History of Knox County, Ohio, its past and present, Part 48

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

USA > Ohio > Knox County > History of Knox County, Ohio, its past and present > Part 48

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on the west side of the town of Wooster. Here he erected a block-house, and was joined by two or three new companies. His camp here was called "Camp Christmas." Here he learned of the Zim- mer murder, and dispatched a company of men to that neighborhood. This company returned in a few days, and reported that they were unable to find the Indians who committed the murder.

From Camp Christmas the army continued its march west, so as to cover the border settlements, encamping the first night on the west bank of the Killbuck, cutting a road wide enough to permit the baggage wagons to pass. From there, by the most direct route, a road was cut to Jeromeville. At the latter place, General Beall detached Captain Murray to occupy the block-house, and at the same time sent forward a party of pioneers, under guard, to cut a road through to the State road, which had been opened from Zanesville to the mouth of the Huron river. This party started west, about twelve degrees north. About three miles from Jerome- ville the army camped on a small stream, on what was subsequently known as the Griffin farm. This camp was called "Musser," in honor of Major Musser, who commanded one of the regiments. They remained in this camp, in the northern part of Vermillion township, about two weeks.

The pioneers, who had been sent forward, cut the road through the north part of Vermillion and south part of Montgomery, passing two or three miles east of the present town of Ashland, and through Milton Township, in a northwesterly direc- tion. This was known many years as "Beall's trail," and was used as a common highway by the settlers. General Beall then moved forward, aim- ing to keep between the enemy and the settlements, and encamped on a smalll stream near the present site of the village of Olivesburg, within the present limits of Richland county. This was called "Camp Whetstone," owing to the quality of stone found there, which made excellent whetstones. Remaining there about a week, he moved forward to the present site of Shenandoah; thence he turned southwest about one and a half miles, and again went into camp on the bank of a small stream, and on the north and south road, to better enable him to get forward supplies.

The troops of General Beall had been called

*One authority says General Beall began organizing his troops about the twenty-fifth of September; another, that he had arriv- ed at Wooster with the main body of his army when the Zim- mer and Copus tragedies occurred. As these tragedies occurred early in September, the above date is believed to be correct

Clifford Plan"

Cambier Knox County Ohio

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HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY.

into service by the governor of the State for the purpose of protecting the frontier settlements. Impressed with the importance of his movements, his obligations to the settlers and to his country, General Beall halted here for the purpose of hold- ing a council with the judicious men of the State, and, in the mean time, sent out in various direc- tions detached parties of troops to reconnoitre the surrounding country and report occasionally at headquarters. For this reason he named it "Camp Council." It was exceedingly difficult now to procure rations, as the army had advanced into the unsettled part of the country. The troops were compelled to live on half rations, and for a day or two they received only enough to keep soul and body together. This caused a spirit of mutiny to appear among a few of the troops, who quietly began to make preparations to march to their homes. About a week from the time the troops went into camp here, and the evening previous to the morning on which the mutineers above mentioned intended to depart, a stranger suddenly made his appearance from the south on the Huron trail. The sentinel, named Hacke- thorn, who was stationed on this post, says the stranger was on horseback, and was followed by seven mounted Indians, in Indian file.

"Halt !" said the sentry.

The stranger stopped and said he wanted to pass through.

"You can't pass without the countersign."

"I don't know the countersign."

"You can't pass then," replied Hackethorn.

"But I must pass," said the stranger, and started up his horse.

Hackethorn cocked his musket, and the man again halted. He then informed the stranger if he moved another step he was a dead man.

"You would not shoot a man, would you?" said the stranger.

"I would."

After some further parley, Hackethorn called to the next sentry, and in this way conveyed the in- telligence to the officer of the guard, who came out and at once addressed the stranger as General Har- rison, and allowed him to pass.

Harrison turned to Hackethorn and said, "that's right, young man. Let no one pass without the

countersign; it's the only way to keep 'em at gun's length."

It was dark when Harrison rode into camp and located at headquarters.

