USA > Ohio > Historical collections of Ohio, containing a collection of the most interesting facts, traditions, biographical sketches, anecdotes, etc., relating to its general and local history : with descriptions of its counties, principal towns, and villages > Part 34
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The winter of 1791-2, was followed by an early and delightful spring ; indeed, I have often thought that our first western winters were much milder, our springs earlier, and our autumns longer than they now are. On the last of February, some of the trees were putting forth their foliage ; in March, the red bud, the hawthorn and the dog-wood, in full bloom, checkered the hills, displaying their beautiful colors of rose and lily ; and in April, the ground was covered with May apple, bloodroot, ginseng, violets, and a great variety of herbs and flowers. Flocks of parroquets were seen, decked in their rich plumage of green and gold. Birds of various species, and of every hue, were flitting from tree to tree, and the beautiful redbird, and the untaught songster of the west, made tlie woods vocal with their melody. Now might be heard the plaintive wail of the dove, and now the rumbling drum of the partridge, or the loud gobble of the turkey. Here might be seen the clumsy bear, doggedly moving off, or urged by pursuit into a laboring gallop, retreating to his cita- del in the top of some lofty tree ; or approached suddenly, raising himself erect in the attitude of defence, facing his enemy and waiting his approach ; there the timid deer, watch- fully resting, or cautiously feeding, or aroused from his thicket, gracefully bounding off, then stopping, erecting his stately head and for a moment gazing around, or snuffing the air to ascertain his enemy, instantly springing off, clearing logs and bushes at a bound, and soon distancing his pursuers. It seemed an earthly paradise ; and but for apprehension of the wily copperhead, who lay silently coiled among the leaves, or beneath the plants, wait- ing to strike his victim ; the horrid rattle-snake, who more chivalrous, however, with head erect amidst its ample folds, prepared to dart upon his foe, generously with the loud noise of his rattle, apprised him of danger ; and the still more fearful and insidious savage, who, crawling upon the ground, or noiselessly approaching behind trees and thickets, sped the deadly shaft or fatal bullet, you might have fancied you were in the confines of Eden or the borders of Elysium.
At this delightful season, the inhabitants of our village went forth to their labor, inclosing their fields, which the spring flood had opened, tilling their ground, and planting their corn for their next year's sustenance. I said, went forth, for their principal corn-field was dis- tant from Columbus about one and a half miles east, and adjoining the extensive plain on which the town stood. That large tract of alluvial ground, still known by the name of Turkey Bottom, and which, lying about fifteen feet below the adjoining plain, and annu- ally overflowed, is yet very fertile, was laid off into lots of five acres each, and owned by the inhabitants of Columbia ; some possessing one, and others two or more lots ; and to save labor, was enclosed with one fence. Here the men generally worked in companies exchanging labor, or in adjoining fields, with their fire-arms near them, that in case of an attack they might be ready to unite for their common defence. Here, their usual annual crop of corn from ground very ordinarily cultivated, was eighty bushels per acre ; and some lots, well tilled, produced a hundred, and in very favorable seasons, a hundred and ten bushels to the acre. An inhabitant of New England, New Jersey, or some portions of Maryland, would scarcely think it credible, that in hills four feet apart, were four or five stalks, one and a half inches in diameter, and fifteen feet in height, bearing each two or three ears of corn, of which some were so far from the ground, that to pull them an ordi- nary man was obliged to stand on tiptoe.
North Bend is situated 16 miles below Cincinnati, and 4 from the Indiana line, at the northernmost point of a bend in the Ohio river. This place, which was of note in the early settlement of the country, has in later years derived its interest from having been the residence of Gen. Wm. H. Harrison, and the spot where rest his mortal re- mains. The family mansion stands on a level plat, about 300 yards back from the Ohio, amid scenery of a pleasing and retired character. The eastern half of the mansion, that is, all that part on the reader's right, from the door 'n the main building, is built of logs ; but the
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whole of the building being clapboarded and painted white, has the same external appearance. The wings were alike: a part of the southern one was destroyed by fire since the decease of its illus- trious occupant, a memento of which disaster is shown by the naked
Residence of the late President Harrison, at North Bend.
chimney, that rises like a monument over the ruins. The dwelling is respectably, though plainly furnished, and is at present occupied by the widow of the lamented Harrison, long distinguished for the virtues which adorn the female character.
