The Spicer Massacre
"In the beginning" of
pioneer life in the territory now within the boundaries of Greene County a man
by the name of Spicer was "lord of all he surveyed," from the summit
of the range of high hills separating waters of Dunkard from those of Big
Whiteley creek. The exact location of his fatal cabin cannot be certainly
ascertained. Some traditions locate it in the head of Deep run, which flows
into Dunkard creek a short distance above Bob Town. Some would have it on the
old Dave Keener farm on the head waters of a branch of Meadow run. Others place
it on the old Eberhart farm, now belonging to Stephenson Garard, I believe,
which lies in a cove at the head of a considerable run which flows into Big
Whiteley on Sebastian Keener's farm, near a mile below the Willow Tree postofice. However, these three streams have their source
so very close together that the locality is defined sufficiently accurate by
either or all of them. Indeed it is said that there were two cabins, which was
probably the fact, one at the source of Deep run and the other on the Eberhart
farm and both belonging to Spicer.
In one of the cabins, with a wife and
seven children, he was living a quiet, unobtrusive life. There is no evidence
that any neighbors lived within neighboring distance, in the very midst of the
unfathomed forest alone they dwelt. 'Twas in the early summer of 1774, about
the 5th day of balmy June, when Spicer was chopping wood hard by. His daughter,
Elizabeth, sprightly twelve year old lass, was ironing the clothes. William, a
nine year old lad, was setting traps to catch the gray squirrels that were
preying upon the tender corn, and doubtless each of the other members of the
household were pursuing some useful calling or innocent amusement. A more
tranquil home can hardly be imagined, when suddenly Logan, the enraged and
desperate Mingo Chief, with a party of warriors made their appearance, Intent
on murder and thirsting for blood. Upon observing their presence Spicer stuck
his axe in the log, walked to the house, took his seat and calmly awaited their
coming. An Indian took up the ax, followed into the house, and deliberately
clove him down. His wife and two little children shared a similar fate. Three
other children were found or chased over on the Meadow run side, and fell
victims of the reeking tomahawk and scalping knife. But Elizabeth, better
known as Betsy, ran with great celerity, and for some distance carrying the
Iron in her hand, not taking thought to throw it down. Finally, however, she
landed it in a brush heap, and finding her brother William, she thought to get
him away with her, but on account of his sullenness and apparent indifference,
she was overtaken in the vain endeavor to get him over the fence. The two were
carried into captivity.
Devereux Smith, in a letter dated
Pittsburgh, June 10, 1774, says "The 6th of this month we had an account
from Muddy creek, which empties into the river Monongahela near Cheat river,
that the Indians had killed and scalped one man, his wife and three children,
and that three more of the same man's children were
missing. We suppose this to be Logan's party, and that they will do more
mischief before they return. On the 12th he adds a postscript: "We are
this day informed that the three children before mentioned that were missing
near Muddy creek were found dead and scalped." He undoubtedly refers to
the Spicer massacre localities not being very well defined at that day. The
same writer adds, "And two men were killed in sight of a fort lately built
on Dunkard creek, up the Monongahela, all supposed
to be done by Logan's party." Who these two men were I am as yet unable to
determine. In another postscript added to this letter on the 13th of the
month, this writer gives a rumor of the battle fought on the Ten Mile, a short
distance west of the present site of Waynesburg. an
account of which will appear in a subsequent sketch.
John Crawford, in his recollections of
a hundred years ago, whose father collected a party and went out next day to
bury the murdered family, describes the scene as a pitiable and dreadful
sight, so much as that one of the party who had never witnessed the like before
became terror stricken and wanted the party to clear itself, lest it meet a
similar fate from Indians still lurking near in the weeds. Crawford relates
that Capt. Logan sent on the prisoners and plunder
with the main body, whilst he and another Indian named Snake went over on Big
Whiteley creek and killed or mortally wounded a man named Keener, whose body
was not found till the buzzards, by their circling flight, indicated the spot
where it lay. Keener was buried in the bottom, now the famous meadow of John
Lantz. And it was this same party, I have no doubt, which were attacked and
routed by a company of savages on Rees's hill, above Waynesburg.
