Indiana State University - Sycamore Yearbook (Terre Haute, IN)

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Chester, have been cut ti) pieces by the enemy, or taken i risoners. Great as the calamity is, I still hoi3e that as far as it relates to the objects of the campaign, it is not irreparable. William Henry Harrisox. His excellency. Gov. Shelby. ' Most probably the news of this defeat of Winchester ' s army was the immediate factor in causing the capital to be moved from Vin- cennes, to Corydon, for the legislature at ' ted at the time of receiving the news. IMMIGRATION DURING THE WAR. In spite of the continued hostility and the unfortunate camijaigns on the northern border, the settlements in 1813 increased. Although land sales very materially decreased in Ohio during this year, in Indiana they increased about 57% at Jefferson ville, over the preceding year, and about 35% at Vincennes. At Jeffer- sonville the sales were the greatest they had ever been, and at Vincennes greater than in any previous year except in 1807. when the great sales began. Purchases continued to be made where there was little danger from In- dian attacks. The new town of Eising Sun, in Dearborn County (now Ohio County, since 1844), was laid out by a planter who had come from ] r:uyliind a few years previously. ' On INIiinli J. IM. ' ). the first tree was cleared away for the building of the town of New Albany. ' Farther west great changes were taking place. Knox County was the largest county in the ter- ritory, and until 1807 had been the most popu- lous part of the territory. Ever since Indiana had been erected into a territory, and even be- fore, immigrants had been settling in the Wa- bash basin, both above and below White river. Others had made clearings in the basins of the two White rivers. Still others had settled along the old Buffalo Trace, which led from Louisville to Vincennes. These settlements become more frequent after the passage of the slavery act, and the opening up of more lands No. 4, P. 6. for settlement in 1805. By 1S13 these settle- ments had increased enough, largely because Indian hostilities larevented settlements on the border, that the legislature felt justified in erecting two new counties, out of the southern part of Knox County. (See map.) Warrick County was to contain all west of the Principal Meridian and south of the line between town- ships three and four south. Gibson County was north of AVarrick County. Ci greater importance. The farmers took their flour, corn, whiskey, and meats to New (Or- leans by flatboat, just as Lincoln did later. In order to facilitate navigation on Whitewater river, the legislature declared that stream navi- gable from the Ohio state line up the river, and its west branch to the three forks. The county courts in the various counties through which the river ran were instructed to lay the river off into divisions, and to appoint an overseer over each division. These overseers were to call out the men to clear the river for naviga- tion, just as they were called out to work the roads. ' This legislature also passed an act regulating exportation. It provided for the inspection of flour, beef, and pork that were packed for shipment. A barrel of beef or pork should contain 200 pounds, and should be branded. Indiana Territory, Mess Beef. Prime Beef, Mess Pork, and Prime Pork, according as it was first or second grade. A barrel of flour should contain 196 pounds, and should be branded superfine, fine. or middlings, ac- cording as it was of first, second, or third quality. Later in the year the legislature cut off the northern part of Harrison County and erected a new county — Washington. Thus in one year three new counties were erected, making the total number ten. Territorial Laws, 12 6M, P. 4. Ibid. P. 58.

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to take out land in the ranges just west of the Second Principal Meridian ' ' (See majD.) This same year. 1812. Hugh McGary made the first permanent settlement at the site of Evansville. ' Thus, the reaction on the frontier and the in- creased immigration, began to concentrate set- tlements more in the older regions — regions in great part which were little settled. Since 1807 the lands in Indiana had been on sale at thi-ee land offices — namely, Cincinnati, established in 1800; Vincennes, established in 180-1. and Jeffersonville, established in 1807. In 1812 the land sales at these offices decreased. The lands were sold in mininum tracts of 160 acres each at a minimum price of $2.00 an acre. Supposing that for each 160-acre tract sold at Vincennes in 1812, one family settled in the Vincennes district (all of Indiana west of the Second Principal Meridian and part of Illinois), then about twenty-four families set- tled in the district ; and about one hundred and eighty-four families would have settled in the Jeffersonville District. In 1811 the number would have been somewhat greater. Not every family of settlers, however, bought land of the government, so the land sales cannot be used to determined jirecisely the number of new settlements. The war along the. Canadian border con- tinued half heartedly. Governor Harrison was given command of the Army of the Northwest, while John Gibson acted as governor of In- diana Territory. The Indians along the Wa- bash, as has been seen, became so threatening that the legislature decided to move the gov- ernment from Vincennes. In his message to the legislature, February 2, 1813, acting Gov- ernor Gibson referred to the frontier dangers as follows: At your last assemblage (Novem- ber 11, 1811), our political horizon seemed clear, our infant territory bid fair for rapid and rising grandeur : our population was high- ly flattering; our citizens were becoming pros- ' IMd, p. 587. ' Tanclerburg County, (1SS9) P. 94. perous and happy, and security dwelt every- where, even on our frontiers. But alas! the scene has changed The aborigines, our former nrij iiliiir ;nid friends, have become our most inwtcraic Inrs. They have drawn the scalping knife and raised the towahawk. and shouts of savage fury are heard at our thresh- olds. Our frontiers are now wiles, and our inner settlements have become frontiers. ' ' The war was not 3 ' et supported very en- thusiastically in the territory. Gibson lamented the lack of patriotism shown by the men, and urged that a better spirit be shown to meet the attacks of the enmies, and to carry the war into the enemies ' camps. The following advertise- ment in the Western Sun, January 30, 1813, il- lu.strates one of the d ifficulties in keeping a frontier army together. TEN DOLLARS REWARD. ' •Deserted from Fort Harrison, on the 3rd of December, 1812, William A[ ] a private soldier of the United States Army, aged 21 years. Desertions were frequent, especially when the campaigns were extended, so the problem of discipline was raised to a maximum. About a week after Gibson addressed the leg- islature on the poor support given the anny, the people of the Northwest, and, in fact of all the United States, were shocked at the follow- ing awful news from the commanding general : HEADQUARTERS Camp on Carrying Creek, fifteen miles from the Rapids of the Maumee Eiver. January 2i. 1813. My Dear Sir (Governor Shelby of Ken- tucky), The greater part of Col. Wells ' s regiment U. S. infantry, and 5th regi- ment Kentucky infantry, and Allen ' s rifle regi. under the immediate orders of General Win- Western Sun, (Vincennes) Feb. 6, 1813.

