Historical collections of Ohio in two volumes, an encyclopedia of the state, Volume I, Part 34

Author: Howe, Henry, 1816-1893
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Cincinnati : Published by the state of Ohio
Number of Pages: 1006

USA > Ohio > Historical collections of Ohio in two volumes, an encyclopedia of the state, Volume I > Part 34

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).

SEC. 13. And for extending the fundamental principles of civil and religious liberty, which form the basis whereon these republics, their laws and constitu- tions, are erected; to fix and establish those principles as the basis of all laws, constitutions, and governments, which forever hereafter shall be formed in the said territory ; to provide, also, for the establishment of States, and permanent government therein, and for their admission to a share in the Federal councils on an equal footing with the original States, at as early periods as may be consistent with the general interest :

SEC. 14. It is hereby ordained and declared, by the authority aforesaid, that the following articles shall be considered as articles of compact, between the original States and the people and States in the said territory, and forever remain unalterable, unless by common consent, to wit :

ARTICLE I.

No person, demeaning himself in a peaceable and orderly manner, shall ever be molested on account of his mode of worship, or religious sentiments, in the said territory.

ARTICLE II.

The inhabitants of the said territory shall always be entitled to the benefits of the writs of habeas corpus, and of the trial by jury ; of a proportionate repre- sentation of the people in the legislature, and of judicial proceedings according to the course of the common law. All persons shall be bailable, unless for capital offences, where the proof shall be evident, or the presumption great. All fines shall be moderate; and no cruel or unusual punishments shall be inflicted. No man shall be deprived of his liberty or property, but by the judgment of his peers, or the law of the land, and should the public exigencies make it necessary, for the common preservation, to take any person's property, or to demand his particular services, full compensation shall be made for the same. And, in the/ just preservation of rights and property, it is understood and declared, that no law ought ever to be made or have force in the said territory, that shall, in any manner whatever, interfere with or affect private contracts, or engagements, bona fide, and without fraud previously formed.

ARTICLE III.

Religion, morality, and knowledge being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged. The utmost good faith shall always be observed towards the Indians ; their lands and property shall never be taken from them without their consent; and in their property, rights, and liberty they never shall be invaded or disturbed, unless in just and lawful wars authorized by Congress ; but laws

220

ORDINANCE OF 1787.

founded in justice and humanity shall, from time to time, be made, for prevent- ing wrongs being done to them, and for preserving peace and friendship with them.

ARTICLE IV.

The said territory, and the States which may be formed therein, shall forever remain a part of this confederacy of the United States of America, subject to the Articles of Confederation, and to such alterations therein as shall be constitu- tionally made ; and to all the acts and ordinances of the United States in Congress assembled, conformable thereto. The inhabitants and settlers in the said territory shall be subject to pay a part of the Federal debts, contracted, or to be contracted, and a proportional part of the expenses of government to be apportioned on them by Congress, according to the same common rule and measure by which apportionments thereof shall be made on the other States; and the taxes for paying their proportion shall be laid and levied by the authority and direction of the legislatures of the districts, or districts, or new States, as in the original States, within the time agreed upon by the United States in Congress assembled. The legislatures of those districts, or new States, shall never interfere with the primary disposal of the soil by the United States in Congress assembled, nor with any regulations Congress may find necessary for securing the title in such soil to the bona-fide purchasers. No tax shall be imposed on lands the property of the United States; and in no case shall non-resident proprietors be taxed higher than residents. The navigable waters leading into the Mississippi and Saint Lawrence, and the carrying places between the same, shall be common highways, and for- ever free, as well to the inhabitants of the said territory as to the citizens of the United States, and those of any other States that may be admitted into the con- federacy, without any tax, impost, or duty therefor.

ARTICLE V.

