Skip to main content

Full text of "Ohio archæological and historical publications"

See other formats


^ 
:::^^ 


UNIVERSITY    OF    PITTSBURGH 


LIBRARY 


Oh'\o     sT-ate    -a-rclnaec^lo^v  „\^ 


7 


OHIO 


Archceological  and  Historical 


PUBLICATIONS. 


Volume  IIL 


COLTJVIBUS: 

Pdblishbd  for  the  Society 


Fred.  J.  Heer. 


V.  3 

C_Op,  \ 


V 


INDBX. 

PAGE 

Annual  Meeting,  Fifth,  Proceedings  of 236 

Annual  Meeting,  Sixth,  Proceedings  of 261 

Bradbury  Horace  R.  Address  of 26 

Brush  Dr.  E.  C,  Address  of 241 

Burnham  Major  John  and  His  Company 40 

Campbell  Governor  James  E.,   Address  of 161 

Centennial  Anniversary,  Proceedings  of 1 

Century  and  its  Lessons,  The 27 

Davis  Rev.  J.  M.,  Address  of 164 

Dawes  E.  C. ,  Address  of 40 

Divine  Workmanship,  Rejoicing  in.  Sermon 227 

Educational  Lessons  of  the  Hour 168 

Farrar  \Vm.  M. ,  Address  of 276 

Fort  Ancient,  Description  of 313 

French  Settlement  and  Settlers  of  Gallipolis 45 

Gladden  Rev.  Washington,  Sermon  of 178 

Graham  A.  A. ,  Paper  by 300 

Jones  J.  v.,  Address  of 175 

Judiciary,  Laws  and  Bar  of  Ohio 141 

Lasher  Rev.  George  W.,  Sermon  of 227 

Marshall  R.  D. ,  Address  of 172 

Methodist  Success,  Philosophy  of,  Sermon 196 

Methodism  in  Gallipolis,  History  of 206 

Migrations  and  their  Lessons,  Sermon 178 

Military  Posts,  Forts  and  Battlefields  in  Ohio 300 

Moncure  Rev.  John,  Sermon  of 221 

Moore  Rev.  David  H.,  Sermon  of 196 

Moorehead  Warren  K.,  Paper  by 313 

Moravian   Ma.ssacre,  The 276 

Morrison  Prof.  N.  J.,  Address  of 27 

Muskingum  Valley,  Pioneer  Physicians  of 241 

Ohio  Arch,  and  Hist   Society  Act  of  Incorporation.  . .  319 

Synopsis  of  By-Laws 320 

Board  of  Trustees 320 

Officers  of 321 

Honorary  Members •  322 

Corresponding  Members 322 

Life  Members 322 

Active  Members 323 

Annual  Meetings 241-276 


iv  Index. 

PAGE 

Ohio,  Description  of,  in  1788 82 

Pioneer  Physicians,  Muskingum  Valley 241 

Presbyterians  of  Ohio,  Sermon 211 

Remember  the  Days  of  Old ,  Sermon 221 

Relic  Room,  Gallipolis,  Articles  in 19 

Reports  Secretary 266 

Treasurer 270 

Trustees  269 

Rio  Grande  College,  History  of 164 

Ryan  Daniel  J.,  Address  of 109 

Secretary,  Report  of 266 

Scioto  Company  and  its  Purchase 109 

Scovil  Rev.  S.  F.,  vSermon  of 211 

Thompson,  Rev.  H.  A.,  Address  of 168 

Treasurer,  Report  of 270 

Trustees,  Report  of 269 

Trustees,  Meeting  of 236-269 

Vance  John  L. ,  Address  of 45 

Watson  David  K. ,  Address  of 141 

ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Barlow  Joel  Portrait Facing  page  115 

Cabins  built  1791  by  Maj.  John  Burnham page     42 

Gallipolis,  View  of,  1890 Frontispiece 

Gallipolis,  Public  Square,  Centennial  Day Facing  page     17 

Gallipolis,  Public  Square,  1790 Facing  page     40 

Gallipolis,  Public  Square,  1846 Facing  page     40 

Gallipolis,  Plat  of,  1791 page     61 

Monument,  Gnadenhutten Facing  page  279 

Portrait,  Joel  Barlow • Facing  page  115 

Portrait,  Samuel  F.  Vinton Facing  page  141 

Rio  Grande  College Facing  page  164 

Vinton,  Samuel  F.,  Portrait Facing  page  141 


MAPS. 

Fort  Ancient page  312 

Gallipolis,  Map  of,  1791 page     61 

Military  Posts,  Forts  and  Battlefields  in  Ohio.  -Facing  page  306 

Ohio  Company's  Proposed  Purchase page  117 

Ohio  and  Scioto  Companies  Purchases page  121 

Scioto  Company,  (French  map) • page  124 


PREFACE. 


THE  present  volume  is  the  third  issued  by  this  Society.  The 
first  and  second  were  issued  in  pamphlet  form,  quarterly, 
but  many  members  expressing  a  preference  for  the  publication 
in  bound  (annual)  form,  this  volume  is  so  issued.  Should  this 
form  seem  best,  it  will  be  continued. 

Some  delay  has  been  experienced  owing  to  serious  illness 
on  the  part  of  three  of  those  whose  papers  are  among  the  best 
in  the  volume.  This  has  necessarily  delayed  the  publication 
several  months  beyond  the  regular  time  of  issue,  a  delay  which 
could  not  be  avoided. 

In  addition  to  the  anniversary  exercises  in  connection  with 
the  Centennial  of  the  settlement  of  Gallipolis,  the  volume  con- 
tains the  proceedings  of  the  Society  for  two  years,  and  several 
papers  prepared  for  the  annual  meetings  of  these  years,  as  well 
as  the  Act  of  Incorporation,  a  synopsis  of  the  By-Laws,  and  a 
complete  list  of  the  members  from  the  organization  of  the 
Society  until  the  present  time.  The  Society  has  been  in  exist- 
ence five  years,  and  few  societies  can  show  so  good  a  growth 
and  better  results.  The  volumes  now  i.ssued  are  sufficient  evi- 
dence of  the  work  already  done,  and  of  that  before  us.  The 
next  volume  will  contain  a  full  history  of  the  boundary  ques- 
tions between  \'irginia  and  Ohio,  together  with  a  full  discussion 
of  the  claims  of  Virginia  to  the  territory  north  of  the  Ohio 
River.  It  is  also  intended  to  include  in  this  volume  a  discus- 
sion of  the  boundaries  between  Ohio  and  Indiana  ind  between 


vi  Preface. 

Ohio  and  Michigan.  This  volume  has  been  in  contemplation 
for  some  time,  and  it  may  be  expected  next. 

The  publications  of  this  Society  now  consist  of  volumes 
one,  two  and  three,  issued  during  the  years  1886-1887,  1888- 
1889  and  1890-1891.  These  volumes  are  not  for  sale,  but  are 
sent  free  to  members.  Each  volume  may  be  obtained  by  the 
payment  of  the  annual  membership  fee  —  $5.00.  Life  member- 
ship is  $50.00,  entitling  to  all  publications,  and  such  member- 
ship are  exempt  from  all  dues. 

The  State  is  now  indebted  to  the  Ohio  Archaeological  and 

Historical  Society,  for  three  valuable  historical  volumes,  and  if 

the  Society  had  done  nothing  else  its  existence  is  more  than 

justified. 

A.  A.  Graham,  Secretary, 

Columbus,  Ohio. 


PREFATORY  NOTE. 

The  first  edition  of  this  volume,  published  in  1891,  having 
been  exhausted,  in  response  to  continued  demands  for  copies  of 
the  same,  the  Legislature  of  Ohio  of  '93-94  appropriated  the 
sum  of  five  hundred  dollars  to  be  used  by  the  Society  in  defray- 
ing the  expense  of  republication.  The  original  edition  was  pub- 
lished under  the  direction  of  Mr.  A.  A.  Graham,  at  that  time 
Secretary  of  the  Society,  and  is  now  reprinted  as  it  first  ap- 
peared, without  alteration. 

Mr.  Graham  tendered  his  resignation  as  Secretary,  to  the 
Trustees  of  the  Society,  in  the  fall  of  1894,  which  was  accepted 
and  the  subscriber  hereto  was  then  elected  to  fill  the  vacancy. 

It  should  be  stated,  also,  that  at  the  annual  meeting  of  the 
Socie  ■■  held  February,  1895,  a  new  constitution  was  adopted  by 
which  the  annual  membership  fee  was  reduced  from  five  to 
three  dollars,  and  the  life  membership  fee  from  fifty  to  twenty- 
five  dollars. 

The  new  constitution  will  appear  in  full  in  volume  IV, 
which  will  be  published  during  the  present  year  (1895). 

E.  O.  Randall, 

Secretary. 
Columbus,  Ohio,  April,  iSg^. 


PROCKBDINQS 


OK     THE 


CENTENNIAL  ANNIVERSARY 


OK     THK     CITV     OF 


OALLIPOLIS,     OHIO. 


October    t6,    17,    t8    and     10.    1890. 


PRELIMINARY    ARRANGEMENTS. 

As  early  as  April,  1890,  the  citizens  of  Gallipolis,  through 
their  Board  of  Trade,  took  action  to  secure  a  proper  celebration 
of  the  approaching  centennial  of  the  city's  settlement.  On  April 
22,  1890,  at  a  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Trade,  the  following 
named  gentlemen  were  elected  an  Executive  Committee  of 
arrangements  : 

John  L.  Vance,  Chairman  ;  C.  Fred  Henking,  W.  B.  Shober, 
H.  R.  Bradbury,  Joseph  MuUineux,  J.  A.  McClurg,  Geo.  House, 
J.  C.  Hutsinpiller,  C.  W.  Henking,  Dr.  J.  Eakins,  B.  F.  Bar- 
low, P.  A.  Sanns,  J.  C.  Priestley,  B.  T.  Enos,  E.  L.  Menager, 
C.  D.  Kerr,  J.  M.  Kerr,  S.  A.  Dunbar,  A.  W.  Kerns,  W.  Kling, 
A.  Ufermann,  Charles  Regnier. 

The  organization  of  the  Committee  was  completed  by  the 
selection  of  the  following  named  gentlemen  to  the  positions 
stated : 

Vice-Chairman  —  B.  F.  Barlow. 

Secretary  —  H.  R.  Bradbury. 

Treasurer  —  C.  W.  Henking. 
Vol.  Ill— 1 


2  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.       [Vol.  3 

The  meetings  of  the  Committee  were  held  at  the  Audi- 
tor's office,  the  use  of  which  was  tendered  by  A.  W.  Kerns. 

The  Committee  at  its  first  meeting,  tendered  an  invitation  to 
the  General  Assembly  of  Ohio  to  be  present  at  the  Centennial, 
which  invitation  was  presented  to  the  House  of  Representatives 
by  Hon.  J.  Eakins,  a  member  of  the  House  from  Gallia  County. 
The  invitation  was  accepted  by  the  General  Assembly,  and 
arrangements  made  by  the  members  of  that  body  to  attend. 

On  the  evening  of  April  28th  the  Executive  Committee  met 
and  appointed  a  Sub-Committee  to  confer  with  the  Ohio  Archaeo- 
logical and  Historical  Society  in  regard  to  the  Centennial  celebra- 
tion :  Hon.  J.  Eakins,  Wm.  B.  Sliober,  C.  F.  Henking,  J.  A. 
McClurg,  H.  R.  Bradbury,  Jos.  Mullineux,  and  John  ly.  Vance. 

Messrs.  B.  F.  Barlow,  William  Kling,  A.  W.  Kerns,  J.  M. 
Kerr  and  B.  T.  Enos  were  also  appointed  a  committee  to  suggest 
names  and  duties  of  sub-committees. 

The  first  named  committee  went  to  Columbus,  May  12th, 
and  the  next  day  met  the  Executive  Committee  of  the  Archaeo- 
logical and  Historical  Society,  and  after  a  conference,  a  com- 
mittee consisting  of  H.  R.  Bradbury,  Jon.  L.  Vance,  C.  F.  Hen- 
king,  F.  C.  Sessions,  and  A.  A.  Graham  was  appointed  to  pre- 
pare a  programme  for  the  Centennial.  This  committee  met  in 
Gallipolis,  Saturday,  June  7th,  and  arranged  a  provisional  pro- 
gramme, and  assigned  to  John  L.  Vance  and  A.  A.  Graham  the 
duty  to  arrange  the  details  necessary  to  its  completion,  and 
authorized  them  to  make  such  alterations  and  additions  as  might 
be  necessary  for  the  final  programme. 

Steps  were  now  taken  by  the  Society  and  the  Gallipolis 
committee  to  secure  in  permanent  form  the  papers,  addresses  and 
proceedings  of  the  Centennial  in  volume  third  of  the  Historical 
Society's  publications.  The  Secretary  of  the  Society  was  au- 
thorized to  prepare  a  circular  setting  forth  the  proposed  contents 
of  the  volume,  and  to  secure  a  subscription  thereto  from  the  peo- 
ple of  Gallipolis.  In  pursuance  of  this  action,  the  following 
circular  was  prepared  and  submitted  to  a  meeting  of  the  Board 
of  Trade  of  Gallipolis  the  evening  of  Friday,  June  20th,  and  a 
subscription  of  150  copies  of  the  publication  secured.  The  cir- 
cular is  as  follows : 


l^he   Centenyiial  Celebration  at   Gallipolis. 


THE    OHIO   ARCH^OLOGICAL    AND    HISTORICAL    SOCIETY.        CIR- 
CULAR   OF    INFORMATION    NO.    2,    1890.        THE 
PUBLICATIONS    FOR    1890. 

The  Centennial  of  the  Settlement  of  Gallipolis,  Ohio,  will 
occur  October  19th,  next.  It  will  then  be  one  hundred  years 
since  the  colony  of  French  emigrants  landed  on  the  northern 
bank  of  "La  Belle  River." 

This  settlement,  the  only  one  of  its  kind  in  Ohio,  bears  no 
little  impress  on  our  history,  and  merits  more  than  merely  a  Cen- 
tennial celebration.  Its  history  contains  not  only  the  location  of 
the  colony,  and  the  founding  of  a  town,  but  also  carries  with  it 
many  questions  of  national  interest.  Made  about  the  opening 
of  the  French  Revolution,  when  the  attention  of  all  Europe  was 
drawn  to  the  questions  of  civil  and  religious  liberty;  and  when 
the  minds  of  men  were  easily  turned  to  any  solution  of  the  prob- 
lems then  agitating  mankind,  there  clusters  about  this  settlement 
many  interesting  and  instructive  questions  in  our  early  annals. 
The  scheme  of  locating  a  foreign  colony  upon  land  m.  an  Ameri- 
can wilderness,  obtained  from  the  Government  through  organized 
land  companies  was  watched  by  many,  not  only  in  Europe,  but 
also  in  America.  It  was  not  merely  local  interest;  the  attention 
of  nations  was  drawn  thither. 

The  history  of  this  colony,  the  formation  of  the  Ohio  and 
Scioto  Land  Companies,  both  more  or  less  interested  in  its  suc- 
cess, and  the  relation  each  bore  to  the  other,  with  a  concise  his- 
tory of  their  tran.sactions  so  far  as  they  relate  to  this  colony,  will 
appear  in  this  volume.  Original  maps,  plats,  drawings  and  docu- 
ments will  be  used  to  illustrate  the  text.  The  "  French  Grant" 
will  be  carefully  and  fully  described,  and  such  plats  and  maps,  as 
will  elucidate  the  text,  will  be  used. 

The  story  of  the  French  emigrants  will  be  faithfully  given, 
and  as  far  as  possible  a  complete  list  of  the"  first  .settlers  will  be 
printed.  Plats  and  plans,  views  and  portraits,  as  far  as  can  be 
obtained,  will  be  used  to  illustrate  the  work. 

The  volume  will  therefore  not  be  merely  an  account  of  the 
exerci.ses  commemorative  of  the  Centennial.     It  will  be  a  historv 


4  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications .        [Vol.  S 

of  the  colony,  and  a  careful  digest  of  the  questions  pertinent 
thereto. 

The  work  when  published  will  be  somewhat  similar  to  that 
issued  in  1888,  i.  e.,  "The  Marietta  Centennial  of  April  7th," 
save  that  this  will  be  a  bound  volume,  and  will  be  the  Society's 
publication  for  1890.  Like  all  publications  of  the  Society,  the 
volume  is  not  for  general  circulation.  Members  of  the  Society 
will  be  supplied,  and  additional  copies  will  be  printed  only  for 
exchanges,  societies,  and  for  those  who  request  them. 

Several  thousand  copies  of  this  circular  were  issued  and  sent 
liberally  to  all  parts  of  the  country,  and  through  the  Board  of 
Trade  at  Gallipolis,  were  freely  distributed  there. 

On  August  19th,  the  Board  of  Trade  appointed  the  follow- 
ing committees  on  detail  work : 

ADVERTISING. 

p.  T.  Wall,  Chairman  ;  I.  F.  Chapman,  Theo.  N.  Wilson, 
Chas.  D.  Kerr,  S.  A.  McClurg. 

AMUSEMENTS. 

Thos.  R.  Hayward,  Chairman;  J.  Will  Clendinen,  N.  R. 
Canaday,  P.  T.  Wall,  A.  L.  Roadarmour,  C.  B.  Hanson,  Geo.  D. 
Mclntyre,  C.  H.  Small,  H.  C.  Johnston,  Jas.  W.  Gardner. 

ATHLETICS. 
Arthur  Williams,  Chairman;  Henry  Neal,  Fred  Kling. 

BADGES. 

Ralph  C.  Jones,  Chairman  ;  C.  C.  Olmstead,   Frank  Moore. 

DECORATIONS. 

O.  M.  Henking,  Chairman;  Chas.  W.  Uhrig,  C.  H.  McCor- 
mick.  Dr.  F.  A.  Cromley,  Ed.  W.  Vanden,  Ross  Williams,  A. 
R.  Weaver,  Frank  Ulsamer,  W.  B.  Fuller,  B.  Frank  Barlow,  A. 
A.  Lyon,  J.  C.  Staats,  C.  F.  Hudlin,  C.  A.  Smith,  C.  M.  Adams, 
Samuel   T.    Cook,    S.    D.    Cowden,    J.    Will    Clendinen,    Chas. 


The  Centennial  Celebration  at  Gallipolis.  5 

Gentry,    Jas.    H.    Sanns,    S.    A.    Rathbuni,    Charles  Johnston, 
Aaron   Frank. 

DRINKING    WATKR. 

C.  W.  Ernsting,  Chairman;  E.  T.  Moore,  J.  H.  Frank, 
Fred  H.  Kerr,  E.  Lincoln  Neal,  John  Pepple,  B.  L.  Gardner,  A. 
Moch,  J.  M.  Smith,  Frank  Bell,  Jos.  Ziegler,  G.  W.  Cox,  Paul 
Dober,  Dr.  J.  R.  Safford,  Geo.  W.  Alexander,  E.  L.  Menager, 
J.  C.  Shepard,  C.  J.  Schreck,  J.  S.  Billups,  Henry  House,  Chas. 
F.  Jenny,  Alvin  Brown. 

ENTERTAINMENT. 

John  C.  Hutsinpiller,  Chairman;  J.  H.  Schaaf,  Charles 
Stuart,  S.  F.  Crane,  C.  H.  D.  Summer,  Henry  Gilman,  W.  G. 
Fuller,  A.  J.  Greene,  Dr.  John  Sanns,  Henry  R.  Bell,  Henry 
Beall. 

FIREWORKS. 

E.  E.  Gatewood,  Chairman  ;  Thomas  R..  Hayward,  J.  A. 
Blazer,  A.  B.  Williams,  C.  Fred  Henking,  Geo.  N.  Bolles,  M. 
S.   Hern. 

GROUNDS    AND    SUPPLIES. 

Geo.  House,  Chairman;  Jos.  F.  Martin,  A.  F.  Lasley,  John 
Eupton,  James  H.  McClurg,  W.  H.  Billings,  \V.  R.  White. 

HORSES    AND    CARRIAGES. 

W.  C.  Hayward,  Chairman ;  James  G.  Priestley,  Frank 
Hutsinpiller,  Geo.  Wetherholt,  Charles  C.  Baker. 

HOTELS,    BOARDING    HOUSES,    ETC. 

W.  H.  Hutchinson,  Chairman;  J.  C.  Morris,  Creuzet 
Vance,  Frank  Ulsamer,  J.  W.  Gardner,  J.  L.  Hayward,  Chas. 
Jenny,  John  C.  Graham,  Amos  Troth,  A.  A.  Lyon,  Ed.  Gills, 
Chris.  C.   Mack. 

INTELLIGENCE. 

John  C.  Vanden,  Chairman;  A.  F.  Moore,  Chas.  Mack,  C. 
W.  Bird,  Frank  J.  Donnally. 


Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications .        [Vol,,  o 


LIGHT. 

Jas.  A.  McClurg,  Chairman;  C.  W.  Henking,  C.  D.  Kerr, 
B.  T.  Euos,  F.  W.  Dages,  S.  Witham,  Chas.  StockhoflF. 

MUSIC  —  INSTRUMENTAL. 

James  H.  Sanns,  Chairman ;  Geo.  D.  McBride,  L,.  B.  Shaw. 

MUSIC  —  VOCAL. 

Jas.  M.  Neal,  Chairman;  D.  W.  Jones,  Gus  Mack,  Dr.  Jas. 
T.  Hanson,  J.  E.  Matthews,  John  R.  McCormick,  E.  S.  Ale- 
shire,  G.  A.  Roedell,  F.  O.  Fowler,  Wm.  Mullinuex,  T.  P.  Wil- 
liams, F.  M.  Snead. 

MILITARY    DISPLAY. 

C.  H.  McCormick,  Chairman ;  Silas  Pritchett,  E.  S.  Aleshire, 

A.  G.  Beall,  D.  W.  Jones,  Geo.  D.  McBride,  H.  R.  Bradbury, 
Chas.  Weihe. 

PRESS. 

William  Nash,  Chairman;  D.  W.  Jones,  John  L.  Vance,  jr., 
H.  LeClercq  Ford,  J.  E.  Robinson,  J.  D.  Olmsted. 

PROGRAMME. 

F.  C.  Sessions,  Chairman;  A.  A.  Graham,  John  L.  Vance, 
H.  R.  Bradbury,  Jehu  Eakins. 

RAILROAD   AND    RIVER    TRANSPORTATION. 

W.  B.  Shober,  Chairman  ;  John  R.  McCormick,  H.  W.  Ellis, 
S.  M.  Cherrington,  P.  A.  Sanns,  John  Nevius,  Miles  H.  Brown, 
W.  A.  Barrows,  S.  Silverman,  F.  J.  Donnally,  Geo.  W.  Bay. 

RECEPTION. 

John  M.  Alexander,  Chairman;  Geo.  House,  James  Mul- 
lineux,  W.  H.  McCormick,  C.  D.  Maxon,  P.  A.  Sanns,  W.  C. 
Hayward,  James  Harper,  A.  Ufermann,  Dr.  E.  W.  Parker,  G. 

B.  lyittle.   Dr.   H.  C.   Brown,   D.   B.  Hebard,  Frank  Cromley, 


The  Centennial  Celebration  at  Gallipolis.  7 

James  Gate  wood,  Alexander  Vance,  Wm.  C.  Miller,  M.  C.  Bar- 
low, John  L.  Kuhn,  R.  D.  Neal,  D.  S.  Ford,  H.  N.  Ford,  C. 
Doepping,  H.  H.  McGonagle,  Joseph  Mullineux,  S.  R.  Bush,  C. 
A.  Clendinen,  Charles  Mack,  Dr.  P.  Gardner,  Albert  Mossman, 
Daniel  Calohan,  Eliza  Smith.  E.  Betz,  C.  C.  Welbert,  C.  D. 
Bailey,  John  Dages,  James  Vanden. 

SABBATH    PROGRAMME. 

Rev.  P.  A.  Baker,  Chairman;  Rev.  John  Moncure,  Rev.  C. 
A.  McManis.  Rev.  R.  H.  Coulter,  Rev.  Father  Oeink,  W.  L. 
Robinson,  H.  N.  Ford,  A.  J.  Greene,  W.  G.  Bradley,  Jos.  F. 
Hund. 

SANITARY. 

William  Kling,  Chairman;  A.  Henking,  J.  C.  Priestley,  Dr. 
James  Johnson,  C.  A.  Hill. 


T.  W.  Karr,  Chairman;  D.  B.  Hebard,  Dr.  John  Sanns,  Dr. 
E.  G,  Alcorn,  A.  L.  Roadarmour. 

STEAMBOAT    EXCURSION. 

S.  A.  Dunbar,  Chairman;  R.  L.  Hamilton,  John  W.   Hol- 
loway,  Chas.  Regnier,  John  Damron,  M.  V.  Nelson. 

TENTS   AND    AMPHITHEATRE. 

A.  W.   Kerns,  Chairman;  Jas.   Mullineux,  Jr.,  S.  F.  Neal, 
P.  B,  Pritchett. 

TO    FORM    TOWNSHIP    COMMITTEES. 

I.   F.  Chapman,  Chairman;  W.  T.  Minturn,  A.  W.  Kerns, 
V.  H.  Switzer.  W.  R.  White. 

ladies'    RECEPTION   COMMITTEE. 

The  following  ladies  were  appointed  a  Committee  to  prepare 
a  suitable  reception  for  the  Governors,  their  Staff  officers.  State 


Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications .        [Voi,.  3 


ofl&cers, 
guests : 

t^  Mrs. 
'■"■'"  Mrs. 

Mrs. 

Mrs. 

Mrs. 

Mrs. 

Mrs. 

Mrs. 

Mrs. 

Mrs. 

Mrs. 

Mrs. 

Mrs. 

Mrs. 

Mrs. 

Mrs. 

Mrs. 

Mrs. 

Mrs. 

Mrs. 

Mrs. 

Mrs. 

Mrs. 


iriembers  of   the  IvCgislature,  aud  other  distinguished 


C.  Fred.  Henking, 
H.  R.  Bradbury, 
B.  F.  Barlow, 

W.  G.  Brading, 
Josephine  Cadot, 
F.  A.  Cromley, 
S.  A.  Dunbar, 

B.  T.  Enos, 
W.  B.  Fuller, 

J.  C.  Hutsinpiller, 
E.  S.  Aleshire, 
O.  M.  Henking, 
W.  H.  Hutchinson, 
John  T.  Halliday, 
James  Johnson, 

D.  W.  Jones, 

C.  D.  Kerr, 
Genevieve  Maxon, 
John  Moncure, 

J.  C.  Morris, 
Geo.  D.  Mclntyre, 
C.  W.  Ernsting, 
A.  W.  Kerns, 


Mrs. 

Mrs. 
Mrs. 
Mrs. 
Mrs. 
Mrs. 
Mrs. 
Mrs. 
Mrs. 
Mrs. 
Mrs. 
Miss 
Miss 
Miss 
Miss 
Miss 
Miss 
Miss 
Miss 
Miss 
Miss 
Miss 
Miss 


J.  E.  Robinson, 
W.  B.  Shober, 
P.  A.  Sanns, 
Sam'l  Silverman, 
J.  H.  Sanns, 
J.  C.  Shephard, 
J.  M.  Smith, 
John  L.  Vance, 
Mary  A.  Wood, 
A.  Uhrig, 
H.  N.  Ford, 
Mary  Aleshire, 
Hattie  Beard, 
Belle  Coffman, 
Blanche  Cadot, 
Callie  Deletombe, 
Mary  Graham, 
Kate  McClurg, 
Kate  Mclntyre, 
Ida  Nevius, 
Alice  Pitrat, 
Annie  Uhrig, 
Marie  Drouillard, 


Each  committee  arranged  all  details  necessary  aud  by  the 
middle  of  October  everything  was  in  readiness. 

The  Committee  on  Tents  arranged  for  a  large  tent  for  the 
Auditorium  with  a  seating  capacity  of  2,090.  A  stage  was 
built  in  it  on  the  parquet  order  with  a  seating  capacity  of  400. 
Near  it  were  arranged  a  dozen  tents  for  Committees'  head- 
quarters. The  main  tent  was  erected  in  the  center  of  the  Park 
next  the  river,  where  the  reunion  tent  was  spread  in  1888.  This 
gave  a  fine  view  up  and  down  the  river  and  was  convenient  to 
every  one.  The  main  tent  was  well  lighted  and  comfortably 
seated. 

Early  in  October,  John  L.  Vance  and  A.  A.  Graham  ar- 


The  Centennial  Celebratio7i  at  Gallipolis.  9 

ranged    the    following   programme,    which,    in    the    main,    was 
carried  out : 


PROGRAMME 


Centennial  Anniversary 


SETTLEMENT  OF   THE   CITY 


Gallipolis,  Ohio, 


FTench,   October   19,   1790. 


October  16,  17,  18  and  19, 
1890. 

The  following  account  of  the  reason  of  the  settlement  of 
this  locality  by  the  French  emigrants  was  printed  in  the  pro- 
gramme : 

"  On  October  19,  1790,  a  party  of  French  emigrants  landed 
at  the  site  of  the  present  city  of  Gallipolis,  Ohio.  These  emi- 
grants were  part  of  a  number  who  had  purchased  land  in  the 
Ohio  country  from  the  Society  of  the  Scioto  in  Paris.  This 
Society  had  acquired  the  right  of  purchase  in  this  part  of 
America  from  Joel  Barlow,  agent  of  the  Scioto  Associates  in 
America.  They  had  contracted  to  buy  from  the  United  States  a 
large  tract  of  land  in  the  Northwest  Territory.  Through  the 
failure  of  the  Society  of  the  Scioto  to  meet  its  payments  the 
Scioto  Associates  were  unable  to  fulfill  their  obligations  and  the 
lands  continued  in  pos.session  of  the  American  government.  To 
.satisfy  the  claims  of  the  emigrants  to  whom  the  Society  of  the 


10  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications .        [Vol.  3 

Scioto  had  given  deeds  for  lands  in  the  18  ranges  of  townships  — 
but  which,  upon  the  map  furnished  by  Mr.  Barlow,  were  located 
at  and  adjacent  to  the  site  of  Gallipolis — the  Scioto  Associates 
contracted  to  buy  from  the  Ohio  Company  the  land  represented 
by  its  shares,  which  had  been  forfeited  for  non-payment — about 
200,000  acres.  This  land  they  were  permitted  to  locate  in  the 
fourteenth,  sixteenth  and  seventeenth  ranges  of  townships,  in- 
cluding the  site  of  Gallipolis.  Owing  to  the  failure  of  the  prin- 
cipal men  among  the  Scioto  Associates  in  the  financial  panic  of 
1792,  they  were  unable  to  pay  for  this  tract.  This  left  the 
French  without  titles  to  any  of  their  purchases.  The  Ohio 
Company  was  unable  to  complete  the  tract  it  had  originally  con- 
tracted for,  but,  by  its  settlement  with  Congress  in  1792,  it 
acquired  the  title  to  the  land  in  the  14  and  15  ranges  of  town- 
ships, including  Gallipolis.  In  1795,  through  the  efforts  of  Jean 
Gabriel  Gewase,  seconded  by  the  leading  men  in  the  Ohio  Com- 
pany, a  grant  of  24,000  acres  of  land,  in  what  is  now  Scioto 
county,  was  made  to  the  French  emigrants.  In  the  same 
year  the  Ohio  Company  sold  to  them  two  fractional  sections, 
about  900  acres  of  land,  including  the  town  site  of  Gallipolis,  at 
$1.25  per  acre.  It  also  offered  to  each  'French  settler  at  Galli- 
polis,' one  hundred  acres  of  land  from  the  donation  tract  granted 
to  it  by  Congress  to  be  given  to  actual  settlers. 

FRIDAY   MORNING,    OCTOBER   17,   IN   THE   AUDITORIUM. 
MUSIC. 

Address Hon.  H.  R.  Bradbury,  Mayor  of  Gallipolis 

Address     Prof.  N.  J.  Morrison,  of  Marietta 

On  behalf  of  Ohio  Historical  Society  —  "A  Century  and  Its  Lessons." 


FRIDAY,   2    p.    M.— AUDITORIUM. 


Address Hon.  D.  K.  Watson 

"The  Early  Bar  of  the  Ohio  Valley." 

SHORT  ADDRESSES. 

MUSIC. 


The  Centetlniai  Celebration  al  Gailipotis.  11 

FRIDAY   EVENING  — 7:30   O'CLOCK. 
MUSIC. 

Address Hon.  J.\mes  E.  Campbew,,  Governor  of  Ohio 

Address A.  A.  Graham,  Secretary  Ohio  Historical  Society 

"  French  Exploration  and  Occupation  in  America." 
( Illustrated  by  the  Stereopticon.) 

This  address  was,  by  request  of  the  audience,  repeated  Sat- 
urday evening.  It  was  of  stich  a  nature  it  could  not  be  pre- 
pared for  publication. 

S.\TURDAY,  10  A.  M. —  AUDITORIUM. 
MUSIC. 

Address Col.  John  L.  Vance 

"The  French  Settlement  and  Settlers  of  Gallipolis." 

Owing  to  Other  duties  this  address  could  not  be  given,  but  it 
is  printed  in  this  volume.  Short  addresses  were  made  by  Rev. 
H.  A.  Thompson,  Prof.  J.  M.  Davis,  Mr.  R.  D.  Marshall,  Mr. 
R.  D.  Jones,  Judge  R.  A.  SaflFord,  Gen.  C.  H.  Grosvenor,  and 
others. 

SATURDAY  AFTERNOON  —  2:00  O'CLOCK. 

Excursion    by   Steamboats   to   points   of    interest   on   the   Ohio   and   the 
Kanawha. 

SATURDAY  EVENING  —  7  :  30  O'CLOCK. 
MUSIC. 

Address Hon.  Daniel  J.  Ryan 

"  The  Scioto  Company  and  the  French  Grant." 
CENTENNIAL  DAY. 

SUNDAY,  OCTOBER  19,  1890. 

10:00  A.  M.  —  Services  in  all  the  Churches  under  charge  of  the  City  Pastors' 
Association  ;  appropriate  exercises. 

In  each  church  an  historical  sermon  was  given  by  the  pas- 
tor, or  by  some  one  selected  by  him.  A  synopsis  of  these 
addresses  appears  in  this  volume. 

SUNDAY  AFTERNOON,  2:00  O'CLOCK  —  AUDITORIUM. 
MUSIC  BY  AUDIENCE. 

Historical  Discourse Rev.  Washington  Gladden,  D.  D. 

MUSIC. 
SUNDAY  EVENING  — 7:30  O'CLOCK. 
Closing  services  in  the  Churches. 


12  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [VOL.  3 

The  programme  at  first  provided  for  opening  exercises 
Thursda)^  evening,  the  sixteenth ;  but  that  day  being  very  wet 
and  disagreeable,  and  owing  to  an  extra  session  of  the  General 
Assembly  being  called,  but  few  persons  could  leave  Columbus 
with  the  members  of  the  Archaeological  and  Historical  Society. 
The  train  bearing  the  party  was  late,  and  did  not  reach  Gallipo- 
lis  till  after  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening.  The  opening  exercises 
were,  therefore,  deferred  until  Friday  morning,  and  the  pro- 
gramme arranged  accordingly.  Members  of  the  Assembly  in- 
vited to  take  part,  were  detained  at  Columbus,  and  their  places 
filled  by  others.  The  citizens  of  Gallip9lis  had  made  ample 
preparations,  and  when  the  guests  arrived  everything  was  in 
readiness.  The  following  from  the  Gallipolis  Bulletin  of  Octo- 
ber 21st,  is  a  very  good  account  of  the  celebration  : 

Friday  morning  opened  clear  and  beautiful.  The  clouds 
and  rain  had  disappeared  and  the  sun  shone  out,  diffusing 
warmth  and  beauty.  By  10  a.  m.  the  large  tent  was  filled.  The 
meeting  was  called  to  order  by  Hon.  H.  R.  Bradbury,  City 
Mayor,  who  in  the  opening  address  extended  a  hearty  welcome 
to  all  who  came.  At  the  close  of  his  address  and  after  music  by 
the  band.  Rev.  N.  J.  Morrison  was  introduced,  and  for  an  hour 
spoke  on  the  topic  assigned  to  Mr.  Sessions.  Mr.  Sessions,  the 
President  of  the  vSociety,  to  whom  had  been  assigned  this  address, 
was  absent,  in  New  York,  on  account  of  illness,  and  had  secured 
Dr.  Morrison  to  fill  his  place.  The  address  was  scholarly, 
eloquent,  and  filled  with  information.  It  was  a  timely  and  most 
excellent  resume  of  the  century  just  closed. 

Following  Dr.  Morrison,  Rev.  J.  M.  Davis,  President  of 
Rio  Grande  College,  gave  a  brief  history  of  the  educational 
institutions  in  Gallia  County,  especially  of  the  college  at  Rio 
Grande. 

Rev.  H.  A.  Tliompson,  one  of  the  Trustees  of  the  State 
Historical  Society,  and  for  many  years  President  of  the  Wester- 
ville  College,  spoke  on  the  value  of  education,  especially  that 
given  in  the  small  colleges  of  the  country,  and  in  the  academies. 

The  afternoon  exercises  were  varied  in  character.  Owing 
to  the  late  arrival  of  the  Governor's  train,  no  attempt  was  made 
to  gather  the  people  until  near  4  o'clock.     Col.  R.  D.  Marshall, 


The  Centennial  Celebration  at  Gallipolis.  13 

of  Dayton,  was  introduced  by  Secretary  Graham,  and  about  half 
an  hour  spoke  on  the  general  theme  of  the  Centennials  and  the 
value  of  their  influences  on  American  life. 

Following  this  address  came  a  civic  parade,  in  which 
Governors  Campbell,  of  Ohio,  and  Fleming,  of  West  Virginia, 
and  their  staffs,  took  part;  also  many  civic  societies.  At  the 
close  of  the  parade  the  people  gathered  at  the  tent. 

The  audience  was  called  to  order  b}^  Col.  John  L.  Vance, 
who  introduced  Hon.  D.  K.  Watson,  Attorney  General  of  Ohio, 
who  delivered  an  address  on  the  "Early  Bar  of  the  Ohio 
Valley."  At  the  conclusion  of  his  address.  Governor  Fleming, 
of  West  Virginia,  was  introduced  and  spoke  on  the  relation  of 
Virginia  to  the  Ohio  Valley.  Governor  Campbell  was  then 
introduced.  As  it  was  getting  late  the  Governor  spoke  but 
a  few  moments,  deferring  his  speech  until  evening. 

Assembling  again  in  the  evening.  Governor  Campbell 
resumed  his  remarks.  They  were  largely  relative  to  the 
value  of  proper  centennial  celebrations  as  educational  in 
character  and  as  agencies  in  impressing  on  the  minds  of  the 
young  the  value  of  American  institutions. 

Mr.  Graham  was  then  introduced,  and  for  an  hour  spoke  on 
the  "Early  Exploration  and  Occupation  of  the  French  in 
America."  The  address  was  illustrated  by  a  series  of  stere- 
opticon  views,  showing  the  routes  of  the  early  explorers  by 
sea  and  by  land,  also  the  various  posts,  stations  and  forts  built 
in  the  Western  valleys.  Maps  showing  the  possessions  and 
territory  ctaimed  by  the  English  and  French  in  North  America, 
especially  in  the  Valleys  of  the  St.  Lawrence  and  Mississippi 
Rivers  and  their  tributaries,  were  shown,  and  at  the  close  of  the 
address  a  series  of  pictures  were  shown  illustrating  life  on  the 
Ohio  a  century  ago.  These  included  pictures  of  Marietta, 
Belpre,  Fort  Harmar,  the  "floating  mill"  u.sed  in  grinding 
grain,  and  views  of  Gallipolis  as  it  appeared  when  the  French 
landed,  October  19,  1790,  and  also  views  of  the  city  as  it  appears 
to-day.  At  its  close,  nur\erous  requests  were  made  for  the 
repetition  of  the  address  the  next  evening.  After  mu.sic  by  the 
Parkins  quartet   the   meeting  adjourned  to  a   reception   in  the 


14  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Pub/ications.        [Voi..  3 

Elks'  Hall,  tendered  the  Governors,  their  staffs,  and  the  visitors 
in  the  city. 

Saturday  morning  the  audience  assembled  at  10  o'clock  and 
were  addressed  by  Mr.  J.  V.  Jones,  of  Fostoria,  a  resident  of 
Gallipolis  in  1832.  His  address  related  to  the  city  as  it  was  at 
that  time  and  the  people  residing  here. 

He  was  followed  by  Judge  W.  H.  Safford,  of  Chillicothe,  a 
lineal  descendant  of  Col.  Robert  Safford,  one  of  the  original 
party  who,  under  Maj.  Burnham  and  employed  by  the  Ohio 
Company,  cleared  the  ground  and  erected  the  cabins  on  the 
Square  for  the  occupation  of  the  French  settlers. 

Following  this  address,  the  visitors  and  guests  in  the  city 
were  taken  on  an  excursion  up  the  Ohio  River  on  the  steamer 
Bostona  a  short  distance  above  Point  Pleasant.  In  the  after- 
noon a  second  excursion  was  taken  on  the  same  steamer,  thereby 
accommodating  those  who  could  not  go  in  the  forenoon. 

At  2  o'clock  the  meeting  was  called  to  order  by  Mayor  Brad- 
bury, who  introduced  Gen.  Charles  H.  Grosvenor,  who  spoke 
on  the  Virginia  claims  to  the  Northwest  Territory  and  on  the 
capture  of  the  British  posts  by  Gen.  George  Rogers  Clark,  in 
1788.  At  his  request,  Mr.  Graham  explained  in  detail  the  part 
taken  by  Gen.  Clark  and  his  men,  and  narrated  the  history  of 
Clark's  expedition. 

Following  this,  Judge  Safford  gave  an  account  of  the  find- 
ing of  one  of  the  lead  plates  buried  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Kanawha  by  direction  of  the  French  commandant  in  Canada, 
as  one  of  the  means  of  establishing  the  claims  of  France  to  this 
territory.  He  also  gave  an  account  of  the  capture  of  Richard 
Garner  and  others  for  assisting  runaway  slaves  in  1848.  The 
case  was  ably  argued  by  Samuel  H.  Vinton  on  the  part  of  Ohio. 

The  people  gathered  in  great  numbers  in  the  evening  to 
witness  a  fine  display  of  fireworks  on  the  river's  bank.  After 
that,  the  tent  was  quickly  filled  and  Mr.  Graham  repeated  that 
portion  of  his  illustrated  address  relating  to  the  French  settle- 
nents,  posts  and  exploration  in  the  Northwest  Territory. 

After  this,  Hon.  Daniel  J.  Ryan,  Secretary  of  State,  deliv- 
red  a  timely  address  on  the  "Scioto  Company  and  the  French 
Vrant,"   reviewing  the  entire  history  of  the  land   transactions 


The  Centenyiial  Celebration  at  Gallipolis.  15 

relative  to  this  settlement  by  the  French.  This  done,  the  Par- 
kins quartet,  which  had  furnished  the  music  of  the  evening, 
sang  a  selection  and  the  audience  dispersed. 

THE  CENTENNIAL  DAY. 

Sunday  was  distinctively  the  Centennial  Day,  it  being  on 
the  nineteenth  day  of  October,  1790,  when  the  French  emigrants 
arrived  on  the  site  of  where  Gallipolis  now  stands.  The  city 
was  full  of  visitors,  as  during  the  other  days  of  the  celebration, 
and  there  was  a  deep  interest  manifested  to  hear  the  subject  of 
the  happenings  of  a  hundred  years  considered  from  religious 
standpoints,  which  is  the  most  beautiful  and  significant  of  any. 

Centennial  services  were  conducted  in  most  of  the  city 
churches.  The  programmes  which  had  been  arranged  for  the 
occasion  by  the  Pastors'  Union  were  of  the  most  attractive  char- 
acter, and  will  be  long  remembered  by  the  appreciative  congre- 
gations.    A  brief  synopsis  of  these  services  is  appended : 

BAPTIST    CHURCH. 

The  congregation  was  given  a  treat  here  which  was  much 
appreciated.  Rev.  Mr.  McMannis,  the  pastor,  had  secured  the 
services  of  Rev.  Dr  Lasher,  editor  of  the  Jouryial  and  Messen- 
ger, the  organ  of  the  Baptist  church  in  Ohio,  and  published  in 
Cincinnati.  His  sermon,  like  all  the  others,  was  oh  the  practical 
lessons  of  the  century,  looking  at  the  matter  particularly  in  ref- 
erence to  the  denomination  to  which  he  belonged. 

METHODIST    CHURCH. 

An  elaborate  musical  programme  was  most  ably  rendered, 
the  Parkins  Brothers  being  among  the  singers.  The  bass  solo 
by  Mr.  Matthews  was  also  one  of  the  enjoyable  characteristics 
of  the  service.  Rev.  David  Moore,  D.  D.,  editor  of  the  Western 
Christiati  Advocate,  preached  the  sermon.  The  historical  feat- 
ures were  directed  to  the  consideration  of  the  history  of  Method- 
ism, and  the  wonders  which  it  has  accomplished,  as  a  medium 
for  making  the  country  better. 


16  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications..        [Voi,.  3 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH. 

The  music  was  under  the  supervision  of  Professur  J.  M. 
Neal.  Rev.  Sylvester  Scovill,  the  President  of  Wooster  College, 
was  the  preacher,  and  the  wisdom  of  selecting  him  was  clearly 
demonstrated  by  the  excellent  address  of  more  than  an  hour  to 
which  the  large  congregation  listened.  Presbyterianism  in  its 
different  stages  in  Ohio,  during  the  century,  -w^s  the  instructive 
and  useful  topic  of  his  discourse,  and  the  feeling  of  gratitude 
was  no  doubt  paramount  in  the  minds  of  his  hearers,  for  the 
blessings  which  it  has  given  our  country  in  the  way  of  a 
preached  Gospel  and  a  Godly  example. 

EPISCOPAL    CHURCH. 

In  the  services  here  the  rector  was  assisted  by  Rev  D.  I. 
Edwards,  of  the  diocese  of  Newark,  N.  J.  The  music  was  of 
an  appropriate  character,  Mrs.  Moncure  presiding  at  the  organ, 
and  a  solo,  by  Miss  Nora  Kerr,  gladdening  the  hearts  of  the 
congregation.  The  sermon,  by  the  rector,  Rev.  Moncure,  was 
like  the  others,  on  the  teachings  of  the  century.  These  were 
briefly  considered  from  a  secular  standpoint,  and  more  elabor- 
ately from  that  of  the  church,  particularly  the  Protestant  Epis 
copal  church,  the  organization,  difficulties  and  success  of  which 
were  recounted,  as  they  applied  to  the  Nation,  State  and  City, 
and  the  mercies  of  God,  as  illustrated  by  His  blessings  upon  its 
endeavors  gratefully  mentioned. 

ST.   LOUIS    CHURCH. 

The  day  was  appropriately  observed  by  the  Roman  Catholic 
churchmen.  First  mass  was  celebrated  at  7:30  A.  m.  and  High 
mass  at  10  A.  m.  Bishop  Watterson,  of  the  Diocese  of  Colum- 
bus, was  present  at  both  services.  In  the  afternoon  he  con- 
firmed a  large  class.  The  Centennial  services  were  held  in  the 
evening,  when  the  Bishop  preached  an  interesting  and  instruc-  , 
tive  sermon  on  the  events  of  the  past  century.  The  musical 
part  of  the  services  was  good. 


■■'^l 

i 

-.;^ 

-■:J 

ttJ 

■^a^ 

"^1 

■;•',>• 

>5  ^,  ^1^ 

:     --M. 

as 

t;;-'s^ 

^ 

^^^H 

The  Ceyitennial  Celebration  at  Gallipolis.  17 

OPERA    HOUSE   SERVICES. 

In  the  afternoon  service  was  held  at  Betz  Opera  House, 
when  the  Rev.  Washington  Gladden,  D.  D.,  of  Columbus,  de- 
livered the  Centennial  address.  A  large  audience  was  in  attend- 
ance, and  many  members  of  the  Legislature,  with  their  ladies, 
occupied  seats  upon  the  stage.  The  following  is  the  orde'r  of 
service  observed: 

Music  by  the  choir. 

Prayer  by  President  Davis,  of  Rio  Grande  College. 

Music  by  Parkins'  Quartet. 

Sermon  by  Dr.  Gladden. 

Music  by  the  choir. 

Benediction  by  Rev.  Dr.  Moore. 

Dr.  Gladden's  sermon  was  closely  listened  to,  and  will  long 
be  remembered  by  those  present.  His  text  was:  "By  faith 
Abraham,  when  he  was  called  to  go  out  into  a  place  which  he 
should  after  receive  for  an  inheritance,  obeyed;  and  he  went  out 
not  knowing  whither  he  went." — Hebrews,  xi.-8.  The  sermon 
is  given  in  full  in  this  volume. 

Sunday  evening  the  visiting  clergy,  who  filled  the  pulpits  in 
the  morning,  preached  to  appreciative  congregations,  and  thus 
closed  the  exercises  commemorative  of  the  settlement  of  this 
city. 

THE    GRAND    PARADE. 

The  delay  in  the  arrival  of  trains,  made  a  corresponding 
delay  in  the  formation  and  start  of  the  parade. 

It  was  fully  three  o'clock  before  the  formation  was  com- 
pleted by  Chairman  McCormick  and  Marshal  W.  P.  Small.  The 
organization  was  as  follows: 

1.  Gates  Second  Regiment  Band,  West  Virginia  N.  G. 

2.  Governor  Fleming  and  StaflF — General  Oxley,  Colonels 
MacCorkle,  Hagan,  Bowyer,  Gallaher  and  White. 

3.  Governor  Campbell  and  StaflF —  Generals  Hawkins, 
Vance,  Groesbeck  and  Hart;  Colonels  Courtright,  McKinney, 
Denver,   Wilkins,    Dill,    Hinmau.    Spangler,   Kiunane,    Bresler, 

Vol.  Ill— 2 


Id  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  ^ 

with  Sergeant  Fred  Steube,  carrying  the  banner,  and  Chairman 
Hay  ward  in  advance. 

4.  Porter  Band. 

5.  Grand  Army  Posts  and  other  veterans. 

6.  Company  Ohio  National  Guard  from  Middleport. 

7.  Ben  Hur  Division,  U.  R.  K.  P.,  of  Gallipolis. 

8.  Patriarchs  Militant  Band,  of  Columbus. 

9.  Grand  Canton  Ohio,  No.  1,  of  Columbus. 

10.  Canton  Fidelity,  No.  1,  of  Huntington,  W.  Va. 

11.  Canton  Sanns,  of  Gallipolis. 

12.  Cauda  Hose  Company,  of  Huntington, 

13.  Gallipolis  Fire  Department. 

14.  Citizens  in  carriages. 

The  parade  formed  on  Third  and  Court  streets,  with  right 
resting  on  Second,  and  the  line  of  march  was  up  Second  to  Olive; 
Olive  to  Third;  Third  to  Grape;  Grape  to  Second;  Second  to 
State,  where  the  parade  was  dismissed. 

The  pupils  of  the  Union  Schools  were  drawn  up  in  line  on 
Third  street,  between  State  and  lyocust,  and  reviewed  the  parade 
amid,  great  enthusiasm.  At  Court,  the  Governors  and  their 
Staffs  left  the  procession  and  took  up  a  position  on  Second,  just 
above  Court,  and  the  parade  passed  in  review  before  them. 
While  this  was  being  done  the  schools  marched  down  Second. 
They  were  headed  by  President  Alcorn,  Supt.  Mohler  and  Prof. 
Karr,  and  each  school  accompanied  by  its  teacher.  When  Court 
street  was  reached  a  halt  was  made  and  the  pupils  faced  Second 
street,  and  sang  "America"  with  profound  effect.  At  the  con- 
clusion of  the  song,  three  rousing  cheers  were  given  for  Gov- 
ernors Campbell  and  Fleming. 

THE    RECEPTION. 

The  Reception  at  the  Elks'  Hall  on  Friday  evening  was  con- 
tinued until  a  very  late  hour,  and  was  a  brilliant  affair.  Mrs. 
Jas.  E.  Robinson,  the  Chairman,  and  the  ladies  of  the  Com- 
mittee having  the  matter  in  charge,  are  to  be  congratulated  upon 
the  great  success  that  attended  their  efforts.  The  refreshments 
were  elegantly  prepared  and  served  with  skill.     The  music  was 


The  Centennial  Celebration  at  Gallipolis. 


19 


furnished  by  the  Logan  Orchestra.  Governor  Campbell  and 
Stafif,  Governor  Fleming  and  Staff,  Governor  Marquis,  Mr.  C.  C. 
Waite,  Colonel  R.  D,  Marshall,  General  D.  K.  Watson,  and 
many  others  of  our  distingui.shed  visitors  were  present,  together 
with  the  ladies  accompanying  them. 

During  the  progress  of  the  banquet,  in  answer  to  calls,  short 
responses  were  made  by  Governor  Campbell,  Governor  Fleming, 
Mr.  Waite,  Governor  Marquis,  Colonel  R.  D.  Marshall,  General 
D.  K,  Watson,  ana  General  Morton  L.  Hawkins. 

A    CENTENNIAL    RELIC    ROOM. 

The  Committee  in  charge  of  the  display  of  relics,  secured  a 
room  in  which  were  arranged  all  articles  illustrating  the  life  of 
the  century.  The  following  shows  the  list  of  those  who  fur- 
nished articles  and  the  articles  displayed,  as  given  in  the  Bulletin  : 


S.  C.  Maguet,  dish  and  plate  used 
for  60  years ;  salt  cellar  used  for  64 
years;  brass  caudlestick  brought 
with  the  first  French  settlers. 

Wni.  Waddell,  shoe  hammer  given 
to  grandfather  in  1796  ;  ginseng  hoe 
over  100  years  old;  leather  wallet, 
once  the  property  of  Nathan  Wad- 
dell;  small  spinning  wheel  150  years 
old. 

Mrs.  Lewis  IMaguet,  quilt  made 
during  the  Revolutionary  War  from 
clothing  worn  at  that  time;  chair, 
70  years  old,  used  by  Major  J.  P.  R. 
Bureau,  Dr.  E.  Naret  and  Hon.  S.  F. 
Vinton;  saddlebags,  70  years  old, 
used  by  Hon.  S.  F.  Vinton. 

Mrs.  J.  E.  Robinson,  tea-cups  and 
saucers,  85  years  old;  stew-pots  75 
years  old;  picture  of  husband  taken 
when  he  was  .3  years  old,  by  Thomas 
Wilkinson;  picture  of  J.  C.  Robin- 
son, Principal  of  Gallia  Aoadem\-  in 
"43-4.  taken  18^3;  picture  of  INIrs. 
Elizabeth  Dickerson,  the   first  col- 


ored female  child  born  in  Gallipolis, 
now  67  years  old. 

Mrs.  Guthrie,  brass  badge  of  Tip- 
pecanoe •  towel,  woven  ami  spun  by 
herself  and  75  years  old. 

Mrs.  Mary  Coulson,  tin  plate  .'50 
years  old,  used  by  the  sixth  genera- 
tion. 

Mrs.  Mary  J.  Hebard,  old  Cincin- 
nati papers,  of  date  of  1822-5. 

Mrs.  R.  C.  Smithers,  shawl  beloner- 
ing  to  her  mother,  70  years  old,  and 
prayer-book  printed  in  1782. 

Wm.  Preston,  trunk  brought  from 
France,  over  100  years  old;  tea-ket- 
tle and  pot,  same. 

Miss  Titia  Jones,  Cadmus,  book 
printed  in  1702. 

Miss  Maggie  Northup,  large  col- 
lection of  books,  among  the  first 
printed. 

.\.  A.  Wade,  Gallipolis  Journals 
of  the  early  part  of  the  present  cen- 
tury. 

Dr.  J.  R.  Safford,  beautiful  crayon 


20 


Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Ptiblications.        [Vol.  3 


picture  of  his  grandfather,  Col. 
Robt.  SafFord,  who  cut  down  the  first 
Iree  on  the  preseut  site  of  Gallipolis, 
executed  by  Miss  Lily  Calohan  from 
an  old  daguerreotye ;  the  Colonel's 
horse -pistol,  candlestick,  powder 
horn,  sword,  sleeve-buttons  worn  by 
him  and  1.50  years  old  ;  pair  of  can- 
dle snuffers. 

Gus  Vollborn,  tablecloth  267  years 
old. 

Hon.  H.  R.  Howard,  Pt.  Pleasant, 
2  bound  books  of  newspapers  (daily) 
subscribed  for  by  the  Sebrill  family 
in  1800  and  1807. 

A.  C.  SafTord,  wolf  trap  presented 
to  Col.  Robt.  Safford  by  Daniel 
Boone,  his  bosom  friend;  holster, 
shaving- case,  old  papers,  books,  gun, 
pistol,  histories,  bullet  pouch,  horn, 
and  silver  watch  owned  by  Col. 
SafiFord. 

Lydia  Safford,  tea-pot,  water  urn, 
tallow  pot,  caudle  moulds,  caudle- 
sticks,  owned  by  Col.  Robt.  Safford. 

M.  L=  Muzio,  marble  mortar,  100 
years  old  ;  Italian  flag  and  coins  (  y^ 
ceut  U.  S.  1826  and  silx^er  piece  of 
177.3,  and  French  coin  of  1810.) 

Jas.  Moats,  spurs  worn  during  the 
Revolutionary  War;  block  of  wood 
out  of  Libby  Prison  building. 

Reuben  Aleshire,  jr.,  canteen 
picked  UD  at  battle  of  Point  Pleas- 
ant during  the  late  war;  R.  Ale- 
shire, sr.'s  flatboat  pilot  license; 
Luther  Shepard's  commission  as 
Major  of  battalion,  signed  by  Jos. 
McLain,  Secretary  of  War. 

Mrs.  J.  C.  Cadot,  vinegar  bottle 
over  100  years  old,  candlestick  9.5 
years  old. 

C.  M.  Whitmer.  collection  of  rare 
Indian  relics,  50  spears,  pipe,  medal, 
and  10  old  coins, 


John  Irion,  Bible  owned  by  the 
celebrated  Ann  Bailey,  and  used  135 
years. 

Mrs.  R.  T.  Carter,  old  Gallia  Free 
Press  of  182.5. 

Mrs.  E.  J.  Miles,  fruit  dish  100 
years  old. 

Lena  Wood,  Bible  of  1828,  excel- 
lent state  of  preservation. 

Frank  Donnally,  snuffbox,  warm- 
ing pan  and  fire  tongs  about  100 
years  old,  brought  from  France  by 
Jos.  W.  Devacht's  father ;  saw,  chest 
oi  silversmith's  tools,  etc.,  trunk  of 
French  books,  11  account  books, 
among  first  kept  in  the  city. 

Capt.  Polsley,  pieces  of  wood 
caught  in  the  river  after  the  Johns- 
town flood. 

Mrs.  John  Atkinson,  Japanese 
broom ;  silver  spoons  85  years  old. 

Mrs.  M.  Reynolds,  sugar  bowl 
brought  from  France  200  years  ago, 

Mrs.  A.  W  Buskirk,  Portsmouth, 
cane  carried  by  Jos.  Devacht,  sr., 
100  years  old;  parasol  carried  by 
Mrs.  Devacht,  sr.,  100  j'ears  old. 

Jas.  Beall,  an  interesting  case  of 
Indian  relics. 

Mrs.  O.  M.  Henking,  cradle  80 
years  old. 

Mrs.  M.  L.  Shepard,  piece  of  Icg- 
wood  used  in  old  times ;  picture  of 
Marie  Louise  LeClercq,  the  first 
white  child  born  in  Gallipolis ; 
candlesticks  100  years  old. 

W.  C.  Hayard,  Bible  over  100 
years  old;  marriage  certificate  and 
license  of  Henry  Whitman  and 
Sophie  Tilley,  his  mother's  sister ;  a 
letter  written  to  Elijah  Hay  ward,  jr., 
by  Solomon  Hay  ward,  dated  Alex- 
andria, Va.,  Oct.  11,  1806,  while  on 
his   way   here   from    Massachusetts. 

Miss    S.    E.    Rodgers,    spoon    69 


The  Centennial  Celebration  at  Gallipolis. 


21 


years  old  kettle  85  j-ears  old  ;  hand- 
kerchief 50  years  old. 

Mrs.  John  vS.  Mills,  reel  '.19  years 
old. 

Miss  Lily  Calohan,  pitcher,  over 
50  years  old;  waffle  irons  60  years 
old  ;  picture  77  years  old. 

Mrs.  Tv.  A.  Hern,  plate,  book  and 
saucer  100  years  old;  sugar  bowl 
brought  from  Scotland,  over  100 
years  old ;  calico  53  years  old. 

Dr.  John  Sanns,  song  and  music 
written  by  Calvin  vShephard  in  ISOO; 
the  contract  for  the  building  of  the 
first  Methodist  Church,  with  signers ; 
the  muster  and  pay  roll  of  Brig.  Gen. 
Tupper;  account  book  of  1805. 

Lilian  Stewart,  vest,  coverlet,  veil, 
box,  and  cuff  buttons,  bowl,  steel- 
yards of  great  age. 

Ella  B.  Smeltzer,  andirons  100 
years  old. 

J.  H.  Hannan,  Colonial  and  Bra- 
zilian money. 

C.  H.  McCormick,  kettle  made  by 
his  grandfather  in  1801 ;  his  hunt- 
ing bag,  flax  hackle,  rocking  chair 
90  years  old ;  bread  oven,  tea  kettle 
and  iron  kettle  over  65  3'ears  old. 

Mrs.  Frank  Barlow,  pitcher  from 
Switzerland,  plate,  linen  sheets 
made  in  1804;  flax  hackle,  waffle 
irons,  wood  cards,  skillet,  andirons 
and  crane  of  centennial  years. 

H.  W.  McGath,  cufl"  buttons  250 
years  old;  spectacles  of  1800;  clasp 
and  book  of  100  years. 

Mrs.  Scheneberger,  ink-stand  over 
100  years  old;  book  over  200  years 
old;  nut  cracker  and  cup  from  Paris 
75  years  old. 

Miss  Jennie  Myers,  a  table  of  100 
years  old  made  from  one  of  tlu-  first 
trees  cut  on  the  square  in  Gallipo- 


lis (poplar  and  maple)  ;  basket  over 
100  years  old. 

T.  R.  Hayward,  spinning  wheel  75 
years  old;  sample  of  fancy  work 
over  100  years  old. 

Ernest  Shober,  papers  over  100 
years  old. 

W.  T.  Minturn,  Third  Year  of 
Commonwealth ;  picture  of  Burke, 
and  one  of  Washington  ;  the  Indian 
Chief  Cornstalk's  pipe. 

P.  T.  Wall,  axe  used  by  Col.  Saf- 
ford  to  cut  down  the  first  tree. 

H.  U.  Maxon,  dress  skirt  from 
Scotland  in  1870. 

Mrs.  A.  H.  Alexander,  bread  bag  75 
years  old,  knit  bag  75  years  old. 

Mrs.  Cavin,  picture  and  ink  stand 
from  France. 

Mrs.  Chas.  Hern,  old  picture. 

Allen  Reifsnyder,  moccasins  100 
}?ears  old. 

Miss  M.  J.  Rodgers,  book  of  1678 
and  1646. 

Claude  Parker,  gun  brought  from 
England  in  1789. 

Mrs.  H.  N.  Ford,  two  pictures  in 
brass  frames  brought  from  France; 
the  Lord's  prayer  in  French ;  picture 
of  Mary  Bobin  Menager ;  Sabots,  be- 
longing to  A.  LeClercq ;  two  cut 
glass  tumblers  belonging  to  R.  Le- 
Clercq and  to  R.  Doszedardski ;  box 
of  chips  with  which  the  French  set- 
tlers played  the  game  of  Boston  ;  old 
commissions  in  frames;  old  papers 
of  the  Scioto  Co.'s  land  deeds;  Post- 
master's commission ;  certificate  of 
naturalization  of  Frances  LeClercq  ; 
appointment  of  treasurer  in  Gallia 
county  in  1804;  deed  for  land  signed 
by  President  James  Monroe ;  certi- 
fi.-ate  of  first  commission  of  Rosalie 
LeClercq;  needle  book  of  Marie  C. 


22 


Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications .        [Vol.  3 


Marret ;  scent  bottle  of  same  ;  sugar 
bowl  decorated  by  one  of  the  first 
colonists  in  Gallipolis;  candle  snuf- 
fers and  tray;  spelling  book  of  1817; 
almanac  of  1829;  book  of  French 
poems  belonging  to  Dr.  Doszedard- 
ski. 

Mrs.  Julius  Pitrat,  picture  of  Peter 
Menager,  born  Oct.  22d,  1793;  first 
Wheeler  &  Wilson  sewing  machine 
brought  to  Gallipolis,  bought  by 
Mr.  Menager  in  1845,  a  great  curios- 
ity, turns  with  a  crank ;  picture  of 
Christ,  by  Claude  Miller  in  1636. 

Jas.  W.  Gardner,  three  pictures  of 
Public  Square,  Second  and  Front 
streets,  during  the  war;  records;  tax 
duplicate  of  Gallia  county  in  1804 ; 
original  specifications  of  Gallia 
county  court  house,  Dec.  29,  1806, 
Commissioners  of  county  being 
Orasha  Strong,  Chas.  Buck,  Chas. 
Mills;  assessors  return  of  personal 
property  in  Harrison  township  in 
1820,  Vernon  Northup,  lister;  com- 
missioners journal  from  July,  1804, 
to  July,  1807. 

E.  Deletombe,  family  relics 
brought  from  France  in  1820 ;  pair 
of  silver  candlesticks,  brass  candle- 
sticks, cut  glass  tumbler,  cut  glass 
vinaigrette,  pair  gold  ear-rings,  100 
years  old;  diamond  ring  in  box  of 
straw ;  Mosaic,  dating  back  five 
generations;  meerschaum  pipe  125 
years  old ;  ivory  dominoes  over  100 
3'ears  old  ;  pen  portrait  of  Voltaire ; 
lady's  portrait,  painted  on  ivory; 
amber  beads;  embroidered  fichu; 
white  shawls;  Tambour  embroidery ; 
Tambour  working  cotton  and  stil- 
letto;  silver  bodkins  and  knitting 
sheath  ;  sandal  wo^d  needle  case  set 
with  turquoise;  ivory  needle  case; 
fine  clocked  hose;  mouseline-delaine 


shawl  in  colors;  velvet  reticule; 
beaded  purse ;  porcelain  pen  stand  ; 
cut  glass  ink  bottle  and  blotting 
sand ;  E.  Deletombe's  miscellaneous 
family  relics — souvenirs  of  the  Mexi- 
can war  of  1847  ;  lady's  fan-kid — 
fancy  painting  steel  sticks ;  child's 
toy  cupboard  made  of  glass ;  pack  of 
Mexican  playing  cards ;  cannon  ball 
from  Mexican  battlefield;  pair  of 
painted  china  vases  ;  shell  jewel  box 
from  Cologne,  Germany  ;  silk  jewel 
box  with  mirror  from  Germany;  cut 
glass  vinaigrette  over  50  years  old; 
lady's  shell  comb  65  years  old ;  toy 
chair  over  60  years  old;  paper 
weights  of  agate  from  Turkey ;  of 
onyx  from  Mexico ;  of  marble  from 
the  Hartz  mountains;  glass  stylo- 
graphic  pen  50  years  old;  sea  biscuit 
brought  to  America  in  1810  by  Mrs. 
Deletombe's  father,  G.  Steinman ; 
pack  of  playing  cards  made  for  use 
during  the  rebellion  with  flags, 
shields,  etc.,  to  replace  the  original 
designs;  California  flowers  pressed 
in  1849  ;  sandal  wood  from  the  Sand- 
wich Islands ;  horn  of  buffalo  killed 
on  the  Public  Square ;  tomahawk 
found  on  Gallipolis  Island  in  1879; 
amber  beads  used  60  years;  silver 
spoon  used  85  years;  incense  68  years 
old  ;  lava  and  ornaments  made  of  it, 
from  Mt.  Vesuvius;  spun  glass  from 
Vienna,  Austria;  a  leaf  of  the  silver 
fir  from  the  Southern  coast  of  Africa; 
pieces  of  the  flag  staff  erected  after 
the  defeat  of  St.  Clair  at  Ft.  Re- 
covery; amethyst  from  the  Black 
Hills ;  button  worn  in  the  war  of 
1812;  Harrison  badge  of  1840 ;  fac 
simile  of  a  $  1,000  bill,  the  first  ever 
owned  by  E.  Deletombe,  and  exe- 
cuted by  the  late  Chas.  Henking 
with   a  pen;    picture    of   the    Star 


The  Cententiial  Celebratio7i  at  Gallipolis. 


23 


House  of  Hiram  Fisher  on  Public 
Square  built  in  1844,  and  from  which 
Dr.  Maxon  fell  and  killed  himself  in 
1851 ;  bottle  of  vinegar,  over  40 
years  old,  made  by  Francois  E.  Dele- 
tombe's  father ;  portrait  of  Dr.  Sau- 
grain,  one  of  the  first  settlers ;  of 
Mrs.  Elise  Marie  Kennesly,  living 
in  St.  Louis,  91  years  old  ;  photo  of 
the  old  Deletombe  house  that  stood 
77  years  at  the  corner  of  Fourth  and 
Court  streets,  and  built  in  1810; 
picture  on  parchment  presented  with 
a  medal  to  August  Loyn  (uncle  of 
E.  Deletombe)  for  his  faithful  serv- 
ices in  the  Bureau  of  Correspond- 
ence of  the  National  Guard  of  Paris, 
dated  Jan.  4.  1817  ;  deed  of  land  in 
the  French  Grant  to  one  J.  Pignolet, 
one  of  the  first  settlers;  marriage 
certificate  of  Francois  Deletombe 
and  Natalie  Loyn,  dated  Oct.  19, 
1808,  parents  of  E.  Deletombe; 
baptismal  certificates  of  Francois 
Deletombe  and  other  members  of 
his  family,  the  earliest  of  which  is 
dated  Jan.  2,  1804;  carrier's  address 
of  the  Lancaster  Gazette  and  En- 
quirer, printed  on  white  satin,  and 
dated  1838;  apron  and  shoes  80 
years  old  ;  dress  brought  from  Mex- 
ico in  1847. 

Mrs.  Elise  M.  Kennesly,  St.  Louis, 
a  sketch  in  pamphlet  form  in  1827 
of  her  father.  Dr.  Saugrain  ,  a  photo 
of  the  monument  of  Dr.  Saugrain's 
great-grandfatder  standing  in  the 
cemetery  of  Pere-la-Chaise,  Paris. 

J.  L.  Hayward,  Gen.  E.  W.  Lup- 
per's  sash ;  his  own  bady  cap  at  4 
months;  wedding  coat  of  Leonard 
Beck,  60  years  old,  made  by  the 
father  of  J.  L.  Hayward  ;  gourd  bot- 
tle made  in  1820. 

Mrs.  Priestly,  dish  65  years  old. 


Mrs.  Ella  Gordon,  a  smoothing 
iron  120  years  old,  and  a  tea  pot  147 
years  old. 

Mrs.  H.  N.  Hayward,  lace  shawl 
about  100  years  old;  winding-sheet, 
brought  from  Scotland  in  1802,  it  is 
18  feet  long  and  6  feet  wide ;  a  baby 
dress  in  which  herself  and  three 
sisters  were  christened  ;  a  beautiful 
fan  belonging  to  Miss  Isabel  Rodg- 
ers,  70  years  old  ;  a  coverlet  brought 
from  Scotland  in  1802. 

John  Lupton,  bottle  of  wine  made 
by  Rosina  LcClercq  in  1830. 

Mrs.  Fannie  Miles,  platter  and 
tablecloth  50  years  old,  woven  by 
Mrs.  Rodgers. 

Malbry  Hern,  a  Masonic  apron 
framed  by  Solomon  Hayward  over 
70  years  ago,  and  which  is  125  years 
old. 

G.  D.  McBride,  a  French  picture 
with  translation  of  great  age,  and 
of  Rio  College. 

Mrs.  E.  Westlake,  plate  250  years 
old. 

Robt.  Gates,  picture  of  Gen.  Geo. 
House. 

Mrs.  H.  H.  Jones,  wooden  tray  120 
years  old,  and  glass  dish  112  years 
old. 

Henry  House,  sword  captured  at 
Kickapoo  Bottom. 

Henry  Beall,  a  silver  spoon  used 
in  the  Revolutionary  War,  and  a 
paper  trunk  of  valuable  papers,  be- 
longing to  Col.  Strickler. 

Mrs.  Sam  Silverman,  a  Jewish 
Bible  picture  of  great  age;  knife 
and  fork  200  years  old  ;  a  Hebrew 
Bible  printed  in  1840;  cup  made  in 
1713;  sheet  300  years  old. 

Thos.  Arrington,  a  cane  G3  years 
old,  used  by  his  father. 

John  Alexander,  bottle  of  stream 


24 


Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [VOL.  3 


tin  and  lot  of  quartz  from  Black 
Hills;  saber  captured  by  himself  in 
deadly  conflict  at  Blacksburg,  Va., 
and  given  to  Capt.  Alexander  by 
special  order  of  Col.  Turle)-. 

Mrs.  Judge  Thomas,  a  platter  100 
years  old. 

James  Mullineaux,  Sen.,  Bible 
printed  in  1772. 

James  H.  Sauns,  a  bottle  of  water 
taken  from  the  center  of  the  Park 
in  flood  of  1884. 

Mrs.  G.  S.  Stevenson,  a  sugar 
bowl  200  years  old  ;  tin  sugar  bucket 
over  100  years  old. 

Capt.  W.  V.  Martin,  a  book  that  is 
C«inteunial  on  border  warfare. 

Mrs,  S.  Rodgers,  a  silk  bag  125 
years  old ;  needle  book  100  3'ears 
old  ;  great-grandmother's  belt  worn 
at  her  wedding  in  one  of  the  Block 
Houses  at  Harmar,  and  nearly  200 
years  old. 

Mr.  Ed  Gills  and  Miss  Clara  Hea- 
ton,  old  relics,  consisting  of  key  to 
first  Gallipolis  Jail,  belonging  to 
Claude  Pritchett;  pair  scissors  111 
years  old,  belonging  to  Mrs.  Marie 
McConnell ;  petrified  russet  apple 
125  years  old,  belonging  to  Miss 
Heaton ;  gold  key  with  heart,  be- 
longing to  Mrs.  Adelaide  Magnet, 
one  of  the  original  settlers,  who 
died  in  1889,  eighteen  days  short  of 
100  years  old,  her  picture,  and  many 
other  relics,  belonging  to  the  fam- 

Mrs.  S.  F.  Neal,  copy  of  the  Ulster 
County  (N.  Y.)  Gazette,  containing 
complete  account  of  circumstances, 
death  and  obituary  address  of  Presi- 
dent George  Washington,  dated  Jan- 
uary 4th,  1800;  also  a  Postal  Guide, 
showing  the  number  of  Postoffices 
in  the  U.  S.  in  1811,  to  be  only  2400. 


F.  E.  Duduit,  Portsmouth,  razors, 
solid  silver  spoons,  brought  from 
Paris  by  his  father. 

Marion  Beall,  Indian  relics,  fine 
collection. 

Picture  of  Mrs.  Adelaide  Magnet, 
who  came  here  when  5  years  old, 
and  died  just  short  of  100  years. 

Miss  Mary  Johnson,  skillet  100 
years  old. 

A.  E.  Jones,  plate,  95  years  old. 

Mrs.  E.  A.  Stanley,  teapot,  glass 
cane,  box  specimens,  the  teapot 
made  in  England  and  70  years  old. 

Mrs.  Sallie  Smith,  kettle  belong- 
ing to  Extra  Billy  Smith,  of  great 
age. 

A.  J.  Green,  whip  made  of  hoof 
and  horn  of  deer  in  1848. 

Jonas  McCarty,  flat  iron  used  in 
the  Revolutionary  War. 

Alex  Beatty,  Portsmouth,  candle- 
stick brought  to  America  in  1790. 

Jos.  Walter,  cartridge  box  used  in 
battle  of  Waterloo  ;.  tomahawk  100 
years  old,  and  Indian  relics. 

David  Irwin,  newspaper  of  1828. 

E.  M.  Shepard,  cane  belonging  to 
Col.  Robert  Saflford ;  scissors  pre- 
sented to  Col.  Safford  by  Col.  Tup- 
per  in  1795 ;  bellows  from  Quebec 
by  Col.  Robert  Safford. 

Mrs.  Hudson  Maddy,  cup  and  sau-- 
cer  100  years  old. 

Miss  Blanche  Cadot,  marriage  cer- 
tificate of  her  great-grandmother; 
lock  that  was  on  first  fort  in  Galli- 
polis. 

Jas.  Thomas,  Charity,  O.,  cash  box 
273  years  old. 

Ralph  C.  Jones,  cane  carried  by 
Col.  Safford  and  made  from  first 
tree  cut  on  the  site  of  Gallipolis. 

H.  U.  Maxon,  waiter  of  dishes  75 
years  old  ;  bag  very  old. 


The  Centennial  Celebration  at  Gallipolis. 


25 


Mrs.  Lalla  Moncure,  bottle  of 
water  from  River  Jordan. 

John  Morrison,  Indian  relics  and 
used  at  Andersonville. 

John  Nealon,  apron  100  years  old. 

Jas.  L.  Clark,  sabre  of  the  Revoln- 
tionary  war. 

Jos.  Walter,  five-dollar  bill  of  the 
old  Gallipolis  bank. 

Mrs.  S.  Brosius,  samples  embroid- 
ery (2  pieces),  painting  in  velvet, 
very  old,  no  date. 

Bevery  Grant,  pewter  spoons,  and 
novels  of  1780. 

C.  H.  D.  Summers,  male  and 
female  buffalo  horns,  captured  in 
Montana  by  Harry  and  Fred  Sum- 
mers. 

Mrs.  C.  Knapp,  beads  100  years  old. 

Mrs.  A.  McCormick,  bellows,  sea- 
weed, French  letter,  handkerchief, 
picture.  All  these  things  belonged 
to  ihe  Warth  family  and  are  very  old. 

Ellis  Swisher,  wolf-trap  over  100 
years  old. 

Mack  Spraguc,  sign,  auction,  200 
years  old;  mortar,  made  in  England 
in  1725;  books,  1828. 

Mrs.  C.  C.  Row,  Portsmouth,  silver 
snuff  box  made  in  France,  and 
brought  fom  there  100  years  ago. 

Mrs.  F.  M.  Womeldorff,  hackle 
and  flax  made  and  brought  from 
Ireland  over  8(5  years  ago  by  her 
grandmother. 

Mrs.  Isabel  Rodgers,  copper  kettle 
fO  years  old,  and  old  papers. 

Mrs.  Alex  Vance,  pan  and  andirons 
belonging  to  General  E.  W.  Tupper, 
and  Bible  139  years  old. 


Mrs.  Madeline  Langley,  John 
Peter  Roman  Bureau's  wedding  tie 
of  white  satin,  cigar  case,  beads, 
French  picture  (Virgin  Mary), 
handsome  snuff  box  with  the  Con- 
stitution of  the  United  States  on 
lid,  pearl  needle  case,  shell  box, 
coin,  spoon  and  various  articles  of 
age  belonging  to  Madeline  Fran- 
cis Charlotte  Bureau ;  watch-seal, 
breastpin  and  cane  belonging  to 
J.  P.  R.  Bureau;  needle  case  and  ret- 
icule belonging  to  Margaret  Hughes 
Bureau. 

Mrs.  Mary  Johnson,  skUlet  100 
years  old. 

EllaOlmstead,  steelyards  150  years 
old,  and  clock  made  of  different 
materials. 

J.  L.  W.  Evans,  tomahawk,  about 
200  years  old. 

Mrs.  Emma  Lang,  German  and 
English  Bible  and  table-cloth,  all 
100  years  old. 

Miss  Eily  Heisner,  sand-box, 
needle- book  and  turquoise  necklace 
used  during  the  Revolutionary 
War ;  night-cap  58  years  old,  owned 
by  Mrs.  Charles  Creuzet. 

J.  M.  Davis,  Nehemiah  and  Par- 
melia  Atwood's  pictures,  the  found- 
ers and  endowers  of  Rio  Grande 
College. 

Flora  Jackson,  book  of  poetry  of 
1810:  Wm.  Diamond,  author,  beau- 
tiful book. 

Hattie  Miles,  Chinese  idols  from 
Foo-Chin,  China. 

S.  R.  Davis,  ancient  coin  found  \y. 
West  Virginia. 


26  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 

OPENING   ADDRESS    BY    HON.    HORACE    R.    BRADBURY,   MAYOR    OF 
GALLIPOLIS. 

Felloiv- Citizens,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen : 

As  the  official  head  of  this  city,  representing  the  people  of 
Gallipolis,  in  their  behalf  and  in  behalf  of  the  Executive  Com- 
mittee, by  whom  this  Centennial  celebration  has  been  projected 
and  managed  thus  far,  and  while  welcoming  other  distinguished 
guests,  it  becomes  my  pleasant  duty  to  extend  an  especial  wel- 
come to  the  members  of  the  Historical  Society  of  this  State. 

Gentlemen  and  ladies  of  the  State  Historical  Society,  I 
therefore  extend  to  you  the  sincere  and  cordial  greetings  of  the 
citizens  of  Gallipolis,  and  I  assure  you  that  our  people  are  united 
in  extending  this  welcome,  and  we,  one  and  all,  hope  that  your 
stay  among  us  may  be  pleasant  and  your  labors  profitable. 

When,  one  hundred  years  ago,  a  handful  of  settlers,  voyag- 
ing down  the  beautiful  river  which  flows  at  our  feet,  rounded-to 
their  primitive  vessels  and  landed  at  this  spot,  no  such  welcome 
as  this  was  extended  to  them.  The  place  whereon  we  stand  was 
a  part  of  the  wilderness  extending  northwardly  to  the  great 
lakes,  and  the  only  welcome  they  received  was  that  extended  by 
the  savage  wild  beasts  and  still  more  savage  wild  men  who 
roamed  therein  unchallenged. 

These  pioneers  left  civilization  and  its  comforts  and  con- 
veniences behind  them;  they  found  before  them  untamed  natives, 
requiring  infinite  and  exhausting  labor  to  subdue.  What  hopes 
animated,  what  fears  and  doubts  depressed  them? 

But  it  is  no  part  of  my  duty  to  recount  the  trials  of  these 
men  —  how  they  succeeded  or  where  they  failed  —  this  is  the  duty 
of  other  and  abler  minds.  They  will  tell  you  how  the  wilderness 
was  subdued,  how  the  forests  gave  way  before  the  sturdy  blows 
of  the  pioneers,  and  how  cities  and  towns  arose  and  flourished, 
and  smiling  farms  made  glad  the  waste  places;  how  our  beloved 
State  arose  from  humble  beginnings,  her  destinies  guided  by  the 
worthy  sons  of  noble  sires,  to  shine  the  bright  particular  stars, 
in  the  glorious  galaxy  of  States  evolved  from  the  great  North- 
west Territory ;  all  this  and  much  more  will  pertain  to  the  duties 


The  Century  and  Its  Lessons.  21 

of  the  distinguished  gentletneti  whom  we  have  assembled  here 
to  greet. 

This  city  of  ours  has  in  time  sent  forth  her  sons  and  daugh- 
ters, who,  with  willing  hands  and  strong  hearts,  have  engaged  in 
founding  other  cities  and  States,  thus  following  the  noble  ex- 
ample set  by  their  ancestors.  Many  of  these  sons  and  daughters 
have  returned  in  response  to  invitations  cordially  extended;  and 
I  desire  to  say  to  them,  as  well  as  the  strangers  within  our  gates, 
we  extend  a  thousand  hearty,  cordial  welcomes  to  you  all. 

This  gavel,  which  I  hold  in  my  hand,  and  with  which  this 
assembly  was  called  to  order,  is  of  some  historic  interest;  the 
wood  of  which  it  is  made  is  a  portion  of  a  log  taken  from  one  of 
the  first  cabins  built  for  the  French  emigrants  at  Gallipolis. 
This  wood  is  emblematical  of  the  trials,  suffering  and  hardships 
endured  b}^  our  forefathers  in  making  possible  the  great  advance 
in  the  arts  and  sciences  made  by  their  descendants,  this  advance 
being  fully  represented  by  the  beautiful  silver  binding  of  the 
gavel  and  the  inscription  thereon. 

Again,  I  bid  \o\x  all  thrice  welcome. 

At  the  conclusion  of  this  address,  a  selection  of  music  was 
given  by  the  band,  after  which  Mayor  Bradbury  introduced  Dr. 
N.  J.  Morrison,  of  Marietta  College,  who  spoke  on  the  topic  "A 
Century  and  its  Les.sons.'" 

THE    CENTURY    AXD    ITS    LESSONS. 

Each  century  of  human  history  is  marked  by  a  train  of 
peculiar  events,  characterized  by  its  own  peculiar  spirit,  gives 
birth  to  its  own  family  offspring  of  ideas,  and  bequeaths  to  after- 
ages  a  heritage  of  peculiar  and  instructive  lessons. 

Thus  the  philosophic  historian  characterizes  one  centurj^  as 
an  age  of  intellectual  and  political  decadence  and  another  as  an 
age  of  intellectual  and  political  renaisance;  this  century  as  a 
period  of  Augustan  brilliancy  in  Letters  and  that  as  a  period  of 
Invention  and  Discovery. 

And  so  we  call  the  Eleventh  Century  of  our  era  the  "  Age 
of  the  Crusades,"  when  a  wave  of  religious  and  martial  fanatic- 
ism swept  from  West  to  East  over  all  Europe  and  culminated  in 


28  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 

overwhelming  the  Moslem  power  in  the  Land  of  the  Cross,  and 
crowning  Baldwin,  Count  of  Flanders,  as  Christian  King  of  Jeru- 
salem, just  as  the  Clock  of  Time  was  striking  the  morning  hour 
of  the  year  1100. 

The  Thirteenth  Century  is  distinguished  in  European  his- 
tory from  all  precedent  and  subsequent  ages,  by  the  develop- 
ment and  perfection  of  that  matchless  form  of  Christian  Archi- 
tecture, known  as  the  Gothic  Cathedral.  York  Minster,  West- 
minster Abbey  and  Salisbury  Cathedral  in  England;  the  Notre 
Dame  of  Paris,  and  the  Cathedral  of  Rheims  in  France,  and  the 
Cathedrals  of  Strasbourg  and  Cologne  in  Germany,  each  a  speci- 
men of  "  poetry  crystalized  into  stone,"  are  illustrious  examples 
of  the  almost  inspired  skill  of  the  church-builders  of  the  Thir- 
teenth Century. 

The  Sixteenth  Century,  introduced  in  1492-98  by  the  Colum- 
bian discovery  of  the  New  World,  is  marked  throughout  by  the 
influence  of  the  most  tremendous  intellectual  awakening  and 
intellectual  commotion  which  the  world  has  yet  experienced. 
This  was  the  period  of  Copernicus,  Tycho  Brahe  and  Galileo  in 
Astronomy,  and  of  the  resulting  revolution  in  men's  ideas  about 
the  system  of  the  universe.  Then  also  the  Art  of  Painting 
reached  its  perfection  in  the  works  of  the  three  great  masters, 
Michael  Angelo,  Leonardo  da  Vinci,  and  Ranzio.  It  was  the 
Elizabethan  era  of  Literature  and  Philosophy  in  England.  It 
was  also  the  era  of  Luther,  Calvin,  Knox  and  Loyola,  and  the 
great  religious  revolutions  and  counter-revolutions,  which  these 
hi.storic  names  signify. 

This  Nineteenth  Century  has  its  stream  of  characteristic 
events,  moved  by  its  own  forces,  along  its  own  channels,  toward 
its  own  predetermined  end.  We  call  this  the  "  Age  of  the  Peo- 
ple,"—  meaning  that  mankind  have  at  last  reached  that  stage  in 
their  toilsome  progress,  when  the  bonds  of  hereditary  authority 
and  prescriptive  privilege  are  broken,  and  men  are  moving  for- 
ward into  the  full  enjoyment  of  an  equality  in  personal  liberty, 
equality  in  civil  rights,  and  equality  in  opportunity. 

Properly  regarded,  the  present  century  begins  with  the  last 
ten  years  of  the  Eighteenth  Century.  In  that  decade,  events  of 
such  momentous  importance  took  place  in  one  quarter  of   the 


The  Century  and  Its  Lesso7is.  29 

world,  as  to  give  permanent  impulse,  character  and  direction  to 
the  course  of  civilization  since.  It  was  then  that  Democracy 
burst  its  Mediaeval  fetters  and  marched  forth  from  the  prison- 
house  of  ages,  as  a  strong  man  armed,  upon  the  stage  of  human 
affairs  to  rule  the  world. 

The  French  Revolution  of  1789  set  in  motion  political  and 
social  forces  which  have  dominated  and  given  character  to  the 
course  of  human  events  during  the  century  since.  It  will  aid  us 
in.  estimating  the  influence  of  these  forces  and  in  rightly  inter- 
preting the  "  Lessons  of  the  Century,"  if  we  briefly  recapitulate 
the  causes  of  the  Revolution.  These  are  commonly  ascribed  by 
historians  to  the  tyranny  and  reckless  extravagance  of  the  reign- 
ing Bourbon  monarchy;  the  iniquitous  privileges  and  corruption 
of  the  nobility  and  clergy ;  the  unspeakable  misery  of  the  mass 
of  the  people;  and  the  revolutionary  spirit  of  contemporary 
French  philosophy  and  literature. 

The  French  king  held  in  his  own  despotic  power  the  pro- 
perty, liberty  and  life  of  every  subject,  enacting  the  spirit  of 
that  arrogant  phrase  of  Louis  XIV,  "I  am  the  State."  He 
imprisoned  without  trial  and  without  preferring  charges;  gov- 
erned without  cabinet  or  legislature,  —  the  royal  edicts  were 
laws;  imposed  taxes  according  to  the  royal  whim,  or  at  the  beck 
of  a  corrupt  courtier,  that  were  spoliation  and  confiscation  on  the 
property  of  the  hapless  people; — and  the  revenues  thus  obtained 
were  squandered  in  extravagances  and  debaucheries  that  would 
shame  a  Turkish  Sultan.  One  writer  declares  that  "Louis  XV 
probably  spent  more  money  on  his  harem  than  on  any  depart- 
ment of  the  French  Government." 

In  1790  the  nobilit}^  of  France  comprised  one  quarter  million 
of  souls  in  a  population  of  25,000,000  in  the  nation.  They  were 
mainly  the  "  Rubbish  of  Mediaeval  Feudalism,"  living  in  idleness 
and  dissipation  at  the  Court,  and  pensioners  on  the  royal  bounty. 
Though  numerically  .scarcely  one  one-hundreth  part  of  the 
French  people,  they  monopolized  more  than  one-fifth  of  all  the 
land.  They  were  the  "absentee"  landlords  of  the  time,  exact- 
ing exorbitant  rents  from  the  poor  tenants  of  their  estates  with 
remorseless  rigor.     And  yet,  though  thus  supported  from  the 


30  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Ptiblications.        [Vol.  3 

public  revenue  and  holding  vast  territories  of  the  richest  land, 
they  were  practically  exempt  from  the  burden  of  public  taxation. 

The  French  clergy  constituted  a  decayed  feudal  hierarchy, 
enormously  wealthy;  the  higher  stations,  filled  with  scions  from 
the  nobility,  "Patrician  Prelates,"  often  of  the  most  dissolute 
morals,  of  whom  the  famous  Talleyrand,  at  once  secular  Prince 
and  Primate  of  the  Gallican  Church,  is  an  instructive  exarnple; 
the  clergy  holding  title  to  one-third  of  all  the  lands  of  France, 
and  receiving  stipends  from  the  public  exchequer,  yet  privileged 
with  exemption  from  the  public  burthens. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  "plain,  common  people,"  the  mass 
of  the  French  nation,  oppressed  and  despoiled  through  many 
generations  by  King  and  Court  and  Clergy,  were  reduced  to  a 
condition  of  suffering  penury.  As  the  great  Fenelon  wrote  in 
an  appeal  to  the  King,  "  France  is  simply  a  great  hospital,  full 
of  woe  and  empty  of  bread."  They  were  helots, — without  in- 
fluence in  the  State,  without  power  or  hope  of  redress  for  their 
wrongs,  their  only  "  Use  to  the  State  to  pay  feudal  duties  to  the 
lords,  tithes  to  the  priest  and  imposts  to  the  king." 

To  these  primary  causes  of  the  impending  catastrophe  of 
the  kingdom  of  Louis  XVI,  must  be  added  the  great  influence 
on  the  opinions  of  Frenchmen,  during  the  last  half  of  the 
Eighteenth  Century,  of  the  philosophical  writings  of  Voltaire, 
Rousseau  and  the  Encyclopaedists  generally.  Their  philosophy 
was  sceptical,  iconoclastic,  subversive  of  the  existing  order. 
They  assailed  with  undiscriminating  ardor  the  abuses  which  had 
barnacled  on  existing  institutions  and  the  institutions  them- 
selves. Religion,  the  State,  society  itself,  in  their  view,  needed 
not  reformation  merely  but  an  overturning.  To  restore  the  lost 
purity  and  happiness  of  mankind,  society  must  return  to  the 
state  of  nature.  They  entered  upon  a  crusade  for  the  recovery 
of  Human  Rights. 

By  the  winter  of  1787,  the  financial  disorders  of  the  king- 
dom reached  a  crisis, —  there  was  a  deficiency  of  140,000,000 
francs.  The  King  called  an  assembly  of  the  Notables,  who  had 
not  been  previously  summoned  since  the  days  of  Henry  of 
Navarre,  in  the  Sixteenth  Century,  But,  unwilling  to  tax 
themselves,  or  to  surrender  for  the  general  good  any  of  their 


The  Century  and  Its  Lessotis.  31 

immunities  and  prerogatives,  they  adjourned  without  accom- 
plishing anything.  As  a  last  resort,  Louis  XVIth  resolved  to 
convoke  the  States  General,  comprising  representatives  of  the 
three  orders  of  the  State,  the  Nobility,  the  Clergy  and  the  Com- 
mons. This  body,  representing  the  French  Nation  at  large,  had 
not  before  been  invited  to  take  part  iu  the  government  for  175 
years.  During  all  this  period  the  King  and  his  Court  had  gov- 
erned France  alone. 

The  States  General  met  at  the  Palace  in  Versailles,  May 
5th,  1789,  and  consisted  of  1200  members,  of  whom  a  majority 
were  from  the  commons,  the  lesser  half  being  divided  about 
equally  between  the  nobility  and  the  clergy.  The  King  had 
consented  that  the  "Third  Estate,"  as  the  comnions  were  called, 
should  outnumber  the  aristocratic  deputies,  presuming  on  the 
continuance  of  the  ancient  usage  of  the  States  General,  accord- 
ing to  which  voting  was  by  the  orders.  But  the  Third  Estate, 
perceiving  that  they  would  be  outvoted  and  powerless,  and  feel- 
ing that  they  were  backed  by  the  public  sentiment  of  the  nation, 
demanded  that  individuals,  and  not  orders,  should  be  counted  in 
the  deliberations  and  decisions  of  the  States  General. 

For  five  weeks  the  contest  went  on  between  the  orders  in 
the  States  General  when  finally  the  Third  Estate  declared  them- 
selves the  National  Assembly,  and  invited  the  two  orders  to  join 
them  in  their  deliberations,  giving  them  clearly  to  understand 
tliat  if  they  declined,  the  commons  would  proceed  to  transact 
public  business  without  them. 

The  King,  in  anger  at  this  revolutionary  proceeding, 
promptly  prorogued  the  Assembly  and  closed  the  doors  of  the 
Palace  against  the  deputies.  Undismayed,  the  Commons  met  in 
tennis  court  of  the  Palace,  and  there  bound  themselves  by 
a  solemn  oath  never  to  separate  until  they  had  given  a  constitu- 
tion to  France.  Shut  out  from  the  Palace  the  deputies  found 
places  of  meeting  in  the  churches,  where  they  were  soon  joined 
by  a  great  part  of  the  clerical  deputies,  and  a  little  later  b> 
many  nobles.  On  the  17th  day  of  June,  1789,  the  States  Gen- 
eral became  in  reality  the  National  Assembly,  its  President,  in 
welcoming  the  adhesion  of  the  other  orders,  exclaiming,  "This 


32  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Voi,.  3 

day  will  be  illustrious  iu  our  annals  ;  it  renders  the  family  com- 
plete." 

Meanwhile  events  of  startling  moment  are  matunng.  The 
King  masses  troops  around  Versailles  to  overawe  the  National 
Assembly.  The  rumor  reaches  Paris  that  he  intends  to  disperse 
the  assembly  by  force  of  arms.  The  capital  is  in  a  ferment. 
Leading  men  from  the  various  wards  of  the  city  come  together 
and  constitute  themselves  a  Provisional  Committee  to  protect  the 
city's  interest  and  direct  its  government, — thereby  creating  the 
germ,  out  of  which  speedily  grew  the 'Paris  Commune  of  such 
portentous  power  and  tendency.  The  National  Guard,  so  famous 
in  the  after  wars  of  the  Republic  and  the  Empire,  is  organized 
and,  with  Lafayette  at  its  head,  placed  under  the  direction  of  the 
Commune.  Rumor  flies  among  the  people  that  the  guns  of  the 
old  Bastile,  that  grim  mediaeval  prison-house  of  tyranny,  are 
being  trained  on  the  city.  "To  the  Bastile!"  wildly  shout  the 
excited  multitude.  And  quickly  a  vast,  armed,  infuriated  mob 
have  surrounded  the  fortress,  battered  in  the  doors,  slain  the 
defenders,  liberated  the  imprisoned,  razed  its  towers  and  walls  to 
the  ground.  The  fourteenth  of  July,  1789,  has  sounded.  Paris 
is  in  the  hands  of  an  armed  mob. 

When  the  report  of  this  outbreak  in  the  Capital  reaches  the 
King,  he  cries  out:  "What,  a  rebellion?"  "No,  Sire,"  "but 
revolution." 

When  the  news  of  this  great  event  reaches  the  National 
Assembly  a  scene  transpires,  the  like  of  which  the  world  has 
never  witnessed  in  any  deliberative  bod5\  The  privileged  orders 
realize  that  it  is  all  over  with  their  exclusive  privileges.  Rising  in 
the  tribune,  prominent  members  of  the  nobility  declare  theii 
willingness  to  renounce  all  exemptions.  A  contagious  enthusi- 
asm of  generosity  seizes  the  members.  Nobles  and  prelates 
crowd  to  the  tribune  to  emulate  this  patriotic  example.  Every- 
body is  eager  to  :>nake  sacrifices  for  the  common  good.  The 
members  embrace  each  other  in  transports  of  joy,  and  sing 
the  Te  Deuni  in  celebration  of  the  advent  among  men  of  peace, 
equality  and  good-will. 

The  revolution  moves  on  with  quickening  pace.  The 
Parisian  mob,  led  by  frenzied  Amazons,  stream  out  of  the  city  to 


The   Century  and  Its  Lessons.  33 

Versailles,  encamp  about  the  Royal  Palace  for  the  night,  and  in 
the  morning  assault  and  sack  the  Palace,  and  compel  the  King, 
the  Royal  Family  and  the  National  Assembly  to  march  back  with 
them  to  Paris.  And  thus  is  made  "the  joyous  entry  of  October 
6th,  1789,"  famous  in  the  annals  of  the  Revolution. 

From  this  time  the  Paris  Commune  controls  in  public 
affairs,  holding  the  King  hostage  in  the  Tuilleries,  and  dictating 
legislation  to  the  National  Assembly.  The  Assembly  votes  to 
curtail  the  Royal  prerogative,  to  confiscate  the  accumulated 
wealth  of  the  Church,  to  abolish  the  religious  orders,  and  to  give 
universal  suffrage  to  the  people,  meanwhile  busying  itself  with 
the  task  of  framing  a  free  Constitution  for  France. 

Presently  the  Constitution,  providing  for  the  continuance  of 
the  Monarchy,  limited  by  a  National  Legislature,  for  an  inde- 
pendent judiciary,  for  local  self-government  throughout  the 
realm,  for  the  election  of  all  civil  officers  by  the  people,  for  the 
abolition  of  rank  and  privilege  and  the  installation  of  equality 
among  citizens,  for  a  free  press  and  absolute  freedom  of  religion, 
is  offered  to  the  Nation  for  solemn  ratification.  On  the  14th  day 
of  July,  1790,  in  the  Champs  de  Mars,  "in  the  presence  of  half 
a  million  Frenchmen,"  the  Abbe  Talleyrand  as  representative  of 
the  National  Church;  Lafayette  as  Commander  of  the  National 
Guard,  the  President  of  the  National  Assembly,  and  the  King, 
in  succession  take  oath  to  maintain  this  Constitution ;  the  Queen 
also  holding  up  the  infant  Crown  Prince  before  the  eyes  of  the 
people,  and  pledging  his  future  fidelity  to  that  instrument. 

Such  solemn  approval  of  the  new  civil  institutions  of  France 
by  the  several  national  powers,  seemed,  at  first,  to  mark  the 
inauguration  of  a  millenial  era  of  political  freedom  and  brother- 
hood; the  spirit  of  the  transcendant  motto  of  the  Revolution, 
"Liberty,  Equality,  Fraternity,"  seemed  about  to  be  realized. 

But  the  King,  tiring  of  his  confinement  in  the  Tuilleries, 
secretly  leaves  Paris  and  attempts  to  fly  from  France ;  is  caught 
at  the  frontier,  brought  back,  incarcerated,  cited  to  trial  as 
a  conspirator  against  the  public  safetj',  condemned,  beheaded. 
The  Republic  is  proclaimed;  the  massacres  of  the  "Bloody 
Reign  of  Terror"  follow.  The  hapless  Mary  Antoinette  is 
brought  to  the  guillotine,  pathetically  crying  out  to  the  tribunal 

Vol.  Ill— 3 


34  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 

which  had  condemned  her:  "  I  was  a  Queen,  but  you  took  away 
my  crown;  a  wife,  and  you  killed  my  husband;  a  mother,  and 
you  robbed  me  of  my  children ;  my  blood  alone  remains — take 
it,  but  do  not  make  me  suffer  long!" 

The  historical  sequel  is  familiar — the  Directory,  the  Consul- 
ate the  Empire,  the  prolonged  struggle  with  embattled  Europe, 
until  Waterloo,  and  then  the  restored  Bourbons  under  Louis 
XVIII. 

I  have  tarried  thus  long  in  the  presence  of  these  great 
events,  because  they  have  so  largely  dominated  and  shaped  the 
course  of  human  affairs  since.  The  motto  of  the  Revolution, 
"Liberty,  Equality,  Fraternity,"  embodies  the  political  ideal  of 
humanity,  and  toward  the  attainment  of  that  ideal  have  the 
struggles  of  humanity  since  been  directed.  The  political 
progress  of  the  century  is  but  the  progressive  realization  in 
society  of  this  ideal. 

Thus  the  Revolution  gave  the  coup  dc  grace  to  feudalism  in 
all  its  forms;  ecclesiastical,  vassal  and  lord,  military  service,  land 
tenure  and  prerogative  by  inheritance. 

The  "divine  right  of  kings"  received  mortal  hurt  by  the 
same  stroke  that  slew  its  twin  offspring  of  the  Middle  Ages  — 
Feudalism.  Monarchy  has  never  recovered  from  the  rude  shock 
given  it  by  the  fall  of  Louis  XVI.  Throughout  Christendom  — 
save  Russia  —  wherever  sceptered  monarchy  still  lags  "super- 
fluous" on  the  world's  stage,  kings  have  learned  that  they  reign, 
if  at  all,  only  as  "citizen"  kings  deriving  authority  from  the 
consent  of  the  governed.  Since  the  days  when  the  holy  alliance 
of  Austria,  Russia  and  Prussia  was  formed  on  the  downfall  of 
Napoleon,  to  prop  up  the  tottering  thrones  of  Europe,  half  the 
nations  of  the  world  have  throv/n  off  the  trammels  of  monarchy 
and  become  republics  ;  and  the  other  half  only  await  favorable 
opportunity  to  follow  their  example. 

The  nineteenth  century  is  an  era  of  revolution.  Not  a 
country  of  Europe  or  America  has,  since  the  day  of  Waterloo, 
remained  unshaken.  Scarcely  had  the  holy  alliance  replaced  the 
expelled  Bourbons  on  their  forfeited  thrones,  when  the  people 
of  Italy,  of  Spain  and  Spanish  America  rose  in  revolt.  In  1830 
another    revolutionary    wave    swept   over    Europe,   lifting   the 


The  Century  and  Its  Lessons.  35 

'■'citizen"  king  to  the  throne  of  F'rance  and  inaugurating  a  neW 
kingdom  in  Belgium  of  the  most  liberal  tendencies.  In  1848 
again  all  Europe  trembled  in  the  throes  of  civil  convulsions. 
The  boundaries  of  States  were  changed,  kindred  peoples  arbi- 
trarily separated  coalesced,  and  political  institutions  were  genef^ 
ally  liberalized.  Hungary  sought  national  autonomy,  and  gained 
political  equipoise  with  her  rival  and  late  eneni}'  in  the  dual 
Empire  of  Austria-Hungary. 

Many  of  the  uprisings  of  the  people  during  this  period  have 
indeed  aborted  and  been  suppressed  in  blood;  and  yet,  plainly 
the  aggregate  result  of  all  these  revolutions  and  revolts  of 
nearly  a  century  is  the  vindication  of  human  rights  and  the  ad- 
vancement of  human  freedom. 

The  hundred  years  that  expire  to-day  have  been  a  century 
of  emancipation.  At  its  dawning,  the  echo  of  the  Marseillaise, 
sung  by  the  conquering  legions  of  Republican  France,  heard 
across  the  seas,  rou.sed  the  black  slaves  in  the  French  West 
Indies  to  strike  for  freedom.  The  eloquent  pleadings  of  Gran- 
ville Sharp,  Wilberforce  and  Brougham  in  Parliament,  finally  im- 
pelled the  British  government,  in  1833,  to  break  the  shackles  of 
every  slave  on  British  soil,  decreeing  England's  eternal  reproba- 
tion of  the  ' '  wild  and  guilty  phantasy  that  man  can  hold  prop- 
erty in  man."  In  1861  Alexander  of  Russia  put  his  seal  to  a 
state  paper  of  transcendent  human  importance,  by  which  46,- 
000,000  Russian  serfs,  slaves  of  the  soil,  have  attained  to  free- 
dom. By  the  fortunate  issue  of  our  own  terrible  civil  war,  in- 
voked by  human  selfishness  to  perpetuate  American  slavery, 
4,000,000  human  chattels  on  our  soil  have  been  transformed  into 
free  men,  endowed  with  full  citizenship.  And  lately,  by  the 
great  act  of  the  enlightened  ruler  of  Brazil,  African  slavery 
in  that  country  has  ceased  to  exist,  and  vanished,  finally,  from 
the  soil  of  the  American  continent. 

The  present  century  has  been  made  illustrious  by  the  re- 
naissance and  rehabilitation  of  ancient  nationalities.  In  the 
third  decade,  the  public  life  and  literature  of  England  and 
America  thrilled  with  the  heroic  story  of  the  Greeks  striking  for 
freedom  from  Turkish  despotism,  and  for  the  restoration  of  the 
commonwealth  of  Pericles  and   Epaminondas.     Italy,  since  the 


$6  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications .        [Vol.  3 

days  of  Charlemagne,  the  victim  of  internal  dissensions  and  the 
sport  of  Transalpine  greed,  combining  her  previously  dissevered 
members  into  one  body,  has  again  become  a  nation,  under  one 
political  constitution,  from  the  Alps  to  Sicily — independent, 
free,  progressive.  And  the  historic  people  of  the  German 
States,  boasting  one  language  and  one  noble  literature,  but 
for  centuries  broken  into  an  unstable  chaos  of  political  frag- 
ments, feeble,  discordant,  often  belligerent,  and  always  the  easy 
prey  of  harpy  nations  around,  led  by  the  "Man  of  Blood  and 
Iron,"  have  recently  coalesced  in  the  gigantic  Military  Empire 
of  revived  and  united  Germany. 

