History of Marietta and Washington County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 72

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

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A WATCH-NIGHT MEETING OF FIFTY YEARS AGO.

At an early period in the history of Meth- odism that society adopted the plan of holding what was called a "watch-night meeting." in- cluding the last hours of the going-out year. and the segment of an hour of the incoming year, in which were held religious services. In accordance with this custom, public notice was given, the preceding Sunday, that at nine o'clock on the evening of the 31st of December religions services would be held in the church. to which all well-disposed persons were in- vited.

In accordance with this time-honored serv- ice, such a meeting was held in the Centenary Methodist Church of this place, commencing at nine o'clock on the evening of the 31st of December, 1842, and continuing until after midnight. The pastor, Rev. Frederick Mer- nick, was the conductor, aided by the local preachers of his charge and ministerial breth- ren from adjoining circuits.

When the hour came for the commence- ment of the exercises, to the surprise but grati- fication of the pastor and his official brethren. the church was filled to overflowing. The ex- ercises were opened by the singing of that al- most universally well-known hymn, commenc- ing :

From all who Awell beneath the skies. Let the Creator's praise arise.

The conducting of this exercise was by Wyllys Hall, and almost the entire congrega- tion joined in the singing. After prayer by one of the visiting brethren, and the singing of an appropriate hymn, three short sermons were listened to by the congregation, after which an hour was spent in prayer and praise by the religious people assembled ; which was followed by a general experience meeting, led off by the official members of the church and others of other denominations. As usual such oppor- tunities open the way for varied talks, some of which would naturally lead to criticism. One speaker, in a vainglorious way, spoke of his reformation, and of his having turned over a new leaf. A wide-awake but not irreverent listener remarked: "I trust he will pay me the $3.00 that he has for a long time owed me." "Amens" were here frequent, and it is proba- ble that most of them proceeded from those | who had long since learned that the habit of the speaker had been only to pay his honest debts at the end of an execution.

The next speaker was one who announced to the audience that he was once more con- verted, and intended to follow in the foot- steps of his Master .. More than one of the listeners, in their hearts, felt, when he an- nounced his conversion and good intentions, to exclaim' "shoot him on the spot." But the talking was not all of that sort. Holy men and women, who by their lives and conversa- tions, gave evidence that they were "born again," told of the goodness of God and the joys of His service.

The companionship, friendship and exam- ple of such people as the last could but bear one toward the heavenly country. They are gone now, but from their blessed habitations above they beckon us onward and upward. The hour of 12 o'clock was approaching, when the preacher in charge, evidently weighing the seriousness of the hour, invited all present. who had assumed the Christian name and resolved that in the coming year they would do more to advance the Master's kingdom, heavenly as- sistance being given them, to manifest such re- solve by rising. Al large proportion of the

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audience responded to this call. and while they were still upon their feet, the same gentle, heavenly-minded man asked that all those present who had never assumed the Christian character, but who had resolved upon leading a new life should rise. Nearly every seat was vacated. With tears of joy streaming down his cheeks, he looked over the audience, and then, with eyes turned heavenward, for a nm- ment seemed engaged in silent prayer: and then he said: "Brother Crawford, you pray." Such a prayer was never uttered in my hear- ing. I have heard bishops and far-famed cler- gymen of many lands offer petitions to heaven. but I think I never heard a prayer so impres- sive, the utterances of which were so suggest- ive and that seemed more like direct communi- cation with the Almighty. To those who have heard this holy man pray, the above will not appear as an exaggeration. No language that the writer commands can explain the power and pathos of his utterances. He asked that all who had by rising expressed the resolve. strength being given them from above, to live lives of righteousness ; and that they who had declared the purpose to seek redemption, he nerved on to duty.

The last words of that inimitable prayer still ring in my ears: "If there is one who is joined to his idols, and defiant. I pray God that he remember that the time is coming when the voice of pardoning and redeeming mercy will be silent throughout the universe of God." As if horror-stricken with this last thought. he exclaimed : "O Lord, that is not yet! Save them now."

The good pastor, that holy man of God. who but the other day laid down the cross to take up the crown, after a few touching remarks, said to the audience: "The last fif- teen minutes will be spent in silent prayer. The old year has nearly gone, and a new year will soon commence.'

Where are all that multitude that filed out of the church and hied to their homes? "Sa- cred to the memory of -- " is written upon the stone which stands at the head of the graves where most of them lie.

