Centennial History of Butler County, Ohio, Part 15

Author: Bert S. Bartlow, W. H. Todhunter, Stephen D. Cone, Joseph J. Pater, Frederick Schneider, and others
Publication date: 1905
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1149

USA > Ohio > Butler County > Centennial History of Butler County, Ohio > Part 15

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FORT HAMILTON. ( From a painting by George W. White.)

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BUTLER COUNTY, OHIO.

men. These logs were then butted. that they might be placed firm and upright in the trench, with ax or saw. Some hewing was necessary for some trees not perfectly straight, and when stood upright their sides had to be made to come together. A thin piece of timber called a ribbon was run around it all, near the top of the pickets. to which every one was pinned with a strong pin. The earth was returned to the trenches and well packed, to keep the pickets firm. On the outside. about three feet distant, a trench was dug to carry off the water and prevent the removal of pickets by rain.

About two thousand pickets were set upon the inside, one between every two of the others. The work was then enclosed. The fort was built on the first bank east of the Miami river.

But there was another bank where the courthouse now stands, and used by the garrison for a graveyard; that was much higher. within point blank shot. which ren- dered it necessary to make the pickets on the landside higher. sufficient to prevent the enemy from seeing into the area of the fort. There were four bastions or block houses erected. one on the river front and three on the landside. In the one at the southeast corner, and the one at the southwest cor- ner a platform was set, made of trunks of trees, and a cannon placed in each. They were thus enabled to cover the land on the east and command the fort on the west. Planks were sawed for the platforms and the gate which opened to the fort. The fort was at what is now the foot of Ross and Court streets.

A barracks was built in like manner for one hundred men, a guard room, two store houses for provisions and a magazine, and

all this was done in two weeks. It was named Fort Hamilton, in honor of Alexander Hamilton, who was then secretary of the treasury in Washington's cabinet.

General St. Clair's army being defeated on November 4th, near Greenville, Darke county, they retreated to Fort Hamilton. with a loss of over six hundred men, includ- ing General Butler and Colonel Darke and a number of women, wives of officers, who accompanied the army and dared to suffer the hardships of this perilous campaign. Captain Armstrong had been left in com- mand at Fort Hamilton, and most of the fortifications and interior buildings were erected under his superintendency, and the wounded were here provided for until they could reach their homes. A portion of the garrison was sent out at once to hunt and assist the wounded who were unable to reach the fort. General St. Clair, feeling the odium resting upon him, resigned January 8. 1792. although congress, upon investigation, had relieved him of any blame. General Wil- kison was appointed to succeed him.

On the 28th of January. General Wilkin- son, with two hundred regulars and two companies of militia, left Fort Washington for the battlefield to bury the dead and re- cover what he could of artillery. tenting and supplies. John Reily was one of these, so also William Henry Harrison, then an en. sign in the regular army and later President of the United States.

They arrived at Fort Hamilton next day, crossed the river at this point, and followed the trace road cut through the forest by Gen- eral St. Clair's army, evidences of which can yet be seen.

They returned on February 5th, having recovered seventy-eight bodies and one piece

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of artillery. General Wilkinson ordered Cap- tain Armstrong to have another flatboat built with utmost despatch, to facilitate transportation of men and horses across the river. On the 15th of March he was here again, but left next day to establish an inter- mediate fort between Fort Hamilton and Jefferson. This became a matter of cx- treme necessity in order to shorten the dis- tance for the men, who, upon swift horses, carried dispatches from one fort to another, and known as the "express." The express was always considered a matter of great peril and many a gallant soldier lost his life serving in that way.

Fort Hamilton at this time was in a per- fect state of defense. On the 17th of March they began the digging of a well, which is still in existence, situated on Water street, about fifty feet south of High, and for years known as Sohn's well.

At this well often appeared General St. Clair, General Wayne, General Wilkinson. and Lieutenant William H. Harrison, later General Harrison. On the 19th of March General Wilkinson sent word to Captain Armstrong that he had succeeded in estab- lishing a fort twenty-five miles north of Fort Hamilton and named it Fort St. Clair. He furthermore ordered Captain Armstrong that when Captain Elliott came up the river with supplies of provisions for Fort St. Clair. to detail a sergeant and twelve men to meet him at Dunlap Station and act as an escort. He was also instructed to build houses for one thousand barrels of provis- ions for the fort.

