HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY. - 213
CHAPTER XXI.
FIRST WHITE MEN IN THE COUNTY.
JAMES SMITH AND HIS CAPTIVITY-MAJ. ROBERT ROGERS AND HIS MILITIA-THE OLD SANDUSKY TRAIL-GIRTY AND OTHER WHITE RENEGADES-MORAVIANS AND THEIR MISSIONARIES-CRAWFORD'S MARCH THROUGH THE COUNTY-CAPTIVITY OF CHRISTIAN FAST-EXPLORERS AND HUNTERS.
"Dressed for travel armed for hunting."
AS far as is now known, James Smith, a native of Western Pennsylvania, was the first white man to set foot on the land embraced in "Old Richland." He was captured near Bedford, Penn., when about eighteen years of age, by three Indians on a marauding expedition in the spring of 1755, a short time before the defeat of Gen. Braddock. He was taken to the Indian village on the Alleghany opposite Fort Du Quesne, and compelled to run the gantlet, where he nearly lost his life by the blow of a club from a stalwart savage. After his recovery and the defeat of Gen. Braddock, he was taken by his captors on a long journey through the forest to the village of Tullihas, on the west bank of the Muskingum River, about twenty- miles above the forks. This village was occupied by Mohicans. Caryhnewagas and Delawares. Here he was adopted by the Indians into one of their tribes. The ceremony consisted in first plucking all the hair from his head except the scalp lock, which they fixed according to their fashion; in boring his ears and nose and placing ornaments therein; in putting on a breech-clout and painting his body and face in fantastic colors, and in washing him several times in the river to wash out all the white blood in his veins. This last ceremony was performed by three young squaws, and, as Smith was unacquainted with their usages, he thought they intended to drown him, and resisted at first with all his might, to the great amusement of the multitude on the river's bank. One of the young squaws finally made out to say "Me no hurt you," and he gave them privilege to souse and rub him as they desired. When brought from the river he was allowed other clothes, and in solemn council, in an impressive, speech, he was admitted to full membership in the nation. He says in his journal, he always fared as they, no exceptions being made.
He remained at this town till the next October, when he accompanied his adopted brother. Tontileaugo, who had a Wyandot wife on the shores of Lake Erie, on a visit to that nation." Their route," says Dr. Hill, "was up the Lake Fork to near the present village of Tylertown, thence up the Jerome Fork, through the townships of Mohican, Montgomery and Orange, to the south borders of Sullivan, and across the same to the head branches of the Black River, called by the Indians, Canesadooharie. Then they journeyed across Medina and Lorain Counties; following the Canesadooharie to where it falls into the lake some distance north of Elyria, where they found a large camp of the Wyandots, and the wife of Tontileaugo."
Smith remained among the Wyandots, Ottawas and Mohicans about four years, traversing all parts of Northern Ohio. He undoubtedly hunted over this part of the State, as the streams here afforded good hunting-grounds. He was probably the first white man who saw these valleys in their pristine beauty. At any rate, he is the first one known to have been here. If any preceded him they were French
214 - HISTORY TORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY.
traders, of whom no records or legends exist in this part of Ohio. At the end of four years he escaped, and made his way to Pennsylvania. where he published a memoir from which the above facts are obtained.
About two years after his escape, " Mohican John," a noted chief, with a band of Connecticut Mohicans, emigrated to Ohio, and settled on the west side of the Jerome Fork, on the site subsequently covered by the farms of Elijah Yocum and Judge Edmund Ingmand in Ashland County. Soon, after Baptiste Jerome and his Wyandot wife came and located. This was, however. just east of the original boundary of Richland County: yet the village was so intimately connected with the early history of this locality, that it well deserves a place in the county's history.
The next white men to see Richland County were Maj. Robert Rogers and his band of rangers. It is noticed in the history of the Northwest in this volume in the account of his expedition to take possession of the post at Detroit, in November, 1760. As the narrative is given there only that portion relating directly to this county need be noticed here.
