Ohio History Journal

OHIO STATE ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL

SOCIETY

REVIEWS, NOTES, AND COMMENTS

 

BY THE EDITOR

 

UNVEILING OF MEMORIAL TO ELIZABETH

ZANE

An event of more than passing interest in the pioneer

history of the Ohio Valley was appropriately celebrated

at Walnut Grove Cemetery, Martins Ferry, Ohio, May

30, 1928. This was the unveiling of a statue as a me-

morial to Elizabeth Zane--Heroine of Fort Henry.

Fort Henry, named in honor of Patrick Henry, was

built on a hill within the present city limits of Wheeling,

West Virginia. It was unsuccessfully attacked by the

Indians the year it was built, in 1781, and again by the

British and Indians September 11, 1782. This last at-

tack and successful defense by garrison has sometimes

been called the last battle of the Revolutionary War. In

the final siege, we are told "the supply of powder having

run low in the fort, Elizabeth Zane ran several hundred

yards to the powder house and brought back a supply

sufficient to save the fort."

The story of this heroic deed, according to Henry

Howe, "has been published a thousand times." He

might have added "and in varied version and detail."

In volume 13 of the Ohio Archaeological and Historical

Society Publications, the writer of the contribution en-

titled "Zane's Trace," makes brief mention of this ex-

ploit by El'zabeth Zane, familiarly known as Betty Zane,

the young sister of Ebenezer Zane. In that contri-

bution is published in full the poem entitled "Elizabeth

(592)

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Reviews, Notes and Comments       593 Zane" by John S. Adams, which first appeared in St. Nicholas. According to the poem, Elizabeth Zane was in the fort at the time of the siege, and as already stated made the trip, not of'"several hundred yards" but of

about "sixty yards" to the powder magazine and re- turned with a supply of powder to the fort. Other accounts, however, are to the effect that Eliz- abeth Zane brought the powder from the fort to the home of her brother, Colonel Ebenezer Zane. We quote from History of the Early Settlement and Indian Wars of Western Virginia, by Wills De Hass. Beginning on page 269, we find the following: Vol. XXXVII--38.

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594       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

As we have already stated, Colonel Zane remained in his

cabin near the fort, during the whole siege. Finding that his

supply of powder was likely to run out, he proposed to those

present, that some one of them would have to visit the fort and re-

new the stock. It was known to be a hazardous undertaking,

and unwilling to order either of the white men to so perilous an

enterprise, Colonel Zane submitted the matter to their own de-

votion and courage. One of them instantly proffered his services,

but a female member of Col. Zane's family came forward and

said, "No! I will go; should I be killed, I can be better spared

than one of these men." That woman, according to the tradi-

tionary accounts of the country, was Elizabeth Zane, sister to

Colonel Zane. She is represented to have been a young woman

of great resolution and much energy of character, and those

who knew her intimately say unhesitatingly, that she was just

the person for such an exploit. Preparing herself for the feat,

the intrepid girl stepped from the cabin and bounded to the fort

with the speed of a deer. A number of Indians concealed in

the neighborhood, saw her emerge from the cabin, but did not

attempt to shoot, only exclaiming with contemptuous epithets,

"Squaw, squaw." She reached the fort, and tying about her

person eight or ten pounds of powder, again ventured forth and

moved rapidly towards the cabin of Colonel Zane. Suspecting

all was not right, the savages opened upon her a volley of rifle

balls, but unscathed, the courageous girl bounded into the arms

of those who stood ready to receive her.

That act of the heroic and single-hearted female saved the

inmates of Colonel Zane's house from certain destruction. Their

ammunition had been exhausted, and every soul would have fallen

a sure prey to the fury of the savages, had not a supply been

obtained.

A different version is quoted from Wither's Border

Warfare in Howe's Historical Collections of Ohio, vol.

1, pages 314-315:

When Lynn, the ranger, gave the alarm that an Indian army

was approaching, the fort having been for some time unoccupied

by a garrison, and Colonel Zane's house having been used for

a magazine, those who retired into the fortress had to take with

them a supply of ammunition for its defense. The supply of

powder, deemed ample at the time, was now almost exhausted, by

reason of the long continuance of the siege, and the repeated en-

deavors of the savages to take the fort by storm; a few rounds

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Reviews, Notes and Comments             595

 

only remained. In this emergency it became necessary to renew

their stock from an abundant store which was deposited in

Colonel Zane's house. Accordingly, it was proposed that one of

the fleetest men should endeavor to reach the house, obtain a

supply of powder, and return with it to the fort. It was an enter-

prise full of danger; but many of the heroic spirits shut up in the

fort were willing to encounter the hazard. Among those who

volunteered to go on this enterprise was Elizabeth, the sister of

Colonel E. Zane. She was young, active and athletic, with cour-

age to dare the danger, and fortitude to sustain her through it.

Disdaining to weigh the hazard of her own life against that of

others, when told that a man would encounter less danger by rea-

son of his greater fleetness, she replied, "and should he fall, his loss

will be more severely felt; you have not one man to spare; a

woman will not be missed in the defense of the fort." Her serv-

ices were then accepted. Divesting herself of some of her gar-

ments, as tending to impede her progress, she stood prepared

for the hazardous adventure; and when the gate was thrown

open, bounded forth with the buoyancy of hope, and in the confi-

dence of success. Wrapt in amazement, the Indians beheld her

springing forward, and only exclaiming, "a squaw," "a squaw,"

no attempt was made to interrupt her progress; arrived at the

door, she proclaimed her errand. Colonel Silas Zane fastened

a table-cloth around her waist, and emptying into it a keg of

powder, again she ventured forth. The Indians were no longer

passive. Ball after ball whizzed by, several of which passed

through her clothes; she reached the gate, and entered the fort

in safety; and thus was the garrison again saved by female in-

trepidity. This heroine had but recently returned from Phila-

delphia, where she had received her education, and was wholly

unused to such scenes as were daily passing on the frontiers.

