CHAPTER VII. CONFLICTS AND ADVENTURES WITH THE INDIANS A Battle with the Indians on Scioto Brush Creek—Captivity of Israel Donalson—Asahel Edgington Killed by the Indians- Capture of Andrew Ellison. The last contest between any considerable number of whites and Indians in the Virginia Military District took place on the waters of the north fork of Scioto Brush Creek in the northern part of Adams County, and within the present limits of Franklin Township. The site is about two an one-half miles northeast of the village of Locust Grove, on lands recently owned by the widow of John Moomaw. The place is on the dividing ridge between the headwaters of the north fork of a Scioto Brush Creek and the tributaries of east fork of Ohio Brush Creek , at what is known as Wethington's Spring, where Jesse Wethington, one of the nineteen persons who signed the articles of agreement with Nathaniel Massie to settle at his stockade at the Three Islands in 1790 finally settled, and whre he died. His widow Betty, resided here many years. This was also the last battle during the old Indian War from Dunmore's expedition into the Northwest Territory to Wayne's treaty at Greenville. In accounts of this expedition it is stated that during the attack at Reeve's Crossing, a white prisoner escaped from the Indians and returned with the exploring party to his home. That prisoner was John Wilcoxon who had early in the spring of that year come out from Limestone over Tod's Trace to the "Sinking Spring," and there built a rude hut in which he and his wife and child resided until his capture by the Indians, while taking honey from a bee-tree, about the time of this expedition. Rev. James B. Finley, who wrote the first account of this expedition and the battles growing out of it, and whose father was one of the party of explorers, says : "While Gen. Wayne was treating with the Indians at Greenville, in 1795, a company of forty persons met at Manchester at the Three Islands, with the intention of exploring the Scioto country. "General Massie was the principal in this expedition. My father and several of his congregation formed a part of the company. After proceeding cautiously for a number of days in a northerly direction, they reached Paint Creek near The Falls. Here they discovered fresh traces of Indians, the signs being such as to indicate that they could not be far off. They had not proceeded far till they heard the bells on their horses. Some of the company were what was called "raw hands," and previous to this had been very anxious to smell Indian powder. One 66 - HISTORY OF ADAMS COUNTY of the old hunters remarked, on witnessing their anxiety, "If you get sight of the Indians you will run, or I am mistaken." A council was called of the most experienced in Indian warfare, and the result of their deliberations was, that it was too late to retreat with safety and out great danger. They resolved, as the best possible course, to attack the enemy by surprise. It was agreed that General Massie, Fellellenash any my father should take the command and lead on the men, and Captain Petty was to bring up the rear. "The Indians were encamped on the bank of Paint Creek precisely (?) where the turnpike now crosses it, at what was called Reeve's old crossing. Out of the forty in company only about twenty engaged in battle. Those who were so anxious to smell Indian powder retreated, and Captain Petty reported them as having taken refuge between logs and other defenses, trembling with fear. The remainder advanced cautiously to within fifty yards when they fired and rushed into the Indians' camp. Astounded by this attack, the Indians fled the down bank and across the stream many of them leaving their guns. One of the company—Mr. Robinson—was shot, and died in a few minutes, The Indians were Shawnees, and would not go to the treaty. They had a prisoner with them, who, in the fight, made his escape, and finally succeeded in reaching his home. His name was Armstrong [Wilcoxon], As soon as the company could bury the dead and gather up the horeses and plunder of the Indians, they directed their course to Manchester; but night overtook them on Scioto (?) Brush Creek, and as they expected to be followed by the Indians, they stopped and made the necessary preparations for defense. The next morning, an hour before daylight, the Indians made their appearance, and opened upon them a vigorous fire, which was promptly and vigorously returned. Those who would not fight took shelter from the balls of the enemy in a large sinkhole in the bounds of the encampment. After a hot contest, which lasted an hour, the Indians were repulsed and fled." McDonald says of this fight : "There was a sink-hole near, and those bragging cowards got down into it, to prevent the balls from hitting them. Several horses were killed, and one man, a Mr. Gillfillan, was shot through the thigh. After an