USA > Ohio > Hamilton County > The past and present of Mill Creek Valley, being a collection of historical and descriptive sketches of that part of Hamilton County, Ohio > Part 2
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THE MIAMI PURCHASE.
In the winter of 1786-7, Benjamin Stites, of Redstone, Philadelphia, went to New York
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THE MIAMI PURCHASE.
for the purpose of obtaining associates with a view to making a purchase of a large tract of land, between the two Miamies. He there met Judge John Cleve Symmes, member of Con- gress from New Jersey, whose influence he solicited in making the purchase. Before do- ing so, Symmes crossed the Alleghanies and descended the Ohio to its falls. On returning, the contemplated purchase was made in his name.
The original contract with Congress called for a million acres of land, lying between the Miami rivers, bordering on the Ohio. They failed in making the required payments, and the greater part of the tract reverted to the Government. Symmes, however, obtained a patent in September, 1794, for 248,540 acres, for which he paid 66} cents per acre. This con- stituted the Miami purchase.
GOV. ARTHUR ST. CLAIR.
Much of mournful interest clusters around this historical figure. The mere mention of his name always recalls "St. Clair's Defeat," sooner than the many distinguished services rendered his adopted country. The awful massacre of pioneers at Fort Jefferson, Novem-
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MILL CREEK VALLEY.
ber 4, 1791, by the Indians, called down upon "his gray good head one loud and merciless outcry of abuse, and even detestation. And yet . the committee appointed by Congress com- pletely exonerated him from all blame in rela- tion to everything before and during the action."
Few men of his times had larger experience in civil and military affairs, or served the young Republic with more zeal and loyalty, than did General St. Clair. It is bur duty to remem- ber the good he did, and forget this one disas- ter of his otherwise succesful career ..
General St. Clair was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1735. He was at first a surgeon in the British Army and crossed the Atlantic in 1759. In our trouble with Great Britian he promptly espoused the cause of the colonies ; in 1776 was commissioned colonel, raised a regiment in six weeks, and reported for duty to General Washington. . In the same year he was made a brigadier-general, and served as such in the battles of Trenton and Princeton. In 1777 he was appointed major-general and commanded at Ticondoroga. For the surrender of this point, in the face of a greatly superior force commanded by General Burgoyne, he was tried by court-martial and unanimously ac-
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GOV. AUTHOR ST. CLAIR.
quitted. He was restored to his rank and command, served zealously in other parts of the country and closed his Revolutionary career at Yorktown in 1781.
He was a member of the Continental Con- gress, and chosen President of that body Feb- ruary 2, 1787.
He was our first territorial governor, and was the first citizen of the United States who put in motion the wheels of civil government n the North-west Territory.
He served as governor until 1802, when he returned to his old home in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, where he died August 31, 1818, aged 83 years.
He was a man of ability, says Abbott, of fine scholarship and a true gentleman. His patrioism and integrity were unquestioned. His last years were enveloped in gloom, and he died in extreme poverty.
"In May, 1815," said a late writer, " four of. us called upon Arthur St. Clair on the top .of Chestnut Ridge, eastwardly eight or ten . miles from Greensburg, Westmoreland County, Pe insylvania. We were traveling on horse- back to Connecticut, and being informed that he kept tavern, we decided to call for enter- tainment for the night. We alighted at his
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residence late in the afternoon, and on entering the log house we saw an elderly, neat gentle- man, dressed in black broad cloth, silk stock- ings, shining shoes, whose straps were se- cured by large silver buckles, his hair clubbed and powdered. On closing his book he arose and received us most kindly and gracefully, and pointing us to chairs he asked us to be seated. On being asked for entertainment, he said: Gentlemen, I perceive you are traveling and although I should be gratified by your custom, it is my duty to inform you I have no hay or grain. I have good pasture, but if hay or grain are essential, I cannot furnish them.'
" There stood before us a major-general of the Revolution-the friend and confident of Washington-late governor of the territory North-west of the Ohio River, one of nature's noblemen, of high, dignified bearing, whom misfortune, nor the ingratitude of his country, nor poverty, could break down nor deprive of self-respect ; keeping a tavern in a log house, but could not furnish a bushel of oats nor a lock of hay. We were moved principally to call upon him to hear him converse about the men of the Revolution and of the North-western Territory, and our regret that he could not en-
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GOV. AUTHOR ST. CLAIR.
tertain us was greatly increased by hearing him converse about an hour. The large estate which he sacrificed for the cause of the Revo- lution was within a short distance of the top of Chestnut Ridge-if not in sight." 1
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MILL CREEK VALLEY.
