make mention of. Then Mr. Thomas
Shepard, of Charlestown, received us into his
house, where we continued eleven weeks ; and
a father and mother they were unto us.
And many more tender-hearted friends we
met with in that place. We were now in the
midst of love, yet not without much and fre-
quent heaviness of heart for our poor chil-
dren and other relations who were still in
affliction.
The week following, after my coming in,
the governor and council sent to the Indians
again, and that not without success ; for they
brought in my sister and good-wife Kettle.
About this time the council had ordered a
day of public thanksgiving, though I had
still cause of mourning ; and being unsettled
in our minds, we thought we would ride east-
ward, to see if we could hear anything con-
cerning our children. As we were riding
208 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS
along between Ipswich and Rowley we met
with William Hubbard, who told us our son
Joseph and my sister's son were come into
Major Waldren's. I asked him how he
knew it. He said the major himself told
him so. So along we went till we came to
Newbury; and their minister being absent,
they desired my husband to preach the
thanksgiving for them ; but he was not will-
ing to stay there that night, but he would
go over to Salisbuiy to hear farther, and
come again in the morning, which he did, and
preached there that day.
At night, when he had done, one came and
told him that his daughter was come into
Providence. Here was mercy on both
hands. Now we were between them, the one
on the east, and the other on the west. Our
son being nearest, we went to him fost, to
Portsmouth, where we met with him, and
with the major also, who told us he had done
what he could, but could not redeem him
under seven pounds, which the good people
MRS. ROWLANDSON'S NARRATIVE 209
thereabouts were pleased to pay. On Mon-
day we came to Charlestown, where we heard
that the Governor of Rhode Island had sent
over for our daughter, to take care of her,
being now within his jurisdiction; which
should not pass without our acknowledg-
ments. But she being nearer Rehoboth than
Rhode Island, Mr. Newman went over and
took care of her, and brought her to his own
house. And the goodness of God was ad-
mirable to us in our low estate, in that he
raised up compassionate friends on every
side, when we had nothing to recompense
any for their love. Our family being now
gathered together, the South Church in
Boston hired a house for us. Then we re-
moved from Mr. Shepard's (those cordial
friends) and went to Boston, where we con-
tinued about three quarters of a year. . . .
IV
CAPTURE AND ESCAPE OF MERCY HARBISON,
1792
On the 4th of November, 1791, a force of Americans
under General Arthur St. Clair was attacked, near the
present Ohio-Indiana boundary line, by about the same
number of Indians led by Blue Jacket, Little Turtle,
and the white renegaci Simon Girty. Their defeat
was the most disastrous that ever has been suffered
by our arms when engaged against a savage foe on
anything like even terms. Out of 86 officers and about
1400 regular and militia soldiers, St. Clair lost 70
officers killed or wounded, and 845 men killed, wounded,
or missing. The survivors fled in panic, throwing
away their weapons and accoutrements. Such was "St.
Clair's defeat."
The utter incompetency of the officers commanding
this expedition may be judged from the single fact
that a great number of women were allowed to ac-
company the troops into a wilderness known to be
infested with the worst kind of savages. There were
about 250 of these women with the "army" on the day
of the battle. Of these, 56 were killed on the spot,
many being pinned to the earth by stakes driven
210
ESCAPE OF MERCY HARBISON 211
through their bodies. Few of the others escaped cap-
tivity.
After this unprecedented victory, the Indians became
more troublesome than ever along the frontier. No
settler's home was safe, and many were destroyed in
the year of terror that followed. The awful fate of
one of those households is told in the following touch-
ing narrative of Mercy Harbison, wife of one of the
survivors of St. Clair's defeat. How two of her little
children were slaughtered before her eyes, how she
was dragged through the wilderness with a babe at
her breast, how cruelly maltreated, and hcv/ she finally
escaped, barefooted and carrying her infant through
days and nights of almost superhuman exertion, she
has left record in a deposition before the magistrates
at Pittsburgh and in the statement here reprinted.
(Editor.)
ON the return of my husband from
General St. Clang's defeat, and on
his recovery from the wound he
received in the battle, he was made a spy,
and ordered to the woods on duty, about the
23d of March, 1792. The appointment of
spies to watch the movements of the savages
was so consonant with the desires and in-
terests of the inhabitants that the frontiers
now resimied the appearance of quiet and
212 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS
confidence. Those who had for nearly a
year been huddled together in the block-
houses were scattered to their own habita-
tions, and began the cultivation of their
farms. The spies saw nothing to alarm
them, or to induce them to apprehend
danger, until the fatal morning of my cap-
tivity. They repeatedly came to our house
to receive refreshments and to lodge.
On the 15th of May my husband, with
Captain Guthrie and other spies, came home
about dark and wanted supper; to procure
which I requested one of the spies to accom-
pany me to the spring and spring-house, and
William Maxwell complied with my request.
While at the spring and spring-house we
both distinctly heard a sound like the bleat-
ing of a lamb or fawn. This greatly
alarmed us and induced us to make a hasty
retreat into the house. Whether this was an
Indian decoy, or a warning of what I was to
pass through, I am unable to determine.
