Pigeon Roost Cemetery and State Historical Site are located on Highway 31, between Scottsburg and Henryville, about a mile or so north of the Clark County line.

To reach the site from Interstate 65, exit at Henryville and proceed EAST a few blocks to Highway 31 and turn NORTH (left) OR exit at Scottsburg, proceed a few blocks EAST to Highway 31 and turn SOUTH (right).

Historical Marker at Pigeon Roost Cemetery

Monument at Pigeon Roost

The following is from Baird's History of Clark County, published 1909, page 147:

The Indiana phase of the War of 1812, which was no small thing to the western settlers, was of more moment to them than a consideration of danger from purely British sources. To be sure, the atrocities of the savage, to a great extent, were instigated by the British to the north, but from British troops themselves, no real danger was ever anticipated. The Pigeon Roost massacre, September 3, 1812, was the last trouble ever experienced in this vicinity, but it had the effect of awakening the settlers to the danger of unpreparedness and resulted in the establishment of a line of some fifteen or twenty stockades, beginning at the one called the "Corner Post" and extending by Charlestown back to the Ohio at the east of the town.

The Pigeon Roost massacre was not an Indian raid as has been so often stated. The Indians passed through the little hamlet which was the nucleus of Vienna and never harmed a soul, while there. There had been bad blood between the Collins family and the Indians for some time. The Collins boys had stolen a fawn from the Indians and refused to give it up, and from this cause and possibly some other, the whole trouble originated. Those other than Collinses were killed only because they lived in that neighborhood. Neither before nor after the massacre were other white people harmed, showing conclusively that it was only a local fight and giving no cause for alarm to other settlers.

The Indians, who were Delawares and Shawnees, are said to have crossed White River at Sparksville. They crossed three or four at a time and after all had crossed formed together and directed their way to the spot now hallowed in the memory of the early victims. During the afternoon of the same day they reached their destination, and Jeremiah Payne, who lived near Vienna, was warned of danger when his cows came bellowing home with arrows stuck in their sides. Taking his wife and only son to the fort at Vienna, the father started on foot to warn his brother, Elias, but when he arrived at the cabin he found the dead and mutilated bodies of the wife [of Elias Payne] and seven children. Elias and his brother-in-law, Isaac Coffman, were in the woods at the time hunting bee trees. They were surprised by ten or twelve Indians and Coffman was instantly killed and scalped. Payne was pursued over two miles before he was overtaken and mortally wounded. Mrs. Richard Collins and her seven children soon fell victims to the redskins' thirst for blood, and Mrs. Henry Collins, although pregnant, was murdered and scalped and the child taken from the womb and scalped, and then laid across her breast. The incentive to such a diabolical deed was the five dollar British reward offered for each scalp. The fiends later massacred the mother, wife and only child of John Morris, and the escape of other settlers was almost miraculous.

A part of Clark County militia under Maj. John McCoy and Captain Devault pursued the Indians and killed one. In June, 1813 some Clark County militia, under Col. Joseph Bartholomew, went on an expedition to punish Indians who were hostile, and returned without any casualties.

Entrance to Pigeon Roost State Historical Site

Dedication on Pigeon Roost monument

Pat Mount advised on March 14, 1998 that, acccording to accounts of the massacre the 22 dead were:

• The mother, wife and child of John Morris
• Henry Collings and his wife
• The wife and seven children of Richard Collings
• Elias Payne, his wife and seven of their children
• Isaac Coffman

Elmer Mackison <ethome@ccrtc.com> provided the following information in April of 1997:

"Located on U.S. 31, north of Clark County line, in Scott County, Indiana, this rural cemetery contains the graves of some of the descendants of the Pigeon Roost Massacre, which took place September 3, 1812. A 44-foot monument marks the common grave of 16 of the 24 pioneers killed here. The Shawnees had crossed White River and headed south when they struck this little three-year-old settlement. Many of the men of the settlement were away from home, serving in the war of 1812. Elias Payne, his wife and seven children, Isaac Coffman, Henry Collings' family and Richard Collings' family were some of those massacred.

"The little Cemetery extends to the foot of the large monument, a memorial to those pioneers, and today this is all a little rest park with picnic tables and large shade trees.

"In 1812 this land was in Clark County, Indiana."

"In memory of the pioneer heroes, twenty-two in number, massacred at Pigeon Roost defeat by the Shawnee Indians, September 13, 1812."

Cemetery immediately adjacent to Pigeon Roost State Historical Site

Marsha McWilliams <mmcw@effingham.net> advised on March 14, 1998 as follows:

I have some info on the families of the Pigeon Roost massacre from THE HOOSIER JOURNAL OF ANCESTRY, X-2, pg. 169 with fill-ins from FTM, cd#2, family #1048 (the FTM info I will put in parenthesis).

