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 51

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 51
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 51

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

During one of his scouts, in the neighborhood of Wheeling, he took shelter, on a stormy evening, in a deserted cabin. Gathering a few broken boards he prepared a place on the loft to sleep. Scarcely had he got himself adjusted for a nap, when six Indians entered, and striking a fire, commenced preparing their homely meal. Wetzel watched their movements closely, with drawn knife, determined, the moment he was discovered, to leap into their midst, and in the confusion endeaver to es- cape. Fortunately, they did not see him, and soon after supper the whole six fell asleep. Wetzel now crawled noiselessly down, and hid himself behind a log, at a convenient distance from the door of the cabin. At early dawn a tall savage stepped from the door, and stretching up both hands in a long, hearty yawn, seemed to draw in new life from the pure, invigorating atmosphere. In an instant Wetzel had his finger upon the trigger, and the next moment the Indian fell heavily to the ground, his life's blood gushing upon the young grass brilliant with the morning dew drops. The report of his rifle had not eeased echoing through the valley ere the daring borderer was far away, secure from all pursuit.

LEWIS WETZEL'S TROUBLE WITH GENERAL HARMAR.

Some time after General Harmar had erected a fort at the mouth of the Muskingum, where Marietta now stands, about 1789, Lewis Wetzel entered his service. His new duties grow- ing distasteful, he took leave of absence, and visited his friends in the neighborhood of Wheeling. Shortly afterwards, how- ever, he returned to duty, and was chiefly employed in the ca- pacity of scout. It was whilst thus engaged that he became involved in troubles that changed the whole current of his career. Among the Indians who visited General Harmar's post at Marietta, there was one of considerable celebrity whose name was George Washington, and who possessed much influence in his tribe. While making one of his scouts, Wetzel mct this Indian and shot him. General Harmar had issued a proclama- tion, giving notice that a cessation of arms was mutually agreed upon, between the white and redmen, till an effort for a treaty of peace should be concluded.

As treaties of peace with Indians had been so frequently violated, but little faith was placed in the stability of such en-

gagements by the frontiermen; notwithstanding that they were as frequently the aggressors as were the Indians. Half the backwoodsmen of that day had been born in a fort, and grew to manhood, as it were in a siege. The Indian war had continued so long, and was so bloody, that they believed war with them was to continue as long as both survived to fight. With these impressions, as they considered the Indians faith- less, it was difficult to inspire confidence in the stability of treaties.

The killing of this Indian was justly regarded as an outrage, and it was soon rumored to General Harmar that Lewis Wetzel was the murderer, and he accordingly had him arrested and placed in close confinement in the fort.

"Wetzel admitted, without hesitation, 'that he had shot the Indian.' As he did not wish to be hung like a dog, he requested the general to give him up to the Indians, as there were a large number of them present. 'He might place them all in a circle, with their scalping-knives and tomahawks, and give him a tomahawk, and place him in the midst of the circle, and then let him and the Indians fight it out in the best way they could.' The general told him, 'That he was an officer appointed by the law, by which he must be governed. As the law did not author- ize him to make such a compromise, he could not grant his re- quest.' After a few days longer confinement, he again sent for the general to come and see him, and he did so. Wetzel said 'he had never been confined, and could not live much longer if he was not permitted some room to walk about.' The general ordered the officer on guard to knock off his iron fetters, but to leave on his handcuffs, and permit him to walk about on the point at the mouth of the Muskingum; but to be sure to keep a close watch upon him. As soon as they were outside of the fort gate, Lewis began to caper about like a wild colt broken loose from the stall. He would start and run a few yards, as if he were about making an escape, then turn round and join the guard. The next start he would run further and then stop. In this way he amused the guard for some time, at every start running a little further. At length he called forth all his strength, resolution and activity, and determined on freedom or an early grave. He gave a spring forward and bounded off at the top of his speed for the shelter of his be- loved woods. His movement was so quick, and so unexpected, that the guard were taken by surprise, and he got nearly a hundred yards away before they recovered from their astonish- ment. They fired, but all missed; they followed in pursuit, but he soon left them out of sight. Being well acquainted with the country, he made for a dense thicket about two or three miles from the fort. In the midst of this thicket he found a tree which had fallen across a log, where the brush was very close. Under this tree he squeezed his body. The brush was so thick that he could not be seen unless the spot was examined very closely. As soon as General Harmar knew of his escape he sent a number of soldiers and Indians in pur- suit. After he had lain about two hours in his place of con- cealment two Indians came into the thicket and stood on the same log under which he lay concealed; his heart beat so vio- lently he was afraid they would hear it thumping. He could hear them hallooing in every direction as they hunted through the brush. At length, as the evening wore away the day, he found himself alone in the friendly thicket. But what should he do? His hands were fastened with iron cuffs and bolts, and he knew of no friend on the same side of the Ohio to whom he could apply for assistance.

