The History of Wyandot County, Ohio, containing a history of the county, its townships, towns general and local statistics, military record, portraits of early settlers and prominent men etc, Part 28

Author:
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago, Leggett, Conaway
Number of Pages: 1072

USA > Ohio > Wyandot County > The History of Wyandot County, Ohio, containing a history of the county, its townships, towns general and local statistics, military record, portraits of early settlers and prominent men etc > Part 28

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Gaining increased confidence in their prowess and ability to successfully contend with the white troops of the Americans, by reason of their victory over a portion of Harmer's army, the Wyandots, together with other tribes composing the Miami league, continued hostile. Therefore, in 1791, a new army, superior to Harmer's, was assembled at Cincinnati under Major Gen- eral, or as then termed Gov. St. Clair. The regular force amounted to 2,300 men; the militia numbered about 600. With this army St. Clair commenced his march toward the Indian towns on the Maumee. Two forts, Hamilton and Jefferson, were established and garrisoned on the route, about forty miles distant from each other, yet misfortune attended the expedition almost from its commencement. Soon after leaving Fort Jefferson, a con- siderable number of the militia deserted in a body. The first regiment, under Maj. Hamtranck, was ordered to pursue them and secure the advanc- ing convoys of provisions, which it was feared they designed to plunder. Thus weakened by desertion and division, Gen. St. Clair approached the In-

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dian villages. On the 3d of November, when at what is now the line of Drake and Mercer Counties, and within two or three miles of the Indiana State line, he halted, intending to throw up some slight fortification for the protection of baggage, and to await the return of the absent regiment. On the following morning, however, about half an hour before sunrise, the American Army was attacked with great fury by the whole disposable force of the Northwest tribes-the Wyandots, Delawares, Shawanese, Miamis, Ottawas, Chippewas and Pottawatomies. The Americans were totally de- feated. Gen. Butler and more than 600 subaltern officers and enlisted men were killed.

The vigorous prosecution of the war for the protection of the North- west Territory was now urged by President Washington, but various ob- stacles retarded the organization of a new army. In the spring and sum- mer of 1794, however, an American Army was assembled at Greenville, in Darke County, under the command of Gen. Anthony Wayne, a bold, ener- getic and experienced officer of the Revolutionary war. His force consisted of about 2,000 regular troops and 1,500 mounted volunteers from Kentucky. To oppose him the Indian tribes above mentioned had col- lected their whole force, amounting to more than 2,000 warriors, near a British fort, erected since the treaty of 1783, and in violation of its obligations, at the foot of the Maumee Rapids. They were well supplied with arms and ammunition, obtained at the British posts at Detroit and on the Maumee, and felt confident of defeating Wayne. But "Mad Anthony " was a different kind of General from those who had previously commanded in the West, and when, on the 20th of August, the hostile forces of red men and white men met at the Maumee Rapids, or "the battle of Fallen Timbers," the former were completely routed and fled in the utmost precip- itation from the field.

Not long afterward a trader met a Miami warrior who had fled before the terrible onslaught of Wayne's soldiers, and asked him:

" Why did you run away ?"

With gestures corresponding to his words, and endeavoring to represent the effect of the cannon, he replied :

"Pop! pop! pop !- boo, woo, woo-whish, whish, boo, woo-kill twenty Indians one time-no good, by dam !"

Robinson, a young half-breed Pottawatomie, afterward one of the principal war chiefs of that tribe, was present at the battle with Wayne, and in later years was in the habit of describing it very clearly. It appears that the chiefs of the allied tribes had selected a swamp for the battle- ground. They formed their line, however, half a mile in front of it, on the summit of a gentle elevation, covered with an open growth of timber, with no underbrush, intending, when Wayne attacked them, to fall back slowly, thus inducing the Americans to follow them into the swamp, where the Indians would have every advantage, and where they expected a certain victory. But "Mad Anthony" soon broke up their plan. As we have shown, nearly one-half of his little army was composed of mounted Ken- tuckians, whom he formed in front of his infantry. After a few volleys from his artillery, always very trying to the nerves of the red men, he or- dered the mounted men to advance. The Indians had never seen men fight on horseback, and supposed they would dismount before reaching the top of the ridge. But instead of that they began to trot, then drew their swords- those terrible "long knives," which always inspired the Indians with dread -then broke into a gallop, and the next moment were charging at the top of

BETWEEN-THE-LOGS AN INDIAN CHIEF OF THE WYANDOT TRIBE AND A LICENSED PREACHER OF THE METHODIST CHURCH.

