USA > Ohio > Highland County > A history of the early settlement of Highland County, Ohio > Part 4
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A HISTORY OF HIGHLAND COUNTY, OHIO. 1
fine drove of horses feeding near the ed determined to permit nothing else to In-
terfere."-ED.]
town, and being prepared with salt and halters, succeeded in catching seven of 'In 1782 Col. Crawford Ted a company them. They then dashed off with all of four hundred Pennsylvanians against
speed to the Ohio river, which they the Wyandotte towns. On the 6th of struck near the mouth of Eagle creek, June he met the enemy and suffered a but owing to a hard wind the waves most disastrous defeat. Crawford was were running so high that they could taken prisoner and burned. Gen. G. R. not get the horses to take water, and Clark shortly afterwards led a company were therefore most reluctantly com- of about fifteen hundred Kentnekians pelled to remain on the bank all night against the Indian towns on the Miami, or abandon their prize. which they burned, having killed a large number of Indians and taken thirty or forty prisoners. Four years
The Indians pursued and overtook them the next morning, killed Craw- ford and took Kenton prisoner, while afterwards Col Logan led abont seven Clark made his escape. They stripped hundred men from the neighborhood of Washington, Kentucky, against the Kenton and tied him fast to a wild horse, which they turned loose. After Pickaway towns, to chastise the Indians it had run about, plunging, rearing and for horse-stealing. They crossed the kicking for some time and become sat- Ohio at Limestone, and very probably isfied that it could not get rid of its passed through what is now Highland. burden, it submitted and followed the This expedition succeeded in destroying cavalcade, which, passing from the two towns, killing a nun ber of Indians mouth of Eagle creek to the north and making prisoners of many more. fork of Paint, must have gone through This little army met no further resist- where Winchester now stands in Adams ance in marching through the Indian connty, and Marshall and Rainsboro, in country. They burned four other towns, this county. Kenton also traveled the and destroyed their corn and every- same route with his drove of stolen thing that belonged to them
horses, for which he came near losing
For more than forty years that por- his life at the stake. Fortunately for tion of the North-western Territory. him the celebrated renegade white man, now Ohio, had been traversed and ex- Simon Girty, was at the Indian towns, plored by the hardy and heroic frontier and he and Kenton having been raised boys together, he interposed to save him, and Kenton ultimately returned in their insatiable thirst for the blood to Kentucky.
[NOTE-This account leaves a wrong im- pression on the mind of the reader. It is true that Simon Girty, when he recognized Kenton upon the latter's arrival at the Indian village of Waugheotomoro, did in- terfere in his behalf and had the sentence of death reversed, and for three weeks treated him with uniform kindness, but distant chlefs arriving Girty's influence was of no avail, and again Kenton was condemmed to deatii at the stake, Sandusky being the place fixed upon for the execution. There, how- ever, an Indian Agent named Druyer rescued lilm and conveyed him a prisoner to Detrolt, where he remained from October, 1777, until June, 1775, when he escaped from the British.
"Thus," says a celebrated writer, "terminat- ed one of the most remarkable adventures in the whole range of western history. fatalist would recognize the hand of destiny In every stage of its progress. He was eight times exposed to the gauntiet, three times tied to the stake, and as often thought hlm- self upon the eve of a terrible death
All the sentences passed upon him, whether of mercy or condemnation, seemed to have only been pronounced in one connell to be reversed in another; every friend that Provl- dence raised up in his favor, was immediately followed by some enemy, who unexpectedly Interposed, and turned his short glimpse of sunshine into deeper darkness. For three weeks he was see-sawing between life und death, and during the whole time he was per- feetly passive. No wisdom, or foresight, or exertion could have saved lilm. Fortune fought tris battle from first to last, and seem-
men of Pennsylvania, Virginia and Kentucky. The Indians also, either of the pioneer settlers, or in pursuit of game, were almost constantly, except in the dead of winter traversing the country between the lake and the Ohio.
Occasionally a bold hunter would cautiously penetrate within their
ranges toward the close of autumn, and, after preparing a comfortable camp. remain and trap and hunt until spring. Sometimes small companies of two or more, would occupy the same camp, as it was known that the Indians were also in the habit of thus spending their winters, and not unfrequently. if they discovered an encampment of white hunters and trappers, they would keep a watch on them till they believed they had about got through with their win- ter's sport and collected all their peltry, then surprise their camp, kill the hunt- ers and appropriate the booty.