He had a friend who had recently put up a cabin on the Virginia side of the Ohio, who, he had no doubt, would lend him every assistance in his power. But to cross the river was the difficulty. He could not make a raft with his hands bound, and though an excellent swimmer, it would be risking too much to trust himself to the stream in that disabled condition. With the most gloomy foreboding of the future, he left the thicket as soon as the shades of night began to gather, and di- rected his way to the Ohio, by a circuitous route, which brought him to a lonely spot, three or four miles below the fort. He made to this place, as he expected guards would be set at every point where he could find a eanoe. On the opposite shore he saw an acquaintance, Isaac Wiseman by name, fishing in a canoe. Not daring to call to him, as he could not know whether his enemies were not within sound of his voice, he waved his hat for some time to attract the notice of his friend, having previously induced him to direct his eye that course by a gentlo splashing in the water.

This brouglit Wiseman to his assistance, who readily aided his escape. Once on the Virginia shore he had nothing to fear, as he had well-wishiers all through the country, who would

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HISTORY OF BELMONT AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES, OHIO.

have shed blood, if necessary, for his defence. It was not, how- ever, until years had elapsed, and General Harmar returned to Philadelphia, that it became safe for Wiseman to avow the act, such was the weakness of civil authority and the absolute su- premacy of military rule on the frontier. A file and hammer soon released him from the heavy handcuffs. After a night's rest had recruited his energies, he set out for fresh adventures, his friend having supplied him with a rifle, ammunition and blanket.

After Wetzel's escape, information reached General Harmar of his whereabouts, and he sent a party of men in a canoe to take him. As the boat neared the Virginia shore, Wetzel, with his friend, and several other men, posted themselves on the bank and threatened to shoot the first man who landed. Unwilling to venture farther, the party returned, and Lewis made his way homeward, having been furnished by his kind friend with gun, ammunition, tomahawk, blanket, &c.

Exasperated at the escape of Wetzel, General Harmar offered a large reward for his apprehension, and at the same time des- patched a file of men to the neighborhood of Wheeling, with orders to take him dead or alive. The detachment was under the command of a Captain Kingsbury, who, hearing that Wet- zel was to be at Mingo bottom, in what is now Jefferson county, Ohio, on a certain day, marched thither to execute his orders. An eye witness thus narrates this event :

"A company of men could as easily have drawn Beelzebub out of the bottomless pit, as to take Lewis Wetzel, by force, from the Mingo bottom settlement. On the day that Captain Kings- bury arrived, there was a shooting match in the neighborhood, and Lewis was there. As soon as the object of Captain Kings- bury was ascertained, it was resolved to ambush the Captain's barge, and kill him and his company.

"Happily Major McMahan was present to prevent this catastrophe, who prevailed on Wetzel and his friends to sus- pend the attaek till he would pay Captain Kingsbury a visit ; perhaps he would induce him to return without making an attempt to take Wetzel. With a great deal of reluctance, they agreed to suspend the attaek till Major McMahan should re- turn. The resentment and fury of Wetzel and his friends were boiling and blowing like the steam from the scape pipe of a steamboat. 'A pretty affair this,' said they, 'to hang a man for killing an Indian, when they are killing some of our men almost every day.' Major McMahan informed Captain Kings- bury of the force and fury of the people, and assured him that if he persisted in the attempt to seize Wetzel, he would have all the settlers in the country upon him; that nothing could save him and his fellows from massacre but a speedy return. The Captain took his advice, and forthwith returned to Fort Harmar. Wetzel considered the affair now as finally adjusted."

Subsequently to Wetzel's escape, General Harmar removed his headquarters to Fort Washington, Cincinnati. One of his first official acts there was to issue a proclamation offering a re- ward for the capture and delivery of Wetzel at the garrison there.

