prisoner, he was
tomahawked before they proceeded far.

Before they could accomplish farther mischief a fall of snow, making
them apprehensive that they would be pursued by the united force of
the settlement, induced them to return to Alamingo--taking Williamson
with them.

On their way back, they met with the party of Indians, which had
separated from them, as they approached the settlements. These had
been lower down on the Susquehanna, and had succeeded in making
greater havoc, and committing more depredations, than it had fallen to
the lot of those who had taken Williamson, to commit. They had with
them three prisoners and twenty scalps. According to the account of
their transactions as detailed by the prisoners, they had on one day
killed and scalped John Lewis, his wife and three children, and in a
few days after had murdered, with almost every circumstance of
cruelty, Jacob Miller, his wife and six children, and George Folke,
his wife and nine children, cutting up the bodies of the latter
family and giving them piece-meal to the hogs in the pen. Wherever
they had been, destruction marked their course. In every instance the
houses, barns and grain stacks were consumed by fire; and the stock
killed.

The three prisoners who had been brought in by the last party,
endeavored soon after to effect an escape; but their ignorance of the
country, and the persevering activity and vigilance of the Indians,
prevented the accomplishment of their attempt. They were overtaken,
and brought back; and then commenced a series of cruelties, tortures
and death, sufficient to shock the sensibilities of the most obdurate
heart, if unaccustomed to the perpetration of such enormities.

Two of them were tied to trees, around which large fires were kindled,
and they suffered to remain for some time, in the gradual but horrible
state of being scorched to death. After the Indians had enjoyed awhile
the writhings of agony and the tears of anguish, which were drawn from
these suffering victims, one, stepping within the circle, ripped open
their bodies and threw their bowels into the flames. Others, to
emulate [78] this most shocking deed, approached, and with knives,
burning sticks, and heated irons, continued to lacerate, pierce and
tear the flesh from their breasts, arms and legs, 'till death closed
the scene of horrors and rendered its victims insensible to its
pains.

The third was reserved a few hours, that he might be sacrificed