LIBRARY OF THE 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
 
 AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN 
 
 IN MEMORY OF 
 
 STEWART S. HOWE 
 
 JOURNALISM CLASS OF 1928 
 
 STEWART S. HOWE FOUNDATION 
 
 977 
 W69a 
 
 1953 
 
 I • H • S o 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 
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 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 
 
 http://archive.org/details/advancingohiofroOOwils 
 
ADVANCING THE OHIO FRONTIER 
 
Major General Anthony Wayne 
 
ADVANCING THE OHIO FRONTIER 
 
 A Saga of The Old Northwest 
 
 By 
 FRAZER ELLS WILSON 
 
 New Edition 
 ILLUSTRATED 
 
 LONG'S COLLEGE BOOK CO. 
 
 Columbus, Ohio 
 
 1953 
 
Copyright, 1937 
 
 By 
 
 Frazer Ells Wilson 
 
 All rights reserved. Permission to 
 reproduce any part of this book in 
 any manner whatsoever must be se- 
 cured from the author. 
 
 PRINTED IN THE 
 UNITED STATES OP AMERICA 
 
^77 
 
 Dedicated to the Framers and 
 Enactors of The Ordinance op 
 
 1787 ON THE SESQUI'CENTENNIAL op 
 ITS PASSAGE. 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 Chapter I Frontier Ohio Page 1 
 
 Chapter II Defeat On The Upper Wabash Page 31 
 
 Chapter III Victory At The Maumee Rapids Page 65 
 
 Chapter IV Smoking The Calumet Page 96 
 
PREFACE 
 
 One of the most colorful chapters in American history is that 
 covering the period of the conquest of the Indian tribes occupying 
 the territory between the Great Lakes and the Ohio River. Here' 
 tofore scant justice has been done by historians to the important 
 military operations which occurred in this region during the French 
 and Indian and the Revolutionary Wars — a period of forty years, 
 fraught with mighty possibilities, ending with Wayne s Treaty at 
 Fort Greeneville, in 1795. 
 
 The reduction of Fort Duquesne (Pittsburgh, Pa.) by the Brit' 
 ish in 1758, made this the most strategic outpost on the frontier. 
 Between this citadel and Detroit, the headquarters of the British in 
 the Colonial Northwest, was enacted a drama of conquest exhibiting 
 features of romance and pathos scarcely paralleled in American 
 history. Indian raids from the north, usually resulting in the killing 
 of some stalwart frontiersmen and the securing of horses and cap' 
 tives, were followed by retaliatory expeditions by the bordermen of 
 Kentucky, who destroyed villages and crops and gradually reduced 
 the number of fighting warriors. 
 
 After the Revolution ended in the east it was found necessary 
 to subdue the northern tribesmen, who had been incited and ex' 
 ploited by the British agents of Canada since the French War, in 
 1763. Clark, Harmar, Wilkinson, St. Clair, and Wayne were sue 
 cessively sent against them with varying results, climaxed by ultimate 
 victory. The importance of these operations is not measured by 
 their immediate and visible results, but also comprehends the train' 
 ing of a host of military men, like William H. Harrison, who were 
 destined to serve their country during the second war with Great 
 Britain. 
 
 The tendency of the conquering race to belittle, or distort the 
 
 DC 
 
accomplishments of their former enemies, is unfortunate. This atti' 
 tude the author has aimed to avoid and to endeavor always to 
 extricate the true story from the confusing, and often contradictory, 
 mass of tradition and broken border records. In spite of the blood' 
 thirsty stories there is much in the life and practices of the American 
 Indians that deserves commendation, and one has the suspicion that 
 their distinctive finer qualities were often suppressed under the 
 pressure of a relentless and greedy foe endeavoring to seize and 
 occupy their ancient homes and hunting grounds and thus drive 
 them farther and still farther to the rougher and less desirable sections 
 of a rapidly expanding state. 
 
 The perplexing problem of the historian has been the securing 
 of reliable and interesting data bearing on these obscure events. A 
 few standard works, sketching the outlines and reciting the spec 
 tacular happenings of this period, have been published, but it has 
 been difficult to trace the many migrations of the various tribes dur' 
 ing this crucial period and to locate the scenes of the many raids, 
 ambuscades and engagements enacted by the contending parties. 
 In the nature of the case the Indians left practically no records and 
 the backwoodsmen had little concern for keeping exact accounts as 
 they lacked education and were busy clearing off the heavy forests, 
 breaking the virgin soil, erecting crude homes, opening roads and 
 laying the background of a rough civilization. The eastern writers, 
 also, failed to realize the importance of the events happening in 
 the new and growing west and this task, consequently, had to be 
 left to the descendants of the pioneers, who knew and loved the 
 land discovered and opened up by their forefathers. 
 
 In recent years the historical societies of various states, cities 
 and universities have gathered and preserved many unpublished 
 manuscripts and journals which have been made accessible to his' 
 torical writers, giving coveted opportunities for verifying and enrich' 
 ing the accounts received from other sources. The states of Pennsyl' 
 vania, Ohio, Wisconsin, and the cities of Detroit and Chicago deserve 
 to be especially commended for this invaluable service to modern 
 writers. The Library of Congress and the governmental archives have 
 also rendered a similar service so that the recent histories are more 
 replete and reliable than those of earlier date. 
 
 The movement to stress the study of local history in the public 
 
schools and the erection of historic markers and impressive memorials 
 alor>g with the establishment of historic shrines identified with this 
 era of our country's history all tend to lend encouragement to the 
 historian and indicate that a new period of appreciation has arrived 
 to displace the lethargy formerly prevailing and assure us that the 
 demand for readable and reliable accounts of frontier expansion shall 
 continue to increase. 
 
 Frazer E. Wilson 
 Greenville, Ohio. 
 September 10, 1937 
 
Ma j. Gen Richard Butler 
 Killed in Battle, Nov. 4th, 1791 
 
CHAPTER I 
 FRONTIER OHIO 
 
 THE story of the conquest of the American wilderness by the 
 bold adventurers of Europe will inflame the imagination and 
 appeal to the heroic nature of countless generations yet unborn. 
 First on our eastern coast appeared the hardy Norsemen exploring 
 the bleak and rockbound shore of the northeast; then the Spaniards 
 on the balmy Gulf country, and, finally, the sturdy Dutch, the 
 dogged English and the romantic French in the more temperate 
 zones. Each played his part in his time and his way. All were con' 
 fronted by descendants of the same copper colored race from whom 
 their remote ancestors had separated in the hazy dawn of the past. 
 The weather-beaten bronze skin, the picturesque head-dress, the 
 imperial carriage and the crafty conduct of the native American 
 awed and attracted the White invaders from their first contacts. 
 Friendly relations soon developed and continued until the primitive 
 and confiding natives discovered the intense landlust of his vigorous 
 and rapidly expanding neighbor and came to realize that he must 
 contend against an active and intelligent aggressor in order to retain 
 what he claimed by divine right and lengthy occupation. The conflict 
 which followed this discovery called forth the baser instincts of the 
 aboriginal occupier of the vast land and tended to obscure the finer 
 qualities which he was capable of manifesting under normal con' 
 ditions. The background of his portrait, as painted by the early 
 historian, is tinted with blood and fire, which only time will mellow 
 into softer hues. 
 
 Modern archaeological research tends to relate the North Amer' 
 ican Indian to the mysterious Moundbuilders, who constructed the 
 curious earthworks scattered over the Ohio and Mississippi valleys. 
 The coarse black hair, the high cheek bones, the coppery complexion, 
 the cunning handicraft and many social and religious customs sug- 
 gest a close relationship with the nomadic Mongoloid tribes of north' 
 eastern Asia and lend color to the conviction that America was 
 peopled across Behring Strait at a very remote period. Recent ex' 
 
 1 
 
2 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 tended explorations of the ancient camp and village sites in the 
 Aleutian archipelago indicate that the original settlers were from 
 the adjoining coasts of Asia, where their racial relatives still live in 
 defiance of the rigors of a cold and forbidding land. Reputable 
 Chinese scholars now claim that ancient manuscripts show that the 
 western coast of America was explored by their people, at least a 
 thousand years before Columbus spanned the Atlantic. 
 
 How long the various families and tribes of the North American 
 Indians had occupied the tracts of land respectively claimed by them 
 at the advent of the palefaced race is, evidently, still a matter of 
 conjecture. The legends of the tribes but add to the confusion of the 
 trained historian and give little encouragement to the hope that a 
 true account of their past wanderings and experiences shall ever 
 be constructed. It is known, however, that some of the tribes made 
 extensive migrations soon after the discovery of the continent by the 
 Europeans. 
 
 It has ever been difficult for the staid and cultured Angky 
 Saxon to understand and delineate the true character of the Amer' 
 ican Indian who always seems stolid, grave, non-commital and aloof. 
 Some writers depict him as the red aristocrat of the forest, possessed 
 of true virtue, chivalry and valor, while others would make him 
 appear a fiend incarnate, delighting in rapine and brutal slaughter. 
 Like their Asiatic cousins they possessed a stoical disposition, stony 
 and stolid features, making it practically impossible to detect the 
 reactions of pain, sorrow or emotion on their immobile countenances. 
 Modern scientists would probably ascribe this trait as a character' 
 istic acquired through centuries of exposure on the vast plains of 
 Tartary and the bleak and rough expanses of the Siberian coast and 
 Arctic isles. 
 
 Being children of nature they reflected nature's changing moods; 
 now dwelling peaceably in skin tepees or frail bark huts in their 
 secluded forest homes; again making the wilderness ring with their 
 hideous yells, as they danced in frenzied glee at the prospect of the 
 brutal slaughter of their tribal foes. To them the natural world was 
 an enchanted fairy land whose spirits they worshipped or cajoled, 
 according to their changing whims, while disease was an evil spirit 
 to be driven out of the body by the weird maneuvers of the Medicine 
 
Frontier Ohio 3 
 
 Man. Easily elated by success, they were just as readily dejected 
 by defeat, causing them to waver in their uncertain alliances as 
 prompted by necessity or expediency. As a means of personal decora' 
 tion they loved to smear their sinewy bodies with colored clays or 
 tint them with the juice of berries and wear jangling trinkets and 
 colored beads. Living a rude and simple life they knew no law but 
 necessity, and no government save expediency. Their meat was the 
 flesh of the deer, the bear, the buffalo and the smaller wild game of 
 the forest, together with fish. For a diversified diet they cultivated 
 small areas of corn, beans, melons, etc., and gathered the nuts and 
 wild fruits of the wood. The wife, or squaw, together with the chil' 
 dren, cultivated the fields and did the drudgery incident to the care 
 of the camp or village, while the brave, or warrior, roamed the forest 
 in quest of game, warred with hostile tribes, constructed the tepee, 
 the swift'gliding canoe, and the various implements of war and the 
 chase. When not hunting game or fighting his hereditary foes he 
 loved to idle about camp and engage in racing, wrestling, gambling 
 and dancing, while incited by the frenzied yells of his fellow abet' 
 tors. In smoking, jesting and repartee he was a past master. Lavish 
 in hospitality and faithful to friends he was, nevertheless, the im' 
 placable persecutor of real or fancied enemies. Two remarkable 
 traits seemed to lift him above the level of common savagery; his 
 stoicism, which made him insensible to suffering, fatigue, and physical 
 exposure, and his eloquence, which, aided by a well trained memory 
 and keen intellect, was a marvel to the Americans who met him in 
 council. The first name given to a tribal chief usually depended upon 
 the first animal seen or some important or impressive incident oc 
 curring at the time of birth or baptism of the new infant, while the 
 last name was acquired from some exploit or deed of exceptional 
 bravery in young manhood. 
 
 7<lative Tribes 
 Belonging to one ethnic group, the North American Indians, 
 nevertheless, manifested distinct characteristics and were separated 
 into well defined families and tribes having distinct dialects, tradi' 
 tions and definite places of abode. Two great families occupied the 
 basin of the Great Lakes and the valley of the Ohio river at the 
 advent of the Whites. The Algonkin family were the more numer' 
 ous and were represented by the larger number of tribes, the more 
 
4 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 prominent being the Ottawas, Chippewas, and Pottawatomies, in 
 the upper lake region; the ancient and powerful Miamis, with sub' 
 ject and related tribes, along the Maumee, the Wabash and the 
 upper Miami valleys; the active and warlike Shawanese in the valley 
 of the Scioto and neighboring territory; the friendly Delawares in 
 the valley of the Muskingum and upper Ohio. 
 
 The Shawanese had recently emigrated from the valleys of the 
 Cumberland and Tennessee rivers, from which they had probably 
 been driven by the hostility of the neighboring southern tribes. They 
 were active, egotistic, restless and warlike and were destined to be 
 come more frequently engaged with the advancing frontiersmen 
 than any other of the Ohio tribes. Cornstalks, Tecumseh and the 
 Prophet made this tribe conspicuous. 
 
 The Delawares had originally emigrated from the Atlantic coast 
 region to the valleys of the Delaware and Susquehanna rivers, on 
 account of the encroachment of the Whites and the hostility of their 
 northern neighbors, the Five Nations. They are especially prom' 
 inent in Colonial history because of their treaty with William 
 Perm. Their peaceable disposition won for them the contempt of 
 some of the more warlike tribes, who called them "women" in de 
 rision. Their conduct in the Ohio country, however, proved them to 
 be warriors worthy of respect. Blue Jacket and Bukongehelas were 
 outstanding leaders in this tribe. 
 
 The Miamis had lived "from time immemorial" in their secluded 
 abode, and their title to the lands claimed by them was probably 
 more valid than that of any of the Northwestern tribes. With their 
 near relatives, the Tawas, Weas, Piankeshaws and the Eel River 
 Indians, they formed a powerful confederation. Their central and 
 established location, together with intelligent leadership, gave them 
 a decided prestige among their neighbors. At the height of their 
 power they claimed the lands from the Scioto to the Wabash, and 
 from the Ohio to the St. Joseph's of Lake Michigan. Little Turtle 
 was their most noted chief. 
 
 The Wyandots originally belonged to the Huron family and 
 occupied part of the St. Lawrence valley and the peninsula included 
 between lakes Huron, Erie and Ontario. Shortly after the advent 
 of the white man a "fierce and unrelenting war" broke out between 
 the Hurons and the Iroquois. The former had been furnished with 
 
Frontier Ohio 5 
 
 guns and powder by the French, and the latter by the Dutch. As a 
 result the Hurons were driven to the shore and islands of Lake 
 Huron and Georgian Bay, and later to northern Lake Michigan 
 and western Lake Superior regions. Still later they gathered around 
 Lake St. Clair and spread south along the Detroit river, across the 
 chain of islands in western Lake Erie to the Sandusky and up that 
 river to the old lake sand ridge in the adjoining counties, where they 
 had their main villages. Finally they spread out along the shore of 
 Lake Erie from the mouth of the Maumee eastward taking the ter' 
 ritory formerly occupied by the exterminated Erie tribe. They were 
 reputed to have several thousand warriors and had twelve out of 
 thirteen of their chiefs killed at the battle on the Maumee. Tarhe 
 and Leather Lips were two of their most prominent warriors and 
 they had the third largest tribal representation at the Treaty of 
 Greene Ville, where they were acknowledged to be the Father and 
 keeper of the calumet, or great peace pipe, which united the tribes 
 in a great confederacy and gave the right to kindle the council fires. 
 
 The Ottawas, Chippewas and Pottawatomies were fierce, active 
 and aggressive and preferred the region of the upper lakes around 
 which the remnants of their descendants still linger. Pontiac, the 
 crafty Chief of the Ottawas, was one of the keenest and most in' 
 fluential warriors who resisted the white invasion after the French 
 and Indian war. On account of the later development of Canada and 
 its more conciliatory policy with these latter tribes it now seems 
 probable that they will survive in larger numbers and continue to 
 exercise a greater influence than the less fortunate southern tribes 
 who tried to resist the virile and aggressive American frontiersmen. 
 
 All of the prominent tribes had, no doubt, absorbed the scatter' 
 ed remnants of the New England and Coast tribes which, otherwise, 
 might have been exterminated. 
 
 The other great family identified with the history of the terri' 
 tory under consideration, was the Iriquoian. This family occupied 
 the lands between the Ottawa river and the lower lakes and a por' 
 tion of the region below the latter. Their influence, however, ex' 
 tended from Lake Champlain to the Mississippi, and from the Ottawa 
 to the Ohio. Several of the smaller tribes of this family roamed over 
 the Ohio country and made some large settlements. Five of the 
 most powerful stationery neighboring tribes, the Senecas, Cayugas, 
 
6 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 Oneidas, Onondagas and Mohawks, formed a confederacy, originally 
 known as the Five Nations, and later, after being augmented by 
 the Tuscaroras tribe from the Carolinas, the Six Nations. This con' 
 federation lived mostly in central New York, having several palisaded 
 towns with bark huts, and considerable orchards and cultivated lands 
 in the territory between the Hudson river and the region skirting 
 the southern shore of Lake Ontario. Within historic times they had 
 practically exterminated the Eries, who had dwelt westward, along 
 the southern shore of Lake Erie, and the Andastes, who lived to the 
 south in the region of the Susquehanna and belonged to the same 
 family. They had also driven their brother tribe, the Huron Wyan- 
 dots, from their ancient home below the Ottawa river, causing them 
 to retire to the southwestern shore of Lake Erie. The Wyandots, how- 
 ever, became the leading nation among the Indians north of the 
 Ohio River and were addressed as "Uncle 1 " 1 by the other tribes. 
 Tarhe (the Crow) and Leatherlips represented this tribe in later 
 negotiations with the Americans. The Five Nations came into con' 
 tact with the Dutch and English traders at an early date and were 
 supplied with firearms, which they used to advantage in awing and 
 subduing the western tribes. Although their population probably 
 never exceeded twenty-five thousand, they were intelligent, aggres- 
 sive, eloquent and powerful, and continually waged war on the 
 Northwestern tribes, whose lands they claimed by right of conquest. 
 But for the timely approach of the Europeans they probably would 
 have subdued, or exterminated, the separate and poorly organized 
 tribes of the wandering Algonkins, and thus have formed a more 
 powerful savage nation. It seems improbable, however, that they 
 would ever have established a permanent and prosperous nation 
 worthy of the respect of civilized people. 
 
 The White Man Appears 
 
 While these children of the forest dwelt in this delightful land 
 of virgin rivers, lakes, prairies and woods, unmolested save by their 
 own kindred, the White man planted settlements along the Atlantic 
 seaboard and commenced a campaign of conquest and expansion 
 that was not to cease until practically the whole continent had come 
 into his possession. 
 
 Centuries of civilization had prepared the Anglo-Saxon for a 
 new and larger abode where he might have sufficient room and re- 
 
Frontier Ohio 7 
 
 sources to work out the destinies of a new and mightier nation than 
 the world had ever known. His conquest was to be not merely a 
 matter of might, but of fitness and capacity to render greater service 
 to the ever expanding race of man. 
 
 Where a few, wandering savage tribes had long made a pre' 
 carious living, millions of civilized people were soon to subdue the 
 forces of primitive nature, establish the institutions of a higher life 
 and raise a new standard for all of the races of the world. In the 
 execution of this great enterprise two powerful nations, who had 
 met on many a field of battle in their home lands, were to try their 
 strength on new and rougher grounds and thus prove which was 
 best prepared for the high and responsible privilege of leading and 
 shaping a mighty nation, yet unborn. 
 
 The circumstances which caused the English to settle on the 
 James river in 1607 and on Cape Cod bay in 1620, and the French 
 on the St. Lawrence in 1608, scarcely seemed to foreshadow the 
 tremendous results that were to follow in less than two centuries. 
 By these settlements two active forces were located on converging 
 lines, and were to meet and come in deadly conflict beyond the ap' 
 parent barrier of the Allegheny mountains. The hardy English, in' 
 heriting the vigor of their northern ancestors, and inured to the 
 rigors of the British Isles, settled the coast from Maine to the Caro' 
 linas, laid the foundations of a stable civilization and depended large' 
 ly upon the labor of their own hands for subsistence. They subdued 
 the Redman, or drove him gradually toward the interior, and thus 
 steadily advanced the frontier westward. Desiring to extend the 
 domain of France, enthusiastic adventurers took possession of the 
 valley of the St. Lawrence and established a strong strategic base 
 on the Rock of Quebec. From this advantageous center their mis' 
 sionaries, fired with zeal to convert the savages to the Catholic faith, 
 and their explorers, anxious to find new lands, followed the water' 
 courses of the St. Lawrence, crossed the upper lakes in their birch 
 bark canoes and passed over the divide by easy portages to the head' 
 waters of the majestic Ohio, and finally reached the Father of Waters. 
 
 The most direct route from Quebec to the northern lakes was 
 by way of the Ottawa river and Lake Nipissing to Georgian Bay. 
 This fact, together with the hostility of the Iroquois, who dwelt 
 along the lower lakes, led the French to establish posts at Kaskaskia. 
 
8 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 Vincennes, and other remote western stations, several years before 
 Cadillac fortified Detroit, the most strategic point on the lakes, in 
 1701. For the same reason the territory now comprised, within the 
 boundaries of the state of Ohio with the exception of the Maumee 
 valley and some lake sites, was the last explored by the French. 
 
 The early enmity of the Iroquois, incurred by Champlain, was 
 later taken advantage of by the British, through the offices of their 
 invaluable Indian agent, Sir Wm. Johnson, and became a powerful 
 factor in directing the fortunes of the contending Europeans in the 
 Ohio country. On account of location and fortuitous circumstances, 
 the Northwestern tribes were destined to align themselves with the 
 French in opposing the expansion of the English settlements beyond 
 the Allegheny mountains. 
 
 Portage Routes 
 
 The early water routes explored by the French were simply 
 those which the Northwestern Indians had used for generations and 
 were connected by the ancient trails first worn and used by wild 
 animals seeking pasturage and water. They led from the Great Lakes 
 to the Mississippi and Ohio rivers by the most direct and convenient 
 tributary streams and were traveled by means of canoes made of 
 birch bark, or some light wood, and often by the skins of animals* 
 stretched over a skeleton frame. These canoes were carried by the 
 voyageurs across the shortest portages between the headwaters of 
 approaching streams and launched at well known landing places, 
 thus providing the simplest, swiftest and most effective means of 
 travel known to primitive man. By gaining the friendship of the 
 Northwestern tribes the French explorers soon learned their best 
 travel routes and were enabled to make rough maps of the new 
 country which could be filed for reference and used to support their 
 later claims of discovery. 
 
 The most prominent portage routes established were: from Lake 
 Michigan to the Mississippi, (1) by Green Bay, the Fox and Wis' 
 consin rivers; (2) by the Desplaines and Illinois rivers; (3) by the 
 St. Joseph's and Kankakee; from Lake Michigan to the Ohio by way 
 of the St. Joseph's and Wabash rivers; and from Lake Erie to the 
 Ohio by way of the Maumee and Wabash rivers, or, by way of the 
 St. Marys or Auglaize branches of the Maumee to the Great Miami. 
 Other popular routes connected the Sandusky and Scioto; the Cuya* 
 
Frontier Ohio 9 
 
 hoga and the Muskingum. For early and important explorations by 
 these routes we are indebted to the zealous and intrepid Catholic 
 missionaries and daring French adventurers La Salle, Marquette, 
 Joliet, Nicollet, Hennepin, Brule, and others, who faithfully served 
 their country and their cause and left a record that shall long add 
 luster to their names. 
 
 The Indian mind seems peculiarly susceptible to the elaborate 
 ceremonies and forms of the Catholic Church, which ever appeal 
 forcibly to the outer senses and objectify the teachings intended to 
 be inculcated. A striking illustration of this fact is seen among the 
 Mexican peons of today, who are largely of Indian lineage and cling 
 to the rituals of their Spanish conquerors. Thus, the spiritual labors 
 of the missionaries were not in vain from the viewpoint of the Church 
 and, in addition, helped to cultivate a friendly disposition toward 
 the French traders, who soon followed. 
 
 French Expansion 
 
 The Frenchman is naturally volatile, versatile and vivacious and 
 thrives on excitement and adventure. The wild, free and changeable 
 life of the savage appealed forcibly to the trader, who soon learned 
 his dialects, married his women, adopted his customs, and finally 
 won his affection and confidence. The influence exercised by this 
 class is indicated by the freedom with which they penetrated to the 
 western plains and planted a chain of trading posts reaching from 
 the region of Hudson Bay to the far south. They supplied the na' 
 tives with just the things they desired in the way of fancy blankets; 
 coarse, bright cloths; guns; ammunition; knives; hatchets; kettles; 
 beads; tobacco; intoxicating liquors, etc. Whatever may have been 
 France's ulterior motives in searching out these lands, her early repre' 
 sentatives seemed content to establish posts on small tracts of land 
 and to live peaceably among the natives, caring mostly for the profit 
 to be derived from their extensive trade. 
 
 In the due course of time, however, the French established for' 
 tified posts at Frontenac, on the northeastern shore of Lake Ontario; 
 at Niagara; Presque Isle (Erie, Pa.); Detroit; Mackinac, and at 
 Sault St. Mary, thus guarding the entrances to the Great Lakes and 
 strengthening their prestige in the vast Lake region. They also es* 
 tablished palisaded trading posts on the St. Joseph's river of Lake 
 Michigan; at Ouiatenon (Lafayette, Ind.) on the Wabash; at the 
 
10 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 Miami villages on the Maumee; at Sandusky and at other advan- 
 tageous centers. 
 
 The English and Dutch also tried to plant posts on the upper 
 Lakes, but with small success. They impressed the Indians as being 
 cold, unsympathetic and avaricious, with an ill-concealed lust for 
 their fast diminishing lands. However, the Anglo-Saxons possessed 
 a stubborn determination, industrious and conservative habits, and 
 a system of fair and businesslike dealings which were finally to turn 
 the tide of savage sentiment in their favor and win respect and 
 alliance. 
 
 The question of boundaries between the French and English in 
 America had not been definitely settled at the close of the King 
 George's war, in 1748. The Colonial frontiersmen, however, were 
 steadily advancing westward and were climbing the eastern slopes 
 of the Alleghenies and looking wistfully at the fertile lands beyond. 
 They were largely of the Scotch-Irish stock, whose ancestors had 
 come over early in the seventeenth century, settled in the mountain 
 ranges, and were now pushing forward and making considerable 
 settlements southwest of the mountains. They were extremely ag- 
 gressive, thrifty and prolific, and formed an effective barrier between 
 the eastern settlers and the vanishing Redman. The country south of 
 the Ohio was now being explored and the Ohio Company was 
 formed to traffic with the Indians. 
 
 In 1749 the French Governor of Canada sent Celeron de Bien- 
 ville to take formal possession of the country drained by the upper 
 Ohio. With a motley following of some two hundred French and 
 Canadian woodsmen he crossed Lake Ontario, skirted the southern 
 shore of Lake Erie, crossed the portage to Lake Chautauqua (New 
 York), and then followed the Indian path leading to the headwaters 
 of the Allegheny river. Here their canoes were launched again and 
 their party proceeded on its spectacular journey down this stream 
 and on the Ohio as far as the mouth of the Great Miami, thence 
 up that tributary and across the well-worn carrying place to the 
 St. Mary's branch of the Maumee, and thus on to the western end 
 of Lake Erie and back to Quebec. It is probable that the Frenchmen 
 used large birchbark canoes of Indian model and construction on 
 this expedition which may have been as much as forty feet long, 
 three feet deep and five feet wide. Such a boat could float about 
 
Frontier Ohio 11 
 
 four tons of freight but was so lightly constructed that it could be 
 carried across the short portages by four strong men. English traders 
 were observed at several of the prominent villages along this popular 
 route. These traders were admonished to discontinue trespassing on 
 territory claimed by the French, and the Indians who showed par' 
 tiality to the English were threatened with summary treatment should 
 they continue to trade with them. Thus was completed the eastern 
 end of the great circuit which comprised the valley of the St. Law 
 rence, the Lake region, the upper Mississippi, and the Ohio basins 
 and gave tangible form to the extensive claims of the French for 
 priority rights in this extensive and very attractive territory. 
 
 The outposts of the English Colonists were already being firmly 
 established within striking distance of the coveted and disputed lands 
 beyond the Ohio and the hardy backwoodsmen chafed at the prospect 
 of being arbitrarily prohibited from settling in this fertile country. 
 In 1750 the Ohio Company sent Chrsitopher Gist, an experienced 
 explorer from the Yadkin Country of North Carolina, to explore 
 the lands along the Ohio as far as the Falls (Louisville). At the 
 Indian village at the mouth of the Muskingum he was joined by 
 George Croghan, the veteran trader, and Andrew Montour the 
 interpreter. Early in 1751 these intrepid bordermen proceeded to the 
 Delaware and Shawanese villages on the Scioto, and, finding them 
 well disposed, made arrangement for a conference at Logstown, on 
 the bank of the Ohio some seventeen miles below Pittsburgh, in the 
 coming spring. The exploring party now struck across country north' 
 westward to the upper waters of the Great Miami. At the mouth 
 of the Pickawillany (Loramie Creek) where they arrived on February 
 17th, they found an extensive settlement of Miami Indians and old 
 Chief Britain, who had recently moved from the Wabash in order 
 to get in closer touch with the English traders. A strong stockade 
 had been erected here in the previous fall and considerable business 
 was being transacted by the sixty white traders who had cabins 
 here. A friendly council was held at this place and numerous valu* 
 able presents were given to the Indians, who, thereupon promised 
 to favor the English in the way of trade. Gist and his party then 
 returned to the Scioto and proceeded down the Ohio to their des' 
 tination, returning homeward through the beautiful Kentucky country 
 in the spring. 
 
