INTRODUCTION - 13 INTRODUCTORY. THE great and bloody struggle of the Colonies, through a long seven years' war, being over, the British Lion retreated growling to his den and, following the Revolutionary War at the Treaty of Paris in 1783, peace was made with England, in which the Independence of these Colonies was recognized. For the first time in the history of the human race, the intelligent world saw a young government start on its career with the conscious knowledge and proudman'samation of m.an's capacity for self-government. Then the genius of Freedom Her banner unfurled, And inspired with hope The whole civilized world. But as the waves of the ocean continue to lash the shore long after the storm has ceased, so the agitation of the frontier, between the settlers and the Indians, continued for many years. The intense passions and mutual hatred engendered by the conflict were noTreaty of by the Treaty of Paris. When the British forces withdrew to the Canadas or across the Atlantic, the Indians, who, long before and during the Revolutionary struggle, were a source of constant annoyance to the frontier settlers still remained. While the settlers were determined to get possession of the lands of the Indians, the Indians were equally determined not to relinquish their ancient hunting grounds. The life and property of the frontiersman were constantly in danger, and often at mercy of the savages—the general government having neither the means nor military to afford protection; thus the frontier settler was left to his fate as before. Since then a century has rolled off into the ocean of time, and while still " Westward the course of Empire takes its way its way," the Indian atrocities upon the frontier settlements continue as of yore, and the question calls into requisition the wisest of statesmanship and, the best and most vigorous policy of the government to meet it. The indications now are that the Indians must either give up their nationality and savage life, and become citizens of the United States, or be exterminated. , During the Revolutionary War and for some time thereafter, the military post of the British at Detroit supplied the savages, throughout the Northwest. with munitions of War, and encouraged and supported them in their villainous depredations upon the frontier. The hot-bed of the councils of the savages was the Wyandot towns along INTRODUCTION the banks of the Sandusky river; of which Upper Sandusky was the leading one. There was a constant intercommunication kept up between these Indian towns and. Detroit. This state of things continued for a long time after the Treaty of Paris, and until the British evacuated Detroit, when the Indians were finally thrown upon their own resources and compelled to come to terms. Even in the late war with Great Britain, after Hull’s surrender and with the British in possession of Detroit, the same policy was inaugurated under . General Bartoe, and the Indians were again made the allies of the British, as we shall hereafter see. Expeditions were set on foot against the British at Detroit and the Indians on the Sandusky, during the war, by the Continental Congress and afterwards by the government of the States. Fort Pitt was a small garrison in the charge of General Irvine. Here all the early expeditions were organized. Congress being fully aware of the terrible atrocities along the frontier were directed and supported from Detroit, and in order to bring peace to the border, ordered General Laughlin McIntosh, from the regular army, to move upon Detroit. " He descended the Ohio river with a force of regulars and militia to the mouth of Beaver river in October, 1778, where he established the first military post of the United States beyond the frontier settlements. Congress, however, reluctantly suspended the expedition against Detroit for want of means to prosecute it, and ordered General McIntosh to proceed upon and destroy the Indian towns in the vicinity that, in his opinion, would most effectually tend to chastise the savages thereupon undertook to move upon Sandusky and destroy the Wyandot towns. He started with one thousand men, and on reaching the Muskingum in the present county of Tuscarawas, he built a fort, and called it Fort. Lawrence, in honor of the President of Congress. Leaving Colonel John Gibson in charge of this post with fifty men, he returned with the rest of his army to Fort Pitt. Fort Lawrence was the first military post established on Ohio soil. In August following, Fort Lawrence was evacuated. This ended the first expedition. Fort McIntosh was also abandoned. An expedition for the same purpose, under Col. Broadhead, was also a failure. Another expedition was organized under the command Col. Crawford. CRAWFORD'S EXPEDITION. The lamentable expedition of Col. Crawford falling into this period and being a part of the Revolutionary struggle, occurring before the Treaty of Paris, and the sad, terrible conclusion of which took place so near the border of Seneca county, an abstract relation of the same will not be out of place in these pages. The British had succeeded in enlisting into their service all the savage element northwest of the Ohio river, and provided them with all the requisite munitions of war. Deserters