USA > Michigan > Monroe County > History of Monroe County, Michigan : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people, and its principal interests Volume I > Part 64
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The year drew to a close, and one of the neighbors kindly informed the Bantings that on New Year's day, which was near at hand, their Indian friends, who had become thus far civilized as to copy the custom of New Year's calls of the eastern country, would probably "be around to pay their respects" and that they would expect a warm welcome and a few presents, which they would reciprocate in their own way and by making presents in return.
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On the morning of the first day of the new year, therefore, Mrs. Banting was alarmed by the discharge of guns fired close to the house. Running into the front room to ascertain the cause, she was confronted by a party of Indians, men and squaws, who entered, smiling and greet- ing in a manner intended very plainly to mean, "A Happy New Year." She was immediately surrounded by half a dozen "braves" who insisted upon the season's privileges of kissing her as a part of the ceremonies of the day. Mrs. Banting vainly declined the honor and struggled without avail to free herself from the copper-colored admirers, but finally suc- ceeded in making her escape, and running into the rear room to seek the protection of her husband. She found him surrounded by the female contingent of the callers, very much to her dismay, who were equally persistent in bestowing upon the bewildered Banting lusty smacks in the utmost good nature and in spite of struggles. She then ran out of the house to the neighbor, who had previously posted her on the Indian New Year's custom, and to seek his intervention, but she was too late. The Indians were there before her and the whole family, old and young, male and female, was undergoing the penalty for invading the lands and homes of the aborigines. The whole performance was carried out thor- oughly and in the most friendly and amiable manner, when the exchange of gifts began, and ended by a liberal quantity of birch bark "fixings," maple sugar mococks and moccasins being left by the callers, and by their taking away in return such showy articles as they most prized, but of no great value to the Bantings.
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CHAPTER XL
FRENCH AND YANKEE PIONEERS
COL. FRANCIS NAVARRE-ROBERT F. NAVARRE-JOSEPH G. NAVARRE- PETER NAVARRE, THE SCOUT-CHARLES HIVON-HIS STORY OF THE FRENCHTOWN MASSACRE-NIMBLE FRENCH WITS-COLONEL HUBERT LA CROIX-THE LA CROIX MANOR HOUSE-FELIX METTY-JOHN B. SANCRAINT-CAPTAIN LUTHER HARVEY-A MASTER COMMISSARY- DESPITE HARRISON, PROVISIONS SAVED-AT THE BATTLE OF LAKE ERIE -GENERAL LEVI S. HUMPHREY-HENRY DISBROW, PIONEER- COLONEL OLIVER JOHNSON-MAJOR GERSHOM TAINTOR BULKLEY- CAPTAIN A. D. PERKINS-CAPTAIN GEORGE W. STRONG-THOMAS G. COLE-COLONEL JOHN ANDERSON-DANIEL S. BACON-WALTER P. CLARKE-JOSEPH B. GALE.
The earliest of the pioneers who came into the River Raisin valley were of French extraction. Later, arrived the representatives of the New England and Middle (so called) states. Most worthy men typical of both these elements are mentioned below.
COLONEL FRANCIS NAVARRE
There were few if any white settlers upon the River Raisin previous to 1767. There were many visits paid to the Indian village where the Fourth Ward alone now numbers more than 2,000 people. The River Raisin valley was a great hunter's paradise, and thousands of fur bear- ing animals attracted the trapper and the fur trader. So far as can be ascertained, and it is no doubt an incontrovertible fact, that the first white settler to make a permanent home in this beautiful wilderness was Francois Navarre, who was born in Detroit, the son of Robert Navarre, who came from France at an early day, a man of many accomplishments, of attractive personality, who became immensely popular with his fel- low citizens. Large families were the rule in that period rather than the exception, and Mr. Navarre's fireside boasted a circle by no means the smallest on the Strait of Detroit.
It is a matter of record that the family of Colonel Navarre furnished upwards of thirty members of the regiment which their noble relative commanded as lieutenant-colonel of Michigan Militia in 1813. Uncles, nephews, sons, brothers, cousins were there, and good loyal soldiers they were. The house which Mr. Navarre built upon the tract of land ceded to him by the Pottawattamies was one of liberal dimensions, built of hewed logs, with a frontage of sixty feet facing the River Raisin, which was the central figure in this glorious expanse of forest and stream, and was the hospitable stopping place for whomsoever properly claimed its protec- tion. It was the headquarters of Generals Wayne and St. Clair, com- manders in the Northwestern army and of General Winchester in the winter of 1812-13, when he led the brave Kentuckians on their desperate attempt to relieve and protect the exposed settlements north of the Miami.
