| In this section of my site are all things McClure. New research,McClure Family Trees. Notes and News Samuel McClure Mr. Nathaniel McClure gives the following sketch of his father, Samuel McClure, who originally built a cabin on the west bank of Hog Creels, In Bath Township, Allen County, in 1825. SAMUEL MOCLUER ma's born in Harrison County, Kentucky, ' Nov. 17, 1793, and carne to Allen County in the year 1825, in November, and put up his cabin ; and in February, 1826, moved his family into it.. Samuel McClure was the youngest of seven brothers born and raised in Rockbridge County, Va. --Several of the brothers emigrated to tile State of Kentucky, at all early (lily, to fight tile Indians, and did their share of it. Moses, I think, was the youngest of the brothers, and, served in the revolutionary war Samuel McClure lead none of the advantages of education, because schools at that period were very rare. His father died when he was quite ,young, leaving a helpless and crippled wife and mother. Samuel stayed at home assisting his mother until the war of 1812 broke out, when his patriotic spirit induced him to volunteer ' to protect the frontiers in Ohio. He was enrolled in a company commanded by Captain Coleman, under 'Col. - R. 11l. Johnson, and marched to the defense of the frontiers by the way of Piqua to Perrysburg, and was there at the time the Indian hid in the old elm that stands opposite the fort on the Maumee River. He saw the Indian. That had shot and wounded several soldiers, fall from the tree after he had received the: fatal shot. Having escaped several shots, a soldier came forward with n rifle, which lie called 11 Long Tom," with which he brought the Indian from his hiding place. Mr. McClure was at tile defeat of Proctor at the battle of battle of the Thames, and within a few rods. Of Tecumseh, who Col. Richard M. Johnson is said to have killed the chief. He was the third mail from Johnson when he was wounded and distinctly heard General Harrison order the Colonel to move forward and bring on the battle, and then fall back and let Harrison and Shelby fight the enemy. Colonel Johnson advanced as ordered, but former the enemy in great numbers concealed behind a. swamp, and Ill attempting to reach them his horses began to mire, and struggle, to get free at this. juncture, the British and Indians opened a broadside upon the American forces, and tile Indians, with a hideous scream and war-whoop, with uplifted tomahawks, rushed forward to tile slaughter, until they would have all easy conquest, while the soldiers. of Col. Johnson were struggling in the marsh; but Col. R. M Johnson and his men were not dismayed or panic-stricken; but were equal to tile emergency, and their commander, quick as thought, ordered his men to dismount and give the savages a warm reception, and every Kentucky soldier took a tree and went in on his nerve. Samuel Mc Clure jumped behind a log, and saw an Indian coming at full speed directly for him ; hie took aim for his heart and when the Indian was within a. few jumps, he met and struck a comrade with the tomahawk a fatal blow, just as McClure fired the fatal shot. The blow of the, Indian was so sudden that the white soldier probably had not seen the Indian While raising his head above the log to get a crack at the, enemy, an Indian discovered McClure and fired at him, but shot too low and filled his eyes with bark and dirt. At this critical moment, McClure had to get down and clear tile dirt and bark from his eyes, and as soon as he could see,, began to load his gun; but it choked, and he could not get the load down; so he called to a comrade, William Phillips, and said, ``Give me the screws, Billy," which caused a great .deal of merriment in-the camp after the battle was over. He says he is certain of sending one Indian to tile happy hunting ground. He was present when the Great Shawnee warrior and chief, Tecumseh, fell, and only a few feet from Col. It. Ill. Johnson, who was badly wounded, and undoubtedly killed the chief. He helped stimulate Johnson with wine, 'while the surgeon dressed his wounds. Upon his return to Kentucky, Mr. McClure remained until the fall of .1816, when, disliking the institution of slavery, lie concluded to find a home in Champaign County, Ohio, to which point lie emigrated. He immediately sought and obtained employment. While employed he became acquainted with Miss Margaret Watt daughter of Thomas and Mary Watt, living near Urbana, and on tile 141,11 of August 1817.1they were married. lie took a lease on tile farm of his father-in law, and remained there until the fall of 1825, when, under tile direction of an uncle, Major Thomas Moore he yoked up his oxen, and took his brothers, Thomas McClure Moses McClure, Joseph Ward, and Aaron Loomis, and as guide a pocket compass, steering northwest through Bellefontaine by a small place called Solomonstown to the Indian village of Roundhead in what is now in Hardin County, until they struck Hog-Creek, or the Ottawa, and down it about one mile, crossed over, and erected a cabin on the west bank, In section 28, in what became the township of Bath. In February', 1826, his family, consisting of six persons, two boys; two girls, his wife, and himself, landed with all their effects at the new log cabin. Joseph Ward and family came at the same time, and lived with McClure in the same cabin, until he put up a cabin of his own. Then followed Joseph Walter, Aaron Loomis, and others, and soon there was a settlement of five or six families, all happy as so many princes, and cheered nightly by bands of music, tile performers being wolves and in the spring time multitudes of frogs, singing every conceivable key. Everything passed along smoothly, the neighbors were all peaceable, and glad to meet each other; and also glad to see the Indians. They were very numerous and friendly, always came up laughing for a hand slake, Saying, "you my friend; you Kentuck melish." They camped every fall and spring on McClure’s land, within a few hundred yards of his cabin, during tile hunting season. Many a day has your humble servant spent in company with some of tile young redskins, shooting with the bow and arrow, with which there were two bows that could and did knock out a blue bird's eye at from fifty to seventy-five, yards. I saw them do it many times I have seen them lodge an arrow in the top of a large tree, and then shoot it out with another. The father of these boys passed by the name of "Jim Jack." The Indians often hunted the lost stock of the settlers, and were very friendly, frequently helping at cabin raising, and other work. In this manner all passed along smoothly for two or three years, when, one morning in the spring, there was quite an excitement created in, the cabin of Samuel McClure. three white men, who had been lost in tile forest, came to the cabin. They had gone from home to visit a deer-lick, somewhere in the vicinity of the present city of Lima, and, some time during the evening, discovered that they had company in watching the lick, in the form of a panther, which compelled them to flee, and in doing,', they became bewildered, traveling through tile forest till the Ottawa. Great was the, joy when they heard the sound of an axe. They cautiously approached the sound, and found to their amazement the cabin of Samuel McClure. Upon inquiry, they found that lie had been there about two years, and they only five miles distant, without knowledge of his presence I They stayed all that day and night, and got into " a good old ,way," not with whiskey, for it was not there. The woods, at that time, were full of wild bees, and McCluer found much wild honey; and, in doing so, large quantities which were unfit for use. This was converted into a drink, then in common use, known as metheglin He had about a barrel, which was in prime condition, and would affect a man about as quick as whiskey, and in the same way. The strangers all being very fond of it, drank quite freely, and were soon in a humor for jollifying. A pleasant evening was passed and early adventures talked up In the morning they invited McClure to take his axe, and accompany them to tile new settlement, which was on Sugar Creels, Where John Miller now lives. The lost hunters were Morgan Lippincott, Joseph Wood and Benjamin Dolph This was in June, 1826. McClure accompanied the hunters to the new settlement and found that it contained the families of Christopher Wood Morgan Lippincott Samuel Jacobs, Joseph Wood, and Samuel Purely; Christopher Wood having settled there as early as 1824. He remained one day, and returned cutting a road home, which was about five miles away. Most of tile families had reached the new settlement |
McClure Family Home
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