USA > Ohio > History of the Upper Ohio Valley, with family history and biographical sketches, a statement of its resources, industrial growth and commercial advantages, Vol. I > Part 15
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One of the most terrible murders perpetrated in that neighborhood occurred on the first day of May, in the year, 1791. Four sisters of the Crow family left home on the morning of that day with a view of visiting a couple of aged people who lived some eight miles further up the creek, above the late residence of Michael Crow. Their brother was the father of the late Michael Crow, who resided on the farm of his father, and which still belongs to the descendants of this family. He was a boy of fourteen years of age. Prior to his sisters leaving home in the morning, he had been sent up the creek on an errand by his parent, and as he was returning homeward, having dis- charged his mission, he met his sisters who were leisurely pursuing their way to their destination. The girls were named, respectively: Elizabeth, Susan, Catharine and Christina. At the time of his meet- ing them they were not more than a mile from home. Checking his horse, he halted and held a brief conversation with them, and urged Christina, the youngest of the sisters, to mount behind him and re- turn home. She declined to accede to his proposition and insisted upon accompanying her sisters. Finding that all his pursuasions were in vain, he finally desisted in his efforts to change her purpose, and the respective parties parted and continued their opposite journey. But no sooner had young Crow gotten out of sight and hearing, than two Indians and a renegade white man, by the name of Spicer, sprang out from a rock behind which they had lain concealed and arrested the
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sisters, at the same time informing them that if they gave any alarm, or attempted to attract attention by any noise, threatened them with instant death.
Ascending the hill at the base of which the capture had taken place, a distance of some two hundred yards, they compelled the girls to seat themselves on a fallen tree while they took seats with them and began to ply them with numerous inquiries, particularly as to their knowledge as to the means of defense in the neighborhood, the number of effective men, etc. One of the Indians who was seated between two of the youngest of the females held a tight grasp on the wrist of each. From their significant gestures and looks, and the con- versation carried on between the three in the Indian tongue it was evident that they were discussing the disposition which they should make of their prisoners. The girls realized from what they saw and could understand that no mercy was to be extended to them; but that their death was determined upon, and that their fate was imminent.
Christina, the youngest, a bright and sprightly girl, had formed a resolution in her mind that, as death was to be her doom, she would, at the first propitious moment which presented itself, make a break for liberty. Hence, while her captors were engaged in the heat of the discussion and the vigilance of the Indian who held her wrist was somewhat relaxed, with a sudden effort she withdrew it from his grasp by a dexterous twist of her arm and springing to her feet darted away; but she had not taken but a step or two when she received a blow on her back with the butt end of the gun which, with his freed hand, he had snatched from the ground where it lay beside him. The blow prostrated her, but only for a moment, when promptly recovering her- self she sped down the hill to the bank of the creek, along which, with swift feet, she hastened to her home and carried the sad tidings of the capture of her sisters. The Indians might have overtaken her if they had been so disposed, but in that event the other sisters might have successfully made their escape, and therefore they refrained from pursuit.
As soon as Christina communicated the news to the distressed family, they made a hasty departure from their home and fled to Findley's block house for shelter and protection. It being late in the evening when they arrived there, no efforts could be made that night to overtake the captors and their prisoners, but with the first streaks of dawn on the following morning a party set out with a view of rescu- ing the prisoners and at the same time to visit condign punishment upon their captors. Upon reaching the spot where the capture had occurred, to their horror and dismay they found that the tragedy, which all along they had apprehended, had been accomplished. They found the oldest girl - Elizabeth -still living, but fatally wounded. A little distance from where Elizabeth lay writhing in her pain were found the dead bodies of the two other sisters-Catherine and Susan. Elizabeth retained sufficient vitality to give an intelligible account of the incident of their surprise and capture, together with the details of the affair subsequent thereto, and the treatment which
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had been accorded them by the savages and the renegade Spicer. She survived until the third day after the event when she expired. The remains of the three were buried on the farm hereinbefore mentioned ..
