Ashland County, Ohio - Chapter 22: Occurrences During the War, 1880

A Part of the Green town Indians, and a Number of Wyar.dots, Return. - The Murder of Martin Ruffner, Frederick Zimmer arid Family, on the Black Fork. - The Tragedy at the Cabin of James C'optts, and His Death. - The Rescue of His Family.

About two weeks after the removal of the Green and jerometown Indians, the murder of Martin Ruffner and the family of Frederick Zimmer, sr.,* took place. Mr. Ruffner and a brother-in law. named Richard Hughes, erected cabins not a great ways apart, in (he spring of i Si 2, about half a mile north of west of the present village of Mifflin, into which they moved. The mother of Mr. .Ruffner, and a brother, aged about nineteen years, named Michael, accompanied and boarded with Richard Hughes. The wife and child of Martin Ruffner came on late in the summer. They had ah resided in Fail field county, Ohio, for several years, from whence they had gone to Canton, Ohio, and entered their lands. Mr. Zimmer located his tract about two and a half miles j southeast of Mr. Ruffner, and, having put up a cabin, ! moved into it with his wife, daughter Catharine, and son ! Philip, aged about nineteen years. Being an old man, j he was unable to do much work. Desiring to rapidly | prepare some fifteen or twenty acics for com, he hired Michael Ruffner, brother of Martin, to assist him. In the meantime, Martin Ruffner and a hound boy named ! Levi Berkinhi/er, kept bachelor's hall in his cabin, working and doing their own cooking.

Early in September one afternoon, while Michael ' Ruffner was on his way, on the old Indian trail leading from the cabin of Frederick Zimmer to the cabin of his ! brother, through the forest, he met two Indians who were well armed with guns, knives, and tomahawks, .end seemed very friendly to him. Stopping him, they asked if the Zimmers were at home. He replied, they were. They 'hen passed into the forest; and he hastened on and stated to his brother the occurrences on the way. Martin Ruffner suspected mischief - took down his gun - mounted a very fleet mare,* and rode rapidly down the trail to put Zimmer on his guard, and notify the other settlers in the vicinity. He arrived before the Indians, and Philip Zimmer was dispatched to inform James -Copes, who lived about two miles further south, on the trail. Having notified Mr. Copus, he hastened from thence to inform John Lambright, who resided about two miles further south. Lambright returned with him, and, joined by Mr. Copus, they all proceeded to the cabin of Mr. Zimmer, where they arrived in the early part of the evening. t Finding no light in the cabin, and all being silent, fears were entertained that the Indians had killed the inmates. Mr. Copus moved cautiously around to a back window and listened a "moment, but hearing no movements he crept slyly around to the door, which, on examination, he found partially ajar, and, pressing upon it, found some obstruction behind it. He at once suspected the family had been murdered, and, on placing his hand upon the floor, found it wet with blood ! Hastening back to Philip and Lambright, who were concealed a short distance from the cabin, be stated his convictions, when Philip became frantic with grief and excitement, and desired to rush into the cabin to learn the whole truth concerning the fate of his venerable parents and sister. Suspecting Indians were concealed in the cabin, awaiting his return, Messrs. Lambright and Copus induced him to accompany them. On arriving at his cabin, Mr. Copus hastily took his wife and children and poceeded with Mr. Lambright to his residence. There they were joined by his wife and children. From thence they pressed on to the cabin of Frederick Zimmer, jr. , brother of Philip, and he and his brother joined the fugitives, and they hastened along an Indian path near where the village of Lucas now stands, and stopped at the cabin of David Hill, where they remained until the next morning. Hill and family then accompanied them to the block house

