History of Van Wert and Mercer counties, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 27

Author: Sutton, R., & Co., Wapakoneta, Ohio, pub
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Wapakoneta, Ohio : R. Sutton
Number of Pages: 878

USA > Ohio > Mercer County > History of Van Wert and Mercer counties, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 27
USA > Ohio > Van Wert County > History of Van Wert and Mercer counties, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 27

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

The early settlers of Hamilton County were principally from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Kentucky. Judges Symmes and Burnet were representative men in the Miami Valley from New Jersey ; Jeremiah Morrow and Judge Dunlavy from Pennsylvania; William HI. Harrison and Wm. MeMillan from Virginia; and Col. Robert Patterson and Rev. James Kemper from Kentucky.

The Scioto Valley, the next in order of time, was settled chiefly by Virginians and Kentuckians, represented by Col. Thomas Worthington and Geil. Nathaniel Massic, two of its prominent settlers.

The carly settlements along Lake Erie, during the closing years of the eighteenth century, whose representative men were Governor Samuel Huntington and Hon. Benjamin Tappan, were established by men not a whit inferior to those above named, and the good that General Wash- ington said of the New England Colony that settled Marietta could, with very slight modifications, be said of most of the settlers and pio- neers of the aforesaid settlements.

EARLY TERRITORIAL VILLAGES AND TOWNS.

The following is a list of the principal villages and towns of the Northwest Territory, started and built up during Territorial rule, with the time of the first survey of lots, together with the names of their proprietors :-

MARIETTA, laid out in 1788 by Rufus Putnam and the Ohio Land Co. COLUMBIA, laid out in 175$ by Benjamin Stites, Major Gano, and others. CINCINNATI, laid out in 1789 by Robert Patterson, Matthias Denman, and Israel Ludlow.

GALLIrotis, laid out in 1731 by the French settlers.

MANCHESTER, laid out in 1791 by Nathaniel Massic.

IlAMIvos, laid out in 1794 by Israel Ludlow.

DAYTON, laid out in 1795 by Israel Ludlow, and Generals Dayton and Wilkinson.

FRANKLIN, Jaid out in 1795 by Wm. C. Schenck and Daniel C. Cooper. CHILLICOTHE, laid out in 1796 by Nathaniel Massie.

CLEVELAND, laid out in 1796 by Job V. Styles.

FRANKLINTON, laid out in 1797 by Lucas Sullivant.

STEUBENVILLE, laid out in 1798 by Bazaliel Wells and James Ross. WILLIAMSBURG, laid out in 1799.

ZANESVILLE, laid out in 1799 by Jonathan Zane and John Melutire. NEW LANCASTER, laid out in 1800 by Ebenezer Zane.

WARREN, laid out in 1801 by Ephraim Quinhy.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE, laid out in 1801 by David Newell.

SPRINGFIELD, laid out in 1801 by James Demint.

NEWARK, laid out in 1802 by William C. Schenck, G. W. Burnet, and John N. Cummings.

Cincinnati at the close of the Territorial government was the largest town in the Territory, containing about one thousand inhabitants. It was incorporated in 1802, with the following as its first officers: Presi- dent, David Zeigler; Recorder, Jacob Burnet ; Trustees, Win. Ramsay, David E. Wade, Charles Avery, Wm. Stanley, John Reily, Samuel Dick, Win. Ruffner; Assessor, Joseph Prince; Collector, Abram Cary; Town Marshal, James Smith.

TERRITORIAL OFFICERS.

The following exhibit gives a full list of the officers of the Territory, with the date of service, including the delegates to Congress: Governor. Gen. Arthur St. Clair, served from 1788 to 1802. Secretaries, Winthrop Sargent,-served from 1788 to 1798; William H. Harrison, served from 1798 to 1790; Charles Willing Byrd, served from 1799 to 1803. The Jatter gentleman was also acting Governor during the closing months of the Territorial government, Governor St. Clair having been removed from office in 1802 by President Jefferson. Treasurer, John Armstrong, served from 1792 to 1803; Territorial Delegates in Congress, William HI. Harrison, served from 1799 to 1800; William McMillan, served from 1800 to 1801; Paul Fearing, served from 1801 to 1803.

Territorial Judges. - James Mitchell Varnum, Samuel Holden Par- sons, and John Armstrong were appointed Judges for the Northwest Territory, by Congress, in October, 1787 ; the latter, however, declined, and John Cleves Symmes was appointed to the vacancy in February. 1788, and he accepted.

