History of Lawrence, Orange, and Washington counties, Indiana : from the earliest time to the present, together with interesting biographical sketches, reminiscences, notes, etc, Part 81

Author: Goodspeed Brothers
Publication date: 199-?]
Publisher: [Salem, Mass. : Higginson Book Co.]
Number of Pages: 954

USA > Indiana > Orange County > History of Lawrence, Orange, and Washington counties, Indiana : from the earliest time to the present, together with interesting biographical sketches, reminiscences, notes, etc > Part 81
USA > Indiana > Washington County > History of Lawrence, Orange, and Washington counties, Indiana : from the earliest time to the present, together with interesting biographical sketches, reminiscences, notes, etc > Part 81
USA > Indiana > Lawrence County > History of Lawrence, Orange, and Washington counties, Indiana : from the earliest time to the present, together with interesting biographical sketches, reminiscences, notes, etc > Part 81

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).

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and William Hoggatt served early as Majors. The above men were abont all the militia officers until after the war.

The Indians did not become really dangerous until 1812, but before that date confined their depredations mostly to horse-stealing. As the settlers were poor, and horses were scarce and very valuable, the magni- tude of the act was much greater than at present. During the winter of 1811-12. over 100 Indians wintered in the vicinity of Spark's Ferry, and committed no depredations until they left the following spring. During the winter small detachments of them, to the number of a half dozen or more. located temporarily along the streams of the county to hunt, trap, and trade with the whites, and it was not until the spring of 1812 that they "took up the hatchet " in earnest. The battle of Tippecanoe, the 7th of November, 1811, had subdued them, but the continuance of the war with Great Britain led them also to keep up desultory raids on the white settlements.

THE CAPTURE OF TWO CHILDREN.

One of the temporary villages was on Royse's Lick near the store kept by Dr. Lamb. Here "Old Ox," & Delaware chief and his family and immediate followers were established. "Tow-Head" was the son of Oz, and was treacherons and savage. A white man named Mccullough had married Tow-Head's sister, and a little boy "Sammy" was the issue. While the Indians remained there Sammy was often visited by two little white boys of his own age, living near by, named Jimmy and Johnny. When the Indians all left the next spring, which they did suddenly after committing theft, robbery, murder. etc., Jimmy and Johnny were stolen. The act was planned beforehand, and was well executed Upon the solic- itation of " Mrs. Ox" the little boys went over one afternoon to play with Sammy. They remained until after dark, and when their parents went to bring them home they found the Indian camp deserted and the boys gone. They roused the neighborhood and continued the search during the night, but withont finding either Indians or boys. Early the next morning came reports from various portions of thecounty of the thievish or bloody raids of the Indians and their hasty departure for the Wabash north. The friends of the stolen boys also found their horses missing. A small squad of resolute men started in pursuit in hopes of recovering the stolen property as well as the boys, but they did not succeed, and returned after going as far north as Monroe County. A little later than the others a full company of militia under Henry Dewalt started in pursuit. but came back after following the main body of Indians far north. It afterward transpired that to prevent capture or pursuit, some half dozen of Ox's family had not gone north with the main body of Indians, but had gone to the mouth of Muscatatuck River, where they had con- cealed themselves until the ardor of pursuit was over. when they resumed their journey, going north to the main village on the Wabash near

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Lafayette. On the way one night Jimmy and Johnny were rolled in blankets and laid to sleep against a big log on the side of which a fire was kept burning. During the night the tire crept along and communi- cated with Jimmy's blanket. In a few minutes he was enveloped in flames, and was so badly burned before it could be put out that the Indians the next morning tomahawked and scalped him rather than to have him with them longer. Johnny was kept captive for some time, but at last was sold to some white man and finally was adopted by a family in this county named Menaugh. This little boy who knew not his real name was John L. Menaugh, who for so many years was well known to the people of the county.

THE MURDER OF THE SOLIDAS.

