EDITORIALANA.

VOL. XIV. No. 4.

EQ, Randall

OCTOBER, 1905

BIG BOTTOM MASSACRE DEDICATION.

'It is one hundred and fifteen years since the little band of pioneers were massacred in their fort at Big Bottom on the Muskingum. This settlement was an off-shoot of the one at Marietta. It was the remotest outpost of the Ohio Company. Scarcely had Marietta been settled when there pushed out from the protecting walls of Fort Harmar small bands of settlers, to build homes and clear the fields in other favorable locations. Belpre on the Ohio and Waterford on the Muskingum were soon begun. In the fall of 1790 thirty-six men departed from Marietta and built a blockhouse on the east side of the Muskingum along the line of the Monongahela trail, about a mile and a half below the present village of Stockport, Morgan county. The winter that followed was a very cold one. Since the Indians were not so apt to go on their predatory raids in winter as at other times, the usual severity of the season disarmed the vigilance of the inmates of the blockhouse. In fact the fort had hardly been completed. Already cabins had been erected and preparations for the spring planting were being made. In this apparent security the work of clearing and building continued.

OBADIAH

BROKAW

On the second of January, 1791, along the high ridge on the opposite side of the river, unnoticed by the inhabitants of the fort, a band of Indians saw the settlement. During the day they continued their watch. They noted the unprotected condition of the blockhouse and the probable number of occupants. Early in the evening they crossed the river on the ice and fell upon the unguarded frontiersmen. The deadly work was soon accomplished. Several pioneers escaped and ran through the woods to the settlement at Wolf's Creek.

No memorial of any kind had heretofore been erected to show the passer-by that the place was historic. But now, thanks to Mr. Obadiah Brokaw, who owns the land upon which the blockhouse stood, there is a suitable and imposing monument that tells the story of that winter day's massacre. The monument consists of a marble shaft whose apex is

twelve feet above the ground. The shaft is an octagon, seven and a half feet high. On one of the faces are inscribed these words: "Erected by Obadiah Brokaw, 1905." The shaft stands on a limestone base, which in turn rests on another base of concrete. On the front of the limestone base is carved, "Site of Big Bottom Massacre, Winter of 1790." On the two sides are to be found the names of those killed, as follows: "James Couch, Wm. Jones, Joseph Clark, Isaac Meeks, his wife and two children, John Stacey, Zebulon Troop, Ezra Putnam, John Camp and Jonathan Farewell." On the rear of the base are the names of those who escaped, "Asa Bullard, Eleazer Bullard and Philip Stacey." The monument displays excellent workmanship. It stands in a beautiful meadow near the public road, and only a few rods from the bank of the river. It is plainly visible to the passengers on the passing boats.

Mr. Brokaw, the patriotic possessor of the historic site upon which this monument was erected, desired to make sure that it would be permanently cared for and preserved.

This matter having been brought by Mr. Brokaw to the attention of Trustee C. L. Martzolff, the latter visited Mr. Brokaw at Stockport and broached the subject of the transfer of the monument property to the society. Subsequently, on August 17th, Professor Martzolff and Secretary Randall, accompanied by Mr. C. L. Bozman of McConnelsville, who designed and executed the monument, visited Mr. Brokaw who finally consented to transfer by deed the monument and two acres of surrounding land to the Ohio State Archæological and Historical Society, upon the condition that the society elect Mr. Brokaw a Life member, and further that the society provide for the proper care of the monument and land transferred as an historic park and monument, keeping said property properly enclosed and protected from destruction and injury by the public and maintain the same as a free public park. The negotiations by Messrs. Martzolff and Randall with Mr. Brokaw were approved and accepted by the Executive Committee at its meeting on August 28th, 1905.

On Saturday, September 30th, the Society held dedicatory exercises commemorative of the historic event which the monument marks and celebrated the donation of the property by Mr. Brokaw. The Executive Committee of the Trustees of the Society had appointed a Committee on Arrangements, of which Prof. Martzolff was chairman. This committee arranged for a most interesting program, which was successfully carried out. The day proved to be one of almost perfect weather conditions and an audience of some four thousand people from the surrounding country gathered to participate in the ceremonies. Secretary Randall acted as chairman and addresses were delivered by President Brinkerhoff, Trustees Martzolff, Ryan, Andrews, and Hunter, Hon. William B. Crew of the Ohio Supreme Court, and Hon. Tod B. Galloway, Secretary to the Governor. The program was most properly closed by, an original poem, written and read by Dr. James Ball Naylor, the poet and historical

novelist. The Stockport Brass Band interspersed the program with musical selections.

It was a unique and interesting event in the history of the society as this is the first time that the society has come into the possession of a purely historic site. The proceedings with the speeches in detail will be published in the January Quarterly of the society.

The society will proceed without delay to protect the site with a fitting enclosure, making it an attractive place of resort for all who may care to visit this memorable spot.

