1763.] JOHN ELDER. 119 



On the east bank of the Susquehanna, at some 

 distance above Conestoga, stood the little town of 

 Paxton ; a place which, since the French w^ar, had 

 occupied a position of extreme exposure. In the 

 year 1755 the Indians had burned it to the ground, 

 killing many of the inhabitants, and reducing the 

 rest to poverty. It had since been rebuilt ; but its 

 j;enants were the relatives of those who had per- 

 ished, and the bitterness of the recollection was 

 enhanced by the sense of their ow^n more recent 

 suiferinofs. Mention has before been made of John 

 Elder, the Presbyterian minister of this place ; a 

 man whose worth, good sense, and superior educa- 

 tion gave him the character of counsellor and 

 director throughout the neighborhood, and caused 

 hira to be known and esteemed even in Philadel- 

 phia. His position was a peculiar one. From the 

 rough pulpit of his little church, he had often 

 preached to an assembly of armed men, while 

 scouts and sentinels were stationed without, to give 

 warning of the -enemy's approach.^ The men of 

 Paxton, under the auspices of their pastor, formed 

 themselves into a body of rangers, who became 

 noted for their zeal and efficiency in defending the 

 borders. One of their principal leaders was Mat- 

 thew Smith, a man who had influence and popu- 



1 On one occasion, a body of Indians approached Paxton on Sunday, 

 and sent forward one of their number, whom tlie Enghsh supposed to be 

 a friend, to reconnoitre. The spy reported that every man in the churcli, 

 including the preacher, had a rifle at his side ; upon which the enemy 

 withdrew, and satisfied themselves with burning a few houses in the 

 neighborhood. The papers of Mr. Elder were submitted to the writer's 

 examination by his son, an aged and esteemed citizen of Harrisburg. 