The day before the departure of the Indians witnessed two bloody tragedies in the county. In what is now Monroe Township lived Robert Ellison, for whom Daniel Solida worked at clearing, etc. Solida was a man of great strength, and had participated in the battle of Tippecanoe the preceding November, at which he had killed several Indians and taken their scalps. During the winter of 1811-12, this fact was made known to the Indians encamped on White River, and when they left they resolved to kill him. Early on the day mentioned Solida and Ellison went out to hunt their horses, and having found some of them Ellison came back with them, leaving Solida to continue the search for the others. This he did, and while passing through a dense grove of big trees was suddenly set upon by probably six or eight Indians and killed. He was shot, tomahawked and scalped, and left dead and mangled on the ground. On the same day and about the same time and under much the same cir- cumstances, another murder occurred in Jefferson Township. Jacob Solida, brother of Daniel, and a man equally as strong and active. who had likewise made himself conspicuous at the battle of Tippecanoe and elsewhere against the Indians, had been working for Richard Newkirk, and the two went out on the fatal morning to hunt their stock. While thus engaged they passed into an Indian ambush and were fired upon. Both were wounded, Solida severely and Newkirk slightly, and the latter by hard running managed to escape. Solida could not run very fast and was easily overtaken and dispatched. Under what circumstances he died cannot be known, but the ground around where he was found bore wit- ness that he fought heroically for his life. He was overpowered. stabbed. toruahawked and scalped. What injury he indicted upon his enemies is not known. but it is reasonable to conclude that some of them paid dearly for the life they took. The earth was torn up. and here and there covered with other blood than that of the settler. As soon as these two murders became known, E. D. Logan with a company of militia started in pursuit, but after going to Bean Blossom Creek in Monroe County,

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returned without success. The Indians made good their escape with their stolen horses and other booty.

THE FORTS AND BLOCK-HOUSES.

Immediately succeeding these attacks the settlers of the county flew for protection to the few block- houses that had been erected, and hastily built others, in all numbering about fifteen in the county. These were located, so far as can be learned, as follows: Two called Beck's Forts near John Beck's; one called Lick Fort, at Royse's Lick; one at Samuel Catlin's, three miles north of Fredericksburg; one near Kossuth in Monroe Township. called Logan's Fort; one called the Hattabaugh Fort near Plattsburg; one at Salein, where John Manley lives; one near Harristown; one three miles southwest of Salem; one near Livonia; one near the Quaker Church; one called Brock's Fort, on the land of W. L. Reyman; one on Section 7 in the northwest part of Franklin Township; one called the Fleener Fort, near Wesley Jones', and very likely others, the location of which could not be learned. These "forts " were usu- ally heavy log cabins provided with port-holes from which to shoot, and furnished to accommodate several families; but in some instances real forts were built as at Hattabaugh's inclosure in Monroe Township, where a row of log-cabins, provided with port.holes, etc., was built together with a high block-house at each end, and then all surrounded by a high fence of heavy slabs planted firmly in the ground, and leaving a space of about a rod around the cabins. Several of these block-houses or forts had been built before the general uprising, and after that others were hastily erected and occupied by the families of the settlers. In the Hattabaugh Fort were gathered the families of Robert Ellison, Dempsey Rice, Thomas Denny, Elisha Driskell, Elijah Rinker, Isaac Beeler, George Hattabaugh. John Ramsey and others. At Brock's Fort were those of George Brock, George Brock, Jr., Adam Barnett, William Gordon, Fred- erick Neighdever, William Kemp, William Natherton and others. At Young's Fort were Joseph Reyman, Isaac Miller, Jacob Miller, John Neighdever, Henry Carter, Benjamin Nicholson, James Young and Mar. tin Putoff. At Logan's Fort were William Logan, Adam Housh, E. Pitts, Western Hattabaugh, Mr. Thompson and Mr. Denny. Dewalt's Fort was full, but their names cannot be given. Beck's Forts were also full to over- flowing. Many were in MeNight's Fort in Franklin Township. The fort near Sinking Spring. Madison Township, was large and contained about a dozen families. The wives, children und helpless were crowded into these forts, while the men armed and organized to be in readiness for any attack. About this time a raid was made into Brown and Jeffer- son Townships, and horses were stolen, owned by the Driskells et al. In September. 1812, occurred the Pigeon Roost massacre. in Scott County, near Vienna. Seventeen women and children were murdered, and the

