The Paxton Boys were Pennsylvania's most aggressive colonists according to historian Kevin Kenny. While not many specifics are known about the individuals in the group their overall profile is clear. Paxton Boys Lived in hill country northwest of Lancaster County and across the

Susquehanna River The Susquehanna River (; Lenape: Siskëwahane) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, overlapping between the lower Northeast and the Upland South. At long, it is the longest river on the East Coast of the Uni ...

in Cumberland County. Due to their westward position, they were considered the frontier at the time and consistently targeted during Indian wars and conflicts. Due to the lack of support from the local Provincial Government, The Paxton boys formed a vigilante group in 1763 to defend themselves during the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the s ...

and

Pontiac's War Pontiac's War (also known as Pontiac's Conspiracy or Pontiac's Rebellion) was launched in 1763 by a loose confederation of Native Americans dissatisfied with British rule in the Great Lakes region following the French and Indian War (1754–176 ...

. Using their

Presbyterianism Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their na ...

faith, Paxton Boy's leadership declared that Native Americans were “Cainites”(A biblical representation of evil) and believed that they needed to be destroyed. The Paxton Boys did not limit their hate to Native Tribes but also “Whites,

Quakers Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abili ...

, and German Moravians, when they believed that these groups too jeopardized the security of the backcountry” This group also became known for massacring the

Susquehannock The Susquehannock people, also called the Conestoga by some English settlers or Andastes were Iroquoian Native Americans who lived in areas adjacent to the Susquehanna River and its tributaries, ranging from its upper reaches in the southern pa ...

tribe during an event known as the Conestoga Massacre. Following attacks on the Conestoga, in January 1764 about 250 Paxton Boys marched on

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

to demonstrate their anger at the legislature. Met by leaders in Germantown, they agreed to disperse on the promise by

Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin ( April 17, 1790) was an American polymath who was active as a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher, and political philosopher. Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the leading intel ...

to provide their grievances a hearing in the legislature.

Attack on Susquehannock

Background

In the aftermath of the

, no Europeans had yet settled in the frontier of Pennsylvania. A new wave of Scots-Irish immigrants encroached on Native American land in the backcountry often in blatant violation of previously signed treaties. These settlers claimed that Indians often raided their homes. Reverend John Elder, who was the parson at

Paxtang Paxtang is a borough in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 1,640. The borough is a suburb of Harrisburg and is one of the earliest colonial settlements in South Central Pennsylvania. Histo ...

, became a leader of the settlers. He was known as the "Fighting Parson" and kept his rifle in the pulpit while he delivered his sermons. During Pontiac's war in 1763, John Elder was given command of 110 men named the Paxton Boys or Paxtang Boys to defend the frontier. John believed that he did not have enough men to defend that frontier and petitioned the local government to allow him to take offensive actions against the native tribes. Paxton leadership struggled with the idea of allied Indian tribes and constantly insisted “the distinction between “friendly” and “enemy” Indians was invalid. All Indians were enemies and must be treated accordingly.” This anti-native ideology would influence all Paxton actions throughout its existence. The

tribe which inhabited Conestoga Indiantown had lived on the land which William Penn ceded to their ancestors in the 1690s. Once the crossroads of diplomacy and trade was now in permanent decline. . Many Conestoga were Christian, and they had lived peacefully with their European neighbors for decades. They lived by bartering handicrafts, hunting, and from subsistence food given to them by the Pennsylvania government. The Indians could not hunt for fear of being mistaken for an enemy by colonial forces. Will Sock the prominent member of the tribe became a target by the Paxton boys as they made unsubstantiated claims that the Conestoga secretly provided aid and intelligence to rebellious tribes. These claims came from a man named Mathew Smith who along with five companions decided to investigate the Conestoga village. “ Smith believed he could see dozens of strangers armed Indians in the little village and the six returned for help” John Elder sent a short message to the party to dissuade the coming violence but it had little effect.

The Massacre

At daybreak on December 14, 1763, a

vigilante Vigilantism () is the act of preventing, investigating and punishing perceived offenses and crimes without legal authority. A vigilante (from Spanish, Italian and Portuguese “vigilante”, which means "sentinel" or "watcher") is a person who ...

