USA > Ohio > Seneca County > History of Seneca County, from the close of the revolutionary war to July, 1880 > Part 14
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"No. 1-Containing forty - three scalps of Congress soldiers, killed in different skirmishes. These are stretched on black hoops, four inches in diameter. The inside of the skin is painted red, with a small black spot. to denote their being killed with bullets; the hoops painted red; the skin painted brown and marked with a hoe; a black circle all round, to denote their being surprised in the night: and a black hatchet in the middle, signifying their being killed with that weapon.
"No. 2-Containing the scalps of ninety-eight farmers, killed in their houses; hoops red, figure of a hoe, to mark their profession; great white circle and sun. to show they were surprised in day time; a little red foot, to show they stood upon their defense, and died fighting for their lives and families.
. .. No. 3-Containing ninety-seven, of farmers: hoops green, to show that they were killed in the fields; a large, white circle, with a little round mark on it. for a sun, to show it was in the day time; a black bullet mark on some, a hatchet mark on others.
"No. 4-Containing one hundred and two, farmers; mixture of several of the marks above: only eighteen marked with a little yellow flame, to denote their being of prisoners burnt alive, after being scalped; their nails pulled ont by the roots, and other torments; one of these latter being supposed to be an American clergyman, his hand being fixed to the hook of his sealp. Most of the farmers appear, by the hair, to have been young or middle-aged men, there being but sixty-seven very gray heads among them all. which makes the service more essential.
"No. 5-Containing eighty-eight scalps of women: hair long, braided in the Indian fashion, to show they were mothers; hoops, blue; skin, yellow ground, with little red tad-poles, to represent, by way of triumph, the tears
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PRESENT OF SCALPS-MRS. SALLY INGHAM.
of grief occasioned to their relatives: a black scalping knife or hatchet at the bottom, to mark their being killed by those instruments. Seventeen others, being very gray: black hoops; plain brown color; no marks but the short club or cassetete, to show they were knocked down dead, or had their brains beaten ont.
"No. 6-Containing one hundred and ninety-three boys' scalps, of varions ages: small green hoops, with ground on the skin. with red tears in the iniddle. and black marks, knife, hatchet or chib, as their death happened.
"No. 7-Containing two hundred and eleven girls' scalps, big and little: small yellow hoops; white ground tears, hatchet and scalping knife.
"No. S-This package is a mixture of all the varieties above mentioned. to the number of one himdred and twenty-two, with a box of birch bark. containing twenty-nine little infants' scalps, of various sizes; small white hoops, white ground, to show that they were nipped out of their mothers' wombs.
"With these packs, the chiefs send to your Excellency the following speech. delivered by Conicogatchie, in council. interpreted by the elder Moore. the trader, and taken down by me in writing:
.. Father-We send you herewith many scalps, that you may see we are not idle friends. We wish you to send these scalps to the Great King, that he may regard them, and be refreshed; and that he may see our faithfulness in destroying his enemies, and be convinced that his presents have not been made to an nngrateful people." etc .- Abb. Hist. of Ohio, p. 189.
Is the reader at a loss to determine which is the most lovely of the two - the American savage or the British savage-the giver or the receiver of these scalps?
Mrs. Sally Ingham, in her contribution, says:
My father was the Rev. James Montgomery who was appointed the first agent of the Seneca Indians. He took charge of his office in November. 1819. when we moved into the old blockhonse at Fort Seneca. I was then a little girl eight years old. Louis Tuquania was then the head chief of the tribe.
Tall Chief was a tall, noble looking specimen of an Indian. sober and honorable. Seneca John, Steel. Coonstick and Comstock were nephews of Tall Chief. Comstock died very suddenly when Coonstick was out west for some time, and when he returned an investigation was instituted to ascertain the manner of his death. John, his brother, was found guilty of the murder by having procured the services of a medicine woman who administered poison to Comstock. . Coonstick, Shane and Steel were his exeentioners. I think the particulars given by Gen. Brish are, perhaps, the most correct "version of the whole affair.
We lived in the old blockhouse seven years. The pickets were yet there when we came. Some of them had been broken down.
