USA > Ohio > Ross County > Pioneer record and reminiscences of the early settlers and settlement of Ross County, Ohio > Part 2
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Huntington Township.
neighbor's house, and, to her horror and surprise, she saw that five large wolves had attacked the poor little fellow. About the time Mrs. Neborgall arrived, a Mr. Peter Cockerell came to their aid, and they drove the wolves away, thus, in all proba- bility, saving the lad's life. On another occasion, Mr. Nebor- gall and a Mr. Joseph Haynes started one night to Chillicothe, with their marketing, on horseback. After jogging along for some time, they heard what they supposed to be the voice of some one hallooing who had lost his way in the thick woods, which were very common in those days. They answered sev- eral times, and the sound came nearer and nearer. The trav- elers were soon satisfied that it was no human voice, but that of the panther. They put whip to their horses, the screams still following nearer and nearer, until they came to a clearing where another neighbor lived, on the Limestone road, when their unwelcome follower left them, for which they were very thankful. Mr. Neborgall says he was very well acquainted with William Hewitt, the hermit. Mr. Neborgall lived near him during his hermitage, and visited him often. Mr. Hewitt came from Virginia about the year 1808, I think. He first hunted awhile on the Big Kanawha, where he killed bears and deer, and sold their skins to the hands at the salt works on that river. He used the bear skin for his bed, and had a shanty made from the bark of trees. When I first saw Hewitt, forty-five years ago, he occupied a shanty made of bark on Crooked creek, near Mr. Daniel Shotts', not far from Farmersville. He lived there during the summer, and when cold weather came on he removed to a log cabin which had been built and roofed, on the land near James Toops. The cabin had no doors or windows cut out, and was erected on sideling ground, one side being raised some dis- tance from the ground ; the hermit dug the earth away on this side for an entrance. Here he lived for about four years, em- ploying his time mostly by hunting, and sustaining himself on the meat of the bear and deer. One Saturday evening, while returning to his cabin near the Pinnacle Knob, he killed a small deer of the "toehead " species, as he called it. He tied its legs
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Pioneer Record of Ross County, Ohio.
together, swung it around his neck, and started on his way. After going a short distance he saw a very large buck, and, as he expressed himself, he " blazed away," and killed him. He tied this one's legs together, as before, and thus, with his two deer swung around his neck, he marched home. From this cabin he removed to the celebrated cave on the Portsmouth pike. Mr. Neborgall says he often visited him at his cave, and he, in return, would visit at Mr. Neborgall's house, and was very sociable after once becoming acquainted. He told me, says Mr. Neborgall, that he came from Virginia, and told me often the cause of his leaving and living as he did, not in just these words, but gave me to understand the cause to be this: He was married, and one morning he started on a tramp from which he did not expect to return for several days; but from some cause he returned that night, and on arriving at his home he found, to his surprise, another man occupying his couch with his wife. His first thought was to kill them both, but on further reflec- tion concluded he could live alone, and enjoy himself in the wilds of the forest, so he left for Ohio. He never returned to Virginia, but used often to speak of his wife. His mode of pre- paring his vension was to take the fleshy parts of the hams, and then build a fire of wood and let it burn to coals; he would then drive sticks in the ground around the bed of coals, and place thereon the flesh thus taken from the bones, letting it dry very hard. This he would use for bread ; the bony pieces he would broil on the coals for his meat. He was a very large and muscular man, and seemingly intelligent. His clothing consisted of skins dressed by himself, which gave him the ap- pearance of a wild man. He had in his cave his Bible, which he read during the greater portion of the Sabbath day. He was never known to hunt on that day. Mr. Neborgall says the last talk he had with Hewitt was a short time before he became sick so as to be confined to bed. He had quite a bad cough, and said he had gone down on the Scioto bottoms for some purpose, and was belated and overtaken by a very severe rain-storm ; it growing very dark he concluded he could not find his way,
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Huntington Township.
so he built a fire in the forks of a large fallen hickory tree in the pasture of Mr. James Davis, and there awaited the return of morning. It rained on him all night, from which exposure he took a cold that finally put an end to this truly singular man. The following incident is related of him: A gentleman quite well dressed rode up to the front of his cave one morning, and without ceremony saluted him in this manner: "Well, old fellow, I have come to get the history of your life." Hewitt re- plied : "You leave here quick, or I will give you a history of hell." He left.
