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REYNOLDS HISTORICAL
GENEALOGY COLLECTfON
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
3 1833 01080 9462
REMINISCENCES
BY REV. JOHN TODD
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EARLY SETTLEMENT AND
GROWTH OF WESTERN IOWA
OR
REMINISCENCES
BY
REV. JOHN TODD
OF TABOR, IOWA
DES MOINES
THE HISTORICAL DEPARTMENT OF IOWA
1906
COPYRIGHT, 1906
REPUBLICAN PRINTING CO.
CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA
1687943
PREFACE
THE writer of the following pages was enjoy-
ing the well-earned leisure of his closing
years, when some who had heard by the fire-
side and in social gathering his vivid recollections
of early days, suggested that he should put his
reminiscences into more permanent form.
Consequently the material herewith presented
appeared in ''The Tabor Beacon," the weekly
paper of his home town, in 1891. This naturally
led to verification, corrections and additions, which
added much to the value of the work. The re-
vision was carefully made by my father and the
following is the result. He corresponded with
some publishing houses to learn the cost of publi-
cation, but hesitated, partly from characteristic
modesty, I believe, to undertake the work.
After his death in 1894, his children thought to
publish the work with a sketch of his life, but
hitherto a favorable opportunity has not presented
itself.
Very little change has been made in the manu-
script since it left the hands of the author. Some
of the original chapters have been combined so
that the whole number has been considerably re-
duced. The order has not been changed and only
a few repetitions have been omitted.
6 Reminiscences
These Reminiscences derive their special value
from several facts. They are the experiences and
observations of one, who, by his varied occupation
of pioneer, teacher and pastor, was brought into in-
timate relations with many in all walks of life, and
one who uniformly gained their respect and con-
fidence. By his education and wide reading he
added to his own personal experiences and was
enabled to correctly discriminate and value the
facts coming to his knowledge from others. His
acquaintance extended over forty years and spread
over all of western Iowa, and parts of adjacent
states. These years were years of rapid growth in
a naturally rich country, and glimpses of the extent
of improvement come to us very forcibly as we read
some of the early incidents and contrast them with
present conditions.
Moreover, this development was at an event-
ful period of our nation, the time of the Anti-
Slavery Struggle, including " the Kansas troubles "
and the Civil War. No other town outside of
Kansas had more to do with the " Free-state
struggle " than did Tabor, Iowa. Its location also
made it a prominent station on the *' Underground
Railroad," and consequently a special object of
suspicion and hatred to all pro-slavery men in Mis-
souri and the vicinity. Incidents connected with
these subjects will doubtless wake the widest in-
terest.
Preface 7
The term " Reminiscences " in our title is used
advisedly. THey are strictly records of events
recalled with rarely any reflections thereon.
The frequency of personal names which natur-
ally grew out of its first publication in a local paper,
may seem to some undesirable, but to others this
very fact will present an added charm. It will be
a satisfaction to know that such a relative or friend
participated in such or such an incident, which
now possesses historic value.
The mythical tendency is strong in the early
stages of a country as well as in primitive con-
ditions of society. Certain incidents and charac-
ters become distorted by imperfections of memory
and of statement, till both the good and the bad
are greatly exaggerated. He, therefore, who gives
a clear and " unvarnished tale " renders a sub-
stantial contribution to history and to truth, which
is of value to everyone.
J. E. T.
Vermilion, S. D., April 27, 1905
CONTENTS
Preface ... 5
Biographical Sketch 13
Synopsis of Rev. Todd's Life 45
I. — Preliminaries 51
II. — Finding a location in a new country. Ride on the
river — St. Louis to Percival — A location found. . . 54
III. — Return to Ohio. A thousand miles on horseback —
A Sabbath at Pisgah — Journey resumed .... 67
IV. — Interim and removal to low^a. Visit to the East^
Journey to Iowa 80
v.— Getting into the work. Preparing the home — The
school-house — The river flood — Ague — Moving to
higher ground — ^Early church services 85
VI. — Incidents by the way. The first grave — Worth half
a dollar — Old Queen — New accessions — Incidents
of 1854— Incidents of '55-6 100
VII. — The Kansas struggle. Causes of the strife — Atroci-
ties — Gen. Jim Lane — Freestate men — Death of
Leang Hitchcock — Battle of Hickory Point — Law-
rence attacked — Col. Eldridge's party 108
VIII. — The opening of the Under-ground Railroad. The
first passengers through Tabor — NuckoU's slaves
from Nebraska City 134
IX. — Later business of the U. G. R. R. Fugitives from
Indian Territory — The rescue — Another case —
Kidnapped and rescued 145
X. — John Brown's Preparations. Col. Forbes — Stay in
Iowa — Invasion of Missouri — Thanks to Almighty
God — Conference with Taborites — His last visit to
Tabor 154
XI. — Seeking the stray sheep. Magnolia — Olmstead —
Dennison — Ida Grove — Smithland — Sioux City —
Return through Nebraska — Second trip 162
XII. — Amity or College Springs. Offshoot of Knox Col-
lege—Rev. A. V. House— Results 169
XIII. — Evangelistic and temperance work. Meetings at
Glenwood — Magnolia — Percival — -Tabor — Whiskey
and temperance 174
XIV. — Appendix. — Indians in Iowa. In Fremont county
— General sketch — Dakotas — Winnebagoes — lowas
— Illinois — Incidents in Pennsylvania — Sacs and
Foxes — Pottowattamies — Wabonsa and his grave. 179
Index 199
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF REV.
JOHN TODD, OF TABOR, IOWA,
By His Eldest Son, Prof. J. E. Todd
Ancestry and Early Life
John Todd, the second son and fifth child of
Capt. James Todd and Sally Ainsworth Todd,
was born November lo, 1818, in West Hanover,
Dauphin county, Pennsylvania.
His father, named James, was son of James the
son of James, who came from the north of Ireland
and founded the family on the then frontier of
Pennsylvania, which later went west to Ohio and
Illinois. His father, Hugh, soon joined him, and
also a brother who, becoming dissatisfied, moved
on to Kentucky, and is supposed to be the ancestor
of the numerous family of that State and Missouri.
The race was frugal, thrifty, and religious. The
Presbyterian stone church in which the family wor-
shiped was standing in 1870, though it had been
deserted for several years and was much dilapi-
dated.
Every generation has been well represented in
the ministry of the Presbyterian and Congrega-
tional churches.
His father, James Todd, was universally re-
14 Reminiscences
spected, was captain of a company of infantry in
the defense of Baltimore in 1814. Though of
moderate education he had a sincere love for
knowledge and withal a readiness to welcome new
ideas — in short, was ready to render sympathetic
assistance to all reasonable reforms. He was one
of the first to banish whiskey from the harvest
field, and to espouse the anti-slavery cause.
Though a staunch supporter of the Presbyterian
church he early recognized the force of the New
School views. He, therefore, became interested
in the principles of the colony and college just start-
ing at Oberlin, Ohio. In September, 1835, he
sent his son John there, who pursued his studies
eagerly, receiving the degree of A. B. in 1841, and
finishing the theological course In 1844. Most
of the time he had the companionship of his
younger brother, David, who was two years be-
hind him. He was there In the early, exciting days
of frontier life, self support, the beginning of co-
education, anti-slavery agitation, and of revolts
against hyper-Calvinism. Nothing could have pro-
moted more the cultivation of clear, independent
thinking, combined with most unselfish and cour-
ageous devotion to truth and to liberty, both civil
and religious. In a paper which he was invited to
read at the Jubilee of Oberlin In 1883, on "The
Early Home Missionary," he testifies: "With-
out at all disparaging the wholesome influence of
Rev. John Todd 15
godly parents, I may truly say that whatever of
aid I have been able to render in the cause of the
Master, I owe, under God, to Oberlin."
