Hunt-Swartout Raid

The Hunt-Swartout Raid was a 1756 massacre against colonial settlers in northwestern New Jersey during the French and Indian War (1755–1763). In the 18th century, the upper valley of the Delaware River was a sparsely-populated wilderness frontier. In 1756, a small band of Lenape from the valley of the Susquehanna River crossed the Delaware River into New Jersey and proceeded on foot to the homes of local militia officers Richard Hunt, Anthony Swartout, and Daniel Harker. The Lenape braves ransacked and burned the settler's homes, killing several Anthony Swartout and several members his family, and kidnapped members of the Hunt and Swartout households who were held captive for several years.