History of Knox County, Ohio, its past and present, Part 34

Author: Hill, N. N. (Norman Newell), comp; Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848-; Graham, A.A. & Co., Mt. Vernon, Ohio
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Mt. Vernon, Ohio : A. A. Graham & Co.
Number of Pages: 1096

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his recovery and the defeat of General Brad- dock, he was taken by his captors on a long jour- ney through the forest to the village of Tullihas, on the west branch of the Muskingum river (Walhonding), about twenty miles above the forks, in what is now Coshocton county. This village was occupied by Mohicans, Caryhnewa- gas, and Delawares. Here he was adopted by the Indians into one of their tribes. The cere- mony consisted in first plucking all the hair from his head except the scalp-lock, which they fixed according to their fashion; in boring his ears and nose, and placing ornaments therein; in putting on a breech-clout and painting his body and face in fantastic colors, and in washing him several times in the river to wash out all the white blood in his veins. This last ceremony was performed by three young squaws; and as Smith was unac- quainted with their usages, he thought they in- tended to drown him, and resisted at first with all his strength, to the great amusement of the multi- tude on the river's bank. One of the young squaws finally said: "Me no hurt you," and he then gave them privilege to souse and rub him as much as they desired. When brought from the river he was allowed other clothes, and in solemn council, after an impressive speech by one of the chiefs, he was admitted to full membership in the tribe. He says in his journal that he always fared as they did, no exceptions being made.

He remained in Tullihas till the next October, when he accompanied his adopted brother, Ton- tileaugo, who had a Wyandot wife on the shore of Lake Erie, on a visit to that nation. On his jour- ney he passed through Knox county. Smith re- mained among the Wyandots, Ottawas and Mo- hicans about four years, traversing all parts of northern Ohio. He undoubtedly hunted over what is now Knox county, as the streams in this section of country afforded good hunting grounds, and was probably the first white man who saw these valleys in their pristine beauty. If any pre- ceded him they were French traders, of whom no records or legends exist in this part of Ohio. At the end of four years he escaped and made his way to Pennsylvania, where he published a memoir from which the above facts are obtained.

Another captive among the Indians before the

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settlement of this territory by the whites, was Christian Fast, sen. He often narrated the inci- dents of his capture and captivity, which are pre- served in Knapp's History of Ashland County, as follows:

When a boy of sixteen, Mr. Fast was captured by the Dela- ware Indians near the Falls of the Ohio. He had enlisted in Fayette county, Pennsylvania, in a company of two hundred men, organized for the purpose of chastising the Indians for depredations committed upon the frontier settlement. This force descended the Ohio in boats, and some distance above the falls, separated into two parties, young Fast being among those in the rear. The forward party were attacked a short distance above the falls, by parties of Indians on both sides of the river. The largest boat in the fleet, in which was Mr. Fast, had landed, and the others were making preparations to do so, when the attack commenced. The smaller boats immediately put up stream, but the larger one was hard aground and could not be got off. Of the one hundred on that boat all were killed except some thirty. Young Fast jumped into the water, receiving, at the same instant, a flesh wound in the hip, and swam to the opposite shore, where he was met by three Indians, who de- manded that he should surrender, assuring him of friendly treatment. He declined their request, and again plunged into the stream, the three Indians firing on him as he swam, one of the balls grazing his cheek, momentarily stunning him. Reach- ing the middle of the stream, he took observations to determine the course of safety, and concluded to strike the shore several rods below where the large boat was grounded ; but on ap- proaching he again encountered the bullets of the Indians, and again made for the middle of the river. Some distance below he discovered a horse-boat belonging to his party, and at once resolved to reach and board it. Just as he had succeeded in getting aboard, the captain received a wound in the arm, and waved his hand to the Indians in token of surrender. The boat was immediately boarded by the Indians, and the whites were all made prisoners.

An old Indian took charge of Fast, by whom he was taken to Upper Sandusky. The prisoners were divested of their cloth- ing, and, as their march led through a rank growth of nettle- weeds, the journey was indescribably painful. Fast, becoming maddened with pain, at length refused to go forward, and, baring his head to his captor, demanded that he should toma- hawk him, and thus put an end to his sufferings. The Indian took compassion on him and restored his clothing. During the remainder of the journey he was treated with great kindness. At Upper Sandusky he was adopted into a distinguished family of the tribe. He visited the lamented Colonel Crawford after the failure of the expedition, and during his imprisonment, and was within hearing of his cries during the horrid cruelties he suffered at the stake.