From a journal which he kept in 1892-94 it
appears how deeply he drank of the Oberlin spirit
of those days, and how consecrated was the heart
with which he taught and preached during vaca-
tions at North Amherst and New Baltimore in
those years.
After graduating from theology he became pas-
tor of the Congregational church at Clarksfield,
Ohio, a small country town in an adjoining county.
He was ordained August 15, 1844, and Septem-
ber loth following he was wedded to one whose
affections he had won in college days, belonging to
the class of '43, Miss Martha Atkins, A. B., ninth
daughter of Judge Q. F. Atkins, of Cleveland,
Ohio.
Endowed with excellent physique, a thorough
education, a beautiful voice, a devoted spirit, fully
sympathizing in the convictions and unselfish aims
of her husband, she should be credited with a full
share of his successes. The hardships of pioneer
life, the sacrifices for church and college, the bur-
dens of a family of seven children, six attaining
maturity, most of whom were given a college edu-
cation, the peculiar burdens of a pastor's wife,
which she patiently and bravely bore, need only
to be mentioned to indicate how great and grand
l6 Reminiscences
was the work she wrought in her forty-four years
of married Hfe. Afflicted with epilepsy for several
years before her death, she fell asleep July 20,
1888.
Near Oberlin lived a young farmer, George B.
Gaston, who with true missionary spirit had sough,
and obtained a commission under the Amer* j.n
Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions
among the Pawnee Indians in what is now Nance
county, Nebraska. Four years' work among them
acquainted him with the wonderful natural re-
sources of the Middle West, and with a Christian
statesman's prophetic vision he saw something of
the future possIbHitles of the region. Forced by
his wife's ill health to return home to Ohio, he
became more acquainted with the early history of
Oberlin, and drinking deeply of the consecrated
spirit of Its early founders, he conceived the plan
of planting a similar colony and college on virgin
land in the Missouri Valley.
Meanwhile, his sister Elvira and her husband,
Mr. Lester W. Piatt, who had been with him
among the Pawnees, had located on the broad, fer-
tile plain of the Missouri River near where the
little town of Percival, Iowa, now stands. I know
not the links In the chain of events which led
Deacon George B. Gaston to choose and persuade
Rev. John Todd to join him In his enterprise as
pastor and educated leader of the colony. But
Rev. John Todd 17
I do know that their mutual admiration and friend-
ship were strong and unbroken to the end. This
strong bond was born of their being largely com-
plements of one another in temperament and edu-
cation, and was nourished by their common inter-
est in Christian education and the kingdom of
God.
Pioneer Work
Of the long journey to Iowa in 1848 with Dea-
con Hall, the choice of location and the return
to Ohio, the moving to Iowa, the difficulties of the
first location, the founding of Tabor, Iowa, with
many other events for many years, little need be
said here. They are fully treated in the Reminis-
cences.
It will be more in place briefly to speak of them.
If at all, from a more external and later point of
view, and for this quotations have been quite freely
taken from remarks made by different friends who
spoke at the memorial exercises attending his
funeral.
The choice of the location near Perclval was
most natural. To those inexperienced in the great
differences between different years in the interior,
and much Impressed by the nearness of the " Great
American Desert " of those days, what could have
been more wise than to choose the fertile bottom
lands by the great Missouri, which they thought
1 8 Reminiscences
would ever be their main channel of communica-
tion with the rest of the world? The floods of
the following seasons were a damper on their en-
thusiasm in more ways than one.
The choice of Tabor, though relieving their im-
mediate need, withdrew the colony from lines of
traffic and made the place more difficult of access.
This, in time, became a great drawback to the
purpose of the colony, though it may have at first
promoted it.
As a pioneer he was naturally well equipped.
His first experience was at Oberlin. The training
there stimulated and perfected frugality, courage,
endurance, and resourcefulness. The simple life
was taught as a Christian duty, and the artificial
and conventional, though not scorned, were put in
the back-ground. Hardship and privation were
expected, and were not avoided, but were rather
rejoiced in as adding to the zest of life. He was
a pioneer of pioneers, coming earlier than most.
The nearest store was twenty miles away, and the
nearest grist mill further. Hulled corn was long
the main diet. Wheat bread was for months a
rare article. Houses were sometimes built without
shingles, boards, or nails.
After the home at Tabor was temporarily broken
by the death of his wife, he again spent a few
months on a homestead with his unmarried daugh-
ter, near Drakola, Kingsbury county. South
Rev. John Todd 19
Dakota, In the summer of 1889. As an example
of his venturesomeness, ingenuity, and persever-
ance, he dug and walled a well about 12 feet deep
without help.
Trained upon a farm In early life and paid but
meagerly by his parishioners at first, like Paul
he labored with his own hands for his support.
He cultivated for many years several acres of
ground, kept cattle and horses, kept a timber lot
from which he got his own fuel. His faithful part-
ner shared with him In these labors and cares.
Early rising was a rule of the family. Habits of
ease or Indolence were not permitted to grow.
Economy, industry, and frugality were early In-
stilled in all the children.
His Ministry
As a preacher he was successful above many.
This Is attested by his having in his thirty-eight
years of active service but two charges, — first at
Clarksfield, six years, which place he left regretted
by all, to go with the new colony to Iowa. The
Civil Bend or Gaston church virtually followed
their pastor to Tabor, where he was the active
pastor for more than thirty years. His brief
work as a chaplain was with some of his Tabor
men, and was only very temporary. His preach-
ing was like that of many others trained under
President Finney. It was conversational rather
20 Reminiscences
than oratorical, though It not infrequently rose to
such heights of earnestness as to become truly
eloquent. His vocabulary was large, but the words
were mainly simple and well-chosen, not ornate.
His style was logical rather than rhetorical, was
argumentative rather than positive, concrete rather
than abstract. His appeal was to the reason and
intelligent conviction rather than to preference or
to feeling. Even in deep solemnity, over-excite-
ment and rash decision were carefully guarded
against, as also the allowing of noble purposes
to fade away in mere sentiment. Mere enthusi-
asm and extravagant statements were so lacking
in his own language and manner that some demon-
strative and over-sanguine people overlooked the
constant fire of zealous purpose, which was an
unfailing inspiration to him. Nor was he without
that elevation of feeling which enabled him to
rise equal to a special occasion. Impassioned lan-
guage when used by him meant more than from
many. His voice was not strong nor rich, but was
usually clear and agreeably modulated. At one
time in the later 6o's it failed so that he rested for
about a year.
His custom at first was to speak from a brief,
or skeleton, the introduction being somewhat care-
fully written out. Pie later became convinced that
speaking extempore was not the best way for him,
and so adopted the plan of writing out his dis-
Rev. John Todd 21
courses fully and reading them. I think he was
influenced to do this by the desire to close the
morning service promptly for the Sunday school
which followed. He could cover his subject in
shorter time and more effectively by writing in full.
He left scores of " skeletons " each upon one-
fourth of a sheet of letter paper folded once. The
written sermons are usually on packet size, written
on both sides of the leaf, and neatly bound. All
are written in a clear, distinct hand almost as plain
as printing. On each is written the places and
dates at which it was preached.
As a pastor he was faithful. He called regu-
larly and impartially, except to be more with those
who needed encouragement. He did not overlook
the young and the children; they were taken into
the church early. Yet he never baptized infants.
Those who wished to have their children baptized
he provided for by engaging others to do it.
