The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1881-02-18

The next year, also, was marked by a coun-
Gil of great significance at Conestoga. In the
spring of this year an Indian called Saan-
teenee had been killed by two white men,
brothers, named Cartledge. At this time it
was not only polite, but necessary, for the
English to keep on as good terms with as
many Indians as possible. Therefore, the
old record says policy and justice required
a rigid inquiry into this affair and the in
Fiction of exemplary punishment"
Accordingly, the Cartledges were arrested
and confined in Philadelphia, and the high
sheriff of Chester county went, with two in
fiuential men OF the province, to Conestoga,
to confer with the Indians as to what should
be done with them. The Indians were un-
willing to decide the matter without advice
from the Five Nations, TO whom they owed
allegiance.
swift runner (Satcheecho) was there
fore sent northward with the news of the Oc-
curence and the governor, with two of his
couEci, went to Albany to hear what the
/ Frve Nations had to say about it. What an
inconceivabe spectacle to us to-day The
governments of Pennsylvania and New York
so fully recognizing an Indian to be a "per-
son" and his murder thing to be anxiousy
/ and swiftly atoned for, if possible
/ Only little more than one hundred and
/ fifty years lie between this murder of Saan-
teenee in ConestOga and the murder Of Big
Snake at Fort Reno, Indian Territory, in 1880.
! Verify, policy has kept large assortment Of
! spectacIes for Justice to look through in
surprising short space of time.
On the decision of the king and chiefs of
the Five Nations hung the fate of the mur-
derers. Doubtless, the brothers Cartledge
made up their minds to die. The known
principles of the Indians in the matter of
avenging injuries certainly left them little
room for hope But, DO! The Five Nations
took different view. They desired that the
+ Cartridges should not suffer death and the
affair was amicably settled, says the old re-
cord
''One life,'' said the king, ION this occa-
sion, is enough to he lost There should not
two die
This was in 1922. In 1868 there were only
twenty of these Conestoga Indians left
seven men, FIVE women and eight children.
They were still living on the Shawnee Creek,
their lands being assured to them by manor
ial gift but they were misprably poor earn
ed by making brooms, baskets, and wooden
bowls, part of their living and begged the
rest. They were wholly peaceable and nm
offending, friendly to their white neighbors
and Ditifully clinging and affectionate, nam
ing their children after whites who were kind
to them, and striving in every way to show
their gratitude and good will.
Upon this little community band Of white
men, said by some of the old records to be
"PresbyterIans," " from Paxton, made an at
tack at daybreak on the 14th of December.
They found only six of the Indians at home
three men two women and a boy The
rest were away either at work for the white
farmers or selling their little wares.
"The poor, defenseless creatures were I'M
mediateiy fired upon, stabbed and hatcheted
to death. The good Shebaes, among the
rest, cut to pieces in his bed. All of them
were scalped and otherwise horribly man
gled Then their huts were set on fire and
most of them burnt to the ground"
'fShebaes was a very old man, having as
sisted at the second treaty held with Mr.
Penn. in 1T0l, and ever since continued a
faithful friend to the English. He is said to
have been an exceeding good man, consider
ing his education being naturally of a most
kind, benevolent temper"
From manuscript journal kept a. the
time, and belonging to the great grand
daughter of Robert Barber tie first settler
in Lancaster county, are gathered the few
details known of this massacre. Some of the
murderers went directly from the scene of
this crime to Mr.. Barber's house. They
were strangers to him but with the hospi-
tality of those days, he made fire for them
and sat refreshments before them.
''While they warmed themselves they in
quired why the Indians were suffered to live
peaceaby here. Mr.. Barber said they were
entirely inoffensive, living on their own
lands and iniuring no one. They asked
hat la no hpN-
all destroyed Mr.. Barber said he thought
they would be as liable to punishment as II
, they had destroyed so many white men,
They said they were of a different opinion,
/; and in few minutes went out In the
, meantime two sons of Mr.. BARRIERS, ABOUT
, ten or twelve years old, went out 10 look al
the strangers horses which were hitched al
little distance from the house.
, After the men went, the boys came in
and said that they had tOmahawkS tied II
: their saddles, which were all bloody, and
that they had Christy's gun. Christy was {
little Indian boy about their own age. They
, were much attached to him, as he was theil
, playmate and made bows and arrows fol
! them
4 While the family were talking over this
and what it could mean, messenger cam'
. running breathleSs to inform them of wha
t had happened.
Mr Barber went at once to the spot, an'
there he found the murdered Indians lynn
. in the snouldering ruins of their homes
: like half consumed logs" lie with som
7 trouble, procured their bodies, to administe
to them the rights of sepulcbre.'
1T was said that at the beginning of TN
e slaughter an Indian mother placed her littl
n child under barrel, charging it to make n
q noise and that shot was fired through tn
barrel, which broke the chiid's arm,sand sti
it kept silent"
J. The magistrates of Lancaster, shocked, a
J. well they might be, at this fTightful barbar
ty, sent messengers out Immediately, an
u took the remaining Indians, wherever the
&c were found, brought them into the town f,
e protection and lodged them in the new
D erected workhouse or jail, which was ii
III strongest building in the place. The COVE
d or of Pennsylvania issued proclamation, o
D. derlng al judges, SheTiffs, etc, and "all h
l. majesty's liege subjects in the province"
Of make every effort to apprehend the author
ie and perpetrators OF this crime, also the
II abettors and accompices. But the "Paxto
III Boys held magistrate and governor alike
le derision. Two weeks later they assembl,
again, fifty strong, rode to Lancaster, dl
" mounted, broke open the doors of the js
I and killed every Indian there.
T. when the poor wretches saw they had
lg protection nigh, nor could possibly escap
rn and being without the least weapon of d
r. fense, they divided their little families, Il
It. children clingiug to their parents Th,
ye fell on their faces, protested their innocenc
4. Hl,..ss- L.. 4.