Licking County, Ohio - Chapter 22: Indians, 1881

RESERVATION - INDIAN VILLAGES IN LICKING COUNTY - STRENGTH OF THE WYANDOTS - HISTORY OF THE SHAWNEES, WYANDOTS, OTTAWAS AND DELAWARES - MANNERS, CUSTOMS,

'"Through the land where we for ages Laid our bravest, dearest dead, Grinds the savage white man's ploughshare, Grinding sires bones for bread."' - Joaquin Miller.

HE next inhabitants in the form of a human being to occupy the territory now embraced in Licking county, after the Mound Builders, were the American Indians. At least such is the generally received opinion, though whether the Indians and Mound Builders were not cotemporaneous is, perhaps, an open question. The Indian history, as well as that of the Mound Builders, is a good deal involved in obscurity, and much of it largely dependent on tradition, yet much of it is authentic and reliable. The Indians themselves, however, can be allowed very little, if any, credit for this preservation of their history; it is almost, or entirely, owing to white occupation that they

The day is not far distant when the Indian race, as a race, will become extinct. Supposing that this extinction had occurred before white occupation of this country, what would the world know of the Indian race? Where are their monuments? Where are their works that would perpetuate their memory? In what particular spot on this great earth have they left a single indelible footprint or imperishable mark to tell of their existence? Not so with the Mound Builders. They left works of an imperishable nature, and from these something of their history may be learned, even though personally they do not appear to exist anywhere. 'They were evidently workers, and much superior to the Indian, viewed from a civilized standpoint.

Colonel Charles Whittlesey's map of the Indians of Ohio gives this territory to the Delawares, except the western tier of townships, which are located in the Shawnee country; it does not appear,

During the latter half of the last century the Shawnees occupied the Scioto country, and sometimes spread themselves more or less over this section; but the Wyandots (also called the /urons) and the Delawares mainly occupied the country - between the Muskingum and Scioto rivers.

In 1785, by the treaty of Fort McIntosh, it was stipulated that the boundary line between the United States and the Delaware and Wyandot nations, should "begin at the mouth of the Cuyahoga river and run thence up said river to the portage between that and the Tuscarawas branch of Muskingum, thence down said branch to the forks (at the present' town of Bolivar), thence westerly to the portage of the Big Miami, thence along said portage to the great Miami of the lakes (Maumee river), and down said river to its mouth; thence along the southern shore of Lake Erie to the mouth of the Cuyahoga, the place of beginning." By this treaty, as will be seen, they ceded a large territory, including Licking county, to the United States. Itis certain, however, that many of them continued to occupy this territory many years after

"the date of the above treaty, which they found little difficulty in doing, as there were then no white settlers to dispute the possession. with them.

Fort Finney, in 1786, the country between the Big Miami and Wabash rivers. They also, relinquished all claims to whatever territory they had in Ohio, but some of them also lingered here, even within the limits of this county, until the close of the century, or later. Previous to 1800 there were several Indian villages within the limits of the county. One of these was called "Raccoon town," and was situated on the Raccoon bottom, near Johnstown. This was a Wyandot village, and, in 1807, their possessions were purchased by Charles and George Green, who thereafter occupied these lands. Another was on the Bowling Green, near the Licking river, five miles below Newark. They also had some huts, wigwams, and some small villages on the Licking bottoms, which they occupied temporarily, a mile-or two below the junction of the

North and South forks, as well as at some other points. A few Shawaees camped for a time on Shawnee run, near or on the farm of Mr. P. N, O'Bannon, which circumstance gave name to the stream. One of the Indian tribes called the North fork "Pataskala," and the main stream below was, also, so called; but one or more of the Indian tribes also called the latter Lick-Licking. The: latter name is supposed to have been given it from the fact of there being in early times some "salt licks," as they were called, upon or near its banks, which were much resorted to by deer and buffalo, and, subsequent to the settlement of the country, by domestic animals. Hunters were very successful, in early times, at these licks, in securing venison. 'The Indians in this territory were peaceably disposed toward the whites, and there is no record of any murders or outrages committed by them after the permanent settlement of the county. The shooting of a scout in the eastern part of the county, and the stealing of some horses from the first settlers by the Indians, is fully described in the chapter on the pioneers.

Mr. Hutchins, the United States geographer, estimated the number of the Wyandots and Shawnees, in 1764, at eight hundred warriors - three hundred of the former and five hundred of the latter.