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Indians fled, but as quickly as possible were pursued by several compa- nies, one from this county commanded by Henry Dewalt. Among those from this county in this pursuit were Henry Dewalt, Arthur Parr, John Dunlap, Stephen Shipman, Thomas and James Thompson, Tart Fordyce, Levi Wright, Noah Wright, John and Daniel Zink, John Thompson and a few others. The pursuit was so rapid that the Indians were caught up with near Columbus, this State, where a little skirmish occurred; though the Indians were not captured, doubtless several were wounded or killed. John Zink was wounded mortally in the bowels, from which he soon died and was brought home and buried near Salem.

THE BORDER SCOUTS, ETC.

In 1812 and 1813 all the northern border of the county was patrolled day and night by white scouts, These men were the most experienced in Indian and woodcraft, and several had had years of experience in Indian warfare. Micajah Calloway, the friend and companion of Daniel Boone, who had figured prominently in many of the encounters with Indians now read of in books, was, perhaps, the leader of these scouts. John Beck, an experienced Indian fighter, who had fought at the battle of Tippecanoe, was another of these scouts. These guards did excellent service, as they anticipated several attacks of considerable force, which would have doubtless resulted in several deaths if not extensive massacres. In one of these raids a man named Spurgeon, near Vallonia, was killed, and at others the Flinns and Guthries, near Leesville, and Pierre, the trapper, were shot. Another raid into the eastern side of the county resulted in the death of John Huffman, and the wounding of a young woman in the breast. Two children were carried into captivity, one of whom was afterward returned, but the fate of the other is not known to this day. In the county were several old Indian fighters who scorned the protection of the forts and were very active, going far up into the Indian country to anticipate attacks. Two were named Pavey and Miller. Micajah Calloway could go anywhere, and outwit the red natives every time. In June, 1813, three or four companies of rangers and militia, under the guidance of these scouts, made a sudden raid on several Indian villages on the west fork of White River and reduced them to ashes, together with a considerable quantity of corn and other supplies. The braves, who had for some time been harrassing the bor- der, had their headquarters there, and it was thus determined to root them out. The plan was successful. Vallonia was a central point where was stationed a company of rangers, who frequently retaliated Indian raids and attacks. They had a fort and stockade there.

INCIDENTS, ETC.

Numerous anecdotes could be told, though there is space but for a few. About sundown one evening at McNight's Fort & young woman

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went out to milk a cow, and while thus engaged was terribly frightened to observe a big Indian peering at her from behind a distant tree. She was not long in finishing her work after that, and though very nervous, sauntered as if nothing had crossed her mind toward the fort. She entered. closed the door, and told what she had seen. Instantly prepar- ations were made to warmly receive the red visitors. The port-holes were manned and arms and ammunition were quickly prepared. It soon transpired that William Tokay had personated an Indian to see what effect it would have on the fort. He was satisfied. John Beck com- manded a company of rangers at the battle of Tippecanoe, in November, 1811. Upon the return of the men a volley was fired at Beck's Hill. This volley was heard a long distance and gave rise to the report that the settlers there had been attacked by the Indians. About that time a fire, which had been started in the woods, threw up large volumes of smoke, and the report also went out that the Indians were burning the cabins and murdering the settlers. People hastily gathered in strong cabins and forts and made the best preparations possible for defense, but soon the delusion was dispelled. In early times there was quite an Indian village near Zink's Quarry, west of Salem. It is asserted that an old Indian squaw, possessed of much eccentricity, was condemned to death here for being a witch or the like, and was burned at the stake.

MOUNDS AND THEIR CONTENTS.

