History of Marietta and Washington County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 6

Author: Andrews, Martin Register, 1842-; Hathaway, Seymour J
Publication date: 1902
Publisher: Chicago : Biographical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1490

USA > Ohio > Washington County > Marietta > History of Marietta and Washington County, Ohio, and representative citizens > Part 6

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).

Here in their new habitation the greatest hardships overtook the Moravians. In the midst of this terrible experience, the mission- [ aries were summoned to Detroit to answer the

AND REPRESENTATIV'E CITIZENS.

charges brought against them. In the court martial held there, they were acquitted hon- orably of all charges, and the British govern- or treated them with marked kindness. They wer allowed to return to their converts on the Sandusky. When the year of 1782 came, the food supply was exhausted and a party of 100 converts was permitted to return to the Mus- kingum to gather a crop of corn which had been left standing.

In recounting the awful massacre which followed, one cannot refrain from accepting a charitable explanation of it. Undoubtedly the borderers of the Monongahela, always suf- fering from the savage inroads of the Ohio Indians, looked with deep suspicion upon this returning band of Indians: and there seems to be little doubt that Indian brigands, through trickery, succeeded in bringing upon these in- nocent wayfarers strong circumstantial evi- dence of participation in the border raids, by concealing in their homes plunder taken from the borderland. While the Christian Indians were collecting their supply of corn, a posse of enraged borderers appeared among them. Plain evidences of their guilt were found in their homes. The leader of the expedition put the question: "Shall the Moravian In- dians be taken prisoners to Pittsburg or be put to death?" A small fraction of the posse favored the former course, but a large pro- portion voted for the latter. The women and children were placed in one building, the men in another, and the awful tragedy was enacted.

"My arm fails me," said the leader as he knocked his 14th bound victim on the head, "to go on in the same way: I think I have done pretty well." And that night, as the moon arose, its weird light shone down upon 96 corpses of murdered Christian Indians-40 men, 22 women and 34 children-and upon the carnival of bears and panthers, fighting in the ghastly light for the bodies. The Gnadenhutten Massacre took place March 8, 1782.

In May, 1782. the atrocities of the Brit- ish-encouraged savages along the Pennsyl-

vania and Virginian border becoming unbear- able, an expedition was raised in the Monon- gahela country to penetrate to the Indian in- tested country on the Sandusky River. Vol- unteers, 400 in number, all mounted, rendez- voused on the Ohio, near Mingo Bottom, and elected as comminader Col. William Crawford, an experienced officer in the Revolutionary War, following his friend Washington faith- fully through the hard Long Island and Del- aware campaigns. Crawford struck straight through the forests, even avoiding Indian trails, at first, in the hope of taking his foe utterly by surprise. But his wily foe con- pletely outwitted him and the Indians and Brit- ish new well each day's progress. The bat- tle was fought in a prairie land near the San- dusky River in what is now Crawford County, Ohio and though not a victory for either side, an American retreat was ordered during the night following. Colonel Crawford was cap- tured, among others, and suffered a terrible death at the stake, perhaps the saddest single atrocity committed by the red men in Western history. This gray-haired veteran of the Revolution gave his life to appease the In- dians for a massacre of Christian Indians per- petrated by savage borderers from the Monon- gahela country the year previous.

Kentucky had witnessed minor activities of the savages during the spring. In August a grand Indian army assembled on the lower Scioto for the purpose of invading Kentucky. The assembly was harangued by Simon Girty and moved southward and invested Bryant's station, one of the strongest forts in Kentucky. After a terrible day during which re-inforce- ments kept arriving, only to be compelled to fight their way into the fort or flee, Girty at- tempted to secure capitulation. Outwitted, the renegade resorted to a strategem as cun- ningly devised as it was terribly successful. In the night the entire Indian army vanished as if panic stricken. Meat was left upon the spits. Garments lay strewn about the encamp- ment and along the route of the fugitive army. The more experienced of the border army

HISTORY OF MARIETTA AND WASHINGTON COUNTY,

which was soon in full cry on the trail scented the deception, but the headstrong hurried on- ward in the hope of revenge. At the crossing of the Licking, near the lower Blue Licks, the Indian ambush received the witless pursuers with a frightful burst of flame, and the battle of Blue Licks became a running fire, a head- long rout and a massacre.

A thousand men joined Clark for a retal- iatory invasion of the North and the usual de- struction of villages and crops was accom- plished. This may be considered the last mil- itary event in the Revolutionary War in the West. And here it is proper to call particu- Jar attention to this and the preceding similar invasions from south of the Ohio River.

