History of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Part 12

Author: Johnson, Crisfield
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.B. Lippincott & Co.
Number of Pages: 716

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ITuron county being attached to Cuyahoga for judi- cial purposes, Omic was brought hither for trial, and the subsequent proceedings in his case are perhaps more clearly remembered by the few survivors of that period, and are more fully detailed in history, than any other events occurring here during the first quarter of this century. There being neither court-house nor jail, the criminal was confined in Major Clarke's ball-room, in charge of the worthy major himself, who was duly deputized for the purpose. He had more influence with the Indians than any one else in the county, and it was doubtless thought there would be less danger of an outbreak on their part if the culprit were under his charge than otherwise, Strong irons were placed on Omie's ankles and fastened by a chain to a joist.

Mrs. Miles, before mentioned, tells of going to see him there, and talking with him. She had been well acquainted with him before he committed his crime, as indeed had almost every one in the vicinity. On the trial Alfred Kelley, the prosecuting attorney and the only lawyer in this county, appeared for the peo- ple, and Peter Hitchcock was assigned as counsel for the prisoner. The evidence of his guilt was clear, the jury brought in a verdict of guilty, and the court sentenced Omie to be hung ou the 26th day of June. 1812.

After his conviction the culprit talked with great unconcern of the coming exeention. He declared that he would show the pale faces how an Indian could die. They need not tie his hands. le would jump off the gallows when his time came without hesitation. Down to the last there was more or less fear of resene by the Indians, many of whom were always around Cleveland. Old Omie, shortly before the execution, came into the house of Dr. Long on Water street, Cleveland, no one being there except

Mrs. Long and her infant child (now Mrs. Severance) who was sleeping in the cradle. The Indian picked up a gun which was standing in the room, Mrs. Long instantly imagined that he was about to kill her or the child, in revenge for the expected execution of his son. Snatching the babe from the cradle, she ran at full speed up Water street, screaming with all her might, while Omie, having laid down the gun. followed more slowly, trying to explain himself in broken English to the panie-stricken woman, Mr. Samnel Williamson, who lived on Water street, took the child from Mrs. Long and went with her to Major Carter's, who was the great authority on all In- dian questions. Omic came up and explained to the major, in Indian, that he only picked up the gun to show Mrs. Long how Semo. the accomplice of John Omic, had killed himself after he was arrested. This was translated by Carter to Mrs. Long and the white men who had gathered around, and then, as Mrs. Long said, they " all had a hearty laugh," though it is doubtful whether the young mother fully enjoyed the humor of the mistake.

At length the day of execution arrived. People came from far and near to witness the scene. Fear- ing a rescue, many brought their arms with them, besides which, a battalion of militia was ordered out under Major Samuel Jones. The major was a fine-looking man, in full uniform, with large gold epaulets and well-plumed cocked hat, but the management of a few companies of militia severely tasked his military skill. lle drew them up in front of Carter's hotel, and Omic was brought forth and seated on his coffin, in a wagon painted black for the occasion. After religions services, conducted by the Rev. Mr. Darrow, of Trumbull county, Major Jones undertook to surround the wagon and the officials which accompanied it with his battalion, but was unable to accomplish his object. After waiting a reasonable time, while the major galloped back and forth, shouting forth all sorts of orders but the right ones, Sheriff Baldwin moved forward with the pro- cession, Some one then suggested to the major that he march his men by the right flank to the gallows, and double his line around it, which he accordingly did

Omic kept up his bravado almost to the last, and rode to the gallows, as Mrs. Miles says, keeping time to the music by drumming on his coffin. When they arrived at the place of execution, which was near the northwest corner of the public square, Sheriff Bald- win, Major Carter and Omie mounted the gallows. The culprit's arms were loosely fastened together at the elbows, and a rope with a loop in it was put around his neck. From the top-piece above swung another rope, with an iron hook at the end, to which the first rope was fastened. Major Carter descended from the gallows and the sheriff drew the black cap down over Omic's face. Then, at length, all the culprit's bravado deserted him. He was, said Hon. Elisha Whittlescy in a statement published by his nephew, Col. Whit-

GENERAL HISTORY OF CUYAIIOGA COUNTY.

tlesey, the most frightened man, "rational or irra- tional," that he ever saw. He bent down his head, seized the rope with his loosely-pinioned right hand, stepped to the nearest post and threw his other arm around it. The sheriff approached, when Omic seized him and seemed likely to throw him from the gallows to the ground.