There shall be formed in the said territory not less than three nor more than five States; and the boundaries of the States, as soon as Virginia shall alter her act of cession and consent to the same, shall become fixed and established as follows, to wit: The western State, in the said territory, shall be bounded by the Mississippi, the Ohio, and the Wabash Rivers ; a direct line drawn from the Wabash and Post Vincents, due north, to the territorial line between the United States and Canada; and by the said territorial line to the Lake of the Woods and Mississippi. The middle State shall be bounded by the said direct line, the Wabash from Post Vincents to the Ohio, by the Ohio, by a direct line drawn due north from the mouth of the Great Miami to the said territorial line, and by the said territorial line. The eastern State shall be bounded by the last-mentioned direct line, the Ohio, the Pennsylvania, and the said territorial line : Provided, however, And it is further understood and declared, that the boundaries of these three States shall be subject so far to be altered, that, if Congress shall hereafter find it expedient, they shall have authority to form one or two States in that part of the said territory which lies north of an east and west line drawn through the southerly bend or extreme of Lake Michigan. And whenever any of the said States shall have sixty thousand free inhabitants therein, such State shall be admitted, by its delegates, into the Congress of the United States, on an equal footing with the original States, in all respects whatever; and shall be at liberty to form a permanent constitution and State government : Provided, The constitu- tion and government, so to be formed, shall be republican, and in conformity to the principles contained in these articles, and, so far as it can be consistent with the general interest of the confederacy, such admission shall be allowed at an earlier period, and when there may be a less number of free inhabitants in the State than sixty thousand.

ARTICLE VI.

There shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in the said territory, otherwise than in the punishment of crimes, whereof the party shall have been duly convicted : Provided always, That any person escaping into the same, from

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ORDINANCE OF 1787.

whom labor or service is lawfully claimed in any one of the original States, such fugitive may be lawfully reclaimed, and conveyed to the person claiming his or her labor or service as aforesaid.

Be it ordained by the authority aforesaid, That the resolutions of the 23d of April, 1784, relative to the subject of this ordinance, be, and the same are hereby, repealed, and declared null and void.

Done by the United States, in Congress assembled, the 13th day of July, in the year of our Lord 1787, and of their sovereignty and independence the twelfth.

John Cone Kimball, Photo., Peabody Museum. SERPENT MOUND PARK.

[The skeleton was found three feet below the surface of the mound. The bones below the femora were removed before the rest of the skeleton was uncovered.]

John Cone Kimball, Photo., Peabody Museum SERPENT MOUND PARK.

Showing three full folds of the Serpent from the neck to the central portion of the body.]

COUNTIES.

ADAMS.

ADAMS COUNTY lies on the Ohio River fifty miles east of Cincinnati and one hundred south of Columbus. It derives its name from John Adams, second President of the United States. It was formed July 10, 1797, by proclamation of Governor St. Clair being then one of the four counties into which the North-west Territory was divided. The three others previously formed were Washington, July 27, 1788; Hamilton, Jan. 2, 1790; and Wayne, 1796. The land is generally hilly and broken. Many of its first settlers were from Virginia, Kentucky, and North Ireland. It has 625 square miles. In 1885 the acres cultivated were 85,873 ; woodland, 84,598 ; lying waste, 11,123. Productions : corn, bushels 94,223 ; oats, 105,645 ; wheat, 88,533, and tobacco 1,600,976, being the eighth county in amount in the State. School census 1886, 8750 : teachers, 176. It has 28 miles of railroad.

TOWNSHIPS AND CENSUS,

1840

1880

1840

1880

Bratton

1053

Monroe

828

1400

Franklin

1358

1541

Oliver

1064

Green

1081

1886

Scott

916

1192

Jefferson

938

3444

Sprigg

1984

2652

Liberty

1096

1355

Tiffin

1533

2212

Manchester

1493

Wayne

858

1125

Meigs

IO71

2124

Winchester

III2

1464

The population in 1820 was 10,406; in 1840, 13,271 ; in 1860, 20,309 and in 1880, 24,005 of whom 212 were employed in manufactures, and 20,516 were Ohio born.

The first settlement within the Virginia military tract, and the only one between the Scioto and Little Miami until after the treaty of Greenville, in 1795, was made in this county, at Manchester, by the then Col., later, Gen. Nathaniel Massie. McDonald, in his unpretending, but excellent little volume, says :

Manchester Settled .- Massie, in the win- ter of the year 1790, determined to make a settlement in it, that he might be in the midst of his surveying operations and secure his party from danger and exposure. In or- der to effect this he gave general notice in Kentucky of his intention, and offered each of the first twenty-five families, as a dona- tion, one in-lot, one out-lot, and one hundred

acres of land, provided they would settle in a town he intended to lay off at his settlement. His proffered terms were soon closed in with, and upwards of thirty families joined him. After various consultations with his friends, the bottom on the Ohio River, opposite the lower of the Three Islands, was selected as the most eligible spot. Here he fixed his station, and laid off into lots a town, now

(223)

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ADAMS COUNTY.

called Manchester, at this time a small place, about twelve miles above Maysville (formerly Limestone), Kentucky. This lit- tle confederacy, with Massie at the helm (who was the soul of it), went to work with spirit. Cabins were raised and by the mid- dle of March, 1791, the whole town was en- closed with strong pickets firmly fixed in the ground with block houses at each angle for defence.