No  feature  of  the  Nineteenth  Century  is  more  striking  than 
the  development  of  Parliamentary  government.  When  the  Great 
Revolution  opened  Parliamentary  rule  existed  only  among  Eng- 
lish-speaking peoples  in  Great  Britain  and  America.  The  irre- 
sponsible despots  of  France  had  not  consulted  the  people  in 
legislation  for  two  hundred  years.  But  now,  at  a  century  from 
the  storming  of  the  Bastile,  Russia,  alone,  of  all  Christian  pow- 
ers, is  ruled  without  the  intervention  of  a  legislature  chosen  by 
the  people  and  for  the  people. 

And  as  the  people  have  thus,  by  their  representatives,  ac- 
quired authority  and  the  functions  of  government,  in  like  pro- 
portion has  legislation  been  ameliorated  and  fitted  to  conserve 
the  rights  and  the  interests  of  the  people.  Formerly  laws  were 
promulgated  by  the  classes  for  themselves ;  now  the  masses  con- 
trol in  statute-making,  or  are  coming  to  control.  In  America 
and  in  Western  Europe  men  are  now  substantially  equal  before 
the  law.  A  century  ag^  the  judges  of  England  concurred  in 
this  dictum  of  one  of  them  —  "  There  is  no  regenerating  a  felon 
in  this  life;  and  for  his  sake,  as  well  as  for  the  sake  of  society,  I 
think  it  better  to  hang!"  They  did  "hang"  for  nearly  every 
offense  known  to  English  law.  Contrast  the  spirit  of  this  hor- 
rible maxim  of  jurists  theii  with  the  humane  spirit  of  the  laws 
and  the  humane  practice  of  the  Courts  of  England  and  America 
to-day. 

The  present  is  par  excellence  the  age  of  discovery  in  science 
and  of  invention  in  the  useful  arts.  The  eloquent  panegyric  of 
Macaulay  on  Science,  as  applied  to  the  arts  in  promoting  human 


The  Century  and  Its  Lessons.  37 

ivelfare,  is  justified,  and  more  than  justified  by  the  facts  about 
us:  "Science  has  lengthened  Hfe;  it  has  mitigated  pain;  it  has 
extinguished  diseases;  it  has  increased  the  fertilit}^  of  the  soil; 
it  has  given  new  securities  to  the  mariner;  it  has  furnished  new 
arms  to  the  warrior;  it  has  spanned  great  rivers  and  estuaries 
with  bridges  of  form  unknown  to  our  fathers;  it  has  guided  the 
thunderbolt  innocuously  from  heaven  to  earth ;  it  has  lighted  up 
the  night  with  the  splendor  of  the  day;  it  has  extended  the  range 
of  the  human  vision ;  it  has  multiplied  the  power  of  the  human 
muscles;  it  has  annihilated  distance;  it  has  facilitated  intercourse, 
correspondence,  all  friendl)^  offices,  all  dispatch  of  business;  it 
has  enabled  man  to  descend  to  the  depths  of  the  sea,  to  soar  into 
the  air,  to  penetrate  securely  into  the  noxious  recesses  of  the 
earth,  to  traverse  the  land  in  cars  which  whirl  along  without 
horses,  to  cross  the  ocean  in  ships  which  run  ten  knots  an  hour 
against  the  wind."  And  all  these  achievements  of  science,  and 
others  since  Macaulay  still  more  wonderful,  have  accrued  to  the 
benefit  and  glory  of  inankind  since  the  Great  Revolution 

Consider  a  few  familiar  contrasts  between  then  and  now: 
There  were  then  no  locomotives,  no  railroads,  no  steam  ships,  no 
telegraphs,  telephones,  or  phonographs ;  no  power  printing  press, 
no  stereotype,  no  electrotype;  no  hard  rubber  with  its  ten  thou- 
sand admirable  utilities;  no  known  utility  of  the  then  tameless 
power  of  frictional  electricity,  which  now  swiftly  draws  our  car- 
riages by  day,  and  lights  up  with  the  splendor  of  the  sun  our 
streets  and  houses  by  night;  no  photography;  no  spectroscope 
to  analyze  the  beams  of  the  sun  and  the  far  off  twinkle  of  the 
fiyid  stars,  and  no  microscope  to  reveal  to  human  ken  the  infini- 
tude of  organized  beings  which  float  unseen  by  us  in  the  air  we 
breathe  and  swim  in  the  water  that  we  drink;  no  agricultural 
machines  for  the  farm.  It  took  Washington  eight  days  to  journey 
from  Mt=  Vernon  to  New  York  to  be  inaugurated  First  President. 
Our  present  Chief  Magistrate  makes  the  same  journey  to  cele- 
brate the  Centennial  of  Washington's  inauguration  in  less  than 
eight  hours.  The  French  immigrants,  whom  we  honor  to-day, 
were  longer  in  making  their  toilsome  journey'  from  Alexandria 
to  this  place,  than  Miss  Bisland  lately  required  to  travel  round 
the  globe. 


38  Ohio  Arch    and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  % 

I  should  seem  waiitiug  iu  due  honor  for  the  profession  to 
whose  service  I  have  given  my  life,  if,  in  this  hasty  resume  of 
some  of  "the  lessons  of  the  century,"  I  should  accord  no  place 
to  the  progress  of  education. 

In  the  year  1809,  when,  by  the  Peace  of  Tilsit  between  Na- 
poleon and  Alexander  with  his  allies,  Prussia  was  left  dismem- 
bered, stripped  of  half  her  territory,  her  military  power  broken, 
her  exchequer  bankrupt,  her  people  beggared  by  devastating  war 
and  disheartened,  two  of  her  statesmen,  William  Von  Humboldt 
and  Baron  Stein,  set  themselves  to  the  great  task  of  national  re- 
generation and  recovery ;  and  they  began  their  work  of  rebuild- 
ing Prussia  at  the  point  where  skillful  architects  of  States  must 
always  base  the  foundations  of  their  edifices  —  z;z  the  education 
of  the  people.  They  founded  the  University  of  Berlin,  at  the 
moment  of  the  lowest  ebb  in  the  life  of  the  nation,  which  has 
now  grown  into  the  dignity  of  the  most  powerful  University 
known  to  history.  They  reorganized  the  whole  system  of  public 
instruction  and  provided  that  every  Prussian  child  not  only  might 
but  actually  should  attain  to  a  fair  education.  And  to  their  plan 
instituted  in  the  crisis  of  Prussia,  publicists  tell  us  Prussia  owes 
her  remarkable  advance  among  modern  nations,  her  invincible 
military  prowess,  her  primacy  in  founding  and  directing  the 
destiny  of  the  German  Empire. 

The  liberalizing  of  the  political  institutions  of  Western 
Europe  has  been  accompanied  with  widespread  revival  in  public 
education.  Provision  for  the  education  of  all  the  children  of 
the  State  is  now  an  accepted  maxim  of  government  in  all  en- 
lightened nations.  And  in  America  how  the  galaxy  of  colleges, 
starting  with  Harvard,  has  spread  as  a  zone  of  living  light 
across  the  broad  firmament  of  the  continent.  And  how  the  in- 
stitution of  the  common  schools,  offspring  of  Puritan  parentage, 
at  first  slowly  following  the  New  England  emigrant  in  his  march 
to  the  Pacific,  has  lately,  by  the  overthrow  of  its  deadly  enemy, 
slavery,  hastened  southward  and  captured  the  country.  And 
to-day  every  State,  from  ocean  to  ocean,  and  from  the  lakes  to 
the  gulf,  wills  that  every  child  within  its  bounds  shall  enjoy  the 
blessings  of  education. 

And  with  this  progress  of  the  nations  during  the  last  hun- 


The  Century  ajid  Its  Lessons.  39 

dred  years  in  respect  to  larger  freedom,  better  legislation,  more 
general  and  improved  education,  in  discovery  in  science,  in  in- 
vention, in  the  arts,  what  advancement  in  national  and  indi- 
vidual wealth!  The  Golden  Era  has  dawned,  if  by  that  is 
meant  an  age  of  accumulated  and  accumulating  wealth.  How 
the  comforts  and  elegancies  of  life  have  multiplied,  and  how 
widely  are  they  distributed.  Men  generally  live  far  more  ration- 
ally, as  if  endowed  with  a  more  than  animal  nature,  than  ever 
before.  This  is  a  grand  age  —  a  privilege  to  live  in  and  be  a 
part  of  it.  We  may  not  produce  statues  that  can  rival  the 
work  of  Phidias ;  we  may  have  no  painter  that  can  limn  like 
Raphael ;  the  age  builds  no  gothic  cathedrals  to  vie  with  Milan 
and  Cologne.  We  do  better  than  all  this — we  dedicate  our 
highest  powers  to  the  production  of  agencies  by  which  the 
higher  well-being  of  the  average  man  may  be  promoted.  Our 
works  of  art  are  the  cotton  gin,  the  locomotive,  the  power  press, 
bridges  for  commerce  across  the  straits  of  the  seas,  tunnels 
under  the  Alps,  canals  to  connect  oceans,  great  laboratories  and 
museums  of  science,  and  school  houses  for  the  people. 

The  motto  which  inspired  whatever  good  inhered  in  the 
Revolution,  and  which  has  so  far  moulded  human  thought  and 
action  since,  "  Liberty,  Equality  and  Fraternity,"  approaches  its 
full  realization  in  human  society.  The  average  man  has  all  the 
freedom  he  needs.  On  the  whole  the  equality  of  men  is  pretty 
fairly  attained,  certainly  before  the  law,  and  largely  in  respect  to 
opportunity.  Much  progress  also  is  making  in  the  attainment 
of  the  spirit  of  fraternity  among  men.  To  the  full  realization 
of  the  spirit  of  brotherhood,  and  so  of  applied  Christianity  in 
the  world,  is  the  summons  for  to-day — is  the  task  of  the  coming 
age. 


40  Ohio  Arch.  a?td  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 


MAJOR   JOHN    BURNHAM    AND    HIS    COMPANY. 

Mr,  Barlow  had  written  Colonel  Duer  early  in  December, 
1789,  that  huts  must  be  built  on  land  opposite  the  mouth  of  the 
Great  Kanawha  to  accommodate  at  least  one  hundred  persons. 
The  cost  of  these  huts  was  to  be  paid  by  the  agent  of  the  immi- 
grants upon  their  arrival.  In  March,  1790,  General  Rufus  Put- 
nam, as  agent  for  the  Trustees  for  the  Scioto  Associates,  em- 
ployed John  Burnham  of  Essex,  Massachusetts,  to  enlist  in  New 
England  a  company  of  fifty  young  men  who  were  expert  wood- 
men and  who  would  submit  to  military  discipline.  They  were 
to  be  employed  for  six  months  and  were  to  build  the  huts  on  the 
site  selected  for  the  city  of  Gallipolis,  to  assist  in  clearing  the 
lands  adjacent,  to  act  as  hunters  when  required  and  to  keep  such 
guard  as  might  be  necessary.  There  was  peace  along  the  border, 
but  it  was  an  "  Indian  peace,"  and  the  frontier  was  infested  by 
marauders,  white,  red  and  black.  No  better  leader  for  such  a 
party  than  John  Burnham  could  have  been  found.  He  had 
served  as  an  officer  of  the  line  through  the  war  of  the  Revolu- 
tion and  was  present  at  every  important  battle  from  Bunker  Hill 
to  Yorktown.  The  company  he  commanded  in  the  eighth  Mas- 
sachusetts regimiment  was,  in  1782,  complimented  in  general 
orders  by  General  Washington  himself  for  its  ' '  soldier-like  and 
military  appearance."  He  quickly  enlisted  the  company  and  on 
the  twenty-ninth  of  May,  1790,  reported  to  Gen.  Putnam  at 
Wellsburg,  on  the  Ohio  river  with  thirty-six  men.  Of  the  fifty 
whose  services  had  been  engaged  ten  had  not  yot  joined  and  four 
had  deserted.  The  following  is  the  roll,  omitting  the  names  of 
the  deserters: 


.  ^£^-~.  ,.         ^  ._ 

^---..i.i'"",;  iff- "  '"^ . '.  ^• 

Cabins   Built  by  Maj.  John   Burnham,  on   Site  of   Public 
Square,  1790. 


Public  Square  of  Gallipolis  in  1846. 


Major  John  Durnham  and  His   Company. 


41 


"  Subsistence  Roll  for  a  Company  of  Men  Engaged  in  the  Servicb 
OF  THE  Scioto  Company  to  Make  a  New  Settlement  on  the 
Banks  of  Ohio  From  the  Time  They  Left  Their  Sev- 
eral Homes  'Till  Thky  Arrived  at  Yoithiogy. 


Men's  Names. 


Places  of 
Residence. 


4^    S    « 

><  o 


Casualities. 


William   Potter 

Isaac  Choale 

Nathan  Page 

Jacob  Proctor 

Elijah  Bodell 

Ichabud  Olivant 

Abraham  Dodge 

Aaron   Brown 

Thomas  Silk 

John  Andrews 

Roger  Sergeant 

John  Moors 

John  Hart 

Phineas  Richardson.. 

Reuben  Rice 

Ebenezer  Randol 

Zacheus  Goldsmith..  . 

Isaac  Dempsie 

Samuel  Thomas.  . .  . 
Jonathan  Sheldon..    . 

Michael  Carroll 

Gideon  Batchelor.    .  . 

Nathaniel  Brown 

Benjamin  Potter 

Robert  Safford 

Samuel    Lewis 

William    Dunlap 

James   Dorsey 

Frederick  Palmer.  .  . 

Ithamer  Shaw 

Daniel   Maynard 

Joseph   Smith 

David  Butler 

William  Bridge 

John  Miles 

Asaph  Pimuy 

Aaron  Pimuy 

Asa  Bullaid 

Jonathan  Pimuy.  .  .  . 
Melancton  Foster.  . .  . 
Thaddeus  Humphrey. 

Josephus  Lee 

Silas  Fowler 

Gamaliel   Ingraham.. 

Luther  Freman 

Joseph  Thompson  .  .  . 


Ipswich 

Leicester 

Danvers 

Danvers 

Mathuen   

Ipswich 

Ipswich.    

Ipswich 

Ipswich 

Ipswich 

Ipswich.  ...... 

Cape  Ann 

Wenham 

Leicester 

Keen 

Putna 

Audover 

Danvers 

Danvers 

Danvers 

Danvers 

Danvers 

Ipswich 

Ipswich 

Woodstock,  Vt. . 

Newburgh 

Newburgh 

Danvers 

West  Springfield. 
West  Springfield. 
New  Marlboro. 
West  Springfield. 

Suffield 

Rutland 

Rutland 

Simsbury 

Simsbury 

West  Springfield 

Simesbury 

Simesbury 

Simesbury 

Southwick 

Southwick 

Southwick 

Colchester 

Colchester 


Cts. 


26 


26 


$8  06 
8  06 
8  06 
8  06 
8  06 
8  84 
8  84 
8  84 
8  84 
8  84 
8  84 
8  84 
8  06 
10  14 
6  76 

6  76 

7  54 
7  54 

7  64 

8  06 
8  06 
8  06 
8  06 
8  06 
5  20 

5  20 

6  24 
6  76 
6  76 
6  76 
6  76 
6  76 

6  76 

7  54 
7  54 
7  80 

7  80 

8  06 
8  80 
8  80 
8  80 
1  56 
1  56 
1  56 
1  68 
1  70 


Detained 
bysickn'ss 
on  road. 


Not  joined. 
Not  joined. 

Not  joined. 
Not  joined. 
Not  joined. 
Not  joined. 
Not  joined. 
Not  joined. 
Not  joined. 
Not  joined. 


42  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 

"Wells  Burg,  May  29,  1790. 

'  •  I  hereby  certifie  that  the  within  Subsistance  roll  is  just  and 

tiue  and  that  the  moneys  paid  to  Deserters,  sick,  left  sick  on  the 

way  or  not  joined  I  will  endevor  to  recover,  and  if  recovered  or 

any  part  thereof  I  will  repay  the  same  to  Rufus  Putnam  or  his 

ordor. 

John  Burnham.'" 


CABINS   BUILT    BY    MAJ.    JOHN    BURNHAM    ON    THE    PUBLIC    SQUARE,  GAL- 
LIPOLIS,  IN   THE   SUMMER  OF   1790. 

From  Wellsburg  the  party  proceeded  by  water  to  Marietta, 
where  General  Putnam  gave  to  Major  Burnham  the  following 
letter  of  instructions : 

"Marietta,  June  4th,  1790. 
"Dear  Sir: 

' '  You  will  please  to  proceed  with  the  people  engaged  in  the 
service  of  the  trustees  of  the  Scioto  proprietors,  in  consequence 

of  my  letters  to  you  of  the day  of  March  last,  to  a  place 

on  the  Ohio  [river]  next  Chickamaga  creek,  which  will  be. 
marked  out  and  shown  to  you  by  Col.  [R.  J.]  Meigs,  [Sr..l 
where  you  will  begin  your  operations  and  prosecute  the  business 


Major  John  Burnham  and  His   Compa^iy.  43 

in  the  best  manner  you  can  for  the  interest  of  your  employers 
and  safety  to  yourself  and  people.  The  object  is  to  erect  four 
block  [houses]  and  a  number  of  low  huts,  agreeably  to  the  plan 
which  you  will  have  with  you,  and  clear  the  lands.  Your  own 
knowledge  of  hut  building,  the  block  house  of  round  logs  which 
you  have  will  have  an  opportunity  to  observe  at  Belleprie, 
together  with  the  plan  so  clearly  explained,  renders  it  unneces- 
sary to  be  very  particular;  howev^er,  you  will  remember  that  I 
don't  expect  you  will  lay  any  floors  except  for  your  own  con- 
venience, nor  put  in  any  sleeper  or  Joyce  for  the  lower  floors; 
plank  for  the  doors  must  be  split  and  hewed  and  the  doors  hung 
with  wooden  hinges;  as  I  don't  expect  yo\x  will  obtain  any  stone 
for  the  backs  of  your  ciiimneys,  they  must  be  made  of  clay  first, 
moulded  into  tile  and  dried  in  manner  you  will  be  shown  an 
example  at  Belleprie. 

When  Col.  Meigs  has  assigned  the  spot  and  set  the  stakes 
for  the  center  of  the  four  block  houses,  you  will  first  clear  a  spot 
(which  will  be  pointed  out)  and  throw  up  a  work,  which  must 
be  as  near  the  place  marked  on  the  plan  as  you  can»find  a  con- 
venient or  the  best  landing,  where  you  will  erect  a  temporary  or 
stone  house  and  a  cover  to  keep  you  men  dry  till  the  block 
houses  are  completed,  which  should  be  your  next  object  and 
after  that  proceed  to  building  huts.  In  clearing  the  lands,  what- 
ever timber  is  useful  for  your  building,  should  be  cut  and  select- 
ed for  the  purpose  as  you  go  along  and  the  rest  cleared  and 
burned  entirely  off.  Your  clearing  must  be  in  one  continued 
body  and  extended  up  and  down  the  river  equally  from  your 
work  as  well  as  from  the  river.  Supply  yourself  and  party  with 
whatever  you  find  necessary  and  reasonable  and  take  care  that 
the  provisions  are  used  with  economy.  I  wish  you  to  inform 
yourself  with  respect  to  a  supply  of  beef  at  Kanawha  and  let  me 
know  by  Col.  Meigs  what  may  be  depended  on  that  I  may,  if 
necessary,  .send  3'ou  beef  from  some  other  quarter. 

You  will  pay  no  wages  to  the  carpenters.  Smith  Brown  and 
son,  nor  to  John  Gardiner,  as  the  carpenters  will  be  paid  by 
myself  or  Col.  Meigs  and  I  am  bound  for  Gardiner  for  more 
than  three  months  full  pay.  The  pay  of  your  men  must  com- 
mence on  their  arrival  at  Youghioganee,  deducting  four  days  icr 


44  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications .        [Vol.  3 

their  passage  to  Muskingum.  If  anything  more  should  occur 
which  it  may  be  necessary  to  communicate  to  you,  I  will 
endeavor  to  inform  you  by  letter. 

Wishing  you  a  prosperous  voyage  and  successful  campaign, 
I  am,  with  the  most  perfect  sentiment  of  esteem. 
Your  humble  servant, 

RuFus  Putnam." 

The  party  reached  its  destination  on  the  8th  of  June.  In 
November,  at  the  expiration  of  the  six  months'  term  for  which 
the  men  were  engaged,  most  of  them  re-entered  the  service  of 
the  Scioto  Associates,  under  Captain  Isaac  Guion,  who  had  suc- 
ceeded General  Putnam  in  charge  of  their  affairs  in  the  West. 
Two,  Isaac  Choate  and  Asa  Bullard,  joined  the  party  that  estab- 
lished the  settlement  at  Big  Bottom.  In  the  attack  by  the  In- 
dians upon  that  post,  on  the  second  of  January  1791,  Choate 
was  captured  and  Bullard  escaped.  Major  Burnham  returned  to 
his  home  in  New  England,  after  a  long  delay  in  securing  a  set- 
tlement of  his  accounts.  The  total  cost  to  the  Scioto  Associates 
of  Burnham's  party  during  his  command  of  it  was  $3,243.02. 

K.  C.  Dawes. 


The  French  Settlement  and  Settlers  of  Gallipolis.         45 


THE     FRENCH     SETTLEMENT     AND     SETTLERS     OF     GALLIPOLIS. 

Preceding  addresses  and  other  papers  have  given  the  story 
of  the  Scioto  Compan}-,  under  whose  auspices  the  French  set- 
tlers came  to  America.  I  shall  not  attempt  to  repeat  any  part 
of  this  history,  but  begin  my  narrative  with  the  sailing  of  the 
first  party  of  emigrants  to  their  new  homes  in  the  unknown 
West,  which  had  been  described  to  them  in  such  glowing  terms 
by  those  who  had  induced  them  to  come.  In  February,  1790, 
six  hundred  emigrants  set  sail  from  Havre  de  Grace.  Five 
ships  had  been  chartered  to  take  them  to  Alexandria,  Va.,  prob- 
ably the  nearest  port  to  their  new  homes.  Their  experiences 
then  were  inauspicious  as  an  omen  in  regard  to  the  future.  In 
these  days  of  rapid  transit,  when  a  voyage  across  the  ocean  rep- 
resents a  not  unpleasant  journey  of  a  few  days'  duration,  we 
cannot  imagine  what  it  must  have  been  when,  on  account  of 
stormy  seas  and  contrary  winds,  the  traveler  was  compelled  to 
spend  weeks,  and  even  months,  on  the  great  deep.  Yet  such 
experiences  as  the  latter  were  common  once,  and  they  were  felt 
by  the  Franch  emigrants.  A  desolate  feeling  must  have  been 
theirs  then.  Behind  them  was  stormy  France,  its  peace  that 
was,  having  been  swept  from  it,  with  little  hope  of  its  return  in 
the  near  future ;  about  them  the  stormy  waves  of  old  ocean 
threatening  to  engulf  them,  and  thus  violently  end  their  new- 
born hopes.  Before  them  —  what?  A  fair  land  they  believed, 
but  an  uncertainty ;  they  had  only  man's  representation  upon 
which  to  base  their  hopes,  and  man  is  more  than  liable  to  mis- 
represent facts  when  he  has  a  purpose  to  gain  thereby.  The 
future  only  could  reveal  that  which  they  so  ardently  desired  to 
know,  and  they  awaited  its  developments,  which,  with  their 
characteristic,  sunny  disposition,  we  believe  they  did  as  content- 
edly as  was  possible  with  men.  At  length,  after  a  voyage  of 
about  three  months'  duration,  they  arrived  at  the  town  of  Alex- 
andria, about  seventy-five  miles  up  the  river  Potomac,  Here 
they  encountered  circumstances  which  both  cheered  and  de- 
pressed them.  They  were  gladdened  by  a  cordial  reception  on 
the  part  of  the  people  to  whom  a  Frenchman  was  a  welcome 
visitor  in  view  of  the  recent  benefits  conferred  upon  the  country 


46  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications .        [Vol,.  B 

by  the  assistance  of  the  French  Government  in  the  war  with 
the  British.  The  emigrant,  no  doubt,  felt  as  if  his  fond  hopes 
were  about  to  be  realized,  as,  with  his  land  titles  in  his  pocket, 
he  landed  on  these  hospitable  shores.  But  he  was  destined  to  be 
bitterly  disappointed,  for  it  was  not  long  before  he  knew  that 
difficulties  had  arisen,  which  threatened  the  complete  frustration 
of  his  plans.  The  Scioto  Company,  from  which  he  had  made 
his  purchase,  had  forfeited  its  title  to  the  lands,  having  failed  to 
make  the  payments  according  to  contract  with  the  government, 
and  consequently  their  dealings  with  it  were  null  and  void. 
Furthermore,  the  lands  which  they  thought  they  had  purchased, 
had  been  purchased  from  the  government  by  another  corporation, 
known  as  the  Ohio  Company,  and  contrary  to  representation, 
their  prospective  homes  were  far  away  in  the  Western  land,  in  a 
wilderness  infested  by  hostile  bands  of  Indians.  A  pitiable  con- 
dition, truly,  and  one  which  called  forth  the  sympathy  of  their 
new-made  friends.  They  were  literally  strangers  in  a  strange 
land,  and  their  own  country,  for  which  they  would  naturally 
yearn  under  such  circumstances,  unsafe  as  a  retreat  from  the 
dangers  which  there  presented  themselves. 

Their  sad  condition  soon  became  noised  abroad,  and  reached 
the  ears  of  those  in  authority,  and  ere  long  a  movement  was 
inaugurated,  in  which  President  Washington  was  interested,  to 
compel  the  Scioto  Company  to  reimburse  them  the  money  of 
which  they  had  been  defrauded.  As  might  have  been  expected, 
these  negotiations  occupied  much  time,  and  sorely  tried  the 
patience  of  the  forlorn  emigrants,  insomuch  that  some  gave  ■■'> 
in  despair,  and  sought  other  homes,  some  going  to  NewYjik 
and  Philadelphia,  some  settling  in  Alexandria,  and  a  few  return- 
ing to  France.  At  length  an  agreement  was  entered  into  with 
Colonel  Duer,  the  Company's  agent  at  New  York,  whereby,  as 
far  as  the  means  under  his  control  would  permit,  the;  -migrants 
should  be  transported  to  the  West,  and  establishea  on  the  Ohio 
River  at  a  point  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Big  Kanawha,  where 
they  expected  their  town  to  be  located,  erect  suitable  block 
houses  tor  defence  against  the  attacks  of  Indians,  and  survey 
and  lay  out  a  town  to  be  divided  among  them  in  proportion  to 
cash  paid  in  Paris  by  each  individual  on  tl^^ir  lands.     A  written 


The  French   Selllemciit  and  Settlers  of  Gallipolis.         47 

agreement  to  this  effect  was  made,  and  with  such  a  compromise, 
which  was  more  perhaps  than  they  had  dared  to  hope  for,  the 
emigrants  abandoned  all  claims  upon  the  lands  for  which  they 
held  deeds.  The  second  stage  journey  was  now  about  to  begin. 
Wagons  and  supplies  were  obtained,  and  the  travelers  departed. 
This  journey  was  far  more  perilous,  no  doubt,  than  the  long  and 
stormy  passage  across  the  Atlantic.  The  dangers  by  the  way- 
side consisted  of  attacks  from  the  Indians,  sickness  and  fatigue. 
In  addition  to  these,  progress  was  slow  in  consequence  of  the 
almost  inipassal)lc  condition  of  the  roads,  and  the  insufficiency 
of  the  supplies  provided  for  their  maintenance.  Their  route  was 
through  the  Valley  of  Virginia,  near  the  town  of  Winchester; 
thence  in  a  north-westerly  direction  via  Brownsville,  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  to  the  Ohio-  The  traveler  of  the  present  day,  when 
he  speeds  through  this  section  of  the  country,  and  views  it  from 
.he  window  of  his  Pullman  car,  can  form  but  little  idea  of  the 
trials  and  privations  of  that  long  journey.  Think  of  a  number 
people,  including  women  and  little  children,  finding  a  way  over 
those  high  mountains,  and  across  swollen  streams,  meagerly 
supplied  with  food,  and  harassed  at  all  times  by  fear  of  the  ever- 
vigilant  savage,  and  you  may  fancy  the  experience  of  these  emi- 
grants. The  Sciotc  Company  had  contracted  with  General 
Rufus  Putnam  to  erect  buildings  and  furnish  the  settlers  with 
provisions  for  a  year^  and  he  sent  Major  Burnham  down  from 
Fort  Harmar  on  the  Muskingum  River  with  forty  men  for  that 
purpose.  The  first  town,  under  the  name  of  Fair  Haven,  had 
been  laid  out  by  the  Company  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Kana- 
wha, war  intended  as  the  point  for  the  location  of  the  French 
settlers,  but  as  the  ground  was  considered  low  there,  and 
liable  to  overflow.  Major  Burnham  and  his  party  wisely  pro- 
ceeded to  a  point  four  miles  below,  where  the  high  banks  could 
well  withstand  the  rising  waters,  as  has  been  since  proved  to  the 
satisfaction  of  the  residents.  The  locating  party  arrived  here 
June  8th,  1790,  and  immediately  began  the  work  of  preparation 
for  the  settlers,  who  would  make  a  home  here  in  the  wilderness. 
This  was  no  doubt  a  most  arduous  undertaking,  but  determined 
energy  made  itself  felt,  and  soon  there  were  evidences  that  order 
would  emerge  from  chaos.     Trees,  brush,  and  other  debris  made 


48  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications .        [Vol.  3 

way  for  the  houses,  which  formed  the  new  town.  On  what  ia 
now  the  Public  Square  were  erected  eighty  log  cabins,  twenty 
in  a  row.  At  each  of  the  corners  were  block-houses  two  stories 
in  height.  In  front  of  the  cabins,  close  by  the  river  bank,  was 
a  small  log  breast-work.  Above  the  cabins,  on  the  square,  were 
two  other  parallel  rows  of  cabins,  which,  with  a  high  stockade 
Icnce,  and  block-hou.ses  at  each  of  the  upper  corners,  formed  a 
sufficient  fortification  in  times  of  danger.  These  upper  cabins 
were  a  story  and  a  half  in  height,  built  of  hewn  logs,  and 
furnished  in  better  style  than  those  below,  being  intended  for 
the  wealthier  class,  and  those  appointed  to  manage  and  superin- 
tend the  interests  of  the  colony.  Such  was  the  home  which  the 
emigrant  found  for  his  reception,  when,  weary  and  travel-worn, 
he  at  length  reached  his  final  destination.  He  had  journeyed 
far  by  sea  and  land,  and  dreamed  bright  dreams,  and  was  it  all 
for  this?  A  few  log  cabins  with  a  background  of  forest,  in 
which  was  the  home  of  the  vSworn  enemy  of  the  white  race. 

France  is  a  country  no  larger  in  extent  than  one  of  the 
average-sized  states  of  the  Union,  and  at  this  time  its  popula- 
tion was  about  twenty-five  millions.  Think  of  five  hundred 
people  from  this  thickly  populated  place,  and  composed  entirely 
of  those  ignorant  of  what  would  be  required  of  them  in  a  new 
land  —  physicians,  lawyers,  jewelers  and  other  artisans,  a  few 
mechanics,  servants  to  the  exiled  nobility,  and  many  with  no 
trade  or  profession  —  suddenly  placed  in  a  wilderness  of  this 
kind,  and  infested  by  wild  beasts  and  murderous  bands  of 
Indians.  They  were  as  inexperienced  in  pioneer  life  as  children. 
The  hardy  natures  of  such  rugged  characters  as  Daniel  Boone, 
or  any  one  of  those  who  preceded  the  march  of  progress,  could 
readily  combat  the  difficulties  which  were  likely  to  present  them- 
selves. They  knew  what  to  expect  in  frontier  life,  and  it  was 
even  with  a  sense  of  enjoyment  perhaps,  that  they  engaged  in 
the  work  of  preparing  the  way  for  the  settler.  Our  French 
emigrants,  however,  could  not  view  the  prospects  without 
consternation  and  conjecture  as  to  the  many  difficulties  which 
would  arise  in  their  work  of  making  the  best  of  a  bad  bargain. 
The  solution  of  the  problem  was  with  them,  and  as  subsequent 
events   proved,    many  of  them   rose   bravely   to   the  occasion. 


The  French  Settlement  and  Settlers  of  Gallipolis.         49 

There  are  some  people  whose  strength  and  grandeur  of  character 
would  never  be  known  save  by  means  of  severe  tests.  Heart 
trials  most  frequently  prove  to  be  blessings  in  disguise,  on 
account  of  the  way  in  which  they  represent  the  true  worth  of  a 
man's  character.  The  pure  metal  cannot  be  obtained  save 
through  the  medium  of  the  smelting  furnace.  Thus  it  was  with 
the  French  settlers  at  Gallipolis,  for  they  not  only  determined  to 
remain,  but  made  a  success  of  what  appeared  a  hopeless  cause. 
At  an  early  meeting  of  the  settlers,  the  town  was  named  Galli- 
polis (City  of  the  Gauls — French).  The  work  of  making  their 
new  home  attractive  was  long  and  arduous,  this  latter  being  the 
natural  result  of  the  inexperience  of  the  settlers.  Everything 
that  they  did  had  to  be  learned,  and  with  as  many  hard  knocks 
as  a  school-boy  experiences  with  his  Latin  verbs,  but  indomitable 
perseverance  gave  its  usual  testimony,  in  that  the  lesson  was 
learned.  Quoting  the  words  of  one  who  has  written  on  this  sub- 
ject: "A  description  of  early  attempts  to  adapt  themselves 
to  circumstances,  would  be  amusing,  but  doubtless  was  no  joke 
to  them." 

A  number  were  seriously  wounded,  and  some  lost  their  lives 
in  learning  to  fell  trees.  Having  no  knowledge  of  the  use  of 
the  axe,  some  two  or  three  would  tackle  a  monster  of  the 
forest,  girdling  the  tree,  and  giving  the  death  blow  at  the  heart; 
as  can  readily  be  seen,  the  tree  would  oftentimes  slip  from  the 
stump  upon  the  workmen,  or  more  frequently  they  (or  the 
admiring  group  who  w'ere  watching  the  process)  not  being  able 
to  tell  the  direction  in  which  the  tree  would  fall,  would  be 
crushed  to  the  ground  under  the  heavy  branches.  A  sho*-t 
experience  of  this  kind  sharpened  their  wits,  and  by  placing 
•Strong  men  at  the  ends  of  the  two  ropes,  the  other  end  being 
fastened  to  the  tree,  they  found  that  they  could  guide  it  in  its 
fall,  and  this  operation  thereafter  became  less  dangerous. 

It  will  be  seen  from  such  incidents  as  this  that,  although  tht- 
.settlers  were  enterprising,  courageous,  and  willing  to  work,  ar.d 
mainly  very  intelligent,  as  a  class,  they  were  obliged  to  suffer  by 
practical  experience  before  they  were  able  to  adapt  themselveis 
to  the  new  mode  of  living,  or  make  much  substantial  progress-  ia 
rendering  their  situation  comfortable,  as  we  must  all  suflfer,  when 

Vol.  Ill— 4 


50  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [VoL.  3 

we  are  learning  a  new  principle  in  life.  We  must  always  learn 
effectually,  by  means  of  experience,  but  experience  is  quite 
frequently  a  stern  and  merciless  teacher. 

An  account  of  this  settlement,  by  an  eye  witness,  will 
not,  we  believe,  be  uninteresting  here.  The  letter  of  Mon- 
sieur Mentelle  to  the  American  Pioneer,  a  magazine  published 
in  Cincinnati,  in  the  April  number,  184-3,  among  other  matters 
contains  the  following :  "I  did  not  arrive  till  nearly  all  the 
colonists  were  there.  I  descended  the  river  in  1791,  in  flat 
boats  loaded  with  troops,  commanded  by  General  St.  Clair, 
destined  for  an  expedition  against  the  Indians.  Some  of  my 
countrymen  joined  that  expedition,  among  others  was  Count 
Malartie,  a  captain  of  the  French  Guard  of  I^ouis  XVI."  Con- 
cerning the  settlement  at  Gallipolis,  he  .said  among  other  things: 
"Notwithstanding  the  great  difficulties,  the  difference  of  tem- 
pers, education  and  professions,  the  inhabitants  lived  in  har- 
mony. The  Americans  and  hunters  employed  by  the  Company, 
performed  the  first  labors  of  clearing  the  township  which  was 
divided  into  lots.  Although  the  French  were  willing  to  work, 
yet  the  clearing  of  the  American  wilderness  and  its  heavy  tim- 
ber was  far  more  than  they  could  perform.  To  migrate  from 
the  eastern  States  to  the  '  far  west'  is  painful  enough  now-a-days, 
but  how  much  more  so  must  it  be  for  a  citizen  of  a  large  Eu- 
ropean town !  Even  the  farmer  of  the  old  countries  would  find 
it  very  hard,  if  not  impossible,  to  clear  land  in  the  wilderness." 
The  hunters,  who  supplied  the  colonists  with  fresh  meat,  "  were 
paid  by  the  colonists,  to  prepare  their  garden  ground,  which  was 
to  receive  seeds  brought  from  France;  few  of  the  colonists 
knew  how  to  make  a  garden,  but  they  were  guided  by  books  on 
that  subject,  likewise  brought  from  France.  The  colony  began 
to  improve  in  its  appearance  and  comfort.  The  fresh  provisions 
were  supplied  by  the  Company's  hunters,  the  others  came  from 
't?he  magazines."  These  represented  some  of  the  bright  features 
of  the  early  life  of  the  colonists,  and  all  seemed  working  well, 
and  no  doubt  lively  hopes  were  excited  in  their  breasts  that  the 
difficulties  of  their  hitherto  trying  position  were  lessening,  but 
again  they  were  called  upon  to  face  disappointment.  At  this 
ti'me  it  became  apparent   that  the   Scioto   Company  could  not 


The  French  Siif/ciunif  and  Settlers  of  (iailipolis.  51 

obtain  for  them  any  fnrther  remuneration  for  the  impositions 
that  had  been  practiced  upon  them.  The  Companj-  had  fulfilled 
nearly  all  their  engagements  for  the  first  six  months,  after  which 
they  ceased  their  supply  of  provisions  to  the  colonists,  and  it 
was  given  as  a  reason,  that  one  or  two  of  their  agents  who  had 
received  the  funds  in  France  for  the  purchased  land,  had  run  off 
with  the  money  to  England,  and  the  Company  were  defrauded 
of  the  whole,  without  having  purchased  or  gained  title  to  any 
of  the  tract  which  they  had  sold  to  the  deceived  colonists. 

An  unusually  severe  winter  had  set  in,  and  the  rigor  of 
climate  was  added  to  other  trials  and  difficulties.  The  Ohio  had 
frozen  over,  so  that  flat  boats  could  not  come  down  with  flour 
from  above ;  the  hunters  no  longer  had  meat  to  sell.  The  peo- 
ple were  destitute  of  almost  everything  except  a  scanty  supply 
of  vegetables,  and  almost  a  famine  was  produced  in  the  settle- 
ment. The  money  and  clothes  they  had  brought  with  them 
were  nearly  gone ;  they  knew  not  to  whom  to  go  to  get  their 
lands  (for  they  did  not  even  own  their  homes),  and  their  con- 
dition became  such  as  to  excite  despair.  Looking  back  upon 
them  through  the  lapse  of  years,  our  minds  are  filled  with  sym- 
pathetic thoughts,  and  the  fact  that  these  difficulties  were  suc- 
cessfully combated  kindles  within  us  a  feeling  of  admiration  and 
pride.  The  Pilgrim  Fathers,  who  landed  "on  wild  New  Eng- 
gland's  shore,"  and  whose  hardihood  and  determination  have 
sounded  their  praises  down  the  ages,  deserve  little  less  laudation 
in  the  pages  of  history  than  the  settlers  of  our  town,  who  have 
left,  as  a  rich  heritage,  to  those  who  have  lived  after  them,  the 
testimony  of  the  unconquerable  nature  of  brave  perseverance. 
Following  this  condition  of  affairs,  the  fear  of  the  Indians  dis- 
turbed their  peace  of  mind.  "When,"  says  Mentelle  (speaking 
of  some  months  previous  of  the  expeditions  of  Generals  St. 
Clair  and  Wayne),  "many  of  the  troops  stopped  at  Gallipolis, 
the  Indians  who,  no  doubt,  came  there  in  the  night,  at  last  saw 
the  regulars  going  morning  and  evening  round  the  town  in  order 
to  ascertain  if  there  were  any  Indian  traces,  attacked  them,  kill- 
ing and  wounding  several  —  a  soldier,  besides  other  wounds,  was 
tomahawked,  but  recovered.  A  French  colonist,  who  had  tried 
to  raise  cane  some  distance  from  town,  seeing  an  Indian  rising 


52  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 

from  behind  some  brushwood  against  a  tree,  shot  him  in  the 
shoulder.  The  Indian,  hearing  an  American  patrol,  must 
have  thought  that  the  Frenchman  made  a  part  of  it,  and 
sometime  afterward  a  Frenchman  was  killed,  and  a  man 
and  woman  made  prisoners  as  they  were  going  to  collect 
ashes  to  make  soap,  at  some  distance  from  town.  Aftei 
this,  although  the  Indians  committed  depredations  on  the 
Americans  on  both  sides  of  the  river,  the  French  had  suf- 
fered only  by  the  loss  of  some  cattle  carried  away,  until 
the  murder  of  the  man  referred  to.  As  the  severe  winter  ad- 
vanced, "the  dangers  from  the  Indians  augmented  every  day. 
Kanawha  had  been  visited  by  one  of  these  sad  events,  that  few 
of  the  present  generation  can  realize,  otherwise  than  by  compar- 
ing it  to  a  romantic  tale  with  ghosts.  A  Captain  Vonbever  had 
gone  to  make  sugar  at  a  little  distance  from  and  opposite  to 
Kanawha.  He  had  his  negro  man  with  him,  intending  to  make 
sugar  and  raise  corn,  but  staid  to  make  sugar  only.  The  camp 
was  fronting  the  river  and  in  sight  of  Kanawha.  They  had  not 
been  there  long  when  the  negro  saw  an  Indian  running  after 
him.  He  warned  his  master,  who  was  not  far  from  the  house, 
and  they  both  entered  it  at  the  same  time  and  secured  the  door. 
The  Indian,  thinking  they  had  no  arms,  and  whose  intention  it 
was  to  carry  ofif  the  negro,  turned  back  as  soon  as  he  saw  them 
in  the  house,  and  was  shot  by  the  negro  with  a  gun  that  was 
loaded  with  buck-shot.  The  alarm  spread  to  Kanawha;  the  in- 
habitants came  in  their  canoes,  thinking  that  there  might  be 
more  Indians,  but  on  their  landing  they  saw  only  the  body  of  a 
single  one,  which,  after  having  stripped  of  what  he  had,  they 
threw  into  the  river ;  the  corpse  floated  down  and  was  carried  by 
the  stream  on  the  shore  of  Gallipolis  the  next  day,  as  if  to  con- 
firm the  rumor  which  they  had  heard  that  morning,  and  as  a 
warning  to  themselves.  Captain  Vonbever  had  let  his  beard 
grow,  and  had  sworn  to  leave  it  so  until  he  should  have  taken  a 
complete  revenge  of  the  Indians,  who  had  killed  one  of  his 
children. 

The  expedition  against  the  Indians  by  General  St.  Clair 
having  met  with  signal  defeat,  the  Indians  were  encouraged  to 
greater  depredations  in  the  Western  land,  but  fortunately  for  our 


The  French  Settlement  and  Settlers  of  Gallipolis.         53 

colonists  they  were  directed  principally  against  Americans.  The 
hostile  tribes  imagined  that  the  French  settlers  were  from 
Canada,  and  with  the  French  at  that  place  they  were  on  terms 
of  friendship.  Immediately  after  St.  Clair's  defeat,  Colonel 
Sproat,  of  Marietta,  appointed  four  spies  for  Gallipolis,  one  of 
whom  was  Monsieur  Mentelle  from  whom  we  quoted  a  moment 
ago.  These  were  released  after  the  treaty  of  Greenville  in  1795. 
Honorable  Rufus  Putnam,  at  Marietta,  was  the  acknowledged 
head  of  all  the  settlements  in  Washington  county,  which  then 
embraced  a  territory  now  covered  by  nearly  forty  counties,  and 
to  him  an  application  was  made  and  steps  were  taken  to  organize 
a  defensive  force.  By  his  orders,  Colonel  Ebenezer  Sproat  ap- 
pointed Captain  Dr.  Francis  Hebecourt,  a  man  of  distinguished 
qualifications,  to  take  command.  A  Frenchman  named  Maiden 
was  appointed  Lieutenant,  and  C.  R.  Menager,  Ensign.  A  com- 
pany of  ninet}'  colonists  oflfered  their  services,  who  w^ere  divided 
into  squads  of  ten,  and  on  each  succeeding  day  one  squad,  or 
patrol  company,  was  to  start  out  in  the  morning  to  act  in  con- 
junction with  the  scouts  or  spies,  whose  duty  it  was  to  return 
every  night  and  report  the  presence  or  absence  of  Indians.  In 
this  way  a  defense  was  kept  up  until  General  Wayne  defeated 
the  Indians  at  the  battle  of  "  Fallen  Timbers,"  on  the  Maumee 
Rapids,  five  miles  above  Perrysburg,  Ohio,  August  20th,  1794, 
and  made  the  treaty  of  peace  at  Greenville  in  1795  with  all  the 
Western  tribes.  After  peace  w^as  declared,  a  free  intercourse 
took  place  between  them  and  the  colonists  from  Massachusetts 
and  other  New  F)ngland  states  at  Marietta  and  Belpre,  and  with 
settlements  at  Point  Pleasant  and  Charleston,  Virginia.  Thus, 
in  an  alternate  atmosphere  of  hopes  and  fears,  the  colonists 
passed  the  first  years  of  their  lives  in  the  New  World.  They 
were,  perhaps,  becoming  accustomed  to  the  changed  conditions 
of  their  existence.  Even  in  the  far  away  western  wilderness, 
they  were  recognizing  home  ties,  and  pleasant  associations  were 
being  formed  which  endeared  this  wild  country  to  them.  France, 
with  its  attractions,  had  passed  out  of  their  lives;  such  repre- 
sented but  features  of  the  past,  and  would  be  to  them  but  fond 
recollections  of  what  had  been.  There  was  one  great  difficulty 
■vvhich  had  to  be  surmounted,  however,  before  they  could  resp- 


54  Ohio  .bell,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 

luteiy  face  life  iu  this  country.  The  titles  to  their  homes  had 
never  been  perfected  ;  indeed,  there  was  every  reason  to  suppose 
that  they  were  living  on  land  which  belonged  to  other  people. 
Although  it  had  been  sold  to  them  by  the  Scioto  Company, 
which  had  transported  them  thither,  the  fact  remained  that  the 
Ohio  Company  still  held  the  titles  to  it,  inasmuch  as  that  corpora- 
tion had  bought  and  paid  for  it,  and  there  had  been  no  just  or 
legal  transfer  of  it  to  other  parties,  it  was  but  rational  that  the 
owners  should  be  demanding  their  rights  This  dilemma  which 
they  had  known  that  they  must  face,  when  it  reached  its  climax, 
brought  with  it  its  disheartening  influences;  indeed,  so  great 
must  have  been  the  discouragements  that  the  disruption  of  al' 
the  new  ties  must  have  been  threatened.  A  letter  from  Mr. 
B.  J.  D.  Le  Ture,  a  Gallipolis  merchant,  who  had  removed  to 
Cincinnati  for  business  purposes,  and  which  is  now  in  the 
possession  of  Maj.  E.  C.  Dawes,  of  Cincinnati,  throws  some 
light  on  the  situation  at  this  time.  It  is  written  under  date  of 
July  6th,  1792,  and  is  addressed  to  Mr.  John  Matthews  at 
Gallipolis.  Mr.  L,e  Ture  says:  "The  situation  of  the  colony 
alarms  me  much.  I  cannot  think  so  many  people  will  be  sacri- 
ficed to  a  few  speculators.  Should  anything  turn  up  that  would 
oblige  me  to  go  to  the  settlement,  I  believe  it  will  be  in  my 
power  to  advise  them  on  the  methods  they  are  to  take  in  order 
to  have  justice  done  them."  Some  of  the  colonists  became  dis- 
heartened and  went  off  and  settled  elsewhere  with  the  means 
that  remained  to  them,  and  resumed  their  trades  in  more  popu- 
lous parts  of  the  country.  Others  led  a  half  savage  life,  com- 
mon among  pioneers,  as  hunters  for  skins;  and  affairs,  for  a 
time,  wore  a  gloomy  aspect.  The  more  determined  ones,  how- 
ever, who  appear  to  have  represented  the  rank  and  file  of  the 
colony  resolved  upon  a  course  of  action,  which,  if  successful, 
would  give  them  homes  which  they  so  ardently  craved.  Six 
years  had  now  passed  since  they  had  sailed  from  Havre  de 
Grace,  and  an  enumeration  showed  that  but  three  hundred  of 
them  were  left.  These,  in  general  assembly,  resolved  to  make  a 
memorial  of  their  grievances  and  send  it  to  Congress.  The 
memorial  claimed  no  right  from  that  body,  but  was  a  detail  of 
Lheir  wrongs   and    sufferings,    together   with   an    appeal   to   the 


The  French   Settlement  and  Settlers  of  Gallipolis.  55 

generosity  of  the  governinent,  and  tliey  did  not  appeal  in  vain. 
Monsieur  Jean  (r.  Gervais  started  with  the  petition,  and  at 
Philadelphia  met  with  a  lawyer,  M.  Duponceau,  through  whose 
aid  he  obtained  from  Congress  a  grant  of  twenty-four  thousand 
acres  of  land,  known  as  the  "  French  Grant,"  and  located  oppo- 
site the  Little  Sandy,  for  the  people  who  still  remained  in  Galli- 
polis. The  act  annexed  the  condition  of  settling  on  the  lands 
for  three  years  before  the  deed  of  gift  would  be  given.  M. 
Gervais  received  four  thousand  acres  of  this  land  for  his  serv- 
ices in  the  matter,  according  to  previous  agreement.  Each  in- 
habitant had  thus  a  tract  of  two  hundred  and  seventeen  and  a 
half  acres  of  land;  but  before  the  surveys  and  other  arrange- 
ments could  be  made,  some  time  was  necessary  during  which 
those  who  had  reclaimed  the  wilderness  and  improved  Gallipolis, 
being  reluctant  to  lose  all  their  labor,  and  finding  that  a  com- 
pany, owning  the  lands  at  Marietta,  had  met  to  divide  lands, 
which  they  had  purchased  in  a  common  stock,  the  colonists  sent 
a  deputation  with  a  proposal  to  sell  to  them  the  tract  where 
Gallipolis  is  situated,  and  to  be  paid  in  proportion  to  what  was 
improved,  which  was  accepted.  When  at  last  the  distribution 
of  the  French  grant  was  achieved,  some  sold  their  share,  others 
went  to  settle  on  it,  while  many  sent  tenants,  and  either  re- 
mained at  Gallipolis  or  went  elsewhere.  Colonel  Robert  SaflFord, 
so  familiarly  known  as  one  of  the  number  of  Major  Burnham  s 
band,  w'ho  felled  the  first  tree  on  the  site  of  wdiat  was  afterward 
Gallipolis,  was  present  at  the  drawing  of  these  lots,  and  has 
thus  related  the  circumstances:  "General  Putnam  appointed 
Mr.  Martin  to  survey  the  grant,  and  after  this  was  done  and  the 
lots  numbered,  Messrs.  Maumey,  Putnam  and  Talmadge  ap- 
pointed a  day  when  all  who  were  to  get  land  were  to  meet  in  the 
public  square.  The  day  came  and  all  assembled.  The  names 
of  tho.se  having  an  interest  were  written  upon  square  pieces  of 
paper,  and  as  many  like  pieces  were  numbered.  The  papers 
were  placed  in  two  small  boxes,  two  clerks  were  appointed  and 
two  disinterested  men  were  selected,  to  each  of  whom  one  of 
the  boxes  was  given.  When  all  was  ready,  the  boxes  were 
shaken  and  then  opened.  Colonel  Safford  was  selected  to  draw 
out  the  papers  which  were  numbered.     As  he  drew  out  one  and 


56  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications:.        [Vol.  8 

announced  the  number  the  clerk  took  it  down,  then  from  the 
other  box  a  name  was  drawn  which,  being  announced,  was 
taken  down  as  the  owner  of  the  number  just  drawn.  They  pro- 
ceeded thus  until  the  whole  number  were  distributed." 

After  a  long  time,  as  it  appeared  to  the  settler,  some  of  the 
hopes  which  had  encouraged  him,  were  realized,  in  that  the 
French  grant  had  been  obtained  and  Gallipolis  had  become  the 
property  of  its  citizens.  True,  there  were  not  many  left,  com- 
paratively speaking,  to  enjoy  the  homes  which  had  been  won  in 
so  laborious  and  perilous  a  manner,  but  there  was  deep  satisfac- 
tion, no  doubt,  in  realizing,  that  although  the  fierce  battle  had 
been  fought,  the  victory  was  won. 

Now,  having  described  the  inauguration  and  accomplish- 
ment of  this  enterprise  of  establishing  a  colony  and  build- 
ing a  town  on  the  banks  of  the  Ohio,  we  will  turn  our 
attention,  for  a  brief  period,  to  the  topography  of  Galli- 
polis, in  the  first  stages  of  its  growth.  We  have  before  us 
a  map  of  the  town  and  surrounding  country  as  they  were  in 
earlier  days.  It  represents  the  plan  of  the  lots  drawn  by  the 
inhabitants  of  Gallipolis  January  20,  1791,  and  the  outlines  of 
the  city  are  very  accurate,  and  easily  recognized  by  those 
acquainted  with  it  now.  A  more  interesting  document  than  this, 
and  which  we  have  been  fortunate  enough  to  secure,  is  a  list  of 
the  town  lots  of  Gallipolis  with  their  original  disposition.  The 
original  of  this  was  probably  made  in  Paris,  when  the  anti- 
cipative  colonist  was  about  to  depart  to  his  new  home,  or  it  may 
have  been  made  after  the  first  stages  of  his  long  and  weary 
journey  had  been  completed,  when,  after  having  been  tortured 
by  apprehension,  the  order  had  come  for  him  to  move  on  to 
possess  the  land,  just  before  he  left  Alexandria,  Virginia.  We 
append  this  list,  thinking  it  peculiarly  interesting  in  this  connec- 
tion. 

A  numeral  list  of  the  town  lots  of  Gallipolis,  with  their 
original  disposition: 


The  French  Settlement  and  Settlers  of  GalUpolis. 


57 


Claude  Morrell 1 

Jean  B.  Laurent 2 

Charles  Vaux  Maret .'? 

Maguet,  son ....  4 

Colinet 5 

Etienne  Chandivert G 

Mad.  Clavet 7 

Jean  B.  Cherrin 8 

Pierre  A.  L,.  Huillier 9 

Francis  Picard 10 

Minguey,  father 11 

Pierre  Louis  LeClerc 12 

Claude  Bana 18 

Claude  J.  Naudet 14 

Marchand 15 

Winant  Devacht 10 

Jean  M.  Hammer 17 

Jean  Buzenet ..  18 

Nicholas  Vissinier 19 

Said 20 

Grouet  21 

Humbert  Pamar 22 

Guillaume  Duduit 23 

Jean  G.  Vallot 24 

Louis  Victor  Vonschritz 25 

Michaud 26 

Jean  B.  Ancil 27 

Michel  Cranzat 28 

Pierre  Chandivert 29 

Nicholas  Thevenin 30 

D'Hebecourt    1  31 

Retained  30th  Dec I  32 

[  33 

".            "           J  ^^ 

Saugrain 35 

36 

Pierre  Magnier 37 

D'Hebecourt 38 

Jos.  Dazet 39 

Frederick  Bergeret 40 

Jacques  Petit  Jean 41 

Jean  G.  Petit 42 

Francis  Darveux 43 

Alexander  Roussell 44 

Jean  B.  Quetee 45 


Jean  B.  Parmentier 46 

Francis  Valten 47 

Laurent  Bergnen 48 

Jean  B.  Duchallard 49 

Nicholas  Petit 50 

Antoine  Porquier 51 

Pvtienne  Willermy 52 

Francis  Quartel 53 

Benjamin  Armand 54 

Jean  M.  Guillot 55 

Charles  Soudry 56 

Catherine  Avelin 57 

Matthieu  Berthelot 58 

Peter  Lecke 59 

Jacques  Reuouard 60 

Antoine  Vibert   61 

Jean  B.  Ginat 62 

vSigisbert  Chevraux 63 

Pierre  Lafellard 64 

Gervais 65 

Lemoyne,  younger 66 

Jean  C.  Belliere 67 

Droz 68 

Joseph  Dupont 69 

Jean  Louis  Vonschritz 70 

Francis  Dutiel    71 

Alexander  Frere 72 

Claude  DuBois 73 

Jean  B.  Ferard 74 

Jean  P.  Laperouse 75 

Nicholas  Hedouin 76 

Michel  Mazure    77 

Pierre  M.  Richards 78 

Colat 79 

Petit 80 

Coupin 81 

82 

Laforge  retained |  83 

j  84 

Jean  Louis  Imbert 85 

Jean  Courtier 86 

Pierre  Matry 87 

Joseph  Goiyon 88 

Alex.  Chevalier   89 

Claude  Dupligny 90 


58 


Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [VOL.  3 


Jean  Louis  Colat 91 

Minguey,  son 92 

Louis  DelaBouye 93 

Cesar  Maufelit 94 

Pierre  Chabot 95 

Taillem 96 

Pierre  L.  Guibert 97 

Pierre  A.  Laforge 98 

Claude  Berthelot 99 

Antoine  Due 100 

Jean  F.  Grand  Jean 101 

Michel  Chanterelle    102 

Jean  Pellisou 103 

Jean  B.  Anthiaume 104 

Lemonye,  elder 105 

Louis  Roublot 106 

Antoine  Saugrain 107 

Thoncy  Dehafosse 108 

Marin  Dupont 109 

Petit  Jean 110 

Antoine  Prieur Ill 

Augustin  LeClerc 112 

Leclerc  and |  113 

Genet j    114 

Petit  Jean 115 

Gervais 116 

Sigismund  D'llmee 117 

Jean  L.  Violette 118 

Madam  LaCaisse 119 

D.  Petit 120 

Jean  Pierre  Ginet 121 

Louis  P.  LeClerc 122 

Francis  L'Anguette 123 

Pierre  Serre 124 

Louis  A.  Viuient    125 

Jean  Autran 126 

Pierre  Duteil 127 

Maximin  Lefort 128 

Minguet  DeViguement 129 

Francois  Bourgougnat 130 

Louis  Berthe   131 

Louis  Maldant 132 

Antrox  Noel 133 

Nicholas  Quelet 134 

Valton 135 


Philip  Aug.  Pithon 136 

John  Rowe   137 

Menuessier 138 

DeHibecour 139 

do              140 

Firmin  Bremiere 141 

Brice  DuCloz 142 

Valton 143 

Claude  Coupin 144 

Pierre  Magnet 145 

Jean  Desnoyers 146 

Pierre  Bidon    147 

Claude  Cadot 148 

Pierre  Thomas 149 

Malcher 150 

Reniy  Cuif 151 

Claude  Menager 152 

De  Hibecour 153 

do             154 

do              155 

do              156 

Menager 157 

Bastede 158 

LeClar 159 

Etienne  Allrien 160 

Jacques  Auger 161 

Pierre  Ferard 162 

Marie  Dallier 163 

Michel  Chillard 164 

Menager 165 

do 166 

Doctor  Petit 167 

Berthelot  Senior 168 

Gervais 169 

DeLaBaume 170 

do              171 

Louis  Vialett 172 

Francois  P.  Malcher 173 

Francois  Durand 174 

I.  Guion  Caille 175 

Antoine  Jacquemin 176 

Francois  Patin 177 

Joseph  Damervalle '.    ...  178 

Antoine  Charpentier. . .    179 

Jean  Louis  Devanne 180 


The  Frouh  Srtilcment  and   Settlers  of  Gallipolis.         59 

Jean  Rouilly 181       Jean  A.  Foulon   193 

Julien  Pradel 182  Hullier 194 

Simen   Battcielle 183  do 195 

Jean  Aug.  Pingard 184  DeHebecourt 196 

Mouvel 185  Rouby 197 

GeorgeChalot 186       Emille  Lefeve 198 

Jean  Regnier 187       Nicholas  Kingston 199 

Antoine  Rouby 188       Pierre  F.  Perot 200 

Cesar  Baredot 189       Francois  Valot 235 

Jacquemin . .  190       Francois  Carteron 236 

Eloy  Frere 191       Prioux  Aiglemont. 234 

Abel  Sarazin 192 

Whether  this  plan  was  followed,  we  are  unable  to  say,  but 
are  inclined  to  the  opinion  that  it  was  not,  in  view  of  the  com- 
plications arising  from  subsequent  events.  We  have  access  also 
to  the  account  of  the  price  and  distribution  of  the  lots  of  Galli- 
polis, which  were  written  about  five  years  after  the  settlers 
landed  here.  This  also  we  think  is  right  to  give  in  full:  "Gal- 
lipolis, this  the  14th  day  of  December,  1795.  P.  Bureau  and  J. 
M.  Berthelot  have  published  and  given  notice,  that  Monday  next 
they  will  render  account  to  the  French  inhabitants  of  their  mis- 
sion as  agents  to  treat  with  the  Ohio  Company.  To-day,  Mon- 
day, the  assembled  inhabitants,  after  having  agreed  to  purchase 
the  laud  of  the  Ohio  Company,  have  proceeded  to  choose  by 
secret  ballot,  commissioners  to  examine  the  rights  of  pre-emp- 
tion of  the  inhabitants  to  the  city  lots,  and  of  four  acres  of  cul- 
tivated land,  and  also  to  fix  the  price  of  city  lots  and  of  the  four 
acres  according  to  what  they  were  worth  before  they  were  occu- 
pied. Whereupon  the  inhabitants  have  unanimously  named  for 
commissioners:  Marin  Duport,  Mathieu  Berthelot,  Jean  Par- 
mentier,  Christopher  Etienne,  Francis  DeVacht,  Jean  Baptiste, 
Le  Tailleur,  Jean  Pierre,  Roman  Bureau.  To-day,  Monday,  6 
o'clock  p.  M.  The  commissioners  have  unanimously  appointed 
Marin  Duport  moderator,  and  Christopher  Etienne  secretary,  of 
the  committee.  It  has  also  been  resolved  that  Anselm  Tupper, 
surveyor,  be  chosen  for  any  operations  of  surveying  that  may 
be  found  necessary.  Resolved,  That  Mr.  Tupper,  accompanied 
by  Mr.  Bureau,  shall  go  to  examine  the  line  which  separates  the 
lands  proposed  to  be  bought  from  the  reserved  lands,  and  from 


60  Ohio  Arch,  and  Ifis.   Society  Publications.       [Vol  3 

those  belonging  to  the  Ohio  Company,  in  order  to  proceed  im- 
mediately to  such  operations  as  they  shall  judge  to  be  proper. 
[These  reserved  lands  were  those  set  apart  for  educational  and 
religious  purposes,  being  sections  16  and  29.]  It  has  been  re- 
solved that  the  public  be  warned  by  notices  to  repair  to  the 
house  of  Messrs.  Saugrain  and  Bureau,  in  order  to  make  known 
their  rights  and  claims  to  the  property  of  Gallipolis.  Signed  Le 
Tailleur,  Parmentier,  M.  Berthelot,  J.  G.  DeVacht,  M.  Duport, 
P.  Bureau 

December  16.  The  committee,  after  having  been  occupied 
the  entire  day  in  receiving  the  claims  of  proprietors,  have  re- 
solved to  give  new  notice  to  those  who  have  not  yet  presented 
their  claims  to  come  to-morrow,  in  order  to  finish  the  work. 

December  16.  Resolved,  That  this  plan  shall  hereafter  be 
placed  before  the  eyes  of  the  people  as  the  only  one  which  ap- 
pears proper,  in  order  to  conciliate  the  different  interests  of  the 
proprietors  considering  the  position  of  the  different  pieces  of 
land,  in  order  that  those  persons  who  have  few  lots,  and  of 
which  the  situation  is  not  advantageous,  be  not  overcharged. 


The  banks  of  the  river  and  the  commons  not  having  been 
surveyed,  and  never  having  been  regarded  as  property,  we  have 
thought  it  right  that  they  be  placed  at  a  price  proportioned  to 
their  importance  by  reason  of  their  position.  Lots  on  the  bank 
of  the  river  and  of  the  square  (Public  Square),  being  a  source 
of  wealth  by  reason  of  their  position,  we  have  thought  that  they 
should  be  placed  at  a  price  higher  than  the  others.  The  lots  on 
the  banks  of  the  river  more  remote  have  been  placed  at  a  price 
lower  than  the  preceding,  but  higher  than  those  which  are  re- 
mote from  the  river.  The  lands  which  remain  to  be  divided, 
being  for  the  greater  part  mountainous  or  hilly,  have  been,  in 
consequence,  placed  at  a  low  price.  Then  follows  the  designa- 
tion of  the  lots,  and  prices  attached,  after  which  the  following 
resolutions: 

Resolved,  Vox  the  public  good,  and  for  the  interests  of  the 
inhabitants,  the  streets  and  Public  Square  shall  remain  free, 
without  being  closed  on  the  bank  of  the  river  by  any  building, 
or  being  sold. 


CongrenKtservatl 


(fil) 


62  (iliio  Axil,  and  I /is.  Soc/r/y  Publicatioyis.        [Vol.  3 

Resolved,  That  the  public  be  notified  to  meet  to-morrow  to 
receive  the  report  of  the  work  of  the  committee. 

Resolved,  That  the  banks  of  the  river  shall  remain  open, 
facing  each  street,  that  lines  shall  be  drawn  in  the  direction  of 
the  streets,  without  trespassing  thereon. 

Plans  accepted,  Etienne,  sec. 

December  17,  Resolved,  That  the  secretary  be  ordered  by  the 
committee  to  go  the  house  of  DHebercourt,  to  request  him  to 
declare  if  it  is  his  intention  to  join  himself  with  us  for  the  ac- 
quisition of  our  property,  as  his  partner  Dr.  Petit  has  done ;  and 
to  say  to  him  that  the  execution  of  the  plan  adopted  by  the  in- 
habitants requires  a  positive  answer.  Etienne,  sec.  Mr. 
DHebercourt  has  replied  that  he  is  disposed  to  agree  to  the  ac- 
quisition of  the  lands  of  Gallipolis,  paying  for  his  property  seven 
shillings,  six -pence  per  acre,  and  that  he  will  not  conform  to  the 
plan  adopted  until  he  has  taken  such  steps  as  he  believes  his 
interests  require.     Etienne,  sec. 

Resolved,  That  Messrs.  Berthelot  and  Duport,  whom  we 
have  appointed  collectors,  go  to  the  houses  of  the  inhabitants  to 
receive  the  sums  set  down  on  the  list  made  between  us,  accord- 
ing to  the  plan  agreed  on  bv  the  inhabitants,  December  17th, 
1795. 

Resolved,  That  Mr.  Duport  is  by  us  appointed  cashier,  and 
in  this  capacity  the  money  remain  in  his  hands  until  the  time  of 
payment  for  the  lands. 

December  19,  1795.  According  to  the  resolutions  of  the 
committee  on  the  16th  of  this  month,  agreed  to  by  the  assembled 
inhabitants,  reserved  lots  near  the  square,  divided  into  eighteen 
equal  portions,  have  been  drawn  by  lot,  in  the  presence  of  the 
assembled  inhabitants,  and  fell  to  Messrs.  Vandenbemben, 
Chandiver  father,  Chandiver  son,  Vonschriltz,  Gervais,  Ferrare, 
jr.,  Ea  Cour,  Davoux,  Villerain,  Muqui,  Quarleron,  Michau, 
Brunier,  Bureau,  Eafillard,  child  of  Vonschriltz,  sr.,  Francis 
Valodin,  and  Pierre  Richou. 

Dec.  22d.  By  virtue  of  the  resolution  of  the  committee  of 
the  18th,  Messrs.  Marin,  Duport  and  Mathieu  Berthelot  have  en- 
gaged in  receiving  the  sums  to  be  given  by  each  proprietor, 
which  sums  have  amounted  to  ^194  5s.  6d.  in  money,  and  orders 
to  Mr.  Sproat  for  the  appointment  of  spies,  of  which  sum  the 
money   amounted   to  /"91  3s.   2d.      Bills  on   different  persons, 


The  /•^rriic/i  ScHlnnrut  and  Scff/crs  of  Callipolis.  ()8 

/■203.      Orders   of  spies  on  current  appointment,  /"^f)'}.  which 
sums  form  a  total  of  /1042  2s.  Hd. 

Resolved,  That  Messrs.  Mathieu,  Berthelot,  Roman  Bu- 
reau, and  Marin  Duport,  De  Vacht,  and  Jean  Le  Tail- 
leur,  go  to  Marietta  in  the  name  of  the  committee  of  the 
inhabitants  of  GallipoHs,  to  conclude  with  the  Ohio  Com 
pany  tlie  acquisition  of  the  two  squares  (of  land)  indicated  in 
the  plan  which  has  been  given  us  by  the  agents  of  the  Ohio 
Company.  Etienne.  Sec. 

Parmentier. 

Of  the  manner  of  life  of  the  early  settlers  in  Gallipolis,  our 
sources  of  information  are  meagre,  but  sufficient  to  give  us  a 
tolerably  accurate  idea  of  the  state  of  affairs.  The  French,  like 
other  nations  of  Southern  Europe,  po.ssess  a  cheerful  disposi- 
tion, but  being  also  excitable,  this  is  characterized  very  often  by 
extreme  degrees  of  elation  or  depression.  They  have  winning 
manners  and  are  warmly  hospitable,  and  are  remarkable  for  their 
thrift  and  ingenuity.  That  these  traits  were  marked  among  the 
early  settlers  we  think  is  proved  by  what  ha.s  already  been 
said,  as  well  as  what  we  have  learned  from  the  early  historian. 

Quite  a  flood  of  light  is  thrown  upon  this  branch  of  our 
subject  by  the  account  given  by  John  Heckewelder  of  his  visit 
to  Gallipolis,  in  company  with  General  Putnam,  when  making  a 
journey  from  the  upper  waters  of  the  Ohio  to  the  Wabash 
River  in  the  interest  of  the  government  in  Indian  afifairs,  in  the 
year  1792.  He  says:  "We  rode  to  the  French  .settlement  of 
Gallipolis,  situated  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Ohio,  between 
three  .iud  four  miles  from  the  Kanawha.  Here  we  spent  the 
whole  of  the  following  day  in  visiting  the  skilled  workmen  and 
the  gardens  laid  out  in  European  style.  The  most  interesting 
shops  of  the  workmen  were  those  of  goldsmiths  and  watch- 
makers. They  showed  us  work  on  watches,  compasses  and  sun- 
dials finer  than  any  I  had  ever  beheld.  Next  in  interest  were 
the  sculptors  and  stonecutters.  These  latter  had  two  finished 
mantels,  most  artistically  carved.  General  Putnam  at  once  pur- 
chased one  of  them  for  twelve  guineas,  the  other  was  intended 
for  a  rich  Dutch  gentleman  who  has  built  a  two-story  house 
here,  fifty  feet  long.  The  upper  part  of  a  mantel  was  lying 
there,  ordered  by  a  Spanish  gentleman  in  New  Orleans,  which, 


64  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 

because  of  the  fine  workmanship  upon  it,  was  to  cost  twenty  or 
twenty-two  guineas.  The  worker  in  glass  seemed  to  be  a  born 
artist.  He  made  us  a  thermometer,  a  barometer,  a  glass  tobacco 
pipe,  a  small  bottle  (which  would  contain  about  a  thimble  full), 
and  a  most  diminutive  stopper,  and  a  number  of  works  of  art 
besides.  He  also  manufactured  precious  medicine,  nitric  acid, 
etc.  As  we  were  on  a  journey,  and  were  in  daily  need  of  light 
and  fire,  he  presented  us  with  a  glass  full  of  dry  stuff,  whi'^h 
burns  as  soon  as  a  match  is  applied.  This  stuff,  he  told  us,  was 
manufactured  from  bones.  Concerning  the  fine  gardens,  I  must 
add  the  following:  that  in  them  were  to  be  found  the  most  beau- 
tiful flowers,  artichokes,  and  almond  trees,  and  besides  many 
vineyards  and  some  rice  fields.  At  a  distance  of  about  one  hun- 
dred steps  from  the  Ohio,  there  is  a  round  hill,  which  probably 
dates  its  origin  from  the  former  inhabitants  of  this  land,  as  also 
the  remarkable  fortifications  and  buildings  to  be  found  in  this 
country.  The  hill,  about  thirty  feet  high,  has  been  improved  as 
a  beautiful  pleasure  garden,  with  a  pretty  summer  house  on  top. 
The  town  of  Gallipolis  consists  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  dwell- 
ings. The  inhabitants  number  between  three  and  four  hun- 
dred. A  detachment  of  from  fifty  to  sixty  men  of  the  regular 
army  is  stationed  here  for  protection.  Besides  a  few  Virginia 
spies  or  scouts  are  kept  and  paid  by  the  government.  The 
militia  are  also  willing  to  serve  for  remuneration.  The  Chicke- 
mage  Creek  flows  back  of  the  town,  and  below  it  empties  into 
the  Ohio.  Fine  boats  are  also  manufactured  in  this  town;  our 
vessel  is  one  of  them.  At  noon  we  dined  with  the  most  promi- 
nent French  gentleman  of  the  place,  at  the  home  of  the  judge 
and  doctor,  Mr.  Petit." 

On  his  return  from  Vincennes,  on  the  Wabash,  Mr.  Hecke- 
welder  speaks  of  again  stopping  at  Gallipolis,  and  alludes  feel- 
ingly to  the  troubles  through  which  the  people  were  passing, 
owing  to  the  complications  in  the  matter  of  their  land  titles,  a 
very  clear  but  concise  account  of  which  he  gives,  together  with 
the  whole  transaction  wich  the  agents  of  the  Scioto  Company. 
From  this  it  will  be  seen  that  our  settlers  were  not  people  who 
would  remain  inactive  or  slothful  even  when  surrounded  by 
many  and  great  difficulties,  but  worked  faithfully  to  make  their 


The  French  Settlement  and  Settlers  of  Gallipolis.         65 

new  homes  attractive,  and  their  works  have,  through  the  years 
which  have  since  elapsed,  borne  testimony  to  their  earnestness 
of  purpose. 

A  much  fuller  account  of  life  among  our  settlers  is  given  in 
a  work  entitled  "Recollections  of  Persons  and  Places  in  the 
West,"  by  H.  M.  Brackenridge.  Mr.  Brackenridge  was  born 
at  the  village  of  Fort  Pitt,  on  the  site  of  .what  is  now  the 
city  of  Pittsburg.  At  a  very  early  age  he  was  sent  by 
his  father  to  the  village  of  St.  Genevieve  in  Louisiana  for 
the  purpose  of  making  him  acquainted  with  the  French  lan- 
guage. This  distance  of  fifteen  hundred  miles,  which  lay  be- 
tween him  and  his  home,  was  traveled  by  means  of  a  fiat  boat. 
After  spending  several  years  at  the  village  of  St.  Genevieve,  and 
acquiring  the  language,  he  departed  in  company  with  a  gentle- 
man sent  for  him  to  return  to  Fort  Pitt.  On  account  of  the  in- 
clemency of  the  weather  to  which  he  was  exposed,  owing  to  the 
scanty  accommodations  aiforded  by  the  flat  boat,  as  well  perhaps 
as  climatic  causes,  he  was  taken  quite  sick  with  fever  and  ague 
shortly  after  the  arrival  at  Louisville,  where,  it  seems  that  a  stop 
of  some  days  was  made.  After  the  journey  had  been  further 
prosecuted,  he  grew  no  better,  and  on  the  arrival  at  Gallipolis 
he  was  taken  to  a  house  in  the  village  and  left  there.  The 
exact  date  of  this  is  not  given,  but  from  the  dates  previously 
mentioned  it  appears  to  have  been  some  time  previous  to  1795. 
The  account  of  his  sojourn  here  can  best  be  given  in  his  own 
words : 

"  Behold  me  once  more  in  port,  and  domiciliated  at  the 
hou.se  or  inn  of  Monsieur,  or  rather  Doctor,  Saugrain,  a  cheer- 
ful, sprightly  little  Frenchman,  four  feet  six,  English  measure, 
and  a  chemist,  natural  philosopher,  and  physician,  both  in  the 
English  and  French  signification  of  the  word.  I  was  delighted 
with  my  present  liberation  from  the  irksome  thralldom  of  the 
canoe,  and  with  the  possession  of  the  free  use  of  my  limbs. 
After  wrapping  my  blanket  round  me,  which  was  my  only  bed- 
ding, I  threw  myself  into  a  corner  for  a  couple  of  hours,  during 
the  continuance  of  the  fever  and  ague,  and  then  rose  up  re 
freshed,  with  the  lightness  of  spirits  which  I  possessed  in  an 
unusual  degree.     I   ran  out  of  the  house  and  along  the  bank, 

Vol.  Ill— 5 


66  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publicatiotis.        [Vol.  5 

where  I  met  a  boy  about  my  own  size.  I  laid  hold  of  him  in 
mirth,  but  he,  mistaking  my  vivacity,  gave  me  a  sound  beating. 
The  next  day  the  doctor  tried  his  skill  upon  me,  or  rather  upon 
my  ague,  and  pretty  much  on  the  plan  of  another  celebrated 
physician,  whether  on  the  principle  of  the  solviente  universal,  I 
do  not  so  well  know,  but  certain  it  is,  he  repeated  the  very 
words  recorded  by  Gil  Bias:  ' Bebe  agtia,  hijo  mio,  bcbe  agua  in 
abunda}icia' — drink  water,  my  son,  drink  plenty  of  water.  But 
the  ague  was  not  to  be  shaken  off  so  easily  ;  it  still  continued  to 
visit  me  daily,  as  usual,  all  that  winter  and  part  of  the  next 
spring.  I  was  but  poorly  clad,  and  was  without  hat  or  shoes, 
but  gradually  became  accustomed  to  do  without  them;  like  the 
Indian,  I  might  in  time  have  become  all  face.  My  guardian  left 
no  money,  perhaps  he  had  none  to  leave ;  Mr.  Saugrain  had  none 
to  spare;  besides  as  this  was  the  period  when  the  French  Revo- 
lution was  at  its  height,  sans  culottism  was  popular  with  those 
who  favored  the  breaking  up  of  social  economy.  Dr.  Saugrain 
however,  and  many  others  in  Gallipolis  were  not  of  that  party, 
they  were  royalists,  who  bitterly  lamented  the  condition  of  their 
native  country.  Gallipolis,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  strag- 
gling log  houses,  of  which  that  of  Dr.  S.  was  one,  consisted  of 
two  long  rows  of  barracks  built  of  logs,  and  partitioned  oflF  into 
rooms  of  sixteen  or  twenty  feet  wide,  with  what  is  called  a  cabin 
roof  and  wooden  chimneys.  At  one  end  there  was  a  larger 
room  than  the  rest,  which  served  as  a  council  chamber  and  ball 
room.  This  singular  village  was  settled  by  people  from  Paris 
and  Lyons,  chiefly  artisans  and  artists,  peculiarly  unfitted  to  sit 
down  in  the  wilderness  and  clear  away  forests.  Their  former 
employments  had  only  been  calculated  to  administer  to  the 
luxury  of  high  polished  and  wealthy  societies.  There  were 
carvers  and  guilders  to  the  King,  coach -makers,  frizeurs  and 
peruke -makers,  and  a  variety  of  othcs,  who  might  have  found 
employment  in  our  larger  towns,  but  who  were  entirely  out  of 
their  place  in  the  wilds  of  Ohio.  Their  means  b}^  this  time  had 
been  exhausted,  and  they  were  beginning  to  suffer  from  the 
want  of  the  comforts  and  even  the  necessaries  of  life.  The 
country  back  from  the  river  was  still  a  wilderness,  and  the  Galli- 
politans  did  not  pretend  to  cultivate  anything  mor?  than  gmali 


The  Frt'iich   Seitlement  and  Settlers  of  Ciallipolis.  67 

garden  spots,  depending  for  their  supply  of  provisions  on  the 
boats,  which  now  began  to  descend  the  river;  but  they  had  to 
pay  in  cash,  and  that  was  become  scarce.  They  still  assembled 
at  the  ball  room  twice  a  week;  it  was  evident,  however,  that 
they  felt  disappointment,  and  were  no  longer  happy.  The  pre- 
dilections of  the  best  of  them  being  on  the  side  of  the  Bourbons, 
the  horrors  of  the  Revolution,  even  in  their  remote  position, 
mingled  with  their  private  misfortunes,  which  had,  at  this  time, 
nearly  reached  their  acme,  in  consequence  of  the  discovery  that 
they  had  no  title  to  their  lands,  having  been  cruelly  de- 
ceived by  those  from  whom  they  had  purchased.  It  is 
well  known  that  Congress  generously  made  them  a  grant 
of  twenty  thousand  acres,  from  which,  however,  but  few  of 
them  derived  any  advantage.  As  the  Ohio  was  now  more  fre- 
quented, the  house  was  occasionally  resorted  to,  and  especially 
by  persons  looking  out  for  land  to  purchase.  The  doctor  had  a 
small  apartment,  which  contained  his  chemical  apparatus,  and  I 
used  to  sit  by  him,  as  often  as  I  could,  watching  the  curious 
operatiohs  of  his  blow-pipe  and  crucible.  I  loved  the  cheerful 
little  man,  and  he  became  very  fond  of  me  in  turn.  "Many  of 
my  countrymen  used  to  come  and  stare  at  his  doings,  which 
they  were  half  inclined  to  think  had  too  near  a  resemblance  to 
the  black  art.  The  doctor's  little  phosphoric  matches  ignited 
spontaneously  when  the  glass  tube  was  broken,  and  from  which 
he  derived  some  emolument,  was  thought  by  some  to  be  rather 
beyond  mere  human  power.  His  barometers,  and  thermome- 
ters, with  the  scale  neatly  painted  with  the  pen,  and  the  frames 
richly  carved,  were  objects  of  wonder,  and  some  of  them  are 
probably  still  extant  in  the  West.  But  what  astonished  some  of 
our  visitors  was  a  large  peach  in  a  glass  bottle,  the  neck  of 
which  could  only  admit  a  common  cork.  This  was  accomplished 
by  tying  the  bottle  to  the  limb  of  the  tree,  with  the  peach  when 
young  inserted  into  it.  His  swans,  which  swam  round  basins 
of  water,  amused  me  more  than  any  of  the  wonders  exhibited 
by  the  wonderful  man.  The  doctor  was  a  great  favorite  with 
the  Americans,  as  well  for  his  vivacity  and  sweetness  of  temper 
which  nothing  could  sour,  as  on  account  of  a  circumstance 
which  gave  him  high  claims  to  the  esteem  of  the  backwoods- 


6S  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Ptiblications.        [Vol..  3 

men.  He  had  shown  himself,  notwithstanding  his  small  stature 
and  great  good  nature,  a  very  hero  in  combat  with  the  Indians. 
He  had  descended  the  Ohio,  in  company  with  two  French  phil- 
osophers, who  were  believers  in  the  primitive  innocence  of  and 
goodness  of  the  children  of  the  forest.  They  could  not  be  per- 
suaded that  any  danger  was  to  be  apprehended  from  the  Indians; 
as  they  had  no  intention  to  injure  that  people,  they  supposed, 
of  course,  that  no  harm  could  be  meditated  on  their  part.  Dr. 
Saugrain  was  not  altogether  so  well  convinced  of  their  good  in- 
tentions, and  accordingly  kept  his  pistols  loaded.  Near  the 
mouth  of  Big  Sandy,  a  canoe  with  a  party  of  warriors  ap- 
proached the  boat ;  the  philosophers  invited  them  on  board  by 
signs,  when  they  came  rather  too  willingly.  The  first  thing 
they  did  on  entering  the  boat  was  to  salute  the  two  philosophers 
with  the  tomahawk ;  and  they  would  have  treated  the  doctor  in 
the  same  way,  but  that  he  used  his  pistols  with  good  effect ; 
killed  two  of  the  savages  and  then  leaped  into  the  water,  diving 
like  a  dipper  at  the  flash  of  the  guns  of  the  others,  and  suc- 
ceeded in  swimming  to  the  shore,  with  several  severe  wounds, 
whose  scars  were  conspicuous. 

"  The  doctor  was  married  to  an  amiable  young  woman,  but 
not  possessing  as  much  vivacity  as  himself.  As  Madame  Sau- 
grain had  no  maid  to  assist  in  household  work,  her  brother,  a 
boy  of  my  age,  and  myself,  were  her  principal  helps  in  the 
kitchen.  I  used  to  go  in  the  morning  about  two  miles  for  a 
little  milk,  sometimes  on  the  frozen  ground,  barefoot.  I  tried  a 
pair  of  sabots,  or  wooden  shoes,  but  was  unable  to  make  any 
use  of  them,  although  they  had  been  made  by  the  carver  to  the 
king." 

Speaking  of  his  other  occupations,  Mr.  Brackenridge  says : 
"In  the  spring  and  summer  a  good  deal  of  my  time  was  passed 
in  the  garden  weeding  the  beds.  It  was  while  thus  engaged 
that  he  formed  an  association  which  is  interesting,  as  it  bears 
somewhat  on  the  future  history  of  Gallipolis.  He  formed  the 
acquaintance,"  he  says,  "of  a  young  lady  of  eighteen  or  twenty, 
on  the  other  side  of  the  palings,"  who  was  often  occupied  as  he 
was.     "Our  friendship,"  says  he,  "which  was  purely  Platonic, 


The  French  Stttlctncnt  and  Settlers  of  Gallipolis.         6£l 

commenced  with  the  storN-  of  Bhie  Beard,  recounted  by  her,  aud 
with  the  novelty  and  pathos  of  which  I  was  much  interested. 

"  Connected  with  this  j'oung  lady  there  is  an  incident  which 
I  feel  pleasure  in  relating.  One  day  while  standing  alone  on  the 
bank  of  the  river,  I  saw  a  man  who  had  gone  in  to  bathe  and  had 
got  beyond  his  depth  without  being  able  to  swim.  He  began  to 
struggle  for  life,  and  in  a  few  seconds  would  have  sunk  to  rise 
no  more.  I  shot  down  the  bank  like  an  arrow,  leaped  into  a 
canoe,  w^hich,  fortunately,  happened  to  be  close  by,  pushed  the 
end  of  it  to  him,  and  as  he  rose,  perhaps  for  the  last  time,  he 
seized  it  with  a  deadly,  convulsive  grasp,  and  held  so  firmly  that 
the  skin  afterward  came  off  the  parts  of  his  arms  which  pressed 
against  the  wood.  I  screamed  for  help;  several  persons  came 
and  took  him  out  perfectly  insensible.  He  afterward  mar- 
ried the  young  lady,  and  they  raised  a  numerous  and  re- 
spectable family.  One  of  his  daughters  married  a  young  law- 
yer, who  now  represents  that  district  in  Congress.  Thus  at 
eight  years  of  age  I  earned  the  civic  crown  by  saving  the  life  of  a 
human  being.  I  say  this  incident  is  interesting,  and  you  will 
agree  with  me  when  I  tell  you  the  young  lawyer  referred  to  was 
Hon.  Samuel  F.  Vinton,  whom  we  recognize  as  one  of  the 
prominent  figures,  both  in  our  State  and  Nation. 

"  Continuing  his  narrative  in  reference  to  the  life  in  Galli- 
polis at  that  time,  Mr.  Brackenridge  says  that  toward  the  latter 
part  of  the  summer,  the  inhabitants  suffered  severely  from  sick- 
ness and  want  of  provisions.  The  situation  was  truly  wretched. 
The  swamps  in  the  rear,  now  exposed  by  the  clearing  between  it 
and  the  river,  became  the  cause  of  a  frightful  epidemic  from 
which  few  escaped,  and  many  became  its  victims.  He,  himself, 
had  recovered  from  the  ague,  and  was  among  the  few  exempted 
from  the  disease;  but  the  family  with  whom  he  lived,  as  well  as 
the  re.st,  suffered  much  from  absolute  hunger.  To  show  the 
extremity  of  the  distress,  he  says  that  on  one  occasion,  the 
brother  of  Madame  Saugrain  and  himself  pushed  a  light  canoe 
to  an  island  above  the  town  where  they  pulled  some  corn  and 
took  it  to  a  flouring  mill,  and  excepting  some  of  the  raw  grains, 
they  had  had  nothing  to  eat  since  the  day  before,  until  they 
carried  home  the  niela  and  made  some  bread,  but  had  neither 


70  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications .        [Vol.  3 

milk  nor  meat.  "I  have  learned,"  said  he,  "to  be  thankful 
when  I  had  a  sufficiency  of  wholesome  food,  however  plain,  and 
was  blessed  with  health;  and  I  could  put  up  with  humble  fare 
without  a  murmur,  although  accustomed  to  luxuries,  when 
I  have  seen  those,  who  had  never  experienced  absolute  starva- 
tion, turn  up  their  noses  at  that  which  was  very  little  worse 
than  the  best  they  have  ever  known,  such  are  the  uses  of 
adversity?" 

It  has  not  been  our  privilege  to  learn  the  internal  state 
of  affairs  in  the  colony  during  the  years  which  immediately 
succeeded  this  interesting  narrative,  but  from  what  can  be 
learned  through  old  inhabitants,  some  of  whom  were  acquainted 
with  the  early  colonists,  and  most  of  whom  have  gone  to  their 
reward,  we  feel  assured  that  the  thrift  and  enterprise  of  these 
early  days  was  but  an  index  of  what  was  to  come  after.  After 
the  colonists  had  been  safely  established  in  their  new  homes,  and 
knew  that  in  the  future  they  would  be  free  from  the  harassing 
influence  of  litigation  in  consequence  of  defective  land  titles, 
and  had  learned  some  of  the  secrets  of  border  life,  insomuch 
that  the  prospective  attacks  from  the  Indians  lost  much  of  their 
terror,  being  better  acquainted  as  they  were  with  the  modes  of 
defence,  their  minds  being  less  harassed,  they  were  the  better 
able  to  enter  heartily  in  the  work  which  was  before  them,  of 
making  the  wilderness  blossom  as  the  rose. 

We  are  persuaded  that  thase  years,  which  represented  the 
lull  after  the  storm,  were  years  of  peace  and  contentment,  and 
consequently  could,  in  after  years,  be  regarded  by  those  who 
passed  through  them  with  pleasant  remembrance.  We  are  often 
told  that  the  good  works  which  live  after  the  performers  have 
gone,  are  the  most  powerful  witnesses  as  to  their  faithfulness, 
inasmuch  as  they  not  only  benefit  their  day  and  generation,  but 
bespeak  the  earnestness  of  purpose,  as  well  the  kindly  di.spo- 
position  of  the  performers. 

There  are  not  many  institutions  among  us  which  were 
identified  with  the  far  off  time  indicated  by  our  subject,  but 
there  are  those  which  indirectly  sprung  from  the  efforts  of  that 
time  and  in  which  the  characters  and  desires  of  the  citizens  are 
so  clearly  portrayed,  that  we  are  forced  to  acknowledge  that  they 


The  French  Settlement  and  Settlers  of  Callipolis.         71 

being  dead  yet  speak.  The  influence  of  the  French  settlers  has 
been  felt  through  the  many  intervening  years,  and  though  our 
town  has  changed  its  population  to  a  great  degree,  and  American 
blood  is  flowing  in  the  veins  of  many  of  our  people,  we  cannot 
but  think  that  the  happy  disposition  of  La  Belle  France  is  ever 
cropping  out,  and  the  pleasure-loving  hearts  of  long  ago  are 
calling  to  us  across  the  ages,  and  that  the  name  Gallipolis  is  still 
appropriate  when  applied  to  our  town,  for  in  love,  sympathy, 
and  gratitude,  as  well  as  by  the  nearer  ties  of  blood,  we  are  the 
inhabitants  of  the  city  of  the  French. 

Among  the  institutions  which  bring  us  into  a  close  relation- 
ship with  the  earlier  years  of  our  town's  history,  there  is 
one  which  we  feel  illustrates,  to  a  certain  degree,  what  has 
been  said  in  regard  to  the  works  of  its  early  inhabitants, 
A  time  honored  and  much  appreciated  institution  we  con- 
sider in  the  Gallia  Academ}-.  True  it  is,  that  this  was  not 
founded  until  about  twenty  years  after  the  settlers  arrived 
here,  but  the  names  of  those  who  inaugurated  it  as  an 
Educational  medium  are  to  be  found  among  those  v/ho  braved 
the  difficulties  identified  with  the  settlement.  This  is  among 
the  oldest  institutions  of  learning  in  the  State,  and  at  it 
"not  only  nearly  all  of  the  older  residents  of  Gallipolis 
and  Gallia  county  received  their  education,  but  many  who 
afterward  became  men  of  great  prominence,  throughout  the 
country,  here  took  the  first  step  in  learning  which  led  them  on 
to  fame." 

A  short  account  of  its  organization  may  not  be  inappro- 
priate in  this  connection.  A  meeting  was  held  February  8, 
1810,  for  the  purpose  of  taking  into  consideration  the  ex- 
pediency of  erecting  in  Gallipolis,  an  institution  to  be  appro- 
priated to  the  instruction  of  the  youth,  and  such  other  purposes 
as  may  be  deemed  of  public  utility.  Robert  Safibrt  was  chosen 
chairman  and  Nathaniel  Gates  secretary.  A  series  of  resolu- 
tions, embodying  these  principles,  was  passed  at  this  meeting, 
and  a  subscription  started  which  was  circulated  with  satisfactory 
results.  Among  the  subscribers  are  to  be  noted  the  names  of 
some  of  the  oldest  and  mo.st  honored  citizens,  many  of  whom 
ar?  to  be  seen  among  the  lot  holders  of  Gallipolis  of  colonial 


72  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [VOL.  3 

days.  In  due  time,  a  lot  was  purchased,  and  a  commodious 
building  erected  thereon,  and  the  work  of  refining  the  mind,  by 
means  of  education,  received  an  impetus  which  showed  that  the 
builders  of  the  Gallia  Academy  had  done  wisely  and  well. 
From  its  portals  have  passed  many  who,  as  we  say,  have  won 
foj  themselves  fame  in  after  years ;  men  whom  the  country  de- 
lighted to  honor,  as  well  as  those,  who,  in  the  more  quiet  walks 
of  life,  have  met  the  requirements  of  good  and  upright  citizen- 
ship, and  who  were  representatives  of  that  class  which  compose 
the  rank  and  file  of  those  who  labored  for  the  sure  and  steady 
advancement  of  our  country,  and  which  has  made  it  the  grand- 
est the  sun  shines  upon.  This  venerable  institution,  could  it 
speak,  could  bear  greater  testimony  to  the  admirable  traits  of 
our  forefathers  than  any  ever  yet  recorded  by  the  pen  of  the 
historian. 

As  we  pause  in  the  spirit  of  meditation  over  the  shifting 
scenes  which  rise  before  us  in  a  consideration  of  the  early  ages 
of  the  French  colony  here,  as  well  as  the  intervening  years 
which  separate  us  from  that  distant  date,  we  can  find  food  for 
much  instructive  thought,  and  we  draw  our  lessons  principally 
from  those  who  witnessed  the  early  dawn  of  civilization  in  this 
then  far  away  Western  wilderness. 

The  first  trait  of  character  which  claims  our  admiration 
was  the  earnestness  of  purpose  which  marked  the  lives  of  the 
pioneers.  'Tis  true,  as  we  have  shown,  everything  seemed 
bright  and  promising  when,  in  accordance  with  the  representa- 
tions of  the  land  agents,  they  resolved  to  cast  their  lots  in  the 
new  and  attractive  land  across  the  seas,  but  when  subsequent 
events  changed  the  rosy  dreams  to  a  dark  reality,  and  they 
realized  that  they  must  face  life  in  its  most  responsible  and  for- 
bidding aspects,  it  required  the  strongest  natures  to  remain  un- 
moved. No  wonder  it  is  that  our  record  tells  us  that  some  of 
them  were  not  equal  to  the  emergency,  and  went  to  seek  satis- 
faction in  life  in  more  congenial  atmospheres,  some  finding  it  in 
the  populous  sections  of  our  own  country;  and  some,  acknowl- 
edging themselves  completely  defeated,  returned  to.  France. 
With  the  principal  part  of  them,  however,  it  was  otherwise 
They  had  not  left  home  and  old  associations,  and  come  to  this 


The  French  Setllcrs  and  Settlement  of  Gallipolis.         73 

distant  land  to  fail.  Although  they  had  been  grievously  disap- 
pointed, they  would  aGcomplish  that  which  they  came  to  per- 
form, a  home  where  they  would  be  unmolested  by  political 
storms  or  persecution.  The  mountains  were  high,  the  valleys 
deep,  and  the  distance  great  which  separated  them  from  the 
homes  of  their  adoption,  but  nothing  was  impossible  in  the  face 
of  that  earnestness,  which  marked  their  progress.  This  disposi- 
tion is  the  material  of  which  heroes  are  made.  The  biographies 
of  the  gdod,  the  true,  and  the  powerful  tell  us  of  exactly  the 
same  spirit  as  this,  and  which  was  the  medium  by  which  success 
crowned  their  efforts,  and  the  World  greatly  was  blessed. 

Every  inventor  has  to  face  the  difficulties  arising  from  an 
incredulous  world.  Every  discoverer  has  to  encounter  opposi- 
tion which  would  make  those  who  are  less  determined  quail  and 
desist.  Every  person  who  embarks  upon  an  undertaking  which 
has  as  its  object  the  upbuilding  of  truth  has  to  run  the  gauntlet, 
So  to  speak,  of  the  furious  opposition  such  as  the  powers  of 
darkness  only  can  command.  Yet  all  of  these  workers,  as  their 
titles  indicate,  have  been  successful,  nothing  has  baffled  them, 
because  they  made  up  their  minds  to  succeed,  and  succeed  they 
did,  not  merely  to  their  own  satisfaction  but  to  that  of  their  fel- 
low beings,  who  have  been  benefited  by  their  efforts. 

It  was  no  idle  sentiment  which  prompted  them  to  action, 
but  an  inborn  determination  founded  upon  a  deep -set  principle 
that  "  whatever  is  worth  doing  is  worth  doing  well."  Whenever 
such  a  spirit  animates  man,  we  know  that  there  is  no  such  word 
as  failure  in  his  vocabulary.  This  feature  in  man's  character 
has  made  him  the  truly  wonderful  being  that  he  has  proved  him- 
self, and  were  it  omitted,  the  histor}^  of  the  human  race,  instead 
of  being  as  it  is  now,  one  of  the  most  absorbingly  interesting 
subjects  which  could  claim  the  attention  of  the  thinking  mind, 
would  not  be  worth  the  reading,  and  man  who  was  made  as  the 
Bible  tells  us,  but  little  lower  than  the  angels,  and  crowned  with 
glory  and  "  honor,"  would  long  since  have  fallen  from  his  high 
estate,  and  his  life  be  as  devoid  of  interest  as  that  of  the 
beasts  tliat  peri.sh.  This  is  but  reasonable,  for  it  indicates  that 
when  man  '\&  in  earnest  in  what  he  does,  his  heart  is  given  to  his 
work.     Hovr  marked  is  this,  we  say,  among  the  great  ones  of 


74  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 

our  world.  Think  of  such  a  man  as  Napoleon  Bonaparte,  when 
he  was  entering  upon  a  great  campaign,  which  would  involve 
the  destinies  of  Europe.  Could  the  thoughtful  one  have  been 
able  to  read  his  mind  at  such  a  momentous  time,  what  mighty 
plans  and  calculations  would  be  these;  what  wonderful  lines  of 
battle,  what  anticipative  thoughts  when  through  the  mists  of  the 
future  he  could  see  success  and  glory;  or  take  one  nearer  home, 
General  Washington,  so  appropriately  known  as  the  Father  of 
his  Country.  Think  what  daring  plans  he  must  have  formulated, 
by  which  he  expected  to  be  borne  to  success.  He,  who,  with  a 
small  army  of  half- fed  and  half-clothed  men,  dared  to  stand  up 
before  the  mightiest  nation  of  the  world  and  defy  it.  We  might, 
if  we  were  privileged  to  read  his  thoughts,  see  some  such  words 
as  these:  "  My  country  must  and  shall  be  free,  and  my  hand 
shall  be  the  instrument  to  give  her  great  assistance."  The 
horrors  of  cold  winter  and  starvation  were  not  sufficient  to  cause 
him  to  desist  in  what  many  of  his  contemporaries,  no  doubt, 
considered  a  mad  venture,  for  he  made  up  his  mind  to  succeed, 
and  saw  no  such  probability  as  defeat  in  his  pathway. 

We  might  take  examples  from  other  departments  of  work, 
and  read  the  thoughts  of  a  great  writer,  who,  by  his  pen,  has 
resolved  to  make  the  world  better,  and  as  his  after- works  testify 
they  bear  the  stamp  of  earnestness,  yes  and  such  earnestness  as 
will  unquestionably  bear  the  stamp  of  Divine  approval.  The 
great  feature  of  this  earnestness,  is  the  utter  absence  from  the 
mind  of  anything  which  savors  of  failure.  That  is  not  antici- 
pated as  a  possible  contingency,  and  it  rarely  comes.  Do  you 
think  that  any  of  those  just  mentioned  anticipated  failure  when 
they  gave  their  hearts  to  the  work?  Not  only  are  we  convinced 
to  the  contrary,  but  it  is  our  firm  conviction  that  if  such  had 
been  the  case  the  downfalls  of  mo.st  of  them  would  now  be 
among  the  many  wrecks  which  strew  the  sands  of  time.  Look- 
ing, therefore,  at  our  French  colonists  in  this  light,  we  see  them 
in  their  true  grandeur  of  character  as  we  perhaps  have  never 
viewed  them  before.  Instead  of  the  weary  and  disheartened 
band,  worn  out  with  the  cares  and  discouragements  of  the  hour, 
and  ready  to  faint  by  the  way -side,  we  see  the  fire  of  determina- 
tion kindled  by  deep -set  earnestness  flash  from  their  eyes.     The 


The  French  Settlement  and  Settlers  of  Gallipolis.         75 

little  rows  of  rough  cabins  in  the  forest,  the  back-ground  of 
seemingly  impenetrable  wilds,  and  before  them  the  winding 
river,  which,  to  many,  would  seem  to  be  murmuring  the  fare- 
wells to  departed  hopes,  but  represent  to  them  the  life  which  is 
before  them,  and  the  grand  medium  through  which  they  shall 
attain  success,  so  that  at  the  conclusion  of  their  mortal  exist- 
ence, it  shall  be  said  of  them  what  we  emphatically  say  to-day: 
"They  lived  not  in  vain." 

The  early  history  of  our  country  is  ever  presenting  scenes 
such  as  these,  and  how  often  are  we  constrained  to  go  back 
through  the  past  years  and  sympathize  with  our  forefathers,  and 
consider  that  our  lines  have,  as  compared  with  theirs,  "  fallen 
in  pleasant  places ;  "  but  yet  there  are  other  thoughts  in  this  con- 
nection that  should  fill  the  mind.  In  consideration  of  the  work 
which  was  given  these  and  its  mighty  significance,  as  it  bore 
upon  the  events  of  the  future,  and  the  earnestness  of  purpose 
with  which  it  was  prosecuted,  and  its  great  aim  accomplished, 
were  not  their  blessings  which  arise  from  the  fact  that  they  were 
the  promotors  of  such  a  mighty  work,  as  great,  yes  far  greater 
than  those  benefits  which  accrue  to  many  now-a-days?  It  were 
a  privilege,  indeed,  to  live  as  they  lived,  and  to  be  moved  as  they 
to  do  with  all  their  might  that  which  their  hands  found  to  do,  in 
laying  the  foundation  for  future  success  in  a  great  land. 

Another  trait  of  character  which  was  the  natural  out- 
come of  that  just  considered,  and  which  shone  brightly 
among  our  colonists,  was  bravery.  As  we  have  remarked 
they  had  much  to  tax  their  patience,  and  many  things  from 
which  human  nature  would  shrink  in  fear  and  trembling,  but 
if  fear  entered  their  hearts  it  was  promptly  banished.  The 
blood  which  flowed  in  their  veins  was  near  akin  to  that  which 
flowed  in  the  veins  of  those  heroes,  whose  warlike  valor,  soon 
after  our  town  was  settled,  filled  the  minds  of  the  all-great  peo- 
ple with  wonder  and  admiration.  These  people  showed  by  their 
lives  that  there  was  a  strong  bond  of  union  between  them  and 
such  men  as  the  great  Napoleon,  the  hero  of  France,  and  of 
those  fearless  and  determined  men  who  followed  him  through 
the  smoke  and  carnage  of  his  many  battles  to  victory  and  re- 
nown.    We  know  how  invaluable  this  virtue  of  bravery  is  as  an 


76  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 

element  of  character.  Faint  hearts  and  wavering  actions  are 
not  such  as  characterize  true  men,  and  only  the  true  man  is  the 
successful  man.  We  have  not  with  the  meagre  resources  at  our 
command,  been  able  to  recount  many  of  their  deeds  which  bear 
upon  this  point,  but,  from  those  recited  and  personal  a.ssociations 
with  their  descendants,  we  feel  at  liberty  to  pay  them  this  trib- 
ute, and  after  the  lapse  of  a  hundred  years,  such  convictions  of 
their  true  worth,  in  this  respect,  come  to  us  as  to  make  their 
memory  grateful  to  us,  who  are  reaping  the  fruits  of  what  they 
planted. 

There  is  one  trait  of  character,  however,  which  we  feel  con- 
strained to  emphasize,  and  which  was  peculiarly  apparent  among 
them.  This  bears  a  close  relationship,  in  its  turn,  to  those  just 
considered.  It  was  the  love  of  country  that  actuated  them, 
whether  that  country  was  in  the  sunny  fields  and  populous  cities 
of  beautiful  France,  or  among  the  wilds  of  Ohio.  Wherever 
their  home  was,  there  was  also  their  heart.  This  love  of  coun- 
try, too,  is  a  virtue  indispensable  with  true  people.  There  is  no 
more  unfavorable  sign  in  an  individual  or  community  of  people 
than  that  of  a  rebellious  spirit  toward  their  government,  unless, 
of  course,  such  is  thoroughly  corrupt,  and  deserves  the  censure 
they  are  so  willing  to  bestow.  When  in  our  reading  we  see  his- 
tories of  those,  who  cheerfully  left  all  the  dearest  objects  of  life, 
to  take  up  arms  in  defense  of  the  land  they  love,  our  hearts  are 
filled  in  a  manner  inexpressible  by  the  grandeur  of  character 
manifested.  In  the  fierce  battle  which  was  waged  in  the  siege 
of  Quebec,  the  world  witnessed  a  double  tragedy,  and  yet  scenes 
of  grandeur  in  the  deaths  of  the  two  leaders  of  the  opposing 
forces.  General  Wolfe,  the  English  general,  being  mortally 
wounded,  as  his  eyes  were  about  to  close  upon  this  world  for- 
ever, being  told  that  victory  had  perched  upon  his  country's 
banner,  said:  "I  die  happy."  The  Marquis. De  Montcalm, 
who  commanded  the  French  defensive  force,  and  who  was  also 
wounded  unto  death,  expressed  himself  as  glad  to  die  in  that  he 
would  not  be  obliged  to  see  Quebec  surrendered.  Those  were 
brave  expressions,  and  the  men  who  uttered  them  were  great 
men;  gallant  sons  of  worthy  lands,  for  a  land  must  be  worthy 
which  has  such  representatives.     The  love  of  country  is  a  fixed 


The  French   Settlers  and  Settlement  of  Gallipolis.         77 

principle  in  the  minds  of  those  who  love  great  things,  and  to  the 
true  man  his  country  can  make  no  unreasonable  request  when 
she  calls  upon  him  to  defend  her  from  her  enemies,  and  make 
her  name  to  be  glorious  in  this  great  world. 

