USA > Indiana > Wayne County > Poems and sketches: consisting of poems and local history; biography; notes of travel; a long list of Wayne County's pioneer dead, also many names of those who lost their lives in defense of their country during the late rebellion > Part 12
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* Or rather. unoriginated ideas.
+ Many persons at the present day may perhaps not comprehend the process referred to in the text. A grater was a sheet of tin. thickly per- forated, bent in a semi-circular form. and nailed to a piece of board, the rough side outward. On this the ears of corn, before becoming thoroughly hardened, were grated. The meal thus produced escaped down the board into the receptacle provided for it.
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called the "Twelve-mile Purchase," * and a goodly number settled on it before it was surveyed ; but the war of 1812 coming on, the settlers mostly left their locations, and moved to places of more security. Those who remained built forts and "block-houses." The settlers in this neighborhood mostly stood their ground, but suffered considerably with fever. George Shugart then lived where Newport now stands, some miles from any other inhabitant. In the language of the Friends, he " did not feel clear " in leaving his home, and he manfully stood his ground, unmolested,; except by those whom we then styled the " Rangers," from whom he received some abuse for his boldness. The Indians took three scalps out of this county, and stole a number of horses. Candor, however, compels me to say, that, as is usually the case, we Christians were the aggres- sors. After peace was made, in 1814, the twelve-mile purchase settled very rapidly.
It will not be amiss, at this stage of our narrative, to state that when we first settled here, the now State of Indiana was called Indiana Territory, and we belonged to Dearborn county, which embraced all the territory purchased from the Indians at the treaty of
* Among the first settlers of the twelve-mile purchase, rather in the vicinity of Centerville, were Daniel Noland, Henry Bryan, Isaac Julian, William Harvey, Nathan Overman, and George Grimes. Other pioneers, whose names I can not now recall, were thinly scattered over other portions of the " purchase."
+ The same course was pursued, safely, by Louis Hosier, another pioneer of the " new purchase."
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Greenville, extending from the mouth of Kentucky river to Fort Recovery. The counties of Wayne and Franklin were afterward formed out of the northern part of this territory .* Although Governor Harrison had the appointing power, he gave the people the privilege of choosing their own officers. An election was accordingly held, when it was found that Peter Fleming, Jeremiah Meek and Aaron Martin were elected Judges ; George Hunt, Clerk; and John Turner, Sheriff. County courts were then held by three associate judges, and county business done before them. One of the first courtst held in this county, under the Territorial government, convened under the shade of a tree, on the premises then belonging to Richard Rue, Esq., Judge Park presiding, and James Noble, Prosecutor. In order to show the legal knowl- edge we backwoodsmen were then in possession of, I will relate the following case: A boy was indicted for stealing a knife, a traverse jury was impanelled, and took their seats upon a log. The indictment was read, and, as usual, set out that the offender, with force and arms, did feloniously steal, take, and carry away, etc. After hearing the case, the jury retired to another log to make up their verdict. Jeremiah Cox, ¿ one of the
* Wayne county was organized in November, 1810.
* The first court held in Wayne county. as appears from the records. met at the house of Richard Rue, February, ISI1.
Į Many anecdotes are in circulation of the simplicity of mind and character of friend Cox ; but he has left the highest character: that of having been a genuine, practical Christian.
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jurors, and afterward a member of the convention to franie a constitution, and of the legislature, concluded they must find the defendant guilty, but he thought the indictment " was rather too bad for so small an offense." I suppose he thought the words "with force and arms" uncalled for, and thought rightly enough, too.
Some further illustration of our legal knowledge, and the spirit of our legislation at this time, may be interesting. Although the Friends constituted a large portion of the inhabitants in this quarter, there were, in other parts of the county, men in whose craniums the military spirit was pretty strongly developed, before the war of 1812 was declared. When that came on, this spirit manifested itself in all its vigor. The Friends were mnuch harassed on account of their refusal to do military duty. Some were drafted and had their property sacrificed, and at the next call were again drafted and fined. Four young men were thrown into the county jail, during the most inclement cold weather ; fire was denied them until they should comply ; and had it not been for the humane feelings of David F. Sackett,* who handed them hot bricks through the grates, they must have suffered severely. Suits were subsequently brought against the officers, for false imprisonment. The trials were had at Brook- ville, in Franklin county. They all recovered damages,
* For several years Recorder of Wayne county.
