The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1879-05-17
Lehlghton, les tears Ago..

to the northeast, with the borough of Weiss
port in the foreground lies the hill, swamp
and forest-clad franklin township and the
Towameusng (wilaerness). It is not hard
for the poetic imagination to picture in the
latter still the home of the "IIermit Of the
Blue Mountains" After the massacre of
Wyoming on the Sd of July, 1878, the refu-
gees hither called this locality the "Great
Swamp, or, Shades Of beathy'' name which
it has well sustained in the politics ofCarbon
County, in latter days; for, many hopeful
aspirant for official honors and emoluments,
has read his political death-warraut in the
election returns from ToHamensing. After
tracing the irregular line made by the loom
ing Blue Ridge against the eastern horizon
we will descend into the Mahoning valley,
for the purpose of taking a local "iook
round" ..... .........- t.., y
In the western suburbs Of Lehighton is
what should be the famous Mineral spring."
the sparkling waters Of which are said TO
possess a health-giving quality for many
were known to the Indians, who called it the
"Spring of the Healing Waters" A short
distance away is the site of the tragic Gna-
den Huetten, (Tents of Grace, or more literal
perhaps, Mercy Huts, or Mission House).
Here, in l746 was made the first effort to
plant white colony above the Bue noun
tains, s,amoug the Bear mountain tribe of the
war-like Delawares. The effort was made
by Moravian missionaries who had success
fully established a colony at Bethlehem. In
l742 Count zngendorf assended the Jehgh
with two friendly Indians, who had been
converted to christianity las Interpreters, and
near the present site OF Heilman's mill held
parley with some Of Tie Indians whose
hunting grounds were the Mahoning valley
and adjacent mountains. They smoked the
pipe Of peace with this intrepid missionery,
and from thence forward, as the colony at
Bethlehem gathered strength from the in
flpx Of immigration they pushed forward
their efforts to convertible Indians in this
direction. 1t was four years, however, be.
fore they established a mission house at Gna-
den Huetten, a providential circumsance
faToring this measure. About 40 Of the Mo
hegan Indians, who had been converted to
| Christianity through the fundamentally OF
Henry Rauch, lat shekomeko, near Connect
cut, fed from prosecution to the brethren at
Bethlehem. And these were sent forward
TO plant the Standard of Peace at 0ftaden-
Huetten. With these mutual friends at the
outpost the colony at Bethlehem began 10
extend its way up the Lehigh valley. These
efforts were rewarded with great success.
Their relations with the Indians had been
of a most amicable character,and prosperous
farms dotted the Lehigh valley and its trib-
utaries, the results Of seven years effort and
the congregation composed of Indians and
colonsts who worshpped at Gnaden Huet-
ten numbered 500 or more.
But in the meantime TIE French and
English became embrcied in war over
! fights which each claimed in the American
Colonies, and each sought an alliance with
the il,fated Gen. Braddock, on the 9th of
July, 1855, the French, flushed with victo-
~, sent emissaries to the frontiers in various
! directions, and by appealing to the proju-
dices of the Indians, and by false promises,
melted the aGoriynees TO insurrectiOn
against The border colonists, A portion of
the tribes in the Mahoning felt some jeal-
ousy at the influence which the MOravian
missionaries exercised over some of their
! people, taken in connection with some old
ieuds growing out of the sale Of their lands
10 their astute pale-iace brothers, and on the
evening of the oath Of November, a baud
of painted warriors fell upon the peace
fclJ and God-fearing little settlement at
Gnaden- Huctten, shot ana tomahawked
eleven men, women and children, and
burned every house in the little hamlet to
the ground. Those who escaped the terrors
of that night fed across the Lehigh TO New
Gnaden- IIuetten-now Weissport = where
the year before another mission house was
erected, and where the Mohegans, before re-
fcrred to, and other friendly Indians, had
been removed. Of this fearful massacre
this shedding Of innocent blood "a mound
in Gnaden Huetten cemetery upon which
rests a blue-gray marble slab placed there
in 1888, and a small white obelisk on a red
sandstone base and granite sub base, the
work of more recent date, tell in brief the
sad story. The inscription on the slab ssys:
To the memory of 6ottleib and Clristiana
Anders, with their child Johanna Martin
and Susanna Fitshman; Ann Catharine
Senseman, Leonard Gattermyer, Christian
Fabricits5 cieyF George Schweigert, John
Frederick Lesley, and Martin Presser, who
lived at Gnaden. Iiuetten unto the Lord,
aud lost their lives in surprise from Indian
warriors, November the 24th, 1855. Pre-
ciuus in the sight Of the Lord, is the death
of his saints. ."-Psai1lS eXyi. Is.
The inscription on the marble obelisk reads
To honor and perpetuate the remembrance
of the Moravian martyrs whose ashes are
gathered at its base, this monument is
erected.
With the exception of Christian Fabrieus
who was shot while attempting to esca pc
and scalped, the bodies of all the other mar
tyrs were consumed in the burning build
ings, some Of the unforunates being Cdarred
alive in the upper story of one Of the houses
whittier they had-sought- refuge from the
yelling red iiends.
From cath of Nov. to the lstof Jan, 1850,
a reign of terror peryadell this section. The
Moravians were opposed to war measures
on principle, and were therefore totally uu-
prepared to protect themselves against the
nightly assaults Of the blood.thirsty Della,