L'affaire des indiens
1. The Pennsylvania Gazette. Thursday, Aug 5, 1756.
"We have Advice from Cumberland County, that on the 22d ult about 60 Indians appeared before Fort Granville, and challenged the Commander of it to come out and fight them; but that he being but weak-handed, did not think proper to accept of the Challenge; that they fired at, and wounded, one of the Men that belonged to the Fort in the Thigh, who happened to be a little Way from it, but not so badly but that he got safe in; that they lurked about the Place for some Time, expecting to catch some of our People, but they being upon their Guard, were disappointed; and that then they went off, after shooting down all the Cattle they could find.
"We hear further from the same Place, that on Thursday last twelve Indians (Part of those that were at Fort Granville) went to the Plantation of one Baskins, near Juniata, whom they murdered in a cruel Manner, burnt his House, and carried off his Wife and Children; That one Hugh Carroll and Family were made Prisoners about the same time by some Indians, who asked Carroll a great many Questions, particularly with respect to the Strength of Harris's, Hunter's and McKee's Forts; and said they would soon shew him a great Number of French and Indians, who, they told him, were coming down to fall upon this Province; but that he, notwithstanding they thought they had tied him very securely, made Shift to untie himself in the Night, and made his Escape."
This dates it as July 29, 1756. Letters of administration in Cumberland County were issued to James Baskins and Arthur Forster in the William Baskins estate on Aug 28, 1756.
2. Rupp's History of Dauphin and other Cos, 1846, p 338 as reported by Michael Steever.
"At one time when Mr. William Baskins, granduncle to Cornelius and James Baskins, having a crop of grain on what is now called Duncan's Island (having however previously removed his family to Fort Hunter for security) returned with part of his family to cut the grain; and while engaged, all on a sudden they were startled by a yell or whooping of Indians, who were hard by; however, on discovering they were neighbors, their alarms were quieted; but, alas! they were deceived; for the barbarous savages, as soon as near enough, gave them to distinctly understand that their object was their scalps! At this moment they all fled in consternation hotly pursued, towards the house, and when there, Mr. Baskins, in the act of getting his gun, was shot dead and scalped; his wife, a daughter of about seven, and a son three years old were abducted.
"Mrs. Baskins affected her escape from the Indians somewhere near Carlisle; the daughter was taken to the Miami country, west of the Ohio, then an unbroken wilderness, where she was detained for more than six years, when in conformity to a treaty made with the Indians, she was delivered up, and returned. She was afterwards married to Mr. John Smith, whose son James is now residing in Newport, Perry County, and to whom I am indebted for this interesting tradition. The lad who was taken at the same time was carried to Canada, where he was raised by Sir William Johnson, not knowing the name of the boy, when he was baptized by a missionary was named Timothy Murphy. He was afterwards discovered by Alexander Stephens, Mr. James Stephens' father, who resides in Juniata Township, Perry County, by some peculiar mark on his head. He has visited his friends in Perry. James Smith, his nephew, when at Canada in defense of his country, during the late war (1812), visited him and found him comfortably situated near Malden in Upper Canada (Ontario), and the owner of a large estate."
3. James Smith's daughter, Isabella, was born Feb 16, 1814. On Jan 29, 1898, she wrote:
"Our grandmother was taken prisoner by the Indians, when seven years old, was 14 when they got her back. Her brother was five years old, him they never got. Their name was Baskins. Rachel Finley was her first husband's child. She was a half-sister to your mother and my father. Agnes was Mitchell's girls mother. Mary was your mother's name. Rachel died a maiden lady...John Smith was the youngest brother, lived with his brother, James...in Lewistown."
4. Account given by William Baskins (b 1826) in IA in 1914, as told by his grandfather, George Baskins (1761 - 1852), a nephew of William d 1756. In error William of IA thought it was George's father, rather than uncle.
"When a small boy he and his brother who was almost a young man went early one morning into the woods to hunt for their horses. Their mother had been called to attend to a sick neighbor the night before and took the baby, a little girl, with her. The boys heard shots fired and crept to the edge of the clearing to see their father and the other children dragged out by Indians. All but one or two children were killed and these were carried away captive. Their home was burned. The boys hid in the brush and so escaped."
Women did not remain widows long on the frontier. About 1760 Mary Baskins remarried -- a man named Findley. A William Findley is listed in William Baskins' estate. Daughter Margaret also married (first) a Findley. Mary's second husband must have died during the Pontiac War for on Jun 20, 1765 Mary Baskins Findley married Francis Ellis. In 1767 the wife of Francis Ellis is called the former Widow Baskins. In 1771 James Baskins, administrator of the William Baskins estate, entered a judgment against Francis and Mary Ellis. Francis Ellis had a grandson, Robert Findley Ellis. Mary died before 1784.