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their horses' speed, " yelling like hell," as Robinson expressed it, swinging their swords, and looking like demons of wrath to the astonished red men.

"Oh," said Robinson, "you ought to have seen the poor Indians run then."

They gave but one random fire, and fled as fast as possible toward the swamp. But it was too late. The mounted Kentuckians burst through them like a whirlwind, and then wheeled about to cut off their retreat, while the infantry came up on the double-quick and barred their escape in that direction.

"Oh," the chieftain would continue, "it was awful."

Robinson admired his conqueror so much that he named one of his sons "Anthony Wayne," and always expressed the most profound respect for that dashing soldier.

Wayne's victory at the "Fallen Timbers " did not at once reduce the savages to submission. Hence their country was laid waste, and forts were erected in the heart of their territory. At length, however, they became thoroughly convinced of their inability to resist in a successful manner the American troops, and sued for peace. A grand council was therefore held at Greenville, in the summer of 1795, and on the 3d of August of that year, Gen. Wayne concluded a treaty of peace with the Wyandots, Dela- wares, Shawanese, Ottawas, Chippewas, Pottawatomies and Miamis, besides some less important tribes. More than one thousand Indians were present. The principal chiefs were Tarhe, or the Crane, of the Wyandots, Buckong- ehelas, Black Hoof, Blue Jacket and Little Turtle. A majority of the chiefs had been tampered with by the British agents and advised not to make peace with the Americans, but their people having been reduced to great extremities by the generalship of Wayne, were determined to make a permanent peace with the "Thirteen Fires" as they termed the original States of the federal Union.

The basis of the treaty of Greenville was, that hostilities ware to cease, and all prisoners be restored. Article 3 defined the Indian boundary as follows:

" The general boundary line between the lands of the United States and the lands of the said Indian tribes shall begin at the mouth of Cuyahoga River, and run thence up the same to the portage, between that and the Tuscarawas branch of the Muskingum; thence down that branch to the crossing place above Fort Laurens; thence westerly to a fork of that branch of the Great Miami River, running into the Ohio, at or near which fork stood Loromie's store, and where commences the portage between the Miami of the Ohio and St. Mary's River, which is a branch of the Miami which runs into Lake Erie; thence a westerly course to Fort Recovery [erected upon the grounds where St. Clair was defeated in November, 1791], which stands on a branch of the Wabash; thence southwesterly in a direct line to the Ohio, so as to intersect that river opposite the mouth of Kentucky or Cuttawa River."

By the terms of the treaty, the Indians also ceded to the United States Government various small tracts of land surrounding military posts erected and to be erected. Also, the right to the people of the United States of a free passage by land and water through the territory still owned by the Indians. The reader will understand that the Indians relinquished all claims to the lands lying eastwardly and southwardly of the line above described, in consideration "of the peace now established; of the goods formerly received from the United States; of those now to be delivered; and

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of the yearly delivery of goods now stipulated to be made hereafter; and to indemnify the United States for the injuries and expenses they have sus- tained during the war."

On the 4th day of July, 1805, at a treaty made at Fort Industry, on the Miami of the Lake, between the United States of America and the sachems, chiefs and warriors of the Wyandot, Ottawa, Chippewa, Muncie, Delaware, Shawanese and Pottawatomie nations, it was determined that "the boundary line between the United States and the nations aforesaid shall in future be a' meridian line drawn north and south through a boundary to be erected on the south shore of Lake Erie, 120 miles due west of the west boundary line of the State of Pennsylvania, extending north until it intersects the boundary line of the United States, and extending south until it intersects a line heretofore established by the treaty of Greenville." Thus, all the lands lying east of the above-described line, bounded southerly and easterly by the line established by the treaty of Greenville, and northerly by the northernmost part of the forty-first degree of north latitude, were ceded by the Indians to the United States. By Article 4 of this treaty, the United States delivered to the Wyandot, Shawanese, Muncie and Delaware nations goods to the value of $20,000, and stipulated for a perpetual annuity of $9,500, payable in goods reckoned at first cost in the city or place in the United States where they should be procured.

The Wyandots were also interested parties in the treaty of Detroit, which was concluded on the 17th day of November, 1807; but as the lands ceded were for the most part within the limits of the present State of Mich- igan, we refrain from further mention of its provisions, etc.