12 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 The French now became jealous of the rising favor shown to 
 the English traders by their former friends, and, in June, 1752, 
 Charles Langlade, a Frenchman from Michilimackinac, led a band 
 of Chippewa and Ottawa Indians against the trading station at 
 Pickawillany, above the present site of Piqua, Ohio. This party 
 rowed past Detroit, crossed the western end of Lake Erie, turned 
 up the Maumee and continued up the St. Mary's branch to the old 
 portage connecting with the upper Miami, and appeared suddenly 
 and unexpectedly before the stockade on the morning of June 21st. 
 The warriors were absent on their summer hunt, leaving only the 
 chief and twenty men and boys, with eight white traders, who could 
 be depended upon to defend the place. After one trader and four' 
 teen Indians had been killed, and the other defenders, including 
 many women and children, surrendered, several thousand dollars 
 worth of merchandise was taken and the place sacked and burned. 
 As a special act of disfavor these northern Indians boiled and ate Old 
 Britain, who had shown marked favor to the Frenchmen's foe. When 
 the Miami chiefs returned, it is said, they retaliated by eating ten 
 Frenchmen and two of their negroes. By some historians this is 
 regarded as the opening engagement of the French and Indian war, 
 inasmuch as the parties engaged represented the opposing nations 
 contending on disputed soil and kindling a conflict which was to 
 scourge the frontier with bloodshed and rapine for over forty years. 
 
 The Inevitable Conflict 
 
 The time was ripe to fortify the forks of the Ohio. This mv 
 portant step was delayed, however, on account of the conflicting 
 claims of jurisdiction over this territory by the governors of Pennsyl- 
 vania and Virginia. In 1753, while these disputes were in progress, 
 the French Governor of Canada sent a mixed force to seize and hold 
 the upper branches of the Ohio. This was the signal for decisive 
 action and Governor Dinwiddie of Virginia sent Major George 
 Washington to remonstrate against this radical action. Washington 
 was courteously received by the French commandant, but his mess' 
 age was referred to the Governor General of Canada and the new 
 posts already established were held awaiting the action of this of' 
 ficial. The quick action of the French had established them in the 
 most strategic site at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monon' 
 
Frontier Ohio 13 
 
 gahela branches of the Ohio, the key to the occupation of the rich 
 valley of that glorious river. The English soon realized their blunder 
 in not seizing this site at an earlier date and now determined that 
 they would dislodge their enterprising foe. On July 3rd, 1754, Wash' 
 ington, while moving towards this cherished spot with a force of some 
 three hundred men, was intercepted by a force of French and Indians 
 three or four times as large as Great Meadows. An engagement fol' 
 lowed which lasted from noon till dark, when Washington capitulat' 
 ed on favorable terms. The French now built Fort Duquesne at the 
 forks and prepared to actively resist the English in their proposed 
 occupation of the Ohio valley. The Indians, having a natural love 
 for war, and realizing their precarious condition, soon allied them' 
 selves according to inclination and fancied interest. The northwest' 
 ern tribes mostly joined their interests with the French while the Six 
 Nations favored the English. From a frontier skirmish the conflict 
 developed into an international war. England sent General Braddock 
 over with a large army of regulars, drilled and disciplined in the set 
 field tactics of Europe, but practically ignorant of the mode of war' 
 fare practiced by the American savage and unwilling to take the 
 advice of the frontier soldiers, who alone knew the nature of their 
 wily foe. 
 
 This magnificent army was reenforced with troops from Vir' 
 ginia and proceeded against Fort Duquesne. When near this post 
 the army was suddenly attacked from ambush by a mixed force of 
 Canadian French and Indians on July 9th, 1755. An obstinate fight 
 followed with success long in doubt, but the British were finally 
 forced to give way after great slaughter and the loss of their com' 
 mander. Colonel Washington was Aide to Braddock on this expedi' 
 tion and rendered very valuable services. Had his advice been fol' 
 lowed it is thought that the day might have been saved and the war 
 shortened. 
 
 During the opening years of the conflict the French and their 
 allies gained victory after victory and thus attracted the wavering 
 alliance of many tribes. Even some of the Iroquois deserted the 
 British as they saw them defeated time after time, but when the 
 tide finally turned they resumed their old alliance. In 1758 the 
 British gained the ascendency, taking Louisburg and Fort Duquesne, 
 two of the most cherished strongholds of the French. In 1759 Wolfe, 
 
14 
 
 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 by a bold stroke, reduced Quebec, the backbone of Canada and the 
 seat of government of the French colonists. This was the climax of 
 the struggle on the American continent that won for the Anglo' 
 Saxon the supremacy in the New World and deprived France of her 
 American possessions. Measured by results, it has proved to be one 
 of the most decisive struggles in recent history. It seems that the 
 valley of the Ohio was not destined to be governed from Quebec, 
 neither were the laws, customs, language and culture of a Latin 
 race to be engrafted on the hardy stock of the virile pioneers and 
 thus mold the destinies of a budding nation formed by the sons of 
 northern Europe. In 1760 the surrender of Montreal virtually ended 
 the war on the continent but the conflict continued two years or 
 more on the ocean. A treaty of peace was signed at Paris in 1763, 
 and nearly all of the French possessions east of the Mississippi passed 
 into the hands of the British. 
 
 Building from Fort Pitt, Pittsburgh, Pa. 
 
 English Policy 
 At this time the Mohawk valley in New York and the Susque' 
 hanna valley in Pennsylvania formed the outskirts of connected 
 English settlements. Beyond were the scattered homes of the hardy, 
 reckless and venturesome bordermen, always exposed to savage caprice 
 but forming a protective fringe to the older settlements. Fearing the 
 encroachment of the English, the destruction of their fur trade, and 
 the curtailment of the supplies of food and arms, the savages formed 
 
Frontier Ohio 15 
 
 a confederacy under the leadership of Pontiac, a crafty Ottawa 
 chieftain, and planned the simultaneous capture and destruction of 
 all their forts west of the Allegheny mountains. The eloquence of 
 this resourceful chief stirred the latent resentment of the Northern 
 tribes and fanned their savage fury against the English invaders to 
 a white heat. The friendship and cooperation of the French were 
 counted upon in this desperate coup but the savages soon realized 
 that they too divided their alliance. Although acknowledged subjects 
 of the British by the recent treaty, they still deceived the Indians 
 with the hope that the Great French King would soon send them 
 aid. Pontiac's plot against Detroit was revealed, probably by some 
 of his own people, but, before the middle of the summer of 1763, 
 all of the frontier posts, except Niagara, Fort Pitt and Detroit had 
 been taken. Early in 1764 Pontiac laid seige against Detroit a second 
 time but the handful of stubborn English defenders held out against 
 great odds and finally wore out the patience of the great Chief, who 
 now sought peace and withdrew his dispirited warriors. 
 
 In order to counteract the hostile movements of the Indians 
 against the exposed borders, subjugate them and force them to ack' 
 nowledge the sovereignty of England, General Gage of the Colonial 
 army sent Col. Bradstreet with a large force against the lower lakes 
 tribes of Ottawas, Chippewas and Wyandots; and Col. Bouquet 
 against the Delawares and Shawanese near the forks of the Musking' 
 um. Bradstreet proceeded towards Sandusky and met with indiffer' 
 ent success; Bouquet, by decisive action caused the tribes against 
 whom he was sent to deliver up a large number of prisoners and 
 make arrangements for peace. 
 
 England now attempted a new policy in reference to her newly 
 acquired western and northern lands, with a view of retaining them 
 for the benefit of the Crown and thereby excluding the American 
 colonists from settling them. Peaceful relations with the Indians, the 
 extension of the fur trade and the safety of the colonists were the 
 reasons assigned for this policy. To Sir William Johnson was en' 
 trusted the task of carrying out this policy of conciliation. In the 
 spring of 1764 he kindled the council fire anew at Niagara and 
 induced the tribes to make peace separately, thus accomplishing the 
 disruption of the Great Confederation formed by Pontiac. By the 
 treaty at Easton, Pennsylvania, the English had engaged not to settle 
 
16 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 west of the mountains. Colonel Bouquet at Fort Pitt endeavored to 
 enforce the provisions of this treaty, but Colonel Michael Cresap 
 and the agents of the Ohio Company eagerly tried to trade with the 
 Indians and to establish the settlements planned before the war. The 
 eager frontiersmen, not to be easily restrained, however, soon began 
 to cross the mountains and irritate the Indians. In order to concil' 
 iate the latter, however, Col. Johnson held a treaty with them at 
 Fort Stanwix (Rome, N. Y.) in 1768, at which the country south 
 of the Ohio, to which the Iroquois had any claim, was transferred to 
 the British for six thousand dollars in money and goods. It was 
 stipulated in this pact that the Ohio river should be the boundary 
 between the Red and White man. This attractive region was being 
 explored and settled but it was twenty years before the lines of 
 emigration were directed north of the Ohio. 
 
 The Revolution In The West 
 
 The opening of the Revolution in the East soon attracted atten' 
 tion in that direction and probably delayed the final test of strength 
 between the two races. The West, however, was also the scene of 
 conflicts of momentous importance. The hardy Scotch'Irish mountain' 
 eers of the border states pressed into Kentucky and the region from 
 Fort Pitt to the southwest was soon the scene of great activity. 
 Boone, Harrod, Logan, and other pioneers built fortified log stations 
 near the upper Kentucky river and ushered in the romantic days of 
 old Kentucky. The Ohio Indians did not consider themselves bound 
 by the treaty of Fort Stanwix and were not disposed to allow this 
 valuable portion of their ancient domain to be quietly taken away 
 from them. When they saw the white emigrants floating down the 
 Ohio in constantly increasing numbers they decided to dispute their 
 advance. The murder of the relatives of Logan at this period hastened 
 hostilities. 
 
 Matters soon assumed such a serious turn that the Earl of 
 Dunmore, the royal Governor of Virginia, called out the militia and 
 raised an army to check the hostile demonstrations in territory claim' 
 ed by that Colony. After much labor the troops were finally collect' 
 ed in two divisions, one of some fifteen hundred men under Dun' 
 more, and the other of about eleven hundred under General Andrew 
 Lewis. Dunmore's men collected at Wheeling, proceeded down the 
 
Frontier Ohio 17 
 
 Ohio and crossed to the Scioto plains. Lewis's division, composed of 
 experienced backwoodsmen, proceeded along the Great Kanawha, 
 intending to cross the Ohio and join Dunmore. On October 10th, 
 1774, however, Lewis was intercepted at the mouth of the Kanawha 
 by the combined Indian forces under Cornstalk, the famous Shaw 
 anese Chief. A spirited all day battle ensued, in which the back' 
 woodsmen adopted the tactics of the savages, flitting from tree to 
 tree and fighting hand to hand. The Indians were about equal in 
 number to the Whites and had among them some of their best chiefs 
 and warriors. Probably for the first time they had met the new 
 Americans in large numbers and now found them their equals, or 
 superiors, for at dusk they were forced to retreat across the Ohio, 
 taking their many dead and wounded comrades with them. This was 
 probably the most severe whipping ever administered to the Red' 
 men at the nands of the Whites. Besides driving them back to their 
 retreats and causing them to sue for peace this engagement showed 
 the temper of the border Americans, steeled by hardships in the 
 wilderness, and, no doubt, deterred the Indians from harassing the 
 hardy and adventurous pioneers who held the land beyond the 
 Alleghenies during the Revolution. Following this stinging engage 
 ment a treaty was soon signed in which the Shawanese agreed to 
 surrender all prisoners ever taken in war and to cease hunting south 
 of the Ohio. Considering the encouragement given the Indians by 
 the British in the north and the failure of Dunmore to take part 
 in this engagement, along with the heroic conduct of the hardy 
 backwoodsmen, this might be regarded as the opening conflict of the 
 great contest between the mother country and the lusty colonists. 
 No doubt it gave encouragement to many a budding patriot and 
 steeled him for the great battles in the south during the coming 
 conflict and will always be looked upon with patriotic pride by 
 coming generations of Americans. 
 
 In 1774, the Quebec Act, establishing civil government in the 
 Northwest, was passed by Parliament. By its provisions Detroit, 
 then a place of some fifteen hundred inhabitants, was made the capital 
 of this immense, and almost unknown wilderness territory, north and 
 west of the Ohio river, and Henry Hamilton was appointed Lieuten' 
 ant'Governor with civil and military powers. Upon assuming office 
 in 1775 he proceeded to adopt heroic measures in dealing with the 
 
18 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 Americans; employed the notorious Simon Girty and the Pennsyl' 
 vania tories, Alexander McKee and Matthew Elliott, and sent war 
 parties against the borders. To check these incursions George Rogers 
 Clark, a dashing young surveyor, who had been appointed command' 
 er of Kentucky militia by Governor Patrick Henry of Virginia, was 
 sent on a secret expedition against Kaskaskia, which place he took 
 by a bold stroke with about one hundred and seventyfive men, with' 
 out bloodshed, on July 4th, 1778. He then proceeded to subdue the 
 neighboring tribes and sent Capt. Helm with a guard to hold Vin' 
 cennes. Governor Hamilton now advanced from Detroit by the 
 Maumee and Wabash route, with a mixed force, enlisted some sav 
 ages, proceeded to Vincennes and with their assistance dislodged 
 Helm on December 17th. Early in February, 1779, Clark left Kas- 
 kaskia with about one hundred and sixty men, made a hazardous 
 forced march across the frozen and inundated plains of the Illinois 
 country, and, after great hardship and exposure, appeared before 
 Vincennes. With his brave and determined men he invested the town 
 on the night of February 23 rd and forced Hamilton to surrender on 
 the following day. 
 
 By this stroke the whole country along the Mississippi and 
 Wabash came into the possession of Virginia. This Colony had antic 
 ipated the results of Clark s expedition by creating the County of 
 Illinois, in October, 1778, and now claimed by actual conquest what 
 she had formerly claimed by virtue of her Colonial Charter. This 
 conquest was the death blow to British ambition in the country be- 
 tween the mountains and the Mississippi. Hamilton was planning to 
 lead the united western and southern tribesmen, and, with the as' 
 sistance of the Iroquois, drive the Americans beyond the Ohio, thus 
 making that beautiful and well'known stream the ultimate boundary 
 between Canada and the United States. 
 
 Especially does the significance of this conquest appear when 
 viewed in the light of the Quebec Act, which aimed to establish 
 interior colonies dependent upon a government on the St. Lawrence, 
 instead of upon the Atlantic coast. This act also deprived the Col' 
 onies of their charter lands in the west and was one of the causes 
 of the Revolution. 
 
Frontier Ohio 19 
 
 The Tribes Protest 
 
 During the years 1777 and 1778 the Indians attacked the new 
 fortified Kentucky stations established by Boone, Harrod and Logan. 
 In the fall of 1778, Brig. Gen. Mcintosh, of the Continental Army, 
 built Fort Mcintosh (Beaver, Pa.) some thirty miles below Fort 
 Pitt. He then proceeded with a force of a thousand men to attack 
 Sandusky, but stopped on reaching the Tuscarawas and built Fort 
 Laurens (near Bolivar, Ohio). Both of these posts were afterwards 
 abandoned, leaving no American defenses in the west except Fort 
 Pitt, Vincennes and Kaskaskia. This policy was made imperative on 
 account of the frequent attacks, the severity of the ensuing winter 
 and the extreme difficulty of maintaining sufficient garrisons at these 
 exposed outposts. Late in 1779 Col. John Bowman led an expedi' 
 tion of some three hundred Kentucky volunteers against the Shaw 
 anese village of Chillicothe on the Little Miami (near Xenia, Ohio). 
 The Indians were surprised early in the morning of the 30th, their 
 town was sacked and burned and a large amount of plunder secured. 
 The Americans here lost eight men and secured about one hundred 
 and sixty horses. 
 
 The aggressiveness of the hardy pioneers who had recently 
 settled south and east of the Ohio had gradually driven the neigh- 
 boring tribes towards the northwest so that by 1779 they had retreat- 
 ed in large numbers to the headwaters of the Scioto, the two Miamis 
 and the watershed between these streams and the Maumee. This was 
 a beautiful tract of land with fine timber *and rich meadows, afford- 
 ing ideal hunting grounds and fertile fields for the remnants of the 
 fast dwindling tribes. The pressure of the new Americans was now 
 becoming intense and many of the discouraged Shawanese retreated 
 across the Mississippi, forming the vanguard of the larger move- 
 ment destined to follow. The ancient Miami nation still sat securely 
 in its more remote and almost inaccessible seat at the forks of the 
 Maumee. Here was located the Capital town of Kekionga with a 
 group of smaller villages huddling about it sheltering some French 
 trading stations. This nation also dominated the upper waters of the 
 majestic Wabash, where they were known as Weas and Piankeshaws. 
 The lower Maumee was controlled by the Ottawas and Wyandots, 
 who had a string of villages from the rapids (Maumee, Ohio) to the 
 Auglaize and cultivated the rich bottom lands. 
 
20 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 In the summer of 1780 Col. Byrd, of Detroit, invaded Kentucky 
 by way of the Miami and Licking rivers, with a mixed, force of 
 Canadians and Indians. He attacked and reduced Martin's and 
 Ruddles' stations but soon abandoned the raid. In order to retaliate, 
 Col. George R. Clark hastily raised a large force of enraged Ken' 
 tucky border fighters, crossed the Ohio and proceeded against the 
 Indians of the upper Miami valley. He first destroyed the old Shaw 
 anese town of Piqua on Mad river (west of Springfield, Ohio) and 
 several villages, with considerable corn raised in the rich bottom 
 lands surrounding. This vigorous raid greatly discouraged the Indians 
 and their British abettors from Canada and brought security to the 
 Kentuckians until the following year, when attacks on the more 
 exposed stations were renewed. In April, 1781, Col. Brodhead of 
 Fort Pitt, led an expedition against the Delaware tribes on the 
 Muskingum, destroyed several villages, killing and capturing a few 
 Indians. In August Col. Lochry, with a force of one hundred and 
 seventy mounted Pennsylvanians, was surprised by a large body of 
 Indians near the mouth of the Miami, while on his way to aid 
 Clark's expedition and lost several men, some of whom were killed 
 and others captured. 
 
 Moravian Massacre 
 
 The Moravians, a Christian sect of marked missionary zeal, 
 who had followed their old friends, the Delaware Indians from 
 Pennsylvania, settled in the valley of the Tuscarawas branch of the 
 Muskingum in 1772, establishing two thrifty towns, which they 
 called Schoenbrunn and Gnadenhutten, under the supervision of 
 the courageous and God fearing leaders, Zeisberger and Heckewelder. 
 They purchased small tracts of the natives, cultivated a portion of 
 them and eventually established four substantial villages. The labors 
 and sacrifices endured by these religious people can be accounted 
 for by the fact that several generations of their ancestors had suffer' 
 ed terrible persecution in Bohemia, and the memory and traditions 
 of this experience still lingered with them in the wilderness of the 
 new country. These people were peaceable and industrious, being 
 decidedly opposed to war and aggression. Many of the neighboring 
 Indians of various tribes were converted to their doctrines. Being 
 on well known Indian trails, leading from Fort Pitt and the frontier 
 settlements to Sandusky and the northwest, their strategic position 
 
Frontier Ohio 21 
 
 became more hazardous as the American settlements advanced, due 
 to the passing of opposing war parties through their villages. Trying 
 to be impartial and hospitable to all, they naturally incurred the sus' 
 picion of the turbulent and vicious border ruffians who preyed upon 
 the unfortunate members of the various tribes by their traffic in 
 intoxicating drinks and other nefarious practices. In 1781 Col. Brod' 
 head urged these Christian Indians to move to Fort Pitt, in order 
 to be under the protection of this post until conditions improved. 
 This they refused to do, but later in the same year were forced to 
 take their movable effects and settle near Upper Sandusky, by orders 
 of the British authorities of Detroit. This act showed the power still 
 possessed by the British in the territory west of the mountains at 
 that late date. During the following winter the Moravian exiles 
 suffered greatly from exposure and insufficient food, but early in 
 the spring of 1782 a party of them returned to the towns of Gnad' 
 enhutten and Salem to harvest the corn left ungathered at their 
 forcible ejection in the previous fall. While engaged in this work, a 
 band of some eighty Pennsylvania militiamen under Col. David Wil' 
 liamson, stealthily captured and deliberately murdered ninetysix men, 
 women and children, thus perpetrating one of the most pitiable and 
 atrocious crimes of frontier days. Williamson's party was composed 
 of many brutal and ruffianly dispositioned bordermen and their blood' 
 thirsty deed caused a storm of protest from the better class along 
 the fringe of borderland. The Williamson and Crawford episodes 
 forcibly illustrate the cruelty and barbarity of both the Indians and 
 the worst element of the frontier whites. Both on occasions resorted 
 to stealing horses, scalping and killing prisoners, but the Americans 
 refrained from torturing prisoners and seldom killed women. 
 Burning 0/ Crawford 
 On May 25th, 1782, an expedition of some five hundred Pennsyl' 
 vania and Virginia volunteers set out from the Mingo bottoms (near 
 Steubenville, Ohio) under the leadership of Col. Wm. Crawford to 
 chastise the Indians of the Sandusky plains who had been harassing 
 the borders. On account of its location on one of the most traveled 
 routes leading from Lake Erie to the upper Ohio, and the ease of 
 access from Detroit, this was a strategic center and a favorite ren* 
 dezvous of the savages friendly to the British. Hearing of this move, 
 the Commandant of Detroit sent Capt. Caldwell with a troop of 
 
22 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 rangers and Col. McKee with some Canadians to intercept the 
 Americans. The Indians, comprising many doughty warriors of the 
 Delaware, Wyandot and Shawanese, met the Americans in a grove 
 near Upper Sandusky on June 4th. Crawford dislodged the advanc 
 ed party from the timber. The Indians then took a sheltered position 
 in the low, grassy ground which surrounded the grove, and were 
 reenforced on the 5 th by other tribes and the Rangers. The fight 
 was then continued and the Americans held their position through' 
 out the day but were forced to retreat under cover of the night with 
 a loss in killed, wounded and captured of some one hundred and 
 fifty men. Col. Crawford was captured, and on the following day 
 Col. Williamson drove back the pursuing savages in a rain storm. 
 The Indians, still smarting under the cowardly and inhuman massacre 
 of their Moravian relatives, wreaked vengeance on Col. Crawford 
 in lieu of Williamson, the real offender, by burning him at the stake 
 with prolonged and fiendish torture. Simon Girty was with the sav 
 ages and witnessed this, one of the most revolting scenes in the an' 
 nals of Indian warfare. Partly because of its spectacular and revolt' 
 ing features, this was probably the most noted Revolutionary engage 
 ment within the territory later comprising the state of Ohio. Craw 
 ford was an intimate friend and compatriot of Washington and was 
 highly esteemed by him. 
 
 Raids And Retaliations 
 In August, 1782, Simon Girty was sent from Detroit with Cald' 
 well and a party of British and Indians against Bryant s Station, 
 near the upper Kentucky river. Failing to take this place they were 
 pursued by a force of enraged Kentuckians, under Daniel Boone 
 and other noted backwoodsmen, whom they defeated in a hard fight 
 at the Blue Licks. The Americans lost seventy men, including some 
 of the most prominent and useful in the backwoods settlements in 
 this important engagement, while the Canadians lost only seven, 
 thus exhibiting that reckless and impulsive spirit characterized by 
 the Kentuckians throughout the entire period of border struggle. 
 Aroused by this raid a thousand riflemen assembled under George 
 R. Clark at the mouth of the Licking river, crossed the Ohio, and 
 desolated the Miami valley. They destroyed the Indian town on the 
 present site of Piqua, Ohio, also Upper Piqua (Pickawillany) three 
 miles above, and burned Loramie's Store (Fort Loramie, Ohio), 
 
Frontier Ohio 23 
 
 fifteen miles to the northwest, at the head of the old portage leading 
 to the headwaters of the St. Mary's river. This punishment cooled 
 the ardor of the savages who now began to realize the growing num' 
 ber and strength of the Americans. The frontiers of Pennsylvania 
 and western Virginia were still harassed somewhat, but the close of 
 the Revolution soon caused these incursions to cease, or, at least, to 
 abate. 
 
 British Retain La\e Posts 
 
 After Great Britain acknowledged the independence of the 
 Colonies she still retained possession of the principal Lake posts, 
 contrary to the plain stipulations of the Treaty of 1783. To justify 
 this policy she pointed out that the United States citizens had violat' 
 ed certain articles of the treaty referring to the payment of debts 
 due British subjects, and had even permitted the confiscation of 
 many of her subject's estates. The Americans countered by contend' 
 ing that they had done all that they had promised in enforcing these 
 provisions, but that difficulty had arisen in trying to induce the 
 separate states to change their laws to conform with the new set'up 
 of the centralized government, recently inaugurated. In the eyes of 
 the mother country the new country was considered somewhat of 
 an experiment and was to be confined, if possible, between the 
 Atlantic and the Alleghenies. The great struggle of the Colonies had 
 bound them together in a common cause, but, that being over, they 
 were loosely held by the Articles of Confederation until the adop' 
 tion of the Constitution, in 1787. Moreover the lake posts were the 
 receiving stations for the valuable fur trade, and decided points of 
 vantage for equipping the Indians and influencing them against the 
 Americans. Although the Continental Congress, by the Treaty of 
 1783, had acknowledged the obligation to defend the Tories from 
 persecution and to provide for them the protection of the courts 
 in defense of their personal rights, it lacked power to execute this 
 agreement. The individual states adopted a narrow policy of persecu' 
 tion which embittered them and drove them to build up a hostile 
 clique in Canada. 
 
 The French concerned themselves mostly with trade and re' 
 ligious propaganda during their ascendency and had not purchased 
 many large tracts about their well located posts from the natives. 
 At the peace of 1763 these had been transferred to Great Britain 
 
24 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 and finally, in 1783, to the United States. Congress, however, re 
 garded all the lands north of the Ohio as forfeited on account of 
 hostilities during the Revolution, and by virtue of British cession. 
 Peace was, accordingly, granted to the Indians and their bounds 
 fixed without further purchase of lands. 
 
 Early Treaties And Councils 
 
 In October, 1784, the Six Nations held a treaty with the United 
 States at Fort Stanwix (Rome, N. Y.). These powerful tribes had 
 aided the British materially during the recent war, but had been 
 somewhat weakened by the very successful expedition of Gen. John 
 Sullivan against them in 1779. Oliver Wolcott, Richard Butler and 
 Arthur Lee represented the new Government in the negotiations, 
 while Cornplanter and Red Jacket took the chief part on behalf of 
 the Indians. The latter desired to have a general council in which 
 the principal tribes northwest of the Ohio might participate but the 
 Government desired to deal directly with the Six Nations, who had 
 mostly actively aided the British in the late war. Red Jacket urged 
 the assembled tribes with great spirit and eloquence to continue to 
 fight the Americans. The saner counsel of the older chiefs finally 
 prevailed, however, and a treaty was signed establishing peace with 
 the hostile nations and securing them in the possession of the lands 
 then actually occupied by them in return for the release of all pris' 
 oners then in their keeping and the relinquishment of all claim to 
 the country west of an irregular line beginning near Niagara, ex' 
 tending to the western boundary of Pennsylvania, to the Ohio river. 
 A very valuable concession was given to the Americans in the way 
 of a six mile square tract surrounding and including the fort at 
 Oswego. 
 
 Red Jacket was dissatisfied with the terms of this compact and 
 continued to spread dissatisfaction among the tribesmen. Chief Joseph 
 Brant, an educated and experienced Mohawk, who was absent at 
 the time of the treaty in Canada, was also highly displeased when 
 he learned some of its provisions. This courageous chief cherished the 
 plan of forming a grand confederacy of all of the prominent North' 
 western tribes, together with the Six Nations, probably expecting to 
 be made the Great Chief of the United Tribes. For the accomplish' 
 ment of this purpose he now moved here and there in the upper lake 
 
Frontier Ohio 25 
 
 region and held councils with the various tribes and nations. Late 
 in 1785 he made a trip to England, partly with the purpose, no doubt, 
 of sounding that government concerning its attitude in case of a 
 general uprising of the confederated tribes. He bore a Captain's 
 commission in the British army and, being well educated, tactful and 
 refined, was received with marked favor by the people whose gov 
 ernment he had so jealously served. From this time until the end 
 of the frontier wars he played an important part in leading and in' 
 fluencing his people. 
 
 In January, 1785, a treaty was held at Fort Mcintosh (Beaver, 
 Pa.) with the Wyandots, Delawares, Chippewas and Ottawas at 
 which these nations agreed to relinquish their claims to the lands 
 lying east of the Cuyahoga river and south of a line running south' 
 westerly near the fortieth parallel to Loramie's Store, together with 
 small, but exceedingly valuable tracts, about Detroit and Michili' 
 mackinac, some thirty million acres in all. These tribes, however, were 
 to retain their right to hunt and fish as far south as the Ohio river. 
 With some modifications, this treaty was the basis of later negotia' 
 tions with the new Government. 
 