CHAPTER IV.
CINCINNATI.
T HE first settlement between the two Miamies, was November 18th, 1788, by Major Stites, who landed opposite the mouth of the Licking at that time, and began to erect block houses, as a protection against the Indians. This settlement was at first called Columbia. In December following, Colonel Israel Ludlow, with Denman and Patterson, left Maysville, Kentucky, with about twenty persons to commence a settlement on " entire section 18 and fractional section 17, in town- ship 4," hitherto purchased of Judge Symmes. During the winter " Mr. Ludlow surveyed and laid out the town, at that time covered with a dense forest, blazing the course of the streets on the trees. This survey embraced only the portion between Broadway and Western Row (now Central avenue), and as far north as Seventh street." Outside of these settlements the Indians were constantly committing depre-
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CINCINNATI.
dations, some of the settlers themselves were murdered or carried away as captives. To protect this new enterprise, about the first of June, 1789, Major Doughty arrived at Losan- tiville, from Fort Harmar, with 140 men, and built four block houses on the river bank, nearly on the site of the present Public Land- ing. He then laid off a government reserva- tion of fifteen acres, east of Broadway and south of Fourth street, upon which he erected Fort Washington ; December 29th, General Harmar arrived with 300 men and assumed command.
" In February, 1790, Governor St. Clair and the judges of the Supreme Court of the terri- tory arrived at Losantiville, and organized the first judicial court in the Miami country. The governor immediately changed the name of the place to Cincinnati, erected the County of Hamilton, and appointed judges of the Court of Common Pleas, and officers of the militia. Here he afterward fixed his residence and built the mansion-a splendid one for its day -on the corner of Main and Eighth streets, now in possession of the Western Methodist Book Concern."
Cincinnati having thus become the seat of justice, as well as the head-quarters of the
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army, began to assume a degree of importance which gave quite the ascendency over the other small towns springing up in the wilderness around it. All the citizens felt that increased importance. It became the centre of rural fashion and refinement.
Ambitious frame houses began to be reared in the place of log huts. Emigrants of intelli- gence and enterprise were lured to the new emporium. During the summer of 1790, forty log huts were reared, adding very con- siderably to the grandeur of the town.
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THE BATTLE OF FALLEN TIMBERS.
CHAPTER V.
THE BATTLE OF FALLEN TIMBERS.
T HE victory over the Indians at the battle of Fallen Timbers, upon the Maumee River, in Lucas county, Ohio, August 20, 1794, won by General Wayne, whereby he reclaimed the Country lost by the defeat of General St. Clair, gave peace and its rest and security to this val- ley. This victory compensated somewhat for the disastrous defeat of the unfortunate St. Clair, denounciation of whom was swallowed up in the victory of Wayne. Then Cincinnati began to lay the foundation for its vast future, the tide of emigration began to swell from its sources in the east. The woodman, no lon- ger apprehensive lest the resounding stroke of the axe should prate of his whereabouts to prowling Indians, cheerily, lustily cleared the forest for his cabin home and garden ground. There are venerable men in our midst to-day -passing away !- whose hearts kindle with warmth when they recall the old fashioned
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days of log rollings, the corn huskings, and the cabin raisings !
" Oft did the harvest to their sickle yield, Their furrow oft the stubborn glebe has broke ;
How jocund did they drive their team afield,
How bowed the woods beneath their sturdy stroke !"
Several months after the battle of Fallen Timbers, a number of Potawatamie Indians arrived at Fort Wayne, where they expressed a desire to see " the Wind," as they called General Wayne. On being asked for an ex- planation of the name, they replied, that he was exactly like a hurricane, that drives and tears everything before it.
General Wayne was a man of the most ar- dent impulses, and in the heat of action apt to forget that he was the general-not the soldier.
