The Ulrich/Baker Ancestral Lines

Two Letters to Governor Dewey from Colonel Weiser:

“Captain Oswald, upon hearing the distress the people about Northkill were in, sent immediately two Lieutenants with forty private men to their assistance.  I cannot describe the consternation the people are in, in these parts.” 

October 1, 1757     PA Archives Vol. 3, pg. 277

“It is now come so far that murder is committed almost every day; there never was such consternation among the people; they must now leave their houses again with their barns full of grain. Five children have been carried off last Friday; … two more families* were about that time destroyed.”

(*probably refer to the Hochstetler family and the Specht family)

October 4, 1757     PA Archives Vol. 3, pg. 282

1757

The Lenape had lived in relative peace with the encroaching white settlers.  

All changed when territorial conflicts developed between the white settlers (the French and English).  

The French (in the North and Canada) were more generous with the Indians and the two formed an alliance against the English.  Initially, this was very powerful and the English were pushed back and routed from many of their forts.  The Lenni Lenape, meaning “original people”, became emboldened by this and began to plan to take their land back, that they had moved out of. 

The Hochstetler Massacre was only one of many such attacks:

Family of Jacob Hochstetler, Sep. 19, 1757

Andrew Wolbeck, captured Nov. 2, 1757

Family of Nicolas Long attacked, two men killed, Bernard Motz captured, Nov 3, 1757

Family of Valentine Nigh (passenger on same ship as Jacob Hochstetler), one son killed, one son captured, Dec. 10, 1757