USA > Ohio > Licking County > Centennial history of Licking County, Ohio > Part 5
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"From early in the march turkeys were seen flying over the lines like flocks of pigeons. We continued our steady march until we ar- rived at the lines indicating a fourth of a mile square. It had been anticipated that it might become necessary to halt before we should reach the center. And so it was. This one-fourth of a mile had been surveyed and the trees blazed with an axe. We halted here, for with all the shooting that had been done, not a single wolf had been killed, and we knew three at least were in the lines; they had become perfectly cowed and now were skulking behind logs and under the bank of the stream that run through the center square. Our center was on 'Grass Lick run' or one of its branches. To kill wolves was now the grand object. The best marksmen were select- ed and sent in to do that work. No one on the lines was allowed to shoot. We stood almost shoulder to shoulder. I know none who went in except Mr. Leverett Butler and Captain Timothy Spellman. But there were three or four others. An incident occurred while despatching the wolves. Mr. Butler took his brother Henry with
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him to carry the hatchet. Mr. Butler shot one and he fell; his brother sprang to the wolf, straddled him and struck him between the ears three blows, but in the excitement, with the edge, instead of the head of the hatchet. The wolf escaped from him until Leverett could shoot him again. Three marks of the edge of the hatchet were scen between the cars of the wolf when brought to the center, and soon after the skin was dressed with the hair on, and used as a saddle cloth by General Augustine Munson. After it was an- nounced that there was no more game to be killed, we marched to the center. Perfect order was observed, not a single person appear- ed to be disguised by intoxicating liquor, thus evincing that the order to take no ardent spirits to the hunt had been obeyed. No serious casualty occurred during the day, and the highest cheerful glee pre- vailed. The game had been brought along as it was killed, and such a sight had never been seen in Licking County, and never will be again as was presented to our view. There was the large black bear, three wolves, forty-nine deer, sixty or seventy turkeys, and one owl spread on the ground. The next thing was to prepare the spoils for distribution. The bear and deer were skinned and cut up into pieces weighing about four pounds each. The number of pieces was ascer- tained, and it was found there were only one-third enough to give each man a piece. The men were formed into three companies, and they cast lots which company should have the spoils. All appeared satisfied with this arrangement, and at sunset the company dispersed. It was the good luck of General Augustine Munson to draw the bear skin, and he displayed it proudly as the greatest trophy of the day's hunt. The General was one of Licking County's early, energetic, ambitious, enterprising, patriotic Pioneers, and useful citizens, and lived to the age of nearly eighty-five years, dying at his residence in Granville Township, in IS68.
SQUIRREL HUNTS.
Squirrel hunts were also indulged in to a large extent in early times, both as an amusement and as the only means of protect- ing the corn crops. The little destructive creatures sometimes be- came very numerous, and in some years were really one of man's most formidable enemies, so that it was indispensable that they should be checked in their depredations; and this could be most effectually done by the combined efforts of the people. The time and place of meeting having been agreed upon beforehand, the
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squirrel-hunters met, divided them selves into two companies, elected a captain for each company and then proceeded to their day's work. On coming together in the evening and reporting the results of their hunt, it was no unusual thing to find the number of squirrels killed that day by the two companies to number many hundreds, and not unfrequently, running even into the thousands.
A MEMORABLE YEAR.
The year 1825 was exceptionally prolific of events of special and general interest in Licking County. Some of these are here describ- ed in the order of their occurrence- they were, first, the celebrated Burlington storm which took place on the ISth of May-second, the famous celebration of the 4th of July, at the "Licking Summit," when and where the first shovel-full of earth was thrown out, by Governor De Witt Clinton, of New York, in the construction of the Lake Erie and Ohio Canal-third, the great Camp Meeting held late in September on the borders of the Flint Ridge in Franklin Township-fourth, the rather farcical performance and abortive at- tempt to hang Peter Diamond sometime in October-and lastly, the great horse-racing carnival at Newark, early in November or late in the preceding month.
THE GREAT STORM.
