OHIO STATEWIDE FILES - Know your Ohio: Tidbits of Ohio -- Part 46A ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES(tm) NOTICE Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm All documents placed in the USGenWeb Archives remain the property of the contributors, who retain publication rights in accordance with US Copyright Laws and Regulations. In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, these documents may be used by anyone for their personal research. They may be used by non-commercial entities so long as all notices and submitter information is included. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit. Any other use, including copying files to other sites, requires permission from the contributors PRIOR to uploading to the other sites. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgenwebarchives.org ************************************************************************** File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Darlene E. Kelley http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00026.html#0006374 May 9, 2005 ************************************************************************** Historical Collections of Ohio And Then They Went West Know Your Ohio by Darlene E. Kelley Tid Bits - Part 46 A notes by S.Kelly ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Part 46 A Adams County & Nathaniel Massie The first setlement within the Virginia militay tract, and the only one between the Scioto and the Little Miami until the treaty of Greenville. in 1795, was made in Adams County, at Manchester, by then Col., later Gen. Nathaniel Massie. Massie, in the winter of the year 1790, was determined to make a settlement in what was to become Manchester; and that he might be in the midst of his surveying operations and secure his party from danger and exposure; gave notice in Kentucky of his intention, and offered each of the first twenty five families, as a donation, one in-lot, one out-lot, and one hundred acres of land, provided they would settle in a town he intended to lay out at his settlement. His proffered terms were soon closed with , upwards of thirty families, who joined him. After various consultations with his friends, the bottom on the Ohio River, opposite the lower of the Three Islands, was selected as the most eligible spot. Here he fixed his station, and laid off into lots, a town, now called Manchester; at this time a small place, about twelve miles above Maysville ( formally Limestone ), Kentucky. This little confederacy, with Massie at the helm ( who was the soul of it ), went to work with spirit. Cabins were raised and by the middle of March, 1791, the whole town was enclosed with strong pickets, firmly fixed in the ground with block houses at each angle for defence. This was the first settlement in the Virginia military district and the fourth settlement in the bounds of the State of Ohio effected. Although this settlement was commenced in the hottest Indian War it suffered less from depredation, and even interruptions from the Indians, than any settlement previously made on the Ohio River. This was no doubt owing to the watchful band of brave spirits who guarded the place-- men who were reared in the midst of danger and inured to perils, and as watchful as hawks. Here were the Beasleys, the Stouts, the Washburns, the Ledoms, the Edgingtons, the Denings, the Ellisons, the Utts, the McKenzies, the Wades, and others, who were equal to the Indians in all arts and stratagems of border war. As soon as Massie had completely prepared his station for defence, the whole population went to work and cleared the lower of the Three Islands, and planted it in corn. The island was very rich, and produced heavy crops. The woods with a little industry, supplied a choice variety of game. Deer, elk, buffalo, bears, and turkeys, were abundant, while the river furnished a variety of excellant fish. The wants of the inhabitnts, under these circumstances, were few and easily gratified. When this station was made, the nearest neighbors north-west of the Ohio were the inhabitants at Columbia, a settlement below the mouth of the Little Miami, five miles above Cincinnati; and at Gallipolis, a French settlement near the mouth of the Great Kenhawa. This station being established, Nathaniel Massie continued to make locations and surveys. Great precautions were necessary to avoid the Indians, and even these did not always avail. Mr. Donalson's Capture It was either the last of March, or the first of April, when Israel Donalson came to the territory to reside. On the night of the 21st of April, 1791, Mr. Massie and he were sleeping near each other on their blankets in the loft of the cabin, to get out of the way of the fleas and gnats. Soon after lying down I, Israel Donaldson , began dreaming of Indians, and continued to do so through the night. Sometime during the night Mr. Massie awoke, and I told him of my dream. As was common, Mr. Massie made light of it, and we both dropped off again to sleep. He asked me the next morning if I would go with him up the river, about four or five miles to make a survey, and that William Lytle, who was then at the fort, was going along. We were both young surveyors, and were glad of the opportunity to practice. Accordingly, we three, and a Mr. James Tittle, from Kentucky, who was about buying land, got on board a canoe, and were a long time going up the river; the river being very high at the time. We commenced at the mouth of a creek, which from that day has