Ohio Counties
Adams
Historical Collections of Ohio
By Henry Howe
Vol. II
©1888
LOGAN COUNTY
Page 97
Logan County derived its name from General Benjamin LOGAN; it was formed March 1, 1817, and the courts ordered to be holden at the House of Edwin MATTHEWS, or some other convenient place in the town of Bellville, until a permanent seat of justice should be established. The soil, which is various, is generally good; the surface broken around the head waters of Mad river, elsewhere rolling or level; in the western part are eight small lakes, covering each from two to seventy acres.
Area about 440 square miles. In 1887 the acres cultivated were 138,272; in pasture, 47,314; woodland, 50,756; lying waste, 1,643; produced in wheat, 630,487 bushels; rye, 1,856; buckwheat, 1,253; oats, 197,399; barley, 1,331; corn, 1,283,173; broom-corn, 350 lbs. brush; meadow hay, 17,454 tons; clover hay, 6,588; flaxseed, 220 bushels; potatoes, 44,793; tobacco, 110 lbs.; butter, 582,708; cheese, 3,160; sorghum, 2,850 gallons; maple sugar, 158,587 lbs.; honey, 9,249; eggs, 517,596 dozen; grapes, 5,910 lbs.; wine, 14 gallons; sweet potatoes, 605 bushels; apples, 4,735; peaches, 911; pears, 1,383; wool, 287,130 lbs.; milch cows owned, 6,040. School census, 1888, 8,316; teachers, 273. Miles of railroad track, 61.
|
Township And Census |
1840 |
1880 |
|
Township And Census |
1840 |
1880 |
|
Bloomfield, |
565 |
895 |
|
Perry, |
1,014 |
1,007 |
|
Boke’s Creek, |
222 |
1,617 |
|
Pleasant, |
|
1,123 |
|
Harrison, |
658 |
978 |
|
Richland, |
|
1,761 |
|
Jefferson, |
1,527 |
1,572 |
|
Rush Creek, |
1,077 |
2,265 |
|
Lake, |
1,175 |
4,640 |
|
Stokes, |
299 |
1,095 |
|
Liberty, |
807 |
1,666 |
|
Union, |
832 |
784 |
|
McArthur, |
1,673 |
1,579 |
|
Washington, |
517 |
886 |
|
Miami, |
1,423 |
2,157 |
|
Zane, |
1,021 |
939 |
|
Monroe, |
1,203 |
1,303 |
|
|
|
|
Population of Logan in 1820 was 3,181; in 1830, 6,432; 1840, 14,013; 1860, 20,996; 1880, 26,267, of whom 21,766 were born in Ohio; 1,236 in Pennsylvania; 836 in Virginia; 234 in Indiana; 208 in New York; 160 in Kentucky;
Page 98
476 in Ireland; 163 in German empire; 59 in England and Wales; 43 in Scotland; 39 in British America, and 17 in France. Census, 1890, 27,386.
The territory comprised within the limits of this county was a favorite abode of the Shawanoe Indians, who had several villages on Mad River, called the Mack-a-chack, or Mac-o-chee towns, the names and positions of three of which are given to us by an old settler. The first, called Mac-o-chee, stood near West Liberty, on the farm of Judge Pittman PIATT; the second, Pidgeon Town, was about three miles northwest, on the farm of a George F. DUNN, and the third, Wappatomica, was just below Zanesfield.
Logan's
Expedition Against the Mac-o-chee Towns.
The Mac-o-chee towns were destroyed in 1786 by a body of Kentuckians under General Benjamin LOGAN. The narrative of this expedition is from the pen of General William LYTLE, who was an actor in the scenes he describes.
March to the Mac-o-chee
Towns. - It was in the autumn of this
year that General CLARKE raised the forces of the Wabash expedition. They constituted a numerous corps. Colonel LOGAN was detached from the army
at the falls of the Ohio, to raise a considerable force with which to proceed
against the Indian villages on the head waters of Mad River and the Great
Miami. I was then aged 16, and too
young to come within the legal requisition; but I offered myself as a
volunteer. Colonel Logan went on to his destination, and would have surprised
the Indian towns against which he had marched, had not one of his men deserted
to the enemy, not long before they reach the town, who gave notice of their
approach. As it was, he burned
eight large towns, and destroyed many fields of corn. He took seventy or eighty prisoners and
killed twenty warriors, among them the chief of the nation. This last act caused deep regret,
humiliation and shame to the commander-in-chief and his troops.
