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 34
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On the 20th of April, 1789, the members of the new col- ony left Campus Martius, and embarking with their families and household goods in a large pirogue and several canoes, landed that evening at Tuttle's run, near where Judge Gil- bert Devoll afterwards lived, and took possession of their woodland homes. The number of men who came up at this time was nineteen, and several more joined them during the summer. In a few days, by aiding each other, every family was in possession of a small but comfortable log cabin ; and by the middle of May, each man had cleared and fenced a half acre or more of ground about his house, for a garden. When this was accomplished they began preparing land for a crop of corn. About sixty or eighty rods back from the river bank, the alluvions rose gradually on to an extensive plain, or second bottom, which was nearly a mile in length, and from one third to half a mile in width, and might contain one hundred and fifty or two hundred acres. The soil was a sandy loam, covered with
421
A NEW MODE OF CLEARING.
a coat of black, vegetable mold, several inches in depth. This spot had probably, at a remote period, been cultivated by the Indians, as many such places are found at various points on the Muskingum, covered with a growth of sap- lings, while the adjacent lands are coated with forest trees. The autumnal fires of the Indians, followed up regularly for a long series of years, had prevented their growth into trees, which had doubtless at some remote time covered it as well as the neighboring hills.
The plain was now clothed with a thick coat of bushes, shrub oaks, and briers, from six to eight feet high, while here and there among them lay the prostrate trunks of decaying trees. An ample supply of leaves covered the surface of the earth, as it had providentially escaped the last year's autumnal burning. Selecting a fair, windy day, early in May, fire was applied in several places on the windward side of the plain. The leaves and rotten wood soon ignited, and with a rushing sound like that of distant thunder, the destroying element in a few hours swept this growth of saplings from the earth, thus accomplishing the work of twenty men for a whole month. By this summary process the plain was cleared as if by magic, and made ready for the seed of the planter. With joyful hearts the colonists entered directly on the labor of planting, and found they had nothing to do but cut away a few of the larger saplings, the fire having entirely devoured all the smaller ones. They did not attempt to plow the land, as it was yet full of roots, but with their hoes dug holes in the soft mold to receive the seed corn, potatoes, and pumpkins. The season was favorable, and all their crops grew with such rapidity, and ripened so rapidly, that they escaped the de- structive frost which early in October greatly injured or destroyed the corn in the other settlements, especially at Belpre.
The Waterford settlers were indebted to the fortunate circumstance of finding this plain ready cleared to their use,
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WOLF CREEK MILLS.
for their escape from the pinching famine, which so sorely beset the other colonists in the following year. It afforded two advantages highly conducive to this favorable result. In the first place it enabled them to plant their crop con- siderably earlier than those who had to clear away the forest, or even to girdle the trees. In the second place the soil having long been exposed to the sun and winds, pos- sessed the qualities of an old cultivated field, which is well known to ripen its productions, and especially Indian corn, two or three weeks earlier than lands just reclaimed from the forest. Their field was also clear of the shade of dead- ened trees, which retards the ripening of grain. Under these favorable circumstances they raised the first year from eighty to one hundred acres, yielding about thirty bushels of sound corn to the acre.
' On the 3d day of May the inhabitants were called together by a letter from General Putnam, notifying them of the murder of Captain King, at Belpre, by the Indians. They immediately organized themselves into a military company, choosing William Gray, captain, David Wilson, sergeant, and Andrew Webster, corporal. They also voted that a block house should be erected, near the center of the settle- ment, under the direction of Colonel Robert Oliver. It was ready by the 2d day of July, as their next meeting for busi- ness was held in it. The new settlement was called Plain- field by the inhabitants for one or two years, but changed to Waterford by the court of quarter sessions, in December, 1790. ("MSS. record of association.")
Wolf creek mills.
Simultaneously with the settlement at Plainfield, a com- pany of three men, viz: Colonel Robert Oliver, Major Haf- field White, and Captain John Dodge, with a number of laborers, commenced operations for the erection of a mill on Wolf creek, about a mile from the mouth. At the spot chosen for the location, the bed and banks of the creek are
WOLF CREEK MILLS
1789.
