Barquilla De Ia Santa Maria BULLETIN of the Catholic Record Society Diocese of Columbus
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Barquilla de Ia Santa Maria BULLETIN of the Catholic Record Society Diocese of Columbus Vol. XXV, No. 2 Feb. IO : St. William ofMaleval February, AD. 2000 William Wiseman's Exploit (Abstracts from The Catholic Telegraph, Continued, from Vol. XXIV, No. 12) The following story is from the Catholic because the events are comparatively recent, the Telegraph ofApril 19, 1849. Its hero is William actors themselves have not all passed away from Wiseman, a Catholic of Old Maryland stock of the stage of action, and of those who have gone, St. Mary's County, born about 1772, who spent their memory and the remembrance of their his later years near West Rushville, Fairfield brave deeds, is cherished in the hearts of their County. immediate descendants. Nevertheless, with regard to that incident of our pioneer annals, For the Catholic Telegraph which I have undertaken to rewrite, I have a €bapttr of ~tonttr J)t~torp observed in Judge Burnett's notes, and Oliver Spencer's narrative, evidence to show that there "THEY LINGER YET," OUR OLD PIONEERS is much uncertainty in even recent history - some speak of romance in the Pioneer History of One who looks at our flourishing city, to which Cincinnati, as in the ambitious pages of David the proud title of "Queen of the West" seems Hume and Thomas Babington Macauley. ungrudgingly conceded, its teaming population, I intend to speak of the attack upon Dunlap's its institutions, literature, magnificent public Station, now Colerain's. It was a stirring event in buildings, and the uncounted evidence of the annals ofHamilton county. It occurred on the progress and civilization which are apparent 9th, 10th, I Ith of February, AD. 1791. Judge everywhere around us, and reflects that only Burnett accurately and vividly describes the about sixty years have rolled by since that which hardships and privations of the pioneers, and the is now the abode of refinement and civilisation necessity which dictated that species of was almost an unbroken wilderness, the scene association or communion, from which Charles presenting only a few log cabins of the homeliest Fourier or St. Simon might have borrowed an construction -- must indeed wonder at the idea. It was the association of the brave for indomitable energy of the race that has subdued mutual protection and defence against -- not the the ruggedness of nature, and with to inquire injustice or avarice of civilized man, but against more minutely into the history of the trials and the remorseless cruelty of a savage foe, goaded it struggles, the dangers and escapes of those who must perhaps be admitted to vengeance by pioneered the wonderful enterprise, equaling uncounted wrongs, and stimulated by an almost the strangeness of eastern fable. apprehension of their coming exile from the land The inquiry, it might be supposed, could be where hitherto had beamed their council-fires, made under circumstances favorable for and where the green sod covered, and the knowing the facts, at least, of actual occurrence, 9 primeval forest sung a ceaseless requiem above Lieut. Kingsbury occupied the fort. It consisted the graves oftheir sires. of a corporal and eleven men, besides the "Those," says Judge Burnett, "whose lands commandant. We give their names, in the hope, were in the same neighborhood united, as one that if, perchance, any of them survive, their family; and a number of associations were testimony may confirm our narrative, and formed, amounting to a dozen or more, who moreover, it would be a gratification to one went out from the neighborhood and protection whom we know to survive (May 1848,) to hear of the garrison at Fort Washington (further out from any who shared with him the dangers and into the wilderness), resolved to maintain their the laurels of frontier warfare. Their names were positions. "Each party erected a strong block Taylor, Neef, O'Neil, O'Leary, Lincoln, Grant, house, near to which their cabins were put up, Strong, Sowers, Murphy, Abel, McVicar and and the whole was enclosed by strong log Wiseman. There were on the north side of the pickets. This being done they commenced fort, Horn, McDonald, Barrett, and Barket, with clearing their lands and preparing for planting their families ; and on the south side, White with their crops. During the day, while they were at his family, and McDonald whose family was not work, one person was placed as sentinel to warn at the station; all of whom were busy at their them oftheir approaching danger. At sunset they clearings during the day, but sought the shelter of retired to the block house and their cabins, taking the fort in the evening. every thing