Summit County, Ohio - American, 1881

American

Boone and his associates had established a commonwealth, and, in 1777, formed, which, erelong, was divided into three. Louisville was laid out on land belonging to Tories, and an important start made in this part of the West. Emigrants came down the Ohio River, saw the northern shores were inviting, and sent back such accounts that the land north of the river rapidly grew in favor with Hastern people.

veyor and general, and took an active interest in He understood the animus of the Revolution, and was prepared to do his part. Col. Clarke was now meditating a who held all the outposts, Kaskaskia, Detroit, Vincennes and Niagara, and determined to cireumvent them and wrest the West from their power. The British hoped to encircle the Americans by these outposts, and also unite the Indians in a common war against them. That had been attempted by the French when the English conquered them. Then the French had a powerful ally in the person of Pontiac, yet the brave frontiersmen held their homes in many places, though the Indians "drank the blood of many a Briton, scooping it up in the hollow of joined hands." Now the Briton had no Pontiac tu lead the scat-

Clarke knew that the Delawares were divided in feeling and that the Shawanees were but imperfectly united in favor of England since the murder of their noted chiefs. Rritish could be driven from the Western posts, the natives could easily be awed into submission, or bribed into neutrality or friendship. They admired, from their savage views of vaior, the

Pittsburgh had been claimed by both Pennsylvania and Virginia, and, in endeavoring to settle the dispute, Lord Dunmore's war followed. Dr. John Connelly, an ambitious, intriguing person, induced Lord Dunmore to assert the claims of Virginia, in the name of the King. In attempting to

Connelly was released on bail, but went at once to _ Staunton, where he was sworn in as a Justice of tered tribes - tribes who now feared the unerring © aim of asettler, and would not attack him openly - ; of their offices, unless in conformity to his will. Connelly refused any terms offered by the Pennsylvania deputies, kept possession of the place,

Before proceeding in the narrative of this expedition, however, it will be well to notice a few acts transpiring north of the Ohio River, especially relating to the land treaties, as they were not without effect on the British policy. Many of the Indians north and south of the Ohio would not recognize the validity of the Fort Stanwix treaty, claiming the Iroquois had no right to the lands, despite their conquest. These discontented natives harassed the emigrants in such a manner that many Indians were slain in retaliation. This, and the working of the French traders,-who at all times breasts of the natives with a malignant hate, which years of bloodshed could not wash out. murder of several Indians by lawless whites fanned in revenge for their fallen friends. The Indian slew any white man he found, as a revenge on some friend of his slain; the frontiersman, acting on the same principle, made the borders extremely dangerous to invaders and invaded. Another cause urged by him, murdered seven Indians at the mouth of the Captina River, and at the house of a settler named Baker, where the Indians were decoyed under promises of friendship and offers of Among those murdered at the latter place, was the entire family of the famous Mingoe chief, Logan. This has been charged to Michael Cresap , but is untrue. Daniel Greathouse had command of the party, and though Cresap may have been among them, it is unjust to lay the blame at his feet. Both murders, at Captina and Yellow Creek, were cruel and unwarranted, and were, without doubt, the cause of the war that followed, though the root of the matter lay in Connelly's arbitrary actions, and in his needlessly alarming the Indians. Whatever may have been the facts in relation to the murder of Logan's family, they were of such a nature as to make all feel sure of an Indian war, and preparations were made for the conflict.

An army was gathered at Wheeling, which, some time in July, under command of Col. Mc- Donald, descended the Ohio to the mouth of Captina Creek. They proposed to march against an Indian town on the Muskingum. The Indians sued for peace, but their pretensions being found | spurious, their towns and crops were destroyed. The army then retreated to Williamsburg, having accomplished but little.

