History of Shelby County, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 27

Author: R. Sutton & Co.
Publication date: 1883
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 427

USA > Ohio > Shelby County > History of Shelby County, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 27

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By the organization of the Indiana Territory, the counties of St. Clair, Knox, and Randolph were taken out of the jurisdiction of the Northwest Territory, and with them, of course, Henry Vandenburg, of Knox County, President of the Council; also, Shadrack Bond, of St. Clair County ; John Small, of Knox County, and John Edgar, of Randolph County, members of the popular branch of the Legislature.

On the 23d of November, 1801, the third session of the Territorial Legislature was commenced at Chillicothe, pursuant to adjournment. The time for which the members of the House of Representatives were elected, having expired, and an election having been held, quite a num- ber of new members appeared. The Council remained nearly as it was at the previous sessions, there being not more than two changes, per- haps only one, that of Solomon Sibley, of Detroit, Wayne County, who took the place of Henry Vandenburg, thrown into the new Territory. Robert Oliver, of Marietta, Washington County, was chosen President of the Council in place of Henry Vandenburg.

The House of Representatives at the third session of the Territorial Legislature was composed of the following gentlemen :-

Ephraim Cutler, of Washington Co. Zenas Kimberly, of Jefferson Co. William Rufus Putnam, “ John Milligan, 66 66

Moses Miller, of Hamilton 66 Thomas MeCune, 66

Francis Dunlavy,

Edward Tiffin, of Ross 66

Jeremiah Morrow,

Elias Langham,

John Ludlow,

Thomas Worthington, of Ross " Francois Joncaire Chabert, of Wayne Co.

Jacob White, 66

George McDougal, of Wayne Co.

Joseph Darlington, of Adams 66 Jonathan Schieffelin,

Nathaniel Massie, 66 Edward Paine, of Trumbull "

The officers of the House during its third session were as follows :- Speaker of the House, Edward Tiffin. Clerk, John Riley. Door-keeper, Edward Sherlock.

The third session of the Legislature continued from the 24th of No- vember, 1801, until the 23d of January, 1802, when it adjourned to meet at Cincinnati on the fourth Monday of November following, but that fourth session was never held, for reasons made obvious by subsequent events.

Congress, on the 30th of April, 1802, had passed an "act to enable the people of the eastern division of the Territory northwest of the river Ohio to form a constitution and State government, and for the admission of such State into the Union on an equal footing with the original States, and for other purposes." In pursuance of the aforesaid enactment, an election had been ordered and held throughout the eastern portion of the Territory, and members of a Constitutional Convention chosen, who

met at Chillicothe on the first day of November, 1802, to perform the duty assigned them. When the time had arrived for commencing the fourth session of the Territorial Legislature, the aforesaid Constitutional Convention was in session, and had evidently nearly completed its labors, as it adjourned on the 29th of said month. The members of the Legis- lature (eight of whom being also members of the Convention, therefore, seeing that a speedy termination of the Territorial government was inevitable, deemed it inexpedient and unnecessary to hold the proposed session.

The Territorial government was ended by the organization of the State government, March 3, 1803, pursuant to the provisions of a consti- tution formed at Chillicothe, November 29, 1802, by the following named gentlemen : Joseph Darlington, Israel Donalson, and Thomas Kirker, of Adams County; James Caldwell and Elijah Woods, of Belmont County; Philip Gatch and James Sargent, of Clermont County ; Henry Abrams and Emanuel Carpenter, of Fairfield County ; John W. Browne, Charles Willing Bryd, Francis Dunlavy, William Goforth, John Kitchel, Jere- miah Morrow, Jobn Paul, John Riley, John Smith, and John Wilson, of Hamilton County; Rudolph Bair, George Humphrey, John Milligan, Nathan Updegraff, and Bazaliel Wells, of Jefferson County ; Michael Baldwin, Edward Tiffin, James Grubb, Thomas Worthington, and Na- thaniel Massie, of Ross County; David Abbot and Samuel Huntington, of Trumbull County; Ephraim Cutler, Benjamin Ives Gilman, Rufus Putnam, and John McIntire, of Washington County.

Joseph Darlington, of Adams County; Francis Dunlavy, Jeremiah Morrow, and John Smith, of Hamilton County; John Milligan, of Jef- ferson County; Edward Tiffin and Thomas Worthington, of Ross County; and Ephraim Cutler, of Washington County, were the eight gentlemen of the last Territorial Legislature that were also elected members of the Constitutional Convention.

EARLY FORTS.

Fort Washington built July, 1789. Fort McArthur built June, 1812.

" Hamilton built Oct. 1791.

Jefferson built Oct. 1791.

