HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 75 In the spring General Wayne's forces were increased by about 1,600 Kentucky cavalrymen, until the total number of troops under his immediate command exceeded 3,000. General Wayne and every man under him keenly realized that this was to be a momentous campaign. If this third army was defeated, the entire country within the boundaries of the Alleghenies, the Ohio, and the Mississippi would be completely dominated by the British, and absolutely lost to the Americans. These men were not knights in burnished steel on prancing steeds ; they were not cavalier's sons from baronial halls ; they were not even regularly trained troops ; but they were determined men who were sturdy and weather-beaten. Most of them had no regular uniforms, but they wore the individual costume of the border. They may not have been drilled in the art of scientific warfare, as practiced in Europe, but in physical power and patient endurance they were absolutely unsurpassed in any country. The army broke camp at Fort Greenville, on the 28th of July, 1794, and proceeded by the way of Fort Recovery. The route led through what was long known as the Black Swamp Country. It was indeed a tedious progress, for roads had to be cut, swampy places made passable by throwing in brush and timber, and streams bridged with logs. Wayne halted at Girty's Town long enough to build Fort Adams. Lieutenant Boyer has left us a detailed account of this expedition, which is most interesting reading. While marching through this country, so inhospitable for an army, we find the following entry : "The weather still warm—no water except 76 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO in ponds, which nothing but excessive thirst would induce us to drink. The mosquitos are very troublesome, and larger than I ever saw. We are informed there is no water for twelve miles." On August 3d, he reported that an accident occurred which came very near ending the existence of the commander-in-chief. A tree, in falling, struck General Wayne, but he was not so badly injured as to prevent him from riding at a slow pace. Another extract from this diary reads as follows : "Camp Grand Oglaize, 8th August, 1794. Proceeded in our march to this place at five o'clock this morning, and arrived here at the confluence of the Miami and Oglaize Rivers at half past ten, being seventy-seven miles from Fort Recovery. This place far excels in beauty any in the western country, and believe equalled by none in the Atlantic States. Here are vegetables of every kind in abundance, and we have marched four or five miles in corn fields down the Oglaize and there are not less than one thousand acres of corn round the town. The land is general of the fir nature. "This country appears well adapted for the enjoyment of industrious people, who cannot avoid living in as great luxury as in any other place throughout the states. Nature having lent a most bountiful hand in the arrangement of the position, that a man can send the produce to market in his own boat. The land level and river navigable, not more than sixty miles from the lake." Wayne had planned to surprise the enemy at the junction of the Auglaize and Maumee, but a deserter had carried to the savages the news of the approach. of the Americans. Hence it was that the American commander found the headquarters of the red men absolutely deserted. Information reached him here of the assistance that the savages expected from the garrison at Detroit. At this point, and on a prominence overlooking the confluence of the Auglaize and the Maumee, General Wayne erected a fortress where he could defy the hostile aborigines and the British. This was the strongest fortification constructed by him on this expedition, and he styled it "an important and formidable fort." He said this location was "the grand emporium of the hostile Indians of the west." Here began a. string of Indian towns that extended along the banks of "the beautiful Miami of the Lake." This fort was begun on the 9th of August, and completed on the 17th of the same month. Thus only eight days were occupied in its building. "I defy the English, Indians, and all the devils in h—1 to take it," said General Wayne after surveying its blockhouses, pickets, ditches and fascines. " Then call it Fort Defiance," suggested General Scott, who chanced at that very instant to be standing at his side. Hence the name of Fort Defiance affixed itself to this advance outpost in this wilderness. "Thus Sir," wrote General Wayne to the secretary of war, "we have gained possession of the grand emporium of the hostile Indians of the West., without loss of blood. The margin of those beautiful rivers in the Miamis of the lake and Auglaize—appear like one continued village for a number of miles, both above and below this place ; nor have I ever before beheld such fields of corn in any part of America from Canada to Florida." Upon his return to this place, after his successful battle with the enemy, Wayne reinforced Fort Defiance, as a study of the British Fort Miami had suggested some improvements. At, each of the four angles, there was a blockhouse. Outside the palisades and the blockhouse, there was a wall of earth eight feet thick, which sloped outwards and upwards, and was supported on its outer side by a log wall. A ditch encircled the entire works, excepting the east side, which was near the precipitous bank of the Auglaize HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 77 River. The ditch was some fifteen feet wide and eight feet deep and was protected by diagonal pickets eleven feet long, secured to the log walls at intervals of a foot and projected over the ditch. At one place there was a falling gate, or drawbridge, which was raised and lowered by pulleys. There was also a protected ditch leading to the river, so that water could be procured from the river without exposing the carrier to the enemy. How different is the scene today about the confluence of the Maumee and the Auglaize. A little over a .century ago trails led through the woods in every direction to the headquarters of the other tribes of this region,— north, south, east, west, The site where now stands the City of Defiance, and the fields which smile with the wheat and the corn, were dotted with the wigwams and tepees of the dusky aborigines. The council house echoed to the voice of many a noted chief. Up and down the two rivers passed Indians of all tribes. The waters that are now disturbed by the sputtering launches then yielded to the graceful bark canoes propelled by the almost noiseless paddles of the dusky occupants. With furtive glances into the enclosing thickets and forests for lurking enemy, they silently glided along. If canoes were loaded with the deer or the bear, or other trophies of the chase, then great was the excitement among young and old. Camp fires were lighted, pots were set to boiling, and feasting followed until all were surfeited with food. A wild halloo indicated the return of a war party bearing scalps of the slain enemy, and FORT DEFIANCE AS RESTORED Erected in 1794, it stood at the confluence of the Maumee and Auglaize rivers—now within City of Defiance. 78 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO then there was dancing and rejoicing among those encamped in this region that is so peaceful in this twentieth century of our Lord. The outlines of these earth works are still well maintained. WAYNE'S SPIES It was no wonder that the Indians looked upon Wayne as a "chief who never sleeps." No detail, no precaution was overlooked in his plan of campaign. Unlike St. Clair, General Wayne maintained in his employ during the whole of his march toward and down the Maumee Valley, a body of trained spies and scouts, whom he had selected from the wild white Indian fighters. These men had been cradled in frontier cabins, and had grown to manhood on the very hunting grounds of the Indians. Some of them had been captives from childhood among the aborigines, and knew well the speech, customs, and habits of these children of the forests. Many of them were athletes, tall, strong, fleet-footed, and keen-eyed. They were all skillful marksmen and absolutely without fear. They scoured the woods in every direction, and brought in many captives from whom much information was secured. To them the yell of the savage had no terror, for it was only empty bluster to their minds. They were the most adventurous and daredevil characters on the frontier. They not only spoke the Indians' tongue, but in the arts of woodcraft, in the methods of frontier war and in hunting, they generally excelled the Indians themselves. These men were the eyes and the ears of the army—they were invaluable to Wayne. Their deeds excel in thrilling interest the imaginations of the novelist. The most noted of these scouts was William Wells, the chief. He was a man of great