History of Preble County, Ohio, with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches, Part 100

Author: H. Z. Williams & Brothers
Publication date:
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 559

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The next day Captain Rogers led a party over to the Big Bottom. It was, indeed, a melancholy sight to the poor borderers, as they knew not now how soon the same fate might befall themsevles. The fire had so disfig- ured their comrades that but two, Ezra Putnam and William Jones, were recognized. As the ground was frozen outside, a hole was dug in the earth underneath the block-house floor, and the bodies consigned to one grave. No further attempt was made to settle here till after the peace of 1795.

The outbreak of Indian hostilities put a check on further settlements. Those that were established were put in a more active state of defence, and every prepar- ation made that could be made for the impending crisis all felt sure must come. Either the Indians must go, or the whites must retreat. A few hardy and adventurous persons ventured out into the woods and made settle- ments, but even these were at the imminent risk of their lives, many of them perishing in the attempt.

The Indian war that followed is given fully in preced- ing pages. It may be briefly sketched by stating that the first campaign, under General Harmar, ended in the de-

feat of his army at the Indian villages on the Miami of the Lake, and the rapid retreat to Fort Washington. St. Clair was next commissioned to lead an army of nearly three thousand men, but these were furiously attacked at break of day, on the morning of November 4, 1791, and utterly defeated. Indian outrages sprung out anew after each defeat, and the borders were in a continual state of alarm. The most terrible sufferings were en- dured by prisoners in the hands of the savage foe, who thought to annihilate the whites.

The army was at once re-organized, General Anthony Wayne put in command by Washington, and a vigorous campaign inaugurated. Though the savages had been given great aid by the British, in direct violation of the treaty of 1783, General Wayne pursued them so vigor- ously that they could not withstand his army, and, on the twentieth of August, 1794, defeated them, and utterly annihilated their forces, breaking up their camps, and laying waste their country, in some places under the guns of the British forts. The victory showed them the hopelessness of contending against the whites, and led their chiefs to sue for peace. The British, as at former times, deserted them, and they were again alone, con- tending against an invincible foe. A grand council was held at Greenville on the third of August, 1795, where eleven of the most powerful chiefs made peace with General Wayne on terms of his own dictation. The boundary established by the old treaty of Fort McIntosh was confirmed, and extended westward from Loramie's to Fort Recovery, and thence southwest to the mouth of the Kentucky river. He also purchased all the terri- tory not before ceded, within certain limits, compre- hending, in all, about four-fifths of the State of Ohio. The line was long known as "The Greenville Treaty line." Upon these, and a few other minor conditions, the United States received the Indians under their pro- tection, gave them a large number of presents, and practically closed the war with the savages.

The only settlement of any consequence made during the Indian war, was that on the plat of Hamilton, laid out by Israel Ludlow, in December, 1794, Soon after, Darius C. Orcutt, John Green, William McClennan, John Sutherland, John Torrence, Benjamin F. Randolph, Benjamin Davis, Isaac Wiles, Andy Christy and William Hubert, located here. The town was laid out under the name of Fairfield, but was known only a short time by that name. Until 1801, all the lands on the west side of the Great Miami were owned by the general govern- ment; hence, until after that date, no improvements were made there. A single log cabin stood there until the sale of lands in April, 1801, when a company purchased the site of Rossville, and, in March, 1804, laid out that town, and, before a year had passed, the town and coun- try about was well settled up.

The close of the war, in 1795, insured peace, and from that date, Hamilton and that part of the Miami valley grew remarkably fast. In 1803, Butler county was formed, and Hamilton made the county seat.

On the site of Hamilton, St. Clair built Fort Hamil- ton in 1791. For some time it was under the com-

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mand of Major Rudolph, a cruel, arbitrary man, who was displaced by General Wayne, and who, it is said, perished ignobly on the high seas, at the hands of some Algerian pirates, a fitting end to a man who caused, more than once, the death of men under his control for minor of- fences.

On the return of peace, no part of Ohio grew more rapidly than the Miami valley, especially that part com- prised in Butler county.

