The French Settlement and Settlers of
Gallipolis. 45
THE FRENCH SETTLEMENT AND SETTLERS OF GALLIPOLIS.
Preceding addresses and other papers
have given the story
of the Scioto Company, under whose
auspices the French set-
tlers came to America. I shall not
attempt to repeat any part
of this history, but begin my narrative
with the sailing of the
first party of emigrants to their new
homes in the unknown
West, which had been described to them
in such glowing terms
by those who had induced them to come.
In February, 1790,
six hundred emigrants set sail from
Havre de Grace. Five
ships had been chartered to take them to
Alexandria, Va., prob-
ably the nearest port to their new
homes. Their experiences
then were inauspicious as an omen in
regard to the future. In
these days of rapid transit, when a
voyage across the ocean rep-
resents a not unpleasant journey of a
few days' duration, we
cannot imagine what it must have been
when, on account of
stormyseas and contrary winds, the
traveler was compelled to
spend weeks, and even months, on the
great deep. Yet such
experiences as the latter were common
once, and they were felt
by the Franch emigrants. A desolate
feeling must have been
theirs then. Behind them was stormy
France, its peace that
was, having been swept from it, with
little hope of its return in
the near future; about them the stormy
waves of old ocean
threatening to engulf them, and thus
violently end their new-
born hopes. Before them-what? A fair
land they believed,
but an uncertainty; they had only man's
representation upon
which to base their hopes, and man is
more than liable to mis-
represent facts when he has a purpose to
gain thereby. The
future only could reveal that which they
so ardently desired to
know, and they awaited its developments,
which, with their
characteristic, sunny disposition, we
believe they did as content-
edly as was possible with men. At
length, after a voyage of
about three months' duration, they
arrived at the town of Alex-
andria, about seventy-five miles up the
river Potomac. Here
they encountered circumstances which
both cheered and de-
pressed them. They were gladdened by a
cordial reception on
the part of the people to whom a
Frenchman was a welcome
visitor in view of the recent benefits
conferred upon the country
46 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications. [VoL. 3
by the assistance of the French Government in the war with the British. The emigrant, no doubt, felt as if his fond hopes were about to be realized, as, with his land titles in his pocket, he landed on these hospitable shores. But he was destined to be bitterly disappointed, for it was not long before he knew that difficulties had arisen, which threatened the complete frustration of his plans. The Scioto Company, from which he had made his purchase, had forfeited its title to the lands, having failed to make the payments according to contract with the government, and consequently their dealings with it were null and void. Furthermore, the lands which they thought they had purchased, had been purchased from the government by another corporation, known as the Ohio Company, and contrary to representation, their prospective homes were far away in the Western land, in a wilderness infested by hostile bands of Indians. A pitiable con- dition, truly, and one which called forth the sympathy of their new-made friends. They were literally strangers in a strange land, and their own country, for which they would naturally yearn under such circumstances, unsafe as a retreat from the dangers which there presented themselves. Their sad condition soon became noised abroad, and reached the ears of those in authority, and ere long a movement was inaugurated, in which President Washington was interested, to compel the Scioto Company to reimburse them the money of which they had been defrauded. As might have been expected, these negotiations occupied much time, and sorely tried the patience of the forlorn emigrants, insomuch that some gave up in despair, and sought other homes, some going to New York and Philadelphia, some settling in Alexandria, and a few return- ing to France. At length an agreement was entered into with Colonel Duer, the Company's agent at New York, whereby, as far as the means under his control would permit, the emigrants should be transported to the West, and established on the Ohio River at a point opposite the mouth of the Big Kanawha, where they expected their town to be located, erect suitable block houses for defence against the attacks of Indians, and survey and lay out a town to be divided among them in proportion to cash paid in Paris by each individual on their lands. A written |
|
The French Settlement and Settlers of
Gallipolis. 47
agreement to this effect was made, and
with such a compromise,
which was more perhaps than they had
dared to hope for, the
emigrants abandoned all claims upon the
lands for which they
held deeds. The second stage journey was
now about to begin.
Wagons and supplies were obtained, and
the travelers departed.
This journey was far more perilous, no
doubt, than the long and
stormy passage across the Atlantic. The
dangers by the way-
side consisted of attacks from the
Indians, sickness and fatigue.
In addition to these, progress was slow
in consequence of the
almost impassable condition of the
roads, and the insufficiency
of the supplies provided for their
maintenance. Their route was
through the Valley of Virginia, near the
town of Winchester;
thence in a north-westerly direction via
Brownsville, Pennsyl-
vania, and to the Ohio. The traveler of
the present day, when
he speeds through this section of the
country, and views it from
the window of his Pullman car, can form
but little idea of the
trials and privations of that long
jonrney. Think of a number
people, including women and little
children, finding a way over
those high mountains, and across swollen
streams, meagerly
supplied with food, and harassed at all
times by fear of the ever-
vigilant savage, and you may fancy the
experience of these emi-
grants. The Scioto Company had
contracted with General
Rufus Putnam to erect buildings and
furnish the settlers with
provisions for a year, and he sent Major
Burnham down from
Fort Harmar on the Muskingum River with
forty men for that
purpose. The first town, under the name
of Fair Haven, had
been laid out by the Company opposite
the mouth of the Kana-
wha, was intended as the point for the
location of the French
settlers, but as the ground was
considered low there, and
liable to overflow, Major Burnham and
his party wisely pro-
ceeded to a point four miles below,
where the high banks could
well withstand the rising waters, as has
been since proved to the
satisfaction of the residents. The
locating party arrived here
June 8th, 1790, and immediately began
the work of preparation
for the settlers, who would make a home
here in the wilderness.
This was no doubt a most arduous
undertaking, but determined
energy made itself felt, and soon there
were evidences that order
would emerge from chaos. Trees, brush,
and other debris made
48 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications. [VOL. 3
way for the houses, which formed the new
town. On what is
now the Public Square were erected
eighty log cabins, twenty
in a row. At each of the corners were
block-houses two stories
in height. In front of the cabins, close
by the river bank, was
a small log breast-work. Above the
cabins, on the square, were
two other parallel rows of cabins,
which, with a high stockade
fence, and block-houses at each of the
upper corners, formed a
sufficient fortification in times of
danger. These upper cabins
were a story and a half in height, built
of hewn logs, and
furnished in better style than those
below, being intended for
the wealthier class, and those appointed
to manage and superin-
tend the interests of the colony. Such
was the home which the
emigrant found for his reception, when,
weary and travel-worn,
he at length reached his final
destination. He had journeyed
far by sea and land, and dreamed bright
dreams, and was it all
for this? A few log cabins with a
background of forest, in
which was the home of the sworn enemy of
the white race.
France is a country no larger in extent
than one of the
average-sized states of the Union, and
at this time its popula-
tion was about twenty-five millions.
Think of five hundred
people from this thickly populated
place, and composed entirely
of those ignorant of what would be
required of them in a new
land-physicians, lawyers, jewelers and
other artisans, a few
mechanics, servants to the exiled
nobility, and many with no
trade or profession-suddenly placed in a
wilderness of this
kind, and infested by wild beasts and
murderous bands of
Indians. They were as inexperienced in
pioneer life as children.
The hardy natures of such rugged
characters as Daniel Boone,
or any one of those who preceded the
march of progress, could
readily combat the difficulties which
were likely to present them-
selves. They knew what to expect in
frontier life, and it was
even with a sense of enjoyment perhaps,
that they engaged in
the work of preparing the way for the
settler. Our French
emigrants, however, could not view the prospects without
consternation and conjecture as to the
many difficulties which
would arise in their work of making the
best of a bad bargain.
The solution of the problem was with
them, and as subsequent
events proved, many of them rose bravely
to the occasion.
The French Settlement and Settlers of
Gallipolis. 49
There are some people whose strength and
grandeur of character
would never be known save by means of
severe tests. Heart
trials most frequently prove to be
blessings in disguise, on
account of the way in which they
represent the true worth of a
man's character. The pure metal cannot
be obtained save
through the medium of the smelting
furnace. Thus it was with
the French settlers at Gallipolis, for
they not only determined to
remain, but made a success of what
appeared a hopeless cause.
At an early meeting of the settlers, the
town was named Galli-
polis (City of the Gauls-French). The
work of making their
new home attractive was long and
arduous, this latter being the
natural result of the inexperience of
the settlers. Everything
that they did had to be learned, and
with as many hard knocks
as a school-boy experiences with his
Latin verbs, but indomitable
perseverance gave its usual testimony,
in that the lesson was
learned. Quoting the words of one who
has written on this sub-
ject: "A description of early
attempts to adapt themselves
to circumstances, would be amusing, but
doubtless was no joke
to them."
A number were seriously wounded, and
some lost their lives
in learning to fell trees. Having no
knowledge of the use of
the axe, some two or three would tackle
a monster of the
forest, girdling the tree, and giving
the death blow at the heart;
as can readily be seen, the tree would
oftentimes slip from the
stump upon the workmen, or more
frequently they (or the
admiring group who were watching the
process) not being able
to tell the direction in which the tree
would fall, would be
crushed to the ground under the heavy
branches. A short
experience of this kind sharpened their
wits, and by placing
strong men at the ends of the two ropes,
the other end being
fastened to the tree, they found that
they could guide it in its
fall, and this operation thereafter
became less dangerous.
