USA > Ohio > Seneca County > History of Seneca County, from the close of the revolutionary war to July, 1880 > Part 15
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The two brothers who had gone west, finding on their return that their elder brother, Comstock, was dead, and that their younger brother, John. was chief in his stead, charged John with having caused the death of Comstock by witchcraft. He denied the charge, and said:
"I loved my brother Comstock more than I love the green earth I stand upon. I would give myself up. limb by limb, piecemeal by piecemeal -- I would shed my blood. drop by drop, to restore him to life."
But all this protestation of innocence, and love for his brother, was of no avail His brothers toll him that he must die, and that it was their duty to be his exeentioners. John calmly replied:
"I am willing to die. I ask only that you will allow me to live until to-morrow morning, that I may see the sun rise once more. I will sleep to-night on the porch of Hard Hickory's lodge, which fronts the east. There you will find me at sun-rise."
They acceded to his request. Coonstick and Steel, awaiting the morning. when they were to kill their brother, passed the night in a lodge near by. In the morning, they proceeded to the hunt of Hard Hickory, (who himself told this story to Gen. Brish). He said that just as the sun was rising. he heard the approaching footsteps of the brothers, and opened the door of his hut to peep out. There he saw John asleep, wrapped in his blanket. His brothers awoke him. He arose and took from his head a large handkerchief, which was wound around it. His hair, which was very long. fell upon his
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shoulders. The doomed chief looked calmly around for the last time upon the landscape, and upon the rising sun, taking, evidently, a farewell view. and then said to his brothers that he was ready to die.
The brothers had brought with them another Indian warrior by the name of Shane. Coonstick and Shane each took John by the arm, and led him along towards the place of his execution. Steel followed behind with his gleaming tomahawk in his hand. They had advanced about ten steps from the porch when Steel struck his brother a heavy blow with his tomahawk. upon the back of his head. He fell to the ground, as the blood gushed from the dreadful wound. Supposing him to be dead, they dragged him beneath a tree near by. There, perceiving signs of life, Steel drew his knife and ent his brother's throat from ear to ear. The next day the corpse was buried with the customary Indian ceremonies.
This horrible scene occurred in Seneca county in the year 1828. Steel was arrested and tried in Sandusky county, and was acquitted. So far, Abb.
Butterfield has this in addition, viz:
Supposing this blow sufficient to kill him, they dragged him under a peach tree near by. In a short time, however, he revived, the blow having been broken by the great mass of his hair. Knowing that it was Steel who had struck the blow, John, as he lay, turned his head towards Coonstick and said : "Now, brother, do you take your revenge."
This so operated upon the feelings of Coonstick, that he interfered to save him: but it enraged Steel to such an extent, that he drew his knife and cut John's throat from ear to ear.
Gen. Brish also said:
Three years thereafter, when I was preparing to remove them to the west. I saw Coonstick and Steel remove the fence and level the ground, so that no vestige of the grave remained. John chose the place for his execution near Hard Hickory's lodge because he did not wish to be killed in the presence of his wife, and because, also, he wanted Hard Hickory to witness that he "died like a man."
Judge Higgins, in a communication to Knapp's History of the Maumee Valley, says:
L'pon the extinguishment of the Indian titles, there were several tribes that continued to occupy their former homes, and retained their titles to small reservations of land. Among these Indians was the tribe of Senecas, who held a reserve of ten miles square, on the Sandusky river, a few miles above Fremont. The political relations between these Indians and the I'nited States government were peculiar. The United States claimed, and exercised, an ultimate sovereignty over all Indian reserves, and they con- ceded complete personal jurisdiction and independence to the Indians with- in the boundaries of their reservations. Questions requiring decision upon this relation were frequently occurring in the course of my judicial ex- perience. Among others, was a case occurring in the Seneca tribe, of pecu- liar interest.
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DEATH OF SENECA JOHN.
During the session of the Supreme Court in Fremont, in 1822, (It must have been in 1829 or 1830 .- AUTH.) some person in Lower Sandusky entered a complaint before a justice of the peace against a head chief of the Sene- ras for murder, and he was arrested and brought before the justice. accom- panied by a number of the principal men of his tribe. The incidents upon which this proceeding was founded are very interesting. as illustrating the Indian life and character. With this head chief-Coonstick-I was some- what acquainted. He was a noble specimen of a man: of fine form, dignified in manner, and evincing much good sense in conversation and conduct.
