EARLY JOURNEYS TO
OHIO
BY B. F. PRINCE,
Professor in Wittenberg College.
The contest for the lands west of the
Ohio river be-
gan centuries ago. It was a goodly land
in the eyes of
the savages as well as those of the
white man. A short
survey of the Indian occupation will
help us to under-
stand the fierce contest between the
French and English
for domination in this region. There is
a conflict of
opinion as to conditions in that
territory from about 1650
to 1740. A great war of many years' duration between
the Iroquois and the Algonquin tribes
arose about the
middle of the seventeenth century. The
war was fierce
and devastating and resulted in a
complete victory for
the Iroquois. It was impossible for
many years there-
after for any tribe to make a home
within what is now
Ohio. This region became as much a
debatable ground
as was the region of Kentucky in the
days of Daniel
Boone and his brave companions.
Other writers who seem well informed on
the pre-
vailing conditions of the west during
the period men-
tioned do not admit the lack of Indian
settlement in this
territory but speak of French traders
visiting there for
the purpose of traffic. It is quite
probable that for some
little time the Indians who had been
living here were
driven out, but when the smoke of
battle had cleared
away, and the enemy were far distant
they soon re-
turned to their former possessions, and
hunted over
their land as in the days before the
war.
The Miami tribes were the real masters
of this
region. They were perhaps in the zenith
of their power
about the middle of the eighteenth
century. They held
the country from the Scioto to the
Wabash and had
numerous towns in this wide and fertile
district. Its
(54)
Early Journeys to Ohio. 55
fine meadows, noble forests, many
rivers and abundant
game met every want of these occupants. Perhaps no
region in our whole country has been so
hotly contended
for by the natives both formerly and
latterly as was this.
The many wars and forays between 1755
and 1795, dur-
ing which period thousands of whites
lost their lives and
thousands more were carried into
captivity, were con-
sequences of the purpose of the savages
to hold the Ohio
territory at any cost. No more thrilling,
yet harrowing
narrative was ever written than
Wither's Chronicles of
Border Warfare, which show the persistence of the
whites to encroach on the Indian lands
and the deter-
mination of the Indians to maintain
their rightful hold.
In the first half of the eighteenth
century various
other tribes of Indians were crowding
into this territory.
The Wyandots, the Shawnees, Mingoes,
Delawares and
others found it a goodly land for their
future abode.
They had been disturbed in their own
native place either
by white men or by some of their own
forest people
whose ill will they had provoked by
their insolence or
by rivalry in trade.
The Indians were somewhat divided in
their sym-
pathies. The Iroquois during most of
their history
favored the English while the Algonquins
or Hurons, in
which great family the Miamis were
included, for a long
period bestowed their friendship upon
the French. For
some time the English had endeavored to
win by gifts
the Miamis to their support but were
unable to ac-
complish their purpose. Near the
beginning of the 18th
century the Miami tribes divided in
their allegiance be-
tween the French and English. By 1715
the English
had won their way for a short time to
the friendship of
some of them and were permitted to
carry on trade with
them.
However, few English traders
invaded the
region beyond the Ohio, the traffic was
mostly consum-
mated at some point in western
Pennsylvania or at Fort
Harris or Logstown, or Lancaster. This
continued
until 1744 at which time the Miamis
entered into a
56
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.
covenant with the French to drive out
all English trad-
ers from the Miami country. But the
French were not
favorably received by all the tribes.
An Indian chief
Nicholas by name, a Huron, formed a
conspiracy to
overthrow the French, but a premature
murder revealed
the plot and thwarted its purpose. But
the struggle for
the Indian trade did not slumber; it
was continuous.
Many tribes inclined to favor the
English because they
gave better bargains than the French.
But the French
were better diplomats than the English;
their free and
easy life won and carried away the
hearts and affections
of the Indians. The French seemed to
want nothing but
the pelts that the Savages could
collect; they left them
in full possession of their forest with
its complement of
game, while the English wanted lands
for their own use,
leaving nothing for the Indians but a
despoiled country.
In 1748 a treaty was made at Lancaster,
Pennsyl-
vania, between the Iroquois and the
western Indians, the
purpose of which was to open trade with
the English.
