of any of the ringleaders involved with the massacre. The attackers were never identified. Many of the residents of where they lived had sympathy towards the Paxton Boys and their efforts; therefore no prosecutions were put into action. There was a strong feeling among many of the Quakers that many of the law-keeping officials such as the sheriff, the coroners, and the magistrates were not fully cooperating with the government to bring the leaders of the massacre to justice. The Conestoga murders were meant to “convey a message”, not just to scare the Philadelphia provincial authorities, but also the local elites. Following these successful acts of violence, it was clear to the Paxton leaders that local authorities would struggle to respond to any escalations of violence in the future. Many colonists were outraged about the December killings of innocent Conestoga, describing the murders as more savage than those committed by Indians. Benjamin Franklin's "Narrative of the Late Massacres" concluded with noting that the Conestoga would have been safe among any other people on earth, no matter how primitive, except "'white savages' from Peckstang and Donegall!" The Rev. Elder, who was not directly implicated in either attack, wrote to Governor Penn, on January 27, 1764: March on Philadelphia In January 1764, the Paxton Boys marched toward Philadelphia with about 250 men to challenge the government for failing to protect them and with claims to kill the Indians settled on Provincial Island. Due to the circulation of rumors, however, many Philadelphia citizens believed that the number of marchers could exceed far into the hundreds and possibly thousands. John Penn, still acting governor, begged the assembly to give him emergency military powers but was told that it would take too long to draft a bill in time. Penn instead began helping move many of the natives off of Provincial Island and moving them into New York. Lacking a militia, Penn summoned the people of Philadelphia and appointed Benjamin Franklin to oversee the arming of its people. A substantial minority of Quakers even took up arms to face the oncoming threat. In the end Franklin was able to make nine companies, six of infantry, one of artillery and two of cavalry. On February 5 news arrived claiming that the Paxton Boys had made it into Germantown, a village six miles northwest of Philadelphia. A resident of the town, David Rittenhouse, described the occupation "about