The treaty of Brownstown was made November 25, 1808, between Will- iam Hull, Governor of Michigan Territory, and the Chippewa, Ottawa, Pot- tawatomie, Wyandot and Shawanese nations. This treaty related mainly to the cession of lands for roads through the territory still owned by the Indi- ans. Among the routes then ceded was "a tract of Jand, for a road only, of 120 feet in width, to run southwardly from what is called Lower San- dusky, to the boundary line established by the treaty of Greenville, with the privilege of taking at all times such timber and other materials from the adjacent lands as may be necessary for making and keeping in repair the said road, with the bridges that may be required along the same." This, probably, was the first highway projected by the English-speaking whites, or Americans, in a direction which would lead through the present county of Wyandot.

Meanwhile, from the date of the conclusion of the treaty of Greenville until the beginning of the last war with Great Britian-1812-15-the Wy- andots, true to their treaty obligations, remained at peace with the Ameri- cans. In 1812, however, at a time when the great Shawanese Chieftain, Tecumseh, and his brother the Prophet, were endeavoring to array under arms all of the Northwestern tribes against the Americans, a great Indian council of the Northern nations was held at Brownstown in the Michigan Territory. At that meeting Tarhe, or "The Crane" aud Between-the- logs* were among the chief representatives of the Wyandots. The elo- quence of Tecumseh's adherents, and the glittering promises of the British

*The distinguished chief, Between-the-logs, whose portrait the reader will find in this work, was born near Lower Sandusky about the year 1780. His father was a Seneca, and his mother a member of the Bear tribe of the Wyandot nation. When still in his teens, he, with other Wyandots, fought Gen. Wayne's troops at the battle of the Maumee Rapids, or "Fallen Timbers." He then lived at Lower Sandusky. He early became prominent in his nation, and when still a young man, because of his retentive memory and ability in discussion, was made a chief and appointed chief speaker of his nation. When about twenty-five years old he was sent to fathom the doctrines and pretensions of a celebrated Seneca prophet, whose fallacy

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agents, proved to be as nothing to them, and they firmly rejected all over- tures to join in the war against the Americans. True, a few fiery young warriors of the Wyandot nation did enter the British service. But Tarhe, Between-the-logs, Summundewat, Big Tree, and the major portion of the Wyandots remained faithful to their pledges. These chiefs left the Brownstown council, returned to Upper Sandusky, and immediately joined the American cause. Fort Ferree, at Upper Sandusky, and Fort Meigs, at Lower Sandusky, were erected upon their lands. Here were concentrated large numbers of troops from Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Ohio, under Gen. Harrison, and here were they treated in the most friendly manner by the Wyandots. When Gen. Harrison invaded Canada, he was accompanied by a large party of Wyandot chiefs and warriors. But the principal object of his Indian friends was to detach that part of the Wyandot nation from the British interest, who, by the surrounding Indians, had in a measure been forced to join the English. This was effected.

We now come to the consideration of an event which, by its realization, placed the Wyandots upon a comparatively small tract of territory or "res- ervation," where they remained until within the memory of many of the present inhabitants of Wyandot County. We allude to the "treaty of the Foot of the Rapids, of the Miami of the Lake," which was concluded on the 29th day of September, 1817, between Lewis Cass and Duncan McAr. thur, Commissioners of the United States, and the sachems, chiefs and war- riors of the Wyandot, Seneca, Delaware, Shawanese, Pottawatomie, Ottawa and Chippewa tribes of Indians. The articles of this treaty which have an especial reference to our topic are as follows:

"ARTICLE 2. The Wyandot tribe of Indians, in consideration of the stip- ulations herein made on the part of the United States, do hereby forever cede to the United States the lands comprehended within the following lines and boundaries: Beginning at a point on the southern shore of Lake Erie, where the present Indian boundary line intersects the same, between the mouth of Sandusky Bay and the mouth of Portage River; thence running south with said line to the line established in the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety-five, by the treaty of Greenville, which runs from the crossing place above Fort Laurens to Loromie's store; thence westerly with the last mentioned line to the eastern line of the reserve at Loromie's store; thence with the lines of said reserve north and west to the northwest corner thereof; thence to the northwestern corner of the reserve on the River St. Mary's, at the head of the navigable waters thereof; thence east to the western bank of the St. Mary's River aforesaid; thence down on the western bank of the said river to the reserve at Fort

he soon detected. About two years afterward he was sent on a like errand to a noted Shawanese prophet -Tecumseh's brother-with whom he staid nearly a year, and then returned, convinced and convincing others that the Prophet's pretensions were all delusion and destitute of truth.

