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 7

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 7
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 7

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).

HISTORY OF BELMONT AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES, OHIO.

The Senecas, we have observed, were the most numerous, warlike and powerful of the Iroquois nations. They dwelt at the western door, and were expected to defend the territory of the confeder- acy against the entrance of the enemies from the direction of the setting sun. The principal region they occupied extended over western New York and north-western Pennsylvania, but they were also spread along the Allegheny, a short distance down the Ohio, and had a capital in the Tuscarawas valley. They were the dwellers at the Mingo town in Jefferson county, above mentioned. When Logan, who was a Cayuga, came to the Ohio valley, it is not definitely known that he dwelt at the Mingo town. In 1772 he was located with his relatives and others of his nation near the mouth of the Big Beaver. Their lodgment at the mouth of Yellow creek in the spring of 1774, is generally conceded to have been a hunting camp.

When the Delawares were compelled to move westward from the encroachments of European civilization, they became occu- pants of portions of the territory now embraced within the limits of the State of Ohio. Their principal settlements were on the Muskingum river, where they flourished for a time, and about the year 1750 became a powerful tribe, asserting a pos- session over nearly one-half of the State.

The other tribes prominent within the limits of Ohio at that period, were the Wyandots, Shawanese, Ottawas and Miamis.

These nations were all more or less identified with the his- tory of the Ohio valley. As before stated, they occupied this region as a common hunting ground, and were generally united in the bloody wars against the early settlers.

The Wyandots, or Hurons, were doubtless descended from the undestroyed remnant of the once powerful tribe of that name, which, half a century before, had been driven off by the Iroquois. Freed from the vindictive pursuit of their ancient enemies, this tribe returned to their old hunting grounds, and by the middle of the eighteenth century their right was undis- puted to a great portion of the northern part of the State.

The Shawanese, written also Shawanoese, Shawneese, Shawnoes, etc., by the English, and by the French Chauanons, are the most prominently identified, of all the tribes, with the early events of this immediate region. In regard to their history, there is much conflicting testimony. They were a people, who according to the best information to be obtained, had been at an anterior period, expelled from the south by stronger tribes, migrated northward, and the main body settled in the interior of the ter- ritory now embraced in the State of Ohio. A portion of them traveling eastward as far as the country adjoining the Dela- wares, whom they called their grand-fathers, had been permitted to erect their lodges there, but were, like the Lenape, held in a state of subjection by the Iroquois. They are said by the French to have come from the valley of the Cumberland river; by others, from Florida, where they dwelt on the banks of the Suwanee river, hence their name. The conflicting testimony, relative to these Bedouins of the American wilderness, is thus stated by Gallatin, in his "Synopsis of the Indian Tribes." He adopts "Shawnoes" as the orthography of the word, and conjectures that this nation separated at an early day from the other Lenape tribes, and established themselves south of the Ohio, in what is now the State of Kentucky; that having been driven away from that territory, probably by the Chickasaws and Cherokees, some portion found their way, during the first half of the seventeenth century as far east as the country of Susquehannocks, a kindred Lenape tribe; that the main body of the nation, invited by the Miamis and the Andastes, crossed the Ohio, occupied the country on and adjacent to the Scioto, and joined in the war against the Five Nations; and that, after their final defeat, and that of their allies, in the year 1672, they were again dispersed in several directions. A considerable portion made about that time a forcible settlement on the head waters of the rivers of Carolina; and these, after having been driven away by the Catawbas, found, as others had already done, an asylum in different parts of the Creek country. Another por- tion joined their brethren in Pennsylvania; and some may have remained in the vicinity of the Scioto and Sandusky. Those in Pennsylvania, who seem to have been the most considerable part of the nation, were not entirely subjugated and reduced to the humiliating state of women by the Six Nations. But they held their lands on the Susquehanna only as tenants at will, and were always obliged to acknowledge a kind of sovereignty or superiority in their landlords. They appear to have been more early and unanimous than the Delawares in their determi- nation to return to the country north of the Ohio. This they effected under the auspices of the Wyandots, and on the invi- tation of the French, during the years 1740-55. They occupied there the Scioto eountry, extending to Sandusky, and west-

wardly towards the Great Miami, and they have also left there the names of two of their tribes, to wit: Chillicothe and Piqua. Those who were settled among the Creeks joined them; and the nation was once more reunited. Mr. Johnston, the Indian agent, says that this southern nation lived on the Shawnee river, which empties into the Gulf of Mexico, and is supposed to derive its name from them; and that they returned thence about the year 1755, to the vicinity of Sandusky, under the conduct of a chief called Black Hoof. It has been reported that Tecumseh and his brother, the Prophet, were sons of a Creek woman married during that migration to a Shawanee.