Apparently the Mound Builders bad but little to do with Washington County. Scattered over the ground, however, are numerous evidences of their presence here, in times antedating authentic history. So far as can be learned, they left within the limits of the county no forts or mili- tary enclosures and but very few earth-works of any character. In Brown Township is one or more mounds which when opened many years ago was found to contain human bones, ashes and charcoal and fragments of pottery and charred animal bones. In the southwestern part of the county mounds have also been discovered, though what they contain can not be stated. On the Joseph Trueblood farm, Washington Township, was a mound which was examined many years ago by persons living in that vicinity. In it were found human bones in a decomposed state, fragments of pottery and flint arrow heads. Since then this mound has been farmed over and is now almost level with the surface of the ground.

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CHAPTER III.

SETTLEMENT OF THE COUNTY-WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP-OLD SETTLERS- INDUSTRIES AND INCIDENTS-THE SALINE RESERVES-RAILWAY DISAS- TER-POSEY TOWNSIMP-SETTLERS, INDUSTRIES, INCIDENTS, ETC .- BROWN TOWNSHIP-PIONEERS, MILLS, STOMES, ETC .- COURTING UNDER DIFFICULTIES -- JACKSON TOWNSMP-SETTLEMENT-INDY'STIMAI. DEVEL- OPMENT-ANECDOTES -JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP-PIONEERS. MANUFAC- TURES, STORES, POSTOFFICES, LOG-ROLLINGS, ETC .- HOWARD TOWN- SHIP-SETTLERS. MILLS, FACTORIES, STORIES, ETC .- PIERCE TOWNSHIP -SETTLEMENT, FACTORIES, ADVENTURES, ETC .- POLK TOWNSHIP-PIO- NEERS, DISTILLERIES, POSTOFFICES, ETC .- VERNON TOWNSHIP-SETTLE- MENT, ETC .- GIBSON TOWNSHIP-INDUSTRIES AND INCIDENTS-FRANK- LIN TOWNSHIP -- ITS GROWTH, ETC .-- MONROE TOWNSHIP-MILLS, STORES. DISTILLERIES, ETC .- MADISON TOWNSIMP-ANECDOTES.

I ONG before any white family became permanent residents of Wash- ington County, and even before Indiana Territory was organized to say nothing of the State Government, and while the Indians and wild animals were sole owners of the soil. hunters, prospectors, adventurers and squatters visited its borders. This carries the reader back to the year 1800 and earlier, for it is certain that soon after that date perman- ent settlers located here, and they were always preceded by that semi- barbarous nomadic class of human beings known as squatters. It is doubtless true that inasmuch as permanent settlers followed hard after the year 1800, squatters lived and thrived here prior to that date. While this is reasonable to conclude, and is undoubtedly true, detailed state. mente cannot be given, as the squatters had no reliable historian, and their public achievements accordingly will sleep in eternal oblivion. The first settlers found evidences of white occupancy at Royce's Lick and at other places along the principal streams where living springs poured their welcome streams from the cool caverns of the ground. Small Indian villages were to be seen in a dozen places in the county, and the heavy forests, broken here and there by small tracts of prairie, were full of deer, bears, wolves. coons, panthers, wild turkeys, etc .. etc.

SETTLEMENT IN WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP.

The name of the first permanent settler cannot be indicated with certainty. George Brock, a hardy German, came from the Old Dominion and located in several places in what is now Washington County. in 1807. living upon the game killed in hunting. He was a good hunter and was prospecting with a view of bringing his family out for permanent location. The following year he came out and settled on Section 8.