During the war of 1812-15, he was the firm friend of the Americans, and he was instrumental in detaching from the British interests a number of the young men of the Wyandot nation who had been misled. After that war he settled permanently in the neighborhood of Upper Sandusky. He now, in com- mon with many of the Wyandots, became addicted to habits of intemperance, and in a time of debauch and drunkenness killed his wife. When he became sober, the horror of this deed made so deep an impression un his mind that from that day he measurably abandoned the use of ardent spirits. In 1817, he made him- self conspicuous by visiting Washington, and securing advantages to the Wyandots, as shown in the text of this chapter relating to the treaty at St. Mary's. When John Stewart, the colored exhorter, appeared among the Wyandots, Between-the-logs became his friend, and soon after embraced Christianity. Soon after this, he was regularly appointed an exhorter in the church, in which relation he remained until his death, a devoted friend and advocate of God. He also watched with unremitting diligence over the temporal interests of the nation; enduring the fatigues of business, and of the longest journeys, for the welfare of his people without complaint. He was uniformly an attendant upon the Ohio Annual Conference, at which he made some of the most rational and eloquent speeches ever delivered by an Indian before that body. He · always manifested a deep interest in the welfare of the mission and school. He was rather above the medium height, of slight build, but well proportioned, with an open and manly countenance. He died of consumption January 1, 1827, and was buried in the grounds surrounding the Mission Church.

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HISTORY OF WYANDOT COUNTY.

Wayne; thence with the lines of the last-mentioned reserve, easterly and northerly, to the north bank of the River Miami of Lake Erie; thence down on the north bank of the said river to the western line of the land ceded to the United States by the treaty of Detroit, in the year one thousand, eight hundred and seven; thence with the said line south to the middle of said Miami River, opposite the mouth of the Great Auglaize River; thence down the middle of said Miami River, and easterly with the lines of the tract ceded to the United States by the treaty of Detroit aforesaid, so far that a south line will strike the place of beginning. * * * * *

"ART. 3. The Wyandot, Seneca, Delaware, Shawanese, Pottawatomie, Ottawa and Chippewa tribes of Indians, accede to the cessions mentioned in the two preceding articles. * * * * * * *

" ART. 6. The United States agree to grant, by patent, in fee simple, to Doanquod, Howoner, Rontondee, Tauyau, Rontayau, Dawatont, Manocue, Tauyaudautauson and Haudauwaugh, chiefs of the Wyandot tribe and their successors in office, chiefs of the said tribe, for the use of the persons and for the purposes mentioned in the annexed schedule, a tract of land twelve miles square at Upper Sandusky, the center of which shall be the place where Fort Ferree stands; and also a tract of one mile square, to be located where the chiefs direct, on a cranberry swamp, on Broken Sword Creek, and

66 * * to be held for the use of the tribe. * *

" ART. 7. And the said chiefs or their successors may, at any time they may think proper, convey to either of the persons mentioned in the said schedule, or his heirs, the quantity secured thereby to him, or may refuse to do so. But the use of the said land shall be in the said person; and after the share of any person is conveyed by the chiefs to him, he may con- vey the same to any person whatever. And any one entitled by the said schedule to a portion of the said land, may, at any time, convey the same to any person, by obtaining the approbation of the President of the United States, or of the person appointed by him to give such approbation. And the agent of the United States shall make an equitable partition of the said share when conveyed.

"ART. 8. At the special request of the said Indians, the United States agree to grant, by patent, in fee simple, to the persons hereinafter men- tioned, all of whom are connected with the said Indians, by blood or adop- tion, the tracts of land herein described:

"To Elizabeth Whitaker, who was taken prisoner by the Wyandots, and has ever since lived among them, 1,280 acres of land, on the west side of the Sandusky River, below Croghansville, to be laid off in a square form, as nearly as the meanders of the said river will admit, and to run an equal dis- tance above and below the house in which the said Elizabeth Whitaker now lives.

" To Robert Armstrong, who was taken prisoner by the Indians, and has ever since lived among them, and has married a Wyandot woman, one section to contain 640 acres of land, on the west side of the Sandusky River, to begin at the place called Camp Ball, and to run up the river, with the meanders thereof, 160 poles, and from the beginning down the river, with the mean- ders thereof, 160 poles, and from the extremity of these lines west for quantity.