Thus was the first settlement in the Vir- ginia military district and the fourth settle- ment in the bounds of the State of Ohio ef- fected. Although this settlement was com- menced in the hottest Indian war it suf- fered less from depredation, and even inter- ruptions from the Indians, than any settle- ment previously made on the Ohio River. This was no doubt owing to the watch- ful band of brave spirits who guarded the place-men who were reared in the midst of danger and inured to perils, and as watchful as hawks. Here were the Beasleys, the Stouts, the Washburns, the Ledoms, the

Edgingtons, the Denings, the Ellisons, the Utts, the Mckenzies, the Wades, and others, who were equal to the Indians in all the arts and stratagems of border war.

As soon as Massie had completely pre- pared his station for defence, the whole pop- ulation went to work and cleared the lower of the Three Islands, and planted it in corn. The island was very rich, and produced heavy crops. The woods with a little indus- try, supplied a choice variety of game. Deer, elk, buffalo, bears, and turkeys, were abun- dant, while the river furnished a variety of excellent fish. The wants of the inhabitants, under these circumstances, were few and easily gratified.

When this station was made, the nearest neighbors north-west of the Ohio were the inhabitants at Columbia, a settlement below the mouth of the Little Miami, five miles above Cincinnati; and at Gallipólis, a French settlement near the mouth of the Great Ken hawa.

The station being established, Massie continued to make locations and surveys. Great precautions were necessary to avoid the Indians, and even these did not always avail, as is shown by the following incidents, the first of which we copy from the American Pioneer.

ISRAEL DONALSON'S NARRATIVE OF HIS CAPTIVITY.

I am not sure whether it was the last of March or first of April I came to the ter- ritory to reside; but on the night of the 21st of April, 1791, Mr Massie and myself were sleeping together on our blankets (for beds we had none), on the loft of our cabin, to get out of the way of the fleas and gnats. Soon after lying down I began dreaming of Indi- ans, and continued to do so through the night. Some time in the night, however, whether Mr. Massie waked of himself, or whether I wakened him, I cannot now say, but I observed to him I did not know what was to be the consequence, for I had dreamed more about Indians that night than in all the time I had been in the western country before. As is common, he made light of it, and we dropped again to sleep. He asked me next morning if I would go with him up the river, about four or five miles to make a survey, and that William Lytle, who was then at the fort, was going along. We were both young surveyors, and were glad of the opportunity to practice.

Taken Captive .- Accordingly we three, and a James Tittle, from Kentucky, who was about buying the land, got on board of a canoe, and were a long time going up, the river being very high at the time. We com- menced at the mouth of a creek, which from that day has been called Donalson creek. We meandered up the river ; Mr. Massie had the compass, Mr. Lytle and myself car- ried the chain. We had progressed perhaps one hundred and forty, or one hundred and fifty poles, when our chain broke or parted,

but with the aid of the tomahawk we soon repaired it. We were then close to a large mound, and were standing in a triangle, and Lytle and myself were amusing ourselves pointing out to Tittle the great convenience he would have by building his house on that mound, when the one standing with his face up the river, spoke and said, " Boys, there are Indians." " No," repiled the other, " they are Frenchmen." By this time I had caught a glimpse of them ; I said they were Indians, I begged them to fire. I had no gun, and from the advantage we had, did not think of running until they started. The Indians were in two small bark canoes, and were close into shore and discovered us just at the instant we saw them; and before I started to run I saw one jump on shore. We took out through the bottom, and before getting to the hill, came to a spring branch. I was in the rear, and as I went to jump, something caught my foot, and I fell on the opposite side. They were then so close, I saw there was no chance of escape, and did not offer to rise. Three warriors first came up, presented their guns all ready to fire, but as I made no resistance they took them down, and one of them gave me his hand to help me up. At this time Mr. Lytle was about a chain's length before me, and threw away his hat ; one of the Indians went for- ward and picked it up. They then took me back to the bank of the river, and set me down while they put up their stuff, and pre- pared for a march. While sitting on the bank of the river, I could see the men walk-

225

ADAMS COUNTY.

ing about the block-house on the Kentucky shore, but they heard nothing of it.

