History of Belmont and Jefferson Counties, Ohio, and incidentially historical collection pertaining to border warfare and the early settlement of the adjacent portion of the Ohio Valley, Part 14

Author: Caldwell, J. A. (John Alexander) 1n; Newton, J. H., ed; Ohio Genealogical Society. 1n
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Wheeling, W. Va. : Historical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 728

USA > Ohio > Jefferson County > History of Belmont and Jefferson Counties, Ohio, and incidentially historical collection pertaining to border warfare and the early settlement of the adjacent portion of the Ohio Valley > Part 14
USA > Ohio > Belmont County > History of Belmont and Jefferson Counties, Ohio, and incidentially historical collection pertaining to border warfare and the early settlement of the adjacent portion of the Ohio Valley > Part 14

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qua, was substituted and buried, as stated in Celoron's journal .* The latter plate has never been found. This solution is strengthened by the fact that none of the accounts of the plate sent to Governor Clinton state that it had been buried, or had been dug up. The Cayuga Sachem, in his speech quoted in Colonel Johnson's letter of December 4th, 1750, states that "the Senecas got it by some artifice from Jean Coeur."

Governor Clinton, in his letter to the Lords of Trade, states that some of the upper nations, which include the Senecas, "stole it from Jean Coeur, the French interpreter at Niagara, on his way to the river Ohio." The governor states the same in substance in his letter to Governor Hamilton, of Pennsyl- vania. The theft must therefore have occurred while the ex- pedition was on its way to the Ohio, and before any of the plates were buried. The original plate was probably soon after carried to England by Governor Clinton. The names "Chata- coin " and "Chatakouin," as spelled by Celoron in his journal, and "Tchadakoin," as inscribed on the plate, and "Tjadakoin," as spelled by Bonnecamps on his map, are all variations of the modern name Chautauqua. It will be found differently written by several carly authors. Pouchot writes it "Shatacoin ;" Lewis Evans, 1758, "Jadachque ;" Sir William Johnson, "Ja- daghque ;" Mitchell, 1755, "Chadocoin ;" Alden as pronounced by Cornplanter, "Chaud-dauk-wa." It is a Seneca name, and the orthography of that nation, according to the system of the late Reverend Asher Wright, long a missionary among them, and a fluent speaker of their language, it would be written "Jah-dah-gwah," the first two vowels being long and the last short. Different signifieations have been ascribed to the word. It is said to mean "the place where a child was swept away by the waves." The late Dr. Peter Wilson, an educated Seneca, and a graduate of Geneva Medical College, told the writer that it signified literally, "where the fish were taken out."

He related an Indian tradition connected with its origin. A party of Senecas were returning from the Ohio to Lake Erie. While paddling through Chuatauqua Lake, one of them caught a strange fish and tossed it into his canoe. After passing the portage into Lake Erie, they found the fish still alive, and threw it in the water. From that time the species became abundant in Lake Erie, where one was never known before. Hence, they called the place where it was caught "Jah-dah- gwah," the elements of which are Ga-joh, "fish," and Ga-dah- gwah, "taken out." By dropping the prefixes, according to Seneca custom, the compound name "Jah-dah-gwah" was formed. Among other significations which have been assigned to the word, but without any authority, may be mentioned "the elevated place," and "the foggy place," in allusion, prob-" ably, to the situation of the lake, and the mists which prevail on its surface at certain seasons.

It will be noticed the Allegheny is called by Celeron the Ohio, or " La Belle Riviere." This is in accordance with the usage of all early French writers since the discovery of the river by La Salle. The same custom prevailed among the Senecas. They have always considered the Allegheny as the Ohio proper. If you ask a Seneca his name for that river, he will answer O-hee-yuh. If you ask him its meaning, he will give it as " Beautiful river."

Mr. Heck welder, the Moravian missionary, supposing the word to be of Delaware origin, endeavors to trace its etymology from several words, signifying in that language, the white foaming river." The late Judge Hall, of Cincinnati, adopted the same derivation. Neither of them seem to have been aware that it is a genuine Seneca word, derived from that nation by the French, and by the latter written "Ohio." Its pronunciation by a Frenchman would exactly represent the word as spoken by a Seneca, the letter "i" being sounded like " e". The name "Ohio" was, therefore, correctly inserted on the plates buried on the banks of the Allegheny, above its junction with the Monongahela at Pittsburgh.

