Ashland County, Ohio - Chapter 15: Indian Characteristics, 1880

Chapter 15: Indian Characteristics

Nothing is more astonishing in the Indian character than their powers of endurance. They have been known to travel one thousand miles through the trackless forests, over mountains, wide spreading prairies and across numberless streams and rivers, on the most mea- ' gre supply of food, sleeping upon the ground at night,

1 with nothing to protect them but a blanket wrapped around their bodies, and a small fire at their feet. With a belt or girdle drawn around their bodies, a little sack or pouch of parched corn swung by their side, with rifle 1 and ammunition, they pushed boldly along, and thus accomplished the most surprising journeys in an incredibly short period. That the reader may be able to judge the accuracy of ibis statement, and fully comprehend Indian endurance as compared with a most striking example of fleetnesr. among the white race, we will allow James Smith to relate an adventure with hi-> Indian brother Tontiieaugo, while a captive in 1756 among the s, 0//hmis and UyituJt'h of northern Ohio. At that time the part of the tribe to which he was at-

, j. q was encamped on tlie Canesadooharie or Black noi a great ways from ihe present site of Elyria, in I i)t 1 j ^ county. food was excessively scaice in tliat -ion, and Tontileaugo proposed to Smith to take a h , ,|i jhe head branches of that stream where they interwith the Mohican and other branches of the MuskiTi.'uim Smith expressed a willingness to accompany him, knowing that he was an expert hunter. Having . Up sonic sugar and bears' oil, and a little dried venison, they ascended the east branch of the Canesadooharie or illack river, about thirty-five miles and encamped. This was about the close of the winter months. They succeeded remarkably well in procuring game. While engaged m hunting, they discovered a stray horse, mare and colt it had been running in the woods all winter, and were very good order. There was plenty of grass ;n that region all winter under the snow, and horses accustomed to feeding in the woods could work it out. These animals had become very timid and wild in consequence , f not meeting with Indians or white people. Tontileaugo poposed to run them down. We will now permit Smith to relate, in his peculiar style, the balance of the enterprise. He says:

" TonliliMUi'o one night concluded that we must run them down. 1 >,.1,1 hi;*-, I thought we could not accomplish it. He said he had run a.vvn Ixnrs. 'buffaloes and elks; and in the great plains, with only a dl snow on ihe ground, he had run down a deer; and he thought | t.h.,1 in one whole day he could tire or run down any four-footed animal } a wolf. 1 told him that though a deer was the swiftest animal to ! uni .t short distance, yet it would tire sooner than a horse. He said he | . >n!d it ;d! events try the experiment. He had heard the Wyandots j vi v t ; \ t 1 could run well, and -now he would see whether I could or < ,j I told him ! never had run all day, and, of course, was not ac- - - .mi..* 1 to that wav of running. 1 never had run with the Wyandots a ; g, i.nux-h-t louts and moccasins. About ten o'clock I lost sight 1 ; r di I -nt.lc.'.ugc, and the horses, and did ivot see them again until >- a r vc o'clock in tlie afternoon. As the horses run all day in u three or four miles square, at length they passed where I was, mid ! f- il in close alter them. As I then had a long rest, 1 endeavored to keep .the nl of Tontileaugo, and after some time I could hear him -tb me ceiling chako, chako-.inau.gh, which signifu s, pull away, ordo our Ix'si. We pursued on, and, about an hour before sundown, we despaired of catching the horses, and returned to camp, where we had left our clothes, [ reminded Tontileaugo of what I had told him; he replied lie did not know what horses could do. They are wonderful -rung to run, but withal we have made them very tirt i. Tontileaugo t' 'ii concluded he would do as the Indians did v,ith wild horses when

at at war; which is, to shoot them through the neck under the mane, and .'.hove the hone, which will cause them to fall and lie until they can I I'vr ilwni, aiul tliiui they recover again. This he attempted to do;

"it, a the nvire was very wild, he could not gc ; sufficient!.' no.," to shoo; her in the proper place; however, he shot, the ball passed too low, and killed her. As the horse and colt stayed at this place, we caught the horse, and took him and the colt with us to camp.

\\ o incline to the opinion that this remarkable race took place within the present limits of. Sullivan township, m this county, and the west part of Homer township, in Medina county, on the east branch of Black river. If tlie reader will take a rule, and measure by townships, hum a point a mile or two above Elyria, on Black river, thirty-lonr or thirtv-fiyc miles, in a southwesterly direclion, he will strike that branch in Sullivan and Homer townships. Concluding that tlie locality is accurately ascertained, we will have to yield to Sullivan township j The Canesadooharie or Black river had been famous : among the aborigines of northern Ohio, for the number i and largeness of its bears, for more than half a century j prior to the arrival of the pioneers. Some of the pio- ! neers, yet surviving, of this county, visited the sources and relate many stirring adventures in search of him. It may not be known to the reader, that it was the habit of those animals, in the early part of winter, to select holes in large trees, or make a lair or nest in the aldevbush jungles, where they remained three or four months without eating or drinking ! This may appear incredible, but it is declared to be a well-known fact among experienced pioneer hunters. In ascending large trees, to reach the holes, the bark was scratched or torn by these | animals in climbing, and the hunter had but little difrij culty in ascertaining where they had lodged for the win- | ter. The Indian hunters had observed all these signs,

