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FRESH-WATER SUPPLY.
In
an economic sense, we have now come to one of the most important
divisions of the geology of the county. Those who have studied the
structure of the blue limestone rocks of the Cincinnati group (which
have a thickness of one thousand feet) well know that they form an
impervious strata, through which the water dist falls on the surface
cannot to any extent percolate and forms large underground
reservoirs in the shape of broad and shallow sheets or narrow rills,
and that but little of the water-supply comes from wells or springs
that are sunk and have their source of supply in its bedded rocks,
but' that the greater portion of it comes from wells and springs
that have been sunk and have their origin in the bowlder clay, which
is the horizon of nine-tenths of the springs in Clermont County.
On
the farm of G. W. Boutell, near Charleston, in Goshen township, is a
spring, having its source in the Lowlder clay, that furnishes that
neighborhood with an abundance of water. On the farms of J. W. S.
Robinson and A. J. Turner are several large springs that have their
origin in the drift. On the farm of John Armstrong, in Miami
township, are several that are of like origin and would make a
six-inch stream if confined to one waste-way. On the farm of G,
Swing, in the same township, is one that runs a four-inch stream, a
part of which has been utilized by the Cincinnati Turnpike Company
for a watering-place. On the farm of Ezekiel Edwards, in Union
township, are a series of springs, at the foot of the second
bottoms, in which the bowlder clay forms the bed-rock. These springs
extend a distance of half a mile, and if collected would make a
stream two feet in diameter. There are hundreds of others that might
be named of like character. On the farm of A. M, Marsh, in Stonelick
township, is a well thirteen feet deep that has its source of
water-supply in the bowlder clay, that in an ordinary sense is
inexhaustible. On the farm of Daniel Long, in Jackson township, a
well was dug a few years ago that never could be walled up all the
way, the vein, which was also in the bowlder clay, being too strong.
On the farm of Harmon Cover, in the same township, a well was dug
some three years ago in which the bowlder clay was penetrated for
some distance, and while the hands were eating their dinner a loud
noise like the rushing of water was heard, and upon examination it
was found that a vein had burst out some four feet from the bottom.
This well furnishes an inex- haustible supply of water during the
most severe droughts.
While
it is true that you do not always find water in the bowlder clay,
yet it serves a twofold purpose by being an impervious stratum, so
that where there are basins it holds
all
the surface water, and by having seams of sand and gravel running
through it, that are like surface streams, constantly carrying their
underground waste-water to a lower level. By the clearing of the
forests and the ditch- ing of the swamp-lands the streams of
Clermont County do not furnish•one-fifth the water-power they did
fifty years ago, and as the country grows so will it decrease in a
like ratio, so that in the course of time artificial means must be
resorted to for stock and manufacturing purposes by the digging of
wells, cisterns, and reservoirs.
SOILS.
The
surface soils of Clermont County may be divided into two distinct
classes as to origin,—viz., native and foreign. The native soils
are those which have been formed in situ from the disintegration of
the surface or blue lime- stone rocks and the decomposition of
vegetable matter. They are chiefly found on the southern slopes of
the hills of the Ohio and its tributaries, and constitute one-third
of the surface of the townships bordering on that river. As the
surface rocks are all the same, they do not differ much as to
composition. In color they vary from a light to a ' dark brown, in
proportion CO the amount of organic matter incorporated with them.
Near the stratified rocks they are generally of a greenish east. In
depth they vary from two to ten inches, being the shallowest of all
the soils. They are very fertile, producing large crops for years in
succession without exhausting their fertility. They are tenacious
and do not pulverize as readily as the foreign, and are more liable
to bake if stirred when wet. They hold moisture better than any of
the other soils, and corn especially seems to stand a drought
without firing, when it would have been ruined on the others. They
do not wash badly, being neither light, porous, nor friable. They
are naturally adapted to the growth of Indian corn, tobacco, and
wheat. The famous tobacco- and wheat-lands of Franklin, Washington,
Monroe, and Ohio townships belong to this class. All kinds of fruits
do well on them. The vine especially rewards the husbandman with
large crops, and in the course of time the cultivation of the grape
on these soils will become the lead- ing interest, agriculturally,
of Southern Clerniont. They are always covered with a large grAth of
timber, of which buckeye, hackberry, black- and white-walnut, white-
or blue- ash, and red-elm are the most abundant. They have but one
disadvantage to offset their great excellences in part : their
slight depth in most places makes their tillage difficult. A good
example of them may be seen in the vineyard and tobacco-field of W.
W. Perkins, near Batavia.
The
foreign soils are subdivided into four classes,—viz., yellow,
white, and black clays, and alluvial. The yellow clays constitute
one-third of the soils of the county, and are found on the northern
slopes of the hills of the tributaries of the Ohio River and all the
rolling land not included above. They are formed from the weathering
of the drift and the decomposition of vegetable matter. In depth
they range from two to ten feet. At the surface they are of a
dark-brown color to the depth of four to eight inches, owing to the
amount of organic matter present. At the depth of six to eight
inches from the surface there is a sub-soil, gen- erally ten inches
in thickness ; from this brick are made,
METEOROLOGY - 23
the
oxide of iron in its composition giving them a cherry- red
appearance,—a color so desirable for brick. The yellow clays are
naturally adapted for the growth of corn, oats, grassy and potatoes.
For a few years after the forests that once covered them are cleared
off they produce magical crops of almost everything. But, not having
an abundance of organic matter in their composition, they become
worthless if cultivated for a number of years in succession. They
are very friable and porous at. the surface, but the opposite where
not exposed to the direct action of the elements. They are not good,
for wheat, and the worst to wash of all the clays. Though very
tenacious, they readily yield to the action of the elements, and
after a hard freeze will melt down like unslaked lime. The most
productive as well as profitable orchards in the county are found on
the yellow clays. Their loose surface and hard, compact sub-soil
seems to be the normal one of a large majority of the fruits grown
in this latitude. They support a dense and luxuriant growth of
vegetation. The poplars, ashes, beeches, and sugars grow to an
enormous size in these clays. You seldom, if ever, see a poplar or
sugar on any soils save yellow clays and alluvial.
The
white clays constitute the connecting link between the yellow and
black clays in this county, and are the famous oak-ridges long noted
for their enormous growth of vegetation. They have not the vegetable
matter of either of the other clays, but excel them in organic. They
are, taken as a whole, the poorest land, agriculturally, in the
county. They are of the same depth as the yellow, but finer in
structure, and have been undoubtedly formed in water. They surpass
the other clays for wheat, as it does not freeze out on them. The
most prominent forest-trees found growing on the white clays are
white- and burr-oak, black-ash, white beech, and white,- black,- and
shellbark-hickory.
The
black clays are nothing more than the white ones stained with
vegetable matter, and are found in the maple- and hickory-swamps of
this county, and constitute about one-fourth of the areas of Goshen,
Wayne, Jackson, and Williamsburgh townships. They are very fertile,
but must be surface or underdrained to be productive. At the surface
their color is a deep black, and ranges in depth from one to five
feet. They do not pack or bake so readily as the white, on account
of the immense amount of vegetable matter present. They are
particularly adapted to the growth of the grasses, oats, and
potatoes of the late varieties. The timber found on them differs
from that on any other of the soils in this section of the State.
