today we have some more actual history about events surrounding the French and Indian war that took place between 1754 and 1763 this was when the French allied with Indian tribes such as the delawares and shaes and those tribes began attacking English colonists living along the western frontier near the alagan mountains in this episode we will read the story of The Bard family who were captured by Delaware Indians in 1758 we will will be reading from this book incidents of Border Life by Joseph pritz this book was published all the way back in 1838 it details
many of the incidents of Indian attacks and Indian captivity during the colonial period and around the time of the American Revolution Richard Bard was an attorney and this story was written by his son after his father had died based on the papers he left behind documenting his family's Indian captivity it appears that the son was not captured but both of his parents were the story is titled an account of the Captivity of Richard Bard Esquire late of Franklin County Pennsylvania with his wife family and others collected from his papers by his son archabald Bard although
his son only mentions his father's name in the title as you will see his mother suffered much worse treatment in captivity than his father my father Richard Bard lived in yor y County now Adams and own the mill now called Marshall's Mill and what is called Carol's tract where on the morning of the 13th of April 1758 his house was invested by a party of 19 Indians they were discovered by a little girl called Hannah McBride who was at the door and on seeing them screamed and ran into the house at this time there were
in the house my father mother and lieutenant Thomas Potter brother of General Potter who had come the evening before being a full cousin together with a child of about 6 months old and a bound boy the Indians rushed into the house and one of them with a large cutless in his hands made a blow at Potter but he so managed it as to rest the sword from the Indian and return the blow which would have put an end to his existence had not the point struck the ceiling which turned the sword so as to cut
the Indian's hands in the meantime Mr Bard my father laid hold of a Horseman's pistol that hung on a nail and snapped it at at the breast of one of the Indians but there being tow in the pan it did not go off at this the Indians seeing the pistol ran out of the house by this time one of the Indians at the door had shot at Potter but the ball took him only in the little finger the door was now shut and secured as well as possible but finding the Indians to be very numerous
and having no powder or ball and as the Indians might easily burn down the house by reason of the thatch roof the quantity of mwood piled at the back back of the building added to the Declarations of the Indians that they would not be put to death determined them to surrender on which a party of the Indians went to a field and made prisoners of Samuel Hunter and Daniel mcmanamy a lad of the name of William white coming to the mill was also made a prisoner having secured the prisoners they took all the valuable effects
out of the house and set fire to the mill they then proceeded to the mountain and my mother inquiring of the Indians who had care of her was was informed that they were of the Delaware Nation at the distance of about 70 rods from the house contrary to all their promises they put to death Thomas Potter and having proceeded on the mountain about 3 or four miles one of the Indians sunk the Spear of his Tomahawk into the breast of the small child and after repeated blows scalped it after crossing the mountain they passed the
house of Mr Halbert T and seeing him out shot at him but without effects then passing late in the evening mord's old forts they encamped about half a mile in the Gap the second day having passed into the path Valley they discovered a party of white men in pursuit of them on which they ordered the prisoners to hasten for should the whites come up with them they should all be tomahawks having been thus hurried they reached the top of the Tuscarora mountain and all had sat down to rest when an Indian without any previous warning
sunk a tomahawk into the forehead of Samuel Hunter who was seated by my father and by repeated blows put an end to his existence he was then scalped and the Indians proceeding on their Journey encamped that evening some miles on the north of sidling Hill the next day they marched over the alagan mountains through what is now called Blair's gap on the fifth day wilts Crossing Stony Creek the wind blew a hat of my father's from the head of the Indian in whose custody he was the Indian went down the stream some distance before he
recovered it in the meantime my father had passed the creek but when the Indian returned he severely beat my father with the gun and almost disabled him from traveling any further and now reflecting that he could not possibly travel much further and that if this was the case he would be immediately put to death he determined to attempt his Escape that night two days before this the half of my father's head was painted red this denoted that a council had been held and that an equal number were for putting him to death and for keeping
him alive and that another Council was to have taken place to determine the question being encamped my parents who before this had not Liberty to speak to one another were permitted to assist each other in plucking a turkey and thus engaged the design of escaping was communicated to my mother after some of the Indians had laid down and one of them was amusing the others with dressing himself with a gown of my mother's my father was called to go for water he took a quart and emptying it of what water it contained stepped about six
