USA > Ohio > Greene County > History of Greene County, together with historic notes on the northwest and the state of Ohio > Part 24
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
Greene County, in every general election from 1824 to 1856, voted the Whig ticket. In 1856 she voted for Fremont. In that year she gave her first Republican majority, and from that time to the present, 1880, she has given at each election a Republican ma- jority ranging from 1500 to 2500. Although there was a Whig majority in the county during the years named, it occurred several times, owing to some party quarrels, that Democrats were elected to county offices ; and twice in the history of these years a Demo- crat was elected to the General Assembly. During some of these years party feeling was intense. This was especially true in 1840, when " log cabins," ornamented with coon skins, were drawn on wheels, and " Tippecanoe and Tyler too " was the Whig rallying song from Maine to Louisiana.
On the presidential day of this year a general fight occurred, in which a young shoemaker, a man of small stature and a Whig, played (fought) a prominent part. Facing singly a crowd of an- tagonists, knocking down men, retreating, knocking down again and retreating, until, with an iron rod in his hand, at the southwest corner of Main and Detroit streets he advised his principal antag- onist that if he made one step further advance he would not be able to retreat. The advance was not made. The party retired to the hotel, a building which is now a part of the St. George Hotel, where he commenced an attack on a printer, who, though a Whig, was a compositor in the Democratic office. Here he was tho- roughly chastised and carried off the field. After the battle was over the victorious printer washed the crimson stains from his hands, and then went into the middle of Detroit Street and began turning summersaults for the amusements of the crowd.
Soon after the inauguration of Harrison and Tyler, in 1841, William Sinseman laid off a village in Bath Township and called it Tylerville, in honor of the Whig vice-president. On the death of Gen. Harrison, Tyler, having been inaugurated president, began early to go over to the Democrat party. A large portion of the citizens of Tylersville were Whigs. They felt outraged at the course that Mr. Tyler had pursued, and determined to withdraw the honor that they had shown, by having the name of their village changed. Under the leadership of the late Dr. Bell, who resided in that vicinity, a petition was drawn up and unanimously signed by the citizens, and forwarded to the General Assembly, praying to have the name of the village changed to Byron. This petition,
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after reciting the wishes of the petitioners, concludes with the fol- lowing significant language: " It may seem strange to your honor- able body. that the inhabitants of an humble village in Ohio should ask to have its name changed from that of an American president to the name of an English poet; yet we feel so utterly disgusted with the apostacy of John Tyler from the doctrines marked out by "Old Tip." in his inaugeral message, that we detest his name, and turn him over to the execrations of the party which elected him, and the contempt of mankind." The petition was promptly acted upon by the legislature.
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INDIAN WARS.
In the country northwest of the Ohio, many tribes of Indians roamed at large through the primitive forests, imbued, by the in- cursions of the white man, with feelings of bitter hostility towards any further progress of his hated enemy, among whom were the Delawares on Beaver Creek, Cuyahoga and Muskingum, whose towns contained about 600 individuals; about 300 Shawanoes who dwelt on the Scioto, Muskingum and adjoining country , the Twig- twees, Piankeshaws and Miamis, dwelling along the Miami river and its tributaries, all of whom looked with a jealous eye upon the advancing tide of immigration, which was so soon to convert his hunting grounds into waving fields of grain, and replace his wig- wam by the more imposing structures of civilization. We need not wonder therefore, that upon every provocation, how slight so-ever, his ever ready tomahawk sought its victim, his knife leaping from its sheath to circle round the head of his enemy.
The rival claims of England and France for the possession of the country, gradually led to a long and bloody war, involving the colo- nies and Indian tribes, who espoused the cause of the nation offering the strongest inducement.
As early as 1749, the whole Miami valley became the arena of sanguinary contention between the two nations and their Indian allies, on both sides. The French rested their claims upon the ex- plorations of Marquette and La Salle, actual occupation, and the construction of the treaties of Ryswick, Utrecht, and Aix La Chap- elle ; while on the other hand, the English claimed prior occupation, a construction of the same treaties favorable to them, and direct ces- sion by the Aboriginal owners. Their discovery conveyed no equit- able ownership, however, and was disregarded by both powers. The Indian title being totally ignored, led them to inquire: "Where are the Indian lands, since the French claim all on the north side of the Ohio, and the English all on the south side of it?"
