History of Marietta and Washington County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 70

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 70

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It is now time to return to Meigs-left with the other Indian. When the Indian saw Meigs made no use of his gun, he rightly FIRST ENLISTMENT OF MEN FOR THE INDIAN WAR. suspected that it was not loaded, threw down his gun, and advanced upon Meigs with his tomahawk and knife, Meigs-knowing the On General Harmar's being ordered to Cincinnati, about the Ist of September, 1790, the Secretary of War-General Knox-di- other Indians must be near-threw his gun away, and took to his heels. When within 15 or 20 steps. Meigs recognized this Indian |rected Colonel Sproat to take charge of the to be the same who two years before had es- corted him in from Detroit, and said: "Is that you, Charlie?" The Indian threw his tomahawk and pursued him down to near the Steam Mill. Meigs having gained a good dis- tance in the race. Charlie turned and ran back until he joined the other Indians where their trail was followed up the hill, opposite the Campus Martius : by this time the banks were strung with armed men but the birds were flown.

The Campus Martins was laid out, and the corner block-houses were built by the Ohio Company : the lines intermediate between the block-houses were built by individuals, except some short lines of piekets ; the gates, the out- side line of projecting pickets, the abbattis, and other defenses had been done by the soldiers

public property left at Fort Harmar. He en- listed for one month into the United States service one sergeant, one corporal, and 12 privates to guard and preserve the public prop- erty in and about Fort Harmar: in order to induce these men to enlist, the Chio Company advanced their wages, in addition to the pay of a United States soldier, to $8 per month, paid out of Greene & Meigs' store, and when the men were discharged, they gave Colonel Sproat a power to draw their wages from the Paymaster-General, which was sent on by Charles Greene and brought out in goods. This furnished a remittance to the merchant, and a footing to his store bill.

Half of this guard was stationed at Fort Harmar, and the other at the Campus Martius. This was the first enlistment of men for the

DEVOL'S DAM IN THE MUSKINGUM RIVER. NEAR JUDGE BARKER'S HOME

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Indian war. About two months after, a full company was enlisted-officers and nten- with three surgeons, and mates; these were distributed between the Campus Martius, "the Point," Belpre, and Waterford. The officers and surgeon's mates drew the same pay and rations from the United States as those of the same grade in their service, and the men the same as United States soldiers, made up by the Ohio Company to $8 per month. Mr. Fearing was appointed commissary and sup- plied rations on a commutation to those who chose. These enlistments were renewed every three months the first year. To introduce a routine in the officers and men, after the first vear, the Ohio Company stopped their addi- tion to the pay of the soldiers, and they only received pay as United States troops and, al- though the pay and rations of the soldiers was not more than $5 per month, yet there was a competition among the citizens for the berth, the means of getting money in any other way being extremely difficult. The officers and surgeon's mates continued to receive pay. The spies -- six in nuumber -- Henderson and Shenn at Marietta, McGoffe and -at Waterford. Oakes and Delano at Belpre, and some oc- casional changes, received Și and rations per day: these different sums constituted by far the greatest part of the circulating medium until the fall of 1792. when there was a demand for all the corn that could be spared to supply the commissary's depart- nient at Fort Washington, Cincinnati, pre- paratory to Wayne's march against the In- clians, at 40 cents per bushel, delivered on the bank. In the fall of 1793, large quan- tities, for the amount of settlement, were ex- ported to Cincinnati. As the people worked in large parties and kept a sentinel and had escape an attack, they felt themselves toler- ably secure from surprise, and almost every man had more or less of a corn-field for which he could get any kind of goods on credit or money by waiting till the return of the de- livery of the corn.

CULTIVATION OF LAND ENCOURAGED.

The proprietors of land near the garrisons encouraged every person to clear, wholly or partially, and cultivate as much land as they had means to accomplish : in this way everyone found means of obtaining the few things abso- lutely necessary, and by 1793 the travel up and down the river, added to the immigration into the settlement, furnished a ready market and demand for all the surplus produce that could be spared from home consumption. In the spring of 1793. Col. Alexander Oliver purchased four or five acres of land on the bank of the river at Belpre : he planted the 17th day of June, and in November I saw to the measure of 75 butshels of corn from the acre delivered into a boat belonging to Charles Reed to take to Cincinnati.

BELPRE.

