Wyandot County, Ohio - Chapter 3, 1884 (part 2 of 2)

"Article 1. It is agi'eed between the United States and the parties hereunto, that the several tracts of land described in the treaty to which this is supplementary, and agreed thereby to be granted by the United States to the chiefs of the respective tribes named therein, for the use of the individuals of the said tribes, and also the tract described in the twentieth* article of the said treaty, shall not be thus granted, but shall be excepted from the cession made by the said tribes to the United States, reserved for the use of the said Indians, and held by them in the same manner as Indian reservations have been heretofore held. But it is further agreed that the tracts thus reserved shall be reserved for the use of the Indians named in the schedule to the said treaty, and held by them and their heirs forever, unless ceded to the United States.

"Art. 2. It is also agreed that there shall be reserved for the use of the Wyandots, in addition to the reservations before made, fifty-five thousand six hundred and eighty acres of land, to be laid off in two tracts, the first to adjoin the south line of the section of six hundi'ed and forty acres of land heretofore reserved for the Wyandot chief, the Cherokee Boy, and to extend south to the north line of the reserve of twelve miles square, at Upper Sandusky, and the other to join the east line of the reserve of twelve miles square, at Upper Sandusky, and to extend east for quantity.

' ' There shall also be reserved, for the use of the Wyandots residing at Solomon's town, and on Blanchard's Fork, in addition to the reservations before made, sixteen thousand acres of land, to be laid off in a square form, on the head of Blanchard's Fork, the center of which shall be at the Big Spring, on the trace leading from Upper Sandusky to Fort Findlay ; and ono hundred and sixty acres of land, for the use of the Wyandots, on the west side of the Sandusky River, adjoining the said river, and the lower line of two sections of land, agreed, by the treaty to which this is supplementary, to be gi-anted Elizabeth Whitaker.

" Art. 3. It is hereby agreed that the tracts of land, which, by the eighth article of the treaty to which this is supplementary, are to be granted by the United States to the persons therein mentioned, shall never be conveyed, by them or their heirs, without the permission of the President of the United States."

By this supplement, an additional annuity was to be given to the Wyandots of $500, forever ; to the Shawanese, $1,000 ; to the Senecas, $500, and to the Ottawas, $],500.

The circumstances which led to the supplementary treaty at St. Mary's originated in the following manner: When the United States Government had made arrangements to extinguish the Indian title to lands in the State of Ohio, and after the Commissioners, and the sachems, chiefs and warriors of the various Indian nations had assembled at the foot of the Maumee Rapids, September 29, 1817, the Wyandots jrefused to sell their land. At this juncture, the Chippewas,* Pottawatomies* and Ottawas,* without any right or justice whatever, laid claim to a great part of the lands owned and occupied by the Wyandots; and Gabriel Godfroy and Whitmore Knaggs, agents for these nations, proposed in open council, in behalf of the Chippewas, etc., etc., to sell said lands. Cass and McArthur, the Commissioners, then declared that if the Wyandots would not sell their lands, they would buy them of_the others - the Chippewas, Pottawatomies and Ottawas. The Wyandot chieftain. Between -the-logs, firmly opposed all of these measures; but however just his cause, or manly and eloquent in his arguments, they were lost upon men determined on their course. The Wyandots, finding themselves so circumstanced, and not being able to help themselves, were thus forced to sell on the terms proposed by the Commissioners. They did the best they could and signed the treaty; but only from a strong hope that by representing to the President and the Government the true state of things, before the treaty was ratified, they should obtain some redress from the Government. In resorting to this course, Between-the-logs acted a principal part. Accordingly, he. with other Wyandot chiefs, and a delegation from the Delawares and Senecas, immediately proceeded to Washington, without consulting the Indian agents, or any other officer of Government. When they were introduced to the Secretary of War, he remarked to them that he was surprised that he had received no information of their coming by any of the agents. Between-the-logs answered, with the spirit of a free man, " We got up, and came of ourselves. We believed the great road was free for us. " He so pleaded their cause before the President, the Secretary of War and Congress, that the Wyandots obtained an enlargement of their reservations and an increase of annuities, as shown in the articles of the supplementary treaty held at St. Mary's, September 17, 1818.

