History of Coshocton County, Ohio, its past and present, 1740-1881, Part 42

Author: Hill, Norman Newell, jr., [from old catalog] comp; Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848-; Graham, A. A., & co., Newark, O., pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Newark, Ohio, A. A. Graham & co.
Number of Pages: 854

USA > Ohio > Coshocton County > History of Coshocton County, Ohio, its past and present, 1740-1881 > Part 42

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The name of this trader does not appear, but he was no doubt one of those wild, reckless hunters and backwoodsmen, so many of whom in those days took their lives in their hands and established themselves in the business of exchang- ing goods with the Indians for the products of

the chase. He and John Leeth might be called the first merchants of Coshocton county, both having established themselves here in 1774.

In the same year in which the white trader was murdered at White Eyes, Major William Robinson was taken prisoner by the celebrated chief, Logan, a full account of which appears in the history of Franklin township, in another part of this work.

John Leeth. before mentioned as a trader at Coshocton, and probably one of its first mer- chants, has an interesting history, which appears in the history of Knox county, as follows:

John Leeth was a captive among the Indians, and traversed this region long before any white settlement was made.

He was born in South Carolina in 1755; ran away from home when a boy and went to Penn- sylvania. At Fort Pitt he hired out to an Indian trader, who had a stock of goods at New Lan- caster, Ohio, then an Indian town, and where he sent young Leeth to take charge of the stock. Here he was taken prisoner by the Delaware Indians April 10, 1772, and the stock of goods divided among them.

When Dunmore invaded Ohio with his army, the Indians considered the matter of killing young Leeth to get him out of the way, but his adopted father, who had taken a liking to him, saved his life, and he was taken along with the Indians when they adandoned their towns and retreated before Dunmore's advance. During the journey he made several attempts to escape, but failed.

After the war Leeth's Indian father voluntarily gave him his freedom, providing him with a gun, ammunition and blanket, and the young man spent two years or more hunting and trading with the Indians, during which time he accumu- lated furs and peltry to the amount of several hundred dollars. During these years his favorite hunting ground was in Knox and Coshocton counties, along the beautiful Kokosing and Wal- honding rivers, where he spent much of his time among the Delawares in their villages hunting deer and bear.

Mr. Leeth married for his second wife a widow lady named Sarah McKee, his first wife being a white girl, a captive among the Indians. Mrs. McKee was living on Middle Island, near Mari- etta. This last marriage took place in 1802. Mrs. McKee was the maternal grandmother of Lyman W. Gates, of Miller township, Knox county. During the summer of 1825, Mr. Leeth visited

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the family of Mr. Gates' father, and spent some time there. Wishing to visit Mount Vernon, old Mr. Gates accompanied him. When they had reached the Gotshall place, Mr. Leeth got off' his horse and pointed out places where he had lain in wait for the wild animals to come and drink, and where he shot them. He also pointed ont other localities along the road where he had hunted successfully. As late as thirty years ago, Gotshall's lake was a considerable body of water, and was a famous place for will ducks. By sue- cessful drainage the water has since been drawn off' and the land cultivated.

About two years after obtaining his freedom, about twenty Indians came from another tribe, and, while young Leeth was dealing with a trader and his assistant, took them all prisoners, with all their property. They took him some dis- tance through the wilderness, and, after several days, sold him to another tribe. His purchaser tokt him he was not bought for the purpose of being enslaved; it was only because he loved him and wished him to stay with him, and gave Leeth his liberty on a promise not to run away. Again he became a hunter and trapper, and, during the following fall and spring, accumulated furs and skins to the value of seventy-five or eighty dol- lars.

During the Revolutionary war, he is found at Detroit, where he engaged with an Indian trader to take some goods to Sandusky. While at the latter place he witnessed the murder of a prisoner brought in by the Wyandots, the murder occur- ring in front of the door of his employer. As the poor fellow was passing the house, they knocked him down with tomahawks, cut off his head, placed it on a pole and began dancing around it.

Sometime after this the Indian who took him prisoner at New Lancaster came along and told Leeth he must accompany him to the Forks of the Muskingum, now Coshocton.