"The Burlington Storm commenced," says Howe's history of Ohio, "in the Southeast part of Delaware County, between one and two o'clock in the afternoon of May ISth. After passing for a few miles upon the surface of the ground, in an Easterly direction, it appeared to rise so high from the earth that the tallest trees were not affected by it, and then again to descend to the carth, and with great- ly increased violence and force proceeded through the Townships of Bennington and Burlington, in Licking County, and then passed in- to Knox, and thence to Coshocton County. It crossed the road from Newark to Mount Vernon, a short distance above Utica, where its violence was such as to prostrate nearly all the trees, large and small, that stood in its track, which was several hundred yards wide. Its general course was a little North of East. For force and violence of wind, this storm has rarely been surpassed in any country in the same latitude. Forests and orchards were completely uprooted and leveled, buildings blown down and scattered in every direction, por-
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tions of which being carried by the force of the wind many miles distant. Cattle were lifted from the ground and carried one hundred rods or more. The creek, which had been swollen by recent rains, had but little water in its bed after the storm had passed. The roads and fields recently plowed were quite muddy from previous rains, but after the storm had passed by, both roads and fields were clean and dry. Its track through Licking County was from one-third to three-fifths of a mile wide, but increased in width as it advanced to the Eastward. Those who were so fortunate as to be witness of its progress, without being victims of its prey, represent the appearance of the fragments of trees, buildings and limbs high in the air, to re- semble large numbers of birds, such as buzzards or ravens. The ground also seemed to tremble, as is asserted by many credible per- sons who were at the time, a mile from the tornado itself. The roar of the wind, the trembling of the ground and the crash of the falling timber and buildings, are represented by all who were witnesses as be- ing peculiarly dreadful.
"Colonel Wright and others, who witnessed its progress think it advanced at the rate of a mile per minute, and did not last more than a minute and a half or two minutes. The cloud was exceeding- ly black, and some times bore hard upon the ground, and at others seemed to rise above the surface. One peculiarity was, that the fallen timbers lay in such confusion, that the course of the storm could not be determined from the position of the fallen trees.
"Many incidents are related by the inhabitants calculated to illustrate the power as well as the terror of the storm, among which I select the following: A chain from three to four feet long, and of the size of a common plough-chain, was taken from the ground near the house of John McClintock, and carried about half a mile and lodged in the top of a sugar tree stub, about twenty-five feet above the ground. An ox belonging to Colonel Wait Wright was carried about eighty rods and left unhurt, although surrounded by the fallen timber, so that it required several hours chopping to release him. A cow was also taken from the same field and carried about forty rods and lodged in the top of a tree, which was blown down, and when found was dead, and about eight feet from the ground. Whether the cow was blown against the tree-top before it was blown down or was lodged in it after it fell, can not be determined. A heavy ox cart was taken from the yard of Colonel Wright and carried about forty rods and struck the ground with such force as to break the axle and entirely to demolish one wheel. A son of Colonel Wright
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upwards of fourteen years of age, was standing in the house holding the door. The house, which was built of logs, was torn in pieces, and the lad was thrown with such violence across the room as to kill him instantly. A coat which was hanging in the same room was found in Coshocton County, more than forty miles distant, and was afterwards brought to Burlington, and identified by Colonel Wright's family. Other articles, such as shingles, pieces of timber, and furni- ture, were carried twenty and thirty miles. Miss Sarah Robb, about twelve years of age, was taken from her father's house and carried some distance, she could not tell how far; but when consciousness returned, found herself about forty rods from the house and walking towards it. She was much bruised, but not essentially injured. The family of a Mr. Vance, on seeing the storm approaching, fled from the house to the orchard adjoining. The upper part of the house was blown off and through the orchard; the lower part of the house remained. Two sons of Mr. Vance were killed, one immediately and the other died in a day or two from his wounds. These and the son of Colonel Wright above mentioned, were all the lives known to be lost by the storm. A house built of large logs in which was a family and which a number of workmen had entered for shelter from the storm, raised up on one side and rolled off the place on which it stood, without injuring any one. A yoke of oxen belonging to William H. Cooley, were standing in the field, and after the storm were found completely enclosed and covered with fallen timber, so that they were not released until the next day, but were not essentially injured. A black walnut tree, two and a half feet in diameter, which had lain on the ground many years, and had become imbedded in the earth to nearly one-half its size, was taken from its bed and carried across the creek, and left about thirty rods from its former location. A crockery crate, in which several fowls were confined, was carried by the wind several miles, and, with its contents, set down without. injury."