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The English colonies were agriculturalists, and of a permanent nature ; while the French . were mostly traders, soldiers, and mis- sionaries. Thus it followed, that the French became, through miscegenation, more thoroughly incorporated with the Indian tribes, and wielded a greater influence over them than the English ; giving rise to the old proverb, that the "French knew how to give gifts to the Indians." Through her traders and missionaries, therefore, France was familiar with all the Indian tribes before the English ex- plored beyond the mountains. The French, perfectly cognizant of the vast wealth of the new country, and the lucrative traffic to be carried on with the Indians, were induced at an early period to es- tablish a line of quasi military trading posts among the Indians on the Ohio and its tributaries, and to preserve the possession so ob- tained, they began the erection of forts extending from Canada to Louisiana. To counteract this bold step of the French to possess themselves of the country and its rich resultant emoluments. En- gland gave to an association of gentlemen in Great Britain and Vir- ginia, (under the title of the "Ohio Land Company") the privilege of locating and holding in their own right and title, 600,000 acres of land within the country then under contention between England and France. In pursuance of this arrangement, according to Western Annals, in the fall of 1720, the Ohio Company sent out Christopher Gist with instructions to examine the passes, trace the courses of the rivers, mark the falls, seek for the most valuable lands, observe the strength, and conciliate the Indian tribes. Accordingly he visited Logstown. Received with jealousy, he proceeded to the Muskingum, found a village of Ottawas friendly to the French, and a village of Wyandots divided in sentiment. Next he passed to the Shawanoes towns on the Scioto, was assured of their friendship, then crossed the Miami Valley, reporting that "nothing was wanting but cultiva- tion to make it a most delightful country." The land was secretly surveyed, locations made in the most valuable sections, the Indians were conciliated, and trading posts were established. The true motives of the company were soon revealed through cupidity and jealousy, and the French actually seized and imprisoned the English traders, and established a line of military posts from Presque Isle to the Ohio river. Following this, at the suggestion of Washington, the Ohio Company erected a stockade at the confluence of the Mo- nongahela and Alleghany; before the work was complete however, they were dispersed by the French, who took possession of the place,
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and erected Fort du Quesne. These hostile movements were follow- ed by what is known as Braddock's war, which for a time checked the settlement from both countries.
The defeat of Braddock opened the flood-gates for the inroads of the savages along the borders of the northwest, who murdered and scalped the colonists in the valleys by the scores during the years 1755, 1756, and 1757.
In 1758, expeditions were sent out to capture Fort Du Quesne. On approaching it, the French set fire to it and retired. The En- glish took possession, rebuilt it, and named it Fort Pitt, now Pitts- burgh. This rendered feasible the scheme of Pitt for the reduction of Canada. Predeaux was to attack Niagara, Amherst, Ticonderoga and Crown Point, and Wolf, Quebec, which latter surrendered Sep- tember 18, 1759, and gave Canada to the English. During this, the tide of emigration was slowly pushing further into the frontiers of Pennsylvania and Virginia, and traders once again entered the wig- wams of the Indians, who anxiously watched the movements of the two nations.
With the surrender of Fort Du Quesne and Niagara, open hos- tilities between England and France ceased in the west. On the 8th of September, 1760, Canada was surrendered to the English. On the failure of peace negotiations, France and Spain united to check the advance of English power, which proving futile, a treaty of peace was signed November 3, 1762, and ratified at Paris, Feb- ruary, 1763, at which, to retain Havana, Spain ceded Florida to England, and to reinstate Spain, France secretly ceded all of Louis- iana west of the Mississippi to Spain.
