USA > Ohio > Hamilton County > Cincinnati > Centennial history of Cincinnati and representative citizens, Vol. I, Pt. 1 > Part 45
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89
-
St. Clair replied that the savages would not answer to Wayne's description and that "a part of them were at that time in Kentucky for the express purpose of stealing horses and killing one man, as a prisoner (whom they had taken not long before) who has escaped from them has given information." In his letter he con- plains, too, of the fact that Wayne has not given lim any information on the subject of the armis- tice which had taken place between Wayne and the savages. Wayne in the meantime had sent Blue Jacket in pursuit of the wandering band. St. Clair wrote to Governor Shelby complaining of the attack and calling his attention to the serious consequences of disturbances at that time.
St. Clair also wrote to Wayne telling of his complaint to the Governor of Kentucky and of liis intention to prosccute Massie in case he was able to collect sufficient evidence. The termina- tion of the affair is indicated in a letter from Wayne to St. Clair of August 19, 1795, in which after stating that all the mischief done up the Olio for some time past was done by this party of Shawanees in retaliation for Massie's aggres-
1
263
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS
sion, he announced that the Shawanee chiefs at Greenville had solemnly promised to call the party to a severe account and that the other na- tions had determined to assist in their total ex- termination should they continue hostile. He also announced that Blue Jacket had left Green- ville in pursuit of the party for the purpose of directing them to cease hostilities. On Septem- ber 9th, the hostile band of Shawanees headed by their chicf Pucksekaw or Jumper arrived at Greenville with four prisoners whom they deliv- ered up. They pleaded ignorance of the good work which had been going on and alleged that during the preceding spring while hunting peace- ably their camp on the Scioto was robbed. "We are very poor and the mischief which has since been done was in retaliation for the injuries which were then received. * * * 'I hope that for the future we shall be permitted to live and hunt in peace and quietness. We were poor ig- norant children astray in the woods, who knew not that our nation and all the other tribes of Indians had come in and made peace with you." · Another cpisode that at the time caused a lit- tle friction was the fact that Wayne in his ne- gotiations with the Indians acted independently of St. Clair, the Governor of the Territory. This was resented by St. Clair who was very sensitive in such matters but finally proper information was given to the Governor and on August 25, 1795, he issued at Cincinnati a proclamation to the effect that the Indian war was over.
Wayne on February 22, 1795, without any no- tice to the Governor of the Territory had issued a proclamation, as "Major-General and Com- mander-in-Chief of the Legion, and Com- missioner Plenipotentiary of the United States of America for establishing a permanent peace with all the Indian tribes and nations northwest of the Ohio." In this, after reciting his preliminary articles with the various tribes of Indians and the arrangement for the holding of a general treaty in June, he procceded : "Where- fore I do hereby in the name of the President of the United States, prohibit and forbid all and every person and persons from killing, insulting or injuring any Indian or Indians belonging to the aforesaid tribes or nations, or either of them (unless in their own defense). And I do here- by, also forbid any party or parties, citizens of the United States or either of them, from enter- ing the Indian country northwest of the Ohio with hostile intentions ( without permission from the proper authorities first obtained) between
this period and the end of the pending treaty, as they will answer a contrary conduct at their peril."
The Secretary of War wrote of this to St. Clair on March 25th, assuming knowledge of it on St. Clair's part. This letter St. Clair said was his first information concerning the matter and as a result of it he immediately gave orders relative to the dismissal of the militia with the exception of the scouts.
.
The ratification of the Jay Treaty was fol- lowed by the abandonment by the British of the various posts which had been held by them since the peace of 1783. Wayne visited Philadelphia where he received the honor and triumphs of a conqueror and was mentioned in the speech of the President in eulogistic terms. He returned to the frontier with the combined powers of a civil commissioner and a military commander and on August 13, 1796, he reached Detroit. Just prior to his arrival, Winthrop Sargent, the Secretary of the Northwest Terri- tory and acting Governor in the absence of St. Clair, had erected the county of Wayne ex- tending from the present site of Cleveland south of Fort Laurens thence westward through the sources of the streams flowing westward into Lake Michigan and the national boundary line of Lake Superior.
