History of Crawford County and Ohio, Part 33

Author: Perrin, William Henry, [from old catalog] comp; Battle, J. H., [from old catalog] comp; Goodspeed, Weston Arthur, 1852- [from old catalog] comp; Baskin & Battey, Chicago, pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Baskin & Battey
Number of Pages: 1034

USA > Ohio > Crawford County > History of Crawford County and Ohio > Part 33

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distant, the Indians beating him terribly on the way, and, when there, he was tied to a post and a fire builded around him. While it was burn- ing, a sudden rain-storm came on and extin- guished the fire, and the Indians, after some discussion, resolved to put off his death until the morrow. They kept beating, kicking and wounding him until long after midnight, when finally they tied him securely in a block-house, with three warriors to watch. These at last lay down to sleep. Slover then, knowing it to be his last and only chance, began to make des- perate efforts to free himself. He tore at the cords for a long time, and at last thought he must give it up. It was now daybreak. He made a last desperate effort, when, to his great surprise and joy, the cord came untied, and he was free. He stepped over the sleeping bodies and ran rapidly out into the woods. He caught a horse that was feeding near, and, using the rope with which he had been tied as a halter, he mounted and rode rapidly away. He was entirely naked, and covered with wounds and black paint. His horse was a good one ; and, knowing that he would be swiftly pursued by the blood-thirsty savages, he urged it to its best pace. The animal finally gave out, and Slover pushed forward rapidly on foot. Finally, after four days of intense suffering and hardship, having had nothing to eat save a few berries and crawfishes, he arrived, on the 10th of July, at Wheeling-the last of Crawford's army to return.

On the night of the retreat, Crawford, like others of his command, became separated from his comrades. He called aloud, but received no reply. After a time, he was joined by Dr. Knight, who said he thought the army was in advance. They started on, and were soon joined by two other men. Neither knew which way to go. They first started southwest, but finally turned north, and, after traveling two miles, they turned due east, keeping fifteen yards apart, as a precaution against surprise.

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At daylight, they passed into Crawford County at a point about two miles northwest of Osce- ola. Several of their horses failed here and were left. They turned somewhat to the south- east, and, about 2 o'clock in the afternoon, fell in with Capt. Biggs, who had heroically taken charge of Lieut. Ashley, the latter hav- ing been dangerously wounded. The rain- storm, already mentioned, came on at this time with great fury. The party encamped for the night in Holmes Township, about two miles almost due north of Bucyrus. The next morning they passed across the southern part of Liberty Township, crossed the Sandusky River, and traveled on into northern Whet- stone Township. Here they were joined by another straggler, who increased the party to seven. About 2 o'clock, they came upon the path made by the army on its journey out. They were now in Jefferson Township, on the Sandusky River, about a mile and a half down the stream from Leesville, at the same point where the army, in marching out, had left the river, bearing off southwesterly. They marched on toward the east, following the trail made by the army. All were mounted except Crawford and Knight, and, while marching along a short distance east of where the army first reached the river, they suddenly ran into an ambuscade of Delaware Indians. These were members of the band under Wingenund, a celebrated Dela- ware chief, whose camp was located three- fourths of a mile northeast of Leesville. The army, in marching out, had passed within a mile of this camp without discovering it. Crawford and Knight were immediately made prisoners, but the others, who were on horses, escaped for the time.

In the meantime, great rejoicings, wild dances and fierce exultation were transpiring at the Half King's town. The savages had returned from pursuing the American army, and were laden with spoils and scalps. The squaws and children came forth from their hiding-place to

join the wild revelry, and hear the exultant braves boast of their exploits. As soon as the news of Crawford's capture reached the Wyan- dot and Delaware villages, on Sandusky River, orders were sent by Capt. Pipe and Wingenund to have him brought to Pipe Town, on Ty- mochtee Creek. Crawford and Knight were captives of the Delawares, who, in order to burn them, as desired, must obtain the consent of the Half King of the Wyandots, to whom the Delawares were subject, and among whom the custom of burning prisoners was obsolete. The request was granted, and the infuriated savages-old and young-made preparations to enjoy the tortures of the unfortunate men. Crawford and Knight were at first taken to Wingenund Camp, near Leesville, where they found nine other men, all of whom had been taken prisoners from Crawford's army. On the morning of the 10th of June, all the pris- oners were marched to Half King's Town, Crawford in charge of two Indian guards, marching separate from the others. He here requested, and obtained, an interview with Si- mon Girty, and offered him $1,000 to save his life, and the white savage promised to make the effort, with no intention of keeping his promise. On the morning of the 11th, the faces of all the eleven prisoners were painted black. Crawford and Knight were separated from the others, four of whom they afterward saw lying by the roadside, tomahawked and scalped. Crawford and Knight were marched toward Pipe Town, and, when within a mile of the place, overtook their remaining five com- panions, who, soon afterward, were set upon by a number of infuriated squaws and boys, and all five were tomahawked and scalped. Craw- ford and Knight saw Girty at this place, but the savage renegade did not make an effort to save their lives. They were marched on to- ward Pipe Town, and, when within three-fourths of a mile of the place, were halted on the banks of the Tymochtee. This was about the

