 Alder was born September 17 , 1773 , in Gloucester , New Jersey , to Bartholomew Alder and Hannah Worthington . The family moved in 1775 to Wythe County , Virginia , where Alder 's father died about a year later . In May 1782 , Jonathan , at eight years old , was sent out with his brother David to search for a couple horses that ran away . They were attacked by a small group of Shawnee Indians from Ohio . David saw the Indians first and tried to escape , but he was chased down , killed , and later scalped . The Indian group also captured Alder 's neighbor , Mrs. Martin , and her young child . 
