USA > Indiana > Pioneer history of Indiana : including stories, incidents, and customs of the early settlers > Part 44
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50
The two white prisoners were taken out some distance from the camp, untied, and were informed by signs that they had to run between the two lines of Indians formed and to a tree near the camp. Newton Bowles was the first to run.
-
556
PIONEER HISTORY OF INDIANA.
After being severely switched, he succeeded in getting to the tree. The other young man, who was an athlete, was or- dered by motions to run. He made two or three bounds to- ward the line of Indians, then sprang to one side and ran as swift as a deer, outdistancing the Indians and got home. After the angry Indians returned from the chase, his partner in misfortune was burned at the stake by a slow fire.
The negro was sold to the British in Canada, made his escape and returned to Kentucky.
Some years afterward John Conger, with the negro who had been given his freedom and with James Bowles, came from Louisville on the old Indian trace. Arriving at White Oak Springs, now Petersburg, Indiana, he induced Woolsey Pride, a Mr. Tislow and a Mr. Miley to go with them and lo- cate the Indian camp where the young man, Newton Bowles, was burned. After getting into the neighborhood they spent some time before they could locate Harvey creek, then went up the creek to a fork which ran to the west; then up that to another fork not far from where Bethlehem Church is now located. They found a camp and the negro showed them the place where Bowles was burned.
The writer came into possession of this data showing the creek and the place of execution, and by the request of some persons at Evansville, Indiana, attempted to locate the exact spot, so that the relatives could erect a monument to the memory of Newton Bowles.
THE PRODIGAL'S RETURN."
In 1858, in company with Mr. Solomon Peed, the writer went to the Bethlehem Church and was several hours in that neighborhood looking over the country, and found a place which corresponded with the drawing, but could not find anything which located the exact place. They were resting and sitting on a log when Mr. Peed related to the author this story:
Many years ago James Crow, who was an old Indian fighter, settled on a small tract of land near the farm of James Oliphant, now belonging to Col. W. A. Oliphant, near
557
PIONEER HISTORY OF INDIANA.
Union, Pike County, Indiana. They had several children, and sometime in the forties James Crow died, leaving a son and three daughters. Young Jim was a shiftless sort of say-nothing boy and did not provide much for his mother and sisters.
In 1849 the California gold fever ran high and many went from all sections of the country. One morning Jim was missing. No one knew where he had gone; no word was heard from him and the family mourned him as dead. One Saturday in 1854 an elegantly dressed stranger, with a black glossy beard which came down to his waist, came to the widow Crow's house and asked for lodging for the night. After some parleying he was permitted to stay. He was very silent and did not say anything about himself. The next morning he asked permission to remain until Monday. The Crows were devoted church people and they invited the stranger to accompany them to Bethlehem Church to hear Rev. Louis Wilson preach. He consented to go and went along with the girls, not selecting any particular one of them to walk with. After church was out all the people shook hands and inquired after each other's health (as persons did in those days). Many inquired of the girls who the hand- some stranger was, to which they answered that they did not know. They started along the path, the stranger walking along by the side of the youngest girl, who was about sixteen years old.
At that time there was great excitement in southern In- diana about the fugitive slave law and about many southern people who were constantly coming to Indiana hunting for their negroes. The Rev. Wilson was a very strong anti- slavery man and suggested to some of his friends that the stranger was a negro hunter and it would be well to keep a watch on his actions. Two gentlemen volunteered to look after him. The stranger, with the youngest of the Crow girls, had arrived at a point in the path opposite the house of Colonel Oliphant's father. He took this time and oppor- tunity of telling her that he was her brother Jim and re- minded her of many things which took place when she was
558
PIONEER HISTORY OF INDIANA.
younger. This convinced her that it was her brother, and. with a cry she caught him around the neck and kept on call- ing out that it was her brother. The two older girls came running back and the two men who were to keep watch over the stranger hurried up. The girl was so excited that she could not tell anything and the gathering crowd became very threatening. One man took a hand-spike and was in the act of striking the supposed stranger, when the young girl caught his arm and prevented the blow. The young man. finally oonvinced all that he was the long lost Jim. That day at the widow Crow's the fattlings were killed and the young prodigal was welcomed home and feasted on the best. that could be procured. He gave each of the girls two fifty dollars, eight square gold slugs, and to his mother he gave six of the slugs. He remained at his mother's a month or so and as quietly as before slipped away and never was heard of again. No doubt he met the usual fate of young men of that period, either being killed by Indians or murdered for his- money.
