History of Randolph County, Indiana with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers : to which are appended maps of its several townships, Part 9

Author: Tucker, Ebenezer
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Chicago : A.L. Klingman
Number of Pages: 664

USA > Indiana > Randolph County > History of Randolph County, Indiana with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers : to which are appended maps of its several townships > Part 9

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Yet they were verily worthy of a gentler fate. And had they been met from the outset with the kind and faithful spirit of jus- tice and mercy and truth, the history of the new world need not have been as now it has been, and must be, written in blood !

Had the white race reciprocated even the kindly advances made by the aborigines, a lasting friendship might have been the result.

There were fifty years of peace between the noble old chief, Massasoit, with his braves, and the Massachusetts colonies. The Indians and Quakers, under the mild and just treatment sct on foot by William Penn, walked on the broad pathway of love and good will for seventy long and happy years. The French, for the most part, had peace and friendship, because, in the main, their treatment of the savages was fair, kindly and humane.

Cases are numerous in private life where justice, truth and confidence by the white man have begotten a like spirit in the Indian.

There is a case which, by the way, has perhaps never yet been put into print, so fully in point that we cannot forbear to state it :

MR. WHITE AND THE CHIEF.

Just after the Revolutionary war had come to an end, a gen- tleman, Mr. White, the founder of Whitestown, Oneida Co., N. Y., moved with his family into the forest a few miles from where Utica now stands. He built a cabin and moved into it. A Mo- hawk chief, who during the war had been an ally of the British, lived not far off. Mr. White sent for the chief, and he came. Said Mr. White, " The war is over, let us be friends." The red

HISTORY OF RANDOLPH COUNTY.

man scarcely spoke, and was non committal. But, spying with his eagle eye a boy, the son of a widowed daughter of his host, he said to Mr. White: "That boy, me take him-three days." The mother sprang to her child, wild with affright ; but her father- hushed his daughter, and said calmly, "Take him." The chief took the boy. And on the third day, just as the sun was sink- ing into the tree-tops, a whoop was heard, and as they looked, they saw the chief and the child-both dressed in royal style, the boy dancing with glee as he came-emerge from the shadow of the woods. They entered the cabin, the chief gave the boy to his mother, and said, " There, white man trust Indian ; now In- dian trast white man." And he did ; and ever after there was friendship between the two.

PEACE COMING.

For ages long, since the coming of the European across the mighty deep with his winged ships and his weapons of fire, war had been between the incoming strangers and the natives of the soil. But for these regious that war was at length well-nigh over. Indian conflict had ceased in these parts before the first dweller had touched the soil of Randolph. The last battle had been fought with these Indians, and final and hopeless defeat had crushed the fierce and bitter spirit of the savage foe.

Tecumseh, perhaps the ablest and the bravest chieftain that ever roused the warriors of his race to conflict, had formed his league and rallied his dusky hosts, and, after weary and bloody years of mortal warfare, had been slain on the banks of the Thames, not one short year before (1813). The prophet, deceit- ful and cruel, but not noble nor brave, had, upon the death of his heroic brother, sunk into his native nothingness ; nearly all the other great chiefs had, even before Tecumseh's career, despaired of any hope of success against the omnipotent white men, and were, though sullen and morose, yet disposed for peace. There had been war, and massacre, and battles, and destruction of cornfields, and burning of towns and villages, through the sad, eventful years of 1811, 1812 and 1813. But the Indians were crushed; and they gave up the struggle in hopeless despair. Great numbers indeed had stood aloof, and refused to join Tecum- seh's league, convinced that success against the whites would be impossible. Little Turtle, the famous Miami chief, even before Wayne's victory in 1794, advised peace. Said he. "We cannot succeed ; the foe have now a chieftain that never sleeps." He fought in that battle, but ever after, he was on the side of peace. Yet Tecumseh's influence was great, and he drew away many in- to the war. But his eloquent voice was hushed in death ; his famous league was broken, and the tribes sued for peace.

TECUMSEH'S WAR.

