History of Ashland County, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 14

Author: Hill, George William, b. 1823; Williams Bros
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: [Cleveland] Williams
Number of Pages: 896

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Captain Martin and his soldiers then took the family, and the wounded, and, proceeding up the valley about half a mile, stopped for the night, and placed pickets around the camp to prevent surprise. In all, there were about one hundred persons in the camp that night. The wounded were carried on poles, over which linen sheets had been sewed, making a sort of stretcher. The next morning, the little army passed up the trail near the die- serted cabin of Martin Ruffher, and crossed the Black fork about where the State road is now located; that being the route by which Martin and his men had ad vanced. The whole party reached the block-house that evening, and were again safe. About six weeks after this, Henry Copus, and five or six soldiers, returned to the cabin, and found Mr. Warnock leaning against a tree (as before stated), dead; and buried him near the spot where he was found. The two Indians, the one in the

" These transactions were narrated by Wesley Cogas and Mrs Sarah. Val, his sister who avete old enough at the time to nos regal r tan most vivid recollection of them. It was found on evanment on the! forty-ive tres had been kindred in the edge of the forest, jud Jambe of the cornfield. It may winch Sarah had been the Indians. The brand been kin Hed in a small hoje sort out of the ground to prevent ng betrag the murders, on rested corn. The murder of the. .. il Findente that forty five Indians were en, med in the ass. ale

HISTORY OF ASHLAND COUNTY, OHIO.'

front yard, and the one at the foot of the bill, were still in the position they had been left ; and were, doubtless, afterwards devoured by the wolves that existed in great numbers in the forests at that time.

Mrs. Copus and her children, after remaining in the block house some two months, were removed to Guern- sey county, Ohio, by Joseph Archer and George Correll, who resided near Claysville, in that county, where they remained until the spring of 1815, and then returned through the old village of Greentown, where, to their alarm, they found many of the Indians had re-erected their cabins, and had again settled.

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This tragedy is believed to have occurred on Tuesday morning. September 15, 1812. Mr. Lewis Oliver is very certain it so occurred, and cites facts to prove it.

CHAPTER XXIII.

THE SETTLERS TAKE REFUGE IN BLOCK-HOUSES.

The Flight of the Pioneer .. -- The Erection of Block-houses. - Prepa- rations to Meet and Repel the Savages .- The Depot at Clinton, Knox County. - Beam's Block-house on the Black Fork.

IN a few hours the painful intelligence of the assas- sination of Martin Ruffner and the Zimmer family reach- ed the settlers along the branches of Mohican creek. A panic ensued; and the yells of the furious Indian hordes of the northwest, led on by the relentless Tecumseh, were momentarily expected. The situation was compre- hended at a glance, and a general Alight of the pioneers to the block-houses and other safe retreats, took place. Pack-horses, wagons and carts were in demand-in fact, every means of conveyance was put into speedy requisi- tion; and such articles of bedding and wearing apparet as could not be dispensed with, were put in packs and conveyed along with the fugitives. As near as can be remembered, the following families fied to Clinton: Ebenezer Rice and family, Joseph Jones and family, Calvin Hill and family, Moses Adzit and family, Abra- han Baughman and family, Allen Oliver an 1 family, and J. 1. Htill and family. There were in all about thirty persons, and they made their way, as rapidly as possible, along the paths leading through the forests to the village of Clinton, nea. the present site of Mt. Vernon, then a sort of depot for supplies for the army. A difference of opinion existed among pioneers as to the propriety of the flight, and the necessity of seeking protection among the Clintonites, some asserting that it seemed cowardly, while others contended that the Greentown Indians entertained none but the kindest feelings for their pioneer neighbors, and that if they should return would do them no harm*

*Early in November, 1312, the families that that to (Hinter, reported to Green township, and made Coulter's block-house their place of re- treat when threatened by Indian invasion. The raban of Men Oliver being quite safe, he and his family spent but a right or two at Coulter'i.

the block-house on the Clear fork, owned by Samuel Lewis. At that time, some twenty or thirty soldiers, under Lieutenant Barkdall, were there as a guard. Those seeking refuge there were Peter Kinney and fam- ily, James Cunningham and family, Andrew Craig and family, David Davis and family, John Davis. William Slater and family, John Wilson and family, Peter Zim- merman and family, Harvey Hill and family, Henry Me- Cart and family, and Henry Nail and family. Most of these families made a temporary stay at the block-house, returning to their cabins frequently, during the fall months, to keep watch over such household goods as were left in them, and to take care of their abandoned stock.