After providing for the garrison. he began his return trip by land December 23, for Pittsburgh. following the Indian trail from Sandusky Bay, where he arrived January 2, 1761. It is not known just how many rangers he had with him on this journey, but good authority places the number at more than one hundred. Dr. Hill thinks there were 120, or more men, he accounts for the number by the fact that Pontiac's intentions were none of the best, and that, as many of the Indians in Northern Ohio had given only a reluctant consent to the rule of the British after the close of the French and Indian war and the cession of Canada and the Upper Mississippi Valley to the "Red Coats." Maj. Rogers, knowing the dangers that beset the route through the country, would not trust himself unless a sufficient force accompanied him to render safety comparatively sure.
Different opinions concerning his exact route have prevailed, only one of which, however, has stood the test of inquiry. He undoubtedly followed the old Indian trail from Sandusky Bay to Fort Du Quesne. This trail crossed the northeastern parts of Richland County. It entered Richland County on the north, near the division line between Plymouth and Cass Townships probably a little to the east of it; proceeding thence southeasterly, it passed over the site of Shiloh, on down over the site of the old village of Richland; thence over Blooming Grove Township, over the sites of Rome and Shenandoah and Olivesburg in Weller Township; through Milton Township. through Montgomery, a little south of the site of Ashland, and thence southerly through the northeast corner of Vermillion Township, where it emerged from "old Richland," continuing in a southeasterly direction to the forks of the Ohio. A public highway follows the old trail over much of the ground above described. Do the people of to-day, as they pass over it in wagon or carriage, know they are traveling a highway centuries old?
This little army, the first ever seen on the soil of this county stopped once or twice by fine springs found here, rested, and secured game for food while on the journey home. They were unmolested while on the way and reached the forks of the Ohio in safety.
Following Maj. Rogers and his rangers, the next whites to see Richland County were the missionaries of the Moravian Indians, who dwelt at their towns on the Muskingum River, whither they had come to escape their enemies in Western New York and Pennsylvania. In the history of Ohio, in this book, the narrative of their persecutions, their removal and, their settlement in Ohio, is given. It will only be necessary to notice that part of their history relating to their removal from their prosperous
HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY. - 215
towns on the Muskingum to the Sandusky River. The British were jealous of the power of these missionaries over the Indians; the traders hated them because they stood in their way in selling rum to other Indians and the Americans feared them because they were neutral refusing to aid either side. The British were the main ones in causing their removal. Through the notorious Girty and Elliott, two renegade whites, well known in border history, the command for their removal was given. They were ordered to leave their peaceful homes, their schools. their churches, their fields of vegetables and grain. and repair to a colder part of the territory and there begin anew.
They were commanded to move September 10, 1784, and abandoning all that was clear on earth to them, they set out on their perilous journey. Their route was up the river, thence up the Waldhoning, and on north by a little west, through the townships of Hanover, Green, and northwesterly through the county, turning west near the western boundary went on to the site of Bucyrus where they established their camp. Among the company was Mary Heckewelder. daughter of the missionary, John Heckewelder supposed to be the first white female child born in Ohio. She thus describes the march
"Our journey was exceedingly tedious and dangerous: some of the canoes sunk when on the creeks and rivers, and those that were in them lost all their provisions and everything they had saved. Those that went by land drove the cattle - a pretty large herd. The savages now drove us along, the missionaries with their families usually- in the midst, surrounded by their Indian converts. The roads were exceedingly bad leading through a continuation of swamps. We went by land through Goseuchauenk [Coshocton] to the Waldhoning, and then partly by water and partly along the banks of the river to Sandusky Creek." From the nature of the ground. Dr. Hill thinks the Black Fork is meant.
Not long after the removal of these Indians occurred the raid by Col. Williamson and the brutal massacre of many of these peaceful sons of the forest as they were gathering their corn. This was the next March, and the act stands unequaled on the annals of war for brutality and wickedness. This is also narrated in the history of Ohio. The act aroused the animosity of all other Indians, who, though not agreeing with the Moravian converts in their attitude, yet because many of them were Delawares and Wyandots, felt called upon to revenge the deep injury done to their relations.
Capt. Pipe and other warlike spirits at once took the war path, determined to revenge the injury. News of the impending uprising of the Indians reached the borders of Pennsylvania and excited great fear. Another expedition was at once raised, to again go against the Moravian Indians, a second time wrongly supposed to be the cause of all the trouble. Nearly five hundred men gathered at the deserted Mingo town near the site of Steubenville, and, electing Col. William Crawford commander, started across the country for the old Moravian towns on the Muskingum. thinking there might still be Indians there, and also the towns being nearly on a direct route to the new settlements on the Sandusky River.
