USA > Indiana > Pioneer history of Indiana : including stories, incidents, and customs of the early settlers > Part 27
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When a boy, the author could imitate a squirrel to per- fection. Old hunters called the strutting gobbler up to them by imitating his gobble and his strutting, blowing noise. The bleating of a young fawn was imitated and the mother would go to the bleating. The same with wolves. They would make the night hideous with their everlasting how1- ing, but man did imitate them so perfectly that they would
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howl in answer and finally come to the man wolf.
Dancing was the principal amusement of the young peo- ple of both sexes. They were not of the fancy figures of these modern times, but were of the simplest figures, three and four-handed reels and jigs. In most neighborhoods lived some old man who would indulge in telling dramatic stories of Jack the Giant Killer. In telling these harmless lies, the narrator would spin out his tale to quite a length, embracing quite a range of incidents, and always told these blood and thunder stories of their hero, Jack, in a way to bring him out the great victor. He often told tales of impossible character, such as the Arabian Nights are full of, such as the flying horse with a peg behind his ear to turn when he was desired to alight at a certain place.
CHAPTER XV.
INDIANA DURING THE WAR OF 1812.
REORGANIZE THE RANGER SERVICE-PIGEON ROOST MASSA- CRE-ATTACK ON FORT HARRISON-GENERAL, HOPKINS" REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR - EXPEDITIONS AGAINST THE INDIANS-DELAWARE INDIANS REMOVED TO OHIO-GEN- ERAL GIBSON'S MESSAGE TO HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. IN 1813 - TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT REMOVED FROM VINCENNES TO CORYDON - MISS MCMURTRIE'S STATE -- MENT-TREATY OF FRIENDSHIP AND ALLIANCE WITH THE INDIANS - GENERAL JOHN GIBSON - GOVERNOR THOMAS POSEY - LOGAN, THE INDIAN CHIEF -TERRITORY LAID. OFF INTO FIVE DISTRICTS-JUDICIAL SYSTEM IMPROVED- CHARTERS GRANTED TO BANKS-RAPPITES AT HARMONY- NEW HARMONY SOLD TO ROBERT OWEN.
After the battle of Tippecanoe the Indians were appar -- ently submissive. This afforded a temporary relief from Indian depredations and there was a great impetus given to emigration into Indiana Territory from Kentucky all along the southern borders.
During December of 1811 Governor Harrison received messages from different tribes of the Wabash Indians, offer- ing to renew their allegiance to the United States. He re -- fused at that time to have a meeting with them. The same month the Legislature of Indiana Territory adopted a me- morial to Congress praying that body to authorize the people- of the Indiana Territory to form a state constitution. In.
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their memorial among other things they declared they felt it a hardship to be disfranchised when they had done no wrong and ended their appeal by saying: "It is principles and not men or measures that we complain of."
The Indians were too much under the influence of the British at Malden to remain for any length of time submissive and early in the spring of 1812 small war parties were on the warpath and many petty annoyances were perpetrated on the exposed settlements, as stealing horses and shooting dogs. Early in April two men were killed near the mouth of the Wabash river. They were coming to Vincennes in a large skiff. In the same month Mr. Hutson and wife and four children were killed on the west side of the Wabash thirty miles north of Vincennes. On April 22, Mr. Harriman, his wife and five children were murdered five miles from Vin- cennes. These depredations caused great excitement all along the borders of Indiana Territory. The Territorial Militia was put in the best possible condition for active serv- ice. The settlers over all the settled portions of the territory fitted up their old block-houses and erected many new ones.
The Indians who had for four years before this been moving away from the lower White river to stations farther north were now returning, and in such numbers as to be very threatening to the new settlements. Several scouts were all the time on the watch to understand the intention of the In- dians. Two scouts were sent to the southeastern section of the territory to induce the people to erect forts and block- houses on the frontiers of Wayne, Franklin, Dearborn, Clark, and Harrison Counties. In this way most of the exposed frontiers were put in a fairly good condition to defend them- selves.