group of Fifty-seven Scots-Irish frontiersmen attacked homes in Conestoga Town (near present-day Millersville), murdered six, and burned their cabins. Fourteen of the Conestoga's had been unable to reach home having been away selling personal wares the previous evening and spent the night with neighbors. After hearing of the murders they fled to Lancaster town where the new governor John Penn offered them refuge in the local prisons. The colonial government in the wake of the massacre held an inquest and determined that the killings were murder. The new governor, John Penn (William Penn’s Grandson) offered a reward for the capture of the Paxton Boys. Penn placed the remaining Fourteen-sixteen Conestoga in protective custody in Lancaster. Believing that one of the protected Indians was a murderer the Paxton Boys road to Lancaster believing their job was only half done. John Elder himself appeared before the angry mob to try and restrain them but to little effect. On December 27, 1763, under the leadership of Matthew Smith and Lazarus Stewart, a mob of Paxton Boys broke into the Lancaster prison. They killed, scalped, and dismembered six adults and eight children. The government of Pennsylvania offered a new reward after this second attack, this time 200 pounds (53,363 U.S. Dollars in 2022) for the capture of any of the ringleaders involved with the massacre. The attackers were never identified. Many of the residents of where they lived had sympathy towards the Paxton Boys and their efforts, therefore no prosecutions were put into action. There was a strong feeling among many of the Quakers that many of the law-keeping officials such as the sheriff, the coroners, and the magistrates were not fully cooperating with the government to bring the leaders of the massacre to justice. The Conestoga murders were meant to “convey a message” not just to scare the Philadelphia provincial authorities but also the local elites. Following these successful acts of violence, it was clear to the Paxton leaders that local authorities would struggle to respond to any escalations of violence in the future. Many colonists were outraged about the December killings of innocent Conestoga, describing the murders as more savage than those committed by Indians. Benjamin Franklin's "Narrative of the Late Massacres" concluded with noting that the Conestoga would have been safe among any other people on earth, no matter how primitive, except "'white savages' from Peckstang and Donegall!" The Rev. Elder, who was not directly implicated in either attack, wrote to Governor Penn, on January 27, 1764:

March on Philadelphia

In January 1764, the Paxton Boys marched toward Philadelphia with about 250 men to challenge the government for failing to protect them and with claims to kill the Indians settled on Provincial Island. Due to the circulation of rumors however many Philadelphian citizens believed that the number of marchers could exceed far into the hundreds and possibly thousands. John Penn still acting governor begged the assembly to give him emergency military powers but was told that it would take to long to draft a bill in time. Penn instead began helping move many of the natives off of Provincial Island and moving them into New York. Lacking a militia Penn summoned the people of Philadelphia and appointed Benjamin Franklin to oversee the arming of its people. A substantial minority of Quakers ever took up arms to face the oncoming threat. In the end Franklin was able to make 9 companies, 6 of infantry,1 of artillery and two of cavalry. On February 5th news arrived claiming that Paxton boys had made it into Germantown a village 6 miles northwest of

. A resident of the town David Rittenhouse described the occupation "“about ﬁfty of the scoundrels marched by my work-shop— I have seen hundreds of Indians traveling the country, and can with truth afﬁrm, that the behavior of these fellows was ten times more savage and brutal than theirs.” The Paxton Boys, he claimed, paraded through the streets, “frightening women, by running the muzzles of their guns through windows, swearing and hallooing: attacking men without the least provocation; dragging them by their hair to the ground, and pretending to scalp them; shooting a number of dogs and fowls.” After learning about the size of the force that was prepared to meet them in Philadelphia the Paxton Boys decided to halt their march and remain in Germantown. Seeking an end to the situation Penn appointed

to lead a group of civic leaders to meet them in

Germantown Germantown or German Town may refer to: Places Australia * Germantown, Queensland, a locality in the Cassowary Coast Region United States * Germantown, California, the former name of Artois, a census-designated place in Glenn County * G ...

, and hear their grievances. After the leaders agreed to read the men's pamphlet of issues before the colonial legislature, the mob agreed to disperse.

Black Boy Disturbances

The actions of the Conestoga Massacre inspired offshoots of the Paxton Boy gang such as the Black boys to continue a guerilla war against Indian tribes. In march of 1765 a group of vigilantes attacked a caravan moving goods from Philadelphia to Fort Pitt. The land that they were moving through Sidling Hill once belonged to squatters in 1750 but their eviction in 1755 had left the region a hot bed for anti-Indian sentiment. "The goods intercepted at Sideling Hill were being shipped by the Philadelphia ﬁrm of Baynton, Wharton, & Morgan for use in the Indian trade. These goods included “blankets, shirts, vermillion, lead, beads, wampum, tomahawks, scalping knives,” and liquor."The attackers covered their faces in black material and hence became known as the Black Boys. Their leader James Smith had been captured by Delaware Indians and after his release started the group known as the Black Boys where he sought to destroy relations between Natives and colonial powers. Another attack followed in May on the trader Joseph Spears who was transporting liquor to a local garrison. Suspecting that these supplies would be used for Indian trade the Black Boys ambushed the traders and murdered their horses. When soldiers of the garrison went out to rescue the traders they were fired upon as well. In the following months Black Boy activity would continue as they ambushed caravans and in one case laid siege to a fort. Much like in the case of the Paxton Boys no Black Boys were never arrested for the crimes they committed.

