The history of Montgomery county, Ohio, containing a history of the county, Part 33

Author: W.H. Beers & Co
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Chicago, W. H. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 1214

USA > Ohio > Montgomery County > The history of Montgomery county, Ohio, containing a history of the county > Part 33

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Capt. Imlay, who came West previous to the year 1793, in writing of the Id animals and game of the West, says: "The buffalo are mostly driven ct of Kentucky. Some are still found on the Licking River, Big Sandy and ('een River. Deer abound in the extensive forests, but the elk confines itelf mostly to the hilly and uninhabited places. In the broken country, great num- Ir of grouse are found: and the quail have followed the trail of the scattered ain from the old settlements on the other side of the mountains, to the new ttlements in the West."

Buffalo and elk had entirely disappeared from the country east of the Wa- sh, in 1795. Wolves, panthers and wild-cats were especially annoying to the ittlers. A reward was paid for every wolf scalp brought in, and in the sea- ins when these mischievous beasts were unusually numerous, additional bounty ns offered to induce hunters to devote their whole time to the killing of the pesky varmints." They would attack and drive unarmed men into the trees; ten coming into the settlements in packs, driving women and children into e cabins, howling in great numbers through the woods at night, prowling ound the cabins to eat vegetables growing in the gardens and destroying pigs id poultry. It was so annoying that the men would nightly shoot them through e cracks of the log cabins. After pigs were brought here, the pens were cov- ed with heavy logs to keep out the wolves. Wild-cats were also numerous, d as daring as the wolves in their visits to the settlement, by night or day. anthers were more shy, but were very dangerous and of great strength, al- ough there were not so many of them. One that had killed a hog, and car- ed it through a deep snow into the woods, was pursued and killed. A settler ho had some land across the river from the head of Ludlow street, in Dayton, aring some disturbance among his hogs, crossed the river in a canoe. He und the hogs frightened and scattered, and, while searching for the cause, ard something fall, and found one of his hogs dead on the ground under a aning tree, from which it had been dropped by a large panther. The man id no gun, but stood eyeing the panther as it slowly descended the tree and leaked off into the woods.

Dressed in hunting-shirt, buckskin breeches, moccasins and coonskin cap; quipped with powder-horn, bullet-pouch and scalping-knife; armed with the

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

long-barreled flint-lock squirrel rifle, the hunter always found and killed abund ance of game. Deer were as plenty in the woods of the hills and valleys i those days as are the cattle in the fields of Montgomery County at this time.

Courage and daring were characteristic of the pioneer hunters, and the took all risks incident to bear-hunting, never hesitating in the pursuit or push the attack in any situation. And there was real sport, says the pionee to see clumsy bruin doggedly move off, or, when urged by the dogs, into lumbering gallop, suddenly face his enemy, erect himself in defense, thus co ering his own retreat to a favorite tree. If the tree was hollow, the bear cou. be smoked out, or the hunter felled the tree, and killed him after the tumbl Sometimes to get at him, a smaller tree was felled against the larger one, whe the hunter, with gun slung to his shoulder, muzzle down, and knife between h teeth, would climb to the attack. A she bear with cubs was the most dangerou Bears showed but little sagacity in avoiding traps, and could be taken in al simply-arranged trap that was strong enough to hold them. In trapping ther the pioneers built log pens, in shape like a roof, shelving inwardly from th ground on the four sides; a carcass for bait was placed inside. The bear easi. climbed the outside and entered through the hole left at the top for him. Ond inside he could neither get out or throw down the pen. Wolves and catamoun were caught in the same way.

A favorite method of hunting deer in the early days, was by canoe at nigh known then as "fire-hunting." A bright fire or torch was lighted at the bo of the boat, the shooter would sit just behind it, while the steersman slow poled up stream along the shore, the deer in the evening would come to tl river to drink, and shelter themselves for the night under the bushes along tl bank; as the boat passed, the bright eyes of the deer would glisten in the bush from the light of the burning hickory bark, affording a good mark for the hunt man. When either deer or bear were killed, the carcass was gutted at once al hung to a tree, to be taken to the settlement on a sled after the hunt.

Bear and deer drives were organized by stationing the hunters at short i tervals around a circle. A large tract of land could thus be surrounded. At signal from the Captain, the word was passed from man to man to begin the a vance to a common center. Tin horns and trumpets were sounded along t! line; often inclosing in the circle to the center a herd of deer, bears, turke and small game. An incessant fire from the line of hunters rapidly broug. down the flying deer, the bears as they dashed from side to side, skulkil wolves and wild-cats and turkeys from the tree-tops.