There  is  an  old  and  familiar  Latin  maxim,  which  stirs  within 
us  those  feelings  which  are  of  an  ennobling  character ;  it  is  duke 
et  decorum  est  pro  patria  mori — it  is  sweet  and  honorable  to  die 
for  one's  country.  There  is  also  a  great  principle  embodied  in 
another  somewhat  similar  to  it,  and  which  is:  'tis  sweet  and 
honorable  to  live  for  one's  country.  To  die  for  a  principle,  indi- 
cates that  having  been  brought  to  a  stop,  as  it  were,  in  the  dis- 
charge of  our  duties  for  it,  on  account  of  the  difficulties  which 
would  impede  our  progress  in  our  careers  of  duty,  we  give  our 
lives  to  the  cause  of  surmounting  those  difficulties.  It  is  there- 
fore the  bright  ending  of  a  conscientious  course ;  an  ending  pro- 
duced because  it  is  beyond  our  power  to  do  more.  To  live  for 
one's  native  land,  or  the  land  of  one's  adoption,  however,  indi- 
cates a  determination  to  use  every  opportunity  for  its  advance- 
ment ;  to  face  the  future  with  that  bravery  characteristic  of  a 
noble  nature,  and  acknowledge  no  difficulty  of  sufficient  moment 
to  baffle  you  in  what  you  know  to  be  right. 

In  the  case  of  dying  for  one's  country,  the  work  is  finished, 
and,  like  the  bright  sunset,  the  grand  life  closes  in  this  world. 
When  we  live  for  our  country,  the  work  is  about  us,  the  oppor- 
tunities thicken  around  us ;  our  hands  are  the  instruments  that 
can  do  it,  and  the  responsibilities  of  our  position  are  great. 

One  point  in  this  connection  needs  to  be  emphasized,  that 
unless  we  live  for  our  country,  the  chances  are  not  very  favor- 
able for  our  dying  for  it.  There  are,  perhaps,  instances  in  which 
men  died  for  the  love  of  country  without  having  given  theii 
lives  to  the  same  cause,  but  such  instances  are  extremely  rare. 

Now,  we  love  the  memory  of  our  early  settlers,  because  they 
both  lived  and  died  for  this,  the  home  of  their  adoption.  We 
would  dwell  particularly  on  the  former  of  these,  as  we  believe 
you  will  think  it  meet  and  proper  in  view  of  the  life  of  privation 
which  marked  the  first  years  of  the  history  of  Gallipolis,  and  to 
which  we  have  called  your  attention. 

'  Tis  not  natural  to  suppo.se  that  when  they  came  from  their 


78  Ohio  Arch,  atid  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  B 

far-away  habitations,  and  met  with  the  discouraging  reception  in 
America,  that  they  should  love  the  latter  place;  and  the  idea  that 
it  was  to  furnish  them  their  future  homes,  must  at  first  have  been 
even  repugnant  to  them,  but  after  having  cast  their  lots  here, 
and  witnessed  the  returns  of  their  self-denying  labors,  they  began 
to  love  this  rough  land,  and  as  the  years  passed  away,  and  home 
ties  were  formed,  that  love  increased  and  strengthened,  until  they 
became  thoroughly  domiciled,  and  then  the  hearts,  which  had 
once  yearned  for  the  beauties  and  attractions  of  La  Belle  France, 
awakened,  as  it  were,  to  the  consciousness  that  their  France  was 
with  them. 

It  is  home  where  the  heart  is,  and  their  hearts  were  not 
across  the  seas,  but  here  on  the  banks  of  the  beautiful  river. 
They  lived,  I  say,  for  this  home;  all  of  their  refined  tastes  were 
called  into  requisition  to  make  it  beautiful.  A  reference  to  this 
fact,  we  have  already  seen  in  the  interesting  narrative  of  Mr. 
Heckewelder.  In  after  years,  however,  we  have  cause  to  know 
that  what  he  saw  in  those  pioneer  days  was  but  an  indication  of 
what  would  be.  The  expression,  "  the  wilderness  blossoms  like 
the  rose,"  which  we  have  used,  was  most  appropriate,  concerning 
the  results  of  their  labors,  for  the  wild  blufi"  on  the  river  side  be- 
came in  due  time  the  site  of  a  fair  town,  inhabited  by  useful  and' 
contented  people. 

The  town  was  honored  by  visits  of  two  distinguished  visitors 
in  its  early  days.  In  1824,  General  Lafayette,  who  had  assisted 
our  land  so  materially  in  former  years,  made  Gallipolis  a  visit, 
and  we  cannot  but  believe  that  when  he  left,  he  was  convinced 
that  his  countrymen  had  proved  true  to  their  nature  in  upholding 
the  interest  of  their  homes  and  governments  wherever  they 
might  be.  Louis  Philippe,  (then  the  exiled  Duke  of  Orleans), 
stopped  here  once  on  his  way  to  New  Orleans,  and  his  homeless 
feeling  and  longing  after  the  joys  of  native  land  must  have  been 
intensified  when  he  witnessed  the  thrifty  contentment  of  these, 
his  brothers,  in  the  home  of  their  choice. 

Thus  they  lived,  and  thus  they  died,  and  when  we  consider 
that  death  was  the  culmination  of  lives  given  to  their  country, 
we  feel  additional  gratitude  for  their  memory,  and  should  be  in- 
spired to  renewed  endeavors  in  furthering  the  interests  of  our 


The  French  Settlers  and  Settlement  of  Gallipolis.         7J^ 

town  and  county.  We  would  do  honor  to  their  memory,  we 
would  in  sacred  thought,  traverse  the  years  which  separate  us 
from  them,  and  we  would  thank  them  for  this  example  which 
they  have  bequeathed  to  us  and  the  many  others  who  have  and 
will  come  after  them,  being  filled  with  the  conviction  that  the 
love  of  home  and  country,  such  as  was  exemplified  in  them  is  one 
of  the  great  secrets  of  a  successful  community. 

Another  instructive  point  presents  itself  for  consideration  as 
a  closing  thought,  in  connection  with  the  work  which  they  did, 
and  should  commend  itself  to  us,  as  do  all  of  the  others  hitherto 
mentioned:  The  thorough  character  of  the  undertaking  upon 
which  they  engaged  and  which  they  perfected.  There  is  only 
one  way  in  which  a  thing  can  be  done  right,  and  that  is  by 
beginning  at  the  very  root  of  the  matter.  We  must  find  a  good 
foundation  upon  which  to  build,  and  then  make  our  edifice  of 
the  strong  and  abiding  materials.  The  Bible  tells  of  two  men 
who  built  houses,  one  with  a  good  foundation  and  one  with  an 
indifierent  one.  ''  The  rain  descended  and  the  floods  came,  and 
the  winds  blew,  and  beat  upon  the  former  and  it  fell  not,  for  it 
was  founded  upon  a  rock,"  while  the  same  forces  acting  upon 
the  latter  caused  its  ruin.  "It  fell,  and  great  was  the  fall 
thereof."  The  same  principle  applies  in  every  undertaking, 
whether  it  is  great  or  seemingly  insignificant,  and  we  feel  certain, 
from  what  history  tells  of  the  past,  and  what  we  see  about  us, 
that  our  settlers  were  moved  by  it  in  the  performance  of  their 
duties  here.  The  rea.sons  why  we  feel  certain  of  this  are  to  be 
seen  in  the  development  of  our  town  during  the  years  which 
made  up  the  century,  and  the  result  of  the  works  of  the  hundred 
years.  The  improvements  at  first  were  not  rapid,  as  might  natur- 
ally be  supposed  in  view  of  the  difficulties  of  the  settler,  but  the 
flying  years  brought  wonderful  changes. 

Let  us  hear  what  Mr.  Brackenridge  has  to  say  in  regard  to 
the  town  as  he  saw  it  in  after  3'ears:  "As  we  passed  Point  Pleas- 
ant, and  the  little  island  below  it,  Gallipolis,  which  I  looked  for 
with  anxious  feelings,  hove  in  sight.  I  thought  of  the  French 
inhabitants — I  thought  of  my  friend  Saugrain,  and  I  recalled  in 
the  liveliest  colors  the  incidents  of  that  portion  01  my  life  which 
was  passed  here.     A  year  is  a  long  period  of  time  ;  every  day  is 


80  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [VOL.  3 

crowded  with  new  and  striking  events.  I  hastened  to  the  spot 
where  I  expected  to  find  the  abode  (of  Dr.  Saugrain),  the  little 
log  house,  tavern,  laboratory  and  garden  of  the  Doctor — but 
they  had  vanished  like  the  palace  of  Aladdin.  I  took  a  hasty 
glance  at  the  new  town  as  I  returned  to  the  boat.  I  saw  brick 
houses,  painted  frames,  fanciful  enclosures,  ornamental  trees! 
Even  the  pond,  which  had  carried  away  a  third  of  the  French 
population  by  its  malaria,  had  disappeared,  and  a  pretty  green 
had  usurped  its  place,  with  a  neat  brick  Court  House  in  the 
midst  of  it." 

Looking  at  the  place  to-day,  we  see  a  substantial  and  pros- 
perous town.  True,  there  are  many  in  our  great  State  which 
are  much  larger,  and  regarded  by  outsiders  as  far  more  im- 
portant; but  the  basis  upon  which  we  stand  as  a  town,  is  a  firm 
and  solid  one,  which  showed  that  its  beginning  was  marked  by 
faithful  efforts.  We  would  remark,  however,  and  we  do  so  with 
sadness  of  heart,  that  the  French  population  of  Gallipolis  de- 
creased with  rapidity  during  the  years  which  marked  its  early 
history,  and  it  was  American  hands  which  prosecuted  the  work 
here  for  many  years,  and  made  our  town  more  successful,  as  was 
evidenced  by  its  different  stages  of  prosperous  development. 
Mr.  Brackenridge,  in  his  description  of  the  second  visit  to  Galli- 
polis, expresses  great  disappointment  that  the  French  were 
nearly  all  gone.  We  cannot  forget,  however,  that  it  was  the 
French  hands  that  laid  the  foundation,  and  the  French  mind 
which  planned  the  building  in  its  earliest  stages,  so  that  to  the 
French  rather  than  to  the  American  is  due  the  prosperity  of 
after  years. 

Memories  of  the  past  are  freighted  with  their  lessons,  and 
filled  with  joys  and  .sorrows.  It  is  pleasant  to  recall  the  events 
which  have  passed  away,  on  account  of  the  many  pleasant  char- 
acters with  which  they  bring  us  into  clo.se  association.  The  very 
difficulties  which  were  encountered  by  the  pioneers  have  a 
charm  for  us,  as  we  view  them  by  the  light  of  a  hundred  years. 
When  soldiers  have  passed  through  the  wars  successfully,  or 
sailors  have  endured  the  perils  of  the  sea,  it  is  a  peculiar  joy  to 
them  to  sit  by  some  bright  fireside  and  go  over  their  perilous 
adventures  wath  one  another,  and  the  greater  the  dangers  that 


The  French  Settlement  and  Settlers  of  Gallipolis.         81 

once  were,  and  the  more  trying  the  sufferings,  the  greater  pleas- 
ure they  appear  to  derive  from  their  naratives.  Thus  when  our 
town  looks  back  over  her  history  and  beholds  what  she  was,  and 
what  she  might  have  been  but  for  the  brave  and  determined 
efforts  of  her  faithful  inhabitants,  there  is  a  peculiar  charm  at- 
tached even  to  her  hardships,  inasmuch  as  she  knows  that  they 
were  successfully  faced.  Thankful  are  we  for  the  works  done 
for  us  by  those  of  the  century  gone,  and  we  can  utter  no  more 
fervent  wish  than  that  our  memory  may  be  as  sacred  to  those 
who  shall  stand  upon  this  ground,  when  the  morning  of  another 
hundred  years  shall  dawn  upon  Gallipolis. 

John   ly.  Vance. 


Vol.  Ill    ,; 


82  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Piiblicatiom.        [Vol,.  3 


CONTEMPORARY  DESCRIPTION  OF  OHIO  IN  1788. 

In  1888,  Mr.  John  H.  James,  of  Urbana,  Ohio,  whose  col- 
lection of  historical  works  is  hardly  excelled,  published  a  trans- 
lation of  a  French  pamphlet  used  by  Mr.  Barlow  and  his  asso- 
ciates in  Paris,  when  engaged  in  the  sale  of  lands  in  the  Ohio  coun- 
try. "The  pamphlet,"  says  Mr.  James,  in  his  introduction, 
"was  published  in  French  and  English;  the  French  copy  being 
a  translation  of  the  English  copy,  first  published  in  Salem, 
Massachusetts,  in  1787.  The  French  edition  was  published  in 
Paris  in  1789,  the  year  of  the  breaking  out  of  the  French  Revo- 
lution. It  was  one  of  the  means  employed  by  Joel  Barlow  and 
the  agents  of  the  Scioto  Company  to  promote  the  emigration 
from  France,  which  resulted  in  the  settlement  of  the  French  at 
Gallipolis  in  1790." 

"The  French  copy  from  which  I  make  the  translation," 
continued  Mr.  James,  "is  dingy  with  age,  and  formerly  be- 
longed to  one  of  the  early  settlers  at  Gallipolis,  whose  name, 
with  the  date,  1805,  is  inscribed  on  the  cover." 

The  title  page  of  the  pamphlet  is  as  follows: 

"A  Description  of  the  Soil,  Productions,  etc.,  of  that  Por- 
tion of  the  United  States  Situated  between  Pennsyhania  and 
the  Rivers  Ohio  and  Scioto  and  Lake  Erie." 

Mr.  James,  in  his  introduction,  says  of  the  authorship  of 
the  pamphlet,  that  "it  was  published  anonymously,  but  was 
written  by  Mr.  Manasseh  Cutler,"  and  "that  while  its  tints  are 
sufficiently  couleur  de  rose,  and  some  of  its  statements  *  *  * 
appear  extravagant  in  the  light  of  our  present  knowledge,  yet  it 
must  be  remembered  that  one  hundred  years  ago  Ohio  was  a 
comparatively  unknown  region,  concerning  which  all  intending 
settlers  were  enthusiastic;  and  a  comparison  with  other  con- 
temporary authorities  shows  that  it  represents  very  fairly  the 
state  of  information  existing  concerning  the  Western  country." 

The  extravagant  statements  in  the  pamphlet,  it  will  be 
noticed,  are  acceded  to  by  Mr.  Thomas  Hutchins,  the  geographer 
of  the  United  States,  and  by  others  who  had  visited  the  country. 


Description  of  the  Soil ,  etc.  83 

The  following  is  Mr.  James'  translation  of  the  French 
edition  of  the  pamphlet,  with  foot  notes  added  by  him: 

MR.    J.\MES"    TK.\NSLATION    f)F    THK    FRENCH   EDITION    OF    OHIO. 

The  great  river  Ohio  is  formed  by  the  confluence  of  the 
Monongahela  and  the  Allegheny  in  Pennsylvania.  It  flows 
from  about  290  miles  west  of  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  and 
about  20  miles  west  of  the  western  boundry  of  Pennsylvania. 
In  following  the  ordinary  route  the  290  miles  are  increased  to 
320,  and  the  windings  of  the  Ohio  increase  the  20  miles  to 
about  42. 

These  two  sources  of  the  Ohio  are  both  great  navigable 
rivers;  the  first  flows  from  the  southeast,  and  there  is,  between 
it  and  the  navigable  waters  of  the  Potomac,  in  Virginia,  a  por- 
tage of  only  about  30  miles  ;^  the  latter  opens  a  passage  to  the 
northeast,  and  rises  not  far  from  the  source  of  the  Susquehanna. 

The  State  of  Pennsylvania  has  already  adopted  the  plan  of 
opening  a  navigation  from  the  Allegheny  River  to  Philadelphia 
by  way  of  the  Susquehanna  and  the  Delaware.  In  following 
this  route  there  will  be  only  a  transit  by  land,  or  portage  of  24 
miles. '^ 

At  the  junction  of  these  two  rivers,  or  at  the  source  of  the 
Ohio,  we  find  Fort  Pitt,  which  gives  its  name  to  the  city  of 
Pittsburgh,  a  flourishing  settlement  in  the  •  vicinity  of  the 
fortress.  From  this  city  the  Ohio  pursues  its  w^ay  to  the  south- 
west for  1188  miles  (including  the  windings  of  the  river)  and 
empties  into  the  Mississippi,  after  traversing  for  this  prodigious 
distance  a  most  fertile  and  agreeable  country,  and  having  in- 
creased its  w^aters  by  those  of  several  other  navigable  rivers: 
the  Muskingum,  the  Hockhocking,  the  Scioto,  the  Miami,  and 
the  Wabash  from  the  northwest;  the  Kanawha,  the  Kentucky,  the 
Bufl^aloe,*''  the  Shawnee,^  and  the  Cherokee^  from  the  southwest; 
all  these  rivers,  navigable  for  a  distance  of  from  100  to  900 
miles,  fall  into  the  Ohio,  and  it  is  this  river  that  furnishes  a 
great  part  of  those  united  waters  which  flow  into  the  ocean 
through  the  bed  of   the  Mississippi. 

The   Ohio,    from    Pennsylvania    to    the    Mississippi,    sep^- 


84  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 

rates  the  State  of  Virginia  from  other  domains  of  the 
United  States,  or  in  other  words  from  the  territory  not 
comprised  within  the  Hmits  of  any  particular  State.  This 
territory  extends  westward  to  the  Mississippi,  and  north 
to  the  frontiers  of  the  United  States.  Commencing  at  the 
meridian  which  forms  the  western  boundary  of  Pennsylvania 
they  have  laid  off  a  space  sufficient  for  seven  ranges®  of  munici- 
palities (townships).  As  a  north  and  south  line  extends  along 
the  Ohio  in  a  very  oblique  direction,  the  western  boundary  of 
the  seventh  range  strikes  the  Ohio  nine  miles  above  the 
Muskingum,  which  is  the  first  large  river  which  empties  into  the 
Ohio.  Their  junction  is  172  miles  below  Fort  Pitt,  following  the 
winding  of  Ohio,  but  in  a  straight  line  little  more  than  90  miles. 

The  Muskingum  is  a  river  which  flows  slowly,  and  has 
banks  high  enough  to  prevent  all  inundation.  It  is  250  yards 
wide  at  the  place  where  it  enters  the  Ohio,  and  is  navigable  for 
large  vessels  and  bateaux  as  far  as  Tree  Legs,  and  for  small  boats 
to  the  lake  at  its  source.  From  thence  by  means  of  a  transit  by 
land  of  about  one  mile,^  communication  is  opened  with  Lake 
Erie  by  means  of  the  Cuyahoga,  which  is  a  river  of  great  value, 
navigable  through  its  whole  length,  without  any  cataracts  to 
obstruct  its  course.  The  passage  from  Lake  Erie  to  the  Hudson, 
through  the  State  of  New  York,  is  well  known.  The  longest 
transit  by  land  on  this  route  is  that  which  is  caused  by  the  falls 
of  Niagara,  which  interrupts  the  communication  between  Lakes 
Erie  and  Ontario.  After  that,  one  passes  by  the  River  Oswego, 
Oneida,  Lake,  Woods  Creek  (the  bay  of  the  woods),  and  by 
means  of  a  short  portage,  enters  the  Mohawk;  another  portage 
occasioned  by  the  cataract  near  the  confluence  of  the  Mohawk, 
and  the  Hudson  brings  the  voyager  to  Albany. 

The  Hockhocking  is  somewhat  like  the  Muskingum,  but  not 
SO'  large.  It  is  navigable  for  large  vessels  for  about  seventy 
miles,  and  much  further  for  small  ones.  On  the  banks  of  this 
much  frequented  river  are  inexhaustible  quarries  of  building 
stone,  great  beds  of  iron  ore,  and  some  rich  mines  of  lead.  We 
find  also,  very  frequently  in  the  neighborhood  of  this  river,  coal 
mines  and  salt  springs,  which  abound  in  this  Western  country. 
The  salt  which  is  obtained  from  these  sprmgs  furnishes  a  never- 


Description  of  the  Soil,   etc.  8-5 

failing  abundance  of  this  article  of  prime  necessity.^  Beds  of 
clay,  both  white  and  blue,  of  an  excellent  quality,  are  met  with 
also  throughout  this  region.  This  clay  is  adapted  for  the  manu- 
facture of  glass,  of  pottery,  and  all  kinds  of  brick.  Armenian" 
clay,  and  several  other  useful  deposits,  have  also  been  discovered 
along  the  different  branches  of  this  river. 

The  Scioto  is  a  river  longer  than  either  of  those  of  which  we 
have  thus  far  spoken,  and  furnishes  a  navigation  much  more  con- 
siderable. For  an  extent  of  two  hundred  miles  large  vessels  can 
navigate  it.  Then  there  is  a  passage  to  be  made  by  land  of 
four  miles  only  to  the  Sandusky,  a  river  also  navigable,  which 
enters  into  Lake  Erie.^*^  It  is  by  the  Sandusky  and  Scioto  that 
they  pass  generally  in  going  from  Canada  to  the  Mississippi.  This 
route  is  one  of  the  most  considerable  and  most  frequented  found 
in  any  country.  B}^  it  are  united  some  of  the  most  extensive 
territories,  and  when  we  consider  the  rapidity  with  which 
settlements  are  made  in  the  Western  part  of  Canada,  upon  Lake 
Erie,  and  in  Kentucky,  we  may  predict  that  there  will  be  an 
immense  commerce  between  these  people.'^  It  is  certain  that  the 
lands  which  border  upon,  and  which  lie  near  these  rivers,  will  be 
of  the  greatest  value  from  their  situation  alone,  and  quite  apart 
from  their  natural  fertility.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the 
flour,  wheat,  hemp,  etc.,  exported  from  the  extensive  regions 
surrounding  Lakes  Huron  and  Ontario  would  have  an  easier 
transit  by  means  of  Lake  Erie  and  the  neighboring  rivers  than 
by  any  other  route.  The  merchant  who  shall  in  future  inhabit 
the  banks  of  the  Ohio  will  be  able  to  pay  more  for  these  com- 
modities than  the  merchant  of  Quebec,  by  reason  of  these 
advantages,  because  they  can  be  transported  from  the  former 
of  these  countries  to  Florida  and  the  West  India  Islands  with 
much  less  expense  and  risk,  and  at  a  much  lower  rate  of  insur- 
ance than  from  the  latter.  In  fact,  the  transportation  of  these 
productions  of  the  soil,  the  expenses  upon  the  Ohio  included, 
would  not  amount  to  a  fourth  part  of  what  it  would  cost  from 
Quebec,  and  it  will  be  still  cheaper  than  it  is  by  way  of  Lake 
Oneida. 

The  Scioto  has  a  gentle  current,  which  is  interrupted  by  no 
cataracts.     Sometimes  in  tiie  spring  it  overflows  its  banks,  which 


86  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol,.  3 

are  covered  b}'  vast  fields  of  rice,  which  nature  here  produces 
spontaneously.^^  For  the  rest,  we  find  in  abundance  in  the 
country  which  borders  upon  this  river,  salt  springs,  coal  mines, 
deposits  of  white  and  blue  clay  and  of  free  stone. 

The  general  expressions  of  admiration  which  are  com- 
monly made  use  of  in  speaking  of  the  natural  fertility  of 
the  countries  watered  by  these  western  rivers  of' the  United 
States  render  difficult  the  description  one  would  wish  to  make, 
unless  one  takes  particular  pains  to  mark  on  the  map  the  places 
which  merit  especial  attention,  or  unless  he  gives  an  exact 
description  of  the  territory  in  general  without  regard  to  the  risk 
he  runs  of  being  charged  with  exaggeration.  But  upon  this 
point  we  are  able  to  say  that  we  have  with  us  the  unanimous 
opinion  of  geographers,  of  surveyors  and  of  all  those  travelers 
who  have  collected  precise  information  concerning  the  character- 
istics of  the  country,  and  who  have  observed  with  the  most  scru- 
pulous exactitude  all  the  remarkable  objects  which  nature  there 
displays.  They  all  agree  that  no  part  of  the  territory  belonging 
to  the  United  States  combines  in  itself  so  many  advantages, 
whether  of  salubrity,  fertility  or  variety  of  productions,  as  that 
which  extends  from  the  Muskingum  to  the  Scioto  and  the  Great 
Miami. ^^ 

"  Colonel  Gordon  speaking  of  his  travels  through  a  country 
much  more  extensive  in  which  this  is  included  and  of  which  it 
is  indubitably  the  most  beautiful  part,  makes  the  following  obser- 
vations: "  The  country  along  the  Ohio  is  extremely  agreeable, 
filled  with  great  plains  of  the  richest  soil  and  exceedingly  salubri- 
ous. One  remark  of  this  kind  suffices  for  all  that  region  bounded 
by  the  western  slope  of  the  Allegheny  Mountains  and  extending 
to  the  southwest  a  distance  of  five  hundred  miles  down  the  Ohio, 
thence  to  the  north  as  far  as  the  source  of  the  rivers  that  empty 
into  the  Ohio,  and  thence  eastward  along  the  hills  which  sepa- 
rate the  lakes  from  the  river  Ohio  as  far  as  French  creek.  I 
can,  from  the  perfect  knowledge  which  I  have  of  it,  affirm  that 
the  country  which  I  have  just  described  is  the  most  salubrious, 


a.     An  English  Engineer  during  the  war  of  1755-6.S. 


Description  of  the  Soil,  etc.  87 

the  most  agreeable,  the  most  advantageous,  the  most  fertile  land 
which  is  known  to  any  people  of  Europe,  whatsoever." 

The  lands  which  are  watered  by  the  different  rivers  empty- 
ing into  the  Ohio,  of  which  we  have  just  spoken,  are,  since  the 
time  of  Col.  Gordon,  better  known,  and  can  be  described  with 
more  precision  and  in  a  manner  which  ought  to  inspire  confi- 
dence. 

They  are  remarkable  for  their  variety  of  soil  from  which 
results  everything  which  can  contribute  to  the  advantages  due  to 
their  local  position  and  which  promise  the  success  and  the  riches 
which  ought  to  burst  forth  among  every  agricultural  and  manu- 
facturing people. 

The  great  level  plains  which  one  meets  with  here  and  which 
form  natural  prairies,  have  a  circumference  of  from  twenty  to 
fifty  miles,  they  are  found  interspersed  almost  everywhere  along 
the  rivers.  These  plains  have  a  soil  as  rich  as  can  be  imagined 
and  which  with  very  little  labor  can  be  devoted  to  any  species  of 
cultivation  which  one  wishes  to  give  it.  They  say  that  in  many 
of  these  prairies  one  can  cultivate  an  acre  of  laud  per  day  and 
prepare  it  for  the  plough.  There  is  no  undergrowth  on  them  and 
the  trees  which  grow  very  high  and  become  very  large''  only 
need  to  be  deprived  of  their  bark  in  order  to  become  fit  for  use. 

The  kinds  of  timber  fit  for  the  purposes  of  the  joiner  which 
grow  most  abundantly  in  this  country  and  the  most  useful  of 
trees  which  are  found  here  are  the  sugar-maple,  the  sycamore, 
black  and  white  mulberry,  and  black  and  white  walnut,  the 
chestnut,  oaks  of  every  kind,  the  cherry  tree,  beech  tree,  the 
elm,  the  cucumber  tree,  ironwood,  the  ash  tree,  the  aspen,  the 
sassafras,  the  wild  apple  tree,  and  a  great  number  of  other  trees 
of  which  it  is  impossible  to  express  the  names  in  French. 

General  Parsons  has  measured  a  black  walnut  near  the  Mus- 
kingum, of  which  the  circumference,  five  feet  above  the  ground, 
was  twenty-two  feet.  A  sycamore  measured  in  the  same  way 
had  a  circumference  of  forty-four  feet.  One  finds  on  the  heights 
white  and  black  oaks  as  well  as  the  chestnut,  and  nearly  all  the 
trees  we  have  just  named,  which  grow  there,  very  large  and  to  a 


a.     Large  and  high  trees  are  an  indication  of  rich  soil. 


88  Ohio  Arch.  a7id  His.  Society  Publications.        [Voiv.  S 

proportionate  height.  One  finds  both  on  the  hills  and  on  the 
plains  a  great  qnantity  of  grapes  growing  wild,  and  of  which  the 
inhabitants  make  a  red  wine,  which  suffices  for  their  own  con- 
sumption. They  have  tried  the  experiment  of  pressing  these 
grapes  at  the  settlement  of  *  Saint  Vincent,^*  and  the  result  is  a 
wine  w^hich,  by  keeping  a  little  while,  becomes  preferable  to  the 
many  wines  of  Europe.  Cotton  of  an  excellent  quality  is  also  a 
product  of  the  country. 

The  sugar-maple  is  of  great  value  to  a  region  situated  as 
this  is  in  the  interior  of  the  country.  It  furnishes  enough  sugar 
for  the  use  of  a  large  number  of  people,  and  for  this  purpose  a 
small  number  of  trees  are  usually  kept  by  each  family.  A 
maple  tree  will  produce  about  ten  pounds  of  sugar  per  year,  and 
it  is  produced  with  little  difficulty.  The  sap  of  the  tree  flows  in 
the  months  of  February  and  March ;  it  becomes  crystalized  after 
being  boiled,  and  the  sugar  is  equal  in  flavor  and  whiteness  to 
the  best  Muscavado. 

All  parts  of  this  country  are  abundantly  supplied  with  ex- 
cellent springs,  and  one  finds  everywhere  both  small  and  large 
creeks,  on  which  mills  may  be  established.^'"'  These  brooks,  u.se- 
ful  for  so  many  purposes,  have  the  appearance  of  being  disposed 
by  the  hand  of  art  in  such  a  manner  as  to  contribute  toward  pro- 
curing every  advantage  which  can  make  life  desirable. 

There  is  a  very  little  bad  land  in  this  territory,  and  no 
marsh.  There  are  plenty  of  hills;  their  position  is  agreeable, 
and  they  are  not  high  enough  to  interfere  with  their  cultivation. 
Their  soil  is  deep,  rich,  covered  with  trees  of  good  growth,  and 
adapted  to  the  cultivation  of  wheat,  rye,  indigo,  tobacco,  etc. 

The  communication  between  this  territory  and  the  ocean  is 
principally  by  the  four  following  routes: 

First:  The  route  by  the  Scioto  and  Muskingum  to  L,ake 
Erie,  and  thence  by  the  River  Hudson  we  have  already  de- 
scribed. 

Second:  The  passage  by  the  Ohio  and  Monougahela  to  the 
transit  by  land   already   mentioned,    which   leads    to    navigable 


b.      A  French   settlement  made  some  fifty  years  ago  on  the  Wabash 
rivw.    to  the  westward  of  the  Scioto. 


Description  of  the  Soil,  etc.  89 

waters  of  the  Potomac.  This  laml  transit  is  aljout  thirty  miles, 
but  it  will  very  probably  be  diminished  in  a  little  while,  by 
means  of  the  plan  which  is  actually  in  contemplation  for  opening 
a  comnuinication  between  these  rivers. 

Third  :  The  Great  Kanawha,  which  empties  into  the  Ohio 
toward  the  confines  of  Virginia,  between  the  Hocking  and 
Scioto,  affords  a  very  ready  navigation  toward  the  Southeast, 
and  requires  but  a  short  portage  to  reach  the  navigable  waters 
of  the  James  River  in  Virginia.  This  communication,  useful  to 
the  settlements  between  the  Muskingum  and  Scioto,  will  very 
probably  be  the  most  frequented  for  the  exports  of  the  manu- 
factures of  the  country,'®  and  still  more  for  the  importation  of 
foreign  goods,  because  they  can  be  carried  more  cheaply  from 
the  Chesapeake  to  the  Ohio,  than  they  now  are  from  Philadel- 
phia to  Carlisle  and  the  other  counties  situated  in  the  lower  parts 
of  Pennsylvania. 

Fourth:  But  above  all,  it  is  upon  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi 
that  there  can  be  transported  a  great  number  of  things  necessary 
for  the  markets  of  Plorida  and  the  West  Indies,  such  as  wheat, 
flour,  beef,  bacon,  timber  for  joinery  and  ship-building,  etc,  that 
they  will  be  more  frequented  than  any  river  upon  the  earth. 
The  distance  from  the  Scioto  to  the  Mi.ssissippi  is  eight  hundred 
miles,  thence  to  the  ocean  nine  hundred;  all  this  journe}-  can  be 
easily  made  in  fifteen  days,  and  the  voyage  in  reascending  these 
rivers  is  not  so  difficult  as  one  would  suppo.se.  Experience  has 
demonstrated  that  one  can  make  great  use  of  sails  on  the  Ohio.*^ 

Here  again  is  a  fortunate  circumstance:  it  is  that  the  Ohio 
Company''  is  on  the  point  of  establishing  its  settlements,  and  it 
is  making  them  in  a  manner  alike,  systematic  and  judicious.  Its 
operations  will  serve  as  a  useful  model  for  all  the  settlements 
which  will  be  found  in  the  future  in  the  I'nited  States.  Add  to 
this  that  this  new  colony  is  established  so  near  the  western 
boundary  of  Pennsylvania  as  to  appear  to  be  only  a  continuation 
of  the  older  settlements,  by  reason  of  which  there  will  no  longer 
be  reason  to  fear  that  these  unsettled  regions  may  be  occupied 


a.     At   this   moment   the    establishments   of  this   company  are   com- 
menced and  are  very  flourishing. 


90  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publicatioyis.        [Voi..  3 

by  the  savages,  as  has  too  frequently  happened  in  situations  very 
far  removed  from  the  seat  of  government. ^^ 

The  intention  of  Congress,  and  that  of  the  inhabitants,  is 
that  these  settlements  shall  be  made  in  a  regular  manner ;  that 
they  shall  follow  the  course  of  the  Ohio,  and  that  they  shall 
commence  by  occupying  the  northern  part  of  the  country  tow^ard 
Lake  Erie.^^  And  it  is  hoped  that  not  many  years  will  probably 
elapse  until  the  whole  country  above  the  Miami  will  be  raised  in 
value  to  such  a  point  that  the  advantages  which  travelers  have 
celebrated  will  be  seen  in  their  true  light,  and  it  will  be  admitted 
that  they  spoke  nothing  but  the  truth  when  they  called  this 
country  the  garden  of  the  universe,  the  center  of  wealth,  a  place 
destined  to  be  the  heart  of  a  great  Empire. 

The  following  reflections  will  not  escape  either  the  philoso- 
pher or  the  statesman,  who  shall  see  this  delightful  part  of  the 
United  States  settled  upon  a  wise  system  and  in  a  well  ordered 
manuLr : 

1.  The  labor  of  the  agriculturists  will  here  be  rewarded  by 
productions  as  useful  as,  and  more  varied  than  in  any  part  of 
America ;  the  advantages  which  are  generally  found  divided  in 
any  other  cKmate  are  here  united;  and  all  the  advantages  which 
other  parts  of  the  United  States  present,  are  here  combined  in 
the  highest  perfection.  In  all  parts  the  soil  is  deep,  rich,  pro- 
ducing in  abundance  wheat,  rye,  corn,  buckwheat,  barley,  oats, 
flax,  hemp,  tobacco,  indigo,  the  tree  that  furnishes  the  food  for 
the  silk  worm,  the  grape-vine,  cotton.  The  tobacco  is  of  a 
quality  much  superior  to  that  of  Virginia,  and  the  crops  of  wheat 
are  much  more  abundant  here  than  in  any  other  part  of  America. 
The  ordinary  crop  of  corn  is  from  sixty  to  eighty  English 
bushels  per  acre. '^  The  bottom  lands  are  especially  adapted  to 
the  procl-iction  of  all  the  commodities  we  have  just  enumerated. 
There  where  the  vast  plains,  which  are  met  with  in  this  terri- 
torv,  are  intersected  with  little  brooks,  the  land  is  suitable  for 


a.  General  Tarsons,  one  of  the  Commissioners  for  negotiating  the 
Treaty  of  IToG  wi.h  the  Indians,  reports  that  Mr.  Dawson,  who  has  lived  in 
this  country  ten  years,  has  raised  from  eighty  to  one  hundred  bushels  per 
acre.  Last  year  he  cultivated  seven  acres,  on  which  his  crop  was  six  hun- 
dred bushels. 


Description  of  the  Soil,  etc.  91 

the  culture  of  rice,  and  it  grows  here  abundantly.  Hops  also 
are  produced  spontaneously  in  this  territory,  and  there  are  also 
the  same  peaches,  plums,  pears,  melons,  and  in  general  all  the 
fruits  which  are  produced  in  the  temperate  zone. 

There  is  no  country  more  abounding  in  game  than  this. 
The  stag,  fallow  deer,  elk,  buffalo  and  bears  fill  the  woods  and 
are  nourished  on  these  great  and  beautiful  plains,  which  are  en- 
countered in  all  parts  of  these  countries,  an  unanswerable  proof 
of  the  fertility  of  the  soil;  wild  turkeys,  geese,  ducks,  swans, 
teal,  pheasants,  partridges,  and  so  forth,  are  here  found  in 
greater  abundance  than  our  domestic  fowls  in  all  the  older  settle- 
ments of  America.  The  rivers  are  well  stocked  with  fish  of 
different  kinds,  and  several  of  these  fish  are  of  an  exquisite 
quality.  In  general  they  are  large,  the  cat-fish  {poisson-chat) 
has  an  excellent  flavor  and  weighs  from  twenty  to  eighty  pounds. 

One  will  find  here  provisions  for  several  years,  and  the 
borders  of  each  one  of  these  rivers  wall  serve  for  a  long  time  in 
place  of  a  market.  When  inhabitants  shall  come  here  from  all 
parts  of  the  world  nature  will  have  provided  for  them,  at  least 
for  one  year,  all  they  need,  without  the  necessity  of  making  any 
purchases. 

2.  There  is  no  place  more  suitable  from  its  situation  and 
productions  for  the  establishment  of  manufactures  than  this. 
The  necessaries  of  life  are  abundant  and  cheap.  The  raw 
material  for  all  things  necessary  for  clothing  and  personal  adorn- 
ment are  here  found  in  quantities.  Silk,  flax  and  cotton  bring  a 
good  price  here ;  but  these  articles,  being  manufactured  and  be- 
ing adapted  for  the  different  purposes  of  use  and  luxury,  would 
still  be  cheap  here  by  reason  of  the  small  amount  of  freight 
necessary  to  pay  for  their  transportation.  The  United  States,''™ 
and  perhaps  other  countries  besides,  will  be  replaced,  or  super- 
seded in  the  market,  by  the  competition  of  the  inhabitants  of 
the  interior  parts  of  America. 

The  construction  of  vessels  will  te  one  of  the  most  consider- 
able branches  of  business  on  the  Ohio  River  and  its  tributaries.''^ 
In  the  lowest  stage  of  water  in  the  Ohio  we  find  a  depth  of  four 
fathoms  from  the  mouth  of  the  Muskingum  to  its  junction  with 
the  Mississippi.     In  only  one  part  is  it  very  rapid,  and  there  the 


92 


Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 


navigaiion  is  interrupted  for  about  one  mile.  Elsewhere  through- 
out its  whole  extent  the  fall  is  not  more  than  fifteen  feet,  and 
the  bed  of  the  river,  which  has  a  breadth  of  two  hundred  and 
fifty  rods,  has  never  less  than  five  feet  of  water.  In  winter  it 
increases  to  thirty  feet.  The  river  can  be  ascended  not  only  by 
means  of  oars,  but  they  readily  surmont  the  current  by  means 
of  sails  only.  Geographers  and  others  who  have  seen  the 
locality  are  of  the  opinion  that  if  a  canaF^  were  dug  at  a  little 
less  than  half  a  mile  south  of  the  river,  at  a  point  where  a  low 
prairie  is  found,  the  current  could  be  avoided  and  navigation 
thus  be  without  interruption  the  whole  year  round. 

Hemp,  iron  and  ship  timber  are  abundant  and  of  good 
quality  here.  During  the  highest  stage  of  water,  which  is  from 
February  to  April,  and  frequently  in  October  and  November, 
vessels  can  easily  pass  the  rapids  with  their  cargoes  to  the  sea 
even  in  the  present  condition  of  the  river. 

An  English  engineer,  who  has  made  a  thorough  examina- 
tion of  the  western  country,  has  communicated  the  following 
observations  to  Lord  Hillsborough  in  1770.  This  nobleman 
was  the  Secretary  of  State  for  the  Department  of  America  at 
the  time  when  we  were  colonists  of  Great  Britain,  and  when  our 
country  was  regarded  solely,  as  it  could  be  made  available  for  a 
market  for  English  fabrics  :^^ 

' '  No  part  of  North  America  has  less  need  of  encourage- 
ment in  order  to  furnish  rigging  for  ships,  and  the  raw  material 
destined  to  Europe,  and  to  furnish  t»  the  West  India  Islands 
building  material,  provisions,  etc.,  than  the  Ohio  country,  and 
that  for  the  following  reasons: 

"1.  The  country  is  excellent,  climate  temperate;  grapes 
grow  without  cultivation ;  silk  worms  and  mulberry  trees  abound 
everywhere;  hemp,  hops  and  rice'-^  grow  wild  in  the  valleys  and 
low  lands;  lead  and  iron  abound  in  the  hills;  salt  springs  are 
innumerable;  and  there  is  no  country  better  adapted  to  the  cul- 
ture of  tobacco,  flax  and  cotton  than  that  of  the  Ohio. 

"2.  The  country  is  well  watered  by  several  navigable 
rivers,  which  communicate  with  each  other,  and  by  means  of 
which,  with  a  very  short  transport  by  land,  the  productions  of 
the  Valley  of  the  Ohio  cari  even  at  this  moment^^  be  conveyed  at 


Description  of  the  Soil,  etc.  93 

a  much  lower  price  to  the  seaport  of  Alexandria^  on  the  River 
Potomac,  where  General  Braddock  landed  his  troops,  than  mer- 
chandise can  be  carried  from  Northampton  to  London. 

"3.  The  Ohio  river  is  navigable  at  all  seasons  of  the  year 
for  large  boats, ^  and  during  the  months  of  February,  March  and 
April  it  is  possible  to  construct  large  vessels  upon  it  and  send 
them  to  the  ocean  loaded  with  hemp,  iron,  flax,  silk,  tobacco, 
cotton,  potash,  etc. 

"4.  Flour,  wheat,  beef,  planks  for  ship-building  and  other 
things  not  less  useful  can  descend  the  Ohio  to  Western  Florida 
and  go  thence  to  the  West  India  Islands  more  cheaply  and  in  bet- 
ter condition  than  the  same  merchandise  can  be  sent  from  New 
York  or  Philadelphia  to  the  same  islands. 

"5.  Hemp,  tobacco,  iron  and  similar  bulky  articles,  can 
descend  the  Ohio  to  the  ocean  at  least  50  per  cent,  cheaper  than 
the  same  articles  have  ever  been  transported  by  land  in  Pennsyl- 
vania over  a  distance  no  greater  than  sixty  miles,  although  the 
expense  of  carriage  there  is  less  than  in  any  part  of  North 
America. 

"6.  The  freight  for  transporting  goods  manufactured  in 
Europe  from  the  sea-board  to  the  Ohio,  will  not  be  so  consider- 
able as  it  now  is,  and  always  will  be,  to  a  great  part  of  the  coun- 
ties of  Pennsylvania,  Virginia  and  Maryland.  When  the  farm- 
ers or  merchants  who  dwell  upon  the  Ohio  set  about  providing 
for  transportation  they  will  build  vessels  of  all  kinds  suited  for 
commerce  with  the  West  India  Islands  and  Europe,  or,  as  they 
will  have  black  walnut,  cherry,  oak,  etc.,  sawed  ready  for  for- 
eign commerce,  they  will  make  of  them  rafts  in  the  same  man- 
ner as  is  practiced  by  those  who  live  about  the  headwaters  of 
the  Delaware  in  Pennsylvania,  on  which  they  will  put  their 
hemp,  their  iron,  their  tobacco,  etc.,  and  with  which  they  will 
go  to  New  Orleans. 

"The  following  observations  should  not  be  omitted:  They 
manufacture  a  great  quantity  of  flour  in  the  region  situated  in 
the  west  of  Peimsylvania,  and  they  send  it  by  land  to  Philadel- 
phia, which  costs  a  great  deal,  and  thence  they  send  it  by  sea  to 
South  Carolina  and  Eastern  and  Western  Florida,  where  they 
grow  little  or  no  grain.     One  may  say  that  nature  herself  has 


94  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Sociefy  Publications.        [Vol..  8 

designed  the  Ohio  to  be  the  river  by  which  the  two  Floridas  may 
be  suppHed  with  flour,  and  that  not  only  for  the  consumption  of 
these  two  provinces,  but  still  more  for  a  considerable  commerce 
which  they  carry  on  in  that  article  with  Jamaica  and  the  Spanish 
settlements  of  Mexico.  Quantities  of  mill-stones  may  be  pro- 
cured from  the  hills  which  border  the  Ohio,  and  the  country 
everywhere  abounds  with  water-courses  suited  to  the  construc- 
tion of  mills  of  every  kind.  The  passage  from  Philadelphia  to 
Pensacola  is  rarely  made  in  less  than  a  month,  and  they  ordi- 
narily pay  fifty  shillings  a  ton  freight  (a  ton  consists  of  sixteen 
barrels)  for  transportation  that  far.  Boats  carrying  from  500  to 
1000  barrels  of  flour  go  in  nearly  the  same  time  from  Pittsburgh 
to  Pensacola  as  from  Philadelphia  to  Pensacola,  and  at  half  the 
expense.  Merchants  on  the  Ohio  can  furnish  flour  on  better 
terms  than  Philadelphia,  and  without  running  the  risk  of  dam- 
age by  sea  or  the  delays  of  transportation  on  that  element;  and 
besides,  without  paying  insurance,  advantages  which  can  not  be 
enjoyed  in  the  case  of  goods  shipped  from  Philadelphia  to  Pen- 
sacola. And  let  no  one  imagine  that  this  is  a  supposition 
merely;  it  is  the  constant  experience.  About  the  year  1746 
there  was  a  scarcity  in  New  Orleans,  and  the  French  settle- 
ments on  the  banks  of  the  Illinois,  feeble  in  number  as 
they  were,  sent  thither  in  one  winter  alone  800,000  weight 
of  flour. "2^  So  that,  in  place  of  furnishing  other  nations  with, 
raw  materials,  some  company  of  manufacturers  might  be  intro- 
duced and  established  in  the  countries,  so  attractive  their  situation, 
under  the  direction  of  men  thoroughly  competent  to  the  task. 
Such  an  establishment  would  produce  a  considerable  augmenta- 
tion of  population  and  wealth  to  these  new  settlements  and  would 
set  a  useful  example  to  other  parts  of  the  United  States. 

3.  The  measures  which  have  been  taken  by  the  act  of 
Congress,  providing  for  the  disposition  of  the  lands  west  of  the 
Ohio  as  far  down  as  the  Scioto  for  the  establishment  and  main- 
tenance of  schools,  and  of  a  University^^  shed  an  especial  lustre 
on  these  settlements  and  inspire  the  hope  that  by  the  particular 
attention  which  has  been  given  to  education,  the  fields  of  science 
will  be  extended,  and  that  the  means  of  acquiring  useful  knowl- 
edge will  be  placed  on  a  more  respectful  footing  in  this  country 


Description  of  the  Soil,  etc.       .  95 

than  in  any  other  part  of  the  world.  Without  speaking  of  the 
advantages  of  discovering  in  this  new  country  species  hitherto 
unknown  in  natural  history,  botany  and  medical  science,  it  can- 
not be  questioned  that  in  no  other  part  of  the  habitable  globe 
can  there  be  found  a  spot  where,  in  order  to  begin  well,  there 
will  not  be  found  much  evil  to  extirpate,  bad  customs  to  combat, 
and  ancient  systems  to  reform.  Here  there  is  no  rubbish  to  clear 
away  before  laying  foundations.  The  first  commencement  of 
this  settlement  will  be  undertaken  by  persons  inspired  with  the 
noblest  settlements,  versed  in  the  most  necessary  branches  of 
knowledge,  acquainted  with  the  world  and  with  affairs, ^^  as  well 
as  with  every  branch  of  science.  If  they  shall  be  so  fortunate 
as  to  have  at  first  the  means  of  founding  on  an  advantageous 
plan  these  schools  and  this  University,  and  of  sustaining  them 
in  such  a  manner  that  the  professors  may  be  able  to  commence 
without  delay  the  different  labors  to  which  they  may  be  called, 
they  will,  in  the  infancy  of  the  colony,  have  secured  to  them- 
selves advantages  which  will  be  found  nowhere  else. 

4.  In  the  ordinance  of  Congress  for  the  government  of  the 
territory  northwest  of  the  Ohio  it  is  provided  that  when  the 
territory  shall  have  acquired  a  certain  amount  of  population  it 
may  be  divided  into  several  States.  The  most  eastern  of  these^^ 
(this  is  already  provided  for)  is  bounded  by  the  Great  M'.ami  on 
the  west,  and  by  Pennsylvania  on  the  east.  The  center  of  this 
State  will  be  between  the  Scioto  and  the  Hockhocking.  The 
seat  of  government  of  one  of  these  States  will  very  probably  be 
at  the  mouth  of  one  of  these  two  rivers.  And  if  we  may  be 
permitted  to  forecast  the  future,  we  may  imagine  that  when  the 
United  States  of  America,  composed  of  an  intelligent  and  re- 
nowned people,  shall  have  greatly  extended  the  boundaries  of 
their  dominions  the  general  government  will  establish  itself 
upon  the  banks  of  the  Ohio.  This  country  is  at  the  centre  of 
the  whole  Nation,  it  is  a  place  the  most  convenient  for  all,  the 
most  agreeable  and  probably  the  most  healthy. 

It  is  undoubtedly  of  the  greatest  importance  that  the  Con- 
gress shall  soon  fix  the  place  of  its  residence;  nevertheless,  in 
the  present  state  of  the  country  it  is  possible,  some  may  think  it 
not   expedient    to    fix   it    immovably.     Take    the    chain   of   the 


96  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 

Allegheny  Mountains  from  north  to  south,  it  is  probable  that 
twenty  years  will  not  elapse  before  there  will  be  more  of  the  in- 
habitants of  the  United  States  living  on  the  banks  of  the  West- 
ern than  on  the  Eastern  rivers.  The  Western  people  ought 
now  to  understand  that  the  government  is  disposed  to  favor 
them  as  much  as  their  brethren  who  inhabit  the  Eastern  part 
of  the  country.  It  is  even  necessary  that  they  should  have  this 
feeling  in  order  that  they  may  not  cherish  dreams  of  inde- 
pendence, that  they  may  not  seek  for  other  alliances,  and  that 
they  may  not  take  steps  with  especial  view  to  their  own  welfare. ^^ 
As  it  is  indisputable  that  it  ought  to  be  the  principal  object  of 
'the  Legislature,  and  the  one  dearest  to  its  heart  to  unite  as  great 
a  number  of  people  as  pos.sible,  and  render  them  happy  under 
one  government,  every  step  which  Congress  may  take  toward 
this  new  constitution  will  have  this  object  in  view;  and,  we  will 
hope,  will  promote  the  success  of  the  plan,  and  cause  it  to  be 
regarded  as  inviolably  established.  There  is  no  doubt,  what- 
ever, that  sooner  or  later  the  government  will  either  reserve  to 
itself  or  purchase  a  suitable  site  on  which  to  build  the  city  of  the 
confederation  l^  which  will  be  at  the  center  of  the  whole  coun- 
try; and  that  it  will  make  known  its  intentions  in  this  regard  as 
soon  as  circumstances,  such  as  an  equal  population  in  the  new 
State,  etc.,  will  permit. 

Such  a  determination,  taken  in  advance,  will  give  the  older 
States  the  power  of  carrying  it  into  execution  without  causing 
any  disturbance  or  dissatisfaction  to  any  person,  whilst  it  would 
inspire  the  new  States  with  the  hope  of  some  day  seeing  the 
plan  realized. 

Extracts  from  letters  of  an  American  farmer,  by  M.  Sfohn 
de  Crevecoeur ,  Fre7ich  Consul  to  America.  Second  edition,  Vol. 
J,   page  394. 

The  Ohio  is  the  grand  artery  of  that  portion  of  America 
which  lies  beyond  the  mountains;  it  is  the  center  in  which  meet 
all  the  waters  which  flow  on  one  side  from  the  Allegheny  Moun- 
tains, and  which  descend  on  the  other  from  the  high  lands  in  the 
vicinity  of  Eakes  Erie  and  Michigan.  It  has  been  calculated 
that  the  region  watered  by  all  these  streams,  and  comprised  be- 


Description  of  the  Soil,  etc.  97 

tween  Pittsburg  and  the  Mississippi,  contains  a  territory  of  at 
least  260  miles  square,  or  166,980,000*  acres.  It  is,  without 
doubt,  the  most  fertile  country,  with  the  most  varied  soil,  the 
best  watered,  and  that  which  offers  to  agriculture  and  commerce 
the  most  abundant  and  ready  resources  of  all  those  which  Eu- 
ropeans have  ever  discovered  and  peopled. 

It  was  on  the  tenth  of  April,  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing, that  we  abandoned  ourselves  to  the  current  of  the  Ohio. 
*  *  *  *  This  pleasant  and  tranquil  navigation  appeared  to 
me  like  a  delightful  dream;  each  moment  presented  to  me  new 
perspectives,  which  were  incessantly  varied  by  the  appearance 
of  islands,  points  and  bends  of  the  river,  constantly  changing 
with  the  singular  variety  of  shore,  more  or  less  wooded,  from 
which  the  eye  would,  from  time  to  time,  wander  to  survey  the 
great  natural  prairies  which  intersect  them;  constantl}'  embel- 
lished by  promontories  of  different  heights,  which  seemed  to 
disappear  for  a  moment,  and  then  gradually  develop  to  the  eye 
of  the  navigator  bays  and  coves,  of  greater  or  less  extent, 
formed  by  the  creeks  (little  navigable  rivers)  and  the  brooks 
which  fall  into  the  Ohio.  What  majesty  in  the  mouths  of  the 
great  rivers  before  which  we  passed.  Their  waters  seemed  as 
vast  and  as  deep  as  those  of  the  river  on  which  we  were 
voyaging. 

Never  before  had  I  felt  so  disposed  to  meditation  and  revery; 
involuntarily  my  imagination  darted  into  the  future,  the  remote- 
ness of  w^hich  gave  me  no  trouble,  because  it  appeared  to  be 
near.  I  saw  in  fancy  these  beautiful  shores  ornamented  with 
handsome  houses,  covered  with  crops,  the  fields  well  cultivated; 
on  the  declivities  of  the  hills  exposed  to  the  north  I  saw  orchards 
planted,  on  the  others  vineyards,  plantations  of  mulberries, 
acacias,  etc.  I  saw  also  on  the  low  lauds  the  cotton  plant  and 
the  sugar-maple,  the  sap  of  which  has  become  an  article  of  com- 
merce. I  grant  indeed  that  all  the  shores  did  not  appear  to  me 
equally  adapted  to  cultivation,  but  the  different  masses  of  trees 
with  which  the}^  will  necessarily  remain  covered  will  add  still 
more   to   the   beauty   and    the   variety  of  the  landscape  of  the 


'  Evidently  an  erroneous  calculation. 
Vol.  Ill— 7 


98  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [VoL.  3 

future.  What  an  immense  chain  of  plantations!  What  a  great 
career  of  activity,  of  industry,  of  culture  and  commerce  is 
offered  to  the  Americans.  I  consider  therefore  the  settlement 
of  the  country  watered  by  this  great  river  as  one  of  the  greatest 
enterprises  ever  presented  to  man.  It  will  be  the  more  glorious 
because  it  will  be  legally  acquired  with  the  consent  of  the  an- 
cient proprietors  and  without  the  shedding  of  a  drop  of  blood.''* 
It  is  destined  to  become  the  foundation  of  the  power,  wealth  and 
future  glory  of  the  United  States. 

Toward  noon  of  the  third  day  we  cast  anchor  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Muskingum,  in  two  fathoms  and  a  half  of  water.  To 
give  you  a  faint  idea  of  what  I  may  call  the  anatomy  of  the 
Ohio,  I  wish  to  tell  you  about  this  river  to  make  you  understand 
the  utility  of  all  its  branches. ^'^ 

It  empties  into  the  Ohio  172  miles  from  Pittsburg  and  has  a 
width  of  120  toises,^^  it  is  deep  and  navigable  for  large  boats  for 
147  miles  into  the  interior.  Its  freshets  are  moderate  and  it 
never  overflows  its  banks,  which  are  elevated,  without  being 
steep.  One  of  its  branches  approaches  at  the  same  time  the 
principal  of  the  sources  of  the  Scioto,  called  the  Seccaium  and 
the  Sandusky  River.  This  last  falls,  you  are  aware,  into  the 
great  bay  of  the  same  name  at  the  farther  end  of  I,ake  Erie.  It 
is  near  one  of  the  principal  branches  of  the  Muskingum  that  the 
great  Indian  village  of  Tuscarawas  is  built,  whence  a  portage  of 
two  miles  only  leads  to  the  Cuyahoga  River,  deep  and  but 
slightly  rapid,  the  mouth  of  which  on  L,ake  Erie  forms  an  ex- 
cellent harbor  for  vessels  of  200  tons.  This  place  seems  de- 
signed for  the  site  of  a  city,  and  several  persons  of  my  acquaint- 
ance have  already  thought  so.^^  All  the  voyagers  and  hunters 
have  spoken  with  admiration  of  the  fertility  of  the  hills  and 
valleys  watered  by  the  Muskingum, ^^  as  well  as  the  excellent 
springs,  the  salt  wells,  the  mines  of  coal,  particularly  that  of 
Lamenchicola,  of  the  free-stone,  fullers-earth,  etc.,  which  they 
find  everywhere. 

The  next  morning  at  day  break  we  weighed  anchor,  and 
after  three  days  of  quiet  and  pleasant  navigation  we  came  to 
anchor  opposite  the  Scioto,  218  miles  from  the  Muskingum  and 
390  miles  from  Pittsburgh,  for  the  purpose  of  receiving  on  board 


Description  of  the  Soil,  etc.  99 

Gen.  Butler,  who  came  to  conclude  some  negotiations  with  the 
Shawnees.  It  is  from  him  that  I  had  the  following  details  con- 
cerning this  fine  river,  upon  the  banks  of  which  he  resided  dur- 
ing the  last  five  years  of  the  war :  The  Scioto  is  almost  as  wide 
as  the  Ohio ;  its  current  is  navigable  for  boats  of  medium  size  as 
far  as  the  village  of  Seccaium,  111  miles  from  its  mouth;  it  is  at 
this  village  that  the  great  portage  to  the  Sandusky  begins,  which 
is  but  four  miles.  Judge  of  the  importance  of  this  communica- 
tion, always  much  frequented  by  whites  and  Indians;  the  latter 
who  have  horses  and  wagons,  transport  merchandise  at  so  much 
per  hundred.  This  river  waters  a  most  extensive  and  fertile 
country,  but  rather  flat.  These  vast  plains,  so  well  known  as 
the  Scioto  bottoms,  commence  a  few  miles  above  the  river  Hus- 
kinkus  and  continue  almost  to  Seccaium.  They  are  watered  by 
the  fine  creeks,  Alaman,^"  Deer,  Kispoks,  etc.,  and  by  a  great 
number  of  considerable  brooks.  Several  of  these  plains  are 
from  twenty -five  to  thirty  miles  in  circumference,  and  as  if  Na- 
ture had  wished  to  render  them  still  more  useful  to  men,  she  has 
sprinkled  them  with  hills  and  isolated  mounds,  on  which  she 
had  planted  the  most  beautiful  trees.  These  plains  are  never 
overflowed,  and  their  fertility  is  wonderful.  If  r.  poor  man,  who 
had  nothing  but  his  hands,  should  ask  me,  "  Where  shall  I  go 
to  establish  myself  in  order  to  live  with  the  most  ease,  without 
the  help  of  horses  or  oxen?"  I  would  say  to  him,  "Go  to  the 
banks  of  one  of  the  creeks  in  the  Scioto  bottoms ;  all  that  you 
will  have  to  do  will  be  first  to  obtain  permission  from  the  In- 
dians from  the  neighboring  village  (this  permission  is  no  longer 
necessary  since  the  treaty  with  them)  ;  .second,  scratch  the  sur- 
face of  the  earth  and  deposit  there  your  wheat,  your  corn,  your 
potatoes,  your  beans,  your  cabbage,  your  tobacco,  etc.,  and 
leave  the  rest  to  nature.  In  the  meantime  amuse  yourself  with 
fishing  and  the  chase." 

Every  spring  a  prodigious  number  of  storks  come  to  visit 
these  plains ;  they  are  at  least  six  feet  high,  and  more  than  seven 
feet  from  tip  to  tip  of  wings.  I  have  never  seen  them  come  to 
feed  that  they  were  not  surrounded  by  sentinels,  who  watch 
around  them  to  announce  the  approach  of  enemies.  Sometimes 
before  their  departure  they  assemble  in  great  flocks,  and  the  day 


100  Ohio  Arch,  and  If  is.  Society  Publications .        [Vol.  3 

being  fixed,  all  rise,  turning  slowly,  and  preserving  always  the 
same  order,  they  describe  long  spirals  until  they  are  out  of  sight. 
Finally,  on  the  tenth  day  after  our  departure  from  Pitts- 
burgh, we  cast  anchor  in  front  of  Louisville,  having  made  750 
miles  in  22^  hours  of  navigation. 


CERTIFICATE. 


Having  read,  attentively,  the  pamphlet  in  which  is  given  a 
description  of  the  Western  Territory  of  the  Untied  States,  I,  the 
undersigned,  certify  that  the  facts  therein  contained  concerning 
the  fertility  of  the  soil,  abundant  productions  and  other  advan- 
tages for  the  husbandman,  are  true  and  reliable,  and  that  they 
correspond  perfectly  with  the  observations  I  have  made  during 
ten  years  which  I  have  spent  in  that  country. 

[signed]  Thomas  Hutchins, 

Geographer  of  U.  S. 


NOTES. 

Note  L— All  the  produce  of  the  settlements  about  Fort  Pitt  can  be 
brought  to  Alexandria,  by  the  Youghiogany,  in  three  hundred  and  four 
miles,  whereof  only  thirty -one  are  land  transportation  ;  and  by  the  Monon- 
gahela  and  Cheat  Rivers  in  three  hundred  and  sixty  miles,  twenty  of 
which  only  are  land  carriage.— C^w.  Washington  to  Gov.  Harrison,  Oct. 
ID,  1784. 

Note  2. —  Pennsylvania  — although  the  Susquehanna  is  an  unfriendly 
water,  much  impeded,  it  is  said,  with  rocks  and  rapids,  and  nowhere  com- 
municating with  those  which  lead  to  her  capital, —  has  it  in  contemplation 
to  open  a  communication  between  Toby's  Creek,  which  empties  into  the 
Allegheny  River  95  miles  above  Fort  Pitt,  and  the  west  branch  of  the 
Susquehanna,  and  to  cut  a  canal  between  the  waters  of  the  latter  and  the 
Schuylkill,  the  expense  of  which  is  easier  to  be  conceived  than  estimated 
or  described  by  me.  A  people,  however,  who  are  possessed  of  the  spirit  of 
commerce,  who  see  and  who  will  perceive  its  advantages,  may  achieve 
almost  anything.  In  the  meantime,  and  the  uncertainty  of  these  under- 
takings, they  are  smoothing  the  road  and  paving  the  ways  for  the  trade  of 
the   western   world. —  Gen.    Washington   to   Gov.  Harrison,  Oct.  10,  1784. 

Note  3.— The  Buffalo  — Apparently  the  Green  River. 


Description  of  the  Soil,  etc.  101 

Note  4. —  The  Shawnee  —  The  Cumberland  River  was  so  called  until  it 
was  given  its  present  name  by  Dr.  Walker,  in  1747,  in  honor  of  the  Duke 
of  Cumberland. 

NoTK  ').     The  Cherokee  —  The  Tennessee  was  formerl)'  so-called. 

Note  (>. —  Seven  Ranges. 

Note  7. —  This  old  Indian  portage,  between  the  head  waters  of  the 
Muskingum  and  those  of  the  Cuyahoga,  is  within  the  present  limits  of 
Portage  countj',  from  which  the  county  derives  its  name. 

Note  8. —  Salt  Springs — "We  have  found  several  salt-licks  within  our 
surveys,  and  we  are  assured  there  is  a  salt  spring  about  forty  miles  up  the 
Muskingum,  from  which  a  quantity  of  salt  for  the  supply  of  the  country 
may  be  made.  Some  gentlemen  at  Fort  Harmar  doubt  this  information, 
and  think  a  supply  may  be  made  at  a  spring  on  the  branch  of  the  Scioto." 
—  Pioneer  History. 

So  great  was  the  scarcity  and  value  of  salt  during  the  first  ten  years  of 
the  settlement — not  less  than  six  or  eight  dollars  a  bushel  —  that  the  Ohio 
Company,  in  their  final  division  of  their  lands,  passed  the  following 
resolution  : 

"  Whereas,  It  is  believed  that  the  great  '  salt  springs '  of  the  Scioto 
lie  within  the  present  purchase  of  the  Ohio  Company  ;  therefore, 

"  Resolved,  That  the  division  of  land  to  the  proprietors  is  made  upon 
the  express  condition  and  reserve  that  every  salt  spring  now  known,  or 
that  shall  hereafter  be  found,  within  the  lands  that  shall  fall  to  the  lot  of 
any  proprietor,  be  and  are  hereby  reserved  to  the  use  of  the  company,  with 
such  quantity  of  land  about  them  as  the  agents  and  proprietors  shall  think 
proper  to  assume  for  general  purposes,  not  exceeding  three  thousand 
acres ;  the  person  on  whose  land  they  are  found,  to  receive  other  lands  of 
equal  value."  It  so  happened  that  the  Scioto  springs  were  situated  a  few 
miles  west  of  the  purchase  and  on  the  lands  belonging  to  the  United 
States.  When  Ohio  became  a  State,  these  noted  springs,  with  those  on  Salt' 
Creek,  in  Muskingum  county  and  at  Delaware,  were  reserved  by  Congress 
for  the  use  of  the  State,  with  large  tracts  of  land  adjoining  to  furnish  fuel 
for  ooiling  the  salt  water.  For  many  years  the.se  springs  were  leased  to 
individuals,  and  became  a  source  of  revenue  to  Ohio. 

Note  9. —  Armenian  Clay  —  A  sort  of  Ochre. 

Note  10. —  The  routes  of  navigation  and  portage  referred  to  in  the 
text,  between  the  lakes  and  the  Ohio  River,  by  way  of  the  Sandusky  and 
Scioto,  and  of  the  Cuyahoga  and  Muskingum  Rivers,  and  also  that  from 
Presqu'  Isle  (Erie,  Pennsylvania,)  by  way  of  I'rench  Creek  to  the  Ohio, 
seemed  to  have  been  discovered  and  used  b\-  the  French  at  a  subsequent 
period. 

General  Washington,  in  a  letter  written  Octol)er  10,  1784,  to  Benjamin 
Harrison,  then  Governor  of  Virginia  (Writings  of  Washington,  Vol.  IX, 
p.  58),  in  which  he  discusses  at  length  the  best  mode  of  communication 


102  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 

between  the  tide  water  region  of  Virginia  and  the  Northwestern  territory, 
by  means  of  the  Potomac  and  James  Rivers,  says:  "It  has  long  been  my 
decided  opinion  that  the  shortest,  easiest  and  least  expensive  communica- 
tion w'ith  the  invaluable  and  extensive  country  back  of  us  would  be  by  one 
or  both  of  the  rivers  of  this  State,  which  have  their  sources  in  the 
Apalachian  Mountians.  Nor  am  I  singular  in  this  opinion.  Evans,  in  his 
map  and  analysis  of  the  Middle  Colonies,  which,  considering  the  early 
period  at  which  they  were  given  to  the  public,  are  done  with  amazing 
exactness,  and  Hutchins--  since,  in  his  Typographical  Description  of  the 
Western  Country,  a  good  part  of  which  is  from  actual  surveys,  are  decidedly 
of  the  same  sentiments." 

"  The  navigation  of  the  Ohio,"  he  continues,  "  being  well  known,  they 
will  have  less  to  do  in  the  examination  of  it ;  but,  nevertheless,  let  the 
courses  and  distances  be  taken  to  the  mouth  of  the  Muskingum,  and  up 
that  river  (notwithstanding  it  is  in  the  ceded  lands)  to  the  carrying  place 
to  the  Cuyahoga;  down  the  Cuyahoga  to  Lake  Erie,  and  thence  to  Detroit. 
Let  them  do  the  same  with  Big  Beaver  Creek,  although  part  of  it  is  in  the 
State  of  Pennsylvania;  and  also  with  the  Scioto.  In  a  word,  let  the  waters 
east  and  west  of  the  Ohio,  which  invite  our  notice  bj'  their  proximity,  and 
by  the  ease  with  which  land  transportation  may  be  had  between  them  and 
the  lakes  on  one  side,  and  the  Rivers  Potomac  and  James  on  the  other,  be 
explored,  accurately  delineated,  and  a  correct  and  connected  map  of  the 
whole  be  presented  to  the  public." 

He  estimated  that  if  the  improvements  here  indicated  should  be  con- 
structed, the  distance  from  Detroit,  "  by  which  all  the  trade  of  the  North- 
western part  of  the  United  Territory  must  pass"  to  the  tide -waters  of  Vir- 
ginia, could  be  made  17()  miles  less  than  to  those  of  the  Hudson  at  Albany. 
"  Upon  the  whole,  the  object  in  my  estimation  is  of  vast  commercial  and 
political  importance."     *     *  "  I  consider  Ruuisefs  discovery  for  work- 

ing boats  against  the  stream  by  mechanical  powers  principally  as  not 
only  a  very  fortunate  invention  for  these  States  in  general,  but  as  one 
of  those  circumstances  which  have  combined  to  render  the  present  time 
favorable  above  all  others  for  fixing,  if  zve  are  disposed  to  avail  our- 
selves of  them,  a  large  portion  of  the  trade  of  the  Western  country  in 
the  bosom  of  his  State  irrevocably.'''  (Gov.  Harrison  replied  to  this  letter 
that  he  had  submitted  it  to  the  Assembly,  which  would  probably  take 
favorable  action.  The  James  River  Improvement  enterprise,  in  which,  if  I 
mistake  not,  Washington  was  a  large  stockholder,  was  doubtless  the 
result.) 

It  must  be  remembered  that  ideas  to  what  constitutes  a  navigable 
stream  have  greatly  changed  in  the  course  of  a  century.  When  transpor- 
tation and  travel  were  carried  on  upon  our  western  waters  by  means  of 
flat-boats,  broad -horns,  keel  -  boats,  and   even  bark  canoes,  which  drew 


*The  Geographer  of  the  United  States. 


Descripfion  of  the  Soil,  etc.  103 

only  a  few  inches  of  water,  and  pushed  their  way  up  the  riverp  and  their 
tributary  creeks  and  bayous,  and  "  wherever  the  ground  was  a  little  moist," 
many  a  stream  figured  as  a  navigable  river  which  in  these  days  of  steam- 
boats would  hardl}'  be  regarded  as  a  reliable  mill  stream. 

Note  11.—  General  Washington,  in  speaking  of  this  country  in  1784, 
says  that  it  will,  so  soon  as  matters  are  settled  with  the  Indians,  and  the 
terms  by  which  Congress  means  to  dispose  of  the  land  found  to  be  favor- 
able are  announced,  be  settled  faster  than  any  other  ever  was,  or  anyone 
would  imagine." — Writings,  IX,  p.  62. 

Note  12.— a  plant  called  wild  rice,  on  which  numerous  wild  fowl  feed, 
is  found  in  the  marshes  bordering  Lake  Erie.  A  similar  growth  on  the  low 
bottoms  of  the  rivers  may  have  been  mistaken  by  the  early  explorers  for 
the  rice  of  commerce. 

Note  13.^  "By  the  advice  of  Thomas  Hutchins,  Esq.,  Geographer  of 
the  United  States,  this  tract  (the  Ohio  Company's  purchase)  was  located  on 
the  Ohio  and  Muskingum  Rivers,  he  considered  it  the  best  part  of  the 
whole  western  country,  and  he  had  visited  it  ftrom  Pennsylvania  to 
Illinois." 

Note  14. —  St.  Vincents,  or  Post  St.  Vincents,  or  Post  Vincennes,  as  it 
is  variously  called,  on  the  site  of  Vincennes,  Ind.,  was  one  of  the  early 
French  settlements  in  the  Valley  of  the  Mississippi. 

Note  15.— "The  other  mill  I  saw  in  the  year  1797  on  the  Scioto  River. 
It  was  built  on  two  large  dug-outs  or  canoes,  with  a  wheel  placed  between 
them.  This  mill,  after  being  moved  up  or  down  as  the  settlers  at  different 
stations  needed  its  assistance  in  grinding  corn,  was  tied  to  a  tree  in  a  rapid 
current,  which,  running  against  the  wheel  between  the  canoes,  turned  the 
stones  above  under  a  kind  of  umbrella  made  of  bark.  At  a  distance  it  had 
the  appearance  of  a  crane  flying  up  the  river.  It  made  a  sound,  for  want 
of  grease,  like  the  creaking  of  a  wooden  cari."^yl merican  Pioneer,  Vol. 
/.  P-  59- 

Note  16. —  "  For  my  own  part,  I  think  it  highly  probable  that  upon 
the  strictest  scrutiny,  if  the  falls  of  the  Great  Kanawha  can  be  made  navi- 
gable, or  a  short  portage  be  had  there,  it  will  be  found  of  equal  importance 
and  convenience  to  improve  the  navigation  of  both  the  James  and  the  Po- 
tomac. The  latter,  I  am  fully  persuaded,  affords  the  nearest  communica- 
tion with  the  lakes;  but  the  James  River  may  be  more  convenient  for  all 
the  settlers  below  the  mouth  of  the  Great  Kanawha,  and  for  some  distance 
/virhaps  above  and  west  of  it."—  Washington  to  General  Harrison,  October 
10,  1784. 

Note  17.  — The  reader  of  to-day  who  is  whirled  over  the  distance  sep- 
arating Cincinnati  and  Pittsburgh  between  breakfast  and  supper,  will  be 
interested  in  the  following  advertisement  of  a  line  of  packet  boats  running 
up  and  down  the  Ohio  between  those  places  one  hundred  years  ago,  mak- 
ing the  round  trip  in  four  weeks,  and  which  were  doubtless  regarded  as 


104  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 

attaining  the  very  acme  of  speed  and  safety  in  traveling.  The  advertise- 
ment is  taken  from  the  "  Centinel  of  the  North  Western  Territory,"  pub- 
lished at  Cincinnati  in  1798,  five  years  after  the  first  settlement  of  Ohio, 
and  the  first  paper  established  north  of  the  river: 

OHIO 
PACKET   BOATS. 

Two  boats  for  the  present  will  set  out  from  Cincinnati  for  Pittsburgh 
and  return  to  Cincinnati  in  the  following  manner,  viz. : 

First  boat  will  leave  Cincinnati  this  morning  at  8  o'clock,  and  return 
to  Cincinnati  so  as  to  be  ready  to  sail  again  in  four  weeks  from  this  date. 

Second  boat  will  leave  Cincinnati  on  Saturday,  the  30th  inst.,  and  re- 
turn to  Cincinnati  in  four  weeks,  as  above. 

And  so  regularly,  each  boat  performing  the  voyage  to  and  from  Cin- 
cinnati to  Pittsburgh  once  in  every  four  weeks. 

Two  boats,  in  addition  to  the  above,  will  shortly  be  completed  and  reg- 
ulated in  such  a  manner  that  one  boat  of  the  four  will  set  out  weekly  from 
Cincinnati  to  Pittsburgh  and  return  in  like  manner. 

The  proprietors  of  these  boats  having  maturely  considered  the  many 
inconveniences  and  dangers  incident  to  the  common  method  hitherto 
adopted  of  navigating  the  Ohio,  and  being  influenced  by  a  love  of  philan- 
thropy and  desire  of  being  serviceable  to  the  public,  has  taken  great  pains 
to  render  the  accommodations  on  board  the  boats  as  agreeable  and  con- 
venient as  they  could  possibly  be  made. 

No  danger  need  be  apprehended  from  the  enemy,  as  every  person  on 
board  will  be  under  cover,  made  proof  against  rifle  or  musquet  balls,  and 
convenient  port-holes  for  firing  out  of  Each  of  the  boats  are  armed  with 
six  pieces,  carrying  a  pound  ball;  also  a  number  of  good  muskets  and 
amply  supplied  with  plenty  of  ammunition,  strongly  manned  with  choice 
hands,  and  the  masters  of  approved  knowledge. 

A  separate  cabin  from  that  designed  for  the  men  is  partitioned  off  in 
each  boat  for  accommodating  ladies  on  their  passage.     * 

Passengers  will  be  supplied  with  provisions  and  liquors  of  all  kinds, 
of  the  first  quality,  at  the  most  reasonable  rates  possible.     *     *     ■•'■ 

Note  IS. —  One  of  the  controlling  considerations  in  the  selection  of  a 
site  for  the  settlement  by  the  Ohio  Company  at  the  mouth  of  the  Muskin- 
gum was  that  it  might  be  under  the  protection  of  Fort  Harmar. 

Note  19. —  The  plan  originally  proposed  by  Congress  for  the  survey 
and  sale  of  the  first  seven  ranges  west  of  Pennsylvania  contemplated  that 
the  ranges  should  extend  northward  to  Lake  Erie,  but  the  subsequent 
arrangements  with  the  State  of  Connecticut  recognized  her  claim  to  the 
soil  (but  not  the  jurisdiction  which  was  reserved  to  the  United  States)  all 
in  that  portion  of  Ohio  north  of  the  41st  parallel  of  latitude,  and  east  of  a 
north  and  south  line  drawn  at  a  distance  of  120  miles  west  of  the  Pennsyl- 
vania line,  and  forming  what  is  known  as  the  Connecticut  Western 
Reserve. 

Note  20.  —The  expression  "  United  States  "  seems  to  be  used  as  refer- 
ring to  the  older  settled  states  of  the  Atlantic  sea-board. 


Dcscriplion  of  the  Soil,  etc.  105 

Note  21. — Ships  on  the  Ohio  —  lu  1799,  Louis  Anastasius  Tarascon,  a 
French  merchant  of  Philadelphia,  sent  two  of  his  clerks,  Charles  Brugiere 
and  James  Berthond,  to  examine  the  course  of  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi 
Rivers  from  Pittsburgh  to  New  Orleans,  and  ascertain  the  practicability  of 
sending  ships  ready  rigged  to  the  West  Indies  and  Europe.  They  reported 
favorably,  ami  I\Ir.  Tarascon,  associating  them  and  his  brother  with  him  as 
partners,  immediately  established  in  Pittsburgh  a  large  wholesale  and 
retail  store  and  warehouse,  a  ship  yard,  a  rigging  and  sail  loft,  an  anchor- 
smith's  shop,  a  block  manufactory,  and,  in  short,  evcr3thing  necessary  to 
complete  vessels  for  sea.  The  first  year,  1801,  they  built  the  schooner 
Amit}%  of  120  tons,  and  the  ship  Pittsburgh,  of  250,  and  sent  the  former, 
loaded  with  flour,  to  St.  Thomas,  and  the  other,  also  with  flour,  to  Phila- 
delphia, from  whence  they  sent  them  to  Bordeaux,  and  brought  back  wine, 
brandy  and  other  French  goods,  part  of  which  they  sent  to  Pittsburgh  in 
wagons,  at  a  carriage  of  from  six  to  eight  cents  per  pound.  In  lS02the)' 
built  the  brig  Nauino,  of  2r)0  tons;  in  ISO.S,  the  ship  Louisiana,  of  .300  tons, 
and  in  ISOl,  the  ship  Western  Trader,  of  400  tons." — AiHcrican  Pioneer^ 
Vol.  /.,  p.  ^oj. 

"As  soon  as  ship-building  commenced  at  Marietta,  in  1800,  the  farmers 
along  the  borders  of  the  Ohio  and  Muskingum  Rivers  turned  their  atten- 
tion to  the  cultivation  of  hemp  in  addition  to  their  other  crops.  In  a  few 
years  sufficient  was  raised  not  only  to  furnish  cordage  to  the  ships  of  the 
West,  but  large  quantities  were  worked  up  in  the  various  rope  walks  and 
sent  as  freight  in  the  vessels  to  the  Atlantic  cities. 

"By  the  year  ISOo  no  less  than  two  ships,  seven  brigs  and  three  schoon- 
ers had  been  built  and  rigged  by  the  citizens  of  Marietta.  Captain  Jona- 
than Devoll  ranked  amongst  the  earliest  of  Ohio  shipwrights.  After  the 
Indian  war  he  settled  on  a  farm  five  miles  above  Marietta,  on  the  fertile 
bottoms  of  the  Muskingum.  Here  he  built  a 'floating  mill'  for  making 
flour,  and  in  1801  a  ship  of  230  tons,  called  the  Muskingum,  and  the  brig 
Eliza  Greene,  of  150  tons."  —  Ibid,  Vol.  /,  p.  go. 

Note  22.  —  A  plan  since  carried  out  by  the  construction  of  the  Louis- 
ville and  Portland  canal. 

Note  23. —  Since  preparing  the  translation  of  the  report  to  Lord  Hills- 
borough, I  have  met  with  the  original  document  in  English.  It  will  be 
found  in  Volume  II,  page  fi,  of  the  "  Olden  Times,"  a  periodical  published 
at  Pittsburgh  in  18-1()  and  1817. 

This  report  to  Lord  Hillsborough  ai)pears  to  have  been  made  when  he 
was  considering  the  petitions  of  Thomas  Walpole  and  others  to  the  king 
for  the  privilege  of  iuaking  a  purchase  of  land  and  founding  a  colony  on 
the  south  side  of  the  Ohio  River,  which  petition  had  been  referred  to  the 
Board  of  Commissioners  of  Trade  and  Plantations,  of  which  he  was  presi- 
dent, for  report.  See  a  very  interesting  article  by  Professor  Hinsdale  on 
the  western  land  policy  of  the  British  Government,  in  the  Ohio  Archaeo- 
logical and  Historical  Quarterly  for  December,  1887. 


106  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 

Note  24. —  The  Knglish  version  has  "rye"  where  the  French  has 
"  riz  "  —  rice. 

Note  25. —  In  the  KnglisJi  original  are  here  inserted  the  words  "in 
the  year  1772." 

Note  26.— "The  new  settlement  at  the  mouth  of  the  Muskingum 
attracted  the  attention  of  the  House  of  Burgesses  in  Virginia,  and  an  ap- 
propriation of  money  was  made  to  survey  a  route  for  a  road  from  Alexan- 
dria on  the  Potomac  to  the  Ohio  River  opposite  Marietta.  The  commis- 
sioners found  a  very  feasible  course,  and  the  estimated  distance  only  three 
hundred  miles.  A  roa<l  was  cut  out,  and  for  many  j-ears  before  the  build- 
ing of  the  National  Turnpike  from  the  Cumberland  to  the  (^hio,  merchan- 
dise was  brought  in  wagons  to  the  stores  in  Marietta  from  the  Port  of 
A.cxauuria."  —  Pioneer  History,  p.  245. 

XoTE  £7.  "  T'.ie  English  version  here  says,  "like  the  west  country 
l>;;rges,  rowed  by  only  four  or  five  men." 

Note  28. —  The  settlements  in  Illinois  were  the  earliest  made  by  the 
I'rench  in  the  Mississippi  Valley;  that  at  Kaskaskia  dating  back  to  the 
seventeenth  century. 

Vivier,  writing  from  Illinois,  in  1750,  says:  "We  have  here  whites, 
negroes  and  Indians,  to  say  nothing  of  cross-breeds.  There  are  five  French 
villages,  and  three  villages  of  the  natives,  within  a  space  of  twenty-one 
leagues,  situated  between  the  Mississippi  and  another  river  called  the  Kar- 
kadiad  (Kaskaskia).  In  the  five  French  villages  are  perhaps  eleven  hun- 
dred whites,  three  hundred  blacks,  and  some  sixty  red  slaves,  or  savages. 
The  three  Illinois  towns  do  not  contain  more  than  eight  hundred  souls  all 
told.  Most  of  the  French  till  the  soil;  they  raise  wheat,  cattle,  pigs  and 
horses,  and  live  like  princes.  Three  times  as  much  is  produced  as  can 
be  consumed,  and  great  quantities  of  grain  and  flour  are  sent  to  New 
Orleans." 

Twenty  years  later  one  man  is  said  to  have  furnished  the  king's  stores 
from  his  crop  80,000  pounds  of  flour. 

Note  29. —  At  the  time  of  the  sale  by  Congress  of  public  lands  to  the 
Ohio  Company,  two  townships  of  laud  (each  six  miles  square)  were  re- 
served for  the  b.ncfit  of  a  university,  and  section  number  16  (being  a  lot 
a  mile  square  and  containing  640  acres)  in  each  township  sold,  was  at  the 
same  time  reserved  for  the  support  of  the  schools  in  said  townships. 
Another  section  (number  29),  was  in  the  same  manner  reserved  for  the 
support  of  religion. 

Note  30. — "The  colony  at  Marietta,  like  those  of  some  of  the  ancient 
Greeks,  enrolled  many  men  of  highly  cultivated  minds  and  exalted  intel- 
lects; several  of  them  claimed  the  halls  of  old  Cambridge  as  their  alma 
mater.  The  army  of  the  Revolution  furnished  a  number  of  officers  who 
had  distinguished  themselves  for  their  good  conduct,  as  well  as  for  their 
bravery." — American  Pioneer,  Vol.  I,  p.  8^. 


Description  of  the  Soil,  etc.  107 

Note  31.— Ohio. 

Note  32. —  The  appreheusious  here  expressed  were  not  wholly  ground- 
less. The  ties  of  Union  among  the  states  were  probably  at  their  weakest 
in  1787.  The  articles  of  confederation  which,  under  the  stress  of  a  com- 
mon danger  had  carried  the  State  through  the  war,  had  since  its  close 
proved  wholly  insufficient  to  reconcile  their  conflicting  interests  and  serve 
the  purpose  of  a  Federal  Government. 

Note  33.— This  was  written  in  1787.  At  that  time  the  Continental 
Congress  was  sitting  in  New  York,  and  a  convention  which  framed  the 
Constitution  of  the  United  States  was  in  session  in  Philadelphia.  As  the 
result  of  the  convention's  labors  was  not  published  until  the  autumn  of 
1787,  it  is  probable  that  the  clause  of  the  Constitution  giving  Congress 
exclusive  jurisdiction  over  such  districts  not  exceeding  ten  miles  square, 
as  may  by  cession  of  particular  States  and  the  acceptance  of  Congress  be- 
come the  seat  of  Government  of  the  United  States,  was  not  known  to  the 
writer  of  the  pamphlet.  At  all  events  the  site  of  the  future  Capital  was 
wholly  undetermined. 

Note  34. —  The  Ordinance  of  1787  provided  that,  "  the  utmost  good 
.aith  shall  always  be  observed  toward  the  Indians  ;  their  lands  and  property 
shall  never  be  taken  from  them  without  their  consent,  and  in  their  prop- 
erty, rights  and  liberty  they  never  shall  be  invaded  or  disturbed,  unless  in 
just  and  lawful  wars  authorized  by  Congress;  but  laws  founded  in  justice 
and  humanity  shall  from  time  to  time  be  made  for  preventing  wrongs  being 
done  to  them  and  for  preserving  peace  and  friendship  with  them." 

Note  35.  The  valley  of  the  Muskingum  and  of  its  chief  tributary, 
the  Tuscarawas,  (both  of  which  at  that  day  were  known  as  the  Mus- 
kingum,) was  not  only  the  scene  of  the  Christian  Mission  in  Ohio—  that 
of  the  Moravian  Brethren.  Fifteen  years  before  the  settlement  of  Marietta 
these  Christians  had  penetrated  the  wilderness  as  far  as  the  Tuscarawas, 
and  within  the  next  few  years  had  established  upon  its  banks  several 
villages  of  Indian  converts  —  Schcenbrun,  Gnadenhutten  and  Salem. 
Schoenbrun  had  two  streets,  laid  out  in  the  form  of  a  T.  On  the  trans- 
verse strefc'i,  about  the  middle  of  it  and  opposite  the  main  street,  which 
ran  from  east  to  west,  and  was  both  long  and  broad,  stood  the  church. 
*  s  »  «•  ^j.  (^jjg  northwest  corner  of  the  main  street  was  the  school 
house.  The  bottom,  from  the  foot  of  the  bluff  to  the  river,  was  converted 
into  cornfields.  The  town  contained  more  than  sixty  houses  of  squared 
timber,  besides  huts  and  lodges. —  Life  of  Zeisberger — page  jSo. 

Note  36.— Toise  —  An  old  French  measure  equal  to  about  six  feet,  in 
use,  so  far  as  I  know,  only  in  Detroit.  Long  since  superseded  in  France,  I 
found  it  a  few  years  ago  surviving  in  that  ancient  and  conservative  city,  in 
daily  business  transactions. 

Note  37.— The  site  of  the  present  city  of  Cleveland.  "  From  an  early 
day  the  leading  Virginia  statesmen  regarded  the  mouth  of  the  Cuyahoga 


108  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Pziblicatio7is .        [Vol,.  3 

as  an  important  commercial  position.  George  Washington  in  his  journey 
to  the  French  forts,  Venango  and  Le  Boeuf,  in  1753,  obtained  information 
which  led  him  to  consider  it  as  the  point  of  divergence  of  the  future  com- 
merce of  the  lakes  meeting  the  ocean ;  Virginia  being  then  regarded  as 
the  State  through  which  this  trade  must  pass  to  the  Atlantic.  Mr.  Jeffer- 
son, in  his  "Notes"  upon  that  State,  points  out  the  channel  through  which 
it  will  move  to  the  ocean.  He  considers  the  Cuyahoga  and  Mahoning  as 
navigable,  and  separated  only  by  a  short  portage  to  be  overcome  by  a  canal. 
Once  in  the  Ohio,  produce,  in  his  opinion,  might  ascend  its  branches  and 
descend  the  Potomac  to  the  sea." —  Charles  Whittlesey  in  American 
Pioneer,  Vol.  2,  p.  24. 

Note  38.— The  Following  Description  of  the  Muskingum  Valley 
IN  ITS  Primeval  Condition  is  from  the  Life  of  Zeisberger. 
He  (Zeisberger)  was  now  in  the  valley  which  was  to  be  the  scene  of 
his  greatest  works  and  severest  trials.  Blooming  like  the  rose,  with  its 
farms,  its  rich  meadows  and  gorgeous  orchards,  it  was  in  his  day,  although 
a  wilderness,  no  less  a  land  of  plenty,  and  abounded  in  everything  that 
makes  the  hunting  grounds  of  the  Indians  attractive.  It  extended  a  dis- 
tance of  nearly  eighty  miles,  enclosed  on  both  sides  by  hills,  at  the  foot 
of  which  lay  wide  plains,  terminating  abruptly  in  bluffs,  or  sloping  gently 
to  the  lower  bottoms  through  which  the  river  flowed.  These  plains,  that 
now  form  the  fruitful  fields  of  the  "  second  bottoms,"  as  they  are  called, 
were  then  wooded  with  the  oak  and  hickory,  the  ash,  the  chestnut,  and  the 
maple,  which  interlocked  their  branches,  but  stood  comparatively  free 
from  the  undergrowth  of  other  forests.  The  river  bottoms  were  far 
wilder.  Here  grew  walnut  trees  and  gigantic  sycamores,  whose  colossal 
trunks  even  now  astonish  the  traveler;  bushy  cedars,  luxuriant  horse- 
chestnut  and  honey -locusts,  cased  in  their  armor  of  thorns.  Between 
these,  clustered  laurel  bushes,  with  their  rich  tribute  of  flowers,  or  were 
coiled  the  thick  mazes  of  the  vine,  from  which  more  fragrant  tendrils 
twined  themselves  into  the  nearest  boughs,  while  here  and  there  a  lofty 
spruce  tree  lifted  its  evergreen  crown  high  above  the  groves.  These  forests 
were  generous  to  their  children.  They  gave  them  the  elm  bark  to  make 
canoes,  the  rind  of  the  birch  for  medicine,  and  every  variety  of  game  for 
food.  The  soil  was  even  more  liberal.  It  produced  strawberries,  black- 
berries, raspberries,  gooseberries,  black  currants  and  cranberries ;  nour- 
ished the  plum,  the  cherry,  the  mulberry,  the  papaw  and  the  crabtree,  and 
yielded  wild  potatoes,  parsnips  and  beans.  Nor  was  the  river  chary  of  its 
gifts,  but  teemed  with  fish  of  unusual  size  and  excellent  flavor. 
Note  39.-Alaman  —  Paint  Creek. 

[The  pamphlet  from  which  the  foregoing  description  and 
notes  is  taken  is  now  out  of  print  and  quite  rare.  A  few  copies 
may  yet  be  had  of  A.  H.  Smythe,  the  publisher,  Columbus,  O.  ] 


The  Scioto  Company  and  its  Purchase.  109 


THE  SCIOTO  COMPANY  AND  ITS  PURCHASE. 

The  history  of  the  founding  of  Gallipolis,  now  turning  in 
its  career  into  its  second  century,  is  one  of  the  most  interesting 
and  at  the  same  time  one  of  the  saddest  studies  in  American 
annals.  It  is  the  story  of  a  disappointing  and  impracticable 
scheme;  and  were  it  not  for  the  fact  that  the  blood  of  its  found- 
ers, mingling  with  the  American  stock  of  their  day  and  genera- 
tion, has  given  strength,  versatility  and  industry  to  the  people 
of  Southern  Ohio,  the  influence  of  the  early  settlers  of  Galli- 
polis would  be  scarcely  noticeable  in  the  history  of  the  State. 
Understand  me,  that  I  do  not  underrate  the  probity  or  the  gen- 
ius of  your  fathers,  but  their  influence  by  reason  of  the  histori- 
cal failure  of  the  settlement,  has  been  in  the  lines  of  private  and 
domestic  life,  rather  than  in  shaping  public  affairs  or  influencing 
the  destiny  of  the  State.  A  careful  study  of  the  elements 
which  made  up  the  emigration  from  France  one  hundred  years 
ago  and  which  resulted  in  the  settlement  whose  centennial  we 
now  celebrate,  will  x'eadily  develop  the  fact  that  it  was  an  en- 
tirely different  stock  from  that  which  landed  at  Marietta  or 
which  settled  in  the  Western  Reserve  or  which  located  in  Cin- 
cinnati and  its  surrounding  settlements.  The  hardihood  of  the 
pioneers  who  came  into  the  territory  of  the  Northwest  from 
New  England,  Pennsylvania  and  Virginia,  was  a  capital  stock  in 
all  their  enterprises  which  the  more  delicate  and  impractical 
French  never  possessed.  The  men  and  women  who  came  from 
Paris  and  Lyons  in  1790,  under  the  flattering  represent-'.tions 
presented  to  them  by  the  leaders  of  American  emigration  in 
France,  were  of  good  families,  well  educated  and  brilliant,  and 
adapted  by  their  previous  occupations,  methods  of  living  and 
ilieir  surroundings  to  any  other  life  then  possible  in  the  world, 
rather  than  that  of  pioneers  on  the  banks  of  the  Ohio.  But  I 
do  not  propose  at  this  time  to  go  into  auy  discussion  in  relation 
to  the  social  conditions  of  the  French  settlers  of  Gallipolis  until 
we  arrive  at  a  better  understanding  of  how  and  under  what  circum- 
stances the  emigration  was  accomplished,  and  to  what  end  I  de- 
sire to  set  forth,  as  clearly  and  as  extensivel)-  as  is  necessary  in 


no  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  S 

an  historical  address  of  this  nature,  the  different  events  leading 
up  to  the  foundation  of  Gallipolis.  Under  what  circumstances 
and  by  what  authority  were  these  people  brought  from  a  foreign 
land,  and,  under  a  system  of  emigration  entirely  foreign  to 
American  ways  at  that  time,  made  one  of  the  foundation  stones 
in  the  structure  of  the  great  commonwealth  of  Ohio?  In  the 
settlement  of  the  territory  of  the  Northwest,  this  instance  of 
(xallipolis  is  the  only  one  where  the  pioneers  were  brought  from 
an  alien  clime.  How  this  was  done,  why,  and  the  results  of 
this  interesting  historical  event  in  our  State  are  worthy  indeed 
of  remembrance,  and  deserve  the  careful  investigation  of  the 
student  of  history;  and  if  to-day  I  go  into  historical  details  I 
justify  it  on  the  ground  that  we  are  here  for  truth  and  facts 
rather  than  rhetoric  or  eloquence.  The  evolution  of-  the  settle- 
ment of  the  great  territory  of  the  Northwest,  and  the  opening 
out  to  emigration  of  the  great  broad  acres  of  the  Ohio  Valley, 
were  not  only  required  to  attain  development  of  the  country  for 
the  future,  but  it  was  absolutely  necessary  for  the  maintenance 
of  the  government  at  that  time.  For  a  better  understanding  of 
the  Centennial  which  we  to-day  celebrate,  let  me  review  as  con- 
ci.sely  as  I  can  the  methods^  [see  Appendix  No.  1]  and  the  re- 
sults of  the  distribution  of  the  public  lands  here  one  hundred 
years  ago. 

The  close  of  the  War  of  the  Revolution  left  an  army  of 
men,  the  defenders  of  the  country,  impoverished.  They  had 
given  their  best  blood  to  establish  a  nation  in  which  they  could 
live  as  freemen,  but  that  country  could  not  repay  them  for  their 
services.  Its  wealth  lay  not  in  gold  or  silver  or  precious  stones, 
but  in  an  unknown  quantity — its  western  lands. 

The  formation  of  the  Confederacy  of  the  States  was  the  first 
step  toward  a  government,  but  that  confederation,  built  almost 
entirely  on  tlie  doctrine  of  state  sovereignty,  did  not,  and  could 
not,  long  survive.  It  could  enlist  an  army,  but  it  could  not  pay 
it  save  by  consent  of  the  States.  No  national  coin  was  then 
issued  and  a  national  treasury  was  then  practically  unknown. 

The  soldiers,  looking  in  vain  to  a  helpless  government,  re- 
membered the  promises  made  them  by  the  "Resolves  of  Con- 
gress," which  had,  in  the  beginning  of  the  struggle,  in  August 


The  Scioto  Company  and  Its  Purchase.  Ill 

and  September,  1776,  promised  to  each  soldier  a  bounty  in 
lands,  an  acre  of  which  it  did  not  then  actually  pgssess. 

With  the  close  of  conflict  came  the  settlement  of  these 
questions.  Conservative  opinions  prevailed  and  by  the  cessions 
of  the  various  States  holding  claims  to  the  territory  northwest 
of  the  Ohio  river,  beginning  with  New  York  in  1781,  Congress 
became  peacefully  and  quietly  possessed  of  a  vast  domain  of 
land,  more  than  enough  to  supply  all  claims. 

The  derivation  of  a  national  revenue  from  the  sales  of  pub- 
lic lands  had  long  been  a  favorite  idea  with  Congress.  In  fact,  the 
idea  prevailed  long  before  an  American  government  was  antici- 
pated. As  early  as  February  2d,  1774,  the  Governor  of  the 
New  York  colony  was  instructed  by  Earl  Dartmouth  regarding 
"land  sales"  in  the  colony.  Other  colonial  records  show  similar 
action  regarding  the  disposition  of  the  lands  for  the  benefit  of 
those  holding  title  under  kingly  grants  and  charters,  or  for  the 
benefit  of  the  Crown.  July  31st,  1782,  the  Congress  of  the 
Confederation  took  steps  for  the  survey  and  disposition  of  the 
vacant  lands,  the  "back  country,"  for  the  "common  benefit" 
and  for  support  to  the  "public  credit."  A  committee,  repre- 
senting every  State,  to  whom  the  whole  affair  was  referred,  made 
report  September  5th  of  the  same  year,  "that  it  is  their  opinion 
that  the  western  lands,  if  ceded  to  the  United  States,  might 
contribute  toward  a  fund  for  paying  the  debts  of  the  States." 
On  motion  of  Mr.  Witherspoon  the  proposition  was  amended  to 
read,  "it  would  be  an  important  fund  for  the  discharge  of  the 
National  debt." 

Two  years  after,  on  April  5th,  1784,  another  grand  com- 
mittee reported  that  "Congress  still  considers  vacant  territory  as 
a  capital  resource." 

The  subject  came  up  in  one  form  or  another  until  settled  by 
the  cession  by  the  States  of  all  claims  to  the  "back  lands" — the 
western  country.  Immediately  following  the  cessions  made  by 
Virginia,  March  1st.  1784,  and  not  awaiting  final  action  by  all 
the  States  claiming  possessions  in  the  territory  (the  cessions  were 
New  York,  March  1st,  1781 ;  Virginia,  March  1st,  1734 ;  Massa- 
chusetts, April  18th.  1785;  Connecticut,  September  14th.  1786), 
Congress  on  May  29th,  1785,  passed  an  act  providing  for  the 


112  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Piiblications.        [Vol,.  3 

survey  and  sale  of  the  lands  therein.  Its  main  provisions  wfre 
that  a  surveyor  should  be  appointed  from  each  State  by  Congress, 
or  a  committee  of  the  States,  who  shall  serve  under  the  Geo- 
grapher of  the  United  States.  Under  his  direction  these  sur- 
veyors were  to  proceed  to  the  territory  and  divide  the  same  into 
townships  of  six  miles  square  by  meridian  and  parallel  line.s 
running  due  north  and  south.  The  first  lines  were  to  be  estab- 
lished by  the  geographer  to  begin  at  a  point  on  the  north  bank 
of  the  Ohio  river  ' '  which  shall  be  found  to  be  due  north  from 
the  western  boundary  of  Pennsylvania,  and  from  thence  west- 
ward across  the  territory;  and  also  a  line  to  run  north  and  south 
from  the  same  point;"  the  geographer  to  designate  the  "town- 
ships or  fractional  parts  of  townships  by  numbers  progressing 
from  south  to  north,  always  beginning  each  range  with  number 
one;  the  ranges  to  be  numbered  from  east  to  west,  the  first  range 
extending  from  the  Ohio  river  to  Lake  Erie  to  be  numbered 
one." 

The  townships  were  to  be  divided  into  lots  one  mile  square, 
six  hundred  and  forty  acres,  each  in  the  same  direction  as  the 
the  external  lines  and  numbered  from  one  to  thirty-six,  beginning 
at  the  south-east  corner  of  the  section,  running  northwardly; 
each  succeeding  range  of  lots  to  begin  with  the  number  next  to 
that  with  which  the  preceding  one  concluded.  As  soon  as  seven 
ranges  should  be  surveyed,  plats  were  to  be  sent  to  the  Board  of 
Treasury,  and  so  on  with  each  seven  ranges  of  townships 
throughout  the  territory.  The  Secretary  of  War  was  author- 
ized to  take  by  lot  one-seventh  part  of  the  surveyed  ranges  for 
the  Continental  army  until  all  bounties  could  be  satisfied.  The 
remainder  was  to  be  drawn  for  by  the  thirteen  States  according 
to  the  quotas  in  the  last  preceding  requisition  on  all  States.  The 
Board  of  the  Treasury  was  then  to  transmit  to  the  commissioners 
of  the  loan  in  the  States  plats  of  the  quota  of  each  State,  which 
States  could  then  proceed  to  sell  the  allotments.  It  was  also 
ordered  in  the  act  that  the  sale  should  be  in  the  following 
manner:  "The  township  or  fractional  part  of  a  township.  No.  1, 
in  the  first  range  .shall  be  sold  entire;  and  No.  2,  in  the  same 
range,  shall  be  sold  by  lots,  and  thus,  in  alternate  order,  through 
the  whole  of  the  first  range.     Township  No.  1  in  the  second 


The  Scioto  Company  and  Its  Purchase.  113 

range  shall  be  sold  by  lots;  and  No.  2  in  the  same  range,  entire; 
and  so,  in  alternate  order  through  the  entire  range,"  fach 
succeeding  range  alternating  in  townships  and  ranges  as  in  the 
first  two  ranges. 

There  was  also  reserved  to  the  government  lots  9,  11,  26  and 
29.  and  for  the  use  of  schools  lot  No.  10.  In  addition  to  these 
reservations  others  for  various  bounties,  refugees  etc.,  were  also 
set  aside  by  this  same  act  of  Congress  for  various  objects  speci- 
fied in  the  act. 

The  method  of  surveys  of  public  lands  into  well  de- 
fined districts  or  townships  on  the  meridian  and  parallel  lines 
is  worthy  of  note  here.  It  is  the  New  England  idea  as  against 
the  Southern  or  Virginia  plan  of  "indiscriminate  locations." 
Under  this  plan  a  small  quit-rent,  as  it  were,  of  two  cents  per 
acre  was  demanded  of  the  crown  or  the  proprietor,  and  anyone 
could  lay  out  and  survey  a  tract,  suiting  himself  as  to  location 
and  boundary,  simply  taking  care  not  to  overlap  other  claims 
made  in  like  manner.  As  care  was  not  always  exercised  in  this 
particular,  conflicting  claims  constantly  arose,  the  disputes  often 
extending  to  .several  generations.  The  Virginia  Military  District 
in  Ohio  is  a  good  example  of  "indiscriminate  locations,"  and  it 
is  worthy  of  remark  that  more  litigation  over  land  titles  and 
boundaries  has  arisen  in  that  section  of  Ohio  than  in  all  the 
remainder  of  the  State. 

The  township  system  originated  undoubtedly  in  New  Eng- 
land. As  early  as  June  17,  1732,  the  General  Court  of  Massa- 
chusetts granted  six  miles  square  for  a  toivnship  to  be  laid  out  in 
a  regular  form  by  a  surveyor  and  chaiuman  under  oath. 

When  the  first  "ordinance  for  disposing  of  the  western 
lands"  was  reported,  it  required  the  townships  to  be  ten  miles 
square,  each  mile  to  be  6086  feet  in  length,  thus  dividing  the 
township  into  one  hundred  lots  of  850  acres  each.  This  ordi- 
nance was  not  agreed  to,  and  the  next  report,  made  April  26, 
1785,  proposed  townships  seven  miles  square,  with  sections  of 
640  acres  each,  forty-nine  in  a  township.  In  this  ordinance,  one 
section,  16,  was  set  aside  for  school  purposes,  and  one,  29,  for 
the  support  of  religion.  This  latter  provision  was  stricken  out 
by  seventeen  votes  against,  to  six  for,  the  measure;  the  vote 
Vol.  Ill— 8 


114  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publicatioyis .        [Vol.  3 

being  by  states.  The  question  was  argued  further  in  Congress 
until  May  20th,  when  the  ordinance  previously  outlined  was 
agreed  upon  and  adopted.  Under  this  act  titles  could  be  ob- 
tained only  by  entry  in  a  government  office  of  a  tract  surveyed 
and  entered  for  sale.  This  method  is  substantially  the  New 
England  idea,  and  for  a  system  of  distribution  and  ownership  of 
lands,  has  no  equal.  It  is  now  the  system  of  the  National  Gov- 
ernment in  all  public  land  surveys. 

Western  lands  being  now  open  to  entry  and  settlement,  the 
soldiers  began  again  to  press  their  claims  on  the  attention  of 
Congress.  A  petition  signed  by  two  hundred  and  twenty-eight 
officers  in  the  Continental  army  was  presented  to  that  body. 
This  petition  set  forth  : 

"That,  by  an  solution  of  the  Honorable  Congress  passed 
September  20th,  1776,  and  other  subsequent  resolves,  the  officers 
and  soldiers  engaged  for  the  war  *  *  *  *  *  are  entitled 
to  receive  certain  grants  of  lands,  according  to  their  respective 
grades,  to  be  procured  for  them  at  the  expense  of  the  United 
States. 