The next morning the troops were ordered to parade in close column at precisely six o'clock, which order was promptly obeyed. As they thus stood at "parade rest," some fifty of them appeared with their knapsacks and blankets buckled on, ready to commence their homeward march. At this moment, when a breathless silence pervaded the whole encampment, the commander-in-chief of the Northwestern army (whose presence was un- known to the troops) stepped from the headquar- ters tent, and, mounting the trunk of a large tree, which lay within two feet of the front line, ad- dressed the troops as follows: "Fellow-soldiers, we are called upon to vindicate our rights, to re- pel the insults, and chastise the arrogance of a su- percilious nation, which has invaded our rights, insulted our flag, impressed our citizens, and- to- tally disregarded our remonstrances. It is thus demonstrated, that we must either teach that nation that the progeny of the Revolutionary fathers have not degenerated and become dastards, or tamely submit to the dictation of that haughty people, and be reduced to vassalage. Can a man be found in this brigade who is willing to surrender to the Brit- ish Government the liberties achieved by the Revo- lutionary patriots? I trust no such individual can be found in the State or Nation.

" I have been informed that rebellion against the authority of your general has been threatened, and that the mutiny is to be consummated this morn- ing by the mutineers départing for home. Soldiers, if you go home, what will your neighbors say? Will not they frown upon you? How will your wives look upon you? They will shut the door against you. Young men, your sweethearts would scorn you; all would call you cowards. No class of peo- ple are so immediately interested in defending their country as those in Ohio. The Indians have already commenced their incursions in your State, and already have barbarously murdered several families. Should we abandon the defence of the State, the British army could safely march to the Ohio river, and take possession of the State. You are defending your wives and children, your fathers

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and mothers and your property. It is true you have met with some privations, but, as soon as we can obtain the necessaries required, all crooked things shall be made straight. Your sufferings are light, compared with those of your sires in the war of the Revolution. They were content with such fare as the limited means of the colonies at that time could furnish. They could ofttimes be traced, when marching to meet the enemy in bloody con- flicts, by the blood that issued from their bare feet upon the frozen earth. Fellow-soldiers, cultivate a spirit of subordination, patriotism and courage, and ere long the recent victory gained at Detroit by the enemy shall be refunded with double interest, and ultimately the haughty British Lion shall be sub- dued by the talons of the American Eagle." Dur- ing the delivery of this speech, those troops who had their knapsacks and blankets on, began to un- buckle and drop them to the ground one by one, and at its conclusion not one appeared in his marching rig, and, from that time forward, until honorably discharged, no better soldiers were found in the army. Soon after the delivery of the ad- dress General Harrison departed from camp to at- tend to duties elsewhere.

Up to this time, the troops of General Beall had not been mustered into the United States service, but were serving the State, and the major general of the division to which they belonged, Wadsworth, claimed the right to control their movements, un- der the State law. In the exercise of his authority, he ordered General Beall to march his brigade to Cleveland. This General Beall declined to do, believing it to be his duty to defend the frontiers from Indian raids, and to deter the British army from marching into the State, left in an exposed condition by the surrender of Hull. No part of the State was more exposed than Knox county, as the murders in the county by the Indians clearly established. Moreover, Wadsworth was an old, superannuated man, who had been brave and effi- cient in the Revolutionary war, but had outlived his physical and intellectual powers, and was thus in- competent to render service to his country.

As General Beall remained at Camp Council several weeks after Wadsworth ordered him to Cleveland, that general dispatched General Perkins with an order to arrest General Beall and march

the brigade to Camp Avery, near the mouth of the Huron river. This order was promdtly obeyed, and General Beall, in accordance with the rules of the army, delivered his sword to Perkins, and, two days subsequently, the brigade arrived at Camp Avery. Here a court-martial was ordered for the trial of General Beall for disobdience of orders. Upon a full hearing of the charges he was acquit- ted, and ordered to take his command and re-en- force General Winchester, who was then in the neighborhood of the river Raisin. Marching as far as Lower Sandusky (Fremont), he there receiv- ed orders to return to Camp Avery and disband his army, which he did, his soldiers returniug along the route by which they had advanced, to their homes, the term of their enlistment having expired.

The general himself returned to his home in New Lisbon, and was elected to Congress, serving two terms. In 1814, he was appointed register of the land office in Wooster, and resigned his seat in Congress to accept that position, removing his fam- ily to Wooster in 1815. In 1824 he resigned this office and retired to private life. He was president of the Whig convention held in Columbus Febru- ary 22, 1840, and was afterwards chosen one of the electors for President and Vice-President, and had the honor and pleasure of casting his vote for his old friend, General Harrison. No incident of his life gave him more pleasure. He died at his home in Wooster February 20, 1843.

