Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1924-04-24
WRITES OF ABEL SHERMAN
AND MUSKINGUM PIONEERS

Editor Democrat:-The account
given by J. II. Galbraith of the death
OF the celebrated Indian chief Silver
Heels, recalls to mind a story told
by my grandfather, Abel Sherman,
who was d nephew of the Abel Sher-
man killed by Silver Heels.
There is little stream above Bev-
erly, Ohio, tributary of the Mus
kingum river, called Cow Run. One
day in June, 1894, Abel Sherman
went up this run to find his COW.
The tinkling of the cowbell led his
family to the place where two shots
had been heard short time before.
Abel Sherman was found dead, hav-
ing been shot through the heart, and
a dead Indian was found not Tar
away. AS my grandfather related it,
it was supposed that small band
of Indians had surrounded the COW
and kept her moving so as to lure
the owner. When Abel Sherman
saw them, he fired and killed one of
the Indians, one of the others shot
him, and then they hastened away
up the river. as their trail indicated.
1t was believed that these Indians
We're a part Of Silver Heels from up
the Muskingum, who had been raid
ing the white settlements around
Marietta
The Big Bottom massacre had oc-
cured about four years before this.
ION the 2nd of January, 1871 1t
was generally believed by the set
tiers that Silver Heels led the In
dians in this massacre Twelve per
sons lost their lives at that time: A
son Of General Putnam, Zebulon
Thorp, John Stacey. John Camp,
flames Couch, Joseph Clark, John
Farwel, William James, Isaac
Meeks, his wife and two children.
From that time until the treaty of
GreenviIle on the 3rd of August,
1895, the Indians continued to raid
the settlements near the mouth Of
the Muskingum. During this per-
iod several persons were killed by
these prowling savages.
On May 10, 1894, Robert Warth
was killed within 800 yards of Fort
Harmar. Joseph Rogers. Matthew
Kerr, man named Carpenter, and
negro boy were killed near Mariet-
ta man named Davis, a woman
named Dunham, and several OF the
Armstrong family were killed near
Belpre. Major Goodale was captur-
ed near Belpre and taken by the In
dlans to their towns in the north
west, where he died.
Abel Sherman was the last white
man killed by the Indians on the
lower Muskingum.
The Muskingum valley was the
faYorlte home of the Shawneese, and
they disliked to give ii up to white
settlement. Their slogan was mo
Whlte man shall plant corn on the
Musklngum, or Moose Eye" as they
called it. The chief villages of that
tribe We're in the upper valley of
the Tuscarawas and on the Muskin-
gum near Duncan Falls.
Silver Heels was the chief of a
minor band of these Indians, and as
near as can be learned resided on
the banks of a little stream called
Turkey Hen" which flows into the
Muskingum just below where Stock
port now stands, and near the head
OF SILVER Heels ripples, a favorite
hshlng place in early days. From
Silver Heels ripple a ridge extends
down the west side to the distance
Of mile or two. From the summit
OF this hill, on the second day of
January, 1891, Silver Heels and his
young men watched with jealous
eyes the white men in their block
house over on Big Bottom. That
night they began the work OF exter-
mination which they continued i'll a
desultory manner until the treaty
Of Greenville.
After that the white man planted
corn IN peace on the Moose Eye. -
j. NJ. Taylor, Seattle, Wash, April
3, 1924.