USA > Ohio > Sketches and statistics of Cincinnati in 1859 > Part 6
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At one time during this dangerous employment, Bush got mired in a swamp, with a man behind him. He made the man get off, but not being able to extricate the horse, he got off himself, and remained trying to get him out till two Indians came up and took the man prisoner. He then sprang out of the swamp and was fired at by the Indians, which alarmed the horse so that he cleared the swamp and was regained and mounted.
On his return to Fort Washington, he crossed the river to the Kentucky side, now Covington, and passed the night there. In the course of the night, his horse was stolen. Next morning he re- crossed the river, reported his horse as lost, returned and walked to Georgetown the same day.
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The statement of John Hindman-page 49-brought out Judge Matson, of North Bend, who wrote me: Your friend, John Hind- man, is in error, alleging that Tanner's creek, Indiana, derived its name from young Tanner being killed by the Indians on its waters. Tanner was not killed at all, although doubtless believed to be by the neighborhood, at the time Hindman left the Great Miami, which was soon after Tanner had been carried away by the savages. I knew the whole family well-the old man Tanner being the first clergyman I ever heard preach at North Bend, and for some time the only one.
Tanner, the father, owned the land where Petersburg, Ky., is now built, and resided on it, being about three miles below the Miami, and opposite the creek which derived its name as the sta- tion also did, from Tanner, who was the principal man settled there. Hogan, Tanner's son-in-law, who lived with him, and was a first- rate hunter, gave name to the creek just above Aurora.
In May, 1790, John Tanner, the youngest boy, and nine years of age, was out in the woods gathering walnuts, which had been lying over from the previous season among the leaves, when he was made prisoner by a party of Indians, and carried to the Shawa- nese towns, in the first place, and afterward taken away to the head waters of the Mississippi. Nothing was heard of him, by his friends, for twenty-four years, except that in 1791, the next year, a party of Indians, composed partly of the same individuals, prowling in the neighborhood, captured Edward Tanner, a brother of John, and nearly fifteen years old. After traveling two days' journey in the wilderness, the boy appearing contented, and supposing that he would be discouraged from attempting to make his escape, at such a distance from home, his captors relaxed their vigilance, and the boy, watching his opportunity, regained his liberty, being obliged, in the hurry, to leave his hat, which was of undyed wool, behind, and which the Indians carried to their home. They had told him on the way out, that they had carried a boy off from the same place the year before. John 'Tanner recognized the hat, as soon as he saw it, as his brother's.
Nothing was known of John, as already stated, for many years, although Edward attended the various treaties for successive years, and traveled to distant points, even West of the Mississippi. The Indians with whom John was domesticated, had been for years settled on the Upper Mississippi, and traded with the Hudson Bay
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Company, which of course baffled the search thus made. In 1798, the Tanner family left Kentucky for New Madrid, where old Tau- ner died, after marrying, in the mean time, a third wife.
In 1817, after the close of the war, John Tanner, who by this time had married an Indian wife, and had six children by her, with a view of learning something about his relations, and expecting to receive a share of the family property, came down the chain of lakes to Detroit, and there reported himself to Governor Cass, as an Indian captive, taken from opposite the mouth of Big Miami, in Kentucky, in 1790. He gave the family name as 'Taylor, which was as near as he could recollect or probably articulate it. Cass gave notice of the fact through the medium of the press, adding that the individual would be present at a treaty to be held with the Indians at St. Mary's, formerly Girty's town, and now the county- seat of Mercer county, O. The Tanner family had removed years since to New Madrid, and, with the exception of Edward Tanner, was composed of the widow and children, born of the later mar- riages, since John's capture. But a nephew by marriage of the young men, named Merritt, who lived where Rising Sun has since been built, having seen the notice, was firmly persuaded that the individual, although improperly named, was his long lost and long sought uncle Tanner, and under that conviction went to the treaty ground, and found the case as he supposed it to be. The two started off for the Miami region together. Tanner, although in feeble health, having fever and ague at the time, was with difficulty persuaded to sleep in the cabins which they found on the route, preferring to camp out; and to gratify him one fine night, Merritt, having selected a suitable spot for repose, went to a neighboring house, got coals, and attempted to kindle a fire, which, as the leaves and brush were wet, burned with ditliculty. Tanner, who had become thoroughly Indian during his long residence among them, now got up in a pet, kicked the fire to pieces, and, flashing powder from his rifle, made his own fire, remarking, "White man's fire, no good. Indian fire, good!"
