USA > Ohio > Licking County > Granville > The history of Granville, Licking County, Ohio > Part 7
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ESQUIRE GILMAN'S HOUSE, 1809.
Samuel Paine Robbins, of Marietta ; James Scott, of Clinton ; John Wright, of Lancaster, and Stephen Lindley, of Athens. The lay delegates were Judson Guitteau, Wm. R. Putnam, of. Marietta, and Matthew Merrit, of Clinton. Rev. Jacob Lindley, President of Ohio University, had been invited, but did not appear. Mr. Scott made the introductory prayer ; Mr. Robbins preached the sermon; Mr. Potter made the consecrating prayer, and gave the charge; Mr. Lindley gave the right hand of fellowship, and Mr. Wright made the concluding prayer. Lyman Potter was Moderator of the Council, and Stephen Lindley, scribe.
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FIRST REVIVAL.
Almost co-incident with Mr. Harris' labors there came a seriousness over the church and congregation which culmin- ated during the closing months of the year in the first of that series of powerful revivals which characterized the Gran- ville church through all its early history. The features of the work were a deepening spirit of prayer on the part of the church, a growing seriousness among the youth, a per- sistent opposition from those who preferred dancing and frolic even in times of refreshing from on high, and marked and frequent examples of all-conquering grace. A solemn stillness, unbroken attention and the silent tear were charac- teristics of the Sabbath meetings. Seven had united with the original church previous to Mr. Harris' coming, and as the result of this revival, forty were added. Early in the succeeding year the total membership was seventy.
By this time, Samuel J. Philipps, Thos. Owens, Jacob Reilly, and McLane had become residents on the Welsh Hills
Deacon Peter Thurston came this year from Vermont, with Mr. Wheeler and others, Mr. Thurston settled on the farm just north of the Goodrich farm. Mrs. Thurston was sister of Samuel Everitt.
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1
ANNALS, 1809-II.
CHAPTER XVI.
The events of the succeeding years will not require to be noticed with the particularity of those already chronicled.
A road had been cut out at an early day by Mr. Sullivan of Franklinton, from that place to Newark, passing Gran- ville two miles to the south. A young lady who had been raised in the family of the noted Mr. Blannerhasset, had mar- ried a Mr. Ward, and had received fromn Mr. Blannerhasset the gift of one hundred acres of land lying about four miles southwest from Granville. It was a part of the tract after- ward owned by Mr. Elias Fasset and used as a dairy farm. " Ward's " became a landmark among the early settlers, and the above route from Franklinton, after following the line of what is now the Columbus road until it struck Ward's place, turned more directly eastward to Newark. When the inail was first carried from Newark through Granville to Col- umbus, Leveret Butler, then a lad of fourteen, piloted the mail carrier from Granville, past his father's farm, to Ward's, where the carrier entered the Sullivan road. Returning, But- ler blazed a track for permanent use, and thus was opened the mail route afterwards used by the four horse coaches of Neil, More & Co., running from Columbus via Granville to Newark and Zanesville.
During this year the first bricks made in Granville were manufactured by Wm. Stedman and Augustine Munson. Rev. Timothy Harris agreed before hand to take of them three thousand and Judge Rose seven thousand at $5.00 per thousand.
Up to this time Judge Rose had acted as Postmaster, hav- ing been appointed in 1806. The eastern mail was brought via Pittsburg, Wheeling, Marietta, Zanesville and Newark.
During the year, Morris Morris, David James and . Joseph Evans became residents on the Welsh Hills.
12
90
THE FIRST RESIDENT PHYSICIAN.
Dr. Samuel Lee arrived in the place in the spring, coming from Poultney, Vt., from which place he started on Tuesday, the 9th of May, at 9 o'clock in the morning. It being in 1809, the recurrence of nine's helped to remember the date. He was the first resident physician of Granville. He mar- ried Miss Sabra Case, daughter of Job Case, and after two years' residence in town they removed to Coshocton, where he became a prominent man in his profession, in the church and in the community.
The deaths of 1809 were five ; Samuel Everitt, Jr., (he who first suggested the idea of the Granville colony,) April 14th, aged 40; an infant of Jesse Munson, Jr., June 17th ; Mrs. Abigail Sweatman, (who had her home with Judge Rose,) September 23d, aged 71 ; Samuel Waters, in October, aged 40; Alvah E., a son of Araunah Clark, November 4th.
In 1810, came Deacon Samuel Baldwin who settled on the Columbus road about two miles from town.