-
.
CHAPTER XXVII.
THE EXPERIENCE OF TWO YOUNG BOYS WITH TWO BEAR CUBS - THE AMUSING STORY OF HOW HOGS WERE IN- DUCED TO RETURN TO THEIR OWN RANGE.
In the early twenties two young boys, one sixteen and the other fourteen years old, came to Princeton with their uncle, Robert Stockwell, from Pennsylvania, as he returned from one of his trips after goods.
Mr. David Johnson was often about Stockwell's store and the boys became greatly attached to him, as all boys did. He told them of many hunting adventures. The boys would go home with him and stay for weeks at a time. They always wanted to go on a hunting tour with him, but he kept putting them off. Finally he told them that if they would wait until the mast fell and the bears became fat, they should go with him on a regular bear hunt.
The time came at last and the three started, taking two horses. Uncle Dave rode one and the two boys the other, double. They had gone five or six miles away, when a large. bear was seen running away from them. Uncle Dave told the boys to go to a place in sight and not to leave there un- der any circumstances until he returned. They tied their horse and had been waiting for a long time when, on walking around, they saw two little animals wrestling much as boys do, rolling and tumbling over each other. They did not have the least idea what they were, but slipped up as close as they could and made a rush to catch them, which they found hard to do, as the little cubs were much more nimble than they looked. They chased them around over chunks and brush. Finally one of them ran into a hollow log and the little boy
560
PIONEER HISTORY OF INDIANA.
crawled in after it. The older boy was still chasing the other little bear and finally caught it, when it set up a whin- ing noise and the same time scratched and bit him. In a few minutes he heard the brush cracking, and looking up, saw the old bear coming at him with full force. He let the cub go and climbed up a little tree, fortunately too small for the bear to climb. She would rear up on the tree as though she intended to climb it and snarl and snort at the boy, who was dreadfully scared. About this time the boy in the log had squeezed himself so he could reach the cub, whereupon it set up another cry. The old bear left the treed boy and ran to the log and over and around it, uncertain where the noise came from. She commenced to tear away the wood, so she could get to her cub, but she was too large to get more than her head in the hole. The boys were thus imprisoned for more than two hours, when a shot was fired not far off. The boy up the tree set up a terrible hallooing, and it was but a little time until Uncle Dave came in sight. The boy ex- plained the situation to him and soon a second shot killed the old bear. The young bear was caught and tied and the little boy came out of the log, dragging the other cub, which they also tied. They were taken home and the boys made great pets of them.
Mr. Johnson understood the ways of animals other than bear or deer. About sixty years ago there was a great amount of mast in his neighborhood and he was fattening a hundred head of hogs on it. A Mr. Young, from near Princeton, was in that section hunting and saw this abund- ance of mast and determined to have the benefit of some of it. He went home and brought a large drove of hogs and turned them loose by the side of Mr. Johnson's farm. This was a little more than Uncle Dave would put up with, so he deter- mined to get rid of the hogs without killing them, for he and Young were friends, as all old settlers were. The hogs bedded on a hill not far from the house, so he watched them until he found out that a large sandy sow was the leader of the gang. Nicholas Warrick, a boy whom he had brought up, John C. White and William Skelton were working for
561
PIONEER HISTORY OF INDIANA.
him. Late one afternoon Uncle Dave went to the place where the farm hands were cribbing corn and told them that they need not go out for another load that evening. He said, "Nick, you know that old blue-spotted hound, Bounce, has been sucking eggs all summer, and your mother has com- plained to me several times, so I have decided to kill it. You and John will take him back of the barn and after you have killed him, you skin him as carefully as if you intended to stretch and dry the hide. Be sure that you leave the long flap ears and tail on the hide. Bill, you go and make me a good number of strong wax ends and bring the sack needle."