When the attack on the Indians, who were concealed behind the fallen trees was com- menced, by ordering the regulars up, Gen- eral Harrison, then aid to Wayne, being lieu- tenant with the title of major, addressed his superior :- " General Wayne, I am afraid you will get into the fight yourself, and forget to give me the necessary field orders." " Perhaps I may," replied Wayne, " and if I do, recollect
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GENERAL ANTHONY WAYNE.
the standing order for the day is, charge the d-d rascals with the bayonet."
GENERAL ANTHONY WAYNE.
This very remarkable man was born in Eastown, Chester County, Philadelphia, Janu- . ary Ist, 1745. He lived not quite fifty-one years. What did he accomplish in his lifetime? We of this valley are so much indebted to this revolutionary hero, that a synopsis of his pub- lic services is introduced.
His father was born in Ireland, emigrated to Pennsylvania, 1722 ; was member of the Pro- vincial Legislature, and was an officer, in early days, in expeditions against the Indians.
Young Wayne received his early education in Philadelphia. His favorite study was mathe- matics, and for a number of years, was a civil engineer. He was associated with Benjamin Franklin on the "Committee of Safety," touch- ing the welfare of the colonies. At the breaking out of the Colonial troubles, he raised a regi- ment and was its colonel; in 1777 was promoted to brigadier-general in the Revolu- wohnty Army, and ordered to join General Washington in New Jersey; was at the storming of Stony Point on the Hudson, where
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he greatly distinguished himself; was in the battles of Yorktown, Monmouth, Brandywine and Germantown, and, indeed, served with distinction until the close of the struggle for In- dependence. Afterwards he lived awhile in Georgia. being assigned to the command of the army there ; was a member of the Consti- tutional Convention of that State, and served for a short time as a member of the National Congress. In 1792 was appointed by Presi- dent Washington to the command of the west- ern armies in place of General St. Clair ; or- ganized an army, won the battle of Fallen Timbers, dictated the celebrated "Wayne Treaty," August 3, 1795 to the chiefs and warriors of the twelve tribes of Indians east of the Mississippi, and thus conquered and secured peace to the Miami Valley.
Abbott, the historian, says, " that he never received the honors to which he was entitled for his estimable services."
Had he failed in his campaign to recover this valley and to conquer the savages, such scenes of woe, desolation and death would have transpired here as to turn back the tide of emigration for years.
A rare, grand; impetuous military genius ; born for the work he so brilliantly accomplished.
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GENERAL ANTHONY WAYNE.
" Mad Anthony " Wayne will likewise live for- ever in the hearts of his countrymen. What Sheridan was to the Shenandoah, Wayne was to the Maimi valley. Of his personal appear- ance it is said "he was rather above the medium height, his features were regular, and his face decidedly handsome. His dress was scrupulously neat and elegant, his movements were quick, and his manners easy and grace- ful." He died December 14, 1796, on his way east from Detroit, at Presque Isle, now Erie, Pennsylvania, then a little hamlet in the depths of the wilderness. His dying request was that his body might be buried under the flag- staff of the fort, on the shores of Lake Erie. His body was subsequently removed by his son Colonel Isaac Wayne, in 1809, to Radnor church-yard, near the place of his birth, in Delaware county, Pennsylvania, where an ele- gant monument stands over his honored dust. Thus, in this world, lived this active, intense heroic man.
His life's campaign closing in martial. glory, his brave and loyal soul went out alone on that returnless expedition through the spiritland, for
"There is no death, what seems so is transition ; This life of mortal breath
Is but the suburb of the land elysian Whose portal we call death."
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CHAPTER VI.
BLOCK HOUSES.
'T HE settlement known as White's station was established in 1790. Its particular location, as near as can be described, was where the ice pond now is, north-east of Carthage.
Jacob White, the proprietor of the . station, was from Redstone, Pennsylvania. He came to Cincinnati the previous year, and soon afterwards purchased what is now section I, in Springfield township, and began his im- provement as above mentioned. He built a block house, which he occupied with his family.
David Flinn and Andrew Goble each built cabins near the station-house, and the whole were enclosed with a rough log fence. Some time afterwards, perhaps in 1792, Andrew
* The accounts of the following stations are given princi- pally in the language of Mr. John G. Olden, taken, by per- mission, from his "Historical Reminiscences of Hamilton county."
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BLOCK HOUSES.
