolating all property 4 doubtless performed the various duties at- within their reach, surprising and mur- teudaut upon a teacher to put things gen- J dering the inhabitants, in a most cruel erally in readiness for the opening of the manner, and at other times abducting and I school. Tradition says that on the above subjecting them to the most inhuman treat- named morning the children were gener- ment. The following incident is only one j ally loath to go to school;even those that of the many atrocious acts committed by were particularly fond of going at other those savages upon the early settlers. The times disliked very much to start on that region in which it occurred was then in day. One boy determined he would not Cumberland county, (now Franklin,) go, but that he would loiter in the woods about three miles north of Greencastle, until evening,and then return to his home, and ten miles south-west of Chainbersburg• leaving his parents under the impression This foul murder of a teacher and all his he had been at school. This boy,although pupils, with one exception, was perpetrat- detected of his truancy,escaped the sad fate ed by the Indians on the morning of the that befell his school-master. One by 'I 26th of July, A. D. 1764. Enoch Brown one the mirthful boys and girls came drop- was the school-master of the settlement. { ping in, with dinner basket in hand, little He is said to have been a man of liberal thinking that this would be their last 4 A 4 5 day at school. When the hour for open- way to school they had seen in the bushes ing the school had arrived, they were told what they conceived to be Indians;but, by the teacher to take their respective the teacher, being a man of courage, at- places in the room. The roll being called, tributed this report to the temidity of the only ten responded to their names, eight children, as such rumors had frequently, boys and two girls. The school had been on former occasions,been in circulation on much larger in the early part of the sum- the frontier, when really no Indians were mer, but hot weather and seasonal duties near. But shortly after the opening exer- had very much decreased the number of cises of the school,a slight noise at the door scholars. I have not been able to aster- attracted the attention of the teacher, twin the names of all the scholars, but when, to! the grim visage of three Indians have learned, from a reliable source, that met his gaze. Quick as thought did he no two were from the same family, so that conceive the idea that these cruel villains there were ten families from the settle- - were after him, and not the children. ment represented in the school. Eben Knowing, too, that there was no means of Taylor was the largest boy, a lad about escape,and hoping to spare the lives of the fifteen years of age. George Dunston was innocent children, he quickly stepped to somewhat younger than Taylor, and Ar- the door,and,iu imploring tones, besought chic McCullough, who survived his inju- them to kill him,torture him,or dispose of lies, was the youngest child of the school, him as they saw fit,but,for heaven's sake, The names of the two girls were Ruth to spare the poor, harmless children;to Hart and Ruth Hale. The account given• which,after a short consultation, one of by Archie McCullough is, that when the the Indians replied that they did not master and scholars met at the school, want the children, but in order to two of the boys informed him that on their avoid detection, and not to arouse j 6 7 the settlers before they had time to make went hurriedly from one to another,tear- 1 good their escape,they would be compell- ing off their scalps. Little Archie, who G ed to kill the children also. In an instant had thus far avoided detection, was con- 1 r' . one of the Indians, armed with a wooden cealed behind some wilted boughs which mallet, ran through the door,and attacked had previously been put in the great fire- the master, who had nothing with which place, from which place of concealment to defend himself but his hands. These he could see the horrible slaughter of his were soon disabled and broken,after which schoolmates. The Indians, now suppos- , a few well directed blows about the head, Y irfg their work completed, were about felled him to the floor in a dying condi- leaving the house,when one of them look- tion. During the time the savage was ing back, discovered some object in the brutally murdering Mr. Brown, the chil- chimney corner,where Archie wes secreted. dren were almost frantic, running to and The savage rushed back upon Archie, fro, crying for help. Possibly some of dealt him a single,but fearful,blow, and them would have made their escape into ruthlessly tearing off his scalp, left him the undergrowth, which surrounded the for dead. Some hours after this bloody j house, but for the two Indians who re- tragedy had been committed, one of the mained on the outside to guard the door, citizens happened to come in the vicinity and to give timely notice to the one with- of the school-house, and, observing the in,in case they were discovered. One by unusual quietness of the place at that hour one the urchins were stricken down with of the day, his