Mrs. Mary Hester, who was personally acquainted with Mr. Hewitt for several years, says he was a large, portly man, rather good looking, dressed in buckskin of his own make; he carried a long flint-lock rifle and a tomahawk, and depended on his rifle for subsistence. He would sometimes exchange his ven- ison for salt and ammunition. He was an extraordinary singer and whistler. He occupied a small cave situated on the Ports- mouth pike. There is a small mound erected to his memory above the cave. He was taken sick in his cave, but did not die there, being removed to Waverly before his death, where he was kindly cared for until he breathed his last. He was a peaceable, inoffensive man, of temperate habits, and generally beloved by all who were acquainted with him.
The cave is under a shelving rock which juts out about fif- teen feet in the center, and extends fifteen feet each way from the center, and is about five feet high in front of the cave. The rocks have been torn away to some extent in constructing the Chillicothe and Portsmouth pike, which passes immediately in front of the cave. Under this shelving rock is another one, which was used by the hermit to build his couch upon. The cave is partly inclosed by a circular wall. The following is the inscription on his monument, erected by T. S. Hammon :
WM. HEWITT, THE HERMIT, occupied this cave fourteen years, while all was a wilderness around him. He died in 1834, aged seventy years.
During The winter of 1859- Father and das Clark aus others while hunting, carted near This care three days. I have been in it frequently - W.E.M.
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Pioneer Record of Ross County, Ohio.
William Chestnut, Sr.'s, Reminiscences.
Mr. Chestnut emigrated to the Northwestern Territory in 1798, with his father's family, consisting of five children, to-wit: Daniel, William, Margaret, Polly, and Benjamin. Daniel Chestnut was in the Whisky Insurrection under General Wash- ington. His grandfather emigrated from Scotland, and his grandmother from Ireland to Portsmouth, Ohio; from there they came on foot by the old Indian trail to what is now Chilli- cothe, and settled. They lived there four years, and then moved on the hill where they lived three years. He afterward pur- chased two hundred and sixty acres of land from General Massie on Indian creek, in Huntington township. The first abode of Mr. Chestnut was an old waste house, where he lived ten days. The bed was made of crotches and clapboards. The second dwelling-place, a tent made from an old wagon-cover. The cabin he built on the land he purchased from General Massie was sixteen by eighteen feet, and seven feet high, pun- cheon floor, old-fashioned style. Their food consisted of wild meat, such as bear, deer, turkey, etc., and hominy. The hominy was made in a wooden mortar or hand-mill. Every one would have to await his turn at this mill. Mr. Chestnut was a great hunter; he has killed all kinds of wild game. He had started to Chillicothe with his team at one time, and when on the way he met a very large bear, and concluded he was too good a prize to be lost. He took out his lead-horse and gave chase, carrying his rifle with him, and ran the bear some distance into the woods, where he succeeded in shooting him, after which he dressed and weighed him, finding that he made four hundred pounds net meat, perhaps the largest bear ever killed in Ohio. The meat was equally divided between himself and a neighbor, Wm. Thompson, and salted down. Wolves were very numerous in those days. Farmers who were lucky enough to have sheep had to build high pens for their protection. During one night Mr. Chestnut lost forty head of his best sheep by those sneak- ing rascals. The bears would frequently kill their hogs and carry them off into the dense forests. Snakes were also very
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Huntington Township.
numerous. Mr. Chestnut was once bitten by a copperhead, which confined him to his bed for several weeks. He served as the first justice of the peace for a term of seventeen years. Here I will give an incident that occurred in those early days, during his official term : A Mr. Ogden was in Chillicothe one day on some business, in company with a man calling himself Shears, who, in conversation with Mr. Ogden, told him that he wished to purchase a small piece of land in the vicinity of Chil- licothe. Ogden told him he would sell him a piece, when Shears proposed to go home with him and look at the land. They started, Shears, having no horse, trudging along on foot. Get- ting late, Ogden proposed that his companion should get up and ride behind him, which proposition was thankfully accepted. It seems that Mr. Ogden had some money tied up in the corner of his handkerchief. All money in those days was gold and silver, and could not be so handily carried as we do our greenbacks in pocket-books now. Ogden had twelve or fifteen dollars in his handkerchief, and had put it in his coat-pocket, but did not think of such a thing as his friend behind him ab- stracting it. They traveled home together, and when they entered the cabin Mr. Ogden's children came fondling around him. After being seated, he felt for his money, and found that handkerchief and all was gone. Mr. Ogden went to Es- quire Chestnut's, procured a warrant, and had Shears arrested, when he confessed the crime and gave up the money. The 'Squire ordered him to be committed to jail. Shears told the constable, after they had started on their way, he would rather take thirty lashes than go to jail. The night being very dark, the constable concluded that was the easiest way to get relieved of his pris- oner and consented. Mr. Chestnut was directed to cut the switches; whereupon he went to the woods near by, and soon returned with five stout switches or withes. They then tied the prisoner to a mulberry tree near by, and Mr. Ogden com- menced to apply them lustily to the prisoner's back. He would hit him a few cuts and then bathe his back with whisky, and exhort the prisoner to better decds. After applying the thirty
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Pioneer Record of Ross County, Ohio.
lashes, save one, the prisoner was untied and permitted to go his way, if not a better man, perhaps wiser.