Pryor, Lewis Winans, and John S. Wallace, built cabins on the opposite bank of the creek, within the present limits of the village of Hartwell. And during the same year Moses Pryor and John Riley settled upon a tract of land adjoining White's station on the south. Pryor's tract embraced what is now the County Infirmary farm, in section 6, Mill Creek town- ship, and Mr. Reily's was adjoining on the west, in what is now the north-east corner of section 28, and embraced the site where Carthage was afterwards laid out.
For their natural interest and safety Pryor and Reily agreed to clear and improve their lands jointly. They began by building a cabin and digging a well on Mr. Pryor's tract, at a point about one hundred and fifty yards north- east from the present County Infirmary build- ing. As late as 1875 this old well was yet to be seen, but soon afterwards a few feet of the upper part of the wall was removed, and the well filled up. The land having since been plowed over and cultivated, no traces of it are now left. During the same season Pryor and Reily cleared up and planted a few acres of land.
In the following autumn, Mr. Pryor engaged his services to the government in packing
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stores and provisions from Fort Washington to Fort Hamilton, then the usual mode of transportation. Two other men were em- ployed with him in the same business, one of whom was David Flynn, of White's station. Upon one occasion, after making the trip to Fort Hamilton in safety, and without molesta- tion, they started quite early next morning on
their return. On arriving at a little stream, known since as Pleasant Run, four miles south of Fort Hamilton, they stopped to refresh themselves and horses. When about to re- sume their journey they received a fire from a body of Indians concealed in the woods. Mr. Pryor was killed, and the other two men mounted their horses and made their escape back to Fort Hamilton. That evening, while Mrs. Pryor was anxiously awaiting her hus- band's return to supper, she received the sad news of his death.
Thus bereaved and left alone with the care of two small children, she determined to aban- don, for a time at least, the improvements her husband had made, and went to reside in the family of her brother-in-law, Andrew Pryor. Mr. Reily also gave up his enterprise, returned to Columbia, and resumed his former occupa- tion of school teaching.
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BLOCK HOUSES.
Nothing further of an unusual character oc- curred to disturb the quiet of this little settle- ment until the 19th day of October, 1793, when the station was attacked by a band of In- dians. Early in the morning of that day a courier stopped at the station, while on his way from Fort St. Clair to Fort Washington, bear- ing the news of the defeat of Lieutenant Lowry's command, near the former fort. General Wayne, who was then at Fort Jeffer- son, had sent a small force back to Fort St. Clair, to guard and escort a train of wagons loaded with stores and provisions on its way to. Fort Jefferson, and on the 17th day of Octo- ber, when about 17 miles north of Fort St. Clair, the train was attacked by a large body of Indians. The charge was so sudden and furious that the soldiers became panic stricken and fled without firing a gun, except Lieuten- ant Lowry and Ensign Boyd, with thirteen non-commissioned officers and privates, who, after a desperate resistance, were all killed. The train was plundered, and sixty-four horses were taken, but the wagons were left standing in the road.
Of this disaster General Wayne thought best to advise the settlements and warn them of danger, and for this purpose the messenger that came to White's station was sent.
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A general feeling of security had prevailed throughout the settlements, based upon the supposition that the whole force of the enemy was required to defend their villages along the Maumee and St. Mary's against the invasion of General Wayne. And not even the know- ledge that a large band of Indians had thrown themselves in the rear of his army, and were free to advance upon the settlements, was suffi- cient to fully advise the people of White's sta- tion of immediate and imminent danger. The women, it is true, were somewhat alarmed, which caused the men to be more watchful, and remain more closely about the station during the day, thus happily preventing a sur- prise, and may be a massacre.
Many traditionary accounts have been handed down through the families then be- longing to the station concerning the events about to be related as to the battle, differing, as might be expected, as to the details, but the principal facts are well substantiated and may be relied upon as true.
The whole male force about the station at the time consisted. of seven men and a boy, viz. : Capt. Jacob White, Andrew Goble, David Flinn, and his two sons Stephen and Benjamin, both full grown men, Andrew
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BLOCK HOUSES.
Pryor, Lewis Winans, and Providence, the son of Capt. White, then but ten years of age. John S. Wallace, who resided in a cabin on the north bank of the creek, was at the time on a visit with his family at Cincinnati. The widow of Moses Pryor, with her three children, were residing in the family of her brother-in- law, Andrew Pryor, opposite the station, as before stated.