Though judged by ordinary military stan- dards the numerous invasions from Virginia and Kentucky amounted to little, such was not the case. The Indians could ever retreat hel- ter-skelter into the forests and avoid more than a skirmish with an advancing army. But they could not take their crops and the de- struction of every maize and corn field was a victory for the invaders as it compelled the Indians to live more largely upon game. As game grew scarcer the hunters were compelled to go further and further away. Thus by do- ing nothing more than burning villages and crops, the whites were sure in time of con- quering the trans-Ohio land. And this was just what was happening, almost without the knowledge of the conquerors of the West. Each invasion which left a smoking land be- hind it helped to complete the conquest- though it had retired in disgrace. By this process one river valley after another in the

West, north of the Ohio, came out of the sphere of Indian and British influence. Be- fore the end of the Revolutionary War, the Muskingum Valley was practically abandoned by the Delawares. In 1782 Crawford was not opposed until he struck the Sandusky River. The depredations of the Indians on 1 the Ohio continued through the decade 1780- 1790, but were confined almost exclusively to the lower Ohio, or below the mouth of the Sci- oto. Traveling on the Ohio between the Scioto and the Monongahela was comparatively safe, compared with the dangers between the Sci- Foto and the Wabash. This shows the west- ern movement of the Indians. As will be seen, there was a corresponding northward movement of the tribes. By the end of the decade 1790-1800, the Scioto and Sandusky valleys were practically abandoned by the Shawanese and Wyandots. And when the final blow was to be struck, it was struck due northwest from the first great battle-field in the west, where the blundering Braddock fell.

NOTE.

The plate buried by Celeron at the mouth of the Muskingum was discovered after the freshet of 1798, projecting from the river bank in front of the spot where the Fort School now stands. Before its value was known, part of its lead had been cut up and molded into bullets. Paul Fearing rescued it and William Woodbridge translated what re- mained of the inscription. It was sent to Governor DeWitt Clinton who presnted it to the Antiquarian Society of Massachusetts .- Scc Pioneer History, Page 20.

CHAPTER III.

MOVEMENTS OF THE PIONEERS.

DEPRECIATED CURRENCY AND IMPOVERISHED PUBLIC CREDIT-BOUNTY LANDS-OHIO COM- PANY OF ASSOCIATES-WORK OF GENERAL RUFUS PUTNAM AND REV. MANASSEH CUTLER-ORDINANCE OF 1787-LANDING AT THE MOUTH OF THE MUSKINGUM IN- DUSTRY AND COURAGE OF THE PIONEERS- OTHER NEAR-BY SETTLEMENTS NOTES.

The settlement of Ohio differs from that of Kentucky, West Virginia, and Tennessee in this important particular, that the government of the territory and the tenure of land were provided for before the first party of settlers landed on the banks of the Ohio. Hence not only the date of the first settlement but the record of the negotiations which led to that settlement have been carefully preserved. The beginning may be found in the consultations among the officers and soldiers of the Amer- ican Army in that long period of waiting be- tween the surrender of Cornwallis and the final departure of the British from New York.

DEPRECIATED CURRENCY AND IMPOVERISHED PUBLIC CREDIT.

After the Continental currency had depre- ciated until it was not received for more than two and a half cents on a dollar, the step to final repudiation was casy. The Congress of the Confederation had neither money nor credit. All they could give the officers and soldiers were certificates of final settlement. These certificates were soon in the market at the rate of eight dollars of the face for one .dollar of Spanish silver. At this rate there

was little chance for those who had been many years in the army to return to their okl homes and go into business. Naturally they began to look to that vast region west of the Alle- ghanies which had been wrested from the British possession by the valor and endur- ance of American soldiers. Some of the col- onies held shadowy claims to portions of this territory and Congress was too weak to resist. That these claims had no good legal founda- tion is evident from this,-that all the terri- tory between the Ohio and Mississippi had by Act of Parliament, in 1774, been annexed to Canada. It was legally a part of that prov- ince until captured by the forces of the United States. This temporary title by virtue of con- quest was confirmed, thanks to the wise fore- thought of Franklin, by the treaty of peace with Great Britain. Thus the legal title to this vast empire, from which five States have been formed, passed to the United States in their collective capacity. Unfortunately, however, these States were then held together by a mere rope of sand : Congress had no pow- er to resist the absurd claims of different States, nor to enforce the treaty against the British who for many years continued to hold the territory south of the Great Lakes.

