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 53
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In the French war, which ended with the peace of 1763, a bloody battle was fought on the present farm of Col. Johnston, at Upper Piqua. At that time, the Miamis had their towns here, which are marked on ancient maps, "Tewightewee towns." The Miamis, Wyandots, Ottowas, and other northern tribes, adhered to the French, made a stand here, and fortified-the Canadian traders and French assisting. The Delawares, Shawanoes, Munseys, part of the Senecas residing in Pennsylvania, Cherokees, Catawbas, &c., adher- ing to the English interest, with the English traders, attacked the French and Indians. The siege continued for more than a week ; the fort stood out, and could not be taken. Many were slain, the assailants suffering most severely. The besieged lost a number, and all their exposed property was burnt and destroyed. The Shawanoese chief, Blackhoof, one of the besiegers, informed Col. Johnston that the ground around was strewed with bullets, so that baskets full could have been gathered.
Soon after this contest, the Miamis and their allies left this part of the country, and re- tired to the Miami of the Lake, at and near Fort Wayne, and never returned. The Shaw- anoese took their place, and gave names to towns in this vicinity. Col. Johnston's place, " and the now large and flourishing town of Piqua, was called Chillicothe, after the tribe of that name ; the site of his farm, after the Piqua tribe."
Fort Piqua, erected prior to the settlement of the country, stood at Upper Piqua, on the west bank of the river, near where the figure is seen in the distance, on the right of the en- graving. It was designed as a place of deposit for stores for the army of Wayne. The portage from here to Fort Loramie, 14 miles, thence to St. Mary's, 12 miles, was all the land carriage from the Ohio to Lake Erie. Loaded boats frequently ascended to Fort Lo- ramie, the loading taken out and hauled to St. Mary's, the boats also moved across on wheels, again loaded, and launched for Fort Wayne, Defiance and the lake. Sometimes, in very high water, loaded boats from the Ohio approached within six miles of St. Mary's. Before the settlement of the country, a large proportion of the army supplies were conveyed up this river. When mill dains were erected, the navigation was destroyed, and boating ceased.
In 1794, Capt. J. N. Vischer, the last commandant of Fort Piqua, was stationed here. During that year, two freighted boats, guarded by an officer and 23 men, were attacked by the Indians near the fort, and the men all massacred. Capt. Vischer heard the firing, but from the weakness of his command, could render no assistance. The plan of the Indians doubtless was, to make the attack in hearing of the fort, and thereby induce them to sally out in aid of their countrymen, defeat all, and take the fort. The commander was a dis- creet officer, and aware of the subtleness of the enemy, had the firmness to save the fort.
The family of Col. Johnston settled at Upper Piqua in 1811, the previous 11 years having been spent at Fort Wayne. Years after the destruction of the boats and party on the river, fragments of muskets, bayonets, and other remains of that disaster, were found at low wa- ter, imbedded in the sand. The track of the pickets, the form of the river bastion, the foun- dation of chimneys in the block-houses, still mark the site of Fort Piqua. The plow has levelled the graves of the brave men-for many sleep here-who fell in the service. At this place, Fort Loramie, St. Mary's, and Fort Wayne, large numbers of the regulars and militia volunteers were buried, in the wars of Wayne, as well as in the last war.
* Col. John Johnston.
364
MIAMI COUNTY.
In the late war, the far greater number of Indians who remained friendly, and claimed and received protection from the United States, were placed under the care of Col. Johnston, at Piqua. These were the Shawanoes, Delawares, Wyandots in part, Ottowas in part, part of the Senecas, all the Munseys, and Mohicans ; a small number remained at Zanesfield, and some at Upper Sandusky, under Maj. B. F. Stickney, now of Toledo. The number here amounted, at one period, to six thousand, and were doubtless the best pro- tection to the frontier. With a view of detaching the Indians here from the American inte- rest, and taking them off to the enemy, and knowing that so long as Col. Johnston lived this could not be accomplished, several plots were contrived to assassinate him. His life was in the utmost danger. He arose many mornings, with but little hope of living until night, and the friendly chiefs often warned him of his danger ; but he was planted at the post ; duty, honor, and the safety of the frontier, forbade his abandoning it. His faithful wife staid by him ; the rest of his family, papers and valuable effects, were removed to a place of greater security. On one occasion, his escape seemed miraculous.