Mr. Chestnut was captain of the militia for several years, and died April 23, 1851, aged eighty-three years. He helped to cut out the old Zane trace, now the Limestone road. He and a Mr. William Richie were chosen, and acted as spies to watch the movements of the Indians in the upper end of the county, while Colonel Barnes was stationed at Waverly with his men. The Colonel wished to get some orders from Chillicothe, and started on his horse, and the two spies on their mission on foot. When on the dividing ridge, a large turkey ran across their path. Richie threw off his blanket and gave chase. Barnes, in the meantime, coming up, saw the blanket lying in the path, and, supposing there were Indians about, wheeled his horse, and started back full tilt, when Chestnut, who was standing under a tree, sheltering himself from the rain-it raining hard-hailed him, and explained matters, when each went his way.
William Chestnut, at the breaking out of the war of 1812, vol- unteered the 9th day of May, 1813, in Captain William Rutley's company, under Colonel Denny, which was in General Tupper's brigade, and on the 10th of the same month started for Fort Meigs, and served about ninety days, when he returned to Chilli- cothe, and was there dismissed. He received a land warrant in 1824, and was paid eight dollars per month for his services. When a boy, Mr. Chestnut, in July, 1798, saw an Indian chief, Captain Johnny, shoot the war-chief Toa-willa-wa. The bullet entered his forehead, and scattered his brains for some distance around on the ground. His squaw was present at the time, and bemoaned her loss by tearing her hair and other demon- strations of her terrible sorrow. The chief was buried in his costume and armor. In 1798, an Indian, who was intoxicated, rode his horse round in a circle for some time. A white man by the name of Thompson was standing near, when the Indian exclaimed: "I killed Thompson's father and brothers," at which Thompson became so enraged he made for the Indian,
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Huntington Township.
and dealt him a heavy blow upon the head, which felled him dead at his feet. This so enraged the Indians of the neighbor- hood that they demanded Thompson, that they might avenge their supposed wrongs. But Thompson managed to escape, and fled the country. The Indians hunted for him for two long years, but Thompson did not return for seventeen years. Mr. Chestnut has been married twice. His last wife died October 24, 1869. He still lives on his farm with his grand- son, Josiah Chestnut.
The following names of old pioneer settlers are furnished by Mr. Chestnut: Benjamin Chestnut, son of Daniel Chestnut, lives on his farm; was two years old when his father landed in Ohio. Lemuel Chestnut, carpenter, died at the age of sixty- seven. James Chestnut is living, and occupies the old home- stead. John Chestnut was a farmer; is now dead. Peter Cockerell is still living, but very frail; aged eighty years; William Lockwood, now dead ; William Selby, Sen., still living, and Larkin Selby; were all soldiers in the war of 1812. John Thompson was a great Indian killer in 1798. Hocery McAllis- ter was in the war of 1812. Charles Chestnut was a famous hunter. Michael Thomas, whose name appears in another part of this work, was in the war of 1812, and in Wayne's campaign was one of the bravest men during the war, with Captain Keys, William Chandler, and Solomon Trego. Henry Montgomery emigrated to Ohio in 1797, and was drowned in Paint creek in 1800. George Funk was in the war of 1812; also, Francis Kile, Henry Strong, Lewis Wheaton, and Uriah Hurley.
Old Resident Settlers.