HISTORY OF MARIETTA AND WASHINGTON COUNTY,

BOUNTY LANDS.

As a result of these deliberations, 285 of- ficers, nearly all of whom were from England, signed a petition bearing date of June 16, 1783, praying the Honorable Congress that the bounty lands promised to officers and sol- cliers of the Revolutionary Army be located in the territory between the Ohio River and Lake Erie and extending westward 24 miles beyond the mouth of the Scioto. It seems strange that Congress did not at once grant a request which carried with it the assurance of protection on the exposed frontier. But there were many excuses for delay, the chief one being that different States laid claim to parts of the territory. Nearly a year later ( April 5, 1784). General Rufus Putnam, im- patient of the delay, wrote from Rutland, Massachusetts, to General Washington and requested him to name some member of Con- gress who would favor the movement. He confesses that he dared not expect aid from the Massachusetts or New York delegates. since these States had land of their own to sell. He urges haste because the poverty of the returned soldiers would force them to set- tle in some place without delay.

General Rufus Putnam to General Washington.

RUTLAND, April the 5th, 1784.

DEAR SIR: Being unavoidably prevented from attending the general meeting of the Cincinnati at Philadelphia as I had intended, where I once more expected the opportunity in person to pay my re- spects to your Excellency. I can not deny myself the honor of addressing you by letter, to acknowl- edge with gratitude the ten thousand obligations 1 feel myselt under to your goodness, and most sincerely to congratulate you on your return to do- mestic happiness. to enquire after your health, and wish the best of heaven's blessing may attend you and your dear lady.

The settlement of the Ohio country, Sir. en- grosses many of my thoughts; and much of my time, since I left camp. has been employed in in- forming myself and others with respect to the nature. i nation and circumstances of that country and the probability of removing ourselves there. und if I am to form an opinion on what I have seen and heard of this subject there are thousands in this quarter will emigrate to that country as soon as the honorable Congress makes provision for granting land , servant.

there, and location and settlement can be made with safety, unless such provision is too long delayed, I mean till (a) majority torn their views another way, which is the case with many more.

You are sensible of the necessity as well as the propriety of both officers and soldiers fixing themselves in business somewhere as soon as possible, as many of them are unable to lie longer on their cars waiting the decision of Congress on our petition, and therefore must unavoidably fix themselves in some other quarter, which when done. the idea of removing to the Ohio country will probably be at an end with respect to most of them. Besides, the Commonwealth of Massachu- setts have come to a resolution to sell their Eastern Country for public securities, and should their plan be formed and their proposition be made public be- fore we hear anything from Congress respecting our petition, and the terms on which the lands petitioned for are obtained. it will undoubtedly be much against us by greatly lessening the number of Ohio associates.

Another reason why we wish to know as soon as possible what the intentions of Congress are respect- ing our petition is the effect such knowledge will prob- ably have on the credit of the certificates we have re- ceived in settlement of accounts. Those securities are now selling at no more than three shillings and six pence and four shillings on the pound, which in all probability might double, if no more, the moment it was known that government would receive them for land in the Ohio country. From these circumstances and many others which might be mentioned, we are growing quite impatient and the general inquiry now is, when are we going to Ohio? Among others, Brig- adier-general Tupper. Lieutenant-colonel Oliver, and Major Ashley have agreed to accompany me to that country the moment the way is opened for such an undertaking.

I should have hinted these things to some members of Congress, but the delegates from Massachusetts, although exceeding worthy men and in general would wish to promote the Ohio scheme, yet if it should militate with the particular interest of this State. by draining her of inhabitants especially when she is forming the plan of selling the Eastern Country, I thought they would not be very warm advocates in our favor. and I dare not trust myself with any of the New York delegates with whom I am acquainted, because that government are wisely inviting the Eastern people to settle in that State, and as to the delegates of other States, I have no acquaintance with any of them.

These circumstances must apologize for my troub- ling you on this subject and requesting the favor of a line to inform us in this quarter what the prospects are with respect to our petition and what measures have or are likely to be taken with respect to settling the Ohio country.

I shall take it as a very particular favor, Sir, if you will be kind enough to recommend me to some character in Congress acquainted with and attached to the Ohio cause with whom I may presume to open a correspondence.

I am. Sir, with the highest respect. your humble RUFUS PUTNAM.

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.

General Washington's reply to these in- quiries of his old comrade is one of the most precious autographs preserved at Marietta. It contains so many points of interest that we give all the letter that concerns this subject.

MOUNT VERNON, End of June. 1784.

