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hope that this paper will be the "opening wedge" for others on
the subject more clear, comprehensive, and decisive.(a)
For many years, indeed until
recently, it has been generally stated and believed that Miss
Johanna Maria Heckewelder was the first white child who saw
the light of Heaven in Ohio. That belief made Miss H.
the object of unusual attentions; visitors from all parts of
the country resorted to her residence, to see and converse
with the first white child born in the wilderness of
Ohio. Historians sought her acquaintance, antiquarians
her photograph and autograph; learned societies her
correspondence through complimentary memberships, in fact
everybody who knew her history honored and respected "Aunt
Polly Heckewelder," as she was familiarly called at Bethlehem,
where she lived and died. Until the year 1848 Miss
Heckewelder's claim remained undisturbed; that is to say, no
one publicly denied her right to appear in the role of the
"first white child." Mr. Howe, in his "Historical
Collections of Ohio," first put a doubt on her claim, in a
brief statement of the birth of a Frenchman, named Millehomme,
which we shall notice hereafter. At a later period the
investigations of Judge Blickensderfer, of Tuscarawas county,
Ohio, and Rev. Edmund De Schwemitz, Bishop of the Moravian
Church, among the archives of the early mission station at
Guadenhutten, revealed the interesting fact that a white child
named Roth, son of a missionary, had been born there nearly
eight years before Miss Heckewelder's birth at Salem.
The birth of Roth occurred one year
before that of the Frenchman, Millehomme, mentioned by Howe.
Here, therefore, are two instances of the birth of white
children prior to Miss Heckewelder. These are all the
cases we have, except one occuring in 1753, which is deserving
of attention and investigation.
We have already stated that no
known white child was born in Ohio before the close of the
French and English War (1763). The information we have
of the birth of one during the year 1764, is perhaps not
definite enough for acceptance by the historical reader and
critic, but we have gathered in the facts, such as they are,
and place them upon record in connection with the other
statements on the subject. But we think there is
reasonable ground for asserting that the first known birth of
a white child, occurring within the limits of Ohio, was that
belonging to a white woman from Virginia, who had been taken
prisoner by the Delawares in April, 1764. This woman
was, at the time of her capture, far advanced in pregnancy,
and during the month of July, 1764, gave birth to a child at
or near the Indian town of Wakatomaka, near the present site
of Dresden, Muskingum county, O. Let us examine into the
matter.
When Colonel Bouquet advanced with
his army into the Ohio country, in October, 1764, he was met
by the principal chieftains of the Senecas, Delawares, and
Shawnees, who sued for peace. In answer to their
overtures, Bouquet, who was a stern, fearless and resointe
man, made a dignified reply. He said: "I give you twelve
days from this date to deliver into my hands at Wakatomaka all
the prisoners in your possession without any exception -
Englishmen, Frenchmen, women, and children - whether adopted
in your tribes, married or living amongst you under any
denomination and pretence whatsoever; together with all
negroes. And you are to furnish the said prisoners with
clothing, provisions and horses to carry them to Fort Pitt.
When you have fully complied with these conditions, you shall
then know on what terms you may obtain the peace you sue for."
This bold answer made a profound
impression upon the savages. An only alternative was
left them - peace upon these conditions, or war. They
judiciously resolved to give up the white and black captives
under their control, and on the 9th of November brought to
Bouquet's camp all the prisoner's within the Ohio country,
except a few held by a Shawnee tribe, who were absent hunting.
Those delivered numbered 206: Virginan - males, 32;
females and children, 58. Pennsylvanians - males, 49;
females and children, 67.
Among the Virginians was the white
woman and her child heretofore alluded to. Her situation
is thus noticed in the history of "Bouquet's Expedition," page
79.
"Among the captives a woman was
brought into the camp, at Muskingum, with a babe about three
months old at her breast. One of the Virginia volunteers
soon knew her to be his wife who had been taken by the Indians
six months before. She was soon delivered to her
overjoyed husband, who flew with her to his tent, and clothed
her and his child in proper apparel. But their joy,
after the first transports, was soon dampened by the
reflection that another dear child of about two years old,
captured with the mother, and separated from her, was still
missing, although many children had been brought in.
-------------------------------------------
(a) Since the date of Mr. Goodman's paper, the
Hon. R. M. Stimson, of Marietta, Ohio, has put himself in
communication with the descendants of Conner, who live at
Connersville, Indiana. C. M. Michener, Esq., of New
Philadelphia, Ohio, has obtained evidence that there were
children born of parents purely French, at Fort Junundat, on
the south side of Sandusky Bay, prior to 1754.
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