The next day after the flight to the Lewis block-house, Harvey Hill and John Coulter, who aided the fugitives in driving along most of their cattle, returned; and by the aid of the Tannahills and others, whose names arc not now remembered, the roof of the cabin of Thomas Coulter was thrown of, and a second story put on, and the cabin thereby became "Coulter's block-house." We learn from Mr. Alex. Rice, who was then o boy, that the Coulter cabin was perhaps sixteen by eighteen feet, built for their first dwelling in the fall of rSro, the over- jutting part being pat on as referred to above. It stood at the base of a bold bluff, on the bank of the Black fork, near where the mill dam now is, about half a mile southeast of the village of Perrysville, and furnished a safe retreat for the neighbors of Mr. Coulter, when en- dangered by the savages. As soon as this block-house was completed, the following persons occupied it: Thomas Coulter and family, Allen Oliver and family. Melver Tannahill and family, Jeremiah Conine and fam- ily, and George Crawford and family. When the fore- going families had gathered in, Thomas Coulter and Harvey Hill volunteerd to go to Wooster, through the forest, to secure soldiers to defend the settlement against Indian incursions. They succeeded in obtaining a guard of eleven soldiers, under the command of Lieu- tenant Winterringer, of the Tuscarawas militie, of the army of General Beall, then collecting at Wooster, for an expedition to Opper Sandusky. The guard accom- panied them home, and in the day-time skirmished about the hills, and up and down the valleys for Indian signs, and then stood gaard at night to prevent an attack by the Indians.

While a resident of the block-house, the wife of Jeremiah Corine died and was buried in the cemetery at Perrysville. She was the second person interred in that ground, the first being Mr. Samuel Hill who died the preceding June.

The upper settlement on the Black fork hastened to ! then a mere village, was under the command of Cape in

The settlers along the Jeromefork and its branches were also greatly excited and alarmed over the murder of Ruffner and the Zimmers. Thomas Eagle hastened to Wooster for assistance. The block-house at Wooster, Stidger, whose company corstituted a pare of the army of General Beall. The company of Captam Melolas Murray, composed of about sixty soldiers, immediately hastened to the relief of the Jerome settlement.

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HISTORY OF ASHLAND COUNTY, OHIO.

A block-house was erected by his men, a short distance northeast of the present site of the mill, on a gentle rise of ground, where the settlers commenced at once to con- centrate. Mr. Eagle also conducted a guard of eight or ten men to protect a small block house or cabin at the Finley and Collyer settlement, about five miles down the Jerome fork, near where Tylertown now stands.

In the meantime, Robert Newell and family, George Eckley and family, Jonathan Palmer and family, James Wallace and family, Christopher Trickie and family, James Bryan and family, Eara Warner and family, and David Noggle and others, not now remembered, gathered at the new block-house. The families of Benjamin Cup- py and Jacob Fry did not remain at the fort, but passed on Cast. It was noticed, when all had gathered in, that Daniel Carter and family were missing. Much uneasi- ness was evinced concerning the safety of Mr. Carter and family. He resided up the stream, about nine miles from the block-house, and one mile northeast of the present site of Ashland. AAbsolom Newell, the eldest son of Robert Newell, volunteered to go and inform Mr. Carter and family of the danger that threatened them, Being an active young man, he soon reached the cabin of his father, some five miles up the Jerome fork, which he found almost consumed by fire. Supposing Indians had set it on fire, and were concealed in the vicinity, he hastened back and related the circumstance to the com- pany at the block-house. David Noggle, a warm friend of Mr. Carter, at once offered to undertake the hazard- ous task of reaching him on horseback. Thirty soldiers were detailed for the expedition. Mr. Noggle and the soldiers followed a trail cut through the forest by Mr. Carter when he removed his family to his new cabin, which passed south of Newell's, thence over lands more recently owned by Mr. Smucker, Samuel Swinford, and the late farm of Daniel Carter, jr., and so on to his cabin. " Mr. Noggle reached the cabin some time before the sol- diers, and found . Mr. Carter at work with his team, all safe. From circumstances afterwards developed, it ap- pears that a body of Indians had that . very morning" passed through the cornfield near the cabin, but had offered no harni to Mr. Carter and his family. He had always made it a rule to treat the Indians kindly and offered them food when they visited his cabin; and it was doubtless owing to this circumstance that their lives were spared that morning. Mi. Carter hastily placed such clothing and bedding on his wagon as he could con- veniently remove, and taking his family, accompanied Mr. Noggle. They had gone but a short distance when they met the guard. The soldiers continued in the direr. tion of the deserted cabins of Cuppy and Fry, and on

