USA > Ohio > Pioneer history : being an account of the first examinations of the Ohio valley, and the early settlement of the Northwest territory ; chiefly from original manuscripts > Part 21
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On the 23d they left the Big Kenawha, on their way up.
On the 25th, near the outlet of Old-town creek, they met the committee of the company, consisting of Judge Parsons, Griffin Green, Esq. and General Tupper, in a boat, on a reconnoitering expedition, to examine the lands on the Ohio river down to the termination of the purchase, with Colonel Meigs, one of the surveyors, to take the meanders of the river. They requested them to go back and complete the unfinished work; and, to enable them to do so, sent a mes- senger immediately to Marietta for provisions.
On the 31st of July, the man returned with supplies.
On the 1st of August the committee landed them at a place fifteen miles below the Big Kenawha, while the boat proceeded on down the river.
On the 2d Mr. Backus and himself left the Ohio, for the northeast corner of township three, in range sixteen.
On the 3d they commenced their work. Backus was directed to run a west line across the sixteenth and seven- teenth ranges, and from thence south to the Ohio, where the committee were to wait until the 12th of the month for him to join them. In the mean time, Mr. Mathews was engaged in running a south line ; and by the evening of the 5th had completed the east line of the third township, and progressed two miles west on the line between the second and third townships of the same range, and that night encamped by the side of a run in a narrow valley.
On the 6th he commenced work early in the morning, taking three of the seven soldiers who accompanied him as a guard, and leaving the corporal and other three soldiers, with the pack horseman, to bring on the baggage. In the forenoon he crossed a creek, running from the northwest, on which he discovered the tracks of three horses, traveling up the creek; and as they had passed since the rain of yes- terday, he knew it was within a few hours. At noon the party at the camp had not joined him; and while he was wondering at their delay one of the soldiers came up and
253
ATTACK ON JOHN MATHEWS.
reported that one of the horses was missing and could not be found. He at once concluded that the Indians had taken him; but decided on sending Mr. Patchen, his assistant, who was a very active young man and a good woodsman, to make further search, while he directed one of the soldiers to carry the chain in his place. After running three miles on the line, he returned to the camp he left in the morning, not very well satisfied with his day's work. A little after sunset Mr. Patchen came in, and reported that he had dis- covered the trail of a man and horse, passing over one of the valleys in which they had encamped, and followed it to where it united with those they had seen in the fore part of the day, and continued on the trail up the creek, until there appeared to be eight or ten horses, and that on his way back he had discovered moccasin tracks in several places.
From these circumstances, he concluded that a small plundering party had been over to the old settlements on the Big Kenawha, or to a new one on Sandy river, and on their return, had discovered the surveying party, and stolen the missing horse, but would make off as fast as they could to elude pursuit. Not knowing what might be the result, before lying down at night, he directed the corporal of the guard to keep a careful watch. Regular sentries were set, and at day break, the whole turned out under arms. About sunrise, thinking the danger past, if there was any, as the Indians usually make their attacks at early day light, the soldiers came into the camp, and a part of them were lying down, or setting on their blankets, with their arms near them, while others were kindling a fire to cook their morn- ing meal. Mr. Mathews had awakened early, and dis- patched two of his men in quest of a horse that had strayed from the camp in the night, and was sitting on his blanket undressed, about twenty yards from the soldiers, with Mr. Patchen and one other man by his side. Two guns were first discharged, nearly together, by an unseen enemy. Patchen was shot through the breast and
254
ESCAPE OF JOHN MATHEWS.
exclaimed, "Oh God, I am killed !" As Mr. Mathews turned his head toward him, he saw the bullet hole in his breast. At this instant a whole volley was fired at the soldiers as they rose from their sitting posture, followed by one of the most appalling Indian yells. This fire killed all the sol- diers but the corporal, who happened to be sitting with his back against a friendly tree between him and the savages. As they rushed in upon their victims on one side of the camp, Mr. Mathews and the three remaining men fled out on the other. A part of their murderers followed them about forty rods, when they quit the pursuit, and returned to share with their comrades in the plunder of the camp. After running a quarter of a mile or more, and seeing that the Indians were not pursuing him, he slackened his pace, and was directly joined by a man by the named Russel, who was setting near him when Patchen was killed.
