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 31

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 31

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Mr. Finley remained with the Wyandots at Upper Sandusky (assisted meanwhile, at different periods, by Revs. John Stewart, Charles Elliott, Jacob Hooper, John C. Brooke and James Gilruth), about seven years, and his published statements of the proceedings while here, are quite inter- esting and complete. Yet, except in a few instances, the scope of this work-the great variety of topics to be treated-precludes the practicability of our giving full accounts obtained therefrom, or indeed of doing but little more, while speaking further of the Wyandot Mission, than to merely make mention of some of the most prominent events.

While the chiefs and head men known as Between-the-logs, Mononcue, John Hicks, Squire Grayeyes, Gecrge Punch, Summundewat, Big-tree, Driver, Washington, Joseph Williams, Two Logs, Mathew Peacock, Harrihoot, Robert Armstrong, Scuteash, Rohnyenness, Little Chief, Big River, Squindatee and others (with a following of about one-half of those

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on the reservation), professed to have obtained religion, and were enrolled as members of the Mission Methodist Episcopal Church, Deunquot, who be- came the head chief of the nation upon the death of Tarhe, together with the other half of the Indians under his control, remained true to the religion (if so it may be called) of their fathers. Finley speaks of an occurrence in which Deunquot prominently figured as follows:

"Some time after this the head chief, Deunquot, and his party came one Sabbath to the council house, where we held our meetings, dressed up and painted in real Indian style, with their head-bands filled with silver bobs, their head-dress consisting of feathers and painted horse hair. The chief had a half moon of silver on his neck before and several hanging on his back. He had nose-jewels and ear-rings, and many bands of silver on his arms and legs. Around his ankles hung many buck-hoofs, to rattle when he walked. His party were dressed in similar style. The like nesses of animals were painted on their breasts and backs, and snakes on their arms. When he came in he addressed the congregation in Indian style, with a polite compliment, and then taking his seat, struck fire, took out his pipe, lighted it and commenced smoking. Others of his party followed his example. I knew this was done by way of opposition and designed as an insult. Soon after I took my text, John v, 16, ' Wilt thou be made whole ?' etc .; and commenced on the diseases of man's soul, and showing from history the injustice of one nation to another; the treatment of the white people to the natives of North and South America; the conduct of man to his brother, and his conduct to himself, his drunkenness etc., and all the good we have comes from God, to make us happy. But that we, from the badness of our hearts, use these blessings to our own hurt; and that all evil proceeds out of the heart; therefore, all our hearts must be evil, and that continually; that we are proud, and of this we have an ex- ample before us in our grandfather, the head chief. Surely these things can do him no good, but to feed a proud heart. They will not warm his body when cold, nor feed him when hungry.

"As soon as I sat down, he arose with all the dignity of an Indian, and spoke as follows: 'My friends, this is a pretty day, and your faces all look pleasantly. I thank the Great Spirit that He has permitted us to meet. I have listened to your preacher. He has said some things that are good, but they have nothing to do with us. We are Indians, and belong to the red man's God. That book was made by the white man's God, and suits them. They can read it -we cannot; and what he has said will do for white men, but with us it has nothing to do. Once, in the days of our grandfathers, many years ago, this white man's God came himself to this country and claimed us. But our God met him somewhere near the great mountains, and they disputed about the right to this country. At last they agreed to settle this question by trying their great power to remove a mountain. The white man's God got down on his knees, opened a big book, and began to pray and talk, but the mountain stood fast. Then then the red man's God took his magic wand, and began to pow-wow and beat the turtle shell, and the mountain trembled, shook, and stood by him. The white man's God got scared and ran off, and we have not heard of him since, unless he has sent these men to see what they can do.' All the time he was speaking, the heathen party were on tip-toe, and often responded, saying, 'Tough gondee'-that is, true or right; and seemed to think they had won the victory.