Maple, sweet-gum, white- elm, the hickories, Spanish-oak, red- and
white-oak, and gray-ash constitute the principal forest-trees. While
the different varieties of timber do not reach the enormous size
that they do in other soils, yet the forests are very dense. A good
example of the black clays may be seen on the farms of James Turner
and J. II, Burns, in Jackson township.
The
alluvial soils are the combined result of drift and erosion. They
are only found in the valley of the Ohio River and its tributaries,
and constitute about one-fortieth part of the soils of the county.
They are composed of vegetable matter, clay, and silt. They are the
most fertile of the soils of the county, having in their composition
all of the best elements of the others. Those which are below
highwater mark are the most fertile, being recuperated almost
annually by the overflow of the streams on which they border. They
are easily tilled, and produce remunerative crops of all kinds. Oats
is the only cereal that does not flourish well on them. In depth
they vary ; on the gravel terraces, the most ancient of the
drift-soils, they are not over two feet in depth, with an underlying
stratum of gravel. On the overflowed lands they range from three to
fifteen feet in depth. The fruits do not flourish well on them. Dry
weather is their only enemy. In the early settlement of the county
they were covered with a luxuriant forest- vegetation which has long
since disappeared before the axe of the hardy yeomanry of this
county. Huge sycamores, wide spreading elms, towering walnuts, and
ashes are still occasionally met with on the immediate borders of
some of the numerous streams of the county. These soils are well
represented in the east fork valley. Agriculturally speaking, they
are the only ones that have not been almost entirely exhausted by
the past and present system of tillage.
The
soils of Clermont County are naturally fertile, producing large and
remunerative crops of all the products of this latitude, but they
must be handled with judgment and care; and when the masses know
that the wealth of any country is in its soil, as represented by its
products, they will no doubt take care of one of the greatest
interests of the nation, viz., agriculture.
CHAPTER III.
METEOROLOGY.
THERE
are three things that materially affect the temperature and
precipitation of any locality,—viz., proximity to large bodies of
water, high mountains, and elevation above the sea. -
In
Clermont County the temperature and precipitation are but little
modified by the first two. The mean elevation of the county above
the sea is nine hundred and twenty-five feet, and, being a part of a
vast plateau, though of not great elevation, is subject to greater
extremes of heat and cold, moisture and dryness, than those places
more adjacent to the ocean or large lakes. The clearing off of the
forests has also materially affected the temperature and
precipitation, as it is a well-known fact that in winter the wind,
passing over large areas of forests, is warmed much more than over
cleared land or prairies, as in the latter the radiation of heat
from the earth in early winter is so much greater that their surface
soon becomes as cold as the surrounding air. In summer it is trice
vcrsa. The mean height of the barometer is 29,75 ; maximum, 30.25 ;
and minimum, 28.25.
TEMPERATURE.
The
average temperature at Cincinnati for the eighty- three years ending
Jan. 1, 1880, was 57̊
G5', and for the last ten years, 53̊
65'. During that time the temperature of the spring months has been
53̊ 65'; summer, 76̊
03'; autumn, 55̊
35'; winter, 35̊ 57'. Mean, 54̊ 67'.
24 - HISTORY OF CLERMONT COUNTY, OHIO.
The
difference of temperature between six A.m. and one P.M. is found to
be 15̊ 50'.
It
is said that the winters of 1792, 1793, 1795, 1799, 1800, 1805,
1806, 1809, and 1810 were very mild. The winter of 1796-97 was one
of the coldest ever experienced at Cincinnati, the thermometer
falling to eighteen degrees below zero on the morning of the 8th of
January, 1797. This is the lowest that the thermometer has ever
recprded at Cincinnati. The wind blew from the northwest, and, had
it not been tempered and broken by the dense forests that covered
Ohio at that time, it would have reached a much lower point. The
winter of 1805, being unusually mild, was followed by that of
1806-7, which was extremely cold, On the 7th of February, 1801,
commonly milled " Cold Friday," the thermometer indicated
eleven degrees below zero. The winters of 1855, 1856, and 1857 were
extremely cold, the thermometer beieg thirty-two times be- low zero.
The Ohio River was frozen over for two months, so that heavy-loaded
wagons could cross over it on the ice with safety. The winter of
1863-64 was very cold. On the let day of January, 1864,-known as
" Cold New Year,"-the thermometer indicated fourteen
degrees below zero. It was a great Arctic wave that swept over
two-thirds of the continent, and was unusually severe in the South
Atlantic States for that latitude. The winters of 1870, 1872, 1873,
1874, 1875, 1878, and 1879 were also very cold. The winter of
1879-80 was unusually warm, being the warmest, taken as a whole, of
any since 1827, and ten degrees warmer than any since 1835. On the
20th of December, 1877, the thermometer indicated sixty-nine degrees
in the shade, and did not fall below sixty-three degrees for several
days. On the 18th of October, 1879, it stood at seventy-three
degrees, and the mean temperature for that month was sixty-four
degrees twenty-nine minutes.
FROSTS.
These
generally occur as late as the 20th of April, and as early as the
20th of September, depending on the direc- tion of the winds.
Northwest winds in April and September are sure to bring frost. On
the night of the 9th of August, 1809, there was a heavy frost, which
damaged the corn so that it would not germinate ; and, had it not
been protected by fogs along the valleys and by the timber in the
new lands, it would have been entirely destroyed. This is the
earliest frost ever recorded in the county. On the night of the 28th
of August, 1863, there was a heavy frost, which injured the late
corn very much. Since 1835 there have been fifteen Septembers in
which no frost occurred. In 1859 there was frost in every month in
the year save two. The one on the night of the 4th of June did a
great amount of damage to the wheat, corn, and vegetation in
general. Since 1835 there have been but two Aprils in which there
was not more or less frost.
PRECIPITATION,
During
the last eighty-three years the average rainfall has been 39.71
inches at Cincinnati, and for the last twenty-four, 37.61. The least
of any year was 1856, in which but 22.88 inches fell ; and the
greatest was 69.42, in 1817, followed by 49.17 in 1858. Thirty-nine
inches may be considered as the average or mean rainfall of Clermont
County, though it is shown by eon set of tables that it has been
43.80 since 1840, which would make it more. For thirty years, ending
Jan. 1, 1880, the spring precipitation has been 10.54 inches ;
summer, 10.33 ; autumn, 8.76 ; winter, 7.98. It often occurs that
one-half of the rainfall is in one of the four divisions.
One
of the greatest droughts ever experienced in the county was in 1806,
when there was no rain from the 16th of June until the 3d of
September. The winter of 1855-56 was extremely dry, only two inches
of rain falling from the 1st of December until le 8th of May. The
summers of 1867, 1871, 1873, and 1874 were very dry, yet good crops
were raised, as what rain fell came at the right time. In 1875,
during the months of June and July, seventeen inches of rain fell.
In June it rained all but ten days, and in July all but four.
Wet
seasons are not so injurious since the greater part of the forests
have been cleared off as they were years ago, for the reason that
the older the country gets and the less forest-area, the more
readily will the surface-water escape by natural and artificial
drainage. Again, soil that is tilled for any length of time becomes
more compact in structure than new land, which is, like a sponge,
capable of absorbing or holding a large amount of moisture and
giving it out as required. Had it not been for this peculiarity of
new land, vegetation must have perished in the drought of 1806.
SNOW.
The
average fall of snow for Cincinnati is not far from twenty inches
annually, while one degree farther north it is almost thirty-five.
