USA > Ohio > Fayette County > History of Fayette County : together with historic notes on the Northwest, and the State of Ohio, gleaned from early authors, old maps and manuscripts, private and official correspondence, and all other authentic sources > Part 20
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201
VIRGINIA MILITARY SURVEY.
should be considered the western boundary. The commissioners of the United States were met by those of Virginia, at Xenia, on the 26th day of October, 1812, and proceeded to ascertain the sources of the two rivers and to run the line. They employed a Mr. Charles Roberts to survey and mark a line from the source of one river to that of the other. This line is called Roberts' line, and is drawn from the source of the Little Miami to the source of the Scioto. The Virginia commissioners refused to accede to this, and claimed, as has been stated before, that the line should be drawn from the source of the Scioto to the mouth of the Little Miami. On the 11th day of April, 1818, congress passed an act, declaring that from the Little Miami to the Indian boundary line, established by the Greenville treaty, Ludlow's line should be considered as the west- ern boundary of the military reserve. This, however, was the act of only one party to the contract, and did not necessarily determine the boundary. But the subsequent decision of the Supreme Court of the United States, made in 1824, based upon the language in the act of cession defining the phrase, "good lands to be laid off between the Rivers Scioto and Little Miami," to mean the whole country from their sources to their mouths, bounded on either side by said rivers. It would be clear from this decision that the most direct line from the source of one to the source of the other would com- plete the boundary. This decision of the Supreme Court practical- ly settled the question, and the Ludlow line to the Indian bound- ary, and the Roberts line from the Indian boundary, together with a portion of the Indian line itself, became the established boundary line of the Virginia Military District between the sources of the Scioto and Little Miami rivers. The Ludlow line begins at the source of the Little Miami River, in the northeast corner of Madi- son Township, Clarke County, a little more than three miles cast by north from South Charleston, at a point on the Columbus and Xenia Railroad, about a half a mile southwest of the point where the road crosses the county line, and extends north by west through Champaign County, passing about five miles east of Urbana. In Logan County, it runs through the eastern part of Bellefontaine, and strikes the Indian boundary line in the northeast corner of Harrison Township, about three and a half miles north by west from Bellefontaine. From this terminus of the Ludlow line, the Indian boundary line extends west by south along the northern border of Harrison Township, about four miles, to the Roberts line.
202
HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY.
This Roberts line begins about one and a half miles east of the northwest corner of Harrison Township, and extends north by west, through the middle of Lewiston Reservoir, to a point in a swampy or marshy region, about a mile and three-fourths south by cast from the center of Wayne Township, in the southeastern part of Auglaize County. Here the line makes very nearly a right angle, and extends in a direction east by north about two miles and a half to the eastern limit of Goshen Township, where it terminates in the Scioto River. The original Roberts line must have begun at, or very near, the beginning of the Ludlow line, but its bearing was so far to the west that it ran a little to the west of the Scioto's source. The Ludlow line, on the other hand, did not bear enough to the west. It ran a little to the east of the source. It was proper, therefore, that a part of both lines, in the absence of a third survey, should have been made the real boundary.
EARLY SETTLEMENT OF THE OHIO VALLEY.
The spirit of adventure with which nature has endowed the hu- man species, nowhere manifests itself so conspicuously as in those men of iron muscle, resolute will and indomitable energy, who left forever the abode of peace and plenty, and encountered all the dan- gers and endured the privations incident to the opening of new homes in the solitudes of the untrodden wilderness.
A strange infatuation seems to impel man to seek new fields of adventure, and the greater the danger the stronger the impulse seems to be to meet and conquer it. This, in conjunction with seductive hope, though so often realizing the words of Pope, "that man never is but always to be blessed," conduces very materially to the ad- vancement of civilization, and when we take into consideration the cosmopolitan nature of man, we need not wonder that no part of the world, how wild and uninviting soever, remains inviolate. It was this, coupled with cupidity, that led the cruel Pizarro to the subjugation of the Incas of Peru, Cortez to the bloody struggles with the Aztecs, the conquest of Mexico and the extinction of the Montezumas.