Near the house, at the road side, by which he daily several times passed in visiting the Indian camp, was a cluster of wild plum bushes. No one would have suspected hostile In- dians to secrete themselves there ; yet there the intended assassins waited to murder him, which they must have soon accomplished, had they not been discovered by some Delaware women, who gave the alarm. The Indians-three in number-fled ; a party pursued, but lost the trail. It afterwards appeared that they went up the river some distance, crossed to the east side, and passing down nearly opposite his residence, determined, in being foiled of their chief prize, not to return empty handed. They killed Mr. Dilbone and his wife, who were in a field, pulling flax : their children, who were with them, escaped by secreting them- selves in the weeds. From thence, the Indians went lower down, three miles, to Loss Creek, where they killed David Garrard, who was at work a short distance from his house. The leader of the party, Pash-e-towa, was noted for his cold-blooded cruelty, and a short time previous, was the chief actor in destroying upwards of 20 persons-mostly women and children-at a place called Pigeon Roost, Indiana. He was killed, after the war, by one of his own people, in satisfaction for the numerous cruelties he had committed on unoffending persons .*
In the war of 1812, nothing was more embarrassing to the public agents, than the man- agement of the Indians on the frontier. President Madison, from a noble principle, which does his memory high honor, positively refused to employ them in the war, and this was a cause of all the losses in the country adjacent to the upper lakes. Having their families in pos- session, the agents could have placed implicit confidence in the fidelity of the warriors. As it was, they had to manage them as they best could. Col. Johnston frequently furnished them with white flags, with suitable mottoes, to enable them to pass out-posts and scouts in safety. On one occasion, the militia basely fired on one of these parties, bearing a flag hoisted in full view. They killed two Indians, wounded a third, took the survivors prisoners, and after robbing them of all they possessed, conveyed them to the garrison at Greenville, to which post the party belonged. On reflection, they were convinced they had committed an unjustifiable act, and became alarmed for the consequences. They brought the prisoners to Upper Piqua, and delivered them to Col. Johnston. He took them, wishing to do the best in his power for the Indians, and on deliberation, decided to conduct them back to Green- ville, and restore them, with their property, to their people. Application was made by Col. Johnston, to the officer commanding at Piqua, for a guard on the journey. These were Ohio militia, of whom not a man or officer dared to go. He then told the commander, if he would accompany him, he would go at all hazards, the distance being 25 miles, the road entirely uninhabited, and known to be infested with Indians, who had recently killed two girls near Greenville. But he alike refused. All his appeals to the pride and patriotism of officers and men proving unavailing, he decided to go alone, it being a case that required the promptest action, to prevent evil impressions spreading among the Indians. He got his
* Although Col. Johnston escaped death by the calamities of war, his immediate relations have been sufferers. His brother was killed by the Indians, and his scalp sold to M'Kee, Girty, or some other of the American renegadoes, who allied with the British and Indians against their own country. By a newspaper received this day, we also learn that his son, Capt. Abm. R. Johnston, of the 1st regiment U. S. dragoons, and aid to Gen. Kearney, was killed at the recent battle of San Pasqual, in California, while gallantly leading a furious charge against the enemy. This gentleman was born at Piqua, May 23d, 1815, graduated first at Miami University, and afterwards at West Point; entered the army, and was pro- moted to a captaincy, June 30, 1846, and was killed on the 6th of December following. He was a ripe scholar, and possessed noble qualities of character.
365
MONROE COUNTY.
horse ready, bade farewell to his wife, scarcely ever expecting to see her again, and reached Greenville in safety ; procured nearly all the articles taken from the Indians, and delivered them back, made them a speech, dismissed them, and then springing on his horse, started back alone, and reached his home in safety, to the surprise of all, particularly the militia, who, dastardly fellows, scarce expected to see him alive, and made many apologies for their cowardice.
