USA > Ohio > Belmont County > Centennial history of Belmont County, Ohio, and representative citizens > Part 2
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CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF BELMONT COUNTY,
"On the 27th of August, 1776, young Kirkwood received his first baptism of fire in the disastrous battle of Long Island, where he showed conspicuous gallantry. The loss of his regiment in this battle amounted to 33 killed, including two officers.
"The next general battle in which he was engaged was that of White Plains, followed by that of Trenton, which latter occurred on Christmas day, 1776, where the British loss in killed, wounded and missing amounted to 900 men. Nine days after this occurred the battle of Princeton, where the colonel of his regiment was killed.
"Under a resolution of Congress, the quota of the State of Delaware was fixed at one battalion consisting of 800 men. The regiment known as Haslet's regiment was never re-organized after the battle of Prince- ton.
"Of this new regiment, Capt. David Hall, who had been an officer in the disbanded regiment commanded by Haslet, became the colonel, and Lieutenant Kirkwood became a captain, and his company was mustered into the service on the first day of Decem- ber, 1776. The regiment joined Washing- ton's army in the Jerseys in the spring of 1777, and in September of the same year they were engaged in the battle of Brandy- wine, and in October following in the battle of Germantown, also in that of Monmouth. "In 1778 and 1779 they were actively en- gaged in operations in the Middle States.
"In April, 1780, his regiment together with the Maryland troops was ordered south, and were assigned to the command of Baron De Kalb. The following description of the appearance of these troops, as they passed through Philadelphia on this march, is taken from the letter of a lady who was a witness of the same, and was written at the time:
"'What an Army, said both Whig and Tory as they saw them. The shorter men of each company in the front rank, the taller men behind them, some in hunting shirts, some in uniforms, some in common clothes, some with their hats cocked, and some with-
out, and those who did cock them not all wearing them the same way, but each man with a green sprig emblem of hope in his hat, and each bearing his firelock with what, even to uninstructed eyes, had the air of skillful training.'
"The first battle in the South in which Kirkwood's regiment was engaged was that of Camden into which it went 500 strong, and came out with only 148. In this battle his regiment was placed in the front division as were the Marylanders. They maintained their position with noble intrepidity until the retreat was ordered, undismayed by the conduct of the panic-stricken condition of the Virginia and North Carolina militia. Both the colonel and major of his regiment were taken prisoners and sent to Charleston, South Carolina, where they were paroled, but never exchanged.
"After this battle the Delaware regiment was reduced to less than two companies. This shattered remnant was placed under command of Captain Kirkwood as senior captain, who commanded it until the close of the war. De Kalb with his dying breath showered benedictions on the brave men for their stern courage and unflinching gallantry in the fierce tide of battle, and even Corn- wallis, Rawdon and the bitter and cruel Tar- leton praised their constancy and valor.
"It was at the battle of Cowpens with the aid of cavalry that Kirkwood's command saved the day. He relied much upon the use of the bayonet and amid the roar of the battle he would shout in stentorian tones, 'Give them the bayonet, boys!' An eye wit- ness of this last mentioned fight wrote as fol- lows: 'Capt. Robert Kirkwood's heroic valor and uncommon and undaunted bravery must needs be recorded in history through the coming years!'
"At the second action at Camden, which terminated unfavorably to the Americans, Kirkwood and his command showed the same indomitable spirit which characterized them in all previous encounters. General Greene, who succeeded to the command
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after the death of the lamented De Kalb, said: 'The extraordinary exertions of the cavalry, the gallant behavior of the light in- fantry commanded by Captain Kirkwood, and the firmness of the pickets, rendering the advantage expensive to the enemy, highly merit the approbation of the general and the imitation of the rest of the troops.' Also in his report to the President of Congress after the battle of Eutaw Springs, General Greene speaks in highly laudatory terms of Captain Kirkwood and his command. The battle of Guilford Court House, Waxhan and Ninety-Six were all scenes of his heroic fortitude and matchless bravery.
"Wherever danger called or disaster threat- ened, there Kirkwood and his little band of faithful Delawareans were stationed. The bat- tle of Eutaw Springs was the last in which Kirkwood and his command participated and this was virtually the end of the war, as Cornwallis had surrendered and there was but little, if any, fighting afterwards. On the 29th of October, 1781, a resolution of thanks was passed by Congress in which the services of the Delaware battalion were specially recognized.