Greenville built Nov. 1793.

Recovery built Dec. 1793.

Adams built Aug. 1794.

" Defiance built Aug. 1794.

Deposit built Aug. 1794.

Wayne built Oct 1794.

Loramie built 1794.

Harmar built 1785.

Barbee built Sept. 1812.

Gower built 1774.

Junandat built 1750.

Piqua built by the French.

" St. Clair built 1791.

" Seneca.

Stephenson or Sandusky.

66 Steuben built Sept. 22, 1786.

Industry built 1794.

We shall give the history and location of the various forts built during the Indian wars by Gens. Harmar, St. Clair, Wayne, and Harrison, in order that the reader may more readily refer to them. Although we give a general history of forts in Northwest Territory, and particularly Ohio, the reader will bear in mind that there were but nine forts in the Maumee Valley, viz., Fort Industry at Toledo, Fort Deposit at the head of the Rapids, Fort Wayne, Fort Miami, Fort Kekeonge at the head of the river, Fort Wayne, Fort Miami, Fort Meigs, and Fort Defiance.

Fort Washington.

A military post was established at Losantiville, now Cincinnati, and was named Fort Washington, after Gen. George Washington, which was built by Major Doughty in July, 1779. It was from this point that the first movement under Gen. Harmar was made against the Indians, he being the commandant at the fort, and we may also add that the subse-

. Meigs built Feb. 1813.

66 Harrison.

66 Stephenson.

66 Miami.

" Necessity, mouth of Miami, built June, 1812.

Findley built June, 1812.

Auglaize built 1748.

Ball built 1813.

66 Dillies built 1792.

Amanda built Sept. 1812.

66 McIntosh built Oct. 1778.

" Laurens built Nov. 1778.

Campus Martius built April, 1788.

" Miami built Sept. 1812.

Jennings built Sept. 1812.

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John Smith,

Daniel Reeder, 66

HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY, OHIO.

quent expeditions of Gens. St. Clair and Wayne started from Fort Wash- 'ington.

Gen. Harmar had four hundred efficient soldiers under his command, which were to be strengthened by fifteen hundred men, one thousand of them to be from Virginia and Kentucky, and five hundred from Penn- sylvania, twelve hundred of which were to rendezvous at Fort Washing- ton. The soldiers arrived about Sept. 24, and left Sept. 30, 1790. (See Gen. Harmar's biographical sketch.)

Fort Hamilton.

In the early part of September, 1791, the main body of Gen. St. Clair's army, under Gen. Butler, took up its line of march from Fort Washing- ton, and moving northward twenty-five miles, on the eastern bank of the Great Miami, erected a fort which they called Fort Hamilton, after Gen. Alexander Hamilton, and which was completed Oct. 4, 1791. It was named by Gen. St. Clair, and was located within the present limits of Butler County, Ohio.

Fort Jefferson.

Gen. St. Clair's army marched from Fort Hamilton, a distance of forty- two miles, and on Oct. 12, 1791, built Fort Jefferson, six miles south of Greenville,, Darke County, Ohio. It was located on the river in what is now Darke County, and was named in honor of Thomas Jefferson. The army remained until Oct. 24, marched nine days, and on Nov. 3 reached the site of the present town of Fort Recovery, Ohio, and en- camped at the headwaters of the Wabash. (See Gen. St. Clair's bio- graphical sketch.)

Fort Greenville.

Gen. Wayne having received the appointment to the command of the Western troops against the Indians was gathering his forces from 1792 to August, 1793. Gen. Wayne left "Hobson's Choice," near Fort Washington, on Oct. 6, advanced to the southwest branch of the Great. Miami, within six miles of Fort Jefferson, and in November, 1793, built Fort Greenville, which stood in the vicinity of what is now the town of Greenville, Darke County.

Fort Recovery.

On Dec. 23, 1793, Gen. Wayne gave orders for the erection of a fort on the site of St. Clair's defeat in 1791. For that purpose he ordered Major Henry Barbee with eight companies of infantry and a detachment of artillery to proceed to the ground and erect a fort, which he named Fort Recovery.

In connection with the building of this fort we may state that on the arrival of the soldiers, and before they could pitch their tents, they were compelled to scrape the bones of St. Clair's soldiers together, and carry them out before they could make their beds. The next day six hundred skulls were found, and the bones were all burned.

Fort Adams.

Gen. Wayne built this fort August 2, 1794, on the south bank of the St. Marys River, in Section 24, Dublin Township, Mercer County, on the land now owned by Joseph Palmer, twelve miles east of the Indiana line. It was named by Gen. Wayne in honor of John Adams, Vice- President of the United States.