About a quarter of a mile south of the family mansion, and per- haps half that distance from the river, is the tomb of Harrison. It
Tomb of President Harrison.
stands upon the summit of a small oval-shaped hill, rising about 100 feet from the plain, ornamented by a few scattering trees, and com- manding a view of great beauty. The tomb is of brick, and is
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entered by a plain, unpainted door, on its western end. There is no inscription upon it, nor is any required to mark the resting place of Harrison.
The annexed sketch of General Harrison, is mainly derived from that published in the National Portrait Gallery, in 1836.
WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON was born at Berkley, the family seat of his father, (n James river, 25 miles front Richmond, Virginia, in 1773. Ile was the youngest of three sons of Benjamin W. H. Hanijon Fac-simile of Harrison's signature. Harrison, a descendant of the celebrated leader of the same name in the wars of Cromwell. Benja- min Harrison occupied a conspicuous part in our own revolutionary struggle, and was one of the most active of that daring band who set the ball in motion. He represented Virginia in congress, in 1774, '75, and '76. He was chairman of the committee of the whole house, when the declaration of independence was agreed to, and was one of its signers. He was elected governor of Virginia, and was one of the most popular officers that ever filled the executive chair. He died in 1791.
Wm. Henry Harrison was early placed at Hampden Sydney College, which he left at 17 years of age, his mind well imbued with classical literature, and deeply impressed with ad- miration of the principles of republican Greece and Rome. In obedience to the wishes of his father, whose hospitable and liberal conduct through life prevented him from prom- ising wealth to his son, he entered on the study of medicine ; and after a short preparatory course, he repaired, in the spring of 1791, to Philadelphia, to prosecute his studies with greater advantage. The death of his father immediately after his arrival, checked his pro- fessional aspirations ; and the "note of preparation" which was sounding through the country, for a campaign against the Indians of the west, decided his destiny. He resolved to enter into the service of his government, and to create a name for himself worthy of his father. His guardian, the celebrated Robert Morris, opposed his wishes with all the elo- quence of his great mind; but it was in vain that he placed the enterprise before the enthusiastic youth in all its hardships and privations. In order to deter him from his pro- ject, he painted an Indian war in a remote and untried wilderness in the darkest colors ; he spoke of victory, against such foes, as not involving glory ; but of defeat, as insuring dis- grace. The remonstrances of his friend and guardian were fruitless, and General Wash- ington at length yielded to the importunities of the youth ; he presented him with an ensign's commission. With characteristic ardor he departed for Fort Washington, now Cincinnati ; where, however, he arrived too late to participate in the unfortunate campaign. The fatal 4th of November had passed, and he was only in time to learn the earliest intel- ligence of the death of Butler, and of Oldham, and of the unparalleled massacre of the army of St. Clair.
The return of the broken troops had no effect in damping the zeal of young Harrison. He devoted himself ardently to the study of the theory of the higher tactics ; his education gave him advantages possessed by few young soldiers of that day ; and when, in the suc- ceeding year, the gallant Wayne assumed the command, Ensign Harrison was imme- diately noticed by this experienced commander, and selected by him for one of his aids. The judicious movements of the new army, and the success which crowned the campaign under Wayne, are a brilliant portion of our history. Harrison distinguished himself hand- somely in Wayne's victory, and his chief did him the justice to name him specially in the official report of the engagement.
After the treaty of Greenville, 1795, Captain Harrison was left in command of Fort Washington ; and shortly after the departure of General Wayne for the Atlantic states, he married the daughter of Judge Symmes, the proprietor of the Miami purchase. The writer of this brief sketch cannot let the opportunity slip, without offering a passing tribute to the virtues of this estimable woman. She is distinguished for her benevolence and her piety ; all who know her, view her with esteem and affection; and her whole course through life, in all its relations, has been characterized by those qualifications that com- plete the character of an accomplished matron.