hour's contest the Indians retreated; and the company arrived at the place they started from, having lost one man, and one wounded." This was in July, 1795, and was General Massie's first attempt to found a settlement in the Paint Creek Valley which he hoped to make the nucleus for the building up of a city to become the capital of the first State erected out of the Northwest Territory. The next year he led another expedition to that region and laid out the town of Chillicothe which eventually did become the first capital of Ohio. *Captivity of Israel Donalson. At the request of a number of friends, I attempt to give you a brief account of my checkered life, which has been one full of incidents, many of which it is not now in my power to relate, having kept no journal. I write entirely from memory, which is every day growing * Dated June 27, 1842. CONFLICTS AND ADVENTURES WITH THE INDIANS - 67 more indistinct. I was born in the county of Hunterdon, State of New Jersey, on the second of February, 1767. While quite small, my father moved to Cumberland County, in said State, where I was reared up and received my education, and where we had perilous times during the long revolutionary struggle. I was too young to take any part in it myself, but quite capable of noticing passing events. I have known two companies to leave the house of worship during the services of one Sabbath to face the enemy. In the fall of 1787, I left my native State to seek my fortune in western wilds. My first stop was in Ohio County, State of Virginia, where I remained until the spring of 1790 ; part of the time farming, part of the time teaching school, and a third part I was among the rangers, stationed by the State of Virginia, at the old Mingo town, about eighteen or twenty miles above Wheeling. In May, 1790, I took passage on board of a flatboat for Kentucky, and arrived at Limestone on the first night of June. I got into a public house, but was not able to procure food, fire, or bed, or any other nourishment but whiskey, and a number of us that had landed that evening, spent the night sitting in the room, which was a grand one for those days. [Query? What should we have done if the temperance cause had prevailed at that time?] There had during the spring been a great deal of mischief done on the river, but we saw no Indians. There were however in company, I think, nineteen boats. Major Parker, of Lexington, was our admiral and pilot. During the summer of that year I taught school in what is now called Maysville. During the winter of 1790-91, I became acquainted with Nathaniel Massie, and in the spring of 1791, came to reside in his little fort, in the then county of Hamilton, Northwestern Territory. At this time there was very little law or gospel in the Territory, and the usual mode of settling disputes was by a game of fisticuffs ; and at the close, sometimes a part of a nose, or ear, would be missing, but a good stiff grog generally restored harmony and friendship. I am not sure whether it was the last of March or first of April, I came to the Territory to reside ; but on the night of the twenty-first of April 1791, Mr. Massie and myself were sleeping together in our blankets, for beds we had none, on the loft of our cabin, to get out of the way of the fleas and gnats. Soon after lying down, I began dreaming of Indians, and continued to do so through the night. Sometime in the night however, whether Mr. Massie waked of himself, or whether I wakened him, I cannot now say, but I observed to him I did not know what was to be the consequence, for I had dreamed more about Indians that night than in all the time I had been in the western country before. As is common he made light of it, and we dropped again to sleep. He asked me next morning if I would go with him up the river, about four or five miles, to make a survey, and said that William Lytle, who was then at the fort, was going along. We were both young surveyors, and were glad of the opportunity to practice. Accordingly we three, and a James Tittle, from Kentucky, who was about buying the land, got on board of a canoe, and were a long time going up, the river being very high at the time. We commenced at the mouth of a creek, which since that day has been called Donalson Creek. We meandered up the river; Mr. Massie had the compass, Mr. Lytle and myself carried the chain. We had progressed perhaps one hundred and forty or one hundred and 68 - HISTORY OF ADAMS COUNTY fifty poles, when our chain broke, or parted, but with the aid of a tomahawk we soon repaired it. We were then close to a large (t) mound, an were standing in a triangle, and Lytle and myself were amusing ours selves pointing out to Tittle the great convenience he would have by building his house on that mound, when the one standing with his face up the river, spoke and said, "Boys, there are Indians:" "No," replied the