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With him came his son George Brock, Jr., and sons-in-law Adam Bar- nett and Frederick Neidiffer. Jesse Spurgeon came about the same time as Brock, and some accounts fix his date of settlement at 1805. He first squatted near Canton and later located near Harristown. Judge Godlove Kemp located above Salem in 1808, and his son William, born February 17. 1811, was probably the first child born in the township, if not the county. In 150 Col Henry Dewalt, Roger Thompson, Will- iam Gordon, Andrew Pitts. P. Wright. William Netherton and Benjamin Brewer settled in the township. Dewalt settled on Section 14. Thomp - son located near Canton. His cabin was of round logs, was 16x18 feet, one room, stick and clay chimney, no windows, except a port-hole, one door of slabs. Gordon, afterward a merchant in Salem, located north of that town. MIr. Wright settled where his grandson Adam H. Low lives Brewer entered the land where Salem now stands. After 1809 the settlement in the vicinity of Canton and all over Washington Town. ship was rapid. Micajah Calloway was one of the earliest, and was quite a celebrity, owing to his bloody dealings with the Indians. Others were James Davis, William Wright. Andrew Little, Isaac Miller, Jacob Mil- ler. Johan Neidiffer. Henry Carter, James Young, Martin Putoff, Caleb Trueblood and Thomas Hodges. Samuel Lindley located in Sections 9 and 10 in 1911. Joseph Reyman came from Kentucky in 1811 and settled two miles north of Salem, where William L. now lives. John W. Coffey located near Harristown the same year. Henry Wilson, Elisha Hobbs. James Overman, Nicholas Harrison and John L. Menaugh came about the same time. A little later (about 1812 or 1813) came William Grace, C. W. Jones. Josiah Spurgeon, Isaac Overshiner, Sam- uel Denny. William Spurgeon and many others. Still later came Adam Cauble. Peter Zink. Jonathan Lyon, Matthew Coffin, Nathan Trueblood, James Trueblood. Abel Trueblood, Lewis Woody, Zachary Nixon, Lewis Crowe. Mr. Hensley, Mr. Hicks, Mr. Smith, William Pitts, Thomas Pitts, Alexander Little, Arthur Parr. John Fleenor and many others. By 1815 the township was quite thickly dotted with log cabins and clearings. The following men who voted at Salem in 1828 were yet living in the county in 1879.

CATALOGUE OF OLD SETTLERS.

Peter Zink, Solomon Beverly, Henry Snyder, Henry Plowman, L. Horthel, G. Van Meter. A. Colglazier. P. Mann, Daniel Dawalt, John Spear, L J. Reyman. Adam Canble, Elias Davis, J. H. Callaway, W. G. Warriner, D. D. Hamilton. Charles Cauble. Z. King, Robert Logan, David Voyles, L. Overshiner, John Hardin, Aaron Anderson, George Trabue. H. Rutherford, John Cravens, William Robertson, Samuel Hinds, James G. May. J. W. Reyman. T. Cutshaw, Norval Peugh, William Spurgeon, John Gilstrap. John Sloan, James Wilson, Henry Johnson, William Baker, Zach. Collier, Robert Harrison. Luke Barrett, John

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Green, Joseph Wells, M. Flynn, John Wire, John Grimes, Hiram Hosea, Abram Wells, Samuel Nichols, William Curtis, William Dowlin, J. Lockenour, A. Mundin, Benjamin Moore. William Shultz, B. Childers, David Patton. J. L. Anderson, Jacob Horner, Abram Herring. Joseph Walton, N. Underwood, Isaiah Coulter, R. Sullivan, Evans Wright, William Walker, William D. Clark, Levi Knight. Joseph Hodgen. Jesse Stanley, Samuel Huston, Ed Turner, M. Huston, W. P. Trueblood, Jame: Trueblood, John Harned, Thomas Green, Eli Stalker, Hiram Kyte, A. Johnson, Thomas Williams, John Cane, William Mitchell. Robert Mitchell, Aaron Martin, Thomas Tatlock, Elijah Stanley, J. Win- slow, Rolla Martin, S. Redfield, Benjamin Stephenson. Charles D. Green, John Huston, E. W. Martin, Stephen Martin, John Kedlin, N. Hamilton, W. T. Holmes.

COUNTRY INDUSTRIES.

The first mill in the township was the one generally known as the Samuel Lindley horse-mill, and was built the spring of 1811 by a man named Hoggatt, near where the Friends' Meeting House now is on Sec- tion 8. It was operated by horse-power, and when the wheat was ground it was bolted by sifting it into an ash trough. Lindley afterward got it, and did a big business for years. James Young built a horse-mill on his farm, also, very early (1814), and operated it for many years. George Brock. Sr., and William Gordon operated the first distilleries, each only having one copper still.