Evening Camp .- They went on rapidly that evening and camped I think on the waters of Eagle creek ; started next morning early, it raining hard, and one of them seeing my hat was somewhat convenient to keep off the rain came up and took it off my head and put it on his own. By this time I had dis- covered some friendship in a very insty In- dian, I think the one that first came up to me ; I made signs to him that one had taken my hat ; he went and took it off the other In- dian's head and placed it again on mine, but had not gone far before they took it again. 1 complained as before, but my friend shook his head, took down and opened his budget, and took out a sort of blanket cap, and put it on my head. We went on; it still rained hard and the waters were very much swollen, and when my friend discovered that I was timorous, he would lock his arm in mine and lead me through, and frequently in open woods when I would get tired I would do the same thing with him and walk for miles. They did not make me carry anything until Sunday or Monday. They got into a thicket of game and killed, I think, two bears and some deer; they then halted and jerked their meat, eat a large portion, peeled some bark, made a kind of box, filled it, and put it on me to carry. I soon got tired of it and threw it down : they raised a great laugh, examined my back, applied some bear's oil to it and then put on the box again. I went on some distance and threw it down again ; my friend then took it up, threw it over his head and carried it. It weighed, I thought, at least fifty pounds.

While resting one day, one of the Indians broke up little sticks and laid them up in the form of a fence, then took out a grain of corn, as carefully wrapped up as people used to wrap up guineas in olden times ; this they planted and called out squaw, sig- nifying to me that that would be my em- ployment with the squaws. But, notwith- standing my situation at the time, I thought they would not eat much corn of my raising. On Tuesday, as we were traveling along, there came to us a white man and an Indian on horseback; they had a long talk, and when they rode off, the Indians I was with seemed considerably alarmed ; they immedi- ately formed in Indian file, placed me in the center and shook a war club over my head. and showed me by these gestures that if I attempted to run away they would kill me.

The Shawanee Camp .- We soon after ar- rived at the Shawanee camp, where we con- tinued until late in the afternoon of the next day. During our stay there they trained my hair to their own fashion, put a jewel of tin in my nose, etc., etc. The Indians met with great formality when we came to the camp which was very spacious. One side was entirely cleared out for our use, and the party I was with passed the camp to my great mortification, I thinking they were going

on ; but on getting to the further end they wheeled short round, came into the camp, sat down-not a whisper. In a few minutes two of the oldest got up, went round, shook hands, came and sat down again ; then the Shawanees rising simultaneously came and shook hands with them. A few of the first took me by the hand, but one refused, and I did not offer them my hand again not con- sidering it any great honor. Soon after a kettle of bears' oil, and some craclins were set before us, and we began eating, they first chewing the meat, then dipping it into the bears' oil, which I tried to be excused from, but they compelled me to it, which tried my stomach, although by this time hunger had compelled me to eat many a dirty morsel. Early in the afternoon an Indian came to the camp and was met by his party just outside, when they formed a circle and he spoke, I thought, near an hour, and so pro- found was the silence that had they been on a board floor I thought the fall of a pin might have been heard. I rightly judged of the disaster, for the day before I was taken I was at Limestone, and was solicited to join a party that was going down to the mouth of Snag creek where some Indian canoes where discovered hid in the willows. The party went and divided, some came over to the Indian shore and some remained in Kentucky, and they succeeded in killing nearly the whole party.

Two White Men .- There was at this camp two white men; one of them could swear in English, but very imperfectly, hav- ing I suppose been taken young ; the other, who could speak good English, told me he was from South Carolina. He then told me different names which I have forgotten, ex- cept that of Ward; asked if I knew the Wards that lived near Washington, Kentucky. I told him I did, and wanted him to leave the Indians and go to his brother's, and take me with him. He told me he preferred stay- ing with the Indians, that he might nab the whites. He and I had a great deal of chat, and disagreed in almost everything. He told me they had taken a prisoner by the name of Towns, that had lived near Wash- ington, Kentucky, and that he had attempted to run away, and they killed him. But the truth was, they had taken Timothy Downing the day before I was taken, in the neighbor- hood of Blue Licks, and had got within four or five miles of that camp, and night coming on, and it being very rainy, they concluded to camp.

There were but two Indians, an old chief and his son; Downing watched his op- portunity, got hold of a squaw-axe and gave the fatal blow. His object was to bring the young Indian in a prisoner ; he said he had been so kind to him he could not think of killing him. But the instant he struck his father, the young man sprung up- on his back and confined him so that it was with difficulty he extricated himself from his grasp. Downing made then for his horse.