Several years after the happening of this occurrence, when the brother we have alluded to had grown to manhood, the renegade Spicer and one of the same Indians who had been an actor in the cold-blooded murder of innocent and helpless females, one day came along and stopped at the house of the father of the murdered girls. The family had just sounded the tin horn announcing the noon re- past, and the father, and a number of neighbors who had been en- gaged in a log-rolling, were leisurely strolling along toward the house at an easy gait when an Indian and white man, each of whom were on a horse, passed them, and reaching the house in advance of them, dismounted and demanded of the inmates a drink of milk. Chris- tina, who, at the time, was engaged in the kitchen lifting the dinner, heard the demand, and looking in the direction from which the voice proceeded, caught sight of the visitors. No sooner had her gaze fallen upon them than she rushed after her mother, who had started to get them some milk, crying out in anguished tones, "Those are two of the men who killed my sisters, don't give them any." Upon hear- ing which the two thereupon hurriedly re-mounted their horses and left before the men had reached the house. After the arrival of these latter, Christina related to them the circumstance, and assured them that she well knew Spicer and his companion, and that she could not be mistaken, and positively asserted that they were two of the three who, years before, had taken herself and her sisters prisoners. Con- vinced by the positive assurances of the girl, on whose memory was daguerreotyped with fearful distinctiveness the identity of the actors on that occasion, Crow, the father, and a man by the name of Dick- erson, left the table at the same time and went aside to consult. The result of their deliberation was soon made manifest. Leaving the house they arranged between themselves that if they were suc- cessful in overtaking them Dickerson was to kill Spicer and Crow was to kill the Indian. Being well acquainted with the country they determined to take a route along the summits of the hills, by which they could gain both in time and distance, and speedily overtake their prey unless they had ridden at an unusually rapid pace. This proved to be the case, for apprehensive of being followed, they had pressed forward at the highest speed of their animals. The pursuit was therefore lengthened to a greater distance than had been antici- pated. But the spirit of revenge had been awakened in the bosoms of their pursuers, who determined not to give up the chase until it was gratified. Hence, they continued on their course, taking advan- tage of every short cut which opened to them, following them to the head of Wheeling creek where they discovered their fresh trail, which they followed down Dunkard's creek to near the waters of the Mo- nongahela. Here they lost the trail in the darkness which had fallen upon them, and they camped out for the night. The next day, on
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coming back along the stream, they found the lost trail of the night before, on exploring which they found the spot where they had camped the preceding night, the evidences of their presence there having been made known by their tracks and the smouldering em- bers of the fire which had been kindled by them. Our informant states that the Indian and Spicer succeeded in eluding their pursuers, and that nothing more was ever heard of them.
But from another source, which is esteemed by us to be perfectly re- liable and trustworthy, we learn that upon the return of Crow and and Dickerson from the pursuit, when inquiry was made of them as to the result of their expedition, their reticence on the subject was marked, and their replies were generally formulated in such a man- ner as to convey the impression that their pursuit had not been in vain and unattended with results, as, for instance, when pressed, they would say in terms "that they did not believe that they would trouble that section of the country any more."
The general opinion which was prevalent among the friends and neighbors was, that they had succeeded in overtaking them and ac- complished their mission, and that both Spicer and the Indian slept their last sleep, from which they would only awake at the sound of the resurrection trump. At all events, they were not seen nor heard of any more in that neighborhood nor elsewhere, so far as any infor- mation at the time or since could be obtained.
As indicative of the feelings entertained by the settlers on the frontier in the year 1792, and their exposed and dangerous condition, we submit the following memorial of the inhabitants of Middle Wheeling, which is a copy of the original in its orthography and style. It is headed, "Memorial of Inhabitants of Middle Wheel- ing":
We the inhabitants of middle Wheeling Now in a distresed and dangrous situation Have imbodied ourselves and we are tow weak to make a stand without asistens. We your humble petitioners do Pray your asistanc in men, arms and ammunition, as we gudge Will- iam Craig to be the suitable plase for the station, We flatter ourselves that you will do Everything that is in your Power, and humbly submits to your will In the fair; we your petitioners do pray.
" Thomas Orr, David Hosack, Thomas Hosack, Samuel Moore, William Morrison, James Hosack, James McDonald, Andrew Han- nah, Samuel Holmes, George Whitehill, William Bohanon, Robert McCoy, Ferdinand Moore, Thomas Harpon, William Hults, Andrew White, Devet Howell, William McCaskell, Robert Pendergast, George Knox, James Knox, James Steter, Hilian Sleater, Hugh Mc- Cutcheon, John Brice, William Porter."
