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History - Pioneers - Massa Harbison
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The
Kidnapping |
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But these monsters were not willing to let the child remain
behind them; they took him by the hand to drag him
along with them, but he was so very unwilling to go, and
made such a noise by crying, that they took him by his feet,
and dashed his brains out against the threshold of the door.
They then scalped and stabbed him, and left him for dead.
When I witnessed this inhuman butchery of my own child,
I gave a most indescribable and terrific scream, and felt a
dimness come over my eyes, next to blindness, and my senses
were nearly gone. The savages then gave me a blow across
my head and face, and brought me to my sight and recollection
again. During the whole of this agonizing scene, I kept
my infant in my arms.
As soon as their murder was effected, they marched me
along to the top of the bank, about forty or sixty rods, and
there they stopped and divided the plunder which they had
taken from our house, and here I counted their number, and
found them to be 32; two of whom were white men painted
as Indians.
Several of the Indians could speak English well. I knew
several of them well, having seen them go up and down the
Allegheny river. I knew two of them to be from the Seneca
tribe of Indians, and two of them Munsees; for they had
called at the shop to get their guns repaired, and I saw them
there.
We went from this place about forty rods, and they then
caught my uncle John Currie's horses, and two of them into
whose custody I was put, started with me on the horses towards
the mouth of the Kiskiminetas, and the rest of them
went off towards Puckety. When they came to the bank that
descended towards the Allegheny, the bank was so very
steep, and there appeared so much danger in descending it on
horseback, that I threw myself off the horse in opposition
to the will and command of the savages.
My horse descended without falling, but the one on which
the Indian rode who had my little boy, in descending, fell,
and rolled over repeatedly; and my little boy fell back over
the horse, but was not materially injured; he was taken up
by one of the Indians, and we got to the bank of the river,
where they had secreted some bark canoes under the rocks,
opposite the island that lies between the Kiskiminetas and
Buffaloe. They attempted in vain, to make the horses take
the river. After trying for some time to effect this, they left
the horses behind them and took us in one of the canoes to
the point of the island and there they left the canoe.
Here I beheld another hard scene, for as soon as we
landed, my little boy who was still mourning and lamenting
about his little brother, and who complained that he was injured
by the fall, in descending the bank, was murdered.
One of the Indians ordered me along, probably, that I
should not see the horrid deed about to be perpetrated. The
other, then, took his tomahawk from his side, and with this
instrument of death killed and scalped him. When I beheld
this second scene of inhuman butchery, I fell to the ground
senseless, with my infant in my arms, it being under and its
little hands in the hair of my head. How long I remained in
this state of insensibility, I know not.
The first thing I remember was my raising my head from
the ground, and my feeling myself exceedingly overcome
with sleep. I cast my eyes around and saw the scalp of my
dear little boy, fresh bleeding from his head, in the hand of
one of the savages, and sunk down to the earth again, upon
my infant child. The first thing I remember after witnessing
this spectacle of wo, was the severe blows I was receiving
from the hands of the savages, though at that time I was
unconscious of the injury I was sustaining. After a severe
castigation, they assisted me in getting up, and supported
me when up. The scalp of my little boy was hid from my
view, and in order to bring me to my senses again, they took
me back to the river, and led me in knee-deep; this had its
intended effect. But, 'the tender mercies of the wicked are
cruel.'
We now proceeded on our journey by crossing the island,
and coming to a shallow place where we could wade out, and
so arrive at the Indian side of the country. Here they pushed
me in the river before them, and had to conduct me through
it. The water was up to my breast, but I suspended my child
above the water, and with the assistance of the savages, got
safely out.
In silence we rapidly proceeded forward, and came to Big
Buffaloe: here the stream was very rapid and the Indians
had again to assist me. When we had crossed this
creek, we made a straight course to the Conequenessing
creek, the very place where Butler now stands; having first
traveled five or six miles to Little Buffaloe, and crossed it
at the very place where Mr. B. Sarver's mill now stands, and
ascended the hill.
I now felt weary of my life, and had a full determination
to make the savages kill me, thinking that death would be
exceedingly welcome, when compared with the fatigue, cruelties
and miseries I had the prospect of enduring. To have my
purpose effected, I stood still, one of the savages being before
me, and the other walking on behind me, and I took from
off my shoulder a large powder horn they made me carry,
in addition to my child, who was one year and four days old.