 At Fort Finney (mouth of the Great Miami) the United States 
 held a treaty, or, perhaps, a council, with the Shawanese, Delawares 
 and Wyandots in January, 1786. This treaty was negotiated by G. 
 Clark, Richard Butler and Samuel H. Parsons. Among other things 
 it specifically states that the "Shawanese nation having knowledge 
 of the intention of any nation or body of Indians to make war on 
 the citizens of the United States, or of their counselling together for 
 that purpose, and neglecting to give information thereof to the com' 
 manding officer of the nearest post of the United States, shall be 
 considered as parties in war, and shall be punished accordingly; and 
 the United States shall, in like manner, inform the Shawanese of any 
 injury designed against them." The Shawanese agreed to confine 
 themselves largely between the Great Miami and Wabash valleys, 
 both for their homes and hunting grounds, but later paid small at' 
 tention to their pledges as shown by their later activities. In fact, 
 a very bad spirit was manifested at this treay and the Wabash tribes, 
 whose presence was especially desired, absented themselves, probably 
 being influenced by the British agents, as in the later British war. 
 The remoter Indians, however, did not cease their depredations. Two 
 
26 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 expeditions were, accordingly, sent against them, one in command 
 of Gen. Clark against the towns of the Wabash, the other, under 
 Col. Logan, against the Shawanese between the Scioto and Miami 
 rivers. On account of the delay in the arrival of provisions, the 
 discontent among the soldiers and the desertion of a large body 
 of troops, Clark's expedition was abandoned. Col. Logan, however, 
 destroyed a lot of corn and killed and captured some of the enemy. 
 These expeditions, like others soon following, suffered from hasty 
 organization, lack of military discipline, insufficiency of food and 
 supplies and other natural limitations of frontier life. 
 
 In December, 1786, a Grand Council of the tribes was held 
 near the mouth of the Detroit river. Together they formulated an 
 address to Congress expressing surprise that they had not been 
 considered in the treaty of peace with Great Britain; stated their 
 desire for continued peace, provided the United States did not en' 
 croach upon their lands beyond the Ohio; and recommended that 
 the Government make no treaties with separate tribes or nations 
 but with the Confederation alone. This was the grand ultimatum dc 
 livered to the United States by the Confederated tribes prior to the 
 general war that occurred later and it shows the true points of con' 
 tention between the Indians and the new Government. Great Britain, 
 through her efficient Indian Agent, Sir Wm. Johnson, kept in close 
 touch with the movements of her former allies and took advantage of 
 every rupture with the new government to show her continued 
 friendly attitude toward them. 
 
 T\[ew American Policy 
 
 During the course of the Revolution, Congress offered grants 
 of land to volunteers in the American service, but Virginia, New 
 York, Massachusetts, and Connecticut claimed portions of the west 
 by virtue of their Colonial charters and purchase from the Indians. 
 After the close of the war and the reawakened interest in the west' 
 ern country, Congress decided to open up these western lands for 
 permanent settlement, but was confronted by the conflicting claims 
 of these states. The old Colonial charters, given when the great 
 extent of North America was unknown, extended the grants "from 
 sea to sea.'" The Crown, however, claimed the country between the 
 Alleghenies and Mississippi after the French and Indian war, and 
 
Frontier Ohio 27 
 
 the United States, after the Revolution, by virtue of actual conquest. 
 Maryland, and the other states having no western claims contended 
 that all such claims should be ceded to the new United States Gov 
 ernment for the general welfare. A lengthy controversy ensued 
 which threatened the stability of the Confederation, but the whole 
 matter was settled satisfactorily when Connecticut followed the ex* 
 ample of the other interested states and completed the cession of 
 these western claims, excepting a tract between the fortyfirst par' 
 allel and Lake Erie, reserved by this state, and one between the 
 Scioto and Little Miami, reserved by Virginia for her soldiers, to- 
 gether with a small tract at the Falls of the Ohio (Louisville, Ky.) 
 
 In 1787, while the last Congress under the Articles of Con' 
 federation was in session, a petition was presented by Dr. Manasseh 
 Cutler in behalf of a company of New Englanders, organized to 
 purchase lands and make settlement north and west of the Ohio. 
 In the meantime the famous Ordinance of 1787, one of the wisest 
 and farthest reaching charters ever given to any people, was passed 
 by Congress. It provided for the organization and government of 
 the 'Territory Northwest of the River Ohio" Among its wise pro* 
 visions were, the prohibition of slavery; the promotion of education, 
 morality, and religion; and the formation of not less than three, nor 
 more than five states, as conditions suggest, from this vast territory. 
 
 The grant of lands requested was made to the New England 
 Company, and soon afterward John Cleves Symmes negotiated for 
 the purchase of land between the Little and Great Miami rivers. In 
 1788 a company of emigrants, including many distinguished Revolu' 
 tionary soldiers and officers, floated down the Ohio from Pittsburgh 
 to the mouth of the Muskingum river and founded Marietta, which 
 became the capital of the new country. Thus the initial step was 
 taken and from this time a steady flow of emigration set in. In a few 
 years Gallipolis, Manchester, Columbia and Fort Washington dotted 
 the northern shore of the Ohio, and the soldiers of the Revolution, 
 whose fortunes had been lost in the struggle for freedom, found a 
 new home in a virgin land. 
 
 Thus was inaugurated a new era in the Old Northwest. New 
 forces were being set in motion which were destined to change the 
 current of the ancient order and set up in the matchless forests and 
 sacred hunting grounds of the western country a new and better 
 
Frontier Ohio 29 
 
 civilization. With Fort Washington as a base the new Government 
 was about to engage in a series of desperate and hazardous conflicts 
 with a savage foe, goaded and assisted by the agents of the British 
 at Detroit. 
 
 Only time could tell whether the AnglcSaxon settlements were 
 to be confined east of the mountains or spread indefinitely to the 
 far west. The first Great White Chief, General Washington, desired 
 peace, but was schooled in the art of war, and directed a free, hardy 
 and vigorous constituency who would brook no interference from 
 a vanquished adversary without severe and protracted resistance. The 
 battlefields of the Revolution had schooled a host of warriors who 
 knew how to reckon with a stalwart foe and these were to show 
 their mettle on many a new field of conflict. 
 
Arthur St. Clair 
 
 From an oil painting by Peale, now in Independence Hall, Philadelphia 
 
CHAPTER II 
 
 DEFEAT ON THE UPPER WABASH 
 
 a rthur St. Clair was appointed Governor of the new North' 
 /\ west Territory October 5, 1787, and immediately became ac 
 ■*• ^ tively engaged in the great work entrusted to him. A Scotch' 
 man by birth with a long line of distinguished ancestors, he had 
 emigrated to North America in 1755 and rendered valuable service 
 with the British during the French and Indian War. Settling in 
 western Pennsylvania after this conflict, he responded to the cause 
 of the Colonies during the course of the Revolution and was prom' 
 inently engaged at Three Rivers, Trenton, Princeton, Hubbardstown 
 and Ticonderoga. Washington and La Fayette were his warm friends 
 and he stood high in the circle of educated and socially minded 
 people as his family traditions and training fitted him to fill this 
 role. His adopted country appreciated his loyal service and dis' 
 tinguished talents as shown by his elevation to the presidency of the 
 Congress in 1786. Thus equipped by heredity and training he was 
 soon to receive even greater honors and to be entrusted with the 
 responsibility of directing the destiny of a vast and undeveloped 
 territory beyond the old barriers of the Alleghenies. Establishing 
 headquarters at Marietta on the Muskingum in July, 1788, St. Clair 
 immediately proceeded to organize and administer territorial affairs. 
 As one of his most pressing duties was to conciliate the various 
 tribes of the new territory he arranged conferences and councils, 
 and, on January 9th, 1789, concluded two separate treaties of con' 
 firmation, one with the Five Nations, the Mohawks excepted; the 
 other with the Wyandots, Delawares, Ottawas, Chippewas, Potta' 
 wattomies and Sacs at Fort Harmar, opposite Marietta, thus counter* 
 acting the formation of a grand Indian confederacy, which had been 
 agitated by some of the far seeing chiefs of the various tribes. This 
 treaty confirmed the pact of Fort Mcintosh, signed in 1785, follow 
 ing the boundaries therein laid down, but specifying more clearly that 
 the western line should follow the portage from the northwestern 
 branch of the Great Miami (Loramie's Store) to the St. Mary's 
 
 31 
 
32 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 branch of the Maumee instead of the Augiaue branch as formerly 
 interpreted. 
 
 At the grand council of the Northwestern tribes, held on the 
 Maumee in the previous fall, the general sentiment was for peace. 
 The Miamis, Shawanese and the tribes of the Wabash however, fail' 
 ed to concur and desired to make the Ohio river the final boundary 
 separating them from the Anglo-Saxon invaders. This sentiment was 
 especially strong among the younger warriors who could scarcely be 
 restrained by the wise counsels of the older chiefs. 
 
 Many successful war parties were sent against the borders or 
 waylaid the immigrants floating in open boats or rafts down the 
 Ohio river. The brutal atrocities committed by the Indians and the 
 retaliatory raids of the rough settlers during this period are recited 
 in the romantic and stirring tales of the border. 
 
 At this period the Northwest tribes could probably rally some 
 fifteen thousand effective warriors, about one-third of whom were 
 hostile to the new government. They no longer depended upon the 
 bow and arrow and similar crude implements of early savage war' 
 fare but had become expert in the use of firearms through associa- 
 tion with the French and British in the recent wars. Their courage, 
 discipline and power of endurance were good offsets to the intelli- 
 gence and organized resources of the Americans. 
 
 Harmars Expedition 
 
 Early in 1790 Governor St. Clair went to Fort Washington, 
 Vincennes and Kaskaskia to set in motion the new government. This 
 was the signal to the British and Indians to cooperate in opposing 
 the advance of the frontier settlements and attacks were, according- 
 ly, commenced. The Wabash tribes became especially aggressive and 
 Major Hamtramck of Vincennes tried to pacify them, but in vain. 
 Hearing of these movements St. Clair hastened to Fort Washington, 
 consulted with Gen. Josiah Harmar commanding the U. S. Infantry, 
 and decided to send an expedition against the hostile tribes. He re 
 quested the militia of western Pennsylvania, Virginia and Kentucky 
 to cooperate with the federal forces and notified the British Com- 
 mandant at Detroit that the proposed expedition was not directed 
 against any British post but was intended solely to punish the hostile 
 Indians. Accordingly, a mixed force was assembled at Fort Wash- 
 
Defeat On The Upper Wabash 
 
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 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 ington, which, when ready to move, was composed of three bat' 
 talions of Kentucky militia under Majors Hall, McMullen and Ray, 
 with Lieut. Col. Trotter in command; one battalion of Pennsyl' 
 vania militia, under Lieut. Col. Truby and Maj. Paul; one battalion 
 of mounted riflemen, commanded by Maj. Fontaine, together with 
 two battalions of Regulars under Majors P. Wyllys and John Dough' 
 ty, and a company of artillery commanded by Capt. Wm. Ferguson. 
 
 *>IMTMTWWL« MIUTIA 
 * AHft INDIA** 
 
 FT.WAYNE 
 
 Harmar's Field Of Action 
 
 Showing old Miami Indian Capital town and the 
 
 location of the fort built by Wayne in the fall of 
 
 1794. The city of Fort Wayne now covers much 
 
 of the territory shown in this cut. 
 
 The entire force numbered fourteen hundred and fiftythree, includ' 
 ing many boys and infirm men who had been sent as substitutes and 
 were almost totally unfit for the exposure and hard service before 
 them. This army, being hastily assembled was also poorly equipped 
 and drilled and, as usual, where mixed troops are employed, jealousy 
 soon arose between the militia and regulars concerning the author' 
 ity of the officers. The season being late it was impossible to propreiy 
 drill and discipline the awkward troops, thus greatly increasing the 
 hazard of the projected campaign. Harmar, who had served with 
 merit under Washington and Greene in the Revolution, and later 
 as head of the government military forces, was placed first in com' 
 
Defeat On The Upper Wabash 35 
 
 mand. He had been sent to the Ohio country in 1785 to make peace 
 with the tribes, erect forts at strategic points, garrison old British 
 posts and evict premature white settlers. Col. John Hardin led the 
 militia, subject to St. Clair's orders. Major Ebenezer Denny was 
 appointed Aide'de-Camp to Harmar; Mr. Stephen Ormsby, Brig. 
 Maj. to the militia, and John Bellie, Quartermaster. 
 
 The militia advanced up the Mill Creek valley on September 
 26th, and the main army followed on the 30th. The forces were 
 united on October 3rd and took the trace followed by George R. 
 Clark up the Little Miami valley, passing near the present sites of 
 Lebanon and Xenia, Ohio; crossing Mad river at the old Shawanese 
 town of Piqua (west of Springfield, Ohio); proceeding northwester' 
 ly and crossing the Great Miami above the present site of Piqua, 
 Ohio; thence along the old trail to the site of Loramie's Store (Fort 
 Loramie, Ohio), across the old Indian portage to the head of the 
 St. Mary's river (near St. Mary's, Ohio) and thence northwesterly 
 along the valley of this stream toward the Miami villages at the 
 junction of this stream and the St. Joseph. (Fort Wayne, Ind). 
 These towns comprised a large number of wigwams of the Miami, 
 Shawanese and Delawares, besides some log huts formerly occupied 
 by British traders. This was the center from which the hostile Indians 
 and renegades sent many war parties to harass the borders. Gardens, 
 orchards and extensive corn fields stretched among the villages and 
 along the streams for many miles indicating long occupancy and a 
 higher degree of culture than shown by the more migratory tribes. 
 
 Learning of the approach of a large body of American troops 
 the Indians hastened to desert these villages. Gen. Harmar was 
 apprised of their movements by a captive and promptly sent for' 
 ward a detachment of six hundred light troops under Col. Hardin 
 to overtake the stragglers, which however, he failed to do. The main 
 army arrived at the deserted villages about noon of the 17th, having 
 accomplished a march of nearly one hundred and seventy miles from 
 headquarters. On the 18th Harmar sent Col. Trotter with three 
 hundred men, including both regulars and militia, to reconnoiter the 
 country and ascertain the exact location of the scattered Indians. 
 This detachment marched a few miles but soon returned reporting 
 the slaying of two Indians. Col. Hardin, displeased with Trotter's 
 failure to accomplish his orders, was then dispatched with the same 
 
36 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 detachment. The men were given two days provisions and marched 
 on the 19th with great reluctance. About a third of the militia 
 deserted before attaining three miles and returned to camp. Some 
 ten miles out the balance of the troops were surprised by a party of 
 about one hundred of the enemy under the Miami Chief, Little 
 Turtle, who was later destined to play a very important part in 
 frontier history. The Indians commenced firing at a distance of about 
 a hundred and fifty yards and advanced steadily driving the panic 
 stricken militia before them. Some few of the latter with about thirty 
 of the regulars, however, stood firm and were cut down. 
 
 The main army advanced from the main Miami village to Chilli' 
 cothe, a Shawanese town two miles eastward, and proceeded to burn 
 all property in sight, including corn, beans, hay, cabins, etc. Five 
 villages and the capital town, Kekionga, besides some twenty thou' 
 sand bushels of corn in ears having been destroyed, the army took 
 up an orderly retreat for Fort Washington on the 21st and marched 
 eight miles. Thinking that the enemy would immediately return to 
 the site of their destroyed villages, Harmar sent back Maj. Wyllys 
 with four hundred picked men to surprise them. This detachment 
 was in three divisions under Wyllys, Hall and McMullen. Hall was 
 sent with part of the militia by a circuitous route to gain the enemy's 
 rear while the other troops were to engage them in front. On account 
 of the imprudence of some of HalFs men this plan failed. The other 
 militia now began to attack before the arrival of the regulars. Little 
 Turtle, grasping the opportunity, threw his entire force first against 
 the militia and then against the regulars with disastrous results. 
 Most of the regulars were slain and the brunt of the fight fell on 
 the remaining militia who now fought desperately but were soon 
 scattered and forced to retreat. The savages had also lost heavily and 
 did not pursue the retreating troops. When the main encampment 
 was reached Hardin requested Harmar to send back the main army 
 in order to finish the work on the site of the village. Harmar, it seems, 
 had lost confidence in the militia, and, in view of the lack of forage 
 and proper transportation, refused the request. The Americans lost 
 one hundred and eightythree men, including brave Maj. Wyllys 
 and several other valuable officers on this hazardous and hastily pro* 
 jected expedition. The shattered and dispirited army continued its 
 dreary retreat toward headquarters on the 23 rd. Bad feeling develop' 
 
Defeat On The Upper Wabash 37 
 
 ed between Harmar and Hardin on account of the unsatisfactory 
 action of the mixed troops. Both of these prominent officers were 
 later courtmartialed but were acquitted and Harmar resigned from 
 the service in 1792 and was appointed head of the Pennsylvania mil' 
 itia in 1793 serving until 1799. Retiring to a busy private life he 
 died in 1813, having done much towards establishing orderly gov 
 ernment in the Northwest Territory and Western Pennsylvania. 
 
 Minor Raids And Expeditions 
 
 The Government, seeing the inefficiency of its first attempt in 
 dealing with the Indians, now adopted stronger measures. It was 
 decided to offer peace to the western tribes; to organize expeditions 
 in the west against the villages of the Miamis, Shawanese and Weas, 
 should they refuse to make peace; and to send a large force to build 
 forts and take possession of the enemy's land. The British, who now 
 seemed disposed to a peaceful settlement, urged Joseph Brant, the 
 intelligent Chief of the Mohawks and moving spirit of the Six 
 Nations, to use his influence among his people for peace, thinking 
 that the United States would allow the tribes to retain their posses' 
 sions along the Maumee. 
 
 On the evening of January 2nd, 1791, a band of warriors from 
 the Tuscarawas valley stealthily assaulted a newly built blockhuose 
 on the Muskingum some forty miles above Marietta, killed several 
 of its brave defenders, took the others captive and burned this out' 
 post. In spite of this and other signs of hostility the Government still 
 hoped for peace and in March sent Col. Thomas Proctor to placate 
 the Senecas and proceed with their friendly chief Cornplanter to the 
 council of the Miamis on the Maumee. In April Col. Timothy 
 Pickering was also sent to the Senecas on a like mission. 
 
 Soon after Harmar 's expedition the frontier settlements of 
 western Pennsylvania and along the Ohio river were attacked and 
 terror spread among the people south of the river. 
 
 It is estimated that the population of the West at this time 
 was between one hundred and fifty and two hundred thousand, 
 scattered in groups; one in southwestern Pennsylvania, two in west' 
 ern Virginia, about Wheeling and the mouth of the Kanawha; and 
 one in Kentucky, below the Licking river. These settlers had poured 
 in from the eastern states as well as from several European countries, 
 
38 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 mostly since the close of the Revolution, being attracted largely by 
 the fertility of the land and the exceptional business opportunities 
 of a new country. For the most part they had floated down the 
 Ohio in crude flat boats, but many had come over Boone's trail 
 through Cumberland Gap from the Carolinas and adjacent territory. 
 To the hardships of their life in a new and exceedingly rough court' 
 try were added the terrors of Indian attacks, inspired by the killing, 
 wounding, capturing of some fifteen hundred men, women and chil- 
 dren on the frontier, since the peace of 1783. 
 
 Delegates from several of the exposed counties of Virginia 
 petitioned the Governor and the legislature of that state authorized 
 him to make temporary provision for the protection of the frontier 
 until the United States Government should take proper steps in the 
 same direction. Chas. Scott was appointed Brigadier General of the 
 militia of Kentucky, then a part of Virginia, and was ordered to 
 raise a volunteer force to cooperate with several companies of rang- 
 ers from the western counties and proceed against the Wea villages 
 on the Wabash. He chose two Revolutionary compatriots to accom' 
 pany him on this raid — Col. Jas. Wilkinson being placed second in 
 command, and Col. John Hardin in charge of the advance guard. 
 The expedition was delayed until May 23 rd, 1791, awaiting the 
 return of Proctor, but, hearing nothing from him by that time, Scott 
 crossed the Ohio river at the mouth of the Kentucky with some eight 
 hundred mounted men and arrived at Ouiatenon (Lafayette, Ind.) 
 on June 1st. Here he found a village of some seventy houses with a 
 number of French inhabitants living in a state of civilization. This 
 village was burned and a large quantity of corn and household goods 
 destroyed. A detachment was sent on foot against Tippecanoe, the 
 most important village, which it also destroyed. The army returned 
 with several prisoners, reaching the Ohio in twelve days with the 
 loss of two men. 
 
 On August 1st, 1791, Col. Wilkinson was sent against the 
 Indians of the Eel river branch of the Wabash with a command of 
 525 mounted men. He encountered difficulty in his march from Fort 
 Washington on account of the boggy land. Arriving at the mouth 
 of the Eel river he attacked the village located there, killed a few 
 Indians and captured others. Proceeding to Tippecanoe and Ouiat' 
 enon the army destroyed the corn which had been planted since 
 
Defeat On The Upper Wabash 39 
 
 Scott's raid. The army reached the Rapids of the Ohio on the 21st, 
 having marched some 450 miles. 
 
 The results accomplished by these desultory raids were similar 
 to those of Harmar's expedition and, naturally, left the natives in 
 an enraged state of mind ripe for the intrigues of the British agents 
 of Canada and the lake posts. Col. Johnson of the British Indian 
 service especially encouraged them to believe that the Americans 
 had no valid claim to any of their lands beyond the line established 
 at the treaty of Fort Stanwix after the French and Indian War. The 
 actions of the Americans in assembling councils in various places for 
 the apparent purpose of making peace and, at the same time, inviting 
 the Six Nations to espouse their cause against the western tribes, 
 added to the confusion and gave the British agents a pretext to renew 
 friendly relations with their old allies. 
 
 The American peace commissioners who had been sent out in 
 the spring carried on negotiations with the Six Nations. Col. Pick' 
 ering held a successful council with all except the Mohawks in June, 
 1791. Col. Proctor and Cornplanter had tried to promote friendly 
 relations with them in the Spring, but Brant and Col. John Butler 
 of the British Indian service had previously warned them against 
 the American agents. A long conference was held at Buffalo, but 
 Brant had been sent on to the Council of the Miamis in the mean' 
 time and the Indians would do nothing definite in his absence, inas* 
 much as the sentiment of their people was much divided. The British 
 commandant at Fort Niagara refused to allow the use of a schooner 
 to carry Proctor, Cornplanter and some friendly warriors across 
 Lake Erie to Sandusky, thus defeating the purpose of their mission. 
 While Brant was inflaming the Miamis Proctor returned to Fort 
 Washington without having reached them with his message of peace. 
 
 Little Turtle, Chief of the Miamis, a warrior of great intelli' 
 gence, craft and courage, who had led the attack against Harmar, 
 and who had great influence with the western tribes, together with 
 Blue Jacket, the great Chief of the Shawanese, and Buckongehelas, 
 Chief of the Delawares, formed a confederacy of the northwestern 
 tribes to drive the white invaders beyond the Ohio river. These 
 chiefs, with the assistance of Simon Girty, Alexander McKee and 
 Matthew Elliott, acting on behalf of the Tories, headed a band of 
 warriors whose discipline has probably never been equaled in Indian 
 
40 
 
 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 Little Turtle, Great Chief Of The Miamis 
 Reproduction of bronze plaque designed for 
 Second National Bank, Greenville, Ohio. 
 
 warfare. Nothing but a decisive blow by a large and well disciplined 
 force could quell the uprising being stirred up by these determined 
 and unscrupulous leaders. What the border states had attempted in 
 a crude and spasmodic way the new Government now decided to 
 essay in an orderly and organized manner. 
 
 St. Clair Advances And Retreats 
 Accordingly, Governor St. Clair, who had recently been ap' 
 pointed a Major General in the reorganized U. S. Army and placed 
 in chief command of the forces to be employed against the Indians, 
 was instructed to speedily assemble his forces. The object of the main 
 expedition planned by the Government was to establish a garrisoned 
 
Defeat On The Upper Wabash 41 
 
 post at the Miami village (Ft. Wayne, Ind.) for the purpose of 
 awing and curbing the large body of Indians in that section and thus 
 preventing future hostilities. This village had been the seat of the 
 powerful Miami nation from time immemorial and it was called by 
 Little Turtle at the Treaty of Greene Ville, in 1795, "That glorious 
 gate through which all the good words of our chief had to pass 
 from the north to the south and from the east to the west." The 
 troops were to consist of two small regiments of regular infantry, 
 two regiments of levies and 300 or 400 Kentucky militia. A con' 
 temporary record states that the mounted men were to receive two- 
 thirds of a dollar per day and be under the command of their own 
 officers, while footmen were to receive three dollars per month and 
 be subject to military law. As in every war before and since it proved 
 a difficult task to preserve harmony among the regulars and volun' 
 teers, as the latter would hardly submit either to the discipline of the 
 army, or to the slow movements which one having a road to cut 
 every step he advanced, and forts to build was necessarily subject to 
 — neither would they labor. 
 
 St. Clair found himself confronted by the same problems that 
 had confronted poor Harmar. The small pay and unattractive condi' 
 tions of service filled the ranks of the regulars with many weak, 
 diseased and unfit men from the streets and jails of Philadelphia and 
 eastern cities. The best of the troops were trained only in regulation 
 mass movements, which were totally inadequate for fighting a stealthy 
 savage foe in the fastness of a dense forest. The experienced back- 
 woodsmen with the militia were better trained for meeting the 
 Indians on their own ground but they were in the minority. The 
 Indians, on the other hand, were unencumbered with baggage, free, 
 stealthy and elastic in movement, were thoroughly acquainted with 
 the shady recesses of the forest and inured to hardship and privation. 
 
 Preparations for the expedition were now pushed vigorously 
 but at a great disadvantage. The Secretary of War was just getting 
 initiated in a newly created office and suffered for want of adequate 
 equipment. Maj. Gen. Richard Butler, who had had extensive and 
 valuable service in the Revolution in the Pennsylvania Line and as 
 a government Indian agent, was placed second in command with 
 orders to remain in Pennsylvania to recruit and forward troops. 
 
 In view of the ultimate outcome of the much maligned expedi- 
 
42 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 tion which Governor St. Clair was commissioned to organize, equip, 
 discipline, and lead, it should be said that his selection for this re 
 sponsible position was justified on the basis of character, training 
 and previous record. Born in Scotland in 1734 of long aristocratic 
 lineage, probably reaching back to the Norman invasion, he was edu' 
 cated at Edinburg University and rallied to the call of the British, 
 enlisting as an Ensign for the service in Canada against the French 
 and Indians, and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant for dis' 
 tinguished services. In 1760, while stationed in Boston, he married 
 Phoebe Baird, a woman of substantial New England connections and 
 some wealth, by whom he had seven children. This marriage, no 
 doubt, influenced him to make permanent settlement in America 
 and identify himself with the interests of the Colonies. He resigned 
 from the British army in 1762, and with monies received through 
 marriage and military services, purchased some four thousand acres 
 of uncleared lands in the rough back country of the Ligonier valley 
 in Pennsylvania, where he soon exercised great influence and render' 
 ed invaluable services both to his adopted state and to the rapidly 
 growing colonies. At the outbreak of the Revolution he entered the 
 new American army then being recruited and was first sent to aid 
 in the retreat of the troops sent against Canada, in which he exhibit' 
 ed courage, tact and real generalship. During the course of the war 
 he served both at Trenton and Princeton with credit and was soon 
 promoted to the rank of Major General, being the only officer from 
 Pennsylvania who was brevetted during the conflict. Later he was 
 courtmartialed for the surrender of Fort Ticonderoga but was duly 
 exonerated. At the close of the war he again entered Pennsylvania 
 politics and was elected to the Continental Congress, of which he 
 became President in 1787. With this record of patriotic service it 
 was fitting that he was chosen as the first Governor of the newly 
 organized Territory Northwest of the River Ohio and sent to the 
 seat of government being organized at Marietta, strategically located 
 on the Ohio river at the mouth of the Muskingum. He was reappoint' 
 ed Governor in 1791, 1794, 1798 and 1801. 
 
 Two thousand levies were to be raised, marched to Fort Pitt 
 in companies as soon as collected, and there receive orders from St. 
 Clair. They could be safely sent in small companies but were held 
 by Butler to protect the frontiers according to orders from the War 
 
Defeat On The Upper Wabash 43 
 
 Department, much to the annoyance of St. Clair, who kept urging 
 that they be sent to Fort Washington. Mr. Samuel Hogdon had 
 been appointed Quartermaster' General of the army and, although 
 zealous, seems to have been almost totally unfit for the responsibil' 
 ities of his very responsible position. The delay in forwarding troops 
 was also partly due to his failure in furnishing horses, supplies, pre 
 visions and the necessary boats for regular transportation. Surflace 
 indications in the handling of army affairs at this time suggest that 
 petty politics might have been interfering with efficiency. 
 
 St. Clair arrived at Fort Washington on the 15th of May after 
 passing through Lexington to arrange for the forwarding of the 
 Kentucky militia. Here he found a garrison of but eightyfive men 
 fit for duty. The arms and accoutrements left from Harmar's expedi' 
 tion were in bad condition and the supplies forwarded later by the 
 Quartermaster, from time to time, were deficient both in quantity 
 and quality. New gun carriages had to be made; the deficiency of 
 the camp equipage supplied; nearly all of the ammunition had to be 
 made up and a laboratory equipped for this puroose. Musket shells, 
 artillery cartridges, and shells for the howitzers had to be filled — 
 a tedious and laborious business. Not only ammunition for the cam' 
 paign but also for the garrison of 1200, or more, for the projected 
 post on the Maumee and for intermediate forts must be prepared. 
 Workshops and an armory had to be built and tools constructed. In 
 his report to the Secretary of War, St. Clair said — "A great number 
 of axes, camp-kettles, knapsacks, kegs for the musket cartridges, and 
 spare cannon ball, and boxes of ammunition, had to be made; and 
 cordage of various kinds, and the cartridge boxes to be repaired. 
 Splints for the wounded were to be made of half 'jacked leather pre 
 pared on the spot. In short, almost every art was going forward, and 
 Fort Washington had as much the appearance of a large manufactory 
 on the inside, as it had of a military post on the outside.'" To perform 
 all of this labor smiths, carpenters, harness'makers, colliers, wheel' 
 wrights, etc., had to be drafted from all that could be found among 
 the troops as they slowly arrived. Considerable cattle and horses for 
 the use of the army had to be cared for and, on August 7th, the 
 country near the fort being eaten off, all the troops that had arrived, 
 except the artificers and a small garrison, advanced about six miles 
 northward to Ludlow's station. On the 1st of September the Sec 
 
44 
 
 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 retary of War wrote to St. Clair: "The President enjoins you by 
 every principle that is sacred to stimulate your operations in the 
 highest degree, and to move as rapidly as the lateness of the season 
 and the nature of the case will possibly admit. M The balance of the 
 troops, however, had not yet arrived at the above date but soon came 
 on and joining those at Ludlow's station, advanced northward on 
 September 17th toward the crossing of the Great Miami river, where 
 a fort was built to command the well known fording place, to serve 
 as a place for depositing provisions, and to form the first link in the 
 chain of forts projected between Fort Washington and the Indian 
 villages on the Maumee. 
 
