USA > Ohio > Historical collections of Ohio in three volumes ; an encyclopedia of the state : with notes of a tour over it in 1886 contrasting the Ohio of 1846 with 1886-90, Vol. III > Part 76
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
"Get out? Did I get out ? Land of love ! It makes me shiver to think of it yet. I could no more get out of that stump than I
1
N
T
548
WILLIAMS COUNTY.
.
could fly. The hollow was bell-shaped, larger at the bottom than at the top-so large, in fact, that I could not put my back against one side and my feet and hands against the other, and crawl up, as rabbits and other ani- mals climb up, inside of hollow trees. In no way could I get up a foot. There were no sticks inside to help me up, and I made up my mind I had to die certain. About the time I came to this conclusion I heard the old bear climbing up the outside of the stump. With only my hunting-knife as a means of defence, and in such close quarters, you may possibly imagine the state of my feelings. The old bear was not more than half a min- ute, at the outside, climbing up the stump ; but it seemed like a month, at least. I thought of all my sins a dozen times over. At last she reached the top, but she didn't seem to suspect my presence at all, as she turned around and began slowly descending, tail fore- most. I felt as though my last hour had come, and I began to think seriously about lying down and letting the bear kill me, so as to get out of my misery as quickly as pos- sible.
.
"A Valuable Idea .- Suddenly an idea struck me, and despair gave way to hope. I drew out my hunting-knife and stood on tip- toe. When the bear was about seven feet from the bottom of the hollow, I fastened on her tail with my left hand with a vise-like grip, and with my right hand drove my hunting-knife to the hilt in her haunch, at the same time yelling like a whole tribe of Indians. What did she do? Well, you should have seen the performance. She did not stop to reflect a moment, but shot out at the top of the stump like a bullet out of a gun. I held on until we struck the ground. Then the old bear went like lightning into the brush and was out of sight in half a minute. I took the cubs to Adrian the next day and got five dollars apiece for them, and in those times five dollars were as good as fifty dollars are now."
A Boy Murdered .- The "County His- tory" also gives an account of a brutal mur- der which occurred in Jefferson township. That was the murder of the son of Peter D. Schamp by Daniel Heckerthorn and A. J. Tyler as accessory, which occurred about the 20th day of June, 1847, on the farm now owned by John H. Schamp. Tyler professed to be a fortune-teller, and came to the house of Mr. Schamp and told him his fortune; thenee he came to where Heckerthorn lived, told his fortune, and made inquiry if Schamp was not a man of money. Receiving an affirmative answer, he told Heckerthorn if he
would kill Schamp's boy and hide him in a secret place (known to Tyler), that Schamp would come to him and pay him a large sum of money to tell him where the boy was, and he would give him money enough to go back to Wayne county, Ohio.
On the next Sunday morning, according to previous arrangement, Heckerthorn came. to Schamp's, and, decoying the boy from. . the house (he being but six years old), took him to the large woods north of Schamp's. He there took the boy by the heels, and struck his head against a knot on a beech tree, and killed him. The knot was. subsequently chopped . out of the tree and brought to court. The boy's hair was seen on it. He then placed him in a hollow tree, put old rotten wood on him, and placed green brush on it. Sunday afternoon the search commenced by some of the neighbors, and on Monday it became general.
The Fortune-Teller Consulted .- At night Schamp went to see Tyler, to ascertain if he could tell the whereabouts of the boy. He said he was near water. and under rotten wood and green brush. The excitement became general. On Tuesday men and boys came for miles to hunt, but obtained no tidings. On Thursday the woods for miles were full of people. In the afternoon suspicion fastened on Heckerthorn, and Jacob Bohner and the writer (M. B. Plummer) found Heckerthorn at his brother's house concealed. He was taken into custody, and finally confessed the guilt of himself and Tyler. The same day George Ely, then a justice of the peace for" Brady township, issued a warrant for the ar- rest of Tyler and Heckerthorn. They were- committed to jail, taken to Bryan at the fall term of the Court of Common Pleas, and in- dicted separately.