The distance she had to run was about forty yards.

 

The honor of this heroic exploit has also been claimed

for another young woman by the name of Molly Scott.

The claim in her behalf is set forth on pages 280-281 in

the work by De Hass, from which quotation has already

been made. The claim of Miss Zane, however, is well

established. It is supported by "a cloud of witnesses,"

quoted in the History of Belmont and Jefferson Coun-

ties, by J. A. Caldwell. Among these witnesses are per-

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596      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

sons present on the occasion of the daring deed, by de-

scendants of Elizabeth Zane, who had frequently heard

her relate the incident, and by a grandson of Molly Scott,

Mr. J. S. Scott, who made the following statement:

She [his grandmother] has told me, and in my presence,

many times, about the exploit of Betty Zane carrying the powder

in her apron from Colonel Zane's dwelling to the fort, during

the siege, and of the courage and intrepidity with which the act

was performed, as well as the narrow escape she had from the

bullets of the Indians. She always told me the same story and

never gave any other name than Elizabeth or Betty Zane, as she

called her, as the one who carried the powder.

Early newspaper accounts sustain the claim        of

Elizabeth Zane. The almost uniform testimony is also

to the effect that the powder was brought from the

house of Colonel Zane to the fort. The attack appears

to have been suddenly made and sufficient powder for

the defense of the fort had not been transferred to it

before it was surrounded.

Elizabeth Zane was born in Berkeley County, Vir-

ginia, in 1759. She died in St. Clairsville, Ohio, in 1847.

She was twice married; first to a Mr. McLaughlin, and

after his death to a Mr. Clark. She is reported to have

been "a beautiful girl and throughout long life an ac-

complished and handsome woman, and withal modest

and unassuming." A number of her descendants are

now living.

The following is quoted from the Program of the

Dedicatory Exercises at Martins Ferry:

"When the founders of Wheeling, and the heroine of Vir-

ginia, were interred in the soil of Ohio, the place selected was

not then the terminus of a busy thoroughfare, but was a secluded

spot where majestic trees towered and commanded a view of

the sweeping Ohio, as well as all of the territory that Col. Eb-

enezer Zane had owned.

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Reviews, Notes and Comments             597

 

In thinking of the seemingly inappropriate burial place of

the man who had owned the whole upper section of Wheeling,

the customs of that day must not be ignored, nor the realiza-

tion of the tenacity of family ties.

Family burial plots that were located on farms of the owners

was the custom then rather than the cemeteries of today."

With the succeeding years came progress and the memory of

this Heroine was somewhat denied. The burial place did not

receive the attention necessary to keep it attractive and after the

cyclone of 1887, which destroyed many of the beautiful trees,

Walnut Grove Cemetery was a spot seldom visited, perhaps only

on Decoration Day when flowers were placed on the graves of

those sleeping there.

A few years ago the people of Martins Ferry realizing that

a fitting memorial should be erected here to designate the burial

place of Elizabeth Zane, called together representatives of about

twenty of its fraternal, civic and social organizations of this city

with the hope of furthering the plans initiated by the public

schools of our city for a suitable monument to the memory of

our pioneer citizen.

Mr. O. H. Kinney was elected president of the organization

and to him goes the credit of fathering this movement through

the years, keeping it ever before the boys and girls until in 1922

the first funds were placed to the credit of the Memorial Com-

mittee by the various schools. Through bazaars, entertainments

and contributions the fund steadily grew until at present there

is about $3800 available for this purpose.

The school children are happy in the realization of their

dream and the various teachers, principals and superintendents

who had a part in this project are proud of the cooperation in

this community which brought success to their efforts.

A prominent feature of the program was an Histori-

cal Pageant staged by the school children of Martins

Ferry. At the exercises at the monument in the after-

noon, H. E. Koehnlein, chairman of the Memorial Com-

mittee, presided, and W. L. Kocher, superintendent of

schools, served as master of ceremonies. After Invo-

cation by Rev. J. E. Priestly, there was a flag raising

with music--"The Star Spangled Banner"--by the High

School Band; Remarks to Descendants of Elizabeth

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598     Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

Zane, by W. O. McCluskey; Unveiling of Monument, by

Mrs. Catherine Long, granddaughter of Elizabeth Zane;

followed by addresses by Howard F. Sedgwick and Ma-

jor H. A. Dargue, both of Washington, D. C. The pro-

gram concluded with the singing of "America."

 

 

CELEBRATION AT CAMPUS MARTIUS

In 1917, the General Assembly of Ohio passed an act

authorizing the purchase, from Miss Minerva Tupper

Nye, of the portion of the old Campus Martius site in

Marietta on which the Rufus Putnam house is still

standing. By the terms of this act this lot was to pass

into the custody of the Ohio State Archaeological and

Historical Society. Later the provisions of the act were

complied with and the property passed into the posses-

sion of the state.

The Putnam House has recently been repaired. A

new roof has been provided and the framework has been

substantially strengthened. The walls of the rooms have

been papered, electric lights and plumbing for city water

have been installed. The permanent preservation of

this historical building on its original site is now as-

sured.

The state acquired a part only of the original site in

the purchase from Miss Nye. Recently an additional

plot of ground lying within the site and bordering on

the portion already owned by the state was offered for

sale. It was about to pass into private hands to be im-

proved for residence purpose. No money was available

for its purchase by the state and the opportunity to ac-

quire and add it to the lot on which the Putnam House

stands seemed about to be lost.

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