Jabez Daly Eagle is pictured here about 1902. Courtesy Ruth Blanton, granddaughter Jabez D. Eagle.
(By Stephen Kelley from the Peoples Defender, 1983)
One prominent Adams Countian whose lifetime spanned the greater part of the Nineteenth Century was Jabez Daly Eagle. He was the son of Thomas and Sarah Osman Eagle and the grandson of Revolutionary War soldier, Charles Osman. Jabez is believed to have been born on his grandfather Osman’s farm on Ohio Brush Creek in Tiffin Township following the untimely death of his father.
Thomas Eagle was a native of Virginia, having been born there in 1762. He married Sarah Osman in 1806 and removed to southern Ohio shortly thereafter. Thomas served as a private in Captain Robert Kerr’s company of infantry during the War of 1812. His duties during that conflict included that of pack-horse driver drawing eight dollars per month. Not long after his discharge, Thomas took his wife and five children and moved to the frontier in Daviess County, Indiana.
Thomas Eagle’s life ended abruptly in October, 1816, three months before the birth of his son, Jabez. There are various accounts of his death, the following taken from the History of Daviess County Indiana by A.O. Fulkerson. A number of friendly Indians were collected on what is now called Owl Prairie. Hearing of their presence, a number of settlers from Washington and vicinity went up to trade with them, taking along lead, tobacco and whiskey. Among those who went up was Obed Flint, a Mr. Frost and Thomas Eagle.
Mr. Eagle, a veritable giant of a man, was desirous of exhibiting his strength and to this end bantered one of the smaller Indians to let him throw him over the fire. With the Indian’s consent, Eagle made the attempt and succeeded only in throwing him halfway over the fire, the Indian falling upon the coals and being quite severely burned. An Indian named “Big File”, observing the occurrence, and understanding the reason for the attempt by Eagle, rushed upon him and stabbed him to death with a large knife.
Big File was indicted by the grand jury, but succeeded in escaping the penalty of the crime.
According to family records, following her husband’s death, Sarah Eagle returned to her parent’s home on Brush Creek where she gave birth to Jabez on January 2, 1817. After a few months, she moved back to her farm in Indiana leaving her infant son to be raised by Charles and Kessiah Osman.
Jabez was raised to manhood on his grandparents’ farm. This property is presently owned by Floyd Satterfield. In 1837 Jabez married Maria Grooms, daughter of Zachariah and Fannie Grooms. To this union were born three children, George, Emma Jane and Sarah. Sarah was married to David M. Teets. They were the grandparents of the late Elmer M. Teets, former superintendent of Adams County Schools.
During his long lifetime, Jabez Eagle maintained a number of different occupations including that of farmer and stone mason. By the late 1850’s he was carrying mail by horseback over Old Zane’s Trace. It was this job that probably prompted him to move to West Union in 1860.