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This primitive, fort-like structure was afterwards enlarged, a second story added, clapboarded and became one of the principal residences in the eastern portion of the city ; it was once occupied as the rectory of Trinity Episcopal church, and a place of many enjoyable social gather- ings.
Colonel Navarre's familiarity with the customs, habits and language of the Indians, often stood him in good stead when the life of himself or his family were in jeopardy ; for while he was on friendly terms with all the Pottawattamies, there were occasional sprees inspired by fire water obtained from unscrupulous traders, which generally ended in a drunken brawl; at such times the Indians forgot their friendship for their good French neighbor and caused no little alarm for their safety. As a matter of fact, it is claimed by his descendants that he located here by the invitation of the Indians, the then sole owners of the soil, who granted him a tract of one thousand two hundred or one thousand five hundred acres of land, comprising the portion of the city of Monroe east of Scott street, extending from the River Raisin south to the farms laid out on Otter creek. He retained at the time of his death about five hundred acres of great value, which he willed to his children. Colonel Navarre was the first person who attempted the establishment of military discipline and the forms of civil government in this county ; was the first appointed captain, afterwards colonel, in the first regiment of militia formed in the county. He held at different times and for long periods civil offices under the state or territorial government. He maintained during his whole life great influence over the Indians; was distinguished for his energy in aiding to accomplish the celebrated In- dian treaty concluded at Greenville, Ohio, under the direction of Gen- eral Wayne, by which the United States became possessed of an immense body of land, and secured the right of constructing roads through the state of Michigan. He witnessed the first commencement of a settlement here; saw the same destroyed, the houses of the inhabitants sacked and burned, lived to see the remaining inhabitants settled anew, in compar- ative affluence, and build up a flourishing village within a few rods of his own door. He was remarkable for his habits of temperance, industry and frugality, hospitable to new-comers, and was noted for the strictest honesty and uprightness in all his intercourse with mankind.
The night after the massacre at the River Raisin Colonel Navarre dispatched his son, Robert, with his mother and eleven children, on a French traineau to Detroit for safety, which was so crowded that Robert rode with his feet braced on the thills or shafts. As they passed the quarters of Colonel Proctor on Sandy Creek, where Proctor's forces en- camped the first night after the battle, he witnessed the drunken In- dians scalping the wounded American prisoners and their inhuman and barbarous manner of accomplishing it-by cutting with a butcher knife a circle around the crown of the head, and then placing one foot on the neck of the prisoner, with their hands in the hair, by main force strip- ping the scalp from the head. This Robert Navarre, who died in Mon- roe, was the last of the survivors in our vicinity of the soldiers of the War of 1812 and 1813.
Colonel Navarre died in Monroe, September 1, 1826.
In the library of St. Mary's Academy there is a "Book of the Na- varre family" in which are recorded many historical incidents of the early occupations of Monroe, that are more stirring than any romance.
ROBERT F. NAVARRE
The oldest son of Col. Francis Navarre was the first white male child born in the county of Monroe, and lived during his long life of
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ninety years on a portion of the land near Monroe, which had been ceded to his father by the Pottawotamie Indians. He was a man of mental and physical vigor, and was always interested in relating the stirring events of which he was an eye witness, the tragic scenes of the battle of the River Raisin and the subsequent massacre of his kindred by the blood thirsty savages under Proctor, after the surrender by General Win- chester on January 22, 1813.
He and his cousins were employed, after that atrocious outrage, in transporting the wounded American soldiers who had escaped the toma. hawk and scalping knife, from Frenchtown to Malden.
ROBERT NAVARRE
Robert Navarre was born and always lived in Frenchtown. He was twenty-two years old when the battle of Frenchtown and massacre on the River Raisin took place. His memory was very clear on the circum- stances of this atrocious deed done in the name of war, but unfortu- nately, his ability to give the details of what he saw was not sufficient to form a connected narrative. Like many of his race he had made but little progress in the mastery of the Anglo Saxon tongue.
