KNOX COUNTY OHIO - Norton's History of Knox County [Chapter IX]

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A History of Knox County, Ohio, From 1779 to 1862 
Inclusive: Comprising Biographical Sketches, Anecdotes and 
incidents of men connected with the county from its first 
settlement: Together with complete lists of the senators, 
representatives, sherriffs, auditors, commissioners, 
treasurers, judges, justices of the peace, and other 
officers of the county, also of those who have served in a 
military capacity from its first organization to the 
present time, and also a sketch of Kenyon College, and 
other institutions of learning and religion within the 
county. 
By A. Banning Norton.

Columbus: Richard Nevins, Printer. 1862
Entered according to the act of Congress in the year 1862 
by A. Banning Norton, In the Clerk’s office of the Southern 
District of Ohio.
     ____________________________________________

CHAPTER IX.

SKETCH OF THE FIRST WHITE MAN KNOWN TO HAVE BEEN 
UPON THE KO-KO-SING--THE INDIAN CAPTIVE IN 1779.--THE 
ADJUTANT IN 1812 AND COMMISSIONER IN 1824.

THE first of the citizens of Knox county to tread upon its 
soil, was John Stilley. . In the month of June, A. D. 1779, he 
was a captive among the Indians upon the banks of Ko-ko-
sing. We have thoroughly investigated the early history of 
this country and can learn of no white person who pen-
etrated the wilderness prior to that time. His father was one 
of the pioneers of Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, who was 
killed by the savages when John was but a small child. 
Immediately after his father was massacred, John (about the 
year 1774) was taken, with one of his little sisters, by his 
brother-in-law, Kennedy, to his home in the back part of 
Washington county, where he was living exposed to the 
privations, toils and sufferings incident to border life. At that 
time the people of the new country were in constant dread 
of the savages, and sleeping or waking they were alike in 
danger of becoming their prey. In the spring of 1779, when 
the corn was just sprouting out of the ground, a baud of 
Indians of the Wyandot tribe one night attacked the house 
of Kennedy, took Kennedy, his

wife and one child, John Stilley and his little prattling sister, 
plundered the house of such things as they fancied, set fire 
to the house, and burned it to the ground. While they were 
witnessing the destruction of the house and its contents, 
they became alarmed by the approach of some of the 
whites living nearest to Kennedy, and hastily. seized his 
horses, and took to flight. One of the neighbors, called 
Captain Jack, an old Indian hunter, living about two miles 
from Kennedy's, thought on the evening of that day that 
there were Indians about, and being unable to get to sleep 
on account of this presentiment, kept his family awake until 
about midnight, when he swore that lie " smelt Indians," and 
seizing his rifle, powder-horn and bullet-pouch went out to 
his nearest neighbor, and while there discovered the fire in 
the direction of Kennedy's, and with such of the settlement 
as could be hastily gathered together came up to the ruins 
of the house, hurrying the Indians away with their captives 
and plunder. They followed close in pursuit, and came so 
nearly up to them when crossing the river that Captain 
Jack shot the Indian having young Stilley in charge across 
the right hand, cutting off his thumb. They. heard the crack 
of rifles, and the balls whistled by them as they crossed the 
river. The Indian held young John in his left hand, and 
swam his horse over the river and rode some distance with 
the reins in his mouth. The band of Indians-sixteen in 
number-hastened rapidly across the country with their 
prisoners, crossing the White Woman near its mouth, and 
following on up the Ko-ko-sing, as Stilley distinctly