rods down to the spring my mother perceiving this succeeded so well in confining the attention of the Indians to the Gown that my father had got about 100 yard when the Indians from one fire cried to those of another your man is gone they ran after him and one having brought back the court said here is the court but no man they spent two days in looking after him while the prisoners were confined in the camp but after an unsuccessful search they proceeded down the stream to the alagan river the then to Fort Duane now
Fort pits after remaining there one night and a day they went about 20 mi down the Ohio to an Indian town on entering which a squa took a cap off my mother's head and with many others severely beat her now almost exhausted with fatigue she requested leave to remain at this place but was told she might if she preferred being scalped to proceeding they then took her to a town called cuski on arriving at this place Daniel mcmanamy was detained outside of the town but my mother the two boys and girls were taken into the
town at the same time having their hair pulled faces scratched and beaten in an unmerciful manner here I shall extract from my father's papers the manner and circumstances of mcmanamy death this account appears to have been obtained from my mother shortly after her return who received it from those who had been eyewitnesses of the tragical scene the Indians formed themselves into a circle around the prisoner and commenced by beating him some with sticks and some with tomahawks he was then tied to a post near a large fire and after being tortured some time with burning
coals they scalped him and put the scalp on a pole to bleed before his face a gun barrel was then heated red hot and passed over his body and with a red hot bayonet they pierced his body with many repetitions in this manner they continued torturing him singing and shouting until he expired short after this my mother set out from this place leaving the two boys and girl whom she never saw again until they were liberated she was now distressed beyond measure going she knew not where without a comforter without a companion and expecting to
share the fate of mcmanamy in the next town she would reach in this distressed situation she met a number of Indians among whom was a captive woman to her my mother made known her fears on which she was informed that her life was not in danger for that belt of wam said she about your neck is a certain sign that you were intended for an adopted relation they soon after arrived at a town and being taken into the council house two squa entered in one stepped up and struck my mother on the side of the
head perceiving that the other was about to follow this example she turned her head and received a second blow the warriors were highly displeased such acts in a council house being contrary to the usage here a chief took my mother by the hand and delivered her to two Indian men to be in place of a deceased sister she was put in charge of a squa in order to be cleanly clothed she had remained here with her adopted friends near a month when her party began to think of removing to the headquarters of the cqu Han
a journey of about 200 miles this was very painful to my mother having already traveled above 200 miles over the mountains and swamps until her feet and legs were extremely swollen and sore fortunately on the day of their setting out a horse was given to her by her adopted brother but before they had traveled far one of the horses in the company died and she was then obliged to surrender hers to supply its place after proceeding on her journey some miles they were met by a number of Indians one of whom told her not to
be discouraged as a piece was about to take place shortly when she would have leave to return home to this information she was the more disposed to give credits as it came from one who was a chief counselor in the Delaware Nation with whom she was a prisoner having arrived near the end of her journey to her great surprise she saw a captive dead by the roadside having been tomahawked and scalped she was informed that he had endeavored to escape but was overtaken at this place on arriving at the place of destination having in all
traveled near 500 Miles the fatigue which she had undergone with cold and hunger brought on a severe fit of sickness which lasted near 2 months in in this doleful situation having no person to comfort or sympathize with her a blanket was her only covering and her bed was the cold Earth in a miserable cabin boiled corn was her only food she was reduced to so weak Estates as to consider herself as approaching the verge of dissolution but recovering from her sickness she met with a woman with whom she had been formerly acquainted this woman had
been in captivity for some years and had an Indian Husband by whom she had one child my mother reproved her for this but received for answer that before she had consented they had tied her to a stake in order to burn her she added that as soon as their captive women could speak the Indian tongue they were obliged to marry one of them or be put to death this information induced her to determine never to learn the Indian language and she adhered to this determination all the time she remained with them from the day of
her captivity to that of her releasement a space of 2 years and 5 month months she was treated during this time by her adopted relations with much kindness even more than she had reason to expect I shall now return to the narration of facts respecting my father after he had made his escape from the Indians as before stated the Indians as soon as he was missed gave Chase finding himself closely pursued he hid in a hollow log until they had gone by and out of hearing when turning in a different direction he resumed his flights
two days it has been said were spent by the Indians in search of him in the meantime with much fatigue and suffering he came to a mountain 4 miles across and at the top covered with snow by this time he was almost exhausted having traveled nearly constantly for two days and nights and being without food except a few buds plucked from trees as he went along his shoes were worn out and the country he traveled through being extremely rough and in many places covered with Briars of a poisonous nature his feet were very much lacerated