He remained at Coshocton some time. The spring following he married a young woman, sev- enteen or eighteen years of age, who had been taken prisoner when only twenty months old. At the time of his marriage Leeth was twenty- four years of age. This was in 1779. IIe resided in the Moravian towns on the Muskingum some two years, and upon the removal of the Moravians to Sandusky, in 1782, was taken with them. In this journey they passed along the Walhonding and Kokosing rivers. At Sandusky Leeth was on- gaged by tive of the British officers, who had formed a stock company, to attend to their busi- ness. While in their employ (1782), Colonels Williamson and Crawford marched with an army against Sandusky, during which the Indians closely watched Leeth to prevent him from com- municating with the invading army. Being told the Americans were within fifteen miles of San- | Indian for Fort Pitt. They were captured. how-

dusky, Leeth gathered together his employers' effects, about $1,500 in silver, furs, powder, lead, horses and cattle, and started for Lower San- dusky. After traveling about three miles, ho met Capt. Elliot, a British officer, and about fourteen miles further he met Col. Butler's rangers. They took from him his cattle and let him pass. That night he eneamped about fourteen miles above Lower Sandusky. A French interpreter for the Indians came to the camp and was granted per- mission to stay all night. Next morning, after the horses were loaded and ready to start, they heard the sound of cannon at Upper Sandusky. The Frenchman clapped his hand to his breast, and said, " I shall be there before the battle," and started. He went to where some Indians were painting and preparing for battle, put on a ruffle shirt, and painted a red spot on his breast. re- marking, " Here's a mark for the Virginia rifle- men," and, shortly after, marched with the Indians to battle, where he soon received a ball in the very spot, dying instantaneously. Leeth reached Lower Sandusky safely. The unfortunate expe- dition of Col. Crawford is a matter of history.

After this battle his employers moved their goods again to Upper Sandusky, where Leeth re- mained about three years, when the partnership was dissolved, the goods divided, and each one entered into business for himself. One of the partners informed Leeth that he was going to es- tablish a store at New Coshocton, on the head waters of the Muskingum river, and would en- gage him at the same wages to go with him. This proposition was accepted.

Some time the following fall Leeth accompa- nied the Indians to Fort Pitt, leaving his wife and children at New Coshocton. After matters were settled and articles of peace signed, he en- tered into partnership with two others, in a trad- ing association ; and in a short time he started west with thirty-four horses loaded with several hundred dollars' worth of goods. Leeth went to the Indian town (present site of Coshocton ) and remained about nine months, in which time he sold out nearly all their goods. About three months after his arrival at Tusearawas (now Co- shoeton ), Captain Hamilton, an American officer, came there with another store, and opened elose by him, and about the same time Leeth's wife and children came from New Coshocton. While Captain Hamilton was absent at Fort Pitt after goods several Wyandot Indians eame to his store ; two of them killed his clerk and carried away all the goods. This event alarmed Leeth very much, as he expected the same fate, but a Delaware In- dian, one of his old acquaintances, came to him at this time and said, " I will die by you." Pre- parations for a hasty departure were made, and Leeth and his family started with the Delaware

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over, before they had proceeded far, and taken to the Indian towns on Mad river. The goods and other property left at Tuscarawas were taken away and secreted by the Indians After some time he was again released from captivity, and proceeding to Fort Pitt, he purchased horses and went in search of his hidden goods. He found them all and took them to Fort Pitt, where he left them, and returned to his family on Mad river. After remaining with them some time he returned to Fort Pitt with the intention of dissolving partnership. He told his partners that the times were very dangerous, and trade uncertain, and if they were willing he would re- fire from the concern, and quit business, at least for the present. His partners had just purchased a large assortment of goods, and were not willing to dissolve. They told him " if he would venture his body, they would venture the goods." He yielded, and on the fifteenth of January started out with a stock of goods and opened another store in the woods, where Coshocton now stands. In a short time he collected about fourteen horse loads of skins and furs, and the hand he had with him started with them for Fort Pitt. After get- about two-thirds of the way, the Mingo and Wy- andot Indians overtook the caravan, killed the man, and took the horses and all the goods off with them. Leeth continued at Coshocton with his family and seven horses until about the first of April, under great apprehensions for his life.