The Delawares were anxious for peace; even the Mingoes, whose relatives had been slain at Yellow Creek, and Captina, were restrained; but Logan, who had been turned to an inveterate foe to the Americans, came suddenly upon the Monongahela settlements, took thirteen scalps in revenge for the loss of his family, returned home and expressed himself ready to treat with the Long Knives, the Virginians. Had Connelly acted properly at this juncture, the war might have been ended; but his actions only incensed both borderers and Indians. So obnoxious did he become that Lord Dunmore lost faith in him, and severely reprimanded him. -

To put a stop to the depredations of the Indians, two large bodies of troops were gathered in Virginia, one under Gen. Andrew Lewis, and one under command of Dunmore himself. Before the armies could meet at the mouth of the Great Kanawha, their objective point, Lewis' army, which arrived first, was attacked by a furious band of Delawares, Shawanees, [roquois and Wyandots. The conflict was bitterly prolonged by the Indians, who, under the leadership of Cornstalk, were determined to make a decisive effort, and fought till | late at night (October 10, 1774), and then only by a strategic move of Lewis' command - which resulted in the defeat of the Indians, compelling them to cross the Ohio - was the conflict ended. Meanwhile, Dunmore's army came into the enemy's country, and, being joined by the remainder of Lewis' command, pressed forward intending to annihilate the Indian towns. Cornstalk and his chiefs, however, sued for peace, and the conflict closed. Dunmore established a camp on Sippo Creek, where he held conferences with the natives and concluded the war. he stationed 100 men at the mouth of the Great Kanawha, a few more at Pittsburgh, and another corps at Wheeling, then called Fort Fincastle. Dunmore intended to return to Pittsburgh the next spring, meet the Indians and form a definite peace; but the revolt of the colonies prevented. However, he opened several offices for the sale of lands in the West, some of which were in the limits of the Pennsylvania colony. This led to the old boundary dispute again; but before it could be settled, the Revolution began, and Lord Dunmore's,

In 1775 and 1776, the chief events transpiring in the West relate to the treaties with the Indians, and the endeavor on the part of the Americans to have them remain neutral inthe family quarrel now coming on, which theycould not understand. The British, like the French, however, could not let them alone, and finally, as a retaliatory measure, Congress, under advice of Washington, won some of them over to the side of the colonies, getting their aid and holding them neutral. The colonies only offered them rewards for prisoners ; never, like the British, offering rewards for scalps. Under such rewards, the atrocities of the Indians in some quarters were simply horrible. The scalp was enough to get a reward, that was a mark of Indian valor, too, and hence, helpless innocence and decrepit old age were not spared. They stirred the minds of the pioneers, who saw the protection of their firesides a vital point, and led the way to the scheme of Col. Clarke, who was now, as has been noted, the leading spirit in Kentucky. He saw through the | scheme of the British, and determined, by a quick, decisive blow, to put an end to it, and to cripple their power in the West.

Among the acts stimulating Clarke, was the attack on Fort Henry, a garrison about one-half mile | above Wheeling Creek, on the Ohio, by a renegade white man, Simon Girty, an agent in theemploy of the British, it is thought, and one of the worst wretches ever known on the frontier. When Girty attacked Fort Henry, he led his red allies in recular military fashion, and attacked it without mercy. The defenders were brave, and knew with whom they were contending. Great bravery was displayed by the women in the fort, one of whom, a Miss Zane, carried a keg of gunpowder from a cabin to the fort. Though repeatedly fired at by the sayages, she reached the fort in safety. After awhile,

Clarke saw that if the British once got con- | trol over the Western Indians the scene at Fort | Henry would be repeated, and would not likely, in all cases, end in favor of the Americans. Without communicating any of his designs, he left Harrodsburg about the lst of October, 1777, and reached the capital of Virginia by November 5.