On the 1st, 2d, and 3d of January, 1806, it fell to the depth of
twenty-four inches. On the 19th of January, 1846, twenty-two inches
fell, and on the 18th of January, 1862, twenty-eight, which was the
greatest fall ever noted in Southern Ohio. During the winter of
1855-56 it fell to the depth of sixty-nine inches, and sixty- four
were recorded for the winter of 1865-66. Snow seldom falls before
the 20th of October, and not later than the 10th of April. On the
20th of April, 1814, it fell to the depth of ten inches, and on the
llth of the same month, in 1875, four were recorded. The latest one
ever noted in Clermont County fell on the 14th of May, 1864, to the
depth of one inch.
WINDS.
The
most prevalent wind in this section of Ohio is the southwest, from
which direction it has blown two hundred days out of three hundred
and sixty five during the last twenty-five years, and is the
prevalent one nine out of the twelve months. In December, January,
and February the northwest is the most prevalent, and ranks next to
the south- west, taken as a whole.
The
west wind blows mostly during the winter months, while the east,
north, and south are nearly equal as to prevalence. The southwest
winds are of two classes, viz.: humid and arid. The former is always
followed by more or less precipitation ; the latter succeeds it. The
one comes before it is needed ; the other is needed before it comes.
The southern winds are more prevalent than the northern, and the
western than the eastern.
METEOROLOGY - 25
CLOUDS.
From
1807 to 1879 in Clermont County the average clear days out of the
three hundred and sixty-five was one hundred and seventy-two ;
cloudy, one hundred and four ; variable, eighty-nine, July, August,
and September have the greatest number of clear days, while
November, Decem- ber, and January have the most cloudy. The most
preva- lent clouds in summer are the nimbus, cumulo-stratus, and
stratus ; in winter, stratus, cirro-stratus, and cumulo-stratus.
STORMS.
A
majority of them come from the north and southwest. If from any
other direction, they are of a local nature ; if accompanied by
wind, generally occur from one to five P,M. Before the settlement of
the county a tornado passed near the present site of Williamsburgh,
destroying immense quan- tities of timber, not leaving a tree
standing in a large area; from that fact the locality took the name
of the "Fallen Timber." On the 15th of May, 1814, one of
the most terrific hailstorms ever recorded passed over the county.
Hailstones were found weighing eight to ten ounces and measuring
fifteen to sixteen inches in circumference.. In connection ,with
this storm was a singular phenomenon At the time the hail fell there
was but a slight wind ; but, immediately after, a violent one from
the southwest set in, accompanied by waves of heated air, which
caused the leaves of many of the trees to wither which had not been
exposed to the fury of the storm. The first general tornado that
ever passed over the county occurred Sunday, May 28, 1819. It
originated in the northern part of Ten- nessee and terminated in
Pennsylvania, traveling in a north- west direction, having a
velocity of eighty miles per hour. Its path was marked with
destruction. Trees, fences, houses, and buildings of all kinds were
destroyed, and the loss of life exceeded fifty. On the 10th of June,
1840, the county was again visited by a tornado. It came from the
southwest, and did an immense amount of damage to the growing crops,
felling trees and unroofing buildings. A few weeks after, the
neighborhood of Boston was visited by a hailstorm of unusual
severity ; but was local, as they generally are. On the 21st of May,
1860, one of the most violent windstorms ever experienced in this
latitude passed over Clermont County. It came from the northwest and
occurred at half-past two P.M., lasting one hour and ten minutes. It
destroyed over fifty thousand dollars' worth of timber, besides
doing an immense amount of other damage. Its path was four hundred
and fifty miles long and one hundred and fifty wide, and its force
was not abated until it reached the great lakes. The storms on
Stonelick in 1866, and near Goshen in 1876, were very severe. They
had a vertical as well as a horizontal motion. Storms of that
character in this latitude are always local, A great many storms
have occurred in the 2.:unty at different dates of great violence,
but local in their nature. A careful study of them shows that the
most violent have occurred in the months of May, June, and
September, and that they have almost universally come from the
southwest. In winter storms of continuous rain conic from the north
and southeast, and seldom, if ever, from the west. No storms of
violence have ever been noted that came from those two points.
INDIAN SUMMER.
Generally
in the autumn of every year we have a period to which this
appellation is affixed. It usually succeeds frosts, rain, or snow,
beginning in October, or the 1st of November, continuing for one,
two, and three weeks, and sometimes longer, with occasional storms.
But the peculiarity, and from what it takes its name, is the
atmosphere, which is smoky, dry, and serene, through which sun and
moon exhibit at morning and evening faces of darkened crimson.
During this period the verdure of the forests fades away or passes
into the countless varieties of brown, red, and yellow, which give
to the surrounding scenery a dull and sombre aspect. The occurrence
of a rain with a northwest wind at length suddenly dispels the
gloom, strips the woods of its remaining foliage, and introduces
winter with a transparent and cheering atmosphere. The cause of this
smokiness is supposed to be (or was formerly) the burning by the
Indians of the withered grass and herbs on the extensive prairies to
the northwest, and hence the name of the season, which in Clermont
County is of un- surpassed loveliness, and is probably daused by the
same conditions of the atmosphere as the November fogs of England.
EARTHQUAKES.
The
first shock ever experienced in Clermont County was the one of May
5, 1804. Though this and successive shocks were not attended by any
of the appalling calami- ties that have been noted in other parts of
the continent, nor is it reasonable to suppose that they ever will,
yet their history cannot fail to interest the reader. The next one
was felt Dec. 16, 1811, at twenty-four minutes after two P.M. The
motion was a quick oscillation or rocking from east to west, and
lasted for seven minutes. It was preceded by a low rumbling or
rushing noise. It was so violent as to agitate the loose furniture,
open partition-doors,-those fastened with falling-latches,--and
throw off the tops of a few chimneys The log house formerly occupied
by Oscar Johnston, in Union township, was noticed to shake violently
by its occupants, who expected it to be thrown down every moment.
One peculiarity about this shock was that it varied so much in
different localities. On the 17th, 186, and 31st slight shocks were
felt. On the 3d of January another one occurred. Again on the 23d
and 27th, and February 4th, 5th, and 6th. On the 17th, at forty-five
minutes past three A.M,, there were alarming shocks in succession,
more violent than any before noted, throwing down the tops of
chimneys, making wide fissures in the back-walls, and producing
vertigo and nausea in a greater number of people than those
previously felt. On the 8th there were three shocks, and one on the
llth, 13th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 20th, 21st, 22d, and 23d, March 3d,
one ; 5th, three ; llth, one ; April 30th, one. Shocks were felt May
4th and 10th, June 25th and 26th, September 15th, December 22d,
March 6, 1813, and December 12th. Their focus was at New Madrid,
Mo., and they were generally of a horizontal direction and moved
south-southeast. In 1859 a slight shock was felt in September, and
again in 1864 ; but these were scarcely perceptible.
26 - HISTORY OF CLERMONT COUNTY, OHIO.
CHAPTER IV.
