Ohio Statehood: Spirited Debate and….Mob Violence

The path to Ohio statehood was marred by bitter politics and…..mob violence. Such were the passions inflamed by stark differences of political opinion. Civic leaders from Marietta and Washington County were in the thick of it.

Discussion of statehood began in the late 1790’s. What is now Ohio was then part of the larger Northwest Territory established in 1787, a vast expanse bounded by the Ohio River, Great Lakes, and Mississippi River. The Ohio area had grown the most and was approaching the 60,000 population level needed for statehood. 

The Original Northwest Territory created in 1787 included the area marked on this map plus all of Ohio and Michigan. In 1800 the territory was partitioned; land west of Ohio and the western half of Michigan became the Indiana Territory. The eastern Michigan area did not become part of Ohio, the state. Michigan became a separate territory before becoming a state later. Viewed at Wikipedia.com

Proponents of Ohio’s becoming a state were led by Thomas Worthington, Edward Tiffin, and other influential leaders. They believed statehood would bring good things:

• Equal status with other states. 
• More people and more money. The economic benefit would help all residents - and themselves.  
• A more responsive government and freedom from the heavy-handed rule of territorial governor Arthur St. Clair. 

Arthur St. Clair had been a respected patriot and a distinguished Revolutionary War veteran. In 1787 he was President of the Continental Congress and was appointed Governor of the new Territory. Judge Jacob Burnet described St. Clair as “a man of superior talents, of extensive information, and of great uprightness of purpose….” But he became imperious and inflexible in his governing. He demeaned his territorial residents as “A multitude of indigent and ignorant people (who are) ill-qualified to form a constitution and government for themselves…” St. Clair was out of touch with the changing attitudes in the territory. 

Major General Arthur St. Clair. Portrait by Charles Wilson Peale c 1783. Viewed at Wikipedia.org

Statehood opponents, including people at Marietta, said: not so fast. They realized becoming a state was inevitable. But not now. Statehood would mean higher taxes - with little benefit. Besides, Federalists, the party of most anti-state opponents, were in the minority. Locals would therefore have little influence and be overlooked. Better to wait. 

Local opposition became quite animated in 1801. There were a series of township meetings where statehood was “fully discussed and strongly opposed.” An “anti-state” meeting was held in Marietta on June 18, 1801, chaired by Gilbert Devol and Joseph Barker. Barker gave a spirited address in opposition to becoming a state now. This resolution was passed:

RESOLVED, That in our opinion it would be highly impolitic and very injurious to the inhabitants of this territory to enter into a State government at this time. Therefore, we, in behalf of our constituents, do request that you would use your best endeavors to prevent and steadily oppose the adoption of any measures that may be taken for the purpose.

Conflict about statehood boiled over when the territorial legislature met in Chillicothe in November, 1801. Two legislative acts ignited controversy. First was passage of a resolution, originally proposed by Governor St. Clair, which would divide the territory so that Ohio east of the Scioto River would be a separate state. The population mix would give Federalists, and Marietta, more influence. It would delay statehood because the population was below the minimum 60,000 needed. And, possibly, Marietta could even be the capital. Washington County representatives William Rufus Putnam (son of Rufus Putnam) and Ephraim Cutler were in full agreement with the concept. 

Statehouse at Chillicothe image. From ohiomemory.org - Ohio Guide Collection.

Territorial legislature meetings were held here. At least one observer at the time did not give the building a high rating: “The house (of representatives) occupied the large room on the ground floor, a very uncomfortable, badly lighted, roughly finished room, with a fireplace at each end…..the fires failed to heat the large room in the winter.”

This proposal aroused vehement opposition from statehood supporters, including Edward Tiffin, Thomas Worthington, Nathaniel Massie, and others. They lodged a formal written protest. A petition to the U. S. Congress was urgently circulated in Chillicothe and surrounding counties.

The Second legislative action was moving the territorial capital to Cincinnati from Chillicothe. This further enraged Statehood proponents, and Chillicothe residents in particular. There was talk of protests - even violence.

