Indian Outrages in Berks County Began November 14, 1755

The first violent outbreak by the Indians in Berks County, after the defeat of General Braddock in July, 1775, occurred in the vicinity of DeitrickDeitrick Six’s plantation, near what is now the village of Millersburg, in Bethel Township. This tragedy occurred November 14, 1755.

Conrad Weiser, who resided in what is now Womeldsdorf, frequently accompanied bands of friendly Indians on important missions to Philadelphia, but after many cruel murders had been committed upon the settlers, the inhabitants turned against Weiser, believing him to be protecting Indians who did not deserve it.

The redskins all looked alike to the sturdy settlers, who so frequently lost their own lives, or those of their dear ones, or suffered the destruction of their homes and barns at the hands of these treacherous savages.

There is no doubt of the loyalty of Colonel Weiser and his brave sons, who were ever on the alert to help others in distress or travel to the seat of government and plead the cause of the less fortunate.

Upon his return home from a trip to Philadelphia, while the trusted Chief Scarouady and his friendly Delaware Indians were still under the shelter of Weiser’s roof, his two sons, Philip and Frederic, just home from a scouting expedition, related the story of the terrible massacre, which they had received from the lips of those who felt the cruel blow, but escaped death at the hands of the Indians.

The story they related to their father was immediately sent by him to Governor Morris. The facts are of interest.

Six of the settlers were on the road going to Deitrick Six’s plantation when a party of Indians fired upon them. The frightened white men hurried toward a watchhouse, a half mile distant, but were ambushed before reaching their haven of refuge and three of the party were killed and scalped. A man named Ury shot an Indian through the heart and his body was dragged off by the savages, but it was found by the whites the next day, when a dead Indian lost his scalp.

After this attack the Indians divided themselves in two parties. The one prowling around the watchhouse overtook some settlers fleeing toward that place, when they killed three of them, making six of the inhabitants killed by the Indians within an hour’s time.

On the following night the Indians crept up in the darkness to the home of Thomas Bower, on Swatara Creek, pushed their guns through a window and killed a cobbler, who was at work repairing a shoe. They also set fire to Bower’s house before being driven away.

798The Bower family sought refuge through the night in the home of Daniel Snyder, a neighbor, and returning to their home in the morning, they saw four skulking Indians running away, who had with them the scalps just taken from the heads of three children, two being yet alive. They also ran across the body of a woman who had just been killed, with a two-weeks old baby under her body, but unhurt.

Colonel Weiser dispatched a second letter the same day to Governor Morris in which he wrote:

“That night after my arrival from Philadelphia, Emanuel Carpenter and Simon Adam Kuhn, Esqr’s., came to my House and lodged with me. They acquainted me that a meeting was appointed of the people of Tulpenhacon and Heidelberg and adjacent places in Tulpenhacon Township at Benjamin Spicker’s early next morning. I made all the haste with the Indians I could, and gave them a letter to Thos. McKee, to furnish them with necessaries for their journey. Scarouady had no creature to ride on. I gave him one.

“Before I could get done with the Indians 3 or 4 Men came from Benja. Spickers to warn the Indians not to go that way, for the People were so enraged against all the Indians & would kill them without distinction. I went with them; so did the Gentlemen before named.

“When we came near Benjamin Spickers I saw about 400 or 500 men, and there was loud noise, I rode before, and in riding along the road and armed men on both Sides of the Road I heard some say, why must we be killed by the Indians and we not kill them? Why are our Hands so tied?

“I got the Indians to the House with much adoe, where I treated them with a small Dram, and so parted in Love and Friendship. Capt’n Diefenbach undertook to conduct them, with five other men, to the Susquehanna. After this a sort of a counsel of war was held by the officers present, the before named and other Freeholders.

“It was agreed that 150 men should be raised immediately to serve as out scouts, and as Guards at Certain Places under the Kittitany Hills for 40 days. That those so raised to have 2 Shillings a Day & 2 Pounds of Bread, 2 Pounds of Beaff and a Jill of Rum, and Powder and lead. Arms they must find themselves.

“This Scheme was signed by a good many Freeholders and read to the People. They cried out that so much for an Indian Scalp would they have, be they Friends or Enemies, from the Governor. I told them I had no such Power from the Governor nor Assembly. They began, some to Curse the Governor; some the Assembly; called me a Traitor of the Country who held with the Indians, and must have known this murder beforehand. I sat in the House by a Lowe window, some of my friends came to pull me away from it, telling me some of the people threatened to shoot me.

“I offered to go out to the People and either Pasefy them or make 799the King’s Proclamation: But those in the House with me would not let me go out. The cry was, The Land was betrayed and sold. The Common People from Lancaster (now Lebanon County) were the worst. The Wages they said was a Trifle and some Body pocketed the Rest, and they would resent it. Some Body had put it in their Head that I had it in my power to give them as much as I pleased. I was in Danger of being Shot to Death.

“In the mean Time a great smoke arose under Tulpenhacon Mountain, with the news following that the Indians had committed a murder on Mill Creek (a false alarm) and set fire to a Barn, most of the People Ran, and those that had Horses Rode off without any Order or Regulation. I then took my Horse and went Home, where I intend to stay and defend my own House as long as I can. The People of Tulpenhacon all fled; till about 6 or 7 miles from me some few remains. Another such attack will lay all the Country waste on the West side of Schuylkill.”

There is undoubted sarcasm in Colonel Weiser’s account of how the people fled upon the first faint rumor of an Indian attack, after they had made mob threats against him, yet the gravity of the situation cannot be questioned.

The principal inhabitants sent a petition to the Governor, November 24, in which they recited their distress and accurately stated the lack of order and discipline among the people. They believed a reward should be offered for Indian scalps.