OHIO STATEWIDE FILES OH-FOOTSTEPS Mailing List ----------------------------------------------------------------------- USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ OH-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest Volume 99 : Issue 170 Today's Topics: #1 COLUMBIANA COUNTY - PART 2 [AUPQ38A@prodigy.com (MRS GINA M RE] #2 Bio - Jacob Crouse, Richland Co., [Maggie Stewart-Zimmerman <73777.25] ------------------------------ X-Message: #1 Date: Sun, 21 Mar 1999 10:57:49, -0500 From: AUPQ38A@prodigy.com (MRS GINA M REASONER) Subject: COLUMBIANA COUNTY - PART 2 HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS OF OHIO, By Henry Howe, LL.D., 1898 ADAM AND ANDREW POE, THE INDIAN FIGHTERS. Adam Poe, who, with his brother Andrew, had the noted fight with the Indians, once resided in this county, in Wayne township, on the west fork of Little Beaver. The son of Andrew__Deacon Adam Poe__ was living late as 1846 in the vicinity of Ravenna, Portage county, and had the tomahawk with which the Indian struck his father. The locality where the struggle occurred, he then told the author, was nearly opposite the mouth of Little Yellow creek. We annex the particulars of this affair from "Doddridge's Notes," substituting, however, the name of Andrew for Adam, and vice versus, as he then stated they should be placed: In the summer of 1782 a party of seven Wyandots made an incursion into a settlement some distance below Fort Pitt, and several miles from the Ohio river. Here, finding an old man alone in a cabin, they killed him, packed up what plunder they could find, and commenced their retreat. Among their party was a celebrated Wyandot chief, who, in addition to his fame as a warrior and counsellor, was, as to his size and strength, a real giant. The news of the visit of the Indians soon spread through the neighborhood, and a party of eight good riflemen was collected, in a few hours, for the purpose of pursuing the indians. In this party were two brothers of the names of Adam and Andrew Poe. They were both famous for courage, size and activity. This little party commenced the pursuit of the Indians, with a determination, if possible, not to suffer them to escape, as they usually did on such occasions, by making a speedy flight to the river, crossing it, and then dividing into small parties to meet at a distant point in a given time. The pursuit was continued the greater part of the night after the Indians had done the mischief. In the morning the party found themselves on the trail of the Indians, which led to the river. When arrived within a little distance of the river, Andrew Poe, fearing an ambuscade, left the party, who followed directly on the trail, to creep along the brink of the river bank,under cover of the weeds and bushes, to fall on the rear of the Indians, should he find them in ambuscade. He had not gone far before he saw the Indian rafts at the water's edge. Not seeing any Indians, he stepped softly down the bank, with his rifle cocked. When about half-way down he discovered the large Wyandot chief and a small Indian, within a few steps of him. They were standing with their guns cocked, and looking in the direction of our party, who by this time had gone some distance lower down the bottom. Poe took aim at the large chief, but his rifle missed fire. The Indians, hearing the snap of the gu n-lock, instantly turned round and discovered Poe, who being too near to retreat, dropped his gun and instantly sprang from the bank upon them, and seizing the large Indian by the cloths on his breast, and at the same time embracing the neck of the small one, threw them both down on the ground, himself being upmost. The Indian soon extricated himself, ran to the raft, got his tomahawk, and attempted to dispatch Poe, the large Indian holding fast in his arms with all his might, the better to enable his fellow to effect his purpose. Poe, however, so well watched the motions of the Indian that when in the act of aiming his blow at his head, by a vigorous and well-directed kick with one his feet he staggered the savage and knocked the tomahawk out of his hand. This failure on the part of the small Indian was reproved by an exclamation of contempt from the large one. In a moment the Indian caught up his tomahawk again, approached more cautiously brandishing his tomahawk, and making a number of feigned blows, in defiance and derision. Poe, however, still on his guard, averted the real blow from his head by throwing up his arm and receiving it on his wrist, in which he was severely wounded, but not so as to lose entirely the use of his hand. In this perilous moment, Poe, by a violent effort, broke loose from the Indian, snatched up one of the Indian's guns, and shot the small Indian through the breast, as he ran up the third time to tomahawk him. The large Indian was now on his feet, and grasping Poe by a shoulder and leg, threw him down on the bank. Poe instantly disengaged himself and got on his feet. The Indian then seized him again and a new struggle ensued, which, owing to the slippery state of the bank, ended in the fall of both combatants into the water. In this situation, it was the object of each to drown the other. Their efforts to effect their purpose