336 HISTORY OF 



In the town of Lancaster, preparations were made in 

 the latter part of November, and the early part of 

 December, to erect a block-house. From the following 

 letter, dated Lancaster, December 1st, 1755, addressed to 

 James Hamilton, Esq., we may learn that the inhabitants 

 of the county feared the incursions of the Indians : 



Honored Sir : — I received the favor of yours of the 

 24th, November, and we are all much pleased by your 

 willingness to contribute to the building of a block-house. 

 The savages who committed the murders in Paxton are 

 now believed to be very numerous, perhaps, one 

 hundred. A number of families, but tbirty-five miles 

 from us, are entirely cut off. Farmers are flying from 

 their plantations to Reading. An alarm, last night> 

 about twelve o'clock; we assembled in the square, say, 

 three hundred, but with fifty guns ; it was shocking to 

 hear at such a moment, when in expectation of the 

 savages, that Ave had neither a sufficiency of guns, nor 

 ammunition. Thanks be to God, the alarm was false. — 

 The block-house will be built on the north side of the 

 north end of Queen street. There will be a wide ditch 

 around it, a small draw bridge ; one important use is to 



Note. — A petition was presented, November 7, 1755, to the 

 Assembly, from divers inhabitants of Paxton Narrows, Lancas- 

 ter county, praying for the enactment of a militia law, or to gran 

 asulTicient sum of money to maintain such a number of regular 

 troops as may be thought necessary to defend their frontiers, 

 and builJ fortifications in proper places; also, that Conrad 

 Weiser might be sent to the Indians, at or about Shamokin, in 

 order to sound their dispositions, and engage them to come 

 down among the inhabitants with their wives and children, 

 where they might be plentifully supplied with every necessary, 

 and be out of the reach of the intrigues of enemies. — Votes of 

 Assembly. 