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but I have every reason to believe that the whole of the damages and costs was paid out of moneys extorted from others of the Friends. To cap the climax of absurdity and outrage, the gentlemen officers arrested an old man named Jacob Elliott, and tried him by a court-martial, for treason, found him guilty, and sen- tenced him to be shot ! but gave him a chance to run away in the dark, they firing off their guns at the same time. It would fill a considerable volume to give a detailed history of the noble patriots of those days, and of their wisdom and valorous exploits ; but this must suffice.
Connected with this subject, permit me a word respecting my own course. I think it is well known that, from first to last, I stood by the Friends like a brother (as I would again do under similar circum- stances), and used my influence in their favor ; yet from some cause, best known to themselves, I have apparently lost the confidence and friendship of a good number of them. The most serious charge which has yet reached me is that I have not got "the true faith," and not that I have done anything wrong. Of this I do not complain, but must be permitted to say that their course towards me is rather gratuitous. I feel confident that they cannot, in truth, say that they have at any time received aught but disinterested friendship from me; and if some of them can reconcile their
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course toward me with a sense of duty, and of doing by me as I have, at all times, done by them, I shall therewith be content.
In 1816 we elected delegates to the convention which formed our late Constitution and named the State Indiana. On the third day of February follow- ing, I was elected Clerk of the Wayne Circuit Court, and, by favor of the voters of the county, held the office nearly fourteen years. I was prevented from serving out my full constitutional term of office, by a deceptive ruling of the court, which I have no fears will ever be hunted up as a precedent in a similar or any other case.
I was almost the first man who set foot in this part of Wayne county, and have been an actor in it for more than forty years. It may not be out of place here for me to say that I feel conscious that I often erred through ignorance, and perhaps through willful- ness. Yet (and with gratitude be it spoken), it has fallen to the lot of few men to retain so long the standing which I think I still have among all classes of my fellow-citizens. I believe it is a privilege con- ceded to old men to boast of what they have been and what they have done. I shall therefore take the liberty of saying that I have now seven commissions by me, for offices which I have held, besides having had a seat in the Senate of this State for six years.
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I will add, that in the employ and under the direc- tion of John Smith and Jeremiah Cox, I laid off the city of Richmond, did all their clerking, wrote their deeds, etc. If I recollect rightly, it was first named Smithville, after one of the proprietors ; but that name did not give general satisfaction. Thomas Robbards, James Pegg and myself were then chosen to select a name for the place. Robbards proposed "Waterford ; " Pegg, "Plainfield," and I made choice of "Richmond," which latter name received the preference of the lot- holders.
I have some fears that the preceding remarks may be looked upon as betraying the vanity of an old man ; but I wish it distinctly understood that I ascribe the little favors which I have received more to surrounding circumstances, and the partiality of my friends, thail to any qualifications or merits in myself.
There are several other subjects connected with the early history of Wayne county on which I could dwell at some length. I could refer to the first dom- inant party, their arbitrary proceeding in fixing the county-seat at Salisbury, the seven years' war and contention which followed, ending with the final location of the shire-town at Centerville .* But as the rival parties in that contest have mostly left the stage, and the subject is almost forgotten, I think it unneces- sary to disturb it.
* The county-seat was finally established at Centerville, in April, 1820.
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A lengthy chapter might be written on the improve- ments which have been made within the last fifty years in Wayne county (to say nothing of the rest of the world), in the arts and sciences generally, but as I do not feel myself competent to the task, I shall not attempt it.
And now, in bringing this crude and undigested account of my experience to a close, short as it is, it gives rise to many serious reflections. When I look back upon the number of those who set out in life with me, full of hope, and who have fallen by the way, and gone to that bourne from whence there is no returning, with not even a rude stone to mark the spot where their mortal remains are deposited, language fails me, and indeed there is no language adequate to the expression of my feelings. I shall therefore drop the subject, leaving the reader to fill up the blank in his own way.
In conclusion, let me say a word about my politics and religion. In politics, I profess to belong to the Jeffersonian school. I view Thomas Jefferson as decidedly the greatest statesman that America has yet produced. He was the chief apostle of botli political and religious liberty. My motto is taken from his first inaugural : "Equal and exact justice to all men "- and I will add : without calling in question their political or religious faith, country, or color.