A story is toll of one Joshna Fleet- hart, of Western Virginia, who was em- ployed by the Ohio Company in Fish as a scout and hunter, in which capacity he had no superior north of the Ohio. At times even, when the Indians were known to be most hostile towards the whites, he would start from the setilo- mont with no companion but his dog,
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A HISTORY OF HIGHLAND COUNTY, OHIO.
and ranging within about twenty miles the canoe, which he launched and floated of an Indian town, would build his camp out safely into the Ohio. and trap and hunt nearly the whole
The first permanent settlement was season. On one occasion this reckless made at Marietta on the 7th day of contempt of danger almost cost him his life. Anxious for a good hunt he took his canoe, rifle, traps and blanket, and
April, 1788. It consisted of forty-eight men under the superintendence of Gen. Rufus Putnam, no less than eleven of without even the companionship of his whom were Revolutionary officers and dog, started late in the fall down the quite a number of the remainder had river to the mouth of the Scioto, up been soldiers in that war. The atten- which he pushed his canoe, till he reach- tion of Gen. Putnam had been turned to ed a point within twenty-five miles of the Ohio Valley by Gen. Washington the Indian town of Chillicothe. Being during those dark and almost hopeless in the midst of the best hunting grounds of the Indians, he fixed his camp and for ten or twelve weeks trapped and hunted in this solitary region unmolest- ed. He hunted the bear on the Brush- creek hills where they were then most
times, while the triumph of the British seemed almost inevitable. Washington some times spoke of the/ West as a place of retreat in case of defeat, and no doubt considered the scheme of independence as feasible if their worst apprehensions abundant, and the beaver in the small should be realized. The next perina- streams that fell into the Scioto. He nent settlement in the present State of met with fine success and lived in most Ohio, was made in what is now Hamil- luxurious style on roasted beaver tails ton county, at the mouth of the Little washed down with bear's oil. Thus Miami, by a party of eighteen men led quietly and pleasantly passed away the by Benjamin Stites, who landed in No- winter, until about the middle of Feb- vember, 1788. At this point they con- ruary. He then began preparations for structed a log fort and laid out the town returning to the settlement, by making of Columbia. The next settlement was up his peltries into packages, which he made at Gallipolis, in 1791. A settle- loaded in his canoe. The day he had
ment was also made by Gen. Massie, at fixed for his departure he was discover- Manchester, the same year, but owing ed and fired upon by Indians, one of to the hostility of the Indians, none whom he killed, and after a long chase were made in the interior for some years he managed to baffle them, and get to after.
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CHAPTER III.
THE HEROIC AGE OF THE WEST-CAPTAIN JAMES TRIMBLE-THE BATTLE AT THE POINT-DANIEL GREATHOUSE AND THE MASSACRE AT BAKERS' BLOCK- HOUSE-ST. CLAIR'S EXPEDITION.
THE heroic age of the West embraces a his widowed mother and family having period of about forty years, between emigrated and settled on Clear Creek at an carly day. Capt. Trimble's history, if detailed, would be a wild and thrilling romance, though differing in uo essential point from that of hundreds of his com- patriots, of adventures and daring enter- prise, as could be well imagined by the present votary of ease, luxury and con- tentment in these "piping times of peace." the breaking out of the last French and Indian war in 1755 and Wayne's trea- ty with the Indians in 1795. Settlements were not commenced in Kentucky, it is true, until ten years after the conquest of the French possessions by the English; but the border lines of Pennsylvania and Virginia were the scenes of almost con- stant warfare, and were thus made the school in which the carly emigrants to Kentucky and Ohio were trained into heroes, unequaled, perhaps, in any age or country. Withont such a develop- ment of courage and hardihood in the early emigrants, Kentucky never could
At the age of 14 years, the quiet and pleasant home of his father, in Augusta county, Virginia, was attacked by a pred- atory band of Indians, led by Dickinson, a half breed. His father, an aged man, was killed and scalped, while himself have been settled. For near twenty-five and sister, Mrs. Mary Estell, and a black years her inhabitants were soldiers, boy were made prisoners. The Indians ready at all times to engage in deadly then, with much plunder, made their strife with the savage foe. Their rifle retreat to the head waters of Kanawha. was their inseparable companion, The half brother to Cant. Trimble, Col. George Motlit, raised a party of twelve or fifteen men and pursued. The party came upon the Indian encampinent by surprise, killed several of the Indians and rescued all the prisoners. One of whether beside their own hearth stone, in their fields at work, or attending preaching on Sunday. Their constant and untiring enemy was ever lurking about and dogging their steps on all occasions, and forced them to become the party, a Mr. Russel, was shot two more of the soldier than citizen. Many days afterwards by Dickinson, who had of them were carried into captivity, not followed their trail, and picked him off only from Kentucky but from Virginia, while loitering behind. He got into and after untold sufferings escaped and camp, however, and was carried home became again the bold and manly de- on a litter, where he recovered. This fenders of their friends and homes. occurred about the year 1770.