During the forty following years, the Shawanese were in an almost perpetual state of war with America, either as British colonies or as independent States. They were among the most active allies of the French during the seven years' war ; and, after the conquest of Canada, continued, in concert with the Delawares, hostilities which were only terminated after the successful campaign of General Boquet. The first permanent settlements of the Americans beyond the Allegheny mountains, in the vicin- ity of the Ohio, were commenced in the year 1769, and were soon followed by a war with the Shawanese, called Lord Dunmore's war, which ended in 1774, after they had been repulsed in a severe engagement, under the command of their great chief Corn-Stalk, at the mouth of the Kanawha, and the Virginians had penetrated into their country. They took a most active part against America, both during the war of Independence, and in the Indian war which followed, and which was termi- nated in 1795 at Greenville. They lost, by that treaty, nearly the whole territory which they held from the Wyandots; and a part of them, under the guidance of Tecumseh, again joined the English standard during the war of 1812.

The Shawanese produced a number of chiefs who figured prominently throughout the annals of Indian history. Con- spicious among them was their famous king, Corn-Stalk, whose history is so closely identified with the early events of the Ohio valley, but pre-eminent in the list of noted chieftains, as a bold and active warrior, was the celebrated Tecumseh, who was born near Chillicothe, Ohio, about the year 1770, and killed in the battle of the Thames, Canada West, October 5th, 1813.

We add to the foregoing the following in reference to the Shawanese, taken from Heckwelder's account of the Indian nations:

"The history of these people is here given, principally from the relations of old Indians of the Mohican* tribe, who say that they formerly inhabited the southern country, Savannah, in Georgia, and the Floridas. They were a restless people, delight- ing in wars, in which they were constantly engaged with some of the neighboring nations. At last their neighbors, tired of being continually harrassed by them, formed a league for their destruction. The Shawanos finding themselves thus danger- ously situated, asked to be permitted to leave the country, which was granted them, and they fled immediately to the Ohio. Here their main body settled, and sent messengers to their elder brother, the Mohicans, requesting them to intercede for them with their grandfather, the Lenni Lenape, that he might take them under his protection. This the Mohicans willingly did, and even sent a body of their own people to conduct their younger brother into the country of the Delawares. The Shaw- anos finding themselves safe under the protection of their grandfather, did not choose to proceed farther to the eastward, but many of them remained on the Ohio, some of whom settled even as high up that river as the long island, above which the French afterwards built Fort Duquesne, now Pittsburgh. Those who proceeded farther, were accompanied by their chief, named Gachgawatschiqua, and settled principally at and above the forks of the Delaware, some few between that and the conflu- ence of Delaware and Schuylkill, and some even on the spot where Philadelphia now stands; others were conducted by the Mohicans into their own country, where they intermarried with them and became one people. When those settled near the Delaware had multiplied, they returned to Wyoming, on the Susquehanna, where they resided for a great number of years.

"In the meanwhile, those who had remained on the Ohio increased in numbers, and in process of time began again to be troublesome to their neighbors. At last they crossed the Alle- gheny mountains, and falling upon the camps of the Lenape on Juniata river, they committed several murders and went off with their plunder. It was soon discovered who were the aggressors; but the Lenape had now assumed the station of 'the woman,' and eould not engage in wars. They could only apply for protection to the Five Nations, which they did, expecting that they would immediately pursue the offenders and inflict

"The Shawanese call the Mohicans their eider brothers.

HISTORY OF BELMONT AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES, OHIO.

an exemplary punishment upon them, but the Five Nations found means to evade the demand for the present. They told the Delawares that the season was too far advanced to commence a war; that it was better to put off their intended expedition until the ensuing spring; that in the meantime both nations should put themselves in readiness, and keep their preparations secret, and that as soon as the season should open, they would mareh off separately and meet together at an appointed time and place on the Allegheny, then push on together for the Shawance towns below the confluence of that river and the Monongahela, where they could fall together unawares on the aggressors and punish them. The Iroquois promised, as usual, that they would place themselves in the front of the battle, so the Delawares would have nothing to do but to look on and see how bravely their protectors would fight for them, and if they were not satisfied with that, they might take their revenge themselves.

