The Senecas took possession of their lands soon after the treaty, and began to build cabins and open little clearings around them. By virtue of the treaty, the United States were obliged to establish an agency near the reservation, to provide for their wants, and in every way to assist in carrying into effect the conditions of the treaty.

The Senecas were an exceedingly superstitious people, and notwithstanding all the influences brought to bear upon them to love and embrace the Christian religion, they were very stubborn, and seemed to prefer their untutored notions about the Deity to the beauties of divine revelation. The belief in witches was a part of their faith, and whenever anything occurred that troubled them, they were sure that some witch was at the bottom of the mischief, Their vengeance then generally fell upon some poor old squaw, who was then almost certain of being killed.

In the fall of 1824, the first general muster of the militia took place at Fort Seneca. The regiment numbered about four hundred men, under General Rumley and Colonel J. B. Cooley, who gathered from over the country between Cold creek and Tymochtee, many having to camp out in order to reach the fort in time.

Jesse and George Omsted had our only store between Delaware and Lower Sandusky.

There was considerable travel during the spring and early summer of 1821, by men in search of land, till August, when the land sale occurred.

Our greatest privation was want of mills. Our nearest mill was at Cold creek, about twenty-four miles distant, and without a direct road leading to it. The difficulties in some cases were very trying. For example: Mr. Barney and Daniel Rice arranged for a trip to mill, each with a team of oxen and wagon. As they had to cross the river, the grain was hauled there, unloaded and ferried across; then the wagon ferried over, and afterwards the team swam over, when they could reload, hitch and proceed. This was in April, 1821. After having their grain ground, and on their homeward route, they were overtaken by a snow storm. The snow was damp, and fell to the depth of a foot, rendering the road almost impassable, and so weighed the bushes down over them, that they were compelled to abandon their wagons, and with much difficulty succeeded in reaching home with their oxen.

Although the year 1821 was a trying one, it had secured to many a sufficient amount of land to afford a home for the future, and to encourage us. We had an abundant crop.

Many of the people had acted as squatters. The Indians, who had formerly lived on the west side of the river, had removed to their reservation on the east side, and abandoned their old homes and houses, which were appropriated by the white settlers, and held

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until they wished to go, or were displaced by a deed from Uncle Sam, conveying the same to somebody else. The settlement was weak in 1821, and to raise a log cabin, the neighbors were often summoned from places five or six miles distant.

Of those who came previous to the land sales, some suffered from sickness, and, becoming discouraged, left, and others died; but immediately after the land sales the population steadily increased, and in 1823, Mr. Rumley built a mill on Green creek, and soon after Mr. Moore built a mill on the Sandusky river, in order to supply the increased demand, which greatly diminished the inconvenience we had all experienced.

CHAPTER VI

GENERAL GIBSON AND HIS ADDRESSES

GREAT SPEECH AT MELMORE-NOTABLE PIONEER ADDRESSHow HE STARTED IN LIFE THE HEROES OF EARTH-NOT ALL GRAVE-YARD BUSINESS-EIGHTEEN-KNOT BELLE PIONEER COOKING TRIAL OF CHRISTIAN SPIRIT-WHISKEY OR WATER?-FIRST BUGGY BROUGHT TO THE COUNTY-THEY CLEARED THE LAND OLD AND NEW LAND HUNTERS RELIGIOUS "QUARRELS"-DOMESTIC LIFE AND RELIGION-EDUCATION AND MUSIC-ONE CHANGE FOR THE WORSE INCREASE IN POPULATION-FARM LABOR NEVER MORE AGREEABLE-GOD'S TRUE NOBILITY-GIBSON AND THE SISTERS OF MERCY THE BLACK HORSE TAVERN.

The late General William H. Gibson was one of Seneca county's bravest soldiers and most eloquent orators, and a beloved pioneer as well. Anything relating to him is therefore of deep interest to oldtime residents who always had for him so much pride and affection. One of the earliest oratorical triumphs is recorded below.

General Gibson's great speech at a Fourth of July celebration at Melmore in 1843, placed him in the front rank as an orator. Aged men had been given seats of honor on the platform. An old Revolutionary soldier, with long, flowing white hair, sat in the center of the platform, which was profusely decorated with American flags, and as General Gibson was closing his speech, he paid a very eloquent tribute to the flag, and then turning to the old soldier he placed his hands upon the soldier's head and exclaimed: "Here is a man who fought for that flag through two wars.” The effect was electrical. Many persons in the audience were in tears.

