Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-09-04
pAXTANG AND ITS STORY.
ssOrs ARoUr a FAMOUS ON
uuURCH ANN D0RapEYARD.
The tnsurrsci,on Of tn. rsxtnng boys In 1903.
The Truth oi History Some OF tho Nots-
bile Men whose Homes lie Mouider-
Ing In the Gravcy ard Ths Charm
ing Country Roundabout.

Special Correspondence OF the IsrriLioENoKn.
liAnnisRuwo, sept 0, 1856
When | was q boy going to school In the
old stono building In the alley In tho rear OF
the First Presbyterian church In Lancaster,
I read with avidity tho " History OF bsncss-
tor County," written by l. Daniel Rupp,
whom I rccoloct we'll. was particularly
Interested In the account of tha Paxtang
boys COR "Paxton Rtpgors," ~ they were
called, and of tho massacre OF tho Indians ~
tho old stone jsii, at West King and Prince
streets on the site oi which your beautiful
Fulton opera house now stands. To certain
extent MI. Rupp partook OF the pro-
judlce which had existed for many
years against tho PaStang boys, and
their conduct was spoken OF ~ barbarous
and cruel In the extreme. This prejudice
would probably have remained to the pres
snt day had IL not been for the untirng, un-
selfish and disiuterested researches OF DIR.
William II. E9le, of Harrisburg. whose Abil-
ity ~ n gen nealngical writer and fame m q his
torian are recognized with pride by all Penn
sylyaniaps The Scotch Irish and Presbyte-
rian elements especially OF this state owe
debt of gratitude to Dr. Egle, a Protestant
Episcopalisn IN religious faith and SWISS
German by descent, which cannot easily 10
cancelled.
Paxtang WAS then tho frontier township oil
Lancaster county, and what ~ now Dsuphin
county was included within Its extensive
bouuds owing To its exposed location 1t
WAS the scene of many predatory incnrsions
by hostile Indians, especially the Conestogas,
although tho latter always professed great
friendship for tho whites The Inhabitants
were principally, II not altogether, Scotch
Irish Presbytorians, aud a hardy, heroic, In
tellgent people they were. frontiorsmen
then, ~ well ~ now, were the subjects Tor
butt and ridicuio aud soothing aud jeering.
Their more fortunate cnuntrymon, who lived
in better houses and perhaps under q more
uivanced state of civilization, imagined
emselves something far superior, some
thing out OF the ordinary run of human be.
logs, and forgetting that their fellow-citizens
on the outpo-ts OF CIVILIZATION were OF the
Same ilesh and blood, with tho same natures,
the same generous Impulses, and samo pa
triotic purposes, looked upon them a. Doors,
low, ill-hrod fellows, In iart, little better than
tho bruto creation. IL this putting u Too
harsbly II ~, blame history, for To gain-
say the truth OF these assertions i To hy in
the isce OF all tradition.
rHE INDIAN MASSACRE.
For some time prior to the massacre Of the
Conestoga Indians, which took place on the
27th Of December, lTGi, trouble had been
brewing. Rupp, in hrs history, says "The
Paxton boys and their neighbors, having
asked In vain for protection from the govern
ment, were bent upon making an assault that
would inluso terror into all called Indian, II
not put "A stop to Rill and George Soc going
abroad aud their dances at CousstogA"
On the lIth ot December, 1853, at day break,
number OF armed men, principally from
Donegal and raStang townships, attacked the
Indian village, which WAS located In Manor
township, aud massscred several women and
children and an old man, the latter, the chief,
Shahoaz. After tho massacre the huts, or
wigwams were fred and burned down. The
surviving Indians, fourteen in number were
collected together 10y tho magistrates, saken
To Lancaster and kept In tho rk'house for
saie protection.
In this place, on tho nth oi December fol-
lowing, they met their fate at the hands of
the Paxtsng boys. John Penn, who was
then governor of the province OF Pennsylva-
mia, had issued his proclamation, forbidding
" all persons whatsoever to modest or In jure
any of The said Indians, a. they Will answer
the contrary at their peril" This proclama-
tion was made on ths I'D of December. Not
withstandIng Pann's interposition, the people
especially those on the far western boroer OF
Lancaster county, were to0 much exasperated
to have their iury allayed by proclamation
from a supinc governor. Gordon, the histo-
rlan, says - They assembled in great mum
bers forced the prison and butGhered all the
miserable wTetches they found within the
walls. Unarmed and unprotected, the In
dians prostrated themselves with their chill
dren before their murderers, protesting their
Innocence aud their love To the English,
and in this posture they all received the
hatcheL"
The remains Of the poor murdered Ind lans
were buried In tho deep cut just below
the Pennsylvania railroad depot in your
city, and remained undisturbed there until
1873, when the excavation was made for the
roadbed and tracks OF the old Columbia 4
Philadelphia railroad.
THE TRUTH OF HISTORY.
At the bottom of all these horrible butcher