History of Sandusky County Ohio with Illustrations 1882, Part 88

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John replied that he was willing to die, and only wished "to see the sun rise once

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more." This request was granted, and John told them that he would sleep that night on Hard Hickory's porch, which fronted the east, where they would find him at sunrise. He chose that place because he did not wish to be killed in the presence of his wife and children, and because he desired that the chief, Hard Hickory, should witness that he died like a brave man.

Coonstick and Steel returned for the night to an old cabin near by. In the morning, in company with Shane, another Indian, they proceeded to the house of Hard Hickory, who informed Mr. Brish of what there happened.

He said a little after sunrise he heard their footsteps upon the porch, and opened the door just enough to peep out. He saw John asleep upon his blanket, and Coonstick, Steel, and Shane, standing around him. At length one of them awoke him. He arose to his feet and took off a large handkerchief which was around his head, letting his unusually long hair fall upon his shoulders. This being done he looked around upon the landscape, and at the rising sun, to take a farewell look of the familiar scene which he was never, again to behold, and then told them he was ready to die. Shane and Coonstick each took him by the arm, and Steel walked behind. In this way they led him about ten steps from the porch, when Steel raised his malicious tomahawk and struck him a heavy blow on the back of the head. John fell to the ground, bleeding freely. Supposing the blow fatal they dragged him under a peach tree near by. In a short time, however, he recovered, the heavy matting of hair having arrested the tomahawk. Knowing that it was Steel who had struck him, John, as he lay on the ground, turned his face toward Coonstick and said: "Now, my brother, take your revenge." Coonstick

was already repentant, and the composed face and forgiving remark of John so greatly affected him that he interposed to save his brother; but so enraged was the envious Steel that he drew his knife and cut John's throat from ear to ear. Seneca John was buried with the usual Indian ceremonies on the following day, not more than twenty feet from where he fell. His grave was surrounded by a small picket enclosure. "Three years after," says Mr. Brish, when I was preparing to move them (the Senecas) to the far West, I saw Coonstick and Steel remove the picket fence and level the ground, so that no vestige of the grave remained." There could be no better evidence that both the brothers were ashamed of their crime.

Coonstick was arrested on charge of murder and brought before the supreme court at Lower Sandusky. Judge Higgins decided that the act came completely within the jurisdiction of the tribe, and that Coonstick, as chief, was justified in the execution of a judicial sentence, and was the proper person to carry it into effect. The case was dismissed and the accused discharged.

Sardis Birchard, in Knapp's History, says:

I remember well the death of Seneca John. He was a tall, noble looking man, and is said to have looked much like Henry Clay. He was always pleasant and cheerful. He was called the most eloquent speaker on the reserve. He could always re-store harmony in their council when there was any ill feeling. In the evening before the morning of his death he was at my store. The whole tribe seemed to be in town. Steel and Coonstick were jealous of John, on account of his influence and power. John was a great favorite among the squaws. John bade me "good-bye," and stood by me on the porch as the other Indians rode away. He looked at them with so much sadness in his face that it attracted my attention, and I wondered at John's letting them go away without him. John inquired the amount of indebtedness at my store. We then went behind the counter to the desk. The amount was figured up and stated to John, who said something about paying it, and then went away without relating any of the trouble.

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An old settler of Seneca county, in giving his recollections of these Indians, says:

The Indian tribes here at the time of the first set- tlement of the whites were the Senecas, Cayugas, Oneidas, and Mohawks. The-Senecas-the most numerous-and Cayugas occupied the lower part; the Mohawks and Oneidas the upper part of the reservation, which was nine miles north and south and six miles east and west, on the east side of the Sandusky River. The land was held in joint stock, and each had the privilege of making improvements as he wished. They numbered seven hundred, and were not bad in general character, but friendly and kind when not maddened by whiskey and. well treated. They had a strong passion for whiskey. I have known them to offer two or three dollars' worth of goods for a quart of whiskey, and when intoxicated would give anything they possessed for it.