"As soon as he sat down, I arose and said: 'Our grandfather is a great

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man-he is an able warrior, a great hunter, and a good chief in many things; and in all this I am his son. But when it comes to matters of re- ligion, he is my son and I am his father. He has told us a long and queer story. I wonder where he obtained it. He may have dreamed it, or he has heard some drunken Indian tell it; for you know that drunkards always see great sights, and have many revelations, which sober men never have. (Here my old friend Mononcue said, 'Tough gondee.') But my friend, the head chief, is mistaken about his gods; for if it requires a God for every color, there must be many more gods. This man is black (pointing to Pointer). I am white, and you are red. Who made the black man? Where is his God? This book tells you and me that there is but one God, and that he made all things, and all nations of the earth of one blood, to dwell together; and a strong evidence is, that the difference of color is no obstacle to gen- eration. God has diversified the color of the plants. Go to the plains and see how varied they are in their appearance. Look at the beasts; they are

of all colors. So it is with men. God has given them all shades of color, from the jet black to the snow white. Then your being a red man, and I a white man, is no argument at all that there are two gods. And I again say that this book is true in what it states of man having a bad heart, and being wicked; and that my friend has a proud heart is evident from his dress and painting himself. God made me white and that man black. We are contented. But my friend does not think the Great Spirit has made him pretty enough; he must put on his paint to make himself look better. This is a plain proof that he is a proud man, and has an evil heart.' Seeing that the chief was angry, I said, 'My grandfather will not get angry at his son for telling him the truth, but he might if I had told him a lie.'

"He then rose, considerably excited, saying: 'I am not angry; but you cannot show in all your book where an Indian is forbid to paint. You may find where white people are forbid, but you cannot show where an Indian is.' I then arose, and read from the third chapter of Isaiah, at the sixteenth verse; and told him that these people were not white men, as the Ameri- cans, and yet were forbidden to use those foolish ornaments. He arose and said I had not read it right. I then handed the book to one of the Mr. Walkers, and he read and interpreted it; so that the old man was at last confounded, and said no more." Nevertheless, Deunquot remained stead- fast in the belief of his ancesters until his death, which occurred about a year after the affair in the council house, just narrated. He was succeeded by the chief termed Warpole.

In the summer of 1823, the mission school was formally opened. It was conducted according to the manual labor system. The boys were taught the art of farming, and the girls, house-work, sewing, knitting, spinning, cooking, etc. The boys were averse to labor at first; but instead of force, stratagem was brought into play. They were divided into separate groups, and each encouraged to excel the others. Sixty scholars were enrolled in the year last mentioned, among them being a number of children sent from Canada, by members of the Wyandot nation there residing. Bishop Mc- Kendree also visited the mission and reservation during the same year. In a letter written by him in August, 1823, he said: "Our missionary estab- lishment is at Upper Sandusky, in the large national reserve of the Wyan- dot tribes of Indians, which contains one hundred and forty-seven thousand eight hundred and forty acres of land; being in extent something more than nineteen miles from east to west, and twelve miles from north to south. Throughout the whole extent of this tract, the Sandusky winds its course, re-

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ceiving several beautiful streams. This fine tract, with another reservation of five miles square at the Big Spring, head of Blanchard's River, is all the soil that remains to the Wyandots, once the proprietors of an extensive tract of country. The mission at Upper Sandusky is about sixty-five or seventy miles north of Columbus, the seat of government of Ohio. To the old Indian boundary line, which is about half way, the country is pretty well improved. From thence to the Wyandot Reserve, the population is thinly scattered, the lands having been but lately surveyed and brought into market."

