USA > Ohio > History of Ohio; the rise and progress of an American state, Volume One > Part 32
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32
486
THE RISE AND PROGRESS
frontiers, in garrison duty, leading scouting parties and engaging in Indian warfare.
In the Forbes expedition against Fort Duquesne, Crawford, through the aid of Washington, became captain of a company of hardy frontier men. After the termination of that campaign, Crawford continued in the service of Virginia until the close of the French War, when he sought his old home in the Virginia Valley, and resumed the double occupation of farmer and surveyor. In 1765 he moved to a location on the Youghiogheny River, some forty miles from the Ohio Forks, and in what was then an unbroken forest he built a cabin and began trading with the Indians and surveying lands for speculators and settlers. In due time a cleared farm of near four hundred acres surrounded his home which became known far and near for the generous hospitality dispensed by its owner. In this freely frequented log cabin, remote from the refinements of civilization, Crawford was not forgotten by Washington, nor did they neglect to write each other, as is amply attested by the interesting and rare little volume, entitled "The Washington-Crawford Letters," edited by C. W. Butterfield and from which authority we derive much that we now indite. The first letter in the historic correspondence as published is dated Mt. Vernon, September 21, 1767. Washington alludes to a previous letter, "my last letter," wherein "I then desired the favor of you (as I understood rights might now be had for the lands, which have fallen within the Pennsylvania line), to look me out a tract of about fifteen hundred, two thousand, or more acres somewhere in your neighborhood, meaning
487
OF AN AMERICAN STATE
only by this, that it may be as contiguous to your own settlement, as such a body of good land can be found. It will be easy for you to conceive, that or- dinary or even middling lands would never answer my purpose or expectation, so far from navigation, and under such a load of expense, as these lands are en- cumbered with. No; a tract to please me must be rich, of which no person can be a better judge than yourself, and, if possible, level. Could such a piece of land be found, you would do me a singular favor in falling upon some method of securing it immediately from the attempts of others, as nothing is more certain, than that the lands cannot remain long ungranted, when once it is known, that rights are to be had.
"I offered in my last to join you, in attempting to secure some of the most valuable lands in the King's part, which I think may be accomplished after a while, notwithstanding the proclamation, [Quebec Act] that restrains it at present, and prohibits the settling of them at all; for I can never look upon that procla- mation in any other light (but this I say between our- selves), than as a temporary expedient to quiet the minds of the Indians. It must fall, of course, in a few years, especially when those Indians consent to our occupying the lands. Any person, therefore, who neglects the present opportunity of hunting out good lands, and in some measure marking and distinguishing them for his own, in order to keep others from settling them, will never regain it. If you will be at the trouble of seeking out the lands, I will take upon me the part of securing them, as soon as there is a possibility of doing it, and will moreover be at all cost and charges
488
THE RISE AND PROGRESS
of surveying and patenting the same. You shall then have such a reasonable proportion of the whole, as we may fix upon at our first meeting; as I shall find it necessary, for the better furthering of the design, to let some of my friends be concerned in the scheme, who must also partake of the advantages.
"I will inquire particularly concerning the Ohio Company, that we may know what to apprehend from them. For my own part, I should have no objection to a grant of land upon the Ohio, a good way below Pittsburg, but would first willingly secure some valu- able tract nearer at hand.
"I recommend that you keep this whole matter a secret, or trust it only to those, in whom you can confide, and who can assist you in bringing it to bear by their discoveries of land. This advice proceeds from several very good reasons, and, in the first place, because I might be censured for the opinion I have given in respect to the King's proclamation, and then, if the scheme I am now proposing to you were known, it might give the alarm to other, and, by putting them upon a plan of the same nature, before we could lay a proper foundation for success ourselves, set the different interests clashing, and, probably, in the end, overturn the whole. All this may be avoided by a silent management, and then the operation carried on by you under the guise of hunting game, which you may, I presume, effectually do, at the same time you are in pursuit of land. When this is fully discovered, advise me of it, and if there appears but a possibility of succeeding at any time hence, I will have the lands immediately surveyed, to keep others off, and leave the rest to time and my own assiduity."
489
OF AN AMERICAN STATE
This significant letter was answered by Crawford within a week and in this reply he states he can secure land in Pennsylvania, on the Monongahela and on the Youghiogheny. He proposes to immediately set about the work entrusted to him, and writes Washington, "I have hands now engaged to work for me; and when I go out, I shall raise a cabin and clear some land on any I shall like or think will suit you." These letters apparently established the agency of Crawford and Washington, an agency extending through many years.
Many tracts in Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania were selected, surveyed and secured for Washington; among them the Great Meadows site, where he had built his memorable Fort Necessity, for he had long desired to possess the scene of his only surrender.