Many of these border warriors and dar-
These frequent massacres and depre- ing Indian hunters became citizens of dations by the Indians upon the settlers Ohio and Highland when the first settle- of Western Virginia, called for vengeance, ments were made; and many of them and Goy. Dunmore organized a strong had been soldiers and heroes in the Rev- military force for an expedition against olution ; while those of the first settlers the Ohio tribes.
who had neither been revolutionary soldiers nor border soldiers, were their children and descendants, worthy, when necessity called them to act, the names they bore.
One of the early adventurers and ex- plorers of our State was Captain James Trimble, of Woodford county, Kentucky, whither he had emigrated from Augusta county, Virginia, in 1783. Many of his descendants are now living in Highland; his eldest son, Gov. Allen Trimble, with
[NOTE .- This was not the cause of the war. From the peace made with the Indians by Sir William Johnston, at the German Flotts. on the Mohawk river, In fol, until the spring of 1771, there was no Indian Waron the Oblo river. On the With of April, 1774 Captain Cresap, nt the head of a party of men, at Wheeling, Virginia, heard of two Indians and some of their families being up the river hunting, not many milles off; Creshp and his party followed them, and killed them. with- out provocation, in cold blood and In profound peace! After committing these murders, on their return to Wheeling that night, In their bloody canoes, they heard of an Indian en- campment down the river, at the month of
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A HISTORY OF HIGHILAND COUNTY, OHIO.
Captina creek, and immediately went, at- rive in time for the battle. tacked and murdered all these Indians. After these unprovoked and cruel murders, a party under Daniel Greathouse, forty-seven in number, we believe, ascended the river above Wheeling, about forty miles, to Baker's station, which was opposite the mouth of Great Yellow creek. There, keeping his men out of the sight of the Indians, Captain Great- house went over the river to reconnoitre the ground, and to ascertain how many Indians were there. He fell in with an Indian woman, who advised him not to stay among them, as the Indians were drinking and angry. On receiving this friendly advice, he returned over to Baker's block house, and he induced the persons at the station to entice over all the Indians they could that day and get them drunk. This diabolical stratagem succeeded, many of the Indians came over, got drunk, and were slain by the party of Greathouse. Hearing the guns, two Indians came over to Baker's to see what the firing of the guns meant. These were slain as soon as they landed. By this time the Indians at their camp, suspecting what was going on at Baker's, sent over an armed force, but these were fired upon while on the river, and several of them killed. The survivors were compelled to return to their encampment. A firing of guns then commenced across the river, but not one of the whites was even wounded. Among the murdered was the woman who gave the captain the friendly advice; and they were all scalped who were slain. Among the murdered at Captina and Yellow creek, was the entire family of Logan, the friend of the whites. Knowing that these cruel and unprovoked murders would be speedily avenged by the Indians, all the whites along the whole western frontier eith- er left the country instantly, or retired into their block houses and forts. An express was sent to the Governor of Virginia at Williams- burgh, the seat of government, to inform him what liad happened. The colonial legislature was in session, and means was immediate- ly used to commence a campaign against the Indians, and penetrate into the heart of their country on the Scioto river.
This cruel and unprovoked barbarity on the part of the whites drove Logan, who had been a friend of the whites, to war, and it was on the occasion of the Council near Circleville that Logan prepared his celebrat- ed speech, which was delivered by proxy to Lord Dunmore. There is a tradition that Come listen to a soldier's tale of a battle fierce and sore, Daniel Greathouse was afterward captured by the Indians when descending the Ohio, That was fought with Cornstalk and his and tortured to death, with all the barbarity braves on wild Kanawha's shore. which the devilish ingenuity of the savages "Twas near the point of meeting with Ohio's placid stream, could conceive of, as a punishment for his part in this bloody slaughter. Some of his de- scendants still live in this county .- ED.]