Thomas Worthington, Chillicothe political leader and wealthy landowner, and lawyer Michael Baldwin were political allies promoting statehood. Baldwin, though considered a brilliant lawyer, had a darker side: He led an “obnoxious,” “boisterous” group who were prone to civil disobedience.  Baldwin planned to lead his rabble to forcibly enter Governor St. Clair’s boarding house and drag him out to see himself burned in effigy -  as an insult and to intimidate him. This group headed out to the Governor’s boarding house on December 23, 1801. 

Thomas Worthington Governor’s Portrait

Viewed at ohiomemory.org

Worthington was passionate about statehood. He sought the limelight, leading efforts to forge a new state with exciting growth opportunities. He was a quintessential land speculator from Virginia, buying and selling land, often acquired from land grants sold by other Revolutionary War veterans. He had moved to the fledgling settlement at Chillicothe in 1798. Worthington became actively involved in business and politics of the area. In 1800, he was listed as owning 18,273 acres in the Virginia Military District located in south central Ohio. 

Thomas Worthington was deeply religious. He was also pragmatic and had developed, even in his late 20’s, a keen political sensibility. He was alarmed to learn of Baldwin’s plan. He knew that violence was wrong - and counterproductive. It would harm the statehood effort and could even damage his own reputation. He had to act quickly. Worthington intercepted Baldwin and forcibly convinced him to stand down, threatening even to shoot him if he laid a hand on Governor St. Clair.

The next night on Christmas Eve Baldwin’s mob had mobilized again. They had been incensed upon hearing of William Rufus Putnam’s toast at a dinner that evening: “May the Scioto (River) lap the borders of two great and flourishing states” - a reference to St. Clair’s plan to split the state. Baldwin’s group forcibly entered a boarding house where Governor St. Clair and several legislators - including Putnam and Cutler - were staying. 

That night the venerable, though disliked, Governor Arthur St. Clair was in his room, writing. There were so many issues that swirled in his mind. He was startled by a “violent noise” below. What could that be, he thought, not dreaming that his personal safety was at risk. Immediately he went downstairs to find a crowd shouting and jostling in the hallway. Many more were milling around outside. St. Clair was shocked to see mob leader Michael Baldwin strike Michigan¹ representative Jonathan Schieffelin who promptly drew a dirk (a long handled knife) then grabbed two pistols and threatened to shoot the intruders. Schieffelin had become a target because of his outspoken support of relocating the capital to Cincinnati from Chillicothe. Sight of the pistols quieted the crowd. It also helped that Statehood leader Thomas Worthington was again present and defended Governor St. Clair.

St. Clair’s political instincts kicked in as the adrenaline faded. Don’t overreact, he thought, and don’t show any sign of being intimidated by the mob. He then circulated among those present, “calm and collected,” as Ephraim Cutler recalled, yet firm in telling them to disperse. He called for law enforcement. A deputy sheriff and magistrate appeared on the scene. The mob gradually faded away. Despite law enforcement’s first hand witness of the violence, mob participants never suffered any legal consequences.

Marietta area pioneer Ephraim Cutler, elected to the Territorial legislature in 1801, witnessed the violence. Cutler was the son of Manasseh Cutler, the ordained minister, medical doctor, educator, and scientist, who had provided valuable guidance in creating the Northwest Territory. Ephraim had farmed in Connecticut and held some civic offices. By the mid-1790’s, though, he was feeling unsettled. He had suffered losses in two different businesses. Future prospects in Connecticut seemed limited. His mind kept drifting to the land of opportunity in Ohio, which his father had extolled and where his younger brother had lived for a while. Ephraim’s wife Leah was in poor health. Moving to a warmer client was recommended for her, so they moved to Marietta in 1795. 

Ephraim Cutler portrait, from Wikipedia.org.

The legislative session in November, 1801 was Ephraim Cutler’s  first - and the Territorial legislature’s last. It was an intimidating yet beneficial learning experience for him. “We (Mr. Putnam and I) were the youngest members of the House….My inexperience led me to tremble at the responsibilities of the position, but the benefit of associating with…such men as Governor St. Clair, Judges Burnet and Sibley, and others….., was very great.” He roomed in Gregg’s house, where the mob violence took place. His memoirs did not mention any violence directed at him, though he was surely one of the targets because of his support for state-delaying measures. 