Before the close of General Beall's expedition, the governor of Pennsylvania raised and dispatched a force of two thousand men to the assistance of General Harrison in the west, under command of General Robert Crooks. As this expedition passed through Mansfield on its way to the seat of war, a brief account of it is considered appropriate. Crooks marched his command by way of New Lisbon, Canton and Wooster, following in the track of General Beall, arriving at the latter place about three weeks after Beall left -- probably about the eleventh or twelfth of October.

The train connected with General Crook's brigade numbered, as near as can be remembered, some twenty-five or thirty six-horse teams; the wagons being covered with canvas and filled with army stores of every description. Halting a day or two at Woos- ter to repair broken wagons, and allow the jaded

HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY.

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teams to rest, the brigade was again put in motion. It reached the block-house at Jeromeville in one day, where the army crossed the Jerome fork and turned southwest, leaving the trail of General Beall, and passing up a small stream by what was afterward known as Goudy's mill, and began cut- ting the path afterward known as the "old portage road." The pioneers cut the road along an Indian trail as far as the Quaker springs, the first day, where the brigade halted and encamped for the night. The next day the pioneers continued along the old trail in a southwest direction, cutting a path large enough for the teams to pass. That night the brigade encamped at Greentown. Nearly all the Indian huts had been burned prior to this, and the village was deserted. The next day they crossed the Black fork, and proceeding southwest a short distance struck a new blazed road leading to the west. They continued on this road until they reached the cabin of David Hill, on the pres- ent site of Lucas, where the brigade again ·en- camped for the night. In the afternoon of the following day, they reached Mansfield, going into camp on the east side of the public square, in the woods. The date of General Crooks arrival here has not been ascertained to a certainty, but it must have been about the eighteenth or twentieth of October. He was in camp here about six weeks, awaiting the arrival of quartermasters' stores, under Colonel Anderson. During his stay in Mansfield, his soldiers cleared off considerable land east of the square, and when his camp became quite muddy, he removed his army to, and encamped on, the west side of the square, where he cleared off another piece of ground. Crooks received orders to leave Mansfield for Upper Sandusky, and was compelled to march before the arrival of Colonel Anderson with his supplies. He probably left Mansfield sometime between the first and tenth of December. On this subject Dr. Hill says: "About the fifteenth of December, General Crooks was ordered to proceed to Upper Sandusky to assist in fortifying that point." It will be perceived that he is in doubt as to the date, and, in the same paper, a little further along, in speaking of Ander- son's march, he says: "On the twelfth (December) he reached the village of Mansfield, where they found two block-houses, a tavern and one store.

General Crooks had left before the arrival of Col- onel Anderson." As he speaks positively about this date, it is evident that Crooks must have marched from here before the twelfth. Comparing this date with that of other incidents occurring about this time, the evidence is very conclusive teat he left early in December. In piloting Gen- eral Crooks through to Upper Sandusky, Jacob Newman (the first settler in what is now Richland county) lost his life; contracting a severe cold on the trip, from the effects of which he died the following June.

Crooks' quartermaster, Colonel James Anderson, could not have been far from Mansfield when Gen- eral Crooks left. His command was composed of Captain Gratiot, engineer of equipments; Captain Paul Anderson, foragemaster; Captain Wheaton, paymaster; Captain Johnston and ninety men, and Lieutenant Walker, with forty men, as a guard. Walker was afterwards killed, while out hunting, by an Indian, while the command was encamped at Upper Sandusky.

Anderson's convoy consisted of twenty-five iron cannons, mostly four and six pounders. These, and the balls fitting them, were placed in covered road wagons, drawn by six horses each. The can- non carriages, twenty-five in number, empty, were each drawn by four horses. The cartridges, canis- ter, and other munitions, were in large covered wagons. There were fifty covered road wagons, drawn by six horses each; they were loaded with general army stores, and one or two of them with specie for paying the troops, this specie being put up in small, iron-hooped kegs. Thus equipped, Colonel Anderson left Allegheny City about the first of November, 1812, and followed, as rapidly as possible, the trail of General Crooks' army. About the eleventh of November, he reached Canton, where he remained ten days, repairing the wagons, shoeing the horses, and gathering provis- ions. On the twenty-first, he reached Hahn's Swamp, and was three or four days passing over the same to Wooster, owing to the fact that Beall's and Crooks' wagons had cut up the road badly. He left Wooster December 10th, arriving in Mansfield on the twelfth.