other, "they are Frenchmen." By this time I had caught a glimpse of them ; I said they were Indians, and begged them to fire. I had no gun, and from the advantage we had, did not think of running until they started. The Indians were in two small bark canoes, and were close into shore and discovered us just at the instant we saw them; and before I started to run I saw one jump on shore. We took out through the bottom and, before getting to the hill, came to a spring branch. I was in the rear, and as I went to jump, something caught my foot and I fell over the opposite side. They were then so close I saw there was no chance of escape, and did not offer to rise. Three warriors first came up, presented their guns all ready to fire, but as I made no resistance they took them down, and one of them gave me his hand to help me tip. At this time Mr. Lytle was about a chain's length before me, and threw away his hat ; one of the Indians went forward and picked it up. They then took me back to the bank of the river, and set me down while they put up their stuff, and prepared for a march. While sitting on the bank of the river, I could see the men walking about the block-house on the Kentucky shore, but they heard nothing of it. The Indians went on rapidly that evening, and camped, I think, on the waters of Eagle Creek. We started next morning early, it raining hard, and one of them seeing my hat was somewhat convenient to keep off the rain, came up and took it off my head and put it on his own. By this time I had discovered some friendship in a very lusty Indian, I think the one that first came up to me; I made signs to him that one had taken my hat; he went and took it off the other Indian's head and placed it again on mine, but had not gone far before it was taken again. I complained as before, but my friend shook his head, took down and opened his budget and took out a sort of blanket cap, and put it on my head. We went on : it still rained hard, and the waters were very much swollen, and when my friend discovered that I was timerous, he would lock his arm in mine, and lead me through, and frequently in open woods when I would get tired, I would do the same thing with him and walk for miles. They did not make me carry anything until Sunday or Monday. They got into a thicket of game, and killed I think two bears and some deer, they then halted and jerked their meat, eat a large portion, peeled some bark. made a kind of box, filled it, and put it on me to carry. I soon got tired of it and threw it down ; they raised a great laugh, examined my back, applied some bear's oil to it, and put on the box again. I went on some distance and threw it down again ; my friend then took it up, threw it over his head, and carried it. It weighed, I thought, at least fifty pounds. While resting one day one of the Indians broke up little sticks and laid them up in the form of a fence., then. took out a grain of corn, as *The mound has since been entirely destroyed by caving in of the river bank. CONFLICTS AND ADVENTURES WITH THE INDIANS - 69 carefully wrapped up as people used to wrap up guineas in olden times ; this he planted and called out "squaw," signifying to me that that would be my employment with the squaws. But notwithstanding my situation at the time, I thought they would not eat much corn of my raising. On Tuesday, as we were traveling along, there came to us a white man and an Indian on horseback ; they had a long talk, and when they rode off, the Indians I was with seemed considerably alarmed, They immediately formed in Indian file, placed me in the center, and shook a warclub over my head, and showed me by these gestures that if I attempted to run away they would kill me. We soon after arrived at the Shawnee camp, where we continued until late in the afternoon the next day. During our stay there they trained my hair to their own great fashion, put a jewel of tin in my nose, etc, etc. The Indians met with great formality when we came to the camp, which was very spacious. One side was entirely cleared out for our use, and the party I was with passed the camp to my great mortification, I thinking they were going on; but on getting to the further end they wheeled short around, came into the camp, sat down—not a whisper. In a few minutes two of the oldest got up, went around, shook hands, came and sat down again then the Shawnees rising simultaneously, came and shook hands with them. A few of the first took me by the hand ; but one refused, and I did not offer them my hand again, not considering it any great honor. Soon after a kettle of bear's oil and some crackles were set before us, and we began eating, they first chewing the meat, then dipping it into the bear's oil, which I tried to be excused from, but they compelled me to it, which to it, which tried my stomach, although by this time hunger had compelled me to eat many a dirty