They depended largely upon hunting for subsistence, in which they began, when children, by shooting fish and small game with the bow. Most of the Indians and squaws cultivated each a small piece of land varying from a half to two acres, which they formerly did with a hoe, but seeing us use the plow and the amount of labor saved thereby, concluded to change their custom. Seeing two Indians plowing on the other side of the river one day, I crossed over, and discovered them going the wrong way over the land, throwing the furrow in, and next time running inside of it, and then another which they thought very well, until I turned them the other way, and gave them a little instruction which they thankfully received. They raised a soft corn which they pounded into meal, and used to thicken soup.

They had much idle time which they liked, the children spending it in shooting, the old people in smoking from pipes made in the heads of tomahawks, with an adjustable stem. They smoked the sumac leaves dried and pounded, which gave a pleasant odor.

The young Indians had a love for sports. Their chief game was ball-a game in which ten or twelve on a side engaged. The ground was marked off in a space of about sixty rods, the centre of which was the starting point. Each player had a staff about five feet long, with a bow made of raw hide on one end, with which to handle the ball, as no one was allowed to touch it with his hands. At the commencement the ball was taken to the center between two of the staffs, each pulling toward his outpost. The strife was to get the ball beyond the outpost which counted one for the successful side. Once out, the ball was taken back to the centre, and the contest repeated. The squaws and older Indians were the witnesses of these sports, and added zest by their cheers.

A favorite winter sport was running upon skates. They would spread a blanket upon the ice, and jump

over it with skates on, trying to excel in the distance made beyond.

The Mohawks and Oneidas had some very well- educated people, and most of their tribe could read, and write. They had religious services every Sunday in the form of the Church of England, conducted by a minister of their own tribe. They were excellent singers, and were always pleased to see the whites at their meetings. The Senecas and Cayugas were more inclined to adhere to the worship of their forefathers. They held in reverence many gatherings. The green corn dance was prominent among them, but that most worthy of note was the dog dance. This was the great dance which took place about midwinter, and lasted three days, at the end of which they burned dogs.

The annual feasts and dances of the Senecas took place at their council house, which stood on the river bank in this township during the early settlement of our county, but was afterwards abandoned and a new council house built near Green Spring. Only particular friends were received on these occasions of hilarity, but the Indians being on good terms with their neighbors, respectable white people found little difficulty in gaining admission. These occasions year after year were much the same, and a description of one will suffice for all. The religious ceremony consisted mainly in the sacrifice of two dogs to the Great Spirit. The following description of the sacrifice and feast will be especially interesting in view of the fact that these people, of whom no trace is left, were, less than fifty years ago, an important element both in the trade and amusement of the white settlements. The following was first published in the Sidney Aurora:

We rose early and proceeded directly to the council house, and though we supposed we were early the Indians were already in advance of us. The first object which arrested our attention was a pair of the canine species, one bf each gender, suspended on a cross, one on either side thereof. These animals had been recently strangled; not a bone was broken nor could a distorted hair be seen. They were of a beautiful cream color, except a few dark spots on one naturally, which same spots were put on the other artificially by the devotees. The Indians are

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Very partial to their selection of dogs for this occasion, and for which they will give almost any price.

Now for the decorations to which I have already alluded, and a description of one will suffice for both. A scarlet ribbon was tastefully tied just above the nose, and near the eyes another; next, around the neck was a white ribbon to which was attached some bulbous substance concealed by another white ribbon This was placed directly under the right ear, and I suppose was intended as an amulet or charm. These ribbons were bound around the forelegs at the knees, and near the feet. These were red and white alternately. Round the body was a profuse decoration, and the hind legs were decorated as the fore ones. Thus were the victims prepared and thus ornamented for the burnt offering.

While minutely making this examination, I was almost unconscious of the collection of a large number of Indians who were assembled for the purpose of offering their sacrifices.

