USA > Ohio > Hamilton County > Cincinnati > Centennial history of Cincinnati and representative citizens, Vol. I, Pt. 1 > Part 39
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"We, the subscribers, therefore, being nomi- nated and appointed to superintend the business of collecting and paying the money thus sub- scribed, hereby give notice that the following
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arrangement is made for the reward to be given for Indian scalps, to be taken and produced within the period of the 18th day of April last past, and the 25th day of. December next en- suing, and within the boundaries following, to- wit: Beginning on the Ohio, ten miles above the mouth of the Little Miami, on a direct line thence northwardly, the same distance from the said Miami until it shall extend twenty-five miles above where Harmar's trace first crosses the said Miami; thence, due west, crossing the said Little Miami, until it shall extend ten miles west of the Great Miami; thence, southwardly, keeping the distance of ten miles from the said Great Miami, to the Ohio; thence up the middle of the said River Ohio to the beginning; that for every scalp, having the right ear appendant, of the first ten Indians who shall be killed within the time and limits aforesaid by those who are subscribers to the said articles, shall, whenever collected, be paid the sum of one hun- dred and thirty-six dollars; and for every scalp of the like number of Indians, having the right ear appendant, who shall be killed within the time and limits `aforesaid, by those who are not subscribers, the Federal troops excepted, shall, whenever collected, be paid the sum of one hun- dred dollars; and for every scalp, having the right ear appendant, of the second ten Indians who shall be killed within the time and limits aforesaid by those who are subscribers to said articles, shall, whenever collected as aforesaid, be paid the sum of one hundred and seventeen dollars; and for every scalp, having the right ear appendant, of the said second ten . Indians who shall be killed within the time and limits aforesaid, by those who are not subscribers to the said articles, except before excepted, shall, whenever collected, be paid the sum of ninety- five dollars.
"Cincinnati- "LEVI WOODWARD, "DARIUS C. ORCUTT, "JAMES LYONS, "Columbia- "WILLIAM BROWN, "IGNATIUS Ross, "JOHN REILY, "Committee."
It was this feeling and such occurrences as · those already described which made Wayne feel it necessary to issue his proclamation of February 22, 1795, warning the settlers against attacking the Indians. The same Captain
Pierce was called upon about six weeks later to detail soldiers to assist the sheriff in making arrests of parties who had resisted the appre- hension of some alleged law breakers.
It is apparent from casual references that In- dians were kept at the fort much of the time and a party under General Scott which made the raid on the Indian towns in 1792 brought in over twenty prisoners including old men, women and children who were left in charge of the garrison at Fort Washington. Garret Burns, who was one of the party that captured them, said he saw them still confined as pris- oners in 1793 after Wayne had come to the city. Heckswelder also speaks of them in his account.
Judge Symmes, in his letter of August 15, 1791, refers to a previous raid of ' Scott's in which he brought in forty Indian prisoners who were kept at the fort.
THIE INDIAN BURIAL.
Not the least interesting ceremony which took place at the fort is described in a letter written by Dr. William Goforth, of September 3, 1791, from which several quotations have been al- ready given :
"One of the Indian captives lately died at this place .- His Excellency Gov. St. Clair gave liberty to the rest to bury the corpse according to the custom of their nation; the mode is that the body be wrapped in a shroud, over which they put a blanket, a pair of moccasins on the feet, a seven days' ration by the side of the head, with other necessaries. The march from Fort Washington was very solemn; on their ar- rival at the grave, the corpse was let down, and the relatives immediately retired; an aged ma- tron then descended into the grave, and placed the blanket according to rule, and fixed the provisions . in such a manner as she thought would be handy and convenient to her departed friend; casting her eyes about to see if all was right, she found the deceased was barefoot, and inquired why they liad omitted the moccasins? The white person who superintended the whole business, informed her that there were no good moccasins in the store, but by the way of amends they had put a sufficiency of leather into the knapsack to make two pairs, at the same time showing her the leather. With this she appeared satisfied, saying that her friend was well acquainted with making them." (Cist's
Miscellany, Vol. I, p. 200.)
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It is thought that it was due to the contact with the 'savage prisoners and friendlies that in the fall of 1794, shortly after Wayne's army had left the settlement, smallpox broke out among the soldiers in the fort and spread about the town with such malignity as to carry off many of the soldiers and citizens.