But from this time and circumstance I be-
ESCAPE OF MERCY HARBISON 213
came considerably alarmed, and entreated
my husband to remove me to some place
more secure from Indian cruelties. But
Providence had designed that I should be-
come a victim to their rage, and that mercy
should be made manifest in my deliverance.
On the night of the 21st of May two of
the spies, Mr. James Davis and Mr. Sutton,
came to lodge at our house, and on the morn-
ing of the 22d, at daybreak, when the horn
blew at the blockhouse, which was within
sight of our house and distant about two hun-
dred yards, the two men got up and went
out. I was also awake, and saw the door
open, and thought, after I was taken pris-
oner, that the scouts had left it open. I in-
tended to rise immediately, but having a child
at the breast, and it being awakened, I lay
with it at the breast to get it to sleep again,
and accidentally fell asleep myself. The
spies have since informed me that they re-
turned to the house again, and found that I
was sleeping; that they softly fastened the
214 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS
door and went immediately to the block-
house, and those who examined the house
after the scene was over say that both doors
had the appearance of being broken open.
The first thing I knew from falling asleep
was the Indians pulling me out of bed by my
feet. I then looked up and saw the house
full of Indians, every one having his gun in
his left hand and tomahawk in his right.
Beholding the danger in which I was, I im-
mediately jumped to the floor on my feet,
with the young child in m}^ arms. I then
took a petticoat to put on, having on only
the one in which I slept ; but the Indians took
it from me, and as many as I attempted to
put on they succeeded in taking from me,
so that I had to go just as I had been in bed.
While I was struggling with some of the
savages for clothing, others of them went and
took the children out of another bed, and im-
mediately took the two feather beds to the
door and emptied them.
The savages immediately began their work
ESCAPE OF MERCY HARBISON 215
of plunder and devastation. What they
were unable to carry with them they de-
stroyed. While they were at their work, I
made to the door, and succeeded in getting
out with one child in my arms and another
by my side; but the other little boy was so
much displeased by being so early disturbed
in the morning that he would not come to
the door.
When I got out I saw Mr. Wolf, one of
the soldiers, going to the spring for water,
and beheld two or three of the savages at-
tempting to get between him and the block-
house ; but Mr. Wolf was unconscious of his
danger, for the savages had not yet been dis-
covered. I then gave a terrific scream, by
which means JNIr. Wolf discovered his
danger and started to run for the block-
house. Seven or eight of the Indians fired
at him, but the only injury he received was
a bullet in his arm, which broke it. He suc-
ceeded in making his escape to the block-
house. When I raised the alarm, one of the
216 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS
Indians came up to me with his tomahawk
as though about to take my Hfe; a second
came and placed his hand before my mouth
and told me to hush, when a third came with
a lifted tomahawk and attempted to give me
a blow; but the first that came raised his
tomahawk and averted the blow, and claimed
me as his squaw.
The commissary, with his waiter, slept in
the storehouse near the blockhouse; and,
upon hearing the report of the guns, came
to the door to see what was the matter ; and,
beholding the danger he was in, made his
escape to the blockliouse; but not without
being discovered by the Indians, several of
whom fired at him, and one of the bullets
went through his handkerchief, which was
tied about his head, and took off some of his
hair. The handkerchief, with several bullet-
holes in it, he afterwards gave to me.
The waiter, on coming to the door, was
met by the Indians, who fired upon him, and
he received two bullets through the body and
ESCAPE OF MERCY HARBISON 217
fell dead by the door. The savages then
set up one of their tremendous and terrify-
ing yells, and pushed forward and attempted
to scalp the man they had killed; but they
were prevented from executing their diabol-
ical purpose by the heavy fire which was kept
up through the portholes from the block-
house.
In this scene of horror and alarm I began
to meditate an escape, and for that purpose
I attempted to direct the attention of the In-
dians from me and to fix it on the block-
house, and thought if I could succeed in this
I would retreat to a subterranean cave with
which I was acquainted, which was in the run
near where we were. For this purpose I
began to converse with some of those who
were near me respecting the strength of the
blockliouse, the number of men in it, etc., and
being informed that there were forty men
there, and that they were excellent marks-
men, the savages immediately came to the
determination to retreat, and for this pur-
218 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS
pose they ran to those who were besieging
the blockhouse and brought them away.
They then began to flog me with their
wiping sticks, and to order me along. Thus
what I intended as the means of my escape
was the means of accelerating my departure
in the hands of the savages. But it was no
doubt ordered by a kind Providence for the
preservation of the fort and the inhabitants
in.it; for when the savages gave up the at-
tack and retreated, some of the men in the
fort had the last load of ammunition in their
guns, and there was no possibility of pro-
curing more, for it was all fastened up in the
storehouse, which was inaccessible.
The Indians, when they had flogged me
away with them, took my oldest boy, a lad
about five years of age, along with them, for
he was still at the door by my side. My
middle little boy, who was about three years
of age, had by this time obtained a situation
by the fire in the house, and was crying bit-
terly to me not to go, and making sore com-
ESCAPE OF MERCY HARBISON 219
plaints of the depredations of the savages.
