The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1878-04-24
The French in the Ohio Valley
Settlement at GaIIipOIis.
BY Y. A, LEWI3.


did not arrive until nearly all
the colonists were there. descend
ed the river in 1901 inS fiat boats
loaded with troops, commanded by
Gen. 81. Clair, destined for an expe-
dition against the Indians; some Of
my coun!rymcn joined that expedi-
ton, among others Count Malartie, a
captain in the French guard of Louis
XVI. Gen. st. Clair made him one
Of his aid-de,camps in the battle, in
which he was severely wounded.
He went back to Philadelphia, from
whence he returned to France. The
Indians were encouraged to greater
depredations and murders, by their
success in this expedition, but most
especially against the American set
Elements. From their intercourse
with the French in Canada, or some
other cause, they seemed less dispos-
ed to trouble US. Immediately after
st. Clair's defeat, Col. sproat COM
manded at Marietta, appointed four
spies for Gallipolis, two Americans,
and two French, of which, l was one
and it was not until after the treaty
at Greonvillc, in 1895, that we were
released.
Notwithstanding the great difficult
ties, the difference of tempers, edn-
cation and professions, the inhabi-
tants lived in harmony and having
little or nothing to do, made them
selves agreeable and useful to each
other. The Americans and hunters
employed by the company, perform
ed the first labors of clearing the
township, which was divided into
lots.
Although the French were willing
to work, yet the clearing Of an Amer
lean forest and its heavy timber was
far more than they could perform.
To immigrate from the eastern States
to the ''far west" is painful enough
nowadays, but how much more so
it must be for citizen of a large
European town! even a farmer Of
the old countries would find it very
hard, if not impossible, to clear land
in the wilderness. Those hunters
were paid blythe colonists to pre-;
pare tlisfr gstdeh giouid, 4s15iefiSas.
Corrective the seeds brought from
Franco; few of the colonists knew
how to make a garden, but they were
guided by few books on that sub
ject, which they had brought like
wise from France. The colony then
began 10 improve in its appearance
and comfort, The fresh provisions
were supplied by the company'shun-
ters, the other came from their mag
azines, When, of the expedition, of
General St. Clair and Wayne, many
of the troops stopped at Gallipolis, to
take provisions, which had been
deposited there for that purpose by
government; the Indians, who no
doubt, often came there in the night,
at last saw the Regulars going morn
ing and evening round the town in
order TO ascertain if there were any
Indian traces, and attacked them,
killing and wounding several-a sol
dier besides other wounds, was tom
ahawked but recovered. A French
colonist, who had tried to raise corn,
at some distance from the town, see.
ing an Indian rising from behind
some brushwood against tree, shot
him in theshoulder; the Indian hear
ing an American patrole, must have
thought that the Frenchman made a
part Of it; and sometime afterward a
Frenchman was killed, and q man
and woman made prisoners as they
were going to collect ashes to make
soap, at some distance from the town.
After this; although the Indians
committed depredations on the Amer
leans OH both sides Of the river the
French had suffered only by the loss
of some cattle carried away until the
murder of the man related above.
The scioto company, in the mean
time, had fulfilled all their engage
monts duringsix months, after which
time they ceased their supply Of pro-
visions to the colonists, and one Of
their agents gave as a reason for it,
that the company had been cheated
by ono or two of their agents in
France, who, having received funds