USA > Ohio > Ashland County > History of Ashland County, Ohio > Part 14
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Chapman was not a medicant. He was never in indigent circumstances, for he sold thousands of nursery trees every year. Had he been avaricious, his estate, instead of being worth a few thousand might have been tens of thousands at his death.
"Johnny Appleseed's" name was John Chapman-not Jonathan-and this is attested by the muniments of his estate, and also from the fact that he had a half-brother (a deaf mute) whose Christian name was Jonathan.
Chapman never married and rumor said that a love affair in the old Bay state was the cause of his living the life of a celibate and recluse. Johnny himself never explained why he led such a singular life except to remark that he had a mission, which was understood to be to plant nurseries and to make con- verts to the doctrines taught by Emanuel Swendenborg. He died at the home of William Worth in St. Joseph township, Allen county, Indiana, March 11, 1847, and was buried in David Archer's graveyard a few miles north of Fort Wayne, near the foot of a natural mound. His name is engraved as a senotaph upon one of the monuments erected in Mifflin township, Ashland county, this state, to the memory of the pioneers. Those monuments were unveiled with imposing ceremonies in the presence of over six thousand people September 15, 1882, the seventieth anniversary of the Copus tragedy.
During the war of 1812 Chapman often warned the settlers of approaching danger. The following incident is given: When the news spread that Levi Jones had been killed by the Indians and that Wallace Reed and others had probably met the same fate, excitement ran high and the few families which comprised the population of Mansfield sought the protection of the blockhouse, situated on the public square, as it was supposed the savages were coming in force from the north to overrun the country and to murder the settlers.
There were no troops at the blockhouse at the time and as an attack was considered imminent, a consultation was held and it was decided to send a messenger to Captain Douglas, at Mt. Vernon, for assistance. But who would undertake the hazardous journey ? It was evening, and the rays of the sunset had faded away and the stars were beginning to shine in the darkening sky, and the trip of thirty miles must be made in the night over a new cut road
7
METHODIST CHURCH, LOUDONVILLE
BAPTIST CHURCH, LOUDONVILLE
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through a wilderness-through a forest infested with wild beasts and hostile Indians.
A volunteer was asked for and a tall, lank man said demurely : "I'll go." He was bareheaded, barefooted and was unarmed. His manner was meek and you had to look the second time into his clear, blue eyes to fully fathom the courage and determination shown in their depths. There was an expression in his countenance such as limners try to portray in their pictures of saints. It is scarcely necessary to state that the volunteer was "Johnny Appleseed" for many of you have heard your fathers tell how unostentatiously "Johnny" stood as "a watchman on the walls of Jezreel," to guard and protect the settlers from their savage foes.
The journey to Mt. Vernon was a sort of a Paul Revere mission. Unlike Paul's, "Johnny's" was made on foot, barefooted, over a rough road, but one that in time led to fame.
"Johnny" would rap on the doors of the few cabins along the route, warn the settlers of the impending danger and advise them to flee to the blockhouse. Upon arriving at Mt. Vernon, he aroused the garrison and informed the com- mandant of his mission. Surely, figuratively speaking,
"The dun-deer's hide On fleeter feet was never tied,"
for so expeditiously was the trip made that at sunrise the next morning troops from Mt. Vernon arrived at the Mansfield blockhouse, accompanied by "Johnny" who had made the round trip of sixty miles between sunset and sunrise.
About a week before Chapman's death, while at Fort Wayne, he heard that cattle had broken into his nursery in St. Joseph and were destroying his trees, and he started on foot to look after his property. The distance was about twenty miles and the fatigue and exposure of the journey were too much for his physical condition, then enfeebled by age; and at the eventide he applied at the home of a Mr. Worth for lodging for the night. Mr. Worth was a native Buckeye and had lived in Richland county when a boy and when he learned that his oddly dressed caller was "Johnny Appleseed" gave him a cordial welcome. "Johnny" declined going to the supper table, but partook of a bowl of bread and milk.
