The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1896-11-26


three or Tour yards wide. We stopped
at Buffalo, now Charleston, and Wheel
ing. where there were but few houses
log houses only. There were no set
Elements on this side the Ohio between
Pittsburgh and Marietta, All
the settlers gave us hearty welcome.
1t can scarcely be realized now, by per.
sons born and brought up here, with
what feelings the first settlers well
coined every accession to their number.
They had just passed through time of
scarcity of provisions. This
was in November, 1890. With
in a few days the massacre of the set
Element at Big Bottom took place, which
carried dismay to every mind in the in
FAINT settlements. The news came to
Belpre at evening My mother would
let none of us undress for the night,
saying, If anyone escapes he will not
be naked. Morning came and we were
all alive, but fearful that we should not
live much longer. In the course of the
day consultation of all the inhabit-
ants of Belpre was held and an agree
ment made to build forthwith garri-
son about the center, on the lands of
Ebenezer Battelle, Nathaniel Cushing
and Griffin Greene, esquires. Within a
Jew days II think a week. the eleven
block houses were so far constructed
the people moved into them.
The war continued five years, caus-
ing much terror to the people. The
story goes on:
For greater safety that spring the
people kept their cows on Blennerhas-
IL. 4 Ia. Il -, -,
noes to milk. Some Cont
etta during the war, and short time
| also at Farmers Castle, wlrich was the
name OF this first garrison at Belpre.
Some OF the inhabitants at each sta
| ton in the Territory were enlisted and
| drew pay and rations during the war,
though permitted to stay at home.
| Twice, while we were at Farmer Cas-
tie, Aaron Waldo Putnam and Nathan
iel Little were fred upon and chased
into the garrison. Some cattle were
killed. A large pair of oxen of Captain
Miles were wounded and came in, one
Of them so badly that as was thought
best, he was butchered, and the meal
divided among the people. The heads
of families and all property-owners en-
|
the loss of any one by Indians should
be the loss of the whole, and so each
one should pay to the loser in proper
ton TO the number of the individua
live stock. Mr.. Benoni Hurlburt, one
near the mouth of Little Hooking, sho
through the breast, scalped and toma
hawked. remember seeing the wounds
| 7 a f,,l trrht t,,h 10 tyi 70 a n.
children.
The way in which the people had u
cultivate their lands, by working il
parties, changing work, going armed
and having sentinels, was hard wa,
of living. And having to travel so ia
TO their farms added to their trouble
10 that the people of the upper anC
lower settlements moved back in tn,
fall of '91 and built the upper an(
lower garrisons The news o
we had moved back to the upper set
Element, spread terror throughout al
the infant settlements. But we KEEP
close in our garrisons and the Indian
never attacked a block k-house all tn
into Virginia and killed many NOR
|
There was Major Ezra Putnam
whose son went TO help settle Big Bot
tom, where the massacre occurred, AM
part OF his outfit was his fathers BIZ
iron pot. The writer tells this story
when the appalling news of the mas
sacre of the party by the Indians cam
To Marietta, the people all huddle,
around the messenger, Eleazer Buttard
| m n hn M artl lf,,,l la If hn fYt
: catastrophe, when everyone tremble,
with fear of like destruction soon. OIL,
Major Putnam (who was proba ply thel
in his dotage), after listening TO the sa
story, broke out with this query, 'Di
, you see or hear anything of my big potG
General Rufus Putnam, losing all pa
tience, turned his large wall eyes upol
him and said, Damn your big pot.
Other stories of the Indian troubles ar
told. The last man of the neighborhoo
, TO be killed by the Indians was iona
, Davis, native of Rutland, who wa
5 tomahawked and scalped and stripped
, The poor fellows body was not recover
r ed till the next day, and then the raven
! had picked out the eyes"
Other incidents than war with Ind
ans show the privations of early SCI
. tiers. "The winter of 81 and '92 wa
2 moderate. | remember of running bar,
footed, catching squirrels with othe
, boys and my fathers big gray dog nan
| ed Pull. We frequently made temporar
moccasins for our feet, with the squi
rel skins drawn over our feet wron
? side out, which were quite warm, br
/. they would soon get out of shape an
we would throw them by" Again
| "Tho woods in those times afforde
9 good pasture for cattle and hogs a
I the spring, summer, and fall, and IL
4 cattle would live through the winter
e the woods with but little FEEDING !