*The members then composing these tribes seem to have been exceedingly crafty and avaricious in their nature. They jointly laid claim to the greater portion of the Northwest Territory as originally formed. They were always found present when treaties and cessions of land were to be made, and thus never failed to claim the " lion's share" when reservations were granted, or annuities and goods were to be distributed.

Sandusky on the occasion of the death of Tarhe. or " the Crane, " the most celebrated chieftain the Wyandot nation ever produced. Col. John Johnston, of Upper Piqua, Ohio, who for about half a century served as an agent of the United States over the Indians of the West, was present, and in his " Recollections," gives the following interesting account of the proceedings:

" On the death of the great chief of the Wyandot s, I was invited to attend a general council of all the tribes of Ohio, the Delawares of Indiana, and the Senecas of New York, at Upper Sandusky. I found on arriving at the place a very lai'ge attendance. Among the chiefs was the noted leader and orator, Red Jacket, from Buffalo. The first business done was the speaker of the nation delivering an oration on the character of the deceased chief. Then followed what might be called a monody, or ceremony, of mourning or lamentation. Thus seats were arranged from end to end of a large council house, about six feet apart. The head men and the aged took their seats facing each other, stooping dOwn, their heads almost touching. In that position they remained for several hours. Deep, heavy and long continued groans would commence at one end of the row of mourners, and 80 pass around until all had responded, and these repeated at intervals of a few minutes. The Indians were all washed, and had no paint or decorations of any kind upon their persons, their countenances and general deportment denoting the deepest mourning. 1 had never witnessed anything of the kind before, and was told this ceremony was not performed but on the decease of some great man.

"After the period of mourning and lamentation was over, the Indians proceeded to business. There were present the Wyandots, Shawanese, Delawares, Senecas, Ottawas and Mohawks. The business was entirely confined to their own affairs, and the main topics related to their lands and the claims of the respective tribes. It was evident, in the course of the discus'^ion, that the presence of myself and people (there were some white men with me) was not acceptable to some of the parties, and allusions were made so direct to myself that I was constrained to notice them, by saying that I came there as a guest of the Wyandots by their special invitation; that as the agent of the United States, I had a right to be there as anywhere else in the Indian country; and that if any insult was offered to myself or my people, it would be resented and punished. Red Jacket was the principal speaker, and was intemperate and personal in his remarks. Accusations, pro and con, were made by the different parties, accusing each other of being foremost in selling lands to the United States. The Shawanese were particularly marked out as more guilty than any other; that they were the last coming into the Ohio country, and although they had no right but by permission of the other tribes, they were always the foremost in selling lands. This brought the Shawanese out, who retorted through their head chief, the Black Hoof, on the Senecas and Wyandots with pointed severity.

" The discussion was long continued, calling out some of the ablest speakers, and was distinguished for ability, cutting sarcasm and research, going far back into the history of the natives, their wars, alliances, negotiations, migrations, etc. I had attended many councils, treaties and gatherings of the Indians, but never in my life did I witness such an outpouring of native oratory and eloquence, of severe rebuke, taunting national and personal reproaches. The council broke up later in great confusion, and in the worst possible feeling. A circumstance occurred toward the close which more than anything else exhibited the bad feeling prevailing. In handing round the wampum belt, the emblem of amity, peace and good will, when presented to one of the chiefs, he would not touch it with his lingers, but passed it on a stick to the person next to him. A greater indignity, agreeable to Indian etiquette, could not be otfered.