Early in 1770 Washington began contemplating a trip to the western country to view the land upon the Ohio and its tributaries, which, by the treaty of Fort Stanwix, in 1768, had been purchased from the Indians-to the end that he might secure good tracts in that locality for the Virginia officers and soldiers who had served in the French War, and who were entitled in all, distributed according to rank, to two hundred thousand acres.
On this journey to and down the Ohio, Washington kept, according to his custom, an accurate and inform- ing account. The original of this "account" is found in two manuscripts, now preserved in the Library of Congress, one of which is entitled "Remarks & Occurrs in October." When November came it is noted only by the words "November Ist." The other manu- script is inscribed "Where & How-my time is-
490
THE RISE AND PROGRESS
Spent." The former document is the elaborated jour- nal of his tour and the latter is a mere outline, such as he always kept, of each day's affairs. The more formal journal, damaged to the extent that the entries from the 6th to the 17th of November were regarded as illegible, is published in Sparks' "Writings of Washing- ton," and elsewhere. The smaller diary was repro- duced for the first time in the publications of The Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society, together with a reprint of the greater journal, the whole edited by Professor Archer B. Hulbert, who after a careful study of the original has also reproduced the mutilated pages which are found to be legible in large part.
The journal begins October 5 (1770) when Wash- ington sets out from Mount Vernon for Pittsburg with Dr. Craik, three servants and "a lead horse with bag- gage." They traveled the old Braddock road, passing the Great Meadows and stopping three days at the cabin of William Crawford, who showed Washington some coal mines, and fine tracts of land. Crawford here joined the party which proceeded to Fort Pitt, where they were entertained by Colonel George Crog- han and the officers of the garrison. Here Washington was honored by a formal visit from White Mingo and other chiefs of the Six Nations who called to pay their respects to the distinguished Virginian.
On Saturday the 20th (October) "we embarked in a large canoe with sufficient store of Provisions and necessaries, & the following persons (besides Dr. Craik and myself) to-wit-Captn. Crawford, Jos. Nicholson, Robt. Bell, William Harrison, Chas. Morgan and Dan'l
491
OF AN AMERICAN STATE
Reardon a boy of Captn. Crawford's & the Indians who were in a canoe by themselves."
Nicholson was the guide and interpreter. Colonel Croghan accompanied them as far as Logstown. The diary then recites the events of each day as they occurred. It may easily be guessed that the journal is fraught with interesting comment and description concerning the condition of the river, distance traveled, the scenery, character of land, fertility of soil, game and productions, habitations of the Indians and dis- position of the latter toward the whites. Frequent stops and encampments were made, sometimes on one side of the river, sometimes on the other. Those on the Ohio or northern side especially elicit our attention.
On Monday 22d "We came to Mingo Town [twelve miles below Steubenville] situate on the West side of the River a little above Cross Creeks-This place contains ab[out] Twenty Cabins & 70 inhabitants of the Six Nations"-here they "found and left 60 odd Warriors of the Six Nations going to the Cherokee Country to proceed to war against the Cuttawba's."
They stop at the mouths of French Creek, Fishing Creek, Split Island Creek, Wheeling Creek, Little Grove Creek, Big Grove Creek, Pipe Creek, “so called by the Indians from a stone which is found here out of which they make pipes;" Fox Grape Vine Creek, so called by Nicholson, called by others Captewa Creek; this is Captina Creek on the Ohio side, so famous in later history. Around his camp at Captina Creek and up the creek, he says "is a body of fine land-on our passage down to this we see innumerable
492
THE RISE AND PROGRESS
quantities of Turkeys & many Deer watering, and browsing on the Shore side, some of which we killed." Washington hunting deer and turkey in Ohio!
On the opposite side, in Virginia, ten years later, he owned a tract called Round Bottom, containing about six hundred acres.
We can not make all the landings our party made. Slowly they floated down, zigzagging from one river side to the other, examining the mouth of every stream or river. On the 26th "We came to the mouth of the Muskingum. *
* This river is abt 150 yards wide at its mouth; a gentle current & clear stream runs out of it, & is navigable a great way in to the Country for canoes." Again, "We came to a small Creek on the west side, which the Indians called little Hockhocking." * * * "About eight miles below little Hockhocking we encamped opposite the mouth of the Great Hockhocking, which the so-called is not a large water; tho the Indians say Canoes can go up it 40 or 50 miles"-On Sunday the 28th the Journal relates that "We left our Incampment" and continued inland "to a place where there comes in a small Run [Pond Creek] where we found Kiashuta and his Hunting Party incamped" * *: "Here we were under a necessity of paying our Compliments, As this person was one of the Six Nation Chiefs, & the head of them upon this River-In the Person of Kiashuta I found an old acquaintance-He being one of the Indians, that went with me to the French in 1753-He expressed a satis- faction in seeing me and treated us with great kindness; giving us a Quarter of very fine Buffalo-He insisted upon our spending that Night with him, and in order
493
OF AN AMERICAN STATE
to retard us as little as possible movd his Camp down the River about 6 Miles just below the Mouth of a Creek, the name of which I coud not learn (it not being large) at this place we all Incampd-After much Councelling the overnight they all came to my fire the next Morning, with great formality; when Kiashuta rehearsing what had passed between me & the Sachems at Colo Croghan's thankd me for saying that Peace and friendship was the wish of the People of Virginia (with them) & for recommending it to the Traders to deal with them upon a fair & equitable footing; and then again expressed their desire of having a Trade opend with Virginia, & that the Governor thereof might not only be made acquainted therewith, but of their friendly disposition towards the white People- This I promised to do."
