In 1755, the year after Peter’s captor, a road builder by the name of James Smith was ambushed in the Pennsylvania wilds. He and his partner fought, his partner being killed and scalped, while he was taken captive, to escape five years later. His captors are depicted as being dressed, armed and groomed in the same manner as those described by Peter.
-from a period sketch done in charcoal
The old people, who are by age and infirmities rendered incapable of being serviceable to the community, they put out of the world in a barbarous and extraordinary manner; an instance of which I had, whilst among them, an opportunity of seeing
practised on an old Indian. He being, through age, feeble and weak, and his eyes failing him, so that he was unable to get his living either by hunting or shooting; was summoned to appear before several of the leading ones, who were to be his judges. Before whom being come, and having nothing to say for himself, was how indeed could he prove himself to be young?
They very formally, and with a seeming degree of compassion, passed sentence on him to be put to death. This was soon after executed on him in the following manner: he was tied naked to a tree, and a boy, who was to be his executioner, stood ready with a tomahawk in his hands, to beat his brains out; but when the young monster came to inflict the sentence, he was so short of stature that he could not lift the tomahawk high enough; upon which he was held up by some others, a great concourse being present; and then, though the young devil laid on with all his strength, he was not for some time able to fracture the old man's scull, so that it was near an hour before he was dead. — Thus are they, from their youth, inured to barbarity!
When they found no remains of life in him, they put him into a hole dug in the ground for that purpose, in which he stood upright. Into his left hand they put an old gun, and hung a small powder-horn and shot-bag about his shoulders, and a string of wampum round his neck ; and into his right hand a little silk purse with a bit of money in it; then filled the hole round, and covered him over with earth. This I found to be the usual manner of treating the old of both sexes; only that the women are killed by young girls, and put into the ground with nothing but a ladle in one hand, and a wooden dish in the other.
They are very strict in punishing offenders, especially such as commit crimes against any of the royal families. They never hang any; but those sentenced to death are generally bound to a stake, and a great fire made round them, but not so near as to burn them immediately; for they sometimes remain roasting in the middle of the flames for two or three days before they are dead.
After this long digression, it is time to return to the detail of my own affairs.