It will be seen from such incidents as
this that, although the
settlers were enterprising, courageous,
and willing to work, and
mainly very intelligent, as a class,
they were obliged to suffer by
practical experience before they were
able to adapt themselves
to the new mode of living, or make much
substantial progress in
rendering their situation comfortable,
as we must all suffer, when
Vol. III-4
50 Ohio Arch. and His. Society
Publications. [VOL. 3
we are learning a new
principle in life. We must always learn
effectually, by means
of experience, but experience is quite
frequently a stern
and merciless teacher.
An account of this
settlement, by an eye witness, will
not, we believe, be
uninteresting here. The letter of Mon-
sieur Mentelle to the
American Pioneer, a magazine published
in Cincinnati, in the
April number, 1843, among other matters
contains the following: "I did not arrive till
nearly all the
colonists were there. I descended the river in
1791, in flat
boats loaded with
troops, commanded by General St. Clair,
destined for an
expedition against the Indians. Some of my
countrymen joined
that expedition, among others was Count
Malartie, a captain
of the French Guard of Louis XVI."
Con-
cerning the
settlement at Gallipolis, he said among other things:
"Notwithstanding
the great difficulties, the difference of tem-
pers, education and
professions, the inhabitants lived in har-
mony. The Americans
and hunters employed by the Company,
performed the first
labors of clearing the township which was
divided into lots.
Although the French were willing to work,
yet the clearing of the
American wilderness and its heavy tim-
ber was far more than
they could perform. To migrate from
the eastern States to
the 'far west' is painful enough now-a-days,
but how much more so
must it be for a citizen of a large Eu-
ropean town! Even the
farmer of the old countries would find
it very hard, if not
impossible, to clear land in the wilderness."
The hunters, who
supplied the colonists with fresh meat, " were
paid by the
colonists, to prepare their garden ground, which was
to receive seeds
brought from France; few of the colonists
knew how to make a
garden, but they were guided by books on
that subject,
likewise brought from France. The colony began
to improve in its
appearance and comfort. The fresh provisions
were supplied by the
Company's hunters, the others came from
the magazines."
These represented some of the bright features
of the early life of
the colonists, and all seemed working well,
and no doubt lively
hopes were excited in their breasts that the
difficulties of their
hitherto trying position were lessening, but
again they were
called upon to face disappointment. At this
time it became
apparent that the Scioto Company could not
The French Settlement and Settlers of
Gallipolis. 51
obtain for them any further remuneration
for the impositions
that had been practiced upon them. The
Company had fulfilled
nearly all their engagements for the
first six months, after which
they ceased their supply of provisions
to the colonists, and it
was given as a reason, that one or two
of their agents who had
received the funds in France for the
purchased land, had run off
with the money to England, and the
Company were defrauded
of the whole, without having purchased
or gained title to any
of the tract which they had sold to the
deceived colonists.
An unusually severe winter had set in,
and the rigor of
climate was added to other trials and
difficulties. The Ohio had
frozen over, so that flat boats could
not come down with flour
from above; the hunters no longer had
meat to sell. The peo-
ple were destitute of almost everything
except a scanty supply
of vegetables, and almost a famine was
produced in the settle-
ment. The money and clothes they had
brought with them
were nearly gone; they knew not to whom
to go to get their
lands (for they did not even own their
homes), and their con-
dition became such as to excite despair.
Looking back upon
them through the lapse of years, our
minds are filled with sym-
pathetic thoughts, and the fact that
these difficulties were suc-
cessfully combated kindles within us a
feeling of admiration and
pride. The Pilgrim Fathers, who landed
"on wild New Eng-
gland's shore," and whose hardihood
and determination have
sounded their praises down the ages,
deserve little less laudation
in the pages of history than the
settlers of our town, who have
left, as a rich heritage, to those who
have lived after them, the
testimony of the unconquerable nature of
brave perseverance.
Following this condition of affairs, the
fear of the Indians dis-
turbed their peace of mind.
"When," says Mentelle (speaking
of some months previous of the
expeditions of Generals St.
Clair and Wayne), "many of the
troops stopped at Gallipolis,
the Indians who, no doubt, came there in
the night, at last saw
the regulars going morning and evening
round the town in order
to ascertain if there were any Indian
traces, attacked them, kill-
ing and wounding several- a soldier,
besides other wounds, was
tomahawked, but recovered. A French
colonist, who had tried
to raise cane some distance from town, seeing an Indian rising
52 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications. [VoL. 3
from behind some brushwood against a
tree, shot him in the
shoulder. The Indian, hearing an American patrol, must
have thought that the Frenchman made a
part of it, and
sometime afterward a Frenchman was
killed, and a man
and woman made prisoners as they were
going to collect
ashes to make soap, at some distance
from town. After
this, although the Indians committed
depredations on the
Americans on both sides of the river,
the French had suf-
fered only by the loss of some cattle
carried away, until
the murder of the man referred to. As
the severe winter ad-
vanced, "the dangers from the
Indians augmented every day.
Kanawha had been visited by one of these
sad events, that few
of the present generation can realize,
otherwise than by compar-
ing it to a romantic tale with ghosts. A
Captain Vonbever had
gone to make sugar at a little distance
from and opposite to
Kanawha. He had his negro man with him,
intending to make
sugar and raise corn, but staid to make
sugar only. The camp
was fronting the river and in sight of
Kanawha. They had not
been there long when the negro saw an
Indian running after
him. He warned his master, who was not
far from the house,
and they both entered it at the same
time and secured the door.
The Indian, thinking they had no arms,
and whose intention it
was to carry off the negro, turned back
as soon as he saw them
in the house, and was shot by the negro
with a gun that was
loaded with buck-shot. The alarm spread
to Kanawha; the in-
habitants came in their canoes, thinking
that there might be
more Indians, but on their landing they
saw only the body of a
single one, which, after having stripped
of what he had, they
threw into the river; the corpse floated
down and was carried by
the stream on the shore of Gallipolis
the next day, as if to con-
firm the rumor which they had heard that
morning, and as a
warning to themselves. Captain Vonbever
had let his beard
grow, and had sworn to leave it so until
he should have taken a
complete revenge of the Indians, who had
killed one of his
children.
The expedition against the Indians by
General St. Clair
having met with signal defeat, the
Indians were encouraged to
greater depredations in the Western
land, but fortunately for our
The French Settlement and Settlers of
Gallipolis. 53
colonists they were directed principally
against Americans. The
hostile tribes imagined that the French
settlers were from
Canada, and with the French at that
place they were on terms
of friendship. Immediately after St. Clair's defeat, Colonel
Sproat, of Marietta, appointed four
spies for Gallipolis, one of
whom was Mousieur Mentelle from whom we
quoted a moment
ago. These were released after the
treaty of Greenville in 1795.
Honorable Rufus Putnam, at Marietta, was
the acknowledged
head of all the settlements in
Washington county, which then
embraced a territory now covered by
nearly forty counties, and
to him an application was made and steps
were taken to organize
a defensive force. By his orders,
Colonel Ebenezer Sproat ap-
pointed Captain Dr. Francis Hebecourt, a
man of distinguished
qualifications, to take command. A
Frenchman named Malden
was appointed Lieutenant, and C. R.
Menager, Ensign. A com-
pany of ninety colonists offered their
services, who were divided
into squads of ten, and on each
succeeding day one squad, or
patrol company, was to start out in the
morning to act in con-
junction with the scouts or spies, whose
duty it was to return
every night and report the presence or
absence of Indians. In
this way a defense was kept up until
General Wayne defeated
the Indians at the battle of "
Fallen Timbers," on the Maumee
Rapids, five miles above Perrysburg,
Ohio, August 20th, 1794,
and made the treaty of peace at
Greenville in 1795 with all the
Western tribes. After peace was
declared, a free intercourse
took place between them and the
colonists from Massachusetts
and other New England states at Marietta
and Belpre, and with
settlements at Point Pleasant and
Charleston, Virginia. Thus,
in an alternate atmosphere of hopes and
fears, the colonists
passed the first years of their lives in
the New World. They
were, perhaps, becoming accustomed to
the changed conditions
of their existence. Even in the far away
western wilderness,
they were recognizing home ties, and
pleasant associations were
being formed which endeared this wild
country to them. France,
with its attractions, had passed out of
their lives; such repre-
sented but features of the past, and
would be to them but fond
recollections of what had been. There
was one great difficulty
which had to be surmounted, however,
before they could reso-
54 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications. [VOL. 3
lutely face life in this country. The
titles to their homes had
never been perfected; indeed, there was
every reason to suppose
that they were living on land which
belonged to other people.
Although it had been sold to them by the
Scioto Company,
which had transported them thither, the
fact remained that the
Ohio Company still held the titles to
it, inasmuch as that corpora-
tion had bought and paid for it, and
there had been no just or
legal transfer of it to other parties,
it was but rational that the
owners should be demanding their rights.
This dilemma which
they had known that they must face, when
it reached its climax,
brought with it its disheartening
influences; indeed, so great
must have been the discouragements that
the disruption of all
the new ties must have been threatened.
A letter from Mr.
