TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 75 GEORGE ROGERS CLARK The one event connected with the American Revolution that wielded the most lasting influence upon Toledo's future, was the capture of the British posts in the Illinois country by Col. George Rogers Clark. One of the first steps of the British authorities, at the beginning of the war, was to occupy the old French posts of Cahokia, Kaskaskia and Vincennes, strengthen the garrisons and place each under the command of an English officer who could be trusted. At that time Virginia claimed a large section of the country west of the Alleghany Mountains. Colonel Clark made trips into this region in 1772, 1775 and 1776. Upon these occasions he learned much of the Indian character and the general conditions prevailing. Says Lossing : "He soon became convinced that the British garrisons at Detroit, Kaskaskia and Vincennes were the nests of vultures who prayed upon the feeble settlements of the West and deluged the virgin soil with the blood of the pioneers." As Clark's conquest of the Northwest played such a conspicuous part in shaping the history of Ohio, the writer, even at the risk of being considered tedious, deems it advisable to give some account of that important event. In December, 1777, Colonel Clark laid before Gov. Patrick Henry and the Council of Virginia a plan for the reduction of the posts. His plan was approved and an appropriation of £1,200 was made to carry it into execution. The commandant at Fort Pitt was ordered to furnish the necessary boats, arms, ammunition, etc. Clark received two sets of orders—one, which was made public, was "to proceed to the defense of Kentucky," and the other, which was strictly private, was "to attack and capture or destroy the British posts in the Illinois country." Early in June, 1778, Clark's troops rendezvoused at Corn Island in the Ohio River, opposite the present City of Louisville. His little army (about three hundred men) consisted of four companies, commanded by Captains Joseph Bowman, Leonard Helm, William Harrod and John Montgomery. In Captain Montgomery's company was Simon Kenton, then about twenty-two years of age, who agreed to act as spy in case his services in that capacity became necessary. Embarking in small boats on the 24th of June, these troops dropped down the Ohio to the mouth of the Tennessee River and encamped on the site of the present City of Paducah, where they met a party of hunters from Kaskaskia. At the close of the French and Indian war in 1763, many of the French people living east of the Mississippi River refused to acknowledge allegiance to Great Britain and removed to Spanish territory on the west side of the river. Shortly after the beginning of the Revolution, a number of them recrossed the river and allied themselves with the colonists in the struggle for independence. The hunters met by Clark belonged to this class. From them much valuable information was obtained and one of them, a man named John Saunders, offered to act as guide. Upon the recommendation of the hunters, Clark decided to surprise the post. The expedition arrived at Kaskaskia about dark on July 4, 1778, and before midnight the Americans were in possession of the village. Philip Rocheblave, the British commandant, was surprised in his bed and made prisoner. His wife succeeded in destroying most of the post records, but enough was saved to show that the commandant had been active in inciting the Indians to take up arms against the colonists. Sixty miles up the Mississippi, where the City of East St. Louis is now situated, 76 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY was the post of Cahokia, which was a depository for arms intended for the Indians. Clark sent Capt. Joseph Bowman with a detachment of troops to capture that place with its stores. The same party of hunters that had piloted Clark from the Ohio River accompanied Bowman as guides and several of the citizens of Kaskaskia joined his force as volunteers. After the capture of two small villages, Bowman surprised Cahokia and captured the post on July 8th without firing a gun. The residents of the village were at first displeased to see strange soldiers among them, but when the situation was explained by some of the French from Kaskaskia, they cheered and the American colors were raised over the British fort. FATHER GIBAULT Father Pierre Gibault was born in Montreal, April 7, 1737, and was educated for the priesthood in his native city. Soon after receiving orders he was sent to the Illinois country and in September, 1768, took up his residence at Kaskaskia. Fifteen months later he removed to Vincennes, but happened to be at Kaskaskia when that place was captured by Clark. He was in sympathy with the American cause and waited upon the colonel to ask what effect the capture of the British posts would have upon his duties as a priest. Clark assured him that it was not the intention to interfere in the slightest degree with the free exercise of religion, whereupon Father Gibault declared his views. He suggested that, as he was well acquainted with the people of Vincennes, he might be able to win them over to the American side, but, owing to the position he occupied, it might be well to send some one with him as a political emissary. Clark accepted his proposal and on July 14, 1778, Father Gibault and Dr. Jean B. LaFont (political agent) left Kaskaskia for Vincennes with an address to. the people there authorizing them to garrison their town in the American interests. Upon arriving at Vincennes the people were assembled in the church, where the address was read and the oath of allegiance administered by the priest. A commandant was then elected and the American flag was hoisted over the fort. The change made quite a difference in the attitude of the inhabitants toward the Indians. They informed the savages that their old father, the King of France, was alive again and was angry with them for having allied themselves with the English. John Law, writing of Father Gibault in his "History of Vincennes," says "To him, next to Clark and Vigo, the United States are more indebted for the accession of the states in what was the original Northwest Territory than to any other man." Although Colonel Clark had full confidence in the loyalty of Father Gibault and his influence with the people of Vincennes, he decided that it would be better to have an American officer in charge of the post. He therefore sent Capt. Leonard Helm, with a letter to the priest explaining the situation. Captain Helm was soon afterward joined at Vincennes by a small detachment of his company and a few creole volunteers. He established friendly relations with the Indians and in August, with a portion of his troops and some Indian allies, he moved up the Wabash River against the post of Ouiatenon, near the present City of Lafayette, Indiana. Captain Celoron, the British commandant, succeeded in making his escape, but the garrison of forty men and valuable military stores were captured. With the reduction of Ouiatenon the conquest of the British posts in the Illinois country was complete. TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 77 HAMILTON RECAPTURES VINCENNES Late in September, 1778, Lieutenant-Governor Hamilton announced his intention of leading in person an expedition for the purpose of regaining the advantages the British had lost in the Illinois country through the activity of Colonel Clark. With fifty British regulars, seventy Detroit militia, sixty Indians and one small cannon, he set out from Detroit on the 7th of October. Upon reaching the Miami village, where the City of Fort Wayne, Indiana, now stands, several days were spent in holding councils with the Indians. Hamilton then crossed the nine-mile portage to the Wabash River and descended that stream. To guard against any movement of this character, Captain Helm sent a lieutenant and three men up the Wabash, but they were captured by Hamilton's scouts and Helm received no information of the approach of the British until they were within three miles of the fort. He then wrote a letter to Colonel Clark, in which he said : "My determination is to defend the fort, though I have but twenty-one men but what have left me." The messenger bearing this letter was killed and the letter found its way into the Canadian Archives, the custodian of which furnished a copy to William H. English, when the latter was writing his history of Clark's conquest of the Northwest. . It seems that all of Captain Helm's men except one deserted him before Hamilton appeared before the fort and demanded its surrender. After a march of seventy-one days, Hamilton reached Vincennes on December 17, 1778. Captain Helm had a cannon placed in the gateway of