USA > Indiana > Pioneer history of Indiana : including stories, incidents, and customs of the early settlers > Part 29
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During the session of this Legislature there were thirty- two laws passed, mostly of local importance to a number of sections in the Territory. Fixing the seat of justice in new counties; an act to organize Gibson and Pike Counties an 1 defining their boundaries; an act to remove the Territorial government from Vincennes to Corydon, Harrison County; an act to reduce into one the several acts, establishing a perma- nent revenue. "The following tax shall be paid annually on one hundred acres of first rate land, and so in proportion for a lesser amount of first rate land, seventy-five cents. On one hundred acres of second rate land, fifty cents: and so in pro- portion for lesser amount of second rate land. On third rate land, one hundred acres, twenty-five cents; and in proportion for lesser amount of third rate land. For every slave or serv- ant of color over twelve years of age, two dollars; for a retail store, twenty dollars; town lots to be taxed at a rate of fifty cents on every hundred dollars worth; for a tavern, not more than twenty dollars; for a billiard table, fifty dollars."
By an act which was approved on the 11th of March, 1813, the seat of government was declared to be fixed at the
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town of Corydon from and after the first day of May, 1813.
After having been in session about forty days, the General Assembly, in conformity to a joint resolution of both Houses, was prorogued by proclamation of Governor Gibson to meet at Corydon on the first Monday in December, 1813.
Governor Gibson becoming convinced that the only safety to the people in his Territory lay in increasing the number of the militia, a proclamation was issued calling for twelve com- panies of militia. This call was but partly filled, owing to the fact that so many were already on military duty; but the number enlisted added much to the prospect of resisting the attacks of the Indians when they were stationed at the differ- ent places along the most exposed part of the Territory.
Wayne, Franklin and Dearborn Counties, or the eastern - portion of those counties, being near the thick settlement of the state of Ohio, was much more securely protected than many other districts to the west. The new companies organ- ized-one of them went on duty on the borders of Wayne, and their line of defense extended along part of Franklin County. That company, together with the militia and the rangers already on duty on that border, made that section quite secure. Another company went on duty on the north- ern borders of Dearborn County and the south and west part of Franklin County; another company was placed on duty on the northern border of Clark County, and another company went on duty on the northern border of Harrison County; the. rangers already on duty in these two last named counties co- operated with these new militia companies. These two last named companies, with all the other military forces in that district, were commanded by Major John Tipton, who after- ward became U. S. Senator from Indiana. Col. Robert M. Evans, who was in charge of this militia, at one time while making inspection of the forces somewhere in the woods where Jackson County now is, with his large cavalry escort, came up to the place where Major Tipton was giving some directions to mounted spies. Tipton, not paying the Colonel what he (the Colonel) thought was proper military attention, Evans said, "What is your name, sir?" Tipton turned
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around in his saddle and looking at him, said, "If that is of any importance, Colonel, my name is John Tipton." "Where are your headquarters?" asked the Colonel. The Major re- plied, "It is now on this saddle, and tonight, sir, if I can find a tree without a panther being at roost in it, it will be on this saddle at the root of that tree." The Colonel, being a very dignified man and much used to formality, in making his re- port to Governor Gibson, said: "That varmint that you have on duty up in the wilds of Harrison County paid no more at- tention to me than he would have to an ordinary man."
The rest of the militia companies organized, two of them being enlisted at Vincennes. were stationed at points above and below that post at or near the Wabash river. One of the other two companies raised was on duty near the forks of White river and the last near Blue river. The ranger service which had been organized and was under the command of Colonel Hargrove, was all merged into these organizations and Colonel Hargrove went on duty under Colonel Evans, who commanded all these new levies.