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 J|H& 
 
 _7**v~'~ ' ' •*-' ---%:2j 
 
 Fort Hamilton Soldiers' Memorial 
 On original site of St. Clair's Fort 
 completed in October, 1791. 
 Hamilton, Ohio 
 
 As Fort Hamilton was typical of other posts built at this period 
 of pioneer history we herewith quote from St. Clair's interesting 
 detailed report to the Secretary of War concerning the erection of 
 this fort: "A stockade fifty yards square, with four good bastions, 
 and platforms for cannon in two of them, with barracks for about 
 two hundred men, with some good store houses, etc. . . . The 
 circuit of that fort is about one thousand feet, through the whole 
 extent of which a trench about three feet deep was dug to set 
 the jicquets in, of which it required more than two thousand to 
 
Defeat On The Upper Wabash 45 
 
 enclose it; and it is not trees, taken promiscuously, that will an' 
 swer for piquets, they must be tall and straight and from nine to 
 twelve inches in diameter (for those of a larger size are too unman' 
 ageable) of course few trees that are proper are to be found without 
 going over considerable space of woodland. When found they are 
 felled, cleared of their branches, and cut into lengths of about 
 twenty feet. They were then carried to the ground and butted, that 
 they might be placed firm and upright in the trench, with the axe 
 and cross'cut saw; some hewing upon them was also necessary, for 
 there are few trees so straight that the sides of them will come in 
 contact when set upright. A thin piece of timber, called a ribband, 
 is run round the whole near the top of the piquets, to which every 
 one of them is pinned with a strong pin, without which they would 
 decline from the perpendicular with every blast of wind, some hang' 
 ing outwards and some inwards, which would render them in a 
 great measure useless. The earth thrown out of the trench is then 
 returned and strongly rammed to keep the picquets firmly in their 
 places, and a shallower trench is dug outside about three feet distant, 
 to carry off" the water and prevent their being moved by the rains; 
 about two thousand picquets are set up inside, one between every two 
 others; the work is then inclosed. But previously, the ground for the 
 site of the fort had to be cleared and two or three hundred yards 
 round it, which was very thickly wooded and was a work of time 
 and labor. (The ground where this fort stands is on the east side of 
 the Miami river, on the first bank; but there is a second bank con' 
 siderably elevated, within point blank shot, which rendered it neces' 
 sary to make the picquets, particularly along the land side, of a height 
 sufficient to prevent an enemy seeing into the area, and taking the 
 river in reverse, and a high platform was raised in one of the bastions 
 on the land side to scour the second bank with artillery. Another 
 made with the trunk of trees, and covered with plank, as that was, 
 was raised in one of the bastions towards the river, in order to com' 
 mand the ford, and the river for some distance up and down. Plank 
 was sawed for the platform and the gate, and barracks for one hun' 
 dred men; a guard room, two storehouses for provisions, and barracks 
 for the officers were constructed within it, and all this was done in 
 about fourteen days, almost entirely by the labor of the men; though 
 some use was made of oxen in drawing the timber, the woods were 
 
46 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 so thick and encumbered with underwood, it was found to be the 
 most expeditious method to carry it.) This post was named Fort 
 Hamilton." 
 
 The main part of the army, consisting of two small regiments 
 of regular infantry, and the levies, about two thousand in all, left this 
 place October 4, and were followed on the 5th by some 350 Ken' 
 tucky militia. Many of the regulars had rendered distinguished service 
 in the Revolution and the militia included a number of the hard/ 
 pioneers who had engaged in the recent raids and expeditions of the 
 Americans. St. Clair had on his staff the Adjutant General, Col. 
 Sargent; Major Ebeneser Denny, Aide-de'Camp; and Viscount Mai' 
 artie, Volunteer Aide. 
 
 In describing the marching order of the troops, St. Clair ob' 
 serves: "When the army was in march, it was preceded by a small 
 party of riflemen, with the surveyor, to mark the course of the road; 
 for we had no guides, not a single person being found who had ever 
 been through it, and both the geography and the topography were 
 utterly unknown; the march was, therefore, made up on a compass 
 course, conjectural indeed, but which proved to be sufficiently cor' 
 rect, as it brought us into a large path leading to the Miami towns 
 about twenty miles from them; from that party scouts were sent 
 out to scour the country every way; then followed the road cutters 
 with a party to cover them; then the advanced guard, and after them 
 the army in two columns, with one piece of artillery in front, one 
 in the center, and one in the rear of each. In the space between the 
 two columns marched the remaining artillery, destined for the fort 
 at the Miami towns; then the horses with the tents and provisions, 
 and then the cattle with their proper guard, who were to remove 
 them in case of the enemy appearing. Without the columns, at a 
 distance of about one hundred yards, march the cavalry in file, and 
 without them at the same distance, a party of riflemen, and scouts 
 without them; then followed the rear guard at a proper distance." 
 
 Roads for the artillery had to be cut through the thick timber 
 nearly all the way and some considerable bridges built. Progress was 
 necessarily very slow and by the evening of the 9th the army had 
 advanced but twenty miles from Fort Hamilton, through a fairly 
 level, well watered and very fertile country. On the 10th an open 
 beech tree country (near Eaton, Ohio) was reached and about eight 
 
Defeat On The Upper Wabash 47 
 
 miles made. Progress continued slow until the following afternoon 
 when the army was forced to encamp on the margin of an extensive 
 wet prairie at the head waters of the Twin creek branch of the 
 Great Miami (west of Castine, Ohio) some thirtyeight miles in 
 advance of Fort Hamilton. Two parties were sent out to reconnoiter 
 on the morning of the 12 th, one to the westward under Major 
 Denny; the other eastward under Maj. Butler. It was ascertained that 
 the army could not continue on its regular course, slightly west of 
 north, without constructing a log road about a thousand feet long 
 over the lowest section of the bog. A suitable passage was found 
 around the eastward side of the swamp which soon led into a well' 
 worn Indian path leading through the prairie, and avoiding the wet 
 places. By following this the army advanced some six miles and 
 camped in a well'watered spot near the present entrance of Wayne 
 Lakes Park. 
 
 On the morning of the thirteenth St. Clair reconnoitered the 
 country and selected a site for a fort of deposit one mile in advance 
 of the above mentioned camp. This site was on one of the gravel 
 knolls of this beautiful rolling region, later known as the Hills of 
 Judea. A fort, slightly more than a hundred feet square, with four 
 strong blockhouses, storerooms and barracks built of rough logs laid 
 horizontal and forming the outer walls, was immediately laid out 
 by the engineer, Maj. Ferguson, and the work of building commenc 
 ed. Several acres of land was cleared of heavy timber and some two 
 hundred select men employed in this heavy work and the erecting 
 of the fort, which required ten days of hard labor. The weather now 
 became cold and disagreeable, provisions were inadequate, the terms 
 of enlistment of many of the levies expired, and great discontent 
 prevailed. Some of the levies were discharged, several of the militia 
 deserted, two of the artillerymen were hanged for desertion and one 
 of the levies for shooting a comrade. 
 
 At this critical time much sickness prevailed and St. Clair had 
 a severe attack of the gout which greatly interfered with his plans 
 and made his work disagreeable. Hoping to relieve the commander, 
 Gen. Butler proposed that he be allowed to select one thousand pick' 
 ed men and, with them, make a forced march to the Miami villages, 
 as the season was fast becoming cold and wet, and unfit for cam' 
 paigning. Although advanced in years and thus incapacitated, St. Clair 
 
48 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 seemed very disagreeably surprised by the proposition and refused 
 the proffer. Butler also seems to have taken offense at this apparent 
 rebuff and grew more sullen and reserved in his relations with St. 
 Clair, who, evidently, thought that his own action was a proper 
 exercise of his power as head of the army. 
 
 Fort Jefferson Memorial 
 
 State Park five miles south of Greenville, Ohio. Erected and dedicated by 
 
 Greenville Historical Society in 1907 
 
 In spite of all these obstacles the little fort was completed and 
 named Fort Jefferson in honor of Thomas Jefferson, who was at 
 that time Secretary of State, and a garrison of about one hundred 
 disabled men, with two cannon, left as a garrison. On the 24th, the 
 army advanced northward following the newly discovered Indian 
 trail along the high ground on the east side of a beautiful prairie. 
 After proceeding some six miles through a fine white oak forest an 
 excellent, elevated camp site, with a stream flowing eastward in front 
 and the same prairie on the left, was made available. Here (site of 
 Greenville, Ohio) the army halted a week, grazing the jaded horses 
 and stock, awaiting the bringing up of needed supplies and 
 recuperating. 
 
 Gen. St. Clair continued ill, the weather inclement and dis* 
 
Defeat On The Upper Wabash 
 
 49 
 
 content prevailed among the troops. On the 29th a bridge was thrown 
 across the creek and a corps of road cutters sent forward under a 
 strong guard of militia. The friendly chief Piomingo, with nineteen 
 warriors, and Capt. Sparks, with four riflemen, were sent out to 
 ascertain the location and strength of the enemy. The army broke 
 camp on the 30th, and proceeded on a course twenty 'five degrees 
 west of north. With much difficulty seven miles were gained this 
 
 Site of St. Clair's encampment in Northern Darke County, Nov. 2, 
 1791. One of four similar markers sponsored by the author and 
 erected along the trail through Darke County by funds contributed 
 by interested citizens. 
 
 day and the troops were forced to camp on a ridge between extensive 
 bogs and in a very thick woods. During the night a thunder storm 
 arose precipitating much timber in the camp and causing consider' 
 able confusion. While the troops remained encamped here awaiting 
 the bringing up of provisions and heavy camp equipage some sixty 
 of the disgruntled militia marched off threatening to plunder the sec- 
 ond convoy of provisions then in transit from Fort Washington, and 
 within probably twenty miles on the road. In order to save the 
 precious supplies and to prevent further desertions and maintain 
 proper discipline, three hundred select men from the First Regiment, 
 
50 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 the flower of the army, were sent. The Quartermaster had failed to 
 start the convoy at the appointed time, however, and the detachment 
 became separated from the main army by a greater distance than an' 
 ticipated, thus reducing the effective fighting force to about fourteen 
 hundred men. The first convoy of some two hundred horses, loaded 
 with flour, arrived in the evening of the 31st. The roadcutters advan' 
 ed on November 1st and the army followed on the 2nd, after deposit' 
 ing the heavy and superfluous baggage behind a hastily constructed 
 embankment of logs and earth. The troops now labored through the 
 flat, marshy land at the headwaters of Stillwater creek which they 
 crossed about noon after following largely the meanderings of the 
 Indian path. On the north side of this stream a much used trail from 
 the southeast joined this path and led on towards the headwaters 
 of the Wabash river. With much difficulty an advance of eight 
 miles was made this day and the army camped on the upland facing 
 the south bank of Mississinewa creek in two lines running east'north' 
 east and west -southwest. 
 
 On the 3rd the army broke camp at nine o'clock and gained 
 eight miles after passing through small, low prairies and wet, 
 sunken grounds of woodland timbered largely with oak, ash 
 and hiskory with groves of beech on the higher grounds. About 
 noon the ridge which divides the waters of the Ohio from 
 those of Lake Erie was passed over and descent made to a forty foot 
 stream running westerly, where encampment was made on a hand' 
 some piece of rising ground in two lines with four pieces of artillery 
 in the center of each. This stream was taken to be the St. Mary's 
 branch of the Maumee, but was, in fact, a branch of the east fork 
 of the upper Wabash. As usual, the militia made a separate encamp' 
 ment advancing some three hundred yards across a rich bottom to a 
 fine, extensive, elevated tract of open woods. This militia camp site 
 was larger and practically free from underbrush and should probably 
 have been selected by the main army if it had arrived earlier on the 
 ground. The direction of the day's march had continued west of 
 north, the weather had been cold and unpleasant and the tired 
 soldiers were glad to encamp about sunset. If they had arrived earlier 
 on the ground and sent out several trained scouts they might have 
 discovered the extensive camps of the enemy along the meanders of 
 the river at no great distance. Darkness came on apace, however, and 
 
Defeat On The Upper Wabash 51 
 
 the soldiers slept soundly and in ignorance of the real situation, 
 after eating their eight o'clock mess. A careful survey of the camp 
 ground showed that the view was obstructed to the north and east 
 by the thick forest. On the south a ravine, bordered by a fringe of 
 low, marshy ground, thickly studded with trees and scrubby brush, 
 skirted the camp. Along the west side, or front, the east bank of the 
 sluggish stream rose some twenty feet above its level. This bluff was 
 also thickly set with forest trees and tangled underbrush. Across the 
 stream, to the west, the bottom land partook of the nature of a low, 
 wet prairie, about sixty rods wide, covered with tall, rank grass and 
 clumps of willow and spice brush. 
 
 The Battle On The Wabash 
 The first line of the encampment was composed of Butler's, 
 Clark's and Patterson's battalions of levies and was commanded by 
 Maj. Gen. Butler. The second line consisted of Bedinger's and 
 Gaither's battalions and the Second regiment of regulars commanded 
 by Lieut. Col. Darke, and was about two hundred feet to the rear 
 and parallel with the first. The right flank was protected by an 
 eastward bend of the creek; the left by a steep bank, Faulkner's 
 Corps and some of the infantry. As a belated precaution Captain 
 Slough of the first battalion of levies was sent out with some thirty 
 picked men with instructions to proceed, one, two or three miles up 
 the trail in search of Indians. About midnight they returned with 
 the report that they had fired on a party of six or seven savages, 
 killing one, and had been passed by a much larger party going to* 
 ward the camp. The report, according to Capt. Slough's later testi' 
 mony, was made to Maj. Gen. Butler, who then dismissed him for 
 the night without instructions to inform St. Clair of the situation. 
 The real motive of this action seems never to have been satisfactorily 
 revealed but suggests that the rebuff given Butler at Fort Jefferson 
 was still rankling in his bosom. Col. Oldham, from his advanced 
 camp of the militia, predicted an attack in the morning but seemed 
 neglectful in taking proper precaution to meet it. St. Clair himself 
 had observed on the previous afternoon that he did not expect an 
 attack yet, and in the evening concerted plans with Major Ferguson 
 of the artillery for throwing up a small earthwork, where in to 
 have deposited the knapsacks and heavy luggage while waiting for 
 the First Regiment to rejoin the army. He then intended to make a 
 
52 
 
 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 forced march to the Maumee village, which he thought to be about 
 fifteen miles, but which was, in fact, some fiftyfive miles distant, as 
 soon as the First Regiment came up. He was permitted to do neither, 
 for on the 4th about sunrise, just after the morning parade, and 
 while the soldiers were preparing breakfast, the swarming Redskins 
 made a sudden attack on the pickets of the militia advanced across 
 the river. Only a few shots were exchanged as, no doubt, the Ken' 
 tuckians realized that they were far outnumbered when a large 
 party of Indians rushed pell'mell into their camp, whooping and 
 yelling fiercely. It would seem that this act plainly showed the folly 
 
 4* 
 
 VBCW0>7 TTW1L SHCABPHJIEHY 
 
 Ohth* 4" of November! 
 
 %< 
 
 4 
 
 
 cvrawra 
 
 — Reproduced by courtesy of Geo. A. Katzenberger from hit book — "Major George Adams," 
 
 An old fashioned but graphic drawing showing location of St. Clair's troops 
 on Nov. 4, 1791, with reference to the original course of the Eastern Branch 
 of the Wabash river within the limits of the present town of Fort Recovery, 
 Mercer County, Ohio. The fort erected by Wayne in December, 1793, was 
 located along the northern end of the bluff, on the eastern bank of the 
 river near the location marked for Clark's and Pattersons battalions. The 
 two main lines of the encampment are paralell with the main north and 
 south business street and the militia troops are shown on the rising ground 
 across the river valley. The new State Park includes a portion of the fort site 
 and adjacent bottom land to the west comprising about ten acres. The 
 straightening of the river channel by dredging has thrown the stream west* 
 ward of location indicated. North side at bottom of map. 
 
Defeat On The Upper Wabash 53 
 
 of allowing the militia to camp separately and maintain their own 
 discipline, thus weakening the entire fabric of the army organiza' 
 tion. Throwing down their arms and plunging headlong across the 
 prairie separating them from the main camp the Kentuckians spread 
 confusion among the regulars before they could get in regular form' 
 ation and prepare properly for battle. One reliable and official writer 
 says that the Kentuckians exhibited abject cowardice on this oc 
 casion, penetrated to the rear line and would probably have fled 
 precipitately if not stopped by Indian fire. Jumping to their guns, 
 the artillery soon got into action and fired volley after volley and 
 by much noise and demonstration drove the Indians back to conceal' 
 ment. This situation soon changed as the Redskins renewed their fire 
 and gradually encircled the encampment, concealing themselves be' 
 hind trees, brush and logs and pouring in a galling fire from their 
 cleverly concealed positions. Soon the blood'Curdling yells ceased 
 and the hordes of determined natives rushed up boldly with toma' 
 hawks to the very mouths of the cannon. The Americans were 
 cramped for room and exposed because of the nature of the ground 
 on which they were encamped, making an easy target for the Indians, 
 who had become expert gunmen. The main fire of the Indians was 
 directed against the men at the guns in the center of the lines and 
 they were driven away with great slaughter. These tactics were con' 
 tinued for approximately an hour and a half, until every officer of 
 the artillery had been killed or wounded and all the guns silenced. 
 The roar of the artillery and the rattle of the muskets of the regulars 
 may have tended to awe the attackers, but much ammunition was 
 wasted by the random shooting of the frightened and untrained 
 troops. Men were falling in great numbers in all parts of the camp, 
 confusion was spreading, and the Indians, becoming further embold' 
 ened, finally swarmed forward to seize the guns at all hazards. Pre 
 viously they had flitted from cover to cover under the pall of the 
 smoke but now they became more reckless and exposed themselves 
 at close quarters. A spirited charge was made against them by Col. 
 Darke and they were driven back across the creek at the point of 
 the bayonet. 
 
 For want of a sufficient number of riflemen to follow up this 
 charge, they were forced to return and were gradually followed by 
 the Indians, who pressed forward from tree to tree and soon came 
 
54 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 into camp on the left flank. Here they were met by a spirited charge 
 from the Second regiment, Butler's and Clark's battalions, and 
 pushed back. Again and again this was repeated, but with great loss, 
 especially of the officers, who had to expose themselves to rally the 
 raw and undisciplined troops. Early in these charges Major Thomas 
 Butler was wounded and all of the officers of the Second regiment 
 fell except three. Both Gen. Butler and Gen. St. Clair exhibited 
 great bravery throughout, the latter, although indisposed, having had 
 three of his horses killed and eight bullet holes shot through his 
 clothes; the former, having been mortally wounded, continued to 
 give orders while propped up in the center of the camp. In spite of 
 his advanced age and enfeebled condition, St. Clair rode up and 
 down the lines attempting to rally and reassure the fearful troops. 
 The fire was continued two and a half hours on front and flank 
 until the majority of the officers, and nearly half of the entire army 
 were either killed or wounded. From the testimony of the men who 
 took part in this terrible engagement, James McBride, in his Pioneer 
 Biography, describes the engagement at this point as follows: "The 
 fire of the enemy still continued with unabated fury, and the men 
 were falling in every part of the camp. The ground was covered with 
 the bodies of the dead and dying, the freshly scalped heads were 
 reeking with smoke, and in the heavy morning frost (as one who 
 was present expressed it) looked like so many pumpkins in a corn' 
 field in December. And the little ravine that led to the creek was 
 actually running with blood. The men were evidently disheartened. 
 While the battle raged at one place at another point might be seen 
 a party of soldiers grouped together around the fires, doing nothing 
 but presenting mere marks for the enemy. They appeared stupefied 
 and bewildered with the danger. At another point the soldiers had 
 broken into the marquees of the officers, and were eating the break' 
 fast from which they had been called into battle." The terrified 
 soldiers now crowded in stupified groups to the center of the camp, 
 where the wounded had previously been taken for safety, being 
 pressed gradually closer from all sides by the exulting savages. Ac' 
 cordingly, about 9:30 a. m., Col. Darke was ordered to make a charge, 
 and with a number of the best men made a feint, driving the Indians 
 beyond the road and thus making an opening through which the 
 remaining troops hurried like a drove of bullocks. The Indians had 
 
Defeat On The Upper Wabash 55 
 
 been thrown into confusion by the charge, but, discovering its object, 
 soon pursued the straggling army along the road and harassed the 
 rear for two or three miles. Attracted by the rich booty, however, 
 they soon returned to plunder the camp and to mutilate, torture and 
 kill those of the weak and wounded who had been left on the field 
 where a sickening sight presented itself. Huddled in a comparatively 
 small space were piles of the slain on the frozen ground, the silent 
 cannon, the deserted tents and valuable camp equipment — all aban' 
 doned in the flight for life. While the Indians were carousing, secur' 
 ing their plunder, scalping and disfiguring the slain and gloating over 
 their victims, the routed army continued its retreat and kept throwing 
 away arms and equipment in the panic of fear. Nearly all of the 
 horses had been taken, or killed, and St. Clair, mounted on a slow 
 pack'horse, was unable to reach the front himself and the other of' 
 ficers found it impossible to establish order and check the frenzied 
 flight. The route continued along the road to Fort Jefferson, a dis' 
 tance of about thirty miles, through the dense and frowning wilder' 
 ness, the stragglers arriving just after sunset. Here the First regiment, 
 which had been sent back to intercept the deserters, was met, but, 
 in view of the broken condition of the troops, the lack of provisions 
 in the fort, and the manifest strength of the enemy, it was decided 
 to leave the wounded here and continue the march toward Fort 
 Washington, with the prospect of meeting a convoy on the way. 
 Accordingly, the advanced troops set out about ten o'clock, marched 
 until nearly daylight of the 5th, and halted until the rear came up. 
 The army moved on again about nine o'clock a. m., and soon met 
 the convoy. The worn and distracted troops arrived at Fort Ham' 
 ilton on the afternoon of the 6th, and at Fort Washington two days 
 later. An account written by Lieut. Daniel Bradley, who was sta* 
 tioned at Fort Jefferson at the time of the battle states that the 
 wounded soldiers kept straggling in from the day after the battle 
 until the 8th. Some of these were in a pitiable condition, one being 
 described as scalped and having a tomahawk sticking in his head. 
 This writer also mentions the death of Col. Gibson, Capt. Bayley 
 and a number of soldiers who died of their wounds within a few 
 weeks at the fort. 
 
 The number of Indians, Canadians and half'breeds in this 
 engagement has been variously estimated at from seven hundred to 
 
56 
 
 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 Pioneer Soldier 
 N. W. face of Fort Recovery Memorial Shaft, Fort Recovery, Ohio 
 
 twenty-five hundred, or three thousand, but information gathered 
 from various plausible sources would seem to indicate that a con' 
 servative estimate would be from one thousand to fifteen hundred. 
 
Defeat On The Upper Wabash 57 
 
 The amount of government property, either lost or destroyed is put 
 at about thirty-four thousand dollars. Among the valuable items 
 mentioned by Col. Sargent were the following: three six pound brass 
 cannon, three three-pounders and two iron cannon, two traveling 
 forges, four ox teams and two baggage wagons with officers, three 
 hundred and sixteen pack horses with harness, thirtynine artillery 
 horses, besides a number of dragoon and private horses. It is 
 also said that thirty women were killed and three escaped. Little 
 Turtle, great chief of the Miamis, is generally credited as being the 
 leader on this fatal day, but he was ably assisted by Blue Jacket, 
 Bukongehelas, Simon Girty and other able warriors of the confeder- 
 ated tribes. These warriors had poured in from the upper Wabash 
 and the lake region as well as from the Maumee and some assert 
 that Captain Brant with one hundred and fifty select Mohawk war- 
 riors took part in this remarkable engagement. Their loss was esti- 
 mated at from fifty to one hundred and fifty killed and several 
 wounded, but, because of their custom of carrying away or conceal' 
 ing the slain it is difficult to ascertain the exact number. The Amer- 
 icans had thirtynine officers killed and twentyone wounded and 
 their entire loss is put at six hundred and seventyseven killed, in- 
 eluding thirty or more women and two hundred and seventyone 
 wounded. This battle is aptly compared with Braddock's defeat as 
 the loss was about the same in number, and as great as any experi- 
 enced in any single engagement of the Revolution. The remarkable 
 number of officers killed bears unmistakable testimony to the bravery 
 and patriotic devotion of these men. The list is given as follows: 
 Maj. Gen. Richard Butler, Col. Oldham, of the militia; Majors Fer- 
 guson, Hart and Clark; Captains Bradford, Phelan, Kirkwood, Price, 
 Van Swearingen, Tipton, Purdy, Smith, Piatt, Gaither, Crebbs and 
 Newman; Lieutenants Spear, Warren, Boyd, McMath, Burgess, 
 Kelso, Read, Little, Hopper and Likens; Ensigns Cobb, Balch, Chase, 
 Turner, Wilson, Brooks, Beatty and Purdy, besides two quarter- 
 masters and two adjutants. Among the wounded were Col. Sargent, 
 Lieut. Col. Gibson, Maj. Thomas Butler and the Viscount Malartie, 
 voluntary Aide-de-Camp to St. Clair. Gen. Harmar had predicted 
 defeat before the troops set out because of the large per cent of 
 raw and inferior men composing the body of the troops, the inex* 
 perience of the officers in Indian warfare and the haste in prepara- 
 
58 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 tion. The ignorance of a large and well disciplined body of the 
 enemy in a nearby encampment also contributed materially to the 
 result. It was Maj. Denny's opinion that Gen. Butler might have 
 been saved if he could have been carried from the field, but his size 
 precluded this action. On account of the indisposition of both St. 
 Clair and Butler the brunt of the campaign before the battle, had 
 fallen on the Adj. Gen. (Col. Sargent), who assumed this difficult 
 task with alacrity. 
 
 As the services of Maj. Gen. Richard Butler were outstanding 
 and rather typical of other officers who were slain in the battle on 
 the upper Wabash it is fitting at this point to give a brief outline 
 of his career. He was the oldest of five sons of Thomas Butler, was 
 born in Ireland, and emigrated to Pennsylvania, settling at Carlisle. 
 Like many of the early Irish immigrants the Butlers were intensely 
 patriotic and soon allied themselves with the interests of their adopt' 
 ed country. This was probably partially due to the Irish hostility to 
 the attitude of the British government in their own country as well 
 as the fervent and adaptible disposition of these people. The three 
 older sons were born in Ireland and the two younger in Pennsyl' 
 vania but all were enlisted as officers in the Pennsylvania Line during 
 the course of the Revolution. In 1781 the Indians became very active 
 and hostile on the frontiers and the father decided to enlist with the 
 forces being raised to fight them and was upheld and encouraged by 
 his wife although all of the sons were also away in the army. In 
 fact the story of the Butler family in the Revolution and later 
 American conflicts, as well as in the early border wars read like a 
 fairy tale and should be read and studied by patriotic citizens of this 
 generation. At the opening of the Revolution Richard Butler espous' 
 ed the cause of the Colonies by entering the service as an agent of 
 the Middle Department of the Indian Service where he served with 
 great energy and activity. In July, 1776, he was commissioned Major 
 and later became Colonel of the Fifth Pennsylvania Regiment. In 
 1777 he was selected Lieut. Col. of Morgan's famous Rifle Corps with 
 which he engaged in some of the sharpest encounters of the conflict 
 and won an enviable reputation. At Stony Point he commanded the 
 left wing of Wayne's select troops and later served with Wayne in 
 Georgia. He was chosen as one of the commissioners to negotiate 
 treaties with the Six Nations and other tribes who had formerly favor' 
 
Defeat On The Upper Wabash 59 
 
 ed the British and was later chosen Superintendent of Indian Affairs 
 for the Northern District. He attained his highest rank as second in 
 command in St. Clair's campaign in 1791 as formerly stated and 
 many interesting traditions have been handed down concerning his 
 conduct and his tragic death on the field of battle. Some of these 
 traditions, no doubt, must be taken with a grain of salt while others 
 are well founded. The troops on this occasion were drawn up in 
 two long lines running roughly parallel with the small stream on 
 which they had encamped and, it is said that St. Clair rode up one 
 line while Butler rode down the other to encourage and preserve 
 the morale of the inexperienced and poorly equipped and disciplined 
 troops throughout the battle. Becoming seriously wounded Butler 
 retired to his tent to receive surgical aid but continued to give orders 
 while suffering from his injuries. At this serious juncture an exult' 
 ing warrior rushed into his tent and gave him a mortal blow with 
 his tomahawk. Anticipating this event he shot the Indian with a 
 pistol which he held in his hand and caused him to expire by his 
 side uttering a hideous yell. Several years after this occurence Corn' 
 planter, the noted Shawanese chief, returned to Butler's widow the 
 medal of the Society of the Cincinnati, a select organization of the 
 officers who had served in the Revolution. This medal was on his 
 person when killed and the great chief assured the widow that her 
 husband was not scalped nor his body mutilated in the conflict. The 
 surviving officers of this battle have occasionally been censured for 
 not mounting Gen. Butler on a horse and getting him safely off the 
 field. Considering that a great number of the officers were either 
 killed or wounded and half the army left to perish on the battlefield 
 this does not seem a just criticism and must be considered one of the 
 usual and unfortunate affairs connected with engagements of this 
 character. Both the state of Pennsylvania and the U. S. Government 
 should memorialize the services of these brave brothers who rendered 
 such outstanding services to their state and country. 
 
