▁the ▁pione ers ▁returned ▁to ▁Cl inton ▁Township ▁and ▁re est ab lished ▁their ▁hom est ead s . ▁By ▁this ▁time ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁Native ▁Americans ▁had ▁either ▁been ▁killed ▁off ▁or ▁fled ▁to ▁the ▁west . ▁The ▁sett lers ▁encountered ▁some ▁strugg les ▁over ▁the ▁years , ▁most ▁not ably ▁in ▁the ▁winter ▁of ▁ 1 7 8 7 . ▁This ▁winter ▁was ▁especially ▁har sh ▁in ▁Cl inton ▁Township . ▁Near ly ▁all ▁the ▁liv est ock ▁was ▁either ▁fro zen ▁to ▁death ▁or ▁they ▁died ▁of ▁star v ation . ▁The ▁supplies ▁of ▁food ▁stored ▁after ▁the ▁har vest ▁were ▁quickly ▁de ple ted ▁and ▁the ▁people ▁began ▁to ▁star ve . ▁Hun ters ▁strugg led ▁through ▁the ▁deep ▁snow . ▁Even ▁those ▁that ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁use ▁snow sh o es ▁to ▁walk ▁on ▁top ▁of ▁the ▁snow ▁strugg led ▁to ▁find ▁any ▁game , ▁which ▁also ▁strugg led ▁to ▁surv ive ▁the ▁har sh ▁winter . ▁When ▁the ▁winter ▁finally ▁broke ▁the ▁residents ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁har vest ▁trem end ous ▁amounts ▁of ▁sh ad ▁in ▁Black ▁H ole ▁Creek ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁West ▁Branch ▁Sus que h anna ▁River ▁with ▁a ▁seine ▁that ▁was ▁delivered ▁to ▁them ▁by ▁the ▁father - in - law ▁of ▁Major ▁Ten ▁Brook , ▁Mr . ▁Em m ons . ▁Mr . ▁Em m ons ▁arrived ▁from ▁New ▁Jersey ▁with ▁additional ▁supplies ▁including ▁salt , ▁whe at , ▁corn , ▁and ▁garden ▁se eds . ▁He ▁is ▁cred ited ▁with ▁saving