"The State of Virginia recognized and ap- preciated his services by making a grant to him in 1787 of 2,000 acres of land in the Northwest Territory, the grant being in what is now the State of Ohio.
"He married a Miss England of White Clay Creek Hundred in New Castle County, Delaware, by whom he had issue two chil- dren, a son and a daughter. Joseph, the son, removed to Ohio, and Mary, the daughter, married a gentleman of Dorchester County, Maryland. She died in 1850. Joseph, his son, married Margaret Gillespie in 1806, and during the same year removed to Ohio. They had issue, one son and eight daughters.
"Major Kirkwood's commission as Ist lieutenant of Delaware State troops is dated January 13, 1776, and is signed by John Hancock, President of Congress, and by Charles Thompson as Secretary. His brevet major's commission is also signed by the
same persons and is dated September 30, 1783. Both of these commissions are in the possession of one of his descendants who re- sides in St. Clairsville, the county seat of Belmont County, Ohio.
"He was engaged in 32 battles during the War of the Revolution. At its close he re- turned to Delaware and established himself in the mercantile business at Cantwell's Bridge, and occupied a house which is still standing, or was not long since, which is situated east of the Old Tavernhouse. In 1785 he moved to St. George's, Newcastle County, which is situated about one mile south of Kirkwood, a station on the Dela- ware branch of the Philadelphia, Wilmington & Baltimore Railroad. lle remained here but a short time, when he removed with his family to what is now Belmont County, Ohio, and located on the Ohio River imme- diately opposite the present city of Wheel- ing, where he built his cabin, cleared the land and commenced farming. Subsequently he commenced the erection of a block-house, but before it was completed in the early spring of 1789 a large body of Indians at- tacked his cabin during his absence in the East on business. It happened that at this time Capt. Joseph Biggs with his company of scouts and others were in the cabin shel- tering there. The 'savages fired the cabin and thus sought to drive the inmates out. expecting that they might fall an easy prey to their murderous ferocity. Those within, however, kept the fire in check with milk, water and damp earth. Finding themselves foiled, the Indians then attempted to burst in the door which had been firmly barricaded, in which they failed.
"The rapid exchange of shots between the besiegers and besieged was heard at Fort Henry (Wheeling). The swivel gun in the fort was fired, notifying the besieged that succor was at hand.
"The savages accordingly relaxed their ef- forts, and made preparations to depart, knowing full well that the inmates of Fort Henry would soon appear and that they
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CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF BELMONT COUNTY,
would suffer from an attack in the front and rear. Hence they promptly gathered their dead and wounded and hastily retreated. Five of the defenders were severely wounded -one of them mortally. The wounded were Capt. Joseph Biggs, John Walker, Elijah Hedges, John Barrett and Joseph Van Meter. Walker, who had been shot through the hip during the siege, died the following day at Colonel Zane's cabin in Wheeling, where he had been transferred. He was buried in the old cemetery which then occupied the site of the present resi- dence of George K. Wheat, Esq., on Main street in the city of Wheeling.
"When the army was organized under the command of General St. Clair to march against the Indians of the Northwest, Kirk- wood volunteered his services, and was com- missioned as captain. The rendezvous of the army was at Fort Washington (Cincinnati), from which place it took up its line of march on the 17th of September, 1791. It camped at Ludlow's station for two weeks, about six miles from Cincinnati. There was a tree standing there as late as the year 1837 with the fact and date of the encampment carved in the bark. They were delayed in their progress by the construction of several forts which were duly garrisoned and provisioned. "On the night of November 2nd the army encamped near the Great Miami village, and on the following morning were attacked by the Indians in great force, which resulted in the defeat of St. Clair and the scattering of his forces. Of the distressing scenes wit- nessed by him on this occasion, Lieut. Michael McDonough wrote as follows: 'We left everything behind, eight pieces of can- non, cattle, horses, flour, officers' and sol- diers' baggage, officers' private property, in cash supposed to be of the value of £10,000, besides all their clothing. We retreated day and night for this place (Cincinnati), which is 98 miles, arriving on the 8th inst. The number of non-commissioned officers, mu- sicians and privates who fell on the field were upwards of 600. More than Go women were
killed and I saw some of them cut in two, their breasts cut off and burning, with a number of our officers on our own fires be- fore I left the field of action. I saw Captain Smith just after he was scalped, his head smoking like a chimney. Some soldiers have come in with all the skin and hair taken close off their heads.'
