Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1937-09-09

| Washington on one of his trips to
the Ohio country was actually with
in the boundaries of Morgan county.
More than one hundred years elaps-
ed after La Sale came down the
Muskingum before the English made
much of an attempt to occupy the
interesting history we find that on
Oct. 3, 1854, an expedition left Fort
Pitt, Pittsburgh), with about 1900
men, for the valley of the Mus
kingum They came to the forks Of
the river, (Zanesville), and then
vent up to where Coshocton now is.
to hold a pow-wow with the Indians
encamped at their village there.
This resulted in treaty in which
the Indians agreed to surrender
more than 800 captives they held !.
! Two hundred we're given over at
once, but the others were scattered
and soldiers We're sent out after
them. Some were held at a village
at the Falls of the Muskingum (Dun
can Falls) and when there after
them some of the soldiers went fur
ther down the river after others and
reported on the width of the valley
and the possibilities of cultivation of
the wide bottoms they found AS
they reported they were within few
miles of the Ohio on this trip, we
can assume they passed through
Morgan county to at least as far as
Big Bottom. Certainly they came
down as far as Stockport as the
falls there, known as S;lverheels,
are mentioned. We know that on
the 9th of October, 1870, George
Washington. Captain William Craw-.
ford and DR.. Craik, accompanied by
a party of Indians, were at the
mouth of the Muskingum. Crawford
was afterward burned at the stake IN
Wyandot county in 1882.
In the spring of 1774 the family
OF the famous Indian chief, Logan,
was massacred opposite the mouth
of Yellow creek in Jefferson county.
Logan had been firm friend of the
white settlers before this, but now
he went on the war path he inspir-
ed the Shawnees, the tribe most hos
tile to the white settlers. to go to
war, and the result was terrible
massacre wherever white settlers
We're found. Armed forces were sent
against the Indians to clear them out
of the country. One detachment left
Wheeling in June Of 1774 to wipe
out the towns along the Muskingum.
This was done thoroughly and rec
ord is made of the destruction of
village at the Falls of the Mus
kingum and the lower Falls about
so miles further down the river,
which would lead us to assume that
reference was had to the falls near
Stockport If this be so, we find
that troops have again traversed
Morgan county.
From now on we will be on
ground of which we are more sure.
Fairly complete records are avail
able for events happening after
1775. While they are somewhat
scattered, very good index Of thea
may be found at Washington, and
they are available to any student
who may desire to consult them. The |
ones of most interest, however, will |
be found in smaller libraries scat
tered throughout New England and |
Ohio. While the great majority of |
them have been indexed and studied, |
there are to be found in several IL /
braries, an accumulation of manu
scripts that have not even been read. |
and there can be but little doubt that |
in time, when they are read and |
for consultation, many |
items of interest will appear that |
are today unknown.
(No part of these articles may be |
reproduced without the written per-
Of the publisher).