Rev. G. G. Rice, long the pastor at Council
Bluffs, thus spoke of him :
" His presence in the family, his presence in
the sick room was always felt to be a benediction,
and everywhere that he was known families loved
to have him come, felt it a privilege, and our own
children looked for his coming as they did for a
near relative. There was a familiarity; he won
their hearts."
Dr. R. R. Hanley, former pastor of the Tabor
22 Reminiscences
Baptist church, said: " So far as Father Todd's
ministry was concerned, I learned to regard espe-
cially the just judgment that he exercised, the wise
and politic course that he took in the conduct of
the church of which he was pastor, so that mingling
many characters from different nationalities he was
able to mold and influence them, to make them
united in heart and purpose, and to work in the up-
building of the institution of education as well as
in the upbuilding of the church."
Rev. J. K. Nutting, of Glenwood, testified of
his influence among his brother ministers in asso-
ciation meetings: " I remember Brother Todd as
being a helpful member everywhere, the wise coun-
sellor, the trusted leader, yet as having such re-
markable simplicity of character and humility that
he never seemed to be putting himself at the head
at all. There are some persons that are born to
lead and will draw you by their art, i. e., they mean
to lead, and there are others who are so quiet about
their leadership, that you hardly think of them as
being leaders until you look back and see so many
things suggested by them, and so they do not at-
tract the attention they deserve as leaders until the
time is past, and we look back upon their worKl
It was something so with Brother Todd. His was
the headship of Christian work. I think that is
exactly delineated in the words of the Saviour,
Rev. John Todd 23'
* He that is greatest among you shall be servant
of all.'
" I have several times been with him on councils,
and I never knew Brother Todd to give an unwise
sentiment or advice, never knew him to be for-
ward for Congregationalism rather than for Chris-
tianity."
Some considered him too severe in rebuking evil,
but most were convinced, I think, that he did it
from a sense of duty and with the kindest of inten-
tions. He considered himself an unfaithful friend
if he did not do it. If he became convinced that
he had gone too far, he was very ready to acknowl-
edge it.
He preached a consistent and practical religion.
Being sincere, he believed in practicing what he
preached, and expected all others to do the same,
so far as they were convinced.
Some perhaps thought him conservative because
of his conscientiousness, but he was one who was
ready to welcome any new measure which prom-
ised better things.
He adapted himself to new customs more easily
than many, because he had perfect self-control,
and when he was once convinced that anything
was right and best he promptly and persistently
adopted it heartily.
24 Reminiscences
His Anti-Slavery Work
His opposition to slavery, which had been
planted deep in his heart, not only manifested
itself in anti-slavery speech and discussion in col-
lege days and in his early ministry, but led him
to sustain a monthly prayer meeting which, from
its being observed by many Oberlin men, was
called the Concert of Prayer for the Enslaved. It
was sustained regularly at Tabor till slavery was
abolished in 1863. John Brown sometimes was
present and once expressed his conviction that he
had never yet remembered "those in bonds as
bound with them."
The Reminiscences reveal his interest in and
personal assistance to the " Underground Rail-
road."
We find him organizing a county anti-slavery
society in his first field at Clarksfield. So also in
Fremont county, Iowa, a convention was called on
the subject in 1854.
His interest in the Kansas struggle is manifest
in his Reminiscences. That was a time when Tabor
saw and heard more of war, perhaps, than during
the Civil War. At any rate, such events then
seemed greater from their freshness, and more was
seen of the leading men in the contest.
At one time Tabor citizens were on the point of
helping a band of emigrants to make their way
Rev. John Todd 25
Into the territory of Kansas in spite of ** Border
Ruffian " opposition. The pastor got spurs, new
saddle, girths, and other equipment, ready to do
his part, but the necessity passed away.
His War Record
Though earnestly and eloquently advocating the
support of the government in the Civil War, he
did not feel called to take part personally till in
1864, in the supreme effort to bring the war to
a close, when the " Hundred Days Men " were
called out. He was then first selected by the 29th
Iowa Infantry as chaplain, but another had a pref-
erence with some of the leading officers, so he
was later commissioned chaplain of the 46th Iowa
Infantry, and served in western Tennessee.
One who was a member of the regiment and
from Tabor testified: " We know that his life in
the army was not like the life in the army. It was
just as pure in the camp as it was in his own home.
His words were just as earnest, just as clean when
he talked to the soldiers around the camp fire as
when he spoke from the sacred desk here in Tabor.
He knew the men.
" Father Todd not only preached every Sunday,
but we had a prayer meeting on Wednesday even-
ing, too. There was one of those little earthworks
where we used to go and hold prayer meeting.
Father Todd was there always. * * * One
26 Reminiscences
of the most earnest prayers I ever heard from
mortal lips I heard from him. It was beside the
cot of a poor, ignorant colored man, who had just
been taken from slavery, and the musket put in
his hands, and who was mortally wounded. He
was one chaplain who was earnest, constant in sea-
son and out of season, doing his duty no matter
where it was."
His Missionary Work
Resides being a pastor he was much of the time
a missionary. We need not repeat the details given
in the Reminiscences. It should, however, be said
that he states in his address at the Oberlin Jubilee
in 1883 ^hat he never held a commission under
the American Home Missionary Society. Oberlin
men were not acceptable to that Society because of
a prejudice against Oberlin ideas and customs on
one side and impatience with pro-slavery conserva-
tism on the other. He received, however, small
sums from the American Missionary Association,
which was organized for work among the negroes,
but for a time encroached on the work of both the
Home and Foreign Missionary Societies for rea-
sons just mentioned. This was for three or four
years at the beginning of the colony. He covered
in a monthly circuit an area about 100 by 40 miles,
and services were held at eight or ten places.
It is a notable fact that this was done before
Rev. John Todd 27
the Methodists, who are deservedly famous for
being at the forefront in rehgious work, had
sent any one into that region.
The region at that time was filled with Mor-
mons, lately driven out from Illinois, who were
lingering about Kanesville (Council Bluffs) before
going on to Salt Lake. After their departure —
though several settlements remained — emigrants
largely from the South filled the region. These
were for slavery, and familiar with liquor. It was
with these unfriendly classes that he had much to
do. Yet in many places his labors were blessed
with conversions and the starting of vigorous
churches.
His charitable and catholic spirit enabled him
frequently to join readily with the Methodists
when they came and with other denominations in
conducting revival services, usually to the mutual
satisfaction of all. Later, It will be noticed from
his Reminiscences, he was asked by eastern churches
to take a more extended religious exploring tour,
which greatly advanced the cause of religion by
bringing out many new settlers who had not before
committed themselves, and by their being brought
into communication with one another, and re-estab-
lished as active Christians.
Not only were such active efforts engaged in,
but an interest in missions, foreign and home, was
sustained in the Tabor church, which has always
28 R
emintscences
given liberally. Several have gone from the
church into the foreign field, and many into home
missionary work.
His Work for Temperance
Closely connected with missionary work was
the temperance work. When the Tabor colony
first came to the region, merchants kept a barrel
of whiskey in their back room with the head
knocked out and a dipper always at hand for cus-
tomers, and few were those who refused to drink.
A county temperance society was organized and
held regular quarterly meetings for about twenty
years. Free whiskey soon disappeared, and the
county voted for the Prohibition Amendment by
several hundred majority.
His last effort was for temperance; to stay, by
petition if possible, the passage of the Mulct law.
His Work for Tabor College
His main work, aside from that of pastor, was
for Tabor College. President Brooks, who was
president for nearly thirty years, writes : " When
Rev. John Todd left his first church in Clarksfield,
Ohio, at the solicitation of his friend. Deacon
George B. Gaston, it was with no hope of worldly
gain. He left a united church and an assured
salary to go to a new and sparsely settled country.
