FIRST SETTLEMENT. 129 



It was on Wednesday morning July 9th 1788, that Arthur 

 St. Clair, governor of the North Western Territory, arrived at 

 Fort Harmar. This fort had been previously erected by Gener- 

 al Harmar, on an elevated piece of ground, opposite, and west 

 of the mouth of the Muskingum river. On the 15thday of July, 

 the governor published the ordinance, of congress for the gov- 

 ernment of the Territory. He published also the commissions 

 of himself, of the secretary, and those of the Judges, Samuel 

 H. Parsons and James M. Varnum. 



Having assembled the people of Marietta, he addressed them 

 in a speech of some length, explaining to them, the ordinance 

 of congress under which they had settled down in a vast wilder- 

 ness. Three days after the delivery of this speech, St. Clair 

 sent a letter to the judges, calling their attention to the subject 

 of organizing the militia. Instead of attending to this all impor- 

 tant matter, and without even answering the governor's letter, 

 these Judges on the 27th of July, sent St. Clair, what they 

 called "a projet" of a law for dividing real estate. This bill 

 was so loosely drawn up that had it become a law, the non-resi- 

 dent owners of land, would have been swindled out of all their 

 lands, by the resident proprietors. This projet was rejected 

 by the governor. On the 26th day of July, St. Clair by pro- 

 clamation, created the county of Washington, having within its 

 limits, about one half of the present state of Ohio. He erected 

 a court of probates about this time. He divided the militia 

 into two classes "senior" and "junior" and organized them, 

 by appointing their officers. 



In the senior class, Nathan Cushing, captain ; George Inger- 

 sol, lieutenant; James Backus, ensign. 



In the junior class, Nathan Goodale, Charles Knowls, cap- 

 tains; Wanton Casey, Samual Stebbins, lieutenants; Joseph 

 Lincoln, Arnold Colt, ensigns. 



The governor proceeded to appoint civil officers, to wit : Ru- 

 fus Putnam, Benjamin Tupper, and Winthrop Sargeant, jus- 

 tices of the peace. On the 30th of August, the governor es- 

 tablished a court of Quarter Sessions, and appointed several 

 17 



