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 29

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 29
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 29

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HISTORY OF BELMONT AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES, OHIO.

women and other Indians at Baker's bottom, also lay at my eabin, on their march to the interior part of the country; they had with them a little girl, whose life had been spared by the interferenee of some more humane than the rest. If necessary I will make affidavit to the above to be true. Certified at Wash- ington, this 18th day of April, Anno Domini, 1798.

WILLIAM HUSTON.

The Certificate of Jacob Newland, of Shelby county, Kentucky, com- municated by the Honorable Judge Innes, of Kentucky.

In the year 1774, I lived on the waters of Short ereek, a branch of the Ohio, twelve miles above Wheeling. Sometime in June or in July of that year, Capt. Michael Cresap raised a party of men, and eame out under Col. MeDaniel, of Hampshire county, Virginia, who commanded a detachment against the Wappotommaka towns on the Muskingum. I met with Capt. Cresap, at Redstone fort, and entered his company. Being very well acquainted with him, we conversed freely; and he, among other conversation, informed me several times of falling in with some Indians on the Ohio some distance below the mouth of Yellow ereek, and killed two or three of them; and that this murder was before that of the Indians by Greathouse and oth- ers, at Yellow ereek. I do not recollect the reason which Capt. Cresap assigned for committing the aet, but never understood that the Indians gave any offenee. Certified under my hand this 15th day of November, 1799, being an inhabitant of Shel- by county and State of Kentucky.

JACOB NEWLAND.

The Certificate of John Anderson, a merchant in Fredericksburg, Vir- ginia ; communicated by Mann Page, Esq., of Mansfield, near Fred- ericksburg, who, in the letter accompanying it, says: "Mr. John Anderson has for many years past been settled in Fredericksburg, in the mercantile line. I have known him in prosperous and adverse situations. He has always shown the greatest degree of equanimity, his honesty and veracity are unimpeachable. These things can be attested by all the respectable part of the town and neighborhood of Fredericksburg."

Mr. John Anderson, a merchant in Fredericksburg, says, that in the year 1774, being a trader in the Indian country, he was at Pittsburgh, to which plaee he had a eargo brought up the river in a boat navigated by a Delaware Indian and a white man. That on their return down the river, with a eargo, be- longing to Messrs. Butler, Michael Cresap fired on the boat, and killed the Indian, after which two men of the name of Gate- wood and others of the name of *Tumblestone, who lived on the opposite side of the river from the Indians, with whom they were on the most friendly terms, invited a party of them to come over and drink with them; and that, when the Indians were drunk, they murdered them to the number of six, among whom was Logan's mother. That five other Indians, uneasy at the absence of their friends, eame over the river to inquire after them; when they were fired upon, and two were killed, and the others wounded. This was the origin of the war.

I certify the above to be true to the best of my recollection. JOHN ANDERSON.

Attest :- DAVID BLAIR, 30th June, 1798.

The Deposition of James Chambers, communicated by David Riddick, Esq., Prothonotary of Washington county, Pennsylvania, who in the letter inclosing it, shows that he entertains the most perfect confidence in the truth of Mr. Chambers.

Washington county, sc.

Personally eame before me, Samuel Shannon, Esq., one of the Commonwealth Justices for the County of Washington, in the State of Pennsylvania, James Chambers, who, being sworn ae- cording to law, deposeth and saith that in the spring of the year 1774, he resided on the frontier near Baker's bottom on the Ohio; that he had an intimate companion, with whom he sometimes lived, named Edward King; that a report reached him that Michael Cresap had killed some Indians near Grave ereek, friends to an Indian known by the name of Logan; that other of his friends following down the river, having received intelligence, and fearing to proceed, lest Cresap might fall in with them, oneamped near the mouth of Yellow ereek, opposite Baker's bottom; that Daniel Greathouse had determined to kill them; had made the seeret known to the deponent's companion, King; that the deponent was earnestly solieited to be of the