" The next day appeared to be one of unusual anxiety and despondency among the Indians. They could be seen in groups everywhere near the council house in deep consultation. They had acted foolishly - were sorry - but the difficulty was who would tirst present the olive branch. The council convened late and was very full; silence prevailed for a long time; at last the aged chief of the Shawanese, the Black Hoof, rose - a man of great influence, and a celebrated warrior. He told the assembly they had acted like children, and not men on yesterday; that he and his people were sorry for the words that had been spoken, and which had done so much harm; that he came into the council by the unanimous desire of his people present, to recall those foolish words, and did there take them back - handing strings of wampum, which passed around and were received by all with the greatest satisfaction. Several of the principal chiefs delivered speeches to the same effect, handing round wampum in turn, and in this manner the whole difficulty of the preceding day was settled, and to all appearances forgotten. The Indians are very courteous and civil to each other, and it is a rare thing to see their assemblies disturbed by unwise or ill-timed remarks. I never witnessed it except on the occasion here alluded to, and it is more than probable that the presence of myself and other white men contributed toward the unpleasant occurrence. I could not help but admire the genuine philosophy and good sense displayed by men whom we call savages, in the translation of their public business; and how much we might profit in the halls of our Legislatures, by occasionally taking for our example the proceedings of the great Indian council at Upper Sandusky."

At the time the events occurred, which have just been related, the Indian town known as Upper Sandusky, was located about four miles northeast of the present county seat (a point, it appears to which the Indians removed prior to 1782). After the death of Tarhe, however, they erected a council house on the site of the present town of Upper Sandusky (a place which was nearer the center of their reservation), gave it this name - Upper Sandusky, and called the old village Crane Town. The old council house mentioned by Col. Johnston, stood about a mile and a half north of Crane Town. It was built chiefly of bark, and in dimensions was about one hundred feet long by fifteen feet in width. Subsequently the temporary structure at the new town of Upper Sandusky gave place to a more substantial building. The frame council house known to early residents for several years, as the Wyandot County Court House, etc. - which was built probably about the year 1830, or a few years after the completion of the grist and saw* mill, provided for in the treaty of September 29, 1817. at the foot of the Maumee Rapids.

The Wyandot nation was subdivided into ten tribes. These tribes were kept up by the mother's side, and all her children belonged to her tribe. The totem of each of the ten tribes was as follows: The Deer, Bear, Snake,

* Rev. James B. Finley, in his "History of the Wyandot Mission," when speaking of building the mission house, says, under date of October, 1821; "We hauled lumber to the saw mill, and sawed it our- . selves into joists and plank for the floor and other purposes." The mills referred to, which were built in 1820 for the Indians by the (Government, were located about three miles northeast of Upper Sandusky, upon the Sandusky Kiver, and supplied the wants of the Wyandots, in these particulars - flour, corn meal and lumber - until they moved to Kansas. The old buhrs and bolting chest are still in use in the present mill, which was built about twenty-two years ago, some twenty rods north of the site of the old mill.

Hawk, Porcupine, Wolf, Beaver, Bij^ Turtle, Little Turtle and Terrapin. Each of these tribes had its chief, and these chief s composed the grand council of the nation. The oldest mau in the tribe was generally the tribal chief, and all the persons belonging to a tribe were considered as one family - all near akin. Indeed, no law or custom among them was so scrupulously regarded and adhered to with so much tenacity as the tribe law in this particular. No person was allowed to marry in his or her own tribe, or to have any sexual intercoiirse with one of his own tribe. It was considered that no crime could so effectually destroy their character or disgrace them so much as this. Nothing could ever restore to them their lost reputation. Murder, adultery, or fornication were not deemed half as bad as a violation of the tribe law; and in some instances such violators were put to death. When a man wished to marry a woman, he first had to obtain the consent of her tribe, and most generally he went to live with his wife in her tribe, yet the woman was not bound to live with him any longer than she pleased, and when she left him would take with her, her children and property.

From time immemorial until "Mad Anthony's" decisive battle at the foot of the Maumee Rapids, to the Deer tribe belonged the sce2:)ter and calumet of the grand sachems; but as a result of that battle, this tribe became so weak by the loss of their warriors that the nation deemed it best to take the burden off their shoulders, and placed it on the Porcupine tribe. According to Finley, the celebrated Tarhe, and his immediate successor, De un quot, as head chiefs and grand sachems of the Wyandot nation, were members of the last mentioned tribe.

