and of remarkable general mentality, corroborates the statements of Honorable Mr. Haines and the opinion of Mr. Vaughan. It will be noticed that Mr. Haines mentions that "it" - that is, Wayne's Trail,-"crosses Bantas Fork at or near the Forty Foot Pitch and attained the highlands on the north side." The words "at or near" are intelligible to one understanding the earth formations adjoining the aforesaid ledge or shoulder cut in the side of the bluff. Just west of said cut or ledge, almost adjoining, is a barren bluff about forty feet high caused by the ancient erosion of the stream against the face of the bluff. It is very clear that it was the opinion of Haines that "Forty Foot Pitch" was either the sidewise cut upon the declivity or the barren "pitch" proximately adjoining. This matter is further supplemented by reliable oral tradition from said Abel Risinger, sr., and Levi Risinger, his son, in this, - that for a number of years after said Risinger had located and established his mills as aforesaid the trace of Anthony Wayne's army after coming down the said oblique cut or ledge. crossed over Bantas Fork proceeded several rods northeastward and then up the gentle slope, now a farm road of John Risinger's estate, and thence the army at the upper end of the said gentle slope proceeded westward over the plateau and encamped on a high area and close to the edge of the barren slope conspicuous from Bantas Fork bridge. This encampment was strategically located by Wayne in that he thereby was only required to guard his army in minimum degree on the west, as said bluff was a protection and the guarding line on the east was limited practically to a semi-circle. Levi Risinger in his boyhood days found many military mementoes of Wayne's encampment at said place and mementoes were occasionally found along the line of the trail backward up over said oblique cut and down across what is now the farm of said Risinger. Besides the historical data relative trails and topographies reason dictates an argument which I regard as very conclusive that "Forty Foot Pitch" means more than a sharp barren declivity—a grassless, bushless wall of earth. Sharp slanting bluffs abounded along the streams incident the pioneer military trails in this county and thus a bluff forty or eighty feet, of less or greater declivity, could not have surprised or awakened the interest of the St. Clair, Wayne or Lowery soldiery of 1791-2 and 3, and thus such a common-place thing as a declivity would not have had any military mention unless said common-place declivity was connected with some military situation, difficulty, failure or success. The writer does not know of any other mention whatever in the history of Preble County, documentary or traditional, of any other pitch than "Forty Foot Pitch." The numerous bold bluffs observed by said pioneer militia were not at all significant or worthy of mention and the only reason why said pitch was mentioned is because it relates to a military episode and expedient. Wayne had reached the Bantas Fork Valley and had first descended a rather gentle slope down to the upper edge of said declivity, steeply descending about forty feet to the foot-land below. Here was a situation which required the particular consideration of Wayne and his military engineers. The difficulty confronting was to get down this pitch the military wagons and accoutrements. Wayne could not safely go directly down and thereupon he dug an oblique shelf-road in the breast of the declivity downward- eastward a distance of about one hundred feet, and thereby the army descended to the floor of the valley and crossed the stream. The shelf-road is not the "pitch." It is the expedient made in breast of the pitch or declivity. It is a very interesting, well-preserved remnant of Wayne's Preble Trail. It is historically and sentimentally worthy a permanent designation by an attractive monumental stone with a bronze tablet insert inscribed "WAYNE'S FORTY-FOOT PITCH" THE BATTLE OF FORTY FOOT PITCH * Today we are met to honor some of the brave heroes of our own state. Though inconspicuous in the history of our country, still they played a most important part in gaining for us a great Nation and homes of safety. Many of them were the close friends and relatives of our ancestors and they justly deserve the gratitude and respect which we, each one, can give. Among those who are most intimately connected with the history of our own country, are the brave heroes who fell in the Battle of Forty Foot Pitch, or Ludlow Springs, a few miles north of Eaton. A month previous to this battle a great confederation of Indians had been threatening attacks, putting * Read at the St. Clair celebration, November 6, 1922, Eaton, Preble County, Ohio. our infant Nation in a most perilous position. General Wayne, appointed by President Washington, was in command of an army of two thousand five hundred men at Fort Greenville, where the present Greenville is now situated. General Wayne was a man of stern will and we may rightly say had a heart full of love for his country. At that time it had become very difficult to furnish sufficient protection for the many convoys of supplies as the soldiers were all needed to repel the sudden, treacherous attacks of the enemy at each fort. The Battle of Forty Foot Pitch did not occur at what is now called Forty Foot Pitch but really took place at Ludlow Springs, Preble County, Ohio, which was probably located on the Montgomery farm. This site was supposed to be in a picturesque little hollow ́near the Zion Church, about seven miles from Fort St. Clair. On the morning of the 17th of October, 1793, or one hundred twenty-nine years ago, the seventeenth of last month, began the skirmish which has meant so much to us and in which we are interested at present. Lieutenant Lowery of the second Legion, and Ensign Boyd of the first, in charge of one of those precious convoys of provisions and in command of about ninety non-commissioned soldiers, were our leaders in this skirmish. At the head of the Indians was Little Turtle, the chief of the Miamis, ready to do his part in maintaining the honor of his tribes. This Indian leader was a real gentleman and a most sagacious statesman. Even many of his enemies at his death paid him the highest of honors. It has been said by old residents that, as the soldiers were looking for a place to camp, they sent a few men ahead as usual to blaze the trail. When the soldiers came along a short time after, they found a deer where the battle later took place, so they naturally supposed it had been left there by the other men who had blazed the trail. Accordingly they camped in that place, believing the deer a sign that they should do so. However it had not been left by the blazers but by the Indians, and the Indians had in that way used strategy in getting the soldiers to camp at an advantageous spot for an attack. This is only a tradition, but at any rate Lieutenant Lowry and his men had camped at Ludlow Springs always on the lookout for attacks and yet not realizing any immediate danger. Suddenly early on the morning of October 17th they found a band of fierce Indians upon them, led by the wary and able Little Turtle. Upon the very first discharge the unfortunate little company of white men were heartlessly abandoned by the greater part of their escort, but even in the face of all this and superior numbers they fought bravely and obstinately. Gradually their ranks were thinning. It was then in the crucial moment that Lieutenant Lowry proved his bravery. Heedless of his own suffering and safety, his supreme thought was the welfare of the many helpless ones at home. His last and inspiring words were, "My brave boys, all you that can fight, now display your activity and let your balls fly." In addition to Lieutenant Lowry, there was Ensign Boyd, both promising young officers, with about thirteen officers and privates who were killed. About seventy horses were either killed or carried off by the savages, although the stores remained undisturbed. Those who fell in this encounter were buried at Fort St. Clair. Later, on July 4, 1846, the bodies were taken |