At the time the plate was interred opposite the mouth of the Conewango, as already narrated, all the officers and men of the expedition being drawn up in battle array, the chief in eom- mand proclaimed in a loud voice "Vive le Roi" and that pos- session was now taken of the country in the name of the king. The royal arms were affixed to a neighboring tree, and a Proces Verbal was drawn up and signed as a memorial of the eere- mony. The same formality was adopted at the burial of each succeeding plate. This proces verbal was in the following form, and in each instance was signed and witnessed by the officers present : "L'an, 1749, nous Celeron, Chevalier de 'l ordre

»N. Y. Col. Doc., ix, p. 1097.

+This observation, like most of those taken by Father Bonnecamps, is incorrect. Either his instruments were imperfect or his methods of computation erroneous. The true latitude of the mouth of the Conewango is less than 41º 50", as it is about twelve miles south of the boundary line between New York and Pennsylvania.

"On Crevecoeur's Map of 1758, Depots des Cartes. Ministerie de la Guerre, Paris, the Cone- wango is called the " Chatacounin" as far down as its junction with the Allegheny.

HISTORY OF BELMONT AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES, OHIO.

Royal et militaire de St. Louis, Capitaine Commandant un detache- ment envoye par les ordres de M. le Marquis de Gallissonniere, Com- mandant General en Canada, dans la Belle Riviere accompagne des principaux officers de notre detachement, avons enterre (here was in- serted the place of deposit,) une plaque de plomb, et fait attacher dans le meme lieu, a un arbre, les Armes du Roi. En foy de quoi, nous avons dresse et signe, avec M. M. les officiers, le present Proces verbal a notre camp, le (day of the month) 1749." "In the year 1749, we, Celoron. Chevalier of the Royal and military order of St. Louis, commander of a detachment sent by order of the Mar- quis of Gallissoniere, Governor General of Canada, to the Ohio, in presenee of the principal officers of our detachment, have buried (here was inserted the place of deposit) a leaden plate, and in the same place have affixed to a tree the arms of the king. In testimony whereof we have drawn up and signed, with the officers, the present Proces verbal,' at our camp, the (day of month) 1749." This method of asserting sovereignty over new territory is peculiar to the French, and was often adopted by them. La Salle, at the mouth of the Mississippi in 1682, thus proclaimed the dominion of Louis de Grond, and more recently the some formality was observed when a French squadron took possession of some islands in the Pacific ocean.

A few miles from Kanaouagon, on the right bank of the Alle- gheny, just below its junetion with the Brokenstraw ereek, was the Indian village of "Paille Coupe," or Cut Straw, the name being given by Celoron, as Kachuiodagon, occupied principally by Senecas. The English name "Broken Straw," and the French name, Coupee, were both probably derived from the Seneca name, which is De-ga-syo-noh-dyah-goh, which signifies literally, broken straw. Kaehuiodagon, as given by Celoron, and Koshenunteagunk, as given on the Historical Map of Penn- sylvania, and the Seneca name, are all three the same word in different orthography, the variation in the first two being oeea- sioned by the difference between the French and English mode of spelling the same Indian word. Father Bonneeamps states the village to be in latitude 41º 54' 5" and longitude 79º 13' west of Paris.

While the expedition was resting in the vicinity of these two Indian villages, a council was held with the inhabitants, condueted by Joncaire, whom Celoron states had been adopted by the Senecas, and possessed great influenee and power over them. They addressed him in the eouneil as "our child Jon- eaire." He was probably the person of that name met by Washington at Venango four years afterwards,* and a son of the Joneaire mentioned by Charlevoix as living at Lewiston on the Niagara in 1721, "who possessed the wit of a Frenehman and the sublime eloquence of an Iroquois." The father, who was a captive, died in 1740, leaving two half-breed sons, who seem to have inherited his influenee and distinction. Their names were Chabert Joneaire, Junior, and Philip Clauzonne de Joneaire. Both were in the French serviee, and brought rein- foreements from the west to Fort Niagara at the time it was besieged by Sir William Johnson in 1759. Their names are affixed to the capitulation which took place a few days later. The former was in command of Fort Sehlosser, his brother, who was a eaptain in the marine, being with him. They were both in the expedition of Celoron.