intelligence and unfaltering courage. We have no record of his birth, but he had been captured when only twelve years of age, while an inmate of the family of Nathaniel Pope, in Kentucky. He had spent his early manhood among the Miamis, was formally adopted into the tribe, and had espoused a sister of the great chief, Little Turtle. (Some accounts say his daughter.) He was the father of three daughters and one son, whose descendants live in and around Toledo and Fort Wayne. One became the wife of Judge Wolcott, of Maumee. The Indian name of Wells was Black Snake. He fought with the Indians against Harmar and St. Clair, and he now found himself opposed to his former friends. For a long time Wells was worried for fear he may have killed some of his friends or kindred. He recalled the dim memories of his childhood home, of his brothers and his playmates, and sorrow seemed to fill his soul. The approach of Wayne's army, in 1794, stirred anew conflicting emotions, based upon indistinct recollections of early ties, of country and kindred on the one hand, and existing attachments of wife and children on the other. He resolved to make his history known. With true Indian characteristics, the secret purpose of leaving his adopted nation was, according to reliable tradition, made known in a dramatic manner. Taking with him the war-chief, Little Turtle, to a favorite spot on the banks of the Maumee, Wells said: "I leave now your nation for my own people. We have long been friends. We are friends yet, until the sun reaches a certain height (which he indicated). From that time we are enemies. Then, if you wish to kill me, you may. If I want to kill you, I may." At the appointed hour, crossing the river, Captain Wells disappeared in the forest, taking an easterly direction to strike the trail of Wayne's army. The bonds of affection and respect which had bound these two singular and highly-gifted men, Wells and Little Turtle, together were not severed or weakened by this abrupt declaration. They embraced "and the large HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 79 tears coursed down the sun-bronzed cheeks of the chieftain, who was unused to manifesting emotion." Captain Wells soon after joined Wayne 's army, and, by his intimacy with the wilderness, and his perfect knowledge of the Indian haunts, habits, and modes of Indian warfare, became an invaluable auxiliary to the Americans. He served faithfully and fought bravely through the campaign, and at the close, when peace had restored amity between the Indians and the whites, rejoined his foster-father, the Little Turtle, their friendship and connection being severed only by the death of the latter. He settled a short distance from the confluence of the St. Mary and St. Joseph rivers, on a stream since called " Spy River," where the Government subsequently granted him a half section of land. When his body was found among the slain at Fort Dearborn, in August, 1812, the Indians are said to have eaten his heart and drunk his blood, from a superstitious belief that they should thus imbibe his warlike endowments, which had been considered by them as pre-eminent. At any rate, we know that he served General Wayne faithfully and well. The experiences of these scouts form fascinating reading. Some of them are indeed stranger than fiction. Of these spies, Henry Miller is another who deserves more than a passing notice. He and a younger brother, named Christopher, had been made captives by the Indians while quite young, and adopted into an Indian family. He lived with them until about twenty-four years of age, when, although he had adopted all their customs, he began to think of returning to his relatives among the whites. He tried to persuade his brother to join him, but Christopher loved the freedom of the forest and refused. Henry set off alone through the woods, and arrived safely among his friends in Kentucky. In June, 1794, while the headquarters of the army was at Greenville, Wayne dispatched Wells and his corps, with orders to bring an Indian into the camp as prisoner. Accordingly, he proceeded cautiously with his little party through the Indian country. They crossed the St. Marys and thence to the Auglaize without encountering any straggling parties of Indians. In passing up the latter stream the scouts discovered a smoke, when they dismounted, tied their horses, and cautiously reconnoitred. They found three Indians encamped on a high, open piece of ground, clear of brush or any undergrowth, rendering it exceedingly difficult to approach them without being discovered. While reconnoitering, they discovered not very distant from the camp a fallen tree. Toward this shelter they crept forward on their hands and knees with the caution of the cat, until they reached it, by which time they were within seventy or eighty yards of the camp. The Indians were sitting or standing about the fire, roasting their venison and having a good time in general. The plans of the white men were quickly settled. "You two," said Robert McClellan, 1 who was almost as swift of foot as a deer, "kill the two Indians at the left and right, and I will catch the one in the center. Do not fail with your shots." Resting the muzzles of their rifles on a log of the fallen trees, they aimed for the Indians' hearts. Bang! went the old flint-lock muskets, which had been put in prime condition. With a characteristic whir the bullets sped forward with unerring fidelity and penetrated the throbbing hearts of the two Indians. Hesitating not a single moment, McClellan darted forward with uplifted tomahawk towards the astonished Indian still remaining. The latter 1 McClellan "was one of the most athletic and active men on foot that has appeared on this globe. On the grand parade at Fort Greenville, where the ground was very little inclined, to show his activity, he leaped over a road-wagon with the cover stretched over; the wagon and bows were eight and a half feet high." His name has since been immortalized in Washington Irving 's " Astoria. " 80 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO dashed off down the river, but finding himself in danger of being headed off if he continued in that direction, he turned about and made directly for the river. At that place the river had a precipitous bank about twenty feet high, but, without a pause, he sprang off into the stream and sank to his middle in the soft mud at its bottom. When McClellan arrived, he saw his quarry within his grasp- He instantly leaped upon the painted savage, as he was wallowing and endeavoring to extricate himself from themire-. The Indian drew his knife, but McClellan was too quick for him. Raising his tomahawk, he informed the savage that he would kill him instantly unless the knife wasdropped-. The prisoner then surrendered without any further resistance. At this juncture Miller's two companions reached the bank, where they discovered both pursuer and pursued quietly sticking in the mud. The prisoner being secure, they leisurely selected a place where the bank was less precipitous and dragged the captive out. Upon being securely bound, the prisoner became sulky, and refused to converse either in the Indian tongue or English. When thoroughly washed and the paint all removed, he turned out to be a white man ; nevertheless, he still refused to speak, or to give any account whatever of himself. Scalping the two dead Indians, the party set off for headquarters. While jogging along Henry Miller began to entertain some suspicions that the prisoner might possibly be his brother Christopher, whom he had left with the Indians many years before. He therefore spurred his horse alongside of him, and called him by his Indian name. At the unexpected sound the captive was startled. He stared around, and eagerly inquired how he came to know his name. The mystery was soon elucidated. There was no longer doubt that the prisoner was Christopher Miller. It was indeed a mysterious providence that appeared to have placed him in such a situation in the camp that his life was preserved. When the little band reached Fort Green- HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 81 ville, their prisoner was placed in the guardhouse. Wayne often interrogated him as to what he knew of the future intentions of the Indians. Captain Wells, and his brother Henry, were almost constantly with him, urging him to abandon the idea of ever again joining the Indians, and to affiliate with the whites. For some time he was reserved and sulky. At length, however, he brightened up and consented that if they would release him from his confinement, he would remain among them. Captain Wells and Henry Miller urged Wayne to release him. Wayne did so, with the observation that should he deceive them and return to the enemy, they would be one the stronger. Pleased with his change of condition and mounted on a splendid horse, and otherwise equipped for