May God be with the few who remain, probably never again to meet such a crowd of earnest worshipers until they reach the circle where the saints and angels meet to join in songs of praise to the Great Redeemer.

EARLY FLOODS IN THE "OHIO BASIN."

It is presumable that there are few subjects of more interest to the general reader than that of the overflow of our rivers. This is a hack- neyed subject, and to introduce anything par- ticularly new is attended with difficulty.

There has recently fallen into my hands the journal of a Mr. Waleutt, who, in the year 1790, was a visitor among our people. Among the novelties encountered during a stay in this wilderness was a flood. Having the account of his journey before me I quote as follows :

"February 18, 1790 .-- I went out in the evening before I went to bed and found the back-water of the Muskingum had come into the creek at the door and above the bridge so as to cover our dam and fill the pond high. Toward night and in the evening, it rained very hard with thunder and lightning. Ex- pecí to be routed again with the high water. "February 19 .- We got up at sunrise this morning, the doctor calling, and telling us the water rose so fast that it would soon be in the house, when I immediately got up. We soon had the tea-kettle on, and got our coffee boiled, and before we could get our breakfast done, the water came in so fast that the floor was afloat, and we stood in water up to our buckles to drink the last dish. We had be- fore got such articles upstairs as the water might injure. Everybody on the point below the great bridge is obliged to move. Only three houses are out of the reach of the water, owing to their being placed so high. Messrs. Woodbridge (merchant ). Rockwell and Well (tailors ), Mr. Bent. Prince, Webster, Moody. Skinner, Mixer, Mills, Lucas, Neal, Tuttle, Barber, Landon, and Mathews were flooded sufferers. The flood carries away fences, barrels and everything that will float. "February 20 .- The river continues to rise.

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The ice almost all passed down. But it is supposed there have been heavy rains, as well as the Allegheny probably broke up, that cause the present rise, which several besides Col. Gil- man say it is about one foot higher than i was last May."

I find in an old scrap book, an article writ- ten by Caleb Emerson, Esq., on the "Ohio Flood in 1832." in which he says :

"Written Dec. 12, 1852.

"Some seventy years ago, when the Ohio basin was involved in its native wildness of wood and wild grass, there occurred a re- markable 'Freshet, which, according to the rel- ics and traditions indicated by Dr. Hildreth, was higher and more tremendous than any one since.

"In about thirty years after, say to the be- ginning of the year 1813, including some twenty years after the settlement of Marietta, such floods were frequent ; but prior to Decem- ber, 1808, we hear of none of such height and power as to be of any marked annoyance to settlers along the banks. Structures and fences, unfortunately placed on low bottoms, were sometimes invaded and misplaced, but no flooding to cause much disturbance on the higher bottoms along the beautiful river, where settlers almost uniformilly chose to lo- cate their dwellings, till the Christmas 'Fresh, 1808.

"That flood at Marietta was two feet high- er than any before, since 'the settlement.' This was alarming, in Belpre, the elder and most interesting of the 'company's' agricultural set- tlements, where the substantial farmers had begun to erect along the bank' their comno- dious farm houses, similar to those of New England. It was distressing to think of be- ing driven back from the near view of the river, which had long been the main thorough- fare, where they could be gratihed by gazing on the down-floating arks, with their freights of hopeful immigrants, or of up-river pro- duce, or on the rarer sights of up-bound keel- boats, where the hardyboatmen tugged at the weary oar. But they had comfort in the hope that as no such 'Fresh,' had before occurred

since the building of Fort Harmar, 1785, so, in all likelihood, no other such uprisings imight be apprehended for one or two gener- ations hereafter.

"The fluvial history of the upper Ohio, in the last forty years, has by no means realized the hopeful anticipations. In midwinter, 1813, came the tremendously destructive 'ice Fresh,' four and a half feet higher than the 'Christmas.

"There had, indeed, been two intervening 'Freshes, -a moderate one in the winter of I&II, and the 'Pumpkin Flood,' very destruc- tive on the waters of the Allegheny. The pumpkins' and the cornstalks floated past Marietta from above, but there was no flood- ing here. The Muskingum did not sympathize with the Allegheny. It was so low that the back-water from the Ohio pushed back it cur- rent about twenty miles. Driftwood ran up, along the shore of Point Harmar, seemingly as fast as it ever ran down. Some down-river boats, in a foggy night, were interdrawn into this up-river current, and the navigators, when the morning sun dispersed the fog, found themselves drifting many hundred yards up the Muskingum. Marietta escaped, unharmed, this outburst of waters, while Pittsburgh suf- fered severely. But Marietta abode not long in its fancied impunity. The tremendous 'Ice Fresh,' with its signal inflictions was had.

