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CHAPTER - XI
NEW COMER - JUDGE JOSEPH H. CRANE - COL. ROBERT PATTERSON.
CRANE. Patterson, Gunckel. Brown, Harshman and Phillips were prominent in that class of new-comers to the rich Miami Valley lands after its first settlement, and became useful men in the community accumulated large property except Crane. and had great influence in the improvement and growth of the county.
JUDGE JOSEPH R. CRANE.
Was born in Elizabethtown. N. J., August 31, 1782. and died in Dayton, Ohio, November 12, 1851.
His father, a Major in the Continental Army, lost a leg in one of the battles of the Revolution. His brother, William. in later years, attained the rank of Commodore in the navy : and another brother, Ichabod B., became Colonel in the army. Joseph H. Crane was equally distinguished in his sphere of life. For nearly a. half century, he was one of the most prominent, influential and. useful men in all matters and events pertaining to the interest and advancement of the Miami country. He was the chosen popular leader in all efforts for public improvements. In all important events in the history of the valley, from the date of State organization until his death, Judge Crane bore a conspicuous and useful part. and the results of his work are indelibly stamped upon the histories of the counties.
He came to Montgomery County as a friend of Mr. D. C. Cooper, before he was twenty-one years old, and entered a quarter section of land, upon which, in 1804, he paid one-half cent tax per acre.
The dates cannot be fixed at which Mr. Crane moved into the city of Dayton or began the practice of law.
July 16, 1809, he married Julia Ann, daughter of Dr. John Elliott. Dr. Elliott was an old army Surgeon, had been stationed at Fort Vincennes when it was one of the frontier posts, was afterward a Surgeon in Wayne's army, then, for several years a practicing physician in the village of Dayton, until his death, February 26, 1809. He was buried with great ceremony, in the village burying-ground, at Main and Third streets.
His daughter, Julia Ann, was born February 18, 1790, and married Joseph H. Crane, five months after the death of her father. She died in Dayton, February 25, 1861.
Of the children of Mr. and Mrs. Crane, Ann Elliott. Eliza Hunt, Joseph Peirce and Eliza King, died in infancy, and Joseph Steele died at the age of eleven.
Their daughter, Maria, was born April 24, 1812, married Dr. Joshua Clements, November 20, 1834, died October 25, 1841.
William Elliott. born February 7, 1814, was given a fine education, studied law, and shortly after being admitted to the bar, died in Dayton, June 9, 1837.
John Wilber, born August 26, 1819, died January 22, 1839.
Henrietta Peirce; born August 27, 1823, died November 17, 1846.
Joseph G., born October 17, 1825, married Sarah Schenck, April 24, 1851, and while on duty as military Mayor of Jackson, Miss., under the
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reconstruction acts of Congress, at the close of the rebellion, was brutally murdered, June 8, 1869, by rebel Col. Yerger.
Julia Ann, born August 2, 1832, died February 25, 1861.
Joshua Clements, born July 7, 1836, died November 29, 1859.
By the first political convention held in Montgomery County (September 6, 1809), Joseph H. Crane, of Montgomery, and David Purviance, of Preble, were nominated by the Republicans, and in October were elected to the Eighth General Assembly of Ohio, convened at Chillicothe the first Monday in December, 1809.
Immediately upon receipt of the news of Hull's surrender at Detroit, in August, 1812, Captain Steele's Company was organized in Dayton, in which Mr. Crane enlisted and marched with it the next day to the front. At St. Mary's, he was promoted to Sergeant Major of the post, and continued on duty until the latter part of December.
In 1813, Mr. Crane was appointed Prosecuting Attorney for the First District Circuit Court, which position he held until his appointment as Presiding Judge by the Legislature, in 1817.
He was again Prosecuting Attorney for the county in the years 1838 and 1839.
As Presiding Judge of the First Circuit, which included the counties of Montgomery, Preble, Darke, Miami, Clark, Logan. Champaign, Shelby and Mercer, he served until the winter of 1828-29.
In the fall of 1828, he was elected as Representative of the Third District to the Twenty-first Congress, and was re-elected to the Twenty-second, twenty-third and Twenty-fourth Congresses, serving, in all. from the year 1829 to 18 1837 7 inclusive.
Upon leaving the bench in 1829, he, on February 9, of that Year, opened a aw office in Dayton. and, from his prominence and general acquaintance through this and adjoining counties acquired a large practice.