He had escaped with nothing on him but his hat and shirt, having thrown away his overcoat, which was lying on his arm and had been used for a covering in the night, to facilitate his flight, while his companion happened to be more fully dressed. The brush and briars had torn his skin severely, when his comrade offered him his coat, into the sleeves of which he contrived to slip his legs, at this time very thin, from his previous privations. It was now that he discovered a hole in his shirt made by a bullet, which had just grazed the skin without hurting him.
They directed their course for the river, intending to fall in with the boat and exploring party, whom they judged by this time to be forty miles below Big Kenawha. About nine o'clock they struck the Ohio, at the thirty mile post, lately set by Colonel Meigs. This was about seven or eight miles from their camp, as they had traveled. After follow- ing down the Ohio a few miles further, the naked feet of Mr. Mathews became so much blistered and swollen that he walked in great pain. Under these circumstances they concluded to construct a raft, of old logs, fastened together
255
HATRED OF THE SHAWANEES.
with grape vines. When it was about half finished, two Kentucky boats came in sight, and took them on board, where they were much gratified to find two of his men, who had struck the river higher up. About four miles below they found the company boat, with Colonel Meigs, the committee having left for Marietta, a part of them being sick a few days before.
The corporal came in the same day, and related that as he was hurrying away from the camp, he stumbled and fell over a log, behind which he lay concealed until the Indians gave up the pursuit. From this covert he could see the movements of the Indians, while plundering the camp. They were greatly amused and amazed at the vibrations of the needle in the compass, which shifted its position like a thing of life, as they turned it from side to side. They laughed and whooped as they witnessed its movements, in great glee, no doubt thinking it " a great medicine." After scalping and stripping the soldiers of their clothing, they broke up their muskets against a tree as of no use to them. As soon as they were gone, the corporal hastened away after his companions.
To which tribe they belonged was not certainly known, but from various circumstances, and the opinion of the friendly Delawares and Wyandots, it was supposed they were Shawanees. This nation, above all others, had the greatest hatred to the whites, and were the very last to sign the treaty of peace, after their defeat by General Wayne. They were the Spartans of the Indian confederacy. On the morning of the day that Mr. Mathews was attacked, Colonel Meigs became alarmed at seeing two strange dogs on the shore, and discovered signs of Indians in the vicinity, by fresh marks on the trees. As the boat was not prepared for defense, soon after the fugitives came, he had her re- moved across the Ohio to the Virginia shore. That night they fell down the river to the mouth of " twelve pole" creek, which is about four miles above Big Sandy, and
256
A BLOCK HOUSE BUILT.
nearly opposite to the present town of Burlington. This spot was near the termination of the seventeenth range, where Mr. Backus would strike the Ohio. On the eighth, Colonel Meigs, who was an old soldier, directed the men to commence building a small block house, on the margin of the bank, to cover them in case of an attack. They applied themselves so diligently, that it was finished the same day. During this period the other missing man came to the river, and was brought over. In this covert they remained, feast- ing on fat buffalo meat, which was very plenty in that vicin- ity, until the 10th, at noon, when they heard two guns fired below them on the river, which they hoped might be the signal of the arrival of Mr. Backus, for whom they had began to feel the most serious apprehensions, lest the In- dians had attacked him also. They directly answered the guns, by firing a large blunderbuss, or wall piece, they had in the boat. They soon heard a shot in reply. A large canoe was manned and sent down, which returned before night, with Mr. Backus and his party all safe.
On the 11th, the boat moved up to Little Guyandot; and on the 12th arrived opposite to the spot where he was at- tacked by the Indians.
On the 13th, a party of armed men went with Mr. Ma- thews to visit the scene of his calamity, and learn the state of his dead soldiers. He found them lying near where they fell, but could not discover the remains of Mr. Patchen. The flesh was all eaten from their bones by the wolves, ex- cept that on the palms of their hands and soles of the feet; to which parts of the human body they, as well as dogs, seem to have an instinctive aversion, as they had in the days of Jezebel. Mr. Mathews lost all his camp equipage, surveying apparatus, field notes, and clothing. The loss of the notes was most seriously felt, as without them he could make no return of the survey, and could claim nothing for his labor and expenses. He recovered all the horses but one. That which he supposed the Indians had stolen, he
257
ARRIVAL OF REV. D. STORY.
found standing in the camp at the time of his visit. The spot where he was attacked is on the north line of township number two, range sixteen, two miles west of the northeast corner, and about four miles in a direct line from the Ohio ยท river; so that the locality can be identified at this day by any one who will take the trouble.