Mr. Navarre was present at the Veterans Reunion in Monroe in 1872, that notable gathering, when more than one hundred of the survivors of the massacre, and of the living veterans of the Kentucky were here, whose average age was about ninety years.
Mr. Navarre was a farmer in the township of Frenchtown at the time of his death which occurred about twenty-years ago. He lived in a great game region and like all the farmers, delighted in the hunt after deer and bear and others of the big animals of the forests which surrounded them on every hand. At first, of course, their only neighbors were the Indians. Pottawotamies and Shawnees, who were peaceable and friendly enough until the influence of the British and fur traders stirred up a feeling of animosity. He was known and respected by the Indians, for he had always treated them justly and fairly, and by this means secured their confidence. At this time, 1810-12 there were but three houses standing on the south bank of the river, one of them being owned by his father, Colonel Navarre, one by Joseph Navarre, an uncle, and another farther west at the present site of the Lafountain block, corner of Front and Monroe streets. In the village of Frenchtown across the river there were some fifty log houses and a trading post. Furs were brought to the village from all the country round, and sold to the traders in exchange for blankets, beads, calico and-whisky. After a day spent among the places where liquor was to be had the redskins were in a very hilarious mood, and later, in a very ugly condition, when they created very lively scenes, often resulting in drunken sprees and violent personal encounters. Then the traders drove them into the streets and into their canoes and started them homeward.
JOSEPH G. NAVARRE
Joseph G. Navarre, the son of Colonel Francis Navarre, was born at the River Raisin in January, 1795. The second white child of Monroe had the advantages of such education as was possible in the early days, was intended by his father for the priesthood, spent several years at
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Bardstown, Kentucky, preparing for orders, but before completing his studies for the priesthood he entered the law office of the Hon. William Woodbridge at Detroit. While there he was of very great service to the early settlers of the territory in making the necessary proofs and papers to establish the titles to the lands on the River Detroit, River Raisin, Swan creek, Stony creek, Sandy creek, Otter creek, and Bay settlement. He was also very efficient and of great service to the early settlers that had suffered the loss of their property by the British army under Colonel Proctor during the War of 1812. He did not enter upon professional life as a lawyer, yet was very frequently consulted by the early settlers on all questions pertaining to the title to their lands, their claims for losses in the war, and the settlement of controversies that arose on the River Raisin.
While in the office of Governor Woodbridge he was called home by the illness and death of his father, and thereafter was occupied a number of years in administering on the closing up of the estate. He ceased pursuing his studies, settled upon the farm south of and adjoin- ing the city of Monroe, owned and occupied it up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1862, aged seventy-six years and six months. His first wife, Eliza A. Martin, was born April 14, 1815, died April 15, 1848. Mr. Navarre married for his second wife Jemima Knaggs, who was born July 26, 1811, died February 27, 1886, without issue.
PETER NAVARRE, THE SCOUT
The reminiscences of the pioneers in the "River Raisin country" are replete with interesting incidents in their own and their neighbors' experiences. They were thrown into companionship with men of marked characteristics, brave, generous and true. Narratives by men who came into the wilderness at a very early day almost invariably mention that intrepid Frenchman, whose name is a familiar one all along the frontier, and an historic one in the events which called into play the sagacity and the diplomacy of his race. This was Peter Navarre, whose life in the forest, very largely among the redmen and the coureurs de bois and the voyageur was an education along the lines which led to great usefulness, and made him one of the most picturesque figures of the early years of the eighteenth century. He was born in Detroit in 1745, his grandfather being the elder Robert Navarre, who came there in 1730, and who was deputy intendant, and royal notary in the service of the king of France, and was generally employed in some responsible public service. The king's dues were payable to his receiver; the intendant or local receiver and Robert Navarre's name is the first to be found in that capacity ; the judicial or notarial duties were not heavy, but the receipts for the king were considerable, both in money and wheat, and the sub-intendant was curator for the public property, not strictly military. For a period of years intrigues with Iroquois chiefs went on, leading often to very dangerous situations, requiring great watchfulness and diplomacy on the part of the commander at Detroit. Hearing that the English had designs on the White river and the Wabash country, Celoron, a former com- mandant at Detroit, in 1743, allowed men and supplies to go from De .. troit to open a trade with a body of Senecas, Onondagas and others of the Five Nations who, to the number of about six hundred had settled there, and who professed friendship. Robert Navarre was sent out to examine and report upon the prospects, and was intrusted with im- portant duties in connection. Peter, the grandson, inherited many of
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his ancestor's traits and was a popular man with all classes, wherever circumstances placed him, of indomitable courage and honesty which gained for him the respect and friendship of the Indians, for which the aborigines were not especially notable for the last named trait them- selves, they admired the exercise of it in others. He was frequently at Frenchtown, and spent much time here with his relatives. About the year 1807, he went to the Maumee valley and erected a log cabin on the east side of the river, which stood there a landmark for many years. He was of course familiar with the Indian language of various tribes especially the Pottawotamies, and knew intimately their great chief
PETER NAVARRE The old French scout of the River Raisin in General Hull's and General Harrison's army, and an eye witness of the massacre of the River Raisin, January 23, 1813, present at the veterans' reunion, Monroe, July 4th, 1872.