The result of the council held by Joncaire was not satisfae- tory to the French. It was very evident there was a strong feeling among the Indians on the Allegheny in favor of the English. It did not, however, prevent the French from de- scending the river. After pledging the Senccas in a eup of "Onontios milk " (brandy), the expedition left the villages of Kannonagon and Paille Coupee on the first day of August, and after proceeding about four leagues below the latter, reached a village of Loups and Renards, composed of ten eabins. The Loupst were a branch of the Delawares, ealled by the English Munceys. Four or five leagues farther down they passed another small village, consisting of six cabins, and on the third of Au- gust another of ten cabins. The next was a village on the " Riviere aux Boefs." According to Father Bonneeamps, they passed between Paille Coupee and Riviere aux Boeufs one vil- lage on the left and four on the right, the latitude of the third on the right being 41º 30' 30", and the longitude 79° 21' west of Paris. The Riviere aux Boeufs is now known as French creek, it having been so called by Washington on his visit there in 1753. The English named it Venango. A fort was built by the French in 1753-4, on its western bank, sixty rods below its junetion with the Allegheny, ealled Fort Machault.

*Governor Clinton, in his address before the New York Historical Society in 1811, inquires if the Jonenire met by Charlevoix and Washington were the same. They could not have been, for the one mentioned by Charlevoix died in 1740.

"Pronounced Loos.

In 1760, when the English took possession, they built another, forty rods higher up, and nearer the mouth of French creek, which they ealled Fort Venango. In 1787 the United States Government sent a foree to protect the settlers, and built a fort on the south side of the creek, half a mile above its mouth, which was called Fort Franklin. From all of which it appears that this was at an early day an important point on the river. It is now the site of the flourishing village of Franklin. At the time of Celoron's visit, the Indian village numbered about ten eabins.

After passing the Riviere aux Boeufs and another on the left, the expedition reached on the same day a bend in the river about nine miles below, on the left or eastern bank of which lay a large boulder, nearly twenty-two feet in length by four- teen in breadth, on the inclined faee of which were rude in- seriptions, evidently of Indian workmanship, representing by various symbols the triumphs of the race in war and in the ehase. It was regarded by the natives attached to the expedi- tion as an "Indian God," and held in superstitious reverenee. It was a well-known landmark, and did not fail to arrest the attention of the French, Celoron deemed it a favorable point at which to bury his second leaden plate. This was done with due form and ceremony, the plate bearing an inseription simi- lar to that on the first, differing only in date and designation of the place of deposit. Celoron's record is as follows: "Aout 3me, 1749. Enterre une plaque de plomp sur la rive meridionale de la riviere Oyo, a 4 lieues, au dessous de la riviere aux boeufs, vis-a-vis une montagne pelle, et aupres d'une grosse pierre, sur laquelle on voit plusieurs figures assez grossièrement gravees." "Buried a leaden plate on the south bank of the Ohio river, four leagues below the river Aux Boeufs, opposite a bald mountain, and near a large stone, on which are many figures rudely engraved."

Father Bonneeamps states the deposit to have been made under a large rock. An exeellent view of the rock in question, with a fae-simile of the hieroglyphies on its faee, may be found in Sehooleraft's work on the "Indian Tribes in the United States," Vol. VI. pp. 172. It was drawn by Captain Eastman of the U. S. Army, while standing waist deep in the river, its banks being then nearly full. At the time of the spring and fall freshets the roek is entirely submerged. The abrasion of its exposed surface by ice and flood-wood in winter has almost obliterated the rude earvings. At the time of Celoron's visit it was entirely uncovered. It is ealled "Hart's roek" on Huteh- ings' Topographical Map of Virginia. The distance of "four leagues" from the mouth of the river Aux Boeufs, or French Creek, to the roek, as given by Celoron, is, as usual, a little ex- aggerated. The actual distanee by the windings of the river is about nine miles. The league as used by Celoron may be estimated as containing about two miles and a half. The leaden plate deposited at this point has never been found, and some zealous antiquarian living in the vicinity might, from the record now given, be able to restore it to light, after a repose of more than a century and a quarter.