During the war, Col. Johnston had many proofs of the fidelity of some of the friendly Indians. After the surrender of Detroit, the frontier of Ohio was thrown into the greatest terror and confusion. A large body of Indians still resided within its limits, accessible to the British. In the garrison of Fort Wayne, which was threatened, were many women and children, who, in case of attack, would have been detrimental to its defence, and it therefore became necessary to have them speedily removed. Col. Johnston assembled the Shawanee chiefs, and stating the case, requested volunteers to bring the women and children at Fort Wayne to Piqua. Logan (see p. 303) immediately arose and offered his services, and soon started with a party of mounted Indians, all volunteers. They reached the post, received their in- teresting and helpless charge, and safely brought them to the settlements, through a country infested with marauding bands of hostile savages. The women spoke in the highest terms of the vigilance, care and delicacy of their faithful conductors. -
Covington, 6 miles westerly from Piqua, is a flourishing town, on Stillwater creek, which winds through a beautiful and fertile coun- try. It contains 2 churches, 6 stores, and had, in 1840, 331 inhab- itants. Milton, a flourishing village, 10 miles sw. of Troy, on Still- water creek, at which point there is much hydraulic power, contains 1 or 2 churches, 4 stores, several mills and factories, and had, in 1840, 232 inhabitants. Fletcher, West Charleston, Cass, Hyatts- ville, and Tippecanoe, are small villages.
MONROE.
MONROE was named from James Monroe, president of the United States from 1817 to 1825; was formed, January 29th, 1813, from Belmont, Washington and Gurnsey. The south and east part is very hilly and rough ; the north and west moderately hilly. Some of the western portion and the valleys are fertile. Coal of an ex- cellent quality abounds in the western part, and iron ore is found. The staples are wheat, corn, pork and tobacco; of which last there is, with two exceptions, more raised than in any other county in Ohio. The following is a list of the townships, in 1840, with their population.
Adams,
897
Jackson,
806
Sunbury,
1358
Bethel,
545
Malaga,
1443
Switzerland,
983
Elk,
535
Ohio,
907
Union,
1351
Enoch,
1135
Perry,
980
Washington,
533
Franklin,
1144
Salem,
910
Wayne,
684
Green,
938
Seneca,
1349
The population of Monroe in 1820, was 4645 ; in 1830, 8770, and in 1840, 18,544, or 33 inhabitants to a square mile.
The principal portion of the population originated from western Pennsylvania, with some western Virginians and a few New Eng- landers ; one township is settled by Swiss, among whom are some highly educated men. The inhabitants are moral and industrious,
366
MONROE COUNTY.
and, to the honor of the county, a capital crime has never been com- mitted within it.
The valleys of the streams are narrow and are bounded by lofty and rough hills. In many of the little ravines putting into the val- leys, the scenery is in all the wildness of untamed nature. In places, they are precipitous and scarcely accessible to the footsteps of man, and often for many hundred yards the rocks bounding these gorges hang over some 30 or 40 feet, forming natural grottoes, of sufficient capacity to shelter many hundreds of persons, and enhancing the gloomy, forbidding character of the scenery.
The annexed historical sketch of the county, is from Daniel H. . Wire, Esq., of Woodsfield.
The first settlement in the county was near the mouth of Sunfish, about the year 1799. This settlement consisted of a few families whose chief aim was to locate on the best hunt- ing ground. A few years after, three other small settlements were made. The first was near where the town of Beallsville now stands; the second' on the Clear fork of Little Muskingum, consisting of Martin Crow, Fred. Crow, and two or three other families; and the third was on the east fork of Duck creek, where some three or four families of the name of Archer settled. Not long after this, the settlements began to spread, and the pio- neers were forced to see the bear and the wolf leave, and make way for at least more friendly neighbors, though perhaps less welcome. The approach of new comers was al- ways looked upon with suspicion, as this was the signal for the game to leave. A neighbor at the distance of ten miles was considered near enough for all social purposes. The first object of a new comer after selecting a location, and putting the " hoppers" on the horse,-if he had any,-was to cut some poles or logs, and build a cabin of suitable di- mensions for the size of his family ; for as yet, rank and condition had not disturbed the simple order of society.
The windows of the cabin were made by sawing out about three feet of one of the logs, and putting in a few upright pieces ; and in the place of glass, they took paper and oiled it with bear's oil, or hog's fat, and pasted it on the upright pieces. This would give con- siderable light and resist the rain tolerably well. After the cabin was completed, the next thing in order was to clear out a piece of ground for a corn patch. They plowed their ground generally with a shovel plow, as this was most convenient among the roots. Their harness consisted mostly of leather-wood bark, except the collar, which was made of husks of corn platted and sewed together. They ground their corn in a hand-mill or pounded it in a mortar, or hommony block, as it was called, which was made by burning a hole into the end of a block of wood. They pounded the corn in these mortars with a pestle, which they made by driving an iron wedge into a stick of suitable size. After the corn was suffi- ciently pounded, they sieved it, and took the finer portion for meal to make bread and mush of, and the coarser they boiled for hommony. Their meat was bear, venison and wild-turkey, as it was very difficult to raise hogs or sheep on account of the wolves and bear; and hence pork and woollen clothes were very scarce.