B. J. D. Le Ture, a Gallipolis merchant,
who had removed to
Cincinnati for business purposes, and
which is now in the
possession of Maj. E. C. Dawes, of
Cincinnati, throws some
light on the situation at this time. It
is written under date of
July 6th, 1792, and is addressed to Mr.
John Matthews at
Gallipolis. Mr. Le Ture says: "The
situation of the colony
alarms me much. I cannot think so many
people will be sacri-
ficed to a few speculators. Should
anything turn up that would
oblige me to go to the settlement, I
believe it will be in my
power to advise them on the methods they
are to take in order
to have justice done them." Some of
the colonists became dis-
heartened and went off and settled
elsewhere with the means
that remained to them, and resumed their
trades in more popu-
lous parts of the country. Others led a
half savage life, com-
mon among pioneers, as hunters for
skins; and affairs, for a
time, wore a gloomy aspect. The more
determined ones, how-
ever, who appear to have represented the
rank and file of the
colony resolved upon a course of action,
which, if successful,
would give them homes which they so
ardently craved. Six
years had now passed since they had
sailed from Havre de
Grace, and an enumeration showed that
but three hundred of
them were left. These, in general
assembly, resolved to make a
memorial of their grievances and send it
to Congress. The
memorial claimed no right from that
body, but was a detail of
their wrongs and sufferings, together
with an appeal to the
The French Settlement and Settlers of
Gallipolis. 55
generosity of the government, and they
did not appeal in vain.
Monsieur Jean G. Gervais started with
the petition, and at
Philadelphia met with a lawyer, M.
Duponceau, through whose
aid he obtained from Congress a grant of
twenty-four thousand
acres of land, known as the "
French Grant," and located oppo-
site the Little Sandy, for the people
who still remained in Galli-
polis. The act annexed the condition of
settling on the lands
for three years before the deed of gift
would be given. M.
Gervais received four thousand acres of
this land for his serv-
ices in the matter, according to
previous agreement. Each in-
habitant had thus a tract of two hundred
and seventeen and a
half acres of land; but before the
surveys and other arrange-
ments could be made, some time was
necessary during which
those who had reclaimed the wilderness
and improved Gallipolis,
being reluctant to lose all their labor,
and finding that a com-
pany, owning the lands at Marietta, had
met to divide lands,
which they had purchased in a common
stock, the colonists sent
a deputation with a proposal to sell to
them the tract where
Gallipolis is situated, and to be paid
in proportion to what was
improved, which was accepted. When at
last the distribution
of the French grant was achieved, some
sold their share, others
went to settle on it, while many sent
tenants, and either re-
mained at Gallipolis or went elsewhere.
Colonel Robert Safford,
so familiarly known as one of the number
of Major Burnham's
band, who felled the first tree on the
site of what was afterward
Gallipolis, was present at the drawing
of these lots, and has
thus related the circumstances:
"General Putnam appointed
Mr. Martin to survey the grant, and
after this was done and the
lots numbered, Messrs. Manmey, Putnam
and Talmadge ap-
pointed a day when all who were to get
land were to meet in the
public square. The day came and all
assembled. The names
of those having an interest were written
upon square pieces of
paper, and as many like pieces were
numbered. The papers
were placed in two small boxes, two
clerks were appointed and
two disinterested men were selected, to
each of whom one of
the boxes was given. When all was ready,
the boxes were
shaken and then opened. Colonel Safford
was selected to draw
out the papers which were numbered. As
he drew out one and
56 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications. [VoL. 3
announced the number the clerk took it
down, then from the
other box a name was drawn which, being
announced, was
taken down as the owner of the number
just drawn. They pro-
ceeded thus until the whole number were
distributed."
After a long time, as it appeared to the
settler, some of the
hopes which had encouraged him, were
realized, in that the
French grant had been obtained and
Gallipolis had become the
property of its citizens. True, there
were not many left, com-
paratively speaking, to enjoy the homes
which had been won in
so laborious and perilous a manner, but
there was deep satisfac-
tion, no doubt, in realizing, that
although the fierce battle had
been fought, the victory was won.
Now, having described the inauguration
and accomplish-
ment of this enterprise of establishing
a colony and build-
ing a town on the banks of the Ohio, we
will turn our
attention, for a brief period, to the
topography of Galli-
polis, in the first stages of its
growth. We have before us
a map of the town and surrounding
country as they were in
earlier days. It represents the plan of
the lots drawn by the
inhabitants of Gallipolis January 20,
1791, and the outlines of
the city are very accurate, and easily
recognized by those
acquainted with it now. A more
interesting document than this,
and which we have been fortunate enough
to secure, is a list of
the town lots of Gallipolis with their
original disposition. The
original of this was probably made in
Paris, when the anti-
cipative colonist was about to depart to
his new home, or it may
have been made after the first stages of
his long and weary
journey had been completed, when, after
having been tortured
by apprehension, the order had come for
him to move on to
possess the land, just before he left
Alexandria, Virginia. We
append this list, thinking it peculiarly
interesting in this connec-
tion.
A numeral list of the town lots of
Gallipolis, with their
original disposition:
The French Settlement and Settlers of
Gallipolis. 57 |
Claude Morrell................ 1 Jean B. Laurent............ 2 Charles Vaux Maret ........... 3 Maguet, son .............. 4 Colinet ................... 5 Etienne Chandivert ........... 6 Mad. Clavet ................ 7 Jean B. Cherrin ............. 8 Pierre A. L. Huillier........... 9 Francis Picard ................. 10 Minguey, father ............... 11 Pierre Louis LeClerc......... 12 Claude Bana ................... 13 Claude J. Naudet. ............ 14 Marchand ..................... 15 Winant Devacht .............. 16 Jean M. Hammer .............. 17 Jean Buzenet ......... ..... 18 Nicholas Vissinier ............. 19 Sald .................. 20 Grouet .................. 21 Humbert Pamar .............. 22 Guillaume Duduit............ 23 Jean G. Vallot ................ 24 Louis Victor Vonschritz ....... 25 Michaud ...... .......... 26 Jean
B. Ancil...... ........... 27 Michel Cranzat ............... 28 Pierre Chandivert ............. 29 Nicholas Thevenin .......... 30 D'Hebecourt ............... 31 Retained 30th Dec .......... 32 " " ~.......... 33 33 " " ........... 34 Saugrain ..............
35 " ........ . ...... . ... 36 Pierre Magnier ................ 37 D'Hebecourt ................ 38 Jos.Dazet............. ... ... 39 Frederick Bergeret ............ 40 Jacques Petit Jean ........... 41 Jean G. Petit . ........... . 42 Francis Darveux ............. 43 Alexander Roussell ........... 44 Jean B. Quetee ............... 45 |
Jean B. Parmentier ............ 46 Francis Valten ............... 47 Laurent Bergnen .......... 48 Jean B. Duchallard ........... 49 Nicholas Petit .............. 50 Antoine Porquier ........... 51 Etienne Willermy .......... 52 Francis Quartel ............. 53 Benjamin Armand ............. 54 Jean M. Guillot . .......
.. 55 Charles Soudry .............. 56 Catherine Avelin .............. 57 Matthieu Berthelot ........... 58 Peter Lecke ................... 59 Jacques Renouard ............. 60 Antoine Vibert ............... 61 Jean B. Ginat .......... .... 62 Sigisbert Chevraux........... 63 Pierre Lafellard . ............. 64 Gervais ................... 65 Lemoyne, younger ........ 66 Jean
C. Belliere .......... .... 67 Droz...................... 68 Joseph Dupont .
........ . 69 Jean Louis Vonschritz ........ 70 Francis Dutiel ............... 71 Alexander Frere ............... 72 Claude DuBois ........... ... 73 Jean
B. Ferard ..... .......... 74 Jean P. Laperouse ........... 75 Nicholas Hedouin..... ....... 76 Michel Mazure ............... 77 Pierre M. Richards ............ 78 Colat
........... ......... 79 Petit ............. ........ 80 Coupin ................. 81 " ................... 82 Laforge retained ............) 83 84 Jean Louis Imbert .. ........ 85 Jean Courtier ................ 86 Pierre Matry ................. 87 Joseph Goiyon ............:... 88 Alex. Chevalier . .......... 89 Claude Dupligny .............. 90 |
58 Ohio Arch. and His.
Society Publications. [VOL. 3 |
Jean Louis Colat ............. 91 Minguey, son ............ 92 Louis DelaBouye ............ 93 Cesar Maufelit ................ 94 Pierre Chabot ................ 95 Taillem ................... 96 Pierre L. Guibert ............ 97 Pierre A. Laforge.......... .. 98 Claude Berthelot.... ......... 99 Antoine Duc................ 100 Jean F. Grand Jean. ........ 101 Michel Chanterelle ........... 102 Jean Pellison ................. 103 Jean B. Anthiaume........... 104 Lemonye, elder ........... 105 Louis Roublot ............ 106 Antoine Saugrain ............. 107 Thoncy Dehafosse ............ 108 Marin Dupont ................ 109 Petit Jean ................... 110 Antoine Prieur ............... 111 Augustin LeClerc ............ 112 Leclere and ................. 113 Genet ................. 114 Petit Jean ................ 115 Gervais................... 116 Sigismund D'llmee .......... 117 Jean L. Violette. ............. 118 Madam LaCaisse... ......... 119 D. Petit ........... ....... 120 Jean Pierre Ginet............. 121 Louis P. LeClerc .............. 122 Francis L'Anguette ............ 123 Pierre Serre ...... ..... ...... 124 Louis A. Viment ............ 125 Jean Autran ................. 126 Pierre Duteil ......... ........ 127 Maximin Lefort ............. 128 Minguet DeViguement ........ 129 Francois Bourgougnat ........ 130 Louis Berthe .................. 131 Louis Maldant ................ 132 Antrox Noel .................. 133 Nicholas Quelet ............... 134 Valton
............... ... 135 |
Philip Aug. Pithon ............ 136 John Rowe ................... 137 Mennessier ...............138 DeHibecour ............ 139 do
.............. 140 Firmin Bremiere .............. 141 Brice DuCloz ........... ... 142 Valton
.................... 143 Claude Coupin ......... .... 144 Pierre Maguet ............... 145 Jean Desnoyers ............... 146 Pierre Bidon .................. 147 Claude Cadot.................. 148 Pierre Thomas ................ 149 Malcher ............... 150 Remy Cuif ................... 151 Claude Menager .............. 152 De Hibecour ............ 153 do .