"The regiment to which Kirkwood be longed consisted of 258 commissioned, non- commissioned officers, and privates, III of whom were left after the battle and 42 of these were wounded, Captain Kirkwood him self falling in a bayonet charge against the enemy. But two officers, McDonough and Bissell, survived. Out of 1,200, nearly 800 officers, men and women were killed and wounded.
"Thus ended the days of a brave and gal- lant officer, who gave his life for his country after having passed unscathed through 32 battles during the stormy period of the Revo- lution, leaving as a legacy to his countrymen an untarnished name and a memory fragrant with noble deeds and chivalrous impulses."
INDIAN OCCUPATION OF THE COUNTY.
Belmont County, indeed the country im- mediately bordering on the upper Ohio River, was not occupied by the Indians as homes or villages, but was rather a vast hunt- ing ground, a favorite resort where game of all kinds was found in abundance. And it is not surprising that the encroachments of the white man upon the western shores of the Ohio should be regarded with jealousy, or that the Indians should seek to repel it by driving the aggressors away.
The tribal towns were located as follows: The Shawnees in the central part of the State, and extending westward to the Indiana line, the Delawares bordering on the Mns- kingum and Cuyahoga, and the Ottawas bordering the Great Lakes in the North and Northwest. There was also a number of less prominent tribes, such as the Wyandottes. Chippewas, Miamis and Pottowatomies, sur-
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rounding the counties of Eastern Ohio, that contributed much to the annoyance of the first settlers of Belmont County.
However, for a period of 10 years tran- quility prevailed through the eastern section of Ohio, because of the treaty entered into by the Delawares and Shawnees, and Colonel Bouquet, the French commander. Prior to the year 1774, many emigrants had crossed the Ohio, and acquired claims in the new territory, but as previously stated, some of these claims were only tomahawk rights. Encouraged by the peace and quiet that prevailed between 1764 and 1774; numerous land jobbers in addition to the regular settlers appropriated thousands of acres. This of course aroused the jealousy of the neighboring Indian tribes. This jeal- ousy was intensified by the appropriation of lands below the mouth of the Scioto River, and claimed by the Shawnees as Indian terri- tory. And now there were in circulation ex- aggerated stories of Indian outrages, re- taliatory measures, such as thieving, plun- dering and robbing, and fears were expressed that the Indians would fall upon and slaugh- ter the white intruders. In this emergency Col. Ebenezer Zane, who was in command of Fort Henry, just opposite Bridgeport, counseled peace and moderation, and if his advice had been heeded, the bloody Dun- more war would have been averted.
Doddridge in his notes says: "Devoutly might humanity wish that the record of the causes which led to the destructive war of 1774 might be blotted from the annals of our country, but it is now too late to efface it, the black lettered list must remain, a dis- honorable blot in our national history; good, however, may spring out of evil. The in- juries inflicted upon the Indians in early times by our forefathers may induce their descendants to show justice and mercy to the diminished posterity of those children of the wilderness whose ancestors perished in cold blood and by the scalping knife of the white savages."
THE TRAGEDIES AT YELLOW CREEK AND CAPTINA.
In the month of April, 1774, a rumor was circulated that the Indians had stolen sev- eral horses from some land jobbers on the Ohio and Kanawha rivers. No evidences of the fact having been adduced leads to the conclusion that the report was false. This report, however, induced a pretty general belief that the Indians were about to make war upon the frontier settlements, but for this apprehension there does not appear to have been the slightest foundation.