James M. Varnum died in January, 1789, and William Barton was ap- pointed his successor, but declined the appointment ; George Turner, however, in 1789, accepted it. On the 10th of November, 1789, Judge Parsons was drowned in attempting to cross Big Beaver Creek, and Rufus Putnam became his successor, March 31, 1790. In 1726 he re- signed, and Joseph Gilman succeeded him. The Territorial court was composed of three judges, two of whom constituted a quorum for judicial purposes, and also for the exercise of legislative functions, in cooperation with the Governor.

NAMES. WHEN APPOINTED.

END OF SERVICE.

James M. Varnum October, 1787

Samuel II. Parsons October, 1787

John Armstrong October, 1787

John C. Symmes February, 1788.

William Barton February, 1789 February, 1789.

Refused to serve.

George Turner

Rufus Putnam March 31. 1790 March 21, 1796.

Served until 1796.

Joseph Gilman

January, 1789.

November 10, 1789. Refused to serve.

Return Jonathan Meigs, Jr., was appointed (says Judge Burnet) after the first session of the Territorial Legislature, of which he was a mem- ber, and probably continued in office to the close of the Territorial gov- ernment, but I have not been able to verify said conjecture.

HOSTILITY OF THE INDIAN TRINES-MILITARY EXPEDITIONS.

From the time of the organization of the government of the " North west Territory," in 1788, until the ratification of the "treaty of Green- ville," sometimes called " Wayne's treaty," in 1795, the attitude of many of the western Indian tribes towards the white settlers in the Northwest 1

HISTORY OF VAN WERT AND MERCER COUNTIES, OHIO.

Territory was that of extreme, unrelenting hostility. The military or- ganization which had marched against them, before the establishment of civil government in the great Northwest, had signally failed to sub- Jugate them, or serure a permanent cessation of hostilities. The disas- trous expedition of General Braddock in 1755, of Major Wilkins in 1763, of Colonel Bradstreet in 1764, of Colonel Lochry in 1781, and of Colonel Crawford in 1782, and the disgraceful and murderous expedition against the Moravian Indians on the Tuscarawas, in the last-named year, only tended to inflame the hostile Indian tribes, and inspire them with greater courage in their hostile movements and aggressive measures against the white settlers. The fruitless, if not abortive, campaigns of Colonel MeDonald in 1774, of General MeIntosh in 1778, and of General Broad- head in 1781, of course, led to no salutary results. Even the successful campaigns of Colonel Boquet in 1763-4, of Lord Dunmore and General Lewis in 1774, and of General Geo. Rogers Clark in 1778, failed to secure a permanent peace with the western Indian tribes. The inhabitants of the Northwest Territory were, therefore, from the 7th of April, ITSS, when the first immigrants arrived at the mouth of the Muskingum, un- til the treaty of Greenville was concluded in August, 1795, constantly liable to the stealthy but deadly attacks of the perfidious, merciless savage tribes of the Northwest. But they met their dastardly, cruel, relentless foes in the spirit of genuine manhood-of true, determined, unflinching heroism ! They were men worthy of the heroic age of the West! Bravely did they bear themselves during those seven years of toil and privations, of dread and apprehension, of suffering and sorrow, of blood and carnage.

To secure the speedy termination of those savage atrocities the Na- tional Government early organized a number of military expeditions, the first of which being that of General Harmar, in 1790, who was then commander-in-chief of the military department of the West. He had a few hundred regular troops under his command, stationed chiefly at Fort Harmar and at Fort Washington, which served as the nucleus of his army. The great body of his troops, however, numbering in all above fourteen hundred, were Pennsylvania and Kentucky volunteers, the for- mer being under the immediate command of Colonel John Hardin, and the latter of Colonel Trotter. The expedition left Fort Washington and .marched to the junction of the St. Joseph and St. Marys rivers (now Fort Wayne, Indiana), where detachments of the army, under command of Colonel Hardin, on the 19th and 224 day of October, encountered the enemy and suffered mortifying defeats. Of course, the campaign failed to give peace or relief from apprehended barbarities.