John Long, who served in the war of 1812, now dead, lived to a good old age. He held in his lifetime several town- ship offices, and was beloved and respected by all who knew him. John Edgington lived in the township for many years ; a good citizen; now dead. John Toops, shoemaker, is still living, and is very old. A. P. Riley, local preacher, is still living. Noah Hollis, still living, held several town-
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Pioneer Record of Ross County, Ohio.
ship offices. Jacob Bishop, blacksmith and carpenter, held several township offices; now dead. Daniel Shotts, quite a home hunter in his younger days, is still living. John Men- denhall, an old citizen, is still living. Henry Haynes is still living. Michael T. Streevey, an old hunter, has killed as many deer and wild turkeys, in his day, as any man of his age in the township ; still living. William Thomas, a great hunter and fisherman, is still living. Jacob Sheets, tailor and farmer, is still living. John Gibson was a great singer and a good citizen. Benjamin Henis, now quite frail, has held several township offices. Jacob Blessing is still living, but very poor in health. Moses Finley, for many years township treasurer, has gone West. Richard Boyer, for many years justice of the peace and trustee of township. Andrew McCollister, for many years justice of the peace, school teacher, etc., moved West some years ago; is still living. Robert Ralston, a great raiser of stock, etc., is still living. His father, whose name appears in another place in this work, was a great hunter. Richard and Robert Elliott are still living. Ebenezer Rozell, Sen., I believe, was in the war of 1812; dead for many years. Milbourn Palmer held several township offices; now dead. Enos Rinehart, grocer, and trustee of township for several years, is still living. Henry R. Bishop, trustee of township for several years, is now living, but has been confined to his bed for several years with rheumatism. T. C. Robinson, still living, has served as town- ship officer. David Nelson, still living, has held several town- ship offices. John Seelig held several township offices; was captain of militia, etc .; is still living. P. G. Selby held town- ship offices; is still living. Samuel P. Long, trustee of town- ship for several years, is now keeping a hotel in Chillicothe. John Murphy is still living. B. S. Ruley, carpenter and farmer, for several years justice of the peace, trustee, etc., is living. John Clutz, farmer, is living. George Lytle, for many years constable, is yet living. John M. Haynes held several town- ship offices ; living. James Toops, trustee of township for sev-
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Huntington Township.
eral years, is living. Abram Streevey served several years as trustee of township; living. Bartholomew Reihle, a resi- dent for many years, is now in Minnesota. He emigrated at an early day from Germany, and was truly one of our best German citizens. Lawrence Lowery, farmer, emigrated to Ohio from Germany several years since; living. James Lenox, Sen., emigrated from Ireland; was several years a resident of Hun- tington township ; is quite aged ; yet living. James Lenox, Jr., served several years as township trustee; is living. Benning Wentworth, carpenter, a great marksman, hunter, and wrest- ler in boyhood, is now living near Lattaville. Samuel R. Posey, farmer, a Pennsylvanian by birth, served as trustee of township. Francis Hester, German by birth, has been a resi- dent of the township for several years, a good citizen ; is still living. Daniel Recob has been dead for several years. David Miller, constable for several years, is now dead. Jacob Van Gundy was constable for several years. Larken Selby was in the war of 1812; dead for several years. Simon Johnson, was .drummer for militia during the war of 1812; still living. Henry Cramer was in the war of 1812; is still living. Also, John and William Miller. Hector Sanford emigrated to Ohio, in 1797, from the District of Columbia, in a canoe, with his slave Thomas Watson. They landed at the big bend on the Scioto, above the mouth of Paint creek. His entire record will be given in full in another place. John England and Robert McCollister, and another whose name is not known, voted in the township for Andrew Jackson for President in 1824, he only receiving three votes in the township.
David Shotts, father of Mrs. Margaret Bishop, emigrated to Ohio from Virginia in the year 1810; was in the Revolutionary war, and stood guard at Frederick city ; was also in the Whisky insurrection. He died, in the year 1825, in the following manner : He had been away from home and was returning, when he was overtaken, near his own home, by a severe thunder storm, and took shelter under a large oak tree, which was struck by light- ning ; he was there found dead; there were seven other trees
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Pioneer Record of Ross County, Ohio.
struck near the spot, from appearances, at the same time. Mr. Shotts was quite a hunter, and in early days killed several bears, some two or three on his own farm. His family con- sisted of ten children, to-wit : Catherine, Jacob, Elizabeth, Mar- garet, Hannah, Mary, Daniel, Sophia, Susan, and Jonas, all living except Catherine.
Jacob Grubb was in the war of 1812. He came to his death, several years since, in the following manner: He and some two or three neighbors went into Paint creek to bathe, Grubb being a great swimmer. They were in the water sometime, when, as Grubb was swimming across a deep hole, he was seen to sink, and before he could be rescued was drowned. It is sup- posed he was taken with cramp.
