As a small boy growing up in our community, I often heard
stories about the past. One of the most
frequently told stories was about an incident that happened in 1757. As a boy, I supposed that the story had
occurred in the woods behind our house. Such is the case with stories from the past. They often have an influence much greater
than one realizes.I would shiver with
fear as I hurried between house and barn after dark when I thought of the
stories, and I was born 212 years after the story had occurred! That is the strength of collective memory as
we recall the stories of our people. If I felt fear, imagine what a little
child or even an adult would have felt in the 1750s as Indian attacks grew, and
stories, some true, many not, were spread on the frontier.
While
stories often collect strength and become legends as time passes by, what we
know for certain is that, like in Europe, the Amish who settled in America had
their faith tested during this time of war. This story is set in the context of the French and Indian War that was being
fought between the British and French in the American colonies.The war had “spilled over” into America as
these two European “superpowers” fought for power and domination in the world
scene of that time.Indian tribes were
often influenced to fight for one or the other of these powers and in that way
the war was brought home to Berks County, Pennsylvania, and the small Amish community
that had settled there. It was brought
even nearer home to the Jacob Hochstetler family who had settled near the edge
of the community. Jacob and his wife
had emigrated to America from Europe and had cleared a homestead where they
intended to clear the land and raise a family. In 1757 they lived in their
small cabin with their three sons and one daughter. One daughter had already married and settled
with her husband on their own farm.
What
happened in the Hochstetler’s clearing early that morning is relatively well
documented. Indian raids, instigated by the world conflict, increased on the
fringes of the settlements along the frontier. In the pre-dawn hours of September 19 or 20, 1757, the Hochstetlers were
attacked in their cabin by a small group of Indians. The senior Hochstetler forbade his sons to
defend the family by using their hunting rifles.The family slipped into the small fruit
cellar underneath the main part of the cabin, which had been set on fire.They used the cider stored there to keep the
space from burning completely.
When the
Hochstetlers thought that their attackers had left, they crawled out of the
small window that gave some air and light to the space. Mrs. Hochstetler, because of her size, became
stuck in the space. The Indians saw the
commotion and returned, capturing the family.Mrs. Hochstetler, an injured son, and the only daughter were killed with
tomahawk blows and scalped. Two other
sons and Mr. Hochstetler were taken captive. Next month we will explore what happened with the three Hochstetler men
as they were forced to live as captives with the Indians.
As we look
back at the story from our vantage point, there are several things that become
obvious. First, with the father and
three sons it is quite possible that if they had chosen to, the Hochstetlers
may have been able to hold their attackers at bay until help arrived. The band of Indians was far from their
village and in hostile territory.It is
not likely that they would have pressed their attack much after daylight. If that were the case, the Hochstetlers, like
other frontier families, may have held on long enough to survive. What is it that caused Jacob to not only not
shoot back at the Indians, but also to not allow his sons to do so? To not fight back or defend themselves is a
part of the story of the past that people like the Hochstetlers would have
heard about, or sung about at every Sunday church service.
It
is, in fact, this shared history and memory of martyrdom and suffering for
their faith that caused them not to fight back. How would we respond in such a situation? Would we fight back? Do we fight back when we face attacks? Is every attack we face that of bullets and
arrows, or are harsh words and actions sometimes the weapons we face? How do we respond when our “cabin” is
attacked? It is not only the stories of
Europe and persecution that show us the way of Christ, it is also the stories
of the American frontier and our own families that force us to face whether we
are truly ready to give our life, but not take life.