The pioneers of Dearborn and Wayne, of Clark and Harrison, and of Knox and Jefferson Counties, on the eastern border of Indiana Territory, and along the valleys of the Ohio and the Wabash, who had made their homes in Indiana forests between 1793 and 1811, lived for two eventful years in mortal apprehen- sion. Says one aged lady, a resident of Wayne County in writing some " Reminiscences " of that fearful time: "After the battle of Tippecanoe (1811) we lived in constant fear, and passed many sleepless nights. Well do I recollect how I kept my head raised from my pillow to listen for the Indians to come and take our scalps. They were often seen scouting round, but harmed none that were peaceable ; still we feared and trembled." Another says (after the Pigeon Roost Massacre September 3, 1812, in Scott County, Kentucky, by some Shawnees): "The way I lived was this: On all occasions I carried my rifle, tomahawk and butcher knife, and a loaded pistol at my belt. When I went to plow I laid my gun on the ground, and stuck up a stick by it for a mark, that I might get it quick if I needed it. I had two good dogs; at night (or by day either) I kept one outside to bark and give the alarm, and one inside to bark and waken ns (if in the night), to be ready if there was any danger. My weapons

were always loaded and ready to my hand. I kept my horses in a stable close to the house with a port hole so made that I could shoot from inside the house to the stable door. During two years I never went from home with any certainty of ever returning, not knowing the day nor the hour nor the minute that I might receive a fatal bullet from some unknown, hostile hand ; but by Divine mercy I was preserved, and am now alive to tell the tale." And yet, through all this fear and peril, candor compels the statement that, throughout this region at least (to quote from the narrative again), the Indians "harmed none who were peacea- ble." The pioneers in general seem to agree to that fact that the Indiana molested only hostile white men.

Charles Morgan who (with his two half-brothers) was killed at a "sugar camp" near Washington March 10, 1813, was a bitter "Indian hater." It seems that Johnny Green, an Indian warrior, but at peace with the whites, was at an Indian town on Blue River, also at peace. He asked leave to go with some whites to the settlements; they let him go with them, and agreed not to harm him ; as soon as they had him fairly among them, however, the party bound him, and many of them wished to take his life. He was conveyed to Esquire lfunt's, seven miles south of Centerville, where a vote was taken, and a large majority called for his immediate death. Morgan was present, and was very eager for the death of Green. It came to pass, however, that Thomas McCoy, a stout Irishman, cut the ropes, took him on the horse behind him, and carried him away from danger. Green was fierce and revengeful, aud, for this dastardly attempt upon his life by Morgan and others, Green is thought to have killed Morgan.

Shortridge also had on clothes belonging to George Ish, another violent " Indian hater," and the Indians thought they were killing Ish. Thus stood the times while the fierce Tecumseh and his cruel, but cowardly brother, were gathering their warrior clans, and cheering them to the bitter, deadly conflict.

THE END.

But in 1813 these scenes were forever ended, and the settlers of Randolph, after their coming hither, saw no Indian war. The men who came and pitched their camps, and reared their cabins, and made their homes within these borders from and after 1814, had the Indians only for quiet, friendly neighbors, who would bring them deer, and turkeys and squirrels, and help at raisings and log-rollings, and whose pappooscs would gambol and play with the children of the white pioneers.

But even this was not to be of long duration. In a few years the red men forsook their huts, and left their wigwams tenantless, and passed on gradually, and ere a long time had fled, came back no more.

Fur a brief space, dusky-faced men, warriors no longer, their women, mayhaps, keeping them company, would go trooping on foot, or on their little ponies, or leading their pack-horses along the old time-beaten trail from north to south, or east to west, or the opposite. For a few years the humble remnants of these once haughty and powerful forest tribes would pass meekly and peaceably by, bring buckskins, and baskets, and moccasins and paltry trinkets, and timidly ask an exchange for corn, and salt, and meal, and powder and whisky.

And the trader, or mayhaps the settler would take their "truck," and give them in return what they wished, but especially the whisky. And that curse of human kind, that foe of the universal human race, would do its devilish work upon these poor red men, and they would get drunk and fight, and stab and kill, or lie helpless and besotted till the horrid debauch was over, and then- they would " seek it yet again !" And now this whole drama is past, and it has become to us like the fitful charges of a forgotten dream. Perhaps not oue in a huudred of the dwellers of Randeiph County ever set eyes upon an Indian. Be it so ! Be it so ! Two such races as the fierce, ambitions, domineering, insatiable European, and the savage, bold, wily, revengeful Indian could

HISTORY OF RANDOLPH COUNTY.

never dwell together in the same land ; and since the European came to stay, there was nothing left for the Indian but to go ; and from these regions, for the most part, HE HAS GONE!

CHAPTER III.

PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY.

LOCATION - BOUNDARIES -INDIAN BOUNDARIES-COUNTIES-SEC- OND BOUNDARY-KEKIONGA-MISCELLANY-PUBLIC LANDS- MERIDIANS AND BASE LINES- SURFACE- VEGETATION -ANI- MALS-DRAINAGE-MINERALS-INLAND WATERS-MISSISSINE- WA-WHITE RIVER-WHITE WATER-MIAMI-DIVIDES-USES OF STREAMS.

