Historical collections of Ohio in two volumes, an encyclopedia of the state, Volume I, Part 85

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

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The enemy's entire loss is not known. Two captains and fifteen men killed, one major and twelve men wounded, and thirteen prisoners fell into the hands of the Fortieth. The enemy's entire force was cavalry and two

batteries of artillery. Over one hundred horses, equipped, escaped within the Union lines and were captured by other commands. The prisoners, when exchanged, reported Van Dorn's entire loss in killed and wounded to be one hundred and fifty men and one hundred and twenty horses.

An incident connected with this fight is worth relating :

Among the prisoners captured from the Fortieth that day was Jesse N. Orin, a ser- geant of Company B, afterward a distin- guished representative for many years in the Ohio Legislature from Clinton county. The prisoners were taken before Van Dorn, and questioned by him. Sergt. Orin answered in behalf of the captives.

"What commands do you belong to, boys?" said the rebel chieftain.

"Fortieth Ohio, sir," answered Orin.

"You don't all belong to the same regi- ment, do you ?"

"Yes, sir."

"What officer was that in command of the forces you had in to-day's fight ?"

"Capt. Matchett, of the Fortieth, sir."

" Have you got down so low that captains must command your brigades ?"

"Brigades ? There was no other regiment fought against you to-day but the Fortieth, and only seven companies of that ; for one company was in the town as provost-guard, and two companies were on the west of the town, and neither of them were engaged."

"Then why in the name of thunder did not your captain quietly surrender when my brigade of cavalry attacked them ?"

538

DARKE COUNTY.

"I presume, sir, the captain's orders were to defend the picket line as long as he could, and not to surrender."

"But, why were you not reinforced ?"

" I do not know, sir; just before we began to fall back the captain rode along our lines and told each company that it was evident that we were not to be reinforced, and we could not successfully retreat over that cotton- field, unless each company implicitly obeyed his commands. We all understood this ; and he concentrated and retired us in the manner you saw."

"How did you boys come to be cap- tured ? "

"When our regiment had retreated about half the distance between the picket-line and the town, a column of your cavalry threat- ened to pass by our left, and get between us and the town, and 'gobble us all up," and Capt. Matchett ordered me and another ser- geant, with about twenty men, to a position about three hundred yards to the left and rear of our regiment, in order to oppose that threatened movement, with orders to hold that position at all hazards, until the regi- ment had retired beyond the cotton-gin, and then make our way back to town as best we could. We stayed there as ordered, but when your forces in front of the regiment were repulsed, they swept around to our po- sition and took us all in, except a few who started to run the gauntlet back to town."

At this a fine-looking officer, who was present, broke out into a loud laugh, and said : "Gen. Van Dorn, the joke is on you ; you promised to show us how neatly you could take in the Yankees at Franklin, and it seems that you have been very cleverly repulsed by seven companies of infantry, commanded by a captain, with his left pro- tected by a sergeant's squad."

At this Sergt. Orin said : "General, I would like to be permitted to say one word in your defence ; that is-there is not a pri- vate in the Fortieth Ohio who would not make a good colonel, and not a non-commis- sioned officer who would not make a good brigadier, and as to the captain who com- manded us to-day, he could handle an army equal to Bonaparte.

"Thank you," said Van Dorn ; and then, turning to the officer referred to above, he said : "How could you expect me, with my division of cavalry, to overcome a Bonaparte, his field-marshals, his sixty generals and five hundred colonels ?"

Gen. Van Dorn then asked Sergt. Orin : "How many men have you at Franklin ?"

"I do not know, sir, and if I did I should decline to answer your question."

"What is the nature and extent of your fortifications there ?"

"General, possibly you had better obtain that information by another reconnaissance."

"Well, Sergeant," said the General, "you'll do. When you rejoin the regi- ment, give my compliments to your brave comrades and the captain, and say to him that I hope he may never be promoted."

"Captain," said he, addressing an officer, "see that these men are treated with that courtesy and respect due brave men."

