Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1880-12-25
EORTHERfTRIBUNE.
SATURDAY. DECEMBER 25. 1880.
An OLD SETTLER.
Special correspondence of the Inter-ocean;


Special correspondence of the Inter-Ocean:
COLDwATER, Mich, Dec Your cor
respondent has always had grea
penchant for the antique, whether il
art, life, or literature. This time it i
life-in the oldest living native inhabit
ant of Michigan-thatI am PARTICULAR,
interested. have talked with the sub
ject of this sketch great number o
times, have met him at pioneer gather
ings, and have seen him at patriotic eel
ebratiOns. Mr.. Alexander Odren wa
born i'm Detroit in 1891, and Michigan
has ever since been his home. He hal
undoubtedly lived in Michigan Longer
than any man now living. His first rec
objections of Detroit were when it was {
town about eighty rods square, being
bounded by the fort and river. ArOun(
the whole was line of pickets, eacl
end terminating at the river. Every
third post had loop hole, through which
to fire at an approaching foe. At night
fall guard. with fife and drum, would
gather up the Indians and send them
outside the lines, when they would go to
their camp at Springwells. A sentry
was stationed at each gate during the
night.
TECUMSEd, WITH Ills 6hANEO,
was encamped near the city, and at one
time they were joined by thousands of
Sauks (Sauk) and Foxes, who came down
the river i'm their birch bark canoes un-
der the leadership of chief named Dick
inson. Mr.. Odren describes Tecumseh as
being tall and very ugly-lOOking In
dian. When he was young man Mr..
o. went to Maiden to learn the bakers
trade. While there he knew that hui
man fiend, Simon Girty, who would al
ways get drunk before leaving town, and
when ready to start would mount his
horse and call to Mr.. o. to bring him a
glass of LIQUOR; then he would give the
most diabOlical Indian yell or whOOp to
which Mr.. @. ever listened. Girty was
in the employ of the British government,
but was a renegade American. He was
one of the most brutal fiends that ever
lived, and had massacred whites all the
way from Virginia to Canada. Craw-
louisville, Ohio, was named after one of
his victims, MIR. Crawford, whom he
burned at the stake. This poor victim,
while being slowly consumed, begged for
a drink of water; but this only furnish
ed amusement and increased the hellish
glee of this monster in human form,
and he laughed at his misery. Girty
would cross the river and make his mid
night fOrays upon the unsuspecting set
tiers. Mr.. o., in company with num-
Der of other young men, went out to
Maiden to social party one evening,
and, upon their return, they were met
by British press-gang, who
CAPTURED
five of them, including Mr.. Odren. They
were taken on board the British man-Of-
war, the Queen Charlotte. Two of the
young men, who were native Canadians,
were exchanged. but Odren and the 9TH
or two young Americans were impress
ed into the British service. His employ
or came on board and offered to furnish
them another man if they would release
OIren, but they would not part with
him, and he was kept i'm British service
over year, at the expiration of which
time he Was taken prisoner by Admiral
Perry at the battle of Lake Erie. Previ
Gus to and during the sanguiaary con-
fiict he was second captain of a 24-pOund
gun. When the action commenced the
gun was manned by nine men, but after
the engagement ceased. Mr.. D and one
other man were
THE ONLY LIVING SURVIVORS
of this 'mess," and the other man had
one arm broken in the fight. The first
fatality was the killing of two British
Officers-a captain and lieutenant-by
one cannon ball. The scene was hOrri-
BILE and past description. A twenty-fOur
FOUNDER would NOW a swath fore and
aft, and the blood poured from the port
holes in large streams leaving crimson
trail behind the fleet. Perry's force was
quite largely composed of deserters from
Barclays command at Niagara. and they
fought with great desperation, knowing
that if captured by the British their
lives would pay the penalty. Mr.. o. says
that in number of cases he saw can
nOn-ball strike their wooden vessel Just
above the water, go clear through it and
then go skipping along Onthe other side,
its velocity apparently unimpeded.
Five deSerterS, who were captured
from The British, lwers taken out ane shot
in the presents of the whole army by the
Americans. The Queen Charlotte carri-
ed twenty-four guns on the upper deck
and one swivel gun on the poop. After
the battle Perry forbade his men abusing
the prisoners. Odren helped to rig
PERRY'S DISABLED VESSELS
at Put-in-Bay Island, after which he was
taken to ChillicOthe, Ohio in company
with the rest of the prisoners. One day,
whileOut on furlOugh. he hunted up old
Captain Dyson, who was from Detroit,
and who hac known him while boy, and
with him he went to General McCarty,
the officer in command of the post and
upon his Recommendation he was released
and Immediately enlisted in the Second
rifle regiment, and did what he could to
to repay the British for Obliging him to
fight against his own cOuntrymen. The
war was nearly at an end at this time,
and when they were marched to Detroit
the news of JacksOn's victory at New
Orleans had just been received, and as
they marched i'm after dark the windows
were all Illuminated, and upon inquiry
they were gratified by being told that
peace had been declared. When the re-
belliOn broke out Mr.. Odren was nearly
20 years of age, but his love of country
was as ardent as ever, and he offered his
services to help defend the Union, but
was not accepted. To the recruiting officer
who refused his prOffered services he
said that he could stay in garrison and
handle gun as we'll as any one. He
lad -s---
FOUR SONS IN THE UNION ARMY,
One Of whom gave his life in defense of
his cOuntry's flag. One son was in the
company which captured jeff Davis. He
saw him. come out of the tent and sup
pO.ed it to be woman until he stepped
oyr loo, when those tell-tale boots and
Ioo@ a bofrovad him Ono grandson