morsel. Early in the afternoon, an Indian came to the camp, and was met by his party just outside, when they formed a circle and he spoke, I thought, near an hour, and so profound was the silence, that had they been on a board floor, I thought the fall of a pin might have been heard. I rightly judged of the disaster, for the day before I was taken I was at Limestone, and was solicited to join a party that was going down to the mouth of Snag Creek, wheresome Indian canoes were discovered hid in the willows. The party went and divided, some came over to the Indian shore, and some remained in Kentucky, and they succeeded in killing nearly the whole party. There was at our camp two white men ; one of them could swear in English, but very imperfectly, having, I suppose, been taken young; the other, who could speak good English, told me he was from South Carolina. He then told me different names which I have forgotten, except that of Ward ; asked if I knew the Wards that lived near Washinton, Kentucky, I told him I did, and wanted him to leave the Indians and go to his brother's, and take me with him. He told me he preferred staying with the Indians, that he might nab the whites. He and I had great deal of chat, and disagreed in almost everything. He told me they had taken a prisoner by the name of Towns, that had lived near Washington, Kentucky, and that he had attempted to run away and they had killed him. But the truth was, they had taken Timothy Downing the day before I was taken, in the neighborhood of Blue Licks, and had got within four or five miles of that camp, and night coming on, and 70 - HISTORY OF ADAMS COUNTY it being very rainy, they concluded to camp. There were but two Indians, an old-chief and his son ; Downing watched his opportunity, got hold of a squaw-axe and gave the fatal blow. His object was to bring the young Indian in a prisoner; he said he had been so kind to him he could not think of killing him. But the instant he struck his father, the young man sprung upon his back and confined him so that it was with difficulty he extricated himself from his grasp. Downing then made for his horse and the Indian for the camp. The horse he caught and mounted ; but not being a woodsman, struck the Ohio a little below Scioto, just as a boat was passing. They would not land for him until he had ridden several miles and convinced them that he was no decoy, and so close was the pursuit, that the boat had only gained the stream when the enemy appeared on the shore. He had severly wounded the young Indian in the scuffle, but did not know it until I told him. But to return to my own narrative; two of the party, viz., my friend and another Indian, turned back from this camp to do other mischief, and never before had I parted with a friend with the same regret. We left the Shawnee camp about the middle of the afternoon, they. under great excitement. What detained them I know not, for they had a number of their horses up, and their packs on, from early in the morning. I tkink they had at least one hundred of the best horses that at that time Kentucky could afford. They calculated on being pursued ; and they were right, ,for the next day, the twenty-eighth of April, Major Kenton, with about ninety men, were at the camp before the fires were extinguished and I have always viewed it as a providential circumstance that the enemy had departed, as a defeat on the part of the Kentuckians would have been inevitable. I never could get the Indians in position to ascertain their precise number, but concluded there were sixty or upward, as sprightly looking men as I ever saw together, and as well equipped as they could ask for. The Major himself agreed with me that it was a happy circumstance that. they were gone. We traveled that evening, I thought, seven miles, and encamped in the edge of a prairie, the water a short distance off. Our supper that night consisted of raccoon roasted undressed. After this meal I became thirsty, and an old warrior, to whom my friend had given me in charge, directed another to go with me to the water, which made him angry; he struck me, and my nose bled. I had a great mind to return the stroke but did not. I then determined, be the result what it might, that I would go no further with them. They tied me and laid me down as usual, one of them lying on the rope on each side of me; they went to sleep, and I to work gnawing and picking the rope (made of bark) to pieces, but did not get loose until day was breaking. I crawled off on my hands and feet until I got into the edge of the prairie, and sat down on a tussock to put on my Moccasins, and had put on one and was preparing to put on the other, when they raised the yell and took the back track; and I believe they made as much noise as twenty white men could do. Had they been still they might have heard me as I . was not more than two chains' length from