war, Christopher Miller joined the company of Wells, and con- tinued through the war a brave and intrepid soldier. When on these excursions the scouts were always mounted on elegant horses. for they had the pick of the stables, and they were usually dressed and painted in Indian style. "On one of Captain Wells' peregrinations through the Indian country, as he came to the bank of the river St. Mary, he discovered a family of Indians coming up the river in a canoe. He dismounted, and concealed his men near the bank of the river, whilst he went himself to the bank, in open view, and called to the Indians to come over. As he was dressed in Indian style, and spoke to them in their own language, the Indians, not expecting danger, went across the river. The moment the canoe struck the shore, Well heard the cocks of his comrades' rifles cry, `nick, nick,' as they prepared to shoot the Indians; but who should be in the canoe but his Indian father and mother, with their children! As his comrades were coming forward with their rifles cocked, ready to pour in the deadly storm upon the devoted Indians, Wells called to them to hold their hands and desist. Vol. I-6 He then informed them who those Indians were, and solemnly declared, that the man who would attempt to injure one of them, would receive a ball in his head. He said to his men, that 'that family had fed him when he was hungry, clothed him when he was naked, and kindly nursed him when sick ; and in every respect was as kind and affectionate to him as they were to their own children.' " Those hardy soldiers approved of the motives of Captain Wells, in showing lenity to the enemy. They drew down their rifles and tomahawks, went to the canoe, and shook hands with the trembling Indians in the most friendly manner. Captain Wells assured them they had nothing to fear from him ; and after talking with them to dispel their fears, he said, that General Wayne was approaching with an overwhelming force ; that the best thing the Indians could do was to make peace ; that the white men did not wish to continue the war.' He urged his Indian father for the future to keep out of the reach of danger. He then bade them farewell ; they appeared grateful for his clemency. They then pushed off their canoe, and went down the river as fast as they could propel her." On one occasion Wells and his party rode boldly into an Indian village near Maumee. Dressed in Indian style, as they were, and speaking. the Indian tongue perfectly, their true character was not suspicioned. Passing through the village the scouts made captive an Indian man and woman on horseback. With the prisoners they then set off for Fort Defiance. Passing by a camp of Indians they decided to attack it. Tying and gagging their captives, the scouts boldly rode into the Indian encampment with their rifles lying across the pommels of their saddles. They inquired about General Wayne's movements and the Indians freely answered. One Indian was suspicious, however, and Wells overheard him speaking to another. Wells gave the preconcerted signal, and each man fired his rifle 82 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO into the body of an Indian. They then put spurs to their horses and dashed away. McClellan was shot through the shoulder and Wells through the arm. Nevertheless they succeeded in reaching Fort Defiance with their prisoners, and the wounded all recovered. The real service of this little band of spies during the campaign exceeded in effectiveness that of any other corps of equal number belonging to the army. They brought in at different times not fewer than twenty prisoners, and they killed more than an equal or greater number. As they had no rivals in the army, they aimed in each incursion to outdo their former exploits. What confidence, what self-possession was displayed by these men in their hazardous encounters ! To ride boldly into the enemy's camp, in full view of their blazing camp-fires, and enter into conversation with the savages without betraying the least appearance of trepidation and confusion, and openly commence the work of death, proves how well their souls were steeled against fear. They had come off unscathed in so many desperate conflicts that they became callous to danger. Furthermore, they thoroughly understood every trait of the savage character. General Wayne kept his daring scouts and spies threading the forests far in advance, and on either side of his marching troops. They lurked along the streams and rivers, watching every movement of the enemy, and harried the hostile bands of Savages wherever found. Occasionally one of these would be killed or fall into the clutches of the enemy. At Roche de Bout William May was captured and was recognized as 'a former captive who had escaped. Brickell, who says the captors knew May, for he had been their prisoner once before, then briefly relates the sequence. They told May : "We know you—you speak Indian language—you not content to live with us; to-morrow we take you to a tree—(pointing to a very large burr oak at the edge of the clearing which was near the British fort) we will tie you up and make mark on your breast and we will try what Indian can shoot nearest it." It so turned out. The next day, the very day before the battle, the savages bound May to the tree, made a mark on his breast and riddled his body with bullets, shooting at least fifty into him. This ended poor May, the over-brave scout. Thus guarding his army with ceaseless vigilance, and deceiving the enemy by cutting false roads through the forests, Wayne marched practically without opposition until he suddenly appeared at the forks of the Auglaize and Maumee, where there had been numerous villages of the Indians. From long association with the French they had acquired some considerable agricultural skill. Hence it was that Wayne's troops found orchards of the apple and peach, and vast fields of corn and other vegetables growing here. The corn was just in the stage of the roasting ear, and Wayne's soldiers revelled in the abundance of fresh food. Wayne sent his men up and down the river, burning villages and laying waste the orchards and the corn fields. What had been before a picture of peace and plenty soon became a scene of smoking ruin and desolation. CHAPTER VIII THE BATTLE OF FALLEN TIMBERS AND ITS RESULTS From the information received through his scouts, as well as from his own intuition, General Wayne had become convinced that a conflict with the Indians could not be avoided. He nevertheless decided to send one more formal offer of peace to the Indian warriors who were assembled with their British allies round and about Fort Miami, about forty miles below. Here the agents of England were dispensing weapons, ammunition, and provisions to their red allies. He warned them not to be misled "by the false promises and language of the bad white men (British) at the foot of the rapids." Not awaiting an answer to his offer of peace, Wayne, after a week's delay, marched from Fort Defiance down the river. He left that fort on August 15th, and arrived at Roche de Boeuf three days later. Roche de Boeuf (or bout) was a celebrated landmark among the savage tribes. It is a massive frowning rock which still rises from the western edge of the river, about a mile above the Village of Waterville, where an electric railroad now crosses the stream. The following legend of the Roche de Boeuf was related by Peter Manor, the celebrated Indian scout and guide. Evidences of its truth are found in the many relics and skeletons found in this vicinity : "At the time when the plum, thorn-apple and wild grape were the only products, and long prior to the advent of the pale-faces, the Ottawas were camped here, engaged in their games and pastimes, as was usual when not clad in war-paint and on the lookout for an enemy. One of the young tribe, engaged in playing on Roche de Boeuf (rock in the river), fell over the precipice and was instantly killed. The dusky husband, on his return from the council fires, on being informed of the fate of his prospective successor, at once sent the mother in search of her papoose, by pushing her over the rocky sides into the shallow waters of the Maumee. Her next of kin, according to Indian law, executed the murdering husband, and was in turn executed by the arrival of the principal chiefs of the tribe. This sudden outburst cost the tribe nearly two-thirds of its members, whose bodies were taken from the river and buried with full Indian honors the next day." It was at this rock that Wayne met his returning peace messenger, with an evasive answer from the Indians to the effect that if Wayne would tarry ten days longer, the tribes would treat with him for peace. Wayne recognized that this was only a savage ruse to secure delay so that more warriors might be assembled ; hence he resolved to press on with his army, which now numbered about 3,000 