from the army under Washington, runaway tories and desperadoes from the Colonies, united with the savages to make their continued attacks upon the frontier as expressed in the language of Lord Chatham : "Letting loose the horrible hell-hounds of savage war." 14 - HISTORY OF SENECA COUNTY. The British directed the operations against the frontier from their military post at Detroit, where Henry Hamilton, a vulgar ruffian, was in command. The Wyandots, Senecas and Shawnees were the principal tribes enlisted in this murderous warfare. Nearly all the smaller tribes were made allies of these. The Delawares were the peaceable nation amongst them that had not joined in the war upon the frontier, and even these eventually became enemies. These elements, thus combined—British, savages, tones and desperadoes; were turned loose upon peaceable settlers, upon unarmed men, upon helpless women and children. They extended their atrocities all along the western frontier of Pennsylvania and Virginia. The effect upon the frontier people can better be imagined than described. Their patient endurance became exhausted. It became now a war to the knife. To kill an Indian was a source of pleasure, and at the same time a signal for attack upon the settlement. In a letter from General Washington to General Irvine at Fort Pitt, instructions were given to the latter in these words: "Still continue to keep yourself informed as to the situation at Detroit, and the strength of the enemy at that place." The subject of another expedition against Sandusky became quite popular, but Irvine hesitated; and at first rather opposed the project, but finally yielded to the popular demand, and even assisted in the enterprise. The people became so clamorous in urging on the organization as to demand of General Irvine that he should himself lead. This he declined to do for want of authority to leave his post. The expedition was thoroughly considered And supported by the best of men along the frontier. No one doubted its propriety. Everybody saw the necessity. Sandusky was the infernal den from whence came all their trouble. Volunteers flocked in from every side. Then the place for rendezvous was fixed at Logan-town-at-Mingo, (Mingo Bottom,) now in Steubenville township, Jefferson county, Ohio. On the 24th of May; 1782, they met. There were four hundred and eighty in all. William Crawford was elected Colonel, and David Williamson, David Gaddis, John McClelland and one Brinton were elected Field-Marshals. Early in the morning of the 25th day of May, the army, under Crawford, began its march from Mingo Bottom, in four columns. It was to lead in the straightest direction through the woods to Sandusky, a distance of one hundred and fifty miles. The route lay through what now constitutes the counties of Jefferson,, Harrison, Tuscarawas, Ashland, Holmes, Richland, Crawford and near to the center of Wyandot. The whole distance was through a dense, unbroken forest, except where they reached the plains. Nothing of any particular interest occurred except that on the second day out two Indians were discovered. They were shot at, but being missed, escaped. Fearing that they were 'scouts, Crawford pressed forward with greater speed. On the 2d of June they reached the Sandusky river at a point immediately East of where Leesville, in Crawford county, now stands, and near the mouth of a small creek called "Allen's run." The Sandusky river rises in Springfield township, Richland county, at the INTRODUCTION - 15 “Palmer Spring," so-called. Taking a southwesterly course, and receiving several small tributaries, it enters Wyandot county about two miles north of the southeast corner, and pursues that course generally through Wyandot, Seneca and Sandusky to the bay, a distance of eighty miles from its source, along the stream. Its principal tributaries from the right bank. are the Broken Sword and. Sycamore, and from the left. the Little Sandusky and Tymochtee, in Crawford and Wyandot counties. The army was now approaching the enemy's headquarters. Slover, the guide, who had been amongst the Wyandots, said to Crawford that they were near the plains. These they reached on the next day, near the mouth of a small stream entering the Olentangy, or Whetstone. To most of the volunteers the sight of the prairie, or plains, was a novelty. The islands of timber, the tall, coarse grass, prairie hens, wild geese, ducks, prairie owls, etc., attracted their attention. Little they thought and less they knew of the sad fate that awaited them. How happily has a kind Providence drawn a curtain between man and his future!  