They found the Indian towns deserted of inhabitants, and, gathering sufficient corn to feed their horses pushed on for the towns on the Sandusky.
Mr. C. W. Butterfield, of Bucyrus, has made "Crawford's campaign" an especial study and given the results of his study in an excellent and exhaustive work of nearly four hundred pages. It is not the intention here to note the campaign any further than it relates to Richland County. As a campaign, its history is given elsewhere.
218 - HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY.
Speaking of the route of the army after it left the Muskingum. Mr. Butterfield says:
" The march was continued on the morning of the 29th, " [May, 7 1782]." The guides taking a northwest course through the wilderness from the Muskingum brought the arms to the Killbuck. some distance above the present town of Millersburg the county seat of Holmes County. Thence, says Dunlevy, in his application for a pension, we marched up the Killbuck. At not a great distance the army reached a large spring, known at the present time as Butler's or Jones' spring, near the line of Wayne County, ten miles south of Wooster, where on the evening of May 30, (Thursday) the army halted.
''At this spring one of the men died and was buried. His name was cut on the bark of a tree close by his grave.
"From this point the army moved westward, along the north side of Odell's lake-passing, between two small lakes, where they found the heads of two large fish, freshly caught, lying on the ground, which awakened a suspicion that Indians were near.* Thence they passed near the spot where was afterward the Indian village oŁ Greentown."
This brought the army to Richland County. It will he observed the entered near the northeast corner of Green Township, near where old Helltown existed and thence proceeded northwesterly through it. Mr. Butterfield's account continues
"Front this point-Helltown-they struck across to the Rocky Fork of the Mohican up which stream they traveled until a fine spring was reached near where the city of Mansfield now stands."
This spring, almost undoubtedly, was what is now known as the "Big Springs," on Fourth street in the city. Here then an army camped nearly one hundred years ago and white men gazed on these then densely wooded vales and hills. Perchance they thought of the numbers
*Recollections of William Smith.
of their race that were then making their way westward, driving the lone Indian slowly toward the setting sun.
Leaving Big Spring, the army went northward to a fine spring, five miles farther on in what is now Springfield Township, a place now known as Spring Mills, where on the evening of June 1. the army halted and encamped for the night.
"The army had now reached, as was supposed, the head of streams flowing north into Lake Erie. This however, was an error; these, in reality, flow into the Mohican. A short distance traveled on the 2d of June brought the cavalcade to other small streams; having a northern trend which were, in fact, affluents of the Sandusky. The army crossed into what is now Crawford County at 1 o'clock in the afternoon, and about an hour after reached the Sandusky* River, at a point immediately east of what is now the village of Leesville, at the mouth of a small creek called Allen's Run, when a halt was called and the volunteers took a half-hour's rest on the banks of the stream for which they had been for some time very anxiously looking."
The army was now about three miles west of the present city of Crestline. The next day it came to the Plains, now embraced in Crawford, Marion and Wyandot Counties. Of its subsequent marches but little need he said here. As has been stated in the State history, the campaign ended in defeat and disaster the army, being attacked two days afterward and defeated at what is known as "Battle Island." a grove of timber in Crane Township. Wyandot County, and after two days fighting the Americans were driven away in a sadly demoralized condition.
Crawford was lost when the retreat began, and was seen by the main body no more as it
* The Sandusky River rises in "Palmer's Spring,' in Springfield Township. Several small streams, commonly known as its heads, flow into it before it reaches Crawford County. The word "Sandusky" is of Indian origin. It was pronounced by them "Sun-doos-tee," or "Sa-undustee, meaning "clear, cold water," or "at the cold water."
HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY. - 217
hurriedly retreated over the route by which it came. He was captured, in company with Dr. Knight, Lieut. Ashley and Capt. Biggs, as they were endeavoring to escape, about a half-mile south of the site of the former camp at Leesville. The band of Delaware Indians were under command of a chief named Wingenund, to whose camp Crawford and the Doctor were taken, where they found several other prisoners, stragglers like themselves.
Capt. Pipe was among the warriors, and was the chief instigator in the cruel death of Crawford, which ended the ill-fated expedition, Dr. Knight making his escape and saving himself from a horrible death.