men. Two-thirds of this force were regulars, both infantry and cavalry, and the other 1,000 were mounted Kentucky riflemen. Through his spies and Indian captives, Wayne learned that at least 2,000 braves from the tribes of the Shawnees, Delawares, Wyandots, Ottawas, Miamis, Pottawatomies, Chippewas, and Iroquois were gathered near Fort Miami, with their right resting on Swan Creek. Associated with them were the noto- - 83 - 84 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO rious trio of renegades, M 'Kee, Girty, and Elliot, together with some seventy white rangers from Detroit, who were dressed in Indian costume and could scarcely be distinguished from the savages themselves. The Indians were under the command of Blue Jacket, a Shawnee chieftain, and Little Turtle, the head chief of the Miamis. As a warrior Little Turtle was fearless but not rash ; shrewd to plan, bold and energetic to execute. No peril could daunt him, and no emergency could surprise him. Like Pontiac, he indulged in gloomy apprehension of the future of his people, and had been one of the leaders in the defeat of both Generals Harmar and St. Clair. It is said that Little Turtle was averse to battle, and in council said : "We have beaten the enemy twice under separate 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 that he has been marching upon our vil lages, notwithstanding the watchfulness of our young men, we have never been able to surprise him. Think well of it. There is something whispers me it would be well to listen to his offers of peace." Blue Jacket leaped up in the council, however, and silenced Little Turtle by accusing him of cowardice. Little Turtle then replied : "Follow me to battle." The Indians swept up through the woods in long columns and established themselves in what seemed to them an impregnable position, on and around Presque Isle Hill, about two miles above Maumee. Only a year or two previously a tornado had torn down the forest trees, interlacing them in such a manner as to form a secure covert for the savages, and rendering it very difficult for cavalry to operate. It was also a rainy morning. The Indians formed in three long lines, their left resting on the river, and their right extending some two miles into the forest at right angles to the Maumee. Wayne halted at Roche de Boeuf on the 19th, long enough to construct light works for the protection of his supplies and baggage. About 8 o'clock in the morning of the following day, Wayne marched down the river farther, realizing that the Indians were near and that a battle could not be delayed much longer. As a precaution he sent forward a battalion of the mounted Kentuckians, with instructions to retreat in feigned confusion as soon as they were fired upon, in order to draw the Indians out of their covert and increase their confidence. The order of the advance, as stated by Wayne in his subsequent official report, was : "the legion on the right, its right flank covered by the Miamis (Maumee), one brigade of mounted volunteers on the left, under Brigadier-General Todd, the other in the rear, under Brigadier-General Barbie. A select battalion of mounted volunteers moved in front of the legion, commanded by Major Price, who was directed to keep sufficiently advanced, so as to give timely no HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 85 tice for the troops in case of action, it being yet undetermined whether the Indians would decide for peace or war." The Kentuckians kept far enough in advance to give Wayne time to form his troops in perfect order after the shooting should. begin. After about an hour' march, the Kentuckians received such a hot fire from the Indians concealed in the woods and high grass as to compel them to retreat. Wayne immediately drew up his forces in two lines, placing one troop of cavalry near the Maumee and the other farther inland near the right flank. He then gave orders to his front line to advance and charge with trailed arms. They were to rouse the savages from their covert at the point of the bayonet, to deliver a close and well-directed fire at their backs, and then to charge before the Indians had a chance to reload. "General Wayne," said Lieut. William H. Harrison, then an aide on that officer 's staff, just as the attack was ordered, "I'm afraid you'll get into the fight yourself and forget to give me the necessary field orders." He knew that in the heat of the battle Wayne was apt to forget that he was the general and not a soldier. "Perhaps I may," replied Wayne, "and if I do, recollect the standing order for the day is, charge the d—d rascals with the bayonets." In the face of a deadly fire the American troops dashed upon the savages among the fallen trees, and prodded them from their hiding with cold steel. What a sight it was ! A host of painted and plumed warriors, the very pick of the western tribes, with their athletic and agile bodies decked in their gay strap-pings, with their coarse raven hair hanging over their shoulders like netted manes, met their white foes face to face. Each .carried his flint, ready for instant use; while hung over his shoulders were the straps of the powder horn and shot-punch. The frontiersmen among Wayne's troops also carried the deadly tomahawk and scalping knife, as well as their dusky opponents. It was truly a tragic tableau here among the fallen timbers that nature had prepared for this historic event. In the midst of the noise of shot the Miami of the Lake tumbled over the rocks that there form the rapids in gentle rhythm. It is indeed a landscape upon which Nature had lavished her charms. All of the orders of General Wayne were obeyed with alacrity and promptitude. Such was the impetuosity of the initial charge that the Indians and their white allies were driven from their coverts almost immediately. They abondoned themselves to flight, and dispersed with terror and dismay. Wayne heaped encomiums upon all his officers in his official reports, saying that the bravery and conduct of every officer merited his highest approbation. They followed up the fleeing and painted savages with such swiftness and fury, and poured such a destructive fire upon their backs, that but few of the second line of Wayne's forces arrived in time to participate in the action. "Such was the impetuosity of the first-line of infantry," reported Wayne, "that the Indians, and Canadian militia, and volunteers, were drove from all their coverts- in so short a time, that, although every possible exertion was used by the officers of the second line of the legion, and by Generals Scott, Todd, and Barbie, of the mounted volunteers, to gain their proper positions, but part of each could get up in season to participate in the action, the enemy being drove, in the course of an hour, more than two miles, through the thick woods already mentioned, by less than one-half their numbers." Many of the Indians endeavored to escape by swimming the river, but they were cut down in the midst of the stream by the cavalry. The woods were strewn for miles with dead and wounded savages and the Canadian rangers. In the course of one hour, the whole force of the enemy was driven back more than two miles through the thick woods. 86 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO From every account that we have, it is certain that the enemy numbered at least 2,000 combatants. The troops actually engaged against them were less than half that number. The battle was too brief to be very sanguinary in its results. The Americans lost thirty-three killed and about 100 wounded. The death loss occurred almost entirely at the first fire of the savages, who took deadly aim as the Americans swept down upon them. The cavalry galloped boldly among the Indians, leaping their horses over the fallen logs and dodging in and out among the trees. They swung their long sabres with telling effect among the dismayed and yelling Indians. The loss of the Indians was far more serious than that of the Americans, but the number has never been definitely reported. At least 100 bodies were found upon the field, but many of the killed and wounded were dragged away by their friends. The Indian tribes were represented as follows : Wyandots 300, Shawnees 350, Delawares 500, Miamis 200, Tawas 250. There were also small bands of other tribes. "Among the brave warriors in the battle who was the last to flee before Wayne's legion, HISTORIC TURKEY FOOT ROCK ALONG MAUMEE RIVER, BEFORE REMOVED FROM ORIGINAL LOCATION was Me-sa-sa, or Turkey-foot, an Ottawa chief, who lived on Blanchard's Fork of the Au Glaize River. He was greatly beloved by his people. His courage was conspicuous. When he found the line of the dusky warriors giving way on the foot of Presque Isle Hill, he leaped upon a small boulder, and by voice and gesture endeavored to make them stand firm. He almost immediately fell, pierced by a musket ball, and expired by the side of