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
up 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 inhmnan
butchery of my own child I gave a most in-
describable and terrific scream, and felt a
dimness come over my ej^es, next to blind-
ness, 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 the 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
220 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS
counted their number and found them to be
thirty-two, two of whom were white men
painted as Indians. Several of the Indians
could speak English well. I Imew several
of them well, having seen them going up and
down the Alleghany Kiver. 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 Jolin Currie's
horses, and two of them, into whose custody
I was put, started with me on the horses to-
wards the mouth of the Kiskiminetas, and
the rest of them went off towards Puckety.
When they came to the bank that descended
towards the Alleghany it was so very steep,
and there appeared so much danger in de-
scending 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
ESCAPE OF MERCY HARBISON 221
the one on which the Indian rode who had
my httle 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 In-
dians, 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 Buffalo.
They attempted, in vain, to make the horses
take the river, and had to leave the horses
behind them, and took us in one of the canoes
to the point of the island, and there 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 in-
jured 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 liis tomahawk from his side.
222 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS
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 feeling my-
self 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 sank
down to the earth again upon my infant
child. The first thing I remember, after
witnessing this spectacle of woe, was the
severe blows I was receiving from the hands
of the savages, though at that time I was un-
conscious 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
ESCAPE OF MERCY HARBISON 223
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 nie 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 assist-
ance of the savages, got safely out. Thence
we rapidly proceeded forward, and came to
Big Buffalo ; 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 Connoquenessing
Creek, the very place where Butler, Pa., now
stands; and thence we travelled five or six
miles to Little Buffalo, which we crossed.
I now felt weary of my life, and had a
full determination to make the savages kill
^M CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS
me, thinking that death would be exceed-
ingly welcome when compared to 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 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
Indian 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
ESCAPE OF MERCY HARBISON 225
went after it, while the one who had claimed
me as his squaw, and who had stood and wit-
nessed the transaction, came up to me and
said: "Well done; you did right and are a
good squaw, and the other is a lazy son-of-a-
gun; he may 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
Connoquenessing 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
trodden, and large beaten paths went out
from it in different directions.
That night they took me about three hun-
226 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS
dred yards from the camp, up a rmi, 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, only with a little liberty, so that it was
with difficulty that I managed my child.
Here, in this dreary situation, without fire
or refresliment, having an infant to take care
of, and my arms bound behind me, and hav-
ing a savage on ea:!i 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 re-
peatedly dreamed of my escape and safe
arrival in Pittsburgh, and several things re-
lating 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
ESCAPE OF MERCY HARBISON 227
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 we had come, to see if any
white people were pursuing us. During the
absence of the Indian, the one that claimed
and remained with me, and who was the mur-
derer of my last boy, took from his bosom
his scalp, and prepared a hoop and stretched
the scalp upon it. Those mothers who have
not seen the like done to one of the scalps of
their own children will be able to form but
faint ideas of the feelings which then har-
rowed 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 de-
tected.
The savage felt at his tomahawk handle,
tm'ned upon me, cursed me and told me I
228 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS
was a Yankee; thus insinuating he under-
stood my intention, and to prevent me from
doing so again, faced me. My excuse to
him for handhng his tomahawk was, that my
child wanted to play with the handle of it.
The savage who went upon the lookout in
the morning came back about twelve
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 the Indians, etc.,
and boasted largely of their achievements
in the preceding fall, at the defeat of Gen-
eral St. Clair.
He then examined the plunder which he
had brought from our house the day before.
He found my pocket-book and money
among his plunder. There were ten dollars
in silver and a half-guinea in gold in the
book. During this day they gave me a piece
of dried venison, about the bulk of an egg,
ESCAPE OF MERCY HARBISON 229
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 re-
ceived from them on the jaws, I was unable
to eat a bit of it. I broke it up and gave it
to the child.
The savage on the lookout 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 pre-
ceding night. Thus I found myself the
second night between two Indians, without
fire and 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 sang
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
230 CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS
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 also fell asleep. Then I concluded it
was time to escape. I found it impossible
to injure him for my child at the breast, as
I could not effect anything without putting
the child down, and then it would cry and
give the alarm; so I contented myself with
taking, from a pillow-case of plunder stolen
from our house, a short gown, handkerchief,
and child's frock, and so made my escape;
the sun then being about half an hour high.
I struck the Connoquenessing, and went
down stream until about two o'clock in the
afternoon, over rocks, precipices, thorns,
briers, etc., with my bare feet and legs. I
then discovered I was on the wrong course,
and waited till the North Star appeared.
Marking out the direction for the next day,
I collected a bed of leaves, laid down and
slept, though my feet, being full of thorns,
began to be exceedingly painful, and I had
ESCAPE OF MERCY HARBISON 231
nothing for self or babe to eat. The next
morning I started early, nothing material
occurring. Towards evening a gentle rain
came on, and I began to prepare my leaf
bed, setting the child down the while, who
began to cry. Fearful of the consequences,
I put him to the breast and he became quiet.
I then listened and distinctly heard foot-
steps. The ground over which I had
travelled was soft and my foot traces had
been followed.
Greatly alarmed, I looked about for a
place of safety, and providentially discovered