It appears these nations occupied this territory in limited numbers, only as a hunting ground, and that it was out of the line of all their great trails, One of their main trails - a "trunk line" as it were - crossed the Muskingum river in the vicinity of Zanesville, passing a little south of west across Perry and Fairfield counties, but wholly south of Licking. A branch trail, however, diverged from this main trail, crossed the Muskingum in the vicinity of the present site of Dresden, and striking Licking county, about where Licking river passes out of it, on the east, passed up that river to the vicinity of Bowling Green, where it crossed, and bore southwest to the "Big" and "Little" lakes, or what is now the reservoir. was a favorite resort for the purpose of fishing. This trail passed on from the reservoir to King Beaverstown, near Pickerington, or Lithopolis, in

'We can trace their history to the time of their residence on the tide-waters of Florida, and, as well as the De/awares, they aver that they originally came from west of the Mississippi. Blackhoof, who died at Wapaghkonnetta, at the advanced age of one hundred and five years, and who, in his day, was a very influential chief among the Indians, told me that he remembered, when a boy, bathing in the salt waters of Florida; also that his people firmly believed white, or civilized, people had been in the country before them, having found in many instances the marks of iron tools upon the trees and stumps."

Shawanoese means "the south," or the "people from the south."* After the peace of 1763, the Miamis removed from the Big Miami river and a body of Shawmnees established themselves at Lower and Upper Piqua, which became their principal headquarters in Ohio. They remained here until driven off by the Kentuckians, when they crossed over to the St. Mary's and to Wapaghkonnetta. The Upper Piqua is said to have contained at one period over four thousand Shawwees. They were very warlike and brave, and often were quite formidable enemies.

In the French war, which ended in 1763, a bloody battle was fought near the site of Colonel Johnston's residence, at Upper Piqua. At that time the A/zamis had their towns here, which on ancient maps are marked as " Tewightewee towns." The Miamis, Ottawas, Wyandots, and other northern tribes adhering to the French, made a stand here, assisted by the French. The Delawares, Shawnees, Munseys, parts of the Sevecas, residing in Pennsylvania, Cherokees, Catawhas, and other tribes, adhering to the English, with English traders, attacked the French and Indians. The latter had built a fort in which to protect and defend themselves, and were able to withstand the siege, which lasted more than a week. Not long after this contest the Wamzs retired to the Minen? of the lake, at and near Fort Wayne, and never returned. The Shawwees took their place, and gave names to many towns in this part of Ohio.

Five Nations in some of their wars.. The Wyandéts, who, at the time the French missionaries came to America were dwelling in the peninsula of Michigan, were allowed by the "ive Watious to occupy the land of the L7ies, and thus came to dwell in Ohio. From Howe's Historical Collections, it is ascertained that the Wyandots once occupied the north site of the St. Lawrence river, down to Coon lake, and from thence up the Utiwas. The Sewecas owned the opposite side of the river, and the island upon which Montreal now stands. Both were large tribes, consisting of many thousands, and were blood relations, claiming each other as cousins.

A war originated between the two tribes in the following manner: A Wyandot brave wanted a certain woman for his wife ; she objected; said he was no warrior, as he had never taken any scalps. He then raised a party of warriors and they fell upon a small party of Sevecas, killing and scalping a number of them. It is presumed the Wyandot brave secured his wife, but this created a war between the tribes which lasted more than a hundred years, and until both nations were much weakened, and the /Vyandots nearly exterminated. The latter were compelled to leave the country, and took up their residence on the peninsula of Michigan, as before stated. They were often compelled to fight their old enemies even in this far off region, as war parties of Sezecas frequently went there for that purpose. A peace was finally arranged, and the remnant of Ilyandots came to reside in Ohio. The Oftawas, another conquered tribe, and one allowed existence only by paying a kind of tribute to their conquerors, the /roguots, were also part occupants of this same part of Ohio. This nation produced the renowned chief, Pontiac, who was the cause of such wide-spread desolation in the west. The Of¢fawas were often known as "Canada Indians" among the early settlers. 'heir principal settlements were on the Maumee, along the lake shore, on the Huron and Black rivers, and on the streams flowing into them. These Indians were distinguished for their cunning and artifice, and were devoid of the attributes of a true warrior. They were often employed as emissaries, their known diplomacy and artifice being well adapted for such business. The Wyandods, on the other hand, were a bold, warlike people. General Harrison says of them: "They were true warriors, and neither fatigue, famine, loss, or any of the ills of war could daunt their courage. They were our most formidable and stubborn enemies among the aborigines in the war of 1812." They, like all tribes in the west, were often influenced by British rum and British gold, and found, in the end, as their chiefs so aptly expressed it, that they were "'only tools in the hands of a supeior power, who cared nothing for them, only to further their own selfish ends."

