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 30

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 30
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 30

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In Detroit, where I arrived the same spring, the report res- pecting the murder of the Indians on the Ohio (amongst whom was Logan's family) was the same as related above; and on my return to the United States in the fall of 1786, and from that time, whenever and wherever in my presence, this subject was the topic of conversation, I found the report still the same, viz: that a person, bearing the name of Cresap, was the author or perpetrator of this deed.

Logan was the second son of Shikellemus, a celebrated chief of the Cayuga nation. This chief, on account of his attach- inent to the English government, was of great service to the country, having the confidence of all the Six Nations, as well as that of the English, he was very useful in settling disputes, &c. He was highly esteemed by Conrad Weisser, Esq., (an officer for government in the Indian department) with whom he acted conjointly, and was faithful unto his death. His residence was at Shamokin, where he took great delight in acts of hospitality to such of the white people whose business led them that way .* His name and fame were so high on record, that Count Zinzendorf, when in this country in 1742, became desirous of seeing him, and actually visited him at his house in Shamokin .; About the year 1772, Logan was introduced to me by an Indian friend; as son to the late reputable chief Shikellemus, and as a friend to the white people. In the course of conversation, I thought him a man of superior talents than Indians generally were. The subject turning on vice an immorality, he confessed his too great share of this, especially his fondness for liquor. He exclaimed

*The preceding account of Shikellemus (Logan's father), is copied from manuscripts of the Rev. C. Pyrkeus, written between the years 1741 and 1748.

tSee G. II. Hosklel's history of the Mission of the United Brethren, &c. Part II. Chap. 11. l'age 31.

HISTORY OF BELMONT AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES, OHIO.

against the white people, for imposing liquors upon the Indians; he otherwise admired their ingenuity; spoke of gen- tlemen, but observed the Indians unfortunately had but few of these as their neighbors, &c. He spoke of his friendship to the white people, wished always to be a neighbor to them, in- tended to settle on the Ohio, below Big Beaver; was (to the best of my recollection) then encamped at the mouth of this river (Beaver), urged me to pay him a visit, &e. Note-I was then living at the Moravian town on this river, in the neighborhood of Cuskuskee. In April, 1773, while on my passage down the Ohio for Muskingum, I called at Logan's settlement, where I received every civility I could expeet from such of the family as were at home.

"Indian reports concerning Logan, after the death of his family, ran to this: that he exerted himself during the Shaw- anee war (then so called) to take all the revenge he could, de- claring he had lost all confidence in the white people. At the time of negotiation, he declared his reluctance in laying down the hatchet, not having (in his opinion) yet taken ample satis- faction; yet, for the sake of the nation, he would do it. His expressions, from time to time, denoted a deep melancholy. Life (said he) had become a torment to him; he knew no more what pleasure was; he thought it had been better if he had never existed, de., &c. Report further states, that he became in some measure delirious, declared he would kill himself, went to Detroit, drank very freely, and did not seem to care what he did, and what became of himself. In this condition he left Detroit, and on his way between that place and Miami, was murdered. In October, 1781, (while as prisoner on my way to Detroit,) I was shown the spot where this should have hap- pened. Having had an opportunity since last June of seeing the Rev. David Zeisberger, senior, missionary to the Delaware nation of Indians, who had resided among the same on Mus- kingum at the time when the murder was committed on the family of Logan, I put the following questions to him: 1. Who he had understood it was that had committed the murder on Logan's family? And, secondly, whether he had any knowl- edge of a speech sent to Lord Dunmore by Logan, in conse- quence of this affair, &c. To which Mr. Zeisberger's answer was, that he had, from that time, when this murder was committed to the present day, firmly believed the common re- port (which he had never heard contradicted) viz: that one Cresap was the author of the massacre; or that it was committed by his orders; and that he had known Logan as a boy, had fre- quently seen him from that time, and doubted not in the least that Logan had sent such a speech to Lord Dunmore on this occasion, as he understood from me had been published; that expressions of that kind from Indians were familiar to him; that Logan in particular was a man of quick comprehension, good judgment and talents. Mr. Zeisberger has been a mis- sionary upwards of fifty years; his age is about eighty; speaks both the language of the Onondagoes and the Delawares; re- sides at present on the Muskingum, with his Indian congrega- tion, and is beloved and respected by all who are acquainted with him.