Fort Defiance

was commenced by Gen. Wayne August 8, 1794, at the junction of the Auglaize and Maumee rivers, and finished August 30. It consisted of slight earthworks-a stockade with four block-houses, one at each angle. The earthworks of the fort can to this day be readily traced.

Fort Industry

was erected by Gen. Wayne in 1794, near the confluence of Swan Creek with the Maumee River, and placed in charge of Captain J. Rhea, who held the same until after the British evacuated all the posts in the North- west Territory.

Fort Deposit

was built by Gen. Wayne on August 19, 1794, and is located seven miles from the foot of the rapids for the reception of stores and baggage, and hence the name of the fort, and to better reconnoitre the enemy's ground, which lay behind a thick, bushy wood and British fort (Fort Miami).

Fort Wayne.

The site of Fort Wayne was at the junction of the St. Josephs and St. Marys rivers. It was commenced Sept. 17, and finished Oct. 22, 1794. It occupied a commanding position on the south side of the Mau- mee River, where the Maumee towns were located.

Col. Hamtramck, on its completion, assumed command of the post with the following sub-legions: Capt. Kingsbury's, Ist; Capt. Greaton's, 2; Capt. Spark's and Reed's, 3; Capt. Preston's, 4, and Capt. Porter's artillery. After firing fifteen rounds of cannon, Col. Hamtramck gave it the name of Fort Wayne, after their gallant and victorious General.

This fort was dismantled in 1804, when a new and larger one was built in its place. This was also taken down in 1815, and a more substantial one erected, which consisted of a stockade, block-houses, and officers' quarters.

Fort Gower

was erected by Lord Dunmore in 1774, and named in honor of Earl Gower. It is situated in Athens County.

Fort Junandat was built by the French in 1750, on the east bank of Sandusky River.

Fort Piqua,

erected prior to the settlement of the country, stood at Upper Piqua, on the west bank of the Miami River. It was used as a place of deposit for stores for the army of Wayne. The portage from here to Fort Lor- amie, fourteen miles, thence to St. Marys, twelve miles, was all the land carriage from the Ohio to Lake Erie. Loaded boats frequently ascended to Fort Loramie, the loading taken out and hauled to St. Marys, the boats also moved across on wheels, again loaded, and launched for Fort Wayne, Defiance, and the lake. The last commander of Fort Piqua was Captain J. N. Vischer, in 1794. During that year two freighted boats, guarded by an officer and twenty-three men, were attacked by the In- dians near the fort, and all massacred. Capt. Vischer heard the firing, but from the weakness of his command, could render no assistance. The plan of the Indians doubtless was to make the attack in hearing of the fort, and thereby induce them to sally out in aid of their countrymen, defeat all, and take the fort. The commander was a discreet officer, and aware of the subtleness of the enemy, had the firmness to save the fort. The track of the pickets, the form of the river bastion, still mark the site of Fort Piqua.

Fort St. Clair.

About a mile west of Eaton, the county seat of Preble County, is the site of Fort St. Clair, erected in the severe winter of 1791-2 by Major John S. Gano, of the Territorial militia. Gen. Harrison, then an ensign, commanded a guard every other night for about three weeks, during the building of the fort. They had neither fire nor covering of any kind, and suffered much from the intense cold.

Fort Seneca

WAS a military post built in the war of 1812, and is nine miles north of Tiffin, on the west bank of the Sandusky River, and was occupied by Harrison's troops at the time of the attack on Fort Stephenson, which was only a few miles below, on the river.

Fort Stephenson, or Sandusky,

was built at a very early day, and was within the present limits of San- dusky City. This fort was gallantly defended by Colonel Croghan 'on the 2d of August, 1813, against an overwhelming force of British and Indians.

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HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY, OHIO.

Fort Steuben

was situated in Steubenville, and stood on North High Street, near the site of the female seminary. It was built in 1786 by Major Hamtramck, and was garrisoned by United States troops under the command of Col. Beatty, but was dismantled at the time of Wayne's victory in 1794, and other buildings. It was occupied as a military post until 1819, when the reservation on which it stood was sold. The remains of the buildings were removed about 1848.

In connection with the second structure, we would state that it was besieged by the Indians under Tecumseh and his brother, the prophet, in August and September, 1812, and was successfully defended until relieved by the troops under Gen. Harrison.

Fort Loramie

was built by Gen. Wayne in 1794, on Loramie's Creek, and is sixteen miles northwest of Sidney, Shelby County, Ohio. It received its name from a Frenchman named Loramie, who established it as a trading post and gave his name to the river which flows along its southern side.

Fort Harmar.

