Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1895-12-12
Democratic Northwest.
AND HENRY COUNTY NEWS.
EARLY Ohio HISTORY.
Sketch Of the Pioneer Sett Element Of
Ohio.
History of st. Clair's Defeat
Skirmish with the Redskins
Curious Relics.

Inc IOllOWlnB skotCu III huo carly
history OF Ohio, was written by a
man who spent three years among
the Chippewas and Ottawas as gov
ernment teacher:
By virtue of the discoveries of the
adventurous La Sale, a white man
who was supposed to be the first in.
dividual to sail the water Of
Lake Erie, France claimed this vast
tract of country, and tributaries that
were drained by the Mississippi. This
was in April, 1852, when the French
possessions were declared to extend
to the head springs of the Allegheny,
including the Laurel Ridge and every
brook that flowed into the Ohio. Their
undisputed possessions continued un-
til 40 or so posts, missionary stations,
and trading posts were scattered in
various places throughout this vast
wilderness. These improvements con,
tinued up to the middle of the eigh.
teenth century.
In l749 an English trading post
was established on the great Miami at
Ft. Laramie, on the ground that one
Cabot had made the discovery of this
territory prior to one claimed by La
Sale. The French, however, began
carrying off traders as prisoners to
Canada In the year 1852. The Eng
llsh rotallated by force Of arms. Thus
the French and Indian war followed
III which Washington was first
brought prominently before the coun.
try. England became victorious, q
treaty was made and signed February
10, 1868, by France surrenderlng all
of her possessions east of the Missis-
sippl. After years of bloody scenes
of Indian wars, the American inde-
pendence was accomplished. On
April 7, 1888, company of pioneers
who had descended the Ohio under
the leadership of the gallant Putnam,
of revolutionary fame, landed at the
mouth of the Musklngum, and the
city of Marietta became an establish
ed post. The following December the
village of Lozanteville was founded,
now better known as Cincinnati.
The Indians were finally driven
farther and farther into the wilder
ness to the north and northwest, until
they had at length gathered in the
beautiful land lying between the lakes
and the Ohio. 1t was with amaze.
ment and fierce indignation that they
watched these new encroachments
upon their territory of sacrilegious
feet of the pale.faced invaders, and
resolved upon a vigorous resistance.
Indian outrages soon became 90 nu-
merous and frequent that st. Clair,
the governor Of the territory, laid the
matter before Congress. However
after, after Washington himself had
doubted the justice Of a war with the
Indians OF the Wabash, he decided
in October, 1889, to empower St.
Clair to draw 1900 men from west
ern Virginia and Pennsylvania, if said
st. Clair should find it absolutely
necessary.
On the 3Oth of September, 1890,
Gen. Harman began march from
Ft. Washington, at Cincinnati, with
an army of 800 regulars and l,40O
militia. With this handful of SOL
diers, he only accomplished the de-
struction of large quantities OF corn
and burning several Indian villages
along the Maumee, while two of the
detatchments sent out in different di-
rections under the command OF Col.
Hardin, were drawn into ambuscades
and destroyed. I'll
The Indians now began q general
onslaught on all the settlements, de-
termined to exterminate the whites
or drive them from their hunting
grounds.
On the nth of September, 1871,
Gen. St. C.air with powerful army,
left Ludington station, six miles from,
Cincinnati. After advancing 20
miles north, he established Fort