The Senecas were an exceedingly superstitions people, and notwithstand- ing all the influences brought to bear upon them to love and embrace the christian religion, they were very stubborn, and seemed to prefer their itutored notions about the Deity to the beanties of divine revelation.
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The belief in witches was a part of their faith. and whenever anything occurred that troubled them. they were sure that some witch was at the bottom of the mischief. Their vengeance then generally fell upon some poor old squaw, who was then almost certain of being killed.
An old squaw, the wife of an Indian by the name of George Washington. an old chief during the revolutionary war. and then an old man, was charged with being a witch, and the whole tribe was prejudiced against her. She was soon condemned to die, and even her husband consented to her death.
The poor old squaw was at the hominy block. pounding hominy, when the Indians came into her hut. Without any further ceremony, and without asking any questions, Shane struck her on the head with a tomahawk, and she fell. Shane then called another Indian to come and finish her, which he did very promptly. The husband of the squaw stood by and permitted the outrage, withont the least interference.
When my father heard of this, he sent for some of the chiefs and told them that if another eirenmstance like it was ever permitted to occur again, he would have the matter investigated, and the murderers punished under the laws of the white people. This seemed to have the desired effect, and for some time afterwards nothing further was heard of killing witches on the reserve.
The Senecas had their annual greeu-corn-dance, which was a sort of thanksgiving frolic. and differed very much from the performances of the dog-dance, which seemed to be a proceeding and ceremony of a more sacred character. The dog-dance was the grand dance, and generally lasted nine days. It always took place about the time of our Christmas. They would then dress in their best style, and observe every rule with great punctuality. The dance commenced by one Indian shooting off his gin through the smoke hole in the roof. The Indians then. all armed to the teeth, would one by one enter the dance. one chief leading, whooping and yelling, drums beating, chains rattling, etc. They danced up and down, and the old chiefs. in a guttural sound. which approximated a roaring, indicated the time with their "Yah-Ho-Wah!" The squaws never danced with the men, but formed a ring by themselves. The squaws danced to their own music, which was a sort of whine on a high note, and seemed to come from a great distance.
They feasted on the best that the forest and their little coru patches could afford.
At a certain part of the dance one Indian would appear, dressed in a bear skin, and another in a deer skin. with polished brass for the eyes of the animals, to make the figures look fearful. Thus fixed up. they ran around the ring of dancers. This was to scare away the evil spirits. They had one dance in the afternoon, and one after supper.
My father often went over to the council house where, and while. the dances were going on, to keep the white people from selling whisky to the Indians. Father often talked to them about their dances, to ascertain their meaning or origin, but never succeeded in getting any intelligent explanation from them, any further than this, viz: They said their ancestors were rich at one time, and used to sacrifice fat cattle and sheep; now their children were poor, and could only sacrifice the best they had. and that was their white dogs.
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When the dogs were ready to be sacrificed, they held them up by the legs and said a long ceremony over them: then they laid them on the burning log-heap. During this part of the performance, the Indians stood around in perfect silence, almost motionless, and looked as solemm as the grave. Good Hunter officiated as priest. After the dogs were laid on the fire. Good Hnuter laid a sprig of dried herbs on the dog, and theu every other Indian and squaw did the same. in rotation, and in perfect order, without saying a word. Each dog was put through this ceremony separately. After that. an Indian came running in and scattered fire and ashes all around the council house and over the people.
In the burial of their dead, a hole was left in the box, near the head. to let the spirit rome through, and the corpse was supplied with cakes of sugar and bread. After the box was let down into the grave, the Indians marched around it, and each dropped some green sprig upou it-very much like the burial ceremony of a member of some secret society in this respect, in these days. When the grave was filled up, the squaws pulled their blankets forward over their heads and as far ont as their elbows wonkl reach, and eried with a sort of howling voice, while the men stood motionless, and looked on withont shedding a tear.
The chief. Tuquania, had a twin sister who was a medicine-woman. The twins were horn with one eye each. One time my mother was very sick, and for want of a better doctor. we sent for this squaw. The show was very deep, and yet she went out into the woods with a hoe and got some herbs. Then she came over to our house and made tea with these herbs and cured mother.
We loved the old squaw very much after that, and always made her feel welcome at our house. When father died. she attended his funeral. and seemed to be very much affected.