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WOLF CREEK MILLS.
cut out of the solid limestone rock, by the wear of water in the course of ages, to the depth of ten or twelve feet, and thirty yards in width.
There is also at this spot a rapid of several feet fall, forming a very eligible site for a mill. The cedars and other evergreens, which overhang the rocky borders of the creek, add greatly to its picturesque beauty. Three comfor- table log cabins were soon erected for the convenience of their families and workmen, which with the mills are shown in the annexed drawing. By great industry and persever- ance the dam and mills were built in the course of that year, and by March following the grist mill, as well as the saw mill, was in operation. The mill stones were procured from Laurel hill, in the vicinity of Brownsville, which af- fords a hard conglomerate rock, very suitable for grinding Indian corn and rye, but not of a proper texture for the manufacture of flour. These stones are in use at this day. The iron crank for the saw mill was manufactured at New Haven, Connecticut, and said to have been transported across the mountains to Sumrill's ferry on the back of a pack horse; and from thence by water to the mills. When put in operation they fully answered the expectations of the builders. From tradition we learn that the grist mill, with a good head of water, could grind a bushel of corn into fine meal in four minutes. In the summer of 1790, it furnished a large portion of the meal for Marietta, besides those in the vicinity. Early in the following year the In- dian war commenced, and the settlement at the mills, called " Millsburgh," was broken up, and the mill company removed their families to Marietta. During the war, par- ties composed of twenty or thirty men, sometimes went up by water with their grain, a part of them marching by land, in sight of the boats, as guards. While the load was grind- ing, sentries were placed in the adjacent forest to protect the workmen from the attack of Indians. It is a curious fact that the mills stood unmolested, during the four years
1
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GARDNER TAKEN PRISONER BY THE INDIANS.
of the war, although signs of the savages were often seen in and around them. They probably considered them a good decoy to entice their enemies within their reach, and afford them an opportunity of waylaying and destroying them. In the daily scouts of the rangers, they sometimes passed by the mills, and once to their surprise found the grist mill in operation. As no one visited this spot but the spies, they at once knew it was done by the Indians. After the war closed the mills were repaired and put again into use. They were the first ever built within the bounds of the state of Ohio. A few acres of land were cleared and fenced around the cabins at the mills, but large fields were not opened as at Plainfield, their chief attention being given to the erection and completion of these structures. During the summer regular progress was made in clearing and opening their lands.
In July the Rev. Daniel Story visited the settlement, and preached one Sabbath at Millsburgh, where the inhabitants from the east side of the Muskingum also attended. There being no house large enough for the congregation, the ser- vices were performed in the open air, under a beech tree. This was the first sermon preached in Waterford. Mr. Story several times repeated the visit during this and the following year, and even during the war occasionally preached in the garrison, so that although in the depths of the wilderness, and surrounded by hostile savages, they were not wholly deprived of a preached gospel.
John Gardner taken by the Indians.
Soon after the colonists commenced their settlement on the east side of the river, a portion of the members of the association began to clear their lots in the village on "the peninsula," west of the Muskingum. One of this number was John Gardner, a young man from Marblehead, in Mas- sachusetts. He had been bred a sailor. When the Ohio company sent out their first detachment of pioneers, he
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GARDNER TAKEN PRISONER BY THE INDIANS.
inlisted in their service, and was one of those who landed at the mouth of the Muskingum the preceding April.
Jarvis Cutler, a young man from the same state, and son of Dr. Cutler, was also one of the associates, and one of the pioneer party. He had joined company with Gardner, and they agreed to assist each other in clearing their lands. One day the last of September, Mr. Cutler left him busily engaged at his work, and went to Marietta to purchase a supply of salt and other necessaries which they needed. Soon after his departure, Gardner being a little weary with his work, sat down on the trunk of a large tree which he had just felled, near the spot where Bowen's store now stands. While sitting here, with his rifle by his side, busily engaged counting some balls which he had poured from his bullet pouch into his hand, four Indians and a white man paraded themselves before him, within thirty feet of the log, without his hearing their approach.