' '  That  your  petitioners  are  informed  that  that  tract  of  coun- 
try bounded  north  on  Lake  Erie,  east  on  Pennsylvania,  south  on 
the  river  Ohio,  west  on  a  line  beginning  af  that  part  of  the  Ohio 
which  lies  twenty-four  miles  west  of  the  liver  Scioto,  thence 
running  north  on  a  meridian  line  till  it  intersects  with  the  river 
Miami  (Maumee)  which  falls  into  Lake  Erie,  thence  down  the 
middle  of  that  river  to  the  lake,  is  a  tract  of  country  not  claimed 
as  the  property  of,  or  in  the  jurisdiction  of,  any  particular  state 
in  the  Union. 

"That  this  country  is  of  sufficient  extent,  the  land  of  such 
quality  and  situation,  as  may  induce  Congress  to  assign  and 
mark  it  out  as  a  tract  of  territory  suitable  to  form  a  distinct  gov- 
ernment (or  colony  of  the  United  States)  in  time  to  be  admitted 
one  of  the  Confederated  States  of  the  Union." 

Shortly  after  this,  General  Rufus  Putnam,  in  a  letter  to 
General  Washington,  dated  June  16th,  1788,  emphasizes  the 
claims  of  the  soldiers  and  urges  upon  the  Commander-in-Chief 
the  importance  of  their  petition.  The  General  forcibly  points 
out  the  wisdom  of  planting  such  a  colony  in  the  western  coun- 


The  Siiolo   Company  and  Its  Purchase.  115 

try.  He  adduces  nuuiy  weighty  reasons  for  such  a  step,  and 
solicits  the  aid  of  his  superior  officers  and  companions  in  arms. 
This  aid  is  freely  and  earnestly  given,  "but  at  this  time,"  writes 
General  Washington  in  reply,  "  little  can  be  expected  until  the 
conflicting  claims  of  the  states  to  the  territory  be  quieted." 
This  was  done  through  the  cessions  by  the  states  already  men- 
tioned and  by  the  land  ordinance  of  May  20th,  1785;  they  were, 
as  fast  as  surve3ed,  thrown  open  to  settlement.  The  claim  of 
Connecticut  comprised  a  large  part  of  the  tract  of  country  in 
the  boundaries  outlined  in  the  officers'  petition  to  Congress,  and, 
when  the  cession  of  that  state  was  made,  an  extensive  tract  of 
country  known  as  the  "Connecticut  Western  Reserve"  was  set 
aside  and  the  claims  of  the  soldiers  were  satisfied  elsewhere. 

By  the  failure  of  Congress  to  satisfy  the  petition  of  the 
soldiers  the  idea  of  settlement  in  a  colony  in  the  western 
country  was  delayed,  but  not  abandoned.  A  company,  well 
known  in  history  as  the  "Ohio  Company  of  Associates,  was  or- 
ganized March  3rd,  17S<>,  to  buy  of  Congress  land  in  the  "Ohio 
country,"  as  it  was  commonly  called.  Payment  was  to  be  made 
in  Continental  specie  certificates,  worth  then  less  one-fifth  their 
face  value.  This  company  was  organized  by,  and  composed 
mainly  of,  the  officers  who  had  before  petitioned  Congress  for 
lands  to  satisfy  their  claims.  Gen.  Rufus  Putnam  was  the  chief 
promoter  of  the  enterprise.  Generals  Samuel  Parsons  and  Ben- 
jamin Tupper,  Rev.  Manasseh  Cutler,  Winthrop  Sargent,  John 
Mills  and  others,  were  among  those  who  subscribed  to  the  shares 
of  this  company  and  became  residents  of  the  then  western 
country. 

Gen.  Parsons  was  sent  to  New  York  to  secure  from  Con- 
gress a  tract  of  lands  on  the  Ohio.  He  did  not  succeed,  and  Dr. 
Cutler  was  appointed  by  the  directors  of  the  company  to  nego- 
tiate for  the  propo.sed  purchase.  He  reached  New  York  early  in 
July,  1787,  and  at  once  began  negotiations  for  a  purchase.  The 
scheme  was  not  entirely  new  and  many  members  were  opposed 
to  any  such  measure.  The  State  that  had  sent  them  owned 
large  tracts  of  land  which  they  were  placing  on  the  market,  and 
any  plan  of  such  magnitude  as  proposed  by  the  Ohio  Company 
was,  in  the  opinion  of  many  delegates,  detrimental  to  the  pros- 


116  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Pub/ications.        [Vol.  3 

pects  of  those  vStates  disposing  of  their  lands.  Still  the  scheme 
presented  a  solution  to  the  serious  problem  of  raising  money, 
not  only  to  redeem  the  country's  promises  to  its  defenders,  but 
also  a  revenue  for  future  needs.  This  idea  of  a  National 
revenue  from  the  sale  of  National  lands  had  long  engaged  the 
attention  of  Congress,  and,  when  Dr.  Cutler  presented  the  plan 
of  the  associates,  though  it  met  with  some  neglect  and  opposi- 
tion, yet  the  time  was  opportune,  and  many  friends  came  to  its 
support. 

The  intention  of  the  Company  was  to  purchase  as  much 
land  as  one  million  dollars  in  continental  certificates  would  buy. 
Dr.  Cutler  on  July  21st  informed  the  members  of  the  Congress 
that  if  his  offer  was  accepted  he  would  extend  the  purchase  to 
the  tenth  township  of  the  seventh  range  from  the  Ohio  and  to 
the  Scioto  river  inclusively,  by  which  purchase  some  four  mil- 
lion dollars  of  the  public  debt  could  be  extinguished.  This,  and 
the  prospect  of  a  compact  organized  settlement,  able  to  defend 
itself  and  containing  within  itself  the  germs  of  a  new  State, 
gave  impetus  to  the  plan. 

The  offer  of  Dr.  Cutler  had  a  marked  effect  on  the  tardy 
members  in  Congress.  Two  days  after,  July  23d,  a  resolution 
was  adopted  which  authorized  the  Board  of  Treasury  [see 
Appendix  No.  2]  to  contract  with  any  person  or  persons  for  a 
grant  of  a  tract  of  land  bounded  east  by  the  seven  ranges ;  south 
by  the  Ohio ;  and  north  by  a  line  drawn  from  the  northwest  cor- 
ner of  the  tenth  township  in  the  seventh  range  due  west  to  the 
Scioto  river;  the  same  tract  which  Dr.  Cutler  proposed  to  pur- 
chase. In  all,  it  contains  about  six  million  acres — more  than 
four  times  as  much  as  the  Ohio  Company  of  Associates  had  pro- 
posed to  purchase. 

Coupled  with  the  Ohio  Company's  offer  was  the  require- 
ment that  a  law  should  be  passed  for  the  government  of  the 
territory.  Certain  principles  were  presented  which  the  associates 
desired  incorporated  and  without  which  they  did  not  care  to 
purchase.  The  act,  which  was  secured  largely  through  the 
efforts  of  Dr.  Cutler,  is  known  in  history  as  the  "Ordinance  of 
1787."  It  became  the  fundamental  law  of  the  territory.  Its 
cardinal  principles  were,    1st. — The  exclusion  of  slavery  froi»» 


Map  showinj^  the  proposed  purchase  of  INIanassah  Cutler  and  Associ- 
ces.     The  east  J)nundary  is  the  seven  ranges,  tlie  south,  t'ne  Ohio  River, 
.he  west,  the  Scioto ;  the  north,  the  north  line  of  the  tenth  township  fron| 
the  Ohio  River  in  the  seven  ranges. 


(U7) 


118  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 

the  territory  forever;  2nd. — Provision  for  universal  education; 
3rd. — Freedom  in  religious  worship  and  opinion;  4th. — The 
equal  distribution  of  estates;  and,  5th. — Protection  in  civil 
liberty.  These  points  were  made  in  the  form  of  a  compact, 
irrevocable  save  by  consent  of  both  Congress  and  the  States 
that  might  be  formed  in  the  territory.  This  phase  of  the 
negotiation  should  be  borne  in  mind;  without  the  ordinance,  the 
associates  would  not  have  purchased  the  land;  without  the  pur- 
chase, the  ordinance  could  not  have  been  passed.  With  it, 
settlers  were  assured  of  a  stable  government  under  which  they 
could  live  in  security,  and  which,  in  it.self,  would  be  an  induce- 
ment for  others  to  come.  Three  days  after  the  resolution  author- 
izing the  sale  of  land  in  the  Ohio  country,  the  Ohio  Company 
of  Associates  addres.sed  a  letter  to  the  Board  of  Treasury  offer- 
ing to  buy  the  entire  tract.     [See  Appendix  No.  3.] 

During  Dr.  Cutler's  negotiations  with  the  Continental  Con- 
gress, he  made  the  acquaintance  of  Colonel  William  Duer,  a 
wealthy  citizen  of  New  York,  (secretary  of  the  Board  of  Treas- 
ury), a  man  much  interested  in  the  proposed  settlement. 
While  matters  were  in  doubt  and  when  the  Doctor  had 
about  concluded  to  abandon  negotiations  with  Congress  and  buy 
of  some  one  of  the  States,  several  of  which  offered  lands  on 
generous  conditions,  "Colonel  Duer,"  Dr.  Cutler  writes  in  his 
journal,  "came  to  me  with  proposals  from  a  number  of  the 
principal  characters  in  the  city  to  extend  our  contract  and  take 
in  another  company,  but  that  it  should  be  kept  a  profound 
secret.  He  explained  the  plan  they  had  concerted,  and  offered 
me  generous  conditions  if  I  would  accomplish  the  business  for 
them.  The  plan  struck  me  agreeably.  Sargent  insisted  on  my 
undertaking  it,  and  both  urged  me  not  to  think  of  giving  the 
matter  up  so  soon.  I  was  convinced  it  was  best  for  me  to  hold 
up  the  idea  of  giving  up  a  contract  with  Congress  and  making  a 
contract  with  some  of  the  States,  which  I  did  in  the  strongest 
terms,  and  represented  to  the  committee  and  to  Duer  and  Sar- 
gent, the  difficulties  in  the  way  and  the  improbability  of  closing 
a  bargain  when  we  were  so  far  apart ;  and  told  them  I  conceived 
it  not  worth  while  to  say  anything  further  on  llie  subject.  This 
appeared  to  have  the  effect  I  wished-     The  cominitiee  were  mor- 


The  Scioto   Company  and  Its  Purchase.  119 

tified  and  did  not  seem  to  know  what  to  say,  but  still  urged  an- 
other attempt.  I  left  them  in  this  state,  but  afterward  explained 
my  views  to  Duer  and  Sargent,  who  fully  approved  my  plan. 
Promised  Duer  to  consider  his  proposals." 

After  noting  incidents  of  an  excursion  in  which  many  prom- 
inent actors  in  these  affairs  took  part,  the  Doctor  narrates  fur#ier 
in  his  diary  that  "  '■'  '^'  *  I  spent  the  evening  closeted  with 
Colonel  Duer,  and  agreed  to  purchase  more  land  if  terms  can  be 
obtained  for  another  company,  which  will  probably  forward  the 
negotiations." 

Several  members  of  Congress  called  on  the  Doctor  early  the 
next  day  and  expressed  much  anxiety  about  the  contract,  and 
assured  him  that  Congress  was  more  favorably  inclined.  Dr. 
Cutler  was  indifferent,  and  intimated  he  intended  to  abandon  his 
efforts  and  leave.  "At  length,"  he  says,  "  I  told  them  that  if 
Congress  would  accede  to  the  terms  I  had  proposed  I  would  ex- 
tend the  purchase  to  the  tenth  township  from  the  Ohio,  and  to 
the  Scioto  inclusively,  by  which  Congress  could  pay  near  four 
millions  of  the  national  debt." 

After  further  work  on  the  part  of  Dr.  Cutler  and  his 
associates,  Congress  passed  an  ordinance  acceptable  to  the 
associates.  The  Doctor,  under  date  of  Friday,  July  27th, 
writes,  "  '-'^  ^  *  At  half  past  three  I  was  informed  that 
Congress  had  passed  an  ordinance  on  the  terms  stated  in  our 
letter  (of  Tuesday,  the  24th)  without  the  least  variation,  and 
that  the  Board  of  Treasury  was  directed  to  close  the  contract. 
*  *  ;i;  By  tiii.^  ordinance  we  obtained  the  grant  of  near  five 
million  acres  of  land,  amounting  to  three  million  and  a  half  of 
dollars,  one  million  and  a  half  of  acres  for  the  Ohio  Company, 
and  the  remainder  for  a  private  speculation,  in  which  many  of 
the  prominet  characters  in  America  are  concerned  ;  without  con- 
necting this  speculation,  similar  terms  and  advantages  could  not 
have  been  obtained  for  the  Ohio  company." 

By  the  terms  of  this  purchase,  the  Ohio  Company's  boundary 
was  fixed  by  the  seven  ranges  on  the  east,  the  Ohio  river  on  the 
south,  the  west  line  of  the  seventeenth  range  (when  surveyed) 
on  the  west,  and  on  the  north  by  a  line  drawn  from  that  range 
to  the  seventh  range,  so  as  to  include  the  required  number  of 


120  Ohio  Arch,  ajid  His.  Society  Publicatio?is.        Voi,.  3 

acres,  allowances  being  made  for  the  reservations  (the  sixteenth 
section  in  every  township  for  schools,  two  townships  for  a  Uni- 
versity, salt  springs,  etc.,  and  bad  lands,  estimated  to  be  per- 
haps one -third  of  the  whole).  Had  this  been  actually  carried 
out,  the  north  line  of  the  Ohio  Company's  purchase  would  have 
been  from  near  the  north  boundary  of  the  fourth  township  in 
the  seventh  range  westward  to  the  Scioto  river.  Surrounding 
this  on  the  west  and  north  was  the  "private  speculation "  referred 
to  in  Dr.  Cutler's  journal.  He  states  that  some  five  million 
acres  were  obtained.  In  fact  it  was  nearer  six  million.  The 
"private  speculation"  lay  between  the  north  and  west  lines  of 
the  Ohio  Company's  purchase,  and  the  north  line  of  the  tenth 
township  of  the  seventh  range,  and  the  west  line  of  the  seven- 
teenth range  and  the  Scioto  river, —  in  all  about  four  million 
five  hundred  thousand  acres. 

The  same  day  that  Dr.  Cutler  and  Winthrop  Sargent  con- 
tracted with  the  Board  of  Treasury  for  the  Ohio  Company's 
lands,  they  conveyed  to  Col.  Duer  one -half  interest  in  this  pur- 
chase, and  also  gave  him  full  power  to  negotiate  a  loan  or  sale  in 
Kurope  of  the  lands.  Col.  Duer  advanced  to  the  Ohio  Company 
1 143,000  in  public  securities  to  apply  on  its  contracts  in  its  first 
payments  to  Congress.  The  payments  on  the  associates'  pur- 
chase were  to  be  half  a  million  dollars  when  the  contracts  were 
executed,  the  remainder  one  month  after  the  exterior  Hue  of  the 
contracts  had  been  surveyed  by  the  Geographer  or  other  proper 
officer  of  the  United  States.  The  payments  in  the  "private 
speculation" — the  remainder  of  the  tract  —  were  to  be  two- 
thirds  of  a  dollar  per  acre  in  public  securities  in  four  semi-annual 
installments,  the  first  falling  due  six  months  after  the  exterior 
line  of  the  tract  had  been  surveyed  bj^  the  government. 

Shortly  after  this  transaction.  Cutler  and  Sargent  conveyed 
a  little  over  three-fourths  of  their  interest  in  about  equal  propor- 
tions to  General  Rufus  Putnam,  Benjamin  Tupper,  Samuel 
H.  Parsons,  Colonel  Richard  Piatt,  Royal  Flint  and  Joel  Barlow. 

A  company  was  at  once  formed  for  the  disposal  of  these 
lands.  It  was  named  the  Scioto  Company;  the  President  was 
Col.  Duer;  Richard  Piatt  was  Treasurer.  The  contract  of  sale 
between  Cutler  and  Sargent  for  the  Ohio  Company  and  Col.  Duer 


TJie  Scioto  Company  and  Its  Purchase. 


121 


for  the  Scioto  Conipan)'-  recites  that  " This  day,"  October 

29,  1787,  "it  is  agreed  between  the  said  Manasseh  Cutler  and 
Winthrop  vSargent  for  themselves  and  others,  their  associates, 
William  Duer  for  himself  and  others,  his  associates,  their  heirs 


Map  Shovvinj<  Ohio  and  Scioto  Companies'  Boundaries. 


122  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Piiblications .        [VoL.  3 

and  assigns,  one  equal  moiety  of  the  tract  last  described" 
(i,  e.  that  part  bounded  by  the  Scioto  river  on  the  west,  the 
north  line  of  the  tenth  township  in  the  seven  ranges  on  the 
north,  and  the  Ohio  Company's  purchase  and  the  Ohio  river  on 
the  south).  Each  party  was  equally  interested  in  the  disposal  of 
the  lands,  "either  in  Europe  or  America,"  and  each  was  to  share 
equally  in  the  profits  or  losses  which  ' '  may  accrue  in  attempting 
to  negotiate  the  sale  or  rentage  of  the  same  and  in  paying  the 
purchase  money  due  to  the  United  States. 

' '  And  it  is  further  agreed  upon  and  understood  by  the  parties, 
that  .  .  .  the  tract  be  divided  into  thirty  (30)  equal  shares  or  parts, 
of  which  thirteen  (13)  shares  are  the  property  of  William  Duer 
in  which  he  may  admit  such  associates  as  he  may  judge  proper, 
and  (13)  shares  in  like  manner  the  property  of  the  said  Manasseh 
Cutler  and  Winthrop  Sargent.  That  the  other  four  shares  may 
be  disposed  of  in  Europe  at  the  discretion  of  an  agent  to  be  sent 
there  for  the  purpose  of  negotiating  a  sale  or  loan  as  above 
mentioned,  and  if  not  so  disposed  of,  to  be  equally  divided  among 
the  parties  to  this  writing." 

The  contract  further  authorizes  Col  Duer  to  negotiate  a 
loan  upon  or  sell  the  lands  in  ' '  Holland  or  such  other  oarts  of 
Europe  as  may  be  found  expedient,  with  power  of  appointing  an 
agent  under  him." 

Looking  about  for  the  proper  person  to  send  abroad  as  their 
agent,  their  choice  fell  upon  Joel  Barlow,  a  patriot  and  poet  of 
the  Revolution.  He  had  just  published  his  famous  poem,  'The 
Vision  of  Columbus,"  and  was  in  the  height  of  his  literary 
career.  His  capacity  and  education  furnisned  sufficient  passport 
for  his  duties  abroad.  He  had  the  confidence  of  his  countrymen 
at  home,  and  his  associates  felt  that  he  would  be  of  great 
advantage  in  representing  their  landed  interests  in  France. 
A  modern  historian  has  sneered  at  Barlow  and  his  talents,  and 
has  reflected  upon  the  honesty  of  purpose  of  the  originators  of 
the  Scioto  land  purchase.  The  sneer  and  reflection  are  not 
warranted  by  a  close  investigation  of  history.  In  May,  1788, 
Barlow  set  out  for  France.  He  was  a  part  owner  by  an  assign- 
ment from  Colonel  Duer  of  an  interest  in  the  Scioto  contract, 
and  held   at  the   same   time    the    power  of  attorney   from   his 


The  Scioto  Company  and  Its  Purchase.  123 

associates,  to  make  the  proper  transfer  of  the  title  to  purchasers. 
He  was  not  successful  at  first.  France  was  agitated  by  political 
dissensions,  and  it  was  nearly  a  year  before  the  results  of  his 
efforts  began  to  assume  shape.  In  the  summer  of  1789,  through 
the  association  and  assistance  of  one  William  Playfair,  an  Eng- 
lishman, he  organized  a  society  in  Paris,  known  as  the  "Society 
of  the  Scioto,"  to  which  Mr.  Barlow,  acting  for  his  associates 
and  principals,  sold  three  millions  of  acres  of  land  lying  west  of 
the  well-knov.'u  Seventeenth  Range  of  townships.  This  transfer 
of  three  millions  of  acres  was  made  in  November,  1789.  It  was 
provided  that  the  payments  were  to  begin  m  November,  1790, 
and  to  end  April  30,  1794.  The  purchase  price  was  $1.14  per 
acre.  Associating  with  this  company,  and  one  of  its  members, 
was  M.  Jean  Antoiue  Chais  De  Soisson. 

The  Society  of  the  Scioto  immediately  proceeded  to  business. 
Mr.  Barlow  opened  a  laud  office  at  Paris  and  offered  for  sale  the 
three  million  acres  at  a  French  crown  per  acre.  The  tract  of 
land  offered  by  Barlow  fronted  on  the  Ohio  river.  Its  western 
boundary  was  the  Scioto-  its  eastern,  a  line  running  North  of 
the  outlet  of  the  Kanawha  On  the  plan  of  the  tract  a  town  was 
laid  out  and  called  Gallipolis.  nearly  opposite  the  mouth  of  the 
Kanawha.  Maps  of  the  surrounding  country  and  ot  the  Ohio 
were  prepared  and  made  ready  for  the  inspection  of  the  pur- 
chasers. The  maps  representing  the  country  North  of  the  Ohio 
river,  the  Ohio  country,  were  highly  colored  and  gave  in  outline 
the  boundary  of  the  Ohio  company  as  well  as  the  boundaries  of 
the  Scioto  company  and  a  plat  of  three  million  acres  sold  to 
Playfair  and  his  associates  in  the  Society  of  the  Scioto. 

The  principal  members  of  the  Society  or  Company  of  the 
Scioto  were  M  Gouy  de  Arsy,  M.  Barond,  St.  Didicr,  Maheas, 
Guibert,  Conquelon,  Playfair,  Barlow  and  Soisson.  To  this 
company  Barlow  contracted  to  transfer  the  rights  of  his  princi- 
pals to  the  entire  Scioto  tract  save  that  part  directly  north  of  the 
Ohio  Company's  purchase,  save  so  much  of  this  part  of  the  tract 
as  might  be  necessary  to  complete  the  three  million  acres.  The 
company  was  to  make  the  deeds.  In  making  this  contract  Bar- 
low exhibited  his  powers  of  attorney,  etc.,  thus  apprising  his 
associates  in  the  Scioto  Company  fully  of  his  authority.     They 


Copy  of  map*  shown  in  France  bi^*  *^he  agents  of  tte  Scioto  Company. 
The  original  is  in  the  French  language,  .fiandsomely  iigraved  and  colored, 
with  the  lands  of  the  Scioto  and  Ohio  Companies  aad  the  sevett  -i*  ges 
divided  into  townships  six  miles  square.'  'he  Scioto  Company  tract  "vas 
divided  into  one  hundred  and  forty-two  towi  :hips  and  thirty-two  fi  actional 
townships.  The  north  line  of  the  Ohio  Con  (.any's  purchase  is  i-hown  as 
eight  miles  south  of  the  Scioto  purchase;  thQ  even  ranges  as  fcrty-eight 
miles  north;  the  north  line  of  the  Scioto  purci  ose  is  sur';osed,f'J  Ibf  t^P 
oorth  houndary  of  the  tenth  township  in  the  seye    "anger 


From  Howe's  History  of  OJiio. 


(124) 


The  Scioto  Company  and  Its  Purchase.  125 

could  not  claim  ignorance  of  what  authority  they  could  hold 
under  Barlow.  The  lands  were  to  be  located  in  equal  tracts 
west  of  the  seventeenth  range,  which  was  then  supposed  to  be 
beyond  the  western  boundary  of  the  Ohio  Company's  purchase, 
hence  no  conflict  of  location  could,  it  was  presumed,  occur.  An 
agreement  was  drawn  and  properly  signed,  thus  setting  before 
all  parties  a  full  iinderstanding  of  the  rights  and  authority  of 
each. 

The  Society  appointed  as  attorneys  to  sell  the  lands,  Pla}'- 
fair,  Barlow  and  Soisson,  and  delegated  to  them  "powers  to  re- 
sell all  or  part  of  3,000,000  acres  at  the  best  price,  terms  or  con- 
ditions of  receiving  the  price  thereof,  or  to  assign  it  all  or  in 
part,  and  to  discharge  the  Society  with  respect  to  the  Suer  Bar- 
low, to  give  for  this  purpose  every  acquittance,  consent,  subro- 
gation, and  to  disseize  the  Society  of  its  rights  of  propert}'  over 
the  objects  of  sale  in  favor  of  their  purchasers,  and  generally  to 
do  for  the  ease  and  accomplishment  of  the  said  sale."     *     H=     * 

Mr.  Barlow  agreed  to  put  the  Society  in  possession  of 
the  land  in  tracts  less  than  the  value  of  $500,000  each,  there- 
by exceeding  his  authority  from  his  principals  in  word,  but 
had  the  money  or  securities  been  paid  to  the  Treasury  of 
the  United  States,  nothing  would  have  been  amiss.  As  the 
French  Society-  had  examined  fully  Barlow's  powers,  and 
knew  his  authority,  they  could  not  plead  ignorance,  and 
acting  with  full  knowledge,  must  be  held  accountable.  Mr. 
Barlow  did  not  -send  his  principals  a  copy  of  the  contract 
he  had  made,  as  he  should  have  done,  but  he  wrote  to 
Colonel  Duer,  giving  the  fact  of  the  sale,  the  price  and 
terms  and  times  of  payments.  He  al.so  urged  that  the  west 
line  of  the  .seventeenth  range  be  ascertained,  and  that  the 
consent  of  the  United  States  be  obtained  to  the  .sale  of 
the  land  in  small  tracts.  Reference  to  the  maps  will  show 
that  the  idea  held  by  Barlow  and  his  as.sociates,  was,  that 
the  we.st  line  of  the  seventeenth  range  would  be  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Kanawha,  and  on  this  supposition  he  made  his  sales,  and 
he  and  his  associates  laid  out  a  town  —  Gallipolis  —  ignorant  of 
the  fact  that  they  were  selling  the  lands  of  the  Ohio  Company, 
as  the  surveys,  when  made,  showed  their  error,  the  .seventeeth 


\2(^  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications,        |VoL  3 

rano^e  being  further  west  than  their  supposition  placed  It  Sales 
were  rapidly  made,  some  purchasers  paying  in  full,  some  par 
tially,  securing  the  rest  by  mortgage.  Some  made  contracts  foi 
lands,  to  be  paid  for  at  a  future  time„  The  deeds  were  usually 
signed  by  William  Playfair  and  Jean  Antoine  Chais,  "agents 
and  attorneys  for  the  Society  of  the  Scioto."  To  some,  Barlow 
added  his  approval  One  of  ttiese  deeds  is  yet  preserved  in  Gal- 
lipolis,  and,  as  the  last  connecting  link  in  the  chain  from  the 
government  to  the  emigrant,  is  herewith  given  in  full,  the  trans- 
lation being  made  by  Judge  S,  N.  Owen,  lately  of  the  Ohio 
Supreme  Court. 

This  deed  is  from  "  WiUiam  Playfair,  engineer.  Englishman, 
and  M.  de  Soissons^  an  attorney.  Member  of  Parliament,"  to  one 
of  the  purchasers  of  an  hundred  acre  tract  of  the  land  of  the 
Scioto  Company. 

"  Before  the  undersigned,  the  King's  Counsellors,  notaries 
of  the  '  Chatelet  de  Paris,  appeared  M.  William  Playfair,  engi- 
neer, Englishman,  *  *  *  and  M.  Jean  Antoise  Chais  de 
Soissons,  attorney.  Member  of  Parliament,  *  *  ^  both  cov- 
enanting by  these  presents  by  virtue  of  the  authority  of  the 
Society  organized  under  the  name  of  the  Scioto  Company, 
according  to  a  title  deed  executed  before  M,  Rameau  and  his 
colleague,  Notaries  of  Paris,  August  3,  1789,  for  the  purchase 
m  ide  and  evidenced  by  that  deed  by  the  said  Society,  of  three 
millions  of  English  acres  of  land  situated  in  North  America  be- 
tween the  Ohio  and  Scioto  Rivers  and  more  particularly  desig- 
nated by  their  boundaries,  indicated  in  blue  colors,  by  an  en- 
graved plat  of  the  said  three  million  acre  tract  of  land,  and 
which  was  annexed  to  a  memorandum  of  their  purchase,  re- 
ceived by  M.  Farmain.  one  of  the  undersigned  Notaries,  and  his 
colleague,  November  3,  1789,  containing  the  powers  aforesaid; 
wbo  by  virtue  of  the  said  powers  have  by  these  presents  sold, 
and  promised  to  guaranty  from  every  kind  of  eviction  and 
molestation,  to  M.  Jean  Baptiste  Parmantier,  citizen  of  Paris. 
lesiding  at  number  359  St.  Martin  Street,  Parish  of  St.  Laurent, 
purchaser,  the  entire  depth  and  surface  of  one  hundred  contigu- 
ous English  acres  of  land,  to  be  taken  in  a  square  form  and  by 
straight  lines  from  the  above  mentioned  three  million  acres,  in 
the  fourth  municipality  of  the  eighteenth  rank  of  the  said 
municipalities  or  (at  the  choice  of  vSaid  purchaser)  in  the  fifth 
rpunicipality  of  the  same  rank  of  the  said  municipalities;  the 
survey  of  which  one  hundred  acre  tract  shall  be  made  at  the  ex- 


The  Scioto   Company  and  Its  Purchase.  127 

pense  of  the  said  Scioto  Company,  and  along  whichsoever  shore 
it  shall  please  the  said  purchaser  to  select  the  said  one  hundred 
acres,  saving,  however,  such  portions  as  may  have  been  taken 
by  virtue  of  anterior  sales  by  said  Scioto  Company,  and  also  sav- 
ing such  portions  as  may  be  destined  by  the  American  Congress 
for  public  buildings  or  public  highways. 

' '  Comprised  in  the  present  sale  are  the  trees  of  every  species 
growing  upon  the  tract  of  land  by  these  presents  sold. 

"  Wherefore  the  said  Sirs  Playfair  and  Chais  hereby  confer 
upon  the  said  purcha.ser,  and  subrogate  to  him,  all  the  rights  of 
ownership,  titles,  claims,  and  rights  of  action  of  the  said  Soci- 
ety in  and  to  the  tract  of  laud  by  these  presents  sold,  yielding  it 
unto  the  profit  of  the  said  purchaser  with  all  the  rights  therein 
of  said  Society  to  the  extent  of  the  said  quantity  sold,  and  con- 
senting that  he  place  himself  in  full  and  peaceable  possession 
thereof  when  and  as  it  shall  seem  to  him  good. 

"  The  said  purchaser  and  his  successors  to  the  ownership  of 
the  land  —  the  subject  of  this  contract — shall  enjoy  the  right  to 
transport  each  year  to  Europe  or  to  the  Islands  of  America,  all 
the  big  timber  and  the  crops  produced  from  the  said  land,  pay- 
ing only  the  freight  and  'general  average'  according  to  the  cus- 
tom of,  and  as  it  shall  be  regulated  by,  the  Captain  '  bearer  of 
orders' — (/<?  Capitaine  porteiir  d' orders)  —  of  the  Scioto  Com- 
pany. The  price  of  this  sale  and  grant  of  right  is  agreed  and 
fixted  at  sixty  pence  per  acre,  which  makes  for  the  whole  num- 
ber of  acres  hereby  sold  a  sum  total  of  six  thousand  pence,  upcn 
and  in  deduction  of  which  sum  the  said  purchaser  has  paid, 
cash  down,  in  legal  tender,  to  M.  Playfair,  one  of  the  said  grant 
ors,  who  acknowledges  it,  three  thousand  pence  for  which  thii- 1.- 
his  receipt;  and  as  to  the  residue  of  said  purchase  price,  '->.e 
said  purchaser  binds  himself  to  pay  it  to  the  said  Scioto  Cum 
pany  in  two  years  from  this  day  without  interest,  in  guaranty  .  i 
which  sum  the  land  hereby  sold  shall  remain,  at  the  privilege  it 
said  Company,  expressly  reserved,  appropriated,  obligated  and 
mortgaged,  and  without  any  appropriation  derogatory  thereto 
the  said  purchaser  hereby  thereunto  appropriates,  obligates  and 
mortgages  all  his  property  present  and  future. 

' '  And  in  order  the  better  to  facilitate  and  secure  the  pay- 
ment of  the  said  sum  of  three  thousand  pence,  the  said  pur- 
cha.ser has  signed  for  the  benefit  of  the  said  Scioto  Company, 
delivered  the  same  to  M.  Playfair,  who  acknowledges  the  same, 
his  promissory  note  for  said  last  named  sum,  payable  also  in  two 
years  from  this  day,  which  promissor}^  note  once  discharged 
shall  con.sequently  acquit  and  discharge  what  remains  due  upon 
the  present  contract ;  which  said  note  shall  be  the  only  requisite 


128  Ohio  Arch.  a7id  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 

evidence  of  such  payment  by  the  said  purchaser,  who  hereby 
acknowledges  that  the  said  Playfair  and  Chaise  have  communi- 
cated and  remitted  to  him  the  substance  of  the  deeds  and  powers 
which  vested  in  them  the  right  to  make  the  present  sale,  for  the 
execution  of  which  the  parties  hereto  have  chosen  their  domicile 
in  the  establishment  wherein  are  the  offices  of  the  said  vScioto 
Company,  Ninth  Street  of  Petits- champs.  No.  162,  which  place, 
however,  we  have  chosen  for  the  purpose  of  promising,  contract- 
ing, obligating,  relinquishing,  etc. 

Done  and  executed  at  Paris  at  the  residence  of  M.  W.  Play- 
fair,  the  19th  of  January,  1790,  P.  M.,  and  have  signed  this 
memorandum  of  contract. 

Farmain,  one  of  the  undersigned  Notaries, 
(Not  Legible.)  P'armain.   [seal]" 

[seal] 
(Waxen  Notarial  Seal  not  Legible. ) 

These  deeds  were  accepted  without  question  by  many.  The 
desire  for  a  change,  the  unsettled  condition  of  France,  the 
brilliant  prospects  held  out  to  the  emigrant,  all  combined  to 
make  the  sales,  once  begun,  an  easy  matter,  and  with  little 
thought  of  the  future,  many  prepared  to  go. 

On  the  8th  of  December,  1789,  Mr.  Barlow  wrote  Col.  Duer 
that  "  everything  was  progressing  well."  On  the  29th,  that  he 
expected  to  make  the  first  payment,  so  that  Col.  Duer  could  pay 
Congress  $500,000  when  the  first  payment  came  due,  and  also 
that  500,000  acres  would  be  concluded  in  January.  The  same 
date  he  authorized  a  draft  on  himself  of  200,000  livres,  "to  be 
used  in  defraying  the  expenses  of  the  fii'st  settlers."  January 
25th,  1790,  he  authorized  another  draft  of  100,000  livres.  ' '  Don't 
fail,"  he  wrote,  "  to  put  the  people  in  possession  of  their  lands. 
I  pledge  the  faith  of  an  honest  man  for  the  payment.  If  neces- 
sary, draw  on  me  for  a  second  100,000  livres,  at  sight."  By  the 
middle  of  February,  1790,  over  100,000  acres  had  been  sold,  and 
several  hundred  emigrants  had  sailed.  Their  first  landing  place, 
Alexandria,  on  the  Potomac. 

An  examination  of  Barlow's  letters  discloses  no  reason  for 
the  failure  to  make  the  payment  promised  December  31,  1789, 
and  the  authority  to  draw  for  additional  sums  was  evidence  to 
Col.  Duer,  that  if  Barlow  had  not  the  money  he  had  the 
securities. 


The  Scioto  Company  ajid  Its  Purchase.  12Sf 

Mr.  Barlow's  letter  to  Col.  Duer  showed  that  he  had  ex- 
ceeded his  authority  by  permitting  the  Society  to  give  deeds, 
and  that  he  erred  in  his  calculations  made  from  Thomas  Hutchin's 
map  in  locating  the  western  boundary'  of  the  seventeenth  range 
as  intersecting  the  Ohio  River,  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Big 
Kanawha.  The  survey,  when  made,  located  the  line  farther 
west,  and  hence  the  lands  sold  by  Barlow  and  his  associates  were 
in  the  Ohio  Company's  purchase.  This  defect  might  have  been 
remedied  had  Barlow  met  the  drafts  he  authorized,  as  the  Ohio 
Company  was  anxious  not  only  to  settle  its  own  lands,  but  it 
was  interested  in  the  success  of  the  Society  of  the  Scioto,  and 
was  willing  to  do  all  it  could  to  advance  its  interests.  The  con- 
nection between  the  Ohio  Company  and  Col.  Duer's  control  of 
the  Scioto  Compan}-;  caused  some  criticisms;  but  the  prompt 
return  of  Dr.  Cutler  and  his  associates,  and  their  concise  state- 
ments regarding  all  the  transaction,  gave  general  satisfaction. 

To  meet  the  unexpected  condition  of  affairs.  Col.  Duer, 
Royal  Flint  and  Andrew  Cragie  united  as  "Trustees  for  the 
Scioto  Associates  "  It  was  still  supposed  that  Barlow  held 
securities  for  all  his  sales,  and  as  Dr<  Cutler,  neither  for  himself 
or  for  any  of  the  Ohio  Associates,  was  able  to  advance  any 
money,  they  surrendered  part  of  their  interest,  for  which  a 
power  of  attorney  was  given  Col.  Duer ;  the  remainder  to  be 
exempt  from  assessments  and  to  be  indemnified  from  loss. 

The  Secretarj^  of  the  United  States  Treasury  had,  in  Jan- 
aary,  1790,  recommended  to  Congress  a  reduction  in  the  price 
per  acre  of  public  lands,  payable  in  certificates  of  indebtedness 
or  in  lawful  money  of  a  coin  value.  It  became  evident,  how- 
ever, that  no  action  would  be  taken  then.  "On  the  23d  of 
April,  Gen.  Rufus  Putnam  and  Manasseb  Cutler,  as  directors  of 
the  Ohio  Company  and  with  its  approval,  made  a  contract  of 
sale  to  Duer,  Flint  and  Cragie,  trustees  for  the  proprietors 
of  the  Scioto  lands,  of  the  lands  represented  by  the  148  for- 
feited shares  to  the  Ohio  Company  for  the  non-payment,  and 
located  in  a  compact  body,  106,544  acres  fronting  on  the  Ohio 
River  between  a  point  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Big  Kanawha 
and  the  true  line  of  the  seventeenth  range,  the  western  boundary 
of  the  Ohio  Company's  purchase.     The  Scioto  Associates  also 

Vol.  Ill— 9 


130  Ohio  Arch,  mid  His.  Society  Publications.        [Voi^.  3 

released  to  the  Ohio  Company  the  right  of  pre-emption  or  pur- 
chase of  that  part  of  their  lands  lying  immediately  north  of  its 
purchase.  The  contract  was  of  great  value  to  both  companies. 
It  gave  the  Scioto  Company  control  of  every  acre  sold  in  France, 
and  enabled  it  to  proceed  upon  a  basis  that,  at  that  time,  gave 
assurance  of  solving  the  difficulties  about  its  transactions. 

Under  instructions  from  Col.  Duer,  Gen.  Putnam  employed 
Maj.  John  Burnham  to  enlist  in  New  England  a  company  of 
men  to  build  huts  for  the  French  emigrants,  now  ready  to  cross 
the  mountains.  It  is  necessary  to  touch  upon  this  part  of  the 
history.  It  is  fully  told  elsewhere,  and  gives  in  detail  the  work 
of  Maj.  Burnham  and  his  men.  Neither  is  it  neces.sary  to  re- 
count here  the  history  of  these  emigrants,  nor  to  detail  how 
they  found  on  reaching  Alexandria  that  the  deeds  they  held  were 
valueless,  the  country  filled  with  Indians,  and  that  there  were 
lands  in  plenty  in  Virginia.  All  these  facts  are  told  by  Col. 
Vance  in  his  address  and  repetition  is  not  necessary  here.  The 
result  of  all  this  was  that  Col.  Duer  and  his  associates  learned 
through  the  misguided  and  wronged  emigrants  more  fully  of  th 
methods  of  the  French  Society  in  Paris  and  of  their  loos'" 
methods  of  business.  On  the  third  of  March,  Mr.  Barlow 
wrote  to  Col.  Duer  that  he  had  surrendered  his  contract  with  the 
French  Society,  and  was  making  the  sales  himself,  though 
under  its  name.  M.  Bourogue,  Count  De  Barth's  son,  one  of 
the  principal  men  in  the  colony  of  emigrants,  and  who  had  been 
instrumental  in  securing  a  settlement  with  Col.  Duer  and  asso- 
ciates satisfactory  to  the  emigrants,  and  who  had  learned,  when 
in  New  York,  of  the  efforts  to  secure  a  reduction  in  the  price  of 
public  lands,  sailed  for  France  in  July,  and  there  made  a  con- 
tract with  Barlow,  on  behalf  of  himself,  his  father,  M.  Coquet, 
Play  fair  and  General  Duvalette.  This  association  was  to  assume 
all  obligations  of  the  former  French  Company.  It  was  to  make 
no  payments  until  three  months  after  the  sale  of  each  300,000 
acres;  no  limitations  were  to  be  made  in  location  of  lands.  It 
agreed  to  pay  Barlow  50,000  livres  for  the  American  proprietors, 
and  authorized  him  to  borrow  on  its  credit  100,000  livres,  also  to 
be  advanced  to  the  American  proprietors.  The  whole  trans- 
action  was  a  sharp  move  on  the  part  of  the  new  Company, 


The  Scioto   Covipany  and  Its  Purchase.  131 

assuring  itself  a  handsome  profit,  at  the  same  time  free  from 
any  risk.  Mr.  Barlow  again  appears  to  have  implicitly  trusted 
those  with  whom  he  dealt,  despite  .the  fact  he  had  not  been  able 
to  fulfill  any  of  his  promises  to  Col.  Duer,  made  "upon  the 
promise  of  an  honest  man."  Thus  his  final  transaction  only 
complicated  matters  more,  and  emphasized  the  fact  that  as  a 
business  man  he  was  no  success,  and  no  match  for  the  sharp  and 
unscrupulous  Englishman  and  his  French  associates.  Had  he 
followed  his  instructions,  secured  into  his  own  hands  the  pro- 
ceeds of  all  sales,  and  promptly  remitted  them  to  the  Sciotr 
associates  in  America,  all  would  have  been  well,  and  this  melan 
choly  chapter  in  Ohio's  early  annals  would  have  never  been 
written. 

As  soon  as  Col.  Duer  learned  of  this  new  contract,  he  sent 
^ol.  Benjamin  Walker  to  France  with  "full  powers  of  attorney 
to  displace  Barlow  or  to  act  as  joint  agent  with  him;  directed 
him  to  refuse  ratification  of  this  last  contract;  examine  fully 
into  the  accounts;  obtain  proceeds  of  sales;  take  entire  charge 
o .  affairs  if  he  deemed  advisable,  and  endeavor  to  sell  the  con- 
tract as  originally  designed.  Col.  Duer  wrote  to  Barlow  that  he, 
alone,  was  responsible  to  the  French  people  to  whom  he  had 
given  or  permitted  to  be  given  deals  for  the  lands,  and  to  the 
Scioto  Associates,  whose  interests  he  had  so  shamefully  mis- 
managed; upbraiding  him  in  the  severest  terms  for  the  manner 
in  which  he  had  conducted  this  business;  for  failure  to  give  his 
principals  definite  information ;  and  for  permitting  bills  drawn 
on  him  that  he  had  authorized,  to  be  dishonored.  Col.  Duer 
was  in  a  most  embarrassing  position  by  the  non-payment  of  these, 
drafts.  He  reminded  Barlow  of  the  pledges  he  had  made  '  on 
the  faith  of  an  honest  man'  for  their  payment,  and  urged  him  to 
make  good  the  amount  and  save  him  (Duer)  from  ruin."* 

When  Colonel  Walker  reached  France  he  found,  as  he  sus 
pected,  that  Playfair  held  the  proceeds  of  all  sales,  and  from  him 
nothing,  save  a  long  letter  of  explanation,  could  be  obtained 
Finding  nothing  could  be  gained  by  persuasion,  he  placed  the 
affairs  of  the  Society  in  the  hands  of  Colonel    Rochefoutaine 


*  Ivife  of  Mauasseh  Culler,  page  51G. 


1S2  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.   Society  Picblications.        [Vol  3 

gave  public  notice  that  no  sales  from  Playfair  would  be  valid, 
and  returned  to  America  in  April,  1791. 

In  the  meantime,  in  October,  1790,  one  hundred  years  ago 
the  first  attachment  of  emigrants  reached  the  new  settlement 
prepared  for  them  on  the  banks  of  the  Ohio,  and  began  their 
untried  life  on  an  American  frontier.  Colonel  Duer,  who  now 
had  the  contract  to  supply  the  troops  in  the  territory,  opened  a 
store  in  Gallipolis,  placed  Mr.  John  Matthews  in  charge,  accept- 
ing in  payment  for  the  necessities  of  life  whatever  the  colonists 
could  give,  even  to  deeds  for  their  lots.  By  the  next  spring, 
however,  they  began  to  cultivate  crops,  chiefly  the  grape,  and 
ere  long  Mr.  Matthews  was  able  to  write  Colonel  Duer  that  a 
brighter  prospect  appeared. 

But  in  April  a  financial  panic  came  in  New  York.  Colonel 
Duer  failed,  and  was  imprisoned  for  debt.  Flint  and  Cragie  also 
failed,  and  the  notes  given  for  the  148  forfeited  shares  of  the 
Ohio  Company  were  surrendered;  the  contract  of  sale  conceded, 
and  with  it  the  only  title  the  French  emigrant  could  have.  Col. 
Piatt,  Treasurer  of  the  Ohio  Company,  went  down  in  the  general 
ruin,  heavily  indebted  to  the  Company.  On  the  21st  of  April, 
1792,  Congress  passed  an  act  confirming  the  "Ohio  Company's 
title  to  750,000  acres  extending  along  the  Ohio  River  from  the 
west  line  of  the  seventh  range  to  the  west  boundary  of  the  fif- 
teenth, including  therein  the  site  of  Gallipolis.  An  additional 
grant  of  214,285  acres  was  made  to  be  paid  for  in  bounty  rights, 
and  100,000  acres  were  granted  on  the  north  to  be  held  in  trust 
to  be  deeded  in  tracts  of  100  acres  each  to  actual  settlers.  Both 
these  grants  were  to  adjoin  the  original  750,000  acre  tract.  The 
bill,  as  passed,  made  it  impossible  to  give  to  the  French  settlers 
tracts  of  land  at  or  near  Gallipolis. 

The  failure  of  Colonel  Duer  and  his  associates  threw  the 
French  settlers  wholly  upon  their  own  resources.  Mr.  Peter  S. 
Duponceau,  a  lawyer  and  Frenchman  of  eminence  residing  in 
Philadelphia,  and  who  came  to  America  in  1777,  became  inter- 
ested in  the  fate  of  his  countrymen,  prepared  a  petition  and  pre- 
sented it  to  Congress  in  1794,  asking  the  relief  of  the  settlers. 
Some  attempts  were  made  to  settle  the  matter,  but  nothing  was, 


The  Scioto   Company  and  Its  Purchase.  133 

at  that  time,  accomplished.  In  January,  1795,  the  donation 
tract  of  the  Ohio  Company  was  thrown  open  to  settlers,  and  the 
French  emigrants  were  invited  to  participate  in  its  benefits.  Not 
many  did  so ;  the  majority  who  remained  seeming  to  prefer  to 
cling  to  the  original  settlement  at  Gallipolis  in  the  hope  that 
their  titles  would  yet  be  perfected  to  them.  Mr.  Duponceau 
again  pressed  his  petition  to  the  attention  of  Congress,  and  in 
March,  1795,  that  body  made  a  grant  of  24,000  acres  of  land  on 
the  bank  of  the  Ohio  River,  not  far  from  the  outlet  of  the 
Scioto,  and  each  settler  in  Gallipolis,  on  November  1st,  of  that 
year,  and  over  eighteen  years  of  age,  was  entitled  to  a  share  in 
the  distribution.  Four  thousand  acres  were  given  to  M.  Ger- 
vais,  who  had  been  instrumental  in  securing  the  services  of  Mr. 
Duponceau,  and  to  whom  much  credit  is  due  for  the  settlement 
of  the  problem.  The  remainder,  20,000  acres,  was  divided  by 
General  Rufus  Putnam,  appointed  by  the  Secretary  of  the 
Treasury  for  that  purpose,  among  ninety-two  persons,  each  re- 
ceiving 217  2-5  acres,  settlement  to  be  made  on  the  land  within 
five  years.  The  tract  was  then  and  is  still  known  as  the  "  French 
Grant." 

The  directors  of  the  Ohio  Company  met  in  December,  1795, 
to  make  a  final  disposition  of  their  lands.  The  status  of  the 
French  settlers  in  and  about  Gallipolis,  and  their  condition,  was 
fully  and  carefully  considered.  A  committee  of  the  Gallipolis 
settlers  appeared  before  the  meeting  with  a  request  that  the 
French  settlers  be  given  the  town  site  of  Gallipolis.  This  the 
Ohio  Company  felt  it  could  not  do,  but  signified  that  an  applica- 
tion to  purchase  at  a  nominal  price  would  be  acceptable,  and 
after  full  consideration,  agreed  to  sell  to  these  settlers  the  two 
fractional  sections  on  which  Gallipolis  was  situated,  containing 
900  acres,  with  the  improved  land  surrounding  the  town  at  the 
price  of  government  land  —  one  dollar  and  twenty-five  cents  per 
acre.  This  was  donating  all  the  improvements  made  bv  Major 
Burnham  and  his  men,  each  received  his  land  and  a  log  cabin  in 
which  to  live.  This  was  all  they  could  do,  and  was,  all  in  all, 
a  just  solution  of  the  long,  difficult  and  unfortunate  probfem. 
The  principal  actors  soon  disappeared  from  view,  lost  in  the  ab- 


134  Ohio  Arch,  atid  His.  Society  Publications .        [Vol.  3 

sorbing  events  connected  with  the  early  settlements,  the  Indian 
wars,  and  the  unsettled  condition  of  the  country  at  large. 

Daniel  J.  Ryan. 
Note. —  I  am  indebted  largely  to  Maj.  E.  C.  Dawes,  of  Cin- 
cinnati, who,  in  the  life  of  Mannasseh  Cutler,  and  in  the  Maga- 
zine of  American  History,  has  given  exhaustive  studies  of  this 
question.  He  generously  placed  his  material  at  my  disposal. 
I  have  also  examined  many  private  works,  letters,  documents, 
etc.,  and  have  aimed  to  give  only  a  concise  and  simple  narrative. 

D.   J.    R. 


Appendix   No.   /.—  (Ordinance  of  May  20th,   1785,   i.  v. 
L.  U.  S.  p.  563.) 

"  The  surveyors,  as  they  are  respectively  qualified,  shall  pro- 
ceed to  divide  the  said  territory  into  townships  of  six  miles 
square,  by  lines  running  due  north  and  south,  and  others  cross- 
ing these  at  right  angles,  as  near  as  may  be,  unless  where  the 
boundaries  of  the  late  Indian  purchases  may  render  the  same 
impracticable,  and  then  they  shall  depart  from  this  rule  no  far- 
ther than  such  particular  circumstances  may  require.  And  each 
surveyor  shall  be  allowed  and  paid  at  the  rate  of  two  dollars  for 
every  mile  in  length  he  shall  run,  including  the  wages  of  chain 
carriers,  markers,  and  every  other  expense  attending  the  same. 
"  The  first  line  running  north  and  south  as  aforesaid,  shall 
begin  on  the  river  Ohio,  at  a  point  that  shall  be  found  to  be  due 
north  from  the  western  termination  of  a  line  which  has  been  run 
as  the  southern  boundary  of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania,  and  the 
fir.st  line  running  east  and  west  shall  begin  at  the  same  point, 
and  shall  extend  throughout  the  whole  territory  :  Provided,  That 
nothing  herein  shall  be  construed  as  fixing  the  western  boundary 
of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania.  The  Geographer  shall  designate 
the  townships  or  fractional  parts  of  townships  by  numbers,  pro- 
gressively, from  south  to  north ;  always  beginning  each  range 
with  No.  1 ;  and  the  ranges  shall  be  distinguished  by  their  pro- 
gressive numbers  to  the  westward.  The  first  range,  extending 
from  the  Ohio  to  the  Lake  Erie,  being  marked  No.  1.  The 
geographer  shall  personally  attend  to  the  running  of  the  first 


The  Scioto  Company  and  Its  Purchase.  135 

east  and  west  line ;  and  shall  take  the  latitude  of  the  extremes 
of  the  first  north  and  south  line,  and  of  the  mouths  of  the  prin- 
cipal rivers. 

"  The  lines  shall  be  measured  with  a  chain  ;  shall  be  plainly 
marked  by  chops  on  the  trees,  and  exactly  described  on  a  plat ; 
whereon  shall  be  noted  by  the  surveyor,  at  their  proper  distances, 
all  mines,  salt  springs,  salt  licks,  and  mill  seats  that  shall  come 
to  his  knowledge;  and  all  water  courses,  mountains,  and  other 
remarkable  and  permanent  things,  over  or  near  which  such  lines 
shall  pass,  and  also  the  quality  of  the  lands. 

"  The  plats  of  the  townships,  respectively,  shall  be  marked, 
by  subdivisions,  into  lots  of  one  mile  square,  or  640  acres,  in  the 
same  direction  as  the  external  lines,  and  numbered  from  one  to 
thirty-six;  always  beginning  the  succeeding  range  of  the  lots 
with  the  number  next  to  that  with  which  the  preceding  one  con- 
cluded. And  where,  from  the  causes  before  mentioned,  only  a 
fractional  part  of  a  township  shall  be  surveyed,  the  lots  pro- 
tracted thereon  shall  bear  the  same  numbers  as  if  the  township 
had  been  entire.  And  the  surveyors,  in  running  the  external 
lines  of  the  townships,  shall,  at  the  internal  of  every  mile,  mark 
corners  for  the  lots  which  are  adjacent,  always  designating  the 
same  in  a  diflferent  manner  from  those  of  the  townships. 

' '  The  board  of  treasury  shall  transmit  a  copy  of  the  original 
plats,  previously  noting  thereon  the  townships  and  fractional 
parts  of  townships,  which  shall  have  fallen  to  the  several  States, 
by  the  distribution  aforesaid,  to  the  commissioners  of  the  loan 
office  of  the  several  states,  who,  after  giving  notice  of  not  less 
than  two  nor  more  than  six  months,  by  causing  advertisements 
to  be  posted  up  at  the  court  houses  or  other  noted  places  in 
every  county,  and  to  be  inserted  in  one  newspaper  published  in 
the  States  of  their  residence,  respectively,  shall  proceed  to  sell 
the  townships  or  fractional  parts  of  townships  at  public  vendue, 
in  the  following  manner,  viz :  The  township  or  fractional  part  of 
a  township  No.  1,  in  the  first  range,  shall  be  sold  entire;  and 
No.  2  in  the  same  range,  by  lots;  and  thus  in  alternate  order 
through  the  whole  of  the  first  range.  The  township  or  fractional 
part  of  a  township  No.  1,  in  the  second  range,  shall  be  sold  by 
lots ;  and  No.  2  in  the  same  range,  entire ;  and  so,  in  alternate 


136  Ohio  Arch,  aiid  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 

order,  through  the  whole  of  the  second  range ;  and  the  third 
range  shall  be  sold  in  the  same  manner  as  the  first,  and  the 
fourth  in  the  same  manner  as  the  second ;  and  thus,  alternately^, 
throughout  all  the  ranges:  Provided,  That  none  of  the  lands 
within  the  said  territor}^  to  be  sold  under  the  price  of  one  dollar 
per  acre,  to  be  paid  in  specie  or  loan  office  certificates,  reduced 
to  specie  value  by  the  scale  of  depreciation,  or  certificates  of 
liquidated  debts  of  the  United  States,  including  interest,  besides 
the  expense  of  the  survey  and  other  charges  thereon,  which  are 
hereby  rated  at  thirty -six  dollars  the  township,  in  specie  or  cer- 
tificates as  aforesaid,  and  so,  in  the  same  proportion,  for  a  frac- 
tional part  of  a  township  or  of  a  lot,  to  be  paid  at  the  time  of 
sales,  on  failure  of  which  payment  the  said  lands  shall  again  be 
offered  for  sale. 

"There  shall  be  reserved  for  the  United  States  out  of  every 
tQwnship,  the  four  lots,  being  numbered  8,  11,  26,  29,  and  out 
pf  every  fractional  part  of  a  township,  so  many  lots  of  the  same 
numbers  as  shall  be  found  thereon,  for  future  sale.  There  shall 
be  reserved  the  lot  No.  16,  of  every  township,  for  the  main- 
tenance of  public  schools  within  the  said  township;  also,  one- 
third  part  of  all  gold,  silver,  lead,  and  copper  mines,  to  be  sold, 
or  otherwise  disposed  of,  as  Congress  shall  hereafter  direct." 


Appendix  No.  2. — (In  Congress,  July  2.3rd,  1787,  i.  v.  L.  U. 
S.  573.) 

The  report  of  a  committee,  consisting  of  Mr.  Carrington, 
Mr.  King,  Mr.  Dane,  Mr.  Madison,  and  Mr.  Benson  amended  to 
read  as  follows,  viz: 

' '  That  the  board  of  treasury  be  authorized  and  empowered 
to  contract  with  any  person  or  persons  for  a  grant  of  a  tract  of 
land  which  shall  be  bounded  by  the  Ohio,  from  the  mouth  of 
Scioto  to  the  intersection  of  the  western  boundary  of  the  seventh 
range  of  townships  now  surveying;  thence,  by  the  said  boundary 
to  the  northern  boundary  of  the  tenth  township  from  the  Ohio; 
thence,  by  a  due  west  Hue  to  Scioto;  thence,  by  the  Scioto  to  the 
beginning,  upon  the  following  terms,  viz:    The  tract  to  be  sur- 


The  Scioto  Company  and  Its  Purchase.  13Y 

veyed,  and  its  contests  ascertained,  by  the  geographer  or  soiti^ 
Othet  officer  of  the  United  States,  who  shall  plainlj^  mark  the 
said  east  and  west  line,  and  shall  render  one  complete  plat  to  the 
board  of  treasury,  and  another  to  the  purchaser  or  purchasers. 
The  purchaser  of  purchasers,  within  seven  years  from  the 
completion  of  this  work,  to  lay  off  the  whole  tract,  at  their  own 
expense,  into  townships  and  fractional  parts  of  townships,  and 
to  divide  the  same  into  lots,  according  to  the  land  ordinance  of 
the  20th  of  May,  1785;  complete  returns  whereof  to  be  made  to 
the  treasury  board.  The  lot  No.  16,  in  each  township  or  frac- 
tional part  of  a  township,  to  be  given  perpetually  for  the  pur- 
poses contained  in  the  said  ordinance.  The  lot  No,  29,  in  each 
township  or  fractional  part  of  a  tow-nship,  to  be  given  perpetu- 
ually  for  the  purposes  of  religion.  The  lots  Nos.  8,  11,  and 
26,  in  each  township,  or  fractional  part  of  a  township,  to  be 
reserved  for  the  future  disposition  of  Congress.  Not  more  than 
two  complete  townships  to  be  given  perpetually  for  the  purposes 
off  a  University,  to  be  laid  of  by  the  purchaser  or  purchasers,  as 
near  the  center  as  may  be,  so  that  the  same  shall  be  of  good  land, 
to  be  applied  to  the  intended  object  by  the  legislature  of  the 
State.  The  price  to  be  not  less  than  one  dollar  per  acre  for  the 
contents  of  the  said  tract,  excepting  the  reservations  and  gifts 
aforesaid,  payable  in  specie,  loan  office  certificates  reduced  to 
specie  value,  or  certificates  of  liquidated  debts  of  the  United 
States,  liable  to  a  reduction  by  an  allow^ance  for  bad  land,  and 
all  incidental  charges  and  circumstances  whatever:  Provided, 
That  such  allowance  shall  not  exceed,  in  the  whole,  one-third  of 
a  dollar  per  acre.  And  in  making  payment  the  principal  only  of 
the  said  certificates  shall  be  admitted,  and  the  board  of  treasury, 
for  such  interst  as  may  be  due  on  the  certificate  rendered 
in  payment  as  aforesaid,  prior  to  January  1,  1786,  shall  issue 
indents  for  interest  to  the  possessors,  which  shall  be  receiv- 
able in  payment  as  other  indents  for  interests  of  the  existing 
requisitions  of  Congress;  and  for  such  interest  as  may  be  due  on 
the  said  certificates  between  that  period  and  the  period  of  pay- 
ment, the  said  board  shall  issue  indents,  the  payment  of  which 
to  be  provided  for  in  future  requisitions,  or  otherwise.  Such  of 
the  purchasers  as  may  possess  rights  for  bounties  of  land  to  the 


138  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications .        [Vol.  3 

late  army,  to  be  permitted  to  render  the  same  in  discharge  of  the 
contract,  acre  for  acre:  Provided,  That  the  aggregate  of  such 
right  shall  not  exceed  one-seventh  part  of  the  land  to  be  paid 
for:  And  provided  also.  That  there  shall  be  no  future  claim 
against  the  United  States  on  account  of  the  said  rights.  Not  less 
than  500,000  dollars  of  the  purchase  money  to  be  paid  down  upon 
closing  of  the  contract,  and  the  remainder  upon  the  completion 
of  the  work  to  be  performed  by  the  geographer  or  other  officer 
on  the  part  of  the  United  States.  Good  and  sufficient  security 
to  be  given  by  the  purchaser  or  purchasers  for  the  completion  of 
the  contract  on  his  or  their  part.  The  grant  to  be  made  upon  the 
full  payment  of  the  consideration  money,  and  a  right  of  entry  and 
occupancy  to  be  acquired  immediately  for  so  much  of  the  tract 
as  shall  be  agreed  upon  between  the  treasury  and  the  purchasers. 
"Ordered,  That  the  above  be  referred  to  the  board  of  treas- 
ury to  take  order." 


Appendix  No.  j. — The  following  is  the  letter  referred  to, 
of  Cutler  and  Sargent,  to  the  board  of  treasury,  dated  New 
York,  July  26,  1787  : 

"We  observe  by  the  act  of  the  23d  instant,  that  your  honor- 
able board  is  authorized  to  enter  into  a  contract  for  the  vSale  of  a 
tract  of  land  therein  described,  on  certain  conditions  expressed 
in  the  act.  As  we  suppose  this  measure  has  been  adopted  in 
consequence  of  proposals  made  by  us  in  behalf  of  ourselves 
and  associates,  to  a  committee  of  Congress,  we  beg  leave  to  in- 
form you  that  we  are  ready  to  enter  into  a  contract  for  the  pur- 
chase of  lands  described  in  the  act,  provided  you  conceive  your- 
self authorized  to  admit  of  the  following  conditions,  which,  in 
some  degree,  vary  from  the  report  of  the  committee,  viz : 

' '  The  subordinate  surveys  shall  be  completed  as  mentioned 
in  the  act,  unless  the  frequency  of  Indian  irruptions  may  render 
the  same  impracticable  without  a  heavy  expense  to  the  company. 

"The  mode  of  payment  we  propose  is,  half  a  million  of 
dollars  when  the  contract  is  executed ;  another  half  a  million 
when  the  tract,  as  described,  is  surveyed  by  the  proper  officer  of 


The  Scioio  Company  and  Its  Purchase.  139 

the  United  States,  and  the  remainder  in  six  equal  payments, 
computed  from  the  date  of  the  first  payment. 

"The  lands  assigned  for  the  establishment  of  a  University 
to  be  nearly  as  possible  in  the  center  of  the  first  million  and  a 
half  of  acres  we  shall  pay  for ;  for,  to  fix  it  in  the  center  of  the 
proposed  purchase,  might  too  long  defer  the  establishment. 

"When  the  second  payment  is  made,  the  purchasers  shall 
receive  a  deed  for  as  great  a  quantity  of  land  as  a  million  dollars 
will  pay  for,  at  the  price  agreed  on ;  after  which  we  will  agree 
not  to  receive  any  further  deeds  for  any  of  the  lands  purchased , 
only  at  such  periods,  and  on  such  conditions,  as  may  be  agreed 
on  betwixt  the  board  and  the  purchasers. 

"As  to  the  security,  which  the  act  says  shall  be  good  and 
sufiicient,  we  are  unable  to  determine  what  those  terms  may 
mean,  in  the  contemplation  of  Congress,  or  of  your  honorable 
board;  we  shall,  therefore,  only  observe  that  our  private  for- 
tunes, and  that  of  most  of  our  associates,  being  embarked  in  the 
support  of  the  purchase,  it  is  not  possible  for  us  to  offer  any 
adequate  security  but  that  of  the  land  itself,  as  is  usual  in  great 
land  purchases. 

"We  will  agree  so  to  regulate  the  contract  that  we  shall 
never  be  entitled  to  a  right  of  entry  or  occupancy,  but  on  lands 
actually  paid  for,  nor  receive  any  deeds  till  our  payments  amount 
to  a  million  of  dollars,  and  then  only  in  proportion  to  such  pay- 
ment. The  advance  we  shall  always  be  under,  without  any  for- 
mal deed,  together  with  the  improvements  made  on  the  lands, 
will,  we  presume,  be  ample  security,  even  if  it  was  not  the  in- 
terest as  well  as  the  disposition  of  the  company  to  lay  the  foun- 
dation of  their  establishment  on  a  sacred  regard  to  the  rights  of 
property. 

"  If  these  terms  are  admitted,  we  shall  be  ready  to  conclude 
the  contract." 

By  a  resolution  of  27th  of  July,  1787,  it  was  "Ordered  that 
the  above  letter  from  Manh.  Cutler  and  Winthrop  Sargent,  to 
the  board  of  treasury,  containing  proposals  for  the  purchase  of 
a  tract  of  land  described  in  the  act  of  Congress  of  the  23d  in- 
stant, be  referred  to  the  board  of  treasury  to  take  order:  Pro- 
vided, That  after  the  date  of  the  second  payment  therein  pro- 


140  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Piibticatio7is.        [Vot.  3 

posed  to  be  made,  the  residue  shall  be  paid  in  six  equal  and  half 
yearly  installments,  until  the  whole  thereof  shall  be  completed, 
and  that  the  purchasers  stipulate  to  pay  interest  on  the  sums 
due  from  the  completion  of  the  survey  to  be  performed  by  the 
geographer." 


Samuel  F.  Vinton. 


The  Early  Judiciary  of  Ohio.  141 


THE    KARLV    JUDICIARY.     KARI.V    LAWS    AND    BAR 
OF    OHIO. 

A  proper  study  of  the  early  judicial  system  and  early  laws 
of  our  State  carries  us  to  a  period  when,  as  a  part  of  the  great 
Northwest  Territory-,  we  were  under  control  of  the  Federal 
Government. 

On  the  13th  day  of  July,  1787,  the  Congress  of  the  United 
States  passed  the  ordinance  for  ' '  The  Government  of  the  Terri- 
tory of  the  United  States,  Northwest  of  the  River  Ohio." 
Relative  to  the  judiciary,  the  ordinance  provided,  "  There  shall 
be  appointed  a  Court  to  consist  of  three  Judges,  any  two  of 
whom  to  form  a  Court,  who  shall  have  a  common  law  jurisdic- 
tion, and  reside  in  the  district,  and  have  each  therein  a  freehold 
estate  in  five  hundred  acres  of  land,  while  in  the  exercise  of 
their  offices,  and  their  commissions  shall  continue  in  force  dur- 
ing good  behavior.  The  Governor  and  Judges,  or  a  majority  of 
them,  shall  adopt  and  publish  in  the  district,  such  laws  of  the 
original  States,  crimiual  and  civil,  as  may  be  necessary,  and  best 
suited  to  the  circumstances  of  the  district,  and  report  them  to 
Congress,  from  time  to  time,  which  laws  shall  be  in  force  in  the 
district  until  the  organization  of  the  General  Assembly  therein 
unless  disapproved  of  by  Congress;  but  afterward,  the  Legisla- 
ture shall  have  authority  to  alter  them  as  they  shall  see  fit." 

The  ordinance  conferred  no  authority  on  the  Governor  and 
Judges  to  make  laws,  but  only  to  adopt  and  publish  such  of 
those  in  force  in  the  original  States,  as  might  be  necessary  and 
suitable  to  the  circumstances  of  the  district.  Acting  under  the 
provisions  of  the  ordinance,  Congress  on  the  l(Jth  day  of  Octo- 
ber, 1787,  just  one  hundred  and  three  j-ears  ago  j'esterday,  ap- 
pointed Samuel  H.  Parsons,  John  Armstrong  and  James  M. 
Varnum,  Judges  for  the  new  territory.  Judge  Parsons  was  a 
native  of  Connecticut,  and  a  graduate  of  Harvard  University. 
He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1759,  and  afterward  served  many 
years  as  a  member  of  the  Connecticut  Legislature.  His  bi- 
ography credits  him  with  the  distinction  of  having  "originated 
the  plan  of  forming  the  first  Congress,"  which  was  the  forerun- 


142  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [VoT<.  8 

ner  of  the  Continer'jal  Congress.  He  was  a  conspicuous  figure 
in  the  Revolutionary  war,  attaining  the  rank  of  Major-General. 
He  was  also  one  of  the  military  court  which  tried  Major  Andre 
on  the  charge  of  being  a  spy.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he  re- 
sumed the  practice  of  his  profession.  In  1785  he  was  appointed 
by  Congress  a  Commissioner  to  treat  with  the  Miami  Indians, 
and  two  years  later,  was  appointed  one  of  the  Judges  of  the 
new  territory. 

Judge  Armstrong  resigned  after  a  few  months'  service  on 
ihe  bench.  He  was  born  in  Carlisle,  Pennsylvania,  and  at  the 
beginning  of  the  Revolutionary  war  was  a  student  at  Princeton 
College,  which  he  left  to  join  the  American  Army.  It  is 
charged  that  while  he  was  in  the  army  he  wrote  the  celebrated 
Newburg  letters  for  the  purpose  of  increasing  the  discontent 
already  existing  among  the  officers,  and  which  had  grown  to 
such  proportions  that  it  required  the  personal  effi^rts  of  General 
Washington  to  quell  it.  After  resigning  his  judicial  position, 
he  retired  to  his  farm,  and  for  many  years  devoted  himself  to 
the  pursuit  of  agriculture.  He  was  subsequently  United  States 
Senator  and  Minister  to  France,  and  the  author  of  several 
standard  works. 

Perhaps  the  most  able  and  brilliant  of  the  three  Judges, 
who  first  presided  over  the  courts  of  the  Northwest  Territory, 
was  Judge  Varnum.  He  was  a  native  of  Massachusetts  and  a 
graduate  of  Brown  University,  and  like  his  associates  on  the 
bench,  was  a  soldier  of  the  Revolution.  At  the  close  of  the 
war  he  resumed  the  practice  of  his  profession  and  became  the 
leading  lawyer  of  his  State.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Conti- 
nental Congress,  and  was  recognized  by  that  body  as  "a  man  of 
uncommon  talents  and  most  brilliant  eloquence."  There  is  a 
published  oration  which  he  delivered  at  Marietta  on  the  4th  day 
July,  1788,  while  a  member  of  the  Territorial  Court,  which 
fully  sustains  his  reputation  as  an  orator,  and  shows  him  to  have 
been  of  scholarly  and  historical  attainments.  No  fact  concern- 
ing the  judicial  history  of  the  Northwest  Territory  is  more 
clearly  established,  than  that  the  Judges  who  constituted  its  first 
court,  were  men  of  classical  education  and  recognized  ability  as 


The   Early  Judiciary   of  Ohio.  \^\ 

lawyers,  and  thoroughly  equipped  for  the  discharge  ot  their 
judicial  duties. 

Upon  the  resignation  of  Judge  Armstrong,  Congress  ap- 
pointed John  Cleves  Symmes  his  successor.  He  was  a  native 
of  New  York,  served  as  a  delegate  in  the  Continental  Congress, 
and  was  a  distinguished  Judge  in  New  Jersey  at  the  time  of  his 
appointment  on  the  territorial  bench.  As  the  appointments 
which  had  been  made  by  Congress,  under  the  Articles  of  Con- 
federation, expired  upon  the  election  of  a  president,  Washing- 
ton, after  his  election  to  that  position,  reappointed  those  persons 
who  had  previously  been  appointed  by  Congress.  Consequentlj', 
Judges  Parsons  and  Symmes  were  reappointed  Territorial 
Judges.  At  the  same  time  William  Barton  was  appointed  to 
the  position  made  vacant  by  the  death  of  Judge  Varnum.  Judge 
Barton  declined  the  position,  and  George  Turner  was  appointed 
to  take  his  place.  Shortly  thereafter,  Judge  Parsons  died,  and 
Rufus  Putnam,  so  well  known  in  American  history  as  General 
Rufus  Putnam,  was  appointed  his  successor.  He  held  the  posi- 
tion for  several  years,  and  then  resigned  to  accept  the  office  of 
Surveyor  General.  He  n^as  succeeded  on  the  bench  by  Joseph 
Gillman.  In  1798,  Judge  Turner  resigned  and  Return  Jonathan 
Meigs  was  appointed  his  successor.  He  w^as  a  native  of  Con- 
necticut, and  a  graduate  of  Yale  College.  His  career  was  the 
most  brilliant  and  eventful  in  the  cluster  of  names  which  adorn 
the  history  of  the  Northwest  territory.  He  afterward  became  a 
Supreme  Judge  of  Ohio,  Governor  of  the  State,  United  States 
Judge  in  Michigan,  a  General  in  the  war  of  1812,  a  United  States 
Senator  ind  a  member  of  the  Cabinet  of  Presidents  Madison  and 
Monroe. 

The  Territorial  Court,  as  organized  under  the  provisions  of 
the  ordinance  of  1787,  lasted  till  1799.  While  some  of  the  acts 
adopted  during  this  period  were  designed  to  meet  the  peculiar 
demands  of  those  early  times,  many  of  them  embodied  the  prin- 
ciples of  a  permanent  and  enduring  judicial  system. 

The  first  law  was  pa.ssed  by  Governor  St  Clair  and  Judges 
Parsons  and  Varnum,  and  was  entitled,  "A  law  for  regulating 
and  establishing  the  militia  in  the  Territory  of  the  United 
States,  Northwest  of  the  Riv?r  Ohio,  published  at  the  City  of 


144  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol,.  3 

Marietta  ou  the  25th  day  of  July,  in  the  Thirteenth  year  of  the 
Independence  of  the  United  States,  and  of  our  Lord,  1788,  by 
His  Excellency,  Arthur  St.  Clair,  Esquire,  Governor  and  Com- 
mander-in-Chief, and  by  the  Honorable  Samuel  Holden  Parsons 
and  James  Mitchel  Varnum,  Esquire,  as  Judges." 

A  difference  of  opinion  arose  between  the  Governor  and 
Judges  concerning  the  extent  of  their  powers  in  adopting  laws, 
the  Governor  maintaining  that  they  could  only  adopt  such  laws 
as  were  in  force  in  some  State;  but  the  Judges  out-voted  the 
Governor  and  the  matter  was  subsequently  referred  to  Congress, 
which  sustained  the  Governor's  opinion.  The  second  law  which 
was  passed,  provided  for  establishing  county  courts  of  Common 
Pleas,  and  the  power  of  single  Judges  to  hear  and  determine 
upon  small  debts  and  contracts,  and  for  establishing  the  oihce  of 
Sheriff;  and  that  there  should  be  created  in  each  county  a  Court 
styled  the  General  Quarter  Sessions  of  the  Peace,  which  was  to 
be  held  four  times  a  year  in  each  county.  The  act  also  provided 
that  a  number  of  suitable  persons,  not  exceeding  five  nor  less 
than  three,  should  be  appointed  in  each  county  and  commis- 
sioned by  the  Governor  under  the  seal  of  the  territory,  to  hold 
and  keep  a  court  of  record,  to  be  styled  the  County  Court  of 
Common  Pleas,  and  that  said  court  should  be  held  at  two  fixed 
periods  in  each  county  in  every  year  and  at  the  same  places 
where  the  general  courts  of  Quarter  Sessions  were  held.  This 
law  was  promulgated  on  the  2ord  of  August,  1788,  and  the  first 
court  in  the  Northwest  territory  was  the  Court  of  Common 
Pleas,  which  commenced  on  the  first  Tuesday  of  September  of 
the  same  year.  The  following  interesting  account  of  the  open- 
ing of  this  court,  purports  to  have  been  given  by  one  who  wit- 
nessed the  ceremony  : 

"On  that  memorable  first  Tuesday  of  September,  the  citi- 
zens, Governor  St.  Clair  and  other  Territorial  Officers  and  Mili- 
tary from  Fort  Harmar  being  assembled  at  the  Point,  a  proces- 
sion was  formed,  and,  as  became  the  occasion,  with  Colonel 
Ebenezer  Sproat,  Sheriff,  with  drawn  sword  and  wand  of  office 
at  the  head,  marched  up  a  path  which  had  been  cut  through  the 
forest,  to  the  hall  in  the  Northwest  Block  House  of  Campus 
Martius,  where  the  whole  counter-marched,   and    the   Judges, 


The   Early  Judiciary   of  Ohio.  '  145 

Putnam  and  Tapper,  took  their  seats  on  the  high  bench. 
Prayer  was  fittingly  offered  by  our  friend,  the  Reverend  Manas- 
seh  Cutler,  who  was  on  a  visit  to  the  new  colony,  after  which 
the  conunissions  of  the  judges,  clerk  and  sheriff  were  read,  and 
the  opening  proclaimed  in  deep  tones  by  Colonel  Sproat,  in  these 
words:  '  O,  yes!  a  court  is  opened  for  the  administration  of 
even-handed  justice  to  the  poor  and  the  rich,  to  the  guilty  and 
the  innocent,  without  respect  of  persons;  none  to  be  punished 
without  trial  by  their  peers,  and  then  in  pursuance  of  the  laws 
and  evidence  in  the  case.'  This  was  the  opening  of  the  Court 
of  Common  Pleas.  The  Indian  Chiefs,  who  had  been  invited  by 
Governor  St.  Clair  to  attend  the  convention,  were  curious  wit- 
nesses of  this  impressive  scene." 

On  the  second  Tuesday  of  the  same  month  was  held  the 
first  session  of  the  Court  of  Quarter  Sessions,  of  which  Hildreth 
says:  "  Court  was  held  in  the  Southeast  Block  House  occupied 
by  Colonel  E.  Batelle.  It  was  opened  with  the  usual  proclama- 
tion of  the  sheriff,  but  not  until  the  commission  of  the  judges 
had  been  read  by  the  clerk.  General  Rufus  Putnam  and  General 
B.  Tucker  were  appointed  justices  of  the  quorum,  and  Isaac 
Pearce,  Thomas  Lord,  R.  G.  Meigs,  assistant  justices.  Meigs 
was  clerk.  Paul  Fearing  was  admitted  as  an  attorney  to  plead 
in  all  the  courts  in  Washington  county,  being  the  first  lawyer 
ever  admitted  to  practice  in  the  Northwest  Territory.  He  was 
also  appointed  by  the  Court  attorney  for  the  United  States  in 
Washington  county.  The  Grand  Jury  consisted  of  the  follow- 
ing person  :  William  Stacy,  Nathaniel  Cushing,  Nathaniel  Good- 
ale,  Charles  Knowles,  Aselm  Tupper,  Jonathan  Stone,  Oliver 
Rice,  Ezra  Lunt,  John  Matthews,  George  Ingersol,  Jonathan 
Devol,  Samuel  Stebbins,  Jethro  Putnam  and  Jabez  True.  Wil- 
liam Stacy  was  made  foreman.  The  charge  to  the  jury  was 
given  "with  much  dignity  and  propriety  by  Judge  Putnam." 
At  one  o'clock  the  Grand  Jury  retired  and  the  Court  adjourned 
for  thirty  minutes.  At  half  past  one  the  Court  again  opened, 
when  the  jurors  entered  and  presented  a  written  address  to  the 
Court,  which,  after  being  read,  was  ordered  to  be  kept  on  file. 
Judge  Putnam  made  a  reply  to  the  address.     There  being  no 

Vol.  Ill— lu 


146  Ohio  Arch,  atid  His.  Society  Publications.        [Voi,.  3 

suits  before  the  Court,  it  was  adjourned  without  day.  This 
closed  the  first  Court  of  Quarter  Sessions  in  the  new  territory." 

One  week  after  the  publication  of  the  law  creating  the  Court 
of  Quarter  Sessions,  the  act  establishing  a  Probate  Court  was 
promulgated.  On  the  6th  of  September,  1788,  there  was  pub- 
lished "  a  law  respecting  crimes  and  punishments."  It  defined 
and  provided  the  punishment  for  treason,  murder,  manslaughter, 
arson,  burglary  with  theft,  burglary  with  personal  violence, 
burglary  with  homicide,  robbery,  riots  and  unlawful  assemblies, 
perjury,  subornation  of  perjury,  punishment  for  obstructing 
authority,  receiving  stolen  goods,  larceny,  forgery,  usurpation, 
assault  and  battery,  and  drunkenness,  the  penalty  for  the  last 
offense  being  a  fine  in  the  sum  of  five  dimes  for  the  first  offense, 
and  for  every  succeeding  offense  the  sura  of  one  dollar,  and  "  in 
either  case  upon  the  offender's  neglecting  or  refusing  to  pay  the 
fine,  he  was  set  in  the  stocks  for  the  space  of  one  hour." 

The  act  also  contained  the  following  provisions  concerning 
the  use  of  improper  and  profane  language  : 

"Whereas,  Idle,  vain  and  obscene  conversation,  profane 
cursing  and  swearing,  and  more  especially  the  irreverently  men- 
tioning, calling  upon  or  invoking  the  sacred  and  Supreme  Being, 
by  any  of  the  divine  characters  in  which  He  hath  graciously 
consented  to  reveal  His  infinitely  beneficent  purposes  to  man- 
kind, are  repugnant  to  every  moral  sentiment,  subversive  of 
every  civil  obligation,  inconsistent  with  the  ornaments  of  pol- 
ished life,  and  abhorrent  to  the  principles  of  the  most  benevolent 
religion.  It  is  expected,  therefore,  if  crimes  of  this  kind  should 
exist,  they  will  find  no  encouragement,  countenance  or  approba- 
tion in  this  territory.  It  is  strictly  enjoined  upon  all  officers  and 
ministers  of  justice,  upon  parents  and  other  heads  of  families, 
and  upon  others  of  every  description,  that  they  abstain  from 
practices  so  vile  and  irrational ;  and  that  by  example  and  pre- 
cept, to  the  utmost  of  their  power,  they  prevent  the  necessity 
of  adopting  and  publishing  laws,  with  penalties,  upon  this  head. 
And  it  is  hereby  declared  that  government  will  consider  as  un- 
worthy its  confidence  all  those  who  may  obstinately  violate  these 
injunctions." 

And  the  following  relative  to  the  religious  observance  of  the 
Sabbath  : 

"Whereas,  Mankind  in  every  stage  of  informed  society, 
have  consecrated  certain  portions  of  time  to  the  particular  culti- 


The  Early  Judiciary  of  Ohio.  147 

vation  of  the  social  virtues,  and  the  public  adoration  and  wor- 
ship of  the  common  parent  of  the  universe;  and  whereas,  a 
practice  so  rational  in  itself,  and  conformable  to  the  divine  pre- 
cepts is  greatly  conducive  to  civilization  and  piety  ;  and  whereas, 
for  the  advancement  of  such  important  and  interesting  pur- 
poses, most  of  the  Christian  world  have  set  apart  the  first  day 
of  the  week  as  a  day  of  rest  from  common  labor  and  pursuits,  it 
is,  therefore,  enjoined  that  all  servile  labor,  works  of  necessity 
and  charity  only  excepted,  be  wholly  abstained  from  on  that 
day. 

Among  other  important  acts  which  were  adopted  was  one 
directing  the  building  and  establishing  of  a  court  house,  county 
jail,  pillory,  whipping-post  and  stocks  in  every  county. 

Another,  subjecting  real  estate  to  execution  for  debt.  In" 
Chase's  Statutes  appears  this  foot  note:  "These  laws  from 
Chapter  37  to  Chapter  74,  inclusive,  have  been  commonly  known 
to  the  profession  as  the  'Maxwell  Code.'  They  were  adopted 
and  published  in  Cincinnati  in  1795  by  Governor  St.  Clair  and 
Judges  Symmes  and  Turner." 

Another  was  a  law  to  prevent  unnecessary  delays  in  causes 
after  issue  joined.  Still  another,  limiting  the  time  of  com- 
mencing civil  actions  and  instituting  criminal  prosecutions,  was 
passed  December  28,  1788.  "This  law,"  says  Chase,  "was  dis- 
approved by  Congress,  May  8,  1792."  Another  law  on  the  same 
subject  was  adopted  in  1795,  which  was  repealed  by  the  terri- 
torial legislature  as  unconstitutional.  No  law  on  this  subject 
was  afterward  enacted  until  1808,  when  the  state  legislature 
passed  an  act  of  limitation. 

An  act  of  special  interest  to  the  legal  profession  of  the 
present  day  regulated  the  fees  of  the  officers  of  the  court,  in- 
cluding attorneys.  It  allowed  a  judge  in  the  general  court,  for 
allowing  a  writ  of  error,  sixty-two  and  one-half  cents;  for  every 
supersedeas,  thirty-seven  and  one-half  cents;  the  same  for  taking 
bail;  for  taking  an  affidavit,  twelve  and  one-half  cents;  admit- 
ting a  counselor-at-law,  or  attorney,  one  dollar  and  twenty-five 
cents;  licensing  a  counselor-at-law,  or  attorney,  three  dollars  and 
seventy-five  cents. 

The  following  were  some  of  the  fees  allowed  the  Attorney- 
General  :     Entering  every  ccssal  processus  or  nolle  prosequi  for 


148  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Piiblicatio7is.        [Vol..  3 

each  defendant,  sixty-two  and  one-half  cents;  every  indictment 
per  sheet,  eighteen  cents;  fee  on  trial,  three  dollars;  for  trial  of 
every  capital  cause  where  life  was  concerned,  eight  dollars. 

To  attorneys  in  a  general  court,  it  allowed  for  a  retainer  fee, 
three  dollars  and  fifty  cents,  but  where  several  suits  were 
brought  upon  one  note  or  bond,  no  more  than  one  retainer  fee 
was  allowed;  drawing  warrant  of  attorney,  twenty-eight  cents; 
drawing  of  processus  and  returns,  twelve  and  one-half  cents;  for 
argument  on  special  motion,  one  dollar  and  twenty-five  cents, 
while  to  attorneys  in  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas,  it  allowed  the 
following:  Drawing  warrant  of  attorney,  twelve  and  one- half 
cents;  every  motion,  twenty-five  cents;  drawing  a  declaration 
and  other  pleadings,  per  sheet,  containing  seventy-two  words, 
twelve  and  one-half  cents,  and  every  copy  thereof,  six  cents  per 
sheet. 

This  act  distinguished  between  counselors-at-law  and  at- 
torneys-at-law,  and  between  the  practitioner  at  the  General 
Court  and  the  Common  Pleas  Court.  By  the  year  1790,  the 
business  of  the  courts  had  grown  to  such  an  extent  that  an  act 
was  passed  increasing  the  number  of  terms  of  the  Common 
Pleas  Court  in  each  year  from  two  to  four,  and  the  number  of 
Common  Pleas  judges  to  not  less  than  three  or  more  than  seven. 

Other  important  acts  were  adopted,  such  as  the  act  regulat- 
ing marriage,  a  law  for  the  partition  of  lands,  a  law  respecting 
divorce,  a  law  authorizing  the  judges  to  subdivide  the  counties 
into  townships;  and  here  we  find  for  the  first  time  in  our  judicial 
history  a  recognition  of  those  small  political  subdivisions. 

The  ordinance  of  1787  provided,  that  as  soon  as  it  was 
proven  that  -there  were  five  thousand  free  male  inhabitants  of 
lawful  age  in  the  district,  they  should  be  authorized  to  elect  rep- 
resentatives to  the  general  assembly.  How  the  proof  was  to 
be  made  does  not  appear,  but  in  1798,  Governor  St.  Clair  issued 
his  proclamation  that  the  territory  contained  the  requisite  num- 
ber of  free  male  inhabitants,  and  called  upon  the  people  to  elect 
representatives,  the  proportion  of  representatives  being  one  to 
every  five  hundred  voters;  but  no  one  could  be  a  representative 
unless  he  had  been  a  citizen  of  the  United  States  for  three  years 
and  a  resident  of  the  district,  or  unless  he  had  resided  in  the 


The  liarly  Judiciary  of  Ohio.  149 

district  for  three  years,  and  in  either  case  lie  must  own  in  fee 
simple  two  hundred  acres  of  land  within  his  distiict. 

The  general  assembly  consisted  of  the  Governor,  a  legisla- 
tive council,  and  a  House  of  Representatives.  The  council  con- 
sisted of  five  members,  who  held  their  office  for  five  years,  unless 
sooner  removed.  They  were  selected  in  the  following  manner : 
The  representatives  who  were  elected  by  the  people  met  at  the 
time  and  place  designated  by  the  Governor,  and  nominated  ten 
persons,  each  of  whom  were  required  to  be  a  resident  of  the 
district  and  pcssess  a  freehold  estate  in  five  hundred  acres  of 
land,  and  the  names  of  these  ten  persons  were  sent  by  the  repre- 
sentatives to  Congress,  and  Congress  selected  five  out  of  the  ten 
and  appointed  them  to  serve  as  members  of  the  council.  The 
members  of  the  council  and  house  of  representatives  met  at  Cin- 
cinnati on  the  16th  of  September,  1799,  and  organized  the  first 
general  assembly  of  the  Northwest  territory,  at  which  time  the 
authority  of  the  Governor  and  judges  to  adopt  and  promulgate 
laws  ceased,  and  the  territory  was  thereafter  governed  by  laws 
passed  by  the  territorial  general  assembly.  Edwin  Tiffin  was 
elected  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representatives  and  Henry 
Vanderberg  was  elected  President  of  the  Council. 

In  commenting  upon  the  character,  ability  and  general 
worth  of  the  men  who  constituted  this  general  assembly,  Judge 
Burnett,  in  his  notes  on  the  Northwest  Territory,  says:  "In 
choosing  members  to  the  first  territorial  legislature,  the  people 
in  almost  every  instance  selected  the  strongest  and  best  men  in 
their  respective  counties.  Party  influence  was  scarcely  felt,  and 
it  may  be  said  with  confidence,  that  no  legislature  has  been 
chosen  under  the  State  government  which  contained  a  larger 
proportion  of  aged  intelligent  men,  than  were  found  in  that 
body.  Many  of  them,  it  is  true,  were  acquainted  with  the  forms 
and  practical  duties  of  legislation,  but  they  were  strong-minded, 
sensible  men,  acquainted  with  the  condition  and  want  of  the 
country,  and  could  form  correct  opinions  of  the  operation  of  any 
measure  proposed  for  their  consideration. 

One  of  the  most  important  duties  which  devolved  upon  the 
assembly  was  to  elect  a  representative  of  the  territory  to  the 
National   Congress.     William   Henrv   Harri.son  and  Arthur  vSt. 


150  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Piiblications.        [Vol.  3 

Clair,  junior,  were  the  candidates.  The  former  received  twelve 
votes,  while  the  latter  received  ten.  Mr.  Harrison  was  accord- 
ingly declared  elected. 

The  first  act  passed  at  this  session  of  the  general  assembly, 
was  one  approving  and  declaring  to  be  in  force,  certain  acts 
which  had  previously  been  adopted  by  the  Judges  and  the  Gov- 
ernor. 

The  second  act  passed — which  was  on  the  29th  of  October, 
1799 — was  one  regulating  the  admission  and  practice  of  attor- 
neys and  counselors-at-law,  the  first  section  of  which  provided 
for  the  applicant  obtaining  a  license  to  practice,  from  the  Gov- 
ernor of  the  territory,  which  admitted  him  to  practice  as  an 
attorney-at-law  according  to  the  laws  and  customs  of  said  terri- 
tory, during  his  good  behavior,  and  authorized  him  to  receive 
such  fees  as  might  be  established;  and  required  all  judges,  jus- 
tices, and  others  concerned  to  respect  him  accordingly;  but  he 
could  not  receive  such  license  from  the  Governor  until  he  had 
obtained  a  certificate  signed  by  two  or  more  of  the  judges  of  the 
general  court,  setting  forth  that  he  had  been  regularly  examined; 
but  before  he  could  be  examined,  he  was  required  to  produce  a 
certificate  that  he  had  regularly  and  attentively  studied  law 
under  the  direction  of  a  practicing  attorney,  residing  within  the 
territory  for  the  period  of  four  years.  This  act,  like  the  one 
adopted  by  the  Governor  and  Judges,  retained  the  distinction 
between  counselor  and  attorney-at-law,  and  their  admission  to 
practice  at  the  general  term  and  Court  of  Common  Pleas.  It 
gave  the  judges  of  the  General  court,  and  of  the  several  Com- 
mon Pleas  courts,  power  to  punish  in  a  summary  way,  according 
to  the  rules  of  law  and  the  usages  of  the  courts,  any  and  every 
attorney  or  counselor-at-law  who  should  be  guilty  of  any  con- 
tempt in  the  execution  of  his  office,  and  every  attorney  or  coun- 
selor-at-law who  received  money  for  the  use  of  his  client  and  re- 
fused to  pay  the  same  when  demanded,  could  be  proceeded 
against  in  a  summary  way,  on  motion. 

On  November  3,  1800,  the  second  session  of  the  first  gen- 
eral a.ssembly  met  at  Chillicothe  and  adjourned  on  the  9th  of  De- 
cember following. 

The  second  general  assembly  held  its  first  session  at  Chilli- 


The  Early  Judiciary  of  Ohio.  151 

cothe,  commencing  on  the  23rd  of  November,  1801,  and  ending 
on  the  23rd  of  January,  1802.  Edward  Tiffin  was  again  elected 
Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representatives,  and  Robert  Oliver 
was  elected  President  of  the  Council.  Notwithstanding  the 
assembly  adjourned  to  meet  in  November  following,  a  second 
session  was  never  held,  for  the  reason  that  soon  after  the 
adjournment  of  the  first  session,  a  census  was  taken  of  the 
population  of  the  Eastern  Division  of  the  territory,  and  it  was 
found  that  it  exceeded  forty-five  thousand  persons.  Thereupon, 
an  appeal  was  made  to  Congress,  that  the  inhabitants  of  the 
Eastern  Division  be  authorized  to  call  a  convention  and  form  a 
constitution  with  the  view  of  establishing  a  State  government. 
Congress  passed  an  act  authorizing  the  convention  to  be  held 
and  as  the  result,  a  constitution  was  adopted  and  a  State  formed, 
and  admitted  into  the  Federal  Union. 

The  convention  which  framed  the  first  Constitution  of  our 
State  met  at  Chillicothe  on  the  first  Monday  of  November,  1802. 
It  was  expeditious  in  its  work,  for  on  the  29th  of  the  same 
laontli  it  adjourned,  having  adopted  a  Constitution  without  sub- 
mitting it  to  the  people  for  ratification.  Concerning  the  judiciary 
it  contained  the  following  clause:  "The  judicial  power  of  the 
State,  both  as  to  matters  of  law  and  equity,  shall  be  vested  in  a 
Supreme  Court,  Court  of  Common  Pleas  for  each  count}',  in 
Justices  of  the  Peace,  and  in  such  other  courts  as  the  Legislature 
may,  from  time  to  time,  establish. 

It  further  provided,  that  the  Supreme  Court  should  consist 
of  three  judges,  auy  two  of  whom  should  be  a  quorum ;  that 
they  should  be  appointed  by  a  joint  ballot  of  both  Houses  of  the 
General  Assembly,  and  should  hold  their  office  for  the  term  of 
seven  years,  if  so  long  they  behaved  well. 

The  first  General  Assembly  of  the  State  of  Ohio  convened 
at  Chillicothe  on  Tuesday,  March  1st,  1808.  On  the  loth  of 
April  following,  it  passed  a  general  act  providing  for  the  organi- 
zation of  "Judicial  Courts,"  and  abolished  all  courts  which  had 
been  established  during  the  existence  of  the  Territorial  Govern- 
ment. During  the  session,  the  convention  elected  the  following 
State  officers:  William  Creighton,  jr.,  Secretary  of  State; 
Thomas  Gibson,  Auditor;  William  .Mcl''i:land,  Treasurer,  while 


152      '  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 

Return  Jonathan  Meigs,  jr.,  Samuel  Huntington  and  William 
Sprigg  were  elected  Judges  of  the  Supreme  Court,  and  Francis 
Dunlavey,  Wyllys  Sillman  and  Calvin  Pease,  Judges  of  the  Dis- 
trict Courts. 

The  second  General  Assembly  met  on  December  5th,  1803. 
On  February  LS,  1804,  it  amended  the  act  of  the  first  General 
Assembly  providing  for  the  organization  of  the  courts.  On  the 
same  day  it  passed  an  act  ' '  regulating  the  duties  of  Justices  of 
the  Peace  and  Constables,  in  criminal  and  civil  cases,"  making 
their  jurisdiction  co-extensive  with  their  counties  in  criminal 
matters,  and  with  their  townships  in  civil  causes,  which  is  still 
the  provision  of  our  statutes.  It  also  prescribed  the  forms  which 
should  be  used  by  the  Justices  in  their  practice,  and  with  little, 
if  any  change,  they  are  still  used. 

-  The  third  General  Assembly  began  its  session  on  December 
3,  1804.  The  first  act  which  it  passed  related  to  crimes  and  pun- 
ishments. On  the  12th  of  February,  1805,  a  general  act  was 
passed  defining  the  duties  of  Justices  of  the  Peace  and  Con- 
stables, and  repealing  all  former  laws  in  force  on  that  subject. 
Among  other  things,  this  act  provided  that  Justices  should  have 
jurisdiction  in  civil  cases  to  the  amount  of  fifty  dollars  without 
the  right  of  jury  trial.  Subsequently,  Judges  Huntington 
and  Todd  of  the  Supreme  Court,  and  Pease  of  the  Common 
Pleas  Court,  who  afterward  was  on  the  Supreme  Bench,  held 
this  provision  of  the  law  to  be  in  conflict  with  that  section  of  the 
Federal  Constitution,  which  provides  that  "  in  suits  at  common 
law  when  the  value  in  controversy  shall  exceed  twenty  dollars, 
the  right  of  trial  by  jury  shall  be  preserved."  The  court  also 
held  "the  act  to  be  in  conflict  with  that  clause  of  the  Statis  Con- 
stitution providing  that  "the  right  of  trial  by  jury  shall  be  in- 
violate." Out  of  this  decision  arose  a  most  interesting  and  ex- 
citing proceeding.  The  indignation  of  the  public  toward  the 
Judges  who  rendered  the  decision,  was  violent  and  almost  unre- 
strained. It  was  asserted  that  the  judicial  branch  of  the  gov- 
ernment was  invading  the  domain  of  the  legislature,  and  assum- 
ing legislative  powers,  and  such  conduct  was  not  to  be  tolerated 
even  from  the  Supreme  Court.  In  consequence  of  the  bitter 
feeling  among  the  members  of  the  General  Assembly,  that  body 


The  Early  Judiciary  of  Ohio.  l53 

undertook  to  ini peach  the  Judges  who  had  rendered  the  decision. 
The  records  of  the  proceedings  show  that  on  December  24,  1808, 
the  following  message  was  sent  from  the  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives ; 

"The  House  of  Representatives  having  instructed  the  man- 
agers appointed  to  conduct  the  impeachment  against  Calvin 
Pease,  Esquire,  President  of  the  Third  Circuit  of  the  Court  of 
Common  Pleas  of  this  State,  to  proceed  to  the  bar  of  the  Senate 
with  the  articles  of  impeachment  against  the  said  Calvin  Pease, 
Esquire,  and  there  demanded  that  the  said  Calvin  Pease,  Es- 
quire, be  put  to  answer  the  said  articles  of  impeachment  ex- 
hibited against  him."  Committees  were  then  appointed  to  pre- 
pare and  report  the  method  of  proceeding  in  the  conduct  of 
the  trial.  On  December  27,  the  Managers  on  the  part  of  the 
House,  took  seats  assigned  them  within  the  bar,  and  the 
Sergeant-at-Arms  made  proclamation  of  the  trial  in  the  follow- 
ing words:  "O,  yes!  O,  yes!  O,  yes!  all  persons  are  commanded 
to  keep  silence  under  pain  of  imprisonment,  while  the  grand 
inquest  of  the  State  is  exhibiting  to  the  Senate  of  Ohio,  articles 
of  impeachment  against  Calvin  Pease,  President  of  the  Courts 
of  Common  Pleas  of  the  Third  Circuit."  The  articles  were  then 
read.  In  the  course  of  the  trial,  the  Sergeant-at-Arms  was 
directed  by  the  Speaker  to  call  Calvin  Pease,  Esquire,  three 
several  times  in  the  following  manner,  to  appear  and  answer: 
"Hear  ye,  Hear  ye.  Hear  ye,  Calvin  Pease,  President  of  the 
Court  of  Common  Pleas  of  the  Third  Circuit,  come  forward  and 
answer  the  articles  of  impeachment  exhibited  against  you  by  the 
House  of  Representatives."  Articles  were  drawn  up  against 
each  of  the  Judges.  The  one  against  Pease  contained  three 
distinct  charges,  while  that  against  Todd  contained  but  one. 
Judge  Harrington  in  the  meantime  had  been  elected  Governor, 
and  for  that  reason  the  charges  against  him  were  not  pressed. 
The  accused  were  each  furnished  copies  of  the  charges  and  then 
filed  their  answers.  Several  days  were  spent  in  the  trial.  In  the 
Senate  Journal  of  1808-9  appears  this  short,  but  interesting 
record:  "High  Court  of  Impeachment,  Monday,  February  6th. 
The  State  of  Ohio  vs.  Calvin  Pease."  The  court  was  opened 
by  proclamation.     Ordered,   that  the   Clerk  notify   the  House 


ir)4  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Piiblicatiovs .         [VOL.  3 

of  Rcprcseiitalives  that  the  Senate  is  in  their  public  chamber 
and  ready  to  proceed  farther  with  the  trial  of  impeachment  of 
Calvin  Pease,  President  of  the  Courts  of  Coaimon  Pleas  of  the 
Third  Circuit  of  this  State.  The  Managers  accompanied  by  the 
House  of  Representatives,  attended.  The  respondent  with  his 
counsel  also  attended  on  the  first  article  of  impeachment. 
The   clerk   took   the    opinion   of    the   members   of    the   court, 

respectively,   in  the   form   following:    Mr.  ,  how  say  you, 

is  the  respondent,  Calvin  Pease,  guilty  or  not  guilty,  of  the 
high  crime  or  misdemeanor  as  charged  in  the  first  article  of 
impeachment?"  The  respondent  was  unanimously  acquitted  on 
the  first  charge.  The  Clerk  then  took  the  opinion  in  the  same 
way  of  each  member  on  the  second  article  of  impeachment. 
Fifteen  members  voted  "  guilty  "  and  uine  "not  guilty  ".  Where- 
upon, the  Speaker  declared  that  "Calvin  Pease,  President  of  the 
Courts  of  Common  Picas  of  the  Third  Circuit  of  this  State,  is 
acquitted  of  all  the  charges  contained  in  the  articles  of  impeach- 
ment exhibited  against  him  by  the  Ilouse  of  Representatives," 
and  the  court  adjourned  without  day.  The  proceedings  against 
Judge  Tod  were  then  commenced  and  lasted  several  days,  the 
vote  standing  as  it  did  in  the  case  of  Judge  Pease. 

The  business  of  the  courts  kept  pace  with  the  rapid  com- 
mercial developments  of  the  new  State  and  the  increase  in  its 
population.  The  mcml^crs  of  the  Supreme  Court  were  required 
to  travel  the  circuit,  and  as  there  were  no  carriages  or  railroads, 
they  were  compelled  to  ro  on  horseback,  and  in  the  absence  of 
the  modern  turn-pike  or  even  the  old  corduroy  road,  the  journey 
was  undesirable  and  frequently  hazardous. 

For  many  years  the  annual  salaiy  of  a  Supreme  Judge  was 
only  €vA.\\  hr.ndred  dollars,  but  neither  the  corduroy  roads  nor 
the  sni;.ll  salary  were  permitted  to  stifle  the  social  side  of  the 
court,  and  there  is  abundant  evidence  that  the  good  nature  of 
the  dignified  jud;jcs  sometimes  manifested  itself  in  ways  that 
were  calculated  to  develop  social  amenities  at  the  expense  of  ju- 
dicial gravity.  I  am  indebted  to  Senator  Sherman  for  the  follow- 
ing incident,  who  recently  related  it  to  me  and  authorized  its  use 
in  this  connection.  Judge  Hitchcock  had  often  said  that  circum- 
stantial evidence  was  stronger  than  direct  evidence,  for  the  rea- 


Thr   liaily  Jiiuinary  of   ()/iii>.  li")") 

son  that  "  witnesses  will  lie  and  yon  can  not  pi  event  it,  bnt  cii 
cumstantial  evidence  never  lies."  It  was  one  of  the  Judge's 
peculiarities  that  he  was  greatly  averse  to  card  playing.  Once 
when  the  Judges  were  holding  court  in  Columbus,  they  all  occu- 
pied one  room  at  the  hotel.  One  evening  after  Judge  Hitchcock 
had  retired,  several  members  of  the  bar  called,  and  "old  sledge" 
and  "  whiskey  poker"  were  indulged  in  until  a  late  hour.  When 
the  callers  had  departed,  one  of  the  judges  opened  Judge  Hitch- 
cock's valise,  and  taking  out  a  soiled  garmen.t  wrapped  it  around 
a  well-worn  pack  of  cards,  and  then  replaced  it  in  the  valise. 
The  next  day  the  judges  went  to  their  homes,  when  Mrs.  Hitch- 
cock (as  the  Judge  afterward  told  the  other  members  of  the 
court)  opened  his  valise  for  the  purpose  of  getting  his  wash,  and 
was  horrified  at  discovering  the  pack.  She  was  convinced  that 
the  Judge  had  learned  to  "play,"  and  in  great  distress  went  to 
him  and  said:  "  Peter,  Peter,  what  have  you  been  doing?  It  is 
too  bad,  and  I  never  would  have  thought  it  of  j'ou  ;  see  what  I 
have  found  in  your  shirt!"  At  the  same  time  exhibiting  the 
cards.  Judge  Hitchcock  told  it  to  the  other  judges  as  a  joke, 
when  one  of  them  remarked  that  it  might  have  been  a  joke,  but 
the  circumstantial  evidence  seemed  complete.  The  judge  saw 
the  point  and  thereafter  had  less  to  say  about  the  weight  of  such 
testimony. 

In  the  preface  to  Wright's  Reports  is  the  following  state- 
ment made  by  that  excellent  judge,  relative  to  the  labors  of  the 
Supreme  Court  at  that  time:  "The  Supreme  Court  of  Ohio  is 
now  composed  of  four  judges,  the  largest  number  the  Constitu- 
tion permits.  The  Constitution  requires  a  court  to  be  holden 
once  a  year  in  each  county,  and  makes  any  two  of  the  judges  a 
quorum.  A  legislative  act  imposes  upon  the  judges  the  duty  of 
holding  every  year  a  court  in  banc  at  the  seat  of  government. 
*  *  =^-  The  principal  result  of  this  organization  of  the  court 
is,  that  the  Supreme  Court  is  generally  iicld  in  the  several  coun- 
ties by  two  judges  only.  The  judges  relieve  one  another  to  suit 
their  own  C(Mivenience,  so  dividing  their  labor  that  each  may  per- 
form one-half  of  the  circuit  duty.  The  duties  imposed  on  this 
Court  are  so  great  as  to  make  this  relief  necessary,  for  it  would 
be  difficult  to  find  men  of  sufficient  physical  ability  to  partici- 


156  0/iio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.   3 

pate  in  all  of  them.  These  judges  now  hold  court  hi  seventy- 
two  counties  each  year,  requiring  2250  miles  travel.  The  num- 
ber of  cases  on  their  trial  dockets  in  1834  was  1459.  The  judges 
are  occupied  in  banc  from  three  to  four  weeks  annually.  If  that 
time  and  Sundays  are  deducted  from  the  year  and  the  usual 
allowance  is  made  for  travel,  the  Court,  to  clear  its  docket, 
would  be  under  the  necessity  of  deciding  on  an  average,  about 
seven  cases  a  day  for  each  reinaining  day  of  the  year." 