" Agreeably to this plan, the Lenape remained quict till the spring, when, with a body of their most valiant men, they marched to the appointed spot; but how great was their sur- prise when their pretended champions did not make their appearance ? They suspected treachery, and were not mistaken ; for having immediately marched forward to the Shawanee towns, bent on taking an exemplary revenge, they had the disappoint- ment to sce on their arrival their enemies pushing off as fast as they could down the Ohio river in their canoes. Some of them were flying by land, as probably they had not a sufficient number of canoes to convey their whole number; these they pursued and attacked, beat them severely, and took several prisoners. Here they had a striking instance of the treachery of the Mengwe, who had warned the Shawanos of their approach. Some time after this, the Shawanos who resided on the north branch of the Susquehanna began to draw off by degrees, first to the west branch of that river and the Juniata, and then to the Ohio; so that at the commencement of the French war in 1755, they had all, except a few families, with whom was their chief Paxnos, retired to the Ohio, where they joined their coun- trymen in the war against the English .*

"Peace was made in 1763, between Great Britain and France; but the restless spirit of the Shawanos did not permit them to remain quiet; they commenced wart against their southern neighbors, the Cherokees, who, while in pursuit of the aggressors, would sometimes, through mistake, fall upon the Lenape, who resided in the same country with the Shawanos, through whom they also became involved in a war with that nation, which lasted some time. The Mengwe being then also at war with the Cherokees, and frequently returning with their prisoners and scalps through their country, the warlike spirit was kept alive among all, until at length, in 1768, the Cherokees sought a renewal of the friendship formerly existing between them and their grandfather the Lenape, which being effected, they, by their mediation, also brought a peace between them and the Five Nations.

"The Shawanese not being disposed to continue the war with the Cherokees by themselves, and having been reprimanded by their grand-father, for being the instigators of all these troubles, willingly submitted to the dictates of the Lenape, and from that time remained at peace with all the nations until the year 1774, when they were involved in a war with the people of Vir- ginia, occasioned by some murders which were committed on Logan's family connections and others by white people. In this instance it cannot, I think, be said that they were the aggressors, yet their thirst for revenge was so great, and the injured Mengue at their side ealled out so loudly for revenge, that they with great spirit engaged in a war with the Virginians, which, however, was of short duration, as they were opposed with an equal degree of courage, and after a severe battle

between the two rivals, at or near the mouth of the great Kana- wha, and the destruction of many of their towns by the Virgini- ans, the Shawanese were brought to make peace once more; which did not last long, as they joined the British against the Ameri- can people, some time after the commencement of the revolution, and remained our enemies after that time, never establishing a firm peace with us, until the memorable treaty which took place in 1795, after the decisive defeat of the Indian nations by the late General Wayne.

"The Shawanese lost many of their men during these con- tests ; but they were in a manner replaced by individuals of other nations joining them. Thus, during the revolutionary war, about one hundred turbulent Cherokees, who could not be brought by their own nation to be at peace with the American people, and were on that aecount driven out of their country, came over to the Shawanese, while others from the Five Nations joined them, or became their neighbors.

"The Shawanese are considered to be good warriors and hunt- ers. They are courageous, high spirited and manly, and more careful in providing a supply of ammunition to keep in reserve for an emergency, than any other nation that I have heard of. Their language is more easily learned than that of the Lenape, and has a great affinity to the Mohican, Chippewa, and other kindred languages. They generally place the accent on the last syllable."

The Ottawas, (or as they were called by the early white set- tlers, the Tawas), about the period of 1750, dwelt in the val- leys of the Sandusky and Maumee rivers, and, together with the Wyandots, occupied north-western Ohio, and extended over considerable portions of the State of Michigan. The name of this tribe was either derived from, or communicated to the Canadian river, on whose banks they lived until driven west- ward by the power and fury of the Iroquois. Taking refuge among the Pottawatamies and Ojibwas, the western shore of Lake Huron, and the northern portion of the Michigan peninsula, became, for a time, an asylum for the fugitive Ottawas.

