404 
PETE II WILT t ^ IVf S O N . 
Whfin he was but eight years of age, while playiug bn tlie quay with 
others of his companions, he was kidnapped, and taken o» board a 
vessel, which shortly after sailed for America. 
On their arrival at Philadelphia, Peter was sold, with bis other 
companions^ at about 16/. per head: what became of his fellows irr 
misfortune, he never knew, but it was his chance to be sold for a term 
of seven years to a North Briton, who had in his youth undergone 
the same fate as Peter, having been kidnapped from St. John’s Town 
in Scotland. 
This new master having no children of his owai, and commiserating 
the condition of his fellow-countryman, took great care of him till he 
was fit for business : in this service he continued till he was sevens 
teen years old, when his master died, and as a reward for Peter’s 
faithful services, left him about two hundred pounds currency, his 
best horse, saddle, and all his wearing apparel. 
Being now his own master, and possessed of money as well as 
other necessaries, he employed himself in jobbing about the neigh- 
bouring plantations, for nearly seven years ; when, considering him- 
self sufficiently enriched to folloiv some better way of life, he carried 
into execution his resolution to settle, and married the daughter of a 
substantial planter. His father-in-law, in order to establish Peter 
and his wife in an easy, if not in an affluent manner, presented him 
with a tract of land on the borders of the forest of Delaware, of about 
two hundred acres. The situation pleased Peter so well, that he 
immediately settled on it: but his felicity was not of long duration ; for 
in 1754, the Indians in the French interest, who had for a long time 
before ravaged and destroyed other parts of America, began to be 
very troublesome to the Pennsylvanians. On the second of October 
1754, his wife being then from home, Peter was sitting up later than 
usual, waiting her return, when about eleven o’clock at night he heard 
the dismal war-wboop of the savages, and soon found that his house 
was attacked ; he asked the Indians what they wanted, and they 
told him, if he w ould come out and surrender, they would not kill him. 
He accordingly went out with his gun in his hand : they immediately 
rushed on him, disarmed him, and bound him to a tree; they then 
went into the house, plundered and destroyed every thing that was 
in it, carrying off what moveables they could ; they then set fire to 
the house and the barn, which with the cattle were all destroyed. 
Having completed the object of their ravages, they untied him, and 
caused him to carry a great load, under which he travelled all night; 
at daybreak, he was ordered to lay down his load, and was again tied 
so close round a tree with a small cord, as to force the blood from his 
fingers’ ends. They next kindled a fire, and for some time danced 
round him, whooping, hallooing, and crying in a frightful tone : they 
then proceeded in a more tragical manner, taking the flaming sticks, 
and brandishing them near his face, head, hands, and feet, with seem- 
ing ferocious pleasure and satisfaction, at the same time threatening 
to burn him entirely, if he made the least noise, or cried out : thus 
tortured almost to distraction, he suffered their brutal pleasure with- 
out being allowed to express any anguish otherwise than by shedding 
tears, which the savages observing, they again took flaming sticks. 