Adjacent to the cross was a large fire built on a few logs, and though the snow was several inches deep, they had prepared a sufficient quantity of combustible material, removed the snow from the logs and placed thereon their fire. I have often regretted that I did not see them light this pile. My own opinion is they did not use the fire from their council house, because they would have considered that as common, and as this was intended to be a holy service, they no doubt struck fire from a flint, this being deemed sacred .*

It was a clear, beautiful morning, and just as the first rays of the sun were seen in the tops of the towering forest and its reflection from the snowy surface; the Indians simultaneously formed a semi-circle enclosing the cross, each flank resting on the aforesaid pile of logs. Good Hunter, who officiated, now appeared and approached the cross; arrayed in his pontifical robes, he looked quite respectable. The Indians being all assembled-I say, Indians, for there was not a squaw present during all this ceremony-at a private signal given by the High Priest, two young chiefs sprang upon the cross, each taking off one of the victims, brought it down and presented it on his arms to the High Priest, who, receiving it in like manner, advanced to the fire and with a very grave and solemn air laid it thereon-this he did with the other, but to which, whether male or 'female he gave the preference, I did not learn. This done he retired to the cross.

In a devout manner he now commenced an oration. The tone of his voice was audible and some-what chanting. At every pause in his discourse he took from a white cloth which he held in his left hand a portion of dried odoriferous herbs, which he threw on the fire. This was intended as incense.

with grave aspect, in solemn silence, stood motionless, listening attentively to every word he uttered.

Thus he proceeded until the victims were entirely consumed and the incense exhausted, when he con- cluded the service; the oblation now made, and the wrath of the Great Spirit appeased; as they believed, they again assembled in the council house for the purpose of performing a part in the festival different from any I had yet witnessed. Each Indian as he entered, seated himself on the floor, thus forming a large circle, when one old chief rose with that native dignity, which some of the Indians possess in a great degree, recounted his exploits as a warrior; told in how many fights he had been the victor; the number of scalps he had taken from his enemies; and what, at the head of his braves, he intended to do at the "Rocky Mountains," accompanying his remarks with energy, warmth and strong gesticulation, and at the conclusion received the unanimous applause of the assembled tribe.

This need of praise was awarded by the chief by "three times three" articulations, which were properly neither nasal, oral, guttural but rather abominable. Thus many others in the circle, old and young, rose in order and delivered a speech. Among these was Good Hunter, but he

Had laid his robes away, His mitre and his vest.

His remarks were not filled with such bombast as some of the others, but brief, modest, and appropriate; in fine, they were such as become a priest of one of the ten lost tribes of Israel. *

After all had spoken who wished to speak, the floor was cleared, and the dance commenced, in which Indian and squaw united with their wonted hilarity and zeal. Just as this dance was ended, an Indian boy ran to me, with fear strongly depicted in his countenance, caught me by the arm, and drew me to the door, pointing with his other hand toward something he wished me to observe. I looked in that direction and saw the appearance of an Indian, running at full speed toward the council-house. In an instant he was in the house, and literally in the fire, which he took in his hands, and threw fire-coals and hot ashes in various directions through the house, and apparently all over himself. At his en-trance, the young Indians, much alarmed, had fled to the other end of the house, where they remained crowded, in great dread of this personification of the Evil Spirit. After diverting himself with the fire a few moments, at the expense of the young ones present, he, to their no small joy, disappeared. This was an Indian disguised with a hideous false face, having horns on his head, and his hands and feet pro-

*Some tribes are in the habit of kindling their fire for sacrifices by the friction of two dry sticks.

* The writer probably held to the theory no longer generally entertained that the Indians are descendants from the ten lost tribes."

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tected from the effects of the fire, and, though not a professed "fire king," he certainly performed his part to admiration.

During the continuance of the festival the hospitality of the Senecas was unbounded. At the council-house and at the residence of Tall Chief were a number of bucks and fat hogs hanging up and neatly dressed. There was bread also of both corn and wheat in abundance. Large kettles of soup already prepared, in which maple sugar profusely added made a prominent ingredient, thus forming a very agreeable saccharine coalescence. All were invited, and all were made welcome; indeed, a refusal to partake of their bounty was deemed disrespectful, if not unfriendly. I left them in the afternoon enjoying themselves to the fullest extent, and, so far as I could perceive, their pleasure was without alloy. They were eating and drinking, but on this occasion no ardent spirits were permitted, dancing, and rejoicing, not caring, and probably not thinking, of tomorrow.