Major Carter again went upon the gallows, and asked Omie in his native tongue to remember what he had said about showing the palefaces how an In- dian could die, but without effect. At length, how- ever, the culprit said that if he could have a big drink of whisky he would make no more trouble. Carter urged compliance and the sheriff assented. A large tumbler nearly full of "old Monongahela " was soon produced. Omic took the glass and swallowed the liqnor in an instant. He then declared he was ready for death. Carter came down, and the sheriff again drew the black cap over the face of the criminal.

His former terrors immediately returned. Again he reached up his hand and seized the rope, at the same time throwing his other arm around the post and defying the efforts of the sheriff to detach him. He talked rapidly and incoherently in mingled Indian and broken English, declaring that he would return in two days and wreak vengeance on the palefaces. Once more the indefatigable Carter went up to act as interpreter and diplomatist. The sheriff does not seem to have had much nerve or he would have called assistance, wrapped the scoundrel with cords so tight- ly that he could not move, and if necessary thrown him from the gallows. Another disgraceful alterca- tion ensued, and at length Omic gave Major Carter his "word of honor as an Indian " that if he could have one more glorious drink he would submit quiet- ly to his doom. Even to this the sheriff was weak enough to assent. This time, however, the tumbler was not given to the culprit but held to his mouth, and while he was drinking Sheriff Baldwin tightened the rope on his arms, and drew up the one above so that Omic could not go to the post.

The platform was again cleared, but notwithstand- ing all the precautions Omic managed to slip the tin- gers of his right hand between the rope and his neck. The sheriff, however, did not wait for any farther parley but ent the rope which upheld the platform. The man fell the length of his rope, swing to and fro several times, and at length hung quiet.

Meanwhile a storm was seen coming up rapidly from the northwest. It being doubted whether the crim- inal's neck was broken, the rope was drawn up and let suddenly down, when it broke and the body fell heavi- ly to the ground. The dark clouds swept rapidly over the sky, and warning drops of rain began to fall. The body was hastily placed in the coffin, and as hasti- ly deposited in the grave which had been dng near the gallows. Even while this was being done the rain began to pour down in torrents and the crowd swiftly separated to seek for shelter; the militiamen not wait- ing to perform any more evolutions, and the gilt-

edged officers hurrying at the top of their speed to save their ornaments from untimely ruin. The flint- lock muskets of the men were so wet that fifty In- dians with tomahawks could probably have captured the place. The red men, however, never manifested, so far as known, any disposition for revenge.

Nearly all the physicians of the Reserve were present, determined to obtain the body, if possible, for dissection. After dark several of them went to the square, the sheriff conveniently closing his eyes, and took the body from the unfilled grave. Omic was quite fat and heavy, but Dr. Allen, of Trumbull county, volunteered to carry him alone. The body was accordingly placed on the doctor's back, but before he got out of the square he stumbled against a stump and fell to the ground, with his ghastly burden on top of him. ITis companions smothered their laughter for fear of discovery, (it might not have been very pleasant to be discovered by any lingering Indians, ) and assisted to carry the corpse to the place of dissection. It was reported among the citizens, at the time, that some of the physicians said they could easily have restored life after the body was on the dissection table, but this is extremely doubtful, con- sidering the hours that had elapsed since the hanging. The body was dnly disseeted, and the skeleton long remained in the possession of Dr. Long.

Two days later a swift riding expressman galloped into Cleveland, bearing the President's proclamation that on the 18th of June, 1812, war had been declared by the Congress of the United States against the king of Great Britain.

CHAPTER XI. THE WAR OF 1812.

A Quiet but Anxious Beginning-News of Hull's Surrender-Great Excitement -- Reported Approach of Indians-General Alarm -- Prep- arations for Fight-The Watch at Night-An Approaching Vessel- "Who are you"-Prisoners of Hull's Army-A Militia Company -- Copy of its Roll-Captain Gaylord's Riflemen-General Rally of the Militia-Colonel Cass-Obtaining Provisions and Forage-Generals Perkins and Beall-A Succession of Fugitives-Elisha Dibble-His Detachment of Scouts-The Battle of the Peninsula-Building a Conrt-House-Winter-Preparations in the Spring -- Major Jessup- Governor Meigs-Captain Sholes's Regulars-Fort Huntington-Ap- proach of the British Fleet-A Calm-A Storm-A Foraging Party in Euclid-General Harrison-Attack on Fort Meigs-Appearance of Perry's Fleet-The Commander on Shore-Mrs. Stedman's Recollec- tions-Guns and Men of the Fleet -- At work on the Court-Ho ise- A Distant Sound-"It's Perry's Guns"-Off to the Lake Shore- Listening-" Hurrah for Perry" -- News of Victory-General Exulta- tion-Harrison's Victory Harrison and Perry at Cleveland-Disturb- ing News-Quiet through 1814-Incorporation of Cleveland-Peace.