The day had been cold and raw with occasional flurries of snow, but in the evening the clouds cleared away and the sun shone warm and bright as it sank in the western sky. "Johnny" noticed this beautiful sunset, an augury of the spring and flowers so soon to come, and sat on the doorstep and gazed with wist- ful eyes toward the west. Perhaps this herald of the springtime, the season in which nature is resurrected from the death of winter, caused him to look with prophetic eyes to the future and contemplate that glorious event of which Christ is the resurrection and the life. Upon reentering the house, he declined the bed offered him for the night, preferring a quilt and pillow on the floor, but asked permission to hold family worship and read, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven," "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God," etc.
After he had finished reading the lesson, he said prayers, prayers long
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remembered by that family. He prayed for all sorts and conditions of men ; that the way of righteousness might be made clear unto them and that saving grace might be freely given to all nations. He asked that the Holy Spirit might guide and govern all who profess and call themselves Christians and that all those who were afflicted in mind, body or estate, might be comforted and relieved, and that all might at last come to the knowledge of the truth and in the world to come have happiness and everlasting life. Not only the words of prayer, but the pathos of his voice made a deep impression upon those present.
In the morning Chapman was found in a high state of fever, pneumonia having developed during the night, and the physician called said he was beyond medical aid, but inquired particularly about his religious belief, and remarked that he had never seen a dying man so perfectly calm, for upon his wan face there was an expression of happiness and upon his pale lips there was a smile of joy, as though he was communing with loved ones who had come to meet and comfort him and to soothe his weary spirit in his dying moments. And as his eyes shone with the beautiful light supernal, God touched him with His finger and beckoned him home.
Thus ended the life of the man who was not only a hero, but a benefactor as well; and his spirit is now at rest in the Paradise of the Redeemed, and in the fullness of time, clothed again in the old body made anew, will enter into the Father's house in which there are many mansions. In the words of his own faith, his bruised feet will be healed, and he shall walk on the gold-paved streets of the New Jerusalem of which he so eloquently preached. It has been very appropriately said that although years have come and gone since his death, the memory of his good deeds live anew every springtime in the beauty and frag- rance of the blossoms of the apple trees he loved so well.
"Johnny Appleseed's" death was in harmony with his unostentatious, blameless life. It is often remarked, "How beautiful is the Christian life;" vea, but far more beautiful is the Christian's death, when "the fashion of his countenance is altered," as he passes from the life here to the life beyond.
What changes have taken place in the years that have intervened between the "Johnny Appleseed" period and that of today! It has been said that the lanıp of civilization far surpasses that of Aladdin's. Westward the star of empire took its way and changed the forests into fields of grain and the waste places into gardens of flowers, and towns and cities have been built with marvel- ous handiwork. But in this march of progress, the struggles and hardships of the early settlers must not be forgotten. Let us not only record the history but the legends of the pioneer period; garner its facts and its fictions ; its tales and traditions and collect even the crumbs that fall from the table of the feast.
Today, the events which stirred the souls and tried the courage of the pioneers seem to come out of the dim past and glide as panoramic views before me. A number of the actors in those scenes were of my "kith and kin" who have long since crossed "over the river" in their journey to the land where Enoch and Elijah are pioneers, while I am left to exclaim :
"Oh, for the touch of a vanished hand
The sound of a voice that is still."
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While the scenes of those pioneer days are vivid to us on history's page, future generations may look upon them as the phantasmagoria of a dream.
At seventy-two years of age, forty-six of which had been devoted to his self-imposed mission, John Chapman ripened into death as naturally and as beautifully as the apple seeds of his planting had grown into trees, had budded into blossoms and ripened into fruit. The monument which is now to be un- veiled is a flitting memorial to the man in whom there dwelt a comprehensive love that reached downward to the lowest forms of life and upward to the throne of the Divine.
At the close of Mr. Baughman's address, the monument was unveiled, after which a quartet sang "Onward and Upward." The exercises closed with the singing of "America."
AN ESTATE OF JOHNNY APPLESEED.
