The Squirrel Hunters of Ohio; or, Glimpses of Pioneer LifeJones, N. E. (Nelson Edward)
History
The Squirrel Hunters of Ohio; or, Glimpses of Pioneer Life
Jones, N. E. (Nelson Edward)
Frontier and pioneer life -- Ohio; Ohio -- History -- 1787-1865; Ohio -- Social life and customs
All this is no fancy sketch nor pen-picture--history written and
unwritten will forever stand with his honorable mention. In the war
of 1812, Ohio sent out more of these men as volunteers than she had
voters; and in addition to this--when it was known General Hull had
disgracefully surrendered the fort at Detroit, the Squirrel Hunters
in the northern counties of the state did not await an invitation,
but with their own guns, ammunition, blankets and rations marched to
Cleveland, and made General Brock and his Indians feel satisfied to
have the big pond of water between them and these determined men.
The following year (1813), at the time Fort Meigs was under hot fire
and siege by General Proctor and his mixed army of British and
Indians, the besieging general, it is said, was informed “ten thousand
‘squirrel hunters,’ called ‘_Hardy Buckeyes_,’[12] were on their way
and near at hand to tell his army to get out of the country without
delay!” On receipt of this, “not another gun was fired,” and the
general with his army took the nearest and most expeditious route to
Canada.
In the absence of the love of gain that comes with higher civilization,
the pioneers were in favorable condition to receive literary and
religious instructions. And the teachers found the people always as
ready and anxious to hear the words of inspiration and eternal life
as are those of the present time to learn the last quotations of the
market.
The strictly moral and religious elements seldom, if ever, took part in
such amusements as “shooting-matches,” “horse-racing,” ball-dancing,
card-playing, or drinking whisky. And for the first forty years of the
Nineteenth Century, the social condition, in regard to loading vices,
had perhaps less evil than at any period since.
The majority of resident citizens were a Sunday-observing, church-going
people. Although the inhabitants were sparse, the congregations were
generally very large--whole families would walk six, eight, and ten
miles or more to hear a Lorenzo Dow, Jacob Young, or Bishop McKendree.
Sectarian influences were but little felt. The people encouraged all
denominations, though differing in confessions of faith and church
discipline; each had in view the making mankind better here, and
happier hereafter. “And for forms of faith, let graceless zealots
fight, holding that his ‘can’t be wrong’ whose life is right.” And with
a people who had many reasons to believe in special providences it was
but consistent they should cultivate a submissive sincerity and desire
to follow the paths of rectitude, with faith and assurance--“to such
all ends well.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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