Indian Tribes and Treaties

Indian tribes remained in Perry County, Indiana until 1803. Prior to the last quarter of the 18th century, it had remained for a period of years the home of the Miami’s, one of the strongest allied tribes of the northwest, but at that time the tribes farther to the east, pressed westward by the encroachments of the whites, were compelled to invade the lands of their western elatives and in the end very often to sue for adoption into such tribes. In this manner the soil of the county came to be peopled by members of other tribes than the Miamis. The Indians were not quite as particular concerning boundaries as the whites, so that the exact limits of the lands of various tribes or branches of the same or different tribes cannot be indicated with certainty except where the boundary was some water course or line equally marked. At the date of the first white settlement here, soon after the commencement of the present century, the Shawnees and Wyandottes were represented in the county. On the 7th of June, 1803, the Treaty of Fort Wayne for the Vincennes tract was made with all the leading tribes of this vicinity, who, by any remote possibility, could claim the land. The southeast corner of this tract was near the center of the west side of Township 4 south, Range 2 west, or about six miles west of Branchville. From that point the southern line of the cession extended to the mouth of White River, and the eastern line to near the town of Orleans, in Orange County. Thus the northern portion of Clark and the northwestern portion of Oil Townships only, of this county, were in the Vincennes tract. The remainder of this county was obtained August 18 and 27, 1804, by what is known as the Treaty of Vincennes. By these two treaties the land of the county became the property of the Government, and subject, rightfully or wrongfully, to settlement by hunters and squatters. In fact within the next two or three years several families, the descendents of which still reside here, came in for permanent settlement. That portion of the county spoken of above as being within the Vincennes tract (portions of Clark and Oil Townships) was surveyed by Levi Barber in September, 1804. All of Perry County comprised in Range 1 west, was surveyed by E. Buckingham in August, 1805; Range 2 west, by Stephen Benton in June, 1805, and Range 3 west, by William Rector in June, 1805, with the exception stated. Soon after the survey the land was thrown into market and settlers began to appear, the land office being at Vincennes. The bulk of the Indians left about this time or soon afterward, though straggling bands or families continued to remain here until the war of 1812. After that very few were seen in this county. For several years after the arrival of the first settlers, Indian horse-thieves annoyed the residents. There was much excitement during the stirring times of the war of 1812. Families were attacked farther north and members killed, and the reports put the pioneers on their guard here and filled their breasts with apprehensions. It is said that several block-houses were built in the northern part of the county, or rather not properly blockhouses, but strong log-cabins provided with loop holes on all sides through which rifles could be fired and attacks repelled. This proved unnecessary, however, in this county.  Several of the early residents participated in the border war of 1812. Samuel Connor was captain of a company raised in the southeastern part of Perry County, and in Kentucky. This company was in the regiment commander by Col. Ephraim Jordan, and was mustered in at Princeton, in August, 1812, for three months, and assigned duty at and north of Vincennes. What active service it saw cannot be stated with certainty. Squads of the company were engaged in guarding supply wagons and mail carriers in their course up and down the Wabash River. If any member of the company was killed or wounded by the Indians, such fact could not be learned. Another company which contained several men, perhaps then and certainly afterward residents of this county was raised at Hardinsburg, Ky., and was commanded by Capt. David Robb. He fought at Tippecanoe, losing several killed and wounded. It is said that the company belonged to the regiment from Kentucky, commanded by Col. Allen. In the same regiment was a company commanded by Capt. Joseph Allen, which contained men afterward residents of this county. The regiment served three months, and was mustered out at Shakertown. Capt. Pitman’s company raised at Winchester, of Col. Taylor’s regiment, contained men who became residents of this county. Capt. Danner, under Col. Featherton, commanded several men who located in Perry. Among the men who are known to have been members of Capt. Connor’s company were Richard Dean, Mr. Drinkwater, Stephen Shoemaker, Solomon Lamb, Terrence Connor, Edmund Polk, John B. Alvey, Samuel Kellums, Joseph Tobin,Hart Humphrey, Edward Morgan, Robert Gardner, Robert Niles, Daniel Hays. With Capt. Robb were William Weatherholt, John Crist, James Degarnalt, Alexander Cunningham, Phillip Jenkins, and John Riggs, who served as a substitute for John Stevenson. Phillip and Peter Miller were with Capt. Joseph Allen. Thomas Gilham was with Capt. Pitman of Winchester. Benjamin Smith was with Capt. Joseph Allen. Thomas Royston was with Capt. Rutledge of Maryland, and served in the East. William Dodd was with Capt. John Jones, under Col. Wilcox, in the “Hopkins’ Campaign,” enlisting at Louisville. Other residents of the county served in the war of 1812, Many compiled names can be found in data file War of 1812.

In the fall of 1811, a man named Vandeveer living on Anderson Creek or near it, came on horse back southeast through Perry County, announcing to all the settlers on the way that a band of Indians was coming from the north, pillaging and laying waste houses and farms and murdering the inhabitants. The report produced much excitement, and a small body of men in and northeast of Tobin’s Bottom and around Troy, hastily collected to repel the supposed probable attack or invasion. After going northward through the western part of the county a short distance, it was learned that the report was without serious foundation, and the settlers returned to their homes; or rather the report arose from a real attack made upon white settlers north on White River. The settlers of Oil Township, a few, were frightened one or more times by a similar report.