the rock. Long years afterward, when any of his tribe passed along the Maumee trail, they would stop at that rock, and linger a long time with manifestations of sorrow." Peter Navarre used to say that he had seen men, women, and children gather around that rock, place bits of dried beef, parched peas and corn, and sometimes some cheap trinket upon it, and, calling frequently upon the name of the beloved Ottawa, weep piteously. They carved many rude figures of a turkey's foot on the stone, as a memorial of the lamented Me-sa-sa. The stone is still there, by the side of the highway at the foot of Presque Isle Hill, within a few rods of the swift flowing Maumee, although an effort was made a few years ago to remove it HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 87 to Toledo. Many of the carvings are still quite deep and distinct, while others have been obliterated by the abrasion of the elements and acts of vandals. Turkey-foot Rock is limestone, about Ph feet in length and three feet in height. In allusion to the event which the rock commemorates, Andrew Coffinberry, in a poem entitled "The Forest Ranger, a Poetic Tale of the Western Wilderness of 1794," thus wrote, after giving an account of Wayne's progress up to this time : "Yet at the foot of red Presque Isle Brave Me-sa-sa was warring still ; He stood upon a large rough stone, Still dealing random blows alone ; But bleeding fast—glazed were his eyes, And feeble grew his battle-cries ; Too frail his arm, too dim his sight, To wield or aim his axe aright ; As still more frail and faint he grew, His body on the rock he threw. As coursed his blood along the ground, In feeble, low, and hollow sound, Mingled with frantic peals and strong, The dying chief poured forth his song." At the time Captain Campbell was endeavoring to turn the left flank of the enemy, three Indians, being hemmed in by the cavalry and infantry, plunged into the river and endeavored to swim to the opposite side. Two negroes of the army, on the opposite bank, concealed themselves behind a log to intercept them. When within shooting distance, one of them shot the foremost through the head. The other two took hold of him to drag him to shore, when the second. negro fired and killed another. The remaining Indian, being now in shoal water, endeavored to tow the dead bodies to the bank. In the meantime the first negro had reloaded, and, firing upon the survivor, mortally wounded him. On approaching them, the negroes judged from their striking resemblance and devotion that they were brothers. After scalping them, they let their bodies float down the stream. Another circumstance goes to show with what obstinacy the conflict was maintained by individuals in both armies. A soldier, who had become detached a short distance from the army, met a single Indian in the woods. The two foes immediately attacked each other, the soldier with his bayonet, the Indian with his tomahawk. Two days after they were found dead. The soldier had his bayonet imbedded in the body of the Indian ; the Indian had his tomahawk implanted in the head of the soldier. The victorious Americans pursued the flying savages to the very palisades of Fort Miami. The Indians evidently expected the British to throw open the gates of the fortress and admit them to its protection. To their surprise and indignation, however, the British basely abandoned them in the hour of their sore defeat, and they were obliged to scatter in the forest for safety from the American bayonets. The British looked on with apparent unconcern at this humiliation and defeat of their late allies. That the Indians were astonished at the lukewarmness of their white allies, and had regarded the fort as a place of refuge in case of disaster, was evident from circumstances. It was voiced in a speech by Tecumseh in his reproach of General Proctor after Perry's victory on Lake Erie. Wayne seriously contemplated storming Fort Miami, and rode up with his aides to within a few hundred feet Of it, from which vantage point he surveyed it with his glasses from all sides. It is said that a gunner had his piece trained on this spot and was in the very act of applying the light, when the commandant, threatened with uplifted sword to cut him down instantly if he did not desist. Independent of its results in bringing on a 88 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO possible war with Great Britain, Wayne knew that Fort Miami was garrisoned by a force of 450 men and mounted ten pieces of artillery. Against this he had no suitable armament to attack a strongly fortified place. He saw that it would cost the lives of many of his soldiers, so he wisely concluded not to sacrifice his troops and precipitate war between the two countries by making the attack. The. Americans contented themselves with proceeding immediately to burn and destroy all the supplies and buildings without the walls of the fort, including the residence of the trader, Alex M 'Kee. While this ravaging and burning was proceeding, it is said that the British stood sullenly by their guns with lighted torches, but not daring to fire, well knowing what the result would be. Wayne sent out his cavalry, and they destroyed the Indian villages for miles up and down the river. After staying in the vicinity of the fort for three days, he marched slowly back to Fort Defiance. Some interesting correspondence took place between General Wayne and Major Campbell during the enactment of the preceding scene. The first letters exchanged betwen the two commanders read as follows : "Miami (Maumee) River, August 21st, 1794. "Sir :—An army of the United States of America, said to be under your command, having taken post on the banks of the Miami for upwards of the last twenty-four hours, almost within the reach of the guns of this fort, being a post belonging to His Majesty the King of Great Britain, occupied by His Majesty's troops, and which I have the honor to command, it becomes my duty to inform myself, as speedily as possible, in what light I am to view your making such near approaches to this garrison. I have no hesitation, on my part, to say, that I know of no war existing between Great Britain and America. "I have the honor to be, sir, with great respect, your most obedient and very humble servant,            WILLIAM CAMPBELL, "Major 24th Reg't Comd'g a British Post on the banks of the Miami. "To Major General Wayne, etc." HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 89 "Camp, on the Banks of the Miami, August 21st, 1794. "Sir:—I have received your letter of this date, requiring, from me the motives which have moved the army under my command to the position they at present occupy, far within the acknowledged jurisdiction of the United States of America. Without questioning the authority, or the propriety, sir, of your interrogatory, I think I may without breach of decorum, observe to you, that were you entitled to an answer,, the most full and satisfactory one was announced to you from the muzzles of my small arms, yesterday morning, in the action against the horde of savages in the vicinity of your post, which terminated gloriously to the American arms ; but, had it continued until the Indians, etc., were driven under the influence of the post and guns you mention, they would not have much impeded the progress of the victorious army under my command, as no such post was established at the commencement of the present war, be-, tween the Indians and the United States. "I have the honor to be, sir, with great respect, your most obedient and very humble servant, ANTHONY WAYNE. "Major General, and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Army. "To Major William Campbell, etc." Jonathan Adler, who was at that time living with the Indians, has given in a manuscript left by him the Indian account of the Battle of Fallen Timbers.. It is As follows : "We remained here (Defiance) about two weeks, until we heard of the approach of Wayne, when we packed up our goods and started for the old English fort at the Maumee rapids. Here we prepared ourselves for battle and sent the women and children down NOTE.