This nation has been distinguished in the pages of history, through the agency of the grand old Indian monarch, Pontiac, the great chief of the Ottawas. Pontiac was one of the most famous chiefs known in Indian annals, and was pre-eminently endowed with all the attributes for a great leader among the tribes. The event known in history as Pontiac's Conspiracy, of 1763, in which the western tribes were concentrated in a grand simultaneous attack against all the English garrisons of the frontier, was a scheme worthy the genius of a Napoleon. Pontiac obtained a controlling influence over the Ojibwas and Pottawatamies, and made their confederacy with the Ottawas the basis of his combination against the English.

It has been remarked that, among the Ottawas alone, the heavenly bodies were an object of veneration-the Sun ranking as their Supreme Deity. This tribe, whose mythology was more complicated than usual with the Indians, were accus- tomed to keep a regular festival to celebrate the beneficenee of the Sun; on which occasion the luminary was told that this service was in return for the good hunting he had procured for his people, and as an encouragement to persevere in his friendly eares. They were also observed to,erect an idol in the middle of their town, and sacrifice to it; but such ceremonies were by no means general. On first witnessing Christian worship, the only idea suggested by it was that of asking some temporal good, which was either granted or refused.

Baneroft states that the word "Ottawa" signifies "trader," and was probably applied by the Hurons from the fact that the tribe was principally settled on and in the vicinity of an island in the Ottawa river, where they exaeted a tribute from all the Indians and eanoes going to, or coming from the country of the Hurons. It is observed by a Jesuit father, Le Jenne, that. although the Hurons were ten times as numerous, they sub- mitted to that imposition; which seems to prove that the right of sovereignty over the Ottawa river was generally recognized. After their expulsion from this aboriginal custom house, the memory of their island home seems to have been preserved ; for during the last century they sought and were suffered to take possession of the islands of Lake Erie and the peninsula of Sandusky, where their fishing and trapping parties were found by the French traders about the year 1750.

Such, then, were the occupants of the valley of the Ohio in the middle of the eighteenth century, and such, at least, ap- proximately, were the limits of their homes and haunts. Dur- ing the half century that followed, while the white men were building up a civil society in the East, and events were slowly drifting toward the collision and war, which resulted in Ameri- can independence, the possessory rights of these savages were

"While these people lived at Wyoming and its vicinity, they were frequently visited by missionaries of the Society of the United Brethren, who knowing them to be the most de- praved and ferocious tribe of all the Indian nations they had heard of, sought to establish a friendship with them, so as not to be interrupted in their journeys from one Indian Mission to another, Count Zinzendorf being at that time in the country, went in 1742 with some othor missionaries to visit them at Wyoming, staid with thom twenty days, and endeavored to impress the gospel truths upon their minds; but these hardoned people suspecting his views, und believing that he wanted to purchase their land, on which it was reported there were mines of silver, conspired to murder him, and would have effected their purpose, but that Conrad Weiser, the Indian interpreter, arrived fortunately In dimo to prevent it. (Los- kieł, part 11., ch. 1.) Notwithstanding this, the brethren freqnontly visited them, and Shekellemus, a chief of great influence, having become their friend (Loskiel, ibid, ch. 8), they could now travel with greater safety. lle died at Shamokin in 1719; the Brothren were. however, fortunate enough to obtain the friendship of Paxnos, or Paxinos, anothor chief of the Shawanos, who gave them full proof of It by sending his sons to es ort ono of them (o Bothlehem from Shamokin, where he was In the most perilous situation, Che war having just broke out. (Loskiel, ibld, ch. 12.)

+Loskiel, part I., ch. 10.

HISTORY OF BELMONT AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES, OHIO.

but little disturbed in Ohio. Here they roamed, and hunted, and made love or war at their pleasure, little conseious of their approaching troubles and doom. It is no part of the purpose of this narrative to treat in detail of the history of this period, of the intrigues and wars of the French and English for the pos- session of this Western country, and of the fitful and treaeher- ous allianees of the Indians now with one side and now with the other. Our aim is merely to eall attention to the character of the Indian tribes that oeeupied the country ; this being eur- sorily aeeomplished, we pass to events more nearly connected with our subjeet.