The men were then taken back, and re- mained prisoners only about three weeks, when they were exchanged. Their prison life was made far more agreeable to them than they expected.

In 1878 a major of the Confederate army stopped for a few days at Greenville, Ohio, and called on Capt. Matchett, and said that he had belonged to the staff of the Inspector- General of the Confederate army ; that they had come west to look after Bragg's army, and went to Spring Hill Run about the 8th of April, 1863, and found Gen. Van Dorn a very genial and social fellow, who induced the Inspector-General to go with him that day (April 10th), and see how nicely he would take in the Yankees at Franklin.

The major said that all the officers agreed that they had never seen "such a fighting regiment" as the Fortieth was ; and that he was free to say that he never met with such coolness and determined bravery since. He detailed the conversation between Gen. Van Dorn and the captured sergeant, substantially as given above, which, in the mind of the writer, confirmed the statements made by Sergt. Orin and his captured comrades, on their return from captivity.

GETTYSBURG is on the C. St. L. & P. R. R., 87 miles west of Columbus. It is the shipping point for a very productive surrounding wheat country. News- papers : School Visitor, educational, John S. Royer, editor and publisher. Churches : 1 Presbyterian, 1 Methodist Episcopal, and 1 German Lutheran. It is some- what of an educational centre.

Population in 1880, 202.

ARCANUM, about 80 miles west of Columbus, at the intersection of the D. & U. and I. B. & W. Railroads, is surrounded by a fine farming district, and is a point of shipment for a large part of the tobacco crop of the county, of which the crop is generally immense. Newspaper : Tribune, Democrat, S. M. Kemble, editor. Churches : 1 Methodist, 1 United Baptist, 1 German Reformed. It has two good natural gas wells and more are being put down. Milling, wood work and tile making are the main industries.

Population in 1880, 778. School census in 1886, 335.

539

DARKE COUNTY.

VERSAILLES is on the C. C. C. & T. R. R. It has one newspaper, Policy, In- dependent. Central Bank, J. R. Jackson, president; J. W. Starbuck, cashier. Census in 1880, 1,163. School census in 1886, 433; W. W. Long, superintend- ent. This village was laid ont in 1819 by Silas Atchison under the name of Jacksonville.

The Hardshell Baptists, says the county historian, built here in 1823 the second church erected in the county. As their rules required every applicant for membership to give in a brief experience as a test of his fit- ness for admission, he relates this as an illus- tration. A person living up the creek by the name of Stoner it appears, notwithstanding his hard name, was a little soft. Neverthe- less, he wanted to join the church. He rose in the congregation and thus began : "I got up this mornin', greased my shoes, combed my head and started to meetin'. As I wasa

comin' along I saw a tree ; I says to myself, Kin one man pull that ar tree up? No! Kin two men pull that ar tree up? No! Kin three men pull that ar tree up ? No! Kin ten men pull that ar tree up? No! Kin twenty men pull that ar tree up ? No! Kin God Almighty pull that tree up ? Yes ! I feel like suthin' is going to happen." He sat down. The preacher rose and said : "Brethren, extend the right hand of fellow- ship to Brother Stoner, for this is the true blatin' of the lamb."

ANSONIA, about 90 miles west of Columbus, on Stillwater creek, and at inter- section of the C. C. C. & I. and C. V. W. & M. Railroads, is in the centre of a grain-raising district. Newspaper : Mirror, Independent, Frank H. Jobes, editor and publisher. Churches : 1 Methodist Episcopal, 1 Christian, 1 German Li- theran. The Ansoma Stave Co., employing 18 hands, is the largest industry. Population in 1880, 542.

