WOOD COUNTY, OHIO - 27 CHAPTER VI. OUR INDIAN PREDECESSORS-THEIR NUMBERS-SOMEWHAT OF HABITS, CUSTOMS AND MANNERS, AS DESCRIBED BY MISSIONARIES AND OTHERS AMONG THEM. THIS brings us, in the progress of this account of the Maumee Country, to what may be called the formative period of white settlement. Such descriptions of the actual conditions existing here at that time, as we get from men who were on the ground and spoke from personal observation, afford the best information obtainable. It is, moreover, deemed best, where practicable, to give the story in the relator's own words. Before the white people get here, then, let us glance at the resident Indian population, which it is believed then numbered not less than eight thousand. In the year 1802, the Connecticut Missionary Society sent out an agent to establish a station among these Indians. A letter or report of that year, sent in by the society's agent, Rev. David Bacon, contains the following references: "I set out (from Detroit) April 20th for the Miami (Maumee) in a canoe, with Beaumont and a man I had hired; but, by reason of unfavorable winds, we did not arrive at the mouth of the river until the 4th of May. We were very much fatigued with hard rowing, and were several times in danger by the violence of the waves. I was obliged to go without the public interpreter, as he could not be spared. But when I came to the Miami I found an excellent interpreter in whom the Indians placed the utmost confidence, and who served me faithfully for a much less sum than what either of the others would have asked. His name is William Dragoo. When I arrived at the mouth of the river, the most of the chiefs were drunk at the traders' above. After remaining there two days, and finding it uncertain when they would be down, we went up and stored my provisions and farming tools at Ft. Miami, eighteen miles above. Hearing there that most of them had gone down, we returned the next day to the mouth. The day after I found that Little Otter, the head chief, and one other were all that remained in the main village where we were, and that the rest all lay drunk at the neighboring village. In the afternoon I spent several hours with these two explaining to them the origin and designs of the Missionary Society, and the benefits, temporal and spiritual, that they might expect to receive by having me among them. They appeared to pay good attention, and when I had concluded, Little Otter observed, in reply, that the Great Spirit had been listening, and that they and their young men had been listening to all I had said; that he believed it was true; that the air appeared clear and no clouds in the way, and that he would assemble his chiefs and hear me again as soon as possible, but that till then he could give me no further answer. "This was Saturday, the 8th. Through the Sabbath following we enjoyed peace and quietness among them. Hitherto, the most of them had remained sober. But the following night we were disturbed by the rattles and drums of a number of individuals who spent the night in conjuring over a poor sick child in order to save its life, but it died within a day or two after. "Next day we started for the trading post. As we had a strong head wind, it was with difficulty that we got but five miles up the river that afternoon. We encamped about a quarter of a mile above their dancing ground. My interpreter advised me to go with him to see them that evening; and I had a desire to be present, as I supposed I might acquire some information that might be useful; but I thought it would not be prudent to be among them that night as I knew some of them were intoxicated and that such would be apt to be jealous of me at that time; and that nothing would be too absurd for their imaginations to conceive, or too cruel for their hands to perform. But as a son of the head 28 - WOOD COUNTY, OHIO chief was sent early next morning to invite me down, I went to see them. I had the greater desire to go, as this is their annual conjurationdance, which is celebrated every spring, on their return from hunting, and at no other time in the year. * * "Mr. Anderson, a respectable trader at Fort Miami, told me that they had been growing worse every year since he had been acquainted with them, which is six or seven years; and that they have gone much greater lengths this year than he has ever known them before. He assured me that it was a fact, that they had lain drunk this spring, as much as ten or fifteen days, at several different traders above him; and that some of them had gone fifteen days without tasting a mouthful of victuals while they were in that situation. Mr. Anderson disapproved of the practice, and, by not complying with it, has lost the trade, and has turned his attention to his farm. He treated me very kindly, and seemed friendly to my designs, and very desirous to have me come out there." Rev. James B. Finley, in his autobiography, says that in the fall of the year 1800, in company with others, he purchased a drove of fat cattle near Chilicothe and drove them through to Detroit, by the way of the Sandusky Plains, Lower Sandusky and the Maumee Rapids where they found a large Indian village. "The Indians of this town had just finished their great fall dance and frolic, and were making preparations for starting for their hunting grounds. Being hungry and half starved, they