The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-11-04

mel CraWfords forces fought their last battle with the Indians, 1t also marks the spot where once stood the ancient village of Seccaium, most celebrated in Indian legend and song as one of the famous places of Indian history. For hundreds of years before the white man set foot on this continent the San dusl1y, Olentangy and Scioto rivers formed a great water thoroughfare, over which Indian commerce was car ried on between the north and south. Over this route Indian war parties from the lake region swept down upon their enemies in the south, and over the same route oftentimes came the wild Catawas, Natchez and other southern tribes in fierce retaliation.
 From the time when the French first occupied Canada until the opening up and settlement of the United States this same route continued to be the thoroughfare of traffic and travel, not only by the Indians, but by the French traders. Coming anywhere from Can ada or the north or northwest, the ca- noe of the Indian or trader entering the mouth of the Sandusky river was padded up it's sluggish waters until arriving at the bend northeast of Bucy- rus, the canoemen transported their boats and goods across this point to the bend of the Olentangy Cor Whet- stone, as it is now calledD, and thence launching their light craft in the Olen- tangy, padded down to the Scioto, en- tering which they travelled down to the Ohio and into the Mississippi, thus be- ing enabled to travel by water from the great lakes of the north to the Gulf Of Mexico, with a land portage across of only about four miles.
 Near the landing place on the Olen- tangy stood the once great village of Seccaium, famous for centuries as the great mart of Indian commerce. Like the great Nijninovgorod, it was the common ground where all the tribes or the north and south met and exchanged their peltries and wares. Here 1t was | that the great treaties, conclaVes ana | powwoWs of the Indian nations were held. When it first was built no one knows. It was visited by white men in 1850, and even at that day Indian tradl- l tion could not give its age.
 "A Frenchman who passed over this water route in 1850 thus writes Of It; | The Scioto is almost as wide as the 1 Ohio and runs through fertile bottoms or plains, which commence few miles above the river Huskinkas and extend almost to Seccaium. The Olentansy is navigable for boats as far as the Ia nous village of Seccaium. It is at this village that the great portage to the Sandusky river begins, which is but four miles
 "The village stood here in 1869 and was visited by Robert Caveier Sieul de La Salle, the famous discoverer o1 the mouth ofthe Mississippi river and al the vast territory bordering upon thai river La Sale, in company with Dol Her, De Casson and Galinee and his In dian guides and companions passed by water from Montreal to the mouth ol the Sandusky river, thence up the san I dusky and over the portage to this point. where he visited the famous vii 1 lage of Seccaium, remaining severa days: thence passing down the Olcn tangy and Scioto to the Ohio, he plant ed at the mouth of the Scioto the cop per plates (afterward found) bearing the image of the king of France, ant then formally took possession of all tht country in the name of his king. From the mouth of the Scioto he travelet down the Ohio to the Falls of the Ohio where Louisville now stands, there planting other copper plates and like wise taking possession of all of tht country travelled over by him in tht name of the King of France.
 James Smith, who, as a boy. wal ! 1N,y J1,N ind n sylvania in 1775, short time before Braddock's defeat, and who was adopt ed by the Indians and lived with then many years and often travelled over th
 water route l have described, gives lsbrief account of the destruction of Sec caium He does not speak of 1t bein! Seccaium, but I learn from other au thorities that the village described b. him as destroyed was the village 0 Seccaium. He tells that the Catawa
 came from South Carolina, large wa
 party of them, and, landing near tn
 village at night time, when there was light snow on the ground, had a larg
 party of their number walk around tn village on buffalo hoofs and then nov
 to the westward, where an ambuscad
 was formed. In the morning when tn
 people of the village arose they saw tn
 buffalo tracks and at once the greate
 part of the men and boys started Il
 pursuit of what they supposed was herd of buffaloes, and in doing so ra1 into the ambush formed by the vii
 Catawas, who rose up and slaughtere
 them almost to man and burned an
 utterly destroyed their village; an
 thus was wiped out forever the grea
 village of Seccaium, which had stoo
 for hundreds of years the pride and tn
 glory of the Indian nation. .'-Bosto
 Evening Transcript.