The Olentangy is on the eastern boundary of Wyandot county. The Tymochtee is on the west. On the south these prairies form the north part of Marion county. Their extreme length, east And west, is forty miles; their extreme breadth, twenty miles; the average elevation above lake Erie, three hundred feet. These were the favored hunting grounds of the savages, and to which they clung with a tenacity that bordered on desperation; The army. camped about ten miles. from their place of destination. The next morning, the 4th of June, they started on their march, with great precaution, in a northwesterly direction, and reached the mouth of the Little Sandusky, where they found Indian trails leading in every direction. They crossed the river and followed a trail, but discovered no Indians. Slover, the guide, told Crawford that a Wyandot town was close by. A little further on they came upon the town but found it deserted. Crawford ordered a halt for consultation. The soldiers dismounted and refreshed themselves and their horses at the spring. This forsaken town was on the east bank of the Sandusky, and about three miles south of the present town of Upper Sandusky. The Sandusky of the Wyandots, as known to Slover and Zane, the guides, was eight miles below, where the Kilbourn road crosses the river. Here was the residence of Pomoacan—Half-King—as he was called. Of all the Indian allies of Great Britain, the Wyandots were the most powerful, because they were tie most intelligent, caused by their association with the French and British. In their treatment of prisoners they seldom, if ever, resorted to torture, which was common with the other tribes. Arentz De Peyster, the commander at Detroit, had sent Butler's rangers to assist the Indians. The night preceding the battle, these camped in the limits of Seneca county; near the river in Pleasant township. They were mounted troops, and had two field-pieces and a mortar. The Indians who had watched the progress of Crawford from Mingo Bottom to the Sandusky, had marshaled their host and were ready for action. Their combined forces greatly outnumbered those of Crawford. 16 - HISTORY OF SENECA COUNTY. The squaws and children had been sent to a ravine on the Tymochtee. Simon Girty was with the Wyandots. He was an Irish tory and an adopted son of the Senecas, who had captured him when young, and is described as a fierce, cruel and beastly creature. His Indian name was Katepocomen. which, if it means anything, ought to mean devil. He had been liberated. and having returned to . the settlements became the friend of Crawford. aspired to office in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, failed, voluntarily returned to savage life and became the most savage of the savages. His name was a terror along the Ohio river and throughout the northwest. Yet when Simon Kenton was brought to Mac-a-chack town as a captive, under sentence of death, Girty got him released, and Kenton being taken to Detroit as a prisoner made his escape. But to return. It was now one o'clock in the afternoon. Crawford determined to pursue the trail to the other town, where he expected to find the enemy. At a Point about one mile south of the present Upper Sandusky, Crawford called a council of war. Rose, the Surgeon, whom General Irvine had sent along. with the expedition, and Zane, advised and urged an immediate return, because they feared that the Indians had too many warriors for them. Crawford then acquiesced, but they finally determined to pursue their march that afternoon only and then return. Immediately scouts came hurrying up announcing the discovery of the enemy. This news was received with evident satisfaction, and rapidly everything was put in readiness, and an advance ordered to meet the enemy. The Indians came on a run to meet the troops. The Americans drove the savages from a grove they had in possession, and from that sheltered position fired upon them until night-fall. This grove is known by the name of "Battle Island," situated three miles north and one-half mile east of the court-house in Upper Sandusky. When, in the Summer of 1834, I visited the battle ground, the oak trees were still bearing the marks of the bullets and of the tomahawks the Indians had used to cut out the balls. When night set in the army built their camp fires and collected as best they could their dead and wounded. There were five killed and nineteen Wounded. On the morning of the fifth the battle was renewed at long range and with but little effect. The Americans still occupied the island of timber. During this day the Americans lost but four wounded. Plans were now discussed as to the manner of attack on the next day, when suddenly the scene changed. The appearance of Butler's rangers in the rear of the Wyandots struck dismay into the hearts of the army. Crawford abandoned all idea's of an attack and prepared for defense, when about two hundred Shawnees were discovered supporting the Delawares on he south. "They kept pouring in from all sides" are the words of Rose. At nine o'clock that night a retreat was resolved upon. The killed were buried and fires burnt over their - graves to prevent discovery. Stretchers were made to carry the wounded. Just as the army was about to start, an attack was made on the troops, which threw them into great confusion, and two wounded fell into the hands of the enemy. They did not pursue the troops very far, however, not knowing that a retreat had been resolved upon. McClelland was reported killed. Williamson took command. Crawford, his son and son-in-law Harris were amongst the missing. The retreating army was compelled to INTRODUCTION. - 17 cut its way through mounted Indians and British cavalry, but reached the edge of the prairie, at two o'clock of the afternoon on the second day, south of Bucyrus. They were brought to a stand near Olentangy creek, called "Keen-hong-she-con-se-pung" by the