The tender, juicy flesh of the wild turkey, the skill and tact needed to su cessfully hunt them, was a temptation that the hunters would not resist. T) "call" was made from the small bone of a turkey's wing, and most hunte were experts in its use. After having a shot or two at a pack and scatterin them, the "call " was used to draw them to an ambush, shooting them as the came within range. Turkeys being followed in the snow soon tire. The hu ter followed the tracks of a single turkey that would turn off to hide or re After having killed his turkey the hunter took up the track of the flock aga until he saw that another had turned out to hide and squat. They were oft shot from their roosts in the tree-tops in the early morning.

Turkey traps were square pens of light timber, a door at the side with spring catch; the string was stretched across the floor, covered with chaff al corn. In scratching, the string would be struck, and the door dropped behin the turkeys. Other and smaller game were shot or trapped in any quantit One way of shooting wild ducks, geese and turtles, was to float down stream a canoe, or on a slab covered with brush. Roast coon, opossum and rabbit p were favorite dishes, the game for which was usually supplied by the boys, wl

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

showed great ingenuity in making traps and snares for small game, and soon acquired skill in woodcraft and shooting.

Bass, catfish, pickerel, pike, eels, perch, suckers and sunfish, were caught abundantly from the rivers, by gigging, and in fish-boxes, traps, snares and nets. Great seines were used that would sweep the river from shore to shore.

1808.

Settlers, worthy men from the Eastern States, were constantly coming in with their families, to locate on the farming lands. Cabins were put up in all directions from the settlement, and the women, children and goods were tum- bled into them. Good crops were produced throughout the valley; wheat was selling at 50 cents per bushel, and whisky at 372 cents a gallon. There were out few fences in the county, and, as a consequence, horses and cattle run at large and often strayed away. Under the law, "strays " could be taken up, but immediately appraised, and notice, with description, filed with the Squire.

At the election that fall there were 564 votes cast in the county. Dayton Township, at the court house, 196; Washington Township, at the house of Richard Mason, 112; German Township, at Philip Gunckel's, 125; Randolph Township, at David Hoover's, 47; Jefferson Township, at John Venimons, 84. Montgomery, Miami and Preble Counties comprised the Senatorial District. Montgomery and Preble, jointly, had two Representatives in the Lower House of the Legislature.

MADISON TOWNSHIP.

March 6, 1809, Madison Township was formed, and at the first election, held at the house of Martin Wybrichts, Andrew Hood was elected Justice of the Peace. He received 10 votes; Benjamin Lehman, 5; Robert Wilson, 2; total, 17. The town of Trotwood has not been platted.

THE MILITIA.

All free, able-bodied, white male citizens, between the ages of eighteen and forty-five years, were enrolled in the militia by company commandants, within whose company bounds such citizens resided. Each man was required to provide himself with a good musket, fusee, or rifle, bayonet, belt, knapsack, two spare flints, a pouch for twenty-four cartridges, or a powder horn, a fourth- pound of powder and twenty-four balls. Officers wore a sword or hanger. Ex- emptions from enrollment were preachers, Judges of courts, jail-keepers, cus- toms and post officers, stage-drivers and ferry-men on mail routes. The State was divided into four divisions, with a Major General in command of each division. The First Division included the counties of Hamilton, Clermont, Warren, Butler, Greene, Montgomery, Miami and Champaign, formed in bri- gades as follows: Regiments, battalions and companies, of Hamilton and Cler- mont Counties formed the First Brigade; Warren and Butler the Second Brigade; Greene, Montgomery, Miami and Champaign the Third Brigade. A brigade con- sisted of from two to six regiments; a regiment of two battalions; a battalion of from four to eight companies; a company of from forty to eighty men. Brigades were in command of Brigadier Generals; the regiments by Lieutenant Colonels; battalions by Majors; and companies by Captains. Company officers were elected by the enrolled men; Brigadier Generals, Lieutenant Colonels and Majors, were elected by company officers; Division Commanders were appointed by the Governor and Legislature. One company of artillery, or a troop of horse, was attached to each regiment. The grenadiers, or the rifle companies, were the flankers. Four company musters were required each year; battalion musters in April or May; and regimental musters in October. When in active service, the militia were subject to the rules and regulations of the United States Army. As the

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

State became more thickly settled, the number of regiments and brigades were increased. In 1809, the militia of Ohio was 15,000 strong, assigned to four divisions. Gen. John S. Gano, of Cincinnati, was in command of the First Division; Gen. Edmund Munger, of Washington Township, this county, was Brigadier General in command of the Fifth Brigade, First Division.

