History of Ashland County, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 31

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

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In 1845 he entered Ashland academy, then under the superintendence of the lamented Lorin Andrews, one of the most successful instructors in Ohio, and who after- wards became president of Kenyon college, in Knox county, Ohio. Mr. Hill remained at that school three years, paying his way by working nights, mornings, and during vacations. In 1848 he became deputy for the auditor and treasurer, and remained in the county offices until 1851, In 1850, having read law at nights after office hours, he was admitted to the bar as a practicing attorney. In 1852 he was principal of Loudonville academy, which position he held until failing health compelled him to resign, In 1853-4 he was official re- porter for the Ohio senate. In August, 1854, he was appointed a deputy in the office of the State auditor, that office being presided over by Hon. William D. Mor- gan, now of Newark, Ohio. In November, 1855, he was appointed to a first-class clerkship in the treasury of the United States. In 1859, he graduated in medicine

in the medical department of Georgetown college, Dis- tici of Columbia, lecture hours occurring after office hours in the treasury, thus enabling him to attend lect- ures without losing time. In July, 1861, he was at the first battle of Bull Run, as a volunteer surgeon. In January, 1862, he returned to Ashland, Ohio, and entered upon the practice of medicine, and continued in that profession until the fall of 1867. In 1862 he was clected prosecuting attorney of Ashland county, and was re-elected in 1864. In the winter of 1868-9, he was official reporter of the house of representatives of Ohio. In April, 1868. he purchased the Ashland Union, the Democratic organ of the county, and changed its name to The States and Union. He continued to edit said paper until August, 1872, when, differing with his party on the policy of nominating Horace Greeley for President, he sold said paper.

-In 1872 he was a delegate from the fourteenth district to the Baltimore convention, but refused to act with his delegation as to the time-serving policy of selecting a candidate from the ranks of the Republican party to head the National Democratic ticket for President. In disgust he retired, selling to men who thought they sac- rificed no principle in advocating the claims of Greeley for President, although he had often stated in the Tri- Bune, that he "would not say that every Democrat was a horse thief, but would say that every horse thief turned out to be a Democrat." The people of the United States iefused to sustain his nomination, and defeat and disaster overtook the old man, and from disappointment, he soon became a hopeless wreck, and died. Such is the end of ambitious and ill-balanced men! In the spring of 1873, Mr. Hill was elected a member of the Ohio Constitu- tional convention held at the cities of Columbus and Cincinnati in the summer of 1875 and winter of 1874. and served upon several committees in the convention, and was chairman of the committee of accounts and ex- penses. He made a number of speeches, all of which are printed in the volumes of the debates. He was active in opposing all schemes to deple te the treasury, and increase the burthens of the people, and finally voted against the constitution, feeling convinced that it was not what the people wished. On the fourth of july. 18;o, at a town meeting, the people selected Him to deliver the Centennial address for Ashland county. A large asseni- blage of people was present to hear the address, which was published in both the county papers. In 1875-5- 7-8 he wrote the sketches of Marion, Wyandor and Allen counties, with a full history of the ancient Miar lotts, Delawares and Statonees, including their final re- moval west. In 1880 he finished, for publication, the history of Ashland county.

Mr. Hill married Miss Rebecca Draper daughter of John Draper, formerly from near Boston, Massachu. setts, May 17, ISge. His Gruily consists of three chil- dren: Margaret Amands, Ida Rena and Willat Duare Hill, all of age.

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HISTORY OF ASHLAND COUNTY, OHIO.

BAPTISTE JEROME.

Joha Baptiste Jerome was born near Montreal, Can- ada, of French parents, in the year 1776 or 1777. When · seventeen or eighteen years of age he crossed the lake with some French emigrants, and settled among the In- dians at the mouth of Huron river. He married an In- dian girl, supposed to have been the sister of a noted Indian known as George Hamilton. After remaining on the Huron a few years, he moved to Upper Sandusky, and resided among the Indians until the campaign of General Anthony Wayne. In company with Captain Pipe, of the Deiawares, he was engaged in a number of battles against the American forces, and was at the famous battle of "Fallen Timbers." At the time of his residence in this county, he often related anecdotes con- rerning that battle, describing the amazement of the In- dians at the rapidity and violence of the movements of Waynie's army -- the Indians comparing him to a huge "black snake," and ascribing almost supernatural powers to him. He asserted, that for a long time, the very name of " Mad Anthony" sent a chill of horror through the body of an Indian. They had, prior to the appearance of General Wayne, baffled the armies of the American gen- erais, and committed many barbarities upon the wounded and dead soldiers left upon the battle field ; but, when he came, like a huge anaconda, he enclosed and crushed the warriors in such a frightful manner that they abandoned all hope of resisting his victorious march, and were glad to stop his ravages by making peace.