Through his aid, Clarke procured the necessary authority to prosecute his plans, and returned at once to Pittsburgh. He intended raising men about this post, but found them fearful of leaving their homes unprotected. However, he secured three companies, and, with these and a number of voluntecrs, picked up on the way down the Ohio River, he fortified Corn Island, near the falls, and made ready for his expedition. He had some trouble in keeping his men, some of those from Kentucky refusing to aid in subduing stations out of their own country. He did not announce his real intentions till he had reached this point. Here Col. Bowman joined him with his Kentucky militia, and, on the 24th of June, 1778, during a total eclipse of the sun, the party left the fort. Before his start, he learned of the capture of Burgoyne, and, when nearly down to Fort Massac, he met some of his spies, who informed him of' the exaggerated accounts of the ferocity of the Long Knives that the French had received from the British. By proper action on his part, Clarke saw both these items of infurmation could be made very beneficial to him. Leaving the river near Fort Massac, he set out on the march to Kaskaskia, through a hot summer's sun, over a country full of savage fues. They reached the town unnoticed, on the evening of July 4, and, before the astonished British and French knew it, they were all prisoners. M. Rocheblave, the English commander, was secured, but his wife adroitly concealed the papers belonging to the garrison. In the person of M. Gibault, the French priest, Clarke found a true friend. When the true character of the Virginians became apparent, the French were easily drawn to the American side, and the priest secured the surrender and allegiance of Cahokia through his personal influence. M. Gibault told him he would also secure the post at St. Vincent's, which he did, returning from the mission about the lst of August. During the interval, Clarke reenlisted his men, formed his plans, sent his prisoners to Kentucky, and was ready for future action when M. Gibault arrived. He sent Capt. Helm and a single soldier to Vincennes to hold that fort until he covld put a garrison there. It is but proper to state that the English commander, Col. Hamilton, and his band of soldiers, were absent at Detroit when the priest secured the village on the ''Quabache."" When Hamilton returned, in the autumn, he was greatly surprised to see the American flag floating from the ramparts of the fort, and when approaching the gate he was abruptly halted by Capt. Helm, who stood with a lighted fuse in his hand by a cannon, answering Hamilton's demand to surrender with the imperative inquiry, "Upon what terms, sir?'' 'Upon the honors of war,' answered Hamilton, and he marched in greatly chagrined to see he had been halted by two men. The British commander sat quietly down, intending to go on down the river and subdue Kentucky in the spring, in the mean time offering rewards for American scalps, and thereby gaining the epithet " Hair-buyer General." Clarke heard of his actions late in January, 1779, and, as he says, "I knew if I did not take him he would take me," set out early in February with his troops and marched across the marshy plains of Lower Illinois, reaching the Wabash post by the 22d of that month. The unerring aim of the Westerner was effectual. 'They will shoot your eyes out," said Helm to the British troops. 'There, I told you so," he further exclaimed, as-2 soldier ventured near a port-hole and received a shot directly in his eye. On the 24th the fort surrendered. The American flag waved again over its ramparts. The '" Hair-buyer General" was sent a prisoner to Virginia, where he was kept in close confinement for his cruel acts. Clarke returned to Kaskaskia, perfected his plans to hold the Illinois settlements, went on to Kentucky, from where he sent word to the colonial authorities of the success of his expedition. Had he received the aid promised him, Detroit, in easy reach, would have fallen too, but Gen. Green, failing to send it as promised, the capture of that important post was delayed.

Had Clarke failed, and Hamilton succeeded, the whole West would have been swept, from the Allechanies to the Mississippi. But for this small army of fearless Virginians, the union of all the tribes from Georgia to Maine against the colonies might have been effected, and the whole current of American history changed. America owes Clarke and his band more than it can ever pay. Clarke reported the capture of Kaskaskia and the Illinois country early after its surrender, and in October the county of Illinois was established, extending over an unlimited expanse of country, by the Virginia Legislature. John Todd was appointed Lieutenant Colonel and Civil Governor. In November, Clarke and his men received the thanks of the same body, who, in after years, secured them a grant of land, which they selected on the right bank of the Ohio River, opposite Louisville. They expected here a city would rise one day, to be the peer of Louisville, then coming

The conquest of Clarke changed the face of affairs in relation to the whole country north of the Uhio River, which would, in all probability, have been made the boundary between Canada and the United States. When this was propused, the strenuous arguments based on this conquest, by ters, several land companies held proprietary rights to portions of these lands gained by grants from the Crown, or from the Colonial, Assemblies. Others were based on land warrants issued still others on settlement. In this state of mixed affairs, it was difficult to say who held a secure claim. It was a question whether the old French grants were good or not, especially since

