Table Of ContentKECOLliECTIONS
SETTLEMENT
ExVRLY
WABASH
VALLEY.
BY SANDFORD COX
C.
LAFAYETTE:
<X)UalKBHTF;AMBOTICANDJOBPRINTINGIIOVSE,OIlfOSTREET.
ENTERED AOOOKDINOTO ACT OF CONGREeS, IN THE TEAR18G0, IN TUB CLEEK'S OFFICE OF
THE DISTRICT COURT OF THE UMITED 8TATE8 FOE THE DI8TKICT OF IKDIAKA.
3^
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PREFACE.
The favorable reeepfion by the public of the series
of articles on "Old Settlers," over the signature of
"Incog." published in the Lafayette Daily Courier,
during the months of October and November, 1859,
has induced the writer to collect, revise, and re-publish
those articles, with many others^ on the same subject,
which have never heretofore appeared in print.
To the few Old Settlers who slill remain among us,
and the descendants of others who have passed from the
stage of action, as well as many who have emigrated
further west, this Book may contain sufficient inter-
est to secure its perusal, and serve as a pleasant remem-
brancer of the '-'days ofother years"; while the mass of
ourpresentpopulation may be curious to knowsomething
of the character and doings of the early settlers.
AUTHOJi..
INTRODUCTION.
Thirty-six years ago, at which time the hiBtorical skctclies
contained in this little work commence, the greater portion of
Indiana was almost an entire wilderness. Its wide and tangled
forests, and undisturbed prairies were the haunts of wild beasts,
and the home of the wandering Indian. Only here and there
were to be seen the traces of civilization. Little wasthen known
of the country, save it was considered as one of the far-west
—
frontiers with but a sparse population, and thatpopulation long
destined to struggle with the many hardships and privations
incident to a frontier life.
The hai-dy boatman, as he descended the Ohio, could indeed
see, peering through the dense forest, a few isolated log-cabins,
and here and there a small "clearing," to use the significant lan-
guage ofthe country and the times. But these mostly wereclose
along the margin of the river, while backonlyafew milesdistant,
—
was the vast wilderness interior still occupied by its native
forest lords, whose hostile incursions were yet dreaded by the
almost defenceless inhabitants. Bold and determined was the
adventurer, who at that earlyperiod penetrated thewesternwilds,
and sought in the bosom of the wilderness a sequestered home.
But there were to be found those whose enterprise and daring
well qualified them for the aiduous task.
Kentucky and Ohio, which had but lately been settled, amid
all the hardships of border life, and the ularms of savage warfare,
INTRODUCTION.
^were well prepared to furnisli pioneers to subdue another wilder-
ness. And it was only those who were inured to perils, and had
often met the Indian in his ambuscade, that first pressed into the
wildsofIndiana, and laid thefoundation of our presenthappiness
and prosperity. Althoughthe first settlementofthis countrywas
.not as strongly opposed by the Indians as was the settlement of
iKentucky, yet nevertheless manyof ourhardypioneers weremade
the hapless victims of savage vengeance. Although there was
not in general, that open hostility and settled determination, on
the part of the Indians, to maintain the soil, yet there was, if
possible, a more terrible mode of warfare, which the most
sautious vigilance of the settler could not guard against. Mid-
night massacres, and the burning of cabins over the butchered
remains ofthe vanquished, often spread consternationthi-oughout
the border settlements, and added another vial to the just indig-
nation ofthe settler against the savage marauders, who, in their
turn, were frequently made to feel the fierce ban of retributive
vengeance. But in proportion as the small stream ofemigration
gradually increased, these tragedies became less frequent, and the
ruthless Indian was driven still further back into his native
wilderness. The rill of emigration soon swelled into a river,
which poured a strong and steady current ofpopulation into the
hearts of forests which had long stoodundisturbedintheirsylvan
magnificence, but were now doomed to bow before the leveling
axe ofindustry. The Indians, conscious of their inability long
to withstand the encroachments of the whites, who were now
rapidly thronging their borders, began to think seriously of
making a virtue ofnecessity, by selling certain portions of their
domain to the United States, and thereby avoiding further diflS-
culties, which could not result otherwise than to their disadvan-
tage. Their propositions to dispose of their lands were readily
acceded to by the governmentoftheUnitedStates; andonetreaty
after another was held with the different tribes (and there were
INTRODUCTION.
many), who for a scanty remuneration relinquished their claims
to large districts ofexcellent land.
Scarcely were the brands of their conncil-fires extinguished,
ere the forest resounded withtheaxe-man'sblows, andtheprolific
bosom of the earth was made bare for the reception of its new
occupants, who soon made the "wilderness blossom as the rose"
—
the smiles ofCerus to pervade the interior of vast forests, and
the cheerful hum of a thrifty population to greet the car of the
astonished traveler.