UNION CITY is on three railways and in two States, Indiana and Ohio; two counties, Randolph, Ind., and Darke, Ohio, and has two village corporations with corresponding sets of officials. In 1880 the population of the Indiana side was 2,478, Ohio side, 1,127; total, 3,605. Union City was platted in 1852, and the place has grown up in consequence of railroads. The industries here are wooden- ware, staves, tubs, pails, clamps, broom handles, trunk slats, shingles, heading, hubs, spokes, chairs, also drain tile, etc. It is also a prominent point for the mann- facture of flour and the purchase and shipment of grain.

DEFIANCE.

DEFIANCE COUNTY was erected March 4, 1845, from Williams, Henry and Paulding, and named from Fort Defiance. It is watered by the Auglaize, the Tiffin and the Maumee; this last-named stream was anciently called "Miami of the Lake," and sometimes "Omee." The Maumee is navigable by steamers, in high water, to Fort Wayne, and in ordinary stages to that place for keel boats car- rying sixty tons. The Auglaize is navigable for keel boats to Wapakoneta, and the Tiffin, which is a narrow, deep stream, is navigable, for pirogues of a few tons, about fifty miles. Prior to the building of the Wabash canal, Northern Indiana received a large part of its supplies by the Maumee. Much of this county is within the Black Swamp region, and where cleared and drained as fertile perhaps as the iamed valley of the Nile. It was covered by abundant forests of oak, hickory, ash, and elm and other trees, mostly of gigantic size, rendering the clear- ing away a heavy labor. Area 420 squares miles. In 1885 the acres cultivated

540

DEFIANCE COUNTY.

were 113,070 ; pasture, 12,019 ; woodland, 65,823; lying waste, 906 ; produced in wheat, 342,352 bushels ; oats, 242,330; corn, 650,887; wool,-66,570 pounds. School census 1886, 8,028 ; teachers, 148. It has 49 miles of railroad.

TOWNSHIPS AND CENSUS.

1840.

1880.

TOWNSHIPS AND CENSUS.

1840.

1880.

Adams,

188

1,509

Mark,

1,096

Defiance,

1,044

6,846

Milford,

175

1,460

Delaware,

201

1,505

Noble,

912

Farmer,

281

1,302

Richland,

1,427

Hicksville,

2,381

Tiffin,

222

1,526

Highland,

542

1,226

Washington,

1,325

Population of the county in 1840 was 2,818; in 1850, 6,966 ; in 1860, 11,983; in 1870, 15,719; and in 1880, 22,515, of whom 16,711 were Ohio-born; 1,780 born in Germany ; 867 Pennsylvania ; and 553 New York.

The annexed plan and description of Fort Defiance is found in the memoranda of Benj. Van Cleve, communicated by his son, John W. Van Cleve, of Dayton, to the American Pioneer.

MAUMEE R.

AUGLAIZE R.

At each angle of the fort was a block-house. The one next the Maumee is marked A, having port-holes, B, on the three exterior sides, and door D and chimney C on the side facing to the interior. There was a line of pickets on each side of the fort, connecting the block-houses by their nearest angles. Outside of the pickets and around the block-houses was a glacis, a wall of earth eight feet thick, sloping upwards and out- wards from the feet of the pickets, supported by a log wall on the side of the ditch and by fascines, a wall of fagots, on the side next the Auglaize. The ditch, fifteen feet wide and eight feet deep, surrounded the whole work except on the side toward the Auglaize; the diagonal pickets, eleven feet long and one foot apart, were secured to the log wall and projected over the ditch. E and E were gateways. F was a bank of earth, four feet wide, left for a passage across the ditch. G was a falling gate or drawbridge, which was raised and lowered by pullies, across the ditch, covering it or leaving it uncovered at pleasure. The offi- cers' quarters were at H, and the storehouses at [. At K, two lines of pickets converged toward L, which was a ditch eight feet deep, hy which water was procured from the river without exposing the carrier to the enemy. M was a small sand-bar at the point.

FORT DEFIANCE.