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middle of the afternoon. That night the Doc- tor was securely guarded at the Delaware vil- lage, and the next morning-the 12th of June -was taken out by Tutelu, the savage who had him in charge, and again painted black. Tutelu then mounted a horse, and, ordering Knight, who was on foot, to proceed, the two struck westward for the Shawanese towns, about fotry miles distant. They traveled twenty-five miles, and encamped for the night. Early the next morning, the Doctor, under a pretense to drive off the mosquitoes, took a heavy dogwood stick, the end of which was on fire, and, wheeling suddenly, struck his captor a terrible blow across the head, knocking him into the fire. Knight seized the Indian's gun, and the latter, howling with pain, ran swiftly off through the woods. The savage was pur- sued, but the Doctor, who had broken the mainspring in his efforts to cock the gun, was unable to fire, though he continued to run aft- er the savage, who was soon out of sight. This occurred in Hardin County. Knight im- mediately started east toward the settlements, passing in a northeast direction across Craw- ford County, near where Galion now stands. After almost incredible sufferings from hunger and exposure, having nothing to eat save wild berries and an occasional bird, which was de- voured raw, he arrived on the 4th of July at Fort Pitt.

The afternoon previous to Knight's confine- ment in Pipe Town-the afternoon of the 11th of June-he witnessed the awful death of the unfortunate Crawford, on the bank of Tymoch- tee Creek. The latter had made every effort for his life, but all his offers were rejected. The night of the 10th he had been confined in the store of John Leith, at Half King's Town, the latter having returned with his goods when the army retreated. Crawford appealed to Leith to shoot him in case the savages made prepa- rations to burn him on the morrow, but Leith signified his inability to do so, alleging that the

infuriated savages would brook no inter- ference .* - It was about 4 o'clock on the afternoon of the 11th that Crawford's punish- ment began. There were present about forty warriors and sixty or seventy squaws and boys. Simon Gerty, Dr. Knight, Samuel Wells (a negro boy), Christian Fast (a captive white boy about seventeen years of age), and, very prob- ably, Matthew Elliott, the British Captain, were also present at times during the torture. "Crawford was stripped naked and ordered to sit down. It is a tradition that his clothes, especially his hat, which was made of leather, were long after in the keeping of the Del- awares. The Indians now beat him with sticks and their fists, and, immediately after, Knight was treated in the same manner. A post about fifteen feet high had been set in the ground. Crawford's hands were bound behind his back, and one end of a strong rope was tied to the ligature between his wrists, the other end being fastened to the post. The rope was long enough for him to sit down or walk around the post once or twice and return the same way. Crawford then called to Girty and asked if they intended to burn him. Girty answered, ' Yes.' He then replied he would take it all patiently. Upon this, Captain Pipe made a speech to the Indians, who, at its conclusion, yelled a hideous and hearty assent to what had been said. The spot where Crawford was now to be immolated was in what is now Crawford Township, Wyan- dot County, a short distance northeast of the town of Crawfordsville. The Indian men now took up their guns and shot powder into Craw- ford's naked body, from his feet as far up as his neck. It was the opinion of Knight that not less than seventy loads were discharged upon him ! They then crowded about him, and, to the best of Knight's observation, cut off both his ears; for, when the throng dis- persed, he saw blood running from both sides of his head. The fire was about six yards from

*Judge Leith, Nevada, Ohio.