After everything was ready, the boys with the dogs caught the old sow and sewed the dog skin on her hard and fast. When completed, Uncle Dave said, "Boys, turn her loose." She made a rush to get away, with her hound ears and tail flopping. She ran to the hogs and they became frightened and ran away and the transformed hog after them. The next morning Mr. Young found his hogs at home.
*
CHAPTER XXVIII.
KIDNAPPING FREE NEGROES - KIDNAPPING OF REUBE AT PRINCETON - LIBERATING TWO NEGROES NEAR PRINCE- TON, INDIANA-KIDNAPPING TWO FREE NEGROES THREE MILES WEST OF PRINCETON - ATTEMPT TO KIDNAP A BARBER AT PETERSBURG, INDIANA - SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO KIDNAP NEGROES - DR. JOHN W. POSEY AND REV. ELDRIDGE HOPKINS LIBERATING TWO KIDNAPED NE- GROES - A SLAVE HUNTER DEFEATED AT KIRKS MILL BRIDGE IN GIBSON COUNTY - AN ATTEMPT TO CATCH RUNAWAY NEGROES ENDING IN A DESPERATE BATTLE WITH WILD HOGS-JERRY SULLIVAN RAID AT DONGOLA BRIDGE-KIDNAPPING THE GOTHARD BOYS-REV. HIRAM HUNTER RELIEVING KIDNAPED NEGROES.
In all of the territory of the free States adjacent to the borders of the slave States during the time after the passage of the last fugitive slave law in 1850 up to the commencement of the War of the Rebellion, there was great excitement, and many thrilling experiences between those having pro and anti-slavery views. This was eminently true along the south- ern borders of Indiana, Illinois and Ohio. The fugitive slave law of 1793 was similar to the agreement made in 1787, when the compact was accepted to forever exclude slavery from the Northwest territory. At that time it was considered a just agreement, permitting the owners of slaves who lived in any of the thirteen colonies to reclaim their slaves who had run away from any place to the territory that the votes of the South had made it possible to be forever free from slavery. But the law passed in 1850 which gave the slaveholders or those aiding in catching their runaway slaves, the power to
563
PIONEER HISTORY OF INDIANA.
organize a posse at any point in the United States to aid them in this work and made it the duty of police and peace officers, from United States marshal down, to at any and all times assist them in running down their slaves and imposing heavy fines and penalties on any one who would refuse to do their bidding. This was so repugnant to many persons that it raised a great commotion and there was a determined effort made by those opposed to slavery to defeat the enactment of this obnoxious law.
The anti-slavery league of the East had many of the shrewdest men of the nation in its organization. They had a detective and spy system to help those who were assisting the runaway slaves to reach Canada.
The last three years before the rebellion of the South, slaveowners rarely ever captured a runaway. These young men had various occupations at which they worked, mostly book and other sort of agencies; some were school teachers. They always had the same political opinion as the majority had where they were assigned. Those who were regular spies were apparently intensely pro-slavery and made up and were yokefellows with all the negro hunters in the terri- tory in which they worked. The Southern slavedrivers, with their whips and handcuffs in evidence of their occupation, were so often seen passing through the country that our people became familiar with their bantering, haughty ac- tions and the loud and swaggering manner of their dress. Their handbills were posted at every crossroad, with the pic- ture of a negro with a budget on his back, giving a descrip- tion of his age, height and special marks, and offering a re- ward for his capture.
About the year 1851 an old negro man named Stephen- son came to see the author's father, who was largely inter- ested in farming, to have him keep his boys, one fourteen, one twelve and the other ten years old, for him until he could make arrangements to start for Liberia. This my father agreed to do. It was spring time and the boys helped with the work. Things went on that season and the old man had no chance to get away and work was well under way for the
564
PIONEER HISTORY OF INDIANA.
second season. Old man Stephenson had come to this coun- try from South Carolina with Dr. Samuel Mccullough about the middle of the forties. He was a free man, but married a slave and bought her freedom. They had lived in the same neighborhood for several years, until his wife died. One evening, just as the work was over for the day, the colored boys were doing up the work around the barn. Two men rode up to the front of the house and called to the author's father, who was sitting on the porch, saying that they wanted to see him. They told him they had a description of three colored boys who were born in South Carolina who were slaves, and had called to see him about it, as they had learned he had three colored boys working for him.