Gen. Andrew Lewis had command of the troops from Augusta and Rockbridge counties and moved in a direct route for the mouth of the great Kanawha, while the Governor with a detachment of troops from Lower Virginia and Penn- sylvania pursued on through the valley of Cheat river and the little Kanawha, to unite with Lewis at the "Point," now Point Pleasant. In Gen Lewis' detach- ment was found young Trimble-four years after his captivity by the Indians -burning to avenge the cruel death of his father. The company to which he belonged was commanded by Captain, afterwards Gen. George Mathews. The division under Lewis reached the point of rendezvous, but Dunmore did not ar-
On the 10th day of October, 1774, the Indians having crossed the river about two miles above the Point, silently and unobserved, passed down until they were within a few hundred yards of the encampment, before they were discover- ed by two men who had started out for an early hunt. The attack was immedi- ately made by a formidable Indian band of upwards of twelve hundred warriors led by Logan and Cornstalk, and contin- ued without cessation until the darkness of night obscured the hard contested field. Alternately through the day victory seemed to perch upon the tow- ering form of Logan, whose manly, heroic voice could be heard amidst the din of battle, urging his men to the fight. The whites fought with desperation; often driven into their encampment, and there rallying, would press the foe to the verge of the river hill. This was doubtless the most sanguinary battle ever fought with the Indians on the continent, and was fatal to many a gal- lant youth of Lewis' brigade. The whites finally repulsed the brave and determined enemy and drove them across the river with a loss on both sides of more than a third of all engaged, in killed, besides a large number wounded. The Indians made good their retreat to their towns on the Scioto and Musking- um.
[NOTE -- John A. Trimble, a son of the Capt. James Trimble above referred to, who died at an advanced age in 1885, wrote a poem on this battle, which is thought worth preserv- ing in this connection, written as it was by one of Highland County's most respected cit- izens, and a son of a participant in the battle.]
This famous conflict happened, the burthen of my theme.
It was a fearful battle, where Virginia blood did flow,
Among her gallant soldiers, with a savage Indian foe.
Where Cornstalk, leagued with Girty, from forest and fron fen,
Lay close in ambush to surprise brave Lewis and his men,
Who from Augusta county came, and men from Botetourt,
With Rockbridge ready riflemen, in conflict sore and hot.
Our leaders all were brave and true as lions in a fight,
And each was noted far and near, and each a fearless knight.
There stood the brothers Lewis, on fame's memorial roll,
Whose courage and whose chivalry enshrines the patriot soul ;
The one was chief commander, the younger led the way
Where deeds of valor were performed that fam'd October day.
3 1833 02410 7044
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A HISTORY OF HIGHLAND COUNTY, OHIO.
Our march led through the forest, mildst perils Of man's Inherent freedom, and his manhood, everywhere, to ignore
Of lurking foes in front and rear, whose eun- The folltes of past ages, and the light of truth ning was a snare restore.
Awaiting us at every step, as our chief was This mission eame to Jefferson and his col- well aware. leagues to perforni,
Yet through the winding labyrinth of moun- For Patrick Henry to enthuse, and fearless of
the storm
Brave Lewis led his rangers on, of full twelve Of coming Revolution, that held the world tain pass and glen,
hundred men.
amazed.
And yet with all his praetie'd skill the crafty At which all tyrants trem bled, and their pris- Indlan lay on walls were razed.
Close in am bush, to surprise our campat open- His eloquence of words and inten gave out Ing day. finpass'n'd power,
Our bivouae was near the point where two To move the souls of patriots in that Imperil- great rivers met, ed hour.
And all was safe within our lines when even- And when their work was finished and the ing sun was set. people's eause was won,
It was on the tenth October, and th' Indian The glory of their fame was crown'd in the summer's haze
Had tinged the forest leaves around with Autumn's mellow rays.
White peacefully each soldler slept, with picket guards around
Our lone eneampment, soon to be a fearful battle ground.
Quick, rallying at a signal gun, that eehoed the alarm,
And loud the calls of Captains rang for every man to arm.
Then cach, surprised, the danger spurned, and grasped his riffe true,
And rallying where the danger pressed, re- solved to die or do.
First feil our noble Colonel, Charles Lewis- none more brave-
And by his side Hugh Allen lay, to fill a hero's grave ;
While Fleming, leading bravely on through- out the raging fight,
Was borne by comrades from the field as day was closed in night.