There were two forts by this name, both of which were built upon the same ground by Gen. Harmar, opposite and west of the Muskingum River, on an elevated piece of ground where Marietta now stands.

The first fort stood on what is called the "second bottom," being ele- vated above the ordinary flood of the river, while between it and the banks of the river was a lower or first bottom depressed about six feet, to which the descent was of a gradual slope. The first formed a regular hectagon, and the area embraced within its walls contained about three- fourths of an acre. To communicate with Campus Martius from Fort Harmar a path was cut and cleaned through the forest.

The second fort was erected " on the right bank of the Muskingum River opposite to Marietta, and at its junction with the Ohio, and named in honor of Col. James Harmar, and was commenced in 1785, but not finished until 1786."

Fort Amanda.

Col. Poagne, with his regiment, built the fort at the Ottawa towns, on the Auglaize, twelve miles from St. Marys, and named Fort Amanda, in honor of his wife. This regiment was at the same time employed in constructing boats and canoes, and in escorting provision trains between the posts. These were some of the exertions and movements made in our territory in preparation for the main expedition contemplated against Malden.

The fort was situated near the west bank of the Auglaize River, with about an acre of land. The pickets were from ten to twelve feet high, and sunk two or three feet in the ground. There were four block-houses, one at each corner; the second story projected over the pickets three or four feet, and was pierced with port-holes, from which the soldiers could defend the fort in case of attack. The first story was occupied by sol- diers and company officers as sleeping rooms. The block-house in the southeast corner was the largest, and used mainly as officers' quarters.

There was also a large cabin in the centre of the fort, which was used as a storehouse for supplies for the army, as the soldiers wintered all one winter, if not two, at this point. Again, the old fort was used as one of the first post-offices in Allen County, as well as the first place of preaching.

Fort Amanda served as an intermediate storehouse and point of con- centration between St. Marys, Urbana, and Upper Sandusky on the one side, and Forts Wayne and Defiance on the other. Here a cemetery was established for the interment of the nation's dead during the occupation of the fort. This cemetery was continued in use by the whites after the settlement, and is still a monument to that army. As conflicting reports are still current as to the number of soldiers here interred, an effort has been made to obtain information through all channels yielding a promise of data.

In this direction an application was made to the War Department, through Hon. J. A. Garfield, with the result portrayed in the subjoined letter :-

WAR DEPARTMENT, ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE, WASHINGTON, April 26, 1880. -

Hon. J. A. GARFIELD, M. C., House of Representatives.

SIR: I have the honor to return herewith the letter of your corre- spondent, Mr. Sutton, referred to this office by your indorsement of the 19th instant, and to inform you that there is no record in this office of "Fort Amanda, Ohio," or its garrison.

The records of the "War of 1812" do not show the place of burial in any case, and nothing relating to the subject of Mr. Sutton's inquiry can be found in the records of this office, which for 1813 and 1814 are incom- plete, having been partially destroyed by the British forces in 1814.

I have the honor to be, sir, Very respectfully Your obedient servant, E. D. TOWNSEND, Adjutant-General.

Fort Auglaize.

The old fort east of Wapakoneta was built by the French in 1748, and was called Fort Au Glaize, the location of which is described in an Atlas published at Paris, par le Rouge, Ing" Geographe du Roi, rue des Grands Augustins, 1777, and corrected by M. Hawkins, Brig .- General of the King's Army in 1776. A volume of the Atlas can be found in the library of the Hon. F. Bourquin, of Camden, New Jersey.

Fort McIntosh

was built by Gen. L. McIntosh in October, 1778, he having succeeded Gen. Hand in the command. This fort was built for the reception and security of prisoners and slaves upon the Indian side of the Ohio River, with barracks for a regiment. Gen. Arthur Lee in 1784 thus describes it: It is built of well hewn logs, with four bastions-its figure is an irregular square-the face to the river being longer than the side to the land. It is almost equal to a square of fifty yards-it is well built and strong against musquetry. Gen. McIntosh leaving a portion of his men to complete the fortification, set out at the head of one thousand men to build Fort Laurens at the forks of the Muskingum, which he accom- plished by December. The object of this was to strike a blow at the Indian town on the Sandusky River-but the season being too far ad- vanced he concluded to defer it until spring, and leaving Col. John Gibson in command, with one hundred and fifty men to garrison Fort Laurens, he returned in December to Pittsburg.

Fort Laurens was attacked in January by about eight hundred In- dians. After frequent parleys and a promise of a barrel of flour, they agreed to send in proposals for peace, but instead of this they retreated. Col. Gibson relying on their word, and supposing they had left, permitted Capt. Clarke, of the 8th Pennsylvania Regiment, with fifteen men, to set out on his return to Fort McIntosh, whence they had gone to escort some provisions.