While the war with the Indians continued, but little extension of settlements was made in the State. It was too perilous, and the settlers preferred the security of the block-house or to engage with the army. Still, however, a few bold spirits ventured away from the set- tled parts of the territory, and began life in the wilder- ness. In tracing the histories of these settlements, at- tention will be paid to the order in which they were made. They will be given somewhat in detail until the war of 1812, after which they become too numerous to follow.

The settlements made in Washington-Marietta and adjacent colonies-and Hamilton counties have already been given. The settlement at Gallia is also noted, hence the narration can be resumed where it ends prior to the Indian war of 1795. Before this war occurred, there were three small settlements made, however, in addition to those in Washington and Hamilton counties. They were in what are now Adams, Belmont and Mor- gan counties. They were block-house settlements, and were in a continual state of defence. The first of these, Adams, was settled in the winter of 1790-91 by General Nathaniel Massie, near where Manchester now is. Gen- eral Massie determined to settle here in the Virginia military tract-in the winter of 1790, and sent notice throughout Kentucky and other western settlements that he would give to each of the first twenty-five families who would settle in the town he proposed laying out, one in-lot, one out-lot and one hundred acres of land. Such liberal terms were soon accepted, and in a short time thirty families were ready to go with him. After various consultations with his friends, the bottom on the Ohio river, opposite the lower of the Three Islands, was selected as the most eligible spot. Here Massie fixed his station, and laid off into. lots a town, now called Manchester. The little confederacy, with Massie at the helm, went to work with spirit. Cabins were raised, and by the middle of March, 1791, the whole town was inclosed with strong pickets, with block-houses at each angle for defence.

This was the first settlement in the bounds of the Vir- ginia district, and the fourth one in the State. Although in the midst of a savage foe, now inflamed with war, and in the midst of a cruel conflict, the settlement at Manchester suffered less than any of its cotemporaries. This was, no doubt, due to the watchful care of its in- hababitants, who were inured to the rigors of a frontier life, and who well knew the danger about them. "These were the Beasleys, Stouts, Washburns, Ledoms, Edging- tons, Denings, Ellisons, Utts, Mckenzie's, Wades, and others, who were fully equal to the Indians in all the savage arts and strategems of border war."

As soon as they had completed preparations for de- fence, the whole population went to work and cleared the lowest of the Three Islands, and planted it in corn. The soil of the island was very rich, and produced abundantly. The woods supplied an abundance of game, while the river furnished a variety of excellent fish. The inhabitants thus found their simple wants fully supplied. Their nearest neighbors in the new territory were at Co- lumbia, and at the French settlement at Gallipolis; but with these, owing to the state of the country and the In- dian war, they could hold little, if any, intercourse.

The station being established, Massie continued to make locations and surveys. Great precautions were necessary to avoid the Indians, and even the closest vig- ilance did not always avail, as the ever watchful foe was always ready to spring upon the settlement, could an un- guarded moment, be observed. During one of the spring months, General Massie, Israel Donalson, William Lytle and James Little, while out on a survey, were surprised, and Mr. Donalson captured, the others escaping at great peril. Mr. Donalson escaped during the march to the Indian town, and made his way to the town of Cincin- nati, after suffering great hardships, and almost perishing from hunger. In the spring of 1793, the settlers at Manchester commenced clearing the out lots of the town. While doing so, an incident occurred, which shows the danger to which they were daily exposed. It is thus re- lated in Howe's Collections :

"Mr. Andrew Ellison, one of the settlers, cleared an out-lot imme- diately adjoining the fort. He had completed the cutting of the timber, rolled the logs together, and set them on fire. The next morning, be- fore daybreak, Mr. Ellison opened one of the gates of the fort, and went out to throw his logs together. By the time he had finished the job, a number of the heaps blazed up brightly, and, as he was passing from one to the other, he observed by the light of the fires three men walk- ing briskly toward him. This did not alarm him in the least, although, he said, they were dark-skinned fellows; yet he concluded they were the Wades, whose complexions were very dark, going early to hunt. He continued to right his log-heaps, until one of the fellows seized him by the arms, calling out, in broken English, 'How do? how do?' He in- stantly looked in their faces, and, to his surprise and horror, found him- self in the clutches of three Indians. To resist was useless.