It should be stated, to the credit of Capt. Pipe and other Indians, that, had Williamson been captured. Crawford would doubtless have been spared. As it was, he was put to the most cruel death they could devise, at the Delaware village of Capt. Pipe, situated a short distance northeast of the present town of Crawfordsville. Almost all other prisoners were horribly tortured in one form and another, but none so fearfully as the "Big Captain," as the Indians called Crawford, on whom all the hate of their passions was expended.
The failure of the expedition excited the fears of the borderers, none of whom cared to venture far into the Indian country. A few venturesome spirits made the attempt along the Ohio River. but the danger was too great, and, moreover, the validity of claims not well established. Not till 1788, when the "Ordinance of 1787" had secured freeholders in their rights in the "Territory northwest of the Ohio," was a permanent settlement made in the State.
Another captive among the Indians before the settlement by the whites was Christian Fast, Sr., afterward one of the earliest settlers in Orange Township. He often narrated the incidents of his capture and captivity, which Mr. Knapp preserves in his "History of Ashland County." Mr. Knapp says:
"When a boy of sixteen Mr. Fast was captured by the Delaware Indians near the Falls of the Ohio. He had enlisted in Fayette County, Penn., in a company of 200 men, organized for the purpose of chastising the Indians for depredations committed upon a frontier settlements. Such expeditions were frequent occurrence in those times. This force descended the Ohio in boats, and, some distance above the falls, became separated into two parties, young Fast being among those in the rear. The advance party had driven posts the river, upon the top of which they place written directions, addressed to those who were following them, indicating the point where they would find the anchorage of the party, who would be in waiting for them. These written directions, it was supposed, fell into the hand of the Indians, who had whites among them competent to read, and who thus became informed of the movements of their foes. Before the latter could form a junction of their force the rear party, a short, distance above the fall was attacked by parties of Indians on both sides of the river, while the men in the boats were making toward the shore to cook a heifer they had killed. The largest boat in the fleet in which was Mr. Fast, had landed, and the others were making preparations to do so when the attack commenced. The smaller boats immediately put up stream, but the larger one was hard aground and could not get off. Of the one hundred, all but about thirty were killed. Young Fast jumped into the water, receiving, at the same instant a flesh-wound in the hip and swam to the opposite shore, where he was met be three Indians, who demanded that he should surrender, assuring him of friendly treatment. He declined their request and again plunged into the current, the three Indian firing at him as he swam, one of the balls grazing his cheek, momentarily stunning him.
218 - HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY.
Reaching the middle of the stream, he took observations to determine the course of safety, and concluded to strike the shore several rods below where the large boat was grounded: but. on approaching the shore, he again encountered tile bullets of the Indians. and again made for the middle of the river. Some distance below, he discovered a horse-boat belonging to his party, and at once resolved to reach and board it. Just as he had succeeded in getting aboard, the Captain received a wound in the arm, and waved his hand to the Indians in token of surrender. The boat was immediately boarded by the Indians, and the whites taken prisoners.
"An old Indian took charge of Fast by whom he was taken to Upper Sandusky. The prisoners were divested of their clothing, and, as their march led through a rank growth of nettle-weeds, it was indescribably painful. Fast, becoming maddened with pain at length refused to go forward and baring his head to his captor, demanded that he would tomahawk him, and thus put an end to his sufferings. The Indian took compassion on him and restored his clothing. During the remainder of the journey, he was treated with marked kindness. At Upper Sandusky, he was adopted into a distinguished family of the tribe. He visited the lamented Col. Crawford after the failure of the expedition and during his imprisonment and was within hearing of his cries during the horrid cruelties he suffered at the stake.