They stopped all night at my house, on their way to the lower country, and there I obtained these particulars. When they reached Now Madrid, it so happened that Edward was out on one of his excursions to hunt up his brother, and John, after waiting a few days, became impatient to get back, and left for home, without even seeing his brother, who had sought him so anxiously for years.
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Soon after reaching his home, Tanner had a quarrel with an Indian, and was badly shot, but, after lingering a great while, re- covered so far as to set out with Colonel Long and a party who were on their way to Detroit. His strength gave way on the jour- ney, and they were obliged to leave him on the road. He finally recovered, and was employed by the United States authorities as interpreter among the Indians at Sault St. Marie, at the outlet of Lake Superior, which is the last I heard of him.
'Tanner's life was published years ago, but I never saw a copy of it, and do not know whether it is now extant.
Early in the month of January, 1791, Colonel John S. Wallace, one of our carly settlers, accompanied Abner Hunt, who was a surveyor, with two other persons, Sloan and Cunningham, on sur- veys on the west bank of the Great Miami. On the night of the 7th, they encamped there. Next morning, after they had been roasting venison, on which they breakfasted, they set out to ex- plore the Miami bottoms above, where the Colerain settlement, or station, was located. They had hardly left their camp seventy yards behind, when they were beset by the savages on their rear, who fired a volley of eight or ten guns. Cunningham was killed on the spot. Hunt, having been thrown from his horse, was made a prisoner before he could recover, ind Sloan, although shot through the body, kept his seat and made his escape, accompanied by Hunt's loose horse. Two of the Indians pursued Wallace more than a mile and a half, but, owing to his uncommon activity, he made out to overtake Sloan with the spare horse, which he mounted, and succeeded in crossing the Miami in Sloan's com- pany. In his flight on foot, he was twice shot at, but without effect. His leggings had been getting loose, and at the moment of the first shot, he tripped and fell. Supposing him struck by the bullet, the Indians raised a shout, Wah! hoo! calculating to a cer- tainty on his scalp; but, hastily tying his leggings, he resumed his flight and effected his escape. After crossing the Miami, Sloan complained of faintness from his wound, when Wallace advised him to thrust part of his shirt into the bullet hole to stop the flow of blood. Leaving the river, they directed their course to Cincin- nati, which they reached in safety the same evening.
In the month of May, 1791, Wallace, with his father and a lad, were hoeing corn in a lot immediately north of where the Cincin- nati Hospital now stands; and at the same time two men, named
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Scott and Shepherd, were engaged plowing corn near what is now the corner of Western Row and Clinton streets. They had drawn a few furrows across the lot, when five or six Indians jumped the fence, raised the yell, and gave chase to the plowmen, but to no effect. On hearing the yell, Wallace snatched up his rifle, which lay in the row before him, directing those with him to make their escape to town as fast as possible. On stepping cautiously into the adjacent lot, he discovered an Indian, about eighty yards from him, about to enter the bushes. IIe shot at him, probably without effect, as he left the ground in haste. At the same instant he saw two Indians riding the plow-horses away at full speed. The party of savages left eight blankets and blanket capots behind, together with a leg of bear meat, a horn full of powder, and some trifling articles. The alarm was given, and eleven of the best woodsmen and hunters were started on foot in pursuit, followed by eleven others on horse, having all the horses in the place, each man sup- plied with some pone and venison wrapped in his blanket for both horsemen and footmen. About sunset they encountered a severe thunder-storm, accompanied with heavy rain. By the-time it be- came dark, the rear party overtook the advance on foot, and, making their horses fast to the trees, encamped for the night. In the morning they took the trail, and found that the Indians had lain all night in a prickly-ash thicket, a short distance in advance, where they had eaten a part of a fawn raw, and left the rest. The enemy was pursued to the river, at a point where the Indians had crossed, just above where the town of Hamilton now stands. Owing to the tremendous rains which had fallen, the river was bank full, and the pursuing party were obliged to return home.
Shepherd and Scott were chased into Cincinnati as far as the present corner of Fifth and Race streets.
