April 29, 1812.

When last we looked in on our early Darke Countians, John S. Hiller had set the scene, given us our bearings, and had us follow the unfortunate Andrew Rush to his untimely death.  Rush having not returned, his fellow settlers grow concerned and take action…

From the “Greenville Journal,” Apr. 13, 1870:

“The next day it rained all forenoon.  In the afternoon my oldest brother and Rush’s brother-in-law took a horse and went to look after him.  The boys took the trace that Rush had marked across to Greenville creek, a short distance above where Spiece’s mill now stands.” [7]

It’s worth noting you’ll find no deed for the mill in the name of Spiece; “General” Odlin Spiece (sometimes “Speice”) may have been the operator, but the mill was built on land owned by John C. Potter.

“There they found him lying on his sack of meal, murdered as above described.  The boys went on to Mr. Potter’s, who had by that time returned home.  Mr. Potter took the horse from the boys and went to alarm the people.  The boys went across to Thomas McGinnis’s on Mud creek.”  

Hiller here refers to Thomas McGinnis’ home on Mud Creek.  In the 1857 plat map, we can see property of his bordering on Greenville Creek, but not Mud Creek.  I couldn’t find a deed backing up the Mud Creek property, but it’s entirely possible that such a one might be found again among the older records at the Greenville Government Center.

“Mr. McGinnis had heard the news before the boys got there and had left.  The boys ran on to the next house and they too had gone; they ran on to the third house; there all had left and the door being partly open, my brother said he would go in and see if they were all killed.  On looking in he saw no one dead or alive.  The next was Henry Rush’s––no one there.  It was then getting dark, but they continued on to James Rush’s, where they found the flying people congregated and making preparations for defense.  But before the boys had reached there, my uncle, James Rush, had taken a horse and rode out to the West branch to see if we were all killed.  He came to Peter Rush’s first; there he found Henry Creviston who had been out hunting that day.  The three men with Peter’s wife came on down to Andrew Rush’s.  I was there staying with my aunt over night.  Soon the sad news was made known to her when we all started for our house.  There was mother, who had not walked a step for three years, and five children too small to walk.  The night was dark.  About nine o’clock the moon rose and the sky cleared off and my uncle then got on the horse he had rode out, took Peter Rush’s wife on behind him, and went back home for help to get the women and children away.  When he got there there were no men to be spared, for they expected to be attacked before daylight; but the two boys above mentioned were there and came back with two more horses and one gun.”