At the same time a treaty was made with
the Miamis
which offered many advantages to the
colonies of Penn-
sylvania and Virginia. Trade with the
west was re-
garded as of so much importance that in
1749 the Gov-
ernors of Pennsylvania, Maryland and
Virginia cleared
a path from the forks of the Ohio to
the country of the
Miamis west of the Scioto. From the
forks it was ex-
tended eastward to Wills Creek, and a
good horsepath to
Harris Station, now Harrisburg. Thence
wagon roads
led to Lancaster and Philadelphia.
While the English were making great
strides toward
securing Indian trade the French became
equally busy
to control the same and to secure a
permanent hold upon
this vast extent of unexcelled land. It
was at this time
that they planted the five leaden
plates along the Ohio
river, on which they pronounced the
surrounding coun-
try as a part of their possession. But their efforts
to se-
cure the favor of the Western Indians
at this time did
not meet with success.
Early Journeys to Ohio. 57
Continued interchanges of gifts and
visits were car-
ried on between the English and
Indians. Every effort
was made to perpetuate the friendship so auspiciously
started. At the request of the Miami
tribe the Governor
of Virginia agreed to put in better
condition the road
recently made for the benefit of trade.
Many presents
were sent to the Miamis by the hands of
Croghan and
Montour, on account of which permission
was given
them to erect a trading post at the
mouth of Loramie's
Creek, located about two and a half
miles above the
present site of Piqua, O. Men of
wealth, character and
influence of Philadelphia became
interested in the enter-
prise and invested their capital in
this profitable under-
taking. The Proprietors of Pennsylvania
wished to be-
come partners in the business but were
refused on the
ground that it should be for native
Americans alone, or
those who had cast in their lot
absolutely with that peo-
ple.
The trading post erected there was
known as Picka-
willany, or Picktown. Its location was
on a plateau
overlooking the somewhat narrow valley
of the Great
Miami River. There was an enclosure of
an acre or
more, made of palisades, the lines of
which it is said can
still be seen when the ground is
freshly plowed. The
time of its erection was 1751. No
sooner had the French
heard of its erection and occupancy by
the English than
its overthrow was planned. A force was
secured at
Detroit consisting of French and
Indians and after a
long and weary march thru forests and
over swamps and
bogs it came suddenly upon the town,
whose inhabitants
were entirely ignorant of the approach
of a hostile force.
Until 1751 no formal exploration of
what is now the
state of Ohio had been made by the
English. For
nearly a hundred years previous to
this, English trad-
ers had now and then wandered into this
country, but
most of their bargains had been made
with the Indians
at some town in the Eastern part of
Pennsylvania. The
French had much closer relations with
the dwellers of
58 Ohio Arch. and Hist.
Society Publications.
the forest and consequently secured
most of their traffic
in furs for which they gave little of
value in return. But
the English awakening to the wonderful
possibility of
trade with the men of the forest
hastened to take ad-
vantage of the opportunity.
When Gist and Walker made their
explorations in
what is now Ohio and Kentucky there was
not a house
erected nor a field cultivated for the
protection and sup-
port of the white man in all that
region. Immense for-
ests covered the land, inhabited by
rude and fierce
savages. Perhaps LaSalle was the first
white man who
visited this region and saw its
vastness and its possibili-
ties as he floated slowly down the Ohio
in 1679, behold-
ing the unbroken line of endless
forests on either side
of the river. Truly then nature reigned
in all its beauty
and strength, being in marked contrast
with the civilized
desolation that has followed in the
footsteps of the white
man.
While the French had visited the wilds
of the west
as far as the Mississippi by 1755, the
English had spent
most of their energies east of the
Mountains. They did
not seem anxious about the great
regions beyond the
natural boundary line. Save only to a
few traders who
had wandered for gain in the untraveled
regions, the
western country was an unknown problem.
When sud-
denly they came to realize that the
French were about
to hem them in they became alert and
took steps to gain
full possession of what they believed
to be their own.
Land companies were formed whose
purpose was to se-
cure large tracts along the Ohio and
pave the way for
emigration from the older settlements.