No church awaited his coming, no society com-
Rev. John Todd 29
missioned him to go. Deacon Gaston alone com-
missioned him, inviting him to join the httle com-
pany who had set their faces toward western
Iowa. He said : ' Come with us and while I live
you shall live.' Beginnings were made in faith
and hope though the present many times did not
seem bright.
" Mr. Todd was one of the incorporators, in
1857, of Tabor Literary Institute, the Academy
which preceded Tabor College. He was chairman
of its Board of Trustees, and also the first chairman
of the Board of Trustees of Tabor College. He
was one of the Ti-ustees of the College from its in-
corporation in 1866 until his death. He was one of
the most liberal givers to the College : he gave
not only money but time and thought; he gave
himself to promote its interests. At the opening
of the College Mr. Todd, from a salary of $800
pledged $1,000, which he paid with interest ; "^then
gave another $1,000, and afterward gave in
smaller sums. Besides these gifts in money he
taught for three years without pecuniary compen-
sation, and gave time without limit in arranging
courses of study and in doing every kind of neces-
sary work.
" In educating his family, three of whom gradu-
ated from Tabor College, he never availed himself
of the free tuition given to the children of min-
isters in active service but said he preferred to
30 Reminiscences
pay in full. He never failed when in town to be
present at the opening of a new term. At differ-
ent times he served as Secretary, Treasurer, Li-
brarian, and Auditor, and always with the same
faithfulness and interest in the success of the insti-
tution which he came to the West to help estab-
lish. He was not a born leader nor one with un-
bounded enthusiasm, but he was one who had the
genius for doing well a large amount of work. He
always worked with his associates without friction
unless he thought some principle of right was vio-
lated. In his death one of the earliest and best
friends of the College passed away."
Personal Characteristics
His description, according to his enlistment
paper, was " 5 ft., 6 inches high, light complexion,
blue eyes, grey hair, age 45."
He was of slender build and light weight, but
very active. His habitual quick step was often a
subject of remark and means of recognition.
A young professor in the college relates: " As
I was taking my trunks over to the house where
I was to live, having been in town only a few hours,
as I climbed in, there was Father Todd standing
in the wagon, and we rode slowly along and I be-
gan to get acquainted with that man I have learned
to love so well since. And as the wagon drew
up to stop just a moment before his home, without
Rev. John Todd 31
the least hesitation, he lightly leaped over the
wheel to the ground, standing erect as he was, leav-
ing me — well, somewhat scandalized that a man
over whose head so many years had passed should
have so young a body, but I have learned since that
his soul was just as young as his body."
In early life he often wore a scowl, which was
more apparent on his unshaven face; in middle
life the scowl was less marked; he wore a short
beard with shaved upper lip; but in later years,
having a full, long beard, he presented a benignant
and venerable appearance admired by all.
His leading characteristics have perhaps been
sufficiently illustrated already, but it may be well
here to take a parting glance at them.
The fundamental factor in his life was unfalter-
ing trust in God. From this sprang his conse-
cration for a noble cause, his perseverance amid
discouragements, and his calmness and unflinching
courage. Linked with this was his faithfulness to
duty. The voice of conscience was to him the call
of God, to be followed unhesitatingly. As one
said who knew him well (Rev. J. W. Cowan, his
successor) : " If he thought that a thing was right
for him to do, you could count upon his doing that
thing just as surely as you can count on the sun
rising tomorrow morning. If he thought a certain
thing should be said from the pulpit it would be
absolutely sure to be said the next Sunday morn-
32 Reminiscences
ing. It was not because he did not care for the
good opinion of his fellow men. It was not be-
cause he did not like to have his neighbors think
well of him."
He possessed a logical mind. His appeal was
constantly to reason, and if he was convinced of
wrong reasoning he was not slow to acknowledge
an error. If in doubt he was quite sure to err on
the side of self-denial rather than on the side
of self-indulgence.
Closely akin to this was a love of truth, and
hence that qualifying of strong statements which
to some may have seemed lack of confidence or of
enthusiasm. It was because he saw the truth more
clearly than some.
Though habitually sober, another trait was love
of sport. He had times of unbending; in fact,
he considered duty led in this direction not infre-
quently. He played with children. He keenly
enjoyed a harmless joke. He enjoyed such extrava-
ganzas as Baron Munchausen, and still more, fun
with a point, like that of Mark Twain or Burdette,
but he quickly sobered if sport was made of things
sacred or serious.
He was not at home in any labored display, and
while attending social functions from a sense
of duty, recognizing their necessity and bearing
himself well in them, he was not there for pleasure.
He was a lover of nature and enjoyed giving
Rev. John Todd 33
instruction, as he did for a time, in the Natural
Sciences.
An important factor in his success was his de-
light in neatness and method. He was scribe of
the Council Bluffs Association for many years, and
he was presented with a gold pen in recognition of
his marked success in that office. His manuscripts
were clear as lithographs. He kept careful record
of all marriages, baptisms, and other notable events
of his parish, and yet method or accuracy simply
for its own sake he thought of little value. Red
tape was irksome. He enjoyed drawing diagrams
and maps. He enjoyed a nicely labeled and sys-
tematically arranged cabinet. Closely akin to this
accuracy were his habits of promptness, neatness of
dress, and also of keeping things in place. A com-
mon injunction to his children was: " Be sure
to put it back in place." " Leave it where you
found it."
Another trait was his impartiality. He believed
in doing his part and expected every one else to do
his. Hence he would treat all equally and fairly.
He was also slow to believe a man wilfully de-
ficient, and when he had proved to be so, he felt
bound to treat him as he deserved. He had no
sympathy with a clannish or aristocratic spirit. He
was above holding a position or carrying a point
by pretense or intrigue, and was slow to believe it
of others.
34 Reminiscences
Yet he was not blind to the faults of others
and his caution saved him from many a deception.
He was always ready to give another the benefit
of a doubt, and to suffer wrong rather than to
do a wrong. His loyal and charitable spirit was
beautifully illustrated in his welcome to Rev. J. W.
Cowan, his successor in the pulpit which he had
filled for thirty years, and which he had resigned
on reaching his 64th year. This is the Rev.
Cowan's tribute: " I would that I had time to
speak of what he has been to me individually;
of how that gentle, modest, unassuming spirit
has shown itself so constantly. Almost a
dozen years ago I came to this place to take
out of his hands that work on which he had
lavished the thirty best years of his life, into
which he poured his heart's blood through three
toiling decades. It was dearer to him, I
doubt not, than any other earthly interest. What
wonder would it have been if there had been
something of jealous watchfulness, something of
ever wakeful criticism in the attitude of his spirit
as he came to turn that prized work over to the
hand of a stranger who, perhaps, might mar
wonder would it have been if there had been
built at so great sacrifice and toil? Yet
T say today, with all my heart, without the
slightest shade of resen^ation, that not one
word, not one breath of opposition or unfriend-
Rev. John Todd 35
liness has ever escaped him in all these years.
And that were small thing for him to do — to step
aside and leave it for another unmolested; that
were but little. He has done far more than that.
He has stood beside the new pastor, an active co-
laborer, earnestly, cheerfully, constantly doing all
in his power to build up the work. There has
been none in all this church upon whom I could
count more absolutely for loyal and faithful sup-
port. None who spoke more frequent or more
hearty words of encouragement and affection.
None more ready for any duty, however small,
however obscure, however unrewarded, by which
he might serve his Master and his church. A
faithful worker he has been."
