David Williamson

David Williamson (1752–1814) was a mass murderer and colonel in the Pennsylvania Militia during the American Revolutionary War. He was born near Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and led American militiamen in the Gnadenhutten massacre of the Moravian Christian Indian Martyrs, though he failed in his plan to massacre the Christian Indians (primarily Lenape and Mahican) in Schoenbrunn. He led Pennsylvanian soldiers in the massacre of peaceful Delaware Indians in Killbuck Island (who were allies of the United States) and was second in command in the Crawford expedition.

Involvement in persecution of Christian Indians

David Williamson led the American soldiers that murdered 100 pacifist Moravian Christian Indians at the town of Gnadenhutten, Ohio in 1782.

After the Gnadenhutten massacre, Williamson advanced his unit to massacre the Moravian Christian Indians who were peacefully harvesting their crops in Schoenbrunn.

As Williamson and his unit were returning from the Gnadenhutten massacre of the Moravian Christian Indian martyrs, he and his militiamen massacred the peaceful Delaware Indians at Killbuck Island, where forty of them were living. These Indians were allies of the United States and provided intelligence to the Americans at the nearby Fort Pitt. Chief Gelelemend and a few others (mainly women and children), in addition to a Christian Indian named Anthony who was in Pittsburgh, were able to escape by swimming away; they headed to Upper Sandusky and joined the Christian Munsee, with Chief Gelelemend becoming a prominent member among the Moravians.