Wetzel was never long stationary, but ranged along the river from Wheeling to the falls of the Ohio. He was finally captured at Maysville, Kentucky, by Lieutenant Lawler, of the regular army, who was going down the Ohio, and taken to General Harmar, at Fort Washington.

"The noise of Wetzel's capture-and captured, too, for only killing an Indian-spread through the country like wild-fire. The passions of the frontiermen were roused to the highest pitch of fury. Petitions for his release were sent from the most influential men to the general, from every quarter where the story had been heard. The general at first paid but little attention to these; at length, however, the settlements along the Ohio, and some of the back counties, were preparing to embody in military array, to release him by force of arms. General Harmar, seeing the storm that was approaching, had Wetzel's irons knocked off, and set him at liberty."

After gaining his freedom once more, Wetzel again returned to his friends in the vicinity of Wheeling. Shortly after this, occurred one of the most thrilling events of his life.

RESCUE OF A GIRL CAPTURED BY THE INDIANS.

While hunting one day, Wetzel fell in with a young hunter, who lived on Dunkard's creek, and was persuaded to accom- pany him to his home. On their arrival they found the house in ruins and all the family murdered, except a young woman who had been bred with them, and to whom the young man was ardently attached. She was taken alive, as was found by examining the trail of the enemy, who were three Indians and

a white renegade. Burning with revenge, they followed the trail until opposite the mouth of Captina, where the enemy had crossed. They swam the stream and discovered the In- dians' camp, around the fires of which lay the enemy in care- less repose. The young woman was apparently unhurt, but was making much moaning and lamentation. The young man, hardly able to restrain his rage, was for firing and rushing in- stantly upon them. Wetzel, more cautious, told him to wait until daylight when there was a better chance of suecess in killing the whole party. At dawn the Indians prepared to de- part. The young man selecting the white renegade, and Wet- zel the Indian, they both fired simultaneously with fatal effect. The young man rushed forward, knife in hand to relieve the mistress of his affections, while Wetzel reloaded and pursued the two surving Indians, who had taken to the woods until they could ascertain the number of their enemies. Wetzel, as soon as he was discovered, discharged his rifle at random in order to draw them from their covert. The ruse took effect, and taking to his heels he loaded as he ran, and suddenly wheeling about discharged his rifle through the body of his nearest and unsuspecting enemy. The remaining Indian seeing the fate of his companion, and that his enemy's rifle was unloaded, rushed forward with all energy, the prospect of prompt revenge being fairly before him. Wetzel led him on dodging from tree to tree, until his rifle was again ready, when suddenly turning he fired, and his remaining enemy fell dead at his feet. After taking their sealps, Wetzel and his friend, with their rescued captive, returned in safety to the settlement.

This incident in the life of Wetzel, was made the subject of the romance, written by the novelist, Emerson Bennett, enti- tled, "Forest Rose," some of the scenes of which were laid in Belmont county.

WETZEL'S SUBSEQUENT HISTORY.

A year or two after the treaty of Greenville, Wetzel left the upper Ohio for the South. He first went to Kentucky, and re- mained there with his brother, gaining a livelihood by hunt- ing, until the purchase of Louisiana by the United States, when he went to New Orleans. Here, for a great many years, he earned a precarious living by selling the pelts captured by him in his hunts. At last, on returning from a very successful excursion for game, laden with a number of rich furs, he en- countered on the wharf a sharper, who bought them in at high figures, palming off on Wetzel, in payment, a counterfeit bill on one of the Orleans banks. Wetzel, who could neither read nor write, and only knew the amount of the notes by their figures, and who always confided in the honesty of white men, immediately passed the counterfeit to another. The base bill was finally detected and traced back to Wetzel. The sharper having departed, Wetzel's story availed him nothing, and having no money to redeem the bill himself, nor friends to do it for him, he was arrested and confined in prison for some time. Luckily for him, however, some of his friends of the upper Ohio arrived, lifted the counterfeit bill, interceded for him with the authorities, and he was released. As soon as the bill was handed to him, he burst into tears, tore it up and threw the pieces into the river, exclaiming: "Too bad, too bad."

He returned to Wheeling, but only remained a few days in the neighborhood, and again went to the far southwest. For a time he resided with a relative named Philip Sikes, living about twenty miles in the interior from Natchez. The late venerable David McIntyre, of Belmont county, met him at Natchez in April, 1808, and remained with him three days.