After the treaty at Greenville in 1795, Jerome, Cap- tain Pipe, and a number of the Delawares left the north- west and settled at what was formerly Mohican Johns- town, on the south side of the stream, about three quarters of a mile from the present site of Jeromeville. "The stream was thenceforth known as the Jerome fork, which name it doubtless received from Jerome. The precise period of this migration can not be accurately fixed, but was doubtless as early as 1796 or 1797. Jerome crossed the stream and built a cabin a little southeast of the present site of the mill, where Joseph H. Larwill found him, his wife and daughter, while sur- veying, in 1806.7. Captain Pipe built a wigwam and lo- cater. south of the stream, and about one mile from Jerome, near what is now the Hayesville road. When the first settlers came into Killbuck, now Mohican town- ship, Jerome resided in the aforesaid cabin, and had some thirty-five or forty acres of land cleared along on the bottom, on the banks of the stream, which he culti- vated in corn .* He resided in his cabin with his wife Mary or Munjela, who was about fifteen years old when the war of 1812 was declared. A short time prior to the declaration of war, Captain Pipe and all his Dela- wares, except three or four friendly and harmless fami- lies, quietly slipped away and joined their friends in the northwest. When Captain Murray came to Jerome's

"When the old Portage road was surveyed in t810, Peter Kimes, afterward Judge Kinney, was one of the party, and found jerome's cabin as above stated, near the foot of Main street, in Jeromeville, on the south side. See also, biography of Alexander Finley and leger of James Finley.

place to build the block house, it is asserted by some of the pioneers, that hy order of General Beall, Jerome was arrested and sent to the block-house at Wooster, where he was confined for a short time as a precaution against furnishing aid and comfort to the Indians who might be found prowling about the forest; and that while he was at Wooster, Captain Murray sent his (Jerome's), wife and daughter to Urbana, where they subsequently died from exposure. Another statement is, that when Captain Douglas removed the Greentown Indians the wife and daughter of Jerome, with others, accompanied thein, Jerome voluntarily remaining to take care of his stock, of which he was well supplied, and his cabin and household goods; and that he was not confined at Woos- ter. We accept the latter statement as being the most probable; for there were no Indians at the arrival of General Beall to be sent away, and we have no account of a separate expedition from that of Douglas to convey the Indians to Urbana.

Jerome is said to have been warmly attached to his wife and daughter, and deeply mourned his separation from them ; and often reproached the military for en- forcing so cruel an edict. He never looked upon their faces again ; for, long before the close of the war, they were both in the grave. Prior to his being separated from his wife, Jerome was noted for his hospitality -- his wife being an excellent cook and housekeeper, consider- ing her opportunities, Jerome being her only instructor as to domestic duties. During the prevalence of the war, Jerome remained at the block-house among the pioneers who sought protection there in 1812-'13-'14. The loyalty of Jerome was beyond question. On ser- eral occasions he evinced as much zeal in protecting the neighboring cabins as his pioneer companions of the block-house. He was a small man ---- vivacious and posi- tive. Though impulsive, and at times irritable and bit- ter in his resentments, he was gencious and brave, and firmly attached to his friends. He was endowed with a good understanding, and could converse in French and Indian, and sufficiendy well to be understood in En- glish. Before his separation from his wife and daughter his circumstances were prosperous, being in possession of a lot of cattle, hogs and horses-a few fieldis of cleared land, with a comfortable cabin. At the close of the war, everything went wrong with him-his property was dispersed and his affairs began to go to ruin. He married a German woman on the Clear fork, with whom he lived until he sold his farm. He sold the farm, occu- pying the present site of Jeromeville, in the winter of 1815, to Christian Deardorf and William Vaughn, and purchased the farm upon which Goudy's mill was sabse- quently erected, about two miles southwest of his old farm. He remained here some time, and sold the land to Joseph Workman, who sold it to Constance Lake for a inill site. Jonathan Palmer was his neighbor for three years, and always spoke kindly of jerome. About the year 1317 Jerome and his German wife removed to his old residence at the mouth of lowon river, where he died a few years afterwards, in indigent circumstances, leaving his wife and one child, who returned to Rich-

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HISTORY OF ASHLAND COUNTY, OHIO.

laud where they remained. Jerome is believed to have been the first white settler within the present limits of Ashland county, bis arrival antedating that of Alexan- der Finley and Andrew Craig some eight or nine years.

