USA > Indiana > Daviess County > History of Daviess County, Indiana : Its people, industries and institutions > Part 5
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COAL GIVES IMPETUS TO WASHINGTON.
The discovery of coal on the eastern confines of the deserted village of Greenup in a great measure started Washington on her first movement toward enlargement of territory and an increased activity in business pur- suits and returns ; this also meant a decided growth in population, and when workmen on the grade of the Ohio & Mississippi railroad cut into a rich vein of bituminous coal at Washington, the fact that the county seat had been located upon vast coal deposits first became apparent. This was in 1857, and that year noted a further advance in growth and prosperity of the chief city of the county. The discovery of the precious commodity was im- mediately followed by the opening of coal mines, which called into active life an industry that put Washington more prominently on the map than was ever anticipated; and from the years 1858 to 1860, miners flocked into Washington from near and far. Many of the men brought families; the scale of wages being remunerative, they prospered, built homes and in many cases became permanent and valued citizens of the community. The Ohio & Mississippi railroad officials had the coal thoroughly tested to determine its steam-producing qualities and in a short time the wood-burning locomo- tives, then in general use, were converted into coal burners.
At Cannelburg a remarkable vein of cannel coal was discovered and soon the mines of the Buckeye Cannel-Coal Company were distributing an article that has no superior anywhere. Many millions of tons of coal have been mined in Daviess county, but the supply still lying in the ground will not be exhausted for many years to come. Mines are in active operation in various parts of the county, giving employment to a small army of men.
CHAPTER III.
EARLY SETTLEMENT OF DAVIESS COUNTY.
There is a difference of opinion as to who was the first actual settler in Daviess county, but most authorities give this distinction to William Bal- low, who settled in the Sugar Creek hills, sixteen miles southeast of the present city of Washington, in 1801. Some claim this distinction for Eli Hawkins, who came from South Carolina, in 1806, and settled near the present site of Maysville. But this can hardly be correct, for Mr. John Thompson, who wrote a series of papers for one of the local publica- tions, several years ago, and who is recognized as good authority on early historic matters, mentions seven others who came to this region before Eli Hawkins arrived. One of these seven, mentioned by Mr. Thompson, was David Flora, who lived in a log cabin, nearly opposite the present site of the Meredith House, in Washington. According to this authority, David Flora was the second settler, admitting William Ballow to have been the first. The next settler, in order, according to Mr. Thompson, was Thomas Rug- gles; followed in succession by Doctor Harris, Richard Palmer, William Hawkins, and finally, Eli Hawkins, mentioned above, in 1806.
That Eli Hawkins did arrive in what is now Daviess county as early as 1806, is not a matter of doubt, as the county records contain a copy of the deed made to him on November 8, 1806, by John Rice Jones and Mary Jones, his wife. The land deeded lay in the vicinity of Maysville, consisting of four hundred acres, for which Mr. Hawkins paid four hundred dollars. This land was a portion of section 6, township 2, range 7. This deed to Eli Hawkins was not, however, the earliest deed made to land in Daviess county, but it was probably the first purchase of land on which an actual settlement was made.
EARLY SETTLERS.
An article compiled by John Wooldridge, A. M., published in a county history about thirty years ago, contains some interesting information re- garding early deeds and early settlers of Daviess county. Liberal excerpts
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are taken from Professor Wooldridge's article in the preparation of this chapter.
In order to give an idea of the rapidity with which settlement was made in Daviess county, after the advent of the adventurous first settlers, a number of the first land entries are given, as shown by the county deed records. This will not only show the location, but also the names of some of the first settlers, the most authentic record that can be obtained.
In 1783 Congress made numerous donations of land to the early French settlers about Vincennes, and, in 1807, the Congress made what has since been called French locations. These donations are mostly in Knox county, but a considerable portion are in Daviess county. The boundary lines of the locations run east and west, and north and south, while those of the dona- tions run at an angle of nearly forty-five degrees from the true meridian. Eli Hawkins settled on location No. 62, and his brother, William, on location No. 63, recently the property of Joseph M. Taylor. William McIntosh settled on location No. 67: William Morrison, on location No. 134; David Flora, on No. 159; Touissant Dubois, on No. 300; Emanuel Van Trees, on No. 304: Samuel Baird, on No. 144; Jesse Purcell, on No. 185: Elijah Purcell, on No. 192: John Allen, on No. 258: William Flint, on No. 189; William Baker, on No. 193: John Aikman, on No. 192: James Barr, on No. 210; Amable Godall, on No. 202, and John McDonald, the old govern- ment surveyor, on No. 242. It is not easy to determine the exact dates of the above mentioned settlements, but it is sufficient to know that most of them were made prior to the War of 1812.