Alexander Finley, in his lifetime, sold to John Chapman what is estimated to be three acres, in the southeast corner of the southwest quarter of section 26, being in the quarter originally entered by said Finley, and which is now owned by A. J. Young, and forms part of the little town of Lake Fork. This land was deeded to Chapman by Finley, but the deed was lost, though recorded, and the tract never transferred on the auditor's books. For some time the land was in the possession of the Finley heirs by whom the taxes were regularly paid. Later a Mr. Young came into possession of the property, and some contension arose later about the ownership of the same. Chapman had made slight im- provements and had started a small nursery.
THE MURDER OF THOMAS URIE.
In 1816 Mr. Urie and his brother Thomas were on a hunting excursion through the eastern part of Ohio, and established their camp between New Philadelphia and Cadiz. The brothers, in pursuit of their game, had become separated during the day. Thomas had succeeded in killing a bear, the skin of which he was conveying, toward evening, to the camp, which he had nearly reached. Solomon was also making his way in the direction of the camp, driving before him his horses, which had been belled and spancelled. When within hearing distance of the camp, his ears were greeted with a sound similar to that of a double crack of rifles, or of the falling of two trees. Knowing that hostile Indians were in their neighborhood, as they had unmistakable evidence during the night before, he considered it prudent to lead his horses and reach his camp by another route. On approaching, he discovered two Indians in his camp, plundering it of its contents, while a third stood upon the outside as sentinel. He raised his rifle with the intention of shooting the Indian on the outside; but before he could fire, his brother's dog commenced barking and his position and attitude were discovered by his enemy.
In the rear of Solomon was a swamp, but comprehending that it would be an unsafe retreat, he boldly pushed forward to the assault of the sentinel. The latter ran, dodging behind trees, with the view of protecting himself and gaining
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an opportunity for shooting his antagonist. £ Mr. Urie pressed forward, and in his course discovered the dead body of his brother. The three Indians pursued him about three miles to the brink of a precipice, down which, without a moment's hesitation, he descended; and, on reaching solid ground, discovered that the breech of his rifle was broken-the trigger of the lock, however, being uninjured. The Indians, on reaching the margin of the precipice, were so appalled at the height that they gave up the pursuit. Mr. Urie continued his journey, in the direction of the Ohio river, five miles, when he came to an en- campment which, much to his agreeable surprise, contained, among its inmates, several of the Brady's and other Pennsylvania friends. He remained during the night, with his friends, and on the following morning the entire party re- turned with him to the late camp of himself and brother, and found the body of the latter covered with the skin of the bear he had killed on the day previous. One of his legs was stripped of its "leggin" and moccasin, and on the posterior part of his neck was a cross, indicating that this mode of warfare against the whites was to be continued. His body had been pierced by two bullets, doubt- less fired by the rifles the sound of which Solomon had heard the evening before. The body was deposited in a grave made with wooden shovels, and in a coffin made of puncheons. The Indians had taken their two horses, forty deer, ten bear, and ten beaver skins, together with their entire stock of provisions and traps. Mr. Solomon Urie offered his friends the full property of which he had been despoiled, and an equal amount in addition, if they would aid him in their pursuit and infliction of summary punishment upon the murderers of his brother. They regarded the undertaking, however, as too hazardous, and declined the offer of Mr. Urie.
During the war of 1812, Mr. Urie and his son Samuel served in the army as volunteers, and in the fall of 1815 removed to land in Orange township, and upon which land he had previously made some improvements. His family, at this time, consisted of his wife and the following named children: Samuel, Thomas, Susan, David, Solomon, John, Elizabeth, George W. and James.
Mr. Urie brought with him to the country a couple of dogs, one of which, taking a dislike to the "home of his adoption," made his way back to the old homestead, in Washington county, Pennsylvania, a distance of about one hundred and forty miles. This journey he performed, traversing the wilder- ness and swimming the rivers, in less than twenty-four hours.
A BAND OF OUTLAWS.