were continued for some time with alternate success, sometimes one being under the water, and sometimes the other. Poe at length seized the tuft of hair on the scalp of the Indian, with which he held his head under the water until he supposed him drowned. Relaxing his hold too soon, Poe instantly found his gigantic antagonist on his feet again and ready for another combat. In this, they were carried into the water beyond their depth. In this situation, they were compelled to loose their hold on each other and swim for mutual safety. Both sought the shore to seize a gun and end the contest with bullets. The Indian being the best swimmer, reached the land first. Poe, seeing this, immediately turned back into the water to escape, if possible, being shot, by diving. Fortunately, the Indian caught up the rifle with which Poe had killed the other warrior. At this juncture Adam Poe, missing his brother from the party, and supposing, from the report of the gun which he shot, that he was either killed or engaged in conflict with the Indians, hastened to the spot. On seeing him, Andrew called out to him to "kill the big Indian on shore." But Adam's gun like that of the Indian's was empty. The contest was now between the white man and the Indian, who should load and fire first. Very fortunately for Poe, the Indian, in loading, drew the ramrod from the thimbles of the stock of the gun with so much violence, that it slipped out of his hand and fell a little distance from him; he quickly caught it up, and rammed down his bullet. This little delay gave Poe the advantage. He shot the Indian as he was raising his gun to take aim at him. As soon as Adam had shot the Indian, he jumped into the river to assist his wounded brother to shore; but Andrew, thinking more of the honor of carrying the big Indian home, as a trophy of victory, than of his own safety, urged Adam to go back, and prevent the struggling savage from rolling into the river, and escaping. Adam's solicitude for the life of his brother prevented him for complying with this request. In the mean time, the Indian, jealous of the honor of his scalp, even in the agonies of death, succeeded in reaching the river and getting into the current, so that his body was never obtained. An unfortunate occurrence took place during this conflict. Just as Adam arrived at the top of the bank, for the relief of his brother, one of the party who had followed close behind him, seeing Andrew in the river, and mistaking him for a wounded Indian, shot at him and wounded him in the shoulder. He, however, recovered from his wounds. During the contest between Andrew Poe and the Indians, the party had overtaken the remaining six of them. A desperate conflict ensued, in which five of the Indians were killed. Our loss was three men killed, and Andrew Poe, severely wounded. Thus ended this Spartan conflict, with the loss of three valiant men on our part, and with that of the whole of the Indian party, with the exception of one warrior. Never, on any occasion, was there a greater display of desperate bravery, and seldom did a conflict take place which, in the issue, proved fatal to so great a proportion of those engaged in it. The fatal issue of this little campaign on the side of the Indians, occasioned an universal mourning among the Wyandot nation. The big Indian, and his four brothers, all of whom were killed at the same place, were among the most distinguished chiefs and warriors of their nation. The big Indian was magnanimous, as well as brave. He, more that any other individual, contributed by his example and influence to the good character of the Wyandots, for lenity towards their prisoners. He would not suffer them to be killed or ill treated. This mercy to captives was an honorable distinction in the character of the Wyandots, and was well understood by our first settlers, who, in case of captivity, thought it a fortunate circumstance to fall into their hands. ------------------------------ X-Message: #2 Date: Sun, 21 Mar 1999 14:44:26 -0500 From: Maggie Stewart-Zimmerman Subject: Bio - Jacob Crouse, Richland Co. Biography: Jacob Crouse Richland County, OH Submitted by Vicki Knox Larson VLarson169@aol.com ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ************************************************************************ Among the early pioneers of Montgomery township, Jacob Crouse occupies a high place in the esteem of his neighbors, by reason of his good sense, frugality, intelligence and integrity. He was born in the State of Maryland, near Antietam, September 10, 1775. When a young man, in 1799, he sought and obtained employment in Fayette county, Pennsylvania. At this period the settlements adjoining the Ohio river were just beginning to recover from a long continuance of the Indian wars. Very few families had wholly escaped the tomahawk and gleaming scalping-knife. The frightful scalp-halloo and shrill shriek of the red warriors had sent terror into thousands of cabins. A few of the most hearty frontiersmen ventured to locate west of the Ohio river; and about the year 1807 Jacob Crouse and wife located a cabin home in Columbiana county, where a few of their neighbors and acquaintances had removed. That region was often