Friendly Indians of the Delaware tribe were sent among the Indians with instructions to inform them that Harrison did not want any trouble with them, that he was for peace and that there was plenty of room for the whites and Indians, too, in this big country. These offers of friendship caused the Indians to hold a great convention at an Indian town on the Mississinawa river. There were deputations from the
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Wyandotts, Chippewas, Attawas. Pottawattamies, Dela- wares, Miamis, Weas, Kickapoos, Shawnees . and Winne- bagoes. Tecumseh was at that great gathering of Indians and made a long speech, declaring that if he had been at home there would have been no trouble, that he was all the time in favor of peace, if it could be had without the ruin of the Indians. The general expression of that meeting was for peace, but the speeches were mostly such as the British Indian traders and their agents put in the mouths of the chiefs. Tecumseh became very much angered at a speech made by a Delaware chief, who said things which reflected on the way Tecumseh and his brother, the Prophet, had acted and their hypocritical pretensions of friendship to the Americans. Tecumseh left the council in great anger and immediately repaired to Malden, where he commenced to gather the hostile Indians around his standard in the interest of the British.
Governor Harrison sent his orders to all the commanders of detachments of Militia to use all fair means to keep peace with the Indians, but if depredations were committed in their districts, to follow the Indians and fight them to a finish if there was an equal chance of success.
On June 18, 1812, Congress declared war on Great Britain. There was no apparent trouble immediately in Indiana Territory. Harrison and the people of the Territory had been expecting this and made the best disposition of the means at their command to be prepared for any trouble that might grow out of open hostilities with the British, by the influence they had with the Indians. Soon after the war was declared Governor Harrison visited the state of Kentucky to consult with the authorities of that state about securing help to defend the exposed frontier of Indiana Territory.
During the year of 1812 Governor Harrison was so busy looking after the military affairs of Indiana Territory that he turned the general management of the civil department and the local military affairs over to General John Gibson with the authority of Acting Governor. About the first of August, the Indians becoming very troublesome, it was re-
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solved to organize a ranger corps on a similar basis to the one that was so successful in preserving peace in holding the , Indians in check during the year 1807, with this difference- the rangers of 1807 were foot soldiers and the corps to be or- ganized now were to be mounted in order to cover a larger territory in a given time. For this purpose General Gibson wrote a letter to Captain William Hargrove.
"Vincennes, Indiana Territory, Sunday, July 5, 1812.
"CAPTAIN HARGROVE:
Dear Sir:
"This letter will be handed you by interpreter John Severns, Jr. The times are so full of threat- enings that it is thought best to reorganize a ran- ger service which you proved yourself so competent in commanding during the year 1807, and with a view to that end, I now invite you to come to these headquarters for consultation. I would suggest that you come as soon as convenient for you to do so. The Indians are much better than the British and if they were not constantly urged to take up. the tomahawk against the Americans there would be no trouble in keeping peace along the border; but from this on, as long as the war continues, there will be much trouble with all the tribes in the northwest and along the Wabash.
JOHN GIBSON, Acting Governor Indian Territory in absence of Governor Harrison.
"Vincennes, Indiana Territory, July 11, 1812. "It is hereby ordered that on and from this date, William Hargrove shall be in command of the rangers in Indiana Territory and to all whom it may concern, he is duly authorized to so act with the rank of Lieut. Col. commanding the rangers who will be stationed at different points in this Territory and will be so obeyed by the militia and
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all other troops enlisted for the defense of the Ter- ritory.
JOHN GIBSON,
Acting Governor."
Per J. T. D., Clerk.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE GUIDANCE OF LIEUT. COL. WILLIAM HARGROVE COMMANDING RAN- GERS IN INDIANA TERRITORY.
1. The object in placing a mounted corps of rangers on duty is that they can with celerity go over the various routes which you will select for them to operate on.
2. You will accept none but the best mounts for the men as speed in this service will be the ob- ject to gain. The men must be good horsemen and if possible, men who have had practice in shooting from horseback.
3. The most important point to guard will be the country east of this for twenty miles up to sixty or seventy miles east; and, that you may be able to have your men well in hand, it is thought best that you have a permanent stockade station between the White Oak Springs blockhouse and the Mudholes. At this station you will keep a platoon of men and four sergeants to rank as first, second, third and fourth sergeants, to be men in every way competent to take charge of a squad of troops in any emer- gency. The next station will be at a point about ten miles east of Blue river and to be far enough to the north to furnish protection to the few settlers who have advanced beyond the line of safety in that direction. It will be necessary to have twenty men at this station, with three sergeants to rank as first, second and third sergeants.
