USA > Ohio > Greene County > History of Greene County, together with historic notes on the northwest and the state of Ohio > Part 28
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95
Samuel was a powerful man, and on one occasion lifted a trip hammer weighing seven hundred pounds. He cut the timber and made four hundred and fifty rails in one day. When about twenty- one, he and Samuel Hegler, Colonel Mallow, and Peter Price, all young men, each took a four-horse load of flour from Oldtown Mills to Cincinnati, for William Beall. Starting early in the morning with ten barrels each, they succeeded, by doubling teams at every hill, in getting as far the first day as the present locality of Spring Valley. Camping out all night, the next day they drove within a mile of Waynesville, when Beall hired another team, which enabled them to travel more speedily. Reaching Cincinnati, they were paid one dollar per barrel for hauling, and started for home, making the round trip in eleven days. Beall, not being able to dis- pose of his flour in Cincinnati, shipped it to New Orleans, and walked back.
February 22, 1821, Samuel Peterson was married to Miss Han- nah Heaton, who had come to this county a few years previous. He lived with his parents for some time, then moved to a tract of one hundred acres given him by his father, upon which he had previously built a hewed log house, considered in those days one of the most imposing structures in the country. Being entirely alone, the labor of clearing out the forest proceeded very slowly, until 1825, when he leased the premises, and moved to Xenia where he engaged in the wagon-maker trade. The first year he lived in a log house on Main Street, near where the old pottery stood; the
-
Digitized by Google
280
HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
second in a house near the northeast corner of Second and White- man streets. The man to whom he had rented proving worthless, he returned to the farm in 1827, where he remained until 1849, in the meantime bringing it under a high state of cultivation; when, leaving it in charge of his son, he returned to Xenia. Bringing a span of good horses and a wagon with him, he followed teaming until 1865, when, having sold his farm to Jonas Peterson and bought another of a Mr. Tressler, five miles southeast of Xenia, he removed to it in the same year. At this place his wife died suddenly of heart disease, April 22, 1872, aged seventy-one. After this, Mr. Peterson spent the balance of his days with his son-in- law, William Rader, in Xenia.
Mr. James Scott was born in Northumberland County, Pennsyl- vania, January 1, 1794. In October, 1815, he came on a tour of inspection to' this and adjoining counties, accompanied by his brother John. They were acquaintances and friends of Mr. John Jacoby (who then owned and operated the Oldtown Mills) and his family, and during their stay in this section partook of their hos- pitality. General Robert D. Fossman was then a single man, and lived with Henry Jacoby, with whom he engaged in partnership to build and run a distillery near the Oldtown Mill. Not long after the building of this distillery, he sold out his interest to his part- ner.
During this trip Mr. Scott saw but little of Xenia, as he only made a few short visits to the place. It then contained very few brick or frame buildings. The principal business houses were of log, and nearly all the dwellings were log structures of various styles and sizes. There was a tavern where John Glossinger's saloon now stands, kept by an Englishman, and another just above it kept by Thomas Gillespie, who was afterwards appointed land commissioner in the northern part of the state by President Jack- son. Connelly then kept the tavern near the old Hiveling corner. At the same time, James Collier was running his famous house on Detroit Street, and a Mr. Watson was proprietor of another on the south side of Main Street, west of Detroit.
The first mill built in the county was a small log structure erect- ed in 1798, near the site of the Harbine Mills, at Alpha. Some years after it proved too small for the increasing trade, and was abandoned for a larger one-a frame building erected near by. A woolen mill was also built at the same place, and put into opera-
Digitized by by Google
281
PIONEERS.
tion. It was afterwards used as a cotton factory, and then again converted into a woolen mill. The mill property then belonged to Jacob Smith, who was a member of the Fourth General Assembly of the State, in 1805, as a senator from this and - County, which office he filled several times afterward.
After spending a few weeks in the inspection of the different mills in this part of the state, Mr. Scott and his brother negotiated for the purchase of this property from Mr. Smith, and started back to Pennsylvania. James' horse died before they had journeyed as far as the Scioto River. The animal was a very fine one, and as those usually found in the West at that time were of an inferior stock, Mr. Scott would not purchase one with which to complete his journey home, but proceeded on foot. Some days be traveled fifty miles, and would very often reach the point designated in the morning as the stopping place for the following night, sometimes in advance of his brother, who was on horseback. Their average rate of travel during the entire journey, was between forty-five and forty-seven miles. Twenty-five miles this side of Pittsburgh, at a place then called Brickling's cross-roads, his brother was taken very ill, and they had to remain at this place some six weeks, until the sick man was able to proceed on the journey, arriving home during the holidays. In February, 1816, Mr. Scott returned to this county, and took charge of the mill purchased of Mr. Smith. Not anticipating the immediate use for a horse after his arrival here, he declined to bring one with him, and made the entire journey on foot. In the fall of the year he again returned to Pennsylvania, this time making the trip on horseback.