About eighteen months after Fast's capture, an expedition left Upper Sandusky for the purpose of attacking the white settlements and fortifications at Wheeling. Connected with this expedition was the notorious James Girty. Fast, who now possessed the full confidence of the Indians, was also of the party. The expedition reached its destination and besieged the fort at Wheeling three days and two nights. On the third night Fast determined upon an attempt to effect his escape. Ap- proaching his adopted brother at a late hour of the night, he

awoke him, complaining of thirst, and urged his brother to ac- company him to a place where they could procure a drink of water. The Indian pleaded weariness, and urged him to go alone, insisting that no harm would befall him. Fast, taking his camp-kettle, started directly for his father's house in Fayette county, Pennsylvania, about thirty miles distant. The night being excessively dark, he made slow progress, and at daylight was yet within hearing of the guns at Wheeling. As soon as daylight appeared, he pushed forward, and soon discovered, by a fresh trail, that about thirty Indians were in advance of him, making for the white settlements in Washington county, Penn- sylvania. On reaching a spur of a ridge he discovered that the trails separated, and that the Indians had formed two parties, each pursuing parallel lines through the valleys. He hoped, by vigorously pursuing the middle and straight course, to get in ad- vance of the Indians, and in this effort he was successful. Be- fore night he reached the margin of the settlement in Washing- ton county, the Indians being a short distance in the rear. A few rods in advance of him and advancing on his own trail, Fast discovered a white man, with a couple of bridles on his arm, evidently in search of horses. Placing himself behind a tree Fast waited until the white man was within a few feet of him, when he suddenly placed himself in his path, and gave a hurried explanation of his name, object, and the immediate danger that threatened the white settlement. The man was paralyzed with fear, he could not believe that the savage looking man before him, with his painted face, his ears and nose filled with broaches, his hair (all except a tuft in front, which was passed through a silver tube) nearly plucked from his skull, was anything else than a veritable Indian. Mechanically, however, the man obeyed his directions, and each, seizing and mounting horses, which were near at hand, made for the settlements with all practicable speed. They gave the alarm to all the families in the neighborhood, and succeeded in securing all the settlers in the fort except one boy who was killed at the instant he reached the gate which was thrown open for his ingress.

After the beleaguered fort was relieved by the retirement of the Indians, he sought his father's house; but so completely was he metamorphosed by his Indian costume that his parents could not, for a considerable length of time, recognize him. At length his mother, recalling some peculiar spots near the pupils of his eyes, gave a scrutinizing look, and at once identified her son. She sprang forward to embrace him, and would have fainted in his arms, but he repulsed her, explaining that his per- son, as was the case with all the Indians, was covered with vermin. He retired from the house, committed his Indian clothes to the fire he had made, purified his body as best be could, and then clothed himself in garments furnished by his father.

On the very day of his return to Orange township, Richland county, in 1815, he met Tom Lyons, a chief, and one of his original captors, and a party of Indians, by whom he was recognized. The Indians had no suspicion that he had deserted, but believed he had been drowned in the river. They evinced much joy at the discovery of their lost "brother," and ever afterward offered him numerous tokens of their friendship.

John Leeth was a captive among the Indians and traversed this region long before any white set- tlement was made.

He was born in South Carolina in 1755, ran

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away from home when a boy and went to Pennsyl- vania. At Fort Pitt he hired out to an Indian trader who had a stock of goods at New Lancaster, Ohio, then an Indian town, and where he sent young Leeth to take charge of the stock. Here he was taken prisoner by the Delaware Indians April 10, 1772, and the stock of goods divided among them.

When Dunmore invaded Ohio with his army, the Indians considered the matter of killing young Leeth to get him out of the way, but his adopted father, who had taken a liking to him, saved his life and he was taken along with the Indians when they abandoned their towns and retreated before Dunmore's advance. During the journey he made several attempts to escape but failed.

After the war Leeth's Indian father voluntarily gave him his freedom, providing him with a gun, ammunition and blanket, and the young man spent two years or more hunting and trading with the In- dians, during which time he accumulated furs and peltry to the amount of several hundred dollars. During these years his favorite hunting ground was in this county, along the beautiful Kokosing, where he spent much of his time among the Delawares in their villages hunting deer and bear around the banks of the lake, known in later times as "Got- shall's lake."

