Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1882-01-11
An INCIDENT OE BORDER
WARFARE.

On the 10th of April, 1777, Colonel
George Morgan, Indian Agent for the
middle Department, stationed at Fort
Pitt, wrote to Colonel William Craw-
ford:
Last Monday messenger arrived
from the Delaware town and informed
that a party of Mingoes were out, and
it was supposed would divide them
selves into two parties, and strike
nearly at the same time between Yel-
low Greek and this place Yesterday
afternoon an express arrived from
Captain Steel, by which we learn that
the first mentioned party had divided
as supposed, and killed man just be-
low Raccoon Greek, and burned two
cabins, viz: Mutchmore's and Ar
not's the body of the latter was found.
His wife and four children are suppos-
ed to have been burned in the cabin or
carried off prisoners
The following letter gives US anoth-
er account of the affair:
FORT PITT, 22d April, 1777.
Honorable SIR Il have received
orders to join His Excellency General
Washington in the Jersey with this
battalion now under my command,
which orders / would willingly have
obeyed had not council of war, held
at this place, proceedings of which
were transmitted to Congress by ex-
press, resolved that / should remain
here till further orders. | am sorry to
find the accounts therein contained are
likely to prove too true. and from the
late depreda.ions and murders which
were committed by the Indians at diff
ferent places in the neighborhood it ap-
pears to me as general eruption was
intended On the 9Th and 7th insts.
they killed and scalped one man at
Raccoon Greek, about twenty-five
miles from this place at Mutchmore's
plantation, about forty-fve miles down
the Ohio, they killed and scalped one
man, and burned woman and her
four children at Wheeling they killed
and scalped one man, the body Of
whom was much mangled with toma-
hawks and other instruments suitable
for their barbarity at Dunkard's
Greek, one of the west branches of the
Monongahela river, they killed and
scalped one man and woman and
took three children and st each of the
above places they burned houses, kill
ed cattle, hogs. &c.
81 have taken all possible means for
the protection of this country that the
nature of my circumstances would af
ford / am in great loss for arms !;
two-thirds of my battalion have none.
Had | been at this post when the ac-
count of the above cruelties came here,
I would have transmitted them imme-
disteJy to you; being busily employed
in putting the battalion in proper stx>'
tions for the frontiers; this, together
with the state of my health. prevented
my getting here sooner than the 18th
instant and finding that no authentic
accounts had been transmitted to Con-
gress, think it my duty to inform you
of the above facts, and that | only
await further directions; as have re-
ceived no marching orders dated since
the council held at this place resolved
that | should wait till further orders.
II am, &c, VIM. CRAWFORD"
Mutchmore had been killed, and his
wife and four children supposed to
have been burned in their cabin.
Mutchmore's oldest son, Samuel, be-
ing at distance, escaped to tell the
fearful tale All supposed he was the
sole survivor And only few days
ago / discovered letter among the
Lapers of Major Isaac Craig, addressed
on the outside to Mr. Samuel Mulch
more, At or nigh Fort Pitt, at Wal
nut Bottom, Beginning at Falling
Springs, Forty-nine Miles Below Fort
Pitt" which tells something of the
fortunes of Mrs. Mutchmore and her
four children, who were supposed, for
more than twenty years, to have been
burned in their cabin. They had evil
dently been carried prisoners to Canada
by the Indians. 1t is probable that
Samuel Mutchmore had left the neigh
borhood and never received the letter.
The following is an exact copy of the
letter:
"APRIL 10Th, 1777, at Detroit.
"Dear Son.-After my kind love to
you, write to let you know / am in
the land of the living, though in very
indecent state of health at present. |
would inform you that your brothers,
Jonathan and Sedrick Mutchmore, are
dead long ago, and Rachel, your sister,
likewise is dead aud your sister, Alb
igail is married at Montreal to one
Peter Smith, blacksmith by trade. /
would inform you that if it should
please God to give me my health, |
shall go and see her this summer, and
then in the fall have laid out to come
home and see you, if it pleases God to
give me my health enough to undergo
the fatigue. / think it strange that |
never got no letters from you, never
since | have been here, for / have
written a good many. The last |
wrote you was last August. l would
have you write if any opportunity
presents, and subscribe your letters to
Samuel Eddy, which is my husband,
and enclose it, and write on the cover
to John Askin, squire. have been
of late good deal troubled with rheu-
matism pains, but / trust in the Lord,
and hope | shall get better of them.
Pray don't fail to write to me. These
opportunities will be, for the soldiers
come and go to Fort Pitt almost week
ly, and you can write and (send) your
letters to Fort Pitt to somebody to
forward them along the States. Sol
diers took possession of this place last
July, and keep going and coming
often. / shall, please God, come by
the way of Priskill, *as there is water
carriage all the way, only eleven miles,
for am not able to come by land. I