Others to obtain land titles prior to 1814 were the following: In 1808, Daniel Comer, Richard Steen. Josiah Culbertson, Simon Nicholas, Amos Rogers, William Ballow, John Wallace, Clayton Rogers, Daniel Gregory, Thomas Aikman, William Horrall, Thomas Horrall, Hezekiah Ragsdale, Ebenezer Jones, Vance Jones. John Aikman. There was no land entry in 1812, and only one in 1813, indicating an unsettled, or a disturbed state of society, which made it questionable whether Daviess county was the proper place to locate. The one land entry made in 1813 was made by Jeremiah Lucas.
EMIGRATION RECEIVES A SETBACK.
All of the above named individuals entered lands and settled within the present limits of Washington township, except Clayton Rogers, whose land lay in what is now Veale township. Rogers, therefore, was somewhat isolated from his neighbors. During the period which elapsed while these
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entries were being made, additions were constantly coming into the settle- ment and the population was increasing rapidly. The pioneers were pros- perous, making steady progress in clearing up their claims and in improving and adding to the comforts of their homes, until the latter part of 1811, in which year the troubles with the Indians began, inaugurating a period of unrest which continued for a number of years. The Indian troubles and the War of 1812 caused a sudden cessation in the movement of new settlers to Daviess county. This is indicated by the fact that no land entries were made in 1812, and only one in 1813, as has already been noted.
The victory of General Harrison's army in the battle of Tippecanoe gave assurance of more peaceful conditions regarding the Indians, and the promise of a settlement of the controversy involved in the War of 1812 gave further assurance of a settled condition in the affairs of the pioneers. As an indication of this, the activities in land entries were resumed, as shown by the records. In 1814 deeds were recorded by the individuals named below, for lands entered in Daviess county : Joseph Case, Thrice Stafford, Robert Hays, John Tranter, John Case and Elias Stone. In 1815 the fol- lowing persons entered lands: Jonathan Morgan, Daniel Clift, George Clift, William Ballow, William Williams and Jacob Reeder. In 1816: Jo- seph Hays, Edward Adams, John Davidson, Benjamin Hawkins, George Gregory, Caleb Brock, Henry Foster, William Patterson, Nicholas Hutson, James Montgomery and John Johnson. In 1817: Robert Burris, Alex- ander Stephenson, James Henry, Dennis Clark, George Keith, Jesse Morgan, Alexander Bruce, Samuel Comer and Thomas Patten.
THE INDIAN TROUBLES.
According to a history of the time compiled by John Wooldridge, A. M., referred to above, the difficulties experienced by the early settlers with the Indians in Indiana were incidental to the efforts of Governor William Henry Harrison to break up the Indian confederacy, at the head of which was the noted chief, Tecumseh, and his brother, the Shawnee prophet, the headquarters of whom were at Prophetstown, now quite an important village situated in Whiteside county, state of Illinois. The general history of these efforts of Governor Harrison, resulting in the battle of Tippecanoe, Novem- ber 7, 18II, is so sufficiently detailed in all histories of the United States as not to require recital in this connection. But the incidents with which the early settlers of Daviess county were immediately connected, and in which some of them were personally engaged are, necessarily, here introduced.
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William McGowen, one of the earliest settlers, lived near the present site of Mt. Pleasant, in Martin county, and kept a farm across the east fork of White river, near his home.
One evening, early in the spring of 1812, just after Mr. McGowen had retired, an Indian put his gun through the opening, about a foot square, in the wall of his log cabin and fired at him as he lay in bed, lodging several buckshot under his left arm, from the effects of which he almost instantly expired. This Indian was not pursued. Not long after this first tragic inci- dent, John and William Smith and a Mr. Perry, while carrying provisions from the "settlement," as Washington was then called, to the men at McGow- en's farm, were discovered by three Indians while crossing a small prairie. The Indians waylaid them at what was then called "the narrows," near the farm afterward known as the Houghton farm. They fired upon the white men, lodging two balls in Perry's back, and sending one ball through John Smith's thigh and two through William Smith's hat. After thus emptying their guns they rushed upon the white men, who, by throwing the loads off their shoulders, were enabled to outrun their enemies and escape to the farm without further injury.
MEASURES FOR PROTECTION.
