USA > Ohio > Brown County > History of Clermont and Brown Counties, Ohio, from the earliest historical times down to the present, V. 1 > Part 13
USA > Ohio > Clermont County > History of Clermont and Brown Counties, Ohio, from the earliest historical times down to the present, V. 1 > Part 13
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39
To the people of Brown and Clermont counties, of which he was the worthy founder, no fitter introduction seems need- ful or possible than this
PERSONAL NARRATIVE OF WILLIAM LYTLE.
My father was an emigrant from Cumberland county, Penn- sylvania, near Carlisle. In the autumn of 1779 he left home with his family for Kentucky, then a part of Virginia. He did not reach the Monongahela until the winter was too far ad- vanced to allow his descending the Ohio before spring. In company with two men who were bound with their families to the same point, he built three large arks, or, as they were afterwards called, Kentucky boats. The winter proved un- commonly severe and, by suspending the operations of the sawmills in that country, procrastinated their arrangements until the first of April following. By advertisements all the adventurers in that part of the country who were bound to Kentucky were requested to assemble on a large island in the Ohio a few miles below Pittsburgh. It was proposed to re- main here until a sufficient force should have assembled to pass with safety amidst the country of savage hostility which lay between them and Kentucky.
MAJOR GENERAL WILLIAM LYTLE Founder of Old Clermont, 1770-1831. From an oil painting.
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So numerous was the concourse of adventurers to this point that in two days after his arrival sixty-three boats were ready to sail in company. A part of these boats were occupied by families ; another by young men descending the river to ex- plore the country, and the remaining portion by the cattle be- longing to the emigrants.
The number of fighting men on board probably amounted to nearly a thousand. My father had been a practiced soldier in the former wars of the country and had been stationed for three years at Pittsburgh. He was, of course, versed in the modes, requisites and stratagems of Indian warfare.
A number of his associates had been trained in the same way. The descending boats were arranged in an order of de- fense, not, perhaps, entirely according to the technical exact- ness of a fleet in line of battle. Pilot boats headed the ad- vance. The boats manned by the young men sustained each wing, having the family boats in the center and the stock boats immediately in the rear of them, and the rear guard boats floating still behind them. The boats moved with great circumspection, floating onwards, until they were abreast of a place favorable for furnishing range and grazing for the cat- tle, when they landed and turned them loose for this purpose. While their cattle were thus foraging in the joy of their short emancipation from the close prison on the boats, their owners -kept a vigilant watch outside of their range to prevent the savages from assaulting them.
We arrived without molestation at Limestone, now Mays- ville. Captain Hinkston, of our company, with three or four other families, concluded to remain here. They immediately commenced the customary preparations for rearing cabins. We tarried with them but half a day, during which time a company from our number turned out to hunt in the wild woods. The party killed several buffaloes, and I now for the first time tasted their flesh. At 10 o'clock the next morn- ing, April 12, 1780, the pilot boats gave signals that the enemy were drawn up in hostile array on the northern, or what was called the Indian shore of the Ohio. Three boats immediately landed in a concerted order half a mile above the foe. It was arranged that half the fighting men should be in readiness to spring to the shore the moment the boats should touch the
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land; they were then to form and march down upon the In- dian encampment. The Indians were encamped opposite Lick- ing, where Front street now intersects Broadway in Cincin- nati. Their number did not much exceed 150, whereas we numbered nearly 500. Discovering a force so much superior moving rapidly upon them, they fled in so much haste and dis- order as to leave part of their movables behind them. Our party pursued them four or five miles up what is now called Mill Creek. Some of the Indians were on horseback and they fled faster than their wearied pursuers could follow them on foot.
