USA > Indiana > Jay County > History of Jay County, Indiana > Part 3
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John Brooks died on the 4th of February 1844, of dropsy. Rev. George C. Whiteman preached the funeral sermon, and Mr. Timothy Stratton was Administrator of the estate. Thus departed the first man who became a permanent resident of Jay County.
Mrs. Brooks still lives in widowhood, in a log
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SECOND FAMILY OF SETTLERS.
house built by her husband, in the southeast cor- ner of Knox Township .* She is the mother of eleven children. Three of her sons were born March 4th, viz. : 1824, '27, '31. She is now in her sixty-fourth year. Her life has been rough and wild, and full of privations and suffering, yet she retains more of womanhood than could rea- sonably be expected. While giving the author these sketches, the painful recollections they brought up often caused her to weep. Let us honor her as the oldest inhabitant of Jay County still living within its limits.
* See map.
CHAPTER III.
ORMAN PERRING-THE HAWKINS FAMILY AND THEIR ANCESTORS.
SEVERAL years after Peter Studabaker left his cabin on the Wabash at New Corydon, Orman Perring and family came there, making the third family of settlers in the county. The exact date - of his arrival is not known. Mrs. Studabaker gives it as abont 1826. The "first cabin," how- ever, was already gone. It had been pulled down, a few logs at a time, and made into rafts on which travelers crossed the river. Mr. Perring lived there until about 1837, when he moved down the Wabash. He lived chiefly by hunting and keeping travelers who passed that way.
On the 8th day of March, 1829, two families moved into Jay County and settled on a beautiful bank at the forks of the Little Salimonie. The
3*
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THIE HAWKINS FAMILY
inen, JOHN J. HAWKINS and GEORGE TUCKER, had been out the fall before looking for land, and con- cluding to settle on the Salimonie, had built three half-faced camps, and now brought their families to them.
It was the first warm, beautiful spring day, and all nature seemed waking from its winter slum- ber. It was an appropriate time for the settle- ment of a pioneer family. The foundations of rugged Winter were breaking up, and mild, charming Spring was delightfully resuming her sway. So these families had broken away from the busy, selfish, conventional society of an old- settled country, to enjoy the freedom and warm- heartedness of the wilderness. They came from Eaton, Preble County, Ohio, and though the dis- tance was but fifty miles, it took them eight days. Their camps were built against the side of an im- mense log, covered with bark, the cracks stuffed with moss, and the front end open for a fireplace. The " Recollections, by J. C. Hawkins," speak- ing of this, says : "That fire-place was 'as big as all out doors,' and it was easy to suit our fires to the changes of weather. If it was warm, we could use a bundle of sticks that a boy could car- ry; if it was cold, we could put on several cords at a time, and have plenty of room for more." Their "back-logs" and "fore-sticks" were drawn to the fireplace by the team.
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AND THEIR ANCESTORS.
Mr. Hawkins and his family were delighted with the country ; but Mrs. Tucker was so much dissatisfied with it that she soon prevailed on her husband to move back to the old settlement, leav- ing their neighbors alone in the wilderness.
As the Hawkins family were so intimately con- nected with the early history of the country, a sketch of them will be in place here : The ances- tors of John J. Hawkins emigrated from England early in the 18th century, and settled on the Shenandoah River, in the Colony of Virginia. They were slaveholders, and spent their time in horse-racing and fox-hunting with hounds. They were descendants of Sir John Hawkins, of whom Blake's "History of Slavery and the Slave Trade" says :
"Sir John Hawkins was the first Englishman who transported slaves from Africa to America. This was in 1562. His adventures are recorded by Hokluyt, a cotemporary historian. He sailed from England in October, 1562, for Sierra Leone, and in a short time obtained possession of 300 ne- groes, partly by the sword and partly by other means. He proceeded directly to Hispaniola, and exchanged his cargo for hides, ginger, sugar, &c., and arrived in England after an absence of eleven months. The voyage was very prosperous, and brought great profit to the adventurers."
