“Its ruins plainly indicate its destruction by fire. Burnt stone, melted glass and iron, leave no doubt of this. All through the groundworks are to be found great quantities of mouldering bones. Amongst the ruins, knives, gun-barrels, locks, and musket-balls have been frequently found, and still continue to be found. About the centre of the area are seen the ruins of the magazine, in which, with what truth I cannot vouch, is said to be a well. The same tradition also adds, ‘And in that well there is a cannon,’ but no examination has been made for it.”
[290] Extract from a Letter—Fort Bedford, June 30, 1763 (Penn. Gaz. No. 1802).
“This Morning a Party of the Enemy attacked fifteen Persons, who were mowing in Mr. Croghan’s Field, within a Mile of the Garrison; and News is brought in of two Men being killed.—Eight o’clock. Two Men are brought in, alive, tomahawked and scalped more than Half the Head over—Our Parade just now presents a Scene of bloody and savage Cruelty; three Men, two of which are in the Bloom of Life, the other an old man, lying scalped (two of them still alive) thereon: Any thing feigned in the most fabulous Romance, cannot parallel the horrid Sight now before me; the Gashes the poor People bear are most terrifying.—Ten o’clock. They are just expired—One of them, after being tomahawked and scalped, ran a little way, and got on a Loft in Mr. Croghan’s House, where he lay till found by a Party of the Garrison.”
[291] This is a common Indian metaphor. To destroy an enemy is, in their phrase, to eat him.
[292] MS. Report of Conference with the Indians at Fort Pitt, July 26, 1763.
[293] Extract from a MS. Letter—Colonel Bouquet to Sir J. Amherst:—
“Fort Pitt, 11th Aug. 1763.
“Sir:
“We Arrived here Yesterday, without further Opposition than Scattered Shots along the Road.
“The Delawares, Shawnese, Wiandots, & Mingoes had closely Beset, and Attacked this Fort from the 27th July, to the First Instant, when they Quitted it to March against us.