I threw the horn on the ground, closed my eyes, and expected
every moment to feel the deadly tomahawk. But to
my surprise, the Indian took it up, cursed me bitterly, and
put it on my shoulder again. I took it off the second time,
and threw it on the ground; and again closed my eyes, with
the assurance, I should meet death; but instead of this, the
savages again took up the horn, and with an indignant frightful
countenance, came and placed it on again. I took it off
the third time, and was determined to effect it, and therefore
threw it, as far as I was able from me, over the rocks.
The savage immediately went after it, while the other who
had claimed me as his squaw, and who stood and witnessed
the transaction, came up to me, and said well done, I did
right and was a good squaw, and the other was a lazy son of
a b----h; he might carry it himself . . . .
The savages now changed their position, and the one who
claimed me as his squaw, went behind. This movement, I
believe, was to prevent the other from doing me any injury;
and we went on till we struck the Conequenessing at the
Salt-Lick, about two miles above Butler, where was an Indian
camp, where we arrived a little before dark, having no
refreshment during the day. The camp was made of stakes
driven into the ground sloping, and covered with chestnut
bark; and appeared sufficiently long for fifty men. The camp
appeared to have been occupied for some time; it was very
much beaten and large beaten paths went out from it in
different directions.
That night they took me about three hundred yards from
the camp, up a run, into a large dark bottom, where they
cut the brush in a thicket, and placed a blanket on the
ground, and permitted me to sit down with my child. They
then pinioned my arms back, and left my hands, only, with
a little liberty, so that it was with difficulty that I managed
my child. Here in this dreary situation, without fire or
refreshment, having an infant to take care of, and my arms
bound behind me, and having a savage on each side of me,
who had killed two of my dear children that day, I had to
pass the first night of my captivity....
But the trials and tribulations of the day I had passed,
had so completely exhausted nature, that notwithstanding my
unpleasant situation, and my determination to escape if possible,
I insensibly fell asleep, and repeatedly dreamed of my
escape, and safe arrival in Pittsburgh, and several things relating
to the town, of which I knew nothing at the time; but
found to be true when I arrived there. The first night passed
away and I found no means of escape, for the savages kept
watch the whole of the night, without any sleep,
In the morning one of them left us, to watch the trail or
path, we had come, to see if any white people were pursuing
us. During the absence of the Indian, who was the one that
claimed me, the savage who remained with me, and who was
the murderer of my last boy, took from his bosom his scalp,
and prepared a hoop, and stretched the scalp on it. Those
mothers who have not seen the like done by one of the
scalps of their own children, (and few, if any, ever had so
much misery to endure,) will be able to form but faint ideas
of the feelings which then harrowed up my soul!! I meditated
revenge! While he was in the very act, I attempted to
take his tomahawk, which hung by his side and rested on the
ground, and had nearly succeeded, and was, as I thought
about to give the fatal blow; when alas! I was detected.
The savage felt me at his tomahawk handle, turned
around upon me, cursed me, and told me I was a yankee;
thus intimating he understood my intention, and to prevent
me from doing so again, faced me. My excuse to him for
handling his tomahawk was, that my child wanted to play
with the handle of it. Here again I wondered at my merciful
preservation, for the looks of the Indian were terrific in the
extreme; and these, I apprehend, were only an index to his
heart. But God was my preserver!
The savage who went upon the look-out in the morning,
came back about 12 o'clock, and had discovered no pursuers.
Then the one who had been guarding me, went out on the
same errand. The savage who was now my guard, began to
examine me about the white people; the strength of the
armies going against them, &c. and boasted large of their
achievements in the preceding fall, at the defeat of General
St. Clair.
He then examined into the plunder which he had brought
from our house the day before. He found my pocket-book
and money in his plunder. There were ten dollars in silver,
and a half a guinea in gold in the book. During this day they
gave me a piece of dry venison, about the bulk of an egg,
and a piece about the same size, the day we were marching,
for my support and that of my child; but owing to the blows
I had received from them on my jaws, I was unable to eat a
bit of it. I broke it up and gave it to the child.
The savage on the look-out returned about dark. This
evening, (Monday the 23d) they moved me to another station
in the same valley, and secured me as they did the preceding
night. Thus I found myself the second night between two
Indians, without fire or refreshment. During this night I was
frequently asleep, notwithstanding my unpleasant situation,
and as often dreamed of my arrival in Pittsburgh.
Early on the morning of the 24th a flock of mocking birds
and robins hovered over us, as we lay in our uncomfortable
bed; and sung, and said, at least to my imagination, that I
was to get up and go off. As soon as day broke, one of the
Indians went off again to watch the trail, as on the preceding
day, and he who was left to take care of me, appeared to be
sleeping. When I perceived this, I lay still and began to
snore, as though asleep; and he fell asleep.
The Escape
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