The Judge then goes on to relate the killing of Seneca John, con- cerning which he differed some as to the facts, and proceeds:
These facts being presented to the Supreme Court. they decided that the execution of the criminal was an act completely within the jurisdiction of the chief, and that Coonstick was justified in the execution of a judicial sentence, which he was the proper person to carry it into effect. The case was dismissed, and Coonstiek discharged.
Judge Sardis Birchard, of Fremont, the uncle of President Hayes. had a store in Lower Sandusky during the time the Senecas were on their reservation. He was called "Judge" from the fact that during the existence of the old constitution of Ohio, it required three associate Judges to sit with the Circuit Judge to hold what is now known as "Common Pleas Court." Mr. Birchard was one of them.
Tall Chief, Hard Hickory, Seneca John, Curly Eye, Good Hunter and others, traded with him. Mr. Birchard often attended their dances, and said that Rudolphus Dickinson. Judge Justice and Mr. Fifield often danced with the Indians. The Indians called Mr. Birchard "Ansequago," and they told him that it meant "the man who owns the most of the land."
Mr. Birchard, in his communication to Knapp's History, says:
I remember well the death of Seneca John. He was a tall, noble looking man, and was said to have looked very much like Henry Clay. He was always pleasant and cheerful. He was called the most eloquent speaker on the reserve. He could always restore 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 jealons of John, on account of his power and influence. John was a great favorite among the squaws. John bade me "good-bye." and stood by me on the porch before the store as the other Indians rode away. He looked at them as they moved off. with so much sadness in his face that it attracted my attention. and I wondered at John's letting them go off without him. John inquired the amount of his 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 his trouble.
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HISTORY OF SENECA COUNTY.
The principal head men or chiefs of the Senecas, were Good Hunter, Hard Hickory and Tall Chief; there were also some half - chiefs. Among those most noted was Benjamin F. Warner, a white man, who had previously been a fireman on a steamboat. He had eloped with an Indian woman and settled down among the Senecas.
Hard Hickory was the leading mind among them. He was a leader of no ordinary grade. He was possessed of polished manners, seldom seen in an Indian. He spoke the French language fluently, and the English intelligibly. Scrupulously adhering to the costume of his people, and retaining many of their habits, this chief was much endeared to them. His urbanity, his intelligence and ardent attach- ment to the whites, and, above all, his strict integrity in business transactions, obtained for him -and deservedly - the respect and confidence of all with whom he traded. The merchants of Lower Sandusky reposed such trust in him, that when some poor Indian came to ask for goods on credit, if Hard Hickory would say that he would see them paid for, no more was required. Thus his word passed current with, and for, the whole tribe. Mr. Obed Dickinson was a particular friend of Hard Hickory.
Hard Hickory fell from his high station as an honest man. Tempted by money, he became first a thief and then a liar. How many of our own people-some, even, in our own town of Tiffin-who, for a long time' in their business life, were regarded and esteemed as men of profound integrity and honesty, who had stood aloof for a long time from all manner of crime, and had enjoyed the confidence and esteem of all who knew them, and while at the height of their glory, became dizzy and weak; and as they fell, took down with them, not only the money of the men whose confidence they had secured, but the general condemnation of all honest men in the community! How often we are deceived in our fellows! We often let men of tried and acknowl- edged honesty stand aside, and take obscure men who had no record for unflinching honor, put them in places of honor and trust, and about the time we begin to think they are fire-proof, they fall down deep and take our money with them. After the fall we compromise with some agent of the thief, and secure as much of the money that was stolen from us as we can, and let the gentlemanly thief go-perhaps to run for some office. The Indians don't understand etiquette in that way, it seems.
An annuity of $1,600 was due from the state of New York, for a limited number of years, to certain families of Cayugas, of one of which Hard Hickory was a member. This annuity was regularly paid. up to
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HARD HICKORY MUST DIE.
their removal, at their old home on the Sandusky. By an arrangement with the general government in their treaty at Washington, that annuity was to be forwarded to them at their new home on the Neosho, through the hands of the government agents.