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And here I wish it distinctly understood and remembered, that I stood almost alone in this section of the State, in opposition to our ruinous system of internal improvements, concocted and brought about at the sessions of the Legislature in the years 1835 and 1836, which resulted in the creation of a State debt which the present generation will not see paid, and which has verified that text in the old Book to the very letter, which says that the iniquities of the fathers are visited upon their children to the third and fourth generations.
As to religion :
Happy is he - the only happy man -
Who, from choice, does all the good he can.
" The world is my country, and my religion is to do right." I am a firm believer in the Christian religion, though not as lived up to by most of its professors of the present day. In the language of Jefferson, I look upon the "Christian philosophy as the most sublime and benevolent, but most perverted system that ever shone on man." I have no use for the priesthood, nor can I abide the shackles of sectarian dogmas. I see no necessity for confessions of faith, creeds, forms and ceremonies. In the most compre- hensive sense of the word, I am opposed to all wars and to slavery, and trust the time is not far distant when they will be numbered among the things that
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were, and viewed as we now look back upon some of the doings of what we are pleased to style the dark ages. In the language of Burns :
" Then let us pray that come it may - As come it will, for a' that - That sense and worth, o'er a' the earth, May bear the gree, and a' that. For a' that, and a' that, It's coming vet, for a' that, That man to man, the world o'er, Shall brothers be, for a' that."
A RELIC OF WAR TIMES.
CARRIER'S ADDRESS OF 1864 .- ITS REFERENCES EXPLAINED.
To the Editor of the Palladium:
The sheet of poetry which comes to you with this letter is somewhat of a relic, serving as a reminder of war times, and as an illustration of one phase of country " newspaperisin," a quarter of a century ago.
I believe it was the last Carrier's New Year's Address issued in Richmond. It belonged to the cus- toms of the newspaper business before the advent of the modern and metropolitan science of "journalismn."
The poem was written by a lady residing in this city (then and now), but before she had attained even
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State reputation as a writer of verse. Within the years since the date of that Address, she has produced many beautiful things, and her name is oftenest spoken first whenever the attempt is made to give a list of Indiana poetesses.
Her best poems - for we only do her justice when we say that the lines under consideration are not her best - come when the heart is moved. This poem was written "to order," to supply a demand. Yet, even in this, the heart shows itself, for it reflects the prevail- ing feelings of the hour - patriotismn, self-denial, patience, anxiety, sorrow. Everything written in those. days must have a patriotic avowal. These lines meet that expectation. It was far into the third year of the war, and the continuation and the result were still problematic.
The situation was contemplated with all seriousness, and seriousness is the plainest characteristic of the poem. Its writer had 110 place for mirth, nor any desire to be merely amusing. The over-ruling thought, in this particular, is aptly expressed in the opening lines of an address written by Forceythe Willson, and published one year before, in the Louisville Journal :
The carrier can not sing, to-day, the ballads With which he used to go, Rhyming the grand rounds of the Happy New Years That are now beneath the snow.
.
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For the same awful and portentous shadow That overcast the earth, And smote the land, last year, with desolation, Still darkens every hearth.
The address was carried and sold by your corres- pondent, who took the contract to assist the regular carrier in that enterprise. At sundown, the night previous, a heavy snow storm blew up, and next morn- ing there was a foot of snow on the ground, and the thermometer registered twenty degrees below zero at sunrise.
"The improvements, vast, on every side," were very insignificant, compared with improvements since made. The west corners of Eighth and Main streets were occupied by one-story shanties. Other localities, with similar structures, and the whole town in propor- tion. The town was much smaller than now, as may be supposed, for the Roberts farm and the eastern part of the Starr farm had not then been platted into lots. The regular route of the carrier, for the delivery of the weekly (there was no daily in town then), extended to Eleventh and North D, in that direction ; to the park, on South Tenth; to South. E, on Fifth street (then called Pearl) ; and the "Spring Foundry " (Gaar, Scott & Co.'s), on the northwest. Subscribers residing outside these limits must call at the printing office, or receive their copies through the mail. The office of the Palladium was, that winter, at No. 404 Main street,
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near Fourth. In the spring of 1864 it was removed to "Warner Hall," over the Mayor's office. Crossings of Main with Fifth and Sixth streets (old Pearl and Marion ) were regarded as the "centers " of town.