During the spring of this same year Col. Shepherd reported to Col. Beard concerning depredations committed by the Indians in his vi- cinity, as shown in the following letter:
" Sir :- Last evening two Indians shot at a man within one mile of my house and snapped at another in the night. They have also taken two boys, sons of James Behanis, living on Middle Wheeling,
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one of which they have killed, the other has got in though he is scalped and badly tomahawked. The spies inform me that there is great signs of them on Captina and Stillwater. We expect nothing else but a general onset; our people are generally moving to the forts, and seem to be in great confusion. I shall give you every in- formation as early as possible, and am with respect your humble servant, DAVID SHEPHERD."
" Col. Beard."
Col. Beard was lieutenant-commandant of Washington county, Penn., at the time when this letter was written, and Col. Shepherd was lieutenant-commandant of Ohio county, Va.
During the spring of 1792, one Parron, a famous scout who forted at Fort Van Metre on Short creek in Ohio county, Va., in company with Abraham Cuppy, his son-in-law, started on a scouting expedition on the Ohio side of the river, and night coming on they went into camp at the mouth of the run known as Parron's run, which empties into Big Short creek, camping under a large elm tree, which still stood there a few years since. During the night a party of Shaw- nees on their way to make an incursion on the settlements on the opposite or Virginia side of the river; attracted by the light of the white men's camp-fire, surrounded them while they slept, and firing upon them, shot Parron through the hip, disabling him to such an extent as to prevent him from making an effort to escape and hence secured him as a prisoner. Young Cuppy made his escape and se- creted himself under the roots of a large sycamore three which grew upon the banks of the creek. His hiding place was near enough for him to hear the conversation which passed between Parron and the Indians. The Indians who were well acquainted with his courage and ability as a scout, determined that he must die and favored burning him. But Parron reminded them that he had always been an honor- able warrior and as a favor asked them to give him the tomahawk. His captors held a council among themselves, and after a lengthy de- liberation concluded to grant the request of their captive, whereupon the leader stepped forward to the prostrate man as he laid upon the ground unable to rise, and tomahawked and scalped him. After this they continued their journey without making any search for Cuppy, his companion.
The young scout remained in concealment until sufficient time had elapsed to place many miles between the Indians and himself before he ventured from his hiding place and when he left it he hastened with all his speed to make secure his escape, and reaching FortVan Metre, communicated the information of Parron's death. The commander of the fort instructed Cuppy to return to the spot where the occur- rence had happened, taking with him a sufficient number of the men in the fort to recover and bury the body in a respectable manner. This they successfully accomplished. Some seventy or eighty years subsequent to this event, some of his descendants disinterred the re- mains, that they might be interred in a more suitable resting place. Upon taking them up the ball which had disabled him was found
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imbedded in the hip bone. This ball is now in possession of John C. Cuppy, his grandson, who also has the buttons which belonged to his coat.
After the close of the Indian war, Abraham Cuppy settled on Big Short creek, on the site now occupied by Barkis' stone mill. Joshua Meek, another celebrated scout of that day, and an intimate friend and generally a companion of Parron when on a scout more fortunate than his friend, survived the dangers and hardships of Indian war- fare, and after the withdrawal of the Indians from this section, set- tled about two miles further up Big Short creek from the spot where his friend had met with his death. The mound which is pierced by the famous long tunnel on the Wheeling & Lake Erie railroad, is located on the land formerly occupied by him. He lived on this farm for many years and raised his family there. Having lost his wife to- gether with other members of his family, and being quite aged and feeble, about the year 1850, at the solicitation of his daughter, who resided in Tuscarawas county, Ohio, he removed there where he spent the few remaining months of his existence, and where he died, honored and respected by all who knew him, about the year 1851.