One of the elements that contributed consid- erably to the feeling of the military and civilians was the constant aid given by the latter to de- serters.
The first executions in the new settlement took place at the southeast corner of the fort in 1789, at which time two soldiers, John Ayres and Mathew Ratmore, were shot for desertion. The matter of desertion seems to have been a very serious one. In a letter written by John Wilkinson, May 11, 1792, while commanding the fort, to Capt. John Armstrong at Fort Ham- ilton, the following instructions were given :
"Should any men desert you, the scouts are to take the track, pursue, overtake, and make prisoners of them; and for every one so appre- hended and brought back, you may engage them twenty dollars. If the deserter is discovered making for the enemy, it will be well for the scout to shoot him and bring his head to you ; for- which allow forty dollars. One head lopped · off in this way and set upon a pole on the parade might do lasting good in the way of de- terring others."
THE HOLIDAY CELEBRATIONS.
On the other hand the citizens and soldiers frequently participated in the functions of each other, On the Fourth of July, 1790, the na- tional salute of 13 guns was fired from the fort and a special military parade passed through the streets of the town in honor of the day. In the following year Washington's birthday was celebrated in grand style by the officers of the fort. Salutes were fired from the cannons, rock- ets and fireworks and firearms were discharged and in the evening there was a grand ball to which citizens and their wives from all three settlements were invited. This practice of firing salutes on public occasions seems to have been the usual one.
The militia, too, felt called upon to indulge in the expenditure of gunpowder and at a later time when the Territory was being divided into parties quite a little rivalry existed between the citizens and soldiers in this respect. This is referred to in an extract from a letter written
in 1797 at which time the Fourth was observed by a dinner at Yeatman's Tavern and a Federal salute from the guns of the fort :
"One brilliant Fourth of July celebration was terminated by a sad accident. The party op- posed to the Governor, glowing with all the heroism of 'Seventy-six,' mounted a blunder- buss on the bank of the river, and with a few hearts of steel made its shores resound, rivalling in their imagination the ordnance of the garri- son ! Delighted with their success, the load was increased in proportion to their enthusiasm; and when the 'Western Territory' was toasted, the gun summoned every power within it, car- ried its thunder to the Kentucky hills, and burst in pieces! Major Ziegler, on taking a view of the field reports as follows: Wounded, four men -killed, one gun !"
The Fourth of July, 1799, called for a special celebration an account of which is given in the Western Spy and Hamilton Gasette of July 9th of that year. This account is well worth repro- ducing especially in view of the toasts given at the banquet.
"Last Thursday being the Fourth of July, it was celebrated by the citizens of this town in a manner which does credit to its inhabitants, and testifies that they hold in just estimation the DAY which gave BIRTH to our NATIONAL INDE- PENDENCE.
"The morning was ushered in by a Federal Salute from Fort Washington, the Ist Battalion of Hamilton Militia paraded at the muster ground in the vicinity of this place, and went through the customary evolutions and firings .- As to their performance, we only need refer our Readers to the Governor's General Orders. -After the Battalion was dismissed, the Gov- ernor, the Federal Officers from Fort Washing- ton, the officers of Militia, and a large number of respectable citizens dined under a bower pre- pared for that purpose .- Capt. Miller having furnished a piece of Artillery, which with Capt. Smith's company of Militia, accompanied by martial music made the woods resound to each of the following :
TOASTS.
1. The PRESIDENT of the UNITED STATES of AMERICA. May the display of his firmness and Patri- otic Spirit, endear him to all who live under his admin- istration.
2. GENERAL WASHINGTON, the Father and Friend of his country.
3. The ANNIVERSARY we celebrate; May every year impress on our minds a stronger sense of its con- sequence and blessing.
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4. The Memory of those who fought and bled to establish AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE. May they never be forgotten.
5. Our INFANT NAVY. May it add to the Na- tion's honor and wealth and confound her enemies.
6. The ARMY of the United States. May they stand and be ever ready to guard our rights and sup- port our Government.
7. Our Foreign Ministers. May they be respected as the representatives of a great, free and independent people.
8. PEACE throughout all the world on just princi- ples.
9. The OFFICERS of the different Departments in the General Government. May they be faithful in exe- cuting the duties of their important stations.
