Ohio History Journal

THE COPUS BATTLE CENTENNIAL

 

 

BY REV. EUGENE ELLIS WILLIAMS.

Sept. 15, 1912, the day of the centennial of the Copus Battle

was a very gloomy day, with rain from early morning until

evening. But despite the inclement weather about 1,000 people

gathered in Milligan's grove, near the Copus monument situated

near Mifflin, ten miles east of Mansfield.

At 11 o'clock Prof. G. F. Wright, of Oberlin, called the meet-

ing to order and after singing America, Rev. Eugene E. Williams

offered prayer. Prof. Wright then gave an address regarding the

geology and early history of the country near which the battle

was fought. Hon. W. S. Kerr, of Mansfield, then gave an inter-

esting historical address in which he showed the honor that

belonged to the early settlers and especially those who fell dur-

ing the Indian massacres. Mr. P. C. Cowen, of Perrysville,

read an historical paper recounting the names and deeds of the

pioneers of the immediate community.

After the addresses a sumptuous basket dinner was eaten

by those present. The rain still persisted in a steady down-

pour, the crowd began to disperse and the exercises of the day

came to an end. Had the weather been favorable there would,

no doubt, have been 12 to 15 thousand people present, because

extensive preparations had been made by people for miles

around.

The publicity that the Centennial gave to matters of local

history was of great value in getting before the people the value

of preserving these historical events and landmarks. It also

brought the Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society

before the people in a favorable manner. Prof. Wright, our

president, won interest in the society.

The local committee, Mr. A. J. Baughman and Rev. Eugene

E. Williams, both life members of the Society, had arranged an

excellent program and had spent considerable time and effort in

(379)

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380        Old Fort Sandoski and the De Lery Portage.

getting the centennial well planned and advertised. They had

the co-operation of the best citizens of the community.

 

In May, 1782, the ill-fated expedition under command of

Col. Wm. Crawford, the friend of George Washington, passed

thru Wayne, Holmes, Ashland, Richmond and Crawford counties

on its way to the Indian settlements on the Sandusky River. On

the banks of the Clearfork, in what is now Ashland County, he

stopped at an Indian village called "Helltown," a German name

meaning village by the clear stream. "This village was the home

of Thomas Lyon, Billy Montour, Thomas Jelloway, Billy Dowdy,

Thomas Armstrong, and other leading Delawares; and the occa-

sional residence of the noted Captain Pipe, who aided in the

execution of the unfortunate Col. Wm. Crawford."¹ The next

year the village was abandoned, most of the inhabitants going to

the north bank of the Blackfork where they founded the village of

Greentown. This village was named for Thomas Green, a Con-

necticut Tory and renegade. It was composed of Delaware,

Mingo, and Mohawk Indians, with Captain Thomas Armstrong

as chief, and was situated three miles north of Perrysville on a

farm now owned by Pierce Royer or Martin Weirick. It con-

sisted of about four acres, and was nearly surrounded by alder

marshes, making it almost impregnable from an attack by the

enemy. The huts numbered about 150, with a council-house

and a cemetery; the cemetery is supposed to contain the remains

of Thomas Green, the founder. "From 1783 to 1795 this village

was a point on the route from Upper Sandusky to Fort Pitt, and

many trembling captives passed thru it on their way to Detroit or

other points in the Indian country.^"1 "The cabins comprising

the village stood principally upon the rolling plateau-like summit

of the hill, each Indian selecting a site to suit himself, with but

little regard for streets or regularity. A sycamore tree, which

in the olden time cast its shade over the council-house of the

tribe, still stands like a monument from the past, grim and white,

stretching its branches like skeleton arms, in the attitude of a

benediction. A wild-cherry tree stands several rods northeast,

 

1History of Ashland County, Ohio, by G. W. Hill, M. D., 34.

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The Copus Battle Centennial.         381   around which was formerly a circular mound."2 It was the burning of this Indian village in August, 1812, that caused the Indian uprising which led to the death of Martin Ruffner, the Seymour family, and the Copus battle.

2A. J. Baughman, in appendix to Philip Seymour, by Rev. James F. McGaw.