........... 154 do ..
........... 155 do .............. 156 Menager..... ............ 157 Bastede ...... ·.... . ...... 158 LeClar................... 159 Etienne Allrien ............. 160 Jacques Auger .............. 161 Pierre Ferard ................ 162 Marie Dallier .............. 163 Michel Chillard ............... 164 Menager .................. 165 do ......... ....... . 166 Doctor Petit .................. 167 Berthelot Senior ............... 168 Gervais .................. 169 DeLaBaume ............... 170 do ............. 171 Louis Vialett ... .............. 172 Francois P. Malcher ...........173 Francois Durand ............. 174 I. Guion Caille ................175 Antoine Jacquemin ...........176 Francois Patin ................177 Joseph Damervalle .......... 178 Antoine Charpentier .......... 179 Jean Louis Devanne.......... 180 |
The French Settlement and Settlers of
Gallipolis. 59 |
Jean Rouilly. ................ 181 Julien Pradel ............... 182 Simen Batterelle............. 183 Jean Aug. Pingard ........... 184 Mouvel . ............. 185 George Chalot ................. 186 Jean Regnier ................ 187 Antoine Rouby ............ 188 Cesar Baredot ............... 189 Jacquemin ................ 190 Eloy Frere . ............. 191 Abel Sarazin . ............ 192 |
Jean A. Foulon .............. 193 Hullier ................... 194 do ................... 195 DeHebecourt ............. 196 Rouby ........
....... 197 Emille Lefeve ................. 198 Nicholas Hingston ............ 199 Pierre F. Perot ............... 200 Francois Valot ................ 235 Francois Carteron ............. 236 Prioux Aiglemont ............. 234 |
Whether this plan was followed, we are unable to say,
but are inclined to the opinion that it was not, in view
of the com- plications arising from subsequent events. We have
access also to the account of the price and distribution of the
lots of Galli- polis, which were written about five years after the
settlers landed here. This also we think is right to give in
full: "Gal- lipolis, this the 14th day of December, 1795. P.
Bureau and J. M. Berthelot have published and given notice, that
Monday next they will render account to the French inhabitants of
their mis- sion as agents to treat with the Ohio Company.
To-day, Mon- day, the assembled inhabitants, after having agreed
to purchase the land of the Ohio Company, have proceeded to
choose by secret ballot, commissioners to examine the rights of
pre-emp- tion of the inhabitants to the city lots, and of four
acres of cul- tivated land, and also to fix the price of city lots
and of the four acres according to what they were worth before they
were occu- pied. Whereupon the inhabitants have unanimously
named for commissioners: Marin Duport, Mathieu Berthelot, Jean
Par- mentier, Christopher Etienne, Francis DeVacht, Jean
Baptiste, Le Tailleur, Jean Pierre, Roman Bureau. To-day,
Monday, 6 o'clock P. M. The commissioners have unanimously
appointed Marin Duport moderator, and Christopher Etienne
secretary, of the committee. It has also been resolved that Anselm
Tupper, surveyor, be chosen for any operations of surveying
that may be found necessary. Resolved, That Mr. Tupper,
accompanied by Mr. Bureau, shall go to examine the line which
separates the lands proposed to be bought from the reserved lands,
and from |
60
Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications. [VOL 3
those belonging to the Ohio Company, in
order to proceed im-
mediately to such operations as they
shall judge to be proper.
[These reserved lands were those set
apart for educational and
religious purposes, being sections 16
and 29.] It has been re-
solved that the public be warned by
notices to repair to the
house of Messrs. Saugrain and Bureau, in
order to make known
their rights and claims to the property
of Gallipolis. Signed Le
Tailleur, Parmentier, M. Berthelot, J.
G.. DeVacht, M. Duport,
P. Bureau
December 16. The committee, after having
been occupied
the entire day in receiving the claims
of proprietors, have re-
solved to give new notice to those who
have not yet presented
their claims to come to-morrow, in order
to finish the work.
December 16. Resolved, That this
plan shall hereafter be
placed before the eyes of the people as
the only one which ap-
pears proper, in order to conciliate the
different interests of the
proprietors considering the position of
the different pieces of
land, in order that those persons who
have few lots, and of
which the situation is not advantageous,
be not overcharged.
PLAN.
The banks of the river and the commons
not having been
surveyed, and never having been regarded
as property, we have
thought it right that they be placed at
a price proportioned to
their importance by reason of their
position. Lots on the bank
of the river and of the square (Public
Square), being a source
of wealth by reason of their position,
we have thought that they
should be placed at a price higher than
the others. The lots on
the banks of the river more remote have
been placed at a price
lower than, the preceding, but higher
than those which are re-
mote from the river. The lands which
remain to be divided,
being for the greater part mountainous
or hilly, have been, in
consequence, placed at a low price. Then
follows the designa-
tion of the lots, and prices attached,
after which the following
resolutions:
Resolved, For the public good, and for the interests of the
inhabitants, the streets and Public
Square shall remain free,
without being closed on the bank of the
river by any building,
or being sold.
62 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
[VOL. 3
Resolved, That the public be notified to meet to-morrow to
receive the report of the work of the
committee.
Resolved, That the banks of the river shall remain open,
facing each street, that lines shall be
drawn in the direction of
the streets, without trespassing
thereon.
Plans accepted, Etienne, sec.
December 17, Resolved, That the
secretary be ordered by the
committee to go the house of
DHebercourt, to request him to
declare if it is his intention to join himself with us
for the ac-
quisition of our property, as his
partner Dr. Petit has done; and
to say to him that the execution of the
plan adopted by the in-
habitants requires a positive
answer. Etienne, sec. Mr.
DHebercourt has replied that he is
disposed to agree to the ac-
quisition of the lands of Gallipolis,
paying for his property seven
shillings, six-pence per acre, and that
he will not conform to the
plan adopted until he has taken such
steps as he believes his
interests require. Etienne, sec.
Resolved, That Messrs. Berthelot and Duport, whom we
have appointed collectors, go to the
houses of the inhabitants to
receive the sums set down on the list
made between us, accord-
ing to the plan agreed on by the
inhabitants, December 17th,
1795.
Resolved, That Mr. Duport is by us appointed cashier, and
in this capacity the money remain in his
hands until the time of
payment for the lands.
December 19, 1795. According to the
resolutions of the
committee on the 16th of this month,
agreed to by the assembled
inhabitants, reserved lots near the
square, divided into eighteen
equal portions, have been drawn by lot,
in the presence of the
assembled inhabitants, and fell to
Messrs. Vandenbemben,
Chandiver father, Chandiver son,
Vonschriltz, Gervais, Ferrare,
jr., La Cour, Davoux, Villerain, Muqui,
Quarleron, Michau,
Brunier, Bureau, Lafillard, child of
Vonschriltz, sr., Francis
Valodin, and Pierre Richou.
Dec. 22d. By virtue of the resolution of
the committee of
the 18th, Messrs. Marin, Duport and
Mathieu Berthelot have en-
gaged in receiving the sums to be given
by each proprietor,
which sums have amounted to £194 5s. 6d.
in money, and orders
to Mr. Sproat for the appointment of
spies, of which sum the
money amounted to £91 3s.
2d. Bills on different persons,
The French Settlement and Settlers of
Gallipolis. 63
£203.
Orders of spies on current appointment, £553, which
sums form a total of £1042 2s. 8d.
Resolved, That Messrs. Mathieu, Berthelot, Roman Bu-
reau, and Marin Duport, De Vacht, and Jean Le Tail-
leur, go to Marietta in the name of the
committee of the
inhabitants of Gallipolis, to conclude
with the Ohio Com-
pany the acquisition of the two squares
(of land) indicated in
the plan which has been given us by the
agents of the Ohio
Company. ETIENNE, Sec.
PARMENTIER.
