The Conestoga Indians were also known as the Susquehannock Indians. The Paxton Boys were a group of frontier ruffians of Scotch-Irish descent who lived in the Central Susquehanna Valley in Pennsylvania. They formed a vigilante group to retaliate against the local Indians for what they believed to be assistance and intelligence given by those Indians in the French and Indian War. It is widely accepted that the Paxton Boys were responsible for the massacre of the remaining members of the Conestoga – men, women and children, the last of whom were given protection by the authorities at Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The collective events, including those which led to the final murders at Lancaster became known as the Conestoga Massacre(s)
There was no evidence that the Conestoga had provided any assistance to the French and there certainly were no documented attacks on the settlers in the Susquehanna Valley. In fact, according to most accounts, the Conestoga or Susquehannock had lived peacefully among their neighbors of European descent, many had converted to Christianity, and they were protected and supported by the colonial government of Pennsylvania.
Late in 1763, members of the Conestoga were unable to return to their camp because of a snowstorm, and they stayed with white settlers who lived in the area. While away from their camp, and unable to protect those at the camp, the Paxton Boys raided the camp and scalped and mutilated the bodies of the Indians who had remained there and burned all the dwellings. Following this massacre, an inquest was held and it was determined that the killings were murder; those Conestogas who survived because they were not at the camp were offered refuge in Lancaster by the colonial government. When word came that the Paxton Boys were headed to Lancaster to kill the remaining Conestoga, they were moved by the authorities into the jail for protection. The Paxton Boys broke into the jail and killed and dismembered 6 adults and 8 children. The government offered a reward for the capture and prosecution of the individuals responsible, but no one was ever identified or arrested for the crime.
It was widely believed that following the massacres, the Conestoga or Susquehannock Indians became extinct.
The following account was taken from Events in Indian History: Beginning with an Account of the Origin of the American Indians, and Early Settlements in North America, and Embracing Concise Biographies of the Principal Chiefs and Head-sachems of the Different Indian Tribes, with Narratives and Captivities… by James Wimer, and published in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, 1841:
An almost uninterrupted friendship seems to have existed between the Indians and the inhabitants of Pennsylvania, until the year 1754. At this period the French had stirred up the Indians in the back country, and an Indian war commenced.
About ten years after that, when “many,” says Mr. Proud, “who had been continually flocking into the province, in later years, having from their experience and ignorance, too despicable an opinion of that people, and treating them accordingly, were by this conduct foolishly enraged against the whole species indiscriminately; insomuch, that in the latter part of the year 1763, calling to their aid the madness of the wildest enthusiasm, with which, under the pretence of religion, certain most furious zealots among the preachers of a numerous sect, in the province, could inspire their hearers, to cover their barbarity, a number of not improperly named, armed demi-savages, inhabitants of Lancaster county, principally from the townships of Paxtang and Donegal, and their neighborhood, committed the most horrible massacre that ever was heard of in this, or perhaps any other province with impunity! and under the notion of extirpating the heathen from the earth, as Joshua did of old, that these saints might possess the land alone,” &c. Thus begins the narrative.
These Indians were the remains of a tribe of the Six Nations, settled at Conestoga, and thence called Conestoga Indians. On the first arrival of the English in Pennsylvania messengers from this tribe came to welcome them, with presents of venison, corn and skins; and the whole tribe entered into a treaty of friendship with the first proprietary, William Penn; which was to last as long as the sun should shine, or the waters run in the rivers.
This treaty has been since frequently renewed, and the chain brightened, as they express it, from time to time. It has never been violated on their part, or ours, till now. As their lands,by degrees, wee mostly purchased, and the settlement of the white people began to surround them, the proprietor assigned them lands on the manor of Conestoga, which they might not part with; there they have lived many years, in friendship with their white neighbors, who loved them for their peaceable, inoffensive behaviour.
It has always been observed, that Indians, settled in the neighborhood of white people, do not increase, but diminish continually. This tribe accordingly went on diminishing, will their remained in their town, on the manor, but twenty persons; namely seven men, five women, and eight children, boys and girls.