—According to Mr. Knapp, in his " History of the Maumee Valley," Fort Industry, near the mouth of Swan Creek, was built at this time. This statement does not seem to be well authenticated, and the fort, or stockade, was probably not constructed until 1804. about three miles below the fort ; and as I did not wish to fight, they sent me to Sandusky, to inform some Wyandots there of the great battle that.. was about to take place. I remained at Sandusky until the battle was over. The Indians did not wait more than three or four days, before Wayne made his appearance at the head of a long prairie on the river, where he halted, and waited for an opportunity to suit himself. “Nov the Indians are very curious about fighting; for when they know they are going into a battle, they will not eat anything just previous. They say that if a man is shot in the body when he is entirely empty, there is not half as much danger of the ball passing through the bowels as when they are full. So 'they started the first. morning without eating anything, and moving up to the end of the prairie, ranged themselves in order of battle at the edge of the timber. There they waited all day without any food, and at night returned and partook of their suppers. The second morning, they again placed themselves in the same position, and again returned at night and supped. By this time they had begun to get weak from eating only once , a day, and concluded they would eat breakfast. Some were eating, and others, who had finished, had moved forward to their stations, when Wayne's army was seen approaching. Soon as they were within gunshot, the Indians began firing upon them ; but Wayne, making no halt, rushed on upon them. "Only a small part of the Indians being on the ground, they were obliged to give back, and finding Wayne too strong for them, attempted to retreat. Those who were .on the way heard the noise and sprang to their assistance. So some were running from and others to the battle, which created great confusion. In the meantime, the light horse had gone entirely around, and came in upon their rear, blowing their horns and closing in upon them. The Indians now found that they 90 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO were completely surrounded, and all that could made their escape, and the balance were all killed, which was no small number. Among these last, with one or two exceptions were all the Wyandots that lived at Sandusky at the time I went to inform them of the expected battle. The main body of the Indians were back nearly two miles from the battleground and Wayne had taken them by surprise, and made such a slaughter among them that they were entirely discouraged, and made the best of their way to their respective homes." Not long after this defeat a trader met a Miami warrior, who had fled before the terrible onslaught of Wayne's soldiers. "Why did you run away ?" the trader asked the Indian. With gestures corresponding to his words, and endeavoring to represent the effect of the cannon, the Indian replied : "Pop ! pop ! pop !—boo! woo! woo !—whish ! whish ! boo! woo !—kill twenty Indians one time—no good, by dam !" Immediately following the battle of Fallen Timbers, many of the savages fled to Detroit, the British headquarters. The following winter was a time of great suffering among the aborigines in the Maumee Valley. Their crops had been destroyed by General Wayne's army, so that they were rendered more than ever dependent upon the British, and they were not prepared for so great a task. They remained huddled together along the Maumee River, near the mouth of Swan Creek, where much sickness prevailed on account of exposure, scant supplies, and the want of sanitary regulations. What few animals they possessed either died or languished on account of improper food and care, and were eaten. Even the dogs suffered the latter fate, and the Indian is pretty hungry when he will devour his faithful canine. General Wayne returned to Fort Defiance after his great victory, because this was a safe camping place and afforded plentiful food for both man and beast. So intent were the soldiers on foraging that several were killed or captured by skulking savages. This led to very stringent regulations. Any soldier caught half a mile outside the lines of sentinels, without a proper pass, was to be treated as a deserter, and the sentry permitting a soldier to go by without this pass was subject to a punishment of fifty lashes. The soldiers were much troubled with the fever and ague, and these ailments caused much distress. "Fort Defiance 4th September, 1794. The number of our sick increases daily ; provision is nearly exhausted ; the whiskey has been out for some time, which makes the hours pass heavily to the tune of Roslin Castle, when in our present situation they ought to go to the quick step of the merry man down to his grave. Hard duty and scant allowance will cause an army to be low spirited, particularly the want of a little of the wet. * * * If it was not for the forage we get from the enemy's fields, the rations would not be sufficient to keep soul and body together." These statements appear in the diary of Lieutenant Boyer. He was evidently not of the "dry" persuasion, for a -week later he writes : " The escort arrived this day about 3 o'clock, and brought with them two hundred kegs of flour and nearly two hundred head of cattle. Captain Preston and Ensigns Strother, Bowyer and Lewis, joined us this day with the escort. We received no liquor by this command, and I fancy we shall not receive any until we get into winter quarters, which will make the fatigues of the campaign appear double, as I am persuaded the troops would much rather live on half rations of beef and bread, provided they could obtain their full rations of whiskey. The vegetables are as yet in the greatest abundance." From Fort Defiance a part of General Wayne's Legion marched to the head of the Maumee, which place they reached without a HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 91 collision with the enemy. Here Colonel Hamtramck erected a fort, which he named after the hero of Fallen Timbers, and which name it has borne ever since. After a few weeks there they marched to Greenville by the way of Fort Recovery and Girty's Town. They arrived at Greenville on the 2nd of November, just three months and six days after they had departed from it on their victorious campaigns. The effect of Wayne's victory over the Indians cannot be correctly measured by the number of savages slain in battle. The results had convinced them of their inability to wage successful war against the Americans, when led by a chief whom they could neither surprise nor defeat. They had seen the hollowness of the English promises of assistance. When danger approached, they had witnessed the king's soldiers creep into their fort like whipped curs and shut their gate on the poor Indian when he went there for protection, leaving him to the mercy of Wayne's soldiers. They had seen their villages burned and their women and children left destitute for the winter. Hollow promises of the British did not allay the pangs of hunger or the penetrating chill of the winter. Then it was that they began to turn their attention toward peace. Impatient and murmuring at the failure of the British to protect and supply them according to promise, the Indians turned to the Americans, who were perfectly willing to protect them and supply their wants. Communications from the hostile tribes were encouraged by General Wayne and his officers. Some of the chiefs personally visited Fort Defiance and Fort Wayne, as well as General Wayne himself at Greenville. The Wyandots were probably more solicitous for peace than any other tribe. One of their chiefs called upon General Wayne and said : "I live in Sandusky. We Wyandots now wish for peace and are determined to bury the hatchet and scalping knife deep in the ground. We pray you have pity on us and leave us a small piece of land to build a town upon. The Great Spirit has given land enough for all to live and hunt upon. We have looked all around us for a piece to move to and cannot find any. We want to know your mind. We intend to build a stockade (on Sandusky River) and blockhouse to defend ourselves till we hear from you. We don't know whether we are right or wrong in doing it, but have pity on us. The diplomatic warfare waged by these untutored aborigine chiefs would have reflected credit upon the statesmanship of an enlightened people. They clung to every vital principle affecting their interests with the same desperate tenacity with which they had fought their last battle at Fallen Timbers. The diplomacy of General Wayne was so successful, however, that on the first of January, 1795, he sent a message to the petitioning Wyandots at Sandusky that the chiefs of various other tribes would soon visit him at Greenville in the interests of peace, and inviting them to join the others. The Delawares visited Fort Defiance and exchanged a number of prisoners. As word reached General Wayne of the great number of Indian chiefs who were on their way to visit him, a large council house was constructed at Greenville for the deliberations. A great quantity of clothing and other useful articles were obtained for presents, and bountiful supplies were accumulated for the feeding and entertainment of large numbers. The chiefs began to arrive the first of June. Each day brought new additions, and the general council was opened on June 16th with a goodly attendance. In all more than 1,000 chiefs and sachems gathered together. The tribes represented were the Delawares, Wyandots, Pottawattomies, Shawnees, Chippewas, Miami, Eel