From the family of one of the four brothers sprang Samuel Hawkins, who at the age of sixteen
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THE HAWKINS FAMILY
ran away from home and engaged in the Revolu- tionary War. At the close of the war he married Christian Worthington, joined a company of emi- grants, and settled in Bourbon County, Kentucky, and was engaged in the Indian Wars, and after General Wayne's treaty came to the Ohio Terri- tory, was the first white man who moved across the Miami, and soon after settled where the town of Eaton, Ohio, now stands. When the war of 1812 broke out he became a colonel. A call was made for thirty-days' volunteers, to go to the relief of Fort Wayne, which was besieged by the In- dians. He went, and when within about nine miles of the place he was, through a mistake, shot by one of his own men, which terminated his life in about one year afterward. His son, John J. Hawkins, was born in Bourbon County, Ken- tucky, on the 25th of September, 1789. He mar- ried Nancy Sellers, and at that time could neither read nor write; but his wife became his instructor, and he soon possessed sufficient business qualifica- tions to be elected Sheriff of Preble County, in which capacity he served for two terms with popularity. In some speculations he lost his property, and sought a home in the wild lands of Indiana. In the war of 1812 he was a lieutenant, and had been a scout through the country border- ing on the Mississinewa, and had visited it after- . ward on hunting excursions. His wife, Nancy
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AND THEIR ANCESTORS.
Hawkins, was the daughter of Nathan Sellers, of Irish descent, and was born in the celebrated county of Bourbon, Kentucky, on the 4th of June, 1789, to which place her father had moved from Pennsylvania.
Nathan Sellers served in the Revolutionary War, and distinguished himself in the battles of Brandywine and Germantown. While in Ken- tucky he became a magistrate, and finally Sheriff, which office he resigned because of the inhuman- ity of the laws he had to execute. A common mode of punishing negroes there was to nail their ears to posts, and then whip them! Although offered one thousand dollars per year for the dep- utyship, he refused to have anything to do with the execution of such laws. He was strongly opposed to slavery, and seeing no prospect of its abolition in Kentucky, he moved to Ohio in 1809, and in 1826 died as he lived, a consistent Chris- tian. Several of the ancestors of Nancy Haw- kins served with Daniel Boone in the war with the Indians, and were victims to the tomahawk and scalping-knife.
There were six children in the Hawkins family when they reached Jay County, as follows: Sam- uel, the oldest, then aged eighteen, Nathan B., Benjamin W., Avaline (afterward the wife of James Simmons, of Randolph County), Joseph C., and Caroline (now the wife of B. W. Clark).
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.
THE HAWKINS FAMILY
As soon a they were settled in their camps, with- out waiting to build a cabin, Nancy Hawkins says, "every one old enough to pick a stick went to work to clear some land." They cleared and planted that spring about seven acres, and raised a fine crop of corn and garden vegetables. Though they had but three dollars in cash when they arrived, they managed to secure an abundance of the necessaries of life.
During the summer and next winter Mr. Haw- kins spent much of his time in hunting. Killing game was one of the principal means of support for all the earliest settlers. It provided meat for their families, and the sale of skins and furs sup- plied them with money. In October Mr. Haw- kins built a comfortable cabin, and moved into it, having lived in the camp for eight months. On the last day of the year he went hunting, and killed three deer near together. " After dressing them, he hung the two largest without difficulty ; the third being a small one, he did not ke the necessary pains to fix a suitable place, an while endeavoring to slide it up the side of a tree with a fork which proved to be too limber, it fell and wrenched him severely in the chest. He was not alarmed at first, but hoping further success, he returned slowly homeward, and as he had become warm by his exertions, he took a violent cold, and his feelings were such as to convince him that his
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AND THEIR ANCESTORS.
work was done."* From that time forward he declined. He went to Eaton, and remained sev- eral months, receiving the best medical attention, but it was of no avail. His physicians told him his case was hopeless. Finding that his days were numbered, he was very anxious to return home and die in his cabin with his family. After his return an Indian ealled Doctor Duck exhausted all his Indian arts to cure him, but in vain. He died on the 15th of March, 1832. Thomas Shay- lor and Joseph Williamson, a young man who lived with him, dug the grave, assisted by the orphan boys. The next day he was buried. Those present from this county were Thomas Shaylor, William Brockus and Philip Brown, and their wives, and Joseph Williamson. . A few persons from Randolph County were also present. That was the first death and burial among the early residents in Jay County.
The grave was just in front of the cabin, over- looking the Salimonie from a high bank, but not now alone. Other graves have since been dug there to receive the mortal remains of loved ones of the family. One son of the pioneer, Judge Nathan B. Hawkins, a daughter, Avaline Sim- mons, and several grandchildren are sleeping by his side. George Bickel, one of the earliest pio-
* " Recollections."
