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     This township was first laid out December 10th, 1812, and organized March 6th, 1816.  It contains thirty full sections of land, which have a broken and hilly surface.  The soil is generally black loam, which is very productive, and grain of all kinds is raised in considerable quantities; much of the land is also excellent for grazing purposes.  The township is covered with well-improved farms, which have neat and commodious buildings.  The citizens are industrious and enterprising and greatly interested in educational matters.  The timber is sugar maple, white oak, beech, hickory, black walnut, black locust, poplar and lynn.  Coal is found in the hills, which is mined to some extent, but entirely for home consumption.  Iron ore, limestone and sandstone also crop out, but no attempt is being made to develop it.  The population, in 1880, was 1,426.
     Big Raccoon creek runs through the northeast corner, southeasterly, through section twelve.  Big Bull Skin creek rises in the extreme northern part of Guyan township, and running north, through the easterly part of Harrison township, turns east into Clay, and empties into the Big Raccoon.  Little Bull Skin rises in the southwest part of the township, and running nearly northeast, joins with Big Bull Skin.  Big Clay Lick rises in section twenty-six, runs nearly north, and empties into Big Raccoon.  Little Clay Lick rises near the center of the township, runs nearly north, then west, and empties into Big Clay Lick.  There are a number of smaller streams that take their rise in the township.  Along Big Clay Lick are excellent bottom lands of great width, and some along Big Bull Skin.
     The first settlement was made in 1806.  Among the early settlers were Frederick Bickel, Benjamin Williams, William Littleton, John Roadarmour, Henry Irion, Isaac Dewitt, William Carter, Jacob Laucks, Vernon Northup, James McCall, Elijah Howell, William Trotter, Jefferson Porter, George Waugh, John Day, William Smith, George Little, Charles Ward, Gilbert Gibson, John Dewitt, Solomon Baster, John Baster, Daniel Baster, Jonathan Baster, Stephen Martin, and Elkanah Cremeens.  The first child born in the township was Hannah, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Dewitt.  Among the first township officers elected was William Trotter, a justice of the peace.
     About the year 1845, George Waugh erected the first grist-mill.  It was built on Raccoon creek, and run by water power.  Ten years later the first saw-mill was built by Cornelius Waugh, which was also run by water, upon Big Bull Skin creek.
     In 1835 James McCall taught a school composed of about twenty-five scholars, in an old log house owned by him, and from which he had recently removed his family to a better residence.  It was located on Clay Lick, and furnished with seats made of small logs split in halves, and legs inserted in the ends.  The first building erected for school purposes was the Smith school house, in 1830, but on Martin's branch, of round logs, containing a five foot fire-place, and split logs for seats, and the windows were small openings covered with oiled paper.  There are now nine neat frame school houses in the township, painted white, and comfortably furnished.  The attendance is as follows:  District No. 1, 91; No. 2, 45; No. 3, 77; No. 4, 65; No. 5, 43; No. 6, 86; No. 7, 50; No. 8, 43; No. 9. 39.
     The first postoffice was located on Big Bull Skin creek, and was kept by Cornelius Holley, postmaster.  The present offices within the township are: Leaper postoffice, on Big Bull Skin creek; Moody, on Little Bull Skin; and Lincoln, situated on the Ironton and Gallipolis mail route; mail three times per week.
     In 1831, Rev. John Strait, a Baptist minister, preached the Gospel at the houses of different citizens along Clay Lick creek.  He was a man who accomplished great good, and was very highly respected in the community.  Reverend Strait died at the advanced age of 104 years and 3 months.  His habits through life were such that he was quite vigorous in his old age.  Upon his one-hundredth birthday he preached a sermon at the McCall school house, on Clay Lick, which made a lasting impression on the minds of the large number who assembled to listen to him.  His chosen text was, "I am the way."  In 1833 he organized a Baptist society at the residence of John Baster, on Big Bull Skin creek.  Among the first members were Abigail Phelps, Ledocia Strait, Martha McCall, Hiram Dewitt, Barney Dewitt, Andrew Kerr, Henry Tillinger, and Moses Cremeens.  Soon afterward a Missionary Baptist church and a Methodist Episcopal were organized.  There are now four churches established in the township, viz.:  the Mount Carmel Methodist Episcopal, Macedonian Disciple Baptist, Hopewell Missionary Baptist, and Mount Pleasant United Brethren church.  There is a flourishing Sunday-school connected with each of them.
     On the farm of Charles Stuart, in section thirty-three, is located a poplar tree twenty-three and one-half feet in circumference.  There is a sulphur spring upon the place whose water contains valuable medicinal qualities, and which never runs dry.