"JOHN HECKWELDER."

MR. JEFFERSON'S COMMENTS.

From this testimony the following historical statement re- sults :

In April or May, 1774, a number of people being engaged in looking out for settlements on the Ohio, information was spread among them that the Indians had robbed some of the land- jobbers, as those adventurers were called. Alarmed for their safety, they collected together at Wheeling creek. * Hearing there that there were two Indians and some traders a little above Wheeling, Captain Michael Cresap, one of the party, proposed to waylay and kill them. The proposition, though opposed, was adopted. A party went up the river with Cresap at their head, and killed the two Indians.

+The same afternoon it was reported that there was a party of Indians on the Ohio, a little below Wheeling. Cresap and his party immediately proceeded down the river, and encamped on the bank. The Indians passed him peaceably, and en- camped at the mouth of Grave creek, a little below. Cresap and his party attacked them and killed several. The Indians returned the fire, and wounded one of Cresap's party. Among the slain of the Indians, were some of Logan's family. Colonel Zane indeed expresses a doubt of it; but it is affirmed by Huston and Chambers. Smith, one of the murderers, said they

were known and acknowledged to be Logan's friends, and the party themselves generally said so ; boasted of it in presence of Cresap ; pretended no provocation ; and expressed their expect- ations that Logan would probably avenge their deaths.

Pursuing these examples, *Daniel Greathouse and one Tom- linson, who lived on the opposite side of the river from the In- dians, and were in habits of friendship with them, collected at the house of Polke, on Cross creek, about sixteen miles from Baker's bottom, a party of thirty-two men. Their object was to attack a hunting encampment of the Indians, consisting of men, women and children, at the mouth of Yellow creek, some distance above Wheeling. They proceeded, and when arrived near Baker's bottom, they concealed themselves, and Great- house crossed the river to the Indian camp. Being among them as a friend he counted them, and found them too strong for an open attack with his force. While here he was eautioned by one of the women not to stay, for that the Indian men were drinking, and having heard of Cresap's murder of their rela- tions at Grave creek, were angry, and she pressed him in a friendly manner to go home; whereupon, after inviting them to come over and drink, he returned to Baker's, which was a tavern, and desired that when any of them should come to his house he would give them as much rum as they would drink. When his plot was ripe, and a sufficient number of them were collected at Baker's and intoxicated, he and his party fell on them and massacred the whole, except a little girl, whom they preserved as a prisoner. Among these was the very woman who had saved his life by pressing him to retire from the drunken wrath of her friends, when he was spying their camp at Yellow creek. Either she herself, or some other of the murdered women, was the sister of Logan, very big with child, and inhumanly and indecently butchered; and there were others of his relations who fell here.

"The party on the other side of the river,f alarmed for their friends at Baker's, on hearing the report of the guns, manned two canoes and sent them over. They were received, as they approached the shore, by a well directed fire from Greathouse's party, which killed some, wounded others, and obliged the rest to put back. Baker tells us there were twelve killed and six or eight wounded.

"This commenced the war, of which Logan's war-club and note, left in the house of a murdered family, was the notifica- tion. In the course of it, during the ensuing summer, great numbers of innocent men, women and children fell victims to the tomahawk and scalping-knife of the Indians, till it was arrested in the autumn following by the battle at Point Pleas- ant and the pacification with Lord Dunmore, at which the speech of Logan was delivered.

"Of the genuineness of that speech nothing need be said. It was known to the camp where it was delivered; it was given out by Lord Dunmore and his officers; it ran through the public papers of the State; was rehearsed as an exercise at schools; published in the papers and periodical works of Europe; and all this a dozen years before it was copied into the 'Notes on Virginia.' In fine, General Gibson concludes the question forever, by declaring that he received it from Logan's hand, delivered it to Lord Dunmore, translated it for him, and that the copy in the 'Notes on Virginia' is a faithful copy.

