USA > Indiana > An illustrated history of the state of Indiana: being a full and authentic civil and political history of the state from its first exploration down to 1879 > Part 25
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63
The Indians now began a furious attack upon the fort, but
363
ALLEN COUNTY --- FORT WAYNE.
the little garrison, with Oliver to cheer them on, bravely met the assault, repelling the attack day after day, until the army approached to their relief. During this seige the command- ing officer, whose habits of intemperance rendered him unfit for the command, was confined in the " black-hole," and the junior officer assumed charge. This course was approved by the General, on his arrival, but Captain Rhea received but little censure, undoubtedly owing to his services in the Revo- lutionary war. In those days, to have been a gallant officer in the Revolutionary war was, to official imperfections, as charity is to sins.
On the sixth of September, the army under General Harri- son moved forward to relieve Fort Wayne. On the seventh it reached a point to within three miles of the St. Mary's river, making the remaining distance to the river on the eighth, on the eve of which they were joined by two hundred mounted volunteers, under Colonel Richard M. Johnson. On the ninth the army marched eighteen miles, reaching "Shane's crossing," on the St. Mary's, where it was joined by eight hundred men from Ohio, under Colonels Adams and Hawkins. At this place, chief Logan and four other Indians offered their services as spies to General Harrison, and were accepted. Logan was immediately disguised and sent forward. Passing through the lines of the hostile Indians, he ascertained their number to be about fifteen hundred, and entering the fort, he encouraged the soldiers to hold out, as relief was at hand. General Harrison's force, at this time, was about three thousand five hundred. " Friday morning," says Mr. Knapp, " we were under marching orders after an early breakfast. It had rained, and the guns were damp ; we were ordered to discharge them and re-load, as we were then getting into the vicinity of the enemy, and knew not how soon we might be attacked. A strong detachment of spies, under Captain James Suggett, of Scott county, Ohio, marched considerably ahead of the army. Indications of the enemy having advanced from their position at Fort Wayne, for the purpose of watching the movements of our army, were manifest, and Captain Suggett came upon the trail of a large party, which he immediately
364
HISTORY OF INDIANA.
pursued. After following the trail for some distance, he was fired on by an Indian who had secreted himself in a clump of bushes so near to Snggett that the powder burnt his clothes, but the ball missed him. The Indian jumped from his covert and attempted to escape, but Andrew Johnson, of Scott county, Ohio, shot him .? '
On the return of Suggett's party, a breastwork was erected in expectation of an attack from the Indians, but the night passed with repeated alarms but no formidable onset.
Mr. Bryce, in his history, tells ns that on the tenth of Sep- tember the army expected to reach Fort Wayne, but thought, in all probability, that the march would be a fighting one, as the Indians were encamped directly on their route at the Black Swamp, but this expectation was happily disappointed, as " at the first grey of the morning of the tenth of September, the distant halloos of the disappointed savages revealed to the anxious inmates of the fort the glorious news of the approach of the army. Great clouds of dust could be seen from the fort, rolling up in the distance, as the valiant soldiery under General Harrison moved forward to the rescue of the garrison, and soon after daybreak the army stood before the fort. The Indians had beat a retreat to the eastward and northward, and the air about the old fort resounded with the glad shouts of welcome to General Harrison and the brave boys of Ohio and Kentucky."
This siege of Fort Wayne occasioned great inconvenience and considerable loss to the few settlers who had gathered around the fort. At the date of its commencement there was quite a little village clustered around the military works, but with the first demonstrations of the enemy, the occupants of these dwellings fled within the fort, leaving their improve- ments to be destroyed by the savages. Every building ont of the reach of the guns of the fort was leveled to the ground, and thus was the infant settlement totally destroyed.
During the siege the garrison lost but three men, while the Indians lost abont twenty-five. There was a plenty of provi- sions in the fort, and the soldiers suffered only from anxiety and a fear of slaughter at the hands of the savages.
A=
Dr. Nathaniel Field
366
HISTORY OF INDIANA.