Sometime during this year (the exact date of the occurrence we have been unable to establish) three young men, one of them the son of Capt. Van Swearigen, constituted a party to engage in a hunting expedition. Passing down the river until they reached a point oppo- site to where Short creek emptied into the Ohio, they crossed that stream and started up the valley of the creek, hunting as they trav- eled along. For some time past no depredations had been committed by the Indians in that immediate vicinity. This inspired them with a feeling of security which induced them to believe that no harm would befall them. It was a day full of sunshine, and nature was arrayed in her loveliest garb and the woods were alive with the warblings of the feathered songsters, just such a day as speaks in its quiet calm of peace and joy to the heart of man. But the soothing influences of the scene and hour were rudely broken in upon and the fair picture was speedily changed into one of blood and death. They had penetrated along the banks of the creek at no great distance, when they were suddenly beset by a party of Indians, who fired in rapid succession upon the unsuspecting whites. The result was the killing of young Swearingen outright, and so disabling the others that they were overtaken and at once dispatched with the tomahawk. Their bodies were subsequently all recovered. Some white men on the Ohio side of the river sent word to their friends of the discovery of their bodies, and a party from Beech Bottom on the Virginia side of the river, crossed over and gave them decent sepulture.
In the month of August, in the year 1793, occurred the last conflict in the upper Ohio valley, which took place between the whites and the Indians. Owing to the fact of the frequent incursions and numer- ous depredations of the Indians in that section of the country now embraced in Hancock and Brooke counties, the people had become greatly exasperated, and it was determined to put an end to them
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and to summarily chastise the intruders. With this in view the whites organized a party which was placed under the command of Capt. Law- son Van Buskirk. A party of Indians had committed many acts of violence and plunder, and the general opinion was that in their re- treat they would cross the river in the vicinity of Mingo. The Virginia force consisted of thirty-eight men, and the Indians num- bered twenty-eight warriors. The Virginians crossed the river below the mouth of Cross creek and marched along the bottom, and finally struck the Indian trail. They were all veteran Indian fighters, and yet they marched directly into an ambuscade, and but for a most singular circumstance, they would have been slaughtered to a man. . They marched in Indian file, with Captain Buskirk at their head. The ambush quartered on their flank, and they were totally unsus- picious of it. The plan of the ambush was skillfully laid. It was to permit the whites to advance in numbers along the line before firing upon them. This was done, but instead of each Indian selecting a man at whom to fire, every gun was directed at the captain, who was shot dead -thirteen bullet holes having been found on his body. The whites and Indians instantly treed and the battle was prolonged for more than an hour. It was ascertained that some Indians were killed and some wounded; but they retreated and carried with them both their killed and wounded. Except in the death of Buskirk the whites were but little injured.
The falling into this ambuscade was so out of character with the wariness and caution of the Indian hunters, that it was accounted for ina melancholly incident of previous occurrence. In the summer of 1792, one year before, two Indians crossed the Ohio in the night and landed under the narrows immediately below the new village of Wellsburg. The village at that time consisted of five or six cabins. Capt. Buskirk resided about three miles from the point where the Indians landed, directly in the country in the neighborhood of several plantations. In the forenoon of the day, Mrs. Buskirk set out on horseback to visit a neighbor who resided in the direction of, and near to, the river. In a short time the horse came running furiously home, showing the great terror which the domestic animals of that day evinced at the sight of Indians. The truth was instantly understood by Capt. Van Buskirk. The neighbors were alarmed and as Mrs. Van Buskirk was not found on the road she had set out to travel, the conclusion was certain that she had been made a prisoner by the Indians. To at- tempt direct pursuit it was well known would lead to her immediate death. The plan of operations was soon determined upon. Individ- uals collected and explored the river, and as they expected, found the canoe belonging to the Indians. No doubt was entertained, but they would approach it in the night. Watchers were stationed at sev- eral of the most convenient points of approach for the purpose of rescuing Mrs. Van Buskirk and destroying her captors. This failed in consequence of the indiscretion of one individual who, upon per- ceiving the Indians approach, with Mrs. Van Buskirk in company, made some alarm that apprised the Indians of their danger. They
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at once returned up the hill, and the whites, out of regard to the safety of Mrs. Van Buskirk, deemed it imprudent to pursue until morning. The trail was then taken, and Mrs. Van Buskirk was found murdered and scalped about a mile from the river. Her ankle was dislocated, and it was supposed that this, rendering her unable to travel, was the cause of her being put to death. Both of the Indians were success- ful in escaping from their pursuers.