His Closing Years 16o7943
July 20, 1888, his companion in the morning
and mid-day of life passed on before. His family,
with the exception of two daughters, had all mar-
ried and lived in homes of their own. He spent
the following winter visiting a married daughter
in southern California and other friends on that
coast. The following summer he spent on a home-
stead in South Dakota, securing a claim for his
daughter, Minnie. In the autumn he returned and
lived at the old house in Tabor with this daughter.
Pleasant acquaintance sprang up with a widow
of gentle grace and earnest, Christian character,
3'6 Reminiscences
who had come to Tabor for the education
of her family, and on March 26, 1891, they were
quietly married, and she made a sunny home for
his declining years. These in some respects were
probably the happiest years of his life, lil^e the
Beulah land of the immortal allegory. Her chil-
dren, in the freshness of youth, enlivened the
home with sport and song. He was conveniently
situated to the College which he had been largely
influential in founding and perfecting. He was
constantly in close touch with the church, which
had been his care for decades, on familiar terms
with its new and talented pastor, sharing in the
pulpit services to the end, and esteemed as a father
and friend by the whole community. He could
rejoice in the fruits of his labors and watch the kind
hand of Providence blessing them, as has been
granted to few on earth.
One of his last blessings of which he spoke
most appreciatively was a visit to the Columbian
Exposition. His physician had at one time thought
that he must forego that pleasure. But he had
strength, and spent a week or more in seeing with
his own eyes that crowning exhibition of modern
civilization, and its triumph in all lands, even in
some that within his memory had been won from
heathen superstition, so that he was able to look
upon it as a triumph largely of the kingdom of
Rev. John Todd 37
his Master. He met there also many old time
acquaintances, that added much to his joy.
His general health and activity continued to the
last. As before mentioned, he was circulating a
petition against the repeal of the prohibition law,
which he looked upon as hostile to the welfare of
the State. It was a crisp winter morning; he felt
well and had made several calls, when he entered
the home of Reuben Reeves, a mile from home.
He sat down while the man of the house signed the
paper, who, when he turned to him again, found
that he was gone without a cry and without a strug-
gle. The scripture came to many minds: "He
walked with God, and was not, for God took him."
As Pastor Cowan well expressed: "To such a
life as his the end how fitting! He who abhorred
idleness as few men abhor it, God did not compel
him one hour of idleness. He fell in the harness,
his sword uplifted to strike again. He fell in the
furrow, his hand upon the plow, his face turned
resolutely toward the task he hoped still to accom-
plish. He whose spirit would chafe at the thought
of dependence upon the care and labor of any
one, however lovingly and eagerly rendered — nor
wife nor child needed to smooth his dying pillow
or wipe the sweat from his suffering brow even for
one hour. In the midst of his labors he was
called. He walked with God and was not. Faith-
ful to the last, busy to the last in the Master's
38 Reminiscences
service, In his place last Sunday morning minis-
tering to the people to whom he so long minis-
tered, in his place last Monday afternoon pro-
nouncing the words of solemn prayer over the
casket of a fellow soldier fallen at his side, in his
place last evening as a member of the official board
of the church, with kindly question and loving coun-
sel aiding those soon to confess their faith at the
altars of the church, in his place last Tuesday even-
ing in the prayer meeting in his own parlors, in
his place Wednesday morning bearing from house
to house that protest against what he believed to
be gigantic and conscienceless wrong, that prayer
for the burdened and the tempted and the lost, the
last stroke of his pen the signature to that petition,
his last living breath spent in urging others to aid
in that great cause, so he fell. So he passes from
us. Oh, worthy apotheosis! Oh, fitting upward
flight for a spirit such as his has been !
" Sometimes death comes to men about us
doubly terrible because of its suddenness, but here
is a death as sudden as any could be, yet
without terror. Aye, and so appropriate. This
man of God waking that morning saw before him
a day of labor for the Master, and expected, no
doubt, that that evening he would be, as his wont
was, among the people of God in the house of
prayer. He did not know that he would be there
only as an invisible presence. When he walked
Rev. John Todd 39
up the hill yonder to his neighbor's house that
morning he did not know that he would not come
down again in a few moments as strong of limb,
as bright of eye, as he was then. When he passed
into that door he did not turn and take one long,
last look at the beautiful world that he might not
see again. When he drew the paper out for his
friend to sign he did not say, 'That hand, with its
years of busy toil, has now done its last small act;
its work is over.' There he stood, separated from
eternity but by the ticking of the clock. What
mattered it to him? To close his eyes and open
them again and, having done it, to find himself
beyond the valley of the shadow of death, beyond
the deadly Apollyon, beyond the open mouth of
hell and beyond the dark, rolling river, already up
the heights, already on the golden shore.
* O, child of God, O Glory's heir!
How rich a lot is thine.
A hand almighty to defend.
An ear for every call.
An honored life, a peaceful end.
And Heaven to crown it all.' "
His Funeral
The College claimed the privilege of paying a
special tribute of respect. On Saturday after-
noon, after a brief service of hymn and prayer,
the students carried the body to Gaston Hall, which
40 Reminiscences
they had appropriately decorated. Here he lay in
state until Sunday, visited by many.
" On Sunday morning, shortly before half past
ten, the bearers, members of Father Todd's Sun-
day school class, all venerable men, reverently
lifted the casket and bore it forth, when a proces-
sion was formed as follows: Pastor Cowan and
Revs. Rice and Nutting; six pall bearers with the
casket, flanked on either side by a file of old sol-
diers of John Allen Post, G. A. R., and visiting
comrades as a guard of honor, commanded by a
member of Father Todd's own regiment, the
draped colors being borne by another member of
the same regiment, and others in the ranks; the
family of the deceased; college professors; stu-
dents, and other friends. At the church, drapery
and a profusion of flowers, the most beautiful and
fragrant, were placed about the casket and pulpit.
" Pastor Cowan, Rev. G. G. Rice, of Council
Bluflis, and Rev, J. K. Nutting, of Glenwood,
spoke; the second on 'The Pioneer Preacher and
Founder of Churches,' the last on ' Father and
Patriarch of the Council Bluffs Association,' and
the first on ' Our Present Loss.' The Scripture
readings, hymns, and anthems were most appro-
priate and beautifully rendered, and all felt it to
be a most memorable occasion. The procession
formed again and followed the form of their loved
pastor and friend to its last resting place."
Rev. John Todd 41
In the evening again a full house gathered for
less formal memorial services. Brief tributes were
given by Rev. R. R. Hanley, of the Baptist church,
who spoke of " My Next Door Neighbor; " Dea-
con A. C. Gaston, of " Planting the Colony;"
Deacon S. H. Adams, " The Founding of This
Church;" Deacon J. M. Hill, of "Father Todd
as Chaplain;" Mrs. J. M. Barbour, of his " Im-
pressions on the Second Generation;" Professor
J. T. Fairchild, of " His Constant Activity in the
Church;" Professor L. J. Nettleton, of " His In-
fluence on Those He Rarely Met."
The last speaker moved that the church erect
some lasting memorial to his memory. Pursuant
to that a marble tablet has been placed on the
wall inside the auditorium of the church, recording
in clear and simple words his long and successful
work therein.
His grave may be found in the cemetery, on an
eastern slope, overlooking the church and college
which were so largely the objects of his life's work.
SYNOPSIS OF
REVEREND TODD'S LIFE
SYNOPSIS OF
REVEREND TODD'S LIFE
Born in West Hanover, Dauphin county, Pa.,
son of Capt. James Todd, of Scotch-Irish origin
and Presbyterian faith, Nov. lo, 1818.
Went to college at Oberlin, O., Sept., 1835.