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the post. It was made of small hickory poles about six feet in length. Three or four Indians, by turns, would take up, individually, one of these burning pieces of wood and apply it to his naked body, already burnt black with pow- der. These tormentors presented themselves on every side of him, so that, whichever way he ran around the post, they met him with the burning fagots. Some of the squaws took broad boards, upon which they would carry a quantity of burning coals and hot embers and throw on him, so that, in a short time, he had nothing but coals of fire and hot ashes to walk on. In the midst of these extreme tortures, Crawford called to Girty and begged to be shot, but, the white savage making no answer, he called again. Girty then, by way of derision, told Crawford he had no gun, at the same time turning to an Indian and laughing at the horrid scene. Crawford then besought the Almighty to have mercy on his soul, spoke very low, and bore his torments with the most manly forti- tude. He continued in all the extremities of pain for about two hours longer, when, at last, being almost spent, he lay down upon his stomach. The savages then scalped him, and repeatedly threw the scalp into the face of Knight, telling him that was his 'Great Cap- tain.' An old squaw, whose appearance, Knight thought, every way answered the ideas people entertain of the devil, got a board, took a parcel of coals and ashes, and laid them on his back and head. He then raised himself upon his feet and began to walk around the post. They next put burning sticks at him, as usual, but he seemed more insensible to pain than before. Knight, whose recital has been followed, was now taken away from the dreadful scene. It was a tradition among the Indians that Craw-

ford breathed his last just at the going down of the sun. After he died-so runneth tra- dition-the fagots were heaped together, his body placed upon them, and around his smoking and charred remains danced the delighted sav- ages for many hours. Crawford's melancholy death fell like a knell upon the settlements. Heart-rending was the anguish of his lonely wife at his cabin on the banks of the Youghio- gheny."

The aid of Col. Crawford in the Sandusky campaign-John Rose-was a foreigner, who had come to the United States some years be- fore. His story was that, sympathizing with the colonies in their struggle with the mother country, he had resolved to volunteer his serv- ices in the cause of liberty. He was fine looking, spoke the French language fluently, was highly educated, and was undoubtedly a man of high rank. He made many warm per- sonal friends, among whom was Gen. William Irvine, the Commander of the Western Depart- ment, at whose house he was always a welcome visitor. His polished and agreeable manners made him conspicuous wherever he moved. He was sent by Gen. Irvine to act as Crawford's aid in the Sandusky campaign. In 1784, he returned to the old world, and, soon afterward, wrote to Irvine, giving his true history. His name was not John Rose, but Gustavus H. de Rosenthal, of Livonia, Russia-a Baron of the Empire. He left his country because of having killed a nobleman in a duel, caused by a blow the latter had inflicted on an aged uncle in his presence. Thus, the gallant soldier on the Sandusky Plains, the hero of Olentangy and Battle Island, was none other than Baron Rosen- thal, of Russia.

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CHAPTER III.

EARLY SETTLEMENT BY THE WHITES-ORIGIN AND ORGANIZATION OF CRAWFORD COUNTY- TERRITORIAL CHANGES-COUNTY BUILDINGS-JOHNNY APPLESEED.

T THE pioneers who made the early white set- tlements of Ohio, came from the south and east, following close upon the steps of the re- treating savages. The hardy sons of toil, who had wrested the fair lands of Western Pennsyl- vania and Kentucky from the Indian, turned their backs upon this, and pressed forward to the Ohio River, eager to cross and possess the lands beyond. Here, for a time, the savage defense of the natives delayed the fatal tide, until at last, overwhelmed and beaten from the south, they withdrew to the Maumee Valley. By a treaty made at Greenville, August 3, 1795, the Indians ceded the whole of the State, save that portion included within a line drawn from the mouth of the Cuyahoga River to Fort Lau- rens, the present site of Bolivar, in Tuscarawas County, and thence west, with the line known as the Greenville Treaty Line or Indian Bound- ary. It was not many years before the vast wilderness, thus thrown open to peaceable settle- ment, was everywhere dotted with the cabin of the pioneer, and the squatter, the advance guard of the pioneer hosts, was again upon the Indian border. In 1807, a further cession was made by the Indians of that part of their territories, which was included between the line of the Cuyahoga River and a new one, drawn from a point on the southern shore of Lake Erie, be- tween the mouth of Sandusky Bay and Portage River, to a point due south on the Boundary line, a point just a little east of the village of Cardington, in Morrow County. This line passed through what is now Crawford County, on the western boundary of the Three Mile Strip, represented in its width in this county by Sandusky Township. In 1813, the army, under Gen. Crook, starting from Pittsburgh to

