USA > Michigan > St Clair County > History of St. Clair County, Michigan, containing an account of its settlement, growth, development and resources, its war record, biographical sketches, the whole preceded by a history of Michigan > Part 38
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Such are some of the incidents in the life of one of the soldiers in the war of 1812; of one of the pioneers of St. Clair County.
THE COURIERS' SETTLEMENT.
Denis Causlet and Peter Brandemour, settled at the mouth of Black River previous to 1790; Anselm Petit, Francois Lariviere, Baptiste Levais, J. B. Duchesne, Michel Jervais, J. B. Courncais, and Peter Moureaux located in this vicinity previous to 1794.
A settlement was also made by a Capt. Francois Marsac, in about 1798, at Tremble Creek, the stream near New Baltimore on the Ridge road, and also prior to 1796, at Swan Creek, be- yond New Baltimore some four miles. From the early settlement of that section, a tradition has been handed down -- and this tradition has many believers even now-that an English Cap- tain or Lieutenant, who had been largely successful in gathering together a quantity of bull- ion, being compelled to flee from the Indians, buried his treasure in the earth about a mile from the present site of New Baltimore; that he was either killed by the Indians or died from exposure, and the secret of his treasure's hiding place died with him. Many searches have been made by infatuated individuals after this treasure, and many believe that the ghostly shade of the deceased Captain guards the treasure trove so jealously and has such power of moving its location, that all search is in vain. At this period-1798-1800-the means of com- munication with Detroit was by way of the river and lake. The Gratiot Turnpike had not then been projected or opened. This was surveyed long after, in 1827, and cut through the
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next year as a road of communication between Fort Detroit and Fort Gratiot, at Port Huron, and the head of the St. Clair River. In connection with the history of this turnpike, the trav- eler of modern days can scarcely appreciate the difficulty of the opening of this highway. We need not tell that from Detroit to Port Huron was one vast stretch of forest, with slough- holes, pit-falls, swails and mud, at such frequent intervals as would appall the traveler of to- day. It is said that about the site of James Patton's house, some four or five miles north of Mt. Clemens-now a high, dry and pleasant location-the road passed through a swamp which, in the wet season, furnished the wild duck and swan with a swimming-place, and consequently the Indian with a splendid hunting-ground for bird game.
Edward Petit, son of Anselm Petit, was born in a log house standing at the intersection of Court and Military streets, Port Huron, on February 7, 1813. His mother, Angelique Cam- peau, was the daughter of Simon and Angelique (Bourdon) Campeau, who came to the St. Clair settlement with the early immigrants from Quebec. In May, 1813, when the hired savages of the British theatened the life of all who espoused the cause of the Republic, the family sought refuge at Detroit, and remained there until the army of Harrison and the policy of Cass struck the Indian heart with fear, subdued both the white and the red savages, and left the American citizens free to return to their homes in peace.
SOLDIER SETTLERS.
Fort Gratiot was erected in 1814-15, and received a garrison in 1817-18 of Maine State troops, whose term of service expired in July of the latter year. After receiving discharge, many of the garrison soldiers determined to locate lands in the vicinity of the fort, or along the River St. Clair. Samuel Wilson, Isaac Davis, Reuben Dodge, Jabez Meigs, John Harris, settled in the southeast part of Clyde Township; Freeman Knowles, Isaac Palsolar and Sam- uel Glidden, in Township 7 north, Range 17 east. Richard Sansbury, a Virginian, and a soldier of the garrison of Gratiot, bought the Scofield tract from Jeremiah Harrington, who purchased from Scofield in May, 1819. John K. Smith, noticed in other pages, was attached to the United States Army, served in York State, ultimately on garrison duty at Detroit, which latter post he left to settle on the St. Clair.
THE FIRST MILL ON BLACK RIVER.
The first saw-mill erected on Black River was, according to A. P. Stewart, built by Mr. Morass some years before the war of 1812. During the progress of the war, the United States contracted with Morass to supply large pine timber. The contractor brought hither his men and teams, procured the timber, and brought it over the ice-covered waters of Black and St. Clair rivers, and the lake, to Detroit.
THE RELIEF OF FORT GRATIOT BY BROWN.