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HOSTILITIES LESSEN, 1814. Ill the later part of the year Perry won his faiiKius victory on Lake Erie, and a little later Harrison defeated the British at tlie Elver Thames. The war was then transferred farther east, to the Niagara frontier, but In- dian hostilities continued on the Indiana bor- der. On the western border, along the Wa- bash, hostilities continued till the end of 1815. Occasionally murders were reported, and stock was frequently run off. The Western Sun, Au- gust 14 ' . 1814. stated that a number of horses had recently been stolen from Busseron Creek, north of Vincennes. and that near Fort Har- rison thirty-two horses and a large number of cattle had been stolen by the Indians. On tlie eastern border of Indiana, along the upjjcr branches of the AThitewater and East AVhite River, the settlers began to feel secure about the middle of the year 1814. The Brit- ish war had not yet ceased, so this cessation of Indian hostilities on the eastern frontier may ha e lieen due to the treaty of peace and alli- ance which Cass. Harrison, and Shelby nego- tiated with the Wyandot. Delaware, Shawnee, Potawatomi and Kickapoo, July 22, 1814. This treaty Avas made in pursuance of a letter from the War Department, instructing those officeis to ally the Indians to the United States against Great Britain. It was signed by 112 Indians, including the three head chiefs of the Wyandot. Delaware, and Shawnee tribes — all three of whom signed the treaty negotiated by Wayne in ITO.j. It might be added that the United States later granted about all of these signers individual grants of land in Ohio. SI ' KfTLATIOX BEGIXS. As hostilities ceased in the eastern jiart of the territory in 1814. settlers came in in great numbers. On the seaboard, times were dull, the coast was blockaded, taxes were high, and the currency was in disorder. Neither was agriculture flourishing, so there began a flow of State Pioneer Convention, Oct. 2, 1878, P. 382. (In- dianapolis.) McMaster, Hist, of the People of the U. S.. IV, P. 383. Matthews, L. K.. Expressio is of Xew England, P. 201. emigration westward that threatened to de- populate some of the eastern states. The legis- latures of Virginia and North Carolina la- mented this great exodus of their people. Dearborn County received a goodly share of the emigrants, including some New England- ers. The additions of population to this county were such as to warrant the formation of a new county, Switzerland, out of Jefferson and Dearborn Counties, with about the same boundaries as at present. The main settle- ments of Switzerland County were those of the Swiss colonists who had settled there in 1802, to start the culture of grapes. Vevay, which had been laid out in 1813, was made the county seat. It was only a collection of huts, but it began a period of rapid growth. Farther down the Ohio, the town of Evans- ville was laid out. and the lots were put on sale. The site for this future city was cie- scrilied as having ' ' an excellent harbor for boats, and as to situation, it is perhaps sur- passed by none in the western country. The proprietor thought he could see its advantages for inland trade. He predicted that the time was not distant when merchant s and traders will from economy, transport their goods across from Evansville to Princeton and Vin- cennes, in jjreference to the circuitous route of the Ohio and Wabash rivers. However, the town did not grow much during the next two decades. There was another town advertised a few miles from Evansville as being a possi- ble center for the inland trade. The .settle- ments along this part of the Ohio had been so much augmented l)y the middle of 1814, that the legislature which met in August, erected two new counties out of Warrick. Posey was between the Ohio and Wabash rivers, and Perry was just west of the Principal Meridian. Warrick was between these two counties. With the increasing immigration, the land sales increased greatly. At Vincennes the in- crease wa- -4. i ' f. and at Jeffersonville it was 1S14, p. 18.