In a brief biographical sketch of the great chief, Tarhe, or" The Crane," which was published m the W^yandot Democratic Union, August 13, 1866, William Walkei*, a member of the Wyandot nation, says: "Tarhe was born in the year 1742, near Detroit, Mich., and died near Upper Sandusky in November, 1818. He belonged to the Porcupine tribe, a clan or subdivision of the Wyandot nation * * * j (>an think of no man in Ohio who in anywise resembled him in general appearance but one - the Hon. Benjamin Ruggles, who for eighteen consecutive years represented the State of Ohio in the United States Senate. Between these two there was a striking resemblance, except that Tarhe's nasal organ was aquiline.

" When in his prime he must have been a lithe, withy, wiry man, capable of great endurance, as he marched on foot at the head of his warriors through the whole of Gen. Harrison's campaign into Canada, and was an taetive participant in the battle of the Thames, though then seventytwo years of age. He steadily and unflinchingly opposed Tecumseh's war policy from 1808, up to the breaking out of the war of 1812. He maintained inviolate the treaty of peace concluded with Gen. Wayne in 1795. This brought him into conflict with that ambitious Shawanese, the latter having no regard for the plighted faith of his predecessors; but Tarhe determined to maintain that of his, and remained true to the American cause till the day of his death. Gea. Harrison, in comparing him with cotemporary chiefs of other tribes, pronounced him 'The noblest Roman of them all.' He was a man of mild aspect, and gentle in his manners when at repose, but when acting publicly exhibited great energy, and when addressing his people, there «vas always something that, to my youthful ear, sounded like stern command. He never drank spirits; never used tobacco in any form.

early times, resided in Tarhe's family. Jonathan, who was not proverbial for honesty, was in the habit of abducting horses in the night belonging to teamsters who might chance to encamp in the neighborhood, and concealing them. The teamsters, of course, were in trouble and great perplexity, perhaps unable to proceed without the missing animals. Jonathan was sure to be on hand, and offer to find them for a certain pecuniaiy reward. The old man found out the sharp practice of his protege, and took him to task; told him that if he ever heard of his playing any more such tricks upon travelers he would remand him back to his master in Virginia. This had the desired effect, and Jonathan ceased to speculate in that direction.

' - Many of the old settlers of Wyandot County will remember ' Aunt Sally Frost,' a white woman, raised among the Wyandots. Aunt Sally was Tarhe's wife when he died. He had one son, but oh, how unlike the sire! nearly an idiot, and died at the age of twenty-five.

"His Indian name is supposed to mean crane (the tall fowl); but this is a mistake. Crane is mex'elya soubriquet bestowed upon him by the French, thus: 'Le chef Grue,' or 'Monsieur Grue,' the chief Crane, or Mr. Crane. This nickname was bestowed upon him on account of his height and slender form. He had no English name, but the Americans took up and adopted the French nickname. Tarhe or Tarhee, when critically analyzed, means. At him, the Tree, or At the Tree ; the tree personified. Thus you have in this one word a preposition, a personal pronoun, a definite article, and a noun. The name of your populous township should be Tarhe, instead of Crane. It is due to the memory of that great and good man.* "

We have now arrived at the beginning of another interesting epoch in the history of the Wyandot nation - the establishment among them of a mission of the Methodist Episcopal Church - the consideration of which will be reserved for another chapter.

*Rev. J. B. Finley also testifies to the noble and generous character of this chief. He says : " I was once traveling from Detroit in the year 181)0, in company with two others. We came to the camp of old Tarhe, or Crane, head chief of the Wyandot nation. We had sold a drove of cattle, and had money, which we gave up to the chief in the evening. The next morning all was forthcoming, and never were men treated with more fervent kindness."