To  relieve  the  pressure  upon  the  courts  it  became  necessary 
to  increase  the  number  of  Supreme  Judges  and  to  create  new 
Courts  of  Common  Pleas.  There  were  thirty  Judges  of  the 
Supreme  Court  under  the  old  Constitution,  which  covered  a 
period  of  forty-nine  years.  The  decisions  of  the  Court  were  not 
published  by  legislative  authority  and  in  permanent  form  until 
1823,  when  the  first  volume  of  the  Ohio  Reports  was  issued. 

The  earlier  judges  who  graced  our  Supreme  bench  were 
Huntington,  Meigs,  Sprigg,  Todd,  Symmes,  Scott,  Morris, 
Irwin,  Brown  and  Pease,  two  of  whom,  Huntington  and  Meigs, 
were  afterward  Governor  of  the  State.  Following  these  were 
McLean,  afterward  a  Cabinet  officer  and  a  Justice  of  the 
Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States;  then  Couch,  and  Burnett, 
who  was  afterward  a  United  States  Senator;  and  Hitchcock,  who 
occupied  the  position  for  twenty-eight  years — longer  than  any 
man  before  or  since  his  time.  Then  came  Sherman,  the  father 
of  the  General  and  Senator,  who  died  while  on  the  bench,  at  the 
early  age  of  forty-one.  Then  Gustavus  Swan,  the  uncle  of  Jos- 
eph R.  Swan,  who  was  on  the  same  bench  under  the  new  Con- 
stitution ;  then  Hayward,  Goodenow,  Brush,  Wood  and  Wright. 
They  were  followed  by  Collet,  Lane,  Grimke,  Birchard,  Read, 
Avery,  Spalding,  Caldwell  and  Ranney.  These  were  all  able 
judges,  but  some  of  them  were  especially  eminent,  and  their 
opinions  made  the  Court  distinguished  throughout  the  entire 
country.  But  the  reputation  of  the  bar  was  equal  to  that  of  the 
bench,  and  many  of  the  greatest  lawyers  of  our  State  practiced 
under  the  old  Constitution.  Among  the  earlier  names  which  be- 
came illustrious  was  that  of  William  Creighton,  of  Chillicothe. 
He  was  educated  at  Dickinson  College,  where  he  was  a  fellow- 
student  of  the  great  Tanney,   afterward  Chief  Justice  of  the 


The  Early  Judiciary  of  Ohio.  157 

United  States.  He  was  especially  distinguished  as  a  jury  law- 
yer. He  serv^ed  many  years  in  Congress,  and  was  an  intimate 
friend  of  Daniel  Webster.  I  have  heard  it  said  that  if  Mr.  Web- 
ster had  reached  the  Presidency,  Mr.  Creighton  would  have  been 
a  member  of  his  Cabinet. 

Another  great  member  of  the  Chillicothe  bar  was  Benjamin 
F,  Leonard.  He  was  a  man  of  profound  learning  in  the  law  and 
all  kindred  subjects.  Then  came  a  cluster  of  names  which  will 
forever  remain  unsurpassed  for  their  learning,  eloquence  and 
wit,  every  element,  in  fact,  which  enters  into  consideration  in 
the  make-up  of  a  great  lawyer.  Among  them  was  Samuel  F. 
Vinton.  Like  others  who  helped  to  make  our  State  illustrious, 
he  was  born  in  New  England.  He  graduated  at  Williams  Col- 
lege and  settled  in  Gallipolis  in  1816.  He  was  elected  a  Repre- 
sentative in  Congress  in  1823  and  served  for  fourteen  years.  He 
was  again  elected  in  1843  and  served  eight  j^ears,  in  all  a  period 
of  twenty-two  years.  His  greatest  legal  effort  was  his  argument 
in  the  case  of  the  commonwealth  against  Garner  and  others,  be- 
fore the  Supreme  Court  of  Virginia,  in  1845.  Peter  M.  Garner, 
Mordecai  Thomas  and  Graydon  J.  Loraine  were  citizens  of  the 
State  of  Ohio,  while  John  H.  Harwood  resided  in  Wood  county, 
Virginia,  and  was  the  owner  of  slaves.  On  the  9th  of  July, 
1845,  some  slaves,  intending  to  escape  from  Harwood,  crossed 
over  the  Ohio  River  in  a  canoe  to  the  Ohio  shore,  where  said 
Garner,  Thomas  and  Loraine  met  them  and  were  in  the  act  of 
assisting  them  from  the  canoe  and  up  the  river  bank,  when  they 
were  all  arrested,  taken  to  Virginia,  imprisoned,  and  subse- 
quently indicted.  As  the  arrest  was  made  on  the  Ohio  side 
of  the  river,  the  only  question  in  the  case  was,  what  was  the 
extent  of  Virginia's  jurisdiction  over  the  rivers.  The  case 
attracted  national  attention.  Mr.  Vinton,  in  his  argument, 
claimed  that  the  jurisdiction  of  Virginia  did  not  extend  on  the 
north  side  of  the  river  beyond  low  water  mark.  He  asserted 
that  Virginia  never  had  an  ownership  in  the  Northwest  Terri- 
tory, first,  becau.se  the  charter  which  King  James  granted  in 
1609,  and  which  was  claimed  as  the  source  of  Virginia's  title, 
did  not  include  land  which  lay  beyond  the  Ohio,  or  west  of  the 
Allegheny  Mountains;  and,  second,  if  the  grant  was  originally 


158  Ohio  Arch,  and  /lis.  Socir/y  Publications.        [Vol.  3 

broad  enough  to  embrace  the  land  lying  within  the  Northwest 
Territory,  the  charter  which  the  King  granted  to  Virginia  had 
been  revoked  by  the  Court  of  King's  Bench  in  1824.  "  when  a 
judgment  was  rendered  against  the  corporation,  canceling  the 
patent  and  ordering  the  franchises  of  the  charter  resumed  by 
the  crown." 

The  argument  of  Mr.  Vinton  in  this  case  will  always  be 
classed  among  the  greatest  arguments  of  the  greatest  American 
lawyers.  As  an  historical  production  it  was  overwhelming,  and 
absolutely  unanswerable.  It  was  delivered  to  twelve  judges, 
and  by  a  majority  of  one,  the  decision  was  in  his  favor.  Simeon 
Nash  of  Gallipolis  was  also  a  distinguished  lawyer  and  judge, 
but  his  reputation  chiefly  rests  upon  being  the  author  of  Nash's 
Pleadings.  William  Allen  of  Chillicothe  was  another  man  who 
won  his  way  to  distinction  at  the  bar.  He  afterward  was  United 
States  Senator  and  Governor  of  Ohio. 

Greatest,  perhaps,  of  all,  were  Ewing,  Stanbury  and  Corwin. 
Whether  their  fame  rests  wholly  upon  their  distinction  at  the  bar 
or  not,  it  is  certain  they  fill  the  largest  horizon  and  occupy  the 
greatest  places  in  history  of  any  lawyers  which  our  State  has 
produced.  Each  rose  ^rom  humble  birth  to  a  place  in  the  Na- 
tion's cabinet ;  and  great  as  they  all  were,  each  was  without  a 
peer  in  his  especial  field. 

Ewing's  intellect  was  strong  and  rugged.  He  would  have 
been  a  great  natural  lawyer  had  he  never  seen  a  law  book,  a 
great  logician  had  he  never  seen  a  work  on  logic.  Nature  made 
him  to  be  an  expounder  of  the  law.  If  his  arguments  were 
somewhat  devoid  of  ornament,  it  was  because  they  needed  no 
ornament ;  they  were  too  great  to  be  ornate. 

Mr.  Stanbury  was  a  broader  scholar  than  Mr.  Ewing.  Mr.~ 
Ewing  was  master  of  the  rough  logic  of  nature,  while  Mr.  Stan- 
bury was  always  equipped  in  the  armor  of  the  books.  He  was 
a  thorough  student  of  the  law,  and  always  knew  the  decisions 
of  the  courts.  Strong  as  he  was  in  this  particular,  another  ele- 
ment of  his  strength  was  his  unrivaled  eloquence  and  the  purity 
of  his  diction. 

Mr.  Corwin  was  not  the  equal  of  either  Mr.  Ewing  or  Mr. 
Stanbury  as  a  lawyer  in  the  strict  sense  of  that  word.     Neither 


The  F.arlv  Judiciarv   of   Ohio.  159 

were  cith(jr  of  them  his  equal  in  his  special  adaptation.  It  is 
questionable  if  he  ever  had  a  superior  as  an  advocate  before  a 
jury.  The  burning  eloquence  and  impassioned  oratory  with 
which  he  swayed  a  popular  audience  —  at  one  time  making  his 
hearers  weep,  in  the  next  convulsing  them  with  laughter,  and 
then  in  an  instant  filling  them  with  awe  at  the  grandeur  and 
sublimity  of  his  rhetoric  —  was  always  at  his  command  in  the 
trial  of  a  jury  cause. 

Among  the  many  members  of  the  legal  profession  who  came 
in  an  early  day  to  our  young  State  and  made  it  their  future  home 
and  afterward  became  famous  lawyers,  Salmon  P.  Chase  was  the 
most  conspicuous.  His  edition  of  the  Revised  Statutes  of  Ohio 
was  an  invaluable  compilation,  and  could  ngt  have  been  prepared 
by  any  but  the  most  careful  and  thorough  lawyer.  It  contains  a 
preliminary  history  of  Ohio  which  is  the  best  ever  written.  The 
career  of  this  great  man  fully  sustained  the  promise  of  his  early 
life.  He  was  a  member  of  President  Lincoln's  Cabinet,  and  for 
many  years  was  a  conspicuous  figure  in  the  Republic,  and  died 
as  the  Chief  Justice  of  its  Supreme  Court,  the  peer  of  his  illus- 
trious predecessors. 

It  would  be  interesting  to  mention  the  great  judges  who 
have  adorned  our  Supreme  Bench  under  the  present  Constitu- 
tion, among  w'hom  Ranney  and  Thurman  would  be  entitled  to 
special  notice ;  and  also  interesting  to  dwell  at  length  on  the 
many  lawyers  who  have  risen  to  eminence  and  fame  since  the 
adoption  of  that  instrument;  among  whom  are  Stanton,  Waite, 
Swayne,  Matthews,  Groesbeck,  Perr}^  Hoadly,  Pugh,  Hunter, 
Taft,  Harrison,  Boynton,  Shellebarger,  HutChins,  West,  Ambler 
and  others;  but  my  theme  relates  to  our  ^ar/;' judiciary  and  early 
bar,  and  precludes  me  from  coming  beyond  the  adoption  of  the 
present  Constitution.  Much  as  Ohio  has  to  be  proud  of,  and 
great  as  her  position  is  in  the  National  Union,  nothing  has  con- 
tributed more  to  her  greatness  and  the  permanency  of  her  insti- 
tutions, than  her  early  judiciary  and  early  bar. 

David  K.  Watson. 


160  Ohio  Arch,  ayid  His.  Society  Publications .        [Vol.  3 

Following  Mr.  Watson's  address,  .several  short  speeches 
were  made,  after  which  Mr.  Graham  repeated  somewhat  briefly 
his  illustrated  address  on  the  "French  Discoveries  and  Claims  in 
America."  This  done,  a  reception  was  held,  and  the  exercises 
for  the  day  closed.  The  next  day,  the  Sabbath,  the  Centennial 
day,  was  properl}'  and  fittingly  observed  in  all  the  churches.  In 
the  afternoon,  in  the  opera  house,  Rev.  Washington  Gladden 
preached  the  anniversary  sermon.  This  sermon,  as  well  as  ab- 
stracts of  those  preached  in  the  pulpits  of  the  city  churches, 
conclude  this  part  of  the  volume. 


Remarks  of  Gov.  James  E.    Campbell.  161 


REMARKS   OF   GOVERNOR   JAMEvS   E.    CAMPBELL. 

It  was  a  long-deferred  pleasure  one  year  ago,  on  the  19th  of 
October,  to  make  my  first  visit  here.  I  learned  after  arriving 
that  it  was  an  auspicious  day,  being  the  ninety-ninth  anniversary 
of  the  landing  upon  the  banks  of  yonder  river  of  the  little  band 
of  French  settlers  who  founded  this  handsome  and  flourishing 
city.  During  an  address  to  the  people,  who  gathered  on  that 
occasion  to  hear  the  political  discussion  of  the  then  existing 
campaign,  I  said,  in  a  half -jocular  way,  that  I  would  return  in  a 
year  as  Governor  of  the  State  to  celebrate  the  city's  centennial. 
In  response  to  that  promise,  and  your  subsequent  courteous  in- 
vitation, my  military  staff  and  myself  have  come  to  participate 
in  these  interesting  ceremonies.  We  are  here  rsther  to  be  seen 
than  heard. 

The  programme  announces  that  I  am  to  deliver  an  address, 
but  the  unexpected  and  overwhelming  labors  of  the  last  fort- 
night have  absorbed  my  time  to  the  exclusion  of  anything  but 
official  work,  and  I  am,  therefore,  obliged  to  confess  that  I  have 
no  address — that  the  little  I  am  to  say  must  be  without  prepara. 
tion.  I  am  simply  a  gleaner  in  the  field  that  has  been  harvested! 
so  well  by  those  who  have  preceded  me. 

The  French  settlers  who  came  here  a  century  ago  were,  as 
we  all  know,  not  the  first  French  settlers  in  the  Ohio  valley,  foi- 
the  lilies  of  France  had  floated  to  the  breeze,  both  on  the  Ohio 
and  the  Mississippi,  a  hundred  years  before.  They  were  found 
north  of  the  great  lakes,  and  around  the  southern  bayous. 
Parkham  has  happily  described  it  by  saying  that  "  French  Amer- 
ica had  two  heads;  one  among  the  snows  of  Canada,  the  other 
among  the  cane-brakes  of  Louisiana!"  Northern  Ohio  was 
occupied  by  French  fur  traders  as  early  as  1680.  They  were 
scattered  along  the  lake  from  the  Maumee  to  the   Cuyahoga. 

Forty  years  before  the  settlement  of  Gallipolis  the  English 
settlers  were  warned  out  of  Ohio  by  the  French  commander, 
and  formal  possession  taken  in  the  name  of  Louis  Fifteenth  by 
burying  leaden  plates  along  the  Ohio  river,  engraved  with  ap- 
propriate inscriptions.     The  bloody  and  picturesque  drama  of 

Vol.  Ill— 11 


162  O/iio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.         [Vol.  3 

frontier  settlement  was  participated  in  by  French  officers  of  vari- 
ous dates. 

But  the  French  who  came  here  a  century  ago,  did  not  come 
under  the  auspices  of  the  French  Government.  They  expatrat- 
ed  themselves,  and  left  their  allegiance  and  friends  behind  them. 
They  came  not  for  conquest,  nor  for  glory,  but  were  in  a  sense 
refugees  from  the  bloody  wars  then  raging  in  their  own  country. 
They  sought  quiet  homes,  peaceful  pleasures,  and  frugal  but 
contented  lives.  They  and  their  careers  have  been  accurately 
and  graphically  depicted  by  your  fellow  townsman  who  ad- 
dressed himself  to  that  part  of  the  subject  yesterday.  He  has 
told  in  elaborate  detail  of  the  fraudulent  titles  and  false  pictures 
of  pioneer  life  that  brought  them  here;  of  their  departure  full 
of  the  enthusiasm  that  characterizes  the  mercurial  and  versatile 
Gaul;  their  shipwreck  at  sea;  their  landing  at  Alexandria,  then 
one  of  the  most  important  points  of  the  infant  republic;  of 
their  troubles  after  landing;  their  correspondence  with  Washing- 
ton about  the  titles  to  their  lands;  of  their  western  trip,  and 
their  landing  here  in  the  beautiful  autumn  season;  of  their  in- 
aptitude, by  reason  of  their  former  habits  and  customs,  for  the 
hardships  and  struggles  of  their  new  home.  All  this  has  been 
recited,  and  to  repeat  it  now  would  be  but  a  work  of  supereroga- 
tion. 

The  histor}'  of  Gallipolis  and  the  surrounding  country  from 
that  day  to  this  has  doubtless  been  well  told  here  under  the  title 
of  "A  Century  and  its  Lesson,"  by  a  distinguished  citizen  of 
the  oldest  city  in  Ohio.  The  history  of  your  people  for  the  cen- 
tury is  the  history  of  all  the  people  of  Ohio.  In  the  beginning 
there  were  the  dangers  from  savages;  from  fever  and  ague,  and 
the  climatic  diseases  of  a  new  country.  They  lived  in  the  same 
log  huts,  with  the  same  puncheon  floors;  were  clothed  in  the 
same  deer-skin  garments;  used  the  same  hewn  furniture;  ate  the 
same  hoe-cake,  fish  and  game;  indulged  in  the  same  shooting 
matches,  bear-hunts  and  militia  musters,  as  all  the  other  pioneers 
in  the  other  counties  of  the  State.  The  men  were  of  sturdy 
stock,  and  the  women  were  fit  mothers  for  the  generations  that 
were  to  follow. 

As  they  lived  here  upon  the  banks  of  the  river  they  saw 


Remarks  of  Goverjior  James  E.    Carnpbcll.  163 

many  changes.  They  saw  the  first  steamboat,  the  "Orleans," 
pass  down  in  1811.  Some  thought  it  was  a  comet,  and  some 
that  the  British  had  come;  and  to  all  it  was  a  wonder,  a  marvel. 
In  1812  (a  year  later),  they  went  with  McArthur's  regiment  to 
fight  the  British.  From  that  day  to  this  the  citizens  of  Galli- 
polis  have  done  their  part  as  Americans  and  Buckeyes,  adding  to 
the  glory  and  greatness  of  their  State  and  country  in  peace  and 
in  war.  Some  of  them  went  to  Mexico  and  helped  to  bring  the 
"Lone  Star"  and  the  "Golden  Gate"  into  the  sisterhood  of  the 
republic.  "Hundreds  of  them,  during  the  last  war,  did  their  full 
share  in  restoring  their  country  to  its  integrity,  and  were  a 
glorious  part  of  the  three  hundred  and  twenty  thousand  names 
which  Ohio  wrote  upon  the  muster  roll  of  the  Union.  Your 
people  have  taken  their  part  in  the  field  of  statesmanship  and 
letters.  They  have  been  guided  by  lofty  patriotism  and  high  in- 
telligence; and  as  they  gather  here  to-day  by  the  thousands, 
with  all  the  evidences  of  culture  and  wealth  —  the  product  of 
American  school  houses  and  churches  —  they  fitly  represent  the 
free  institutions  which  have  arisen  from  the  hopes,  ambitions, 
and  successes  of  the  pioneers  who  gathered  here  one  hundred 
years  ago. 


164  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications .        [Vol.  3 


RIO  GRANDE  COLLEGE— REV.  J.  M.  DAVIS, 
PRESIDENT. 

When  asked  but  a  few  hours  ago  to  take  part  in  the  exercises 
of  this  forenoon,  I  gladly  consented;  for,  in  my  opinion,  no  inter- 
est that  has  been  developed  in  Gallia  county  in  the  first  century 
of  its  settlement  is  more  worthy  of  being  brought  to  remem- 
brance and  notice  than  its  educational  interests,  and  my  connec- 
tion for  a  number  of  years  with  Rio  Grande  college  enables  me 
to  set  forth  briefly  its  history  and  present  condition.  Other 
gentlemen,  who  have  given  much  time  and  research  to  the  task, 
have  given  an  account  of  the  public  and  other  schools  of  this 
city  and  of  the  county  in  general.  I  will  confine  my  remarks  to 
the  institution  just  named. 

Shortly  after  the  war  of  1812,  Nehemiah  Atwood,  a  native 
of  Shenandoah  county,  Virginia,  a  man  who  had  done  honorable 
service  as  an  ofiicer  in  the  American  army,  settled  in  this  county. 
In  1819  he  was  married  to  Permelia  Ridge  way,  daughter  of  David 
Ridgeway,  who  had  come  to  Gallia  county  from  South  Carolina 
in  1803.  Mr.  Atwood  and  his  wife  settled  upon  a  farm  near 
where  the  present  village  of  Rio  Grande  stands,  and  the  remain- 
der of  their  long  and  active  lives  was  spent  in  the  same  neighbor- 
hood. Without  children,  with  good  health,  industry,  economy, 
and  more  than  ordinary  business  qualifications,  they  accumulated 
in  about  thirty  years  an  estate  of  one  hundred  thousand  dollars. 

About  1850  a  new  personal  force  began  to  make  itself  felt 
in  the  vicinity  of  their  home,  and  we  are  called  to  notice  a  man 
who  afterward  became  one  of  the  most  useful  and  honored 
citizens  that  this  county  has  ever  had.  Rev.  I.  Z.  Haning, 
a  native  of  Athens  county,  and  a  student  of  the  Ohio  University, 
came  as  an  evangelist  into  Huntington  and  Raccoon  townships, 
and  under  his  divinely  blessed  labors  a  profound  and  extended 
religious  reformation  took  place,  the  good  results  of  which  are 
yet  visible  in  many  forms. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Atwood  listened  to  his  teaching,  were  con- 
verted to  Chri.st,  and  from  that  day  forth  lived  a  new  life.  They 
became   studious   and    constant   workers   in   their    church   and 


M 


Rio  Grande  College.  165 

Sundaj'-school.  They  contributed  largely  to  the  building  of 
a  meeting  house  near  their  home,  and  gave  two  thousand  dollars 
as  an  endowment  fund  to  aid  in  the  support  of  regular  preaching 
at  this  church  for  all  time.  They  gave  financial  assistance 
to  the  organized  charities  of  the  church  to  which  they  belonged, 
and  to  a  school  at  Albany,  Ohio,  called  after  that  the  Atwood 
Institute. 

As  a  result  of  their  growing  conceptions  of  Christian  benevo- 
lence, and  influenced  by  the  advice  of  Mr.  Haning,  they  finally 
decided  to  give  their  estate  for  the  founding  and  endowment  of 
a  college  in  the  place  where  they  had  spent  the  most  of  their 
lives  and  accumulated  their  fortune.  Mr.  Atwood  died  in  1869, 
before  any  stsps  had  been  taken  toward  carrying  out  this  plan. 
At  the  invitation  of  his  widow,  Mr.  Haning  soon  afterward 
removed  to  Rio  Grande,  and  action  was  taken  toward  the  erection 
and  opening  of  the  college.  The  college  building  costing,  $17,000, 
and  the  boarding  hall,  costing  $13,000,  were  erected,  and  the 
college  opened  in  September,  1876. 

A  few  weeks  before  its  opening,  the  founder  executed  her 
will,  bequeathing  her  entire  estate  for  its  endowment.  This 
estate,  which  came  into  the  possession  of  the  college  trustees 
upon  her  death  in  1885,  now  amounts  to  about  $66,000. 

The  college  has  been  in  continued  and  successful  operation 
since  its  opening;  and  at  the  present,  with  its  fine  buildings  and 
grounds,  its  income  equal  to  the  economical  but  vigorous  man- 
ner in  which  it  is  carried  on,  its  established  character  for  thorough 
work  .and  for  the  inculcation  of  those  principles  which  are  the 
prime  essentials  in  all  the  true  manhood  and  womanhood,  and 
with  a  warm  place  in  a  large  and  growing  portion  of  our  people,  is 
one  of  the  things  that,  as  citizens  of  Gallia  county,  we  can  look 
upon  with  the  deepest  gratification  as  we  recount  the  progress 
of  a  century  and  take  account  of  the  things  that  make  the  com- 
ing years  bright  and  hopeful. 

It  is  our  privilege  to  rejoice  in  the  fact  that  our  city  and 
county  are  sharing  richly  in  all  the  elements  of  welfare  to  be 
found  in  a  highly  developed  social  condition.  We  have  left  the 
pioneer  days  behind  us. 

The  clearing  of  the  forest,  the  opening  of  roads,  the  bridg- 


!<»'>  (V//(7  Arch,  ai/d  I  lis.  Society  Publications.         [VoL.  3 

ing  of  streams,  the  building  of  comfortable  places  for  residence^ 
business,  instruction,  and  worship  have  been  accomplished. 

Already,  we  are  not  only  in  the  possession  of  schools  and 
churches,  but  have  entered  upon  the  day  of  orphanages,  hos- 
pitals and  asylums. 

All  that  a  complex  Christian  societ}-  can  do  for  the  pleasure 
and  improvement  of  adults,  for  the  culture  of  the  young,  for  the 
relief  of  the  suffering  and  for  the  care  of  the  unfortunate,  has 
its  foundation  already  laid  in  this  county.  In  matters  pertaining 
to  higher  education,  we  have  not  been  entirely  outside  the  great 
movements  of  thought  and  beneficence  that  have  done  so  much 
for  the  advancement  of  learning  in  our  qountry  in  the  last  thirty 
years. 

What  great  and  happy  things  of  this  kind  we  can  recount. 
The  wi.se  and  munificent  benefactions  of  George  Peabody  have 
shed  a  lustre  on  his  name  that  is  only  surpassed  by  the  richness 
of  the  benefits  they  have  produced.  The  John  F.  Slater  fund, 
in  the  management  and  disbursement  of  which  one  of  the  best 
citizens  of  our  State,  ex-president  Hayes,  is  doing  himself  addi- 
tional honor  and  his  fellow-citizens  additional  service,  is  one  of 
the  greatest  and  best  gifts  of  this  kind.  A  citizen  of  New  York, 
in  the  building  of  Cornell  University,  has  reared  a  noble  monu- 
ment to  his  name. 

The  Johns  Hopkins  University,  at  Baltimore,  has  leaped  into 
vigorous  being  and  is  doing  a  great  work  toward  that  which  its 
own  president  has  pointed  out  as  the  true  office  of  all  higher  in- 
stitutions, the  work  of  "bestowing  upon  society  continual  acces- 
sions of  highly -trained  and  liberally -educated  young  people, 
capable  of  contributing  to  human  welfare  not  only  in  the  tradi- 
tional professions  but  in  all  the  complex  affairs  of  modern  life 
which  require  the  application  of  intellectual  force  to  difficult  and 
often  unexpected  problems." 

On  our  Pacific  coast  a  United  vStates  Senator  now  has  it  in 
mind  and  hand  to  establish,  upon  a  financial  basis  of  twenty 
million  dollars,  an  institution  in  which  any  person  maj'  pursue 
any  line  of  profitable  study  possible  to  the  human  mind. 

Tothe.se  larger  and  more  noticeable  gifts  are  to  be. added 
the  numerous  smaller  but  not  less  praiseworthy  and  useful  gifts 


Rio  Grande  College.  167 

all  over  the  country  that  of  late  years  have  enlarged  the  resources 
of  existing  institutions  and  founded  a  multitude  of  new  ones, 
thus  bringing  the  facilities  for  learning  to  almost  every  door  in 
the  land. 

I  repeat,  it  is  something  that  may  well  move  our  gratitude 
tc.-day,  that  among  all  its  other  elements  of  progress  and  pros- 
perity, Gallia  county  has  also  had  a  share  in  those  gifts  and 
works  that  look  toward  the  highest  intellectual  and  moral  possi- 
bilities of  its  sons  and  daughters.  We  may  well  rejoice  that 
among  our  many  worthy  citizens  in  the  past  there  have  been 
some  who  labored  and  planned  for  these  things ;  that  out  of  the 
abundant  wealth  created  by  honorable  toil  from  the  material  re- 
sources of  this  county,  every  acre  of  which  except  the  little  spot 
where  these  meetings  are  held  was  an  undeveloped  wilderness  a 
century  ago,  one  goodly  portion  of  one  hundred  thousand  dollars 
has  been  sacredly  ?et  apart  for  the  work  of  higher  Christian  edu- 
cation. Looking  at  this  fact,  taking  into  consideration  the  his- 
tory and  work  of  the  other  schools  of  the  county,  to  be  pre- 
sented to  you  by  others,  and  firmly  believing  that  these  institu- 
tions will  be  fostered  and  enlarged  b}'  the  wisdom  and  benevolence 
of  our  citizens  in  all  coming  days,  the  only  feelings  possible  to 
my  mind  as  I  join  with  you  in  this  centennial  celebration  are 
gratitude  for  the  past  and  high  hopes  and  purposes  for  the  future. 


168  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 


"THE    EDUCATIONAL    LESSONS   OF   THIS    HOUR." 
REV.  H.  A.  THOMPSON. 

I  appreciate  the  high  honor  done  me  by  your  Chairman  in 
the  invitation  which  he  has  extended  me  to  speak  for  a  few 
moments.  I  must  tell  you  in  advance  that  I  am  not  on  the  pro- 
gram for  the  day ;  that  I  have  no  speech  prepared  for  your  lis- 
tening ears.  I  am  here  as  a  member  of  the  Ohio  Historical 
Society,  whose  members  are  the  guests  of  your  committee.  I 
am  here  for  the  first  time  in  your  beautiful  little  city  to  rejoice 
with  you  in  the  good  fortune  which  has  come  to  it,  and  to  you, 
in  being  able  this  day  to  celebrate  its  one  hundreth  anniversary. 
Such  occasions  are  fraught  with  interest  and  profit  to  us  all.  In 
the  olden  time  the  Jews  were  annually  required  to  go  to  Jerusa- 
lem, the  capital  city,  to  keep  the  feast  of  the  passover.  As  the 
children  of  the  household  saw  the  preparation  made  for  this  re- 
markable feast  they  would  naturally  inquire  what  it  all  meant. ' 
The  sacred  historian  instructed  the  master  of  the  household  how 
to  answer:  "When  thy  son  asketh  thee  in  time  to  come  saying 
what  mean  the  testimonies,  the  statutes,  and  the  judgments 
which  the  Lord,  our  God,  hath  commanded  you,  then  shalt  thou 
say  unto  thy  son,  we  were  Pharaoh's  bondmen  in  Egypt;  and 
the  Lord  brought  us  out  of  Egypt  with  a  mighty  hand;  and  the 
Lord  showed  signs  and  wonders  great  and  sore  upon  Egypt, 
upon  Pharaoh  and  upon  all  his  house  before  our  eyes;  and  he 
brought  us  from  thence  that  he  might  bring  us  in  to  give  us  the 
land  which  he  swear  unto  our  fathers ;  and  the  Lord  commanded 
us  to  do  all  these  statutes,  to  fear  the  Lord,  our  God,  for  our 
good  always,  that  he  might  preserve  us  alive,  as  it  is  this  day. 
And  it  shall  be  righteousness  unto  us  if  we  observe  to  do  all 
this  commandment  before  the  Lord,  our  God,  as  he  hath  com- 
manded us."— Deut.  VI.,  20. 

So  as  your  children  sit  with  you  to-day  on  these  seats,  lis- 
tening to  the  addresses  made  and  witnessing  the  parades  and 
displays,  they  shall  want  to  know  what  it  all  means;  and  then 
you  can  interest  them  in  the  history  of  the  nation  as  they  have 
never  been  interested  before.     It  will  be  your  work  to  recount 


The  Educational  Lessons  of  this  Hotir.  169 

to  them  the  deeds  of  your  ancestors,  the  suflFerings  endured,  the 
privations  undergone,  to  help  build  up  this  glorious  republic, 
where  every  man  can  work  out  his  own  destiny  untrammeled  by 
the  customs  and  traditions  of  the  old  world;  a  land  in  which 
above  all  other  lands  we  recognize  the  truth  uttered  by  Scot- 
land's humble,  though  illustrious  singer: 

"  What  though  on  haiiiely  faer  we  dine, 
Wear  hoddin,  gray  and  a'  that; 
Gye  fools  their  silks  and  knaves  their  wine 
A  man's  a  man  for  a'  that." 

And  not  only  will  the  young  people  thus  be  taught  to  love 
their  country,  and  to  make  themselves  more  worthy  of  the  her- 
itage which  it  is  theirs  to  enjoy,  but  those  of  us  who  are  older 
and  w^ho  can  better  appreciate  our  advantages,  may  well  in  this 
sacred  spot,  made  sacred  not  only  by  the  presence  of  those  who 
came  here  one  hundred  years  ago,  but  later  still  by  those  noble 
patriots  who  fought  to  save  this  nation  from  dismemberment, 
consecrate  ourselves  anew  to  our  country's  good,  and  to  be  citi- 
zens worthy  of  such  illustrious  ancestors. 

I  have  listened,  as  you  no  doubt  have  also,  with  intense 
pleasure  to  the  distinguished  gentleman  who  has  discoursed  to 
us  so  eloquently  of  the  "  Lessons  of  the  Century,"  as  well  as  to 
the  gentleman  who  followed  him  in  his  interesting  sketch  of  the 
college  you  have  planted  in  your  midst.  I  think  it  is  Cotton 
Mather,  the  New  England  historian,  who  says  that  one  of  the 
first  things  our  Puritan  fathers  thought  of  after  their  settlement 
in  the  American  wilderness  was  the  founding  of  a  college,  that 
their  children  might  not  grow  up  in  ignorance,  nor  their  churches 
be  without  pastors,  and  that  the  cause  of  religion  and  education 
might  be  advanced  among  them.  Your  ancestors  looked  to  your 
welfare  in  planting  a  college  in  your  county  and  you  will  prove 
j'ourselves  degenerate  sons  of  worthy  sires  if  you  do  not  rally 
about  it  and  make  it  a  place  whither  your  sons  and  daughters 
may  go  to  receive  that  training  which  shall  fit  them  for  the 
duties  and  responsibilities  of  this  life  and  the  enjoyments  of  the 
life  to  come.     By  the  help  which  you  can  give  it,  it  will  revolu- 


170  OJiio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 

tionize  your  county  and  give  you  a  citizenship  excelled  by  none 
in  the  land. 

As  I  listened  to  the  lessons  of  the  century  I  tried  to  look 
forward  to  see  what  they  taught  us  as  to  the  destiny  of  our  own 
fair  land.  Surely  the  reign  of  bloodshed  and  of  cruel  war  in 
which  the  nations  of  the  olden  time  indulged  must  now  be  over. 
The  sword  must  no  longer  be  the  arbitrament  of  nations,  since 
the  "Prince  of  Peace"  has  come  proclaiming  peace  on  earth 
and  good  will  to  all  men.  We  have  outgrown  our  infancy  and 
are  now  marching  forward  to  a  grander  and  richer  civilization. 
We  have  made  such  a  conquest  of  matter  as  men  never  saw  be- 
fore; the  forces  of  nature  have  been  harnessed  as  in  no  other 
age  to  do  our  bidding.  The  masses  have  broken  through  the 
debris  that  has  kept  them  down ;  they  have  burst  asunder  the 
trammels  that  bound  them  and  the  reign  of  the  common  people 
has  commenced.  Never  have  the  pcssibilities  of  manhood  been 
greater  and  never  has  there  been  such  a  field  for  the  manifesta- 
tion of  man's  noblest  powers  as  in  this  land  whose  citizenship 
we  honor  to-day.  Never  before  has  it  meant  so  much  to  live. 
The  very  air  is  thick  with  questions  that  teem  with  interest,  and 
that  demand  a  solution  at  our  hands.  While  men  never  lived 
with  greater  possibilities  they  never  rested  under  greater  re- 
sponsibilities. We  cannot  rest  satisfied  with  the  fact  that  we  are 
growing  in  wealth;  that  our  forests  have  been  subdued,  our 
lands  tilled  and  our  population  enlarged.  To  whom  much  is 
given  of  these  shall  much  be  required.  The  problems  of  civil 
government  have  not  all  been  solved.  We  are  to  show  the 
nations  of  the  earth  such  an  example  of  enlightened  citizenship 
as  they  have  not  3^et  seen.  We  are  to  be  a  beacon  light  to  those 
that  sit  in  darkness  showing  them  the  way  out  of  their  disabili- 
ties into  the  coming  light.  We  are  to  show  them  that  a  govern- 
ment of  the  people,  for  the  people,  and  by  the  people  is  to  be 
the  most  permanent  as  it  is  the  freest  form  of  civil  government. 
Let  us  see  to  it  that  we  make  of  this  people  a  nation  whose  God 
is  the  Lord.  Not  only  our  own  destiny  but  the  destiny  of  other 
peoples  is  in  our  hands.  Let  us  see  to  it  that  we  are  worthy  of 
the  high  trust  which  God  and  our  fathers  have  committed  to  us. 
When  our  descendants  shall  come  one  hundred  years  hence  to 


The  Educational  Lessons  of  this  Hour.  171 

celebrate  this  anniversary  may  they  find  a  great  nation  without 
a  peer;  whose  rulers  rule  in  righteousness,  a  terror  to  evil  doers 
and  a  praise  to  them  that  do  well;  a  people  true  to  their  highest 
convictions  of  duty  and  yielding  rightful  homage  to  Him  who  is 
the  King  of  kings  and  the  source  of  all  human  government. 


172  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Picblications .        [Vol.  3 


REMARKS  OF  R.  D.  MARSHALL,  ESQ. 

Your  presiding  officer  has  called  on  me,  owing  to  some  de- 
lay in  the  arrival  of  trains,  which  has  delayed  the  forming  and 
moving  of  the  procession,  to  address  you  for  a  few  minutes,  and 
has  charged  me  with  being  a  speaker  of  some  note,  and  as  he 
has  placed  me  on  trial  before  you  on  that  charge,  I  feel  pretty 
certain  that  when  you  have  heard  me,  you  will  promptly  acquit 
me  of  the  charge,  as  it  was  not  my  expectation  to  address  the 
people  here,  for  I  came  to  see  and  hear,  and  not  to  talk. 

This  is  my  first  visit  to  your  city,  and  those  of  you  who 
know  the  place  so  well,  with  its  beautiful  surroundings,  no 
doubt  think  that  my  traveling  in  this  respect  has  been  sadly 
neglected. 

One  hundred  years  ago!  What  a  change!  When  the  600 
pioneers,  or  thereabouts,  landed  here  one  hundred  years  ago,  if 
this  city  as  it  is  now  could  have  then  met  their  gaze  as  they 
floated  down  the  Ohio  river,  how  different  would  have  been  their 
feelings  from  what  they  were  under  the  circumstamces  at  that 
time?  In  place  of  the  log  cabins,  uninhabited,  that  then  met 
their  gaze  on  their  first  visit  to  this  place,  I,  on  my  first  visit, 
look  upon  a  beautiful  city  of  more  than  12,000  inhabitants. 

We  are  now,  I  am  told,  holding  this  meeting  on  the  grounds 
where  stood  the  log  cabins  that  met  the  gaze  of  your  ancestors 
when  they  arrived  here,  but  instead  of  log  cabins,  you  now  have 
this  beautiful  park;  the  Ohio  river  sweeps  on  the  south  side 
of  it  just  as  it  did  one  hundred  years  ago,  but,  on  the  bosom  of 
that  river  now  float  the  magnificent  steamers  that  we  see  at  your 
wharfs,  instead  of  an  occasional  flat-boat;  and  in  place  of  the 
thick  forest  that  then  covered  these  grounds,  you  now  have  this 
fine  park,  your  level  streets,  miles  in  length,  built  up  on  either 
side  with  fine  business  blocks,  or  beautiful  residences.  What  a 
change!  But  all  this  had  a  beginning,  and  that  beginning  jv^as 
one  hundred  years  ago  to-day,  and  under  circumstances  that 
would  have  appalled  a  less  heroic  people. 

Among  the  pioneers  that  landed  here,  most,  if  not  all  of 
them,  knew  but  little  about  such  hardships,  as  were  to  stare 


Remarks  of  R.  D.  Marshall,   Esq.  173 

them  in  the  face,  and  had  but  little  idea  how  to  contend  with,  or 
overcome  the  same.  Again,  they  had  been  deceived  as  well  as 
defrauded.  But,  among  these,  your  pioneers,  there  were  heroes 
and  heroines,  there  were  brave  men  and  brave  women,  and  they 
have  left  their  footprints  here  which  we  are  looking  at  now,  ad- 
miring and  honoring,   for 

"  Lives  of  great  men  all  remind  us, 
We  can  make  our  lives  sublime. 
And,  departing,  leave  behind  us. 
Footprints  on  the  sands  of  time." 

You  men  will  pardon  me,  if  I  should  give  even  more  credit 
to  the  women  than  to  the  men,  for  whilst  under  trying  circum- 
stances men  are  frequently  so  courageous  as  to  make  them  great, 
women  under  similar  circumstances  become  not  only  great,  but 
almost  reach  sublimity  with  their  greatness. 

Said  a  great  thinker,  "The  greatest  and  grandest  words 
known  to  anyone,  are  mother,  home,  and  heaven."  This  is  a 
sentiment  that  I  fully  endorse,  and  may  farther  add,  the  one  you 
all  have,  or  have  had,  and  it  would  be  better  that  a  mill  stone 
were  tied  to  your  neck,  and  that  you  were  planted  in  the  bottom 
of  the  Ohio  river,  than  that  you  should  at  aay  time,  by  any  act 
or  word,  bring  shame  or  dishonor  upon  that  name.  The  second, 
every  one  should  strive  to  have  and  secure,  if  he  can  honorably 
do  so.  And  the  third,  we  are  assured  by  Him,  who  makes  no 
promise  that  He  can  not  and  will  not  fulfill,  that  we  can  finally 
reach  if  we  are  worthy  of  it. 

Your  respected  townsman,  Colonel  Vance,  has  requested  me 
to  speak  of  the  Miami  Valley,  and  its  early  history.  Such  a  task 
ought  not  to  be  attempted  without  a  preparation  commensurate 
with  the  subject.  And  again  it  seems  to  me  that  there  is  but 
one  person  that  I  know  of  in  Ohio,  who  can  do  the  Miami  Val- 
ley and  its  early  pioneers  justice,  and  that  person  is  Judge  Joseph 
Cox,  of  Cincinnati;  he  knows  its  history,  and  knows  it  as  fully 
and  correctly  as  if  he  had  grown  up  with  its  every  movement 
since  its  first  discovery  by  the  white  man,  and  its  history, 
growth  and  progress  should  be  written  by  him,  and  not  by  a 
novice  like  myself.     It  is  true  that  there  are  some  things  that  I 


174  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 

know  about  that  great  valley.  A  wag  once  said  of  it :  "It  is 
God's  country,  for  if  it  were  otherwise,  he  never  would  have 
made  it  so  rich,  so  beautiful  and  so  productive." 

Will  it  be  considered  too  facetious  for  me  at  this  time  to  say 
that  this  valley  produces  larger  corn,  and  a  greater  abundance 
thereof,  than  did  Egypt  at  the  time  Joseph  garnered  it  there  in 
anticipation  of  the  many  years  of  famine ;  and  in  its  early  his- 
tory it  had  its  pioneers,  its  heroes  and, heroines,  and  yet  at  this 
day  it  is  not  without  its  noted  men.  As  you  are  aware,  the  Gov- 
ernor of  this  great  State  of  Ohio,  who  is  with  us  to-day,  was 
born  and  reared  in  this  valley,  and  his  ancestors  lived  there  long 
prior  to  his  birth.  And  the  lyieutenant  Governor,  who  is  also 
with  us,  comes  from  lyOgan  County;  the  head -waters  of  the 
river  from  which  the  valley  takes  its  name,  are  located  in  this 
county.  To  this  county  my  maternal  ancestors  moved  at  an 
early  date,  and  endured  the  trials  and  hardships  of  pioneer  life. 
In  this  county  my  grandmother,  vi^ith  gun  in  hand,  took  com- 
mand of  the  fort  and  stockade  built  near  the  Miami  river,  about 
eight  miles  west  of  Bellefontaine,  and  in  w^hich  fort  were  placed 
the  pioneer  women  and  children  of  that  day,  whilst  her  husband, 
with  other  men  along  that  vallev,  rushed  to  the  front,  after 
Hull's  surrender ;  and  it  is  said  of  her,  being  surrounded  by  In- 
dians as  they  were,  that  her  courage,  coolness  and  heroism  under 
these  trying  circumstances  were  so  noted,  that  she  was  afterward 
spoken  of  as  "Heroic  Betsy."  But  it  is  not  my  purpose  to 
speak  of  anything  that  would  come  so  near  personal,  and  I  only 
refer  to  this  as  one  of  the  matters  that  is  spoken  of  by  one  of 
the  pioneer  writers  of  Ohio. 

But  I  notice  that  the  Governor  of  Ohio,  with  his  staff,  and 
the  Governor  of  West  Virginia,  with  his  staff,  are  already 
mounted,  and  the  band  begins  to  play,  and  the  procession  is  be- 
ginning to  move,  and  you,  like  myself,  will  want  to  witness  the 
grand  display  of  the  moving  thousands  in  this  procession. 


Rciuarks  of  J.   W  Jones.  175 


REMARKS   OF  J.    V.    JONES,    ESQ. 

Ladies  and  GKX'rij:,AiEx  : — It  would  hardly  be  proper  for 
me  to  say  "  lellow-citizeiis,"  for  the  reason  of  having  been  absent 
from  your  county  for  nearly  fifty-eight  years.  During  that  time 
many  changes  have  been  wrought  in  the  city  of  Gallipolis  and 
Gallia  county.  Eighty-one  years  ago  a  young  married  couple 
might  have  been  seen  slowly  wending  their  way  on  horseback 
down  the  slopes  of  the  Blue  Ridge  and  foot-hills  of  the  Allegheny- 
Mountains  of  Virginia  toward  the  beautiful  Ohio  River  as  it  swept 
majestically  past  the  town  of  GalHpolis,  or  the  "City  of  the 
French."  These  young  people  brought  all  their  worldly  goods 
with  them  on  hor.seback  and  settled  north  of  this  city,  some- 
where near  what  is  now  known  as  "'Kerr  Station,"  on  the  river 
division  of  the  Columbus,  Hocking  Valley  and  Toledo  Railroad. 
The  names  of  these  young  adventurers  were  James  Jones  and 
Priscilla  Jones,  nee  Blagg.  After  remaining  in  old  Gallia  county 
for  about  twenty-three  years  they,  with  a  family  of  nine  children, 
of  whom  your  speaker  was  one,  removed  northward  to  the  great 
valley  lying  between  the  Sandusky  and  Maumee  Rivers,  and 
bounded  on  the  north  by  the  beautiful  Lake  Erie.  This  great 
forest  valley  was  the  hunting  grounds  of  Indian  tribes,  known 
as  the  "  Senecas"  and  "  Wyandotts."  Our  evening  serenades  in 
the  grand  old  forests  were  not  the  handsomely-uniformed  bands 
of  music  you  have  here  on  this  Centennial  occasion,  but  were 
the  whooping  of  the  bunting  bands  of  Indians,  the  hooting  of 
the  night  owl  and  the  howling  of  the  wolves.  There  we  lived  in 
the  rude  log  cabin,  and  lived  on  corn  bread  and  the  wild  game  of 
the  grand  old  forests.  It  was  there  that  we  received  a  common 
school  education  in  round  log  school  houses,  daubed  with  mud 
and  with  greased  paper  for  window  lights  and  rude  benches  made 
from  split  logs.  But  your  speaker,  one  of  the  descendants  of 
that  family,  has  lived  to  see  the  wilderness  and  the  solitary 
places  be  made  glatl  and  the  desert  places  to  rejoice  and  blossom 
as  the  rose. 

The  Indians  have  gone  to  their  happy  hunting  grounds,  the 
bear  and  the  wild-cat  have  fled  from  advancing  civilization,  the 


176  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 

forests  have  given  way  to  countless  thousands  of  beautiful  and 
productive  farms,  the  log  cabins  have  disappeared  and  their 
places  filled  with  beautiful  farm  houses.  And  in  place  of  the 
log  school  houses  and  churches  we  now  have  beautiful  wood, 
brick  and  stone  structures  with  their  spires  pointing  heaven- 
ward. Then  the  Sandusky  and  Maumee  rivers  and  the  beautiful 
Lake  Erie  were  dotted  only  by  the  Indian's  canoe  and  the 
trader's  small  craft.  Now  they  carry  the  commerce  of  the  great 
Northwest,  assisted  by  the  railroads,  to  the  markets  of  the  East  — 
the  cities  of  New  York,  Baltimore,  Boston,  and  from  there  to  the 
markets  of  the  old  world.  In  the  great  valley  of  the  Northwest 
we  slumbered  for  more  than  fifty  years  over  mines  of  wealth  in 
what  was  once  known  as  the  great  "Black  Swamp."  Natural 
gas  and  pools  of  oil  lay  buried  beneath  us  in  vast  quantities, 
which  have  lately  been  developed  into  sources  of  luxury  and 
great  wealth.  Natural  gas  is  now  used  as  fuel  in  thousands  and 
millions  of  homes  and  manufactories,  bringing  wealth  and  pros- 
perity to  many  persons  who  were  formerly  in  poverty  and  mod- 
erate circumstances. 

And  now,  my  friends,  after  an  absence  of  nearly  fifty-eight 
years,  I  have  returned  to  join  with  you  in  celebrating  the  one 
hundredth  anniversary  of  the  first  settlement  of  the  city  of 
Gallipolis  in  1790.  My  return,  after  an  absence  of  so  many 
years,  is  almost  like  coming  back  from  the  grave.  In  that  period 
time  has  wrought  wonderful  changes,  and  I  see  but  one  old  land- 
mark in  this  large  audience  that  I  recognize,  and  that  one  is  the 
venerable  old  pioneer  and  patriot,  William  Waddell,  who  in  the 
early  days  of  his  manhood  was  a  dear  friend  of  my  departed 
father,  and  who  will  soon  join  him  in  a  more  beautiful  land  than 
this  in  the  country  far  away. 

In  returning  to  the  grand  old  county  of  Gallia  and  the  his- 
toric city  of  Gallipolis  to  participate  in  this  grand  and  beautiful 
display  and  celebration,  I  feel  like  one  treading  the  streets  of  an 
historic  city,  as  a  stranger  in  a  strange  land.  Yet  I  am  mindful 
of  the  fact  that  behind  me  rolls  the  majestic  Ohio  River,  its 
waters  bathing  the  shores  of  Ohio  and  West  Virginia;  before  me 
are  the  grand  old  hills  of  Gallia,  my  native  heath;  under  this 
pavillion  is  assembled  youth,  beauty  and  old  age,  while  I  am  like 


Remarks  of  J.   V.  Jones.  177 

one  who  stands  alone  in  some  banquet  hall  deserted,  and,  like 
the  soldier  on  the  hill,  I  turn  to  take  a  last  fond  look  at  the 
scenes  of  my  childhood,  the  beautiful  Ohio  River,  the  grand  old 
hills,  the  valley  and  the  country  church,  and  the  remains  of  the 
old  cottage  by  the  brook. 

Joy  and  sadness  are  strangely  mingled  on  this  occasion. 
Here  I  recall  the  sweet  reminiscences  of  the  child-life,  which 
illumined  the  past,  and  touched  the  hours  with  golden  light. 
Memory  lingers  upon  the  solemn  bridge  beyond  which  in  my 
childhood  I  played,  and  in  which  I  still  see  little  faces  flushed 
with  laughter  and  childish  sports  ;  their  little  voices  prattling  in 
melodious  heavenly  music.  I  thank  you,  my  friends,  for  invit- 
ing me  to  address  you  on  this  occasion,  and  for  your  attentive 
listening.  I  will  remember  it  as  one  of  the  pleasant  scenes  of 
my  life,  and  in  memory  of  which  I  will  often  think  of  the  good 
people  of  this  city  and  surrounding  country  and  the  beautiful 
hills  of  Gallia,  the  place  of  my  childhood. 

Thanking  you  again,  my  friends,  for  this  compliment  and 
your  close  attention,  I  bid  yoii  good-bye. 


Vol.  Ill- 


178  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vor,.  3 


MIGRATIONS  AND  THEIR  LESSONS. 

SERMON    PREACHED    IN    THE    OPERA    HOUSE,    SUNDAY,    BY    WASHINGTON 
GLADDEN,   OF  COLUMBUS. 

By  faitli,  Abraham,  when  he  was  called,  obeyed  to  go  out  unto  a  place 
which  he  was  to  receive  for  an  inheritance;  and  he  went  out,  not  knowing 
whither  he  went. —  Heb.  ix,  8. 

This  is  the  first  notice  in  ancient  records  of  that  great 
movement  westward  which  occupies  so  many  chapters  of  the 
history  of  the  human  race.  From  that  nnknoww  country  named 
Ur  of  the  Chaldees,  Terah,  the  father  of  Abraham,  had  already 
journeyed  westward,  bringing  his  household  to  Haran ;  here 
they  tarried  for  a  little,  and  here  it  was  that  Abraham  heard  the 
divine  call  and  went  forth  to  the  land  of  Canaan.  A  mighty 
river,  the  Euphrates,  rolled  between  him  and  his  destination; 
two  days'  journey  brought  him  to  its  banks.  Nothing  daunted, 
he  made  his  way  across,  perhaps  at  that  point  where  the  great 
river  is  still  forded  ;  and  when  he  had  gained  the  other  shore  he 
had  won  his  cognomen  of  "Hebrew" — the  man  who  had 
crossed.  Weary  days  of  desert  journeying  were  yet  before  him, 
but  the  divine  voice  was  still  calling  him,  and  he  pushed  steadily 
forward,  halting  for  a  little  in  the  bright  valley  of  Damascus, 
but  resting  not  till  his  tent  was  pitched  at  Bethel,  and  he  looked 
abroad  from  the  hill  tops  upon  the  fertile  plains  and  smiling  val- 
leys of  the  land  that  was  to  be  his  inheritance,  and  where  that 
great  nation  which  should  spring  from  his  loins  was  to  have  its 
seat. 

Abraham's  migration  was  undertaken  for  a  differeril  reason 
and  with  a  higher  purpose  than  that  of  many  of  his  contempor- 
aries and  successors ;  nevertheless  he  was  moved  with  the  cur- 
rent. Where  that  Semitic  race  to  which  he  belonged  had  its 
origin  ma}^  not  be  clearly  known.  We  find  it  first  in  the  lower 
valleys  of  the  Euphrates  and  the  Tigris,  whence,  moving  north- 
westward and  southwestward,  it  populated  Babylonia,  Syria, 
Phoenicia  and  the  rest  of  Canaan.  Even  the  ancient  Egyptians 
were  not  an  autochthonic  race.  Their  features,  their  languages 
link  them  with  Asia  rather  than  with  Africa.     Thev.  too.  were  a 


A/iorations  and  Their  Lessons.  179 

people  T;\'ho  had  come  in  the  early  dawn  of  prehistoric  times 
from  the  East. 

Those  successive  migrations  of  our  own  Aryan  tribes  from 
their  nest  in  Asia'  westward  over  Europe  I  need  only  stop  to 
mention.  From  the  remotest  antiquity  we  see  these  people 
moving  in  vast  mas.ses  toward  the  setting  sun,  one  column  fol- 
lowing another  at  intervals  of  time  which  no  monuments  or 
memorials  seem  to  mark;  the  Hellenic  and  the  Latin  groups 
flooding  the  Mediterranean  peninsulas,  and  pausing  before  the 
mighty  barrier  of  the  Alps;  the  Kelts,  the  Teutons,  the  Slavs, 
moving  northwestward  in  their  order,  expelling  the  Aborigines, 
and,  in  time,  subjugating  one  another.  It  would  seem  that  the 
configuration  of  the  northern  temperate  zone  of  the  Eastern 
Continent  was  favorable  to  such  movements ;  for  the  vast  cen- 
tral plains  of  Eastern  Asia  are  prolonged  westward  through 
Russia,  Northern  Germany  and  Holland;  and  a  man  can  walk, 
says  one  authority,  from  the  Pacific  to  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  across 
Asia  and  Europe,  without  encountering  any  elevation  of  more 
than  a  few  hundred  feet,  or  any  stream  which  it  is  difficult  to 
ford.  But  when  these  Aryan  peoples  had  poured  their  floods 
for  uncounted  centuries  over  Europe,  which  was  their  Promised 
Land;  when  they  had  overspread  its  plains  and  possessed  tliem- 
selves  of  its  substance,  they  found  themselves  standing  on  the 
shores  of  a  trackless  ocean,  whose  billows,  breaking  at  their  feet 
in  endless  mockery,  flung  back  to  the  rushing  tide  of  humanity 
their  challenge  :  "  Thus  far  shalt  thou  come  and  no  farther,  and 
here  shall  ihy  proud  waves  be  stayed." 

For  mau}^  centuries  this  watery  barrier  restrained  them. 
From  the  Cantabrian  mountain  tops,  from  the  low-lying  shores 
of  Brittany,  from  the  rocky  coast  of  Cornwall,  or  the  green  hills 
of  Ireland,  they  looked  away  to  the  westward  wondering  and 
longing.  What  lands  might  lie  beneath  that  misty  liorizou? 
Was  it  true,  indeed,  that 

"Sweet  fields  heynr.d  this  fweilip^;  flood 
[Stood]  drest  in  living  green  ?" 

Who  should  dare  to  sail  forth  unto  that  No  Man  s  Land  and 
rsvish  it?  sL-crut   I'lum  the  unchartered  ocean.''     It  was  well  that 


180  Ofdo  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 

they  waited.  Art  had  time  to  germinate  and  fructify,  civihzation 
had  room  to  expand  and  ripen;  in  all  these  European  lands, 
races  were  in  training  for  the  task  of  subduing  another  continent. 
In  the  fullness  of  time,  the  word  that  Abraham  heard  was 
spoken  again,  and  the  brave  Genoese  sailor  turned  the  prows  of 
his  little  ships  toward  the  setting  sun,  and  sailed  away,  not 
knowing  whither  he  went,  but  greatly  hoping  to  find  beyond  the 
sea  a  land  which  he  should  receive  for  an  inheritance.  How 
steadily,  during  the  four  centuries  that  have  elapsed  since  Colum- 
bus landed  on  our  western  coast,  the  tide  of  migration  has 
flowed  hitherward,  I  need  not  spend  any  time  in  showing.  There 
may  be,  at  this  time,  one  hundred  of  millions  of  people  upon 
this  Western  Continent,  in  North  and  South  America;  of  these, 
probably  not  more  than  ten  millions  are  natives  of  the  soil ;  ninety 
millions  are  the  dsscendants  of  men  who  came  across  the  sea. 
Of  these  ninety  millions,  eight  or  nine  millions  are  the  ofispring 
of  those  who  came,  much  against  their  will,  in  the  holds  of 
slave  ships,  victims  of  the  cruelty  and  cupidity  of  the  stronger 
race;  and  there  are  a  few  hundred  thousand  Semites,  the 
descendants  of  Abraham  whose  Promised  lyand,  far  away  in  the 
heart  of  the  other  continent,  was  the  first  stage  of  this  secular 
progress;  but  the  great  mass  of  these  inhabitants  of  the  New 
World  belong  to  that  Aryan  race,  whose  teeming  millions  have 
been  hurrying  westward  ever  since  the  dawn  of  time.  From 
the  mountain  slopes  and  broad  plateaus  of  Central  Asia — from 
the  cradle  of  the  human  race — these  eager,  adventurous  throngs 
have  come.  Past  the  snowy  heights  of  the  Himalayas,  over  the 
ridge  of  the  Ural  Mountains,  across  the  steppes  of  Tartary,  and 
along  the  shores  of  the  Caspian  and  the  Black  Seas,  they  have 
thronged  into  Germany  and  France  and  Spain  and  England  and 
Scandinavia;  here,  dividing  into  tribes,  each  with  a  tongue  of 
its  own  (though  all  these  tongues  are  kindred),  here  tilling  fields, 
sinking  mines,  building  cities,  and  hence,  on  the  wings  of  the 
wind  and  the  vapor,  flying  over  the  sea  to  this  Western  Conti- 
nent, to  rear  on  this  fresh  soil,  as  we  hope  and  trust,  a  nobkr 
fabric  of  social  order  than  any  they  have  left  behind. 

And  here,  too,  the  power  that  brought  them  still  compels 
them.     The  Pilgrims  were  scarcely  landed  on  the  New  England 


Migrations  and  Their  Lessons.  181 

coast  when  they  began  to  push  their  way  out  westward  into  the 
interior.  Within  twenty  years  after  the  Mayflower  anchored  in 
Plymouth  harbor,  there  were  several  prosperous  settlements  on 
the  Connecticut  river,  a  hundred  miles  inland,  though  the 
savages  resisted  the  advance  at  every  step,  and  every  town  was 
stockaded  for  defense  against  the  midnight  foe.  And  ever  since 
that  day  the  tide  of  emigration  has  been  flowing  steadily  west- 
ward— westward — over  the  Appalachian  range,  down  the  valley 
of  tire  Ohio,  along  the  borders  of  the  Great  Lakes,  across  the 
teeming  prairies,  over  the  Rockies  and  the  Sierras  to  the  western 
shore.  That  mighty  movement  of  the  people  westward,  west- 
ward, which  began  long  before  Abraham  took  up  his  journey 
from  Haran  toward  Canaan,  has  been  going  on  ever  since;  all 
the  greatest  nations  of  the  earth  have  taken- part  in  it;  in  the 
path  of  this  movement  have  arisen  all  the  splendid  monuments 
of  civilization;  our  own  highways  are  trembling  yet  with  the 
tread  of  its  triumphant  host. 

Is  not  this  phenomenon  worth  looking  at,  soberly,  for  a  little 
while  this  afternoon  ?  May  we  not  safely  infer  that  a  process  of 
this  nature,  stretching  through  untold  centuries,  covering  two 
continents,  spanning  one  stormy  ocean,  enlisting  more  or  less 
directly  all  the  great  nations  of  modern  history,  is  a  process  with 
which  Providence  has  something  to  do  ?  One  need  not  be  a  very 
strong  Calvinist  to  believe  that  such  vast  on  -  goings  as  these  are 
provided  for  in  the  plans  of  an  omni.scient  Ruler. 

What  are  the  causes  of  this  great  movement  of  the  peoples? 
They  are  many  and  various.  The  forces  which  impel  families 
and  tribes  to  go  forth  from  their  country  and  their  kindred  unto 
lands  more  or  less  dimly  shown  them  in  prophetic  vision  are  of 
many  kinds,  and  operate  in  diverse  ways.  Not  seldom  the  great 
law  of  population  operates  to  produce  these  movements  of  the 
people.  Population,  according  to  the  Malthusian  statement, 
always  tends  to  iiicrea.se  more  rapidly  than  subsistence  ;  hunger 
drives  forth  hordes  of  men  to  .seek  a  livelihood  in  fresh  fields  and 
pa.stures  new.  This  law  operates  even  where  the  population  is 
spar.se  and  the  resources  of  nature  not  at  all  developed.  The 
southward  movements  of  the  Gothic  tribes  upon  the  cultivated 
lands  of  Southern  Europe  may  have  been  due  in  part  to  this 


182  Ohio  Arch   and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol,.  3 

cause.  The  lands  tliey  left  behind  were  hy  no  means  exhausted 
by  cultivation,  but  they  depended  mainly  on  pasturage,  and 
therefore  needed  far  more  land  than  modern  agricultural  people. 
Many  of  the  movements  of  the  Aborigines  upon  our  own  soil 
may  have  been  produced  by  this  cause.  When  the  game  had 
disappeared  from  its  territory  the  tribe  must  move  on  to  unoccu- 
pied lands.  Indeed,  the  less  civilized  the  people,  the  greater  the 
need  of  frequent  migration.  Two  or  three  acres  will  support  a 
skillful  farmer  or  gardener;  the  primeval  hunter  and  fisherman 
cannot  live  on  less  than  two  or  three  thousand  acres.  And  we 
may  well  suppose  that  the  population  on  the  central  steppes  of 
Asia,  growing  faster  than  their  subsistence  grew,  were  thrust  out 
of  their  nests,  in  larger  and  smaller  numbers,  and  started  on  their 
westward  journeyings.  The  pressure  of  population  upon  sub- 
sistence being  relieved  by  each  exodus,  the  tribes  left  behind 
multiplied  faster  than  ever,  and  soon  a  new  swarm  was  ready  to 
go  forth  from  the  hive. 

In  our  own  time,  great  movements  of  population  have  been 
due  to  the  failure  of  the  means  of  subsistence.  The  Irish  famin'^ 
of  1846-7  started  a  tidal  wave  of  emigration  to  this  country,  ana 
the  current  thus  set  in  motion  has  been  kept  flowing  by  other 
causes.  And  while  the  great  emigrations  of  modern  years  toward 
this  hemisphere  have  not  generally  been  due  to  famine  or  starva- 
tion in  the  old  countries,  they  have  resulted  in  considerable  part 
from  the  over-crowdings  of  those  countries,  and  from  the  expec- 
tation, on  the  part  of  the  emigrants,  of  finding  larger  wages, 
ampler  opportunities  and  better  prospects  for  themselves  and 
their  children  in  this  land  than  in  the  homeland. 

Other  causes  have  constantly  been  operating.  Wars  of  con- 
quest and  ambition,  and  the  burdens  caused  by  war,  drive  many 
of  the  sons  of  peace  forth  from  their  homes  to  seek  residence  in 
more  pacific  countries.  The  militarism  of  Germany  explains 
the  presence  on  our  soil  of  hundreds  of  thousands  of  the  German 
people.  Political  oppression,  the  domination  of  privileged  classes^ 
tlie  tyranny  of  priests  and  hierarchs  hasten  the  departure  from 
lands  that  they  love  of  those  to  whom  liberty  is  dear.  The  Pil- 
grims of  Plymouth,  the  Roman  Catholics  of  Baltimore  were  fugi- 
tives  from  ecclesiastical    persecutions.      Sometmies    these   -ciiii- 


Migrations  a)id    Their  Lessons.  183 

grants  have  beta  social  or  political  idealists  with  plans  for  the 
reorganization  of  society  to  which  their  native  land  was  not  hos- 
pitable; and  they  have  sought  upon  virgin  soil  a  free  area  for  the 
development  of  their  ideas.  Cabet  and  his  Icarians,  Owen  and 
his  New  Harmonists,  were  the  leaders  of  colonies  in  the  interest 
of  new  social  schemes. 

To  all  these  forces  of  propulsion  by  which  men  have  been 
driven  from  their  ancestral  seats  must  be  added  those  forces  of 
attraction  by  which  they  have  been  drawn  toward  the  new  coun- 
tries. Discoveries  of  mines  of  the  precious  metals,  of  soils  of 
phenomenal  fertilit}-,  of  climates  .serene  and  delectable,  have  been 
reported  to  them,  and  they  have  been  tempted  b}'  the  prospects 
of  unwonted  gains  and  enjoyments  to  separate  themselves  from 
kindred  and  companions  to  set  up  their  habitations  in  distant 
lands. 

Nor  will  the  external  motives— whether  of  propulsion  or  of 
attraction — account  for  all  these  movements.  There  are  powers 
within  their  own  breasts  that  start  men  upon  these  journeys. 
A  native  restlessness,  a  love  of  novelty,  a  passion  for  adventure, 
account  for  many  of  them.  There  are  men  who  never  could 
be  quiet  long  in  Paradise;  it  would  take  a  battalion  of  angels 
with  flaming  swords  to  keep  them  within  its  bright  enclosures. 
There  are  men  to  whom  the  order  and  restraint  of  civilized 
society  are  irksome ;  they  would  rather  rove  through  forests 
than  travel  in  highways ;  thej^  prefer  the  freedom  of  the  woods 
which  is  the  barrenest  and  poorest  sort  of  freedom,  to  the  free- 
dom of  the  city,  which,  when  its  laws  are  most  firmly  enforced, 
is  the  completest  and  most  perfect  liberty.  Such  unbridled 
spirits  are  always  found  in  the  frontier  lines  of  emigration. 

Thus  we  see  how  many  and  varied  are  the  ascertained 
forces  by  which  these  great  tides  of  population  are  controlled, 
but  I  think  we  must  add  to  these  another  and  far  more  subtle 
force — that  divine  impulse  by  which  all  the  greater  movements 
of  history  must  be  explained.  For  while  it  is  true  that  hunger 
and  fear,  and  the  love  of  life,  and  the  love  of  libert)-,  and  the 
love  of  change,  and  the  impatience  of  restraint  and  the  greed 
of  gold,  and  the  ambition  to  found  new  empires,  and  a  thousand 
other  motives  h.ave  acted  upon  the  minds  of  men  urging  them 


184  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications .        [VOL.  B 

into  these  curreuts  of  emigration,  yet  all  over  these  conflicting 
motives,  harmonizing  them  all  and  bringing  order  out  of  them, 
is  the  plan  of  the  all-wise  Ruler  of  the  world,  who  makes  the 
wrath  and  the  folly  and  the  greed  of  man  to  praise  him,  and 
restrains  the  remainder  thereof. 

The  greatest  fact  in  all  these  world  movements  is  that  they 
are  fulfilling  a  design  that  is  more  comprehensive  and  farther- 
reaching  than  wisdom  of  man  couM  conceive.  Those  Aryan 
peoples,  when  they  started  on  their  journeys  from  Eastern 
Asia,  had  no  more  conception  of  the  splendid  European  and 
American  civilizations  which  they  were  going  forth  to  build, 
than  the  iron  ore  in  the  mountain  has  of  the  mighty  genie 
of  fire  and  steam,  fashioned  from  its  substance,  which  will  soon 
be  ploughing  the  Atlantic  main ;  au}'^  more  than  the  spring  at  the 
farthest  sources  of  the  Amazon  has  of  the  majestic  river  into 
which  its  tiny  fount  will  grow.  This  movement  westward,  ever 
westward,  was  all  unconscious.  They  had  some  small  and  dim 
purpose  of  their  own,  but  the  great  purpose  of  God  they  knew 
nothing  about.  There  was  an  instinct,  partly  human,  that 
impelled  them;  but  of  the  divine  leadings  they  were  wholly 
oblivious.  They  went  forth,  not  knowing  very  well  whither 
they  went,  not  knowing  at  all  why  they  went.  It  would  have 
been  very  difficult  for  any  careful  student  of  human  welfare, 
contemplating  the  whole  problem  with  such  light  as  he  could 
get,  to  justify  their  going.  In  these  later  years  the  case  is 
greatly  altered ;  a  large  share  of  the  immigrants  who  cross  from 
the  old  world  to  the  new  speedily  better  their  condition ;  but  in 
the  earlier  years  this  was  not  the  rule.  Most  of  those  who  then 
went  forth  in  search  of  new  homes  received,  during  their  life- 
time, no  adequate  reward  for  their  risks  and  their  labors.  If  you 
had  measured  what  they  lost  and  what  they  suffered  against 
what  they  gained  and  what  they  enjoyed,  the  balance,  so  far  as 
worldly  comfort  is  concerned,  would  have  been  on  the  wrong- 
side.  They  sought,  no  doubt,  to  escape  from  penury  and  dis- 
comfort, and  restraint ;  but  they  encountered  hardships,  labors, 
miseries,  worse  than  those  from  which  they  fled.  Half  of  the 
Pilgrims  who  landed  on  Plymouth  Rock  in  December  were  in 
their  graves  before  the  violets  ever  bloomed  again  upon  that 


Migration;;  and  Their  Lessons.  185 

sterile  coast.  The  case  with  the  majority  of  our  early  emigrants 
and  pioneers  was  not  much  better.  Of  one  hundred  and  five 
colonists  in  Virginia  in  June,  1G07,  sixty-seven  had  died  before 
the  next  year  was  ten  days  old.  The  winter  of  1()09  began  with 
four  hundred  and  ninety  persons  in  that  colony  and  ended  with 
sixty.  Surely  this  was  not  a  profitable  speculation,  from  the 
point  of  view  of  individual  interest.  If  it  is  the  highest  wisdom 
of  a  man  to  look  out  for  his  own  individual  interest,  these  men 
were  not  wise.  If  they  acted  upon  a  calculation  of  personal 
gains  and  losses,  it  was  a  bad  calculation.  Europe  and  America 
would  have  been  peopled  and  developed  by  the  Aryan  races  far 
less  slowly  than  they  were,  if  these  movements  of  population 
had  been  guided  by  prudential  and  economical  considerations. 

No!  these  movements  of  population  were  very  largely  in- 
stinctive rather  than  rational;  spontaneous  rather  than  delib- 
erate; prophetic  more  than  economic.  Sometimes,  no  doubt, 
the  chances  were  calculated  and  miscalculated  owing  to  defective 
knowledge  of  the  facts.  The  reports  which  reached  the  old 
countries  were  not  always  accurate.  Travelers  were  sometimes 
enthusiastic ;  land  speculators  were  sometimes  unscrupulous ; 
men  were  beguiled  into  enterprises  which  they  would  never  have 
undertaken  if  they  had  knowni  what  perils  and  what  toils  were 
before  them.  But  most  often  they  were  only  too  eager  to  believe 
the  glowing  tales  that  were  told  them ;  they  were  more  than  half 
to  blame  for  the  deceit  which  was  practiced  on  them ;  they  took 
but  little  pains  to  find  out  the  facts  before  they  set  out.  The 
movement  was  not  rational.  It  was  instinctive.  It  was  the 
fruit  of  that  world-compelling  plan  by  which  nations  and  tribes 
and  peoples  are  driven  forward  in  the  ways  of  destiny. 

Do  we  mean,  then,  to  say  that  Providence  decreed  all  the 
sufferings  and  losses  and  discomforts  of  these  westward-moving 
hosts?  That  Providence  impelled  them  to  enter  paths  that  led 
to  hardship  and  famine  and  disaster?  No,  I  do  not  dogmatize 
about  the  designs  of  Providence;  how  much  suffering  He  has 
decreed  I  will  not  undertake  to  say;  but  it  is  evident  that  He 
has  appointed  for  men  a  destiny  from  which  suffering  is  never 
absent,  and  that  the  paths  which  conduct  to  His  most  glorious 
gifts  are  paths  which  lead  through  toil  and  trial.     The  Captain 


186  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 

of  our  salvation  was  made  perfect  through  suffering,  and  where 
<-he  Captain  leads  His  followers  must  go.  And  I  think  that  we 
can  discover,  as  we  study  these  world-movements,  some  of  those 
deep  things  of  God  concerning  whose  meaning  it  is  not  wise  to 
be  too  confident,  but  whose  manifestations,  so  far  as  they  come 
within  the  range  of  our  own  understanding,  are  full  of  stimu- 
lating suggestion. 

It  is  evident,  to  begin  with,  that  these  migrations  of  the 
nations  furnish  a  field  for  the  culture  of  all  the  more  robust  vir- 
tues. I  do  not  mean  to  assert  that  pioneers  and  emigrants,  as  a 
class,  are  in  these  days,  or  ever  were,  in  all  respects  exemplary. 
They  are  often  persons  of  coarse  fiber  and  reckless  temper;  they 
are  for  a  time,  in  the  earlier  period,  beyond  the  restraint  of  laws 
and  social  conventions;  sometimes  they  become  lawless  and 
vicious  in  the  extreme.  Nevertheless  it  is  certain  that  many  of 
those  groups  who  came  to  America  in  the  last  two  centuries 
brought  their  moral  standards  and  their  social  conscience  with 
them,  and  established  upon  these  shores  a  purer  type  of  society 
than  they  had  left  behind.  But  all  these,  whether  they  be  stiff 
Puritans  or  free-living  Cavaliers,  have  need  of  cultivating  and 
manifesting  the  great  virtues  of  courage,  of  endurance,  of  self- 
sacrifice;  to  face  danger  calmly,  to  bear  hardships  quietly,  to 
meet  death  serenely  —  these  are  indispensable  qualities  in  the 
pioneer.  No  such  opportunities  of  heroism  come  to  us.  There 
are  chances  enough  even  for  us  to  be  heroic,  but  they  are  not 
like  these.  These  hand-to-hand  encounters  with  savages  and 
wild  beasts;  these  fights  with  frost  and  flood  and  pale-faced 
famine;  these  measurings  and  weighings  of  the  hoarded  ears  of 
maize  to  make  them  last  till  harvest;  these  lonely  marches  and 
bivouacs  in  the  primeval  forest;  these  persistent  struggles  with 
the  fierce  wilderness  to  subjugate  its  soil  —  all  these  are  the  very 
alphabet  of  heroism  for  future  generations. 

Close  akin  to  the  pioneer's  courage  is  his  faith  in  the  future. 
It  takes  a  high  order  of  faith  to  discern  the  beauty  and  bounty  of 
the  ages  to  come  and  to  be  willing  to  live  for  them  and  die  with- 
out seeing  them.  I  do  not  mean  to  assert  that  all  these  pio- 
neers have  possessed  this  heroic  faith,  but  that  it  has  lived  in  the 
breasts  of  many  of  them  their  own  words  bear  witness.     In  the 


Migrations  and    Their  Lessons.  187 

ancient  records  of  the  Plymouth  Pilgrims  we  read  that  one  rea- 
son, and  not  the  least  reason,  of  their  removal  to  America  was 
' '  a  great  hope  and  inward  zeal  they  had  of  laying  some  good 
foundation,  or  at  least  to  make  some  way  thereunto,  for  the 
propagating  and  advancement  of  the  Gospel  of  the  Kingdom  of 
Christ  in  those  remote  parts  of  the  world,  yea,  although  they 
should  be  but  as  stepping  stones  unto  others  for  the  performance 
of  so  great  a  work."  Very  few,  indeed,  of  the  great  army  of 
pioneers  have  had  any  reasonable  expectation  of  enjoying  in 
their  own  lifetime  the  fruits  of  their  own  labors.  Abraham  went 
out  from  Harau  to  Canaan  in  hope  that  the  land  would  some  day 
belong  to  his  descendants ;  yet,  as  Stephen  in  his  speech  before  the 
Sanhedrim  so  strongly  said,  "God  gave  him  none  inheritance  in  it; 
no,  not  so  much  as  to  set  his  foot  on,  and  He  promised  to  give  it 
to  him  in  possession,  and  to  his  seed  after  him,  when  as  yet  he 
had  no  child;  but  God  spake  on  this  wi.se,  that  his  seed  should 
sojourn  in  a  strange  land,  and  that  they  should  bring  them  unto 
bondage  and  entreat  them  evil  four  hundred  years;  but  the  na- 
tion to  which  they  shall  be  in  bondage  will  I  judge,  saith  God; 
after  that  shall  they  come  forth  and  serve  me  in  this  place." 
After  the  call  to  Abraham,  in  Haran,  and  the  migration  of  Abra- 
ham to  Canaan,  there  were  to  be  hundreds  of  weary  years  — 
years  of  nomadic  life  in  Palestine,  years  of  famine,  of  bondage, 
of  wandering  in  the  wilderness  —  before  his  descendants  should 
gain  full  possession  of  the  promised  land  ;  but  there  was  the 
promise,  and  Abraham  believed  the  promise  and  imparted  his 
own  great  faith  to  his  children  and  his  children's  children,  and 
this  faith  never  failed  them ;  it  upheld  them  under  all  the  hard- 
ships of  the  Egyptian  slavery,  and  it  brought  them  back,  cen- 
turies later,  to  the  land  which  had  been  promised  to  their  father, 
Abraham.  This  is,  no  doubt,  the  most  striking  instance  in  his- 
tory of  the  faith  of  a  pioneer  and  of  its  influence  upon  the  life 
of  generations  following;  but  something  not  unlike  it  is  wit- 
nessed in  the  conduct  of  many  of  those  who  have  laid  the  foun- 
dations of  great  States  in  toil  and  tears,  hoping  that  those  who 
should  come  after  them  would  reap  the  fruit  of  their  sowing, 
and  through  their  sacrifices  enter  into  security  and  peace. 

And    this   brings  us  to  one  more  great  motive  which  the 


188  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 

migration  of  nations  emphasizes  and  reveals — ^the  motive  which 
springs  from  the  solidarity  of  races ;  which  leads  a  man  to  feel 
that  he  is  a  partner,  not  only  with  his  coevals,  but  with  his  fore- 
bears and  his  posterity ;  that  much  of  the  best  part  of  his  gains 
and  his  joys  comes  from  the  labors  of  those  who  have  gone  be- 
fore him,  and  much  of  his  most  fruitful  work  must  be  done  for 
the  benefit  of  those  who  shall  come  after  him. 

It  is  when  man  rises  to  this  height  of  vision,  and  sees  the 
generations  all  linked  together  for  weal  or  woe,  helpers  of  one 
another's  welfare,  sharers  of  one  another's  misfortune,  that  he 
becomes  worthy  of  that  word  which  defines  him  as  a  being  of 
large  discourse,  looking  before  and  after.  All  the  greater 
motives  of  our  work  spring  from  the  realization  of  these  sublime 
facts;  from  our  sense  of  gratitude  to  those  who  have  gone  before 
us,  and  our  sense  of  obligation  to  those  who  are  coming  after  us. 
These  are  the  truths  which  are  brought  home  with  power  to  our 
minds  as  we  look  back  upon  the  lives  of  our  forerunners,  and 
which,  beyond  a  doubt,  were  present  in  the  minds  of  many  of 
them  as  they  laid  the  foundations  whereon  to-day  we  build. 

Such,  then,  are  some  of  the  gains  that  spring  from  these 
great  migrations ;  they  furnish  a  field  for  the  development  of  the 
robust  virtues,  they  provide  a  discipline  for  faith,  they  strengthen 
the  bond  that  binds  together  the  generation. 

The  connection  of  these  thoughts  with  this  occasion  is  not, 
I  trust,  obscure.  I  have  not  thought  it  any  part  of  my  duty  at 
this  time  to  undertake  the  recital  of  the  annals  of  the  colony 
that  landed  on  this  spot  one  hundred  years  ago.  That  task  has 
been  entrusted  to  other  and  more  capable  hands.  It  seemed 
more  fitting  that  I  should  rather  attempt  to  connect  the  found- 
ing of  this  colony  with  the  great  historic  movement  of  which  it 
was  a  part,  that  we  might  discern  something  of  the  sweep  and 
significance  of  that  movement.  With  how  many  of  these  great 
purposes  of  Providence  which  we  have  been  studying  these 
colonists  consciously  connected  themselves  I  do  not  know ; 
certain  it  is  that  they  had  a  great  opportunity  of  illustrating 
upon  this  .soil  the  robust  virtues ;  and  I  doubt  not  their  faith  and 
courage  are  living  here  in  the  lines  of  their  descendants.  It  was 
a  stormy  time  in  history  when  they  took  their  departure  from 


Mi(^yations  and   Their  Lessons.  189 

their  native  land.  On  July  14,  1789,  the  Bastile  had  fallen,  the 
first  resounding  success  of  the  French  revolution,  the  signal  of 
the  destruction  of  feudal  France,  and  of  the  coming  of  a  new 
regime. 

This  was  more  than  a  political  upheaval ;  it  was  a  social  and 
economic  crisis.  France  had  been  cursed  and  impoverished  for 
centuries  by  the  most  burdensome  tyranny;  the  people  were 
loaded  with  debt ;  agriculture  was  crushed,  trade  was  crippled, 
all  industries  were  paralyzed.  The  people  were  striking  about 
them  madly  and  blindly,  caring  little  who  was  smitten  or  what 
went  down  before  their  wrath,  resolute  onl)^  to  make  an  end  of 
the  existing  order.  The  Bastile  was  the  object  of  their  fury, 
but  dramatic  as  its  downfall  was,  it  brought  no  relief  from  the 
present  misery.  Still  the  dead  hand  lay  on  all  the  industries  of 
the  nation ;  still  work  was  scarce  and  bread  was  dear  though 
harvests  were  abundant,  and  famine  in  the  midst  of  plenty 
stared  the  multitude  in  the  face. 

"Fair  prophesies  are  spoken,"  writes  Carlyle,  "but  they 
are  not  fulfilled.  There  have  been  Notables,  Assemblages, 
turnings-out  and  comings-in.  Intriguing  and  maneuvering,  Par- 
limentary  eloquence  and  arguing,  Greek  meeting  Greek,  in  high 
places,  has  long  gone  on,  yet  still  bread  comes  not.  The  har- 
vest is  reaped  and  garnered,  yet  still  we  have  no  bread.  Urged 
by  despair  and  by  hope,  what  can  Drudger)^  do  but  rise  as  pre- 
dicted, and  produce  the  General  Overturn.  Fancy,  then,  some 
Five  full-grown  millions  of  such  gaunt  figures  with  their  hag- 
gard faces,  in  woollen  jupes,  with  copper-studded,  leather  girths, 
and  high  sabots,  starting  out  to  ask,  after  long  unreviewed  cen- 
turies, virtually  this  question:  How  have  ye  treated  us?  How 
have  ye  taught  us,  fed  us,  and  led  us,  while  we  toiled  for  you? 
The  answer  can  be  read  in  flames  over  the  nightly  summer  sky. 
This  is  the  feeding  and  leading  we  have  had  of  you;  Emptiness 
of  pocket,  of  .stomach,  of  head  and  of  heart.  Behold  there  is 
not/ling  in  us;  nothing  but  what  Nature  gives  her  wild  children 
of  the  desert;  Ferocity  and  Appetite;  Strength  grounded  on 
Hunger,  Did  ye  mark  among  your  rights  of  men  that  man  was 
not  to  die  of  starvation  while  there  was  bread  reaped  by  him? 
U  is  among  the  Mights  of  man," 


190  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  S 

All  over  the  land,  castles  are  flaming,  bands  of  smugglers 
wander  unrestrained;  "the  barriers  of  towns  are  burnt,  toll 
gatherers,  tax  gatherers,  official  persons  put  to  flight."  And 
from  all  over  France  hordes  of  these  half- civilized,  half -starved, 
half- infuriated  people  are  pouring  into  Paris.  Such  is  the  situa- 
tion during  the  Summer  and  early  Autumn  of  1789.  The 
foundations  of  the  great  deep  of  Feudalism  are  broken  up;  the 
Deluge  is  at  hand.  As  for  the  king  there  is  no  help  for  him;  he 
is  too  weak  a  man  to  deal  with  such  an  insurrection.  He  dallies 
with  the  revolution,  tries  to  ride  upon  the  crest  of  its  advancing 
wave,  but  it  skills  not ;  his  queen  and  his  court  are  sullen  and 
revengeful;  there  is  a  banquet  at  Versailles  one  night,  while 
thousands  in  the  great  city  are  starving;  and  the  king's  officers 
trample  under  their  feet  the  national  cockade,  while  the  queen 
looks  on  applauding,  and  the  people  see  that  the  court  despises 
them  and  plots  to  treat  their  newly  gained  liberties  as  it  has 
treated  their  emblem.  And  now  the  strangest,  the  most  hysteri- 
cal of  all  historic  episodes  takes  place:  ten  thousand  women  lead 
a  howling  mob  to  Versailles,  a  dozen  miles  away,  followed  by 
the  national  guard,  with  Lafayette  at  its  head,  and  they  capture 
the  king  and  queen  and  bring  them  to  Paris,  making  them  pris- 
oners in  fact,  in  their  own  royal  palace  of  the  Tuilleries,  and 
stamping  out  the  counter  revolution  with  two  hundred  thousand 
hob-nailed  shoes.  It  was  an  anxious  day  for  Paris;  who  could 
tell  what  might  be  coming  next?  Obviously  the  reign  of  the 
mob  was  well  begun  ;  those  who  had  everything  to  lose  might  as 
well  convert  it  into  portable  securities  and  silently  steal  away. 
It  was  on  the  G'lIi  of  October  that  the  king  was  escorted  to  Paris 
by  the  shrieking  Amazons;  before  this  month  had  ended  tens  of 
thousands  of  Frenchmen  had  bidden  good-bye  to  France.  This 
was  the  time  of  what  is  known  as  the  second  migration — "most 
extensive,"  says  Carlyle,  "among  commons,  deputies,  noblesse, 
clergy,  so  that  to  Switzerland  alone  there  go  sixty  thousand. 
One  emigration  follows  another,  grounded  on  reasonable  fear, 
unreasonable  hope,  largely,  also,  on  childish  pet.  The  high- 
flyers have  gone  first,  now  the  lower  flyers,  and  even  the  lowei 
will  go,  down  to  the  crawlers." 

What  has  all  this  to  do  with  our  colonists  of  Gallipolis?     I 


Mii^rations  and  Their  Lessons.  191 

hardly  know  how  much  it  has  to  do  with  them ;  but  putting  this 
and  that  together,  it  might  signify  something.  For  it  was  right 
in  the  midst  of  all  this  panic  and  terror  that  there  appeared 
upon  the  scene  the  agents  of  the  Scioto  Company,  the  Yankee, 
Joel  Barlow,  and  the  Englishman,  William  Playfair — with  their 
maps  and  their  prospectuses,  and  their  glowing  promises,  telling 
of  a  country  where  the  climate  was  semi-tropical,  where  the 
rivers  abound  with  enormous  fish,  and  the  forests  with  venison; 
where  the  trees  exuded  sweetmeats,  and  candles  grew  on  trees; 
where  there  were  no  taxes  to  pay  and  no  conscriptions  to  dread. 
Is  it  any  wonder  that^uch  o.  manifesto  strongly  appealed  to  the 
excited  and  apprehensive  Parisians?  Less  than  a  month  after 
Louis  was  brought  to  Paris,  and  while  the  alarmed  citizens  were 
flying  from  France  by  thousands.  Barlow  formed  his  company 
of  the  Scioto,  and  the  emigrants  came  flocking  to  his  headquar- 
ters; five  thousand  of  them  were  ready  to  set  forth  in  the  early 
spring  in  quest  of  their  Utopia. 

It  is  a  pitiful  and  painful  story;  I  will  not  dwell  upon  it. 
We  can  see  how  several  of  the  motives  which  we  have  traced  in 
our  study  may  have  operated  to  set  in  motion  this  migration; 
how  pinching  want,  and  political  oppression,  and  the  horrors  of 
civil  war  and  social  strife  made  these  Frenchmen  willing  to  leave 
their  native  land:  and  we  can  see,  also,  how  grievously  they  were 
deceived  by  the  representations  made  to  them,  and  how  great  was 
their  need  of  courage  and  faith  and  patience,  and  all  the  heroic 
qualities  of  the  pioneer,  when  they  lauded  on  the  bluff"  and  took 
possession  of  the  log  huts  that  awaited  their  occupation. 

I  will  not  undertake  to  tell  how  bravely  they  met  the  perils 
that  surrounded  them,  nor  with  how  much  steadfastness  and 
fortitude  they  wrought  out  their  difficult  problem.  I  know  that 
our  hearts  go  out  to  them  to-day  in  compassion  for  their  suffer- 
ings, and  in  gratitude  for  their  toils  and  self-denials;  for  it  is  to 
them,  and  to  all  the  noble  army  of  pioneers  in  whose  rank  they 
marched,  and  in  whose  battle  with  the  wilderness  they  fought 
and  fell,  that  we  owe  the  fertile  fields,  the  beautiful  homes,  the 
teeming  cities,  the  wealth  and  the  culture  and  the  power  of  our 
great  commonwealth,  of  our  Native  Land. 

And  now,  fellow  citizens,  there  remains  but  one  question 


192  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 

more:  What  admonition,  what  incitement  comes  to  us  from 
this  glance  across  the  centuries?  We  have  seen  this  mighty 
march  of  the  peaceful  armies  of  industry  around  the  world, 
from  east  to  west;  we  have  counted,  as  they  could  not,  the  cost 
of  their  enterprises;  we  have  learned  how  much  we  owe  to 
them.  Can  they  teach  us  any  thing  that  we  need  to  know?  Do 
they  summon  us  to  any  work  which  we  are  prone  to  neglect? 

We  honor  and  applaud  their  heroism ;  have  we  any  call  to 
imitate  it?  For  the  physical  courage  which  they  displayed  there 
is  not  much  demand  in  these  piping  times  of  peace ;  but  of  the 
courage  which  fears  not  to  confront  the  enemies  of  the  State, 
and  the  destroyers  of  our  youth,  this  generation  still  has  need. 
It  is  not  with  wolves  and  painted  savages  that  we  are  called  to 
fight ;  but  with  foes  far  more  dangerous :  with  robbers  of  rev- 
enues ;  with  pilferers  of  public  funds ;  with  men  who  make  a 
trade  of  politics  and  are  ready  always  to  subordinate  the  public 
welfare  to  their  own  amb:tion ;  with  banditti  whose  dens  are  in 
the  lobbies,  and  sometimes  in  the  offices  of  court  houses  and 
city  halls,  and  capitols  ;  yea,  with  all  the  purveyors  of  vice  and 
crime,  with  hyenas  in  human  form  who  get  their  living  by  help- 
ing their  fellow-men  on  the  road  to  ruin,  and  whose  property  in- 
creases just  in  proportion  as  their  neighbors  are  impoverished 
and  degraded.  To  confront  such  foes  takes  a  different  kind  of 
courage  from  that  which  the  pioneers  exhibited;  a  courage  less 
dramatic,  less  spectacular,  less  impressive  to  crude  minds  ;  but  no 
less  genuine,  or  less  noble.  And  there  is  always  room  for  self- 
sacrifice  in  our  encounters  with  these  foes.  It  generally  costs 
something,  in  this  world,  to  secure  good  government;  it  costs 
something  to  establish  it;  it  costs  something  to  maintain  it. 
Hardships,  losses,  privations  untold  were  endured  by  those  who 
laid  the  foundations  of  the  State,  and  the  State  will  not  be  kept 
'.'rom  overthrow  unless  we  are  ready  to  suffer  some  hardships 
and  losses  in  its  defense.  To  challenge  and  resist  the  enemies 
of  the  State  —  to  keep  its  councils  pure  and  its  honor  stainless  — 
will  require  of  you  and  me  some  sacrifices.  We  must  be  will- 
ing to  face  opposition,  contempt,  contumeh^;  to  be  called  all 
manner  of  hard  names  ;  to  be  stigmatized  as  cranks,  feather- 
heads,  doctrinaries,  dudes;  nay,  we  must  even  be  willing  to  lose 


Migrations  and  Their  Lessons.  193 

customers,  to  see  our  income  reduced,  and  our  prospect  of  pro- 
motion cut  off;  to  suffer  the  loss  of  many  things  rather  than  be 
false  to  our  convictions  of  duty.  Unless  this  spirit  abides  in  us, 
we  are  unworthy  of  the  liberties  which  were  purchased  for  us  at 
so  great  a  cost,  and  we  shall  not  long  retain  them. 

The  faith  of  the  pioneers  must  also  animate  our  souls. 
Unless  we  believe  as  they  did,  that  there  are  better  days  to 
come,  our  heartless  labor  will  be  utterly  in  vain.  If  they  did 
not  despair  of  the  future  nation,  when  they  held  the  forlorn 
hope  here  in  the  wilderness;  when  half  and  more  than  half 
their  number  perished  in  a  single  winter ;  when  trackless  forests 
encircled  them,  and  stubborn  soils  defied  them,  and  bloody  foes 
lurked  everywhere  in  ambush  for  them,  surely  we  should  not 
despair  of  the  Republic  now,  when  so  many  fields  have  been 
won,  and  the  forces  of  intelligence  and  virtue  are  so  many  and 
so  mighty. 

"Amid  the  storms  they  saug. 

And  the  stars  heard,  and  the  sea. 
And  the  sounding  aisles  of  the  dim  woods  rang 
With  the  anthems  of  the  free." 

Unless  we,  their  children,  in  the  midst  of  the  foes  that  be- 
league  us,  can  lift  up  our  voices  in  the  same  triumphant  strain, 
we  are  recreant  to  the  charge  they  have  given  us  to  keep. 

Above  all,  there  is  need  that  we  should  grasp  with  new  con- 
viction the  great  truth  of  the  solidarity  of  the  generations ;  that 
while  we  confess  our  obligations  to  those  who  lived  before  us, 
we  should  feel,  as  we  never  yet  have  felt,  our  duty  to  those  who 
will  live  after  us.  This  is  the  one  clear  and  strong  impression 
which  such  an  occasion  as  this  should  stamp  upon  our  thought. 
To  see  to  it  that  the  treasures  of  just  law  and  large  liberty  which 
we  have  inherited  shall  receive  no  detriment  at  our  hands,  but 
shall  be  handed  on  unimpaired,  unpolluted,  undiminished  to  our 
children,  this  is  our  supreme  obligation.  With  a  great  sum  have 
we  obtained  this  freedom  ;  but  the  price  was  not  paid  by  us ;  we 
are  the  beneficiaries  of  past  generations.  We  have  no  right  to 
waste  our  patrimony.  What  cost  our  fathers  such  an  outlay  of 
pain  and  privation  we  ought  to  cherish  with  reverent  devotion. 

Vol.  Ill— 13 


194  Ohio  Arch,  and  Mis.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 

It  is  worth  all  it  cost,  all  and  infinitely  more,  and  it  must  be 
transmitted  without  loss  to  our  successors. 

Every  thoughtful  man  admits  that  the  people  of  one  gener- 
ation have  no  right  to  exhaust  the  soil  from  which  their  suste- 
nance is  derived,  passing  it  on  to  their  posterity  poorer  than  it 
was  when  they  received  it.  Such  wasteful  or  careless  use  of 
natural  resources  is  criminal.  The  land,  the  forests,  the  mines, 
the  fish  of  the  streams,  all  the  bounty  of  nature,  are  here  not 
ior  us  alone,  but  for  our  children  and  our  children's  children  for 
ages  to  come.  In  all  our  use  of  these  things  we  must  keep  them 
in  mind.  Their  numbers  will  increase  ;  the  productive  energies 
of  the  earth  must  not  be  reduced,  but  reinforced  and  reinvigor- 
ated  for  their  benefit.  It  is  a  stupid  crime,  it  is  treason  against 
humanity  to  impoverish  by  our  greed  the  soil  on  which  millions 
must  dwell  after  we  are  gone. 

If  such  is  our  responsibility  for  the  careful  and  productive 
use  of  natural  resources,  what  shall  we  say  respecting  those 
higher  and  more  precious  portions  of  our  inheritance  —  the  mun- 
iments of  law,  the  safeguards  of  liberty,  the  wholesome  cus- 
toms, the  sound  sentiments,  the  reverence  for  God,  the  respect 
for  man,  the  true  equality,  the  genuine  fraternity  —  without 
which  government  is  anarchy  and  society  is  pandemonium? 
Must  not  these  be  preserved  in  their  integrity,  and  transmitted 
to  those  who  come  after  us?  These  are  the  talents  which  the 
Lord  of  the  earth  entrusts  to  the  people  of  each  generation,  and 
which  they  are  to  deliver  up  to  their  successors  multiplied  and 
improved  by  God's  own  law  of  increase.  The  world  that  we  re- 
sign to  those  who  come  after  us  must  be  a  better  world  than  that 
which  we  received  from  our  fathers  —  a  more  productive  world, 
a  healthier,  happier,  safer,  purer,  freer,  nobler  world ;  if  we  fail 
in  this,  our  material  gains  will  only  hasten  our  national  decay ; 
the  mighty  forces  of  nature  that  we  have  harnessed  will  bu\ 
drag  us  to  destruction  ;  the  swift  flying  steeds  of  fire  and  light- 
ning coursing  over  our  land  and  churning  our  seas  to  foam  will 
speed  us  to  our  doom. 

Fellow  countrymen,  fellow  Christians,  those  great  currents 
of  migration  from  east  to  west,  whose  course  across  the  conti- 
nent we  have  followed,  are  stayed  upon  our  western  shore  and 


Migrations  and   Their  Lcsso7is.  195 

can  no  farther  go.  For  numberless  centuries  they  have  been 
flowing  westward ;  and  the  slow  tides  of  time  have  brought 
them  to  the  final  barrier.  At  the  Golden  Gate,  on  the  snowy 
summits  of  the  Cascade  Mountains,  the  pilgrims  stand  and  gaze 
afar  to  that  Asian  continent  from  which  in  the  dim  twilight  of 
history  their  father  set  forth  —  to  countries  crowded  with  a  de- 
cadent civilization.  The  circuit  of  the  earth  is  completed; 
migration  has  come  to  its  term  ;  here,  upon  these  plains,  the 
problems  of  history  are  to  be  solved;  here,  if  anywhere,  is  to 
rise  that  city  of  God,  the  New  Jerusalem,  whose  glories  are  to 
fill  the  earth.  O,  let  us  not  forget  what  foundations  w-e  are  lay- 
ing, what  empires  are  to  stand  upon  them ;  and  in  the  fear  of 
God  and  the  love  of  man  let  us  build  here  a  city  in  whose  light 
the  nations  of  the  earth  shall  walk ;  whereinto  kings  may  bring 
their  glory  and  honor ;  into  which  there  shall  enter  nothing 
that  worketh  abomination  or  maketh  a  lie. 


l96  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 

The  following  is  an  abstract  of  the  discourse  deliv^ered  to 
the  Methodists  of  Gallipolis  by  the  Rev.  David  H.  Moore,  D.  D., 
of  Cincinnati,  Editor  of  the  Western  Christian  Advocate: 

THEME  —  PHILOSOPHY    OF    METHODIST   SUCCESS;    WITH  SPECIAL 
REFERENCE    TO   THE    NORTHWEST   TERRITORY. 

Thou  shalt  remember  all  the  way  which  the  Lord  thy  God  hath  led 
thee. —  Dent.  viii.  2. 

It  is  worthy  of  note  that  the  successful  peopling  of  North 
America  was  providentially  delayed  until  the  Pilgrim  Fathers 
were  ready  to  plant  Christianity  in  the  colonies  settling  the  new 
world.  But  the  Pilgrim  Fathers  were  only  one  remove  from 
bitter  persecutions,  and  schooled  in  enforced  obedience  naturally 
became  themselves  dogmatic  and  arbitrary.  A  freer  polity  and  a 
more  genial  faith  were  needed  for  the  expanding  populations  of 
the  colonies ;  one  whose  reactions  upon  the  various  forms 
of  Puritanism  should  be  liberalizing  and  quickening.  This  new 
religious  factor  —  coeval  with  the  political  birth  of  the  United 
States  and  ordained  to  far  reaching  influence  upon  its  develop- 
ment and  destiny  —  was  that  form  of  belief  and  life  known  as 
Methodism.  It  was  unique  in  its  absolu  e  separation  from  the 
arm  of  flesh,  its  constant  dependence  upon  the  Holy  Spirit,  arid 
its  single  aim  of  spreading  Scriptural  holiness  throughout  the 
lands.  It  was  little  thoughtful  of  numbers,  no  stickler  for  form; 
it  feared  God,  honored  the  King,  and  believed  in  the  equal  par- 
ticipation of  all  men  in  the  benefits  of  the  atonement  through 
Christ.  It  was  conceived  in  Epworth  rector3^  born  in  Oxford 
University,  and  reached  the  strength  and  beauty  of  maturity  in 
free  America. 

We  who  sometimes  despair  of  the  cause  of  God  amid  the 
Sabbath -breaking,  drunkenness,  sensuality,  worldliness  and  in- 
fidelity of  the  day,  need  only  look  at  the  origin  of  Methodism 
to  be  assured  that  our  fears  are  idle.  The  reign  of  George  II 
seems  to  have  had  swept  down  into  it  from  the  corrupt  court  of 
Charles  the  accumulated  frivolity,  coarseness,  libertinism,  and 
unbelief  of  all  the  past.  True,  some  lights  were  unquenched, 
but  they  were  rush -lights  disputing  with  midnight  gloom.  Over- 
whelming wickedness  rolled  over  the  land. 


Pliilosophy  of  Methodist  Success.  197 

Says  Tyermaii :  "Never  has  a  century  risen  on  Christian 
England  so  void  of  soul  and  faith  as  that  which  opened  with 
Queen  Anne,  and  which  reached  its  misty  noon  beneath  the 
second  George  —  a  dewless  night,  succeeded  by  a  sunless  dawn. 
There  was  no  freshness  in  the  past  and  no  promise  in  the  future. 
The  Puritans  were  buried  and  the  Methodists  were  not  born. 
The  philosopher  of  the  age  was  Bolingbroke ;  the  moralist  was 
Addison  ;  the  minstrel  was  Pope ;  and  the  preacher  was  Atter- 
bury.  The  world  had  the  idle,  discontented  look  of  the  morn- 
ing after  some  mad  holiday,  and,  like  rocket  -  sticks  and  the 
singed  paper  from  last  night's  squibs,  the  spent  jokes  of  Charles 
and  Rochester  lay  all  about,  and  people  yawned  to  look  at  them. 
The  reign  of  buffoonery  was  past,  but  the  reign  of  faith  and 
earnestness  had  not  commenced." 

In  17'3G,  every  sixth  house  in  London  was  a  licensed  grog- 
shop;  and  sign -boards  adverti.sed  to  make  a  man  drunk  and 
furnish  him  straw  to  lie  on  to  sleep  off  his  drunken  stupor  —  for 
a  penny.  High  and  low  were  corrupt.  Dissenters  lamented  the 
worldliness  of  their  ministers,  and  of  the  candidates  for  orders 
in  the  established  church,  Bishop  Burnet  — 1713  said:  "The 
much  greater  part  are  ignorant  to  a  degree  not  to  be  apprehended 
by  those  who  are  not  obliged  to  know  it." 

Toplady  declares  that  ' '  a  converted  minister  was  as  great  a 
wonder  as  a  comet."  Even  in  the  University,  such  was  the 
prevalence  of  aggres.sive  infidelity  that  the  Vice  Chancellor  was 
constrained  to  issue  an  edict  pointing  out  this  deplorable  condi- 
tion, and  directing  the  tutors  to  use  diligence  in  counteracting  it. 
But  the  Dean  of  Christ  College,  where  We.sley  was  preparing  for 
his  mission,  was  so  maddened  by  infidelity  that  he  forbade  the 
posting  of  the  edict  in  his  hall. 

Exi.stiug  forces  were  inadequate.  The  crisis  was  extreme. 
It  was  indeed  man's  extremity  become  God's  opportunity ;  and 
He  led  Charles  and  John  Wesley,  Robert  Kirkham  and  Wm. 
Morgan,  to  form  the  "Holy  Club"  and  lay  the  foundation  of 
world-wide  Methodism. 

The  persecution  they  suffered,  the  self-denial  they  prac- 
ticed, the  emergencies  they  met,  the  experiences  they  gained, 
were  providential  preparations  for  the  perils  in  the  wilderness  of 


198  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications .        [Vol.  B 

the  New  World.  Mind  you,  Wesley  and  his  co- laborers  were 
not  adventurers,  seeking  cheap  notoriety  in  this  enterprise  be- 
cause excluded  by  their  inferior  genius  from  the  more  attractive 
fields  open  to  talent  and  learning.  Lord  Macaulay  thus  estimates 
Wesley's  ability  :  "  He  was  a  man  whose  eloquence  and  logical 
acuteness  might  have  rendered  him  eminent  in  literature ;  whose 
genius  for  government  was  not  inferior  to  that  of  Richelieu ;  and 
who  devoted  all  his  powers  in  defiance  of  obloquy  and  derision, 
to  what  he  sincerely  considered  the  highest  good  of  his  species." 
Yet  their  name  was  cast  out  as  evil.  All  manner  of  con- 
tempt was  heaped  upon  them.  Fogg's  Journal,  one  of  the  most 
literary  and  respectable  papers,  held  them  up  to  scorn.  ' '  Among 
their  own  party,"  says  the  writer,  "they  pass  for  religious  per- 
sons and  men  of  extraordinary  parts ;  but  they  have  the  misfor- 
tune to  be  taken  by  all  who  have  ever  been  in  their  company  for 
madmen  and  fools."  They  were  forbidden  the  churches  and 
prosecuted  for  preaching  in  the  open  air.  They  were  dragged 
before  magistrates,  hooted  by  mobs,  pelted  with  filth  and  bruised 
with  stones,  tumbled  into  lime-pits  and  then  into  water.  But  in 
the  midst  of  this  burning  furnace  of  trial,  the  Spirit  taught 
Wesley  to  sing: 

"  Ye  mountains  and  vales,  in  praises  abound ; 
Ye  hills  and  ye  dales,  continue  the  sound  ; 
Break  forth  into  singing,  ye  trees  of  the  wood. 
For  Jesus  is  bringing  lost  sinners  to  God!" 

Every  moment  was  precious,  for  some  perishing  soul  might 
be  saved.  So  he  calculated  for  every  minute.  Lying  awake  in 
the  middle  of  the  night,  he  set  his  alarm  for  seven,  but  his  wake- 
fulness continued;  then  for  six,  with  the  same  result;  then  for 
five,  and  no  change  ;  then  for  four,  and  there  was  no  more  wake- 
fulness; and  thereafter  he  arose  at  that  early  hour. 