Dissolution and Legacy of the Paxton Boys

Lazarus Stewart, a former leader of the Paxton Boys, was killed by

Iroquois The Iroquois ( or ), officially the Haudenosaunee ( meaning "people of the longhouse"), are an Iroquoian-speaking confederacy of First Nations peoples in northeast North America/ Turtle Island. They were known during the colonial years to ...

warriors in the

Wyoming Massacre The Battle of Wyoming, also known as the Wyoming Massacre, was a military engagement during the American Revolutionary War between Patriot militiamen and a mixed force of Loyalist soldiers and Iroquois raiders. The clash took place in the Wyom ...

in 1778 during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

. In the

Wyoming Valley The Wyoming Valley is a historic industrialized region of Northeastern Pennsylvania. The region is historically notable for its influence in helping fuel the American Industrial Revolution with its many anthracite coal-mines. As a metropolitan are ...

event, one of three famous massacres during many scattered Tory-Amerindian staged attacks on colonial settlements that year in Connecticut, New York and Pennsylvania, Mohawk chief

Joseph Brant Thayendanegea or Joseph Brant (March 1743 – November 24, 1807) was a Mohawk military and political leader, based in present-day New York, who was closely associated with Great Britain during and after the American Revolution. Perhaps t ...

led a group of Loyalists, Mohawk and other warriors against rebel colonial settlers in the area along the

North Branch Susquehanna River The Susquehanna River (; Lenape: Siskëwahane) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, overlapping between the lower Northeast and the Upland South. At long, it is the longest river on the East Coast of the Uni ...

. The raids resulted in the

Sullivan Expedition The 1779 Sullivan Expedition (also known as the Sullivan-Clinton Expedition, the Sullivan Campaign, and the Sullivan-Clinton Genocide) was a United States military campaign during the American Revolutionary War, lasting from June to October 1779 ...

the next year which effectively broke the power of the

Six Nations of the Iroquois The Iroquois ( or ), officially the Haudenosaunee ( meaning "people of the longhouse"), are an Iroquoian-speaking confederacy of First Nations peoples in northeast North America/ Turtle Island. They were known during the colonial years to ...

below Canada; and forced the British administration in Canada to shelter the Amerindians who fled from the devastation caused by the expedition. Following the start of the Revolutionary War, what was left of the Paxton Boy leadership fell squarely with the patriots. Due to their experience with combat many Paxton members were relied upon to train up other able bodied men. As a result some Philadelphians moved north to join the loyalists to seek revenge against the Paxton Boys.

In fiction

Each of these books references the Paxton Boys: *''

The Light in the Forest ''The Light in the Forest'' is a novel first published in 1953 by U.S. author Conrad Richter. Though it is a work of fiction and primarily features fictional characters, the novel incorporates historic figures and is based in historical fact rel ...

'' (1953), by

Conrad Richter Conrad Michael Richter (October 13, 1890 – October 30, 1968) was an American novelist whose lyrical work is concerned largely with life on the American frontier in various periods. His novel '' The Town'' (1950), the last story of his trilogy '' ...

. *''

Mason & Dixon ''Mason & Dixon'' is a postmodernist novel by American author Thomas Pynchon, published in 1997. It presents a fictionalized account of the collaboration between Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon in their astronomical and surveying exploits in th ...

'' (1997) by

Thomas Pynchon Thomas Ruggles Pynchon Jr. ( , ; born May 8, 1937) is an American novelist noted for his dense and complex novels. His fiction and non-fiction writings encompass a vast array of subject matter, genres and themes, including history, music, scie ...

, includes the Lancaster Massacre. *Robert J. Shade. ''Conestoga Winter: A Story of Border Vengeance (Forbes Road)'' (volume 2; 2013) includes the Lancaster Massacre. *Mindy Starns Clark and Leslie Gould. ''The Amish Seamstress'' (2013); the narrator finds out quite a bit about Amish involvement in the events of the time. *''Ghost River: The Fall & Rise of the Conestoga,'' published by the

Library Company of Philadelphia The Library Company of Philadelphia (LCP) is a non-profit organization based in Philadelphia. Founded in 1731 by Benjamin Franklin as a library, the Library Company of Philadelphia has accumulated one of the most significant collections of hist ...

Sources

* * * * * * Taylor, Alan, ''American Colonies'', New York: Viking Press, 2001. * Engels, Jeremy. “‘Equipped for Murder’: The Paxton Boys and ‘the Spirit of Killing All Indians’ in Pennsylvania, 1763-1764.” ''Rhetoric and Public Affairs'' 8, no. 3 (2005): 355–81. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41939988. * Judith Ridner “Unmasking the Paxton Boys: The Material Culture of the Pamphlet War.” ''Early American Studies'' 14, no. 2 (2016): 348–76. https://www.jstor.org/stable/earlamerstud.14.2.348 * Scott Paul, Gordon “The Paxton Boys and the Moravians: Terror and Faith in the Pennsylvania Backcountry.” ''Journal of Moravian History'' 14, no. 2 (2014): 119–52. https://doi.org/10.5325/jmorahist.14.2.0119.

References

External links

Digital Paxton
An Introduction to the 1764 Pamphlet Wars, Will Fenton

Benjamin Franklin's account of the massacre and criticism of the Paxton Boys * {{cite book, title=Glimpses of the history of old Paxtang Church, first=William Henry, last=Egle, publisher=Harrisburg Publishing Company, year=1890, url=https://archive.org/details/glimpsesofhistor00egle

US History.com 1760s riots 1763 in Pennsylvania 1764 in Pennsylvania Colonial people of Pontiac's War History of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Massacres of Native Americans Pre-statehood history of Pennsylvania Rebellions in the United States Scotch-Irish American culture in Pennsylvania