The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1877-06-01

which our forefatherS graduated fpr the
war N freedom. The region in which it
occurred furnished double it's quota Of
Continental troops. 1t was III Cumbpi land
county, now Fianklin,) Pa, some eight
miles south of Cham brrsbuty. in the sum
iner oi .Gi. The CunbeI land Valley r.
TX passes near the place.
On the mt,Inug of The 26tl: of july,
Euoch Brown, the Schoolulaster of he set
element, proceeded usual to the little
I"G school house, swept the rough floor
; with the spliut broom, set copies ia such
coPy-books needed them. brought "A
bucket of water finm the spring. and hav-
! ing put things generally III readiness E +
tue school, sat himself down in he mapis
terIal chair III await the Coming of the
children. One after another the lads and
la>SIcs came dropping in, clad III EoneSpun,
splint dinner basket in hand, and made
profound obeisance io Mr. Brown as they
crossed the Threshold. 1t WAS III the days
when the modern summer vacation was
yet uuknoAn: hut the hot weather aud
S,ason,d duties bad Considerably lesScneG
tie uuubri of scholars. Ouly eleven were
i'll attendance ihaI m"Inirg.
Aud WHIT, but for the incident | am
! about {" rebate, would never have been no
tIcrd, every one of the eleven WAS from a
d'ffeIeut family; So HAT eleven families
! w"Ie represented. Another assertion. not
~ capable of being proved, Was that The
chIldI en- dishked 10 go to schoul that day.
| fJrecasting some eyIi about To- occur
| Ebvn laN lnr MAS there an awkward lad
at fifteen, to whom Mr.. Browns learning
aud bu"ks were a kee" delight, aud of
whom the settlers prcdjc ed scholarly
| thugs. There was George Dun>,Eu. ii Ia u
| supple lad, fond of playing soldier aud
i'ic, uring " hat great deeds he would do in
! H.. army when a man. iherc were RutIi
{ lI.,lA nd, Ia al e
th"ir nio:heIS, aud whom the scholar ;
called lialy aud liauy, 20 Distinguish
.hcm. There was ~ AichIhald McCulluueh.
The youngest and lovrlirsj chIld of The
>chnnl Aud half a dozen ninie. as inuo-
cent and merry little crew, a> bright eyrG,
u'>y checked d1rIn1S gathered
| from their homes III any rchool-huu>P.
Their names wpie carved With many oIh-
els ho c,me only Iu winter. in the bar X
# adjacent Ices The grounds around
weIe beaten hand ny thclr busy frer "u
he door pos:S we've marks aud names made
with lead Instead of piumtago, show ing
how tall weIe the chiidiru of ihe settle
meat. 1t was a gentle >ciIuo, NOS. Ike t.",
many ha' day. 81 aini, Ev i,e
rod. Mr.. Brown wasa Christian gentleman
in the best sense, aud 50 beloved that the
N"uIh ait dcli-tJcd IA onourruce.
As some of them came III ilia' morning.
! they seemed alarmed aud told the mas, eI
they had seen Indians on their WAY to
>ch""l. But Mr.. Blown was not iimid or
nervous, and after making II few inqui les.
'iccIsl.d :hat ci ildi,h fears had unduIy
mnuuilied harmless ohj jrc's along ,le path.
| such rumors were fcqu"itt "n lie frontier.
Indians being repmird when none were
near. Fear and fancy ave tluiIful factors
of false alarms everywhere.
| But after the usual prayer, hardly had
'he little school enir'cd upon the studies ot
h, incoming enc n shadow fell across the
threshold. Two wnltish- hooking old Indiaus
stood at the door, aud behind them Il
yntIugcr one just grown 10 uanho"d. I'm
media,ely. Mr., Brown stepped t" he door,
aud iu Implnriug tones said 'oh, fT
| inrtc cv = sake, spare these children : Kill
me. tor'ure me. ii You ~Ill. hut sl'a.e thP
children - To ,lI,S one uf the old fudinu~
grunted Ugh r. and Turning t",hr young
savage. said i'll the Indian to- que, 'JUh.1-
eSdh Quene-anS"g'' (meaning ''ii,e child, cu
shall he klllrd'). Instantly the Nouues me
| sprnng through The door aud titrcck at
lacked the master with Il wooden maui. lie
! nnIy defeGce Icing made with hls hands.
| In - moment til" poor nIaSie : hau6s were
In oken aud helpless aud few tieI ce bluw>
nu the head stretched hIn dA iHs "n the
| il,ur. In the meantime The children we've
dtead:ully frightened nd ran screaming
| ,!p,ui the riom. but the ola Indians stood
| ~ the door preventing escape. AZ snnn a.
! Mr. Brown was slain, the furious savage
| ,ushrd amoLy the inuucrn's Some oi
hem resisted vaiily foi IA n"neni, some
, frli sliirkIug to he floor. some dropped on
heir liIle knees aud with ciasped hand,
mayrd for their lives. But the lndai
neait knows no pity. On" by one they
we're stuck down until only Archie Nc
| ,,uliolnh remained. He bad ctdnlc lie
, nind some wilued brughs Of trees. %hIch Il
| few davs before had been placed in Ii,
| .reat open tie place, from which hall con
cralmrut lac sn~ the Whole irIIible slaugh
| en- When tie master and ten al lie chil
drcn thus lay dead or dying. iae m"nstei
went around from one To another, tearing
Ill their scalpS.
Who could portray poor little Archie ;
ceilings as he The gray baIIs al hH
| t-acIlrr the rim Q leis of the Two Ruths and
| ne locks of all the rest heaI IL ssiy ton
,way: When eighty-nine years old, he oe
| clared lha. the Whole scene of siirIckS, en-
eaties, blows and blood, was more DIS
ruct and vivid III his memory than any
hing else i'll all his past.
The InGiaIiS were about leaving tht
ch.,l-ir,use without discovering Al chie
,hen soueih hing attracted THEN atieuiIoi
=, him. Perhaps the bushes behind whicl
re was screened SAVED his lie. Al az,
a:e when the savage rushed al hIm ant
iealt him a feaifu blow, 1t only siunnrt
| ,nd felled him to the tiooi. lhdt was i,i'
| ,sst lie knew.
Some hours after. when, he arm ~pIea'
| ,ud .he people came I" the scho"l-h"uNe
b.v found little Archie alive. ahhougl
caIued He was meaning aud ciawiin:
,lndI, about among his dead mates, rur
mo his fingers over their faces as " u
distinguish one from another. Poor lad
| ne inst he knew consciously was man
rrks after, when nature and nursing ha
| e mmenc, d his restoration. Bui thIougl
a i,.ng iif, lie never forgot. His m'nd Wa
ever quite right again Hardly hiS"
yer passed that his dreams were u"
napcd ia part 10y this event, and his oi
sc revived bnih his memory aud his ii"i
,,r of he scene.
. Three days after the massacre the whoi
u .,uutrv Ibered to the funeral obsequis.s