"And I think history says a successful mission was established there," remarked Grandma Elsie, as the captain paused, as if at the end of his story.
"Yes," he replied, "and it was continued until a war between the Shawnees and the Delawares destroyed the peace of the valley."
"What was that war about, papa?" asked Ned.
"Like many others it was about a very foolish thing," replied the captain. "The Shawnees were a not very powerful tribe, and lived by permission of the Delawares on the western bank of the Susquehanna. One day the warriors of both tribes were hunting upon the mountains when a party of women and children of the Shawnees crossed to the Delaware side to gather fruit, and were joined by some of the Delaware squaws and children. After a while two of the children--a Shawnee and a Delaware--got into a quarrel over a grasshopper. Then the mothers took part,--the Shawnees on one side, the Delawares on the other,--and the Delawares, who were the more numerous, drove the Shawnees home, killing several on the way. When the Shawnee hunters came home, saw their dead women, and heard the sad story, they were very angry, crossed the river, and attacked the Delawares. A bloody battle followed; the Shawnees were beaten, and retreated to the banks of the Ohio, where lived a larger portion of their tribe."
"There are not many more historic scenes in this State that we will care to visit at this time, are there, papa?" asked Grace.
"I think not," he said; "we are going west, and most of them are already east of us."
"But, father," said Lucilla, "we have hardly touched upon the history of Wyoming."
"True," he returned; "but it is so very sad that I fear its recital would rather detract from the enjoyment of this lovely scenery. However, I will give you a brief account of what took place here during the Revolutionary War.
"Early in the summer of 1778 the movements of Brant and his warriors, the Johnsons and Butlers and their Tory legions, upon the upper waters of the Susquehanna, and the actions of the Tories in the Wyoming Valley, greatly alarmed the people. Nearly all their able-bodied men were away in the Continental Army; none was left to defend the valley but old men, boys, and women. Afraid of the savages, they were building six forts, going through all the labor required in that work without payment except the hope of self-defence.