OF LANCASTER COUNTY. 165 



It was also provided that those who by reason of age, impotence, or 

 any bodily infirmity, were unable to support themselves, should, like 

 other poor of the township, be supported, but at the charge of the Prov- 

 ince. 



After the defeat of Braddock on the 9th of July, 1755, began the series 

 of atrocious and barbarous hostilities which has already been described 

 in authentic extracts. The Siehen Tager Baptists of Ephrata provided 

 hospitable shelter for the fugitives from Tulpehocken and Paxton, 

 although they were themselves in imminent peril ; the enemy was only 

 thirteen miles distant, and the poor people were hourly apprehensive 

 of being surprised by the savage foe. The Government despatched a 

 company of infantry to Ephrata for the protection of the people. 



In Lancaster the people erected a block-house early in December. The 

 subjoined letters from Edward Shippen to James Hamilton, supply inter- 

 esting particulars: 



"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 thirty-five miles from us, are entirely cut off. 

 Farmers are flying from their plantations to Heading. An alarm, last 

 night, about twelve o'clock; we assembled in the square, say, three hun- 

 dred, but with fifty guns; it was shocking to hear at such. a moment, 

 when in expectation of the savages, that we 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 place our wives, girls and children within, that they 



may be in safety These are fearful times. God only knows 



how they will end. I am yours, 



Edward Shippen." 



Another, dated Lancaster, December 5, 1755: 



"Honored Sir: The fort we have agreed to build, is as follows: For 

 the stockade, the logs split in the middle, and set on end, three feet in 

 the ground, pMiced on the north side of the town, between Queen and 

 Duke street; with curtains 100 feet. The planks of the bastions, lOfeetj 

 and the saws of said bastions, 30 feet each. 



Yours, &c., Edward Shippen." 



"t/rtmes Hamilto7i^ Esq., Bush Hill. 



The marauding parties of French and Indians hung on the frontiers 

 during the winter, and in the month of January [1756] attacked the set- 

 tlements on the Juniata river, murdering and scalping such of the in- 

 habitants as did not escape, or were not made prisoners. To guard 