Colonel John Riddle, also an old pioneer, gave me in relation to some incidents connected with these occurrences, this statement: In the spring of 1791, William Harris, who was my wife's father, went, in company with me, to clear ground for a cornfield. It comprehended in its bounds the ground where now stands Bying- ton's rolling mill, on Plum street, south of the corporation line. We bad a small dog with us. One day, the 21st of May, we had been to work as usual, and had sat down to rest at the foot of a large tree, when, hearing a slight rustling through the spice-wood
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bushes, I told Harris there were Indians at hand. He laughed af the idea. I hissed the dog on, who bounded into the bushcs, barking at a great rate, and returned in a short time with his tail and ears down, and manifesting other symptoms of fear. We then sprung up and made a circuit through the bushes, so as to get be- tween the Indians, if there were such there, and the town. In this" way we had just regained the path, several rods below where we were, when we heard them crossing it near the spot we had left. We hurried into Cincinnati as fast as possible, and found soon after that Benjamin Van Cleve had been shot at, and Joseph Cutter, who was at work with him, clearing an out-lot, captured and carried off by the Indians. Cutter was never more heard of. The lot they were working in cornered with mine near a spot in the Miami canal, which is crossed by a high bridge, opposite Mason street.
A party from Cincinnati made immediate pursuit, with a dog, which made out the trace. Cutter had lost one of his shoes, so that his tracks could be readily observed in the marshy bottoms along the watercourse. The Indians were followed upon full run until dark, when the pursuit was given up. It was afterward ascer- tained that the savages had halted two miles further out, and en- camped for the night. The pursuit was resumed next day, but to no purpose.
On the 1st June, of the same year, Van Cleve, having returned to the occupation of his out-lot, and working there, in company with two others, the Indians again made their appearance. The party took to flight, making their way to the settled parts of Cin- cinnati. Two of them made their escape, but Van Cleve, who had passed them in the race, and at the time was three hundred yards or more in advance, was intercepted at a fallen tree top. by an Indian, who sprung on him from behind the ambuscade. Van Cleve was seen to throw the savage, and the Indian to plunge a knife twice or thrice into the side of his antagonist, but, perceiving the approach of the whites, he hastily stript off the scalp and made his escape to his party in the rear. When the two fugitives got up, Van Cleve was entirely lifeless.
The same day, a party from the garrison, consisting of Sergeant Hahn, a Corporal, and a young man who lived in Colerain, started to Dunlap's station on the Miami. They were engaged in driving a cow out to that post, and had imprudently fastened a beil to her
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neck. On his way the Sergeant called on me and paid me three dollars, on account of a blacksmithing bill he owed for some time. I said, " You had better pay me more: the Indians will get the rest." "Never foar," was his careless reply. In the course of two hours afterward, he had a bullet put through him, his scalp taken, and the residue of his money carried off.
These were the last instances in which a savage rifle was fired within the present limits of Cincinnati, later depredations being connected with the bow and arrow, which enabled them to destroy cattle, while prowling through our streets by night, without creating an alarm. On one of these visits they shot an arrow, with a stone head, into an ox with such force that it went entirely through the carcase. Stealing horses from this time until Wayne arrived, in 1793, constituted the principal injury inflicted by our red brethren upon their white neighbors in Cincinnati.
In the month of August, 1791, a man named Fuller, with his son William, a lad of sixteen years of age, or thereabouts, was in the employ of John Matson, sr., and in that capacity the Fullers ac- companied Matson, a brother of his, and a neighbor, Geo. Cullum, to the Big Miami, to build a fish-dam in its waters, at a place about two miles from North Bend. Old Fuller sent his son, toward night, to take the cows home, and for several days the neighborhood turned out to hunt him up, suspecting that he had been taken by the Indians. No trace of him was however obtained, nor anything heard of him for nearly four years, when Wayne's treaty afforded an opportunity for those who had relatives captured by the Indians, to ascertain their fate. Old Fuller, under the hope of learning something respecting his son, accompanied a party to Fort Green- ville, and spent a week making inquiry among the Indians present, but to no purpose. One day, being in conversation with Christo- pher Miller, one of Wayne's spies, and who had been taken cap- tive himself, in early years, and brought up among the Indians, he was describing his son's personal appearance, as being heavy built, cross-eyed, and a little lame, when Miller exclaimed, " I can tell you where he is." He then went on to say that he had himself made him a prisoner, that he knew where he was, and if he would come back in three weeks, he would produce him there. Fuller returned accordingly, and obtained his son, who accompanied him home.