During the war of 1812, the United States garrison at Fort Gratiot was reported short of provisions, and the Detroit Commissary received orders to supply that post; but on account of the dangers attending a movement of Americans through the Indian country at that time, the Detroit official hesitated to send forward the stores until a safe guide could be found. Fortu- nately he heard of William Brown, father of James Brown, of Cottrellville, with whom he treated to deliver the supplies to the starving soldiers at the Fort. This courageous man set out next day with a train of fat cattle and other supplies, arrived at Point aux Trembles that night, and the next night reported his safe arrival at Gratiot. Only a short time before this, a United States Lieutenant with a squad of troops were attacked on the river, and the officer killed.
INCIDENTS OF EARLY SETTLEMENT.
In 1819, the St. Clair Militia Company was commanded by Capt. Westbrook, under whom William Brown, the hero of the relief of Fort Gratiot, was serving. During the assembly for training, two of the volunteers were willing to indulge in a little fight between themselves, when Lieut. Brown interposed. Capt. Westbrook, coming forward, censured his Lieutenant for preventing the battle, when the contest was transferred from the men to the officers. West-
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brook charged Brown with disobedience, and the cause was brought before the Commander- in-Chief, who relieved Westbrook of the command and conferred the Captaincy on his Lieu- tenant.
Reuben Hamilton moved into the village in 1829.
John Doran purchased the house built by Louis Facer in 1822, and continued it as an inn. Doran subsequently built a store, which he operated in partnership with Charles Peltier.
Jonathan Burtch located on the north bank of Black River in 1828, building a house at the same time on the corner known as Water street and Huron avenue. The same year he built a store house, and was a trader here up to 1834.
John Thorn, born in Cottrellville Township, moved to Port Huron in 1831, and took pos- session of the Thorn claim.
Andrew Westbrook lived two miles above Marine City, where he exchanged provisions, dry-goods, hardware, oxen, horses, etc., for shingles and lumber.
Peter Brandamour, or Thongodos, or Little Piece of Love, or the Brave Big-Talking Man, erected a house on river road in 1819. On the purchase of his lands by the Providence Company, or other speculators, he became irritable, and removed to the Canadian side of the river.
Henry Germaine erected a house on his wife's property, known as the Thorn Plat. This building stood on the south side of Quay Street.
Rufus Hatch was the original occupier of the first settler's store, erected by Thomas A. Knapp, on Quay street. Here James H. Cook conducted a general store for Knapp from 1825 to 1832.
Peter H. Whitney operated the Bunce Mill in 1820-21, and subsequently became identi- fied with the lumber industry on Black River.
George McDougall was the keeper of the Fort Gratiot light house in 1822.
John Riley, a half-breed, erected two houses on the northeast corner of the Indian reser- vation, the first in 1817, and the second in 1820. One stood on the west side of Water street at the intersection of Military street, the other on Lots 7 and 8, Block 96, of the village plat.
Joseph Watson was the owner of some land below Military street bridge, a parcel of which he sold to Michael L. Kelly. Kelly erected a house thereon, 100 feet below the bridge, in 1827, which was used for a store and tavern for many years.
Louis Facer was the owner of a farm fronting on Black River in 1820. He built a house on the river front, at Quay street, some time after opening his farm in 1821, and in this house he inaugurated inn-keeping.
John B. Desnoyer made headquarters for a time at Port Huron; but as his trade was carried on with the Indians in their villages, his peltries were stored round wherever circum- stances pointed.
In 1821 Jeremiah Harrington returned from Fort Saginaw, and stayed at Samuel Glidden's house throughout the winter. In August, 1822, he located land on Sections 30 and 31, Township 7 north, Range 17 east.
In 1815, Ignace Morass erected the Abbottsford Mills, and in 1816 Zeph. W. Bunce built his saw mills in Township 6 north, Range 16 east. In 1826, the Andrew Westbrook Mill was built, and in 1827 Smart, Miller and Scott erected the Wadhams' Mills.
Anselm Petit was a settler on what is now Section 11, Township 6 north, Range 17 east, previous to the war of 1812, and after the defeat of the British made the place his home until the waters swept over the location, compelling him to move to higher ground. His house stood on Court street near Second street crossing, where he had a homestead farm of nineteen acres. This land was subsequently platted by his son, Edward Petit, and the plat recorded as the village of Peru. The lots sold on this tract were the beginning of Port Huron.
