The Historical Society of Northwestern Ohio
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
The Historical Society of Northwestern Ohio PresidHt·Editor --------········· WALTER J . S HERMAN Secretary-Treasurer .............. W U.LIAM H. BLACK 1st Vice-Presideat .......... WALT.ER A. EVERSMA N Librarian ········--·-··············-·--·····-NEVIN 0. W IN TER ld Vice-President .....................• RuFus H . B A KER Assistant Librarian ····--··---···················CAR L VJTZ 1d Vice-President ...................... JULIAN H. TYLER Term expiring 1933- Term expiring 1934- Term expiring 1935- Ruirus H. BAl<ltR C HARLES H. SHU-LDS N!.VJN 0 . WJNTIR GEORGI: H . Bl:CICWITH THOMAS H . WALBRIDGE WILLIAM A . GOSLINE TRUSTEES { WILLIAM P. BROER WALTER A. EVERSMAN BLAKE-MORI: GODWJN SILAS E. HURIN RICHARD D. LOGAN GEORGI. D . WJ:LL~I WALTER J. SHUMAN JULIAN H . TYLER EDMUND T . COLLINI 1833 - 1933 OFFICES President-Editor-305 Produce Exchange Building Secretary-Treasurer-16th F loor-2nd National Bank Building THE TOLEDO CENTENNIAL BULLETIN No. 4-VOL. 5 OCTOBER, 1988 BIOGRAPHICAL FIELD NOTES • of Dr. Lyman C. Draper In recognition of the notable achievements of the Toledo and Vicinity people of Toledo during the first century of the 1863-1866 life of the City the Historical Society of North FIRST PRINTING western Ohio in cooperation with the Toledo Museum of Art has arranged an interesting and Published by permiMion of the State Hh1torleal SodeCy of Wh1eon ..1n, whose library contain,. the original note•. appropriate program for the evening of Tuesday, October 24th at eight o'clock at the museum. [ 41] Col. Tho. S. Hunt-(From Gen. John E . Hunt, Toledo, Ohio. Born at The Society cordially invites the local represen Fort Wayne, Ind., April 11th, 1798. ) His father, Col. Tho. S. Hunt, a native of Boston, Mass., served in the Revolutionary War-was with Gen. Wayne's tatives of the Government, State, County and City, forlorn hope at the taking of Stoney Point; having cut down some picke ting, and putting forward his leg through an aperture, Hunt was run through the the officers and members of the many civic, edu cal! of his right leg with a British bayonet, when his assailant was in turn cational, religious and social organizations in To bayonetted by a Sergeant next to him (Hunt). He was, in 1791, Lieut. Col. of Hamtramck's First regiment; and Gen. Hunt thinks, notwithstanding ledo and the public generally to participate in this Lt. Clair's doubt whether that regt. of 500 men, then in the rear, was fortu nate or unfortunate in not being present at the battle of the 4th Nov. '91, Centennial Celebration. that the fate of the battle would have been very different had they been there, to many veterans. He was with Wayne 17 9 3-4; commanded at Fort Defi ance about 18 months-then ordered to Fort Wayne and commanded there about Irving E. Macomber 18 months; and on Col. Hamtramck's death at Detroit, he was ordered there Edmund T. Collins [ 42] William Baker to succeed him; and after a few months, perhaps, was ordered to St. Louis, Committee of Arrangements. in 1803-just after the great fire at Detroit-took his whole regiment in 50 battoes up the Maumee--over the Portage-down the Wabash and Ohio, and up the Mississippi to St. Louis. He died at Bellefontaine, Mo. in 1807, aged 52; his widow never smiled afterwards and followed her husband to the grave in three months. Capt. \Vm. Wells-When nine years of age he was taken prisoner in Kentucky; he said he was adopted by Little Turtle (or some relative)-that he fought with the Indians at St. Clair's defeat and killed nine Americans; that he afterwards got to reflecting upon his course, and concluded it was wrong, and left the Indians and his own family, and joined Wayne. The Historical Societr of Northwestern Ohio Robt. McClellan bantered Wells to go on a scout-they struck an Indian before Hull's surrender; and the order reaching Fort Wayne, Wells desired trail-probably west of Fort Wayne-and followed it till second day at night to bring olr in safety his niece Miss Heald, and the others, took the dispatch -thirteen, all told, of McClellan & Wells' party; found from indications, that and twenty chosen Miamis, and started for Chicago to escort them in. Heald the Indian ·party whom they were pursuing were from 15 to 25 in number. before leaving the Fort held a council with the Indians-mostly Pottawat The whites stopped-Wells dressing himself up as a Miami warrior, and the tamies, and told them that he was going to vacate the Fort the next day. plan was for the whole Wells, thoroughly acquainted with the