About five o'clock in the evening the dogs . belonging to the station kept up a continuous barking on the hill, not far from the present residence of William R. Morris. Andrew Goble, supposing the dogs had treed a coon proposed to go into the woods and get it, but Capt. White, thinking it possible that there were Indians about, forbade any one going out. Goble, however, persisted, and finally went alone. He had gone but a few hundred yards from the station when he was fired upon and he fell, pierced, as it was afterwards discovered, by a number of balls. The Indians then emerged from their cover (some say, behind the second bank of the creek, others assert that they were concealed in the little ravine, south of where Mr. Morris' residence now stands). They came down the hill with their accustomed war whoop, and as they ap-
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proached the station they observed Mrs. Pryor's little girl, a child of little more than four years old, playing upon the opposite bank of the creek. They at once fired upon it, and it fell mortally wounded. The mother, who with her three children were then the only occupants of the cabins on the north side of the creek, all the other inmates having gone over to the station on a visit, heard the firing, and went to the door of the cabin just in time to witness the fatal shot that struck her child. Her second child, a boy between two and three years old, being sick, she was holding in her arms, while her babe was lying asleep in the cradle. On seeing her little girl fall she put down the boy and went out, under the fire of the Indians, and bore the child into the house, only how- ever, to find it silent in death.
The savages then opened fire upon the little block house, which was promptly returned, and the crack of the rifle was incessant for some half hour. There were a number of surplus guns in the station, and the women were kept busy loading, while the men were thus enabled to keep up an almost constant fire, making their number appear much greater. Capt. White ordered the women to place his hat upon a pole and run it through the roof of the block
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BLOCK HOUSES.
house. This ruse was quite successful for a time in drawing the fire of the enemy.
The Indians, who numbered about thirty, and up to this time were sheltered behind trees at some distance away, now came down the hill upon the station with furious yells, as if to carry it by storm. They were led on by a large and powerful chief, who approached the block-house, and while in the act of scaling the fence, received a fatal shot and fell within the enclosure. The rest of the band seeing their leader fall, retreated back into the woods, where they kept up an occasional fire for an hour or more, and then withdrew and was heard of no more.
In the early part of the engagement several Indians detached themselves from the main body, and, crossing the creek some distance above, came down in the rear of the three cabins on the opposite bank from the station, in one of which Mrs. Pryor and her children resided ..
On finding her little girl dead beyond hope, Mrs. Pryor became so distressed over her bereavement that for a time she lost sight of all danger and gave herself up to grief. But the peril was too imminent to allow much time for sorrow. On going to the door of the cabin
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she saw an Indian approaching but a few hun- dred yards away, and at once her mind re- verted to her surviving children. Her first thought was to grasp both and fly for safety, but a second glance at the Indian warned her that time was precious, and, with a gleam of hope that the savage might spare her babe, she caught up the sick boy and ran with all speed for the station, with the Indian in full pursuit. Without regard to road or ford, she took the most direct course to the block-house, and on coming to the creek sprang into the water up to her waste, crossed the stream, and reached the statior in safety, where she was compelled to remain in her wet garments during the night .*
Soon after the attack began Andrew Pryor was dispatched to Fort Washington for aid. He reached the Fort about midnight, and ob- tained ten dragoons, each bearing an infantry-
#Mrs. Pryor was married in 1794 to Samuel Dunn, and immediately returned to the improvements made by her for- mer husband, on what is now the county infirmary farm. Ther : she and her husband resided for many years and raised a family of six children. Her maiden name was Elizabeth Willis, and was a native of New Jersey. She died on the 2d day of January, 1843, in the 74th year of her age, and was buried in the old Baptist burying ground, at Duck creek. The late Jeremiah Dunn, who resided north of Lockland, was her oldest son.
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BLOCK HOUSES.
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man behind his saddle, who hastened to the relief of the little station, which they reached about daylight, but found that the Indians had left during the night.
On going to the cabins over the way it was discovered that the savages had taken Mrs. Pryor's babe from the cradle and dashed out its brains against a stump near the cabin door, where its body was found.
They had entered all three of the cabins, ripped open the feather beds, turned out the feathers, and filled the ticks with clothing, coverlets, blankets, household goods, and other valuables, and carried all away. The soldiers followed the trail for several miles, but failed to overtake them .*
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