''Statement of Daniel Hoover, a neighbor of Martin Ruffner in Fairfield county, Ohio, who now resides in Richland county, about three miles northwest of Mifflin, on the we 1 side f the Black fork. He is now 11873) seventy-nine years of age. lie ..mo from Rov kingham countv, Virginia, and settled on the waters of Rush cn k, n I - field county, about the year 1803, with the family of his father He had known Martin Ruffner in Shenandoah county, Virginia. Furfur moved to- Pleasant township. Fairfeld county. Ohio, in UJ07, .lccrmipanieii bv his mother, brother Michael, and a sister, who married one Richard Hughes. Martin Kellner returned to Virginia a year or two before he moved to Richland county, and married. Hr and his relatives located' on what is now Manual - run, half a mile below Mifflin, in the si Ting of 1S12. Mr. Hoover was in Mansfield, on lus way to Riiffre r's, when I lull sum , aimed. and. t 'king into v i.w the excitement produced hv tiiat disaster, thought it prudent to return home, where lie reniaineii until 1 3 1 4. and then removed to and com- I'u'ueed improvements on the firm e; o 1 vvlueh be now res ! - lie vi v . Miehael Rnlfnei, rm his retnrti in Fairfield in tfio, gave him a at Jacob Bearn's, where they arrived safely and gave the alarm. Mr. Copus, Philip and Frederick Zimmer, Flili, | Laaibright and a number of soldiers, well armed, pro- ! reeded by the most direct route, through the forest, to the cabins of Martin ' Ruffner and Richar d Hughes.* They found that the cabin of Ruffner had not been dis- I turbed, and that Levi Berkinhizer, the boy, had slept there, alone, the night before, and that the cabin of j Hughes had also been undisturbed. Ruffner had, a j short, time [trior to this, on learning of the surrender of Hull, sent his wife and child to Licking county in company with young Berkinhizer, to reside with Mr. Laird, an uncle, who lived about one and a half miles from Utica. After the return of the boy, they did their own j cooking. Ruffner was a large, fearless man - had been on good terms with his Indian neighbors - in fact, when he came on to locate bis land, in passing through Green- j town an Indian volunteered to show him the piece he entered, telling him "it was good land - had Indian huts on it; had appie trees, good water, and other ad van- j tages." He had cleared, and planted four or five acres j of corn, which was attended by himself and Berkinhizer. j

After the murder of the old people, Philip Zimmer, i May i, 1815, and wife Elizabeth, before Thomas Mace, \ justice of the peace of Pickaway county, deeded the old ! farm to Michael Culler, who took possession ot it, and j resided upon the land until his death, in 1876. This j deed was plainly signed by Philip and Elizabeth Zim- 1 mer, his wife.

But to rerurn. When they arrived at Ruffner1;- cabin, [ young Berkinhizer, Michael Ruffner and Hughes joined j the company, and hastened down the trail to the cabin | of Mr. Zimmer. On entering it, they found the old gentleman, the old lady and Catharine all dead and dread- , fully mangled by the savages; Ruffner was found in the j yard dead. He had apparently, made a desperate effort to save the family, during which he had succeeded in reaching the front yard. His gun was bent nearly double, j from clubbing it in the cabin. Several of his fingers had ; been cut off by blows from a tomahawk ; and the struggle had finally ended by his being shot twice through the \ body. Ruffner and the Zimmers had been scalped by the Indians, it seemed from appearances, that the table ' had been set with refreshments for the savages, as the r most of the food remained, f The attack must have ! been very sudden and unexpected: for Ruffner, with h:s trusty rifle, was more than a match for two Indians. Indeed, there can. be scarcely a doubt that eight or ten Indians were engaged in the tragedy. It is also prob- main of the | >i« meet s iv| ue : las story, ue me not at U to \ et ;f\ u I . anything "U rev ml. Porn further desert pi ion of this Indian, see also, personal sketch of Robert 1 . 1 handler able that the Indians that committed those murders had resided at Greentown, and had a personal spite to avenge on Mr. Zimmer and family. The older pioneers say the Indians often complained that the Zimmers -had maltreated their [tonics by tying clapboards to their tails, when they were feeding around their fields, to frighten them away; and they had possibly taken this way to complete their retaliation. Their fences were mostly made of brush, and the corn was very tempting to the Indian horses. Any injury to their dogs and ponies was always remembered and resented.