Congress saw the importance of the post, and resolved on securing it. Gen. McCosh, commander at Fort Pitt, was put in command, and $1,000,- QOU and 3,000 men placed at his disposal. By some dilatory means, he got no further than the Tuscarawas River, in Ohio, where a half-way house, called Fort Laurens, for the President of Congress, was built. practicable value, and was soon after abandoned.

pect of still another change. To, in some way, aid in settling these claims, Virginia sent a commission to the West to sit as a court and determine This court, though of as doubtful authority as the claims themselves, went to work in Kentucky and along the Ohio River in 1779, and, in the course of one year, granted over three thousand certificates.

were the most absorbing themes in the West. The British went so far as Kentucky at a later date, while they intended reducing Fort Pitt, only

Expeditions against the Western Indians were led by Gen. Sullivan, Col. Daniel Broadhead, Col. Bowman and others, which, for awhile, silenced the natives and taught them the power of the Americans. They could not organize so readily as before, and began to attach themselves more closely to the British, or commit their depredations they struck a blow. suffered, until the settlers became again exasperated; other expeditions were formed, and a second chastisement given. In 1781, Col. Broadhead led an expedition against the Central Ohio Indians. It did not prove so successful, as the Indians were led by the noted chief Brant, who, though, not

Another class of events occurred now in the West, civil in their relations, yet destined to form an important part of its history - its land laws.

hold some kind of a patent, while others, who possessed no more principle than '"land-sharks " of to-day, acquired large tracts of land by holding Of all the colonies, Virginia seemed to have the best title to the Northwest, save a few parcels. such as the Connecticut or Western Reserve and some

The Spanish Government, holding the region west of the Mississippi, and a portion east toward its outlet, became an important but secret ally of the Americans. When the French revolt was suppressed by O'Reilly, and the Spanish assumed the greater portion of the country north of the Ohio River, as well as a large part south. The other colonies claimed land also in the West under the old Crown grants, which extended to the South or Western Sea. To more complicate mat- was consistent with their interests, and allowed the French full religious and civil liberty, save that all tribunals were after the Spanish fashion, and governed by Spanish rules. The Spaniards, long jealous of England's growing power, secretly sent | the Governors of Louisiana word to aid the they controlled the Mississippi River, they allowed an American officer (Capt. Willing) to descend the river in January, 1778, with a party of fifty men, and ravage the British shore from Manchez Bayou to Natchez.

On the 8th of May, 1779, Spain declared war 'against Great Britain; and, on the 8th of July, the people of Louisiana were allowed to take a part in the war. Accordingly, Galvez collected a torce of 1,400 men, and, on the 7th of September, took Fort Manchac. By the 21st of September, he had taken Baton Rouge and Natchez. Eight vessels were captured by the Spaniards on the Mississippi and on the lakes. In 1780 Mobile fell; in March, 1781, Pensacola, the chief British post in West Florida, succumbed after a long siege, and, on the 9th of May, all West Florida was surrendered to Spain.

This war, or the war on the Atlantic Coast, did not immediately affect Upper Louisiana. Great Britain, however, attempted to capture St. Louis.

being bribed by the English, yet the place stood the siege from the combined force of Indians and Canadians, and the assailants were dispersed. This

| against Detroit. They marched as far north as | the British trading-post Ke-ki-ong-a, at the head ' of the Maumee River, but being surprised in the

Spain may have had personal interests in aiding the Americans. She was now in control of the Mississippi River, the natural outlet of the Northwest, and, in 1780, began the troubles relative to the navigation of that stream. The claims of Spain

Congress, and, while deliberating over the question, Virginia, who was jealously alive to her Western interests, and who yet held jurisdiction over Kentucky, sent through Jefferson, thé Governor, Gen. George Rogers Clarke, to erect a fort below the mouth of the Ohio. This proceeding was rather unwarrantable, especially as the fort was built in ' the country of the Chickasaws, who uad thus far | been true friends to the Americans, and who looked ' upon the fort as an innovation on their territory. It was completed and occupied but a short time, Clarke being recalled.