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THE HAWKINS FAMILY.
-
BAKER:CHICACO
FIRST CEMETERY IN JAY COUNTY.
L
neers, and others, are also buried there. The marble shown in the centre of the cut above marks the tomb of Mr. Hawkins. The modest inscrip- tion is :
HERE LIES JOHN J. HAWKINS, who died March 15, 1832, aged 42 years.
The next stone to the right shows the grave of George Bickel.
The estate was settled up, and Nancy Hawkins had just one hundred dollars' worth of property left her; but this pittance, coupled with her own
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AND THEIR ANCESTORS.
perseverance and fortitude, and the energy of her oldest son, Samuel, kept the family together, and they prospered. She entered the land by sending her son Samuel to Fort Wayne with a yoke of oxen of her own raising, which he sold and paid for the land. They passed through many hard- ships, however, until the country became pretty well settled. The boys cleared land, carried mail, hunted, and "showed land" to strangers. In these pursuits they obtained a comfortable liveli- hood. Some incidents which happened while the boys were carrying mail will illustrate their love of principle as well as one phase of life in Jay County in those early days.
CHAPTER IV.
THIE FUGITIVE SLAVES.
SAMUEL and B. W. Hawkins carried the mail by turns, from Winchester to Fort Wayne, by way of Deerfield, Hawkin's Cabin, New Corydon and Thompson's Prairie. One evening in the month of February, 1834, Samuel reached his mother's cabin, on his return from Fort Wayne, while a heavy snow was falling. It was already about ten inches deep, and continued to fall so fast that objects could be seen only a few rods from the door. It was a dreary night out doors, but the family were enjoying themselves around a com- fortable cabin fire. A loud rap was heard at the door, and, upon its being opened, eight negroes, six men and two women, presented themselves and begged for a night's lodging. Their request was granted. The men were all common looking negroes, except one. He was tall, broad-chested,
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THE FUGITIVE SLAVES.
very muscular and well proportioned. He possessed affable manners, and an intelligent countenance, and was the leader of the company. One of the women was about twenty years of age and very black ; the other was a mulatto, and the wife of one of the men. She was thinly clad and in feeble health. The canal through Fort Wayne was then being dug, and was attracting laborers from great distances. This company said they were going to work on this canal. The next morning they started on their way northward, and Samuel Hawkins went on to Winchester with his mail. There he learned that the negroes were fugitive slaves, and met their pursuers, who had been waiting for him. They asked if he had " met" the slaves. He replied that he had not. This was technically true, but was designed to deceive the man-hunters. There were then two routes from Fort Wayne to Winchester; one by the way of the Hawkins' Cabin and New Corydon, the other by Brooks' and the Godfrey Farm. Supposing, from Samuel's reply, that the fugitives had not gone this road, the slave-holders took the other route, feeling certain that they were on the right track. The reward for the apprehension of the slaves was" $1,000, and Samuel Hawkins, by simply giving the information in his possession, might have taken the money. It was a great temptation for one so young and needy, but he
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THE FUGITIVE SLAVES.
did not for a moment entertain a thought of be- traying the fleeing company. He said if they would undertake that long, dangerous and weary- somo journey on foot and through the deep snow, to gain their "Liberty," he could not find it in his heart to betray them into bondage. He had the feelings of a man in his bosom, and acted accord- ingly. When the pursuers took the wrong track, he hastened to return, and overtook the fugitives at the Wabash where New Corydon now stands. The snow was so deep, and progress on foot so difficult, that they had only been able to reach that distance. Thinking to have some sport, he rode up hastily and cried out, "Run for your lives, your masters are after you !" The feeble woman, who was several rods behind the others, uttered a wild shriek and sank down in a swoon. The men were all armed with flint-lock guns, and the first word spoken was by their leader, " Look to your priming, boys !" then turning to the mail boy, with a look of terrible determination, he said : " Young man, our blood may be poured out like water, but none of us will ever be taken!" Such firmness and daring Samuel Hawkins never before saw depicted in a human countenance, and he believed it was well for their pursuers that they were never overtaken. He hastily corrected his deception and told them the facts. Dismounting from his horse, the fallen woman was placed upon
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THE FUGITIVE SLAVES.
the saddle, and he aided her as far as his time would permit, and, giving them directions, he returned to his route and never heard of them afterward. Perhaps they were George and his company, described by Mrs. Stowe in " Uncle Tom's Cabin."
