The War in the Northwest 211 



all about seventy either died of their wounds, were 

 killed outright, or were captured. Of the latter, 

 those who were made prisoners by the Wyandots 

 were tomahawked and their heads stuck on poles; 

 but if they fell into the hands of the Shawnees or 

 Delawares they were tortured to death with fiendish 

 cruelty. Among them was Crawford himself, who 

 had become separated from the main body when it 

 began its disorderly night retreat. After abandon- 

 ing his jaded horse he started homeward on foot, 

 but fell into the hands of a small party of Delawares, 

 together with a companion named Knight. 



These two prisoners were taken to one of the Del- 

 aware villages. The Indians were fearfully exas- 

 perated by the Moravian massacre 25 ; and some of 

 the former Moravians, who had rejoined their wild 

 tribesmen, told the prisoners that from that time on 

 not a single captive should escape torture. Never- 

 theless it is likely that Crawford would have been 

 burned in any event, and that most of the prisoners 

 would have been tortured to death even had the 

 Moravians never been harmed ; for such had always 

 been the custom of the Delawares. * 



The British, who had cared for the remnants of 

 the Moravians, now did their best to stop the cruel- 

 ties of the Indians, 26 but could accomplish little or 

 nothing. Even the Mingos and Hurons told them 

 that though they would not torture any Americans, 



25 Haldimand MSS. De Peyster to Haldimand, June 23, 

 1782. 

 a6 Do. Aug. 18, 1782. 