Of the manner of life of the early
settlers in Gallipolis, our
sources of information are meagre, but
sufficient to give us a
tolerably accurate idea of the state of
affairs. The French, like
other nations of Southern Europe,
possess a cheerful disposi-
tion, but being also excitable, this is
characterized very often by
extreme degrees of elation or
depression. They have winning
manners and are warmly hospitable, and
are remarkable for their
thrift and ingenuity. That these traits
were marked among the
early settlers we think is proved by
what has already been
said, as well as what we have learned
from the early historian.
Quite a flood of light is thrown upon
this branch of our
subject by the account given by John
Heckewelder of his visit
to Gallipolis, in company with General
Putnam, when making a
journey from the upper waters of the
Ohio to the Wabash
River in the interest of the government
in Indian affairs, in the
year 1792. He says: "We rode to the
French settlement of
Gallipolis, situated on the north bank
of the Ohio, between
three and four miles from the Kanawha.
Here we spent the
whole of the following day in visiting
the skilled workmen and
the gardens laid out in European style.
The most interesting
shops of the workmen were those of
goldsmiths and watch-
makers. They showed us work on watches,
compasses and sun-
dials finer than any I had ever beheld.
Next in interest were
the sculptors and stonecutters. These
latter had two finished
mantels, most artistically carved.
General Putnam at once pur-
chased one of them for twelve guineas,
the other was intended
for a rich Dutch gentleman who has built
a two-story house
here, fifty feet long. The upper part of
a mantel was lying
there, ordered by a Spanish gentleman in
New Orleans, which,
64 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications. [VOL. 3
because of the fine workmanship upon it,
was to cost twenty or
twenty-two guineas. The worker in glass
seemed to be a born
artist. He made us a thermometer, a
barometer, a glass tobacco
pipe, a small bottle (which would
contain about a thimble full),
and a most diminutive stopper, and a
number of works of art
besides. He also manufactured precious
medicine, nitric acid,
etc. As we were on a journey, and were
in daily need of light
and fire, he presented us with a glass
full of dry stuff, which
burns as soon as a match is applied.
This stuff, he told us, was
manufactured from bones. Concerning the
fine gardens, I must
add the following: that in them were to
be found the most beau-
tiful flowers, artichokes, and almond
trees, and besides many
vineyards and some rice fields. At a
distance of about one hun-
dred steps from the Ohio, there is a
round hill, which probably
dates its origin from the former
inhabitants of this land, as also
the remarkable fortifications and
buildings to be found in this
country. The hill, about thirty feet
high, has been improved as
a beautiful pleasure garden, with a
pretty summer house on top.
The town of Gallipolis consists of one
hundred and fifty dwell-
ings. The inhabitants number between
three and four hun-
dred. A detachment of from fifty to
sixty men of the regular
army is stationed here for protection.
Besides a few Virginia
spies or scouts are kept and paid by the
government. The
militia are also willing to serve for
remuneration. The Chicke-
mage Creek flows back of the town, and
below it empties into
the Ohio. Fine boats are also
manufactured in this town; our
vessel is one of them. At noon we dined
with the most promi-
nent French gentleman of the place, at
the home of the judge
and doctor, Mr. Petit."
On his return from Vincennes, on the
Wabash, Mr. Hecke-
welder speaks of again stopping at
Gallipolis, and alludes feel-
ingly to the troubles through which the
people were passing,
owing to the complications in the matter
of their land titles, a
very clear but concise account of which
he gives, together with
the whole transaction with the agents of
the Scioto Company.
From this it will be seen that our
settlers were not people who
would remain inactive or slothful even
when surrounded by
many and great difficulties, but worked
faithfully to make their
The French Settlement and Settlers of
Gallipolis. 65
new homes attractive, and their works
have, through the years
which have since elapsed, borne
testimony to their earnestness
of purpose.
A much fuller account of life among our
settlers is given in
a work entitled "Recollections of
Persons and Places in the
West," by H. M. Brackenridge. Mr.
Brackenridge was born
at the village of Fort Pitt, on the site
of what is now the
city of Pittsburg. At a very early age
he was sent by
his father to the village of St.
Genevieve in Louisiana for
the purpose of making him acquainted
with the French lan-
guage. This distance of fifteen hundred
miles, which lay be-
tween him and his home, was traveled by
means of a flat boat.
After spending several years at the
village of St. Genevieve, and
acquiring the language, he departed in
company with a gentle-
man sent for him to return to Fort Pitt.
On account of the in-
clemency of the weather to which he was
exposed, owing to the
scanty accommodations afforded by the
flat boat, as well perhaps
as climatic causes, he was taken quite
sick with fever and ague
shortly after the arrival at Louisville,
where, it seems that a stop
of some days was made. After the journey
had been further
prosecuted, he grew no better, and on
the arrival at Gallipolis
he was taken to a house in the village
and left there. The
exact date of this is not given, but
from the dates previously
mentioned it appears to have been some
time previous to 1795.
The account of his sojourn here can best
be given in his own
words:
"Behold me once more in port, and
domiciliated at the
house or inn of Monsieur, or rather
Doctor, Saugrain, a cheer-
ful, sprightly little Frenchman, four
feet six, English measure,
and a chemist, natural philosopher, and
physician, both in the
English and French signification of the
word. I was delighted
with my present liberation from the
irksome thralldom of the
canoe, and with the possession of the
free use of my limbs.
After wrapping my blanket round me,
which was my only bed-
ding, I threw myself into a corner for a
couple of hours, during
the continuance of the fever and ague,
and then rose up re-
freshed, with the lightness of spirits
which I possessed in an
unusual degree. I ran out of the house
and along the bank,
Vol. III-5
66 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications. [VOL.
3
where I met a boy about my own size. I
laid hold of him in
mirth, but he, mistaking my vivacity,
gave me a sound beating.
The next day the doctor tried his skill
upon me, or rather upon
my ague, and pretty much on the plan of
another celebrated
physician, whether on the principle of
the solviente universal, I
do not so well know, but certain it is,
he repeated the very
words recorded by Gil Bias: 'Bebe
agua, hijo mio, bebe agua in
abundancia'- drink water, my son, drink plenty of water. But
the ague was not to be shaken off so
easily; it still continued to
visit me daily, as usual, all that
winter and part of the next
spring. I was but poorly clad, and was
without hat or shoes,
but gradually became accustomed to do
without them; like the
Indian, I might in time have become all
face. My guardian left
no money, perhaps he had none to leave;
Mr. Saugrain had none
to spare; besides as this was the period
when the French Revo-
lution was at its height, sans
culottism was popular with those
who favored the breaking up of social
economy. Dr. Saugrain,
however, and many others in Gallipolis
were not of that party;
they were royalists, who bitterly
lamented the condition of their
native country. Gallipolis, with the
exception of a few strag-
gling log houses, of which that of Dr.
S. was one, consisted of
two long rows of barracks built of logs,
and partitioned off into
rooms of sixteen or twenty feet wide,
with what is called a cabin
roof and wooden chimneys. At one end
there was a larger
room than the rest, which served as a
council chamber and ball
room. This singular village was settled
by people from Paris
and Lyons, chiefly artisans and artists,
peculiarly unfitted to sit
down in the wilderness and clear away
forests. Their former
employments had only been calculated to
administer to the
luxury of high polished and wealthy
societies. There were
carvers and guilders to the King,
coach-makers, frizeurs and
peruke-makers, and a variety of others,
who might have found
employment in our larger towns, but who
were entirely out of
their place in the wilds of Ohio. Their
means by this time had
been exhausted, and they were beginning
to suffer from the
want of the comforts and even the
necessaries of life. The
country back from the river was still a
wilderness, and the Galli-
politans did not pretend to cultivate
anything more than small
The French Settlement and Settlers of
Gallipolis. 67
garden spots, depending for their supply
of provisions on the
boats, which now began to descend the
river; but they had to
pay in cash, and that was become scarce.
They still assembled
at the ball room twice a week; it was
evident, however, that
they felt disappointment, and were no
longer happy. The pre-
dilections of the best of them being on
the side of the Bourbons,
the horrors of the Revolution, even in
their remote position,
mingled with their private misfortunes,
which had, at this time,
nearly reached their acme, in
consequence of the discovery that
they had no title to their lands, having
been cruelly de-
ceived by those from whom
they had purchased. It is
well known that Congress generously made
them a grant
of twenty thousand acres, from which,
however, but few of
them derived any advantage. As the Ohio
was now more fre-
quented, the house was occasionally
resorted to, and especially
by persons looking out for land to
purchase. The doctor had a
small apartment, which contained his
chemical apparatus, and I
used to sit by him, as often as I could,
watching the curious
operations of his blow-pipe and
crucible. I loved the cheerful
little man, and he became very fond of
me in turn. Many of
my countrymen used to come and stare at
his doings, which
they were half inclined to think had too
near a resemblance to
the black art. The doctor's little
phosphoric matches ignited
spontaneously when the glass tube was
broken, and from which
he derived some emolument, was thought
by some to be rather
beyond mere human power. His barometers,
and thermome-
ters, with the scale neatly painted with
the pen, and the frames
richly carved, were objects of wonder,
and some of them are
probably still extant in the West. But
what astonished some of
our visitors was a large peach in a
glass bottle, the neck of
which could only admit a common cork.