4. The sections of country about Robb's Fort and to the southwest of it are amply able to take care of themselves and furnish you all the men that you will want. It is thought best to locate a post at a point northwest of Kimble's mill on the foot- hills of the Wabash river. The need of this sta- tion is, that there will be a large territory east and
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west of the Wabash river which is a dense wilder- ness and a large body of Indians could concentrate there and successfully raid any of the settlements in that section. Twenty men, with three ser- geants, should be stationed at this point.
5. It is thought best that a station with ten men be at a point about twenty-five miles north of the mouth of the Wabash river and on the foothills. on the east side of the river, to be established un- der the command of two sergeants. All these sta- tions should have a strong stockade that incloses all the ground that will be needed for the horses when inside and for barracks for the men. A strong, small house should be erected to hold the rations and ammunition.
7. The territory around all the stations from whence the Indians are most likely to come, should be closely watched, and a vidette station as far front as it is practicable to place it. This should. be done every day. At night two men should be selected to act as advance sentinels. These men should be placed at points where they can see the surrounding country with as little exposure to themselves as possible.
8. The arms should be of the best that can be secured, not of the army musket, as that is too heavy, but of the regular hunting rifle, with the caliber of a size that would make forty balls to the pound. For convenience in carrying, if the barrels could be cut down to about three feet and a half in length. it would be better. For the rest of the armament, the usual hunting outfit will be all suf- ficient.
9. The stations on the north frontier of Har- rison Coumy should patrol the section in their front to the north as far as they are safe to go, and to the northwest and northeast. The central and southern portion of Harrison County can take care of any raids that may come to them. They have a company called "Minute Rangers," that is com- manded by Captain John Tipton, that patrol all the country as far south as the Ohio river and some miles west of Blue river and east until in touch with guards from Clark's Grant or Jeffersonville.
10. If you think best, you can detail one man
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at each station for hunting game. In that way there will be no need of meat rations being drawn from the Commissary at this post.
11. You will have a platoon of not less than fifteen men with you at the place which you shall choose for the headquarters. As a suggestion, this headquarters would recommend that you have such a station at or near the White Oak Springs Fort. From there it will be easy to visit any of the sta- tions and you will be near where it is thought the most likely place for the Indians to attempt to come into the settlements and near these head- quarters.
Done at Vincennes, Indiana Territory, July 11, 1812.
Per J. T. D., Clerk.
JOHN GIBSON, Acting Governor.
"Headquarters, Indiana Territory. Vincennes, July 20, 1812.
"COL. WM. HARGROVE, Commanding the Mounted Rangers of Indiana Territory:
"This will be handed you by a Piankashaw Indian named Minto. Yesterday (Sunday ) morn- ing a French boy and his mother were out to the east in a cart, eight or nine miles from this post, when they were met by eight Indians and robbed of their horse and cart. The woman thinks they were Shawnees. She says that she was on the old Dela- ware trace and was then some four or five miles north of White river. There was a cavalry com- pany sent out from here to try to intercept them. The reason for reporting this to you is that the eight Indians seen may be only a small band of a - much larger one that may be hovering on the fron- tier, with the hope that they may find an oppor- tunity to raid some of the settlements. You had better send some of your men to several of the new settlements on the border and notify them of this, and inform the people that they must at once pre- pare to go into the fort at the first note of alarm.
The British will cause the Indians to do all the
.
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harm that it is possible for them to do. I have just had an interview with the French woman who was robbed. I asked her why they did not take her and her boy prisoners. She says they seemed to want to be friendly and only wanted the loan of the cart to haul several deer into their camp and in less than one-half moon, they said, they would bring it back to her at Vincennes. This, of course, was only a pretense, hoping that she would report to this post that they were friendly Indians.
The reports from different points of the Terri- tory indicate that the Indians are concentrating at various places on the northern frontier. It will be best to keep a vigilant lookout, for we cannot steer clear of trouble if the war continues, and it is much better to be prepared for trouble, if it is a little in- convenient to do so, than to wish that we had been, when it is too late.
JOHN GIBSON, Acting Governor."
"Vincennes, Indian Territory, July 29, 1812.