So  of  money.  God  needed  it  for  His  poor  and  for  His  work. 
And  so  Wesley  practiced  and  preached  that  it  was  the  duty  of 
each  one  to  give  away  every  year  all  he  had  after  providing  for 
his  own  necessities.  Thus  when  he  received  ^30  a  year,  he 
lived  on  ^28  and  gave  away  40  shillings;  when  he  received  ^60, 
he  lived  on  ^28  and  gave  away  /32;  /90,  still  ^28  sufficient  for 


Philosophy  of  Methodist  Success.  199 

his  living,  and  he  gave  away  /"(i2  ;  when  he  received  /"120,  ht 
still  lived  on  /'28  and  gave  away  all  the  rest. 

Consider  the  character  of  his  preaching.  Like  the  great 
French  evangelist  he  knew  but  three  things  —  a  ruined  world,  a 
mighty  Savior,  brought  together  by  an  earnest  ministry.  Every 
sermon  brings  out  —  man's  damning  guilt,  his  almighty  Savior, 
and  a  witnessed  salvation. 

And  with  this  thrilling  Gospel  he  went  where  sinners  most 
abounded.  A  prelate  of  the  Established  Church  sneeringly 
called  the  first  Roman  Catholic  Archbishop  of  Westminster 
"Archbishop  of  the  slums."  "Exactly,"  was  the  noble  reply, 
"that  is  just  what  I  am.  I  am  an  archbishop  of  the  slums; 
that  is  my  business;  that  is  what  I  desire  to  be.  My  ministry  is 
among  the  hordes  and  the  garrets  and  the  slums;  yours,  I  admit, 
is  something  very  different." 

Such  was  Wesley's  spirit.  This  high-bred  gentleman,  this 
profound  scholar,  this  man  "whose  eloquence  and  logical  acute- 
ness  might  have  rendered  him  eminent  in  literature;  whose 
genius  for  government  was  not  inferior  to  that  of  Richelieu ;  " 
whose  earlier  devotion  to  the  establishment  was  such  that  he 
would  have  thought  the  saving  of  a  soul  "  a  sin  almost  if  it  had 
not  been  done  in  a  church" — turned  from  all  his  past  and  from 
all  his  churchly  future,  with  quenchless  zeal  for  souls,  counting 
all  things  loss  that  stood  between  him  and  their  salvation  through 
his  instrumentality. 

"  His  frame  of  adamant  and  soul  of  fire  "  were  taxed  to  the 
utmost.  Says  a  biographer:  "He  exposed  himself  with  the 
utmost  indifference  to  every  change  of  season  and  inclemency  of 
weather;  snow  and  hail,  storm  and  tempest,  had  no  effect  on  his 
iron  body.  He  frequently  lay  down  on  the  ground  and  slept  all 
night  with  his  hair  frozen  to  the  earth  ;  he  would  swim  over 
rivers  with  his  clothes  on  and  travel  till  they  were  dry,  and  all 
this  without  any  apparent  injury  to  his  health." 

Even  a  Catholic  historian  is  constrained  to  say  of  him  and 
his  co-laborers:  "They  taught  moral  doctrines  which  we  all 
accept  in  common,  but  they  did  not  teach  them  after  the  old  and 
barren  way  of  the  plodding,  mechanical  instructor.  They  thun- 
dered them  into  the  opening  ears  of  thousands  who  had  never 


200  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol..  3 

been  roused  to  moral  seutiment  before.  The}^  inspired  the  souls 
of  poor  and  common-place  creatures  with  all  the  zealot's  fire  and 
all  the  martyr's  endurance.  They  brought  tears  to  penitent  eyes 
which  had  never  been  moistened  before  by  any  but  the  selfish 
sense  of  personal  pain  or  grief.  They  pierced  through  the  dull, 
vulgar,  contaminated  hideousness  of  low  and  vicious  life,  and 
sent  streaming  in  upon  it  the  light  of  a  higher  world  and  a 
better  law." 

Wesley  had  but  one  aim  —  to  save  men  —  and  counted  every 
man  called  of  God  to  do  what  he  could  to  this  end.  Hence, 
pressed  by  the  teeming  work  and  sadly  needing  workmen,  he 
called  into  service  lay  preachers,  applying  only  the  simple  test 
of  "  gifts,  grace  and  usefulness."  Thus  he  advanced  with  every 
arm  of  the  gospel  service  against  the  foe ;  and  his  line  of  battle 
resting  its  right  on  the  schools  and  its  left  on  "  the  slums,"  with 
Christ  in  the  center,  leaped  forward  unto  victory. 

Beloved,  little  need  were  there  to  rehearse  things  you  know 
so  well,  if  history  were  all  we  sought.  It  is  not  history,  but  the 
philosophy  of  history  we  seek — the  philosophy  of  our  wonder- 
ful Methodist  history.  I  seek  to  show  you  in  these  things  why 
Methodism  has  triumphed  so  gloriously.  Sprung  from  Wesley's 
loins  it  could  not  be  otherwise.  He  projected  himself  upon 
America.  His  ministers  here  caught  his  courage,  zeal,  euerey, 
self-denial.  He  multiplied  himself  by  every  preacher  who  bore 
the  double  standard  of  Christ  and  Methodism  over  the  moun- 
tains, through  the  savannahs  and  into  the  forests  of  North 
America. 

So,  I  repeat,  Wesley  was  God's  providence  for  America. 
For  consider — here  were  wildernesses,  infested  by  savages,  and 
thinly  settled  by  desperate  men ;  here  was  a  new  world,  with 
men's  thoughts  absorbed  in  its  conquest;  here  were  colonies, 
drunk  with  the  first  long  draught  of  civil  liberty,  the  plains  yet 
.soaking  with  the  blood  of  the  Revolution.  Here  were  no  funds 
to  be  drawn  upon  for  church  extension  or  domestic  missions ;  no 
meeting  houses;  no  salaries;  nothing  in  sight  but  trials,  losses, 
dangers,  suffering,  death.  Only  men  of  the  most  heroic  mould 
could  be  equal  to  tasks  like  these.     Such  men  were  the  product 


Philosophy  of  Methodist  Success.  201 

of  the  great  Wesleyaii  movement,  this  the  second  Reformation 
that  sprang  from  Luther's  first.  Time  will  not  allow  us  many 
examples  to  show  that  the  Wesley  spirit  is  the  secret  of  our  suc- 
cess. One  suffices  :  Asbury  was  the  American  Wesley,  and  his 
signature  attested  the  appointment  of  the  noble  men  who  first 
broke  the  solitude  of  the  Northwestern  Territory  with  the  songs 
and  words  of  life. 

Asbury  !  name  heroic  and  inspiring, 

"  He   would   not   flatter   Neptune   for  his  trident. 
Or  Jove   for   liis   jiower  to   thunder." 

Facing  maddened  mobs,  traveling  trackle.ss  forests,  braving 
hostile  .savages,  enduring  want  and  weariness  and  poverty  ex- 
treme, he  reflected  at  once  the  strength  and  gentleness  of  Christ, 
His  salary  was  $30  a  year!  Yet  he  murmured  not.  "What 
matters  it  where  I  go  or  what  comes  upon  me  if  God  is  with 
me,"  he  writes  in  his  Journal,  "  or  where  I  live  or  where  I  die, 
if  holy  and  ready." 

Again  he  writes:  "My  present  mode  of  conduct  is  as  fol- 
ows:  to  read  about  one  hundred  pages  a  day ;  usually  to  pray 
in  public  five  times  a  day ;  to  preach  in  the  open  air  every  other 
day,  and  to  lecture  in  prayer  meeting  every  evening.  And  if  it 
were  in  my  power,  I  would  do  a  thousand  times  as  much  for 
such  a  gracious  and  blessed  Master.  But  in  the  midst  of  all  my 
little  employments,  I  feel  myself  as  nothing  and  Christ  to  me  is 
all  in  all." 

This  was  our  Francis  Asbury,  who  spent  forty-five  years 
in  the  American  ministry,  traveled  270,000  miles — 6,000  a  year; 
preached  16,500  sermons,  at  least  one  a  daj'-;  presided  at  not 
le.ss  than  224  annual  conferences  and  ordained  more  than  4,000 
preachers. 

Bascom,  and  Finley,  and  Cartwright,  and  Young,  and  Mor- 
ris, followed  by  Trimble,  and  Moody,  and  Ferree,  and  Dillon, 
and  Brown,  and  they  by  tho.se  now  in  our  midst ;  these  consti- 
tute our   unbroken   apostolic  succession.     Gallipolis  traces    its 


202  Ohio  Arch,  ayid  His.  Society  Pub/ icat ions.        [Vol.  3 

Jescent  from  pastor  Baker  back  through  this  magnificent  ances- 
try to  Asbury  and  Wesley.* 

So  does  every  other  church  in  Methodism.  And  only  the 
reflection  which  these  centennial  occasions  promote  is  needed  to 
make  us  give  thanks  that  the  lines  have  fallen  to  us  in  such 
pleasant  places  and  that  ours  is  so  goodly  a  heritage. 

You  ask  me  to  glance  at  the  development  of  our  church  in 
the  Northwest  Territory,  and  a  glance  is  all  my  time  will  admit. 

More  than  fifty  volumes,  chiefly  biographical,  have  been 
written  upon  it.  The  same  adventurous  spirit  that  led  our 
fathers  into  Kentucky  and  into  the  Ohio  wilderness,  led  them 
also  into  Indiana  and  Illinois,  into  Michigan  and  Wisconsin;  and 
substantially  the  same  hardships  and  dangers  were  encountered 
and  the  same  prejudices  met  and  overcome.  Each  conference 
has  its  heroes;  and  no  legacy  is  so  precious  as  the  memory  of  its 
pioneers.     Such  hero  worship  is  inspiring  and  ennobling. 

Says  Carlyle:  "We  cannot  look,  however  imperfectly,  upon 
a  great  man  without  gaining  something  by  him.  He  is  the  living 
light-fountain,  which  it  is  good  and  pleasant  to  be  near;  the  light 
which  enlightens,  which  has  enlighted,  the  darkness  of  the 
world;  and  this  not  as  a  kindled  lamp  only,  but  rather  as  a 
natural  luminary  shining  by  the  gift  of  Heaven,  a  flowing  light- 
fountain,  as  I  say,  of  native  original  insight,  of  manhood  and 
heroic  nobleness,  in  whose  radiance  all  souls  feel  that  it  is  well 
with  them." 

An  unpublished  Mss.  by  Prof.  S.  W.  Williams,  book  editor 
of  the  Western  Methodist  Book  Concern,  and  probably  unsur- 
passed in  Methodist  antiquities,  gives  valuable  facts  concerning 
"the  introduction  of  Methodism  into  Southwestern  Ohio.'" 
[Copious  extracts  were  read,  which  are  necessarily  omitted  here.] 
Up  to  the  organization  of  the  Northwestern  Territory  in  1787, 
the  only  white  residents  on  this  side  of  the  Ohio  were  a  few 
transient  traders,  perhaps  a  half-dozen  Moravian  missionaries, 
and  a  score  or  two  of  straggHng  squatters. 

When  this  was  opened  to  settlement  the  emigrants  began  to 


■•'The  history  of  Gallipolis  M.  E.  Church,  prepared  by  Rev,  P.  A. 
Baker,  is  appended,  as  an  essential  part  of  this  Centennial  Record. — 
D.  H.  M. 


Philosophy  of  Methodist  Success.  203 

push  in,  braving  the  hostility  of  the  cruel  and  treacherous  red 
men.  In  1788-89  they  settled  at  Marietta,  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Little  Miami,  and  where  Cincinnati  now  stands,  and  when 
Wayne's  victorious  campaign  in  1794  brought  peace  the  settlers 
crowded  into  the  interior  and  founded  Hamilton,  Franklin,  Day- 
ton and  Chillicothe.  Before  1800  there  was  a  chain  of  settle- 
ments in  Southern  Ohio  up  the  Miami  valleys  as  far  north  as 
Dayton  and  Xenia  and  up  the  Scioto  to  Franklinton. 

As  nearly  as  I  can  determine,  the  first  Methodist  preacher 
who  visited  this  section  of  Ohio  was  Wm.  Burke,  a  remarkable 
man  of  the  Asbury-Wesley  stamp.  He  was  appointed  by  Bishop 
Asbury,  October  2,  1803,  to  cross  the  Ohio  and  form  a  new  dis- 
trict in  the  wilderness.  He  says:  "I  entered  upon  my  work 
about  the  last  of  October,  1803.  *  *  The  Miami  circuit  in- 
cluded all  the  settlements  between  the  Miamis  and  as  far  north, 
including  the  settlements  of  Mad  river,  as  high  up  as  the  neigh- 
borhood where  Urbana  now  stands,  and  east  of  the  Little  Miami 
as  high  up  as  the  settlements  on  Bullskin,  and  all  the  settlements 
on  the  East  Fork  of  the  Little  Miami  and  a  few  settlements  in 
Campbell  county,  Ky."  This  was  a  six  weeks'  circuit.  "  The 
most  easterly  appointment  was  at  Brother  Boggs's,  on  the  Little 
Miami,  a.  few  miles  from  the  Yellow  Springs.  From  that  point 
we  generally  started  at  daylight  for  the  settlements  on  the  Scioto, 
having  between  40  and  50  miles,  without  a  house,  to  the  first 
inhabitants  at  old  Chillicothe. 

"Scioto  circuit  included  all  that  tract  of  country  inhabited 
on  Paint  creek  out  to  New  Market,  Brush  creek.  Eagle  creek, 
and  Ohio  Brush  creek,  and  up  the  Ohio  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Scioto,  and  then  up  the  Scioto  to  the  Pickaway  Plains,  including 
Chillicothe  and  the  settlements  on  White's  creek,  a  four  weeks' 
circuit. 

"  From  thence  one  day's  ride  to  the  settlements  in  the  Hock- 
ing Valley,  which  was  called  Hocking  circuit,  which  laid  princi- 
pally on  that  river  and  its  tributaries,  and  a  few  settlements  on 
Walnut  creek.  From  Lancaster  we  generally  took  two  days  and 
a  half  to  reach  the  bounds  of  West  Wheeling  circuit,  near  where 
St.  Clairsville  is  now  located.  This  was  a  four  weeks'  circuit, 
including  the  settlements  on  the  Ohio  river  and  extending  back 


204  Ohio  Arch,  and  tJis.  Society  Puhticatioyis.        [Vol.  ^I 

to  the    frontier  settlements  on  the  West  Wheeling  and  Short 
creeks,  etc. 

"From  this  point  we  returned  by  the  same  route  to  New 
Lancaster,  and  then  down  the  Hocking  to  Sunday  creek  and 
Monday  creek,  and  then  over  to  Marietta  circuit. 

"This  circuit  was  up  and  down  the  Ohio  from  Marietta,  as 
low  down  as  the  settlements  were  formed,  and  up  the  Muskingum 
as  far  as  Clover  Bottom  and  Wolf  Creek,  and  so  down  to  the 
neighborhood  of  Marietta,  and  over  to  Virginia  on  the  waters  of 
Little  Kanawha.  This  was  called  the  Muskingum  and  Little 
Kanawha  circuits.  It  was  but  a  three  weeks'  circuit  and  had 
one  preacher. 

"From  the  neighborhood  of  Marietta  we  started  down  the 
Ohio,  by  way  of  Graham's  Station,  to  the  mouth  of  the  Great 
Kanawha  and  down  to  Green  Bottom  —  Brother  Spurdock's  — 
which  was  the  first  appointment  on  Guyandotte  circuit. 

"  This  circuit  contained  all  the  territory  south  and  west  of 
the  Great  Kanawha,  and  down  to  the  mouth  of  Big  Sandy  and 
the  settlements  back  from  the  Ohio  river.  This  field  required 
about  eleven  weeks  and  many  privations.  The  Methodists  were 
in  those  days,  like  angels'  visits,  few  and  far  between,  and  we 
were  half  our  time  obliged  to  put  up  at  taverns  and  places  of 
entertainment,  subject  to  the  disorder  and  abuse  of  the  un- 
principled and  half-civilized  inmates,  sufi'ering  with  hunger  and 
cold,  and  sleeping  in  open  cabins  on  the  floor  sometimes  without 
bed  or  covering,  and  but  little  prospect  of  any  support  from  the 
people  among  whom  we  labored,  and  none  from  any  other 
source;  for  there  was  no  provision  in  those  days  for  mission- 
aries. But,  notwithstanding  all  the  privations  and  sufferings 
that  we  endured,  we  had  the  consolation  that  our  labor  was  not 
in  vain  in  the  Lord.  We  were  gratified  in  having  souls  for  our 
hire,  and  rejoiced  to  see  the  wilderness  blossom  as  the  rose. 
New  societies  sprang  up,  circuits  were  enlarged,  immigration  in- 
creased, the  forest  was  subdued,  and  comforts  multiplied." 
—  Finley's  Sketches  of  Western  Methodism. 

In  1798,  John  Kobler  was  the  only  Methodist  preacher  in 
the  Northwest  Territory  and  the  total  membership  numbered 
ninety-nine.     Now  there  are  in 


Philosophy  of  Methodist  Success.  205 

Cou-  S.   S.  Church 

ferences  Preachers    Members  Scholars  Property. 

Ohio 5  1,063  231,492  214,889  f.S,8tir,,481 

Indiana 4  659  148,904  124,725  4,014,318 

Illinois 4  991  146,344  143,868  8,010,891 

Michigan 2  67(1  79,553  94,418  3,756,245 

Wisconsin 2  337  32,599  28,849  1,794,829 

N.  W.  Territory ..  .   17  3,120  638,892  606,749  $26,441,764 

In  1790,  John  Dickins,  on  $000  borrowed  capital,  was  be- 
ginning the  Methodist  Book  Concern,  the  secret  of  our  marvel- 
ous doctrinal  unity;  a  concern  that  in  its  New  York  and  Cincin- 
nati branches  represents  a  7ict  capital  above  all  liabilities  of  $2,- 
957,331.47;  has  published  3000  various  books  and  1300  different 
tracts  and  Sunday-school  requisites;  and  has  a  j^early  circulation 
of  3, 133, GGG  periodicals.  The  Cincinnati  house,  the  Western 
Methodist  Book  Concern,  beginning  in  1820,  in  a  room  15x20, 
corner  Fifth  and  Kim,  has  now  a  net  capital  of  1 1,020,515.52, 
spacious  buildings  in  Cincinnati,  Chicago,  and  St.  lyouis,  with 
every  appliance  for  a  great  publishing  house.  lu  the  Northwest 
Territory  it  publishes  four  great  newspapers,  the  Western  Chris- 
tian Advocate,  the  Christian  Apologist,  the  Northwestern  Chris- 
tian Advocate,  and  the  Central  Chris tia7i  Advocate.  "From  the 
three  centers,  Cincinnati,  Chicago  and  St.  Louis  (the  two  last  as 
depositories),  trains  loaded  with  solid  Methodist  literature  are 
sent  forth  every  week  into  every  part  of  the  West  and  North- 
west." 

The  Ohio  Wesleyan  University,  the  DePauw  University, 
the  Northwestern  University,  the  Garrett  Biblical  Institute,  and 
a  score  of  other  institutions  in  the  same  boundaries  illustrate 
Methodism's  devotion  to  higher  learning. 

What  it  is  in  the  Northwest  Territory  it  is  throughout  the 
United  States  and  Canada. 

And  no  marvel ;  for  its  inception  in  England  and  its  expan- 
sion in  newest  America  has  proven  its  adaptation  alike  to  the 
ripest  and  to  the  crudest  civilization;  that  is  to  say,  to  all  con- 
ditions and  to  all  times.  Other  denominations  have  caught  its 
spirit  and  adopted  its  methods.  Hoary  creeds  have  been  modi- 
fied so  as  to  conform  more  nearly  to  its  standards;  and  the  pul- 
pits of  Christendom  have  kindled  with  its  evangelical  fervor. 


206  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Piiblications.        [VOL.  8 

But  still  its  mission  is  to  the  regions  beyond ;  its  position  in  the 
advancing  columns  is  on  the  front  line.  Its  business  is  to  find 
and  drive  the  enemy,  leaving  to  the  slower-moving  forces  the 
work  of  fortifying  and  garrisoning  the  conquered  provinces. 
Its  muster  roll  begins  with  those  of  Caesar's  household  and  ends 
not  until  it  includes  the  faithful  Onesimus.  Quenchless  zeal  for 
souls  is  and  must  forever  be  its  characteristic;  a  simple  and  full 
salvation  its  message;  and  its  reward  not  human  applause,  but 
the  well-done  of  its  L-ord. 


METHODISM   IN   GAI.IvIPOLIS. 

The  Rev.  Henry  Baker  preached  the  first  Methodist  sermon 
in  Gallipolis  sometime  during  the  year  1817,  at  the  residence  of 
Ahaz  S.  Morehouse,  a  log  house  located  at  the  mouth  of  Mill 
creek.  The  Methodist  itinerant  was  not  then  received  with  as 
cordial  a  welcome  as  others  have  been  since.  "The  rowdies 
were  so  troublesome,"  the  minister  stated,  "that  Mr.  More- 
house could  not  have  services  there  any  longer,  and  unless  some- 
one else  would  open  a  house  he  would  not  come  again."  Calvin 
Shepard,  who  may  justly  be  entitled  the  "father  of  Gallipolis 
Methodism,"  was  present,  though  not  then  a  member,  and 
cheerfully  offered  his  house  as  a  place  of  worship,  and  from  that 
time  they  continued  to  hold  regular  services.  Shortly  afterward, 
Brother  Shepard,  while  on  a  visit  to  some  friends  near  Cincin- 
nati, sought  and  found  the  Savior.  A  class  was  then  formed 
consisting  of  the  following  persons:  Calvin  Shepard,  Mahala 
Shepard,  his  wife,  John  Knapp  and  wife,  Christopher  Randall 
and  wife,  Stephen  Sisson,  Mary  Varian  and  her  two  daughters, 
Abigail  and  Matilda.  The  society  was  soon  strengthened  by  the 
addition  of  James  Hanson,  Sarah  Dranillard  and  David  Smithers, 
and  many  others.  In  1820,  under  the  labors  of  John  P.  and 
William  Kent,  there  was  a  very  successful  revival  in  which 
about  thirty  more  were  added  to  the  society.  About  this  time, 
says  the  Rev.  T.  J.  N.  Simmons,  in  Calvin  Shepard's  obituary, 
written  October  10th,  1856,  "They  met  with  much  opposition, 


Philosophy  of  Methodist  Success.  207 

and  from  a  source  that  would  dispose  us  now  to  throw  over  it 
the  mantle  of  charity.  Having  been  denied  the  court  house  and 
school  house  for  public  worship,  they  continued  to  meet  in 
father  Shepard's  house  and  barn  until  able  to  erect  a  church  for 
themselves."  Says  a  later  writer  in  speaking  of  these  persecu- 
tions: "The  perpetrators  were  not  all  rowdies;  Satan  himself 
seemed  to  control  public  sentiment  from  those  high  in  religious, 
as  well  as  in  civil  authority,  down  to  the  lowest  in  society 
against  the  despised  Methodists.  It  was  considered  fatal  to 
every  good  person  to  become  a  Methodist,  and  these  opinions 
were  enforced  by  stones  and  eggs  and  filth.  Vehicles  were 
thrown  over  the  river  bank,  harness  and  saddles  were  cut  and 
smeared,  and  persons  passing  to  and  from  the  meetings  were 
subjected  to  every  annoyance."  The  circuit,  of  w^hich  this  was 
but  one  appointment,  extended  from  Letart  Falls,  thirty-six 
miles  above  us,  to  Wheelersburg,  eighty  miles  below,  embracing 
large  territory  on  both  sides  of  the  river.  The  first  Methodist 
church  was  built  in  Gallipolis  in  1821,  and  stood  where  the  par- 
sonage now  stands.  The  deed  for  the  lot  dates  from  May  7th. 
1793,  from  George  Washington  (by  Thos.  Jefferson),  to  Rufus 
Putnam,  Rev.  Manasseh  Cutler,  Robt.  Oliver  and  Griffin  Green, 
for  Ohio  company.  Rufus  Putnam  and  others  to  Return 
Jonathan  Meigs,  in  trust  for  French  inhabitants.  December  26, 
1796,  Fearing  and  Meigs  to  Lewis  LeClercq.  July  30,  1811, 
Lewis  LeClercq  and  wife  to  Anthony  Magnet.  June  2,  1821, 
Anthony  Magnet  and  wife  to  trustees  of  M.  E.  church,  viz.: 
Calvin  Shepard,  Daniel  Combs,  Christopher  Randall,  Moses 
Brown  and  John  Knapp,  for  which  was  paid  the  sum  of  $150  in 
specie." 

This  church  built  in  1821,  was  44x50  feet — one  story  brick, 
and  ceiling  twelve  feet  high.  This  served  as  a  place  of  worship 
until  1849,  when  a  new  church  was  built  at  a  cost  of  about 
$1,675.00.  This  building  was  of  brick,  40x60  feet,  two  stories 
high;  basement  nine  feet  high;  upper  story  sixteen  feet,  vesti- 
bule 8  feet  wide;  four  class  rooms  twelve  feet  square;  lecture 
room  23x40  feet.  The  pastor  was  Rev.  W.  T.  Hand.  The 
society  worshiped  and  prospered  here  for  twenty-six  years,  when 
it  became  necessary  to  "tear  down  and  build  greater."     Accord- 


208  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications .        [Vol.  3 

ingly  in  the  year  1875,  under  the  pastorate  of  the  Rev.  C.  D. 
Battelle,  the  present  beautiful  and  commodious  building  was 
erected,  at  a  cost  of  $20,000.  This  church  is  70x86  feet,  with  a 
lecture  room  45x50  feet.  There  are  six  class  rooms  and  a  vesti- 
bule below.  The  upper  room  is  equal  to  about  seventy  feet 
square,  a  comfortable  seating  capacity  for  700,  with  a  gallery 
seating  150.  The  building  committee  was  D.  Y.  Smithers,  John 
T.  Holliday  and  J.  W.  Gardener;  architect,  T.  S.  Ford.  The 
church  was  dedicated  June  25,  1876,  by  Bishop  R.  S.  Foster. 

The  vine  that  was  planted  here,  though  under  much  perse- 
cution, early  in  the  century,  has  been  a  very  prosperous  one. 
The  secret  of  its  prosperity  here,  as  it  is  of  Methodism  every- 
where, is  in  her  revivals,  and  as  long  as  she  clings  to  her  revival 
methods,  no  weapon  that  is  formed  against  her  will  prosper. 
The  first  record,  made  by  the  first  legally  constituted  Board 
of  Trustoes,  contains  a  list  of  all  the  members  and  adherents  of 
the  Methodist  church,  January  18,  1821.  The  list  contains  fifty- 
one  names.  There  are  now  on  the  church  record  612  names  of 
members  in  good  standing.  The  Sunday-school  enrolls  over  400 
scholars  and  has  a  library  containing  600  volumes. 

*The  following  is  a  list  of  the  ministers  that  have  served 
the  charge  from  1817  to  1890. 

LETART    FALLS    CIRCUIT. 

1817— William  Cunningham.     (To  January,  1818.) 

1818  —  Abner  Bowman. 

1819— Henry  Baker  and  John  P.  Kent. 

1820  — William  Kent  and  James  Gilruth. 

1821  — Ebenezer  Webster. 

1822  — Edward  Taylor. 
1823— James  Gilruth. 
1824— John  P.  Kent. 
1825  -  26 — Francis  Wilson . 

1827  —  Henry  and  Stephen  Rathburn. 


*Iii  1885,  a  mission  chapel,  known  as  ''  Domyon  Chapel,''  was  built  in 
the  upper  end  of  the  city,  with  a  seating  capacity  for  two  hundred.  Sunday- 
school,  class  and  prayer-meetings  are  held  there  weekly. 


Philosophy  of  Methodist  Success.  209 

1828— Jacob  Delay. 

(Gallipolis  circuit  was  then  formed.) 

1S2'J — Jacob  Delay  and  Ivbenezer  Webster. 

1880 — John  Ulen  and  Jame.s  Callahan. 

1831— William  Herr. 

18o2 — Jame.s  Arm.strong. 

1832  —  David  Whitcomb.     (From  February  to  June.) 

18:J:J  — Elijah  Field  and  Adam  Miller,  Benj.  Ellis  and  Abra 
ham  Miller. 

1834— Charles  R.  Baldwin. 

18-3r> — Jas.  Parcells  an  Benj.  D.  Jefferson. 

18o(j  —  Wm.  P.  Stridden  and  Jacob  Martin. 

iSoT — Jacob  Delay  and  Elijah  Pilcher. 

(In  March,  1837,  Gallipolis  city  became  a  station.) 

1837  — Elijah  Pilcher. 

1838-39— W.  P.  Strickland. 

1840— A.  M.  Alexander. 

1841-42— E.  V.  Bing. 

1843-44— E.  M.  Baring. 

1844— A.  I.  Lida. 

184G— C.  C.  Ly brand. 

1847-48  — W.  T.  Hand. 

1849-50 — Samuel  Baleman. 

1851-52  —  Andrew  Correll. 

1858-54  — E.  V.  Biug. 

1855-56— T.  J.  N.  Simmons. 

1857-58— H.  Z.  Adams. 

1859-60— E.  P.  Hall. 

1861-62— J.  T.  Miller. 

1863-64-65 — Joseph  F.  Williams,  under  whose  pastorate 
the  present  parsonage  was  built,  valued  at  $2,500. 

1866-67  —  Levi  Cunningham. 

1868— Wm.  Glenn. 

1869-70— F.  S.  Davis. 

1871-72-73— J.  E.  Moore. 

1874-75— C.  D.  Battelle. 

1876— E.  H.  Heglar. 

1877-78— J.  W.  Dillon. 

Vol.  Ill— u 


210  Ohio  Arch.  %7id  His,  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 

1879— T.  M.  Leslie. 
1880-81-82— C.  F.  Creighton. 
1883-84-85— W.  H.  Lewis. 
1886-87— Benj.  A.  Stubbins. 
1888— M.  V.  B.  Evans. 
1889-90— P.  A.  Baker. 

NAMES   OF   PRESIDING    ELDERS   FROM    1816  TO   1890: 

1816  to  1822— Jacob  Young. 
1822  to  1824— John  Witterman. 
1824  to  1829  — Zachariah  Connell. 
1829  to  1838— Isaac  C.  Hunter. 
1833  to  1835  — Robt.  O.  Spencer. 
1835  to  1837— John  Ferree. 
1837  to  1841— Samuel  Hamilton. 

1841  to  1842— Isaac  C.  Hunter.     (Died  June  18,  1842.) 

1842  to  1845— John  Ferree.     (Died  1845.) 

1845  to  1846— J.  M.  Jamison. 

1846  to  1850— John  Stewart. 
1850  to  1853  — Robt.  O.  Spencer. 

1853  to  1854— Andrew  Correll. 

1854  to  1856— N.  Westerman. 
1856  to  1860— John  Stewart. 
1860  to  1864— A.  M.  Alexander. 
1864  to  1868— H.  Z.  Adams. 
1868  to  1871— J.  T.  Miller. 
1871  to  1875— John  Dillon. 
1875  to  1877— John  W.  Dillon. 
1877  to  1881  — T.  H.  Monroe. 
1881  to  1885  — Z.  W.  Fagan. 
1885  to  1889  -J.  C.  Arbuckle. 
1889  — M.  V.  B.  Evans. 

I  have  been  greatly  aided  in  preparing  the  above  by  a  his- 
torical memoir  of  the  society,  prepared  by  the  Rev  C.  F. 
Creighton,  J.  G.  Domron,  J.  W.  Gardener  and  M.  Malahan. 

Gallipolis,  O.,  Dec.  4,  1890.  P.  A.  Baker. 


The  Presbyterians  of  Ohio.  211 


ABSTRACT    OF    THE    SERMON    ON    "THE    PRESBY- 
TERIANS  OF   OHIO." 

BY    REV.     SYLVESTER    V.     SCOVEL.     PRESIDENT    OF    WOOSTER    UNrVERSITY, 
WOOSTER,   OHIO,  PREACHED  IN  THE   FIRST  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH. 

The  Christian  is  a  cosmopolitan.  Every  land  is  his  father- 
land since  God  is  his  father.  So  every  Christian  is  brother  to  all 
other  Christians.  Yet  we  may  have  a  just  concern  which  shall 
be  special  for  our  countr}'  and  our  church. 

We  have  a  century  of  Presbyterian  experience  behind  us, 
and  each  one  of  the.  Centennial  occasions  which  have  been  oc- 
curring since  1776  (and  all  have  been  useful  in  many  ways),  in- 
vites us  to  consider  the  facts  and  lessons  of  that  experience. 

The  Centennial  record  of  any  religious  body  cannot  be  repre- 
sented by  processions  and  pageantry  however  elaborate.  Not  to 
the  eye  but  to  the  heart  must  we  appeal.  We  go  deeper  even 
than  the  references  to  ancient  places  of  worship  or  their  for- 
gotten customs.  We  must  find  the  teacher  and  the  truth,  the 
communicant  and  his  conduct,  the  home  life  and  the  school  of 
the  Sabbath  and  of  the  week  day.  We  must  linger  beside  the 
couch  of  the  sick  aud  beside  the  open  tomb  and  the  shadowed 
homes.  We  must  go  out  from  these  centers  to  the  sure  but  often 
silent  influences  which  have  told  upon  manners,  and  standard  of 
conduct  and  social  life,  and  upon  law  and  order,  and  even  upon 
legislation  and  administration.  We  must  trace  footfalls  that  are 
not  heard  primarily  on  the  hurried  streets,  and  search  out  the 
hidden  causes  in  thought  and  feeling  of  much  that  we  admire 
externally. 

The  motives  for  Centennial  reviev^'  are  potent  and  dignified. 
The  present  reaps  the  fruit  of  the  past,  and  is  the  product  of 
the  past  to  be  understood  fully  only  in  its  procuring  causes.  The 
noble  men  of  other  days  were  the  friends  of  many,  the  kindred 
of  some.  The  heritage  of  Christian  life  and  character  which 
any  long  record  brings  to  view  is  the  Church's  true  glory,  the 
proof  of  the  presence  and  power  of  Christ,  her  divine  head,  and 
of  the  spirit  her  divine  heart.  Moreover,  the  complex  elements 
of  our  life  of  to  -  day  need  to  look  steadily  at  the  simpler  life  of 


212  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 

the  past,  the  condition  of  its  heroic  virtues.  In  such  records  we 
honor  God  by  noting  what  he  has  wrought. 

And  while  we  concentrate  for  a  Httle  our  attention  upon  our 
predecessors  in  this  commonwealth,  we  must  remember  what 
and  who  preceded  them.  Away  in  the  dim  distance  and  across 
the  seas  we  discover  names  whose  influence  lived  in  our  pioneers 
and  still  survives.  These  may  be  names  not  often  mentioned, 
but  they  came  bringing  the  principles  we  revere  into  the  life  of 
their  own  age,  disturbing  the  apparently  external  uniformity 
of  the  Papacy. 

Then  well  known  conflicts  show  us  the  head  of  the  emerg- 
ing column,  compacted  and  partly  created  by  these  conflicts 
themselves.  At  and  in  and  after  the  Reformation  we  hear 
stronger  voices  and  see  more  guiding  rods  in  the  hands  of  leaders. 
Presently  the  column  crosses  to  our  own  shores  and  buries  itself 
in  the  din  and  battle  of  our  own  Revolution,  and  then  is  seen 
later  in  the  nearer  coasts  of  our  neighboring  States,  and  finally 
reaches  our  own  streams  and  forests. 

We  cannot  possibl}^  isolate  any  band  of  Presbyterians.  Our 
church  in  our  locality  is  surrounded  by  concentric  circles  and 
becomes  our  church  in  our  commonwealth,  in  our  country,  in 
the  world,  and  in  the  church  universal  and  militant,  which  is  it- 
self encircled  again  by  the  white -robed  throngs  of  the  church 
invisible  and  triumphant.  It  is  a  blessed  thing  that  we  cannot 
localize  too  much.  The  vista  and  outlook  must  be  kept  clear. 
This  is  what  intensifies  and  expands  at  the  same  time.  It  en- 
larges both  i7ite7it  and  content,  contrary  to  the  rules  of  formal 
logic.  The  genesis  of  each  Christian  goes  back  to  the  forces 
which  build  and  sustain  the  universal  church.  All  the  way 
down  the  chain  is  vital  in  its  continuity.  If  we  put  a  finger 
upon  any  one  link  of  the  chain  for  some  special  purpose,  we  are 
never  to  detach  it.  Looking  upon  our  church  in  our  common- 
wealth we  stand  half  way  between  our  universal  and  our  local 
attachments.  Such  distinction  for  thought  or  study  will  not  put 
us  out  of  touch  with  any  others  who  love  our  common  Master, 
but  the  contrary.  Other  churches  and  other  countries  shall  be- 
come dearer  to  us  by  the  privileges  of  our  own. 

If  we  ask  for  the  influences  which  prepared  the  Presby- 


The  Presbyterians  of  Ohio.  213 

terians  who  came  to  Ohio,  we  must  turn  our  faces  to  the  past. 
We  must  hover  ov^er  the  advancing  cohimn  and  mark  its  consti- 
tution and  character.  It  is  a  long  column  and  a  noble  one.  Its 
ranks  are  starred  with  heroes.  Truth  floats  from  all  its  banners. 
Its  inscriptions  are  condensed  principles  of  almost  Omnipotent 
force.  Its  uniform  is  often  dyed  like  His  from  Bozrah,  for  with 
Him  and  for  Him  they  suffered.  It  is  grand  review  even  for  a 
glance  of  the  eye.  Mark  the  Bible,  held  up  aloft  as  Beza's 
statue  bears  it  up  over  the  borders  of  the  lovely  Lake  Neuchatel. 
See  the  broken  fetters  lifted  ready  to  strike  tyrants !  See  the 
compact  organization  which  proves  that  an  integument  is  neces- 
sary to  a  vigorous  body,  from  the  enclosure  of  a  blood -corpuscle 
to  the  retaining  walls  of  a  vast  civilization  !  See  the  .step  they 
keep  in  the  witness  against  a  false  individualism,  and  even 
against  an  independent  and  disintegrating  ecclesiasticism  !  See 
the  rugged  faces  and  the  fair  ones  —  Coligny  side  by  side  awhile 
with  Margaret  d'Angouleme.  Break  up  the  picture,  study  any 
of  its  divisions,  and  each  will  be  found  to  have  contributed 
something  of  permanent  value  to  the  whole  Presbyterian  tone 
and  temper,  and  something  important  to  our  common  Christianity 
and  our  advancing  civilization.  As  we  pass  from  Continental  to 
Scotch  Presbyterianism  the  truth  becomes  clearer,  the  tread 
firmer,  and  the  struggles  terminate  more  decisively  in  victory. 
As  we  pass  over  into  the  New  World  little  seems  to  remain  but 
the  legitimate  .sequences  of  ( 1 )  dissolution  of  the  bond  between 
Church  and  State  ;  (2)  the  office  of  securing  American  liberties; 
(3)  the  consolidation  and  organization  of  the  scattered  churches, 
and  (4)  the  great  revivals.  These  came  in  their  turn,  and  the 
church  of  our  fathers  was  fully  ready  for  the  newer  and  yet 
larger  work  on  our  frontiers  and  beyond,  until  the  advancing  in- 
fluence reached  the  western  limit  of  this  great  land.  And  there 
it  was  ready  again  to  make  a  league  with  the  modern  giant, 
steam,  and  pass  onward  with  the  Gospel  into  the  far  East  just  in 
time  to  reach  its  hitherto  immobile  masses  as  they  began  to  be 
Stirred  with  the  breath  of  a  new  life. 

[After  this  introduction  the  speaker  traced  some  of  the  lines 
b\-  which  Presbyterians  came  into  Ohio  j 

Like  other  immigrants  thej'  came  rather  drawn  than  either 


214  Ohio  Arch,  ayid  His.  Society  Publications .        [Vol.  3 

drifting  or  driven.  The  Ohio  Land  Company,  formed  by  King 
in  1750-51,  proved  attractive.  The  codfish  brought  many  a 
Puritan  to  our  shores,  and  good  soil  brought  many  a  Presbyterian 
to  Ohio.  The  movement  into  Ohio  was  part  of  the  greater 
Western  movement.  Some  went  farther  North  and  some  away 
to  the  South.  The  centre  of  population  began  soon  to  go  West, 
and  certainly  it  grew  up  with  the  country.  Great  trade  -  winds 
blew  over  the  lands  with  steadiness,  and  any  vessel  could  go  by 
them  from  a  shallop  to  a  frigate.  So  Presbyterians  came  into 
Ohio.  Nor  had  they  far  to  be  blown.  The  drift  into  western 
Pennsylvania  had  been  equally  mercenary,  but  equally  moral  in 
its  outcome.  Those  who  came  were  just  in  time  to  settle  the 
question  as  to  France  and  Roman  Catholicism,  or  England  and 
Protestanism.  The  drift  into  Virginia  thought  about  tobacco 
lands  probably ;  but  its  constituents  were  just  in  time  to  help 
.settle  the  question  of  State  and  Church,  and  that  of  freedom  to 
preach  the  gospel  and  build  churches  unmolested.  It  was  now 
time  that  the  Pilgrims  should  move  on  into  our  borders,  in  order 
to  help  in  settling  the  northwest  for  liberty,  and  to  carry  out  the 
true  spirit  of  the  Declaration,  that  "morality,  religion  and 
knowledge  being  necessary  to  good  government,  schools  and  the 
means  for  education  shall  forever  be  encouraged."  Here,  too, 
they  came  just  in  time. 

The  immigration  had  a  moral  end  as  well  as  a  material  im- 
pulse ;  and  it  surely  had  a  magnificent  opportunity.  The  ques- 
tion whence  they  came  who  entered  Ohio  as  Presbyterians  a  num- 
ber of  years  ago,  must  bring  our  glass  down  to  the  distant  hori- 
zon half  around  the  circle  of  the  compass.  Waldensian  bravery. 
Huguenot  skill,  Holland  simplicity  and  heroic  patience,  Scotch 
valor  and  stubborness,  all  mingled  with  German  fervor  and  con- 
viction. Some  of  these  stumbling  one  over  the  other  in  Penn- 
sylvania, reached  Ohio ;  but  most  of  all  there  and  here  the  mark 
of  the  Scotch-  Irish  immigrant  is  most  plainly  discerned.  Some 
of  their  best  and  noblest  leaders  set  sail  in  1636  to  form  a  colony 
in  New  England.  Driven  back  by  the  sea,  they  returned  and 
fought  in  Scotland.  Two -thirds  of  a  century  later,  after  1720, 
the  emigrants  left  in  swarms,  penetrating  New  England,  New 
York,  Pennsylvania,  Virginia  and  the  Carolinas.     Lord  Montjoy 


The  Presbyterians  of  Ohio.  215 

said  :  "  America  was  lost  by  Irish  emigration."  Wliat  mark  they 
left  on  the  Revolutionary  time,  I  need  not  indicate;  nor  that 
they  came  from  John  Calvin,  so  cordially  hated  by  the  Romanists, 
or  from  John  Knox,  the  rush  of  whose  impetuous  speech  for  the 
crow^n- rights  of  Jesus  brought  tears  and  trembling  to  the  schem- 
ing Queen.  Rugged  was  he  as  his  own  mountain,  but  fair  as 
the  shining  of  an  eternal,  because  supernal,  light  upon  the  sum- 
mit of  his  fame.  There  were  great  men  all  along  the  line: 
Makemie  in  Maryland,  Davies  in  Virginia,  McMillen  and  his 
coadjutors  in  Western  Pennsylvania,  Rice  in  Kentucky,  and 
hundreds  of  others. 

Presbyterians  came  from  New  England,  and  our  heritage  in 
Puritan  blood  must  not  be  forgotten.  They  came  from  Eastern 
Pennsylvania,  they  came  from  Kentucky.  Kentucky's  churches 
are  daughters  of  \'irginia ;  but  Virginia  had  been  largely  peopled 
by  Scotch-Irish.  "In  obscurity  and  neglect  Presbyterianism,  in 
spite  of  Virginia  laws,  planted  itself  unmolested  west  of  the 
Blue  Ridge.  Frederick  county  was  leavened,  Augusta  county 
was  nearly  filled ;  McDowells,  Alexanders,  Eyles,  Stuarts,  and 
even  the  Campbells  kept  coming,  and  Moore  came  and  Brown, 
r.nd  the  list  closes  with  the  Makemie  as  it  began."  (Gillett,  Vol. 
I.)  As  late  as  1794  the  Synod  of  Virginia  included  the  Presby- 
teries of  Red  Stone  and  Ohio ;  and  as  early  as  1791,  the  General 
Assembly  approved  and  commended  the  plans  of  the  Synod  of 
Virginia  "for  the  multitudes  who  are  ready  to  perish  on  the 
frontiers." 

Currents  drew  into  Ohio  from  all  around  the  horizon.  Mary- 
land had  been  singularly  prepared  to  feed  Ohio.  But  most 
came,  of  course,  from  Western  Pennsylvania.  In  1831  the 
Synod  of  Pittsburgh  calls  for  appreciation  of  the  task  "now 
opening  in  the  great  Western  Valley."  Pittsburg  is  pronounced 
"the  commercial  center  of  more  than  eight  thousand  miles  of 
steamboat  navigation."  God  in  His  providence,  says  the  Synod., 
"seems  almost  to  have  annihilated  distance.  The  member  of 
this  Synod  is  still  living  who  first  sounded  the  silver  trumpet  of 
the  gospel  and  broke  the  first  loaf  of  the  Bread  of  Life  ( with  a 
handful  convened  in  a  log  barn)  west  of  the  Ohio.  Population 
has  more  than  doubled  every  ten  years ;  at  this  rate  there  will  be 


216  OJiio  Arch,  mid  His.  Sodcfv  Publications.        [Voi..  3 

a  population  west  of  the  Alleghany  Mountains  in  twenty-five 
years  of  twenty  millions.  Can  we  close  our  eyes?  Brethren, 
keep  the  sacred  fire  ever  burning  upon  our  altars,  and  send 
down  this  immense  valley  one  thousand  torch-bearers'' 

But  I  cannot  stay  for  further  particulars.  Though  many  of 
the  world's  people  misunderstood,  or  doubted,  or  denied,  the 
work  went  steadily  forward.  The  most  intimate  sympathy  has 
always  existed  between  the  Presbyterianism  of  Ohio  and  that  of 
Western  Peinisylvania.  The  larger  religious  movements  made 
visible  in  the  Pittsburgh  conventions  of  1842  and  1857,  were 
shared  alike.  And  many  of  the  baptisms  and  gracious  revivals 
were  alike  pervasive.  The  movement  was  of  the  kind  to  pro- 
duce this.  It  was  not  en  masse  nor  by  colonies ;  it  was  by  fami- 
lies and  by  ministers.  It  was  by  transfusion  rather  than  deport- 
ation and  immigration. 

Enough  has  been  said  to  show  what  mingling  of  currents 
from  the  far  Northeast,  the  Rast  and  vSouth,  came  in  upon  Ohio, 
Conflicts  of  jurisdiction  were  brought  to  a  close.  Those  whc 
were  entering  saw  eye  to  eye,  and  flowed  together.  Everything 
seemed  favorable  to  the  inclusion  of  the  best  possible  elements 
in  the  stimulative  immigration. 

Moreover,  it  was  a  singularly  important  time  —  a  blossoming 
for  which  there  were  long  preparations.  Yet  we  must  remember 
the  discouragements  and  difficulties  through  which  they  must 
yet  pass ;  the  stubborn  character  of  the  many  foes  they  met  and 
the  exacting  conditions  under  which  they  labored.  The  work 
was  only  begun,  though  well  begun.  We  may  turn  from  any 
study  of  its  details  to  ask  for  the  main  influences  by  which  these 
who  came  from  so  many  of  the  four  winds  of  heaven  had  been 
trained  for  all  they  were  to  do  and  suffer. 

I.  The  first  influence  was,  definiteness  of  conviction.  This 
appeared  in  their  estimate  of  the  Bible  as  the  only  rule  of  faith 
and  practice,  in  accurate  expressions  of  their  faith  by  fornmlse, 
and  in  their  developed  and  systematic  schemes  of  church  order. 
In  all  these  things,  they  were  staunch  and  firm.  They,  like 
Francis  Makemie,  when  arraigned  by  the  High  Church  govern- 
ment in  New  York  in  1707,  were  able  to  .say :  "  As  to  our  doc- 
trines, we  have  our  Confession  of  Faith,  which  is  known  to  the 


The  Presbyterians  of  Ohio.  '   217 

Cliristian  world."  No  one  can  over-estimate  the  values  of  the 
positiveness  of  Presbyterianisni  in  shaping  the  religious  life  of 
our  State.  "  Presbyterianisni  did  not  come  into  the  New  World 
passive  and  plastic,  to  be  determined  in  its  character  and  history 
by  force  of  circumstances  or  by  the  accident  of  its  environment, 
but  came  with  positive  opinion,  deep  and  strong  convictions  of 
truth  and  duty,  with  clear  conceptions  of  its  mission  to  mold 
and  determine  the  character  of  the  New  World.  An  acorn 
planted  at  the  foot  of  the  Alleghanies,  is  not  in  doubt  as  to  the 
form  it  is  to  assume.  In  Druidical  groves  and  in  American  for- 
ests, oaks  grow  according  to  inner  life.  The  seed  of  Presbyter- 
ianisni here  was  the  same  as  in  Geneva  and  Edinburg.  Indefi- 
niteness  is  reduced  to  a  minimum  in  Presbyteriauism.  The  in- 
definite man  is  evasive  and  deliquescing  and  evaporative.  The 
definite  man  will  be  a  rallying  point  in  the  community.  Such 
was  the  first  influence,  and  this  became  characteristic.  Presby- 
terians came  to  be  known  in  Ohio  as  being  able  to  say  not  only, 
"I  know  zvhom  I  have  believed,"  but  also  to  add,  "  I  know  ivhat 
I  believe,  and  can  give  a  Scriptural  reason  why." 

II.  The  second  characteristic  discloses  independence  of 
man  and  love  of  liberty.  This  especially  fitted  Ohio  Presby- 
terians to  live  under  and  carry  out  the  spirit  of  the  great  Ordi- 
nance of  1787.  Nothing  could  be  finer  than  the  exact  adjust- 
ment of  that  ordinance,  which  recognized  nothing  but  free  men, 
and  the  inner  spirit  of  Presbyteriauism  as  it  had  come  to  be  de- 
veloped by  the  Assembly,  1788-9. 

Presbyterian  love  of  liberty  is  founded  on  an  appreciation 
of  man  as  man.  Upon  that  recognition  of  the  soul  in  man 
which  makes  a  "Common."  a  great  middle  class,  self-respecting 
and  attracting  the  respect  of  others.  Presbyterian  love  of 
liberty  grows  out  of  the  Kingship,  the  Priesthood,  and  the 
Prophetic  commission  of  all  believers. 

III.  But  an  equally  strong  influence  was  exerted  upon  the 
Presbyterians  who  settled  Ohio,  and  through  them,  in  the  con- 
servative direction.  They  always  believed  in  good  and  strong 
government,  and  were  ready  to  say  with  Washington,  "In- 
fluence, sir,  is  not  government."  They  strongly  held  govern- 
ment to  be  from  God,  and  therefore  held  the  Government  to 


2i8  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.   3 

God.  Conscience  was  for  them  the  source  of  power  in  securing 
obedience  to  law.  Law  and  order  and  the  limitations  of  liberty 
were  their  household  words.  They  were  inclined  to  this  direc- 
tion both  by  doctrine  and  order.  Publicists,  like  Gladstone,  dis- 
cerned this  trait.  Our  faith  has  some  very  persevering  saints. 
it  can  stand  by  the  difficult  and  the  old,  and  even  the  in- 
explicable (when  that  is  divine),  with  only  a  patient  smile  for  all 
gain-sayers ;  and  after  awhile  the  gain-saying  ceases,  and  the 
admiration  of  what  the  world  calls  ''Staying  qualities''  begins. 
This  conservatism  it  was  which  fitted  them  for  the  following 
change  of  correspondence  with  the  father  of  his  country.  "We 
shall  consider  ourselves  doing  an  acceptable  service  to  God  in 
our  profession,  when  we  contribute  to  render  men  sober,  honest, 
and  industrious  citizens  and  the  obedient  subjects  of  a  lawful 
government."  To  which,  George  Washington  replied  that, 
"The  general  prevalence  of  philanthrophy,  honesty,  industry 
and  economy,  seems  in  the  ordinary  course  of  human  affairs 
particularly  necessary  for  advancing  and  confirming  the  happi- 
ness of  our  country."  Calvinism's  sense  of  accountability  is  a 
friend  to  st.ong  government.  Presbyterianism  gives  a  rational 
conservatism.  It  is  not  fatalistic.  Presbyterians  went  about 
arranging  for  government  as  naturally  as  they  began  felling  trees 
and  planting  crops.  They  had  no  hesitation  and  no  squeamish- 
ness,  either  in  theory  or  practice.  They  had  little  use  either  for 
vigilance  committees  or  white  caps. 

'    The  speaker  then  simply  enumerated  other  characteristics 
of  which  time  forbade  the  discussion  : 

IV.  The  Intellectual. 

V.  The  Ethical. 

VI.  The  Evangelical. 

VII.  The  Catholic. 

VIII.  The  Disciplinary. 

Some  of  the  closing  words  were  as  follows: 

Here,  then,  we  rest  the  case.  The  decision  and  convincing 
and  definite  element  fulfilled  the  first  condition  and  adaption  to 
the  work  before  them. 


The  Presbyterians  of  Ohio.  219 

The  liberating  element  brought  freedom  for  movement, 
with  all  the  sacred  passion  of  patriotism  and  all  its  honorable 
record,  growing  more  distinguished  as  the  years  go  on. 

The  conservative  element  established  as  other  work  pro- 
gressed. 

The  intellectual  element  quickened  all  the  faculties  of  all 
with  whom  they  came  in  contact,  and  by  press  and  school  and 
fireside  and  pulpit  they  kindled  such  general  ardor  for  mental 
power  and  furniture  as  has  made  Ohio  a  new  mother  of  Presi- 
dents. 

The  ethical  element  aided  to  break  the  dominion  of  border 
savagism,  and  cleft  the  way  for  sound  morals  in  law  and  prac- 
tice, in  society  and  business. 

The  evangelical  and  spiritual  element  kept  descending  tne 
dews  of  the  Holy  Spirit's  presence,  and  kept  ever  visible  the 
radiant  face  of  the  Savior  of  men,  and  kept  ever  open  the  shin- 
ing way  to  the  celestial  city  —  how  many  thousands  have  already 
trod  it? 

The  Catholic  element  came  on,  in  its  own  time,  like  the 
color  on  perfect  and  mellow  fruit. 

And  ever  and  always  to  awaken  and  help  us  stands  the  dis- 
ciplinary element  in  this  great  preparation. 

What  a  series  of  marvelous  combinations  might  be  here  en- 
larged upon.  Stability  and  freedom;  adaptation  to  common 
people,  yet  demanding  the  highest  intelligence;  doctrinal  strict- 
ness, and  yet  liberality  in  the  matter  of  non-official  membership 
and  in  co-operation  with  other  churches ;  devotional  fervor,  yet 
joined  with  marked  ethical  force;  independence  of  the  state, 
yet  demand  for  state  allegiance  to  God,  intense  conservatism  and 
rapid  progress. 

But  I  forbear.  I  will  not  even  attempt  to  voice  the  appeal 
which  so  noble  an  ancestry  awakens ;  nor  will  I  ask  whether  we 
who  have  known  and  enjoyed  will  prove  as  heroic  in  transmit- 
ting the  sacred  content  of  our  blessings  to  those  who  come  after 
us.  It  is  certainly  our  duty  to  maintain,  to  restrain,  to  educate, 
to  evangelize.  When  the  churches  had  "  resi''  at  the  beginning, 
then  they  were  "edified."     Then  also  thev  walked  "in  the  fear 


220  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [VOL.  3 

of  the    Lord  and  in  the  comfort  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  were 
multiplied." 

What  better  can  we  do  with  our  exemptions  and  advantages 
than  to  imitate  them  by  growth  in  grace,  and  unsparing  efforts 
to  multiply  the  number  of  the  saved?  What  deep  gratitude 
should  characterize  the  tone  and  temper  of  the  Presbyterian 
hosts  at  every  review  of  the  century.  In  His  name  who  gave 
us  such  a  cloud  of  witnesses,  we  set  up  our  banners.  Let  confi- 
dence, born  of  our  past,  and  willingness,  born  of  our  gratitude, 
and  hope,  born  of  the  promises,  and  energy,  born  of  love  and 
loyalty,  be  enough  to  compact  us  and  drive  us  forward,  as  the 
sandblast  drives  its  granite  atoms  into  the  hard,  crystal  surface. 


Sermon  by  Rev.  John  Monciirc.  221 


SERMON    BY  REV.  JOHN  MONCURE,  RECTOR   OF  ST. 
PETER'S  CHURCH. 

Text  — "  Remember   the   days    of   old,  consider    the   years  of  many 
generations."—  Deuteronomy  32,  7. 

A  hundred  years  in  the  history  of  a  place  affords  a  fruitful 
subject  for  study.  When  we  gaze  through  the  vistas  of  past 
events,  and  consider  the  whys  and  the  wherefores,  and  when  we 
thus  are  brought  into  realization  of  the  fact  that  the  things 
which  once  appeared  to  men  as  'through  a  glass,  darkly,"  by 
the  light  of  a  century,  are  brought  "face  to  face"  with  us,  we 
are  more  than  impressed,  particularly  if  our  meditations  are  of 
that  devotional  nature  which  enables  us  to  glean  the  "truth,  as 
it  is  in  Jesus,"  from  the  passing  years  Matters  once  considered 
comparatively  unimportant,  when  viewed  in  their  places  as  links 
in  the  great  chain  of  events,  which  unites  our  time  with  past 
ages,  are  not  only  important  as  eras  in  history,  but  as  stages  of 
development  of  the  plan  which  our  Father  devised  for  our  good 
and  His  glory. 

To-day  we  stand  at  the  finishing  point  of  a  century  in  the 
history  of  Gallipolis.  The  words  of  Moses  to  the  children  of 
Israel,  when  the  work  of  journeying  from  Egypt  to  Canaan  was 
nearing  completion,  and  a  new  life  was  opening  before  them, 
will  form  the  basis  of  our  thoughts  in  this  sermon.  He  enjoined 
them  to  "remember  the  days  of  old,"  and  to  "consider  the 
years  of  many  generations,"  in  order  that  they  might  be  con- 
vinced of  God's  wisdom  and  mercy.  We  view  the  history  of 
His  dealings  with  our  forefathers,  and  with  us,  in  the  same 
spirit.  The  happenings  of  a  hundred  years,  considered  from  a 
national  and  local  standpoint,  have  been  impressed  upon  your 
minds  by  the  exercises  of  the  past  few  days,  and  we  need  not 
dwell  upon  them  here.  *  *  *  The  subject  which  we  would 
emphasize  in  connection  with  the  history  of  our  nation,  state 
and  city,  is  that  which  is  so  dear  to  every  true  heart,  the  Church 
of  God.  When  we  .say  that  its  growth  has  been  great,  we  ex- 
press God's  favor  and  loving  kindness  in  no  slight  degree.  The 
church   was  the  comforting  medium   in  America  one  hundred 


222  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Voiv.  3 

years  ago,  as  it  has  been  in  all  others  of  the  world's  ages,  and  as 
it  will  be  until  "  time  shall  be  no  more."  The  good  and  the  true 
became  better  and  stronger  at  the  foot  of  the  Cross,  and  the 
"weary  and  heavy  laden"  there  found  rest  with  Him  who  died 
for  them,  as  they  do  now.  One  point  not  to  be  lost  sight  of  in 
this  connection  is  that  the  cause  of  true  religion  has  kept  pace 
with  the  march  of  progress;  indeed,  men  cannot  but  realize  that 
it  has  been  the  cause  of  all  enlightenment  of  the  ages.  While 
our  country  has  extended  her  field  of  active  operations,  she  has 
also  assisted  in  the  extension  of  the  Church  of  the  Living  God, 
for  which  fact,  'tis  needless  to  say,  that  the  good  and  true  are 
devoutly  thankful.  Our  interest  is  centered  upon  the  progress 
of  that  branch  of  the  church  to  which  we  belong,  the  Protestant 
Episcopal  Church.  The  history  of  this  body  in  the  United 
States  during  the  hundred  years  has  been  a  history  of  triumph. 
Our  separation  from  the  mother  church  of  England,  and  the 
establishment  as  a  separate,  organization  in  this  land  dates  back 
to  but  a  very  few  years  previous  to  the  founding  of  this  town. 

In  the  ' '  Handbook  of  the  General  Convention  of  the  United 
States,"  by  Bishop  Perry,  of  Iowa,  appears  these  words  concern- 
ing the  first  meeting  for  organization  of  the  church  in  America, 
which  occurred  May  11,  1784:  "A  single  sheet  of  foolscap, 
faded  and  yellow  with  age,  contains  the  records  of  the  prelimi- 
nary gathering  of  clergy  and  laity,  out  of  which  grew  the  inde- 
pendent organization  of  the  American  Church."  The  work  be- 
fore the  then  very  small  body  of  workers  was  no  easy  one,  for 
in  addition  to  the  efforts  necessary  to  push  forward  the  organiza- 
tion, there  was  a  deep-set  prejudice  in  the  minds  of  the  people 
against  the  English  Church,  growing  out  of  the  animosities  inci- 
dent to  the  revolution,  and  which  it  was  necessary  to  overcome. 
God  was  with  the  noble  band,  however,  and  as  His  cause  could 
not  fail,  our  numbers  gathered  in  strength. 

He  indeed  raised  up  His  power  and  came  among  us,  and 
with  great  might  succored  us,  and  the  efforts  of  the  faithful  for 
His  glory  were  fruitful.  Our  grand  and  comforting  Book  of 
Common  Prayer,  modified  from  the  English  book  by  our 
"  fathers  in  God,"  and  which  was  put  into  the  hands  of  the 
people,  has  been  an  inestimable  comfort  in  matters  of  worship. 


Serynon  by  Rev.  John  Afo7icure.  223 

and  has  rendered  valuable  assistance  in  our  devotions,  thus  add- 
ing one  to  the  many  proofs  that  God's  word,  in  whatever  form  it 
may  be  presented,  is  not  bound.  As  a  result  of  the  work  of  a 
hundred  years,  our  church  presents  a  record  of  which  we  are  not 
only  proud  and  grateful,  but  which  will  serve  to  inspire  us  to 
even  mightier  efforts  under  the  leadership  of  God.  The 
days  of  old,  and  the  years  of  past  generations  are  thus  the 
mediums  of  assurance  of  God's  favor  and  protection,  and 
hence  of  strengthening  the  faith  of  the  workers  in  the  gospel 
field.  Our  influence  as  a  church  is  making  itself  lelt  all  over 
this  mighty  country,  and  beyond  the  seas  men  "  take  knowledge 
of  us,  that  we  have  been  with  Jesus."  As  the  preached  gospel 
carries  its  comfort  to  the  weak  and  needy,  we  thank  God  that 
our  church  is  among  the  foremost  of  its  workers,  and  of  the 
thousands  who  yearly  seek  refuge  from  the  storms  of  life  in  the 
ark  of  safety,  our  numbers  are  great,  and  our  prayers  fervent, 
that  it  may  please  God  to  defend  these.  His  children,  with  His 
Heavenly  grace,  that  they  may  be  His  forever,  and  daily  increase 
in  His  Holy  Spirit  more  and  more,  until  they  come  to  His  ever- 
lasting kingdom. 

We  refrain  from  detailed  statistics  in  regard  to  our  growth, 
but  will  say  that  only  a  few  thousand  communicants  of  a  hun- 
dred years  ago  have  grown  into  nearly  half  a  million,  and  prob- 
ably a  hundred  clergy  to  nearly  four  thousand,  and  from  no  one 
in  the  Episcopate,  to  sixty-six  Bishops,  actively  at  work  in  a  cor- 
responding number  of  dioceses  and  missionarj^  jurisdictions.  In 
the  State  of  Ohio,  the  progress  of  the  church  has  been  very 
gratifying.  The  Diocese  of  Ohio  was  not  organized  until  some 
time  in  1819,  when  that  great  and  good  man,  Rev.  Philander 
Chase,  was  consecrated  its  first  Bishop. 

As  the  population  of  the  State  increased  and  cities  and 
towns  multiplied,  the  church  became  stronger,  being  presided 
over  b)^  the  holy  man  just  named,  and  his  successors,  Rt.  Rev. 
Charles  P.  Mcllvaine,  D.  D.;  Rt.  Rev.  Gregory  T.  Bedell,  D.  D., 
and  Rt.  Rev.  Wm.  Leonard,  D.  D.,  the  present  incumbent.  In 
187o,  the  diocese  having  grown  to  great  strength,  a  division  be- 
came necessary,  and  the  Diocese  of  Southern  Ohio  was  organ- 
ized, with  Rt.  Rev.  Thomas  A.  Jaggar,  D.  D.,  as  its  Bishop.    In 


224  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 

this  part  of  the  field  our  lot  is  cast,  and,  under  God's  blessing, 
we  have  received  strength  and  consolation.  Our  Bishop  having 
been  incapacitated  from  work  by  very  bad  health,  in  October, 
1888,  an  Assistant  Bishop  was  elected  in  the  person  of  Rev. 
Boyd  Vincent,  who.se  efficient  work  among  us  is  greatly  redound- 
ing to  God's  glory.  Lastly,  but  particularly,  we  turn  our  eyes 
to  the  church  in  Gallipolis.  Our  meditations,  while  savoring  of 
humility  here,  are  not  unmingled  with  a  sense  of  gratitude. 
Work  in  the  intere.st  of  the  Episcopal  Church  was  begun  in  our 
town  in  the  year  1840,  when  occasional  services  were  held  by 
Rev.  James  B.  Goodwin,  a  clergyman  engaged  in  mission  work 
in  the  Diocese  of  Virginia.  There  being  no  church  building, 
these  were  held  in  the  court  house.  The  parish  organization 
was  completed  in  December,  1841,  when  a  vestry,  composed  of 
leading  citizens,  was  chosen.  The  first  minister  engaged  was 
Mr.  Goodwin,  and  his  work  among  the  people  is  even  now  grate- 
fully remembered.  January  13,  1843,  a  committee  appointed  by 
the  vestry  to  secure  a  lot  for  a  church  building,  obtained  one  on 
lower  Second  street,  on  which  a  church  was  begun  but  never 
completed,  owing  to  a  defective  title  to  the  property.  Business 
complications  having  arisen  in  consequence  of  this,  a  compro- 
mise was  effected  and  the  building  surrendered.  In  May,  1858, 
the  vestry  purchased  of  the  board  of  education  the  lot  on  which 
the  church  now  stands,  and  subsequently  the  present  building 
was  erected  and  opened  for  divine  service  the  first  time  on  the 
19th  of  December,  1858,  the  Rev.  G.  B.  Sturgess  being  rector  at 
the  time.  On  the  12th  of  April,  1859,  the  church  was  conse- 
crated with  the  name  of  St.  Peter's,  Rt.  Rev.  Charles  P.  Mcll- 
vaine,  D.  D.,  officiating.  During  the  years  which  have  inter- 
vened since  that  time,  the  parish  has  been  served  by  eleven  rec- 
tors, whose  efforts  for  the  glory  of  God  and  the  salvation  of 
souls  we  feel  have  not  been  in  vain.  There  have  been  periods 
of  clouds  as  well  as  of  sunshine  ;  at  times  the  condition  of  affairs 
was  very  promising,  and  again,  there  have  been  discouragements 
which  required  the  strongest  faith  to  face  bravely.  Looking 
over  our  records,  however,  we  find  sufficient  testimony  as  to  the 
fidelity  of  the  workers  in  St.  Peter's  Parish,  to  encourage  us, 
and  cause  us  to  devoutly  thank  God.     The  names  of  some  of 


Sermon  by  Rev.  Joh?i  Mo?tcure.  225 

the  most  honored  citizens  of  our  town  appear  on  our  commun- 
ion list,  and  the  numbers  who  have  confessed  God  by  baptism 
and  confirmation  assures  us  that  the  love  of  souls  has  not  been 
lacking  among  the  churchmen  of  Gallipolis.  Many  of  them 
have  gone  to  their  reward,  and  hence  the  memory  of  what  has 
been  done  among  us  is  doubly  sacred,  in  that  we  have  our  rep- 
resentatives in  that  land  where  all  is  righteous. 

To  recall  by  name  the  ministers  who  have  served  our  people 
here  would  be  but  to  emphasize  what  has  beeai  said  in  regard  to 
the  work.  This  building  should  be  held  in  sacred  memory  by 
our  people.  At  this  chancel  rail  have  your  children  been  given 
to  God  in  baptism.  Here  the  vows  of  God  have  been  taken  by 
which  many  of  j'ou  have  enlisted  in  the  armies  of  righteousness. 
TTp  these  aisles  have  swept  the  bridal  trains,  and  from  this  sacred 
place  have  fair  and  loving  brides  and  happy  bridegrooms  gone 
forth  to  fight  together  life's  great  battle.  Before  this  chancel 
have  reposed  for  the  last  time  the  forms  of  those  we  loved,  who 
have  answered  the  summons  of  death's  angel,  and  from  that 
door  been  called  home  to  their  last  resting  places.  Hallowed, 
indeed,  is  the  place,  being  the  "  House  of  God;  "  to  many  it  has 
been  the  "gate  of  Heaven."  The  effect  of  these  meditations 
should  be  of  a  strengthening  character.  We  should,  by  the 
light  of  past  blessings  see  the  glories  of  future  success.  Re- 
membering the  days  of  old,  and  considering  the  years  of  past 
generations,  we  gladly  believe  that  St.  Peter's  Parish  is  recorded 
in  the  Everlasting  Book  as  one  of  the  mediums  by  which  men 
have  learned  the  truth  which  has  made  them  free.  May  this 
parish  continue  its  work  of  usefulness  even  unto  the  far  distant 
future,  and  by  it  may  every  year  bring  into  the  fold  of  safety 
many  such  as  shall  be  saved.  God  is  true  to  His  people,  and  is 
a  "  rewarder  of  those  who  diligently  seek  Him,"  and  the  bless- 
ings of  the  life  which  is  gone  are  indications  of  that  which  is  to 
come  to  "  the  faithful  in  Christ  Jesus,"  for  He  "  will  never  leave 
us  nor  forsake  us." 

"The  flood  of  years,"  which  has  borne  our  city  so  far  upon 
the  stream  of  time,  is  bearing  us  onward.  As  we  assemble  here 
to- day  to  consider  the  lives  of  those  of  the  past,  whose  places  we 
now  fill,  others  will,  ere  long,  have  our  lives  to  think  of,  when 

Vol.  Ill— 15 


226  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 

we  shall  have  gone  hence  to  join  the  unnumbered  hosts  "of  that 
other  living,  called  run  with  patience  life's  race,  or  will  we  be  as 
warnings  of  the  dead."  Will  our  example  be  such  as  to  inspire 
them  to  the  consequences  of  unfaithful  lives?  These  are 
thoughts  which  suggest  themselves  in  connection  with  what  has 
been  said,  and  their  ^ronsideration  rests  with  each  individual,  for 
"all  must  stand  before  the  judgment  seat  of  Christ." 


Rejoicing  in  Divine    Workmanship.  227 


REJOICING  IN  DIVINE  WORKMANSHIP. 

Abstract  of  a  sermon  preached  by  the  Rev.  George  W. 
Lasher,  D.  D.,  editor  of  \.h&  Journal  and  Messenger,  CmcmndXi, 
Ohio,  in  the  First  Baptist  Church.  Text:  Psahn  CXLIX,  2. 
"Let  Israel  rejoice  in  Him  that  made  him;  let  the  children  of 
Zion  be  joyful  in  their  King." 

There  are  two  ways  of  writing  history ;  the  one  to  refer 
every  event  to  some  over-ruling  power  superior  to  man  and  to 
human  agency ;  the  other  to  find  the  spring  of  every  event  in 
some  other  antecedent  event.  Israel  was  taught  to  understand 
that,  whatever  the  instrumentalities  used,  it  is  God  who  works 
in  and  through  and  by  means  of  the  instrument,  so  that,  in  the 
last  analysis,  it  is  Jehovah  who  casts  down  or  raises  up,  creates 
or  destroys.  This  was  the  idea  in  the  mind  of  the  author  of  the 
psalm  and  of  the  text.  And  the  principle  which  underlies  the 
history  of  the  ancient  Israel  also  underlies  the  history  of  the 
modern  "Israel,"  the  people  of  God,  to-day. 

In  attempting  to  direct  the  thought  of  the  Baptists  of  Galli- 
polis,  on  this  centenary  occasion,  this  principle  must  not  be  for- 
gotten nor  overlooked.  We  must  take  into  account  the  divine 
guidance,  the  evidence  of  a  divine  purpose,  the  development 
from  small  beginnings,  the  evolutions  and  the  retrogressions,  the 
renewed  impulses  and  the  recurring  relapses  which  have  charac- 
terized the  history  of  the  Baptists;  we  should  mark  well,  and 
with  peculiar  joy,  the  onward  march,  the  increasing  influence 
and  the  present  dominance  of  the  great  principles  which  give 
occasion  to  cite  the  language  of  the  psalmist. 

Let  us  try  to  answer  three  questions; 

1.  Who  are  the  Baptists? 

2.  Whence  are  the  Baptists? 

3.  Whose  workmanship  are  the  Baptists? 

1.  Who  are  the  Baptists?  W&  diusw^r,  They  are  a  peculiar 
people.  They  stand  before  the  world  as  exponcTits  and  advocates 
of  truths  and  principles  which  it  is  liable  to  forget;  which,  in- 
deed, have  been  overlooked  again  and  again,  and  which  would 
now  be  lost  .sight  of  but  for  those  who  are  called  by  our  name. 


228  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.         Voi,.  3 

Baptists  stand  for  what  is  known  as  "a  converted  (regen- 
erated) church  7nembership.''  With  all  their  faults  and  with  all 
their  failures  to  conform  their  practice  to  their  theory,  Baptists 
have  never  forgotten  the  fundamental  principle  of  their  historic 
faith,  viz.:  that  the  visible  Church  of  Christ  should  be  made  up 
of  those,  and  those  only,  who  give  evidence  of  having  been  born 
of  God,  whose  hope  of  eternal  life  rests  upon  the  atonement  of 
Christ,  in  which  the  professor  of  religion  has  come  to  have  a 
personal  interest.  We  do  not  deny  that  some  of  our  neighbors 
seem  to  themselves  to  be  doing  the  same  things.  But  the  differ- 
ence between  them  and  us  is  in  this — that  they  sprinkle  water, 
in  the  name  of  the  Trinity,  upon  the  faces  of  their  children,  and 
call  them  members  of  the  church,  "members  of  the  body  of 
Christ;"  or  they  tell  us  that,  having  been  born  of  parents  who 
are  church  members,  the  infants  are  church  members,  and  are, 
therefore,  entitled  to  receive  recognition  as  such ;  or,  they  tell 
us  that  baptism  is  intended  and  appointed  of  God  to  be  the 
means  or  instrument  for  the  .perfecting  of  the  work  of  the  word 
in  the  heart,  so  that,  while  repentance  and  faith  may  be  present, 
it  is  needful  that  baptism  be  received,  in  order  that  sin  may  be 
remitted.  It  is  readily  seen,  therefore,  that  Baptists  are  a 
peculiar  people.  They  stand  for  the  great  principle  which  they 
find  inwrought  in  the  word  of  God,  and  which  was  the  founda- 
tion of  the  Apostolic  church.  For  its  vindication  they  point  to 
the  New  Testament  and  to  the  history  of  the  Apostolic  age. 

2.  Baptists  stand  for  an  entire  separation  betweeji  Church 
and  State.  Jealous  as  they  are  for  the  gospel;  anxious  as  they 
are  that  all  the  nations  may  come  to  a  knowledge  of  the  truth; 
untiring  as  they  are  in  efforts  to  carry  the  gospel  to  the  ends  of 
the  earth:  pioneers  in  modern  missions,  they  yet  ask  nothing  of 
the  State.  They  delight  in  quoting  that  saying  of  the  Master, 
"  Render  unto  Caesar  the  things  that  are  Caesar's,  and  unto  God 
the  things  that  are  God's."  They  are  not  willing  that  those  who 
have  no  interest  in  the  God  of  the  Bible,  who  profess  no  allegi- 
ance to  the  Christ  of  Calvary,  shall  be  taxed  to  maintain  the  in- 
stitutions of  Christianity.  They  do  not  believe  that  Christianity 
can  be  best  and  permanently  promoted  by  legal  enactments,  nor 
that  human  governments  have  anything  to  do  with  the  religious 


Rejoicing  in  Divine  Workmanship.  229 

life  of  the  people.  They  ask  simply  that  they  be  free  to  exer- 
cise their  own  faith,  and  to  practice  according  to  their  own  con- 
victions; that  they  have  opportunity  to  make  known  their  views 
and  exemplify  their  practice  before  the  world,  with  none  to  in- 
terfere, either  to  aid  or  hinder.  Baptists  are  not  politicians. 
They  say  to  legislators,  "Gentlemen,  hands  off.  Let  religion 
alone.  We  ask  nothing  of  you,  except  that  you  unbind  and 
loose."  The  first  amendment  to  the  constitution  of  the  United 
States  was  secured  by  Baptists  —  that  section  which  says:  "Con- 
gress shall  make  no  law  respecting  an  establishment  of  religion, 
or  prohibiting  the  free  exercise  thereof."  Baptists  have  labored, 
and  others  have  entered  into  their  labors,  not  knowing  whence 
came  the  blessings  in  which  thej'  often  rejoice. 

8.  Baptists  stand  for  a  faithful  obedience  to  the  commands 
of  the  Lord  fesjis  Christ.  They  do  not  profess  to  be  above 
criticism.  They  are  too  painfully  aware  that  they  do  not,  in  all 
things,  come  up  to  the  divine  requirements.  They  often  quote 
to  themselves  that  caution  of  their  Lord  against  straining  out 
the  gnat  and  swallowing  the  camel.  But  they  do  not  wilfully 
minimize,  nor  obscure,  nor  change  a  commandment  of  their 
Master.  They  understand  that  the  Lord  Jesus  gave  a  command- 
ment to  "disciple"  the  nations  and  to  baptize  the  believing — the 
discipled  —  and  no  others,  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  the  Son, 
and  the  Holy  Ghost.  They  dare  not  alter  the  terms  of  that 
commandment.  They  believe  that  baptism  is  given  to  be  an 
emblematic  testimony  to  faith  in  the  Christ,  because  of  His  death 
as  an  atonement  for  sin  and  His  resurrection  to  a  new  and  glori- 
fied life.  They  believe  that,  in  order  to  show  forth  these  great 
ideas  and  to  perpetuate  them  before  the  world,  it  is  requisite  that 
the  believer  be  buried  with  Christ,  "in  the  likeness  of  his  death," 
and  be  raised  again  "in  the  likeness  of  his  resurrection."  They 
therefore  repudiate  all  else  that  is  called  by  the  name  of  baptism, 
and  practice  only  that  which  they  have  received  from  the  Lord 
by  example  and  precept. 

For  these  reasons  Baptists  do  not  shrink  from  the  penalty 
of  being  called  "a  peculiar  people." 

2.  Whence  are  the  Baptists?  Their  own  answer  is,  Of 
Christ  and  his  Apostles. 


*2S0  Ohio  Arch.  a)id  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 

1.  They  refuse  to  regard  as  authoritative  anything  that 
originated  this  side  of  the  New  Testament.  It  matters  little  to 
them  what  "the  Fathers"  of  the  second  century  taught,  or  what 
the  Church  of  that  century  practiced.  Those  things  may  be  of 
historical  importance  and  interest ;  but  whatever  the  Church 
of  the  second  century  taught,  as  distinguished  from  the  teach- 
ings of  the  Church  of  the  first  century,  that  is  to  be  distrusted 
and  rejected.  They  find  that  views  cherished  by  them  were 
held  by  individuals  and  small  communities,  during  all  the  ages 
by  John  Wycklif,  John  Huss,  and  others;  but  they  care  little  for 
these,  except  so  far  as  they  bore  witness  to  the  truth. 

2.  They  find  that,  at  the  time  of  the  great  religious  awaken- 
ing in  Europe,  in  the  sixteenth  century,  not  only  Martin  lyUther, 
Staupitz,  Cajetan,  Bullinger,  Melancthon  and  their  associates 
were  thinking  and  reading  the  word  of  God,  but  that  others,  a 
mighty  host,  were  thinking  and  searching  the  scriptures, 
"  whether  those  things  were  so."  They  find  that  among  these 
were  such  men  as  Simon  Stumpf,  Conrad  Grebel,  Felix  Mantz, 
Balthazar  Hubmeier,  George  Blaurock,  and  a  host  of  others, 
men  of  learning,  priests  of  the  Church  of  Rome,  who  had  come 
to  doubt  the  correctness  of  her  teaching  and  practice ;  earnest 
students  of  the  Bible,  both  in  the  Hebrew  and  the  Greek;  and 
that  these  men,  with  their  associates,  became  convinced  of  the 
error  of  infant  baptism,  requiring  of  each  member  of  their  order 
a  personal  profession  of  faith  in  the  lyord  Jesus  Christ,  and  bap- 
tism on  the  ground  of  such  profession.  They  find  that  these 
men  refused  to  have  their  children  sprinkled,  and  for  this  reason 
many  of  them  suifered  death  by  fire  and  water,  or  by  the  sword. 
These  were  the  Swiss  "Anabaptists,"  from  whom  we  date  the 
rise  of  the  Baptists  of  England  and  America. 

As  to  the  sword,  these  men  said:  "It  is  not  to  be  used  to 
defend  either  the  gospel  or  those  who  receive  it."  As  to  baptism, 
they  said:  "From  the  scriptures  we  learn  that  baptism  signifies 
that  by  faith  in  the  blood  of  Christ  our  sins  have  been  washed 
away  and  we  have  died  to  sin  and  walk  in  newness  of  life." 
Concerning  infant  baptism,  they  said:  "We  balieve  the  Scrip- 
tures teach  that  all  children  who  have  not  arrived  at  the  knowl- 
edge of  good  and  evil  are  saved  by  the  sufferings  of  Christ." 


Rejoicing  in  Divine    Workmanship.  231 

The  doctrines  of  these  men  passed  down  the  Rhine  to  Hol- 
land, and  thence  across  the  Channel  to  England,  where,  in  the 
next  century  (the  seventeenth),  they  were  cherished  by  such 
men  as  William  Kiffin,  Benjamin  Keach,  John  Bunj-an,  and 
others.  The  Westminster  Assembly  met  in  1642,  and  it  was  not 
till  1647  that  the  Confession  was  adopted  and  published ;  but  in 
1643,  "seven  congregations"  of  Baptists  in  the  city  of  London, 
agreed  upon  a  Confession  which  challenges  admiration  to-day, 
and  which  there  has  been  but  little  occasion  to  alter. 

In  1631  (twelve  years  before  the  formulation  of  the  Con- 
fession above  named)  Roger  Williams,  a  graduate  of  Pembroke 
College,  Oxford,  and  a  minister  of  the  Church  of  England, 
arrived  in  Massachusetts.  He  was  an  inquirer  after  truth,  little 
regardful  what  others  might  think  or  do.  He  became  pastor  of 
a  Congregational  Church  in  Salem,  Massachusetts,  but  soon  be- 
gan to  put  forth  ideas  for  which  the  colonists  around  him  were 
not  prepared.  In  1635,  he  was  banished -from  the  colony,  and 
in  January,  1636,  he  landed  at  Wheet  Cheer  rock,  in  Rhode 
Island.  In  March,  1639,  he  was  baptized  by  Ezekiel  Holliman, 
and  having  in  turn  baptized  Holliman  and  ten  others,  formed  a 
Church  which  is  held  to  still  exist  and  to  be  the  oldest  Baptist 
Church  on  the  American  Continent — the  first  Baptist  Church  of 
Providence,  Rhode  Island.  In  1638  (three  years  after  the 
arrival  of  Williams  and  one  year  before  his  baptism),  Hanserd 
Knollys,  likewise  a  minister  of  the  Church  of  England,  who  had 
become  dissatisfied  with  the  practices  of  that  Church,  arrived  in 
Massachusetts,  having  come  to  escape  the  persecution  to  which 
he  was  subjected  in  his  own  country.  He  became  pastor  of  a 
Congregational,  or  Puritan  Church,  in  Dover,  New  Hampshire, 
and  in  the  course  of  three  years,  had  made  such  progress  in  the 
direction  of  the  truth  that,  with  a  portion  of  his  congregation, 
he  became  a  Baptist.  Soon  after,  he  was  recalled  to  England  by 
his  enfeebled  father  and  there  became  one  of  the  leading  Baptists 
of  his  age;  but  the  portion  of  his  Dover  Church  which  accepted 
his  teachings  removed,  first  to  Long  Island,  New  York,  and 
and  thence  to  New  Jersey,  where  they  formed  the  Baptist 
Church  Piscataway,  which  still  exists.  About  the  same  time 
other  men  of  similar  views  arrived  in  the  country  from  England, 


232  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publicatio?is.        [Vol.  3 

and  settled,  some  in  Rhode  Island,  others  in  Pennsylvania,  and 
others  in  Delaware.  They  all  came  to  hold  the  same  views  of 
Bible  doctrine  and  to  practice  according  to  the  same  rule. 

3.  Whose  workmanship  are  the  Baptists?  They  are  frank 
to  say  that  they  did  not  make  themselves.  They  have,  at  all 
times,  regarded  the  Omnipotent  God  as  both  the  author  and  the 
finisher  of  their  faith.  No  people  has  more  frequently  or  more 
sincerely  quoted  that  scripture,  "Not  by  might  nor  by  power, 
but  by  my  Spirit,  saith  the  Lord."  They  have  not  been  a 
worldly-wise  people.  They  have  never  depended  upon  kings 
and  governors  for  the  advancement  of  their  principles.  For, 
though  they  have  been  among  the  most  loyal  and  patriotic  of 
citizens,  their  rulers  have  regarded  their  lives  as  of  but  little 
account,  and  have  been  willing  to  see  them  exterminated.  Such 
were  the  pains  and  penalties  imposed  upon  them  during  the  first 
two  hundred  years  of  their  history  that  their  growth  in  num- 
bers was  very  slow,  and  they  came  to  almost  regard  it  a  crime 
(as  the  State  regarded  it,  and  as  it  is  now  regarded  in  Russia) 
for  one  to  proselyte,  or  put  forth  efforts  to  win  others  to  a 
knowledge  of  the  truth.  In  Switzerland,  Zwingle  (who  looked 
with  favor  upon  the  views  of  Grebel  and  Blaurock,  until  he  saw 
that  they  involved  the  principles  of  a  pure  church)  became  their 
most  bitter  enemy.  Hubmeier  was  burned;  Mantz  was  drowned; 
Blaurock  was  whipped  and  banished;  Hetzer  was  beheaded; 
Grebel,  Hottinger  and  innumerable  others  were  imprisoned, 
while  the  rest  of  them  fled  the  country.  In  England,  the  Dutch 
"and  Flemish  "anabaptists"  were  the  peculiar  horror  of  Henry 
VIII,  when  he  was  wresting  his  subjects  out  of  the  hands  of  the 
Pope.  When  the  wilderness  of  the  New  World  began  to  attract 
attention  as  an  asylum  for  the  oppressed  —  especially  for  those 
whose  religious  convictions  rendered  them  obnoxious  to  home 
laws — it  was  found  that  not  only  Puritans  of  the  Cotton  Mather 
stripe,  but  those  of  more  radical  convictions,  were  ready  tc 
brave  the  sea  and  the  land  of  the  savage  that  they  might  enjoy 
what  they  could  not  have  in  their  native  land. 

And  here  again  the  growth  of  the  Baptists  was  slow,  at 
first,  and  their  churches  were  sporadic.  But  when  the  revolu- 
tion of  1776  had  been  accomplished,  and  the  first  amendment  of 


Rejoicing  in  Divine  Workmanship,  233 

the  Constitution  had  been  adopted  (in  1789),  immediately  they 
began  to  increase  in  numbers  and  to  put  on  the  strength  of  their 
Maker,  God.  At  the  time  of  the  adoption  of  the  amendment  to 
the  Constitution  (that  which  placed  them  upon  an  equality  with 
any  other  religious  denominations)  the  Baptists  of  the  United 
States  numbered  less  than  (3.5,000,  or  about  one  to  every  5G  of 
the  population.  In  1812,  less  than  twenty  years  after,  they 
were  as  one  to  thirty-eight;  in  1832,  as  one  to  thirty-three;  in 
1852,  as  one  to  thirty;  in  1872,  as  one  to  twenty-five,  and  in 
1889,  as  one  to  twenty-one.  And  all  this  has  been  achieved 
without  a  hierarchy,  without  a  bishropic,  with  no  great  court  to 
which  difficulties  can  be  referred,  and  notwithstanding  it  is  re- 
quired of  every  person  proposing  to  unite  with  the  Baptist 
Church  that  he  give  to  the  brotherhood  "a  reason  for  the  hope 
that  is  within  him,"  and  that  he  receive  the  unpopular  rite,  a 
baptism  beneath  the  surface  of  the  water  in  the  name  of  th€ 
Father,  the  Son  and  the  Holy  Spirit.  These  things  are  marvel- 
ous in  our  eyes.  For  the  growth  of  the  past  century  we  can 
give  no  adequate  reason,  except  that  God  is  in  it. 


PROGKBDINGS,    REPORTS,    ETC. 


OK    THK 


FIFTH    AND    SIXTH 


Annual   Meetings 


OF    THB    SOCIETY 


ACCOMPANYING    RARKRS. 


(235) 


MINUTBS 


Fifth  Annual  Meeting  of  the  Society, 


COIvUlVIBUS,    IVIARCH    6   AND    7,    1890. 


The  Society  convened  in  the  hall  of  the  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives at  7:30  p.  m.,  and  was  called  to  order  by  the  Presi- 
dent, F.  C.  Sessions,  Esq.  The  usual  annual  address  of  the 
President  was  omitted,  as  the  reports  of  the  committees  and  of- 
ficers would  cover  all  essential  points.  Dr.  Edmund  Cone 
Brush,  of  Zanesville,  was  introduced  and  read  an  address  upon 
"  The  Pioneer  Physicians  of  the  Muskingum  Valley."  The  ad- 
dress is  printed  elsewhere  in  this  volume. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  address  the  President  introduced 
Prof.  George  Frederick  Wright,  of  Oberlin  College,  who  gave 
an  interesting  and  instructive  address  on  "The  Ice  Age  in  North 
America,"  illustrated  by  stereopticon  views.  It  was  hence  of  a 
nature  precluding  its  publication.  At  its  conclusion  the  thanks 
of  the  society  were  voted  both  Dr.  Brush  and  Prof.  Wright, 
after  which  a  recess  was  taken  until  2  p.  m.,  the  next  day. 

Friday,  March  7th.  The  Society  met  in  the  committee 
rooms  of  the  Senate.  The  Secretary  presented  a  summary  of 
the  year's  work,  and  outlined  the  policy  of  the  society  for  the 
coming  year.  The  annual  reports  of  the  Secretary  and  Treas- 
urer were  presented  and  referred  to  the  Executive  Committee. 
The  consolidation  of  the  society  and  State  Library  were  dis- 
cussed. The  unwillingness  of  many  members  of  the  General 
(237) 


238  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.      [Vol.  S 

Assembly  to  such  a  plan  was  presented,  and  it  was  decided  to 
postpone  the  matter.  A  plan  to  raise  a  publication  fund  was 
brought  forward  by  the  Secretary.  The  plan  was  to  permit  all 
active  members  to  pay  at  one  time  such  a  sum  of  money  neces- 
sary in  addition  to  what  each  had  paid  as  an  active  member,  to 
make  the  amount  $50.  The  plan  was  favorably  received,  and 
was  referred  to  the  Executive  Committee  with  power  to  act. 

The  minutes  of  the  previous  annual  meeting  having  been 
printed  as  approved  by  the  Executive  Committee,  were  approved 
by  the  Society. 

The  president  appointed  a  committee  to  nominate  five  trus- 
tees for  the  term  of  three  years.  The  secretary  made  a  state- 
ment of  the  valuable  collections  and  publications  in  charge  of  the 
society,  and  the  necessity  for  better  arrangements  for  their  care 
and  preservation,  and  that  under  existing  conditions  the  society 
was  obliged  to  refuse  to  accept  valuable  specimens  that  had  been 
offered  to  them.  The  passage  of  some  measures  by  the  legisla- 
ture would  provide  such  means  and  place  these  collections  under 
the  charge  of  the  State. 

Professor  G.  F.  Wright  made  a  few  pointed  remarks  on  the 
necessity  of  some  steps  being  taken-  for  the  preservation  of  the 
ancient  earth  works  in  Ohio,  and  offered  the  following  resolution, 
which  was  adopted  : 

Resolved,  That  the  members  of  the  Archaeological  and  His- 
torical society  are  heartily  in  favor  of  the  objects  aimed  at  in 
Senator  Oren's  Senate  joint  resolution  looking  to  the  preserva- 
tion of  Fort  Ancient,  and  that  we  do  all  in  our  power  to  aid  said 
committee  and  the  legislature  in  devising  some  plan  whereby  this 
great  prehistoric  work  ma}^  be  preserved. 

The  proposed  purchase  by  the  State  of  1200  copies  of  Mr. 
Henry  Howe's  work  on  Ohio  was  discussed,  and  the  following 
resolution  was  adopted : 

Resolved,  That  this  society  heartily  approves  of  the  pur- 
chase by  the  State  of  Ohio  of  1200  copies  of  Mr.  Henry  Howe's 
Historical  Collections  of  Ohio  as  not  only  valuable  for  the  pur- 
pose of  securing  exchanges  for  the  State  library,  but  as  a  means 
of  extending  the  circulation  of  the  work  and  as  an  act  of  needed 
justice  to  Mr.  Howe  to  help  him  to  complete  publication. 


Mhiulcs  of  Fifth  Annual  Afccting.  289 

That  we  also  recommend  a  liberal  subscription  to  the  Histori- 
cal Collections  by  the  members  of  this  society'  and  all  other  citi- 
zens of  Ohio  to  create  and  sustain  an  intelligent  sentiment  of 
State  pride  iu  the  present  and  coming  generations. 

The  committee  to  nominate  five  trustees  reported  the  fol- 
lowing names:  Dr.  N.  8.  Townshend,  Columbus;  Rev.  \Vm. 
E.  Moore,  Columbus;  'E.  C.  Dawes,  Cincinnati;  Israel  H. 
Harris,  Waynesville ;  Prof.  G.  F.  Wright,  Oberlin.  The  report 
was  approved  and  the  foregoing  named  gentlemen  elected. 

The  society  then  adjourned. 

F.  C.  vSessions,  President. 

A.  A.  Graham,  Secretary. 


MEETING   OF   THE    TRUSTEES. 

Friday,  March  7,  1890,  the  trustees  met  in  the  senate  com- 
mittee room  and  elected  the  following  officers :  President,  F.  C. 
Sessions;  Secretary,  A.  A.  Graham;  Treasurer,  S.  S.  Rickly. 

The  following  members  were  elected  to  serve  as  Executive 
Committee:  F.  C.  Sessions,  S.  S.  Rickly,  H.  A.  Thompson, 
Daniel  J.  Ryan.  Rev.  W.  E.  Moore.  Dr.  X.  S.  Townshend.  Prof. 
S.  C.  Derby. 

The  Executive  Committee  was  authorized  to  appoint  such 
standing  committees  as  might  be  found  necessary,  and  also  to 
examine  and  approve  the  reports  of  the  officers,  and  to  publish 
the  same  in  the  society's  publication.  The  committee  was  fur- 
ther authorized  to  transact  such  business  as  might  be  necessary. 

The  Board  of  Trustees  then  adjourned. 

F.  C.  Sessions,  President. 

A.  A.  Graham,  Secretary. 


240  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications .        [Voi,.  3 


THE   SOCIETY'S   ANNUAL   DINNER. 

At  this  meeting  the  holding  of  a  dinner  in  connection  with 
the  annual  meeting  was  inaugurated.  The  practice  has  long 
been  successfully  maintained  in  older  societies  and  it  was  deter- 
mined to  try  the  feature  in  Ohio.  The  dinner  was  a  most  en- 
joyable event,  and  it  was  decided  to  continue  this  feature.  The 
dinner  was  held  at  the  American  House,  and  at  the  conclusion 
the  following  toasts  were  offered  and  responded  to:  "  The  Ohio 
Man  in  History,"  Governor  James  E.  Campbell;  "  Ohio's  Sons 
and  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution,"  Col.  W.  A.  Tay- 
lor; "The  Yankee  and  the  Buckeye,"  Judge  M.  D.  Follett ; 
"The  Western  Reserve  and  New  England,"  Hon.  O.  J.  Hodge; 
"The  Maumee  Valley,"  Hon.  Chas.  P.  Griffin;  "The  Old 
Schoolmaster,"  Dr.  John  Hancock;  "The  American  College  in 
American  History,"  Dr.  W.  H.  Scott;  "Ohio's  First  Governor 
—  Edward  Tiffin,"  Hon.  Dan'l  J.  Ryan;  "Our  Forefathers,"* 
Hon.  M.  T.  Corcoran;  "Our  Foremothers,"  Mrs.  Delia  A. 
Williams. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  addresses  the  Society  adjourned. 


Senator  Corcoran  being  called  away  this  toast  was  omitted. 


Minutes  of  Fifth  Afinual  Meeting.  241 


THE    PIONEER    PHYSICIANS   OF    THE    MUSKINGUM 
VALLEY. 

BY   EDMUND   CONK    BRUSH,    A.  M.,  M.  D. 

A  Paper  Read  at  the  Fifth  Annual  Meeting  of  the  Society,  in  the  Hall  of 
the  House  of  Representatives,  at  Columbus,  March  6,  189U. 

Generation  after  generation  of  pioneers  have  gradually  car- 
ried the  star  of  empire  westward,  until  it  would  seem  as  if  the 
work  of  the  pioneer  was  nearly  done.  As  these  hardy  and 
adventtirous  men  and  women  have  gradually  opened  up  the  new 
world  to  civilization,  they  have  been  closely  followed  or  accom 
panied  by  members  of  the  medical  profession.  These  physicians 
have  shared  the  hardships  and  privations  of  the  early  .settlers, 
joined  them  in  their  joys  and  sorrows,  helped  them  to  build 
their  rude  homes  and  to  defend  them  against  the  natives  of  the 
forest.  To  the  loyal  Buckeye,  and  especially  to  the  descendants 
of  the  Ohio  pioneers,  Marietta  is  a  hallowed  spot.  Branching 
out  froih  Marietta,  the  pioneers  followed  the  two  great  water 
courses  uniting  there,  and  dotted  their  banks  with  settlements. 
In  these  early  .settlements  the  members  of  the  medical  profes- 
sion took  a  modest  but  important  part.  Forty  years  ago  the 
late  Dr.  Samuel  Hildreth,  of  Marietta,  wrote  a  series  of  bio- 
graphical sketches  of  the  early  physicians  of  that  place.  These 
sketches  have  a  short  preface,  in  which  occurs  the  following: 

"As  a  class,  no  order  of  men  have  done  more  to  promote 
the  good  of  mankind  and  develop  the  resources  and  natural  his- 
tory of  our  country  than  the  physicians,  and  wherever  the  well- 
educated  in  that  profession  are  found,  they  are  uniformly  seen 
on  the  side  of  order,  morality,  science  and  religion." 

What  is  here  given  in  regard  to  the  Marietta  physicians  is 
obtained  almost  entirely  from  Dr.  Hildreth's  .sketches  and  from 
his  "  Pioneer  History." 

Doctor  Thotnas  Farley,  the  son  of  a  revolutionary  officer, 
emigrated  to  Marietta  in  1788  from  Ipswich,  Massachusetts.  He 
went  with  the  little  colony  in  the  spring  (April  20)  of  1789  to 
make  the  settlement  some  twenty  miles  up  the  river,  where  Bev- 

Vol.  HI— IG 


242  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 

erly  and  Watcrford  now  stand.  In  1790  he  was  back  in  Mari- 
etta, helping  Doctor  True  attend  smallpox  cases.  Six  died  of 
the  disease  "who  took  it  by  infection,"  and  out  of  over  one 
hundred  inoculated  by  the  doctors,  two  died.  In  1791  he  was 
back  at  Waterford  and  one  of  the  inmates  of  Fort  Frye.  Col. 
Joseph  L,.  Bai'ker,  one  of  the  earl)^  settlers,  said  of  him:  "  He 
was  a  modest,  amiable  young  man,  always  ready  to  obey  the 
calls  of  humanity,  and  had  the  good  will  and  confidence  of  all 
who  knew  him."  Dr.  Hildreth  says:  "The  country  being 
new,  and  but  a  few  people  in  the  settlements,  he  became  dis- 
couraged, and  returned  to  his  former  home  in  the  autumn  of 
1790."  This  date  must  be  a  mistake  or  a  misprint,  as  Dr.  Hil- 
dreth in  his  history,  and  Horace  Nye  in  his  "  Reminiscences," 
both  speak  of  Dr.  Farley  as  being  in  Fort  Frye,  and  Fort 
Frye  was  built  in  1791.  He  probably  went  back  in  that  .year. 
During  his  short  stay  he  nobly  fought  one  of  the  most  loathsome 
of  diseases,  and  shared  the  hardships  of  an  Indian  war.  The 
date  of  his  birth  and  death  is  not  known. 

Dr.  Solomon  Drown  was  a  native  of  Rhode  Island  and  came 
out  to  Marietta  in  the  summer  of  1788  as  one  of  the  proprietors 
and  agents  of  the  Ohio  Land  Company.  It  does  not  appear  that 
he  intended  to  settle  in  the  place  as  a  physician,  although  he 
attended  General  Varnum  as  consulting  physician  in  the  sickness 
(consumption)  of  which  he  died  in  January,  1789.  Dr.  Drown 
was  educated  at  Brown  University,  Rhode  Island,  and  was  a 
man  "of  literature  and  classic  elegance  as  a  writer."  The 
directors  of  the  Ohio  Company  selected  him  to  pronounce  the 
eulogy  at  the  funeral  of  General  Varnum.  He  also  delivered 
the  first  anniversary  {April  7,  1789)  address  commemorative  of 
the  landing  of  the  pioneers.  At  the  breaking  out  of  the  Indian 
war.  Dr.  Drown  returned  to  Rhode  Island,  and  was  appointed 
professor  of  botany  and  natural  history  in  Brown  University. 

Dr.  Jabez  True,  the  first  physician  to  make  the  territory  his 
life-long  home,  was  born  in  Hampstead,  New  Hampshire,  in 
1760.  His  father  was  a  minister,  and  in  the  French  war  served 
as  chaplain  of  a  colonial  regiment.  He  was  the  father  of  ten 
children,  and  in  addition  to  his  pastoral  duties  prepared  young 
men  for  college.     Among  his  students  was  his  son  Jabez.     The 


Minutes  of  Fifth  Annual  Meeting.  248 

latter  received  his  medical  education  under  the  preceptorship  of 
Dr.  Flagg,  of  Hanipstead,  and  having  completed  his  course  in 
medicine  before  the  end  of  the  revolutionary  war,  at  once  en- 
tered the  service  of  his  country  as  surgeon  on  a  privateer.  The 
ship  was  wrecked  on'  the  coast  of  Holland  and  the  crew  was 
taken  in  and  kindly  cared  for  by  the  Hollanders.  Dr.  True  re- 
mained in  Holland  until  the  close  of  the  war,  when  he  returned 
and  settled  in  Gilmantown,  New  Hampshire.  Staying  in  that 
place  but  a  few  years,  he  came  to  the  then  far  western  country, 
and  early  in  the  summer  of  1788  landed  at  Marietta.  The  set- 
tlement was  only  a  few  months  old,  very  small,  and  the  country 
was  one  vast  forest.  Dr.  True  seems  to  have  been  of  the  same 
sturdy  stuff  as  those  who  came  before  him.  He  built  himself  a 
log  cabin  to  be  used  as  an  office  and  settled  himself  to  business. 

When  the  Indian  war  broke  out  in  1791,  Dr.  True  was  ap- 
pointed surgeon's  mate  to  the  troops  employed  by  the  Ohio  Com- 
pany's directors,  with  a  salary  of  1 22.00  per  month.  Dr.  Hil- 
dreth  says:  "  This  salary  was  a  welcome  and  timely  aid  during 
the  years  of  privation  which  attended  the  war,  and  sorely  tried 
the  resources  of  the  most  able  among  the  inhabitants."  This 
appointment  was  held  until  the  close  of  the  war.  "  During  the 
most  gloomy  and  disheartening  periods  schools  were  kept  up  by 
the  inhabitants."  Dr.  True  taught  school  a  part  of  the  time  in 
a  large  lower  room  of  one  of  the  block  houses  in  the  garrison  at 
"  the  point." 

In  1790  smallpox  broke  out  in  the  settlement  at  Marietta. 
In  1793  this  same  disease  invaded  the  Farmers'  Castle  at  Belpre, 
twelve  miles  below  Marietta,  on  the  Ohio.  "A  meeting  of  the 
inhabitants  was  at  once  called,  and  it  was  voted  (as  there  was  no 
chance  of  escaping  it,  cooped  up  as  they  were  in  the  narrow 
walls  of  a  garrison),  to  send  to  Marietta  for  Dr.  True  to  come 
down  and  inoculate  them  in  their  own  dwellings.  The  doctor  ac- 
cepted the  invitation,  and  Farmers'  Castle  became  one  great  hos- 
pital, containing  beneath  each  roof  more  or  less  persons  sick  with 
this  loathsome  di.sease.  The  treatment  of  Dr.  True  was  very  suc- 
cessful and,  out  of  nearly  a  hundred  cases,  not  one  died.  There 
being  no  roads  or  bridges  at  this  time,  Dr.  True's  visits  to  the 
different   settlements   were   made  in  a  canoe.      In  making  trips 


244  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications .        [Vol.  3 

down  the  Ohio,  by  keeping  in  the  middle  of  the  stream  there 
was  comparative  safety,  but  when  returning  it  was  necessary  to 
keep  near  the  shore  and  take  the  chances  of  a  bullet  from  an  In- 
dian rifle.  Dr.  True  made  several  narrow  escapes,  but  a  kind 
providence  seemed  to  have  protected  him  and  saved  him  to  ad- 
minister to  the  relief  of  his  fellow  men.  After  the  war  was 
over  Dr.  True  took  a  step  up  in  the  world,  and  built  himself  a 
frame  house  and  office,  and  began  clearing  and  cultivating  a 
small  farm  on  the  Ohio,  a  short  distance  above  Marietta.  In 
1796  he  united  with  the  Congregational  Church  and  for  many 
years  was  a  deacon.  In  1806  he  married  Mrs.  Sarah  Mills, 
widow  of  Captain  Charles  Mills.  "  She  was  a  cheerful,  humble 
and  sincere  Christian,  with  a  lively,  benevolent  temperament, 
ever  ready  to  aid  the  doctor  in  his  works  of  charity.  They  had 
no  children,  but  the  children  of  Mrs.  True  were  treated  with  all 
the  love  and  tenderness  he  could  have  bestowed  upon  his  own." 

By  this  time  the  settlers  had  increased  in  numbers  and 
spread  out  over  the  country.  Dr.  True,  being  the  leading  phy- 
sician, his  visits  extended  twenty  or  thirty  miles  through  the 
forest.  He  followed  the  Indian  trails  marked  by  "blazes" 
on  the  trees,  and  swam  his  horse  across  the  streams. 