During the same year (1823), Col. Jobn Johnston, United States Indian Agent, likewise visited the Wyandots on their reservations. He passed several days among them, and at the close of his visit-August 23-reported as follows: " The buildings and improvements of the establishment are substantial and extensive, and do this gentleman [meaning Mr. Finley] great credit. The farm is under excellent fence, and in fine order; com- prising about one hundred and forty acres, in pasture, corn and vegetables. There are about fifty acres in corn, which, from present appearances, will yield 3,000 bushels. It's by much the finest crop I have seen this year, has been well worked, and is clear of grass and weeds. There are twelve acres in potatoes, cabbage, turnips and garden. Sixty children belong to the school, of which number fifty-one are Indians. These children are boarded and lodged at the mission house. They are orderly and attentive, compris- ing every class from the alphabet to readers in the Bible. I am told by the teacher that they are apt in learning. and that he is entirely satisfied with the progress they have made. They attend with the family regularly to the duties of religion. The meeting-house, on the Sabbath, is numerously and devoutly attended. A better congregation in behavior I have not beheld; and I believe there can be no doubt, that there are very many persons, of both sexes, in the Wyandot nation, who have experienced the saving effects of the Gospel upon their minds. Many of the Indians are now settling on farms, and have comfortable houses and large fields. À spirit of order, in- dustry and improvement appears to prevail with that part of the nation which has embraced Christianity, and this constitutes a full half of the population." During the year 1823, the sum of $2, 254.54 was expen ded at the mission, which had been gathered from various sources.

The same year was also made memorable in the history of the mission by reason of the death of the colored preacher, Rev. John Stewart, who died of consumption December 17, 1823. It appears from Finley's account, that in 1820, conference appropriated money for the purpose of purchasing a horse for Stewart, and to pay for clothing he had bought; besid es which, he received many presents from friends in and about Urbana. Soon after, he married a women of his own color, and wished to have a place of his own. Thereupon the venerable Bishop McKendree collected $100, with which sixty acres of land were purchased and patented in the name of Stewart. It adjoined the Wyandot Reservation, and was occupied by him from the spring of 1321 until his death. Afterward his wife and brother sold the land and appropriated the money to their own use. Stewart was the recipient of regular supplies from the mission to the time of his decease; although a year or so before that event he had withdrawn from the Method- ist Episcopal Church, and joined the Allenites, a sect of colored Methodists.

In the spring of 1824, the Indians turned their attention to the improve- ment of their farms, and to the building of comfortable houses. A number

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of howed-log houses were put up, with brick or stone chimneys; and great exertions were made to enclose largo fields, for raising grain and grass. Many purchased sheep, and means were taken to improve their breed of cattle and hogs. With the means at their command, they did all they could to provide for the future, without following the chase, for they clearly saw that the white settlers would soon occupy all the country around them, and that they must starve unless they could procure the means of living at home. The same year, too, was built the mission church, now standing in ruins. Says Mr. Finley: "We were much in want of a place of worship, as there was no proper meeting-house. Sometimes we worshiped in the old council house, as the largest and most roomy. This was an old build - ing, made of split slabs, laid between two posts stuck in the ground, and covered with bark peeled from the trees. No floor but the earth-no fire- place but a hearth in the middle, and logs laid on the ground on each side for seats. In the winter we met in the mission schoolhouse, which was much too small.

On my tour to the East, I visited the city of Washington, in company with the Rev. David Young. Here I had an interview with President Monroe, and gave him such information as he wished, as to the state of the mission and Indians in general. I had also an introduction to John C. Calhoun, Secretary of War. This gentleman took a deep interest in Indian afairs, and gave me much satisfactory information respecting the different missions in progress among the Indians; the amount of money expended on each establishment, and the probable success. I made an estimate of the cost of our buildings, and he gave me the Government's proportion of the expense, which amounted to $1,333. I then asked him if it would be improper to take that money, and build a good church for the benefit of the nation. His reply was, that I might use it for building a church; and he wished it made of strong and durable materials, so that it might remain a house of worship when both of us were no more. This work was per- formed, and the house was built out of good limestone, 30x40 feet, and plainly finished. So these people have had a comfortable house to wor- ship God in ever since. It will stand if not torn down, for a century* to come."

