SMALLEY

This Photo is Possibly John Smalley...Does Anyone Know?...Please E Mail Us: wrj2@earthlink.net

MY DIRECT LINE CONNECTION TO SMALLEY IS:
Nancy (Osburn) Jones married William Ralph Jones.
...Harvey Lee Osburn married Mayme ________.
......Purthena Ann Smalley married Stephen Douglas Osburn.
.........John R. Smalley married Mary Eliazabeth Langston.
............John Smalley married Salome Swallow.
...............William Smalley married Prudence Hoel.

GENEALOGICAL DATA

William Smalley (Indian Captive) (born abt. 1762, died September 30 1838) married Prudence A. Hoel (Holle) (born ?, died 1824).
Their Children's Names:
(01) Benjamin (born August 21 1787 in Fayette County Pennsylvania, died September 18 1856 in Round Top Texas) married Mary Liggett.
(02) Freeman Jasper (born March 02 1791 in Fayette County Pennsylvania, died October 31 1874 in Bourbon County Kansas) married Catherine Trader.
(03) John (born abt. 1792 in Fayette County Pennsylvania, died abt. 1834 in Vermillion County Illinois).
(04) Rachel (born January 14 1801 (Twin- see (07)) in Vermillion County Illinois, died ?) married William Nelson.
(05) William (born ?, died ?) married Elizabeth Collins.
(06) Mary (born ?, died ?) married Zara Stearns on October 29 1818.
(07) James K. (born January 14 1801 (Twin- see (04)) in Vermillion County Illinois, died ?) married Cynthia K. Oxley.
(08) Jesse G. (born ?, died 1831 in Vermillion County Illinois) married Mary Moore on February 17 1825 in Vermillion County Illinois.
(09) Martha Kathryn (born April 21 1805 in Warren County Ohio, died September 18 1876 in Warren County Ohio) married Isaac Slaughter.
(10) Prudence Ann (born September 10 1810 in Warren County Ohio, died January 1902) married Jonas Stump on November 28 1828 in Clinton County Ohio.

John Smalley (born abt. 1792, died abt. 1834) married Salome Swallow (born abt. 1796, died ?) cal. 1817 in Illinois.
(Clinton County, Ohio marriages 1810-1817. John Smalley to Salome Swallow - His father William Smalley says Salome is 21 years of age.)
Their Children's Names:
(01) Elizabeth Martha (born abt. 1814, died ?) Vermillion County Illinois.
(02) Freeman K. (born abt. 1816, died ?).
(03) Parthenia Ann (born abt. 1818, died ?) married John Welch.
(04) Mary Malinda (born 1820, died ?) married David Christman.
(05) John R. (born 1822, died ?).
(06) Lydia Amanda (born abt. 1827, died ?) married Andrew P. Newman.
(07) Jesse J. (born May 10 1830, died ?).
(08) William Anderson (born June 22 1832, died ?).
(09) Angeline (born abt. 1834, died ?).

John R. Smalley (born 1822 in Ohio, died in Kansas) married Mary Elizabeth Langston (born 1835 in Arkansas, died in Kansas). They were married on November 28 1852 by Freeman Smalley.
Their Children's Names:
(01) Tabitha E. (born 1854 in Texas, died ?).
(02) John W. (born 1855 in Texas, died ?).
(03) Purthena Ann (born 1857 in Iowa, died ?) married Stephen Osburn(ll) in 1874.
(04) Malinda (born 1859 in Iowa, died ?).
(05) William L. (born 1861 in Indiana, died ?).
(06) Freeman A. (born 1863 in Indiana, died ?).
(07) Elizabeth A. (born 1867 in Kansas, died ?).
(08) Margaret M. (born 1869 in Kansas, died ?).

HISTORICAL DATA

History of Warren Co., Ohio. Chicago- W.H. Beers & Co. 1882

SKETCH OF WILLIAM SMALLEY
On account of the eventful career of Wm. Smalley, and the fact that he was the first settler of Washington Township and played a prominent part in the history of it's settlement, we give him this extended notice.

Opinions differ as to the date and place of his birth, but the most probable account obtained by much research, is, that he was born in New Jersey about the year 1759 or 1760, and lived with his father's family in the state until 1764, when they moved to Western Pennsylvania, where a number of families had settled near Fort Pitt (now Pittsburgh). When the time came for planting and cultivating the crops, in the sixteenth year of his age, he and the aged men, women and boys of the fort were placed as pickets to notify the settlers working in the fields of any approaching danger from the Indians, who were then very hostile. Despite their watchfulness, the savages crept between the fort and laborers, and in the excitement that followed, young Smalley and others were captured by the Delaware Indians.

He was made to witness horrible and revolting scenes; he saw his father cruelly tomahawked by an Indian and most of the prisoners taken ruthlessly butchered. He, with a few others, were retained and carried into captivity. They were taken to the Indian town on the Maumee River, and there confined in a hut built for the purpose, on the outskirts of the village. They were afterward taken into the town and forced to "run the gauntlet," through which young Smalley passed alive. His ears were bored, cut and otherwise lacerated until they hung in strips of marks of cruelty which he carried to his grave, being well remembered by many of the old citizens now living. He remained with the Indians five years, in that time learning to speak their language with great fluency. After the unfortunate incident with the Indians and Col. Crawford, in which the whites were routed and many taken captive, he witnessed the burning of Col. Crawford and the torture and death of others.

At this time, the Indians were unable to dispose of their furs and other articles of trade, on account of their violation of their treaty with the French, and being anxious to renew their intercourse with the whites, they deputized Smalley (who spoke English, French as well as Indian) to visit the French post and negotiate terms of peace, promising him his liberty if he succeeded. He undertook the mission, in which he was successful, and immediately thereafter returned to his people in Pennsylvania, where soon afterward married Prudence Hoel.