demanded of us a steer for the privilege, of driving through their country. I told them no, they could not have it, as the cattle were for the soldiers at Detroit. At this one of the Indians raised his rifle to shoot a steer, but riding instantly between him and the animal, I told him if he shot I would send a force of soldiers after him from Detroit, and he should be taken there to answer for his conduct. This had the desired effect, and we passed on unmolested. * * * Soon after the sale (of the cattle to a government contractor), we left for home, with provisions sufficient to last till we reached the Maumee Rapids, where, our stock being exhausted, we found it impossible to purchase any; and taking a string of corn, on which, with some hazel nuts, we subsisted for two days, we arrived at Lower Sandusky. At this place we purchased, of Whitaker, a few quarts of flour and the half of a small deer." Peter Navarre's reminiscences, written by H. L. Hosmer as a historical sketch, contains much that relates directly to the Maumee tribes. "At that time, 1807," says the narrator, "the Indians of the Ottawa nation lived in a village on the Maumee, nearly opposite Manhattan. It was a grassy plat; the houses, of logs, about sixty in number, were built in two rows, whitewashed, and presented a cheerful and pleasant appearance. The village had been in existence since the days of Pontiac, and marked the site of his encampment on the Maumee at the time he left Detroit in, 1764. The head chief of the nation, Fish-qua-gun, was a descendant from Pontiac. The character generally given to him, by those who knew him, was that of a kind-hearted, peaceable old man. At this time, also, the widow of Pontiac, Kan-tuck-ee-gun, and his son Otusso dwelt at the mouth of the river. The old woman was held in great reverence, always the first one applied to by the nation for advice, and the first to sign all treaties. Otusso was a man of excellent sense, free from the vices of his tribe, and, with none of the ferocity, inherited all the bravery of his father. He was a proud man, and held intercourse with those only of the whites who, like himself, were distinguished by station or power. Mesh-ka-mau, a cousin of Otusso, was a chief on the opposite side of the river. He was the finest orator in the nation, and the foremost speaker at all treaties. There were eight thousand of the Ottawas, at this time, living on the Maumee. Once a year they had a sacrifice of the best of everything they owned. On such occasions, which generally lasted three days, they would eat what they could, and burn the remnant of their food so that the dogs could not get it. About ten days before this annual sacrifice they would blacken their faces, and eat and drink only in the afternoon. Thousands of them would finally assemble, and erect a shanty where they held their feast. They would make religious speeches, and with upraised hand, and by every outward demonstration, testify their reverence for the Great Spirit. Feasts were frequent among them and upon various occasions. Sometimes sickness, often hunting, and, oftener still, to enjoy the pleasure of a protracted season of ball playing, they would have feasts of several days' continuance. At this period they drank but little liquor, were proud and vain, and many of them rich. Their robes were of fine cloths, bedizened with silver. and gold coins, which jingled and glittered as they walked. Often chiefs would have several hundred dollars fastened to their dresses. A variety of dances were incident to the feasts. One, called Ki-a-wa, indicated their expectation of, or desire for, war, and was almost invariably introduced at every feast WOOD COUNTY, OHIO. - 29 during the two years preceding the war (1812). The English visited the Indians in great numbers during the years 18 t0 and 1811, for the purpose of interesting them in the coming war against the United States. Navarre saw them frequently, heard their counsels, and witnessed their effect upon the nation." Rev. Joseph Badger, one of the earliest Protestant missionaries in this part of Ohio, and later a resident of Wood county, says: "In June, 1805, having agreed to spend two months at the River Raisin, Michigan Territory, and among the Wyandot Indians, I set out from Cleveland on the loth in company with Capt. Parish, of Canandaigua, and Mr. Knaggs, 0f Detroit, interpreters, going to attend the treaty at Swan Creek. We traveled on horseback, and lodged the first night on the sand beach near the mouth of Black river. "Just as we were about to start in the morning, we looked up the lake toward Detroit, and saw the smoke of the burning town, which was that morning consumed by fire. We crossed the river in a canoe, and swam our horses; also at Vermillion. * * * Friday morning we crossed the Sandusky river; swam our horses by a canoe; 'found the chiefs had arrived from the upper town on the way to the treaty about selling their land. Here I met the Rev. James Hughes. We spoke to Tarhe, or Crane, and Walk-in-the-water, about time for preaching, and went to Barnet's, or De-un-quot's, house and took dinner, and then returned to Mr. Whitaker's. Barnet appears with the meekness of a Christian, and is really an amiable man. * * * Tuesday, the 25th, we rode through the Maumee swamp, about thirty-six miles, and lodged in the woods. Wednesday we forded the Maumee; got breakfast