On the 26th of April Captain Armstrong informed General Wilkinson that the enemy was lurking in the neighborhood and again, on May Ist. that James McDonald, whom

he had sent to Fort Washington with de- spatches a week ago, had not returned and he feared that he had been captured or killed by the Indians. On the 6th an escort from Fort Washington, with provisions consisting of a drove of bullocks, arrived at the fort destined for Fort St. Clair. Indians were again seen on the west side of the river for several days. Captain Armstrong detached Lieutenant Gaines with twenty men five miles on the road to Fort St. Clair with di- rection to re-cross Four-Mile. then Joseph creek, and form an ambuscade until the party with provisions had passed.

Express (Sergeant Brooks) arrived on the 9th from Fort St. Clair. He reported seeing an Indian a half mile north and upon the Indian discovering him he gave a yell and four others appeared. A raft, on which three or four might have crossed the river. floated by the fort in the afternoon, and the horse on which McDonald was sent on the 23d of April, returned without its rider to this post : the rider. therefore, must have been slain by the Indians. On May 11th two experienced woodmen. Reason Bailey and Joseph Shepherd, were added to this post and two to each of the other for the purpose of reconnoitering and scouting. An order was also issued by General Wilkinson, awarding twenty dollars for the apprehen- sion of a deserter and if found making for the enemy, he is to be shot and his head brought in and set on a post on parade day.

June 28th Genera! Wilkinson visited the fort again. The garrison were fearing an at- tack any day by the Indians. On the 27th of July Captain Peters. with his company and six wagons, arrived as reinforcements. The savages were becoming bolder and bolder as the days passed, and the hardy

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frontiersmen fled in terror to the fort. On the 15th of November a soldier was -fired upon at this post and an attempt made to steal the cattle by removing some pickets. In December Captain Armstrong resigned his command of Fort Hamilton and Major Michael Rudolph succeeded him. He ar- rived on the roth, with three companies of light dragoons, one of riflemen and one of in- fantry reinforcements to the post.

The depredations of the Indians were be- coming more and more frequent. A general alarm seized the pioneers, whose exposed sit- uation was inviting conflagration, massacre and untold cruelties at the hand of the re- vengeful savages. Scarcely a week passed but what the incendiary blazing faggot, the deadly rifle, the murderous tomahawk, had been wielded by the stealthy, unpitying, vin- dictive savage.

The government, however, took prompt action and proceeded to inaugurate vigorous and effective measures, looking to the early, adequate and permanent support and secu- rity of the frontier. President Washington appointed General Wayne as commander-in- chief, and ordered him to raise an army of five thousand men to the end that everlast- ing tranquility might be established in the Miami country.

General Wayne began recruiting at once, December, 1792. April 20, 1793. he moved his legion from winter quarters to Fort Washington and in a few days visited Fort Hamilton, having heard of the cruel treat- ment of seven deserters of Rudolph's com- mand, and, although General Wayne was considered a most stern and arbitrary officer, he was so displeased with Major Rudolph's cruelty that he gave him the choice of re- signing or being cashiered. He resigned and left for his home in Virginia.

The circumstances connected with the desertion of seven of Rudolph's soldiers was most distressing. Smarting under Ru- dolph's cruelty, they deserted early in March of this year. They were captured near the falls of the Ohio, whence they had gone in a canoe, and returned to Fort Hamilton. Major Rudolph sentenced two to be put in irons, two to run a gauntlet and three to be hanged, namely Bliss, Brown and Galla- gher. They lie buried in the southwest end of the fort where the gallows stood and near where the United Presbyterian church now stands. The depredation of the Indians con- tinued unabated. In June of this year A. W. Prior, business partner of John Reily, in company with two others, set out on a trip to convey provisions from Fort Wash- ington to Fort Hamilton. They encamped for the night at Pleasant run, six miles be- low the fort. The Indians fired on them, killed Prior, the other two making their es- cape to Fort Hamilton.

They charged upon the Indians and made them retreat, but lost eight men. October 15th. Lieutenant Lowry, with ninety men, was attacked by a party of Indians and de- feated. with a loss of fifteen men and sev- enty horses, carried away. Late in Decem- ber an express on his way to Fort Hamilton from Fort Washington was waylaid near Symmes Corner. The Indian was concealed behind a forked oak, near the ministerial corner.