"The popular account of these transactions, as stated in the Notes on Virginia, appears, on colleeting exact information, imperfect and erroneous in its details. It was the belief of the day ; but how far its errors were to the prejudice of Cresap, the reader will now judge. That he, and those under him, mur- dered two Indians above Wheeling; that they murdered a larger number at Grave creek, among whom were a part of the family and relations of Logan, cannot be questioned; and as little that this led to the massacre of the rest of the family at Yellow creek. Logan imputed the whole to Cresap in his big war note and peace speech; the Indians generally imputed it to Cresap; Lord Dunmore and his officers imputed it to Cresap; the coun- try with one accord imputed it to him; and whether he were innocent, let the universal verdict now declare."

The declaration of John Sappington, received after the publication of the preceding appendix.

I, John Sappington, declare myself to be intimately ac- quainted with all the circumstances respecting the destruction of Logan's family, and do give in the following narrative, a true statement of that affair:

Logan's family (if it was his family) was not killed by

"First murder of the two Indians by Cresap.

¡Second murder on Grave creek.

*Massacre at Baker's bottom, opposite Yellow creek, by Greathouse.

+Fourth murder by Greathouse.

HISTORY OF BELMONT AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES, OHIO.

Cresap, nor with his knowledge, nor by his consent, but by the Greathouses and their associates. They were killed 30 miles above Wheeling, near the mouth of Yellow creek. Logan's camp was on one side of the river Ohio, and the house where the murder was committed opposite to it on the other side. They had encamped there only four or five days, and during that time had lived peaceably and neighborly with the whites on the opposite side, until the very day the affair happened. A little before the period alluded to, letters had been received by the inhabitants from a man of great influenee in that country, and who was then, I believe, at Captina, informing them that war was at hand, and desiring them to be on their guard. In consequence of those letters and other rumors of the same im- port, almost all the inhabitants fled for safety into the settle- ments. It was at the house of one Baker the murder was committed. Baker was a man who sold rum, and the Indians had made frequent visits at his house, induced, probably, by their fondness for that liquor. He had been particularly desired by Cresap to remove and take away his rum, and he was actually preparing to move at the time of the murder. The evening before, a squaw came over to Baker's house, and by her crying seemed to be in great distress. The cause of her uneasi- ness being asked, she refused to tell; but getting Baker's wife alone, she told her that the Indians were going to kill her and all her family the next day; that she loved her, did not wish her to be killed, and therefore told her what was intended, that she might save herself. In consequence of this information, Baker got a number of men to the amount of twenty-one to come to his house, and they were all there before morning. A council was held, and it was determined that the men should lie concealed in the back apartment; that if the Indians did come and behaved themselves peaceably they should not be molested; but if not, the men were to show themselves and act accordingly. Early in the morning seven Indians, four men and three squaws, came over. Logan's brother was one of them. They immediately got rum, and all except Logan's brother be- came very much intoxicated. At this time all the men were concealed, except the man of the house, Baker, and two others who staid out with him. Those Indians came unarmed. After some time Logan's brother took down a coat and hat belonging to Baker's brother-in-law, who lived with him, and put them on, and setting his arms a-kimbo began to strut about, till at length coming up to one of the men he attempted to strike him, saying, "white man, son of a bitch." The white man whom he treated thus kept out of his way for some time, but growing irritated he jumped to his gun and shot the Indian as he was making to the door with the coat and hat on him. The men who lay concealed then rushed out and killed the whole of them, excepting one child, which I believe is alive yet. But before this happened, a canoe with two, and another with five Indians, all naked, painted and armed completely for war, were discovered to start from the shore on which Logan's camp was.

Had it not been for this circumstance, the white men would not have acted as they did, but this confirmed what the squaw had told before. The white men, having killed as aforesaid the Indians in the house, ranged themselves along the bank of the river to receive the canoes. The canoe with the two Indians came near, being the foremost. Our men fired upon them and killed them both. The other canoe then went baek. After this two other canoes started, the one containing eleven, the other seven Indians, painted and armed as the first. They attempted to land below our men, but were fired upon, had one killed and retreated, at the same time firing back. To the best of my recollection there were three of the Greathouses engaged in this business. This is a true representation of the affair from beginning to end. I was intimately acquainted with Cresap, and know he had no hand in that transaction. He told me himself afterwards at Redstone Old Fort, that the day before Logan's people were killed, he, with a small party, had an engagement with a party of Indians on Capteen, about forty-four miles lower down. Logan's people were killed at the mouth of Yellow creek on the 24th of May, 1774, and the 23d, the day before, Cresap was engaged as already stated. I know likewise that he was generally blamed for it, and believed by all who were not acquainted with the circumstances, to have been the perpetrator of it. I know that he despised and hated the Greathouses ever afterwards on account of it. I was inti- mately acquainted with General Gibson, and served under him during the late war, and I have a discharge from him now lying in the land office at Richmond, to which I refer any per- son for my character, who might be disposed to seruple my veracity. I was likewise at the treaty held by Lord Dunmore with the Indians at Chillicothe. As for the speech said to have