The occurrence of such difficulties as these clearly demonstrated to our early pioneers the necessity of devising measures for mutual protection and defense against the common enemy, hence the erection of suitable forts, conveniently located. The entire number of these forts erected in Daviess county was ten, but only five of the number were erected in 1812. These five were as follow, with their location: Hawkins fort, located on the Hawkins farm, on the southeast quarter of section 32, township 3, range 7; Conner fort, on the southeast quarter of section 4, township 2, range 7; Colenian fort, some distance south of Conner; Purcell fort, in the Purcell neighborhood, and Ballow fort, on the northwest quarter of section 9, town- ship 2, range 7. The other five follow: Richard Palmer, David Flora, built across Main street in the town of Washington, from, and almost di- recently opposite the Meredith House; Ebenezer Jones, about one and one- quarter miles south of Washington; John Aikman, on the southwest quarter of section 10, township 2, range 7, and one on Prairie creek, on the present site of Lettsville.
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PIONEERS WHO OCCUPIED THE FORTS.
The following is a list of the heads of families that assembled in each of the first-named five forts: Hawkins fort, Cornelius Bogard, Eli Hawkins and a Mr. Curry, the young men being Charles, Eli, Joseph and William Hawkins; Conner fort, Friend Spears, James and Thomas Aikman, Eben- ezer Jones, Alexander Stevens, Chris Gregory, John Stringer, William White, John Wallace, the Widow Wallace and two sons, the Widow Ellis, Vance Jones, Ephraim Thompson, G. Ragsdale, Thrice Stafford and Alex- ander Stephenson, beside a large number of young men, among them Wiley R. Jones, Jesse Hallem, William Phillips, John and Jacob Stafford, Samuel Aikman, John and Josiah Wallace, John, David and William Ellis, Coleman Morgan and Wesley Wallace, John Ragsdale and John Thompson; Coleman fort, Joshua Reeves, Henry Edwards, Samuel Comer, John Smith, Mr. Perry, Alexander Hays, J. Waters, J. Freeland, Amos Rogers, Simon Nicholas, Abraham Dodamel and Robert Hays, the young men being John, Hugh and three other Edwards boys and William Percy ; Pur- cell fort, Robert Bratton, Andrew Little, Daniel Gregory, Josiah Culbertson, John Forden, "Obe" and William Flint, Richard Palmer, Henry Mattingly and a Mr. Carland, the young men being John Bratton, John, Joseph, Samuel and Josiah Culbertson; Ballow fort, John, Thomas and William Horrall, Jeremiah Lucas, Charles Sinks, Richard Steen, Thomas Scaler and Nathan Davis, the young men and boys being George Mason, Fleming Bal- low, John, James and Samuel Steen and Samuel Sinks. These names com- prise a list of nearly, if not quite, all the male inhabitants of Daviess county at the breaking out of troubles with the Indians.
A BLOCK HOUSE DESCRIBED.
It will now be appropriate to record such other Indian difficulties as occurred within the limits of the country, or in which inhabitants of Daviess county were especially interested by participation. These Indian troubles will, however, be preceded by a brief description of the forts and block- houses, used as places of refuge. The fort was usually about one hundred and fifty feet square. A trench about twenty inches wide and three feet deep was dug, into which were set timbers, twelve feet long, with sharpened tops, some round, others split. The earth was then firmly packed on either side of the timbers. Near the middle of the thick wall was a gateway for wagons. Within the enclosure was a hewed log house, twenty-seven by
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eighteen feet in dimensions. It was a two-story building, the upper story being reached by means of a ladder. At the northeast and southwest corners were block houses, in which lived some of the inhabitants, while others built huts of various sizes and forms, according to their taste and means. The block houses were two stories in height, the lower story being about eighteen feet square, and the upper about twenty feet square, the projection of two feet being on the two outer sides of the fort. If, however, a block house were built independent of a fort, it had a projection on each side. The manner of life in the forts was simple, the food consisting of corn bread, a little meat, a few potatoes, turnips, cabbages, pumpkins and hominy. No wheat was raised at that early day.
ENCOUNTER WITH INDIANS.
Not long after the erection of the earliest forts a serious affair oc- curred on Steele's prairie. A few families, having built some cabins there, were moving in their household goods. While unloading their second load they were attacked by Indians, and two of them killed, the elder Mr. Hatha- way being killed outright, and W. Bogard after a protracted struggle in defense of his life. Old Mr. Sinks was shot in the left shoulder, and Richard Hathaway through the neck. The two latter were in the wagon handing out goods. the younger Hathaway falling unconscious in the wagon when shot. Upon the firing of the guns, with the attendant war cries of the Indians, the four horses attached to the wagon became frightened and ran to the lower end of the prairie. By this time young Hathaway had recovered from his faint, and he and Mr. Sinks, having detached the horses from the wagon by cutting the harness, attempted to ride two of the animals back to the fort, but the rough gait of the horses irritated the wounds of the two men to such a degree that they were obliged to walk. A Miss Case, who had been left at some stables, a short distance from where the killing of Bogard and Hathaway occurred, haltered a two-year-old colt and rode nine miles to the nearest fort to give the alarm. The attack having been made about sun- down, most of her journey was accomplished by night, a feat requiring no small degree of courage. Upon her arrival at Hawkins fort, runners were despatched to Forts Conner, Purcell and Ballow. As many as could procure horses collected at Hawkins fort and about three o'clock the next morning set out for Steele's prairie, where the murders had been committed. On their way up, the party unknowingly passed the two wounded men, Sinks and Hathaway, who, upon hearing them approach and supposing them to be Indians, retired from the path in order to escape notice. The horsemen
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having passed on, the two wounded men returned to the trail and proceeded to the fort, arriving there some time before noon. Here they first heard of Miss Case's heroism.