In later years, be was a leader in the old Whig party, and from his eminence as lawyer and Judge, and from long and distinguished public services, vas a. man of great influence and retained universal respect until his death.
COL. ROBERT PATTERSON.
Robert Patterson was born near the Big Cove Mountain, Bedford County, Penn., 9 A. M., March 15, 1753. His father was a native of Ireland.
Elizabeth Lindsay, daughter of William Lindsay, was born on her father's farm, one and one-half miles southeast of Falling Spring, and four miles southeast of Chambersburg, Franklin County, Penn.. in September or November, 1760. Her father and her grandfather Lindsay, both died on the farm, in Franklin County. Penn.
Robert Patterson and Elizabeth Lindsay, were married at the Lindsay farm, in Pennsylvania, March 29, 1780.
In 1774, he served for six months in a company of Rangers, against the Indians on the Pennsylvania frontier.
When he was twenty-two years old, the spring of 1775, he, with two or three other young men of the neighborhood, started west to Fort Pitt, where hearing the glowing descriptions of the " cane lands " of Kain-tuck-ee, they determined to join the first party going that way. The opportunity did not occur until in October of that year, when John McClelland and his family, Robert Patterson, William McConnell, Francis McConnell, Sr.. Francis McConnell, Jr., David Perry, Stephen Lowry, and one other man, whose name cannot now be given, started in boats from Fort Pitt with some supplies, implements, arms and ammunition, nine horses and fourteen head of cattle. The party in their
HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY. - 371
tedious trip down the Ohio, fortunately escaped any molestation by the Indians. At Salt Creek, they landed, and from there Patterson, William McConnell, Lowry and Perry drove the horses and cattle across the country to some point agreed upon to meet the rest of the party, either on the Licking River or Kentucky River. There is no positive information to aid in locating that point.
Five or six miles inland from the mouth of Limestone Creek, the Patterson party found Simon Kenton and Thomas Williams, who had come down the river early in the year, and in May had cleared the cane from an acre of land, and planted what corn they had with them. Here, tending the little corn patch with their tomahawks, they remained undisturbed until " roasting ears" came, and the corn ripened. Kenton and Williams stated that they knew of no other white men any where in the Kentucky lands.
Robert Patterson and his party continued on the trail that led out by Mayslick to the Blue Licks and on to the point where they met the rest of their party, who with McClelland had kept on down the Ohio in boats. The party as they left Fort Pitt, were thus re-united, and proceeded to the Royal Spring, one of the finest springs in all that region, flowing from a bluff bank of limestone, where the town of Georgetown, Scott County, was afterwards located.
They at once built a cabin for McClelland, and the whole party occupied it until April, 1777.
That month, the young men of the party built a but near a big spring, at a point now included within the limits of the city of Lexington, Ky.; they cleared up sufficient land in which to plant all the corn they had, cultivated it and stayed there in camp until the corn was " laid by." It was probably at that camp, of which Bancroft writes of the discussion that occurred at the camp fire of a party of hunters, who named their camp. "Lexington." in honor of the battle of Lexington, Mass.
For the next year, while Robert Patterson lay suffering from his wounds, in Pennsylvania, he. directed his half brother, William Patterson, to that but which he had helped to build, and to the blazed trees that marked the tract of land that he (Robert) was to enter for his own.
During the summer of the settlers north of the Kentucky River, built a fort at the Royal Spring. giving it the name of McClelland's Station. Patterson, and the rest of the party at the Lexington Spring, came up to assist in building the fort, that was intended as a rallying point in case of Indian alarm. A military battalion was also organized, and the supply of powder being nearly exhausted, Robert Patterson. David Perry. Edward Mitchell, James Templeton. Isaac Greer. James Wernock and John McNutt, started, in October. to Fort Pitt. for ammunition and other necessaries. On their way, they halted several days at the Blue Licks to hunt buffalo and deer, to supply themselves with "jerk" for the journey up the river. From Limestone, their trip up the Ohio was made in a canoe: the danger from Indians compelled great caution; sometimes, starting before day, they journeyed on until after dark, and bivouacked for the night without fire; other days, they would land an hour before sunset for supper, then go on until dark.
They safely reached the Virginia fort, at the mouth of the Great Kanawha, then in command of Capt. Arbuckle; and with but little delay, proceeded on up the river.
