The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1906-07-24
Vengeance hath been meted out.
For the blood of martyrs shed.

and his family, Mr.. Westfell now
started on a short tour down the Tus-
carawas valley, in order to learn still
more of the country further down the
river, and to make notes of incidents
and places of interest as he passed
along. On this part of his trip it was
not his purpose to enter into very spe-
cial details in giving descriptions OF
places, but simply to tell of their ex-
istence In brief manner, and to make
as much progress as possible in his
forward movements so as the sooner
to complete his journey and investiga-
tions.
His object in coming was to make
a tour of tho valley to the junction
of the Tuscarawas with the Musk
ingum, and then by as direct line
as possible return to his home again
with all the information he could OBJ
tain in a journey of this kind.
OF the known Indian towns along
the Tuscarawas river (sometimes call
ed "The Ancient River" Bloody Val
ley" etc. the following are some OF
the number: Tuscarawas, Beaver
town, the Ottawa town near the mouth
of Sugar creek. Three Legstown at
the mouth of Saltwater, King Beavers
Hamlet near the present ntGnadenhutten,
Ge-hel-e-muk-pe-ch -chuk, a Delaware
capital fifteen miles south Of the "Big
Spring." King Newcomerstown at the
present town of that name, Old Wyan-
dot town, White Eyes Hamlet, Gus
talogas town, White Woman's town,
and Goshuckgunk, the present Coshoc-
ton, thirteen in number, and each In
Its day the scene of Indian glory or
captives suffering.
OF Christian towns there were Sho-
enbrun, Gnadenhutten. Salem and
Lichtenaw, each in it's day the scene
of Christian suffering and heather
persecution.
The struggle had been going on be-
tween the palefaced Christians and the
redfaced heather to obtain and retain
possession of the valley for period
of more than thirty years, and as a
result the two races had whipped and
scourged each other out of the val
ley. This conflict between the races
began about the year 1850, and termi-
mated in 1884 after the slaughter of the
Christian Indians at Gnadenhutten aud
the avenging retribution meted out
by the Indians upon Colonel Craw-
ford's army following the slaughter
of the Indians.
In order that the reader may be
better acquainted with the history Of
the Tuscarawas valley, it will be
necessary to briefly notice the tragic
slaughter of the Christian Indians at
Gnadeuhutten by the white settlers,
and the retribution meted out to the
perpetrators by the Indians inhabiting
northern Ohio, northern Virginia and
western Pennsylvania.
Through the labors of Zeisberge1
and other pioneer missionaries, col
ony OF Christian Indians had been
established on the Susquehanna river
Rh OhAoJ ifohid, pul IHdt
they did not enjoy sufficient freedom
from encroachments by the whites up
on their limited territory, and espe-
eially from the temptations and vices
with which they were surrounded, in
order to keep them faithful it would
be necessary to move them to some
other place. where they would in
measure be free from these hindrances
to their prosperity and spiritual well
fare.
Early in the spring of 1772, Zeis-
berger with a deputation of Christian
Indians visited the Indian capital ad-
jacent to the present Newcomerstown,
and secured grant of land from the
Indian chief Netawatwes for the pur-
pose of establishing a mission which
included all the bottom land between
the mouth of saltwater creek and Old
town creek. This grant was shortly
afterward extended south to within
a short distance of Newcomerstown.
BY these two grants they thus OBJ
tanned possession of the greater por-
tion of the bottom lands in the val
ley in the present Tuscarawas county
NAMED A NEW TOWN.
On the 3rd of May, 1872, Zeisberger
and twenty-eight persons located at
big Spring" and called it Shoen-
brun, or Fine Spring. Here on lands
now owned by Elisha Jacobs, Henry
John B. Reed, Alexander
Brown and their descendants they set
about erecting houses, clearing land,
planting corn. etc.
Early in the same year large body
of Christian Indians under charge OF
Rev. John Etwin set out from their
settlement on the Susquehanna for
the Tusearawas valley. They number
ed nearly three hundred persons, had
a large number of horses and cattle.
harrow-teeth, pickaxes. all
kinds of farming utensils and tools,