and swollen to add to his difficulties the mountain was overgrown with Laurel and the snow lodged upon its leaves so bent it down that he was unable in many places to get along in his weak condition except by creeping upon his hands and knees under the branches 3 days had now elapsed since his escape and although he feared that the Indians were still in pursuit of him and that by traveling along the mountain they would find his tracks in the snow and by that means be led to his place of concealment yet he found himself
so lame that he could proceed no further his hands also by crawling upon them in the snow became almost as much swollen as his feet he was therefore compelled to lie by without much Prospect indeed of ever proceeding any further on his journey besides the danger of being overtaken by his Savage pursuers he was in fact in a starving condition not having tasted food since his Escape except the buds already mentioned plucked as he journeyed on from the bean wood or red bud tree as it is called on the fifth day however as he was
creeping on his hands and knees not being able yet to walk in search of buds or herbs to appease his hunger he was fortunate enough to see a rattlesnake which he killed and ate raw after Lying by 3 or 4 days he allayed the swelling of his feet by puncturing the festered Parts with the thorn he then tore up his britches and with the pieces bound up his feet as well as he could thus prepared he again set out out upon his journey limping along with great pain but he had no other alternative except to
remain where he was and die he had gone but a few miles when from a hill he had just descended he was startled by the welcome sound of a drum he called as loud as he could but there was no one to answer it was but a delusion of the imagination sad and disappointed he journeyed on again and on the Eighth Day crossed the Juniata by waiting it which on account of his lameness he accomplished with great difficulty it was now night and very cold and his clothes being wet he was so benumb that he
was afraid to lie down lest he should perish and he therefore lame and wearied as he was determined to pursue his journey although it was very dark providential circumstance for in the course of the night as he wandered on he scarcely knew whether he was attracted by the sight of a fire apparently abandoned the day before probably by a party of the settlers who were out in pursuit of the Indians remaining here till morning he discovered a path leading in the direction of the settlements which he followed with as much speed as he was able
this was the ninth day since his Escape during which time a few Buds and four snakes were all he had to subsist on in the afternoon of this day he was alarmed by suddenly meeting at a turn of his path three Indians but they proved friendly and instead of killing him as he expected when he first saw them they conducted him in a few hours to Fort littl in Bedford County a place well known to him where he remained a few days until sufficiently recruited in strength to proceed home sometime after my father's return home
he went to Fort pits which was then in the hands of the English and a number of Indians being on the opposite side of the river about to form a treaty he one evening went over to make inquiry concerning my mother my father observed among them several who were present when he was taken prisoner to these he discovered himself but they professed not to know him on which he inquired of them if they did not recollect having been at the taking of nine persons referring them to the time and place they then acknowledged it and
inquired of him how he got home Etc after which he made inquiry concerning my mother but they said they knew nothing of her but promised to give him some information by the time of his return the next day he then returned to the Fort shortly after this a young man who had been taken by the Indians went a child followed him and advised him not to return for that when he had left them he had heard them say that they had never had a stronger desire for anything than to have sunk the tomahawk into his
head and that they had agreed to kill him on his return the next day after this man had requested my father not to mention anything of him having been with him or of the subject of their conversation he returned to Camp I may here state that from the time that my father was taken by the Indians until my mother was released he did little else than Wonder from place to place in quest of information respecting her and after he was informed where she was his whole mind bent upon contriving plans for her Redemption Desiring with
this view to again go to Pittsburgh he fell in with a brigade of wagons commanded by Mr Irvine with them he proceeded as far as Bedford but finding this a tedious way of traveling he spoke to the commanding officer of the place to get captain wi eyes who commanded theart party of Indians to promise to accompany him to Pittsburgh this was accordingly done and the Indians having agreed to take him safe to pits my father set out with them having a horse and a new rifle they had proceeded but about two miles when an Indian
turned off the road and took up a scalp which that morning had been taken off one of the wagoners this alarmed my father not a little but having proceeded about 10 mies further the Indians again turned off the road and brought several horses and a keg of wh whiskey which had been concealed shortly after this the Indians began to drink so as to become intoxicated wide eyes then signified to my father that as he had ran off from them he would then shoot him and raised his gun to take Aim but my father stepping behind