Mr. Leeth married for his second wife a widow lady named Sarah McKee, his first wife being a white girl, a captive among the Indians. Mrs. McKee was living on Middle island, near Mari- etta. This last marriage took place in 1802. Mrs. McKee was the maternal grandmother of Lyman W. Gates, of Miller township. During the summer of 1825, Mr. Leeth visited the family of Mr. Gates' father, and spent some time there. Wishing to visit Mount Vernon, old Mr. Gates accompanied him. When they had reached the Gotshall place, Mr. Leeth got off his horse and pointed out places where he had lain in wait for the wild animals to come and drink, and where he shot them. He also pointed out other localities along the road where he had hunted successfully. As late as thirty years ago, Gotshall's lake was a considerable body of water, and was a famous place for wild ducks. By successful drainage the water has since been drawn off and the land cultivated.

About two years after obtaining his freedom, about twenty Indians came from another tribe, and while young Leeth was dealing with a trader and his assistant, took them all prisoners, with all their property. They took him some distance through the wilderness, and finally, after several days, sold him to another tribe. His purchaser told him he was not bought for the purpose of being enslaved; it was only because he loved him and wished him to stay with him; and gave Leeth his liberty on a promise not to run away. Again he became a hunter and trapper, and during the following fall and spring accumulated furs and skins to the value of seventy-five or eighty dollars.

During the Revolutionary war, he is found at Detroit, where he engaged with an Indian trader to take some goods to Sandusky. While at the lat- ter place he witnessed the murder of a prisoner brought in by the Wyandots, the murder occurring in front of the door of his employer. As the poor fellow was passing the house, they knocked him down with tomahawks, cut off his head, placed it on a pole and began dancing around it.

Sometime after this the Indian who took him prisoner at New Lancaster came along and told Leeth he must accompany him to the forks of the Muskingum, now Coshocton.

He remained at Coshocton some time. The spring following he married a young woman, sev- enteen or eighteen years of age, who had been taken prisoner when only twenty months old. At the time of his marriage Leeth was twenty-four years of age. This was in 1779. He resided in the Moravian towns on the Muskingum some two years, and upon the removal of the Moravians to Sandusky, in 1782, was taken with them. In this journey they passed through this country along the Kokosing. At Sandusky Leeth was engaged by five of the British officers, who had formed a stock company, to attend to their business. While in their employ (1782), Colonels Williamson and Crawford marched with an army against Sandusky, during which the Indians closely watched Leeth to prevent him from communicating with the invad- ing army. Being told the Americans were within fif- teen miles of Sandusky, Leeth gathered together his employers' effects, about fifteen hundred dollars in silver, furs, powder, lead, horses, and cattle, and

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started for Lower Sandusky. After travelling about three miles, he met Captain Elliot, a British officer, and about fourteen miles further he met Colonel Butler's Rangers. They took from him his cattle and let him pass. That night he encamped about fourteen miles above Lower Sandusky. A French interpreter for the Indians came to the camp and was granted permission to stay all night. Next morning, after the horses were loaded and ready to start, they heard the sound of cannon at Upper San- dusky. The Frenchman clapped his hand to his breast, and said, "I shall be there before the bat- tle," and started. He went to where some Indians were painting and preparing for battle, put on a ruffle shirt, and painted a red spot on his breast, re- marking, "Here's a mark for the Virginia rifle- men," and, shortly after, marched with the Indians to battle, where he soon received a ball in the very spot, dying instantaneously. Leeth reached Lower Sandusky safely. The unfortunate expedition of Colonel Crawford is a matter of history.

After this battle his employers moved their goods again to Upper Sandusky, where Leeth remained about three years, when the partnership was dis- solved, the goods divided, and each one entered into business for himself. One of the partners in- formed Leeth that he was going to establish a store . at New Coshocton, on the head waters of the Mus- kingum river, and would engage him at the same wages to go with him. This proposition was ac- cepted.