been delivered by Logan on that occasion, it might have been, or might not, for anything I know, as I never heard of it till long afterwards. I do not believe that Logan had any rela- tions killed, except his brother. Neither of the squaws who were killed were his wife. Two of them were old women, and the third, with her ehild which was saved, I have the best reason in the world to believe was the wife and child of General Gibson. I know he educated the ehild, and took care of it, as if it had been his own. Whether Logan had a wife or not, I can't say, but it is probable that as he was a chief, he considered them all as his people. All this I am ready to be qualified to at any time. JOHN SAPPINGTON.

Attest : SAMUEL MCKEE, Jun.

MADISON COUNTY, February 13th, 1800.

I do certify further that the above named John Sappington told me, at the same time and place at which he gave me the above narrative, that he, himself, was the man who shot the brother of Logan in the house as above related, and that he likewise killed one of the Indians in one of the canoes, which came over from the opposite shore.

He likewise told me, that Cresap never said an angry word to him about the matter, although he was frequently in com- pany with Cresap, and indeed had been, and continued to be, in habits of intimaey with that gentleman, and was always be- friended by him on every occasion. He further told me that after they had perpetrated the murder and were flying into the settlements, he met with Cresap (if I recollect right, at Red- stone old fort) and gave him a scalp, a very large fine one, as he expressed it, and adorned with silver. The scalp, I think he told me, was the scalp of Logan's brother, though as to this I am not absolutely certain.

Certified by SAMUEL MCKEE, Jun.

OTHER EVIDENCE, LETTERS AND DOCUMENTS.

That Logan attributed the murder of his family to Captain Cresap, there can be no dispute, but notwithstanding the testi- mony collected and produced by Mr. Jefferson, the impartial historian will arrive at the conclusion that the facts, and all the circumstances, will hardly justify the strong language he uses in the closing remarks of his discussion of the subject. Logan doubtless labored under the belief that Cresap was directly connected with the massacre at Yellow creek, but he was evidently mistaken, and to that extent did Cresap an in- justice by making the charge against him.

AFFIDAVIT OF JOHN CALDWELL.

A document equally as important as any of the foregoing, and substantiating this view of the matter, is the affidavit of John Caldwell, who resided near Wheeling in 1774. This affi- davit was reduced to writing in 1839 by Daniel M. Edgington, then a lawyer in Wheeling, and now a resident of West Liberty. The following is its text:

He states: "That in the year 1774 he emigrated from Balti- more, Md., to the western country, and settled at the mouth of Wheeling creek, on the Ohio, in what was known as the district of West Augusta, and afterwards and now as Ohio county, Vir- ginia. That he was well and intimately acquainted with the late Captain Michael Cresap, of Frederick county, Md., in 1744, and for some time before, and afterwards till his death. At the time last mentioned the section of country in which affiant re- sided was frequently disturbed by the Indians, (as well for several years previous to 1774, as for many years afterwards) who were in the habit of stealing horses from the white inhab- itants on the frontier, and committing other depredations. Horses were stolen from William MeMahon and Joseph Tom- linson and others in 1774. Much ill feeling at all times ex- isted among the white people of the frontier against the Indians on account of their depredations and the murders which they had at different times committed among the settle- ments. In 1744 several Indians who had dwelt on the west side of the Ohio, at or near the mouth of Yellow creek, crossed over the river to what was then known as Baker's bottom, opposite, or nearly opposite the mouth of said creek, and were killed by the whites at that place, as the affiant always under- stood and well believes, from feelings of animosity, growing out of the canses aforesaid against the Indians generally. The Indians so killed were said to have been, and affiant believes such was the fact, the relatives or family of the chief, Logan, with whose massacre the said Captain Cresap is charged in Jefferson's "Notes on Virginia," "Dr. Doddridge's Notes," etc.