The terminus of the trip was reached October 3Ist, at the juncture of the Great Kanawha, where a stay of several days was made, employed in ascending the river and examining the land thereabouts, upon the course and mouth of which Washington located for himself a ten thousand acre tract, which in 1773 he advertised for sale or lease, suggesting among other advantages of its location, "the scheme for establishing a new government on the Ohio" and the contiguity of these lands "to the seat of government, which, it is more than probable, will be fixed at the mouth of the Great Kanawha."
On the return trip up the Ohio more attention was given to the Virginia side, Washington keeping a lookout for and even marking certain lands which later might be located for the French War soldiers
494
THE RISE AND PROGRESS
holding bounty claims. When the party reached "the point of the Great Bent," in the river, Washington states he sent the canoe with the baggage around by water while he "walked across the neck on foot with Captain Crawford distance according to our walking about 8 miles as we kept a strait course under the Foot of the Hills which ran about So. Et. [southeast] & was two hours & an half walking of it * * * This is a good Neck of Land the soil being generally good; & in places very rich-their is a large proportion of Meadow Ground, and the Land as high, dry and Level as one coud wish-the growth in most places is beach inter- mixd with Walnut &ca but more expecially with Poplar (of which there are numbers very large)-the Land towards the upper end is black Oak, & very good- upon the whole a valuable Tract might be had here, & I judge the quantity to be about 4000 acres."
This walk was across Letart township, Meigs County, Ohio, on Monday, November 3d. It is on this return trip, November 6th, says Hulbert, that the journal is marred "because of some kind of an accident which happened to the original manuscript; very likely it fell into the muddy flood-tide which its author des- cribed." It is this spoiled portion Mr. Hulbert partially deciphers. On the upper side of the "Bent" as Washington calls it, the canoes were re-entered and the river route resumed. Another stop was made at Mingo Bottom and a second visit paid to the camp of Kiashuta, who seems to have shifted his quarters since he first entertained the canoe voyagers. It was Tuesday, November 2Ist, when Fort Pitt was reached. Washington computes the distance, according to
495
OF AN AMERICAN STATE
Hutchins, the mapper and geographer, from Fort Pitt to the Great Kanawha, to be 272 miles. The Journal closes with a page or two of general observations upon the river navigated and the country inspected, of which the following excerpt is a sample:
"When the River is in its Natiral State, large canoes that will carry 5 or 6000 weight & more, may be worked against stream by 4 hands 20 & 25 Miles a day; & down, a good deal more-The Indians who are very dexterous (even there women) in the management of Canoes have there Hunting Camp's & Cabins all along the River for the convenience of transporting their Skins by water to Market-In the Fall, so soon as the Hunting Season comes on, they set out with their Familys for this purpose; & In Hunting will move there Camps from place to place till by the Spring they get 2 or 300 Miles from there Town's; Then Bever catch it in there way up which frequently brings them into the Month of May, when the Women are employd in Plantg-the Men at Market & in Idleness, till the Fall again; then they pursue the same course again; during the Summer Months they live a poor & perish- ing life-
"The Indians who live upon the Ohio (the upper parts of it at least) are composed of Shawnees, Delawares, & some of the Mingos, who getting but little part of the consideration that was given for the Lands East- ward of the Ohio, view the settlement of the People upon this River with an uneasy & Jealous Eye: & do not scruple to say that they must be compensated for their right if the People settle thereon, notwithstanding the Cession of the Six Nations thereto."
496
RISE AND PROGRESS OF AN AMERICAN STATE
Such was Washington's journey down the Ohio. It had occupied six weeks, giving the prospector a thorough and practical knowledge of the upper Ohio River and adjacent lands. We shall subsequently see what an important factor the knowledge, thus gained by Washington, became to him personally in a proprie- tory way and to the western settlers in an historical and political way. Washington was not only the Father of his Country; he was in no small measure the Founder of the State of Ohio.
Ohio-peh-hi-li! Peek-han-ni! The pride Of the land where thy waters, O-pel-e-chen, glide; Though thy vales, and the hills in the distance that loom, Seen afar through the azure, or lost in the gloom, Have long been the homes of the noble and brave, Whose proud halls are built on the Indian's grave, Yet seldom the poet hath made thee his theme, Ohio-peh-hi-li! All beautiful stream.
Hel
8
DEC 18 MMF
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.