Upon arriving at the place where Bogard and Hathaway lay dead upon the ground, a portion of the little band of settlers made arrangements to carry the bodies back to the fort, and in due time, assisted by those remain- ing deposited the mangled corpses in the Maysville cemetery, the first in- terment to occur in that resting place for the dead. Investigation made at the scene of the murders led to the conclusion that seven Indians had taken part in the attack, this conclusion being based on the finding of seven beds, or nests, each evidently having been occupied by one person, so artfully con- structed as to conceal its occupant from view. Those of the horsemen who did not return with the two bodies attempted to find the Indian trail, this, however, proving a very difficult task. From what could be discovered, it was concluded that the Indians were making for the mouth of the Eel river. The pursuers, after crossing Smothers creek, skirting along the edge of the river bottom, passing through English Prairie, through the timber and on through Owl prairie and, having lost what feeble traces of a trail they thought they had occasionally discerned, came to a halt at sundown. A portion of the company built camp-fires and the remainder went on a few miles still farther up the country, but failing to find any new traces of the red men's footsteps. they returned to the camp. During the night it was concluded useless to further pursue the Indians, as, from all that could be observed. they had crossed to the west side of the river, and so made good their escape. The baffled pursuers, therefore, returned to the forts.
ONE LONE INDIAN LAID LOW.
In 1813 another incident occurred, in which, instead of a white man being slain, ån Indian lost his life. Palmer fort was built early in the spring of that year. One rainy night three Indians walked around this fort and in the morning their footprints were discovered. A very large dog, owned by a man named Baker, living in the fort scented the Indians and started on the trail. The men, armed and on horseback, immediately followed them to Prairie creek. The Indians had crossed the creek on a drift opposite the site of the block house, built that spring by Captain Patterson, but at that time abandoned. They evidently had occupied the blockhouse during the latter part of the night, and had baked a johnny-cake on a board before the fire, out of some corn-meal left by Patterson. Mr. Baker's dog and some of the men easily followed the Indians across the creek on the drift, but it
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was found necessary to swim the animals across, which caused considerable delay. Meanwhile, two Indians came out of a house and darted off at full speed. When the last horse had been swum across, a third and very large Indian came out of the house and followed his companions. The white men, seven in number, and all well mounted, started in full pursuit, pre- ceded by the dog. The country between Prairie creek and Smothers creek then consisted of sandy ridges, covered with oak bushes, marshes and ponds, through which the Indians kept straight on. It was impossible for the mounted men to follow directly, for their horses would have stuck fast in the mire ; hence, considerable time was lost by making more or less wide detours. Time also was lost in crossing Smothers creek, which, like Prarie creek, was too high for fording. Upon reaching the upper ground of White river bot- tom, however, the white men, guided by the dog, discovered that they had so well kept the trail as nearly to have overtaken the Indians, and began firing upon the latter. The large Indian who had, during the entire chase, which was very exciting, kept in the rear, at length received a slight wound in the right knee, whereupon he climbed a large hackberry tree and made two attempts to shoot his pursuers, but each time the powder flashed in the pan. Being defenseless, he was overpowered and slain, after, however, giving his companions time to escape. This was the only Indian killed here- about during the troublous times.
KILLING OF THOMAS EAGLE.
Some four or five years after the events related above, a number of friendly Indians were collected on what is now called Owl prairie. Hearing of their presence, a number of settlers from Washington and vicinity went up to trade with them, taking along lead, powder, tobacco and whiskey. Among those who went up was Obed Flint, a Mr. Frost and Thomas Eagle. Mr. Eagle, a veritable giant of a man, was desirous of exhibiting his strength and to this end bantered one of the smaller Indians to let him throw him over the fire. With the Indian's consent, Eagle made the attempt and succeeded only in throwing him half way over the fire, the Indian falling upon the coals and being quite severely burned. An Indian named "Big File," ob- serving the occurrence, and not understanding the reason of the attempt by Eagle, rushed upon him and stabbed him to death with a large knife. "Big File" was indicted by the grand jury, but succeeded in escaping the penalty of his crime.