How vast the change which a few years have niatle in the
appearance, condition and prospects of Indiana? Where but
lately the Indians held their war-dance, and in frightful panto-
mime and in songs celebrated the heroicdeeds oftheir forefathers
or burnt the devoted captive at the stake, is now the site of a
populous town, containing all the elements of wealth, comfort,
and prosperity. And it may be that on the very spot where the
prophet priest was wont to chant his orisons, and pour his
nightly incantations on the wind, now stands a magnificent
sanctuary dedicated to the worship of the true God. Splendid
— —
dwellings temples of justice, and of learning have taken the
place ofthe wigwam and thegauntletground. Our rivers,which
had long remainedundisturbed, save bythe Frenchman'sperogue,
or the Indian's bark canoe, have since become the crowded chan-
—
nels ofa vast and increasing commerce railroads and telegraph
lines have spread their net-work over the land, as our rich and
varied resources have been developed, and Indiana has taken a
prominent position among her sister States, and has already
become one ofthe brightest stars in the galaxy of freedom.
CHAPTER
I.
YIBIT TO THE FRI60N OF THE INDIAN MURDERERS, I5RIDOE, SAWYER,
HUDSON, AND JOHN BRIDGE, AT THE FALLS OF FALL CREEK, IN
OCTODER, 1824 DESCRIPTION OF THE JAIL AND JAIL-YARD
HARPER SHOT AT, BUT MADE HIS ESCAPE PRISONERS, WHO MUR-
DERED NINE FRIENDLY INDIANS, MOST OF WHOM WERE WOMEN AND
CHILDREN, CONVICTED HUDSON, BRIDGE, AND SAWYER HUNG
JOHN BRIDGE PARDONED BY THE GOVERNOR CROSSING—WHITE
RIVER AT Abbott's ford, on the strawtown trace beck-
worth's TRAVEL THROUGH THE WILDERNESS INDIAN SUMMER
BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPE LOSS OF STOCK, AND FRUITLESS SEARCH
FOR THE SAME TWO BOYS LOST IN THE WILDERNESS.
In furnisliing some extracts from the Journal of the Black
Creek School Master, in relation to the early settlement of the
Wabash Valley, I will first give afew entries made bythe young
journalist while on the road moving to this country. The first
memorandum of any particular interest reads thus
:
Falls of Fall Creek,
[
Madison Co., Ind., October 24, 1824.)
—Mr. Corey, the sheriff, took us in to see the Indian murderers
Bridge, Sawyer, Hudson, and John Bridge. Hudson is now
under sentence ofdeath. He sits apart from the rest, reading a
small Bible. Old man Bridge, his son John, and Sawyer, aro
reclining on the jail floor, dressed in brown pantaloons and blue
linsey hunting shirts. Hudson has on a black woolen wamus,
fastened with a leathern belt. He is quite pe—nitent, talks but
little, and appears to bo about forty years old, heavy set, and
inclines to be corpulent. Old man Bridge and Sawyer talked
freely with father and others on the subject of their confinement.
They each appear to be over fifty years of ago, and are thin and
catlaverous. John Bridge is an over-grown boy ofabouttwenty,
10
who aays liis fatlier and uucle iSawyer werethe cause of hisguilt.
Last night they attempted to choke him to death in prison for
—
disclosing their guilt so say the guards, who relieved him from
their murderous hands.
These prisoners, with one Harper, (who escaped arrest,) ia
cold blood, murdered nine friendly Indians, most of whom were
women and children, while their husbands and fathers were
—
absent on a hunting excursion, cruelly shooting and stabbing
the women, and knocking out the brains of the children against
trees; concealed their dead and mangled bodies in a sink-hole
hard by, then plundered their camp offurs, deer skins, and other
valuables, which were afterwards found concealed under the floor
of Sawyer's cabin. One ofthe Indian women, afterremainingiu
the water in the clay-hole amongst the deadbodies ofher slaugh-
tered relatives for two days andnights, was taken outalive. She
said Bridge and his son. Sawyer, Harper, and Hudson were the
—
murderers lived a few hours, and died.
It is thought here that Harper incited the others to participate
in the bloody tragedy. Moses Cox, clerk of the court, shot at
Harper with a rifle as he escaped precipitately down a hill.
—
The jail is enclosed with pickets logs placed on end in the
ground, about sixteen feet high, forminganareaaroundtheprison
ofabout eight rods square, in which is a guard house, wherein
four sentinels are stationed, Avho keep watch day and night over
the prisoners. The sad condition of these wretched prisoners is
a—nother melancholy proof ofthe truth ofthe scripture declaration
"the way ofthe transgressor is hard."
Alittle brotherof mine, who arrivedtoo latetogainadmittance
with the rest ofus, mounted one ofthe pickets, climbed over the
top, and descended to the ground on the inside. A sentinel who
witnessed the dexterous feat, raised his gun andyelled, "outwith
—
you," the little chap, alarmed at either the whiskers or fire-
arms ofthe "soger," instantly "obeyed orders," and as nimbly
as a squirrel, mounted to the top ofthe picket, grinned defiance
at the sentinel, and descended outside.
To-morrow we start for Crawfordsville, on Sugar river, some
fiixty miles distant. We expect to cross Whiterivernear Straw-
town, then take the wilderness road by Thorntown, Wisehart's,