The Murderers Convicted .- Tyler elected to be tried by the Supreme Court. The jail at Bryan was not safe, and they were taken to Maumee City and remained there until the fall of 1848, when Tyler was tried for murder in the first degree, was found guilty and sen- teneed to be hanged Jan. 26, 1849. J. Dobbs was prosecutor, assisted by C. Case. S. E. Blakeslee was attorney for the defendant. Daniel Langle was at the time sheriff, and made an inclosure in which to hang Tyler. On the evening of the 25th the people came and found there was an inclosure set up dur- ing the night. They demolished it, and Tyler was hung in public. At the spring term of the Court of Common Pleas Hecker- thorn was tried and found guilty of murder- in the second degree, and sentenced to the penitentiary for life.
The history of all pioneer settlements is replete with stories of children lost in the woods, and not only children, but of grown people with considerable knowl- edge of woodcraft. One of the most touching of these stories is related in the Centre township chapter of the "County History."
-
WILLIAMS COUNTY.
549
A LOST BOY.
One day in early times a small boy, about four years old, belonging to a family which lived in the southwestern part of the town- ship, became lost. The mother had gone to one of the neighbors, and the child had at- tempted to follow her. The loss was not dis- covered until the mother returned, about dark. Search was immediately instituted, the neighborhood was aroused, and soon the woods were filled with anxious searchers. Torches were carried, and the search contin- ued all night ; but the morning dawned, and the first day passed without success. The mother was almost distracted with grief and nervous anxiety. People came by the score to assist in the search, some as far distant as five or six miles ; but, although more than a hundred active searchers were present, no concerted and organized effort was made, strange to say, until the third day. On this day a long line was formed, the men and women being stationed sixty feet apart, and ' the word was given by the captain to march.
Found Dead .- It was not long before the
little boy was found. He was dead, but his body yet contained warmth, showing that death had occurred only a short time before. The spot where the little fellow had slept each night was found. When night overtook him, he had, as was his habit, taken off his clothes, thinking that he must do so in order to go asleep. It was October and the nights were quite cold, and the little wanderer could not survive the chilling weather. When he arose the first morning he was unable to put on his clothes properly, and thus wan- ? dered about half clad. Had the search been organized, a's it should have been, on the second day, the little boy would have been found alive. It was the easiest thing in the world even for grown people to get lost in early days. The sensations on such occasions are described as terrifying. The mind and senses become wild with bewilderment, see" familiar objects under new and strange as- pects, and refuse to recognize trees and paths known for years. Old settlers, lost, have been known to pass within a few yards of their own doors without recognizing a single familiar object.
1
THE LOST CHILDREN.
The outcome of the story we have here related is sad indeed. We here relate from " Perrin's History of Starke County " a story of a search for lost children, not so sad, but which is told with such clearness of statement as to give it place among the best narratives of the kind extant.
About the year 1821 two small children, a brother and sister, the former six and the latter eight years of age, belonging to a family in the southern part of Portage county, became lost while after the cows. The children tried to drive the cattle to what they thought was home, but in reality was in a different direc- tion ; and, as the animals refused to go as desired, were abandoned by the children. Had they but followed the cows they would soon have reached home.
The cows went home, and the children wandered farther into the tangled wil- derness. As night closed around, and the cows came home without the children, the parents became alarmed, and immediately surmised that they had become lost. The county was now and thinly settled, but the parents hurried around and roused what few neighbors they could. Guns were fired, horns were blown, but no tidings came of the wanderers. The morning dawned, and quite a number of the neighbors assembled from far and near to begin the search in a systematic manner. A few traces of where the children had been were discovered, and a long line formed to pursue the march southward.
:
If slight but sure signs of the children should be discovered the horn was to be blown once, if good signs twice, and if the children themselves three times, when all the searchers were to gather together. The search was given in charge of a hunter who had the ability to track game by very slight signs. All day long the search was continued. During the afternoon the hunter saw a footprint made by one of the children. The horn sounded the news along the line. The track was near a large tree that had been cut for a bear, and after a few moments the hunter held up a bit of calico that had been torn from the dress of the little girl.
The horn again carried the tidings along
the line. The excitement became intense, but none were permitted to leave the line. The parents were excluded from the line and left at home, for fear that when a few signs were discovered they in their eagerness would rush forward and obliterate them. For the same reason the line was ordered not to break until the horn was sounded three times in succession. The old Inter and a few com- petent assistants took the advance, and an- nounced their success to others who were beating the bushes for a mile or more on each side.