been called Donalson Creek. We meandered up the river; Mr. Massie had the compass, Mr. Lytle and myself carried the chain. We had progressed, perhaps, one hundred and forty, or one hundred and fifty poles, when our chain broke, but with the aid of the tomahawk, we soon repaired it. We were then close to a large mound, and were standing in a triangle, and Lytle and myself were amusing ourselves pointing out to Tittle the great convenience he would have by building his house on that mound, when the one standing with his face up the river, spoke and said, " Boys, there are Indians. " No, replied the other, " they are Frenchmen." By this time I caught a glimpse of them; I said they were Indians, and begged them to fire. I had no gun, and from the advantage we had, did not think of running until they started. The Indians were in two small bark canoes, and were close to the shore and discovered us just at the instant we saw them; and before I started to run I saw one jump on shore. We took out through the bottom, and before getting to the hill, came to a spring branch. I was in the rear, and as I went to jump, something caught my foot, and I fell on the opposite side. They were then so close, I saw there was no chance to escape, and did not offer to rise. Three warriors first came up, presented their guns all ready to fire, but as I made no resistance they took them down, and one of them gave me his hand to help me up. At this time, Mr. Lytle was about a chain's length before me, and threw away his hat; one of the Indians went forward and picked it up. They then took me back to the bank of the river, and set me down while they put up their stuff, and prepared for a march. While sitting on the bank of the river, I could see the men walking about the block-house on the Kentucky shore, but they heard nothing. The Indians went on rapidly with me that evening and camped, I think, on the waters of Eagle Creek; started the next morning early, it was raining hard, and one of the Indians seeing my hat was convenient to keep off the rain, came up and took it off my head and put it on his own. By this time I had discovered some friendship in a very lusty Indian, I think he was the one that first came up to me. I made signs to him that one had taken my hat; he went and took it off the other Indian's head and placed it again on mine, but we had not gone far, before they took it again. I complained as before, but my friend shook his head, took down and opened his budget, and took out a sort of blanket cap, and put it on my head. We went on; it still rained hard and the waters were very much swollen, and when my friend discovered that I was timorous, he would lock his arm in mine and lead me through, and frequently in open woods when I would get tired I would do the same thing with him and walk for miles. They did not make me carry anything until Sunday or Monday. They got into a thicket of game and killed, I think, two bears and some deer; they then halted and jerked their meat, ate a large portion, peeled some bark, made a kind of box, filled it, and put it on me to carry. I soon got tired of it, and put it down; they raised a great laugh, examined my back, applied some bear's oil to it and then put on the box again. I went on some dstance and threw it down again; my friend then took it up, threw it over his head and carried it. It weighed, I thought, at least fifty pounds. While resting one day, one of the Indians broke up little sticks and laid them up in the form of a fence, then took out a grain of corn, as carefully wrapped up as people wrap up guineas in olden times; this they planted and called out "squaw," signifying me, that would be my employment with the squaws. But, notwithstanding, my situation at time, I thought they would not eat much corn of my raising. On Tuesday, as we were traveling along, there came to us a white man and an Indian on horseback; they had a long talk, and when they rode off, the Indians I was with seemed considerably alarmed; they immediately formed in Indian file, placed me in the center and shook a war club over my head, and showed me by these gestures that if I attempted to run away they would kill me. The Shawanee Camp We soon after arrived at the Shawanee camp, where we continued until late in the afternoon of the next day. During our stay there, they trained my hair to their fashion, put a jewel of tin in my nose, etc. etc. The Indians met with great formality when we came to the camp which was very spacious. One side was entirely cleared out for our use, and the party I was with, passed the camp to my great mortification, I was thinking they were going on; but on getting to the further end they wheeled short round, came into camp, sat down -- not a whisper. In a few minutes two of the oldest got up, went round, shook hands, came and sat down again; then the Shawanees rising simultaneously came and shook hands with them. A few of the first took me by the hand, but one refused, and I did not offer them my hand again not considering it any great honor. Soon after, a kettle of Bear's oil, and some cracklins were set before us, and we began eating, they first chewing the meat, then diping it into the bear's oil, which I tried to be excused from, but they compelled me to eat many a dirty morsel. Early in the afternoon an Indian came to the camp and was met by his party just outside, when they formed a circle and he spoke. I thought, near an hour, and so profound was the silence that had they been on a board floor, I thought