The following information concerning the movements of General Harrison at Fort Wayne, on the occasion, is compiled from the writings of Messrs. Knapp and Bryce:
" The second day following the arrival of the army at Fort Wayne, General Harrison sent out two detachments, with the view of destroying the Indian villages in the region of country lying some miles around Fort Wayne, the first division being composed of the regiments under Colonels Lewis and Allen, and Captain Garrard's troop of horse, under General Payne, accompanied by General Harrison. The second division, under Colonel Wells, accompanied by a battalion of his own regi- ment under Major Davenport, (Scott's regiment,) the mounted battalion under Johnson, and the mounted Ohio men under Adams. These expeditions were all successful; and after the return of the divisions under Payne and Wells, General Har- rison sent them to destroy Little Turtle Town, some twenty miles northwest of the fort, with orders not to molest the buildings formerly erected by the United States for the benefit of Little Turtle, whose friendship for the Americans had ever been firm after the treaty of Greenville. Colonel Simrall most faithfully performed the task assigned him, and on the even- ing of the nineteenth returned to the fort.
"In addition to these movements, General Harrison took precaution to remove all the undergrowth in the locality sur- rounding the fort, extending toward the confluence of the St. Joseph and St. Mary, to where now stands Rudisill's mill, and westward as far as St. Mary, to the point where now stands the Fort Wayne College; thence southeast to about the point of the residence of the late Allen Hamilton, and to the east down the Manmee a short distance. And so well cleared was the ground, including a very large part of the entire limits of the present site of the city of Fort Wayne, that it was said by those who were here at that carly day, and to a later period, a sentinel 'on the bastions of the fort looking westward, could see a rabbit running across the grounds as far as so small an object was discernible to the naked eye.' The seclusive points were thus cut off, and the Indians now had no longer any means of concealing their approach upon the fort. Some
367
FORT WAYNE -- EARLY SETTLEMENT.
thirty or forty acres of what is now known as the Cole farm, extending to the junction of the rivers, and just opposite the Maumee, was then known as the Public Meadow, which of course was then, as it had long before been, a considerable open space. The soldiers were thus readily enabled to observe the approach of any hostile movement against the fort, and to open the batteries, with formidable effect, upon any advance that might be made against the garrison from any direction."
It will be observed that Fort Wayne, up to this period, and for several years after, was but little else than a military post. This may be said of it during the whole period of its exist- ence, or from 1705, when the first French stockade was erected, until the final evacuation of Fort Wayne in 1819. During this time it had been in charge of different commanders. Captain Hugh Moore succeeded Captain Rhea, in 1812, who, in 1813, was superseded by Joseph Jenkinson. In the spring of 1814, Major Whistler took charge of the post and repaired it, or built an addition to it, which he occupied until 1817, when he was succeeded by Major J. II. Vase, who held the command until the post was permanently evacuated in 1819.
CHAPTER XLIII.
FORT WAYNE-EARLY SETTLEMENT.
A SIDE from a mere military post, we may date the first settlement of the town of Fort Wayne in 1815. In this year a few houses began to appear some distance from the fort, but usually under the protection of its guns. One of these, and perhaps the first, was built about the center of what is now Barr street, near the corner of Columbia, which, some years afterwards, being removed from its original location, formed a part of the old Washington Hall building, on the
368
HISTORY OF INDIANA.
southwest corner of Columbia and Barr streets, which was destroyed by fire in 1858. In referring to incidents of pioneer life in these years, Mr. Bryce, in his work, says that during 1818, "a year remarkable for the congregation of many Indi- ans here, the red man is referred to as presenting a general spirit of order and love of peace, not surpassed by many of the whites of the time, and well worthy of emulation in many instances. It was no uncommon thing, in their visits to Ke-ki-on-ga, seeing a new hut, to inquire whether the new- comer was quiet-if he 'make no trouble for Injun,' etc. And their intuition and close observation were presented very often in the most striking and remarkable light. On one occasion, about this period, an elderly Miami had come to the village to trade a little. Soon meeting his old friend, Jas. Peltier, the interpreter, his observing eye, in looking about the place, soon fell upon a hut near, that had but recently been built. 'Ugh!' ejaculated the Indian; 'new wigwam!' He now became most anxious to know if the white man was peaceable - whether he come to make trouble for Injun? The two now soon entered the hut of the new-comers, and shook hands with the inmates. The Indian at once began to look about him, and to inquire how many warriors (children) they had, etc. Eycing the matron of the house or squaw, as the Indian called her, and observing that she was quite sad, the Indian became anxious to know what was the matter with her - he was sure she was sick. The woman averred that she was not sick. But the Indian knew she was. Turning to his old friend P. again, after looking at the woman and striking his hand upon his breast, exclaimed, 'White squaw sick at heart;' and was anxious to know if she had not left something behind at the settlement from which they came to Fort Wayne. In response to this, the woman quickly replied that she had left her only son, by her first husband, at Piqua, and that she was anxious to have him with her, but her present husband did not want him to come. 'Didn't I tell you white squaw sick at heart"' replied the Indian, much elated; and he at once proposed to go to Piqua and bring her son to her, if Mr. P. would give him a blanket-which was readily agreed to.