Darkness again came and the search had to be abandoned, save continued soundings of the horns and reports of the guns. The
,
550
WILLIAMS COUNTY.
line was taken up again in the morning, and continued with occasional successes until nearly night. The searchers passed south- ward through Lexington township, Starke county, into Washington of the same, ad- vancing as far as section fourteen, very near where Mr. Tinsman lived.
Here the old hunter picked up a piece of spicewood that bore upon it the marks of teeth. One suggested that it had been bitten by a deer, but the old hunter proved that to be impossible, as on the limb were marks of upper teeth.
"The horn again rang out the welcome note. The line moved on, and soon came to a- "slashing " of some five acres. Here the old hunter plainly saw marks of where the chil- dren had walked in. They had followed on an old deer-path that led to the centre of the slashing. This was a splendid retreat for the animals when they were attacked by swarms of flies, as the place was thickly covered with weeds and undergrowth.
" What was to be done?" was the ques- tion. The old hunter was told to enter, which he did, and as he passed along the path he saw an objeet bound off a log and rush towards him. It was the little girl, paying no heed to his questions, and seeming to fear him although she had run into his arms. He asked where her brother was, but she did not appear to understand him, and made an effort to leave and run off into the underbrush. The search was continned in the slashing by the hunter and his assistants, and in a few minutes the little boy was found fast asleep under the protecting side of a large log.
lIe was roused up, but was as wild as his sister. The horns rang out three times in succession, and the overjoyed settlers in a few minutes gathered together. The children
were taken to Mr. Tinsman's house, but re- fused to eat, and made continued efforts to rush out into the woods. A little nourishing food was poured down their throats, and then they were taken rapidly towards their home.
The parents heard the horns and shouts, and were overwhelmed with joy when their children were placed in their arms. The lit- the boy and girl did not recognize them, but stared wildly around. They were put to bed, and were soon asleep. Early the next morn- ing the little boy called out, " Where's my little axe ?" The little girl awoke and called for her calico dress, the one that had been torn in pieces in her rambles. The children were all right, and strange to say could not remember anything of having been lost. Other instances of a similar nature are, says the county historian, related.
When people are lost they become so be- wildered that they often fail to recognize ob- jects with which they are perfectly familiar. Mr. Perrin relates the case of a Mr. Johnson, who having become lost wandered about in a bewildered state, when he finally came to a stable in the yard of which was an old horse. The animal was poorer than Job's turkey, and Mr. Johnson wondered why in the name of humanity the owner did not feed the poor creature and take better care of the yard. He moved on a little farther, saw a log-house and near it a woman, who when she saw him asked, "What have you there?" It then dawned upon the bewildered Mr. Johnson for the first time, that his own wife was talking to him, and that the horse and stable-yard he- had seen were his own. These bewildered, dazed mental states find an illustration in the old story of a wight who, on discovering his house to be on fire, threw a looking-glass out of the window and carried a tea-kettle out into the yard.
...
THE STORY OF THE ANDREWS' RAID.
Early in the spring of 1862 General Mitchell with 10,000 men was moving southward from Murfreesboro through the mountains of Tennessee. Buell had joined Grant, and was moving down the Mississippi; General Morgan was at Cumberland Gap ready to march on Knoxville, and General MeClellan was pre- paring to advance on Richmond. The Confederate General Beauregard was at Corinth ; General Leadbetter with about 3,000 men occupied Chattanooga ; Gen- eral Kirby Smith was at Knoxville ; General Bragg had evacuated Kentucky ; but the Confederates held the railroad from Richmond to Knoxville, and thence via Chattanooga to Corinth. All the Confederate stores had been transferred to Atlanta, and from thence forwarded over the Western and Atlantic Railroad to Chattanooga as needed. „Supplies, reinforcements and communication between the South and its armies in Tennessee depended entirely upon the Western & Atlantic Railroad, and to cut it off meant a serious blow to Beauregard's army at Corinth, and Kirby Smith's at Knoxville.
CAPTAIN ANDREWS' PLAN.
