Fremont weekly freeman. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1850-1853, 1850-12-21
The indians and the 0uakers.

In Howitt's Book of the Seasons. is given
the following account of the Indians and the
Quakers. II is story related by GEORGE
Dilwyn, an American Quaker and preacher.
who visited England about fifty years siuce.
The scene of the story is laid at the period Of
the revolutionary war:
Another incident he related, which occur
red in one of the back settlements when the
Indians had been employed to burn the DWELL
ings of the settlers, and cruelty to murder the
people. One of these solitary habitations was
in possession of Friends family. They lived
in such secure simplicity, that they hitherto
had no apprehension of danger, and used nei-
ther bar nor bolt to their door; having no 9TH
er means of securing their dwelling from in
truslon, than by drawing inthe leathern thong
by which the wooden latch inside was lifted
from without.
The Indians had committed fri0htfII raya-
ges all around, burning and numbering with
out mercy. Every evening brought forth It'd
ings of horror, and every night the unhappy
settlers surrounded themselves With such de-
fences as they could muster-eyer then, for
dread scarcely being able to sleep. The
friend and bis family who had hitherto put no
keeping of God, believing, that man often ran
in his own strength to his own injury, had used
so little precaution, that they slept without
even Withdrawing the string, and were as yet
uninjured.
Alarmed, however, at length, by the fears of
others and by the dreadful rumors that sur
rounded them, they yielded to their fears on
one particular night, and before retiring to
i Al, 4
selves as well as they were able.
In the dead of the night the Friend who
had not been able to sleep, asked his wife if
she slept, she replied that she could not, for
her mind was uneasy. Upon this he confess
ed that the same was his case, and that he be-
lieyed it would be the safest for him to rise
and put out the string of the latch as usual
On her approving of this, it was done, and the
two lay down again commencing themselves
to the keeping of God
This had not occurred above ten minutes,
when the dismal sound of the Bar-whoop ech-
oed through the forest, filling every heart with
dread, and almost Immediately afterWard,
they counted the footsteps of seven men pass
the window of their chamber, which was on
the groud floor, and the next moment the door
string was pulled, the latch lifted, and the
door opened A debate of few minutes took
pl .ce, the purport of which, as it was spoken
IN the Indian language, was unintelli gible to
inhabitants; but that it was favorable to them
was proved by the door, being again closed,
and the Indians retiring without having cross
ed the threshold.
The next morning, they saw the smoke rais-
ing from the burning habitations all around
them; parents were weeping for their chill
dren who were carried of, and children Ia
menting over their parents who had been cru
ely slain.
Some years afterward; when peace was re-
stored, and the colonists had occasion to hold
conference with the Indians, this friend was
appointed as one for that purpose, and speak
ing in favor of the Indians, related the above
incident; in reply to which an Indian observ-
ed that, the simple circumstance Of putting out
the latch string. which proved confidence rath-
er than fear, their lives as well as their prop
erty had been saved; for that he himself had
been one of the maruding party, and that on
finding the door open it was said, These peo-
pie shall live; they will do US no harm; for
they put their trust in the Great Spirit.
During the whole Of the American RoVolu-
ton, indeed, the Indians though melted by the
whites to kill and scalp the enemy. never mo-
Tested the Friends as the people of Father
Onas, or VIM. Penn, and as the avowed OPP
ponents of all violence. Through the whole
war there were but two instances to the con-
trary, and they we're occasioned by the two
Friends themselves The one was young
man tanner, who went to his tan yard and
back daily unmolested, while devastation
spread on all sides; but at length, thought
lessly carrying gun to shoot birds, the Indi-
ans in ambush, believed that he had deserted
his principles, and shot him. The other was
a woman, who, when the dwellings of her
neighbors were nightly fred, and the people
themselves murdered, was importuned by the
officers of a neighboring fort to take refuge
there until the danger was over For some
time she refused and remained unharmed
amid general destruction; but, at length, let
ting in fear, she went for one night to the fort
but was so uneasy, that the next morning she
quilted it to return to her home. The Indi-
ans, however, believed she too had abandoned
her principles, and joined the fighting part of
the community, and before she reached home
she was shot by them"