The party commenced their return on the 14th of August, and by the combined aid of poles and oars could urge on their unwieldy craft only twelve or fourteen miles a day. The boat was a species of batteau, of a class well known at that day by the name of "a contractor's boat," and long since passed out of use on the Ohio river. It had a cabin of ten or twelve feet in the stern, for sleeping and eating, while the rest of the boat was open to the weather; and of the burthen of thirty or forty tons.
In the spring of the year 1789, the Rev. Daniel Story came to Marietta, from the state of Massachusetts, employed by the Ohio company, as a chaplain for the new settlement, and continued to preach in Campus Martius, and in a block house at the stockade at " the point," from this period to the close of the war. He occasionally preached at the settle- ments in Belpre and Waterford during the war, traveling by water in a canoe, accompanied by some of the in- habitants.
Regular progress was made in the clearing of land and planting of grain during this year, in the vicinity of Ma- rietta ; but not much greater than in the previous year, from the circumstance that a large portion of the farming class had removed to Belpre and Waterford. Quite a number of log houses were built; and at " the point," near the Ohio, on the corner of First street, was erected a large two-storied frame house, for a tavern, by Joseph Buell and Levi Munsel. This was the first frame building in Marietta; the timber and boards for which were prepared at Mckeesport, above Pittsburgh, by Captain Enoch Shepherd, and brought down in a raft with his family. This man was a bro.her of
17
258
DEATH OF GEN. PARSONS.
General Shepherd, who commanded the troops of Massa- chusetts in subduing the rebellion, headed by the notorious Shays, in 1789.
On the 1st of October, there was a frost generally throughout the western country. It proved ruinous to all the late planted corn, and damaged much that was early. This frost was the source of great suffering to the new set- tlers in Marietta and Belpre; especially among those who had exhausted nearly all their resources in the journey out, and had not money to purchase provision from the trading boats.
In November the measles broke out among the inhabit- ants of Marietta, and continued through the winter, proving fatal to a number of the children. It was said to have been brought by a family from head waters. The addition to the number of inhabitants this year was one hundred and fifty- two men, and fifty-seven families.
In November, the honorable S. H. Parsons, one of the judges of the territory, and a director in the Ohio company, lost his life by drowning in Big Beaver creek. He was descending that stream in a canoe, with Captain Joseph Rogers, as an assistant, and, being a fearless man, insisted on passing over a rapid or fall, not usually attempted by the navigators of that stream. In this experiment the canoe upset, and he was drowned. His companion was more fortunate and escaped with his life at that time, to be killed by the Indians in a year or two afterwards.
Judge Parsons was a citizen of Connecticut at the time of his appointment, and took an active part in the early transactions of the Ohio company.
259
DOINGS OF OHIO COMPANY.
CHAPTER XII.
Doings of the Ohio company .- A mill built .- Reverend D. Story to preach at Marietta, Belpre and Waterford .- Company lands explored -Salt springs. - Funds for schools .- Money loaned to settlers .- Prospect of war .- Guards raised. - Spies or rangers .- Family of Governor St. Clair .- Small pox breaks out at Marietta. - Famine of 1790 .- Sufferings of the settlers. - Re- lief afforded by the directors .- Indian hostilities - Letter of Governor St. Clair .- Colonel Vigo .- R. J. Meigs sent on a mission to Detroit -French emigrants arrive .- Settle Gallipolis .-- Grant of land by Congress. - Town- ships organized.
Doings of the Ohio company.
IN February, 1790, liberty was granted to Robert Potts, a professional millwright, from New London, Connecticut, to build a grist mill on the company lands at mill creek, about two miles north of Marietta. A dam was erected and a house put up just as the war commenced, during which period the works were destroyed by Indians, and the labor and money lost.
About this time, Colonel Robert Oliver was appointed a director, in place of S. H. Parsons, deceased.