During the year of 1813 the Indians did not attempt to attack any of the forts on the frontiers, but gathered at dif- ferent points in small numbers in the neighborhood of a fort or blockhouse and laid in wait for days at a time, until they caught some unguarded man stealing away from the fort to look after his little fields of corn or stock. In this way a number of men were killed and several women and children captured. With all of the vigilance that the rangers and soldiers could bestow upon the thinly settled sections of the country. these depredations were committed. Many horses' were stolen and houses plundered of such things as they could carry away, and then burned.
Within a very few miles of Vincennes at one time. three men were killed and scalped and twenty-five horses were sur- rounded and captured and ridden away by the Indians. Dur- ing the early part of the spring of that year two men who were cutting a bee tree in Franklin County were surprised by seven or eight indians, killed and scalped and their vessels full of honey carried away.
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There was a running fight between three scouts of Tip- ton's command and about twenty-five Indians. One of the men, after running over eight miles, was shot dead. The In- dians lost three of their men in the encounter.
At a point near White Oak Springs fort (now Peters- burg, Ind.), and within the lines of the patrol guard, two men were killed while out hunting for their horses that were belled. The Indians had caught the horses and tied them in a thicket, taking the bells off their necks and climbing into a low, bushy tree. At intervals they would ring these bells and the men, not suspecting any danger, deliberately went forward to within a short distance, when two out of the three who were together were shot dead by two Indians who were hidden in the tree. The third' rushed back to the fort, less than a mile away, raised the alarm and twenty mounted sol- diers went to the point and found the two men dead and scalped. They found where the horses had been hitched and where the Indians had hurriedly ridden away.
These maraudings were very annoying, but it was im- possible to break them up, as there were many square miles in one body of land, which was a perfect wilderness and un- surpassed for density. There were a great many such places as this in which the Indians, in small squads, could hide in for weeks at a time without being discovered.
With all the precaution that could be used, the Indians would appear from points near where the guards were sta- tioned, killing many of the settlers and stealing their horses. A letter written by Major Tipton to General Gibson in April, 1813, will explain the condition of affairs of the Indiana Ter- ritory at this time:
"Since I have had command of the militia on the borders of Harrison and Clark Counties, the Indians have caused us much trouble and murdered a number of citizens on the frontiers of these coun- ties, all of which I have reported to Colonel Evans; but in order that you may understand the situation, I have directed this letter to you.
"On the 18th of March one man was killed and three others wounded near this place (Valonia).
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At that time I was not there. On my arrival I took twenty-nine men and went up to Drift river, twenty-five miles, and here found a party of Indians on an island in the river. In a skirmish of twenty minutes, I defeated them, killed one and saw others sink in the river, and I believe if any made their escape by swimming, they lost their guns. I lost no men.
"On the sixteenth inst. two men were killed and one wounded southwest eight miles of this place and a number of horses were stolen. I im- mediately took thirty men and followed them three days. We had five large creeks to raft and many to wade and every day a heavy rain fell. The third day I directed my spies to march slowly. The Indians" horses were showing evidences of fatigue, and I thought it best not to overtake them until night; but contrary to my orders, they came up with one Indian who had stopped to fix his pack and fired at him. The other Indians were but a little in ad- vance and they all left their horses and plunder. The ground being hilly, we could not overtake them. Had it not been for my orders being dis- obeyed, I would have been able to have killed or captured them in their camp that night. As they went out they passed Salt creek and there took an old trail directly for Delaware town, and it is my opinion that while the government was supporting one part of that tribe, the others were murdering our citizens. It is much to be desired that these rascals, of whatever tribe they may be harboring about their town, should be routed. This could be done with one hundred mounted men in seven days.