Many of the Indians of all these tribes were friendly to all whites until the breaking out of the war with Great Britain, when they left the country to join the forces of the king, and destroy the whites who occupied their country. They considered them then their enemies, and acted accordingly on all occasions, save where personal friendship, so strong in the Indian, developed itself, and in many instances, saved the lives of those in danger. Instances of this kind are frequently given, which appear in the narrative as they occurred.

The manners, customs, feasts, war parties and daily life of these sons of the forest, form interesting chapters in aboriginal history. It will be well to notice such in these pages, as far as space permits. The character of the Indians was largely the result of their lives. They judged and lived by what the senses dictated. They had names and words for what they could hear, see, feel, taste and smell. They had no conceptions of abstract ideas until they learned such from the whites. Hence their language was very symbolical. They could see the sun in his brightness, they could feel his heat ; hence they compared the actions of a good man to the glory of the sun, and his fervent energy to the heat of that body. The moon in her brightness, the wind in its fury, the clouds in their majesty, or in their slow, graceful motion through a lazy atmosphere; the grace and flight of the deer; the strength and fury of the bear; the rush or ripple of water as it coursed along the bed of a river, all gave them words whose expressiveness are a wonder and marvel to this day. They looked on the beautiful river that borders the southern shores of our State and exclaimed: "O-he-zo!" beautiful; on the placid waters of the stream bordering the western line of Indiana and ejaculated, 'Wa-ba" - a summer cloud moving swiftly; on the river flowing into Lake Erie and said, '"Cuy-o-ga" (Cuyahoga), crooked; and so on through their entire vocabulary, each name expressive of a meaning, full and admirably adapted to the object. At one time in the history of the Indians in the south, one tribe was driven from the homes of its ancestors, and in their flight they came to the green banks of a beautiful river. The spot was charmingly beautiful, and the chief, thrusting his spear into the earth, cried in a loud voice, ''Al-a-ba-ma" - here we rest. A river and State now perpetuate the name and story.

The Indians in Ohio, the tribes already mentioned, had learned a few things from their intercourse with the whites on the borders of Western Pennsylvania, when they were first seen by the pioneers of Licking county. Their cabins or wigwams were of two kinds - circular and parallelogram. The former, the true wigwam, was in use among the O¢fawas when the whites came to their country. It was made of a number of straight poles driven firmly into the ground, their upper ends being drawn closely together; this formed a kind of skeletontent. The squaws plaited mats of thongs, bark or grass, in such a manner as to render them impervious to water. These were spread on the poles, beginning at the bottom, and extending upward. A small hole was left for the egress of smoke from the fire kindled in the center of the wigwam. Around this fire, mats or skins were spread, on which. the Indians slept at night, and -on which they sat during the day. For a door, they lifted one end of the mat, and crept in, letting it fall down behind them. 'These tents were warm and dry, and generally quite free from smoke. 'Their fuel was nearly always split by the squaws in the fall of the year, and kept dry by placing it under an inverted birch-bark canoe, These wigwams were easily moved about from place to place, the labor of their destruction and construction being always performed by the squaws - the beasts of burden among all savage nations. The wigwam was very light, and easily carried about. It resembled the tents of to-day in shape, and was often superior in points of comfort and