of value within the pickets. In this The leader ofthe Indians was a renegade white manner they proceeded from day to day and from man, infamously notorious as Simon Girty. week to week, till their improvements were There was present also a Shawnee chief of portly sufficiently extensive to support their families. form, who was called Blue Jacket, who after the During this time they depended for subsistence treaty of Greenville talked with our informant of on wild game, obtained at some hazard, more the incidents of the event, and who settled at and than on the scant supplies which they were able it is believed died at Fort Wayne. A Mr. Sloan, to procure form the settlements on the river. with three other persons, were engaged, on the "In a short time these stations gave protection 8th of Feb., 1791 , (Saturday,) in the neigh and food to a large number of destitute families. borhood of the Fort, surveying lands ,when they After they were established the Indians became were attacked by the scouts of the Indian party less annoying to the settlements on the Ohio, as and one man killed, Sloan himself wounded, and part of their time was employed in watching the a third man taken prisoner, namely, Abner Hart, stations. They viewed these stations with great from New Jersey. Sloan and the other person of jealousy, as they had the appearance of the party, succeeded in making good their retreat permanent military establishments intended to into the Fort, which they reached about sunset retain possession of the country. In that they the same evening. It was not apprehended by were correct, and it was fortunate for the country Sloan that the Indians were infesting the Station that the Indians wanted either the skill or the in such large numbers; it was supposed that the means to demolish them." party had been fallen upon by a few stragglers Such an establishment was that called only on a predatory excursion, and a party of five D'UNLAP'S STATION. The fort was on the east or six were dispatched on Sunday to bury the side of the Miami, and was picketed on the three dead man of the surveying party, which was sides, while the fourth was protected by the deep accomplished without molestation, or seeing any water of the stream. A small detachment of evidence that there was a large hostile body in United States troops under the command of their neighborhood. It was owing only to a lucky chance of vi- 10 gilance, on the part of Lieut. Kingsbury, himself, soldiers on the west side, as often as a savage that the Fort was not taken by complete surprise. would peep from the shelter of a dead log or tree, With soldier-like generosity he had yielded his would crack at him with their muskets, and some quarters to the wounded Sloan, and on Sunday undoubtedly were killed, for the remains of two night he occupied himself with entertaining and were afterwards discovered, while others were lively stories, and jocose anecdotes, his small removed and buried by their savage associates. command who were willing to forego their Girty through his interpreter complained, "what wonted repose, and share in the forced vigilance sort of a treaty is this, where you keep up a of their commander. They had however retired constant fire pending the parley?" The com to bed. The sentinels to be sure were duly posted, mandant turned around, and with a soldierly but it was apprehended that they had fallen into oath, threatened instant death to the next one that the arms of the dreamy god, since the alarm fired a musket, but took care to add, sotto voce, which it was theirs to give was first given by the "Kill the rascals ifyou can!" commandant himself. He, towards the dawn of The end of the parley was succeeded by Monday morning, indicated his resolution, to the incessant vollies of musketry from the assailants, company which had kept awake during the night which lasted over two hours, when they retired in the block-house, his purpose of seeking to recruit, threatening to return in the evening to somewhere a place ofrepose. Leaving the block carry all by storm. The garrison was illy provided house for this purpose, in the space of less than with ammunition, having only 24 rounds of five minutes, he gave the alarm by clapping his cartridges per man, and no ordnance, none was hands and crying, "Indians! Indians!" It indicates therefore to be wasted. The enemy renewed the the security in which the garrison was, and how attack in the afternoon with musketry, and also little they expected an attack, that all but the by bows and arrows, firing brands within the sentinels and the commandant were in bed. stockade with the hope of firing the fort. The The alarm was received, with incredulity, yet vollies were continued during the evening each man spring to arms.