On the 17th of October, 1816, he was married to Miss Elizabeth S. Shannon, who was then living with her parents not far from Milton, Pennsylvania. She was born July 6, 1796. Mrs. Scott has a brother living in Piqua, Ohio, and another in Pennsylvania, these three being the only surviving members of a large family. John Shannon, who once lived at Alpha, this county, was another brother. Soon after their marriage, the young couple moved to this county in a wagon. They lived in the house in which was held the first court in this county, which was then the residence of Peter Borders, and in which he kept a tavern for many years. John Scott, who had accompanied JJames on his first visit to this county, lived with them. He was a millwright, and erected a number of mills in this and adjoining counties. He afterward
Digitized by by Google
282
HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
settled in Miami County, where he died in the eighty-second year of his age. Captain Snyder, James Fulton, and two of James Scott's sons-William and David-learned their trade with him.
Mr. Scott tells of a case of sharp practice, which occurred in the neighborhood of Alpha, some time before he came to the county, but which he often heard related after his arrival here. Jacob Herring was the owner of a tract of land near Beaver Creek, north of Alpha. An adjoining tract, lying between his land and the creek, contained some very excellent bottom land, which Herring desired to possess, because on it were some fine springs. Benjamin Whiteman learned of this desire, and knowing that the land had not yet been entered by any one, went to Herring, assumed the right to sell the land, bargained with him for its sale, at five dollars per acre, went immediately to Cincinnati and entered it in his own name at less than half that price, then returned and made Herring a deed for the land, making quite a sum of money in the operation.
While running the mill, Scott, on one occasion, sent his team to Cincinnati with a load of flour. On returning, the driver missed the way, and after wandering about in the forests of Clermont and Brown counties for many days, finally reached the mill again, after an absence of about three weeks.
A few days after moving to this county with his wife, Mr. Scott came to Xenia, to purchase some necessary household articles. Among others, was a "Dutch oven," selected at James Gowdy's store. He had them set aside, and then drove his team to John Mitten's chair factory, which stood on the spot now occupied by the Owing House, to purchase some chairs. Having driven away from the store without paying for the articles he had selected, or telling Gowdy where he was going, Gowdy thought he intended to leave the goods, and had gone home without them, and sent John Ewing, then a young clerk in the store, in search of Scott, and to inquire if he had forgotten the articles set aside for him. Scott satisfied him, however, by returning to the store, after he had got- ten the chairs, paying him for the articles, and taking them all home.
PIONEER GIRLS.
In drawing a contrast between the past and the present, we are led to inquire, What have all the refining influences of Christianity and civilization done to elevate the standard of the female sex to a
Digitized by Google
.
283
PIONEER GIRLS.
higher position of excellence in society? Suppose a youth of eighty years ago should call to pass an hour or so with his lady-love, and find her hair done up in frizzles and frouzles, bangs, spit-curls, gum tragacanth, quince seeds, etc., playing on the piano, or reading the latest novel, while her poor old mother was bending over the wash tub; conversely, let us suppose a youth of to-day, with his fancy livery turnout, button-hole bouquet, red silk rag dependent from his coat pocket, cigar at an angle of forty-five, in the northeast corner of his mouth, gold-washed chronometer, patent-leather boots, and hair parted on the meridian of his brainless skull, should call to see his inamorata, and find her pulling flax, or in the barn, swingling the same, dressed in linsey, her feet uncramped by side lace, her hair unconfined, " wooed by every wind." The result, in each case, can be imagined by the reader. The clothes for the pioneer family were manufactured from the raw material; no muslin, in the first decade of the nineteenth century, supplied the place of home-made linen. The men generally sowed the flax, gathered, and broke it, leaving to the women the succeeding steps in its transformation into wearing material, namely, pulling, spreading to water, rolling, tak- ing up, swingling, hackling, spinning, weaving, and making into garments. With all this before them, and without that inevitable modern appendage, a hired girl, they kept themselves and their houses neat and tidy ; and when the bride of those days of natural simplicity and hard work, when the hands find plenty to do, and the mind is pure and innocent, leaves the arms of her mother, the ceremonies attendant upon her nuptials were unostentatious. No broadcloth scissor-tailed coat, no stove-pipe beaver, no Alexandre seamless, no flash of the diamond, nor the gauzy real point lace, nor silks, nor satins, adorned the scene; but the honest pioneer, in his home-made hunting-shirt, buckskin breeches, moccasins on his feet, with dried leaves for stockings, and his big heart full of love, stood by the side of the innocent girl, in her linsey-woolsey frock, guilt- less of all "magnolia balm," or "bloom of youth," quince seed, frizzles, etc., except that which nature gave her; for she is nature's child, pure and artless.