PREHISTORIC RACES,
IN
Clermont County, as elsewhere in the Ohio Valley, we find
earthworks, in the form of mounds, elevated squares, walls, and
ditches, of which its inhabitants at the time it was first explored
by the whites knew nothing as to their origin or history. But by
common consent they have been decided to be the work of the
Mound-Builders, a prehistoric race whose works in Ohio number ten
thousand mounds and fifteen hundred inclosures. Of these, two
hundred of the former and seven of the latter are found in Clermont
County. Ethnologists have divided the period of prehistoric man into
two ages,—viz,, Stone and Metal,—and the former into three
epochs. Of these epochs the Mound-Builders belonged to the highest
in the scale of civilization,-viz., the Polished Stone,-as attested
by their implements of peace and war, or, in other words, of the
chase, of industry, and of ornament, which have been found in great
numbers in this country. Again, they have been subdivided, in regard
to pursuits, into three classes,-viz., agricultural, military,
effigy. Of these subdivisions, the Mound-Builders in this county
belonged to the first, As to their origin and history, space will
not admit of an ethnological discussion, involving, as it would,
man's origin and antiquity and the merits and demerits of accepted
biblical and geological chronologies. But suffice to say they were a
race that at one time extended their rule over two thirds of the
American continent, having the tropics as a common centre, from
which they radiated north and south ; and that they in the course of
time were either destroyed by pestilence or conquered by another
people, who had not reached so high a point in the scale of
civilization, is an undisputed fact, As to their antiquity, there
are no proofs to be found in this county, as in others, that they
were contemporary with the mammoth, mastodon, and other extinct
animals, or that there has been any change in its fauna or flora
since their advent, or that their works have been abandoned for a
longer period than a thousand years, which to some extent rival
those of the Shepherd Kings. Constructed as they have been of earth,
the force of erosion would have almost obliterated them, or at least
the lesser ones, had they been built for a longer period than from
one thousand to fifteen hundred years. Again, the condition of the
skeletons found in them, when the composition of the soil forming
these works is taken into consideration, shows that they are not of
as remote an origin as would be supposed.
That
they were a numerous people cannot be doubted when we think of the
immense number of their inclosures, mounds, and hearths or
camping-places, and the numerous implements of agriculture and
manufacture. In this county the evidences that they were an
agricultural people are abundant. Their pestles, mortars, and
corn-mills are living witnesses. They no doubt, from the location of
their works, partly subsisted by fishing and hunting, which the
valley of the east fork in olden time was typical ground. That they
had a system of religion and worshiped the sun, moon, and elements,
especially fire, is a self-evident fact from the number of
sacrificial mounds found in the county (and if they did not, they
are an exception to the many prehistoric
races
that have had an existence since man's creation). Of geometry they
must have had some knowledge, from the form of their works ; for in
their construction we find circles, squares, octagons, combs,
triangles, and cones.
Their
works, as to purpose, have been divided into two general
classes,—viz., inclosures and mounds. The first has been
subdivided into three classes,—viz., military, sacred, and
miscellaneous; the second into four,—viz., sacrificial,
temple-sites, sepulchral, and observation. Of the works belonging to
the first class, they are all constructed of earth in this county ;
of the second, a few of earth and stone combined. That there is some
difficulty in giving the subclass to which each of the works belong
is plain when so many of them have been despoiled, and others not a
few have not been examined internally. It being impossible to give a
detailed description of all of the numerous works in the county,
only typical ones under each head will be given. In this connection
mention should be made of the fact that in this county there seems
to have been a series of works belonging together. Thus we have
those of upper and lover east fork, Upper Stonelick, Lower
Twelve-Mile, and Indian,
INCLOSURES.
Of
the inclosures, the one near Milford, on the farm of Rev. George
Gatch, deceased, is the largest found in the county. Its form is
nearer that of a trapezoid than of any other geometrical figure, and
may be said to consist of two inclosures. The area inclosed by its
walls is eighteen acres, which are at the present time four feet in
height (formerly eight) and truncated. At each angle there is an
opening about eight feet wide, and opposite that, at a distance of
twenty feet from the angle, is a low mound. The ditch is on the
inside of the parapet. This inclosure, from its topographical
situation (being on the second bottoms, surrounded on three sides by
high hills, and no means of obtaining water save from the east fork
and Miami River, distant one-half mile), leaves no doubt that it
belongs to that class regarded as sacred. Near Perin's Mills, on the
farms of Ira Perin, Esq,, and William Malott, deceased, are two
inclosures of the same class. They inclose ten acres each, and have
the form of perfect squares. Their walls, when first seen by the
whites, were five feet in height, but at present are but three. They
also have openings at each angle, with mounds opposite them on the
outside. On the farm of Ezekiel Edwards, near Elstun's Station, in
Union township, is another one, with the exception of its form and
area, similar to those described above. Its form is that of a
rhomboid, and its area fifteen acres. On the farm of E. C. Patchell,
in Stonelick, is a circular one, situated on both sides of the
Cincinnati turnpike. Its walls are from three to five feet in
height, and inclose eight acres. Its northern line borders on
Stonelick Creek. On the east side, a short .distance from the wall,
is a low mound, three feet high and one hundred and eighty in
eireumference, composed of broken limestone and red sand and clay
mixed. On the farm of Jonathan Shaw, in Ohio township, is an
inclosure covering an area of some extent. Its shape is that of a
triangle. When first discovered its walls were five feet in height,
with a moat outside of the parapet three feet deep, in which water
stood during a greater por-
PREHISTORIC RACES - 27
tion
of the year. This, unlike the preceding ones, is situated on a high
table-land overlooking the valley of Twelve-Mile Creek, and was no
doubt used ag a fortress.
WALLS.
On
the farm of Mrs. Elizabeth Hartman, in Jackson Township, is a wall
some four feet in height, with the ditch on the outside. Its shape
is that of a crescent, and it is some thirty rods in length. Whether
this is pit of an in- tended in closure or was made as a means of
defense the writer is unable to say.
MOUNDS.
Of
the class sacrificial, they are numerous in this county. Of these,
the one on the farm of John Hadly, in Jackson township, is the
largest. It is twelve feet in height and sixty in circumference.
Though not fully examined, enough was seen to justify the assertion.
On the farm of B. F. Clark, in Wayne township, is one that has been
closely examined; also one on the farm of G. I. Irving, in Miami
township.
That
the reader may have a general knowledge of their contents,
composition, etc., let it be said that they are gen- erally
stratified, the strata being convex layers of clay and loam
alternating above a layer of fine sand. They generally contain
ashes, charcoal, igneous stones, caleined bones, beads, stone
implements, and pottery. On the farms of B. F. Clark and Elijah
Cowen are three mounds unlike any others examined by the writer, but
probably belonging to this class. They are situated on the northern
slope of the Stonelick hills, fifty feet above low-water mark in
that stream, are three feet in height and thirty in circumference,
and are composed of rock and earth. The rocks, which are limestone,
show that they have been subject to a great heat. The earth, which
is a tough clay, also shows the effects of fire. All through the
mass ashes, charcoal, and great quantities of bones are found, some
calcined and some not, and, taken as a whole, indicates that the
Hound-Builders had a knowledge of cremation.
Of
the temple-mounds, there are none found in this county.
Of
the sepulchral, they are very abundant in the county, and number at
least one hundred and twenty-five. They are conical in shape and
range from three to fifteen feet in height, and always contain, so
far as examined, from one to five skeletons. In a majority you find
evidences of fire from the color of the earth and the finding of
ashes and char- coal. You also find in them implements of war,
industry, and ornament, such as mica, pottery, copper, brass, plum-
mets, flint knives, breastplates, and pipes, in close proximity to
the skeletons.