the fort and when the British advance guard came within hailing distance he commanded them with an oath to "Halt !" "No man," said he, "shall enter here until I know the terms." A short parley ensued, in which Hamilton agreed that the garrison should "have the honors of war." Captain Helm and Moses Henry, the only man of the garrison remaining, then surrendered. Mr. English says that Hamilton reported the capture of seventy-one men at Vincennes, and adds : "Hamilton's account is silent as to the incident at the gate, which is not surprising. He was writing that account to justify his own. conduct and it was natural that he should avoid confessing that Helm had overreached him." COL. FRANCIS VIGO Colonel Clark was still at Kaskaskia when he learned that Vincennes had been recaptured. The news came as a great surprise and for a time he was at a loss as to what course to pursue. About this time Col. Francis Vigo, a resident of St. Louis and a Spanish subject, called on Clark and volunteered to go to Vincennes, ascertain the strength of Hamilton's force and report. Knowing Colonel Vigo to be a man who could be trusted, Clark accepted the offer and late in December Vigo, with a single attendant, set out for Vincennes. He was captured and taken before Hamilton, but as he was a Spanish subject he could not be treated as a spy. Before being liberated, however, he was required to sign a written pledge to go direct to his home in St. Louis without communicating with Clark. He kept his pledge and returned home, but remained there only long enough to change clothes and procure a fresh horse, when he started for Kaskaskia. On January 29, 1779, he arrived at Clark's headquarters and gave a full account of his adventure. The information he brought caused Clark to determine upon the recapture of the post. Under the date of February 3, 1779, he wrote to Governor Henry : 78 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY "I have for many months past had reports of an army marching against Detroit, but no certainty. A late maneuver of the famous Hair Buyer General, Henry Hamilton, Esq., Lieutenant-Governor of Detroit, hath alarmed us much. On the 16th (17) of December last he, with a body of 600 men, composed of regulars, French volunteers and Indians, took possession of Vincennes on the Wabash and what few men that composed the garrison, not being able to make the least defense. • • • Being sensible that without a reinforcement, which at present I have hardly the right to expect, I shall be obliged to give up the country to Mr. Hamilton without a turn of fortune in my favor, I am resolved to take advantage of his present situation and risk the whole in a single battle." CLARK 'ASSUMES THE OFFENSIVE Four days after the above letter was written, Clark completed his arrangements for an offensive movement against Vincennes. Lieut. John Rogers, with forty-six men, was sent around by water in a large galley carrying the stores, four swivel guns, two four-pounders and one nine-pounder. He was given orders to halt some distance below Vincennes until Clark, with 130 men, could march across by land. It was a rainy season, the route lay through low lands and the march was one of great hardships, the men often wading through water waist deep. After two weeks of this disheartening experience, Clark reached the Wabash late on the 22nd, near enough to the fort to hear the sunset gun. There he encamped for the night, while scouts were sent down the river to ascertain, if possible, the whereabouts of the galley, but they returned without tidings. The next day a duck hunter was captured and brought into the camp. From this man, who appeared to be in sympathy with the American cause, Clark obtained the information that there were "a good many Indians near the town," and also learned something of the strength and disposition of the British troops. Clark then wrote the following and sent it into the town by the duck hunter : "To the Inhabitants of Post Vincennes : "Gentlemen—Being now within two miles of your village with my army, determined to take your fort this night, and not being willing to surprise you, I take this method to request such of you as are true citizens and willing to enjoy the liberty I bring you, to remain still in your homes ; and that those, if any there be, that are friends to the King of England, will instantly repair to the fort and join his troops and fight like men. And if any such as do not go to the fort should hereafter be discovered that did not go to the garrison, they may depend on severe punishment. On the contrary, those who are true friends to liberty may expect to be well treated as such, and I once more request that they may keep out of the streets, for every person found under arms on my arrival will be treated as an enemy. "G. R. CLARK." Just before sunset that afternoon (February 23), Clark displayed his entire force in full view of the village. In doing so he resorted to a ruse to create the impression that his army was much larger than it really was. This deception he describes in his "Memoir" as follows : "In raising volunteers in the Illinois, every person who set about the business TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 79 had a set of colors given him. . . . These were displayed to the best advantage ; and as the low plain we marched through was not a perfect level, but had frequent raisings in it seven or eight feet higher than the common level, which was covered with water, and as these raisings generally ran in an oblique direction to the town, we took advantage of one of them, marching through the water under it, which completely prevented our men from being numbered. But our colors (ten or twelve) showed considerably above the heights, as they were fixed on long poles procured for the purpose, and at a distance made no despicable appearance ; and as our young Frenchman had decoyed and taken several fowlers with their horses, officers were mounted on these horses and rode about, more completely to deceive the enemy." In this way Clark maneuvered his forces until almost dark, the same men coming into view several times, which made it appear that he had several hundred troops instead of only 130. As soon as it was fairly dark Lieutenant Bailey was ordered to take fourteen men and open fire upon the fort, while the main body marched to the rear of the village and took possession of it without the least resistance. Most of the ammunition was on board the galley, but two loyal citizens were found who supplied the troops with powder and ball from their private stores. A desultory firing was kept up during the night, to prevent the British from sallying from the fort, while barricades were built in the streets. At daylight Clark's men sought shelter behind these barricades. The Kentucky riflemen were expert marksmen and every time a loophole in the fort was darkened a bullet sang the requiem of the soldier behind it. After losing a number of men in this manner, Hamilton raised a flag of truce and asked for an armistice of three days. Lieutenant Rogers was expected to arrive with the galley at almost any time, which would have given Clark reinforcements and artillery, but he feared that Hamilton was also expecting reinforcements and refused to grant the request. Instead he sent the British commander a note demanding the immediate surrender of the fort, and warning him not to destroy any stores or documents. This "exchange of courtesies" resulted in a parley being held at the church, about eighty yards from the fort. Hamilton's overtures for a parole were rejected and Clark notified him that the real assault upon the fort would begin immediately after the drums sounded the alarm. Seeing that the American commander was confident in his ability to take the fort, Hamilton reluctantly accepted the only terms offered, which were to "surrender at discretion"—in other words, an unconditional surrender. About ten o'clock on the morning of February 25, 1779, the Americans marched in and took possession of the fort, with all its stores, armament, etc. Hamilton, forty-two officers and men of the British regulars, and three officers of the Detron militia were made prisoners of war. The noncommissioned officers and privates of the militia were "lectured" by Colonel Clark and paroled after taking an oath not to take up arms against the United States until they were exchanged. Several members of this company, impressed with Colonel Clark's kindness and his explanation of the causes of the war, enlisted under him and made good soldiers. CAPTAIN HELM'S EXPLOIT Upon taking possession of the fort, Clark learned that a messenger had been sent to Detroit for supplies and that his return was hourly expected. He now under- 80 