While with the Indians, he saw several prisoners burned and on one occasion, saw an infant snatched from it's mother's breast and thrown into the flames.

Soon after his marriage, he removed with the surviving members of his father's family to Columbia, near Fort Washington (now Cincinnati), Ohio. During part of the time prior to the treaty of Greenville, probably about 1788, Smalley was engaged by Gen. Lytle as a hunter and guide to his surveying party, at 75 cents a day. He was also in Harmar's campaign and St. Clair's defeat, in the latter engagement discharging his rifle thirty-five times, twenty one of which it is said took effect. When Col. Truman and Maj. Lynch were commissioned by the Government to make peace with the Indians, Smalley was employed as their guide and interpreter.

While on the Auglaize River on their way to the Indian country, they met three Indians with whom they agreed to camp for the night, the day being far spent and the savages making a profession of friendship. The party had six guns, all empty except Smalley's. In the night the treacherous savages murdered the two brave officers, but made no effort to injure Smalley. The two officers were scalped and Smalley forced to dry their scalps before the fire. On the following morning, Smalley with the three Indians, commenced their march to the Indian town, where upon their arrival, Smalley was put on a stump and forced to make a speech and explain his absence from them.

At the expiration of a year and seven months in captivity, he was enabled with the assistance of an Indian friend, to escape from his second captivity. He returned to his home in Columbia, where he remained but a short time. About the year 1791, he engaged with Gen Wayne as a guide and interpreter in his expedition against the Indians Smalley's knowledge of the paths, roads and Indian trails, as well as his acquaintance with the Indian manners and habits, made him well calculated to act in this capacity. He remained with the army until after the treaty of Greenville, when the soldiers were discharged.

Smalley returned to his home and devoted his remaining years to a life of less danger. He located lands on Todd's Fork of the Little Miami River, ten miles above the mouth of the stream, in a survey patented to William Lytle, William T. Barre and Duncan McArthur; he and his brother built a double cabin in 1797 and cleared a considerable tract of the finest land in that locality. Mr. Smalley erected a saw-mill and grist-mill about 1805 or 06; he also built a small distillery.

At this time the country was sparsely settled and their nearest neighbor being James Miranda, who lived at the mouth of Todd's Fork, where the flourishing village of Morrow is now situated. Mr. Smalley was the father of ten children, six sons and four daughters, named: Benjamin, Freeman (a Baptist minister), John, Rachel, William, Mary, James, Jesse, Martha and Prudence; all married in Warren County, and lived for a time, on their father's land, which lies in Warren and Clinton Counties. Rachel married William Nelson and died in 1824, being the first person interred in the graveyard near the depot at Clarksville; her mother was buried at the same place one month later. William died some years previously. Mary married Zara Stearns and moved West; Prudence the youngest, married Jonas Stump, and now lives near Harveysburg in her seventy-second year. The brothers all moved West in or before 1831. Mr. Smalley, the father married the widow of Thomas Kelsey, moved West in 1832 and settled in Vermillion Co., Illinois, where he died in 1840, well advanced in years and possessed of a comfortable estate.

EARLY SETTLEMENTS
The first settlement, or rather the first cabin as a nucleus, around which the pioneers began to locate, was built by William Smalley and his brother Benjamin Smalley, in 1797, on the Southeast bank of Todd's Fork, where Charles E. Hadley now lives, one mile West of Clarksville. A double cabin was erected. The cabins were in the verge of extensive bottom lands, the Little East Fork on the South and extending up Todd's Fork many miles. These cabins were about fifty rods West of the Clinton County line, through Warren County, until 1810, extended East to Wilmington.

The two brothers hacked a road from somewhere near Columbia and brought their families and a few household necessities they were possessed of the cabins, arriving in the early morning. They unpacked their goods, placed them in the huts and returned to the Columbia for the remainder of their property, leaving their wives and children in the wilderness with strict injunctions to show NO signs of fear if the Indians came. That night, eight Indians came to their cabin to stay all night; their request was granted and it was so arranged to let them as far as possible occupy one of the cabins. One of the men, a stalwart fellow, took his position in the part occupied by the two Mrs. Smalley's, laid on the earthen floor, his motions being very restless and suspicious. Mrs. William Smalley (Prudence Hoel) kept herself awake by rocking a rude cradle all night while lying on her bed. Late in the night, the Indian got up, stirred the fire, lit his pipe, took a long leisurely smoke, lay down and slept quietly the remainder of the night. In the morning, they departed. If there is any truth in the old adage that it is an omen of good luck to have visitors the first day on moving to a new house, it was surely verified in this case!

EXCERPTS FROM A LETTER WRITTEN APRIL 19 1936 by Mr. Fremont Miars
William Smalley was adopted into the family of the Indian Chief who had lost a son. The chief's at that time were Captain Pipe, Wingenund and Killbuck. Mr. Smalley and his wife, children and another woman came down the Ohio river in a dug out canoe. On the way, the canoe sprung a leak. Grandma (Prudence Hoel) told the other woman to caulk the boat. She began to cry and said that they would all drown. Grandma boxed her ears and said, "go to work". The woman caulked the boat in a short time!

William Smalley bought his land from Gen. Lytle of Cincinnati, who refused to make him a deed after getting his money. Smalley later went to Cincinnati to the land office, dropped his rifle into the hollow of his left arm, told Lytle, he had come for his deed. William Smalley said he would go out into the hills to hunt for three days and then return for the deed. When he returned, Lytle handed him his deed without any argument. He knew of Smalley's life and character!

BIBLE REFERENCE

View The Transcribed Freeman Smalley Bible