William Logan

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Husband William Logan ¹

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           Born:  - ? Ireland
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

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         Father: Thomas Logan (      -      ) 1
         Mother: Agnes [Unk] (      -      ) 2

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Wife

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           Born: 
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Children

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General Notes: Husband - William Logan

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He came to America with his father. He worked in Pittsburgh, and at the close of each week he walked home, carrying a sack of corn meal and a few other articles needed by his family. He, like many others, was compelled, also, to go to Greensburg to have blacksmithing done.

He was elected First Lieutenant of a militia company during the war of 1812. An incident occurred during the time Mr. Logan was drilling a military company, which is well worth recording. A great many Irishmen were members of the company, and when going through the manual of arms, they found it extremely difficult to be accurate and mindful. Their particular trouble was that they could not keep time\emdash could not distinguish between right and left. When the commander called out "Right," they would almost invariably put forward their left foot. Mr. Logan's patience being sorely tried, he finally hit on this happy plan: He procured some hay and straw; on the right foot he put the hay, and on the left the straw. Instead, then, of saying, "right, right, left, left," he called out "hay foot," "straw foot." They soon became accustomed to this, and never again had the same trouble and annoyance of distinguishing between right and left foot. The expression, "hay foot," "straw foot" originated with Lieut. Logan.

Unk if the following story refers to this William Logan:
A few of the early settlers kept bees, and among this few was William Logan. One summer day a young swarm left his hive, and instead of quietly alighting and allowing itself to be supplied with a hive, flew into the woods. The bees were followed, and it was found that they had taken up their abode in a tree on John Welsh's farm. As Welsh owned the tree and Logan the bees, the two agreed to allow the swarm to pass the summer in their chosen retreat, and in the fall they would share the honey equally. Of course all the boys in the two families knew the secret of the bee-tree, and the joint owners, fearing some mischief from this source, made many threats of summary vengeance upon any one who should be so rash as to meddle with the bees.
Time passed on, and the bee-tree became well-filled with honey. One night, George Welsh, Thomas Welsh and Frank Bartley met by preconcerted arrangement, and determined to brave the wrath of the bee owners and fell the tree. They proceeded to the woods, and soon the silence of the night was broken by the sound of an ax wielded by skillful hands; then the tree fell with a crash almost sufficient to waken the dead. The boys expected the proprietors of the bee colony to appear upon the scene immediately, and were preparing to hasten away. But, waiting a few minutes and hearing no sounds of pursuit, they decided to secure the honey, of which there was a fine lot. Here they were in a quandary, for they had brought no tub or pails along. Meantime the honey was running to waste; what was to be done? "Wait," said George Welsh, "I'll get a tub," and he darted off through the woods, went to the house of his brother John, and speedily returned with a tub which he had borrowed without going through the formality of asking for it. In this vessel the honey was soon deposited, and then arose another question\emdash where should it be hidden? At length it was decided that the Welsh boys should take it home and cover it up in the haymow. This was done, and the plunderers went to their beds and slept quietly.
Soon after, it was discovered by George that his father's bees had filled their hives, and were building comb and honey beneath them on the outside. Removing this deposit and adding some of the stolen treasure to it, he continued to supply the family with honey until all had been used. His father remarked that that honey seemed to hold out remarkably well, but he suspected nothing. Meantime, John Welsh and Logan were puzzling over the question as to what had become of their bees. Logan charged John with having cut down the tree and appropriating the honey. John was indignant at this unjust accusation, for not only had his tree been cut, but his tub had been taken, and could not be found. Charges and counter-charges were made, until finally the two families ceased to be on speaking terms.
After the tub had been emptied it was carried back and left near John's house. His wife found it and brought it in one day when George happened to be sitting there. His face was sharply scrutinized, but he told no tales, and was not suspected of having been concerned in the mischief. After the Logans learned that the Welshes had got their tub back again, they were more than ever convinced that it had not been stolen at all, and consequently the bitter feeling increased. Some time afterward, Mrs. John Welsh and Mrs. Logan chanced to meet in Pittsburgh one day, greeted each other with kisses and friendly words, and from that time onward the families were on good terms. But the question, Who stole the honey? remained as much of a mystery as ever, and this is the first time the important secret has ever been divulged. [HBC 1883, 268]

1 —, History of Butler County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: Waterman, Watkins & Co., 1883), Pg 244.

2 —, History of Butler County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: Waterman, Watkins & Co., 1883), Pg 266.