Fall Creek Massacre
Encyclopedia
The Fall Creek Massacre was a slaughter of nine Indians of uncertain tribal origin in 1824 by white settlers in Madison County, Indiana
. Seven white men participated in the crimes. Four were captured and charged with murder. All four were convicted and sentenced to death by hanging
.
It was the first documented case in which white Americans were convicted, sentenced to capital punishment
, and executed for the murder
of Native Americans
under the law in the United States.
, to hunt and collect maple syrup. The townspeople developed a friendly relationship with the band, which was headed by Chief Logan, a "venerable old chief" and "a friend of the white men". The party included two other men, Ludlow and M'Doal (or Mingo), three women, two boys and two girls.
The tribal origins of the group remain a mystery. Early sources close to the case, such as the Federal Indian agent John Johnston, described them as a mixed band of Seneca and Shawnee from Logan Town in Ohio. Some other, slightly later sources, suggested the band included Delaware, Miami, or bi-racial, Indian/white descent for some of the band's members. Mixed groups were by this time in the Old Northwest quite common, but the precise backgrounds of all the members will never be known.Murder in Their Hearts: The Fall Creek Massacre (Indiana Historical Society Press, 2010), chapter 2, for details on a variety of sources for the tribal origins.>
Thomas Harper, a frontiersman who drifted into the area early in 1824, was an obsessive hater of Indians. He convinced four other men to help him attack the small group. Two of the men were his relatives, his brother-in-law John T. Bridge, Sr. and Bridge's 18-year-old son John Bridge, Jr. The other two men were James Hudson and Andrew Sawyer. Another teenage boy, Andrew Jones, accompanied the attackers.
The men approached the Seneca on March 22, 1824 and asked for help in tracking horses that had escaped from Harper's farm. Logan and Ludlow agreed to help, and they walked with the white men toward a wooded area, joking as they went. In the woods, however, Harper and Hudson fell behind, and shot the two Seneca men in the back. The men returned to the camp, where they killed the women and children. M'Doal was not in camp but witnessed the killings as he returned. He was wounded while escaping. In all, Harper's party killed nine people: two men, three women, and four children. They stole everything of value from the Indian camp and returned to their homes.
The next day, a local farmer discovered the scene of the murder and reported it. News of the crime spread quickly, and settlers feared retribution from the Native Americans of the local Delaware
villages. The perpetrators had bragged of the massacre. Within a week they were all in custody, except for Harper, who had taken the stolen goods and fled to Ohio
.
While the accused men awaited trial, William Conner
, an interpreter and community leader, and Indian agent John Johnston
traveled to the local Indian villages to talk with the people. They assured them that the men who had attacked their people had been caught and would face justice. As a result, the threat of Indian retaliation for the murders subsided.
William Hendricks
employed Senator James Noble
to serve as prosecutor. Hoping to maintain peaceful relations with the Indians, Hendricks requested the court show no mercy on the men if they were found guilty. The cases were tried before a three-member circuit court panel, consisting of judges William Wick, Samuel Holliday, and Adam Winsell.
James Hudson was tried first. Andrew Jones, the teenager who had accompanied the men, was a key witness in the trial. The case generated nationwide attention. Some people were surprised when Hudson was found guilty. Hudson was sentenced to death by hanging
, with an execution date of December 1, 1824. It was the first time any white man in the United States had been sentenced to capital punishment
for killing a Native American.
Hudson appealed to the Supreme Court of Indiana
, then in session at Corydon, Indiana
. The court issued an opinion on November 13, written by Chief Justice Isaac Blackford
that upheld the lower court's decision and rejected all points of Hudson's appeal. Two days later, Hudson escaped from jail, and hid beneath the floor of a vacant cabin, where he suffered frostbite
and dehydration
. He was recaptured ten days later, when he came out of hiding to find water. While he was missing, the execution date was rescheduled to the following January.
On January 12, 1825, a large crowd, which included several Seneca Indians, gathered to witness the historic execution. The condemned man had to be carried to the gallows due to the frostbite he had suffered while in hiding.
The remaining three men were tried on May 9, 1825. All three were found guilty and sentenced to be hanged. However, while the jury found John T. Bridge, Jr. guilty of first degree murder, it recommended that he be pardon
ed due to the influence of his father and uncle. Additionally, a petition on his behalf was signed by 94 local men (including many members of the jury, the court clerk, several attorneys and a minister) and submitted to the Governor of Indiana, James Brown Ray
. The petition cited "his youth, ignorance, and the manner which he was led into the transaction." However, by the appointed date of execution, it had not been answered.
On June 3, another large crowd, including numerous Indians, gathered for the executions. These were conducted one at a time. Andrew Sawyer was hanged first. John Bridge, Sr. was executed next. His 18-year old son, John Bridge, Jr., witnessed the hangings of his father and uncle before being led to the gallows and fitted with a noose and hood. However, at that point, Governor Ray stepped out from the crowd and stopped the execution. Presenting the pinioned teenage prisoner with a written pardon, the governor announced, "you are pardoned" and the young prisoner was immediately set free.
of Native Americans.