Martin Ruffner and the Zimmers were buried on a little knoll, a few rods from the scene of the tragedy, in one grave, where they now rest quietly -in the dream of death. The farm is now owned by Michael Culler (since deceased), and the site of the grave is pointed out by him. After performing the last sad ceremonies over the remains of the murdered pioneers, they returned to the block-house at Beams, and Michael Ruffner, his mother, and Hughes and family, removed to Fairfield county. Ohio, from whence, we are informed, they never returned.*

About five days after the return of Mr. Copus to the blockhouse, becoming weary of staying there, and believing the Indians entertained no ill will towards him, he insisted on returning with his family to the Black fork. Captain Martin protested that he was incurring much danger in doing so; but Mr. Copus insisting on going back, nine soldiers were detailed to conduct hima'na his family home. They all arrived safely in the afternoon, and found the cabin and stock secure. In the me ring Mr. Copus invited the soldiers to sleep in the cabin . but the weather being yet quite warm, they preferred to take quarters in the bam. which stood four or five rods north of the cabin, on the trail, that they might have a betrer opportunity to indulge in frolic and fun, and b_ less crowded and under le^s restraint. Before retiring, Mr. Copus cautioned them against surprise by Indians who might be lurking about. During the afternoon, Saral a little daughter of Mr. Copus, aged about twelve y..ms, went into the cornfield, a few roc's south of t'-c - -.bin, and while there saw an Indian, m the edge ef the forest, skulk behind a brush heap, but neglected to rente the circumstance to her father f That night the dugs kept up a constant barking, and Mr. Copus had manv unpleasant dreams. Before dayiigV he invited the soldiers into the cabin, telling them Ire feared some great disaster was about to overtake himself and family. He ngv.in lay down to rest; and when dayhght began to appear, the soldiers insisted on going to the spring, about litre rods away, to wash. 'Flic spiing is one of finest in the countrv, and gushes from the base of the hill in a large current. He again cautioned them of impending danger, telling them that Indians wire ccitainb in the neighborhood, or his dogs would not have made so much noise; and said "if they went to the spring, they .should take their guns along," which they promised to ,]u; but on passing out leaned them against the cabin, and started for the spring. They had scarcely reached it, when the Indians rushed from their concealment in the cornfield with a terrific yell, and cutting off all retreat, began to shoot and tomahawk the soldiers. Mr. Copus, upon hearing the- uproar, sprang from his bed, seized his gun and rushed for the door. Just as he opened it, he met a ferocious looking savage, and both fired at the same instant, and both were mortally wound ed. The bait passed through the leather strap that supported the powder-horn t of Mr. Copus, and penetrating his breast, caused him to fall, when he was supported to his bed, where he expired in about an hour, while begging the soldiers to bravely defend and save his poor family from the cruel fate that seemed to await them. Two of the soldiers fled to the forest, pursued by the Indians, and were soon overtaken, killed and scalped; the third had nearly escaped his pursuers, when they fired after him, and shot him through the bowels and foot. He ran about six hundred yards, and becoming weak through loss of blood, sat down, and leaning against a tree, stuffed his handkerchief into- the wound and expired. Mr. Geo. Dye, another soldier, (from Morgan county), made a desperate effort and regained the cabin, but was shot through the thigh just as he entered. The killed were Geo. Shipley, John Tedrick, and Mr. Warnock, who fled into the forest. The ground on the- east of the cabin was quite precipitous and rose about seventy-five or eighty feet high. It had a small growth of dwarfed limber, and furnished a good lodgment for the Indians. A few stunted oaks stood along the brow of the hill, behind which the Indians partially concealed themselves as they loaded their guns. The door of the cabin was soon riddled with balls; and the soldiers tore up the puncheons and placed them against it, to prevent the balls from entering the room and killing- or wounding the family. Volley after volley was i fired into the building, until the logs were honey-combed 1 with leaden balls. From the elevation obove the cabin, ! the Indians fired through the roof, in tire hope of hitting ' the inmates. Nancy Copus, a little girl, was shot through j the door, above the knee, producing a painful wound. George Launtz, a soldier, had his arm. broken by a ball, | up stavs, as he was removing the clay and chinking, to j enable him to get a "crack' at an Indian' Very soon j lie saw the "head of the red fiend protruding from be- I -Mini a small scrub oak, that stands yet on the brow of die lull, above the cabin, and "let drive at it," and the " Indian bounded into the air and rolled down the hill into the trail."

