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Black Hoof, a chief of the Shawnee, was known as a great orator
as well as warrior. He had come from Florida when young and taken
part in all the Indian wars, particularly distinguishing himself in
taking scalps at Braddock's
He could remember that when a boy he had bathed in the salt-water on
the Florida coast. It is related of him that his scalp string had
upon it one hundred and twenty-seven scalps, which he had himself
taken during his career.
[Note.-It is a curious fact in history that this sharp
Indian map seller came, at that early day, from the "western
reserve," where the inventive genius of their white successors still
predominates defeat. In all the after wars he bore a conspicuous
part, and at all the treaties was a principal orator. In 1795 he
became satisfied in the uselessness of further strife, and from that
time to his death was friendly to the white settlers. He never would
assist in the burning of prisoners. It is said he was a man. of
rigid virtue and lived forty years with one wife. Ile lived at
Wakatomeka, near the present site of Dresden, on the Muskingum, but
removed with his tribe about 1.817, and died in 1831, at the great
age of one hundred and ten years, at Wapakonnetta, in Auglaize
County, Ohio.]
Legend of Three Legs Town, on the
Still Water
On a dividing ridge in Belmont County issues two little
streams-one flowing into the Ohio, called Wheeling Creek, the other
taking a north-west direction through parts of Harrison and
Tuscarawas counties, and emptying into the Tuscarawas River some six
miles south-east of New Philadelphia. After wandering a hundred
miles south, the waters of these Belmont hills again meet at
Marietta, and, mixed with those of the Ohio and Muskingum, all join
hands, as it were, and go merrily and muddily down the Ohio and
Mississippi, until all are lost in the sea. - On one of these small
streams, called by the Indians Gehelemukpechuk, by the whites
Stillwater, there was an Indian town called "Three Legs Town," as
designated on Boquet's map of 1764, and located near its junction
with the Tuscarawas.
Tradition says it was so named, after a chief who first resided
there by the name of "Three Legs," because of the fact that he had
an extra leg. His father was said to be the great Shawnee chief
Blackhoof, and his mother Cherokee of great beauty from the
south-the climate laving imparted to her all the ingredients of
beauty inc, (lent to southern white women of a later day. Blackhoof
had brought her up into the Sciota Country, and while out one day
gathering wild plums she was attacked by wounded buffalo, limping on
three legs, but succeeded in escaping from him. In proper time she
gave birth to boy, who, like the beast, had three legs, and when he
learned to walk, limped with one leg dangling after him he was in
other respects perfect-inheriting all the genius of Blackhoof
himself. The mother thought the more of him because of his
misfortune, and instead of putting the monstrosity out of the way,
she gave her life to his nurture and bringing up. On reaching the
age of manhood, and being unable to follow the chase or go to war,
he was offered a chiefship and privilege to select his place of
abode in this valley. He chose the mouth of the Gehelemukpechuk
(Stillwater), for the reason that immense quantity of fish were
caught there-as they are caught there at this day in larger
quantities than at other places along the river 'Three Legs, being
an invalid, could not expect to, nor did he ever, become chief over
a large town, but those who had settled near him were old braves who
had spent their energies, and sat down at Three Legs town to pass
the residue of their lives in fishing, smoking, and giving advice to
young warriors.
It happened that after Braddock's defeat, in 1755 a number of the
captured English soldiers were brought down by some Shawnee, under
Blackhoof, and give over to his son, Three Legs, to be put to death
by torture in their usual mode. The trail from Beaver River, south
passed in sight of the Three Legs town, and hence it was daily sight
to see captives driven or pulled by, on their way to death. Among
these was a Herculean highlander, take at Braddock's fight, who
belonged to the Scotch regimes his name was Alexander McIntosh, and
it is said that he was by blood a relative of Lachlin McIntosh, who
became n American general in the revolution, and erected Fort
Laurens in 1778.
