OHIO STATEWIDE FILES - Know your Ohio: Tidbits of Ohio -- Part 46B

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Historical Collections of Ohio
And Then They Went West
Know Your Ohio
by Darlene E. Kelley
Tid Bits - Part 46 B.
Notes by
S.Kelly

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Part 46 B.

        Arrives at Fort Washington

In continuation of Israel Donalson's narrative previous, he
contintinues;

" I followed down the Miami, until I struck Harmar's trace, made the
previous fall, and continued on it until I came to Fort Washington, now
Cincinnati, Ohio. I think it was on the Sabbath, the first day of May; I
caught a horse, tied a piece of bark around his under jaw on which there
was a large tumor like a wart. The bark rubbed that, and he became
restless and threw me, not hurting me much however; I caught him again,
and he again threw me, this time hurting me badly. How long I lay
insensible, I don't know; but when I revived, he was a considerable
distance from me. I then traveled on very slow, my feet entirely bare
and full of thorns and briers. On Wednesday, the day that I got in, I
was so far gone that I thought it entirely useless to make any further
exertion, not knowing what distance I was from the River; and I took my
station at the root of a tree, but soon got into a state of sleeping,
and either dreamt, or thought, that I should not be loitering away my
time, that I should get in that day; of which, on reflection, I had not
the most idea. However, the impression was so strong that I got up and
walked on some distance. Then I took my station again as before, and the
same thoughts occupied my mind. I got up and walked on. I had not
traveled far before I thought I could see an opening for the river; and
getting a little further on I heard the sound of a bell.
I then started and ran, ( at a slow speed undoubtedly ); a little
further on I began to preceive that I was coming to the river hill; and
having got about half way down,
I heard the sound of an axe, which was the sweetest music I had heard
for many a day. It was in the extreme out-lot; when I got to the lot I
crawled over the fence with difficulty, it being very high. 

I approached the person very cautiously till within about a chain's
length undiscovered; I then stopped and spoke; the person I spoke to was
Mr. William Woodward, (the founder later of Woodward High School.) Mr.
Woodward looked up, hastily cast his eyes round, and then spoke. " In
the name of God,"
he said, " who are you ?" I told him I had been a prisoner and had made
my esacpe from the Indians. After a few more questions he told me, to
come to him. I did so. Seeing my situation, his fears soon subsided; he
told me to sit down on a log and he would go and catch a horse he had in
the lot and take me in. He caught his horse, set me upon him, but kept
the bridle in his own hand. When we got into the road, people began to
inquire of Mr. Woodward, " who is he -- an Indian ?"
I was not surprised nor offended at the inquiries, for I was still in
Indian uniform, bare headed, my hair cut close, except the scalp and
foretop, which they had put up in a piece of tin, with a bunch of turkey
feathers, which I could not undo. They had also stripped off the the
feathers of about two turkeys and hung them to the hair of the scalp;
these I had taken off the day I left them. Mr. Woodward took me to his
house, where kindness was shown me. They soon gave me other clothing ;
coming from different persons, they did not fit me very neatly; but
there could not be a pair of shoes got in the place that I could get on,
my feet were so swollen." 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

         Nathaniel Massie Biography

Nathaniel Massie was born in Goochland County, VA., December 28, 1763.
His father, a farmer in easy circumstances, and of plain good sense,
educated his sons for the practical business of life. In 1780,
Nathaniel, at the age of 17, was a short time in the Revoluntionary
Army. After his return he studied surveying, and in 1783 left to seek
his fortune in Kentucky. He first acted as a surveyor, but soon joined
it in locating of lands.

Young Massie soon became an expert surveyor, and it was a matter of
astonishment ( as he was raised in the dense population east of the
mountains )
how soon he acquired the science and habits of the backwoodsmen.
Although he never practiced the art of hunting, he was admitted by all
who knew his qalifications as a woodsman, to be of the first order. He
could steer his course truely in clear or cloudy weather, and compute
distances more correctly than most old hunters. He could endure fatigue
and hunger with more composure than most of those persons who were
inured to want on the frontier. He could live upon meat without bread,
and bread without meat, and was perectly cheerful and contented with his
fare. In all the perilous situations in which he was placed, he was
always conspicuous for his good feeling and happy temperament of his
mind. His courage was of a cool and dispassionate character, which,
added to great circumspection in times of danger, and gave him a
complete ascendancy over his companions, who were always willing to
follow when Massie led the way.