About the same time came Benjamin Critchet, an ingen- ious cooper, who used to make churns, gallon kegs for whisky, wooden canteens, etc. He used to go out and whistle as if for his dog, and cry "st-boy," "sic,"-when all the hogs of the neighborhood would run wildly away except his own ; which, having been trained to understand the sound as their dinner signal, would come running home to eat undisturbed by the others.
Mr. Asahel Griffin came to the place from Marietta, living for a time on Burgh Street, and afterward on Centerville, half a mile from town.
Mr. Jesse Munson, Sen., put up the frame house which is still occupied by his grandson, Hon. Marvin M. Munson, and which is still a first-class dwelling, so thorough and workmanlike were the planning and labor bestowed upon its erection. It was put up under the direction of Captain Baker, a workman who had served under the architect Benjamin, of Boston. Captain Baker did not remain a citizen of Gran- ville, but returned east soon after the completion of this job.
1809-11
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SECOND SCHOOL HOUSE.
Major Grove Case, also, erected the brick house on the northeast corner of Broad and Green Streets, having for its kitchen, in the rear, the frame house built by Timothy Spelman.
The log school house gave place to the first frame school house, which, also, was used for church purposes until the large church was built. It stood where the Methodist Church now stands, on the east side of the square, south of Broadway. It was 24 x 32 feet, and nine feet between joints.
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1809-11
It stood with the side to the road. The pulpit was in the west end, a little raised, with a window at either side. In front of it was the deacons' seat, where, according to the custom of the times, two deacons sat, facing the audience, during each service. To the right and left, extending well down the sides, and occupying the school desks, the choir was seated. In the end of the house, opposite the pulpit, was a large open fireplace, on the north side of which was a closet for the wraps and dinner-baskets of the school children, and the front door opened right against the
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A MERITORIOUS FROLIC.
chimney, on the south side. It stood upon low ground, so that in time of heavy rains the pond just west and north of it would rise and spread around it. A puncheon elevated walk of ten feet led from the higher ground to the door to provide for emergencies. When this house ceased to be used as a school house, it was removed to the east side of Prospect Hill, and became the cooper shop of Langdon & Doud.
While preparations were being inade for the erection of this building, the boys, in their evening pastimes on the common, bethought them that it would be a very jolly thing to take down the old log school house. As it would help their sires thus much, they thought it would be a meritorious frolic rather than otherwise. Though it was on the public square, and their noisy proceeding must have been observed by older people, no one interfered with them. They first took out the glass windows with great care, which had replaced the oiled paper ; took the batten door from its wooden hinges, and carried them, with all that was of any value, across the street, and stored them away at Mr. Josiah Graves'. Then, beginning with the weight poles, they dis- mantled it down to the joice. Then, becoming weary, they went home and to bed, and slept with quiet consciences. But Judge Rose and others thought it a good oppor- tunity to give the boys a lesson on lawlessness. So, with one side of their faces in their sleeves, it was arranged, with Esquire Winchel as Justice, Samuel Thrall, Prosecuting Attorney, and Josiah Graves as Constable, to bring up a number of them for a sham trial. They were brought together one evening, one of them being taken out of bed for the purpose, and arraigned for trial, with the solemn countenances of parents and officials all around them. The indictment was read, the boys all plead guilty, and they were fined twenty-five cents each and costs. Twenty-five cent pieces were very scarce at that time, and it began to look pretty serious to them. It waked up their ideas
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FILIAL OBEDIENCE.
about law and order. Then all the officers, as the boys looked unutterably penitent, consented to throw in their fees; and, finally, it was agreed, if the boys would ask forgiveness, that should end the affair.
Judge Rose, though having a keen relish for fun, and often giving himself to hilarity, yet cherished a peculiar respect for authority. We subjoin an incident or two which, with the above, illustrate these traits. When a young man, he wanted much to go to a "quilting," which was one of the occasions for young people's social enjoyment in those days. But he was too filial to go without his father's permission, so he made his request. "You may sit down and read," was the answer. He sat and read for what he thought a reasonable time, and then renewed his request : "Now may I go, father?" "You may go to bed," was the response this time. So Timothy went to bed, but, after lying quiet for another reasonable time, as he thought, he arose, dressed, and presented himself before his father again : "Now, may I go, father ?" "What you want to go for, Tim?" Not mincing matters, Tim replied : "I want to go to dance," though the dancing was one of the least of the attractions of the evening. The third reply was : "Justus, you may sing, and Tim, you go to dancing." Justus was an elder brother and a good singer. Neither of the boys knew any- thing else than to obey, so Justus sang and Tim danced. But the request was still repeated : "Now, may I go, father?" "Yes ! now go !" was the final answer.