The cabins were more substantial affairs, and were built of poles, about the thickness of a small sized telegraph pole, but were of various sizes, and commonly, about twelve by fifteen feet in length. These poles were laid one on the other, similar to the logs in a cabin, save that, until the Indians learned that notching the point of contact near the end, from the whites, they were held by two stakes being driven in the angles formed in the corners, and fastened at the top by a hickory or bark withe, or by a thong of buckskin. The pen was raised to the height of from four to six feet, when an arched roof was made over it by driving at each end a strong post, with a fork at the upper end, which stood a convenient height above the topmost log or pole: A stout pole was laid on the forks, and on this was laid a small pole reaching down to the wall. were tied, and over the whole pieces of linn bark were thrown. These were cut from the tree, often of great length, and from six to twelve inches,in width. They were then cut into proper lengths to cover the cabin. At the ends of the cabin split timbers were set up, so that the entire cabin was inclosed except a small aperture at one end, left for a door. This was covered by a deer or bear skin. At the top of the cabin an opening was left for the smoke to escape, for all Indians built their fires on the ground in the center of the cabin or wigwam, around which they spread skins and mats on which to recline and sleep. The cracks between the logs were filled with moss gathered from old logs. When made, the cabin was quite comfortable, and was often constructed in the same manner by the pioneers, while making improvements, and used until a permanent structure could be erected.

In regard to food, the Indians were more careful to provide for their future needs than their successors of the west are to-day. In the spring they made maple sugar by boiling the sap in large brass or iron kettles which they had obtained from the French and English traders. To secure the water they usea vessels made of elm bark in a very inge nious manner. 'They would strip the bark," says Dr, George W. Hill, of Ashland, "in the winter season when it would strip or run, by cutting down the tree, and, with a crooked stick, sharp and broad at one end, peel the bark in wide strips, from which they would construct vessels holding two or three gallons each." They would often make over a hundred of these. They cut a sloping notch in the side of a sugar-tree, stuck a tomahawk into the wood at the end of the notch, and, in the dent thus made, drove a long chip or spile, which conveyed the water to the bark vessels. They generally selected the larger trees for tapping, as they considered the sap from such stronger and productive of more sugar. rying the sap would hold from three to five gallons

Their vessels for careach, and sometimes, where a large camp was located and a number of squaws at work, using a half-dozen kettles, great quantities of sugar would be made. When the sugar-water would collect faster than they could boil it, they would make three or four large troughs, holding more than a hundred gallons each, in which they kept the sap until ready to boil. When the sugar was made, it was generally mixed with bear's oil or fat, forming a sweet mixture into which they dipped their roasted venison. As cleanliness was not a reigning virtue among the Indians, the cultivated taste of a civilized person would not always fancy the mixture, unless driven to it by hunger. The compound, when made, was generally kept in large bags made of coon skins, or vessels made of bark. The former were made by stripping the skin over the body toward the head, tying the holes made by the legs with buckskin cords, and sewing securely the holes The hair was all removed, and then the bag blown full of air, from a hole in the upper end, and allowed to dry. Bags made in this way, Dr. Bushnell says, would hold whiskey, and were often used for such purposes. When they became saturated they were blown full of air again, the hole plugged, and they were left to dry. Sometimes the head was cut off without stripping the skin from it, and the skin of the neck gathered in folds like a purse, below which a string was tied and fastened with a pin. Skin vessels are not indigenous to the natives of America. All Oriental countries possess them, where the traveler of to-day finds them the rule. almost, as time. : potatoes and melons. Corn was their principal crop, and was raised entirely by the squaws. When the season for planting drew near, the women cleared a spot of rich alluvial soil, and dug over the ground in a rude manner with their hoes. In planting the corn they followed lines, to a certain extent, thus forming rows each way across the field. When the corn began to grow, they cultivated it with wonderful industry, until it had matured sufficiently for use. The corn-fields were nearly always 'in the vicinity of the villages, and sometimes were "many acres in extent, and in favorable seasons yielded plentifully. The squaws had entire charge of the work. It was considered beneath the dignity of a brave to do any Kind of manual labor, and, when any one of them, or any of the white men whom they had adopted, did any work, they were severely reprimanded for acting like a squaw. The Indian women raised the corn, dried it, pounded it into meal in a rude stone mortar, or made it into hominy. Corn, in one form and another, formed the chief staple of the Indian's 'food. They had various legends concerning its origin, which, in common with other stories, they were accustomed to recite in their assemblies.

all kinds. These consisted of races, games of ball, throwing the tomahawk, shooting at a mark with the bow and arrow, or with the rifle after its distribution among them, horse races, and other sports incidental to savage life. Their powers of endurance were remarkable, and astonishing accounts are often now told of feats of prowess exhibited by these aborigines. Of the animals hunted by the Indians, none seems to have elicited their skill more than the bear. To slay one of these beasts was proof of a warriors prowess, and dangerous encounters often resulted in the hunter's search for 'such distinction. ~The vitality of bruin was unequaled among the animals of the forest, and on this account, and because of the danger attached to his capture, made him an object of special hunts and feats of courage.