It was easy to
secure patents for such companies on
the most favorable
terms. Eight hundred thousand acres
were arranged
for in what is now Kentucky, and in
1750 Dr. Thomas
Walker was sent out by the company
receiving the
patent to locate the land. His journal,
written at the
time of his visit, was not published
until 1888. This was
Early Journeys to Ohio. 59
the first attempt to secure some
accurate knowledge of
Kentucky.
The next attempt was made to learn the
true condi-
tions of the lands west of the Ohio and
of the Indians
who occupied the region. This part of
the west had long
been a source for much imagination as
to the quality of
the land and the number of Indians who
lived there.
Incursions by Indians from these
domains had been
made from time to time into the
settlements of Pennsyl-
vania and the valley of Virginia, and
on account of their
frequency and their success much fear
was entertained
on account of them. Because of the
amount of furs also
brought by them to the various trading
posts in Pennsyl-
vania, it was thought well to cultivate
their friendship
and break their alliance with the
French.
In 1749 George II granted to the First
Ohio Com-
pany a tract of land containing five
hundred thousand
acres, said land to be located in what
is now West Vir-
ginia. Franklin, who was in England
when the new
company applied for a patent, added his
influence in se-
curing favorable action from the king.
This company
had other projects in view. They wished
to secure lands
more level and promising than those
found on the east
and south of the Ohio river, but their
idea of the char-
acter of the land north and west of the
Ohio was only a
matter of conjecture. To get proper
information con-
cerning it the company selected
Christopher Gist of
North Carolina to explore these lands.
The company
was composed of a number of gentlemen
prominent in
political life and of approved business
ability. Among
them were Thomas Lee, President of the
Council of Vir-
ginia, Lawrence and August Washington,
Thomas
Cresap, Robert Dinwiddie, Governor of
Virginia, and
fourteen others. In preparation for
Gist's journey a
store was opened at Wills Creek, now
Cumberland,
Maryland, and Thomas Cresap was
instructed to open
a road to the Monongahela River. The agreement with
Gist was that he should have one
hundred and fifty
60
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.
pounds for his services and such
additional compensa-
tion as the value of his labors might warrant.
On the 17th day of September, 1750, a
special com-
mittee issued a bill of instructions to
Mr. Gist. He was
to go westward beyond the great
mountains in order to
discover the lands along the Ohio, as
far as the Falls of
the Ohio, note its rivers and the
character of the soil
as to its quality and productiveness.
They further say:
"You are to observe what nations
of Indians inhabit
there, their strength and numbers, whom
they trade with
and in what commodities they deal. When
you find a
large quantity of good level land such
as you think will
suit the company you are to measure the
length and
breadth of it." The instructions repeat the phrase,
"good and level land," as
though this was a chief reason
for the great and perilous journey of
Gist.
On Wednesday, October 13, 1750, Gist
started on his
westward trip from Wills Creek. His
advance was slow
for he did not reach Shannopin's town
until Nov. 21st.
A few days later he reached Logstown,
eighteen miles
below Shannopins town, the latter being
located at the
forks of the Ohio. While at Shannopins
town Gist says
he adjusted his compass privately
because the Indians
were suspicious of a man with a
compass. To them it
was evidence that the owner of the
instrument was pre-
paring to take away their lands. As the
English were
greedy for land the Indians watched
every movement
that seemed to indicate such a purpose.
For this reason
the Indians loved the French much more
than the Eng-
lish, for the former made no effort to
take away their
lands for their own use. A few days
later Gist entered
what is now Ohio, taking a southwesterly
course
through the country which he pronounces
very good.
He passed by small Indian towns. Deer
were plentiful,
so that the company consisting of
eleven persons suf-
fered no inconvenience for the lack of
food.
On the 14th of December Gist and his
party reached
a town on the Muskingum occupied by the
Wyandots.
Early Journeys to Ohio. 61
As he approached this town he saw the
English colors
flying from the king's house. He soon
discovered that
George Croghan had a trading post
there. The French
having risen against all English
traders, Croghan had
sent word to all Englishmen scattered
about to come to
the Wyandot town as a place of
protection. Gist tar-
ried here a number of days. News is
brought of the
capture of some English traders but it
has no terror for
Gist. He conferred with the Indians
present and made
regulations with them concerning trade.