St. Clair was obviously vexed at this exercise of authority in so important a matter but he considered it wise to give his approval to the act, although disapproving of the proceedings gen- erally which led to rather a sharp correspond- cnce between St. Clair and Sargent.
Wayne was received with great enthusiasm at Detroit both by the garrison and the inhabi- tants and by the numerous tribes of Indians through whose lands he passed. The Indians wel- comed him as their father "by repeated volleys of musketry and yells and friendly shakes of the hand and other demonstrations of joy agrce- able to the customs and shouts of those hardy sons of this wilderness." Some twelve hun- dred Indians were in the place at the time.
THE DEATH OF WAYNE.
Wayne remained at Detroit until November 17th, when he set sail on the lake, intending to go to Presqu' Isle. His purpose in hasten- ing eastward was to meet the criticisms which had been aroused by Wilkinson's machinations. The roughness of the voyage brought on a rc-
264
CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF CINCINNATI
currence of his gout in a violent form and he was removed from the vessel to the blockhouse. In spite of the most devoted attention he died December 15, 1796. His body was buried at this point and over it was erected a log block- house a copy of the one erected at the same spot by him in 1790. In 1809 his remains were removed to the churchyard at Radnor, Pennsyl- vania, in his native county.
He was succeeded sadly enough as command- er-in-chief by his traducer General Wilkinson of whom Mr. Roosevelt says that "in character he can only be compared to Benedict Arnold, though he entirely lacked Arnold's ability and brilliant courage. He had no conscience and no scruples; he had not the slightest idea of the meaning of the word honor. He betrayed -
his trust from the basest of motives and he was too inefficient to make his betrayal effective. He was treacherous to the Union while it was being formed and after it had been formed; and his crime was aggravated by the sordid meanness of his motives, for he eagerly sought opportun- ities to barter his own infamy for money. In all our history there is no more despicable char- acter." (The Winning of the West, Vol, III, p. 124.)
It is not necessary to make any allowance for Mr. Roosevelt's striking manner of saying things in approving this characterization of the United States commander at Fort Washington.
The matter of the difficulties between Wilkin- son and Wayne is discussed at length by Judge Burnet in the 13th chapter of his "Notes."
1
-
CHAPTER XVIII.
THE PIONEERS AND THE INDIANS.
CAPTAIN FIG AND CAPTAIN BLACKBIRD-THE CAPTURE OF FLYNN-THE WOUNDING OF MILLS- THE MISSION OF FREEMAN-THE SPEECH OF THE MIAMIS-THE SEWARDS-HILLIERS-VANE- MAN AND LAFFERTY-WETZEL - WALLACE - CUTTER - VAN CLEVE - FULLER-SPENCER- SPENCER'S CAPTIVITY-DEMOSS - RIFLES IN CHURCH - ELLIOTT-DONALSON-THE LUDLOW CHILDREN-MASSIE.
In the preceding chapters has been told in a general way the history of the Indian tribes who inhabited the region about the present site of Cincinnati before and at the time the settlers came, as well as the many campaigns conducted by the whites against them and the treaties which resulted from these campaigns. An account has been given as well of the efforts made to pro- tect the settlers by the building of a fort which was the most considerable fortification of the United States located at that time in the West. The many incidents of pioneer life in which the settlers of Hamilton County came into immed- iate contact with the red men in the neighbor- hood of their own homes and the efforts made by the settlers to protect themselves in a small way by the establishment of stations at a little distance from the great fort properly form chap- ters separate from those describing the larger expeditions.
As has been stated heretofore, the settlement between the Miamis was delayed in the hope that the treaty of Fort Harmar would result in giv- ing complete immunity to this region and for a time this fortunate result seemed likely. Stites had not waited for the conclusion of the treaty but that he had been received in a spirit of entire friendliness by the Indians has been shown by the lefter to Dayton, written from North Bend by Symmes, already quoted. Symmes' own proclamation to the Indians call- ing their attention to his forbearance when in the Miami region in September has also been
given. Shortly after he arrived at Miami, he had an opportunity of cementing the friendly feeling existing toward him which he describes in the letter to Dayton so often referred to :
CAPTAIN FIG AND CAPTAIN BLACKBIRD.