W E have thus far treated somewhat at length the pre-historie state of the county and the region, and spoken briefly of its Indian history. We now propose to proceed in a somewhat regular way, describing Randolph County in systematie detail. First, then, as to her material and physical features :

LOCATION.

Randolph County, as at present constituted, lies in the east- ern part of the State of Indiana, directly upon the Ohio line, somewhat midway of the State from north to south. It is about twenty-one and three-quarter miles in extent from east to west, and about twenty-one miles from north to south, containing nearly 457 square miles, or about 292,000 acres. It may be properly enough described by stating first its boundaries and matters con- nected therewith.

BOUNDARIES.

Randolph is bounded north by Jay County ; east by Mercer and Darke Counties, Ohio; south by Wayne County, and west by Henry and Delaware Counties. It lies wholly inland, and has no lakes nor large navigable streams on its boundaries. The fortieth parallel of north latitude extends through the southern part of the county (running east and west), near Arba. Win- chester is not very far from this parallel, and is thus within one or two degrees of the latitude of several of the great cities of the world-New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Lisbon, Madrid, Rome, Constantinople and Pekin. That fact does not prove, indeed, that Winchester is a great city like the places just named, but only that our latitude round the habitable globe is favorable for the growth of towns.

The eighth meridian of longitude west from Washington (or the eighty-fifth west from London), passes through the county north and south near and west of Ridgeville and Winchester. Thus the difference of time with New York is 40 minutes, with Chicago about 12 minutes, with St. Louis about 20 minutes, and with San Franscisco about 150 minutes.

INDIAN BOUNDARIES.

Two old Indian boundaries pass through the county, both in a southwesterly direction, and, except in the northern portions, exactly parallel to each other.

1. Wayne's boundary, agreed on in a treaty made at Greenville, Ohio, in 1795, between Gen Anthony Wayne and several tribes of Indians. (See Indian History.) This boundary (as to that part of it which extends through Indiana) begins at Fort Recov- ery, and passes southwest to the mouth of Kentucky River. It extends through Jay, Randolph, Wayne, Union and Franklin, between Dearborn and Ripley, between Ohio and Switzerland Counties, and through Switzerland County. This line enters Randolph near the northeast corner of Jackson Township (and of the county, and passes through Jackson, Wayne and Greens- fork Township. It strikes the north line of Wayne Town- ship about 13 miles west of the Ohio line-of Greens- fork about 3 miles, and the Wayne County line about 43 miles

west from the State line. (See maps.) It passes near and a little west of New Lisbon, Union City, Bartonia, Salem, Spartans- burg and Arba.

The surveys on the east side of this boundary were made by the United States Government soon after 1795, certainly between 1795 and 1803. The surveys extended from the State line west- ward to the boundary, making fractional sections on the east side of the boundary, and on the west side as well, when the land on the west side was surveyed. "Jogs " also are found in the sec- tions at the boundary, on both sides, of course.

The system of survey now in vogue (by meridians, ranges, townships and sections) was instituted by the national Con- gress, May 25, 1785, and May 18, 1796, and from its excellence and supreme convenience it has been retained con- tinuously from the time of its adoption. The surveys and plat- tings made before that day of patents granted under the kings of England, and by other sovereigns. and also of grants made by our own government to persons as a reward for meritorious serv- ice, were effected without regard to meridians. As, for instance, in the State of New York under English and Dutch grants -and in Louisiana Territory and Indiana, Illinois and Missouri under French grants, and in Ohio and elsewhere in the case of grants to soldiers and others-other and widely varying systems of sur- veying prevailed. (See chapter on Public Lands.)

When the first settlement of eastern Indiana after the Revolu- tion began, only the land east of the old (Wayne's) boundary had been surveyed, and persons who settled had to stop on the east side of that line, e. g., some of the early settlers near Newport (now Fountain City) that came in before 1809 have stated that they went into the woods just as far as they could get, entering their land directly on the boundary.

COUNTIES.

The counties in the southeastern part of Indiana (Territory) that were formed before the "twelve-mile strip" had been sur- veyed extended at first westward only to the old boundary. And Randolph (laid out in 1818) reached, when first created, only to the twelve-mile boundary. Afterward the limits of the counties were altered so as to make them stand as at present.