A letter to Cutler from Dudley Woodbridge at Marietta gives additional perspective to the violent protests. “We met yesterday and had a meeting to consult on the proper steps to be taken to…..confront the doings” of those favoring statehood. Woodbridge also added in dismay, “We hear that mobs are around you….this, however, I cannot think is true. The present reminds me of Shays (Rebellion) and those times.” 

Cutler noted in his memoirs, “the bill (to split the state and delay statehood) passed the legislature, but was of no avail; it rather caused those desirous of coming into a state to be more vigorous in their efforts.” For better or worse, Ohio was on the path to statehood. On April 30, 1802, Congress passed “An Act to enable the people (of Ohio) to form a constitution and state government and for the admission of such State into the Union…..” 

Thomas Worthington had carried out his lobbying mission to Congress for statehood successfully. Randall and Ryan in History of Ohio: “In acknowledgment of his service he was received at his home with rejoicings and celebrations. Chillicothe was illuminated in his honor and bonfires burned brightly in expression of joy….” Those authors opined that despite further protests of opponents, “(their) efforts….to stem the tide of statehood were petty and partisan.”  

Athough opponents’ efforts failed, their concerns about taxation were validated. Historian Samuel Hildreth stated in his biography of Joseph Barker (mentioned above as a vocal opponent), “the apprehensions of the evil results (of statehood) to the Ohio Company settlers, were soon realized, as the taxes for support of the new government fell heavily on them….” 

The initial property tax structure was oppressive for rural areas because it was based mostly on acreage not value. If that system were in place today, an acre of rocky hillside would be taxed at a similar rate as an acre of prime real estate at an interstate highway interchange. The current fairer ad valorem (tax based on market value) tax system in Ohio was adopted in 1825. It was championed by the same remarkable, unassuming Ephraim Cutler who 24 years earlier had “trembled at the responsibilities” of being a legislator but was not swayed by the mob violence in Chillicothe. 

¹ The original Northwest Territory was partitioned in 1800 to create the Indiana Territory. The residual Ohio portion included the eastern half of Michigan, thought that part was not included when Ohio actually became a state.

A New Territory Begins: July 1788

Walking through the woods on July day recently sparked a reminder of Marietta’s earliest days as a new settlement in 1788. Our two English Sheepdogs Sophie, Tess, and I ambled down a trail near our home. It was a sunny and mild Sunday in July - a welcome break from the typical heat and humidity.

Sunlight filtered through the trees. We stepped into a cathedral of total shade at the waterfall under a canopy of towering maple, oak, and sycamore trees. It was quiet. Only the gentle patter of the waterfall and the wheezy buzz of a seasonal cicada were audible. Later that same day, the dogs explored the edge of a bluff above the creek. Suddenly there was an explosion of flapping wings and squawking as a flock of turkeys launched themselves down the valley. 

The towering trees, turkeys, and the quiet reminded me of Marietta’s earliest period 230 years ago in July of 1788. The tall trees hid the sun needed to grow crops needed for food. Turkeys were a welcome source of food, but large flocks also damaged crops. It was quiet then: there were just a few dozen people around. Only sounds of nature, people talking, and hand tools would have been heard.

Yet it was a busy July of 1788 in the new settlement at Marietta. A year had passed since the passage of the landmark Ordinance of 1787 which created the first United States territory beyond the original thirteen states. Now it was time to bring that new territory to life.

Summary of Ordinance of 1787 from Reddit.com viewed at

https://www.reddit.com/r/Infographics/comments/3pgdiy/the_northwest_ordinance_of_1787

CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

July 4 featured a community celebration with fireworks. On July 9, the Territorial Governor, Arthur St. Clair, arrived at Marietta. Major Ebenezer Denny’s journal records the event: “The arrival of the Governor of the Territory was announced by the discharge of thirteen rounds from a six pounder (cannon). The garrison (at Fort Harmar) turned out, and troops received him with presented arms.” 