"I will now, sir, resume the subject of the Indians, who had been so long impatient to see me at Miami. On my arrival at Miami I found no Indians at that place; they were all out at. their camp, about six miles off, and I could not then tarry for an interview. A few days after my arrival at Northbend, I had occa- sion to send my nephew to Columbia in a keel boat; with him, George, the interpreter, and an old Shawanese called captain Fig, came down to me. Two days after, several more Shawanese Indians and some squaws came down by land ; and in a few days following, arrived a Shaw- anese chief with another man of that nation. The chief communicated to me their wishes to be on friendly terms, signifying that it would be very much to their advantage to have free intercourse with us, and exchange their peltries for the articles which they much wanted. To this you will suppose I readily agreed. The chief (the others sitting around him) wished to be informed how far I was supported by the United States, and whether the thirteen fires had sent me hither. I answered them in the affirmative, and spread before them the thirteen fires, which I had in a flag then in my camp. I pointed to the troops in uniform-then on
CILTI
266
CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF CINCINNATI
parade-and informed the chief, that these were the warriors which the thirteen fires kept in constant pay to avenge their quarrels, and that though the United States were desirous of peace with them, yet they were able to chastise any aggressor who should dare to offend them; and to demonstrate this, I showed them the seal of my commission, on which the American arms were impressed, observing, that while the eagle held a branch of the tree, as an emblem of peace, in one claw, she had strong and sharp arrows in the other, which denoted her power to punish her enemies. The chief, who observed the device of the seal, with great attention, re- plied by the interpreter, that, 'he could not see any intimation of peace from the attitude the eagle was in, having her wings spread as in flight, when folding her wings denoted rest and peace. That he could not understand how the branch of a tree could be considered as a pacific emblem, for rods designed for correction were always taken from the boughs of trees. That to him the eagle appeared, from her bearing a large whip in one claw, and such a number of arrows in the other, and in full career of flight, to be wholly bent on war and mischief.' I need not repeat to you my arguments to con- vince him of his mistake; but I at length suc- ceeded, and he appeared entirely satisfied of the friendship of Congelis ( for so they pronounced Congress) to the red people. Captain Black- bird-for so the chief was called-assured me, that I need be under no apprehensions of mis- chief from the Shawanese nation. He even asked me permission, to come down with his tribe and settle on a prairie or plain in the pur- chase, about thirty miles from this place up the Great Miami, which I assented to. After they had sold to me all their furs and skins, which were several hundred, and almost stripped me of all the linen and cloth that I had brought out for the use of the surveyors and my workmen, which almost ruined me as to those articles, so much were wanted, and having lived chiefly at my expense (nor was it a very small one, as they had whiskey at their pleasure gratis) for about four weeks, they took leave in a most friendly manner, promising to return to North- bend again by the third new moon, which is al- ready some days past."
Although Symmes used every effort within his power to conciliate the Indians into whose country he had moved and showed in every means his peaceful intentions he was hampered
by the conduct of other settlers and the trades- men who used no restraint in dealing with the savages. A number of incidents are given which show the injustice with which the white man treated his red neighbor which naturally resulted in reprisals. A trader on the way down the river stopped at Columbia in his boat. Here he met a party of Indians who purchased a barrel of whiskey from him. The whiskey. froze in the barrel before they reached their camp. The same trader sold the Indians a rifle for thirty buckskins, or as the Indians told the story forty buckskins (which were worth one dollar apiece), and a horse worth £15. A worthless gunsmith "who undertook to put a new chop-worth one and six pence-for the flint, to the cock of an Indian's rifle made the Indian leave two bucks for the work, before he would undertake it; another Indian calling for the gun, was forced to pay two bucks more before the smith would give up the gun." (Symmes to Dayton.)
THE . CAPTURE OF FLINN.