ABRAM WILLIAMS.

Among the wigwams of Greentown when the pioneers of 1809-10 entered the township, was that of Abram Williams, an irritable, morose old Indian, who had for- medy married a white captive on the Sandusky river, from whom he separated in consequence of the violence of his temper and long continued jealousy and cruelty. "The story of this unhappy marriage, as near as I can leam, is as follows :

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About the year 1785 a family by the name of Martin and a Mr. Castleman were neighbors in Beaver county, Pennsylvania, and resided near the east bank of the Ohio river. It had been the custom of these families, for several years, to cross the river in the spring to make sugar on the bottoms. They had been engaged several days during the spring alluded to, when Castleman's horses strayed from their enclosure. He went in search of them on the river bottoms. During his absence, Martin returned from the camp and requested Mary Castleman, aged about thirteen, and Margaret, about nine, to accompany him to assist in boiling and gathering sugar water.

Mrs. Castleman hesitated for some time to let them go; but Martin being quite positive there were no In- dians in the vicinity, she finally consented to let them return with him. A short time after they crossed the river Mrs. Castleman heard the explosion of guns in the vicinity of the camp, and being alarmed for the safety of her daughters, hastened to the river side and called aloud, but received no reply. Returning to her cabin she alarmed the neighbors, and a number of men assem- bled on the east bank of the river, but dared not pass over, for fear of an ambush. On the succeeding morn- ing, a number of volunteers crossed in a canoe, and found Martin and his wife dead and scalped.

The Castleman. girls, and a little daughter of Martin, were nowhere to be found. The volunteers concluded they had been captured and carried away by the Indians. Pursuit was now useless, as the savages were doubtless many miles away. Years after, it was learned that there were but three Indians at the capture. In skulking along the banks of the Ohio, they happened on Martin's camp, and finding it defenceless, concluded to kill him and his wife, and take the girls to Sandusky.

After they had killed Martin and his wife they secured the girls. While they were engaged in the Gendish mur- der ot the two old people;, Margaret attempted to con- ceal herself in a hollow sycamore log, while Slary fled to the river and got into a canoe and began to push it from the shore, but one of the Indians instantly pursued her into the water and dragged the cance back again, atal seenred her. He asked her how many men were at the house, and knowing that the safety of her mother and

family depended upon her strategy, she answered nine.

The Indians then took up their line of march for Greentown, on the Black fork. After several days they arrived at the Indian village, where they met some trad. ers from Detroit. They passed up the ancient trail from Fort Pitt, by way of Jerometown, now known as the Portage trail. A trader at Greentown, by the name of McIntosh, was much pleased with the appearance of Margaret, and purchasing her for twenty-five dollars, took her home with him to Detroit, where she remained a number of years as a member of his family, and at- tended school. Her father, through the traders, finally learned of her whereabouts, and went to Detroit and took her home.

The Indians took Mary and the Martin girl to San- dusky, where they remained. The history of the Mar- tin girl, during her residence among the Delawares, is a ilank. Mary Castleman grew up to womanhood among the Indians, learning all their customs and language. During her residence among the Indians at Sandusky, she became acquainted with Abram Williams, a half-blood, to whom she was married. She had by him two chil- dren, George and Sally. Williams was a jealous, tyran- nical and cruel husband, and he and his white squaw lived very unhappily.

Williams, in his paroxysms of rage and jealousy, often maltreated his wife, and threatened to kill her. Fearing he would put his threat into execution, she resolved, if possible, to make her escape and seek refuge among her friends in Beaver county. By the traders, who often vis- ited Fort Pitt, she conveyed intelligence of her situation to her father, and her desire to be relieved. The attempt to rescue her would be attended with much danger. If not successful, it would result in bringing upone her the vengeance of her exasperated husband, and might ter- minate in great suffering and death.

Mr. Castleman made arrangements with a man by che name of George Foulks, a neighbor, to go to Sandusky to obtain the release of Mary. In his youth, Mr. Foulks had been captured by the Indians, taken to Sandusky : and adopted, where he resided for many years, and he- came versed in their language and customs. He was well acquainted with all the Indian trails, and it was pre- sumed by Mr. Castleman, that Foulks was just the man to secure the liberation of his long missing daughter.