THE LICKING SUMMIT CELEBRATION.
The most important event to Newark and to Licking County, that transpired in the year 1825, was the celebration of the 4th of July, at the "Licking Summit," four miles South of Newark, on the Ohio Canal. An immense throng attended to see De Witt Clinton. of New York, throw out the first shovel-full of earth, in the con- struction of the Ohio Canal. Governor Worthington and numerous
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celebrities of this and other States were present. The occasion was characterized by an immense display of Military toggery, such as brass buttons, cockades, plumes, sashes, epaulets, and many other fancy trappings that profusely ornamented the outer garments of the military chieftains present. These highly embellished and conspicu- ously present gentlemen of the " sword and pistols," were one of the features of this notable day. There was also a great array of inde- pendent military companies, called volunteers, who also appeared in their best uniforms. General Edward King, of Chillicothe, and General Sanderson, our very highly esteemed Pioneer friend of Lan- caster, who attained to more than four-score years of age, and whose interesting letter was read at a late meeting of the Licking County Pioneers, were among the most conspicuous military commanders on that celebrated occasion. Our late friends and fellow citizens Cap- tains Merideth Darlington and Willard Warner, the former of New- ark, the latter of Granville, commanded the local or home troops on the occasion. This was the heroic age of Ohio-the age of military glory.
Hon. Thomas Ewing, then in the full enjoyment of his great intellectual powers, was the Orator of the day, and, in the judgment of the great crowd who heard him, he acquitted himself splendidly.
Governor Clinton threw out the first shovel-full of earth, in the construction of the Ohio Canal, on that interesting occasion. He had been the projector of the Erie Canal, and had employed his great talents and influence to put the Empire State in the highway to pros- perity and wealth, by procuring the adoption of a liberal " Internal Improvement Policy." This same policy, sensible and Statesman- like he urged upon Ohio, and in consequence thereof, he became very popular among its friends here; hence the position of honor assigned to him. The late veteran Pioneer of Licking, Honorable William Stanbery, was elected to the Senate of Ohio, expressly to advocate our Canal policy. Governor Worthington and most of the Statesmen of Ohio, held the same views.
CAMP MEETING OF 1825.
The celebrated Camp Meeting of IS25 was held in Franklin Township, not far from the large stone mound, some eight miles from Newark. The meeting was held in a pleasant and somewhat romantic locality, near the western termination of the Flint Ridge. The weather was delightful-the preaching was good. and the sur-
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roundings and incidents of the meeting had a flavor of freshness and novelty about them that rendered the occasion one decidedly enjoy- able. A slender, tall, erect, long-visaged grave old man, with elon- gated hair that had passed into the last stages of the silver-gray hue, occupied himself conspicuously as the chief singer of the occasion- the venerable leader in the musical department of the devotional exercises. His name was Sigler, I understood, and he sung with spirit, energy and much power of voice. The great congregation joined him, and they made the welkin ring sonorously, while singing those fine old Methodist Camp Meeting Hymns. The multitudes gathered for worship from "all the regions round about" in these ancient groves, were greatly moved, yea! thrilled by the inspiring notes of the melodious minstrelsy. The reverberations of those sacred songs, as sung by a thousand voices, in the spirited, natural, simple style of our primitive settlers, in those "grand old woods," gave zest to the enjoyment of the interesting occasion, and the scenes and incidents thereof are doubtless numbered among the pleasanter memories that have been cherished by many, during the passing years of the latter half of our Centennial period.
THE HANGING-AND YET NOT HANGING-OF PETER DIAMOND.