"The first half of winter in 1812-13 was severe and snowy like New England. Good sledding endured for weeks. The snow, about Marietta, accumulated and condensed to the depth of one and a half or two feet ; in higher altitudes, and more northern districts, the depth may have been much greater. There were some apprehensions of high water. The proverbial 'thaw of January' began about the 12th. A week of sunshiny. April-like days took away the earth's winter coating about the mouth of the Muskingum. No rain yet, snow agoing finely. On a fair Sunday eve the Muskingum, still low, began to rush and swell. The ice was not broken, but the dreaded rush of snow-water was running rapidly away, but the Muskingum 'saw another sight' by Mon-

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day's lingering dawn of light. The horizon was densely shrouded, and the rain descended in torrents, and held on through the day and night. The ice was broken and was fearfully crushing and crowding down the currents. During Sunday night the water had swollen up to within 10 or 12 feet of overflowing the banks, from which almost every 'raft' was swept away.

"The light of Tuesday morning exhibited the waters swelling up towards the height of 'Christmas Fresh,' and pressing up the streets across Marietta 'Point.' where the people were in great trouble. The rising continued through the day, which was mild, but the temperature changed very suddenly at night. There fell about six inches of snow. The rain-water was arrested in descending the slopes. As the side current up the streets was checked by a downward current across the bottoms toward Duck Creek and down the valley between the Point' and 'the Plain,' nearly the whole surface of water among the houses at 'the Point' above Front street, was frozen over. This was a check to intercommunication, but saved many things from floating off.

"Nothwithstanding the icy check, the ris- ing continued till Thursday morning, when it had overpassed the 'Christmas Fresh' four and a half feet. It was the opinion of Gen. Rufus Putnam that if the mild weather had continued, the rise might have been from three to five feet higher.

"Much damage was done to the towns and the farms along the Ohio. But it was hoped that as this visitation was owing to peculiar circumstances, especially the sudden melting of immense masses of snow, the like might not again occur for an age or two.

"But the lapse of twenty-seven months showed the futility of these hopes. The light of 'All Fools Day.' so called. April 1, 1815. exhibited an overflow at Marietta, as high as the 'Ice Fresh.' Some twenty miles up the Muskingum it was said to be about seven feet higher than in January, 1813. March had been mild, peach trees were in bloom, and it may be doubted whether snow-water added much to its over-flow.

"Within about three years thereafter, three overflowings of the Ohio occurred .- one in November, 1817, one in June, preceding or following, another which came within eighteen inches of the 'Ice' and the 'April.' perhaps af- ter the wonderful snowfall of February of 1818. The three occurred, it is believed, with- in less than twelve consecutive months. Af- ter this was an intermission of nine or ten years. till January, 1828, when about the 8th, there was an ordinary flood at Marietta. But the crowning flood, hitherto, was that of Feb- ruary, 1832. Winter closed in severely by the first of December, 1831. The Ohio was soon frozen over, and so continued, with fine sleigh- ing till near the middle of January, 1832, when there was a 'January thaw,' which sent off the ice and snow-water to our great com- fort. But Old Winter rallied directly, with severe cold and snow. The Ohio was ice- bridged, till some days into February, when the sunshine and the gulf winds dissolved the snow, and then a general rain, commencing probably at head waters, deluged the Ohio basin and raised the waters at Marietta five feet above the 'Ice Fresh' and the 'April.' Immense damage was done to the 'river towns' especially to the Queen City, less proportion- ately to the town of Marietta than to almost any other. A long intermission followed, al- most sixteen years. There were threatening high waters almost every year, coming quite near to an overflow and then receding. The extensive clearing of the banks, removing the overhanging and interposing growth of brush- es, and the removal of treetops, drift piles and snaggery and last, mayhap not least, the en- largement of the river bed by abrasion, prin- cipally from steamboat surfings, have rendered the beautiful river less susceptible of moderate overflowings, such as occurred in the first twenty years after the first settlement of Mar- ietta."

REVOLUTIONARY RECORD.