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY stood Hamilton's reasons for asking an armistice. The British commander no doubt hoped that the messenger would bring a force sufficient to enable him to hold the fort. On February 26, 1779, Captain Helm, with fifty men, was sent up the Wabash River to intercept any detachment on the way to Vincennes. A few miles below the present City of Terre Haute, Indiana, the light of the British camp fires was seen gleaming through the woods. Approaching quietly under cover of darkness, Captain Helm surrounded the camp and the entire party was captured without a shot being fired. On the 5th of March he arrived at Vincennes with his captives and seven boats laden with provisions, ammunition, clothing, etc., worth nearly fifty thousand dollars. With these supplies the Americans were placed above want and the permanent occupation of the Illinois country was assured. PLANS AGAINST DETROIT Early in 1778, before Clark began his campaign against the British posts in the Illinois country, the Continental Congress sent three commissioners to Fort Pitt (Pittsburgh) "to make observations and determine the importance of Detroit as a base for hostile Indian tribes." The commissioners reported that Lieutenant-Governor Hamilton's influence over the Indians was "extremely dangerous" and recommended that an expedition be sent against that post at the earliest opportunity. Gen. Lachan McIntosh, commander of the colonial troops at Fort Pitt, undertook a campaign into the Indian country with Detroit as the objective. After wasting much valuable time in the construction of Fort McIntosh, on the Ohio River about thirty miles below Fort Pitt, he marched into the interior. On a Tuscarawas River, not far from the present City of Massillon, he erected another fortification, which he named Fort Laurens, but went no farther, owing to a scarcity of supplies and the approach of winter. McIntosh was severely criticized for his dilatory movements and was removed from the command at Fort Pitt, Col. Daniel Brodhead being appointed his successor. It was Colonel Clark's .ambition to capture Detroit and "destroy that nest of serpents." His campaign of 1778 was financed by the Colony of Virginia alone. In October, 1778, the Virginia Legislature erected the conquered country into a county called "Illinois," and Col. John Todd was appointed county lieutenant or military commandant. Under date of December 12, 1778, Gov. Patrick Henry wrote to Colonel Todd, directing him to cooperate with Clark in any movement against Detroit. Before the letter was received by Todd, Hamilton had recaptured Vincennes and Clark was compelled to postpone any movement against Detroit until he could regain Vincennes. Early in the spring of 1779 another expedition was planned and Clark wrote to Governor Henry asking for assistance in raising necessary troops. Virginia was not in a position to furnish the desired aid and again the expedition had to be abandoned for the time. Later Colonel Brodhead, commanding at Fort Pitt, was instructed to furnish Clark with certain men and supplies and promised to do so, but Brodhead wanted to lead an expedition against Detroit himself and failed to keep his promise. This resulted in a jealousy between Clark and Brodhead and the year 1779 passed without anything being done. General Washington wanted Clark and Brodhead to cooperate, but on February 10, 1780, Thomas Jefferson, who had succeeded Patrick Henry as governor of Virginia, TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 81 wrote to Washington : "It may be necessary, perhaps, to inform you that these officers cannot act together, which excludes the hopes of insuring success by a joint expedition." Clark continued his preparations, however, but in June, 1780, Kentucky was invaded by Col. William Byrd, which caused a suspension of operations against Detroit. Early in October, 1780, a Colonel La Balm, who had come to America with Lafayette, started from Cahokia with 103 Frenchmen and a small body of Indians for the purpose of capturing Detroit. On the 5th of November he was defeated at the Miami village, at the head of the Maumee River, by running into an ambush, himself and about one-third of his men being killed. These events increased Colonel Clark's desire to capture Detroit and in December, 1780, he went to Richmond to urge the Virginia Legislature to furnish the means of equipping an expedition. Governor Jefferson gave him all the encouragement possible, but before preparations were completed Benedict Arnold invaded Virginia. Clark was promoted to brigadier-general and accepted a command under Baron Steuben to repel the invader. After Arnold was driven out of Virginia Clark began the work of recruiting a force, to rendezvous at the mouth of the Miami River, but later changed the place of rendezvous to the Falls of the Ohio, where all volunteers were directed to report by March 15, 1781. Washington ordered Colonel Brodhead to furnish Clark with certain troops and supplies from Fort Pitt. This order was not carried out for the reason that before Clark was ready to move Lord Cornwallis was threatening Virginia and Congress was without funds to carry on a campaign against the western posts. Clark returned to the Falls of the Ohio, disbanded his militia and gave up the idea of an expedition against Detroit. Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown, Virginia, October 19, 1781, but the news did not reach Detroit until the following April. The winter had been one of great severity, the English Government .had not been able to satisfy all the demands of the Indians, the colonists were more importunate in their demands for independence, and the news of the crushing British defeat at Yorktown all combined to discourage the English army. The prospects of ultimate American success were brighter in the spring of 1782 than at any time since the beginning of the war, and the few minor victories won by the British arms during the summer of that year failed to improve the hopes of the army officers. CRAWFORD'S EXPEDITION Late in May, 1782, an expedition under Col. William Crawford was sent into the Indian country. Like all the American officers, Colonel Crawford understood the importance of Detroit and directed his march toward that post. On June 8th, near the present City of Sandusky, he encountered a detachment of Butler's Rangers and some two hundred Indians, about three hundred men in all, commanded by Capt. William Caldwell. A sharp fight ensued, in which Crawford came off victor, but early the next morning Caldwell received reinforcements and the battle was renewed. Crawford and a few of his men became separated from the main body and were captured. On June 11, 1782, the gallant Kentuckian was burned at the stake. Peck, in his "Life of Daniel Boone," says that just as the fagots were being 82 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY fired, Crawford recognized Simon Girty, whom he had previously known in Kentucky, among the British troops. He begged the renegade to shoot him and thus end his agony, but Girty, with a sneer remarked : "Colonel, don't you see I have no gun," and without another word turned away allowing the savages to proceed with the torture. This unhappy affair occurred within about fifty miles of the present City of Toledo. END OF THE WAR On November 30, 1782, a preliminary treaty of peace between Great Britain and the United States was concluded at Versailles, France. In this treaty the political independence of the American colonies was recognized by the mother country. Some Ohio historians have not given Colonel Clark's conquest of the British posts the prominence it deserves. Through his activity the British plan of attacking the colonies from the rear was thwarted and by the final treaty of peace, which was concluded on September 3, 1783, the western boundary of the United States was fixed at the Mississippi River. The American commissioners that negotiated the treaty claimed the country between the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers "by right of conquest," and the claim was finally allowed. Had it not been for the successful campaign of Colonel Clark, it is quite probable that the western boundary would have been fixed at the Ohio River and the territory northwest of that stream would have remained a British possession. The eight years' war was at an end and the people of the colonies had gained the right to establish a government "deriving its just power from the consent of the governed." As the citizen of Toledo today enjoys the comforts of his modern home, or whirls along over smooth paved streets in his automobile, does he pause to consider at what cost all these advantages of a republican form of government were obtained ? Can he picture to himself the sufferings and fortitude of George Rogers Clark and his little band of patriots on their march through the marshes of Illinois in that February of 1779 ? What .hardships these brave men endured, what sacrifices they made, that their posterity might have the blessings of political liberty. CHAPTER VII THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY COLONIAL CLAIMS TO WESTERN TERRITORY - PLANS PROPOSED - THE JEFFERSON ORDINANCE-TEN STATES PROPOSED-THE OHIO COMPANY- ORDINANCE OF 1787 -FIRST TERRITORIAL OFFICERS-WAYNE COUNTY-THE TERRITORY DIVIDED-OHIO ADMITTED AS A STATE. Before and during the Revolutionary war, several of the colonies (now called states) claimed lands northwest of the Ohio River. In October, 1780, Congress passed an act relating to the disposition_ of such lands "for the common benefit of the United States," on condition that the states would relinquish their claims. In this act Congress pledged the Federal Government to carry out the following provisions: 1. That the lands so relinquished should be settled and formed into distinct states, with a suitable extent of territory. 