Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-03-19

and formed themselves into Il
second line; but alas this line OF
mercy was far too short for that oil
vengeance.
The fate of the Moravians was
then decided on, and they were
told TO prepare for death.
The prisoners, from the time they
were placed in the guard-house,
foresaw their fate, and began their
devotions by singing hymns, pray
ING, and exholting each other to
place a firm reliance in the mercy
of tbe Savior of men. When their
fate was announced to them, these
devoted people embraced, kissed,
and bedewing each others faces
and bosoms with their mutual
tears, asked pardon of the broth
ers and sisters for any offense they
might have given them through
life. Thus, at peace with their
God and each other, on being asked
by those who were impatient fer
the slaughter, "Whetber they
were ready to die ~ they answered
"that they had commended their
souls 10 God, and we're ready to
die
The particulars of this dreadful
catastrophe are too horrid to relate.
Suffice it to say, that in n few
minutes these two slaughter-houses,
as they were then called, exhibited
in their ghastly interior, the man-
gled, bleeding remains, of these
poor unfortunate people, Of all
ages and sexes, from the aged
! grayheaded parent, down to the
helpless infant at the mothers
breast, dishoDOred by the fatal
wounds of the tomahawk, maIlet,
war club, spear and scalping knife.
Thus, o. Brainard and Zeisber-
ger faithful missionaries, who de-
voted your whOle lives to incessant
toll and sufierings in your endeav-
ors to make the wilderness OF
paganism "rejoice and blossom as
the rose,' in faith and piety to
God thus perished your faithful
followers, by the murderous hands
OF the more than savage white
men. Faithful pastors Your
spirits are again associated with
those of your flock, "where the
wicked cease from troubling and
Z the weary are at rest ~
The humber Of the slain, as re-
ported by the men on their return
from the campaign, was eighty
nine; bat the Moravian account,
which no doubt is correct, makes
the number niuety-six. OF these,
sixty.two were grown persons, one
third Of whom we're women the
remaining ihirty.four were chill
dren. All these, with u few excep.
tions, were killed in the houses
ShabOsh was killed about mile
above the town, OF the west sidc
Of the river. His wife was killed
while endeavorlng to conceal her
self in a bunch of bushes al the
waters edge, on the arrival Of the
men at the town, on the east side
of the river. 4 man at the same
time was shot in a canoe, while
attempting to make his escape
from the east to the west side Of
the river. Two Others were shot
while attempting to escape by
swimming the river. a few men,
who were supposed to be warriors,
were tied and taken some distance
from tie slaughter houses, to be
tomahawked. One Of those had
like TO have made his escape at the
lilelOf one OF the murderers. The
rope 10y which he was led was ot
some length. The two men who
. were conducting him to death fell
into a dispute who should have
the scalp. The Indian, while
marching with a kind Of dancing
motion, and singing his deatl
song, drew knife from scabbarC
suspended round his neck, cut tht
. rope, and aimed at stabbing ont
of the men; but the jerk Of thu
rope occasiOned the men to lOol
round. The Indian then fled to
wards the woods, and while run
ming, dexterously united the ropt
= from his wrists. lie was Instant.
: pursued by several men who 6ret
I, at him, one Of whom wounded hin
= in the arm. After few shots th
. firing was forbidden, for fear tn
! men might kill each other as the,
y we're running in struggling man
y ner. A young man then mounted
r on a horse and pursued the Indian
. who when overtaken struck th'
n horse on the head with club. Th
rider sprmg from the horse, ol
J. Which the Indian seized, threw hin
d down and drew his towahawk t
n kill him.. At that instant, one 0
- The party got near enough TO shoe
O. the Indian, Which he did merely il
I time to save the life OF his com
9 panion, , .u .
n OF the whole number of the In
dians at Gnadcnhutten and Salem
% only two made tbeir escape. Thes
wore two lads Of fourteen or Gftee
!, years OF age, One of them, afte
- being knocked down and scalped
1. bntnot killed, had the presence {
mind to lie atill among the dead
I, until the dusk OF the eyeDipg,w