In reviewing the Defiance County soldiers who received military warrants from the War of 1812, only two original warrant holders were found who actually settled in Defiance County:
Pierce Evans (Click link for more info) and Jehu Downs
Jehu Downs settled in Defiance, but never lived on his land in Mark Township, and in fact, eventually, it was sold. He tried to sell it in July, 1861, by advertising in the paper, but apparently it did not sell.
LAND FOR SALE
I WILL SELL the west 1/2 of the northwest 1/4 Section 14, and the east 1/2 of north east 1/4, Section 15, Township Mark, 4 north Range 2 east, in Defiance County, at a bargain and on long time JEHU P. DOWNS
Defiance July 12 1861
According to the 1866 county plat map, he still owned that land in 1866. He died on August 19, 1866, and by the time of the 1870 Historical Atlas of the county, the land had been sold to Lemuel Tharp.
His military warrant, giving him 160 acres in the Black Swamp, was signed by Millard Fillmore and issued on October 1, 1851. Downs had served several terms in the War of 1812 in the Ohio militia, first as a private and finally as a sergeant.
Jehu lived in Defiance and was active in the politics of the city, serving as County Coroner for many years. He was described in one of his campaigns for Coroner as an old citizen who "is an upright, honest man, and will no doubt, if elected, give general satisfaction." In the 1850 census, he was 70 and living with his wife, Elizabeth, 56; he worked as a shoemaker. In earlier stories, he had been described as a cobbler.
His will, written in March, 1862, was probated in Defiance County. His nephew, John H. Kiser was Executor. He left his wife, Elizabeth, who was about 15 years younger than he was, and a daughter, Julia Ann Kiser. He also had a son, Angus Langham Downs, who died in 1857. The will left all his real estate and personal property to his wife, while leaving his house and lot in town to his daughter, with his wife's use during her natural life. Anything else, he left to his nephew, John. Jehu wanted no appraisement or sale of personal property.
"ANOTHER PIONEER GONE
DIED - on Sunday evening last, at his residence in Defiance, JEHU P. DOWNS, aged 91 years, 4 months and 24 days
Mr. Downs was a native of Delaware but had resided in Ohio for many years, and in Defiance since July 1834. Much of his early life was spent at sea; in the war of 1812 he was out on the Northwest border in two campaigns, and had in his long and eventful life, seen much of the world.
Father Downs voted the Democratic ticket always and ever a prompt attendant at all conventions; his sterling party attachment will preserve for him with his Democratic friends the kindest recollections of respect
His widow, to whom he has been married 54 years, survives him in tolerable health.
His funeral was attended by a large concourse of our ciitizens, on Tuesay last, at the Presbyterian church - services by Revs. Slagle and Fegtley.
Defiance Democrat, August 25, 1866, p. 2
Old Riverside Cemetery
His wife, Elizabeth Vandevort Downs, remarried to Thomas Warren. After her marriage, she sued Julia Kiser, for her dower rights to Jehu's property in 1870. Elizabeth died in 1878 and was also buried in Old Riverside.
These War of 1812 veterans received land, but no record could be found of them in Defiance County:
John Dunlap (Highland)
Jacob Baker (Mark)
Dennis Goddard(Mark)
Samuel Gooshorn (Mark)
John Hesser (Highland)
Nathaniel Suit (Hicksville)
Amos Stoddard (Mark)
Edward Todd (Mark)
James Woodside (Mark)
James Black (Richland)
James Salisbury (Milford)
Flegal Valentine (Tiffin)
John Wisler (Adams)
If you have a correction, please comment or message me.
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