Ashland County, Ohio - Chapter 9: M . J C K Rogers on the Soil. O F Ashland County, 1880

1 - bo, we find Major Robert Rogers and his two hundred rangers in possession of the fort at Detroit, the French commandant, Monsieur Deleter, having yielded that post without resistance, on the twenty-ninth of November. While his rangers were resting, and recruiting from their toilsome expedition up the lake, against wind ami current, the Major visited Lakes Huron and St. Clair, making- observations upon their location, the condition of the Indian tribes upon their shores, and the influence of the French in that quarter.

After providing for the garrison, which took possession of the foit at Detroit, on the twenty-third of December ho commenced his return by land for Pittsburgh, march- j imp' along the west coast of the lake, until January 2, | t;6i, when he arrived safely at "Lake Sandusky," or : Sandusky bay.

It is not known how many rangers accompanied J Rogers on his return; but, being well convinced that the | apparent welcome of Pontiac was a carefully- conceived j piece of dissemblance to throw him off his guard, many j O/tawas and Wyandots having yielded a reluctant con- 1 sent to British authority in that .quarter, he did not, : probably, leave Detroit with less than one hundred and twenty or twenty-five men, to encounter the new dangers that might beset him on his way, in case of the treachery of Pontiac and his friends, who still remembered the French as their friends and protectors.

That the reader may have an opportunity of verifying the route by the map of Ohio, and, at the same time, learn the condition of the northern part of the State, one hundred and fifteen years ago, we will quote from the journal of the Major a full description of the trip from Castalia, in Erie county, to the "Long Meadow, or Prairie," in Wayne county.

"On January 3d, southeast by east three miles, east ,bv south one | mile and a half, southeast a mile through a meadow, crossed a small creek about six yards wide, running east, traveled southeast by east ! one mile, passed through Indian houses southeast three quarters of a ! mile, and came to a small Indian town of about ten houses. There is i a remarkably fine spring at this place, rising out of the side of a small j hill with such force that it boils above the ground in a column three feet high. I imagine it discharges ten hogsheads of water in a minute.* I From this town our course was south southeast three miles, south two | miles, crossed a brook about five yards wide, running east southeast, 1 traveled south southeast two miles, crossed a brook about eight yards wide. This day we killed plenty of deer and turkeys on our march, and encamped.

"On the fourth, we traveled south southeast one mile, and came to a rher about twenty-live yards wale, crossed the river, where are two Indian houses, from thence south by east one mile, south southeast 1 otie mile, southeast on< mile, south southeast one mile and a half, \ Southeast two miles, .. south southeast one mile, ami cine to an Indian ' house, where there was a family of IVhotots hunting, from thence j smith by east a quarter of a mile, south five miles, came to the mer we |

"On the fifth, traveled south southeast half a mile, south one mile, south southeast three quarters of a mile, south half a mile, crossed two small brooks running east, went a south southeast course half a mile, south half a mile, southeast half a mile, south two miles, southeast one mile, crossed a brook running east by north, traveled south by cast half a mile, south southeast two miles, southeast three quarters of a mile, south southeast one mile, and came to Maskongam creek, f about eight yards wide, crossed the creek and encamped thirty yards from it. This day killed deer and turkeys in our march.

"On the sixth, we traveled about fourteen or fifteen miles, our general course being about cast southeast, killed plenty of game, and encamped by a very fine spring.^

"The seventh, our general course about southeast, traveled about six miles, and crossed Maskongam creek, running south, about twenty yards widc.§ There is an Indian town about twenty yards from die creek, on the east side, which is called the Mingo cabins. There were but two or three Indians in this place, the rest were hunting. These Indians have plenty of cows, horses, hogs, etc.|J

" On the ninth, traveled about twelve miles, our general course lining about southeast and encamped by the side of a long meadow, where there were a number of Indians hunting." *

From this point he continued to travel in a southeasterly direction until the thirteenth, when he arrived at a Delaware town called Beaver town, afterwards Tuscarora, on the west side of the " Maskongam river," where he found the residences of many leading chiefs and one hundred and eighty warriors. He found about three thousand acres of cleared ground around this town.