Belpre was the most thriving settlement ; of the number of settlers there was a greater portion of Revolutionary officers, whose mil- itary education, mature judgment, enterprise, perseverance, and industry gave them a de- cided superiority and certain success over their less fortunate contemporaries. They were born and educated in New England, where knowledge, purdence, and industry were ex- alted to the heighth of the cardinal virtues; these were the elements which formed a reputa- ble Yankee character, and of which it was disreputable to be without.

Belpre was surveyed, and the settlement commenced, and several small fields were planted in the spring of 1780. In June Cap- tain King was killed and scalped by the In- dians: he was shot while chopping a log in the "Middle Settlement." Considerable im- provement was made in clearing and erecting houses in the summer and fall, and in the winter and spring of 1790. Most of the set- tlers get down on to their lots and by the roth of June had a small corn-field planted on the front of almost every lot ; they adopted the

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HISTORY OF MARIETTA AND WASHINGTON COUNTY.

plan of running a straight fence parallel with the river, carrying the path for traveling back of their corn-fields, and fencing on the river road the next winter. As the future wants of the settlements were to be supplied from pres- ent crops, every exertion was made by each to get into the ground as great a variety and quantity as possible amidst the wants and pri- vations of the very necessaries of life, and. as their corn-fields all bordered on the river. they showed a continued corn-field for miles. except at some intervals where there were no settlers. Being at Marietta, and wishing to get home, Major Goodale stepped into a flat- bottomed boat with an old Virginian who was bound for Kentucky, floated down, and as he lived at the lower part of Belpre he showed the Virginian the continued corn-field. as they passed along, and told him the quantity of labor which had been done in a few months. "Well-" said the Virginian-"I know one thing : you must have been - poor, or you would not have worked so hard." When that crop was matured plenty commenced. and want has never looked industry in the face since.

The rough journey over the mountains and the work and toil incident to a new settlement was great and the old clothes were giving out. Col. Ebenezer Battelle, from Boston, and Cap- tain William Dana. from New Hampshire, in the spring of 1790, sowed flax, pulled it in the blossom in June, water-rotted it in swamps near the bank. dressed, had it spun and wove by William Dana, of Newport. and made it up into shirts and trousers, which were worn on the 4th of July at a meeting for the cele- bration.

On the commencement of the Indian War in January, 1701. all the settlers in Belpre built and went into one large garrison called Farmers' Castle, but found it very difficult to move their stock and feed for them to the vicin- ity of the garrison: these living nigh left all and went. and fed occasionally : those living at a distance had to hau their feed and make the best shift they could until summer.

When they had got their families into gar-

rison. all who owned stock formed themselves into a company for the mutual insurance of each other's stock : they appraised each other's stock, and each man became obligated to con- tribute to any loss of stock by the Indians. in proportion to the value of his own. A num- ber of cattle were killed in the spring. Mr. Lasure had two cows killed. Capt. Benjamin Miles, from Rutland, Massachusetts, drove in his team, a voke of extraordinary oxen as to size and value : they were a complete match- red, 15 hands high. girting eight feet, and equally good for work. As the stock was all thin in the spring, killing was sheer wanton- ness. as the Indians made use of no part of what they destroyed. These cattle were dressed and a part brought to Marietta, with a view to supply the troops, but in consequence of its lying in the blood for some time, and be- ing so very lean, the soldiers would not eat it : but the insurance was immediately paid by the other stockholders. As the Indians had not wantonly destroyed the stock on the south side of the Ohio. the settlers on this side prac- ticed turning their stock across onto the islands and on to the main, where they remained se- cure until fall.

In the garrison, guards were strictly kept by day and night. They were partly men en- listed in the service of the United States and partly drawn out by routine from the inhabi- tants; they were commanded by an officer in the pay of the United States, whose duty it was to provide the sentinels and see that they were regularly and strictly kept up: these were se- lected from the more experienced officers of the Revolution-what was called the "Senior" class. These served in rotation as officers of the day. and while on duty had command of the whole: they made it their business to see that the pickets. the gates. the houses, and every part of the garrison was kept in repair : to see that the wood and other combustibles were so arranged that they would be safe against a fire : to see that the stacks of fodder. pens. &c .. were not brought se near as to make it a cover for the enemy : and to see that too many had not left the garrison at one time .-

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and those without arms, to receive the reports of the spies, and to send and receive dispatches. as was found necessary. When spring re- turned, each individual must produce some- thing to support his family. This could only be done by working in parties large enough to keep sentries to secure those at work while the spies were looking out for the whole: by mak- ing large circles around the settlement. by which it was difficult for the Indians to come in without leaving a trail or some sign, and there were very few instances during the war that the Indians were not discovered by their signs, and the news circulated through all the settlements before they made an attempt at mischief. It is surprising what a small cir- cumstance will catch the eye of an experienced woodsman : a leaf has been moved-a tree broken-or a spear of grass bent-which will lead to a minute investigation and discovery.