In consequence of this misapprehension of being attacked by the Indians the land jobbers ascended the river and collected at Wheeling. On the 27th of April it was re- ported in Wheeling that a canoe containing two Indians and some traders was coming down the river, and was then not far from the place. On hearing this Captain Cresap proposed taking a party and go up the river and kill the Indians. This project was ve- hemently opposed by Colonel Zane, the pro- prietor of the place. He stated to the cap- tain that the killing of those Indians would inevitably bring on a war, in which much innocent blood would be shed, and that the action itself would be an atrocious murder, and a disgrace to his name forever. His good counsel was lost. The party went up the river. On being asked at their return what become of the Indians, they cooly an- swered, "They had fallen overboard into the river." Their canoe on being examined was found bloody and pierced with bullets. This was the first blood which was shed in this war, and terrible was the vengeance whichi followed. In the evening of the same day, the party hearing that there was an en- campment of Indians at the mouth of the Captina, went down the river to the place, attacked the Indians and killed several of them. In this affair one of Cresap's party was severely wounded. The massacre at Captina and that which took place at Baker's,
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CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF BELMONT COUNTY,
about 40 miles above Wheeling, a few days after that at Captina, were unquestionably the sole cause of the war of 1774.
The last was perpetrated by 32 men under the command of Daniel Greathouse. The whole number killed at this place and on the river opposite to it was 12, besides several wounded. This horrid massacre was effected by an hypocritical strategem which reflects the deepest dishonor on the memory of those who were agents in it. The report of the murders of the Indians near Wheeling in- duced a belief that they would immediately commence hostilities, and this apprehension furnished the pretext for the murder above related. The ostensible object for raising the party under Greathouse was that of de- fending the family of Baker, whose house was opposite to a large encampment of In- dians at the mouth of Big Yellow Creek. The party were concealed in ambuscade while their commander went over the river under the mask of friendship to the Indian camp to ascertain their number; while there an Indian woman advised him to return home speedily, saying that the Indians were drink- ing and angry, on account of the murder of their people down the river, and might do him some mischief. On his return to his party lie reported that the Indians were too strong for an open attack. He returned to Baker's and requested him to give any In- dians who might come over in the course of the day as much rum as they might call for, and get as many of them drunk as he possibly could.
The plan succeeded. Several Indian men with two women came over the river to Baker's, who had previously been in the habit of selling rum to the Indians. The men drank freely and became intoxicated. In this state they were all killed by Great- house and a few of his party. I say a few of his party; for it is but justice to state that not more than five or six of the whole num- ber had any participation in the slaughter at the house.
The rest protested against it as an atro-
cious murder. From their number being by far the majority, they might have prevented the deed; but alas! they did not. A little Indian girl alone was saved from the slaugh- ter, by the humanity of some one of the party whose name is not now known.
The Indians in the camp hearing the firing at the house sent a canoe with two men in it to inquire what had happened. These two Indians were both shot down as soon as they landed on the beach. A second and larger canoe was then manned with a number of Indians in arms; but in attempt- ing to reach the shore some distance below the house were received by a well directed fire from the party, which killed the greater number of them and compelled the survivors to return. A great number of shots were exchanged across the river, but without damage to the white party, not one of whom were even wounded. The Indian men who were murdered were all scalped. The woman who gave the friendly advice to the com- mander of the men in the Indian camp was among the slain at Baker's house.
The massacres of the Indians at Captina and Yellow Creek comprehended the whole of the family of the famous but unfortunate Logan, who before these events liad been a lover of the whites, and a strenuous advocate for peace; but in the conflict which followed by way of revenge for the death of his people, he became a brave and sanguinary chief among the warriors. The settlers along the frontiers knowing that the Indians would make war upon them for the murder of their people, either moved off to the interior or took up their residence in forts.
THE DISASTROUS DUNMORE WAR.
The apprehension of war was soon real- ized. In a short time the Indians com- menced hostilities along the whole extent of our frontier.
Express was speedily sent to Williamsburg, the then seat of government of the colony, communicating intelligence of the certainty
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of the commencement of an Indian war. The Assembly was then in session.
A plan for the campaign for the purpose of putting a speedy conclusion to the Indian hostilities was adopted between the Earl of Dunmore, the governor of the colony, and Gen. Andrew Lewis. General Lewis was ap- pointed to the command of the southern di- vision of the forces to be employed on this occasion, with orders to raise a large body of volunteers from the southeastern counties with all dispatch. These forces were to ren- dezvous at Camp Union in the Greenbriar country. The Earl of Dunmore was to raise another army in the northern counties of the colony, and in the settlement west of the mountains, and assemble them at Fort Pitt, and from thence descend the river to Point Pleasant, at the mouth of the Great Kanahwa.