He also soon became intereted with General James Wilkerson in
speculations in salt, then an article of great scarcty in the west, with
what pecuniary sucess, however, is unknown. He was employed as surveyor
by Colonel R.C. Anderson, principal surveyor of the Virginia Military
Lands, and for a time was engaged in writing in the office of Colonel
Anderson, who had the control of the land warrants, placed in his hands
by his brother officers and soldiers. A very large amount of these, so
as soon as the act of Congress of August 1790 removed all further
obstruction, he placed in Massie's hands to enter and survey on such
terms as he could obtain from the holders of them. As  the risk of
making entries was great, and it was desirable to possess the best land,
the owners of warrants, in most cases, made liberal contracts with the
surveyors, given by the proprietors to the surveyors. If the owners
preferred paying money, the usual terms were ten pounds, Virginia
currency, for each thousand acres entered and surveyed, exclusive of
chainman's expenses. These terms cannot appear extravagant, when we
consider that at that time the danger encountered  was great, and the
exposure during the winter severe, and that the price of the first hand
land in the West was low, and a immense quanity in market.

The locations of land warrants in the Virginia Military District between
the Scioto and the Little Miami rivers, pior to 1790, were made by
stealth ( an act of moving or proceeding ). Every creek which was
explored, every line that was run, was at the risk of life from the
savage Indians, whose courage and perserverance was only equaled by the
perserverance of the whites to push forward their settlements.

In 1791, Massie made the first settlement within the Virginia Military
District at Manchester. During the winter of 1792-93, he continued to
locate and survey the best land within a reasonable distance of the
station on Manchester. In the fall of the year 1793, Massie determined
to attempt a surveying tour on the Scioto River This, at this time, was
very dangerous undertaking; yet no danger, unless very imminent, could
deter him making the attempt. For that purpose, he employed about thirty
men, of whom he choe three as his assitant surveyors. These were John
Beasley, Nathaniel Beasley, and Peter Lee. It was in this expedition
Massie employed for the first time Duncan McArthur and Israel Donalson
as chainmen or markers.

In the month of October some canoes were procured and Massie and his
party set off by water. They proceeded up the Ohio to the mouth of
Scioto River, thence up the Scioto to the mouth of Paint Creek. While
meandering the Scioto, they made surveys on the bottoms. After reaching
the mouth of Paint Creek, the surveyors went to work. Many surveys were
made on the Scioto, as far up as Westfall. Some were made on the Main,
and others on the north fork of Paint Creek, and greatest parts of Ross
and Pickaway Counties  in the district were well explored and partly
surveyed. Massie finished his intended work without meeting any
disturbance from the Indians, except one time, where one of his
Chainman, was captured and taken captive. They had given them a hard
chase, but they ( Indians with chainman as captive,)  however, escaped
Massies attempt to retreive his chainman.
The party returned home delighted with the rich country of the Scioto
Valley which they had explored.

During the winter of 1793-94, Massie, in the midst of the most appalling
dangers, explored the different branches to their sources, which ran
into the Little Miami 
River, and thence passed in a northeastern direction to the heads of
Paint and Clear Creeks, and the branches that form those streams. By
these expeditions he had formed, from personal observation, a correct
knowledge of the geographical situation of the country composing the
Virginia Military District.

During the winter of 1794-95, Massie prepared a party to enter largely
into the surveying business. Nathaniel Beasley, John Beasley, and Peter
Lee were again employed as the assistant surveyors. The party set off
from Manchester well-equipped to prosecute their business, or should
occasion offer, give battle to the Indians. They took the route of
Logan's Trace, and proceeded to the place called the Deserted Camp on
Tod's Fork, of  the Little Miami. At this point they commenced
surveying, and surveyed large portions of land on Tod's Fork, and up the
Mami to the Chillicothe town ( now in Clarke County ), thence up
Massie's Creek and Ceasar's Creek nearly to their heads. By the time the
party had progressed thus far winter had set in. The ground was covered
with a sheet of snow from six to ten inches deep. During the tour, which
continued upwards of thirty days, the party had no bread. For the first
two weeks a pint of flour was distributed to each mess once a day, to
mix with the soup in which meat had been boiled. When night came, four
fires were made for cooking, that is one for each mess. Around these
fires, till sleeping time arrived, the company spent their time in the
most social glee, singing songs, and telling stories. When danger was
not apparent or immediate, they were as merry a set of men as ever
assembled. Resting time arriving, Massie always gave the signal, and the
whole party would then leave their comfortable fires, carrying with them
their blankets, their firearms, and their little baggage, walking in
perfect silence two ot three hundred yeards from their fires. They would
then scrape away the snow and huddle down together for the night. Each
mess formed one bed; they would spread down one the ground one-half of
the blankets, reserving the other half for covering. The covering
blankets were fastened together by skewers to prevent them from slipping
apart. Thus prepared, the whole party crouched down together with their
rifles in their arms, and their pouches under their heads for pillows,
lying spoon-fashion, with three heads one way and four the other, their
feet extending to about the middle of their bodies. When one turned, the
whole mass turned, or close range would be broken and the cold let in.
In this way they lay till broad daylight, no noise and scarce a whisper
being uttered during the night. Massie would call up two of the men in
who he had the most confidence and send them to reconnoiter and make a
circuit around the fires, lest an ambuscade might be formed by the
Indians to destroy the party as they returned to the fires. This was an
invariable custom in every variety of weather. Self-preservation
required this circumspection. Sometime after this, while surveying on
Ceasar's Creek, his men attacked a party of Indians, and they broke and
fled.