Another similar anecdote is told by B. W. Hawkins.
In the fall of 1833, while he was carrying the mail, four negroes called at his mother's to stay all night. They were large, fine appearing, well dressed young men, carrying gold watches, and had plenty of money. They stated that they were from Richmond, and were going to Fort Wayne to work on the canal. They told their story so plausibly that it was believed. The next morn- ing, Benjamin set out on horseback for Fort Wayne, with the mail, and the negroes started also, traveling leisurely on foot. Upon reaching Fort Wayne, the landlord informed the mail boy that a gentleman was there, waiting to see him. He was taken to the room and introduced to Dr. Campbell, of Kentucky, owner of the celebrated Warm Springs. Hearing that the boy's name was Hawkins, the Dr. entered into a very friendly chat, and asked many questions about the family, and soon learned that John J. Hawkins was a cousin of his. Thus endeavoring to gain the con- fidence of the boy, he said that he was in search
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THE FUGITIVE SLAVES.
of four runaway slaves. He described their ap- pearance so accurately that Benjamin knew they were the ones who had stopped at his home. He, however, said nothing. The Doctor went on to tell how ungrateful the negroes had been ; that they were his musicians for the Springs, and that only during the watering season did he ask them to do anything, and then only to play for visitors ; that all the rest of the year they were allowed to go and do as they pleased; that they went to Louisville and other cities, and gave concerts, re- ceiving the proceeds themselves, and that they were better dressed than their master. "Now," said he, "I am ahead of them ; they left Richmond for this place and are not here yet. They are coming on either the Quaker or Godfrey Trace, and if you will keep on the lookout on the way back, you will likely meet them, and if you will secure them and send me word I will pay you $800 re- ward." The doctor kept his cousin mail-boy with him in his room that night, and treated him very kindly. On his return the next day Benjamin thought the matter over thoroughly ; he was poor and the money would be a great help to him and his mother's family, besides, Dr. Campbell was his cousin, and had been a special friend of his father, and he need not do anything but send the Doctor word. . But then, on the other hand, if he accepted the money his conscience would not be
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THE FUGITIVE SLAVES.
clear. Should he take $800 for sending four men into life-long servitude ? The temptation was very great, but this thought settled him in the deter- mination not to do an act which would afterward make him unhappy. Having decided to do right, and supposing he would soon meet the fugitives, he went cheerfully forward through the long woods, whistling a favorite tune. He met them at Yellow Creek, in Adams County, and told them they were in the wrong road. They inquired why. He told them they were runaway slaves and that their master was at Fort Wayne ready to take them when they arrived. They boldly denied being slaves, but he told them where they came from and who was their master, and they were forced to acknowledge the truth. He then said he did not believe slavery was right, that he hoped they would escape, and that if they would turn back a few miles he would put them upon a road by which they could go around Fort Wayne. They were deeply cast down and much alarmed, and fearful that he was trying to betray them into a trap. But they finally took his advice, and went back with him, walking very rapidly, bade their rescuer farewell and took the other road.
Seven years afterward, when B. W. Hawkins had a family, was living in Portland, and was Sheriff of Jay County, an uncle of his, named
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THE FUGITIVE SLAVES.
Bird Hawkins, from Eaton, Ohio, visited him, and Joseph C. Hawkins was also at his house. This Bird Hawkins was a very wealthy, aristocratic pro-slavery man, and, finding that J. C. Hawkins was a free-soiler, he undertook to show his erring nephew the foolishness of such a belief. Joseph was always ready for an argument, and so they went into a debate. Finding that he was not con- vincing his young relative of the divinity or christianizing influence of slavery, Mr. Hawkins said he would give an instance which would show beyond question the wickedness of "abolitionism." He then related as follows :
" Last summer I spent the watering season at Dr. Campbell's Springs, in Kentucky, and he told me of a great loss he had sustained. You know he is our cousin and a very nice man. He had four well-trained musicians whom he kept in the highest style of luxury and ease. They played for company during the watering season, and had all the rest of the year to travel over the state and make large sums of money for themselves. They were better elothed than their master, and enjoyed all the pleasures the country afforded. But while they were giving concerts in Louisville, they crossed the Ohio river and escaped into Canada. He expended nich money in hunting for them, and finally got a letter from them saying they had landed safely, had joined the king's army, and
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THE FUGITIVE SLAVES.