 The new government was experimenting in Indian warfare and 
 had much to learn. Washington recalled Braddock's defeat, in which 
 he was one of the main participants, and had warned St. Clair about 
 the manner of savage warfare. On the 9th of November, St. Clair 
 addressed a report of the engagement to Secretary of War Knox at 
 
60 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 Philadelphia and sent a personal message to President Washington 
 by his aide, Major Ebenezer Denny. 
 
 On account of the high water and ice in the Ohio river and the 
 bad condition of the roads it took twenty days to reach Wheeling, 
 some four hundred miles from Fort Washington, and ten more days 
 to reach government headquarters at Philadelphia. President Wash- 
 ington received the dispatch while eating dinner, but continued his 
 meal until all of the company had gone and his wife had left the 
 room, leaving no one but himself and his secretary, Col. Lear. He 
 now commenced to walk back and forth in silence and after some 
 moments sat down on a sofa. His manner soon showed emotion and 
 he exclaimed suddenly: "St. Clair's defeated — routed; the officers 
 nearly all killed, the men by wholesale, the route complete, too shock' 
 ing to think of — a surprise in the bargain." Pausing again, rising 
 from the sofa, and walking back and forth he stopped short and 
 again broke out with great vehemence: "Yes, here on this very spot 
 I took leave of him; I wished him success and honor. 'You have your 
 instructions/ I said, 'From the Secretary of War: I had a strict eye 
 to them, and will add but one word, beware of a surprise, you know 
 how the Indians fight us. 1 He went off with that as my last solemn 
 warning ringing in his ears. And yet, to suffer that army 
 to be cut to pieces — hacked by a surprise, the very thing I guarded 
 him against 'O God' he's worse than a murderer." The President 
 again sat down on the sofa and his anger subsided. At length he 
 said: "This must not go beyond this room." After a while he again 
 spoke in a lower tone: "General St. Clair shall have justice. I looked 
 hastily through the dispatches — saw the whole disaster, but not all 
 the particulars. I will hear him without prejudice, he shall have full 
 justice." A committee of the House of Representatives investigated 
 the cause of St. Clair's defeat and acquitted him with honor because 
 of the stupendous obstacles encountered in forwarding the expedition, 
 and the marked courage shown by St. Clair and the officers during 
 the terrible engagement. It is said that Little Turtle had a band of 
 more than two thousand select warriors from the various Maumee, 
 and neighboring, tribes which he drilled and disciplined for several 
 months at a camp on the east bank of the St. Mary's river, some 
 twenty miles above the Maumee villages, as he anticipated the in- 
 
Defeat On The Upper Wabash 
 
 61 
 
 Memorial — Fort St. Clair State Park, near Eaton, Ohio 
 
 evitable battle. No doubt he had the assistance of experienced Can' 
 adian officers in training for meeting the Americans, and kept him' 
 self informed by runners concerning St. Clair's operations. This battle 
 showed what the Indian could do when organized and efficiently led 
 and permitted to choose and practice his favorite mode of warfare. 
 
 It now seems unfortunate that we usually hear St. Clair's name 
 linked with the fact of his defeat. Many forget his lengthy, invalu* 
 able and self 'sacrificing years of service in establishing stable govern' 
 ment in the Old Northwest. It is significant, however, that he retain' 
 ed the confidence of Washington to the last and continued to serve 
 in his capacity as Governor until December, 1802. 
 
 St. Clair now retired to his home in the rough back country of 
 Pennsylvania where he endeavored to improve and develop his lands 
 and resources. Here he also showed his adventurous and enterprising 
 spirit by building an iron furnace to make stoves and castings. Due 
 to the liberal loaning of money, the endorsement of notes and the 
 failure of the new government, which he had so faithfully served, 
 to pay him in season for moneys advanced in time of great stress 
 while he was Governor of the Northwest Territory, he lost prac 
 
62 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 tically all of his extensive holdings and spent his declining years in 
 poverty and political ostracism. Especially was he maligned in the 
 East where he suffered unjustly from the ignorance and abuse of 
 his detractors who were too far removed from the scene of his activ 
 ities to understand and appreciate his problems and motives. The 
 rapid influx of emigrants from Maryland, Virginia, southern Pennsyl' 
 vania and Kentucky seemed to greatly strengthen the rapidly grow 
 ing popularity of the Jeffersonian party and made it increasingly 
 difficult for St. Clair to carry out his conservative and politically 
 pronounced reactionary policies. He had laid a firm foundation for 
 the new government and endeavored to hold firmly and tenaciously 
 to the power and prestige granted to him by Congress, President 
 Washington and the Federalist party. However, his acts seemed 
 arbitrary and distasteful to the followers of Jefferson and powerful 
 pressure was applied which resulted in his removal from the Govern' 
 orship late in 1802, just a few months before the formal admission 
 of Ohio as a state on March 1, 1803. Considering his fifteen years 
 of faithful service under trying conditions, his advanced age and the 
 obligations of the Government for monies advanced in time of stress 
 this must always seem a very ungrateful act brought about through 
 the scheming machinations of designing politicians and tending to 
 embitter St. Clair for the balance of his life. His long and enforced 
 absence from his wife and children together with some trying and 
 unfortunate conditions in his family life, no doubt, added to the 
 burdens of his official life. Had it not been for his humiliating defeat 
 on the upper Wabash in 1791, although exonerated by Congress, 
 it seems plausible that St. Clair might have arisen to the highest gift 
 of his party, which was then at the height of its influence and power, 
 and have preceded Wm. H. Harrison as the first president from the 
 western country. He died in the backwoods village of Ligonier, 
 Pennsylvania, on August 31st, 1818, in comparative poverty, having 
 seen the final overthrow of the hostile tribes and the permanent 
 establishment of white civilization in the richest section of the new 
 country. His remains are interred in the old family burying grounds 
 in the neighboring city of Greensburg, Pa., where, after many years 
 of comparative neglect and indifference, the Masonic order, of which 
 
Defeat On The Upper Wabash 
 
 63 
 
 Granite Memorial to Governor Arthur St. Clair 
 In the Greensburg, Pa. Cemetery. Erected by the Masonic Order. 
 
64 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 he was an honored member, has erected a modest shaft with the 
 following inscription: 
 
 The 
 Earthly Remains 
 
 Of 
 
 MajoR'General 
 
 ARTHUR ST. CLAIR 
 
 Are Deposited 
 
 Beneath This Humble Monument 
 
 Which Is 
 
 Erected To Supply The Place 
 
 Of A Nobler One 
 
 Due From His Country 
 
 He Died August 31st 
 
 1818 
 
 In The 84th Year Of His Age 
 
 Although Gen. St. Clair was an extremely energetic and worthy 
 citizen of Pennsylvania for many years his campaign against the 
 hostile Indians and his most valuable political and diplomatic serv 
 ices were rendered within the bounds of the present state of Ohio. 
 In consideration of his valuable services and his noble sacrifices he 
 should have a suitable memorial, either at Marietta, the original 
 territorial capital; at Cincinnati, the scene of his major activities, or 
 at Columbus, the permanent capital of this great state. 
 
CHAPTER III 
 VICTORY AT THE MAUMEE RAPIDS 
 
 GLOOM spread over the frontiers of Pennsylvania, Virginia and 
 Kentucky and along the course of the Ohio river, causing im' 
 migration to the Northwest Territory to cease upon the broad- 
 casting of the terrible defeat of St. Clair. The tribes did not seem im' 
 mediately disposed to make a united stand but predatory bands lurked 
 about the stations and attacked the scattered settlements north of the 
 Ohio. It was now found difficult to hold and supply the chain of army 
 posts established by St. Clair because the marauding savages con' 
 stantly interfered with the operations of the small American garri' 
 sons stationed at Fort Washington, Fort Hamilton, Fort St. Clair 
 and Fort Jefferson. The shock of the defeat was also felt as far as 
 New England and the eastern people were especially conservative 
 on the matter of financing and equipping an army to fight the Indians 
 of the western border. The frontiersmen, who had sacrificed so much 
 to extend and defend the outposts of the new Republic, naturally 
 resented this apparently heartless policy and harassed the Federal 
 authorities to provide adequately for their defense. 
 
 Peace Parleys 
 President Washington, however, sincerely desired peace and, 
 early in 1792, made overtures and took proper steps to make his 
 friendly disposition known to the sulking savages. In response to his 
 urgent invitation fifty influential warriors, representing the Six 
 Nations, came to Philadelphia early in March. The President and 
 Commissioner Pickering addressed them, setting forth the just and 
 humane disposition of the Americans and urging them to use their 
 potent influence with the western tribes in order to conciliate them 
 and bring about peace without resort to arms. This they promised 
 to do but did not set out for the offended tribes until September. 
 Capt. Alexander Truman, of the First U. S. Regulars, and Col. John 
 Hardin, of the Kentucky Horse, were dispatched to the Maumee 
 village by way of Fort Washington. Capt. Hendrick, a Stockbridge 
 
 65 
 
66 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 Indian, and Capt. Brant, of the Mohawks, were urged to attend the 
 grand council of the tribes, to be held during the summer on the 
 Maumee, and make known the friendly attitude of the new govern' 
 ment with a view to peaceful negotiations. 
 
 Brig. Gen. Rufus Putnam was sent to the Wabash tribes with 
 an exceptional commission. He was given copies of all the treaties 
 which the Government had consummated with the various tribes 
 and nations and instructed to convince the Indians that peace is 
 desided, all unjust land claims renounced, to urge the treaty of Fort 
 Harmar as a fair basis of negotiations, insist on the safety of the 
 outposts, and insure the just, liberal and humane cooperation of the 
 Government in all matters pertaining to their welfare. Capt. Peter 
 Pond and Wm. Steedman were sent out as secret spies, with instruc 
 tions to mingle with the tribes of the Maumee and Wabash in the 
 guise of traders, ascertain their views and intentions, and, if possible, 
 openly announce the peaceable and benevolent intention of the Great 
 Father Washington. 
 
 The well laid plans of the new government were doomed to 
 miscarry. The spies were intercepted at Niagara; Truman and Hard' 
 in were treacherously murdered, Brant arrived at his destination af' 
 ter the Council had broken up, and Hendrick yielded to the wiles of 
 the British agent, McKee, and failed to attend the Council. Putnam, 
 however, proceeded to Fort Washington, where he met the Com' 
 mandant, Gen. Jas. Wilkinson, who reported that a band of Indians 
 had made an attack upon a body of men near Fort Jefferson, captur' 
 ing and killing some sixteen of the men of this most exposed garrison 
 who were cutting and stacking hay in a small prairie near the stock' 
 ade. It seems to be well authenticated now that Little Turtle led this 
 party and was assisted by Simon Girty with some fifty Redskins. The 
 murder of four other whites was reported and Putnam hastened to 
 Vincennes, accompanied by Heckewelder, the Moravian missionary. 
 Here he concluded a treaty with the Illinois and Wabash tribes on 
 September 27th, which, however, was not ratified by the Senate be 
 cause it provided that the tribes should retain all the lands to which 
 they had a just claim. It is thought, however, that this conference 
 had a restraining influence on the restless elements in these tribes and 
 kept them from engaging in the opening hostilities. 
 
 In October, 1792, a grand council was held at Grand Glaize 
 
Victory At The Maumee Rapids 67 
 
 (Defiance, Ohio). It was a very important council and was attended 
 by the influential chiefs of the Northwestern tribes, some fiftysix 
 warriors of the Six Nations, besides many from remoter tribes. As 
 usual the Shawanese chiefs clamored for war and then requested an 
 explanation of the instructions of Congress. Red Jacket, on behalf 
 of the Six Nations, plead for peace and reminded the Shawanese 
 that the Indians had sold all of their lands lying east of the Ohio 
 to the British, and that they had assisted the latter during the Revolu' 
 tion, at the termination of which the States took possession of all 
 the lands which the English had formerly taken from the French. The 
 Shawanese then recalled St. Clair's expedition and defeat; stated 
 that peace messengers, who had been treacherously killed on the way, 
 had been sent by this bloody road, and that, consequently, the voice 
 of peace must now pass through the Six Nations. They consented to 
 treat with the President early in the following spring and to lay 
 aside the tomahawk until they should hear from him through the 
 Six Nations. The latter promptly informed the President of these 
 proceedings and urged him to send suitable men to the council and 
 to forward a message to the western tribes without delay. 
 
 The armistice agreed upon was not kept, for on November 6th, 
 1792, a large party of Indians, estimated at 250, under the leadership 
 of Little Turtle, furiously attacked a convoy of mounted men, under 
 command of Maj. John Adair just outside the walls of Fort St. 
 Clair (Eaton, Ohio), a post established since St. Clair's defeat about 
 half way between Fort Hamilton and Fort Jefferson to strengthen 
 the chain of defense. An accepted report indicates that the Indians 
 had planned a surprise on the little settlement of Columbia, at the 
 mouth of the Little Miami river, but were turned from their purpose 
 when they captured two men chopping fire wood near Fort Hamil' 
 ton and learned from them that on the day previous (Friday) a 
 brigade of fifty or one hundred pack horses, loaded with supplies 
 for Fort St. Clair and Fort Jefferson, had left Fort Hamilton, escorted 
 by a company of riflemen mounted on fine horses. Under the usual 
 schedule they would make the trip northward and return to the pre 
 tection of Fort Hamilton by Monday night. Upon receiving this in' 
 formation the Indians abandoned the surprise on Columbia and 
 formed an ambuscade about half way between Fort Hamilton and 
 Fort St. Clair and awaited the return of the pack horse train at an 
 
68 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 advantageous position along the road cut by the army the previous 
 fall. However, these well-laid plans were upset unwittingly by Maj. 
 Adair, who arrived at Fort Jefferson on Saturday and permitted his 
 men and horses to rest over the sabbath. Resuming the return trip on 
 Monday the escort camped within a few rods of Fort St. Clair for 
 the night. Learning of this through his runners Little Turtle decided 
 to make a night attack on the tired horsemen and break up their 
 encampment before the garrison at the fort could get in action. 
 Accordingly, shortly before daybreak on Tuesday morning, they 
 rushed in on three sides of the camp with their hideous yells and 
 the discharge of rifles frightening the tethered horses and causing 
 many to break loose. Amidst this confusion Maj. Adair formed his 
 men in three divisions and made a return attack. Although endeavor' 
 ing to capture the horses the Indians had enough men besides to dc 
 tail a fighting party large enough to protect those plundering the 
 camp and driving off the horses. With the side away from the fort 
 left open to the Indians they soon finished their pillaging and moved 
 off with their valuable horses and plunder. 
 
 At the first break of dawn there ensued some sharp and close 
 fighting in which Lieut. Hale was killed and Lieut. Madison wounded. 
 Thus a running fight was kept up until after sunrise when the Indians 
 disappeared. In this skirmish some twenty 'five horses were killed and 
 all of the others except six or eight taken away. This, in itself, was 
 a great loss to the Americans who needed good horses to transport 
 supplies between the posts. The Indians also realized the value of 
 Kentucky bred horses and seemed willing if necessary, to sacrifice a 
 few men in order to get them. Only two dead Indians were found 
 among the slain horses but it is probable that others were killed and 
 their bodies concealed or taken away. Besides several severely wound' 
 ed and four captured Maj. Adair lost six good men, including Capt. 
 Hale and Serg. English and four privates. 
 
 In spite of these hostile demonstrations the government still 
 confidently hoped to establish peace, and for this purpose, sent three 
 distinguished commissioners, Beverly Randolph, Benjamin Lincoln 
 and Timothy Pickering, to meet the tribes at the Maumee rapids early 
 next spring. They were instructed to insist on the provisions of the 
 Treaty of Fort Harmar, demand the relinquishment of certain posts 
 established beyond the stated boundary and agree to pay to the sev 
 
Victory At The Maumee Rapids 69 
 
 eral tribes proportionately the sum of fifty thousand dollars, besides 
 ten thousand dollars annually for ever in case an amicable agreement 
 should be reached. 
 
 Proceeding to Niagara in May, 1793, the commissioners were 
 detained until late in June, when they embarked for the Detroit 
 river to await the meeting of the Indians. They were again detained 
 at Erie by contrary winds, and on July 5th Col. Butler, of the 
 British Indian service, and Capt. Brant, with some fifty warriors, 
 arrived from the Maumee. The latter had been deputized by the as- 
 sembled tribes to confer with the commissioners in the presence of 
 the Governor of Upper Canada. Brant stated that the tribes had not 
 assembled at the time and place appointed because of their distrust 
 of the warlike movements of the United States and asked an explana' 
 tion of the same. He also inquired if the commissioners were properly 
 authorized to establish new boundaries between the Americans and 
 the Indians. The commissioners replied that all hostilities had been 
 forbidden until the result of the proposed treaty at Sandusky should 
 be known; that peace was desired and that they were authorized to 
 establish boundaries. They further assured the British agents that 
 they would promptly inform the President of the proceedings and 
 request him to restrain the military commanders, who were at that 
 time actively engaged in strengthening and supplying the frontier 
 posts and preparing for contingent hostilities. 
 
 Being reassured by the statements of the commissioners Brant 
 agreed to deliver their peaceful message to the chiefs in council on 
 the Maumee and then accompanied them across Lake Erie to the 
 mouth of the Detroit river. From this place the commissioners com- 
 municated with the assembled tribes and patiently awaited their 
 reply. The Indians were suspicious of the warlike preparations of 
 the Americans, of which they kept well informed by runners and 
 spies, and after much serious deliberation and spirited debate, deliver- 
 ed their grand ultimatum through Elliott and Simon Girty, assert- 
 ing that the tribes had not been properly represented at former 
 treaties, and insisted that the Ohio river must be the final boundary 
 line separating them from the Whites as provided by the Treaty of 
 Fort Stanwix. 
 
 In answer the commissioners called their attention to the incon- 
 sistency of their position in insisting on the first Treaty of Fort Stan- 
 
70 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 wix as a basis of final adjustment, inasmuch as several treaties had 
 been held since, at which large tracts of land had been purchased in 
 good faith and later opened for settlement. They stated further that 
 the Treaty of 1783 with Great Britain made the boundary run 
 through the center of the Great Lakes, instead of down the Ohio, 
 but that in spite of this fact the Americans were willing to make 
 reasonable concessions in boundaries, give liberal hunting privileges 
 and deliver annually large quantities of valuable goods suited to the 
 needs of the Indians, provided that the terms could be arranged in 
 a properly called general council. 
 
 After much delay, due largely to the divided sentiment of the 
 tribes, and, no doubt, to the scheming of Elliott, Girty and McKee, 
 the Canadian agents, the Indians finally replied that the recent 
 treaties had been held with a few irresponsible chiefs, representing 
 only part of the tribes, and were, therefore, not binding on the 
 Great Confederacy; that the money offered did not appeal to them, 
 but should be given to the poor Whites who had settled north of 
 the Ohio to make their homes on Indian lands; that Great Britain had 
 no right to cede their lands to the Americans; that they had already 
 retreated to the last ditch, and that no agreement could be reached 
 unless the Ohio river was made the final boundary between them' 
 selves and the United States. 
 
 The commissioners replied that it was impossible to concede 
 these unreasonable demands and thus put an end to the negotiations 
 which had occupied over three months of very precious time. 
 
 From the standpoint of the Americans the second treaty of 
 Fort Stanwix, in 1784, and those that followed at Forts Mcintosh, 
 Finney and Harmar, were valid and binding, and, taken in connec 
 tion with the offer of further negotiations, seemed reasonable ground 
 for the procedure which followed. With the exception of the Wyan- 
 dots, Shawanese, Miamis and Delawares, the tribes seemed mostly 
 disposed toward peace, and it seems very probable that a mutually 
 satisfactory treaty might have been made, but for the continued 
 pressure exerted on the Indians by the scheming and aggressive Brit' 
 ish agents at Detroit as all of these negotiations bear the ear-marks 
 of their interference. 
 
 All hope of agreement being ended the commissioners returned 
 to Erie and dispatched messengers to the Secretary of War and the 
 
Victory At The Maumee Rapids 71 
 
 new commander of the American forces informing them concerning 
 the results of their negotiations. 
 
 In order to understand the fears and the final decision of the 
 tribes, it is necessary to take note of the movements of the Ameri' 
 cans just prior to and during the peace negotiations. Upon the sus' 
 pension and withdrawal of St. Clair after his humiliating defeat the 
 President recommended Maj. Gen. Anthony Wayne, of Pennsyl' 
 vania, to succeed him, and Congress confirmed the selection. As 
 usual in such cases the appointment caused some dissatisfaction and 
 disgust, especially in Virginia, among the friends of Lee, Morgan, 
 Scott and Darke, who seem to have figured as possible appointees. 
 The sequel of the appointment, however, proved the sagacity of 
 Washington, who had profited by his association and experience with 
 these various officers during the course of the Revolution. 
 
 Wayne at the time of his appointment was about fortyseven 
 years of age. He came of old fighting stock and was naturally bold, 
 dashing and courageous. In build he was of medium height, with an 
 inclination to stoutness. His forehead was high and finely formed, 
 his nose slightly aquiline, his face well proportioned, his hair was 
 dark, his eyes dark hazel, keen and expressive, giving him, on the 
 whole, a fine and animated expression. At the outbreak of the Revo' 
 lution Wayne raised the Fourth Pennsylvania Regiment and was com' 
 missioned Colonel. During the course of the war he attained the 
 rank of Brigadier General, and at the close was brevetted Major 
 General. He served his country well at Three Rivers, Brandywine, 
 Germantown, Valley Forge, Green Springs, Monmouth and York' 
 town. His most popular service, however, was at Stony Point, a 
 rocky promontory on the Hudson, commanding an important cross' 
 ing place. On the night of July 15th, 1779, he surprised this strong 
 citadel and forced his way in by a bold bayonet charge, for which 
 he was afterwards familiarly called "Mad Anthony." This was one 
 of the most daring and brilliant exploits of the war and won for 
 Wayne eminent and lasting distinction as a soldier. His experience 
 in fighting the Indians was confined to a successful campaign against 
 the Creeks in Georgia shortly after the Revolution. 
 
 Besides insisting on a strong and efficient leader for the army 
 Congress had decided to thoroughly reorganize the military estab' 
 lishment and to increase the enlistment to some five thousand men. 
 
72 
 
 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 The organization, when completed, was to consist of one squadron 
 of cavalry, of four troops; one battalion of artillery, organized on 
 the same plan, and five regiments of infantry, each of three battalions, 
 as above, with one regiment composed entirely of riflemen. In addi' 
 
 — Printed by courtesy of O. W. Priddy, Van Wert, O. 
 
 Routes followed by Harmar, St. Clair and Wayne and chain of forts 
 established during the Indian wars from 1790 to 1794 in the Miami and 
 Maumee valleys. 
 
 tion provision was made for the employment of mounted militia and 
 scouts. 
 
 No doubt President Washington had a lengthy conference with 
 Wayne before the latter left Philadelphia, in which the peculiar 
 
Victory At The Maumee Rapids 73 
 
 methods of Indian warfare and the exigencies of which might arise 
 in fighting in the western forests, were thoroughly discussed. 
 
 "Mad Anthony" Ta\es Charge 
 
 Proceeding to Pittsburgh in June, 1792, Wayne promptly be 
 gan to organize his army with a number of the survivors of St. Clair's 
 unfortunate troops as a nucleus. Raw recruits were rapidly enlisted, 
 largely from Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland and 
 Virginia, and, in the winter, these forces were collected near Fort 
 Mcintosh (Beaver, Pa.) some twenty 'seven miles down the Ohio. 
 Here the troops were thoroughly and rigorously drilled and prepared 
 for the hardships incident to savage warfare. Using the old Roman 
 system as a model, Wayne appropriately called this new army the 
 Legion and divided it into four sub'legions. 
 
 By spring the new commander had a well'organized army of 
 some twenty 'five hundred troops. Descending the Ohio in April, 
 1793, the infantry and artillery encamped between Fort Washing' 
 ton and Mill Creek, which place was selected on account of the high 
 stages of the water and appropriately called Hobson's Choice. The 
 cavalry, composed of one company each of sorrels, grays, bays and 
 chestnuts, found a more suitable camp for their purpose south of 
 the river, where they practiced throughout the summer for the com' 
 ing campaign. From Fort Washington a forty foot military road 
 was cut through the dense wilderness to a branch of the Stillwater 
 some six miles in advance of Fort Jefferson; the intermediate posts, 
 Hamilton, St. Clair and Jefferson, supplied with large quantities of 
 provisions, and herds of horses and cattle were gathered beyond the 
 advanced post under the protection of troops. Wayne partially fol' 
 lowed the trail of St. Clair, but, in some instances, profited by the 
 experiences of the latter and better topographical knowledge and 
 kept away as much as a mile from his predecessor's narrow, winding 
 road. It is also stated, with some degree of plausibility, that the 
 soldiers were somewhat superstitious and insisted on keeping away 
 from St. Clair's trail as it led to defeat and they were planning for 
 victory. 
 
 When Wayne received news of the failure of the negotiations 
 of the commissioners, about September 1st, he repaired to Fort Wash' 
 ington with the remainder of his troops. The quiet condition of the 
 
M/c**'a**/ 
 
 WincheiU, 
 
 awcT BY 
 
 GEM JT CI- A"* 
 
 F~Q* TJ*K t>*OTXCT-'0*/ O0- 7-HM 
 
 Map showing drainage basins of the Great Miami and Maumee rivers with 
 military routes and forts connected with the expeditions of Harmar, St. 
 
 Clair and Wayne. 
 
Victory At The Maumee Rapids 75 
 
 frontier convinced him that the Indians were at that time gathering 
 in force to oppose his advance to the Maumee. Accordingly, he took 
 time by the forelock and decided to advance with the troops then 
 available and fortify the fine, strong position beyond Fort Jefferson 
 (Greenville, Ohio) hoping thereby to keep the Indians in check until 
 he might strike with greater assurance of success. Breaking camp at 
 Fort Washington, Wayne marched northward on the seventh of 
 October with a force of twentysix hundred regulars, thirtysix guides 
 and spies and three hundred and sixty mounted militia. The army 
 advanced on parallel lines with a strong front guard, in addition to 
 the usual sentinals, and was arranged in such a manner that a fighting 
 line might readily be formed without confusion. This proved to be 
 an excellent arrangement and was adopted by Gen. Wm. Henry 
 Harrison, his aide, in his later expeditions against the northwestern 
 tribes with much success. 
 
 The rate of advancement was about twice that of St. Clair's 
 undisciplined army, and the camp was duly fortified each evening to 
 prevent a surprise. On the thirteenth of October a beautiful elevated 
 plain on the southwest branch of the Stillwater was reached (Green' 
 ville, Ohio) the army now being some seventyfive miles from head' 
 quarters, and a similar distance from the Maumee villages. 
 
 This was the same spot where St. Clair encamped two years 
 previously while awaiting the arrival of supplies, the- site where the 
 council fires of two important treaties were later to be kindled, and 
 where Tecumseh and "The Prophet" were to inflame the Northwest 
 tribes for a second attempt to drive the invaders beyond the Ohio. 
 From this place Wayne wrote the Secretary of War complaining of 
 the difficulty experienced in furnishing a sufficient escort to guard 
 the provision and supply trains from sudden assaults, and at the 
 same time, keeping a sufficient force in camp to properly sustain his 
 advanced position. He then related the unfortunate experience of 
 one of the convoys, consisting of twenty wagons of grain and one 
 of supplies, which was attacked on the morning of October 17th, 
 while encamped at Lowery's spring, some five miles advanced of 
 Fort St. Clair. The escort was in charge of Lieut. Lowery, of the 
 Second Sub'Legion, and Ensign Boyd, of the First, and consisted of 
 some ninety men. The attacking savages far outnumbered the escort 
 and are said to have been led by Little Turtle, who, by a sweeping 
 
76 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 and well planned attack, soon drove the Americans from the field 
 with the exception of a small party who offered a stiff resistance. 
 As the result of this engagement the above officers, together with 
 thirteen non-commissioned officers and privates were killed and some 
 seventy pack horses either killed or carried off. The wagons and 
 supplies were left standing in the road and were later brought to 
 camp with small loss of contents. Without doubt this attack was 
 made to harrass the wagon escorts and secure the valuable horses. 
 In the light of later happenings it now seems probable that this in- 
 cident made Wayne cautious and influenced him to decide to ad- 
 vance no further. It also caused him to increase and strengthen the 
 escort recently sent out under Col. Hamtramck and forewarned him, 
 no doubt, of the constant danger which menaced his further progress 
 at that time. 
 