The night of October 12, in bivouac on the Indian shore, two miles below the Hockhocking River ; contrary to their custom, they had built a fire, and in the night were attacked by a party of eleven Indians. The savages fired a volley at the sleeping white, and rushed upon them with tomahawks. McNutt was killed and scalped, Wernock was wounded badly and died the next day; Templeton and Perry were both wounded badly; Greer was taken pris-
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oner, and Mitchell was unhurt. Patterson, with his rifle in his right hand, was sleeping by the fire. and, waking at the moment of the attack. he saw the flash of the guns and felt the bullets crush his arm: in attempting to get up, he found that he could not move his right arm, and, as he leaned over to make the second effort to raise up an Indian sprang across the fire and struck him with a tomahawk, cutting between the ribs, near the spinal column. below the kidneys, and penetrating the abdominal cavity. Patterson ran from the firelight into the bushes, not knowing but that he was the only one to escape with life. He had been struck by two bullets, by which his right arm was broken above the elbow. and as he ran, the wounded arm was caught between a tree and sapling ; he quickly freed himself and slung the arm into the straps of his bullet pouch and went to the river hoping to get the canoe and escape to Point Pleasant: but finding that the Indians were there ahead of him, he hid in the bushes until the savages got into the captured boat and paddled down stream. Then bleeding and in distress he went back to the fire to learn the fate of his comrades. The five survivors, Patterson. Mitchell, Perry, Templeton and Wernock, were soon together; one rifle and some ammunition had been saved. At daylight, they concluded to travel up the river by slow marches: some provisions were gathered and divided, the wounds were dressed as well as possible; splinters were taken from a tree that had been struck by lightning, and bound aronnd Patterson's arm.
Wernock attempted to get up, but fell back and refused to try again; said that he must die, and desired the party to go without him. They tried to carry him, but he again fell, and at his request. the old camp kettle was filled with water and placed at his side: he said that was the last request ho had to make, and urged the others to try to save themselves. assuring them that if he. lived. he would cast no reflection upon them for unkindness, and thus the party were forced to leave him.
After going a quarter of a mile they were unable to proceed farther, and it was then agreed that Mitchell should remain with the wounded, while Perry should take the rifle and endeavor to reach the settlements up the river, and bring relief ; but in any event to return with or without assistance. Perry first went back to poor Wernock, who was still alive and sensible of his hopeless condition. replenished his kettle, brought fire to the other party. and started for the settlements.
Fortunately for the wounded men. the. were near a small stream from which they could got water, in an old woolen hat. In the evening Mitchell went hack to see Wernock and reached him just as he was dying. and stayed with him until dark, and lost his way in attempting to return to the other cam h. Patterson and Templeton not knowing what had become of Mitchell. had a sad night of it, but at day light the nest morning he found them, and during the day moved camp 200 yards up a deep ravine and further from the river.
Patterson could not move about, but was compelled to lie upon his left side, and in the rain, until the nest day Mitchell found that close by there was a rock projecting from a cliff, that would protect them from the storm, to which place he moved them, then gathered papaws and grapes, which was all they had to eat. They knew from the howling of the wolves in the direction of the fatal camp that they were feasting upon the bodies of their late comrades- McNutt and Wernock.
The third day after the attack, Patterson's arm became very painful, the splints and his shirt were cemented together with blood, and stuck so tight to his arm that they were several hours in loosening it with applications of warm water ; his arm was then dressed with oak leaves and was much more comfortable : but little could he done for the terrible tomahawk wound in his side.
HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY. - 373
Time dragged slowly for the hungry suffering men, and when the four days had passed that Perry had allowed himself, they talked over the dangers to which he was exposed, the distance he had to go, and the improbability of his return, but concluded to wait for him until the 20th and then if relief did not come, they would attempt to reach the fort at the mouth of the Kanawha About noon of the 20th, Mitchell gave them a lot of papaws and went back to his station at the river to watch for boats, and in an hour he returned with a company of men.
The brave true friend Perry had returned with Capt. John Walls, his officers and nearly- a company of troops from the fort at Grave Creek.
The wounded men were taken to the river, supplied with food, and their wounds properly dressed. The Captain had the bones of McNutt and Wernock buried, then the whole party went in the boats up the river to Grave Creek.
For nearly a year, Patterson was unable to do anything, and laid all that time under the surgeon's care.
In September. 1777, having recovered his health in Pennsylvania, he shouldered his rifle and returned to Kentucky.
The next year, he was with Col. George Rogers Clark in the Illinois campaign. Returning to Kentucky, in September he was enrolled in the militia at Harrodsburg. and during the winter was made Ensign of his company.
