Memorial focused on 200th anniversary of settlement massacre

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Mark Kreps, of Muncie, takes a photograph while the Harrison County Yellow Jackets, a War of 1812 reenactment group, perform a 21-gun salute to honor the victims of the Pigeon Roost Massacre during a living history, bicentennial commemoration of the event at the historic John Work House at Tunnel Mill near Charlestown on Saturday afternoon. Staff photo by Christopher Fryer
Property manager Nathan Logsdon speaks during a living history, bicentennial commemoration of the Pigeon Roost Massacre at the historic John Work House at Tunnel Mill near Charlestown on Saturday afternoon. Staff photo by Christopher Fryer
Mark Campbell, of Unionville, looks on as property manager Nathan Logsdon speaks during a living history, bicentennial commemoration of the Pigeon Roost Massacre at the historic John Work House at Tunnel Mill near Charlestown on Saturday afternoon. Campbell and other living history interpreters were at the historic site for the commemoration and to help educate visitors about the time period. Staff photo by Christopher Fryer

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September 3, 2012

Memorial focused on 200th anniversary of settlement massacre

By DANIEL SUDDEATH daniel.suddeath@newsandtribune.com The News and Tribune Mon Sep 03, 2012, 12:41 PM EDT

CHARLESTOWN — Twenty-four settlers including 15 children were slaughtered by Native Americans 200 years ago during what is known as the Pigeon Roost Massacre — an event that sent shock waves through pioneer camps in Southern Indiana and escalated violence throughout the state.

On Saturday and Sunday, people dressed in 19th century attire and listened to the details of that historic event on the lawn of the John Work House at Tunnel Mill in Charlestown.

Property Manager Nathan Logsdon said the massacre, which occurred on Sept. 3, 1812, was epic for the time period.

“It had about the same impact on the American frontier as 9/11 had on America,” he said, in reference to the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Pigeon Roost was a small settlement in Scott County, and was established by William Collings. Instead of at Pigeon Roost, the bicentennial memorial was held at Tunnel Mill in part because of its capacity for holding re-enactment style events.

Also, the John Work House served as a safe haven for settlers during the weeks following the Pigeon Roost Massacre.

By 1812, several settlers had moved into the area from Ohio and Kentucky, and the land was heavily populated with Native Americans from different tribes including Shawnee.

In November of 1811, American militia men had attacked a Native American stronghold near Lafayette, torching the village and scattering its inhabitants. Logsdon said the remaining Native Americans had a tough time surviving that winter, but by the following fall, they were ready for vengeance.

On Sept. 3, 1812, a war party of Native Americans was headed to join siege attempts on Fort Wayne and Fort Harrison. While on their way, they discovered the Pigeon Roost settlement, which had been left largely unprotected as the men of the village were hunting at the time the band of Native Americans arrived.

Due to the violence against them during the previous year, Logsdon said the war party happened upon the settlement with “emotions high and a spirit for war.”

It was believed that four Native Americans were killed by gunfire during the incident. For days after the massacre, Logsdon said settlers were fearful of another attack, and many took refuge behind the brick walls of the John Work House.

Tecumseh was the chief that led the gathering of tribes that had been attacked near Lafayette in 1811, and Logsdon said he had ordered Native Americans not to attack settlers while on their way to seize Fort Wayne and Fort Harrison.

It was viewed as a savage massacre and encouraged pioneers to fight Native Americans, Logsdon said.

“It really galvanized America against Native Americans,” he said.

Proudly wearing a descendent tag on his shirt during the ceremony was Ed Cozart, who said he is the great-great-great-great-great grandson of Collings.

“I grew up with that story,” Cozart said after hearing Logsdon’s speech.

The Collings family has remained in Scott County for more than 200 years, and the story of that bloody September day has been passed along from generation to generation, he said.

“I think it’s kind of a forgotten piece of history in Southern Indiana,” he said.

The sacrifices American pioneers made to settle the land shouldn’t be forgotten, and their stories serve as a sense of pride and heritage, Cozart continued.

He credited Logsdon and Tunnel Mill for the quality of the event.

On Saturday, Cozart will also be leading a bicentennial Pigeon Roost Massacre event at the Scott County Heritage Center and Museum, which is located at 1050 S. Main St. in Scottsburg.

Logsdon said the intent of last weekend’s memorial wasn’t to place blame, but rather to tell the history of what occurred and to pay respect to the lives that were lost that day.

“We want to explain what happened, why it happened, and hopefully keep it in people’s minds so we don’t have to repeat those mistakes,” he said.

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Memorial focused on 200th anniversary of settlement massacre

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