 The season being well advanced, and a large number of men 
 on the sick list, Wayne dismissed the Kentucky militia until the 
 following spring and prepared to go into winter quarters. Accord- 
 ingly, an immense fortification was constructed overlooking the ex- 
 tensive prairie to the southwest and the fine creek in front, and was 
 named Greene Ville, in honor of Gen. Nathaniel Greene, a fellow 
 officer in the Revolution. This sturdy log post covered some fifty 
 acres, being the largest timber fort constructed in the old Northwest, 
 and was fortified to resist any attack that the Indians and their white 
 allies might make against it. Several months were occupied in clear- 
 ing the ground of the heavy growth of hard wood trees and under- 
 brush and erecting this formidable structure. Heavy pickets followed 
 the bluff overlooking the prairie and the creek valley, while, it seems, 
 the southern and eastern sides were formed by the outer walls of 
 the log store rooms, barracks and other large buildings. The soldiers 
 were quartered in commodious huts, each sheltering six men and 
 extensive provisions were made for the comfort and convenience of 
 the entire army. Storehouses, artificers' shops, mess rooms, officers 
 quarters and magazines were also erected at proper places. From 
 the description recorded by Capt. Daniel Bradley in his journal short- 
 ly after arriving on this site we glean the information that the sol- 
 diers were quartered in log huts covering a space some nine hundred 
 feet wide by eighteen hundred feet long, inclosed with pickets locat- 
 ed a hundred and fifty feet outside of these. Also that nine block- 
 
78 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 houses were located, seven hundred and fifty feet beyond the pickets 
 — three in front, three in the rear and the others on the flanks. This 
 may have been a temporary arrangement for an engineer's survey, 
 made several years after the abandonment of this fort would seem to 
 indicate that it had only four sturdy blockhouses, one at each corner, 
 and was constructed somewhat as indicated in the first statement. 
 
 Wayne sent a detachment to the site of St. Clair's engagement, 
 twentythree miles in advance, and erected Fort Recovery. The 
 detachment arrived on December 23rd, and hastily collected and 
 interred some six-hundred skulls and skeletons of the unfortunate 
 soldiers, which had been exposed to the elements for over two years. 
 Tradition says that all but one of the cannon were found concealed 
 under logs, underbrush, etc., and were mostly mounted in the 
 bastions of the new fort. The missing gun was accidently found by 
 some boys playing along the river a generation later and was finally 
 secured by an artillery company in Cincinnati, Ohio. The new fort 
 was placed in charge of Captain Alex Gibson and manned with a 
 select garrison as it was now the most advanced post in the chain 
 and most likely to be attacked. An old record indicated that Wayne 
 originally wrote the name Restitution for the new post but scratched 
 this out and substituted Recovery as more appropriate as the ground 
 had been recovered by the Americans. It is probable that it could not 
 conveniently accommodate a garrison of over two hundred men. 
 
 Early in 1794 painted scouts and spies were sent among the 
 scattered villages and secured information concerning their move 
 ments and designs. Some twenty or thirty of these men were at' 
 tached to the army and included such characters as Wm. Miller, 
 Robt. McClellan, Wm. Wells and other backwoods sleuths. The 
 road cutters were also working in various directions, leaving the 
 Indians in doubt as to the route to be followed by Wayne on the 
 advanced march, for which tactics they called him the Blacksnake. 
 
 Early in June it was reported by some captured Indians that 
 some fifteen hundred or two thousand warriors of the Chippewas, 
 Wyandots, Shawanese, Tawas, Delawares and Miamis were then 
 collected on the Maumee, and, if joined by the Pottawatomies, the 
 number would be augmented to over three thousand; also that the 
 British to the number of four hundred, besides the Detroit militia 
 were then at the foot of the Maumee rapids on their way against the 
 
The March Westward. 
 
 Granite Memorial in Muskingum Park, 
 
 Marietta, Ohio. 
 
 Carved by Gutson Borglum. 
 
80 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 Americans. Governor Simcoe had recently built Fort Miami here on 
 the site of an old French post, (Maumee City, Ohio) on acknowl' 
 edged American soil, and, from this base, was aiding and inciting 
 the northern tribes. Later it was ascertained that the warriors of 
 seven nations were assembled at the confluence of the Auglaize and 
 Maumee (Grand Glaize) with the chiefs in serious council; and that 
 war or peace depended upon the conduct of the British at Fort 
 Miami. 
 
 These exciting reports were soon verified, for, on June 30th, 
 an escort of ninety riflemen and fifty dragoons, encamped a short 
 distance outside of Fort Recovery, and under reach of its guns, was 
 attacked by a large body of Indians. One report, however, states that 
 the pack horses were about half a mile from the garrison probably 
 within the low embankments thrown up for safety. If this report 
 is correct it would seem to indicate that they were out a sufficient 
 distance to get forage and beyond the zone of absolute safety. In' 
 spired, no doubt, by their large numbers and the fact they had so 
 signally defeated St. Clair on this very ground, the Indians came on 
 with a wild rush against the exposed packhorsemen. Realizing their 
 dilemma, Major McMahon, the commander of the escort, moved out 
 to the attack and fell at the first fire. Capt. Hartshorn of Connects 
 cut and Lieut. Craig of Virginia also fell in this action. After attack' 
 ing the horsemen the Indians assailed the garrison on all sides with 
 great fury. They were driven back by the galling fire of the Amer' 
 icans, however, with heavy loss but rallied and renewed the attack 
 with great vigor and persistence during the balance of the day. Under 
 cover of the foggy night they recovered many of the bodies of their 
 slain. The survivors of the escort succeeded in getting into the fort, 
 and, on the following day, the Indians renewed the attack and con' 
 tinued with great desperation but were finally compelled to with' 
 draw in humiliation from the very field where they had formerly 
 won such a signal victory. Altogether the Americans lost twenty 
 two valuable men and it is thought that the Indians lost twice as 
 many as at St. Clair's engagement, including an unusually large 
 number of brave chiefs, whose loss they mourned and deplored great' 
 ly. As there were some three hundred well'fed packhorses in the 
 train, which had come up from Greene Ville with flour, the hungry 
 Indians feasted on some of these, probably the disabled ones, at 
 
Victory At The Maumee Rapids 
 
 81 
 
 their extensive camp on the Wabash, and took away the others. 
 Captain Gibson, who defended this post so gallantly, was highly 
 complimented for his bravery by Wayne. In spite of the assistance 
 of Canadian officers the Indians, as usual, were unable to success' 
 fully storm and take the sturdy American log block'house fort with 
 its mounted cannon and crackshot backwoods riflemen at the gun 
 chinks. As before demonstrated they were most successful when 
 depending upon ambush and the sudden wild onslaught on the 
 unprepared foe. 
 
 Order of Encampment for Wayne's 
 Troops at Fort GreeneVille showing 
 location of blockhouses and outposts. 
 
 Wayne Advances 
 Maj. Gen. Charles Scott arrived at GreeneVille on July 26th 
 with the advanced division of his mounted troops, some six hundred 
 volunteer Kentuckians, including such rugged frontiersmen as Wil- 
 
82 
 
 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 liam Clark and Meriwether Lewis, who explored the far west in 
 1804, and many stalwart backwoodsmen who were destined to win 
 distinction in the struggles to extend the American border. These 
 horsemen were the advanced guard of the plainsmen, mail carriers 
 and cowboys of a later generation and made an imposing spectacle 
 in their buckskin clothes, quaint arms and fancy trappings. Their 
 arrival caused a decided stir in camp and was the signal for the 
 advance of the awaiting Legion. Wayne now proceeded to carry 
 
 \\ = 
 
 Location Of Fort GreeneVille 
 
 With reference to central section of a present city of Greenville, Ohio. 
 
 From a survey made by James McBride of Hamilton, Ohio. 
 
 out the orderly and detailed plans which he had matured during the 
 several months that Fort GreeneVille was being erected. Accord' 
 ingly, on July 28th, the general signal was beaten for everything to 
 be packed and loaded, the assembly was sounded for the troops to 
 fall in and a gun was fired from the eastern blockhouse as a signal 
 for taking up the line of march. 
 
 The troops filed out from the imposing log fortress at about 
 eight o'clock leaving Maj. John Buell in charge with one hundred 
 and fifty men. Besides the Kentucky horsemen, some two thousand 
 regular troops in the formation of the American Legion were in 
 direct charge of General Wayne and made an imposing sight in 
 
Victory At The Maumee Rapids 83 
 
 their new army clothes as they filed out on the newly cut road 
 through the frowning wilderness. The troops were well equipped 
 and furnished with five days rations of bread, two of rations of 
 beef and whiskey and twenty four rounds of ammunition. The horse 
 men carried six days forage for every horse, besides the extra horses 
 furnished for the officers and companies for their baggage. 
 
 The regular daily schedule called for the beating of the reville one 
 hour before daybreak in order to warn the various divisions of troops 
 to fall in line and get under arms until daylight for the calling of 
 the roll. By the same signal the cavalry, pack and wagon horses were 
 to be saddled, harnessed and watered. At the beating of the general 
 signal the tents were to be struck, packed and loaded within thirty 
 minutes. Upon the beating of the assembly the troops were to form 
 immediately and the wagons and packhorses string out in place while 
 all awaited the beating of the march for final advance. Provisions 
 were made for accidents while marching and penalties provided for 
 firing at game or for amusement within hearing of the camp or on 
 the line of march. The mounted volunteers rode in seven columns in 
 the rear in supporting distance of the Legion, detaching a select 
 corps of spies to proceed three or four miles in advance of the 
 regular forward troops of the Legion, with flanking parties well ex* 
 tended to the right and left to give prompt alarm upon the discov 
 ery of an enemy. The mounted troops, in case of an attack, were to 
 gain the flanks of the enemy. Profiting by the unfortunate experi' 
 ences of Gen. St. Clair on the Wabash the volunteers were ordered 
 to encamp in the immediate vicinity of the Legion in such order as 
 deemed most proper for the security of the main camp. 
 
 A comparison of the diaries, journals, notes and reports of Gen. 
 Wayne and some of the minor officers indicates that the army ad' 
 vanced about twelve miles per day, usually arriving in the middle or 
 late afternoon, in time to fortify the new encampment by felling 
 trees and brush on the exposed sides and posting a sufficient night 
 guard. The camp of the main army was about six hundred yards 
 square, covering some seventy acres of ground, and was usually on 
 the level upland near a stream. 
 
 Wayne planned to deceive the Indians on his advance and had 
 previously made such demonstrations and movements as would in* 
 duce them to expect his advance in a northwesterly direction, to* 
 
84 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 wards the forks of the Maumee, or in a northeasterly direction, to- 
 wards the rapids above the present site of Toledo, Ohio. Instead he 
 took a winding course in a central direction and earned for himself 
 the Indian name of Blacksnake. 
 
 The army made twelve miles the first day out of GreeneVille 
 and camped on the north side of the Stillwater. On the second day 
 the army started before sunrise and hastened forward as if in pur' 
 suit of a flying and distracted enemy passing Fort Recovery about 
 noon under salute from the garrison. Camp was made on the rising 
 ground across the Wabash, about half a mile beyond the fort, prob- 
 ably on the same site where the Kentucky militia had camped on No- 
 vember 3rd, 1791, while the troops awaited the coming up of the 
 rear of the army with the baggage and equipment trains. 
 
 The regular troops had been rigidly disciplined for many months 
 under their drillmasters at GreeneVille but were hard put by the 
 rapid march through the wilderness and complained of extreme 
 fatigue, the record indicating that it also worried the teams and 
 packhorses and caused much fatigue and injury to the dragoons and 
 light troops on the flanks who advanced through the heavy timber 
 and underbrush away from the main road. 
 
 On July 30th, according to the diary of Lieut. Wm. Clark, the 
 army continued to advance rapidly through the brushy thickets, al- 
 most impenetrable to troops, through morasses, defiles and beds of 
 rank nettles more than waist high and miles in length; and, on the 
 left flank, crossed the winding Wabash more than a dozen times, 
 entailing great labor on man and beast while plunging through the 
 muddy stream. Notwithstanding all these difficulties, the army ar- 
 rived at Beaver creek (near Cold water, Ohio), early in the evening 
 and found the stream impassable for wagons, forcing the troops to 
 encamp after a march of some twelve miles. 
 
 Most of the day on July 31st was spent in constructing a seven- 
 ty foot bridge of logs over the bog while the pioneer corps of axe 
 men continued to clear a road in a northeasterly direction to the St. 
 Mary's river. Concerning the march on August 1st. Lieut Clark re- 
 marks, "Made an early move — troops passed over the bridge with 
 little confusion and beat the trail of the pioneers mentioned yester* 
 day, and after a few hours search through low, flat grounds, thick 
 woods and much underbrush, we emerged suddenly into an open 
 
Victory At The Maumee Rapids 85 
 
 extensive and beautiful plain, or prairie, which afforded an elegant 
 scenery, handsomely interspersed with small copses of trees and 
 abounding in every species of the greatest variety of herbage. Intense 
 heat of the sun made a march through this plain not a little fatigu' 
 ing. We soon passed through it — about one mile in width — and cross' 
 ed the river, where our encampment was formed; but a further ex' 
 amination of the contiguous ground induced his excellency (Gen. 
 Wayne) to recross the river and encamp on its banks, in two columns 
 formed to receive the enemy in front and rear. This day marched 
 about twelve miles. Crossed Gen'l Harmar's trace through the prairie 
 when on his way to the Miamis village in 1790 — said to be about 
 thirty miles thither. " 
 
 On August 2nd a small log fort was commenced on the south 
 side of the river. William Wells, the chief guide and spy of the 
 army, and Captain Kibby, with his Columbian Scouters, were order' 
 ed out with small parties to scour the woods for stray Indian parties. 
 Work on the little post was continued with much difficulty but it 
 was nearing completion on August 3rd, when it was placed under 
 command of Lieut. Thomas R. Underwood with a small garrison 
 of invalid troops. Evidently Wayne was convinced that the Indians 
 had withdrawn to the valley of the Maumee and would not hazard 
 an attack on this small, exposed outpost. A strange accident occurred 
 at this camp where a beech tree fell across the tent of the command' 
 er'in'chief and nearly caused his death. He was providentially spar' 
 ed, however, and was able to mount his horse with some difficulty 
 when the advance was made. Gen. Barbee, who had met many ob' 
 stacles in getting his division of Scott's mounted Kentuckians for' 
 ward, arrived with some nine hundred troops and considerable sup' 
 plies at this juncture, increasing the army to some thirtyfive hundred 
 men, making this the largest and most efficient body of troops ever 
 sent against the northwestern tribes by the government. 
 
 The little log fort on the St. Mary's was, apparently, named 
 Fort Randolph at first, but afterwards called Fort Adams and is 
 now known by that name. Concerning this camp Lieut. Boyer re 
 marks: "Our encampment is on the largest and most beautiful prairie 
 I ever beheld, the land rich and well timbered; the water plenty but 
 very bad; the river is from forty 'five to fifty yards wide." While 
 it has generally been taken for granted that the army continued its 
 
86 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 advance in the same general northeast direction to the valley of the 
 Little Auglaize, Mr. O. W. Priddy of Van Wert, Ohio, comes for' 
 ward with a plausible conjecture that Wayne showed his strategy by 
 turning the march from Fort Adams in a northwesterly direction along 
 the north bank of the St. Mary's some eight miles, to the point where 
 Harmar had made a crossing, later called Shane's crossing (Rockford, 
 Ohio), as if striking again for the forks of the Maumee. From this 
 point he is represented as turning again in a northerly direction to 
 the headwaters of a small, muddy branch stream and camping near its 
 head after a day's march of ten or twelve miles. According to this 
 account the army is supposed to follow this small stream in a north' 
 easterly direction, passing through the present site of Van Wert, 
 Ohio, on the fifth and camping after a march of some twelve miles. 
 On the sixth of August the Little Auglaize is reached after a march 
 of nine miles with a further advance of about three miles down 
 this stream. It is unfortunate that the military journals do not men' 
 tion the exact direction of travel but only give occasional brief 
 descriptions of the terrain and unusual features of the country. 
 Lieut. Clark's journal states concerning the advance from Ft. Adams 
 on the fourth: "The army was conducted over the river and pre 
 ceeded through intolerable thick woods, and earth covered with 
 snagly underwoods and almost impassible defiles — however we reach' 
 ed a small dirty water, a branch of the Glaize river, after a march 
 of about 12 miles and there took up our encampment for the night." 
 It is argued that the mention of so many defiles indicates that the 
 course of travel was up stream and across the small ravines made 
 by the small branch brooks, characteristic of this section, and that 
 the mention of the small dirty water exactly describes the condition 
 of Town creek at this period. 
 
 On August 5th, the same journal records, "Renewed the march 
 at 5 o'clock, passed through much the same country as yesterday, 
 kept down stream, made about twelve miles." 
 
 On August 6th the troops reached a stream then designated as 
 Upper Delaware creek (Little Auglaize) after a march of nine miles 
 and proceeded some three miles further down this stream. Mention 
 is made by some writers of a Fort Larramie as "a camp stronger than 
 usual" thirty miles north of Fort Adams. According to a liberal 
 adaptation of the itinerary just outlined this post would have been 
 
Victory At The Maumee Rapids 87 
 
 located near the junction of Town creek with the Little Auglaize. 
 The reference is brief, and hazy, however, and the site is not definite 
 ly settled by accredited writers of western Ohio history. As it was 
 now known that some important Indian villages were being approach' 
 ed the corps of spies, and probably three hundred volunteers, were 
 sent in advance and discovered fresh signs of retreating villagers. 
 
 On August 7th Clark says that the army "continued down 
 creek five miles to the Owl town, halted an hour, after crossing the 
 Delaware creek and reached the Glaze river, and after a march of 
 ten miles, we encamped for the night. From our spies we had every 
 reason to suppose the savages were abandoning their possessions, 
 and were not in force to resist us." Much enthusiasm was manifested 
 when it was suggested to attempt to surprise and raid some of the 
 principal villages in advance. Wayne was big enough to oppose this 
 suggestion and prefered to meet all in a major engagement in a 
 fair field. 
 
 On the 8th of August Lieut. Boyer writes from the camp at the 
 confluence of the Auglaize and Maumee, which had been reached 
 that day: "Proceeded on our march to this place at 5 o'clock this 
 morning and arrived here at the confluence of the Miami and Og' 
 laize rivers at half past 10, being seventyseven miles from Fort Re' 
 covery. This place far excels in beauty any in the western country, 
 and believed equalled by none in the Atlantic states. Here are vege' 
 ables of every kind in abundance, and we have marched four or five 
 miles in cornfields down the Oglaize, and there is not less than one 
 thousand acres of corn round the town. The land in general of the 
 fir nature. This country appears well adapted for the employment of 
 industrious people, who cannot avoid living in as great luxury as in 
 any other place throughout the States, nature having lent a most 
 bountiful hand in the arrangement of the position, that a man can 
 send the produce to the produce market in his own boat. The land 
 and river are navigable, not more than sixty miles from the lake. 
 The British have built a large garrison about fifty miles from this 
 place, and our spies inform us that the enemy are encamped about 
 two miles above it, on the river." In the journal entry for August 9th 
 Boyer remarks, "We remain here. The commander'in-chief has order' 
 ed a garrison to be erected at the confluence of the Miami and Og' 
 laize rivers, which was begun this morning and will take up some 
 
88 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 time. By this means the troops will be much refreshed, as well as 
 the horses and cattle, the latter being much wearied and in need of 
 a recess of labor. No appearance of an enemy/' 
 
 In his report to the Secretary of War, from this camp, Wayne 
 also expresses his surprise and enthusiasm about the beauty and fer' 
 tility of this strategic location on the west bank of the Auglaize at 
 its confluence with the Maumee in these words: "Thus, sir, we have 
 gained possession of the grand emporium of the West, without loss 
 of blood. The very extensive and highly cultivated fields and gardens 
 show the work of many hands, the margins of those beautiful rivers, 
 the Miamis of the Lake, and the AuGlaize, appear like one continued 
 village for a number of miles both above and below this place; nor 
 have I ever beheld such immense fields of corn at any part of Amer' 
 ica, from Canada to Florida." 
 
 The work on the blockhouse proceeded rapidly as Wayne plan' 
 ned his strategy for his advance to the Rapids from this place, and a 
 last overture of peace was sent to the assembled tribes at the Rapids. 
 From them came the reply, probably inspired by the British, that 
 they would decide for peace or war if the Americans would wait ten 
 days at Grand Glaize. No doubt, fearing collusion, and impatient 
 of further delay in carrying out his well'executed plans, Wayne 
 moved forward on the fifteenth. On the 18th a temporary post was 
 thrown up to protect the heavy baggage, so that the army would 
 not be encumbered with too much equipage. This post was appropri' 
 ately called Fort Deposit and was located near the present site of 
 Waterville, in Lucas County, Ohio. 
 
 Battle At The Rapids 
 
 Being now prepared for light action, Wayne advanced rapidly 
 and, on the morning of August 20th, met the united tribes in a 
 thick and tangled woods on the north bank of the Maumee near the 
 foot of the Rapids (Maumee City, Ohio) . The Americans formed in 
 two lines in the dense forest, where the Indians had sought shelter. 
 The enemy were formed in three lines within supporting distance 
 of each other and extending for nearly two miles at right angles 
 with the river. 
 
 They made a strong and united attack on the American front 
 and were endeavoring to turn their left when Wayne ordered a 
 
90 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 charge made by the front line with trailed arms, to arouse the enemy 
 from their places of concealment. This was followed by a well 
 directed fire on their backs when aroused, and a brisk charge was 
 made so as not to give them time to reload. The second line was 
 ordered to support the first, the mounted volunteers directed to turn 
 the enemy's right by a circuitous movement, while the cavalry were 
 ordered to advance along the river and turn the enemy's left. These 
 
 
 W"£ 
 
 WAYNE'S BATTLCF1ELO 
 
 Battlefield at Rapids of the Maumee 
 
 showing location of troops on 
 
 August 20th, 1794. 
 
 orders were obeyed with such impetuosity that the first line drove the 
 Indians from their positions so quickly that the second line could 
 scarcely get up to participate in the action, the enemy being driven 
 in one hour more than two miles through the high grass and thick 
 woods by about half their numbers. Panic now seised the bewildered 
 Indians who fled with terror and dismay, leaving the victorious Amer' 
 icans in full possession of the field. Two years of regulary army 
 tactics and severe discipline on the drill grounds of Fort Greene Ville 
 under Wayne had transformed the raw recruits of the city streets 
 and jails of the east and the undisciplined backwoodsmen into a real 
 fighting unit, capable of meeting the enemy on their own grounds 
 
Victory At The Maumee Rapids 91 
 
 with determination and assurance. The American loss on this oc 
 casion was officially given as thirtythree officers and privates killed 
 and one hundred and four wounded while the Indians probably lost 
 double that number. The American troops actually engaged were 
 less than nine hundred, and the enemy probably had from fifteen 
 hundred to two thousand. 
 
 On the night before the battle, it is reliably stated, the Indians 
 held a council to decide what action should be taken, and Blue Jacket, 
 the Chief of the Shawanese, spoke in favor of an engagement. Little 
 Turtle, who had defeated the Americans in numerous attacks and 
 engagements, is credited with speaking thus: "We have beaten the 
 enemy twice under separate commanders; we can not expect the 
 same good fortune always to attend us. The Americans are now led 
 by a chief who never sleeps; the night and the day are alike to him, 
 and during all the time that he has been marching upon our villages, 
 notwithstanding the vigilance of our young men, we have never 
 been able to surprise him. Think well of it. There is something 
 whispers me, it would be prudent to listen to his offers of peace. n 
 
 Being reproached for cowardice, which was foreign to his na* 
 ture, he laid aside resentment and took part in the battle, but left 
 the leadership to his opponent. The result proved his sagacity. 
 
 After the battle the army camped near Fort Miami, a post 
 built by order of the British Governor of Canada and commanded 
 by Major William Campbell, who was ordered to withdraw and 
 remove to the nearest military post occupied by the British at the 
 Peace of 1783. This he refused to do, and Wayne contented himself 
 with burning everything within reach of the fort. The army return' 
 ed to Fort Defiance on the 27th after laying waste the villages and 
 cornfields on both sides of the river along its route. 
 
 Referring to this engagement Rufus King said: "The battle at 
 the rapids of the Maumee opened the land for the Ordinance of 
 1787. Measured by the forces engaged it was not a great one, nor 
 was that which had been fought on the heights of Quebec. But esti' 
 mated by the difficulties overcome and the consequences which fol' 
 lowed, both were momentous. To the bold spirit of Pitt, Earl of 
 Chatham, is due presumably that the people of the Mississippi valley 
 are not today Canadian'French. Next in honor with the people of 
 the Northwest, as among their founders, might well be placed the 
 
92 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 lioivhearted Anthony Wayne, who opened the glorious gates of 
 the Ohio' to the tide of civilization so long shut off from its hills 
 and valleys." 
 
 Theodore Roosevelt said concerning the battle of the Maumee 
 Rapids: "It was the most complete and important victory ever gain' 
 ed over the Northwestern Indians during the forty years warfare 
 to which it put an end, and it was the only considerable pitched 
 battle in which they lost more than their foes." 
 
 After the return to the Auglaize Fort Defiance was completed 
 and strengthened and a road cut along the upper course of the Mau' 
 mee westward to the Indian village at the forks, a distance of some 
 fortyseven miles. In commenting on this site Capt. Daniel Bradley 
 says in his journal: "We are now erecting a fort on the Maumee, 
 or Miami villages, a very pleasant situation at the confluence of the 
 St. Mary's and St. Joseph's rivers, which form the Miami of the 
 Lakes. Here are fine meadows, all cleared fit for mowing, good land, 
 well timbered with white oak, hickory and the river navigable to 
 Lake Erie, which is about one hundred and fifteen miles. Naviga' 
 tion to New York, except a few carrying places — the whole about 
 twenty miles." Arriving at the villages on September 17th, the army 
 encamped until a strong fortification was built, named Fort Wayne 
 and put in charge of Colonel John F. Hamtramck, with a garrison 
 of infantry and artillery. This sturdy post was completed on October 
 22nd and was then the farthest northwestern military post held by 
 the new government. Several weeks were spent here during which 
 the troops destroyed the Indian towns, cornfields and stores. The 
 terms of service of the mounted Kentuckians having expired they 
 were dismissed and soon parted for their homes. 
 
 Wayne had reached and permanently subdued the capital of 
 the ancient Miami nation, the strong town at the head of the fat 
 valley, the site from which the tribal chiefs had gone forth on many 
 a raiding and harassing expedition against the white invaders in the 
 Kentucky stations and exposed cabins. Harmar had reached this 
 place four years before and done in a haphazard manner what Wayne 
 now completed successfully. St. Clair had aimed for the same stra- 
 tegic site but had been cut off and terribly defeated when still fifty 
 miles from his desired goal. In the light of recent history it seems 
 unfortunate that a culture and civilization such as had been dc 
 
Victory At The Maumee Rapids 93 
 
 veloped through the centuries on this choice spot should be ruthless' 
 ly destroyed as a prelude to the final scattering of the shriveled 
 remnants of a once proud and powerful people. The star of the 
 Mongol tribes was now rapidly waning as the sun of Anglo'Saxon 
 power arose over the beautiful valley and the deserted homes of an 
 unfortunate people. 
 
 On account of the gigantic tasks accomplished, the rough con' 
 dition of the country and the savage ferocity of the foe, this expedi- 
 tion of Wayne has been aptly compared with Caesar's campaign 
 against the Gauls. When it is recalled that the battle field on the 
 Maumee is some seven hundred miles from Fort Pitt, by the cir' 
 cuitous route taken by the army, and that it was necessary to cut 
 a road through the dense forest for nearly one-third of the way, 
 the stupendous nature of the task is faintly realized. 
 
 Return to GreeneVille 
 
 On October 28th the return march to GreeneVille was taken 
 up. Proceeding for a short distance along the west bank of the St. 
 Mary's river the army soon crossed over to the east side and follow 
 ed that stream to Shane's Crossing (Rockford, Ohio), then followed 
 Harmar's old route on the south side to Girty's Town (St. Mary's, 
 Ohio) a total distance of fifty-six miles; thence to Fort Loramie and 
 on to Greenville, thirty-six miles farther, or ninety-two miles in all. 
 As this route is several miles farther than the more direct route 
 through Fort Recovery it was probably taken as it followed an old 
 established trail and gave the army an opportunity to visit and 
 inspect the newly established posts at St. Mary's, Loramies and 
 Upper Piqua which had been built that season to provide stations 
 for the storage of provisions and supplies and to facilitate their 
 proper transportation by a water route, aimed at eventually abandon- 
 ing the more difficult winding road through the wilderness. Wayne 
 was, evidently, looking forward to a movement by the Grand Glaize 
 and St. Mary's against Detroit and the Sandusky and to provide a 
 much better chain of forts for the general protection of the frontiers. 
 
 Rufus Dawes, President of the "Century of Progress" aptly 
 comments on the importance of Wayne's campaign in these words: 
 "George Rogers Clark won the Northwest for the United States 
 and Anthony Wayne established the government of the United 
 
94 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 States within its borders. The Ordinance of 1787 had been passed; 
 the government was established. It was effective at Marietta and 
 Cincinnati but the vast area was governed by the English from 
 Detroit until after the battle of Fallen Timbers. Perhaps this battle 
 ought to be called "The Capture of Detroit." 
 
 As Greene Ville was the largest log fortification erected in the 
 wilderness of the Ohio valley, and possibly within the entire con' 
 fines of the United States, and was occupied for a period of some 
 three years, it would be intensely interesting to record some of the 
 experiences and activities of the officers and soldiers at this frontier 
 post. The ruthless hand of time has destroyed most of the records 
 dealing with this post and this period but some strong sidelights are 
 thrown on the life at this place. It might be interesting to note that 
 an artillery park, a drilling ground and a rifle range were maintained 
 either in or at a convenient and safe distance from the fort. 
 
 It is clearly established that General Wayne maintained a very 
 systematic and rigid discipline while training the soldiers of the 
 Legion during the period of the building of Fort GreeneVille from 
 October, 1793, until the departure of the army for the Maumee, 
 July 28th, 1794. The free use of intoxicating liquors was rigidly 
 regulated and a common penalty for violation of this regulation and 
 such misdemeanors as petty thieving and attempted desertion was 
 the administration of whipping on the bare back by a cat'O-nine 
 tails or some similar leather whip designed especially for laying 
 open the skin of the thoughtless offender; A drastic penalty was one 
 hundred stripes administered at one time. If thought advisable this 
 might be administered in two or four installments according to the 
 severity of the offense or the capacity of the offender to stand pun- 
 ishment. From the field journal of Captain Daniel Bradley we learn 
 that duelling was occasionally practiced by offended petty officers in 
 order to settle real or fancied grievances between themselves, as 
 revealed by the following brief entry: "On the 22nd of February 
 (1794) a duel was fought between Lt. Bradshaw and Lt. Huston. 
 Both were shot through their bodys. Mr. Bradshaw lived about fifteen 
 or eighteen hours — Mr. Huston about thirtysix." 
 