Mr. Foulks, after some preparation, set out for San- dusky, passing up the old trail to Jeromctown; thence near where Olivesbargh now stands, through Blooming- grove, in Richland county, to the place of his destina- nation. He soon foand Williams and his wife. After spending a few days with them he proposed to Williams to let Mary accompany him on a visit to her friends in Beaver county. The jealousy of Williams was at once aroused. He refused to permit his wife to have, and meraced the life of Foalks if he persisted in making such a request.

Mr. Foulks determined to carry out his intentions 10 bring Mary home. The rage of Williams was to be bad fed by strategy. Affecting to acquiesce in the unwilling ness of the dusky husband, he alleviated his fears. Mr.

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HISTORY OF ASHLAND COUNTY, OHIO.

Foulks then went to an old Indian acquaintance and friend, and proposed to give him a barrel of whiskey and other presents if he would aid him in getting Mary away from Williams. The Indian feared the resentment of his Indian neighbor, and at first refused; but the "fire water" was a tempting prize.

At the next interview he entered heartily into the pro- ject, and agreed to go with Mary. The plan was, for Foulks to keep away from Williams, and remain about the Indian camp. The confederate then took Mary and started down the old Jerometown trail, while Foulks re- mained a day in the camp, and then started by another trail to meet his Indian friend and Mary at Jerometown. When he arrived near the Indian village he gave the signal, and - Mary and his friend soon appeared in the forest, and she was then taken home by Mr. Foulks and re- stored to her friends and civilized society.

Some time after this desertion Williams came to Green- town, built a wigwam, and was residing there with his children, George and Sally, when the first pioneers cane into the neighborhood. Sally was then a young woman, and had inany admirers among the dusky warriors. Mrs. James Cunningham, Mrs. James Irwin, Mrs. Sarah Vale, and others, called at the wigwam of Williams to see what . kind of a housekeeper Sally appeared to be. These ladies were all young then. They found the wigwam of William's neat and clean, and Sally a pleasant young lady.

SOLOMON JONACAKE.

A short time before the removal of the Greentown In- dians, a good-natured, fine-looking Delaware warrior, by the name of Solomon Jonacake, located among the tribe, and soon became fascinated with the charming Sally Williams. He proffered her bis hand in marriage, saying: "Me want squaw velly bad. Me like squaw. Me want Sally for squaw." The proffer was accepted on condition that the marriage ceremony should be after the manner of the whites, and by a white man. Sally ex- acted these conditions on the ground that she had already been twice married to recreant young warrior., and the Indian ceremony had failed to "stick."

Jonacake was but too happy to comply. for he "wanted Sally velly bad." There being no minister in that region authorized to perform the ceremony, they went to the cabin of Peter Kinney, who was justice of the peace, and he married them. It was a good job, for Jonacake proved a kind and faithful husband. Abram Williams was very proud of the choice of Sally, and stated to Mr. Elijah Harter, of Mifflin, that "Jonacake was a good In- dian. He no heathen Indian. Ile Moravian Indian. He be kind to Sally. He velly good Christian Indian."

When the Greentown Indians were removed, in 1812, to Urbana, Williams, Jonacake and wife accompanied their friends. After the war, they and many other Green- town Indians returned annually to huat, for ten or twelve years. Jonacake hunted a good deal in what is now Lake township, placing his wigwam near a good spring,

where Sally presided like an Indian queen. Many of the brooks in Lake yet bear his name.

In 1819. he encamped in the spring and fall, on a bottom west of the Black fork, in the vicinity of the present residence of Daniel Hoover, some three miles northwest of the village of Mifflin. While there, Mrs. Hoover visited the bark wigwam of Jonacake, and spent . some hours with Sally, who could converse very well in German. At that time Jonacake had two interesting little boys, aged respectively abort five and seven years. Mrs Hoover says Sally was an interesting woman, and her children were very neatly kept. Her little boys were handsomely clothed in dressed deer-skin, after the Indian style. Everything exhibited an air of comfort and contentment.