Tecumseh, and his brother, who was known as the Prophet; and his services as interpreter were greatly in demand; he was in the service of General Hull, and was included among the men surrendered when Detroit fell into the hands of the British, but escaped and made prisoner by a tribe of hostile Indians by whom, however, he was soon released. He was often importuned by the British to join them, but nothing could move him in his loyalty to the American cause, and to his country- men. He was employed in Harrison's army as scout. When this active connection with the Americans was learned by the British colonel, Proctor, he offered a reward of two hundred pounds for his head, "dead or alive."
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One of his old compatriots, an aged veteran of Toledo, knew Peter Navarre intimately until his death, in 1874. One of the tales narrated by this old resident as told by the old scout, concerned a remarkable achievement when serving as a messenger between General Harrison at Fort Meigs, and Major Croghan who was in charge of Fort Stephenson. The distance between the points on an "air line," was upwards of thirty miles-through an almost untrodden wilderness, destitute of even an Indian trail. He started in the darkness of evening, and had traversed not more than ten miles, when a terrific storm arose; this did not pre- vent the scout from plodding along in the intense darkness, with falling limbs and trees endangering every foot of the way. He reached Fort Stephenson in safety early the following morning, narrowly escaping a band of Indians en route. After delivering his papers to Major Croghan, and receiving his instructions from him, he started on his return journey, arriving at Fort Meigs near midnight-safely perform- ing the feat of the sixty mile journey with no guide in the dense woods, save his knowledge of wood craft which was not inferior in any respect to the most expert savage.
Another of Navarre's adventures occurred when he was sent to Presque Isle by General Harrison to ascertain if there were Indians camping there and their number. He was accompanied by a soldier, and reached Presque Isle at night. A hooting was heard during the night by his comrade, who naturally remarked that it was an owl in the woods. The old. scout, however, was not deceived; he was too familiar with that signal of the woods Indian, and told the soldier to remain quiet for a few minutes, and he would see the "owl." It was winter and snow covered the ground. They waited quietly for a short time, when a dark form glided through the forest, but it was not an owl, simply a retreat- ing Indian. When he had been gone a few moments the two men started to reconnoiter, and discovered the camp, but could not tell how many Indians were there, as they did not care to incur the danger of a too close inspection at that time. Peter's companion was in favor of going back and reporting their discovery, but Peter opposed this and suggested an expedient, by which they might get rid of their foes without a fight. The old scout took the powder horns of both, and commenced shaking the powder out upon the snow, at the same time making numerous tracks about to convey the impression that there were quite a company, instead of two persons. The theory was that the Indians discovering the foot prints and the powder on the snow, would conclude that "discre- tion would be the better part of valor," and make their way in some other direction very hastily. The theory was at once proved to be a wise one, for the next morning the scouts found that the Indian camp had been abandoned and not one of the number was to be seen or heard of.