While the casus belli between the two nations was settled, the In- dians, who had generally espoused the cause of France, were by no means satisfied. In the breast of the Indian, the seeds of hatred for the English, early sown by the French, took ready root, and, nurtured by the same, grew into implacable animosity; therefore the task of spreading her authority over the savage hordes of the west, and securing peace to the colonies, was both difficult and dan- gerous. Foreseeing the inevitable destruction of his people unless the French were victorious, and the English driven from the soil, in 1762 the great Ottawa chief, Pontiac, sent messengers, with black wampum and red tomahawk, to all the surrounding tribes, notifying them that on a certain day a simultaneous attack would be made on all the English posts, followed by a general onslaught
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upon the whole border. Pursuant to this, a grand council was held April 27, 1763, at the river Ecorces, at which Pontiac delivered a fiery speech, appealing to their superstition, their manhood, and their bravery, and portrayed the wrongs they had suffered. The chiefs listened, and burned for revenge; the day was set, and each tribe eagerly awaited the bloody moment.
The history of Detroit, Major Gladwin, the beautiful Ojibaway girl through her love revealing the plans of the Indians, the short- ened guns, the entrance of Pontiac and his chiefs, their apprehen- sions at the bristling appearance of the garrison, the signal of the wampum, the click of the revolvers, rattle of swords, and consterna- tion of the baffled Indians, are well known to every school-boy, who has laughed in his sleeve to see the Indians, who came in with so much pomp, go out with so much humiliation. The mask was thrown off, and a furious attack began, but unavailing. Not so with the other posts. At Fort Sandusky, St. Joseph, Oniatenon, Miami, Presque Isle, and Mackinaw, they gained access under pretext of a game of ball, called baggataway. Only one escaped from Green Bay, Lieutenant Garell. Meanwhile war raged along the borders with savage cruelty.
Colonel Bouquet was sent to the relief of Fort Pitt, then closely beseiged. Reaching Carlisle July 1, 1763, he found the people in a panic, huddled together, and without provisions. After eighteen days spent in relieving them, he resumed his march toward Bushy Run, where he was suddenly attacked by an overwhelming force of Indians. In vain did he charge, and drive them back. From be- hind trees and rocks they poured in an invisible yet destructive fire, until defeat seemed inevitable. The genius of Bouquet saved them. Two companies were ordered to fall back, as if retreating. . Two others were to lie in ambush. The Indians rushed upon the re- treating column, when they received a heavy fire in flank, followed by a bayonet charge, which totally routed them. This closed the war during this year.
The next spring Pontiac again laid seige to Detroit. Bradstreet and Bouquet were sent against him. The former was duped by a pretended treaty. The same ruse was attempted upon Bouquet, but he treated their delegates as spies, and informed them that if they delivered all their prisoners in ten days, they might hope for peace, otherwise he would show no mercy. His terms were instantly complied with, and a permanent peace was established.
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The appearance of security and immunity from danger which succeeded this treaty of 1765, contributed to the advancement of prosperity all over the northwestern frontiers. The necessity of con- gregating in forts and block-houses no longer existing, each family enjoyed the pleasures of its own fireside, undisturbed by apprehen- sions of danger from the bloodthirsty savage. No longer did they cultivate their little patches in common, with tomahawks in their belts, and rifles attached to their plow-beams. They could sow, ex- pecting to reap; and this feeling of safety increased their prosperity, and encouraged others to join them. As a consequence, immigra- tion flowed in, and settlements sprang up in the forests.
This peaceful condition of things, however, received a check in 1774, caused, in the main, by the gradual encroachment of the whites upon Indian territory. This (Lord Dunmore's war), after much bloodshed, was brought to a close, principally through the agency of the celebrated chief, Cornstalk, after the decisive battle of Point Pleasant, October 10, 1774.
This leads us up to the Revolution, when again the Indians, or, as Lord Chatham truly said, the " horrible hounds of war, torturing, murdering, devouring, drinking the blood of their mangled victims," were let loose upon the defenseless frontiers.
Inasmuch as the principal depredations in this war were commit- ted in this region by the Shawanoes Indians, then located upon the . Scioto, Mad, and Little Miami rivers, a brief resume of their history may not be uninteresting. The Shawanoes were known as the most warlike nation of the great Algonquin family. This family seemed to have possessed a language almost uniform throughout all the tribes. The Algonquins are supposed to have numbered at one time not less than 90,000. It is said that the language was very complex, yet capable of lofty flights of oratory, beautiful rhetorical figures, and ill-adapted to light and trifling speech.