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It is related that William Smothers, of Kentucky, whose father had been killed in that state by the Indians, had taken a vow of vengeance, and had come to Indiana for the purpose of executing that sanguinary vow. He had formerly lived near Owensboro, Kentucky, and is said to have taken as much pleasure in hunting Indians as in hunting bears, or other wild ani- mals. Four or five dead Indians are said to have been found on his hunting grounds, two of whom he is said to have confessed to have killed by the accidental discharge of his gun. He saw one fall through a hole cut in the ice to catch fish, went to the place, but could see nothing but blood, which he supposed to have flowed from a wound accidentally inflicted upon himself by the Indian with his tomahawk, and that he had fainted, fallen through the ice into deep water, and had thus been drowned. On another occasion his gun was accidentally discharged while he was passing down the creek, immediately after which he heard a noise in the water. Upon going to see what occasioned the noise he saw a log with blood on it, but no Indian; so supposed the Indian had fallen into the water and, becoming entangled, was unable to extricate himself and was thus drowned. · Such "accidents" be- came altogether too common, and Mr. Smothers left for some other happy hunting ground.
The killing of the four white men, McGowen, Hathaway, Eagle and Bogard, and of the one Indian, comprises the list of casualties within the limits of Daviess county during, and in consequence of, the Indian troubles ; but, simultaneously with these difficulties, were other causes of excitement which seemed to prevent the inhabitants of the county from entertaining any proper sense of security. On one occasion Fort Harrison, then held by Capt. Zachary Taylor, was besieged by a large body of Indians, and all who could procure horses were required to repair to its relief. This fort was completed in October, 1811, and was located on the east bank of the Wabash, above the present site of Terre Haute. Probably not over twenty men went, but the hurry and bustle of preparation, the mending of bridles and saddles, the gathering together of the horses, the grinding of corn in the little hand-mill, the baking of quantities of bread, and other preparations for departure, caused as much anxiety and wakefulness, perhaps, as would the preparation for the march of an entire regiment. After the farewell, full of forebodings, had been bidden, for none knew how many would fail to return alive, nothing was heard of the little band of warriors for sixteen days, at the end of which time news came that all had returned safely to Vincennes, and two days afterward they marched home.
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RANGERS TO FIGHT INDIANS.
Early in the spring of 1812, when it was confidently anticipated that a war would soon break out between Great Britain and the United States, a call was made among the residents of Daviess county for volunteers to fight the Indians. From fifteen to twenty answered the call, none of them heads of families, but all of mature age. They were to serve for one year, furnish their own horses and horse feed, one good rifle each, with shot-bag, powder- horn and ammunition; one leather belt, one tomahawk, one large butcher knife and a small knife, from four to five inches long; and were to receive as wages one dollar per day. Thus mounted and accoutered, they were named "rangers." During the time for which they were enlisted they were called out many times, but reference is here made to only one of these ex- peditions, mainly to record the killing of two more of the early citizens of Daviess county and, incidentally, to illustrate the superior skill and cunning of the Indian in desultory warfare. In the latter part of September, 1812. General Samuel Hopkins was in Vincennes in command of about two thou- sand volunteers. The duty assigned to his command was that of breaking up and destroying the settlements of Indians along the Wabash and Illinois rivers. The destruction of one Kickapoo town at the head of Lake Peoria was accomplished. and the mounted forces returned to Vincennes, most of them being discharged on account of refusing to obey their commander. General Hopkins immediately organized another force, chiefly infantry, to operate against the Indians in the vicinity of Prophetstown. Accompanying this expedition was a number of Daviess county rangers. The Winnebago town, lying on Wild Cat creek, one mile from the Wabash river, had been surrounded and found deserted. and General Hopkins's command, to use his own language, was "embarked in the complete destruction of the proph- et's town, which had about forty cabins and huts, and the large Kickapoo village adjoining it on the east side of the river. Seven miles east of us a party of Indians was discovered on Ponce Passu (Wild Cat creek). They had fired on a party of ours on the 21st (September ) and killed a man by the name of Dunn, a gallant soldier in Captain Duval's company. On the 22nd, upward of sixty horsemen, under command of Lieutenant-Colonels Miller and Wilcox, anxious to bury their comrade, as well as to gain a more complete knowledge of the ground. went on to a point near the In- dian encampment, fell into an ambush, and eighteen of the party were killed, wounded and missing." Two of those killed in this ambuscade,
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