History of Greene County, together with historic notes on the northwest and the state of Ohio, Part 18

Author: R. S. Dills
Publication date: 1881
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1037

USA > Ohio > Greene County > History of Greene County, together with historic notes on the northwest and the state of Ohio > Part 18

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1769, it being the point where Braddock's army crossed the Youghio- gheny River in 1755, and where he frequently received the visits of his old friend, General Washington, whose land agent he was. And here he lived when he took command of the ill-fated Sandusky expe- dition. Colonel William Crawford possessed the highest qualities of true manhood, and justly ranked as a hero among the heroes of those heroic times.

"Colonel David Williamson, the ranking officer after the capture of Colonel Crawford, took command of the defeated, demoralized, retreating forces, who were pursued by the victors at least thirty miles, and displayed considerable ability as such, particularly at the battle of Olentangy, which was fought June 6th, during the retreat, at a point now in Whetstone township, Crawford county, about five miles southeasterly from Bucyrus. Colonel Williamson lived in Washington county, Pennsylvania, and died there, after having served it in the capacity of sheriff. I repeat the statement to his credit that he was personally opposed to the murder of the Christian Indians, but could not prevent it.

GENERAL GEORGE ROGERS CLARK'S EXPEDITION.

"In the autumn of 1782, soon after the battle of Blue Licks, and in retaliation upon the Ohio Indians, for that and other marauding and murderous incursions into Kentucky, General George Rogers Clark, with a force of over one thousand men, marched against the Indian towns on the Miami River. One division of the army was under command of Colonel Logan, and the other was commanded by Colonel Floyd. The two divisions marched together from the mouth of the Licking to a point near the head waters of the Miami River, now in Miami county, and there destroyed some Shawanese towns and other property, including Loramie's store; which was at the mouth of Loramie's Creek, within the present limits of Shelby county. Ten Indians were killed and a number of pris- oners taken.

"General George Rogers Clark was born in Albemarle county, Virginia, November 19, 1752. He commanded a company in the right wing of Dunmore's army in 1774, and settled in Kentucky in 1776. In 1778 he led an army into the Northwest and conquered it. He served under Baron Steuben in 1780, during Arnold's invasion of Virginia, and rendered other valuable military services. He was also a legislator, and served as a commissioner in making treaties with the

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Indians at Fort McIntosh, in 1785, and at Fort Finney in 1786. Gen- eral Clark was a man of ability, of skill, energy, enterprise, and of wonderful resources. He died at Locust Grove, near the Falls of the Ohio, in February, 1818.

COLONEL LOGAN'S EXPEDITION.

" In 1786 Colonel Benjamin Logan crossed the Ohio River at Limestone (now Maysville), with four hundred men or more, and marched to the Mack-a-cheek towns on Mad River, to chastise the Shawanese there, who were intensely hostile to the Kentuckians. The result of the campaign was the burning of eight of their towns, all of which were situated within the present limits of Logan county ; also the destruction of much corn. Twenty warriors were also killed, including a prominent chief of the nation, and about seventy- five prisoners were taken. Colonel Daniel Boone, General Simon Kenton and Colonel Trotter were officers in this expedition. The two first named rendered valuable services in Dunmore's expedition, and afterwards, and the latter also made a good pioneer and war record.

"Several minor expeditions, accompanied by comparatively unim- portant results I leave unnoticed, as details would add unnecessarily to the length of this paper. Those of Colonel Edwards to the Big Miami in 1787, and of Colonel Todd to the Scioto Valley in 1788, before the organization of the 'Territory northwest of the River Ohio,' were of this class.

FIRST TREATIES ESTABLISHING BOUNDARIES.

"The first treaty establishing boundaries in Ohio between our Government and the Ohio Indians was formed at Fort McIntosh, in January, 1785. Its provisions were given in last year's volume of ' Ohio Statistics.'

"This treaty was followed on May 20, 1785, by an ordinance of Congress which provided for the first survey and sale of the public lands within the present limits of Ohio. Under that ordinance the tract known as the Seven Ranges, whose boundaries were also given in last year's volume, was surveyed, and sales effected at New York, in 1787, to the amount of $72,974. The tract of the Ohio Land Company was surveyed and sold, pursuant to the provisions of an ordinance of July 23, 1785 ; and Fort Harmar, situated at the mouth of the Muskingum River, was built during this and the next year, for