In the year 1834, a draft for the sum due them from New York, was forwarded and received by them; and in order to make a distribution of the money among those entitled to receive it, it was necessary to have the draft cashed, for which purpose Hard Hickory, with George Herrin, the interpreter, were delegated to go to Fort Gibson. They went. sold the draft, and received the money.
Hard Hickory then proposed to Herrin a trip to Washington City to see after the business of the tribe, relative to their land sales in Ohio. Said he: "Let us go while we have this money; it will make no difference to our people, as our Great Father, the President, will pay us back all the money we spend in going there and returning home, as he did when we went to our treaty."
So off they started to Washington. For more than a month they reveled in all the luxury and dissipation of the city, until they were tired of them. Now they determined to go home, and requested the Commissioner of Indian Affairs to reimburse them, and furnish means to return with. This, of course, was refused.
On arriving home, their money was nearly gone. Hickory was then called before his people to give an account of himself. He stated that there was something wrong about the draft, and he had to go to Wash- ington to arrange it; that the President said it should all be made right, and they would get the money soon, all in silver.
Doubting this statement, they sent a messenger to Fort Gibson to ascertain the truth. He reported, on his return, that Hickory had drawn the money on the draft, and consequently the chief's statement to the contrary was false. A solemn council was called; before which he was summoned to appear. He appeared: he plead guilty to the charge of falsehood, and made no attempt to palliate or justify the offense, but threw himself upon the mercy of his people, offering, at the same time, to surrender all his horses and other property as an indemnity for the money spent, which would have been sufficient, or nearly so, to have satisfied the amount. The council lasted several days. In the debate as to the punishment of Hickory, some of the chiefs made efforts to save his life. A majority, however, were against him. He had betrayed his trust, and dishonored his high station as a chief. At length the verdict came that Hard Hickory must die.
If Hickory had stood forth before his people and asserted at once
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the truth of the matter-in other words-had not lied about it, he would have saved his life and honor. "And from my knowledge of the tribe," says Gen. Brish, "that would have been the result."
In hopes that he would yet be spared, and that no one would attempt to kill him in the presence of his wife, who was much respected, he confined himself to his house, heavily armed. For several days and nights his house was surrounded. At length, the notorions Shane, who helped to murder Seneca John, volunteered to kill him in his house. Shane, having just returned from the Cherokee country, went to the house in the night and rapped at the door. Hickory recognized his voice, and naturally supposed that he had at least one friend who would try to save him. Hard Hickory was the uncle of Shane.
On being assured that Shane was alone, Hickory directed his wife to unbar the door and let him in, which she did. Shane wore a blanket. and approached Hickory in the middle of the room, holding out his left hand, while his right was under the blanket, holding the handle of a long knife. Hickory held out his right hand to Shane. and as soon as their hands were grasped, Shane drew his knife and stabbed Hickory through the body, and then dragged him out of doors, where several Indians stabbed and tomahawked him. Thus perished the renowned chief Hard Hickory, with the seal of falsehood stamped upon his hitherto fair character.
This Benjamin F. Warner had become entirely Indian in his habits. and associated with Hard Hickory and other chiefs. Those who described him as part Indian, were simply mistaken. He was a Yankee by birth, but became an Indian by choice. His wife's name was Kon- ke-pot; she was from Green Bay, and a Mohican. The Senecas adopted the family. Warner became a sort of major-domo of the tribe, and in common with them, drew a portion of their annuities from the government. He transacted a great deal of business for the Senecas. If a horse was missing, Warner would be sure to track and find him. He could stock a gun or a plow, build a house. tan a skin, and was always ready for either work or sport, but sober.
He emigrated with the Senecas to the west. His wife died on the journey, soon after crossing the Mississippi. and Ben, with his child. accompanied the tribe to the new reserve on the Neosho. Warner had a cow, which he gave to a poor family who had buried their father and husband near the door of their cabin, near the west line of Missouri.
"The family were in utter destitution, and we gave them all we could spare. On leaving them. the woman cried ont: ' You have left a cow behind." On looking back, I saw Warner's cow in a small picket enclosure. near the
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CHARLIEU-IMMIGRATION OF THE SENECAS.
house. and called his attention to the fact. His reply was: 'I put her there myself: guess the woman 'll want her worse than I shall.' Benjamin Franklin Warner proved that he carried a noble heart under a rough exterior."