The
largest of these is on the farm of Benjamin Johnston, in Jackson
township, and is situated on the table-land, distant two hundred
yards from the east fork. It is fifteen feet in height and sixty in
diameter, and when first discovered had slabs of limestone sitting
perpendicular in its apex. It is composed of a yellow sand, which
has been subjected to a great heat. Near Williamsburgh, on the farm
of Francis Leffingwell, are two of this class that are at least six
hundred years old, from the size of the trees growing on them. They
have been examined ard a great many skeletons taken out ; also
pottery, pipes, and arrowheads have been found. On the farm of Geary
Hutchinson, in Jackson township, are six low mounds on the north
bank of the east fork that have eists or stone chests in them,
inclosing a skeleton each. These cists are made by re- moving the
surface-earth a few inches in depth, over which flat stones were
laid. On the sides and ends the same kind of stones were set on
edge. In this the body was put in a sitting position and the top
covered with flat stones, and over all earth was placed to the depth
of from one to three feet. In size, the ̊lets
are from four to six feet in length, two in width, and about the
same in height. On the farm of J. D. McKeever, in Williamsburgh
township, are two mounds entirely composed of stone. In these there
are cists, which radiate from the centre in all directions, making
their circumference from thirty to ninety feet. Over these cists are
loose stone, instead of earth, to the height of four feet. On the
farm of Ezekiel Hutchinson, in Jackson township, in connection with
a sepulchral mound, is a circular depression two feet in depth and
eighteen in diameter.
In
this connection it might be well to remark that there are several
prehistoric cemeteries in this county. The most prominent ones are
located near the Miami township cemetery, on the Cincinnati
turnpike, on the farm of Oliver Perin, in Union township, and on the
farm of Moses Elstun, Esq., in the same township. In all of these
implements are found in connection with the skeletons. The one on
the farm of Moses Elstun, Esq,, is situated on what is called "
Sand Ridge," which runs at right angles with the east fork. In
this cemetery the skeletons are found about two feet below the
surface, in cists. On the farm of Daniel Turner, at the mouth of Dry
Run, is one, which, as to the number of skeletons fcund in it, is
the largest of any found so far in the county. It is situated on the
brow of the hill, overlooking the east fork valley, at an elevation
of two hundred feet above it. Its area is about forty feet square,
inclosed by flat stones set on edge. This cemetery seems to be a
large ditch, in which the bodies have been buried, one on top of the
other, to the depth of five feet, and over which is a stratum of
earth two feet in thickness. The immense number of skeletons found
here with no evidences of fire, and the finding of no implements,
leads the writer to believe that it is not of prehistoric
In
the skeletons found in the above mounds, etc., there is a
similarity. The forehead is low, making the facial angle less than
the negro, and the maxillary bones are un- usually large, and so are
the femur, which would, in proportion, make a man eight feet in
height. One of the largest skeletons noted by the writer was found
in the Sand Ridge cemetery. The skull was in a good state of
preservation, together with the teeth ; all the rest of the bones
were decomposed, with the exception of one of the femurs, which was
unusually large. The cranium, etc., are now in the possession of the
Ohio Medical College, at Cincinnati, Ohio.
Of
the mounds of observation there are not a few in this county, mostly
situated upon eminences, appearing in
28 - HISTORY OF CLERMONT COUNTY, OHIO.
chains
or regular systems, and still bear traces of the beacon-fires that
once burned upon them. On the east fork and the Ohio River hills
they are the most abundant. They vary in height from three to
fifteen feet, and are composed of loam. On the farms of Dr. Wood,
near Chilo, of John Shaw, near New Richmond, and of W. F. and G. M.
Roudebush, in Pierce township, are good examples of this class.
There are no animals, mounds, or effrgies in Clermont County.
It
has been stated that the Mound-Builders in Clermont County were an
agricultural people, but partly subsisting by the products of the
chase and the inhabitants of the various streams found in it or on
its border. To till the soil, manufacture cloth, hunt and fish, and
ornament the person all required specific implements, which, as to
use, have been divided into the following classes, viz., war,
hunting and fishing, agriculture, manufactures, and ornament.
These
implements were made of stone, bone, and red hematite iron-ore, in
general terms.
The
implements of war were grooved stone battle-axes, arrowheads of the
following forms,—triangular, indented, stemmed, barbed,
leaf-shaped, lozenge-shaped, disk-shaped, and beveled,—spearheads,
lance-points, and the bow and arrow. In size the battle-axes vary
from five to fifteen pounds in weight, with a cutting-surface from
three to six inches. A large majority of them were made from green-
stone and porphyry. Of the arrowheads, two inches in length and one
in breadth may be considered the average. They were generally made
of white quartz, chalcedony, agate, and chert, the greater portion
being made of the latter. The spearheads and lance-points were used
both in war and in the chase; and are from five to eleven inches in
length
and from one to two in breadth ; in material they. are similar to
the arrowheads. Of the bow and arrow but little or nothing is known
except that the heads of the latter are very numerous.
Of
fishing and hunting, spearheads, sinkers, cables, bows and arrows,
and lance-points. The sinkers are, as to shape, double cones, with
one end blunted sometimes, and the other running to a point, through
which a hole has been drilled from both sides or with a small groove
running around it. But there is a difference of opinion as to the
use of this class of implements. Some claim that they were used for
weaving in holding the threads taut. In size they are from two to
three inches in length, and about the same in circumference. As to
composition, they are generally made of white quartz, porphyry, and
red hematite iron-ore. The cables were large stones weighing from
ten to fifty pounds, and of various materials and forms. One was
found a few years ago on the farm of Joseph Bicking, in Jackson
township, and is now in the collection of the State Agricultural
College, at Columbus, Ohio.
Of
agriculture the implements were axes, hoes, spades, and hatchets. It
is hard to decide to which division the various forms of axes
belonged, but enough is known to prove that they were used in
felling trees, etc. From the peculiar form of some of the implements
found, they have been given the name of hoes and spades, which were
made from chert and greenstone, and weigh from one to six pounds.
The hatchets were used for felling trees and other purposes, and are
distinguished from the axes in not being grooved, of less size and
different material, and, too, that only the cutting-edge is
polished, while the rest of the surface is chipped. They are always
of some kind of flint.
The
implements of manufacturing are numerous. Celts, pestles,
corn-mills, chisels, grooves, scrapers, shuttles, plummets, knives,
and rimmers are among the most important.. The celts are
wedge-shaped and polished, with a cutting-surface of from three to
six inches, and vary in length from four to twelve. They were used
for cutting wood and as a sort of battle-axe in time of war, and
were made from Porphyry and greenstone. Pestles (or hominy-pounders)
are so well known as to shape and use that a further description is
useless. As to material, those made of rose- quartz, porphyry, and
greenstone are the most abundant. Corn-mills are generally found in
situ, and are usually erratics, having an artificial depression, in
which the corn was 'placed, and by a rotary motion of the pestle, in
the hands of the good housewife, made into meal or hominy. The use
of the chisel is not known to a certainty, but is supposed to have
been for building canoes, etc., and so with the groove. The scraper
was used in the dressing of skins, and in form is crescent-shaped
(or a half-moon), with the thickest part on the straight edge and
the cutting on the curved. From the peculiar form of a certain relic
it has been thought to have been used as a shuttle in weaving. Its
length is generally three inches, width two, and thickness from an
eighth to an inch. Near the ends are holes that, have been started
from opposite sides. From the manner in which their cloth was woven,
it certainly would have answered for that purpose. Of the knives
there are various shapes, but the most common one is that of an oval
with both edges chipped for cutting-surfaces. On Sand Ridge
twenty-four of this form were found in one grave. Another shape is
that of a dagger. Of this form one was found a few years ago on the
farm of E M. Patchell, at Stonelick. Their length varies from one to
three inches, and from one-half to one in width.