curiosity led him to the furious blows from the heavy mallet of the door, where the horrible scene was pre- • Indian, until all, save little Archie, were rented to him. Ten lifeless bodies were stretched upon the floor, dead or dying. i stretched upon the floor,weltering in their As no time was to be lost, the savage own blood, and little Archie, who was not A 8 9 dead, but blind from the blow he had re- captured by the Indians in 1756, and was ceived, moaning and crawling about, still a captive at the time the murder was among his dead companions, smoothing perpetrated: his hands over their faces, and running his fingers through their hair, as if trying `Some time in the summer of 1764, a to distinguish one from another by the party of Indians, numbering about three touch. Poor lad! for many weeks he was hundred, collected, with the intention to lying in a critical condition, and at sever- go to the Conococheague settlement, and make a general massacre of all the people, al times his life was almost despaired of; without any regard to age or sex. They but by securing the best medical skill that were out about ten days, when most of then could be obtained, and by careful and attentive nursing, he, after lingering a them returned. Having held a council, long time, recovered. He lived to an old they concluded that it was not policy for but his mind was never quite right them to leave their towns destitute of de- age, fence. However, several small parties again. A few days after this dreadful mac- went to different parts of the settlement. sacre, the whole neighborhood gathered It happened that three of them,with whom to participate in the funeral obsequies. I was well acquainted, went to the neigh- The teacher and scholars were all buried boyhood from which I had been taken. in the same grave, being put into a large, They went to a school-house, where they rudely constructed box, with their murdered and scalped the master and all clothing on, as they were found, the scholars. They supposed all were after being murdered. In connection dead when they left the house, but one with the murder of Mr. Brown and his pupils, I shall give a short extract of boy, about ten years old, a full cousin of mine,recovered,after he had been scalped. John McCullough's narrative, who was I saw the Indians when they returned with 1 10 1 The bones were much decayed, and when the scalps. Some of the old Indians were very much displeased with them for kill- the skull was handled and exposed to the . ing so many children,especially one chief, atmosphere for a short time, it crumbled or half-king, who attributed their act to into dust. Near by the side of this skele- cowardice, which was the grossest insult ton there was discovered another, which, that could be given them.' from its size, was evidently that of a man On the 4th of August,1843,seventy-nine full grown. It was in a much better state of preservation than the former, and from years after the perpetration of this brutal the relics found in close contact, which slaughter,a number of gentlemen from the were a large metal button, several small town of Greencastle,repaired to the place, ones, part of an iron box,which seemed to in Antrim township where, tradition said, have been a tobacco box, it was evident the murdered victims were buried. A. B. that this was the skeleton of the tenoher. Rankin, Esquire, of Greencastle, says: After further search, several other small 'A small piece of ground, on the south skeletons were found,lying with head and side of a hill,was pointed out as being the feet in opposite directions.' place. This spot is in an open field, un a The relics above mentioned are still in marked by anything, save the grass and possession of some of the persons who briars that distinguish it from the eulti- were present at the time of the eahuina- vated land with which it is surrounded. tion. The location was truly a solitary Some of the party soon commenced remov- ing the earth, and, after digging to the one,being against the side of a hill,which was covered with a thick undergrowth of depth of four and a half feet, found some pine, and in front of which there is a deep rotten wood and several rusty nails of quite and dismal ravine, affording every oppor- ancient construction. After digging a little 7tunity for the escape of savages after hav- deeper,part of a small skeleton was found. 12 ing committed so fiendish an act. 1 vis- ited the place myself on the 12th of July, 1877, and found nothing, but two locust trees, to render sacred and commemorate the spot where lie buried the remains of the innocent victims of Indian ferocity." Since the foregoing narrative was written, a number of public-spirited citizens of Franklin county formed a committee, and by voluntary contributions raised a fund in the name of the teachers and scholars of all the schools in the county, and pur- chased from Captain Jacob Diehl, the owner,a suitable amount of land,includ- ing the spot where school-master Brown and his ten pupils were so cruelly dealt with,and thereon erected an appropriate and enduring monument to mark the place where occurred one of the most tragic scenes in the history of Pennsylvania. .114