Enoch Brown school massacre facts for kids
On July 26, 1764, a sad event happened in a small log schoolhouse in Pennsylvania. Four Delaware Native Americans entered the school. They killed the teacher, Enoch Brown, and ten students. One student, Archie McCullough, was hurt but survived. This event is remembered as a very difficult moment during Pontiac's War.
The Schoolhouse Attack
On July 26, 1764, four Delaware Native Americans went into a log schoolhouse. This school was in what is now Franklin County, near Greencastle. Inside were the teacher, Enoch Brown, and many young students.
Enoch Brown asked the warriors to let the children go. But he was hit with a club. The warriors then hurt the children. Teacher Brown and ten students died. One student, Archie McCullough, was injured but lived.
A child who survived later shared what happened. They said two older Native Americans and one young one came to the door. The teacher knew what they wanted. He asked them to only take his life and leave the children alone. But everyone was hurt.
The day before, these same warriors had met a pregnant woman. Her name was Susan King Cunningham. She was also killed. When the warriors returned to their village, an elder chief was upset. He told them it was wrong to attack children.
A settler named John McCullough had been held captive by the Delaware. He later wrote about the warriors coming back. He said some older Native Americans were very unhappy. They did not like that so many children were killed. An old chief called Night Walker said it was an act of cowardice.
After the Attack
Events like this made the government of Pennsylvania act. They brought back a reward system. This system had been used before during the French and Indian War. Settlers could get money for capturing or killing enemies.
The settlers buried Enoch Brown and the students together. They were placed in a shared grave. In 1843, people dug up the grave. They wanted to make sure they knew where the bodies were.
In 1885, the area was named Enoch Brown Park. A special memorial was built over the gravesite. This memorial helps people remember what happened there.
See also
In Spanish: Masacre escolar de Enoch Brown para niños