party, and, as an indueement, was told that they would get a great deal of plunder; and further, that the Indians would be made drunk by Baker, and that little danger would follow the expedition. The deponent refused having any hand in killing unoffending people. His companion, King, went with Great- house, with divers others, some of whom had been collected at a considerable distanee under an idea that Joshua Baker's fam- ily was in danger from the Indians, as war had been eom- meneed between Cresap and them already; that Edward King, as well as others of the party, did not eoneeal from the depo- nent the most minute eireumstanees of this affair; they in- formed him that Greathouse, eoneealing his people, went over to the Indian eneampments and counted their number, and found that they were too large a party to attack with his strength; that he then requested Joshua Baker, when any of them eame to his house, (which they had been in the habit of ) to give them what rum they eould drink, and to let him know when they were in a proper train, and that he would then fall on them; that accordingly they found several men and women at Baker's house; that one of these women had eautioned Great- house, when over in the Indian eamp, that he had better return home, as the Indian men were drinking, and that, having heard of Cresap's attack on their relations down the river, they were angry, and, in a friendly manner, told him to go home. Greathouse, with his party, fell upon them and killed all ex- eept a little girl, which the deponent saw with the party after the slaughter; that the Indians in the eamp, hearing the firing, manned two canoes, supposing their friends at Baker's to be attacked, as was supposed; the party under Greathouse pre- vented their landing by a well-directed fire, which did exeeu- tion in the eanoes; that Edward King showed the deponent one of the sealps. The deponent further saith, that the settle- ments near the river broke up, and he, the deponent, imme- diately repaired to Catfish's camp, and lived some time with Mr. William Huston; that not long after his arrival, Cresap, with his party, returning from the Ohio, eame to Mr. Huston's and tarried some time; that in various conversations with the party, and in particular with a Mr. Smith, who had one arm only, he was told that the Indians were acknowledged and known to be Logan's friends which they had killed, and that he heard the party say that Logan would probably avenge their death.

They acknowledged that the Indians passed Cresap's encamp- ment on the bank of the river in a peaceable manner, and eneamped below him; that they went down and fired on the Indians, and killed several; that the survivors flew to their arms and fired on Cresap, and wounded one man, whom the deponent saw carried on a litter by the party; that the Indians killed by Cresap were not only Logan's relations, but of the women killed at Baker's one was said and generally believed to be Logan's sister. The deponent further saith, that on the relation of the attack by Cresap on the unoffending Indians, he exelaimed in their hearing, that it was an atrocious murder, on which Mr. Smith threatened the deponent with the tomahawk ; so that he was obliged to be cautious, fearing an injury, as the party appeared to have lost, in a great degree, sentiments of humanity as well as the effects of civilization.

JAMES CHAMBERS. Sworn and subscribed at Washington, the 20th day of April, Anno Domini, 1798, before

SAMUEL SHANNON.

WASHINGTON COUNTY, SC. I, David Reddiek, prothonotary of the Court of Com- mon Pleas, for the county of Washington, in the SEAL. State of Pennsylvania, do certify that Samuel Shan- non, Esq., before whom the within affidavit was made, was, at the time thereof, and still is, a Justice of the Peace in and for the county of Washington aforesaid; and that full credit is due to all his judicial aets as such as well in courts of justice as thereout.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affix- ed the seal of my office at Washington, the 26th day of April, Anno Dom. 1798.

DAVID REDDICK.

"The pepular pronunciation of Tomlinson, which was the real name.

HISTORY OF BELMONT AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES, OHIO.

The Certificate of Charles Polke, of Shelby County, in Kentucky, com- municated by the Hon. Judge Innes, of Kentucky, who in the letter enclosing it, together with Newland's certificate, and his own declara- tion of the information given him by Baker, says, "I am well acquainted with Jacob Newland ; he is a man of integrity. Charles Polke and Joshua Baker both support respectable characters."

About the latter end of April or beginning of May, 1774, I lived on the waters of Cross creek, about sixteen miles from Joshua Baker, who lived on the Ohio, opposite the mouth of Yellow creek. A number of persons collected at my house, and proceeded to the said Baker's and murdered several Indians, among whom was a woman said to be the sister of the Indian chief, Logan. The principal leader of the party was Daniel Greathouse. To the best of my recollection the cause which gave rise to the murder was, a general idea that the Indians were meditating an attack on the frontiers. Capt. Michael Cresap was not of the party; but I recollect that some time bc- fore the perpetration of the above fact it was currently reported that Capt. Cresap had murdered some Indians on the Ohio, one or two, some distance below Wheeling.

Certified by me, an inhabitant of Shelby county and State of Kentucky, this 15th day of November. 1799.

