Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1858-10-21
OLIVER PHELPS, !
HENRY CHAMPION, r
ROGER NEWBURY,
SAM'L MATHER. JR..
Directors

ROGER NEWBURY, Oliee'Oi'-
SAML MATHER, JR.,
Under the lead of General Cleaveland, the
first surveying and exploring party was des-
patched on its mission to " New Connecticut" "
Among the surveyors were Augustus Porter,
Seth Pease, Moses Warren, Amos Spafford, J.
Milton Holley, Richard NJ Stoddard, and
Joshua Stow with upwards Of forty assistants
This party proceeded as far west as Science
tady in the month OF June, 1896.
Here they procured battesux or boats, four
in number, in which they ascended the Mohawk
river, passing over the portage at Little Falls,
TO Fort Stanwix (nOw Romeo where, there was
another portage from the Mohawk to Wood
Creek which last empties into Oneida Lake
They followed Wood Creek to the lake, passed
over the same and through its outlet, and down
the Oswego river TO Lake Ontario. They ran
along the South shore of Lake Ontario 10 the
mouth Of the River Niagara, thence up that
stream to Queenston, and after crossing the
" Seven Mile portage, reached Chippewa
From this last mentioned place they eoasted
along the Niagara river and the shore of Lake
Erie to Buffalo.
After holding " talk - With remant Of the
Seneca and Mohawk Indians, headed by Red
Jacket and Col. Brant, and quieting their pre-
tended claims to the Western Reserve Lands by
4 donation of some twelve hundred dollars in
goods, the party again set forth for the prom
ised land" the boats skirting the lake shore,
while majority of the men proceeded by land,
taking with them sundry horses and horned
cattle that had reached them at Buffalo.
After various fortunes, the entire party came
together at COnneaut on the 4th day Of July.
1876, and notwithstanding they were worn with
fatigue and hardships, these brave adventurers
at once resolved to give vent to their patriot
ism by a suitable observance Of their country
birth day.
The diary of General Cleveland, an extract
from which has been kindly furnished US BY his
daughter, Mrs. Francis A. Cleaveland Morgan,
of Norwich, Connecticut, will give us the most
truthful account of this 4" Wilderness" celebra-
ton It reads in this wise
"On this Creek (COnneant), in New COnnee-
ticut landed, July 4, l796, under Gen. Moses
CIeaveland, the surveyors and men sent by the
Connecticut Land Company to survey and setsle
the Connecticut Reserve, and were the first
English people who took possession of it. The
day, memorable as the birth day of American
Independence, and freedom from British tyran-
nv, and commemOrated by all good free-bOrn
sons Of America, and memorable as the day on
which the settlement of this new country COM
menced and IA time may raise her head
amongst the most enlightened and improved
States
s' And after many difficulties, perplexities and
| hardships were sumOunted, and we were on
the good and promised land, felt that Just tn
butte of respect to the day, ought to be paid -
There were, in all, including men, women and
children, 50 In number.
'sThe men, under Capt. Tinker, ranged them
selves on the beach, and fired Federal Salute
Of Is rounds; and then the 18th in honor Of
/ New Connecticut We gave three cheers and
christened the place Port Independence. =
Drank several toasts, to Wit;
al. The President of the United States
49, The State Of New Connecticut
a3. The Connecticut Land Company.
al. Nav the Port of Independence and the
so sons and daughters who have entered it this
day, be successful and prosperous.
IS. Nav these 50 sons and daughters multi
DIV, in I6 years, I6 times 50, closed with three
cheers drank several pals Of grOg, suPPed, and
retired in remarkably good order
Il may not be amiss to give in detail the
names Of the persons who were attached 10 th'
surveying party during. the summer Of 1886 az
the day IS rapidly approaching when they vii
be mentioned with more respect than those VIII,
crossed the water with William Of NORMANDY
for the conquest of England.
They were the following:
. Moses Cleaveland, Augustus Porter, Sell
Pease, Moses Warren, Amos SPaford, Nil
ton HoIley, Richard NJ StOddard, Joshua Stow
/ Theodore Shepard, Joseph Tinker, Joseph Nc
Intyre, George PrOudfOOt, Francis Gay, Samue
Forbes, Elijah Gum, Mrs. Gum and child
Amos Sawten, Stephen Benton, Amos Barber
Samuel Hungerford, VIM. B. Hall, Samue
Davenport, Asa Mason, Ami Atvater, Michae
Coffin, Elisha Ayres, Thomas Harris, Normal
Wilcox, Timothy Dunham, George Goodwin
Shadrsch Benham, Samuel Agnew, Warehsu
Shepard, David Beard, John Bnant, Titus V
Monson, Joseph Landon, Job P. Stiles, Mrs
Stiles, Charles Parker, Ezekiel Morby, Lux
Hanchet, Nathaniel DOane, James Hasket, Jas
Hamilton, Olney F. Rice, John Lock, Olive
Culver, Samuel Spafferd, Stephen Gilbert, anC
Seth Hart, the last named being chaplain to th'
expedition.
After erecting a store house for their proyi
sions. and having aseertained the point Wher
the State line of Pennsylvania came to thi
Lake, the necessary preparations were mad
and companies were organized, consisting Of {
surveyor and seven hands each, for the purpos'
of measuring from the lake down on the Penn
sylvania line to the 4lst degree of latitude
which was the s. E corner Of the Reserve
and thence to run West on that parallel witt
instructions to start surveyor north to tn
Lake at the end Of every FIVE miles. This wa
the great and important work commenced o
subjecting TO the uses liberalization the ground
+ of ''the hunter and and the trapper," for at III
time Of which / speak, the Connecticut West
ern Reserve wore the wilderness garb of untoli
centuries, and the only white inhabitants within
its wide domain, were the family Of French
| man found by our Pioneers on the north sid
, of Sandusky Bay.
Augustus Porter, who was the principal sur
yeyor, in writing to our excellent friend JohI
, Ban, under date Of January 10, ls49, uses tb
following language in respect 10 the change 0
diet, Practiced by his party, when tired OF sal
provisions:
"In making the traverse Mr.. Stow acted a
fiagsman. He, Of course, was always IN ad
vance of the party Rattlesnakes were Plent,
and he, coming first upon them IN his trael
| killed them. had mentioned to him the cir
cumstance of my having been on former oeea
sion, with two or three other persons, thre
! days in the woods without food when We kille'
a rattlesnAke, dressed and cooked it, and, wheth