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the protection of the immigrants that might settle upon it. The title to the Ohio_Land Company's purchase was not perfected until October 23, 1787, and until then, settling upon the public lands was discouraged and indeed forbidden by the Government; but, notwith- standing a number of settlements were made between the time of the treaty of Fort McIntosh, in January, 1785, and the perfecting of the title of the Ohio Land Company in October, 1787. These were chiefly along the Hock-Hocking and the Ohio Rivers, and were broken up by military force, and the settlers dispersed or driven cast of the Ohio River. Settlements that were attempted at the mouth of the Scioto, and other places, were prevented. Proclamations by Congress were issued against settling upon the public domain as early as 1785, and enforced by the military power when disregarded. Hundreds of families probably had attempted to settle permanently west of the Ohio River, previous to the arrival of the colony of New Englanders, at the mouth of the Muskingum, in April, 1788, but were not per- mitted to do so. The fact, therefore, remains that the settlement was the first permanent one within the present limits of Ohio-all others being but temporary, by reason of the compulsory dispersion, pre- viously, of the settlers elsewhere, and the destruction of their huts.

THE FIRST WHITE CHILD BORN IN OHIO.

"Considerable effort has been made by various persons, to ascertain, if possible, who was the first white child born within the present limits of Ohio, also when and where born, and the name as well. The following claims to that distinction have been presented, and I give them in chronological order, with the remark that some Indian traders who resided among the Ohio Indians, before the Bouquet expedition, in 1764, were married to white women, who probably had children born unto them, but the evidence to establish it is lacking.

" In April, 1764, a white woman whose husband was a white man, was captured in Virginia, by some Delaware Indians, and taken to one of their towns at or near Wakatomika, now Dresden, Muskingumn county. In July of said year, she, while yet in captivity at the above named place, gave birth to a male child. She and her child were among the captives restored to their friends November 9, 1764, under an arrangement made by Bouquet, her husband being present and receiving them. It was, as far as I am informed, the first known white child born upon the soil of Ohio, but the exact time and place of its birth, and its name, are alike unknown.

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"In 1770, an Indian trader named Conner, married a white woman who was a captive among the Shawanese, at or near the Scioto. Dur- ing the next year she gave birth to a male child, probably at the above named point. Mrs. Conner, in 1774, with her husband, removed to Shonbrun, one of the Moravian villages on the Tuscarawas, and there they had other children born to them.

" In April, 1773, Rev. John Roth and wife arrived at Gnadenhut- ten, on the Tuscarawas, and there, on the 4th day of July, 1773, she gave birth to child, at which, the next day, at his baptism, by Rev. David Zeisberger, was named John Lewis Roth. He died at Bath, Pennsylvania, September 25, 1841. It is clear to my mind that John Lewis Roth is the first white child born within the limits of our State, whose name, sex, time, place of birth and death, and biography, are known with certainty.

"IIowe in his 'Ohio Historial Collections,' states upon the authority of a Mr. Dinsmore, of Kentucky, that a Mr. Millehomme, in 1835, (who then lived in the parish of Terre-Bonne, Louisiana), informed him that he was born of French-Canadian parents, on or near the Loramie portage, about the year 1774, while his parents were moving from Canada to Louisiana ; but there is nothing definite or authentic in this case either as to time or place.

"Joanna Maria Heckewelder, daughter of Rev. John Heckewelder, was born at Salem, one of the Moravian villages on the Tuscarawas, April 16, 1781, and she was the first white female child born upon Ohio territory, as to whose time and place of birth, and death, and subsequent history, there is positive certainty. IIer death took place at Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, September 19, 1868, in the eighty-eighth year of her age.

"I believe it is generally conceded that the first white child born within our State, after the permanent settlement at the mouth of the Muskingum, was Leicester G. Converse, whose birth took place at Marietta, February, 7, 1789, and who died near said river, in Morgan county, February 14, 1859.

ORGANIZATION OF THE SECOND GRADE OF TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT.

"The Governor having satisfactorily ascertained that the conditions existed entitling the territory to the second grade of government, that is, that there were 'five thousand free male inhabitants, of full age,' within the territory, he, on the 29th day of October, 1798, took the preliminary steps to effect that object, by issuing his proclamation,

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directing the qualified voters to hold elections for Territorial Repre. sentatives on the third Monday of December, 1798. The election was held in pursuance of said proclamation, which resulted in the follow- ing gentlemen being chosen to constitute the popular branch of the Territorial Legislature for the ensuing two years :

MEMBERS OF TERRITORIAL LEGISLATURE OF 1799-1800.

Return Jonathan Meigs, Washington county.

Paul Fearing, Washington county.

William Goforth, Hamilton

William McMillan,

Charles F. Chabert de Joncaire, Wayne county.

John Smith,

Joseph Darlinton, Adams county.