The idleness and dissipation of a garrison life comported neither with the taste nor active temper of Captain Harrison. He resigned his commission, and commenced his civil career, at the age of twenty-four years, as secretary of the north-western territory. His capacity was soon noticed by the leaders in' the new territory, and he was elected, in 1799, the first delegate in congress for that extensive region, now comprising the states of Ohio, Indiana,
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Illinois, and the territory of Michigan. The first and general object of his attention as a representative, was an alteration of the land system of the territory. The law, as it then existed, ordained that not less than four thousand acres (except in particular cases of frac- tions on the banks of rivers) could be sold at once. The operation of such an ordinance must have been fatal to that class of population, whose industry and labor have since caused the country to advance with such rapid strides to wealth and greatness ; it was alone calcu- lated to benefit the speculator and rich monopolist. He was appointed chairman of the committee on lands, (the only instance, it is believed, in the history of our legislation, in which a delegate was so distinguished,) and with the aid of the able men who cooperated with him, he presented the celebrated land report, based on his own previous motion. A bill was framed, and after undergoing some amendments in the senate, was passed into a law, by which one half of the public lands were divided into sections of six hundred and forty acres, and the other into half sections of three hundred and twenty acres. The old system of forfeiture for non-payment was abolished, and payment ordered to be made, one fourth in hand, and the balance at the end of two, three, and four years, allowing still one year, after the expiration of the fourth year, to enable the purchaser to extricate himself, if necessary. This was a point gained, although it was not all the delegate contended for. To this measure is to be imputed the rapid settlement of the country ; and if Mr. Harrison had then been called from this world, without rendering any other service to his country, he would richly have merited the title of benefactor of the territory northwest of the Ohio.
The reputation acquired by the young delegate from his legislative success, created a party in his favor, who intimated a desire that he should supersede the venerable governor of the territory. But Mr. Harrison checked the development of this feeling as soon as it was made known to him. He cherished too high a veneration for the pure and patriotic St. Clair; he had too just an estimate of the splendid talents of the governor, and too much sympathy for the war-worn, though sometimes unfortunate hero, to sanction an attempt, which, whether successful or not, would have inflicted one more pang in the bosom of the veteran. A soldier can best feel for a soldier ; he declined the interference of his friends, and the subject was dropped. But when, shortly after, Indiana was erected into a separate territory, he was appointed by Mr. Adams the first governor. Previously, how-
ever, to quitting congress, he was present at the discussion of the bill for the settlement of Judge Symmes' purchase ; and although this gentleman was his father-in-law, he took an active part in favor of those individuals who had purchased from him before he had ob- tained his patent. It was viewed as a matter of doubt, whether those who had sued the julge in the courts of common law, would be entitled to the remedy in equity against him. He went before the committee in person, and urged them to insert a provision in their favor. Nor did he desist until assured by the attorney general and Mr. Harper, that these persons came fully under the provisions of the act as it then stood. This was the impulse of stern duty ; for at the moment he was thus engaged, he considered himself as jeoparding a largo pecuniary interest of his father-in-law.
In 1801, Governor Harrison entered upon the duties of his new office, at the old mil- itary post of Vincennes. The powers with which he was vested by law have never, since the organization of our government, been conferred upon any other officer,* civil or mil- itary ; and the arduous character of the duties he had to perform, can only be appreciated by those who are acquainted with the savage and cunning temper of the northwestern Indians ; with the genius of the early pioneers, and the nature of a frontier settlement. The dangers of such actions as the battle of Tippecanoe, the defence of Fort Meigs, and the battle of the Thames, are appreciated and felt by all; and the victories which were consequent upon them have crowned the victors with a never fading wreath: but these acts, brilliant as they were, fade when put in comparison with the unremitting labor and exposure to which, for many years after the organization of the first grade of territorial government, the new executive was exposed. The whole territory consisted of three settle- ments, so widely separated that it was impossible for them to contribute to their mutual defence or encouragement. The first was Clarke's grant at the falls of Ohio ; the second, the old French establishment at Vincennes ; and the third extended from Kaskaskia to Ka- hokia, on the Mississippi; the whole comprising a population of about five thousand souls. The territory thus defenceless, presented a frontier, assailable almost at every point, on the northeast, north, and northwest boundaries. Numerous tribes of warlike Indians were thickly scattered throughout the northern portion of the territory, and far beyond its limits,
* Among his duties was that of commissioner to treat with the Indians. In this ca- pacity, he concluded fifteen treaties, and purchased their title to upwards of seventy millions of acres of land.
