Fremont weekly freeman. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1850-1853, 1852-03-27
Earliest AccOuats Of ohio.


the Indians in the territory now the State of
Ohio. ninety years ago, when the Buf-
falo and Elk ranged in its forests. The Journ-
al of Col Smith was published in pamphlet
at Lexington, KY, in 1899, and his accurate
and intelligent account of the country and In
dians and his adventures among them, renders
it valuable to everyone who feels any interest
in the early history of Ohio. We find the fol-
lowing account in the Dayton Journal:
He was taken prisoner by three Indians, in
i May, 1856, when he was Is years old, about
four miles from Bedford, Pennsylvania. His
captors took him to Fort Du Quensne, where
Pittsburgh now is, and there made him run
the gauntlet. They kept him there TIL after
Braddock's defeat which took place OF the
9th of July the same year He stood upon
the walls of the Fort on the morning OF the
battle, and saw the Indians receive their am
unition. and march off to the field, with the
French and Canadians: in all amounting to
only about 400. In the afternoon he saw
them return victorious, exhibiting the scalps
and plunde they had taken; and in the eve
ming saw them commence the torture of their
prisoners whom they burnt 10 death.
A few days after the battle, the IRdians
took him forty miles up the Allegheny to one
of their towns; and after remaining there
three weeks, they went toanothsr town on the
west branch Of the Muskngum, near the po-
sition of Newark, where they adopted him,
and, s'toashed the 0lite blood out of hina''-.
He then accompanied some of them TO the
old Scioto Salt Springs in jackson county, on
hunt and after returning TO the Muskingum,
went with his adopted brother to Lake Erie.
between Sandusky and Huron Rivers, the
Indian name of which was Caneadooharie,-
They remained in that vicinity about year.
In the fall of 1856, he went with another
of his adopted brothers and party, along the
lake shore, in canoes, to the mouth Of CuYa-
lhoga, which they assembled to the falls. They
remained there until December, making one
hunt over to MuskiBgum and back. Then
they went to she head waters of Big Beaver
land spent the winter, during which the snow
fell, in day and nigh:, to She depth of three
feet
In March, 1857, they returned to the Guy
ahoga Falls, and decended to the mouth of
the river, from which they coasted along the
lake to the mouth of the Maumee. A few
days afterwards, they sailed TO the Detroit
river, and assembled to the Wyandos town on
the Canada shore, opposite Detroit. His des
cription of the French settlements on the Can
ada side below Detroit will be recognized as
perfectly accurate, by any person who may
see them now There has been no change
there in the last hundred years.
i They remained on the Detroit river, until
November, when they coasted round the lake
to the mouth of Maumee. The hunters
spread themselves across the land on the north
side of the river, from it to the lake, and drove
all the game included Within their line down
to the point or cape. They killed about thir-
ty deer. and the squaws and boys in canoes
tomahawking such as took to the water
They then went 10 the Sandusky and ascend
! cd it, until they came 70 the Plains, towards
the head of the Scioto There they had what
they called ring hunt They kindled
\ circle Of fire in the prairie, and as it burned
towards the cen ire, the game crowded before
it into smaller space, when the hunters shot
them. They divided about ten deer apiece
to the hunters engaged
J. After this the company which Smith be-
longed was reduced by various divisions, until
his only companions were an old man and a
boy, with whom he spent the winter on the
west branch of the Scioto, which he calls the
Olentangy. II is the eastern branch which
bears that name, and is the only geographical
inaccuracy in the narrative. The old man
soon became lame, and the support of the
three devolved on Smith. He succeeded in
, killing sufitient game for their wants, until
|. February. 1853, when crust formed on the
snow, and the game could not be approached,
They ware reduced almost to starvation, and
Smith, after living on short allowance for sew
eral days, went cut and hunted two days,
without having anything to eat during the
time, and returned home unsuccessful The
Indian boy made some broth for him, of some
fox and wildcat bones thaElay about the camp,
which he thought delicious. Next day he
started out to hunt again, when he determin-
, ed to run off and try to reach Pennsylvania,
leaving the man and boy to their fate When
he had gone ten OF twelve miles, he saw some
buffaloes, and by heading them and conceal
| ing himself as they approached, was fortunate
enough 60 kill a COW. He built fire and be-
gan TO roast some of the meat; but his hun
ger was so great that he ate it almost raw
When he had satisfied his hunger, his feelings
for the old man and boy returned, and he
loaded himself with meat, after securing the
rest from the wolves, he went back. Next
day, on his way TO bring in another load of
meat he killed bear, and from that time pro-
cured game enough to support them.
In the spring of 1858, they went to Detroit
again, but soon returned and hunted upon
the Sandusky and Scioto until the spring of
1859. Ia April of that year, they visited De-
troit, aud went to Montreal, in an elm bark
canoe. In July he left the Indians privately,
and got on board of French vessel which
had English prisoners on board, that were to
be exchanged. They were, however, removed
to prison Montreal and kept there four months,
sAd at last were semitic Grown Point, and ex-
changed in November.
Early in 1890, he arrived at his home in
Pennsylvania. His people had never knowa
what had become of him, and his sweet heart
had married few days before his return.
He remained in Pennsylvania until 1888,
when he removed to Kentucky. He had spent
one summer, that of 1896 exploring the will
derness of Kentucky. The rest of the time,
from the time of his captivity among the Ind-
s.until his removal, period of 1s years, was
passed in active life He acted a prominent