The United States was organizing the army as a precautionary measure in case of war with Great Britain. In all of the States militia laws were being adopted to meet the emergency, and State troops were offered to the Govern- ment.

The Governor of Ohio held 2,834 militia in readiness to move upon requi- sition of the National authorities, but a better understanding prevailed between the United States and Great Britain, and their services were not, at that time, required.

Training days and the 4th of July were the big days for the militia; the only other times that they mustered was at the death of some revolutionary sol- dier, or one of their comrades, to bury them with the honors of war.

Just before the war of 1812, regiments of Greene and Champaign Coun- ties were formed into a brigade, with Gen. Benjamin Whiteman, of Greene County, in command. After the war, the number of divisions were increased; Montgomery, Preble, Greene, Clark, Miami, Darke and Champaign, formed the Fifth Division, Maj. Gen. Benjamin Whiteman commanding.

At the militia trainings in the townships, sometimes anvils would be used in firing a National salute; at other times, the proper number of large trees, each representing a State, were cut so that a few strokes of the ax would fell them, and thus, at intervals, the crash of the trees would form part of this novel National salute.

FIRST COUNTY CONVENTION.

The first political County Convention was held at the court house in the evening of September 6, 1809. David Reed was chosen Moderator, and Benja- min Van Cleve, Clerk, of the convention. The following ticket was nominated: For Representatives, Joseph H. Crane, of Montgomery; David Purviance, of Preble; for Sheriff, Jerome Holt; for Coroner, David Squire; for Commis- sioner, John Folkerth.

Opposition candidates for Sheriff and Commissioner were nominated by a convention held on the 9th. At the election there were 600 votes cast, and this. entire ticket was elected.

WAYNE TOWNSHIP.

The County Commissioners, on the 1st of January, 1810, formed Wayne Township, to include the four northern tiers of sections in the eighth range east of the Miami River, within this county, and the third tier of sections in the fifth range west of the Miami, excepting two western tiers of sections of the same township. The first election for two Justices was ordered to be held at the house of Benjamin Van Cleve, on the Staunton road, Saturday, January 20. Twenty-one votes were cast at the election. James Miller and William Snodgrass were elected.

1810 AND 1811.

The county tax levy for 1810 was made as follows:

Dayton Township, $865.78.2; Washington Township, $480.95.4; Wayne Township, $93.77; Randolph Township, $177.08.84; Madison Township, $76 .- 78.93; Jefferson Township, $416.76.21; German Township, $303.15.72; total, $2,414.30.4}.

The census returns for 1810 showed, in Montgomery County, 7,722 inhab- itants; Butler County, 11,150; Greene, 5,870; Miami, 3,941; Preble, 3,304; Warren, 9,925; total for the State, 230,849.

John S. Sacksteder

HARRISON , TP.

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

The number of mills in the county had increased in numbers, every avail- ¿ le mill site was occupied; flour, whisky, pork and grain, were shipped down te river in flat-boats. Fish baskets and brush-dams so interfered with naviga- in, that an effort was made to have the channels of the Miami, Mad River id Stillwater declared public highways. In 1811. mills, barns, still-houses did all outbuildings, other than dwellings, were exempted from taxation. A sindard half bushel was ordered by the Commissioners, and, on the 28th of ine, James Wilson was appointed keeper of the measure, and was advertised be at his house, at Dayton, every Saturday, to measure and seal half-bushels.

THE FIRST STONE JAIL.

The contract for building a new jail was sold at public auction at the court use, July 27, to James Thompson, at $2,147.91; the building to be 18x32. et, and built of rubble stone. The contractor was two years and a half in ilding it. In the meantime the county used a rented building for a jail. In december, 1813, the jail was finished and, shortly afterward, was accepted. It as two stories high, of rubble stone, gable shingle roof running parallel with e street, the building standing at the edge of the sidewalk, in the rear of the urt house, on Third street; the entrance was from Third street into a hall at ran through the center of the building; the Sheriff's residence was the st half of the building; the prison part was the east half. There were three Ils opening into the hall on the first floor, and three cells, or strong rooms, on e second floor; the rooms on the second floor were more comfortably fur- shed and less like prisons than those below; were used for women and others nfined for minor offenses; one of them was the debtor's cell, for, in early tys, men were imprisoned for debt: but where there was no special danger of e debtor running away, he might, upon giving bonds double the amount of the- bt, be released by the court, on "prison bounds" or "limits;" that is, he could ve at home, being allowed only to go to and come from work, to enable him support his family, and endeavor to pay the debt.