The government of the new territory was officially installed on July 15. Governor St. Clair was conveyed from Fort Harmar to the “Bowery” (a long covered area erected near the Muskingum River) on the east side on a barge with “Congress” written on one of the oars. He was greeted by General Rufus Putnam and two of the three territorial judges, Samuel H. Parsons and James Mitchell Varnum. Putnam gave brief welcoming remarks. Secretary Winthrop Sargent read the commissions of the governor, judges, and secretary. St. Clair gave an address. 

Major General Arthur St. Clair, first Governor of "The Territory North and West of the Ohio River"

From Wikipedia

St Clair made several points that caught my attention:

• He praised the character of territorial leaders, mentioning their concern for religion, morality, love of liberty, willingness to sacrifice, respect for the rights of mankind. This went beyond mere rhetoric; it truly reflected the attitudes of the leaders.
• He observed that the legislative function of the new territorial government was only a temporary one: There was no elected legislature at this early stage. The Governor and Judges formed a legislative council to enact laws and could only enact laws adopted by other states. He gave assurance that acting in the best interests of the residents under this technically undemocratic system was "...a very important part of our duty, and will be attended to with the greatest care." He further pointed out that Congress could annul territorial laws which it believed were not lawful or suitable.
• Despite hardships in the new settlements, he encouraged patience and perseverance, along with a keeping a vision of a successful future.
• He devoted a significant part of his comments to the relationship with Indians: "Cultivate a good understanding with the natives...., treat them on all occasions with kindness, and the strictest regard for justice, run not into their customs and habits, prevent....reproach." Such conduct, he argued, would make them less hostile and more open to a peaceful existence.

Summary and Map of the Northwest Territory - from

https://historyplex.com/northwest-ordinance-of1787-purpose-summary-significance

The map shows states which eventually were formed from the territory lands

CLICK  ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

General Putnam gave a brief response and "three cheers closed the ceremonies of the day." The citizens of Marietta issued a written response to St. Clair's speech. A committee including Ebenezer Sproat, John May, and Paul Fearing delivered that response to Governor St. Clair on July 17.

Governor St. Clair had been engaged in governing since his appointment in late 1787. His primary focus was arranging for a treaty negotiation with Indian tribes in the Ohio country. Congress had tasked him with this daunting assignment shortly after his appointment. On the very same day of his inauguration, he had corresponded with Secretary of War Henry Knox, regarding an Indian skirmish at the Falls of the Muskingum River where treaty negotiations were to be held. Click on link to learn more about the Treaty of Fort Harmar.

The Governor and Judges issued their first Territorial law on July 25, 1788,  "A Law for regulating and establishing a militia of the United States northwest of the river Ohio.... "  A few weeks later, Washington County, Ohio was created. In September, the “Court of Quarter Sessions” - what we refer to as common pleas court today - was convened with much fanfare. There was a procession from the Point to a room in the northwest blockhouse at the Campus Martius fortified enclosure led by Sheriff Colonel Ebenezer Sproat riding on horseback with saber drawn. Appointed judges Rufus Putnam and Benjamin Tupper were seated on the bench. Reverend Manasseh Cutler, visiting the settlement, offered a prayer. Colonel Sproat intoned these words: "Oh yes! A court is open for the administration of evenhanded justice , to the poor and the rich, to the guilty and innocent, without respect of persons; none to be punished without trial by their peers, and then in pursuance of the laws and evidence in the case."

The bold experiment in territorial government that would be the base for state formation and nation building in the United States was well underway in late 1788 - in Marietta, Ohio.

Further notes about Arthur St. Clair:

• He served in the French and Indian War, Revolutionary War, and U. S. Army after the war, eventually achieving the rank of Major General. But he experienced two setbacks. One was a controversial retreat from Fort Ticonderoga which led to his court martial; he was exonerated. The other was a humiliating defeat by Indians in western Ohio in November, 1791.

