Captain Logan - Theory 1: James Renick-Logan

Theory 1: James Renick-Logan

After murdering Robert Renick on 25 July 1757, Shawnee warriors shortly thereafter captured Robert Renick's home and its occupants: the wife of Robert Renick and her five children—, William, Robert, Thomas, Joshua and, Betsy. This son Robert was approximately 18 months old at the time of the capture. Due to his excessive crying, this son Robert was murdered by the Shawnee. During captivity Mrs. Renick gave birth to her husband's son, whom she named again Robert in honor of his slain father and elder brother of the same name. Mrs. Renick with sons William and Robert the younger returned to their home in 1767, ending their 6 years as hostages. Daughter Betsy in 1767 prior to the return home. Son Joshua instead chose to remain in residence with the Shawnee. Joshua Renick was raised as an adopted step brother of Tecumseh and his brother Tenskwatawa The Prophet Joshua Renick later became chief of the Miami indians and took an Indian wife. Chief Joshua Renick and his Indian wife gave birth to two sons:

• John Renick, who was 12 at the time of the then-wealthy Chief Joshua's death in 1783 (or variously 1784) in Detroit. No further history has yet been discovered regarding this John Renick.
• James Renick whose Indian name was Spemica Lawba which translates to English as “High Horn” and who was born in 1774 at the Wapaghkonetta Indian settlement in Allen County, Ohio (which is Wapakoneta, Ohio today).

James Renick was captured by General Benjamin Logan, who defeated the Shawnee along the banks of the Maumee River during Logan's Raid in 1786. The reason that General Benjamin Logan chose James Renick from among all of the Shawnee's European captives is likely because General Benjamin Logan would likely have been a childhood acquaintance of James Renick's father, Joshua Renick, as both were baptized by the same minister three years apart in Augusta County, Virginia (i.e., 1743 for Benjamin Logan and 1746 for Joshua Renick). General Benjamin Logan, after becoming endeared with young James after returning at first to Kentucky and then to Ohio, taught James to read and write English. James Renick took Logan as his name. James Logan then inscribed his initials “J.L.” into the bark of many trees in Ohio.

During James Logan's service in the cavalry, Major James William Mathews wrote about a Captain Logan Renick in a letter dated 9 November 1812 to Dr. John Mathews, an attorney at law in Greenbrier County (now West) Virginia, “I this morning got acquainted with Capt. Logan Renick. He is a very genteel man and speaks the English very well. I am told he is very rich. He lives in the Shawnee Nation, and is very much respected by the white people of this State. It is said he is a man of honor and may be depended upon. He asked very friendly for his relations in Greenbrier. He is very polite. He is very fond of horses and cattle. It is said he carries on a large farm. He desires to be remembered to his uncles in the county.” Later that month, this Captain Logan Renick lost his life on the banks of the Maumee River in a fight with Indians that were allied with the British.

As part of the general goodwill that Hoosiers felt at the time toward their native son General William Henry Harrison who won the near-by Battle of Tippecanoe and because Harrison held Captain Logan in high regard, the then-late Captain James Renick-Logan was commemorated when a settlement along the newly constructed Wabash and Erie Canal renamed itself “Logan's port”, which is Logansport, Indiana.