The following letter received in town, gives a description of the wanton and barbarous conduct of the American army, in destroying a settlement of the Moravian missionaries, in their late irruption into province:–

“Yesterday I received a very afflicting account from North America, by a letter from New York, dated Dec. 27 1813, concerning a report of the total destruction of our settlement, ??? ??? on the 6th of October, by the American army under General Harrison. It was the consequence of the invasion of that province, after the capture of the little fleet on Lake Erie, and the defeat of the s[?]al British force under the [?] of occupying the Chapel and some other houses for our sick British soldiers, and considering the danger the Christian Indians were in from the malice of the Americans, it was his advice, that the Missionaries and the Indian Congregation should retreat farther into the country. When the Americans were successful in the latter, it became necessary to take steps of effect it. The British behaved very kindly to the brethren, and offered to purchase the houses and cottages, but their defeat prevented it. On entering the place, the Americans first pretended to be friendly, and sorry that the Indians had fled, who had gone with Mr and Mrs Denke (one of the Missionaries) up the river. Mr and Mrs Schnall, and the aged Missionary, Michael Young, remained.

“During the first night the Americans already changed their tone, or rather showed their real character. They began to abuse the Missionaries with curses, and all manner of insults, plundering the houses ; and General Harrison, to whom we appealed, would grant no redress. They took every thing that was??? away ; and, under a pretence that King’s stores and English goods were lodged in the houses, ransacked every place, and every trunk and chest belonging to individuals. Commodore Perry, who had defeated the Mosquito fleet on the lake, was there, and behaved rather better than the rest, advicing the Missionaries to get away as fast as they could. They did so with difficulty, and shortly after the Americans set the place on fire, and burnt down the whole, even every outhouse[?]. The poor Missionaries had a very tedious journey, and reached Silitiz, a settlement of the Brethren in Pennsylvania, December 11. Whither the Christian Indians have fled is not known ; they had proposed to go to the Grand River, about 100 miles off.


Citation: Caledonian Mercury (Edinburgh, United Kingdom), 19 March 1814, available at the Scissors and Paste Database, http://www.scissorsandpaste.net/111.