These two fellows, no doubt, had a confederate in the neighborhood who had given them a perfect description of the boys. My father talked to them awhile, not having the least idea who they were, and evidently they did not know him. or they would have been the last fellows to come there on such a mission. He excused himself to go into the house for something. They waited for him to return, which he did with his bear gun, "Old Vicksburg," in his hands.
They commenced to plead with him to let there be no difficulty. He told them that there was not the slightest danger of any trouble. He wanted them to see what sort of a machine he guarded the boys with, and said to them, "Do you see that little house?" pointing to a room in our yard. "The three boys sleep there, and if they are disturbed, I will kill fifteen such worthless vagabonds as you are before you get them, fugitive law or any other law. And I want to say, before I get mad, that you had better go, for you may get into danger." He cocked the big gun and said, "I feel it coming on-go and go quick."
They took him at his word and they went in a hurry. He waited until they had gone about seventy-five yards away, when he turned loose at them, intending to shoot just above their heads. At the crack of that monster gun they lay down on their horses' necks and made as good time as did the best mounted F. F. V. when Sheridan's cavalry was after them.
565
PIONEER HISTORY OF INDIANA.
The boys remained with us for nearly three years before they got away to Liberia, and that was the last we ever heard of the men hunting for them.
The next year my father made the race for the Legisla- ture. One of these fellows -who was a hotel-keeper at Petersburg, Indiana - went into Gibson County to work against him. He told the people that father was a blood- thirsty man and that he did not regard the life of a man more than he would the life of a bear. It was evident he had struck the wrong crowd. They demanded that he tell them of one instance where he had shown such a disposition. He told them that two friends of his had gone to father's house. to see about some runaway negroes and that he threatened their lives, and as they went away shot at them. This dis- gruntled fellow was laughed out of the township for his. meddling.
THE KIDNAPPING OF REUBE AT PRINCETON, INDIANA.
In 1817 William Barrett moved to this state from Ten- nesee and settled in what is now southwestern Columbia township, Gibson county, Indiana. He had formerly lived in the state of South Carolina and moved from there to Ten- nesee in 1804.
Some years after they reached Indiana, a negro man named Reube, who had formerly been a slave of Mr. Jacob Sanders (but had been freed for having saved his master's life) came on from South Carolina with a relinquishment paper for Mrs. Barrett to sign for her part of her father's es- estate. Reube remained for nearly a year; the winter weather was too cold for him and he had determined to go back before another winter set in. John W. Barrett, a son of William, at that time a large,' gawky boy about eighteen years old and six feet eight inches tall, went with Reube on many a fishing and hunting adventures. When it came time for Reube to start back John took him over to Princeton and led the horse which he had ridden back home. Reube- intended to go from there to Evansville with the first passing team that went that way.
566
PIONEER HISTORY OF INDIANA.
The act which gave Reube his freedom was a heroic one. There was a maniac in that section of South Carolina who at times became very desperate and was kept in confinement in such a place as the authorities had for that purpose. He was very sly and cunning and stepping up back of Mr. Sanders pinioned his hands behind him and threw him on the ground and with a large knife attempted to cut his throat. Reube, being in the garden nearby saw his master's peril and run- ning up behind the maniac struck him at the butt of his ear with a hoe and felled him to the ground. Mr. Sanders said "Reube, from this day on you are a free man and I will at once make out your free papers." He told him to stay on the place if he wanted to for as long a time as suited him and he would pay him for all the work he did. The papers were made out and in giving him his freedom a full history of the reason was given and they were recorded. To make it cer- tain that no one would disturb Reube, Mr. Sanders had a full history of the case engraved on a gold plate; also had a gold chain attached to the gold plate that went around his neck so that it was easy at any time if the patrols stopped him to show the certificate on the plate. Mr: Bar- ret's family heard nothing of Reube for two or three years. Finally Mr. Sanders wrote to his niece Mrs. Barrett, asking her why Reube did not come back.
