[Robert McMahan's] . . . wife and four children had been committed by their sympathizing neighbors, to one common grave. He prostrated himself upon the grave, exclaiming
"They were lovely in their lives and in their deaths they were not divided!"
- - -
THE GEMS OF PIKE COUNTY, ARKANSAS
ROBERT McMAHAN SR.
[From an excerpt of George Churchill's account.]
On the fatal 26th of January 1795, Mr. McMahan went out to hunt for his oxen, when he perceived that his horse, which was confined in a pen, appeared to be frightened. He cast his eye over the prairie in every direction, but saw no enemy.
A lone hickory tree, one hundred and fifty yards from his house, had been blown down the year before while in full leaf, thus furnishing a convenient hiding place for an attacking party, but unfortunately Mr. McMahan did not think of there being a deadly enemy ensconced within that convenient covert.
He entered his house, but had not been there more than two or three minutes when four Indians, frightfully painted black and red, entered the house, two by two, saying "Bon jour! Bon jour!" (good day! good day!)
They stood motionless a few seconds, when one of them attempted to take down Mr. McMahan's rifle from the hook, and Mr. McMahan took down his blunderbuss; but his wife took hold of it and begged her husband not to resist, as she hoped their lives might be spared if they submitted peacefully, but otherwise they would be killed.
The Indians then seized the blunderbuss and wrenched it from his hands. Every one then made for the door. Mrs. McMahan ran half way around the house when she was shot in the left breast and scalped. Mr. McMahan was then pulled back into the house, thrown on the floor, and his hands pinioned close behind him with deer sinews.
Sally McMahan, his eldest daughter, then less than nine years old, remained in the house and saw one of the Indians knock her brother and two of her sisters on the head with the poll of his tomahawk. It was a light blow, only sufficient to stun them. This Indian was proceeding to open the cradle where lay a female infant, only one month old, when Sally ran out of the house and once around it, when she was also seized by him.
The Indian who committed the murders was supposed to be of the Miami tribe. The other three were Pu-taw-wahs, as they call themselves, or as they are commonly called by the whites, Potowatomies.
Three of the children were scalped. It was said that the infant was not scalped, but my informant stated that the Indians displayed five scalps when they camped at night, and she supposed they took two scalps from the head of one of the murdered children, and left the infant unscalped.
It has also been stated that the infant was unhurt and died of starvation, but my informant learned from a woman who was present at the burial, that there was a gash in its cheek.
The Indians took from the house such articles as they wanted, packed a part of them upon Mr. McMahan, one of whose hands was untied so that he might carry his load, and with their captives, left in haste for their home in the northeast part of Illinois. Mr. McMahan meditated an escape, but did not make known his intention to his daughter.
The first night of the journey he saw no chance of escape, as the Indians had tied him very securely, and had taken away his shoes and hat and part of his clothes.
But during the second night, he quietly slipped the cords from his limbs and body and was about to rise, when he perceived that one of the Indians was awake. Waiting till the Indian was again asleep, he made his escape after trying in vain to get possession of his shoes.
In the dead of winter, without shoes, without food, and scanty clothing, he left his daughter with her captors and endeavored to make his way to the New Design. He lay out one cold night making a bed of leaves under a large fallen tree, which was held up from the ground by its branches. Here he was partially frozen, but the next morning resumed his journey.
He now had the pleasure of meeting a friend in the person of Col. Samuel Judy, who gave him the necessary directions, which he pursued, and reached his home just after his wife and four children had been committed by their sympathizing neighbors, to one common grave. He prostrated himself upon the grave, exclaiming, "They were lovely in their lives and in their deaths they were not divided!"
The massacre took place on a Monday and the burial on the succeeding Friday. A small dog belonging to Mr. McMahan daily visited the residence of Mr. James Lemen Sr. and endeavored by whining to inform the people of what had happened to his master's family. But for several days they did not comprehend the dog's message, one authority says, not until old Mr. Judy had discovered the dead bodies and reported the fact to the Station.
In the meantime the Indians, with Sally McMahan, traveled north until they reached the home of the Potawatomi southwest of Lake Michigan in northeast Illinois. Here she was transferred to an Ottawa Indian, now a Potawatomi chief and whose wife was a sister of the three Potawatomi involved in the massacre. The name of this "chief of the samll fort west of Lake Michigan" was Sukkonok which means Blackbird, but among the whites he went by the French name of Leturneau . . .