The mischievous depredations of the wolves, rendered their scalps a matter of some im- portance. They were worth from four to six dollars a piece. This made wolf-hunting rather of a lucrative business, and of course called into action the best inventive talent in the country ; consequently many expedients and inventions were adopted, one of which I will give. The hunter took the ovary of a slut-at a particular time-and rubbed it on the soles of his shoes, then circling through the forest where the wolves were most plenty, the male wolves would follow his track ; as they approached he would secrete himself in a suitable place, and as soon as the wolf came in reach of the rifle, he received its contents. This plan was positively practiced, and was one of the most effectual modes of hunting the wolf. A Mr. Terrel, formerly of this place, was hunting wolves in this way, not far from where Woodsfield stands. He found himself closely pursued by a number of wolves, and soon discovered from their angry manner, that they intended to attack him. He got up into the top of a leaning tree, and shot four of them before they would leave him. This is the only instance of the wolves attacking any person in this section of country. Hunt- ers, the better to elude, especially the ever-watchful eye of the deer and turkey, had their hunting shirts colored to suit the season. In the fall of the year, they wore the color most resembling the fallen leaves ; in the winter they used a brown, as near as possible the color
367
MONROE COUNTY.
of the bark of trees. If there was snow on the ground, they frequently drew a white shirt over their other clothes. In the summer they colored their clothes green.
In addition to what has already been said, it may not be improper to give a few things in relation to the social intercourse of the early settlers. And fist, I would remark on good authority, that a more generous, warm-hearted and benevolent people, seldom have existed in any country. Although they were unwilling to see the game driven off by the rapid influx of emigrants ; still the stranger, when he arrived among the hardy pioneers, found among them a cordiality, and a generous friendship, that is not found among those who compose, what is erroneously called, the better class of society, or the higher circle. There was no distinction in society, no aristocratic lines drawn between the upper and lower classes. Their social amusements proceeded from matters of necessity. A log rolling, or the raising of a log cabin, was generally accompanied with a quilting, or some- thing of the sort, and this brought together a whole neighborhood of both sexes, and after the labors of the day were ended, they spent the larger portion of the night in dancing and other innocent amusements. If they had no fiddler, (which was not very uncommon,) some one of the company would supply the deficiency by singing. A wedding frequently called together all the young folks for fifteen or twenty miles around. These occasions were truly convivial ; the parties assembled on the wedding day at the house of the bride, and after the nuptials were celebrated, they enjoyed all manner of rural hilarity, and most gen- erally dancing formed a part, unless the old folks had religious scruples as to its propriety. About 10 o'clock the bride was allowed to retire by her attendants ; and if the groom could steal off from his attendants and retire also, without their knowledge, they became the objects of sport for all the company, and were not a little quizzed. The next day the party repaired to the house of the groom to enjoy the infair. When arrived within a mile or two of the house, a part of the company would run for the bottle, and whoever had the fleetest horse, succeeded in getting the bottle, which was alway ready at the house of the groom. The successful racer carried back the liquor, and met the rest of the company and treated them, always taking good care to treat the bride and groom first ; he then be- came the hero of that occasion, at least.
There are but few incidents relative to the Indian war which took place in this county, worthy of notice. When Martin Whetzel was a prisoner among the Indians, they brought him about twenty miles (as he supposed) up Sunfish creek. This would be some place near Woodsfield. Whetzel says they stopped under a large ledge of rocks, and left a guard with him, and went off ; and after having been gone about an hour, they returned with a large quantity of lead, and moulded a great number of bullets. They fused the lead in a large wooden ladle, which they had hid in the rocks. They put the metal in the ladle, and by burning live coals on it, succeeded in fusing it. After Whetzel escaped from the Indians and returned home, he visited the place in search of the lead, but could never find it. In fact, he was not certain that he had found the right rock.