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382       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

 

It was in the first decade of the nineteenth century that the

first white settlements were made in what are now Richland and

Ashland Counties. The first permanent settler in Richland County

was Jacob Newman, who settled on the banks of the Rockyfork

in the spring of 1807. He built his cabin near a spring. Not long

after the erection of his cabin he began the erection of a grist-

mill on the Rockyfork, which was purchased and completed by

Jacob Beam, and became widely known as Beam's Mill. In 1812,

Mr. Beam built a block-house near his mill, and it was here that

soldiers under Captain Abraham  Martin and Captain Simon

Beymer of the 3rd (Bay's) Regiment, were stationed.

In March, 1809, Rev. James Copus, a hatter by trade, moved

with his family of nine children near the banks of the Blackfork

where he erected a temporary cabin. This cabin was located

about three-fourths of a mile northeast of what is now called

Charles' mill, on what is called Zimmer's Run. "The cabin was

constructed by planting two forks in the ground about twenty

feet apart, and placing a ridge pole on them, and then leaning split

timber against the pole, making a sort of shed roof, the base being

about twelve feet wide, leaving a small opening at the top for the

escape of smoke. The ends were closed by setting poles in the

ground, leaving a door at one end. The cracks were carefully

closed with moss gathered from old logs. The floor consisted of

the smooth, well packed earth. In this rude structure James Copus

and family resided for a period of about eighteen months."³ In

the spring of 1810 he erected a cabin about three-fourths of a

mile from the Blackfork. where he was living at the time of the

battle in which he lost his life. It was located at, or near, where

the Copus monument now stands. Mr. Copus was born in Greene

Co., Pa., in 1775, and married in 1796. He was of German

descent, a man of firm convictions and upright character. He

was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and frequently

preached to the Indians, by whom he was respected as a man of

integrity. His permanent cabin was built near an excellent spring

which gushed out of the ground, at the foot of the hill, furnishing

water for the family and stock. A ridge of ground about 75

 

³History of Ashland County, by Hill.

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The Copus Battle Centennial.          383

 

feet high was on one side of the cabin, and on the other side

was a valley of rich and beautiful land. Mr. Copus had cleared

about twenty acres of the land and enclosed it with a rail fence.

It was here that he resided when the War of 1812 began.

Dr. G. W. Hill, in his History of Ashland County, gives the

following account of an Indian feast that Mr. Copus attended.

"In the fall of 1809 he attended an Indian feast at Greentown,

where he met James Cunningham and other new settlers........

The refreshments (?) consisted of boiled venison and bear meat,

somewhat tainted, and not very palatable to the white guests.

The ceremonies took place in the council house, a building com-

posed of clap-boards and poles, some thirty feet wide, and per-

haps fifty feet long. When the Indians entered the council

house, the squaws seated themselves on one side and the men

on the other. There was a small elevation of earth in the cen-

ter, eight or ten feet in diameter, which seemed to be a sort of

sacrifice mound. The ceremonies were opened by a rude sort of

music, made by beating upon a small copper kettle, and pots,

over the mouths of which dried skins had been stretched. This

was accompanied by a sort of song, which, as near as could be

understood, ran; 'Tiny, tiny, tiny, ho, ha, ho, ha, ho !'-accenting

the last syllables. Then a tall chief arose and addressed them.

During the delivery of his speech, a profound silence prevailed.

The whole audience observed the speaker, and seemed to 'be

deeply moved by the oration. The speaker seemed to be about

seventy years of age. He was tall and graceful. His eyes had

the fire of youth, and blazed with emotion while he was speak-

ing. The audience frequently sobbed, and seemed deeply 'af-

fected. Mr. Copus could not understand the language of the

address, but presumed the speaker was giving a summary 'his-

tory of the Delawares, two tribes of which, the 'Wolf' and the

'Turtle,' were represented at the feast. Mr. Copus learned that

the distinguished chief who had addressed the meeting, was 'Old

Captain Pipe,' of Mohican Johnstown, the executioner of the

lamented Col. Crawford. At the close of the address dancing

commenced. The Indians were neatly clothed in deer skin and

English blankets. Deer hoofs and bear claws were strung along

the seams of their leggins, and when the dance commenced, the

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384       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

 

jingling of the hoofs and claws gave a rude sort of harmony to

the wild music made upon the puts and kettles. The men danced

in files or lines, by themselves around the central mound, and the

squaws, followed in a company by themselves. In the dance

there seemed to be a proper sense of modesty between the

sexes. In fact, the Greentown Indians were always noted for

being extremely scrupulous and modest in the presence of others.