Jacob Kendall came to the county in 1825, and purchased lands one mile north of Algo- nac. He held every township office in Clay except that of Constable. He was a man possess- ing more than ordinary intelligence, practical in all matters, conscientious, and altogether an exemplary pioneer. John B. Kendall, once Sheriff of St. Clair, inherited his father's property.
John Swartout, a settler of 1835, located lands on the north line of Clay Township that year. He was born in 1785, and was fifty years of age when he entered on a Michigan pio-
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neer's life. His sons, Martin, Abram, Denis and Benjamin, particularly the two first named, took a part in the pioneer work, which followed settlement.
Weaver Stewart settled at Algonac in 1828, two years after the establishment of the Plain- field Post Office. He purchased lands from Mason & Luse, where he made his home until his death.
Among the early settlers and Indians a most peculiar species of love existed. The aborigines did not love the whites for themselves, nor did the latter love the Indians ; yet both peoples felt that one class was necessary to the well-being of the other. At times the nature of the savages would assert itself, and a cry for the blood of the settlers would be raised ; again the trials of the pioneers would breed a feeling of bitter hatred against their red brothers ; but throughout an undercurrent of fraternity existed, which generally came to the surface in the moments when passion seemed on the point of ruling over common sense and justice. In ordinary life, the Indians were accustomed to call their white friends by some title characteristic of them. In this way the soldier- citizen, Samuel Wilson, was named Abatauwachuan, or Half-way-man, by reason of his house being between the mouth of Black River and the Ignace Morass Mills.
Jeremiah Harrington and members of his family were known by the name Keosaonena, or Hunting-man ; John Thorn bore the title Sonsagaunsa, or Little Village, on account of his being the first resident of a settlement on the St. Clair ; J. B. Desnoyers was called Hickory, or Ticuan- bouc ; James H. Cook's name was Waubo Cheke or Fish Hawk ; Wig-was or Birch Timber was applied to Jonathan Burtch ; Peter Brandemour was named Thongodos, or Brave-Big-talking-man; P. W. Whiting was named Wauboscau, or White Color; Anselm Petit, who had his toes amputated on account of frost bite, was called Ciscesit, or Cut Feet, and so on, until the savages had an Indian name for every white person in the county up to 1830.
In the spring of 1836, or about that time, John Reside, a Scotchman, living in the northern portion of Bruce, was engaged in sugar-making in the woods, and in the afternoon of one day his little daughter, Jane, about five years of age, who had spent the afternoon with her father, started to go home alone, and became lost in the woods. The mother, supposing the child to be with her father, felt no alarm, and the father knew not of her loss till his return late in the evening. Search was soon made and neighbors flocked in to give such aid and sympathy as they could, but owing to the darkness in the timber the search was unsuccessful.
The weather was quite cold and a storm threatening. The men, however, kept in the woods and by lights and incessant shouting kept the beasts away. In the morning, Luke Fisher came with a dog which was allowed to smell a stocking worn by the child. The dog soon traced the way the girl had gone, and followed by his master soon came upon her. She had become completely exhausted and overcome by the cold, and had fallen on her face upon the ground. Her uncle, a doctor, was at hand and she was restored to life and brought home. Her hands were frozen and the complete use of them never fully returned. She still dimly remembers the scenes of that terrible night and never forgets that she owes her life to the sagacity of a faithful dog.
REMINISCENCES OF JUDGE BUNCE.
Zephaniah W. Bunce was born in Hartford, Conn., in 1787. Both his grandfathers-Bunce and Drake-were sea captains, and owned their own vessels. They were among the first settlers of Hartford. Capt. Bunce sailed out of New London, and was engaged in foreign commerce. Capt. Drake sailed out of Hartford in the West India trade. Capt. Bunce owned a farm within a mile of the present site of the State House, south of Little River. On this farm stood the old Charter Oak. It was the highest ground in the neighborhood, and he built his house on the highest point of that ground. Judge Bunce tells us of his visit to that spot in 1813, just before he came to Michigan. The original orchards and shade trees were then standing. The Judge at that time sold out his interest in the old farm, and did not visit it again until 1868, when every- thing familiar to him had passed away-relatives, friends and scenery, even the old oak, all gone, except one old maple tree. The grounds were made into a public park, and the site of the old dwelling was occupied by institutions of learning. .