recollects, until above where Fredericktown has since been 
built, and thence on out to the Sandusky plains. They 
camped one night at the Little Indian Fields, near the present 
site of Mount Vernon.
This country was then an unbroken wilderness. They did 
not see a single white man, or the trace of one, this side of 
the Ohio river ; nor could John Stilley. recollect of seeing 
one of his own race for five vears, except a few prisoners 
who were at times brought  through the country where he 
was, and occasionally his sisters and brother-in-law. They 
were parceled out by the captors as suited their fancy and 
were some times for months without seeing each other. John 
was a stout, hearty boy, fond of rough exercise and having 
not a particle of fear
he soon became a great favorite with the tribe, and was 
often taken by the warriors in their hunting expeditions.
 He was several times brought with a portion of the tribe 
down to the Ko-ko-sing and White Woman country, and 
remembers that this was considered the most beautiful part 
of their hunting grounds. It then looked to him far 
handsomer than it ever has since, and because of its 
prepossession appearance he determined. when he started 
in the world with thoughts of settling down permanently in 
one place, to make this his home and final resting place.
After the Revolutionary War was over and peace 
established, Kennedy and his wife and the two children 
were delivered up at Detroit. The Indians had taken a great 
liking to John, and determined to keep him. He was 
adopted into the tribe, had learned their language, and 
almost lost his own.

Trained up as their little Indians were, he had fallen into 
their ways, and fell in love with their mode of life, so that he 
had no desire to return to the white settlements. He bore 
no marks of ill treatment, unless we except that the end of 
his nose had been bitten off by one of the Indians in a fight. 
In all their sports and games he took part, and was a 
worthy "boba-sheeby." Our old settlers, who recollect the 
"whoop" that Uncle John could give when so disposed, say 
that he surpassed the real Indian in that line. He has often 
spoken to us of the events of his captivity, and how he was 
for a time fascinated with their wild and roving life. He sub-
sisted for days upon a little corn parched and pounded up, 
and used to affirm to us that he never relished any thing so 
well in his life as that simple food.
But he was not doomed to live always a savage life. His 
family determined to rescue him from their wiles and 
allurements. His brother-in-law, with several others, 
undertook this mission, and at length succeeded in getting 
him away from them while they were camped down on 
Detroit, -not far from where Malden has since been built. 
He remained with Kennedy and his friends at Detroit some 
months. There was then a British Fort there, and the village 
was the smallest kind of a four-cornered place.
It is a satisfaction to know that several of the gang who 
captured Stilley and Kennedy's family were afterwards in 
one of their marauding editions overtaken by justice. The 
Poes met and killed them near the mouth of Yellow Creek. 
Stil-

ley and his sister became conversant with this fact shortly 
after the occurrence from Indians concerned in that dreadful 
fight.
John Stilley with other prisoners retaken from the 
Indians, to the number of about ninety, embarked in a vessel 
at Detroit, and landed in Sandusky Bay, and hired two 
Indian pilots to guide them back to the settlements. When 
they got pretty near the Ohio River, they began to talk over 
their Position, where they were from, and with sadness 
parted with each other, scattering in different directions, 
never more to meet. Some were from Kentucky, others 
from Virginia and Pennsylvania. But few of them crossed 
the river with Stilley into the edge of Allegheny county. 
Stilley says that he then passed through the Ko-ko-sing and 
White Wo- oman country, and not a particle of improve-
ment was discerned from the time he was first taken through 
it by the Indians.
After remaining in his native country a short time he 
became restless, and longed for a newer condition of things . 
His desire for adventure took him to the "dark and bloody 
ground." He went alone-a poor boy., but strong of heart, 
and with resolution indomitable. Alone, and in a light canoe 
of his own make, he navigated the rivers, and landed at the 
Limestone, about three miles from where the city of 
Maysyille now stands. The only settlements then 
commenced on the Ohio River in his way were at Wheeling, 
Gallipolis, Marietta, and at the mouth of the Kanawha. 
These were all very small. He pushed his way into the 
interior of Kentucky, and voyaged along

the waters of the Elkhorn, and was struck with the 
surprising beauty of the country, and the nobleness and 
generosity of the people with whom he fell in company, 
and there he sojourned for some time. "There was," he 
said, "a considerable settlement along the waters of the 
Elkhorn, and above and between Paris and Lexington more 
white people than I had ever seen before. Lexington I 
thought a mighty clever town. We could raise along the old 
Elk's horn quite a number of men to take a fight every now 
and then, and I felt that I was man enough for any of them 
in any way. they were a mind to take me. I knew Simon 
Kenton
personally and right intimately, and a mighty true man he 
was too. He then lived down, I think, sort of northwest of 
Paris. He did not live as high as I did. He kept four-minute 
men down there always ready. We kept watch miles along 
the river for a while, and went back and forth twenty-five 
miles ; I was one of them. I also knew Neal Washburn 
well, and I tell you he was a real brotherly feeling man. The 
Kentucky hunters were as good men as God ever made. 
They were the clear noblemen spit-all soul-all bravery- all 
generosity. Would to God there were more such in the 
world." * * * "I remained upon Elkhorn enjoying myself 
finely, farming a little, and hunting more, and wrestling and 
fighting, and all that, till the pesky Indians up in the 
Maumee country, and in the Miami, got to cutting up so 
intolerable bad that we couldn't stand it any longer-they 
were depredating and thieving, and murdering and 
scalping, and I got my blood up

