Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-05-24
GNADENHUTTEN.
Massacre of the M0ravian Indians
an Hundred Years Ago.
History of the Bloody Event-Ruthless hur-
der of Men, Women and Children
A Shanty Turned Into a
Slaughter Pen.
CELEBRATION OF THE TRAGEDY,
Special Correspondence Of the Register.

/ that ia tinppd with feeling OF Sname, III
| - uo CLu;,.;o, NIorov;on
Is the muruer VI tie Cnt tnOt -, i,'-'
| Indians, on the 24th OF May, lioz; ana the
| fact that the centennial of that event is to
| ho oorobrotad ~, Thursday next renders
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Drlet VIE" "' tne 'irc'''"Si''ices
to the sad Tragedy OF interest
The name of Gnadenhutten, when trans
lated means "tents of grace" and it was at
oof,,, 80 bundrod yea-.
'hiS qu'et 'PO'' -. -
ago, ninety Indians, VINO had Deen convert
| ed, and were living quietly and peaceably
ON tbeir ovn lands met their death at the
,,. r,.o,,.
hanus ol lh'uria'eu ooiuei ihen' ,"eH
nine men, twenty.seyen women and thirty
| four children fell victims to their wrath;
o,5 - 20 racordad thot tbay died cbeerfully
I'll ,,,;,L .t,a
'Do-- ~ 80 a.
groans OF the uylhg anu the shou'S VI 'n'
| borderers.
In order that your readers may thorough
| ly comprehend the significance of the event
| it is necessary to go back to the year 1850.
1t was then that
David Zeisberser,
tho Nsorav;an missionary man of rare
-, VIZ sa;tb ard nnr;tv NC nnrsning his
pros{ Pros3 ~ smopo the InJ;an tribes He
o, GareS harJsb;ns in the wilderness. be
s.,nod ;ii trantn,a,+ ot tba bands of the
rcotio t;has 80 r., he IaJ raSnIved IN con-
Sart ond never vas heard 10 mnrmur a
comnIaint He worked wonders. Going
amopg tbe heathens lie found them
SemoToIized bv whisky sold 10 them by
white traders, wicked and unscru-
populous. He gently persuaded them to
relinquish liquor, and pointed out its evil
/ effects so forcloly that Whole tribes ylsiueu n
TO the fascination Oh MS e1oquence anu !ne
weight OF MS arguments from oelhs
frenZled brutes they became sooer ana rea-
sonable people. His lnh"ence spread rap
idly from nation 10 natioU; lhousanus IN
fact embraced Christianity; HeisoerSers
enthusiasm and plety carried ali oeiore
them. In 400 great progress hau oeeh
| made and the
The Missions Were FlourishinG.
But the same year events occurred which
greatly put back the work of conversion
The Moravian Indians were accused of being
CONCERNED in Pontiac's conspiracy He was
a broya ond fomonS Ottawo ch;eftsin who
Nrganiged a Mot among III, various Indian
tr;Sas IN mIrSer at q giy.n time the Eng.
i;sb 90 rr;sons OF oil no;nts THIS wos dis.
coyared end thonob II w. uaver nroved
fSat The Worsv;an indians took the SLIGHT.
est est mart in the consniracy thew were 6er.
| secuted as much as if thev had. The
Scotch.Irish settlers on the Pennsylvania
frontier treated them with great harShneSs
and severity. They pretended to believe
or perhaps were, in fact, so Ignorant and
bigoted as to believe-that the Indians were
the Canaanites of the New World, and that
the existing YaE,h rGM4ng TO totany eX-
tarminate the native tribes.
Tho Mor,xi.n indians
-, '..-,, ,,o.,,uou,
belnS klnu anu SenIle weIc Ne'y hatGia!
nj ana 1alr quarry Ior t.eSe ndSIiy
Whlte SGttIers. II Was IN ~ S'ia' 10; tn
Der OF MUraSlah i1ls seS11C" huS - AZ t;Ii;no
carawas NalleS' my WIZ TO- aG az S,e axant
tHe ief ff;t ftiie HV,i S ",I itdmstrr Tho settIe.
PlarE i[uSailto "a amu na Tnd;anSs aocied from
hleht nouIlsheH W. anu -. .ho ,ioasont troct in
ene eneie 1io Tnr ~ to riv ears ali went we'll
Tisa ollonrSod in r;ch folds of
waving corn. Each house had its garden
nd,orCbard and peace and prosperity pre-
vailed In isl the British melted a body
| of DeIawares commanded by Captain Pipe
AGAINST the little colony at Gnadenhutten.
| They were ioined by q party of Wyandottes,
and they broke up the settlement, carrying
| the Indians to Sandusky and their teachers
to Detroit, the seat of the British head
quarters II was in the following year
| that the slaughter took place, and this was
/
| -, - ,
Inc poor people, VINO nau oeen 80 cru srd
eliy kluhaPpeu iioi,, nnroa ,i - norn StonS.
ehhutteH, iSi' "IteS atu voS cboSen to ~.
ing 'he heIuS. ~ P"aS:, tLo,C oooord;ncI,
tuln W Iai i.eS. ~, on, y, Ia ia bnnSaSS
tOok up thelI quai .eto ,.a "a sliu Vi" - =,
whlCn haa ho! oeeii ue'tto no,:,o o,,;Io Tn
tne unle vi tleiI ds'uin so',ao ond oh
I'aiis heH nv,
ms lalI'Il! ine Ii.I'ns,nL ~ NJ
u;au irdions We're puiltIess of blood thew
accused them of aiding and abetting the
crimes and determined to make an exam
nle Of them. David Williamson seemed to
he the movinp spirit among them. He Or
gsnized a hand, and with craft in the head
on1 murder in the heart. rode into the
Tuscarawus Valley and
surrounded tbe Indians.
,,.,I, ~ I-.:...
~! Mdtn irle roota5 thair r;ct;Hs Sr D;ssambI;nS
~ ~ tr,Ca nrrnnse tbav nretandnd thai
,bew were soticitons as TO their safety and
H,;.i.J tbem we'll They finally Induced
tbem, N Give mn whatever arms they had
under the nretepce of taking care of them.
and nromised IN conduct them tn a pIace
wLsIo tLey would he free IN nursue their
arCCatinns without molesfation The puile.
loss Indians 10 the number of ninety, were
ccmnIeteIy deceived. They trusted i'm.
plicitly in theTord OF the white men, and
at their suggestion set fire to number OF
/ their houses in order to prevent them be-
coming harboring places for hostile and
lighting Indians. After they had surren
dered their arms the fell purpose OF theil
captors soon became manifest. They were
made prisoners, bound hand ana 1901
ana conhned IN several OF the houses
lhen acouncli OF war was helu ana various
me'h0uS OF
Putting Them to Death
were discussed. Their fate was soon de-
cided, but it took little further time tc
determined the tittest mode of butchery
One excited frontersman suggested that
they should be securely confined in two
large houses and burned alive. This ides
was met with shouts OF approval, but one
who bad an eye for future glory advised
that the victims should be tomahawket
and scalped. lie SAID that 1t was only right
ana lalr that they should have some tro
phles OF their campaign, and what more ap
propriate than the bleeding scalps of the
doomed .Chrlsuan Indians Though ap
piho's pnhN eS Meis acSolueu 10 lne inai
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