There was an old Indian living on the Vanmeter tract, in this county -a Mohawk-whose name was Charlieu, and who was famous for his animosity to the Americans. At the age of about twenty-five. he fought, with the rest of the Canadian Indians, under Montcalm, upon the heights of Abraham, where the brave and generous Wolf was killed. At that time he was married, and had one child. He fought «turing the late war on the side of the British, and had a large number of scalps in his possession, which he had taken during the war. He joined the Senecas, with the rest of his tribe, in 1829, and with them. started for the distant west. At St. Louis he was taken sick, and died on the 26th day of April, 1832. As he wore several crosses suspended from his long hair, he was claimed by the Roman Catholics. and received a christian burial in the Catholic church-yard in that city. He was supposed to be over one hundred years old when he died. He -poke French fluently, and was well known to the first settlers of this county.
The removal of the Senecas to the west was agreed upon at Wash- ington City, on the 28th day of February, 1831. This treaty was made between James Gardiner, Commissioner on the part of the United States, and Comstock, Seneca Steel, Captain Good Hunter, Hard Hickory and Small-Cloud Spicer. chiefs of the Seneca tribe. George Herrin acted as interpreter, and Gen. Henry C. Brish as sub-agent. The proceeds of the sale of the Seneca reservation were to be put into funded stock at five per cent. interest, which was to be paid to the Indians as an annuity, after deducting the cost of building for the Senecas a blacksmith shop and grist mill. The United States gave them seventy-six thousand acres of land, lying along the Neosho and Cowskin rivers, northwest of the state of Arkansas, and ninety miles above Fort Gibson. (See chapter 29.)
In the fall of the year 1831, the Senecas started for their home in the west, when there were just 510 of them, all told, the most mixed- up-mess of humanity imaginable. A portion of them traveled overland. and after experiencing numerous hardships and many accidents, finally succeeded in reaching Missouri in the following spring. The division in charge of Gen. Brish traveled by water, encountering but little difficulty. They reached the Ohio river at Cincinnati, where they took a boat.
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HISTORY OF SENECA COUNTY.
Their new home is a beautiful country, and at this time probably owned by the whites. On the 26th day of April, they all met above St. Louis, and arrived on the Neosho on the 4th day of July, following. On the 26th day of August, 1845, they had been reduced down to the number of one hundred and forty-three. It is to be presumed that at this time there is nothing left of that once powerful tribe of savages but their name.
So mote it be.
Simon Girty, the most infamous of all the white savages amongst the red skins, was adopted by the Senecas, and became not only a great scout, but also an expert hunter. He was from Pennsylvania, to which state his father had emigrated from Ireland. The old man was beastly intemperate, and whisky was his great delight. "Grog was his song, and grog he would have." His sottishness turned his wife's affection. Her paramour knocked the old man on the head and won the price.
This couple left four sons-Thomas, Simon, George and James. The three latter were taken prisoners, in Braddock's war, by the Indians. George was adopted by the Delawares, became a ferocious monster, and died in a drunken fit. James was adopted by the Shaw- nees, and became as depraved as his brother. It is said that he often visited Kentucky, at the time of its first settlement, and inflicted most barbarous tortures upon all captive women who came within his reach. Very many acts of cruelty are charged to him, and yet Proctor and Elliott petted him. In Kentucky and Ohio, Simon sustained the char- acter of a most brutal barbarian; everything cruel and fiend-like was associated with his name. Indian life and brutality suited his nature. and with all his cruelties, that stamped him as a hyena more than any other beast, it was said of him that he saved many prisoners from death. His influence was great, and whenever he chose to do so could save many poor captives.
In September, 1777, he led the attack on Fort Henry, on the site of Wheeling, and demanded the surrender of the fort in the name of his Brittanic majesty. He read the proclamation of Governor Hamilton, and promised the protection of the crown, if the garrison would lay down their arms and swear allegiance to the king. He warned them to submit peaceably, and said that he could not restrain his warriors, then very much excited. Col. Shepherd, the commander, rejected his prop- ositions, and a shot from a thoughtless youth made Girty retire. He opened the siege. and failed. He was also repulsed from Baker's station.
