ometown
by Carol Anderson
The following article was found in the publication
7 Score and 10, LaGrange County’s 150th Year. It is a
compilation by the LaGrange Publishing Co., Inc.,
LaGrange Standard - LaGrange News, and The Countian. It
first appeared in a 1949 issue of The LaGrange Standard.
It should be mentioned that early accounts of the
county do not mention any such battle.
“A bloody battle was fought in a field about one
mile south of LaGrange with the number of killed and
ABODE
ADAGE
AKEES
ANTSY
APPLE
ASHES
ASKEW
AWARE
BANJO
BLOCK
BLOOD
BRATS
BREAK
BULKY
CAULK
DOULA
DWARF
EAGLE
EBONY
ENTER
EVILS
FIRST
GAMER
IGLOO
KAZOO
SCREW
SKIDS
YEARS
wounded in doubt at this writing.
A group of ruffians, causing disturbances and
threatening to steal cattle of farmers in that locality,
were met by a band of local farmers heavily armed with
guns. The ruffians made a vicious attack, swinging axes
and clubs but were stopped cold by the farmers who
fired on their attackers and laid a number of them low.
However, the ruffians managed to overcome some of
the farmers and strike them down.
The fight took place somewhere between 1492 when
Columbus discovered America, and 1837 when the last
Indians of this locality under Chief Shipshewana were
escorted to a reservation in the West. The reporter of
the Standard and News did not happen to be around
to get a blow by blow account of the fight and the story
has to be put together with evidence at hand.
In a hollow west of the Bert Wear home, where
Hawpatch road branches off from the Town Line road,
the evidences of the ancient bloody battle between early
settlers and Indians were found. As he plowed the area
some years ago, Mr. Wear found not far apart in the
low place a large enough number of weapons to give
good credence to the battle story. Among them was
one or more long barrel early rifles, a sword, one or
more old rusted early type pistols and a number of iron
Indian tomahawk or battle axe heads. The fact that the
two types of weapons were left about the hollow gives
evidence that there were settlers with their old pistols
and muskets and Indians with their tomahawks in the
fierce fight. It can be deducted that if there were that
many weapons left behind there were bodies of Indians
and white men on the ground when the battle ended.
One of the old pistols, now mostly a mass of rust,
a relic of the Battle of the Hawpatch, is in the rare
and large collection of Dr. Frank C. Cummings at his
most interesting gun room and office at the rear of
his residence.”
Al’s Trimworks
New Home
Trim, Cabinet & Door Installation
Al Fry
(260) 768-7830 ext. 3
Page 7
Apparently Melissa assumed that with all the snow on the
ground, folks would have lots of time to just sit inside to figure
out her puzzle this time! Need some hints to get started? The
letter that goes in the space next to the #1 on the puzzle can
be found on page 14. #2 = pg 21; #3 = 26; #4 = 30; #5 =
33 ; #6 = 43 ; #7 = 47 ; #8 = 50. Final Solution to Clueless
Crossword on page 24.
Was this too hard? ... or did you like it? Let Melissa know!
Melissa Byler, MC Box 373, N. Manchester, IN 46962-1276.
istory
Phone: 260-463-4901 • Fax 888-439-6528 • The Hometown Treasure
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A P P L E 1
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u o G A M E R 3 A B O D E
e s B F L V
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l s N R C L
e w 8 Y E A R S 5 A K E E S
s o A T W
G A B
s r C A U L K B R E A K
By d N E E N
Melissa T A S J
Byler
A S H E S 6 K A Z O O
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words Y K I
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February 2011
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