them at the time, But I started and ran, carrying one moccasin in my hand and in order to evade them chose the: poorest ridges I could find; and when coming to logs lying cross-wise, .would run along one and then along the other. I continued on CONFLICTS AND ADVENTURES WITH THE INDIANS - 71 that way until about ten o'clock, then ascending a very poor ridge, crept between two logs, and being very weary soon dropped to sleep, and did not waken until the sun was almost down. I traveled on a short distance and took lodging in a hollow tree. I think it was on Saturday that 1 got to the Miami. I collected some logs, made a raft by peeling bark and tying them together ; but I soon found that too tedious and abandoned it. I found a turkey's nest with two eggs in it, each one having a double yelk ; they made two delicious meals for different days. I followed down the Miami, until I struck Harmar's trace, made the previous fall, and continued on it until I came to Fort Washington, now Cincinnati. I think it was on Sabbath, the first day of May; I caught a horse, tied a piece of bark around his under jaw, on which there was a large tumor like a wart. The bark rubbed that and he became restless and threw me, not hurting me much, however. I caught him again and he again threw me, hurting me badly. How long I lay insensible I don't know, but when I revived he was a considerable distance from me. I then traveled on very slow, my feet entirely bare and full of thorns and briars. On Wednesday, the day I got in, I was so far gone that I thought it entirely useless to make any further exertion, not knowing what distance I was from the river; I took my station at the foot of a tree, but soon got into a state of sleeping, and either dreamt or thought that I should not be loitering away my time; that I should get in that day; which on reflection I had not the most distant idea. However, the impression was so strong, that I got up and walked some distance. I then took my station again as before, and the same thought again occupied my mind. I got up and walked on. I had not traveled far before I thought I could see an opening for the river; and getting a little further on I heard the sound of a bell. I then started and ran (at a slow speed undoubtedly) ; a little further on I began to perceive that I was coming to the river hill ; and having got about half way down, I heard the sound of an axe, which was the sweetest music I had heard for many a day. It was in the extreme outlot ; when I got to the lot I crawled over the fence with difficulty, it being very high. I approached the person very cautiously till within about a chain's length, undiscovered, I then stopped and spoke; the person I spoke to was Mr. William Woodward, the founder. of the Woodward High School. Mr. Woodward looked up, hastily cast his eyes around and saw that I had no deadly weapon ; he then spoke, "In the name of God," said he, “Who are you?” I told him that I had been a prisoner and had made my escape from the Indians. After a few more questions he told me to cone to him. I did so. Seeing my situation his fears soon subsided; he told me to sit down on a log, and he would go and catch a horse he had in the lot and take mein. He caught his. horse, saa.me on him, but kept the bridle in his own hand. When we got into the road people began to inquire of Mr. Woodward, "Who is he, an Indian?" I was not surprised nor offended at the inquiries, for I was still in Indian uniform, bareheaded, my hair cut off close, except the scalp and foretop, which they had put up in a piece of tin, with a bunch of turkey feathers, which I could not undo. They had also stripped off the feathers of about two turkeys, and hung them. to the hair of the scalp; these I had taken off the day I left them. Mr. Woodward took me to his house, where every 72 - HISTORY OF. ADAMS. COUNTY kindness was shown me. They gave me other clothing; coming from different persons, it did not fit me very neatly, but there could not be a pair of shoes got in the place. that I could get on, my feet were so much swollen. But what surprised me most. was that when a pallet was made down before the fire, Mr. Woodward condescended to sleep with me. The next day soon after breakfast General Harmar sent for me to come to the fort. I would not go. A second messenger came; I still refused. At length a Captain Shambrugh came; he pleaded with me, told me, At might take my own time, and he would wait on me. At length he told me if I would not go with him, the next day a file of men would be sent, and I would then be compelled to go. I went with him, he was as good as his .word and treated me very kindly. When I was ushered into the quarters of the commander, I found the room full of people waiting my arrival. I knew none of them except Judge Symmes, and he did not know me, which was not surprising considering the fix I was in. The