"""COL. WM. HARGROVE, Commanding Mounted Rangers:
"For about ten days a man has been around this post claiming to be an expert engineer and that he has built many forts for the mounting of heavy ordnances in the states east of the Alle- ghanies. He had such good papers of recommenda- tion that he was permitted to go where he pleased and was all through the fort and barracks. Last night he disappeared and took with him a very fine saddle horse which belonged to Col. Luke Decker, together with a fine saddle and a pair of heavy pis- tols in the holsters. It was thought he went to- ward the Ohio river and may come near some of your stations. You had better inform your men by a courier. There is no doubt that he is a British spy and it is very desirable to capture him. A de- scription of him given by those with whom he was is: A heavy man, five feet ten in height; would weigh about one hundred and eighty pounds; dark hair, black eyes, and he wore a fine velvet vest and
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a dark blue long-tailed coat both ornamented with silver buttons. A pair of fine white dressed buck- skin knee breeches with silver buckles at his knee; a pair of fine leather shoes with silver buckles; a swiveled hat, made out of beaver skin. Have your men keep a good lookout for him.
"I will here again inform you that in the near future there is danger ahead if the war lasts any length of time This lull is only the fore runner of certain stirring times. Be sure that everything is in readiness for what may come.
JOHN GIBSON, Acting Governor.
"By the hand of a friendly Delaware Indian. Return him in two days with anything that you wish to say. J. G."
Vincennes, Indiana Territory, August 10, 1812.
"'COL. WM. HARGROVE,
Commanding Mounted Rangers.
"The new men can be mustered in and the two young boys will be returned to their homes. Two scouts from this post were at a point on West White river thirty miles east of the forks and saw two old Delaware Indian men who have a lone wigwam at that place. These Indians were friendly and have been for a long time. They said that several Pottawattamies had recently been at that point and told them-'Soon we will go to the Ohio river-get heap horses-maybe get scalps -the British drive Americans away soon.'
The scouts report that there is a general move- ment among the Indians, a sort of nervous unrest that forebodes trouble and that the Indians did not seem to show that hearty friendship as formerly. One friendly Indian was with the scouts pretend- ing to be a hunter, and said that if an opportunity offered, the Indians would strike our people soon. JOHN GIBSON, Acting Governor."
During the month of August there was a great deal of activity in military circles. On the 12th of the month, Gov-
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ernor Harrison was made a Major General by Governor Scott of Kentucky, with authority to command the militia of that State which was to be sent to assist Indiana Territory for the protection of her frontiers. Soon afterward two thous- and Kentuckians were assembled near the borders of the State of Ohio and with the militia of Indiana and Ohio, formed an army of three thousand four hundred men.
They marched from their place of rendezvous and ar- rived at Ft. Wayne in Indiana Territory on September 12th. The approach of such a large army caused the hostile Ind- ians to retire from in front of that fort.
On the 15th of August, 1812, General Hull, an old Rev- olutionary officer, ingloriously and cowardly surrendered the post of Detroit with two thousand men as prisoners. This substantial victory by the British was a great aid to them in allying all the tribes of the Indians on the Wabash and the Northwest Territory to their standard and very soon after this there were many partisan organizations prepared for the purpose of preying on the most exposed places of the front- iers of Indiana and Illinois Territories and the State of Ohio.
THE PIGEON ROOST MASSACRE.
In 1809 there was a settlement made by a few families at a place known as Pigeon Roost in what is now Scott county. These families were from four to five miles away from other settlers who had located in that section some years before .. They had been busy cleaning up and cultivating the rich land for more than three years, without taking the precau- ion to build a fort for protection against the Indians who were not far away in their towns. On the 3d of September, 1812, while Jeremiah Payne and a visitor named Coffman were out in the woods some two or three miles from the set- tlement locating bee trees. they were ambushed and killed by a party of Indians which afterward was learned to consist of nine Shawnees and four Delawares. The Indians moved on to the settlement and in less than two hours killed one man, five women and sixteen children. Mrs. Jane Biggs and three little children escaped and after wandering through the
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woods nearly all night, reached the home of her brother, Zebulum Collings, six miles away. In one house there were William Collings (who was an old man), and Captain John Norris, and two small children, Lydia and John Collings. The two men made a brave defense and held the Indians in check until night and then escaped with the two children, and a little while before day arrived at the home of Zebulum Collings.