| and rarely failed to rouse the bear from bis comfortable j home. Tontileaugo and Smith resorted to the following ] piece of strategy, which was the common mode of half | a century after he left the Black river region. They felled a sapling or small tree against or near the hole; and it was the business of Smith to climb up and drive out the bear, while Tontileaugo stood ready with his gun and bow. They once found a bear about forty feet up in an elm. Tontileaugo got a long pole and some dry decayed wood, which he tied in bunches with bark, and climbed the tree, carrying with him the decayed wood,

| pole and fire. lie then placed his rotten wood on the j end of the pole, and setting it on fire, thrust it into the j hole. He soon heard the bear snuff, and then descended rapidly to the ground, seized ids gun, and waited until it came out; but it was then too late to sec the sights of his gun, and setting it down by a tree, he instantly bent his bow, took an arrow, and shot the bear behind the j shoulder, and ii soon fell to the ground. Occasionally they resorted to the expedient of cutting down large | trees with their tomahawks, to secure their game.

The attack of those animals within the jungles was ! more dangerou.*, but it was rare that they escaped ihe - unerring aim of the Indian hunter. At the season of j the year when those animals ascended large trees to their I holes, the bark was scratched or torn by the bear in j climbing, and the hunter had but little difficulty in asccr- ' taining where his game had lodged for the winter. Those | animals were generally very fat, and were prized very j highly by the Indians fur their oil and fiosh, the mode of | preparing which has heretofore been described. The i skin was carefully stretched, cleansed and dried, and was used as a bed, and frequently as clothing in the winter by the Indians. Having secured a quantity of llesh and a number of ^kins, Tontileaugo constructed a canoe of elm bark, and having placed his neat and .4: hi- therein, embarked for the falls near the present site o! Elyria, where he arrived in safety in one day, being thirtx four or thirty fixe miles; while Smith, mounted on his cap- tun-d horse, with a bear-skin saddle and bark stirrups, proceeded by land to the falls, where his Wyandot and Ottawa friends were encamped. The Wyandots , Otta- 7 ints and Mingocs were generally quite successful in hunt ing bruin, and were well versed in his mode of seeking and securing winter quarters. They relished his flesh, and feasted upon his oil or fat; and a morsel of venison dipped in sweetened oil was regarded as a dainty dish by friend or stranger.

Indian Marriages

The Indian mode of courtship differed considerably from that of the European or white race. The chief or head of the family generally regulated tiie marriage relation, presenting the daughter to his choice of the young braves or hunters. When the daughter was allowed to select her own husband, it was not uncommon for her to press her suit with a young man, though the first address may have been by another young man. This was somewhat akin to the leap-year liberty of the white race, in which it is allowable for the young ladies to invite young gentlemen to .call upon them, go pleasure trips or accompany them to suppers and refreshments, the young ladies footing the bills. Among the Wyandots and Delawares advances of that sort were not deemed immodest or improper; in fact, the young braves rather regarded such calls as a delicate piece of flattery, and encouraged their lady loves to continue their suit. The marriage relation seems to have been an agreement or contract between the parties to live with, and adhere -to each other as long as domestic unity and fidelity prevailed between man and wife. Asa general thing the ' VVyondois and Delawares kept their marriage vows with much faithfulness. The Ottawas were not regarded as being entirely free from immodesty; and very often, by their words and actions, put young men to the blush. The Ottawa men seem to have possessed more modesty than the women ; yet many of the young squaws appeared really modest; genuine it must have been - for they had but little restraint by the laws of education and example. The Wyaudots and Delawares prided themselves upon their virtue, hospitality and bravery; and we know of no well j authenticated case where their female captives were insulted or misused. They always evinced the utmost modesty toward their unfoitunate female captives. Among these tribes domestic infidelity was severely reprimanded .and punished. Respect for parents and for age, fraternal affection, self-denial, and endurance under fatigue or suffering, were uniformly inculcated. These qualities have been applauded and acknowledged in their wigwams, in the mazes of the wilderness, and around the council fire.