General asked me a great many questions; and when he got through he asked me to take a glass of liquor which was all the aid he offered; meantime had a mind to keep me in custody as a spy, which when I heard it, raised my indignation to think that a commander of an army should have no more judgment when his own eyes were witnessing that I could scarce go alone. I went out by his permission and met Col. Strong. He asked me if I was such a person; I answered in the affirmative and passed on. In going out of the gate I met his son. He knew me at once, and after a few, minutes chat he pulled a dollar out of his pocket, offered it to me saying, it was all he had by him, but when I wanted more to call on him. I told him I did not think I should stand in need, people generally appeared so kind; but he insisted on my taking it; and I believe I brought it home with me. In the course of that day, I got down to the river, and went into the store of Strong & Bartle, men that I had done buSiness for previous 'to the campaign. For three or four weeks I was busy in making out accounts and settlements. My office was a smoke-house about six or eight feet square, built of boat materials, and stood, I think, a little above Main Street. In the course of the day, Mr. Collin Campbell came in. Bartle asked him if he knew me. He viewed me a considerable time, and answered, "No." He then told him, but Mr. Campbell could hardly believe him. But when convinced, nothing would do but I must go home with him to North Bend, that he might nurse me up and send me home. We got down sometime in the night; he kad all his family to get up, and see what a queer man he had brought home. After sometime we got to bed, and next morning, just after daylight, he came up into my chamber, or rather loft, and wakened me up. I begged of him to let me lay a little; no, I must get right up, and he would have in all who passed by to see me. Wherever he went I had to go. I stayed there about two weeks, gaining in health and strength everyday. About this time there was a contractor's boat coming up the river. He hailed it and made the arrangements for me to go with them; put up provision for the trip, and did everything that a near relative could have been required to do. About the time I left the Bend, some of the citizens professed to believe me to be a spy, and said, that if I CONFLICTS AND ADVENTURES WITH THE INDIANS - 73 did not leave there they would; and that I was only waiting a fair opportunity of bringing the enemy in upon them. As I did not want to break their peace, I thought best to leave them When I got on the boat, I found two persons on board that I was well acquainted with, and was treated very friendly. Nothing particular occurred on the boat When he got up to Limestone, I was greeted by almost every man, woman, and child, particularly those that had been under my tuition. The Captain Bartle above mentioned was among the first settlers of Cincinnati. I had not seem him for forty years, until we met on the twenty sixth of December, 1838, the time the pioneers were invited to the half Centennial of Cincinnati. We then met, and at his request lodged in the same room. We parted the next day, never more to meet in this world; he was then ninety-four years of age, and has since paid his last debt. ASAHEL EDGINGTON KILLED BY THE INDIANS. The writer of this article finds the first printed matter of this story in “McDonald’s Sketches,” published in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1838. That account is copied in “Howe’s History of Ohio” in both editions. It is also copied in “Findley’s Book on Indian Life,” No written or printed account is known earlier than that of McDonald, who was a contemporary of Gen. Massie, Gen. Simon Kenton and other pioneets, although he was very much younger than either of them. McDonald visited Massie’s Station, now Manchester, and spent some time there in in the winter of 1795, and was probably there several times before. The facts as we give them were obtained of William Treber, of Dunkinsville, Adams County, Ohio, who resides on the farm on which Edgington was killed. William Treber’s father, Jacob Treber located there with his father, John Treber, in 1796, only three years after the tragic death of Asahel Edgington. Jacob Treber, was then a boy of sixteen, having been born in 1780, and he lived until 1875. William Treber was born in 1825, and had the account of the death of Edgington from his grandfather, John Treber, who lived to a ripe old age, and from his father, Jacob Treber, some years since a prominent merchant of Cincinnati, but there the name is spelled Traber. On the Treber farm, which lies in the valley of Lick Fork of Brush Creek, on both sides of the creek, is a celebrated deer lick. Coming along the turnpike from the south, in passing through the Ellison farm, there is a wide bottom to left