1 lie battle continued about five hours, when the sav- despairing of success, withdrew and carried off 'heir wounded and buried their dead. T he exact number could not be ascertained; iienbei could the point where they buried their dead be pointed out. As a sort of farewell salute they emptied their guns into a flock of sheep belonging to Mr. Copus that had, from fright, huddled together on the brow of the hill above the cabin, and killed most of them.* As soon as the Indians disappeared, one of the soldiers up stairs cautiously separated the clapboards of the roof, and passing out, made house at Beam's of the disasters of the morning, and crave immediate assistance. Before leaving the blockhouse, the day before, Captain Martin agreed to cal! at the Copus cabin the same evening, with a number of soldiers, and stay ail night. But he and his soldiers having been out on a scout all day, and failing to find Indian -signs concluded that all apprehensions of danger were j frivolous; therefore neglected to appear as agreed. He I encamped above tire Black fork, and on the morning of the I disaster, moving leisurely down the trail from the region ! of Ruffner's, reached the scene of the fight too late to | render aid in the fearful struggle. On approaching tire ! cabin, he and his soldiers were awe-struck on beholding i the work of death around them. The captain and his | men attended at once to the wounded, and the. grief- - stricken family of Mr. Copus, who was then lying cold in death, surrounded by his terrified wife and children. Search was then made for the Indians; but from the trail in the rich weeds that grew luxuriantly about the hill, it was found they had retreated around the southern brow of the bluff, and gone up a ravine about a quarter of a mile away, and fled in the direction of Quaker Springs j in Vermillion township; and hence, pursuit was abanj dotted. Mr. Copus and the murdered soldiers were i buried by the command, in a large grave at the foot of an apple tree, a rod or two from his cabin, where their bones yet repose.

Captain Mat tin and his soldiers then took the family, and the wounded, and, proceeding up the valley about half a mile, stopped for the night, and placed pickets around the camp to prevent surprise. In all, there were about one hundred persons in the camp that night. The" wounded were carried on poles, over which linen sheets had been sewed, making a sort of stretcher. The next morning, the little army passed up the trail near the deserted cabin of Martin Ruffner, and crossed the Black fork about where the State road is now located : that being the route by which Martin and his men had ad vanced. The whole party reached the block-house that evening, and were again safe. About six weeks after this, Henry Copus, and five or six soldiers, returned to the cabin, and found Mr. Warnock leaning against a tree (as before stated), dead; and buried him near the spot where he was found. The two Indians, the one in the front yard, and the one at the foot of the hill, were still in the position they had been left; and were, doubtless, afterwards devoured by the wolves that existed in great numbers in the forests at that time.

Mrs.. Copus and her children, after .remaining in the bioch house some two months, were removed to Guernsey county, Ohio, by Joseph Archer and George Correil, who resided near Claysville, in that county, where they remained until the spring of 1815, and then returned through the old village of Greentown, where, to their alarm, they found many of the Indians had re-erected their cabins, and had again settled.

This tragedy is believed to have occurred on Tuesday morning, September 15, 1812. Mr. Lewis Oliver is very certain it so occurred, and cites facts to prove it.