Fort Seybert massacre, 1758

The morning of April 28, 1758 dawned upon Fort Seybert with a fog hanging over the valley of South Fork as if presaging the calamity that hung over the heads of the settlers. By an unfortunate conjunction of events, part of the men were absent from the settelment, having crossed the Shenandoah Mountains the day before. Probably because of their absence, the men, women and children were gathered within the fort. They knew that danger was imminent, but were unaware of the immediate presence of an enemy stealing steathily among them. Concealed by the fog and protected by the forest was a party of forty Shawnee warriors. At their head was the revengeful and treacherous Kilbuck. It is probable that they separated into several groups for the purpose of surprising and capturing the scattered settlers. One of these captured Mrs. Peter Hawes (Sarah Dyer) at her home at what is now the Laban Davis place near Brandywine, opposite the mouth of Hawes Run. She was taken on down the river toward the fort, and as her captors conducted her along the high bank of the river, she suddenly pushed one of the savages next to the river into the water. He returned in a rage threatening to kill her, but his companions restrained him, and laughed at him, calling him a "squaw man". The first violent act of the savages near the fort was the killing of William Dyer. Mr. Dyer was out hunting when waylaid by the savages. He attempted to fire upon them, but his flint lock gun missed fire and he was shot dead. Now that the presence of the savages was known, the settlers fastened the gate and put themselves on the defensive. An Indian peering over the ledge of rocks, under the brow of the hill was espied by Nicholas Seybert, fifteen year old son of Captian Seybert, from his position at a loophole, and fired upon. Kilbuck now changed his attack to strategy, and called out to Captain Seybert in English that they would all be spared. Seybert entered into a parley with Kilbuck as a result of which he agreed to surrender without resistance, and turn over to the Indians the money and valuables of the fort. Kilbuck agreed that the inmates of the fort would not be harmed. Some of the inmates favored this conditional surrender while others opposed it. Nicholas Seybert was bitter in his opposition, and attempted by violence to prevent the surrender. Before the gate was opened, he took aim at Kilbuck and would have killed him dead but his gun was knocked aside by his father. The bullet struck Kilbuck's feet. There has been much conjecture as to why Captain Seybert confided in the promise of an Indian, on the war path, and did the most unparalled thing of surrendering to a savage foe. Whatever his reason or reasons, it appears now to have been a mistake. Results might have been better had they resisted and if young Seybert had been permitted to kill the leader. The Indians would have withdrawn, but these things were not known until too late. Events in the past are clearer than in the future. The gate was now thrown open and the Indans began to enter. Kilbuck greeted Seybert by striking him in the mouth with the pipe end of his tomahawk, knocking loose his front teeth. This deed and the action of the savages showed the settlers, too late, what they might expect. Confusion followed. Young Seybert refused to surrender and was overpowered. A man named Robertson managed to secrete himself and was the only one who managed to escape. The inmates were made prisoners, the money and valuables secured, and the block house set on fire. The Indians took their prisoners up the slope toward the South Fork Mountains about a quarter of a mile. Here they divided the prisoners into two groups, placing in one group those whom they selected as desirables for captives. At some time while the prisoners were being separated, James Dyer, a swift-footed youth of fourteen, broke from them and attempted to escape by flight. So swift was he that his pursuers did not overtake him until he had reached the river three-quarters of a mile distant. Here in a cane-brake, opposite the dwelling of J. W. Conrad, he was taken. Because of his swiftness, he was preserved from death by his captors. Having selected and bound their prisoners, the remaining prisoners doomed to perish were placed in a row, probably seated upon a log. About this time, Roger Dyer, who was among the doomed ones, was struck in the mouth with a tomahawk. His daugher, Mrs. Hawes (Sarah Dyer Hawes), also among the victims, saw him spit the broken teeth from his mouth, and fainted. When she had recovered, she was placed among the captives, and one of them placed in her stead. This change which saved her life was made because the Indians had among their many superstitions one which prevented their killing a person in a fainting condition. The fatal moment had come. The unfortunate victims were quickly tomahawked, then scalped, and their bodies left lying where they fell, seventeen in all. The names of three have come down: Captain Seybert, Roger Dyer, and the Wallace boy. The Indians had done what they came to do and started quickly on their return. They put their eleven captives in line, bore their wounded warriors, and started Indian-file northward up the mountainside. When they had traveled seveal days, young Seybert called attention to a flock of young turkeys flying some distance from them. Kilbuck remarked that he had sharp eyes and asked if he was not the one who shot the warrior who died on the way. Young Seybert replied that he was, and said the he would have killed Kilbuck, also, if his father had not knocked his gun aside. Kilbuck complimented the young man's bravery and told him if he had killed him (Kilbuck), the warriors would have given up the attack and fled. The captives whose names are known were Nicholas Seybert, James Dyer, Mrs. Hawes (Sarah Dyer Hawes), Mrs. Peterson and a Miss Hevener. The latter was probably the first captive to return, but no details of her escape are known. After the lapse of two years, James Dyer had gained the confidence of his captors and was taken by them on trading expeditions. While in Fort Pitt on one of these expeditions, he was sent with an Indian boy to buy bread. Eluding the watchfulness of his companion, James entered a cabin and sought protection. The trader's wife hid him behind a chest and threw a pile of furs over him. The Indians spent the afternoon searching for him. In the course of their search, they entered the cabin and began throwing the furs off, one by one. When he was almost uncovered, they ceased their examination and James Dyer was safe. An English trooper conveyed him six or seven miles on horseback from which place he reached his friends in Pennsylvania.

THE RESCUE OF MRS. HAWES BY HER BROTHER-IN-LAW, MATTHEW PATTON

When Matthew Patton took his cattle to market at Pittsburgh, the dealer to whom he sold them told him that an Indian tribe there had a red-headed woman among them. Mr. Patton suspected this was his wife's sister and had the dealer to arrange for her to come into his store where he concealed her behind his counter and covered her with furs. The Indians began to search for her, and entered the store. As in searching for her brother, they threw off part of the covering hides. Thoroughness not being a characteristic of the Indian habits, they ceased in both searches before uncovering the fugitives. That night, Mr. Patton, accompanied by Mrs. Hawes, left Pittsburgh secretly and traveled until daylight, when he hid her in the thick top of a fallen tree. Night came on, and Mr. Patton rejoined her and they traveled again. After that, he provided her with other clothes instead of her Indian apparel and they traveled by day until their return. Mrs. Hawes had been with the Indians seven years and had traveled to the Great Lakes and over much of the prairie of the middle west. She often spoke of the country she had traversed. Mrs. Hawes had a daughter, just a child at the time of her capture. This child, Hannah, was with relatives near Dayton when her mother was carried away, and when Sarah Hawes retured from captivity after many years the child had forgotten her, and at first feared her mother. When Mrs. Hawes returned, she brought with her a large spoon which the Indians had carved for her from a buffalo's horn. This spoon was handed down and is still possessed by one of her descendants. Another keepsake in the family is the wearing apparel of her little son, Sammy Davis, who was drowned.

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Category: Early Settlers of Old Augusta