From this station Celoron sent Joneaire forward to Attigue the next day, to announce the approach of the expedition, it being an Indian settlement of some importance on the left bank of the river, between eight and nine leagues further down, con- taining twenty-two cabins. Before reaching Attigue they passed a river three or four leagues from the Aux Boeufs, the conflu- ence of which with the Allegheny is described as "very beau- tiful," and a league farther down another, having on its upper waters some villages of Loups and Iroquois.

Attigue was probably on or near the Kiskiminitas river, which falls into the south side of the Allegheny about twenty- five miles above Pittsburgh. It is called the river d'Attigue by Montcalm, in a letter dated in 1758 .* There were several Indian villages on its banks at that date. They reached At- tigue on the sixth, where they found Joneaire waiting. Em- barking together they passed on the right an old "Chaouanons" (Shawnees) village. It had not been occupied by the Indians sinee the removal of Chartier and his band to the river Ver- million in the Wabash country in 1745, by order of the Marquis de Beauharnois. Leaving Attigue the next day, they passed a village of Loups, all the inhabitants of which, except three Iroquois, and an old woman who was regarded as Queen, and devoted to the English, had fled in alarm to Chiningue. This village of the Loups Celoron declares to be the finest he saw on the river. It must have been situated at or near the present site of Pittsburgh. The description of the place, like many given by Celoron, is so vague that it is impossible to identify it with any certainty. The clear, bright current of the Alle-

+N. Y. Col. Doe., LX, 1025; X, ib., 901.

HISTORY OF BELMONT AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES, OHIO.

gheny, and the sluggish, turbid stream of the Monongahela, flowing together to form the broad Ohio, their banks clothed in luxuriant summer foliage, must have presented to the voya- gers a scene strikingly picturesque, one which would hardly have escaped the notice of the chief of the expedition. If, therefore, the allusion to "the finest place on the river" has no reference to the site of Pittsburgh, then no mention is made of it whatever. On landing three leagues further down, they were told by some of their Indians that they had passed a rock on which were some inscriptions. Father Bonnecamps and Joncaire, who were sent to examine it, reported nothing but some English names written in charcoal. This was near the second entrepot of the English.

Their camp being only two leagues above Chiningue, they were enabled to reach the latter the next day. They found the village one of the largest on the river, consisting of fifty cabins of Iroquois, Shawanese and Loups; also Iroquois from the Sault St. Louis and Lake of the Two Mountains, with some Nippissingues, Abenakis and Ottawas. Bonnecamps estimated the number of camps at eighty, and says, "we called it Chiningue, from its vicinity to a river of that name." He records its latitude as 40° 35' 10" which is nearly correct, and longitude as 80° 19'. The place was subsequently known as "Logstown," a large and flourishing village which figures prominently in Indian his- tory for many years after this period. Colonel Croghan, who was sent to the Ohio Indians by Governor Hamilton, of Penn- sylvania, in August 1749, mentions in his journal that "Mon- sieur Calaroon with two hundred French soldiers, had passed through Logstown just before his arrival."* Croghan inquired of the inhabitants the object of the expedition, and was told by them that "it was to drive the English away, and by bury- ing iron plates, with inscriptions on them at the mouth of each remarkable creek, to steal away their country."