CHARLES POLKE."

The declaration of Hon. Judge Innes, of Frankfort, in Kentucky.

On the 14th of November, 1799, I accidentally met upon the road Joshua Baker, the person referred to in the certificate signed by Polke, who informed me that the murder of the Indians in 1774, opposite the mouth of Yellow creek, was per- petrated at his house by thirty-two men, led on by Daniel Greathouse; that twelve were killed and six or eight wounded; among the slain was a sister and other relations of the Indian chief, Logan. Baker says Captain Michael Cresap was not of the party; that some days preceding the murder at his house two Indians left him and were on their way home; that they fell in with Capt. Cresap and a party of land improvers on the Ohio and were murdered, if not by Cresap himself, with his ap- probation ; he being the leader of the party, and that he had this information from Cresap. HARRY INNES.

The declaration of William Robinson.

William Robinson, of Clarksburg, in the county of Harrison and State of Virginia, subscriber to these presents, declares that he was, in the year 1774, a resident on the west fork of the Monongahela river, in the county then called West Augusta, and being in his field on the 12th of July, with two other men, they were surprised by a party of eight Indians, who shot down one of the others and made himself and the remaining one pris- oners ; the subscriber's wife and four children having been pre- viously conveyed by him for safety to a fort about twenty-four miles off; that the principal Indian of the party which took them was Captain Logan; that Logan spoke English well, and very soon manifested a friendly disposition to this subscriber, and told him to be of good heart, that he would not be killed, but must go with him to his town, where he would probably be adopted in some of their families; but above all things that he must not attempt to run away; that in the course of the jour- ney to the Indian town he generally endeavored to keep close to Logan, who had a great deal of conversation with him, al- ways encouraging him to be cheerful and without fear; for that he would not be killed, but should become one of them; and constantly impressing on him not to attempt to run away; that in these conversations he always charged Capt. Michael Cresap with the murder of his family; that on his arrival in the town, which was on the 18th of July, he was tied to a stake, and a great debate arose whether he should not be burnt; Logan insisted on having him adopted, while others contended to burn him ; that at length Logan prevailed, tied a belt of wampum round him as the mark of adoption, loosed him from the post and car- ried him to the cabin of an old squaw, where Logan pointed out a person who he said was this subscriber's cousin ; and he after- wards understood that the old woman was his aunt, and two others his brothers, and that he now stood in the place of a warrior of the family who had been killed at Yellow creek ; that about three days after this, Logan brought him a piece of paper and told him he must write a letter for him, which he meant to carry and leave in some house where he should kill somebody; that he made ink with gunpowder, and the sub- scriber proceeded to write the letter by his direction, address- ing Captain Michael Cresap in it, and that the purport of it was, to ask "why he had killed his people ? That some time

before they had killed his people at some place, (the name of which the subscriber forgets,) which he had forgiven; but since that he had killed his people again at Yellow creek, and taken his cousin, a little girl, prisoner ; that therefore he must war against the whites; but that he would exchange the sub- scriber for his cousin." And signed it with Logan's name, which letter Logan took and set out again to war; and the contents of this letter, as recited by the subscriber, calling to mind, that stated by Judge Innes to have been left, ticd to a war club, in a house, where a family was murdered, and that being read to the subscriber, he recognizes it, and declares he verily believes it to have been the identical letter which he wrote, and supposes he was mistaken in stating as he has done before from memory, that the offer of the exchange was pro- posed in the letter; that it is probable it was only promised him by Logan, but not put in the letter; while he was with the old woman, she repeatedly endeavorcd to make him sensi- ble that she had been of the party at Yellow crcek, and, by signs, shewed how they decoyed her friends over the river to drink, and when they were reeling and tumbling about, toma- hawked them all, and that whenever she entered on this sub- ject she was thrown into the most violent agitations, and that he afterwards understood that, amongst the Indians killed at Yellow creek, was a sister of Logan, very big with child, whom they ripped open, and stuck on a pole ; that he continued with the Indians till the month of November, when he was released in consequence of the peace made by them with Lord Dunmore; that, while he remained with them, the Indians in general were very kind to him; and especially those who were his adopted relations ; but above all, the old woman and family in which he lived, who served him with every thing in their power and never asked, or even suffered him to do any labor, seeming in truth to consider and respect him, as the friend they had lost. All which several matters and things, so far as they are stated to be of his own knowledge, this subscriber solemnly declares to be true, and so far as they are stated on information from others, he believes them to be true. Given and declared under his hand at Philadelphia, this 28th day of February, 1800.