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The statement of Miller was, that he was out as a scout on the Miami, with two Indians, and the youth, being intent on hunting the cows, had got quite near before he observed Miller. When he saw him, he attempted to run, fearing that Miller might be an In- dian. Miller called out, "Don't run." The boy spoke up and said, "Who are you?" " My name is Miller." Young Fuller supposed it to be a Thomas Miller, at North Bend, and stood still, waiting the other's approach, As it was now dusk, it was not until Miller had got nearly up to him, that he perceived his mistake, and endeavored to make his escape. Being somewhat lame, he was, however, soon overtaken and captured. Miller then gave a whistle on his powder charger, when two Indians appeared. They hurried the boy across the Miami, the waters of which were quite low at the time. After traveling some distance, they encamped for the rest of the night. In the morning, the Indians discovering that Fuller was lame, and defective in his eyes, were for tomahawking him, alleging they could never make a good Indian of him; but Miller objected, saying he was his captive. He was taken to one of the Indian towns, where he remained until the treaty of 1795.
He had been a bad boy hitherto, and his residence among the savages made no improvement in him. He did no good after get- ting home, and, associating with a gang of horse thieves, lost his life, not long after, in a marauding expedition made by a party into Kentucky.
I take the following memoranda from a book of field-notes, kept by John Dunlop, who appears to have been engaged in the surveys of Symmes' purchase, as early as January 8, 1789:
"Memorandums of sundry circumstances in the Miami purchase, from the Ist day of May, 1789.
" May 21st .- Ensign Luse, with eight soldiers, and some citi- zens, going up from North Bend to a place called South Bend, was fired on by a party of Indians, the tribe they belonged to we never could learn. There were six soldiers killed and wounded, of which one died on the spot; another died of his wound, after going to the falls of the Ohio for the doctor. There was a young man, named John Mills, in the boat, who was shot through the shoulder, but by management and care of some squaws, he recovered and got perfectly well.
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"A copy of the speech brought in by Isaac Freeman, from the Chiefs and Warriors of the Mawme towns, to Judge Symmes.
"' MAWME, July 7, 1789.
"'Brothers! Americans! at the Miami .- Warriors! listen to us warriors what we have to say.
"'Now, Americans! Brothers !- We have heard from you, and are glad to hear the good speech you sent us. You have got our flesh and blood among you, and we have got yours among us, and we are glad to hear that you wish to exchange; we really think you want to exchange, and that is the reason we listen to you.
"'As the Great Spirit has put your flesh and blood into our hands, we now deliver them up.
"" We Warriors, if we can, wish to make peace, and our chiefs and yours will then listen to one another. As we warriors speak from our hearts, we hope you do so too, and wish you may be of one mind, as we are.
"'Brothers, Warriors,-When we heard from you that you wished to exchange prisoners, we listened attentively, and now we send some, as all are not here, nor can be procured at present, and, therefore, we hope you will send all ours home, and when we see them, it will make us strong to send all yours, which cannot now all be got together.
"'Brothers, Warriors, -- When we say this, it is from our hearts, and we hope you do the same; but if our young men should do anything wrong before we all meet together, we beg you to over- look it. This is the mind of us warriors, and our chiefs are glad there is hopes of peace. We hope, therefore, that you are of the same mind.
"'Brothers, Warriors,-It is the warriors who have shut the path which your chiefs and ours formerly laid open, but there is hopes that the path will soon be cleared, that our women and chil- dren may go where they wish in peace, and that yours may do the same.
"'Now, Brothers, Warriors,-You have heard from us; we hope you will be strong like us, and we hope there will be nothing but peace and friendship between you and us.'
"The following prisoners came in with Isaac Freeman, viz:
"John White, taken from Nelson county, Ky .; Elizabeth Bryant and her child, and a child named Ashby, who were taken from a
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boat at the mouth of the Kentucky river-all its friends said to have been killed at the time. Two others, who were intended to be sent in, ran off the night before Freeman left their towns, to avoid returning to the whites.
"Of those who would be sent in hereafter, was a Mrs. Bilder- back, whose husband was killed at Mingo Bottom, at the time she was made prisoner; also, a soldier in Captain McCurdy's company, named Brady. He was with a party guarding a surveyor, when made captive. Seven soldiers and several of the inhabitants were killed in the attack."