Attack on the Towns. - We came in view of the first two towns, one of
which stood on the West Bank of Mad river, and the
other on the northeast of it. They
were separated by a prairie half a mile in extent. The town on the northeast was situated
on a high, commanding point of land, that projected a
small distance into the prairie, at the foot of which eminence broke out
several fine springs. This was the
residence of the famous chief of the nation. His flag was flying at the time from the
top of a pole sixty feet high. We
had advanced in three lines, the commander with some of the horsemen marching
at the head of the centre line, and the footmen in their rear. Colonel Robert PATTERSON commanded the
left, and I think Colonel Thomas KENNEDY the right. When we came in sight of the towns, the
spies of the front guard made a halt, and sent a man back to inform the
commander of the situation of the two towns. He ordered Colonel PATTERSON to attack
the towns on the left bank of Mad river. Col. KENNEDY was also charged to incline
a little to the right of the town on the east side of the prairie. He determined himself to charge with the
centre division immediately on the upper town. I heard the commander gave his orders,
and caution the colonels against allowing their men to kill any among the enemy
that they might suppose to be prisoners.
He then ordered them to advance, and as soon as they should discover the
enemy, to charge upon them. I had
my doubts touching the propriety of some of the arrangements. I was willing, however, to view the
affair with the diffidence of youth and inexperience. At any rate, I was determined to be at
hand, to see all that was going on, and to be as near the head of the line as
my colonel would permit. I was
extremely solicitous to try myself in battle. The commander of the centre line waved
his sword over his head as a signal for the troops to advance. Colonel Daniel BOONE and Major (since
the General) KENTON commanded the advance, and Colonel TROTTER the rear. As we approached within half a mile of
the town on the left, and about three-fourths from that on the right side, we
saw the savages retreating in all directions, making for the thickets, swamps
and high prairie grass, to secure them from their enemy. I was animated with the energy with
which the commander conducted the head of his line. He waved his sword, and in a voice of
thunder exclaimed, "Charge from right to left!"
Capture of MOLUNTHA. - The horses appeared as
impatient for the onset as the riders.
As we came up with the flying savages, I was disappointed, discovering
that we should have little to do. I
heard but one savage, with the exception of the chief, cry for quarter. They fought with desperation, as long as
they could raise knife, gun or tomahawk, after they found they could not screen
themselves. We dispatched all the
warriors we overtook, and sent the women and children prisoners to the
rear. We pushed ahead, still hoping
to overtake a larger body, where we might have something like a general
engagement. I was mounted on a very
fleet gray horse. Fifty of my
companions followed me. I had not
advanced more than a mile, before I discovered some of the enemy, running along
the edge of the thicket of hazel and plum bushes. I made signs to the men in my rear to
come on. At the same time,
Page 99
pointing to the flying enemy, I obliqued
across the plain, so as to get in advance of them. When I arrived within fifty yards of
them I dismounted and raised my gun.
I discovered, at this moment, some men of the right wing coming up on
the left. The warrior I was about
to shoot held up his hand in token of surrender, and I heard him order the
other Indians to stop. By this time
the men behind had arrived, and were in the act of firing upon the
Indians. I called to them not to
fire, for the enemy had surrendered.
The warriors that had surrendered to me came walking towards me, calling
his women and children to follow him.
I advanced to meet him, with my right hand extended; but before I could
reach him the men of the right wing of our forces had surrounded him. I rushed in among their horses. While he was giving me his hand several
of our men wished to tomahawk him.
I informed them they would have to tomahawk me first. We led him back to the place where his
flag had been. We had taken
thirteen prisoners. Among them were
the chief, his three wives-one of them a young and handsome woman, another of
them the famous grenadier squaw, upwards of six feet high - and two or three
fine young lads. The rest were
children. One of these lads was a
remarkably interesting youth, about my own age and size. He clung closely to me, and appeared
keenly to notice everything that was going on.
Brutal Murder of MOLUNTHA. - When we arrived at the town a crowd of our men pressed around to see the chief.