This Benazah Parker, who was stabbed hy Peter Pork, was a man about five feet six inches high. of dark complexion, dark hair and eyes, and was about thirty - seven years old. There was nothing prepossessing in his appearance. Ile was stabbed in October. 1529, and died some time in the month of January, 1831.
Jaques Hulburt and Shepherd Patrick bought the land. with the'old fort. at the sales.
Father had charge of the Indians some ten years, and up to the time of his death, when Gen. Heury C. Brish took charge of the agency. and it was not long after that when the Indians were taken away. I think it required ouly three or four wagons to take all their things.
Mr. Ilulburt was one of the first associate-judges of the court of common pleas for Seneca county. He was about five feet eight inches high. lean of flesh, but well proportioned: had a dark complexion, dark hair and eyes. a high forehead, pleasant and gentlemanly in his intercourse with people. He was a man of exemplary character. fair education and excellent judgment. He enjoyed the confidence and esteem of all who knew him. He taught the first grammar school in this county. My sister Maria. Mrs. Keen and myself attended his school. He was a member of the Presbyterian church. When he sold his Fort Seneca farm, be bought the land where Fort Stephenson stood, and built a honse there. So he was the owner of both forts, The
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house he built at Fort Stephenson was a one-story frame honse, with a porch on the east side.
[At the first celebration of the battle of Fort Stephenson, on the 2d day of Angust. 1539. Mr. Elntherns Cook delivered his oration from that porch to the assembled thousands, when Mrs. Ingham sat by a window, inside of the honse. and the writer stood near the porch, listening to the oration-more than forty years ago. Mrs. Ingham was an old Whig, and therefore enjoyed the speech, which was more of a political than historie character, and there- fore out of place, while the writer did not like the very many bitter remarks hurled at the Democratic party, which he then thought were ill-timed, and thinks so still.]
Mr. IInlburt opened a store in Lower Sandusky. He was afterwards elected a member of the House of Representatives, in the legislature of Ohio, from Sandusky county. He died of consumption. December 25. 18336.
Caleb Rice was the nearest neighbor we had. He was a millwright by trade, an excellent mechanic, and a very intelligent man. He built the mill for the Senecas nt Green creek, abont one-half mile below the springs. He wasconstantly involved in law-snits, occasioned by his general disposition to evade his promises. He was a bad financier. and outside of his intelligence and mechanical skill, of very little account.
Benjamin Culver, another neighbor, was a Canadian by birth, and pos- sessed of considerable wealth. He bought the best farms on the river bottom. He was abont forty-eight years old when he was married to Miss Harris, who was then a beautiful young girl. Miss Harris was the only white girl at my brother's funeral, who died at the fort in 1820. Mr. Culver was a man of excellent heart, a true friend and a good neighbor. The only fault in his life was his love for strong drink. He died in 1840, when he was about sixty years old.
William Spicer was a white man, and was captured by the Indians when quite young. He spoke the language of the Cayngas and the Seneras fluently. He had accumulated a good deal of money at the time he was robbed. A man by the name of Rollins was sent to the penitentiary for the robbery, but it was generally believed that others got the money. Spicer was very filthy in his personal' appearance-perhaps never washed himself; at least, he looked as if his face had never come in contact with the element called water. His house was the dirtiest on the reserve. His voice was rough and extremely offensive. He was respected by nobody.
Crow was a German boy, and was stolen by the Wyandots in Greenbriar county, Pennsylvania, when quite young. His father. JJacob Knisely . found him here fifty years after he was stolen. My father went with Mr. Knisely to look him up. Crow refused to go with his father. The meeting and parting of father and son was very affecting on the part of Mr. Knisply. C'row did not seem to care much. My father often spoke about this scene. with much feeling.
The father of Mr. Isaac I. Dumond came here with his family shortly before the land sales. and settled near the fort. He was a man about five tret eight inches high, compactly built, and slow of speech. He was kind and hospitable, and a good neighbor. His family consisted of wife and right children four sons and four daughters. Mr. Dumond was a member
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of the old school Baptist church. Elder Kating often preached in Mr. Dumont's cabin. He lived here some twelve years after he came, and died in a small frame house he had built near their cabin, and close to the road.