Some time the following fall Leeth accompanied the Indians to Fort Pitt, leaving his wife and chil- dren at New Coshocton. After matters were settled and articles of peace signed, he entered into part- nership with two others, in a trading association; and in a short time he started west with thirty- four horses loaded with several hundred dollars' worth of goods. Leeth went to the Tuscarawas river and remained about nine months, in which time he sold out nearly all their goods. About three months after his arrival at Tuscarawas, Cap- tain Hamilton, an American officer, came there with another store, and opened close by him, and about the same time Leeth's wife and children came from New Coshocton. While Captain Hamilton was absent at Fort Pitt after goods, several Wyan- dot Indians came to his store; two of them killed

his clerk and carried away all the goods. This event alarmed Leeth very much, as he expected the same fate, but a Delaware Indian, one of his old acquaintances, came to him at this time and said, "I will die by you." Preparations for a hasty de- parture were made, and Leeth and his family started with the Delaware Indian for Fort Pitt. They were captured, however, before they had pro- ceeded far, and taken to the Indian towns on Mad river. The goods and other property left at Tus- carawas were taken away and secreted by the Indi- ans. After some time he was again released from captivity and proceeding to Fort Pitt, he purchased horses and went in search of his hidden goods. He found them all and took them to Fort Pitt, where he left them, and returned to his family on Mad river. After remaining with them some time he returned to Fort Pitt with the intention of dissolv- ing partnership. He told his partners that the times were very dangerous, and trade very uncer- tain, and if they were willing he would retire from the concern, and quit busines, at least for the pres- ent. His partners had just purchased a large as- sortment of goods, and were not willing to dissolve. They told him "if he would venture his body, they would venture the goods." He yielded, and on the fifteenth of January started out with a stock of goods and opened a store in the woods, at the mouth of Whitewoman creek, where Coshocton now stands. In a short time he collected about fourteen horse loads of skins and furs, and the hand he had with him started with them for Fort Pitt. After getting about two-thirds of the way, the Mingo and Wyandot Indians overtook the car- avan, killed the man, and took the horses and all the goods off with them. Leeth continued at Co- shocton with his family and seven horses until about the first of April, under great apprehensions for his life. He then moved to Tapacon, twenty- five miles from Coshocton, where he left his fam- ily and went on horseback to Fort Pitt, to consult with his partners about quitting the business, as they had already lost all their profits. But they thought best to continue the business until all their goods were sold. He then returned to his family at Tapacon; but just before his arrival there two Indians had visited his wife and told her they had better move to Fort Pitt; they said the Mingoes

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had killed the two traders they had left at Coshoc- ton and carried off all their property. Leeth left his goods with the two Indians, and went with his family to Fort Pitt. Soon after he returned to Tapacon with five men, and found the skins where the Indians had hidden them; but they had taken the horses and goods with them. He returned to Fort Pitt with the skins, and soon after set out for the Shawnee towns, where he found his horses and goods. On his route back to Fort Pitt he passed through Knox, Licking and Muskingum counties, trading his goods for furs and peltry, disposing of all of them by the way. He was accompanied by an Indian hunting party of seventeen warriors. Shortly after- his arrival at Fort Pitt he settled up with his partners and gave up the horses. He then left Pittsburgh with his family and settled on the Huron River, northern Ohio, in a Moravian town, where he remained some years.

The Moravians, however were continually be- tween two fires, and were all the time in danger of being murdered by one party or the other, and were therefore frequently on the move. Leeth was compelled to take his family and flee for safety to Fort Pitt, where he arrived after a hazardous jour- ney through the wilderness. From Fort Pitt, he proceeded with his family to Bird's ferry, where his wife's relatives resided, and who received the wan- dererers with great kindness. Mr. Leeth settled among them as a farmer.

Mr. Leeth died about 1850, in the ninety-fifth year of his age. His father was born in the city of Leeth, Scotland, and his mother in Virginia.

In the year 1781 there was a small settlement on Raccoon creek, some sixty miles above Wheel- ing, in what are now Beaver and Washington coun- ties in Pennsylvania. Some thirty miles southeast was another settlement on Peter's creek, in what is now Allegheny county, same State. The latter set- tlement was much larger than the former, and pos- sessed a good stockade and block-house, to which the pioneers could resort in times of danger or in- vasion by the savages of the territory of Ohio.

In the year 1777 the settlers on Raccoon creek were compelled by Indian invasion to abandon that region and seek refuge in the block-house on Peter's creek, where most of them remained sev- eral months. About this time, John Stilley, sr.,

who had located in the settlement in 1773, accom- panied an expedition against the Indians on Beaver creek, where he was killed by the accidental dis- charge of a gun in the hands of a comrade. Mrs. Stilley and several children were left helpless by the unfortunate circumstance.