The beautiful scenery, fertility of soil and many other advan- tages with which nature had unsparingly endowed this charming locality, early attracted the eye of the speculator; in addition to which the country had been previously traversed by the soldiers in
203
VIRGINIA MILITARY SURVEY.
the early Indian campaigns, who, observing the luxuriant growth of vegetation and many natural advantages here presented, related fabulous accounts of the picturesque features of the Indian posses- sions. All kinds of fish abounded in the streams, along whose banks many fur bearing animals made their homes, while the for- ests teemed with deer, and the gobble of the wild turkey blending inharmoniously with the drum of the pheasant and the shrill whis- tle of the partridge might be heard in the woods from morning till night. Here the hunter and trapper found a paradise. Here he built his cabin and set his traps, and fished in the streams, and hunt- ed in the forests. Here he roasted his venison, broiled his fish and baked his Johnny-cake. For all his pelts and furs, he found a ready market at the English trading house on the Great Miami, and after its destruction in 1752, at Laramie's Store on the creek of the same name, which was the emporium of trade throughout the surrounding country until its destruction in 1782, by General G. R. Clarke.
From the records of history it appears that in the settlement of almost all countries the order seems to be : First, the soldier : sec- ond, the hunter and trapper, the squatter, surveyor, and finally the permanent settler.
The marks of edged tools on the trees in the Ohio Valley, give evidence that this region, calculating from the subsequent growth of rings, was visited by white men as early as 1660, nine years prior to the supposed discovery of the Ohio by LaSalle. Tradition also imforms us that in the year 1742, one John Howard sailed down the Ohio in a canoe made of a buffalo skin, and was captured . on the Mississippi by the French. The French, however, as early as 1749, controlled the trade of this country and sought to establish their title by planting plates of metal at the mouth of every prin- cipal stream emptying into the Ohio; one of which was found at the mouth of the Muskingum, bearing date August 16, 1749, a particular account of which, by De Witt Clinton, may be found in Am. Ant. Soc., 535. But this puerile attempt utterly failed ; and in the same year the English built a trading house on the Great Mi- ami at the mouth of Laramie's Creek, called Pickawillany. The French, jealous of English intrusion, erected a line of fortifications along the Ohio and towards the lakes, and in 1752 demanded of the Twigtwees the surrender of the trading post mentioned above, which being refused, they, in conjunction with the Ottawas and
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HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY.
Chippewas, captured and destroyed it, killed fourteen Indians and carried the English to Canada. and even burned some at the stake. These traders were supposed to have been from Pennsylvania, from the fact that in Dr. Franklin's history of the same he mentions that this State sent the Twigtwees a gift of condolence for those slain in defense of Pickawillany. Although this battle was participated in by two nationalities, no more serious results flowed from it than a series of diplomatic maneuverings with a view to securing the permanent possession of the debatable lands.
EARLY SURVEYING.
As a matter of special interest, we shall give a brief description of the manner of obtaining, locating, and surveying the territory which we now occupy.
The military warrant upon which the entries were made, were issued by Virginia as bounties to her officers and soldiers of the continental line, as well as to General George R. Clarke and his army, and which entitled the holder to the number of acres named therein. These were filed with the principal surveyor, who was paid for receiving them.
The first step towards obtaining land by warrant is by entry, or . the appropriation of a specified quantity of land by the owner of the warrant. The next step is the survey, which designates the land by metes and bounds. Surveys were returned to the chief surveyor, with a plat of the land and boundary lines, signed by the deputy surveyor, who executed it, as well as by the chainmen and markers, which was recorded, and together with the sealed certifi- cate of the surveyor and the warrant, were delivered to the owner, who could then obtain a patent from the President of the United States.
