New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-20
aGOOD OLD COLONY TIMES"
THE lssIH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GNADEN
HUETTEN MASSACRE.

DAY COMMUNICATED BY THE MoRAvIANs OF
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. GOOD bLD TIMES WE'RE
TINES OF PRvATIoN AND SLAUGHTER
pesblehem. Penn. Nov. 26.-Iast Tuesday marked
an important event in the history Of the Moravians IN
this country the 130th anniversary OF the massacre OF
Cnalcnhueteli near what Is the prosperous town
Of Leighton, in Carbon County. The old MonvNah
burial ground at that place is an interesting spot
From Its elevated position an extended view Vi ,hc
beautiful Nahoning Valley can be had At the ioo'
of the hill upon which the graveyard is located Is the
site OF old Gnadenbuetten and the old Mahonlns
Church, which, on the evening Of the oath OF Novem-
bef 1885, was attacked by the indians ana bufh'' ana
eleven OF the inhabitants brutally murdered
The first settlement in Carbon County was made by
the Moravian missionaries on the hahohihg Oreeh'
near Leighton, In 1746. The Mohegan lhoiahs nav
ing been driven out of Shekomego, IN the s'ate Oh ION
neoticut and from Patchgetgoch In New-iork. iouhd
nm asyIum for a short time at Friedenshuetten near
bethlehem Not deemng 1t convenient to MAINTAIN
large Indian congregation so near TO beIhieneh' 'i'e
missionaries purchased 200 acres OF land on the norh
side of the Mahoning Creek about hall mile ABOVE ls
junction with the Lehgh River. Each indian FANNY
had its own lot of ground and began It's separate house
tcep,ng and in short time Gnadenhuetten became
very pleasant village. The church stood IN the valley
With the Indian houses around 1t on one side some
thing In the shape OF q crescent. The road 10
wyoming and other Indian towns lay through the
settlement. This the famous path over NescopecA
Mountain. known the Warriors Path. Christah
Rauch and Martin Mack were tho hrst MIS-
s,onaries who resided here, and on August
IA. 174e The settlement had the sntisfac-
ton to partake OF the first fruits Of the land at
n love feast Other missionaries followed Ranch ana
Mack. the brethren at Bethlehem. under whose
auspices Gnadenhueten being OF the opinion ta'
frequent changes of the ministers of tile conversation
might be useful In preventing too strong on attachment
to and dependence upon men and fixing the nope Oh
the Indians more upon God alone. several parts Oh
the Scriptures had been translated into the Mohegan
language and religion tIrved. Communion was ao-
mipistered every month. The INDIANS eaiicd Ooi-
munion Day the I" great day.
In September 1740, Bishop Johannes Won waite
Vile went to Gnadenhuetten and laid the oundaoh OF
n new church. that built in TAG being too small ana
the missionaries being obliged to preach out OF doors
The Indian congregation alone consisted OF 500 persons
About this time the famous Rev. David Branerd WIN
several Of his Indian converts visited Gnadenhuetten'
The congregation continued in pleasing and regular
state piosperng from year to year, until l'o4' "h'h
the Delawares and the shawnees on the susquehanna
hegon 10 wayer in their allegiance to the English and
were preparing TO take up the hstchet on the slde OF
the French II became object Of Importance 10 he
TO withdraw their Indian brethren IN the missionary
settlement beyond the reach OF the whites, In oroe'
that the hostile savages might more freely dcsceno upon
the white settlements. The Christian Indians Tor
At length however a part were seduccd by the IN
euence of roedyuscung (nis baptismal name was
Gideon). The Mohecans who remained were Joined by
the Christian Deawares from Menislagemcka
The land on the Mahoning being impoverished ana
other circumstances requiring change, the inhabitants
M Gnadenhuetten removed TO The north SIDE OF the
Iehigh The dwellings were removed and new chapel
was built In 1854. The place was called New-Gnaden-
huetten and stood where is the town OF Welsspor
The houses were placed that the Mohcgans ilVeo
on one side and the Delawares on the other siue Vi
the street. The Moravians at Betmehem' VINO
still continued their oversight Of the Indians, TOOK
the culture Of the old land the Mahonlng upon them
calves made q plantation Of it for the use of the
Indian congregation and converted the old chapel into
a dwelling, both for the use OF those brethren anu
sisters who had the of the plantation. ana lor
missionaries passing on their visits TO the prcihreh.
The Indians in the French interest were much incensed
that any of the Moravian Indians chose to remain at
Gnadenhueten and determined to cut off the settlement
After Braddocks defeat in 1855 the whole frontier was
open To the inroads OF the savage foe Every DAY
disclosed new scenes of barbarty committed py Ihe
Indians The whole country was IN terror lie
peighbors Of the Moravan brethren at Gnadenhuetteh
forsook their dwellings and fed but the brethren made
covenant together to remain undauned IN the pace
allotted to them by Providence. However, no canton
was omitted and because the white people considered
every Indian all enemy. the Indian brethren were ad-
vised as much possible 10 keep ont OF their way 10
buy no powder nor shot, but TO strive 70 lhaih-
tain themselves WITHOUT hunting. They Willingly
compiled but In spite Of this caution uiere
was evidence that assault would be MADE
on the mission. Word of the impending danger had
been sent to Bethlehem, and the morning OF tho
fateful November "a Colonel Anderson and his com
pany left Bethlehem for Gnadenhuetten. number OF
people from other parts Of the country joining Ilen'
many of whom were supplied with powder and ball.
But the relief they sought to give came too late for
lata in he
mission house at Mahoning attacked by the French
Indians burned and eleven OF the inhabitants putch
cred. While Colonel Anderson was marching TOWARD
Gnadenhuetten he met, on November 70, by eight
Of the white people and between thirty and forty OF the
Indians men, and children who had made their
escape from the murderous French Indians.
On the evening OF November 20 several moro OF tho
refugees met the soldiers and related account Of
the shocking massacre An hour before sunset OF IN:
day Of the butchery George Cusard, with two other OF
the neighbors came to the sonhouse and informed
them that In the evening they might expect number
of armed men to be with them ali night About
O'Clock while they at the supper table, fourteen
in number they heard the dog bark fpriousJ and esIS
be with them that night. Joseph sturEes and three
aoo ss Up guns 70 ws sSseins Gcas o
them, which killed one Of them instantly one OF d inc
The Indians had suddenly bounced down upon them:
and after the first voloy they fired ton more and then
them on the spot The rest into adjoining room,
from whence George Psrtoh escaped through window
been attracted by the shooting took him along with
him In bis fight sturges, with three men and three
women and child got upstairs at the head OF which
was trap door, which they shat down and secured in
the best manner they could. The Indians after at
tempting TO force 1t open and falling, fired In upon
them through the ceiling and roof Of the house but
without effect. Finding themselves botned TO some
extent they fire to the house Surges watched his
opportunity while the Indians scalpng those
below jumped out of the gable end window, and
Partch's wifi fOhowing him, They beth made their
escape Partch's wife, being newly come TO the
place and not Knowing the woods, hid herself behind
q he q FaDrcluS.
jumping ont Of the window through which she es-
capped, shot and scalped and otherwise inhnmanly
ahised Tile rest psrished in the flames. She like
vice saw the Indians set fire 10 the barns and stables
with forty head OF cattle five horses and three colts
nlIf hOuRcs. she the fiends