He then moved to Tapacon, twenty-five miles from Coshocton, where he left his family and went on horseback to Fort Pitt, to consult with liis partners about quitting business, as they had already lost all their profits. But they thought best to continue the business until all their goods were sold. He then returned to his family at Tapacon; but just before his arrival there two Indians had visited his wife and told her they had better move to Fort Pitt; they said the Min- goes had killed the two traders they had left at Coshocton and carried off' all their property. Leeth left his goods with the two Indians, and went with his family to Fort Pitt. Soon after he returned to Tapacon with five men, and found the skins where the Indians had hidden them; but they had taken the horses and goods with them. He returned to Fort Pitt with the skins, and soon after set out for the Shawanee towns, where he found his horses and goods. On his route back to Fort Pitt he passed through Knox, Licking and Muskingum counties, trading his goods for furs and peltry, disposing of all of them by the way. He was accompanied by an Indian hunting party of seventeen warriors. Shortly after his arrival at Fort Pitt he settled up with his partners and gave up the horses, He then left Pittsburgh with his family and settled on the

Iluron river, northern Ohio, in a Moravian town, where he remained some years.

The Moravians, however, were continually be- tween two fires, and were all the time in danger of being murdered by one party or the other, and were therefore frequently on the move. Leeth was compelled to take his family and flee for safety to Fort Pitt; where he arrived after a hazardous journey through the wilderness. From Fort Pitt, he proceeded with his family to Bird's ferry, where his wife's relatives resided, and who received the wanderers with great kindness Mr. Leeth settled among them as a farmer.

Mr. Leeth died about 1850, in the ninety-fifth year of his age. His father was born in the city of Leeth, Scotland, and his mother in Virginia.

In the white occupation of this county, Brod- head's expedition in 1780, follows in chronolog- ical order. The details of this expedition will be found in another chapter. In the following year, 1781, among the many captives taken by the In- dians across this territory was John Stilley, an account of whose captivity appears in the Knox county history, as follows :

In the year 1781 there was a small settlement on Raccoon creek, some sixty miles above Wheel- ing, in what are now Beaver and Washington counties, in Pennsylvania. Some thirty miles southeast was another settlement on Peter's creek, in what is now Allegheny county, same State. The latter settlement was much larger than the former, and possessed a good stockade and block-house, to which the pioneers could re- sort in times of danger or invasion by the savages of the territory of Ohio.

In the year 1777, the settlers on Raccoon creek were compelled by Indian invasion to abandon that region and seek refuge in the block-house on Peter's creek, where most of them remained several months. About this time, John Stilley, sr., who had located in the settlement in 1773, ac- companied an expedition against the Indians on Beaver creek, where he was killed by the acci- dental discharge of a gun in the hands of a com- rade. Mrs. Stilley and several children were left helpless by the unfortunate circumstance.

Among those who fled from Raccoon creek was a young man by the name of Kennedy. When the others returned to the settlement he remained at the block-house on Peter's creek. In the meantime he had married Rachel Stilley, the oldest daughter of Mrs. John Stilley. In the spring of 1781, Mr. Kennedy concluded to return to the Raccoon settlement. He took along a good team of horses, and his family, con- sisting of his wife, a small child, Sarah, and John

HISTORY OF COSHOCTON COUNTY.

Stilley, sr., youngest brother and sister of Mrs. Kennedy. Some days after his arrival his horses disappeared. Ilo searched the bottoms in the vicinity of his cabin for them, but without effect. As was the custom among the pioneers, he had placed a small bell on one of the horses before turning them out, that they might be traced by its sound.

Early one morning some six weeks after the disappearance of his horses, just before rising, he heard a horse-bell approaching his cabin, and re- marked to his wife: "There they are." He dressed, and on opening his door, was confronted by ten savage warriors of the Wyandot nation, who had used the horse-bell as a decoy to draw him out. These Indians had been skulking about the neighborhood for some time, and had now stealthily approached the home of Kennedy to seeure new prizes in the way of prisoners and scalps. The horses were Kennedy's, and they had now returned with new owners.

Resistance was useless. The whole family sur- rendered at once. The Indians then phindered the house of such articles as they desired, and set it on fire. They then started for the Ohio river with their prisoners and their plunder. Fearing pursuit, they prepared to eross without delay. At the river they were joined by two other Indi- ans who had separated from the rest to plunder a neighbor of Mr. Kennedy, by the name of Wilson. They had crept upon Mr. Wilson just as he had hitched his horses to the plow. They fired at and wounded him, and he fled to his cabin, one of the Indians following him with rapidity, as the other one was engaged in cutting the harness from the horses.

On reaching the door of the cabin Wilson fell from exhaustion, and would have been killed by the pursuing savage but for the providential ap- pearance of Captain John Slaek, a noted Indian fighter and scout, who rode up and fired at the Indian and hit him on the back of the head just as he leaped the fence, making an ugly gash The Indians instantly mounted the horses and rode rapidly in the direction of the Ohio river where they were joined by the ten who had captured Kennedy and his family.