UPPER AND LOWER SETTLEMENTS.

As the settler who moved in from a dis- tance found it very inconvenient and expensive in time to carry on their land and maintain their families, they began to conclude that they could move back, and fortify and protect themselves : those from below built a garrison at the lower point of the island. on Major Goodale's farm, and those from above built one a little below the mouth of the Little Kana- wha, on land of Capt. Jonathan Stone, and called "Upper Settlement" garrison, in which Captain Stone. Capt. William Dana, Wanton Casey and Col. Silas Bent were the principal landholders. Maj. Nathan Goodale was pre- prietor of the land at the "Lower" garris m. and was considered one of the most industri- ons, persevering and well-bred farmers in the County: he had been an officer thr ugh the Revolution, and moved to this county from Brookfield, Massachusetts. Previous to his starting to this country, he selected the best bull and three of the best cows that he could pro- cure: he broke them to work together in the yoke, and draw on to this country a wagen with part of his family. The breed of that stock

was disseminated through this county and is still held in high estimation to this day. In fact, they have been considered the best milkers that have been introduced into this county.

In the spring of 1792, Major Goodale was clearing and preparing some ground for plant- ing. some 20 or 30 rods back of the garrison. within gunshot. with his team : he was moving some timber for clearing and fencing near the edge of uncleared land and had been there but a short time when the oxen were observed standing still, but he was not to be seen. After some little time, the team remaining still, anxiety was felt for his safety, an examination was made, but he was not to be found : mocca- sin tracks were discovered, which led to the conclusion that he had been taken by the In- dians : but no certain information has been ob- tained of the manner of his capture, the direc- tion he was taken, or the event of his fate.

At the treaty of 1794, some information was obtained relative to every prisoner captured by the Indians along the river and taken as far back as the Indian villages. Hence it is proba- ble that somewhere in the intermediate dis- tance, either from cool. deliberate barbarity, or in some struggle to regain his liberty, he fell. either by the rifle, the tomahawk or the knife. His loss made a vacancy hardly to be filled : his memory is still fresh and green in that of his contemporary pioneers, and still cherished with respect and affection by their descendants. His name is not lost : a son and a daughter still survive: Mrs. lames Kilbourne, of Washing- ton, and Dr. Lincoln Goodale, of Columbus,- one of the wealthiest and most reputable men in Ohio.

The members of the "Upper Settlement" f Belpre succeeded in fortifying and protect- ing themselves against the Indians, and were fortunate in the safety of their persons and property, while they adhered to the rules which had been adopted. and practiced for their safe- tv. But in March, 1793, one of the settlers. Jonas Davis, from Massachusetts, found a -kiff laid upon the ice at the mouth of Crooked Creek, three miles above the garrison, and as mils were a very scarce and dear article he

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HISTORY OF MARIETTA AND WASHINGTON COUNTY.

proceeded to take it to pieces for the nails ; as he was at work at the water's edge, two In- dians and a negro shot him from the top of the bank; one with a large-bored musket ; scalped him and took his clothes and tools. They were not detected until he was found. and he related all the circumstances at Wayne's treaty.

Early in the year 1794, a party of about 20 Indians had made a large bark canoe about 15 miles down the Ohio; in which they crossed over to the Virginia side, sunk their canoe under water beneath some willows, and set out to hunt some prey between the river and Clarksburg. Taking the Little Kanawha in their route, they found a family by the name of Armstrong, living on the bank of the river. at the head of Blennerhassett's Island, about a mile below the Little Kanawha. The house stood immediately on the bank, and a little garden, inclosed with a brush fence, on the other side; the Indians got on the fence and pressed it down-the fence-to imitate cattle breaking over. Armstrong got up, unbound the door, and went out : when within a rod of the fence, he saw the Indians jumping over : he hastened in and barred the door, but the Indians were close upon him: the door not be- ing sufficiently strong, they beat it down with their tomahawks; the man and his wife crept into the loft. burst a hole through the roof of the cabin, and jumped out : the man made his escape : the woman broke her leg in striking the ground and was despatched with an ax : a boy about 10 years old, in the house, was taken prisoner : the rest-four or five girls and boys -were tomahawked and scalped. One boy by the name of Hugh, whose brains were run- ning 'over his face, was still creeping and moaning about the house-perfectly insensi- ble, and who died that night. Two sons- nearly men -- were in a small floating mill an- chored in the Ohio, and escaped without in- jury.

