The Indian Eve Story: Bedford PA.
VERY early one autumn morning several men had come to
the Earnest home just north of Bedford to help make fence
rails. While sitting around the chimney fire, they heard a
noise like owls hooting. One of them said, "We will not make
many rails for it is going to rain soon - the owls are hooting."
It was the war whoop of the Indians they heard, and in a
moment they were upon them. One or two of the men were
killed at once. Mr. Earnest reached for his gun above the
door but was shot. The men were all scalped.
George, must have been in bed yet, as he sprang up and
tried to jump out of a window and go around to the opposite
window and reach in to get his gun; he was shot at, fell from
the window as if dead, and made his escape in his shirt.
In this time the mother had gone to the loft where Mary and
Jacob were still asleep. She was about to hide them in tow,
but fearing the Indians would burn the house she let them
out at the roof. Mary - they called her Molly - ran as fast as
she could down through a meadow and made her escape.
Jacob slid down off the roof and hid in smart weed. He said,
he could see the whites of their eyes glaring as they were
hunting for them. Nothing has ever been said as to how
Johannas escaped.
The family had a loom and did their weaving. While the
Indians were cutting a coverlet out to take along, and
parleying about it, the mother pushed her husband's scalp,
and at least one of the others behind a chest. Looking all
around after missing the scalps and talking, they thought
this was some token and got ready to leave at once.
What a scene at day break on that fatal morning! Here
beside the stream they had built their cabin home, and
while the father cleared the forest and raised grain for food
and flax for clothing, the mother spun, and wove, and
sewed, and cooked by the hearth, and took care of the
garden besides assisting her husband, in the fields. In a few
hours these ties were all broken. The mother stepping over
the blood drops of her husband--almost stepping over their
scalped bodies, must flee from her home with the savages
in great haste, leaving all that was precious behind her,
except her little boy Henry and two year old baby Mike.
Pressing her baby boy to her bosom with one arm and
leading Henry by her side, she went not knowing whither,
nor the fate of the other children. By her presence of mind
in hiding the scalps she was saved the awful sight of seeing
her husband's scalp dangling from an Indian's belt on the
long journey.
It is said the whites pursued the Indians as they generally
did, and were near them, but they hid their captives in
hollow trees and made them hold their hands over their
children's mouths if they would cry. Some say the mother
could hear the pursuers but she could not make a noise for
the Indians were hid near.
Their route was no doubt through "Indian Path Valley," now
called "Moses Valley" on through Blair County, and then
through the gorge at Kittanning Point, the old Indian trail.
This trail was where the reservoirs are now, where her
descendants look over daily. They may have stopped long
enough to drink at the spring of good water just beyond the
toe of the "horse shoe."
Eve and her two children lived for a period of time with the
Indians at their camp. While in camp they worked for the
Indians and did not have such a hard life, but following
them over the mountains, through forests, marshes and
streams was very hard. Once when going over a river in
bark canoes, she prayed that they would all be drowned but
the Lord did not answer her prayer. Sometimes they did not
have anything to eat but deer tallow, and they gave her a
small portion for herself and watched to see if she would
give any to the boys. At other times they had plenty of meat
but it was often spoiled. She sometimes slipped some in her
apron and threw it away when they did not see her.
Eventually the family was taken to Fort Detroit and sold to
the English. Eve worked for men at the fort until she had
enough money to pay for her release. 9 years after being
captured, Eve and her two children started their long
journey home to Bedford County.
MESSIAH LUTHERAN CHURCH (BEDFORD) – INDIAN EVE’S
GRAVE