A cover page of report analyzing St. Clair's humiliating defeat by Indians

From Wikipedia. CLICK TO ENLARGE

• His oldest daughter Louisa drew superlatives from locals when he and the children lived in Marietta. She was described in The St. Clair Papers as full of life, expert equestrian - dashing around Campus Martius in full gallop, rapid skater, elegant in appearance, capable hunter, skilled with a rifle which she could load and fire as well as any backwoodsman, yet refined in manners and well educated.
• St. Clair changed the name of Losantiville, Ohio, to Cincinnati - in recognition of the Society of the Cincinnati, a group formed to preserve the ideals and fellowship of Continental Army officers after the Revolutionary War
• St. Clair acquired wealth but lost much of it as a result of military service in the Revolutionary War. He regained wealth later in life but suffered financial loss when a loan he co-signed defaulted. He died in poverty in 1818 at his home near Greensburg, PA.
• He was a Federalist whose preference for a strong national government and elitist leadership left him at odds with the grassroots conservatism prevalent in the new territory. He opposed Ohio statehood. Instead he espoused dividing the Ohio land into two sections with the Scioto River as a north-south dividing line - regions that he thought could generate a Federalist majority.

Sources: All of these were viewed on line unless noted.

Denny, Ebenezer, Military Journal of Ebenezer Denny, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, J. J. Lippincott and Company, 1859

Hildreth, Samuel, Pioneer History: Being an Account of the First Examinations of the Ohio Valley and the Early Settlement of the Northwest Territory, Cincinnati, H. W. Derby & Co., 1848

The St. Clair Papers Volumes I and II, William Henry Smith editor, Cincinnati, Robert Clarke and Co., 1882, page 107, viewed at archive.org

Wikipedia, "Arthur St. Clair."

Williams, H. Z. et al, History of Washington County with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches, Cleveland, H. Z. Williams and Bro., 1888

Milligan, Fred,  Ohio’s Founding Fathers, New York, iUniverse, Inc., 2003

Pages 81-94 (viewed in paperback edition)

Council House and the Treaty of Fort Harmar

It must have been a startling sight: 200 Indians marching towards Fort Harmar in December of 1788 with an American flag. There was musket fire - a friendly salute from the Indians, followed by several minutes of a cannon and musket fire salute from Fort Harmar. The troops escorted the Indians into the fort with music playing. So began treaty negotiations at Fort Harmar. The few dozen settlers of the fledgling Marietta community were on edge.

This topic came up recently when Bill Reynolds, Historian at Campus Martius Museum in Marietta, showed me the undated photo below. The sign claims that the Treaty of Fort Harmar was signed in this building. Could this have been the original "council house" (a meeting place for Indians) built for
the treaty negotiations? 

Sign says: Log House in which Gov. St. Clair signed Treaty with Indians 1788. The photo is undated; location uncertain; probably somewhere in Harmar village. Photo courtesy of  Bill Reynolds.

In this early drawing of Fort Harmar, the council house appears at the bottom left.

Source: Wikipedia:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Harmar#/media/File%3AFortHarmar.jpg

This photo triggered my interest in the council house. I have pored over historical texts, journals, and letters. But I have found nothing yet mentioning its construction or when it was built. 

Maybe it doesn't matter. The council house symbolizes a year-long drama on the early Ohio frontier culminating in the Treaty of Fort Harmar. Here are some of the issues and highlights of the story.

The issues and timeline

Late 1780's: There were long standing tensions between Indians and white settlers:

• Indians sought guaranteed lands, protection against harassment, and equality with whites.
• Settlers wanted land, room to expand, and freedom from raids.
• The U. S. Government wanted peace and the ability to sell "Indianless" land to white settlers for expansion - and to reduce government debt.

A treaty seemed like the most practical solution to bring lasting peace. The Indians were first to express an interest in a broad treaty.

November/December, 1786: Multiple Indian tribes held a council at Brownstown, near Detroit. They sought to form a united confederation to negotiate with the Americans. Charismatic Mohawk chief Joseph Brant advised his peers that "the interests of any one nation should be the welfare of all others." The Indians asserted that the United States should consider Indians as equals and negotiate treaties with the entire confederation rather than separate tribes. After the council, Brant wrote a letter to Congress requesting negotiations.

Portrait of Chief Joseph Brant from wikipedia.com

July 13, 1787: The Ordinance of 1787 created the Northwest Territory, the first U.S. territory outside the original 13 states. The Ordinance had language foreshadowing the Bill of Rights for its citizens: trial by jury, prohibition of slavery, religious freedom, encouragement of education, and more. There was also effusive language calling for the civilized treatment of Indians. But there were no rights given Indians nor territory set aside for them.