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whose hostile feelings were constantly inflamed by the intrigues of British agents and traders, if not by the immediate influence of the English government itself, and not un- frequently by the uncontrollable outrages of the American hunters themselves ; a circum- stance which it always has been found impossible to prevent, in the early settlement of the west. Governor Harrison applied himself with characteristic energy and skill. It seems truly miraculous to us, when we retrospect into the early history of his government, that he should have been able to keep down Indian invasion in the infant state of the territory, seeing the great capacity the savages displayed for harassing him at a period when his re- sources and means had so much increased. The fact proclaims loudly the talents of the chief. Justice tempered by mildness ; conciliation and firmness, accompanied by a never - slumbering watchfulness ; were the means he used. These enabled him to surmount diffi- culties, under which an ordinary capacity must have been prostrated. The voluminous cor- respondence of Governor Harrison with Mr. Jefferson, from 1802 till 1809, is a recorded testimony of the ability and success of his administration.
During the year 1811, however, the intrigues of British agents operating on the passions of the Indians, brought affairs to a crisis which rendered hostilities unavoidable. Tecum- seh, and his prophet brother, had been laboring unceasingly, since 1805, to bring about this result. Harrison called upon Colonel Boyd, of the 4th United States regiment, then at Pittsburg, (who immediately joined him,) and embodied a militia force as strong as the emergency would permit. To these were added a small but gallant band of chivalrous volunteers from Kentucky, consisting of about sixty-five individuals. With these he com- menced his march towards the prophet's town at Tippecanoe. On the 6th of November he arrived in sight of the Indian village, and in obedience to his orders, made several fruit- less attempts to negotiate with the savages. Finding it impossible to bring them to any discussion, he resolved to encamp for the night, under a promise from the chiefs to hold a conference next day. He sent forward Brigade Major Clarke and Major Waller Taylor, to select a proper position for the encampment. These officers shortly after returned, and reported that they had found a situation well calculated for the purpose, and on examina- tion, the commander approved of it. Subsequent examination has proved that the ground was admirably adapted to baffle the success of a sudden attack, the only kind which the great experience of Harrison assured him would be attempted. The men reposed upon the spot which each, individually, should occupy, in case of attack. The event justified the anticipations of the chief. On the morning of the 7th, before daylight, the onset was made with the usual yells and impetuosity. But the army was ready ; Harrison had risen some time before, and had roused the officers near him. Our limits do not permit us $0 enter into a detail of the action ; the arrangement of the troops was masterly, and spoke the well educated and experienced soldier. The Indians fought with their usual despera- tion, and maintained their ground for some time with extraordinary courage. Victory de- clared in favor of discipline, at the expense, however, of some of the most gallant spirits of the age. Among the slain were Colonels Daveis and Owen, of Kentucky, and Captain Spencer, of Indiana. Governor Harrison received a bullet through his stock, without touching his neck. The legislature of Kentucky, at its next session, while in mourning for her gallant dead, passed the following resolution, viz :
" Resolved, That Governor William H. Harrison has behaved like a hero, a patriot and general ; and that for his cool, deliberate, skillful and gallant conduct, in the battle of Tip- pecanoe, he well deserves the thanks of the nation."
