Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1867-04-05
Ths Republican.
Historical sketches of Ind
iana.-NO. 6.
pY WARREN TAYLOR.

In the fall of 1912, several military ex
petitions were sent into the Indian cour-
try for the purpose of destroying their
principal towns. One designed for the
destruction of the Kickapoo villages, re-
turned unsuccessful, on account of dissatis-
faction among the troops. One sent from
Fort Wayne marched to the northwest
and destroyed a large Pottowatomie
village on the Elkhart river. In Novem-
Der Colonel Campbell at the head of six
hundred men, destroyed three Miami
villages on the Missine, killed thirty or
forty Indians, and captured about the
same number. During the remainder of
the war with Great Britain, no other
important military events TRANSFERRED in the
territory.
Near the close of 1912, William Henry
Harrison resigned the office of Governor
of the Territory, and after an interval of
several months was succeeded by Thomas
Posey, who had been Colonel under
Gen. Wayne in the revolutionary war, and
a Brigadier under the same officer in the
expedition of 1894. Gov. Posey was a
native of Virginia, and was much esteem
ed as soldier, a civil officer and n
citizen.
In April. 1916, law passed Congress
for the admission of Indiana into the
Union: and at an election held perhaps In
August following. Jonathan Jennings was
chosen Governor. The population of the
State at that time was about $4,000. Gov.
Jennings though not fluent as a speaker,
possessed strong mind, and for many
years was very popular with the people.
tie was for a long time in public life,
having represented the Territory in Con-
gress from 1910 TO 1916, and being in
1919 reelected as Governor of the State.
Intemperance, it is to be regretted, injured
his reputation and influence in the latter
part of his life
In 1921, the seat of government was re-
moved from CorydOn to Indianapolis. The
latter place at that time contained but a
few nuts, and the most of the surrounding
country was wilderness.
What is known by our oldest citizens as
the Fall creek murder took place in the
spring of 1924. The circumstances so far
rs the writer can ascertain, were SubStanti.
ally as follows. y small party of Shawnee
Indians, peaceable and unoffending in theiI
habits, had during the winter been engaged
in hunting and trapping in Madison county.
| This party consisted of three men, three
women and two girls from ten TO twelve
years of age, and perhaps one or two
younger children. Their camp was on
Fall creek, few miles above the present
village of Pendleton, and about thirty
miles northeast from indianapolis. They
had collected q considerable quantity OF
furs, and the desire of securing this proper
ty was, it seems, the prompting cause OF
the crime. 4 wretch named Harper was
the leader in the transaction. Having
secreied in the woods several horses be-
longing to the settlers, he charged the act
to the Indians, expecting TO excite against
| them the enmity of the surrounding inhabi
tants. Through his influence, five persons
and according to some accounts six, were
induced to engage with him in the design
of numbering the entire little community
| Having fired up their courage for the
bloody work by drinking quantity of wills
key, they proceeded TO tie camp, and desir
ed the Indian men TO assist them in hunting
stray cattle. Unsuspicious of trcachcry
| the latter consented, but before proceeding
far their enemies who had purposely fallen
back, fired, and two of the Indians fell, be-
| ing either killed or MORALLY wounded. The
third receiving but slight wound succeed
ed in escaping. The party then went to
the camp and killed all of the women and
III.
in shocking manner TO create the belief
that other Indians had committed the
murder. This at first was the supposition
but some of the guilty actors were SO
unwise as 10 show some of the property
which they had taken from the camp and
this ultimately brought out the whole
action.
OF the murders positively known besides
n ho nt
father and son. two OF the name of Sawyer,
father aud son, and another man named
Hudson. Ii Is said that Harper was never
found; but the other persons concerned
were arrested, and though they subsequent
" escaped and remained for some time al
large, all were finally brought back and
tried with the exception of young Sawyer.
who became witness for the State
Hudson was executed in the spring of ls25,
and few months afterwards Sawyer and
the two Bridges received sentence OF
! death.
The day fixed for the execution arrived.
A vast number OF persons whites and
| Indians, assembled TO view the scene
Sawyer and the elder Bridges were swung
of, and the son of the latter, a youth Of
seventeen or eighteen, expected jim few
minutes TO share the same fate. His coffin
was before him, his father and uncle were
hanging but a few feet distant, and the
dreadful preparations for launching him
into eternity were in full view. 1T this
exciting and thrilling moment James B.
Ray, then acting Governor of the State
took conspicuous position, and announ-
ced the young mans pardon. As the
/ Indians at that time were numerous in the
adjacent country, it was feared that they
would avenge the murder of their people,
and it is not improbable that this catastro-
| nhe was averted by the stern execution