. . . Thus Sukkonok, in April 1796, brought Sally McMahan down the Illinois and Mississippi rivers in a canoe to Cahokia and delivered her to the white people. This was during a Quarter Session of the General Court and a large number of people had assembled in Cahokia for that purpose. Sukkonok made a speech to them in which he said he had no part in the massacre of the McMahan family and that he had paid a large sum for the captive and had brought her a considerable distance into the white settlements.
He appealed to the liberality and sense of justice of the people to make him compensation. A subscription paper was circulated and one hundred and sixty-four dollars was subscribed by the people and that amount in goods was advanced to Sukkonok by William Arundel an Irish merchant of Cahokia.
The above appears to be by:
David L. Kelley
Editor
PIKE COUNTY ARCHIVES
and HISTORICAL SOCIETY
From George Churchill's account.
Please see:
http://www.pcahs.org/gems/GEMSV6N2.pdf
"They were lovely in their lives and in their deaths they were not divided!"
- - -
THE GEMS OF PIKE COUNTY, ARKANSAS
ROBERT McMAHAN SR.
[From an excerpt of George Churchill's account.]
On the fatal 26th of January 1795, Mr. McMahan went out to hunt for his oxen, when he perceived that his horse, which was confined in a pen, appeared to be frightened. He cast his eye over the prairie in every direction, but saw no enemy.
A lone hickory tree, one hundred and fifty yards from his house, had been blown down the year before while in full leaf, thus furnishing a convenient hiding place for an attacking party, but unfortunately Mr. McMahan did not think of there being a deadly enemy ensconced within that convenient covert.
He entered his house, but had not been there more than two or three minutes when four Indians, frightfully painted black and red, entered the house, two by two, saying "Bon jour! Bon jour!" (good day! good day!)
They stood motionless a few seconds, when one of them attempted to take down Mr. McMahan's rifle from the hook, and Mr. McMahan took down his blunderbuss; but his wife took hold of it and begged her husband not to resist, as she hoped their lives might be spared if they submitted peacefully, but otherwise they would be killed.
The Indians then seized the blunderbuss and wrenched it from his hands. Every one then made for the door. Mrs. McMahan ran half way around the house when she was shot in the left breast and scalped. Mr. McMahan was then pulled back into the house, thrown on the floor, and his hands pinioned close behind him with deer sinews.
Sally McMahan, his eldest daughter, then less than nine years old, remained in the house and saw one of the Indians knock her brother and two of her sisters on the head with the poll of his tomahawk. It was a light blow, only sufficient to stun them. This Indian was proceeding to open the cradle where lay a female infant, only one month old, when Sally ran out of the house and once around it, when she was also seized by him.
The Indian who committed the murders was supposed to be of the Miami tribe. The other three were Pu-taw-wahs, as they call themselves, or as they are commonly called by the whites, Potowatomies.
Three of the children were scalped. It was said that the infant was not scalped, but my informant stated that the Indians displayed five scalps when they camped at night, and she supposed they took two scalps from the head of one of the murdered children, and left the infant unscalped.
It has also been stated that the infant was unhurt and died of starvation, but my informant learned from a woman who was present at the burial, that there was a gash in its cheek.
The Indians took from the house such articles as they wanted, packed a part of them upon Mr. McMahan, one of whose hands was untied so that he might carry his load, and with their captives, left in haste for their home in the northeast part of Illinois. Mr. McMahan meditated an escape, but did not make known his intention to his daughter.
The first night of the journey he saw no chance of escape, as the Indians had tied him very securely, and had taken away his shoes and hat and part of his clothes.
But during the second night, he quietly slipped the cords from his limbs and body and was about to rise, when he perceived that one of the Indians was awake. Waiting till the Indian was again asleep, he made his escape after trying in vain to get possession of his shoes.
In the dead of winter, without shoes, without food, and scanty clothing, he left his daughter with her captors and endeavored to make his way to the New Design. He lay out one cold night making a bed of leaves under a large fallen tree, which was held up from the ground by its branches. Here he was partially frozen, but the next morning resumed his journey.