DEAR SIR: I could not answer your favor of the 5th of April from Philadelphia because General Knox. having mislaid, only presented the letter to me in the moment of my departure from that place. The sentiments of esteem and friendship which breathes in it are exceedingly pleasing and fattering to me, and you may rest assured they are reciprocated.

I wish it was in my power to give you a more favorable acc't of the officers' petition for lands on the Ohio and its waters than I am about to do. AAfter this matter and information respecting the establishment for Peace were my inquiries as I went through An- napolis solely directed. but I could not learn that any- thing decisive had been done in either. On the latter I hear Congress are differing about their powers, but as they have accepted of cessions from Virginia and have resolved to lay out ten now States bounded by latitudes and longitudes, it should be supposed that they would determine something respecting the former before they adjourned: and yet. I very much question it. as the latter is to happen on the third-that is to-morrow.

As the Congress who are to meet in November next by the adjournment will be composed from an entire now choice of Delegates in each State. it is not in my power at this time to direct you to a proper correspondent in that body. I wish I could-for per- suaded I am that to some such cause as you have as- -ign'd may be ascribed the delay the petition has en- countered. for surely if justice and gratitude to the army-and general policy of the Union were to gor- ern in this case there would not be the smallest in- terruption in granting its request. I really feel for these gentlemen who by these unaccountable delays by any other means than those you have suggested ) are held in such an awkward and disagreeable state of suspense and I wish my endeavors could remove the ob-tales. At Princeton (before Congress left that place ) I exerted every power 1 was master of, and dwelt upon the argument you have used to show the propriety of a speedy decision. Every member with whom I converse acquiesced in the reasonableness of the petition-all yielded, or seemed to yield to the policy of it, but plead the want of cession of the land 10 act upon. This is made and accepted and yet m'li- ters (as far as they have come to my knowledge) it- main in state q10.

( The rest of the letter is concerning some land in Western Virginia belonging to Gen- eral Washington. )

OHIO COMPANY OF ASSOCIATES.

Even in that early day there were patriots 3

more ready to look after personal or local in- terests than the general good : there were rep- resentatives from Massachusetts who would starve their own soldiers in the hope of com- pelling them to settle in the "Eastern Country" -that is, the District of Maine-and there were other members from New York who were equally selfish in their desire to hasten the settlement of the Western part of their own State. Hence the soldiers who wished to begin a settlement northwest of the Ohio could not obtain land on favorable terms. After much negotiation continued for three years, a bond was signed October 27. 1787, between Samuel Osgood, Walter Livingston, and Arthur Lee the "Bond of Treasury" for Congress and Manasseh Cutler and Winthrop Sargent for the "Ohio Company of Associ-

ates," in which the payment of $500,000 by the company was acknowledged and promise was given that when as much more shoukl be paid a deed should be given for 1,500,000 acres of land. This tract was to extend along the Ohio River from the western boundary line of the 7th range to the western boundary of the 17th range and thence northward far enough to include the specified amount.

That this was for the times a very hard bargain is evident from the subsequent action. The land was yet in dispute, still claimed by Indians who were incited by British agents to prevent any settlement north of the Ohio: the first movement, even if there were no enemy. must have been the most expensive for the emigrants; yet after this time the land on which Cincinnati now stands was sold at about 17 cents an acre and even after Wayne's victory and the treaty of peace, a township of better land was sold in New Connecticut at 15 cents an acre. In 1700 it was proposed in Congress to sell land in Ohio at 20 cents an acre. The certificates which the Ohio Company used in paying for their land were the hard earnings of the sollier and Con- gress should therefore have received them at face value.

But among the people there were many

HISTORY OF MARIETTA AND WASHINGTON COUNTY.

who were actually jealous of the veterans who had fought for independence ; they denounced the Order of the Cincinnati as something dan- gerous and through their representatives forced the soldiers who had spent many years in the thankless task of defending the country to accept a hard bargain. Congress actually bought up its own promises to pay at 80 per cent. below par, and the soldiers were com- pelled to bear the loss.

It may be asked,-Why did the pioneers select a tract about the mouth of the Muskin- gum? We must remember that in the wilder- ness the large streams were the only high- ways. From the point they selected, the Ohio, Muskingum, Little Muskingum, Duck Creek and the Little Hocking formed the radii of two-thirds of a circle. Besides, the pioneers knew something of the land they were buying. John Mathews, a nephew of Gen. Rufus Putnam, had been a surveyor en- gaged in laying out the first seven ranges from the Pennsylvania boundary. His letters and journal show that he had also learned much about the land along the Muskingum and Hocking rivers. ( Note .A.) Captain Hutch- ins, Geographer General of the United States, who had gone through the Eastern part of this territory, also advised a selection of land on the Muskingum.