Delawares. Here a vast number of the enemy overtook the retreating army, but after a short engagement they were repulsed. A rain storm now swept the plains in great fury. The men were drenched to the skin. The air became chilly. The march was continued while the enemy, following, kept up a constant fire upon them. By night-fall the army reached Leesville, forty miles from the battle ground on Battle Island, where they encamped, leaving the enemy a mile in the rear. The army reached Mingo Bottom on the 13th of June, and were discharged on the next day. The total number of killed and missing did not exceed seventy. We will now return to follow up the fate of poor Crawford and his fellow sufferers. It is undoubtedly true, that in the night after the last day's battle near the grove, Crawford was amongst those whose horses got fast in the muck, and while trying to save them, were left behind by the retreating army. He was heard to call for his son John, and for his son-in-law Harris, in the darkness .of the night He also called for Major Rose, and his nephew, William Crawford, but nobody could come to help him. Dr. Knight, who now came up to Crawford, told him that he believed the others were all ahead of them; but Crawford thought otherwise, and begged of the doctor not to leave him. His horse was useless, and he complained of the troops for thus. leaving him. At this time an old man and a boy came up to Crawford, and the doctor and all started on a southwesterly course, and arrived near the cranberry marsh where some of the volunteers were also struggling to get their swamped horses out of the oozy soil. Now Crawford and his party took a northerly course, and reaching a point about two miles north from the battle ground, they started on a course due east, guided by the North Star. At midnight they reached the. Sandusky river near the mouth of Negro Run. The old man falling behind, several times called for the -others to wait. An Indian was heard to halloo, and nothing further was seen of the old man. The party passed on. At two o'clock next afternoon Capt. Biggs overtook the party. After an hour's travel—some on horseback and others on foot, Lieutenant Ashley being wounded, and a drenching rain overtaking them, which made their progress very slow, they camped two miles north of Bucyrus. The next morning they started on a southeasterly course, and found a deer that had recently been killed, and a tomahawk lying close by it. They sliced the flesh from the bones, and wrapping the venison in the skin, took it along. A mile further on they saw a fire, and left the wounded officer in charge of the boy, with orders to remain behind. Upon examination they came to the conclusion that the fire had been made by their own men the previous day. A most fatal conclusion! They roasted their venison and were about to start on, when a volunteer came up to them and told them that he had killed the deer, and abandoned it when he heard them coming, .fearing they were Indians. Now all passed on and soon reached the trail o the retreating army. Knight and Biggs proposed to leave the trail. Crawford opposed the plan. Crawford and Knight were  - 2 - 18 - HISTORY OF SENECA COUNTY. afoot; the rest on horseback. When the party were just east of Leesville, three Indians jumped up, and Dr. Knight took aim at one, but Crawford called to him not to fire. One of the Indians ran up to Crawford and took him by the hand. The other walked up to Knight and called him doctor, took him by the hand and said he had seen him before, The party had fallen into an ambuscade of Delawares, whose chief was Wingenund, (pronounced Win-ge-noond) at camp only half-mile away. Capt. Biggs fired, but hit no one. An Indian told Knight to call his people up or they would all be killed, but the other four got away for that time. Crawford and Knight were captives. The warriors returned to camp with their prisoners and captured horses. There was great joy upon their coming into camp among the savages. The Delawares lived among the Wyandots by mere permission. The burning of prisoners was kept up among the Delawares when the Wyandots had abandoned it. Their chiefs, "The Pipe" and "Wingenund," therefore were under the necessity of obtaining the consent of the Wyandot chief before they could burn a captive. This consent was secured by a stratagem. It was now three o'clock Friday afternoon, June seventh. On Sunday following the savages brought in the scalps and horses of Ashley and Biggs. The others again escaped. The Delawares had nine other prisoners besides Crawford and Knight. Some of the converted Delawares, who had gone back to heathenism, also brought in scalps of borderers. The chiefs soon knew that Crawford was the "Big Captain." Several of the savages were known to both Crawford and Knight. On Monday, the 10th of June, the prisoners were ordered to march to Sandusky, the "Half King's" town, thirty-three miles away. Crawford hoped for help by Girty. Meeting him at Sandusky, he offered him one thousand dollars if he would save his life. Girty promised, but without any intention to keep his word. Crawford saw that "The Pipe" was very much enraged against the prisoners. On Tuesday, June 11, "The Pipe" painted all the faces of the prisoners