Of Ohio

cation. The Old Dominion confiscated the lands of " Robert McKenzie, Henry Collins and Alexander McKee, Britons, eight thousand acres," and invested the proceeds of the sale in a public seminary. Transylvania University now lives, a monument to that spirit.

While Clarke was building Fort Jefferson, a force of British and Indians, under command of Capt. Bryd, came down from Canada and attacked the Kentucky settlements, getting into the country before any one was aware. The winter before had been one of unusual severity, and game was exceedingly scarce, hence the army was not prepared to conduct a campaign. After the capture of Ruddle's Station, at the south fork of the Licking, Bryd abandoned any further attempts to reduce the scettlements, except capturing Martin's Station, and returned to Detroit.

| the chastisement of the Indians, and Clarke, on his : return from Fort Jefferson, went on an expedition Though the commander was strongly suspected of |

Sydney, Ohio, and at Piqua, humbling the natives. While on the way, a part of the army remained on the north bank of the Ohio, and erected two block-houses on the present site of Cincinnati. The exploits of Clarke and his men so effectually

' chastised the Indians, that, for a time, the West , was safe. _ ures which led to the cession of Western lands to night, and the commander slain, the expedition |

During this period of quiet, the measthe General Government, began to assume a defi- All the colonies claiming Western lands were willing to cede them to the Government, save Virginia, which colony wanted a large scope of Southern country southeast of the Ohio, as far as South Carolina. All recognized the justice of all Western lands becoming public property, and thereby aiding in extinguishing the debts caused by

The subject, however, could not be allowed to rest. The war of the Revolution was now drawing to a close; victory on the part of the colonies was apparent, and the Western lands must be a part of the public domain. Subsequent events brought about the desired cession, though several events transpired before the plan of cession was consummated.

Before the close of 1780, the Legislature of Virginia passed an act, establishing the "town of Louisville," and confiscated the lands of John

Connelly, who was one of its original proprietors, and who distinguished himself in the commencement of Lord Dunmore's war, and who was now a Tory, and doing all he could against the patriot cause. The proceeds of the sale of his lands were divided between Virginia and the county of Jefferson. Kentucky, the next year, was divided into three counties, Jefferson, Lincoln and Fayette. Courts were appointed in each, and the entry and location of lands given into their hands. Settlers, in spite of Indian troubles and British intrigue, were pouring over the mountains, particularly so during the years 1780 and 1781. The expeditions of Clarke against the Miami Indians; Boone's captivitv, and escape from them; their defeat when attacking Boonesboro, and other places - all their peculiar situation, and suited to their peculiar taste. lives would be quite interesting, did the limits of this history admit it here. directly to this county, the reader will find such lives given; here, only the important events can be noticed.

West before the close of the Revolution, is one that might well have been omitted. Had such been the case, a great stain would have been spared the character of Western pioneers. Reference is and many converts made. The first converts were made in New York and Connecticut, where, after a good start had been made, and a prospeét of many souls being saved, they incurred the enmity of the whites, who, becoming alarmed at their success, persecuted them to such an extent that they were driven out of New York into Pennsylvania, where, in 1744, four years after their arrival in the New World, they began new missions. 1748, the New York and Connecticut Indians followed their teachers, and were among the founders tioned. Other hamlets grew around them, until in the interior of the colony, existed an Indian community, free from all savage vices, and growing up in Christian virtues. As their strength grew, lawless whites again began to oppress them. They could not understand the war of 1754, and were, indeed, in a truly embarrassing position. The savages could form no conception of any cause for neutrality, save a secret sympathy with the English; and if they could not take up the hatchet, they were in the way, and must be removed. Failing to do this, their red brothers became hostile. The whites were but little better. The old suspicions which drove them from New York were aroused. They were secret Papists. in league with the French, and furnished them with arms and intelligence; they were interfering with the liquor trafic; they were enemies to the Government,

. place; were at one time protected nearly a year, for treedom, grew up a hardy, self-reliant race, : with all the vices and virtues of a border life, and | with habits, manners and customs necessary to _ near Philadelphia, from lawless whites. and finally were compelled to go far enough West to be out of the way of French and English arms. or the They came finally to the Muskingum, where they made a set-