George Ruffner emigrated to the Scioto Valley, in 1798, from Kanawha, Virginia, and settled on the waters of Paint creek, near Chillicothe. The foundation of his cabin is yet visible. He was a fearless, brave, and daring hunter; had a great antip- athy to the Indians, in consequence of the killing of his father and mother by them, in 1791, on the Kanawha. He lived by hunting panthers, bears, wolves, and deer, and would kill, during his hunting excursions, any straggling Indians that crossed his path. During the wars of 1791 and 1812 he served as a spy. He moved his headquarters on the head waters of the Mohiccan, was frequently in company with the renowned Indian killers, Wetzel and Hughes. A few days after the burning of Greentown, a party of Indians was discovered upon the banks of the Mohiccan Lake. The discoverer was Bunty Billy. It appears that the Indians had recognized Billy at the same time he saw them. Billy at first attempted to run away, but the Indians called to him to stop, telling him that they would not hurt him; he stopped. The Indians approached him in a friendly manner, calling him good boy, etc. “Do you know a family by the name of Seymore?" asked a tall Indian. "Yeth thir, I geth I do, thir," said Billy. "Do you know a man by the name of Ruffner?" "Yeth thir, but I'd thay to you, thir, not to put yourthelf in hith way, thir. He ith
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Huntington Township.
a perfect devil, thir, when he ith not in a good humor, thir." " All right," said the Indian, and the Indians took their leave, and Billy hastened home to inform Ruffner of his discovery. Instantly Ruffner seized his rifle and set out in pursuit of the Indians. He soon got on their trail and followed them to the cabin of Seymore. The Indians had entered the cabin door when they were soon joined by Ruffner. On their entry they appeared friendly, shaking hands with the whole family; nor were the family alarmed, as the visitations of Indians were fre- quent. But Ruffner's sudden appearance aroused the suspicions of Philip Seymore. Ruffner thinking that they would not dare to attempt an assault upon the family in his presence, insisted upon Philip, as he was the most fleet on foot, to run into the settlement and gather up some friends. As soon as Philip had left the cabin, Ruffner immediately noticed a sudden change in the countenances of the savages; they cast upon each other significant looks and glances, as much as to say : "He is gone for aid, and now is our time." A deep, death-like silence now reigned in the lonely forest cabin. Kate Seymore could no longer endure this deathly gloom. Advancing toward Ruffner, she said : " Oh, Ruffner, we shall all be killed!" Ruff- ner, who had sat eyeing the savages with a tiger's look, sprang to his feet and exclaimed, in a stentorian voice : " Imps of hell, leave this place this moment, or I will send your bloody red spirits to the burning pit of hell," advancing toward them. Instantly the Indians sprang from their seats, and made an attack upon the heroic Ruffner with uplifted tomahawks. In the bloody conflict he killed three of the murderous savages, but, being overpowered by their united strength, fell a lifeless bleeding corpse upon the cabin floor. The remaining savages then turned upon the aged and helpless couple, who sat like petrified statues, gazing with a vacant stare upon the terribly bloody scene around them. Two tall savages, with tomahawks uplifted, dripping with the blood of the murdered Ruffner, dealt each a blow upon their heads, and they, too, fell in the agonies of death.
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Pioneer Record of Ross County, Ohio.
Poor Kate was an eye-witness to the dreadful tragedy. She was compelled to hand over all the money of her murdered father, and cook dinner for the murderous Indians. Immedi- ately after dinner Kanotchey, the brutal chief, approached Kate and sunk his tomahawk deep in her head. She, too, fell to rise no more.
The savages then left the cabin, concealing themselves in the deep, dark forest. Philip, on returning with help, entered the yard, and seeing the bloody, mangled body of Ruffner, sprang into the cabin, where his worst fears were realized. The sight was shocking. Poor Kate, the once romping, laughing, beau- tiful, rosy-cheeked Kate-there she lay beautiful in death. Philip, on beholding her lifeless form, and those of his beloved parents and the noble Ruffner, gave vent to a flood of tears, and exclaimed : "'Tis done; I am left alone." Said he to his neigh- bors : " Blood for blood shall be my motto." Bidding them fare- well, he bounded into the deep forest, becoming an Indian killer. His home was the forest; his covering, the blue sky; his food, wild meat. He would lay in ambush, and every straggling Indian that hove in sight he would kill. Near the close of the war, while seated on a high bluff near the Mohiccan, in a narrow . bottom below, he saw a large, straight, tall Indian in shooting dis- tance. He cocked his gun, took aim, fired, and killed the sav- age. He descended and walked to the place where the Indian lay. On examination of his costume and person, he found it was Kanotchey, the murderer of his sister. Philip said: "I am now avenged." He then returned to his home on the Mohiccan.
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