a tree ran around it while the Indian followed this for a Time gave great Amusement to the bystanders until a young Indian stepped up Twisted the gun out of the hands of wi eyes and hid it under a log the Indians became considerably intoxicated and Scattered leaving wide eyes with my father wide eyes then made at him with a large stick aiming at his head but my father threw up his arm and received so severe a blow as to Blacken it for weeks at this time an Indian of another Nation who had been sent as
an Express to Bedford came by Captain wide eyes applied to him for his gun to shoot my father but the Indian refused as they were about making peace and the killing of my father would bring on another War being of different nations they were obliged to speak in English by this time my father finding himself in a desperate situation resolved at all events to attempt an escape he said to Captain wide eyes our horses are going away and went towards them expecting every minute to receive a ball in his back but on coming up to
his horse he got on him and took to the road he had gone but a short distance when he saw the Indian who had taken the gun out of widey hands sleeping at a spring and I have often heard him say had it been any of the other Indians he would have shot him fearing Pursuit he rode as fast as his horse could go and having traveled all night he got to Pittsburgh the next morning shortly after sunrise and he was not there more than 3 hours until the Indians were in after him but from
a fear of injury being done to my mother should he kill them he suppressed his anger and passed the matter by here he had an opportunity of writing her a letter requesting her to inform her adopted friends that if they would bring her in he would pay them 40 but having waited for an answer until he became impatient he bargained with an Indian to go and steal her away but the night before he was to start he declined going saying that he would be killed if he went in this situation he resolved at all hazards
to go himself and bring her for which purpose he set out and went to a place in the sisquan I think it was called shamin not far from what is called the big cherry trees from here he set out on an Indian Path along which he had traveled until evening when he was met by a party of Indians who were bringing in my mother the Indians passed him by and raised the war haloo my mother felt distressed at their situation and my father perceiving the Indians not to be in a good humor began to promise
them their pay as he had promised by letter when they would come to shamin but the Indians told him that if he got them among the whites he would then refuse to pay them and that they would then have no redress finding they were thus apprehensive he told them to keep him as a hostage out in the woods and sent his wife into town and he would then send an order for the money to be paid them and that if it was not done they might do with him as they pleased this had the desired
effect they got quite good humored and brought them in on doing which the money was paid agreeably to promise before my father and mother left shamin he requested an Indian who had been an adopted brother of my mother if he ever came to down amongst the white people to call and see him accordingly some time afterwards the Indian paid him a visit he living then about 10 miles from Chambersburg the Indian having continued for some time with him went to a Tavern known by the name of mccormix and there became somewhat intoxicated when a certain
nen since executed in Carlile for stealing horses having a large knife in his hand Struck it into the Indian's neck Edge foremost designing thereby to thrust it in between the bone and throat and by drawing it forward to cut his throat but he partly missed his aim and only cut the four part of the windpipe on this njim had to escape from justice otherwise the law would have been put in force against him and it has been remarked that ever after he continued to progress in Vice until his death a physician was brought to attend
the Indian the wound was sewed up Andy continued at my father's until he had recovered when he returned to his his own people who put him to death on the pretext of his having as they said join the white people in August 1764 according to the best accounts of the time my father and his family from Fear of the Indians having moved to my grandfather Thomas pose about 3 miles from his own place he took a black girl with him to his own place to make some hay and being there at his work a dog
which he had with him began to bark and run towards and from a Thicket of bushes observing these circumstances he became alarmed and taking up his gun told the girl to run to the house for he believed that there were Indians near so they made towards the house and had not been there more than an hour when from the loft of the house they saw a party commanded by Captain Potter late General Potter in pursuit of a party of Indians who had that morning murdered a school Master of the name of brown with 10 small
children and scalped and left for dead one by the name of archal molof who recovered and was living not long since it was remarkable that with but few exceptions the scholars were much averse to going to school that morning and the account given by molof is that when the master and Scholars met at the school two of the scholars informed him that on their way they had seen Indians but the information was not attended to by the master who ordered them to their books soon afterwards two old Indians and a boy rushed up to the
door the master seeing them prayed them only to take his life and spare the children but un feelingly the two old Indians stood at the door whilst the boy entered the house and with a piece of wood made in the form of an Indian Mall killed the master and Scholars after which the whole of them were scalped so that's it for this story from incidents of Border Life by Joseph pritz I hope to find a longer account of the schoolhouse Massacre that we heard about at the end of this story but this might be the