The Shawanoes were very nomadic, therefore their history is somewhat obscure. We hear of them as early as the advent of John Smith, 1607. They were then on the Susquehanna. In 1632 they were on the Delaware. The Swanee, or Suawanee River, in Florida, derives its name from them. From these many conflicting accounts, we are to suppose that originally they were one great tribe, but, by war, became separated into subdivisions, which, after many years wandering, were again reunited. We have an authentic account from their noted chief, Blackhoof, who told Colonel John
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Johnston, of Piqua, that he well remembered having bathed on the Florida beach. It is evident that they came from the south, under the leadership of Blackhoof, to the Miami Valley, and established themselves, about 1770, in the neighborhood of the Little Miami, Scioto, and Mad River valleys. In Lord Dunmore's war, the Sha- wanoes took an active part, under the great and noble chief, Corn- stalk. After his defeat by General Lewis, he sued for peace, and ever after was the firm friend of the whites, and by them was cruelly murdered, even while under their protection on a mission of peace. It appears that about 1770 the Shawanoes made their headquarters at Old Chillicothe (now Oldtown, on the Little Miami, in this county). It was here that Captain Bullitt visited them, in 1773. It was here .
that Simon Kenton ran the gauntlet, in 1776. (Vid. Xenia Town- ship.) It was here that Daniel Boone was taken, with twenty-seven others, in 1778. (See, also, Xenia Township.) Having now nar- rowed the horizon of our observations to that portion of territory circumscribed by the boundaries of Greene County, we shall proceed more specifically to narrate the events that transpired within her borders.
In the autumn of 1779, a number of keel-boats were ascending the Ohio, commanded by Major Rogers. When they had advanced as far as the Licking, they observed a few Indians upon a sand-bar, while a canoe, with three savages, was in the act of putting off from the Kentucky shore, evidently to bring them over. Instantly making his boats fast to the Kentucky shore, and cautiously landing his men, he sought to attack them unawares, but was discovered, furiously attacked, and his whole force almost totally destroyed, only two or three escaping to convey the doleful tidings to the set- tlements. As their capital, Chillicothe (now Oldtown), was within reach of retaliation, an expedition, in 1779, under Colonel Bowman, with Colonel Benjamin Logan second in command, was fitted out against the Shawanoes, to strike a blow at Chillicothe. They left Harrodsburg in July, and took their preliminary measures so well, that they arrived within a mile of Chillicothe without giving the slightest alarm to the enemy.
Here the detachment halted at an early hour in the night, and, as usual, sent out spies to examine the condition of the village. Before midnight they returned with the intelligence that the enemy remained unapprised of their presence in the vicinity, and were resting in a state of ummilitary security. Upon the receipt
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of this, the army was instantly put in motion. It was determined that Logan, with one half the command, should march around the town on the left, while Bowman, with the remaining forces, was to make a corresponding movement on the right. Both should grope their way through the woods with profound silence until they met on the opposite sides, when the attack was to commence. Logan having completed his part of the maneuver, stationed his men be- hind trees, logs, and stones, and awaited in silence and extreme anxiety the preconcerted signal of attack. Hour after hour stole away, and Bowman did not appear. At length the rays of the sun began to peep over the hills and shoot across the valley. Logan, still expecting the arrival of his colonel, more securely secreted his men in the high grass and awaited the signal. No orders arrived.
In the meantime, while changing positions through the grass they chanced to alarm a dog which was prowling around the vil- lage. He instantly set up a vociferous baying, spasmodically ad- vancing toward the men who had attracted his attention. Presently a solitary Indian left his cabin, advanced cautiously toward the dog, frequently halting and raising upon his tiptoes, and furtively gazing around him.
Logan's party lay close, scarcely breathing, anxiously hoping to take him alive without giving the alarm. But at that instant a gun was fired in an opposite quarter of the town, as was afterwards ascertained, by one of Bowman's men, and the Indian, giving one shrill whoop, ran swiftly back to the council house. Believing this to be the signal for attack, and concealment now being impossible, Logan's party sprang from the grass and rushed upon the village. As they advanced they perceived a motley crowd of all ages, and both sexes, yelling, leaping and running toward the council house, where they collected in full force, determined upon a stubborn re- sistance. Logan instantly threw his men into the cabins, deserted by the Indians, and rapidly advancing from hut to hut, at last es- tablished himself within rifle-shot of the Indian stronghold.