black, and. told Knight to go to the Shawnees' town and see his friends. This chief knew Crawford before his tribe joined the enemy, and told him that he would have him shaved, i. e., adopted, but at the same time painted him black also. Then the whole party started for the Wyandot town, eight miles below. A short distance on their way they saw four of their comrades lying near the trail, scalped. At the spring where Upper Sandusky now stands, to their dismay, another trail was taken northwestward to the Delaware town on the Tymochtee. All ideas of hope for life had now vanished. When they reached Little Tymochtee creek, in what is now Salem township, in Wyandot county-, the Indians made the prisoners sit down. Knight was put in the charge of an Indian, to be taken to the Shawnees town. The squaws and boys now tomahawked the other five prisoners. An old squaw cut off the head of McKinley and kicked it about on the ground. The young Indians then dashed the bloody scalps into the faces of Crawford and Knight several times. Again they started, and were soon met by Simon Girty and red savages on horseback, who had come to enjoy the scene of. torture. INTRODUCTION - 19 Wingenund and The Pipe were the prime movers in alienating the Delawares from their frontier friends and in making them enemies. They were so bitter in their hatred of the Americans that their cruelties knew no bounds. Having now full authority over their prisoners, the only ground for hesitation to commence the process of torture seemed to be to resolve upon how to perform it in the most hellish manner. As the party moved along towards Tymochtee, every Indian they met struck the prisoners. Girty said : "Is that doctor Knight Knight said yes, and offered Girty his hand, which he refused, and said : "Begone; you are a damned rascal !" They now reached Tymochtee creek, and were about three-quarters of a mile from the village, which was further down the creek. I am now about to record the manner of Crawford's death. The scenes the poor captives had to pass through so far, are of themselves sickening, and calculated to rouse the sympathies of a heart of stone. The task creates a chill, and the pen moves reluctantly to describe an act so fiendish., brutal and repulsive. "Man's inhumanity to man," it should be remembered, is not an attribute that characterizes exclusively the North American savage. Has not Europe, has not Asia, has not America equal cause to blush when tracing histories of white races? Thousands upon thousands fell beneath the sword of Mohammed for refusing to take the Koran. Europe, dressed in Christian attire, with her churches, her domes; her institutions of learning and refinement, burnt her martyrs at the stake. Her inquisitions, her "bridges of sighs," her blocks and guillotines glotted the pages of her history with the blood of her religious. and political victims, while our own dear America burnt her witches and hung Quakers on Boston Common. Is the difference amongst savages found only in color or race? About four o'clock in the, afternoon on the eleventh day of June, the savages planted a stake in the ground near the right bank of Tymochtee creek, to which Crawford was tied. The Indian men then shot powder into Crawford's naked body, from his heels to his head until he was \black all over. Not less than seventy shots were fired upon him. They cut off both of his ears., and when occasionally the throng around Crawford would allow Dr. Knight to get sight of him, the blood was running down both sides of his head. They built a ring of fire around the stake and within six or seven yards of it. It was made of small hickory poles and when burnt quite through in the middle, leaving the ends about five feet long, three or four Indians at a time would each take one of these burning 'sticks and hold the burning part to the naked body of Crawford, already black with powder. They placed themselves on each side of him so that whichever way he would run around the post, they met him with these burning fagots. Some of the squaws took broad pieces of chips and bark, with which they threw quantities of hot coals and embers on him, so that in a short time he had to walk over a bed of coals and hot ashes. In the midst of these extreme tortures Crawford called to Girty and begged of him to shoot him. Receiving no answer, he called again, when Girty tauntingly replied that he had no gun, and turning around to the Indians behind him laughed heartily and seemed delighted at the horrid scene. 