Matthew Coffin entered on Section 9 in 1819, bat did not com , out until 1815, but his three sons-in-law, James Overman, Henry Wilson and Elisha Hobbs, came out previous to the war of 1812. Coffin started the first tannery in about 1820, and it was built by John W. Reyman. This was the first regular tannery, although previous to this time the settlers would do their own tanning in a wooden trough.

" Probably Andrew Weir. who did not come in until about 1824, built the second tannery, and it was the most extensive one in the township. It was located alinost adjoining Salem on the north.

The first saw-mill in the township was built by William Lindley, Sr., about a mile south of where Salem now stands, in 1812. It was a sash saw, and operated by water power from the Lick Fork of Blue River.

HUNTING INCIDENTS.

A singular incident occurred in 1814. Mr. Netherton was on his way to the raising of William Gordon's hewed-log.house, and when on the farm now owned by Joseph M. Reyman he discovered a big bear. His dog began to bark at and bite the bear, so that the animal climbed a big ash tree, and when up about forty feet laid himself squarely between the fork of the tree. The noise aroused those at Mr. Gordon's, and after one or two shots had been fired by the boys old Micajah Callaway stepped

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back, and taking careful aim shot the bear through the brain. Down it tumbled, dead. It weighed about 400 pounds, and after skinning it the flesh was divided up into an equal number of pieces with the heads of the families present. Joseph Reyman turned his back, and William Gordon would put his hands on a piece, and say to Reyman, " Whose piece is this?" Reyman would answer with the name of some one pres- ent, and thus the bear was amicably divided. Jacob Miller was a great hunter.

In about 1825 a large bear was started np in the cemetery at Salem, where it had gone probably to speculate on death. A posse of citizens was soon in hot pursuit, and finally after a hard chase it was overtaken and killed by F. D. Badger. It was hauled to Salem on a sled, and weighed when dressed over 400 pounds. Over 100 persons ate of its flesh.

THE SALINE RESERVES.

The only two sections in the county reserved for saline purposes were 15 in Township 2 north, Range 4 east, and 28, in Township 3 north, Range + east. The latter became known as Evan's Lick, and the former as Royce's Lick. Efforts were made in early years to manufacture salt, though without success in greatly paying quantities. The land was leased to residents by superintendents appointed by the Governor. In the thirties the land was sold, and the proceeds were turned over to the Common School Fund. A store was established at Royce's Lick probably as early as 1508 by Dr. Simeon Lamb, who did considerable trade with the Indians. The salt of the wells was, poor though it was, in great demand. It sold as high as $12 a bushel, it is said. The statement is made that the Lick was named for a squatter named Royce, who located there to barter with the Indians as early as 1800.

A DREADFUL, RAILWAY DISASTER,

In 1854 a shocking accident occurred at the Blue River railway bridge in this township. A sudden and unprecedented flood had washed beneath and undermined the middle pier of the bridge, and through this weak structure the morning express train from Chicago was precipitated without warning while nnder rapid speed. The news flew like wild fire, and a large crowd soon collected. The entire train took fire, and was consumed. Seven persons were killed, as follows: Charles Sanford, express messenger; C. B. Thompson, of Canton, this county; Rev. Jacob Helfrich, of New Albany; Andrew Echler, of Louisville; Mr. Saylor, of Orleans; Allen Slayton, of Orange County, and an unknown man. Besides these there were about fifteen injured.

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History of Lawrence, Orange, and Washington counties, Indiana : from the earliest time to the present, together with interesting biographical sketches, reminiscences, notes, etc, Part 81

Author: Goodspeed Brothers Publication date: 199-?] Publisher: [Salem, Mass. : Higginson Book Co.] Number of Pages: 954

Author: Goodspeed Brothers
Publication date: 199-?]
Publisher: [Salem, Mass. : Higginson Book Co.]
Number of Pages: 954