We returned to our boats and floated unmolested to Bear- grass, at the Falls of Ohio. We arrived on the 15th of April. After surveying the vicinity my father selected a place five miles back from the river. It was a large body of land of ex- treme fertility, and in the center of it was a fine spring. Here he encamped and commenced clearing. In a short time he was joined by more than forty families. In a fortnight they had built as many cabins, in four straight lines, so as to form a hollow square. At the angles were block houses. The cabin doors all opened into the hollow square. In the center of one of the sides, leading to the spring, was a large gateway, and one of the same dimensions to match on the opposite side. The planks of the boats in which they had descended the river were wagoned out from the river to furnish floors and doors for these dwellings. Through the walls were portholes from which, in case of attack, they fired upon the foe.
Thus sheltered and defended, their next object was gardens and fields. A small reserve remained in the enclosure and were stationed on the tops of the houses to survey the scene of operations and give notice of approaching danger. The new settlement suffered little annoyance till June, when In- dian hostilities, manifested in the customary way, broke out on every side. In some instances they were successful in breaking up whole stations, and in others they were severely chastised, as in the expedition undertaken against them by George Rogers Clark.
This punishment restrained them a sufficient interval of peace to enable us to gather in our crops of corn. We wit- nessed with astonishment the results of a virgin soil that had never been cultivated. The extent of ground cultivated by
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each individual was necessarily small. Some of the settlers had the curiosity to measure the amount of corn gathered from an acre. It ranged from eighty to one hundred and twenty bushels. Most of the immigrants had removed from a thin and barren soil which required assiduous cultivation even for small crops which it yielded. Here the horn of plen- ty seemed to be emptied almost spontaneously. They had generally come also from a much severer climate. The in- clemency of the former winter had led them to prepare for a winter similar to that of the country from which they had emi- grated. They made careful and laborious preparations for the severe weather, such as plastering the chasms of their cabins, gathering fuel, etc. But to their agreeable surprise there were but three days that might be denominated freezing weather, during the winter. These days were in the middle of Jan- uary. For the rest the weather exhibited every variety of as- pect that all the climates of the world could show, among which were frequent showers, thunder and lightning. This, it will be recollected, was the winter of 1780 and '81. It very much resembled the present winter (1828), except that we have had more cold days and not so many thunder showers.
In the spring of 1781, realizing the continual exposure of the family and the risk of his fine stock of cattle and horses, my father determined to move farther into the interior of Ken- tucky. Accordingly, he moved an hundred miles into the in- terior to Kincaid's Station, near where the town of Danville now stands.
That part of the country was filling rapidly with settlers from Virginia, who passed through what was then called the "Southern Wilderness Road." Although we felt ourselves much more secure here than in the position which we had left, the country beginning already to have an interior and fron- tier, we often experienced annoyance even here. The In- dians frequently made inroads as far as to our present station, killing the cattle, stealing horses, and sometimes murdering the inhabitants.
I pass over the expedition of General Clark against the In- dians, in which a number of their towns were destroyed, and the severe retaliation which they practiced along with their allies, the British ; and also the bloody affair of the Blue Licks,
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and return to matters personal to my father's family. The gloom created by that disastrous conflict was diffused over all the country. All those who were not bound to it by ties of family made haste to escape from it, and in ten days scarcely more than three hundred effective men were left in the coun- try. But this extreme alarm soon passed away. The settle- ments were consolidated by joining the weaker to the stronger. The block houses were more strongly fortified, and the people, attached to their rural abundance and their peculiar ways of life, determined to remain where they were and defend themselves to extremities. In the subsequent au- tumn many adventurers joined us from the old settlements. The army of Lord Cornwallis had just surrendered to General Washington, and the American soldiers and their enterprising officers, disengaged from service by that event, flocked to this fertile wilderness. In the course of the next year we became more formidable than before. Although the Indian war still continued, the security inspired by numbers induced many families that had been painfully cooped up in close stations, to leave their enclosures and to disperse themselves on de- tached farms over the country.