Perkins, in his Western annals, page 3, speaks of the route of Major Rogers as being the common one from Sandusky to the fork of the Ohio. He says : " It went from Fort Sandusky, where Sandusky city now is, crossed the Huron river, then called Bald Eagle Creek, to " Mohickan Johnstown," upon what we know as Mohican creek, the northern branch of Whitewoman's river, and thence crossed to Beaverstown, a Delaware town on the west side of the " Maskongam creek," opposite "a fine river," which we presume was Sandy creek." the Indian village of Green Town;" and also suggests, fiom information derived from "Dr. Bushnell, of Mansfield, who has been familiar with the country for a period cf upwards of fo_tv years, that the "fine spring" mentioned does not probably lie somewhere between Vermillion and Montgomery townships," as Mr. Taylor supposes, but was probably one of the "Quaker springs," two or three miles southeast of Hayesville.

The theory of Mr. Knapp is involved in many difficulties. By a careful examination of the route of Major Rogers, we are of opinion he crossed .he Black fork in the southwest part of Weller township, in Richland j This village must have i con located near the west emi of Main street, in the village of Jeromeville, perhaps near the site of Wiiilngler'* grist mill. It is uncertain when ii*e v* settled there.

county, and, that after continuing his course a few hours, ; he struck what has since been denominated " Bealls' j trail," following the same to the farm lately owned by Mr. John McCarnmon, where he found the "very tine spring," and halted for the night. From this spring he continued in a southeast direction about seven miles and crossed the Jerome fork of the Mohican.

If the reader will carefully examine the general course of the trail of Major Rogers, it will be seen that it was nearly southwest from Castalia, in Erie county, where he found the remarkable spring, alluded to by him, in the beginning of his journey. To suppose the latter spring to be one of the "Quaker springs," would take him too far south for the "Mingo cabbins," on the Jerome fork, opposite where Mohican Johnstown was afterwards I located, about which there is no dispute. To suppose the "Mingo cabbins" alluded to, were those of "Greentown," increases the difficulty, for Major Rogers would have-been compelled to face about, and travel directly southwest nine or ten miles, to reach that locality, where he would have found the "Mingo cabbins" on the north, instead of the east, side of the Black fork.

Again, if he had kept directly down the Black fork, as some suppose, it would have carried him away from the route noted in his journal, and placed him on the north side of that stream, and prevented his passage of the north branch of "Maskongam creek," otherwise, the Jerome fork of the Mohican.

The course of Rogers was east southeast from the Jerome fork, or north branch of "Maskongam creek," to the "Long meadow," in Plain township,' Wayne coun ty, about which there is no difficulty. If he had crossed the Black fork at "Greentown," his route would not have been continuously southeast, but directly northeast for at least twenty miles, to reach the "Long meadow" ; so that, upon any rational theory, the route of Major Rogers cannot be placed at "Greentown," n.cr his "hne spring" in the southeast part of Vermillion township.

Upon a full investigation of the whole subject, we are inclined to the opinion that the theory of Mr. Perkins, that Major Rogers followed the well-known Indian trail, afterwards Bealls' trail, from Sandusky to the forks of the Muskingum, by way of the Jerome fc-rk, and crossed the same at the point where Mohican John subsequently established his village and council house, is correct. J Presuming upon the accuracy of the -foregoing deduc- i "tions, we have to award to Milton, Montgomery, Vermillion, and Mohican townships, the honor of being traversed by the first "armed troops" that ever penetrated the wilds of northern Ohio: and the east part of Vermillion, and the township of Mohican, as furnishing the first "deer hunt" for the "red coats" to replenish their exhausted stores.

The change in this region since 1761 - one hundred and nineteen years - has been wonderful. The red men of the forest have disappeared, and the "Mingo cab- 1 bins" and "Mohican Johnstown" are only remembered as relics of the past. Where Pipe, Killbutk, Lyons, Logan, Johnnycake, and other leading spirits of I the Indian tribes, roamed in pursuit of the wild game of