only account that exists we have also done a couple of videos on another school house Massacre by commanches in Hamilton Texas that occurred in 1867 you can find the link to both of these videos in the description The Bard family has also been called beard or beard and there is a 1908 book by go saamer titled The Bard family this book is freely available online if you would like to learn more about the history of this family Mrs Bard's name was Katherine po Bard and the bards had only been married since December of 1756 and
they had only one child John Bard when they were captured in 1758 and that child was the one that was so mercilessly killed by the Indians in this story Richard and Katherine Bard had about 10 children following their captivity Richard Bard's brother William Bard was the founder and namesake of Bardstown Kentucky their father was born in ANM in Northern Ireland and the family was of Scots Irish descent I will we will now read a few sections of this book The Bard family that tell about some of the events that occurred after the bards returned Captain
white eyes was of the turtle tribe of the delawares and was placed at the head of his Nation during the early years of the Revolution he was the consistent friend of the Americans in this he was opposed by his rival Captain pipe who was of the wolf tribe pipe was eager to take up the hatchet on the Western frontier of Pennsylvania but white ey successfully thwarted his designs until 1778 when the friendly Chief accompanied General macintosh's Army to tusar oraas and taking the small poox died after that Captain pipe's policy had ascendancy over the delawares
except that with the Moravian Indians upon his death pipe declared that the great spirit had probably put wide eyes out of the way that his Nation might be savedes in the end the contrary of this proved to be true after many years of bitter and often successful Warfare against the whites the delawares were almost completely annihilated by Mad Anthony Wayne The Remnant afterward shared in the overthrow of the profet by General Harrison at tipa canoe in 1818 the Delaware seeded all their land in the state of Indiana to the United States and went West to
the Mississippi later they became Incorporated with the Cherokee Nation in Texas and the Indian Country in 1903 a great grandson of white eyes was in Washington with a delegation of the delawares that was seeking compensation for infraction of their rights in Cherokee lands where he secured the friendly interest of Senator bard of California great-grandson of Richard Bard an interesting relic of Mrs Bard's captivity is still in existence it is a Great Horn Spoon made for her use by one of her Indian brothers and used by her during her stay with the delawares when Mrs Bard
died this spoon came into the possession of her Young daughter Martha from whom it descended as an heirloom to her daughter Katherine Wilson and from Katherine Wilson to her daughter Rachel MCM it is now in the possession of Miss MCM who lives at Blue as Ohio this interesting Relic was made of Black Horn with a handle elaborately carved at the top During the Revolution Mr Bard served in Captain Joseph culbertson's marching company under the call of July 28th 1777 in the campaign around Philadelphia and afterward in the ranging company of Captain Walter McKinny on the
Western frontier Captain culbertson's company marched with Colonel Arthur Buchanan's Battalion of the fifth class Cumberland County militia no particulars have been obtained of Mr Bard's service on the frontier his enrollment was with the company of Captain William Smith Richard Bard never held any political office except that of justice of the peace for Peter's Township at the time when the justice Jes were judges of the County courts his commission was dated March 15th 1786 he was however a member of the Pensylvania Convention of 1787 to which the Constitution framed by the federal convention was submitted he
was an anti-federalist and refused to sign the ratification subsequently he was a delegate to the Harrisburg Convention of 1788 in opposition to the Federal Constitution Mr Bard's colleague in the Convention of 1787 was Colonel John Allison who was an Ardent Federalist and seconded the motion to ratify made by Thomas mcken his opposition to the Federal Constitution before and after its ratification had a disastrous effect upon Mr Bard's political fortunes he was sometimes virulently assailed in the Franklin repository the Federalist organ in the county during the next 10 years like many of the early settlers on
the Pennsylvania Frontier Richard Bard soon after the close of the French and Indian War acquired extensive tracks of land as far Westward as the western side of the alagan The Bard family of Bardstown Kentucky had a tradition that during the Revolutionary period Richard Bard went to Danville with his brother William where he built a cabin that entitled him to a th000 acres of land but afterward he returned to Pennsylvania Mr bar died into State and was buried in the Presbyterian graveyard at Church Hill so that's it for this episode about the difficulties faced by The
Bard family during the French and Indian War and through the revolutionary period we will continue to cover more incidents of Border life during this time on this channel this channel is called unworthy history because we cover actual history that is now viewed as unworthy to show on History Channels on TV but here on this channel we keep this worthy History Alive by telling the stories of people who lived difficult lives long ago people whose shoes we are unworthy to stand in if you'd like to support our efforts to keep actual history alive then consider joining
our patreon page or becoming a YouTube channel member your $5 pledge each month will allow you to access our membersonly videos and you will also be recognized at the end of each episode so if you want to see more episodes like this then be sure to like And subscribe and we'll see you next time time on unworthy history