Received the degree of A. B. at Oberlin College,
1841.
Graduated from Oberlin Theological Seminary,
1844.
Ordained as Congregational minister, at Ober-
lin, Aug. 15, 1844.
Married Miss Martha Atkins, A. B., daughter
of Judge Atkins, of Cleveland, O., Sept. 10, 1844.
Began a six years' pastorate at Clarksfield,
Huron county, O., 1844.
Invited by Mr. Geo. B. Gaston, of Oberlin, to
go west as pastor of a colony which should plant
a college, 1847.
Went with Dea. G. B. Gaston, S. H. Adams
and their families, with Dea. J. B. Hall and D. P.
Matthews to southwestern Iowa, via Cincinnati
and St. Louis, to look over the land, Sept., 1848.
Attended a meeting held in Wabonsie to organ-
ize a county, and chosen one to take the petition
46 Reminiscences
east to the first member of the state legislature he
should find, Oct., 1848.
Started with Dea. J. B. Hall to ride on horse-
back from southwestern Iowa to Ohio, middle of
Oct., 1848.
Arrived safely at Clarksfield, O,, middle of
Nov., 1848.
Closed his work at Clarksfield and visited his
early home, New York city and Washington,
spring, 1850.
Moved to Iowa with his family, via Chicago
and St. Louis, and landed at Lambert's Landing
(near Percival), July i, 1850.
Supplied regular preaching at Civil Bend, Flor-
ence, Trader's Point, Honey Creek, Cutler's Camp
and High Creek, all in Iowa, and Linden, Mo.,
1851.
The site of Tabor having been selected instead
of Civil Bend, their first choice, he moved to a
claim, two miles south of Tabor, April, 1852.
He organized the Tabor Congregational church,
at his home, with eight members, Oct. 12, 1852.
Moved to his home in Tabor, where he lived
till his death, August, 1853.
Organized the Congregational church of Glen-
wood, 1856.
Made an extended home missionary tour through
western Iowa to Sioux City and back through east-
Rev. John Todd 47
ern Nebraska. This was at the request of the
Congregational churches in eastern Iowa. July,
1857.
President of the Board of Trustees of Tabor
Literary Institute, 1857.
Organized the First Congregational church of
Sioux City, Monday, Aug. 10, 1857.
Chaplain of the 46th Iowa (hundred days),
summer, 1864.
Began service as Trustee of Tabor College,
1866.
Professor of Mathematics and Natural Philos-
ophy in Tabor College, 1866-69.
Professor of Mental and Moral Philosophy in
Tabor College, 1869-72.
Librarian of Tabor College, 1877.
Resigned his pastorate of the Tabor church after
thirty years' service, 1883.
Treasurer of Tabor College, 1881-86.
His wife died suddenly after several years of
feebleness, July 20, 1888.
Spent six months with his daughter Minnie near
Drakola, Kingsbury Co., S. D., summer, 1889.
Married Mrs. Anna K. Drake, of Tabor, Iowa,
March 26, 1891.
Visited the World's Columbian Exposition, Chi-
cago, Sept., 1893.
48 Reminiscences
Died suddenly of heart failure, while circulat-
ing a petition to the Iowa legislature against re-
pealing the prohibitory law, Jan. 31, 1894.
His wife, two sons, four daughters, seven grand-
sons, four grand-daughters, a step-son and two
step-daughters survive to mourn his loss.
EARLY SETTLEMENT AND GROWTH
OF WESTERN IOWA
CHAPTER I
PRELIMINARIES
BEING asked to write, I here set out, but what
shall I write? How shall I avoid being
tediously minute on the one hand, or so gen-
eral as to be uninteresting on the other? Farther,
readers are not all interested in the same things.
Mental constitution, mode of thought, and degree
of information, respecting matters and persons
treated of, greatly affect the interest of the reader.
As time rolls on, and the prominent actors in the
early settlement of our country are passing away, it
seems fitting that any events in the past worthy of
remembrance should be placed on record, and who
so suitable to record them as one who has himself
been an actor in the events recorded?
The settlement known as Tabor has sometimes
been spoken of as a Colony, but this appellation
is appropriate, if at all, only in a very general
sense. While there was interest in a common ob-
ject expressed and understood, there were no writ-
ings drawn, no covenant or agreement formally
entered into between the parties, binding them to
any specific course of conduct. There was union
and concert, but it was the union of faith in a com-
52 Reminiscences
mon gospel, and concerted action in promoting
Christian education. They aimed to erect the
Church and the Hall of Science side by side — each
to sustain the other, and both to flourish under
their mutually refreshing shadow.
George Belcher Gaston, older son of Dea. Alex
Gaston, of Amherst, Ohio, eager to be about his
Master's work, went, with his family, as govern-
ment farmer to the Pawnee Indians, in 1840. In
a few years, the failure of the health of his family
occasioned his return to his farm near Oberlin,
Ohio. But the vision of the great West, with its
possibilities and destinies, still lingered in his mind.
The question, " How can it be secured for Christ?
What can be done to lay Christian foundations in
the broad and fertile land, so soon to teem with a
numerous people?" was an ever recurring one.
With the work of Oberlin for more than a decade
of years spread out before him, he conceived the
idea of repeating the experiment in southwestern
Iowa. He thought of it — he prayed over it — he
conferred with others on the subject — others be-
came interested — they met weekly, and prayed and
conferred together for more than a year, before
any were ready to start. Sometime during the
summer of 1848, Brother Gaston visited the writer
in Clarksfield (15 or more miles distant), to talk
over the matter. He wanted to secure a minister
of the gospel for the settlement. Wife and I be-
Rev. John Todd 53
came interested in the project and consented to go,
but thought it best that I should first go and see.
At length in October or November, 1848, the way
was prepared, and a few of the first emigrants from
northern Ohio set out for southwestern Iowa,
viz. : G. B. Gaston and family, S. H. Adams and
wife, and Darius P. Matthews, attended by Deacon
Josiah B. Hall and Rev. J. Todd, who went out
to see the country. Railroads were scarcely known
in those days. One had recently been opened from
Sandusky to Cincinnati. We went forty miles to
take the cars at Belleview. The writer's sister,
Mrs. Margaret Harrison, of Springfield, Ohio,
accompanied us as far as Cincinnati, where we took
boat for St. Louis, and thence by steamer for St.
Joe, no boats then running higher up the river, ex-
cept a few that carried government stores to the
forts on the upper Missouri, and brought down
furs from the trappers. There were no railroads
at Chicago and not a foot of one in all Iowa. It
required a month to send a letter to Ohio and
receive a reply, and when it came, the postage on it
was twenty-five cents. Twenty-five cents, eighteen
and three-fourths, and twelve and a half cents were
the rates of postage, according to distance. Neither
envelopes nor stamps were then in use. Who
would return to primitive simplicity?
CHAPTER II
A LOCATION SOUGHT FOR
RIDE ON THE RIVER
WE PASSED a night in Cincinnati, and
availed ourselves of the earliest oppor-
tunity to take passage for St. Louis. We
were several days in making the trip, and failed
to reach St. Louis that week. The water in the
Ohio river was low, and we were obliged to use
the portage canal at Louisville to get around the
rapids. To persons accustomed to active life the
time seemed long. After the novelty of the new
relations had worn away, and all had found their
proper places and settled into them, the tedium
attending a long river ride became more marked,
and methods of whiling away the time were re-
sorted to according to individual opportunities and
preferences. Some amused themselves with a game
of cards while others looked on. Some had sup-
plied themselves with a stock of interesting reading
matter. Others resorted to the upper deck to gaze
upon the shifting scenes on either shore, as the
steamer floated along. Others still, more socially
Rev. John Todd 55
disposed, managed to make new acquaintances, and
sustain animated conversation.