As Gibson approached the closing words of his address, his spirit flamed brilliantly in patriotic panegyric, and turning to the flag, he reviewed the cost of that emblem of liberty. Like the rushing of a mighty Niagara came his well worded thoughts, potent with the impact of truth, and whilst the burning periods of an exalted patriotism sprang from his quivering lips, the young orator moved forward and backward on the platform, punctuating every step with a patriotic utterance. Then, moving slowly back and behind the chair on which an aged veteran sat, with thrilling dramatic

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effect, he gathered up the folds of the flag and, with both hands grasping the banner, he rested them on the snowy crown of the aged soldier. Then, with fervent utterance, he exclaimed:

"This flag is ours! It is kissed by the sunshine of God, floats over a free and independent people, and is honored throughout the world. But they who gave it to us are passing away! Reverently I place this flag on the brow of my friend Arnold, for it was he and his compatriots that gave it to us. These white stripes tell of the purity of their devotion. These red stripes speak of blood shed by patriots falling at his side. Those stars shining from that field of blue herald to all principalities what they won; and all this is ours. His race is nearly run. He will soon go to meet the brave spirits with whom he bivouacked in the paths of the mountains and in the storm-swept plains of the valleys. But sacred will be his dust.

SCENE OF GENERAL GIBSON'S GREAT SPEECH, MELMORE.
(Delivered under elm tree; as a boy clerked in the building to the left.)
"Yes, 'tis evening and the setting sun,
Sinks slowly down beneath the wave;
And there I see a gray-haired one-
A special courier to the grave.
He looks around on grave and mound,
And falls upon the battle ground.
Beneath him sleeps the hallowed earth,

Now chilled like him and still and cold.
The blood that gave young Freedom birth
No longer warms the warrior bold.
He waves his hand with stern command-
And dies, the last of glory's band."

Tears streamed down the cheeks of tender-hearted women, and the bronzed faces of stalwart men were wet with unbidden tears. And yet Gibson was still a boy. Due preparations had been made for the speech, but it was not delivered as a studied effort. His heart was aflame with patriotic devotion. The pent-up enthusiasm was given release. The aged veteran on the platform was an object lesson, and, altogether, Gibson was in the glory of his matchless imagery. His spirit was communicated to the thrilled assembly, and the orator then had no difficulty in carrying his fascinated hearers by the force of his magnetic personality, to the heights from which they could see as he saw and be moved by the patriotic impulses that stirred his soul.

Mr. President and Pioneers:

In rising before an audience like this I am always touched by mingled feelings of sadness and satisfaction. We are marching and passing away. Yesterday I attended a meeting in Geauga county and the list of the dead during the past year amounted to ninety-three. Here you have over sixty. And yet it is surprising to see how long we live. It is not at all strange that we should want to live. I am very anxious to live myself. I do not care to what age we attain, we still want to hang on to life! We all have sense enough to know that we have a good thing here, and hence the disposition to cling to it. And it is a noble characteristic of human nature.

What striking transformations have taken place in the memory of many of us! What a marvelous century! At the dawn of this century a man might have stood on the heights of the Allegheny mountains and cast his eyes westward on a sparse population west of the Ohio river. I look today and count more than twenty million people in our commonwealth, stretching to the other sea, protected by the panoply of law and all settled within this century. Pioneers, perhaps I ought to show you that I have a right to be here. I doubt whether many of you came here as soon as I did. A man wants to get right with his audience first, and I want to get there right straight. I was born in Jefferson county, Ohio. I was born in May, and just as quick as I could make arrangements I emigrated to Sandusky county, and settled at Honey creek, now Seneca county, which was then a part of Sandusky. Your county

is not as big as it used to be. I lived in Sandusky three years, commencing on the fifth of October, 1821. Seneca was set off from Sandusky in 1824. From that time to this I have been a resident of Seneca county, two years longer than any other person. How many of you were here in 1821? There may be somebut I am one of them-that's sure. Therefore I have a right to appear here as a pioneer. I was a young pioneer and I am glad of it, for if I had been old I would have had a worse time of it. I was quite a curiosity among the Indian squaws as a white baby.