The National tribune., 1902-02-27
OLD FRONTIER
TRAGEDIES.
Logan's Life and Death-The
Massacre at the Moravian
Towns-COI. Crawford's Expe-
dition to Upper Sandusky.
BY JACOB SMITH,
Co. ID, 107th o. V. l., Bolivar, o.

Col Crawford was burned at the stake by
the Indians.
To give a full history of Chief Logan
| (whOSe Indian name was Tahgahjutel
would require considerable time and space.
| | Will therefore give an abridged account
of that great chief as / have learned ii
from Henry Howe's Historical Collec-
tiOns, and other works on the pioneer his
tory of the State of Ohio
The old Mingo town, three miles below
| Steubenville, o., was place Of note prior
| to the settlement Of the country. 1t was
the point where the troops of Col VIII
| hanson rendezyoused in the infamous Mo-
ravian campaign, and those of Col. Craw-
! ford, in his unfortunate expedition against
the Sandusky Indians. 1t was also at one
time the residence of Logan, the cele-
brated Mingo Chief whose magnanimity
and eloquence have seldom been equaled.
He was n son of the Cayuga Chief Ski
kellimus, who dwelt at Shameliin, Pa, In
1742, and was converted to Christianity
under the preaching of the MOravian mis-
slonaries. Skikellimus so highly esteemed
James Logan, the then Secretary or Gov
ernOr of the Province of Pennsylvania,
that he named his son for him, and prob
ably had him baptized by the mission
aries.
In early life Logan for while dwelt
in Pennsylvania, and in Days Historical
Collections of that State is a view in
Mifflin County of Logan's Spring, which
will long remain a memorial of this dis
tinguished chief. l copy part of n letter
which was written by the Hon. K. Z.
McClay, Il member of the State Senate,
which tells an incident that occurred at
this spring. and that speaks in praise of
Logan. The writer relates the anecdOte
as he heard it from Judge Brown himself.
who then owned and occupied the Big
S,,,.iV, fp,, Go, zf Il.
vile.
"The first time I ever saw that snring
my brother and myself had wandered out
Of the valley in search of land. and find
ing 1t very good, we were looking about
for springs. Shortly after this we started
bear, and separated to get a shot Mt him.
| was travelling along, looking about on
the rising ground for the bear. when l
came suddenly upon the spring, and be-
ing dry, and more rejoiced to find so fine
n spring than to have killed dozen bears.
| set my rifle against a bush and rushed
down to the bank and lay down to drink.
Upon putting my head down | saw re-
fected in the water. on the opposite side.
the shadow of a tall Indian. | sprang to
my rifle, when the Indian gave a yell.
whether for peace or war l could not on
the instant determine; but upon seizing
my rife and facing him he opened the pan
of his gun, threw out the printing and
extended his open palm toward me in
token Of friendship. After 1utting down
our guns we met at the spring and shook
hands. This was Logan. one of the best
specimens Of humanity | ever met with.
either white or red. We remained to-
gether in the valley a week, looking fer
springs and selecting lands. and laid the
foundation of friendship which has never
had the slightest interruption.
We visited Logan at his camp at Lo-
gan's Spring. Here one of our party shot
Mt a mark with him for a dollar shot.
Logan lost four or five rounds. and ac-
knowledged himself beaten. When we
were about to leave him he went into his
hut and brought out as many deerskins as
he had lost dollars, and handed them to
the victor, who refused to take them. say
ing that we had been his guests, and did
not come to rob him: that the shooting
had been only q trial of skill, and the bet
merely nominal Logan drew himself up
with great dignity and said: "Me bet to
make you shoot your best; me gentleman,
and me take your dollar if me beat" So
he was obliged to take the skins or affront
our friend whose nice sense of honor
would not permit him to receive even n
horn of powder in return"
Logan supported his family by killing
deer, dressing the skins and selling them
to the whites. On one occasion he sold
quite parcel to one De Yong, a tailor.
who in those days dealt extensively in
buckskin breeches. Logan received his
pay, according to stipulation, in wheat
The wheat, on being taken to the mill,
was found so worthless that the miller re-
fused to grind it. Logan attempted in
vain to obtain redress from the tailor, and
finally took the matter before his friend. |
Judge Brown, then n Magistrate: and on
the Judges questioning him as to the quail |
ity of the wheat. and what was in it, Lo-
gan could not find words to express the |
precise nature of the article with which |
the wheat was adulterated. hut said that |
in appearance it resembled the wheat |
itself. "Then it must have been cheat"
said the Judge. "Yoh" said Logan;
that very good name for him." A deci- |
sion was awarded in LoGan's favor, when |
the Judge explained TO him the principles |
and operations Of civil law. Law good" |
said Logan; make rogueS pay" But |
how much more simple and efficient was
pressed upon his heart to do as he would |
be done BY
Logan took no part in the old French |
war, which ended in 17G0. except that of |
a peacemaker, and was always the friend .
Df the white people until the base mur-
Ter of his family, to which has been at
-ributed the origin of Dunmore's war.
LpSau tIiliSEtteu WIFI MS Iallllly 10 |
Ohio in 1910. and settled in jefferson
County near the mouth of Yellow Creek.
It was about the last of April, 1874, that
Logans family, consisting of wife daugh-
er and brother, were basely murdered by
some whites under command of Daniel
ireathouse Logan. who had until this
ime been the friend of the whites. now
'aised the hatchet with declaration that
le would not lay it down until he had
AIKEN 10 for one, which it has been said
le completely fulfilled, by taking 30 scalps
Turing the Summer of 1714, or before the
lose of the DunmOrc war.
| shall not attempt description of Lord
DunmOre's war further than to say that
{ ended in Pickawuy County near Old
Chillcothe. Logan, having followed the
'ourse of the army, settled at Old Chilli
,othe, now Westfall, four miles below
and on the opposite side of the
scioto River from thed Pickaway Plains.
Here he gave himself up to Incorporate
habits, drinking deeply to drown sorrow
It loss of his family and destruction of
lis tribe. 1t was on the farm of James
3oggs, about six miles south of Circle
lille, and two and half miles east of the
Scioto River, under n large elm tree
Known as the Logan Elm, or Treaty Elm
which has been copied upon the pages of
literary journals in Great Britain and
America as a lesson in eloquence This
I'm tree was standing as late as 1876. and
he dimensions as then given were: Gjrth.
70 feet; hight, 20 feet; spread of branches !
n diameter, 120 feet.
The last years of Logan were truly :
Melancholy. He wandered about from :
rlbe to tribe, solitary and lonely man. I