the fall of a pin might have been heard. I rightly judged of the disaster, for the day before I was taken, I was at Limestone, and was solicited to join a party that was going down the mouth of the Snag Creek, where some Indian canoes were discovered hid in willows. The party went and divided, some came over to the Indian shore and some remained in Kentucky, and they succeeded in killing nearly the whole party. Two White Men. There was at this camp, two white men; one of them could swear in English, but very imperfectly, having I suppose been taken young; the other, who could speak good English, told me he was from South Carolina. He then told me different names which I have forgotten, except that of Ward; asked if I knew the Wards that lived near Washington, Kentucky. I told him I did, and wanted him to leave the the Indians and go to his brother's, and take me with him. He told me he preferred staying with the Indians, that he might nab the whites. He and I had a great deal of chat, and disagreed in almost everything. He told me they had taken a prisioner by the name of Towns, that had lived near Washington, Kentucky, and that he had attempted to run away, and they killed him. But the truth was, they had taken Timothy Downing the day before I was taken, in the neighborhood of Blue Licks, and had got within four or five miles of that camp, and night coming on, and it being rainy, they concluded to camp. There were but two Indians, an old chief and his son; Downing watched his opportunity, got hold of a squaw-axe and gave the fatal blow. His object was to bring the young Indian in as a prisoner; he said he had been so kind to him, he could not think of killing him. But the instant he struck his father, the young man sprung up on his back and confined him so that it was with difficulty he extricated himself from his grasp. Downing made then for his horse, and the Indian for the camp. The horse he caught and mounted; but not being a woodsman, struck the Ohio a little below Scioto, just as a boat was passing. They would not land for him until he rode several miles and convinced them he was no decoy, and so close was the pursuit, that the boat had gained the stream when the enemy appeared on shore. He had severly wounded the young Indian in the scuffle, but did not know it, until I told him. But to return to my own narritive: Two of the party, viz., my friend and another Indian, turned back from this camp to do other mischief, and never before had I parted with a friend with the same regret. We left the Shawanee camp about the middle of the afternoon, they under great excitement. What detaned them I know not, for they had a number of their horses up and their packs on from early in the morning. I think they had at least one hundred of the best horses that at that time Kentucky could afford. They calculated on being pursued and they were right, for the next day, viz., the 26th of April, Major Kenton with about ninety men was at the camp before the fires were extinquished; and I have always viewed it as a providential circumstance that the enemy had departed, as a defeat on the part of the Kentuckians would have been inevitable. I could never get the Indians in a position to ascertain their precise number, but concluded their were sixty or upward, as sprightly looking men as I ever saw together, and well equipped as they could wish for. The Major himself agreed with me that it was a happy circumstance that they were gone. Escapes We traveled that evening I thought seven miles and encamped in the edge of a prairie, the water a short distance off. Our supper that night consisted of a raccoon roasted undressed. After this meal, I became thirsty, and a old warrior to whom my friend had given me in charge, directed another to go with me to the water, which made him angry; he sruck me, and my nose bled. I had a great mind to return the stroke, but did not. I then determined be the result what it might, that I would go no farther with them. They tied me and laid me down as usual, one of them lying on the rope on each side of me; they went to sleep, and I to work gnawing and picking the rope ( made of bark ) to pieces, but did not get loose until day was breaking. I crawled off on my hands and feet until I got to the edge of the prairie, ad sat down on a tussock to put on my moccasins, and had put on one and was preparing to put on the other, when they raised the yell and took the back track, and I believe they made as much noise as twenty white men could do. Had they been still, they might have heard me, as I was not more than two chains' length from them at the time. But I started and ran, carrying one moccasin in my hand; and in order to evade them, chose the poorest ridges I could find; and when coming to tree-logs lying crosswise, would run along one and then the other. I continued on that way until about ten o'clock, then ascending a very poor ridge, crept in between two logs, and being very weary soon dropped off to sleep and did not waken until the sun was almost down; I traveled a short distance further and took lodging for the night in a hollow tree. I think it was on a Saturday that I got to the Miami. I collected some logs, made a raft by peeling bark and tying them together; but soon found that too tedious and abandoned it. I found a turkey's nest with two eggs in it, each one having a double yolk; they made two delious meals for different days. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ To be continued in Tid Bits Part 46 B.