join the forces of Gen. Harrison at Fort Meigs, traversed this territory from Wooster through Mansfield, Bucyrus and Upper Sandusky, thenee northerly to their destination. This was the first road made through the country west of Mansfield, and this event, not only served to open up the territory, but brought it to the ob- servation of many who were not slow to sound the praises of this country through which the army passed. Richland County, which extended to the eastern border of Three Mile Strip, was rapidly settling up, and that restless portion of her population, which is found in every pioneer community, longing for newer scenes and plen- tier game, began to move over into the newly opened territory. On September 29, 1817, by a treaty made at the foot of the Maumee Rapids, the whole of the remaining portion of the State, under Indian domination, was ceded to the United States, and immigration, greatly stimu- lated by the news of the " New Purchase," be- gan to pour in. On the 20th of February, 1820, the General Assembly of the State passed an act for the " erection of certain counties " out of the vast tract of wilderness thus acquired, and Crawford was the seventh in order out of fourteen thus created.

The country, which thus invited immigration, presented every variety of surface. In the lower part of the county, south and west of the Sandusky River, though seldom touching its banks, stretched out the great Sandusky Plains ; north of the river, extended an immense cran- berry marsh, that furnished the natives their principal stock in trade with the whites. In the northern and eastern parts of the territory, marshes of greater or less extent were every- where found. In the northern part of Cran-

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berry and Auburn Townships, the Government Surveyor planted his stakes from a canoe, and describes the country in his notes as the most " abandoned and God-forsaken " of any he had met with in a long surveying experience. But in all parts of the county, save on the plains, the land was covered with a dense growth of heavy timber,

" Where the rude ax with heaved stroke Was never heard the nymphs to daunt.'

The character of this country in 1821 is thus described by an early settler : "The Indians had been accustomed to bring cranber- ries East, when we first came to Richland County. We could often see ten to twenty horses, loaded with cranberries put in bark boxes, which were tied together and swung over the horses' backs, following each other east, each horse led by an Indian in single file. Our curiosity was, of course, raised to know where these cranberries grew. So in the fall of the year 1821, my father-in-law, John Brown, Michael Brown, myself and a Mr. Jacob Miller, who had moved in our neighborhood from Pennsylvania, started on a trip to see whether we could find out where the cranberries grew. We took our horses, horse feed, etc., and started in a southwesterly direction, until we struck the Pennsylvania army road, then followed the route, which we could clearly distinguish. After passing along said route for several miles, we thought we were not getting far enough to the north, and, therefore, turning further north, struck the Sandusky River cast of Bucyrus. As we came to the stream, we heard a man chopping wood a little further up the river. I told the men that there were Indians around, or else some white man had got in here. We rode up the river and found Daniel McMichael, a man whom I had seen before. He looked rather scared, but knew me as soon as I came close to him. He had come there in the spring and put up a little cabin, where he and his

family resided. He gave us directions and accompanied us a little distance, showing us the old Indian trail, which would lead to the cranberry marsh. We followed it until we reached our destination about sunset. After tying and feeding our horses, we started into the marsh for cranberries, Mr. Miller walking behind, with his head up, expecting to find the fruit on bushes. An incautious step plunged him into a hole up to his waist, while he screamed for help, declaring that the bottom of the marsh had fallen out. We camped out that night. We saw several Indian camp-fires dur- ing the night, and heard several screaming, but were not molested. The next morning we gath- ered as many cranberries as our horses could carry, in a short time, the ground being literally covered with them. We left, perhaps, at 9 o'clock in the morning, passing back to Mr McMichael's, and then home, where we arrived late in the night. During this trip we saw no living man, except McMichael and his family, and no sign of any settlement from the time we started until our return. As long as we followed the army road, the weeds were as high as the horses' heads, and from there the country was heavily timbered. We concluded this country would never be settled."*

As in the early settlement of almost every new country, there were two classes of pioneers that left a more or less durable impress upon the earlier settlements of Crawford County. Held back from settlement by treaties with the natives until the tide of population beat against the barriers, this section was peculiarly fitted for the occupation of the squatter element, that knew no law but its own convenience, and feared no danger that freed it of the irksome restraint of civilization. "The improvements of a back-woodsman (squatter) were usually confined to building a rude log cabin, clearing and fencing a small piece of ground for raising

