USA > Indiana > Fayette County > History of Fayette County, Indiana : her people, industries and institutions > Part 9
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done to them in their disputes with the White People, the principal War Chief complained that he had been cheated by a Mr. Audrain a connection of Mr. Wells out of seventy Dollars that he had in vain applied to Wells for redress, the old story of the Spirits seized by Wells was again brought for- ward and a very strong antipathy both to Wells and the Turtle was mani- fested by all. The Governor had no alternative but to promise immediate satisfaction for these claims and to assure them that he perfectly understood and admitted that they ( the Mississinway Chiefs) were the real Representa- tives of the Miami Nation and that he should always consider them as such. Some attempts were then made to induce the Governor to alter his determina- tion with respect to the quantom of compensation to be given for the land but finding that the Governor was immovable as to this point they gave it up and after desultory conversation upon the Governor's demanding whether they were entirely satisfied Pacan the principal Chief told the Governor he might go to the Fort and they would shortly wait upon him with good news. The Treaty was immediately prepared and in full council at which all the Warriors attended, the Treaty was signed without a single objection except- ing on the part of the Turtle who objected to the article which gives the Mohecans the right to settle on the White River. The Other Miami Chiefs however declared in favour of it and the Turtle gave it up.
The separate article with the Miamies had been agreed on before upon their consenting to the Article in the original Treaty which embraces the Kick- apoos.
October the first, second and third The Governor was employed in delivering the annuities for the present year. The Goods promised by the late Treaty and arranging the claims of certain Citizens against the Indians & those of the Indians against the Citizens for Horses stolen and other depredations all which were amicably adjusted. When the Goods for the Putawatimies were laid out Viz: fifteen hundred Dollars from the public store & five hundred Dollars of their annuity which had been sent to Fort Wayne seeing that their pile was so much less than the Miamies they refused to take them alledging that their numbers were greater than all the other Tribes present put together & that they had less goods than any. As soon as the Governor was informed of this he assembled all the Chiefs & War- riors in the Council House and explained to them the reason of their having but five hundred Dollars of their present years annuity part having been sent to Detroit & a part to Chicago After some consultation they agreed to take the Goods but as the Governor discovered that they were not satisfied
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he agreed to advance them five hundred Dollars in anticipation of their next years annuity.
4th. We set out on our return to Vincennes through the Indian Coun- try on the morning of the 5th passed the Camp of Pacan the principal Miami Chief & found one of his men mortally wounded in a drunken frolick the preceding night. The Chiefs informed the Governor that they had not dis- covered the murderer. The Governor recommended to them by all means to punish him when discovered if it should appear to have proceeded from previous malice, but if it should appear to be altogether accident to let him know it and he would assist to make up the matter with the friends of the deceased.
Passing through the Indian Villages at the Forks of the Wabash we arrived at Mississinway on the 6th where we were hospitably received by Richardville the Grand Sachem of the Miamies who expressed his entire satisfaction at the conclusion of the Treaty. At the Eel River Village on the Rabiere we met with some of the Wea Tribe whom the Governor sent to collect the Wea Chiefs & conduct them to Vincennes at which place we arrived on the 12th October.
The whole number of Indians present the day the Treaty was signed was thirteen hundred and ninety.
On the fifteenth of October Lapoussier the principal Chief of the Weas arived with fifteen of his Tribe The little Eyes & some others on the 18th, Shawnee and others on the 19th & the Negro legs on the 22d. In all on that day there were sixty-one.
On the 24th. The Governor assembled in the evening at his own house all the Indians and informed them "that he wished to see them to discover whether they were in a situation to understand the important business which He had to lay before them. He had shut up the liquor casks, but he was sory to see that some bad white men had disregarded his Proclamation & secretly furnished them with the means of intoxication. He was glad how- ever to find that they were then all sober & he hoped that they would not drink any more until the business on which he assembled them was finished. On the morrow he would explain to them the proceedings of the Council at Fort Wayne."
