The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1869-01-06
PIONEER HISTORY.
Il TRAIL.

son the block houses along his propos
ed route, from that point to Fort
Neigs in the north west part ofOhio
He left troops at Wooster, Canton and
other points along his course, and or
dered the construction OF block hous.
es, as q place of rendezvous for the
inhabitants, in ease of attack by the
savages. He was conducted from the
block house at Wooster, Wayne
county, by Thomas Eagle, one of the
pioneers of Mohican township, in this
county. He encamped about one and
a half miles north east of the present
site of Hayesville, on what is known
as the Griffin farm. In arriving at
this point, lie passed the Indian vii
lage of Mohican Johns Town, situated
on the flats Just below ~Jeromeville, on
the west side of the Mohfcan creek.
He remained here some two or three
weeks (; and during that period had a
DlOCA hOuSC COIlSlI uCltb Ol liC pAe'
ent site of ~Jeromeville, in which he
placed a small number of soldiers to
protect the sparseiy settled region
along the Mohican valley. His trail
consisted of a path cut through the
forest, of sufficient width, to permit
his baggage wagons and. soldiers to
pass. The trail passed in a north
westerly direction across the north
east corner Of Nermillion township,
into the southern part of Montgom-
cry and Milton townships, then into
Richland comfy in the direction of
Plymouth, and so on in a northwest
erly course toward fort Meigs. This
trail was used for many years as a
road and in some places continues to
be used for that purpose. Prior to
his departure, he ordered the removal
of the Mohican Johnstown Indians,
to Urbana, Ohio. The removal of
these Indians, under the circumstan-
ces, was regarded as an unjustifiable
and cruel act. For these children of
the forest, up tG that time, had shown
much friendship for the whites; and
some of the Chiefs Capt. Pipe and
Johnny Cake) had abandoned the
British, and the Indian tribes of the
northwest, to join their fortunes with
the new settlers. They were conduct
cd by the officers and men, of Gcner-
al Bell, to the region above alluded
to, at a time of year when .heir hunt
ing season should have commenced,
and when their winter supplies should
have been provided. The result was,
that many of them died of starvation
and exposure to the seventies OF the
winter, having no shelters. On his
way across this county, it is believed
he also established a block house, at
the point afterwards known as Beams
Mill, an account Of which will be Civ
when we speak of the removal of
the "Mingoes, or Greentown Indians;
and left some thirty or forty soldiers
there to protect the settlers on the
Black Fork.
THE TRIBE.
There can be but little doubt that
the Indians above alluded TO were a
remnant of the old Connecticut tribe,
which Cooper. by his literary talents
has rendered conspicuous in history.
The west branch of the Muskingum,
known as the White Woman or Mo-
hican, was assigned to the remnant OF
the old Connecticut tribe called the
'sLast of the Mohicans." These Mo-
hicans, were probably fused with the
Canadians and Iroquois, who often
hunted along the branches of the
Black river and the Mohican. The
Mohicans were accustomed to range
northward to Lake Erie, and eastward
the Western Reserve. The
counties fAshland, Richland, Wayne,
Medina, Lorain and Huron, were
their favorite hunting grounds. For
or nine years after the close Of
The wal of IS12, large numbers ofthese
Indians made an annual visit to these
counties, put up lodges and hunted
every autumn; brought TIER game
and traded with the people Of Jerome
Wooster, Mansfield and other
for ammunition, whisky,
clothing and food.
We will now give a brief sketch OF
the principal chiefs and officers Of this
at the time OF their residence in
and near Mohican Johns Town.
DAPrIsTE JEROME.
Baptiste Jerome was born near
Canada, of French parents,
in the year l776 or HI. When Il
of seventeen or eighteen years
of age, he crossed the lake with some
emlgrants, and settled among
the Indians at the mouth Of the Huron
and married an Indian girl,
supposed to have been the sister of the
Indian chief, George Hamilton. lie
afterwards resided, for a time, among
the Indians near Upper Sandusky,
and often asserted that he took an &C
tive part with the Indians when Gen.
Anthony Wayne was at fort Meigs in
the year 1885. After the conquest
of the northwestern tribes by that
General, Jerome and his wife and
child, a little girl, settled on what is
the present site of Jeremeville, as IT.
ly as 1904. At the breaking out of
the war of 1879, it was feared his rela-
tionship with the savages might in
.fluence the Indians about the Mohic-
an valley, in their conduct towards
the white Inhabitants. The number
of Indians in that valley was net
known, but they must have heen
quite numerous. When General Bell
passed through the settlement on his
way to fort Nreigs in September, 1912,
he ordered the removal of ell the In