After the dance, the refreshments were handed around. Not rel-

ishing the appearance of the food, Mr. Copus and the other

whites present, carefully concealed the portions handed them

until they left the wigwam, and then threw them away. No

greater insult could be offered an Indian, than to refuse to ac-

cept the food proffered by him. So those present had to use a

little deception to evade the censure of the Indians."

Among other settlers at the beginning of the War of 1812

were the following: David Hill who, in  1809, made the first

settlement in what is now Lucas, on the lot now owned by Silas

Rummell; Captain James Cunningham, James Smith, John and

David Davis, Abraham Baughman, Peter Kinney, Martin Ruff-

ner, Frederick Zimmer (Zeimer or Seymour), Samuel Lewis,

Henry McCart, Archibald Gardner, Andrew Craig, John Lam-

bright, John and Thomas Coulter, Allen Oliver, Calvin and

Joseph Hill, Ebenezer Rice, Joseph Jones, Charles and Melzer

Tannyhill, Jeremiah Conine, George Crawford, Edward Haley,

Lewis and Solomon Hill, Moses Adzit, Sylvester Fisher, Otho

Simmons, Simon Rowland, Richard Hughes, and Henry Smith.

These settlers were mostly on the banks of the Blackfork, Rocky-

fork or Clearfork rivers.

When war between England and the United States was de-

clared, June 18, 1812, Ohio became at once the theater of some

of the most important incidents of the war. At almost the be-

ginning, August 16, Gen. Wm. Hull ingloriously surrendered

Detroit to General Brock. This act of cowardice rendered the

Ohio country almost defenseless against the Indians. The first

engagement with the Indians is said to have been on Marble-

head peninsula in Ottawa County.⁴ From this time many battles

 

4Ohio Arch. & Hist. Soc. Pub., XlV., 97

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The Copus Battle Centennial.          385

 

and skirmishes between the whites and Indians caused the

ground to be red with blood.

At the outbreak of hostilities Col. Samuel Kratzer, of Knox

County, arrived at Mansfield and took command of the soldiers

stationed at the various blockhouses. One blockhouse at Mans-

field was under Captain Shaffer of 'Fairfield County, and the

other under Captain Williams of Coshocton County. The soldiers

at Beam's blockhouse were under the command of Captain Abra-

ham Martin and Captain Simon Beymer. Early in September,

Col. Kratzer sent Captain Douglass to Greentown to bring the

Indians to Mansfield for the purpose of sending them to Piqua,

or Urbana, fearing that Tecumseh would influence them to join

him in hostilities against the white settlers. Greentown was

beautifully and strategically located and they hesitated to leave

the place that had been their home for thirty years, and where

many of their relatives were buried. When Captain Douglass

requested the Indians to vacate their homes and remove to a

distant place he did not meet with a hearty response. It was a

delicate and dangerous mission he had to perform. To insist

was to meet with resistance; to fail in the enterprise was to be

reprimanded by his commanding officer. In his dilemma he

found his way to the cabin of the friend and adviser of the In-

dians-James Copus-and solicited his aid in the undertaking.

In this he acted wisely, for Captain Armstrong, the chief, had

about eighty warriors and could maintain his position with great

loss to the whites. So Captain Douglass went to the man whom

he thought could render him assistance and thus avert blood-

shed. But James Copus was not a man to do a thing he thought

to be wrong. He had lived neighbor to these Indians for three

years and had found them peaceable. He had preached to them

the principles of Christianity and did'not want to do anything

that would belie his teaching. He, therefore, refused to do as

Captain Douglas desired. He endeavored to show that the In-

dians had certain rights which must be respected; that it was

wrong to take them from their homes; and that if they should

be removed he would be blamed as being responsible for it. But

all'of this was of no avail. The Captain not only urged, but

Vol. XXI -25.