In 1784 my father moved to Lexington and raised a crop on what are the out-lots of the present town. My father was en- titled to a bounty of 3,000 acres of land, a little above the upper Blue Licks, in consequence of services rendered as a captain in what was called the French war. It had been sur- veyed, but he wished to survey it more accurately. Accord- ingly, he made all the minute preparations requisite in such cases. I prevailed on him to allow me to accompany him. Ac- cordingly, our party, well mounted, proceeded through the forest for the tract. We took along with us a number of led horses, according to custom in such cases, in order to bring a sufficiency of buffalo meat to serve the family during the sub- sequent winter. Our travel was laborious, for we were obliged to make our way through a thick canebrake. On the evening of the second day's journey we encamped on what my father believed to be his tract of land.
Our first business was to retrace the lines of the former sur- vey. Our next was to hunt buffaloes and the other wild game of the country for subsistence. I was then fourteen years old,
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and my training in the mode of backwoods life, as well as in- clination and practice, had given me a dexterity and closeness in the use of the rifle equal to the expertest Kentuckian of my years. We saw numerous traces of the animals of our search on every side. We performed an operation for our horses to prevent their escape, technically called in the Western country "hobbling," and with this precaution left them to pasture in the canebrake. We suspended our baggage on the trees, to place it out of the reach of the wolves. We divided into three parties of pairs. My father and myself formed one. We had not advanced more than five miles from the point of separa- tion before we discovered a gang of buffaloes feeding. My father paused, according to the necessary precautions, to ob- serve the direction of the wind, ordering me to get to leeward of them. My orders were to shoot the blackest of the herd behind the shoulders. The expected consequence was that at the report of my gun the herd would turn and make toward him, when he calculated to be able to bring down another as they passed. I obeyed my instructions to the letter; but in the act of taking aim, scent of me probably reached them. My ball penetrated the body of the animal farther back than I intended, and he ran some distance before he fell. They did not take the direction which my father anticipated, and, al- though he eagerly pursued them for some distance, he failed in obtaining a shot. I recharged, pursued, and came up with my father, who had halted where the buffalo that I had brought down laid. The remainder of the herd escaped us. The ani- mal was so wounded that it would soon die. For convenience my father determined to remove our camp to the buffalo. I had often killed bears, deer, and turkeys, but never a buffalo before. It may be imagined how much a boy of fourteen would be elated by such an exploit. My father proposed to test my backwoods discipline by requesting me to lead the way through the forest to the camp, distant six miles. I was in the frame of mind to express confidence in my ability to do it, even were the camp distant forty miles. I preceded him at a brisk walk until we came in sight of the camp. I saw a smile on my father's countenance, which I interpreted to be one of approbation of my skill. My father here beckoned me to stand, informing me that it was necessary to take a keen
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survey of the premises to ascertain whether savages might not be concealed about the camp awaiting our return. He then preceded me, walking softly, and with great caution in- specting every point in advance and behind us. Having con- vinced himself that there was no ambush on that side, he made a circuit and explored the other side of the camp in the same way. Having convinced ourselves that no enemy lurked around, we advanced to the fire, spread our blankets on the ground, and threw ourselves on them for repose. He then ad- monished me of the necessity of untiring vigilance, reminding me that the danger from the wily foe was often greatest at the moment when the parties felt themselves most secure. He then directed me to keep a keen lookout on the north side of the camp, while he would do the same in regard to the south.