WILLIAM ROBINSON.

The deposition of Col. William McKee, of Jefferson county, Kentucky, communicated by the Hon. John Brown, one of the Senators in Con- gress from Kentucky.

Colonel William McKee, of Lincoln county, declareth, that in autumn, 1774, he commanded as a captain in the Bottetourt regiment under Col. Andrew Lewis, afterwards Gen. Lewis, and fought in the battle at the mouth of Kanawha, on the 10th of October, in that year. That after the battle, Col. Lewis marched the militia across the Ohio, and proceeded towards the Shawa- nce towns on Scioto; but before they reached the towns, Lord Dunmore, who was commander in chief of the army, and had, with a large part thereof, been up the Ohio about Hockhockin, when the battle was fought, overtook the militia, and informed them of his having since the battle concluded a treaty with the Indians; upon which the whole army returned.

And the said William declareth that, on the evening of that day on which the junction of the troops took place, he was in company with Lord Dunmore and several of his officers, and also conversed with several who had been with Lord Dunmore at the treaty; said William, on that evening, heard repeated conversations concerning an extraordinary speech made at the treaty, or sent there by a chieftain of the Indians named Logan, and heard several attempts at a rehearsal of it. The speech as rehearsed excited the particular attention of said William, and the most striking members of it were impressed on his memory.

And he declares that when Thomas Jefferson's Notes on Vir- ginia were published, and he came to peruse the same, he was struck with the speech of Logan as there set forth, as being substantially the same, and accordant with the specch he heard rehearsed in the camp as aforesaid.

[Signed] WILLIAM McKEE. DANVILLE, December 18th, 1799.

We certify that Colonel William McKee, this day signed the original certificate, of which the foregoing is a true copy, in our presence.

JAMES SPEED, jun. J. H. DEWEES.

The Certificate of the Honorable Stevens Thomson Mason, one of the Senators in Congress from the State of Virginia.

"Logan's speech, delivered at the Treaty, after the battle in which Col. Lewis was killed in 1774."

[Here follows a copy of the speech agreeing verbatim with

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STERRITT, BELLAIRE, OHIO.

HISTORY OF BELMONT AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES, OHIO.

that printed in Dixon and Hunter's Virginia Gazette of February 4, 1775, under the Williamsburg head. At the foot is this cer- tificate.]

"The foregoing is a copy taken by me, when a boy, at school, in the year 1775, or at farthest in 1776, and lately found in an old pocket-book, containing papers and manuscripts of that period.

"STEVENS THOMPSON MASON.

"January 20th, 1798."

A copy of Logan's Speech given by the late General Mercer, who fell in the battle of Trenton, January, 1776, to Lewis Willis, Esquire, of Fredericksburg, in Virginia, upwards of 20 years ago (from the date of February, 1798), communicated through Mann Page, Esquire.

"The speech of Logan, a Shawanese chief, to Lord Dun- more."

[Here follows a copy of the specch, agreeing verbatim with that in the Notes on Virginia.]

A copy of Logan's speech from the Notes on Virginia having been sent to Captain Andrew Rodgers, of Kentucky, he subjoin- ed the following certificate :

In the year 1774, I was out with the Virginia Volunteers, and was in the battle at the mouth of the Kanawha, and afterwards proceeded over the Ohio to the Indian towns. I did not hear Logan make the above speech; but, from the unanimous accounts of those in camp, I have reason to think that said speech was delivered to Dunmore. I remember to have heard the very things contained in the above speech related by some of our people in camp at that time.

ANDREW RODGERS.

The declaration of Mr. John Heckwelder, for several years a mission- ary from the Society of Moravians, among the Western Indians.