I heard the Reverend Robert Finley preach often, and afterwards his son. James B. Finley, and still later the nephew of the latter. They were all great preachers, and men of high standing in the estimation of the people. James B. Finley was about fifty years of age when I saw him, a man of striking personal appearance, about five feet ten inches high, heavy built. very straight, with light complexion, light brown hair, and gray eyes: his features were regular and prominent, his countenance was expressive and earnest, and his manners were naturally kind and winning. yet there was great force and decision of character about his general make-up. His ser- mons were in conformity with his appearance and temperament-forcible and convincing. His voice was lond and clear ; he was a good singer. and a great revival preacher. He belonged to the Urbana circuit. where his father preached before him. but his services were extended throughont north- western Ohio.
It is scarcely necessary to add that there were neither melodeons nor or- gans to assist in the singing, and churches that cost from thirty to fifty thousand dollars, with organs that cost one thousand dollars or more, were not thought of in those days. in this region.
Seneca John used to get drunk occasionally, and it troubled my father very much to ascertain the way John got his whisky. He finally hit upon a plan to catch a man by the name of Broughton, whom he had suspected for some time. Ile took Mr. Isaac I. Dimond, Shane and John with him to Brough- ton's one evening. Father had dressed himself in Indian costume. and when the party were seated around on benches in Broughton's house, John called for whisky, and after drinking some, handed the glass over to father, who tasted it to be sure that it was whisky. Then father threw back his feathers and blanket, and when Broughton recognized him he almost sank into the ground.
After a severe reprimand from father, Broughton promised to,sell no more whisky to Indians, and he 'was let go without punishment for the time being.
Steel and Gostick looked nearly alike, and both were about one quarter white. Comstock was a full blood Caynga, well dressed. cutting great swells. a dashing, fine looking and sober Indian. He was not as large as the other chiefs. rather small on the contrary, but squarely built. With all his gayety he was modest aud reserved, and highly esteemed by Indians and whites.
Tuquania, a half brother to head chief Tuqnania, was at one time a cap- tain in the French service. He and his sister were both of French mixture. While in the service of the French. Tuquania had acquired many French ways and manners. He was also converted by a Freuch priest and had em- braced the catholic religion : and he often said that he was sure of being a christian, because he was baptized "Joseph." Yet. for some reason or other. he would join in the dog dance. He was abont sixty years of age in 1819. and lived to go west with his tribe. He was the most intelligent Indian on the reservation. He wore a red vest. buckskin leggings with a white ruffled shirt over the leggings, and a nice shawl over his head on Sunday. His hair
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was nicely braided. Very proud of his education and French training. he often put on great airs, and said. "This is the way the French officers do." His overbearing disposition often got him into trouble with other Indians. all of whom he regarded as vastly his inferiors, and very frequently father was called upon to settle his troubles for him.
A man by the name of Keeler lived near the river bank. He had a family of six children; he came from the state of New York, and bought forty acres of land. The family suffered greatly with sickness. I don't remember what became of them.
Alexander MeNntt and his brother, Daniel MeNutt. were also here in 1819. Daniel had a family. and Alexander married a sister of Isaac I. Du- mond. My father solemnized their marriage.
William Montgomery started a store in 1833, in a log cabin. in the village that is now called Fort Seneca.
Eliphalet Rogers bought a farm near Wolf creek. He married Hannah Jackson, who had lived at Mr. Bowe's a long time. Rogers was an honest. home-spun sort of a man. His farm became afterwards known as the Snook farm.
Almon Rollins married Mary Sherwood, and Lorenzo Abbott married her sister Jeanette. The two couple were married at the same time. Jeanette was then only fourteen years old.
Old Mr. Sherwood was captain of a militia company, and very proud of his station. He was a great talker. and somewhat boastful. He did not live to be very old.
Mr. William Harris, the gunsmith, was a man about five feet ten inches high. stout and well built. He was poor, but a man of considerable refine- ment, and strictly honest. He drank some, but not to excess. He came here with his family after the Barneys, but before the Dumonds, and was amongst the first that settled near the fort.
The Pikes and the Chaneys lived on the Spicer place when we came to the fort.
There were three of these Tuguanias. One was the head chief. another was the Joseph, and the third was the Armstrong Tugnania, the son of the one eyed medicine woman.
