SIXTH GENERATION

38. * Robert MCMAHAN Sr. ⁽⁶⁹⁾ was born in 1760 in Augusta County, VA. He died in 1823 in Troy, Madison, IL. He was buried in Troy, Madison, IL. Robert McMahan was born in Virginia and at an early age emigrated to Lexington, Kentucky. He came to Illinois, and settled in the New Design. In the present county of Monroe. Robert McMahan married a second time and raised a large family. He resided many years in Ridge prairie southwest of Troy and died in the year 1822, aged 63. He was married to * Margaret CLARKE [CLARK] on 29 Jun 1785 in Crab Orchard, Lincoln, KY. His wife and four children were killed by Indians, and he and his oldest daughter taken prisoner.
NOTE-Several accounts have been published off the murder of the members of the McMahan family and his capture by the Indians, but the following, from the pen of George Churchill, a neighbor of McMahan in Ridge prairie, is the most correct: The settlers being apprehensive of attacks from straggling parties of Indians, Mr. McMahan in 1794, residing in a house of Mr. James Lemon Sr., near the station in Monroe county. In the same vicinity resided Mr. Peter Casterline and Mr. Benjamin Ogle. But desiring to improve the land which he had selected for his farm, and hoping to escape and attack, or to repel it if made, he afterwards removed to his improvement in the prairie, about 3 miles from the station, and out of sight of any house. He made preparations to defend himself and family against an attack. He had a rifle, and only the week before the tragedy, he run 2 hundred rifle balls. He also had a blunderbuss charged with 6 charges of power and 9 balls. "When you hear the report of any blunderbuss!" said he to his friends at the station, "you may be certain that I am attacked." The door of his house was so constructed that it might be strongly barred, and first holes were made in the walls through which he might shoot any who should attempt to ascend to the roof. On the fatal 26th of January 1795, Mr. McMahan went out to hunt his oxen, when he perceived that his horse, which was confined in a pen, appeared to be frightened. He cast his eye over the prairie in every direction, but saw no enemy. A lone hickory tree, 100 and 50 yards from the house, had been blown down the year before while in full leaf, thus affording a convenient hiding place for an attacking party; but unfortunately Mr. McMahan did not think of there being a deadly enemy ensconced within that convent covert. He entered the house, but had not been there more than 2 or 3 minutes, when 4 Indians, frightfully painted black and red entered the house, two by two, saying "Bon jour! bon jour." (good day, good day). They stood motionless a dew seconds, when one of them attempted to take down Mr. McMahan's rifle from the hook and Mr. McMahan took down his blunderbuss, but his wife took hold of it and begged her husband not to resist, as she hoped their lives might be spared, if they submitted peaceably, but otherwise they would be killed. The Indians then seized the blunderbuss and wrenched it from his hands. Everyone then made for the door, Mrs. McMahan run halfway round the house when she was shot in the left breast, and scalped. Mr. McMahan was then pulled back into the house, torn on the floor, and his hand pinioned close behind him, with deer sinews. Sally McMahan, his oldest daughter, then less than 9 years old, remained in the house and saw one of the Indians knock her brother and two sisters in the head with the poll of his tomahawk. It was a light blow only sufficient to stun them. This Indian was proceeding to open the cradle where lay a female child only one month old, when Sally run out of the house, and once around it when she was also seized by him. The Indian who committed the murder was supposed to be of the Miami tribe. The other 3 were Putawwahs as they call themselves, or as they commonly called by the whites, Pottowatomies. Three of the children were scalped. It is said that the infant was not scalped, but informant stated that the Indians displayed 5 scalps when they camped that night, and they supposed they took 2 scalps from the head of one of the children and left the infant unscalped. It is also stated that the infant was unhurt and died of starvation: but other information from a woman who was present at the burial, that there was a gash in its cheek. The Indians took from the house such articles as they wanted, packed a part of then upon Mr. McMahan, one of his hands was untied so that he might carry his load; and with their captive, left in haste for their home in the northeast part of Illinois. Mr. McMahan meditated and escaped, but did not make known his intention to his daughter. The first night of the journey he saw no chance of escape, as the Indians had tied him very securely, and had taken away his shoes and hat and part of his clothes. But during the second night, he quietly slipped off the cords from his limbs and body, and was about to rise when he perceived that one of the Indians was awake. Waiting till the Indian was again asleep, he made his escape, after trying in vain to get possession of his shoes. In the dead of winter without shoes without food and with scanty clothing he left his daughter with her captors and endeavored too make his way to the New Design. He lay out one cold night, making his bed of leaves under a large fallen tree which was held up from the found by its branches. He was partially frozen, but the next morning resumed his journey. He now had pleasure of meeting friend in the person Col. Samuel Judy who gave him the necessary directions which he pursued, and reached his home just after his wife and 4 children had been committed by their sympathizing neighbors, to one common grave. He prostrated himself upon the grave exclaiming "They were lovely in their lives and in their deaths they were not divided." The massacre took place on Monday and the burial on the succeeding Friday. A small dog belonging to Mr. McMahan daily visited the residence of Mr. James Lemon Sen. and endeavored by whining to inform the people of what had happened to his master's families. But for several days they did not comprehend the dog's message. One authority says not until old Mr. Judy had discovered the dead bodies and reported the fact at the station. Let us now return to the Indians and their remaining captive. They pursued their course and reached the home of the Putawwahs southwest of Lake Michigan. Sally McMahan was here transferred to an Ottawa Indian who became a chief of the Putawwahs and whose wife was Sukkonok, which being translated means Blackbird; but among the whites he went by the name Luturneau. Here the Indian women cultivated their gardens and truck patches with a neatness worthy of commendation and imitation, not permitting a solitary weed to grow therein. In 1795 General Anthony Wayne sometimes call Mad Anthony, obtained a great victory over the Indians in Ohio. This was followed by the Treaty of Greenville, by which the Indians engaged to bring into the white settlements all the captives in their possession. In accordance with the stipulation, in April 1796 Sukkonok took Sally down the Illinois and Mississippi, in a canoe and Landed at Cahokia, and delivered her to the white people. It being court time great many people were present. Sukkonok made a speech to them which he said that the had no hand in the massacre and paid a considerable sum for the captive and had brought her a great distant into the white settlements. He therefore appealed to the liberality and sense of justice of the white people to make him just compensation. A subscription paper was drawn up circulated, and $164.00 subscribed, and that amount in goods was advanced to Sukkonok by Mr. Arundel, and merchant of Cahokia. In Gov. Reynolds account of the above transaction it is stated that 2 daughters were led away captive and no mention is made of Mr. McMahan's preparation for defense. It is evident however that if he had seen the Indians before they entered his house he could have defended himself successfully until the report of his blunderbuss would have brought him assistance from the station.