On the 25th
day of December he says in his journal:
"This being
Christmas day, I intended to read
prayers, but after in-
viting some of the white men they
informed each other
of my intentions and being of several
different per-
suasions and few of them being inclined
to hear any good
they refused to come." However,
one Thomas Birney,
a blacksmith, made a canvass and
induced some whites
to attend, also a number of Indians
were finally present.
When Gist saw the apparently interested
auditors about
him, he said: "I have no design or
intention to give
offence to any particular sect or
religion, but as our king
indulges us all in a liberty of
conscience and hinders
none of you in the exercise of your
religious worship,
so it would be unjust in you to stop
the propagation of
this. The doctrine of salvation, faith
and good works
is what I only propose to treat
of." He then read from
the homolies of the Church of England
which Montour
interpreted for the Indians who seemed
much gratified
for the message. So far as I know this
was the first
religious meeting conducted by a
Protestant in Ohio.
It preceded the religious work of the
Moravians many
years. The most interesting part about it is, that a
lay-
man intent on a great business mission, far away from
home, amid the most untoward conditions
and surround-
ings, should remember what Christmas
meant to the
world and was willing to witness for his Lord and his
Church. It showed some good training on
the part of
this man. The Indians thanked him for
his words and
62
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.
invited him to live with them, baptize
their children
and perform marriage ceremonies after
the Christian
manner.
In striking contrast to this seeming
interest in re-
ligion on the part of the savages, on
the next day a white
woman prisoner who after a long period
of captivity
had attempted to escape was brought back and then
taken out of town and let loose; as she
again attempted
to run away, persons appointed overtook
her and cruelly
took away her life. Yet Gist and the
other whites
present were powerless to give her any
aid.
After distributing presents, attended
with some cere-
mony to make the gifts more impressive,
Gist took leave
of the town on the 15th day of January,
1751, accom-
panied by Croghan, Montour and several
others. His
route lay southwest from the Muskingum
town, passing
near the present site of Newark and by
some salt springs
near Licking Creek. Thence his course
was by the
present city of Lancaster. Near the
present site of
Circleville, he came to a small town
inhabited by Dela-
ware Indians. Gist was highly pleased
with the beauty
of the Scioto Plains. He observed a
fine, rich level land,
with large meadows and spacious plains
covered with
wild rye. He noted the large walnut,
hickory, poplar,
cherry, and sugar trees. Outside the
valley of Virginia
he had not seen such land.
Owing to the high stage of the water in
the Scioto,
Gist was unable to cross and so
continued his journey on
the east side. He passed more salt
springs which In-
dians and traders visited to
manufacture salt from the
brackish waters. He passed a number of
small towns of
Delaware Indians. At one of these towns
a council was
held at which Gist states the purpose
of his visit. He
told them that he was sent by his
father, the Governor
of Pennsylvania, and then gave them
some caution con-
cerning the French. The Indians replied
with repeated
assertions of devotion to the English.
"We assure you,"
they said, "we will not hear the
voice of any other nation
Early Journeys to Ohio. 63
for we are to be directed by you, our
brethren, the Eng-
lish, and no one else." They
promised to be at the pro-
posed meeting at Logstown to which Gist invited them.
At this time the Delaware tribe could
gather about five
hundred warriors and they seemed firmly
devoted to the
English.
On the 29th day of January Gist and his
party ar-
rived at the mouth of the Scioto.
Situated on the right
bank of the river was Hannoahstown
occupied by
Shawnees. It consisted of about one
hundred houses.
Across the Ohio River was another town
of the same
tribe with about forty houses. This was
perhaps the
only Indian town within the present
limits of Kentucky.
On the approach of the party on the
left bank of the
Scioto river, they fired their guns to
notify the Indians
of their presence. This purpose was
soon effective and
men from the town came and ferried the
visitors over to
the other side.
On the next day there was held a
council at which
time Croghan delivered sundry speeches
from the Gov-
ernor of Pennsylvania. He stated that
word had come
that the French had offered a large sum
of money for
the scalps of Croghan and Montour.