Wampum

Wampum is an Iroquois word, meaning a muscle; and a number of these muscles, strung together, is called a string of wampum; which, when a fathom long, was a belt of wampum; but the word string is commonly used, whether it be long or short. These belts were esteemed very valuable by the Ohio Indians, and were very difficult to make; tor, not having the proper tools, or instruments, the Indians spent much time in finishing them. When the Europeans commenced trading with the Indians, and ascertained the value attached to wampum, they soon contrived to cut the shells, and perforate the pieces, and then make strings of wampum, both neat and elegant. These they bartered with the Indians for their furs, peltry, and venison, and found the traffic quite profitable. The muscles were mostly found on the coast of Virginia and Maryland, and were valued i according to their colors, which were brown, violet, and 1 white. They were first sawed into square pieces, about j a quarter of an inch in length, and an eighth in thickj ness, then ground round, or oval, upon a common | grindstone. The hole was bored lengthwise, through i each, large enough to admit a wire, or whip-cord, or any co~d, to string them like beads; when they were ready for traffic, hour such strings, joined in breadth, fastened together with fine thread, made a belt of wampum ; being about three or four inches wide, and three feet long, containing, perhaps, four, eight, or twelve, fathoms. This was determined, by the importance of the subject which the belts were intended to explain, or confirm, or by the dignity of the person to whom they were delivered. Everything ot moment transacted at solemn councils, either between the Indians themselves, or with Europeans, was ratified, and made valid, by strings and belts of yvampum. Black or brown wampum meant war or warning; red, with a hatchet in the middle, meant, also, to undertake war; and white meant peace. None but the war-bek showed any red color By these belts, they also remembered the exact words of their treaties. This was a sort of Indian pnemonics; and, forty years afterward, the 'very words of a treaty coukl be lepeated by the chiefs making it. *

Indian ' Physicians

No part of Indian history is more interesting than their mode of treating diseases. In fact, they evinced a wonderful degree of skill in combating the distempers that assailed their race. In this respect they were, generally, quite as successful as the majority of" the physicians of the white race. The favorite remedy for nearly all disorders, among the Delawares , Wyandots ,

| For this purpose, in every town, or near it, they built, of j stakes or boards, covered with sous, a sweat-house ; or I dug a hoL in the side of a hill; or drove down four j stakes, and covered them with blankets or ..kins. Large : flat, or round stones were heated red-hot, and placed in I the center of the sweat-house; when the patient crept, naked, into the structure. Water was poured upon the 1 hot stone, and. the sweat-house being closed, the patient I was soon thrown, into a profuse sweat; and, as soon a>

; and again ret.: - . h. to the oven, or sweat-house. This j process was r. e ..d about three times, when the patient smoked his A . . composure, and, in most cases, the cure was com

They used herbs extensively in their rude practice. Old tm-n, too feeble to hunt, became medicine, men, and healed diseases to procure a comfortable living. One made the study of herbs a specialty, another examined and tested the virtues of every species of bark. They generally made a profound seciet of their knowledge, j'he administration of their remedies was always accompanied by mysterious ceremonies, to operate upon the superstitious mind of the patient, and to make the effect appeal supernatural.

They had remarkable success in healing wounds, old sores and ulcers. In fractures and dislocations of bones their surgery was as ingenious as original. If an Indian dislocated his foot or knee when hunting alone, he crept to a small tree, and tying one end of a strap to it, he fastened the other to the dislocated limb, and lying on Tibs back, continued to pull until it was reduced.

In burns and chilblains, they used a decoction of beech bark and leaves, as a speedy and successful cure. In bleeding, a small, sharp pointed flint was fastened to a wooden handle, and placed upon the vein, and struck until the blood gushed out. Their medicine men extracted teeth very much as white surgeons do, with a sort of pincers. Rheumatism was treated by sweating and scarification. The bark of the white walnut, pul. verized when green, was often applied to the painful part until an eruption was produced. This remedy - was ex. tremely acrid, and produced a most pungent pain on tire skin where it was applied. For a headache or a toothache, this bark was applied to the temples or the cheek. A strong decoction was also used in fresh wounds, as a- styptic, and prevented swelling.

The bite of poisonous serpents was treated by the Indian doctors with wonderful success. They used the leaf of tKe rattlesnake root - polygala senega - as a most efficacious remedy. Indeed, they were so well convinced of the certainty of that antidote, that many Indians would suffer themselves to be bitten for a glass of whisky or brandy. A quantity of the leaves were chewed and immediately applied to the wound, and a small portion swallowed, producing intense thirst, which would relieve the effects of the bite. They also used the Vir gmia snake root - serpmntiner. rirginiaenses - as a poultice for wounds of that description. A -decoction of the buds of the white-ash - -Jraxemus Carolina- taken inwardly, was believed to be a certain rented;, for such wounds.

As tonics and stomachics, they used a decoction of the bark and root of the thorny ash - aralia spinosa - the dogwood - cornm jlorida - the wintergreen - pyola tan. bellaa : while the native jalap - convolvitlar jalappa - which grew in abundance, was used as a puigative.

U is a subject of remark, that more than one hundred years before' the whites discovered spring or fossil oil, ,,ow carbon oil, the Indians used it extensively as an ointment.