39. * Margaret CLARKE [CLARK]^{(69) (89)} was born in 1762. She died on 26 Jan 1795 in New Design, Saint Clair, IL. She was buried in New Design, Saint Clair, IL. Killed during an Indian raid. She died along with 4 of her children. Children were:

19 i. * Sarah "Sally" MCMAHAN.
ii. Child MCMAHAN⁽⁶⁴⁾ was born in 1788 in Kentucky. He died on 26 Jan 1795 in New Design, Saint Clair, IL. He was buried in New Design, Saint Clair, IL. Killed by Indians.
iii. Child MCMAHAN⁽⁶⁴⁾ was born in 1790 in Kentucky. She died on 26 Jan 1795 in New Design, Saint Clair, IL. She was buried in New Design, Saint Clair, IL. Killed by Indians.
iv. Child MCMAHAN⁽⁶⁴⁾ was born in 1792 in New Design, Saint Clair, IL. She died on 26 Jan 1795 in New Design, Saint Clair, IL. She was buried in New Design, Saint Clair, IL. Killed by Indians.
v. Infant MCMAHAN⁽⁶⁴⁾ was born in Dec 1794 in Kentucky. She died on 26 Jan 1795 in New Design, Saint Clair, IL. She was buried in New Design, Saint Clair, IL. Killed by Indians.