In IS25, Peter Diamond, a miner at Mary Ann Furnace, was convicted of the murder of one Mitchell, a fellow ore-digger. This man while intoxicated and in a fit of passion struck Mitchell, (with whom he was quarreling, ) a blow with a gun-barrel across the head, from the effects of which he died. The absence of deliberation made it a crime of a lower grade than murder in the first degree, and he should have been convicted of the second grade of homicide. Hons. Thomas Ewing and William Stanbery defended him with great zeal and ability, but he was nevertheless found guilty and sentenced to be hung. The gallows was erected-the grave dug --- the coffin made-so was the shroud, and the culprit put inside of it- the crowd collected from far and near-the military were marshaled in large numbers to prevent the escape or rescue of Peter, and to give ECLAT to the interesting occasion, the sermon was preached -the doctors were on hand to determine when Diamond's pulse ceased its beatings, by reason of the strangling process-and, in short all things were ready to swing the culprit into eternity, when lo! and behold a dashing horseman came rushing along, crying out at the top of his voice that he had a message from the Governor of the
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State of Ohio! This proved to be Isaac Cool, who knew well how to act such a part with a flourish. The commander of the troops cleared the track for him, when he, with due regard to style, passed the document with the great seal of the State of Ohio attached, to the Sheriff, which proved to be a respite or suspension of the sentence. This respite resulted at last in a commutation of it to ten years ser- vice, for the hero of the day, in the Penitentiary. This respite arrangement of our good old Governor was one that Peter promptly acceded to, much to the disgust of a well-sold and greatly-be-fooled crowd, who had, at some expense, and to the neglect of their business and crops, at a very busy season of the year, gathered here in great force, from this and all the adjoining Counties, to witness the death- agonies of a fellow-being on the gallows, and they could not brook the idea of a disappointment! This is true only of the more brutal, or rabble class of the spectators-the better portion were thrilled with joy at the manner of its termination. Farce, just then, was more to their taste than tragedy. The performance came off between Locust and Church streets, and between Third and Fifth streets. The gallows stood about mid-way between Church and Locust streets, on Fourth street, or a little East of it. £ This was the nearest the writer ever came to seeing a man "done for," finally, on the scaffold. He offers in mitigation for yielding to the force of tempta- tion, the fact that the gallows was erected within a few rods of his residence; and he may also be permitted to plead his youth, in exten- uation of the indiscretion, he being still " in his teens."
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Diamond's counsel, after the death penalty had been pronounced, prepared and laid before Governor Morrow, the facts in the case, who saw at once that he had been illegally and unjustly convicted and sentenced; he therefore decided to give him the proper punish- ment for his offense, which was one of great enormity, though not the highest crime, nor the crime of which he was found guilty. As he had committed a great crime, the good Governor thought it best to give him ten years in the State's prison, and in addition to put him through the pangs of anticipated throttling, and to keep the terrors of an ignominious death hanging over him to the last moment; but to stop short of the reality of a death strangle!
HORSE-RACING OF IS25.
The horse-racing of 1825 was also an event of no small magni- tude. in the estimation of many. The race-course was bounded on
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the North by the Southern portion of the town; on the South by the South Fork; on the East by Fourth street; and on the West by the Raccoon. An immense crowd of people of all colors, sexes, and conditions had collected. They came from the adjacent Counties. and also from remote parts of the State, as well as from our County. One main race for sweepstakes, was run by three horses named "Ground Hog," " Red Fox." and " Prairie Mule." The first named was a large gray horse, owned in Muskingum, I believe, and was the winner. The "Red Fox" was a small sorrel horse and came in second best; and the "Prairie Mule," owned, I think, in Lancaster, was a small brown animal of nearly the same speed of the " Red Fox." The race was a mile, or perhaps more, to be repeated. Many other races were run, generally for a short distance only, and for small stakes. The accompaniments were a large consumption of whisky and similar fluids-an overloading of many stomachs with ginger-cakes-a considerable number of fisticuffs-much excitement, quarreling and profanity -- extensive thimble-rigging and sweat-cloth gambling - pocket-picking and stealing-playing off the grand- mother's trick, and other sharp frauds upon the very green ones; and various other grovelling and villainous practices that were in- tensely disgusting.
THE PATRIOTISM OF LICKING COUNTY.