On reaching Chiningue Celoron found several English trad- ers established there, whom he compelled to leave. He wrote by them to Governor Hamilton, under date of August 6th, 1749, that he was surprised to find English traders on French terri- tory, it being in contravention of solemn treaties, and hoped the Governor would forbid their trespassing in the future. De Celoron also made a speech, in which he informed the Indians that "he was on his way down the Ohio to whip home the Twightwees and Wyandots for trading with the English." They treated his speech with contempt, insisting that "to separate them from the English would be like cutting a man into halves and expecting him to live."f The Indians were found so un- friendly to the French, and suspicious of the objects of the ex- pedition, as to embarrass the movements of de Celoron. His Iroquois and Abenaki allies refused to accompany him farther than Chiningue. They destroyed the plates which, bearing the arms of the French King, had been affixed to trees as memo- rials of his sovereignty.

A PLATE DEPOSITED AT THE MOUTH OF WHEELING CREEK.

After leaving Chiningue, they passed two rivers, one on either side, and crossing the present boundary line between Pennsylvania and Ohio, reached what they designate as the river " Kanououara" early on the 13th. This is the stream that is now known as Wheeling creek. Here they interred the third leaden plate. On the spot where Wheeling now stands, the officers and men of the command were drawn up with the usual pomp to perform the ceremony.

These were doubtless the first Europeans who actually set foot upon the soil of the busy Nail City. The dense forest was a silent witness, and the towering hills echoed the voice of the commander as he again shouted " Vive le Roi," and proclaimed in loud tones that possession of the country was taken in the name of the king. The blank in the plate was filled as usual, and the inscription of the relic that lies hidden at the mouth of Wheeling creek, beyond all hope of recovery, was made to read as follows :

"L'AN 1749, DV REGNE DE LOVIS XV ROY DE FRANCE, NOVS CELORON, COMMANDANT D'UN DETACTHIMENT ENVOIE PAR MON- SIEVR LE MIS. DE LA GALLISSONIERE, COMMANDANT GENERAL DE LA NOUVELLE FRANCE POVR RETABLIR LA TRANQUILLITE DANS QUELQUES VILLAGES SAUVAGES DE CES CANTONS, AVONS ENTERRE CETTE PLAQUE A L'ENTREE DE LA RIVIERE, ET SUR RIVE SEPTEN TRIONALE DE KANOUOUARA, QUI SE DECHARGE A LEST DE LA RIVIERE OYO, AUTREMENT BELLE RIVIERE, CE 13 AOUT, POUR MONUMENT DU RENOU- NELLEMENT DE POSSESSION QUE NOUS AVONS PRIS DE LA DITTE

RIVIERE OYO, ET DE TOUTES CELLES QUI Y TOMBENT, ET DE TOUTES LES TERRES DES DEUX COTES JVSQVE AVX SOURCES DES DITTES RIVERES AINSI QU'EN ONT JOVI OU DV JOVIR LES PRECEDENTS ROIS DE FRANCE, ET QU'ILS S'Y SONT MAINTENVS PAR LES ARMES LT PAR LES TRAITTES, SPECIALEMENT PAR CEVX DE RISWICK, D'VTR- ECHT ET D'AIX LA CHAPELLE."

TRANSLATION.

"In the year 1749, of the reign of Louis the 15th king of France, we Celoron, commander of a detachment sent by Mon- seur the Marquis de la Gallisoniere, Governor General of New France, to re-establish tranquility in some Indian villages of these cantons, have buried this Plate of Lead at the mouth and on the north bank of the river Kanououara, which empties into the easterly side of the Ohio river, otherwise Belle Riviere, this 13th day of August, as a monument of the renewal of the possession we have taken of the said river Ohio, and of all those which empty into it, and of all the lands on both sides as far as the sources of the said rivers, as enjoyed, or ought to have been enjoyed by the kings of France preceding, as they have there maintained themselves by arms and by treaties, especially those of Ryswick, Utrecht, and Aix la Chapelle."

The royal arms were fixed, as usual, to a neighboring tree, and the memorial of the ceremony- the "Proces Verbal "-was duly drawn up and signed by the officers of the command in formal manner. After the performance of the ceremony, the expedition encamped for the night and remained until the next day.