Messrs. Editors: Some interest of late has been manifested in the finding of human bones disinterred in the necessary excavation

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of earth for drainage purposes in West Mar- ietta. And no little interest has been mani- fested in the inquiry which has followed the finding of an ancient silver spoon. It was found imbedded in the earth three feet below the surface in a lot fronting on Post street. this city. But I confess to a more lively in- terest in being allowed the privilege of exam- ining the record of his regiment kept by Lieu- tenant-Colonel Grosvenor.

Among all the writings and valuable papers that I have, through the courtesy and kindness of the owners, been allowed to examine, none have given me more pleasure and instruction than the record of his regiment kept by Lieu- tenant-Colonel Grosvenor during the years of 1776 to 1782, of the Revolutionary War. This record wisely cared for by the colonel's son and in later years by his grandson, Capt. Sam- uel Grosvenor, is worth the most careful ex- amination of the curious, and indeed of all who care for the particulars of that noblest of all struggles,-that of our forefathers for liberty.

I feel that to have in your hands a book once held by a patriot, and read the record of a regiment celebrated for its country-loving character, is a pleasure beyond the ordinary.

To-day I shall return this book to its own- er and in his possession it will probably be subject to the readers' inspection. I note a few among many things of interest gathered from its pages :

Names and rank of officers of the First Connecticut Regiment of Foot. formed Jan. 1, 1781, and dates of commissions.

John Durkce. Colonel. Aug. 10. 1776. died May, 1782.

Thos. Grosvenor. Lieut .- Col .. March 13, 1778: be- came Commandant May 20, 1782.

Robert Warner. Major. May 29, 1782.

. Edward Eclls, Captain. Jan. 1, 1777. Erastus Wolcott. Captain. Jan. 1. 1777. Simon Spaulding, Captain, June 23. 1778. Samuel Clift, Captain, May 20. 1770.

John H. Buell, Captain, Jan. 20, 1780. Jonathan Heart. Captain, May 1, 1780.

John Durkee, Jr .. Captain, Oct. 26, 1780. David Judson, Captain, May 29, 1782.

The reader will discover in some of the

above, as he would in the entire record of the regiment, names quite familiar to old citizens, and indeed many of the original Ohio Com- pany shareholders.

The next thing we should speak of is the causes which led some of the soldiers to over- stay their leaves of absence :

Lieutenant Elijah Ranson, one day beyond leave, occasioned by a storm.

Captain John Buell ( leave granted by Col. Meigs) overstayed time seven days; occasioned by want of money.

Ensign George Cotton (leave of absence granted by Col. Sherman) overstayed his time sixteen days; ex- cuse, married a wife.

Capt. Sammel Clift overstayed time two days, waited for cloth : his reason adjudged sufficient by a court.

From register of the dead of the regiment :

One death of consumption. Of sore thigh amputated.

Of smallpox.

Killed in action near Jamestown.

Of sickness. Left old blanket and breeches in care

of Sergeant Avery Of cholera morbus or colic.

Of fever and flux.

Of fever and ague.

Apoplectic fit by drinking 12 gills of rum.

Of fever.

Of wounds received in boarding enemy's vessel.

Executed for an example.

Drowned, fell out of a canoe.

Killed by Col. Delany's thieves.

Crimes and punishments :

Repcated desertions : to suffer death, was pardoned on gallows; dismissed as unfit for a soldier. Stealing public clothing. 50 lashes ; received it. Stealing a paek belonging to a recruit while in his tent. 100 lashes ; received them.

Theft in taking tobacco from a sutler ; badges taken off. Threatening to desert, 50 lashes: received it.

Endeavoring to excite mutiny : to suffer death: ex- ecuted May 13, 1782, by hanging by the neck.

The usual punishment for ordinary of- fenses was lashes from Io to 100.

The men of the regiment were chiefly farmers and mechanics from the counties of Hartford, New London, Springfield, Wind- ham, New Haven, West Morland, Fairfield. Litchfield, West Chester, Hampshire, Provi- dence, Dutchess.

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Three Guinea negroes and one Indian band were in one company.

Captain Durkee's company had 40 negroes and six Indians.

Who were the officers who were upon the Court Martial :

Capt. J. H. Buell. C.J. Tupper.

Major Wyllys. Capt. Kells.

Capt. Wolcott. Lieur .- Col. Ben. Butler

Col. Sherman. Col. Meigs.

Col. Putnam. Gen. Parsons.

All but one progenitors of Ohio men.