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386       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications. commanded him to do as requested. Mr. Copus, fearing that Douglass would expel the Indians by force, finally consented to accompany him on condition that the property of the Indians should not be molested. He was given this assurance by Captain Douglass, who, doubtless, intended to keep his word. Mr. Copus took with him his three sons, Henry, James and Wesley,

and accompanied Douglass to Greentown, about three miles dis- tant. Upon arriving at the village they found the Indians greatly excited at the prospect of being driven from their homes. Cap- tain Thomas Armstrong, the chief, was a small, dignified man about sixty-five years old. His Indian name was Pamoxet. He was not a full-blooded Indian, but had lived so long with them that he had become one of them. He and Mr. Copus were very

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The Copus Battle Centennial.          387

 

good friends. He had often visited the Copus cabin, and one

season'had made sugar there. They had often enjoyed the back-

woods sports together. No wonder, therefore, that Mr. Copus

did not want to ask the Indians to leave. When Douglass ap-

proached the chief the second time he found him trembling with

emotion and excitement. He asked Mr. Copus if the property

of the Indians would be protected, and upon being told that

Captain Douglass had promised that not only the Indians them-

selves should be protected, but that their property also should

remain intact, the chief reluctantly consented to accompany the

soldiers to the blockhouse at Mansfield. With feelings of re-

gret and sorrow the Indians prepared to leave their homes. It

was a sad sight to see them start on the journey. Many of

them kept looking back to get the last glimpse of the place that

had been their camping-ground for thirty years. Finally some

one detected what looked like smoke arising from their late

homes, and before they had proceeded much further their fears

were confirmed. A few straggling soldiers had tarried behind

and had wantonly applied the torch to the Indian village and

Greentown was disappearing in smoke. This was done, they

claimed, in revenge for their relatives who had been slain by In-

dians. Some of the Indians swore vengence, and subsequent

events proved that they found it. Mr. Copus was chagrined

at finding that the pledges given to the Indians had not been

kept, and feared that he might be in danger from their desire for

revenge, since he had advised them to leave their homes under

promise of protection. But he soon found composure and went

on his usual rounds of'back-woods duties. Before leaving the

village an inventory of their property was taken by Captain

James Cunningham and Peter Kinney. The Indians were taken

across the Blackfork to the new State road, on thru Lucas, and

finally encamped in the ravine southwest of what is now the pub-

lic square in Mansfield. After being joined by Indians from

Jeromeville, they were taken by Col. Kratzer to Piqua.

In the spring of 1812, Martin Ruffner, a native of Shenan-

doah County, Va., settled on Staman's Run, half a mile northwest

of what is now Mifflin, in Ashland County, Ohio. Here he built

a cabin on the brow of a hill not far from the Blackfork. He,

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388       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

and a boy named Levi Berkinhizer (Bargahiser), lived at the

cabin and proceeded to clear some land preparatory to the arival

of his family. Near his cabin was the cabin of his brother-in-law,

Richard Hughes, with whom Mr. Ruffner's mother and nineteen

year old brother, Michael, lived. Mr. Ruffner's wife and child

arrived later in the summer, but upon hearing of the surrender of

Hull at Detroit he had sent them to Licking County. Several of

his relatives had been killed by the Indians and he had conse-

quently become the unconquerable foe of the Red-man.

About two and one-half miles southeast of the Ruffner cabin

Frederick Zimmer (Zeimer or Seymour), a native of Germany,

but who had resided in Pickaway County, erected a cabin for his

family consisting of his wife, daughter Catherine, and son Philip,

aged nineteen. Mr. Zimmer was a man of some means and had

purchased land in Pickaway County, where he had left some of

his married sons. He at once began to improve his recently

acquired home in Richland (now Ashland) County. Being an

old man and unable to work but little, he hired Michael Ruffner

to assist in preparing about fifteen acres for corn.

On the afternoon of September 10th, 1812, this young man,

Michael Ruffner, was on his way along the trail leading to the

cabin of his brother, when he met two (perhaps more) Indians

carrying guns, knives and tomahawks, and who seemed very

friendly. They inquired if the Zimmers were at home, and upon

being informed that they were the Indians passed on into the

forest and disappeared. Michael hastened to tell his brother

Martin what he had seen and heard. Martin at once became

suspicious and mounting a fleet horse hastened down the trail

to warn the Zimmers of the suspected danger. Arriving before

the Indians had put in an appearance, the pioneers soon decided

to sent Philip Zimmer to warn the other settlers of the impending

danger. He first went to the cabin of James Copus, who lived

about two miles further down the trail. From there he went to

John Lambright's who had erected a cabin two miles further

south on the Blackfork. Lambright, Copus and Philip Zimmer

hastened to the Zimmer cabin arriving there early in the evening.