October 25th. The Wea Chiefs being all assembled the Governor pro- duced the Treaty lately made at Fort Wayne and explained it to them. He then represented to them "the advantages they would derive from removeing from the neighborhood of Vincennes and settling higher up the Country with their older brothers the Miamies and the great assistance that they
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would derive from the proposed addition to their annuity & the Goods which they were to receive in hand and which would be to the same amount as the larger Tribes received in consequence of the inconvenience they would suffer by removing from their present habitations.
October 26th. The Chiefs of the Weas all assembled & after some explanations with respect to the Treaty & a most urgent appeal from the Negro legs to the Governor's feelings on the subject of the injury done to the Indians by the sale of Whisky by the White people for which they receive in payment Articles indispencible to the subsistence of the former & those which would cover their nakedness. The Treaty was chearfully signed by every Chief & head Warrior present.
October 27th. The Goods were delivered and on the 29th the Chiefs again met the Governor & expressed their satisfaction at what had been done & most earnestly entreated "that some means might be fallen on to put a stop to the sale of Ardent Spirits to the Indians-Which prevented the Annuity granted them by the United States from affording them that benefit which their father wished & caused the young men to be so disobedient to their Chiefs that it is impossible to restrain them."
The above is a true statement of the proceedings at the Treaties concluded with the several Indian Tribes at Fort Wayne on the 30th September last and with the Weas at Vincennes on the 26th Ultimo.
PETER JONES, Secretary to Governor Harrison Commissioner of the United States.
MR. . HEINEMANN'S THIRD MONOGRAPI1.
While the appearance of the first two historical studies of Mr. Heine- mann brought him many favorable comments, it was left to his third and last publication to bring him state-wide recognition. This was his "The Indian Trail Down the White Water Valley," which first appeared in 1912, a second edition being issued in 1915. The monograph carries a sub-title, "Some Primitive Indiana History of the Connersville Neighborhood," and an examination of its contents shows that the author has covered the history of the Connersville neighborhood from the days when only an Indian trail led through its uninhabited precincts down to the early part of the twenties. More particularly, however, he is concerned with establishing the location of the old Indian trail through the county. and the events concerned with John Conner's career in Connersville. The author has spent a lifetime in
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collecting the data on which this monograph is based and he has solved for all time to come the location of the early industries of Conner-his trading post, house, hotel, saw-mill, distillery-and has also unearthed definite infor- mation concerning the block-house and the soldiers who were quartered in it. All of these newly discovered facts are marshaled into line and backed by undisputed authorities. \ valuable feature of the monograph is the illus- trations which show the location of the various places described in the article.
As has previously been stated, the newspapers of the state made appre- ciative mention of Mr. Heinemann's first two historical pamphlets, but his third and last pamphlet called for much wider comment. The Indianapolis News in an editorial had the following to say of his "Indian Trail Down the White Water Valley":
The booklet is a history of the Indians in Fayette county, after the coming of white men. It could hardly arrest the deep attention of anyone who lives beyond the district which it comprehends. But Fayette county found it revelational. It savors of the backwoods. It is picturesque. It tells why certain old houses stand disrespectfully with their backs to the highway which pass them, and it relates innumerable bits of fact and traces of legend which invest the soil of neighborhoods with deeper meaning. Last year |1914| it was a text book in most of the schools of the county.
Considering the results achieved, and the evident pleasures flowing to himself from these efforts to know from first hand sources the real history of his home county, it is a safe prediction that no more potent factor will be found for preserving Fayette county's inner history correctly than the private collection of historical material in the hands of J. L. Heinemann.
The collection of all this material and the publication of the three studies lased thereon has been purely a labor of love for Mr. Heinemann. The recollections of the longings of his boyhood days to know something of the early history of the haunts of his youth induced him later in life to engage in the task of collecting all the possible facts concerning the early history of the city of his birth. He has written primarily for the boys of St. Gabriel's parish, where his immature talent for this kind of work was fostered, but in writing for them he has written for all the people of the city and county.
The editor of the present volume is greatly indebted to Mr. Heinemann for the privilege of using his extensive collection of material relating to the county.