10. The NORTHWESTERN TERRITORY.
II. The FAIR SEX of AMERICA. May their in- fluence lead to the happiness of the nation.
12. Agriculture and Commerce. May we feel their happy effects like the SUN from East to West making a plentiful harvest.
13. The Old Patriots of Seventy-six. May they re- tain their energy and hand down their principles to the latest postcrity.
14. Confusion and Reformation to all designing Bad Men, who are endeavoring to mar the peace and pros- perity of our country.
15. May the AMERICAN EAGLE soar triumph- antly when danger approaches.
"In the evening the Gentlemen joined a· bril- liant Assembly of Ladies at Mr. Yeatman's in Town, and it is impossible to describe the ecstatic pleasure that appeared to be enjoyed by all present at the Celebration of the Auspicious Day, and the scene closed in perfect harmony."
WASHINGTON'S FUNERAL.
Very shortly after Fourth of July came the memorial funeral for General Washington which was held on February Ist. The account of this in the Western Spy and Hamilton Ga- sette of February 5, 1800, is as follows :
"At 12 o'clock the troops formed on the flat in front of the garrison (then under command of Capt. Miller), where they were joined by Captain Findlay's (and Capt. Brown's ) troop of horse, the Masonic brethren and a large con- course of citizens, all eager to testify their high veneration for the character of the deceased. The bier was received by the troops formed in lines, with presented arms, officers, drums and .colors saluting.
"The procession then moved on in the follow- ing order-Minute guns firing from the garri- son and the music performing a solemn dirge.
Cavalry Regular Troops
Horse, representing that of the Gencral, with saddle, holsters and pistols, and boots reversed. Rev. Mr. Wallace Pall Bearers To the right of Bier To the left of Bier Dr. Elliott
Dr. Sellman
Capt. Prince
Maj. Ziegler.
Col. Spencer Major Goforth
His excellency the Governor and the Attorney General as Mourners Masonic Brethren Militia Officers in Uniform Citizens.
"Having proceeded through different streets, and arrived at the place representing that of in- terment, the military halted, and opening their lines formed an avenue for the bier and those immediately attendant on it to pass through the troops leaning on reversed arms.
"The coffin having been deposited in the grave, a prayer suitable to the occasion was de- livered by the Rev. Mr. Wallace, after which the Masonic Brethren performed their cere- mony.
"Three discharges of musketry over the grave concluded the ceremonies."
From time to time little notices appeared in the local press whichi throw light upon the little happenings of the garrison.
In Freeman's Journal of Saturday, October 27, 1798, appears an advertisement in which we can recognize under a changed form a well- known name:
"Bohongedelass a Delaware Chief has brought into this place Eight Ilorses the prop- erty of the citizens of the United States. The owner or owners may have them by applying to me.
"A. WHITLOCK,
"For the Quartermaster."
"FORT WASHINGTON, October 26, 1792."
The Spy of October 29th contains a notice to the citizens that the quartermaster of the garrison would no longer furnish horses for the accommodation of the citizens who desired to indulge in the pleasant sport of riding.
In the report of the Secretary of War pub- ilshed in the Western Spy and Hamilton Ga- cette, of January 30, 1802, the growing strength of the settlement is indicated by the proposition in the following year to divide one company of infantry between Pittsburg and Cincinnati, so that Fort Washington would have but half a company.
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In April, 1802, one of the citizens, James Wilson, published his opinion of one of the officers of the post in the following terms: "The treatment that I received on the 6th inst., from Captain Cornelius Lyman of the 2nd United States regiment of infantry together with the subsequent conduct authorizes me thus publicly to declare him a Rascal, a Lyar and a Coward."
THE SALE OF THE FORT.