* Such would have been the case, doubtless, if the successors of the Wyandots here-the white men- had exhibited the least particle of public spirit, or of pride, in the preservation of this, and other priceless mementoes of a past race and age. Under date of May 12, 1881, the very able editor of the Wyandot Dem- ocratic Union speaks of this: "The Last Landmark of the Wyandot Reservation," in the following lucid, unmistakable style: *

* * "We remember with what interest we viewed, on our first visit to the town -shortly after these so-called wild men had taken their departure-the council house, the block-house, many of their cabins, and especially the church, which had witnessed so many gracious manifestations of the presence of the Holy Ghost, and which now is almost a heap of ruins. Then they were considered souvenirs of the people that for generations had occupied the land, and whose untutored minds had formed certain well defined laws much in accordance with nature for their government; and who, to enforce them, had their officers, prisons and courts of justice. All these were left as mementoes of the age that had pre- ceded ours. They should have been protected by the people who succeeded them, and guarded as legacies handed down from those whose hands had built them. But this was not the case. A different spirit act- vated those who succeeded them, although they boasted of a higher order of civilization, that had the Chris- tian religion for its corner stone. The tide of emigration that pressed into the reservation under the new order of things, had no appreciation for the venerable relics they found standing everywhere, as monuments of the genius of the people who had preceded them, and with the greed ever manifested by the whites to gain property, and to turn everything found in their way into a channel that would lead to such results, therefore, nothing belonging to Indian mythology was deemed too sacred to be sacrificed to this unholy thirst for riches.

" After the organization of the county, the council house, which had witnessed so many grand scenes connected with the primeval history of the Wyandots, was used for holding the courts of justice, and by sheer carelessness in storing ashes in a barrel, it took fire and was burned up. The block-house or jail gave way for a more imposing building. to be used as a dwelling-house. Other memorial stones that were set up as commemorative of Indian history were thrown down, and at last the 'Old Mission Church,' the only landmark remaining, is about to fall into decay. More than this, the vandal hand was seen a few years ago in the almost total obliteration of the marble slabs that marked the last resting-place of a number of the most noteworthy of the Indian chiefs of the Wyandots, many of them having, ere they died, gloried in the power of the new birth, and believed in Him who is the resurrection and the life. But nevertheless, men calling themselves Christians, some of them ministers of the Gospel, with uplifted hands, struck piece after piece from these grave marks of the noble dead, until there docs not remain a single one to tell where rests

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HISTORY OF WYANDOT COUNTY.

For the year ending September 30, 1826, the following report of the mission school, etc., was rendered to the War Department of the United States: Name of the site or station, Wyandot Mission School, Upper San- dusky; by whom established, by the Bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church, with the consent of the Ohio Annual Conference; when established, October 16, 1821; name of Superintendent, J. B. Finley; number of schol. ars, sixty-nine; number of teachers, one male and one female teacher, prin - cipals-ten others-in all, twelve; amount of funds received, including an- nual allowance of Government, $2,454.47}; amount of disbursements, $2,600; deficiency, $145.52}; value of property belonging to the establish- ment, $10,000. At that time this was the most successful and prosperous Indian school and mission in the United States. We will also mention here, that the building known as the mission school and boarding-house was situated about half a mile northeast of the church. It entirely disappeared many years ago. It was commenced by Mr. Finley in the winter of 1821-22 See his account as shown on preceding pages.

In explanation of the number of white men or partly white men found among the Wyandots, it appears that this nation, although never behind other savage tribes during their wars with the whites, were more merciful than their neighbors-the Delawares, Shawanese, Miamis, Ottawas, Chippe- was, etc. They saved more prisoners, and purchased many from other In- dians, and adopted them into their families. Thus did they become allied with some of the best families in the country. The Browns, an old Virginia family; the Zanes, another well-known family; the Walkers of Tennessee, and the Williams, Armstrongs, Mcculloughs and Magees of Pittsburgh, were all represented among them. Robert Armstrong, one of the best in- terpreters during Finley's time, was taken prisoner by the Wyandots about the year 1786, when a boy about four years old. His parents resided a few miles above Pittsburgh, on the banks of the Allegheny River. One Sunday morning a young man of the family, with little Robert, took a canoe and crossed over to the west side of the river to visit a camp of friendly Indians of the Cornplanter tribe. This camp was situated about four miles distant from the river. After they had made their visit and were returning home, in passing a dense thicket through which the path led, they heard a noiso and stopped to look, and to their great surprise aud terror, four hideously painted Indians of the Wyandot nation rose up and ordered them to stop.

the sleeping dust of Mononero, Summundewat, Between-the-Logs, Deunquot, or any other of the braves whose remains had been deposited in the ground aronud this ' Old Mission Chureb.' It is & record at which the Christian should blush with sbame. It was a vandalism of which the Goths, in their palmiest days, would have blushed to have been charged with, and yet in this advanced age, in the light of the sun shining on ns in this, the nineteenth century, there were men wearing the livery of heaven that boldly, in open daylight, were guilty of this crime.