The agents and proprietors, in this month, decided, that reverend Daniel Story, who still continued in the pay of the Ohio company, " should preach three Sundays at Ma- rietta, and two Sundays at Belpre and Waterford, in rota- tion." This he continued to do until the war rendered his tours of duty more irregular ; and when he visited these out- posts a guard of armed men accompanied him.
Exploring committees were sent out during the winter, to ascertain the most suitable places for settlements along the Ohio river, in the lower part of the purchase, and reports
260
SALT SPRINGS.
made of several localities. Lands to the amount of fifty- seven thousand acres were allotted, forming farms for five hundred and seventy settlers. Subsequent events altered this arrangement, and donation lands were supplied by the United States, so that a large proportion of this generous outlay was saved to the company.
Salt springs.
So great was the scarcity and value of salt during the first ten years of the settlement, not less than six or eight dollars a bushel, that the Ohio company, in their final divi- sion of their lands, passed the following resolve :
" Whereas, it is believed that the great " salt springs" of the Scioto lie within the present purchase of the Ohio company ; therefore, resolved, that this sixth division of land to the proprietors is made upon the express condi- tion and reserve, that every salt spring now known, or that shall hereafter be found, within the lands that shall fall to the lot of any proprietor, they be and are hereby reserved to the use of the company, with such quantity of land about them as the agents and proprietors shall think proper to assume for general purposes, not exceeding three thousand acres ; the person on whose land they are found, to receive other lands of equal value."
It so happened that the Scioto springs were situated a few miles west of the purchase, and on the lands belonging to the United States. When Ohio became a state, these noted springs, with those on Salt creek in Muskingum county and at Delaware, were reserved by Congress for the use of the state, with large tracts of land adjoining to fur- nish fuel for boiling the salt water. For many years these springs were leased to individuals, and became a source of revenue to Ohio. The state was forbidden to sell or alien- ate them in any way. Finally, after other waters were found, by boring wells deep into the rocky strata, of much greater strength, so that no one would lease or pay for the
261
PROSPECT OF WAR.
use of them, they were sold in the year 1826, by a special act of Congress, on the petition of the Ohio legislature ; and the lands once deemed so valuable, became common farms. For many years salt has ceased to be made at any of these old and long cherished salines.
A similar reservation was also made by the Ohio com- pany, in relation to mines of iron ore, and encouragement given for the erection of furnaces, similar to that for mills ; but no mines were found of sufficient extent to make it an object to hazard the erection of works.
In July the agents and officers of the company appropri- ated one hundred and fifty dollars of their funds for the support of schools in the settlements at Marietta, Belpre, and Waterford.
They also ordered money in small sums to be loaned to the sick and needy families, under the supervision of Griffin Green, Esq., until such time as they could refund it again. In this way two or three thousand dollars were distributed among the settlers, relieving them very greatly from the distressing effects of the famine that pressed sorely upon them.
The last of September, as the prospect of war thickened around them, they ordered a corps of thirty men to be raised at the expense of the company, as guards for the defense of the settlements, at eight dollars a month and rations ; also, that Campus Martius be put in a good state of repair, with strong doors, windows, &c. Early in No- vember they authorized Colonel Sproat, the commandant of the militia, to enlist six men as spies, or rangers, with such pay, rations, and services, as he should think best. The 1st of December, Colonel Sproat was directed to detail ten men at a time, to act as guards or patrols, to traverse the woods in the vicinity of the settlements. At the same time they appointed a committee to carry into effect their resolution of July, by devising ways and means of opening schools in the settlements, and to divide the money among
1
262
GOV. ST. CLAIR'S FAMILY.
them according to the number of children. They had al- ways been accustomed to see schools among the people, especially in the winter, and they could not forego that val- uable custom, even here in the wilderness.
The family of Governor St. Clair.
