Page:History of Richland County, Ohio.djvu/688

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��IIISTOIIV OF RICHLAND COUNTY.

��Section 80; John Farver, 1817, Section 2; Kohcrt V\u\v\, 1 S 1 1, Section 12; Williiun Jlur- [)er, liSlf), Si'ction 10; Ricluml .lacknuin, 182;j, Section 28; William Knrniihiui, 1815, Section 28; William Lemon, 181S; (icorge Mnrsli:ill, 1822; Andrew Newman, lS2r); Jonathan i'al- mcr, 1811, Section 12; (iill.ci't INinly, 1817; William ilecd, 1811; William IJyland, 1815; Jolin Scott, 181!l; Michael Siller, 1820; ,Josei)h W'orkmnn, 1815, Section 2(!; Stei)hen Smith, Sec-tion 88; (ieor<;e K(diley, 1811; Uriah and -lolm Johnston, and («eorge Kinan, and checked it. JUit two (n' three scttU'rs caine in 1811, jind these were compelled the following' year to seek safety in block- honses. Sterling (1. liiishnell was the father of H hiroe family, among whom was Dr. William IJnslmell, of Mansfield, whose history appears in this work.

It appears that (Jeorge Kckley was the first to make a i)crmanent settlement, in the spring of 1811; he was followed about two weeks later by Robert Finley, the second settler. The Kckl(>v family were prominent in the later as well as t'arlier history of the townshij). E. R. Kckley, son of Fphraim Kckley, was a Colonel in the army during the latc^ war, and since, a member of Congress. Jonathan Palmer came in 1810, and entered his land, as did probably others; but he did not bring his family until 1811,:uid tlu>n only a portion of it. When the war began, he returned to .letferson County, his tbrmer residence, and remained until 181-4. Upon his return, he found llobert Finlc}', Lem- uel Boulter, Samuel 11 utchings, William Black, (fcorge Eckley and Daniel Harlan the only res- idents of the township beside himself Tiiere was not a physician in the township or count}' to his knowledge— not even in Mansfield or Wooster. A physician would have been as much of a cu- riosity in those ilays, as would an Indian among the peoi)le now. " G randmother " Palmer otlici-

��ated in that capacity to the entii*e satisfaction of all the neighborhood. She gave her services and herb tea gladly, and received thanks for her pay. Their coarse, wholesome food and active lives secured health, and physicians were not needed, (lilbert Purdy tells of buying wheat at 10 cents per bushel, which he paid in black- smithing, hauling it to Portland (Sandusky (Uty), and sellnig it for GO cents. William Keed served in the war of 1812, and Lemuel Boulter and (Jeorge King were Bevolutionary soldiers. Indians, though plenty, do not seem to have disturl )cd Ww j)eople of this townshi}); in fact, no Indian tragedies of consecjuence occurred anywhere in the county after the war. The red men felt that the whites were too numerous and powerful for them, and remained (juict until they were removed from the country.

(Jen. lieali and his army passed across the northeast corner of the township on their march to the theater of war, and probably cut the first road. They camped about two weeks within the limits of the township, and while in this camp an incident "occurred, which has been lacetiously termed the " battle of Cowpens." One dark, rainy night, when the arm}' was wrapt in slumber, and not dreaming of war, but, no doubt, sleeping with a sense of sur- rounding danger from Indians, the crack of a rifle was heard in the direction of a distant l)icket-post. The army was aroused; the sen- tinels came rushing in with the report that the enemy was upon them; the host was mar- shaled; the ground trembled with the dull tread of tramping squadrons; the line was formed, and a heavy fire opened, whether with or without orders; the lurid glare of battle dis- pelled the inky blackness of the night; the crash of the musketry, the shouting of the offi- cers and men, the charging of the cavahy upon the stumps and logs in the direction of the suj)- posed enemy, all combined to give Vermillion a taste of genuine battle.

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