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FAYETTE COUNTY, INDIANA.
THE INDIAN TRAIL DOWN THE WHITE WATER VALLEY.
(J. L. Heinemann.)
There is a blending of history and topography in the title "The Indian Trail Down White Water Valley." The main purpose is to describe prin- itive conditions in and around Connersville, but in doing this, the Indian trail
White River
-
Anderson
Newcastle
O
Indian Boundary 1795
Richmond
* *** 7
Liberty
Connersville
@ Fairfield
OHIO
1
West Fork
Cedar O Grove
White Water
INDIAN TRAIL DOWN THE WHITE WATER.
Brookville
Cincinnati.
which came down from the northwest to the point Connersville occupies, and which passed down the valley, is made the thread to connect the various phases of the white man's intrusion. The subject deals with the earlier stage of local history. There are no books nor maps treating of it in this particu- lar form. Only single facts are found, in the traditions of pioneers and voiced in their family circles or mentioned in newspaper articles of former
Muncie
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times ; or perhaps used disconnectedly and without co-ordination in the rem- iniscences that have taken pamphlet or book form in later years. The sub- ject goes into a period that antedates all present-day records of our locality. It treats of John Conner. the frontiersman and trader, the scout, the inter- preter. It speaks of days before Connersville became a civic organization and when it existed in the formative stage of Conner's Post,-a time when Indians roamed unmolested in the valley and on the hillsides. It speaks of the days when this locality was an unbroken forest, except The Trail, and latterly The Post, and a camp here and there of some hardy huntsman who pushed up from the white man's domain, lower down than is ours in the White Water Valley.
The use of a few dates from the general history of our country will be helpful to gain a true perspective of the local picture here treated.
1795, .A. D. Indian houndary, some miles eastward, is established, leaving our locality still Indian lands.
1801. A. D. Moravian missionaries, previously in touch with Indians in Ohio, re-establish efforts in their behalf in Indiana.
1805, A. D. Treaty of Grouseland, which covers territory below Brook- ville. This treaty very much reduced hunting grounds for Indians.
1800. A. D. Our locality is made government lands by Twelve Mile Purchase. A further reduction of hunting grounds for Indians.
1810. A. D. William Henry Harrison, Governor of the Territory. parleys and contests with Tecumseh to secure non-interference of hostile Indians with surveying of lands acquired the year before.
1811, A. D. The lands of our district are thrown open to settlers with land office at Cincinnati.
1813. A. D. Connersville is platted by John Conner. The record is made at Brookville.
1816, A. D. Indiana ceases to be a territory, and the first steps taken for statehood.
1819, A. D. Fayette County is organized. Connersville is made county seat and John Conner is the first sheriff.
1823, A. D. About this date John Conner transfers his holdings in this neighborhood and moves to Hamilton County, near the site of his brother, William Conner.
INDIANS LOATH TO LEAVE.
The boundary line of 1795, which had an important place in the early history of the middle west. starts at Fort Recovery, Ohio, a point only slightly
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across the Indiana State line, and takes a southwestwardly course with suffi- cient angle to leave Union City, Richmond, Liberty and Brookville all east- ward, so that those localities are inside of the portion which became govern- ment lands at that time. Our locality, being west of the line mentioned, is still the redman's domain for somewhat near twenty years. Much of the upper East Fork valley, though outside of the government lands at that time, is in close proximity to the boundary; and as the East Fork and the West Fork valleys are separated by very few miles of highlands, broken by creeks and small waterways, coursing in both directions, both of them served the Indians as an attractive route for reaching the Ohio river from their newly formed settlements westward from central Ohio. It would be strange indeed not to find many lingering aborigines wistfully looking at the beauties as well as the bounties of this valley whose courses they traveled as long as it was permitted them to do so.