This sad catastrophe exasperated Capt. Van Buskirk almost to frenzy, and inflamed him with an insatiable thirst for vengeance. Goaded by this feeling and deeply excited by a hope of its speedy gratifi- cation, it was supposed, rendered him incautious and unobservant of facts, that would not in any other state of mind have escaped him, and thus he rushed to his own destruction. The murder of Mrs. Van Bus- kirk was the last atrocity committed by the Indians east of the Ohio, from Pittsburgh to Marietta.
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CHAPTER VII.
COL. BROADHEAD'S CAMPAIGN - TREACHEROUS CONDUCT AND MURDER BY THE MILITIA - WILLIAMSON'S CAMPAIGN - THE "PRAYING INDIANS "- FRIENDLY TO THE WHITES - REMOVAL OF THE CHRISTIAN DELAWARES TO DETROIT - SUSPECTED BY WHITES AND INDIANS - MURDERS CHARGED TO THE MORAVIAN INDIANS - EXPEDITION ORGANIZED - AR- RIVAL AT THE MORAVIAN TOWNS - INDIANS SURRENDER - THEIR TREAT- MENT - REVOLTING MURDER - CRAWFORD'S CAMPAIGN - THE VIRGINIA FRONTIER PATROLLED -EXPEDITION AGAINST INDIAN TOWNS RESOLVED UPON - RENDEZVOUS AT MINGO - THE INDIANS ON THE ALERT - PRO- POSED RETREAT OF THE WHITES OVERRULED - THE FIGHT - THE RE- TREAT - CAPTIVITY OF COL. CRAWFORD - HIS TERRIBLE FATE - DR. KNIGHT'S ESCAPE - SLOVER'S CAPTIVITY AND ESCAPE - ST. CLAIR'S EX- PEDITION - THE ARMY MARCHES TOWARD THE INDIAN TOWNS - FORTS HAMILTON AND JEFFERSON BUILT - ENGAGEMENT WITH THE INDIANS - ST. CLAIR'S DEFEAT -THE ARMY RETURNS TO FORT WASHINGTON- ST. CLAIR UNJUSTLY CENSURED - COMMUNICATION TO CONGRESS BY THE PRESIDENT - ACCOMPANYING PAPERS -GEN. WAYNE'S CAMPAIGN.
EN. LACHLAN McINTOSH, who was in command of the Western Military department, with headquarters at Fort Pitt, retired from the command in April, 1779, and Col. Daniel Broadhead was appointed in his stead. At the time of his appointment he was in command of the Eighth Penn- sylvania regiment. He was an able, active and energetic soldier, and was prompt in taking effective measures against the Indians. In April, 1781, with 150 regulars he came to Wheeling, where he was joined by Col. Shepherd, county command- ant of Ohio county, Va., with a force of about 140 militia. This ex- pedition was organized to act against the unfriendly Delawares.
From Wheeling they proceeded by the nearest route to Coshocton. When the army had reached the Muskingum a little below Salem, the lowest Movarian town, Gen. Broadhead sent an express to the missionary dwelling there, Rev. John Heckewelder, informing him that he was in the neighborhood with his army and requesting of him a small supply of provisions and a visit from him to his camp .* The Christian Indians sent the supply of provisions and the missionary repaired to Gen. Broadhead's camp. Gen. Broadhead then said, "that being on an expedition against the hostile Indians at. or near the forks of the river, he was anxious to know before he proceeded any further, whether any of the Christian Indians were out hunting,
* Doddridge's Notes, p. 291.
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or on business in the direction he was going." Being answered in the negative, he declared that, "nothing would give him greater pain, than to hear that any one of the Movarian Indians had been molested by his troops, as these Indians had conducted themselves from the commencement of the war in a manner that did them honor." *
While, however, he was assuring Mr. Heckewelder that the Chris- tian Indians had nothing to fear, an officer came with great speed from one quarter of the camp and reported that a particular division of the militia " were preparing to break off for the purpose of de- stroying the Moravian settlements up the river, and he feared they could not be restrained from so doing." Gen. Broadhead and Col. David Shepherd, of Wheeling, immediately took such measures as prevented it.+ The army then proceeded until within a few miles of Coshocton, when an Indian prisoner was taken. Soon after two more Indians were discovered and fired upon, but notwithstanding one of them was wounded, both made their escape.
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