369
FORT WAYNE - EARLY SETTLEMENT.
Receiving a note from the mother, the next morning early, with two Indian ponics, the generous red man was on the road to Piqua, and in five days from that time returned with the boy ! The woman's heart was cased, and as the faithful Indian gazed upon the happy meeting of the mother and the son, his heart warmed within him, and turning to his friend Peltier, he exclaimed: 'Isn't that good medicine for the white squaw!' The Indian now became the faithful protector and friend of the woman and her son, assuming the special guardianship of the latter; telling the husband that if he ever heard a word of complaint, either from the son or mother, as to ill treatment, 'he would have his hide, if he had to lay in the Mammee river until the moss had grown six inches on his back.'"
Attached to the fort, and extending west of it, to about where the " Old Fort House " afterwards stood, and embracing about one acre of land, was a well cultivated garden, belonging to the commanding officer, always filled, in season, with the choicest vegetables. West of this was the company's garden, extending to about where the Hedekin IIonse afterwards stood. This was also well tilled, affording suitable labor for the soldiers when military discipline was slackened. The main thoroughfare in those days, extended westward from the fort along what is now the canal.
Not far south of the fort in what is now known as "Taber's addition," was located the burial ground of the garrison, and where also were deposited others who died, not immediately connected with the garrison. Lieutenant Ostrander, who had one day unthoughtedly fired upon a flock of birds passing over the fort, had been reprimanded by Captain Rhea, and because of his refusal to be tried by a court-martial, was con- fined in a small room in the garrison, where he subsequently died, was among the number buried in this old place of inter- ment. Another place of burial, where also a number of Indi- ans were interred, extended along the northwest corner of Columbia and Clinton streets, and to the adjoining block. Many bones were removed from this point some years ago, in digging cellars, and laying the foundations of buildings.
In 1846, while some parties were making an excavation for
24
370
HISTORY OF INDIANA.
a foundation wall, in the vicinity of Main and Calhoun streets, they dug up and removed the remains of an Indian, who had long before that been buried, with a gun excellently mounted, some trinkets of silver, and a glass pint flask of whisky, which liquid was still preserved in at least as good a state as when buried. The hair was also in a fair state of preservation, thongh the skull was much decayed, as were the gun mount- ings corroded.
At that date, the old Indian burying ground was still a scene of attraction. The stranger would often sce swinging from the bough of a tree, in some grove near the bank of the river, the infant of the Indian mother; or a few little log enclosures, where the bodies of adults sat upright, with all their former apparel wrapped about them, and their trinkets, tomahawks, etc., by their sides. Such were a few of the features of pioneer Fort Wayne.
In those days a "new comer " was hailed with delight. He was welcome. There was "enough and to spare" of every- thing but money. Land was plenty and cheap, and the few pioneers, tired of seeing only each other, always extended a cordial welcome to new settlers.
One of the most general ways by which Fort Wayne was reached in early days, was by water, either by way of the St. Mary's or Maumee rivers, usually in flat boats, and what was then called pirogues. The old boat landing was just below the fort, about where the Maumee bridge was afterwards erected. For many years, and down to 1838, it was a common sight for residents to see pirogues and flat boats, laden with various articles of merchandise, whisky, flour, furs, cte., load and unload at this little commercial center. This system of river navigation was finally impeded, and completely obstructed by dams which were erected on the St. Mary's for mill pur- poses. The first of these was built on the St. Mary's in 1822, at the " Devil's Race Ground," by Captain James Riley. Two years later, Samuel Hanna and Joseph Barnett built a mill about three miles from Fort Wayne, at the present site of "Beaver's Mill."