These traders
were well known to the French through
Indian reports,
and they were feared because of their
ability in securing
the friendship and trade of the western
Indians. The
French were very busy at this time
locating trading posts
south of Lake Erie in order to prevent
all encroachments
of the English on this territory.
At this same council Montour declared
that the king
of England had sent a large present of
goods which were
held by the Governor of Virginia and
which will be sent
to Logstown at the meeting to be held
in the Spring
where the Shawnees, if represented,
will share in the
king's gift.
Gist and his companions remained at
Shannoahs
town twelve days. During this time Gist
heard of a new
trading post, just erected. It was said
to be distant
64 Ohio Arch. and Hist Society Publications.
about one hundred and fifty mires
toward the northwest.
The Indians located at this place were
Miamis. They
represented a large number of that
family and as their
position and character made them
important it was
thought worth while by Gist to make
them a visit. It
was a journey which he had not contemplated in his
original plan. His instructions from
the Governor of
Virginia was to find out the numbers
and strength of
those Indians north of the Ohio who had
lately broken
friendship with the French. As the Miamis were
specially included in this class it was
thought important
not to neglect them at this time.
Otherwise he would
have crossed the Ohio at once and gone down
on the left
bank of that river to the falls. This
journey to Picka-
willany is the most interesting part of
his narrative.
On the eleventh day of February, 1751,
Gist set out
accompanied by Croghan, Montour,
Kallander and a
servant to carry provisions. A negro
boy of seventeen
who had accompanied him from Wills
Creek he left at
Hannoahstown to take care of the horses
during the
party's absence. Their trip was
northwest across the
divide between the Scioto and the
Little Miami valleys.
Reaching the Little Miami they crossed
it probably in the
vicinity of where Xenia is now located,
and then con-
tinued toward the Great Miami, keeping
on the east side
of it until they came opposite
Miamitown now known as
Fort Pickawillany, two and one-half
miles north of
Piqua.
In his narrative Gist describes to some
extent the
land and other objects he saw while
passing through.
He says his journey was over fine and
level land, well
watered with many small streams;
covered for the most
part with forests of large walnut, ash,
sugar, cherry and
other trees; including also meadows of
wild rye, blue
grass and clover; and abounding in wild
game consist-
ing of turkeys, deer, elks and
buffaloes of which as
many as forty were seen feeding in one
meadow.
At the time of his arrival opposite
Pickawillany the
Early Journeys to Ohio. 65
Miami River was so swollen that the
party was com-
pelled to make a raft on which they
might cross. They
were well received by the Indians and
the traders. The
Miamis had lately cast aside the French
and turned
toward the English. When this occurred
they removed
from the Wabash to the Miami to be near
their friends
the English. A formal conference was
held, presents
were made by both parties and pledges
of intercourse
and fidelity. In bestowing the gifts to
the Indians
Montour, who made the presentation
speech, said, "We
now present you with the two strings of
wampum to
remove all trouble from your hearts and
clear your eyes,
that you may see the sun clear, for we
have a great deal
to say to you." He then advised them
to send for other
tribes and especially those who could
speak the Mohican
or Mingoe tongue. Delegates from
various towns did
come generally for purposes of trade
and to hear the
news. A trading post was a place not
only for exchange
of material things but also for
collecting rumors, sus-
picions, and reports, and the Indians
could be entertained
by these as well as the white man.
On Sunday Morning Feb. 24th, four
French traders
came in bringing presents consisting of
two small kegs
of brandy, a roll of tobacco and two
strings of wampum.
The chief of the Twigtwees replied,
making it clear that
the French had by their conduct
forfeited the further
favor of the tribes, and that they now
had transferred
their affections to the English. Daily
meetings were
held in the council house; speeches
made, and presents
exchanged. It was a time of intense
anxiety to Gist.
Whichever party, the English or the
French, could array
the entire Miami tribe in its behalf
would have a great
advantage not only in trade, but in the
final possession
of the country. The events taking place
in this far away
trading post may seem to us an
insignificant side show
but to the actors it was of vast importance which
party
should win in the contest. At one of
the meetings held
Vol. XXX -5.
66
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.
on the 1st of March the speaker of the
Twigtwees ex-
pressed the gratification of his people
that the English
had taken notice of them. He added,
"You told us our
friendship should last as long as the
greatest mountain.