THE OLD SCHOOL HOUSE.
During the initial steps toward educational advancement in this county, the facilities for literary attainments were not so varied as
Digitized by by Google
284
HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
are thrown around the youth of to-day. Following our cicerone along a blazed path, through the woods, to the old log school house; rapping, a voice from the far interior says, "Come in;" we pull the latch-string, enter, and, at the request of the "master," settle down upon a puncheon bench, the cynosure of all eyes. The first thing we observe is, that nearly the whole end of the house is occupied by a fire-place, within whose capacious depths the crackling blaze sends forth light, heat, and cheerfulness. Our gaze being attracted to the outside, we look, not through French plate, but a hole, made by sawing out a log, and replacing it with paper, greased with lard. Our attention is recalled by a shrill voice, "Master, mayn't I git drink?" The urchin goes to the bucket, setting on a bench near the door, takes the tin from the accustomed peg, dips it full, drinks a few sips, holding it over the bucket meanwhile, pours the balance back, looks around awhile, goes back to his seat, and, with his dog's- eared book close to his face, is soon lost in study. We observe the benches are made out of flat rails and puncheons, with wooden pins in them for legs; backs, they have none. The " master" has a table, made by driving pins in the wall, and placing hewed puncheons on top of them. Under each window, a similar contrivance accom- modates the scholars.
While examining these unique writing-desks, we are again startled by a sharp ery, apparently in agony, of, " Master, please mayn't I go out ?" Consent is given, and the boy hurriedly moves toward the door, pausing to take down a crooked stick and carry it out with him. Our curiosity is excited, and while the master's back is turned, we ask a big, white-headed boy near us, what it is for, who, opening his mouth wide, and staring at us in blank amazement, says, "No other boy don't darst go out while that stick is gone."
As incentives to close application to study, we observe a rule, of about a pound in weight, and a formidable-looking beechen rod, whose acquaintance every boy in school has long ago formed. Dil- worth's Arithmetic, Webster's Spelling-book, and the Testament, were the text-books. It seemed to be an expressly-settled fact, that during a recitation a boy could get up a better spirit of inspiration by stentorian competition with his fellows; and in the spelling-class, the boy that could spell the loudest should stand head. It was in- teresting to see the boys at the end of the bench, standing on tip- toe, with every muscle in a quiver, waiting for the master to say " noon," in order to get out first, and raise the biggest yell.
Digitized by by Google
WAR OF 1812.
A cursory view of Indian affairs prior to the war of 1812, will enable us the more clearly to understand the real cause of the war. Although the popular notion is that it grew out of the assumed right of search for British seamen on American vessels, it will be observed by the reading people, that the British never wholly ac- knowledged the independence of the colonies; therefore, by order of the British Council, during her war with France, all our vessels, under penalty of liability to capture, were obliged to call at a British port, on their passage to or from France or her allies. Napoleon, in retaliation, decreed that all vessels that had submitted to this regulation, should be liable to capture by his cruisers. This, in ad- dition to the British impressment of our seamen, was an outrage not to be tolerated by an independent people. Prior to this-in- deed, ever since the treaty of Greenville-the Indian agents, prin- cipally McKee, had been busy, sowing the seeds of dissension among the Indians, which were finally to be nurtured into open hostility. The prime disturbing elements among the Indians were the Prophet, and his illustrious brother, Tecumseh, or, more properly, Tecumthe, who claimed that the Indian title to their lands was never extin- guished by the treaty of Greenville. He traveled from north to south, and east to west, in his endeavors to unite all the Indian tribes to resist the incursion of the whites, in which he was encour- aged by the British agents in this country. To strengthen his in- fluence, the Prophet assumed the role of seer and oracle, and, with bold effrontery, pretended to receive communications from the Great Spirit; and having, by some means, ascertained the date of an ee lipse of the moon, warned the Indians to rise and slay the whites; that the Great Spirit was angry at their delay, and on a certain night would hide his face from them. . The event coming to pass, as foretold, filled the superstitious minds of the Indians with perfect confidence in his supernatural powers, and with dreadful apprehen- sions of the Divine visitation unless they obeyed his commands.