In the White Water valley there are many natural advantages to make it attractive to white settlers, as well as to the Indians. The attempt to include the West Fork valley in a treaty pertaining to lands lower down in the state was futile in 1805, and only four years later was the transfer secured. In the main it was heavily timbered country; the poplar tree at home here was particularly majestic. It developed a surprising regularity of growth, as well as great height. The pleasures of roaming through poplar groves, as known to us-a mere remnant of the early scenes-can be nothing more than a ripple of the thrilling emotions felt by the redskin who bounded through these forests in quest of game. In the northwest portion of Fayette county the land is high and level, and elsewhere it is either rolling land or hillside or valley. The bottom lands of the streams afford ample haunts for all sorts of wild game. Besides, in all directions, in spots, are to be found ponds and marshes that harbor water fowl and fur-bearing animals. Just
over the hill, west of the upper part of Connersville, stretching northward a mile or more, lay such a body of water surrounded by many acres of bushy marsh land, which remained until times within the recollection of persons still living. Another pond of considerable size lay north of Connersville, about one-half mile west of Waterloo, which was known as Goose pond. How plentiful small game must have been when Indians were alone, can be inferred from the fact that a half century later, that is, in the days of the early manhood of persons now on the scene, a single discharge of a hunts- man's gun brought down five wild geese at Goose pond. Wild turkeys also abounded in our neighborhood. Squirrels were so numerous that the early settlers found them a menace to the crops. And as to wild deer, these were
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FAYETTE COUNTY, INDIANA.
plentiful in the beginning. Bears were at home, and an occasional chase of a fox, of wolves or a panther was possible at any time, even for the later pioneer. Big herds of buffaloes were at home in western and southern Indiana, but these were probably infrequently found in Fayette county, and not at all within any known period of pioneer history.
A CASE IN POINT.
No less a person than a United States senator from Indiana-Hon. O. H. Smith-who began his career in Connersville as a young lawyer in 1820, has preserved a story that illustrates the mixing the early villagers had with untamed nature, and how close was their contact with the wild elements of life. It is toll in his reminiscences, as follows :
The country from Williams Creek, in Fayette county. to the Wabash. one him- dred and twenty-five miles, was a wilderness, in the possession of the wandering tribes of Indians. Commersville was filled with them every day. Among them was a war- rior they called John. a great talker, telling the most miraculous stories of what he had done-in killing bears single-handed and without arms. I informed another th- dian what John had told me. "My brother Jobm pretty much lie-he great coward."
It so happened that John's courage was tested that night. just at twilight. The town was aroused by the cry of "bear." and sure enough along Main street came lop- ing one of the largest black bears I have ever seen, pursued by a crowd of men and dogs. Hle had been started out of the wet, bushy prairie north of town. He came to Cross street, turned square off to the east in the direction of the river. where several of us were standing. with John close by. The moment John saw him he came running to our company. greatly alarmed, crying at the top of his voice. "Bear bite hard-kill Indian quick." and slid into our center. On came the bear. JJust before he reached ns, one of our company. who had a rifle, shot him in the head. Ile rolled over. stretching himself out with a growl. and died. llis hide was soon off and the next morning at breakfast the whole lown was feasting on bear meal.
The Main street referred to is Eastern avenue, and Cross street is Second street. The "wet. bushy prairie north of town" is without doubt the same that lay west of the Fayette county infirmary, for the expression "Prairie Marsh" is not infrequently to be met with in the language of the first settlers, as applying to it, and additionally, "Prairie Branch" is a name even much later used for a small stream beyond Elephant Hill, running toward Lick Creek. There are confirmatory traditions of this story from Senator Smith, in some of the early families; and one of them lends the excitement of a personal encounter to this chase. It is to the effect that John Sample, who conducted a hotel in the log house on Heinemann's corner, came into too close touch with bruin, in the block of lots south of Fifth street. and
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FAYETTE COUNTY, INDIANA.
received for his trouble an embrace and some squeezing that was truly stren- uous before he was released by the vigorous onslaught of his friends.
Oliver H. Smith, while a resident of Connersville, platted a small sec- tion of land of which "Cross. street" is a part. It corresponds to the present Second street, between Central and Eastern avenues. This record was made in 1846.
As the senator wrote his sketches in 1858, it is altogether likely that he would describe the killing of the large black bear correctly in saying it took place on the corner of Cross street. The name did not enter extensively into use, however, although Eastern avenue is well known as the "Main street" of the early days.
