Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1871-11-02

The Cleveland, O., Herald, publishes the
following letter from Hon. James A Gar
field to the Secretary Of the Western Re
serve Historical Society:
HIRAM, Oct, 14th, tS7i
a. +. GOODMAN, Sec'y, &c, Cleveland, o.
Dear Sir: While recently spending a
day in Dresden, Ohio, l called on the ven
cradle George w. Cass, whose high ciiar
acter, marked ability and wonderful mem
ory make an hour spent in his company
long to be remembered He has been a
resident of Dresden since 1901, and has
the most perfect recollection of the lead
ing events in the history of the State and
particularly of the Muskingum Valley.
Among many recollections of early scenes
and events in Ohio, the history of 4 Jour
hey made by him in 1897 was of peciiliar
interest to ME as affording basis for un-
derstanding the marvellous growth OF
Ohio. Mr.: Cass, brother of the late Lewis
Cass, is the son of Jonathan Cass. who
was an officer in the army of the revoli-
ton, and after the war was a major of in
fantry and served under General WAYNE
on the northwestern frontier, in the last
decade of the 18th century In 1897, Ma
jor Cass was on duty at Fort Hamilton.
Ohio. In June of that year he received ii
furlough, and, WITH his family, went to
his home in Exeter, n. H. At that peri
od there was but one wiI;te Settlement in
what is now Ohio, that at Marietta, be-
gun in 1888. There were, however, sew
eral military posts, viz: Fort Washington;
now Cincinnati; Fort Hamilton; Fort
Laramie; Fort Recovery; Fort Wayne
and Fort Defiance: Beyond and between
these places lay the unbroken wilderness.
The route taken by Major Cass and his
family was the shortest, both In distaitsE
and time, of any then possible. This il
the route as described to me by Mr.. Cass,
VINO was eleven years old when the Jour
ney was made: They pushed up the Big
Miami in keel boats to near Fort Lara
mie, and thence passed over portage of
three miles to the head waters of the ST.
Mary S river. That stream they descend
ed IN batteaux, and were piloted by half
breed Indian. Mr.. Cass remembers seeipo
vast numbers of fish in the clear waters
as they descended. They passed down
the Maumee to the lake, and thence row
ed along the shore to Detroit. After
waiting at that point about ten days. thev
took passage on board a British schooner
and landed just above Niagara Falls.
They were carted around the falls: and
taking batteaux rowed along the southern
shore OF Lake Ontario, stopping nights
and pitching their tents in the unbrokeu
wilderness until they reached the mouth
OF the Oswego river which theF ascend
ed until they entered small lake; (Mr.
Cass thinks i was Oneida Lake,, and
from that up a small stream, at the head
OF which there was wooden lock, through
which they passed down into the waters
of the Mohawk, and thence to Albany.
There they took stages to Boston and
thence to Exeter, New Hampshire. The
whole journey consumed thres months
the actual running time being seventy Ave
days. The journey from Hamilton, Ohid,
to Exeter, New Hampshire, can now be
made in thirty hours. suggest to the
Historical Society that the precious
personal rccollections of Mr.. Cass
should be preserved. He is most amia
bic and intelligent gentleman, and one of
the few who has seen the whole growth
OF Ohio, almost from the beginning Of
its territorial existence. Though now
eighty five yesrs of age, few young men
Know more fully the history of events
daily transpiring in the world that he,
aud few weigh their significance and ten
dency with more Judgment.
Very truly yours,
j. A. GARFIELD.