Until the war of independence broke out. they were allowed to peacefully pursue their way. When that came, they were between Fort Pitt and Detroit, one of which contained British, the other Americans. Again they could not understand the struggle, and could not take up the hatchet. This parties, and that of their own forest companions, who could not see wherein their natures could Among the most hostile persons, were the white renegades McKee, Girty and Elliott. On their instigation, several of them were slain, fields and homes, where they had many comforts, and where they had erected good chapels in which to w..ohip. It was just before one of these foreed removals that Mary, daughter of the missionary Heckewelder, was born. She is supposed to be the first white female child born north of the Ohio River. Her birth occurred April 16, 1781... It is but proper to say here, that it is an open question, and one that will probably never be decided, i. e. Who was the first white child born in Ohio? In all probability, the child was born during the captivity of its mother, as history plainly shows that when white women were released from the Indians, some of them carried children born while among the natives.

When the Moravians were forced to leave their settlements on the Muskingum, and taken to Sandusky, they left growing fields of corn, to which they were obliged to return, to gather food. This aroused the whites, only wanting some pretext whereby they might attack them, and a party, headed by Col. David Williamson, determined to exterminate them. The Moravians, hearing of their approach, fled, but too late to warn other settlements, and Gnadenhutten, Salem and one or two smaller settlements, were surprised and taken. Under deceitful promises, the Indians gave up all their arms, showed the whites their treasures, and | went unknowingly to a terrible death. When apprised of their fate, determined on by a majority | of the rangers, they begged only time to prepare.

| power, to prevent it; but all to no purpose. The blood of the rangers was up, and they would not spare ' "*man, woman or child, of all that peaceful band." Having completed their horrible work, (March _ 8, 1782), Williamson and his men returned to ' Pittsburgh. Everywhere, the Indians lamented , the untimely death of their kindred, their savage ' relatives determining on their revenge; the Chris- | tian ones could only be resigned and weep.

_ Williamson's success, for such it was viewed by | many, excited the borderers to .another invasion, / and a second army was raised, this time to ' go to the Sandusky town, and annihilate the | Wyandots. Col. William Crawford was elected leader; he accepted reluctantly; on the way, the army was met by hordes of savages on the 5th of

June, and totally routed. They were away north, in what is now Wyandot County, and were obliged to flee for their lives. The blood of the murdered Moravians called for revenge. The Indians desired it; were they not relatives of the fallen Christians? Crawford and many of his men fell into their hands; all suffered unheard-of tortures, that of Crawford being as cruel as Indian cruelty could devise. He was pounded, pierced, cut with knives and burned, all of which occupied nearly three hours, and finally lay down insensible on a bed of coals, and died. The savage captors, in demoniacal glee, danced around him, and upbraided him for the cruel murder of their relatives, giving him this only consolation, that had they captured Williamson, he might go free, but he must answer for Williamson's brutality.

The war did not cease here. The Indians, now aroused, carried their attack as far south as into Kentucky, killing Capt. Estill, a brave man, and some of his companions. The British, too, were active in aiding them, and the 14th of August a large force of them, under Girty, gathered silently about Bryant's Station. They were obliged to re- The Kentuckians pursued them, but were repulsed with considerable loss.

The attack on Bryant's Station aroused the people of Kentucky to strike a blow that would be telt. Gen. Clarke was put at the head of an army of one thousand and fifty men, and the Miami country was a second time destroyed. Clarke even went as far north as the British trading-post at the head of the Miami, where he captured a great amount of property, and destroyed the post. Other outposts also fell, the invading army suffering but little, and, by its decisive action, practically closing the Indian wars in the West. Pennsylvania suffered some, losing Hannahstown and one or two small settlements. Williamson's and Crawford's campaigns aroused the fury of the Indians that took time and much blood and war tosubdue. The Revolution was, however, drawing toa close. American arms were victorious, and a new nation was now coming into existence, who would change the whole current of Western matters, and make of the Northwe:* a land of liberty, equality and union. That nation was now on the stage.