Ashland County, Ohio - Chapter with an unread heading (no. 1 of those read), 1863

Wirx regard to the period that preceded the settlement by white people of Ashland County, very little, of course, is known. The space indicated comprehends an indefinite rule of darkness and barbarism; and the investigation of its traditions and imperfect annals, and their embodiment into historical form, would involve an amount of antiquarian research not consistent with a work like this. Many of the acres that are now embraced within Ashland County have doubtless been the theater of events that would render them "classic ground;" but the history of those times is neither attainable nor germain to the object of this work. The scope and design of this volume embraces the period commencing with the permanent settlement by the white race. Such resources, however, as are available and authentic, relating to the anterior period, are employed.

In Taylor's History of Ohio, there is a reference (p. 79) to an Indian trail leading from Fort Duquesne, by way of Fort Sandusky, to Detroit; which is traced by him as passing through the townships of Mohican and Vermillion. This route was supposed to have been opened soon after the erection of the fort at Pittsburg, in 1754. An appendix to Hutchins' History of Boquet's expedition in 1764, gives five diflerent routes through the Ohio wilderness. "Second route, (p. 163,) W.N.W., was twenty-five miles to the mouth of Big Beaver, ninety-one miles to Tuscaroras, (the junction of Sandy and Tuscaroras Creeks, at the south line of Stark County;) fifty to Mohican John's Town, (Mohican Township, near Jeromeville or Mohicanville, on the east line of Ashland County;) forty-six to Junandot or Wyandot Town, (Castalia, or the source of Cold Creek, in Erie County;) four to Fort Sandusky, (at mouth of Cold Creek, in Erie County;) four to Fort Sandusky, (at mouth of Cold Creek, near Venice, on Sandusky Bay;) twenty-four to Junqueindundeh, (now Fremont, on Sandusky River, and in Sandusky County.) The distance from Fort Pitt to Fort Sandusky was two hundred and forty miles." Referring to Pownal's map, published in 1776, which locates the various Indian tribes then in Ohio, Mr. Taylor infers that "the west branch of the Muskingum, known on our maps as the Whitewoman or Mohican, was assigned to the remnants of the old Connecticut tribe, whose name, otherwise evanescent, has been embalmed by the genius of Cooper. As we have seen from the diary of Smith, there was a Canghnawaga village (the Mohican was the origin of this tribe, but fused with Canadians and Iroquois, and lately resident near Montreal) about twenty miles above the Coshocton Forks, and still farther north, on the lake branch of the Mohican River, was the Mohican John's Town, near the (now) village of Jeromeville, in Ashland County. Thence these ' Last of the Mohicans' were accustomed to range northward to the lake, and eastward over the comparatively vacant plains now constituting the counties of the Western Reserve."

The diary of Colonel James Smith, to which Mr. Taylor refers, is republished more fully in a volume entitled 'Western Adventures," by John A. McClung, printed at Dayton, Ohio, in 1847. Smith was a captive five years among the Mohicans, and was adopted as a member of their tribe. After his escape, in 1760, he published a narrative of his adventures. In.company with his adopted brother, whose name was Tontileaugo, he made a journey, during his captivity, from the west branch of the Muskingum to Lake Erie. They proceeded to the head waters of said branch, and thence crossed to the waters of a stream called by Smith the Canesadooharie. This was probably the Black River, which, rising in Ashland, and traversing Medina and Lorain Counties, (at least by the course of its east branch,) falls into Lake Erie a few miles north of Elyria. If we suppose that Tullihas, situated twenty miles above the principal forks of Muskingum, was near the junction of the Vernon and Mohican Rivers, on the border of Knox: and Coshocton Counties, Smith and his companions probably followed what is called, on Thayer's Map of Ohio, the " Lake Fork of the Mohican," until they reached the northern part of Ashland County, and there struck the head waters of the Canesadooharie, where, as Smith testifies, they found "a large body of rich, well-lying land; the timber, ash, walnut, sugar-tree, buckeye, honey-locust, and cherry, intermixed with some oak and hickory."

The 8th of September, 1760, was the date of the surrender of Canada to the English, by the French Governor Vaudrueil. Major Robert Rogers, a native of New Hampshire, and an associate of Putnam and Stark, was ordered to take possession of the Western forts. He left Montreal on the thirteenth of September, with two hundred rangers. In his History of Ohio, Mr. Taylor quotes liberally from the Journal of his Military Life, published by Rogers, in London, in 1765, and also a "Concise Account of North America." From Detroit, the major went to the Maumee, and thence across by the Sandusky and Tuscarawas trail to Fort Pitt; and from his journal of this overland trip, Mr. Taylor traces his route. On the 4th of January, 1761, he finds Rogers encamped at a point eleven miles south from Monroeville, in Huron County. We adopt Mr. Taylor's definition of the trail from thence as contained in his annotations to the Journal of Rogers, which occurs on pages 124 and 125. "On the 5th, traveled south-southwest half a mile, south one mile, south-southwest threequarters of a mile, south half a mile, crossed two small brooks running east, went a southwest course half a mile, south half a mile, southeast half a mile, south two miles, southeast one mile, south half a mile, crossed a brook running east-by-north, traveled southby-east half a mile, south-southeast two miles, southeast three-quarters of a mile, south-southeast one mile, and came to Moskongam Creek,* about eight yards wide, crossed the creek, and encamped about thirty

'On the 6th, we traveled about fourteen or fifteen miles, our general course being about east-southeast, killed plenty of game, and encamped by a very fine spring.*

"The 7th, our general course about southeast, traveled about six miles, and crossed Moskongam Creek, running south, about twenty yards wide.+ There is an Indian town about twenty yards from the creek, on the east side, which is called the Mingo Cabbins. There were but two or three Indians in the place, the rest were hunting. These Indians have plenty of houses, hogs, etc.

"The 8th, halted at this town, to mend our mogasons and kill deer, the provisions. I brought from Detroit being entirely expended. IJwent a hunting with ten of the Rangers, and by ten o'clock got more venison than we had occasion for.

"On the 9th, traveled about twelve miles, our general course being about southeast, and encamped by the side of a long meadow, where there were a number of Indians hunting."§

With regard to the identity of the "fine spring" mentioned, those who have given attention to the matter differ in opinion. It is not probable that it is 'somewhere between Vermillion and Montgomery Townships." Dr. Bushnell, of Mansfield, who has been familiar with the country for a period of upwards of forty years, supposes it to be one of the "Quaker Springs," two or three miles southeast of Haysville. The "Mingo Cabbins" were probably upon the Indian village of "Green Town."

This is all the information, from sources which are entitled to be regarded as authentic, that we are enabled to obtain relating to Ashland County a century since. It has been supposed by some that the route of the lamented Colonel William Crawford, in the expedition which terminated so disastrously and miserably to himself, in 1782, led through this. county; but such data as we have been enabled to obtain do not authorize this conclusion.