Historic Adventures Tales from American History - Rupert S Holland
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What is the story of the lost children in the Hartman family?
THE LOST CHILDREN The valleys of Pennsylvania were dotted with log cabins in the days of the French and Indian wars. Sometimes a number of the little houses stood close together for protection, but often they were built far apart. Wherever the pioneer saw good farmland, he settled. It was a new sensation for men to be able to go into the country and take whatever land attracted them. Gentle rolling fields, with wide views of distant country, through the notches of the hills shining rivers splendid uncut forests and rich pasturage were to be found not far from the growing village of philadelphia and were free to any who wished to take them such a land would have been a paradise but for one shadow that hung over it in the background always lurked the indians who might at any time without rhyme or reason steal down upon the lonely hamlet or cabin and lay it waste
The pioneer looked across the broad acres of central Pennsylvania and found them beautiful. Only when he had built his home and planted his fields did he fully realize the constant peril that lurked in the wooded mountains. English, French, and Spanish came to the New World, and the English proved themselves the best colonists. They settled the central part of the Atlantic coast, but among them and mixed with them were people of other lands. The Dutch took a liking for the island of Manhattan and the Hudson River. the Swedes for Delaware, and into the colony of William Penn, came pilgrims from what was called the Palatinate, Germans, a strong race drawn partly by desire for religious freedom, partly by the reports of the great free lands across the ocean.
They brought with them the tongue, the customs, and the names of the German fatherland, and many a valley of eastern Pennsylvania heard only the German language spoken. The Indian tribes known as the Six Nations roamed through the country watered by the Susquehanna, They hunted through all the land south of the Great Lakes. Sometimes they fought with the Delawares, sometimes with the Catawbas, and again they would smoke the calumet, or pipe of peace, with their neighbors, and give up the war-path for months at a time. But the settlers could never be sure of their intentions. Wily French agents might sow seeds of discord in the Indians' minds, and then the chiefs who had lately exchanged gifts with the settlers might suddenly steal upon some quiet village and leave the place in ruins.
This constant peril was the price men had to pay in return for the right to take whatever land they liked. In a little valley of eastern Pennsylvania, a German settler named John Hartman had built a cabin in 1754. He had come to this place with his wife and four children, because here he might earn a good living from the land. He was a hard worker, and his farm was prospering. He had horses and cattle, and his wife spun, and wove the clothing for the family. The four children, George, Barbara, Regina, and Christian, looked upon the valley as their home, forgetting the German village over the sea. Not far away lived neighbors, and sometimes the children went to play with other boys and girls, and sometimes their friends spent a holiday on John Hartman's farm.
The family, like all farmers' families, rose early. Before they began the day's work, the father would read to them from his big Bible, which he had brought his native land as his most valuable possession on a bright morning in the autumn of 1754 he gathered his family in the living room of his cabin and read them a bible lesson the doors and windows stood open and the sun flooded the little house built of rough boards and scrupulously clean the farmer's dog vassar lay curled up asleep just outside the front door and a pair of horses already harnessed stood waiting to be driven to the field Birds singing in the trees called to the children to hurry out of doors. They tried to listen to their father's voice as he read, and to pay attention.
As they all knelt he prayed for their safety. Then they had breakfast, and the father and mother made plans for the day.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What is the story of the lost children in the Hartman family?
0:01–2:25:21
2
How does the narrative shift to the Great Journey of Lewis and Clark?
2:25:21–3:29:49
3
How did Marcus Whitman persuade the U.S. government to support settlement of the Oregon Territory?
3:29:49–4:36:37
4
What challenges did the Mormon pioneers face while establishing their new community in Utah?
4:36:37–5:36:02
5
Why did the discovery of gold in California spark such a massive migration and reshape the nation?
5:36:02–6:49:39
6
How did a seemingly harmless pig on San Juan Island almost trigger a war between the United States and Britain?
6:49:39–7:03:50
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