: Fort Wayne was, for many years, one of the principal depots
371
FORT WAYNE-EARLY SETTLEMENT.
of the fur trade. Many persons became wealthy in the busi- ness. Indeed it was the principal commerce of the place during the first ten or fifteen years of its settlement. Rich- ardville, the last celebrated chief of the once great Miami nation of Indians, who was licensed as a trader with his people at Fort Wayne, as carly as 1815, is said to have accu- mulated an immense fortune mainly by this trade and the sale of lands. Mr. Schoolcraft estimated his wealth some years prior to his death at about two hundred thousand dollars in specie, much of which he had had so long buried in the earth that the boxes in which the money was inclosed had mainly decayed, and the silver itself considerably blackened.
The following short sketch of the carly history of Fort Wayne is taken from Mr. Bryce's work : "When Major Whist- ler assumed command of the garrison, in May, 1814, aside from the little band of soldiers here, were the two daughters of the commandant, Mrs. Laura Suttenfield, George and John E. Hunt; Lientenant Curtiss, and William Suttenfield, hus- band of Mrs. L. Suttenfield. Soon after the war broke out, with many other members of the tribe, including his family, Chief Richardville made his way to the British lines for pro- tection, and with a view, doubtless, to render some aid to the enemy; for, as the reader already knows, but few among the tribes of the northwest remained neutral, or failed to give aid in some way to the British canse. At the close of the troubles in 1814, he again returned to this point, and soon passed on up the St. Mary's, about three miles from Fort Wayne, where he encamped. Major Whistler, desiring to see him, at once sent an interpreter to him by the name of Crozier, requesting him to come immediately to the fort, with which he readily complied. The treaty of Greenville, already referred to, was now abont to take place, and the Major desired that the chief should be present, and so requested him; but Richardville was very indifferent about the matter, hesitated, and soon returned to his camp again. A few days subsequently, however, he came back to the fort, where he was now held as a hostage for some ten days, when he at length consented to attend the treaty, and was soon after accompanied thither by Chief
372
HISTORY OF INDIANA.
Chondonnai, of one of the lower tribes, Robert E. Forsyth, and William Suttenfield.
" Much of the season of 1815 was spent in rebuilding the fort; and when completed as with the first erected in 1794, was a most substantial affair. The timber with which it had been built was obtained principally from what is now the east end, about where stands the dwellings of H. B. Taylor, James Emery, and the late Samuel Hanna.
"At this early period, the roads leading from the fort were mere traces; one leading to Fort Recovery, and known as the 'Wayne trace,' passing through what is now Allen county, thence into Adams, to the north of Monmouth; from thence passing not far from Willshire to 'Shane's Crossing,' and so on. There was also a trace to Captain Wells' place, on the banks of Spy Run; two traces led down the Maumee on either side; and one extended in the direction of Fort Dearborn, (Chicago;) between which point and Fort Wayne no house was then visible, nor indeed in any other direction, with per- haps one or two exceptions, short of the settlements in Ohio. The two common fording places at that time, and for some years later, were above and below the Maumee bridge; the one below the bridge was better known as 'Harmer's Ford,' both of which are now most entirely obliterated.
"It was below this latter ford, near a path leading toward Detroit, under the cheerful shade of what was then and long after known as the 'Big Elm,' on the fourth of July, 1810, that Captain Ray and a few others from the fort, were enjoy- ing themselves most agrecably, partaking of a dinner in honor of the glorious occasion, when an express came up the trace from Detroit with the private mail and government dispatches. Here Captain Ray took possession of the 'mail matter,' all gathering around to receive their favors, which were then duly distributed by first Postmaster Ray; and the old Elm was thereafter known as 'the Post Office.' What has become of this 'old familiar tree,' whose o'erhanging boughs formed the shadow of the first post office in the region of Fort Wayne, is now unknown. Perhaps some unsparing axeman long since cut it down. It was by way of Fort Wayne at this period,
JOSEPH S. BUCKLES.
374
HISTORY OF INDIANA.
and some years after, that the troops at Chicago and Green Bay received their regular mail by military express.
" Major Whistler, in 1817, being removed from this point to what is now St. Charles, Mo., was succeeded by Major J. H. Vose, of the fifth regiment of regulars, who held command until permanently evacuated in April, 1819. The departure of the troops is said to have left the little band of citizens then here extremely lonesome and unprotected. The cessa- tion of the therefore daily music of the troops in the fort was supplied by the stillness of nature, almost overwhelming. The Indians were numerous, and their camp fires and rude music, the drum, made night more dreaded; but to this the inhabitants of Fort Wayne soon became familiarized. The punctilio of military life was gradually infused into the social circle, and gave tone to the etiquette and moral habits of the citizens of the fort."