In 1782 he led a powerful body of savages upon Bryant's station. in
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THE GIRTYS.
Kentucky, about five miles from Lexington. The Kentuckians made such a gallant resistance that the Indians were anxious to retire, when Girty, thinking he could frighten the garrison into a surrender, mounted a stump and made a speech to them. He told them who he was, made all manner of promises of protection, etc. A young man by the name of Reynolds, fearing the officers would believe Girty, volunteered his remarks, and said to Girty : " You need not be so particular to tell us your name ; we know your name, and you too. I've had a villainons dog. He was an untrustworthy cuss. I named him Simon Girty, in compliment to you, he is so like you : just as ugly and just as wicked. As to the cannon ; let them come on. The country is aroused, and the scalps of your red cut-throats, and your own, too, will be drying on our cabins in twenty-four hours. We've a big score of rods laid in to scourge you out again." This response of Reynolds was effectual. The Indians withdrew, and were pursued to the Blue-licks, where they lay in ambush and defeated the Kentuckians with great slaughter.
Girty also led the attack on Colerain, in St. Clair's defeat. He died at Malden in 1815, blind and poor.
There seems to be something in a name, after all. Whether names give to the possessor certain traits of character, or whether beings of certain dispositions will naturally assume names, nobody can tell : . but while these monster brothers became the terror from the Ohio to the lake. away out in the northwestern part of Illinois another monster by the same name - Michael Girty-became the terror of the prairies.
For similarity of name and character, let a few words suffice, which we take from Matson's History of Bureau County, Illinois. It may be true that Mike was a son of Simon ; but nobody will care to know. I extract :-
Mike is said to have been a son of Simon Girty, a well known, notorious outlaw, who in 1780 escaped from justice in western Pennsylvania. and found refuge amongst the Indians of Ohio, where he exercised great in- fluence. Mike Girty was born of a squaw, and spent his early life among the Indians of Ohio. He came to this country soon after 1821, and was em- ployed as interpreter by the fur company. Here he married a squaw and raised a number of sous. Mike tried hard to gain the confidence of the Indians, but they did not trust the treacherous half breed.
On the 21st of June. 1527. Gen. Cass. as Indian agent, held a council in Burean county, with the Indians. Girty acted as interpreter. Cass gave him a silver medal, as a token of friendship, which he carried to the day of his death.
After the close of the Black Hawk war, a numer of Indians returned to Bufcan county. Among them were the squaw and pappooses of Girty ; but Girty himself was not among them. Ilis fate at that time was unknown.
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but it was generally believed that he had been killed in battle. Some time after that, on a clear, bright day in the month of June. 1836. when the prairies were covered with wild flowers and the farmers busy with their work. Girty passed along the road to Princeton. Here he found a group of buildings, where a few years before not a house could be seen. He carried on his back all his camp equipage-blankets. gim. kettles and provisions. Ilis once straight, manly forth was now bent, not from age, but from disease and great fatigue. His head was without a covering. and coarse, black hair was hanging down to his shoulders in confused masses. They said that "he was undoubtedly the last of the Mohigans." He was not inclined to answer any questions, but passing up the street and looking at a painted building. he said : "That big wigwam; great chief live there. I speck." When he was told that it was a churelf he passed on, not knowing what that was. He said as he started on: "Big warrior : great brave." He directed his steps towards Indiantown. Here he found everything had changed. At the foot of the hill, near a spring outside of town, Girty camped for the night. being overcome by sickness and fatigne. Here he gave himself up to feelings of despair. The smoke of his camp fire, and his lond coughing, attracted the attention of Dr. Langworthy, who visited the camp and offered his assist- ance ; but Girty appeared sullen, and would only shake his head. On the third day after his arrival at Indiantown, he started west. About one week thereafter, a man traveling on the old Sac and Fox trail, saw on the prairie north of Barren Grove, two wolves eating a carcass. Out of curiosity, he rode up to see what it was they were eating, and found it to be the carcass of an Indian partly devoured. Near the remains lay a gun, knife. toma- hawk, blankets. a copper kettle and a pot. Around the ueck was a buckskin cord. to which was attached a silver medal with this inscription : " A Token of Friendship. Lewis Cass. U. S. I. A." Thus ended that ont-law.
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