Anna Margaretha Learn

After scalping George Learn, the Indians started for the house and securing his wife and child, carried them to the Pocono mountains. The settlers, on ascertaining the facts, at once started in pursuit, and on reaching the mountain, to their horror discovered the body of the child, who had been scalped, lying not far from the mother, whom they butchered in the most inhuman fashion, portions of her body being suspended from nearby trees.

Margaretha died in an Indian attack on July 3, 1781, on their homestead near Tannersville, along with her husband George and daughter Susanna.Her Father-In-Law John Learn, was also killed in this attack.

Death of Margaret Brinker Learn and her family

As the last years of the Revolutionary War approached, the Jacob & Susannah Brinker family suffered many changes. Most tragic was the death of their daughter, Margaret Brinker Learn, her husband George and baby Susannah, in the Indian attack of 3 July 1781 at the Learn settlement at Tannersville. An account of this massacre appears in the PA Archive, 1781, p. 257-260 in a letter from Robert Levers to Joseph Reed,Esquire, President of the Supreme Executive Council. dated July 8, 1781, Easton: "...Jacob Briner, whose daughter was the Wife of George Learne, Tow of the late unhappy victims slain by the Indians, was with me last Evening, with young John Learne (brother of George Learn), who killed and scalped an Indian soon after his Father was shot, desiring a small Party of men might be posted at the place of his late Father deceased for the Protection of his Crop and of his mother & younger Bretheren...These Families, there is too much reason to fear, have unhappiuly fell a Sacrifice to malicious Rensentment; Frequent application had been made to Col. Strowd (Stroud) for a Guard, by the late unhappy John Learne, whose Place is so situated that it is certainly a proper Post, and he was as often refused; and, as the deceased some time past told me mimself, because Col. Strowd asserted he was a Tory and he only wanted men there to have them destroyed, and on which Account, John Lerne, in his Life Time, broght an action of slander against Col. Strowd..." "from the account I have received from young John Lerne, the Indian attack was thus:--his Brother George was mowing Grass in a meadow where he was attacked; ;upon endeavoring to make to the House, his Retreat was cut off and he was killed & scalped. The old man with his Son John were in a Rye field, and attacked by Two Indians, who both fired; John Lerne the Elder, having first fired, but missed, he was sot and began to run; his Son escaped, and whilst he was watching the fate of his Father, the Two Indians running after him to scal him, Young Lerne saw another in the Rye with his head down as if he was doing something to his RIfle, upon hich Lerne immediately fired & shot him through the Head, but dared not venture to scalp him at that time. He thinks he could have shot another of the Indians after he had loaded, but his Weakness of body being such that he could not make his Escape if he should have missed, he judged, as his Father & Brother were killed, it was best to secure himself. He says had there been four or five persons then present, beside the Family, all the Indians must inevitably have fallen into their Hands--From every CXircumstance it appears there were byt Four...His Brother Geoges wife and Child were taken & carried off by the Indians, with some plunder, the HOuse & etc. not destroyed--and afterh the Prisoners were taken some distance were both killed..." These excerpts, from a much longer account give the major facts of the story.

from the web page of phil knox @ World COnnect; pknox@earthlink.com