We have considered well, and all our
chiefs and warriors
have come to a resolution never to give
heed to what the
French say to us, but always to hear
and believe what
you our brothers say to us."
The visit of Gist and his party seemed
at the time
to have been successful. The promises
were all the
English could wish. But the Indians
were not always
true to their agreements. Three years
later these very
Miami tribes were arrayed on the side
of the French,
ready to do battle against these to
whom their friendship
was so earnestly pledged. After a
month's stay at Picka-
willany Gist took his departure,
satisfied that he had won
the Miamis for the English. Articles of
Peace and Al-
liance had been drawn up and signed and
sealed by both
parties. The period of anxiety was now
over and the
end crowned with the joy of seeming
victory.
In his narrative Gist now turns to
describe the Miami
country which he has been permitted to
see. He finds
along the Great Miami river rich land,
well timbered,
and fine meadows. The grass grows to a
great height
in the clear fields of which there are
many, and the bot-
toms were full of white clover, wild
rye, and blue grass.
After leaving Pickawillany the party
proceeded
thirty-five miles and reached Mad
creek. We can see
in this name the present Mad River.
Probably the path
pursued by them was along the Indian
trail that led to
Piqua town west of Springfield, and
then on to Chilli-
cothe and Hannoah's town on the Ohio.
Somewhere, likely in Clark county,
Croghan, Mon-
tour and Kallander separated from Gist.
They took a
course that would bring them to the Hockhocking,
while Gist now almost alone directed
his steps across
the meadows of the Little Miami and
over the highlands
between that river and the Scioto. He again observed
Early Journeys to Ohio. 67
the meadows and timber which attracted
him before.
Out of fear of French and Indians who
might be look-
ing for him, he kept out of the usual
path which made
his journey longer and more wearisome.
After seven days he reached Hannoah's
town where
he was received with great joy. More than one hundred
and fifty guns were fired and an
entertainment was held
in his honor.
On the twelfth of March Gist with his
colored boy
was ferried across the Ohio whence they
took their long
journey down to the Falls of the Ohio.
His observations
in what is now Kentucky are outside the
purpose of this
paper and are therefore passed by.
The trip of Gist was remarkable in
various ways. It
was made in the winter. The country was
without
roads, only paths existed and these
were fraught with
danger. There were no lodging places;
only such ac-
commodations were at hand as the
traveler could make
for himself. He was exposed to all
kinds of weather.
The whole purpose of his trip was in
the interest of a
rich corporation of land holders who
wished to add to
their already large holdings. To win
the Indians away
from the French and attach them to the
English was
rather an after thought on the part of
Gist than a set
purpose of the Ohio Company. But it was
valuable to
the English as it gave some facts about
a hitherto un-
known region.
That the English should establish a
trading post in
the very heart of the Indian country
was a matter of
much concern to the French. They could
not permit it
and hold the respect of their former
friends and ad-
mirers. Pickawillany must fall. A band
of French and
Indians from Fort Detroit undertook the
task of ac-
complishing it. On the 27th of June,
1752 they sud-
denly appeared and found the whites and
Indians utterly
unprepared to defend themselves. The
fort was seized,
much property was destroyed. A number
of the Twig-
twees were killed and the conquerors
meted out special
68
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.
vengeance on the king of the tribe
because he transferred
his friendship from the French to the
English, by killing
him and eating his flesh. Some of the
white men
escaped, some were made prisoners, and some were
wantonly killed. One can scarcely
realize even in
imagination that such atrocities were
committed in our
own territory at no distant day.
On the day that Fort Pickawillany was
seized an-
other messenger set out from Logstown
to visit the In-
dians of the west and invite them to
the meeting. He
carried with him many presents for the
savages into
whose towns he might come. He had been
commis-
sioned by Governor Dinwiddie of
Virginia to make the
visit the purpose of which was to
cement the friendship
between the Miamis and the English.
While on his
journey among the Indian towns along
the Muskingum
and its tributaries he was informed of
the recent as-
sault on the Miamis at Pickawillany.