A stratagem was practiced upon us on this occasion which had well nigh proved fatal to the party practicing it. We had not been long on our mutual watch before I discovered a man lurking in advance toward the camp, keeping a tree between him and myself in order to screen his body from view. We reclined our feet toward the fire. My rifle was carefully loaded, the muzzle resting on a log at our heads. At first I supposed it to be one of our own men, and I determined to be farther satisfied before I alarmed my father. I discovered in a moment that he was approaching me with too much caution for that supposition; that he carefully inspected everything around us, and made his way with a soft and stealthy step. I allowed him to approach near enough to a tree at which he was aiming, to enable me to clearly discover that his face was blacked and that he 'wore no hat. I had hitherto remained motionless, and I was convinced he had not yet seen me. I cocked my rifle. Even this slight noise aroused my father, who lay with his back to mine, looking in a contrary direc- tion. He asked me what I was doing. I informed him I was watching an Indian who was lurking toward us, apparently to fire upon us, and that I was waiting until he should reach a tree, toward which he was stealing, and expose his head so that I might give him a fatal shot. He asked me if I saw more than one, to which I answered in the negative. He then directed me to be sure of my aim, and not to fire until I should have gained sight of a mark in his eye. The person had now
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gained his tree, and had now rested his gun in a position to fire upon us. But as we reclined flat on the ground, and as a log in some measure protected .our bodies from his fire, it was necessary for him to survey us closely in order to find any part of our bodies sufficiently exposed to receive his shot. This I comprehended from his movements, and waited my own opportunity. In putting his head from behind the tree for this close inspection, he exposed half of it. I took aim and drew the trigger, but the gun missed fire. The person, hearing the noise, instantly jerked back his head. "I am sorry for that," said my father in a low tone of voice, and I replied in vexation that it was the first time it had failed me. It was two minutes before the person exposed his head for a second survey of us. He once more showed his face, so as almost to give me a shot at him. He finally presented two-thirds of his face, and my gun missed fire a second time. Hearing this more distinctly than the first snapping, he again jerked back his head and exclaimed. "Why, I believe you have been snap- ping at me!" . I immediately recognized the voice to be that of Crawford, one of our men. He had thrown off his hat and blacked his face, as he informed us, with a view to frighten me. We were both provoked at this wanton folly, and I assured him that I still had a good mind to shoot him. My father severely reprimanded him, and I remarked with astonishment upon the circumstance that my rifle had twice missed fire. To show him the extent of his exposure, I pointed to a white spot on the tree behind which he had been concealed. I observed to him that it was not larger than his eye, and that I would demonstrate to him what his fate would have been in case my gun had not missed fire. I presented, and my ball carried the bark of the white spot into the tree.
The other men soon after came in. We immediately saddled our horses, mounted, and moved off to the place where our buffalo laid. We encamped there for the night and feasted upon the choice pieces of the animal. I found myself ill dur- ing the night, and in the morning my father discovered that I had the measles and that they appeared on my face. He pro- posed, in consequence, to take me home. It was distant nearly seventy miles, and I was unwilling to interrupt the business for which he had come out, in this way, and I so informed
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him, proposing to return alone. He replied that it would be necessary for me to sleep out at least two nights alone, and that I might become worse on the journey. I answered that I had no apprehensions of the kind and that it would not be the first time I had spent nights alone in the woods. In re- ply my father renewed his objections, pointing out the addi- tional dangers from the Indians on such a long way. But I overcame all his objections and was allowed to start off alone. It was a long excursion through a wilderness which apprehen- sion had too much reason to people with savages. I had the measles, and was but fourteen years old. But such was the training of the youths of that period in the woods.
I commenced my journey, stopping twice the first day to let my horse feed upon the grass. I took care to select a spot in the open woods, where I could survey the country for a great distance around me. I saw abundance of game on my way, but having no use for it, and being charged by my father to make no unnecessary delay, I allowed it to pass unmolested. A nightfall I struck a considerable stream. It was easily ford- able. Thinking if any enemy came on my track it would be easy to baffle him here, I rode up the middle of the stream half a mile and ascended a branch that fell into the stream two or three hundred yards. I then left the branch and rode on a mile to a tree top which afforded plenty of dry wood. I dis- mounted, hobbled my horse to feed for the night, kindled me a bright fire, used some of my provisions, laid myself down to sleep, thinking as little about the measles and my lonely sit- uation as possible.
The next morning I started at early dawn, expecting to reach home that night. At 10 o'clock I discovered a very large bear in my course. The temptation to give the animal a shot was irresistible to one of my years and inclinations. I dismounted and killed the animal. Although I could make no use of the carcass, I determined to carry home the skin as a trophy. I found it a difficult business, in the first place, to arrange the large, heavy and greasy hide so that it could be carried on horseback. It so frequently slipped from under me that I found I must either leave it or tarry out another night.