River, Weas, Piankeshaws, Kickapoos, and Kaskaskias. Half a dozen interpreters were HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 93 kept busy during the fifty days that the council lasted. The chiefs complained much of the bad faith of the citizens of the "fifteen fires,"—so called because fifteen guns were always fired as a salute, one for each state of the Union. After smoking the Calumet of Peace, an oath of accuracy and fidelity was administered to the interpreters. The flow of oratory was interminable. A large number of belts and strings of wampum were passed by the various tribes during the deliberations. Some of these contained a ,thousand or more beads of wampum. As many of these beads represent a day's work each, their value to the aborigines was very great. The Indians continued to arrive during all the month of June and even later. Little Turtle was one of the slowest to enter into the spirit of the meeting, but he gradually became one of its warmest participators, making many addresses. On the 7th of August, 1795, the famous Treaty of Greenville was entered into between General Anthony Wayne and the sachems and war chiefs of the participating nations. The boundary lines established by the treaty were as follows : The general boundary line "between the lands of the United States and the lands of the said Indian tribes, shall begin at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River, and run thence up the same, to the portage between that and the Tuscarawas branch of the Muskingum ; thence down that branch to the crossing place, above Fort Lawrence (Laurens) ; thence westerly, to a fork of .that branch of the Great Miami river running into the Ohio, at or near which fork stood Loramie's store and where commences the portage between the Miami of the Ohio, and St. Mary's River, which is a branch of the Miami, which runs into Lake Erie ; thence a westerly course to Fort Recovery, which stands on a branch of the Wabash ; thence, South Westerly in a direct line of the Ohio, so as to intersect that river, opposite the mouth of the Kentucke, or Cuttawa river." In order to facilitate intercourse between the whites and Indians, the tribes ceded to the United States several tracts of land, one tract "twelve miles square, at the British fort on the Miami of the Lake, at the foot of the rapids." This reached down into the heart of the present city of Toledo. "One piece, six miles square, at the mouth of said river where it empties in the lake," of which a part is also within Toledo. "One piece, two miles square, at the lower rapids of the Sandusky" comprises practically all of the City of Fremont. " One piece, two miles square, at the head of the navigable water or landing on the St. Marys river, near Girty's Town," was at St. Marys. "One piece six miles square, at the confluence of the Auglaize and Miami rivers," where Fort Defiance now stands, is partly included within the City of Defiance. "One piece, six miles square upon Sandusky lake, where a fort formerly stood," is in Ottawa County. Other tracts were granted, but they do not pertain to this history. "And the said Indian tribes will allow to the people of the United States a free passage, by land and by water, as one and the other shall be found to be convenient, through their county, along the chain of posts hereinbefore mentioned ; that is to say, from commencement of the portage aforesaid, at or near Loramie's store, thence along said portage to the St. Mary's, and down the same to Fort Wayne, and thence down the Miami to Lake Erie ; again, from the commencement of the portage, at or near Loramie's store along the portage, from thence to the river Auglaize, and down the same to its junction with the Miami, at Fort Defiance ; again, from the commencement of the portage aforesaid, to Sandusky river, and down the same to Sandusky bay and Lake Erie, and from Sandusky to the post which shall be taken at or near the foot of the rapids of the Miami of the lake ; and from thence to Detroit. * * * 94 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO And the said Indian tribes will also allow to the people of the United States the free use of the harbors and mouths of rivers, along the lake adjoining the Indian lands, for sheltering vessels and boats, and liberty to land their cargoes where necessary for their safety." Wayne did not survive long to enjoy the honor of his victory, for he died a couple of years later. On his passage down the lake, he was seized with a violent attack of gout of the stomach, which terminated in his death before reaching his destination. One of his last acts was to receive, as representative of the United States authority, Fort Miami early in 1776, when the British government formally surrendered its northern posts in pursuance of a treaty negotiated by Chief Justice Jay. So pleased were the Indians with their treatment by General Wayne that each of the more prominent chiefs desired to have the last word with him. Buck-on-ge-he-las, the great war chief of the Delawares, seemed 'to voice the sentiments of all when he said : "Your children all well understand the sense of the Treaty which is now concluded. We experience daily proofs of your increasing kindness. I hope we may all have sense enough to enjoy our dawning happiness. Many of your people are yet among us. I trust they will be immediately restored. Last winter our King (Te-ta-boksh-he) came forward to you with two (captives) and when he returned with your speech to us, we immediately prepared to come forward with the remainder, which we delivered at Fort Defiance. All who know me, know me to be a man and a warrior, and I now declare that I will for the future be as true and steady a friend to the United States as I have heretofore been an active enemy. We have one bad man among us who, a few days ago, stole three of your horses; two of them shall this day be returned to you, and I hope I shall be able to prevent that young man from doing any more mischief to our Father the Fifteen Fires." The Indians, who almost worshiped personal bravery, acquired a wholesome respect for General Wayne. A number of anecdotes are related about General Wayne in proof of this, among which is the following: Several months after the battle of Fallen Timbers a number of Potawatomie Indians arrived at Fort Wayne, where they expressed a desire to see "The Wind," as they called General Wayne. On being asked for an explanation of the name, they replied, that at the battle of the 20th of August, he was exactly like a hurricane, which drives and tears everything before it. CHAPTER IX THE ESTABLISHMENT OF CIVIL GOVERNMENT At the close of 1796 it was estimated that the number of white people dwelling within the present limits of the State of Ohio was about 5,000. Most of these were located along the Ohio River and its tributaries, and within fifty miles of that stream. When the Maumee and Sandusky country was first organized, in that year, it was made a part of Wayne County, which included all of Michigan, and a part of Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin. It also extended east to the Cuyahoga River. Detroit was the place for holding court. The original Wayne County—for it must be remembered that the outlines of this division were changed several times—was divided into four townships, of which the northwestern Ohio basin was in the one named Hamtramck. Under the provisions of the Ordinance of 1787, a population of "five thousand free male inhabitants of full age" entitled the territory to representative government. Accordingly, Governor St. Clair issued a proclamation calling for an election in December, 1798, for representatives to the Territorial Legislature, as it was estimated that the population of the entire territory then fulfilled that requirement. It was necessary for a voter to be a freeholder of fifty acres. The first election in Wayne County was held at Detroit and one or two other places on the first Monday of December, according to the proclamation. The three men elected were Solomon Sibley, Jacob Visgar, and Charles F. Chabert de Joncaire, all of Detroit and vicinity. The first Territorial Legislature convened at Cincinnati, on the 16th of September, 1799, and at once selected ten names of citizens who were sent to the President of the United States from whom he was to nominate a legislative Council, or Senate, for the territory, to be composed of five members. This was the inauguration of representative government in the Northwest Territory, and it made Cincinnati the capital of an empire reaching from the Ohio to the Mississippi, and as large as modern Texas. The Lower House consisted of twenty-two members, of whom seven came from the old French settlements of Illinois, Michigan, and Indiana. Neither Northwest Ohio nor the Western Reserve furnished a single delegate. The Senate, as finally chosen, consisted of Jacob