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