About three miles from Fort Laurens he was attacked by the notori- ous and infamous Simon Girty at the head of a band of Mingos. Two of his men were killed, four wounded, and one taken, the remainder escaped to the fort. The garrison, after a long, distressing siege of four weeks, was relieved by Gen. McIntosh at the head of nearly eight hun- dred men, who advanced rapidly to raise the siege by the route of Fort McIntosh. As the army came in sight of Fort Laurens the garrison fired a salute, which so alarmed the pack horses that they broke loose, by which means much of the provisions was lost and the horses never recovered. Many of the almost famished soldiers were injured by the surfeit occasioned by over eating. They returned to Fort McIntosh, where they were met by their friends from the settlements and abund- antly supplied.

A new body of troops supplied those worn down by the fatigues of the siege, and the fort was left in command of Major Vernon. Gen. McIntosh endeavored to get up an expedition against the Sandusky

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HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY, OHIO.

towns, but overcome by the great exertions necessary, and his health much impaired, and his spirits broken down, he was forced to resign.

Col. Daniel Broadhead succeeded Gen. McIntosh in the command, but his position was judiciously chosen, as it commanded not only the mouth of the Muskingum, but swept the waters of the Ohio from a curve in the river both above and below the fort. It was placed under the com- mand of Major John Doughty, and occupied by a detachment of United States troops from 1785 to September, 1790, and was the second fort erected within the present limits of Ohio.

Gen. Broadhead, in his letter to Gen. Armstrong, says: It was owing to the General's determination to take Detroit that the very romantic building called Fort McIntosh was built by the hands of hundreds who would rather have fought than wrought.

Fort Laurens

was erected in November, 1778, at the forks of the Muskingum, on the right bank of the Tuscarawas River, half a mile below the site of Boli- var, Tuscarawas County, by General L. McIntosh, of the Revolution. In December following it was occupied by one thousand soldiers. Be- fore the troops left he placed Col. John Gibson in command, with one hundred and fifty men to garrison it, and on July 31, 1779, it was evac- uated by order of General Broadhead. (See Fort McIntosh for further history.)

Henry Laurens was born in Charleston, South Carolina, in the year 1724. He took an early part in opposing the arbitrary claims of Great Britain at the commencement of the American Revolution. When the Provincial Congress of Carolina met in June, 1775, he was appointed its President, in which capacity he drew up a form of association, to be signed by all the friends of liberty, which indicated a most determined spirit. Being a member of the General Congress, after the resignation of Hancock, he was appointed President of that illustrious body in No- vember, 1777.

In 1780 he was deputed to solicit a loan from Holland, and to nego- tiate a treaty with the United Netherlands; but on his passage he was captured by a British vessel on the Banks of Newfoundland. He threw his papers overboard, but they were recovered by a sailor. Being sent to England, he was committed to the Tower on the 6th of October as a state prisoner, upon a charge of high treason. Here he was confined more than a year, and was treated with great severity, being denied for the most part all intercourse with his friends, and forbidden the use of pen, ink, and paper. His capture occasioned no small embarrassment to the ministry. They dared not condemn him as a rebel, through fear of retaliation, and they were unwilling to release him, lest he should accomplish the object of his mission. The discoveries found in his pa- pers led to a war with Great Britain and Holland, and Mr. Adams was appointed in his place to carry on the negotiation with the United Pro- vinces. He was eventually discharged, after fourteen months' confine- ment in the Tower. He received a commission from Congress, appointing him one of their ministers for negotiating a peace with Great Britain, and arriving at Paris, in conjunction with Dr. Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay, he signed the preliminaries of peace on the 30th of No- vember, 1782. He then returned to Carolina. He died December 3, 1792, in the 69th year of his age.

Fort Campus Martius

was erected by the Ohio Company under the direction of General Rufus Putnam, at Marietta, April 7, 1788, but not finally completed with pali- sades and outworks or bastions, until the winter of 1790. The walls, which formed a regular parallelogram, were one hundred and eighty feet each. At each corner was a strong block-house surmounted by a tower or sentry box, being twenty-six feet square at the base, and on the top twenty feet, with projection of six feet beyond the main walls of the fort. The buildings within the inclosure were constructed of whip-sawed tim- ber about four inches thick, dovetailed at the corners and covered with shingle roofs, each room of which had fire-places and brick chimneys. The towers and bastions were bright with whitewash.

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History of Shelby County, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 27

Author: R. Sutton & Co. Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Number of Pages: 427

Author: R. Sutton & Co.
Publication date: 1883
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 427