226

ADAMS COUNTY.

and the Indian for the camp. The horse he caught and mounted ; but not being a woods- man, struck the Ohio a little below Scioto, just as a boat was passing. . They would not land for him until he rode several miles and convinced them that he was no decoy, and so close was the pursuit, that the boat had only gained the stream when the enemy appeared on the shore. He had severely ·wounded the young Indian in the scuffle, but did not know it until I told him. But to re- turn to my own narrative : two of the party, viz., my friend and another Indian, turned back from this camp to do other mischief, and never before had I parted with a friend with the same regret. We left the Shawanee camp about the middle of the afternoon, they under great excitement. What detained them I know not, for they had a number of their horses up and their packs on from early in the morning. I think they had at least one hundred of the best horses that at that time Kentucky could afford. They cal- culated on being pursued and they were right, for the next day, viz., the 28th of April, Major Kenton with about ninety men was at the camp before the fires were ex- tinguished ; and I have always viewed it as a providential circumstance that the enemy had departed, as a defeat on the part of the Kentuckians would have been inevitable. I never could get the Indians in a position to ascertain their precise number, but concluded there were sixty or upward, as sprightly looking men as I ever saw together, and well equipped as they could wish for. The Major himself agreed with me that it was a happy circumstance that they were gone.

Escapes. - We traveled that evening I thought seven miles and encamped in the edge of a prairie, the water a short distance off. Our supper that night consisted of a raccoon roasted undressed. After this meal I became thirsty, and an old warrior to whom my friend had given me in charge, directed another to go with me to the water, which made him angry; he struck me, and my nose bled. I had a great mind to return the stroke, but did not. I then determined, be the result what it might, that I would go no farther with them. They tied me and laid me down as usual, one of them lying on the rope on each side of me; they went to sleep, and I to work gnawing and picking the rope (made of bark) to pieces, but did not get loose until day was breaking. I crawled off on my hands and feet until I got into the edge of the prairie. and sat down on a tussock to put on my moccasins, and had put on one and was preparing to put on the other, when they raised the yell and took the back track, and I believe they made as much noise as twenty white men could do. Had they been still they might have heard me, as I was not more than two chains' length from them at the time. But I started and ran, carrying one moccasin in my hand ; and in order to evade them, chose the poorest ridges I could find; and when

coming to tree-logs lying crosswise, would run along one and then along the other. I continued on that way until about ten o'clock, then ascending a very poor ridge, crept in between two logs, and being very weary soon dropped to sleep and did not waken until the sun was almost down; I traveled on a short distance further and took lodging for the night in a hollow tree. I think it was on Saturday that I got to the Miami. I collected some logs, made a raft by peeling bark and tying them together ; but I soon found that too tedious and aban- doned it. I found a turkey's nest with two eggs in it, each one having a double yolk ; they made two delicious meals for different days.

Arrives at Fort Washington .- I followed down the Miami, until I struck Harmar's trace, made the previous fall, and continued on it until I came to Fort Washington, now Cincinnati. I think it was on the Sabbath, the first day of May; I caught a horse, tied a piece of bark around his under jaw on which there was a large tumor like a wart. The bark rubbed that, and he became rest- less and threw me, not hurting me much however ; I caught him again, and he again threw me, hurting me badly. How long I lay insensible I don't know; but when I revived he was a considerable distance from me. I then traveled on very slow, my feet entirely bare and full of thorns and briers. On Wednesday, the day that I got in, I was so far gone that I thought it entirely useless to make any further exertion, not knowing what distance I was from the river ; and I took my station at the root of a tree, but soon got into a state of sleeping, and either dreamt, or thought, that I should not be loi- tering away my time, that I should get in that day ; of which, on reflection, I had not the most distant idea. However, the impression was so strong that I got up and walked on some distance. I then took my station again as before, and the same thoughts occupied my mind. I got up and walked on. I had not traveled far before I thought I could see an opening for the river ; and getting a little further on, I heard the sound of a bell. I then started and ran, (at a slow speed un- doubtedly) ; a little further on I began to perceive that I was coming to the river hill; and having got about half way down, I heard the sound of an axe, which was the sweetest music I had heard for many a day. It was in the extreme out-lot ; when I got to the lot I crawled over the fence with diffi- culty, it being very high.

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Historical collections of Ohio in two volumes, an encyclopedia of the state, Volume I, Part 34

Author: Howe, Henry, 1816-1893 Publication date: 1907 Publisher: Cincinnati : Published by the state of Ohio Number of Pages: 1006

Author: Howe, Henry, 1816-1893
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Cincinnati : Published by the state of Ohio
Number of Pages: 1006