The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1870-01-20
.sNaa2.

July 11tn. from our enc3mpmonL
ION the beach. east side of the mouth
of Rocky River, we embarked early,
and arrived at the. mouth of Black
River, about noon, and the lake being
rough, we encaanped with Tour boats
in safe harbor, onf west side, in
,aaonth of Black River, near the resi-
dence of John S. Reid whom had
known, ben o few years previous,
helihad resided some three or four
miles from Cleveland City, % the
-NeW6urgh road Z s = Z
! JklS Embarked sSFl ar
rived about the middle Of the day at
Sanduskg' Bay, and stopped att q
bloekh0use, on the north side of the
Bay, on the Peninsula of Danbury-I
updarst6oa ie was called Major Par
sons blockhoqse, and T think it was
nearly opposite to where 1 havee since
found Spdusky, City. We, saw no
settlement here and saw no settler
that T remember but ne-Captain
Charles Parker, who came from south
side,of the Bay, where Understood
RsIfEs7ded Ale Swasthe samez who
wAa q Pionesr in Geauga, now Lake
county, in Mentor. had known him
there when he was acting Sheriff Eof
Geauga county in 1906 and after. We
'had met Halfd1h passed a ssil boat at. .
distance, Just before entering the bay,
which was 1 think the only craft we
had seen on our ways a Those of MS
on Babcock's boat spent the night in
the spbloek house Smith sboat anchored
out i'm heibay.osa4dl Ia sf.it4s.s =, i'sfs4
'sssJui " Iath.ss Both boatsiS proceeded
up the bay,and up Sand " River,
SLOWLY, passing some prairies, but, no
white settlement, and moving SO
slowly that some Of Fps walked along
IHAonespaSt hof the way. While walk
ing we passed oNerf the stubble of In
dian corn patches, A.of the previous
Years, and whiie walking we fell in
with q yenerable and good-looking
old indian, .known to some of our
1qi5ss es al gaanans an old chief
|,,who had sind previous years, had his
camps in Portage county, and had
been good, kind neighbor to the frst
settlers of Mantua, in the winter of
9z1S005 and kflelbedI them fol meat,
at fair rates of exchange, for pumpkins
andsothef small artieles4x He Was stiIl
friendly, while Wilson and other In
dams, had Jeff as and gone tos the
British. We arrived at Widow Whit
laaken,s; on, the west, side, owhereg we
found an improved farm surrounded
by timber land. This, was said to be
| three miles by water from our desti-
nation, the fort or stockade Of Lower
Sand 3sandgskky es IT Yas called. allied.
July 14th. We proceeded up the
river, and landed onahe west side be
low the esfapids, aboatiaDhslf nile from
the fort,-marched up, and were adj
| mitted into the garrison, where we
found Captain Norton, with his COM
pany of about fifty Volunteer Rifle
| men, from Delaware county, Ohio
The fort was stockade Of log pickets
cut about 10 feet, and sevapfight, with
shallow ditch, enclosing about an
acre. Within, was one or two small
houses, in one 6f which was kept the
U. S. store ahd Indian agency, The
Indian agent, Mr.. Varnum, was said
to be Sc SON E Of Hon. Joseph B. Var
mum, of Mass, late the Speakar Of the
U. S. HOUSE, Of IF, epresentatiyes., from
1907 to 1871. We found him very
pleasant, gentlemanly young man.
The fort was some thirty rods wesr
of the river, at'the rapids, and OH thu
nearest high land in an open country
with few scattering oak trees about
| it taon on tliea North, and oak woods at III,
i west, a large confeld en- the.east sidi
{ of the e1river ON the bottom land, and
log house on the frst rise Of land cas-
of the cofnfeld.a "a; That was allathI
farming lor farm houses ou1f 4 ! saw in tha
,sEregiong 4s9.i0 no ,soalo essqa sd' smoa. II
The barracks, ,'sis q soldier a quarter,