Henry Franks’ story spans frontier history

Born Jan. 29, 1763, near Frederick, Maryland, Henry Franks came of age during one of the most turbulent periods in American history. His life would span the Revolutionary War and the early settlement of the Northwest Territory. His patriot story differs from most other patriots.

As a boy Franks moved with his family westward into Fayette County, Pennsylvania, a region that lay along the volatile edge of colonial settlement. When the revolution began, the war on the frontier bore little resemblance to the formal battles fought in the east. Instead, it was a conflict of scattered forts, sudden raids and constant vigilance. But it also was part of the Revolutionary War. It was in this environment Franks began his military service.

In spring 1775, at just 12 years old, he volunteered for duty in the local militia. Over the next several years, he served as a private in a series of short enlistments under various officers, performing garrison duty at frontier forts, scouting the surrounding wilderness and helping protect isolated settlements.

His assignments took him to key outposts such as Fort Pitt, near present-day Pittsburgh. Franks also took part in operations connected to Gen. Lachlan McIntosh’s western campaign, which aimed to secure the frontier and assert American control over the Ohio Valley. These efforts were critical to the broader war, even if they lacked the visibility of major eastern battles.

The most dramatic chapter of his service came in 1781. Franks joined forces aligned with Gen. George Rogers Clark and became part of a detachment awaiting reinforcements to overtake Native American warriors allied with the British. Traveling down the Ohio River, Franks was attacked and captured by local Native Americans and spent nearly two years in captivity. He was a large, powerful man the captors immediately liked, so they introduced Native American culture to him through ceremonies.

They gave him the name Tuton kai saw, meaning Thy Bone of the Bear. With the notoriety of the failed Crawford raid near Sandusky and his horrible end, Franks finally escaped captivity and headed to the lake shore. There, he boarded a British vessel to Montreal, then crossed to the American side, then on foot traveled to Philadelphia, then Pittsburgh and finally home to Fayette County, Pennsylvania. He was discharged in August 1783 after two years of captivity.

After the war Franks returned to Pennsylvania, but like many veterans, he soon looked westward for opportunity. Around 1802 he relocated to Columbiana County, Ohio, and after more than a decade there raising their 11 children, he and his wife settled permanently in Chippewa Township, Wayne County. There, he became part of the wave of pioneers who transformed the former frontier into established communities.

Henry Franks, affectionately known to many as “Old Henry,” died in 1836 in Chippewa Township and is buried there. He leaves behind a legacy shared by many of his generation: that of a soldier who fought not in famous battles but in the rugged and often overlooked struggles to defend and settle the American frontier to the west.

Editor's note: The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution Wooster-Wayne Chapter is submitting a series of articles about Revolutionary War patriots buried in Wayne County. This is the fourth of the series. Email Jolene Dyer at jolene.dyer@gmail.com with questions or comments.