Captain Slack, Wilson, and a number of others gave pursuit and arrived at the Ohio just as the Indians and their prisoners, who were mounted on horseback, reached the opposite shore. They saw the Indians enter the forest and disappear with their helpless captives. Further pursuit was abandoned. It was fortunate for the terrified prisoners that Captain Slack and his party failed to overtake the Indians before they reached the river; otherwise the prisoners would have been instantly tomahawked and scalped. As it was they passed on without being maltreated in any way. John Stilley was then about eight years of

age, and Strah, his little sister, between five and six. After the Indians hid conducted their pris- oners some distance into the forest they checked the rapidity of their flight and halted some two hours. They killed a few wild turkeys and roasted them after the Indian manner, sharing them equally among their captives. Although much depressed in feeling, Mr. and Mrs. Ken- nedy put on an air of cheerfulness, and assumed a willingness to accompany the savages. This seemed to please them, and led to a relaxation of their vigilance. The captives were treated kindly and suffered but little. It was then about the first of June and the weather was delightful. The forests abounded in a luxuriant growth of pea vines, wild flowers, and flowering shrubs. The

party crossed the river not a great ways from the mouth of Yellow creek, and passed through what are now Jefferson, Carroll, and Tusearawas coun- ties, north of the Moravian villages, thence near the present village of Coshocton, and from thence up the Walhonding to the mouth of the Kokos- . ing, or what is known as the Vernon river, thence up that stream to where Fredericktown now stands, thence up the west branch and across the counties of Marion to the Olentangy, and thence to Upper Sandusky, the principal scat of the Wyandots.

Mr. Kennedy and his little family were kindly treated all the way, and they were permitted to ride most of the time. At night they slept on the leaves. They had plenty of wild meat, which, by the aid of Mrs. Kennedy, was roasted to suit their taste. They were greatly pleased with the scen- ery along the Walhouding and the beautiful Ko- kosing. They encamped one night on the pres- ent site of Mount Vernon. At that period, and for many subsequent years, the Kokosing was a favorite resort for the Wyandot and Delaware hunters. They cleared a few small fields, which they cultivated in corn, and the hills, made by hoeing, were to be seen as late as 1806.

They traveled up the banks of the Walhonding, which Mr. Stilley states was the finest region he ever saw. It abounded in wonderful growth of timber and exhibited a soil unsurpassed for rich- ness. The undrgrowth was very rank; wikl game existed in great abundance. As the lonely captives attempted to slumber on a cot of dry leaves they were often serenaded by wolves and owls. Their mingled voices made night hideous.

When the Indians arrived at Upper Sandusky they divided their prisoners. They were par- celed out according to the fancy of the Indians and separated. Mr. Kennedy, wife and child were taken in the direction of Detroit. Sarah was adopted by another family and removed to the same neighborhood : John Stilley was adopted by an old Indian and his squaw, who treated him with much lenity, and taught him the Wyandot

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language, which he acquired very rapidly. He was very apt and spry, and made an impression upon his new parents that grew into a very warm attachment. The old Indian was very grave, and evinced a disposition to make his adopted son contented and happy. He reciprocated these at- tentions by being obedient and prompt. The first care of this mild ohl Indian father was to teach him the first principles of hunting. The Indian boys erected a sort of bower of fresh cut brush and leaves in an open space in the forest, and procuring a wild pigeon, tied it to the top of the bower, and concealing themselves within, with bow and arrow, occassionally alarming it ; and those flying over, perceiving the fluttering, alighted so that the boys could easily shoot them with their arrows. In this way they secured a great many. The sport furnished them much amusement. The pigeons, at the proper season, were fat, and in such abundance as to be easily taken. The flesh was very palatable.

