Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1901-11-22
Enrlx History

As matter of interest we give the
following account Of an Indian in.
cursion into Montague in the war II
the revolution which was verball y
communicated by Hou Isi1c Bi1
nell TO the compilers of IL lhsiu v
of New Jersey published in 1911.
One morning about daylight, 70
party of about 30 Indians crossed
the Della wnre In canoes nnd attack
ed dwelling occupied by q family
by the name of Jobs, where they
killed and scalped three young mon
of the family and took the remain.
der prisoners. From thence they
crossed Sinners brook to the Dwell.
ing of Captain Abraham Sinner,
about fifty rods north. The caH.
tain, who was of German extrac-
tion, and a very brave man, had
with him five or six negroes and
as he had incurred the deadly
hatred of the Indians, his capture
was the prominent object OF their
inoursion. One or two of the saw
ages had entered the house ere the
inmates were apprised of danger.
The negroes instantly rushed upon
them and forced them out. The
captain, at that time in bed, was
alarmed by his slaves. He imme1i
ately ordered the doors and win
dows OF the lower story to be barri-
caded aud stationed the negroes at
them armed with axes while he.
with the only gun in the house,
went upstairs, placed a feather bed
against the window, leaving one
pane of glass uncovered, through
which he fired at tho Iu1ians. They
returned the fire and one of their
balls entered through the same pane
and grazed the captains face. Shi-
mer shot one of them breaking his
thigh and he was borne off by his
companions. A small fort, at that
time occupied by militia, stood on
the banks of the Delaware. Tidings
had been conveyed to them of the
approach of the Indians, but think
ing it was false they paid no atten-
tion to it until, hearing the firing at
Sinners, they came to the rescue.
A skirmish ensued and the Iudians
retreated across the Delaware, aban-
doning in their haste all their pris-
oners, among whom was one of the
captains negroes.
A few days after. the same party
attacked house few miles north
belonging to Mr.. Patterson. They
captured that gentleman and his
two sons, one five and the other
seven years of age, and then return
ed to their country on the Nilgira
frontier. Mr.. Patterson, being
carelessly guarded, had several op-
portunities of escaping but as he
hoped TO save his sons he continued
with them until within Que days
journey of their villages, where he
knew q cruel death awaited him.
In the night when the Indians were
asleep, he took two horses which
they had taken from him and es-
capped. The second day, being with
out food, he killed one of them.
The other, alarmed at the scent Of
blood, broke loose and Mr.. Patter-
son, going in pursuit, not only lost
him but was unable to find the spot
where his slaughtered companion
lay. In the course of this day he
heard the Indians yelling in pur-
suit. He, however, eluded them
and travelled on by the sun for five
days without any food excepting
buds and roots and a snake and a
toad he had killed, when he arrived
at the headwaters OF the Susque-
hanna. There he crooked a pin for
a hook and attaching it with a worm
at the end of a line made of the
bark of slippery elm caught five fish
and ate them raw. This appeased
his hunger and gave him strength
to construct a rude raft, on which
he hoated down to the Wyoming
settlements and from thence return
ed home.
The sons were adopted by the In
dians, became domesticated among
them and thoroughly savage in
their habits. Elias, the youngest,
when a man returned to this part OF
the country and married, still re-
tanning many of his Indian customs
Here he resided until 1888, when he
and his wife left for the Tuscarora
reservation.