"The Black or Canesadooharie river," says Dr. Hill, "had always been famous among the aborigines of Ohio for the number and largeness of its first settled in the country, and can relate astounding stories of their exploits at the time. The habit of these animals was to search out a hollow tree, or secure a warm clump of bushes late in the autumn, where they could remain three or four months, during the extreme cold of the winter, subsisting entirely on the fat of their bodies. They would emerge in the spring very lean, and when so were exceedingly ferocious. When searching out their places of winter solitude, they often left the impress of their feet on the bark of the tree they ascended, or on the grass in the lair they had found. The signs were easily discovered by Indians and expert bear hunters. They were then very fat, and were eagerly sought by the Indians for their flesh and fat. Sometimes they would ascend trees thirty or forty feet high, and find a good wintering place and take possession. Again they would ascend the tree, if hollow, from the inside, and, finding a good place, occupy it. Then the hunters would divide forces - one ascend the tree, and with a long pole, sharpened at one end, or wrapped with a rag or dry skin saturated with greese and set on fire, thrust the same down on the bear, and' compel him to descend only to meet death at the foot of the tree from. the arrow or bullet of the hunter below."

The skin of a fat bear was a great prize to an Indian. It made him anexcellent couch on which to sleep, or a cloak to wear. His flesh was supposed to impart bravery to those who ate it, hence when dipped in sweetened bear's fat, it was considered an excellent dish and one often offered to friends. Venison, prepared the same way, was also considered a dish fit for the most royal visitors; a hospitality always extended to all who came to the camp, and if not accepted the donor was sure to be offended.

The domestic life of the Indians was very much the same in all parts of America. Among the Northern Ohio tribes, marriage consisted simply of two persons agreeing to live together, which simple agreement among many tribes was never broken, Sometimes the young woman courted the young brave, much after the fashion of the white people during leap years. This custom was considered quite proper, and favorably looked upon by the In some localities the chief gave away the young woman to some brave he considered competent to support her by the chase, a part of the domestic economy always devolving on the man. When the game was killed, the squaw was expected to cut up and prepare the meat for use, and stretch and tan the hide.

The marriage relation among the most of the tribes was held strictly by all, a variation from it on the part of the female meriting certain death. The Wyandots and Delawares prided themselves on their virtue and hospitality, and no authenticated case of the misuse of a female captive, except to treat them as prisoners of war, can now be quoted. They always evinced the utmost modesty toward their female captives. Respéct for the aged, for parents and those in authority prevailed. When one among them spoke, all listened - never, under any circumstances, interrupting him. '' When he was done, then was the time to reply.

In theology, the natives were all believers in one Great Spirit. They firmly believed in his care of the world and of his children, though different theories prevailed among the tribes regarding their creation. 'Their ideas of a divinity, as expressed by James Smith, a captive many years among them, are well given in the following story, preserved in Smith's memoirs.

He and his elder Indian brother, Tecaughretanego, had been on a hunt for some time, and, meeting with poor success, found themselves straitened for food. After they had smoked at their camp-fire awhile, Tecaughretanego delivered quite a speech, in which he recounted how Owaneeyo (God) had fed them in times gone by; how He fed the white people, and why they raised their own meat; how the Great Spirit provided the Indian with food for his use; and how, though the prospect was sometimes gloomy, the Great Spirit was only trying them; and if they would only trust Him and use the means diligently, they would be certain to be provided for. The next morning Smith rose early, according to the Indian's instructions, and ere long killed a buffalo cow, whose meat kept them in food many days. This was the occasion of another speech from his Indian brother. This trust often led them to habits of prodigality. They seldom provided for

Possessed of a boundless inheritance, they allowed the white race to come in and possess their lands and eventually drive them entirely away. Their manner of feasts may also be noticed.

The following description is from the pen of Dr. Hill, of Ashland, Ohio. The Mr. Copus mentioned is the same who was afterwards murdered by the Indians.