Mr. Brokaw has certainly earned the gratitude of all lovers of early pioneer history by the timely erection of this stone. It will stand as a constant memorial to one of the gruesome chapters of the early history of Ohio. It will be a reminder to the coming generations of what it meant to plant settlements in the forests of the west. It will not only be a tribute to those who perished on that January day over a century ago, but it will be an ever present testimonial of the opportune thoughtfulness and the generosity of the man who has erected it.

OHIO IN THE CHINESE UPRISING.

We have been frequently asked the question whether it be true, as often reported in the public press, that the American troops were the first to enter the city of Peking at the time of the invasion by the allied nations, and that Ohio soldiers were the first within the gates of the Tartar City. In response to our inquiry, we received the following from Colonel Webb. C. Hayes, who at the time was upon the staff of General Chaffee:

MR. E. O. RANDALL, Columbus, Ohio.

WASHINGTON, February 1, 1905.

DEAR SIR: The allied troops who marched to the relief of Peking from Tien Tsin in 1900 consisted approximately of 2,000 Americans, 2,000 British, 4,000 Russians and 8,000 Japanese. There were no German nor Italians in this column. The Japanese headed the column all the way and did more of the fighting than any other one of the allies. Peking consists really of two cities side by side, enclosed by high walls— The Tartar City and the Chinese City.

Under the plan of attack, the Japanese were to take gate No. 1, the Russians gate No. 2, the Americans gate No. 3, and the British gate No. 4.

The Americans reached the walls some time before the British, but through a mistake attacked and captured gate No. 4, and then sent word to the British troops who marched in unopposed and then marched through the sluice-way (5) to the legation, being the first to reach the legation. In the mean

time the Americans, after opening up with artillery the gate No. 4 for the British, then made their attack on gate No. 3. the 14th U. S. Infantry scaled the walls and hoisted their regimental flag on them the first flag on the wall,- and at the same time the Americans forced their way through gate No. 3, being the first troops to get inside the walls of the Chinese City, and then fought their way to the sluice-way (5) through which they followed the British, a close second, to the legation. The Japanese and Russians entered through gates 1 and 2 the next day. The Commander, Major General Chaffee, his Adjutants General Captain Grote Hutcheson and Col. H. O. S. Heistand, his Chief of Staff Capt. J. T. Dickman and myself, all of General Chaffee's staff, besides many other officers are Buckeyes. Respectfully,

Vol. XIV. - *31.

WEBB C. HAYES.

DID THE MOUND BUILDERS HAVE HORSES?

"Did the Mound Builders Have Horses" is the subject of an editorial in the last issue of the American Sportsman, March 2. The discovery of the skeleton of a horse, dug up in the state of Nebraska, started a discussion to which a number of the most eminent archæologists of the country have contributed their opinions. Dr. Phyle treated the subject at length in an essay some time ago. The editorial is as follows:

A horseman is curious to know, after reading Dr. Phyle's essay on the evolution of the horse, whether the "Mound Builders" had horses. We are not expected to answer this question, as all matters in the prehistoric age are exclusively in the domain of speculation. A similar question was asked during a race on the half-mile ring at Newark, Ohio, the location of several notable memorial mounds.

It is supposed that the Mound Builders preceded the North American Indian, but it is not clear that the Indian is the lineal descendant of the Mound Builders. When the white man invaded the Western Continent the Indians had no horses, but it does not follow that the race that built the memorial mounds had no horses. The Mound Builders are an extinct race, and their horses may have perished from off the earth at about the same time.

Scientists and antiquarians who have examined the memorial mounds, especially the famous ones at Newark and in Adams county, Chio, assert that they have full proof that the builders enjoyed a high degree of civilization. The mound at the Newark Fair Grounds forms a perfect circle, a mile in circumference and some twenty feet high. Upon it stand very large maple, beech and hickory trees, showing, it is believed. that the erection of this mound far ante-dated the arrival of Columbus. over four hundred years ago.

It is thought that the Aztecs, found in Mexico by Cortez, and the ancient Peruvians, whose empire was destroyed by Pizzaro, may have been of the same race as the Mound Builders.

Whether the Mound Builders had horses we can only guess, but that a race preceding the North American Indians had horses we know to a certainty. The evidence of the skeleton horses recently discovered is conclusive.

Prof. Starr, of the Chicago Uriversity holds, with many others of the more advanced scientists, that the Mound Builders were Indians and coarse barbarians. Prof. Starr also holds that some of these mounds were built by Indian tribes not yet extinct. The French scientists, Lucien Biart (who has written a very elaborate book on the ancient Aztecs of Mexico), holds that they were a true type of Indians. Prof. John D. Baldwin, author of the "Prehistoric Nations," in his notes on American archæology, holds that the Mound Puilders were American aborigines of the Indian type and not immigrants from another continent. Prof.