Thomas Harper, the ringleader of the murderers, was never apprehended.
John Bridge, Jr. returned to his home in Ohio, but later relocated to Carroll County, Indiana
, where he became a storekeeper. He died in 1876.
, which includes this historical resource, was named to the National Register of Historic Places.
In 1966, the Indiana Sesquicentennial Commission erected an historic highway marker noting the incident on State Route 38 in Markleville
, Madison County. It reads: "In 1824, nine Indians were murdered by white men near this spot. The men were tried, found guilty and hanged. It was the first execution of white men for killing Indians."
Madison County, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 133,358 people, 53,052 households, and 36,234 families residing in the county. The population density was 295 people per square mile . There were 56,939 housing units at an average density of 126 per square mile...
. Seven white men participated in the crimes. Four were captured and charged with murder. All four were convicted and sentenced to death by hanging
Hanging
Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain...
.
It was the first documented case in which white Americans were convicted, sentenced to capital punishment
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
, and executed for the murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
of Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
under the law in the United States.
The massacre
Sometime between November of 1823 and February of 1824, a small party of Indians came to the area near Pendleton, IndianaPendleton, Indiana
Pendleton is a town in Fall Creek Township, Madison County, Indiana, United States. It is part of the Anderson, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, to hunt and collect maple syrup. The townspeople developed a friendly relationship with the band, which was headed by Chief Logan, a "venerable old chief" and "a friend of the white men". The party included two other men, Ludlow and M'Doal (or Mingo), three women, two boys and two girls.
The tribal origins of the group remain a mystery. Early sources close to the case, such as the Federal Indian agent John Johnston, described them as a mixed band of Seneca and Shawnee from Logan Town in Ohio. Some other, slightly later sources, suggested the band included Delaware, Miami, or bi-racial, Indian/white descent for some of the band's members. Mixed groups were by this time in the Old Northwest quite common, but the precise backgrounds of all the members will never be known.
Thomas Harper, a frontiersman who drifted into the area early in 1824, was an obsessive hater of Indians. He convinced four other men to help him attack the small group. Two of the men were his relatives, his brother-in-law John T. Bridge, Sr. and Bridge's 18-year-old son John Bridge, Jr. The other two men were James Hudson and Andrew Sawyer. Another teenage boy, Andrew Jones, accompanied the attackers.
The men approached the Seneca on March 22, 1824 and asked for help in tracking horses that had escaped from Harper's farm. Logan and Ludlow agreed to help, and they walked with the white men toward a wooded area, joking as they went. In the woods, however, Harper and Hudson fell behind, and shot the two Seneca men in the back. The men returned to the camp, where they killed the women and children. M'Doal was not in camp but witnessed the killings as he returned. He was wounded while escaping. In all, Harper's party killed nine people: two men, three women, and four children. They stole everything of value from the Indian camp and returned to their homes.
The next day, a local farmer discovered the scene of the murder and reported it. News of the crime spread quickly, and settlers feared retribution from the Native Americans of the local Delaware
Lenape
The Lenape are an Algonquian group of Native Americans of the Northeastern Woodlands. They are also called Delaware Indians. As a result of the American Revolutionary War and later Indian removals from the eastern United States, today the main groups live in Canada, where they are enrolled in the...
villages. The perpetrators had bragged of the massacre. Within a week they were all in custody, except for Harper, who had taken the stolen goods and fled to Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
.
While the accused men awaited trial, William Conner
William Conner
William Conner was an American trader, interpreter, scout, community leader, entrepreneur, and politician...
, an interpreter and community leader, and Indian agent John Johnston
John Johnston (Indian Agent)
John Johnston was an Indian agent in the United States Northwest Territory. He was born on 25 March 1775 near Ballyshannon in the North of Ireland. His father was Scottish and his mother was a Huguenot. He left Ireland when he was eleven years old, travelling to America with a priest and a...
traveled to the local Indian villages to talk with the people. They assured them that the men who had attacked their people had been caught and would face justice. As a result, the threat of Indian retaliation for the murders subsided.
The trials and executions
The four men who had been arrested were tried in Madison County Court. GovernorGovernor of Indiana
The Governor of Indiana is the chief executive of the state of Indiana. The governor is elected to a four-year term, and responsible for overseeing the day-to-day management of the functions of many agencies of the Indiana state government. The governor also shares power with other statewide...
William Hendricks
William Hendricks
William Hendricks was a Democratic-Republican member of the House of Representatives from 1816 to 1822, the third Governor of Indiana from 1822 to 1825, and an Anti-Jacksonian member of the U.S. Senate from 1825 to 1837. He led much of his family into politics and founded one of the largest...
employed Senator James Noble
James Noble
James Noble was the first U.S. Senator from the U.S. state of Indiana.Noble was born near Berryville, Virginia and moved with his parents to Campbell County, Kentucky when he was 10...
to serve as prosecutor. Hoping to maintain peaceful relations with the Indians, Hendricks requested the court show no mercy on the men if they were found guilty. The cases were tried before a three-member circuit court panel, consisting of judges William Wick, Samuel Holliday, and Adam Winsell.