2. That such states should become members of the Federal Union, with the same rights of sovereignty, freedom and independence as the original states. 3. That the expenses incurred by any state in subduing British posts, or in the acquisition and defence of the territory, should be reimbursed. 4. That the said lands should be granted and settled agreeably to such regulations as Congress might prescribe. PLANS PROPOSED Pursuant to this act, New York relinquished her claim, based upon the Iroquois cession, on March 1, 1781. Virginia, after some delay in arranging certain details, ceded her claim on March 1, 1784, reserving 150,000 acres at the Falls of the Ohio for Gen. George Rogers Clark and his soldiers, "as a compensation for their services in conquering the Northwest." This tract, known for years as the "Virginia Military District," now forms part of Clark County, Indiana. The claims of Massachusetts were relinquished on April 19, 1785, and those of Connecticut on September 14, 1786, except a tract bounded on the north by Lake Erie, east by Pennsylvania, south by the parallel of 41̊ north latitude, and west by a north and south line 120 miles from the western boundary of Pennsylvania." The district within these boundaries constituted the "Western Reserve." It was ceded to the United States on May 30, 1800, and now forms part of the State of Ohio. Speculators and others did not wait for the states to yield their claims before several plans were submitted to Congress for disposing of the lands. On April 7, 1783, Timothy Pickering presented what he called "a rough draft for a new state westward of the River Ohio." In this "rough draft" ample provision was made for land grants to soldiers of the Revolution, the quantity of land varying from 100 acres for privates and noncommissioned officers to 1,100 acres for a major-general. Pickering's proposition was known as the "Army Plan." - 83 - 84 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY On June 5, 1783, Theodoric Bland introduced what later became known as th "Financiers' Plan." It provided that a certain tract should be set apart for th benefit of Revolutionary soldiers ; that one-tenth of the land should be resery by the United States, the rents and profits thereof to be used for the erection o forts, the establishment of seminaries of learning, etc., and the remainder sold to actual settlers. Eleven days later ( June 16, 1783), Gen. Rufus Putnam came forward with a third plan, which embodied the main principles of the Pickering and Bland plans, but conferred greater privileges upon the actual settler, the object being to encourage immigration. THE JEFFERSON ORDINANCE While these several plans were before Congress for consideration, that body appointed a committee to prepare an ordinance for the division and government of the territory, provided the states relinquished their claims. Thomas Jefferson, the chairman of this committee, made *a report on March 1, 1784, the very day Virginia surrendered her claim. The report was in the form of an ordinance, which embraced all the territory east of the Mississippi River between the thirty-first and forty-seventh parallels of north latitude and provided for the erection of ten states north of the Ohio River. Just where or how Jefferson's committee found some of the names for the proposed states is not certain. The states and their locations were as follows : 1. Assenisipia, which embraced the southern part of Wisconsin and the northern part of Illinois, extending from Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River. 2. Cherronesus, which included the lower peninsula of Michigan. 3. Illinoia which lay directly south of Assenisipia, between the parallels of 39̊ and 41̊ north latitude, extending to the Mississippi. 4. Metropotamia, which occupied the region south of Cherronesus, extending from Illinoia to Lake Erie, embracing Northern Indiana and Northwest Ohio. 5. Michigania, which was situated immediately north of Assenisipia and included Central Wisconsin. 6. Pelisipia, which embraced Southern Indiana and Southwest Ohio. 7. Polypotamia, which lay south of Illinoia, including Central Indiana and a little of Western Ohio. 8. Saratoga, a long narrow state, which lay next to Pennsylvania and extended from the Ohio River to Lake Erie. 9. Sylvania, which embraced the upper peninsula of Michigan, Northern Wisconsin and that part of Minnesota east of the Mississippi River. 10. Washington, which occupied North Central Ohio, between Metropotamia and Saratoga. The ordinance was passed on April 23, 1784, and remained in force for over three years. During that period there were not enough white settlers in the territory to warrant the establishment of civil government and Jefferson's ambitious dream was not realized. If the provisions of the ordinance had been carried out and remained permanent, Toledo would now be in the State of Metropotamia instead of Ohio. THE OHIO COMPANY On May 20, 1785, Congress appointed Gen. George Rogers Clark, Arthur Lee and Gen. Richard Butler commissioners to make treaties with the Indians and TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 85 report a plan for keeping out "squatters" until the Government could carry out the system of "survey before sale or entry." By the same ordinance, Congress provided "for surveying and disposing of the public lands west of the River Ohio." Gen. Rufus Putnam was appointed to take charge of the survey and "lay off seven ranges immediately west of Pennsylvania." He was engaged elsewhere and Gen. Benjamin Tupper was appointed in his place. Indians prevented the surveyors from completing their work and Tupper returned to Massachusetts. In the fall he met General Putnam, to whom he gave a glowing account of the country. On January 25, 1786, Tupper and Putnam issued a "Publick notice to all officers and soldiers who served in the late war, entitled by ordinance of Congress to receive certain tracts of land in the Ohio country, and all other good citizens who wish to become adventurers in that delightful region," to meet in their respective towns and choose delegates to meet at the Bunch of Grapes Tavern, in Boston, March 1, 1785. When the delegates met, General Putnam was called upon to preside and Maj. Winthrop Sargent was elected secretary. A resolution to organize the "Ohio Company of Associates" was adopted, after which a committee of five was appointed to prepare articles of association. On the third this committee, through Rev. Manasseh Cutler, reported a plan for a company with a capital stock of $1,000,000, divided into shares of $1,000 each, no one to be permitted to hold more than five shares. Gen. Rufus Putnam, Gen. Samuel H. Parsons and Rev. Manasseh Cutler were elected directors, with instructions to select and procure a tract of land for settlement. They selected lands on both sides of the Muskingum River, immediately west of the seven ranges ordered to be surveyed by the ordinance of May 20, 1785. By an agreement with Congress, the company was to purchase between the seventh and .seventeenth ranges, back from the Ohio River far enough to include 1,500,000 acres, "besides the donation of two sections in each township for the support of schools and the ministry, and two townships for a university, and three sections in each township retained under control of Congress." The contract was formally signed on October 27, 1787. The company paid down $500,000 in final settlement certificates and was authorized to take possession of 750,000 acres in the eastern part of the grant, the United States withholding the