In the spring of the year 1774, at a time when the interior part of the Indian country all seemed peace and tranquility, the villagers on the Muskingum were suddenly alarmed by two runners (Indians) who reported "that the Big Knife (Vir- ginians) had attacked the Mingo settlement, on the Ohio, and butchered even the women with their children in their arms, and that Logan's family were among the slain." A day or two after this, several Mingoes made their appear- ance; among whom were one or two wounded, who had in this manner effected their cscape. Exasperated to a high degree, after relating the particulars of this transaction (which for humanity's sake I forbear to mention), after rest- ing some time on the treachery of the Big Knives, of their barbarity to those who are their friends, they gave a figu- rative description of the perpetrators; named Cresap as having been at the head of this murderous act. They made mention of nine being killed, and two wounded; and were prone to take revenge on any person of a white color, for which reason the missionaries had to shut themselves up during their stay. From this time terror daily increased. The exasperated friends and relations of those murdered women and children, with the nations to whom they belonged, passed and repassed through the villages of the quiet Delaware towns, in search of white people, making use of the most abusive language to these (the Delawares,) since they would not join in taking revenge. Traders had either to hide themselves, or try to get out of the country the best way they could. And even, at this time, they yet found such true friends among the Indians, who, at the risk of their own lives, conducted them, with the best part of their property, to Pittsburgh, although, (shameful to relate !) these benefactors were, on their return from this mission, waylaid, and fired upon by whites, while crossing Big Beaver in a canoc, and had one man, a Shawanese named Silverheels, (a man of note in his nation) wounded in the body. This exasperated the Shawanese so much, that they, or at least a great part of them, immediately took an active part in the cause; and the Mingoes (nearest comiccted with the former,) became unbounded in their rage. A Mr. Jones, son to a respectable family of this neighborhood (Bethlehem,) who was then on his passage up thic Muskingum, with two other men, was fortunately espied by a friendly Indian woman, at the falls of the Muskingum, who through motives of humanity alone, informed Jones of the na- ture of the times, and that he was running right in the hands of the enraged, and put him on the way, where he might per- haps escape the vengeance of the strolling parties. One of Jones's men, fatigued by traveling in the woods, declared he 11-B. & J. COS.

would rather die than remain longer in this situation; and hit- ting accidentally on a path, he determined to follow the same. A few hundred yards decided his fate. He was met by a party of about fifteen Mingoes, (and as it happened, almost within sight of White Eyes Town,) murdered and cut to pieces and his limbs and flesh stuck up on the bushes. White Eyes, on hearing the scalp halloo, ran immediately out with his men to see what the matter was, and finding the mangled body in this condition, gathered the whole and buried it. But next day, when some of the above party found on their return the body interred, they instantly tore up the ground, and endeavored to destroy, or scatter about the parts at a greater distance. White Eyes, with the Delawares, watching their motions, gathered and in- terred the same a second time. The war party finding this out, ran furiously into the Delaware village, exclaiming against the conduct of these people, setting forth the cruelty of Cresap to- wards women and children and declaring at the same time, that , they would in consequence of this cruelty, serve every white man they should meet with in the same manner. Times grew worse and worse, war parties went out and took scalps and pris- oners, and the latter, in hopes it might be of service in saving their lives, exclaimed against the barbarous act which gave rise to these troubles and against the perpetrators. The name of Greathouse was mentioned as having been accomplice to Cresap. So detestable became the latter name among the Indians, that I have frequently heard them apply it to the worst of things; also in quieting or stilling their children, I have heard them say, Hush! Cresap will fetch you; whereas otherwise, they name the owl. The warriors having afterwards bent their course more toward the Ohio, and down the same, peace seemed with us already on the return; and this became the case soon after the decided battle fought on the Kanawha. Traders, returning now into the Indian country again, related the story of the above mentioned massacre, after the same manner and with the same words we have heard it related hitherto. So the report remained, and was believed, by all who resided in the Indian country. So it was represented numbers of times, in the peace- able Delaware towns, by the enemy. So the christian Indians were continually told they would one day be served. With this impression, a petty chief hurried all the way from Wabash in 1779 to take his relations (who were living with the peace- able Delawares near Coshachking), out of the reach of the Big Knives, in whose friendship he never more would place any confidence. And when this man found that his numerous rela- tions, would not break friendship with the Americans, nor be removed, he took two of his relations (women) off by force, saying, "The whole crop should not be destroyed; I will have seed out of it for a new crop:" alluding to, and repeatingly re- minding these. of the family of Logan, who he said had been real friends to the whites, and yet were cruelly murdered by them.

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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 29

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