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burst it open by force and would have killed Brother Jung on
the spot, but a white man who was with them prevented them.
Your mother snatched you from the cradle and was told that she
was a prisoner and must accompany them to Gnadenhutten.
The house was then plundered from top to bottom. In the
meanwhile it had commenced to rain, and some of the Indian
sisters begged very urgently that you and your mother might
remain with them over night, promising to bring you to
Gnadenhutten the next day. Brother Jung they took with
them, arriving at the camp about midnight. We had heard
the scalp-cries all the while as we sat on the banks of the
river, and the night was thereby made all the more horrible to
us.
"We were all prisoners together.
Our houses had been plundered, and we had nothing to cover our
bodies but what our Indian brothers and sisters brought us.
After several days we received permission to be with our
Indians, but together with them were conducted through the
wilderness to Upper Sandusky. On this journey the
mothers and children suffered much, as the warriors would
grant no halts. In the beginning of October we arrived
at Upper Sandusky. We were entirely destitute, yet quite
happy. We cared not for the morrow, and yet we were
provided with our daily bread. We commenced to build
little huts for ourselves, but before they were completed we
received orders from the commandant at Detroit, to repair to
that place. This was a new and severe trial.
Winter was at hand. and we were to leave our wives and
children behind without any provision. In addition, the
savages daily threatened to kill us. The day of our
departure was fixed, and the Brethren Zeisberger, Edwards,
Senseman and myself set out on the long journey. Brother
Schebosch promised to provide our families with provisions
brought from our deserted village.
"We had not proceeded more than sixty
miles on our journey before a messenger caught up with us,
bringing the news that Brother Schebosch and his company had
been seized and carried off by a party of militia. Other
messengers arrived bringing the same intelligence, so that our
anxiety for our wives and children became intense. At
the Iowa(?) river we encountered endless difficulties in
continuing our journey. We could not proceed alone, even
if we had had permission to do so. The captain who had
charge of us, procured a keg of rum and all his men became
drunk, and a number of evil-disposed people gathered at our
halting-place. At last, since we had some of our Indian
brethren with us, we received permission from a white man to
proceed. After several days' journey we came within four
miles of Detroit, but for want of a boat to cross a deep river
that lay right before us, we were compelled to spend the
night, which was intensely cold and stormy, on the open plane,
without any protection whatever, so that we were quite stiff
and almost frozen by morning.
"The next morning, at about 8 o'clock, without having
had anything to eat, we were ferried across in a hay boat, and
by 10 o'clock we made our appearance before the Commandant at
the fort, who received us with many harsh words.
Finally, as we remained perfectly composed, he seemed to have
changed his mind somewhat and dismissed us in a much
pleasanter manner. For a week we remained in a state of
great uncertainty as to what was to become of us. We
were not permitted to appear before the Commandant to make any
statements, nor were we permitted to address any written
communications to him. At last, our accusers being all
assembled, we were summoned to attend, and after a through
examination into the accusations brought against us, the
result was that two of our accusers were completely silenced,
and the third became our defender. The council, which
consisted of the military officers and other officials at this
post and of a number of Indian chiefs, decided that we had
been falsely accused and had innocently been compelled to
endure many hardships. Thus even here the glory of God's
name was protected.
"From this time forth the Commandant
became our warm friend, and from other gentlemen at the post
we received many kindnesses. Provided with some needful
clothing and provisions by order of the former, we set out on
our return. Our Heavenly Father granted us, at this late
season, the most pleasant weather, and by the end of November
we rejoined our families once more (at Sandusky.) On the
very day of our return the winter set in, a great deal of snow
fell and the cold became intense. The distress of our
Indians became terrible. In a short time they lost 150
head of cattle, which were their main dependence for food.
The wild Indians again threatened to stop the preaching of the
Gospel, and the power of the prince of darkness seemed almost
supreme. The scarcity of food became so great that we
began to fear that some, especially the little children, would
perish from hunger.
"A number of Indian brethren and
sisters accordingly resolved to return with their families to
their deserted villages and gather in the harvest, which was
yet standing in the fields, and little by little to forward
the proceeds to this place. They had almost
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