deed until such time as the surveys should be completed and the full purchase price paid. In the spring of 1788 the first company of settlers came down the Ohio in a boat called the "Mayflower." They landed at the mouth of the Muskingum, where on April 7, 1788, they began the settlement of Marietta, the first authorized by the United States Government northwest of the Ohio River. ORDINANCE OF 1787 On July 13, 1787, three months before the contract with the Ohio Company was concluded, Congress passed the "Ordinance for the Government of the Territory of the United States Northwest of the River Ohio." It consisted of two parts, viz: First, provisions for the government of the territory as a district exclusively under the control of Congress and later by a Legislature subject to Congressional supervision ; second, the six articles of general and fundamental law, "to be considered as articles of compact between the original States and the people and States in the said territory, and forever remain unalterable, except by common consent." King, in his "History of Ohio," says : "The ordinance was a masterpiece of states- 86 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY manship in reconciling and vindicating every principle for which the Thirteen Colonies appealed to arms, and it remains today the model upon which the territorial governments of the United States are constructed." The territory affected by the ordinance comprised the present states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin, and that part of Minnesota east of the Mississippi River and a line drawn due north from the source of that river to the international boundary. Article V of the ordinance was as follows : "There shall be formed in the said territory not less than three nor more than five states. The western state in the said territory shall be bounded by the Mississippi, the Ohio and the Wabash rivers ; a direct line from the Wabash and Post Vincents (Vincennes), due north to the territorial line between the United States and Canada ; and by the said territorial line to the Lake of the Woods and the Mississippi. The middle state shall be bounded by the said direct line ; the Wabash from Post Vincents to the Ohio River ; by the Ohio ; and by a direct line drawn due north from the mouth of the Great Miami River to the said territorial line, and by the said territorial line. The eastern state shall be bounded by the last-mentioned direct line, the Ohio River, the west line of Pennsylvania, and by the said territorial line. Provided, however, and it is further understood and declared, that the boundaries of these three states shall be subject so far to be altered, that, if Congress shall hereafter find it expedient, they shall have authority to form one or two states in that part of the said territory which lies north of an east and west line drawn through the southerly bend or extreme of Lake Michigan." The territorial officials provided for by the ordinance were : A governor, to be appointed for three years ; a secretary, to be appointed for four years, and three judges, all of whom were required to reside in the territory. On October 16, 1787, Congress appointed Gen. Arthur St. Clair, of Pennsylvania, governor ; Winthrop Sargent, of Massachusetts, secretary ; Samuel H. Parsons, of Connecticut ; James M. Varnum, of Rhode Island, and John Armstrong, of Pennsylvania, judges. Mr. Armstrong soon resigned and the vacancy was filled by the appointment of John Cleves Symmes, of New Jersey. The government of the Northwest Territory was now fully established. WAYNE COUNTY One of the powers conferred upon the governor, or upon the secretary, in the absence or disability of the governor, was that of dividing the territory into counties and townships. Pursuant to this authority, Winthrop Sargent, as acting governor, issued his proclamation on August 15, 1796, about a year after the Treaty of Greenville, establishing Wayne County, with the following boundaries : "Beginning at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River, upon Lake Erie, and with the said river to the portage between it and the Tuscarawas branch of the Muskingum; thence down the said branch to the forks, at the carrying place above Fort Lawrence (Laurens) ; thence by a west line to the eastern boundary of Hamilton County (which is a due north line from the lower Shawnese town upon the Sciota River) ; thence by a line west northerly to the southern part of the portage between the Miami of the Ohio and the St. Mary's River ; thence by a line west northerly to the southwestern part of the portage between the Wabash and the Miami of Lake Erie, where Fort Wayne now stands ; thence by a line west northerly to the most southern part of Lake Michigan ; thence along the western shores of the same to TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 87 the northwest part thereof (including the lands lying upon the streams emptying into said lake) ; thence by a due north line to the territorial boundary in Lake Superior, and with said boundary through Lakes Huron, St. Clair and Erie to the mouth of the Cuyahoga River, the place of beginning." The county was named for Gen. Anthony Wayne. As at first created it included that part of the present State of Ohio west of the Cuyahoga River and north of a line beginning at a point near the present City of Akron and running to Fort Wayne ; a strip across the northern part of Indiana ; all that part of Wisconsin drained into Lake Michigan ; the entire lower peninsula of Michigan, and the greater part of the upper peninsula. What is now Lucas County, Ohio, was thus included in the County of Wayne. THE TERRITORY DIVIDED By the act of May 7, 1800, the Territory of Indiana was brought into existence. It embraced all that portion of the Northwest Territory west of a line beginning at the mouth of the Great Miami River and running due north, in accordance with the provisions of Article V of the Ordinance of 1787. Wayne County was by this act reduced to the eastern half of the lower peninsula of Michigan, the eastern tip of the upper peninsula, and that part within the present State of Ohio. A further reduction in the area of Wayne County was made on July 10, 1800, when Trumbull County was erected out of that part of Wayne east of a north and south line about five miles west of the present City of Sandusky. When Indiana Territory was erected in 1800, all that part of the Northwest Territory east of it was designated as the Territory of Ohio. On April 30, 1802, President Jefferson approved an act of Congress to enable the people of Ohio Territory to adopt a constitution and form a state government. The constitutional convention met at Chillicothe on November 1, 1802, finished its labors on the 20th of the same month, and on February 19, 1803, Ohio was admitted into the Union—the first state to be formed and admitted from the Northwest Territory. The constitutional convention, in harmony with the provisions of the enabling act, fixed the northern boundary of the state at and upon "an east and west line drawn through the southern extremity of Lake Michigan, running east until it shall intersect Lake Erie on the territorial (international boundary) line, and thence on the same through to the Pennsylvania line." This left the greater portion of Wayne County out of the new state and it was attached to the Territory of Indiana until 1805, when Michigan Territory was created. Under the Ordinance of 1787, all the territory east of the line drawn due north from the mouth of the Great Miami River should have been included in the State of Ohio, until the district north of the line running east from the southern extremity of Lake Michigan contained 60,000 inhabitants. Judge Jacob Burnet, in his "Notes on the Northwest Territory," says the reasons for the exclusion of the Michigan Peninsula, by Congress, were mainly political. It was known that many of the inhabitants of Detroit and its immediate surroundings were opposed to a state government, and they were also politically opposed to the Jefferson administration. Congress feared that the proposition to form a state might be defeated if this section was included, or, if a state government was formed, Ohio might come into the Union as a Federalist state. (For history of the controversy over the Ohio-Michigan boundary, see Chapter X.) CHAPTER VIII INDIAN WARS-1783-1811 CONDITIONS FOLLOWING THE REVOLUTION-BRITISH INFLUENCE-GENERAL H ARM AR'S CAMPAIGN-GENERAL ST. CLAIR'S DEFEAT-GEN. ANTHONY WAYNE - COUNCIL AT MAUMEE RAPIDS-WAYNE BEGINS HIS MARCH-EVENTS OF 1794—FORT MIAMI-ATTACK ON FORT RECOVERY-WAY NE GETS INTO ACTION-BATTLE OF FALLEN TIMBERS - A LIVELY CORRESPONDENCE - TURKEYFOOT ROCK - THE FORT AT TOLEDO-PEACE AT LAST-CAPT. WILLIAM