Payment season at Fort Wayne was for many years a lively business period. On these occasions, traders from Ohio, Michigan, and even New York, visited the place for purposes of trade, taking with them large quantities of whisky, which they dealt out to the Indians so freely as to keep them con- tinually drunk and unfit for business; horse racing, drinking, gambling, debanchery, extravagance, and waste, were the order of the day and night.
When Indiana was admitted into the Union as a State, in 1816, what is now Allen county formed a part of Knox county. The seat of government for the county was located at Vin- cennes up to 1S18, when Randolph county was organized, including the present Allen county and a large extent of ter- ritory to the north. Winchester was the county seat until the formation of Allen, in 1823.
By an act of Congress, a land office was established in Fort Wayne in 1822. Joseph Hohnan, of Wayne county, was appointed Register, and Captain Samuel C. Vance, of Dear- born county, Receiver. After the survey of the lands, the President issued a proclamation for their sale, to the highest bidder, the minimum price being $1.25 per acre; and the sale began on the 22d of October, 1823, at the fort. Considerable
375
FORT WAYNE- EARLY SETTLEMENT.
rivalry having been awakened, touching that portion which embraced the town and immediate settlement-some forty acres, in the immediate locality of the fort, being reserved for the use of the Indian Agent-the most extensive purchasers thereof were Barr, of Baltimore, Maryland, and McCorkle, of Piqua, Ohio. This portion of the city is marked on the city maps " Old Plat to Fort Wayne," and originally designated as " the north fraction of the southicast quarter of section two, township thirty, north of range twelve cast;" and it was on this that Messrs. Barr and McCorkle laid off the original plat of the "Town of Fort Wayne," as surveyed by Robert Young, of Piqua, Ohio. This plat was embraced in one hundred and eighteen lots.
Subsequently, Hon. Samuel Hanna purchased all the Barr and McCorkle claims, and therefore became one of the original proprietors of the town. There was a school-house erected on this original plat, at an carly day, of which the Fort Wayne Times spoke as follows in 185S: "In this old school-house, many of those, then young, but now past middle life who yet live here, many dead, and others absent, had their carly train- ing for usefulness; and many there experienced that joy only once to be enjoyed in a life-time; while, perhaps, nearly every teacher, who there disciplined the youthful mind, has gone to his final account, and soon here to be entirely forgotten. * * This old school-house was built of brick, in 1825, and was then quite large enough for all needed purposes. * * * It tras only one story in height, and served for many years, not only as a school-house, but as the place of religious worship, town meetings, masonic installations, political speeches," etc.
John P. Hedges,* one of the earliest settlers of Fort Wayne, still living, was among the first teachers in this old pioncer school-house. In the winter of 1826, he had it repaired at his own expense. Mr. A. Anghinbangh also taught in this build- ing .. The old county jail, which, until 1847, stood on the southwest corner of Calhoun street and the court-house square,
* Mr. Heders called upon one of the compilers of this work, while he was in Fort Wayne, in October, 1874, and related many interesting inci- dents of pioncer life in the vicinity of the old fort.
376
HISTORY OF INDIANA.
was also used for several years as a school-house. It was in this building that Mr. Henry Cooper taught, who is claimed to be the first regular teacher in Fort Wayne.
Among the events of 1819, was the erection of a log house by Samuel Hanna, at the northwest corner of Barr and Colum- bia streets. In this log structure he and James Barnett opened a considerable wholesale store, which they successfully con- tinned for several years. They brought their goods from the East, by the way of Toledo and the rapids of the Manmee.
At the time of the first land sale at Fort Wayne, the pur- chasers, other than Messrs. Barr and McCorkle, were Alexan- der Ewing, who entered the east half, southwest quarter of section two-being the same land on which Ewing's and Rockhill's additions were afterwards laid out. The section of land across the river, in the forks of the St. Mary's and St. Joseph's rivers, known as the "Wells pre-emption," had been, by an act of Congress of May, 1808, set apart as a pre- emption to Captain Wells, who was authorized to enter it, when adjacent lands should be offered at $1.25 per acre; but having lost his life in the massacre at Fort Dearborn, in 1812, his heirs being authorized, entered it at the land sale refer- red to.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.