"About eighteen months after Fast's capture, an expedition left Upper Sandusky for the purpose of attacking the white settlements and fortifications at Wheeling. Connected with this expedition was the notorious James Girty. Fast, who now possessed the full confidence of the Indians, was also of the party. The expedition reached its destination. and had besieged the fort at Wheeling three days and two nights. On the third night Fast determined upon an attempt to effect his escape. Approaching his adopted brother at a late hour of the night he awoke him complaining of thirst, and urged his brother to accompany him to a place where they could procure a drink of water. The Indian pleaded weariness, and urged his brother to go alone, insisting that no harm would befall him. Thereupon, Fast, taking his camp-kettle, steered directly for his father's house in Fayette County, Penn., about thirty miles distant. The night being excessively dark, he made slow progress, and at daylight was yet within hearing of the guns of the besiegers and besieged. As soon as daylight appeared, he pushed forward, and soon discovered, by a fresh trail that about thirty Indians were in advance of him, making for the white settlements in Washington County. Penn. On reaching the spur of a ridge, he discovered that the trails separated, and that the Indians had formed two parties, each pursuing parallel lines through the valleys. He hoped, by vigorously pursuing the middle and straighter course, to get in advance of the Indians, and in this effort he was successful. Before night he reached the margin of the settlement in Washington County, the Indians being but a short distance in his rear. A few rods in advance of him and advancing on his own trail, he discovered a white man, with a couple of bridles on his arm, evidently in search of horses. Placing himself behind a tree. Fast waited until the white man was within a few feet of him, when he suddenly placed himself in his path and gave a hurried explanation of his name. object, and the immediate danger that threatened the white settlement. The man was paralyzed with fear; he could not believe that the savage-looking man before him, with his painted face, his ears and nose filled with brooches, his hair (all except a tuft in front, which was passed through a silver tube) nearly plucked from his skull, was anything else than a veritable Indian. Mechanically, however, the man obeyed his directions, and each, seizing and mounting horses, which were near at hand, made for the settlements with all practicable speed. They gave the alarm to
HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY. - 219
all the families in the neighborhood and succeeded in securing all in the fort except one boy, who was killed at the instant he reached the gate which was thrown open for his ingress.
"After the beleaguered fort was relieved by the retirement of the Indians, he sought his father's house; but was so completely metamorphosed by his Indian costume that his parents could not, for a considerable length of time, recognize him. At length his mother, recalling some peculiar spots near the pupils of his eyes, gave a scrutinizing look, and at once identified her son. She sprang forward to embrace him, and would have fainted in his arms, but he repulsed her, exclaiming that his person, as was the case with all the Indians, was covered with vermin. He retired from the house, committed his Indian clothes to the fire he had made, purified his body as best he could and then clothed himself in garments furnished by his father.
"On the very day of his arrival in Orange Township, in 1815, he met with Tom Lyons, a chief, and one of his original captors, and a party of Indians by whom he was recognized. The Indians, who had not suspected that he had deserted, but who believed that he had been drowned in the river, evinced much joy at the discovery of their lost "brother," and ever afterward offered numerous tokens of their friendship."
Following Crawford's campaign, and the captivity of Mr. Fast, the next member of the white race was the renegade Thomas Green, who came to the site of Greentown in 1783, and established that village. He was a Tory from the bloody Wyoming Valley. There he had been associated with the cruel Mohawks in the wanton murder of his countrymen and, to escape their vengeance, fled with Billy Montour, Gelloway, Armstrong, Thomas Lyons and others, to the wilds of Ohio and founded a town among the Delawares, which, in honor of this renegade, they called Greentown. The village became well known in Northern Ohio annals, and is fully noticed elsewhere.
The rapid encroachment of the white race on the domain of the red men, and the arrogant manner of many of the borderers, coupled with British gold, stirred up the tribes of Ohio to an endeavor to exterminate the on-coming flood of emigrants. The savages persisted in their barbarous mode of warfare, and the expeditions of Harmar, St. Clair and Wayne were the result. The former two proved disastrous to the whites, and ended in the route and almost total ruin of the armies. Their defeat caused wide-spread alarm, and effectually checked emigration to all parts of the territory. Washington selected the best man at his command, Anthony Wayne (" Mad Anthony "), and sent him to command the Western army, and subdue the savages. His campaign ended in 1794, and the peace of Greenville, in 1795, secured comparative freedom on all the frontiers.
Emigration began again to pour in. The survey of the public lands, practically stopped, like all other advances of the whites, was now resumed, and gradually extended northwesterly. The surveyors were kept in advance of the settlements wherever it could be done, and land offices established for the sale of land. At the date of the survey here, Richland had not a single pioneer in its limits. Indeed, no white men save hunters, are known to have been over her hills and vales between the date of the campaign of Crawford and the beginning of the survey.