94 DESOLATION OF THE FRONTIERS. [1768. 



laurel-bushes ; while the clouds sink lower, and a 

 storm of sleet and rain descends upon the waste. 

 Through such scenes, and under such exposures, 

 he presses onward, sustaining life with the aid of 

 roots and berries or the flesh of reptiles. Perhaps, 

 in the last extremity, some party of Rangers find 

 him, and bring him to a place of refuge ; perhaps, 

 by his own efforts, he reaches some frontier post, 

 where rough lodging and rough fare seem to him 

 unheard-of luxury ; or perhaps, spent with fatigue 

 and famine, he perishes in despair, a meagre ban- 

 quet for the wolves. 



Within two or three weeks after the war had 

 broken out, the older towns and settlements of 

 Pennsylvania were crowded with refugees from the 

 deserted frontier, reduced, in many cases, to the 

 extremity of destitution.^ Sermons were preached 

 in their behalf at Philadelphia ; the religious soci- 

 eties united for their relief, and liberal contributions 

 were added by individuals. While private aid was 

 thus generously bestowed upon the sufferers, the 

 government showed no such promptness in arrest- 



1 Extract from a Letter — Winchester, Virginia, June 22d {Penn. Gaz. 

 No. 1801): — 



" Last Night I reached this Place. I liave been at Fort Cumberland 

 several Days, but the Indians having killed nine People, and burnt sev- 

 eral Houses near Fort Bedford, made me think it prudent to remove from 

 those Parts, from which, I suppose, near 500 Families have run away 

 within this week. — I assure you it was a most melancholy Sight, to see 

 such Numbers of poor People, who had abandoned their Settlements in 

 such Consternation and Hurry, that they had hardly any thing with them 

 but their Children. And what is still worse, I dare say there is not Money 

 enough amongst the whole Families to maintain a fifth Part of them till 

 the Fall ; and none of the poor Creatures can get a Hovel to shelter them 

 from the Weather, but lie about scattered in the Woods." 



