152 , AUTHENTIC HISTORY 



Penn's creek on the west side of Sasquehannah, about four miles from 

 that river, several people have been found scalped and twenty-eight are 

 missing; the people are in a great consternation and are coming down, 

 leaving their plantations and corn behind them. Two of m}^ Sons are 

 gone up to help one of their cousins with his family down. I hear of 



none that will defend themselves but George Gabriel and . The 



people down here seem to be senseless and say the Indians will never 

 come this side of the Sasquehannah river, but I fear they will since they 

 meet with no opposition nowhere. I don't doubt jowr Honor heard of 

 this melancholy aftair before now by the way of Lancaster, perhaps more 

 particular, yet I thought it my duty to inform you of it, and when my 

 Sons come back I will write again if they bring anything particular. I 

 have heard nothing of the Indians that are gone out to fight against the 

 French on Ohio. Their going I fear has been the occasion of this 

 murder, I have nothing to add, but am, 



"Honoured Sir, Your very humble Servant, 



" Conrad Weiser. 



"Heading, October 22d, 1755." 



A petition to Governor Morris from the inhabitants living on the west 

 side of the Sasquehannah : 

 " To the Honourable ROBERT HUNTER MORRIS, Esquire, Lieutenant 



Governor of the Province of Pennsylvania, &c. 



" The petition of we the Subscribers, living near the mouth of Penn's 

 creek on the west side of Sasquehannah, humbly sheweth : 



" That on or about the sixteenth of this instant, (October,) the enemy 



came down upon said creek and killed, scalped and carried away 



all the men, women and children, amounting to 25 persons in number, 

 and wounded one man who fortunately made his escape and brought us 

 in the news ; whereupon we, the subscribers, Avent out and buried the 

 dead, whom we found most barbarously murdered and scalped. We 

 found but 13 which were men and elderly women, and one child of two 

 weeks old, the rest being young women and children we suppose to be 

 carried away prisoners ; the House (where we suppose they finished their 

 murder,) we found burnt up, and the man of it named Jacob King, a 

 Swissar, lying just by it ; he lay on his back barbarously burnt and two 

 Tomhawks sticking in his forehead; one of the Tomhawks marked 

 newly with W. D. we have sent to your Honour. The terror of which 

 has drove away almost all these back inhabitants except us, the subscri- 

 bers, with a few more who are willing to stay and endeavor to defend 

 the land; but as we are not able of ourselves to defend it for want of 

 guns and ammunition, and but few in number, so that without assistance 

 we- must fly and leave the country to the mercy of the enemy. We, 

 therefore, humbly desire your Honour would take the same into your 