The reference to the "Farmers of Wayne," in the eleventh stanza, and again in the fifteenth, deserves an explanation. Read the tenth stanza :
" But while we tell of brave men on the field, We'll not forget the kind and true at home - Whose generous gifts, to all the needy poor, You'll not find equaled, wheresoe'er you roam."
The winter that preceded the one in which this Address was written - the winter of 1862-63 - was a severe one upon many families whose supporters and providers were away, fighting for the Union. Many families of soldiers, residing in the country and in smaller towns, had moved into Richmond for the sake of company and safety, and to be within the reach of relief, if it should be needed. Hundreds of the wives, children, and other dependents of the soldiers, made Richmond their home during the period of their hus- bands' and fathers' enlistments. The organized aid societies could not meet all the demands. Nor was the public fund, disbursed by the township trustee, equal to the deficiency. When the winters threatened to be long and severe, our town was likely to be the scene of extended and serious suffering. The winter of 1862- 63 was of that character. Much anxiety was felt and
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expressed. It must not be thought that the relief extended to soldiers' families was, in any sense, akin to the common charity extended to the ordinary indigent. It was in no sense a pauper relief. The obligation to see that the families of the soldiers were not allowed to suffer, was as much a part of the compensation of the volunteers as the bounty paid them for enlisting. It was clearly understood, by those who volunteered, that their wives, children and dependants were to be cared for, in case of necessity, by those who remained at home. Hence, any aid rendered could be accepted by the families of soldiers without any feelings of humili- ation1. This manner of part compensation was as clearly understood by the volunteers, as if named in the specifications of their enlistment, and it was as faithfully performed, by those who remained at home, as if bound upon them by contract or statute. Special pro- vision was necessary, in the second winter of the war.
Suddenly and unexpectedly, one morning in January, 1863, twenty-five wagons, loaded with wood, and one with flour, meal, potatoes, etc., appeared on the streets of Richmond. They were from the farmers in the neighborhood of Middleboro, six miles northeast of the city, and were intended as "aid and comfort " for sol- diers' families. A band of musicians volunteered their services, and, hoisting the national flag, the donation was paraded through the streets, and then delivered where needed.
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On Saturday, February 14, a delegation came from Boston township, bringing more than sixty cords of wood, three thousand pounds of flour and meal, besides other provisions. A spirit of emulation or rivalry, in this good work, was soon developed, and the various neighborhoods, in the vicinity of Richmond, competed with each other in bringing contributions of this char- acter. On the 28th of February the farmers residing
along and near the National road (or Eaton pike), east from town, brought, in a long procession, ninety-two cords of wood, over two thousand pounds of flour, forty bushels of corn-meal, six bushels of potatoes, etc. That procession filled Main street for eight blocks.
The following Monday the rival procession of fariners residing along and near the National road west from town, came in. It has never been decided which of these contributions was the larger. Both parties claimed the palm.
The Middleboro farmers, having started these gen- erous outpourings, concluded to put a finishing touch to the work for this season, so on the 28th of March they came into town with a train of wagons nearly a mile long. Residents of Whitewater and Franklin townships joined their neighbors of Middleboro. The farmers along the Liberty turnpike also brought in a contribution. A new feature attended this demonstra- tion. Fresh beef and poultry were brought in, sold on the streets to citizens, and the proceeds given to the
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aid fund. In this way $192 were realized. One hun- dred and twenty-eight cords of wood, over two thousand pounds of flour, and seventy-five bushels of meal, besides other provisions, were contributed, the whole donation amounting, in money value, to nearly $1,300. The influence of these acts extended to other towns and cities. Among the towns in this county, Centerville received a large donation on the 19th of March, IS63.
This commendable practice was revived the follow- ing autumn, and continued in the last winter of the war. On the 23rd of December, 1864, four competing delegations entered town from the four sides. The total of these contributions was two hundred and forty- two cords of wood.
Such acts were, indeed, worthy to be the theme of the poet. M.