Burnett, James Findlay, of Hamilton ; Robert Oliver, of Washington ; David Vance, of Jefferson, and Henry Vanderbery, of Knox counties. The members of the Legislature were compelled to carry their provisions and blankets, camp at night, swim their horses across streams, and penetrate the gloomy forests guided only by blazed trees and the compass. The only roads were bridle paths or Indian trails. Prior to this time Governor St. Clair and three associate judges had exercised all the executive, legislative, and judicial powers under the Ordinance of 1787. The governor not only was commander-in-chief of the military forces, but he appointed all the magistrates and civil officers and was the chief executive in the enforcement of law. William Henry Harrison was selected by the Legislature as the first delegate, or representative, to Congress from the vast territory - 95 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 97 northwest of the Ohio River. He received twelve votes in joint ballot of the two houses, on the 3d of October, 1799, while Arthur St. Clair Jr., son of the governor, received ten votes. He at once proceeded to Philadelphia and took his seat in Congress, which was in session in that city. No single event of this period in western history had so far-reaching and so beneficial an influence in the future welfare of Ohio as this choice. Harrison at this time was only twenty-six years of age, but he had already established an enviable name for himself in the army. He instituted measures for the benefit of this territory without delay, and succeeded in opening up lands in small tracts of sections and half-sections, which quickly brought thousands of hardy and industrious farmers across the Alleghenies. This far-seeing policy gives him claim to high rank among our great statesmen. The difficulties attending the organization and administration of government for so expansive a territory were immediately recognized. A committee in Congress reported that there had been but one session of a court having jurisdiction over crimes in five years ; and the immunity which offenders experienced had attracted to it the vilest and most abandoned criminals, and likewise had deterred useful citizens from making settlements therein. As a result of this recommendation all that part of the Northwest Territory lying to the westward of a. line beginning at the Ohio River, opposite to the mouth of the Kentucky River, and thence running north, was eliminated from this jurisdiction and created into the Territory of Indiana. By this ordinance Wayne County, was reduced to about one-half of its original size. The first post road between Cincinnati and Detroit was established in 1801. For a couple of years, however, on the north end of this route there was not a single postoffice, so that the mail was carried as a military or semi-military express as formerly. It was in 1801 that the Vol. I—7 first capitol building for Ohio was built at Chillicothe, which city had been designated by Congress as the seat of government. At the first session of the second general assembly held there, Wayne County was again represented by delegates from Detroit. From the very beginning almost the governor and Legislature clashed. St. Clair stubbornly maintained that he alone had the authority to create new counties and locate county seats, and in this attitude he ran counter to the pet projects of some of the members. It was the clash of autocracy and democracy. By the time of the second session of the Legislature, the contest had reached a white heat. To the arbitrary methods of Governor St. Clair was due the inauguration of proceedings to have Ohio admitted as a state. Failing in their efforts to prevent the appointment of the governor, Edward Tiffin, Thomas Worthington, and others set on foot the movement which finally displaced that disliked official. These men were adherents of the party of Jefferson, who came into office 98 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO at this opportune time. Edward Tiffin, a physician by profession, loomed head and shoulders above all the others. Each party availed itself of every possible means to further its interests, but Tiffin assumed the leadership in the assaults upon the governor, and the latter discovered in him a foeman worthy his steel. President Jefferson was anxious for more republican states, and welcomed the opportunity to create another. Congress approved the proposition and, although there had never been a vote of the people to be affected, in order to ascertain their wishes, that body passed an enabling act in April, 1802, thus ending a five years' struggle for statehood. There were at that time seven counties in the entire state. The census of 1800 credited the territory with a population of 45,028, of whom 3,206 lived in Wayne County, but Wayne lay mostly in what is now Michigan. On the fourth of March, 1802, a Convention of representatives was called to formulate a constitution for the proposed State of Ohio. HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 99 No assembly in any commonwealth ever approached and performed its work with a greater realization of its responsibility than did this one. In its ranks were men who afterwards rose to the highest distinction. An exceedingly democratic constitution was finally agreed upon and signed with commendable promptness, the entire session continuing but twenty-five days. Ohio was admitted into the galaxy of states on the 19th of February, 1803, being the seventeenth state in numerical succession. In reality, it was the first actual addition to the original colonies. Vermont (1791) had been detached from New York, while Kentucky (1792) and Tennessee (1796) had been carved from territory claimed by Virginia. Ohio was admitted by virtue of her rights under the Ordinance of 1787. The initial election was held on January 11th, the premier. Legislature under the constitution convened at Chillicothe, on the first Tuesday of March, 1803. Edward Tiffin was elected the first governor without opposition. At the beginning of statehood the number of white settlers resident in the Maumee Valley and the Sandusky Valley was very small. A few traders and pioneers had established themselves near the watercourses, but Northwest Ohio had no representation in the Government until after the organization of counties in April, 1820. Previous to this it was included in two or three counties at different times. Wayne County disappeared with the old territory. Immediately following statehood it became a part of Hamilton County, but that unit exercised little jurisdiction, if any, over the settlers, because it was still aborigine territory. Following statehood the population of the state, and the southern half in particular, increased very rapidly. In 1810, the enumeration approached a quarter of a million. In the northern part even Cleveland, the most important and flourishing settlement, was a very small and unimportant place. Following the decisive defeat of the Indians at Fallen Timbers, and the Treaty of Greenville closely following, the Indians remained in comparative quiet for several years, seemingly being satisfied with the annuities paid to them by the United States Government. For several years a number of forts were maintained in the Maumee Valley. There were Fort Defiance, Fort Adams, Fort Recovery, Fort Loramie, and Fort Head of the Auglaize, each of which was garrisoned by small bodies of troops, in order to hold the aborigines in check. Fort Miami was evacuated by the British, in 1796, and turned over to Colonel Hamtramck, but a garrison was not maintained there very long. The report of Hamtramck is as follows : "Sir : On the 7th instant two small vessels arrived from Detroit in which I sent a detachment of artillery and infantry consisting of sixty-five men, together with a number of cannon with ammunition, &c., &e., the whole under the command of Captain (Moses) Porter. On the 9th a sloop arrived from Detroit at Swan Creek, purchased by Captain Henry De Butts, which carries fifty tons, and which is now loaded with flour, quarter-master's stores and troops. That, together with eleven batteaux which I have, will be sufficient to take all the troops I have with me, leaving the remainder of our stores deposited at this place, which was evacuated on this day, and where I have left Captain Marschalk and Lieutenant Shanklin with fifty-two men, infantry, and a corporal and six of artillery, that is, including the garrison at the head of the Rapids. I have endowed Fort Miami with one month's provisions for both the troops and the Shawanese. The latter, you recollect, you promised subsistence until the crops were ripe. The number of the Shawanese is about one hundred and eighty, besides twenty-six or thirty Ottawas. I shall embark in two hours, with all the troops for Detroit. * * *" Almost at the beginning of the nineteenth