One  of  Dr.  True's  strongest  characteristics  was  charity ;  and 
these  long,  lonesome  rides  were  made  to  the  poor  with  the  same 
willingness  as  to  those  who  were  able  to  pay.  He  gave  freely 
of  what  he  had,  often  depriving  himself.  During  the  last  year 
of  his  life  he  was  county  treasurer.  This  office  gave  him  addi- 
tional means  with  which  to  help  on  charitable  and  religious 
work.  His  house  was  the  stopping  place  for  Congregational  and 
Presbyterian  ministers  who  visited  the  town.  Samuel  J.  Mills, 
the  projector  of  foreign  missions,  spent  two  weeks  with  Dr. 
True  during  the  year  1812,  and  instituted  the  Washington 
County  Bible  Society,  which  is  still  in  existence.  Dr.  True  was 
tall  and  spare,  with  simple,  but  not  ungraceful  manners.  His 
eyes  were  gray  and  small,  one  being  destroyed  by  a  disease  of 
the  optic  nerve;  with  full,  projecting  brows;  nose  large  and  ac- 
quiline;  forehead  rather  low,  but  face  mild  and  expressive  of 
benevolence.  He  was  a  man  of  whom  no  enemy  could  say  ftard 
things,  and  whom  everybody  loved  and  respected.     He  died  in 


Minutes  of  Fifth  Annual  Meeting.  245 

1823,  of  the  prevailing  epidemic  fever,  aged  sixty-three  years. 
"  His  memory  is  still  cherished  by  the  descendants  of  the  early 
pioneers  for  his  universal  charity,  simplicity  of  manners  and  sin- 
cere piety."  The  man's  name  seems  to  have  been  emblematic 
of  the  man,  and  his  life  seems  to  have  been  one  of  steadfast 
duty  to  those  around  him  and  to  his  God.  Although  occupying 
an  humble  position  in  the  settlement  of  the  great  Northwest  ter- 
ritory, Dr.  True  filled  that  position  to  the  best  of  his  physical 
and  mental  strength.  He  fell  with  his  face  to  the  foe,  and  while 
trying  to  alleviate  the  sufferings  of  others.  What  man  can  do 
more? 

The  late  Dr.  S.  P.  Hildreth,  began  the  practice  of  medicine 
in  Hempstead,  New  Hampshire,  and  boarded  in  the  family  of 
John  True,  a  brother  of  the  doctor.  Through  Mr.  True,  Dr. 
Hildreth  learned  that  there  was  a  good  opening  for  a  young  phy- 
sician in  Marietta  and  came  to  that  place  in  1806.  Drs.  True 
and  Hart  were  the  only  physicians  in  practice  when  Dr.  Hildreth 
irrived.  Thus  it  was  that  the  man  who  has  done  more  than  any 
)ther  to  make  us  acquainted  with  pioneer  history  came  to  Ohio. 

Drs.  Farley,  Drown  and  True  all  came  to  Marietta  during 
the  summer  of  1788.     It  is  not  known  which  one  arrived  first. 

Dr.  Nathan  Mcintosh  was  born  in  Needham,  Massachusetts, 
in  1768.  He  was  educated  at  Cambridge  and  came  to  Marietta 
in  1789.  His  journey  west  was  prolonged  bj-  an  attack  of  small- 
pox that  laid  him  up  at  Meadville,  Pennsylvania.  In  1791,  Dr. 
Mcintosh  was  appointed  surgeon's  mate  to  Fort  Frye  at  Water- 
ford.  At  first  he  was  employed  by  the  Ohio  Company  and  after- 
ward by  the  government.  He  remained  at  Fort  Frye  about  two 
years,  and  during  this  time — May  23,  1792 — he  was  married  to 
Rhoda,  the  daughter  of  Deacon  Enoch  Shepherd,  of  Marietta. 
In  July,  1793,  the  people  of  Clarksburg,  Virginia,  were  in  need 
of  a  physician  and  sent  to  Marietta  for  Dr.  Mcintosh.  The  re- 
quest was  accompanied  by  a  compan}^  of  soldiers  to  escort  the 
doctor  to  that  place.  Mrs.  Mcintosh,  with  a  baby  six  weeks 
old  and  a  sister,  went  with  the  doctor.  There  were  no  roads  or 
public  houses  on  the  way,  so  that  when  night  came  they  camped 
out.  In  order  to  keep  the  baby  from  crying  and  thus  attract  the 
Indians,  it  was  dosed  with  paregoric  and  a  handkerchief  used  to 


246  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 

suppress  its  cries.  This  baby  grew  to  be  Colonel  Enoch  Shep- 
herd Mcintosh,  one  of  the  most  respected  and  best  known  citi- 
zens of  the  Muskingum  valley.  He  died  not  long  since  in  his 
ninety-sixth  year.  Think  of  the  bravery  of  that  j^oung  mother 
and  her  sister!  Imagine  if  you  can  a  journey  on  horseback 
eighty  miles  through  the  forests,  in  constant  danger  from  In- 
dians! Imagine  camping  out  at  night  with  the  sky  for  a  cover- 
ing and  a  six-weeks-old  baby  to  care  for!  No  truer,  nobler,  or 
more  heroic  women  ever  lived  than  those  who  helped  to  settle 
the  great  Northwest  territory.  Their  many  good  qualities  are 
reflected  in  the  younger  generations  of  Buckeye  women. 

Dr.  Mcintosh  came  back  to  Marietta  in  two  years  and  re- 
mained there  until  he  died,  September  5,  1823.  He  was  among 
the  victims  of  the  fever  epidemic  of  that  year.  When  first  mar- 
ried the  doctor  and  his  wife  were  members  of  the  Presbyterian 
church.  Afterward  he  joined  the  "  IVlethodist  Society;"  finally, 
he  came  to  believe  in  the  universal  salvation  and  held  that  belief 
until  the  end.  He  lectured  and  wrote  a  great  deal  on  religious 
subjects,  and  published  a  book  on  "Scripture  Correspondencies." 
He  was  violently  opposed  to  secret  societies  and  slavery.  Dr. 
Mcintosh  was  socially  inclined  and  fond  of  society.  His  rich 
and  fashionable  dress  and  gentlemanly  manners  greatly  promoted 
his  favor  with  the  community.  He  excelled  in  surgery  and 
made  quite  a  reputation  in  that  line.  During  the  latter  years  of 
his  life  Dr.  Mcintosh  devoted  himself  to  brick -making  and  con- 
tracting. One  of  the  doctor's  last  acts  was  to  ride  to  Macksburg 
to  be  at  the  death -bed  of  his  oldest  daughter.  Three  weeks 
more  and  the  doctor,  too,  had  gone  to  his  reward. 

Dr.  William  Pitt  Putnam,  a  grand-son  of  General  Israel 
Putnam,  was  born  in  Brooklyne,  Connecticut,  December  11, 
1770,  and  came  to  Marietta  in  1792.  He  spent  part  of  his  time 
with  a  brother  in  Belpre,  and  in  1794  went  back  to  his  eastern 
home.  In  1795  he  married  Bertha  Glyssan  and  came  back  to 
the  new  territory  during  that  year.  In  1799  he  purchased  a  tract 
of  land  eight  miles  above  Marietta,  on  the  Ohio  river,  and  turned 
his  attention  to  clearing  and  cultivating  it.  In  1800  he  died  of 
bilious  fever, 


Minutes  of  Fifth  Annual  Meeting.  247 

"In  person,  Dr.  Putnam  was  tall  and  commanding,  with  a 
cheerful,  lively  countenance  and  genteel  address." 

Dr,  Josiali  Hart  was  born  in  Berlin,  Connecticut,  about 
1738,  and  graduated  at  Yale  in  1702.  He  had  entertained  the 
idea  of  studying  for  the  ministry,  but  gave  it  up  and  studied 
medicine  under  Dr.  Potter,  of  Wallingford,  Connecticut.  "In 
1705  lie  married  Miss  Abigail  Sherman,  of  Stonington,  and  com- 
menced the  practice  of  medicine  in  Wethersfield."  He  served 
as  a  regimental  surgeon  during  the  revolution.  In  1778,  his  first 
wife  having  died,  he  married  Mrs.  Abigail  Harris.  This  made 
his  second  Abigail.  The  doctor  "represented  his  town  in  the 
egislature,  and  often  filled  the  more  important  town  ofhces,  as 
well  as  that  of  deacon  in  the  church."  In  1796  his  second  wife 
died  and  he  came  to  Marietta.  Here  he  married  Anna  Moulton. 
He  was  one  of  the  first  deacons  of  the  Congregational  church  at 
Marietta.  "In  1811,  having  become  too  aged  to  practice,  he 
moved  to  a  farm  ten  miles  from  Marietta.  He  died  in  August, 
1812,  of  spotted  fever,  aged  seventy- four  years.  His  wife  died 
a  few  hours  after,  and  they  were  both  buried  the  same  day.  In 
person,  Dr.  Hart  was  below  the  medium  size,  but  well  formed ; 
countenance  mild,  pleasing  and  intelligent.  In  manners  very 
gentlemanly,  and  kind,  exhibiting  a  true  Christian  spirit  in  his 
intercourse  with  his  fellow  men." 

Dr.  William  B.  Leonard  was  born  in  London  in  the  year 
1737.  "When  in  the  prime  of  life  he  served  as  a  surgeon  in  the 
British  navy.  About  the  year  1794,  having  lost  his  wife,  he  de- 
cided on  removing  to  the  United  States  to  be  concerned  in  a 
woolen  factory.  For  this  purpose  he  secretly  packed  up  the 
machiner}^  and  put  it  on  board  the  vessel  in  which  he  had  en- 
gaged his  passage.  Before  he  sailed  it  was  discovered  by  the 
officers  of  the  customs,  and  being  a  contraband  article  prohibited 
by  the  laws  of  England  to  be  transported  out  of  the  realm,  he 
was  arrested  and  confined  for  some  time  in  prison.  Being  finally 
discharged  he  came  to  America  about  the  year  1797." 

The  following  year  he  was  practicing  his  profession  in  New- 
buryport,  Messachusetts,  where  he  again  married,  but  his  wife 
dying  .soon  after,  he  moved  to  Marietta  in  1801,  and  boarded  in 
the  family  of  Mr.  William  Moulton.      Here  he  again   renewed 


248  Ohio  Arch,  avd  His.  Society  Pubiicatio?is.       [Voi..  3 

the  practice  of  medicine,  and  in  1802  married  Lydia  Moulton, 
the  maiden  daughter  of  his  landlord  and  sister  to  the  wife  of  Dr. 
Hart.  He  appears  to  have  been  a  .skilled  surgeon,  but  was 
rough  and  coarse  in  his  manners  and  language,  retaining  the 
habits  acquired  in  his  naval  .service.  He  retained  and  kept  up 
the  fashion  of  the  showy  dress,  such  as  prevailed  in  the  days  of 
Queen  Elizabeth,  which  in  the  backwoods  of  Ohio  excited  the 
curiosity  of  a  people  accustomed  to  the  most  simple  attire.  His 
favorite  costume  was  a  blue  broadcloth  coat,  trimmed  in  gold 
lace,  and  enormous  gilt  buttons,  a  waistcoat  of  crimson  velvet, 
with  large  pocket  flaps,  and  small  clothes  of  the  same  material,  a 
pair  of  silk  or  worsted  stockings  drawn  over  his  slender  legs, 
with  large  silver  buckles  at  the  knees  and  in  his  shoes.  On  his 
head  he  wore  a  full  flowing  periwig  (of  which  he  had  six  or  eight 
varieties),  crowned  with  a  three-cornered  or  cocked  beaver  hat. 
Over  the  whole,  when  he  appeared  on  the  street,  unless  the 
weather  was  very  hot,  he  wore  a  large  scarlet  colored  cloak. 
This  dress,  with  his  gold -headed  cane,  always  called  forth  the 
admiration  and  wonder  of  the  boys,  who  followed  close  in  his 
train,  and  were  often  threatened  with  his  displeasure  in  not  very 
civil  language.  When  traveling  on  horseback  to  visit  his  pa- 
tients, he  road  a  coal  black  steed  with  long  flowing  mane  and 
tail,  the  saddle  and  trappings  of  which  were  as  antiquated  and 
showy  as  his  own  dress."  He  died  of  consumption  in  1806,  aged 
sixty -nine  years. 

On  a  copper  plate  prepared  before  his  death,  he  had  the  fol- 
lowing engraved : 

"  Friend :  for  Jesus'  sake  forbear 
To  touch  the  dust  enclosed  here; 
Blest  is  the  man  that  spares  this  urn. 
And  he's  a  knave  that  moves  my  bones." 

Which  epitaph  will  be  recognized  as  the  one  Shakespeare  wrote 
for  his  own  tomb,  but  slightly  changed  by  Dr.  Leonard. 

Dr.  John  Baptiste  Regnier  was  born  in  Paris  in  the  year 
1769.  He  received  a  good  education,  but  studied  chiefly  archi- 
tecture and  drawing.  He  also  attended  a  course  of  lectures  on 
scientific  subjects,  including  medicine.     His  father  was  a  loyahst, 


Mhiufes  of  Fifth  Annual  Meeting.  249 

and  when  his  sons  were  called  upon  to  enroll  themselves  in  the 
ranks  of  the  reformers,  he  collected  all  the  money  he  could  and 
sent  them  out  of  the  country.  The  doctor  was  in  his  twentieth 
year,  and  with  his  brother,  Modeste,  aged  fourteen  years,  joined 
a  company  of  emigrants  and  embarked  for  the  United  States. 
In  May,  1790,  the.se  brothers  landed  at  Alexandria,  and  finally 
reached  Marietta  in  October  following,  with  a  number  of  their 
companions.  In  a  few  days  they  all  started  down  the  Ohio  river 
to  settle  on  a  tract  of  laud  purchased  before  leaving  France. 
Landing  at  what  they  supposed  to  be  their  purchase,  they  at  once 
erected  houses.  The  next  summer  they  spent  in  clearing  land, 
only  to  find  their  title  was  not  good  and  they  were  in  a  wilder- 
ness without  a  home.  About  this  time  the  Indian  war  broke 
out,  and  the  emigrants  abandoned  their  homes  and  moved  to 
other  towns.  Little  Modeste  had  imbibed  such  a,  dread  of  the 
Indians,  that  he  did  not  cease  to  importune  his  older  brother, 
whom  he  looked  upon  as  a  father,  until  he  decided  on  leaving 
the  place  and  going  to  New  York.  Toward  the  last  of  February, 
1792,  they  embarked  in  a  large  perogue,  with  a  small  party  who 
had  joined  them,  and  proceeded  up  stream  for  Pittsburg.  Near 
the  head  of  Buffingtou's  island,  in  passing  around  a  fallen  tree 
top,  their  vessel  upset.  They  lost  all  their  provisions  and  cloth- 
ing, while  they  barely  escaped  with  their  lives  to  the  shore. 
Among  the  other  effects  of  the  unfortunate  Regnier  then  lost  in 
the  Ohio,  was  a  curiously  wrought  octagonal  cylinder  of  black 
marble,  made  with  mathematical  accuracy,  eight  or  ten  inches 
long  and  one  in  diameter.  Several  years  after  this  curious  stone 
was  found  on  the  head  of  a  sand  bar  some  distance  below,  and 
presented  to  an  eastern  museum  as  a  relic  of  that  singular  but 
unknown  race  who  built  the  mounds  and  earth -works  in  the  val- 
ley of  the  Ohio.  The  spot  where  they  were  wrecked  was  many 
miles  from  any  settlement,  and  the  rest  of  their  journey  was 
made  on  foot.  They  suffered  much  for  food  and  were  made  sick 
by  eating  the  seeds  of  decayed  pawpaws.  They  finally  reached 
Pittsburg,  and  after  resting  a  few  days  proceeded  on  to  New  York. 
Not  finding  employment  here,  the  young  Regniers  went  to  New- 
foundland, where  there  was  a  French  settlement.  In  1794  they 
returned  to  New  York.     For  three  years,  in  a  land  of  strangers, 


250  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 

with  an  imperfect  knowledge  of  their  language,  destitute  of  all 
things  but  his  head  and  his  hands  wherewith  to  procure  a  sup- 
port for  himself  and  brother,  he  was  many  times  tempted  to  give 
up  in  despair  and  cease  any  further  struggle  for  existence.  But 
his  buoyant  French  heart  enabled  him  to  resist  such  thoughts 
and  kept  him  afloat  in  the  wide  sea  of  life. 

After  returning  to  New  York  he  seems  to  have  prospered 
and  in  1796  he  married  Miss  Content  Chamberlain,  the  daughter 
of  a  tavern  keeper  in  Unadilla,  New  York.  Regnier  had  met 
her  on  his  journeys.  In  1800,  unfortunate  investments  made 
him  again  a  bankrupt  and  left  him  as  destitute  as  when  upset  in 
the  Ohio,  eight  years  before.  He  now  had  a  wife  and  two  chil- 
dren to  provide  for  and  must  make  one  more  effort  for  a  living. 
A  lingering  desire  to  see  once  more  the  beautiful  shores  of  the 
Ohio,  on  which  he  had  labored  and  suffered  so  much,  still  con- 
tinued to  haunt  his  imagination ;  and  most  especially  his  brothei 
Modeste,  now  arriving  at  manhood,  never  ceased  to  importune 
him  to  return.  Finally,  determining  to  perfect  himself  to  the 
healing  art,  he  left  his  family  with  his  wife's  people  and  went  to 
Washington,  Pennsylvania,  to  be  under  Dr.  L,amoine.  After  a 
year's  study  he  went  back  for  his  family,  and  they  started  for 
the  Ohio.  In  November,  1803,  they  landed  at  Marietta.  A 
Frenchman  living  there  offered  the  doctor  100  acres  of  land 
situated  on  Duck  creek,  nine  miles  from  town.  This  the  doctor 
bought  on  credit.  By  the  aid  of  neighbors,  the'  Regniers  soon 
had  a  log  cabin  built  and  were  settled  on  their  farm.  It  was 
soon  spread  through  the  country  that  the  new  settler  was  ' '  a 
French  doctor,"  and  as  there  was  no  one  of  his  calling  within  a 
circuit  of  twenty  or  thirty  miles,  except  in  Marietta,  he  was 
soon  employed  by  the  sick  in  every  direction.  For  several 
months  he  visited  his  patients,  who  were  within  six  or  eight 
miles  distance,  on  foot.  He  did  this  until  able  to  purchase  a 
horse.  There  was  a  good  deal  of  sickness  during  the  early 
years  of  the  settlement  on  the  creek,  and  also  many  cases  of 
surgery,  such  as  fractured  limbs  and  wounds  from  axes.  These 
he  dressed  in  the  neatest  and  most  rapid  manner.  One  singular 
case  is  worth  reporting  here.  A  man  was  thought  to  be  mortal- 
ly wounded  by  being  injured  from  a  fallen  tree,  which  caught 


Minutes  of  Fifth  Animal  Meetiiig.  251 

him  under  its  extreme  branches,  bruising  the  flesh  all  over  his 
body  as  if  whipped  with  a  thousand  rods.  So  many  blows  para- 
lyzed the  heart  and  rendered  him  as  cold  as  if  dead.  The  doc- 
tor immediately  ordered  a  large  sheep  to  be  killed  and  the  skin 
stripped  hastily  ofi^,  wrapping  the  naked  body  of  the  man  in  the 
hot,  moist  covering  of  the  animal.  The  effect  was  like  a  charm 
on  the  patient,  removing  all  the  bruises  and  the  soreness  in  a 
few  hours.  In  1807,  his  brother  Francis  came  out  to  Ohio  and 
proposed  to  enter  into  partnership  with  him  in  a  store  at  Mari- 
etta, Ohio.  In  order  to  afford  educational  advantages  to  his 
children,  he  decided  to  accept  the  proposition,  and  in  February, 
1808,  left  the  farm.  Before  moving  he  went  to  Wheeling  to 
select  goods  for  the  store.  While  away,  Modeste  was  taken 
with  fever  and  died  a  few  days  after  the  doctor  returned.  The 
shock  of  his  death  quite  overwhelmed  the  doctor,  especially  as 
he  thought  that  had  he  been  home  he  could  have  saved  him. 
No  telegraph  or  fast  trains  in  those  days  to  bring  him  home  in  a 
few  days.  His  brother  Francis  becoming  dissatisfied  moved 
away,  taking  the  store  with  him.  Soon  after  this  the  doctor  pur- 
chased a  drug  store.  Success  now  attended  all  his  endeavors,  and 
his  wealth  increased  in  full  ratio  with  his  family,  which  consist- 
ed of  six  sons  and  one  daughter.  About  1814  he  enlarged  his 
town  possession  by  buying  a  square,  which  he  improved  by 
planting  fruit  trees  and  laying  out  a  large  flower  garden  orna- 
mented with  arbors  and  walks.  It  was  a  model  for  others  and 
ultimately  implanted  a  permanent  taste  for  this  refining  art 
among  the  citizens  of  Marietta.  He  was  an  original  member  of 
the  first  incorporated  medical  society  of  Ohio  in  1812.  In  1818 
he  was  elected  county  commissioner  and  assisted  in  drafting  the 
model  for  the  court  house  now  remodeled.  In  May,  1819,  he 
sold  his  property  in  town  to  Dr.  Cotton  and  purchased  three 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land  on  Duck  creek,  twenty-two 
miles  from  Marietta.  Here  he  removed  with  his  family  having 
in  view  the  establishing  of  his  sons  as  farmers. 

Dr.  Regnier  died  in  1821,  aged  52  years.  His  death  was  a 
severe  loss  to  the  community.  Two  of  his  sons  became  physi- 
cians. 

Dr.  Increase  Mathews  was  born  in  New  Braintree,  Massa- 


252  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 

chusetts,  December  22,  1772.  He  was  the  son  of  General  Rufus 
Putnam's  older  sister,  Hulda,  and  Daniel  Mathews.  John 
Mathews,  who  came  out  to  Ohio  with  the  original  forty-eight, 
was  a  brother.  In  1798,  Dr.  Mathews  came  to  Marietta  on  a 
prospecting  tour,  and  to  visit  relatives.  His  diary  of  this  jour- 
ney is  in  the  possession  of  his  descendants,  and  is  a  very  inter- 
esting document.  Under  date  of  August  13,  1798,  1  p.  m.,  is 
found  the  following  note:  "  Went  with  Mr.  Edward  Tupper  to 
call  on  Mr.  Blennerhasset  and  his  lady,  by  whom  we  were 
politely  received.  Met  Miss  Sallie  Loudon  there  on  a  visit.  She 
is  on  the  whole  an  amiable  girl,  and  possessed  of  many  of  those 
qualities  which  make  a  good  companion;  kind,  obliging,  ever  in 
good  spirits  and  free  from  affectation."  The  young  doctor  seems 
to  have  been  impressed,  and  human  nature  seems  to  have  been 
the  same  then  as  now.  Under  date  of  August  31,  1798,  is  the 
following:  "Attended  a  ball  at  Colonel  Putnam's  in  Belpre. 
We  had  a  large  collection  of  ladies,  some  from  Marietta  and  the 
Island,  who  made  a  brilliant  appearance.  Spent  the  evening 
very  agreeably."  The  ladies  from  the  Island  were,  no  doubt, 
Mrs.  Blennerhasset  and  her  guest.  Miss  Loudon.  After  a  pleas- 
ant visit.  Dr.  Mathews  went  back  east  and  married  (April  25, 
1799)  Abigail  Willis,  of  Oakham,  Massachusetts.  In  the  fall  of 
1800,  with  his  wife  and  baby,  he  again  came  to  Marietta,  arriv- 
ing there  October  4.  The  winter  was  spent  in  Marietta,  and  the 
other  half  of  the  house  in  which  they  lived,  was  occupied  by  the 
father  of  the  late  Governor  Brough.  In  the  spring  of  1801  the 
Mathews  family  moved  to  Zanesville,  Ohio.  This  same  year 
General  Rufus  Putnam,  his  nephew,  Dr.  Mathews  and  Levi 
Whipple  purchased  the  land  now  composing  the  Seventh  and 
Ninth  wards  in  that  city,  and  laid  it  out  into  a  town,  which  they 
called  Springfield,  afterward  Putnam.  Dr.  Mathews,  after  about 
one  year's  stay  in  Zanesville,  moved  across  the  river  to  the  newly 
laid  out  town,  and  lived  there  the  remainder  of  his  life.  He 
was  the  first  physician  to  permanently  settle  on  the  Muskingum 
river  above  Marietta.  In  1802  (June  14)  the  doctor's  wife  died, 
and  in  1803  (March  23)  he  married  for  his  second  wife  Betsy, 
daughter  of  Captain  John  Leavems.  Thej^  were  married  in 
Marietta    at    Major   Lincoln's,  who   had   married   Bet.sy's  sister. 


Minutes  of  Fifth  Antiual  Meeting.  253 

Fannie.  Possessing  large  landed  interests,  and  having  a  taste 
for  agriculture,  Dr.  Mathews  retired  from  practice  as  other  phy- 
sians  settled  around  him.  He  was  a  man  of  many  accomplish- 
ments, with  more  than  the  usual  amount  of  energy  and  push  so 
characteristic  of  the  pioneers.  He  established  the  first  drug 
store  and  was  one  of  the  five  original  members  of  the  first 
church  organized  in  Muskingum  county.  Dr.  Mathews  sent  to 
Spain  for  the  first  full-blooded  Merino  sheep  brought  to  Ohio. 
These  sheep  were  delivered  in  Washington,  D.  C,  and  hauled  in 
a  wagon  through  to  Putnam,  Ohio,  by  a  man  sent  to  Washing- 
ton for  that  purpose. 

In  1801,  when  Dr.  Mathews  went  to  Marietta  to  buy  the 
land  above  mentioned,  he  had  part  of  the  way  as  his  companion, 
John  Mclntire.  These  young  men  rode  together,  camped  to- 
gether the  night  out  on  the  road,  but  neither  mentioned  his  bus- 
iness. When  they  arrived  at  Marietta,  Dr.  Mathews  turned  up 
Washington  street  to  go  to  his  uncle  (General  Putnam's)  office, 
whilst  John  Mclntire  went  on  to  the  tavern.  The  next  day  the 
two  men  found  themselves  bidding  against  each  other  on  the 
same  tract  of  land.  John  Mclntire  already  owned  a  large  tract 
where  Zanesville  proper  now  stands,  but  Dr.  Mathews  bid  in  the 
tract  in  question  at  four  dollars  and  five  cents  an  acre.  Many 
years  after  it  became  blended  with  Mclntire's  tract  in  the  Cit)^ 
of  Natural  Advantages.  The  doctor  enjoyed  telling  his  grand- 
children that  the  earliest  distinct  recollection  of  his  childhood 
was  the  ringing  of  the  bells  to  celebrate  the  declaration  of  inde- 
pendence. He  was  a  cultivated  gentleman  of  the  old  school 
and  a  man  whose  energy  and  character  were  felt  in  his  day,  and 
are  still  exemplified  in  his  descendants.  He  was  an  accom- 
plished performer  on  the  violincello,  an  entertaining  and  in- 
structive conversationalist.  His  life  was  characterized  by  its 
simplicity  and  purity.  He  died  June  6,  1856,  full  of  years  and 
with  the  high  esteem  of  all  his  fellow  townsmen,  in  the  eighty- 
fourth  year  of  his  age,  and  is  buried  in  Woodlawn  Cemetery, 
which  was  part  of  his  original  purchase  from  the  government  in 
1801. 

In  1706,  Dr.  Jenner's  great  discovery  of  vaccination  was  an- 
nounced to  the  medical  world.     When  smallpox  broke  out  in 


2o4  Ohio  y\)  ( /i.  and  His.  Society  Publications.         [Voi^.  3 

Putnam  iu  the  fall  of  1809.  Dr.  Mathews  procured  vaccine  virus 
and  vaccinated  himself  and  family.  People  in  general  had  no 
confidence  in  it  and  would  not  consent  to  it.  In  order  to  prove 
its  efficacy  Dr.  Mathews  took  his  two  little  daughters,  Abigail 
and  Sarah,  aged  six  and  seven  years,  who  had  been  vaccinated, 
into  a  house  and  up  to  the  bedside  of  a  patient  very  ill  with  vir- 
ulent smallpox.  The  children  did  not  take  the  disease  and  the 
doctor  triumphantly  proclaimed  the  protecting  powers  of  vacci- 
nation. The  rest  of  the  villagers  were  inoculated,  but  Dr. 
Mathews'  family  was  the  only  one  that  depended  upon  vaccina- 
tion. So  far  as  can  be  learned  the  doctor's  family  was  among 
the  first,  if  not  the  first  in  Ohio,  to  be  vaccinated. 

Dr.  Jesse  Chandler  was  the  second  physician  to  settle  in 
Putnam.  He  was  born  in  Vermont  in  1764,  and  studied  medi- 
cine in  his  native  state.  After  practicing  a  few  years  he  came 
with  his  family  to  Ohio  and  located  in  the  village  of  Putnam, 
across  the  river  from  Zanesville,  and  now,  as  has  been  stated,  a 
part  of  that  city.  At  that  time  there  was  but  little  difference  in 
the  population  of  the  two  rival  villages,  both  being  quite  small. 
But  in  the  year  1814  Zanesville  was  made  the  permanent  county 
seat  with  a  fair  prospect  of  being  made  the  state  capital,  and 
took  the  lead.  In  order  to  look  after  his  land.  Doctor  Mathews 
gladly  relinquished  his  practice  upon  the  arrival  of  Dr.  Chand- 
ler. No  other  physician  settled  in  Putnam  while  Dr.  Chandler 
lived.  His  practice,  like  Dr.  Mathews',  extended  over  all  the 
western  part  of  the  county  and  into  the  adjoining  counties. 
Traveling  was,  of  course,  done  on  horseback,  and  in  the  earlier 
years  without  roads.  Trails,  or  bridle-paths,  led  from  house  to 
house,  or  from  neighborhood  to  neighborhood.  Dr.  Chandler 
spent  a  large  part  of  his  time  in  the  saddle,  but  possessing  an 
unusually  robust  constitution,  he  was  always  ready  to  respond 
to  calls.  The  fees  in  those  days  were  very  much  out  of  propor- 
tion to  the  time  and  labor  expended.  There  being  no  pharma- 
cists, every  physician  furnished  his  own  medicines.  The  doc- 
tor's books  were  a  curiosity.  He  would  often  ride  a  dpzen  miles, 
furnish  the  medicine  needed,  and  charge  one  dollar.  Visits  in 
the  village  were  fifty  cents.  When  many  of  his  people  came  to 
settle,  the  credit  side  would  read,  by  so  much  corn,  or  oats,  or 


MinulfS  of  J'"iftJi  Annual  Meeting.  255 

potatoes,  or  cash,  as  the  case  might  be,  and  by  discount  for  the 
balance.  Frequently  the  "  by  discount"  was  the  larger  part  of 
the  credit.     Dr.  Chandler  did  not  become  wealthy. 

In  the  fall  of  1809  a  bad  case  of  smallpox  developed  in  the 
town.  As  might  be  expected  there  was  a  scare.  Vaccination 
was  not  yet  relied  upon,  and  the  doctor  had  not  seen  it  suffi- 
ciently tried  to  be  entirely  satisfied  with  its  protecting  qualities. 
Some  of  the  older  people  had  been  inoculated  with  smallpox, 
but  the  children,  and  many  of  the  adults,  had  no  protection. 
So  all  were  made  ready  by  the  perscribed  dieting,  and  a  general 
inoculation  took  place.  The  inoculated  cases  all  got  along  nice- 
ly, no  deaths  and  no  disfigurements.  There  were  in  the  town  a 
dozen  or  more  transient  persons,  mostly  young  men,  without 
friends.  The  doctor  turned  his  house  into  a  hospital,  took  these 
young  men  in,  "without  money  or  price,"  and  carried  them 
safely  through.  In  the  winter  of  1813-14  an  heretofore  un- 
known epidemic  broke  out  in  Putnam,  which  for  the  want  of  a 
better  name,  w-as  called  "the  cold  plague."  The  attack  came 
on  with  a  congestive  chill,  unconsciousness  soon  followed,  and 
death  resulted  in  two  or  three  days.  Some  recovered,  but 
among  the  victims  was  Dr.  Jesse  Chandler.  A  true,  self-sacrific- 
ing physician  and  man,  he  was  ready  for  the  summons  and  faced 
death  as  he  had  disease,  without  a  tremor.  His  age  was  fifty 
years. 

Dr.  Daniel  Bliss,  son  of  Deacon  Isaac  Bliss,  was  born  in 
Warren,  Mass.,  April  10,  1701.  He  was  educated  in  medicine 
in  Springfield,  Mass.,  and  June  6,  1789,  married  Prudence,  a  sis- 
ter of  Dr.  Jesse  Chandler.  They  came  out  to  Ohio  in  1804  w4th 
(or  about  the  same  time  as)  Doctor  Chandler.  Doctor  Bliss 
settled  in  Waterford  (on  the  side  of  the  river  where  Beverly 
now  stands)  but  continued  sickness  led  him  to  seek  another  loca- 
tion, and  he  removed  to  Chandler's  salt  works  (now  Chaudlers- 
ville)  a  place  twelve  miles  east  of  Zanesville,  Settling  on  a 
farm  the  doctor  intended  retiring  from  practice,  but  there  being 
no  other  physician  in  that  section,  the  inhabitants  kept  him 
busy.  For  over  twenty  years  he  was  the  first  and  only  physician 
in  the  settlement  and  h!s  practice  extended  into  what  are  now 
Guernsey,  Noble  and  Morgan  counties.     The  doctor  kept  his 


256  Ohio  Arch.  a?id  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  ^ 

farm  well  stocked  with  good  horses.  He  always  rode  horseback, 
and  traveled  fast.  It  was  a  good  horse  and  rider  that  could 
keep  up  with  him  on  his  rounds.  As  a  physician,  Doctor  Bliss 
was  successful  and  popular.  He  was  a  man  of  strong  opinions, 
and  fearless  in  expressing  them.  He  dared  to  do  right,  and  take 
Uie  consequences.  In  religious  belief  he  was  a  Congregational- 
ist.  Doctor  Bliss  died  March  17,  1842,  age  eighty-one  years. 
At  a  ripe  age  he  surrendered  to  a  great  reaper,  and  with  a  heavy 
credit  on  the  Lamb's  book  of  life  he  went  to  his  reward. 

Doctor  Robert  Mitchell  was  born  in  Westmoreland  county, 
Pennsylvania,  in  1778.  He  studied  medicine  there,  and  in  1808 
married  Catharine  McCuUoch.  For  a  wedding  trip  the  young 
couple  came  to  Zanesville,  Ohio,  on  horseback.  When  they 
settled  in  that  place  there  were  but  twelve  shingle  roofed  houses 
in  it.  The  Indians  were  still  there,  but  friendly,  and  would 
come  to  the  doctor's  house  to  see  the  white  papooses.  Dr. 
Mitchell  served  in  the  war  1812,  and  was  afterward  a  general  in 
the  Ohio  militia.  In  1833  he  was  elected  to  Congress,  but  in 
1835  was  defeated  for  re-election  by  his  Whig  opponent.  It  is 
said  that  the  rejoicing  of  the  Whigs  over  their  success,  caused 
more  drunkenness  in  Zanesville  .than  ever  was  known  there  iu 
one  night.     Doctor  Mitchell  died  November  13,  1848. 

Doctor  Ziba  Adams  was,  so  far  as  can  be  learned,  the  first 
physician  to  settle  in  what  is  now  Morgan  county.  Doctor 
Daniel  Rusk,  of  Malta,  made  an  earnest  effort  to  find  something 
of  this  physician.  Just  when  Doctor  Adams  arrived,  and  just 
when  he  left,  could  not  be  ascertained.  That  he  first  settled 
some  four  miles  above  Malta,  on  the  river,  and  afterward  in 
Malta,  is  known.  Taking  the  dates  of  other  events  as  a  cri- 
terion, the  probabilities  are  that  Doctor  Adams  came  to  the 
Muskingum  Valley  about  1815  or  181 G  and  left  three  or  four 
years  after.  What  little  is  known  of  him  is  to  his  credit ;  and  he, 
no  doubt,  was  of  the  same  character  as  his  colleagues  in  the 
i-alley. 

Dr.  Samuel  Augustus  Barker  was  probably  the  second  phy- 
sician to  settle  in  Morgan  county,  and  was  certainly  the  first  one 
to  make  it  his  permanent  home.  He  settled  in  McConnelsville 
in  1818,  one  year  after  the  place  was  laid  out.     Dr.  Barker  was 


Minutes  of  Fifth  Annual  Meeting.  257 

born  in  Dutchess,  County,  N.  Y.  He  received  a  thorough  edu- 
cation, and  graduated  in  medicine  in  time  to  serve  in  the  war  of 
1812.  Coming  west  soon  after  the  w?r,  the  doctor  first  stopped 
at  Williamsport,  W.  Va.,  a  town  across  the  Ohio  from  Marietta, 
where  he  taught  school  until  he  removed  to  McConnelsville.  In 
the  latter  place  he  also  taught  school  until  his  professional  duties 
demanded  all  of  his  attention.  In  1822  he  was  married  to  Eliza 
B.  Shugert.  Dr.  Barker  was  the  first  county  auditor  and  the 
first  clerk  of  the  court  of  Morgan  county.  He  was  the  first 
postmaster  in  McConnelsville.  He  was  sheriff  four  years  and 
represented  his  county  in  the  legislature  for  two  terms.  He  ran 
for  congress  in  1848,  but  was  defeated  by  his  Whig  opponent. 
Dr.  Barker  was  an  honest,  upright  gentlemen,  and  filled  many 
positions  of  trust  without  a  blemish  on  his  character.  His  many 
social  qualities  made  him  universally  popular.  He  died  Mav  12, 
1852. 

Dr.  Samuel  Martin  was  born  in  Trowbridge,  England,  in 
1796,  and  died  in  Zanesville,  Ohio,  May  25,  1873.  When  a 
young  man,  Dr.  Martin  attended  school  at  Bath,  and,  living 
twenty  miles  from  that  place,  he  walked  home  every  Saturday 
night.  Sunday  nights  he  would  walk  back  in  order  to  be  on 
hand  for  school  on  Monday.  He  was  apprenticed  to  a  physician 
for  .a  term  of  seven  years,  and  received  his  medical  education  in 
London.  He  was  a  fellow  of  the  Royal  College  of  Surgeons, 
and  an  accomplished  Latin,  Greek  and  French  scholar.  In  1819 
Dr.  Martin  came  to  McConnelsville,  Ohio,  and  went  into  part- 
nership with  Dr.  Barker.  This  partnership  was  soon  dissolved 
by  Dr.  Martin  moving  into  Bloom  township.  (He  was  the  first 
physician  in  it.)  He  married  Sarah  Montgomery,  a  daughter  of 
one  of  the  early  settlers.  Dr.  Martin  would  not  send  his  chil- 
dren to  school,  but  educated  them  himself,  not  only  in  the  com- 
mon school  branches,  but  in  Latin,  Greek  and  French.  He  re- 
tired from  practice  early  in  life,  and  moved  to  Zanesville  in  1856. 
He  and  many  of  his  family  were  Deists.  The  doctor's  belief 
was  characterized  by  its  sincerity,  and  he  had  his  feelings  sorely 
wounded  once  while  serving  on  a  jury.  The  judge  took  occasion 
in  delivering  a  charge  to  say  "that  a  man  who  did  not  believe  in 
the  Revelations  was  not  fit  to  be  a  juror."     Dr.  Martin  was  a 

Vol.  Ill— 17 


258  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.       [Vol.  3 

scholarly  gentleman,  a  man  of  fine  instincts  and  refined  sensi- 
bilities. 

Dr.  Martin,  in  his  younger  days,  was  quite  a  pedestrian. 
Upon  arriving  in  this  country  he  landed  at  Philadelphia.  From 
there  he  walked  across  the  State  of  Pennsylvania  to  Olean,  in 
western  New  York.  Here  he  and  his  companion  took  a  canoe 
and  journeyed  down  the  Allegheny  and  Ohio  rivers  to  Louis- 
ville, Kentucky.  Leaving  the  canoe  here,  Dr.  Martin  walked  to 
Nashville,  Tennessee.  From  this  place  he  tramped  through 
Kentucky  to  the  Wabash  river,  opposite  Shawneetown,  Illinois; 
then  on  to  East  St.  Lo\iis,  and  from  there  through  Illinois  and 
Indiana  to  Zanesville,  Ohio.  Hearing  of  the  newly  developed 
salt  industry  down  the  Muskingum,  Dr.  Martin  walked  to  Bloom 
township,  Morgan  county,  and  stopped  at  "Squire"  Montgom- 
ery's, where  he  met  his  future  wife.  He  soon  moved  into  Mc- 
Connelsville  and  began  the  practice  of  medicine. 

That  journey  on  foot  covered  many  hundreds  of  miles  and 
part  of  it  was  made  alone.  Many  nights  were  spent  by  the  road 
side,  as  in  parts  of  the  country  gone  over  settlements  in  those 
days  were  far  between.  Probably  the  first  castor  oil  mill  estab- 
lished west  of  the  Allegheny  mountaiuswas  built  at  Dresden  by 
Drs.  Nathan  Webb,  senior  and  junior.  They  came  to  the  shores 
of  the  Waukatomiky  in  1821  and  cultivated  the  castor  oil  bean. 
Their  mill  was  located  on  the  "Little  Prairie."  Two  lodges  of 
Shawanese  Indians  were  still  there  and  interested  spectators  of 
this  symptom  of  civilization.  The  doctors  were  not  learned  in 
their  profession,  but  were  the  pioneer  physicians  of  Dresden  and 
evidently  had  confidence  in  castor  oil.  From  whence  they  came 
or  where  they  went  I  am  not  able  to  state. 

It  is  impossible  for  us  to  fully  appreciate  the  primitive  man- 
ner in  which  these  men  practiced  medicine.  They  had  to  be,  in 
a  degree,  pharmacists  and  practical  botanists.  Roots  and  herbs 
were  an  important  part  of  their  armamentarium.  Infusions  and 
decoctions  were  the  order  of  the  day.  The  sugar-coated  pill 
was  then  unknown.  In  fact  the  life  of  the  modern  physician  is 
sugar-coated  when  compared  with  that  of  the  pioneers.  These 
men  were  obliged  to  be  fertile  in  resources,  apt  in  expedients, 
and  ingenious  in  improvising.      Compare,  if  you  can,  the  log 


Minutes  of  Fifth   Annual  Meeting.  259 

cabin  office  of  one  hundred  years  ago  with  the  physician's  office 
of  to-day.  Think  of  the  progress  made  in  medical  science  since 
the  days  of  these  men.  Chloroform,  cocaine,  the  hypodermic 
syringe,  the  fever  thermometer,  and  hundreds  of  other  things 
were  unknown  to  them.  Notwithstanding  all  the  new  ideas  and 
inventions  the  rate  of  mortality,  from  the  ordinary  aches  and  ills 
of  life,  was  about  the  same  then  as  now. 

In  looking  over  the  lives  of  these  men  we  find  general  char- 
acteristics that  are  worthy  of  thought.  They  were  interested 
and  active  in  educational  and  religious  matters.  They  were 
energetic  and  progressive  beyond  their  times.  They  took  an  ac- 
tive part  in  politics  and  questions  of  State.  If  they  were  alive 
now  they  would  probably  let  politics  alone.  Thev  were  brave 
men,  for  on  their  lonely  travels  in  the  earlier  years  they  had  to 
face  the  treachery  of  the  Indian  and  the  hunger  of  the  wolves. 
The  more  the  lives  of  these  men  are  held  up  to  view,  the  more 
sterling  qualities  we  find  to  admire. 

There  were  one  or  two  more  of  the  very  early  physicians 
about  Marietta,  Waterford  and  Zanesville  of  whom  the  writer 
could  learn  nothing,  only  that  they  had  once  lived  in  these 
places.  Their  descendants  either  could  iiot  be  found,  or  when 
found  could  give  no  information. 


MINUT^BS 


Sixth  Annual  Meeting  of  the  Society, 


COLUMBUS,    FEBRUARY    i8    AND    19,    1891. 


Thursday,  February  19th  the  society  came  to  order  in  the 
State  Library.  There  being  present  the  following  members: 
Wm.  E.  Moore,  of  Columbus;  A.  A.  Graham,  of  Columbus; 
N.  S.  Townshend,  of  Columbus;  H.  A.  Thompson,  of  Wester- 
ville;  J.  A.  Anderson,  of  Columbus;  L.  B.  Wing,  of  Newark; 
Geo.  F.  Bareis,  of  Canal  Winchester ;  A.  R.  Mclntire,  of  Mt. 
Vernon;  D.  J.  Ryan,  of  Portsmouth;  J.  J.  Januey,  of  Colum- 
bus; S.  S.  Rickly,  of  Columbus;  Thos.  E  Van  Home,  of  Co- 
lumbus; J.  A.  Shawan,  of  Columbus;  J.  C.  Reeve,  of  Dayton; 
Cyrus  Falconer,  of  Hamilton;  B.  D.  Hills,  of  Columbus;  Mrs. 
N.  E.  Lovejoy,  of  Columbus;  Edw.  Orton,  of  Columbus;  R. 
Brinkerhofif,  of  Mansfield;  John  G.  Doren,  of  Dayton;  Thos.  F, 
Moses  Urbana;  Rev.  J.  A.  Snodgrass,  of  Columbus;  A.  H. 
Smythe,  of  Coumbus;  Isaac  Kagy,  of  Tiffin;  Frank  H.  Leib, 
of  Millersport;  W.  H.  Morton,  of  Cincinnati;  John  T.  Gale,  of 
Columbus;  Charles  Parrett,  of  Columbus;  Henry  Howe,  of  Co- 
lumbus; James  Poindexter,  of  Columbus;  Chas.  P.  Griffin,  of 
Toledo;  R.  W.  McFarland,  of  Oxford;  Ralph  Reamer,  of  Co- 
lumbus. 

In  the  absence  of  the  President  of  the  Society,   F.   C.   Ses- 
sions, Rev.  W^m.  E.  Moore,  First  Vice  Presidsnt,  presided.    The 
Secretary,  A,  A.  Graham,  presented  and  read  his  annual  report, 
which,  upon  motion,  was  accepted  and  ordered  filed. 
(261) 


262  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 

On  motion  of  Mr.  Doren,  a  committee  was  appointed  to 
nominate  to  the  society  the  names  of  five  members  to  serve  as 
trustees  for  three  years.  The  chair  appointed  as  such  commit- 
tee, Messrs.  Doren,  Anderson  and  Janney. 

The  report  of  the  Treasurer,  S.  S.  Rickly,  was  then  read, 
and  on  motion  approved,  and  on  his  request  a  committee  was  ap- 
pointed to  examine  the  books  at  a  time  suitable  to  its  con- 
venience. The  chair  appointed  Messrs.  Hancock  and  Town- 
shend  as  such  committee. 

The  Secretary  made  report  of  the  circular  issued  to  the 
members  concerning  proposed  changes  m  the  act  of  incorpora- 
tion and  by-laws  regarding  change  of  name,  and  increasing  num- 
ber of  trustees.  The  circular  had  been  sent  to  all  of  the  mem- 
bers. Out  of  54  replies,  52  voted  for  both  changes  and  two 
against  change  of  name.  After  discussion  of  the  matter,  in- 
volving the  legality  of  such  change,  it  was  decided  to  refer  the 
matter  to  the  trustees  with  authority  to  take  the  ncessary  steps 
looking  to  a  change  of  name. 

The  committee  appointed  to  nominate  five  trustees  for  three 
years  reported  the  following  names :  F.  C.  Sessions,  of  Colum- 
bus; Calvin  S.  Brice,  of  Lima;  Robert  W.  Steele,  of  Dayton; 
A.  R.  Mclntyre,  of  Mt.  Vernon. 

The  report  of  the  committee  was  accepted,  and  on  motion 
the  rules  were  suspended  and  the  Secretary  was  instructed  to 
cast  the  vote  of  the  members  in  favor  of  the  names  proposed. 

John  S.  Rhodes  and  George  R.  McDaniels,  of  Fort  Recov- 
ery, presented  the  matter  of  the  anniversary  of  the  Centennial 
of  Gen.  St.  Clair's  defeat  by  the  Indians  in  the  site  of  that 
town  in  November,  1791,  and  asked  that  some  action  be  taken 
by  the  society  looking  to  the  proper  observance  of  this  Centen- 
nial. After  discussion  of  the  matter,  it  was  on  motion  referred 
to  the  Executive  Committee  with  power  to  act. 

A  committee  of  the  citizens  of  Newark  came  before  the 
society,  asking  its  aid  and  co-operation  to  secure  the  purchase 
and  preservation  of  that  part  of  the  extensive  system  of  earth- 
works near  the  city,  known  as  the  "octagon  and  circle."  The 
design  being  that  when  purchased  the  State  could  use  the  land 
for  the  erection  thereon  of  such   institution  as  might  be  best. 


Minutes  of  the  Sixth  Annual  Meeting.  263 

After  a  full  discussion,  in  which  it  was  stated  the  society  could 
not  be  engaged  to  secure  for  any  distinct  institution,  the  follow- 
ing resolution  was,  on  motion  of  Mr.  Wing,  adopted: 

Resolved,  That  the  members  of  the  Ohio  State  Archaeologi- 
cal and  Historical  Societ>'  are  heartily  in  favor  of  the  passage  of 
the  bill  introduced  in  the  Senate  by  Senator  Gaumer,  for  the 
purchase  by  the  State  of  the  pre -historic  earthworks  at  Newark, 
and  that  the  Executive  Committee  of  this  society  be  instructed 
to  use  all  proper  effort  to  aid  the  passage  of  the  bill. 

This  done,  after  discu.ssion  of  various  mi.scellaneous  matters, 
dhe  society  on  motion  adjourned  to  meet  the  following  evening  at 
the  American  Hotel,  at  8  p.  m.,  for  the  annual  dinner. 

Friday  evening,  8  p.  m.,  the  society  met  in  the  parlors  of 
the  American  House,  and  after  a  short  time  spent  in  a  social 
way,  met  around  the  tables  in  the  dining  room.  Rev.  W.  E. 
Moore,  the  First  Vice  President  presiding.  After  the  dinner, 
which  was  greatly  enjoyed,  the  members  were  called  to  order  by 
the  chairman.  Dr.  Moore,  and  the  following  toasts  were  pre- 
sented: "The  Miami  Valley,"  Governor  James  E.  Campbell; 
"The  Old  School  Mistress,"  Miss  Margaret  Sutherland;  "Gen. 
Arthur  St.  Clair  and  the  Indian  Campaign  of  1791,"  Gen.  E.  B. 
Finley ;  "The  Mauniee  Valley  in  History,"  Hon.  Chas.  P.  Griffin, 
"The  Old  Moravian  Missions  in  Ohio,"  Hon.  Wm.  Farrar, 
"Ohio  at  the  Columbian  Exposition,"  Gen.  R.  Brinkerhoff. 

In  the  absence  of  the  Governor,  to  whom  had  been  as- 
signed the  place  as  toastmaster,  Mr.  Claude  Meeker,  his  private 
secretary,  w'as  called  to  the  chair,  and  in  that  capacity  filled  the 
place  most  acceptably. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  responses  to  the  toasts,  the  follow- 
ing resolution,  offered  by  Dr.  H.  A.  Thompson,  was  unanimously 
adopted : 

Whereas,  Having  listened  with  pleasure  to  the  interesting 
remarks  of  General  Brinkerhoff  as  to  the  part  Ohio  should  take 
in  the  Columbian  Exposition  in  1893,  and  believing  with  him 
the  State  we  represent,  occupying  as  she  does  so  conspicuous  a 
position  among  the  Mississippi  Valley  States,  should  be  repre- 
sented in  a  manner  in  keeping  with  her  position  and  history ; 
therefore,  be  it 


264  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications .        [Vol.  3 

Resolved,  That  we  most  heartily  commend  the  effort  being 
made  by  Representative  McMakin  to  secure  from  the  General 
Assembly  such  an  appropriation  as  will  enable  the  State  to  make 
a  creditable  representation  of  her  material  and  educational  in- 
terests in  said  exposition.  In  the  event  of  an  adequate  appro- 
priation for  such  purpose  by  the  General  Assembly,  we  believe 
that  no  small  place  should  be  given  to  the  work  of  the  Ohio 
Archaeological  and  Historical  Society,  and  do  hereby  pledge  our- 
selves to  make  such  an  exhibit  as  shall  do  honor  to  the  State. 

The  society,  through  Prof.  John  Hancock,  expressed  its 
thanks  to  the  proprietors  of  the  hotel  for  the  excellent  manner 
in  which  the  dinner  was  served,  and  upon  motion  the  sixth 
annual  meeting  adjourned. 

Wm.  E.  Moore, 
A.  A.  Graham,  First  Vice  President. 

Secretary. 


MEETING   OF   THE   TRUSTEES,   THURSDAY,  FEBRU- 
ARY 19,  1891,  FIVE  P.  M. 

The  Trustees  met  in  the  State  Library.  Dr.  Townshend  in 
the  chair.  The  selecting  of  officers  was  considered.  On  motion 
of  Dr.  H.  A.  Thompson,  Mr.  F.  C.  Sessions  was  elected 
President. 

On  motion,  Rev.  W.  E.  Moore  was  elected  First  Vice  Presi- 
dent, and  R.  Brinkerhoff  Second  Vice  President. 

On  motion,  Mr.  S.  S.  Rickly  was  elected  Treasurer,  and 
A.  A    Graham  elected  Secretary. 

The  following  were  elected  as  an  Executive  Committee : 
F.  C.  Sessions,  Wm.  E.  Moore,  S.  S.  Rickly,  D.  J.  Ryan,  John 
Hancock,  H.  A.  Thompson,  N.  S.  Townshend.  The  committee 
was  authorized  to  fill  vacancies  and  to  appoint  such  standing 
committees  as  should  be  deemed  necessary.  There  being  a 
vacancy  in  the  Board  of  Trustees,  Mr.  George  F.  Baries,  of 
Canal  Winchester,  was  appointed  to  the  place  to  serve  three 
years,  from  February  19,  1891. 

The  Executive  Committee  was  instructed  to  meet  the  next 
day,  Friday,  at  10:00  A.  m.,  to  consult  further  with  the  commit- 


Minutes  of  the  Sixth  Annual  Meeting.  265 

tee  from  Fort  Recovery,  relating  to  the  centennial  exercises  to 
be  held  at  that  place  in  November,  1891. 

The  question  of  the  contemplated  change  in  the  society's 
name  was  then  considered.  The  Secretary  presented  the  circu- 
lar which  had  been  sent  to  the  members,  and  after  discussion,  it 
was,  on  motion  of  Mr.  A.  R.  Mclntyre, 

Resolved,  That  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  this  Society  deem 
it  desirable  that  the  articles  of  incorporation  of  this  Society  be 
amended  by  striking  out  the  first,  or  naming  clau.se,  and  insert- 
ing in  lieu  thereof  tlic  following :  The  name  of  this  corporation 
shall  be  "The  Ohio  Historical  Society,"  and  the  proper  steps  be 
at  once  taken  to  submit  the  question  of  making  the  amendm.ent 
to  a  meeting  of  the  members  called  for  that  purpo.se. 

After  which,  upon  motion,  the  Board  of  Trustees  adjourned. 

N.    S.    TOWNSHEND, 

A.  A.  Graham,  Chairman  pro  tetn. 

Secretary. 


Meeting  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  May  7th,  1891,  in  the 
State  Library.  Present,  Messrs.  Sessions,  Brinkerhoff,  Rickly. 
Thompson,  Read,  Griffin,  Gilmore,  Bareis,  Mclntyre,  Hancock, 
and  Lock  wood. 

Minutes  of  the  last  annual  meeting  of  the  Society  and  of 
the  Board  of  Trustees,  February  19lh  and  20th,  were  read  and 
approved.  The  memorial  regarding  the  work  of  the  Society  in 
the  Ohio  exhibit  at  the  Columbian  Exposition,  was  read,  dis- 
cussed and  approved.  The  Secretary  was  instructed  to  arrange 
for  a  conference  with  the  Ohio  Commi.ssioners,  in  session  in  the 
office  of  the  State  Board  of  Agriculture,  and  it  was  resolved  that 
the  sum  of  $2,500  be  requested  for  this  year's  work. 

On  motion  of  Dr.  Thompson,  the  Secretary  was  authorized 
to  draw  an  order  upon  the  Treasurer  for  the  expenses  of  the 
Trustees  in  attendance  at  this  meeting.  A  conference  having 
bee;?!  .^franged,  the  Board  met  the  Ohio  Commissioners  and 
througlji  ^Messrs.  Brinkerhoff  and  Read,  presented  the  memorial 
(Qf  the  Triifcstees  regarding  the  Department  of  Archaeology  and 
iHistorv  in'l|.'e  Ohio  exhibit  at  the  World's  Fair. 


266  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 

After  the  conference,  the  Board  renewed  deliberations.  On 
motion,  a  committee  consisting  of  Messrs.  Brinkerhoff,  Wright, 
Baldwin,  Read  and  the  Secretary  was  appointed  to  appear  before 
the  Ohio  Commissioners  at  their  meeting  in  Cleveland,  June  4th, 
the  Committee  to  present  a  plan  of  the  proposed  department, 
and  to  report  the  same  to  the  Executive  Committee.  The  Sec- 
retary was  instructed  to  send  each  member  of  the  Board  the 
names  of  the  Ohio  Commissioners  to  the  World's  Fair. 

The  Board  then  adjourned  to  meet  at  Fort  Ancient  the  next 
day,  Friday,  May  8th. 

Fort  Ancient,  Friday,  2  p.  m.  Present,  Messrs.  Brinker- 
hoff, Read,  Lockwood,  Bareis,  Williams,  Gilmore,  Harris,  Mc- 
Intyre  and  Thompson,  and  by  invitation,  Senator  Jesse  N.  Oren. 
Second  Vice  President  Brinkerhoff  in  the  chair.  The  minutes 
of  the  previous  day  were  read  and  approved.  The  "Care  and 
control  of  Fort  Ancient"  was  considered.  After  discussion,  the 
the  appointment  by  the  Executive  Committee  of  Messrs.  Oren, 
Harris  and  Williams,  as  a  special  committee  in  charge  of  Fort 
Ancient,  was  confirmed;  this  committee  to  enter  upon  its  duties 
as  soon  as  the  transfer  of  the  property  is  made.  This  committee 
was  authorized  to  appoint  a  custodian  for  the  property,  and  to 
establish  such  rules  and  regulations  for  its  care  and  control  as 
may  be  necessary,  the  action  of  the  committee  in  these  matters 
to  be  submitted  to  the  Board  of  Trustees  for  approval.  After 
an  informal  discussion  of  matters  connected  with  the  Fort,  the 
board  adjourned. 

R.  Brinkerhoff,  Chairman. 
A.  A.  Graham,  Secretary. 


SECRETARY'S   REPORT. 

To  the  Ej^ecutive   Committee  : 

The  year  closed  has  been  marked  by  steady  progress.  Lit- 
tle in  detail  need  be  said.  The  publication  of  the  Quarterly  to 
the  end  of  Volume  II  was  completed.  Owing  to  the  expense  of 
fitting  the  Society's  room  with  the  necessary  cases  and  furniture. 


Secretary's    Report.  2<5t 

an  expense  of  near  $300,  sufficient  money  did  not  remain  to  con- 
tinue the  Quarterly  last  year.  Another  item  which  entered  into 
this  matter  was  the  fact  that  the  Society  had  been  for  some  time 
engaged  in  gathering  the  material  on  the  question  of  the  bound- 
ary between  Ohio  and  Virgin'"  with  a  view  to  publication,  in 
connection  with  the  reprint  of  the  notable  and  strong  argument 
on  that  question  by  Mr.  Samuel  F.  Vinton,  before  the  Virginia 
Supreme  Court  in  the  Garber  Slave  case,  the  intention  being  to 
issue  the  argument  and  accompanying  papers  in  a  single  jound 
volume,  as  Volume  III.  An  examination  of  the  matter  devel- 
oped the  fact  that  some  time  would  be  necessary  to  secure  and 
prepare,  as  it  should  be  done,  such  an  important  matter,  and  the 
publication  was  therefore  deferred  for  the  present.  In  the 
meantime,  the  Centennial  of  the  settlement  of  Gallipolis  by  the 
French,  October,  19,  1790,  was  brought  before  the  Society,  and 
it  was  decided  to  assist  in  that  event,  as  the  Society  had  done  at 
Marietta  in  the  centennial  of  April  7,  1888.  The  present  volume 
will  be  the  result,  and  will  speak  for  itself. 

The  Society  not  finding  sufficient  encouragement  in  the 
effort  to  unite  the  Society  and  the  State  Library  upon  the  plan 
followed  in  Wisconsin,  Kansas  and  several  other  states,  turned 
its  attention  elsewhere,  upon  the  request  and  suggestion  of  sev- 
eral members,  a  publication  fund  was  started.  Each  active 
member  who  desired  to  pay  an  amount  of  money  in  addition  to 
what  each  had  paid  as  active  members  to  equal  a  life  member's 
fee,  |50,  was  given  the  opportunity.  The  treasurer's  report 
shows  the  present  condition  of  the  fund. 

The  necessary  care  of  the  rooms,  the  work  of  the  Society 
in  its  various  branches,  required  all  the  secretary's  time,  which 
could  not  be  given  gratuitously.  No  fixed  amount  until  this 
year  was  paid,  only  such  as  could  be  spared,  and  without  which 
I  could  not  have  continued,  and  no  one  capable  of  carrying  it 
forward  could  be  found  to  do  the  work  free. 

During  the  last  term  of  the  General  Assembly  an  appeal 
was  made  to  that  body  to  aid  the  Society.  This  was  cheerfully 
done,  the  Society  ' /cing  required  to  place  all  its  library  collec- 
tions in  the  State  Library.     A  grant  of  $1  000  was  made,  and 


^68  Ohio  Arch,  ayid  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  ^ 

the  Society  placed  in  the  State  Library  some  900  bound  vohimes 
and  pamphlets. 

It  is  expected  that  this  policy  will  be  continued,  and  a  closer 
anion  between  the  State  Library  and  the  Society  be  maintained. 
A  safe  receptacle  will  be  provided  for  the  library  accommoda- 
tions of  the  Society,  where  they  can  be  consulted  by  any  who 
may  want  them. 

The  coming  World's  Fair  at  Chicago  will  afford  the  Society 
an  opportunity  to  extend  its  usefulness,  and  its  aid  in  making  a 
proper  display  of  articles  illustrating  the  history  of  the  State. 
The  General  Assembly  has  already  taken  steps  to  assure  an  ex- 
hibit of  Ohio's  industries  and  Ohio's  history,  and  the  Society 
should  be  not  only  recognized,  but  required  to  aid  in  the  exhibit. 
At  the  close  of  the  exposition,  the  Society  can  assume  full  care 
of  such  articles  as  may  be  secured  from  the  exhibit  there.  By 
such  means,  at  the  centennial  expositions  held  in  Ohio  in  1888, 
a  large  and  valuable  collection  illustrating  our  archaeology  and 
history  was  secured.  These  collections  can  now  be  seen  in  the 
rooms  of  the  Society,  which  now  contains  some  four  thousand 
articles  of  archaeology.  A  large  number  of  maps,  charts,  carts, 
photographs  and  other  articles  illustrating  the  archaeology  and 
history  of  Ohio.  The  room  is  now  crowded,  and  the  question 
of  larger  and  more  convenient  quarters  confronts  us. 

The  interest  in  the  approaching  centennials  of  many  settle- 
ments and  many  important  events  in  our  history  is  apparent. 
All  turn  to  this  society  to  see  that  these  are  properly  celebrated. 
They  tend  to  stimulate  historical  enquiry  and  interest,  and  their 
proper  observance  is  a  part  of  our  work  and  should  receive  the 
attention  each  demands.  The  year  closed  emphasizes  the  fact 
that  the  growth  of  the  society,  its  usefulness,  and  its  utility  de- 
pends on  unremitting  steady  efforts.  This  we  shall  try  to  do  as 
long  as  strength  and  support  continues. 

A.  A.  Graham,  Secretary. 


Report  of  Tries  tees.  269 


REPORT    OF    THE    TRUSTEES   TO   THE   GOVERNOR 
FOR  THE  YEAR  ENDING  FEBRUARY  19,  1891. 

To  His  Excellency,  James   E.  Campbell, 

Governor  of  Ohio  : 

The  following  report  of  this  Society  for  the  current  year  is 
herewith  presented : 

The  fiscal  year  of  the  Society  ends  February  19th,  at  which 
time  a  full  and  detailed  report  of  our  proceedings,  receipts,  and 
expenditures  is  annually  made. 

At  the  last  sesion  of  the  General  Assembly  an  appropriation 
of  two  thousand  (|2,000)  dollars  was  made  to  this  Society  "for 
books,  manuscripts,  etc.,  to  be  placed  in  the  State  Library." 
Under  this  authority  the  Society  has  catalogued  to  date,  and 
placed  in  the  State  Library,  about  four  hundred  (400)  bound 
volumes,  about  six  hundred  ((300)  pamphlets,  not  including  files 
of  magazines,  many  manuscripts,  etc.  This  enumeration  does 
not  include  duplicates  nor  remaining  parts  of  the  Society's  pub- 
lication, which  will  be  used  for  exchange  purposes,  and  the 
works  so  received  be  placed  in  the  Library.  It  also  has  twenty- 
nine  framed  charts,  illustrating  the  archaeology  of  Ohio,  costing 
originally  about  ten  dollars  each,  which  Were  donated  to  the 
Society;  and  several  paintings,  drawings,  and  charts,  which  the 
Library,  owing  to  lack  of  wall -space,  cannot  receive,  and  wJiich 
will  therefore  be  left  for  the  present  in  the  Society's  room.  The 
Society  has  increased  its  permanent  fund  to  seven  hundred  ($700) 
dollars,  the  intention  being  to  secure  eventually  twenty -five 
thou.sand  (325,000)  dollars,  this  fund  to  be  known  as  the  "Pub- 
lication Fund,"  the  income  derived  therefrom  to  be  devoted  to 
publications.  The  experience  of  all  historical  societies  shows  a 
very  slow  growth,  and  years  must  elapse  before  the  fund  will 
reach  the  desired  limit.  In  other  States  more  than  half  a  cen- 
tury elapses  before  such  a  fund  is  secured.  Several  subscriptions 
not  yet  due  have  been  made,  and  as  time  progresses  more  will  be 
secured.  The  report  of  the  Treasurer  is  as  follows,  and  exhibits 
in  detail  the  financial  transactions  of  the  year : 


270               Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications .  [Vol.  S 

RECEIPTS. 

Balance  on  hand  from  1889 $  527  13 

From  active  membership  fees 470  00 

Subscriptions  to  publication  fund 580  00 

From    appropriations 2,000  00 

From  interest  on  permanent  fund 27  33 

$3,604  46 
DISBURSEMENTS. 

For  postage $  175  00 

Railway  fares  of  Secretary 22  00 

Janitor  and  clerk  hire     163  15 

Office  desk 25  00 

Repairs  in  room 14  50 

Sundry  expenses,  chiefly  in  connection  with  Gallipolis  Centennial  162  34 

Secretary's  salary  for  February,  March  and  April,  1890 300  00 

Expenses,  same  period 22  1 1 

Salary  Secretary,  May  1,  1890,  to  March  1,  1891 1,000  00 

Job  Printing 298  50 

Balance  printing  of  Volume  II 96  29 

Money  expended  for  books 5  40 

Transferred  to  publication  fund 500  00 

Total $2,815  67 

Balance  on  hand 788  79 


$3,604  46 


From  the  balance  on  hand  will  be  paid  the  printing  o^  Vol- 
ume III,  now  in  press,  about  $400,  a  copy  of  which  will  be 
placed  on  the  desk  of  each  member  of  the  Senate  and  House, 
and  the  necessary  expenses,  including  the  Secretary's  salary, 
until  May  15th, 


VAI,UE  OF  PUBI.ICATIONS   AND   STOCK  ON  HAND,   FEBRUARY  19,   1891. 

Plates  of  Volume  I  cost $  182  10 

Matrices  of  Volume  II  cost 73  22 

Single  copies  of  Quarterlies,  value 72  00 

Eight  bound  copies  Volume  II 40  00 

Total  value  publications,  etc.,  on  hand $  367  32 


Report  of  Trustees.  271 

The  supply  of  volumes  one  and  t'tvo,  bound  and  unbound, 
and  of  single  numbers  of  the  Quarterl}-,  is  constantly  being  de- 
pleted by  calls  for  them  from  all  parts  of  the  country.  As  soon 
as  the  funds  of  the  Society  permit,  these  volumes  will  be  re- 
printed  from   the   plates. 

The  permanent  fund  is  now  ^  700,  invested  and  drawing 
annual  interest. 

The  Society  will  now  issue  Volume  III  of  its  publications. 
This  will  embody  the  Centennial  exercises,  addresses,  etc.,  at 
Gallipolis,  October  16-19  last,  and  also  several  valuable  papers 
relating  to  the  important  historical  questions. 

Arrangements  have  been  made  to  exchange  the  publications 
of  this  Society  with  all  other  societies  of  a  similar  nature,  not 
only  in  Ohio  and  the  United  States,  but  also  in  many  foreign 
countries.  The  publications  of  all  scientific,  historical  and 
kindred  societies  are  exceedingly  valuable.  They  do  not  con- 
tain, as  a  rule,  reading  that  interests  every  citizen,  but  they  do 
contain  monographs,  carefully  prepared,  of  great  value  to  stu- 
dents of  history,  government,  science,  political  economy,  and  to 
those  whose  vocations  necessitate  the  use  of  such  material. 
The  publications  of  such  societies  are  not,  as  a  rule,  on  sale, 
hence  no  commercial  value  can  be  placed  on  them.  They  are, 
like  the  issues  of  this  Society,  given  to  those  who  support  the 
organization,  and  to  those  who  give  in  return  the  results  of  their 
labors. 

Under  the  appropriations  given  the  Society,  we  are  required 
to  place  in  the  Library  not  only  our  present  collection,  but  also 
the  accumulations  received  during  the  year,  whether  by  gift,  pur- 
chase or  exchange.  It  also  places  an  injunction  on  the  Society 
to  be  diligent  in  acquiring  documents,  publications,  etc.,  of  a 
governmental,  scientific,  historical  and  economic  nature,  and  by 
a  system  of  exchange  to  secure  as  many  as  it  can.  This  it  has 
labored  faithfully  to  do.  The  issues  of  its  first  two  volumes  are 
entirely  exhausted,  and  as  calls  for  them  are  constantly  being 
made,  the  Society  will,  as  .soon  as  its  funds  permit,  republi.sh 
them.  It  will  also,  as  has  already  been  said,  issue  its  third  vol- 
ume soon,  and  through  it  receive  a  large  number  of  exchanges. 


272  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 

These,  with  all  other  accumulations,  will  be  placed  in  the  State 
Library. 

The  Society  desires  to  commend  the  efforts  to  secure  and 
build  up  pamphlet  and  manuscript  departments  in  the  State 
Library.  The  move  is  most  excellent.  So  careful  a  student  of 
history  as  ex-President  Hayes,  when  Governor  of  Ohio,  saw  the 
value  of  such  departments,  and  did  what  he  could  to  establish 
and  maintain  them. 

Such  material  is  of  inestimable  value.  Pamphlet  publica- 
tions are  the  cream  of  economical  literature.  The  great  libraries 
of  this  country  are  exceedingly  careful  to  secure  such  collec- 
tions. A  system  of  exchange  can  and  should  be  systematically 
arranged  with  all  other  libraries,  and,  through  this  Society,  with 
societies  issuing  such  publications.  The  Legislator,  the  man  of 
business,  and  the  student  of  government  should  have  them  at 
ready  command.  We  are  well  aware  this  entails  additional  labor 
on  the  Librarian,  who  now,  with  a  Library  of  some  sixty  thou- 
sand (60,000)  volumes,  has  the  same  assistance  as  the  Librarian 
of  twenty-five  years  ago  with  less  than  half  the  number  of 
volumes  and  not  one-fourth  the  applicants  to  examine  them.  If 
this  Society  can  be  of  any  aid  in  this  matter  it  will  be  glad  to  do 
so.  In  view  of  the  labor  which  these  collections  with  its  own 
will  impose,  and  the  necessary  work  of  caring  for  the  sections 
of  pamphlets  and  manuscripts,  the  Society  will  assist,  by  its 
Secretary,  in  such  manner  as  the  Library  Commissioners  and  its 
Trustees  may  decide.  It  is  the  earnest  desire  of  the  member- 
ship, which  comprises  the  intelligent  citizens  of  the  State,  to  co- 
operate with  the  Library  Commissioners  to  secure  in  our  Capitol 
a  State  Library  of  reference  works  such  as  Ohio  should  have 
and  such  as  the  State  can  have  if  the  proper  efforts  be  encour- 
aged. 

In  regard  to  future  publications,  the  Society  desires  to  call 
your  attention  to  unpublished  manuscripts  and  documents  in  the 
archives  of  the  State  House.  Many  are  valuable  and  are  giving 
way  to  the  "tooth  of  time,"  which  will  ere  long  destroy  them. 
We  wish  to  collect  them  and  publish  such  as  are  valuable.  We 
can  do  so  should  the  small  aid  hitherto  given  be  continued. 

As  far  back  as  the  year  1814,  the  Historical  Society  of  New 


Report  of  Trustees.  27S 

York  sent  to  the  Legislature  of  that  vState,  through  their  dis- 
tinguished Vice  President,  Dewitt  Clinton,  Esq.,  a  memorial 
drawn  by  his  own  hand,  in  behalf  of  the  perishing  records  of 
that  Commonwealth.  This  document  presented  in  strong  terms 
the  urgency  and  importance  of  the  measure  suggested.  It  ap- 
pealed to  the  patriotism  of  the  people,  whose  State  pride  should 
prompt  them  at  once  to  rescue  their  history  from  threatened 
oblivion.  The  eloquent  author  called  upon  the  State  to  assist 
the  Society  he  represented,  "in  drawing  from  their  dark  abodes 
documents  that  would  illume  the  obscure,  explain  the  doubtful, 
and  embalm  the  memories  of  the  good  and  great."  This  effort 
was  not  in  vain  —  funds  sufficient  to  carry  out  the  purpose  sug- 
gested, were  at  once  appropriated;  competent  persons  were  em- 
ployed to  translate  the  earlier  records  of  the  Colony  w^iile  under 
the  Dutch,  and  agents  were  sent  abroad  to  collect  in  England, 
Holland  and  France,  original  documents  and  copies  of  every- 
thing relating  to  the  history  of  the  Empire  State  of  America. 

At  a  subsequent  period,  and  after  the  materials  had  been 
collected,  a  proper  person  was  appointed  "to  compile  the  Docu- 
mentary History  of  New  York,"  which  work  is  now  to  be  found 
in  an  imposing  array  of  folio  volumes  upon  the  shelves  of  our 
State  Library,  secured  through  this  Society. 

Other  American  Commonwealths,  in  the  meantime,  have 
not  been  idle.  The  Historical  Society  of  Massachusetts  has 
rescued  from  loss  most  of  the  records  of  that  ancient  colony  and 
influential  State.  They  have  been  collected,  printed  and  bound 
in  series,  each  one  of  which  consists  of  numerous  volumes. 
The  Historical  Society  and  other  agencies  of  that  State  were 
stimulated  to  this  action  by  occurrences,  such  as  the  burning  of 
the  old  State  House  at  Boston ;  the  destruction  of  part  of  old 
Cambridge  College,  and  of  certain  private  residences  which  in- 
volved the  loss  of  many  valuable  documents.  Convinced  by 
such  disasters  that  no  depository  at  that  time  was  free  from  dan- 
ger, it  was  wisely  determined  to  multiply  copies  of  their  records 
through  the  printing  press. 

In  the  year  18-51,  the  Executive  of  Pennsylvania,  by  special 
message  to  the  Legislature  of  that  State,  set  forth  the  great  im- 
portance of  preserving  the  perishing  records  of  the  Common- 

Vol.  Ill— 18 


274  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  % 

wealth.  A  committee  was  at  once  appointed  to  consider  the  sub- 
ject, and  now  the  "Documentary  History  of  Pennsylvania"  ap- 
pears in  more  than  a  dozen  large  volumes,  beginning  at  the  year 
1664  and  coming  down  to  the  latest  dates. 

Further  south  Maryland  has  accomplished  much,  and  the 
States  of  Georgia  and  Louisiana  have  not  been  idle.  The  records 
of  the  latter  have  been  preserved,  in  part,  from  the  time  when 
the  royal  standard  of  Spain  was  first  set  up  in  the  Floridas,  until 
the  period  of  the  American  Revolution. 

Even  some  of  the  newer  States,  Wisconsin  and  Michigan  in 
particular,  have  already  taken  steps  to  preserve  their  early 
records.  In  Wisconsin,  Minnesota,  and  Kansas,  the  State  His- 
torical Societies  are  entrusted  with  this  work.  The  annual  vol- 
umes of  these  Societies,  and  their  various  publications,  attest  the 
fidelity  with  which  it  is  done. 

Dr.  Palmer,  of  the  Virginia  Historical  Society,  speaking  ot 
manuscripts,  says : 

' '  The  real  value  of  manuscripts  is  not  always  at  once  appre- 
ciated. A  paper  cannot  be  without  interest,  for  instance,  should 
it  but  preserve  the  peculiarities  of  style,  the  quaint  phraseology 
and  antique  orthography  in  use  when  it  was  written.  In  the 
earliest  papers  before  us  these  are  prominent  characteristics. 
They  appear  as  much  in  the  private  correspondence  as  in  official 
documents,  in  which  latter,  however,  as  may  be  expected,  a 
more  stately,  and  often -times  pompous,  diction  prevails. 

"It  should  be  remembered  that  the  best  educated  of  our 
fore -fathers  were  compelled  to  employ  the  only  vocabulary 
known  to  them.  They  had  inherited  the  style  transmitted  from 
a  more  primitive  age  in  letters,  than  that  even  in  which  they 
lived,  and  which  did  not  begin  its  approach  to  the  smoother  dic- 
tion of  the  present  day  until  about  the  beginning  of  the  second 
century  after  the  founding  of  the  colonies. 

"Another  merit  of  these  documents  consists  in  their  perpet- 
uating certain  phrases  and  expressions,  the  only  vehicles  of  a 
class  of  ideas  purely  technical  in  their  signification.  In  many  of 
the  oldest  may  be  recognized  also  much  of  the  ruggedness  of  the 
ancient  Saxon  tongue,  as  it  appeared  before  the  Norman  dialect 
had  added  its  softer  elements,  whereby  what  may  be  termed  the 


Report  of  Tries  tees.  275 

stone -age  of  our  language  began  to  pass  away.  The  papers  of 
this  description  are  common  until  about  the  time  of  Spotswood 
when  their  style  begins  sensibly  to  change.  A  little  latter  a 
taste  for  the  ornate  becomes  more  apparent ;  quaintness  and  sim- 
plicity gives  way  to  decoration,  and  as  we  pass  on  to  times 
nearer  our  own  day,  the  measured  sentences  and  rounded  periods 
of  the  more  modern  diction  come  into  frequent  use. 

"Still  another  value  attaches  to  these  fading  manuscripts 
which  may  not,  at  first  view,  be  recognized.  In  the  letters  and 
other  communications  interchanged  by  people  of  every  class  of 
society,  one  is  impressed  with  the  courteous  regard  for  the 
amenities  of  social  life  exhibited  in  them,  although  often  couched 
in  awkward  and  commonplace  language." 

The  foregoing  presents  cogent  reasons  why  such  materials 
should  be  preserved,  and  should  have  attention  from  those  who 
possess  the  power  to  do  for  Ohio  what  has  been  done  in  New 
York,  Pennsylvania,  Massachusetts,  Virginia,  Wisconsin  and  in 
other  American  states,  not  to  speak  of  what  has  been  done  by 
the  National  Government  through  such  men  as  Peter  Force,  the 
compiler  of  the  "Annals  of  Congress,"  and  by  the  publication 
of  such  documents  as  the  "American  State  Papers." 

Ohio  has  many  valuable  official  letters,  orders,  correspond- 
ence, etc.,  etc.,  some  of  official  nature,  much  unofficial,  yet  all 
of  such  a  nature  not  at  the  time  it  was  issued  best  to  print ;  yet 
of  such  a  nature  that  it  should  now  be  preserved,  and  which 
would  go  far  toward  correcting  many  matters  of  history. 

A  little  encouragement  granted  to  the  Society  will  secure 
the  publication  of  all  such  a  competent  committee  would  deem 
of  value.  We  trust  some  attention  will  be  given  this  matter, 
and  other  volumes,  like  the  "St.  Clair  Papers,"  be  issued,  e'er 
the  material  for  them  is  irretrievably  lost. 

We  also  wish  to  call  attention  to  the  coming  World's  Fair. 
Ohio  should  not  be  behind.  Already  the  Society  possesses  many 
valuable  articles,  charts,  maps,  etc.,  of  a  historical  nature  that 
should  be  there,  and  it  will  cheerfully  do  all  it  can  for  this  work. 

The  appropriation  for  our  general  work  could  include  this, 
and  thus  no  little  expense  be  spared  to  the  State.  The  appro- 
priation  for  pubh  ration  purposes  can  also  be  included.     This, 


276  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 

with  its  annual  receipts  from  members'  dues,  interest,  sale  of 
publications,  etc.,  will  keep  it  on  a  plane  with  the  best  societies 
in  the  country  and  enable  it  to  do  its  full  share  of  usefulness. 

The  General  Assembly  has  provided  for  the  purchase  and 
preservation  of  that  remarkable  earth- work — Fort  Ancient  —  in 
the  Little  Miami  valley.     It  is  the  largest  and  most  extensive 
prehistoric  remains  now  in  Ohio.     The  move  was  most  com- 
mendable, and  will  result  in  its  preservation,  whatever  may  be 
the   use   of  the  grounds  enclosed  by  the  embankments.     The 
Society  was  invited  by  the  Legislative  Committee  to  visit  the 
place  with  them,  and  many  members  did  so.     The  Society  will 
assume  the  care  of  the  "  Fort,"  and  place  it  under  such  use  as 
the  General  Assembly  may  direct.     We  would  also  say  that  by 
resolution  of  the  members,  such  legislation  is  requested  as  will 
represent  the  state  on  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  Society. 
Francis  C.  Sessions,  President. 
S.  S.  RiCKLEY,  Treasurer. 
A.  A.  Graham,  Secretary. 

By  order  of  the  Board  of  Trustees. 


THE   MORAVIAN   MASSACRE. 

[A  paper  read  at  the  vSixth  Annual  Meeting  of  the  Society  at  Columbus, 
by  William  M.  Farrar.] 

It  is  now  more  than  a  century  since  what  is  known  to  history 
as  "The  Moravian  Massatre,"  occurred  at  Gnadenhutten,  on 
the  Tuscarawas  branch  of  the  Muskingum  river;  so  long  ago 
that  all  those  concerned  in  that  affair  have  long  since  passed  to 
their  graves  and  been  forgotton.  This  sad  affair  was  unique  in 
character,  from  any  thing  of  the  kind  recorded  in  ancient 
or  modern  history,  and  has  been  more  persistently  misrepre- 
sented than  any  other  event  relating  to  the  early  history  of  the 
countr}',  many  of  those  misrepresentations  have  passed  into 
history  and  been  accepted  as  true. 

It  is  the  duty  of  this  society  to  vindicate  the  truth  of  history 
and  place  upon  record  any  facts  that  time  may  have  developed 


NDiAN  Monument,  Gnadenhutten. 


The  Moravian  Massacre.  277 

tending  to  explain,  or  throw  light  upon,  what  has  always  been  a 
subject  of  much  controversy. 

This  expedition  which  originated  in  the  western  townships 
of  Washington,  County,  Pennsylvania,  during  the  fall  and 
winter  of  1781,  has  been  represented  as  a  military  one,  author- 
ized by  the  lawfully  constituted  military  authority  of  that  county, 
commanded  by  a  regularly  commissioned  militia  officer,  and  called 
out  in  the  regular  way.  And  yet  no  such  order  has  ever  been 
found,  nor  is  there  any  muster  roll*  in  existence  giving  the  list 
of  names  of  the  officers  and  privates  composing  the  expedition, 
showing  to  what  companies  or  battalion  of  the  enrolled  militia 
of  the  country  they  belonged,  nor  has  any  claim  for  services 
rendered,  damages  sustained,  provisions  furnished,  arms  pro- 
vided, or  property  lost,  ever  been  presented  either  against  the 
State  or  general  government,  b}^  any  person  claiming  to  have 
been  a  member  of  the  expedition.  Neither  is  there  any  official 
report  of  the  expedition  extant,  made  by  either  Col.  Williamson 
the  officer  in  command,  by  James  Marshel  the  lieutenant  of  the 
county  who  was  responsible  for  it,  if  any  such  expedition  was 
ordered  out,  or  by  Brigadier  General  Irvine  the  commandant  at 
Fort  Pitt  in  whose  department  it  occurred. 

It  is  true  that  so  accurate  and  careful  a  historian  as  Mr. 
Butterfield  has  pronounced  otherwise,  but  a  review  of  the  author- 
ity upon  which  he  relies  does  not  seem  to  justify  his  conclusions, 
based  as  they  are  upon  a  single  statement  made  by  Gen.  Irvine 
in  a  letter  written  from  Fort  Pitt,  May  3,  1782,  to  President 
Moore  of  the  executive  council  of  Pennsylvania.! 

■  Brigadier  Gen.  Wm.  Irvine  was  appointed  to  the  command 
of  the  Western  Military  Department,  October  llth,  1781.  At 
that  day  the  Ohio  river  marked  the  dividing  line  between 
barbarism  and  civilization,  east  of  it,  the  hardy  pioneers,  after 
making  their  way  across  the  Alleghany  mountains  with  Fort 
Pitt  as  their  objective  point,  had  extended  their  settlements 
north  and  south  along  the  rich  valleys  of  the  rivers  forming  the 
Ohio,  and  pushed  them  westward  until  the  smoke  of  their  cabins 


*  See  Crumrine's  History,  Washinjjton  Countv,  Pennsylvania,  pa>je  110. 
tSee  W.  &  I.  cor.  2;]lt  and  24  j. 


278  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [VOL,.  3 

could  be  seen,  and  the  sounds  of  their  rifles  and  axes  heard  by 
the  red  men  who  dwelt  among  the  deep  forests  be.yond.  To 
guard  this  frontier  line  and  protect  the  settlements  against 
Indian  raids,  was  the  work  assigned  to  the  commanding  officer 
of  the  Western  Department,  and  for  that  purpose  small  garrisons 
of  regular  troops  were  stationed  at  the  several  forts  built  along 
this  frontier  line,  and  companies  of  militia  drawn  from  the 
counties  of  Westmoreland  and  Washington  kept  constantly  rang- 
ing along  the  border,  to  give  timely  notice  of  the  approach  of 
hostile  bands  of  savages. 

To  assist  the  commandant  at  Fort  Pitt  in  this  work,  an 
officer  with  the  rank  of  Lieutenant  Colonel,  and  known  as  the 
County  Lieutenant,  was  appointed  by  the  Supreme  Executive 
Council  of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania,  for  each  of  the  several 
counties  embraced  in  the  Department,  whose  duty  it  was  to  attend 
to  the  enrollment  and  equipment  of  the  militia  of  the  county, 
and  provide  for  their  subsistence  when  called  into  actual  service ; 
also  to  make  return  of  the  number  and  names  of  those  subject 
to  military  duty,  together  with  the  names  and  rank  of  the  officers 
commanding  the  different  companies  composing  the  several 
Battalions  to  the  commanding  officer  at  Fort  Pitt,  upon  whose 
requisitions  they  were  called  into  active  service  as  necessity 
required,  whether  by  battalions,  companies,  or  in  smaller  details, 
the  officer  in  each  and  every  case  being  required  to  wait  upon 
the  commandent  at  Fort  Pitt  for  instructions  as  to  the  kind 
of  service  required  and  his  own  duty  in  the  premises.* 

The  orders  of  Congress  and  the  Executive  Council,  which 
were  the  law  in  the  case,  together  with  the  explicit  instructions 


*  See  History  Washington  County,  Pennsylvania,  by  Crumrine,  page  136. 

See  Res.  of  Congress  assigning  General  Irvine  to  command  of  Fort 
Pitt  and  his  instructions  dated  September  24,  1781. 

See  order  Supreme  Executive  Council,  Pennsylvania,  October  11,  1781. 

See  Letters  Marshel  to  Irvine,  November  20,  26  and  28,  1781. 

See  Requisition  of  Irvine  to  Marshel,  January  10,  1782. 

See  Letter  of  Irvine  to  Cook,  January,  1782. 

See  instructions  to  Lieutenant  Hay,  November  28,  1781,  and  January, 
1782. 

See  Instructions  to  Major  Scott,  April,  1782. 

See  Letter,  Marshel  to  Irvine,  Washington  County,  April  2,  1782, 


The  Moravia?i  Massacre.  279 

given  to  the  general  and  snbordinate  officers  employed  in  this 
frontier  service,  and  the  nniform  manner  of  calling  out  the 
militia,  are  so  plain  and  so  consistent  with  good  military  sense, 
that  it  seems  strange  that  any  person  could  be  misled  as  to  the 
true  character  of  the  Moravian  Expedition,  and  yet  Mr.  Butter- 
field  has  taken  a  single  expression  used  by  General  Irvine  in  his 
letter  of  May  3,  1782,  to  President  Moore,  of  the  Executive 
Council,  as  "unequivocal"  evidence  that  the  militia  who  went 
to  the  Muskingum  were  "ordered  out'''  by  Colonel  James  Mar- 
shel,  the  Lieutenant  of  Washington  County,  Pennsylvania. 
The  letter  reads  as  follows: 

Fort  Pitt,  May  3,  1782. 

Sir:  Immediately  on  receipt  of  your  excellency's  letter  of 
the  13th  of  April,  I  wrote  to  Colonel  James  Marshel,  who  or- 
dered out  the  militia  to  go  to  Muskingum  (to  that  branch  known 
as  the  Tuscarawas)  for  his  and  Colonel  Williamson's  report  of 
the  matter,  Colonel  Williamson  commanded  the  party.  Inclosed 
you  have  their  letters  to  me  on  the  subject,  by  way  of  report.  I 
have  inquiries  making  in  other  quarters;  when  any  well  authen- 
ticated accounts  come  to  my  knowledge,  they  shall  be  trans- 
mitted. Wm.  Irvine,  B.  Geti'I. 

It  is  somewhat  difficult  to  reconcile  the  statements  con- 
tained in  the  foregoing  letter  with  the  facts  and  circumstances 
of  the  case,  for,  if  true,  Marshel,  as  County  Lieutenant,  had 
been  guilty  of  a  palpable  violation  of  law,  in  calling  out  the 
militia  of  the  county  without  authority,  and  sending  them  upon 
an  unauthorized  expedition  beyond  the  limits  of  the  state,  with- 
out the  proper  instructions,  where  they  had  committed  excesses 
unheard  of  in  civilized  warfare,  excesses  that  w^ere  being  very 
generally  condemned  as  a  lasting  reproach  to  the  good  name  of 
the  state,  and  yet  he  was  never  court-martialed,  investigated,  or 
even  called  upon  by  the  Executive  Council  of  the  state  from 
whom  he  held  his  appointment  for  an  explanation  of  his  conduct. 

That  General  Irvine  wrote  to  Marshel  and  Williamson  for 
their  reports  of  the  matter,  and  transmitted  the  letters  received 
from  them  in  reply  to  the  President  of  the  Council,  "by  way  of 
report''  as  stated,  is  no  doubt  correct.  But  to  assume  that  these 
were    the    official    reports    of  the   transaction   is  not  warranted. 


£80  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications .        [Vol.  3 

The  President  of  the  Council,  in  acknowledging  their  receipt, 
speaks  of  them  as  not  reports,  but  as  "the  representations  made 
by  Colonel  Williamson  and  Colonel  Marshel." 

It  is  greatly  to  be  regretted  that  these  letters  cannot  be 
found,  as  they  would  no  doubt  settle  the  question  whether  Mar- 
shel had  anything  to  do  with  calling  out  the  militia  that  went  to 
the  Muskingum,  and  would  show  to  what  extent,  if  any,  he  was 
responsible  for  the  movement. 

James  Marshel  survived  the  massacre  forty-seven  years,  and 
for  almost  twenty  years  thereafter  was  continuously  in  public 
office;  lyieutenant  of  Washington  county  in  1781-2-3;  Register 
in  1781 ;   Recorder  in  1791 ;  Coroner  from  1794  to  1799 ;  and 


Sheriff  from  178G  to  1787,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Col. 
Williamson,  whose  election  was  opposed  because  of  his  connec- 
tion with  the  massacre,  while  no  such  objection  was  ever  made 
against  Marshel,  who  was  certainly  more  to  blame  for  ordering 
out  the  expedition,  if  he  did  so.  But  no  such  charge  was  made 
during  his  lifetime,  nor  until  more  than  fifty  years  after  his 
death,  when  the  letter  of  May  3.  1782,  was  found  among  the 
Pennsylvania  Archives  and  given  to  the  public  by  Mr.  Butter- 
field.     (Wandlcor.  p.  239). 

About  1799,  Col.  Marshel  removed  to  Wellsburgh,  Virginia, 
where  he  died  in  1829.  For  many  years  he  was  the  neighbor 
and  friend  of  Doddridge,  the  historian,  and  during  the  time  his 
history  was  being  written  and  published  (in  1824)  they  were 
intimate  personal  friends,  and  it  is  at  least  reasonable  to  suppose 
that  if  Marshel  had  ordered  out  the  militia  that  went  to  the 
Muskingum  it  would  have  been  known  to  the  historian  and  so 
stated.  Had  it  been  a  military  expedition,  acting  in  pursuance 
of  any  competent  authority,  would  Doddridge  have  stated  (after 
detailing  the  events  that  led  to  it,  as  he  does  on  page  248)  "ac- 
cordingly between  eighty  and  ninety  men  were  hastily  collected 
together  for  the  fatal  enterprise?"     That  "each  man  furnished 


The  Aforavian  Massacre.  281 

himself  with  his  own  anus,  aininunition  and  provisions."  *  *  * 
That  "many  of  them  had  horses;"  that  "the  murder  of  the 
Moravians  was  intended;"  that  "no  resistance  from  them  was 
anticipated"  (page  2oo);  that  "in   the  latter  end  of  the  year 

1781,  the  militia  of  the  frontier  came  to  a  determination  to  break 
up  the  Moravian  villages  on  the  Muskingum  "  (page  259) ;  and 
that  "it  (the  massacre)  was  one  of  those  convulsions  of  the 
moral  state  of  society,  in  which  the  voice  of  the  justice  and 
humanity  of  a  majority,  is  silenced  by  the  clamor  and  violence 
of  a  lawless  minority."     (Page  261.) 

His  son,  John  Marshel,  who  died  in  186-,  was  for  many  years 
a  well  known  resident  of  Washington,  Pennsylvania,  cashier  of 
the  old  Franklin  Bank,  a  man  of  much  intelligence  and  integrity 
of  character,  with  whom  the  writer  often  conversed  about  the 
Moravian  Massacre,  and  he  repeatedly  said  that  his  father  always 
spoke  of  it  as  the  outgrowth  of  a  mistaken  belief  that  prevailed 
at  the  time ;  as  a  matter  of  course  his  father's  connection  with  it 
was  not  spoken  of,  because  he  was  not  implicated. 

It  may,  and  does  seem  strange,  that  an  officer  like  Gen. 
Irvine  should  write  such  a  letter  unless  there  was  some  founda- 
tion for  it,  and  yet  to  take  the  statement  as  correct,  shows  a  dis- 
regard of  the  instructions  contained  in  his  letter  of  January  10, 

1782,  so  gross  and  inexcusable,  that  it  would  not  have  been 
passed  over  with  so  much  indifference.  By  that  letter  the  Lieu- 
tenants were  notified  of  his  intended  absence,  that  Colonel  Gib- 
son would  be  left  in  command,  that  he  would  be  the  best  judge 
of  the  necessity  for  calling  out  the  militia  if  one  should  arise, 
and  that  they  should  ''on  his  requisition y  order  out  such  mem- 
bers of  the  militia  as  he  will  call  for. 

These  orders  Colonel  Gibson  exercised  during  his  absence, 
by  making  a  requisition  upon  the  Lieutenant  of  Westmoreland 
county  for  militia  to  protect  the  frontier,  and  to  presume  upon 
no  better  authority  than  the  statement  contained  in  the  letter  of 
May  3,  1782,  that  a  much  larger  and  more  important  expedition 
to  extend  beyond  the  borders  of  the  State,  was  ordered  out  by 
the  Lieutenant  of  Washington  county,  upon  his  own  motion  and 
without  even  consulting  Colonel  Gib.son,  would  be  very  un- 
reasonable, and  yet.    Colonel   Gib.son's   letter  of  May   9,    1782, 


282  OJiio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Pjihlications.        [Vol.  3 

written  to  the  Rev.  Nathanial  vSeidel  at  Bethlehem,  Pennsyl- 
vania, shows  that  he  had  no  knowledge  of  such  an  expedition, 
and  that  if  he  had,  "he  should  have  prevented  it  by  informing 
the  poor  sufferers  of  it." 

Gen.  Irvine  left  Fort  Pitt  on  the  10th  day  of  January,  1782, 
on  a  visit  to  his  family  at  Carlile,  and  did  not  return  until  the 
25th  day  of  March  following,  and  it  was  during  his  absence  on 
the  8th  day  of  March  that  the  massacre  occurred.  Nineteen 
days  after  his  return,  on  the  12th  day  of  April,  he  wrote  his  wife 
a  letter,  showing  that  he  then  knew  all  that  could  be  learned  of 
the  massacre,  as  he  details  all  the  terrible  features  of  the  affair, 
including  the  fact  that  "'Many  cJiildrcn  were  killed  in  their 
unetcked  mothers'  arms.''  And  then  adds,  "  Whether  this  ivas 
right  or  wrong,  I  do  not  pretend  to  detertnine ."  But  the  key  to 
such  inexcusable  indifference  on  the  part  of  General  Irvine  is 
found  further  along  in  the  same  letter,  as  follows:  "  Whatever 
ynur  private  opinion  of  these  niatters  may  be,  I  conjure  you  by  all 
fJie  ties  of  affection,  and  as  you  value  my  reputatioji,  that  you  zvill 
keep  your  vii)id  to  yourself,  and  that  you  will  not  express  any 
sentiment  for  or  against  these  deeds  ;  as  it  may  be  alleged  the 
sentiments  you  express  may  come  from  me  or  be  mine.  No  man 
knows  whether  I  approve  of  killing  the  Moravians.'" 

It  is  evident  from  this  correspondence  that  General  Irvine 
was  much  alarmed  about  his  own  reputation  ;  that  he  withheld 
from  the  council  the  information  written  to  his  wife  on  the  12th 
of  April ;  that  in  his  reply  to  Pres.  Moore,  of  May  2d,  he  sought 
to  give  the  impression  that  he  was  in  possession  of  no  news 
upon  the  subject,  and  on  the  9th  of  May,  after  due  consultation, 
he  joined  with  Pentecost  in  advising  against  an    investigation. 

The  first  news  the  people  residing  to  the  east  of  the  Alle- 
gheny mountains  received  of  the  massacre,  was  from  a  notice 
published  in  the  Pennsylvania  Packet,  of  April  9th,  1782,  one 
month  after  it  had  occurred,  and  which  came  through  Moravian 
sources  by  way  of  Bethlehem,  Pennsylvania,  and  read  as  follows: 

"  A  very  important  advantage  has  lately  been  gained  over 
our  savage  enemies  on  the  frontiers  of  this  State,  by  a  party  of 
back-country  militia;  we  hope  to  give  particulars  in  our  next." 

But  before  the  next  issue  of  the  Packet  came  to  hand,  fuller 


The  Moravian  Massacre.  283 

information  received  through  the  same  sources,  showed  a  very 
different  state  of  afTairs;  the  killing  was  confirmed,  but  instead 
of  the  victims  being  "  savage  enemies,"  they  were  found  to  have 
been  Christian  Indians,  reclaimed  from  savage  life  by  the  Mora- 
vian missionaries,  who  ten  years  before  had  planted  their  mis- 
sions in  the  deep  wilderness,  and  succeeded  in  christianizing 
several  hundred  of  the  rude  and  warring  savage  tribes,  who  had 
become  converts,  abandoned  savage  life,  and  made  considerable 
progress  in  civilization.  It  was  these  converts  who  had  been 
killed,  their  villages  destroyed,  and  the  missions  broken  up,  and 
what  was  worse,  even  the  women  and  children,  the  old  and  in- 
firm, had  been  cruelly  slaughtered  in  a  manner  that  was  shocking 
to  humanity,  and  a  lasting  disgrace  to  civilization.  And  as  the 
details  of  the  massacre  became  more  fully  known  east  of  the 
mountains,  a  strong  public  sentiment  developed  in  condemnation 
of  an  outrage  so  manifestly  in  violation  of  the  rules  and  usages 
of  civilized  w^arfare.  Whereupon,  Dorsey  Pentecost,  a  member 
of  the  executive  council  from  Washington  county,  left  his  post 
of  duty  and  hastened  home,  to'stay,  if  possible,  the  tide  of  popu- 
lar indignation  that  seemed  to  be  setting  in  so  strong  against  his 
constituents.  He  reached  Pittsburg  on  the  2d  of  May.  and  on 
the  8th  wrote  his  chief  as  follow^s  : 

"  Pittsburgh,  May  8th,  1782. 

"  Dear  Sir :  —  I  arrived  at  home  last  Thursday  without  any 
particular  accident.  Yesterday  I  came  to  this  place;  have  had  a 
long  conference  with  General  Irvine  and  Colonel  (xibson  on  the 
subject  of  public  matters,  particularly  respecting  the  late  excur- 
sion to  Kushocton.  *  *  That  affair  -i~  is  a  subject  of  great 
speculation  here  —  some  condemning,  others  applauding  the 
measure ;  but  the  accounts  are  .so  various  that  it  is  not  only 
difficult,  but  almost,  indeed,  entirely  impossible  to  a.scertain  the 
real  truth.  No  person  can  give  intelligence  but  tho.se  that  were 
along ;  and  notwithstanding  there  .seems  to  have  been  some 
difference  amongst  themselves  about  that  l:)usiness,  yet  they  will 
say  nothing;  but  this  far  I  believe  may  be  depended  on,  that 
they  killed  rather  deliberately  the  innocent  with  the  guilty,  and 
it  is  likely  the  majority  was  the  former.  I  have  heard  it  insin- 
uated that  about  thirty  or  forty  only  of  the  party  gave  their  con- 
sent or  assisted  in  the  catastrophe.     It  is  .said  here,  and  I  believe 


284  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 

with  truth,  that  sundry  articles  were  found  amongst  the  Indians 
that  were  taken  from  the  inhabitants  of  Washington  county. 

DoRSEY  Pentecost. 

Before  this  letter  had  been  forwarded,  and  on  the  next  day, 
he  wrote  again  as  follows : 

"Pittsburgh,  May  9,  1782. 
''Dear  Sir:  —  Since  writing  the  letter  that  accompanies 
this,  I  have  had  another  and  more  particular  conversation  with 
General  Irvine  on  the  subject  of  the  late  excursion  to  Kushoc- 
ton,  and  upon  the  whole,  I  find  that  it  will  be  impossible  to  get 
an  impartial  and  fair  account  of  that  affair ;  for  although  sundry 
persons  that  were  in  the  company  may  disapprove  of  the  whole 
or  every  part  of  the  conduct  (of  those  engaged  in  the  killing), 
yet  from  their  connection  they  will  not  be  willing,  nor  can  they 
be  forced  to  give  testimony,  as  it  affects  themselves.  And  the 
people  here  are  greatly  divided  in  sentiment  about  it ;  and  on  in- 
vestigation may  produce  serious  effects,  and  at  least  leave  us  as 
ignorant  as  when  we  began,  and  instead  of  rendering  a  service 
may  produce  a  confusion  and  ill-will  amongst  the  people.  Yet 
I  think  it  necessary  that  the  council  should  take  some  cognizance 
or  notice  of  the  matter,  and  in  such  a  time  as  may  demonstrate 
their  disapprobation  of  such  parts  of  their  conduct  as  are  cen- 
surable;  otherwise  it  may  be  alleged  that  the  government, 
tacitly  at  least,  have  encouraged  the  killing  of  women  and  chil- 
dren; and  in  a  proclamation  of  this  kind,  it  might  be  well  not 
only  to  recommend  but  to  forbid,  that  in  future. excursions  that 
women  and  children  and  infirm  persons  should  not  be  killed  — 
so  contrary  to  the  law  of  arms  as  well  as  Christianity.  I  hope  a 
mode  of  proceeding  something  like  this  would  produce  some 
good  effects,  and  perhaps  soften  the  minds  of  the  people,  for  it 
is  really  no  wonder  that  those  who  have  lost  all  that  is  near  and 
dear  to  them  go  out  with  determined  revenge  and  extirpation  of 
all  Indians.  Dorsey  Pentecost." 

By  way  of  contrast  to  these  apologetic  letters  of  Mr.  Pente- 
cost, we  have  that  of  Col.  Edward  Cook,  Lieutenant  of  West- 
moreland county,  who  was  called  upon  during  General  Irvine's 
absence  from  his  post  of  duty  for  a  detail  of  men  for  frontier 
service,  by  Colonel  Gibson,  and  furnished  the  same,  the  officer 
in  command  waiting  upon  Colonel  Gibson  for  instructions.  It 
bears  date  September  2,  1782,  and  addressed  to  President  Moore 
of  the  Executive  Council,  as  follows; 


The  Moravian  Massacre.  285 

"  /  am  informed  thai  you  have  it  Reported  that  the  Massacre 
of  the  Moravian  Indians  obtains  the  approbatio?i  of  Every  man 
on  this  side  of  the  Mountains,  which  I  assure  your  Excellency  is 
false ;  that  the  better  part  of  the  commtaiity  are  of  Opinion  the 
Perpetrators  of  that  wicked  Deed  ought  to  be  brought  to  Condein 
Punishmejit :  that  without  so?nethi7ig  is  Done  by  Government  in 
the  Matter,  it  zvill  disgrace  the  Amiuls  of  the  United  States,  and 
be  an  Everlasting  Plea  and  cover  for  British  cruelty T"^ 

These  letters  of  Pentecost  serve  to  show  the  difiference  in 
public  sentiment  that  then  prevailed  east  and  west  of  the  Alle- 
gheny Mountains  in  regard  to  the  massacre.  Pentecost  was  a 
politician,  and  therefore  anxious  to  avoid  a  public  investigation 
of  the  matter,  and  Irvine,  in  great  alarm  for  his  own  reputation, 
readily  joined  him  in  advising  against  one. 


Colonel  David  Williamson,  who  commanded  the  expedition, 
has  probably  received  a  great  deal  more  than  his  share  of  public 
censure,  because  of  the  prominent  part  he  acted  in  the  affair. 
Whether  he  held  a  commission  at  the  time  as  a  militia  officer  is 
uncertian ;  he  certainly  did  soon  after,  and  if  so,  that  was  about 
all  the  military  character  the  expedition  had.  The  fact  that 
Williamson  was  chosen  commander  after  thev  had  assembled 
at  Mingo,  goes  to  show  that  he  commanded  by  virtue  of  that 
authority,  whatever  it  was,  rather  than  because  of  any  he  exer- 
cised as  a  militia  officer. 

The  expedition  was  neither  infantry  nor  cavalry,  mounted 
nor  dismounted,  but  a  mixed  crowd  made  up  from  that  reckless 
and  irresponsible  element  usually  found  along  the  borders  of  civ- 
ilization, boys  from  eighteen  to  twenty  j^ears  of  age,  who  joined  the 
expedition  from  love  of  adventure,  and  partly  of  such  well-known 
characters  as  Captain  Sam   Brady,   of  West  Liberty,  Virginia, 


*  See  Crutnrine's  History  Washington  County,  Pennsylvania,  page  110. 


286  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications .        [Vol.  3 

and  at  least  one  of  the  Wetzels  from  near  Wheeling,  who,  from 
their  experience  and  well-known  bravery  as  frontiersmen,  are 
said  to  have  exercised  verj^  great  influence  in  deciding  the  fate 
of  the  Indians. 

It  has  always  been  a  matter  of  some  surprise  that  the 
brothers,  Andrew  Poe  and  Adam  Poe,  were  not  members  of  the 
expedition.  They  were  well  known  as  stout,  hardy,  fearless 
backwoodsmen,  experienced  leaders  in  Indian  warfare,  and  on 
hand  wherever  courage  and  endurance  were  required.  But  for 
some  reason,  now  unknown,  they  were  not  along,  and,  so  far  as 
known,  do  not  appear  to  have  been  advised  of  the  movement. 