The teamsters being volunteers at twenty dollars per month, and their time having expired, desired

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to return home. Colonel Anderson, being ordered to follow General Crooks to Upper Sandusky, of- fered to pay the teamsters one dollar per day to continue with him. These terms were accepted, and each teamster furnished with a gun, to be kept in the feed trough for use in case of an attack. The command was hardly out of sight of Mans- field when it began to snow, and continued until it was two feet deep. The ground being unfrozen, the heavy wagons cut into the soft earth, and the horses were unable to draw them. A council was held, and the fifteen gun carriages were sent ahead to break the path. By this and various other means, they made a few miles each day. When a team gave out, it was turned aside and another put in its place. At night, the soldiers were compelled to work three or four hours shovelling off a suitable place to pitch their tents, build fires to cook their food, and keep them from freezing. After two weeks of hardship and exposure, the command reached Upper Sandusky on New Year's day, 1813.

The troubles between the Indians and the early settlers, during this war, will be found in another chapter. But few of the heroes of that time are yet living. One by one they drop, like ripened fruit, and are gathered home. Here and there they are yet found, tottering on the verge of the grave, looking always back through the mist of years, and living over again, in memory, the thrilling scenes through which they passed. Thus history repeats itself; fifty years from to-day the survivors of the great Rebellion will be looked upon in the same light, and will rehearse to their grandchildren, as these veterans are rehearsing to-day, the story of their exploits.

CHAPTER XXX.

KNOX COUNTY IN THE MEXICAN WAR.

THE TEXAS WAR-COLRICK'S COMPANY-BEGINNING OF THE WAR WITH MEXICO-ORGANIZATION OF OHIO REGI- MENTS-ORGANIZATION OF A COMPANY AT MOUNT VER- NON-THE OPERATION OF THE TROOPS IN MEXICO- GENERAL MORGAN'S ADDRESS-MUSTER ROLLS.

TT was on the twenty-third of February, 1836, and not on the eighth of May, 1846, that the first battle was fought in our war with Mexico. Years prior to the tragedy of the Alamo, the gov- ernment of Mexico had invited emigration from the United States, and twenty thousand of our citi- zens, some of them our ablest and bravest men, be- came citizens of that beautiful land. Prominent among the emigrants were Stephen F. Austin of Connecticut, David G. Burnet of Ohio, Mirabeau B. Lamar of Tennessee, James Bowie of Missouri, Albert Sidney Johnston of Kentucky. Felix Hus- ton of Mississippi, William and John Wharton of Virginia, and many others scarcely less able or dis- tinguished.

Between the mongrels of Mexico, composed of a cross between the Spaniards, Aztecs, and Negroes, and the proud race of the Americans, fused into one people out of the aggressive blood of the Teutons and the Celts, a conflict was inevitable.

Never in the world's history was there brought together twenty thousand men with a larger amount of intellect, ambition, and intrepidity than was pos- sessed by the first American colonists in Texas.

Coahuila and Texas were separate States under one legislature and one governor. The Texans claimed certain privileges which were denied them by the Mexicans, and a revolt was the result.

At the head of a considerable force Santa Anna rapidly advanced against Fort Alamo, held by Colonel W. B. Travis, with one hundred and forty men, among whom were David Crocket and the redoubtable James Bowie. The fort was situated near the San Antonio, which flows through a coun- try as lovely as the garden of Eden.

Samuel Houston, the commander in chief of the army of Texas, sent orders for Travis to fall back. The order was disobeyed and the utter destruction of Travis and his command was the result. The siege continued from the twenty-third of February, 1836, until the sixth of March, when the place was

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HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY.

carried by storm. When the enemy entered the fort but six of its defenders were found alive, and among them were Crocket and Bowie, who, after a desperate defence, were butchered as their com- rades had been. A Mrs. Dickinson and a colored servant were the only persons left alive.

