Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1862-03-05
Interesting Incidents In the Pioneer
istory OF Trumbull and Ashtabu-
la Counties,

Ia Counties.
Mr.. Joel Blakeslee, in a recent letter to
the Conneaut Reporter, furnishes the fol-
lowing incidents in the earlier history of
this region, which will no doubt be read
with interest at this time:
On that still night in August, 1872, when
suddenly, by express, the horrltic lntelli-
gence OF the surrender of the American
Fortress by Gen. Hull, at Detroit, when
like a shock OF electric fire the alarm was
communicated to every log cabin through
out the southern forests of Erie; then
fired with patriotic zeal, simultaneous
with the heroes of these border regions,
the bold Brigadier General Perkins, of
Trumbull Co., Major General Elijah Wads-
worth, OF Cdnfield, Mahoning Co.. and
Col Richard Hays, of Hartford, Trum-
bull Co., Immediately rallied their forces,
armed with swords. muskets, rifles, fowl
ing pieces, while some few it is stated
armed with pitch-forks for want of some
thing else that would kill. We will here
accompany Col. Hays command to Cleve-
land. A portion of his officers were Mi.
Frazier of Hubbard, Adjutant Startling
Bushnell, Dr. Peter Allen, of Kinsman,
Surgeon, Capt. Joshua Fo6es, of Wayne,
Capt Jedediah Burnham, of Kinsman,
Capt. Hutchins. OF Hartford and others.
Nathaniel Coleman, ESQ.,, of Wayne, Quar-
termaster Sergeant, in the course of thel
campaign performed double duties of
Quartermaster Sergeant and Commissary.
The brilliant maneuvreing Lieut.. Benja-
min Allen, and of the veteran Sergeant
Aaron Rice. of Peninsula memory. But
we are not giving the history of the war,
we are accompanying Col. Hays to Cleve-
land Judge Titus Hays, too figured con-
spicuously in the campaign at the west
Col. Hays with his regiment commenced
his march August oath. from Hartford,
Trumbull Co.-encamped the first night
in Andover. and the next day marched
helter skelter to jefferson. On emerging
from the deep forest into the public square
in Jefferson, the Colonel ordered a halt
formed his regiment, and placing himself
in front, raising himself to his full height
in his stirrups, his right arm extended, his
drawn sword aloft, he gave the following
peremptory order: BE Il remembered that
1, Col. Richard Hays. marched the first reqi-
ment onto the Public Square in jefferson! To
the right face-y5rsoard, march % From the
Public Square the troops marched IN bril-
liant military style to Court Square, where
they encamped in front of the old Brick !
Court House, then not two years Old
to Harpersfeld, it was found !
that the enemy had not penetrated into
the country as expected, and orders were
given for HAYS regiment to be discharged, |
except companies,-Capt. Burnham's, |
y Elha-i or,l Dant HufohT,,cS -hol
-fording Grand River and en-
;amped on ground now occupied by Paines-
vile village. 1t was ascertained at Har
Dersfield that the accomplished disciplin-
lrian, Capt. John Reed, of Ashtabula, and
Capt. Clark Parker, of Painesville, with
Two companies of volunteers had gone on
in hot haste to Huron. Upon arriving at
Cleveland, then rather poor gravelly sec
ton, with a sparse population, Col. Hays
detachment, with several companies of
were attached to Gen. Perkins
command. Here the Cuyahoga being re-
garded frontier, camp discipline was es-
tablished. The first night after Col. HAYS |
arrival, sentries were placed up and down
the river to its mouth. About midnight, |
bang, bang, bang, from the sentries arous-
ed the General. 1t was discovered that |
small feet of what appeared to be Indian |
canoes were gently moving down the riv-
er, probably the vanguard OF a larger force. |
On aseertalning the strength of the ap-
preaching enemy, the supposed Indian
canoes, containing savages, they were
found to be a small feet 'of empty salt
barrels, which some mischievous boys and
some older ones too, had thrown into the
river above the camp to test the courage
OF the troops.
Gen. Wadsworth first established his
headquarters up the Cuyahoga at Portage.
Hon Frederick Madsworth, son OF the
Gen, and Hon. Elisha Whittlesey were
his aids. Gen. Perkins made his first en-
cam mDment some three miles east of the
Huron river. In October, Gen. Wads-
worth resigned his commission to Gen.
Harrison. The Ashtabula and Trumbull
troops in the course of the campaign,
gained the high applause Of Gen. Harri-
son, by their brilliant, bold and success
full maneuVering.
At the early settlement of Ashtabula
Co, Indian encampments were scattered
along most of the larger streams of the
country throughout Northern Ohio. Pre-
Vlously tribe of Massasaugas inhabited
a neat Indian village near the mouth of
the Conneaut Creek, called the Co-ney-ott
Indians, who fed their camp on account
OF the murder of white man bv the
name of Williams. Along the Ashtabula
creek, during number of years after the
early white settlements, numerous parties
from eastern and some from western tribe.
hunted and fished in the proper season:
among whom was occasionally seen the
noted Hank or Henry johnson. Along
Grand River, from Its mouth at Fairport,
through gainesville, Perry, Madison, Har-
persfeld, Austinburg, Morgan, Windsor,
and still up to its source, were encamp-
ments of various nations, manufacturing