 As the soldiers were quartered in one room log huts, six men 
 being assigned to a cabin, it was necessary to enforce strict health 
 regulations, such as General Wayne, no doubt, had learned in his 
 
Victory At The Maumee Rapids 95 
 
 previous military career. Fresh air, sunshine, change of bedding and 
 a proper mixed diet were enforced with meticulous regularity. For 
 selling intoxicating liquor the entire stores and supplies of an army 
 sutler might be confiscated and the offender drummed out of camp 
 with strict instructions to remain away. Religious services were con' 
 ducted by the army Chaplains and strict and appropriate programs 
 observed on New Year, Washington's Birthday, Fourth of July and 
 similar occasions. One record indicates that the severest penalty pre 
 scribed was for sleeping at one's post in the enemy's country — 
 especially during the period before and during the erection of Fort 
 Greene Ville in the winter of 1793 '1794. On at least one occasion 
 two sentinels were ordered shot to death in the center of the front 
 line. While such a practice seems brutal and inhuman today it is 
 necessary to attempt to reconstruct the background of the times and 
 condition prevailing during frontier days in order to understand this 
 primitive practice. The insubordination of the Kentucky militia and 
 their failure to cooperate fully with the regular troops of Harmar's 
 and St. Clair's armies, no doubt, impressed Wayne that it would be 
 necessary to break down this obvious source of weakness and con' 
 tempt for strict discipline and strengthened him in his determina- 
 tion to impress upon the self 'willed backwoodsmen the imperative 
 need of subordination during such a hazardous campaign in a 
 strange wilderness country. 
 
 Many interesting tales concerning the hunters who went out 
 regularly to provide the soldiers with venison and wild meats are 
 told. The stories and reports of the rangers Ephraim Kibby, William 
 Wells, Henry and Christopher Miller and Messrs. Hickman, Thorp 
 and McClellan make some of the most interesting narratives in 
 border history. Concerning McClellan it is reported that he was 
 one of the most athletic and active men on foot ever known to the 
 world. While loafing about camp between forays these scouts, no 
 doubt, challenged each other to stunts and on one occasion McClel' 
 Ian leaped over a road wagon with the cover stretched over it, a 
 height of eight feet. This occurred on the grand parade, at Fort 
 GreeneVille where there was but little slope to the ground. 
 
CHAPTER IV 
 SMOKING THE CALUMET 
 
 The failure of the British to open the gates of Fort Miami to 
 the routed and panic stricken Indians had a far reaching effect 
 and caused much confusion among the tribal remnants who 
 now collected at the mouth of the Maumee expecting to be clothed 
 and fed from the magazines at Detroit as their crops and villages 
 had been destroyed by the determined Americans under "Mad 
 Anthony V* banner. The active and clever agents, Simcoe, McKee 
 and Brant, stimulated them to continued aggression in spite of their 
 humiliating defeat. These representatives of the far-flung empire 
 strengthened Fort Miami, although well within recognized American 
 territory; supplied the suffering and discouraged Indians, called a 
 council and urged them to propose a truce, or suspension of hos' 
 tilities until spring, hoping thereby to deceive the Americans in 
 order that they might not garrison their strong log forts with suffi- 
 cient men to hold their advanced lines in the heart of the frowning 
 forests and interminible swamps of the new western territory. These 
 agents advised the Indians to convey their land to the King in trust 
 so as to give the British a pretext for assisting them, and, in case 
 the Americans refused to abandon all of their posts and possessions 
 on the west side of the Ohio, to make a general attack and drive 
 them across that stream. Notwithstanding all of this advice the tribes 
 began to understand their critical condition and to lose faith in their 
 old allies. Some in despair crossed the Mississippi but the humane 
 disposition of the Americans finally won their confidence. 
 
 Supposing that the headquarters of the Americans was at Fort 
 Wayne the chiefs of several tribes came to that post late in December 
 and manifested their desire for peace to the commandant of that 
 post. They were instructed to proceed to Wayne's headquarters at 
 Greene Ville. Representatives of the Chippewas, Ottawas, Sacs, Pot' 
 tawattomies, Shawanese, Delawares, Miamis and Wyandots met the 
 Big American Chief and entered into preliminary articles with him 
 on January 24th, 1795. It was agreed that all the sachems and war 
 chiefs representing the above nations should meet Wayne again at 
 
 96 
 
Smoking The Calumet 97 
 
 Greene Ville on, or about, June 15th, to consult and conclude such 
 a peace as would be for the interest and satisfaction of both parties. 
 In the meantime hostilities ceased, prisoners were exchanged and 
 the Indians were preparing to assemble as arranged. The first con' 
 tingent to appear was comprised of a large number of Delawares, 
 Ottawas, Pottawatomies and Eel River representatives and it was 
 arranged that they should meet in general council on the following 
 day. 
 
 As the Indians now realized the importance of the negotiations 
 which might involve the permanent disposal of their ancient homes 
 and hunting grounds they prepared for the great council in a solemn 
 and serious mood. The Delawares, no doubt, remembered their early 
 treaty with William Penn, and recalled various tribal conferences 
 and treaties of the recent past. As Parkman has given a classic dc 
 scription of a typical Indian council we can well imagine that the 
 same or similar ceremonies prevailed within the Council House at 
 GreeneVille. We quote his description herewith: "An Indian 
 council, on solemn occasions, was always opened with preliminary 
 forms, sufficiently wearisome and tedious, but made indispensable 
 by immemorial custom; for this people are as much bound by con' 
 ventional usages as most artificial children of civilization. The forms 
 were varied, to some extent, according to the imagination of the 
 speaker; but in all essential respects they were closely similar through' 
 out the tribes of the Algonquin and Iroquois lineage . . . 
 
 "An Indian orator was provided with a stock of metaphors, 
 which he always made use of for the expression of certain ideas. 
 Thus, to make war was to raise the hatchet; to make peace was to 
 take hold of the chain of friendship; to deliberate was to kindle the 
 council fire; to cover the bones of the dead was to make reparation 
 and gain forgiveness for the act of killing them. A state of war 
 and disaster was typified by a black cloud; a state of peace by 
 bright sunshine, or by an open path between two nations. 
 
 "The orator seldom spoke without careful premeditation of 
 what he was about to say; and his memory was refreshed by belts 
 of wampum, which he delivered after every clause in his harangue, 
 as a pledge of the sincerity and truth of his words. These belts were 
 carefully preserved by the hearers, as a substitute for written records; 
 
98 
 
 Advancinc The Ohio Frontier 
 
 a use for which they were the better adapted, as they were in 
 hieroglyphics expressing the meaning they were designed to preserve 
 Thus, at a treaty of peace, the principal belt often bore the figure 
 of an Indian and a white man holding a chain between them " 
 
 Being acquainted with these ceremonies, Wayne, on June 16th 
 
 when addressing the council, first passed around the calumet, to be 
 
 smoked by the assembled chiefs, after which he said: "I have cleared 
 
 the ground of all rubbish and brush, and opened roads to the east 
 
 to the west, to the north and to the south, that all nations may come 
 
 in safety and ease to meet me. The ground on which the council 
 
 house stands is unstained with blood and is as pure as the heart of 
 
 General Washington, the great chief of America and of his great 
 
 councl-as pure as my heart, which wishes for nothing so much as 
 
 peace and brotherly love. I have this day kindled the council fire 
 
 of the United States; we will now cover -it up and keep it alive 
 
 until the remainder of the different tribes assemble and form a full 
 
 meeting and representation. I now deliver to each tribe present a 
 
 string of white wampum to serve as record of the friendship that 
 
 is this day commenced between us." 
 
 GreeneVille Treaty Calumet 
 
 Now m P°g»»n of Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society. 
 
 Columbus, Ohio, and on exhibition in its museum. 
 
Smoking The Calumet 99 
 
 Owing to the great distance of some of the tribes and the diffi- 
 culty of traveling, also the interference of the British agents, the 
 Indians kept arriving in small bands from their homes on the Maumee, 
 the Wabash and the Great Lakes region. These were the chief men, 
 the scions of many a proud and noted tribal aristocracy. Some had 
 met in former treaties and had fought the Americans on many a 
 bloody field; many had helped to route the armies of Harmar, St. 
 Clair and had been overcome at the Battle of the Rapids. As they 
 arrived they were cordially received and expressed sentiments of 
 peace. On the 15th of July Wayne addressed the council at length, 
 explaining his powers and urging the treaty of Fort Harmar (Mar- 
 ietta) as a basis for lasting peace. Time was given for deliberation 
 and discussion followed on the 18th relative to the merits and force 
 of this treaty of which some of the chiefs pleaded ignorance. No 
 doubt they were sincere in this as representatives of all of the tribes 
 were not present when this pact was signed. 
 
 On the 20th Wayne read to the assembled warriors the offer 
 of peace sent to them just before the battle on the Maumee. He also 
 read and explained the treaty of Fort Harmar and pointed out a 
 number of chiefs who were present and had signed both that and 
 the previous treaty at Fort Mcintosh, and asked them to consider 
 seriously what he had said and then make known their thoughts at 
 their next meeting. On the 21st their discussion was continued, sev 
 eral prominent warriors took part, and were followed by Me-she- 
 kun-no-quo, or Little Turtle, the great chief of the Miamis, who 
 claimed ignorance of the lands ceded along the Wabash and express- 
 ed surprise that these lands had been ceded by the British to the 
 Americans when the former were beaten by and made peace with 
 the latter. On Wednesday, the 22nd, this tall and crafty warrior 
 made a shrewd and eloquent address before the great council, setting 
 forth in a touching, forceful and statesmanlike manner the claims 
 of his offended nation. Let us imagine this tall and swarthy chieftain 
 stepping majestically to the center of the assembled council. Thoughts 
 of the past power and prestige of his waning nation and the early 
 victories over the advancing Americans throng his brain as he casts 
 his eagle eyes toward the blazing July sun and then turns impressive- 
 ly towards the large and picturesque audience. On the one side he 
 beholds the somber but sympathetic faces of a hundred bronzed 
 
100 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 warriors who have figured in every raid and engagement of the 
 tribes throughout the border wars; on the other side he sees the Great 
 Chief who defeated his people at the Rapids, a young aide who will 
 one day lead the Americans in final victory against the combined 
 British and Indian foe and later sit in Washington's chair; besides 
 a motley assembly of officers, interpreters, scouts and spies required 
 to properly conduct the important deliberations of the impressive 
 occasion. 
 
 At this important juncture Little Turtle arose and said with 
 great dignity: "General Wayne, I hope you will pay attention to 
 what I now say to you. 
 
 "I wish to inform you where my younger brothers, the Miamis 
 live, and also the Pottawatomies of St. Joseph, together with the 
 Wabash Indians. You have pointed out to us the boundary line be' 
 tween the Indians and the United States; but I now take the liberty 
 to inform you that that line cuts off from the Indians a large portion 
 of country which has been enjoyed by my forefathers, time im' 
 memorial, without molestation or dispute. The prints of my an' 
 cestor's houses are everywhere to be seen in this portion. I was a 
 little astonished at hearing you and my brothers, who are now pres' 
 ent, telling each other what business you had transacted, heretofore, 
 at Muskingum, concerning this country. It is well known that my 
 forefather kindled the first fire at Detroit; from thence he extended 
 his lines to the headwaters of the Scioto; from thence to its mouth, 
 from thence down the Ohio to the mouth of the Wabash; and from 
 thence to Chicago, on Lake Michigan. At this place I first saw my 
 elder brothers, the Shawanese. I have now informed you of the 
 boundaries of the Miami nation, where the Great Spirit placed my 
 forefather a long time ago and charged him not to sell or part with 
 his lands, but to preserve them for his posterity. This charge has 
 been handed down to me. I was much surprised to hear that my 
 brothers differed so much from me on this subject; for their conduct 
 would lead me to suppose that the Great Spirit and their forefathers 
 had not given them the same charge that was given to me; but on 
 the contrary, had directed them to sell their lands to any white 
 man who wore a hat, as soon as he should ask it of them. Now, 
 elder brother, your younger brothers, the Miamis, have pointed out 
 to you their country and also to your brothers present. When I hear 
 
Smoking The Calumet 101 
 
 your proposals on this subject, I will be ready to give an answer. 
 I came with an expectation of hearing you say good things, but I 
 have not heard yet what I expected. 
 
 "Brothers, the Indians, I expected, in this council that our 
 minds would have been made up, and we should speak with one 
 voice. I am sorry to observe that you are rather unsettled and hasty 
 in your conduct." 
 
 After the great chief of the Miamis had spoken, Tarhe, the 
 Wyandot, arose and said that the ground mentioned belonged to 
 the Great Spirit above, and that they had an equal right to it; that 
 he always considered the treaty of Muskingum as founded upon 
 the fairest of principles, as being binding upon the Indians and the 
 United States alike; and that peace was now desired by all. During 
 the following days, discussion concerning the boundaries and terms 
 were continued and on the 24th General Wayne arose and spoke 
 in part as follows: 
 
 "Brothers, the Miamis, I have paid attention to what the Little 
 Turtle said, two days since, concerning the lands which he claims. 
 He said his father first kindled the fire at Detroit and stretched his 
 line from thence to the headwaters of the Scioto; thence down the 
 same to the Ohio; thence down that river to the mouth of the 
 Wabash, and from thence to Chicago, on the southwest end of 
 Lake Michigan; and observed that his forefathers had enjoyed that 
 country undisturbed, from time immemorial. 
 
 "Brothers, these boundaries enclose a very large space of coun' 
 try, indeed; they embrace, if I mistake not, all the lands on which 
 all the nations now present live, as well as those which have been 
 ceded to the United States. The lands which have been ceded have 
 within these three days been acknowledged by the Ottawas, Pot' 
 tawatomies, Wyandots, Delawares and Shawanese. The Little Turtle 
 says the prints of his forefather's houses are everywhere to be seen 
 within these boundaries. Younger brother, it is true these prints 
 are to be observed, but at the same time we discover marks of French 
 possession throughout this country established long before we were 
 born. These have since been in possession of the British, who must, 
 in their turn, relinquish them to the United States, when they, the 
 French and the Indians, will be all as one people. 
 
 "I will point out to you a few places where I discover strong 
 
102 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 traces of these establishments; and first of all, I find at Detroit a very 
 strong print, where the fire was first kindled by your forefathers; 
 next at Vincennes on the Wabash; again at Musquit on the same 
 river; a little higher up on that stream, they are to be seen at 
 Ouiatenon. I discover another strong trace at Chicago, another on 
 the St. Joseph's of Lake Michigan. I have seen quite distinctly the 
 prints of a French and of a British post at the Miami villages, and 
 of a British post at the foot of the Rapids, now in their possession. 
 Prints, very conspicuous, are on the Great Miami, which were pos' 
 sessed by the French, forty 'five years ago; another trace is very dis' 
 tinctly to be seen at Sandusky. It appears to me that if the Great 
 Spirit, as you say, charged your forefathers to preserve their lands 
 entirely for their posterity, they have paid very little regard to the 
 sacred injunction, for I see they have parted with these lands to 
 your fathers the French, and the English are now, or have been, in 
 possession of them all; therefore, I think the charge urged against 
 the Ottawas, Chippewas and other Indians, comes with bad grace 
 indeed, from the very people who, perhaps, set them the example. 
 The English and French both wore hats; and yet your forefathers 
 sold them, at various times, portions of your lands. However, as I 
 have already observed, you shall now receive from the United States 
 further valuable compensation for the lands you have added to 
 them by former treaties. 
 
 "Younger brothers, I will now inform you who it was who 
 gave you these lands in the first instance; it was your fathers, the 
 British, who did not discover that care for your interests which you 
 ought to have experienced. This is the Treaty of Peace, made be 
 tween the United States of America and Great Britain, twelve years 
 ago, at the end of a long and bloody war, when the French and 
 Americans proved too powerful for the British, on these terms they 
 obtained peace." Here part of the Treaty of 1783 was read. 
 
 "Here you perceive that all the country south of the Great 
 Lakes has been given up to America; but the United States never 
 intended to take that advantage of you, which the British placed in 
 their hands; they wish you to enjoy your just rights, without inter' 
 ruption, and to promote your happiness. The British stipulated to 
 surrender to us all the posts on this side of the boundary agreed on. 
 I told you some time ago treaties should ever be sacredly fulfilled by 
 
Smoking The Calumet 
 
 103 
 
 those who make them; but the British, on their part, did not find it 
 convenient to relinquish those posts as soon as they should have 
 done, but a precise period is now fixed for their delivery. I have 
 now in my hand a copy of a treaty, made eight months since, be' 
 tween them and us, of which I will read you a little. (Reads first 
 and second articles of Mr. Jay's treaty.) 
 
 ik By this solemn agreement they promise to retire from Mich' 
 
 GreeneVille Treaty Line — 1795 
 ilimackinac, Fort St. Clair, Detroit, Niagara and all other places on 
 this side of the Lakes, in ten moons from this period, and leave the 
 same to the full and quiet possession of the United States. 
 
 "Brothers, all nations present, now listen to me. 
 
 "Having now explained those matters to you and informed you 
 
104 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 of all things I judged necessary for your information, we have noth' 
 ing to do but to bury the hatchet, and draw a veil over past misfor' 
 tunes. As you have buried our dead, with the concern of brothers, 
 so I now collect the bones of your slain warriors, put them into a 
 deep pit which I have dug, and cover them carefully over with this 
 large belt, there to remain undisturbed. I also dry the tears from 
 your eyes, and wipe the blood from your bodies, with this soft, 
 white linen. No bloody traces will ever lead to the graves of your 
 departed heroes, with this I wipe all such away. I deliver it to your 
 uncle, the Wyandot, who will send it around amongst you. (A 
 large belt, with a white string attached.) 
 
 "I now take the hatchet out of your hands, and with a strong 
 arm throw it into the center of the great ocean, where no mortal 
 can find it; and I now deliver to you the wide and straight path to 
 the Fifteen Fires, to be used by you and your posterity, forever. So 
 long as you continue to follow this road, so long will you continue 
 to be happy people. You see it is straight and wide, and they will 
 be blind indeed, who deviate from it. I place it also in your uncle's 
 hands for you. (A large road belt delivered). 
 
 "I will, the day after tomorrow, show you the cessions which 
 you have made to the United States, and point out to you the lines 
 which may for the future divide your lands from theirs; and, as 
 you will have tomorrow to rest, I will allow you a double allowance 
 of drink, because we have buried the hatchet and performed every 
 necessary ceremony to render propitious our renovated friendship." 
 
 Discussion and explanation continued until the third day of 
 August, various noted chiefs acting as spokesmen for their respective 
 tribes. On that day the General read for the third time the articles 
 of the proposed new treaty, which were then signed by the ninety 
 chiefs and tribal representatives on the part of the Indians; by Gen' 
 eral Wayne, several officers, his aides, interpreters and scouts on 
 behalf of the United States. A large number of belts and strings of 
 wampum were passed by the various tribes during the deliberations; 
 mention being made of road'belts, mixed belts, blue belt, a belt with 
 nine white squares, a large belt with men and a house designated 
 upon it, a war'belt, numerous white and blue and white belts and 
 strings of wampum. It is probable that some of these individual belts 
 contained more than a thousand beads, and, as each bright, flinty 
 
Smoking The Calumet 105 
 
 bead is said to have represented a day's labor for these primitive 
 people, we readily conclude that they meant more than a great sum 
 of money might mean to the whites, and were, indeed, a striking 
 pledge of good will. The Indians remained a few days after the 
 signing at GreeneVille, speeches were delivered and the calumet of 
 peace was finally passed to those who had not yet smoked it. The 
 document was forwarded to Philadelphia and was finally ratified 
 
 — Reproduced by courtesy of Chicago 8c Northwestern R. R. 
 
 Obverse Reverse 
 
 GreeneVille Treaty Medal 
 Given to Chiefs and Agents signing this historic pact. 
 
 on December 22, 1795. Thus was consummated a treaty of far reach' 
 ing importance, concerning the effectiveness of which Rufus King, 
 the historian, testifies: "Never after that treaty, to their honor be 
 it remembered, did the Indian nations violate the limits which it 
 established. It was a grand tribute to General Wayne that no chief 
 or warrior who gave him the hand at GreeneVille ever after lifted 
 the hatchet against the United States. There were malcontents on 
 the Wabash and Lake Michigan who took sides with Tecumseh and 
 the Prophet in the War of 1812, perhaps for good cause, but the 
 tribes and their chiefs sat still/* 
 
 An examination of the treaty document shows that the tribes 
 
106 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 were represented numerically as follows: Delawares, 381; Pottawat' 
 tomies, 240; Wyandots, 180; Shawanese, 143; Miamis and Eel Rivers, 
 73; Chippewas, 46; Ottawas, 45; Weas and Piankeshaws, 12; Kick' 
 apoos and Kaskaskias, 10; making a grand total of 1130 of the most 
 outstanding warriors selected from some of the best known of the 
 primitive tribes of the country east of the Mississippi and north of 
 the Ohio. It is probable that at no other gathering of Redmen in 
 council with the Americans at any period in pioneer history were 
 so many select and intelligent warriors and tribal representatives 
 present. The names of those who signed the document, the high 
 character of their speeches, and the dignity and composure during 
 the deliberations were a surprise and a revelation to the officers and 
 soldiers who had not witnessed such a gathering before, and convinc 
 ed them that the tribes of the Ohio valley and the Great Lakes region 
 possessed a culture far beyond what was generally credited to them 
 by the general American public and suggests that a better manner 
 of treatment should have been meted out to them, both for their 
 sakes and as a means of conserving the best elements that they might 
 have contributed to our national heritage. 
 
 Some of the chief speakers among the Indians were Little Turtle, 
 the great Chief of the Miami nation; Blue Jacket, who, with Little 
 Turtle led the forces in St. Clair's defeat; Massas, the Chippewa; 
 Tarhe, the Crane, of the Wyandots; and Au'gooslvaway, the 
 Ottawa. 
 
 Like all public documents of this period the treaty was neatly 
 engrossed in the legible penmanship of the day and, in this instance 
 required two pieces of parchment about twentysix inches square, 
 one of which was inscribed on both sides, and the other on one face 
 only. Excellent photographic copies of the treaty are in the possession 
 of the Public Museum at Greenville, Ohio, and in the museum of 
 the Ohio Archaeological and Historical Society, Columbus, Ohio. 
 The first page of the document is devoted largely to the preamble 
 which states the purpose of the treaty to be — "to put an end to a 
 destructive war, to settle all controversies, and to restore harmony 
 and friendly intercourse between the United States and Indian 
 tribes." 
 
 The nine articles provide for the cessation of hostilities, exchange 
 of prisoners, definite description of boundaries, the delivery of 
 
Smoking The Calumet 107 
 
 twenty thousand dollars worth of goods at once to the Indians and 
 the promise of nine thousand dollars worth of similar merchandise 
 yearly forever thereafter. The respective rights and privileges of the 
 Indians and Americans within the lands and reservations ceded and 
 the penalties for violation are also explicitly set forth. 
 
 The Treaty Line 
 
 The boundary line established began at the mouth of the Cuya- 
 hoga river, ran up that stream to the portage to the Tuscarawas 
 (near Akron, Ohio); across this ancient Indian path, which was 
 formerly a part of the boundary between the Six Nations and the 
 Northwestern tribes; down the Tuscarawas to Fort Laurens, (near 
 Bolivar, Ohio) ; thence in a straight line running slightly south of 
 west to Fort Loramie, at the south end of the old portage leading 
 from the upper Great Miami to the headwaters of the St. Mary's; 
 thence northwesterly to Fort Recovery, and thence southwesterly to 
 a point on the bank of the Ohio river, opposite the mouth of the 
 Kentucky river; thus embracing about two'thirds of the territory 
 later incorporated in the state of Ohio, and a triangular piece of 
 southeastern Indian. Besides this large tract of inestimable value, 
 sixteen parcels at strategical locations were ceded, for purposes set 
 out in the agreement: "In consideration of the peace established, the 
 goods delivered and to be delivered, and to indemnify the United 
 States for the injuries and expenses they have sustained during the 
 war, the said Indian tribes do hereby cede and relinquish forever, 
 all their claims to the lands lying eastwardly and southwardly of the 
 general boundary line, now described; and these lands, or any part 
 of them, shall never hereafter be made a cause or pretense, on the 
 part of said Indian tribes, or any of them, of war or injury to the 
 United States, or any of the people thereof." 
 
 Extra Tracts Ceded 
 
 As a further evidence of the confidence and the desire for pro- 
 moting more friendly relations, and convenient intercourse, the fol' 
 lowing invaluable tracts of land lying beyond the general boundary 
 to the north and west were also ceded (1) One piece six miles 
 square, at or near Loramie's Store (Fort Loramie, Ohio); (2) One 
 piece two miles square, at the head of the navigable water, or land' 
 
108 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 ing on the St. Mary's river (St. Mary's, Ohio); (3) One piece six 
 miles square at the head of the navigable water of the Auglaize river 
 (later Fort Amanda, S. W. of Lima, Ohio) ; (4) One piece six miles 
 square, at the confluence of the Auglaize and Maumee (Defiance, 
 Ohio); (5) One piece six miles square at the confluence of the rivers 
 St. Mary's and St. Joseph (Fort Wayne, Ind.); (6) One piece two 
 miles square on the Wabash river, at the end of the portage from 
 the Maumee, and about eight miles westward from Fort Wayne; 
 (7) One piece six miles square at Ouiatenon, or old Wea Towns, 
 on the Wabash; (8) One piece twelve miles square at the British 
 fort on the Maumee, at the foot of the Rapids (Ft. Miami) ; (9) One 
 piece six miles square at the mouth of the Maumee, where it empties 
 into Lake Erie (Toledo, Ohio); (10) One piece six miles square 
 upon Sandusky Lake, where a fort formerly stood, (Sandusky, Ohio) ; 
 (11) One piece two miles square at the lower rapids of the San' 
 dusky river (Fremont, Ohio); (12) An extensive tract including 
 and surrounding the post of Detroit (Detroit, Mich.); (13) The 
 post and Island of Michilimackinac (Mackinac, Mich), and portions 
 of the mainland adjacent thereto; also the Island De Bois Blanc, the 
 latter being an extra and voluntary gift of the Chippewa nation; 
 (14) One piece six miles square, at the mouth of the Chicago river, 
 (Chicago, 111.); (15) One piece twelve miles square, at or near the 
 mouth of the Illinois river; (16) One piece six miles square, at the 
 old Peorias fort and village, near the south end of the Illinois Lake 
 (Lake Michigan) on the Illinois river. "And the said Indian tribes 
 will allow to the people of the United States a free passage by land 
 and by water, as one and the other shall be found convenient, 
 through their country, along the chain of posts hereinbefore men' 
 tioned." It will be readily noticed that the value of these little tracts 
 is beyond computation as they include the cities of Chicago, Detroit, 
 Toledo, Fort Wayne, Lafayette, Ind. (Ouiatenon) and other points 
 of strategic importance. 
 
 On their pan the United States (Article 4, Sec. 1) relinquish 
 their claims to all the Indian lands included between the Lakes, the 
 Ohio and Mississippi rivers, except (1) the tract of one hundred 
 and fifty thousand acres, near the Rapids of the Ohio, which had 
 been assigned to Gen. Geo. Rogers Clark for the use of himself and 
 warriors; (2) The post of Vincennes (Vincennes, Ind.) on the 
 
Smoking The Calumet 109 
 
 Wabash, and the lands adjacent of which the Indian title has been 
 extinguished; (3) The lands at all other places in possession of the 
 French people, and other white settlers among them, of which the 
 Indian title has been extinguished, as mentioned in the 3rd Article; 
 (4) The post of Fort Massae, towards the mouth of the Ohio. 
 
 Article 5 defines "relinquishment of lands, 1 '' referred to in Art. 
 4, as meaning that "the Indian tribes, who have a right to these, are 
 to quietly enjoy them, hunting, planting, and dwelling thereon, so 
 long as they please, without molestation from the United States; 
 but when these tribes, or any of them, shall be disposed to sell their 
 lands, or any part of them, they are to be sold only to the United 
 States; and until such sale, the United States will protect all of the 
 said Indian tribes in the quiet enjoyment of their lands, against all 
 citizens of the United States, and against all other white persons 
 who intrude upon the same. And the said Indian tribes again ack' 
 nowledge themselves to be under the protection of the said United 
 States, and no other power whatever." 
 
 Article 6 provides for the prevention of settlement by the 
 Whites within the lands relinquished by the United States. 
 
 Article 7 grants to the tribes the privilege to hunt within the 
 ceded territory, "without hindrance or molestation, so long as they 
 demean themselves peaceably, and offer no injury to the people of 
 the United States." 
 
 Article 8 provides for the licensing of traders and the regulation 
 of trade with the Indians "to the end that the said Indians may 
 not be imposed on in their trade." 
 
 Article 9 provides for the punishment of individuals on either 
 side, who may conduct themselves improperly, by just and proper 
 means, and pledges notification of any warlike intentions. 
 
 Article 10 nullifies all former treaties. 
 
