Sussman-Laabs

Note by Marian Cobb Schwartzman: Martin Crow once had part of his ear shot off by indians. He was employed as a hunter for the surveyors of the first seven ranges of townships in Ohio. He owned a farm near Carlisle and was among the first to plant apple orchards. Martin was a lifelong enemy of the indians because of all they had done to the family. In 1828 the first brick house was built in Stock Twp. In those days a brick building was looked upon as an unprecedented piece of extravagance. In 1836 Martin Crow and John McBride erected brick houses. Once while Martin Crow and Enoch Enochs were hunting they got a bear in a sink hole in which there was 3 or 4 feet of water. A log lay across the pool and Martin in attempting to cross it lost his footing a fell, coming down astride the bear's back. He took a firm hold on each side of the bear's neck to keep from being bitten. The bear was swimming and Martin held on and rode him around the pool several times. Enoch dared not fire for fear of wounding Martin. Martin finally got the head in position and ordered Enoch to fire. He did and the bear was killed.

Alternative story from "History of Noble County, Ohio, with Portraits and Biographical Sketches of some of its Pioneers and Prominent Men," Chicago, L. H. Watkins & Co, 1887: In one of their hunting expeditions Martin and Enoch got a bear in a sink-hole, in which there was three or four feet of water. A log lay across the pool of water, and Martin, in attempting to cross upon it, by some means lost his footing and fell, coming down astride of the bear's back. Here was an unpleasant situation, but the old hunter was equal to the emergency. Taking a firm hold of the bear's neck on each side, he kept the animal's head upright to prevent being bitten. The water was not so deep that Martin could not stand on the bottom, but the bear was swimming, and Martin held on and rode him around the pool several times. Enoch, standing and watching the performance, dared not fire at the bear for fear of wounding his companion. Martin at length succeeded in getting the bear's head in a favorable position, and ordered Enoch to fire. The latter blazed away, his shot took effect, and the hunter was speedily released from his unpleasant situation.

From http://www.lindapages.com/wags-ohio/chap6.txt: In the month of August in the year 1789, Frederick, Martin and John Crow, together with a man by the name of Davis, left their homes on Big Wheeling creek, for the purpose of killing elk. Having reached their destination on Fishing creek they went into camp. On the evening of the second day, as Frederick and Martin, who had been out in search of game during the day, were returning to camp and had nearly reached it, they were suddenly attacked by Indians and fired upon from the rear of the camp, which was built after the fashion of the old style sugar house. Frederick was shot in the left breast, the ball passing through his arm and severing the artery near the shoulder. At the same time Martin had a portion of one of his ear's shot away. Frederick being seriously wounded and bleeding profusely, had started to run, being closely pursued by the savages. He ran a distance of some three or four hundred yards when, looking back, he found that his pursuers were rapidly gaining upon him. Without hesitation, for he had no time to deliberate, he plunged into the waters of the creek, which were about waist deep, and waded across to the opposite bank. Instead of following him through the creek at once, they paused for a moment on the brink of the bank near the spot where he had entered the waters. On reaching the opposite bank he looked back to see whether they were following him, when one of the savages hurled his tomahawk at him, which, fortunately, missed him, although it came in unpleasant proximity to his head. Their guns having been emptied at the time of the attack, in their haste to follow him in his retreat they had had no opportunity to re-load. During their brief pause, however, one of his pursuers had reloaded his gun. They promptly re-commenced their pursuit, following him up the stream, the side of which he closely hugged, to a long point extending out from the south side of the creek, with which they were familiar, and where they expected to succeed in cutting him off, and effecting his capture. This, however, proved to be unsuccessful. As the wounded man ran, he placed the leaves of the sassafras, which grew in abundance in the neighborhood, with which he filled his mouth, and chewed them into a mucilage and pressed them into his wound, thereby staunching the flow of blood, the free loss of which was beginning to enfeeble and exhaust him. Upon turning again to look back upon his pursuers he discovered a savage with his gun to his shoulder taking aim and in the act of firing at him, but he eluded the deadly messenger by quickly throwing himself upon the ground, and the shot passed over him. At once jumping to his feet he gathered up his rifle, and realizing that it was a race for life he bent all his energies to the occasion, and in the rapidly gathering darkness which was settling down upon the scene he succeeded in eluding his pursuers and making good his escape.

From “History of Noble County,” Ohio, Chapter XXII, pp. 441,442 On Wheeling Creek, Greene County, PA, lived the family of Jacob Crow. In the vicinity of their cabin the settlers had erected a block-house for their defense, which was known as Ryerson's Station. In the spring of 1791, on Easter Sunday, four of Crow's daughters started to walk to the station. The day was warm and pleasant. When about half way there they met their brother, Michael, on horseback, it being his custom to visit the block-house once or twice a week, to learn the news. He tried to persuade his sisters to return home with him, but they decided to go on. About twenty rods farther there was a large rock by the side of the road. When three of the girls reached this rock, three Indians stepped from behind it and stopped them. The youngest girl, Tenah Crow, then about ten years of age, was about fifteen rods behind the others, and on seeing the Indians, supposed them to be negroes, and felt no alarm. Approaching them she discovered her mistake and was also captured. The Indians led them up a hill nearly a mile distant, and then halted to hold a council. The girls, believing that they would be killed, also talked with each other and decided to try to escape. They agreed to start, all at once, and run in different directions. They accordingly ran. Tenah had gone but a short distance when a tomahawk struck her on her back and knocked her down upon her hands and knees. As she arose she saw one of her sisters struggling with an Indian. She ran a short distance to a hollow, or ravine, which she followed down to her home in safety. The news was told and men soon gathered for the purpose of pursuing the Indians. Sufficient force was not collected until the next morning. Then search was made and two of the girls were found lying near together, both scalped and dead. A trail of blood led to the spot where the other sister lay. She was scalped and bleeding, but still alive. She was taken home where she died nine days later, having been unconscious all that time. Tenah Crow afterwards became the wife of John McBride, who owned the land on which Carlisle now is, and died in Noble County. Martin, a brother of the murdered girls, after being a pioneer in Pennsylvania and Virginia, settled and died in the vicinity of Carlisle. As might be expected he was a life-long enemy to the red man. His brother Frederick settled in the western part of Monroe County, where he died. The Crows were contemporaries with Martin and Lewis Wetzel and were with them on some of their noted expeditions. Martin Crow once had part of his ear shot off by an Indian. Frederick Crow had his arm broken by a shot from an Indian's rifle. John Crow, their brother, was killed by the Indians. Martin was employed as a hunter to kill meat for the surveyors of the first seven ranges of the township in Ohio. He owned the Israel Danford farm near Carlisle. He married Elizabeth Cackler, a sister to the wife of James Farley. Peter Crow and Mrs. John N. Smith are his Children.