20 - HISTORY OF SENECA COUNTY Girty walked up to Dr. Knight and told him to prepare for death also ; that he was not to die at that place, but was to be burnt at a Shawnees town, With a most fearful oath he added that he (the doctor) need not expect to escape death, but that he would suffer it in all its extremities. He asked Knight whether he had any hopes of escaping it, but the doctor was too much absorbed with the terrible agonies Colonel Crawford was undergoing before his eyes and his own immediate fate. harrowing up his soul, that he made Girty no answer. Crawford bore his torments with the most manly fortitude. Several times he was heard to call on the Almighty to have mercy on his soul. Thus he continued in all these extremities of pain for more than two hours, as near as Knight could judge, when he laid down on his stomach. The savages then scalped him and repeatedly threw the bloody scalp into poor Knight's face, telling him that was the "Big Captain." An old squaw, who to Knight looked more like Satan than a human being, took a board and shoveled coals and ashes on Crawford's back and scalped head. The wretched man then raised himself on his feet again and began to walk around the post. They next held burning sticks to his body as before, and Knight was taken away from the scene. The Indians had a tradition amongst them that Crawford breathed his last as the sun was going down. On the next morning when Knight was started. off for the Shawnees town and while he was passing the fire place, he saw the remains of Crawford almost burnt to ashes. Then the Indians told Knight that was his fate and gave the "scalp halloo." The tradition runs—that after Crawford died, the fagots were heaped together, his body placed upon them and that the savages danced around the remains for several hours longer. The Shawnees had great rejoicing when the news reached them, and the poor frontier settlers were filled with gloom and dismay. Crawford was mourned by all who knew him. We will throw the mantle of forgetfulness over the lonely cabin that contained the widow of the Colonel when the sad news reached her ear. The language used by General Washington on this. occasion, shows the deep feeling of his noble heart. "It is with the greatest sorrow and cement that I have learned the melancholy tidings of Col. Crawford's death. Be was known to me as an officer of much care and prudence; brave, experienced and active. The manner of his death was shocking to me, and I have this day communicated to Congress such papers as I have regarding it." On the 6th of August he :writes to General Irvine, thus : "I lament the failure of the expedition against Sandusky and am particularly affected with the disastrous death of Colonel Crawford." The various narratives of the place of execution and burning of Colonel Crawford were so conflicting, for a time after the white man began his settlements along the Tymochtee, that the best light tradition could throw on the subject fixed the place where now a. monument is erected to the memory of Crawford and his sad fate. INTRODUCTION - 21 The monument stands on the farm once owned by Daniel Hodge, in Crawford township, Wyandot county, near Crawfordsville, and a short distance from Carey. on the Cincinnati, Sandusky & Cleveland railroad. Colonel William Crawford was born in the year 1732, in Orange county. Virginia, of Scotch-Irish parents. When General Washington was employed by Lord Fairfax to survey the large tracts of lands he had in the west of Virginia, the young surveyor often. stopped at the house of Crawford's parents, when he made the acquaintance of William Crawford. They became warm friends and their attachment lasted through life. They ware both about the same age. Crawford learned from Washington the art of surveying. Both served under Braddock at Fort Du Quesne. They were then in the prime of life and vigor. Crawford was with Washington at the crossing of the Delaware, at Trenton, and Princeton in 1777. He was sent by Washington to take charge of Fort Pitt under instructions from Congress. From thence forward his services ware devoted to the frontier, where he displayed the highest qualities of military genius. The expedition against Sandusky was a favorite scheme with him, and was to have been the crowning achievement of his life, after having served in the, war of the revolution six full years. We will close this part of our work by simply relating, in a short way, the wonderful escape of Slover, the guide; and of doctor Knight. DOCTOR KNIGHT On the morning of the 12th of June, the doctor was again painted black, and put in the charge of a Delaware savage, a rough-looking cuss by the name of Tutelu. Then they started for the Shawnees town, some forty miles away, Tutelu on horseback driving. the doctor before him. The doctor tried to make the Indian believe that he felt cheerful, and spoke of living with him in the same house, etc., Which seemed to please the savage. They traveled about twenty-five miles that day and camped. In the morning Tutelu fixed up the fire. The doctor asked Tutelu to fix up a fire behind him to keep the' mosquitos, away. When the savage turned his back 'the doctor struck him with a stick on the head and the Indian fell forward with both hands into the fire. He soon recovered and ran off howling. Knight seized' the Indian's gun, but pulling back the cock, broke the mainspring. This occurred near the Scioto Hardin county, a short' distance down the river from Kenton. Knight then took the Indian's blanket, a pair of 'new. moccasins, powder horn and gun, and started in a northeasterly. direction, Shortly before sundown he reached the plains. Here he hid himself until night-fall, when he proceeded on and reached the woods on the other side by daylight. He avoided the track taken by the army outward as much as possible. On the second day of his escape he reached a point in Richland county, where "Spring Mills" are situate, about. noon. In the evening. he began to be very