He now had the pleasure of meeting a friend in the person of Col. Samuel Judy, who gave him the necessary directions, which he pursued, and reached his home just after his wife and four children had been committed by their sympathizing neighbors, to one common grave. He prostrated himself upon the grave, exclaiming, "They were lovely in their lives and in their deaths they were not divided!"
The massacre took place on a Monday and the burial on the succeeding Friday. A small dog belonging to Mr. McMahan daily visited the residence of Mr. James Lemen Sr. and endeavored by whining to inform the people of what had happened to his master's family. But for several days they did not comprehend the dog's message, one authority says, not until old Mr. Judy had discovered the dead bodies and reported the fact to the Station.
In the meantime the Indians, with Sally McMahan, traveled north until they reached the home of the Potawatomi southwest of Lake Michigan in northeast Illinois. Here she was transferred to an Ottawa Indian, now a Potawatomi chief and whose wife was a sister of the three Potawatomi involved in the massacre. The name of this "chief of the samll fort west of Lake Michigan" was Sukkonok which means Blackbird, but among the whites he went by the French name of Leturneau . . .
. . . Thus Sukkonok, in April 1796, brought Sally McMahan down the Illinois and Mississippi rivers in a canoe to Cahokia and delivered her to the white people. This was during a Quarter Session of the General Court and a large number of people had assembled in Cahokia for that purpose. Sukkonok made a speech to them in which he said he had no part in the massacre of the McMahan family and that he had paid a large sum for the captive and had brought her a considerable distance into the white settlements.
He appealed to the liberality and sense of justice of the people to make him compensation. A subscription paper was circulated and one hundred and sixty-four dollars was subscribed by the people and that amount in goods was advanced to Sukkonok by William Arundel an Irish merchant of Cahokia.
The above appears to be by:
David L. Kelley
Editor
PIKE COUNTY ARCHIVES
and HISTORICAL SOCIETY
From George Churchill's account.
Please see:
http://www.pcahs.org/gems/GEMSV6N2.pdf
[Robert McMahan's] . . . wife and four children had been committed by their sympathizing neighbors, to one common grave. He prostrated himself upon the grave, exclaiming
"They were lovely in their lives and in their deaths they were not divided!"
- - -
THE GEMS OF PIKE COUNTY, ARKANSAS
ROBERT McMAHAN SR.
[From an excerpt of George Churchill's account.]
On the fatal 26th of January 1795, Mr. McMahan went out to hunt for his oxen, when he perceived that his horse, which was confined in a pen, appeared to be frightened. He cast his eye over the prairie in every direction, but saw no enemy.
A lone hickory tree, one hundred and fifty yards from his house, had been blown down the year before while in full leaf, thus furnishing a convenient hiding place for an attacking party, but unfortunately Mr. McMahan did not think of there being a deadly enemy ensconced within that convenient covert.
He entered his house, but had not been there more than two or three minutes when four Indians, frightfully painted black and red, entered the house, two by two, saying "Bon jour! Bon jour!" (good day! good day!)
They stood motionless a few seconds, when one of them attempted to take down Mr. McMahan's rifle from the hook, and Mr. McMahan took down his blunderbuss; but his wife took hold of it and begged her husband not to resist, as she hoped their lives might be spared if they submitted peacefully, but otherwise they would be killed.
The Indians then seized the blunderbuss and wrenched it from his hands. Every one then made for the door. Mrs. McMahan ran half way around the house when she was shot in the left breast and scalped. Mr. McMahan was then pulled back into the house, thrown on the floor, and his hands pinioned close behind him with deer sinews.
Sally McMahan, his eldest daughter, then less than nine years old, remained in the house and saw one of the Indians knock her brother and two of her sisters on the head with the poll of his tomahawk. It was a light blow, only sufficient to stun them. This Indian was proceeding to open the cradle where lay a female infant, only one month old, when Sally ran out of the house and once around it, when she was also seized by him.
The Indian who committed the murders was supposed to be of the Miami tribe. The other three were Pu-taw-wahs, as they call themselves, or as they are commonly called by the whites, Potowatomies.
Three of the children were scalped. It was said that the infant was not scalped, but my informant stated that the Indians displayed five scalps when they camped at night, and she supposed they took two scalps from the head of one of the murdered children, and left the infant unscalped.
It has also been stated that the infant was unhurt and died of starvation, but my informant learned from a woman who was present at the burial, that there was a gash in its cheek.