"If there is not an effective measure taken to guard this place, all of Clark and Harrison Coun- ties will break. It is rumored here that when the rangers come out, the militia will be dismissed. If so, our case is a dangerous one, as it is hard for mounted men to range through the swamps and backwaters of Driftwood and Muscackituck rivers, as they have been for most of the season more than a mile wide, by reason of low, marshy bottoms which overflow, and many times three and four miles wide. The Indians come in and secrete themselves in some high ground surrounded by water and by
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the help of bark canoes, come in and do mischief and until I came out, never could be found. Since I came they have made two attempts to take off the horses. The first time, on the 12th inst .. I took all their horses but one. The last time I took all and still followed them with footmen. The last time we lived three days on a little venison, with- out bread or salt. and I believe if there are to be rangers, there should be spies of young and hardy footmen, who can lay and scout through the swamps and thickets as the Indians do; then . we will be secure, not else. I have been constantly out for the last eight days on foot, wading and rafting the creeks. I have seen many signs of Indians, such as camps where they have lain, and killed hogs and cattle to live on, and many canoes to ap- proach our settlements, and I am conscious if you had not ordered out the additional company and made those excellent arrangements of the ninth of February, all of this frontier would have been murdered ere now. The citizens are living be- tween hope and despair, waiting to know their doom."
In June, 1813, an expedition of one hundred and thirty- five men under Colonel Joseph Bartholomew left Valonia in the direction of the Delaware town on the west fork of White river to capture several hostile Indians who were thought to be among the Delawares. The most of these places they found deserted. Some were burnt and others had been only temporarily occupied by the Indians to collect and carry away their corn. Colonel Bartholomew's forces succeeded in kill- ing one Indian and wounding two more and capturing a very old man who claimed to be a brother of Buckongahelas, the great chief of the Delawares. The old man was fitted up in comfortable quarters by the troops and given supplies of food and ammunition for his fine gun, a present from Daniel Boone, which had engraved on the metal plate, fastened to the stock of the gun, "Presented to my friend, Treatway, brother of Chief Buckongahelas, for great favor shown me when my life was in peril, while a prisoner among the In- dians during the year 1779; this is given in testimony for my sincere regard for this kind-hearted Indian. D. Boone."
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In one of the treaties which Clark had with the Indians, Boone, who was one of the commissioners to make the treaty, sent the gun by Chief Buckongahelas to his brother.
In July, 1813, Colonel Russel organized a force of six hundred men at Valonia and marched to the Indian villages which were about the mouth of the Mississinewa river, and found they were all deserted. It appeared that the Indians had all left the country.
During the summer there were many smaller expeditions. but they found no Indians. With all of these expeditions, there were many of the most noted Indian fighters of that period, and had they found the Indians, would have given a good account of themselves.
The British still held Detroit, and from that point had furnished supplies to the Indians and paid for scalps of the Americans up to July, 1813. A young Kentucky woma:1, named McMurtree, was sold to a Canadian officer named Rahel in July, 1813, and was recaptured October 5, 1813, after the battle of the Thames, when General Procter's headquar- ters and all his baggage was captured. With that was a large number of American women who had been captured and sold into slavery. With this number was Miss McMurtree. and she was recognized by some of her former neighbors be- longing to a Kentucky battalion who were in that fight. The statements made by this lady were so damaging to the British that it was thought best to preserve them. Her tes- timony was taken down by the adjutant of that batallion. She said that she was captured at a point about thirty-five miles northwest of Louisville as she, with her father, mother and brother were coming to Indiana Territory. Her father . and mother were killed and scalped and she and her brother were captured, and after the first day's march, her brother was taken by the Indians to a town which they passed near a large river and she had never seen him since. Three Indians had her in charge and took her to Detroit, where she was taken into a building in which quartermaster supplies were ¿stored. Here she saw a man who seemed to be in charge of that building pay the three Indians who had her in charge
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s› ne pieces of coin and presented each of them with a jack- k life and then the Indians gave the man the scalps of her mother and father. Her father's hair being of a fiery red color, this white man made joking remarks to her that they would keep that and would not have to use the steel and pink any more-that they could catch fire by the brilliancy of that hair. They sent to the fort or barracks for Lieuten- ant Rahel. He returned with the messenger, looked at the girl carefully and said to the man who seemed to be in charge of the quartermaster's building something she did not under- stand. This quartermaster gave each of the Indians a piece of coin, also a red blanket. The man who paid for her said she would go to his home, that he had a mother there and she would provide for her. These was so much excitement about the army evacuating Detroit that she saw the young lieutenant but once after this. He was then making prepara- tions to send his mother and household effects to Malden, where they remained for a few days until Procter evacuated that town. This young man was killed at Malden while try- ing to quell a drunken riot among the Indians.
