BROWN COUNTY OHIO - HISTORY: Part 1 (published 1925)
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HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS OF OHIO, By Henry Howe, LL.D., 1898

                                BROWN

        BROWN COUNTY was formed from Adams and Clermont March 1, 1817, and
named from General Jacob Brown, a gallant officer of the war of 1812. He
was a native of Pennsylvania, of Quaker origin, and defeated the British at
Lundy's Lane, Chippewa and in the sortie from Fort Erie. Excepting the Ohio
river hills the surface of Brown is generally level and undulating and the
soil fertile; the northern part more especially is adapted to grassing and
the southern to grain. Area 470 square miles. In 1885 the acres cultivated
were 107,803; pasture, 97,015; woodland, 42,553; lying waste, 9,666; wheat;
72,616 bushels; corn 1,261,807; tobacco, 3,702,512 pounds; butter, 498,153
pounds. School census 1886, 10,328; teachers, 217. It has 113 miles of
railroad.

TOWNSHIPS AND CENSUS    1840    1880
Byrd                    2,422   1,299
Clark                   1,290   1,761
Eagle                     888   1,249
Franklin                1,199   1,165
Green                     358   1,916
Huntington              1,957   3,085
Jackson                 1,253     963
Lewis                   2,044   8,188
Perry                   1,869   2,838
Pike                      792   1,339
Pleasant                1,485   2,940
Scott                   1,101   1,224
Sterling                  608   1,662
Union                   2,071   5,776
Washington                848   1,206
        Population of Brown county in 1820, 13,367; in 1840, 22,715; in
1860, 28,842; in 1880, 31,179, of whom 27,383 were Ohio-born.
        A short time previous to the settlement of this county a battle was
fought at a locality called "the salt lick," in Perry township, in the
northern part of the county, between a party of Kentuckians and some
Indians under Tecumseh. The circumstances are here given from Drake's life
of that celebrated Indian chief.
        BATTLE WITH TECUMSEH. -In the month of March, 1792, some horses
were stolen by the Indians, from the settlements in Mason county, Ky. A
party of whites, to the number of thirty-six, was immediately raised for
the purpose of pursuing them. It embraced Kenton, Whiteman, M'Intyre,
Downing, Washburn, Calvin and several other experienced woodsmen. The first
named, Simon Kenton, a distinguished Indian fighter, was placed in command.
The trail of the Indians being taken, it was found they had crossed the
Ohio, just below the mouth of Lee's creek, which was reached by the
pursuing party towards evening. Having prepared rafts, they crossed the
Ohio that night, and encamped. Early next morning the trail was again taken
and pursued, on a north course, all day, the weather being bad and the
ground wet. On the ensuing morning, twelve of the men were unable to
continue the pursuit, and were permitted to return.
        The remainder followed the trail until eleven o'clock A.M., when a
bell was heard, which they supposed indicated their approach to the Indian
camp. A halt was called, and all useless baggage and clothing laid aside.
        Whiteman and two others were sent ahead as spies, in different
directions, each being followed by a detachment of the party. After moving
forward some distance, it was found that the bell was approaching them.
They halted, and soon perceived a solitary Indian riding towards them. When
within one hundred and fifty yards, he was fired at and killed. Kenton
directed the spies to proceed, being now satisfied that the camp of the
Indians was near at hand. They pushed on rapidly, and after going about
four miles, found the Indians encamped on the southeast side of the east
fork of the Little Miami, a few miles above the place where the town of
Williamsburg has since been built. The indications of a considerable body
of Indians were so strong, that the expediency of an attack at that hour of
the day was doubted by Kenton. A hurried council was held, in which it was
determined to retire, if it could be done without discovery, and lie
concealed until night and then assault the camp. This plan was carried into
execution. Two of the spies were left to watch the Indians, and ascertain
whether the pursuing party had been discovered. The others retreated for
some distance, and took a commanding position on a ridge. The spies watched
until night, and then reported to their commander that they had not been
discovered by the enemy. The men being wet and cold, they were now marched
down into a hollow, where they kindled fires, dried their clothes, and put
their rifles in order.
        The party was then divided into three detachments, -Kenton
commanding the right, M'Intyre the centre, and Downing the left. By
agreement, the three divisions were to move towards the camp,
simultaneously, and when they had approached as near as possible, without
giving an alarm, were to be guided in the commencement of the attack, by
the fire from Kenton's party. When Downing and his detachment had
approached close to the camp, an Indian rose upon his feet, and began to
stir up the fire, which was but dimly burning. Fearing a discovery,
Downing's party instantly shot him down. This was followed by a general
fire from the three detachments, upon the Indians who were sleeping under
some marquees and bark tents, close upon the margin of the stream. But
unfortunately, as it proved in the sequel, Kenton's party had taken