Dearborn County at first embraced all the territory between the Ohio line, the Ohio River and Wayne's boundary. And this whole region was for a time known as the Territory (or even State) of Dearborn.

Settlement was begun there in 1796 by Adam Fluke the year after Wayne's treaty was made, and, of course, before the land had been surveyed. The county (Dearborn) was created (by the 'Territorial Government) seven years afterward, in 1803. Dear- born was the third county in the Territory, Knox (around Vincennes) being the first, and Clarke (on the Ohio) the second. The fourth county was Harrison, on the Ohio, west of Clarke. The fifth county was Wayne, taking the northern portion of Dearhorn. Whether Wayne County, when it was created, ex- tended across the " twelve-mile strip," we do not know. It may have done so, since that strip was ceded by the Indians in 1809, and the county was erected in 1810. When the first settlers came into Randolph (1814), the land between the two boundaries had been surveyed, and was open for settlement. But the land west of the " twelve-mile strip" was not ceded by the Indians till 1818, and not surveyed till 1821-22.

Randolph was the next county organized east of the " bound- aries," viz , in 1818, two years after Indiana became a State. A more detailed account will be given hereafter.

SECOND BOUNDARY [TWELVE MILE].

About fourteen years after the first boundary had been estab- lished at Greenville by Gen. Wayne (1795), a second boundary was drawn according to a treaty which will now be described, viz :

The second boundary (already mentioned) passing through the present limits of Randolph County, is the twelve mile bound-

HISTORY OF RANDOLPH COUNTY.

ary in the western part of the county. It was agreed on in a treaty made with the Indians by Gen. Harrison, Governor of Indiana Territory, in 1809 (at Fort Wayne, September 30, and at Vincennes, October 26). It was called the twelve mile bound- ary because, in that treaty the Indians ceded (along with other lands perhaps) a strip twelve miles wide west of the old boundary already described. This twelve mile line begins at Fort Recovery (at the same point with the other), and, proceeding in a straight line, but at a greater angle than the old boundary till it reaches a point not far from, and a little west of Ridgeville, and twelve miles west of the old boundary ; it runs thence parallel with the said eld boundary to the Ohio River.

This second or new, or twelve mile boundary passes a little west of Ridgeville, and a little east of Unionsport. It crosses the Mississinewa River in southeast quarter Section 11, Town 21 north, Range 13 east, Franklin Township, and White River in White River Township about one mile east of the northeast corner of Monroe Township, southeast quarter of Section 16, Tewn 20, Range 13. The surveys might seem to have been made without reference to this twelve mile boundary. At any rate, there appear to be full sections lying across the boundary without "jogs " on either side of the line. The ranges are numbered from the second meridian, which is about ninety miles west of the west line of Ohio. The fact seems to be that the second meridian was located and the base line established, and the ranges measured and marked on the base line, and then the land be- tween the boundaries-was surveyed before the land on the west of the " twelve-mile strip," and, after the cession in 1818, the survey was completed. As to this latter purchase and session, Judge Jere Smith, in his Civil History of Randolph County, (manuscript) says : " In the month of October, 1818, a treaty was made by the United States Government with the several tribes occupying the territory of the State of Indiana. The council was held on St. Mary's River, somewhere near Shane's Prairie, not far from where Willshire now stands. Lewis Cass, then Governor of Michigan Territory, and Jonathan Jennings, Gov- erner of Indiana, were appointed by President Monroe, Commis- sioners to make the treaty. At that treaty, all the country lying west of the twelve mile purchase and south of the Wabash, and up it to the mouth of Little River, and up that river to its head, and to the Fort Wayne Reservation made by Gen. Wayne in 1795 (with certain reservations specified), was ceded to the United States. This cession embraced the whole central part of the State. The land was all surveyed in 1820-21-22, and settlers flowed in rapidly.'

When Randolph County was first created (as already re- marked) it embraced only the land east of the twelve mile bound- ary. But at the session, commencing December, 1819, the Legislature laid out, in advance, much of the ceded territory into counties, and in so doing fixed the final boundaries of Randolph County as they now stand, but attached thereto for judicial pur- pcses, all the territory north of it to the State line, as also Dela- ware and Grant. Blackford, Jay, Wells, Adams, Allen, etc., were vacant land for years afterward, and all that territory was, for the time, attached to Randolph County ; and the Commis- sioners, at their session, August, 1820, made all that territory into a single township and named it Wayne, and ordered an election to be hold at Fort Wayne for the choice of two Justices and one Constable. Rather an extensive township that ! large, indeed, as to size, but weak as to population. And for some five years the courts of Randolph had jurisdiction over that region.