After the defeat of the Indians by Wayne, the surveyors were not
interrupted by the Indians; but on one of their excursons, still
remembered as " the starving tour." the whole party, consisting of
twenty eight men, suffered extemely in a driving snowstorm for about
four days. They were in a wilderness, exposed to this severe storm,
without hut or tent or covering, and what was still more appalling,
without provision and without any road or track to retreat on, and were
nearly 100 miles from any place of shelter. On the third day of the
storm, they luckily killed two wild turkeys, which were boiled and
divided into twenty-eight parts, and devoured with great avidity, heads,
feet, entrails and all.

In 1796, Massie laid the foundation of the settlement of the Scioto
Valley, by laing out on his own land the now large and beautiful town of
Chillicothe. The progress of the settlements brought large quantities of
his land into market.

Massie was high in the confidence of St. Clair; and having received the
appointment of Colonel, it was though him that the militia of this
region were first organized. Colonel Massie was an efficient member of
the convention which formed the State constitution. He was afterwards
elected Senator from Ross, and at the first sessin of the State
legislature, was chosen speaker. He was elected first major-general of
the second division of the Ohio militia under the new constitution.
General Massie was at this time one of the largest landowners in Ohio,
and selected a residence at the falls of Paint Creek, Adams County,
where he had a large body of excellant land. In the year 1807, Massie
and Colonel Return Meigs, were competitors for the office of Governor of
Ohio. They were the most popular men in the State. Colonel Meigs
received a small majority of votes. The election was contested by Massie
on the grounds that Colonel Meigs was ineligible by the constitution, in
consequence of his absence from the State, and had not since his return
lived in the State a sufficient length of time to regain his
citizenship. The contest was carried to the General Assembly, who, after
hearing the testimony, decided that Colonel Meigs was ineligible to the
office, and that General Massie was duly elected Governor of the State
of Ohio. Massie, however desirous he might have been to hold the office,
was too magnanimous to accept it when his competitor had a majority of
votes. After the decision in his favor, he immediately resigned.

After this he, as often as leisure would permit, represented Ross County
in the Legislature. He died Nvember 03, 1813,  and was buried on his
farm. His character was well-suited for the settlement of a new County,
dstinquished as it was by a uncommon degree of energy and activity in
the business in which he was engaged . His disposition was ever marked
with liberality and kindness.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

General Massie was anxious to effect a settlement in the Adams County
area, so he offered land to the first twenty-five persons who would join
him in making a settlement there. The agreement was made December 01,
1790. Those who signed were: John Allison; Andrew Andersen; John Black;
John Clark; John Ellison; Robert Ellson; Mathew Hart; John Lindsey;
Nathaniel Massey; John McCutchen; Henry Nelson; J.P.C. Shanks; Alien
Simmeral; Samuel Smith; Thomas Stout; George Wade; Josiah Wade; William
Wade; Zephaniah Wade;  Jesse Wethington. [ These were the first signers
and taxpayers ] Done in the presence of John Beasley & Jas. Tittle.

When the first court was organized July 1798 the commissioners appointed
were;
James Scott, Henry Massie and Joseph Darlington and the assessors
appointed were; Simon Reeder, Aaron Moore, Noble Grimes, James Edison,
Thomas Dick and John Watts.

Some who paid taxes in Adams County in 1798 were; Aaron Armstron; John
Burns; John Conrad; Amos Dunavan; John Garey; John Garvey; John Graves;
Philip Lewis; Robert Mitchell; Providence Moore; Wm Newman; Elija Queen;
Robt Ralston; George Rex; David Rupe; John Sanders; Michael Stultz;
Thomas Tolbert; Christian Waggoner; and Joseph Wolsey.

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Tid Bits continued in part 47.