Among those who fled from Raccoon creek was a young man by the name of Kennedy. When the others returned to the settlement he remained at the block-house on Peter's creek. In the mean- time he had married Rachel Stilley, the oldest daughter of Mrs. John Stilley. In the Spring of 1781, Mr. Kennedy concluded to return to the Raccoon settlement. He took along a good team of horses, and his family, consisting of his wife, a small child, Sarah, and John Stilley, sr., youngest brother and sister of Mrs. Kennedy. Some days after his arrival his horses disappeared. He searched the bottoms in the vicinity of his cabin for them, but without effect. As was the custom among the pioneers, he had placed a small bell on one of the horses before turning them out, that they might be traced by its sound.

Early one morning some six weeks after the dis- appearance of his horses, just before rising, he heard a horse-bell approaching his cabin, and re- marked to his wife: "There they are." He dressed, and on opening his door, was confronted by ten savage warriors of the Wyandot nation, who had used the horse-bell as a decoy to draw him out. These Indians had been skulking about the neighborhood for some time, and had now stealth- ily approached the home of Kennedy to secure new prizes in the way of prisoners and scalps. The horses were Kennedy's, and they had now returned with new owners.

Resistance was useless. The whole family sur- rendered at once. The Indians then plundered the house of such articles as they desired, and set it on fire. They then started for the Ohio river with their prisoners and their plunder. Fear- ing pursuit, they prepared to cross without delay. At the river they were joined by two other Indians who had separated from the rest to plunder a neighbor of Mr. Kennedy, by the name of Wilson They had crept upon Mr. Wilson just as he had hitched his horses to the plow. They fired at and wounded him, and he fled to his cabin, one of the

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Indians following him with rapidity, as the other one was engaged in cutting the harness from the horses.

On reaching the door of the cabin Wilson fell from exhaustion, and would have been killed by the pursuing savage but for the providential appear- ance of Captain John Slack, a noted Indian fighter and scout, who rode up and fired at the Indian and hit him on the back of the head just as he leaped the fence, making an ugly gash. The Indians in- stantly mounted the horses and rode rapidly in the direction of the Ohio river where they were joined by the ten who had captured Kennedy and his family.

Captain Slack, Wilson, and a number of others gave pursuit and arrived at the Ohio just as the In- dians and their prisoners, who were mounted on horseback, reached the opposite shore. They saw the Indians enter the forest and disappear with their helpless captives. Further pursuit was abandoned. It was fortunate for the terrified prisoners that Cap- tain Slack and his party failed to overtake the In- dians before they reached the river; otherwise the prisoners would have been instantly tomahawked and scalped. As it was they passed on without being maltreated in any way. John Stilley was then about eight years of age, and Sarah, his little sister, be- tween five and six. After the Indians had conduct- ed their prisoners some distance into the forest they checked the rapidity of their flight and halted some two hours. They killed a few wild turkeys and roasted them after the Indian manner, sharing them equally among their captives. Although much depressed in feeling, Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy put on an air of cheerfulness, and assumed a willing- ness to accompany the savages. This seemed to please them, and led to a relaxation of their vigilance. The captives were treated kindly and suffered but lit- tle. It was then about the first of June and the weath- er was delightful. The forests abounded in a luxuri- ant growth of pea vines, wild flowers, and flower- ing shrubs. The party crossed the river not a great ways from the mouth of Yellow creek, and passed through what are now Jefferson, Carroll, and Tus- carawas counties, north of the Moravian villages, thence near the present village of Coshocton, and from thence up the Walhonding to the mouth of the Kokosing, or what is now known as the Ver-

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History of Knox County, Ohio, its past and present, Part 34

Author: Hill, N. N. (Norman Newell), comp; Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848-; Graham, A.A. & Co., Mt. Vernon, Ohio Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Mt. Vernon, Ohio : A. A. Graham & Co. Number of Pages: 1096

Author: Hill, N. N. (Norman Newell), comp; Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848-; Graham, A.A. & Co., Mt. Vernon, Ohio
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Mt. Vernon, Ohio : A. A. Graham & Co.
Number of Pages: 1096