285
Digitized by Google
286
HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
The crushing defeat by General Wayne still rankled in their bosoms, and cried aloud for vengeance. At the treaty of Fort Wayne, 1809, the Indians ceded their lands along the Wabash. Tecumseh was absent, and the Prophet and his band were not in- vited, because they did not own the land. On Tecumseh's return, he threatened to kill the chiefs who had signed the treaty. This led to negotiations between this celebrated chief and General Har- rison, which only increased their complications. The wily chief sought to'stave off open hostility till he could bring all the tribes together, and strike a simultaneous blow, in conjunction with the British, as soon as war was declared between England and the United States.
After his last stormy interview with General Harrison, Tecumseh departed for the south, leaving the Prophet in charge. That am- bitious schemer rushed the Indians into open hostilities, by insti- gating murders and plundering, until the battle of Tippecanoe, which, although he had told them that the Great Spirit had vouch- safed to him certain victory, terminated disastrously to the savages. This battle, fought against the express advice of Tecumseh, frus- trated his plans for a confederation of all the tribes. The Prophet was in disgrace. Said a Winnebago chief to him: "You are a liar; for you told us that the whites were dead, or crazy, when they were all in their senses, and fought like the devil." He an- swered, by saying there must have been some mistake in the com- pounding of his decoction. He was reduced to a fac-simile of Æsop's braying donkey in the lion's skin. It is related that Tecum- seh upbraided him in the most severe terms, and on his offering palliating replies, seized him by the hair, shook him violently, and threatened to take his life.
On Tecumseh's return, he insolently demanded ammunition at Fort Wayne, which being denied him, he said he would go to his British father, who would not deny him; remained standing thought- fully a moment, then gave an appalling war-whoop, and disappeared.
Meanwhile the affairs between the United States and Great Britain were rapidly approaching a crisis. April, 1812, an embar- go was laid by congress on all the shipping in the ports of the United States. An act authorizing the president to detach 100,000 militia for six months was passed; also for organizing a regular army. The same month, a requisition was made by the president upon Ohio for 1,200 militia; in obedience to which Governor Meigs
Digitized by by Google
287
HULL'S SURRENDER.
issned orders to the major generals of the middle and western divisions of the state for their respective quotas of men, to rendez- vous at Dayton, April 29th. With an ardor and love of country unsurpassed, many more than were wanted tendered their services, and citizens of the first circles flocked in from Montgomery, Miami, Greene, Warren, and surrounding counties, literally contending with each other who should go first. The officers elected for the three regiments formed, were respectively: Duncan McArthur, colonel, James Denny and William A. Trimble, majors, 1st regiment ; James Findley, colonel, Thomas Moore and Thomas B. Vanhorne, majors, 2d regiment ; Lewis Cass, colonel, Robert Morrison and J. R. Munson, majors, 3d regiment. On the 25th of May, 1812, they were formally put under the command of General Hull, Governor of the Territory and Superintendent of Indian Affairs. Speeches were made by Governor Meigs, Colonel Cass, and General Hull, and the fire of patriotism and military ardor burned bright in every bosom, and all things looked auspicious.
June 1st the army marched up the Miami to Staunton, in Miami County, where they halted until their baggage came up the river in boats; on the arrival of which they continued their march to Urbana, about thirty miles east of Staunton, where on the 8th they were informed they would be reviewed by the governor and some Indian chiefs. At this place Governor Meigs and General Hull held a council with twelve chiefs of the Shawanoes, Wyandot, and Mingo nations, to obtain leave to pass through their territory, which was readily granted, and every facility offered to aid the progress of the army. It was the humane policy of the govern- ment, in diametrical contrast with the contemptible course of Great Britain, to exhort the Indians to neutrality, in order to avoid the horrors of the tomahawk and scalping-knife. June 15th they broke camp and marched for Detroit, on their way wading through a swamp knee-deep for over forty miles.