The Indians naturally were very bitter about this treatment and as they considered the whites one people, each member of which was respon- sible for the misdoings of all other members, they began a series of reprisals. The Indians who had met Stites at the time of his landing at Columbia finally moved back into the coun- try and shortly after their departure several of the horses were stolen. This was repeated and finally for a third time the horses were stolen from Columbia. A party under the command of Lieutenant Bailey was sent in pursuit of the thieves; they followed the trail of the horses about eighty miles and came upon signs that showed that the Indians were very near. A man named Flinn went forward to reconnoiter. HIe soon came in sight of what he thought was an Indian camp and was creeping along very softly in order to get nearer. He did not per- ceive however that three Indians were creeping along behind him with equal stealth until one of them clapped him on the shoulder crying out "Yo ho! Yo ho!" Flinn much dismayed and perfectly helpless yielded himself without any resistance and was taken to their camp where they tried to converse together but as there was no interpreter there this was found to be im- possible. They placed their guns, together with Flinn's, against a tree and presently one of them started to get some tugs or straps of rawhide. Flinn supposing of course that they intended to bind him and being a man of great agility,
267
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS
sprang from them and flew for his life; the Indians did not fire at him. He reached his party and the whole number taking five horses belong- ing to the Indians made as quickly as possible for Columbia; their only loss was Flinn's gun. Shortly after their return to Columbia the same party of Indians, who were Wyandots, came there with their squaws bringing back Flinn's gun. They assured Mr. Stites that they were innocent of the robbery of the horses in Colum- bia and demanded the horses which were taken by Bailey's party. Some of the Indians were of the number who had been at Columbia before and the matter was soon settled by a com- promise and the horses restored. One of these same Indians, a chief of the Wyandots, although protesting against the responsibility for the horses stolen by other Indians, demanded that Stites should pay him twenty dollars which Colonel Morgan on his way to Mississippi had promised to pay him for carrying letters from the Miamis to Muskingum and Sandusky. Morgan had promised the Indian forty dollars but a Mr. Magee at Sandusky had paid him twenty and he demanded the other twenty of Stites. Stites took the chief over to see Symmes on the 30th of April. The Judge endeavored to convince him that he was not responsible for the promise of Colonel Morgan. He gave him however a new calico shirt with a statement by the inter- preter that as he had worn out his shirt in the service of Colonel Morgan, Synimes would re- plaće it with a new one.
"He seemed dissatisfied that he was not likely to get his twenty dollars, and could not be made otherwise sensible, but that what one white owed an Indian, every white was bound to pay until that debt was discharged. I informed him that I could not part with money; he replied that he would take the value thereof in whiskey, which I agreed to give him whenever he might call for the same. Ile had left his horses at Columbia, and came down by water with Mr. Stites. On his return to that place, they freighted their horses with whiskey, and set out for their towns, leaving behind the whiskey 1 told him I would pay for Colonel Morgan ; since which I have not heard one syllable from them."
The episode of the attack on a surveying party in the neighborhood of Mad River was one that excited much apprehension, being the first
in the purchase, according to Judge Symmes, after the death of Filson in the preceding Sep- tember. The party included John Mills and five others. As they were' rising from their camp early one morning they were fired upon by a number of Indians, of what tribe was never learned, and a man named Holman of Ken- tucky and one named Wells of Delaware were killed. Mills and the other three escaped un- hurt. Of course the Indians who came in after the tragedy were entirely innocent of the mat- ter and ignorant concerning the circumstance.
THE WOUNDING OF MILLS.
Mr. Mills seems to have been unfortunate, for on May 21st, he was in Mr. Luce's party at the time it was fired on while escorting several citizens up the Ohio about seven miles from North Bend. This party was on its way to the new town of South Bend. This time the soldier by the name of Runyan, it will be remembered, was killed and six others of whom two were citizens were wounded. The citizens who were wounded were John Mills and William Mont- gomery. Mills received the first shot which en- tered his back under the right shoulder blade and came out near his right breast. It was thought at first that his wound was mortal but by the management and care of some squaws he recovered. The wounded soldiers were taken to the garrison at the falls where there was a surgeon. Grey, one of the soldiers, died from the effect of the wounds. ( Field Notes of John Dunlap.) .
The disastrous effects of these attacks upon the settlement are elsewhere referred to. The settlement at South Bend was entirely aban- doned for the time and fifty people left North Bend within the next few days. About this time Symmes relates the arrival of Colonel Shrieves from Mississippi with complaints of Colonel Morgan's conduct in that country. Shortly before the attack on Mr. Luce's party, Colonel Patterson with a party of Lexington light horse had brought to North Bend a 11um1- ber of Indian prisoners, squaws and boys. These had been sent by the authority of . Kentucky to the commanding officer of the garrison at North Bend, "with the request that they might be, by some means or other, forwarded to the Indian towns, or turned at liberty into the woods to find their way home or starve, which ever might happen."