at a French house and rode down to the outlet of Swan creek, Fort Industry, where the Indian agent, Mr. Jouet, with the commissioners of the Connecticut Fire Land Company, and the chiefs of eight different tribes of Indians, were in council about selling and buying land." Here, Mr. Badger gave the Wyandots a long temperance talk, after which Crane, their head chief, made a short speech, and told them to make up their minds what they would do. In about half an hour the old chief replied: Father, you have told us the truth; we thank you. Father, we have all agreed to use no more ardent spirits." Mr. Badger adds: "I lived with them about four years after this, and I saw or knew of but one man drunk in that time. It broke up the traders so that they left them." Judge Jacob Burnet, of Cincinnati, who was a practicing lawyer under the old Territorial Government, and came out to Detroit once a year to attend court, after Wayne county was established in 1796, says: "On one of the journeys of the court and bar to Detroit, we arrived at the Ottawa town, on the Auglaize, about the middle of the day, and accepted an invitation to remain there until the next morning. Blue Jacket, the Shawnee chief, resided at that village, but was then absent. The party, however, were received very kindly by the venerable Delaware chief, Bukongehelas, who, in the course of the afternoon, got up a game of foot ball, in the true aboriginal style, for the amusement of his guests. "The contending parties arranged themselves in the center of the lawn, the men on one side and the women on the other, each party facing the goal of their opponents. The side which should succeed in driving the ball through the stakes at the goal of their adversaries were to receive a purse, to be divided among them. The contest continued about an hour, with great animation and with various prospects of success, butt was finally decided in favor of the fair sex, by the herculean strength of a mammoth squaw, who got the ball and held it in spite of the efforts of the men to shake it from the grasp of her uplifted hand, till she approached the goal to throw it through the stakes." The party spent the night very pleasantly in the village, and in the morning resumed their journey. On their outward trip they took the route by Dayton, Piqua, Loramies, St. Mary's, and the Ottawa town on the Auglaize, and from thence down that river to Defiance; thence to the Foot of the Rapids, and thence by River Raisin (the old name of Monroe, Mich.), to Detroit. But on their return from Detroit they crossed the Maumee river at Roche de Boeuf, by the advice of Black Beard, who lived in that neighborhood, and with whom the party break fasted. As a matter of precaution, they hired his son to accompany them in the capacity of a guide. He led them through a succession of wet prairies, over some of which it was impossible to ride, and it was with great difficulty they were able to lead or drive their horses through the deep mud which surrounded them on all sides. After two days and a half of incessant toil and difficulty, they arrived at the same village in which they had been so kindly treated, and so much amused on their outward trip. To their great mortification and disappointment they were informed that Blue jacket had returned from Cincinnati a day or two before with a large quantity of whiskey, and that his 30 - WOOD COUNTY, OHIO people were on a high frolic. This information, was soon confirmed by the discovery that the, whole village, male and, female, was drunk. The party, however, were, received with great, kindness, but it was manifestly impossible to remain in the village, and the only alternative was to proceed on their journey. From these statements of contemporary witnesses, among the Indians, the reader can form an estimate of the general condition, circumstances, location and numbers of our Indian predecessors, just prior to, and at the time of, the coming of, the whites. The great body of these were Ottawas,* though individuals and bands of 0ther tribes were mingled with them, and the Wyandots shared in the use of their hunting grounds. They were scattered along the Maumee; mostly on the north side, along the rapids, because the country was drier and more open, from the bay to De- * The Chippewas, the Pottawatamies and Ottawas were originally one nation. [Speech of Ottawa chief at treaty at Chicago, 1821- Drake, Book V, p. 120.] fiance, and on the Auglaize and Blanchard. Their corn and truck patches were frequent, too, on Bean creek, Swan creek, and the smaller tributaries. Occasionally camps for hunting and sugar making were found on the Portage and its branches, and at other isolated points favorable to the Indian mode of life. The greatest blight on the race, according to the testimony of the missionaries of that time, was whiskey and the conjurors. The latter were cunning charlatans, who pretended to have communication and influence with both good and evil spirits. By this means these impostors gained great influence among their superstitious, ignorant brethren. This power they used for their own selfish ends, and nearly always to the detriment and injury of the tribes. They were not unlike their congeners, the "Messiahs" and ghost dancers, of a later day, among the Dakota tribes in the Northwest, and no less potential for mischief. RETURN TO THE TITLE PAGE