Mr. Rathbone, visiting Granville on land business, used to stop at Judge Rose's hotel. Sitting at a table, he would receive payments in specie, and deposit it in his saddle-bags until they grew very heavy. The Judge used to indulge his humor with strangers as they came into the room. Sitting on the other side of the room, he would ask the new comer, as a favor, to hand him the saddle-bags. The accommodating man would stoop to comply, but the leathern safe seemed glued to the floor. Taking both hands, he would try to
94
COSTUMES.
discover what held them down, and it generally took the loud laugh of the bystanders to convince the man that he was the subject of a practical joke.
Up to this time, and perhaps later, old ladies came to meeting with caps on their heads, and young ladies wore as a head dress something so commonplace that they laid it aside when they reached the church. They were all dressed in homespun, the material being wool or linen, according to the season. Very handsome gingham was made by using hetcheled flax. The coarser tow made every-day wear. A little " Turkey red " was bought, with which to ornament it in a small fancy stripe. The rest of the coloring material was chiefly gathered from the woods. The church-goers would come barefoot, in warm weather, to the edge of town, where they would put on the shoes and stockings they had brought in their hands. The reason was, that bare feet were cheaper than tanned leather to walk in, yet shoes and stockings seemed more decorus in church than bare feet. But the most daring of the men sometimes came barefoot, and in their shirt sleeves. From this time, however, there was a growing ability to meet their desire for tidiness.
Afterward the nicest dresses came to be made of cambric or jaconette, or plain or figured bombazette. Shawls were brought on, made of a square yard of cambric, with a gaudy border stamped in colored figures; and they served in the outfit of young ladies on wedding occasions.
After the family piece of cloth was made up for the sea- son, tailoresses were employed, who with their patterns would go about from family to family making up the winter or summer clothing, boarding with the family until the work was done. In like manner a family would supply itself with leather by having the hides of their slaughtered animals tanned on shares; and the journeyman shoemaker would pass around with his kit of tools and fit each member with boots or shoes. The children would sometimes go barefoot, even in winter. Some sewed cloth on their feet.
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JOURNEYMAN ARTISANS.
Hon. Jeremiah R. Munson was this year the representa- tive of Licking County in the General Assembly, the seat of government being at Zanesville.
A bushel of wheat sold for fifty cents, and the price of a day's labor was the same. About this time a man bargained to mow grass one week for a busliel of salt. Salt was brought a long way on horseback, which enhanced its value. Bricks were $5 a thousand, and lumber $1 a hundred.
The first Methodist sermon delivered in the place was preached during the summer of this year, (1810,) by Rev. Elisha Buttles, the audience assembling under a large black- walnut tree which stood in Broadway, midway between the house of Mr. Gavit and where the Congregational Church was afterward built. Mr. Buttles was a brother of Mrs. Samuel Everitt.
Mr. Samuel White, son-in-law of Theophilus Rees, and father of Hon. Samuel White came to reside on the Welsh Hills ; also little David Thomas, son-in-law of Mr. Rees.
Mr. Daniel Baker came from Massachusetts, not having been on the ground before, though he was a member of the company. He came on horseback seven hundred miles, in- spected his land, and returned in the same way, the same season. The next year, 1811, be brought out his family and became a resident, building a cabin on Cherry street, and proceeding at once to clear the hill north of town where the University now stands.
Daniel Griffith came and took up his residence on the Welsh Hills.
The deaths of 1810 were six; child of Jesse Munson, Jr., May 8th, aged 10 months; Almena, daughter of Jesse Mun- son, Jr., May 29th, aged 3 years ; Bela Cooley, son of Josiah Graves, May 2d, aged 2 years ; Moses Barrett, son of Noble Root, July 26th, aged 2 years ; James Sinnet, December 14th, aged 50 years.
Dr. Wmn. S. Richards arrived from New London, Conn., Friday, July 19, 1811, having come all the way, via Marietta,
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EARTHQUAKE OF 18II.
on horseback. He immediately commenced the practice of medicine which he continued in this place until his death in 1852. He first boarded with Rev. Timothy Harris, and after- ward with Judge Rose. While there he was sleeping one night in the same room with David Messenger, Jr., when the house was shaken by one of the great earthquake waves that changed the channel of the Mississippi. Messenger was frightened by the rolling of the house, and waking the Doctor, asked what he thought was the cause of the house shaking so. The Doctor roused up enough to mutter that it inust be a hog rubbing against the house, and went to sleep again.