· The government purchased from James Tay- lor, in 1803, the ground upon which afterwards, the Newport barracks were built and thereafter as soon as the barracks were completed the troops removed across the river and Fort Wash -. ington was evacuated. After this time there was little of interest connected with the history of the fort except its demolition which took place in 1808. Dr. William Goforth and his pupil, the celebrated Dr. Daniel Drake, from time to time occupied rooms in the officers quarters of the fort. In 1808 Congress ordered the military reservation condemned and sold. The sale was in charge of the surveyor-general, Jared Mansfield, who in accordance with the act of Congress, approved February 28, 1806, made a survey and prepared a plat dated July 8, 1807. The certificate on said plat is as fol- lows :
"I do hereby certify that agreeably to in- structions from the Secretary of the Treasury, I have surveyed, or caused to be surveyed, and laid off into lots, streets and alleys, the fifteen acres of land belonging to the United States lying in the town of Cincinnati, in the form and manner exhibited in the Plat, and the field notes of the Survey are deposited in the office of this department.
"JARED MANSFIELD, "Surv. Gen'l."
"Certified this 8th day of July 1807."
By virtue of this act, the land was advertised for sale in the Liberty Hall and Mercury, Janu- ary 15, 1808, to take place on the "first Thurs- day of March next," March 14, 1808. The actual break up of the buildings and sale took place on St. Patrick's Day, March 17th.
The entire population of the city and the neighborhood attended the sale and made of it an occasion of great rejoicing. Little of the material was of any consequence and most of it was sold for firewood. The logs of the cabins
between the fort and the artificers' yard are said to have been bought by Col. Stephen Mc- Farland and used by him for many years for fire-wood. The lock of the old fort passed into the possession of Joseph Coppin of Pleasant Ridge and has remained in the possession of his family. A picture of it is given in R. R. Jones' monograph on Fort Washington. Mr. Coppin was present at the sale and gives the following account of one of the episodes con- nected with it:
"During the taking down of the fort, two men got into a fight, and upset a barrel of soft soap. Here they were down in soap, and then in the dirt; and when the people thought they had fought enough and were fit for the river, they marched them down to the tune of the 'Rogue's March,' and in the river they had to go and wash off in presence of the crowd that followed."
The following title page of the fourth vol- ume of the proceedings of the American Philo- sophical Society, introducing an elaborate paper read before that society July 14, 1797, indicates that the same spirit of scientific inquiry which induced General Harmar to send out a surgeon to investigate the big bones found in the neigh- borhood extended in other directions :
THERMOMETRICAL OBSERVATIONS. MADE AT FORT WASHINGTON, COMMENCING JUNE, 1790, AND ENDING APRIL, 1791. By Daniel Britt and G. Turner. To which are added, for some time, THE RISE AND FALL OF THE OHIO. Communicated by G. Turner.
Read July 14th, 1797, at a special meeting.
THE SECOND REGIMENT.
This chapter on Fort Washington can have no better conclusion than the paragraph which concludes Mr. Jones' monograph :
"At the formal dedication of the monument which now marks the site of Fort Washington, an interesting coincidence presented itself. In the year 1791, the Second Regiment of Infan- try was organized at Fort Washington, a little prior to starting out on the ill-fated campaign of General St. Clair, when Major Heart, the first commandant of the regiment was slain, to-
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gether with many other officers and men of the regiment, on the 4th of November of the same year. At the dedication of the monument in 1901, a detachment of this Second Regiment was present and took part in the ceremonies. The trim blue-clad soldiers, who stood about the monument in 1901, were the legal heirs, so to speak, of the old Second Regiment which had gone forth to battle from the same spot, one hundred and ten years before.
"Four buglers from the regiment stood at 'Attention' by the old guns which formed the railing around the monument. At the word of command, they gave out clearly and distinctly
the 'reveille.' The call had been sounded by the trumpeters of the old regiment more than a century before, waking the slumbering echoes of the valley and startling the wild bird from its nest, as the silver notes rolled across the shimmering waters of the Ohio, or were hurled back with increased volume from the forest- clad hills behind the fort.
"Then came the final 'taps,' always of mourn- ful association, as the last tribute of the living to the memory of the dead; and in this case, as it seemed, a fitting conclusion to the obsequies of those who had passed for the last time the frowning portal of old Fort Washington."
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CHAPTER XVI.
THE EXPEDITION AGAINST THE INDIANS.
INDIAN DEPREDATIONS-HARMAR'S EXPEDITION-THE BATTLES OF THE INDIAN TOWNS-THE EFFECT ON THE SETTLEMENTS-WILKINSON'S EXPEDITION.