Owing to the great changes of time and the extensive filling of earth on the banks of the river and creek, it would be impossible at this day to definitely describe the exact resting place of this hidden treasure, but it is fair to presume that it lies somewhere under the Baltimore & Ohio rail road depot, where once stood the "old barracks." The ruins of the old bar- racks are within the recollection of many old citizens of Wheel- ing, and the ground on which it stood, at the time of the expe- dition, was a feasible spot to bury one of the plates.

A fac simile of the plate deposited at the mouth of Wheeling creek, will be found at the commencement of this chapter.

ORIGINAL NAME OF WHEELING CREEK.

All lovers of history and antiquity will appreciate the devel- opment of the fact that the distinguishing word Kanououara, (pronounced Kan-a-wa'-ra,) was used to designate Wheeling creek, long before the stream received its present name. Kanououara was the name which the French found applied to the stream by the Indians, and the orthography represents their usual style of expressing Indian words. While it is evi- dent that this is the original Indian name of the stream, we have not been able to determine to what tribe or nation the word belongs.

CONTINUATION OF THE EXPEDITION.

The expedition resumed its voyage on the 14th, passing the mouths of three streams, two on the left and one on the right. Deer abounded along the banks. Two of the rivers are stated to be strikingly beautiful at their junction with the Ohio. On the 15th they arrived at the mouth of the Muskingum, called by Father Bonnecamps, Yenanguakonan, and cncamped on the shore. Here the fourth leaden plate was buried on the right bank of that river, at its junction with the Ohio. Celoron de- scribes the place of deposit as follows: " Enterre au pied d'um erable, qui forme trepied avec une chene rouge et un orme, a l' entree de la riviere Yenanguakonan, sur la rive occidentale de cette riviere." " Buried at the foot of a maple, which forms a triangle with a red oak and elm, at the mouth of the river Yenanguakonan, and on its western bank."

In 1798, half a century later, some boys, who were bathing at the mouth of the Muskingum, discovered something project- ing from the perpendicular face of the river bank, three or four feet below the surface. With the aid of a pole they loosened it from its bed, and found it to be a leaden plate, stamped with letters in an unknown language. Unaware of its historic value, and being in want of lead, then a scarce article in the new country, they carried it home and cast a part of it into bullets. News of the discovery of so curious a relic having reached the ears of a resident of Marietta, he obtained possession of it, and found the inscription to be in French. The boys had cut off quite a large part of the inscription, but enough remained to indicate its character. It subsequently passed into the hands of Caleb Atwater, the historian, who sent it to Governor De

* N. Y. Col. Doc. VII p. 267.

+N. Y. Col. Doc. VI. pp 532-3.

LAN I> 49 DV REGNE DE LOVIS : X V ROY DE

FRANCE NOVS CELORON COMMANDANT DVN . DE

TACHEMENT ENVOIE PAR MONSIEVER LE M

DE LA

GALISSONIERE COMMANDANT GENERAL DE LA

NOVVELLE FRANCE POVR

RETABLIR LA TRANAVILLITE

DANS qVEL AVES

VILLAGES

SAUVAGES DE CES CANTONS

AVONS ENTERRE CETTE PLANVE A L'ENTRÉE DE LA RIVIERE ET

SUR RIVE SEPTENTRIONALE DE KA NOUOUARA, QUI SE

DECHARGE A LEST

DE LA RIVIERE OYO AUTREMENT

BELLE RIVIERE, CE 13 AOUT POVR MONVMENT DV RENOV-

VELLEMENT DE POSSESSION qVE NOUS AVONS PRIS

DE LA DITTE

RIVIERE OYO ET DE TOVTES CELLES qVI Y TOMBENT

ET DE TOVTES LES TERRES DES DEVX COTES JVSAVE

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History of Belmont and Jefferson Counties, Ohio, and incidentially historical collection pertaining to border warfare and the early settlement of the adjacent portion of the Ohio Valley, Part 14

Author: Caldwell, J. A. (John Alexander) 1n; Newton, J. H., ed; Ohio Genealogical Society. 1n Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Wheeling, W. Va. : Historical Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 728

Author: Caldwell, J. A. (John Alexander) 1n; Newton, J. H., ed; Ohio Genealogical Society. 1n
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Wheeling, W. Va. : Historical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 728