'"The ceremonies took place in the council-house, a building made of clapboards and poles, about thirty feet wide and fifty feet long. When the Indians entered the council-house, the squaws seated themselves on one side of the room, while the braves occupied the opposite side. There was a small mound of earth in the center of the room, eight or ten feet in diameter, which seemed to be a sort of sacrificial mound. The ceremonies began with a sort of rude music, made by beating ona small brass kettle, and on dried skins stretched over the mouths of pots, making a kind of a rude drum. The pounding was accompanied by a sort of song, which, as near as can be understood, ran: 'Tinny, tinny, tinny, -ho, ha, ho, ha, ho,' accenting the last syllables. Then a chief arose and addressed them; during the delivery of his speech a profound silence prevailed. The whole audience seemed to be deeply moved by the oration. The speaker seemed to be about seventy years of age, and was very tall and graceful. His eyes had the fire of youth, and shone with emotion while he was speaking. The andience seemed deeply moved, and frequently sobbed while he spoke. Mr. Copus could not understand the language of the speaker, but presumed he was giving a summary history of the Delaware nation, two tribes of which, the Wolf and the Turtle were represented at the feast. Mr. Copus learned that the speaker was the famous Captain Pipe, of Mohican Johnstown, the executioner of Colonel Crawford. At the close of the ad- The Indians were clothed in deerskin leggings and English blankets.

dress, dancing commenced. Deer hoofs and bears' claws were strung along the seams of their leggins, and when the dance commenced, the jingling of the hoofs and claws made a sort of harmony to the rude music of the pots and kettles. The men danced in files or lines by themselves around the central mound, the squaws following in a company by themselves. In the dance there seemed to be a proper modesty between the sexes. In fact the Greentown Indians were always noted for being extremely scrupulous and modest in the presence of one another. After the dance the refreshments, made by boiling venison and bear's meat, slightly tainted, together, were handed around. The food was not very palatable to the white persons present, 'and they were compelled to conceal it about their persons until they had left the wigwam, when they threw the unsavory morsels away. No greater insult could have been offered the Indians than to have refused the proffered refreshments, hence a little deception was necessary to evade the censure of these untutored sons of the forest, whose stomachs could entertain almost anything." part of Ohio, as the war took away all the principal Indian characters. It was conducted very much as the one described - held in the fall of 1809. John Coulter, an old pioneer, recollects it very well, and, through Dr. Hill, gives a full description of it. Mr. Coulter says, that, while the food was cooking, an occasional morsel was thrown in the fire as an offering to the Great Spirit. Also, while the supper was being prepared, the chiefs, a large number of whom, from all parts of Ohio, 'were present, commenced to move around the mound in the center of the cabin, sometimes singing and sometimes delivering short speeches in their native tongue. While this was going on, the balance of the audience was arranged in lines two or three deep around the inside of the council-house, which Henry Howe estimated, from nar- Tatives of pioneers given him in 1849, was sixty feet long, twenty-five feet wide, one story high, and inclosed by clapboards, or broad pieces of split lumber. This difference in size may be accounted for by the fact that two persons looking at a building will very seldom make the same estimate of its size. The singing of the Indians at this second panied by a sort of grunt, contortions of the face and singular gesticulations of the arms. dians were dressed as those described in the feast of 1809, and, though Mr. Coulter could not understand their language, he thought it was either a tecital of their history or portended war. The ceremonies lasted two or three hours, when the provisions were handed around, and _ general hand-shaking and congratulations followed, closing the feast. The Indians did not all disappear from this part of Ohio for many years after the advent of the whites.

They often came to Newark to trade. They would gather under the forest trees in the public square, and there talk, smoke, trade, or idle away their time as suited their fancy. Physically they were sometimes the finest specimens of mankind. Tall, straight as an arrow, unexceptional physique, clad only in leggins and breech-clout, they exhibited a physical body, one could not tire contemplating. Sometimes they would get drunk, when tney were a little dangerous. They traded peitry for hatchets, powder and ball, and trinkets of various kinds. By practice they became as sharp in bargains as the white traders and peddlers. Experience taught them to rely on their own judgment in all such matters.

By the treaty of September 29, 1817, the Delawares were deeded a reservation on the south of the Wyandot reservation, both in Marion and Wyandot counties. When this was done, Captain Pipe, son of "Old Captain Pipe," was the principal Delaware chief. The Delaware Indians remained on their reservation until about 1829, when they ceded it to the United States for three thousand dollars, and moved west of the Mississippi. The Wyandots ceded theirs in March, 1842, and left for the far west in July of the next year. At that date they numbered about seven hundred souls, and were the last Indian tribe to relinquish its claims to the soil of Ohio.