A person standing on the sidewalk could look through the barred window to the front cell below, and converse freely with the prisoners; the window as about two feet square; small articles could be easily passed through the ırs. Back of this cell was the dungeon, and back of that was another cell. he walls and floors of the six cells were lined with a course of heavy oak-plank, iven full of nails, then covered with a second course of heavy plank-a strong ox from which no prisoner escaped until they tried. One morning the Sheriff oke up to find that four of his prisoners had escaped during the night. by cut- ng through the floor and tunneling under the wall and up through the side- alk. There was at once a great clamor for a new jail. About 1834 or 1835. one-story building, of heavy cut stone, was erected in the yard to the rear of le jail. In it were four cells with stone floors and arched brick ceilings. his was used as the county jail for ten years, until the fall of the year 1845, hen the stone jail, at the northwest corner of Main and Sixth street, was built.

EARTHQUAKES.

The series of earthquakes which affected the whole of the Ohio Valley, and estroyed the town of New Madrid, thoroughly shook up Montgomery County eople and all of the Miami Valley. The first shock was felt here between 2 ad 3 o'clock Monday morning, December 16, waking up all the people, many aving their houses in fright; horses and cattle were badly frightened, and hickens flew in alarm from their roosts in the trees. These shocks, although ot so severely, continued for two days. Then again, on Thursday, January 3, 1812, another shock, more severe than those of the month previous. Sev-

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

eral slight shocks were felt within the next few days, the most severe of which was on the morning of the 27th; it shook the houses; articles hanging in the stores were kept in motion for a minute. Just before 4 o'clock, Friday morn ing, February 7, two severe shocks in quick succession were heard and felt; the usual rumbling noise was distinctly heard to precede and accompany both shocks The last shock was by far the most awful in duration and severity of any of the previous ones. People, cattle and fowls, were again greatly alarmed. In the evening, two other shocks were felt.

INFLUENTIAL MEN OF THE COUNTY.

Boone, Kenton, Logan and other brave, strong spirits, such as they, wer the men of influence in the earliest days of Western settlement. After the ter ritory had been erected, Clark, St. Clair and Wayne, controlled affairs and brought peace and stability to the Government.

Van Cleve, Hamer, Newcom, Cooper, Hole, Gunckel, Edgar, Adams and Spinning were the leading men in the pioneer settlements and at th time of the organization of Montgomery County; and they were followed in the control of affairs by Col. Robert Patterson, Judge Joseph H. Crane, Aaron Baker, Henry Brown, Jonathan Harshman, Judge James Steele and H. G. Phil lips; and in later years, Rev. Thomas Winters, William Huffman, Judge Georg B. Holt, John W. Van Cleve, John Turner, John Neff, Gen. R. C. Schenck, C L. Vallandigham, John Harries, William P. Huffman, Maj. W. D. Bickham Valentine Winters, E. E. Barney and Judge D. A. Haynes.

WAR TIMES.

The thrilling events of the war of 1812 so fully occupied the attention and efforts of the community that it is difficult to separate military movements an affairs of the county from the purely local history of the times. The ex posed positions of Preble, Darke and Miami Counties made Montgomery an asylum for refugees. Prices for all farm products advanced, yet so many of th farmers were called into the army that the bulk of surplus product was greatl; reduced. Lands sold very low; good farms up Stillwater were sold as low a $3 per acre; one tract of 6,500 acres, near Dayton, was offered at very low rates. But, of course, after the war all real estate rapidly advanced in value

Very few improvements were made in the townships; roads were neglected except the military roads from Franklin to Staunton, through Dayton, the road south, to Lebanon, and the river road, from the foot of Fourth street, Daytor. to Alexandersville. These roads were kept in tolerable repair by the Quarter master's Department of the army. The County Treasurer's report for that yea shows $2,368.824 collected in tax, and all paid out.

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

CHAPTER VIII.

WAR OF 1812.