At the battle of Captina, (see page 55,) John Baker was killed. He had borrowed Jack Bean's gun, which the Indians had taken. This gun was recaptured on the waters of Wills creek, about sixteen or eighteen miles west of Woodsfield, and still remains in the possession of some of the friends of the notorious Bean and the lamented Baker, in this county, as a memorial of those brave Indian fighters. Henry Johnson, (see page 269,) who had the fight with the Indians, when a boy, is now living in the county.
In the latter part of the last century, the celebrated French trav- eller, Volney, travelled through Virginia, and crossed the Ohio into this county from Sistersville. He was under the guidance of two Vir- ginia bear hunters through the wilderness. The weather was very cold and severe. In crossing the dry ridge, on the Virginia side, the learned infidel became weak with cold and fatigue. He was in the midst of an almost boundless wilderness, deep snows were under his feet, and both rain and snow falling upon his head ; he frequently insisted on giving over the enterprize and dying where he was, but his comrades, more accustomed to backwoods fare, urged him on, until he at length gave out, exclaiming, "Oh, wretched and foolish man that I am, to leave my comfortable home and fireside, and come to this unfrequented place, where the lion and tiger refuse to dwell, and the rain hurries off! Go on my friends ! better that one man
368
MONTGOMERY COUNTY.
should perish than three." They then stopped, struck a fire, built a camp of bark and limbs, shot a buck, broiled the ham, which, with the salt, bread and other necessaries they had, made a very good supper, and every thing being soon comfortable and cheery, the learned Frenchman was dilating largely and eloquently upon the ingenuity of man. .
View in Woodsfield.
Woodsfield, the county seat, 118 miles easterly from Columbus, and 18 from the Ohio river, was founded in 1815, by Archibald Woods, of Wheeling, George Paul, Benj. Ruggles and Levi Barber. It contains 1 Episcopal Methodist and 1 Protestant Methodist church, a classical academy, I newspaper printing office, 6 stores, and had in 1830, 157 inhabitants, and in 1840, 262; estimated population in 1847, 450. The view was taken in the principal street of the vil- lage, on the left of which is seen the court house. At the foot of the street, on the left, but not shown in the view, is a natural mound, circular at the base and rising to the height of 60 feet.
Beallsville, 9 miles NE. of Woodsfield, contains 1 Methodist, 1 Presbyterian and 1 Disciples church. It had in 1840, 194 inhabi- tants ; estimated population in 1847, 350. Mr. Beall and John Lynn, were the original proprietors. Clarington, at the mouth of Sunfish, was laid out by Daniel Person, and contains 1 Disciples church, and about 300 inhabitants. Malaga, Milton, Calais, Sum- merfield, Carlisle, Graysville and Antioch, are smaller places.
MONTGOMERY.
MONTGOMERY was named from Gen. Richard Montgomery, of the American revolutionary army ; he was born in Ireland, in 1737, and was killed in the assault upon Quebec, Dec. 31st, 1775. This county was created, May 1st, 1803, from Hamilton and Ross, and the tem- porary seat of justice appointed at the house of George Newcom, in Dayton. About one-half of the county is rolling and the rest level :
HARBOR OF TOLEDO.
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369
MONTGOMERY COUNTY.
the soil of an excellent quality, clay predominating. East of the Miami, are many excellent limestone quarries, of a greyish white hue. Large quantities are exported to Cincinnati, where it is used in constructing the most elegant edifices ; nearly all the canal locks from Cincinnati to Toledo are built with it. This, excepting Ham- ilton, is the greatest manufacturing county in Ohio, and abundance of water power is furnished by its various streams. Montgomery has more turnpike macadamized roads, than any other county in the state, and is one of the wealthiest and most densely populated. The principal products are corn, wheat, rye, oats, barley, flaxseed, pota- toes, pork, wool and tobacco. The following is a list of the town- ships in 1840, with their population.
Butler,
1897
Jackson,
1688
Perry,
1883
Clay, 1633
Jefferson,
1895
Randolph,
1774
Dayton, 10334
Madison, 1594
Washington, 2259
German, 2629
Miami,
3249
Wayne, 1045
The population of Montgomery in 1820, was 16,061; in 1830, 24,374, and in 1840, 31,879, or 79 inhabitants to a square mile.
The thriving city of DAYTON is in this county. This is a beautiful town. It is regularly laid out, the streets are of an unusual width, and much taste is displayed in the private residences : many of them are large and are ornamented by fine gardens and shrubbery. The following sketch is from a resident .*
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