Breakfast over each day, Brother Gaston in-
vited his little company into his state room for
worship, and prayer for divine guidance and dfrec-
tion in regard to the object he so ardently cherished
and seemed never to lose sight of.
One day under a feeling of languor and longing
for something new to pass the time, the writer
asked a fellow passenger, in whose hands he had
sometime before seen " Fuller's Letters on Slav-
ery," if he would lend him the volume to read.
Instead of readily and cheerfully granting the re-
quest, he at once began to ply him with questions,
evidently for the purpose of drawing out his views
on the question of slavery. Although by no means
courting discussion, the writer regarded it cowardly
not to be willing, when challenged, to avow his
sentiments and state the reasons for the same. It
was soon found that his views and those of the
writer were, on the subject of slavery, directly op-
posed, and into a hot discussion the parties at once
plunged. The writer doesn't remember all the
points touched upon, but he well remembers as-
serting that the slaves in our country had a
much better reason for rising and fighting for
their freedom than our fathers ever had for
forcibly throwing off the yoke of Great Britain.
In the meantime the news had gone all over
56 Reminiscences
the boat, and passengers from every quarter
were crowding into the cabin, where we two
were engaged in warm controversy, and the
crowd pressing us on every side. As soon as the
multitude came near enough to comprehend the
case, they began to cry out, " Damn the Abo-
litionist! " " Shoot him!'" " Kill him ! " A Louis-
iana slaveholder, more noisy than the rest, as he
entered the cabin door, cried out: "The d — d
Abolitionist ! I wish I had him ! I would swap
him off for a dog and then I would shoot the
dog ! " At this juncture the noise and confusion
had become too great to prolong the debate. The
writer's friends Interposed and led him into a
stateroom; and the occasion of the excitement being
gone, the crowd gradually cooled down and dis-
persed. The book civilly asked for was not ob-
tained, and the writer subsequently learned that his
antagonist was a minister of the gospel from Mis-
souri. Each had judged the other to be of the
legal profession.
Next morning when the writer arose (as he was
wont to rise earlier than most) he found the col-
ored servants and waiters in the cabin busy doing
up their morning work. They recognized him at
once, and greeted him very cordially, and from that
time onward until we reached St. Louis, no one on
board was served more faithfully, or waited upon
Rev. John Todd 57
at table more promptly and generously, than was
your humble servant.
Among the passengers on board was a young
man recently from the seminary, and under ap-
pointment by the A. H. M. Society to a field in
Missouri, who though not pro-slavery In sentiment
himself, admitted that he would be under the neces-
sity of keeping silent on the subject of slavery.
As we sat conversing together on the upper deck
the boat rounded to and landed at Cairo, where
all passengers going south disembarked. Promi-
nent among these was the Louisiana slaveholder,
so eager to kill the abolitionist but unwilling to
disgrace himself by expending his ammunition on
such unworthy game. As he mounted to the top of
the levee, followed by his faithful slave in charge
of his baggage, he cast his eye back, and seeing the
writer on the deck, called out, " Ho, you abolition-
ist, ain't you going south with us? I'll keep you
a week for nothing, till they get ready to hang
you." The writer replied, " That's where they do
such things. I'm not going there."
Before reaching St. Louis It became apparent
that the boat would not get in before Sabbath
morning. As Brother Gaston had all his goods on
board, he felt it to be his duty to remain on board
with them. Others of us had no such excuse.
When, therefore, we learned that the boat had to
land a passenger at St. Genevieve, we proposed to
^8 Reminiscences
land with him. It was late Saturday night, very
dark and raining, and the landing some distance
from the town. We went for our baggage, but
the boat did not come to a full stop, but simply
slowed up to enable them to shove out a plank;
and we returned just in time to see the plank drawn
in and the disembarking passenger scrambling up
a steep bank.
FROM ST. LOUIS TO PERCIVAL
In 1848, in proportion to the amount of travel-
ing done, a larger portion of it was done by river
steamboat than since railroads have become so
common. Few boats then ran up the Missouri
farther than St. Joe, although the river was navig-
able many hundreds of miles higher up. Boats
were always lying at the St. Louis landing, ready
to go wherever business called, and whenever they
had secured a load. Boats for the upper Missouri
would advertise accordingly, and as travelers usu-
ally are eager to be forwarded on their way as
expeditiously as possible, it is some object to take
passage on the boat that leaves first for your des-
tination. Consequently, as you go along the levee
to ascertain when the different boats are likely to
start, you will find them exceedingly accommodat-
ing with promises. They are always going to start
about the time you want to go, if they can find out
what that time is. They fire up every day — blow
Rev. John Todd 59
off steam — cause their paddle wheels to revolve in
the water — splash and spatter and foam, as a race
horse restive to be gone. These measures are
resorted to for days in succession in order to retain
the passengers already engaged, and also to add to
their numbers. Sometimes you may learn from the
merchants that they are lying to you. Having had
occasion to purchase some articles to take along,
and on urging them to not fail to have them put
on board by a set time, as the boat was then to
start, " Why," said the merchant, " they are not
going to start by that time, you may be sure, for
there is freight here to be put aboard that same
boat twenty-four hours later than that." There
is, however, this redeeming feature in the case, as
soon as you engage your passage, you can go
aboard and make yourself at home, and be boarded
and lodged gratuitously until you do start.
The Missouri river is always very low in the
autumn. This fact, together with the many snags
and sawyers which obstruct the ever-shifting chan-
nel, makes it difficult to navigate. Its swift but
turbid waters roll and tumble along their uneven
and changeful channel, sometimes with a smooth
surface and again plunging and boiling like a pot.
The Missouri river boats usually carry with them
two mast-like sparring poles, with rope and tackle,
to help over sand bars and lift the boat off when it
gets aground. So shifting is the alluvial soil
6o R
eminiscences
through which the river flows that the principal
channel can be determined in places only by the
lead and line. One day the pilot, being in doubt
as to where the channel lay, ordered out the " lead
and line." As the boatman threw it he cried out,
" No bottom ! " " No bottom ! " " No bottom ! "
and the very next throw, " Five feet and a
half! " Of course the boat could not run at
night, and the passage became necessarily tedious.
Before reaching St. Joe our boat ran for miles
through what we were told was a few years before
a luxurious corn field. We reached St. Joe Sat-
urday afternoon. As we were intending to pro-
cure horses there, and proceed the rest of the way
by land, we no sooner made our wishes known than
plenty of horses were offered at very reasonable
rates, the owners apparently eager to sell. Brother
Gaston bought a span, and Deacon Hall and the
writer each one horse. We took lodgings at the
Edgar House, then two or more blocks from the
river, but twenty-five years later a frail, deserted
building on the river's brink.
Having rested on the Lord's day and attended
worship with Christian friends, we arose on Mon-
day morning refreshed and eager to reach our des-
tination.
The wagon and buggy which Brother Gaston
had brought with him were soon fitted up and
goods loaded. As my horse was not broken to
Rev. John Todd 6l
harness, Deacon Hall's was harnessed to the buggy
to take the women and children. Thus our little
caravan of ten persons set out for a hundred mile
journey to Percival, Iowa. But we had not pro-
ceeded far before we learned that Brother Hall's
horse was not a safe buggy beast, and that some
different arrangement must be made. The con-
vincing evidence of that fact was as follows : We
had proceeded but a short distance — the writer on
horseback in front, followed by Deacon Hall, Mrs.