Next followed the massacre of Fannin and his five hundred men at Goliad after their surrender to Urea.

These tragedies thrilled the whole country with horror, and a desire for vengeance. Nor was ven- geance long delayed. Houston had advanced be- yond the Colorado, but had previously selected his battle ground on the San Jacinto. Against the protests of Colonel Sherman and the Whartons he re-crossed the Colorado, and moved towards the field selected by him. He was without artillery, and he received intelligence that two six pounders sent to him from Cincinnati through the instru- mentality of William M. Corry and Robert Lytle, had been landed in Texas and were en route to join him under the command of Captain George Lawrence, and on the tenth day of April, 1836, the re-inforcements of Lawrence reached Houston's army, which numbered seven hundred and eighty- three, all told.

The plain of San Jacinto was bounded on three sides by the river of that name, and Buffalo Bayou, and on the fourth side by a forest which was occu- pied by Houston. As soon as the rear guard of Santa Anna had crossed the bridge over Buffalo bayou, Houston dispatched Deaf Smith, the Henry Birch of the Texan revolution, to destroy the bridge, and thus cut off Santa Anna's retreat. The bridge was destroyed, the operation being masked by the tall grass which covered the prairie, which after- wards concealed the advance of Houston against Santa Anna.

At noon on the twenty-first of April, while the Mexicans were at dinner, Houston advanced to the attack and took Santa Anna by surprise. When discovered, the Texans raised their fierce battle-cry, "Remember the Alamo!" "Remember Goliad!" and rushed to the assault. The fight was short, quick and terrible. The enemy fired a few volleys from their cannon and Houston was struck on the ankle with a copper grape shot as he was leading on his men. Every Texan was armed with a rifle

and bowie-knife, and closed in on the butchers of the Alamo and the assassins of Goliad. From first to last the fight occupied but seventeen minutes. The Mexican loss in killed and wounded was fifty- five greater than Houston's whole force, and he took as many prisoners as he had soldiers; while the Texan loss was only eight killed and twenty- five wounded.

While a prisoner, Santa Anna made a treaty of peace which the government of Mexico not only refused to ratify, but commenced the organization of a large army for the second invasion of Texas. It was then, summer of 1836, that Sam Houston appealed to the citizens of the United States for as- sistance. The Texans were blood of our blood, and hoped to become once more citizens of the Union. The flag which floated over the one hun- dred and forty heroes of the Alamo was composed of one solitary star and thirteen red and white stripes; they died fighting to add that star to our national constitution.

Citizens of many of the States responded to Houston's call. Charles Colerick of Knox county, organized a rifle company, of which he became the captain, and the muster roll of his company as well as of the companies commanded by Captain Harle, ten years afterwards will follow this narrative.

Colerick rendezvoused at Louisville, Kentucky, with the companies of Captain G. H. Burroughs of Zanesville, Ohio, and of Captain Thomas J. Mor- gan, organized in Washington, Pennsylvania. Colerick's men were uniformed in green; those of Burroughs' in Scotch plaid, and Morgan's men in blue. The three companies embarked in a covered flat-boat, propelled by the current, for New Orleans, and the starry banner of the Union, and the "lone star" of Texas floated side by side over the prow of the boat.

While the flat-boat was lying to at a wood yard on the Mississippi, a superb steamer bound for St. Louis, came steaming in for wood. In malicious sport the steamer struck the flat-boat with sufficient force to cause a violent jar. The ready wit of Colerick turned the affair to practical account. Water was pumped out of the boat on one side, and filled with camp kettles on the other. The three captains repaired with a guard to the steamer and a demand was made for reparation, and the

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HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY.

captain was given to understand that his boat would not be allowed to proceed until satisfaction was made. The captain, clerk, and carpenter of the steamer repaired to the flat-boat where they found men working the pumps. A sufficient sum was paid as damages to enable the three companies to take the first down-going steamer as passengers. At New Orleans a company from Norfolk, Virginia, was awaiting transportation for Texas. In a few days the four companies were embarked on a Ban- gor brig, and after a long and boisterous passage, the vessel all battered and torn, safely anchored in Matagorda bay.

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History of Knox County, Ohio, its past and present, Part 48

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