The white man beckoned, and told him, in broken Eng- lish, to come to him. Returning the balls to their place, and taking his gun in his hand (as it was a time of peace, and several parties of friendly Delawares were hunting in the vicinity), he without hesitation approached the party. As he came up, the white man took his gun, saying he wanted to look at it, and handed it to one of the Indians, who passed it to the next, and so on to the last, who was without a rifle, and kept it. Another Indian pulled off his hat, while a third threw a cord over his neck, and two of them took him by the hands and led him into the woods, bidding him to make no noise.
On their way to their camp, they passed near to the mills then building on Wolf creek, and from the top of the ridge along which the path led could distinctly see the people at their work, but were screened themselves from observation by a thick growth of hazle bushes. After marching in silence two or three miles up the creek, they reached the Indian camp, where they had two or three horses, of their
426
GARDNER TAKEN PRISONER BY THE INDIANS.
own, and a number of bells which they had stolen from the settlers' cows. Among the horses Gardner saw one which he knew, a small mare, belonging to Judge Devoll. This one the Indians called " a squaw horse," not knowing the English word for a female. The Indians now mounted their horses and rode by turns, not having enough for all; but made Gardner walk, secured by a rope, held by him whose turn it was to go on foot. Their course was nearly southwest, leading over on to the waters of Federal creek. At night they encamped without kindling a fire, giving the prisoner a small piece of jerked meat for supper, as they had but little for themselves. Before they laid down to sleep, a stout sapling was bent down and fastened to the ground, on which they made him lie, with his hands bound behind him with leather thongs, while another cord fastened him to the trunk. They then tied the cow bells to the branches, so that their noise would awake them if he at- tempted to escape, and lay down themselves near him. Being much fatigued with the long march and excitement of the day, he made no attempt to escape that night, but lay quietly on his rough bed.
In the morning a fire was kindled, and after smoking their pipes and eating a little jerked meat, they proceeded on their march. During the day he was questioned as to his ability in building cabins. He answered that he was master of that art; and, to encourage him, they promised, if he would stay quietly with them after they arrived at their vil- lage, he should have a young squaw, and be made a good Shawanee. In the course of the day, during a short halt, they cut off a part of his hair and painted his face, after the Indian fashion.
The second day they encamped before night, and two of the Indians went out to hunt meat for supper. While they were gone, Gardner was directed to gather wood and kindle a fire. They soon returned with the carcasses of a deer and a bear. Their flesh was roasted, and their prisoner received
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GARDNER TAKEN PRISONER BY THE INDIANS.
a plentiful meal, the first he had eaten since he had been with them. At night he was secured in the same way as before. Towards morning it became cloudy, and there fell a moderate rain. He now made up his mind to escape, if possible, having no relish for an Indian wife. The rain moistened the dry leather thongs with which he was bound, and rendered them more pliable. By continued and cau- tious efforts, for several hours, he finally succeeded in get- ting loose, and slipping gradually from the prostrate sapling without waking the Indians. By the glimmering light of the fire he stepped gently to the sleeping Indian who had pos- session of his rifle, and by whose side it lay. This he seized as his rightful property, but was obliged to leave his powder horn and bullet pouch, as the Indian had the belt to which they were attached round his body. Without any delay, he sallied out into the woods in the direction of home, and walked all the remainder of the night. At day light he took an easterly course, and traveled rapidly all day without stopping, except to drink from the small branches which he crossed. At night, not thinking it safe to kindle a fire, he crept into a hollow log, closing the opening with brush and leaves. This kept him more warm than in the open air, and protected him from wolves. In the course of the second day of his escape, he fell upon the west branch of Wolf creek, and by following down the stream came to a spot which he recognized as having once seen before, when out hunting; this gave him fresh spirits, which had began to flag a little, from the exhaustion of hunger and his lonely condition. Having no ammunition he could kill nothing for food, although the woods abounded in game. A little before night he reached the mills, and was heartily greeted by his friends, who were aware of his mysterious disappear- ance, and thought the Indians must have taken him away. In the mean time Jarvis Cutler had made his trip to Mari- etta, and returned to the mills, wholly unconscious of the romantic adventure of his companion. The meeting was
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INTERCOURSE WITH INDIANS.
very gratifying to them both; and the next morning with renewed spirits they returned to the scene of their wood- land labors, where they had parted four days before.