The plan of Massie in securing himself against surprises from savages during his labors, is described by Colonel McDonald thus :
Three assistant surveyors, with himself making the fourth, were generally engaged at the same time in making surveys. To each surveyor was detailed six men, which made a mess of seven. Every man had his prescribed duty to perform. Their plan of opera- tions was somewhat thus: In front went the hunter, who kept in advance of the surveyor two or three hundred yards, looking for game, and prepared to give notice should any danger from Indians
205
EARLY SURVEYING.
threaten. Then followed, after the surveyor, the two chainmen, marker, and pack-horse men with the baggage, who always kept near each other, prepared for defence in case of an attack. Lastly, two or three hundred yards in the rear came a man called the spy, whose duty it was to keep on the back track, and look out lest the party in advance might be pursued or attacked by surprise. Each man, the surveyor included, carried his rifle, blanket, and such other articles as were necessary on such an occasion. On the pack- horse was carried the cooking utensils and provisions that could be conveniently taken. Nothing like bread was thought of. Some salt was taken, to be used sparingly. For subsistence they depend- ed solely on the game which the woods afforded, procured by their own rifles. Thus was the larger number of the surveys made in the Virginia district, and thus was the territory of Fayette sur- veyed.
EARLY SURVEYORS.
In the winter and spring of 1787, Major John O'Bannon and. Arthur Fox, two enterprising surveyors of Kentucky, explored the Virginia reservation with a view to making entries so soon as the law would permit. They traversed along the Ohio, Scioto and Mi- ami rivers, as well as many of their tributaries. August 1, 1787, Col. R. C. Anderson, chief surveyor, opened a land office, and short- ly after large portions of the bottom lands of the Ohio, Scioto and Little Miami were entered. These entries were in violation of the deed of cession by which it was provided that the deficiencies of lands southwest of the Ohio should be ascertained and stated to congress. This prohibition was removed in 1790, and entries be-, came valid. This region was now greatly coveted, yet many difli- culties were in the way-Indian wars, high price of lands, and ex- orbitant prices required by surveyors.
The pioneer surveyor in this district was Nathaniel Massie, then twenty-seven years old. He had been in Colonel Anderson's office, and was familiar with the details of the business. He had also been in the West for six years. In 1790 he entered into an agree- ment with certain parties for the settlement of Manchester. Col. R. C. Anderson, the principal surveyor of the Virginia military lands, had control of the land warrants placed in his hands for en- try by his companions in arms. A large number of these he gave
206
HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY.
to Massie to survey and enter upon such terms as he could arrange with holders. The dangers to be encountered and the desire to lo- cate the best lands enhanced the value of his services, and he there- fore was enabled to retain one-third or one-half of the lands lo- cated, for his fees.
In 1793 he made an expedition to the Scioto, an enterprise beset with dangers appalling to any other save the intrepid man who de- termined to face them. Employing about thirty men, and choosing John Beasley, Nathaniel Beasley and Peter Lee as assistant sur- veyors, and Duncan McArthur as chainman, he, in the month of October, procured canoes, set out on the perilous undertaking, and proceeded up the Ohio to the mouth of the Scioto, up that river to the mouth of Paint Creek, where they began operations; and sur- veys were made along the Scioto as far as Westfall, on the main and north branches of Paint Creek, and Ross and Pickaway were explored and partially surveyed. In 1793-4 he resumed his work, and explored Paint and Clear creeks to their sources. It seems that no surveys were made at this time, the sole object being to obtain a correct knowledge of the geography and topography of the country. Having thus made himself acquainted with the country, in the winter of 1794-5 he organized a strong body to prosecute the surveying enterprise on an extensive scale. The same assistants were again employed, and fully armed and equipped to contend with the Indians if need be, the party set out from Manchester, taking the route of Logan's trace, halting at a spot on Todd's fork of the Little Miami, called the "Deserted Camp," where they began surveying, moving along the Miami to Oldtown, in Greene Coun- ty, from which they surveyed along Massie's and Cæsar's creeks .nearly to the present line of Fayette. It is said that during this expedition, which was in the winter, the party were without bread for thirty days. A pint of flour was each day given to the mess to thicken the broth in which meat had been boiled. The snow fell to the depth of eight or ten inches. When no immediate danger threatened, these men assembled around the camp fire at night. When night approached, four fires-one for each mess-were made for cooking, around which, till sleeping time arrived, the company passed the hours in social glee, singing songs and telling stories. When danger was not imminent or apparent, they were as merry a set of meu as ever assembled. Resting time arriving, Massie al- ways gave the signal and the whole party would then leave their
207
FIRST SURVEYS.