WELLS-TECUMSEH'S CONSPIRACY-BATTLE OF TIPPECANOE. Although the Revolutionary war was technically ended by the treaty of September 3, 1783, the British for several years retained possession of much of the country between the Ohio and Mississippi rivers—territory conceded to be the lawful domain of the United States. In the negotiation of the treaty the English commissioners at first demanded the complete independence of the Indian tribes west of the Ohio River, with the privilege of selling their lands to whom they pleased, but the United States commissioners—Benjamin Franklin, John jay and John Adams—would not consent to such a proposition. Between the close of the Revolution and the beginning of the War of 1812, there occurred in the Ohio country many stirring events, which played an important part in shaping the history of the Maumee Valley. One of the first aims of the United States was to establish friendly relations with the natives. To this end Maj. Ephraim Douglass was sent to Detroit in the spring of 1783, with instructions to hold councils with the Indians and, if possible, gain their good will and confidence. The British commander at Detroit received Douglass politely, but would not allow him to talk to the Indians. The same thing occurred at Sandusky. BRITISH INFLUENCE Not only did the English retain possession of the military posts, but they also endeavored to keep the Indians on the war path against the infant settlements in the Ohio country. Major Douglass wrote to Governor Dickinson, of Pennsylvania, in February, 1784 : "Early in the fall Sir John Johnson assembled the different western tribes at Sandusky, and, having prepared them with presents distributed in lavish profusion, addressed them in a speech to this purport : That the King, his and their common father, had made peace with the Americans and had given them the country he possessed on this continent ; but that the report of his having given them any of the Indian lands was false and fabricated by the Americans for the purpose of pro-yoking the Indians against their father—they should therefore shut their ears - 89 - 90 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY against such reports. The great River Ohio was to be the line between the Indians in this quarter and the Americans, over which line the latter should not be allowed to pass and return in safety. However, as the war between Britain and America was now at an end, and as the Indians had engaged in it from their attachment to the crown and not from any quarrel of their own, he would, as was usual at the end of a war, take the tomahawk out of their hand ; though he would not remove it out of sight or far from them, but lay it down carefully at their side, that they might have it convenient to use in defense of their rights and property, if they were invaded or molested by the Americans." During the year 1784 there were frequent depredations committed by Indians in the neighborhood of Pittsburgh and upon the settlements along the Ohio River. Evidence was not wanting that some of these raids were planned in Detroit and that arms and ammunition were furnished the Indians by the commandant of that post. For a time the United States made no effort to check the Indian raids, because negotiations were under way, which it was hoped would result in the British giving up the western posts. Baron Steuben and Lieut.-Col. William Hull, afterward governor of Michigan Territory, were sent at different times to Gen. Frederick Haldimand, governor of Canada, but Haldimand sternly refused to order the removal of the garrisons. By the ordinance of May 20, 1785, Congress appointed Gen. George Rogers Clark, Gen. Richard Butler and Arthur Lee commissioners to make treaties of peace with the Indians, and authorized Col. Josiah Harmar to collect a strong force of militia at Fort Pitt and call a council of the Indian chiefs. Mathew Elliott, Simon Girty and Alexander McKee, British agents, were sent among the Indians to influence them not to attend the council, telling them if a treaty of peace was concluded their country would soon be overrun by white men. They succeeded in holding back the Cherokee, Miami, Shawnee and a few minor tribes, but a peace was made with the Chippewa, Delaware, Ottawa and Wyandot Indians. In September, 1785, the Cherokee and Shawnee Indians, incited by English agents, made a raid through the Scioto, Hocking, Muskingum and Tuscarawas valleys, where a few scattering white settlements had been started. About this time Fort Harmar was built at the mouth of the Muskingum River. This was the first fort northwest of the Ohio River built by authority of the United States after the Revolution. A little later Fort Finney was built at the mouth of the Great Miami, about twenty miles below Cincinnati, where a council with several of the tribes was held in November, although Simon Girty and Capt. William Caldwell did all they could to keep the Indians from attending. On February 1, 1786, a treaty was concluded with the Shawnee chiefs, who were given all the region between the Great Miami and Wabash rivers, south of the lands claimed by the Miami and Wyandot nations, on promise that they would keep the peace and not molest the American settlements. Two months later, at the instigation of Elliott, Girty and McKee, the Shawnee were on the warpath in the Scioto and Hocking valleys. For their services, McKee, Girty, Elliott and Caldwell received grants of land near Amherstburg at the mouth of the Detroit River. In June, 1786, Sir John Johnson held a council with forty or fifty of the leading chiefs at Niagara. He warned them that their people would be exterminated unless they united to drive out the Americans. Among the chiefs at this council was Joseph Brant, the Mohawk who had been educated by Sir William Johnson. After- TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 91 ward he went among the different tribes, exhibiting his commission as a captain in the British army and telling the Indians that the English were their best friends. About the middle of December, 1786, another council was held at Sandwich, opposite Detroit. Most of the Ohio tribes were represented and the British agents presented them with a memorial to Congress, pledging themselves to keep the peace if the whites would stay out of the Ohio country. The next year the Northwest Territory was organized by Congress and inducements were offered to settlers to locate therein. GENERAL HARMAR'S CAMPAIGN Between the years 1783 and 1788 more than one thousand white persons were killed by the Indians, many of the scalps having been taken to Detroit to show to the "English father." All efforts to make treaties with .the Indians having failed, President Washington decided to adopt more vigorous measures for putting a stop to the raids on the settlements. Early in the summer of 1789, Col. Josiah Harmar, Indian agent for the Northwest Territory, was ordered to collect a force and march into the Indian country. Gen. Henry Knox, secretary of war, for some inexplicable reason, sent word to the commandant at Detroit that the expedition was against the Indians only. This action on the part of the secretary was undoubtedly the principal cause of the failure of Harmar's expedition, as it gave the commandant an opportunity to supply the Indians with arms and ammunition. Colonel Harmar organized his army at Fort Washington (now Cincinnati), where in September, 1790, he had a force of some fifteen hundred men. Just before starting on his march he was brevetted brigadier-general. On the 23d of October he reached the head of the Maumee River, where Fort Wayne, Indiana, now stands, where his scouts brought word that a large body of Indians was only a short distance in advance. Major Wyllys was ordered to take 400 men and attack the Indian camp, while Major Hall, with a similar force, was ordered to gain the rear of the enemy. Hall started to cross the Maumee at a ford, but before all his men were over the Indians in sight fled. Those who had already crossed the river pursued without orders, leaving sixty regulars to the tender mercy of the savages under Little Turtle. The pursuers followed up the St. Joseph River and soon came upon a formidable body of Indians. They then began a retreat and fortunately for them the Indians did not follow. Meantime a sharp engagement occurred at the ford, where the regulars suffered severe losses. As soon as Harmar could extricate his men, he ordered a retreat to Fort Washington. He was severely criticized for his management of the campaign and in January, 1791, he resigned his commission. Harmar's defeat was the cause of great rejoicing among the Indians. Many of those who had taken part in the fight at the ford marched to