After the destruction of Procter's army and the death of Tecumseh, the Indians became less troublesome and several tribes sued for peace. Among them were some which had caused much trouble in Indiana Territory-the Pottawata- mies, Miamis and Kickapoos. About the middle of October, 1313, General Harrison for the United States and several tribes of Indians, the Miamis, Pottawattamies, Wyandotts, Eel River Miamis, Ottawas and Chippewas, held a meeting a.id agreed on the terms of an armistice, as follows:
"1. There shall be a suspension of hostilities between the United States and said tribes from this day until the pleasure of the Government of the United States can be known. In the meantime, these said tribes may retire to their hunting grounds and be unmolested, if they will behave themselves.
"2. In the event of any murder or other dep- redations being committed upon any citizen of the United States by any of the other tribes of Indians,
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those who are parties to this agreement shall unite their efforts to punish the offenders.
"3. Hostages shall be given by said tribes who shall be sent into the settlements and there remain until the termination of all the differences with the United States and said tribes by a council to be held for that purpose.
"4. All prisoners in the possession of said tribes shall be immediately brought to Ft. Wayne or some other post and delivered to the command- ing officer."
This armistice affected about three thousand five hun- dred Indians.
During the early part of the year 1814, General Harrison, General Lewis Cass and General Adair were appointed com- missioners to hold a conference at Greenville, Ohio, with the Indians named in the armistice and all other Indians of the Northwest. The information of this treaty was sent to all tribes by the hands of friendly Indians asking them to meet on the 20th of June, 1814, at Greenville to form a treaty of friendship and alliance between the United States and the Northwest Indians. Nearly all the tribes of Indians that had been at war with the United States responded to this call. The negotiations were not concluded until late in July, when the treaty of friendship and alliance was signed, and from that period on there was but little trouble with the Indians.
GENERAL, JOHN GIBSON.
In the early part of 1813 Thomas Posey was appointed Governor of Indiana Territory, thus relieving General Gib- son of his duties of Acting Governor. It is thought to be but a just tribute to this gallant old hero to give a short sketch of his life.
He was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in May, 1740, and was well educated for that day. He was of Scotch-Irish ancestry and was thoroughly imbued with the patriotism, energy, and physical and intellectual strength so typical of these people. In his youth he served under General Forbes, who commanded an expedition against Fort DuQuesne on the site of the present city of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, which re-
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sulted in its reduction. This became the first settlement west of the main region of the Alleghanies made by the English and away from the seaboard. He remained in the infant town for some time as an Indian trader. In an excursion with another party into the country in 1763, he was captured by the Indians and was adopted by-an Indian squaw whose son he had slain in battle. He remained with these Indians for a time and had an opportunity to acquire the language of several Indian tribes and also to learn their customs and manners of warfare and attack, which afterward became of great use to him as an Indian trader and government officer. His conduct was so exemplary that he won the confidence and esteem of his Indian neighbors, and they, in council, deter- mined that he should be released and returned to his own people. He then resumed business at Pittsburg.
Governor Dunmore of Virginia organized an expedition against the Indians in 1774; Gibson was enlisted by that of- ficer to go with them and by his influence with the Indians negotiate important treaties.
The speech of the celebrated Indian chief, Logan, on this occasion, which was cited by Thomas Jefferson as one of the masterpieces of eloquence of all times, owes its English ver- sion to the skill of General Gibson in translating it from the Indian language.