"The Indians quickly moved off with him in the direction of Paint creek. When breakfast was ready, Mrs. Ellison sent one of her chil- dren to ask its father home; but he could not be found at the log-heaps. His absence created no immediate alarm, as it was thought he might have started to hunt after he had completed his work. Dinner time ar- rived, and, Ellison not returning, the family became uneasy, and began to suspect some accident had happened to him. His gun-rack was ex- amined, and there hung his rifles and his pouch. General Massie raised a party, made a circuit around the place, finding, after some search, the trails of four men, one of whom had on shoes; and the fact that Mr. Ellison was a prisoner now became apparent. As it was almost night at the time the trail was discovered, the party returned to the station. Early the next morning preparations were made by General Massie and his friends to continue the search. In doing this, they found great diffi- culty, as it was so early in the spring that the vegetation was not grown sufficiently to show plainly the trail made by the savages, who took the precaution to keep on high and dry ground, where their feet would make little or no impression. The party were, however, as unerring as a pack of hounds, and followed the trail to Paint creek, when they found the Indians gained so fast on them that pursuit was useless.

"The Indians took their prisoner to Upper Sandusky, where he was compelled to run the gantlet. As he was a large, and not very active, man, he received a severe flogging. He was then taken to Lower San- dusky, and again compelled to run the gantlet. He was then taken to Detroit, where he was ransomed by a British officer for one hundred dollars. The officer proved a good friend to him. He sent him to Montreal, whence he returned home before the close of the summer,

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much to the joy of his family and friends, whose feelings can only be imagined."

The same volume says :

"Another incident occurred about this time which so aptly illustrates the danger of frontier life that it well deserves a place in the history of the settlements in Ohio. John and Asahel Edgington, with a comrade, started out on a hunting expedition toward Brush creek. They camped out six miles in a northeast direction from where West Union now stands, and near the site of Treber's tavern, on the road from Chillicothe to Maysville. They had good success in hunting, killing a number of deer and bears. Of the deer killed, they saved the skins and hams alone. They fleeced the bears ; that is, they cut off all the meat which adhered to the hide, without skinning, and left the bones as a skeleton. They hung up the proceeds of their hunt on a scaffold, out of the reach of wolves and other wild animals, and returned to Manchester for pack-horses. No one returned to the camp with the Edgingtons. As it was late in December, few apprehended danger, as the winter season was usually a time of repose from Indian incursions. When the Edgingtons arrived at their camp, they alighted from their horses and were preparing to start a fire, when a platoon of Indians fired upon them at a distance of not more than twenty paces. They had evidently found the results of the white men's labor, and expected they would return for it, and prepared to waylay them. Asahel Edgington fell dead. John was more fortunate. The sharp crack of the rifles, and the horrible yells of the savages as they leaped from their place of ambush, frightened the horses, who took the track for home at full speed. John was very active on foot, and now an oppor- tunity offered which required his utmost speed. The moment the In- dians leaped from their hiding-place, they threw down their guns and took after him, yelling with all their power. Edgington did not run a booty race. For about a mile, the savages stepped in his tracks almost before the bending grass could rise. The uplifted tomahawk was fre- quently so near his head that he thought he felt its edge. He exerted himself to his utmost, while the Indians strove with all their might to catch him. Finally, he began to gain on his pursuers, and, after a long race, distanced them and made his escape, safely reaching home. This, truly, was a most fearful and well-contested race. The big Shawnee chief, Captain John, who headed the Indians on this occa- sion, after peace was made, in narrating the particulars, said, 'The white man who ran away was a smart fellow. The white man run, and I run. He run and run ; at last, the white man run clear off from me.'"

The settlement, despite its dangers, prospered, and after the close of the war continued to grow rapidly. In two years after peace was declared, Adams county was erected by proclamation of Governor St. Clair, the next year court was held, and in 1804, West Union was made the county seat.