This was accomplished
by tying the bottle to the limb of the
tree, with the peach when
young inserted into it. His swans, which
swam round basins
of water, amused me more than any of the
wonders exhibited
by the wonderful man. The doctor was a
great favorite with
the Americans, as well for his vivacity
and sweetness of temper
which nothing could sour, as on account
of a circumstance
which gave him high claims to the esteem
of the backwoods-
68 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications. [VOL. 3
men. He had shown himself,
notwithstanding his small stature
and great good nature, a very hero in
combat with the Indians.
He had descended the Ohio, in company
with two French phil-
osophers, who were believers in the
primitive innocence of and
goodness of the children of the forest.
They could not be per-
suaded that any danger was to be
apprehended from the Indians;
as they had no intention to injure that
people, they supposed,
of course, that no harm could be
meditated on their part. Dr.
Saugrain was not altogether so well
convinced of their good in-
tentions, and accordingly kept his
pistols loaded. Near the
mouth of Big Sandy, a canoe with a party
of warriors ap-
proached the boat; the philosophers
invited them on board by
signs, when they came rather too
willingly. The first thing
they did on entering the boat was to
salute the two philosophers
with the tomahawk; and they would have
treated the doctor in
the same way, but that he used his
pistols with good effect;
killed two of the savages and then
leaped into the water, diving
like a dipper at the flash of the guns
of the others, and suc-
ceeded in swimming to the shore, with
several severe wounds,
whose scars were conspicuous.
"The doctor was married to an
amiable young woman, but
not possessing as much vivacity as
himself. As Madame Sau-
grain had no maid to assist in household
work, her brother, a
boy of my age, and myself, were her
principal helps in the
kitchen. I used to go in the morning
about two miles for a
little milk, sometimes on the frozen
ground, barefoot. I tried a
pair of sabots, or wooden shoes, but was
unable to make any
use of them, although they had been made
by the carver to the
king."
Speaking of his other occupations, Mr.
Brackenridge says:
"In the spring and summer a good
deal of my time was passed
in the garden weeding the beds. It was
while thus engaged
that he formed an association which is
interesting, as it bears
somewhat on the future history of
Gallipolis. He formed the
acquaintance," he says, "of a
young lady of eighteen or twenty,
on the other side of the palings,"
who was often occupied as he
was. "Our friendship," says
he, "which was purely Platonic,
The French Settlement aud Settlers of
Gallipolis. 69
commenced with the story of Blue Beard,
recounted by her, and
with the novelty and pathos of which I
was much interested.
"Connected with this young lady
there is an incident which
I feel pleasure in relating. One day
while standing alone on the
bank of the river, I saw a man who had
gone in to bathe and had
got beyond his depth without being able
to swim. He began to
struggle for life, and in a few seconds
would have sunk to rise
no more. I shot down the bank like an
arrow, leaped into a
canoe, which, fortunately, happened to
be close by, pushed the
end of it to him, and as he rose,
perhaps for the last time, he
seized it with a deadly, convulsive
grasp, and held so firmly that
the skin afterward came off the parts of
his arms which pressed
against the wood. I screamed for help;
several persons came
and took him out perfectly
insensible. He afterward mar-
ried the young lady, and they raised a
numerous and re-
spectable family. One of his daughters
married a young law-
yer, who now represents that district in
Congress. Thus at
eight years of age I earned the civic
crown by saving the life of a
human being. I say this incident is
interesting, and you will
agree with me when I tell you the young
lawyer referred to was
Hon. Samuel F. Vinton, whom we recognize
as one of the
prominent figures, both in our State and
Nation.
"Continuing his narrative in
reference to the life in Galli-
polis at that time, Mr. Brackenridge
says that toward the latter
part of the summer, the inhabitants
suffered severely from sick-
ness and want of provisions. The
situation was truly wretched.
The swamps in the rear, now exposed by
the clearing between it
and the river, became the cause of a
frightful epidemic from
which few escaped, and many became its
victims. He, himself,
had recovered from the ague, and was
among the few exempted
from the disease; but the family with
whom he lived, as well as
the rest, suffered much from absolute
hunger. To show the
extremity of the distress, he says that
on one occasion, the
brother of Madame Saugrain and himself
pushed a light canoe
to an island above the town where they
pulled some corn and
took it to a flouring mill, and
excepting some of the raw grains,
they had had nothing to eat since the
day before, until they
carried home the mela and made some
bread, but had neither
70 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications. [VOL. 3
milk nor meat. "I have
learned," said he, "to be thankful
when I had a sufficiency of wholesome
food, however plain, and
was blessed with health; and I could put
up with humble fare
without a murmur, although accustomed to
luxuries, when
I have seen those, who had never
experienced absolute starva-
tion, turn up their noses at that which
was very little worse-
than the best they have ever known, such
are the uses of
adversity?"
It has not been our privilege to learn
the internal state
of affairs in the colony during the
years which immediately
succeeded this interesting narrative,
but from what can be
learned through old inhabitants, some of
whom were acquainted
with the early colonists, and most of
whom have gone to their
reward, we feel assured that the thrift
and enterprise of these-
early days was but an index of what was
to come after. After
the colonists had been safely
established in their new homes, and
knew that in the future they would be
free from the harassing.
influence of litigation in consequence
of defective land titles,
and had learned some of the secrets of
border life, insomuch
that the prospective attacks from the
Indians lost much of their
terror, being better acquainted as they
were with the modes of
defence, their minds being less
harassed, they were the better
able to enter heartily in the work which
was before them, of
making the wilderness blossom as the
rose.
We are persuaded that these years, which
represented the
lull after the storm, were years of
peace and contentment, and
consequently could, in after years, be
regarded by those who
passed through them with pleasant
remembrance. We are often
told that the good works which live
after the performers have
gone, are the most powerful witnesses as
to their faithfulness,
inasmuch as they not only benefit their
day and generation, but
bespeak the earnestness of purpose, as
well the kindly dispo-
position of the performers.
There are not many institutions among us
which were
identified with the far off time
indicated by our subject, but
there are those which indirectly sprung
from the efforts of that
time and in which the characters and
desires of the citizens are
so clearly portrayed, that we are forced
to acknowledge that they
The French Settlement and Settlers of
Gallipolis. 71
being dead yet speak. The influence of
the French settlers has
been felt through the many intervening
years, and though our
town has changed its population to a
great degree, and American
blood is flowing in the veins of many of
our people, we cannot
but think that the happy disposition of
La Belle France is ever
cropping out, and the pleasure-loving
hearts of long ago are
calling to us across the ages, and that
the name Gallipolis is still
appropriate when applied to our town,
for in love, sympathy,
and gratitude, as well as by the nearer
ties of blood, we are the
inhabitants of the city of the French.
Among the institutions which bring us
into a close relation-
ship with the earlier years of our
town's history, there is
one which we feel illustrates, to a
certain degree, what has
been said in regard to the works of its
early inhabitants.
A time honored and much appreciated
institution we con-
sider in the Gallia Academy. True it is,
that this was not
founded until about twenty years after
the settlers arrived
here, but the names of those who
inaugurated it as an
Educational medium are to be found among
those who braved
the difficulties identified with the
settlement. This is among
the oldest institutions of learning in
the State, and at it
"not only nearly all of the older
residents of Gallipolis
and Gallia county received their
education, but many who
afterward became men of great
prominence, throughout the
country, here took the first step in
learning which led them on
to fame."
A short account of its organization may
not be inappro-
priate in this connection. A meeting was
held February 8,
1810, for the purpose of taking into
consideration the ex-
pediency of erecting in Gallipolis, an
institution to be appro-
priated to the instruction of the youth,
and such other purposes
as may be deemed of public utility.
Robert Saffort was chosen
chairman and Nathaniel Gates secretary.
A series of resolu-
tions, embodying these principles, was
passed at this meeting,
and a subscription started which was
circulated with satisfactory
results. Among the subscribers are to be
noted the names of
some of the oldest and most honored
citizens, many of whom
are to be seen among the lot holders of
Gallipolis of colonial
72 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Pnblications. [VOL. 3
days. In due time, a lot was purchased,
and a commodious
building erected thereon, and the work
of refining the mind, by
means of education, received an impetus
which showed that the
builders of the Gallia Academy had done
wisely and well.
From its portals have passed many who,
as we say, have won
for themselves fame in after years; men
whom the country de-
lighted to honor, as well as those, who,
in the more quiet walks
of life, have met the requirements of
good and upright citizen-
ship, and who were representatives of
that class which compose
the rank and file of those who labored
for the sure and steady
advancement of our country, and which
has made it the grand-
est the sun shines upon. This venerable
institution, could it
speak, could bear greater testimony to
the admirable traits of
our forefathers than any ever yet
recorded by the pen of the
historian.
As we pause in the spirit of meditation
over the shifting
scenes which rise before us in a
consideration of the early ages
of the French colony here, as well as
the intervening years
which separate us from that distant
date, we can find food for
much instructive thought, and we draw
our lessons principally
from those who witnessed the early dawn
of civilization in this
then far away Western wilderness.