1790.
The year 1790 was passed without any untoward event; and the clearings of the settlers kept gradually extending. A number of new families were added to the settlements, and nearly every lot had its occupant, so that there were about forty able bodied men in the two stations of Mills- burgh and Plainfield. The woods abounded with wild game, and the turkeys and deer came into their inclosures, so that any good marksman could kill them without going forty rods from his door.
Quite a large number of friendly Indians, belonging to the Delaware and Ottawa tribes, spent the summer on the waters of Wolf creek, and other streams within a few miles of the settlers, and often visited them for the purposes of trade, exchanging their meat for Indian corn and vegeta- bles. They seemed in no way hostile or offended at their taking possession of the country, as it had been given up to the United States by treaty, with the full consent of their leading men. As the winter approached they began to draw further away from the settlements, and retired towards their towns. The campaign of General Harmer into the country of the Shawanees had greatly offended that warlike tribe, as well as the rest of the Indians. For this reason the directors of the Ohio company were apprehensive of danger, and began in the fall of this year to make prepara- tion for defense. A company of rangers was enrolled and put under the charge of Colonel Sproat. A part of these were enlisted at Plainfield; and in December eight or ten of them, by turns, daily scouted the woods back of the set- tlement to give notice of the approach of hostile bands. No serious danger, however, was apprehended, but motives of prudence caused them to take this step. Had they been
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HOSTILITY OF THE INDIANS.
really fearful of the outbreak which soon after followed, more precautions would have been taken in the erection of garrisons and block houses for the protection of the inha- bitants.
Hostility of the Indians. Attack on Big bottom.
In pursuance of the resolution of the Ohio company, to grant donation lands to actual settlers, several new stations were commenced in 1790, as inhabitants came into the country. A company, or association, composed of thirty- six men, in the autumn of this year, began a settlement at Big bottom. It lies on the Muskingum river, about thirty miles above the mouth, and is so named from its size, being four or five miles in length, and containing more fine land than any other below Duncan's falls. On the first or low bottom, a few rods from the left bank of the river, they erected a block house of the largest size. A short distance from the garrison, the land rises several feet on to a second bottom, which stretches out into a plain of half a mile in width, to the base of the hills. A few yards above the block house, a small drain put down from the plain into the river, forming a shallow ravine. A small opening had been cleared about the building, on the river side, sur- rounded by the adjacent forest. The associates were chiefly young, unmarried men, but little acquainted with Indian warfare or military rules.
"Those most familiar with the Indians, had little doubt of their hostility, and strongly opposed the settlers going out that fall, and advised them to remain until spring, by which time the question of war or peace would probably be decided." "But the young men were impatient of delay, and confident in their own ability to protect them- selves. They went; put up a block house, which might accommodate the whole of them on an emergency. It was built of large, beech logs, rather open, and not well filled in between them. This job was left for a rainy day, or some
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SETTLEMENT AT BIG BOTTOM.
more convenient time. They had also neglected to inclose their house with palisades, and ceasing to complete the work, the general interest was lost in that of the conve- nience of each individual. Another error was the neglect of any regular system of defense, and the omission of setting sentries. Their guns were lying in different corners of the house, without order. About twenty men usually slept in the building, a part of whom were absent at the time of attack. At one end of the house was a large, open fire- place, and when the day closed, all came in, and built a large fire and commenced cooking and eating their sup- plies." (MSS. of Colonel Barker.)