The governor of the Northwest Territory moved his family to Marietta in the winter of the year 1790, and took possession of the south-west block house, in Campus Mar- tius, which had been fitted up for his express use by the Ohio company. At the period of their removal they lived in Legonier valley, at a place called "Potts's Grove,'' in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, where he owned a princely domain, a small portion of which only was then under cultivation. Here he subsequently erected extensive iron works, a flouring mill, &c., with convenient dwelling houses for himself and workmen. At the time of the re- moval, his family consisted of a son, Arthur St. Clair, jr., and three daughters, Louisa, Jane and Margaret; with a middle aged, sensible colored woman, who acted as cook and house keeper. Mrs. St. Clair did not accompany them, but remained in charge of the plantation at "Potts's Grove." Arthur was a young man of twenty-one, and afterwards settled in Cincinnati, as a lawyer. Louisa was a young woman of eighteen or nineteen years; Jane a girl of fifteen or sixteen, of a feeble constitution, and retiring manners and habits ; Margaret was a child of eight or nine years, and died that summer with a fever. Louisa was a healthy, vigorous girl, full of life and activity, every way calculated for a soldier's daughter ; fond of a frolic, and ready to draw amusement from all and every thing around her. She was a fine equestrian, and would mount the most wild and spirited horse without fear, managing him with ease and gracefulness; dashing through the open woodlands around Campus Martius at full gallop, leaping over logs, or any ob- struction that fell in her way. She was one of the most
263
A REAL HEROINE.
rapid skaters in the garrison; few, if any of the young men equalling her in speed and activity, or in graceful move- ments in this enchanting exercise. Her elegant person and neat dress, showing to much advantage, called forth loud plaudits from both young and old. The broad sheet of ice on the Muskingum, near the garrison, for a few days in the winter, afforded a fine field for this healthy sport. She was also an expert huntress ; and would have afforded a good figure of Diana in her rambles through the woods, had she been armed with the bow, instead of the rifle. Of this in- strument she was a perfect mistress; loading and firing with the accuracy of a backwoodsman; killing a squirrel from the highest tree, or cutting off the head of a partridge with wonderful precision. She was fond of roaming in the woods, and often went out alone into the forest near Mari- etta, fearless of the savages that occasionally lurked in the vicinity. She was as active on foot as on horseback, and could walk for several miles with the rapidity of a ranger. Her manners were refined; her person beautiful, with highly cultivated intellectual powers, having been educa- ted with much care in Philadelphia. Born with a healthy, vigorous frame, she had strengthened both her body and mind by these athletic exercises when a child; probably first encouraged by her father, who had spent the larger portion of his life in camps. She was one of those rare spirits, so admirably fitted to the times and the manners of the day in which she lived. After the war she returned to her early home, amidst the romantic glens of the Legonier valley.
Small pox.
In January, 1790, a boat on its way to Kentucky put on shore a sick man and his family, by the name of Welsh. He was taken to the house of Mr. James Owen, who, at that time, lived in a long, narrow log house on the corner, where the banking house of Marietta now stands. It had
264
FAMINE OF 1790.
been built the year before by some young men from Boston who, not finding employment to suit them, had left the coun- try. It was called, for some years after, the " Boston house." Mr. Owen was from South Kingston, Rhode Island, and came on to the country with General Varnum. They lan- ded at Marietta the 5th of June, 1788, and Mrs. Owen was the first female who settled in Marietta. Mr. Welsh's disease proved to be small pox. This was the first time it had ap- peared among the people, and was greatly dreaded. A meeting of the inhabitants was called, and a house built for the reception of the sick man, near where the college now stands. He lived but a few days after the removal. Mrs. Owen took the disease the natural way, and was too sick to be removed. A meeting was again called, and it was decided that houses should be put up back of the plain, and the people generally be inoculated. This course was adopted, although some were inoculated in their own houses. Dr. True and Dr. Farley were the physicians who attended the sick. Of those inoculated only two died, out of a hundred and more, and these quite aged women. Six died who took it by infection. Mrs. Owen recovered and lived many years afterward ; and received a donation lot of one hundred acres from the Ohio company, as a reward for her meritorious services, and her being the first female inhabi- tant of Marietta.
Famine of 1790.
The inhabitants of Marietta had barely closed their trials and anxieties with the small pox, when they were as- sailed by a more obstinate and unrelenting, if not a more dangerous enemy. It was a trial in which all, whether rich or poor, were more or less involved, and that was a scarcity of wholesome food. It was as late as the fore part of June, 1789, before the inhabitants had finished fencing and planting the great cornfield on the plain. The in- creased number of horses and oxen had made it necessary
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