Sikes afterwards removed on to the Brazos, in Texas, taking Wetzel with him, where, with a few companions, of the hunter class, he passed the remainder of his life free and happy as the untamed denizens of the forest. He died about the time that Texas ceased to be a province and became an independent state, in his seventy-fifth year, and was buried near Austin by his brothers of the woods.

So passed away Lewis Wetzel, the hunter, whose own hand, it is said, laid seventy odd Indian warriors low in death.

JOHN WETZEL

was twice taken prisoner by the Indians. The first event is already recorded in the sketch of Lewis. The second one occurred some years later, when he was about sixteen years of age. Four Indians prowling in the neighborhood of the old man Wetzel's, had captured the horses, taken off the bell, and secreted themselves in the thicket, expecting that the bell would attract the attention of the owners, and they should then

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HISTORY OF BELMONT AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES, OHIO.

easily eapture them or take their scalps. Supposing that the horses had strayed away in the woods, John was sent in search of them. One of the lost animals was a mare with a young foal, belonging to John's sister, and she had offered the colt to John as a reward for finding the mare. He soon fell in with a neighbor boy, named Frederick Earlywine, a son of Jacob Earlywine, who lived on lands adjoining the elder Wetzel. The boys hearing the well known tinkle of the bell, approached the spot where the Indians lay concealed, and when near enough the savages rushed out and captured them, but not until John, in attempting to escape, had been shot through the arm. Young Earlywine refused to go with the Indians as their prisoner, and they killed him. The farm on which this occurrence took place is situated in Sand Hill district, Marshall county, W. Va., and is now owned by Jacob Earlywine, a grandson of its owner at that time. John, having had similar previous experience, made light of his capture, and, with his wounded arm, cheerfully went along with the Indians. The party struck the Ohio river early the following morning, at a point near the mouth of Grave creek. Here, after killing a hog, three of the Indians, with their prisoner, got into a canoe, and the other, having mounted the horse to swim over, all prepared to cross the river. But before the canoe got started the three Indians were shot by Hamilton Carr and Isaac Williams, and John was rescued. After his return, he conveyed the family of young Earlywine, who had not learned his fate, to the place where he was killed. His body was found and buried in a hollow near the place of the capture.

In the spring of 1792 the Indians on the Sandusky, having become very bold since their victory over General St. Clair, in November preceding, made many raids on the border settlers along the Ohio between Wheeling and the Mingo bottom, sometimes killing or capturing whole families, at other times stealing horses and whatever else they could carry away. After one of these forays, a party of settlers determined to follow the Indians and recapture several fine horses which had been taken. This party consisted of John Wetzel, who was its leader, Wil- liam McColloch, John Hough, Joseph Hedges, Kinzie Dicker- son, and a Mr. Linn, all having considerable experience in border warfare. They started from a point nearly opposite Steubenville, and, crossing the Ohio, proceeded northward through Jefferson county, until they struck the old trail lead- ing from Fort Pitt to the Indian towns on the Sandusky, by way of Fort Laurens, on the Tuscarawas. On reaching the first Indian town on the trail, which was located on Mohican creek, they found their horses, which they took, and started on their return in the night. Fearing that they might be pursued and overtaken if they returned by the old trail, a southeasterly course was taken, which brought them to the Tuscarawas, in the vicinity of what is now Newcomerstown. From thence the lower and less traveled trail was followed, which brought the party to .Will's creek, within half a mile of the present town of Cambridge, in Guernsey county, where they arrived in the evening of the second day after recapturing the horses. Here one of the party was attacked with a severe cramp colic, in eonsequence of which a halt for the night was made, and a guard placed on the back trail to watch for any pursuers that might be after them. Late in the night, and when all were asleep in the camp, the guard, having occasion to go to a little brook which emptied into the creek a short distance below the camp, noticed that the water was muddy, and believing the cause to be Indians eoming down in the water to prevent detec- tion, aroused Wetzel and informed him of the discovery. Wet- zel went and examined the water, and decided that the muddy streaks in it were the result of raccoons or muskrats moving about in the brook, and then resumed his blankets, after joking the guard about his unfounded alarm. From this the guard deemed it unnecessary to keep so striet a watch, and remained elose to the camp. About half an hour after this transpired a volley was fired into the camp from behind the bank of the brook, and the sick man was riddled with bullets as he lay on the outside. In an instant a party of savages bounded into the camp, yelling and brandishing their tomahawks in a terrific manner, and at the same instant the white men fled, leaving most of their arms, blankets, &c., in the camp. In the fight that ensued three whites were killed on the ground, and Wetzel and the other succeeded in making their way to Whecling after great suffering from hunger and fatigue. The bodies of the killed were shortly afterward buried by a party collected by Captain John McColloch, and went out from Wliceling for that purpose.

