202 The Winning of the West 



blame. Ambitious men flatter and bow to popular 

 prejudice or opinion, and only those of genuine 

 power and self-reliance dare to withstand it. Wil- 

 liamson was physically a fairly brave officer and not 

 naturally cruel; but he was weak and ambitious, 

 ready to yield to any popular demand, and, if it 

 would advance his own interests, to connive at any 

 act of barbarity. 13 Gibson, however, who was a 

 very different man, paid no heed to the cry raised 

 against him. 



With incredible folly the Moravians refused to 

 heed even such rough warnings as they had received. 

 During the long winter they suffered greatly from 

 cold and hunger, at Sandusky, and before the spring 

 of 1782 opened, a hundred and fifty of them re- 

 turned to their deserted villages. 



That year the Indian outrages on the frontiers 

 began very early. In February there was some fine 

 weather; and while it lasted, several families of 

 settlers were butchered, some under circumstances 

 of peculiar atrocity. In particular, four Sandusky 

 Indians having taken some prisoners, impaled two 

 of them, a woman and a child, while on their way 

 to the Moravian towns, where they rested and ate, 

 prior to continuing their journey with their re- 

 maining captives. When they left they warned the 

 Moravians that white men were on their trail. 14 



13 This is the most favorable estimate of his character, 

 based on what Doddridge says (p. 260). He was a very 

 despicable person, but not the natural brute the missionaries 

 painted him. 



14 Hecke welder, 311. 