In
a great many implements found are one, two, and sometimes more,
holes, which have been drilled with precision, and that they had
some instrument for that purpose is a self-evident fact. Great
numbers of an instrument such as would make those perforations have
been found and described, but rn general, as to shape, they resemble
that instrument from which they have been named,—a rimmer. They
vary as to length, being from one to six inches, barbed at one end,
and chipped or polished to a sharp point at the other. In the
collection of P. T, Stuart, at Perin's Mills, are some of the
largest ever seen by the writer.
Under
the head of ornamental come breastplates, banner-stones, point-cups,
pipes, and pottery. To give a description or all these implements
would be impossible in this connection. First of the three, they are
generally, as to composition, of Huron slate,--a slate that takes
and holds a polish and is very beautiful in appearance, being
alternating bands of black and green. Of the pipes, they are of
various forms and composition ; some are merely a straight tube,
while others approximate to these of the
THE INDIANS - 29
moderns.
As to material, gray and red clay and Huron slate are the most
predominant.
In
the collections of Dr. J. H. Thompson, Enoch Johnston, S. J. Rybolt,
Dr. A. B. Anshutz, Frank Iuen, Miss Nora Lee, L. C. Moore, G. M.
Roudebush, Cary Hartman, P. T. Stuart, and the writer, all the above
named and described implements can be seen, aggregating ten thousand
arrowheads, five hundred axes, about the same number of celts,
spearheads, and lance-points, together with a large number of
ornamental and miscellaneous articles. To these persons belongs the
honor of making Clermont County what it should be, what it was
intended to be,— viz., classical ground for the archaeologist. To
the profound questions of the ethnologist who the Mound-Builders
were, whence they came, and whither they went, we can only reply to
a certainty that they once lived here ; here cultivated the soil ;
here worshiped,—perhaps with the solemn rites of human sacrifice ;
here planned and executed mighty works of organized labor ; and then
passed away. We find their inclosures, their mounds, their
burial-places and sacrificial altars, in the distinctive character
of which they were as marked a people as the Pelasgi, whose
prehistoric works can yet be traced throughout Greece and
Of
the many prehistoric specimens found in Ohio the one here figured,
from its size, form, and probable use, is the most interesting.
It
was found on the farm now owned by Peter Gormen, in Stonelick
township, in 1818, by John Davidson, as he in company with several
others was blazing a road from Batavia to Goshen, by way of Glancy's
Mills. The material is red granite, and is very compact in
structure, its height being thirty-five inches ; circumference of
base ninety inches. In reply to the questions, Could it not have
been the work of attrition or of the white man? I would say that its
composition and structure is the same throughout, and has no veins
of quartz in it, and that its projections are the same as to width
and thickness, and their edges square and not convex, as would be
the case if made by attrition. To the second question : There are no
chisel marks on it, it being so hard no one would have attempted to
have worked it into any form, especially the present one. At the
time of its discovery it bore evidences of having been made for a
long time, which would preclude the idea of its being made by the
whites. If it had been worked by the whites, after spending so much
labor on it they would certainly have removed it to their place of
residence and not left it in the primitive forests. It is probable
that it was a council-stone, from which speeches were made. It is
now in the possession of Mrs. B. Blythe, of Boston, who uses it for
a horse-block.
CHAPTER V.
THE
INDIANS - THEIR TRIBAL RELATIONS - PERILS AND ADVENTURES OF SAVAGE
LIFE, AND THE CONFLICTS WHICH OPENED THE WAY FOR THE WHITE SETTLERS
- INDIAN BATTLE IN CLERMONT COUNTY - INCIDENTS AND TRAILS.
THE
territory that now constitutes Ohio was first of all, so far as can
be learned, in the full possession of the race of Mound-Builders ;
afterwards (but still in prehistoric times) its sole occupants and
owners for some centuries were unquestionably Indian tribes or
nations, many of whom, still later, were subjected to expulsion or
extermination from internecine feuds. They, as well as the
Mound-Builders, held titles acquired probably by priority of
discovery, ny conquest, by occupancy, or by possession.
Nothing
reliable or authentic is known of the various Indian tribes that
occupied the vast territory that now comprises the State of Ohio,
from the time of the departure or disappearance of the
Mound-Builders until the closing years of the first half of the
eighteenth century. Their history, therefore, anterior to the year
1750 is extremely meagre. They had no annalist, no historian, and
perhaps had made but little history worthy of record during many
recurring generations, centuries, and ages. It is true that we have
traditions running back to the year 1656 relating to the destruction
by the Iroquois of the once powerful Eries, who inhabited the
southern shores of Lake Erie, except a small remnant which
ultimately intermingled with the Senecas, but they are properly
regarded as unverified traditions, and nothing more.
And
equally unreliable and unauthenticated are many of the other
traditions of the Indian tribes which bear date before the middle of
the last century. About the year A.D. 1750, or a little earlier, as
Professor Smucker has well said and determined, some accurate
knowledge of the Ohio Indians began to be acquired through the
Indian traders operating among them and from explorers ; but little
comparatively, however, was known of them with the certainty of
authentic history until after Col. Boquet's expedition to the towns
on the Tuscarawas and Muskingum Rivers, in 1764. The intervening
period between those dates may, therefore, be regarded as the time
of the inauguration of the historic epoch of the Ohio Indians, the
principal tribes being the Wyandots (called Hurons by the French),
the Dclawares and Shawanese (both of the Algonquin group), the
Miamis (also called Twigtwees), the Mingos (an offshoot from the
Iroquois or a fragment of the Six Nations), and the Ottawas and
Chippewas.
The
Wyandots occupied the valleys and plains bordering on the Sandusky
River and some other points ; the Delawares possessed the valleys of
the Tuscarawas and Muskingum Rivers and a few other places between
Lake Erie and the Ohio River ; the Mingos were in greatest force on
the Ohio River about Mingo Bottom, below Steubenville, and
30 - HISTORY OF CLERMONT' COUNTY, OHIO.
at
other points on said river ; also on the Scioto River, but seldom
ever getting as far down as Clermont ; the Miamis were the occupants
of the valleys of the Little and Great Miami Rivers, and disputed
the possession of the northwestern part of Clermont ; the Shawanese
were principally found in the valleys and lands between the Scioto
and Mad Rivers, and claimed the eastern part of Clermont and all of
Brown County ; the Ottawas made their homes in the valleys of the
Maumee and Sandusky Rivers ; and the Chippewas, small in numbers,
were chiefly confined to the southern shores of Lake Erie.
By
the treaty of Fort McIntosh, made in 1785, the Ottawas, with the
Wyandots and Chippewas, were assigned to the northern section of
what is now the State of Ohio and west of the Cuyahoga River, having
relinquished, by the terms of said treaty, whatever of claims they
had to other portions of the territory now constituting our State.
The true name of the Delaware tribe was Wa-be-nugh-ka, —that is,
" the people from the East" or " the sun
rising." The tradition among themselves was that they
originally, at some very remote period, emigrated from the West,
crossed the Mississippi, ascending the Ohio, fighting their way
until they reached the Delaware River near where Philadelphia now
stands, in which region of country they became fixed. About this
time they were so numerous that no enumeration could be made of the
nation, and when at the height of their glory they welcomed to the
shores of the New World that great lawgiver William Penn, for whom
and his followers they ever entertained a kind and grateful
recollection.