SUMMARY OF INDIAN NATIONS.

The following list of Indian nations, and their places of abode, was compiled by Col. George Croghan, who was a deputy Indian agent, an explorer of the Ohio valley and the country adjacent, and eonspieuously identified with the events of this region from 1750 to 1770. It is taken from a report made by him as deputy Indian agent to the English government in 1765:

A LIST OF THE DIFFERENT NATIONS AND TRIBES OF INDIANS IN THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF NORTH AMERICA, WITH THE NUM- BER OF THEIR FIGHTING MEN.

NAMES OF THE TRIBES.

Nos.

THEIR DWELLING GROUND.

THEIR HUNTING GROUND.

Mohocks, a

160

Mohock River

Between that and Lake George.

Oneidas, b

300

in. East side of Oneida Lake, and on the In the country they live head waters of the east branch of Sus- quehannah.

Turcaroras, b

200 Between the Oneidas and Onandagoes.

Between Oneida Lake and Lake Ontario.

Onandagoes, b

260

Near the Onandago Lake.

Between Onandago Lake and mouth of Seneca River, near Oswego.

Cayugus, b

200

On twosmall Lakes, called the Cayuagas, on the north branch of Susquehan- nah.

Where they live.

Senecas, b

1000

Seneca Country, on the waters of Sus- Their chief hunting country thereahouts. quehannah, the waters of Lake On- tario, and on the heads of Ohio River.

Aughquagas, c

150

East branch of Susquehannah River, and on Aughquaga.

100

30 )

150 )

At Diahogo, and other villages up the north branch of Susquehannah.

150

600 Between the Ohio and Lake Erie, on the branches of Beaver creek, Muskingum and Guyehugo.

300

On Scioto and branch of Muskingum. In villages uear Sandusky

do On the head bankof Scioto

300

300 } On the branches of Ouabache, near Fort Between Quitanon and Ouitanon. the Miames.

200 300} 300

Near the French settlements in the Illinois Country.

250 Near Fort Detroit.

About Lake Erie.

400 150) 200 On Sagannna Creek, which empties into Thereabouts.

Lake Huron.

Near Michilimachinac.

On the North side of Lake Huron.

Cbipawas,» k

Near the entrance of Lake Superior, and Thereabouts. not far from Fort St. Mary's.

Near Fort LaBay on the Lake Michigan.

Hunting ground is there- abouts.

150 ) 150

Near Fort St. Joseph's.

Thereabouts.

On Lake Michigan and between it and Where they respectively the Mississippi. live.

Puta watimes, k Ottawas, k Kicapoos, ¿ - Outtagamies, Z Musquatans, l Miscotins, Z 4000 Outtamacks, l Musquakes, ¿ Oswegatchies, h 100 Settled at Swagatchy in Canada, on the Thereabouts. river St. Lawrence.

Connsedagoes, k 2

300

Coghnewagoes, k

Orondocks, k Abonakies, k

100) 150

Settled near Trois Rivers.

Alagonkins, k

100)

La Suil, + 10000

Southwest of Lake Superior.

a These are the oldest tribe of the Confederacy of the Six Nations.

b Connected with New York, part of the Confederacy with New York.

c Counected with and depending on the Five Nations.

d Dependent on the Six Nations, and connected with Pennsylvania.

e Connected with Pennsylvania.

Conuected with the Twight wees.

g These two Nations the English never had any trade or connection with.

i Connected formerly with the French.

Connected with the Indians about Detroit, and dependent upon the commanding officer.

i Always connected with the French.

Counected with the French.

Never connected in any trade or otherwise with the English.

There are several villages of Chippewas settled along the bank of Lake Superior, but as I have no knowledge of that country, cannot ascertain their numbers.

+ These are a nation of Indians settled southwest of Lake Superior, called by the French La Sue [Now known as Sioux-EDITOR], who, by the best account that I could ever get from the French and Indians, are computed ten thousand fighting men. They are spead over a large tract of country, and have forty odd villages: in which country are several other trihes of Indians, who are tributaries to the Lasues, none of whom, except a very few, have ever known the use of fire arms ; as yet two villages. I suppose the French don't choose to risk a trade among such a powerful body of people, at so vast a distance.

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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 7

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