The departure of the Senecas marks an epoch in the history of the south part of the county. They had become an element in the trade and life of the community. A large tract of land was thrown on the market, and the white man's industrious axe echoed in the forest which had previously known only the red-skin's rifle and hilarious shout. But the settlers on the other side of the river had, by association, become somewhat attached to their forest neighbors. While for many reasons they hailed with pleasure the prospect of a more advanced civilization, on the other side, there were yet demonstrations of profound sorrow when the day of parting came.

THE WHITE SETTLEMENT.

The land came into market in 1820, the first general sale being at Delaware. But the Indians here, as elsewhere, were disturbed by white intruders on the soil which for centuries had been the rightful possession of their race. They had learned by the experience of their neighbors on all sides, that the white man's axe and plow were the destroyers of their home and employment. It is not strange, therefore, that an attempt was made by them to en-

courage squatter settlers to leave. It would not have been strange under

the circumstances had acts of actual violence been resorted to.

The first settlement was, however, in that part of the township adjacent to the two mile square reservation. Squatters in this part of the territory were quite numerous and changed residences with such frequency that only the names of a few of them can be given. There were, however, two classes of squatters, a reckless and indifferent class, who sought only temporary places to live and hunt, and those who came with a view to making this their permanent place of residence, and as soon as the lands came into the market, made permanent improvements.

Samuel and Margaret Cochran, natives of Massachusetts, after their marriage, re- moved to Vermont and from Vermont to Buffalo, New York, where Mr. Cochran built a half-deck vessel and transported his family, in 1816, to the mouth of the Huron, where the family remained about three years, during which time, in 1818, Mrs. Cochran died. In 1819 General Cass, then Indian agent, employed Mr. Cochran to assist the mail-carriers at the mouth of Wolf Creek when the water was high. This necessitated the removal of the family to the heart of the forest. The Indians, who at that time held title to the soil, tried to persuade him to leave, but resorted to no acts of violence. He cleared a small tract and built a cabin. This was the first white man's cabin in the upper part of the township. By the time the land came into market, after the Indian title became extinguished, he had cleared twenty acres, part of which had been planted in corn. But like many other squatter settlers, he lost his improvements in consequence of being overbid at the Government sales. A Mr. Henninger purchased the property, but did not move

Mrs. Harriet Seager.

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to the county for several years after. Mr. Cochran afterwards purchased land on the river about seven miles below Lower San- dusky, where he lived from 1822 until his death, in 1825. He left surviving him nine children, viz: Elizabeth (Johnson), Minerva (Smith), Cynthia (Sherman), David, Samuel,

Henry, Fannie (Court-right), Harriet (Seager), and Nancy (Frary). Phineas Frary (husband of Nancy Cochran) was one of the early settlers at the mouth of Wolf Creek. Their daughter, Margaret, was probably the first white child born in the township. Harriet first married Thomas Miller, October 23, 1826. After her father died and until the time of her marriage she lived with her sister, Mrs. Frary, and assisted in clearing the farm. Mr. Miller settled on Portage River, where Woodville has since been laid out. Here he died in 1828. His widow remained and kept tavern, which is noticed more fully in the chapter on that township. She purchased land after the Seneca Reserve came into market, where the council-house of the Senecas had stood. In 1835 she married Charles Seager and removed to her farm. Mrs. Seager is one of the oldest persons in the county and the only survivor of the original settlers of Ballville. By her first husband she had two children, both of whom died young. Charles L. Seager, her second husband, was a native of, New York. He came to. Ohio and settled in this township in 1835. He cleared a large tract of land, and was an extensive farmer until his death, in 1843. Charles D. Seager, the only son, was born in 1843. He married, in 1858, Caroline Hoover.

