Daily national Democrat., 1858-10-24
DAILY DEMOCRAT
Border IncidenIs.

Border Incidents
During the Revolutionary War, Wyoming
was harrassed y prowliug bands of Indians.
NO man who went into the fields in the
morning had any security that he would not
be wayaid, shot, and scalped before night.
Scarcely month passed which was not
marked by some murder committed by the
marauding savages. Among the few settlers
who remained in the valley during all these
troubles was worthy Quaker named Jona-
than Slocum. AS q non-combatant, he thought
himself safe from attack, and his house was.
besides, close by tie fort at Wilkesbarre.-
One November morning he had gone ont into
the fields. At home were his wife, their four
children, a couple of lads whose father had
been carried away by the Indians, and a me-
gro servant girl. Three Delawares crept up
to tue house. shot one of the lads, and scalped
him on the threshold with the knife which he
had been sharpening The Oldest child, a
daughter of nine, caught up her infant broth
er and fled to the fort unnursued. The sava-
ges seized the other children-a lame boy
and Frances, fairIhaired girl of five. The
mother begged that the boy might be left
The savages released him, but carried off The
negro girl, the brother of the slain lad. and
little Frances Before aid could be summon
ed from the fort, they had disappeared in
the forest. A few weeks af,er, the good Qua.
ker himself, with bis iaiher in law, were shot
down while at work in the fields Years
passed; the dead were forgotten, but the
mothers heart never ceased to yearn for her
child, who had been borne away to fate
worse than death. Her sous grew up and
prospered Year ate year thev persevered
in inquiries and searches for their long lost
sister. They traversed the forest between
tue Snsqpehanna and the G eat Lakes, visited
Canada and the far wes, Offering large re-
wards for tidings, but all in vain. Captives
who had been carried away by the Indians
were not unfrequenty heard of, but close in
qulry showed that none OF these was the one
for whom they sought. The mother went TO
her grave sorrowing, full of years. The lame
boy, who had been spared, and the infant
who bad been saved by his sister. became
gray headed men, before the veil which had
hidden the fate of their sister was STRANGELY
lif ed A traveller Glanced, in 1885, to pass
the night at Miami village in Indiana. He
was Hospitality entertained in the best house
The head of the family was an old woman
known as Maconaqua. She had two daugh-
ters and son-in-law-a tail, handsome half
breed-all of whom treated the old woman
with the most unbounded defer ence Though
she spoke only the Indian language, and was
apparently an Indian, something about her
convinced the traveller tnat she was Of the
White race. lie succeeded ia winning her
confidence, and she impaired 10 him her story
Her father was a white man, who wore a
broad brimmed hat, and lived on the Susque-
hanna river. Ills name was Slocum. She
had Seen carried away many years ago by
the Delaware Indians She was child then.
She had lived with them ever since. She
had married a chief, who was dead now
Tue traveller wrote to tue Postmaster at Lam
caster Pennsylvania, stating these facts and
urging that they should be published The
letter was flung aside unnoticed. Two years
after, the Postmaster died, aud the letter was
found among his papers 1t was published
in newspaper, copy of which reached Wy
omng. Inquiries were made, anu il was
found that this old Indian woman, who could |
be no other ian tha ist Frances 5locum,
still lived. Three of the Sloculn f;tmily set
out at once TO visit their long lost Linswoman. |
Two of them were the brother who had been
carried to the fort, and the sister that saved
him. They found her at her home. For
some time she was cold and suspicious She
could not believe that they were the brother
and sister who had been child en- with her
half century ago They must he schemers
who wished to get possession of her land.
Sill she told them her story Her fathers
name was Slocum. He was a small man
with sandy hair and freckled face lie wore
a large brmmed hat. lie lived near a fort
by great river. Three Indians took her
away when she was child, many winters
ago. She had brothers and sisters. One of
her brothers had accidentally hammered off
her finger nail, and it had never grown since
This last was a token which the Slocums
had fixed upon as sure sign by which they
could recognize their sister There was the |
disfgured finger The Identification was
By slow degrees they won her
confidence. But she resolutely refused all
their invitations to return with them, even |
for visit She was rich in a rude way, had !
fertile lands a comfortable house, horses, cat
tie, and poultry, convenient furniture, an
abundance of t,inkets, clothes enough TO stock |
a country store, and considerable sum of
money. Her brother and sister left her, half !
pleased and half saddened by the condition |
in which they had found her.
The brother visited her again, Two years
later, accompanied by his two daughters
She received them gladly, and said if he |
would come to her, she would give him half
her land but she would not 60 with Them
Not long after, arrangements were made to
remove the Miami Indians farther to the
West. The story of Frances Slocum had
been made widely known, and ty the special
exertions of Mr.. Didlack, representative from
that district, bill was passed, securing to
Asconaqua and her heirs tract of land
mile square, embracing the home in which
she had lived so long But she grew weary
when her red kindred had gone, and said she
wished to live no longer. She died in 1857,
and is buried near the confluence of the Ms.
sisinewa and the Wabash rivers.
gS3- A gentleman who employs great num-
Der of hands in mandatory in the west of
England, in order to encourage his work peo
pie in due attendance at church on late
fast day, told them that if they went TO church
they would receive their wages for that day
~ Al 4