Detroit to celebrate their victory. According to one account, they carried long poles strung with the scalps of the American soldiers killed in the engagement. GENERAL ST. CLAIR'S DEFEAT Early in the year 1791 President Washington sent for Gen. Arthur. St. Clair, governor of the Northwest Territory, to confer with him concerning another in- 92 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY vasion of the Indian country. The result of the conference was that on March 4, 1791, St. Clair was commissioned commander-in-chief of the Army of the Northwest, promised 2,500 men, most of them Revolutionary veterans, and instructed to build a line of forts from the mouth of the Great Miami to the mouth of the Maumee. In May, 1791, while St. Clair was making preparations for his campaign, Gen. Charles Scott, of Kentucky, led 800 men up the Wabash Valley almost to where the City of Lafayette, Indiana, now stands and destroyed several Indian villages. About three months later Gen. James Wilkinson, with 500 men made a raid in the same territory and destroyed the Kickapoo villages. Many of the Indians driven out by Scott and Wilkinson sought a refuge at Detroit, where they were encouraged by the commandant to make a more desperate effort to hold the country. Most of these Indians then joined the chief Little Turtle, at the head of the Maumee River. General St. Clair left Fort Washington with 2,000 men in September, 1791. Twenty miles up the Great Miami he built Fort Hamilton (now Hamilton) and forty-two miles farther north he built Fort Jefferson. Leaving Fort Jefferson late in October, he established a camp on a small tributary of the Wabash River, in what is now Darke County, Ohio, where he prepared to go into winter quarters. About daylight on November 4, 1791, while the men were preparing their breakfast and there was little discipline in the camp, the war-whoop resounded through the surrounding forest. During the night Little Turtle, the head chief of the Miami, had surrounded the camp with a large force of Indians and as soon as it was light enough to see, the attack commenced from all sides. Several of the American officers were killed or wounded by the first volley and the entire camp was thrown into confusion. Colonels Butler and Darke and Major Clark tried to rally the men, but they were too badly panic stricken. Out of the 1,400 men in the camp, 595 were reported killed or missing, while 38 officers and 242 men were wounded. The survivors, in a retreat in which it was "every man for himself," succeeded in reaching Fort Jefferson, General St. Clair making his escape on a pack-horse without a saddle. Alexander McKee, Mathew Elliott and Simon Girty were among the Indians, though the fact was not known until nearly four years later. The disastrous defeat of General St. Clair cast a gloom over the country. He was vindicated by Congress, but resigned on March 5, 1792. GEN. ANTHONY WAYNE In April, 1792, President Washington called Gen. Anthony Wayne to the command of the army and Congress authorized him to collect a force large enough to insure the effectual chastisement of the Indians. General Wayne was born at Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, January 1, 1745. While a boy at school he developed a taste for military matters, designing forts, drilling his classmates, etc., until his teachers pronounced him incorrigible. He acquired sufficient education, however, to enable him to become a surveyor, though his interest in military affairs was never abated. At the beginning of the Revolutionary war in 1775 he already had a regiment organized, of which he was made colonel. In the spring of 1777 he was promoted to brigadier-general. On July 15, 1779, when Washington asked him if he could storm the British position at Stony Point, Wayne saluted and replied : TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 95 “General, I'll storm hell if you will plan the attack." He did storm Stony Point and although wounded insisted upon being carried in at the head of his command. This and similar exploits gave him the sobriquet of "Mad Anthony." Such was the character of the man Washington selected to lead the third expedition into the Indian country. COUNCIL AT MAUMEE RAPIDS General Knox, secretary of war, who still clung to the idea that treaties of peace might be made, was fearful that Wayne would meet the same fate as Harmar and St. Clair. Washington had little faith in Knox's theory, but consented to make one more effort. On March 1, 1793, he appointed Benjamin Lincoln, Timothy Pickering and Beverly Randolph commissioners to meet the chiefs of the hostile tribes at Sandusky. Late in May they went to the headquarters of Lieutenant-Governor Simcoe at Niagara and acquainted him with their object, at the same time informing him that they were authorized to offer the Indians $50,000 and an annuity of $10,000 for. the Ohio lands. Alexander McKee and Mathew Elliott were requested to inform the Indians that the commissioners would meet them at Sandusky in the latter part of June. Instead of doing this they called a council of the tribes at the Maumee Rapids and a delegation was sent to the commissioners with the statement that, unless the boundary between the white settlements and the Indian country was fixed at the Ohio River, it would be useless to hold a council. The commissioners then went to Elliott's house, at the mouth of the Detroit River, where on August 16, 1793, they received a long communication from the Indians assembled at the Rapids. That this communication was formulated and penned by a white man (probably McKee or Elliott) is clearly seen in the following extracts : "Money to us is of no value and to most of us is unknown. And, as no consideration whatever can induce us to sell the lands on which we get sustenance for our women and children, we hope we may be allowed to point out a mode by which your settlers may be easily removed and peace thereby obtained. We know that these settlers are poor, or they would never have ventured to live in a country which has been in continual trouble ever since they crossed the Ohio. Therefore, divide this large sum of money which you have offered us among these people. Give to each, also, a portion of what you say you would give to us annually, and we are persuaded they would most readily accept it in lieu of the land you sold them. If you add, also, the great sum you must expend in raising and paying armies, with a view to force us to yield to you our country, you will certainly have more than enough for the purpose of repaying these settlers for their improvements. "You have talked to us about concessions. It appears strange that you should expect any from us, who have only been defending our rights against your invasions. We want peace. Restore to us our country and we shall be enemies no longer. . .. . You have talked, also a great deal about your exclusive right to purchase Indian lands, as ceded to you by the King at the treaty of peace. We never made any agreement with this King, nor with any other nation, that we would give to either the exclusive right to purchase our lands. We declare to you that we consider ourselves free to make any bargain or cession of lands whenever and to whomsoever we please. If the white people, as you say, made a treaty 96 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY that none of them but the King should purchase of us, and that he has given that right to the United States, it is an affair that concerns you and him, not us: We have never parted with such power. "Look back and review the lands from which we have been driven to this spot. We can retreat no further, because the country behind hardly affords food for its inhabitants. . . . We shall be persuaded that you mean to do us justice when you agree that the Ohio shall remain the boundary line between us. If you will not consent to this, our meeting would be altogether unnecessary." This manifesto was signed by the leading chiefs of the Chippewa, Delaware, Miami, Ottawa, Potawatomi, Shawnee, and a few of the lesser tribes. It put an end to the negotiations and on the 17th the commissioners left Elliott's. On the 23d they arrived at Fort Erie, where they sent a messenger to Wayne advising him of their failure. WAYNE BEGINS HIS MARCH Wayne had commenced mobilizing his army at Fort Washington in May, 1793, but was instructed to undertake no aggressive movement until after the Sandusky council. The summer was spent in organizing and drilling his men. Early in September he was joined by the "Kentucky Rangers" and soon afterward began his march up the Miami Valley. On October 6th he reached Fort Jefferson. Twenty miles north of that post part of the army was left to build Fort Greenville, while