with the creek to the right. The hills form a semi-circle to the west of the Ellison stone houseand they approached the creek on the line between the Ellison and Treber farms, and end in a low ridge dropping off to the level of the bottom, just east of the turnpike. The north end of the semi-circle ridge is parallel to the turnpike for two hundre feet and just to the right of it. The foot of the ridge is a few feet inside Treber’s field. From the foot of the ridge, which is rocky and almost barren of timber, trickles a spring, which flows by the roots of a majestic elm, just inside the fence, and empties into the ditch to the west of the turnpike. The creek is not ten feet to the east of the turnpike at the point opposite the spring, which in early times gave out brackish waters, but in 1793. 74 - HISTORY OF ADAMS COUNTY the creek flowed thirty feet further east than it does now and there was a little terrace between where the turnpike now is and the creek as it then flowed. The sloping end of the ridge was as bare of timber in 1793 as it is now, but the bottoms were a dense forest. John and Asahel Edgington were brothers, and young men not over thirty-five years of age. They were noted deer hunters and Indian fighters as were all of Massie's little confederacy, at his station, now Manchester. John Edgington was quite tall and slender and of a taciturn disposition. While 1793 was a year of Indian depredations, the settlers at Manchester had no fear of them, when they could meet them on equal terms, The Lick Fork of Brush Creek about ten miles from Manchester, abounded in wild game of all kinds. In December an incursion of Indians was not apprehended and John and Asahel Edgington determined on a hunt. They took with them a third party, whose name is not given by McDonald, but who was probably Cornelius Washburn, and they had a three days' hunt. They camped near the famous deer lick, for the there deer came to them. They killed several deer and two bears. Such of the meat as they cared to save to take back to the station, they hung upon a scaffold, out of danger of the wolves and other wild animals and returned to Manchester for horses upon which they could take the meat to the station. They left Manchester the morning after their return from the hunt, each taking a pack horse. They approached their former camp which was near the elm, coming over the hill from the southwest and came direct to it without making an examination for Indian signs. Had they left their horses to the south of the hill over which they came and made an entire circle of their camp, as was. customary with Gen. Massie in such cases, the former story and this one would not have been written but instead they came right on through the creek and upon the little bottom to the east of the turnpike, where, without any examination of their surroundings, they alighted from their horses and began to make a fire. At this time, the Indians fired upon them and Asahel Edgington was instantly killed, but John and his companion were unhurt. The Indians no doubt rose up from behind the ridge to fire, and to this fact is due the escape of John Edgington. John dashed through the creek, over the bottom on the other side and half way up the long slope of the hill where he stopped behind a large white oak tree, which was standing until quite recently. There he undertook to take a view of the situation. The Indians were in possession of the camp and two of them had started in pursuit. He undertook to fire on the nearest Indian from behind the white oak, but the powder in the priming-pan of his gun had been moistened in dashing through the creek and his gun would not go off. Then it was he turned to run and was pursued until the Indians discovered he was a swifter runner than any and of them. There were seven Indians in the party. John Edgington came back the next day with a party from the station. The horses and meat were gone. His brother's body was found where it had fallen, but the Indians had cut off the head and, placed it on a small cedar tree nearr by, and which has now grown to a considerable tree and is pointed out to this day. CONFLICTS AND ADVENTURES WITH THE INDIANS - 75 The party buried Edgington's body in the small bottom to the left of the creek. The creek began washing out the bottom, and in 1835, Edgington's skull was exposed and was taken to the Treber tavern, near by, where it remained some years, and finally was taken away by a Kentucky visitor, who claimed to have been a relative of Asahel Edgington. In a few years more the bones of his skeleton made their appearance in the steep clay bank to the left of the creek. These were reverently gathered up and reinterred in a field in front of the Treber tavern. Edgington's death was not unavenged. After the peace of 1795, the Indians were frequent visitors to the white settlements. On one occasion, soon