1763, Dec] LAZARUS STEWART AND FOLLOWERS. 1 23 



lives, and earnestly begged protection. They were 

 conducted to Lancaster, where, amid great excite- 

 ment, they were lodged in the county jail, a strong 

 stone building, which it was thought would afford 

 the surest refuge. 



An express was despatched to Philadelphia with 

 news of the massacre ; on hearing which, the gov- 

 ernor issued a proclamation denouncing the act, 

 and offering a reward for the discovery of the 

 perpetrators. Undaunted by this measure, and en- 

 raged that any of their victims should have escaped, 

 the Paxton men determined to continue the work 

 they had begun. In this resolution they were con- 

 firmed by the prevailing impression, that an Indian 

 known to have murdered the relatives of one of 

 their number was among those who had received 

 the protection of the magistrates at Lancaster. 

 They sent forward a spy to gain intelligence, and, 

 on his return, once more met at their rendezvous. 

 On this occasion, their nominal leader was Lazarus 

 Stewart, who was esteemed upon the borders as a 

 brave and active young man ; and who, there is 

 strong reason to believe, entertained no worse 

 design than that of seizing the obnoxious Indian, 

 carrying him to Carlisle, and there putting him to 

 death, in case he should be identified as the mur- 

 derer.^ Most of his followers, however, hardened 

 amidst war and bloodshed, were bent on indiscrim- 

 inate slaughter ; a purpose which they concealed 

 from their more moderate associates. 



Early on the twenty-seventh of December, the 



1 Papers published hy Mr. Conyngham in the Lancaster Intelligencer. 