approaching the former, found it yet burning, and some of the soldiers discovered the rear guard of the Indians skulking in a cornfield. , On looking towards the cabin of Mr. Fry, a half-maile west, they could see the smoke ascending from it. They then .turned about, and re: traced their steps to the block-house at Jerome's place, where Mr. Carter and family had arrived a short time be- fore. Mr. Carter and family did not remain at the block- house; but passed on through. Wooster to New Philadel- phia, Tuscarawas county, where he and his family re- inained unt !! February, 1813.

The band of Indians that burned the cabins of New- ell, Cuppy and Fry was undoubtedly the same that the day before made the assault on the. Copus cabin. They had passed through the forest in the hope of wreaking vengeance upon these families ; and if they had been found at home the tomahawk of the savages would have done its work. Fortunately they had all fled on gain- ing intelligence of the Ruffner Zimmer tragedy, which took place some five days prior to the Copus murders. It is somewhat remarkable that Mr. Carter and his family should have remained in Lis cabin after the de- parture of Cuppy, Fry and Trickle .* No satisfactory explanation has ever appeared concerning the course of Mr. Carter, unless it be that he felt confident the In- dians would do him no harm. A very strong friendship existed between Mr. Carter and Thomas Lyon, a famous old Delaware warrior, who accompanied the expedition, but who always denied that he had aided in killing Rufi- ner, the Zimmers and Copus. Mr. Carter never failed to invite hungry Indians into his cabin and offer them food when they called en him. These acts of hospi- tality made him feel confident and secure. although at that time he resided nine miles farther in the indian country than his Jerome neighbors. "Acts of hospitality have always been remembered by the red man of the forest, and many instances are recorded, where years after, the Indian warrior interposed to save the white prisoner from the fagot. Assuming such to be the true explanation of the motives of Mr. Carter in remaining in his cabin, all incoherence is removed, as well as the apparent indifference of his fugitive neighbors.

At this time there were six of eight families in the Vachel-Metcalf settlement, some two and a half miles southeast of the fort on Jerome's place, among whom were those of William Bryan, James Conley, Elisha

* Mr. Daniel Carter, jr., now a resident of Ashiand, states that some time after the flight. Thomas Lyon, a well-known Deliware war- rior, in conversation with himself and father, inquired whether they hast seen Indian tracks in the cornheld that morning. On assuring him that they had, he said he was with the Higondols that pas ed up the creel, and could see Carter's family from the com. Carter asked him. why he did not stop? Lyon replied. "Some strange Injin with me. Me fraid ware you. Me pass on." It is probably the presence of i yen saved the family of Carter from the deadly tomahawk of the strange Wyandots.

"Andrew Mason, now well advanced in years, states, that in a con- versation with his father, Martin Mason, now deceased, at his mill where the mill of M. Lidigh now st inds on the Tray rout, some for miles north of Ashland, about the year 1315. Thomas Lyon toldt huis father " that being present at the Corpus affair, but taking no part in the murder, and learning that it was the intention of son e titeentown and Wyandot Indians to piss up the Jerome fork and kill all the set- thers, he had gone through the forest and notified Mr. Cuppy of his durger." If this statement he not erroneous. Thomas Ivan, as is he- leved by the Copus family, was present at both those tragedia . In conversation with Mrs. Copus after the return of bereit and children that he was trement of tak ag a peut a the horrors of the morning. If it be true as asserted for lyon, that he was not disposed to alarm Mr Carter and tunde, it re conclusive that he was restraint by grati- tade for past hospitality, as well as by friendship and tlekty.

HISTORY OF ASHLAND COUNTY, OHIO.

Chilcote, Benjamin Bunn, James Slater, and James Bryan. These met and constructed a fort two stories high, the walls of the second story projecting beyond the first on all sides. The floor and sides of the second story were pierced with port-holes. The pioneers, with ox teams, axes and strong arms soon erected the fort. The lower story had strong doors securely fastened, and was to be occupied by women and children, while the men, with trusty rifles, were to occupy the second story in hours of danger and alarm. About one-fourth of an acre of ground was cleared around the fort and enclosed by a palisade twelve feet high, with a strong gate; and all the families of the settlement gathered into the fort, while their horses and cattle were placed within the palisade. Mr. Metcalf and his neighbors remained in the fort during the winter of 1812-'13 and part of the summer of .1813, while cultivating, by occasional visits, small patches of corn and vegetables, with pickets, to prevent surprise.