In the spring of 1794 Colonel Robert Elliott, contractor for supplies to the United States army, on his way to Fort Hamilton was waylaid and killed near the county line at the Big Hill. The servant made his es- cape, riding at full speed, Elliott's horse fol- lowing, arriving at Fort Hamilton safe.

The Colonel wore a wig and the Indian,

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in his haste to scalp him, tore it off, to his utter astonishment. The next day a party left Fort Hamilton with a coffin and the ser- vant with him to the scene, and secured Elli- ott's body. After traveling a mile or so they were again attacked, the servant killed, and the others fled. The Indians broke open the coffin. thereupon the soldiers ral- lied, retook the body and proceeded on their journey. Early in July, 1794, a soldier was despatched to Fort Jefferson as an express from this post. He was toma- hawked and scalped near Two-Mile, not far from Delorac's house, where Blum's shop is .now located. Although in sight of the fort, they knew nothing of it until informed by Col. Matthew Huston, who the previous night lodged in the camp nine miles above and came to the fort next morning. He said: "The Indians were concealed on the side of the road in a bush and sprang upon their victim as he passed." Early in No- vember following an escort of dragoons, who were guarding a party taking provi- sions from Fort Washington to Fort Ham- ilton, were attacked at the Big Hill at Pleas- ant run, eight men were killed, and a num- ber wounded. The Indians burned the corn and carried away the horses.

Several days later the Indians killed and scalped two pack horsemen near Bloody Run on their way to Fort Hamilton, two of the wagoners escaping. On December 8th pack horsemen on their way from Fort Hamilton to Fort St. Clair encamped for the night near Seven-Mile on the west side of the creek. Early next morning they were fired upon by the Indians. Seven were killed and one es- caped to Fort Hamilton. A party of sol- diers went next day to bury the dead.

General Wayne. in July, 1792. visited

Fort Hamilton and had an addition built to the fort on the north side. Artificers' shops and stalls for horses of the dragoons were erected on the west side of the addition and barracks for the men.

On the 8th of September General Wayne, with his army, left Fort Washing- ton and marched to Fort Hamilton. Octo- ber 7th General Wayne took up his line of march to the north, leaving Major John Cass in charge of Fort Hamilton. He took a dif- ferent route from what General St. Clair did, in order to take the Indians off their guard, and crossed the Miami at what is now known as Old river.

The river having changed its course dur- ing the flood of 1805. he arrived at the St. Clair battlefield December 25th. erected a fort and named it Fort Recovery. General Wayne, during the winter, tried to treat for peace with the Indians, but they, having been promised British aid, were defiant. He had sent Christian Miller, who had been natur- alized by the Shawnees, as a messenger of peace, but the olive branch was rejected. He therefore made arrangements for the final blow. On the 20th of August, 1794, the decisive blow was struck, known as "The Battle of Fallen Timbers." The Indians were commanded by Blue Jacket. the Shaw- nee chief. The charge of Mad Anthony's troop. with their glistening bayonets, was complete. The Indians fled in dismay. The Canadians and English were their allies, and the woods were full of them, dead and wounded.

General Wayne's loss was thirty-three killed and one hundred wounded. General conflagration and devastation of the Indian village marked the track of the return of the victorious army. They arrived at Fort

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Hamilton October 18th, the Kentucky vol- unteers preceding them several days. The major part entered winter quarters at Fort Greenville. The year 1795 came with fair prospects that the white-winged messenger of peace would hereafter hover over the Mi- ami valley.

Major Jonathan Cass was still com- mander of Fort Hamilton. Judge Symmes and his associate. Jonathan Dayton, had re- ceived his patent for 248.540 acres of land, and Israel Ludlow had surveyed it. Darious F. Orcutt. a soldier of St. Clair's and Wayne's army, who shortly before married Sallie McHenry, the second marriage at this post, erected the first log cabin beyond the confines of the fort at the north end. It stood there and was inhabited as late as 1865.

Jonathan Dayton sold to Israel Ludlow the site and surroundings of Fort Hamilton, who thereupon appointed D. C. Orcutt to lay out a contract with purchasers. Among these were John Greer, Isaac Wiles, Benja- min Randolph and John Torrence. In' June Wayne's volunteer army was disbanded and quite a number of officers and men came to Fort Hamilton for their permanent abode. Numbers purchased lots and began to build. John Torrence built a house near the north- west corner of the fort, which still stands, and opened a tavern, the hotel of that day.