The weather, for some time previous to the attack, had been quite cold, and the Muskingum river frozen over since the 22d of December, so as to be passable on the ice. On Sunday, the 2d day of January, 1791, it thawed a little, with the ground partially covered with snow. In the depth of winter, it was not customary for the Indians to go out on war parties, and the early borderers had formerly thought themselves safe from their depredations during the winter months. About twenty rods above the block house, and a little back from the river, two men, Francis and Isaac Choate, members of the association, had erected a cabin, and commenced clearing their lots. Thomas Shaw, a hired laborer, and James Batten, another of the company, lived with them. About the same distance below the gar- rison, was an old clearing, and a small cabin, made several years before, under the laws of Virginia, which two men, Asa and Eleazar Bullard, had fitted up, and now occu- pied. The Indian war path, from Sandusky to the mouth of the Muskingum, passed along on the opposite ridge, in sight of the river.
The Indians, who had been hunting and loitering about the settlements during the summer, were well acquainted with the approaches to the white settlements, and with the manner in which they lived, each family in their own cabin,
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MASSACRE OF SETTLERS.
not apprehensive of danger. With the knowledge of these circumstances, they planned and fitted out a war party for the destruction of the Waterford settlement. It is supposed they were not aware of there being a station at Big bottom, until they came in sight of it from the high ground on the west side of the river, in the afternoon of the 2d of Janu- ary. From the ridge they had a view of all that part of the bottom, and could see how the men were occupied, and the defenseless condition of the block house. After com- pleting their reconnoisance and holding a council as to the mode of attack, they crossed the river on the ice a little above, and divided their warriors into two divisions; the larger one to assault the block house, and the smaller one to make prisoners of the men in the upper cabin without alarming those below. The plan was skillfully arranged and promptly executed. Cautiously approaching the cabin they found the inmates at supper ; a portion of them entered the door, while others stood without, and spoke to the men in a friendly manner. Suspecting no harm they offered them food, of which they partook. The Indians seeing some leather thongs in a corner of the room, took the whites by the arms, making signs that they were prisoners and bound them. Finding it useless to resist against superior numbers, they submitted to their fate. While this was transacting at Choate's cabin, the other party had reached the block house unobserved ; even the dogs gave no notice of their approach by barking, as they usually do, the reason of which probably was that they were also within by the fire, instead of being on the watch for their masters' safety. The door was thrown open by a large, resolute Indian, who stepped in and stood by its side to keep it unclosed, while his comrades without shot down the white men around the fire. Zebulon Throop, from Massachusetts, who had just returned from the mills with a bag of meal, was frying meat, and fell dead into the fire; several others fell at this discharge. The Indians now rushed in and killed all that
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MASSACRE OF SETTLERS.
were left with the tomahawk. No effectual resistance seems to have been offered, so sudden and unexpected was the attack, by any of the men, but a stout, resolute, back- woods Virginia woman, the wife of Isaac Meeks, who was employed as their hunter, seized an axe and made a blow at the head of the Indian who opened the door; a slight turn of the head saved his skull, and the axe passed down through his cheek into the shoulder, leaving a huge gash that severed nearly half his face. She was instantly killed with the tomahawk of one of the other Indians, before she could repeat the blow. This was the only injury received by the savages, as the men were all killed before they had time to seize their arms, which were standing in the corners of the room. While the slaughter was going on, John Stacey, a young man in the prime of life, the son of Colonel William Stacey, sprang up the ladder into the upper story and from thence on to the roof of the house, hoping to es- cape that way, while his brother Philip, a lad of sixteen years, secreted himself under some bedding in one corner of the room. The Indians on the outside watching that none escaped, soon discovered John on the roof and shot him, while he was in the act of begging them "for God's sake to spare his life, as he was the only one left." His appeal to the Indians was heard by the two Ballards, who alarmed by the firing at the block house had run out of their cabin to learn the cause. Discovering the Indians around the house, they sprung back to the hut, seized their rifles and put out into the woods, in a direction to be hid by the cabin from the sight of the Indians. They had barely escaped when they heard their door burst open by the savages. They did not pursue them, although they knew they had just fled, as there was a brisk fire in the chimney, and their food for supper smoking hot on the table.
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