Among the pioneer incidents of Green township, the following is given :
In the year 1825, a band of outlaws, locally called land pirates, under the leadership of John Driskel, made their principal headquarters in Green town- ship, upon the farm later owned by John Taylor. They were the terror of the good people of Green and neighborhood, as they had previously been of the inhabitants of Columbiana and Wayne counties, where they had formerly resided, and where they had committed extensive depredations. While in the first named county, the elder Driskel had an encounter with one of the Poe
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family, resulting in the loss of the tip of his nose, which added to his naturally repulsive features, gave him a marked and hideous countenance. . During his residence in Wayne county, but while the other families connected with the gang, hereafter mentioned, were living in Green township, he had been sentenced to the penitentiary, and effected his escape. A reward was offered for his re- capture and return. His confederates were numerous, and scattered over a large district of territory ; but John Driskel, his son Pearson, and his son-in-law Reeson Brawdy, and Aaron Brawdy, were among the most desperate; and they (when not professionally engaged) and their families made their headquarters on the place above mentioned.
Their principal crimes were horse stealing, incendiarism, and burglaries. They were men of great physical strength and brutal courage, and never omitted an opportunity to exercise these qualities. The boldness and frequency of their depredations had aroused intense indignation among the people of the neighbor- hood, and organized efforts were made to detect the haunts and effect a capture of the leaders. Among those most active and vigilant in securing this object were Jonathan Coulter and William Irvin, the former being generally engaged when one of the gang would be arrested, in prosecuting for the state, and the latter being constable of the township. The outlaws had offered, alternately, violent threats and large bribes in money to these and other like adversaries to secure their neutrality; but their firm resistance of all corrupt offers to com- pound felony, and their inflexible determination to either bring the culprits to justice or rid the country of their presence, brought upon them the concentrated malice of the entire gang, and a war of extermination became necessary to the security of life and property in the settlement.
The barns of Coulter and Irvin were fired during the fall of the year 1829, consuming several horses and large stocks of grain, hay, etc., and requiring all the energies of Mr. Coulter and family to prevent the flames from communicat- ing with their house. Suspicions led to the arrest of Pearson Driskel, who was tried and sentenced to the penitentiary for the crime; although in the progress of his trial it appeared that he was only a particeps criminis, having employed a fellow known as "Crop-eared Brawdy" to accomplish the incendiary work.
Efforts were, some years later, made to arrest the elder Driskel, who, having effected his escape from the penitentiary, had been discovered, one December evening, near dark, by John Kidwell, in Mohican township, making his way, stealthily, on horseback, through the woods, in the direction of the dwellings of his son and son-in-law. The younger Driskel in the mean time had served his term in the penitentiary, and was at home. Kidwell, anticipating the destina- tion of the old man, immediately set out on foot through the woods to communi- cate his discovery to the immediate neighbors of the outlaws. A force of five resolute men were assembled and proceeded to the suspected houses, which they reached at a late hour of the night and after a careful reconnissance of the premises discovered a new saddle hanging under the portico of young Driskel's cabin. This indicated that the fugitive was at that house, and three of the party led by Thomas W. Coulter opened the door and entered. They went to the fire place, and stirring the coals produced a light in the room. The inmates of the house had been in a profound slumber up to that time, and were awakened
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by the movements of the Coulter party. Their cries at once aroused the old man Driskel, who, springing from his bed, bowie knife in hand, stooped down and also seized his rifle, threatening with death every intruder who did not instantly leave the house. His order was instantly obeyed, the three men retreated and closed the door after them. Driskel stormed terribly and swore that he would not be taken alive, that he would rather be shot down at his home than to be returned to the penitentiary, and that he would sell his life as dearly .as possible.