FOR the first two months after the declaration of war there was not much more excitement than during the previous two months, when the people were only expecting it. The militia were frequently called out for drill, arms and munitions were issued, and many anxious eyes were often turned toward the lake; for none could be sure but that at any moment a British armed vessel might approach off the coast, and land a force of invaders or a party of maranders. Many

THE WAR OF 1812.

ears listened nervously, too, to every blast that swept through the western forest, uncertain whether some ferocious band of Indians might not make their way past the American outposts, and enter on a crusade of cruelty among the people of the frontier. It was gen- erally believed, however, that the forces gathering under General Van Rensselaer on the Niagara ,and under General Hull at Detroit, would soon take pos- session of the upper peninsula of Canada, opposite this county, and thus relieve the people here of all farther anxiety in regard to danger from that quarter.

Expressmen almost daily galloped back and forth along the lake shore; those from the west bearing news successively of the increase of Hull's army, of its advance into Canada, and then of its retreat to the American shore, where, however, it was believed to be amply able to defeat any force which could be brought against it. But shortly after the 16th of August a messenger came dashing into Cleveland from the west, bearing the terrible news that on that day General Hull had surrendered his whole force to the British and their Indian allies, who might be expected at any moment to attack the defenceless inhabitants on the south shore of Lake Erie. Instantly all was excite- ment and anxiety. Expresses were sent out in vari- ous directions to notify the people, and also to Major General Wadsworth at Canfield, (now Mahoning county, ) to beg for the aid of the militia.

Within twenty-four hours another messenger brought the news that the British and Indians were actually approaching ; their vessels had been seen near Huron ; nay, as near as he could learn, they had landed in that locality, and the massacre of the peo- ple had actually commenced. Then indeed there w: g dismay on every side. Many doubted the correctness of the information, but few desired to run the risk of proving its falsity. A large proportion of the people of Cleveland set forth, in all haste, along the forest roads which led through Euclid and Newburg to safer regions. The bolder men sent off their families, and themselves seized their arms, ready to do battle with the invading foe. Mrs. Walworth, Mrs. Dr. Long and one or two other ladies, however. peremptorily refused to leave. If they could do nothing else they eould nurse the wounded in case of battle, and at all hazards they would stay by their husbands.

As the alarm spread through the county, it grew more intense with every mile of advance. The roads were soon crowded with ox-wagons and horse-wagons, with travelers on horseback and travelers on foot. Here could be seen a clumsy cart in which had been thrown a feather-bed, two or three iron pots, all the crockery of the family, a side of bacon and a bag of corn meal; on top of which were a frightened matron and half a dozen tow-headed children, while the father of the family applied his long "gad " with unflinching energy to the backs of the himbering cattle, which were moving altogether too slowly to suit so desperate an emergency. Swiftly passing there would be seen a woman on horseback, with one child

before and another behind, while scores of men, wo- men and children, blessed with neither horses nor oxen, were trudging wearily on foot, trembling every moment lest the dread war-whoops of the savages should be heard in their rear. In the midst of all these, however, were to be seen some brave men, with muskets and ritles on their shoulders, hastening rapidily to Cleveland to aid in repelling the foe.

These, united with the little squad of Clevelanders, made up in the course of the day a company of thirty or forty men. As night came on, they posted sentinels along the water's edge, and then lay down with their clothes on in the nearest deserted dwell- ings, to await the result. Hour after hour passed, and nanght occurred to renew the alarm of the day. But soon after midnight the sentinels quietly gave warn- ing to their comrades. The latter sprang up, ad- justed their powder-horns and bullet-pouches, ex- amined the locks of their weapons, and hastened silently to the mouth of the river. Sure enough; through the darkness of the night the white sails and black hull of a vessel could be seen approaching from the west, and shaping her course toward the usual landing-place.

