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Fall Creek massacre

SOLVED1824Deer Lick Creek encampment near Fall Creek, Madison County, Indiana3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Illustrative

In the winter of 1823–1824, a small band of Native Americans—of uncertain but possibly mixed Seneca, Shawnee, and Delaware origin—established a hunting and trapping camp along Deer Lick Creek near the falls of Fall Creek, in what is now Pendleton, Indiana. The group included two adult men known to local settlers as Logan and Ludlow, a third man called M'Doal, three women, two boys, and two girls. Tensions reportedly grew between some settlers—James Hudson, Thomas Harper, and John T. Bridge Sr.—and members of the band in the days before the attack, following disputes over trapping, trade, and a dog.

On March 22, 1824, seven white men—Harper, Hudson, John T. Bridge Sr., his sons James and John Bridge Jr., Andrew Sawyer, and Sawyer's son Stephen, along with a boy named Andrew Jones—approached the camp under the pretext of seeking help finding missing horses. Logan and Ludlow agreed to help track the horses and were led into the woods, where they were shot and killed. The remaining assailants then returned to the camp and killed the three women and four children. M'Doal, who was not present when the attackers arrived, escaped and was never found. One injured woman survived for a short time before dying.

Authorities arrested most of the men within a week; Harper fled and was never captured. The four men charged—James Hudson, Andrew Sawyer, John T. Bridge Sr., and John Bridge Jr.—were tried in Madison County. Hudson was tried and convicted first, in October 1824, and was hanged on January 12, 1825. The Indiana Supreme Court upheld his conviction on appeal. The remaining three men were tried in May 1825; Sawyer was convicted of manslaughter for one victim and murder on retrial for other counts, while Bridge Sr. and Bridge Jr. were convicted of murder. Sawyer and Bridge Sr. were hanged on June 3, 1825. Moments before his scheduled execution, Governor James B. Ray pardoned the eighteen-year-old Bridge Jr., citing his youth, remorse, and the influence of others, particularly his father.

The prosecutions were widely reported and are described as the first instance under U.S. law in which white men were convicted, sentenced to death, and executed for killing Native Americans. Despite this, the case did not establish a lasting precedent for equal justice, and further violence and displacement of Native peoples in the region continued in subsequent decades. Records of the case are incomplete; original trial transcripts were destroyed in an 1880 courthouse fire, and no testimony or accounts from surviving Native Americans were recorded. The site is commemorated by a stone marker in Pendleton's Fall Creek Park and a state historical marker near Markleville, Indiana. The events later inspired Jessamyn West's 1975 novel, The Massacre at Fall Creek.

Key facts

Victims
Logan, Ludlow
Date
1824
Location
Deer Lick Creek encampment near Fall Creek, Madison County, Indiana
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 1823-11

    Approximate earliest date a small Native American band arrives to camp along Deer Lick Creek near present-day Pendleton, Indiana, to hunt, trap, and gather maple syrup.

  2. 1824-03-19

    Local settlers, including Harper, Hudson, and Sawyer, discuss the Indian presence in the area at a house-raising while drinking.

  3. 1824-03-21

    Andrew Sawyer reports missing horses; a group of settlers begins searching for them.

  4. 1824-03-22

    Seven white settlers kill two Native American men, three women, and four children at the Deer Lick Creek camp.

  5. 1824-03-24

    A second group of men finds a surviving injured woman at the camp; she is later taken to the Bridge cabin, where she dies.

  6. 1824-03-25

    Authorities begin arresting the accused men; Thomas Harper escapes and is never captured.

  7. 1824-04-08

    Hudson, Bridge Sr., Bridge Jr., and Andrew Sawyer are indicted.

  8. 1824-10-07

    The Fifth Judicial Circuit Court of Indiana opens in Madison County; James Hudson is tried and convicted of murder.

  9. 1824-11-13

    The Indiana Supreme Court upholds Hudson's conviction on appeal.

  10. 1825-01-12

    James Hudson is hanged in Madison County, Indiana.

  11. 1825-05-09

    Trials begin for Bridge Sr., Bridge Jr., and Andrew Sawyer in the Third Judicial Circuit Court in Madison County.

  12. 1825-06-03

    Andrew Sawyer and John T. Bridge Sr. are hanged; Governor James B. Ray pardons John Bridge Jr. moments before his scheduled execution.

Best coverage

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People

  • John Townsend Bridge Sr.

    CONVICTED

    Convicted of murder; hanged on June 3, 1825.

  • Logan

    VICTIM

    Native American man, described by settlers as a chief; shot and killed on March 22, 1824.

  • William W. Wick

    LAW ENFORCEMENT

    Circuit court judge who presided over James Hudson's trial and sentencing.

  • John Townsend Bridge Jr.

    CONVICTED

    Convicted of murder on two counts related to the killing of Logan; pardoned by Governor James B. Ray moments before his scheduled execution on June 3, 1825, due to his youth, remorse, and the influence of others.

  • James Hudson

    CONVICTED

    Convicted of murder for killing Logan; hanged on January 12, 1825.

  • James B. Ray

    LAW ENFORCEMENT

    Governor of Indiana who pardoned John Bridge Jr. moments before his scheduled execution.

  • Andrew Sawyer

    CONVICTED

    Convicted of manslaughter for one victim and later of murder on retrial for other counts; hanged on June 3, 1825.

  • Ludlow

    VICTIM

    Native American man; shot and killed on March 22, 1824; his body was never recovered.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Places

Deer Lick Creek encampment near Fall Creek, Madison County, Indiana

39.9753, -85.6032

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
On March 22, 1824, seven white settlers killed nine Native Americans camped along Deer Lick Creek near present-day Pendleton, Indiana; four of the men were later convicted and sentenced to death, in what is recorded as the first case under U.S. law in which white men were executed for killing Native Americans.
Where did the massacre happen?
Deer Lick Creek encampment near Fall Creek, Madison County, Indiana.
Who was convicted?
John Townsend Bridge Sr. (Convicted of murder; hanged on June 3, 1825.), John Townsend Bridge Jr. (Convicted of murder on two counts related to the killing of Logan; pardoned by Governor James B. Ray moments before his scheduled execution on June 3, 1825, due to his youth, remorse, and the influence of others.), James Hudson (Convicted of murder for killing Logan; hanged on January 12, 1825.), and Andrew Sawyer (Convicted of manslaughter for one victim and later of murder on retrial for other counts; hanged on June 3, 1825.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.
More cases in Indiana

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICFall Creek massacreWikipedia · 2026-07-10
  2. OFFICIAL / AGENCYContemporaneous coverage — in.govin.gov · 2026-07-10
  3. OFFICIAL / AGENCYContemporaneous coverage — secure.in.govsecure.in.gov · 2026-07-10