"To the children of the late William McCollock, who was killed in August, 1812, near Maugaugon, and who are quarter-blood Wyandot Indians, one

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section, to contain 640 acres of land, on the west side of the Sandusky River, adjoining the lower line of the tract hereby granted to Robert Armstrong, and extending in the same manner, with and from the said river.

" To John Vanmeter, who was taken prisoner by the Wyandots, and who has ever since lived among them, and has married a Seneca woman, and to his wife's three brothers, Senecas, who now reside on Honey Creek, 1,000 acres of land, to begin north, forty-five degrees west, one hundred and forty poles from the house in which the said John Vanmeter now lives, and to run thence south 320 poles, thence and from the beginning, east for quantity.

" To Sarah Williams, Joseph Williams and Rachel Nugent, late Rachel Williams, the said Sarah having been taken prisoner by the Indians, and has ever since lived among them, and being the widow, and the said Joseph and Rachel being the children of the late Isaac Williams, a half-blood Wy- andot, one-quarter section of land, to contain 160 acres, on the east side of the Sandusky River, below Croghansville, and to include their improvements at a place called Negro Point.

" To Catharine Walker, a Wyandot woman, and to John R. Walker, her son, who was wounded in the service of the United States at the battle of Maugaugon, in 1812, a section of 640 acres of land each, to begin at the northwestern corner of the tract hereby granted to John Vanmeter and his wife's brothers, and to run with the line thereof south 320 poles; thence and from the beginning west for quantity.

" To William Spicer, who was taken prisoner by the Indians, and has ever since lived among them and has married a Seneca woman, a section of land to contain 640 acres, beginning on the east bank of the Sandusky River, forty poles below the lower corner of said Spicer's corn-field; thence up the river on the east side, with the meanders thereof, one mile; thence and from the beginning east for quantity. * * *

" To Horonu, or the 'Cherokee Boy,' a Wyandot chief, a section of land. to contain 640 acres, on the Sandusky River, to be laid off in a square form, and to include his improvements. * * * *

"ART. 15. The tracts of land herein granted to the chiefs, for the use of the Wyandot, Shawanese, Seneca and Delaware Indians, and the reserve for the Ottawa Indians, shall not be liable to taxes of any kind so long as such lands continue the property of said Indians. * * * * *

* * *

"ART. 18. The Delaware tribe of Indians in consideration of the stip- ulations herein made on the part of the United States, dohereby forever cede to the United States all the claim which they have to the thirteen sections of land reserved for the use of certain persons of their tribe, by the second section of the act of Congress, passed March the third, one thousand eight hundred and seven, providing for the disposal of the land of the United States be- tween the United States Military Tract and the Connecticut Reserve, and the lands of the United States between the Cincinnati and Vincennes dis- tricts.

"ART. 19. The United States agree to grant, by patent, in fee simple, to Zeeshawan, or James Armstrong, and to Sanondoyourayquaw, or Silas Armstrong, chiefs of the Delaware Indians, living on the Sandusky waters, and their successors in office, chiefs of the said tribe, for the use of the per- sons mentioned in the annexed schedule, in the same manner and subject to the same conditions, provisions and limitations as is hereinbefore provided

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HISTORY OF WYANDOT COUNTY.

for the lands granted to the Wyandot, Seneca and Shawanese Indians, a tract of land to contain nine square miles, to join the tract granted to the Wyan- dots of twelve miles square, to be laid off as nearly in a square form as practicable, and to include Captain Pipe's village." *

By this treaty the United States stipulated to pay the Wyandots a per- petual annuity of $4,000; to the Senecas, $500; to the Shawanese, $2,000 ; to the Pottawatomies, annually, for fifteen years, $1,300; to the Ottawas, annually, for fifteen years, $1,000 ; to the Chippewas, annually, for fifteen years, $1,000, and to the Delawares, $500, but no annuity. The United States also engaged to erect a saw and grist mill, for the use of the Wyandots ; and to provide and maintain two blacksmiths : one for the use of the Wyandots and Senecas, the other for the Indians at Hog Creek.

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The History of Wyandot County, Ohio, containing a history of the county, its townships, towns general and local statistics, military record, portraits of early settlers and prominent men etc, Part 28

Author: Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Chicago, Leggett, Conaway Number of Pages: 1072

Author:
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago, Leggett, Conaway
Number of Pages: 1072