The first trait of character which
claims our admiration
was the earnestness of purpose which
marked the lives of the
pioneers. 'Tis true, as we have shown, everything seemed
bright and promising when, in accordance
with the representa-
tions of the land agents, they resolved
to cast their lots in the
new and attractive land across the seas,
but when subsequent
events changed the rosy dreams to a dark
reality, and they
realized that they must face life in its
most responsible and for-
bidding aspects, it required the
strongest natures to remain un-
moved. No wonder it is that our record
tells us that some of
them were not equal to the emergency,
and went to seek satis-
faction in life in more congenial
atmospheres, some finding it in
the populous sections of our own
country; and some, acknowl-
edging themselves completely defeated,
returned to France.
With the principal part of them,
however, it was otherwise.
They had not left home and old
associations, and come to this
The French Settlers and Settlement of
Gallipolis. 73
distant land to fail. Although they had
been grievously disap-
pointed, they would accomplish that
which they came to per-
form, a home where they would be
unmolested by political
storms or persecution. The mountains
were high, the valleys
deep, and the distance great which
separated them from the
homes of their adoption, but nothing was
impossible in the face
of that earnestness, which marked their
progress. This disposi-
tion is the material of which heroes are
made. The biographies
of the good, the true, and the powerful
tell us of exactly the
same spirit as this, and which was the
medium by which success
crowned their efforts, and the world
greatly was blessed.
Every inventor has to face the
difficulties arising from an
incredulous world. Every discoverer has
to encounter opposi-
tion which would make those who are less
determined quail and
desist. Every person who embarks upon an
undertaking which
has as its object the upbuilding of
truth has to run the gauntlet,
so to speak, of the furious opposition
such as the powers of
darkness only can command. Yet all of
these workers, as their
titles indicate, have been successful,
nothing has baffled them,
because they made up their minds to
succeed, and succeed they
did, not merely to their own
satisfaction but to that of their fel-
low beings, who have been benefited by
their efforts.
It was no idle sentiment which prompted
them to action,
but an inborn determination founded upon
a deep-set principle
that " whatever is worth doing is
worth doing well." Whenever
such a spirit animates man, we know that
there is no such word
as failure in his vocabulary. This
feature in man's character
has made him the truly wonderful being
that he has proved him-
self, and were it omitted, the history
of the human race, instead
of being as it is now, one of the most
absorbingly interesting
subjects which could claim the attention
of the thinking mind,
would not be worth the reading, and man
who was made as the
Bible tells us, but little lower than
the angels, and crowned with
glory and " honor," would long
since have fallen from his high
estate, and his life be as devoid of
interest as that of the
beasts that perish. This is but
reasonable, for it indicates that
when man is in earnest in what he does,
his heart is given to his
work. How marked is this, we say, among
the great ones of
74 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications. [VOL.
3
our world. Think of such a man as
Napoleon Bonaparte, when
he was entering upon a great campaign,
which would involve
the destinies of Europe. Could the
thoughtful one have been
able to read his mind at such a
momentous time, what mighty
plans and calculations would be these;
what wonderful lines of
battle, what anticipative thoughts when
through the mists of the
future he could see success and glory;
or take one nearer home,
General Washington, so appropriately
known as the Father of
his Country. Think what daring plans he
must have formulated,
by which he expected to be borne to
success. He, who, with a
small army of half-fed and half-clothed
men, dared to stand up
before the mightiest nation of the world
and defy it. We might,
if we were privileged to read his
thoughts, see some such words
as these: " My country must and
shall be free, and my hand
shall be the instrument to give her
great assistance." The
horrors of cold winter and starvation
were not sufficient to cause
him to desist in what many of his
contemporaries, no doubt,
considered a mad venture, for he made up
his mind to succeed,
and saw no such probability as defeat in
his pathway.
We might take examples from other
departments of work,
and read the thoughts of a great writer,
who, by his pen, has
resolved to make the world better, and
as his after- works testify
they bear the stamp of earnestness, yes
and such earnestness as
will unquestionably bear the stamp of
Divine approval. The
great feature of this earnestness, is
the utter absence from the
mind of anything which savors of
failure. That is not antici-
pated as a possible contingency, and it
rarely comes. Do you
think that any of those just mentioned
anticipated failure when
they gave their hearts to the work? Not
only are we convinced
to the contrary, but it is our firm
conviction that if such had
been the case the downfalls of most of
them would now be
among the many wrecks which strew the
sands of time. Look-
ing, therefore, at our French colonists
in this light, we see them
in their true grandeur of character as
we perhaps have never
viewed them before. Instead of the weary and disheartened
band, worn out with the cares and
discouragements of the hour,
and ready to faint by the way-side, we
see the fire of determina-
tion kindled by deep-set earnestness
flash from their eyes. The
The French Settlement and Settlers of
Gallipolis. 75
little rows of rough cabins in the
forest, the back-ground of
seemingly impenetrable wilds, and before
them the winding
river, which, to many, would, seem to be
murmuring the fare-
wells to departed hopes, but represent
to them the life which is
before them, and the grand medium
through which they shall
attain success, so that at the
conclusion of their mortal exist-
ence, it shall be said of them what we
emphatically say to-day:
"They lived not in vain."
The early history of our country is ever
presenting scenes
such as these, and how often are we
constrained to go back
through the past years and sympathize
with our forefathers, and
consider that our lines have, as
compared with theirs, "fallen
in pleasant places;" but yet there
are other thoughts in this con-
nection that should fill the mind. In
consideration of the work
which was given these and its mighty
significance, as it bore
upon the events of the future, and the
earnestness of purpose
with which it was prosecuted, and its
great aim accomplished,
were not their blessings which arise
from the fact that they were
the promoters of such a mighty work, as
great, yes far greater
than those benefits which accrue to many
now-a-days? It were
a privilege, indeed, to live as they
lived, and to be moved as they
to do with all their might that which
their hands found to do, in
laying the foundation for future success
in a great land.
Another trait of character which was the
natural out-
come of that just considered, and which
shone brightly
among our colonists, was bravery. As we have remarked
they had much to tax their patience, and
many things from
which human nature would shrink in fear
and trembling, but
if fear entered their hearts it was
promptly banished. The
blood which flowed in their veins was
near akin to that which
flowed in the veins of those heroes,
whose warlike valor, soon
after our town was settled, filled the
minds of the all-great peo-
ple with wonder and admiration. These
people showed by their
lives that there was a strong bond of
union between them and
such men as the great Napoleon, the hero
of France, and of
those fearless and determined men who
followed him through
the smoke and carnage of his many
battles to victory and re-
nown. We know how invaluable this virtue
of bravery is as an
76 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications. [VOL. 3
element of character. Faint hearts and
wavering actions are
not such as characterize true men, and
only the true man is the
successful man. We have not with the
meagre resources at our
command, been able to recount many of
their deeds which bear
upon this point, but, from those recited
and personal associations
with their descendants, we feel at
liberty to pay them this trib-
ute, and after the lapse of a hundred
years, such convictions of
their true worth, in this respect, come
to us as to make their
memory grateful to us, who are reaping
the fruits of what they
planted.
There is one trait of character,
however, which we feel con-
strained to emphasize, and which was
peculiarly apparent among
them. This bears a close relationship,
in its turn, to those just
considered. It was the love of country
that actuated them,
whether that country was in the sunny
fields and populous cities
of beautiful France, or among the wilds
of Ohio. Wherever
their home was, there was also their
heart. This love of coun-
try, too, is a virtue indispensable with
true people. There is no
more unfavorable sign in an individual
or community of people
than that of a rebellious spirit toward
their government, unless,
of course, such is thoroughly corrupt,
and deserves the censure
they are so willing to bestow. When in
our reading we see his-
tories of those, who cheerfully left all
the dearest objects of life,
to take up arms in defense of the land
they love, our hearts are
filled in a manner inexpressible by the
grandeur of character
manifested. In the fierce battle which
was waged in the siege
of Quebec, the world witnessed a double
tragedy, and yet scenes
of grandeur in the deaths of the two
leaders of the opposing
forces. General Wolfe, the English
general, being mortally
wounded, as his eyes were about to close
upon this world for-
ever, being told that victory had
perched upon his country's
banner, said: "I die happy."
The Marquis De Montcalm,
who commanded the French defensive
force, and who was also
wounded unto death, expressed himself as
glad to die in that he
would not be obliged to see Quebec
surrendered. Those were
brave expressions, and-the men who
uttered them were great
men; gallant sons of worthy lands, for a
land must be worthy
which has such representatives. The love
of country is a fixed
The French Settlers and Settlement of
Gallipolis. 77
principle in the minds of those who love
great things, and to the
true man his country can make no
unreasonable request when
she calls upon him to defend her from
her enemies, and make
her name to be glorious in this great
world.
There is an old and familiar Latin
maxim, which stirs within
us those feelings which are of an
ennobling character; it is dulce
et decorum est pro patria mori- it is sweet and honorable to die
for one's country. There is also a great
principle embodied in
another somewhat similar to it, and
which is: 'tis sweet and
honorable to live for one's
country. To die for a principle, indi-
cates that having been brought to a
stop, as it were, in the dis-
charge of our duties for it, on account
of the difficulties which
would impede our progress in our careers
of duty, we give our
lives to the cause of surmounting those
difficulties. It is there-
fore the bright ending of a
conscientious course; an ending pro-
duced because it is beyond our power to
do more. To live for
one's native land, or the land of one's
adoption, however, indi-
cates a determination to use every
opportunity for its advance-
ment; to face the future with that
bravery characteristic of a
noble nature, and acknowledge no
difficulty of sufficient moment
to baffle you in what you know to be
right.
