DAR Patriot∼Children:
John Eyer m. [Elizabeth Wise]
Barbara Eyer m. [David Shellenberger]
Abraham Eyer m. [Sarah Meyer]
Elizabeth Eyer m. [Philip Hoy]
Magdalena Eyer m. [Daniel Hoy]
Anna Eyer m. [Martin Dreisbach]
Catharine Eyer m. #1 [John Dreisbach]
Mary Eyer m. [Henry Niebel]
Fanny Eyer m. #2 [John Dresibach]
Isaac Eyer m. [Elizabeth Klinefelter]
Jacob Eyer
Sarah Eyer m. [Vanbuskirk]
Christian Eyer



Major Lee and others killed by the Indians

The attack on John Lee's (now Winfield) was made in August.
A letter directed to Colonel Macaw, at Carlise, found among his papers, from Colonel Butler, dated 25th August, says, a party of Indians, supposed to be sixty or seventy in number, killed Mr. Lee and family, a few miles above Sunbury. Letters of administration were issued to Captain John Lowdon and Thomas Grant on the 31st of August. Lee was assessor in April of this year.

I copy from Meginness his narration of the occurrence, as I can find no contemporaneous account of it. Megan's, however, cofounds Major John Lee with Sergeant Lee, killed at Fort Rice, on the 24th of October, relates an incident occurring at Sergeant Lee's funeral as happening at Major Lee's funeral;

It was a summer evening, and his family were at supper. A young woman named Katy Stoner escaped up stairs, and concealed herself behind the chimney. Lee was tomahawked and scalped, and a man named John Walker shared the same fate. A Mrs. Boatman and daughter were also killed. Mrs. Lee, with a small child and a boy named Thomas, were led away captives. They took the path up the Valley, crossing White Deer mountain, and then the river. One of Lee's sons, Robert, returning about the time, saw the Indians leaving. He fled to Northumberland, and gave the alarm. A party was organized by Colonel Hunter, and started in pursuit. Henry Mchenry, father of A. H. McHenry, or Jersey Shore, was in this party. and gave an account of it to his son. In crossing the mountains, Mrs. Lee was bitten by a rattlesnake, and her leg became so much swollen, she traveled with great difficulty. The indians finding themselves pursued, urged her on as rapidly as possible, but her strength failed her. When near the mouth of Pine run, for miles below Jersey Shore, she gave out and sat down. An Indian slipped up behind her, placed the muzzle of his rifle to her ear, and blew off the whole upper portion of her head. One of them seized her little child by the heel and dashed it against a tree. They then fled, crossing the river at Smith's fording, and ran up Nippenose bottom.

When Colonel Hunter came up with his me, the body of Mrs. Lee was yet warm, and the child, but little injured, was moaning piteously. Near antes' Gap the Indians separated, and ran up both sides of the mountain, and the party gave up the chase, as they were nearly exhausted. They came back and buried Mrs. Lee where she died, and brought the child back. They dug a hole alongside of Walker's body and rolled him in. Mrs. Boatman's daughter survived and lived many years afterwards. Young Thomas Lee was not recovered for many years afterwards. His brother made arrangements with the Indians to bring him to Tioga Point (Athens now) where he was delivered to his friends. Such was his love of Indian life that they were obliged to tie him and place him into a canoe to bring him home. When near Wilkes-Barre they united him, but as soon as the canoe touched the shore, he was out and off like a deer. They caught him, however, and, on arriving at Northumberland, he evinced all the sullenness of a captive. Boy and girls played about him for several days before he showed any disposition to join them. At last he began to inquire the names of things. By degrees he became civilized, and obtained a good education.

John Van Buskirk told me when he came to the Valley, in 1816, the old people thereabouts showed him the spot where Lee was killed, by what is now (1877) a blasted pine, some little distance in a westerly course from the furnace stone stable; and he said Lee was buried, with his family, near their residence, which Isaac Eyer, senior, tells me, stood just were the furnace railroad crosses the road to the river, and that his father lived in it until he built the new house, within his own recollection.