The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1860-10-04
For the Paitadium
OLD SETTLERS OF WAYNE co.
no. VII.

eince writing nv las, number I have had
a conflab with an old settler Of Wayne coun.
ty, upon whose statements fnil reliance can
be placed, and found that | was somewhat
in error in my last number, in regard to the
names aud localities of the different forts
and blockhousss erected BY the pioneer in
habitants Of White y ater valley.
He informs me that there was a block.
house enclosed with pickets. built about one
mile below where Abingdon now stands.
for the protection Of the surrounding neigh
borhood into which, at differen. times Of
alarm. the Millers, Christs, Hills. Coxes.
Moffiuts. Lewises, Shelbys, Dyes. S'overs.
and others assembled with their families in
times Of excitement and alarm. There was
a small blockhouse erected on Hanna's
creek into whih h the Waddels, Nutters.
Willitts and others assembled occasionally
in time Of peril. There was another small
blockhouse between the one on Hanna's
creek and College Corner. Besides Green
vile, there was Fort Nesbit. Fort Back and
perhaps another in Dark county. Oaio.--
On the west fork Of White ewater. in the
twelve mile purchase, there was Lewis's sta.
ton, above the Walnut Level, where John
Lewis and his son Richard and their iami-
lies. and = few others took shelter and ap-
piled to Col. George Hunt for protection.
who sent out forces 10 protect them. and
Jsnney's station situated still further west.
At the upper end Of the Walnut Level WAS
Mariindale's station, consisting OF large
enclosed with pickets, in which
the Mar,indales. Gallons. Shaws and two Or
three other families took refuge.
Near this station two or alree young men
we've killed At a sugar camp by the Indians
while boiling sugar water at night. which
produced dismay throughout the whole
and served as fresh cause Of
alarm to the frontier settlers. admonishins
them to repair To their respective forts, for
they did not stay in them oil the time. bit
only during seasons when great danger was
apprehend-d. Below this fort on The Wal
nut Level was B,yd's station. a stockads
fort. A short distance south west of this
tort John Shorlridge VAS kille;! by the In
dians. The news of his death sent a fresh
panic throughout the frontier regions round
about. and caused the isolated settlers 10
look we'll to their firearms aud means Of de-
Tense. A short distance above where Con.
ncrsville now stands was Caldwell's sta ion,
and near the mouth Of Salt Creek, still fur.
tOoT OoWu WAS announcer StOCk6uo IOTt, Wltn-
in a lew rods of which a man was killed
while burning brush after dark.
Col. Hunt furnished troops to guard all
these out posts erected to protect the sparse
" settled neighborhoods in the twelve mile
purchase. - we'll as those lying east of it.
Besides these forts and lockhouses. there
were other family and neighborhood groups
that occasionally assembled for mutual pro.
lection. Of which class was Rue's and Meek's
station alluded to in my last number.
Men and boys then were good at rifle
shooting A squirrels eve, or turkeys
head were marks large enough for them 10
shoot at There were but few big tree, or
big stump target men in those days. Real
er, some of your grandmothers stood sentry
while their hus bands worked in the clearing
or eornfeld.
There WAS an old guinea negro named
Jim. who lived in the family of William
Dye while he wert out to war. Mrs. Dye
and her little children staid OF nights in the
blockhouse situated ust below Abingdon,
and tried to persuade Jim to take refuge
with them; but the pious old African, who
was an arden, and devoted Methodist, de-
clined to accept the kind invitation. He
said he was 'iu the hands of de Lord, who
would take care of him. If it the will
Of de Lord that the Indians should have his
scalp. the will Of de Lord be done; he that
tempered the wind 10 the shorn lamb, and
feeds the young ravens when they cry, will
AXE care of poor old guinea negro totter-
ng on the verge OF the grave" lie was
fond of telling amusing stories to the chill
dren in relation to the manners and customs
of the people in his native A frica. He said
they killed and .at monkes in his country
with as keen a relish as tie Frenchman
would his frogs or the down easter his cod
fish and potatoes. lie said that when the
monkes climbed into the trees to eat cocoa
nuts. the natives would 20 and loll on the
grass under the frees. in sight Of the mon-
kes and would put mtten> on their hands
and leave lot Of little mittens on the ground
ard retire. The initiative. cpmical animals.
as soon as the Africans got out of sight. de-
scend-d from the trees. put on the small
mitiens and cut sundry monkey shines.
val zing around on the ground, and forth.
with the natives would rush out from their
hiding places and capture them while they
of the mit,ens on their hands. What .
cunning russ. what an ingenious trick, prac-
,,sed by an ignorant and harberous people.
Would not such an adroi, Trick take the fr-t
premium At . Yankee notion exhibition and
place its inventor within the suburbs Of Bos-
ton?
ELKHORN.