It was a very cold night, and the party on the outside, suffering from the inclemency of the weather, determined to bring the scene to a close and told Driskel that they would give him five minutes in which to make his selection of surrender or death. He had several times tried to escape through the door, but confronted the officials. During these efforts to escape he had thrust his gun and arm through an opening in the doorway, when William Irvin seized the opportunity to deal a heavy blow with a club upon his exposed arm, which for the time paralyzed it. Four of the five men were armed with flintlock muskets, these being the best firearm in common use in those days, and the other had a pistol. Old Driskel was a little ahead of the times. He owned a pick-lock gun, percussion caps were not known in this country then, but old Driskel's nice gun had what were called "percussion grains." These grains were about the size of a pin's head, and the pick striking down on one was what exploded the powder. The old man had his gun raised to fire at Mr. Rice, who was standing in front of the partly open door, when his son Pearson slipped his hand between his gun and the pick, thereby preventing the discharge of the gun, but receiving a wound upon his own hand. He once snapped his gun within four feet of the breast of David Ayres, and the latter aimed a pistol at the body of the culprit, but his weapon also missed fire. The five minutes having expired, the order to fire was given, and the result was four "snaps" and one "flash." Ayre's pistol was a crack one, and in a few minutes its load was accidentally discharged. To obtain a better sight on the old man, the party began to push out the "chinking" between the logs for the purpose of securing portholes for the muzzles of their guns, when the criminal yielded to the entreaties of his family, and announced his willingness to surrender. The men then entered the house and secured the limbs of the prisoner with a rope, committed him to the charge of two strong men, brothers, named Peterson, who, on the same morning, left with their charge for Columbus. Arriving at Sunbury, Delaware county, Driskel managed to make his escape, and thus terminated the career in Ohio of one of the greatest desperadoes that ever cursed this community. Driskel's family and confederates soon joined him in the west, where they continued their vocation of crime for some years. Later John Driskel, his son William and another of the gang were captured by a band of "Regulators" in northern Illinois, and were immediately shot. The body of David Driskel, the youngest son, was soon afterwards found hanging upon a tree.
This gang was composed in part of some of the settlers and of some from a distance. Their depredations alarmed the neighborhood and gave rise to the formation of the "Black Cane" company.
The "Black Cane" company was composed of the most prominent settlers of
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HISTORY OF ASHLAND COUNTY
the various neighborhoods wherein the land pirates had committed depredations and thefts. Each member of the Black Cane company carried a black cane. The canes were made of crab-apple or black haw wood, the bark being peeled off and the canes burned black, after which they were oiled and polished to give them a glossy appearance. By vigorous and vigilant work the company suc- ceeded in clearing the country of the land pirates and peace and security reigned until about 1833 when similar services were again in need to clear the country of a band of counterfeiters.
THE STEINGRAVER CASE.
The first murder trial in Ashland county was that of Charles Steingraver, charged with the murder of Clarinda Vantilburg, a blind girl, aged ten years and two months. Steingraver was in the employ of Mr. Vantilburg as a farm hand, and on the 4th of July, 1851, the Vantilburg family went to Perrysburg, Ashland county, to attend a Sunday school celebration, leaving Steingraver and the blind girl at home. It was alleged that the killing was done in an attempt to commit a rape. Steingraver, however, claimed his innocence to the last.
At the September term of court, 1851, the grand jury found a "true bill," the seventh and eighth counts charged the accused with murder in the first degree, by averring that he killed the deceased purposely and of deliberate and premeditated malice. The trial attracted a great deal of attention and aroused the morbid curiosity of the people to an unusual extent.
B. W. Kellogg, the prosecuting attorney, was assisted in the case by the Hon. Isaac J. Allen, who afterwards attained distinction as a journalist and diplomat. The accused was defended by John S. Fulton, of Ashland, and Jacob Brinkerhoff, of Mansfield. Mr. Brinkerhoff, as a member of congress from this district, was the author of the Wilmot Proviso and later served as a judge of the supreme court of Ohio. He was a first cousin of General R. Brinkerhoff, of Mansfield.
The jurors in the said case were John McCormick, Ephraim C. Marks, Samuel White, Henry Demit, Isaac Hatch, Jacob Johnson, Jacob Bucher, Elisha Barnes, George Stott, Samuel Harman, James L. Drake, John Harman, who being duly impaneled and severally sworn to well and truly try and true deliverance make between the state of Ohio and the said Charles Steingraver, and a true verdict give according to the evidence, having heard the evidence adduced, the arguments of counsel and the charge of the court, upon their oaths aforesaid did find that Charles Steingraver was guilty of murder in the first degree, as charged in the indictment.
On the Monday following, before the full bench, Steingraver's attorneys made a motion for a new trial, which was over-ruled, whereupon the court sentenced Steingraver to be hanged on Friday, the 30th day of January, 1852, between the hours of twelve o'clock meridian, and two o'clock post-meridian, and that in case the sheriff of the county, by reason of his absence or inability to perform the execution, then for the coroner to take the said Steingraver to
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