The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1906-06-26

years ago he had 1t worked over and
converted intoa shotgun, and none
better can be found Of its kind.
Simon Girty, the white renegade.
figures somewhat upon several occa-
sions In the history of the Tuscarawas
valley. In the year 1779. he headed
party of Mingo Indians and attacked
a relief squad going from Fort Lau-
rens to Fort Pitt. under one Captain
Clark. numbering fourteen men. They
were ambushed near the present town
of Sandyville, a few miles east Of
Fort Laurens. Two of the relief squad
were killed, four wounded and one
taken prisoner.
Before closing this chapter we ap-
pend a short sketch of General John
Gibson's life. From the time of the
completion of Fort Laurens (late In
November) until the following April,
General Gibson was in command at
that place. He was a native of Lam
caster county, Pa, and was born in
1740. His first service was In General
Forbes expedition against the French
and Indians, after which he became
a trader at Fort Pitt, and at the
mouth of Beaver Creek, where he and
two Others were captured by the In
dians, who took him to Virginia, on
the Kenhawa, where they intended to
burn him, but were prevented by
squaw, who adopted him. He remain
ed some time with the Indians, but
returned to Fort Fit in time to take
an acive part in Dunmore's war of
1774. and at Camp Charlotte, seing the
great Logan, one Of whose relations
he had married, he took the liberty
of immortalking Logan by working
up that famous speech. In the Revo-
lutionary war he commanded the
Seventh Virginia regiment, served in
New ork, New Jersey and the western
department, and visited Schoenbrun on
the Tuscarawas, as a government
agent, on his way to carry the great
congress six-foot peace belt to the In
dians.
"In 1879 when he commanded for
time the garrison of Fort Laurens,
such was the Indians fear of Gibson,
the Long Knight" that they never
attempted to assault, but running short
of provisions they made that the ex-
cuse for moving off. General Gibson
soon after proceeded to Fort Pitt
and assumed command there. A party
of Delawares and Mingos, who were
of the Indian army, investing Fort
Laurens, having tried but failed to
Pitt, revenged themselves by going
to the Ohio border, crossing the Mon
onpahela country and killing seven
white settlers. Gibson being apprised
of the murders, took sufficient force
from the fort and pursued the saw
ages. Accidentally he met few In
dians under Little Eagle a Mingo
chief, near Cross Creek, who seeing
Gibson, gave the yell and fired at him,
the ball perforating his coat but do
ing him no harm. Gibson was so near
the chief that raising his sword he
cleaved Little Eagles head from his
body in an instant. Two other saw
ages were slain on the spot. the resi-
due fieeting to the forest. Gibson re-
turned for Fort Pitt, and, as tradition
says, took Little Eagles head with
him to offset the hole in his coat. He
became more than ever the terror of
the warriors, by whom he was called
Long Knife. and ere the war cloud
the term Long Knives was applied
to the Americans generally. After
other labor, such as his expedition
against the northwestern tribes and
failure on account of the inability of
the government to furnish supplies,
etc., and serving for a time as secre-
tary of the Indian territory, he finally
died in 1922 near Braddocksfield, Pa"
General Mcintosh built the fort on
the Tuscarawas, and named it Fort
Laurens in honor of the then presi-
dent of congress, Henry Laurens.
The erection of Fort Laurens never
resulted in any benefit to the United
States as 1t was too far distant from
any point from which supplies could
be sent. and consequently was aban-
doned less than a year after it's erec-
ton.
In order that the tourist of today
may have some idea of the exact To-
cation of Fort Laurens. 1t is only
necessary to go short distance south
Of the present town of Bolivar, and
there on the banks of the Ohio canal
on the opposite side of the road from
the town cemetery may be found the
place where the fort was built.
Ito be continued)