The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1872-05-24
Correspondence Cleveland Heral
GNADENHUTTEN.
APainful Incident in Ohio History


New PHILADELPHIA, o., March Z.
Twelve miles south of New Phila-
delphia, we find the picturesque lit
tie village of Gnadenhutten, on the
east bank of the Tuscarawas river,
place of nearly five hundred in
habitaDts, seeming in its beauty
and seclusion to be haven of rest
from the worlds cares; but ninety
years ago the eighth day of this
month, it was the scene of the most
horrible massacre on record, the
principal details of which we give
below. At the time of this dreadful
transaction and for several years
previous, the Indians composing or
forming the Gnadenhutten Mora
vian Mission were subject to suspi-
ciOn (undeservedly, however, from
both Americans and English, and
at one time they we're persuaded un-
der the mask of friendship to leave
their settlement, but after enduring
untold hardships and many prosecu-
tions, they were exhonerated from
blame, and with thankful hearts,
praising God, for they were chris
tians, they formed themselves into
several divisions, numbering about
one hundred and fifty men, women
and children, and Tetdrned to their
forsaken fields, the greater portion
fall victims to the treachery of the
pale faces. The actors of this no.
torious murder consisted of about
one hundred men, commanded by
Colonel David Williamson, whose
purpose was to destroy all the No.
ravian Indians, supposing them to
have been accessory to the killing Of
some white families on the Ohio
river, whose clothing had been trad
ed to them by their wild brethren
that had actually committed the
bloody deed. Innocent of any
wrong doing, those civilized red
men were busy at their usual avoca-
tions, when they we're captured by
WilHamson's military band, and the
question as to whether hey should
be taken to Pittsburg as prisoners,
or put to death, was presented by the
commander to his company to be
decided by vote Eighty against
eighteen or twenty determined the
fate Of the Indians. One night
more of life was granted them. At
the first intimation of this news they
were almost distFated, but placing
implicit confidence in the Great
Being they so devOutly served, they
offered to Him their prayers for
strength to meet all that was to
come. Tender good-byes were in
terchanged, loving words.of encour-
agement spoken, infants clasped
closer to their mothers breast, and
then, with the coming of morning,
gray haired men, brave women anu
little children were doomed to be
sacrificed. Two houses were cho-
sen, and two at a time they were led
thither, the men to one and the wo-
men and children to the other, and
as they entered they were knocked
down and butchered. A Pennsyl-
vanian killed fourteen Indian men
with a cooper's mallet, and then
handed it to another, saying, go
on in the same way; l think 1 have
have done pretty wei" One poor
woman vino had learned to speak
English, on her knees begged the
captain to spare their lives, bat her
appeal for mercy was fruitless.
Even the bodies after they were
dead we're disigured by their inhu-
man captors. In this manner sew
enty-two were killed, but others
were shot, tomahawked and killed in
various ways, until the number
reached ninety-six. One, after be-
ing scalped and mangled, attempt
ed to rise, but was soon dispatched
by the murderers. The same night
of the massacre, the two slaughter
houses, with all the other buildings
of the Gnadenhutten settlement
were burned, and, the dead bodies
being but partially consumed, the
bones Of some remained upon the
ground for twenty years, when they
were buried by friendly persons
The perpetrators of this fienoish aci
departed by the light Of the burning
village, whose very ground stands as
evidence against them to-day, fol
visitors at Gnadenhutten never fan
to visit the ground whereon stood
the Indian store-houses and secure
come of the charred corn, the grainl