after the Greenville treaty, a party of three Indians visited Manchester. As was usual in those days, they were treated to fire water, and one of them, in his cups, boasted of having been in the party which killed Asahel Edgington. This came to the ears of John Edgington, his brother, then living in Manchester. The Indians remained several days, and left one morning, going up the, Ohio River on its right bank. Island creek empties into the Ohio about two miles above Manchester, and at that time was crossed by : a foot log at a place were there was a great deal of timber. The three Indians went onto foot-log together, but never walked off the other end. There were three rifle reports and three bodies dropped into the waters of Island Creek and floated out into the Ohio. Thus was the death of Asahel Edgington revenged. Little was ever said of this tragedy while the participants in it survived, and it has never appeared in print till the writer published it, but as all the avengers have for sixty years been beyon the jurisdiction of the courts to try them for the murder, there is now no longer any reason why the story should not be told. No stone marks the place of the tragic death of Asahel Edgington. Captain Johnny, the Shawnee chief, who commanded the band of Indians on the occasion of Asahel Edgington's' death, was a scout for General Harrison's army before the battle of the Thames. Asahel Edgington was a young married man. He left a wife and one daughter, then an infant. She lived to maturity, married, and has left numerous descendants. Capture of Andrew Ellison. In the spring of the year 1793, the settlers at Manchester commenced clearing the outlots of the town ; and while so engaged, an indent of much interest and excitement occurred. Mr. Andrew Ellison, one of the settlers, cleared a lot immediately adjoining the fort. He had completed the cutting of the timber, rolled the logs together and set them on fire. The next morning, a short time before daybreak, Mr. Ellison opened one of the gates of the fort and want out to throw his logs together. By the time he had finished this job, a number of the heaps blazed up brightly, and as he was passing from one to the other, he oberved, by the light of the fires, three men walking briskly towards him. This did not alarm him in the least, although, he said, they were dark-skinned fellows ; yet he concluded they were the Wades, whose complexions were very dark, going to hunt. He continued to right his log-heaps, until one of the fellows seized him by the arms, and called 76 - HISTORY OF ADAMS. COUNTY out in broken English, "How do? How do?" He instantly, in looked their faces, and tot his surprise and horror found himself in the clutches of three Indians. To resist was useless. He therefore submitted to his fate, without any resistance or an attempt to escape. The Indians quickly moved off with him in the direction of Paint Creek. When breakfast was ready, Mrs. Ellison sent one of her children to ask their father home, but he could not be found at the log-heaps. His absence created no immediate alarm, as it was thought he might have started to hunt after the completion of his work. Dinner time arrived, and Ellison not returning, the family became uneasy, and began to suspect some accident had happened to him. His gun rack was examined, and there hung his rifle and his pouch in their usual place. Massie raised a party and made a circuit around the place and found, after some search, the trails of four men, one of whom had on shoes; and as Ellison had shoes on, the truth that the Indians had made him a prisoner was unfolded. As it was almost night at the time the trail was discovered, the party returned to their, station. Next morning early preparations were made by Massie and his party to pursue the Indians. In doing this they found great difficulty, as it was so early in the spring that the vegetation was not of sufficient growth to show plainly the trail of the Indians, who took the precaution to keep on hard and high land, where their feet could make little or no impressions. Massie and his party, however, were as unerring as a pack of well-trained hounds, and followed the trail to Paint Creek, where they found the Indians gained so fast on them that pursuit was vain. They therefore abandoned it and returned ,to the station. The Indians took their prisoner to Upper Sandusky, and compelled him to run the gauntlet. As Ellison was a large man and not very active, he received a severe flogging as he passed along the guantlet line. From this place he was, taken to Lower Sandusky and was again compelled to run the guantlet and was then taken to Detroit, where he was generously ransomed by s British officer for one hundred dollars. He was shortly afterwards sent by his friend and officer to Montreal, from whence he returned home before the close of the summer of the same year.