In the case of dying for one's country,
the work is finished,
and, like the bright sunset, the grand
life closes in this world.
When we live for our country, the work
is about us, the oppor-
tunities thicken around us; our hands
are the instruments that
can do it, and the responsibilities of
our position are great.
One point in this connection needs to be
emphasized, that
unless we live for our country, the
chances are not very favor-
able for our dying for it. There are,
perhaps, instances in which
men died for the love of country without
having given their
lives to the same cause, but such
instances are extremely rare.
Now, we love the memory of our early
settlers, because they
both lived and died for this, the home
of their adoption. We
would dwell particularly on the former
of these, as we believe
you will think it meet and proper in
view of the life of privation
which marked the first years of the
history of Gallipolis, and to
which we have called your attention.
'Tis not natural to suppose that when
they came from their
78 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications. [VOL. 3
far-away habitations, and met with the
discouraging reception in
America, that they should love the
latter place; and the idea that
it was to furnish them their future
homes, must at first have been
even repugnant to them, but after having
cast their lots here,
and witnessed the returns of their
self-denying labors, they began
to love this rough land, and as the
years passed away, and home
ties were formed, that love increased
and strengthened, until they
became thoroughly domiciled, and then
the hearts, which had
once yearned for the beauties and
attractions of La Belle France,
awakened, as it were, to the
consciousness that their France was
with them.
It is home where the heart is, and their
hearts were not
across the seas, but here on the banks
of the beautiful river.
They lived, I say, for this home; all of
their refined tastes were
called into requisition to make it
beautiful. A reference to this
fact, we have already seen in the
interesting narrative of Mr.
Heckewelder. In after years, however, we
have cause to know
that what he saw in those pioneer days
was but an indication of
what would be. The expression, "the
wilderness blossoms like
the rose," which we have used, was
most appropriate, concerning
the results of their labors, for the
wild bluff on the river side be-
came in due time the site of a fair
town, inhabited by useful and
contented people.
The town was honored by visits of two
distinguished visitors
in its early days. In 1824, General
Lafayette, who had assisted
our land so materially in former years,
made Gallipolis a visit,
and we cannot but believe that when he
left, he was convinced
that his countrymen had proved true to
their nature in upholding
the interest of their homes and
governments wherever they
might be. Louis Philippe, (then the
exiled Duke of Orleans),
stopped here once on his way to New
Orleans, and his homeless
feeling and longing after the joys of
native land must have been
intensified when he witnessed the
thrifty contentment of these,
his brothers, in the home of their
choice.
Thus they lived, and thus they died, and
when we consider
that death was the culmination of lives
given to their country,
we feel additional gratitude for their
memory, and should be in-
spired to renewed endeavors in
furthering the interests of our
The French Settlers and Settlement of
Gallipolis. 79
town and county. We would do honor to
their memory, we
would in sacred thought, traverse the
years which separate us
from them, and we would thank them for
this example which
they have bequeathed to us and the many
others who have and
will come after them, being filled with
the conviction that the
love of home and country, such as was
exemplified in them is one
of the great secrets of a successful
community.
Another instructive point presents
itself for consideration as
a closing thought, in connection with
the work which they did,
and should commend itself to us, as do
all of the others hitherto
mentioned: The thorough character of the
undertaking upon
which they engaged and which they
perfected. There is only
one way in which a thing can be done
right, and that is by
beginning at the very root of the
matter. We must find a good
foundation upon which to build, and then
make our edifice of
the strong and abiding materials. The
Bible tells of two men
who built houses, one with a good
foundation and one with an
indifferent one. The rain descended and the floods came, and
the winds blew, and beat upon the former
and it fell not, for it
was founded upon a rock," while the
same forces acting upon
the latter caused its ruin. "It fell, and great was the fall
thereof." The same principle applies in every undertaking,
whether it is great or seemingly
insignificant, and we feel certain,
from what history tells of the past, and
what we see about us,
that our settlers were moved by it in
the performance of their
duties here. the reasons why we feel
certain of this are to be
seen in the development of our town
during the years which
made up the century, and the result of
the works of the hundred
years. The improvements at first were
not rapid, as might natur-
ally be supposed in view of the
difficulties of the settler, but the
flying years brought wonderful changes.
Let us hear what Mr. Brackenridge has to
say in regard to
the town as he saw it in after years:
"As we passed Point Pleas-
ant, and the little island below it,
Gallipolis, which I looked for
with anxious feelings, hove in sight. I
thought of the French
inhabitants-I thought of my friend
Saugrain, and I recalled in
the liveliest colors the incidents of
that portion of my life which
was passed here. A year is a long period
of time; every day is
80 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications. [VOL. 3
crowded with new and striking events. I
hastened to the spot
where I expected to find the abode (of
Dr. Saugrain), the little
log house, tavern, laboratory and garden
of the Doctor-but
they had vanished like the palace of
Aladdin. I took a hasty
glance at the new town as I returned to
the boat. I saw brick
houses, painted frames, fanciful
enclosures, ornamental trees!
Even the pond, which had carried away a
third of the French
population by its malaria, had
disappeared, and a pretty green
had usurped its place, with a neat brick
Court House in the
midst of it."
Looking at the place to-day, we see a
substantial and pros-
perous town. True, there are many in our
great State which
are much larger, and regarded by
outsiders as far more im-
portant; but the basis upon which we
stand as a town, is a firm
and solid one, which showed that its
beginning was marked by
faithful efforts. We would remark,
however, and we do so with
sadness of heart, that the French
population of Gallipolis de-
creased with rapidity during the years
which marked its early
history, and it was American hands which
prosecuted the work
here for many years, and made our town
more successful, as was
evidenced by its different stages of
prosperous development.
Mr. Brackenridge, in his description of
the second visit to Galli-
polis, expresses great disappointment
that the French were
nearly all gone. We cannot forget,
however, that it was the
French hands that laid the foundation,
and the French mind
which planned the building in its
earliest stages, so that to the
French rather than to the American is
due the prosperity of
after years.
Memories of the past are freighted with
their lessons, and
filled with joys and sorrows. It is
pleasant to recall the events
which have passed away, on account of
the many pleasant char-
acters with which they bring us into
close association. The very
difficulties which were encountered by
the pioneers have a
charm for us, as we view them by the
light of a hundred years.
When soldiers have passed through the
wars successfully, or
sailors have endured the perils of the
sea, it is a peculiar joy to
them to sit by some bright fireside and
go over their perilous
adventures with one another, and the
greater the dangers that
The French Settlement and Settlers of Gallipolis. 81
once were, and the more trying the sufferings, the greater pleas- ure they appear to derive from their naratives. Thus when our town looks back over her history and beholds what she was, and what she might have been but for the brave and determined efforts of her faithful inhabitants, there is a peculiar charm at- tached even to her hardships, inasmuch as she knows that they were successfully faced. Thankful are we for the works done for us by those of the century gone, and we can utter no more fervent wish than that our memory may be as sacred to those who shall stand upon this ground, when the morning of another hundred years shall dawn upon Gallipolis. JOHN L. VANCE. |
|
Vol. III-6 |
The French Settlement and Settlers of
Gallipolis. 45
THE FRENCH SETTLEMENT AND SETTLERS OF GALLIPOLIS.
Preceding addresses and other papers
have given the story
of the Scioto Company, under whose
auspices the French set-
tlers came to America. I shall not
attempt to repeat any part
of this history, but begin my narrative
with the sailing of the
first party of emigrants to their new
homes in the unknown
West, which had been described to them
in such glowing terms
by those who had induced them to come.
In February, 1790,
six hundred emigrants set sail from
Havre de Grace. Five
ships had been chartered to take them to
Alexandria, Va., prob-
ably the nearest port to their new
homes. Their experiences
then were inauspicious as an omen in
regard to the future. In
these days of rapid transit, when a
voyage across the ocean rep-
resents a not unpleasant journey of a
few days' duration, we
cannot imagine what it must have been
when, on account of
stormyseas and contrary winds, the
traveler was compelled to
spend weeks, and even months, on the
great deep. Yet such
experiences as the latter were common
once, and they were felt
by the Franch emigrants. A desolate
feeling must have been
theirs then. Behind them was stormy
France, its peace that
was, having been swept from it, with
little hope of its return in
the near future; about them the stormy
waves of old ocean
threatening to engulf them, and thus
violently end their new-
born hopes. Before them-what? A fair
land they believed,
but an uncertainty; they had only man's
representation upon
which to base their hopes, and man is
more than liable to mis-
represent facts when he has a purpose to
gain thereby. The
future only could reveal that which they
so ardently desired to
know, and they awaited its developments,
which, with their
characteristic, sunny disposition, we
believe they did as content-
edly as was possible with men. At
length, after a voyage of
about three months' duration, they
arrived at the town of Alex-
andria, about seventy-five miles up the
river Potomac. Here
they encountered circumstances which
both cheered and de-
pressed them. They were gladdened by a
cordial reception on
the part of the people to whom a
Frenchman was a welcome
visitor in view of the recent benefits
conferred upon the country