CARRIER'S ADDRESS,
TO THE PATRONS OF THE RICHMOND PALLADIUM, JANUARY 1, 1864.
Dear friends of yore, I come again to greet you,
Though months have passed since last I sang my song,
And smiling faces that were wont to meet me Are missing, and no more to earth belong.
Still, to the dear old friends whom I remember-
Whose kindly acts have cheered me on my way --
I give my hand, and may a happy New Year Be yours, without one sorrow-clouded day !
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Since last I sang to you, in jingling numbers, A year has rolled its changes o'er the land, And yet peace hath not spread her snowy pinions, Nor vet return our noble, patriot band.
And many, many noble forms are sleeping Low, 'neath the sod upon the battle plain, And many weary eyes to-day are weeping, And dim with watching, waiting, all in vain ;
And over all our land, where'er we wander, Woe's sable garb we meet on every side - The garb of highest honor to the wearer, Whose best-loved, for his country, fought and died.
Though many noble braves have fallen in glory, Where the red tide of carnage thickest run, Many are left to tell the thrilling story Of how they fought, from dawn till setting sun.
Bright be their names on glory's scroll engraven, And every scar a badge of honor, fair; No diamond-studded crown, worth half a kingdom, So nobly, proudly could our heroes wear !
But through our long-linked months of Polar darkness Bright streaks of dawn begin to make their way, And many joyful messengers of peace Proclaim the coming of a brighter day ---
When the bright, starry flag that floats above us Shall claim its own, and wave o'er all the land, And we may welcome home our war-worn heroes, And join again the broken household band.
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But while we tell of brave men on the field, We'll not forget the kind and true at home --- Whose generous gifts, to all the needy poor, You'll not find eqnaled, wheresoe'er you roam.
Then a song for the farmers of Wayne, For the old and for the young ! A shout as loud, and a song as high. As ever in praise was sung!
For never on Victory's battle-field Were braver hosts arrayed Than they, whose offerings, bountiful, On their country's altar have laid.
Sound it over the saddened land, That other true hearts may know The way to strengthen the soldier's arm To strike the trait'rous foe ;
The way to lift from the weary heart A weight of burdening care, And send, with blessings, their name on high, In many a thankful prayer.
Long may they live, in plenty and peace- The noble farmers of Wayne- And finally meet their just reward, Where peace shall eternally reign !
Our city's in most prosperous condition - Improvements, vast, we meet on every side ; In fact, there's not a doubt about the matter - 'Tis Indiana's highest boast and pride.
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Our ladies are most beautiful and loyal - Forever working in the cause of right ; Our men are foremost in the field of battle, Facing the foe in every deadly fight.
But, lest I tire you with too long a story --- Which has been sad, I fear, from first to last I'll point you to the brightly coming future, Forgetting not the lessons of the past ;
And hoping ere next New Year's morn I greet you, That peace shall long have dwelt throughout the land ; Hoping and trusting all things, fearing never, Farewell, my friends - here is my parting hand.
But, stop ! I'll merely mention, ere I go, What, between us, I hope will raise no barrier :
That I accept all fractional paper currency, And that - I hope you won't forget
THIE CARRIER.
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SOME COUNTY HISTORY.
From the Hagerstown Exponent, November 19, 1891.
Joseph Williams, aged eighty-five years, and form- erly of Economy, died at Richmond, Wednesday last, and was buried at Economy on Friday, funeral services by the Rev. W. C. Bowen, from whom we learn that Mr. Williams was one of the early pioneers of this sec- tion, having settled in the woods, in the Jordan settle- ment, north of here, over sixty years ago. This section received its first settlers in 1822, when Joseph Bowen, Benjamin Parson ; Rev. Samuel Taylor, a Baptist preacher, who died with the cholera in 1833; David Miller, a Dunkard preacher ; John Hardman ; Aaron Miller, who settled on the old Petty farm ; John McLucas and Hugh Allen, all came about the same time and bought land at $1.25 per acre, and settled in the woods. At that time there was not a house in all this section ; not even where Hagerstown stands. There were a few Indians here yet, and deer, bears and other wild game was quite numerous. Soon after the first settlers were established in homes, others came in, and it was not long till four church organizations were made. The first organization was composed of a Bap- tist congregation, started in a log house where the
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