ROBERT F. CHANDLER Was born in Baltimore County, Maryland, September 4, 1795, and removed with his father's family to Jefferson County, Ohio, in 1810, and shortly after, to Tuscarwas county, where he remained until the spring of 1812. At this time the father, Joseph Chandler, sr., and his sons Thomas, Joseph, jr., and Robert F., went to Perry Township, then in Wayne County, to improve lands previously entered at Canton land office. The location is now where Joseph Chandler, jr., resides, about two miles north of Jeromeville, on the east side of Mohican. When the Chandlers landed the Delawares were quite numerous, but harmless. They had a village about one mile southwest of the present site of Jeromeville, on the west side of the stream, known as Mohican Johnstown. The village contained a council house and about sixty or eighty pole lodges or wigwams, and was located near the old Wyandot trail. The village was a common resort of hostile Wyandot on their warlike excursions to western Pennsylvania and Virginia, in the days of the border wars. Many white captives had been led up the old trail, by the village, from 1780 to 1795. The Indians had cleared some fifteen or twenty acres of bottom land, which the squaws cultivated in corn, after the Indian manner. The village was west of the stream, on lands now owned by Dr. Yocum. About one mile northeast of the village, a Frenchman by the name of John Baptiste Jerome, resided in a comfortable cabin, having an Indian wife and a daughter aged about fifteen years. He also had horses, cattle and swine, and had cleared about thirty or forty acres of bottom land along the stream at the west side of what now is Jeromeville, on which he raised corn, and supplied many of the early pioneers with seed corn. When Mr. Chandler landed, the Indians, mostly Delawares, were quite friendly, and often came to see him in his cabin and clearing. He was a Quaker in dress and faith, and the Indians manifested a good deal of interest in his safety and success. The Chandlers immediately set about clearing a piece of land on the bottom, (near where they erected a cabin,) which he planted in corn. About the time of Hull's surrender at Detroit, August 16th, 1812, the friendly Indians notified Chandler of approaching danger, and he and his sons deemed it prudent to leave. They returned to Tuscarawas County, to near where New Philadelphia now stands, where they remained with the family until the close of the war. In the mean time, Robert F. returned to Jefferson County, where he remained until about 1815, when he again rejoined his father's family and returned to the Mohican, and continued improvements on their old homestead. In May 1815, the Chandler family, Father, Mother and sons, removed to their wilderness home. Two years afterwards his father, Joseph Chandler, sr., sickened and died. His mother survived until 1852, and died at an advanced age. Robert F. continued to reside near Jeromeville until 1834, when he purchased and carried on what was then known as Smith's mill, near Mohicanville. This mill he continued, with certain improvements, to carry on about thirty years, and finally disposed of it and purchased the farm where he deceased, and turned farmer. Mr. Chandler was a friendly, genial pioneer, and in his primal days delighted to dwell upon the incidents of pioneer life sixty-eight or seventy years ago. Being a miller for many years, and possessing good conversational powers, he became acquainted with nearly all the early settlers of the south part of the county, and, when in the humor, a very interesting talker. He was never a member of any church, regarding it his duty all men justly, and believing that when his career should end on earth, that the Supreme Ruler of the universe would reward such a life. He looked kindly upon all men, and desired to so live that he might have a conscience free of offence when called home. He married young, when about twenty years of age, Miss Charlotte Jones, April 25, 1816. This lady deceased September 19th, 1819; and in January 1825, he married Miss Annah Winbigler, who died February 25, 1875. His family consisted of Charles and Eleanor, of his first wife, and Robert, William, Joshua, Shadrac, Hannah, Joseph, Charlotte, Sarah, Rebecca, John, and Jasper, by his second wife. All these were living when this sketch was written, in 1876, except John and Jasper. His family are much scattered, and many reside in the far west. Among the incidents of his life, Mr. Chandler took much pleasure in relating the following; When a young man, during his residence in Tuscarawas County, he became acquainted with a number of Delaware Indians, formerly from Greentown, upon the Black fork. At a hilarious gathering, near Goshen, in Tuscarawas County, a number of Delawares joined in the sport of wrestling, running and hopping. A tall, powerful Indian, formerly from Greentown, by the name of Philip Kennotchy, challenged Mr. Chandler to wrestle at arms-length, Indians never taking back hold. Mr. Chandler being always full of conceit, and very ambitious and athletic, and weighting at the time about two hundred pounds, accepted the banter. The parties selected the ground, and took hold as agreed, Mr. Chandler supposing himself superior to all rivals at arms-length; but the giant grasp of the big Delaware soon convinced him that he had a full match. They twisted, tripped, and struggled for thirty or forty minutes, until nearly exhausted, without apparent advantage to either. Mr. Chandler became very much enraged and quite desperate, while Kennotchy remained calm and resolute, and finally compelled him to ask a cessation of the struggle, which Kennotchy was willing to do. Mr. Chandler said that at one time, that he was so much enraged that he felt like striking the Indian; but, in his calmer moments, he is now satisfied that he refrained from all violence, because the Indian would have undoubtedly over powered and severely punished him. In connection with this Indian, he gave a very interesting detail of the Ruffner-Zimmer assassinations, on the Black fork, in the fall of 1812. Kennotchy was very fond of firewater, and while under its influence, gave full particulars of the Black fork murders. He stated that he was one of the number that killed Martin Ruffner, Frederick Zimmer, the old lady, and Kate. After leaving the cabin and passing up the ravine, the Indians held a council, when Kennotchy returned and dispatched the white squaw, meaning (Kate,) with his tomahawk, the other Indians protesting, when he claimed to have "brave heart." This is the most valuable information ever obtained concerning the particulars of that fearful tragedy. contributed by
 Russ Shopbell
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