Everything was as silent as midnight and finding no light in the

cabin grave fears were entertained that the occupants had met

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The Copus Battle Centennial.          389

 

a terrible fate. Mr. Copus went cautiously to the window and

listened, but no sound greeted his ears. He then went to the

door, which he found ajar, but upon pressing against it he found

that it did not move. He then felt on the floor, when, to his

horror, his hand was wet with blood. There was no longer any

uncertainty as to the fate of the inmates of the cabin. Hastening

to where Philip and Lambright were stationed he told them what

he had found. Young Zimmer became frantic at the thought of the

death of his aged parents and sister. He rushed to the cabin to

see for himself, but was restrained from entering for fear that

the Indians were secreted there awaiting his arrival, and that he

would share the same fate. Fearing to remain longer at the

Zimmer cabin, Copus and Lambright persuaded Philip Zimmer to

accompany them to the home of Mr. Copus who took his family

to the home of Mr. Lambright where they were joined by the

Lambright family. From there they went to the home of

Frederick Zimmer, Jr., whose family also joined the frightened

pioneers in their flight. They all hastened along the trail to the

cabin of David Hill, where Lucas now stands, and there were

lodged over night. When morning arrived they, together with

the Hill family, went to the blockhouse at Beam's Mill, where they

remained a few days.

The same day of their arrival at the blockhouse Philip and

Frederick Zimmer, with Copus, Hill and Lambright, accompanied

by an escort of soldiers, went to the cabin of Martin Ruffner and

Richard Hughes, but found nothing molested. Here they were

joined by the lad, Levi Berkinhizer (Bargahiser), also Michael

Ruffner and Richard Hughes. They all proceeded to the Zimmer

cabin where a horrible sight awaited them. There upon the

floor they found the dead and mangled bodies of Mr. and Mrs.

Zimmer, and their daughter Catherine. Mr. Zimmer had been

scalped. Tradition says that an Indian, Philip Kanotchy, after-

ward gave the details of the murder, stating that the beautiful

Catherine was the last to be killed. At the time of her death she

was engaged to be married to Jedediah Smith. He afterwards

married and reared a family, the descendants of which still reside

in Washington township, Richland County. Thus ended the

career of beautiful, beloved Kate Zimmer. In the yard the recon-

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390       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

 

noitering party found the body of heroic Martin Ruffner. From

every evidence he had made a desperate struggle for his life.

Several of his fingers had been severed by blows from a tomahawk,

and his gun was bent nearly double, showing that he had used it

in clubbing the savages. He was also shot twice thru the body

and then scalped. From the appearance of the table in the cabin,

refreshments had been prepared, but not eaten. The bodies of

the dead were carefully placed in a single grave on the knoll a

short distance from the cabin, where a monument now marks the

spot. The farm was sold by Philip Zimmer to Michael Culler,

and is now owned by the heirs of the late Boston Culler.

After burying the bodies of Martin Ruffner and the Zimmer

family, the party retraced their steps to the blockhouse at Beam's

Mill. But Mr. Copus was not accustomed to sit around and

idle away his time. Besides that he had confidence in the friend-

ship which had previously existed between himself and the neigh-

boring Indians.  He therefore, decided to return to his cabin

near the Blackfork. To this desire Captain Martin objected.

He urged that the unsettled condition of the Indians made it

dangerous to be away from the blockhouse. But Mr. Copus

was determined to go, and could not be dissuaded. On the af-

ternoon of September 14, 1812, he set out with his family of

nine children for his cabin, accompanied by nine soldiers as a

protection. Upon arriving at the cabin they found it and the

stock as they had left it. When the evening shades began to

gather Mr. Copus invited the soldiers to share the hospitality of

his cabin, but since the night was warm, and the soldiers de-

sired to indulge in sports, they declined his invitation and de-

cided to sleep in the barn, about four rods north of the cabin.