 Results 0/ Treaty 
 It is now impossible to estimate the value of these apparently 
 small concessions. At the centennial celebration at Greenville, Ohio, 
 August 3rd, 1895, Governor William McKinley said: "The day 
 thrills with historic interest. It is filled with stirring memories and 
 recalls the struggles of the past for peace and the majesty of Con' 
 stitutional government. It is most fitting to celebrate this anniversary. 
 
110 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 It marks an epoch in our civilization. One hundred years ago Indian 
 hostilities were suppressed and the compact of peace concluded be' 
 tween the government and the Indians, which made the Northwest 
 the undisputed territory of the United States, and what was once 
 a dense wilderness inhabited by barbarous tribes is now the home 
 of a happy and progressive people and the center of as high an order 
 of civilization as is to be found anywhere in the world." 
 
 The importance of this treaty is not measured simply by the 
 amount of land ceded but comprehends also the opening up of the 
 Ohio valley for permanent White settlement. In fact, viewed in one 
 light, it should be considered the end of the Revolutionary war. 
 Although this was not the last treaty with the Old Northwestern 
 Indian tribes, it, nevertheless, stands preeminent in its results as 
 it opened up the way for the final transfer of all the other land in 
 the territory. The fact that Ohio was applying for admission in 1802, 
 seven years after the signing of this treaty, is forcible evidence of its 
 importance. 
 
 Signers Of The Pact 
 As the Treaty of Greene Ville reveals the Northwestern tribes 
 at the height of their power as a confederation and marks the pass' 
 ing of the climax of their long and interesting history it seems fitting 
 that the names of the ninety chiefs, warriors and tribal agents 
 who signed this document on behalf of their tribes should be per- 
 manently recorded. With this thought in mind we publish herewith 
 a complete list of their names as enrolled by the Council scribe under 
 tribal headings: Wyandots — Tar'he (or Crane), J. Williams Jun., 
 Teyyagh'taw, Ha-re'en-you (or Half 'King's son), Te'haawtOTens, 
 Awme'yee'ray, Laye-tah, Sha-teyyaTon-yah (Leather Lips), 
 Daugh'shut-tayah, Sha'aw-run-the; Delawares — Moses, Bu'kon'ge' 
 hclas, Pee-ke-lund, Welk'bawkee'lund, Peckee'tele'mund (or 
 Thomas Adams), Kish'ko'pe-kund (or Captain Buffalo), Ame'na'hc 
 han (or Captain Crow), Que-shawk'sey (or George Washington), 
 Weywin'quis (or Billy Siscomb), Teta'boksh'ke (or Grand Glaize 
 King), Lcman'tan'quis (or Black King), Wa'bat-thee, Magh'pi'way 
 (or Red Feather), Kik-tha'we-mund (or Anderson), together with 
 Haw'kin'pum'is'ka and Peya'mawk'sey from Sandusky and Reyn* 
 two-co, from the Six Nations at Sandusky; Shawanese — Mis'qua' 
 
Smoking The Calumet 111 
 
 coo-na-caw (or Red Pole), Cut-the-wcka'saw (or Black Hoof), Key- 
 se-wa-se-kah, Wey-tha-pa-mat-tha, Nia-nym'scka, Waythcah (or 
 Long Shanks), Weya'pier-sen'waw (or Blue Jacket), Ne-quc 
 taugh-aw, Hah-gecsee-kaw (or Captain Reed); Miamis— Na'goh' 
 
 </** 
 
 
 ${' Q^amJdw 
 
 </■ 
 
 
 
 Signatures of some of the scouts and 
 interpreters to the Treaty of GreeneVille 
 
112 
 
 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 
 
 n£ 
 
 Facsimile of signatures of American Officers and 
 Interpreters to the Treaty of Green Ville, 1795. 
 
 quaivgogh (or Le Gris), Me'she'kuivnogh'quoh (or Little Turtle), 
 Pecjee'wa (or Richardville) , Coch'ke'pogh'fogh, Wa'pa'man'gwa 
 (or White Loon), She-me'kun'ne'sa (or Soldier) of the Eel river 
 tribe; Weas (for themselves and the Piankeshaws) — A'ma'cun'sa 
 (or Little Beaver), A'coo-la'tha (or Little Fox), Francis; Kickapoos 
 and Kaskaskias — Kee'awhah, Ne^naugh'ka (or Josey Reynard), Pai' 
 
Smoking The Calumet 
 
 113 
 
 kee'ka'nogh; Pottawatomies — (from the Saint Joseph River) Thu'pe' 
 ncbu, Nawac (for himself and brother Et-si'ine'the) , Ne'nan'scka, 
 Kee'sas (or Sun), Ka^ba^ma'saw (for himself and brother Chi'saii' 
 gau), Sug'ga'nunk, Wap'me'me (or White Pigeon), Wa'chcness 
 (for himself and brother Pe-dar'gO'shak) , Wal'shccawnaw, La 
 
 *&U~?U/- cicK- 
 
 
 lti£,.*ui- 
 
 
 51 Truck- OL*-~tjCtAs 
 
 
 *$?££$£&*$ 3 
 
 Facsimile of some of the Indian Totems, or signa' 
 tures, to the Treaty of Green Ville, August, 1795. 
 
 Chasse, Me'she'ge'the'nogh (for himself and brother Wa'wal'sek), 
 Hin'gcswash, A-ne'wa'saw, Nawbudgh, Mis-se'nO'gO'inaw, Wa' 
 we'eg'she, Ithawme (or Level Plane), Gee-que (for himself and 
 brother She'win'se); Pottamatomies from Huron — Oki'a, Chamung, 
 Scga'ge'wan, Na-nawme (for himself and brother A'gin), Mar' 
 chand, We'na'me'ac; Ottawas — Au'goosh'away, Kee'ne'sha'meek, La 
 Malice, Ma'chi-we'tah, The'wa'na'wa, Se'caw, She'gO'nick'ska (from 
 Sandusky); Chippewas — Mash'i'pi'nash-i'wish (or Red Bird) Nah' 
 sho'ga'she (from Lake Superior), Ka'tha'wa'sung, Ma'sass, Ne-mc 
 kass (or Little Thunder), Pe'shawkay (or Young Ox), Nan'guey, 
 Mee'ncdoh'gee'sogh, Pee'wan-she'ine'nogh, Weyme'gwas, Gol'ma' 
 a-tick. 
 
 Rufus C. Dawes also appropriately remarks: "George Rogers 
 Clark won the Northwest for the United States and Anthony Wayne 
 
114 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 established the government of the United States within its borders. 
 The Ordinance of 1787 had been passed; the government was es' 
 tablished. It was effective at Marietta and at Cincinnati but the 
 vast area was governed by the English from Detroit until after the 
 battle of Fallen Timbers. Perhaps this battle ought to be called The 
 Capture of Detroit' !** 
 
 Following the signatures of Anthony Wayne we see the names 
 of the following White witnesses and interpreters, of whom twelve 
 are, evidently, Frenchmen who had associated with the Indians and 
 knew their dialects and peculiar traits: H. DeButts, first A. D. C. 
 and SecV to M. G. (Maj. Gen.) Wayne; Wm. Henry Harrison, 
 Aide de Camp to M. G. Wayne; T. Lewis, Aide de Camp to M. 
 G. Wayne; James O'Hara, Quarter Master General; John Mills, 
 Major of Infantry and Adj. Gen'l; Caleb Swan, P. M. (Postmaster) 
 to U. S.; Geo. Cemter, Lieutenant, Artillery, U. S. A.; P. Frs. La- 
 fontaine, Grant Lasselle, H. Lasselle, Jn. Beau Bien, David Jones, 
 Chaplain, U. S. L. (Legion), Louis Beufait, R. E. Chambre, L. Cop' 
 en, Raties Coutiers, P. Navarre. 
 
 In one bracketed group at the bottom appear eight names, referred 
 to by one authority as sworn interpreters, as follows: Wm. Wells, 
 Jacques Lasselle, M. Morans, Bt. Sans Crainte, Christopher 
 Miller, Robert Willson, Abraham Williams, Isaac Zane, the last 
 two of whom made their cross mark, thereby acknowledging that 
 they could not write their own names. In this group we recognize the 
 name of Wm. Wells, who, as a small boy in Kentucky had been 
 captured in an Indian raid and taken to the Maumee country, where 
 he was adopted into the family of the great chief, Little Turtle, and 
 later married his daughter. Here he remained until after the defeat 
 of St. Clair, in which he took part with the Indians. The horrible 
 slaughter of so many white men, possibly including some of his own 
 Kentucky relatives, bore on his conscience and led him to separate 
 from the Indians and come to GreeneVille to offer his services to 
 Wayne, who soon recognized his ability and made him a Chief scout. 
 His services to the Americans proved to be outstanding and we find 
 him, during the War of 1812 in command of Fort Wayne. We also 
 see the name of Christopher Miller, who, with his brother Henry, 
 had been captured by the Indians in their boyhood and adopted into 
 their tribe. Henry later escaped and served with Wayne but Chris* 
 
Smoking The Calumet 115 
 
 topher preferred to remain with the Indians. However, by what 
 seemed a providential occurrence, he was captured at a camp on the 
 Auglaize by Wells and his brother, Henry, who had been sent out 
 by Wayne to capture an Indian in order to get information. His two 
 companions were shot but his life was spared and he was seized by 
 Wells, who took him for an Indian, and brought to headquarters at 
 Greene Ville, where he was imprisoned, questioned and finally per* 
 suaded to give his invaluable service to the Americans during the 
 coming advance to the Maumee. In Isaac Zane we recognize one of 
 the brothers who was captured when nine years of age from his 
 home on the Virginia frontier, carried to Detroit, thence to San- 
 dusky and finally settling with the Wyandot tribe in the upper Mad 
 river valley. Zane married the daughter of Tarhe, the great Chief of 
 the tribe, whose wife was a white woman, who had been taken in 
 captivity. His knowledge of the Wyandot tongue, no doubt, rendered 
 his services invaluable, while Tarhe used his oratorical powers freely 
 during the course of the deliberations leading up to the treaty. The 
 French interpreters, no doubt were well acquainted with the dialects 
 of all of the tribes present and knew every nook and corner of the 
 vast territory from which they came, together with the paths and 
 portages connecting the camping sites and villages and winding 
 through the frowning wilderness. The titles of the other American 
 officers are self explanatory and clearly indicate the cosmopolitan 
 and representative character of the signers of this famous pact con- 
 summated within the precincts of the historic log citadel at Green 
 Ville. 
 
 While the Treaty of GreeneVille, following Wayne's over' 
 whelming victory on the Maumee, was the first, the most prolonged 
 and impressive and, probably the most important and far reaching 
 on account of amount and value of lands ceded and the precedents 
 established, it took a long series of treaties and agreements to ex* 
 tinguish the Indian titles to the lands of the Old Northwest. It was 
 appropriate and logical that William Henry Harrison, who, as an 
 Ensign and Aide de Camp had served under Wilkinson and Wayne, 
 should become Governor of Indiana Territory in 1800 with power 
 to conclude treaties with the Indians and acquire title to their lands. 
 He was active, aggressive, diplomatic and very successful in this 
 work and by 1805 had secured title to all of the lands along the 
 
116 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 Ohio river from the Wabash to the Ohio line. In 1809, by the noted 
 Treaty of Fort Wayne he secured some three million acres in the 
 rich Wabash valley. From time to time he conducted treaties and 
 conferences and many odd sized and curiously shaped tracts were 
 transferred to the Americans but it was not until 1840 that the last 
 Indian title to extensive tracts in Indiana was extinguished and 
 probably well beyond the half century mark before most of the lands 
 between the Mississippi and the Ohio were secured and opened for 
 settlement. 
 
 The humane spirit of Gen. Wayne as well as the liberal attitude 
 adopted by the new Government are revealed in an official communi' 
 cation from the Commander of the Legion directed to James Mc 
 Henry, the Secretary of War, at Philadelphia, under date of Octc 
 ber 3rd, 1796, in reference to the fulfilment of a promise made to 
 the friendly and influential Chiefs whose sane and wise counsel had 
 made the late treaty of Greene Ville possible. It should be interesting 
 to note that Wayne had retraced his journey by way of Fort Wash' 
 ington and Pittsburgh to Philadelphia after the arduous proceedings 
 incident to the consummation of this successful pact. He arrived in 
 the capital city February 6th, 1796, and was enthusiastically received 
 both by the appreciative populace and the American troops stationed 
 there. During his absence of three and a half years in the Western 
 wilderness his faithful and affectionate wife had died and his health 
 had been shattered by the exposure and hardships incident to the 
 rude army life on the frontier. It was hoped that he might now take 
 a long rest and try to recuperate with the view of retiring to private 
 life. However, this privilege was not to be enjoyed by him very long 
 as he responded to the urgent call of his Government to return again 
 to the west in order to act as the official representative of the new 
 nation in receiving the final surrender of Detroit and the other lake 
 posts still held by the British, contrary to the Treaty of 1783. Retrac 
 ing his steps by way of Fort Washington, Wayne arrived at Greene 
 Ville on July 16th, 1796, where he remained two weeks, sending out 
 orders and enjoying the hospitality afforded by his officers and the 
 encampment. On July 31st we find him at Fort Loramie; on August 
 1st, at Girty's Town (St. Mary's) ; on August 4th, at Fort Defiance; 
 and on August 8th, at Fort Miami. Evidently he was proceeding by 
 stages on horseback to the great citadel of Detroit where the enemy 
 
Smoking The Calumet 117 
 
 had been entrenched nearly a century, influencing the powerful 
 neighboring tribes and aiding them in their too numerous forays 
 against the pioneer settlements. Arriving at Detroit he proceeded to 
 attend to the complicated business incident to the transfer of that 
 post and other matters in reference to disputed Indian and British 
 land titles as he was acting with the full delegated powers as civil 
 commissioner as well as those of a military commander. 
 
 Here, he probably contacted the big chiefs who had signed 
 the Treaty of Greenville and was reminded of his promise to furnish 
 a military escort to conduct some of these influential leaders to Phil' 
 adelphia, to see and become acquainted with the Great White Father, 
 General Washington, the President of the new Republic and Great 
 Chief of the Fifteen Fires. Such chiefs as Little Turtle, representing 
 the Miamis and subsidiary clans; Blue Jacket, the prominent head of 
 the Shawanese, and the clever Bad Bird of the Chippewas, were 
 among those chosen for their outstanding services in bringing the 
 treaty to a successful issue. The chiefs were to be accompanied by 
 three well qualified and experienced interpreters, viz., Captain Wil' 
 liam Wells for the Miamis; Christian Miller for the Shawanese, and 
 P. Whitmore Knaggs, for the Chippewas, Ottawas and Pottawat' 
 tomies. The Wyandots were to be separately conducted, it seems, by 
 Isaac Williams, from their reservation near Sandusky to Pittsburgh. 
 Captain John Heath of the Third Sub'Legion, was put in charge of 
 the delegation and given instructions to select either of two designat' 
 ed routes. One of these was to be from Detroit to Presque Isle (Erie, 
 Pa.) by the Boat "Swan"; thence overland to Niagara, thence by 
 transport down Lake Ontario to Fort Oswego; thence through Lake 
 Oneida to Fort Schuyler; thence down the Mohawk river to Albany; 
 thence down the Hudson by boat to New York City; and thence on 
 the final lap to Philadelphia by State Roadwagons. In case the Indians 
 became tired of water travel when they had crossed Lake Erie they 
 were to be conducted by the overland route to Pittsburgh and thence 
 over the rough road to Philadelphia. It seems uncertain which route 
 they followed, however, the Chiefs seem to have enjoyed this trip 
 greatly and many interesting anecdotes concerning their experiences 
 in the Capital City have been handed down. Little Turtle, who is 
 reputed to have been exceptionally sociable, humorous and witty, 
 enjoyed good living and suffered from rheumatism and the gout 
 
118 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 while in the city. C. F. Volney, the notorious French traveler and 
 philosopher, cultivated his freindship and made a partial vocabulary 
 of his dialect which he later printed in his popular Journal. Mr. 
 Volney reminded Little Turtle of a popular opinion that the Indians 
 were reputed to be descended from some Mongolian people from 
 whom they had separated in the dim past and emigrated to America 
 by way of the Alaskan peninsula — which might have been connected 
 with Asia at that remote date. After some reflection the great Chief 
 remarked that it would be just as reasonable that these Tartars 
 might be descended from the Indians. Mr. Volney also asked him 
 why he could not enjoy living in Philadelphia better than in his 
 village on the Maumee. To this the great Chief replied, in part: 
 "When I walk through the streets I see every person in his shop 
 employed about something; one makes shoes; another hats, a third 
 sells cloth, and everyone lives by his labor. I say to myself^ which of 
 all these things can you do? Not one. I can make a bow and arrow, 
 catch fish, kill game and go to war, but none of these are of any use 
 here. To learn what is done here would require a long time. Old age 
 comes on. I should be a piece of furniture, useless to my nation, 
 useless to the whites and useless to myself. I must return to my own 
 country." Kosciusco, the celebrated Polish officer, also admired the 
 great Chief and presented him with a fine brace of pistols, a beauti' 
 ful sword and an expensive Otter skin coat with which the Chief 
 was greatly pleased. Little Turtle desired to introduce the benefits 
 of agriculture and to curb the growing curse of alcoholic liquors which 
 had become a terrible scourge among his people and petitioned both 
 Presidents Adams and Jefferson to help him accomplish his laudable 
 desires. He was of light complexion and refined features, suggesting 
 that he had in his veins the blood of some French explorers who had 
 traded with his people for several generations. The English leaders 
 of Canada tried hard to retain his farTeaching influence among the 
 northern tribes but plead in vain after the Great Chief had finally 
 cast his lot with General Wayne and the frank and hardy Americans 
 with whom he had associated at Greene Ville and in the East. 
 
 Death Of Wayne 
 
 As minister plenipotentiary Wayne made his headquarters at 
 Detroit during the latter part of the summer and early fall of 1796 
 
Smoking The Calumet 
 
 119 
 
 working assiduously to complete the details connected with the sur* 
 render of the frontier posts, forts Miami, Mackinac and Detroit. 
 On November 17 he took final leave of Detroit by boat for Fort Erie. 
 The lake became very rough and Wayne was seized with a severe 
 attack of the gout similar to that experienced on the battlefield of 
 
 St. David's Church Yard near Radnor, Pa. 
 Burial ground of Wayne's remains. 
 
 Fallen Timbers, over a year previous when he had to be lifted on 
 his horse. He was hastened ashore at the blockhouse on the present 
 site of the Soldiers and Sailors Home, Erie, Pa., where he suffered 
 and lingered in agony under the kindly care of Captain Russell Bis* 
 sell and family and the surgeon of the post. At first he seemed to 
 rally but, on account of the acute nature of the disease, exposure and 
 inefficient medical treatment he finally succumbed and died on Dc 
 cember 15 in the fifty 'second year of his intensely active and influ' 
 ential life. According to his request his remains were interred at the 
 foot of the flagstaff at the blockhouse, where they remained until 
 1809, when his son, Isaac, drove through the wilderness of Pennsyl' 
 vania with a buckboard, removed the skeleton and returned it to the 
 old family burying ground of St. David's Episcopal Church, near 
 Radmor, Pa., some 30 miles west of Philadelphia. Over this grave 
 the Pennsylvania Society of the Cincinnati erected a modest but 
 appropriate marble shaft with fitting inscription and dedicated it 
 with proper ceremonies on July 4th, 1809. Ranking close to Gen. 
 
120 
 
 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 Small marble shaft in St. David's Church Yard, Radnor, Pa., erected by the 
 Pennsylvania Society of the Cincinnati and dedicated July 4th, 1809. 
 Inscription on north side as shown in cut: 
 
 MAJOR GENERAL 
 
 ANTHONY WAYNE 
 
 Was born in Waynesborough 
 
 In Chester County 
 
 State of Pennsylvania 
 
 A. D. 1745 
 
 After a life of 
 
 Honor and usefulness 
 
 He Died 
 
 In December 1796 
 
 At a Military Post 
 
 On the Shore of Lake Erie 
 
 Commander In Chief 
 
 Of the Army of 
 
 THE UNITED STATES 
 
 His Military Achievements 
 
 Are Commemorated 
 
 In The History of His Country 
 
 And In 
 
 The Hearts of His Countrymen 
 
 His Remains 
 
 Are Here Deposited 
 
Smoking The Calumet 121 
 
 Washington as an officer of the Revolution Wayne should have a 
 fitting memorial erected by the Federal Government on the spot 
 where he won the greatest diplomatic triumph of his outstanding 
 career following his decisive victory over the determined foe who 
 had formerly proved invincible. Thus ended, apparently premature 
 ly, the life of one who had devoted himself with great intensity, 
 industry and patriotic perseverence to the service of his country. 
 Regardless of human frailties he had sacrificed much of human ease 
 and comfort, which he might have enjoyed in the seclusion of his 
 rural estate, and threw himself into one of the most critical struggles 
 in the formative days of the new Republic. For these remarkable 
 services he shall always be classed with the military heroes of an 
 appreciative country and is already enshrined in the hearts of the 
 rapidly expanding populace of the Old Northwest. 
 
 The death of Wayne might well be considered as the last scene 
 in the closing act of the forty years of warfare which had been waged 
 between the brave and warlike tribes of the Ohio country fighting 
 to retain and protect their ancient homes and hunting grounds against 
 the ruthless and determined Angfo'Saxon invaders seeking new homes 
 in the fertile valleys beyond the Alleghenies. The spirit of these proud 
 and powerful tribes had been broken under the iron heel of the 
 "Chief who never sleeps" and they were forced to seek shelter in 
 the remoter west, retreating before the invading hordes of the greedy 
 and aggressive white frontiersmen. As descendants of these hardy and 
 persistent backwoodsmen who occupied and cleared their lands, we 
 ought not to lightly forget their many heroic traits and the bitter 
 regret with which the Indian tribes left one of the most beautiful 
 and desirable virgin tracts of land that the sun ever shone upon 
 Neither should we underestimate the heroic services of Clark, Har' 
 mar, the Butlers, St. Clair, Wayne, Harrison and a host of other 
 less prominent officers and soldiers who blazed the way for the 
 pioneers who followed and made final civilized settlement. 
 
122 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 We have noted in detail the steps taken toward the firm estab- 
 lishment of American authority in the Old Northwest under the 
 leadership of men trained in the Revolution, who had led three 
 hazardous campaigns against the powerful native tribes entrenched 
 on the Maumee and had finally achieved a lasting peace around the 
 council fires at GreeneVille. It now became incumbent upon the new 
 citizens to develop and apply the principles stated in the Ordinance 
 of 1787. It is now very appropriate to reflect on the meaning and 
 purpose of this ordinance and on the extent and manner in which 
 it has proved the soundness of its proclamations. The Articles of 
 Confederation provided a weak and inefficient form of government 
 for this remote territory and something better had to be devised in 
 order to subdue the native hostile tribes and provide a stronger re 
 straining power capable of holding together and developing the rapidly 
 expanding country. Long and deliberate discussion by delegates 
 from the original states resulted in framing of a document embody- 
 ing new and drastic provisions for strengthening the centralizing 
 powers of the united colonies. This document really foreshadowed 
 the new Constitution and went beyond it in some respects as it not 
 only embodied a new conception of popular government but laid 
 down certain fundamental principles defining the freedom and rights 
 of even the humblest citizen, the guaranty of civil and religious 
 liberty, the fostering of education among all classes, and the prohibi- 
 tion of slavery. These ideas of social justice had not been formally 
 stated in any previous national document, but, nevertheless, soon 
 became an integral part of the new Constitution. The new Territory 
 was rapidly filled with the energetic elements of the old American 
 race stocks on which were engrafted the millions of European im- 
 migrants pouring into this Eldorado of the Ohio valley and establish- 
 ing the first distinctively American culture from these diversified but 
 virile, elements. The ox-drawn wagons which set out from Ipswich, 
 Massachusetts in the fall of 17g7 and followed the crude trail through 
 the almost unbroken forests and rough mountain backcountry to the 
 Youghiogheny, and then floated down the Ohio to Marietta, on 
 sturdy hand-built rafts and boats, were the forerunners of a tidal 
 wave of migration which rushed in and spread over the Ohio valley 
 in a manner scarcely equalled in the history of the world. 
 
Smoking The Calumet 123 
 
 EPILOG 
 In the light of all that has been said in reference to the attitude 
 and policy of the Americans in their ruthless conquest of the native 
 tribes and their determined penetration of their lands it is now 
 obvious that we owe to the scattered and distracted remnants of these 
 people the obligation to do all that we can to rehabilitate them by 
 giving them sufficient desirable lands, instructing them in the most 
 efficient use of these lands, impressing them with the necessity of 
 health conservation and thereby educating and preparing them to 
 meet the exacting requirements of modern life. The Indian has prov 
 ed himself a successful out-of-door worker, a superior worker in 
 handicraft and woodcraft, a splendid ranger and guide in the vast 
 open spaces of the western wilderness. His rich folklore and most 
 desirable tribal customs are being studied with the view of develop' 
 ing these distinctive traits as well as his pronounced talent for panto- 
 mime and pageantry. The early French Canadians and Spanish 
 Mexicans intermarried with the natives, or adapted their modes of 
 life to the ancient tribal customs prevailing among them, and, as a 
 result have incorporated their outstanding traits and characteristics in 
 their national life. It is said that about half of the Mexican nation is 
 pure Indian and a large per cent of the remainder of mixed lineage, 
 thereby fostering their distinctive traits to a remarkable degree, in* 
 eluding a deeply religious disposition and remarkable talent for handi- 
 craft. Canada, with its vast undeveloped ranges and rough unbroken 
 country provides an ideal background for the hardy remnants of 
 tribes which have retreated to these now remote regions and taken 
 advantage of this vigorous northern country. These facts and condi- 
 tions suggest that, in spite of their great losses and former failure 
 to assimilate, the Indians are destined to contribute the best elements 
 of their blood by slow infiltration with the restless and determined 
 Anglo-Saxons who conquered to uplift. An observing Chief recently 
 remarked, "Civilization always was against the Indian/' when his 
 voice was drowned out at the opening of a public adress by the rumbl- 
 ing and whistling of an approaching train. This seemed a very ap' 
 propriate remark on this occasion but further thought suggests that 
 the Indian has been slower than the Negro to accommodate himself 
 to the customs of his aggressive conqueror in the past. Like his 
 other Mongoloid relatives he has stood aloof and looked upon Ameri* 
 
124 
 
 Advancing The Ohio Frontier 
 
 can customs and manners with suspicion and disgust, but it is be- 
 lieved, will finally be convinced that the Anglo-Saxon will give him 
 the benefit of the fair deal, for which he is noted the world over, 
 and will cooperate to the fullest extent to build a bigger and better 
 America. It has recently been estimated by a noted Chief of the 
 Osage tribe that there are only about sixty thousand pure blood In' 
 dians in the United States and between three and four hundred 
 thousand of mixed blood. Naturally, the pure bloods carry on most 
 perfectly the traditions and best traits of their forefathers, but, must 
 continue to conform themselves to the changing and progressive meth- 
 ods of the white Americans who have proved themselves one of the 
 most efficient and adaptable peoples of the modern world. 
 
 Memorial to Soldiers and Officers Killed 
 
 and Wounded at the Battle of the Maumee 
 
 Rapids, August 20, 1794. 
 
 Erected by Ohio Archaeological and 
 Historical Association. 
 
Memorial 
 BATTLE GROUND of FALLEN TIMBERS. 
 
"Head Quarters 
 "Greenville, 23 July, Y13b 
 "Dear Sir: f ^<f s 
 
 "I have the honor to acknowl- 
 edge the receipt of your letter of 
 the 10 ultimo with the enclosures 
 relative to the complaint exhibited 
 by Don Juan Baro y Ferrusolo 
 against Captain Pike, the com- 
 mandant of Fort Massac for a sup- 
 posed insult offered by that officer, 
 to the Spanish f^ag on the 4th of 
 April last, and agreeably to your 
 direction have requested a par- 
 ticular statement of facts relative 
 to that transaction, to be trans- 
 mitted to you the soonest pos- 
 sible, which you will observe by 
 the enclosed copy of a letter to, 
 Captain Pike of the sixth instant." 
 
 "Permit me now Sir to announce 1 
 to you that the troops of the 
 United States to^Jt possession of' 
 and hoisted the ,pnerican fi ag \ n 
 Fort Miamis and 'Detroit, on the 
 11th instant, which must afford 
 pleasure to all good men and 
 friends to their country. 
 
 "I know not whether I have 
 hazarded too much, but from the 
 requisition of the president of the 
 United States to congress at the 
 close of the last session to make 
 an appropriation for the purpose 
 of extending the civil authority 
 and jurisdiction to Detroit and its 
 dependencies, as well from a con- 
 viction in my own mind of the 
 policy and expediency of that 
 measure at this crisis, I have pre- 
 sumed to advise and invite the 
 secretary of the Territory North- 
 west of the Ohio (in the absence 
 of the Governor) to accompany 
 me to Detroit with an offer of ac- 
 commodation for himself and my 
 family and the necessary means 
 of transfer for the Public Records 
 and which by the enclosed copy of 
 a letter received from him this 
 day he has determined to ac- 
 cept. 
 
 "I shall advance for the head 
 of the line the day after tomor- 
 row and fondly hope that the 
 measures I have taken will meet 
 the approbation of the Executive." 
 
 Letter from Wayne at 
 Greenville , dated July £3 
 1796, while on return 
 trip to receive the- com- 
 mand of Detroit, which had 
 been surrendered by the 
 British. Evidently he 
 had returned by way of 
 Pittsburgh, down the Ohio 
 river, and up the road he 
 had cut from Fort Wash- 
 ington to Green6 Ville , 
 in 1793. 
 
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-URBANA 
 
 977W69A1953 C001 
 
 ADVANCING THE OHIO FRONTIER NEW ED. COLU 
 
 0112 025376630