October 22, 1787: Congress directed Arthur St. Clair, the Governor of the newly established Northwest Territory, to pursue a general treaty with all of the tribes. "The objects of such a treaty are, the removing all causes of controversy, regulating trade, and settling boundaries." It was quite a responsibility to be thrust upon the new governor of a new territory.

Arthur St. Clair  portrait from Wikipedia.com

October 27, 1787: Congress agreed to sell 1,500,000 acres of land in the new territory to The Ohio Company for settlement. This and other land sales would bring a major influx of white settlers into areas that Indians considered their own. 

January 27, 1788. St. Clair responded to the Congressional directive in a letter to Secretary of War Henry Knox. He recommended a treaty, though he doubted that it would resolve the conflicts.  A date for a treaty meeting was set for May 1, 1788 at the Falls of the Muskingum River - about 70 miles north of Fort Harmar. Invitations were sent to Indian tribes.

Preparing for the treaty gathering was a major logistical effort. Congress set aside $20,000 ($540,000 in today's dollars) for "goods" needed. Goods included supplies to build a council house, huts for temporary lodging, food, equipment, and gifts as "incentives" (bribes, some said) for Indian cooperation.

March 1788. St. Clair writes to the United States Treasury Board, frustrated at the refusal of the State of Pennsylvania to honor a warrant for $1,000 to help pay for treaty supplies. The U.S. Treasury had no money; states were asked to provide funds when needed. Sometimes they didn't. St Clair admonishes the Board to find the money some other way, stating emphatically that "the money is absolutely necessary" to complete the treaty. 

March 9, 1788. Some treaty supplies had to be transported by boat from an outpost at the Falls of the Ohio (near Louisville KY). Ensign Spear was assigned this task, along with a complement of "one serg't, one corp'l, and 16 privates." As they approached the Falls of Ohio, Indians attacked them. Two of the soldiers were killed, and they retreated down the river 18 miles. They built a temporary blockhouse as a defense and sent a friendly trapper as a messenger requesting help from Major John Wyllys at the Falls outpost.

No help arrived. Several days later their provisions ran out. Fortunately, by chance, they met a supply boat headed downriver which was able to resupply them. They continued to the Falls of the Ohio, loaded the provisions, and returned upriver to Fort Harmar. Imagine rowing a loaded keelboat - powered only by oars or poles - upriver against the current for 400+ miles. They arrived back at Fort Harmar  in late April, nearly seven weeks after they left.

Spring 1788: The Indians were not ready for a treaty meeting in May. There was internal dissention. Wyandots wanted a separate treaty with Americans. Delawares, Potowatomies, and Hurons wanted a set boundary line. Shawnees and Miamis wanted no land give-up and opposed negotiations with Americans. A council meeting near Sandusky was planned to resolve their differences. But the date was uncertain. 

June 13. The treaty gathering at last seemed imminent. General Josiah Harmar dispatched Lt. McDowell and 22 soldiers with the treaty provisions from Fort Harmar to the Falls of the Muskingum (near present day Duncan Falls, Ohio). The party included a sub-sergeant, corporal, and 20 privates. The group began work building a council house and huts for the treaty attendees. Meanwhile a large group of Indians gathered there for the anticipated meetings.

General Josiah Harmar image from Wikipedia.com

July 12. Unexpected trouble. Some Indians raided the treaty supplies, apparently trying to steal some of the contents. The raid was repulsed, though with the loss of two soldiers killed, others wounded. One Indian was killed, another wounded. The dead Indian was found to be a Chippewa. The next morning Delawares, disclaiming any involvement in the raid, brought in six Chippewas accused of being in the raiding party. They were taken prisoner. A servant of Major Duncan, an Indian trader and future namesake of the Falls treaty location, also died in the attack.