faint. During the six days of his imprisonment he was nearly starved. He had thrown away the gun as useless, and was now compelled to live on green gooseberries and herbs. The blow he had received with the back of a tomahawk still hurt him very much. He crossed the Muskingum near the mouth of the Conotten, an eastern affluent. in 22 - HISTORY OF SENECA COUNTY. Tuscarawas county. He reached fort Pitt on the morning of the fourth day of July in safety. He afterwards became the surgeon of the Seventh Virginia regiment. He was married on the 14th day of October, 1784, and died on the 12th day of March, 1838, the father of ten children. Dr. Knight is entitled to the credit of furnishing to history the most truthful relation of this sad expedition. SLOVER. Slover and his two fellow captives were taken to a Shawnees town. The inhabitants came out and beat and abused the prisoners greatly. They seized the oldest one of Slover's companions, stripped him naked, and painted him black with coal and water. They sent a messenger to Wapatomica to get ready for the frolic, as they were coming, and when they approached the town the savages came out with clubs, guns and tomahawks. They told the prisoners they must run to the Council House, about three hundred yards away. The man painted black was the principal object of their sport. They struck him and shot powder into his flesh ; women and children all engaged in the frolic, shouting and beating their drums. Arriving at the door the man was cut very badly and the blood was streaming from the wounds inflicted by the tomahawks and rifle wads. He laid hold of the door, but was pulled back. Slover saw him carried away, and the Indians slowly killing him. He saw his dead body near the, Council House, cruelly mangled. Then they cut off the bead and limbs and stuck them on poles outside of town. The same evening he saw the bodies of three others mangled to about the same condition. One of these was William Harrison, the son-in-law, and the other William Crawford, the nephew, of the Colonel. The Indians also had their horses. On the next day a large council was held. Slover was examined as to his knowledge of the frontier. He could speak the language of the Miamis, Delawares and Shawnees. Captain Elliott and James Girty also came and assured the savages that Slover had lied, that Cornwallis was not taken, etc.. Hitherto Slover had been treated kindly. Now they began to abuse him also. This council lasted fifteen days. About onee hundred warriors were present. See the humanity of the British commander at Detroit, De Peyster ! At the close of this council a dispatch was brought in from that dignitary. by a warrior who had just arrived. It was in these words : "My children, provisions are scarce. When prisoners are brought in we are obliged to maintain them, and some of them run away and carry tidings of our affairs. when any of your people fall info the hands of the rebels, they show no mercy; why, then, should you take prisoners? Take no more prisoners, my children, of any sort—man, woman, or child." The Ottawas, Chippewas, Wyandots, Mingoes, Delawares, Shawnees, Monseys and Cherokees participated in this council. They laid plans for Louisville and Wheeling. All prisoners thereafter were to be put to death. They put a rope around Slover, stripped him naked and blacked him, took him five miles away, tied him to a tree near a hut and beat him. They then took him about two miles further to Mac-a-chack, near West Liberty, in Logan county. Slover was tied with a rope around his neck to a post and a INTRODUCTION - 23 fire built around him. A. rain coming up put out the fire, and the burning was postponed until next day. They danced around him until late into the night, striking and wounding him. They :then took him to a block house and tied him. Three Indians watched him. Near morning the. Indians were. all asleep, and Slover, succeeding in untying his rope, ran away into a. corn field. He found a horse closely, used his rope for a halter and put off. On the third day out the horse gave out and was abandoned. Slover traveled on foot and in his naked condition reached the Ohio near Wheeling. He returned to Fort Pitt on the 11th of July. The last straggler had returned. THE ORDINANCE OF 1788—SETTLEMENTS OF OHIO—PIANKESHAW'S SPEECH —TERRITORIAL ORGANIZATION—CLARK'S CAMPAIGN. Although the treaty of Paris was. signed in September, 1783, the news did not reach the United States for more than one month later, and it was nearly two months later before it reached the western frontier. Meanwhile the conflict in the west was kept up with all its terror. Settlements were attacked along the Ohio river and abandoned. Expedition's were organized, prosecuted and abandoned, often in disaster; The struggle to conquer the Indians and possess the west seemed almost hopeless. Now came the tidings of peace and a new life seemed to spread over the land like the dawn of day following a night of storm. A Mr. Dalton was government agent on the Wabash. He called a council of the chiefs and announced to them the fact that peace was declared in the following words : "My children ! what I have often told you has now come to pass. This day I received news from my great chief at the falls of Ohio. Peace