The Indians who made this assault were a party of the Mon- seys, accompanied by some of the old converts of the Mora-

vians who had relapsed into heathenism after the breaking up of the missions in 1782, and who had returned to the Tusca- rawas valley because they knew the country so well, and for the purpose of killing all the white people they could find in re- venge for the massaere at Gnadenhutten. They had come upon the Wetzel party while returning to the valley from an unsuc- cessful expedition to the border settlements east of the Ohio, and were not a party of pursuers, as has been stated in some accounts.

The names of those killed in this affair were Joseph Hedges, Thomas Biggs, and William Linn.

William McColloch, one of the survivors of the party, set- tled at Zanesville in 1799, and afterwards became a prominent officer in the war of 1812, under General Hull. John Wetzel and Dickerson died in the country within a few miles of Wheel- ing. John Hough afterward settled in Ohio and died near Columbia.

Some time after the foregoing adventure, John Wetzel and Veach Dickerson, associated together to go on an Indian scout. They crossed the Ohio at the Mingo bottom, below Steuben- ville. They set off with the avowed intention of bringing an Indian prisoner. They painted and dressed in complete In- dian style, and could talk some in their language. What in- duced them to undertake this hazardous enterprise is now un- known.

Whatever whim may have induced them, they set off with the avowed intention of bringing in a prisoner, or losing their own scalps in the attempt. They pushed through the Indian country with silent tread and a keen lookout, till they went near the head of the Sandusky river, where they came near a small Indian village. They concealed themselves close to a path which appeared to be considerably traveled. In the course of the first day of their ambush, they saw several small companies of Indians pass them. As it was not their wish to raise an alarm among the enemy, they permitted them to pass undisturbed. In the evening of the next day they saw two Indians coming sauntering along the road in quite a merry mood. They immediately stepped into the road, and with a confident air, as if they were meeting friends, went forward until they came within reach of the enemy. Wetzel now drew his tomahawk, and with one sweep knocked an Indian down; at the same instant Diekerson grasped the other in his arms, and threw him on the ground. By this time Wetzel had killed the other, and turned his hand to aid in fastening the prisoner. This completed, they scalped the dead Indian, and set off with the prisoner for home.

They traveled all night on the war path leading towards Wheeling. In the morning they struck off from the path, and making diverse courses, and keeping on the hardest ground, where their feet would make the least impression, they pushed along until they had crossed the Muskingum some distance, when their prisoner began to show a restive, stubborn disposi- tion : he finally threw himself on the ground and refused to rise. He held down his head, and told them they migh toma- hawk him as soon as they pleased, for he was determined to go no farther. They used every argument they could think of to induce him to proceed, but without any effect. He said he would prefer dying in his native woods than to preserve his life a little longer, and at last be tortured by fire, and his body mangled for sport, when they took him to their towns. They assured him his life would be spared, and that he would be well used and treated with plenty. But all their efforts would not induce him to rise to his feet. The idea that he would be put to death for sport, or in revenge, in presence of a large number of spectators, who would enjoy with rapture the scenes of his torture and death, had taken such a strong hold of his mind, that he determined to disappoint the possibility of their being gratified at his expense. As it was not their wish to kill him, from coaxing they concluded to try if a hickory, well ap- plied, would not bend his stubborn soul. This, too, failed to have any effect. He appeared to be as callous and indifferent to the lash as if he had been a cooper's horse. What invinci- ble resolution and fortitude was evinced by this son of the forest! Finding all their efforts to urge him forward ineffectual, they determined to put him to death. They then tomahawked and scalped him, and left his body a prey to the wild beasts of the forest and to the birds of the air. The scalp-hunters then ro- turned home with their two scalps ; but vexed and disappointed that they could not bring with them the prisoner.

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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 51

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