August 3d the treaty of peace was signed between the United States, represented by General Wayne, and the twelve tribes of In- dians, represented by their respective chiefs. John Sutherland, who had been a pack horse- man in St. Clair and Wayne's campaign, set- tled here in the spring and opened a store just beyond the north end of the fort in the house where Mrs. Belle McNeely now lives.

General Wayne ordered Fort Hamilton to be vacated in the fall of this year. The public property and stores were sold at auc- tion and the fort abandoned.

Archibald Tolbert built the first log cabin on the west side of the Miami near the cor- ner of Park avenue and B street and estab- lished a ferry, and a few years later Isaac Falconer, father of the late Dr. Cyrus Fal- coner, erected a building and opened the first public house.

The two-story house built by General Wilkison for the accommodation of the offi- cers, together with the stables just north, were sold to William McClellan, who opened a tavern in it, and at the organization of the county it was used as a clerk's office, office of the common pleas and supreme judges, treasurer, coroner, surveyor and postoffice. The clerk's desk used in this building was later purchased by Jesse Corwin and is now in possession of Dr. Miller. John Reily was the first postmaster. It was the rendezvous of the picked men of the town, the head- quarters where the best society spent their evenings and leisure hours.

The court was held in one of the build- ings of the fort, formerly used as a mess room and occupied as such until 1810. The following year the Rev. W. G. Wallace opened a school in the building, and also organized a Presbyterian church.

All the buildings of the fort were con- structed of sound hickory logs, with the bark peeled off. except the magazine, a build- ing about fifteen feet square, constructed of heavy logs, hewed square and laid close to- gether, having a hipped roof and a blue ball on top. In 1803 the magazine was con- verted into a jail. The door was of heavy two-inch oak plank and driven full of spikes

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and nails; with a hole in the center in the shape of a half moon for the admission of light, air and food for the occupants. It was fastened with an iron hasp and padlock on the outside.

The old soldiers of St. Clair and Wayne, residents of Hamilton and vicinity, formed themselves into military companies. When- ever there were any prisoners in the jail a detachment of ten or twelve of one of these companies would be employed by the county commissioners to guard the prison. John Wingate was captain of one of these com- panies, James Blackburn another, and John Gray another. April 8th Captain Gray was paid fourteen dollars for himself and ten privates of his company for guarding the jail in January. On June 10th Captain Win- gate received twenty-seven dollars and sev- enty-five cents for himself and company, and

Captain Blackburn received six dollars and eighty-five cents for the same for his com- pany. In later years this building was used as a school house.

One of the pupils of this school, Mrs. Jane Skinner, is still with us. The building stood near where the United Presbyterian church now stands, but was later moved farther south on a line with Water street, upon ground sold by Israel Ludlow to John Greer in 1796, and has passed down to us in the following succession : In 1823. John Greer to C. K. Smith : in 1836, C. K. Smith to Peter Jacobs, Sr. ; in 1883, Fred Jacobs, administrator of Peter Jacobs, Sr., to Thomas Millikin; 1901, administrator of Thomas Millikin to O. M. Bake, whose pa- triotic nature prompted him to present the building to the John Reily Chapter, Daugh- ters of the American Revolution.

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CHAPTER IV

PROGRESS AND DEVELOPMENT .- PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND PROPERTIES.

THE FIRST COURT HOUSES.

The first terms of court held in Butler county were at the house of John Torrence. who kept tavern at the corner of Dayton and Water streets. in Hamilton. This old house is still standing, and is now occupied as a boarding house and saloon. It has the distinction of having been utilized as the first court house within the county of Butler. Here. on Tuesday. July 12. 1803. the first term of court of common pleas of Butler county commenced, and on October 11, the same year, the first term of the supreme court of Butler county was held. There- after the sessions of the courts were held in one of the old buildings of the garrison. which had been erected for a store room. or mess-room. for the officers of the army. It stood near the old market house on what is now called High street, near the east end of the High and Main street bridge. It was a frame building. about forty feet long by twenty wide. one story high and roughly weather boarded, without either fill- ing in or plastering. It was set upon blocks,

three feet high from the ground, affording underneath an admirable shelter for the hogs and sheep of the village, an opportunity not neglected by these animals. The judges' seat was a rough platform of unplaned boards, erected at the north end of the house, a long table. similar to a carpenter's work bench in front. at which the bar was accommodated with benches for seats. The remaining space was occupied by suitors, witnesses and spectators. In this building the sittings of the courts were held until 1810. when

a stone building. designed for a jail. was erected on the south side of the public square, and the upper portion of this was finished and appropriated for a court house. and the courts were held here from 1810 un- til 1817, when the court house, torn away in 1884 to make way for the present build- ing, was erected.