Bears were sufficiently plentiful in the early village days of Conners- ville to allow another experiene with one of them to be handed down in tra- dition. The writer of these lines, in his boyhood, has often heard it described by those who were on the scene, and the contingent of men who rushed out from the Sample Hotel (southwest corner Fifth street and Eastern avenue) took a hand in the final battle. It is to be found also in a reminiscence once published in the local press, and can be best told in the original words :
Not far from this date, say in 1823. Enos Harlan : * killed a huge bear # just in front of what is now - store, on Fifth street (the north side, about ninety feet west of Eastern avenue). Thomas Burton and a friend of his were sitting on a fence near the house that stood on the hill just where the "big cut" has been made for the Junction railroad, and saw bruin dashing along at the top of his speed. They got some dogs after him and chased him along the hill and down that known as Root's Hill (west Sixth street ) and into the little village; and just where we have stated, he was shot by Mr. Harlan.
These episodes belong to a time that is fully a decade of years after all the lands were taken up by whites, and when many little settlements scattered here and there were taking on village manners; and. consequently, are truly indicative of how rich must have been the rewards when the aborigine alone was here to pick the game that suited his taste or that fell victim to liis prowess and care-free methods of providing for the necessities of a day.
LAST REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ABORIGINES.
There is an incident, in the policy of the government at the time of the treaty of 1795, which had an important bearing on the kind of Indians our forbears were to find in this part of Indiana. It determined who were to be the last representatives of the red race to use these lands. Geographically, we belong to the Miami basin, and consequently are within the purlieu of
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the country of the famous Miami Indians: yet these did not live here at the time. Instead, another is found, and one whose historic home is quite dis- tant. In this treaty, the government, by acts of Gen. Anthony Wayne, declined to set aside separate lands for the different tribes who were forced to vacate their homes in Ohio. The result was a lopping over and mingling of Indians on the nearby border, to which our locality is adjacent. The Miamis, the original owners of the whole region, crowded themselves into the upper Wabash section ; the Shawnees became scattered bands or detached individuals throughout central Indiana; and the Delawares, when leaving the valley of the Muskegum and the upper Sandusky, in Ohio, lodged mere- ly across the newly made boundary among their kinsmen, who bought from the Piankeshaws, as early as 1770. the right of domicile on the headwaters of the White river, that is, near the present sites of Muncie, Anderson and Noblesville. Although occupying the portion of Ohio indicated, the Dela- wares had not always lived there. The fortune of the redmen to move out as civilization comes toward him, explains the successive locations of this tribe, who were eastern members of their nation, which belonged to the general group, Algonquins, and who had sites successfully in Pennsylvania and in Ohio before coming here, and who subsequently were moved to Mis- souri and Oklahoma. Their first intercourse with white men was on the banks of the Delaware river, where they concluded a treaty with William Penn, near Philadelphia, in 1682. Among themselves they were Lenni- Lenape (len-ni len-ah-pay)-manly men ; and in their western homes were known by other Indians as Wah-pi-nach-i, or people toward the rising of the sun, and because of their ancient lineage were called grandfathers, though with us their common name is Delawares, derived from their residence at the river of that name when first known to the whites.
Of personality-that is, the quality which singles out individuals-what- ever little there was originally in their Indian associates, to our first settlers, has been now all but effaced by the ravages of time; and, in the history of this neighborhood. Indian proper names of local significance are lost irre- trievably.
A STORY OF OLD BEN DAVIS.
Ben Davis is the English cognomen of the Indian who stood in the fore of the traditions of the early villagers, but it is noted he remained behind -a sullen, morose, irreconcilable redskin, one who in his dotage wandered about the creeks and haunted the outlying districts of our neighborhood- when all others had departed and were gone to new western homes. One
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story about Ben Davis has evidently never appeared in print since it was given to a local paper many years ago; and it will bear reprinting here, as it illustrates the decadent state into which even the noblest of our Indians had fallen :
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