In March, 1779, he was ordered with twenty-five of his men to establish a garrison north of the Kentucky River. April 1, Ensign Patterson with his twenty-five brave comrades, were in bivouac near the big spring, the beautiful location, that, three years before, he and those with him had named Lexington. April 2, work upon the block-house began, and soon afterward the stockade was extended to inclose the spring. And thus, with one half of his command on guard, the others cutting out the logs, was the first settlement at Lexington, Ky., made, near what is now the corner of Main and Mill streets.
Robert Patterson afterward entered the land and laid out the city of Lexington.
A crop of corn was raised by the garrison that first year, but the settlement did not increase in numbers until the following year.
In July, 1779, with his detachment he joined his company, Levi Todd, Captain, that formed part of Bowman's expedition against the Shawnee town at Old Chillicothe.
Immigrants were coming to Kentucky in large numbers, and upon the return of the expedition from north of the Ohio, the block-house at Lexington was strengthened, and a few of the bolder of the new-comers built cabins adjoing its protecting walls.
The fort, which had by this time become a place of some importance, had assumed the shape of a parallelogram, two sides of which were formed by the exposed walls of two rows of cabins, the extreme ends of the fort being defended by stockades of sharpened posts fixed securely in the ground, and furnished with ports. The pickets and walls were about ten feet high.
Another row of cabins stood in the center of the inclosed place, which was large enough to shelter, not only the settlers and new comers, but also all the live stock which might, at any time, have to be driven in from the reach of their destroying foe. The fort had but one gate, a large slab one.
Thus was the permanent settlement at Lexington effected, in the midst of the thrilling events of border warfare. It was the outpost of pioneer settlements, guarded by a band of the bravest of Indian fighters, who with their flintlock rifles, drove back the savages and their allies.
Ensign Patterson was the commander and leading spirit of the station ; he
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headed the desperate forays of its little garrison, and was ever their trusted leader. He with his comrades were men born for pioneer times and emergencies. Having selected and carefully marked his land, and made entry under the Virginia law, with full and accurate description, late in 1779 he built a cabin for himself within the stockade ; and before the close of that cold winter he went to Franklin County, Penn., and on the 29th of March, 1780, married Elizabeth Lindsay at her father's house, and shortly afterward started for their Kentucky home, where they arrived safely.
In August of that year, he served as Captain in the expedition organized by Col. Clark against the Indian towns, Old Chillicothe on the Little Miami. and Old Piqua on Mad River.
April 7, 1781, upon the recommendation of the court of the county of Fayette. he was commissioned Captain of Virginia volunteers, by Thomas Jefferson. Governor of Virginia. August 19, 1782, he, with his company, was in the disastrous battle of Blue Licks. During the retreat, being nearly exhausted, and hard pressed by the savages, Aaron Reynolds overtook him, and, seeing his desperate situation, dismounted and gave him his horse, helped him into the saddle, and took his own chances on foot. Patterson escaped; but Reynolds, after swimming the river. was taken prisoner by three Indians. Very soon afterward two of them started to capture some other whites, and Reynolds knocked the other one over with his fist and made good escape.
Capt. Patterson presented him with 200 acres of land in gratitude for his timely aid and generous service.
Joel Collins, a boy who had stayed in the block-house at Lexington when the men marched to the relief of Bryant Station in telling of the terrible experience they had, said that he should never forget the shouts of joy that were raised, not only by Capt. Patterson's young wife, but by all the people of the station when he entered the gate of the fort the day after the battle of Blue Licks. While they were crowding around him, some of the men observed: "Why, Captain, there are bullet-holes in your hunting-shirt." "Likely enough," said he, " for I have felt a smarting sensation in parts of my body."He permitted his clothes to be removed, when two or three black streaks, made by rifle balls, were plainly seen on his side and back.
In the fall of 1782, Capt. Patterson was in command of his company in Col. Benjamin Logan's regiment in Clark's expedition against the Indian towns at Piqua, on the Miami, and at the Loramie portage; and on the retiiril march, camped two or three days at the mouth of Mad River.
The next year. he built a log house at the southwest corner of Hill and Lower streets, Lexington, and, with his family, moved into it. The log house was in time succeeded by a substantial stone house, in which the family lived until their removal to Ohio.
In 1783, he was elected Justice of the Peace for Fayette County. He participated in the early military conventions of the State. In July, 1785, he was chosen delegate to the convention that met at Danville August 8 and adopted the petition to the Virginia Legislature for the separation of Kentucky and its formation into an independent State of the Union.