Old Capt. Bunce had six sons and one daughter. His oldest son was sent to Yale College at New Haven. While he was there, the Continental war broke out, and he entreated his father to let him enlist into the army. The father refused, and directed the boy to finish his studies. A privateer was fitting out at New Haven, and when she was ready to sail, young Bunce and one of
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his classmates, by the name of Dodd, shipped on board of her. They had success in privateering, taking several prizes. When young Bunce returned, his father forgave him. but with a threat that if he left again before his course of study was complete, he would disinherit him. Nothwithstanding this threat, which he knew was full of meaning, when the privateer was again ready for sea, the boy, with his companion, Dodd, shipped again for further adventure. This time they did not fare so well. Their vessel was captured by the British, and the crew imprisoned at Halifax, where they suffered very greatly, but finally made their escape from prison, found a boat on the shore, and put to sea. After boating about for some time, they were picked up by a vessel, but for reasons not ex- plained, the captain would not, or dared not bring them to shore. They left his vessel four miles out at sea, and by the help of the tide, reached the shore in safety by swimming. When he came to Hartford, his father offered to forgive him if he would give up his engagement with Mary Drake, the mother of the old Michigan pioneer, which engagement had been of long standing, was favored by both families until Capt. Drake became poor by the loss of his ship and cargo. The boy re- fused to accept the conditions, and was accordingly disinherited. But it seems the father after- ward became reconciled to this son, for in his will he made him equal with the other heirs, and not only so, but made him executor of his estate.
This son was the father of our Michigan pioneer, who was the oldest of six children, two sons and four daughters. His father died at the early age of thirty-three years. After the death of Zephaniah's father, his mother went to live with her mother Drake, who was a sister of Uncle Joseph Pratt, who was also one of the first settlers of Hartford. His home farm comprehended the grounds on which the State House now stands.
The grandfather Drake had five children, two sons, Ebenezer and Samuel, and three daughters, Mary, Martha, and Submit. Mary, the oldest, was the mother of the boy whom Michigan inherited. Submit, the youngest, took her name from the sad fate of her father, who was lost at sea, before she was born. Nine captains sailed out of Hartford at one time, all married men. A terrible storm fell upon them and every one of them was lost. It is very remarkable that each wife subsequently gave birth to a daughter and they were all named "Submit."
Ebenezer Drake, the oldest son of Capt. Drake, followed the occupation of his father. He was gone on his last voyage thirty-one years, and is said to have visited every port of any impor- tance in the known world at that time. Samuel, the youngest, joined St. Clair's army as a private and was promoted to the office of Colonel. Neither of these Drake boys were ever married. Both died at their mother's, in Hartford. Submit married William Emerson, of Northampton, by trade a hatter. On one of his visits to Hartford he persuaded the mother of Zephaniah to let him take the boy and bring him up as his own child. She consented to this, and young Bunce, then between five and six years of age, went to live with the hatter, learned the trade of him, and became quite pro- ficient in the business of hat- making. At the age of twelve years, his uncle sent him out through the mountains of New Hampshire and through the thinly settled parts of the country to buy up furs. and this became quite a business for him. He was very skillful in horsemanship. He tells of a boyish freak in which he used to indulge with his uncle's horses. On a stream where he watered the horses, there was a perpendicular fall of several feet. The back water from a mill-dam com- pletely covered this fall, and young Bunce would go up the stream, mount a horse, sometimes standing upright on his back, and then put him to the top of his speed down the stream. The horse, not aware of the fall, would make a glorious plunge, and the boy, holding on to the halter would swim ashore, bringing the horse out well cleansed from all mud spatters.
This uncle having failed to give his nephew the education the young man thought he was en- titled to, a separation took place between them when Zephaniah was seventeen years old. He then took his effects and engaged as a journeyman hatter in another house in the same town. There he earned money and sent himself to school for a time. He then left and started the hatting business in Claremont, N. H., where he remained three years. From this place he went to Chester, Vt., started the hatting business there, and continued it four years. He then connected himself with one Allen, in the dry goods trade, in Albany, N. Y. With this business he connected the sale of ready-made clothing. One day in the fall of 1816, a young man came into the store to rig him- self out with a suit of clothes. He was the brother of the late Thomas S. Knapp, of Detroit, on his way from that military post to bis home at Hudson. Knapp told such a story about the prices and scarcity of such goods here that young Bunce got the Western fever.