On Saturday, September 22d, news reached Dayton that Hull had surrendered at Detroit, August 16th. This created intense excite- ment and consternation along the frontier counties, and steps were at once taken to organize the militia. There were over $40,000 worth of stores at Piqua, and the Indians who had assembled there at the grand council were still hanging around. Hand-bills were distributed calling upon all able-bodied citizens to rendezvous with arms at Dayton, immediately, to march to the relief of the
Digitized by by Google
288
HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
frontiers. On Sunday morning before 7 o'clock a company of seventy men was raised, and under marching orders for Piqua in a few hours, led by Captain James Steele. Before the morrow seven other companies were raised from the surrounding country, with Captain Caldwell's troop of horse, and Johnston's rifle com- pany from Warren County, which latter, in company with Davis' battallion, left on Monday. General Benjamin Whiteman, of Greene County, marched with nearly a full brigade. By reference to the muster-roll on a subsequent page, in the absence of tangible data, we can see some of the names of those who most likely par- ticipated in this campaign. The governor gave General Munger command at Piqua, and had the stores removed to Dayton. The whole country was thoroughly aroused to a sense of the imminent danger that threatened the frontiers. Troops were rapidly pushed forward to resist the expected attack of the English and Indians, led by the infamous Proctor and Tecumseh in the main, whose scattering bands were infesting the isolated settlements.
The excitement was intense. All men capable of bearing arms, were scouting or in the army. The women and children were hud- dled together in block-houses. Something must be done with the friendly Indians around the agency at Piqua. About the 20th of June, 1812, General Harrison held a council with the chiefs of the Delawares, Shawanoes, Wyandots, and Senecas, informing them that a crisis had arrived, which required all the tribes who remained neutral, and who were willing to engage in the war, to take a de- cided stand, either for the Americans, or against them; that the president desired no false friends; that the proposal of General Proctor, to exchange the Kentucky militia (his prisoners) for the tribes in our friendship, indicated that he had received some inti- mation of their willingness to take up the tomahawk against the Americans; and to give the United States proof of their disposi- tion, they must either remove, with their families, into the interior, or the warriors must fight with him. To the latter condition, the chiefs and warriors unanimously agreed, saying they had been anx- iously awaiting an invitation to fight for the Americans. Harrison exacted a promise from them to fight as white men, not slay women and children, old men, or defenseless prisoners; for by their con- duet would the British power to restrain Indian ferocity be meas- ured. The general humorously told them that he had been in- formed that Proctor had promised to deliver him (Harrison) into
by Google
Digitized by
289
INDIAN TREATIES.
the hands of Tecumseh, in case he captured him at Fort Meigs, to be treated as that warrior might think proper. "Now," said he, "If I can capture Proctor, you shall have him for your prisoner, provided you will agree to treat him as squaw, and put petticoats upon him; for he who would kill a defenseless prisoner must be a coward."
The subject having been brought before the government, author- ity was given to enlist them, and the sequel proved that the Indians who fought under the American standard were uniformly distin- guished for their orderly and humane conduct. Thus was the agency at Piqua relieved of a wearisome burden, and the indolent warriors utilized, who, by their military discipline, proved the con- temptible perfidy and cowardice of Proctor.
It is impossible, in this work, to follow General Harrison, through all his campaigns, to Malden, Sandwich, Fort Wayne, Detroit, Fort Meigs, until he practically closes the war by his glorious victory at Thames, followed, July 22, 1814, by a treaty of peace, at Greenville, between the United States, Wyandots, Delawares, Shawanoes, Senecas, on the one side, and the Miamis, Weas, and Eel River In- dians, and tribes of Pottawatamies, Ottawas, and Kickapoos, by which all these tribes were to aid the Americans, in case of the continuance of war with England, which, fortunately, was also terminated by the treaty of Ghent, December 24, 1814. Treaties were subsequently made with all the surrounding tribes, except the Sacs, of Rock River, who, under the celebrated Black Hawk, re- fused to attend the treaty, and acknowledged themselves British subjects, and went to Canada for presents. Thus we observe the germ of the Black Hawk war, in 1832, which, being remote, cre- ated no serious perturbations in this county. So, likewise, with the Mexican war, though participated in by a few of our citizens.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.