As Fort Washington was the frontier post and in fact the principal post of the United States Army at this time and as it was from this point that the various expeditions which subsequently concluded the Indian occupancy of the Northwest took their start, the description of the events of those expeditions is a legitimate part of the history of Cincinnati. A very large number of the forces of the soldiers and officers were either drawn from the population of the village at that time or subsequently settled there. The experiences of pioneer life had largely to do with the Indians and the news that most occupied the attention of the settlers in the early days was from the Indian country either detailing some new outrage on the part of the red men or some effort of the pioneers or of soldiers to quell them. In fact until the various expeditions had succeeded in vanquish- ing the redskins, it was a daily question with the settlements on the Ohio as to whether they should be able to continue their existence. The large part of the trade, too, of the settlements depended upon the presence of the army and its necessities. It is apparent from letters of Symmes and others that the fluctuation in real estate was due to the success or lack of it of the soldiers and even the price of food was affected by the same causes. A serious defeat would throw on the market an excessive supply of provisions which would lower the prices to the settlers while at other times the increasing num- bers of soldiers made it difficult if not almost impossible to supply a sufficient quantity of pro-
visions. The three great expeditions of Har- mar, St. Clair and Wayne are a part of the his- tory of the United States and the battles fought by these generals did not take place within the limits of the city of Cincinnati; the history of that city, however, would be as incomplete with- out a narrative of these expeditions as it would be without a reference to the negotiations with Congress or the preparations of the settlers in the East which led to its establishment.
INDIAN DEPREDATIONS.
The necessity for some expedition against the savages became more and more apparent as the outrages on the part of the redskins increased in number. During the years preceding the set- tlement many settlers with their families had been slain and whole bodies of emigrants de- stroyed and the only punishment received by the Indians was the killing of a few of their number by rescue parties. The Ohio River was watched by the Indians with great care and below the Muskingum no boat was safe. It was necessary for parties going down the river to move in compact bodies. One of these par- ties is described by Denny. The expedition con- sisted of sixteen "Kentuck boats" and two keels. The Kentucky boats were lashed three together and kept in one line. The women and children and stock were all put into the middle boats and the outside boats only were worked. The men belonging to each block of boats had their own commanding officer and the whole party could repair to either side as necessity might require. The keels kept on the flanks.
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All efforts to negotiate peace were received with apparent sincerity which in many cases covered the deepest treachery. St. Clair writ- ing to the Secretary of War, July 12, 1788, re- ports that one of his officers carrying supplies to a place on the Muskingum where the treaty was to be held had been attacked by a party of Indians and had lost one man killed, two badly wounded and several missing. The In- dians were repulsed and one left dead on the spot although the attack was a very spirited one on the part of the Indians, who, armed with spears only, rushed between the guard and their huts. The party of Indians who were Chippe- was had retreated to Mackinaw where their prisoners were saved from torture by the for- tunate interposition of the British commander at that post. In the early spring of 1790 a band of Indians about 54 in number, largely Chero- kees and Shawanees, located their camp near the mouth of the Scioto. From here they at- tacked a new station a little below Limestone and killed or captured all of its inhabitants, 15 in number. Two of their captives were spared and used to serve as decoys for the purpose of attracting passing boats. On one occasion a boat was coming down the river containing four men and two unmarried girls and a quantity of stores for the Kentucky towns. The two ,cap- tives came to the bank on the Ohio side and asked that the boat put in and take them aboard as they had just escaped from the savages. Three of the men objected to landing but the fourth, a man named Flynn, and the two girls, more good natured than discreet, insisted upon taking the suppliants aboard. The boat was put ashore and Flynn jumped on to the bank to be immediately captured by the Indians who fired at the others in the boat. The party tried to get away but were unsuccessful. One man and one girl were shot and another wounded. The savages took all the stores and got very drunk on a keg of whiskey. The man Flynn was taken to one of the Miami towns and burned alive after dreadful torture. The other girl, after suffering repeated ontrage and direst hardships, was about to be burned at the stake when a merciful Indian interposed in her behalf and she was sent home. At another time the same party of Indians captured a pirogue going up the stream and killed all its occupants, six in number. Another party descending the river near the Virginia shore was accosted by one of the white captives from the bank and told that the Indians fifty or sixty in mumber would mur-
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