In the spring of 1817, he put on board a one-horse wagon $3,000 worth of ready-made clothing
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and started for Detroit on the 15th day of April, 1817. He passed through Rochester, N. Y., when there were only twenty persons there, and a choice of lots could be had then for $50. Our adventurer was detained at Buffalo some days for the completion of the schooner Michigan, on which he intended to cross Lake Erie. This schooner was the one which was subsequently sent over the Niagara Falls with the wild animals on board. After a three days' passage, he arrived at Detroit, stored his goods with James Abbott, and engaged board at Col. Richard Smith's tavern. He made an effort to see the farming country around Detroit, and for this purpose told Col. Smith, his landlord, to have a horse saddled for him. He mounted this animal and took his course across what was then called the Commons, to a French wood road, followed this till he found himself deep in the mud and water. Tried another and another road and found all the same. He then re- turned to the tavern and asked the Colonel to put him on to a road that would take him into the country. " Where do you want to go?" he inquired. "Out among your farmers, to see what you have got for a back-bone for your city," he replied. "We have got no such bone. You will find nothing in that direction but swamps, wolves, wild cats and Indians. If you want to see our farmers you must go up or down the river." He took his advice and went as far as Hudson's (now Fisher's) on Lake St. Clair, by way of the old stone windmill.
He was invited by Col. Jack Langhan, Paymaster in the United States Army, to go with him and assist in paying off the troops at the River Raisin, now Monroe. They started at 3 o'clock in the morning, Col. Langhan and Col. Dick Smith on horseback and Chauncy S. Payne and the Judge in a one-horse wagon. They crossed the Rouge by swimming the horses and carrying the wagon over in two canoes. In the same way they crossed the Ecorse. The ground over which they passed in the first part of the journey was sandy, and they found no great difficulty until they reached Swan Creek. There they mired their horse and wagon, but after one expedient and another, they extricated themselves from this quagmire. Here night came on, a dark, dreary night, with nothing to amuse or cheer them but the howl of the wolves, which kept up their serenade until nearly daylight. The last part of the way there was a road made by United States troops through a dense forest, free from stumps, but with no bottom to the spongy soil. They arrived at the Raisin about 9 o'clock in the evening.
After four days at the Raisin, they started at 6 o'clock A. M. on their return, and having day- light for the worst part of the way they got along better than when going down, crossing the Ecorse about 9 o'clock in the evening. Half way between that river and the Rouge they found a pack of wolves in the road before them, which opened to the right and left and let the travelers pass, at the same time saluting them with a hideous howl. Payne, badly scared, stuck to the wagon The Judge, having provided himself with a cudgel, posted himself in the hind end of the wagon for defense ; but neither of them was injured. The horse suffered the most from the effects of Payne's whip. They reached Detroit in the wee hours of morning.
Mr. Payne was for many years a citizen of Detroit, associated with one Levi Brown in the silversmith business. Payne married the daughter of Jacob Smith, an Indian trader. Capt. Garland, of the army, married another daughter of Smith. These girls inherited from their father an Indian reserve west of this city. Mr. and Mrs. Payne are both yet living, and able to give a large amount of information and interesting incidents of Indian and pioneer affairs. The traffic of this family with the Indians was carried on mostly through the house of Conrad and Jerry Ten Eyck.
Judge Bunce was married to Laura Ann Duryee, daughter of John T. Duryee, a New York merchant, September 13, 1827. He left for Detroit in November, with his wife and a stock of dry goods. Crossed Lake Erie on steamer Michigan, of which Sherman was master, and Blake, mate. Sold goods at Detroit for one year and then went onto the place where he still lives. They have had eight children, but only three of them are now living. Mrs. Bunce died January 26, 1857, aged fifty- six years. She was a most excellent woman. The following is the pathetic language in which the old man spoke of her death: "She was a woman of rare attainments, possessed of every endowment that constitutes a lady ; refined, amiable, and Christian ; but alas ! she is gone."
Judge Bunce, now eighty-seven years old, moved onto the place where he now lives fifty-seven years ago. In the early days of Michigan, he traveled extensively over the Territory, held public offices, and occupied positions enabling him to take observations of the growth of this common- wealth from its first incipiency. At one time, he says, he knew personally every man who lived in Michigan. " When I first made his acquaintance in 1834," says Rev. Mr. Thompson, " he
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