traversed by the humble red men after their disastrous route by General Wayne, in the northwest. In fact, their path leading to "old Pittsburgh" ran through that part of the newly-organized State of Ohio, and it was not uncommon to see hundreds of Delawares and Wyandots loaded with peltry on their way to Fort Pitt, to purchase blankets, cloths and ammunition in exchange for furs. In 1801 Mr Crouse married Rebecca Reifsnyder, of Fayette county, Pennslvania, who willingly accompanied him to the wilds of Ohio, and endured the privations incident to pioneer life, that she and her husband might in the future become the happy possessors of a homestead. In 1812, upon the surrender of General Hull, at Detroit, and the assassinations upon the Black fork, Mr. Crouse was drafted, with many of his neighbors, to assist in defending the helpless pioneers of the northwest against the savage incursions of the Wyandots and Delawares. He was enrolled in the company commanded by Captain Foulks, and made ensign, and the company entered the regiment of General Beall, and marched to the village of Wooster, where a block-house was erected and part of a company stationed, and from there a wagon trail was cut to the place of John Baptiste Jerome; (now Jeromeville) where another block-house was built and a part of a company stationed; thence, they cut a trail, (now known as Beall's trail), across the north part of what is now Vermillion, the south part of Montgomery, and the middle part of Milton townships, and thence west across the northern part of Richland county, in the direction of Fort Meigs. He served six months, and was discharged in the spring of 1813, and returned to Columbiana county. In January, 1814, Martin Mason and Jacob Young visited the regions of Jeromeville, Loudonville, Mansfield, Ashland, and Orange township, with the view of locating wild lands. Their report of the new country was so flattering that they concluded to enter a number of tracts, at the land office in Canton, and return, with others, and put up cabins. In August, Martin Mason, Jacob Mason, Jacob Crouse, Martin Hester, Lot Tod, and Peter Biddinger returned and erected six cabins on lands since owned by the respective parties, and cut and cured a lot of prairie hay, and made preparations to bring on their families, and returned. In October, 1814, Martin Mason, Jacob Crouse, Jacob Young, Joseph Bishop, and their families, removed to their new cabins on the branches of the Mohican. The new colony, including old and young, numbered thirty-one. The route was along the old army trail to Jerome's block-house, and the home of John Carr, now the Nailor farm, where they rested one night, in his cabin, having slept or tented in the air, the entire distance. From thence, they cut a wagon-path up the east side of the Jerome fork, across lands now owned by Joseph Chandler, and thence, across Catotawa, to the cabin formerly owned by Daniel Mickey, now by Andrew Mason, to the cabin of Jacob Young, some distance west of the present Crouse school house, where they all rested one night. The next morning Jacob Crouse moved into his own cabin near where the residence of John Doty now stands. He had leased one hundred and sixty acres, being of the Virginia military lands, for ninety-nine years, and began to prepare a field to plant corn in the succeeding year. His first field was where the Doty orchard now is. Like all good and intelligent pioneers, the first thought, after preparing a cabin for the reception of their families, and a field for culture, the new colony turned attention to the necessity of training youth in lessons of Christian culture and civilization. Mr. Crouse proposed to donate one acre of Lond on his north boundary, for school purposes, and to be used as a cemetery. T he proposition was accepted, and a comfortable log house was erected about where the present school-house stands, and dedicated to the culture of the youthful mind. The first school was taught there in the winter of 1815-16, by John Swigart. Ever since that time, that temple of knowledge has been known - and justly too- as the "Crouse school-house." Let it always retain that name. A year or two after the expiration of the term of Squire Robert Newell, the pioneers of Montgomery elected Jacob Crouse a justice of the peace, and he served three years, and then declined re-election. His manner was modest and retiring, and official life had no charms for him. He took a deep interest in the prosperity of common schools, And one of his sons, Jonas H., became a very energetic and noted teacher. He and his lady connected with the Lutheran church, in Fayette county, Pennsylvania, and remained zealous and leading members nearly fifty years. Mr Crouse died of pulmonary disease, September 14, 1839, aged sixty-four years and four days; his wife survived him until 1850. They sleep in Crouse's cemetery. His family living at his decease, consisted of Catherine, wife of John Proudfit, Isaac, Benjamin, Jonas H., Isaiah, Mariah, wife of Martin Wolf, and Anna, wife of Thomas Urie, jr.; all are now deceased. -------------------------------- End of OH-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest V99 Issue #170 *******************************************