Indian character told Heald that he would be attacked-that the Indians, with whom he had mingled, did not [43] say so, but he judged it from their appearance and actions. As they left the Fort, Wells blacked his face, as Indians do when going to battle--lndicating party to advance as near they could with safety, in the night, in line-and that he understood the Wells to advance boldly to the camp when at a concerted signal with his hand, McClellan and his party were to rush on and shoot and tomahawk all they could. Wells went boldly on-was met by the chief of the party-thinks [47] they were Pottawattamies, and shook hands. Wells said he had come from the British Fort Miami, to rally the Indians against the Long Knives. The purposes of the Indians, and was ready for them-took charge of his niece; chief told an old squaw of the party to cook some hominy for the weary and all passed up the beach about a mile and a half; when the Indians, about newly arrived warrior; and Wells getting too animated in his conversation 1500, raised from their coverts and fired on the band of seventy men-the with the chief made unintentionally gestures so that McClellan mistook them Miamies had, Gen. Hunt supposes, retired some other way, conscious of the for the concerted signal-and he and his party rushed on and fired, and the recklessness of the undertaking. Capt. Wells just before the attack, seeing first to fall was the old squaw who tumbled into the fire where she was engaged the impending storm, said to his niece--"Rebecca, I shall be killed; the only in her act of kindness and hospitality-much to Wells regret. Wells had to way to save your life Is for us to separate--we must part." Immediately after cut and hack as best he could with his tomahawk, and the chief and all his parting, she saw him fall from his horse. A Pottawattamie, Benac, told Gen. party- Hunt that the Indians cut Wells' heart out, and each Indian coming along took a bite of it. Gen. Hunt, in 1817, bought of Benac a pair of rifle-barrel [H] pistols, taken from Wells after he was slain, and marked with his initials "W. W.", and sent them to Wells' son-in-law, Dr. Turner of the U. S. Army. twenty-two besides the squaw, were slain, except two, who escaped in the darkness and confusion. Of the whites, only McClellan was shot through the After parting from her uncle, Mrs. Heald thigh, and Wells through the wrist with a ramrod-in such haste were the Indians to make up lost time, and being taken by surprise, as not, in some [48] instances. to readjust their ramrods. On another occasion, while Wells and a party of spies during Wayne's received five flesh wounds, when a Pottawattamie, with whom she was ac War, were on a scout-on the upper Wabash, espied a canoe approaching with quainted, took her, and bade her wade out into the Lake up to her neck, an Indian family, when Wells posted his party behind shelter on shore so as and remain there till after the excitement and fighting was over, when he to rake the whole, when he was surprised to discover that it was Little Turtle would come and get her. with Wells' wife and children; he quickly ordered his men not to fire-called Capt. Heald, the moment the Indians fired on him and his party, ordered the party ashore, and had a pleasant and happy interview, and parted In a charge by his little party, and drove the Indians about a mile and a half peace. Of course Little Turtle was completely In the hands of the whites, Into the prairie-when only seventeen of the seventy were left; and they sur but Wells was too magnanimous to take any ungenerous advantage, or betray rendered on condition that their lives should be spared-Capt. Heald among any implied pledge of honor. the number. [ 45] After the massacre, the Pottawattamie, good as his word, called Mrs. Heald out of the water, and took her up to the Fort, where the Indians by After Wayne's treaty, Wells settled at Fort Wayne-was appointed this time were collected. An old squaw, who had lost a son in the :light, Indian Agent there, and lived with his family about a mile from the Fort attempted to pull Mrs. Heald off the horse on which she had been brought within the forks of the St. Joseph and St. Mary's. His wife was a good looking to the Fort to kill her iu squaw-a daughter of Little Turtle-they had three girls and a boy-the latter graduated at West Point (perhaps William was his name), entered the army, but like most of educated Indians, died of drink soon after. The girls [49] were sent to their relatives in Kentucky and educated-and returning all married well-they appeared well; one married Capt.