The lands now embraced within Defiance county were ceded by the Indians to the United States by the treaty of Sept. 29, 1817, at the rapids of the Miami of Lake Erie. Surveys were made from the Indiana line east to the line of the West- ern Reserve and south to the Greenville treaty line. The base line of this survey is the 41st degree of north latitude and it is also the south line of the Connecticut Western Reserve. On the 12th of February, 1820, the legislature of Ohio passed an act erecting these ceded lands "into fourteen separate and distinct counties."

Among these was Williams county. When Williams was organized in 1824 Henry, Paulding and Putnam counties were attached to it for judicial purposes, with the town of Defiance as the county-seat of Williams county, and it so remained for many years, when Bryan, then covered with a dense forest, was selected as the site of the new county-seat of Williams. Dissatisfaction with this change led to the creation of Defiance county, with Defiance as the seat of justice.

The nucleus of the early settlement of these counties was at Defiance, and it was chiefly settled in what now constitutes Defiance county by those who were active in the early official life of Williams couuty.

541

DEFIANCE COUNTY.

The first court-house (a brick structure) for Williams county was, as late as _ 1883, standing on the banks of the Maumee in Defiance and used as a priva dwelling. A large part of the settlers of Defiance county were Germans. Many were laborers upon the railroads, who remained and took up lands.

Drawn by Henry Howe in 1846.

DISTANT VIEW OF DEFIANCE FROM THE NORTH BANK OF THE MAUMEE.

DEFIANCE IN 1846 .- Defiance, the county-seat, is on the south bank of the Maumee, at its junction with the Auglaize, on the line of the canal, 152 miles north- west of Columbus, 58 from Toledo and 50 from Fort Wayne. It was laid out in 1822 by Benj. Level and Horatio G. Philips and contains 1 Methodist and 1 Catho-

L. E. Beardsley, Photo., Defiance, 1887. NEAR VIEW OF DEFIANCE FROM THE NORTH BANK OF THE MAUMEE.

lic church, 5 mercantile stores and a population of about 700. It is destined, from its natural position, to be, when the country is fully settled, a large and flourishing place; it already has an extensive trade with a large district of country. Defiance is on the site of a large Indian settlement, which extended for miles up and down the

542

DEFIANCE COUNTY.

river. Gen. Wayne, on his advance march, arrived at this place Aug. 8, 1794. His army found it surrounded by a highly cultivated country, there being vege- tables of every kind in abundance, and not less than one thousand acres of corn around the Indian town, besides immense apple and peach orchards. It had been a great trading point between the Canadian French and the Indians. On the 9th of August Wayne commenced the erection of a fort, which he called Fort De- fiance. The army remained here several days and then moved northward, and on the 20th routed the Indians at the Maumee rapids. On their return they com- pleted the fortress. Fort Defiance was built at the confluence of the Auglaize and Maumee, traces of which work are now plainly discernible. The situation is beautiful and commanding : it is indicated in the view of Defiance by the flag shown on the left. Gen. Winchester, previous to his defeat at the river Raisin, in the war of 1812, encamped in a picketed fort, which he built on the Auglaize, about 100 yards south of the other and named Fort Winchester.

Defiance is 115 miles northwest of Columbus and 49 southwest of Toledo, at the confluence of the Auglaize and Maumee, formerly called "The Miami of the Lake," rivers. It is on the line of the W. St. L. & P. R. R. and the B. & O. & C. R. R. County officers in 1888 : Probate Judge, John H. Bevington ; Clerk of the Court, Simon M. Cameron ; Sheriff, Henry Wonderly; Prosecuting Attor- ney, John W. Winn; Auditor, Wyatt T. Hill; Treasurer, John F. Dowe; Re- corder, Geo. A. Heatley ; Surveyor, Martin W. Steinberger; Coroner, D. P. Aldrich ; Commissioners, Jacob Karst, David Miller, Frank J. Clemmer. Newspapers: Defiance County Express, Rep., Jos. Ralston, proprietor ; Democrat, Dem., W. G. Blymer, editor ; Weekly Herald, Dem., German, J. A. Diendorfer, editor ; Local News, Rep., Aaron F. Schrack, editor. Churches : 1 Presbyterian, 1 Baptist, 1 Episcopal, 2 Catholic, 2 Methodist Episcopal, 1 German, and 1 English, 2 Lutheran, 1 Albright Methodist and 1 United Brethren. Banks: Defiance Na- tional, James A. Orcutt, president, Edward Squire, cashier ; Merchants' National, Wm. C. Holgate, president, E. P. Hooker, cashier.