During the interview, Sally complained of being sur- feited on venison, and expressed a wish for salt pork. Mrs. Hoover agreed to exchange pound for pound. Sally was delighted. A few mornings after the visit, Jonacake appeared very early at the door of Mr. Hoover's cabin with a load of fresh venison. Hoover went to his smoke-house and selected the pork which be proposed to exchange, and having weighed it, handed it to Jon- acake. The good-natured hunter appeared much pleased with the trade. Breakfast being then ready, Mr. Hoover politely invited Jonacake to eat. He readily consented, and took a seat at the table. He behaved with becoming modesty, and handled his knife, fork and cup with as much skill as a white man.

Mr. Hoover says Jonacake was a tall, fine looking In- dian, and would weigh, perhaps, one hundred and sixty or one hundred and seventy pounds. He seemed to be imbued with the doctrines of the Moravians. Sally was a firm believer in that faith; and Jonacake and his fam- ily observed the Sabbath much more faithfully than the semi-christianized borderers who surrounded them. Mr. Hoover regarded his Indian neighbor as harmless, and as possessing integrity to a remarkable degree. He often met him in the forest hunting, and says he was always courteous and good-humored. Sally was, in his opinion, a remarkable woman, considering the fact that she never had any of the advantages of civilised life.

Mr. Knapp refers to the residence of Jeracake in Clearcreek township at a late date. In 1821, in the spring, Jonacake had a wigwam in the vicinity of the present site of Savannah. While there, one Sabbath, Hance MeMeckin and Andrew Clark visited his wig- wam, and entered into conversation with Sally. Me- Meekin was a merry, fun making sort of a pioneer, and relished a good joke. After saluting Sally and her little boys, he inquired as to the success of Jonacake in hutit- ing.

Sally-"Not very good. Last Sunday, Jonacake saw a number of deer, while hunting his horses that had strayed away : but being without a gun, they escaped."

McMeekin "Without his gun ! Why did he go without it?"

Sally -- "He never carries his gun on Sunday."

MeMeckin "What do you know about Sunday? No you know when that day comes?"

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HISTORY OF ASHLAND COUNTY, OHIO.

Sally -- "Do you suppose I am an animal? I am a human being, and know when Sunday comes as well as the white people."

McMeckin -- "Do all the Indians know when Sunday comos ?"

Sally-"They very generally do; but, like most of the 'white people, fail to keep it."

This retort satisfied McMeekin, and he ceased to poke his fun at Sally.

McMeckin often related this adventure with great glee, and conceded that Sally was rather spicy in her di- alogue with him.

Jonacake and other Indians, at that period, often vis- ited the mill of Martin Mason, where Leidigh's now stands, to purchase corn-meal in exchange for pelts and venison. Andrew Mason remembers him distinctly.

In the treaty of 1817, at the Maumee rapids. a reser- vation, three miles square, south of the Iyandets, vas allowed the remnant of Delar ares from Jerometown and Greentown. Jonacake is named as one of the joint proprietors.

In 1829, when the Delawares were removed to their new home, west of the Mississippi, Jonacake and his family went along.

: Jonacake died on the Delaware reservation, in Kan- sas, leaving two or three sons. In the war of the Rebel- lion of 1861-5, three grardsons of Jonacake served in company M, Sixth regiment of Kansas volunteer infan- try, under Captain John W. Duff. Their names were : John, Benjamin, and Philip Jonacake. Captain Duff says they were excellent soldiers.

CAPTAIN ARMSTRONG,

of Greentown, whose Indian name was Pamoxet. is first mentioned in the treaty of Fort Industry, on the Mau- mee river, July 4, 1805. The object of the treaty was the final relinquishinent of all Indian title to the lands of the Western Reserve. We are inclined to the opin- ion that he was a chief of the Turtle tribe, and that he located at Greentown fifteen or sixteen years before Pipe made his residence near the village of Mohican Johns- town. He was there when the first settlers of Green township commenced the erection of their cabins, in 1808 -- 9; and seemed to exercise a very controlling in- fluence over the Indians of that village, among whom were Delawares, Mingoes, Mohawks, and a few Sharonces.

From the year ISoo, up to 1812, Knox county fur- nished a favorite resort for Armstrong and his tribe, in the fall of the year, as a site for hunting. Mr. Banning, in his history of Knox county, says the Indians congre- gated at Greentown, at the periods mentioned above, numbering from three to five hundred. During the summer seasons, various acts of hostility were attributed to Armstrong's band, of which they were doubtless inno- cent. Collisions, therefore, between the white settlers of Knox county and the Greentown Indians, became fre- quent. The major part of the tribe, on the rumor of the approaching war, voluntarily left Greentown; bu

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History of Ashland County, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 31

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