There was yet another reason: Fort Har- mar had been erected in 1785 by United States troops under Major Doughty on the west bank of the Muskingum at its junction with the Ohio. Part of this spot is now occupied by what is known as the "Fort School" where five er six hundred children of Marietta are trained to be intelligent and useful citizens. | Thus this sacred ground still serves as a de- fense of the republic. The school teacher has taken the place of the soldier and assumed some of his duties.

So much of the land once covered by the fort has been washed away that even the well which is supposed to have stood near the mid- dle is now marked by a heap of stones that lie

far out in the river and are only visible in very low water.

But let us return to New England and learn what this Ohio Company of Associates was, and what steps had been taken to organ- ize a settlement. On the 25th of January, 1786, there was published an article signed by General Rufus Putnam and Benjamin Tupper "to inform all officers and soldiers who have served in the late war and who are by an ord- inance of the Honorable Congress to receive certain tracts of land in the Ohio Country, and also all other good citizens who wish to be- come adventurers in that delightful region ; that from personal inspection, together with other incontestable evidences, they are fully satisfied that the lands in that quarter are of a much better quality than any other known to New England people." (Note B.)

The suggestion was made that delegates from each county of Massachusetts meet to form an association. Accordingly on the Ist of March, 1786, HI men .- Winthrop Sargent. John Mills, Manasseh Cutler, John Brooks, Thomas Cushing, Benjamin Tupper, Crocker Sampson, Rufus Putnam, John Patterson, Jahlaliel Woodbridge and Abraham Williams, -met at the Bunch of Grapes tavern in the town of Boston. General Putnam was elected chairman and Major Sargent, secretary. Thus in true American fashion the meeting was or- ganized and the original record written in a neat legible hand remains to this day in the li- brary of Marietta College.

Arrangements were made for organizing a company of 1,000 shares. Each share was to represent a paid-up capital of $1,000 in sol- diers' certificates and $10 in gold or silver. | The certificates were to be used in the purchase of land: the specie, in meeting current ex- penses.

ORDINANCE OF 1787.

Business moved slowly in those days. One year later, March 8, 1787, there was a

OHIO COMPANY LAND OFFICE.

FIRST ACADEMY BUILDING. MUSKINGUM ACADEMY WAS TORN DOWN IN 1887.)

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.

meeting of the Ohio Company at Bracket's tavern in Boston, at which time it was re- ported that 250 shares had been subscribed. Of the five directors provided by the articles of agreement. three were then elected: Gen. Samuel H. Parsons. Gen. Rufus Putnam and Rev. Manasseh Cutler. The most important work of that board of directors was left with Rev. Mr. Cutler. In the summer of 1787 he went to New York, where he met the members of Congress and had many confer- ences about the business of the company. On the 13th of July. Congress passed that cele- brated "Ordinance for the Government of the Territory of the United States Northwest of the River Ohio." There have been many hot disputes concerning the authorship of this his- toric paper. It contains provisions suggested long before by Jefferson: it was presented by Nathan Dane, with whom Dr. Cutler was in conference the first day after reaching New York, and the bill before it was passed was shown to Cutler who suggested many amend- ments. All but one of these amendments were adopted. In its final form this great ordinance secured this territory forever to the Union: it provided that the land should be free from the contaminating touch of slavery. and that there should be religious freedom. It also contained these words which should be familiar to every pupil in Ohio: "Relig- ion, morality and knowledge being necessary to good government and the happiness of man- kind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged." The same month an ordinance was passed, authorizing the sale of a large tract of land which, if full payments had been made as originally contemplated. would have been bounded by a line beginning on the Ohio River about seven miles above Marietta, thence northward almost to the northeast corner of Guernsey County, thence west to the Seioto River in Delaware County. thence down the Scioto and up the Ohio to the place of beginning. In fact only about one- fifth of this tract was soll to the Ohio Com- pany, the northwest corner of whose purchase

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.

History of Marietta and Washington County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 6

Author: Andrews, Martin Register, 1842-; Hathaway, Seymour J Publication date: 1902 Publisher: Chicago : Biographical Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1490

Author: Andrews, Martin Register, 1842-; Hathaway, Seymour J
Publication date: 1902
Publisher: Chicago : Biographical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1490