One morning the grave old father left the wig- wam, and after walking a few hundred yards re- turned. Before leaving the wigwam to hunt, he told young Stilley there was a rabbit within the circle and he might catch it while he was absent. After the old hunter had departed young Stilley proceeded to search for the rabbit. He finally found the track, and soon traced it to a hollow log. Returning to the wigwam he procured a toma- hawk with which he soon cut a hole large enough to extricate the cony. Being certain that the ani- mal would not bite, he thrust his hand in and seized it by the head and neck and dragged it from the hole. As soon as its hind legs were re- leased it commenced a series of struggles to ex- tricate its head from his grasp, during which his hands were severely torn by its hind feet. Being too plucky to give up the contest, he held on un- til finally he succeeded in killing it. When the old hunter came in young Stilley informed him with much pride that he had found and captured the rabbit. The old father asked the young hunter to show hin his hands. Upon doing so the old fellow laughed heartily, saying: "Bad hunt; take him by hind leg next time, and he no scratch.' This was his first lesson in hunting rabbits, and he remembered it as long as he lived.

treadle, to which a piece of frog or dear meat was fastened. When the raccoon approached the bait and attempted to remove it, the sappling fell and killed it. In this way large numbers of rac- Coons were caught. They were generally quite fat, and when roasted, made desirable food.

Young Stilley often accompanied the Indian boys on their fishing excursions along the San- dusky and other streams. He soon learned this art; and when the fish came up from the bay, made himself quite useful to his Indian father and mother, by aiding them in supplying food. They always flattered and caressed him in his successful excursions; and soothed and sympa- thized with him when he failed. For these acts of kindness he always felt grateful, and redoubled his exertions to win their esteem and confidence. In his lonely hours-for he often thought of his little sister, and of Mrs. Kennedy, the cheering words and counsel of his Indian parents revived his drooping spirits.

He entered freely into the sports of the Indian boys. Their principal amusements were wrest- ling, foot-racing and playing ball. He was strong and active for one of his age, and was equal in strength and courage to Indian boys much older than himself. In a general way, he got on smoothly, but occasionally was compelled to use his strength and fists in self-defence. These little quarrels were soon reconciled, and all went on merrily again. The most exciting amusement was their game of ball. It resembled very much the game known among boys of modern times, as "Shinny." They used a crooked stick to strike the ball, which was generally made of wood two or three inches in diameter. The stick had a head or curve at the lower end, with which the ball was hit. The alley was generally two or three hundred yards long, and was perfectly smooth and clear of obstructions. The parties divided, and the ball being cast up was struck by one of the players near the center of the alley,. and the trick consisted in driving it in the di- rection of the opposite ends of the alley. In do- ing so, the boys ofted became badly huddled, and their shins, and sometimes their heads, suffered from the misdirected blows of the players. Whenever the ball was carried by either party, to a given point, the game was won. The young men had a game of ball resembling that of the sinaller boys, with the exception that there was a sort of hoop and net on the bat, and the party getting it in his net, attempted to carry it to his end of the alley, while the rest used their efforts to prevent him from accomplishing this difficult feat.

Ilis next lesson was on trapping raccoon. These animals in the wet season are said to be remarkably fond of live frogs, and haunt the ponds where they are to be found. They walk on the fallen timber, and capture the croaking frogs that leap upon the logs to singtheir pecu- liar songs. The trap was made by cutting a small sapling, eight or ten feet long, which was placed The wigwam in which young Stilley's Indian parents resided the first and second winters of his captivity, was a plain affair, and was constructed on the log, and stakes driven on each side to keep it from rolling off. One end was then elevated fifteen or eighteen inches, and held up by a short | of poles, after the Wyandot plan. The poles for

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the sides were eut ten or twelve feet long. The stakes were driven into the ground about four inches apart at each end of the proposed wall. They were about six feet high, and tied at the top with elm bark or thongs of elk or buffalo hide. The poles being straight and neat, were laid one upon another until a wall of sufficient height was raised. About nine or ten feet from this wall another similar one was constructed. They then dug a sort of trench at each end, and set poles, upright, so as to make the end walls, leaving a space large enough for a door. A ridge pole was placed over the center of the building, and elm bark over it to form the roof. The cracks were plugged with dry moss A small space was left in the roof for the smoke to escape. A fire was built near the center of the wigwams, and a hear skin generally served for a door. Their beds were made of deer and bear skins spread around the fire. Upon these they slept. All in all, these rude huts were quite comfortable in the winter season,

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History of Coshocton County, Ohio, its past and present, 1740-1881, Part 42

Author: Hill, Norman Newell, jr., [from old catalog] comp; Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848-; Graham, A. A., & co., Newark, O., pub. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Newark, Ohio, A. A. Graham & co. Number of Pages: 854

Author: Hill, Norman Newell, jr., [from old catalog] comp; Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848-; Graham, A. A., & co., Newark, O., pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Newark, Ohio, A. A. Graham & co.
Number of Pages: 854