Industries and Employees .- Karst & Fenger, doors, sash, etc., 34 hands ; Burg- land & Shead, butter tubs, etc., 69 ; Defiance Woollen Mills, 37; Defiance Machine Works, wood-working m chinery, 176; Corwin & Kiser, carriages, etc., 10; Kuhn Brothers, tobacco boxer and lumber, 75; Christ. Diehl, beer, 13; Turnbull Wagon Co., wagons and agricultural supplies, 190; L. Archembeault, wagons, etc., 5; Peter Schlosser & Son, ~arriag's, etc., 20; C. Geiger & Son, furniture, 36; Wilhelm & Son, flour, etc., 12; Levi & Ginsburg, cigars, 32; Defiance Paper Co., wrapping paper, 25; John Marshall, lumber, etc., 11; J. V. Olds, spokes and hubs, 11; George H. Dicus, cooperage, 15; Alexander Friedman, cigars, 5; Arbuckle, Ryan & Co., flour, etc., 13; Oconto Box and Barrel Co., barrels and boxes, 40; Marshall and Greenlen, hoops and staves, 36; D. F. Holston & Son, hoops, 65; Crowe & Hooker, hoops and staves, 53; John Rowe & Son, hoops ; Trowbridge & Eddy, staves and heading, 65 .- State Report for 1887.

Population in 1880, 5,907. School census in 1886, 2,113; C. W. Butler, superintendent.

From early times Defiance has been an important historical point. It occu- pies the site of the ancient "Tu-en-da-wie" of the Wyandot and "En-sa-woc-sa" of the Shawnee. Wm. C. Holgate, in an address before the Historical Society of the Maumee Valley, describes it as the heart of the Indian nations, the great centre where the ancient races came to live, trade and counsel. He ascribes it to the peculiar topography of the Maumee valley, extending 100 miles east and west and 100 miles north and south, of which Defiance is the centre. The val- ley is the territory drained by the Maumee and its tributaries, which consists of about twelve counties in Ohio and parts of Michigan and Indiana. The chief tributary streams from the north, the Little St. Joseph and the Tiffin, originate in Hillsdale county, Mich., about fifty miles north of Defiance. All these streams

543

DEFIANCE COUNTY.

were navigable to a certain extent. The other two tributary streams from the south, the Auglaize and St. Mary's, originate as far south of Defiance.

Au Glaize and Grand Glaize were the names given by the French to this place, and it was so called in all historical accounts prior to the erection of Fort De- fiance. It is claimed on good anthority, says Knapp, that the noted chief Pontiac was born here, one of his parents being a Miami and the other belonging to the Ottawa tribe. Heckewelder states " the Miami of the Lake, at the junction of the Auglaize with that river," was the place of abode and refuge in 1781 for a remnant of the Moravian Christian Indians after the massacre of the Mus- kingum.

In 1780, during the Revolutionary war, an expedition under Col. Byrd was fitted out at Detroit, consisting of 600 men, including Indians and Canadians, with two pieces of artillery, destined for the invasion of Kentucky. This expedition took An Glaize on their route and, it is inferred, erected a stockade herc and rested on both going and returning from Detroit. This was the force that appeared before " Bryant's Station " and " Ruddle's Station " and compelled their surrender, and, after promising protection to the prisoners, massacred them in cold blood.