July 14. St. Clair's reaction to the raid was immediate. He cancelled the meeting. In a letter to Secretary of War Knox, he stated that "After such an insult, to meet the Indians at that place,...I thought inconsistent with the dignity of the United States." He ordered troops from Fort Harmar to retrieve Lt. McDowell's party and the provisions at the Falls. He sent a stern, derisive message demanding an apology to the Indians who were holding a council at Detroit. It effectively blamed the Indian tribes for the raid, though it seemed more likely that the perpetrators were a few Indians acting on their own. The St. Clair letter was taken by the Shawnees and Miamis as a clear signal that Americans would not negotiate in good faith. They increased their attacks against soldiers and settlers in Ohio country.

July 20. The Indian prisoners from the raid arrived at Fort Harmar. A few days later, two of them escaped as they were being escorted to the "necessary" (Major Ebenezer Denny's term for outhouse) outside the Fort. Four soldiers guarded the group as they walked past a corn patch. The Indians had figured out that their shackles could be slipped off. Two of them waited for the right moment, slipped off the shackles, disappeared into the corn. The guards were flogged, though ill fitting shackles were likely not their fault.

Early August. The Indians held a council at the Falls but could not reach agreement on a response to St. Clair. Delaware Chief Captain Pipe visited St. Clair seeking the release of the Chippewa prisoners, claiming that Ottawas were the real culprits. St. Clair said no way. Captain Pipe was an effective diplomat: He had conferred with General Harmar on several occasions, visited Fort Pitt, greeted the settlers at Marietta on their arrival, traded with the Fort Harmar Indian contractor, and dined at the home of Rufus Putnam. He then countered with an offer to take a single prisoner with him to Detroit to counter the inflammatory statements of the escapees. St. Clair thought that was a good idea and accepted the offer.

September 9. Seneca Chiefs Cornplanter and Halftown, along with 51 other Indians, arrived at Fort Harmar for the treaty. Historian H. Z. Williams describes Cornplanter as a "civilized savage" who was friendly to US and tried to promote good will on both sides. The Ohio Company later awarded him some land because of his efforts to promote harmony.

Portrait of Cornplanter from wikipedia.com

Mid September. St. Clair received a message saying that "a large body of Indians may be expected here (for the treaty)," and they will be armed. He worried about a possible attack. Even if extra troops were available, it would be too little, too late, from too far away. He thought war with the western tribes (who would likely skip the treaty talks) was inevitable and even suggested a preemptive military strike to Secretary of War Knox.   

October 20. Major Denny heard of rumors being circulated to discourage Indians from attending the treaty talks. One such rumor was that the whiskey intended for the Indians was poisoned and that blankets were infected with smallpox.

November 7. A delegation of Six Nations tribes arrived unexpectedly at Fort Harmar. Chief Captain David presented a friendly message authored by Joseph Brant - who was on his way to Fort Harmar - to St. Clair. The Indian confederation offered territorial concessions and requested that the treaty meetings be reconvened at Falls of the Muskingum. St Clair refused, stating that he would negotiate only at Fort Harmar where there was protection from possible Indian attacks. This was a stinging reference to the July attack at the Falls of the Muskingum. Brant was angered and turned back. He was suspected of influencing Shawnees, Miamis, and others to also boycott the treaty meetings. Realization that the United States would not even consider Indian proposals alienated many tribes. It became apparent that a truly comprehensive treaty agreement would be impossible.

December 13. Finally - a large group of Indians arrived to the pomp described above. But it was far from a representative group of all tribes. St. Clair wrote to Secretary of Foreign Affairs John Jay that the treaty would begin soon but "would....not be a very general meeting," since many tribes would not attend.

Day to day proceedings, mostly from Major Ebenezer Denny's journal:

December 14. Indian leaders, Governor Arthur St. Clair, Indian Commissioner General Richard Butler, and officers at Fort Harmar met in the Council House just outside Fort Harmar. The symbolic "council fire" was kindled there. John Heckewelder, a Moravian missionary who had lived among the Delaware and Tuscarawas, acted as a facilitator during the talks.

December 15. Treaty discussion opened.

Deember 15-20. Extremely cold weather; river jammed with ice. Frequent meetings in the council house.

December 29. Wyandot Chief Shandotto gave a long speech on behalf of the Indians. He spoke of past betrayals by the Americans and asserted that the Ohio River must stand as the boundary for Indian lands. Governor St. Clair said that was impossible. There could be no deviation from previous treaty agreements. 