The people of Licking County manifested a commendable degree of patriotism during each of the three wars that our National Government has been engaged in, since the organization of the County. During the war of 1812, four companies at least, were raised for service, although the population did not exceed five thous- and. Captain Spencer early entered the service with a company, followed by Captains Rose and Sutton, and afterwards Captain Spencer was placed in command of a company organized to march to the defence of Fort Meigs, Elias Hughes being the First Lieuten- ant. A company of mounted men was also raised for some tempo- rary purpose, which I believe was commanded by Captain Robert Davidson.
Three companies were raised in Licking County during the Mexican war, one of them being mounted men under the command of Captain John R. Duncan. The two infantry companies were commanded by Captain Richard Stadden.
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The number of men who entered the military service of the country during the late war for the Union, was probably not much less than three thousand, four hundred and sixty-six of whom are known to have lost their valuable, noble lives in said service. Their names, with the time and place of enlistment and death of each one, the commands to which they were attached and other facts of interest pertaining to them, have all been published in a neat pamphlet.
In the earlier history of our County, every able-bodied man be- tween the ages of eighteen and forty-five years, was, by law, enrolled for military duty, and he was expected to perform several days of that kind of duty in each year. Then " military trainings," "company musters," "general musters," "officers musters," "regimental train- ings," " brigade trainings," and such like military performances were popular; and very numerous were volunteer, rifle, and infantry com- panies, well uniformed and under good dicipline, as well as militia companies of less pretensions. Although there is now less pomp and parade, less display of military toggery, of brassy ornaments, of gilt buttons and silver lace, of sword and sash, of bespangled regi- mentals and gay cockades, yet there is not less patriotism among the people as was clearly established during the terrible years of the late rebellion. The demands upon the patriotism of the people of Licking County have been promptly and fully met.
It is a noteworthy fact, as indicating the great vitality and vigor of the military as a controlling power in this County, in early as well as in later times, that our " military chieftains," pretty uniformly at- tained to positions of honor and profit in civil life. This was exemp- lified in the election to high civil offices of Generals Philemon Beech- er, Joseph Vance, Duncan Mc Arthur, Robert Lucas, Return Jonathan Meigs, and many others, who, though not residents of our County, nevertheless received the suffrages of our citizens. Of those who were citizens of this County I name Generals John Spencer, Augus- tine Munson, and Jonathan Taylor; also Colonels John Stadden, William W. Gault, Joshua Mathiot, William Spencer, John Stewart, J. B. W. Haynes, James Parker, James Kilbourn, William Gass; also Majors Jeremiah R. Munson, Anthony Pitzer, Stephen C. Smith, Elisha Warren, and others that might be named. It is an indication of patriotism to honor those who have rendered valuable military services, and if so, Patriotism was a distinguishing characteristic of our carlier settlers, and Licking County should not be less redolent now than then of patriotic heroism.
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MAJOR JEREMIAHI R. MUNSON AND GENERAL JOHN SPENCER.
In the year 1805, two men settled within the limits of this Coun- ty, who subsequently attracted to themselves a large share of public attention, figured extensively in high military and civil positions, and who enjoyed to an unusual extent, the public confidence and regard. These men were Major Jeremiah R. Munson and General John Spencer. They were both undoubted patriots -- both, carly in the war of 1812, entered the military service of their country-both were included in General Hull's capitulation at Detroit-both subsequent- ly re-entered the army-both were shot and narrowly escaped death -both made good military or war records-both were summoned, I believe, as witnesses at the Court Martial of Hull-both were honorably discharged from the army-both served creditably as Representatives of Licking County in the State Legislature-both were men of energy, enterprise, and great popularity-both possess- ed fine social qualities and commanding influence-both were men of ambition and of honor-both had strong convivial proclivities- both merited and enjoyed high consideration-the floods engulfed them both, one a little more, the other a year less than half a century ago -- both reached the end, when they had passed but little beyond " the noon of life;" and when the limpid waters of the Rac- coon closed over the despondent, despairing Munson, a gallant, patri- otic, generous life went out; and when the heroic Spencer passed out of sight, in the midst of the swollen, turbid, fast-flowing waters of the North Fork, a brave heart ceased to beat, a patriotic life came to an end, a gallant soldier died, an upright Magistrate ceased to be, an incorruptible Legislator was no more, an honest man passed on to his final reckoning! Both shared largely in the commiserations of " troops of friends," sincere, devoted.
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