In Lake township, Messrs. James Loudon Priest and William Creenlee had located very near the old Indian highway known as the Wyandot or Crawford's trial lead- ing to Upper Sandusky from the Tuscarawas. When they first landed, the Jerome and Greentown Indians were peaceable and inclined to be quite friendly, and passed up and down the trail in large numbers on hunt- ing excursions. Early in the spring of 1812, it was no- ticed that the Indians were quite uneasy, and that large numbers passed up the trail painted and armed for war. * Mr. John Greenlee, son of William, now aged seventy- two years from whom we obtain these particulars, says at the time of the murders on the Black fork, he and the son of a neighbor were at Shrimplin's mill in Knox county to obtain a small grist of corn meal, and upon their return were greatly surprised at finding all the settlers gathered at the callin of Mr. Priest, bucily en gaged with ox-teams hauling logs and split titaber to build a fort. The fort was erected near the banks of the Mohican, not a great way from the point where the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago railroad crosses that stream. A new extension was added to the strong cabin of Mr. Priest making it a double log house with an entry passage between the wings. The wings were about forty feet long and twenty feet wide. The fort was sur- rounded by a picket of heavy split timber about twelve feet high and enclosed about one fourth of an acre of ground. It had a strong gate suspended on wooden hinges. In case of necessity, the horses and cattle of the settlers could be brought within the enclosure. The families of James L. Priest, William Greenlee. William Hendrickson, Nathan Odell, John Oram, Thompson Oram, Joshua Oram and Mordecai Chilcote forted here some three months during the fall of r$12; but were not visited by any of the hostile red men of the north- west. Iu a few days after the construction of the fort, Samuel Marvin and john Hendrickson and their families departed for Wheeling, Virginia, leaving but seven families in the little colony. During the continuance of

* Mr. Greenlee dred sine this sketch was written

the war in 18:3-14 the little settlement remained stationary as to numbers and andisturbed.

THE BLOCK-HOUSE.

It may be interesting to the reader to learn something of the construction of the early block-houses, or wooden forts. They were generally 'constructed of hewn legs, closely jointed or fitted together, two stories high; the length and width of the building being about twenty by thirty feet. The logs resting on each other, prevented the balls from entering the cracks or crevices. The corners were carefully notched and fitted, so that the building was really quite strong. There was but one door, or en- trance, made of thick planks or puncheons, hung on strong wooden or iron hinges, and bolted or fastened on the inside, so as to prevent ingress unless much force should-be used, -... the door being thick enough to prevent ordinary musket or rifle balls from passing through it. The first story was generally about eight or nine feet high. Sometimes the floor consisted of well packed earth. The second story generally projected over the lower one, about three feet, on the sides and ends. This over jut rested upon logs or joists, which were allowed to project over the first story The second story was about seven or eight feet high, and was perforated with numer- ous port-holes, pointing in every direction, so as to guard against the approach of an enemy. The floor of this story was thick and strong, and had port-holes pointing downward, so that if an enemy came under the projec- tion, to set fire to the building, he could be shot from above. There were also port-holes in the lower story, from which the savages could be seen and cut off before they reached the building. The roof was of clapboards, supported by logs. These little forts, or block-houses, were generally placed in an open space, upon some slight elevation of ground, so as to prevent the approach of a hostile force without being seen by the inmates. The next point in the location of a block-house was to secure good water; and hence, they were always placed near a pure, sparkling spring .* In such a fort, or block-house, twenty-five or thirty families could be accommodated with tolerable quarters, by spreading their beds upen the floors, and sleeping thereon. During the day, the in- mates could pass in and out; and, most of the time, attend to business without being molested by the Indians, -their raids being only semi-occasional, and very sud- den and unexpected. We do not learn that more than two block-houses of this county, were surrounded by stockades.

Life in the block houses was exceedingly irksome and monotonous; and the inmates were always pleased when assured they could safely return to their deserted cabins and stock. Of course, hours and weeks were spent in reciting and reiterating stories of revolutionary adven- ture, and pioneer hardships, until all could repeat them. Thus, the tedium of the fort was wiled away for two or three months The starcity of flour, med. sat, and other provisions, sometimes rendered the situation c. ceedingly unpleasant: nevertheless, all was borne with

" The one at Jeromeville had a well within it.