CHARLES HIVON
Among the earliest settlers upon the banks of the River Raisin will be found the name of Hivon, which has usually been pronounced Evor by the English speaking inhabitants. The family of that name came here at a very early day. Some years before the battle of Frenchtown. The Hivon farm was in the township of Raisinville, about four miles distant from Monroe. Charles Hivon was one of the sons, who was born on the homestead and passed his life here, covering a period of eighty-seven years, dying in the year of 1891. At the age of twenty-one, he was an eye witness of the battle and the subsequent massacre of Kentucky troops and the defenceless French settlers by the inhuman British and
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Indians. Although the Indians had been at times, somewhat trouble- some, especially when they could get a supply of liquor from the traders, the settlers lived in a condition of peacefulness and comparative comfort, in the little settlement, slowly growing up along the beautiful Rivière aux Raisins, the farms, very narrow and very long, extending back from the stream both north and south, so that the neighbors were situated quite close to each other, and the native characteristics of cor- diality and good fellowship was thus given opportunity.
And in this way was begun the little town along the river whose fer- tile banks and whose clear wholesome waters afforded them ample sup- plies of food for the whole year; the little town, long and slim-a long, whitewashed little town it looked, snuggling along the borders of the "River of Grapes." In its Arcadian, primeval quiet and comfort, who should know or guess that the dark clouds of war and massacre and terror should ever hover over and darken the scene where so many happy homes then stood ? Where the laughter of children and the quaint home songs of the Canadian mother were so soon to be changed for the despairing cries of wretched victims of tomahawk and scalping knife; when the quiet, peaceful and happy scene was to be transformed into the stage whereon was enacted one of the cruelest tragedies, in all its horrors, that ancient or modern history records. The sickening tale has been told and retold, but the personal narratives of the unwilling spec- tators all have a tragic interest, and generally some personal experience differing from another.
HIS STORY OF THE FRENCHTOWN MASSACRE
At the remarkable reunion held in Monroe on July 4, 1872, of the survivors of the massacre and later pioneers of this county, joined by an astonishing large number of survivors of those who came from Ken- tucky and Ohio in 1813 under Winchester to defend the threatened frontier, at this great gathering Charles Hivon was present, at the age of eighty-two. At that time the author was fortunate in securing from the old Frenchman a narrative concerning his experience, which is here given as an incident in the troublous times in which the pioneers lived. At the time mentioned, Colonel Francois Navarre, (the first white to settle in Monroe and a man who commanded the entire respect and confidence of his fellow men,) was appointed colonel of militia of the county and territory, and nearly all the young men of the settlement were enthusiastic to join the colonel's command, which most of them, including Hivon and his neighbors, did. They were actuated, perhaps, by two motives, the fascination, excitement, and novelty of military life, and the true patriotism as defenders of the soil which was threat- ened with invasion and possible devastation.
Under the capitulation of the fort at the River Raisin, which Mr. Hivon remembers very clearly, took place at the fort on the present site of the Interurban power house, all the men belonging to the American army were included. They surrendered to Captain Elliott, a British officer, who came from Detroit for that purpose, with a copy of the articles of capitulation. "Our horses and wagons were delivered up," he said, "but we were left on parole. A large proportion of our army were opposed to the surrender, but General Winchester had yielded, although not before Major Madison had demanded that protection to property and the lives of the settlers should be provided and convey- ances provided to remove the wounded to Malden, where they might have proper treatment. No attention was paid to these stipulations by the British, and soon the Indians came, when the bloody scenes followed ;
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some of the more humane of the British officers of minor rank made a feeble attempt to interfere with the savages in their murderous work, but they were ineffectual, and the atrocious deeds of the drunken sav- ages went on. All imaginable barbarities were committed, among the women, children, wounded-none escaped. Not satisfied with this, they plundered the houses, and broke up or burned everything they did not choose to carry away. Many of the settlers fled into the wilderness and worked their way, ill clad into Ohio; some remained here, though suffer- ing intensely from the annoyances and hostile attitude of the Indians, bands of whom, one after another came along and carried off what was overlooked or discarded by former raiders. The settlement here remained in this precarious situation until fall, when two companies of British and Canadian militia, accompanied by officers of rank, arrived and were stationed here (the post then being called Frenchtown) and it was made a rendezvous for their scouts, from which they made fre- quent tours of discovery along the frontier .* The little settlement grad- ually resumed its normal life, though many of the dwelling houses had been burned, and new arrivals from Canada and other places were beginning to be seen. A grandson of Mr. Hivon is a resident of the Fourth ward, Monroe.
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