Reminiscences of Prominent Persons of the Early Settlements .*

BENJAMIN IVES GILMAN, son of Joseph Gilman, was a prominent and talented citizen ; he was the first clerk of the court in the county of Washington, which office he retained until the commencement of the Territorial govern- ment, when he was released. The subsequent history of himself and family is well known. Ile was a delegate from the county to the con- vention which formed the Constitution of Ohio.

WINTHROP SARGENT, a native of Bos- ton, and secretary of the Northwest Territory, married the daughter of Gen. Benjamin Tup- per, and resided in Marietta until the fall of 1790, when General Harmar was ordered down the river; he followed and tarried below.

CAPT. JOSIAH MONROE, a native of New Hampshire. He served through and com- manded a company at the close of the Revolu- tion; he came on directly after the company and subsequently brought on his family; he was the first postmaster in the county ; he died at Marietta, but has left a number of descend- ants, by his son, Joseph Monroe, and by his (laughter, the wife of Col. Daniel Converse, in Muskingum County.

Permit me to mention a circumstance to show how hard was the case with many a Revo- lutionary officer and soldier. At the close of the war, in 1783. Captain Monroe returned home, purchased a small farm, amounting to about $1.000, paid a small part and got credit for the balance for four or five years, giving his brother-in-law. Captain Crosby, as surety, thinking by the time the money was due he should realize the money for his services- to the amount of $800, and interest. In 1787 final settlement of the notes would bring but 12 to 15 per cent. on their nominal value. In

*Lives of other pioneers are sketched in other chap- ters of this work, notably in Chapter XXX.

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1788 he left his final settlement notes with his brother-in-law, who managed to keep off the execution until the Constitution was adopted. when they rose to 23 per cent. above par and paid all demands.

CAPT. WILLIAM MILLS, a native of Bos- ton, Massachusetts, father of Col. John Mills, of Marietta, and brother of Col. John Mills, Adjutant General of the United States troops, who died in Cincinnati. He was appointed by the Governor captain of artillery, in January, 1790. He was sometime necessarily absent as administrator of his brother's estate in Cincin- nati: subsequently he brought on his family. who resided in Marietta.

CAPT. WILLIAM KNOWLES, from Boston, a Revolutionary officer. a gentlemanly, intelli- gent man, resided in Marietta some two years without engaging in any particular business. then returned.

MANJ. COGGSWELL OLNEY and MAJ. . I.S.A COBURN. from Rhode Island, lived in the Campus Martius during the war. Their de- scendants are settled along the Muskingum. Phineas-Major Coburn's eldest son-came out with the Ohio Company, and now resides in the north part of this county.

MAJ. EZRA PUTNAM, of Danvers, Massa- chusetts, came early to the Western Country with his family, three sons .- two of whom were massacred at Big Bottom. He was an officer in the Provincial troops, at the taking .f the Island of Cape Breton in 1745. He and his wife lived to an advanced age in the Campus Martius, and kept a domestic boarding house ; he was prolific in the legends of the old Frencht wars, and frequently sang a ballad of 70 verses. on the taking of Copertoon, when he could not remember whether he had his axe in his hand or had left it in the house !

CAPT. ENOCH SHEPARD, from Massachu- setts, and brother to General Shepard, who commanded at Springfield when General She's attacked the arsenal, came early to the county with a large family of children, one of whom still lives in Marietta, the wite of Maj. John Clark. He was a substantial. intelligem busi- ness man. In the summer and fall of 1790, in

company with Colonel Sproat, he expended a large amount of labor and property in erect- inig a saw-mill and grist-mill on a large scale. They had the frames and machinery ready for operation on the site where Robinson's mill stands, on Duck Creek, when the war stopped their operations and the mills were burned by the Indians, and the whole was a dead loss. But his industry and enterprise were not cramped by this misfortune, for many under- takings of magnitude and utility, after that, were executed by his judgment and persever- ance.

DUDLEY WOODBRIDGE, EsQ., from Nor- wich, Connecticut. Ilimself and family re- moved here early in 1789. He was bred to the law, but subsequently engaged in trade, and was one of the first merchants in Marietta, which business he continued to pursue. He was one of the first judges of the Court of Common Pleas for the county, under the Con- stitution. His descendants are among the most reputable and prominent citizens of the West- ern Country.

