Daniel Kain was born May 7, 1773 in Lancaster, Pa. the oldest son of James and Catherine Kain. In 1787, James (b. 1750) and Catherine along with their children Daniel (14), John (11), Mary (4) and infant Sarah began their journey west. They traveled about 250 miles and were forced to stop at a place called Redstone Old Fort ( Brownsville, Pa) because of Indian troubles. They made their temporary home there before setting out for Ohio the following spring.
The family arrived at the Columbia settlement on the west bank of Little Miami River east of Cincinnati in 1789. While there Daniels youngest brother Thomas was born there on July 2, 1790. A short time later the family moved across the Little Miami to the settlement of Newtown in Clermont County. While there Daniels father contracted with a man named William Lytle. Lytle contracted with Kain to take a group of men and clear a "big field" near the East Fork of the Little Miami River, a place he thought was a perfect place for a town. The men cleared the land and James Kain was given first choice of a lot. He chose Lot 43. Kain and his sons built their cabins and returned to Newtown the following year to get their families and bring them back to their new home.
In 1796, James moved his family to the new and opened the first "public house" in the area that served food and lodging to travelers. It later served as a stagecoach stop.
Site of James Kain's Tavern/Inn
The Kain Tavern served several illustrious guests in its long history. It is reported in Evert's History, that in 1806, Aaron Burr rented a room there and that local Revolutionary War veterans took such offense to his presence they staged a protest outside the Tavern marching down the street playing the [Rogues' March.] Burr stood at the door and looked on with silent contempt and with a manner that suggested beyond a doubt that he would not be trifled with. The veterans, indulging in expressions not at all complimentary to Burr, quietly dispersed.
Daniel Kain the Man
Twenty one year old Daniel and his brother John served in Anthony Wayne's campaign to Fallen Timbers in 1794. Whether they were actually at the battle is unknown at this point.
Returning to civilian life as a farmer, Daniel quickly became involved in church and civic activities. On May 25, 1802, Sheriff Peter Light appointed Daniel Kan as his deputy Three years later in 1805, Daniel was elected Sheriff. In 1809 - 1812 he served as Justice of the Peace.
Daniel was described as a "zealous Methodist, faithful Freemason*and first vice-president of the first temperance convention held in Brown and Clermont Counties. In appearance he was tall, dark and fine looking with a martial air. He was held in high respect."
* The Masonic lodge Daniel Kain belonged to was the Clermont Social Lodge #29. One of the earliest lodges in the state of Ohio, it remains a "full moon lodge" meaning it meets on nights with a full moon, not for any particular other than safety. In the early days, many Masonic lodges used to organize their meeting nights to coincide with the phase of the full moon. This had a lot to do with the fact that transportation was very poor and getting from home to lodge could not only be problematic, it could be downright dangerous. Having lodge the same night as a full moon was to help ensure the brothers traveling to and from lodge would have the advantage of the bright moon to aid them in navigation on the rough country roads and footpaths.
Note: Just going outside at night could be extremely dangerous (falling in ditches, falling off cliffs, thieves and murderers etc. So to keep their children from going outside after dark, medieval parents invented something that proved very effective, to this very day........."The Bogey Man."
His first marriage was to a woman named Mary Hutchinson and together they had 3 children (Mary, Joseph and James). After he death he married Elenor Foster and they had 7 children William, Henry, Thomas, Catherine, Sarah, Eliza and Paulina.
Daniel Kain and the War of 1812
When war broke out, Daniel, then a captain, organized a militia company and they served from August 24 thru Sept 24. When the threat of a British invasion into Ohio seemed inevitable, Kain was promoted to Major and was stationed at Fort Amanda. The following are actual transcriptions taken from the diary of Ensign William Schillinger at Ft. Amanda. Kain is mentioned several times. The following are entries typed as written, no corrections have been made for spelling or grammar.
Journal Entries with references to Major Kain
Monday March the 1, 1813
Weather cool & cloudy, The Kentucky troops all Left the fort with some few exceptions Attended to the various duties of the fort such as Issuing orders Making out returns, etc. at 4 oclock P.M. the Detachment commanded by Major Kain consisting of Capt’n McHenry, Seatons & Hosbrooks Company's Arrived at the fort, some Snow this evening
Tuesday the 2nd
This morning gave up the command to Major Kain, weather clear & cool, at 11 A.M. Capt. McHenry company was order’d to fort Jennings 20 Miles Down the river, & Capt Seatons Company was order,d to fort Defiance 55 Miles from Amanda, This day Capt Belts company of Kentucky Militia arriv,d from fort Defiance & Jennings their time being expird. They stay’d in fort all night
Saturday the 6th Day of March
This morning cold & Cloudy. The Commandant, Major Kain, dispatch,d A sergeant & file of Men after the Deserters, Early in the morning, gave the sergant a letter to take to My wife, This day being Officer of Police, detach,d a fatigue party & proceeded, to gather and burn the brush, & other filth about the fort & to take some flour which was in the upper part of one of the block houses Down & put it in some cabbins, This evening, our cook being sick, I had to cook supper,
Tuesday the 20th (April)
Showers with Lightening & some heavy thunder (Remark yesterday John Hamilton one of the company was releas,d from confinement by order of Gen Wingate for sleeping on his post. This morning Serg,t Swing reported a Prisoner (Archibald R. Job,) for Sleeping on his post while standing sentry. Reported him to the commd,t of the Fort, Major Kain.