Mr. Copus cautioned the soldiers to be on 'their guard against

surprise by the Indians who might be lurking about. During the

afternoon Sarah Copus, aged twelve, saw some Indians in the

cornfield south of the cabin, but had said nothing to her father

about it. During the night the dogs kept up an almost incessant

barking, and Mr. Copus slept but little. A short time before

daybreak he invited the soldiers into the cabin and informed

them of his fears. He then lay down to rest and the soldiers

went to the spring, near the cabin to wash. He again warned

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The Copus Battle Centennial.          391

 

them to take their guns with them, since he was certain that In-

dians were lurking near the cabin because of the constant bark-

ing of his dogs, and the peculiar premonitions he had received

during the night. The soldiers started with their guns, but in-

stead of keeping them by their side, leaned them against the

side of the cabin. The Indians had been watching for just such

an opportunity as the carelessness of the soldiers offered. While

the soldiers had been showing such indifference to the warnings

they had received, the Red-man of the forest had stealthily, yet

swiftly, stolen upon them, as a tiger springs upon its prey. The

soldiers had scarcely reached the spring and begun their ablu-

tions when the terrible war-whoop of the savages was heard.

Instantly the distance between the spring and where their guns

had been left leaning against the cabin was filled with yelling In-

dians, shooting and tomahawking the soldiers. Of the soldiers

at the spring three fell from the blows of the savages and were

instantly scalped. Three more fled into the woods; these were

George Shipley, John Tedrick, and Mr. Warnock. Shipley and

Tedrick were soon overtaken by the Indians, tomahawked and

scalped. But Warnock was swifter of foot and outran the

savages, who finally shot him in the bowels; he stuffed his

handkerchief into the wound and ran behind a tree, where his

dead body was found some time after. A soldier named George

Dye, of Captain Simon Beymer's company, finding that his ap-

proach to the cabin was cut off decided upon a heroic and

strategic method. He rushed to the door of the cabin and

paused long enough for the savages to take aim, and then by a

mighty leap sprang for the door, entering it with a broken hip

caused by a bullet from the gun of a warrior. It is stated

that several pints of bullets struck the spot where he had stopped

just before springing into the cabin. This now made three

soldiers in the cabin, for two of them had not gone to the spring

with the other seven. One by the name of George Launtz

proved himself worthy of his profession. While the soldiers on

the outside of the cabin were meeting their death, those on the

inside were having an interesting experience.  Launtz had

climbed up to the loft and while removing the clay and chink-

ing had his arm broken by a ball from a rifle of an enemy. But

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392       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

he was undaunted. He soon saw the head of an Indian pro-

truding from behind a scrub oak standing on the hill overlooking

the cabin; he took aim, fired, and the Red-skin bounded into the

air and tumbled down the hill into the trail that wended its way

past the cabin. The most important person engaged in the con-

flict was the owner of the premises, James Copus, the friend of

the Indian. Upon hearing the war-whoop of the Indians Mr.

Copus sprang from his bed, seized his trusty gun and rushed to

the door just as Dye was about to enter. He at once saw an

Indian pointing his gun at him ready to fire when Mr. Copus

leveled his rifle and fired simultaneous with the Indian; both

were mortally wounded. Mr. Copus was carried to a bed, where

he expired in about an hour; he died encouraging the soldiers to

protect his family. The ball that caused his death passed thru

the leather strap which supported his powder-horn.⁵ On the

hill just opposite the cabin was a growth of dwarfed timber

which afforded protection for the Indians, who poured an al-

most incessant storm of bullets against the cabin. The door of

the cabin was soon riddled with bullets, but the puncheon floor

was torn up and stood against it to afford protection against the

enemy. The logs of the cabin were literally filled with the

missiles from the savage denizens of the forest. The Indians

climbed upon the hill and fired down upon the roof of the cabin,

but all to no avail. The only inmate of the cabin, except Mr.

Launtz, to be wounded was ten-year-old Nancy Copus, who was

wounded in the knee. During the engagement a wounded savage

was seen crawling upon the ground endeavoring to reach the

trail. At times he would look toward the cabin and attempt to

raise his gun and shoot, but his efforts were soon stopped by a

ball from the rifle of one of the soldiers, who shot him thru the

head.

The engagement lasted until about ten o'clock, when the

Indians finding that they could neither kill nor dislodge the

occupants of the cabin, retreated, taking most of their wounded

5This powder-horn is now in the possession of Mr. H. H. Becker,

who married Miss Minnie Copus, daughter of Madison Copus, son of

Wesley, who was the son of James Copus.

