Historic Paxton, her days and her ways, 1722-1913

For years the French and Indian war had turned peaceful Indians into such terrors to the scattered settlers that as James Galbreath, of Derry, quaintly writes to Edward Shippen in 1756, "The name or sight of an Indian makes all in these parts tremble : for by all appearances the devil communicates, God permits and the French pay, and by that the back parts, by all appearances will be laid waste by flight." Paxton was one of the chief sufferers in these raids. From old letters and archives we learn that there were murders and scalpings by the Indians almost daily during 1756-57. On May 11, in the latter year, eleven persons were killed at Paxton, while in October, "four of her farmers were pulling their Indian corn, when two of them were killed and scalped and their heads cut off, and the other two scalped. Again, a party of Indians encamped near the mill dam back of Parson Elder's house, hoping to surprise and massacre the congregation at worship. Coming on Monday, they waited several days, then decided no church would be held, so sneaked back to the mountains through Indian Gap, murdering and scalping as they went. There is a tradition that one Sunday morning spies from a band of savages peeped in the south window of the meeting house and seeing Parson Elder with two guns on the pulpit decided not to attack. Scarcely had the Indians begun to grow peaceful when new terrors arose from the Conspiracy of Pontiac in 1763, with its treacherous French plot to enlist the Indians and overthrow every English fort, including our own Fort Hunter. Again the border was ravaged and the Conestoga Indians were more than suspected of harboring hostile Indians. There is plenty of proof of this treachery from contemporary letters : John Harris writes of the Conestoga Indians, "I don't like their company. I have this day cut holes in my house and am determined to hold out to the last extremity.'' Again we note Parson Elder in September, 1763, suggesting to the government "the immediate removal of the Indians at Conestoga and placing a garrison in their room. In case this is done I pledge myself for the future security of the Frontier." After the massacre, in 1764, he writes to Governor Penn : "The storm which has so long been gathering has at length exploded. Had the government removed the Indians from Conestoga, which had frequently been urged, this painful catastrophe would have been avoided. What could I do with men heated to madness? All that I could do was done. I expostulated but life and reason were set at defiance. And yet, the men in private life are virtuous and respectable — not cruel but mild and merciful." Unquestioned evidence shows that Parson Elder did not approve; that he expostulated almost at the risk of his life. One of the raiders. Smith, years later wrote, "Our clergyman did not approve of our proceeding farther and advised us to try what we could do with the Governor and Council. I with the rest was opposed to the measure proposed by our good pastor. It was painful for us to act in opposition to his will but the Indians in Lancaster were known to have murdered the parent of one of our party." An old chronicler gives a graphic account of Mr. Elder riding in front of the irate rangers, and