The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1948-08-12
The Story of Caesar

Legends are legion, pretty stories
but too often wrong. Usually COM
ing through word of mouth from
generation to generation, they gain
a little in each telling until in the
fnality they wind up as pretty good
yarns. Often however, the factual
tale, when it can be unearthed, is
better than the traditional one.
This is the true story of Caesars
creek, Caesarsville and of Caesar.
Caesars creek is a pretty good
stream. 1t flows through the south
ern part of Greene County and
through the northwestern portion of
Clinton County. With an important
role in the history of Clinton Coun-
ty, it enters often into the annals
of that county's past.
Greene County's most central
southern township was named fol
the creek and one of its earlies
settlements, antedating the count!
seat, was Caesarsville, on the creel
bank near where the Wilmington
Xenia road, State Route 68, crosses
Caesars Legend
Early histories of both Greens
and Clinton counties have it tha
the creek was named for Caesar,
negro slave of an early surveyor
who died while on a trip with hi
master and was buried somewher
on its bank. The writer too, lik
other historians, has related th'
legend and it has been widel!
published. We all were wrong
me, too. The creek got its nam'
from Caesar all right, but not in tn
way tradition has it.
Caesar was a slave, not one wis
died in the service of his master bu
an escapee from Kentucky who raj
off and took up with the Indians
Learning their language, he becam'
an interpreter. But, interpreting
facts as of his own ideas instead o
merely repeating what was said, h
got the Indians and white men int
a mess of troubles before he go
through. Caesar tried to carr!
water on both shoulders"
In Caesars Creek township
Greene County, lived the band o
Shawnees of which the old negr,
was member. Caesars pole shacl
itself was somewhere near wher
Thomas Carneal, in 1900, founde'
Caesarsville.
Caesarsville, about five miles soutl
of Xenia, was designed to be tn
Greene County seat but, thoug
older and a bit larger than Xenia
it lost out in the race and eventually
dwindled to nothing.
Interpreter at Murder Trial
Caesar was a man of note in tn
two counties and his fame extende
much further than that. He was tn
negro who served as interpreter a
the Indian trial and execution o
the Black Chiefs son near Uppe
Sandusky in 184O, for the drunke
murder of John Barnet, half-breec
He then was very old. The youn
murderer's grave, into. which he feI
backwards after the rifle fire, sti
is a sunken spot in a cornfeld alon
the Pennsylvania Railroad.
1t was Caesar who, at the India
village near Caesarsville, gave Simo
| kenton the tip which saved his If
when running the gauntlet mi!
south of Oldtown, near Xenia.' Tha
was in September, 1778, after kento
had been captured by the Indians o
the Ohio River bank and was bein
taken to the large village of Ol
Chillcothe-now Oldtown.
| When the party stopped for re'
near Caesars cabin, the old negl
told Kenton that, if he could escaI
while running the Indian gauntl
and get to the council house in o
Chillicothe ahead of his pursuers,
was a law Of the savages not
: again make him run the gauntlet.
Running Gauntlet
Running the gauntlet was a 70