During the war, a settlement was commenced near the present town of Bridgeport, in Belmont county, by Cap- tain Joseph Belmont, a noted Delaware Revolutionary officer, who, because his State could furnish only one company, could rise no higher than captain of the com- pany, and hence always maintained that grade. He settled on a beautiful knoll near the present county seat, but ere long suffered from a night attack by the Indians, who, though unable to drive him and his companions from the cabin or conquer them, wounded some of them badly, one or two mortally, and caused the captain to leave the frontier and return to Newark, Delaware. The attack was made in the spring of 1791, and a short time after, the captain, having provided for the safety of his family, accepted a commission in St. Clair's army, and lost his life at the defeat of the general in November. Shortly after the captain settled, a fort, called Dillie's Fort, was built on the Ohio, opposite the mouth of Grave creek. About two hundred and fifty yards below this fort, an old man named Tato, was shot down at his

cabin door by the Indians, just as he was in the act of entering the house. His body was pulled in by his daughter-in-law and grandson, who made an heroic de- fence. They were overpowered, the woman slain, and the boy badly wounded. He, however, managed to secrete himself, and afterward escaped to the fort. The Indians, twelve or thirteen in number, went off un- molested, though the men in the fort saw the whole transaction, and could have punished them. Why they did not was never known.

On Captina creek in the same county, occurred, in May, 1794, the "battle of Captina," a famous local skirmish between some Virginians from Fort Baker, and a party of Indians. Though the Indians largely out- numbered the whites, they were severely punished, and compelled to abandon the contest, losing several of their bravest warriors.

These were the only settlements made until 1795, the close of the war. Even these, as it will be observed from the foregoing pages, were temporary in all cases save one, and were maintained at a great risk, and the loss of many valuable lives. They were made in the beginning of the war, and such were their experiences that further attempts were abandoned until the treaty of Greenville was made, or until the prospects for peace and safety were assured.

No sooner, however, had the prospect of quiet been established, than a revival of emigration began. Before the war it had been large, now it was largely increased.

Wayne's treaty of peace with the Indians was made at Greenville, in what is now Darke county, August 3, 1795. The number of Indians present was estimated at thirteen hundred, divided among the principal nations as follows: One hundred and eighty Wyandots, three hundred and eighty-one Delawares, one hundred and forty-three Shawnees, forty-five Ottawas, forty-six Chippewas, two hundred and forty Pottawatomies, seventy-three Miamis and Del River, twelve Weas and Piankeshaws, and ten Kickapoos and Kaskaskias. The principal chiefs were Tarhe, Buckongahelas, Black Hoof, Blue Jacket, and Littie Turtle. Most of them had been tampered with by the British agents and traders, but all had been so thoroughly chastised by Wayne, and found that the Brit- ish only used them as tools, that they were quite anxious to make peace with the "Thirteen Fires." By the treaty the former ones were established, the boundary lines con- firmed and enlarged, an exchange and delivery of pris- oners effected, and permanent peace assured.

In the latter part of September, after the treaty of Greenville, Mr. Bedell, from New Jersey, selected a site for a home in what is now Warren county, at a place since known as "Bedell's Station," about a mile south of Union village. Here he erected a block-house, as a de- fence against the Indians, among whom were many ren- egades as among the whites, who would not respect the terms of the treaty. Whether Mr. Bedell was alone that fall, or whether he was joined by others, is not now ac- curately known. However that may be, he was not long left to himself; for, ere a year had elapsed, quite a num- ber of settlements were made in this part of the terri-

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tory. Soon after his settlement was made, General David Sutton, Captain Nathan Kelley, and others began pioneer life at Deerfield, in the same locality, and, before three years had gone by, a large number of New Jersey people were established in their homes; and, in 1803, the county was formed from Hamilton. Among the early settlers at Deerfield was Captain Robert Benham, who, with a companion, in 1779, sustained themselves many days when the captain had lost the use of his legs, and his companion his arms, from musket balls fired by the hands of the Indians. They were with a large party commanded by Major Rogers, and were furiously at- tacked by an immense number of savages, and all but a few slain. The event happened during the war of the Revolution, before any attempt was made to settle the Northwest Territory. The party were going down the Ohio, probably to the falls, and were attacked when near the site of Cincinnati. As mentioned, these two men sustained each other many days, the one having perfect legs doing the necessary walking, carrying his comrade to water, driving up the game for him to shoot, and other duties necessary; while the one who had the use of his arms could dress his companion's and his own wounds, kill and cook the game, and perform his share. They were rescued, finally, by a flat-boat, whose occupants, for awhile, passed them, fearing a decoy, but, becoming con- vinced that such was not the case, took them on down to Louisville, where they were nursed into perfect health.