comfortable fires, carrying their blankets, firearms and baggage, and walk in perfect silence two or three hundred yards from the old camp, scrape away the snow and huddle down for the night. Each mess formed one bed, spreading on the ground one-half of the blankets, reserving the other half for covering, which were fast- ened together by skewers to prevent them from slipping off. Thus prepared, the whole party, with their rifles in their arms and their pouches for pillows, crouched down, spoon fashion, with three heads one way and four the other, their feet extending to abont the mid- dle of their bodies, one nearly solid mass, so that when one turned all turned, or the close range would be broken and the cold let in. In this way they lay till broad daylight, no noise nor scarce a whis- per being uttered during the night. . When it was perfectly 'light, Massie would call up two of the men in whom he had the most con- fidence, and send them on a reconnoitering circuit around the fires, lest an ambuscade might have been formed by the Indians to de- stroy the party as they returned to them. Thus were made the original surveys, thus were the dangers met and overcome, thus was the country wrested from the hand of nature and the initial steps taken toward the perfect development of the present.
FIRST SURVEY IN FAYETTE COUNTY.
The first portion of land entered within the territory of what is now Fayette County, was a part of survey Nos. 243 and 772 in one tract, lying partly in Clinton, extending in a triangle into Fayette, southwest of No. 6,623, in the southwestern part of Concord.
The next is a part of No. 428, extending into the extreme south- eastern part of the county, and the first survey lying wholly within the county is No. 463, in the northern and eastern part of what is now Madison Township, surveyed for Thomas Overton by John O'Bannon, June 30, 1796; John Hamilton and Joshua Dodson, chain carriers, and Edward Mosby, marker. This tract contained 1,3333 acres, and was a part of military warrant No. 44. It was lo- cated northwest of the Ohio on Deer Creek, a branch of the Scioto, "Beginning at three white oaks and an elm, southwest corner to James Currie's survey (471) running east 320 poles, crossing Deer Creek at 148 poles to a hickory and two black oaks, southeast cor- ner to Currie, thence south 8, west 597 poles, crossing the ereek at 174 poles to a stake, thence north 16, east 615 to the beginning."
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HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY.
NUMBERING OF SURVEYS.
In examining a map of the Virginia Military District, the irreg- ularity of the surveys will be observed, while on the west side of the Little Miami they are regular. All the public lands outside the military district were surveyed regularly, according to act of con- gress passed May 18, 1796. By this act a surveyor general was appointed, whose duty it was, by himself and through deputies, to survey the unreserved and unpatented public lands, by running north and south lines according to the true meridian, and east and west, crossing the former at right angles, so as to form townships each six miles square, and sections each one mile square. On the other hand, lands within the military district were not surveyed pursuant to any order of government at any particular time, nor in accordance with any definite plan.
The land was entered by persons holding land warrants, issued by the State of Virginia to her soldiers in the continental army, and in the army of General George Rodgers Clarke. In the ma- ' jority of cases the original owners of these warrants did not them- selves enter the lands, but other parties purchasing them, in many instances one person purchasing a number of them, located the aggregate amount in one or more tracts in whatever part of the territory he chose, provided it had not been previously entered. It was necessary only that it should be surveyed by a surveyor reg- ularly and legally authorized to perform this work. These sur- veys were numbered in the order in which the tracts of land surveyed were entered, the survey taking its number from the entry. It frequently occurs that a survey having a higher number was made at a much earlier date than that having a lower number; but in every case the tract having the lower number was entered first. Thus, survey No. 463 was surveyed June 30, 1796, while sur- vey No. 932 was surveyed March 18, 1794, nearly two years prior to No. 463.
By examining a map of this district, it will be observed, also, that some surveys have several numbers. Thus: John Nichols, Nos. 6281 and 6332, in Concord; Nos. 7267, 7657, and 7890, for Wallace; Nos. 6058, 6059, and 7250, for J. Hays, in the northern part of Paint. In these, we observe in the first, two, and in the two latter, three different entries, all surveyed into one tract.
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FIRST SETTLEMENT UPON THE VIRGINIA RESERVATION.
Conversely, we also observe in many cases, the same number of entry surveyed into two tracts. Thus, entry No. 669, of 1,000 acres, was surveyed into two tracts, one of 600, for Daniel Clark, and the other of 400 acres, for James Dougherty, found in the southern part of Wayne Township. These were surveyed by Nathaniel Massie, both on the same day, March 13, 1795; returned to the land office, examined and recorded, the former July 3, the latter July 4, 1795.