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The Copus Battle Centennial.           393

 

and killed with them. But before leaving they sent a farewell

volley of bullets into the flock of sheep which had been the

silent and sad spectators of the events of the morning. The sheep

tumbled down the hill into a heap in the trail. These were the

same sheep that were seen early in the morning looking down

upon some interesting object in the corn field below. With a

savage yell the Indians were gone, to the great delight of the

almost exhausted defenders of the cabin. How many Indians

were killed is uncertain. The number engaged in the battle is

supposed to have been forty-five, because there were found forty-

five holes in the ground, where forty-five ears of corn had been

roasted. No sooner had the enemy disappeared than a soldier

lifted some of the clapboards off the roof making a hole thru

which he escaped, and ran in haste to the blockhouse at Beam's

Mill notifying the soldiers of what had taken place, and asking

assistance. But Captain Martin was not at the Blockhouse. The

day before, when the Copus family and the nine soldiers left the

blockhouse, the Captain promised that he would be at the cabin

that evening and see if there was any danger that would require

their presence. But having scouted all day without finding any

signs of Indians decided to camp for the night. In the morning

they started leisurely for the Copus cabin. Several times they

heard the shooting, but thought it was the soldiers at target

practice. On approaching the cabin they skulked along as if they

were Indians, but soon discovered that there was something wrong

and a practical joke was out of place. Captain Martin and his sol-

diers⁶ were horrified to find their dead comrades at the spring

and the dead body of Mr. Copus in the cabin. It was especially

horrifying to Captain Martin, since he might have averted the

battle had he kept his agreement and arrived the day before. The

trail of the Indians was at once followed, but they had dis-

appeared around the southern bluff of the hill and were lost among

the weeds in the ravine, and were soon out of reach. The dead

soldiers and Mr. Copus were buried together in a large grave

at the foot of an apple tree, near the south side of the cabin. Cap-

6One of the soldiers of the rescuing party was Nehemiah Williams,

grandfather of the writer of this sketch.

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394       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

 

tain James Cunningham assisted in burying the dead.⁷ The dead

included Mr. James Copus, George Shipley, John Tedrick, and the

three unnamed soldiers who fell at the spring. Captain Martin

and his soldiers then took the Copus family and the wounded

soldiers and proceeded up the valley about half a mile where

they encamped for the night, after placing guards around the

camp to prevent surprise by the Indians who might still be lurking

in the vicinity. There were about one hundred in the camp that

night. It is quite likely that there was very little sleep. The

next morning the little band continued on the trail passing near

the deserted cabin of Martin Ruffner, reaching the block-house

at Beam's Mill that evening.

About six weeks after the battle Henry Copus and a half

dozen soldiers returned to the Copus cabin. They found the

dead body of Mr. Warnock leaning against a tree. A grave was

dug near by and his body buried. They also found the bodies of

the two Indians which had been left when their comrades had

retreated from the field of conflict. One Indian was in the front

yard; this doubtless was the one who was shot by Mr. Copus.

The other was in the trail near the foot of the oak tree, where he

had been shot by Mr. Launtz. The bodies of the Indians were

left where they fell, and were, no doubt, devoured by wolves

which were numerous at that time.

For about two months Mrs. Copus and her children remained

at the block-house at Beam's Mill. They were taken by Joseph

Archer and George Carroll to near Claysville, Guernsey County.

The journey required many days over a rough road thru the

unbroken wilderness. Part of the way they had to walk, and at

best the trip was one of great hardship. Almost any moment

they might expect to see an Indian spring from behind a tree

and send his tomahawk into the brain of some of the company.

Mrs. Copus and her children remained in Guernsey County

until the spring of 1815 when they returned to their neighborhood

near the banks of the Blackfork. Mrs. Copus afterwards married

John Vail, by whom she had one daughter who became the wife

of Peter S. VanGilder.

7Captain Cunningham was the grandfather of Mr. A. J. Baughman,

the historian, who is trustee of The Ohio State Arch. & His. Society.

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The Copus Battle Centennial.           395 Mrs. (Copus) Vail lived fifty years after the battle in which her first husband was killed. She saw a great transformation take place in the wilderness along the banks of the Blackfork, near which they had built their first cabin in 1809. She died December 8, 1862, aged eighty-seven years, three months, and seven days. Her body now rests in a cemetery near the place where the battle occurred.

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