From this period, until after the declaration of war against England, Governor Harrison was unremittingly engaged in negotiating with the Indians, and preparing to resist a more extended attack from them. In August, 1812, he received the brevet of major general in the Kentucky militia, to enable him to command the forces marching to relieve Detroit. He immediately applied himself to the proper organization of his army on the northwestern frontier. The surrender of Hull changed the face of affairs; he was appointed a major general in the army of the United States, and his duties embraced a larger sphere. Every thing was in confusion, and every thing was to be done ; money, arms and men were to be raised. It is under circumstances like these that the talents of a great general are devel- oped more powerfully than in conducting a battle. To do justice to this part of the biog- raphy of Harrison, requires a volume of itself. Becoming stronger from reverses, collecting munitions of war, and defending Fort Meigs, were the prominent features of his opera- tions, until we find him in pursuit of Proctor, on the Canadian shore. On the 5th of October, 1813, he brought the British army and their Indian allies, under Proctor and Tecumseh, to action, near the river Thames. The victory achieved by militia over the disciplined troops of England, on this brilliant day, was decisive ; and like the battle of the Cowpens, in the war of the revolution, spread joy and animation over the whole union.
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For this important action, congress presented General Harrison with a gold medal. The success of the day is mainly attributable to the novel expedient of charging through the British lines with mounted infantry. The glory of originating this manœuvre belongs ex- clusively to General Harrison.
The northwestern frontier being relieved, and important aid given to that of Niagara, General Harrison left his troops at Sacket's Harbor, under the command of Colonel Smith, and departed for Washington by the way of New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore. On the whole route he was received with enthusiasm, and honored with the highest marks of distinction that can be offered to a citizen bv a republican people.
Owing to a misunderstanding between Mr. Secretary Armstrong and himself, General Harrison resigned his commission in the spring of 1814. Mr. Madison sincerely deplored this step, and assured Governor Shelby, in a letter written immediately after the resigna- tion, " that it would not have been accepted had he been in Washington." It was received and accepted by Secretary Armstrong, while the president was absent at the springs.
General Harrison retired to his farm at North Bend, in Ohio, from which he was suc- cessively called by the people, to represent them in the congress of the United States, and in the legislature of the state. In 1824-5, he was elected to the senate of the United States ; and in 1828, he was appointed minister to Columbia, which station he held until he was recalled by President Jackson, not for any alledged fault, but in consequence of some difference of views on the Panama question. General Harrison again returned to the pur- suits of agriculture at North Bend. In 1834, on the almost unanimous petition of the cit- izens of the county, he was appointed prothonotary of the court of Hamilton county.
In 1840, General Harrison was called by the people of the United States to preside over the country as its chief magistrate. His election was a triumphant one ; of 294 votes for president, he received 234. From the time when he was first nominated for the office until his death, he had been rising in public esteem and confidence ; he entered upon the duties of his office with an uncommon degree of popularity, and a high expectation was cherished that his administration. would be honorable to himself and advantageous to the country. His death, which took place April 4th, 1841, just a month after his inauguration, caused a deep sensation throughout the country. He was the first president of the United States that had died in office. The members of his cabinet, in their official notification of the event, said : " The people of the United States, overwhelmed like ourselves by an event so unexpected and so melancholy. will derive consolation from knowing that his death was calm and resigned, as his life had been patriotic, useful and distinguished ; and that the last utterance of his lips expressed a fervent desire for the perpetuity of the consti- tution and the preservation of its true principles. In death, as in life, the happiness of his country was uppermost in his thoughts."
President Harrison was distinguished by a generosity and liberality of feeling which was exercised beyond what strict justice to himself and family should have permitted. With ample opportuity for amassing immense wealth, he ever disdained to profit by his public situation for private emolument. His theory was too rigidly honest to permit him to engage in speculation, and his chivalry was too sensitive to permit him to use the time belonging to his country, for private benefit. After nearly fifty years devotion to his duties in the highest stations, he left at his death but little more to his family than the inheritance of an unsullied reputation.
About 30 rods in a westerly direction from the tomb of Harrison, on an adjacent hill, in a family cemetery, is the grave of Judge Symmes. It is covered by a tablet, laid horizontally upon brick work, slightly raised from the ground. On it is the following inscription :-
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