MRS. SALLY INGHAM.
The subject of this sketch was born in Champaign county, Ohio, on the 4th day of February, 1811. She is the fifth child of the Rev. James Montgomery, and was but eight years old when the family moved into the blockhonse at Fort Seneca. She grew up from childhood into a blooming maiden, on the banks of the old Sandusky, among a few white settlers on one side, and the Senecas on the other side. of the river.
In these wild and rural scenes of her childhood, she lived under the droppings of the sanctuary, blessed with the love of christian parent-, and a cheerful disposition, that lets the owner look upon the sunny side
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of life-a blessing that never forsook her in all her life-long path- way.
For want of other schools she received her primary education in the household, and afterwards took lessons in English grammar from Judge Hulburt. She also attended a grammar school taught by Edson B. Goit, Esq., in Lower Sandusky, Ohio. With this training she was enabled to teach school herself, and kept her first school near John Crum's, on the state road, three miles north of Tiffin; and after the death of her father, she taught two years longer.
When she was about getting ready to attend the grammar school at Fremont. she went to McNeil's store at Fort Ball, to buy a pair of shoes. Mr. Sardis Birchard sold them to her. He was then clerk in the store, and afterwards became familiarly known in Lower Sandusky by the name of Judge Birchard, the uncle of President Hayes.
On the 25th day of March, 1832, Mrs. Ingham was married to Mr. Milton Frary, a young farmer in Pleasant township, in this county, who died in 1852. After living in widowhood seventeen years, she married a Mr. Alexander Ingham, from Cleveland, Ohio, who'also died in April, 1870.
Mrs. Ingham is still in the enjoyment of good health, and the same old happy disposition. She has a most remarkable memory of past events. The names of persons, places and incidents are at her tongue's end, and her ready delineation is easily discernible by reading her narrative. She has her father's temperament and appearance, strongly marked. Her conversation is both instructive and amusing, couched in splendid English, and sweetened by her christian training, which unconsciously crops out on every occasion.
If she ever had an enemy, he must have died long ago. She is beloved by all who know her, and welcome at every door.
For more than fifty-two years she has been a faithful member of the M. E. Church, in good standing; and while she enjoys her trust and confidence in God, she is not bowed down by the weight of the cross, but seems rather to bear her faith and increasing weight of years as an enjoyment.
She has now lived in Seneca county longer than any other person in it, and is the last and only remaining member of a once very large family.
Mrs. Ingham had four children: James R. Frary, who was married to Hattie F., daughter of the Rev. Andrews. He died in. Tiffin, in March, 1862, well known among the merchants and business men of Tiffin: Emily, now the wife of Jacob Baker; Sarah, who was married
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to Ralph Gates, and died in 1877; Justin, who died in 1863, as a pris- oner of war in a rebel hospital in Danville, Virginia.
The writer, in gratitude for her many narratives of men and things pertaining to early life in Seneca county, can only wish her many more years of life in the enjoyment of her happy nature, in health, comfort and contentment.
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EXECUTION OF SENECA JOHN.
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CHAPTER VIII.
DEATH OF COMSTOCK-SENECA STEEL -DEATH OF SENECA JOHN -COONSTICK -TRIAL AND DISCHARGE OF COONSTICK -JUDGE HIGGINS' DECISION- JUDGE BIRCHARD'S STATEMENT-BENJAMIN F. WARNER-HARD HICKORY AND HIS DEATH-IMMIGRATION OF THE SENECAS TO THE NEOSHO AND COWSKIN RIVERS -CHARLIEU-THE GIRTYS-THE DEATH OF DRAKE.
G ENERAL Henry C. Brish, who succeeded Mr. Montgomery in Tthe agency of the Senecas, relates the following incident as illustrative of the superstition of the Seneca Indians, and of the composure with which their warriors would meet death. The tribe had dwindled down to about four hundred souls:
About the year 1825, three of the prominent chiefs-Coonstick. Steel and Cracked Hoof, went on an excursion to seek a new home and fresh hunting grounds for their people. They returned after an absence of nearly three years. Coonstick and Steel were brothers. They had left behind them an older brother, Comstock, who was chief of the tribe, and a younger brother. John-Seneca John.
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