Young McIntosh, by reason of his great height and strength, was
reserved from the fiery death of the other prisoners by order of
Three Legs, and became his body guard; but was doomed to be a
witness to the burning of his fellow prisoners, and told that a
similar fate awaited him in case he attempted to escape. The place
of burning was at the edge of the plain where a steep bluff bank of
rocks ascends some one hundred feet, from the summit of which the
whole plain is discernible, forming one of the most picturesque
panoramas in the valley. From this emir fence prisoners doomed to
death were thrown, and whether dead or alive when they reached the
base of the precipice, as he burning was gone through with. McIntosh
surveyed the eminence from below, and saw the first prisoner thrown
over, who fell with a thud which knocked the life out of him. His
body was thrown on a burning pile of wood. The second victim came
down upon his feet, hurt, but able to stand. He was tied to a post
and a fire built around him. The Scotchman, unable to listen to his
moans, darted at the thief, Three Legs, sitting near, smoking his
pipe, and with one blow of the fist prostrated him in death, then
seizing his tomahawk hanging in the chief's belt, was but a moment
dispatching one of the two Indians attending to the fire, and before
another minute elapsed he cut the thongs of his burning fellow
captive, pulled him from the fire, and ran some little distance with
him, but finding the other Indian had ran in an opposite direction
he stopped, and it loosened the withes around the legs and arms of
his comrade, who at once rose to his feet, and both started up the
hill to gain the summit by a circuitous path, in the hope of
rescuing their fellow captives. The three savages on the to summit,
seeing which, and the terrible work of the Highlander below, sprung
down from the precipice to the relief of their fallen chief, and
this enabled the Scotchman to reach and release his three follow
captives on the summit from the thongs with which they were tied.
The four now returned for their comrade, who had been released from
the fire, but unable to ascend the path, he was caught by the three
savages below and tomahawked. Thus it stood for a minute-four
released prisoners against three warriors, the latter having their
hatchets, and the former only one in the Highlander's hands. In
another moment they heard the scalp yell of the savage who had run
away, and supposing he had other Indians, the four whites descended
the hill and entered the forest, in a run for life-the Highlander
keeping in front. After running half a mile they heard their
pursuers; the Scotchman telling his unarmed comrades to keep
together, while he treed, and awaited the savages. Soon the most
fleet one passed him, and at that moment received his quietus-he
having come within three feet of the Scotchman without seeing him,
and the tomahawk of the latter was buried in his skull. He leaped
up, and fell with a terrible scream, dead. The Highlander then
rejoined his comrades, and they were not further pursued, Making
their way east by the sun, they crossed the Stillwater, following
which they reached its source, crossed the dividing ridge, and were
on the Ohio in two days, without having eaten anything save roots
and bark. From thence they followed the west bank up the river
another day, and finally crossed the Ohio by wading it near the
present Wellsville where the river was, and is yet, fordable in low
water. They then got assistance from a hunter whom they met, and who
took them to a settlement on the Monongahela.
Nine years afterward, the highlander, who had settled in
Westmoreland County, joined Boquet's army, and at Coshocton inquired
of the Indians what had become of Three Legs and his town up the
river-telling them he was once a prisoner there, but escaped. All he
could learn was that Three Legs had been killed by a white prisoner,
and his town was since deserted. McIntosh returned with the army to
Pennsylvania, settled in Fayette County, and again volunteered, in
1778, at Fort Pitt. General Lachlin McIntosh there made his
acquaintance, and took him down to Beaver, thence to Fort Laurens,
and back to Pittsburgh; after which he was sent to the Tuscarawas as
one of Brodhead's Indian killers, in 1780, and at the slaughter of
the Coshocton Indians in that campaign the Scotchman was in the
fore-front, boasting in his old age of having tomahawked six Indians
in one hour, when telling his exploits in Fayette County, where he
died, leaving a family.
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Ohio Annals; Dayton, Ohio, 1876
Traditions
of the Seneca
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