December 30-January 5, 1789. No treaty meetings. Indians met among themselves.

January 5. Secretary Knox pressed St. Clair to pursue the treaty agreement. "I am persuaded that every thing will be done on your part that can be with propriety to avoid a war, and if that event should be inevitable, the evils of it can be justly charged to the Indians."  In other words, war could be blamed on the Indians and provide an excuse to use force against them.

January 6. Governor St. Clair gave an accusatory and intimidating speech to the Indians. He explained how the defeat of the British (with whom the Indians sided) effectively ceded Indian lands to the United States. He said that America wanted peace but "if the Indians wanted war, they would have war."  He proposed renewing the previous treaty at Fort McIntosh and with a provision allowing Indians the right to hunt anywhere in American territory. He also offered gifts of money and merchandise (the "incentives" for Indian cooperation).

January 9. The Indians capitulated and accepted the terms. They no other option. There were also other provisions, including prohibitions of white settlement in Indian territories and opening of trade with certain tribes.

January 12. The treaty was agreed to and signed. Denny noted cynically: "This was the last act of the farce; the articles (treaty) were signed." Technically there were two treaties with slightly different provisions for certain tribes.

January 13 The goods were given out to the various tribes.

A few days later, the main chiefs were given a celebration feast at Campus Martius, the fortified residential enclosure at Marietta. The Indians then departed.

The Legacy of the Treaty of Fort Harmar:

Marietta residents were grateful for the peace promised by the treaty and forwarded a letter of congratulations to Governor St. Clair for his effort. But success short lived. Indian hostilities soon broke out and continued for several years, ended finally by the Treaty of Greenville in 1795.

Denny's assessment that the treaty was "a farce" was harsh but not far from the truth. Historians agree that despite good intentions the treaty resolved nothing new for some of these reasons:

• Most of the treaty language was a restatement of earlier treaties. 
• Many tribes were absent and did not accept the treaty as valid. Some cited an earlier 1788 Indian council decision that no agreement would be valid unless all tribes agreed.
• Others said that their representatives who signed the treaty were not authorized to act for the tribe.
• As with earlier treaties, some claimed they did not understand what they signed. A Chippewa    who signed at Fort Harmar later said that interpreters did not adequately explain the provisions.

There was a council house at Fort Harmar. But like the treaty and the Fort itself, it is largely lost in time. But I still want to find out what happened to it.

Sources:

Bond, Beverley Bond Jr, The Foundations of Ohio, A History of the State of Ohio Volume 1, Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society, Columbus, Ohio, 1941, pages 312-16  viewed at https://archive.org/stream/historyofstateof01witt#page/n9/mode/2up

"A Description of Fort Harmar" (author not identified), The National Magazine, A Monthly Journal of American History, Volume 1, page 26-31, viewed 9/29/2016 at https://books.google.com/books?id=y0RIAQAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

Hurt, R. Douglas. The Ohio Frontier: Crucible of the Old Northwest, 1720-1830. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 1996., pages 101-104    

Military Journal of Major Ebenezer Denny, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, J. J. Lippincott and Company, 1859, pages 109+, accessed 9/29/16 at https://archive.org/stream/militaryjournalo00denn#page/n11/mode/2up

O'Donnell, James H., Ohio's First Peoples, Athens OH, Ohio University Press, 2004, pages 74-84      

Outpost on the Wabash, 1787-1791. Edited by Gayle Thornbrough. Indiana Historical Society Publications, Volume 19. (Indianapolis: Indiana Historical Society, 1957., pages 32-147

The St. Clair Papers, The Life and Public Services of Arthur St. Clair, William Henry Smith, editor, Cincinnati, Robert Clarke and Co., 1882, pages 36-104, viewed 9/29/2016 at https://archive.org/details/stclairpaperslif02smituoft

Treaty of Fort Harmar (1789), Ohio History Central, http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Treaty_of_Fort_Harmar_(1789), accessed 9/29/16

Williams, H. Z., History of Washington County Ohio, H. Z. Williams and Bro., Cleveland OH, 1881, pages 59-62, accessed 9/29/16 at https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=chi.20284997;view=1up;seq=7