Captain Andrews' plan was to secure the destruction of the thirteen wooden bridges on the Western & Atlantic Railroad, which spanned the Chickamauga river, and thus
render the road useless to the Confederacy for an indefinite period, as they had no facili- ties for replacing them before the results aimed at could be accomplished. This plan was submitted to General Mitchell by Captain J. J. Andrews, a Virginian by birth, but a
,
55[
WILLIAMS COUNTY.
citizen of Fleming county, Ky., at the out- break of the war. He was a model of phys- ical as well as intellectual and moral man- hood ; polished and courtly, courageous and determined, with a voice as soft and winning as a woman's, he was withal as true and gen- erous as he was brave. His plan, which for 'shrewdness and boldness of conception re- mains unequalled in the annals of the rebel- lion, was approved by General Mitchell. Accordingly, on April 7, 1862, his call for volunteers was responded to by nine men from the 21st Ohio, seven from the 33d Ohio, and seven from the 2d Ohio. They met that night in a small clearing in the forest near Shelbyville; the service was explained to them, its perils fully portrayed, and all who desired given leave to withdraw. Every man promptly expressed his willingness to go, and amidst the crashing of thunder and flash of lightning of an approaching storm, they sol- emnly pledged their lives to the success of the enterprise. They then separated, each dressed in citizen's clothes, with ample money for expenses, and arrived the following Friday at Marietta, a station twenty-one miles north of Atlanta on the Western & Atlantic R. R.
A DISASTROUS DELAY.
It had been previously arranged to meet at Marietta on Thursday night, but wet weather had delayed Captain Andrews' men. On this, as proven by subsequent events, hinged the success of the expedition ; for had they had any other man to contend against than Captain W. A. Fuller, the conductor of the train they boarded, the expedition would probably have been successful, and the cause of the Confederacy received such a blow as to have changed the entire subsequent history of the rebellion. However, according to previous arrangements they boarded the early north-bound train at Marietta, which stopped at Big Shanty (about ten miles from Marietta), where the conductor, engineer and train hands proceeded to get breakfast ; and while they were eating, Captain Andrews' men took the places.assigned them, quietly uncoupled the engine and three forward cars (empty box cars), and in the presence of hundreds of sol- diers in the adjoining Camp McDonald sped away like the wind.
AN UNPROMISING CHASE.
Conductor Fuller while eating breakfast was informed of what had occurred, and sup- posing the runaways were deserters, who after proceeding a few miles would desert the train and take to the woods, started off on foot in pursuit, followed by his engineer and one train hand, amid the derisive cheers of the soldiers of Camp McDonald, who sym- pathizing with the supposed deserters called out : "Go it, old long legs ! You'll catch 'em, if your wind holds out !" Arriving at Moon's station, two miles distant, he met some track hands, who informed him of the number of the fugitives, and that they had
taken their tools from them and cut the tele- graph wires. Realizing that these were not the acts of deserters, he conceived some idea of the real purpose of the fugitives ; and with a fertility of resource, courage and determi- nation entered into a chrase which was as re- markable on the part of the pursuer as the pursued, and brought it to a culmination that would not have been reached by one man in 10,000 under similar circumstances. Taking, a hand car the track hands had been using, Fuller with his companions, now nearly fagged out, continued the chase, Fuller propelling the car by pushing, for it had no other pro- pelling power, with occasional relief from his companions. At one place, where the fugi- tives had removed a rail, the car and load went pitching into a muddy ditch, but no serious damage was done.
At Etowah river was a short branch road leading to Cooper's iron works, and when Fuller arrived here he found an old switch- engine called the "Yonah." The Yonah was already fired up, and Fuller continued the pursuit at the rate of 60 miles an hour.
When the fugitives left Big Shanty they proceeded moderately, stopping several times between stations to cut the telegraph wires, and when obliged to stop at stations Captain Andrews explained to the station master that he was transporting three car-loads of ammu- nition to General Beauregard, and that Ful- ler's train would follow. Andrews was fa- miliar with the schedule, and was aware that a local freight would be met at Kingston, thirty-two miles from Big Shanty.
After passing this he intended to proceed with increased speed, burning the thirteen bridges as they passed over them. Fearing no pursuit, no precautions were taken, except cutting the wires and removing one rail until Kingston was reached.
UNEXPECTED OBSTACLES.