the rest moved on to the scene of St. Clair's defeat and began Fort Recovery. By the time the two forts were completed the season was far advanced and Wayne took up his winter quarters at Fort Recovery. Early in the spring of 1794 Secretary Knox sent a messenger to Wayne urging him to use caution. Such advice to such a commander was wholly unnecessary. Harmar was defeated because his army consisted chiefly of militia and raw recruits; St. Clair was defeated because he neglected to take proper precautions to guard against a surprise ; but now a different story was to be told. Wayne's men were well drilled and equipped. Many of them were experienced Indian fighters and, what was of the greatest importance, they all had confidence in their commanding officer. Wayne was always on the alert. On account of his cunning and the swiftness of his movements, some of the chiefs gave him the name of "Black Snake." Attempts to surprise him failed and Little Turtle called him "The man who never sleeps.” The Potawatomie gave him the name of the "Great Wind," because, like a hurricane, he destroyed everything in his path. EVENTS OF 1794 While at Fort Recovery during the winter, Wayne organized a small company of scouts, which was placed under the command of Capt. Ephraim Kibby. He also organized a company of spies, led by Capt. William Wells, of whom more will be said hereafter. As soon as spring opened a detachment was sent over to the St. Mary's River to erect a small stockade, which was named Fort Adams. Wayne also built Fort Loramie, on the site of Pickawillany, the trading post destroyed by the French in 1752. Except for the building of these two forts he remained inactive until far into the summer. His delay was regarded by the British and Indians as a sign of weakness, caused by the building of TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY - 97 FORT MIAMI On February 10, 1794, Lieut.-Gov. John Graves Simcoe, in addressing a delegation of Indian chiefs, said : "Children, since my return I find no appearance of a boundary line remains ; and from the way in which the people of the United States push on and act and talk, I shall not be surprised if we are at war with them in the course of the present year ; and if so a line must be drawn by the warriors. We have acted in the most peaceable manner and borne the language and conduct with patience, but I believe our patience is almost exhausted." In April following, Simcoe ordered Col. Richard England, commandant at Detroit, to take a sufficient force and build a fort at the Maumee Rapids. With three companies of his own regiment and a small detachment of other troops, he erected Fort Miami on the site of the old French trading post established in 1680. When it was finished it was garrisoned by 450 men, with ten pieces of. artillery, under command of Maj. William Campbell. About one and a half miles above the fort was the residence of the British agent, Alexander McKee, whose duty was to distribute presents, arms, ammunition and rations to the Indians. At the time this. fort was built John Jay was in London, trying to make a treaty with England that would result in the evacuation of the western posts. When Washington learned of the building of Fort Miami he wrote to Mr. Jay as follows : "Can that government, or will it attempt, after this official act of one of its governors, to hold out ideas of friendly intention toward the United States and suffer such conduct to pass with impunity ? This may be considered as the most open and daring act of the British agents in America. . . . In vain is. it, then, for the administration in Britain to disavow having given orders which will warrant such conduct, whilst their agents go unpunished." Captains Kibby and Wells, through their scouts and spies, kept Wayne fully informed of all that was going on. He was therefore aware of the building of Fort Miami, but that was not the reason for his delay. In accepting the command of the army in April, 1792, he did so with the express understanding that he should not be required, as in the cases of Harmar and St. Clair, to advance into the Indian country "until the army shall be properly constituted and drilled, and adequate supplies provided." ATTACK ON FORT RECOVERY Toward the end of June the Indians, believing that Wayne was afraid to adnce, determined to strike a blow. On the last day of that month a party of Indians, and British disguised as Indians, made an attack on a company of dragoons escorting a pack train to Fort Recovery. They were repulsed with considerable loss and later in the day a large body of Indians and Detroit militia, commanded by Little Turtle, made an assault on Fort Recovery. The attack was made simultaneously from all sides, but the garrison of 150 men, under Maj. William McMahon, stood by their guns and the savages were checked. Again and again they tried to take the fort, but each time they were met by a withering fire and they finally withdrew, leaving a large number of dead and wounded upon the 'field. McMahon's loss was 22 killed and 30 wounded. Alexander McKee wrote an account of this affair in a letter to Colonel England, er date of July 5, 1794. In this letter (intended for British consumption only) writer stated that the pack train was captured and the 300 horses were killed ; 98 - TOLEDO AND LUCAS COUNTY that a relief party sent out from the fort was defeated with a loss of about fifty, and that the Indians lost "sixteen or seventeen" through an imprudent attack on the fort. Rather a cheerful report in view of the fact that the Indians immediately after the attempt went to Wayne with overtures of peace. Wayne told them to surrender all their prisoners, after which he would talk to them. They were taking steps to do this, when a fresh supply of rum and British presents braced up their courage. WAYNE GETS INTO ACTION Late in the fall of 1793 Gen. Charles Scott and his Kentuckians returned home for the winter. On. July 26, 1794, he joined Wayne with 1,600 Kentucky Rangers, described as "as tough a lot as ever drew a bead on a redskin." This reinforcement, for which Wayne had been waiting, increased the army to over three thousand men. On the 28th the advance into the Indian country began. The confluence of the Auglaize and Maumee rivers was reached on August 8, 1794. Here Wayne built a strong stockade, with four blockhouses, to which he gave the name of Fort Defiance. This was in the heart of the Indian country. Wayne wrote to Washington : "The margin of the beautiful Miami of the Lake appeared like one continued village for many miles." The villages were all deserted, however, the inhabitants having fled down the river to the shelter of Fort Miami. At Fort Defiance Wayne received the reports of his scouts as to the strength of the Indians and the probable aid rendered them by the British. On August 13th he sent Christopher Miller as a special messenger, bearing an address to the Indian chiefs, in which he said : "Brothers : Be no longer deceived or led astray by the false promises and language of the bad men at the foot of the Rapids. They have neither power nor inclination to protect you. No longer shut your eyes to your true interests and happiness ; nor your ears to this overture of peace. But, in pity to your innocent women and children, come and prevent further effusion of blood. Let them experience the kindness and friendship of the United States and the invaluable blessings of peace and tranquillity." Without waiting for the return of the messenger, Wayne moved down the Maumee. On the 16th he met Miller with the reply of the Indians, to the effect that if he would wait at the Grand Glaize (Fort Defiance) for ten days, they would then advise him of their decision. Mad Anthony was "too old a bird to be caught with chaff." He understood that the enemy would be likely to gain reinforcements during the delay of ten days and continued his march down the river. At Roche de Boeuf, within the present limits of Lucas County, he built Fort Deposit as a depot for his supplies. It was completed on the 18th of August. In the meantime the chiefs held a council to consider Wayne's overtures of peace. A few of them were in favor of accepting the proffered terms. Among these was Little Turtle, who addressed the council as follows : "We have beaten the enemy twice under different commanders. We cannot expect the same good fortune always to attend us. The Americans are now led by a chief who never sleeps. The night and the day are alike to him. During all the time he has been marching on our villages, in spite of the watchfulness of our young men, we have never been able to surprise him. Think well of this. There is something whispers to me it would be well to listen to offers of peace."