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

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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.

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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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130%- The sales at Jefferson ville still re- mained about three and one-half times the sales at Vincennes, thus showing that the greater part of the settlers was stopj ing in the eastern part of the territory. Farther east, the sales at the Cincinnati ottice were also great. crnnEXCY and baxkixg. With the rise in the sales of lands arose also the demand for more money. There were no banks in the territory in which the government could di ' iiosit the money collected at the land oilicc-, X) {][ ' ] niniicy was taken east for de- po itiiig. thus (li-aining coin from the west. The ])e()ple of the west bought more goods of the east than the east bought of the west, so the balance must be paid the east in money. These two drains upon the supply of money in the west was so great that the jjeople of the west were badly in need of some form of money. They saw that the easiest way to get money was to cn alc Iiaiil . which could make money as fast as |iiiiiicr- muld print the bills. So. the legislaturi ' which met for the first time at the new capital at Curydon. in the summer of 1S14. chartered two banks, the Vincennes Bank and the Farmers and Mechanics Bank of Madison, the seat of Jefferson County. This last liank was to prove a boon to the farmers in the community, and it aided the merchants in their transactions with New Orleans and the east. There were now three main ways in which money was secured for investments. The cam- paigns in the west had brought a good ileal of money to this region, as the contractors and merchants were paid for furnishing supplies for the army. The ciuuinual -trcam of immi- gration brought in money to invest. The banks could issue paper money almost without limit. Consequently, a period of active speculation in town lots began. During the year 1815. pro- prietoi-s of various towns along White river and the Wabash advertised their towns for sale. Although the Indians still were hostile along Senate Doc. Cong. 30. Sess. 1. Doc. 41, P. 67(t. 22E.sorey, L., State Banking in Indiana, P. 221ft. ' Western Sun, June 20, 1S15. the Wabash, the town of Carlisle on the Bus- seron, north of Vincennes, was advertised for sale as being in the midst of a flourishing set- tlement. ' For the next few years, speculation was so extensive that in 1819 the president ol the Vincennes bank wrote : Our banking capi- tal, here in the west, is all tied up in city im- provements, and there is none to mo ' e our produce. PEACE RESTOKED — EFFECT. In the first part of 1815 it became known in the west that peace had been decided uj on be- tween United States and Great Britain. With the return of peace, great quantities of cheap English goods were put upon the American market. The New England goods, too, found again a ready market in the west. By the mid- dle of the year the Vincennes merchants had laid in a handsome a,ssortment of New Eng- land cotton cloths. ' ® The whole country bought more goods than the needs and demands of the con.sumers warranted. With the retux-n of peace, immigration into Indiana increased. In his message, December 1, 1S15. Governor Posey said: Our emigration which is rapidly populating our fertile lands, in a little time will enable us to be admitted into the political family of the union, as an in- dependent state. Permit me to recommend to the legislature the propriety as well as the jus- tice of imposing as moderate taxes on the emi- grants to this territory, as may be compatible to the 23ublic interest. Most of them have moved from a great distance, at a considerable expense. They have to encounter many diffi- culties in opening their farms for cultivation, before they can derive a support, much more a ]n-ofit from them; and consequently their abil- ity will 1)0 lessened from contributing largely for a short time to the public exigencies. This document expresses the essence of settlers ' troubles — getting on a paying basis after ex- pending so much of their limited capital to get to the new country and to pay for their farms. s ' Amer. State Papers. Finance, III, P. 734. Western Sun. April 8, 1S15. Niles Regster, IX. P. 351.