A settlement was made near the present town of Leb- anon, the county seat of Warren county, in the spring of 1796, by Henry Taylor, who built a mill one mile west of the town site, on Turtle creek. Soon after, he was joined by Ichabod Corwin, John Osbourn, Jacob Vor- hees, Samuel Shaw, Daniel Bonte, and a Mr. Manning. When Lebanon was laid out in 1803, the two-story log house built in 1797, by Ichabod Corwin, was the only building on the plat. It was occupied by Ephraim Hathaway, as a tavern. He had a black horse painted on an immense board for a sign, and continued in busi- ness here until 1810. The same year the town was laid out, a store was opened by John Huston, and, from that date, the growth of the county was very prosperous. Three years after, the Western Star was established by Judge John McLain, and the current news of the day given in weekly editions. It was one of the first news- papers established in the territory, outside of Cincinnati.

As has been mentioned, the opening of navigation in the spring of 1796, brought a great flood of emigration to the Territory. The little settlement made by Mr. Bedell, in the autumn of 1795, was about the only one made that fall ; others made preparations, and many se- lected sites, but did not settle until the following spring. That spring, colonies were planted in what are now Montgomery, Ross, and Madison counties, while prepa- rations were in turn made to occupy additional territory, that will hereafter be noticed.

The settlement made in Montgomery county was be- gun early in the spring of 1796. As early as 1788, the land on which Dayton now stands was selected by some gentlemen, who designed laying out a town to be named

Venice. They agreed with Judge Symmes, whose con- tract covered the place, for the purchase of the lands. The Indian war which broke out at this time prevented an extension of settlements from the immediate neigh- borhood of the parent colonies, and the project was abandoned by the purchasers. Soon after the treaty of 1795, a new company, composed of Generals Jonathan Dayton, Arthur St. Clair, James Wilkinson, and Colonel Israel Ludlow, purchased the land between the Miamis, around the mouth of Mad river, of Judge Symmes, and, the fourth of November, laid out the town. Arrange- ments were made for its settlement the ensuing spring, and donations of lots, with other privileges, were offered to actual settlers. Forty-six persons entered into engage- ments to remove from Cincinnati to Dayton, but during the winter most of them scattered in different directions, and only nineteen fulfilled their contracts. The first families who made a permanent residence here, arrived on the first day of April, 1796, and at once set about es- tablishing homes. Judge Symmes, however, becoming unable soon after, to pay for his purchase, the land re- verted to the United States, and the settlers in and about Dayton found themselves without titles to their lands. Congress, however, came to the aid of all such persons, wherever they had purchased land of Symmes, and passed a pre-emption law, under which they could enter their lands at the regular government price. Some of the settlers entered their lands, and obtained titles di- rectly from the United States; others made arrangements . with Daniel C. Cooper to receive their deeds from him, and he entered the residue of the town lands. He had been the surveyor and agent of the first company of pro- prietors, and they assigned to him certain of their rights of pre-emption, by which he became the titular owner of the land.

When the State government was organized in 1803, Dayton was made the seat of justice for Montgomery county, erected the same year. At that time, owing to the title question, only five families resided in the place, the other settlers having gone to farms in the vicinity, or to other parts of the country. The increase of the town was gradual until the war of 1812, when its growth was more rapid until 1820, when it was again checked by the general depression of business. It revived in 1827, at the commencement of the Miami canal, and since then its growth has always been prosperous. It is now one of the best cities in Ohio. The first canal boats from Cincinnati, arrived in Dayton January 25, 1829, and the first one from Lake Erie the twenty-fourth of June, 1845. In 1825, a weekly line of stages was established between Columbus and Cincinnati, via Day- ton. Two days were occupied in coming from Cincin- nati to Dayton.

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History of Preble County, Ohio, with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches, Part 100

Author: H. Z. Williams & Brothers Publication date: Publisher: Number of Pages: 559

Author: H. Z. Williams & Brothers
Publication date:
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 559