"Boone," as their watch-word. This name happening to be as familiar to the
enemy as themselves, led to some confusion in the course of the engagement.
When fired upon,the Indians, instead of retreating across the stream, as
had been anticipated, boldly stood to their arms, returned the fire of the
assailants, and rushed upon them. They were reinforced, moreover, from a
camp on the opposite side of the river, which, until then, had been
unperceived by the whites. In a few minutes, the Indians and the
Kentuckians were blended with each other, and the cry of "Boone," and "Che
Boone," arose simultaneously from each party.
        It was after midnight when the attack was made, and there being no
moon, it was very dark. Kenton, perceiving that his men were likely to be
overpowered, ordered a retreat, after the attack had lasted for a few
minutes; this was continued through the remainder of the night and part of
the next day, the Indians pursuing them but without killing more than one
of the retreating party. The Kentuckians lost but two men, Alexander
M'Intyre and John Barr. The loss of the Indians was much greater, according
to the statements of some prisoners, who, after the peace of 1795, were
released and returned to Kentucky. They related that fourteen Indians were
killed, and seventeen wounded. They stated further, that there were in the
camp about one hundred warriors, among them several chiefs of note,
including Tecumseh, Battise, Black Snake, Wolf and Chinskau; and that the
party had been formed for the purpose of annoying the settlements in
Kentucky, and attacking boats descending the Ohio river. Kenton and his
party were three days in reaching Limestone, during two of which they were
without food, and destitute of sufficient clothing to protect them from the
cold winds and rains of March. The foregoing particulars of this expedition
are taken from the manuscript narrative of Gen. Benjamin Whiteman, one of
the early and gallant pioneers to Kentucky, now a resident of Green county,
Ohio.
        The statements of Anthony Shane and of Stephen Ruddell, touching
this action, vary in some particulars from that which has been given above,
and also from the narrative in "McDonald's Sketches." The principal
difference relates to the number of Indians in the engagement, and the loss
sustained by them. They report but two killed, and that the Indian force
was less than that of the whites. Ruddell states, that at the commencement
of the attack, Tecumseh was lying by the fire, outside of the tents. When
the first gun was heard, he sprang to his feet, and calling upon Sinnamatha
to follow his example and charge, he rushed forward and killed one of the
whites (John Barr) with his war-club. The other Indians, raising the
war-whoop, seized their arms, and rushing upon Kenton and his party,
compelled them, after a severe contest of a few minutes, to retreat. One of
the Indians, in the midst of the engagement, fell into the river, and in
the effort to get out of the water made so much noise that it created a
belief on the minds of the whites that a reinforcement was crossing the
stream to aid Tecumseh. This is supposed to have hastened the order from
Kenton for his men to retreat.
        The afternoon prior to the battle, one of Kenton's men, by the name
of M'Intyre, succeeded in catching an Indian horse, which he tied in the
rear of the camp, and when a retreat was ordered, he mounted and rode off.
Early in the morning Tecumseh and four of his men set off in pursuit of the
retreating party. Having fallen upon the trail of M'Intyre, they pursued it
for some distance and at length overtook him. He had struck a fire and was
cooking some meat. When M'Intyre discovered his pursuers he instantly fled
at full speed. Tecumseh and two others followed and were fast gaining on
him when he turned and raised his gun. Two of the Indians, who happened to
be in advance of Tecumseh, sprung behind trees, but he rushed upon M'Intyre
and made him prisoner. He was tied and taken back to the battle-ground.
Upon reaching it Tecumseh deemed it prudent to draw off his men, lest the
whites should rally and renew the attack. He requested some of the Indians
to catch the horses, but they hesitating, he undertook to do it himself,
assisted by one of the party. When he returned to camp with the horses, he
found that his men had killed M'Intyre. At this act of cruelty to a
prisoner he was exceedingly indignant, declaring that it was a cowardly act
to kill a man when tied and a prisoner. The conduct of Tecumseh in this
engagement and in the events of the following morning is creditable alike
to his courage and humanity. Resolutely brave in battle, his arm was never
uplifted against a prisoner, nor did he suffer violence to be inflicted
upon a captive without promptly rebuking it.
        McDonald, in speaking of this action says:
        "The celebrated Tecumseh commanded the Indians. His cautious and
fearless intrepidity made him a host wherever he went. In military tactics
night attacks are not allowable, except in cases like this, when the
assailing party and far inferior in numbers. Sometimes, in night attacks,
panics and confusion are created in the attacked party, which may render
them a prey to inferior numbers. Kenton trusted to something like this on
the present occasion, but was disappointed, for when Tecumseh was present
his influence over the minds of his followers infused, that confidence in
his tact and intrepidity that they could only be defeated by force of
numbers."


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