There were few vessels on the lake then and these had mostly been taken for hostile purposes, so the ap- proach of a ship from the west at that hour of the night looked sufficiently suspicious, and the sceptics began to think there might be something serious ahead. A line of determined men was formed a short distance from the landing place, and thirty old tire- locks were cocked as the vessel came steadily onward.

" Ilello," cried a sentinel, in unmilitary but con- venient formula, " who are you?"

"An American vessel," was the reply, "with pa- roled prisoners of Hull's army."

The little company gave vent to their intense relief by a general shout, then " broke ranks" without wait- ing for orders, and were soon fraternizing with the newcomers, and joining them in cursing General Hull with the utmost good will. Many of the paroled men were wounded, and Murray's store was turned into a hospital.

A company of mihtia was speedily called out from what now constitutes the city of Cleveland, and the towns of East Cleveland, Euclid, Newburg and per- haps some others. A copy of the company-roll, ob- tained from Washington, is on file among the records of the Western Reserve Historical Society, and we transcribe it here.

Captain, Harvey Murray; lieutenant, Lewis Dille; ensign, Alfred Kelley; sergeants, Ebenezer Green, Simeon Moss, Thomas Hamilton, Seth Doan; corpor- als, James Root, John Lauterman, Asa Dille, Martin G. Shelhouse; drummer, David S. Tyler; fifer, Ro- dolphus Carlton; privates, Aretus Burk, Allen Burk, Charles Brandon, John Bishop, Moses Bradley, Silas Burk, Sylvester Beacher, James S. Bills, John Carl- ton, Mason Clark, Anthony Doyle, Luther Dille, Samuel Dille, Samuel Dodge, Moses Eldred, Samuel

GENERAL HISTORY OF CUYAHOGA COUNTY.

Evarts, Ebenezer Fish, Zebulon R. S. Freeman, Rob- ert Harberson, Daniel S. Judd, Jackson James, John James, Stephen King. Guy Lee, Jacob Mingus, Thomas Melrath, William MeConkey, Samnel Noyes, David Reed, John Sweeney, Parker Shadrick, Luther Sterns, Bazaleel Thorp, John Taylor, Thomas Thom- as, Hartman Van Duzen, Joseph Williams, Matthew Williamson, John Wrightman, William White, Jo- seph Burk, Robert Prentice, Benjamin Ogden.

These went into service on the 22d of August, 1812, and remained in service until the 14th of De- cember of the same year. They do not, however, ap- pear to have been very closely contined to their mili- tary duties; for at the time the roll in question was made out not less than twenty-two out of the fifty- six officers and men were marked "absent on fur- longh," besides eight absent sick.

Another company, raised principally at Newburg and vicinity, and composed of riflemen, was com- manded by Captain Allen Gaylord of that town, but the roll has not been preserved.

Although the first great alarm had proved un- founded, yet there was no knowing when an invasion might occur either by lake or land, and the efforts to put the country in readiness for such an event were strenuously continued. General Wadsworth, after ordering all the militia of his division into the field, started from Canfield on the 23d day of August, with a company of horsemen as escort. Passing through Hudson, Bedford and Newburg, and endeavoring to allay the apprehensions of the hundreds of frightened people whom he met, he rode into Cleveland with his horsemen about four o'clock in the afternoon of the 24th; to the great joy of the few men assembled there. Other militia soon followed, and so far as numbers were concerned there were enough to con- front the whole British army on the frontier.

Benjamin Tappen and Elsha Whittlesey, both subsequently very distinguished men in the councils of the nation, were General Wadsworth's aids. The same evening that the detachment just mentioned arrived at Cleveland, Colonel Lewis Cass, afterwards General Cass, the celebrated statesman, came to the same point from Detroit. Having been in command of a regiment under llull, he was bitterly indignant at the surrender, and never failed to denounce the cowardly general in the most virulent terms. He was on his way to Washington on military business, and was accompanied from Cleveland by ex-Governor Huntington, of Painesville, who had hastened to his former home at the first note of danger.

The last named gentleman bore a letter from General Wadsworth to the war department, in which he stated that he had called out three thousand men, but that they were largely destitute of arms, ammuni- tion and equipments, and that it would even be ditlient to feed them. He urged the department to give him aid, but did not wait for it to come. He appointed three commissioners of supplies, to pur- chase provisions and forage from the people, who,

trusting in the good faith of the government, sold as cheaply as for coin. The commissioners gave cer- titicates stating the quantity and value of the article furnished, and promising to pay for it when the government should remit the necessary funds.