HISTORY OF BELMONT AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES, OHIO,

At the time said Indians were killed, Captain Cresap made his home at the house of affiant, at the mouth of Wheeling creek, but was generally absent, further down the river, with a party of men in his employ, making improvements on lands he had taken up near Middle Island creek. Shortly before, and at the time of the massacre of Logan's relatives, there was a general apprehension on the frontiers from various indications, that there was to be a general outbreaking of the Indians upon the settlements, and much alarm prevailed. Captain Cresap and his men came up the river to affiant's house, and affiant well remembers that he, Captain Cresap, was there on the day the Indians referred to were killed at Baker's bottom, and that he remained there for some days afterwards, and until the news of their being killed reached Wheeling. Affiant further states that Baker's bottom was situated forty or fifty miles above his residence, immediately on the Ohio river; that on the evening of the day the report reached Wheeling, that the Indians had been killed, affiant started down the river to Middle Island creek, where he also had some hands engaged in making im- provements, to warn them of the danger apprehended by the people above, and to bring them home; and that when he left home Captain Cresap was at his house.

" Affiant further states that he was called on, some years ago, by some person, whose name he does not now remember, but who was understood to be the agent, or as acting under the direction of Mr. Jefferson, for his (affiant's) testimony in rela- tion to the murder of Logan's family, and that he then gave his affidavit, which, in substance, was the same as the fore- going. Affiant further says it was well understood and believed on the frontier at that time that the persons principally en- gaged in killing said Indians were Daniel (John?) Sappington, Nathaniel Tomlinson, Daniel Greathouse and, perhaps, others; and that Captain Cresap was never charged or implicated in the report, in any manner, so far as he knows or believes, in this country, until after the publication of Jefferson's 'Notes on Virginia.' "

Neville B. Craig, editor of the Olden Time, a monthly period- ical devoted to the discussion of historical subjects, published at Pittsburgh in 1846-47, gave this matter great attention and spared no pains in the collection of documents and evidence that would throw light upon the subject. In the January number, 1847, he presents an argument which we deem worthy of reproducing in this connection :

" We have lately been favored with a copy of a very curious little book entitled, 'A Biographical Sketch of Captain Michael Cresap,' by John J. Jacobs, printed at Cumberland, in Mary- land. It is intended as a defence of his character against the charges contained in the celebrated speech attributed to Logan, in Jefferson's Notes. It also notices this affair, which Dodd- ridge places at Captina, but which really occurred at Grave creek .* As to the first charge, the horrible massacre at Yellow creek, there is not the slightest evidence to sustain it. Colonel Gibson, Geo. R. Clark, and many other persons whose testi- mony we had before seen, acquit Cresap of any connection with that outrage. Mr. Jacobs, however, brings forward the testi- mony of other witnesses, viz: General John Minor, Dr. Wheeler, and especially Benjamin Tomlinson, who was at Yellow creek at the time of the massacre, all of whom disprove Cresap's con- nection with that atrocious affair. As to the murder at Grave creek, Mr. Jacobs alleges that it occurred after Connelly had written a circular, warning the people that there was danger from the Indians, after the murder of the two white men at Little Beaver, and after the massacre at Yellow creek. He also states that in June, 1775, when Congress required Maryland to "raise two companies of riflemen to proceed to Boston, Michael Cresap was the first captain appointed, and soon after marched with one hundred and thirty men. He arrived at Boston, was soon after taken sick, started for home, but died at New York on the 18th of October, 1775, aged thirty-three years. It is un- doubtedly true that such a circular was written by Connelly. Devereaux Smith, in a letter to Dr. Smith, mentions such a letter, and states that Cresap had given the receipt of it as one of the causes of his attack. He also states that Cresap gave the killing of the Indians at Little Beaver creek, as another reason, and as Smith was a contemporaneous witness, without interest in the matter, his statement is entitled to belief. But the massacre at Yellow creek, we think, from the weight of evidence, followed, not preceded, the operations of Cresap, near Wheeling.

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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 30

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