But to return to Betsy Spicer, she and
her little brother were carried away to the haunts of the Indians beyond the
Ohio. But Lord Dunmore's war, as that of 1771 was called, having been brought
to a successful issue, a treaty was entered into in the mouth of November of
the same year, by which it was stipulated that all prisoners of war should be
delivered up, and in December following, Col. Wilson was commissioned to proceed
to the appointed place, somewhere on the Ohio frontier to receive them. As he
journeyed to that appointment he passed through the present site of New Geneva,
and was so enamored with the situation that he afterwards returned to it and
improved the farms now owned by Judge Crow, Michael Franks, J. T. Springer, J.
F. Gans and James Hess, dubbed the acquisition "Elks Hills," settled
upon them, built a fine mill and founded "Wilson's Fort,'' since New
Geneva. He procured the release of Betsy along with the other prisoners on
Christmas Day, and returned her to her friends. But, the boy William had been
borne into another tribe still farther away and could not be released. He never
was retrieved, spent all his life with the Indians, married a squaw and it is
said became a chief. Upon one occasion he was induced to return in order to
give his legal assent to the disposition of certain property in this sister's
favor, but he could not be induced to quit his life in the woods for one of
civilization.
Betsy was a girl of more than ordinary
mind. Her perceptive faculties were very quick, and her powers of observation
extraordinary for one of her years. Short as was her captivity she had learned
the language of her captors so as to readily interpret their words. She
gathered also many facts as to the medicinal properties of roots and herbs and
the Indian method of treating diseases that rendered her services invaluable in
case of prevailing sickness in the neighborhood in which she lived. Having
married a man by name of Bowen and living to the advanced age of 81 years, she
was familiarly known to many who live to read this sketch as the kind hearted
nurse and good old "granny Bowen."
After Betsy returned to her friends
she visited the site of the awful tragedy where she was rendered an orphan
child, and remembering that one of the Indians, finding himself overloaded with
plunder, had concealed some things under a log, she repaired to the spot and
among other articles found her father's scalp, which she religiously preserved
all her life with the intention of having it enclosed in her own coffin when
she should be called to that "bourne whence no traveler returneth."
She also remembered where she had thrown her smoothing iron when endeavoring to
escape, and found it and it is yet preserved by her descendants as a sacred
relic and memento of their historic relative.
She related that she heard Captain
Logan telling his braves that he and Snake were lying behind the fence close to
Jenkins' fort (now Garard's, I presume) that night when the party which buried
the Spicers came in; that he heard a woman with a shrill voice call, "Who
will turn out and guard the women while they milk the cows?" A long string
of men came out with guns on their shoulders and frequently pointed them in
different directions. Several times they pointed towards him so directly as to
put him in the notion of running for his life, but hoping they did not see him
lie laid still till night, when he and Snake stole noiselessly away.
In this connection it may not be amiss
to note that John Crawford states that the next day Logan and Snake went to
Muddy creek to the cabin of James Flenniken where they killed a mare and pet
wolf, thence to the cabin of John Crawford where they cut in pieces some bags
of rye and stuck a tomahawk through a copper kettle; thence to Thomas Hughes'
where they broke up the furniture and cooking utensils; thence to James
Moredock's where they did similar mischief; thence to near Vanmeter's fort
where they killed and scalped a man named Way. He says mischief was also done
on the waters of Ten Mile, which I presume has reference to the light alluded
to above.
Mrs. Betsy Bowen died in the year
1845, within the recollection of the writer hereof. Her life was one of kindness
and charity, dispensing blessings on every hand. She lived and died in the
neighborhood of her early misfortunes. She raised a large family of children,
one of whom, Mrs. Nancy Steel, is still living, aged 74 years, who is the
mother of Mrs. Azariah Stephens, near Garards Fort, from whom I have
ascertained many interesting facts concerning this thrilling amid sorrowful
incident.
L. K.
Evans.