Among the settlers of 1818 in the north part of the township were David Moore, Asa B. Gavit, John Wolcutt, Mr. Rexford, Mr. Chaffee, and perhaps a few others. In 1819, the first family, Samuel Cochran's, located above the bend of the river,

This year added to the inhabitants of township number four several families, among them being John Fitch, John Custard, and the Prior family. In 1820 permanent settlement began. The squatters, most of them, made purchases at the sales at Delaware, and the country rapidly filled up with emigrants from New

York, Pennsylvania, and Southern Ohio. Many had made purchases before visiting the county, and their first realization of the swamps and forest to be contended with was upon their arrival in covered wagons with household goods, farming utensils and families. In another chapter is given a general idea of the log-cabin life of

the period. The surroundings and homes in one locality were much similar to those of another. This fact is a clear illustration of the important influence of natural surroundings and conditions upon the habits and character of a people.

The Prior family came from Virginia to Ohio in 1816. There were at that time but few white families in this county. The family consisted of three sons and two daughters. The second son had his eyes picked out in a most shocking manner. Before coming to Ohio he was engaged in a fight with a ruffian who got the better of him, and endeavored to force him "to give up." Prior's father arrived on the scene of action and charged the son not to yield. The ruffian's threat that he would pick his eyes out called from the father another charge not to give up, with the assurance that if he lost his eyesight he would take care of him all his life. The boy lost both his eyes, thus paying the penalty of his father's foolish vanity. When the first sale of land occurred the blind boy appeared as a bidder, and his condition commanded so much sympathy that no one appeared to bid against him. He thus became the possessor of a good farm. This family suffered another shocking accident

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while living in Ballville. Foxes were plenty at that time and frequently made raids on chickens, and even sometimes on young pigs. Their frequent visits at the Prior homestead caused the gun to be always standing ready for the shy thieves. It happened that Henry Prior, one evening about dark, was doing some work in the pig pen, and his red hair, just visible in the dusk of evening was mistaken for a fox by his uncle, Wilkinson Prior, who, with steady aim, fired a fatal shot. It is not surprising that a suspicion should go forth that the mistake was feigned, but there are in the circumstances no ground for such a suspicion.

David Moore moved from Huntingdon county, Pennsylvania, to Ross county, Ohio, in 1814, and from Ross to Sandusky county in 1818. He was a son of Samuel Moore, who emigrated from Dalkeith, Scotland, about the year 1760, and settled in New Jersey. He built a double log cabin on the bank of the river, opposite the residence of Mrs. Eliza Moore, in the village of Ballville. A little below that he built a grist-mill, and ground the grain of the pioneers until his death, December 24, 1829, which was caused by an accident in falling at night from the attic in the mill to a lower story. He was sixty-three years old. A small freestone monument marks his resting place near the centre of the old cemetery. The old settlers in those days did not all use patent flour. The following is a copy of one of many orders for meal, which are still in the possession of Mrs. Eliza Moore, in Ballville:

PORTAGE RIVER, July 20, 1825. David Moore:

DEAR SIR: Please send by the bearer two bushels of corn meal, and charge to me.

EZEKIEL RICE.

David Moore's wife, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Davis, remained on a farm in Ross county, where she died July 1, 1826. The children of David Moore

were Eliza (Justice), Sarah (Fields), George, James, and John Moore, all of whom came to Sandusky county. George Moore returned to Ross county in 1830, and settled on. Paint Creek, Light miles south of Chillicothe, where he died October 1, 1850, leaving a widow, Mrs. Rachel Moore, still living, and four children-David, Eliza, Morris, and William-all of whom are dead but Eliza, who is a widow having married Philip Rhodes. George's son, David, left four daughters-Georgia, Ella, Kate, and Willie. James Moore died December 20, 1873, from an accident that happened to him in his mill, aged sixty-seven. John Moore died May 31, 1876, aged seventy-eight. Eliza Justice died October 17, 1876, aged seventy-six. Sarah Fields, the only living child of David Moore, is aged seventy-seven.

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History of Sandusky County Ohio with Illustrations 1882, Part 88

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