BLOCKMOUSE+ AT+JEROMEVILLE+1812 -< >-

HISTORY OF ASHLAND COUNTY, OHIO.

patience until November, when most of the pioneers again returned to their cabins. A few soldiers continued to patrol the neighborhood, sleeping at the block-houses at night.

CHAPTER XXIV. MILITARY EXPEDITIONS.

The Expeditions of Generals Beall and Crooks .- Their Trails Across Ashland . County .-- The Artillery Train of Colonel Anderson .- The Aid Extended to the Inhabitants of the Block-houses on the Branches of the Mohican.

THE battle at the cabin of James Copus having taken place Tuesday morning, September 15, 1812, after which the pioneers fled to the block-houses, the military expedi- tions formning in the eastern part of the State hastened the time of their departure to aid General Harrison, who was then at Upper Sandusky awaiting the arrival of re- inforcements and army stores. About the twenty-fifth of September, General Rezin Beall commenced to raise a brigade of soldiers in the vicinity of New Lisbon, Can- ton, and the village of Wooster, with a view of furnishing protection to the border settlers of Wayne and Richland counties, as well as to aid General Harrison in repelling - British invasion. The entire brigade was composed of about two thousand men. A portion of the brigade, in detached companies, and parts of companies, preceded, by some weeks, the advance of the main army, to guard the block-houses of the border settlers. Early in Octo- ber, General Beall, with two regiments, commenced to advance. The brigade had been a short time at Canton in organizing. . The route from Canton to the village of Wooster, led through the forest, and was very rough. When the army reached Wooster, where the advance had put up a block-house, it was joined by two or three new companies. From that point the army proceeded to the west bank of the Killbuck and encamped over night, cutting a path wide enough to permit the baggage- wagons to pass. From thence, by the most ( irect route, a trail was cut to Jerome's place, and the army passed over it. After remaining in the vicinity of the block- house one or two days, General Beall crossed the Jerome fork, and his pioneers opened a path along the old Wy- andot trail, in a northwesterly direction, to the banks of a small stream, where they formed a camp. This loca- tion was subsequently known as the Griffin farm. The camp received the name of "Mercer," in hoam of Major Musser, who commanded one of the regiments. The distance of this camp from the present site of Jerome ville, was about three miles. Here the army remained about two weeks.

While encamped at Mercer, a ludicrous scene occurred one night, from a false alarms. One of the guards, Jacob Ostler, saw some object cautiously approaching in the darkness, and immediately suspecting "injuns," cried "halt." The invader ceased not to advance slowly upan

the guard. Suspecting the insidious enemy, Mr. Ostler leveled his musket and blazed away, and down tumbled the enemy! The whole camp was aroused at the report, and the cry "to arms, to arnis!" rang through the dark- ness. Agitated and frightened soldiers expected mo- mentarily to hear the hideous yells of the red fiends of the forest, and to feel their scalps disappearing in the hands of the savages. While the soldiers were uttering brief reflections of -- "Now I lay me down to sleep" -- the sentinels rushed in and reported the enemy upon them ! The drums beat to arms, horses neighed, bugles sounded. The ground trembled with the dull tread of squadrons. The order was given to "fire," and never before or since was such a noise and din heard in Vermillion, as there was that eventful night. The cavalry (old wagon horses) charged in the direction of the supposed enemy, but finding no person or thing, returned from the charge, and reported that the foe had retreated; but when the first gray of morning appeared, the outposts discovered that they had been firing upon a herd of cattle belonging to the settlers, which had been roaming through the woods, and had slaughtered seventeen. This was after- ward known among the settlers as "The battle of the Cowpens."* It was while General Beall tarried at. this camp, that he ordered the removal of the wife and daugh- ter of Baptiste Jerome to Urbana, where they soon died from exposure.f This act was deemed, at the time, extremely cruel, and not demanded by tee exigencies of the occasion. The wife of Jerome was a full Indian; but had learned the customs of the whites. The daugh- ter was an interesting girl of fourteen or fifteen.

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History of Ashland County, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 14

Author: Hill, George William, b. 1823; Williams Bros Publication date: 1880 Publisher: [Cleveland] Williams Number of Pages: 896

Author: Hill, George William, b. 1823; Williams Bros
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: [Cleveland] Williams
Number of Pages: 896