Chief Logan's Gospel Encounter

     As a student of history, I have to admit that what is normally recorded for posterity’s sake are the “important things.”  It is seldom that we are given a glimpse into the minutiae of what it was like to live in days gone by, to get a “day-in-the-life” view revealed to us from primary source documentation .  It is even rarer to get a detailed report of a gospel encounter on the colonial frontier in the pre-Revolutionary days, but I found just such a one here from the diary of New England Congregationalist preacher David McClure.

     16th. [Sept. 1772] —Came to the Mingo village on Bever [sic] Creek. On the green lay an old Indian, who, they said, had been a hard drinker; his limbs were contracted by fits. He told me his disorder was brought on him by witchcraft, that he employed several conjurors to cure him, but in vain. I called his attention to his dependence on God, on death & Judgment. He however gave little heed; but in answer told my Interpreter, if he would bring a pint of rum every time he came, he should be glad to see him every day. Awful stupidity! This village is commonly called Logan's town. About half an hour before our arrival, we saw Capt. Logan in the woods, & I was not a little surprised at his appearance [sic]. As we were obliged to ride, as it is commonly called in Indian file, the path not admitting two to ride a breast, I had passed beyond Logan without seeing him. He spoke to my interpreter, who was a little distance behind, to desire me to stop. I looked back & saw him a few rods from the path, stand, under a tree, leaning on the muzzle of his gun. A young Indian, with his gun, stood by him.

       I turned back & riding up to Logan, asked him how he did, & whether he wished to speak with me? (I had seen him at Pittsburgh). Pointing to his breast, he said, "I feel very bad here.  Wherever I go the evil monethoes (Devils) [manitous] are after me. My house, the trees & the air, are full of Devils, they continually haunt me, & they will kill me. All things tell me how wicked I have been." He stood pale & trembling, apparently in great distress. His eyes were fixed on the ground, & the sweat run down his face like one in agony. It was a strange sight. I had several times seen him at Pittsburgh & thought him the most martial figure of an Indian that I had ever seen. At the conclusion of his awful description of himself, he asked me what he should do? Recollecting to have heard at Pittsburgh, that he had been a bloody enemy against the poor defenseless settlers on the Susquehanna, & the frontiers, in the last french war in 1758, & 9, & it was also reported of him, (though positive proof could not be had) that he had murdered a white man (one Chandler) on the Allegany [sic] mountains. I observed to him, perhaps Capt. Logan, you have been a wicked man, & greatly offended God, & he now allows these Devils, or evil thoughts which arise in your heart to trouble you, that you may now see yourself to be a great sinner & repent  & pray to God to forgive you. If you will repent & ask forgiveness of God from the bottom of your heart, & live a better life, the Great Spirit above will not suffer the Devils to torment you, & he will give you peace.

       He attended to what I said, & after conversing a little longer, in the same strain, We left him, in the same distress, as I found him. After parting from him, various thoughts, but none satisfactory, occurred to me, relative to the cause of the distress & agitation of so renowned a warrior. I sometimes thought (such was his ferocious character) that knowing of my journey, he had placed himself in a convenient spot for robbery or murder, but was disappointed, finding us armed. For my interpreter & Nickels had each a loaded piece, the Indian a common musket, & the english man a rifle always loaded, for the purpose of killing game. Perhaps it was some sudden compunction, arising from reflections on his past guilt.

       This same Logan is represented as making a very eloquent speech at the close of the revolutionary war, on the murder of his family by Col. Cressup [Cresap]. ¹

Most everyone who has read any histories of the colonial frontier has heard of Logan’s famous speech.  Here we see a real glimpse into the heart of the warrior-chief, a heart that was troubled by the torment of his sins.  The same Savior that was revealed to Logan is the same Savior who sits eternally at the right hand of God the Father, with power to save sinners today who come to Him in repentance and faith.  May Jesus Christ be praised!

Christ, not man, is King!

Dale

1)   Franklin B. Dexter, ed., Diary of David McClure (New York, NY: Knickerbocker Press, 1899), p. 56-8.