In September. 1785. Gov. Patrick Henry, "with the advice of the Council of State, and upon the recommendation of the worshipful court of the county of Fayette," commissioned Roberc Patterson as Colonel in the State Line.
In the fall of 1786, with his regiment, he crossed the Ohio at Limestone. and marched, under Col. Benjamin Logan, to the destruction of the Mackacheek towns on Mad River. November 5, being then in command of the left wing of the attacking force, he became engaged in a hand-to-hand contest with a savage chief: the Indian in warding off a sword thrust by Col. Patterson.
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struck him with the muzzle of his rifle, breaking two of the bones of his right hand. The result of this expedition was the burning of eight of the Shawnee towns and the destruction of great quantities of corn and provisions. Col. Patterson not receiving proper surgical attention, inflammation ensued, and caused the old wound in his arm, that be had received ten years before, to break out afresh, and it never again healed, but remained open until his death, more than forty years afterward.
In January, 1.788, Col. Patterson was in Limestone to arrange for a colony to locate on the Ohio opposite the mouth of the Licking River. This was in pursuance of the plan adopted in the fall of 1786 to establish a post there as a base for operations against the Indians in the territory at the head-waters of the Wabash, Maumee and Miami Rivers. Delays occurred, and but very little was accomplished until in August, when Mathias Denman, who had bought the land on the Ohio, opposite the mouth of the Licking, came West, and, on the 25th of the month, at Lexington. entered into an agreement with Col. Patterson and John Filson, by which a settlement was to be effected on the land above described.
December 28, the party, after a rough passage from Limestone, landed at the high bank opposite the mouth of the Licking, and, with but little delay, began work upon their cabins.
In 1790, he was a delegate from Fayette County to the Virginia Legislature.
In 1791, with his regiment, he was in Gen. Richard Butler's right wing of St. Clair's army, and, although his regiment was not broken by the Indian charge, they suffered with the rest of the Kentucky troops in that terrible defeat and retreat.
In 1792, he was Representative from Fayette County in the first Legislature of Kentucky, held in Lexington, the first capital of the State, under the first constitution.
In 1803, C. I. Patterson came up from Kentucky and bought land and mill property near Clifton, Greene Co., Ohio; but, visiting Dayton on his way home. and preferring this location, he bought the farm south of town and moved here with his family the next year. He named the crook and farm the Rubicon. He afterward bought land west of the river, so that, in all, he had 700 acres, from the Germantown pike south and around to the Miami, across the river, and east to the Waynesville road.
In the war of 1812, he was in charge of transportation of supplies from Camp Meigs, in this county, north to the army.
Col. Patterson was a man of medium height and build. a Christian man. whom all respected and spoke well of. Of an affectionate nature, he was devoted to the comfort and happiness of his family. For the last few years of his life, he suffered very much from his wounds, and died from the effects of them, at 5 A. M., August 5, 1827. He was buried in the old graveyard on Fifth street, in Dayton. His wife died October 22, 1833, and was buried beside her husband. Their remains were afterward removed to beautiful Woodland Cemetery, adjoining his old farm. The family lot is on a knoll, from the top of which may be had an extended view for miles up the Stillwater, Miami and Mad River Valley, and far down the Miami.
All of Col. Patterson's children were born at Lexington, Ky. His first two were born and died in the log cabin within the old stockade. They were named for Col. Patterson's half-brother, William Patterson.
Rebecca, born February 9, 1784, married Dr John Goodlet before Col. Patterson moved from Kentucky. Mrs. Goodlet died at Elizabethtown, Ky., January 4, 1858.
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Margaret, born June 9, 1786, was married three times; first, to Dr. Venable, then to the Rev. James Welsh, then to Samuel Caldwell. She died at Muscatine, Iowa in February, 1861.
Elizabeth, born January 27, 1788; married James I. Nisbet, February 20, 1806: died December 25, 1827.
Francis, born April 6, 1791, died September 11, 1854.
Catherine, born March 7, 1793, was married three times; first, to Henry Brown, then to Andrew Irwin, then to H. G. Phillips. She died August 12, 1864.
Jane., born May 25, 1705, married John Steele; died in 1876.
Harriet, born March 25. 1797, married Henry Stoddard December 4, 1821; died October 1, 1822.
Robert L., born May 27, 1799. died August 30, 1833.
Jefferson, born May 27, 1801, married Julia Johnston February 26, 1833; died March 23, 1863,