"Connie Hackman sent in the following information on William Elston Collings. He was the son of William & Ann Collings and had brothers Zebulon, Spencer & Thomas, and a sister Elizabeth. Ms. Hackman has co-authored with Leona M. Lawson and Kenneth R. Scott - The Collings-Richey's and the Pigeon Roost Massacre, listing many of the survivors and descendants and including most of the major accounts of the massacre. I think also included is information on the brothers and sisters of William Elston Collings..." Naomi Keith Sexton (Hoosier Journal of Ancestry)

William Elston Collings b: 1758 (PA) died 25 Nov. 1828 (nr. Underwood, Scott Co., IN Father: William Collins/Collings, b: ca. 1720, wd Dec. 11, 1787, wife Ann, b: ca. 1723, PA.) (Wife: Phoebe Hougland, b: abt 1762, PA., d: Scott Co., IN)

1) Richard, b. ca: 1779, d: ca. 1828, md: (Dec. 7, 1798) Catherine Still - entire family except Richard were murdered in this Massacre. (He died ca. 1828)

2) Zebulon, b. ca: 1782 (KY.), d: ca. 1850, his children were: George, Rachel, Nancy, Elizabeth, Satchel, Jane and Phebe (md: June 30, 1803, Nancy Boss. He d: April, 1850)

3) Jane, b: 9 Oct., 1784 (Mary Jane, same birthdate, b: KY.), d: 25 Aug., 1844, md: John Biggs (Feb. 27, 1802 Children: Miller, Phebe, William, Robert, John Harrison, Henry, Sarah Jane, Lisha and Elizabeth.

4) Kearn(e)s, b: 28 Feb., 1787 (KY.), md: Catherine Cooper( Oct. 15, 1806, Shelby Co., KY. d: Sept. 7, 1854, nr. Underwood), his children were Capandra, William, Sichy, Phebe, Catherine, Jamima, Eliab, Zebulon F., Kearns Jr., and Sarah A. Cooper

5) Henry, he and his pregnant wife were murdered in the Massacre (b: 1788, KY, wife: Rachel Hoffman)

6) Elizabeth, b: 1791 (1790, KY.) md: Abraham Richey (July 21, 1806), children: John, Abraham, William "Miller Bill", Robert, Thomas, Phoebe, Elizabeth and Jacob (d: Sept. 25, 1822)

7) Sichy, b: 9 Nov., 1793 (KY.), d: 27 Aug., 1875 md: Dr. John Richey (Oct. 1, 1811, Clark Co., IN. by John Reese) Her children were: John, Jacob, Phebe, Henry, Sichy, Rachel Jane, Isaac, Eli, David and Polly Ann.

8) Lydia, b ca: 1795 (KY.), md: (April 3, 1818, Clark Co., IN. by Jonathan Stark) Harper Cochran. Her children were: Josiah, William E. C., Jonathan and Henry

9) John, b: ca. 1797 (KY.), d: 19 May, 1846, md: (Aug. 14, 1816, Bullitt Co., KY.), Jane Broady, his children were: Joseph, William E., Lydia C., Eliza Ann, Zebulon and John Calvin.

Headstone of George R. and Annie E. Collings

William C. Collins

Marsha's further census research indicates:

1790 Bucks Co., Pennsylvania:

A - John Hougland; 1790, Northumberland Co., PA - Samuel Hougland.
1820, Scott Co and Clark Co., Indiana.:
• W. G. Collins, Scott Co., Lexington Twp, pg. 159;
• Richard Collins, Scott Co., Lexington Twp, pg. 155;
• Zebulon Collins, Clark Co., Charlestown Twp., pg. 049
• John Biggs, Clark Co., Monroe Twp, pg. 21 - 10 children;
• Kearnes Collins, Clark Co., Monroe Twp., 10 children;
• Abraham Richey, 8 children;
• John Richey, Scott Co., Lexington Twp., pg. 159, 10 children;
• Harper Cochran, Scott Co., Lexington Twp., pg. 159; and
• John Collins, Scott Co., Lexington Twp., pg. 159, 6 children.

Cemetery adjacent to Pigeon Roost State Historical Site

Headstone of Mildred Murphy (broken off the base)

Marsha McWilliams went on to say:

I gathered all of this information several years ago while trying to find out something about the Pigeon Roost Massacre. I have never found where I am a descendant of the Collings/Collins family. I believe that my ancestor, John Pavey, (known by "Pavey" - he partnered with a "Miller" - both Indian scouts that the Washington Co. History Books write about) could have been actively involved at least in the chase afterwards. He was deceased by July, 1814 - papers filed in Washington Co., IN. That FTM may have more on the family, I haven't checked in a long time. Sorry I don't have more on the other families.

Stone of Myrtle May Applegate, born 11/10/1909, died one day later. This marker is about 4 feet in front of baby Sophia's stone (photo at right). The top of Sophia's stone is visible immediately behind Myrtle's marker.	Stone of Sophia Belle Applegate, born 12/22/1910, died 18 days later These two stones (probably sisters) are in a very low spot, at the front of the cemetery. I'm curious as to why they are so far removed from the others.
Myrtle and Sophia Applegate's stones (above, left) are in a low area, at the bottom of the hill, probably 30 or 40 feet from the other markers.	Feel free to contact Marsha McWilliams if you'd like to learn more about this site and these families. Unfortunately, I know nothing more about Pigeon Roost except what you see on this page. Lois Mauk  03/14/98