W HEN, in 1811, it became evident that there was to be another war between the United States and Great Britain, agents of the latter government be- came active in their intrigues with the Indians to unite the tribes of the North- west against the United States. British officers promised Tecumseh that, in the event of war between the two governments, if he would bring to their aid in the Northwest a large force of Indians, the King of Great Britain would not make peace with the United States until the Indians had recovered their old boundary of the Ohio River by driving the whites from all the territory north of it.

Tecumseh, without delay, held councils with all of the tribes. Large bodies of Indians were gathered at different points, to meet which the United States found it necessary to bring into the field a large force. The battle of Tippeca- noe, on Tippecanoe Creek, Indiana, was fought by the army under Gen. Harri- son on November 7, 1811.

During the winter, Congress was engaged in the discussion of the question of an early invasion of Canada, and the administration was maturing plans for the organization and operation of the army and navy. It was decided that the Northwestern frontier should be well protected. Ohio, Indiana and Ken- tucky, were called upon for a strong force of militia to co-operate with the troops. The citizens of the three States named were practically solid in their support of the administration of President Madison, although in the Eastern States there existed a decided opposition to the war.

Early in April, 1812, the President made a requisition for 1,200 of Ohio militia for one year's service. In obedience to this call, Gov. Return J. Meigs issued orders to the Major Generals of the Western and Middle Divi- sions, to furnish their respective quotas of men, and designated Dayton as the point for such troops to report to, on April 29.

Besides the militia called for, Congress had authorized six companies of mounted rangers, to be organized for one year's service on the frontier, and a special appropriation was made for their pay and subsistence. Capt. William Perry was appointed to enlist and command the Second company of these ran- gers. The company was to consist of Captain, Lieutenant, Ensign, four Ser- geants, four Corporals and sixty privates, to be held at all times ready to march at short notice, each man to furnish himself with a good rifle or musket, side arms, or tomahawk, and a horse.

Gen. Edmund Munger commanding the Second Brigade, First Division, Ohio Militia, received the order for raising this company, and published it to the First Battalion of the First Regiment, at their muster, in Dayton, on Tues- day, April 14; he called for volunteers, and twenty stepped out of the line and enlisted.

By law, the power was conferred on every officer to call out the whole or & part of all the militia under his command; then, as in this case, if service was re- quired for any length of time, and there was not enough volunteers, it became the duty of such officer to draft from the remainder enough men to fill the quota; that explains why drafted troops reported as promptly to camp as the volunteers. The militia were thus kept in comparatively good discipline, and ever ready for prompt, active service during the war.

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

A sufficient number not having volunteered to fill the company of rangers the battalion was ordered to assemble on the 16th, at Adam's Prairie, near the mouth of Hole's Creek, five miles down the river from Dayton. Maj. George Adams was ordered to report with his battalion at the same time and place, to have a draft, if necessary, to fill up Capt. Perry's company, deeming it not ad- visible to draft men from Preble, Darke or Miami Counties, because of the In- dian alarm in those quarters.

April 23, Capt. Perry received orders to march immediately to Fort Lora- mie, and on Monday, the 27th, the rangers passed through town.

April 29, the Indians killed and scalped a man near Greenville; three men were found murdered in the woods near Fort Defiance.

April 30 had been appointed by the Governor as a day of fasting and prayer; public service was held at the court house in Dayton.

May 1, Maj. Charles Wolverton, of Miami County, with Capt. Reuben West- fall's company of that county, marched from Piqua over to Greenville with in- structions to kill every Indian they saw. They killed two Pottawatomies, wounded a third and captured two squaws and a boy Indian.

No preparation had been made, either by the State authorities or by the citizens of the town, for the reception of the State troops that were to rendez- vous at Dayton. May 1, companies began to arrive at Dayton, and bivouac on the commonage (now the City park, on the canal, between Second and Third streets), where they remained without tents and other equipage until the middle of the month. Gov. Meigs came to Dayton on Wednesday, May 6, to superin- tend the organization of the militia, twelve companies of which had reported in obedience to his orders. Some of them were encamped just south of town, as there was not room enough for them all in the town. The citizens welcomed the Governor with a salute of eighteen guns, and in the afternoon he reviewed the troops. The next day, from his headquarters at McCollom's tavern, he is- sued this appeal:

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The history of Montgomery county, Ohio, containing a history of the county, Part 33

Author: W.H. Beers & Co Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Chicago, W. H. Beers & co. Number of Pages: 1214

Author: W.H. Beers & Co
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Chicago, W. H. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 1214