In looking over the old records of these surveys, two dates will be noticed; for instance, in No. 463, June 30, 1796, July 8, 1796. The survey when made was dated, then returned to the land office, examined, and recorded at the time of the second date.
FIRST SETTLEMENT UPON THE VIRGINIA RESERVATION.
In the winter of 1790, Nathaniel Massie, in order to be in the center of his surveying operations, determined to make a settlement within the reservation. Accordingly, he offered each of the first twenty-five families in Kentucky, one in and one out lot, and one hundred acres of land, provided they would settle in a town he in- tended laying off. To this proposition more than thirty families acceded. After some consultation, the bottom on the Ohio, oppo- site the lower of the Three Islands, was chosen, the station fixed and laid off into lots, which is now known as Manchester, in Adams County, about twelve miles above Maysville, Kentucky. The only neighboring settlements at this time were Columbia, be- low the mouth of the Little Miami, eight miles from Cincinnati, and the French settlement of Gallipolis, near the mouth of the Great Kanawha.
In the spring of 1795 an abortive attempt to locate a town in this valley, was made by Nathaniel Massie. In March, 1796, an- other party, under the same leader-some going by way of the Ohio, and up the Scioto in boats, while others went by land-met at what is since known as Dutch Station, at the mouth of Paint Creek, and, and on the first of April they began to erect cabins and plant their erops. In the meantime, Massie had selected a location for the town on a large tract of land owned by himself, and containing two hundred and eighty-seven in and one hundred and sixty-nine out lots. After the boundaries of the lots, streets, and alleys were defined by blazing the trees, the embryo city was named Chillicothe.
14
210
HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY.
CAPTURE OF ANDREW ELLISON.
One beautiful spring morning a thrilling incident occurred in the little station of Manchester, which threw the settlement into consternation ; and as the parties concerned belonged to and pass- ed through this region of country, and likely from the route taken through this county, we insert it here :
One morning Ellison went out from the fort to throw some logs to- gether in his little clearing, which he had been burning. When he had about finished, and the heaps began to blaze, he observed, while passing from one to the other, three men approaching him. Sup- posing them to be some of his neighbors he paid no attention to them, although, said he, "they were dark-skinned fellows, I thought they were the Wades, who were dark skinned, going out early to hunt." He continued his work until one of them seized him by the arms and said in broken English, " How do; how do, broder ?" He immediately whirled, and on faeing them to his hor- ror found himself in the clutches of three stalwart Indians. Re- sistance was both useless and dangerous. He therefore quietly submitted to his fate. They hurridly moved off with him in the direction of Paint Creek. In the meantime his breakfast was ready at his cabin, and his wife sent one of the children to sum- mons him. The little fellow searched for his father, but came back without finding him. Supposing he had gone out to kill a deer, no immediate alarm was caused by his absence. Dinner time ar- rived, and his continued absence caused unneasiness to his now anxious wife. His rifle was found hanging in its accustomed place. The alarm increasing, a search was instituted, and the tracks of four men, one of whom wore shoes, was found, leading away from the station, and the awful truth burst upon the poor wife and mother that her husband was a prisoner in the hands of the sav- ages. It was nearly night when this discovery was made, and the party returned to the station. Early the next morning Massie and his party started in pursuit, which, owing to the scarcity of veg- etation, and the percaution of the wily savages to keep on high, hard lands, where their feet would leave little or no impression, was slow and laborious. But Massie and his men were as unerring as well-trained blood-hounds, and followed the trail to Paint Creek, when finding the Indians gaining on them so rapidly that further
211
LIFE IN THE WOODS.
pursuit was useless, they returned to the station. The Indians took their prisoner directly to Upper Sandusky-evidently passing through the territory of this county-where he was compelled to run the gauntlet, and being large and clumsy he received a severe flogging as he passed through the lines. After this he was taken to Lower Sandusky, where he ran the gauntlet again ; then to De- troit, where he was generously ransomed by a British officer, who sent him to Montreal, whence he came home during the summer of the same year.
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