and concluded to try my aim on them, so I "listed among 
the first in the country, and there was no better shot with a 
rifle among the crowd."
John Stilley. served for four months as one of the 
Kentucky volunteers, and upon discharge of the company, 
by General Wayne, returned to the Elkhorn country. But 
he did not long remain quiet. Repeated acts of cruelty and 
inhumanity on the part of the savages and their worse than 
savage allies. again rendered it necessary for the Kentucky 
boys to shoulder their rifles and march into the enemy's 
country to avenge the wrongs of their countrymen. Stilley 
then served five months, and said he would like to have 
continued with old Mad Anthony the rest of his days, but 
the old hero said he did not require his services any longer. 
He returned to Kentucky and remained farming, hunting, 
and shooting at a mark, until the country, where he was, 
became too thickly settled for him to enjoy life there, amid 
then lie concluded to look up again the fine country which 
lie had admired so much, when a boy, on the Ko-ko-sing.
He is found living in this county in 1806, making his 
location, building his log cabin and settling down for the 
remainder of his term on earth. His wife, Rebecca, daughter 
of old Robert Thompson, the surveyor and pioneer, rests 
by his side beneath the soil of Knox county. The Stilley 
farm, west of Mount Vernon one mile, where their sons 
Morgan F. and Gilman B. and daughter Dorcas now live, 
was cleared off and first cultivated by Thompson and Stilley 
from 1805. Of John Stilley's twelve children-Sarah E., wife 
of Jacob Maxteller, is in

this township ; Julia Ann, wife of Col. Benjamin F. Smith, 
in Minnesota; Joel F. in this county, Rebecca Kimbal in 
Morrow county ; Nancy, wife of Wm. McFarland, 
deceased, in Oquawka, Ill., and the others, not above 
named, are dead.
In our chapter upon the military of Knox county it will 
be seen that the bellicose spirit of John Stilley is made 
manifest. In the war with Great Britain he served as 
Adjutant of Col. Kratzer's Regiment, Ohio volunteers, until 
honorably discharged . He again entered the service when 
Fort Meigs was attacked by the British and Indians, and 
received another honorable discharge . We became 
conversant with the events in the life of this worthy old 
settler several years ago, when forwarding an application 
for a land warrant,  which he desired mainly as evidencing 
an evidence of appreciation of his services and sufferings 
by his government, but the lamentable delays of officials in 
the great circumlocution departments at Washington 
prevented his receiving this just acknowledgment of his 
country's gratitude. On the 10th of March, 1852, he died 
of palsy, at his home, in Clinton township. His widow, after 
his death, received the tribute of a land warrant for 160 
acres.
John Stilley was a true hearted, a brave man- ready, 
whenever occasion offered, to assert his rights and 
evidence his courage. He performed four tours of service, 
and under the most trying circumstances acquitted himself 
handsomely. He was a great admirer of General Wayne 
and General Harrison, and never grew tired of praising 
them. We might give many anecdotes and incidents 
connected with

the life of this worthy old pioneer-who first walked upon the 
banks of Owl Crock, (Koo-koo-san he said it was 
pronounced by the tribe who captured him.) We have 
thought a chapter in the History of the county to be justly 
due to John Stilley--the old Adjutant--the old 
Commissioner--the old citizen who was proverbial for his 
honesty and integrity--and who possessed, at four score 
years, as good a memory, as sound judgment and 
irreproachable character as any man ever within the limit of 
Knox county.