WILLIAM SKINNER, EsQ., was a native of Pennslyvania, and one of the first settlers in the county, and was engaged in mercantile business, under the firm name of Skinner de MeKinley. Hle was the second high sheriff, and the first under our present Constitution. His descendants are too conspicuous to re- quire any further relation from me.

CHARLES GREENE, a native of Rhode Isl- and. He was bred a merchant, and came early to Marietta with his mother-in-law (by the name of Sheffieldl) and Isaac Pierce, Esq., ( whose wife was her daughter ) and one other daughter who married Major Zeigler. of the United States troops. Mlr. Greene was after- ward in company in a store of goods, under the firm name of Greene & Meigs, This firm was established principally by the credit of the Ohio Company to provide the means of re- deeming their outstanding orders in goods which were selling at a large discount : but as goods were a cash article, these orders imme- diately rose to par, and furnished a valuable medium; likewise, all the soldiers employed

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by the company, and by the United States, and the spies, could get credit at the store, by hypothecating their wages which were paid in the East .. This induced all the retailers of goods to fall into the same plan; this was the introduction of the credit system in our county. Mr. Greene moved to Cincinnati, where his descendants are reputable citizens at this time. Orders on the store were as current then as bank bills are now.

Belpre.

Let us now leave the city, with all its good, and all its necessary evil, and its root of all evil, and its professions where the Judge tries all-the Lawyer pleads for all-the Sheriff hangs all-the Doctor cures all-the Merchant cheats all-the Mechanic works for all-and the Soldier fights for all-and go into the neighborhood where the farmers pay for all.

M'AJ. NATHAN GOODALE was from Brook- field, Massachusetts. He was a soldier and an officer in the Revolution, belonging to the intantry. He was an active partisan, faithful and persevering. Rufus Stone mentioned to me not long since that among the old family papers was a letter from his father, who was in the army, to his mother, where he mentions that Captain Goodale had just brought into camp 15 prisoners ; his reputation was that of a faithful. enterprising and brave officer : he was one of the most industrious and suc- cessful farmers, for the time allowed that was to be found in the county. His loss threw a damper over the whole settlement: 10 one could be more regretted, as no vacancy would have been so difficult to fill.

CAPT. JONATHAN STONE, from New Bron- till, Massachusetts, was a soklier and an offi- cer during the Revolution. He commanded a company of light infantry, and was princi- paliy engaged in partisan warfare, where his station was near the lines which separated the antagonistic troops, by which he was subjected to numerous perils, which demanded the uit- most vigilance and activity, both of the soldier and the officer. Early in life he had qualified himself as a practical surveyor, and subsequent

to the Indian war completed the survey of the Ohio Company's Purchase, in company with Jeffrey Madison. He was run for a member of the first Territorial Legislature: but his chief characteristic was that of an intelligent and substantial farmer, and an industrious and useful citizen.

CAPT. JONATHAN DEVOL. a native of Rhode Island, came out with General Putnam. and his company, but was not in the Ohio Company's employ until they arrived at Sim- rell's ferry, where he was employed by Gener- al Putnam to build the Ohio Company's boat, which was called the "Mayflower," which brought the pioneers of the State of Ohio to Marietta ; he was then employed by the super- intendent in providing the material and erect- ing the block-house on the Campus Martius, where he built himself a dwelling house. Early in 1789 he removed his family to Belpre "Up- per Settlement." where he remained until the close of the war, when he removed to Marietta, and from there up the Muskingum, where his descendants now reside. While residing in Belpre, Captain Devol, in company with Griffin Greene, Esq., built the first floating mill to be operated on and put in action by the current of the Ohio, in the quick water between the island and the main, above Farmers' Castle. This mill was placed upon two boats of un- equal size, the water-wheel running between them, and the machinery and stones for grind- ing were placed in the larger, which likewise received the grain and the tenders and the customers, &c. This mill was anchored in the quickest water, and a communication with the shore was kept up by means of canoes and boats, which were the only traveling car- riages incident to a country where there were neither roads nor bridges, but only the navi- gable streams. This mill -- although but a makeshift-supplied the garrison and the scat- tered inhabitants for 20 or 30 miles up and down the Ohio. These mills were a risky piece of property, and gave the owners much watch- fulness and expense in securing their safety : huit like other floating capital, they were not sul ject to statutory provision to regulate the

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History of Marietta and Washington County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 70

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