The
name of the tribe Miami, in the Ottawa language, is said to signify
" mother," and was originally the designation of the
nation who anciently bore the name of Te-wight-e-wec. This tribe
were the original inhabitants of the two Miami Valleys and their
tributary streams, and affirmed they were created in it ; hence they
occupied, first of all the red men, the county of Clermont.
The
original country of the Wyandots was on the north side of the St.
Lawrence River, and the Senecas owned the opposite side of the river
and the island on which Montreal now stands. They were both large
tribes, consisting of many thousands, and were blood-relations. A
war originated between them in this way : A man of the Wyandots
wanted a certain woman for his wife, but she objected, and said he
was no warrior and had never taken any scalps. To accomplish his
object he raised a small war-party, and in their scout they fell
upon a party of Sencca hunters and killed and scalped a number of
them. This procedure began a war between the nations that lasted
more than a century. The Wyandots, finding they were in danger of
being exterminated, concluded to leave their country and go far to
the West, and at last settled in Ohio.
Shawanese
means " the south" or " people from the south,"
and Black Hoof, an old warrior of this tribe in Ohio, who died at
the advanced age of one hundred and five years, used to say he
remembered, when a boy, bathing in the salt waters of Florida, where
his nation then dwelt.
In
the " French and Indian war," which ended with the peace
of 1763, the Miamis, Wyandots, Ottawas, and various other tribes
adhered to the French, while the Delawares, Shawanese, and other
nations clung to the English side. The French and their allied
Indians made a stand near the present city of Piqua, where, near the
head-towns of the Miamis, a fort had been erected, and were attacked
by English traders with British Indian allies. The siege continued
for more than a week ; the fort stood out, and could not be taken,
Soon after this contest, the Miamis and their allies left this part
of the country and removed farther northwest, and never returned.
The Shawanese took their places, and were the Indians who afterwards
claimed Clermont,—subject, however, to the claims of the Mingos ;
but the latter seldom ventured so far down the Ohio River as to
materially affect the possessory rights of the former.
Rev.
Christian Frederick Post, a native of Conitz, in Polish Prussia,
came to America in 1742, and first exercised the functions of a
Moravian missionary in 1743, after having acquired some knowledge of
the language of the Indians. In the summer of 1758 he was appointed
by the Governor of Pennsylvania as a bearer of a message to the
Delawares, Shawanese, and Mingos of the Ohio Valley to persuade them
to withdraw from the French interest, and to return to their
allegiance to the English. The results were so satisfactory as to
secure Rev. Mr. Post's services for the second time on a similar
errand to those and other tribes in the Ohio Valley and on the
tributaries of the Ohio River, including the Scioto and Little
Miami. His journals of these several visits disclose the important
fact that he came very near establishing the quarters of his
mission- work near what is most probably now Bullskin Creek, of this
county, but, from some considerations and matters of slight moment,
was induced, at last, to locate his field of labors in Tuscarawas
County, where he failed in his efforts, but where, nine years later,
the Rev. David Zeisberger succeeded in Planting a mission, from
which sprang, in a few subsequent years, the prosperous and
Christian Moravian settlements. A very trifling circumstance, as
judged by Rev. Mr. Post's journals, must have been the means of
diverting his chosen site from this county to that of Tuscarawas ;
but, whatever it was, it succeeded, and made a grand history for the
location he chose.
By
the terms of the treaty of Fort Stanwix, concluded with the Iroquois
or Six Nations (Mohawks, Onondagas, Senecas, Cayugas, Tuscaroras,
and Oneidas), Oct. 22, 1784, the indefinite claim of said
confederacy to the greater part of the valley of Ohio was
extinguished. This was followed, in January, 1785, by the treaty of
Fort McIntosh, by which the Delawares, Chippewas, Wyandots, and
Ottawas relinquished all claim to the Ohio Valley, and established
the boundary-line between them and the United States to be the
Cuyahoga River and along the main branch of the Tuscarawas to the
forks of said river, near Fort Laurens ; thence westwardly to the
portage between the headwaters of the Great Miami and the Maumee or
Miami of the Lakes ; thence down said river to Lake Erie, and along
said lake to the mouth of Cuyahoga River. A similar relinquishment
was effected by the treaty of Fort Finney (at the mouth of the Great
Miami), concluded with the Shawnees on Jan. 31, 1786. The treaty of
Fort Harmar, held by Gen. St. Clair, Jan. 9, 1789, was mainly
confirmatory of the treaties previously made.
THE INDIANS - 31
The
rights and titles acquired by the Indians under the foregoing
treaties were extinguished by the general government by purchase, in
pursuance of various treaties subse- quently made. From the time of
the organization of the government of the " Northwest
Territory," in 1788, until the ratification of the "
treaty of Greenville," sometimes called " Wayne's
treaty," in 1795, the attitude of many of the Western Indian
tribes towards the white settlers in the new Territory was that of
extreme, unrelenting hostility, The aggressions of the red men were
now frequent, and the native tribes resented the settlement of the
whites upon their soil, although they came under the sanction of
treaties, as an intrusion. The bitter enmity which existed between
them and the people of Kentucky caused them to look upon all
Americans as enemies, and they were strongly stimulated to deeds of
violence by the influence of the garrisons of the military posts
retained by the British in open disregard of the treaty of 1783, and
by renegade traders everywhere es- tablished among them. The
military organizations which had marched against the savages before
the establishment of civil government in the great Northwest had
signally failed to subjugate them or secure a permanent cessation of
hostilities. The disastrous expedition of Gen. Braddock, in 1755, of
Maj. Wilkins, in 1763, of Col. Bradstreet, in 1764, of Col. Lochry,
in 1781, and of Col. Crawford, in 1782, and the disgraceful and
murderous expedition against the Moravian Indians on the Tuscarawas,
in the last-named year, only tended to inflame the hostile Indian
tribes and inspire them with greater courage in the forward
movements and aggressive measures against the white set- tlers. The
fruitless, if not abortive, attempts and cam- paigns of Col.
McDonald, in 1774, of Gen. McIntosh, in 1778, and of Gen. Broadhead,
in 1781, of course led to no salutary effects. Even the successful
campaigns of Col. Boquet, in 1763-64, of Lord Dunmore and Gen.
Lewis, in 1774, and of Gen. George Rogers Clark, in 1778, failed to
secure a permanent peace with the Western Indian tribes. The
inhabitants of the Northwest Territory were, there- fore,—from the
7th of April, 1788, when the first immi- grants arrived, at the
Mouth of the Muskingum, and the previous fall and winters, when
O'Bannon was surveying and locating government entries in the
southern townships of Clermont, until the treaty of Greenville was
concluded, in August,1795,-constantly liable to the stealthy but
deadly attacks of the perfidious, merciless savage tribes of the
Northwest. It does not appear that at this time the Indians had
experienced any injuries at the hands of the im- migrants, who, in
general, were pacific but fearless men. The settlers were disposed
to deal justly and in good faith with their savage neighbors and
were averse to bloodshed, but in the hour of danger and trial they
exhibited daring courage and steady resolution. They were not
hunters who cared little whether their game were red men or wild
beasts, but they were men who preferred to be citizens, still knew
how to be soldiers, and they met their dastardly, cruel, unrelenting
foes in the spirit of genuine manhood,— of true, determined,
unflinching heroism. They were men worthy of the heroic age of the
West, and bravely did they bear themselves during those seven years
of toil and privations, of dread and apprehension, of suffering and
sorrow, of blood and carnage, and left a rich heritage to their
descendants and the more fortunate pioneers following in their
footsteps.
