From:
       Jane McCann Walsh <jmwalsh@hhs.net>
       PAGREENE-L@rootsweb.com
Subject:  Re: [PAGREENE-L] "Crow" sisters
 

At 05:23 PM 4/2/2001 -0400, Joe Basinger wrote:
My 70 something "Goslin"aunt said that she thought our "Sollars" or "Iams"
or "Burns" family was connected to the Crow line and mentioned the Crow
sister story.I have no idea if this could be .Can any one make a "Sollars"
,"Iams" or "Burns"connection to this "Crow" line?Can someone educate me on
the Crow sister story  and what that might be about? I believe it had to do
with Indain troubles.

Hi, Joe,
On p. 242 of Leckey's "Tenmile" book there is a brief mention of this
incident as taking place in 1793
when two daughters of "Widow Crow" had been killed by Indians who were, in
turn, pursued by Capt. William
Enochs and others.

In Rev. William Hanna's "History of Greene County" there is a bit more.  He
writes, circa 1882, the following on p. 125-126:

While on the subject of Indian barbarities I will add one more sad chapter
to the list that might be indefinitely prolonged.  That is teh murder of
the two sisters by the name of Crow, on Wheeling Creek.  Jacob Crow had
settled here in 1770 or 1771; he was the father of five daughters and at
least one son.  As these were "times that tried men's souls," so, also, did
they try the nerve and muscle of the bodies of their women.  Hence, one of
the daughters had been working for wages for Mr. James Davis near Ryerson's
Station and had returned home on Saturday night for the purpose of spending
the Sabbath at her father's house.  A colt belonging to the old man had
broken out of its enclosure and ran off up the creek.  A son, whose name
was Michael, had gone in search for this colt up above the mouth of
Wharton's run.  Upon finding it he returned down the creek until he was
again opposite the mouth of this run, near which at a few rods distance
from the creek lay a sand stone rock probably twenty feet square.  Behind
this rock, in concealment lay the notorious young Spicer and two Indian
warriors who might easily have shot down the boy on the colt but he was
permitted to pass in safety as the Indians evidently had designs on other
parties close at hand.  These parties were the five daughters of old Jacob
Crow and sisters of the young man Michael.  Four of these daughters had
accompanied their older sister (on her return back to her weekly work near
the Station) and were now engaged cracking walnuts under a tree preparatory
to separation.  Here they were met by their brother who told them they had
better go on as it was getting late and there might be "Injuns" about.  The
girls then separated, two of them staring to the creek, the others to
return home.  At this moment two guns were fired from behind the rock and
the two girls in the creek both fell fatally wounded.  The other three fled
with all possible speed, pursued by the savages who threw a tomahawk
striking Taner in the back between the shoulders near the spine, and
bringing her instantly to the ground.  The Indians kept up the pursuit
until the remaining young woman was captured, to whom they made offers if
she would go with them as a companion that they would save her life.  These
offers were refused with contempt and disdain, when in hateful rage the
scalping knife was applied and her luxuriant head of hair was torn off to
grace an Indian's belt and she was left to die a lingering and horrible
death that occurred about nine days after partly from starvation and loss
of blood.  During this parley in making these offers and having them
rejected Taner (who had been knocked down apparently dead by the stroke in
the back) had revived from the shock and had secreted herself so
successfully that even Indian vigilance failed to find her and she lived to
be an old woman as the wife of  ___ McBride, and the mother of ten or
eleven children.  The mark of the tomahawk in her back was distinctly
visible at the time of her death and was seen by one of my
informants.  Mary, the little sister, who had "scarce entered her teens,"
out-ran all parties and was taken up behind her brother on the colt on
which they both made their escape, first to their father's house, where,
after alarming the remaining inmates, all parties made their escape that
night to Ryerson's fort, where this same infamous Spicer and his savage
allies had committed another depredation the same day about a mile above
the station in the slaughter of the Davis family.  This little girl, Mary
Crow, who made such a narrow escape was afterwards married toHiram
Gray.  She lived to be 104 years old and was the mother of fifteen
children.  This Michael Crow had already had a distressing Indian
experience when he was only five years old. . . . .  These statements I
have received form Mrs. Ann Rickey, wife of Willliam S. Rickey, and grand
daughter of Michael Crow, Sr. Robert Dinsmore, John Dinsomore, and David
Braddock, Jr., also concur in substantially the same statements.  I am
aware that there are other versions of the affair, butt these descendents
and relatives think that this chapter is about as near correct as we
possibly can have it at this late day. . . . .

Perhaps someone else will be able to tie one of these surnames to yours.

Best regards,
Cuzin Jane