"We have Advice from Cumberland County, that on the 22d ult about 60 Indians appeared before Fort Granville, and challenged the Commander of it to come out and fight them; but that he being but weak-handed, did not think proper to accept of the Challenge; that they fired at, and wounded, one of the Men that belonged to the Fort in the Thigh, who happened to be a little Way from it, but not so badly but that he got safe in; that they lurked about the Place for some Time, expecting to catch some of our People, but they being upon their Guard, were disappointed; and that then they went off, after shooting down all the Cattle they could find.
"We hear further from the same Place, that on Thursday last twelve Indians (Part of those that were at Fort Granville) went to the Plantation of one Baskins, near Juniata, whom they murdered in a cruel Manner, burnt his House, and carried off his Wife and Children; That one Hugh Carroll and Family were made Prisoners about the same time by some Indians, who asked Carroll a great many Questions, particularly with respect to the Strength of Harris's, Hunter's and McKee's Forts; and said they would soon shew him a great Number of French and Indians, who, they told him, were coming down to fall upon this Province; but that he, notwithstanding they thought they had tied him very securely, made Shift to untie himself in the Night, and made his Escape."
This dates it as July 29, 1756. Letters of administration in Cumberland County were issued to James Baskins and Arthur Forster in the William Baskins estate on Aug 28, 1756.
2. Rupp's History of Dauphin and other Cos, 1846, p 338 as reported by Michael Steever.
"At one time when Mr. William Baskins, granduncle to Cornelius and James Baskins, having a crop of grain on what is now called Duncan's Island (having however previously removed his family to Fort Hunter for security) returned with part of his family to cut the grain; and while engaged, all on a sudden they were startled by a yell or whooping of Indians, who were hard by; however, on discovering they were neighbors, their alarms were quieted; but, alas! they were deceived; for the barbarous savages, as soon as near enough, gave them to distinctly understand that their object was their scalps! At this moment they all fled in consternation hotly pursued, towards the house, and when there, Mr. Baskins, in the act of getting his gun, was shot dead and scalped; his wife, a daughter of about seven, and a son three years old were abducted.
"Mrs. Baskins affected her escape from the Indians somewhere near Carlisle; the daughter was taken to the Miami country, west of the Ohio, then an unbroken wilderness, where she was detained for more than six years, when in conformity to a treaty made with the Indians, she was delivered up, and returned. She was afterwards married to Mr. John Smith, whose son James is now residing in Newport, Perry County, and to whom I am indebted for this interesting tradition. The lad who was taken at the same time was carried to Canada, where he was raised by Sir William Johnson, not knowing the name of the boy, when he was baptized by a missionary was named Timothy Murphy. He was afterwards discovered by Alexander Stephens, Mr. James Stephens' father, who resides in Juniata Township, Perry County, by some peculiar mark on his head. He has visited his friends in Perry. James Smith, his nephew, when at Canada in defense of his country, during the late war (1812), visited him and found him comfortably situated near Malden in Upper Canada (Ontario), and the owner of a large estate."
3. James Smith's daughter, Isabella, was born Feb 16, 1814. On Jan 29, 1898, she wrote:
"Our grandmother was taken prisoner by the Indians, when seven years old, was 14 when they got her back. Her brother was five years old, him they never got. Their name was Baskins. Rachel Finley was her first husband's child. She was a half-sister to your mother and my father. Agnes was Mitchell's girls mother. Mary was your mother's name. Rachel died a maiden lady...John Smith was the youngest brother, lived with his brother, James...in Lewistown."
4. Account given by William Baskins (b 1826) in IA in 1914, as told by his grandfather, George Baskins (1761 - 1852), a nephew of William d 1756. In error William of IA thought it was George's father, rather than uncle.
"When a small boy he and his brother who was almost a young man went early one morning into the woods to hunt for their horses. Their mother had been called to attend to a sick neighbor the night before and took the baby, a little girl, with her. The boys heard shots fired and crept to the edge of the clearing to see their father and the other children dragged out by Indians. All but one or two children were killed and these were carried away captive. Their home was burned. The boys hid in the brush and so escaped."
Women did not remain widows long on the frontier. About 1760 Mary Baskins remarried -- a man named Findley. A William Findley is listed in William Baskins' estate. Daughter Margaret also married (first) a Findley. Mary's second husband must have died during the Pontiac War for on Jun 20, 1765 Mary Baskins Findley married Francis Ellis. In 1767 the wife of Francis Ellis is called the former Widow Baskins. In 1771 James Baskins, administrator of the William Baskins estate, entered a judgment against Francis and Mary Ellis. Francis Ellis had a grandson, Robert Findley Ellis. Mary died before 1784.
- Source/Citation References (2)
- Individual: Mary
- Individual: Margaret Baskins