James Hudson was tried first. Andrew Jones, the teenager who had accompanied the men, was a key witness in the trial. The case generated nationwide attention. Some people were surprised when Hudson was found guilty. Hudson was sentenced to death by hanging
Hanging
Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain...
, with an execution date of December 1, 1824. It was the first time any white man in the United States had been sentenced to capital punishment
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
for killing a Native American.
Supreme Court of Indiana
The Supreme Court of Indiana is the state supreme court of Indiana. The court was established by Article Seven of the Indiana Constitution and is the highest judicial authority within Indiana...
, then in session at Corydon, Indiana
Corydon, Indiana
Corydon is a town in Harrison Township, Harrison County, Indiana, United States, founded in 1808, and is known as Indiana's First State Capital. After Vincennes, Corydon was the second capital of the Indiana Territory from May 1, 1813, until December 11, 1816. After statehood, the town was the...
. The court issued an opinion on November 13, written by Chief Justice Isaac Blackford
Isaac Blackford
Isaac Newton Blackford was the second Chief Justice of the Indiana Supreme Court, the court's longest serving Justice, and among the longest serving jurists in the history of the United States. He wrote an eight volume work entitled Blackford's Reports recording all the early decisions of the court...
that upheld the lower court's decision and rejected all points of Hudson's appeal. Two days later, Hudson escaped from jail, and hid beneath the floor of a vacant cabin, where he suffered frostbite
Frostbite
Frostbite is the medical condition where localized damage is caused to skin and other tissues due to extreme cold. Frostbite is most likely to happen in body parts farthest from the heart and those with large exposed areas...
and dehydration
Dehydration
In physiology and medicine, dehydration is defined as the excessive loss of body fluid. It is literally the removal of water from an object; however, in physiological terms, it entails a deficiency of fluid within an organism...
. He was recaptured ten days later, when he came out of hiding to find water. While he was missing, the execution date was rescheduled to the following January.
On January 12, 1825, a large crowd, which included several Seneca Indians, gathered to witness the historic execution. The condemned man had to be carried to the gallows due to the frostbite he had suffered while in hiding.
The remaining three men were tried on May 9, 1825. All three were found guilty and sentenced to be hanged. However, while the jury found John T. Bridge, Jr. guilty of first degree murder, it recommended that he be pardon
Pardon
Clemency means the forgiveness of a crime or the cancellation of the penalty associated with it. It is a general concept that encompasses several related procedures: pardoning, commutation, remission and reprieves...
ed due to the influence of his father and uncle. Additionally, a petition on his behalf was signed by 94 local men (including many members of the jury, the court clerk, several attorneys and a minister) and submitted to the Governor of Indiana, James Brown Ray
James B. Ray
James Brown Ray was an Indiana politician and the only Senate President-Pro-Tempore to succeed to become Governor of the State of Indiana. He served during the period when the state transitioned from personal politics to political parties, but never joined a party himself. Elevated at age 31, he...
. The petition cited "his youth, ignorance, and the manner which he was led into the transaction." However, by the appointed date of execution, it had not been answered.
On June 3, another large crowd, including numerous Indians, gathered for the executions. These were conducted one at a time. Andrew Sawyer was hanged first. John Bridge, Sr. was executed next. His 18-year old son, John Bridge, Jr., witnessed the hangings of his father and uncle before being led to the gallows and fitted with a noose and hood. However, at that point, Governor Ray stepped out from the crowd and stopped the execution. Presenting the pinioned teenage prisoner with a written pardon, the governor announced, "you are pardoned" and the young prisoner was immediately set free.
Aftermath
The trial set an important precedent in recognizing the civil rightsCivil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
of Native Americans.
Thomas Harper, the ringleader of the murderers, was never apprehended.
John Bridge, Jr. returned to his home in Ohio, but later relocated to Carroll County, Indiana
Carroll County, Indiana
Carroll County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2010, the population was 20,155. The county seat is Delphi.Carroll County is part of the Lafayette, Indiana, Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
, where he became a storekeeper. He died in 1876.
Memorials
In Fall Creek Park in Pendleton, a stone marker reads "Three white men were hung here in 1825 for killing Indians." In 1991, the Pendleton Historic District (Pendleton, Indiana)Pendleton Historic District (Pendleton, Indiana)
The Pendleton Historic District is an area in Pendleton, Indiana roughly bounded by Fall Creek, the Conrail right-of-way, Madison and Adams Sts.. Sites of interest include a relatively intact 19th-century Business District, Fall Creek Park, the Grey Goose Inn and a large variety of homes in...
, which includes this historical resource, was named to the National Register of Historic Places.
In 1966, the Indiana Sesquicentennial Commission erected an historic highway marker noting the incident on State Route 38 in Markleville
Markleville, Indiana
Markleville is a town in Adams Township, Madison County, Indiana, United States. It is part of the Anderson, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, Madison County. It reads: "In 1824, nine Indians were murdered by white men near this spot. The men were tried, found guilty and hanged. It was the first execution of white men for killing Indians."