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Feature Article on the Dilbone
family. Topic: INDIANS & PEOPLE
Written by Rich Wallace in
October, 1995
INDIAN MASSACRE TOOK PLACE IN 1813 IN NORTHERN MIAMI COUNTY |
| It promised to be another hot day. As first
light broke through his cabin window, Henry Dilbone decided today he and his wife Barbara
would harvest in the flax field. He prided himself in being an excellent spinner. From the
flax Dilbone would make the clothes his
family would need for the coming winter. The date was August 18, 1813. In those times, a neighbor was a precious
commodity. When Dilbone and his family moved to Springcreek Township, Miami County, Ohio
in about 1806, there was only one other settler in the entire township. Over the next
seven years, George and John Caven, Benjamin Winans and William McKinney also purchased
land nearby.
When the War of 1812 ended, an uneasy peace settled over west
central Ohio. Over 6,000 Indians had settled near Indian agent Col. John Johnston's house, northwest of
present day Piqua. Although most were peaceful, there were some troublemakers. Chief among
them were two Shawnees: Tecumseh and his brother,
who was known as the Prophet. Reminding those
brethren camped near Johnston's farm that a white scalp was still worth a princely sum
from the British, Tecumseh openly encouraged attacks on the white settlers.
Violence was no stranger to the Dilbone family. When Henry was less than a year old,
the family lived in Pennsylvania. In 1786, his father, John, sold the family farm. Shortly
afterward, he left on a trip to Baltimore with his life savings. When he did not return as
expected, friends set out to search for him. They found twenty-six year old John Dilbone
shot dead, robbed of his money. Henry grew up never knowing his father. He was determined
to move to the Ohio Valley, buy some land, and control his own destiny. After marrying
Barbara Millhouse in 1805, they moved to northern Miami County the next year.
As the sun rose on that fateful
morning of August 18, Henry Dilbone had every right to be proud of what he had
accomplished. After once defaulting on his payments and having to give his land back to
the government, he worked for others for a time, and eventually re-entered the land. By
1813, he owned and had paid for 180 acres. The Dilbones had four beautiful children. They
occupied a cabin on the east bank of Spring Creek, just south of Snyder Road.
Besides being called on by the
neighbors, the Dilbones received visits from Indians who would often trade deer and turkey
meat for bread. Henry enjoyed the visits but he would not hesitate to express his opinions
about Tecumseh and the others who advocated violence. Apparently word about this filtered
back to Mingo George, a Shawnee generally regarded as one of the troublemakers. As
Mr. and Mrs. Dilbone left for the flax patch that afternoon, their eldest son, John, was
left to care for the other children. The dreadful events that next occurred were recalled
years later by John Dilbone in an interview by Albert Cory of Sidney's Valley Sentinel
newspaper.
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