I find, in reference to my notes on Symmes' settlement at North Bend, that he had ten Indian women and children, who, having been made prisoners in an expedition from Kentucky to the Indian towns, had been placed in his hands by Colonel Robert Patterson, for the purpose of exchanging them for white prisoners among the savages, as soon as an opportunity would admit. Symmes, who had always maintained toward the Indians a pacific policy, sent Freeman with a friendly Indian, then on business to North Bend, and one of the prisoners, a boy of fifteen, who, speaking English, could enable Freeman and the Indian to communicate with each other, and Freeman with the Shawanese to whom he was sent.
Freeman lost his life on a later mission to the Indians, being fired on while bearing a flag of truce.
"September 20th .- The Indians visiting Columbia, at the con- fluence of the Little Miami, they tomahawked one boy and took another prisoner. They were sons of a Mr. Seward, lately from New Jersey. On the 30th of the same month, they took another prisoner from the same place.
" On the 12th of December following, a young man, son of John Hilliers, of North Bend, going out in the morning to bring home the cows, about half a mile from the garrison, the Indians came upon him. They tomahawked and scalped him in a most sur- prising manner, took away his gun and hat, and left him lying on his back.
" On the 17th inst. following, two young men, one named An- drew Vaneman, the other, James Lafferty, went on a hunting ex- cursion across the river. When they encamped at night, and had made a fire, they were surprised by Indians, and fell a sacrifice into the hands of the savages, being killed by their first fire. They were both shot through the back, between their shoulders,
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the bullets coming out under their right arms. The Indians toma- hawked and scalped them in a most barbarous manner, stripped them of their clothes, and left them lying on their backs quite naked, without as much as one thread on them. Next day, my- self and six others went over and buried them together in one grave.
" December 29th .- General Harmar arrived at Cincinnati, and was received with joy. They fired fourteen cannon at the garri- son on his landing.
"January 1, 1790 .- Governor St. Clair arrived. On his arrival, they fired fourteen guns; and while he was marching to the garri- son, they fired fourteen guns more. As soon as he landed, they sent an express for Judge Symmes, who went the next day to see him, and appoint civil and military officers for the service and pro- tection of the settlement.
"April 25, 1792 .- As Martin Burkhardt, Michael Hahn, and Michael Lutz, were viewing some lots at the Blue Bank, they were fired on by Indians. Lutz was killed and scalped on the spot, be- sides being afterward stabbed in different parts of the body. They shot Hahn through the body, and followed him in sight of the gar- rison, but, finding they could not get his scalp, they fired at him a second time and killed him. Burkhardt was shot through the shoulder, and, in an effort to clear himself, took to the river to swim, but drowned, and was found at North Bend six weeks after- ward.
"August 14, 1792 .- John Macnamara, Isaac Gibson, jr., Samuel Carswell, and James Barrett, were bringing up a hand millstone, in a canoe, and at the riffe, below the station, they were fired at by the Indians. Macnamara was killed, Gibson wounded in the knee, and Carswell in the shoulder; Barrett being the only one escaping without injury."
I have been furnished the following narrative by the late Judge Matson, of North Bend. In the month of January, 1792, General Wilkinson being about to set out to St. Clair's battle-ground to bury the dead, who had been left there in the disastrous action of the 4th of November preceding, and bring off valuable public prop- erty reported to be still on the spot, made a call for volunteers to strengthen his force, which amounted to merely two hundred regu- lars. Some one hundred and fifty men, or more, from various parts of the county, rendezvoused in Cincinnati. The volunteers
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from North Bend, of which I was one, were under the command of Captain Brice Virgin; and we left that place, some mounted, but principally on foot, being promised horses from among those be- longing to the United States, which were kept across the river, in Kentucky, where Newport now is. There was the heaviest snow on the ground ever known within the memory of the whites, which, on the day before we started, was increased to two feet in depth. The Ohio had been frozen, and so thick was the ice at Cincinnati, that all our efforts to open a channel for the flats to bring over the horses proved abortive, and they had to be taken up and crossed above the mouth of the Little Miami, where the ice was found strong enough to bear their weight. As soon as we could be made ready, which was on the 25th, the regulars and volunteers set out, the late General Harrison, then an Ensign, and lately arrived, being one of the officers. We took the old trace, opened by General St. Clair. The first night we encamped on the hill, near what is now Cary's Academy, this side of Mount Pleasant, and the next arrived at Fort Hamilton. Left Hamilton pretty late in the day, and en- camped that night at Seven Mile creek, and next day reached Ft. Jefferson, then the outside post. Captain Shaylor was in command there. .
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