The day before this occurrence Daniel Baker had been with his family to Newark to make some purchases, among other things some blue-edged dishes. That night the family slept in pioneer style in their new cabin. The dishes stood on the table and the bed of Daniel, Jr., then a small boy, was on the floor and near the table. He was awakened in the night by the rattling of the dishes over his head, but was too young to be alarined by that, the magnitude of which he did not understand.
On the 12th of January, 1811, Elias Gilman, Timothy Rose, Silas Winchel, Daniel Baker, and Grove Case were made a body corporate, under the title of "Trustees of the Granville Religious and Literary Society," to have the care of Lot No. 11, given by the company for the support of inin- isters, and Lot No. 15, for school purposes, to improve, man- age and dispose of the same, provided the express purpose and intent of the grant be answered. [See Ohio Laws, Vol. 9, p. 30, State Library.] Subsequently a deed was given to these Trustees by the members of the Licking Company.
The deaths of 1811 were four; infant son of Wmn. Gavit, Esq., February 5th; Lemuel S., son of Amos Carpenter, April, aged 3 months; Capt. David Messenger, April Ist, aged 51 ; Mehitabel, daughter of Daniel Murdick, October, aged 10.
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THE WAR OF 1812.
CHAPTER XVII.
On the 17th of June, 1812, Congress passed in both houses the act declaring war with Great Britain. On the 18th the bill was signed by President Madison, and on the 19th war was formally proclaimed. Our little history need take no notice of this war save as it affected the colony. The reasons for declaring war were not so much considered on the frontier. Almost the entire Granville colony were of the party then called " federalists," which party was opposed to the war. Nevertheless, war being declared, a furor seemed to seize all the northwest to go and take Canada. There was a call not only for soldiers but for subsistence for the army and for transportation. "Four hundred teams were occupied trans- porting provisions from the lower Scioto county to the lake." "The place of worship at Franklinton was filled with corn to feed Government teams; and the minister at Delaware went into the army as Chaplain and was surrendered with the rest." The colony furnished to the Government for gen- eral uses of the army thirty-eight horses, at an aggregate valuation of $2,365, together with accoutrements valued at $515. Hon. J. R. Munson had become aid to the Governor, and returning home to Granville, he collected the citizens together, and in one hour's time had raised a company of volunteers, in all fifty men.
Levi Rose, Capt., Sylvanus Mitchel, Lieut., John Rees, 2d Sergt., Timothy Spelman, 3d Sergt., Asa B. Gavit, Ist Corpl., Knowles Linnel, 2d Corpl., Leicester Case. 3d Corpl., Thomas Spelman, Drummer, Justin Hillyer, fifer, 13
Eleazer C. Clemons, Ensign. Orin Granger, Orderly Serg., Mahlon Brown, . private. Araunah Clark, Rowley Clark, Harry Clemons, Festus Cooley,
Elijah Fox, Thomas Ford,
98
REGISTER OF INFANTRY.
Elias Gilman, private, (after- Wm. D. Gibbons, private.
ward promoted Quarmsr.,)
Claudius L. Graves, "
James Alexander,
Titus S. Hoskin,
George Avery,
Orlin P. Hayes,
Christopher Avery,
Hezekiah Johnson,
Leveret Butler,
John Kelley,
Benj'n P. Gavit,
Hugh Kelley,
Benj'n Linnel,
Seth Mead,
Campbell Messenger,
John Martin,
Grove Messenger,
Danl. Murdock,
1
Augustine Munson,
Owen Owens,
Elijah Rathbone,
Calvin Pratt,
Theophilus Rees,
Orman Rose,
Spencer Spelman,
James Shepard,
David Thompson,
Wm. Thompson,
Cotton M. Thrall,
Joel Wells,
Alexander Thrall,
[50,]
Levi Rose was successively commissioned
Ensign, Sept. 1st, 1807, Ohio militia.
Lieutenant, May 31st, 1808,
Captain, April 5th, 1810,
June Ist, 1812, U. S. service.
Two of these men were from Hanover, and others were from the western part of the county, but most of them be- longed to the colony or to the Welsh Hills. Two members of the company deserted in July; and two others, Mahlon Brown and Grove Messenger were wounded in skirmishes and never reached home again.
Mr. Munson also raised companies at Mt. Vernon, Newark, Zanesville and Lancaster. They helped to form the regiment of Colonel Lewis Cass, of which Mr. Munson became Major. The Granville Band accompanied the regiment, and as no provision was made for the enlistment of such a band, they were distributed on the rolls of the companies as drummers and fifers; albeit, they continued to play their clarionets, hautboys and bassoons.