In 1832 Col. James W. Cockrum bought the steamboat Nile and intended to run her up the Yazoo river and other small rivers to bring the cotton out and carry it to New Or- leans. John W. Barrett, a brother-in-law, was made clerk of the boat and had charge of the freight. At one landing on the Yazoo river there was a large quantity of cotton to be loaded and the planters were still delivering from the farms. Young Barrett was on the deck tallying as the mate and deck hands were putting the cargo aboard when a colored man came near him and said: "Mr. Barrett, don't you know me? I am Reube who hunted with you in Indiana. Don't let on you know me." Barrett did know him and was greatly surprised at thus meeting him. Finally he got a chance and told Reube to roll a bale of cotton behind the cabin stairs.
567
PIONEER HISTORY OF INDIANA.
Reube told him that his master was on the bank and it was not safe for them to be seen talking together. The planter whom Reube called his master had a large amount of cotton and was watching the count of the bales and his slaves were helping to load it in order that they might finish before night. During the loading Barrett had several chances to say a word to Reube. There was a wood yard some miles be- low where the boat would stop to take on wood. Reube said he would be down there when the boat came as it would be some hours after night and when the boat rounded to Reube was ready to load wood as soon as it was measured. Barrett watched his chance and took Reube down in the hold and se- creted him there and looked after him. They got to New Orleans, unloaded the cotton and took on a lot of government freight for the upper Arkansas river to one of the military outposts. Reube was still in hiding, no one but the clerk be- ing aware of his presence on board.
While they were unloading the government freight Bar- rett went to the commander of the fort and told the history of Reube and all about his being kidnapped and being sold into slavery to a Mississippi planter on the Yazoo river. As fortune would have it the commander was a New England man and felt indignant at the outrageous treatment the poor negro had received and assured Barrett that he would keep him in his employ at good wages until he had an opportunity to send him back to South Carolina, which he did. About a year afterward the Barrett family received a letter from Mr. Sanders telling of Reube's arrival home. Mr. John W. Bar- rett told me in 1854, the last time he was ever in Indiana, that after he left Reube at Princeton he had no opportunity to get away to Evansville until about the middle of the next day. He was making inquiry of some people if they knew of any team which was going to Evansville. Reube was very fond of showing his gold certificate of freedom; finally two men told him they were going to Evansville that evening but they could not get away before the middle of the afternoon and made an agreement that he could go with them by cook- ing for them on the road and after they got there. Reube
568
PIONEER HISTORY OF INDIANA.
readily agreed to this since they told him that they had some thought of going on to Tennesee.
They finally started, and after staying a day or so at Evansville (which then was only a small place), they started on the Tennessee trip. They made it convenient to go west in Tennessee and on to Memphis. They told Reube, whom they had been very kind to, that in a day or so they would go to North Carolina, and in doing so would pass near his home if he wanted to go with them, but the next place they went to was the Yazoo river. There they took Reube's gold plate and papers from him and sold him to the planter with whom Barrett found him.
(The data for the following story was furnished by Gen- eral Neeley ) :
Harvey Montgomery was the seventh child of Judge Isaac Montgomery. Why James T. Tartt, in his Gibson County History, failed to give his name when giving the his- tory of the rest of the family, I do not know. I want to record it here that he was a noble-hearted, pure man.
I was a young boy when I knew him best, and he was my ideal of an upright, Christian gentleman. Early in life one of his legs was broken, and in setting it, was left in such a shape that it became very crooked and he was never able to do heavy work. He lived with his father at his home two miles southeast of Oakland City. Indiana, until he married. He then settled on a quarter section just north of his father, where he spent his life.
The Judge owned a farm near Princeton at the time he lived on his farm in eastern Gibson County and cultivated both farms.
At one time Harvey and Joseph, who was the third child of Judge Montgomery, and a hand working for them named McDeeman, had two loads of produce-venison, hams, hides and bear bacon-which they were taking to Robert Stockwell at Princeton. Joseph at that time lived on what was after- ward the Richey farm, about one-half mile west of his father. He was a very large man and was known far and near as one of the strongest men, physically, who ever lived in that section.
569
PIONEER HISTORY OF INDIANA.
As they were getting within about two miles of Prince- ton and after climbing a hill, they stopped to let their ox teams rest and heard a loud noise as of men in a wrangle. Joseph Montgomery and McDeeman left Harvey with the teams, and taking their guns, went to find out what the noise was about. When they got to the parties making the noise, they found two negroes handcuffed together and a white man. was beating one of the negroes with a heavy stick.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.