The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1859-07-14
From the Bradford Argus.
The Morayian Indians.

Oone Inquiry DaflOg Oeen iateiy made
into the settlement of the Moravian In
dians formerly settled in WyaIusing, anc
then known by the name Of Frieden-hu ul
ten. or tents of peace;" shall attempt
to give short history of that settlement
The. indians were settled in this county
long before the whites became acquainted
with it-how long we know not In
l742, the celebrated Count. Zinzendorl
visited the Wyoming Valley, aud made
application to the Indian Chief to visit
villages, and instruct the natives 10 the
doctrines of repentance aud salvation,
through the merits of the Savior. He
was received with the kindness ssd po-
liteness of refined society Their answer
to him was: Brother, you have made
long journey over the seas to preach
the Gospel to the white people aDd the
Indians; you did not know that we were
here. and We knew nothing Of you. This
proceeds from above! Come therefore to
US, both you aud your hrethern. We bid
you welcome among u.s." The Mora
vians, of whom the count was leader,
had made settlement at Bethlehem on
the Lebigb, and from that place were
sending out their missionaries for the
conversion of the Indians; and from
thence the Rev David Ziesburger came
to WyalusiDg in I763-now nearly a Gen.
tury ago. The Indians, seemingly pre-.
pared by a kind Providence, were ready
aud anxious to receive him. But his
stay was not long-troubles arose from
iuimical Indians, and be fed to save his
life, to Bethlehem, and on the return of
more peaceful times in 1865, be returned
to WyalusiDg accompanied by other Chris
tain Indians from near Bethlehem; and
after enduring hardsbips and sufferings
untold, reached their new home in May,
1865. Here they went to work and
built them up village, on the lands for
merly owned by Joseph Stafford, and
pow owned BY Levi P. Stafford. Esq,
grandson of the former owner, and Benz.
Brown. The situation is a very pleasant
one, on a second rise from the river, Just
above high water mark, and about two
miles from the mouth of the Wyalusing
creek The village contained some forty
or fifty well built houses after the Eng
lish fashion, with chimneys and windows,
and street about eighty feet in width;
their church was in the center of the vii.
lage, with bell-the first ever placed 10
a meeting house this side of the Blue
Mountains.
There they lived in peace some seven
years, enjoying the blessing Of the gospel.
The remains or ruins are nearly obliter
ated; the place where the old we'll was is
still to be seen. The buryiug ground
situated below, or down the river from the
village. There was more ancient place
of interment higher up the river on a
lower fat, where the river has washed
away the banks, exposing the bones OF
those that we're hurried there. The wri
ter of this, between thirty and forty years
ago, in company with others, saw many Of
those bones where the bank had been
washed away. In162s, Mr. John Stafford
the present owner of the land, found, iD
one place, three skeletons lying parallel
and close by each other; one very large
skeleton, and some of the bones in a
good state of preservation. The bone
from the shoulder to the elbow, when
measured by very tall man over six feet
high, was four inches longer than his
If this bone be any guide, this person
when living must have been more than
eight feet high.
At the head of these skeletons was
placed brass kettle, with quite num-
Der of small bones partly deeayed, sup
posed to be Of some animal, perhaps a
raccoon or wookchuck, for food for the
dead man to eat on bis journey. and a
spoon partly decayed. About the same
time Levi P. Stafford, Esq, found other
skeletons, with an earthen crock placed
at the head of the bones, filed in part
With the sane kind of bones, and pre-
pared in the same manner as the other.
This grave yard was supposed to be oc-
cupied long before the settlement OF the
Moraviau or Cbristainized Indians of
whom we are speaking.
But let US pause and look in upon these
Christainised heathens, and see what the
power of the religion of the Savior can
make of the wild children Of the forest.
There they are, every person striving to
earn their own living, and to educate them
selves under the direction Of their beloved
teachers, who have left their own homes
with all their ties and endearments, to
teach the wild red man the way to Heav
en- and eternal happiness. Each person
is striving not only to lay up treasure in
Heaven, but to provide for his tenn poral
wants. They built handsome little vii
lsge of some forty or fifty houses IN ve-
nv good fashion for those times, aud
pleasant meeting house; so they must
have been very diligent and industrious.
Many Interesting anecdotes are related
by the early white settlers of these people,
especially of JOB Galloway, one of their
Chiefs. Job, by the settlers, was es-
esteemed perfect gentleman, as we'll as
a Christians; but said he could make OF
bis wife nothing but squaw. How
ever. troublesome times we're at hand