Arriving at Kingston Andrews learned of two extra freight trains, of which he had no previous knowledge, and was delayed more than an hour waiting for them to pass. This was a trying ordeal, for the station was sur- rounded with citizens and soldiers, who plied him with questions, and were with great dif- ficulty prevented from opening the doors of the box cars in which were concealed twenty of his comrades. Andrews' coolness and courage during this trial was sublime. Fi- nally they succeeded in leaving the station, and after proceeding a few miles they stopped. to cut the wires and tear up the track, and then started on at full speed.
About this time Fuller met the first freight coming out of Kingston. Jumping from the Yonah, he and his inen ran to the station and secured an engine just come in on the Rome branch, and followed on. Coming to where Andrews' men had torn up the track, they again abandoned their engine, running ahead until they met the local freight which the fugitives had passed at Adairsville ; backing
-----
91
٠
1
552
WILLIAMS COUNTY.
the train to the siding, they continued the pursuit with the engine.
A DISAGREEABLE SURPRISE.
In the meantime Andrews had stopped a short distance beyond Calhoun to cut the tel- egraph wire and remove a rail ; just ahead was the first bridge they expected to burn. Not being aware of any pursuit, they were struck dumb with amazement at hearing the whistle of an approaching engine. Ilastily boarding their train, they smashed the sides and end of the rear box car into kindling wood and piled it up ready to light when the bridge was reached, expecting to have ample time while the pursuing party were engaged in replacing the rail they had removed, which they had rendered extra difficult by taking it out of curve. . To their amazement, however, they saw the smoke of the pursuing en- gine looming up in the distance, having passed over the curve without derailment. Nothing daunted, the kindling was removed to a forward car and the rear car uncoupled to collide with the pursuing engine. Fuller reversed his engine, met it without shock, and pushed the car before him ; a second car was uncoupled with a like result. Relieved of the two cars, the Andrews party com- menced to gain on their pursuers, so that after passing Resaca, they stopped again to cut the wires and place obstructions upon the track, which failed of the desired result. On and on the chase continued, the fugitives ex- erting every ingenuity. for defeating the pur- suit, but without effect. A singular fatality seemed to pursue the Andrews party, pre- cautions that, seemed certain of checking the pursuit failed ; while every circumstance seemed to bend to the favor of the pursuers.
SINGULAR FATALITY.
The wire was cut and the track obstructed for the last time just beyond Dalton, but too late to prevent a despatch from Capt. Fuller to Gen. Leadbetter, at Chattanooga. The re- maining ear was now cut loose and set on fire in the covered bridge beyond Dalton, but owing to the late frequent rains did not ignite the bridge before it was removed by the pur- suing engine. Upon reaching a point twelve miles from Chattanooga, Capt. Andrews' fuel and steam were exhausted, and it became nec- essary to abandon the engine and take to the woods, separating, in hopes that some of the party might escape ; but they were all cap- tured, being tracked by dogs and overtaken before the Federal lines could be reached.
CONDEMNED AS SPIES.
About two weeks after the capture, Capt. Andrews was tried upon the charge of being a spy and condemned to death. Seven others were tried on the same charge with the same result ; of the remaining fourteen, eight es- caped in Atlanta in Oct., 1862, and six were ex- changed in March, 1863. A few days before the
date set for the execution of Capt. Andrews he and John Woolam escaped from their prison by cutting a hole in one of the planks in the wall of their prison, but were recaptured and brought back. A scaffold was erected for Andrews at Chattanooga, but owing to the fears of interference by sympathizing citizens (the daring exploit of Andrews and his com- panions having excited the admiration of the people) he was removed with his companions to Atlanta. On their arrival they were con- ducted to a building near at hand, while a brief consultation was held by those having the management of the affair. Soon a squad of soldiers led Capt. Andrews away. The parting scene was affecting in the extreme; his low, sad farewells were spoken in the calm, sweet tones characteristic of him.
NOBLE FORTITUDE OF CAPT. ANDREWS.
A few days before his execution he had written a letter to a friend, in which he said : "I was captured on the 14th of April, 1863. I am satisfied I could easily have got away had they not put a pack of dogs on my trail ; it was impossible to elude them. The death sentence seems a hard one for the crime proven against me, but I suppose the court that tried me thought otherwise. I have now calmly submitted to my fate and have been earnestly engaged in preparing to meet my God in peace, and I have found that peace of mind and tranquillity of soul that even astonishes myself. I never supposed it possible that a man could feel so entire a change under similar circumstances. .
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.