Our Third Great-Grandfather
The Travellers
Christopher was John's second son. Born on Forerunner Plantation in 1777, he was expected to work his father's land. Being second son at that time means Christopher's inheritance was a dicey prospect so this young man had to really work and make his own way. He met young Martha Cable who was also working the fields and they fell in love. Martha was expected to move away with her parents but afraid they would not meet again, twenty year old Christopher and fourteen year old Martha got married in 1798.
Looking for more opportunities than working on someone elses land, the couple headed even farther west to Ohio territory.
After the Revolution government pay for military service was intermittant so a group of Virginians pooled their money, convinced the new government they would also profit and formed the Ohio Company of Virginia to sell to 750, 000 acres of Ohio territory as an opportunity for vets to get land at a discount. Bought for 8 cents an acre from the new government, land sold at or over a dollar.
A fort, the Land Office and the new riverboat town of Marietta at the juncture of the Ohio and Muskingum Rivers was the destination for Christopher and all others to buy land. They came through this small building.
After our visit to Marietta's Campus Martius Museum, a docent we spoke to about the Ohio Company directed us to the records office at the courthouse and found the records for Christopher Harold's Hocking land purchase.
Campus Martius Marietta in 1790
The original Land Office
Broken bonds
Mingo, Shawnee, Delaware were already here trading fairly peacefully and successfully but now faced more settlers and increasingly violent conflicts. Later toward the end of the 1790's a horrible atrocity was carried out against Mingo Chief Logan's family during what was to be a peaceful meeting. It caused a break between the two cultures that resulted in the violent Ohio and Indian War.
Under a large elm used as a meeting place Chief Logan accepted defeat...
I appeal to any white man to say if he ever entered Logan's cabin hungry, and he gave him not meat; if he ever came cold and naked and he clothed him not. During the course of the last long and bloody war, Logan remained idle in his cabin, an advocate for peace.
Such was my love for the whites, that my countrymen pointed as I passed, and said, "Logan is a friend of the white man." I have even thought to live with you but for the injuries of one man, Colonel Cresap, who last spring in cold blood and unprovoked murdered the relatives of Logan, not even sparing his wife and children.
There runs not a drop of my blood in the veins of any living creature. This has called on me for revenge. I have sought it; I have killed many; I have fully glutted my vengeance. For my country, I rejoice in the beams of peace.
But do not harbor a thought that mine is the joy of fear. Logan never felt fear. He will not turn on his heel to save his life. Who is there to mourn for Logan? Not one.
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