OF LANCASTER COUNTY. 185 



oommitted on the Conestogo Indians in the jail of Lancaster, in 1763, 

 by the Paxton boys, as they were then called. From fifteen to twenty 

 Indians, as report stated, were placed there for protection. A regiment 

 of Highlanders were at that time quartered at the barracks in the town, 

 and yet these murderers were permitted to break open the doors of the 

 city jail and committed the horrid deed. The first notice I had of this 

 afl'air was, that while at my father's store, near the court house, I saw a 

 number of people running down street towards the jail, which enticed 

 me and other lads to follow them. At about six or eight yards from the 

 jail, we met from twenty-five to thirty men, well mounted on horses, 

 and with rifles, tomahawks, and scalping knives, equipped for murder. 

 I ran into the prison yard, and there, oh what a horrid sight presented 

 itself to my view ! Near the back door of the prison lay an old Indian 

 and his squaw, particularly well known and esteemed by the people of 

 the town on account of his placid and friendly conduct. His name was 

 Will Soc; across him and squaw lay two children, of about the age of 

 three years, whose heads were split with the tomahawk, and their scalps 

 taken off. Towards the middle of the jail yard, along the west side of 

 the wall, lay a stout Indian, whom I particularly noticed to have been 

 shot in his breast; his legs were chopped with the tomahawk, his hands 

 cut off, and finally a rifle ball discharged in his mouth, so that his head 

 was blown to atoms, and the brains were splashed against and yet hang- 

 ing to the wall, for three or four feet around. This man's hands and 

 feet had also been chopped off with a tomahawk. In this manner lay 

 the whole of them, men, women and children spread about the prison 

 yard ; shot, scalped, hacked and cut to pieces." 



Extract from an authentic publication^ printed at the time in Philadel- 

 phia, entitled, ''A NARRATIVE of the late massacres in LANCASTER 

 COUNTY, of a number of Indians, friends of THIS PRO VINCE;' etc. 



" The Magistrates of Lancaster sent out to collect the remaining Indi- 

 ans, brought them into the town, for their better security against any 

 further attempt; and, it is said, condoled with them on the misfortune 

 that had happened, took them by the hand, and promised them 'protection. 



" They were put into the Work House, a strong building, as the place 

 of greatest safety. 



"These cruel men again assembled themselves, and hearing that the 

 remaining fourteen hidians were in the work house at Lancaster, they 

 suddenly appeared before that town on the twenty-seventh of December. 

 Fifty of them, armed as before, dismounting, went directly to the Work 

 House, and by violence broke open the door and entered with the utmost 

 fury in their countenances. When the poor wretches saw they had no 

 protection nigh, nor could possibly escape, and being without the least 

 weapon of defence, they divided their little families, the children cling- 