One of the early historical accounts speaks of a great council of all the Indian tribes, held at Au Glaize in October, 1792, and says it was the largest Indian council of the times ; that the chiefs of all the tribes of the Northwest were here, and representatives of the seven nations of Canada and of the twenty-seven na- tions beyond Canada ; that Cornplanter and forty-eight chiefs of the six nations of New York repaired here ; that three men of the Gora nations were in attend- ance, whom it took a whole season to travel to this point. "Besides these," says Cornplanter, " there were so many nations that we cannot tell the names of them."

The question of peace or war was long and earnestly discussed : the chiefs of the Shawnees being for war, and Red Jacket, the Seneca chief, for peace. This convention represented a larger territory than any convention of Indians we have an account of, before or since, being held on the American continent. It seems to have been a natural intuition that led the red men of the forest to see that this was the strategetic centre of North America.

Captivity of Two White Boys. - Captives were brought to Au Glaize; and what is singular two boys, when captured, one nine years of age, John Brickell, from Pittsburg ; the other eleven years of age, Oliver M. Spencer, from Cincinnati, have left written accounts of their experience. Brickell was taken in February, 1791, and was adopted by a Delaware Indian named Whingy Pooshies and lived with his family four years. In his narrative he says he was treated very kindly, every way as one of themselves, and had every opportunity of learning their manners, customs and religion, and thinks he has been influenced to good more from what he learned among these Indians than from what he has learned from amongst people of his own color. Honesty, bravery and hospitality were cardinal virtues among them. When a company of strangers come to a town and encamp, they are not asked if they want anything, but a runner starts out proclaiming "strangers have arrived." On this every family provide of the best they have, and take it to the strangers, for which not a thought is had of anything being received in return, and when they start out they are helped on their journey. Worshipping the Great Spirit, whom they call Manitou, "never," says Brickell, "even on one occa-

sion did I know of their using the name irreverently," and they had no term in their language by which they could swear pro- fanely. Their young honor the aged. The first corn that is fit to use is made a feast- offering. The first game that is taken on a hunting expedition is dressed whole without the breaking of a bone, with the head, ears and hoof on, and being cooked whole, all eat of it, and if any is left it is entirely burnt up; and in respect to things clean and un- clean they follow the Jewish customs. They have no public worship except the feasts, but frequently observe family worship, in which they sing and pray. They believe in a res- urrection after death, and in future rewards and punisliments. Their cruel treatment of their enemies in war seems but the acting out of the precepts, "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, and blood for blood." Young Brickell was trained to hunt and much of his time was out on hunting expe- ditions. These were generally to the streams of the Maumee in summer, but in winter extended to the Scioto, the Hocking and Licking rivers. During his four years' so- journ here, two very important events oc- curred-St. Clair's defeat, in 1791, and Wayne's victory, August 20, 1794.

He gives some interesting items in regard

544

DEFIANCE COUNTY.

to Wayne's victory. The following winter his people had to winter at the mouth of Swan creek, on the site of Toledo. He says : "We were entirely dependent upon the British, and they did not half supply us. The starving and sickly condition of the In- dians made them very impatient, and they became exasperated at the British. It was finally concluded to send a flag to Fort Defi- ance in order to make a treaty with the Americans. This was successful. Our men found the Americans ready to treat, and they agreed upon an exchange of prisoners. I saw nine white prisoners exchanged for nine Indians. I was left, there being no In- dian to give for me. Patton, Johnston, Sloan and Mrs. Baker were four of the nine ; the names of the others I do not recollect.

On the breaking-up of spring we all went to Fort Defiance, and arriving on the shore opposite, we saluted the fort with a round of rifles, and they shot a cannon thirteen times. We then encamped on the spot. On the same day Whingy Pooshies told me I must go over to the fort. The children hung around me, crying, and asked me if I was going to leave them. I told them I did not know. When we got over to the fort and were seated with the officers, Whingy Poo- shies told me to stand up, which I did. He then arose and addressed me in about these words : 'My son, these are men the same color with yourself, and some of your kin

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Historical collections of Ohio in two volumes, an encyclopedia of the state, Volume I, Part 85

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