"But the past cannot be recalled. What has been done cannot be remedied. But the people of Upper Sandusky have a sacred duty to perform in the preservation of what remains of the ' Old Mission Church' from total obliteration. Last winter, Lad there been sufficient enterprise, the object sought for might have been attained. Through the persevering efforts of Hon. E. B. Finley, a bill passed the Senate of the United States, appropriating $3,000 for repairing the Old Mission Church, and building a suitable monument in honor of the Wyandot nation. Mr. Finley notified our citizens of this fact, and invited their co-operation. What was done by our people? Simply nothing! We made an appeal to them through the columns of the Union. Our appeal had about as much effect as pouring water upon a goose's back. We talked privately to our business men, but they turned a deaf ear to all we said, and the result was that with the expiration of the last Congress, the bill died a borning in the house, and the town is out of the $3,000 for the fitting-up of the old mission grounds If our citizens would have met in public meeting, and taken steps to co-operate with Mr. Finley, our member of Congress, and sent a delegation to Washington to work up the matter, the bill could, we have no doubt, have been passed. But as it is, ve see now no hope. The church that should stand as a monument of other days and of another people is going into decay, and it will not be long until there will be nothing left of it. We are chargeable with its destruction, and the generations that will come after us, looking for these mementoes of a pre-historic race, will condemn us for our want of liberality in not preserving them. We have now had our say on this subject, and we close by reiterating our former belief, that if our citizens had moved at the proper time, Finley's bill would have passed the National Con- gress, and an amount sufficient would have been placed at the disposal of the proper person to have put in repair this old landmark, and to have erected a suitable monument to the memory of the sleeping braves whose bodies have returned to dust around it."

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The young man attempted to make his escape by running, but had made a few steps only, when the Indians fired and he fell dead. Little Robert ran a few yards, but one of the Indians soon caught him and picked him up. Said he: "I was so scared to see the young man tomahawked and scalped that I could hardly stand, when set on my feet, for I expected it would be my lot next. One of the men took me on his back and carried me for sev- eral miles before he stopped. The company then divided. Two men took the scalp, and the other two had charge of me. In the evening they met, and traveled until it was late in the night, and then stopped to rest and sleep. The next morning I had to take it afoot as long as I could travel; and although they treated me kindly, yet I was afraid they would kill me. Thus they traveled on for several days, crossing some large rivers, until they got to an Indian town, as I learned afterward, on the Jerome's Fork of Mo hickan Creek, one of the branches of Muskingum River. Here they rested awhile, and then went on until they came to Lower Sandusky."

Young Armstrong was adopted into the Big Turtle tribe of Wyandots, and named O-no-ran-do-roh. He became an expert hunter and 'a perfect Indian in his feelings and habits of life. He married an Indian woman or half-breed, and had so far lost the knowledge of his mother tongue that for years he could speak or understand but little of it. After Gen. Wayne's treaty he mingled more with the whites, conversed more in English, and finally learned to talk the language of his fathers equal to any of the traders or settlers. He became an excellent interpreter, and was employed in trading and interpreting the rest of his life. His wife was a daughter of Ebenezer Zane-a half Indian woman-and they raised a family of interest- ing children. He lived for some years at Solomonstown. Afterward he moved to Zanesfield, on Mad River, and from thence to Upper Sandusky, where he died of consumption in April, 1825. We have thus briefly sketched the career of Armstrong for the reason that it is a fair illustration, probably, of the life and experiences of many other whites who had been captured and adopted by the Wyandots.

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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 31

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

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