West-Jersey pioneer., 1867-06-07

l
above the meadows; on its summit stanc
several red cedar trees, which "the oldes
inhabitant" says have graced its brow
since his earliest remembrance. This
hummock is composed of earth and the
shells of shell-fsh, which the indians
must have caught in the adjacent waters
and beaped up there for some purpose
unknown to US. One would suppose
| they would have scattered the shells neal
the bay shore, instead of conveying them
a considerable distance and putting then
all together in one vast circular heap
1t is probable that at this time the up
land was much nearer the bay than it il
at present, SO that when the foundation
of the hummock was laid, it is not i'm
probable that it was on the upland, anc
intended as a burial-place for the Indian
dead, as there have been human bones
found in similar though smaller mounds
in other sections of Egg Harbor. An
Indian burial mound, which perhaps con-
tains the dust of people who lived,
died and were buried, ages before Colum
bus dreamed his first day-dream of a
Western world.
On the farms along the sea-coast OF
Egg Harbor, the farmer, in turning up
the soil often finds rude implements, such
as arrow-heads, spears or darts, stone
hatchets, sling-stones and other relics,
which once belonged to the aboriginal In.
habitants
There is tradition handed down from
the Indians to the first white settlers,
that many years before the Europeans
visited Egg Harbor, there was a tribe Of
Indians residing at Leeds Point in Allan
tic county, another on Osboin's and
Wills Islands, in Little Egg Harbor,
and still another tribe who were located
at Mannahawkin, in Ocean county -
Between the Leeds Point and the Egg
Harbor tribes there existed bitter hos
tility. At that time there was an Indian
village on what is now called Zebedee M :.
Wills Island; the village was situated on
that portion of the Island known as the
Mulberry Field, and one night when the
inhabitants of the island village were
sleeping in apparent security, the Leeds
Point warriors crossed over Mullica river,
and taking their slumbering foes by sur
prise, massacred them all, except one
man, who fled unnoticed by the enemy
and went to Manpahawkin, and informed
the chief of the Mannahawkin tribe of the
disaster which had befalen his tribe, and
requested the aid of his warriors in
avengiug the wholesale murder of his
friends The chief Of the Mannahawkins
called a council of war, and it was unan
imously agreed upon to assist their unfor-
tunate neighbor. The Mannahawkin
braves painted and armed themselves and
fatal skirmish, and found the victorious
warriors singing and dancing, and "mak-
ing night hideous" as they exulted over
their slain and scalped enemies.
The Mannahawkiu warriors stealthily
marched around the Island to the eastern
shore of Mullica river, where they took
possession of the canoes of the Leeds
Point warriors, and after placing a guard
over them, the braves rushed in among
the unsuspecting jewellers, Staying them
on every hand. Those of the enemy who
fled to their canoes, found them in pos
session of the guard, who dealt such
death blows among them that in a short
time there was not Leeds Point warri-
or left to tell the history of the battle
Mulberry Field, where the battle took
place, has always been remarkable for the
fertility of its soil, owing, no doubt, to
its being enriched with the blood of SC
many slain. Near the field were several
small mounds, and several years ago a
farmer who owned this Island farm, re
solved on turning these mounds to a
profitable account, and accordingly re
moved them and scattered their contents
over his lands for purposes of fertiliza-
ton, In digging into the mounds, many
human bones were discovered, there
being alternate layers of bones, earth and
shells; the bones, on being exposed to
the air, rapidly mouldered to dust
Mingled with the bones were a number
of savage implements of stone, which had
doubtless, according to Indian custom
been buried with the dead, in order to be
conveyed with them to the Gland OF
Shadows"
The Indian name for Osborn's Island
is Monhunk, and for Wills Island, Mini
conk. IL. b.