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Settlements and Massacres

History of that part of the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys, embraced in the counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union and Snyder, in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania...
Edited by F. Ellis and A. N. Hungerford.
Published in Philadelphia by Everts, Peck & Richards, 1886
Chapter III
Pages 68-69
Indian Massacres
by A. L. Guss

"Fort Bigham" was a strong block-house and small stockade located about twelve miles from Mifflintown, in Tuscarora Valley, on the plantation of Samuel Bigham, who, with three other Scotch-Irish settlers,--viz.: John and James Gray and Robert Hoag,--came and located at that place soon after 1754, and, joining their forces, built a "fort" on Bigham's land as a place of refuge and protection for themselves and families. It was also used as a shelter by the other settlers who came to the vicinity during the succeeding seven years, until June, 1756, when it was attacked, captured and burned by Indians, who killed or took prisoner every person who was in the fort. The Pennsylvania Gazette of June 17, gave this account of the massacre:

"We have advice from Carlisle that on Friday night last (June 11th), Capt. Bigham's Fort, in Tuscarora Valley, was destroyed by the Indians. There is no particular account come to hand, only in general it is said that all that were in it are either killed or carried off; and that a woman, big with child, was found dead and scalped near the fort, mangled in a most shocking manner."

From Pennsylvania Gazette, June 24. "The following is a list of persons killed, and missing at Bigham's Fort, viz: George Woods, Nathaniel Bigham, Robert Taylor, his wife and two children, Francis Innis, his wife and three children, John McDonell, Hannah Gray, and one child, missing. Some of these supposed to be burnt in the fort, as a number of bones were found there. Susan Giles was found dead and scalped in the neighborhood of the fort. Robert Cochran and Thomas McKinney found dead, scalped. Alexander McAllister and his wife, James Adams, Jane Cochran and two children missed. McAllister's house was burned and a number of cattle and horses driven off. The enemy was supposed to be numerous, as they did eat and carry off a great deal of Beef they had killed."

At the time when the savages made their attack on the fort, John Gray, one of the above-named original settlers of the place, was absent at Carlisle, whither he had gone to procure salt. On his return he found the fort destroyed and his family missing,--probably prisoners in the hands of the Indians. In the hope of finding, or hearing from them, he volunteered to go with Colonel Armstrong, in the expedition which went soon afterwards, against the Indian town of Kittaning, on the Allegheny, but he gained no intelligence of those whom he sought, and soon after his return he left the Juniata country, and went back to his old home in Bucks County, where he remained until his death. Meanwhile, his wife and daughter had been taken by their savage captors to Kittaning and thence to Canada, from which latter place Mrs. Gray escaped and returned to Tuscarora Valley in 1757. Afterwards, a young woman claiming to be the daughter made her appearance there also, and was said to have been recognized by the mother; a full account of the case will be found in Milford township, Juniata County.

	Juniata Co PAGenWeb