Friday the 23rd (April)
This morning Heavy Showers with Thunder, prepared to return to Fort Amanda, took some letters for Major Kain Started at half past 10 A.M, arrivd at 4 P.M.. after I arrivd at the fort I pushed off the Boat which had grounded on the Bank by the falling of the water Liberated (by order of Major Kain) Archibold R. Job a prisoner for sleeping on His post.
Sunday June the 20th
This morning the Brigade Major (robison, Inspected the company, give them credit for their good appearance, Left the fort in company with Major Kain, (who is ordered to fort Winchester) Milikin & Heaton left 10 A.M. At 2 o’clock, Lieut Davis Left the fort for to go home for A few Days, took a number of Letters from the company Doctor Lewis accompanied him as far as St. Marys, This evening 1 Man who had been sent in company with Neville returnd and Brought us the word that they had only got about 6 miles from the fort, the horse having give out.
Friday the 16th (July)]
very cool, river rising, some of our men repairing a couple of pirogues for the purpose of taking some flour Down to fort jennings. 4 PM. Captain Seaton arrivd at fort from Winchester Received A Letter from Maj Kain Men many of them sick at that fort Capt Seaton quite ill & informed us that he had lost his Lieut by sickness. Ensign Fleming of the Kentucky troops came to the fort this evening from the settlements no news particular
After the War
I find it fascinating that both Daniel's father and brother both operated taverns where "evil spirits" were served, yet Daniel, apparently a non-drinker served as the V.P. of the first Temperance convention held in Clermont and Brown. I wonder how awkward the conversations were when the families got together for their Thanksgiving meal.
Tragedy
Daniels son 25 year old Joseph was a driver of one of the tri-weekly stages that ran from Chillicothe to Cincinnati. Thursday morning, August 28, 1828 as he drove his stage down the road a few miles from Williamsbrug, the four horses pulling it were startled by a huge buzzard and while trying to regain control of the team, Joseph was thrown from the wagon and killed instantly.
Joseph Kain (Daniels son)
9/10/1802 - 8/28/1828
Daniel Kain lived a full life serving his country 3 times as a soldier, and his community as sheriff, church leader, civic leader, justice of the peace for 24 years and postmaster from 1839 until his death. Daniels wife Elinor died July 25, 1842 at the age of 60 and Daniel died the following on March 11, 1843.
Morgans Raiders and the Kain Tavern
Morgans Raiders in Ohio Most of us have heard of the daring raid of Confederate General John Hunt Morgan and his men into Ohio June 11 - July 26, 1863. Some stories claim Morgan's men numbered 3,000 but it was probably closer to 2,000 the former number exaggerated by Morgan himself to intimidate the enemy.
Like many, I always fancied Morgan as a dashing, young fearless, good ole southern boy, joy riding with his men through Ohio and Indiana thumbing their noses at the "Northern aggressors." After studying the subject more and talking with locals of Williamsburg, seems my perception was a bit skewed. While admittedly he was young, dashing and fearless, he was also a dangerous thief, a thug and a bully and his men murderers. While the story of Morgans Raids into Ohio had a very significant impact on the course of the war, this blog will focus only on those incidents involving Williamsburg, Oh.
General John Hunt Morgan
(In the end he was just a little too reckless)
1825 - 1864
A Group of Morgan's Raiders
As the story goes, Morgan and his men entered the town of Williamsburg in July of 1863 with several hundred mounted cavalrymen. Morgan took a room in Daniel Kain's Hotel while the others found shelter in homes and others camped out in clearings. It is said the hotel staff served dinner to 168 of Morgans men the day they entered town. Morgan busied himself confiscating all the mail he could round up and destroying it (after removing all the money). His men entered a fabric shop and stole several bolts of materials and rode up and down the street yelling and dragging the cloth behind them. In a nearby town, some of Morgans men entered a millinery and stole all the women's bonnets that had veils on them. Seems those were the men riding at the end of the long line of horses and the veils acted as a windshield to keep out all the dust being kicked up by the animals in front of them. What a sight that must have been.
The following morning, Morgan and his men left town and burned the town bridge on their way out. Meanwhile a worker at Kain's Hotel went in to check on the room Morgan had occupied and found a burning candle in the middle of the straw bed. Seems Morgan had intended to set the building on fire.
During his daring raid, Morgan and his men captured an paroled about 6,000 Union soldiers and militia, destroyed 34 bridges, disrupted the railroads at more than 60 places and diverted tens of thousands of troops from other duties. He spread terror throughout the region, and seized thousands of dollars worth of supplies, food and other items from local stores, houses and farms. In Ohio alone, approximately 2,500 horses were stolen and nearly 4, 375 homes and businesses were raided. Morgan's Raid cost Ohio taxpayers nearly $600,000 in damages and over $200,000 in wages paid to the 49,357 Ohioans called up to man 587 companies of local militia.
Look Who Got the Last Laugh
Mrs. Cadwallader, a local historian, shared a story that Williamsburg folks still chuckle about today. Seems Morgans men were riding their horses very hard to stay ahead of the Union troops pursuing them. Before they left Williamsburg, they commandeered most of the local horses and left their tired old horses behind. Turns out, the "tired old horses" were Kentucky thoroughbreds. Looks like the good folks of Williamsburg got the last laugh after all.
Another Tragedy
During the Civil war a soldier from Indiana was run over by a powder wagon and died in the Kain Inn/Tavern.