On the IIth of September the forces un- der General Lewis, amounting to 1,100 men, commenced their march from Camp Union to Point Pleasant.
The tract of country between these two points was a trackless desert. After a pain- ful march of 19 days the army arrived on the Ist of October at Point Pleasant. Gen- eral Lewis was exceedingly disappointed at hearing no tidings of the Earl of Dunmore, who was to form a junction with him at this place. Very early on the morning of the Ioth, two young men set out from the camp to hunt up the river. Having gone about three miles they fell upon a camp of the In- dians, who were then in the act of preparing to march to attack the camp of General Lewis. The Indians fired upon them and killed one of them; the other ran back to the camp with intelligence that the Indians in great force would immediately give battle. General Lewis instantly ordered out a de- tachment of troops under Colonel Fleming and another under Col. Charles Lewis, re- maining himself with a reserve for the de- fense of the camp. The detachment met the Indians about 400 yards from the camp. The battle commenced a little after sunrise by a
heavy firing from the Indians. At the onset our troops gave some distance until met by reinforcements, on the arrival of which the .Indians retreated, and formred a line behind logs and trees. By this maneuver our army was completely invested, being enclosed be- tween the two rivers, with the Indian line of battle in front, so that no chance of re- treat was left.
An incessant fire was kept up on both sides until sundown, when the Indians retreated in the night across the Ohio, and the next day commenced their march to their town on the Scioto. Our loss in this destructive battle was 75 killed and 140 wounded.
Among the killed were Col. Charles Lewis, Colonel Fields, and Captains Buford, Mur- ray, Ward, Willson and McClenahan.
Colonel Lewis, a distinguished and meri- torious officer, was mortally wounded by the first fire of the Indians, but walked into the camp and expired in his own tent. The In- dians during the battle were commanded by the Cornstalk warrior, the king of the Shaw- nees. This son of the forest in his plans of attack and retreat, and in all his maneuvers, displayed the skill and bravery of the con- summate general. During the whole of the day he was heard from our lines shouting with the voice of stentor, "Be strong, Be strong." It is even said that he killed one of his own inen with his own hand for cow- ardice. On the day following General Lewis commenced his march for the Shawnee town This march was made through a trackless desert and attended with great privations and difficulties.
In the meantime the Earl of Dunmore, having collected a force, and provided boats at Fort Pitt, descended the river to Wheel- ing, where the army halted at Fort Henry for a few days, and then proceeded down the river within eight miles of the Shawnee town. Before the army had reached the place the Indian chiefs had sent several mes- sengers asking for peace.
With this request he soon determined to comply, and therefore sent a request to Gen-
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CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF BELMONT COUNTY,
eral Lewis with an order for his immediate retreat,
It was with the greatest reluctance and chagrin that General Lewis returned from. the enterprise in which they were engaged. The order of Dunmore was obeyed with every expression of regret and disappoint- ment.
The Earl and his officers having returned to his camp, a treaty with the Indians was opened the following day. In this treaty every precaution on the part of our people was taken to prevent the In- dians from ending the treaty in the tragedy of a massacre. Only 18 In- dians with their chiefs were permitted to pass the outer gate of their fortified encampment, after having deposited their arms with the guard at the gate. The treaty was opened by Cornstalk, the chief of the Shawnees, in a lengthy speech; in which he boldly charged the white people with having been the authors of the commencement of the war, in the massacres of the Indians at Captina and Yellow Creek. This speech he delivered in so loud a tone of voice, that he was heard all over the camp. The terms of the treaty were soon settled, and the prisoners deliv- ered up. Logan, the Cayuga chief, assented to the treaty, but, still indignant at the mur- der of his family, refused to attend with the other chiefs at the camp of Dunmore. Ac- cording to the Indian mode in such cases, he sent his speech in a belt of wampum, by an interpreter to be read at the treaty. "I appeal to any white man to say if he entered Logan's cabin hungry, and he gave him not meat; if he ever came cold and naked and lie clothed him not. During the course of the last long and bloody war, Logan re- mained idle in his cabin, an advocate of peace. Such was my love for the whites, that my countrymen pointed as they passed and said, 'Logan is the friend of the white man.' I had even thought to have lived with you but for the injuries of one man Colonel Cresap the last spring, in cold blood and unprovoked, murdered all the relatives
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