Of very great service would this record book of departed heroes be to those, their de- scendants, who are now engaged in the at- tempt to establish their rights as Daughters of Revolution, Colonial Dames, or Sons of the Revolution. I know not of another record in private hands.

A REPORT OF THE EARLY BURIALS IN WATER- FORD TOWNSHIP.

A report of a recent visit made to the bur- ial-grounds in Waterford township, by Henry Brokaw, of the Marietta Academy, gives us information with regard to early burials in that part of the county. The reader will observe that among the names here given are three of the 48 pioneers who first landed at Marietta. viz., Maj. Haffield White, Capt. William Gray and Peltiah White.

The following are inscriptions from the Waterford burying-ground :

I. "In memory of Dr. Silas Durkee, who departed this Ife May 8th. 1813. in the 47th year of his age." 2. "In memory of Jane Leget. daughter of John and Sarah Leget, who died in October. A. D. 1800." 3. "In memory of John Leget. Sr., who died Jan. 24th. 1804. in the 39th year of his age."

4. "In memoryof William Leget, son of John and Sarah Leget, who died Jan. 24th, 1801."

5. "In memory of Mr. Sherman Waterman, who was wounded by the savages, being shot through the body on the 21st. and died on the 22d of May. 1795. aged 25 years."

We leave the record here for a brief per- iod to relate the incidents connected with the killing of Sherman Waterman, who was the

last man killed by the Indians in Washington County.

In the spring of the year 1795, some young men who had drawn "donation" lots on the south branch of Wolf Creek, about three miles from Waterford garrison. decided to clear their land in company. Their names were William Ford, William Hart, Jacob Proctor. John Waterman and Sherman Waterman. On the 15th of June, the fore part of the day was wet with heavy showers of rain at intervals so as to discourage them from their common work of chopping, and they decided to spend the forenoon in a little enclosure occupied as a garden near the house (a small block-house which they had built ). During a hard shower they retreated into the house. Sherman Wa- terman, wanting some fresh bark to put in the bottom of his sleepinig berth, had gone down to the creek, a few rods distant, to procure it. and a few moments thereafter the report of a rifle was heard. Each man seized his gun and stepped to a port-hole to discover the en- emy. Directly Waterman came running to- ward them, and fell down exhausted from loss of blood, a few rods from the house. William Hart and one other man rushed out amid the shots of the enemy and brought him into the house, themselves unharmed. William Hart then volunteered to go and carry news of the disaster to the fort at Waterford. A party of men, led by McGuffy, soon came up and took the wounded man in a bark canoe down the the creek to Tyler's block-house, where he died that night.

6. "In memory of William Gray, a native of Mas- sachusetis, who died July 24th, 1812. aged 52 years." 7. "In memory of John Dodge, who departed this life Oct. 8th, 1805. in the 58th year of his age."

We turn again aside from the record to tell something of John Dodge and his connec- tion with the Wolf Creek Mills.

Simultaneously with the settlement at Plainfield, a company of three men, Col. Rob- ert Oliver. Maj. Haffield White, and Capt. John Dodge, with a number of laborers, com- menced operations for the erection of a mill on Wolf Creek, about a mile from its mouth.

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By great industry and perseverance the dam and mills were built in the course of that year and by March following. the grist-mill as well as the sawmill was in operation. The mill- stones were procured from Laurel Hill. in the vicinity of Brownsville, which affords a hard. conglomerate rock, very suitable for grinding Indian corn and rye, but not of a proper tex- ture for the manufacture of flour. The iron crank for the sawmill was manufactured at New Haven, Connecticut, and is said to have been transported across the mountains to Simrell's Ferry on the back of a pack-horse and thence by water to the mills. When put in operation, they fully answered the expecta- tions of the builders. From tradition we learn that the grist-mill, with good head of water, could grind a bushel of corn into fine meal in four minutes. In the summer of 1790, it furnished a large portion of the meal. used by the people of Marietta and the sur- rounding country. Early in the following year the Indian war broke out and the settle- ment at the mills was broken up and the mill company removed their families to Marietta. During the war parties composed of twenty or thirty men sometimes went up by water with their grain, a part of them marching by land in sight of the boats as guards. While the load was being ground, sentries were placed in the adjacent forest to protect the workmen from an attack of the Indians. It is a curious fact that the mills remained unmolested during the four years of the war, though signs of the savages were often seen in and around them. After the war closed, the mills were repaired and put in use again. They were the first ever built within the bounds of the State of Ohio.

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History of Marietta and Washington County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 72

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