The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1853-09-23
WHOLE NO. SS2

ma-caton between the United States and the
TERRITORY Of Spain, as established by Ellicott.
Connected with the regiment of Col.
Sparks were Lieut.. Edmund p. Gaines, late
:he distinguished General E. p. Gaines;
Reuben Chamberlain, I'd lieutenant, after
wards distinguished at the defence OF Fort
Bowyer, under Capt. Lawrence: Capt James
Wilkinson, son OF Gen. J. Wilkinson and
son-in-law of the Hon. Harry Toulmin, Judge,
&c; Lieuts. Ware, Noah, Mathers, &c.
| Col. Sparks resided at the cantonment with
regiment, about one mile west of the fort.
This cantonment was built for the health of
the troops, at which a number of respectable
citizens had their residence, amongst others
the Hon. Judge Toulmin Lieut.. E. p. Gaines
had his residence at the fort, at which place
a guard from the cantonment was renewed
daily
On my arrival at the fort, bringing with
me letters of introduction from Gen. A. Jack
son, Gen. Sewer, (the father-in-law of Col.
SParks,) Gov. Blount, of Tennessee, and
Judges Emmerson and Hugh L. White. of
Knoxville, was requested by the command
ing officer to act as sutler to the troops.
along with the late Col. B. s. Smoot, who
had resigned his post of lieutenant in the re-.
giment and had received the appointment of
sheriff. To the foregoing request was added
polite and friendly invitation from the
colonel commanding to make part of his
family, which was thankfully accepted.
The present highly respectable General
Theo l.. Toulmin, of Mobile, was then
youth, living with his father, Judge Toulmin.
COL Richard Sparks had been in the army
of the United States from young man, and
esteemed Cas was informed) in military
point of view; was illiterate, but possessed
Of good share Of intellectual powers; brave,
cool, and determined on all occasions. He
never attempted to read volume Of any kind,
and with much difficulty made his signature.
Mrs. Sparks, most accomplished lady, was
a daughter Of the aforementioned General
Sewer, of Tennessee. one of the greatly dis
tingished herores of "King's Mountain" I
regularly read the papers to the colonel.
penned his communications to the Secretary
of War, and read to him those from the War
Department. From my becoming a part of
his family, the post held by the amiable lady
was turned over to me as long as the colonel
remained at the fort. Col. Sparks was re-
marked by the officers around him, as also by
citizens who intimately knew him, for a
singulafly tenacious memory. The common
remark of forgetting nothing" was daily ap-
piled to him by even the common soldiery.
The extent to which he exhibited the pe-
culiarities of the Indian character was sub
ject also of common remark, as also his
partality and knowledge of Indian customs
and character. In the enjoyment of his
"siesta' his favorite place was a..buffalo robe
or two on the floor; his most agreeable diet
bear meat, venison, wild turkey opossum, &c.
Indian details were favorte subject of
conversation with him, and in which he in.
dulged, especially when Judge Toulmn and
| Lieutenant Gaines were present, to whose
| society he was quite partial. Frequently
stating the circumstances attending on his
capture by the savages when a child near
Wheeling, on the Ohio; his being adopted
by chief; their family customs; the treat.
ment he received from the family, who lived
near "Plugge's Town." near which place the
Chief Logan lived. One evening, while the
colonel was in one of his details, he dwelt on
the great Chief Logan's family, when Judge
Toulmln caught the name, and some injuries
by him ended by ascertaining that it was the
Chief Logan whose speech Mr.. Jefferson has
handed down in his Notes on Virginia On
making this discovery, the Judge went into a
train Of inquiry that eventuated in a detail
by the colonel o. the whole catastrophe of tbs
murder of Logans family by party of Col.
Cresap's force, and the subsequent conduct
and Speech delivered at "Plugge's Town."
!. h,v I RI
The Judge, after hearing the colonel's de-
tail, asked him if he had ever read Mr.. Jeffer-
sons "Notes on Virginia" to which the colo
mel replied he had never known any other
writing than Mr.. Jetferson's "Declaraton of
Independence"
On subsequent evening, at Lieut.. Gaines's
quarters, Col. Sparks again got on the sub
i, ject of Logan's speech, &c. After the colo
mel had retired the judge proposed to me to
endeavor on favorable occasion to induce
Colonel Sparks to permit me to take down in
writing his statement as nearly in his own
language as possible; to which Lieut. Gane.
added his request, and to which assented.
A few days after the colonel proposed to
me to accompany him on visit to DR..
Chastang's, few miles south of the canton
ment. Returning the colonel stated the
pleasure it appeared TO give Judge Toulmin
: to "hear Indian stores," "the interest he ap-
peared to take in the Indian character" &c.
did you notice the other day how much he
was affected by the account gave him of the
; murder of Logan's family, and especially by
the speech of Logan, made afterwards at
Plugge's Town. | have always been astonish-
ed how those men of great education and
learning can see in the talk of an Indian so
much to interest them. ! always felt more
r interested in the manner in which the war
riors spoke than at what they said. My
friend Gaines has good deal of the feelings
in this way of his father-in-aw." Why, colo
mel, Il replied) it fact, the judge and
Lieut.. Gaines are warm admirers Of the
u character of Logan that you have placed be-
: fore them, and especially with his address
y after the murder of his family; and l will
: candidly say that they would be gratifed to
have your account of the transaction reduced
to writing. "Why, sir, have not the smallest
obiection TO crafty those gentlemen if you