On the breaking out of the Revolutionary war, Gibson was made Colonel of a Virginia regiment, remaining in that command for seven long years; he again returned to Pitts- burg. From that district he was elected a member of the Pennsylvania Constitutional Convention. He also became a Major-General of the militia and an associate judge.
In 1800 he was appointed Secretary of the Territory of Indiana and held the office until 1816.
At the outbreak of the second war with Great Britain he was left as Acting Governor while General Harrison was en- gaged at the front. In his old age he became afflicted with an incurable cataract which compelled his retirement from office. He ended his days with his son-in-law, George Wal-
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lace, at Braddocks Field, near Vincennes, Indiana, where he died in May, 1822.
LOGAN, THE INDIAN CHIEF.
The object of this is to show a few of the many instances of the wrong doing of the Americans which had much to do with bringing about many of the blood curdling atrocities of the savage race, who were only too glad for an excuse to destroy the white intruders, as they termed them.
In showing this, it is not for a moment intended to ex- cuse or paliate the cruel, barbarous and fiendish actions of the Indians, who murdered, scalped and burned because they loved to destroy. They fought and destroyed their own people of other tribes with the same relentless cruelty that they did the whites; even the members of the same tribe would fall out over some trivial thing and bring on a feudal war which only ended when all the partisans were killed. This is the reason the Indians were in so many little bands and the great reason why they were not more numerous when our people came to this country. They had been here for a long time and it is now generally conceded that they over-ran the country and destroyed its inhabitants when it was peopled by a far superior race. There should not be the least sympathy with those who are ever lamenting the sad fate of the Indians, accusing the white race of stealing their lands from them. The good Lord never intended this fair domain to remain a howling wilderness, nor the hands of the world's onward march to stop, that a race of barbarians might have this immense country for a hunting ground. No; it was intended for just what has been and is still being done, making of it the cultured and beautiful home of the greatest people that are yet on record in the world's history. Of the white people who wronged the Indians none were more cruel than Colonel Cresap, who was a brave man but the spirit of the border ruffian controlled him. He was as cruel as the worst of the savage Indians at times, and much more resourceful in hunt- ing them and much more determined in battle. Without an excuse he and his fellows ambushed and murdered two friend-
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ly Shawnee Indians against a protest of the better element of his followers. The next day he led his band and killed sev- eral other friendly Indians and the day after that they made arrangements to march and attack Logan's camp on Yellow Creek, fifty miles away. Young George Rogers Clark who was one of the company, talked with different parties of the expedition while they were marching, telling them the In- dians they were intending to attack were friendly to the white people and he felt it a great wrong to murder them. Some of the older ones told Cresap that they felt condemned for engaging in such uncalled for murder.
When the party had stopped for dinner young Clark ap- pealed to them-"Let us go and hunt enemies, not friends; there are plenty of them and it is a disgrace for the white race to murder the friendly Indians." After talking the mat- ter over, Cresap and all the company felt ashamed of their action. They about faced and went back to their homes. A few days after this a dozen or more Indians, all of them Logan's family and relatives, crossed the river from Logan's camp and went to a trading post of one Greathouse, where rum was for sale. He sold them the fiery liquor until they became helplessly drunk and then he and a lot of drunken white men murdered every soul of the party, Had it not been for Clark, Cresap instead of Greathouse would have been the bloody butcher. The murder of these friendly In- dians all came so close together that they were all charged to Colonel Cresap by the Indians. The Indians were in a furious rage and determined to have revenge for the coward- ly, dastardly crime.
Logan was an Iroquois Indian but had moved away from his people and settled among the Mingo tribe and was known far and near as the white man's friend. He was named by his father for Governor Logan of Pennsylvania. As soon as the brutal murder became known the frontier Indians hur- riedly made preparations to defend themselves. Logan or- ganized the Mingos into a company and commenced his bloody work, killing, burning and destroying those he had so recently protected, until his cup of revenge was full. After
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