The next year General St. Clair, the Governor of the Territory, who had a Revolutionary record of patriotism and ability, organized an ex- pedition, whose strength somewhat exceeded that of General Harmar's. It met with a most disastrous defeat, November 4. 1791, near the head- waters of the Wabash, now in Mercer County, Ohio, the battle-field being known as Fort Recovery. Of fifteen hundred men in the battle more than half of them were either killed or wounded, and proved a great calamity to the disheartened and greatly harassed pioneers of the North- west Territory.

Immediately after the defeat of General St. Clair, the Federal Govern- ment took the preliminary steps to raise a large army to operate against the hostile tribes, for the purpose of finally and permanently subjugating them. Military preparations, however, progressed slowly, and the sum- mer of 1794 had nearly passed before the confederated hostile Indian tribes were met in battle array by General Wayne's army. The battle was fought at the Maumee Rapids, near Perrysburg and Fort Meigs, in Wood County, Ohio, and is known as the battle of " Fallen Timbers," though sometimes called the " Battle of the Maumee." Wayne's army numbered more than three thousand men, well disciplined, and ably ofli- cered, sixteen hundred of whom being mounted volunteer troops from Kentucky, commanded by General Charles Scott, of said State, who was the second ranking officer in the army, and who, as well as General Henry Lee (the " Light-Horse Harry" of the Revolution) and General William Darke, had been favorably considered by President Washington in connection with the chief command of the expedition. The choice, however, fell upon General Wayne, the old companion-in-arms of the President, and to him is justly aseribed the honor of defeating the Indian tribes commanded by the celebrated Shawnee chief, Blue Jacket, on the

Maumee, August 20, 1794, and of permanently breaking the power of a very formidable Indian confederacy. Cessation of hostilities followed this victory, and a peace, which the general Government had vainly sought by friendly negotiation, was secured-a peace which continued for many years, even until after the Northwest Territory had " ceased to be," and the important incidents and events connected therewith had passed into history.

ORGANIZATION OF THE SECOND GRADE OF TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT.

The Governor having satisfactorily ascertained that the conditions existed entitling the Territory to the second grade of government, that is, that there were "five thousand free male inhabitants of full age," within the territory, he, on the 20th day of October, 1728, took the pre- liminary steps to effect that object, by issuing his proclamation, directing the qualified voters to hold elections for Territorial Representatives on the third Monday of December, 1798. The election was held in pursu- ance of said proclamation, which resulted in the following gentlemen being chosen to constitute the popular branch of the Territorial Legis- lature for the ensuing two years :-

MEMBERS OF TERRITORIAL LEGISLATURE OF 1700-1800.

Return Jonathan Meigs, Washing- John Edgar, Randolph County. ton County. Solomon Sibley, Wayne "

Paul Fearing, Washington County.

Jacob Visgar, 66

William Goforth, Hamilton "

Charles F. Chabert de Joncaire. Wayne County.

John Smith,

Joseph Darlington, Adams County.

John Ludlow, 66

Nathaniel Massie,

Robert Benham,

James Pritchard, Jefferson

Aaron Caldwell, 66 Thomas Worthington, Ross 66

Isaac Martin, 66

66 Elias Langham,

Shadrack Bond, St. Clair

Samuel Findlay, 66

John Small, Knox

66 Edward Tiffin, 66

The above-named gentlemen met at Cincinnati on the 22d of January. 1799, and nominated ten men, whose names they forwarded to the United States Congress, five of whom were to be selected by that body to con- stitute the Legislative Council of the Territory. They then adjourned to meet on the 16th of September, 1799.

On the 22d of March, 1799, either the United States Senate, the United States House of Representatives, or the President of the United States (authorities are not agreed), chose from among those whose names had been suggested to them the following gentlemen, to compose the first Legislative Council of the Northwest Territory, their term of office to continue five years, any three of whom to form a quorum :-

Jacob Burnet, of Cincinnati, Hamilton County; Henry Vandenburg, of Vincennes, Knox County ; Robert Oliver, of Marietta, Washington County; James Findlay, of Cincinnati, Hamilton County ; David Vance, of Vanceville, Jefferson County.

The ordinance of 1787 named Congress as the authority in whom was vested the right to select five from the list of ten persons to constitute the Territorial Council. But it will be borne in mind that said ordinance was passed by a Congress that legislated in pursuance of the Articles of Confederation, while yet we had neither President nor United States Senate, hence authority was given to Congress to make the selection. But it is highly probable that the aforesaid authority was subsequently transferred to the President, or to the Senate, or to them jointly.