The Indians took from the house such articles as they wanted, packed a part of them upon Mr. McMahan, one of whose hands was untied so that he might carry his load, and with their captives, left in haste for their home in the northeast part of Illinois. Mr. McMahan meditated an escape, but did not make known his intention to his daughter.
The first night of the journey he saw no chance of escape, as the Indians had tied him very securely, and had taken away his shoes and hat and part of his clothes.
But during the second night, he quietly slipped the cords from his limbs and body and was about to rise, when he perceived that one of the Indians was awake. Waiting till the Indian was again asleep, he made his escape after trying in vain to get possession of his shoes.
In the dead of winter, without shoes, without food, and scanty clothing, he left his daughter with her captors and endeavored to make his way to the New Design. He lay out one cold night making a bed of leaves under a large fallen tree, which was held up from the ground by its branches. Here he was partially frozen, but the next morning resumed his journey.
He now had the pleasure of meeting a friend in the person of Col. Samuel Judy, who gave him the necessary directions, which he pursued, and reached his home just after his wife and four children had been committed by their sympathizing neighbors, to one common grave. He prostrated himself upon the grave, exclaiming, "They were lovely in their lives and in their deaths they were not divided!"
The massacre took place on a Monday and the burial on the succeeding Friday. A small dog belonging to Mr. McMahan daily visited the residence of Mr. James Lemen Sr. and endeavored by whining to inform the people of what had happened to his master's family. But for several days they did not comprehend the dog's message, one authority says, not until old Mr. Judy had discovered the dead bodies and reported the fact to the Station.
In the meantime the Indians, with Sally McMahan, traveled north until they reached the home of the Potawatomi southwest of Lake Michigan in northeast Illinois. Here she was transferred to an Ottawa Indian, now a Potawatomi chief and whose wife was a sister of the three Potawatomi involved in the massacre. The name of this "chief of the samll fort west of Lake Michigan" was Sukkonok which means Blackbird, but among the whites he went by the French name of Leturneau . . .
. . . Thus Sukkonok, in April 1796, brought Sally McMahan down the Illinois and Mississippi rivers in a canoe to Cahokia and delivered her to the white people. This was during a Quarter Session of the General Court and a large number of people had assembled in Cahokia for that purpose. Sukkonok made a speech to them in which he said he had no part in the massacre of the McMahan family and that he had paid a large sum for the captive and had brought her a considerable distance into the white settlements.
He appealed to the liberality and sense of justice of the people to make him compensation. A subscription paper was circulated and one hundred and sixty-four dollars was subscribed by the people and that amount in goods was advanced to Sukkonok by William Arundel an Irish merchant of Cahokia.
The above appears to be by:
David L. Kelley
Editor
PIKE COUNTY ARCHIVES
and HISTORICAL SOCIETY
From George Churchill's account.
Please see:
http://www.pcahs.org/gems/GEMSV6N2.pdf
"They were lovely in their lives and in their deaths they were not divided!"
- - -
THE GEMS OF PIKE COUNTY, ARKANSAS
ROBERT McMAHAN SR.
[From an excerpt of George Churchill's account.]
On the fatal 26th of January 1795, Mr. McMahan went out to hunt for his oxen, when he perceived that his horse, which was confined in a pen, appeared to be frightened. He cast his eye over the prairie in every direction, but saw no enemy.
A lone hickory tree, one hundred and fifty yards from his house, had been blown down the year before while in full leaf, thus furnishing a convenient hiding place for an attacking party, but unfortunately Mr. McMahan did not think of there being a deadly enemy ensconced within that convenient covert.
He entered his house, but had not been there more than two or three minutes when four Indians, frightfully painted black and red, entered the house, two by two, saying "Bon jour! Bon jour!" (good day! good day!)
They stood motionless a few seconds, when one of them attempted to take down Mr. McMahan's rifle from the hook, and Mr. McMahan took down his blunderbuss; but his wife took hold of it and begged her husband not to resist, as she hoped their lives might be spared if they submitted peacefully, but otherwise they would be killed.
The Indians then seized the blunderbuss and wrenched it from his hands. Every one then made for the door. Mrs. McMahan ran half way around the house when she was shot in the left breast and scalped. Mr. McMahan was then pulled back into the house, thrown on the floor, and his hands pinioned close behind him with deer sinews.