Their  absence  is  all  the  more  unaccountable  as  they  had,  in 
the  September  previous,  greatly  distinguished  themselves  by  a 
vigorovis  pursuit  of  a  Bigfoot  party,  which  was  overtaken  at  the 
Ohio  River  and  dispatched,  after  a  struggle  that  has  made  the 
name  of  Poe  famous  in  pioneer  history. 


The  greater  portion  of  the  crowd  were  mounted,  the  others 
on  foot;  each  man  provided  his  own  horse,  arms  and  provisions, 
and  it  was  noisy,  turbulent  and  disorderly  from  the  start, ^  and 
the  authority  exercised  by  Williamson  over  it,  about  equivalent 
to  that  usually  conceded  to  the  leader  of  an  ordinary  mob. 

Who  suggested  that  the  question,  whether  the  Indians 
should  be  killed  or  taken  prisoners  to  Fort  Pitt  be  submitted  to 
a  vote,  is  not  known,  but  the  fact  that  he  did  so  only  serves  to 
show  the  extent  of  Williamson's  authority.  It  has  never  been 
claimed,  however,  that  he  cast  his  own  vote  or  participated  in 
the  slaughter.     He  is  represented  by  those  who  knew  him  per- 


Note  1. —  Statement  of  a  member  of  the  expedition. 


The  Moravian  Massacre.  287 

sonally  as  a  man  of  naturally  pleasant  and  agreeable  disposition, 
six  feet  in  height,  rather  fleshy  in  his  make-up,  of  florid  com- 
plexion, and  of  "  too  easy  a  compliance  with  public  opinion,"  as 
Doddridge  says. 

In  the  Sandusky  expedition  that  followed  closely  upon  the 
Moravian  massacre,  Williamson  was  in  command,  and  it  was 
largely  to  his  unremitting  activity,  courage  and  judgment,  that 
any  considerable  number  of  the  men  were  kept  together  after 
the  defeat  and  brought  back  in  even  tolerable  order.  He  after- 
ward filled  a  number  of  important  and  responsible  offices  in 
Washington  County,  Pennsylvania,  and  in  1787  was  elected 
sheriff"  of  the  county  after  a  warm  canvass,  during  which  his 
connection  with  the  Moravian  expedition  was  strongly  urged 
against  him.  He  was  born  in  Carlile,  Pennsylvania,  in  1752, 
was  thirty  years  of  age  in  1782,  and  died  at  Washington,  Penn- 
sylvania, in  1814,  aged  sixty-two  years,  and  is  buried  in  the  old 
graveyard  on  North  Main  street,  but  no  stone  or  other  monu- 
ment marks  his  last  resting  place.  He  married  Polly  Urie,  the 
daughter  of  Thomas  Urie,  a  well-known  family  of  Washington 
County,  Pennsylvania,  and  left  a  family  of  four  sons  and  four 
daughters.  Two  of  his  daughters  married  into  the  well-known 
McNulty  family,  of  West  Middletown,  Pennsylvania,  and  Caleb 
J.  McNulty,  of  Mt.  Vernon,  Ohio,  who  died  on  his  way  to 
Mexico  during  the  war  with  that  country,  was  his  grandson. 
He  was  the  one  member  of  the  expedition  who,  by  reason  of  the 
position  he  filled,  could  not  hide  from  public  censure,  and  hence 
his  undue  share  of  it.  During  a  large  part  of  his  lifetime  he  re- 
sided on  Buff"alo  creek,  near  to  the  Virginia  line,  where  he  was 
personally  acquainted  with  the  historian,  Doddridge,  whose 
statements  concerning  his  character  and  disposition  may  be 
safely  taken  as  correct. 

John  Carpenter  has  always  been  quoted  as  an  authority 
whose  statements  go  to  extenuate  the  massacre.  The  story  is 
that  about  the  time  of  the  Wallace  tragedy,  or  very  soon  after- 
ward, he  was  captured  on  the  waters  of  Buff"alo  creek  by  six  In- 
dians, two  of  whom  spoke  good  Dutch,  and  called  themselves 
Moravians ;  that  he  was  carried  a  prisoner  to  the  middle  Mora- 


288  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  % 

vian  town,  where,  among  other  things,  he  saw  the  bloody  dress 
of  Mrs.  Wallace. 

This  was  accepted  as  proof  positive  that  the  Moravians  were 
in  the  habit  of  raiding  the  settlements,  or  of  harboring  and 
trading  with  those  who  did,  and  therefore  should  be  exter- 
minated. 

The  value  of  this  evidence,  however,  depends  upon  the  date 
of  Carpenter's  capture.  If  it  occurred  prior  to  the  Wallace 
tragedy,  the  conclusion  is  inevitable  that  he  did  not  see  the 
bloody  clothing  of  Mrs.  Wallace  at  the  Moravian  town,  as  stated. 

John  Carpenter  was  among  the  first,  if  not  the  very  first, 
white  man  to  settle  on  the  we.st  side  of  the  Ohio  river.  He  lived 
for  some  years  on  Buffalo  creek,  ten  or  twelve  miles  east  of  the 
river,  and  in  his  hunting  excursions  often  crossed  to  the  west 
side,  where  game  was  more  plentiful,  and  believing,  as  many 
settlers  did,  that  the  Indian  titles  would,  ere  long,  be  extin- 
guished and  the  rich  lands  on  that  side  of  the  river  come  into 
possession  of  the  government,  and  be  opened  to  settlement,  he 
determined  to  secure  a  claim  by  making  an  improvement  in  ad- 
vance, and  therefore  in  the  summer  and  fall  of  1781,  he  pro- 
ceeded to  clear  a  piece  of  ground  and  build  a  cabin  near  the 
mouth  of  Rush  Run,  the  same  that  was  afterward  strengthened 
and  became  Carpenter's  Fort.  It  was  this  work  he  was  engaged 
upon  in  the  month  of  September,  1781,  when  the  second  Indian 
attack  upon  Fort  Henry  (at  Wheeling)  took  place,  and  bareh 
received  warning  of  their  approach  in  time  to  escape  to  the  east 
side  of  the  river  and  remove  his  family  to  a  place  of  safety. 

After  the  raid  was  over  and  all  again  quiet,  Carpenter  re 
turned  and  continued  his  work,  which  he  finished  late  in  the 
fall,  when  he  removed  the  game  he  had  killed  across  the  river, 
where  it  was  loaded  upon  horses  and  carried  to  his  home  on 
Buffalo. 

Having  done  this,  he  took  a  pair  of  horses  and  started  to 
Fort  Pitt  in  order  to  secure  a  supply  of  salt,  and  while  on  his 
way  was  captured,  taken  to  the  Moravian  town,  and  started  from 
there  in  charge  of  two  of  his  captors,  from  whom  he  escaped 
and  made  his  way  back  to  Fort  Pitt  as  has  been  related,  but  all 
this  took  place  two  months  or  more  prior  to  the  17th  day  of 


The  Moravian  Massacre.  289 

February,  1782,  when  the  Wallace  cabin  was  destroyed  and  his 
wife  and  children  carried  into  captivity. 

In  1801,  Edward  Carpenter,  the  oldest  son  of  this  John 
Carpenter,  took  a  government  contract  to  open  a  road  from 
Steuben ville  to  the  Wills  creek  crossing  on  the  Zane  Trace,  and 
while  so  engaged  entered  a  quarter  of  land  in  section  26  of 
township  11  of  the  tnh  range,  where  he  continued  to  reside  until 
his  death,  January  12,  1828.  And  upon  the  same  quarter  section 
of  land  his  son,  Edward,  lived  until  March  22d,  1882,  when  he 
died  at  the  age  of  80  years,  and  it  is  from  him  that  the  facts 
stated  concerning  the  capture  of  his  grandfather  were  obtained. 
He  was  a  gentleman  of  much  intelligence,  served  for  many 
years  as  a  justice  of  the  peace,  took  much  pride  in  the  history 
of  his  ancestr}',  and  had  learned  many  of  the  incidents  relating 
to  his  grandfather  from  the  pioneer  himself,  and  many  more 
from  his  own  father,  both  of  whom  were  very  reliable  men, 
whose  statements  are  much  more  likely  to  be  correct  than  the 
indefinite  rumors  published  in  the  Pennsylvania  Packet  at  that 
time,  based  as  they  necessarily  were  upon  the  most  meagre 
information  concerning  a  transaction  that  occurred  several  hun- 
dred miles  distant,  the  true  character  of  which  it  was  the  interest 
and  purpose  of  those  implicated  to  conceal. 

Another  misrepresentation  that  has  passed  into  history 
and  been  often  repeated,  even  as  late  as  1882  in  Crumrine's 
history  of  Washington  county,  Pennsylvania,^  is,  that  the  mas- 
sacre was  an  after-thought,  the  result  of  frenzied  feelings,  pro- 
voked by  finding  the  dead  bod}-  of  Mrs.  Wallace  impaled  on  the 
wayside,  directly  leading  from  Mingo  bottom  to  the  villages  on 
the  Muskingum,  and  also  by  finding  in  possession  of  the 
Indians,  property  stolen  from  the  plundered  cabins  of  the  set- 
tlers, trinkets  and  clothing  of  murdered  relatives,  at  the  sight  of 
which  they  became  exasperated  and  forgot  themselves.  In  all 
such  statements,  which  have  times  without  number  been  urged 
in  excuse  of  the  massacre,  there  is  no  truth  whatever. 

The  site  of  the  Wallace  cabin  was  a  short  distance  north  of 


Note  1.     See  Crumrine's  History,  Washington  county,  Pennsylvania, 
page  104.  I 

Vol.  Ill— 19 


290  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 

what  was  long  known  in  the  early  settlement  of  the  country  as 
Briceland's  cross-roads,  and  the  Indians  that  committed  the  out- 
rage reached  it  by  crossing  the  Ohio  river  at  the  mouth  of 
Yellow  creek  and  thence  following  the  well  known  trail  along 
the  dividing  ridge  between  the  waters  of  King's  creek  on 
the  south,  and  those  of  Travis  creek  on  the  north,  until  the 
advanced  settlements  were  reached,  when  having  killed  the 
stock  and  plundered  the  cabin  they  set  it  on  fire  and  retreated  by 
the  same  route,  carrying  with  them  as  prisoners,  Mrs.  Wallace 
and  her  three  children,  one  being  an  infant.  This  soon  became 
too  much  of  an  incumbrance  for  the  mother  to  carry  and  keep  up 
with  the  party  as  they  feared  pursuit  and  were  anxious  to  reach 
the  river  and  cross  to  the  west  side,  but  when  they  attempted  to 
take  it  from  her,  or  dispatch  it  in  her  arms,  she  resisted  so  vigor- 
ously that  the  Indian  having  her  in  charge  became  enraged  and 
struck  his  tomahawk  into  her  own  skull.  The  bodies  of  mother 
and  child  were  then  carefully  hidden,  that  they  might  not  aid  the 
pursuit,  and  remained  concealed  until  found  years  afterward. 

The  Indian  trail  followed  by  this  party,  and  within  a  few 
rods  of  which  the  remains  of  Mrs.  Wallace*  were  afterward 
found,  was  as  much  as  twenty-five  or  thirty  miles  further  north 
than  the  one  followed  by  the  Moravian  expedition  through 
Mingo,  hence  the  absurdity  of  finding  the  body  of  either  mother 
or  child  impaled  by  the  wayside. 

At  the  date  of  the  massacre,  Robert  Wallace  did  not  know 
that  his  wife  was  dead,  but  supposed  her  to  be  a  prisoner  among 
the  Indians,  nor  did  he  learn  otherwise  until  nearly  three  years 
afterward,  when  an  Indian  trader  who  had  been  among  the 
Wyandots  at  Sandusky,  learned  that  his  younger  son  (Robert) 
was  still  living,  but  that  the  elder  one  was  dead,  and  that  the 
mother  and  youngest  child  had  been  killed  before  reaching  the 
Ohio  River,  as  has  been  stated.  In  a  letter  written  by  the  Lieu- 
tenant of  Washington  county,  Pennsylvania,  addressed  to  Gen- 


*NOTE  —  Her  maiden  name  was  Jane  McKay,  and  Mr.  Wallace  always 
insisted  that  she  could  easily  have  kept  up  with  the  party  and  carried  her 
babe,  had  it  not  been  that  an  old  pair  of  shoes  she  happened  to  have  on 
that  day  impeded  her,  as  she  was  a  strong,  hearty  woman.  (Statement  of 
her  surviving  son,  Robert.) 


The  Aforavian  Massacre.  291 

eral  Irvine,  and  dated  October  21st,  1782,  it  appears  that  at  that 
time,  more  than  eight  months  after  the  capture,  Wallace  believed 
his  wife  to  be  living,  and  was  making  efforts,  through  General 
Washington,  to  find  out  where  she  was  and  effect  her  recovery. 
He  finally  secured  possession  of  the  younger  boy,  and  ascer- 
tained about  the  locality  where  the  mother  and  child  had  been 
killed,  when  he  made  search  and  found  the  remains,  which  he 
gathered  up  carefully,  carried  back  to  his  home  and  buried  in 
the  graveyard  at  Cross  Creek,  Pennsylvania. 

In  1792  he  married  Mary  Walker,  by  whom  he  had  five 
children,  and  died  in  1808  at  the  age  of  seventy-three  years. 
He  is  buried  in  the  old  cross-roads  burying  ground  at  Florence, 
Pennsylvania. 


'cxjt^-C. 


The  son  Robert,  redeemed  from  the  Wyandotts,  lived  to  be 
seventy-seven  years  of  age,  and  died  in  1855.  He  had  a  large 
scar  on  his  right  ear,  given  him  while  a  prisoner,  made  by  a 
squaw  who  became  offended  and  swore  she  would  kill  him,  bur. 
was  prevented  by  another  Indian  from  doing  so. 

Whoever  follows  the  affair  carefully  from  beginning  to 
end,  will.be  convinced  that  the  massacre  was  no  accident  or 
after-thought,  but  the  result  of  a  fixed  and  predetermined  pur- 
pose, of  which  there  is  conclusive  evidence,  traditional,  to  be 
sure,  but  of  the  most  reliable  character. 

The  Lyles  removed  from  Northampton  county,  Pennsyl- 
vania, to  the  headwaters  of  Cross  Creek,  in  1784,  two  years 
after  the  Moravian  mas.sacre  took  place.  E)ast  of  the  moun- 
tains the  affair  was  almost  universally  condemned  as  being  an 
inhuman  outrage,  and  Robert  Lyle  so  continued  to  speak  of  it 
after  his  removal  west,  but  was  soon  given  to  understand  that 
he  must  not  so  express  himself,  as  public  opinion  would  not 
permit  it. 

In  1792,  Robert  Lyle  and  Joseph  Vance,  the  proprietor  of 
Vance's   Fort,    who  bad  become   brother  church   members  and 


292  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        Vol.  3 

fast  friends,  were  riding  together  in  advance  of  the  funeral  pro- 
cession of  David  Hays,  when  Lyle  asked  his  friend  if  the  de- 
ceased had  not  been  a  member  of  the  Moravian  expedition,  to 


7i^ru^C^ 


which  Vance  replied,  "No,  he  was  not,"  and  after  a  few  min- 
utes' silence  said,  "Did  you  ever  know  how  that  afifair  hap- 
pened?" and  then  went  on  to  say  that  it  originated  in  Vance's 
Fort  in  the  fall  of  1781,  at  a  time  when  some  twenty-five  or 
thirty  families  were  forting  from  the  Indians.  The  opinion 
had  long  prevailed  among  the  frontier  settlers  that  the  half- 
way houses,  as  they  characterized  the  villages  on  the  Mus- 
kingum, were  simply  resting  places  for  the  Sandusky  war- 
riors on  their  plundering  raids  into  the  settlements,  and  that 
the  settlers  would  get  no  permanent  relief  until  those  villages 
were  broken  up  and  destroyed.  The  military  authorities  at 
Fort  Pitt  knew  better,  knew  that  the  Moravian  missions 
were  not  only  what  they  pretended  to  be,  but  that  they 
had  frequently  received  information  from  them  of  Indian 
expeditions  into  the  settlements  that  enabled  them  to  counter- 
act and  defeat  them.  But  they  dared  not  communicate  the 
same  to  the  settlers,  as  it  would  have  exposed  the  Missions  to 
sure  destruction  by  the  Sandusky  warriors,  as  eventually  hap- 
pened. Driven  from  their  homes  and  shut  up  within  the  fort, 
the  men  became  very  impatient  and  frequently  discussed  the 
situation  with  much  earnestness.  Prayer  meetings  were  held 
daily,  and  often  in  the  Vance  cabin,  which  stood  outside  of  but 
near  to  the  stockade.  After  one  of  these  meetings,  Vance  and 
two  of  his  neighbors  remained  after  the  others  had  returned  into 
the  fort,  and  while  talking  over  their  troubles  one  of  them  said, 
"There  is  no  use  in  talking,  this  thing  will  never  be  better  until 
the  half-way  towns  are  destroyed."  "Yes,"  replied  another, 
"  and  I  will  be  one  of  a  company  to  go  and  wipe  them  out,"  to 
which  the  others  assented,  and  that  then  and  there  the  Moravian 
Massacre  originated.     The  proposition  was  thereupon  stated  to 


The  Moravian  Massacre.  293 

those  iu  the  fort,  who  approved  it  and  pledged  their  assistance 
to  carry  it  into  execution,  but  what  steps  were  taken  to  com- 
municate with  the  other  frontier  settlements  and  secure  their  co- 
operation is  not  known.  The  organization  was,  however,  com- 
plete, and  the  intention  to  move  promptly  on  the  half-way  towns 
about  to  be  carried  out,  when  the  movement  was  frustrated  for 
the  time  being  by  two  companies  sent  out  by  the  commandant 
of  the  Western  Department,  under  Colonel  Williamson,  for  the 
purpose  of  taking  the  Indians  at  the  Muskingum  towns  back 
to  Fort  Pitt.  The  Pennsylvania  Archives,  page  753,  contains 
what  is  believed  to  be  a  complete  roll  of  these  companies,  in- 
cluding the  names  of  two  captains,  two  lieutenants,  one  ser- 
geant and  fifty-one  privates,  but  it  bears  no  date  and  only  con- 
tains the  names  of  four  persons  known  to  have  been  present  at 
the  massacre  in  March  following.  But  Williamson  found  him- 
.self  anticipated  by  an  expedition  from  Detroit  that  had  already 
removed  the  Missionaries  and  their  converts  to  Sandusky,  and 
finding  but  half  a  dozen  Indians  there,  who  had  either  .strayed 
into  the  place  or  found  their  way  back  after  the  removal,  they 
were  taken  back  and  delivered  to  the  authorities  at  Fort  Pitt, 
who  soon  after  released  them,  thereby  giving  great  offense  to 
the  settlers,  who  thought  they  should  have  been  killed.  The 
authorities  were  denounced,  Williamson  severely  censured,  and 
the  frontier  filled  with  exaggerated  rumors  of  Indian  depreda- 
tions and  plots  that  were  really  without  foundation. 

The  expedition  to  the  Muskingum  was  not  abandoned,  only 
in  abeyance,  when  the  Wallace  tragedy  set  the  frontier  in  a  blaze 
of  excitement,  the  word  was  passed  around,  and  on  Monday, 
the  4th  of  March,  men  in  couples,  .squads  and  singly,  on  horse- 
back and  on  foot,  appeared  suddenly  on  the  east  bank  of  the 
river  at  Mingo,  crossed  over  to  the  west  side,  where,  when  all 
had  assembled,  they  chose  officers,  and  on  the  next  morning  di.s- 
appeared,  going  west  along  the  old  Moravian  trail  up  Cro.ss 
Creek.  Doddridge  says,^  "They  chose  their  own  officers,  fur- 
nished their  own  means,  and  conducted  the  war  in  their  own 
way."     On  Wednesday  evening  they  encamped  within  one  mile 


Note  1.  —  See  Doddridge's  Revised  History,  p.  256. 


294  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 

of  the  middle  Moravian  village,  but  carefuU}-  concealed  their  ap- 
proach until  the  next  morning,  when,  having  discovered  that 
some  of  the  Indians  were  at  work  on  the  west  side  of  the  river, 
they  divided  their  force,  part  of  which  crossed  the  river,  when 
they  approached  the  town  from  different  directions.  To  show 
the  purpose  with  which  they  went  there  to  be  murder,  and  mur- 
der only,  the  party  that  crossed  to  the  west  side  killed  and 
scalped  the  first  Indian  they  saw,  while  he  was  pleading  with 
them  not  to  kill  him,  that  he  was  the  son  of  John  Schebosh,  a 
well-known  Christian  convert.  Others  were  shot  and  killed  be- 
fore the  town  was  entered,  proving  that  it  was  not  the  sight  of 
what  was  found  in  the  town  that  induced  the  killing. 

They  deliberated  all  day  of  the  7th  while  waiting  for  the  re- 
turn of  the  parties  sent  out  to  bring  in  the  Indians  from  Salem 
and  Schoenbrun,  and  it  was  during  this  delay  that  some  of  the 
better  element  among  them  began  to  relent,  to  realize  that  they 
had  misjudged  the  Moravians,  and  that  it  would  not  do  to  kill 
them. 

Among  others  who  had  joined  the  expedition  burning  with 
revenge,  was  a  young  preacher  whose  affianced  bride  had  been 
carried  ofif  a  prisoner  by  Indians,  but  the  prayers  and  songs  of 
the  poor  creatures  softened  his  heart  and  turned  aside  his  wrath, 
until  he  not  only  voted  to  take  them  prisoners  to  Fort  Pitt,  but 
remonstrated  again.st  the  killing ;  all  in  vain ;  the  demon  had 
been  roused,  and  only  blood  could  stay  his  hand.  Whether 
Colonel  Williamson  witnessed  the  slaughter  or  retired  from  the 
scene  with  tho.se  who  voted  against  it,  we  are  not  told,  but  to 
those  who  have  visited  the  place  and  are  familiar  with  the  local- 
ity, that  excuse  is  valueless. 

The  river  on  the  west  side  of  the  village  runs  deep  in  the 
earth,  and  it  was  under  the  bank  where  the  eighteen  retired, 
distant  by  measurement  not  more  than  seventy-five  yards  from 
the  church  out  of  which  the  victims  were  dragged  to  the  slaugh- 
ter hou.ses.  Standing  there,  they  could  not  see,  but  could  dis- 
tinctly hear  all  that  was  going  on  above.  And  one  of  those  who 
stood  there  and  lived  to  be  the  last  survivor  of  the  eighteen,  has 
told  persons  3'et  living,  that  while  so  waiting,  a  young  Indian 
escaped  from  his  murderers,  and  all  covered  with  blood,  came 


The  Moravian  Massacre.  295 

running  to  the  river,  plunged  in  and  swam  to  the  other  side  and 
was  already  clambering  up  the  bank,  when  one  of  the  party 
raised  his  gun  and  shot  him  through  the  body. 

Of  the  details  of  the  massacre  little  is  known.  The  sur- 
vivor of  the  eighteen  referred  to,  who  died  in  1839  at  the  age  of 
ninety-six  years,  said  that  after  all  was  over,  Robert  Wallace 
came  to  where  several  of  the  company,  including  himself,  were 
standing,  and  bursting  into  a  flood  of  tears,  said:  "You  know 
I  couldn't  help  it !"  His  clothing  was  soiled  and  bloody,  and  he 
was  laboring  under  great  excitement  and  exhaustion. 

Gathering  together  the  plunder  found  at  the  village,  and 
fastening  it  upon  the  backs  of  their  horses,  they  set  fire  to  the 
houses  and  set  out  upon  their  return.  They  must  have  traveled 
nearly  all  night,  for  they  reached  Mingo  late  in  the  afternoon  of 
Saturday,  where  they  halted  only  long  enough  to  readjust  the 
packages  of  plunder  to  their  horses,  when  they  recrossed  the 
river  and  disappeared  from  the  public  notice  almost  as  com- 
pletely as  if  they  had  perished  in  crossing  the  stream. 

Whether  they  had  agreed  among  themselves  to  say  nothing 
is  not  known,  but  it  is  more  than  likely  that  on  the  way  back 
to  the  river  they  had  begun  to  realize  what  they  had  done,  that 
they  would  be  called  to  account  for  it  by  the  military  authorities 
at  Fort  Pitt,  and  therefore  the  less  said  about  it  the  better.  And 
no  expedition  of  equal  importance,  militar^^  or  civil,  so  suddenly 
and  so  entirely  disappeared  from  public  notice.  Even  the  fam- 
ilies of  many  of  the  members  being  entirely  ignorant  of  their 
connection  with  the  affair. 

One  example  may  be  given ;  a  colored  man  ( the  slave  of 
one  of  the  parties)  w^ho  died  in  1812,  was  wont  to  tell  that  upon 
going  to  the  stable  one  Monday  morning,  he  discovered  that  the 
horse  his  master  usually  rode  when  absent  on  hunting  or  scout- 
ing expeditions,  was  missing  from  his  accustomed  place,  but  as 
such  things  were  not  uncommon,  nothing  was  thought  of  it,  nor 
did  any  member  of  the  family  speak  of  it.  But  on  the  next 
Sunday  morning,  upon  going  to  the  same  place,  the  horse  was 
found  in  his  stall,  bearing  marks  of  hard  usage,  and  his  sides 
and  flanks  streaked  with  blood;  that  nothing  was  seen  of  his 
master  until  the  following  morning,  when   he  shaved,  washed 


296  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [VOL.  3 

and  dressed  himself  carefully  and  ate  his 'breakfast,  after  which 
all  the  family  were  called  in  to  prayers,  and  that  during  the  day 
his  master  busied  himself  in  stretching  a  couple  of  scalps'upon 
a  hoop,  which  was  then  hung  up  in  the  great  wooden  chimney 
to  dry. 

Although  born  and  raised  in  the  community  from  which  the 
expedition  was  mostly  raised,  the  writer,  in  a  peried  of  forty 
years,  has  onh^  been  able  to  collect  the  names  of  about  thirty 
persons  that  he  has  reason  to  believe  were  members  of  the  ex- 
pedition, and  as  to  only  a  few  of  those  is  there  absolute 
certainty. 

A  gentleman  born  in  1796  said  that  he  was  present  at  Bur- 
gettstown,  Pennsylvania,  in  August,  1812,  upon  the  day  when 
volunteers  were  raised  to  march  to  Detroit  to  repel  the  British 
and  Indians  reported  to  be  marching  upon  the  frontiers  in  con- 
sequence of  Hull's  surrender  of  the  post  at  Detroit.  It  was  a 
day  of  great  excitement,  and  called  together  a  large  crowd  of 
people  from  the  surrounding  country.  That  among  other  sights 
that  drew  the  attention  of  a  boy  of  sixteen  years,  he  came 
across  a  crowd  being  entertained  by  an  old  man  much  the  worse 
for  liquor,  who  was  singing  maudlin  songs,  when  some  person 
said,  "Now,  Uncle  Sol,  show  us  how  they  killed  the  Indians." 
That  at  once  the  old  fellow's  whole  manner  changed  from  the 
gay  to  the  grave,  and  he  began  crying  and  cursing  the  cowards 
who  killed  women  and  children.  Presently  he  ran  forward, 
making  motions  as  if  throwing  a  rope  over  the  heads  of  those  in 
front  of  him,  and  then  running  backwards  as  if  dragging  an 
object  after  him,  seized  the  large  stick  held  in  his  hands,  and  be- 
gan beating  an  imaginary  object,  all  the  time  howling  and  curs- 
ing like  a  demon,  when  somebody  pulled  him  away,  saying  it 
was  a  shame.  That  having  but  imperfectly  comprehended  what 
he  saw,  my  informant  made  inquiry,  and  learned  that  Uncle  Sol 
had  been  at  the  Moravian  Massacre,  and  when  in  his  cups,  as  he 
had  seen  him,  would  show  how  the}^  killed  the  Indians,  but 
when  sober  could  not  be  induced  to  open  his  mouth  upon  the 
subject. 

But  little  more  remains  to  be  said.  None  of  the  excuses 
urged  in  extenuation  of  the  affair  are  tenable.     No  murder  was 


The  Moravian  Massacre.  297 

;ver  so  well  kept.  The  early  historians  were  meagre  and  in- 
definite in  their  accounts  of  it,  because  there  was  nothing  known 
to  tell,  and  it  was  only  after  half  a  century  that  a  few  details 
leaked  out  and  became  known,  as  already  stated. 

The  Sandusky  expedition  followed  so  soon  after,  with  Col- 
onel Williamson  second  in  command,  that  many  of  the  same 
persons  joined  it  and  took  part  in  the  disastrous  defeat  at  San- 
dusky, resulting  in  the  terrible  death  of  the  commanding  officer, 
who  was  burned  at  the  stake  in  retaliation  for  the  Moravian 
Massacre,  and  in  the  shocking  details  of  his  sufferings  and  death 
the  Moravian  affair  was  lost  sight  of  and  forgotten. 

The  men  concerned  in  the  afifair  returned  to  their  homes, 
where  many  of  them  lived  to  a  good  old  age  and  spent  exem- 
plary lives,  a  number  having  become  ruling  elders  and  leading 
members  in  the  churches  at  Cross  Creek,  Upper  Bufi"alo,  and 
other  places.  And  it  is  a  curious  fact  that  in  the  great  religious 
movement  that  swept  over  Western  Penns3^1vania  during  the 
latter  part  of  the  eighteenth  and  beginning  of  the  nineteenth 
centuries,  man}'  of  these  same  men  were  active  and  leading  par- 
ticipants ;  and  that  the  great  religious  movement  had  its  origin 
at  Vance's  Fort*  and  among  the  same  men  with  whom  the 
Moravian  Massacre  originated.  But  time  has  drawn  the  veil  of 
oblivion  over  their  names  and  nothing  could  now  be  gained  by 
removing  it. 

Ninety  years  after  the  occurrence  of  this  sad  event  the 
Moravian  brethren  met  at  Gnadenhutten,  and  with  appropriate 
ceremonies  dedicated  a  monument  to  the  memory  of  the  poor 
Indian  converts  who  perished  there  with  a  heroism  worthy  of  all 
praise. 

This  monument  stands  upon  the  site  of  the  old  Mission 
Church,  and  the  shaft,  which  rises  25  feet  above  the  base,  was 
unveiled  by  four  Moravian  Indians,  one  of  whom  was  the  great- 
grandson  of  Joseph  Schebosh,  the  first  victim  of  the  Massacre. 
On  its  western  face  the  shaft  bears  this  inscription  : 


*  See  historical  discourse  of  Rev.  John  Stockton,  D.  D.,  on  fortieth 
anniversary  of  his  ministry  at  Cross  Creek,  Pa.,  page  7. 


298  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [VoL.  3 


HERE 

TRIUMPHED    IN    DEATH, 

NINETY 

CHRISTIAN    INDIANS, 

MARCH    8.  1782. 


In  the  address  of  Bishop  DeSchweinitz,  delivered  on  that 
occasion,  the  names  of  the  victims  were  given  and  are  herein 
copied  that  they  may  go  upon  record  and  never  be  forgotten. 


NAMES    OF    THE    VICTIMS    OF    THE    MASSACRE. 

Members  of  the   Gnadenhutten  Mission. 

1.  Joseph  Schebosh,  a  half-breed,  son  of  John  Joseph 
Schebosh  or  John  Bull  (which  was  his  real  name),  a  white  man 
and  assistant  Missionary. 

2.  Christiana,  his  wife,  a  Sopus  Indian  from  New  Eng- 
land. 

3.  John  Martin,  a  distinguished  national  assistant. 
4  and  5.     Luke,  and  his  wife,  Eucia. 

6,  7  and  8.  Philip  and  his  wife,  EovEL,  and  their  little 
daughter,  Sarah. 

9.  Abraham,  surnamed  the  Mohican. 

10  and  11.     Paul  and  Anthony,  John  Martin's  sons. 

12.  Christiana,  a  widow,  educated  in  the  Moravian 
schools  at  Bethlehem,  a  refined  and  cultured  woman. 

13  and  14.  Mary,  another  widow,  and  her  little  daughter, 
Hannah. 

15,  16  and  17.  Rebecca,  Rachel  and  Maria  Elizabeth, 
a  young  daughter  of  Mark. 


The  Monxviau  Massacre.  299 

18  and  19.  Gottlieb  and  Benjamin,  two  little  sons  of 
Joanna. 

20  and  21.  Anthony  and  John  Thomas,  two  other  little 
boys. 

Members  of  the  Salem  Mission. 

1.  Isaac  Glikkikan,  one  of  the  most  illu.strious  of  Mora- 
vian Indians,  formerly  a  great  warrior,  and  after  his  conversion 
a  faithful  assistant  of  the  Missionaries,  baptized  on  Christmas 
eve,  1779,  by  Zeisberger,  at  Friedenstadt. 

2.  Anna  Benign  a,  his  wife,  who  took  the  pony  of  one  of 
the  Sandusky  warriors  and  rode  all  night  in  order  to  notify  the 
garrison  at  Fort  Mcintosh  of  the  Indian  movement  upon  Fort 
Henry. 

8  and  4.     Jonah,  another  assistant,  and  his  wife  Amelia. 
5  and  G.     Christian  and  his  wife,  Augustina. 

7.  Samuel  More,  a  Jersey  Indian. 

8.  ToBiA,  a  venerable  sire. 

9.  Israel,  a  celebrated  Delaware  chief,  known  as  Captain 
Johnny. 

10.  Mark,  surnamed  the  Delaware. 

11  and  12.     Adam,  and  his  wife  Cornelia. 
13  and  14.     Henry,  and  his  wife,  Joanna. 
15,   16,  17,  18,   19  and  20.      Salome,    Paul,    Michael, 
Peter,  Gotleib,  David. 

21  and  22.     Lewis,  ahd  his  wife,  Ruth. 

23  and  24.  John,  and  another  John,  a  young  man  who 
was  shot  after  swimming  the  river. 

25.  Hannah,  Joseph  Peepis'  wife. 

26.  Judith,  an  aged  gray-haired  widow,  the  first  killed 
among  the  women. 

27.  28,  29,  30,  31,  82,  88.  Catharine,  Maria  Susanna, 
Juliana,  Elizabeth,  Martha,  Anna  Rosina,  Salome,  to- 
gether with  the  following  little  boys  and  girls: 

34,  85,  36,  37,  38,  39,  40,  41,  42,  43,  44,  45,  46,  47,  48,  49, 
50.  Christian,  Joseph,  Mark,  Jonathan.  Christian,  Gott 
LiEB,  Timothy,  Jonah,  Christiana,  Leah,  Benigna,  Ger- 


300  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.       [Vol  3 

TRUDE,    Christina,   Anna  Christina,  Anna,   Salome,  and 
Anna  Elizabeth. 

Besides  these  there  were  five  adults,  one  man,  Schappihil- 
LEN,  the  husband  of  Helen,  together  with  four  women  and  thir- 
teen babes  not  yet  baptized,  and  the  following  members  of  the 
Mission  at  Schoenbriai,  who  happened  to  be  at  Gnadenhutteii 
to-wit :     Nicholas  and  his  wife,  Joanna  Sabina,  Abel,  Hen 
RY,  Anna,  and  Bathsheba,  the  last  two  daughters  of  Joshua 
the  founder  of  Gnadenhutten  ;  in  all,  twenty-eight  men,  twent> 
nine  women,  and  thirty-three  children.     Two  boys,  Thomas  anc 
Jacob,  escaped. 

I  cannot  better  close  this  paper  than  by  quoting  the  words 
of  Charles  McKnight,  who,  in  his  centennial  work  entitled, 
''Our  PVestern  Border  One  Hiindred  Years  Ago,''  says: 

"The  whole  massacre  leaves  a  stain  of  deepest  dye  on  the 
page  of  American  history.  It  was  simply  atrocious  and  execra- 
ble—  a  blistering  disgrace  to  all  concerned,  utterly  without  ex- 
cuse, and  incapable  of  defense.  It  damns  the  memory  of  each 
participator  to  the  last  syllable  of  recorded  time.  All  down  the 
ages  the  Massacre  of  the  Innocents  will  be  its  only  parallel." 

Wm.  M.  Farrar. 


THE  MILITARY  POSTS,  FORTS  AND  BATTLEFIELDS 
WITHIN  THE  STATE  OF  OHIO. 

The  centennial  is  approaching  of  the  greatest  battle  fought 
on  the  soil  of  Ohio,  the  battle  between  the  Indians  and  the  army 
under  General  Arthur  St.  Clair,  November  4,  179L  It  is  well 
to  note  in  detail  the  important  military  posts  in  our  State.  An 
examination  of  the  map  accompanying  this  article  will  show 
that  not  many  northwestern  states  have  such  a  military  record. 

The  accompanying  sketches  are  compiled  from  so  many 
sources  that  it  is  impossible  to  give  credit  to  all,  and  hence  none 
will  be  mentioned.  The  description  of  each  is  brief,  and  con- 
fined to  the  important  facts  connected  with  each.  On  each  of 
these  places  pages  could  be  written,  but  the  object  of  this 
article,  however,  is  to  place  in  compact  form  the  salient  points 


Miiitary  Posts  in  the  State  of  Ohio.  301 

only.     The  narrative  will,  as  far  as  possible,  follow  the  chron- 
ological order. 

Fort  Miami,  the  oldest  fortification  in  Ohio,  was  built  by 
an  expedition  sent  by  Frontenac,  Governor  of  Canada,  in  1680, 
as  a  military  trading  post,  about  fifteen  miles  up  the  Maumee 
from  its  mouth.  It  stood  on  the  left  bank  of  the  river,  in  what 
is  now  Maumee  City.  It  was  used  but  a  short  time,  the  trading 
of  the  French  being  moved  farther  into  the  Indian  country.  In 
1785  the  abandoned  fort  was  rebuilt  and  occupied  by  the  British, 
who  remained  in  possession  until  the  treaty  of  peace  with  the 
Indians  in  1795.  They  again  occupied  the  fort  during  the  war 
of  1812.  After  its  close,  the  post  came  into  use  as  a  trading 
place,  being  such  when  the  Maumee  valley  was  settled  by 
Americans. 

Fort  Sandusky,  a  small  stockade  trading  place  of  the 
French,  was  built  about  1750,  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Sandusky 
River,  not  far  from  the  site  of  Sandusky  City.  It  was  a  trading 
post  only,  and  was  abandoned  soon  after  the  Peace  of  1763. 

Loramie's  Fort,  as  it  was  called,  was  originally  a  trading 
post,  occupied  by  the  English  as  early  as  1750  or  1751  as  a  trad- 
ing station.  It  was  then  known  as  Pickawillany.  In  1752  the 
place  was  attacked  by  an  Indian  and  French  force  sent  from 
Canada,  the  station  being  considered  an  encroachment  on  French 
territory.  Not  long  after  a  Candian  Frenchman  named  Loramie, 
established  a  store  and  trading  post  here,  and  the  place  became 
a  hostile  center  against  the  American  settlements.  In  1782, 
Gen.  George  Rogers  Clarke  and  a  body  of  Kentucky  troops 
invaded  the  Miami  country  and  destroyed  this  post.  In  1794, 
Gen.  Wayne  built  a  fort  here  called  "  Fort  Loramie."  The  fort 
became  a  prominent  point  on  the  Greenville  Treaty  line,  and 
soon  afterward  was  abandoned  as  a  military  post. 

Fort  Junandat.  A  trading  station  on  the  right  bank  of 
the  Sandusky  river,  was  built  about  1754  by  French  traders.  It 
was  occupied  but  a  short  time,  and  with  other  French  posts,  was 
abandoned  soon  after  the  close  of  the  French  and  Indian  war. 


302  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 

Fort  Gower — named  for  Earl  Gov/er — a  small  stockade, 
was  built  b}'  Lord  Dunmore,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Hocking  river 
in  1774,  when  on  his  march  against  the  Indians  in  the  Northwest 
Territor}^  From  this  place  he  marched  his  troops  up  the  river 
to  an  encampment — Camp  Charlotte — in  what  is  now  called  Ross 
county,  on  the  Scioto  river,  about  seven  miles  south  of  the 
present  city  of  Circleville.  Here  a  treaty  of  peace  was  con- 
cluded with  the  Indians,  and  the  army  returned  to  Fort  Gower, 
and  then  to  Virginia. 

Fort  Laurens — named  in  honor  of  the  first  President  of 
Congress,  was  erected  in  the  fall  of  1778,  by  a  detachment  of 
one  thousand  men  under  command  of  General  Mcintosh,  com- 
mander at  Fort  Pitt,  to  act  as  a  check  on  the  Indians  who  were 
at  that  time  hostile  to  the  Americans,  and  who  gave  the  western 
settlements  no  little  cause  for  alarm.  After  its  completion  a 
garrison  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  men  was  placed  therein,  under 
charge  of  Col.  John  Gibson.  The  Indians  attacked  the  fort  in 
the  winter  following  and  gave  the  garrison  much  trouble,  killing 
some  of  the  soldiers  who  ventured  outside  the  walls  of  the 
stockade.  The  Indian  siege  lasted  until  late  in  February,  reduc- 
ing the  garrison  to  close  straits.  Couriers  were  sent  to  General 
Mcintosh,  who  brought  provisions  and  aid.  The  fort  was 
evacuated  in  August,  1779,  being  untenable  at  a  such  a  distance 
on  the  frontier. 

The  fort  stood  "a  little  below  the  mouth  of  Sandy  Creek," 
on  the  west  bank  of  the  Tuscarawas  river,  half  a  mile  south  of 
the  present  village  Bolivar.  The  walls  were  octagonal  in  shape, 
enclosing  about  an  acre  of  ground.  The  palisades  were  split 
tree  trunks,  inside  of  which  were  the  soldiers'  quarters.  Col. 
Charles  Whittlesy  visited  the  spot  about  the  time  the  canal  was 
made  and  traced  the  old  embankment  now  almost  obliterated. 

Fort  FIarmar  was  built  by  Maj.  John  Doughty  in  the 
autumn  of  1785  at  the  mouth  (right  bank)  of  the  Muskingum 
river.  The  detachment  of  United  States  troops  under  command 
of  Maj.  Doughty,  were  part  of  Josiah  Harmar's  regiment,  and 
hence  the  fort  was  named  in  his  honor.  The  outlines  of  the 
fort  formed  a  regular  pentagon,  including  about  three   quarters 


Military  Posts  i)i  the  State  of  Ohio.  303 

of  an  acre.  Its  walls  were  formed  of  large  horizontal  timbers, 
the  bastions  being  about  fourteen  feet  high,  set  firmly  in  the 
eartii.  In  the  rear  of  the  fort,  Maj.  Doughty  laid  out  fine  gar- 
dens, in  which  were  many  peach  trees,  originating  the  familiar 
"Doughty  peach."  The  fort  was  occupied  by  a  United  States 
garrison  until  September  17i'0,  when  they  were  ordered  to  Fort 
Washington  (Cincinnati).  A  company  under  Capt.  Haskell  con- 
tinued to  make  the  fort  headquarters  during  the  Indian  war  of 
I79O-O0.  From  the  date  of  the  settlement  at  Marietta  across  the 
Muskingum  in  the  spring  of  177H,  the  fort  was  constantly  occu- 
pied by  settlers,  then  rapidly  filling  the  country. 

Fort  Steuben  was  built  in  1780,  on  the  site  of  the  present 
city  of  Steubenville.  It  was  built  of  block  houses  connected  l)y 
a  row  of  palisades  and  was  one  of  the  early  American  out-posts 
in  the  Northwest  Territory.  It  was  garrisoned  by  a  detachment 
of  United  States  troops  under  command  of  Col.  Beatty.  The 
post  was  abandoned  soon  after  Wayne's  victory  in  1794. 

Fort  W.\shi.\gtox  was  built  by  Maj.  John  Doughty,  who 
was  sent  with  a  detachment  of  troops  from  Fort  Harmar  in  Sep- 
tember, 1781),  to  build  a  fort  for  the  protection  of  the  settlers  in 
the  "  Symmes  Purchase,"  between  the  Miami  rivers.  It  was 
completed  during  the  winter  following,  and  under  date  of  Jan- 
uary 14,  1790,  Gen.  Josiah  Harmar  wrote  that  "It  is  built  of 
hewai  timber,  a  perfect  square,  two  stories  high,  with  four  block 
houses  at  the  angles.  The  plan  is  Maj.  Doughty 's  and  on  ac- 
count of  its  superior  excellence  I  have  thought  proper  to  honor 
it  with  the  name  Fort  Washington."  This  was  an  important 
post  during  the  Indian  war  of  1790-179.'),  being  headquarters  for 
all  military  operations. 

Fort  H.\milton,  built  in  September,  1791,  by  Gen.  Arthur 
St.  Clair,  governor  of  the  Northwest  Territory  and  commander 
of  the  troops  rai.scd  to  pursue  and  punish  the  Indians  who  the 
year  before  broke  out  in  open  hostility  to  the  young  American 
-settlements.  The  army  under  St.  Clair  had  rendezvoused  at 
Fort  Washington,  and  after  being  divided  into  three  military  or- 
ganizations had  started  northward  into  the  Indian  country. 
Fort  Hamilton,  built  principally  as  a  depot  for  supplies,  stood 


304  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 

on  the  east  bank  of  the  Great  Miami  river,  on  the  site  of  the 
present  city  of  Hamilton,  Ohio,  at  the  east  end  of  the  bridge 
connecting  Hamilton  and  Rossville.  The  fort  was  a  stockade, 
somewhat  triangular  in  shape,  with  four  good  bastions  and  plat- 
forms for  cannon.  The  officers'  quarters  were  near  the  river. 
Eastward  stood  the  soldiers'  barracks  and  southward  was  the 
magazine.  The  next  summer  an  addition  to  the  north  was 
erected  by  General  Williamson,  commander  of  the  army.  The 
fort  was  occupied  until  the  close  of  hostilities  and  was  almost 
the  equal  of  Fort  Washington  in  importance. 

Fort  Jefferson.  This  post  was  erected  in  1791  by  Gen- 
eral St.  Clair,  forty-four  miles  north  of  Fort  Hamilton.  It 
stood  in  a  rich  tract  of  country  about  six  miles  south  and  a  little 
west  of  the  present  city  of  Greenville.  It  was  used  chiefly  as  a 
depot  of  supplies,  and  hence  was  not  a  fortification  nor  a  place 
to  harbor  troops.  No  plan  of  this  fort  is  known  to  exist,  but 
examinations  have  shown  it  was  probably  erected  somewhat 
square  within,  with  projecting  corners,  these  being  protected  by 
block  house  defenses. 

Fort  St.  Clair  was  built  about  a  mile  north  of  the  site  of 
the  present  town  of  Eaton,  in  Preble  county,  in  the  winter  of 
1791-92,  by  a  detachment  of  Gen.  Wilkenson's  troops  under 
command  of  Major  John  S.  Gano.  Gen.  William  Harrison, 
then  an  ensign,  commanded  the  guards  each  alternate  night. 
During  its  building  no  fires  could  be  built,  hence  the  soldiers 
suffered  greatly  from  the  cold.  The  fort  was  a  stockade,  used 
for  storage  and  supply  purposes.  On  the  6th  of  November, 
1792,  a  severe  battle  was  fought  near  the  fort  between  a  corps 
of  riflemen  and  a  body  of  Indians  under  command  of  Little 
Turtle,  the  latter  attacking  the  former  about  runrise.  After 
severe  fighting  the  Indians  were  defeated  and  driven  away,  hav- 
ing suffered  disastrously  in  the  action. 

Fort  Greenville,  on  the  site  of  Greenville,  Ohio,  was 
built  in  December,  1793,  by  Gen.  Anthony  Wayne,  while  on  his 
march  to  the  Indian  country  on  the  Maumee  river.  The  fort 
occupied  a  large  part  of  the  town  site,  and  was  an  irregular 
fortification.     It  was  occupied  as  a  storage  place  for  supplies 


Map,  Showing  Mii.itary   Posts,  Forts   and  Battlefields  in  Ohio. 


Military  Posts  in  the  State  of  Ohio.  30.^> 

until  after  the  Indians  were  conquered  in  the  summer  of  1794, 
when  General  Wayne  and  his  army  returned,  increased  its  de- 
fenses, and  improved  its  quarters.  Rows  of  log  houses  were 
built  for  the  soldiers,  and  comfortable  quarters  for  the  officers. 
At  this  fort,  in  August,  1795,  General  Wayne  concluded  a  treaty 
of  peace  with  the  following  tribes  of  Indians :  Wyandots,  Dela- 
wares,  Shawnees,  Ottawas,  Chippewa,  Pattawatamies,  Miamis, 
Weas,  Kickapoos,  Piankeshaws  and  Kaskaskias.  In  all,  about 
thirteen  hundred  persons.  The  geographical  limits  of  these  tribes 
included  the  country  north  of  the  Ohio  river,  westward  to  the 
Mississippi.  The  ludiau  boundary  line  established  at  this  time 
began  at  "the  mouth  of  the  Cuyahoga  river,  thence  up  the 
same  to  the  Portage  between  that  and  the  Tuscarawas  branch  of 
the  Muskingum;  thence  down  that  branch  to  the  crossing  place 
above  Fort  Lawrence;  thence  southwesterly  to  a  fork  of  that 
oranch  of  the  Great  Miami  river  running  into  the  Ohio,  at  or 
near  which  fort  stood  Loramie's  store,  and  where  commenced 
the  portage  between  the  Miami  and  the  Ohio  and  St.  Mary's 
river,  which  is  a  branch  of  the  Miami  (Maumee)  which  runs 
into  Lake  Erie;  thence  northwest  to  Fort  Recovery,  which 
stands  on  a  branch  of  the  Wabash;  thence  southwesterly  in  a 
direct  line  to  the  Ohio  so  as  to  intersect  that  river  opposite  the 
mouth  of  the  Kentucke  or  Cuttawa  river." 

No  plan  of  the  fort  other  than  that  of  the  survey  made  by 
James  McBride  of  Hamilton,  can  be  found.  The  embankments 
could  plainly  be  seen  in  many  places  as  late  as  1840.  It  was  a 
large  irregular  work,  not  only  a  fortification,  but  a  depot  of  sup- 
plies and  a  rendezvous  for  the  army.  After  the  Treaty  of  1795 
it  was  soon  abandoned. 

FoKT  Recovery  was  erected  in  December,  1793,  by  a  de- 
tachment of  troops  from  Gen.  Wayne's  army.  The  troops  ar- 
rived Christmas  day,  and  built  at  once  a  stockade  on  the  site  of 
the  disastrous  defeat  of  Gen.  Arthur  St.  Clair  by  the  Indians, 
November  4th  of  1791.  No  plan  of  this  stockade  has  been  pre- 
served, and  but  little  regarding  its  construction  is  known.  It 
stood  on  the  left  bank  of  the  river  (the  Wabash)  and  was,  no 
doubt,  somewhat  octagonal  in  shape,  the  corners  protected  by 

Vol.  Ill— 20 


306  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 

block  houses.  The  pahsades  fonniug  its  walks  were  firml}'  set 
iu  a  small  embankiueiit  made  by  digging  a  trench  about  the  cir- 
cumference. On  June  30,  1794,  while  the  main  army  was  still  at 
Fort  Greenville,  the  detachment  at  Fort  Recovery  was  subjected 
to  a  shojt  but  severe  siege  by  the  Indians,  whose  actions  showed 
them  to  be  under  superior  leadership,  probably  British.  The 
fort  was  used  but  little  after  1794,  being  simply  a  "way  station" 
for  supplies  for  the  army. 

Fort  Recovery  occupied  the  site  of  the  greatest  and  most 
disastrous  defeat  of  Americans  by  the  Indians  in  western  history. 
Gen.  St.  Clair,  with  his  army,  gathered  hastily  in  Pennsylvania, 
Maryland  and  Virginia,  had  left,  after  an  imperfect  organization. 
Fort  Washington  in  August,  1791 ;  moved  forward  Ludlow's  sta- 
tion six  miles  distant,  remaining  there  until  September  17th. 
From  there  the  army  moved  farther  up  the  Great  Miami,  erect- 
ing first  Fort  Hamilton  (already  noticed),  thence  to  Fort  Jeffer- 
son, which  they  left  October  24th,  and  began  their  march  farther 
northward,  expecting  to  find  the  Indians  in  the  country  about 
the  head  waters  of  the  Maumee.  On  the  3rd  of  November  the 
army  reached  the  banks  of  a  small  river,  supposed  to  be  the  St. 
Mary's,  but  really  the  head  waters  of  the  Wabash  river.  That 
afternoon  the  army  camped  in  a  commanding  rise  of  ground,  the 
river  in  the  front.  The  militia  had  gone  about  a  mile  farther, 
crossing  the  river,  and  a  low  wooded  meadow  half  a  mile  wide, 
and  camped  in  the  forest  on  the  high  land  beyond.  It  was  the 
intention  of  Gen.  vSt.  Clair  to  fortify  this  position  and  await  the 
arrival  of  the  first  regiment  sent  back  at  Fort  Jefferson  for  pro- 
visions. Weary  with  their  march  the  soldiers  lay  down  to  rest. 
About  daylight  the  next  morning,  just  after  the  parade,  and  as 
the  soldiers  were  preparing  their  breakfast,  the  militia  were  sud- 
denly and  vigorously  attacked  by  an  unseen  foe,  and  becoming 
frightened,  ran  back  toward  the  camp  of  the  regular  troops. 
The  onslaught  was  checked  by  the  first  line  of  troops,  but  soon 
a  heavy  and  constant  firing  came  from  all  quarters,  and,  concen- 
trating upon  the  artillery  stationed  in  the  center,  soon  silenced  it 
by  killing  the  gunners  and  wounding  and  killing  the  horses. 
The  artillery  being  useless,  several  vicious  onslaughts  were 
made,  and  though  repulsed  again  and  again,  the  wary  foe  steadily 


^^litary  Posts  in  the  State  of  Ohio.  807 

gained  ground.  A  retreat  Avas  necessary  and  was  ordered.  A 
panic  seized  the  soldiers  and  the  retreat  became  a  disorderly  and 
unmanageable  rout.  The  soldiers  and  camp  followers  fled  in 
great  confusion,  despite  all  attempts  of  the  officers,  many  of 
whom  were  slain  while  in  their  efforts  to  restore  order.  The  fire 
of  the  savages  had  been  fearfully  destructive  ;  fully  600  persons 
perished,  and  of  those  wounded  none  w-ere  spared  the  horrible 
tortures  of  Indian  warfare.  .The  army  fled  precipitately  to  Fort 
Jefferson,  where,  meeting  the  first  regiment,  they  were  stayed, 
and  where  an  account  was  taken  of  their  awful  losses.  From 
this  place  they  retreated  to  Forts  Hamilton  and  Washington, 
and  further  attempts  to  conquer  the  Indians  w^ere,  for  a  time, 
abandoned. 

Fort  Pioua  was  a  small  stockade  built  for  storage  pur- 
poses by  General  Wayne's  army  in  1704.  in  what  is  now  Miam' 
count)-,  about  three  miles  north  of  Piqua.  It  was  in  the  portage 
between  Fort  Loramie  and  St.  Mary's.  The  garrison  was  under 
command  of  Captain  J.  X.  \'ischer.  After  the  treaty  of  peace 
in  17i*"),  the  place  was  abandoned. 

Fort  St.  Marys  was  built  by  a  detachment  of  General 
Wayne's  army  in  179-1:  on  the  site  of  the  town  of  St.  Marys  in 
Mercer  county.  It  stood  on  the  west  bank  of  the  St.  Mar^s 
river.  It  was  erected  as  a  suppl)'  depot,  and  was  iinder  com- 
mand of  Captain  John  Whistler,  during  what  time  the  garrison 
was  kept  within  its  palisades. 

Fort  Defianck  was  built  ])y  General  Wayne's  army  in 
August,  17!>4,  when  on  their  march  against  the  Indians.  It 
stood  in  the  angle  formed  by  the  junction  of  ttio  Auglaize  and 
Maumee  rivers.  The  fort  was  built  in  the  form  of  a  square,  at 
each  corner  of  which  were  block  houses  projecting  beyond  the 
sides  of  the  fort,  thus  protecting  the  external  sides.  These 
block  houses  were  connected  by  a  line  of  strong  pickets.  Out- 
side of  these,  and  also  of  the  block  houses,  was  a  wall  of  earth 
eight  feet  thick,  a  ditch  fifteen  feet  wide  and  eight  feet  deep  sur- 
rounding the  w'.iole  except  the  side  next  the  Auglaize  river. 
The  stockade  was  well  built,  characteristic  of  the  General's  ac- 


308  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 

tions,  affording  the  garrison  which  might  occupy  it  a  safe  retreat. 
It  was  little  used  after  the  treaty  of  peace  in  1795. 

Fort  Deposit  was  built  by  General  Wayne  in  August, 
1794,  as  a  depot  for  supplies.  It  stood  on  the  left  (north)  bank 
of  the  Maumee.  No  plan  of  the  fort  exists.  It  was  simply  a 
palisaded  stockade,  built  for  storage  and  not  for  defensive  pur- 
poses. Leaving  this  place,  General  Wayne  marched  toward  the 
Indian  encampment,  about  two  miles  south  of  the  present  town 
of  Maumee  City,  and  about  four  miles  from  Fort  Miami,  erected 
and  occupied  by  British  troops.  The  Indians  were  met  and  a 
decisive  battle  fought,  a  complete  victory  being  gained  by  the 
Americans. 

The  Battle  of  Fallen  Timbers.  This  famous  battle 
decided  the  fate  of  the  Indians  in  the  Northwest.  Their  power 
was  broken,  and  after  the  treaty  at  Fort  Greenville  the  next 
summer,  their  claims  to  Ohio's  territory  were  practically  ended. 
The  battle  occurred  August  20,  1794.  That  morning.  General 
Wayne  having  decided  his  plan  of  operations,  moved  from  Fort 
Deposit  down  the  left  bank  of  the  Maumee  toward  the  Indians, 
who  had  refused  all  overtures  of  peace,  and  who  were  arranged 
in  camps  on  the  river  bluffs.  The  army  had  marched  about  five 
miles  when  the  advance  guard  was  suddenly  attacked  by  a 
vigorous  fire  from  an  unseen  foe,  and  was  compelled  to  fall  back. 
The  army  was  at  once  formed  in  two  lines  in  a  dense  wood  on 
the  borders  of  a  swampy  prairie,  where  a  tornado  had  at  some 
preceding  time  blown  down  many  trees.  This  fallen  timber 
gave  the  name  to  the  battle-ground.  This  timber  afforded  good 
shelter  to  the  foe,  who  were  aided  by  many  Canadians,  all  under 
superior  discipline.  General  Wayne's  troops  fell  upon  them 
with  relentless  fury,  and  in  a  short  time  put  them  to  flight 
toward  the  guns  of  Fort  Miami,  a  few  miles  down  the  river,  and 
then  garrisoned  by  a  British  force  under  command  of  Major 
Campbell.  Wayne's  army  pursued  the  Indians  under  the  very 
walls  of  the  fort,  despite  the  protests  of  the  British  commander 
and  the  British  trader,  Colonel  McKee,  whose  property  was  de- 
stroyed. General  Wayne  maintaining  the  attitude  that  the  fort 
stood  upon  American  soil.     For  three  days  and  nights  this  war- 


Military  P-^ts  in  the  State  of  Ohio.  809 

fare  was  continued  until  the  Indians  were  thoroughly  subdued, 
and  promised,  through  their  chiefs,  to  treat  for  peace  the  next 
year  at  Fort  Greenville.  At  this  battle  the  celebrated  chief, 
Turkey  Foot,  was  slain,  whose  rock,  marked  by  prints  resem- 
bling turkeys'  feet,  perpetuates  his  memory  and  his  death. 

Fort  Wayne.  Though  not  in  the  confines  of  Ohio,  it 
should  be  mentioned  here.  At  the  junction  of  the  St.  Jospeph 
and  St.  Marys  rivers,  the  head  of  the  Miami  of  the  lakes  — 
the  Maumee — it  appears  in  French  history,  first  as  a  trading 
post  and  station.  After  the  defeat  of  the  battle  of  Fallen  Tim- 
bers, General  Wayne's  army  went  first  to  Fort  Defiance,  and 
soon  after,  in  September,  to  the  head  of  the  Maumee,  and  there 
built  a  strong  fortification,  calling  it  Fort  Wayne.  It  was  com- 
pleted by  the  22d  of  October,  and  garrisoned  with  infantry  and 
artillery,  under  command  of  Colonel  John  Francis  Hamtranck. 
Soon  after  the  treaty  at  Greenville,  in  1795,  the  fort  was  practic- 
ally abandoned,  though  the  place  was  always  well  noticed  as  a 
great  outpost.  In  the  war  of  1812  the  fort  was  built  new,  be- 
came a  conspicuous  place,  and  withstood  several  sieges.  It  was 
an  excellent  fortification,  and  after  peace  was  declared  in  this 
war.  became  a  peaceful  trading  village,  and  is  now  a  prosper- 
ous city. 

Fort  Industry  was  built  by  a  detachment  of  Wayne's 
troops  soon  after  his  ^victory  over  the  Indians.  It  stood  on  a 
bluff  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Maumee,  a  few  miles  above  its 
mouth,  in  what  is  now  the  city  of  Toledo.  It  seems  to  have 
been  used  but  a  short  time. 

Fort  Findlay,  a  small  stockade  about  fifty  yards  square, 
was  built  on  the  south  side  of  Blanchard's  Fork,  in  what  is  now 
Hancock  county,  during  the  war  of  1812.  At  each  corner  was 
a  block  House,  the  soldiers'  quarters  and  the  palisades  protect- 
ing the  other  portions.  It  was,  like  many  others  of  its  nature, 
erected  as  a  supply  depot,  and  was  little  used  for  defensive  pur- 
poses.    It  was  abandoned  at  the  close  of  the  war. 

Fort  Amanda,  a  small  stockade,  was  built  during  the  war 
of  1812,  in  what  is  now  Allen  county,  on  the  west  bank  of  the 


310  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 

Auglaize  River,  near  the  west  line  of  the  count}-,  on  the  site  of 
an  old  Ottawa  town.  It  was  used  but  a  short  time  as  a  supply- 
depot  and  a  halting  place  for  the  troops. 

Fort  McArthur  was  built  during  the  war  of  1812,  on  the 
Scioto  River,  in  what  is  now  Hardin  county.  It  was  a  stockade 
enclosing  about  half  an  acre.  A  block  house  in  the  northwest 
and  southeast  angles,  a  row  of  log  cribs  covered  with  "shed" 
roofs  sloping  inward,  and  palisades  completed  its  defenses.  The 
soldiers'  huts  were  just  inside  the  palisades.  It  was  in  a  danger- 
ous locality  and  more  than  once  was  attacked  by  Indians.  The 
garrison  was  commanded  by  Captain  Robert  McClelland.  After 
the  war  the  post  was  abandoned. 

Fort  Ball  was  built  during  the  war  of  1812  by  a  detach- 
ment of  General  Harrison's  army,  on  the  west  bank  of  the  San- 
dusky River,  in  what  is  now' the  city  of  Tiffin.  It  was  a  small 
stockade,  enclosing  perhaps  one-third  of  an  acre,  and  was  used 
as  a  supply  depot. 

Fort  Seneca  was  built  during  the  war  of  1812,  by  a  de- 
tachment of  Gen.  Harrison's  army,  as  a  depot  for  supplies.  It 
was  a  stockade,  including  several  acres,  and  stood  on  the  right 
bank  of  the  Sandusky,  a  few  miles  above  Fort  Stevenson.  It 
was  used  only  during  the  war. 

Fort  Stevenson  was  built  during  the  war  of  1812  at  the 
head  of  navigation  on  the  Sandusky  river,  on  the  site  of  the 
present  city  of  Fremont.  The  fort  was  a  well  built  structure, 
enclosing  an  acre  of  ground.  Col.  George  Croghan,  the  com- 
mander, with  a  small  body  of  troops,  on  the  2d  of  August,  1813, 
successfully  defended  the  fort  against  a  vigorous  attack  of  the 
British  and  Indians.  Commanded  by  Gen,  Proctor,  the  British 
force  consisted  of  some  five  hundred  regulars  and  eight  hundred 
Indians,  their  gun  boats  from  the  river  carrying  five  six- pound 
guns,  and  their  howitzer  on  shore,  bombarded  the  fort  all  night 
of  the  first.  The  next  day  the  enemy  massed  his  troops  at  one 
angle  of  the  fort  and  attempted  to  capture  it  by  assault.  The 
one  six -pound  gun  of  the  garrison,  loaded  with  small  missiles, 
was  discharged  into  their  ranks  when  they  neared  tlie  fort,  with 


Military  Posts  in  the  State  of  Ohio.  811 

such  fearful  destruction,  that  with  the  effective  fire  of  the 
soldiers  they  were  repulsed,  and  retreated.  Soon  after,  fearing 
an  attack  by  General  Harrison,  whose  troops  had  so  valiantly 
defended  Fort  Meigs  but  a  few  days  before  against  the  same  foe, 
they  suddenly  retreated,  leaving  the  gallant  Croghan  and  his 
handful  of  nicn  in  victorious  possession  of  the  fftrt.  After  the 
war  the  post  was  abandoned. 

Fort  Mkigs  was  built  b\'  Gen.  William  Henry  Harrison,  in 
the  winter  of  iSli^-lo,  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Maumee,  op- 
posite the  rapids.  It  was  a  large  palisaded  ground,  occupying 
about  ten  acres  in  all,  protected  by  block  hou.ses,  soldiers'  bar- 
racks, and  a  strong  line  of  palisades.  Early  in  the  summer  of 
1813  the  fort  was  attacked  by  a  large  force  of  British  and  In- 
dians under  Gen.  Proctor,  who  formed  artillery  encampments  on 
both  sides  of  the  river.  Reinforcements  came,  and  the  British 
were  repulsed  in  July.  It  became  an  important  frontier  post, 
and  after  peace  came  was  abandoned. 

Perrv's  Victory. —  This  remarkable  victory  occurred  on 
the  waters  of  Lake  Erie,  September  10,  1813.  At  ten  o'clock  on 
that  day  Commodore  Oliver  H.  Perrj-,  in  command  of  the  United 
States  lake  squadron,  consisting  of  two  ships,  the  Lawrence  and 
the  Niagara,  and  four  small  vessels,  formed  in  line  and  advanced 
to  attack  the  British  squadron.  The  action  was  sharp  and  de- 
cisive, and  lasted  only  three  hours,  resulting  in  the  capture  of 
the  enemy.  The  losses  of  both  combatants  on  the  leading  ships 
were  heavy.  Commodore  Perry's  memorable  dispatch  reporting 
the  victory  to  General  Harrison  is  well  known  in  American 
annals :  "We  have  met  the  enemy  and  they  are  ours  ;  two  ships, 
two  brigs,  one  schooner  and  one  sloop." 

A  large  painting  in  the  rotunda  of  Ohio's  capitol  represents 
the  conflict  at  the  time  Commodore  Perry  is  leaving  the  Law- 
rence, almost  disabled,  for  the  Niagara. 

■   A.   A.   Gk.miam. 


312  Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publicatioyis .         Vot.  3 


FORT   ANCIENT. 

The  General  Assembly  at  the  last  session  passed  an  act  to 
purchase  this  remarkable  earth-work  on  the  bluflfs  on  the  left 
bank  of  the  Little  Miami  river  in  Warren  county.  By  some 
oversight,  the  number  of  acres  authorized  to  be  purchased  did 
not  include  the  entire  fortification,  and  there  still  remains  a  por- 
tion of  the  south  or  "old"  fort  and  little  of  the  north  end  un- 
purchased. A  bill  was  afterward  introduced  by  Senator  Jesse 
N.  Oren,  through  whom  the  first  bill  was  introduced,  to  buy  the 
remainder ;  but  by  an  oversight  it  was  omitted  in  report  of  the 
House  Committee,  after  having  passed  the  Senate.  The  meas- 
ure will  be  again  introduced  at  the  coming  session,  and  it  is  con- 
fidently believed  the  next  General  Assembly  will  complete  the 
work.  The  "care  and  control  of  Fort  Ancient  was,"  by  an- 
other act  of  the  Assembly,  ' '  vested  in  the  Trustees  of  the  Ohio 
Archaeological  and  Historical  Society."  The  trustees  have 
accepted  the  trust,  and  placed  the  Fort  in  charge  of  a  commit- 
tee, consisting  of  Jesse  N.  Oren  of  Wilmington,  Israel  Harris  of 
Waynesville,  and  Israel  Williams  of  Plamilton,  A  competent 
custodian  has  been  placed  in  charge  of  the  grounds,  and  will 
proceed  at  once  to  put  tiie  same  in  proper  keeping.  In  time,  it 
is  hoped  to  have  a  fine  park  here,  such  as  is  now  the  "Serpent 
Mound  Park  "  in  Adams  county,  enclosing  the  famous  efiigy  of 
the  serpent. 

Mr.  Warren  K.  Moorehead,  of  Xenia,  has  spent  almost  a 
year  measuring,  surveying,  and  exploring  Fort  Ancient.  He 
has  written  a  very  creditable  work  of  130  pages  on  the  subject, 
and  at  my  request  has  furnished  the  following  brief  description 
of  the  fort.  The  following  map  used  to  illustrate  this  article  is 
a  reduced  copy  of  the  large  map  in  his  work. 

A.  A.  Graham. 


9  J  ^  ^   i 


=  2 


Military  Posts  in  the  State  of  Ohio.  313 


FORT  ANCIENT,  AN  OUTLINE  DESCRIPTION. 

The  accompanying  map  from  the  survey  made  under  my 
direction  by  Messrs.  Fowke  and  Cowen  will  acquaint  the  reader 
with  the  hillsides  and  the  embankments.  The  walls  run  in  very 
crooked  lines,  always  following  the  brink  of  deep  ravines, 
twisting  and  turning  in  the  directions  which  would  afford  best 
protection.  The  following  briefly  narrated  facts  regarding  the 
embankments  should  be  carefully  noted. 

The  composition  is  tough,  glacial  clay.  A  stone  wall  is 
frequently  found  within  the  earth  embankment.  The  stones 
average  in  size  14x20  to  9x14  inches  and  in  places  remain  stand- 
ing to  a  height  of  eight  feet.  The  earth  from  the  top  of  the 
embankment  washes  down  and  covers  them,  hence  the  wall  can- 
not be  witnessed  save  by  excavation. 

Height  a?id  breadth.  The  embankments  average  13^  feet  in 
height.  The  average  43^  feet  wide  at  base,  4  feet  at  summit. 
Maximum  height  33^  feet.     Minimum,  4J  feet. 

Number  of  gateways  74. 

Number  of  natural  washes,  occasionally  mistaken  for  gate- 
ways 9. 

Average  length  of  walls  between  gateways,  239^  feet. 
Height  above  Atlantic  Ocean  level,  941  feet. 

Divisions.  The  portion  north  of  the  Isthmus  is  called  upon 
the  map  New  Fort.  A  better  name  is  South  Fort.  The  central 
part,  Middle  Fort;  the  portion  south  of  Great  Gateway  has  been 
called  Old  Fort.  A  better  and  not  so  confusing  a  name  would 
be  South  Fort. 

Terraces,  bastions,  eii .  There  are  artificial  "roads"  or 
terraces  extending  around  the  hillsides  on  the  river  side  of  the 
fortification.  One  or  two  short  ones  follow  the  foot  of  the  wall 
just  east  ot  the  Great  Gateway  for  a  few  hundred  yards.  These 
terraces  are  covered  with  stone  graves.  Many  spurs  or  bastions 
run  out  for  varying  distances  from  each  gateway,  and  overlook 
or  command  the  ravine.     This  is  particularly  true  of  the  great 


314  Ohio  Arch.  a7id  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 

hollow  east  of  the  structure,  against  which  the  builders  seem  to 
have  protected  themselves  with  the  greatest  of  care. 

Washes  and  erosion.  The  fort  walls  do  not  easily  erode, 
being  composed  of  very  tough  clay.  They  are  covered  with 
shrubs  and  large  trees,  the  roots  of  the  latter,  together  with  grass 
and  moss,  forming  a  considerable  protection  against  storms  and 
wearing  paths  such  as  the  thousands  of  visitors  to  the  enclosure 
would  undoubtedly  make. 

* '  Some  ravines  were  probably  small  when  the  fortification 
was  built,  and  others  were  large  and  deep.  The  wall  was  carried 
across  the  smaller  ones,  but  stopped  on  the  edge  of  the  bank  of 
the  larger  ones.  Many  of  these  have  since  washed  out,  and  the 
washes  in  some  of  them  are  very  old.  A  good  idea  of  the  age 
of  this  fortification  can  be  obtained  by  studying  these  washes. 

Length  of  Embankment.  Total  length  18,712.2  feet  or 
3f  miles. 

Two  races  fought  for  position  and  supremacy  at  Fort 
Ancient.  The  one  had  a  skull  of  Brachycephalic  type,  the 
cranium  of  the  other  was  Solichocephalic.  One  buried  in  hol- 
lowed vaults  or  stone  graves,  the  other  underneath  small  mounds 
rudely  thrown  up  upon  the  terraces.  Both  were  savages,  the 
"stone-grave  people,"  being  but  a  degree  removed  from  their 
enemies  in  that  they  were  able  to  construct  the  fortification. 

The  proofs  of  the  two  races  are : 

(a)  Two  types  of  crania. 

(b)  Two  modes  of  burial. 

(c)  Two  classes  of  implements  and  pottery. 

(d)  Two  kinds  of  lodge  or  house  circles. 

That  neither  of  these  peoples  were  "civilized"  is  set  forth 
in  the  manner  employed  in  the  construction  of  the  embankments; 
in  the  cemeteries,  in  the  village  site  debris.  Dark  patches  of 
earth  of  the  size  of  peck  measure,  several  of  which  still  retain 
the  imprint,  the  laced  work  of  a  basket  around  them,  have  been 
found  in  the  walls.  In  the  village  sites  twenty-seven  birds, 
animals,  fish  and  reptiles  in  ashes  and  cooking  places  have  been 
found,  together  with  a  multitude  of  bone  shell,  stone  and  clay 


Military  Posts  in  the  State  oj  Ohio.  315 

objects  used  by  the  woman,  the  man  and  the  child  of  the  fort- 
construction-period. 

We  have  found  a  complete  chain  of  testimony  regarding  the 
purpose  for  which  the  fort  was  erected,  we  now  know  how  it  was 
built,  the  characteristics  of  the  builders  and  their  enemies ;  in 
short,  old  Fort  Ancient  is  no  longer  a  mystery.  In  the  near 
future,  the  writer  hopes  to  be  able  to  give  to  the  public  a  lengthy 
and  comprehensive  account  of  the  discoveries  made  this  summer. 

Warren  K.  Moorehead. 


THE    OHIO 


Archcjeolodcal  and  Historical  Society 


Organizeu   March  13,   1885. 


Articles  of  Incorporation,  Synopsis  of  By-Laws 
and   List  of  Members, 


From  Date  of  Organization  untii^  February  19,  1891. 


(317) 


ARTICLES   OF   INCORPORATION. 


The  undersigned,  citizens  of  Ohio,  having  associated  them- 
selves together,  and  desiring  to  form  a  corporation,  not  for  profit, 
under  the  laws  of  said  State  of  Ohio,  do  hereby  subscribe  and 
acknowledge  the  following  articles  of  incorporation: 

1.  The  name  of  this  Society  shall  be  The  Ohio  State 
Arch^ologicai,  and  Historical  Society. 

2.  Said  corporation  shall  be  located  and  its  principal  busi- 
ness transacted  in  the  City  of  Columbus,  County  of  Franklin, 
and  State  of  Ohio. 

3.  Said  Society  is  formed  for  the  purpose  of  promoting  a 
knowledge  of  Archaeology  and  History,  especially  in  Ohio,  by 
establishing  and  maintaining  a  library  of  books,  charts,  manu- 
scripts, maps,  etc.,  properly  pertaining  thereto;  a  museum  of 
prehistoric  relics  and  natural  or  other  curiosities  or  specimens  of 
art  or  nature  promotive  of  the  objects  of  the  association  —  said 
library  and  museum  to  be  open  to  the  public  on  reasonable 
terms — and  by  courses  of  lectures,  and  publication  of  books, 
papers  and  documents,  touching  the  subjects  so  specified,  with 
power  to  receive  and  hold  gifts  and  devices  of  real  and  personal 
estate  for  the  benefit  of  such  Societj^  and  generall)^  to  exercise 
all  the  powers  legally  and  properly  pertaining  thereto. 

4.  Said  Society  has  no  capital  stock. 

The  articles  of  incorporation  were  signed  by  the  following 

charter  members. 

Allen  G.  Thurman,  Columbus.  Douglas  Putnam,  Marietta. 

John  W.  Andrews,  Columbus.  Samuel  S.  Rickly,  Columbus. 

Hylas  Sabine,  Richwood.  E.  B.  Fiuley,  Bucyrus. 

Charles  J.  Wetmore,  Columbus.  Wni.  E.  Moore,  Columbus. 

Wm.  P.  Cutler,  Marietta.  A.  \V.  Jones,  Youngstown. 

John  J.  Janney,  Columbus.  Israel  W.  Andrews,*  Marietta. 

John  B.  Peaslee,  Cincinnati.  N.  S.  Townshend,  Columbus. 


Now  deceased.  (•'^ISi 


320               Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 

D.  H.  Gard,  Columbus.  S.  C.  Derby,  Columbus. 
Charles  W.  Bryant,*  Granville.  A.  A.  Graham,  Columbus. 

E.  M.  P.  Brister,  Newark.  Beman  Gates,  Marietta. 
W.  A.  Schultz,  Lancaster.  Alexis  Cope,  Columbus. 
Roeliff  Brinkerhoff,  Mansfield.  T.  Ewing  Miller,  Columbus. 
H.  T.  Chittenden,  Columbus.  James  S.  Robinson,  Kenton. 
Henry  B.  Curtis,®  Mt.  Vernon.  H.  A.  Thompson,  Westerville. 


•■■  Now  deceased. 

SYNOPSIS    OF   THE    BY-LAWS. 

The  members  are  divided  into  four  classes,  /.  e. :  Active 
Members,  lyife  Members,  Corresponding  Mem.bers  and  Honorary 
Members. 

Active  members  pay  annually  a  fee  of  five  dollars,  or  its 
equivalent,  in  donations  acceptable  to  the  Society,  and  are 
exempt  from  all  dues. 

The  government  of  the  Society  is  vested  in  a  board  of 
twenty-one  (21)  trustees,  divided  into  three  cla.s.ses  of  seven 
members  each,  each  serving  three  years,  one  class  being  elected 
annually.  The  Society  elects  five  of  each  class  annually;  the 
State,  through  the  Governor,  appoints  two.  Fifteen  of  the 
trustees  are  therefore  elective,  six  appointive.  The  trvistees 
have  entire  control  of  the  Society,  of  its  property,  and  all  its  in- 
terests, and  appoint  annually  all  standing  committees,  elect  all 
officers,  etc. 

The  present  Board  of  Trustees  is  composed  of  the  following 
persons : 

BOARD    OK   TRU.STEES. 

Elective  for  three  years,  terms  expire  in  1894: 

F.  C.  Sessions,  Columbus.  Calvin  S.  Brice,  Lima. 

Geo.  F.  Bareis,  Canal  Winchester.         Robert  W.  Steele,  Dayton. 
A.  R.  Mclntyre,  Mt.  Vernon. 

Appointive: 
Charles  P.  Griffin,  Toledo.  Andrew  Robeson,  Greenville. 

Elective,  for  two  years,  terms  expire  in  1893 : 

N.  S.  Townshend,  Columbus.        Wm.  E.  Moore,  Columbus. 
E.  C.  Dawes,  Cincinnati.  I.  H.  Harris,  Waynesville. 

Geo.  F.  Wright,  Oberlin. 


Synopsis  of  the  By-Laws.  321 

Appointive : 
Israel  Williams,  Hamilton.  E.  B.  Lockwood,  Batavia. 

Elective,  for  one  year,  term  expires  in  1892 : 

C.  C.  Baldwin,  Cleveland.  D.  J.  Ryan,  Portsmouth. 

M.  D.  FoUett,  Marietta.  R.  Brinkerhoff,  Mansfield. 

H.  A.  Thompson,  Westerville. 

Appointive : 
N.  C.  Reed,  Hudson.  W.  J.  Gilmore,  Columbus. 

EXECUTIVE   COMMITTEE. 

F.  C.  Sessions,  D.  J.  Ryan, 

W.  J.  Gilmore,  Wm.  E.  Moore. 

N.  S.  Townshend,  H.  A.  Thompson. 
S.  S.  Rickly. 

The  officers  of  the  Society  are  elected  annually  by  the  Trus- 
tees. They  are:  President,  F.  C.  Sessions;  First  Vice  Presi- 
dent, R.  Brinkerhoff;  Second  Vice  President.  Wm.  E.  Moore; 
Secretary,  A.  A.  Graham;   Treasurer,  S.  S.  Rickly. 

All  correspondence  and  communications  regarding  the  So- 
ciety and  its  work  should  be  addressed  to  the  secretary, 

A.  A.  Graham, 

Columbus,  Ohio. 

By  authority  of  the  General  Assembly  the  library  of  the 
Society  is  made  part  of  the  State  Library.  A  separate  room  is 
set  appart  in  the  State  House  for  the  Museum. 


Vol.  Ill— 21' 


LIST  OF  MEMBERS  OF  THE  SOCIETY,  FROM  DATE 

OF  ORGANIZATION,  MAY  15  1885,  UNTIL 

FEBRUARY  19.  1891. 


HONORARY    MEMBERS. 


•Baird,  Prof.  S.  F.,  Washington,  D.  C. 
Bancroft,  Hon.  Hubert  Howe,  San 

Francisco,  Cala. 
DeReune,  Mrs.  Mary,  Augusta,  Ga. 
Force,  M.  F..  Sandusky. 


Howe,  Henry,  Columbus. 
Nicholson,  Jno.  P.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 
Smucker,  Isaac,  Newark. 
^Whittlesey,   Col.    Chas.,  Cleveland. 


CORRESPONDING     MEMBERS. 


Darling,  Chas.  W.,  Oneida,  N.  Y. 
Putnam,  Prof.   F.   W.,   Cambridge, 

Mass. 
Ward,  Mrs.  Fanny  B.,  Ravenna. 


Thomas,  Prof.  Cyrus,  Washington, 

D.  C. 
Powell,  J.  W.,  Washington,  D.  C. 
Brock,  Dr.  R.  A.,  Richmond,  Va. 


Peet,  Rev.  Stephen  D.,  Mendon,  111. 


LIFE     MEMBERS. 


Anderson,  James  H.,  Columbus. 
Andrews,  John  W.,  Columbus. 
Arnett,  Rev.  B.  W.,  Wilberforce. 
Avery,  Elroy  M.,  Cleveland. 

Baldwin,  C.  C.  Cleveland. 
Bareis,  Geo.  F.  Canal  Winchester. 
Barney,  E.  J.,  Dayton. 
Bartholomew,  Prof.   Geo.   K.,  Cin- 
cinnati. 
Brice,  Calvin  S.,  Lima. 
Brinkerhoif,  Roeleff,  Mansfield 
Brown,  Benj.  S.,  Columbus. 
Burgess,  Solon,  Cleveland.    . 

Clarke,  Robert,  Cincinnati. 

Conger,  A.  L.,  Akron. 

Curry,  John,  San  Francisco,  Cala. 


Curtis,  S.  H.,  Cleveland, 

Cutler,  Rev.  Carroll,  Charlotte,  N.  C 

Dana,  George,  Belpre. 
Dawes,  E.  C,  Cincinnati. 
DePeyster,  J.  Watts,  Tivoli,  N.  Y. 

Falconer,  Dr.  Cyrus,  Hamilton. 
Fertis,  Aaron  A.,  Cincinnati. 
Foster,  Charles,  Fostoria. 

Gard,  D.  H.,  Columbus. 
Gardner,  Geo.  W.,  Cleveland. 
Garfield,  Mrs.  L.  R.,  Mentor. 
Gordon,  W.  J.,  Cleveland. 
Graham,  A.  A.,  Columbus. 


Handy,  Truman.  P.,  Cleveland. 


•  Deceased. 


(322) 


List  of  Members  of  the  Society. 


323 


Hart,  Dr.  B.  F..  Marietta. 
Hart,  Dr.  Frank  O.,  West  Unity. 
Harvey,  Thomas  W.,  Painesville. 
Hay,  John,  Washington,  D.  C. 
Hayes,  Rutherford  B.,  Fremont. 

Jewett,  H.  J.,  Lansdown,  Md. 

•King,  Rufus,  Cincinnati. 

*Lindenberg,  Henry,  Columbus. 

McFarland,  Robt.  W.,  Oxford. 
Mclntire,  A.  R.,  Mount  Vernon. 

Macferson,  David,  Allegheny  City, 

Pa. 
Matthews,  E.  B.,  Cincinnati. 
Miller,  T.  Ewing,  Columbus. 
Miles,  W.  Y..  Columbus. 
Moore.  C.  H..  Clinton,  111. 
Moore,  Rev.  Wm.  E.,  Columbus. 
Morrison,  Rev.  N.  J.,  Marietta. 
Moses,  Thos.  F.,  Urbana. 

Neil,  Robert  E.,  Columbus. 
•Noble,  Henry  C,  Columbus. 

Ohio  University  Library,  Oxford. 
Outhwaite,  Jos.  H.,  Columbus. 

Parrott,  Chas.,  Columbus. 
Patton,  A.  G.,  Columbus. 
Peters,  O.  G.,  Columbus. 
Pocock,  Dr.  Eli  D.,  Shreve. 


Poole,  Harwood  R.,  New  York. 
Putnam,  Douglas,  Marietta. 

Randall,  O.  E.,  Columbus- 
Reeve,  Dr.  J.  C,  Dayton. 
Rickly,  S.  S.,  Columbus. 

Sessions,  F.  C,  Columbus. 
Shepard,  Dr.  W.,  Columbus. 
Sherman,  John,  Mansfield. 
Siebert,  John,  Columbus. 
Sinks,  George  W.,  Columbus. 
Smith  Hiram  R.,  Mansfield. 
Smytlie,  A.  H.,  Columbus. 
Southworth,  G.  C.  F.,  Cleveland. 
Sturges,  Miss  Susan  M.,  Mansfield- 
Swaj'ue,  Wajer,  New  York. 
Swayne,  Noah  H.,  Toledo. 

Thresher,  E.  B.,  Dayton. 
Thurman,  Allen  (i.,  Columbus. 
Tiffin,  Miss  Diathea  M.,  Chillicothe. 

Vance,  John  L.,  Gallipolis. 
Vincent,  H.  C,  Marietta. 
Vincent,  O.  B.,  Austin,  Nev. 

Ward,  J.  Q.  A.,  New  York. 
Wetmore,  P.  M.,  Columbus. 
White,  Henry  C,  Cleveland. 
Wing,  L.  B.,  Newark. 
Wooster  University  Lib.,  Wooster- 

Yorston,  John  C,  Philadelphia. 


ACTIVE    MEMBERS. 


Acheson,  E.  F.,  Washington,  Pa. 
Alderman,  E.  R.,  Marietta. 
Andrews,  Chas.  H.,  Youngstown. 
Andrews,  Edw.  L.,  Burton. 
Andrews,  Gwynne,  Columbus. 
•Andrews,  Dr.  Israel  W.,  Marietta. 


Andrews,  Mrs.  I.  W.,  Marietta. 
Andrews,  Prof  Martin  R.,  Marietta 
Andrews,  W.  C,  New  York  City. 
Armstrong,  P.  B.,  New  York  City. 
.\u,  John  H.,  Ontario. 
Axline,  Gen.  H.  A.,  Columbus. 


Deceased. 


324 


Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Piiblications .       Vol.   3 


Babcock,  Rev.  Chas.  E.,  Columbus. 

Backus,  A.  L.,  Toledo. 

Baldwin,  Dr.  J.  F.,  Columbus. 

Baldwin,  Jos.  W.,  Columbus. 

Barger,  B.  F.,  Dayton. 

Barr,  Baldwin,  Cincinnati. 

Barnett,  Gen.  James,  Cleveland. 

Bates,  J.  M.,  Columbus. 

Becher,  C.  R.,  Cincinnati. 

Bedell,  Rev.  G.  Thurston,  Gambler. 

Bennett,  S.  W.,  Bucyrus. 

Beresford,  Dr.  A.  E.,  Germano. 
■Bliss,  Mrs.  Ezra  P.,  Columbus. 

Bohl,  Henry,  Marietta. 

Bonham,  L.  N.,  Oxford. 

Bosworth,  C.  H.,  Cincinnati. 
■Bosworth,  Sala,  Cincinnati. 

Bowers,  W.  H.,  Pomeroy. 

Brazee,  Jno.  S.,  Lancaster. 

Bretts,  W.  H.,  Cleveland. 

Brickell,  W.  D.,  Columbus. 

Briggs,  J.  C,  Columbus. 

Bright,  Geo.  W.,  Columbus. 

Brister,  E.  M.  P.,  Newark. 

Bromwell,  James  C,  Washington, 
D.  C. 

Brooks,  J.  T.,  M.,  D.,  Salem. 

Brown,  Abram,  Columbus. 

Brown,  LeRoy  D.,  Los  Angeles,  Cal. 

Brown,  Thos.  J.,  Waynesville. 

Brov/n,  W.  E.,  Hamilton. 

Brown,  W.  H.,  New  York  City. 

Bruck,  Philip  H.,  Columbus. 

Bruhl,  Gustave,  Cincinnati. 

Brush,  Dr.  Edward  C,  Zanesville. 
'^Bryant,  Chas.  W.  Granville. 

Buckingham,  Jerome,  Newark. 

Buell,  W.  H.,  Marietta.      . 

Burr,  Erasmus,  D.  D.,  Portsmouth. 

Bushnell,  Dr.  Wm.,  Mansfield. 

Butler,  Cyrus,  New  York  City. 

Butler,  Theo.  H.,  Columbus. 
'Byers,  Rev.  A.  G.,  Columbus. 


Cadwallader,  C.  D.,  Marietta. 

Campbell,  James  E.,  Hamilton. 

Candy,  Robt,  Columbus. 

Caylor,  E.  H.,  Columbus. 

Chamberlain,  W.  I.,  Ames,  la. 

Chamberlain,  W.  H.,  Cincinnati. 

Chapin,  John  W.,  Columbus. 

Chittenden,  H.  T.,  Columbus. 

Church,  S.  H.,  Pittsburg. 

Clark,  C.  F.,  M.  D.,  Columbus. 

Clogston,  Wm.,  Springfield,  Mass. 

Cochran,  T.  J.,  Cincinnati. 

College  Library,  Athens. 

Collins,  W.  A.,  Toledo. 

Cone,  Rev.  O.,  Akron. 

Cooper,  Dr.  Albert,  Columbus. 

Cooper,  Hon.  W.  C,  Mt.  Vernon. 

(jope,  Alexis,  Columbus. 

Cotton,  Dr.  D.  B.,  Portsmouth. 

Cotton,  Dr.  J.  D.,  Marietta. 

Cotton,  Dr.  J.  T.,  Charleston,  West 
Virginia. 

Cowen,  B.  J.,  Cincinnati. 
■'Cowles,  Edwin,  Cleveland. 

Crall,  Leander  H.,  New  York  City. 

Curry,  Col.  W.  L.,  Marysville. 
■Curtis,  Henry  B.,  Mt.  Vernon. 

Curtis,  W.  F.,  Marietta. 

Cutler,  F.  J.,  Marietta. 

Cutler,  Miss  Julia  P.,  Marietta. 

Cutler,  W.  P.,  Marietta. 

■■Dann,  J.  W.,  Columbus. 

■  Daugherty,  M.  A.  Columbus. 

Davie,  Oliver,  Columbus. 

Davis.  Theo.  F.,  Marietta. 

Davis,  Wm.  Henry,  Cincinnati. 

Dawes,  R.  R.,  Marietta. 

Day,  Prof.  L.  W.,  Cleveland. 

Dean,  Prof.  B.  S.  Hiram. 

Delano,  Columbus,  Mt.  Vernon. 

Dennison,  Mrs.  Wm.,  Columbus. 

Denver,  J.  W.,  Wilmington. 


'Deceased. 


List  of  Members  of  the  Society. 


325 


Derby,  Prof.  S.  C,  Columbus. 
Derthick,  F.  A.,  Mautua. 
Deshler,  W.  G.,  Columbus. 
•Devereaux,  J.  H.,  Cleveland. 
Dexter,  Julius,  Ciucinnati. 
Dodge,  Wilson  S.,  Cleveland. 
Donaldson,  Thos.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 
Doren,  Jno.  G.,  Dayton. 
Drinkle,-  C,  Lancaster. 
Durrett,  R.  T.,  Louisville,  Ky. 
Duttou,  A.  S.,  Cheshire. 

Eaton,  Rev.  John,  Marietta. 

Eels,  Dan  P.,  Cleveland. 

Egle,  Dr.  Wm.  H.,  Harrisburg,  Pa. 

Ellis,  John  W.,  New  York  City. 

Ellis,  S.  H.,  Springboro. 

Ely,  Geo.  H.,  Cleveland. 

Ely,  Herman,  Elyria. 

Enos,  Miss  Helen  M.,  Millersburg. 

Evans,  Dr.  E.  S.,  Columbus. 

Ewing,  Hugh,  Lancaster. 

Fairbanks,  C.  W.,  Indianapolis,  Ind. 
»Farquhar,  Dr.  O.  C,  Zanesville. 

Farrar,  Wm.,  Cambridge. 

Fearing,  Henry,  Harmar. 
*Fieser,  Frederick,  Columbus. 

Finch,  Dr.  D.  C,  Columbus. 

Findley,  Sam'l,  Akron. 

Finley,  E.  B.,  Bucyrus. 

Firestone,  C.  D.,  Columbus. 

Follett,  Martin  D.,  Marietta. 

Foraker,  J.  B.,  Cincinnati. 

Ford,  Geo.  H.,  Burton. 

Foster,  W.  S.,  Urbana. 

Fowke,  Gerard,  Columbus. 

Frame,  C,  Duncan's  Falls. 

Freed,  A.,  Lancaster. 

Freeman,  George  D.,  Columbus. 

Gano,  John  A.,  Cincinnati. 
*Gard,  Hiram,  Vincent. 
Garst,  Prof.  Henry,  Westervilie. 


Gates,  Beman,  Marietta. 
Gates,  N.  B.,  Elyria. 
Gayraan,  B.  F.,  Canal  Winchester. 
Gilmore,  W.  E).,  Chillicothe. 
Gilmore,  W.  J.,  Columbus. 
Gladden,  Rev.  Washington,  Colum- 
bus. 
Glassford,  H.  A.,  New  York  City. 
Glazier,  A.  W.  Belpre. 
Godfrey,  S.  J.,  Celina. 
Goodenough,  W.  S.,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 
Green,  Rev.  F.  M.,  Kent. 
Gregg,  H.  H.,  New  Lisbon. 
Grover,  Rev.  J.  L.,  Columbus. 

Hall,  Theo.  Parsons,  Detroit,  Mich. 
Hamilton,  Dr.  J.  W.,  Columbus. 
■Hancock,  Prof.  John,  Columbus. 
Harris,  Israel  H.,  Waynesfield. 
«Harter,  G.  D.,  Canton. 
Harter,  M.  D.,  Mansfield. 
Hartzler,  Prof.  J.  C,  Newark. 
Haskius,  Chas.  F.,  Columbus. 
Hayden,  Rev.  H.  C,  Cleveland. 
Hayden,  W.  B.,  Columbus. 
Haydock,  Mrs.  T.  T.,  Cincinnati. 
Haynes,  Henry  W.,  Boston,  Mass. 
Hedges,  Henry,  Mansfield. 
^Henderson,  Dr.  J.  P.,  Newville. 
Herrick,  Dr.  L.  C,  Columbus. 

Hills,  B.  D.,  Columbus. 

Hills,  Rev.  O.  A.,  Wooster. 

Hinman,  E.  L.,  Columbus. 

Hinsdale,  Prof   B.  A.,  Ann   Arbor, 
Mich. 

Hirsch,  Leo,  Columbus. 

Hite,  J.  C,  Lancaster. 

Hoadley,  George,  New  York  City. 

Holcomb,  A.  T.  Portsmouth. 

Ilolden,  L.  E.,  Cleveland. 
■Horton,  Y.  B.,  Pomeroy. 

Hott,  Harry  H.,  Gallipolis. 

Howe,  Frank  Henry,  Columbus. 

Hoyt,  James  M.,  Cleveland. 


■  Deceased. 


326 


Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Publications.        [Vol.  3 


Hughes,  Phillip,  Hamilton. 

*Ide,  Mrs.  H.  E.,  Columbus. 
Irons,  Rev.  Jno.  D.,  New  Concord. 

Janney,  Jno.  J.,  Columbus. 
Jennings,  W.  H.,  Columbus. 
Jewett,  H.  J.,  Lansdown,  Md. 
Johnson,  S.  L.,  Columbus. 
Johnston,  C.  W.,  Elyria. 
Jones,  A.  W.,  Youngstown. 
Jones,  E.  A.,  Massillon. 
Jones,  J.  v.,  Fostoria. 

Kagy,  Isaac,  Tiffin. 
Kelley,  H.  C,  Marietta. 
Kemmler,  Wm.  F.,  Columbus. 
Kinney,  Chas.,  Portsmouth. 
Kirkley,  C.  A.,  M.  D.,  Toledo. 
Kirshner,  L.  M.  D.  D.,  Sulphur 

Springs. 
Knabenshue,  O.  D.,  Columbus. 
Knickerbocker,  Dr.  B.,  Columbus. 
Knight,  Ceo.  W.,  Columbus. 

Lane,  P.  P.,  Norwood. 
Lee,  A.  E.,  Columbus. 
Leggett,  M.  D.,  Cleveland. 
Levering,  Allen,  Mt.  Gilead. 
Lewis,  T.  H.,  St.  Paul,  Minn. 
Librarian,  Public  Library,  Boston, 

Massachusetts. 
Librarian,   State    Library,   Boston, 

Massachusetts. 
Lieb,  Frank,  H.,  Millersport. 
Linn,  D.  B.,  Zanesville,  Ohio. 
Little,  Dr.  James,  Logan. 
Lockwood,  C.  B.,  Cleveland. 
Love,  N.  B.  C,  Upper' Sandusky. 
Lovejoy,  Mrs.  N.  E.,  Columbus. 
Loving,  Dr.  Starling,  Columbus. 
Loy,  Rev.  M.,  Columbus. 
Lukens,  Prof.  J.  F.,  Lebanon. 
Luse,  L.  H.,  M.  D.,  West  Mentor. 


Lyman,  R.  H.,  Cincinnati. 

McClymond,  J.  W.  Massillon. 

McCord,  David  A.,  Oxford. 

McCormick,  A.  W.,  Cincinnati. 

McCullough,  H.  J.,  Delaware. 

McCurdy,  Robt.,  Youngstown. 

McFadden,  H.  H.,  Steubenville. 

McFadden,  Jno.  F.,  Columbus. 

McGettigan,  John  E.,  Indianapolis. 

Mcintosh,  Mrs.  C.  J.,  Beverly. 

Mcintosh,  Mrs.  Eliza,  Beverly. 
*McIntosh,  E.  S.  Beverly. 

McKinley,  James,  Canton. 

McKown,  G.  E.,  M.  D.,  Mt.  Vernon. 

McLean,  Rev.  J.  P.,  Hamilton. 

McMahon,  J.  A.,  Dayton. 

McMillan,  R.,  Canfield. 

McMillan,  Emerson,  Columbus. 

McNeil,  Jno.  B.,  Lancaster. 

McQuigg,  Geo.,  Pomeroy. 

MacCown,  Townsend,  New  York. 
City. 

Macauley,  Dan'l,  Columbus. 

Manley,  Marcellus,  Galion. 

Markeson,  C.  E.,  Columbus. 

Marks,  E.  N.,  Louisville,  Ky. 

Martin,  Chas.  D.  Lancaster. 

Mather,  Sam'l,  Cleveland. 

Matthews,  Alfred,  Painesville. 
■Mathews,  Stanley,  Washington, 
D.  C. 

May,  Manuel,  Mansfield. 

Meredith,  Levi,  Van  Wert. 

Metz,  Dr.  C.  T.,  Madisonville. 

Miesse,  Dr.  B.  F.,  Chillicothe. 

Miller,  J.  W.,  Cincinnati. 

Miller,  Charles.  C,  Columbus. 

Millikin,  Dr.  Dan'l,  Hamilton. 

Millikin,  Thos.,  Hamilton. 

Mills,  Jno.,  Maiietta. 

Mills,  Wm.  M.,  Marietta. 

Mills,  W.  C.  Mt.  Vernon. 

Mikesell,  Thos.,  Wauseon. 


List  of  Members  of  the  Society. 


327 


Moore,  T.  W.,  Harmar. 
Moore,  W.,  Portsmouth. 
Moorehead,  Warren  K.,  Xenia. 
Morey,  Henry  L.,  Hamilton. 
Morgan,  Geo.  W.,  Mt.  Vernon. 
Morton,  W.  H.,  Columbus. 
Munsell,  Joel,  Sons,  Albany,  N.  Y. 
Munson,  Chas.  E.,  Columbus. 

Nash,  Hon.  Geo.  K.,  Columbus. 
Neil,  Moses  H.,  Columbus. 
Newberry  Library,  The,  Chicago, 

111. 
Nissley,  J.  R.,  Ada. 
Noble,  Warren  P.,  Tiffin. 
Norris,  Chas.  H.,  Marion. 
Nye,  A.  T.,  Marietta. 

•Olds,  C.  N.,  Columbus. 
Orton,  Prof.  Edward,  Columbus. 

Packard,  S.  S.,  New  York  City. 
Palmer,  Corwiu  P.,  Dresden. 
Payne,  H.  B.,  Cleveland. 
Peabody,  Jas.  R.,  Zanesville. 
Peabody,  S.  P.,  Columbus. 
•Pearson,  H.  W.,  Toledo. 
Peaslee,  Jno.  B.,  Cincinnati. 
Peet,  Charles  D.,  New  York  City. 
Peters,  Bernard,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 
Perkins,  Douglas,  Cleveland. 
Perkins,  Henry  B.,  Warren. 
Peters,  Geo.  M.,  Columbus. 
Phillips,  D.  E.,  Columbus. 
Phillips,  R.  E.,  Marietta. 
Pillars,  James,  Lima. 
Plimpton,  H.,  Columbus. 
Poe,  E.  W.,  Columbus. 
Poland,  William,  Chillicothe. 
Pratt,  Aniasa,  Columbus. 
Priest,  F.  W.,  Bryan. 
Prince,  B.  P.,  Springfield. 

Read,  M.  C,  Hudson. 


*Reinhard,  Jacob,  Columbus. 

Renick,  Alex.,  Chillicothe. 
*Renick,  Harness,  Circleville. 

Rice,  Harvey,  Cleveland. 

Robe,  W.  H.,  Cherry  Fork. 
*Robertson,  Andrew  J.,  Sidney. 

Robinson,  Dr.  J.  D.,  Wooster. 

Robinson,  Gen.  Jas.  L.,  Kenton. 

Robinson,  W.  F.,  Harmar. 

Ruggles,  C.  B.,  Cincinnati. 

Rust,  H.  N.,  Columbus. 

Ryan,  Dan'l  J.,  Columbus. 

Sabine,  Hylas,  Richwood. 
*Schenck,    Robt.     C,    Washington, 
D.    C. 

Schueller,  Dr.  J.  B.,  Columbus. 

Schultz,  W.  A.,  Lancaster. 

Scott,  Rev.  W.  H.,  Columbus. 

Scovil,  Rev.  S.  F.,  Wooster. 

Sessions,  Mrs.  Mary,  Columbus. 

Shawan,  J.  A.,  Columbus. 

Smalley,  Allen,  Upper  Sandusky. 

Smith,  Amos,  Chillicothe. 

Smith,  Rev.  N.  S.,  Columbus. 

Smith,  Wm.  Henry,  New  York  City- 
Smith,  W.  R.,  M.  D.,  Hillsboro. 

Snyder,  Jno.  Jr.,  Springfield. 

Snyder,  P.  M..  Marietta. 

Spofford,  Hon.  A.  R.,  Washingtoa 
D.  C. 

Squires,  Andrew,  Cleveland. 

State  His.  Societ)',  Lincoln,  Neb. 

State  Library  Pennsylvania,  Harris- 
burg,  Pa. 

Steele,  Robt.  W.,  Dayton. 

Stevenson,  Job  E.,  Cincinnati. 

Stevenson,  R.  W.,  Wichita,  Kans. 

Stimson,  R.  M.,  Marietta. 

Sturges,  Willis  M.,  Mansfield. 

Sturgiss,  John  E.,  Mansfield. 

Sullivan,  J.  J.,  Cleveland. 

Sullivant,  C.  S.,  Columbus. 

Super,  Dr.  Chas.  W.,  Athens. 


*Pcceased. 


328 


Ohio  Arch,  and  His.  Society  Ptiblicatiotis.        [Vol.  3 


*Swearingen,  Henry  B.,  Circleville. 

Taggart,  J.  B.,  Lewis  Center. 
Taggart,  Rush,  New  York  City. 
*Tappan,  Eli  T.,  Gambier. 
Thompson,  Dr.  H.  A.,  Westerville. 
Thompson,  Dr.  J.  C,  Rollersville. 
Thompson,  Peter  G.,  Cincinnati. 
Thompson,  Ralph,  Springfield. 
Thresher,  E.  M.,  Dayton. 
Thresher,  J.  B.,  Dayton. 
Tod,  Henry,  Youngstown. 
Todd,  Dr.  Jas.  H.,  Wooster. 
Townsend,  Amos,  Cleveland. 
Townsend,  Chas.,  Athens. 
Townshend,  Dr.  N.  S.,  Columbus. 
Turner,  S.  R.,  Marietta. 
Twiss,  George  E.,  Columbus. 
Tyler,  J.  H.,  Napoleon. 
Twitchell,  Dr.  H.  E. 

Vail,  Harry  H.,  Cincinnati. 
Van  Home,  Rev.  Thos.  B.,  Colum- 
bus. 
Van  Metre,  S.  R.,  Marietta. 
Venable,  W.  H.,  Cincinnati. 

Waddell,  Dr.  Wm.,  Chillicothe. 
Waggoner,  Dr.  Joseph,  Ravenna. 
*Waite,  M.  R.,  Washington,  D.  C. 
Waite,  C.  C,  Columbus. 
Wall,  Edw.,  Columbus. 


*Ward,  Durbin,  Cincinnati. 

Warner,  A.  J.,  Marietta. 

Warner,  Dr.  R.  G.,  Columbus. 

Washburn,  Geo.  G.,  Elyria. 

Waters,  Israel  R.  Marietta. 

Watson,  D.  K.,  Columbus. 

Welch,  Agnew,  Ada. 

Welker,  Martin,  Wooster. 

Wells,  C.  K.,  Marietta. 

Wells,  M.  P.,  Marietta. 

Welsh,  J.  M.,  Athens. 
'Wetmore,  C.  J.,  Columbus. 

Wheeler,  F.  A.,  Marietta. 

Whelpley,  W.  W.,  Cincinnati. 
« White,  Dr.  C.  C,  Columbus. 

White,  E.  E.,  Cincinnati. 

Whitely,  Wm.  N.,  Springfield. 

Wick,  Paul,  Youngstown. 

Wilcox,  J.  A.,  Columbus. 

A^illard,  Rev.  Geo.  W.,  Tiffin. 

Williams,  Hon.  A.  J.,  Cleveland. 

Williams,  T.  C,  Columbus. 

Williams,  W.  W.,  Cleveland. 

Williams,  Israel,  Hamilton. 

Wilson,  A.  J.,  Cincinnati. 

Wilttheiss,  C.  T.,  Piqua. 
*Wing,  Chas.  B.,  New  York  City. 

Wright,  G.  Frederick,  Oberlin. 

Wright,  Jos.  F.,  Cincinnati. 
*Wright,  Silas  H.,  Lancaster. 

Young,  Jno.  H.,  Urbana.