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KECOLliECTIONS 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^ F5 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 interest 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 wilderness. 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,