Many of the frightened people had gone east, abandoning their crops on the ground or in barns. These were taken by the commissioners, appraised, and the owners credited with the value. Fatigue parties of soldiers harvested the crops and hanled them to camp, and the owners were afterwards remunerated for them.

On the 26th of Angust Brigadier General Simon Perkins arrived at Cleveland with a large body of militia. General Wadsworth seut him forward to Iluron with a thousand men, to build block-houses and protect the inhabitants. General Reazin Beall was soon after sent westward with another body of troops on a similar errand. General Wadsworth soon received dispatches from Washington, endorsing his course, urging vigorous action and promising sup- port. The major general himself soon went westward with nearly all the rest of his men; being first under command of General Winchester, and afterwards of the hero of Tippecanoe, General William H. Harrison.

The same circumstance was noticeable here as at other points on the frontier, and at other times as well as at this one; nearly all the inhabitants for a long distance back from the scene of trouble thought they must move, but were apparently satisfied by the act of moving. Thus, while some of the people of Cuyahoga county tled twenty, thirty or forty miles eastward, they found there homes abandoned by those who had gone still farther on. These they could, and often did, occupy: feeling themselves sate in the same places from which others had fled in terror. In like manner, people coming from Huron and beyond thought they had fled far enough when they reached the mouth of the Cuyahoga, and made themselves at home in localities only a few days before abandoned by the previous residents.

Among those who thus came from the west was Elisha Dibble, father of Captain Lewis Dibble, of Cleveland, who brough this wife and eight children; together with another family, in a boat, to Cleveland, shortly after Hull's surrender. His former location had indeed been one of great danger, being on the River Raisin, near the present city of Monroe, Mich- igan, and not far from the scene of the celebrated "massacre of the River Raisin," which took place the sune antumm. On reaching Cleveland he concluded he had gone far enough, and located himself in the house of Rudolphns Edwards, near the present corner of Woodland avenue and Woodland Hills avenue. Being a stirring, energetic man, he determined to raise a detachment of mounted rangers, or scouts, for service against the enemy, and soon accomplished his object: the men being from all parts of the county, and some of them being doubtless, like himself, fugitives from western homes. Captain Dibble marched with

John Crowell

THE WAR OF 1812.

his company to Huron and other endangered localities. He received the thanks of his commander in writing for his efficient service, but contracted a sickness which compelled his return home, where he died the next year.

After General Harrison took command in the Northwest, General Perkins was placed in command of five hundred men and stationed near the month of the Huron, remaining there nearly two months. While there a conflict took place between a detach- ment of General Perkins' men and a force of British and Indians, who had made their way that far east, either on scouting duty or in search of plunder. This is known in local annals as " the battle of the Penin- sula." A portion of the Cuyahoga county men were engaged in it. and the roll of Captain Murray's com- pany shows that one of his men, James S. Hills, was killed in the confliet, and that two others, John Carl- ton and Moses Eldred, were wounded there.

During the season Mr. Samuel Dodge was engaged in building vessels for the government, both in the Cuyahoga and at Erie, Pennsylvania.

Notwithstanding all the din of war, the affairs of peace were not entirely neglected. In the fall or late in the summer of 1812 the county commissioners, Messrs. Wright, Ruggles and Miles, made a contract with Mr. Levi Johnson, a young carpenter of Cleve- land, to build a court-house on the northwest corner of the public square. It was to be of wood, two stories high, and to consist of a jail and jailer's residence in the lower story, and a court-room in the upper one. Mr. Johnson immediately began obtaining the timber, but the building was not raised till the next year.

As winter approached, the war-excitement subsided. Both armies went into winter-quarters, most of the militia was dismissed in December, and only a small guard was maintained at Cleveland.

In the spring of 1813 active preparations for hos- tilities were again made on both sides of the frontier. and Cleveland again became a depot of supplies, and to some extent a rendezvous for troops. Major Thomas S. Jessup, of the regular army, afterwards highly distinguished as General Jessup, was placed in command, though at first he had only a few compa- nies of militia under his charge. Later Hon. Return J. Meigs, governor of Ohio, came to inspect the preparations making for war.

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History of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Part 12

Author: Johnson, Crisfield Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Philadelphia : J.B. Lippincott & Co. Number of Pages: 716

Author: Johnson, Crisfield
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.B. Lippincott & Co.
Number of Pages: 716