John Ludlow,

Nathaniel Massie,

Robert Benham,

James Pritchard, Jefferson

Aaron Caldwell,

Thomas Worthington, Ross "

Isaac Martin,

Elias Langham, "

Samuel Findlay,

Shadrack Bond, St. Clair John Small, Knox

Edward Tiffin,

" The above named gentlemen met at Cincinnati on the 22d of Jan- uary, 1799 and nominated ten men, whose names they forwarded to the United States Congress, five of whom were to be selected by that body to constitute the Legislative Council of the Territory. They then adjourned to meet on the 16th of September, 1799.

" On the 22d of March, 1799, either the United States Senate, the United States House of Representatives, or the President of the United States (authorities are not agreed), chose from among those whose names had been suggested to them the following gentlemen, to compose the first Legislative Council of the Northwest Territory, their term of office to continue five years, any three of whom to form a quorum :

Jacob Burnet, of Cincinnati, Hamilton county. Henry Vandenburg, of Vincennes, Knox county. Robert Oliver, of Marietta, Washington county. James Findlay, of Cincinnati, Hamilton county. David Vance, of Vanceville, Jefferson county.

"The ordinance of 1787 named Congress as the authority in whom was vested the right to select five from the list of ten persons to consti- tute the Territorial Council. But it will be borne in mind that said ordinance was passed by a Congress that legislated in pursuance of the Articles of Confederation, while yet we had neither President nor United States Senate, hence authority was given to Congress to make

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John Edgar, Randolph county.

Solomon Sibley, Wayne Jacob Visgar,

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the selection. But it is highly probable that the aforesaid authority was subsequently transferred to the President, or to the Senate, or to them jointly.

FIRST COUNCIL AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

" Both the Council and House of Representatives met at Cincin- nati, September 16, 1799, and effected a permanent organization. The Council perfected its organization by the election of the following officers :

President-Henry Vandenburg. Secretary-William C. Schenck Doorkeeper-George Howard. Sergeant-at- Arms-Abraham Cary.

"The House of Representatives completed its organization by electing as its officers the following gentlemen :

Speaker of the House-Edward Tiffin. Clerk-John Riley. Doorkeeper-Joshua Rowland. Sergeant-at-arms-Abraham Cary.

"Thirty bills were passed at the first session of the Territorial Leg- islature, but the Governor vetoed eleven of them. They also elected William H. Harrison, then Secretary of the Territory, a delegate to Congress, by a vote of 11 to 10 that were cast for Arthur St. Clair, Jr., son of the Governor, then a promising young lawyer of Cin- cinnati, and who then held the office of Attorney-General of the Territory. The first session of the Territorial Legislature was prorogued by the Governor December 19, 1799, until the first Monday of November, 1800, at which time they reassembled and held the second session at Chillicothe, which, by an act of Congress of May 7, 1800, was made the seat of the Teritorial Government until otherwise ordered by the Legislature. This, the second session of the Terri- torial Legislature, was of short duration, continuing only until Decem- ber 9, 1800.

"On May 9, 1800, Congress passed an act establishing the Indian Territory, with boundaries including the present States of Indiana and Illinois, and William H. Harrison, having accepted the office of Governor of said Territory, it devolved upon the Territorial Legis- lature, at its second session, not only to elect a delegate to fill the vacancy occasioned by his resignation, but also to elect a delegate to

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serve during the succeeding Congress. William McMillan, of Cin- cinnati, was elected to fill the vacancy, and Paul Fearing, of Marietta, was elected to serve from the 4th of March, 1801, to the 4th of March, 1803. They were both reputed to be men of ability.

" By the organization of the Indiana Territory, the counties of St. Clair, Knox and Randolph were taken out of the jurisdiction of the Northwest Territory, and with them, of course, Henry Vandenburg. of Knox county, President of the Council; also Shadrack Bond, of St. Clair county ; John Small, of Knox county, and John Edgar, of Randolph county, members of this popular branch of the Leg- islature.

"On the 23d of November, 1801, the third session of the Terri- torial Legislature was commenced at Chillicothe, pursuant to adjourn- ment. The time for which the members of the House of Repre- sentatives were elected having expired, and an election having been held, quite a number of new members appeared. The Council remained nearly as it was at the previous session, there being not more than two changes, perhaps only one, that of Solomon Sibley, of Detroit, Wayne county, who took the place of Henry Vandenburg, thrown into the new Territory. Robert Oliver, of Marietta, Wash- ington county, was chosen President of the Council in place of Henry Vandenburg.