FIRST COUNCIL AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Both the Council and House of Representatives met at Cincinnati September 16, 1790, and effected a permanent organization. The Coun- cil perfected its organization by the election of the following officers: President, Henry Vandenburg. Secretary, William C. Schenck. Door. keeper, George Howard. Sergeant-at-Arms, AAbraham Cary.

The House of Representatives completed its organization hy electing. as its officers, the following gentlemen : Speaker of the House, Edward Titlin. Clerk, John Riley. Door-keeper, Joshua Rowland. Sergeant- at-Arms, Abraham Cary.

- -

William McMillan,

HISTORY OF VAN WERT AND MERCER COUNTIES, OHIO.

Thirty bills were passed at the first session of the Territorial Legisla- ture, but the Governor vetoed eleven of them. They also elected Wil- liam H. Harrison, then Secretary of the Territory, a delegate to Congress, by a vote of 11 to 10 that were cast for Arthur St. Clair, Jr., son of the Governor, then a promising young lawyer of Cincinnati, and who then held the office of Attorney-General of the Territory. The first session of the Territorial Legislature was prorogued by the Governor December 19, 1799, until the first Monday of November, 1800, at which time they reassembled and held the second session at Chillicothe, which, by an act of Congress of May 7, 1800, was made the seat of the Territorial Gov- ernment until otherwise ordered by the Legislature. This, the second session of the Territorial Legislature, was of short duration, continuing only until December 9, 1800.

On May 9, 1800, Congress passed an act establishing the Indiana Ter- ritory, with boundaries including the present States of Indiana and Illinois, and William HI. Harrison, having accepted the office of Governor of said Territory, it devolved upon the Territorial Legislature, at its second session, not only to elect a delegate to fill the vacancy occasioned by his resignation, but also to elect a delegate to serve during the suc- ceeding Congress. William McMillan, of Cincinnati, was elected to fill the vacancy, and Paul Fearing, of Marietta, was elected to serve from the 4th of March, 1801, to the 4th of March, 1803. They were both reputed to be men of ability.

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, " 16 John Milligan, 66

Moses Miller, of Hamilton 66 Thomas MeCune, 66 66

Francis Dunlavy, " Edward Tilliu, of Ross

Jeremiah Morrow, 66 Elias Langham, 66

John Ludlow,

Thomas Worthington, of Ross "

John Smith,

Francois Joncaire Chabert, of Wayne Co.

Jacob White,

Daniel Reeder, 16 George MeDougal, of Wayne Co.

Joseph Darlington, of Adams = Jonathan Schieffelin, 66 66

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 234 of January, 1502, 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. 1902, had passed an " act to enable the people of the castern 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, John 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 Tillin, James Grubb, Thomas Worthington, and Na- thanict 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.

66 Harrison.

66 Greenville built Nov. 1793.

Stephenson.

" Recovery built Dec. 1793.

66 Miami.

46 Adams built Ang. 1794.

= Defiance built Aug. 1794.

66 Deposit built Aug. 1794.

16 Wayne built Oct 1794.

Loramie built 1794.

66 Ball built 1813.

66 Harmar built 1785.

Barbee built Sept. 1812. 66 Gower built 1774.

Amanda built Sept. 1812. = Junandat built 1750.

= MeIntosh built Oct. 1778. = Piqua built by the French.

Laurens built Nov. 1778. 66 St. Clair built 1791.

4 Campus Martius built April, 1788.

= Stephenson or Sandusky.

66 Steuben built Sept. 22, 1786.

" Jennings built Sept. 1812. = 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 way 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.

Necessity, mouth of Miami, built June, 1812.

66 Findley built June, 1812.

66 Auglaize built 1748.

= Dillies built 1792.

Seneca.

". Miami built Sept. 1812.

HISTORY OF VAN WERT AND MERCER COUNTIES, OHIO.

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

Gen. Harmar had four hundred efficient sokliers 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 ariny, 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, creeted 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 bis 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 serape 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- l'resident of the United States.

Fort Defiance

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History of Van Wert and Mercer counties, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 27

Author: Sutton, R., & Co., Wapakoneta, Ohio, pub Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Wapakoneta, Ohio : R. Sutton Number of Pages: 878

Author: Sutton, R., & Co., Wapakoneta, Ohio, pub
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Wapakoneta, Ohio : R. Sutton
Number of Pages: 878