mcleaveland5

Peace--

Among the relics of Moses Cleaveland's expedition in 1796, shown
recently in the window of National City Bank on Euclid Ave, was the
peace pipe and tobacco pouch given him by Chief Pawquaw at Conneaut
Creek.
The deep pipe bowl, lined as are modern pipes, has a saw-like
handle projecting in front. The large tobacco pouch is enbroidered
with beads in crude human figures. It must have held a several days
supply.
On July 5, the day after the party arrived, Cleaveland wrote
letters to the directors and to his wife. He sent Capt. Tinker with
two boats to Presque Isle to fetch the remainder of stores. On July
7, he received word that Chief Pawquaw, living at the Indian village
up the creek wished to hold council. Cleaveland joined him, and when
all were seated took his place in the middle.
The council was opened by smoking the pipe. Then Cato, son of
Pawquaw, arose and made an oration dictated by his father.
Cleaveland,in turn, assured them they would not be disturbed, but be
trusted as friends and brothers. In the end they presented him with
the peace pipie, which he says, " was a serious one indeed." He gave
them a chain of wampum, silver trinkets, other presents and whisky,
to the amount of $25. As a final word. the Indians said they were
poor and hoped Cleaveland would continue to be liberal. He explained
that he acted for others who lived by industry, and to give their
property to those who lived by begging would be no act of charity.
If they were industrious and well behaved , he would do such
benevolent acts as he judged right. This, he says, closed the
business and ended their begging for more whisky.

At Conneaut Creek --

During the first days at Conneaut Creek the surveyors were
active. On July 5, they traversed from the stone on the Pennsylvania
line in the woods, located as marking 42 degrees north latitude, to
the stone at the north end of the state line on the lake shore. They
found that the creek was about two miles west of the line and that it
crossed into Pennsylvania four miles southeast as the crow flies.
The day of the Indian council, Porter, Pease, Holley, and five
men set out on the state line for the southeast corner of the Western
Reserve. After a surveying journey of many hardships lasting about
two weeks, they reached the junction of the south line of the Reserve
with the western border of Pennsylvania. Day and night observations
were taken. They agreedthe latitude was 41 degrees, 20" north, which
was satisfactory. They planted a 12 by 16-inch chestnut post, the
west side of which Pease says," is the southeast corner of New
Connecticut."
In the meanwhile at the mouth of Conneaut Creek, a large
storehouse was built which Atwater's map shows as on the west side.
It was called Stow's Castle, in honor of the commissary department.
On July10, Cleaveland walked 10 miles up the beach against a headwind
with Capt. Buckland. The latter must have been one of the many
purchasers found at the creek.
Of Cleaveland's first journey to the Cayahoga on July 22, Amzi
Atwater, one of the surveying expedition, says:
" While said lines were run (those toward the corner of the
Reserve), General Cleaveland and Tinker, the boatman, went up the lake
on an exploring expedition to the Cuyahoga, and up that river as far
as Tinker's Creek, which they discovered and, according to the
example of old navigators, named after the dicoverer."
Atwater says in his notes that Joshua Stow was one of the party.
As a number of men were away on survey, and many more employed in
building Stow's Caslle. it is likely only one boat was taken. As the
Schenectady boats of the expedition required four oarsmen, a
steersmen and were supplied with a mast and sail, it was probable
that there were seven or more in the boat. Atwater asserts they
passed the Chagrin River without seeing it, which confused the
surveyors later. Further notes found with his account of the trip say
that Stow cooked a rattlesnake for supper the night they landed in
the Cuyahoga and another for breakfast. This concludes the record of
that memorable water journey available.