." The House of Representatives at the third session of the Terri- torial Legislature was composed of the following gentlemen :

Ephraim Cutler, of Washington county. William Rufus Putnam,

Moses Miller, of Hamilton county.

Francis Dunlavy,

Jeremiah Morrow, ¥

John Ludlow, ..

Jolin Smith,

Jacob White,

Daniel Reeder,

Joseph Darlinton, of Adams county.

Nathaniel Massie, ..

Zenas Kimberly, of Jefferson county. John Milligan,

Thomas McCune,

Edward Tiffin, of Ross County. Elias Langham,

Thomas Worthington, of Ross county.

Francois Joncaire Chabert, of Wayne county. George McDougal, of Wayne county. Jonathan Schieffelin,

Edward Paine, of Trumbull county.

"The officers of the House during its third session were as follows :

Speaker of the House-Edward Tiffin. Clerk-John Reily.

Door-keeper-Edward Sherlock.

"The third session of the Legislature continued from the 24th of November, 1801, until the 23d of January, 1802, when it adjourned

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to meet at Cincinnati on the fourth Monday of November following, but that fourth session was never held, for reasons made obvious by subsequent events.

"Congress, on the 30th of April, 1802, had passed an 'act to enable the people of the eastern division of the Territory northwest of the river Ohio to form a constitution and State government, and for the admission of such state into the Union on an equal footing with the original States, and for other purposes.' In pursuance of the afore- said enactment, an election had been ordered and held throughout the eastern portion of the Territory, and members of a Constitutional Convention chosen, who met at Chillicothe on the first day of Novem- ber, 1802, to perform the duty assigned them. When the time had arrived for commencing the fourth session of the Territorial Legisla- ture, the aforesaid Constitutional Convention was in session, and had evidently nearly completed its labors, as it adjourned on the 29th of said month. The members of the Legislature (eight of whom being also members of the Convention), therefore, seeing that a speedy ter- mination of the Territorial government was inevitable, deemed it inexpedient and unnecessary to hold the proposed session.

"The Territorial government was ended by the organization of the State government, March 3, 1803, pursuant to the provisions of a con- stitution formed at Chillicothe, November 29, 1802, by the following named gentlemen : Joseph Darlinton, Israel Donalson, and Thomas Kirker, of Adams county ; James Caldwell and Elijah Woods, of Bel- mont county ; Philip Gatch and James Sargent, of Clermont county; IIenry Abrams and Emanuel Carpenter, of Fairfield county ; John W. Browne, Charles Willing Byrd, Francis Dunlavy, William Goforth, John Kitchel, Jeremiah Morrow, John Paul, John Reily, John Smith, and John Wilson, of Hamilton county ; Rudolph Bair, George Hum- phrey, John Milligan, Nathan Updegraff, and Bazaliel Wells, of Jefferson county ; Michael Baldwin, Edward Tiffin, James Grubb, Thomas Worthington, and Nathaniel Massie, of Ross county ; David Abbot and Samuel Huntington, of Trumbull county ; Ephraim Cutler, Benjamin Ives Gilman, Rufus Putnam, and John McIntire, of Washington county.

"Joseph Darlinton, of Adams county; Francis Dunlavy, Jeremiah Morrow, and John Smith, of Hamilton county ; John Milligan, of Jefferson county ; Edward Tiffin and Thomas Worthington, of Ross county ; and Ephraim Cutler, of Washington county, were the eight gentlemen of the last Territorial Legislature that were also elected members of the Constitutional Convention."

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CHAPTER XIII.

ADMISSION OF OHIO INTO THE UNION - POLITICAL HISTORY - EARLY LAWS OF OHIO.

THE ADMISSION OF OHIO INTO THE UNION.

The mooted question as to the exact date of the admission of Ohio into the Union, may be illustrated thus : A man knocks at my door; . I give the old-fashioned response, "come in." Now, is he in when I say "come in," signifying consent, or is he not in until he comes in ? The enabling act, for the formation of the State of Ohio, was approved April 30, 1802; the Constitution was formed November 29, 1802. The act empowering the State to execute laws, was not passed until the 19th day of February 1803, and by which she was admitted and fully recognized as one of the States of the Union.

POLITICAL HISTORY.

The first General Assembly under the State constitution, convened at Chillicothe, March 1, 1803. The Legislature enacted such laws as the new State required, and created eight new counties. The first State officers elected by this body were, Michael Baldwin, Speaker of the House of Representatives; Nathaniel Massie, Speaker of the Senate; William Creighton, Jr., Secretary of State; Colonel Thomas Gibson, Auditor; William McFarland, Treasurer ; Return J. Meigs, Jr., Samuel Huntington, and William Sprigg, Judges of the Supreme Court ; Francis Dunlavy, Wyllys Silliman, and Calvin Pease, Judges of the District Courts.