This enlistment was probably in anticipation of the action of Congress ; for an entry in Dr Richards' journal says : "' May 8th, call for volunteers by Munson for theCanada ex-
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GOING TO WAR.
pedition." On the 12th of June, another entry says : "This day they marched away-accompanied them to Herron's."
Friends followed them out the first night to their encamp- ment, and spent most of the night with them. They were marched to Urbana, where they expected to meet General Hull's army, which was moving north to Detroit. But Hull had moved on, and they followed, overtaking him near where Findlay now stands. Through the Black Swamp, they had to open a road as they went, often working in water three feet deep. They had many alarıns on the march, from Indians, who hovered around their path, but no serious trouble occurred.
It was on this campaign, & before discipline was well estab- lished that Ormond Rose & others from Granville were acting as rear guard & had been left all day without food. At night- fall an officer was passing with a sack of flour & was asked for some. He declined to grant the request. Ormond with fixed bayonet then demanded it, & told his fellow soldiers to stand guard while he took the flour. They had not nerve enough, so he did both. Though the officer drew his sword in resentment, Rose kept him at bay & took what flour he thought they could use. He then told the officer he could go on. This flagrant violation of discipline was immediately reported, but the authorities considered the circumstances & nothing was ever done about it. This fearless self-assertion in the presence of authority when he believed himself right was manifested on other occasions & was rather characteristic of the man.
Arrived at Detroit, they went into camp. All the mechanics among them were set to mounting the old cannon left from revolutionary times. While thus employed, a mishap occurred which well nigh cost Major Munson his life. Colonel Enos, of Mt. Vernon, came one day into the marquee to get his gun. (All the officers carried guns, as did the privates.) By mistake, he took up that of David Mes- senger, and when he returned it he left it loaded. Afterward, Messenger, not knowing this, took up the gun to prepare it for use. While handling it, the gun was discharged, the
.
100
ACCIDENTAL SHOOTING - UNDER FIRE.
ball striking the Major, who was several rods away, squarely in the breast, disabling him for some time. He carried the ball in his person as long as he lived.
Preparations completed, the army crossed the river and encamped on the Canada side. The people fled precipi- tately, leaving houses and stores of goods all open and unprotected. While lying here, companies of skirmishers were daily sent out to feel the strength of the enemy in their front. Major Munson's command was thus employed while he was disabled, under some other acting Major. The Indians in the British service would come up toward the camp, and our soldiers would sally out in pursuit of them. 'The Granville boys were one afternoon sent nine miles down the river to reconnoiter. They lay down in an orchard and slept, with very careless provision, or none at all, for guarding their resting place. While resting thus, the Indians crept upon them. One was stealing his way through their midst, when one of the men roused up and fired upon him. He was wounded, but staggering and crawling on, he managed to escape. Starting on a stampede for the main camp, they found the main road filled with British troops, and turned aside into a field of grain. As they climbed the fence, they were under a heavy fire. The splinters flew, and the wheat heads were dropping all around them. While sulking and crawling through the grain, an Indian shot at Wm. Gibbons, who was in the rear, the ball grazing his person, only breaking the skin, but making him think himself se- verely wounded. The Indian, determined to have his scalp, plunged after him with uplifted tomahawk. Gibbons was paralyzed with his danger, and instead of running, remained dancing up and down, and made no progress. As the Indian came up and was about to strike, he was killed by a bullet from the musket of Captain Roupe, of the Mt. Vernon company. Gibbons, seeing the Indian fall, took heart, and Ensign Clemons coming up with him, having, as rear guard, been still further behind in the race, cheered him on, and
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AM
A
A
1 ,
,
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NARROW ESCAPES.
both escaped. The duties of the ensign were too much for him that day, and he fell, overcome by heat, and was carried into camp on a blanket by his comrades.
On another occasion, Seth Mead was brought to close quarters with the Indians, and hid in a field of oats. One of them climbed a fence to look for himn. Mead, supposing himself discovered, cocked his gun to fire. But the Indian turned back and Mead escaped, getting back to camp about 9 o'clock, and after he had been given up as killed.
On the 16th of August they were surrendered by General Hull to the British ; Colonel Cass, in his mortification, riding out and hacking his sword to pieces on a fence. The Gran- ville boys were soon after paroled and sent home. They were put aboard unseaworthy vessels, one of which, on its return voyage, went to the bottom in a light gale. The men were obliged constantly to bail out the water, having nothing but their hats wherewith to do it. Some of the soldiers were very sick. Samuel Bancroft, in the delirium of fever, jumped into the lake, and although he was not a swimmer, he floated until help came, and he was not only saved from drowning, but his bath cured his fever.
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