This news led
him to take precautionary steps. He
realized that it was
not safe to go at once to that place,
fearing that the un-
friendly Indians as well as the French
might still be
lurking about. He therefore visited the
Shawnees along
the Scioto and induced them to cooperate
with him in
his journey. They promised to do as he
wished, but be-
cause of the presence of rum the
greater part of the men
of the town were too much under its
influence to accom-
pany him. As he turned from the Scioto
towns north-
westward his path led him through the
western part of
Clark county. Though he reached the
fort and re-
mained there for a week or more,
Captain Trent was
unable to have a conference with the
Miamis. The
hostilities that had just taken place
and the consequent
excitement arising from the sudden
attack, the carry-
ing away of much valuable property and
the slaughter
of many men made it impossible to
secure an audience
with them. This failure to get a
hearing made the trip
of Trent useless.
On the 21st of July, Captain Trent's
return began.
Early Journeys to Ohio. 69
An investigation was first made to
discover if any of the
French party were still in the region
but fortunately no
trace could be found. The return trip
was attended with
exceedingly hot weather. It was also
very dry. Many
of the streams and springs were dried
up which caused
much suffering to Trent and his party.
Extremes in
weather conditions prevailed then as
now.
The visits to the western territory by
these early
traders and agents were in large part
for the purpose
of securing the favor of the savages
who then occupied
the land. Their trade was of such value
that no efforts
were too laborious or dangerous to win
and retain their
friendship. Each party, French and English, had
strong qualities that captivated the
men of the forest.
It was a trial of skill, diplomacy, and
duplicity often,
which were called into practice to gain
and hold their
friendship. Both parties were adepts at
the business.
A personal word about two of these
actors may not
be out of place. George Croghan who for
a long time
was in active service for the English
came to this coun-
try from Ireland when he was about
twenty years of
age. He soon learned the language of
the Indians which
made him serviceable as an interpreter.
He was fond
of adventure, fearless of danger, and
ready at all times
to perform a mission for the benefit of
state or in-
dividuals. He made many journeys west of the
mountains, some of them leading him far
within the
present limits of Ohio and one down the
Ohio to Fort
Massac to make a treaty with the
Indians of Illinois,
from which point he made his way
through forests and
prairie to Fort Detroit. He was a
cousin of Major
Croghan of Locust Grove, Kentucky, the
father of
Captain Croghan who so gallantly
defended Fort
Stephenson in 1813.
Christopher Gist was born in the State
of Mary-
land. His father was a surveyor and for
a time the
son pursued the same business. Later Christopher Gist
settled on the Yadkin in North Carolina
where his fam-
70 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.
ily remained while he made his trip to
the Ohio Country.
After his return he took up lands in
western Pennsyl-
vania. He was active in the French and
Indian War
and during its continuance he made a
journey to the
Cherokees of Georgia to enlist them in
the war on be-
half of the English. He died from
smallpox in 1759.
His sons were officers in the
Revolution. One after-
wards went to Kentucky where he had a
large body of
land given to him for his services. It
is a matter of some
interest that two of his descendants
became candidates
for the Vice-Presidency, F. P. Blair in
1868 and B.
Gratz Brown in 1872.
The number of Englishmen who made trips
to Ohio
before the French and Indian war cannot
be known.
They have left no record of their
business visits. Indian
tradition speaks of them as early as
1725, yet most of
the trade with the Indians before 1745
was done east of
the mountains. But when the rivalry between the
French and English began to be acute,
the agents of the
latter sought trade in the very heart
of the western for-
ests and shrank at no danger in the
pursuit of his plans
and purposes. In this he is supported
by such persons
as Sir Wm. Johnson and Reuben Weiser.
The Ohio
Land Company stood ready to aid in the
project. Gist,
Croghan, Montour and others are
enlisted in the scheme
and all do valiant service. Then
persistence and bold-
ness brought on the war. Geo.
Washington was an
actor in the struggle and his perilous
journey of 1754
is an evidence of it.
While there was yet land enough on the
eastern side
of the mountains to satisfy every
economic need, there
was a longing for the half mythical
regions of the west.
And especially so when rivals were
striving for its occu-
pation. We know little of the
anxieties, experiences and
hardships assumed by the men of that
distant day to
obtain and hold a land that is now ours
to share and en-
joy.