The second General Assembly met the following December, which passed a law giving to aliens the same proprietary rights in Ohio as native citizens. Acts were also passed, improving the revenue system, providing for the incorporation of townships, and establishment of a board of commissioners of counties.

In 1805 Ohio gained possession of a part of the Western Reserve, through treaties with the Indians at Fort Industry, and subsequently, all the country of the Maumee was ceded to the United States.

One of the most stirring events of this year was the conspiracy of

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Aaron Burr, whose bold and gigantic scheme for the dismemberment . of the Union and conquest of Mexico fully developed itself ; all under the ostensible purpose of settling the Washita lands. At this period a war with Spain seemed inevitable ; and Burr's plan was, to scize Mexico, and with the aid of Generals Wilkinson, Swartwout, Blannerhasset, Davis Floyd, Tyler Sparks, and Smith, with an army of seven thousand men, which would be strengthened as they proceeded on their way to New Orleans, Vera Cruz, and finally to the City of Mexico. Happily, through the exertions of United States Attorney Davies, of Kentucky, and a Mr. Graham, the scheme was discovered ; which led to the trial and acquittal of Burr. Nothing of great historical importance occur- red from this time, until the smouldering fire of Indian hate and revenge, which had for years been kindling under the eloquence of Tecumseh and the cunning of the Prophet, his brother, broke out in 1810.

Tecumseh had always claimed that the treaty of Greenville was not binding because all the Indian tribes were not represented.

After various councils between General Harrison and the Indians, all prospect of an amicable settlement was put to flight by open hostilities. The Prophet and Tecumseh had assembled an army at Tippecanoe, in what is now Cass county, Indiana, which the former had, through conjuration and other means, inspired with a kind of religious enthusiasm, which led them to expect certain victory over the pale-faces, whom the Great Spirit hated. In 1811 General Harri- son marched against them, and gained a decisive victory over them, which broke the Prophet's power, and, for a time, secured peace to the frontiers. During this year, the first steamboat launched upon western waters, made a trip from Pittsburgh to New Orleans.

The year 1812 found the Indians generally in their villages. Tenskwatawa, the Prophet, like Æsop's braying donkey dressed in a lion's skin, had proved himself a boasting liar, deserted by all his band. But the indefatigable Tecumseh was ever active, and, though the battle of Tippecanoe was fought without his knowledge, and against his advice, and his plans for uniting all the tribes frustrated, various depredations were committed, and several councils held, in which Tecumseh always took a haughty part, until at last, in June, 1812, he went to Fort Wayne and imperiously demanded ammunition. Ammunition was refused, and the agent made him a conciliatory speech. Tecumseh replied that his "British father would not deny him," and after a few moments' reflection, gave the war-whoop, and left for Malden, where he joined the English.

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In the same month war was formally declared between the United States and Great Britain, of which the West was the principal arena. Opened by the disgraceful surrender of General Hull, by which Detroit, Michigan, and the Canadas were ignominiously given up to the British, followed by defeat in other directions, the national repu- tation was only regained by a series of brilliant victories achieved by gallant Croghan at Fort Stephenson, Oliver II. Perry on Lake Erie, Harrison at the Thames, and the crowning triumph of Jackson at New Orleans. In all of these glorious records Ohio's sons took a prominent part ; scarcely a battle was fought, not participated in by Ohio troops; and the words of the immortal Miller, at Lundy's Lane, "I will try, sir," still ring proudly in the ear of every true patriot.

In 1816 the State house and other public buildings, for the accom- modation of the legislature and State officers, having been erected, the seat of State government was removed from Chillicothe to Colum- bus.

The first legislation relating to a canal connecting the Ohio with Lake Erie, took place in January, 1817; no further steps were taken until 1819, when the subject was again agitated, but not until 1820 was any tangible proof of the success of the scheme evident. On the recommendation of Governor Brown, an act was passed appointing three Canal Commissioners, who were to employ a competent engi- neer and assistants for the purpose of surveying the route of the canal. The action of the Commissioners, however, was made depend- ent upon the acceptance by Congress of a proposition made by the State for a donation and sale of the public land lying upon, and adja- cent to, the route of the canal. By reason of this restriction, active measures were delayed for two years.

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History of Greene County, together with historic notes on the northwest and the state of Ohio, Part 18

Author: R. S. Dills Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Number of Pages: 1037

Author: R. S. Dills
Publication date: 1881
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1037