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Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society
Publications.
it to go beyond what is now the confines
of Pickaway Township.
Further, the Cresaps of the present are
of the opinion that Logan
should have been consistent with the
words of his message, by
his attendance at the Treaty when only
six miles distant, not-
withstanding his threatening note of
July, 1774, to Captain
Michael Cresap tied to a War Club, and
left in the house of
Roberts after Logan had massacred the
family. Also Logan
was inconsistent again in appealing for
sympathy for the killing
of his brother, when eight years
thereafter he is recorded as
murdering his own wife.
The Cresap blood has followed the flag
wherever it has
floated. Captain Michael took to Boston,
as members of his
company, his nephews of Michael Cresap,
Jr., Daniel Cresap, Jr.,
and Joseph Cresap. It flowed on the
"Essex" upon the sea; it
was with Grant at Vicksburg, Shiloh and
Appomattox, and with
Sherman to the sea. The old Colonel's
love of the cause of
liberty flowed on even to the seventh
generation, for up San
Juan hill was heard the voice of Jules
Gansche Ord, son of Gen-
eral Edward Otho Cresap Ord. "All
who are brave follow me",
just before that voice was stilled
forever.
Hon. Chase Stewart, the original
legislator to introduce laws
in the Ohio General Assembly for the
purchase of historic
grounds, was called upon and gave an
address upon Historic
Tree.
ADDRESS OF HON. CHASE STEWART.
The large attendance here this beautiful
October day is
evidence of the fact that the people of
Pickaway and Ross Coun-
ties are not indifferent to the
importance and significance of
this occasion for they all seem to be
present.
The preservation of this historic spot
is assured by the ac-
ceptance on the part of the Ohio State
Archaeological and His-
torical Society of the deed delivered
today. The tract of ground
conveyed includes the magnificent old
elm whose generous shade
we are now enjoying.
Several centuries have passed since its
growth began and
for one hundred and thirty-eight years
it has stood as a faithful
sentinel over the spot which is given
marked distinction because
Dedication of the Logan Elm. 303
of the completion of the Peace Treaty
between the last Colonial
Governor of Virginia and the Red Men of
this region in Octo-
ber, 1774.
The adoption of a tree as a means of
perpetuating and
identifying the location of an important
place or event is not
uncommon and the Elm has performed this
service for our coun-
trymen in several well known instances.
Great interest has been centered in the
tree known as the
Washington Elm at Cambridge, Massachusetts,
for it was under
it that George Washington took command
of the Continental
Army, July 3, 1775, and because of this
circumstance the tree
was preserved and it was guarded with
unceasing diligence. A
majestic elm on Boston Common became
historic.
The stately elm under which the famous
treaty was con-
cluded between one of the noblest of
Pennsylvania colonists,
William Penn, and the Indians, stands
out prominently in the
history of the Colonial period, and is
given additional significance
because of the faithfulness with which
the treaty was kept by
both the white and the red men, for it
remained unbroken.
The elm is not as long lived as the yew
tree, the cypress,
or the oak. It is said there are yew
trees growing in Great
Britain more than 3,000 years old, and
that one of the most at-
tractive and interesting in England, was
the one under which
in October, 1750, Thomas Gray
completed his immortal Elegy.
It is claimed that for seven centuries
this tree has stood as a
guard and protector over "the
venerable church, the monuments
to crusaders and the beautiful
churchyard of Stokes Pogis".
While the longevity of the elm is not so
marked as that of
some other trees the Logan Elm has lived
long enough to assist
us in locating the place that became
historic over a century ago.
The companions of the old elm have long
since disappeared.
It has seen them fall upon the advance
of the white man in this
section. It has withstood the
destruction of the forest about
it, and if this old tree could think and
speak and give utterance
to its thoughts in the presence of this
assemblage no doubt it
would express its appreciation of the
efforts made by former
owners and especially the Boggs family
in protecting it from
injury and in saving it from the fate of
its associates.
304
Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.
The community and the State can well
afford to have re-
moved from cultivation the amount of
ground included in the
deed delivered today and to have this
tract of 4.60 acres set apart,
beautified and properly maintained in
order that our own genera-
tion and especially those that are to
follow may have before
them a record or monument of an event
that was one of the
first in which the white man
participated in the region lying
north and west of the river Ohio.
The benefit to be derived from this
source far exceeds that
to be obtained from other uses to which
it could be put.
In the city of Nagoya in Japan there
stands a castle sur-
rounded by a moat, embrasures and
escarpments and several
acres of ground. It was used as the
dwelling place of a Daimyo,
or provincial governor, during the
period when a feudal form
of government prevailed throughout the
provinces of Japan, and
was so constructed as to offer
opportunities for defense in case
of attack.
Castles of a similar character have long
since disappeared
for Daimyos and Shoguns are no longer in
evidence in the Em-
pire. And notwithstanding the great
value of tillable land in
Japan and especially that upon which
this Castle was situated,
with what might be termed a proper
appreciation and regard
for future generations, the Japanese
government decided that the
Castle and surrounding ground should be
taken over by the
Imperial Household Department, and be
preserved as a monu-
ment of historic interest. Not only has
this course already been
highly appreciated by the Japanese
themselves, but foreigners
and tourists traveling through the
Empire recognize it as one
of the interesting relics of past
centuries.
With equal if not greater propriety does
it become the duty
of the State of Ohio through the
Historical Society which has
accepted the deed for this historic
place today, to see to it that
it shall be kept intact and preserved,
for it represents a day and
age in the history of territory now
forming a part of our state
worthy of recollection and of
perpetuation.
In doing this not only is an obligation
to our own generation
fulfilled, but it especially involves
consideration and regard for
Dedication of the Logan Elm. 305
those who are to follow, and whose
interest in the early historic
landmarks will become more intense the
farther removed they
become from the time and event sought to
be perpetuated.
The opportunity was presented to make
this conveyance and
dedication possible and that it was
taken advantage of will be a
source of satisfaction and pleasure to
those who have participated
and were instrumental in bringing about
the exercises of this day.
In conclusion permit it to be said that
all things animate and
inanimate are compelled to yield to the
attacks of nature. It is,
of course, understood that the Logan Elm
will be no exception
and that in time it will decay and will
no longer be in evidence
for the benefit of that portion of
mankind who may be interested
in this spot.
When that time arrives the words that
were used long ago
by the venerable Judge Peters, the
esteemed friend of Washing-
ton, can be appropriately adopted here.
The words were written
of the "Treaty Elm", so
called, after the conference between
William Penn and the Indians, and were
as follows:
"Let each take a relic from that
hallowed tree,
Which, like Penn, whom it shaded,
immortal shall be;
As the pride of our forests let Elms be
renowned,
For the justly prized virtues with which
they abound.
* * *
*
Though Time has devoted our tree to
decay,
The sage lessons it witnessed survive to
our day;
May our trustworthy statesman, when
called to the helm
Ne'er forget the wise treaty held under
the Elm".
Mr. W. C. Mills, Curator of the Ohio
Archaeological and
Historical Society, expressed his
pleasure in the occasion.
He spoke briefly but earnestly of the
work of the State So-
ciety in its endeavors to secure and
preserve archaeological and
historical sites.
An appropriate and pleasing portion of
the exercises was
the reading of Logan's Speech, by one of
the Indian guests, Miss
Calvert.
Vol. XXII- 20.