Sally McMahan, his eldest daughter, then less than nine years old, remained in the house and saw one of the Indians knock her brother and two of her sisters on the head with the poll of his tomahawk. It was a light blow, only sufficient to stun them. This Indian was proceeding to open the cradle where lay a female infant, only one month old, when Sally ran out of the house and once around it, when she was also seized by him.
The Indian who committed the murders was supposed to be of the Miami tribe. The other three were Pu-taw-wahs, as they call themselves, or as they are commonly called by the whites, Potowatomies.
Three of the children were scalped. It was said that the infant was not scalped, but my informant stated that the Indians displayed five scalps when they camped at night, and she supposed they took two scalps from the head of one of the murdered children, and left the infant unscalped.
It has also been stated that the infant was unhurt and died of starvation, but my informant learned from a woman who was present at the burial, that there was a gash in its cheek.
The Indians took from the house such articles as they wanted, packed a part of them upon Mr. McMahan, one of whose hands was untied so that he might carry his load, and with their captives, left in haste for their home in the northeast part of Illinois. Mr. McMahan meditated an escape, but did not make known his intention to his daughter.
The first night of the journey he saw no chance of escape, as the Indians had tied him very securely, and had taken away his shoes and hat and part of his clothes.
But during the second night, he quietly slipped the cords from his limbs and body and was about to rise, when he perceived that one of the Indians was awake. Waiting till the Indian was again asleep, he made his escape after trying in vain to get possession of his shoes.
In the dead of winter, without shoes, without food, and scanty clothing, he left his daughter with her captors and endeavored to make his way to the New Design. He lay out one cold night making a bed of leaves under a large fallen tree, which was held up from the ground by its branches. Here he was partially frozen, but the next morning resumed his journey.
He now had the pleasure of meeting a friend in the person of Col. Samuel Judy, who gave him the necessary directions, which he pursued, and reached his home just after his wife and four children had been committed by their sympathizing neighbors, to one common grave. He prostrated himself upon the grave, exclaiming, "They were lovely in their lives and in their deaths they were not divided!"
The massacre took place on a Monday and the burial on the succeeding Friday. A small dog belonging to Mr. McMahan daily visited the residence of Mr. James Lemen Sr. and endeavored by whining to inform the people of what had happened to his master's family. But for several days they did not comprehend the dog's message, one authority says, not until old Mr. Judy had discovered the dead bodies and reported the fact to the Station.
In the meantime the Indians, with Sally McMahan, traveled north until they reached the home of the Potawatomi southwest of Lake Michigan in northeast Illinois. Here she was transferred to an Ottawa Indian, now a Potawatomi chief and whose wife was a sister of the three Potawatomi involved in the massacre. The name of this "chief of the samll fort west of Lake Michigan" was Sukkonok which means Blackbird, but among the whites he went by the French name of Leturneau . . .
. . . Thus Sukkonok, in April 1796, brought Sally McMahan down the Illinois and Mississippi rivers in a canoe to Cahokia and delivered her to the white people. This was during a Quarter Session of the General Court and a large number of people had assembled in Cahokia for that purpose. Sukkonok made a speech to them in which he said he had no part in the massacre of the McMahan family and that he had paid a large sum for the captive and had brought her a considerable distance into the white settlements.
He appealed to the liberality and sense of justice of the people to make him compensation. A subscription paper was circulated and one hundred and sixty-four dollars was subscribed by the people and that amount in goods was advanced to Sukkonok by William Arundel an Irish merchant of Cahokia.
The above appears to be by:
David L. Kelley
Editor
PIKE COUNTY ARCHIVES
and HISTORICAL SOCIETY
From George Churchill's account.
Please see:
http://www.pcahs.org/gems/GEMSV6N2.pdf
Family Members
Siblings
-
son McMahan
1788–1795
-
daughter McMahan
1790–1795
-
daughter McMahan
1792–1795
-
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Robert McMahan Jr
1796–1872
-
Rebecca McMahan Kelley
1800–1857
-
Nathaniel McMahan
1806–1819
-
George Washington McMahan
1810–1840
-
Susannah Kester McMahon Renfro
1810–1864
-
Jesse W. McMahan
1813–1857
-
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Avoline McMahan Clark
1818–1878
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