KEKIONGA (FORT WAYNE), ETC.

The Miami capital, Kekionga, had stood for ages near the present location of Fort Wayne, and it was first visited by white men at least as soon as 1676, and probably much sooner. A French missionary from Michigan visited the Indian capital in that year, and Chevalier La Salle is thought to have been there about 1680, and, about 1705, the French planted a fort there,

Fort Miami. In 1745, the llurons burnt this fort. The French built another there in 1748. In 1759, with the fall of Canada, all the French posts fell into the hands of the English. Ensign Holmes, of the British Army, built a fort on the east bank of the St. Joseph in 1760-61.

In 1763, in Pontiac's war, Ensign Holmes was betrayed and slain, and the Indians captured the fort. However, Pontiac's war was soon ended, and the English again garrisoned the fort in 1764.

The war of Independence followed, and the peace of 1783 was accomplished ; yet the British, though their government had agreed to withdraw their troops with all convenient speed, seem to have held for years several posts, as Detroit, Niagara, Michilimackinac, and also one near Fort Wayne. When " Mad Anthony" marched against the Indians in 1794, he found the British occupying a fort on the Maumee River, and some rather sharp correspondence took place 'between the two commanding officers. Fort Wayne was built by order of Gen. Wayne after his victory over the savages at the rapids of the Maumee. For many years after its erection, Fort Wayne was a prin- cipal center of dealings with the Indian tribes occupying the forests of Indiana.

Greenville, too, was a place of Indian payment from 1795 to 1815. From that time onward Fort Wayne was the place "of meeting for the payment of Indian annuities.

A great deal of trade was carried on, chiefly with the Indians, at Fort Wayne at the times of payment. Still ne permanent settlement was made there till about 1815. Fort Wayne was evacuated as a military post in 1819, but it became a depot of trade in furs, provisions and whisky.

Richardville, one of the Miami chiefs, grew immensely rich by dealing in furs and by his sales of land. At the Indian pay- ments traders would come from Ohio and Michigan and even New York, to peddle their wares and cajole the Indians.

MISCELLANY.

When Indiana was admitted as a State (1816), Allen County was a part of Knox. The seat of justice for Fort Wayne re- mained at Vincennes till about 1819, when that was attached to Randolph County ; and it so continued, with Winchester for the county seat, till about 1823, at which time Allen County was created. Fort Wayne was laid out as a town in 1823, and the plat is recorded in Winchester.

David Connor had a trading post at various locations on the Mississinewa River, and elsewhere. He stationed himself at Fort Recovery, then above Deerfield, afterward below Wheeling, and finally below Marion. An Indian trader was at La Gro, on the Salamonie, and another at the crossing of the Wabash, by the " Quaker trail," near New Corydon, Jay County, Ind.

A trader had been (probably for a short time) at the crossing of the Wabash, near New Corydon, Jay County, much earlier than the time of David Connor's operations on the Mississinewa, perhaps before the war of 1812. His name was Miller, his goods were furnished him by Vanausdal, of Eaton, Ohio. Miller was murdered by parties unknown.

Allen County was created in 1823, and embraced at first also what is now Wells, Adams, Huntington and Whitley, leaving Jay, Blackford, Delaware and Grant still belonging to Randolph. Huntington was organized in 1834, Adams in 1836, Wells in 1837, and Whitley in 1830, Delaware in 1827, Grant in 1831, Jay in 1836 and Blackford in 1839, leaving in that latter year both Allen and Randolph at their final and permanent size.

PUBLIC LANDS.

The system of rectangular survey for public lands was pro- posed by a committee of the Continental Congress, viz .:

Messrs. Jefferson, Williamson, Howell, Gerry and Reas, who reported, May 7, 1784, by Thomas Jefferson, of Virginia, their chairman.

HISTORY OF RANDOLPH COUNTY.

" An ordinance for ascertaining the mode of locating and disposing of land in the Western 'Territory, and for other pur- poses therein mentioned."

The ordinance was considered, debated and amended, and on motion of Mr. Grayson, of Virginia (May 3, 1785), seconded by Mr. Monroe, the size of the township was reduced to six miles square, and May 25, 1785, the bill became a law.

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History of Randolph County, Indiana with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers : to which are appended maps of its several townships, Part 9

Author: Tucker, Ebenezer Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Chicago : A.L. Klingman Number of Pages: 664

Author: Tucker, Ebenezer
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Chicago : A.L. Klingman
Number of Pages: 664