BUTLER COUNTY'S FIRST JAIL.

The court at the July term in 1803 as- signed the building which had been occu- pied by the army of the United States as a magazine, for a county jail. This building

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is still in existence, and was purchased from the late Thomas Millikin by O. M. Bake, cashier of the Miami Valley National Bank, and presented by him to the John Reily Chapter. Daughters of the American Revo- lution, and is now located on the city lot at the foot of High street, near the bridge. It originally stood on the south angle of the garrison plat. south of where the United Presbyterian church now stands. It was a building about twelve feet square. made of large logs hewed square and laid close to- gether, with a floor and ceiling of logs. hewed and put together the same as the sides. The roof was hipped on all four sides, coming to a point in the center, and this was surmounted with a round ball of wood. The door was made of thick oak plank. doubled. and was driven full of spikes or nails. In the center of the door was an aperture, in the shape of a half moon, for the admission of light and air. and large enough to admit a plate of provisions for the occupants within. On the outside it was fastened with a hasp and padlock. Such was the place then converted into a prison for the confinement of the transgres- sors of the laws of the state. Standing iso- lated. it was, of course, very insecure and es- capes were almost as frequent as commit- ments.

A case of this kind occurs to recollec- tion. In the year 1808 two persons were confined in this jail, one of them named Henry Wason, a wild, drinking Irishman, who had been committed for some disorderly conduct or trivial breach of the peace. Hav- ing by some means procured a stone, he commenced beating against the door, and finally, putting his arm out the hole in the door, beat off the padlock and came out, leaving the other prisoner chained to the

floor. He went directly to the clerk's office, which was a few rods distant, and told the clerk to inform the sheriff that "he had bet- ter look after that d-d horsethief who was in jail, for he was determined not to stay any longer in such company," and he accordingly went to his home. No further notice was taken of his escape.

This old magazine continued to be used as the county jail from 1803 until the be- ginning of 1809 when the stone jail on the south side of the public square was com- pleted.

The clerk's office was kept in a small log house, standing without the line of the pick- ets of the fort, which had been erected for a sutler's shop or store house by some trader attached to the garrison. It stood on lot No. 66, a few rods south of where the United Presbyterian church now stands. It was about twenty feet by eighteen, two stories high, with a porch in front, on the alley. In this building the offices of the clerk of the court of common pleas, clerk of the supreme court. commissioners' office, recorder's of- fice and postoffice were kept from the time the county was organized until some time in the year 1809. Here, in court times, when the court was not in session, assembled the judges, lawyers and the elite of ,the county. It was, in fact. headquarters where the best society met to spend leisure hours and entertain themselves with conversation.

In 1809 the clerk's office was removed to the south room of John Reily's dwelling house. where it remained until the brick of- ces were built, in the public square, in the year 1821.

THE SECOND JAIL.

On the 18th day of July, 1803, soon after the seat of justice for the county of Butler

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BUTI,ER COUNTY'S FIRST COURT HOUSE. 1803.

BUTLER COUNTY'S SECOND COURT HOUSE. Erected 1816; Remodeled 1837; Torn Down for Erection of Present One 1885.

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was established at Hamilton, a subscription paper was drawn up and put in circulation, for the purpose of aiding the county to erect public buildings. It was numerously sub- scribed by citizens of the county, and others having an interest in the prosperity of the town. Subscriptions were received in "money, whiskey or grain, stone, lime, brick, timber, mechanical work, labor and haul- ing."

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Centennial History of Butler County, Ohio, Part 15

Author: Bert S. Bartlow, W. H. Todhunter, Stephen D. Cone, Joseph J. Pater, Frederick Schneider, and others Publication date: 1905 Publisher: Number of Pages: 1149

Author: Bert S. Bartlow, W. H. Todhunter, Stephen D. Cone, Joseph J. Pater, Frederick Schneider, and others
Publication date: 1905
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1149