that they would never have left him except that at his death they would have been sold. The Doctor immediately set out for Canada, and tried by every means in his power to induce them to return. He offered to make out their free papers in advance, and then pay them a high price if they would return to the Springs. He was im- mediately arrested and thrown into jail, charged with trying to induce the king's soldiers to desert, the punishment for which was death. He sent to Kentucky for a lawyer, and after much trouble and an expense of $1,000, he was released from prison and allowed to return home. Now you see how kind Dr. Campbell was to his slaves, and how outrageously they treated him."
Joseph replied that the case was an unanswer- able argument for his side of the question ; that it showed how strong was the love of freedom in the human soul, if these slaves would prefer to leave all their luxurious living and endure the hard- ships of a soldier's life, for its sake.
During the relation of the story, B. W. Haw- kins was sitting by, smothering a hearty laugh, for it was the first he had heard of the slaves since he had left them in the woods, while neither Bird nor Joseph knew of the part he had borne in the. transaction.
4
CHAPTER V.
WILLIAM SIMMONS-LOST-FOUND.
LATE in January, 1832, William Simmons, from Henry County, Indiana, came to visit his brother- in-law, Thomas Shaylor, who lived on the Salimo- nie, three miles above Portland. The weather had been very stormy for several days, and the snow lay upon the ground ten or twelve inches deep. The bushes and limbs of the trees were bowed by the weight of snow that hung upon them. But a fierce west wind came up, scattered the snow, and the weather became extremely cold. Mr. Simmons called at the cabin of John J. Hawkins, who was then an invalid, and inquir- ed the way to Mr. Shaylor's, saying that he would return that way the next day. But the next day
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WILLIAM SIMMONS.
passed, and he did not come ; and the Hawkins family were uneasy lest their stranger friend had got lost and perhaps frozen. On the morning of the third day, Mr. Shaylor called at Mr. Haw- kins', inquiring for the lost man. He stated that Simmons had gone hunting, but had now been absent two days and nights. All were much alarmed, for in all probability he had become bewildered and lost. In the deep snow and terrible cold he would perish. Shaylor, who had been drinking for several days with some boon companions from the Mississinewa, inquired of Mr. Hawkins what should be done. The " Recol- lections " by J. C. Hawkins on this point says : "Father told him that what they decided to do must be done at once, for if the man was lost he was exposed to peril in various ways ;- he might have lost his flint or wet his powder, or become bewildered, like ' Limber Jim,' or it was possible that the wolves might have attacked him. 'Sam,' said he, addressing the eldest son, 'you see how it is. Shaylor and those other men are not able to stand much so soon after their spree; it there- fore remains for you and Edward Simmons to do what is to be done. What do you say to it?' His answer was, 'I'll make the trial.' 'Well, then,' father added, 'get ready; you have no time to lose. You need no gun; take my tomahawk ;- your knife is good ; carry several flints and the
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WILLIAM SIMMONS.
best punk; set fire occasionally to dry trees, so that if you find him you can carry him to the nearest, thereby you will save time. If he is benumbed and drowsy, don't bring him too close to the fire, but rub him and make him take exer- cise. If his feet are much frozen, cut a hole in the ice and put them in, or rub them with snow. Don't let him eat too much at once. And now remember your mother will not expect to see you until you can bring tidings of the lost man !' "
Thus explicitly directed and equipped, the two young men hastily entered the snowy woods. Shaylor and his companions followed a short dis. tance, but soon turned back. After traveling three or four miles the young men came to his track ; following this a short distance, they found he had been crossing his own path, and must be completely bewildered. About 11 o'clock they found him. He was in a terrible condition. He was slowly dragging himself along, both his feet being badly frozen and burned. He would put his stick forward and then draw himself up to it. In this way the poor man was endeavoring to save his life. He was só exhausted by hunger, exposure and suffering that, had not help reached him, he would soon have lain down and perished. The sight of the young men greatly rejoiced him, for he hoped to be restored to his family. He was found on the knoll where Liber College now
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LOST-FOUND.
stands, between the college building and the de- lightful Spring on the bank of the Little Salimo- nie. He immediately asked for something to eat, and the rescuers happening to have an ear of corn with them, parched it for him.
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