The total number killed in this massacre was twenty- four-the two who were bee hunting, Henry Collings and his wife, Mrs. Payne and eight children, Mrs. John Norris and her only child, and Mrs. Norris, the mother of John Norris, and Mrs. Richard Collings and seven children. These vil- lainous murderers, after committing this awful crime, scalped their victims, took all the goods which they could carry and set fire to the houses. They then hastily returned the way they had come. Captain Devalt with his company of rangers pursued them and at one time came up with their rear guard, when a running fight took place. One of the Captain's men was killed. Still the pursuit was kept up through the woods but the Indians were not overtaken again. The Legislature recently appropriated two thousand dollars ($2,000.00). and the State has erected a suitable monument to the unfortunate people at the place where their settlement was.
AN ATTACK ON FORT HARRISON.
On September 3. 1812, two men were killed near Fort Harrison while they were cutting wild hay. On the night of the 4th of September a large body of Shawnees, Pottawatta- mies, Winnebagoes and Kickapoos attacked Fort Harrison. At the outset they set fire to a blockhouse which was near the fort. Captain Zachary Taylor, who afterward was the twelfth President of the United States, was in command and determinedly resisted the attack, which was persistently kept up all night, at which time the Indians withdrew.
In order to show the material this commander was made of, his report to Governor Harrison is here produced. In the official account of this action, written on the 10th of Septem- ber, 1812, Captain Taylor said:
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"About eleven o'clock I was awakened by the firing of one of the sentinels. I sprang up, ran out and ordered the men to their posts-when my or- derly sergeant, who had charge of the upper blockhouse, called out that the Indians had fired the lower blockhouse. The guns had begun to fire pretty smartly from both sides. I directed the buckets to be prepared and water brought from the well and the fire to be extinguished immedi- ately as it was perceivable at that time, but from debility or some other cause, the men were slow in executing my orders. The word 'Fire' appeared to throw all of them into confusion, and by the time they had gotten the water and broken open the door, the fire had, unfortunately, communicated to a quantity of whisky, and in spite of every exertion we could make use of, in less than a moment it as- cended to the roof and baffled every effort we could make to extinguish it. As that blockhouse joined part of the barracks that make part of the fortifica- tions, most of the men immediately gave them- selves up for lost, and I had the greatest difficulty in getting my orders executed. And, Sir, what from the raging of the fire-the yelling and howl- ing of the several hundred Indians-the cries of nine women and children (a part soldiers' and part citizens' wives who had taken shelter in the fort), and the despondency of so many men, which was worse than all-I can assure you my feelings were unpleasant; and, indeed, there were not more than ten or fifteen men able to do a good deal, the others being sick or convalescent; and to add to our other misfortunes, two of the strongest men in the fort, that I had every confidence in, jumped the pickets and left us. My presence of mind, how- ever, did not forsake me. I saw that by throwing off a part of the roof that joined the blockhouse that was on fire and keeping this end perfectly wet, the whole row of buildings might be saved and leave only an entrance of eighteen or twenty feet for the Indians after the house was consumed, and that a temporary breastwork might be erected to prevent their even entering there. I convinced the men that this might be accomplished and it in- spired them with new life, and never did men work
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with more firmness or desperation. Those who were able (while the others kept up a constant fire from the other blockhouse and the two bastions mounted the roofs of the houses, with Dr. Clark at their head (who acted with the greatest firmness and presence of mind the whole time the attack lasted, which was about seven hours), under a shower of bullets, and in less than a moment threw off as much of the roof as was necessary. Although the barracks were several times in a. blaze and an immense quantity of fire against. them, the men used such exertions that they kept it under and before day raised a temporary breastwork as high as a man's head, although the Indians continued to pour in a heavy fire of ball and an immense quantity of arrows during the en- tire time that the attack lasted. After keeping up a constant fire until about six o'clock the next morning, which we began to return with some ef- fect after daylight, they removed out of reach of our guns. A party of them drove up the horses that belonged to the citizens, and as they could not catch them very readily, shot all of them in our sight, as well as a number of their hogs. They drove off all of the cattle, which amounted to sixty-five head, as well as the public oxen."
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