is made with the enemies of America. The tomahawk is buried. The Shawnees, the Delaware's, the Chicasaws, and the Cherokees have taken the Long Knife by the hand. They have given up the captives they had taken. My 'children of the wabash, open your ears, and let what I tell you Sink deep into your hearts. you know-me. Near twenty years I have been. among you. The Long Knife is my nation ; I know their hearts. Peace they carry in one hand and War in the other. Consider now which you will choose. We never beg peace of our enemies. If you love your women and children, receive the belt of wampum I present you. Return to me the captives you have in your villages, and the horses you hole from my people in Kentucky. Your corn fields were never disturbed by the Long Knife while your warriors were robbing my people." Mr. Dalton presented the chief with a belt of blue and white wampum. There were several tribes represented on the occasion, but Piankeshaw was recognized as the head chief of the most 'powerful tribe. He accepted the emblem of peace, and then with much dignity of manner, replied : "My Great Father, the Long Knife: You have been many years amongst us; you have suffered by us. We still hope you will have pity and compassion Upon us, on our women and children ; the sun shines on us, and the good news of peace appears in our faces. This is the day of joy to the wabash Indians. with one tongue we now speak. we accept your peace belt. We received the tomahawk from the English. Poverty forced us to it. We were followed by other tribes. we are sorry for it. To-day we collect the scattered bones of our friends and bury them in one grave. Here is the pipe that gives us joy; smoke of it. We have buried the tomahawk ; have formed friendships never to be broken, and now we smoke out of your pipe. We know that the Great Spirit was angry with us for stealing your horses and attacking your 24 - HISTORY OF SENECA COUNTY. people. He has sent us so much snow and cold weather as to kill your horses with our own. We are a poor people, we hope that God will help us, and that the Long Knife will have compassion on our women and Children. Your people who are with us are well.' We shall collect them when they come in from hunting. We love them, and so do our young' women. Some of your people mend our guns. Others tell us they can make rum out of corn. They are now the same:as we. In one moon after this we will take them back to their friends in Kentucky. My Father! This being the day of joy to the Wabash Indians, we beg a little drop of your milk (rum to let our warriors see that it came from your breast. We were born and raised in the woods. We could never learn to make rum. God has made the white man master of the world." Having finished his speech, Piankeshaw presented Mr. Dalton with three strings of wampum as a pledge Of peace. Every reader Must be impressed with the tone of despondency that pervades this address and the melancholy spirit that asks for rum. In all the various treaties and intercourses for peace with the Indians, the reader is frequently met by the term "Long Knife." By this expression, of course, is meant the "white man," or the "general government." The way the term came to be used, is said to have occurred in this wise: A Colonel Gibson, while stationed at Fort Pitt, in a certain attack with his troops upon a company of Indians, and getting into a hand to hand fight, cut off the head of an Indian with his sword, in one stroke. This struck terror into the hearts of the other Indians, who fled, and reported to their chiefs that a pale face had cut off the head of an Indian with a "Long Knife." The British traders in Canada kept up their business with the Indians as before, and, in direct violation of the treaty, replenished the fuel that was still burning in the hearts of the savages throughout the northwest against the white people. The vast territory lying north of the Ohio river and extending far west to the Mississippi, was claimed, by charters from the King of England, by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Virginia. Each of these states now consented to relinquish its claim to the general government with the exception of reservations by Connecticut and Virginia. These two states, embarrassed by the war; retained each a portion 'of the territory for the purpose 9f paying its debt to the revolutionary soldiers. The region thus ceded to Connecticut, lying north of the 41st degree north latitude, and extending from the west line of Pennsylvania to the west line of what is now Huron county, was called the "Western Reserve" —"Firelands." It extends from the lake, south, to what is now known as the "base line," fifty miles wide and one hundred and twenty miles long from east to west. Virginia retained the lands lying between the Scioto and the Little Miami, which was called the "Virginia Military District." By these cessions the general government became possessed of the vast region of uninhabited territory extending to the lakes of the north and west to the Mississippi river, now forming the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan. By the celebrated ordinance of 1787, no less than three nor more than five states were to be organized in this vast