Now listening impatiently for sounds of the conflict which should have taken place on the other side in co-operation with him, his anxious ears detected no sound. All was silent in that quarter. The Indians having recovered from their temporary panic, poured in a heavy and deadly fire upon the cabins that protected his men. His position grew each moment more critical. He had pushed his detachment so close to the redoubt that advance or retreat was
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equally dangerous. The enemy outnumbered him, and indications soon revealed a disposition to turn both his flanks and cut off his retreat. Under these circumstances, ignorant of the movements of his commander, and cut off from all communication with him, he resolved upon the bold and judicious plan of forming a movable breastwork of the materials furnished by the cabins, and under cover of it rush upon the stronghold of the savages and carry it by assault.
Had this bold plan been consummated, with the co-operation of Bowman, the victory would no doubt have been complete, and many subsequent outrages have been averted. But in its very in- itiation a messenger arrived from Bowman with orders to retreat. Astonished at such an order, when honor and safety required an offensive movement, Logan hastily asked if " Bowman had been overpowered by the enemy?" "No." "Had he ever beheld an enemy ?" "No." "What then was the cause of this extraordinary abandonment of a design so prosperously begun ?" He did not know. The colonel had ordered a retreat ! Logan was reluctantly compelled to obey.
With militia, in the face of an enemy superior in force, a retreat is almost certain to terminate in a demoralized rout, and this was no exception. As soon as the order was made known, a most tumultuous scene began. Not being sustained by that mutual con- fidence-offspring of discipline-which buoys up regular soldiers under all circumstances, they no longer acted in concert. Each man selected the time, manner, and route of his individual retreat. Here a solitary Kentuckian would start up from behind a stump and send away through the grass, dodging and turning to avoid the balls that whistled around him. There a dozen men would run from a cabin and scatter in every direction, each anxious to save himself, and none having leisure to attend to his neighbor. The Indians, astonished at seeing men fleeing apparently from them- selves, sallied out, pursued and cut them up as a sportsman would a flock of geese. They soon joined Bowman's party, who, from some unaccountable panie in their commander, or fault in them- selves, had not stirred from the spot where Logan had left them the night before. All was confusion. Some cursed their colonel; some reproached other officers; one shouted one thing; one bel- lowed another; but all seemed to agree that they ought to make the best of their way home without a moment's delay. By great
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exertions on the part of Logan, ably assisted by Harrod, Bulger, and Major Bedinger, of the Blue Licks, some degree of order was restored, and a tolerably respectable retreat commenced. The Iu- dians, however, soon surrounded them on all sides, and kept up a hot fire, which soon grew fatal. Colonel Bowman appeared totally demented, and sat upon his horse like a pillar of stone, neither giving an order or taking any measures to repel the enemy. The sound of the rifle shots had, however, restored the men to their senses, and they readily formed in a large hollow square, took to the trees and returned the fire with great spirit. The enemy were quickly repelled, and the troops resumed their march.
But scarcely had they advanced half a mile when the Indians reappeared, and again opened fire on the front, rear, and both flanks. Again a square was formed, and the savages repelled; but they had not fairly resumed their march when the same galling fire was again poured in upon them, from every tree, bush, and stone capable of concealing an Indian. Matters began to look serious. The enemy were evidently endeavoring to detain them until fresh Indians should arrive, cut off their retreat, and take them all prisoners. The troops began to waver, and a panic was rapidly spreading from colonel to privates. At this crisis, Logan, Harrod, and Bedinger, selected the boldest and best mounted men, and dashing into the bushes on horseback scoured the woods in every direction, forcing the Indians from their coverts, and cutting them down as they ran from tree to tree. This decisive step com- pletely dispersed the enemy, and the weary and dispirited troops continued their retreat unmolested, with the loss of nine killed and several wounded. The Indians in this action were led by Black- fish, the adopted father of Daniel Boone while he was their cap- tive.
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