ANN BAILEY.

     So interesting and romantic was the life of the subject of this sketch (a resident of Harrison township), many of whose descendants are now living here, that a brief reference to it can very appropriately be introduced.  Her maiden name was Hennis.  She was born at Liverpool, England, married Richard Trotter, at the age of thirty, and came with him to the American colonies; both, on account of poverty, being "sold out" to service, according to custom, for the payment of the passage money, to a gentleman in Augusta county, Virginia.  Having served him for the stipulated time, they became settlers.  In the summer of 1774, Richard Trotter was a volunteer among the forces of Lord Dunmore, governor of Virginia, and accompanied the division under General Lewis, who was ordered to march to the junction of the Great Kanawha with the Ohio river, now the town of Point Pleasant.  Before they could prepare proper defenses they were attacked by the Indians in large force, and, although they succeeded in repulsing the enemy, it was at the sacrifice of many lives, among them Richard Trotter.  From the time of her husband's death, a strange, wild spirit seemed to possess the widow, who frequently expressed her hatred of the Indians, and her determination for revenge.  She immediately abandoned the natural pursuits of a woman, but practiced with the rifle and tomahawk, rode about the country attending every muster of soldiers, and dressed in a hunting shirt, moccasins and leggins.  She married a man by the name of Bailey, and several years afterward followed a party of soldiers sent to garrison a fort on the Great Kanawha, where Charleston is now located.  Here she soon became renowned for her skill with the rifle, and frequently acted as messenger between the fort and Point Pleasant.  Her almost constant companion was her well-trained horse, which she named "Liverpool."  Upon one of these excursions, being hotly pursued by the Indians, and in danger of capture, she slipped off her steed and sought refuge in a hollow sycamore log, the horse pursuing his onward course.  The enemy soon came, leaping over the log in which she was concealed, and continued on the track of the horse, upon whose back they supposed she was still riding.  When darkness approached, she in turn followed the Indians, and coming upon them while wrapped in slumber, took possession of her horse, which they had captured, and, leaping upon his back, sped on her way, arousing the enemy as she disappeared in the darkness with a triumphant shout.
     The commander of the fort at Charleston received the news one day of a meditated attack from the Indians in force.  This caused an examination of their stock of supplies, and to their consternation it was discovered that they were nearly out of powder.  To obtain a supply necessitated a journey of many miles, through a country infested by cruel savages, and not a man in the fort could be found who was willing to risk his life in the venture.  As soon as the facts became known to Mrs. Bailey, she fitted herself out in appropriate style, and mounting her faithful "Liverpool," rode boldly forth from the fort, and started upon the perilous mission without a moment's hesitation or a tremor of fear.  She was seen by the Indians near the fort, but skillfully evaded them, and when darkness overtook her was many miles upon her journey.  To avoid the danger of an attack from wild beasts or venomous serpents, which were numerous, she constructed a bed of poles placed in the ground, with forked ends, well elevated, in which she laid cross-pieces, and on them placed green boughs.  Reclining upon this rudely constructed, but luxurious couch, she was lulled to sleep by the savage cries of the denizens of the forest.  One hundred and forty miles she rode, swimming streams and skillfully avoiding straggling bands of Indians, arriving safely at Camp Union, now Lewisburg, when, making known her errand, she was provided with an extra horse, fully laden; then she hastened on her return, arriving, after an exceedingly perilous journey, with her supplies to Charleston.  The fort could not have been saved without the timely arrival of the ammunition, as the attack was made the next day, and the Indians were repulsed.
     After the trouble with the Indians was over, Mrs. Bailey still retained her singular habits, spending much of her time hunting wild game and fishing.  She received the name of "Mad Ann Bailey," on account of her eccentricities, which were regarded with great indulgence by the people, on account of the valuable services she had rendered during the war.  "Mad Ann" and her horse "Liverpool" were known far and wide, and wherever they went were greeted with gifts and smiles of welcome.
     When her son came to Ohio, where he owned a large body of land, she came with him, and lived in Harrison township.  She enjoyed solitude, and spent most of her time alone, but the neighbors would frequently gather about her and induce her to relate the story of her adventures.  Her death occurred in 1825, when she was aged nearly 120 years.  Her burial place is on a hill near her son's residence.  She should have a monument of enduring granite erected in some appropriate spot.

See Page XXI - Walnut Twp. -

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