To
avert from the new settlements the dangers which threatened them,
the government first resorted to negotiations; but, these proving
unavailing, Gen, Harmar, then commander-in-chief of the military
department of the West, was ordered to attack the Indian towns. In
pursuance of his instructions, he marched from Fort Washington, at
Cincinnati, in September, 1790, with about thirteen hundred men, of
whom less than one-fourth were regulars, the balance of his troops
being Pennsylvania and Kentucky volunteers7the former being under
the immediate command of Col. John Hardin, and the latter of Col.
Trotter. When near the Indian villages on the Miami an advanced
detachment of two hundred and ten men, consisting mostly of militia,
fell into an ambush, and was defeated with severe loss.
Notwithstanding this check, the villages on the Mi- ami were reduced
to ashes, and the standing corn and other means of savage
subsistence were entirely destroyed,
Having
accomplished this service, the army commenced its march homewards,
but had not proceeded far, however, when Gen. Harmar received
intelligence that the Indians had returned to their ruined towns. He
immediately detached about one-third of his remaining force, under
the command of Col. Hardin, with orders to bring them to an
engagement. Early the next morning this detachment reached the
confluence of the St. Joseph and St. Mary's Rivers, both tributaries
of the Maumee, where they were encountered by a large body of
savages, and a terrible engagement ensued. The Indians fought with
all the fury of savage vengeance, and the militia and regulars alike
be- haved with the most Spartan gallantry and bravery, but suffered
a most mortifying defeat. These battles were fought on the 19th and
22d of October, 1790, and in this last and most fatal action more
than one hundred of the militia, and, except nine, all the regulars
perished, and the rest were driven back to the main body. Dispirited
by this final severe misfortune, Harmar attempted nothing further
against the enemy, but continued his march to Cincinnati, and of
course his campaign failed to give peace or relief from apprehended
barbarities. In fact, there had been a signal failure of the
expedition's accomplishing its objects, and hence the audacity of
savage aggression was not at all restrained. The property of the
settlers was now in con- stant peril of destruction, and many
persons were killed and others carried into captivity, to be
adopted, sold, or tortured at the pleasure of their captors. The
settlements on the purchase of the " Ohio Company" shared
heavily in these calamities, though in a less degree than those of
the Virginia Reservation, between the Little Miami and Scioto
Rivers, which latter acquired in Kentucky the significant name of
the Miami Slaughter-house.". The land-surveys by Obannon and
other surveyors in Clermont County ceased entirely, or were only
secretly made on the lands contiguous to the Ohio River, and these
in the greatest danger and apprehension.
In
the following year, 1791, Cornelius Washburn, the celebrated scout
and Indian-fighter, was employed by gov- ernment agents as a spy
between Maysville, Ky., and the
32 - HISTORY OF CLERMONT COUNTY, OHIO.
mouth
of the Little Miami, to watch for Indians, who were accustomed to
cross the Ohio into Kentucky to steal and murder. While so engaged
he had several encounters with them, in which his unerring rifle
dealt death to many of the redskins, Two of these encounters were in
Clermont, —the county where this famous scout and hunter
afterwards resided for years. When scouting near what is now the
village of Cedron, in this county,—situate in Franklin township,
on Bullskin Creek, and some three miles from its mouth, where it
empties into the Ohio,—Washburn spied five Indians, when he
instantly fired and killed one. The four remaining savages pursued
him, and, about half a mile beyond, one of them having got, in
pursuit, within a few steps, Washburn wheeled and shot, and then
continued the retreat. In less than a mile farther a second one came
so close to him that as he turned to fire he caught the muzzle of
his gun, when, after a severe struggle, Washburn brought it to his
chest, and discharging it, is antagonist fell dead. He still
continued on his course, pursued by the two Indians, all three being
pretty well fatigued, and often stopping and treeing, After going
something more than a mile, Washburn took advantage of an open
ground over which the Indians were passing, and stopped suddenly to
shoot the foremost, who thereupon sprang behind a small sapling.
Washburn fired and wounded him mortally, and the remaining savage
then gave a little yell and exclaimed, "No catch that man ! Gun
always loaded!" and retreated back into the forest, leaving
Washburn to proceed to the Ohio further unmo- lested. Later in the
season of the same year, while returning from the mouth of the
Little Miami, he discovered an In- dian on Twelve-Mile Creek, in
Ohio township, a little over a mile from the present town of New
Richmond, and before the redskin was probably aware of his being
seen his life was taken by the sure shot of the great spy's
never-failing rifle, which was the terror of his savage foes. This
encoun- ter happened on what is now the farm of Christian Laub, a
worthy German, who suffers at this day less apprehension from the
red men than from the failure of his grape-fields to yield a goodly
vintage.
The
alarming condition of affairs in the Territory inspired President
Washington with fresh anxiety for a more effec- tive prosecution of
the Indian war, and a new army, in every respect superior to the
former, was assembled at Cin- cinnati in 1791, under the command of
Gen. Arthur St. Clair, the Governor of the Territory, and an officer
who had a Revolutionary record of patriotism and ability, and under
whom the speedy termination of the Indian atrocities was expected to
be secured. The regular force consisted of three regiments of
infantry, two companies Of artillery, and one of cavalry, and the
militia numbered about six hundred men. With this army St. Clair
began, on September 17th, his march from Ludlow's Station (six miles
from Fort Washington) towards the Indian towns on the Maumee. Two
forts, Hamilton and Jefferson, were established on the route, at the
distance of about forty miles from each other, and garrisoned by
parties detached from the main army for that purpose. Shortly after
leaving Fort Jefferson a considerable party of the militia mutinied
and deserted in a body. The First Regiment, under Maj. Haintranek,
was ordered to pursue them and to secure the advancing convoys of
provisions, which, it was feared, they designed to plunder. Thus
weakened by desertion and division, St. Clair approached the Indian
towns. On the 3d of November, when within about forty-five miles of
the towns, he halted, intending to throw up some slight
fortifications for the protection of the baggage, and to await the
return of the absent regiment. Misfortune seemed to have marked the
expedition almost from its commencement, and on the following
morning, about half an hour before sunrise, the American army was
attacked with fiery impetuosity by the whole force of the
Northwestern tribes and totally defeated, with the loss of more than
six hundred officers and soldiers. The site of this disastrous
defeat was near the headwaters of the Wabash, now in Mercer Co.,
Ohio, and the battle- field is known as Fort Recovery. Engaged in
this battle were at least two thousand Indians and fifteen hundred
white men, and of the latter more than half were either killed or
wounded.
Nothing
could have been more unexpected than this severe disaster-this
calamity—to the disheartened and greatly-harassed pioneers of the
Territory. Its effect was deplorable, and the victorious tribes sent
runners to the southern and south western nations to stimulate them
to attacks upon the white settlements ; and, consequently, In- dian
outrages of every kind were multiplied, and emigration was almost
entirely suspended. The Federal government now took the preliminary
steps to raise a large army to operate against the hostile tribes,
for the purpose of finally and permanently subjugating them, and
Congress passed the necessary laws and the President hastened to
carry them into effect. In the mean time there occurred a battle in
Clermont County,—the only fight of any magnitude known to have
ever transpired between the Indians and whites within its borders.
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