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I concluded on the latter. I had considerable fever during this
night, and did not sleep much. I set off in the morning with
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the first twilight and reached Lexington at noon the next day. I was nearly recovered. In ten days afterwards my father and his party returned.
Early in the spring of 1785, my father, with my brother and myself, went out to his lands, sixteen miles from Lexing- ton, and erected a couple of cabins. He then moved his fam- ily there and commenced clearing the lands. But in a few days we discovered traces of Indians in our vicinity. As it was an unprotected frontier establishment, my father deemed. it necessary to enclose his cabin in a stockade: It was done , with three lines of palisades, the cabins making the fourth side. During the year we were not much annoyed by the Indians. But the next summer they took from us thirteen fine horses at one time. We raised a party and pursued them. We came in sight of them just as they had completed swimming the horses over to a sandbank on the opposite side of the Ohio. When they discovered us they exclaimed from the opposite shore that we were too late and might go home again. We had the comfort of exclaiming back again that they were thieving rascals, and asking them if they were not ashamed of what they had been doing. They replied, with great coolness, not at all; that a few horses now and then was all the rent they obtained of us for their Kentucky lands. They outnum- bered us three to one, and of course we had no other prudent course but to follow that of their advising and return home without our horses.
It was in the autumn of this year that General Clark raised the forces for the Wabash expedition. They constituted a numerous corps. Colonel Logan was detached from the army, at the Falls of the Ohio, to raise a considerable force with which to proceed against the Indian villages on the head waters of Mad River and the Great Miami. I was then aged sixteen, and too young to come within the legal requisition. But I offered myself as a volunteer, hoping to find and re- claim my father's horses. I need not relate the circumstances of the failure of General Clark's expedition. Colonel Logan went on to his destination, and would have surprised the In- dian towns against which he marched had not one of his men deserted to the enemy, not long before they reached the towns, who gave notice of their approach. As it was, he burned eight
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large towns and destroyed many fields of corn. He took seventy or eighty prisoners and killed twenty warriors, and among them the head chief of the nation. This last act caused deep regret, humiliation and shame to the commander and his troops.
We came in view of the two first towns, one of which stood on the west bank of Mad River, and the other on the north- east of it. They were separated by a prairie half a mile in ex- tent. The town on the northeast was situated on a high, com- manding point of land that projected a small distance into the prairie, at the foot of which eminence broke out several fine springs. This was the residence of the famous chief of the nation. His flag was flying, at the time, from the top of a pole sixty feet high. We had advanced in three lines, the commander with some of the horsemen marching at the head of the center line, and the footmen in their rear. Colonel Rob- ert Patterson commanded the left, and I think Colonel Thomas Kennedy the right. When we came in sight of the towns the spies of the front guard made a halt and sent a man back to inform the commander of the situation of the two towns. He ordered Colonel Patterson to attack the towns on the left bank of Mad River. Colonel Kennedy was also charged to incline a little to the right of the town, on the east side of the prairie. He determined himself to charge with the center division im- mediately on the upper town. I heard the commander give his orders and caution the Colonels against allowing their men to kill any among the enemy that they might suppose to be prisoners. He then ordered them to advance, and as soon as they should discover the enemy to charge upon them. I had my doubts touching the propriety of some parts of the ar- rangements. I was willing, however, to view the affair with the diffidence of youth and inexperience. At any rate, I deter- mined to be at hand to see all that was going on and to be as near the head of the line as my Colonel would permit. I was extremely solicitous to try myself in battle. The commander at the head of the center line waved his sword over his head as a signal for the troops to advance. Colonel Daniel Boone and Major (since General) Kenton commanded the advance, and Colonel Trotter the rear. As we approached within half a mile of the town on the left and about three-fourths from
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