Of these, Shehaes was a very old man, having assisted at the second treaty, held with them by Mr. Penn, in 1701, and ever since continued a faithful friend to the English; he is said to have been an exceedingly good man, considering his education, being naturally of a most kind, benevolent temper.
This little society continued the custom they had begun, when more numerous, of addressing every new governor, and every descendant of the first proprietary, welcoming him to the province, assuring him of their fidelity, and praying a continuance of that favor and protection which they had hitherto experiences, They had accordingly sent up an address of this kind to our present Governor, John Penn, Esquire, on his arrival; but the same was scarcely delivered when the unfortunate catastrophe happened which we are about to relate.
On Wednesday, the 14th of December, 1763, fifty-seven men from some of our frontier townships, who had projected the destruction of this little commonwealth, came all well mounted, and armed with firelocks, hangers and hatchets, having traveled through the country in the night to Conestoga manor. There they surrounded the small village of Indian huts, and just at break of day broke in upon them all at once. Only three men, two women, and a young boy were found at home, the rest being out among the neighboring white people, some to sell their baskets, brooms and bowls,they manufactured, and others on other occasions. These poor defenceless creatures were immediately fired upon, stabbed and hatcheted to death! The good Shehaes, among the rest, cut to pieces in his bed! All of them were scalped, and otherwise horribly mangled. Then their huts were set on fire, and most of them burned down.
The magistrates of Lancaster set out to collect the remaining Indians, brought them into the town, for their better security against any further attempt; and it is said, condoled with them on the misfortune that had happened, took them by the hand, and promised them protection.
They were put into the workhouse, a strong building, as the place of greatest safety.
These cruel men again assembled themselves; and hearing that the remaining fourteen Indians were in the workhouse at Lancaster, they suddenly appeared before that town, on the 27th of December. Fifty of them, armed as before, dismounting, went directly to the workhouse, and by violence broke open the door, and entered with the utmost fury in the countenances. When the poor wretches saw they had no protection nigh, nor could possibly escape, and being without the least weapon of defence, they divided their little families, the children clinging to their parents; they fell on their faces, protested their innocence, declared their love to the English, and that, in their whole lives, they had never done them injury; and in this posture, they all received the hatchet! Men, women and children, were every one inhumanly murdered in cold blood!
The barbarous men, who committed the atrocious act, in defiance of government, of all laws, human and divine, and, to the eternal disgrace of their country and color, then mounted their horses, huzzaed in triumph, as if they had gained a victory, and rode off unmolested!
The bodies of the murdered were then brought out, and exposed in the street, till a hole could be made in the earth, to receive and cover them.* But the wickedness cannot be covered, and the guilt will lie on the whole land, till justice is done to the murderers. The blood of the innocent will cry to heaven for vengeance.
Notwithstanding the proclamations and endeavors of the governor on the occasion, the murderers having given out such threatenings against those that disapproved their proceedings the whole country seems to be in terror, and no one durst speak what he knows; even the letters from thence are unsigned, in which any dislike is expressed of the rioters.
Mr. Proud adds to the above narrative, that, “So far had the infection spread, which caused this action, or so much had fear seized the minds of the people, or perhaps both, that neither the printer nor the writer of this publication, though supposed to be as nearly connected as Franklin and Hall were at that time, and men of the first character in their way, did not insert either their names, or places of abode, in it! It was printed while the insurgents were preparing to advance towards Philadelphia, or on their way thither; it appeared to have some effect in preventing the threatened consequences, by exciting an exertion of endeavors in the citizens for that purpose; and being a relation of real facts, though written in a hurry, it was never answered or contradicted.”
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*In the month of May 1833, while the laborers were engaged in excavating on the Columbia and Philadelphia Railroad, in the city of Lancaster, near the northeast corner of Orange and Duke Streets, on the property of Jacob Hensel, a considerable number of human bones were dug up by the workmen employed on the railroad route. They were generally supposed to be the remains of the Indians destroyed in the above massacre by the “Paxton Boys.” Some of the oldest citizens state that the bodies were interred somewhere in the vicinity of the locality where the bones have been found. — Compiler, Events in Indian History.
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The print shown at the top of this post was one of six published as part of the book from which the above account was taken.
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