Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1877-03-30
Historical Collections. of the Mahon-
Ing Valley.

AA6 AAAOge
Eds. Tsl.-The above is the title of the
first volume published by the Mahoning
Valley Historical Society, giving an ac-
count of pioneer reunions, facts, tradi-
tions, biographical sketches, anecdotes,
etc., of more than usual interest to all
who take an interest in historical matters.
The volume contains 522 pages, is neatly
printed, and the only objection that can be
noted is an altogether too long notice of
matters connected with one or two town.
ships of Trumbull county, of little interest
to the general reader. The first 100 pages
is mainly devoted to an account of the pi-
oneer reunion at Youngstown in 1874, CIV
ing letters and addresses from such men as
Prof. j. P. Kirkland, Hon. J. NJ. Long
bridge of Iowa, Gen. B. q. Grierson, Hon.
Thomas Struthers of Penna., G. Tod Ford
of Akron, R. NJ. Grant-an uncle of ex-
President Grant, and others. The outline
history gives an account of the Indian
tribes, articles of agreement, and extin-
guishment of the Indian title to the lands
of the Connecticut Land Company, etc. It
also contains the remembrancesof the skir-
mish with the Indians on the Peninsula, in
the war of 1912, as published in the Fire
Lands Pioneer, by Hon. ]. R. Giddings,
who was private in Capt. Burnhams Co.,
of Kinsman, who was at that time boy 16
years of age. In Sept, 1912, his regiment,
under command of Col. Richard Hayes.
was encamped near the village of Milan,
Huron Co., and belonged to the command
of Brig. Gen. Simon Perkins, of Warren.
In that month, $50 men under command
of Major Frazier, proceeded to Lower San
dusky, where there was a stockade that
had been abandoned upon the surrender of
Gen. Hull at Detroit, which was extended
and called Fort Stephenson. Mr.. GIddings
was one Of a party of about Ga who volun
teered for the purpose of attacking party
of Indians who had been discovered by the
spies. 1t has been stated that he did not
take any part in the skirmish, but was left
in charge of one of the boats; and he him
self states that he acted as oarsman on
board the boat in which the wounded were
placed. Mr.. Giddings states that the In-
dians mutilated the body of one of our
men named Simons, who fell in the skir-
mish, and that his right hand was cut off,
and that the sealping-knife of a chief nam
ed Ornic was left plunged to the hilt in
his breast. Mr.. Giddings had been well
with this Indian, who had pre-
viously resided at a small village on the
east bank of the Pymatuning Creek, in
Wayne. The knife was recognized by some
of the soldiers, and it is supposed that he
left it in the body of Simons as token of |
triumph. As usual, the Indians carried |
away and secreted their own dead, and |
stripped and scalped the bodies if their
foes.
This volume gives an interesting sketch |
of John Stark Edwards, who was elected a |
member Of Congress in 1918 from the 9th
District, being the first congressional cleo
tion after the division of the State into
Gen. Bean of Wooster, was the
opposing candidate. The district then COM
prised the counties of Trumbull, Ashtabu-
la, Geauga, Cuyahoga, Portage, Columbi-
ana, Stark, Tuscarawus, Wayne, Knox
and Richland. He did not live to take his
seat, and died in January, 1918, aged 35
years.
Those persons who have passed through
the centre of the town of Kinsman, could
not fail to notice the fine farming lands of
the late Thomas Kinsman, which were
thought by the earlier settlers to be of an
inferior quality; tract of about 1000
acres in the heart Of the township, was
prairie or opening, and its soil was sup
posed to be too sterile to bear trees, though
covered with grass and low bushes, was
thought to be nearly worthless. An anal
zing committee added to this township a
tract Of 1857 acres Of land in Portage
township to make it average with the
10 ownships of the Reserve. The part of the
township of Kinsman which appeared to
be the poorer, has proved to be the best
and in the township.
The Indian chief 0rnio, is described as
being cross, sulky, and troublesome, in
dealing with the whites, and seemed to de-
light in entering the houses of the settlers