268
CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF CINCINNATI
. THE MISSION OF FREEMAN.
One of the Indians that had gone down with Colonel Morgan happened to be in the party of Colonel Shrieves. He was prevailed upon to stay at the Bend until such time as a message could be prepared to inform the Shawanees that ten of their women and children were there ready for exchange and to direct them to bring in their white prisoners for that purpose. Symmes wrote a letter concerning the matter to the Shawanee chiefs, one of whom he knew as the Indian had spent some time at the Bend during the past winter. As an evidence of good faith and for the purpose of convincing the In- dians of his peaceable intentions, he concluded to send a young white man with the Indians to the Shawanee town. From a number of volun- teers he selected Isaac Freeman, "a young man whose father lives near Quibble Town, as proper a person as any I had; both from his ap- proved courage and activity, and a certain man- ner of address which is pleasing to the Indians. But as Mr. Freeman could speak no Indian, and the Indian could speak no English, a third person became necessary to serve as an inter- preter ; to supply which I sent along with them the oldest Indian boy, about fifteen years of age, who retained well his mother tongue, yet spoke very good English, which he had acquired while a prisoner in Kentucky." The party took with them from the Bend twenty days' provisions on a pack horse with one rifle and plenty of am- munition, though the Indian informed Symmes by one of the squaws, who was in fact a white woman who had lived among the Shawanees, that the trip should not take over eight days in good weather. Symmes was not entirely disinterested in sending out this embassy and he gives as his reason for sending a white man to the Indian towns that in this way he would gain some information on his return if he lived to come back, "with regard to the quality of the country between the Miamis, and above the place where any have already explored ; for this purpose I directed him to go out and come in between the two Miami rivers. And should we hereafter find it necessary to invade their country, the United States will, in this case, have a good guide to their army, who will be able to point out the most eligible way that leads to the Indian towns, and what Indians are the hostile ones. Freeman's going to the Shawan- ese will reduce to certainty whether they mean
to be our friends or enemies; and I think that putting the worst, they will only sell him to the English traders as they do other prisoners, for it is not probable that they will put him to death, as they had none killed in captivating of him, and especially, as we have so many of their women and children now in our power." (Symmes to Dayton, May, 1789.)
The uneasiness of Judge Symmes about the Indians is shown in almost every. letter. He soon records the building of a stockade against the event of a failure of Freeman's expedition. "Should the Indians prove hostile, or should the Indians come in with Mr. Freeman, for their friends with us, if we remain then as defenceless as now, I fear our weakness may tempt them to make war upon us. But there is another bene- fit I promise myself from a good large stock- ade : this is, that it will embolden many a citizen to settle in this town, whose nerves would not bear the thoughts of sleeping out of a fort. Had we had a good stockade on the 21 st ultimo, I do not believe that half so many, if any, in- deed, would have fled the place. This work Captain Kearsey, with his forty-five men, should have done; but he did nothing. Mr. Luce has a small blockhouse, yet large enough for the few troops with him, but this is all, not a citizen can be admitted in case of an attack. The citizens must provide for their own de- fense, which is peculiarly hard on them, to be obliged to leave their corn-planting and clear- ing,-late in the season as it is,-in order to make some place where they may deposit their wives and children in safety, while themselves rest from the hard labor of the day." (Symmes to Dayton.)
On June 15th, he notes the receipt by General Harmar of an express from Major Hamtramck at Post Vincennes, speaking of the hostilities of the Indians on the Wabash where many boats had been taken and a number of Indians killed. The Major also in a letter to Luce gives the opinion that the Miami and Wabash Indians have determined to attack the settlements in the purchase during the summer. As to this Symmes says : "We are very defenceless and know not of any troops coming to our assistance. Captain Henry sets out in the morning, and with him go to Louisville sixteen or eighteen men, who do not expect to be here again till fall,"
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.