There Moffit, Christem, Matthews led, with stern Mcclanahan,
All Captains of renown that day, as ehlefs of Scottish clan.
And loud the yells of savage rose, as fleree each warrior eame
Face to face with gallant men of tried and dauntless fame.
Their noted ehleftaln's elarion shout, "Be brave and fight like men !"
Was echoed through the battle's din from for- est and from glen.
From early dawn to latest eve the conflict was full sore,
And when the fearful work was done four hundred men or more
Lay pale In death, to find a grave on that far distant shore.
O, there were tears of sorrow there, where friends and brothers bled,
And many a heart with anguish throb'd while gazing on the dead.
Here oft the father closed the eye of fondly cherished son,
To feel the one consoling thought, "A patriot's duty done."
For country, not for fame, they fought, and honored be the name
Of each of those twelve hundred men who from the valley came.
They raffled at their country's call to face a lurking foe,
(White Dunmore's treachery had designed their secret overthrow.)
Stern vengeance tiren was braving to crush oppression's laws,
And patriots fast were gathering to assert the people's cause.
For this herole battle was a prelude to the storm
That gave new light to freemen, and to free- dom's laws a form,
When the genlus of our statesmen and their patriot worth wns shown,
That flui'd the page of history with a sefence then unknown,
matchless Washington.
After this Gov. Dunmore determined to leave a blockhouse at the Point, and penetrate into the interior and force the Indians into another battle or bring them to terms. He arrived at the Pick- away Plains and encamped for a num- ber of days, sending out detached parties to collect information in regard to the strong holdsof the enemy. In thisexpedi- tion was also Capt. Trimble, then a youth of eighteen years, when he first saw and admired the beautiful Valley of the Scioto, and as one of the spies or scouts of Lord Dunmore's army, he advanced as far West as the present county of Highland. But Kentucky was first to be conquered, and ten years afterwards he was among the early pioneers who fought their way from Cumberland,Gap to Bryan's station, now Lexington. In this new theatre of action he took a prominent part in defending the infant settlers, and when Wayne's victory re- stored peace to the West, he determined to revisit Ohio, and in company with Col. Dunlap, he examined the lands of Highland, Ross and Scioto as early as 1796, and made selections of several tracts which he afterwards located and surveyed.
All efforts to check, either by negotia- tion or pursuit, the depredations of the Indians on the frontier settlements of Kentucky, Virginia and Pennsylvania, having failed, the Government of the United States, then under the direction of Washington, who had employed every means in his power to induce the Indians to live in friendship with their white neighbors, determined to send out a force which, if properly directed, would compel them to cease their predatory warfare upon the peaceable settlers. The command of this expedition was conferred upon Gen. Harmer, a popular soldier of the revolution. A requisition was made on Kentucky and Western Pennsylvania for volunteers, which was promptly responded to. The troops as- sembled at Fort Washington-now Cin-
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A HISTORY OF HIGHLAND COUNTY, OHIO.
cinnati-and numbered about thirteen try on the 3d day of November, 1790, hundred. They marched in September, and halted on what is now the line be- 1790. This expedition did some hard tween Darke and Mercer counties, in- fighting, destroyed some towns, corn, &c., tending to throw up some slight protec- belonging to the Indians, but on the tion for the safety of the baggage, and whole it was a failure. The hostility of await the return of the regiment recent- the Indians remained unchecked, and ly dispatched to arrest a party of desert- the Government found it absolutely ers. On the following morning, how- necessary to send out another and ever, about half an hour before sunrise, stronger army as speedily as possible. the encampment was attacked with great This army, consisting of near three fury by the whole available force of all thousand men, regulars and volunteers, the north-west tribes, and the most dis- was commanded by Gov. St. Clair in astrous defeat in the annals of Indian person, and reached the enemy's coun- warfare followed.
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CHAPTER IV.
SOME OF THE ADVENTURES OF DUNCAN MCARTHUR AND SAMUEL DAVIS-TIIE CAPTURE AND ESCAPE OF ISRAEL DONALSON-UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS OF THOMAS BEALS TO REACHI THIS COUNTY FROM NORTH CAROLINA-TIIE BURNING OF JAMES HORTON AND JOIN BRANSON-SIMON KENTON PUR- SUES A PARTY OF SHAWNEES THROUGH THE COUNTY.
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