* Personal Recollections of James Nail, in Bucyrus Forum, January 24. 1874.

of Monnet

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Indian corn; a horse, a cow, a few hogs and some poultry, comprise his live stock ; and his further operations are performed with his rifle. The formation of a settlement in his neighbor- hood is hurtful to the success of his favorite pursuit, and is the signal for his removing into more remote parts of the wilderness. In case of his owning the land on which he is settled, he is content to sell at a low price, and his establishment, though trifling, adds much to the comfort of his successor. The next class of settlers differs from the former, in having considerably less dependence on the killing of game, in remaining in the midst of a growing population, and in devoting themselves more to agriculture. A man of this class proceeds on small capital ; he either enlarges the clearings begun in the woods by his back-woodsman pre- decessor, or establishes himself on a new site. On his arrival in a settlement, the neighbors unite in assisting him to erect a cabin for the reception of his family ; some of them cut down the trees, others drag them to the spot with oxen, and the rest build up the logs. In this way a house is commonly reared in a day. For this well-timed assistance, no payment is made, and he acquits himself by working for his neighbors. It is not in his power to hire laborers, and he must depend, therefore, on his own exertions. If his family is numerous and industrions, his progress is greatly accelerated. He does not clear away the forest by dint of labor, but girdles the trees. By the second summer after this operation is performed, the foliage is completely destroyed, and his crops are not injured by the shade. Hle plants an orchard, which thrives abundantly under every sort of neglect. His live stock soon becomes much more numerous than that of his back- woods predecessor; but, as his cattle have to shift for themselves in the woods, where grass is scanty, they are small and lean. He does not sow grass seed to succeed his crops, so that his land, which ought to be pasturage, is over-

grown with weeds. The neglect of sowing grass seeds deprives him of hay; and he has no fodder laid up, except the blades of Indian corn, which are much withered, and do not ap- pear to be nutritious food. The poor animals are forced to range the forests in winter, where they can scarcely procure anything which is green, except the buds of the underwood, on which they browse. These are sometimes cut down that the cattle may eat the buds. Want of shelter in the winter completes the sum of misery. Hogs suffer famine during the droughts of summer, and the frosts and snows of winter ; but they become fat by feeding on the acorns and beech-nuts which strew the ground in autumn. Horses are not exempted from their share in these common sufferings, with the addition of labor, which most of them are not very able to undergo. * * * The set- tler, of the grade under consideration, is only able to bring a small portion of his land into cultivation ; his success, therefore, does not so much depend upon the quantity of produce which he raises, as on the gradual increase in the value of his property. When the neigh- borhood becomes more populous, he, in general, has it in his power to sell his property at a high price, and to remove to a new settlement, where he can purchase a more extensive tract of land, or commence farming on a larger scale than formerly. The next occupier is a capitalist, who immediately builds a larger barn than the former, and then a brick or frame house. IIe either pulls down the dwelling of his predeces- sor, or converts it into a stable. He erects better fences, and enlarges the quantity of enl. tivated land, sows down pasture fields, intro- duces an improved breed of horses, cattle, sheep, and these, probably, of the merino breed ; lie fattens cattle for the market, and perhaps erects a flour-mill, or a saw-mill, or a distillery. Farmers of this description are frequently part- ners in the banks, members of the State Assem- bly, or of Congress, or Justices of the Peace.

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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

The condition of the people has, necessarily, some relation to the age and prosperity of the settlements in which they live. In the earliest settlements of Ohio, the first and second rate farmers are most numerous, and are mixed to- gether. The three conditions of settlers de- scribed, are not to be understood as uniformly distinct, for there are intermediate stages, from which individuals of one class pass, as it were, into another. The first invaders of the forest frequently become farmers of the second order ; and there are examples of individuals, acting their parts in all the three gradations."*

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History of Crawford County and Ohio, Part 33

Author: Perrin, William Henry, [from old catalog] comp; Battle, J. H., [from old catalog] comp; Goodspeed, Weston Arthur, 1852- [from old catalog] comp; Baskin & Battey, Chicago, pub. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Chicago, Baskin & Battey Number of Pages: 1034

Author: Perrin, William Henry, [from old catalog] comp; Battle, J. H., [from old catalog] comp; Goodspeed, Weston Arthur, 1852- [from old catalog] comp; Baskin & Battey, Chicago, pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Baskin & Battey
Number of Pages: 1034