Adams, Mrs. Gaston and Euphelia in the buggy,
and after them Brother Gaston, Alexander and
Alonzo in the loaded wagon, and S. H. Adams
and D. P. Matthews on foot some distance still in
the rear. As the buggy neared a bridge across a
small stream which wended its way at the bottom
of a deep worn channel, the animal became restive
and fractious, and had scarcely crossed the bridge
when Deacon Hall, in efforts to control it, broke
one of the lines and thus caused the animal to turn
short about and plunge down the bank and dart
through under the bridge, throwing some of the
passengers clear across the brook, breaking the
buggy and leaving it bottom side up, the horse
never stopping until it had torn itself entirely free;
nor could it be made to go near the buggy again,
and all pronounced it unsafe. Some were seriously
but none dangerously hurt, although they bore the
marks of the injuries for months. The whole
62 R
emtmscences
catastrophe occurred In much less time than it can
be told.
Accordingly the buggy and some of the lading
were left by the way, and we went forward — two
on horseback and the rest with the loaded wagon.
Thus we plodded on our weary way through a
sparsely peopled country where conveniences and
comforts were few — no nobility to cringe to, no
palatial residences to covet, nor overflowing wealth
to envy, but everywhere a simple-hearted generos-
ity that stands ready to help in time of need. Some-
times we found friendly shelter at night, and some-
times we slept under the broad canopy of heaven,
but in due time without any serious mishap we
reached the hospitable home of Lester W. Piatt
and Elvira, his wife, in October, 1848. They had
been expecting us, and our arrival was a mutually
joyous meeting.
A LOCATION SOUGHT FOR
Having reached our destination, and while en-
joying a hearty hospitality, we took it a little
leisurely, resting a day or two from our long jour-
ney, though never losing sight of the object in
view.
From Oberlin, where there was but one church,
and the people eminently a church-going people,
the writer took his first pastorate in Clarksfield,
where were three churches in a community not
half so populous as Oberlin, and where the at-
Rev. John Todd 63
tendants on worship, In all three churches taken
together, were not half so many as attended the
one church in Oberlin. These facts deeply im-
pressed the writer with the wastefulness and want
of economy with which evangelistic efforts were
carried on — and the importance of more union and
cordial co-operation in the work of the Lord among
Christians; and while it seemed impracticable to
organize union, where the different denominations
had already started separately, yet the folly and
cost of so many divisions among God's people was
so apparent that, if in the outset on the frontiers the
children of God could be brought together, we
might hope to secure permanent union. This con-
sideration more than any other led the writer to
consider favorably the proposition to come to
southwestern Iowa.
Some time before. Dr. Ira D. Blanchard and
family, including Miss Abbie Walton, so recently
deceased (1890), located in the near vicinity of
Mr. Piatt's. They had come from the Baptist
mission among the Indians in Kansas, but were
open communion in sentiment. There were
also a dozen or more families in a circuit of
two or three miles radius, some of whom were
decidedly partial to Methodism. Most of the
latter were from Virginia, Kentucky and Mis-
souri, where free schools were not prevalent, and
many of them were unable to read or write.
64 Reminiscences
We soon began to search out the country, travel-
ing usually on horseback, escorted by Mr. Piatt,
or Dr. Blanchard, and sometimes attended by both.
We were taken across the bottom to the big spring,
and visited Father Rector's. Again, we passed
through the large body of timber, In the bend
of the river. To those of us who had lived among
the thick forests of northern Ohio, the tall straight
cottonwoods looked very homelike and inviting,
while In the uplands the trees were more scatter-
ing and shorter, requiring, according to the Idiom
of the country, two trees in order to get a log long
enough to make a fence post. Indeed, timber was
so scarce in the bluffs that we did not expect to
see the prairie between the Missouri and the Nish-
nabotna all settled up In our lifetime. The Mis-
souri bottom, with a width of eight miles, and ex-
tending north and south far beyond the reach of
human vision, was a beautiful level plain, whose
fertility was assured by the tall, rank grass which
everywhere clothed Its surface. Repeatedly did
we hear the saddening story of many thousands
of dollars lost for want of flocks and herds enough
to consume the grass. Another time we attended a
political mass meeting on the Wabonsle creek, not
far below the old carding mill, where Wabonsa,
the old Indian chief, was said to have once re-
sided. The meeting was called to take measures
to urge upon the legislature the organization of a
Rev. John Todd 65
new county In the southwest corner of the state,
as the Gentiles In these parts were restive under
Mormon rule at KanesvUle. The meeting was
numerously attended and harmonious In Its action.
A form of petition was agreed upon, signed, and
entrusted to Joslah B. Hall and John Todd, with
Instructions to leave It with the first member of the
legislature they should meet as they crossed the
state on their return to Ohio, which they accord-
ingly did.
At another time we took a ride north as far
as Trader's Point, about forty miles, left our
horses on this side of the river, and crossed over In
a skiff to the Presbyterian Indian Mission, which
occupied the present site of Bellevlew. There we
found Rev. Mr. McKInney In charge of a board-
ing school for Indian children, and enjoyed a plea-
sant talk with him about the success of his work.
As Brother Gaston had for a time lived among the
Indians at that point, he was well acquainted with
many of them, and we were permitted to enter
many of their log cabins with him, and were Intro-
duced to many of his aboriginal friends in their
own homes — Indian, squaw, and papoose, all In
their native style and polished manners. After
a hasty call and friendly chat, to most of us wholly
unintelligible, we retreated across the river and
mounting our steeds took up our line of march
eastv^^ard along the Mormon trail. Deacon Hall
66 Rem
intscences
and the writer set out for Ohio, and our com-
panions kindly accompanied us as far as Silver
Creek, where we lodged together in the unfinished
house of Dr. Dalrymple. In the morning (Fri-
day) we parted. Brother Hall and the writer to
pursue our long and lonely way to Ohio, the others
to return to Civil Bend to provide winter quarters
for their families. We had found no very de-
sirable location for our purpose. The uplands
were ineligible because so rough, hilly and desti-
tute of building timber. The bottoms, though
level, beautiful, and possessed of inexhaustible fer-
tility, were low, and though now dry, indicated in
places that they were sometimes overflowed. On
the whole, it was agreed that we had found no
point preferable to the vicinity of Percival. We
had heard much of the beauty and desirableness
of " the three river country," and were charged
to keep on the lookout as we crossed the state and
visit if possible "the three river country," in the
vicinity of Des Moines, and, if we found any more
desirable location we should inform them by letter,
otherwise the vicinity of Percival would be re-
garded as the location.
CHAPTER III
RETURN HOME
A THOUSAND-MILE HORSEBACK RIDE
FROM that unfinished house of Dr. Dalrymple
on Silver Creek, on Friday in 'October,
1848, Deacon Joslah B. Hall, a native of
New England, and myself turned our faces east-
ward and struck out for Ohio. We had traveled
on the " Mormon trail " from near Trader's Point.
This was at that time the only road connecting the
settlements in eastern Iowa with the Missouri
slope. As there were thousands of Mormons who,
dissatisfied with their treatment at Nauvoo, had
decided to make Salt Lake valley their home, per-
sons were sent in advance to look out a practicable
route, build bridges, and prepare the way. Six-
teen months or more before, the mass of them
passed over this road on their way from Illinois
to Utah. In order to avoid famine in that wild
and uncultivated region, many of them stopped
temporarily by the way, so that the first settlers
along that road, in the Missouri valley, and along
the way by groves and streams, were chiefly Mor-
mons.
68 R
emimscences
Setting out then from Silver Creek our course
lay by Indiantown in Cass county, of which we
heard frequent mention; and as it would be diffi-
cult to get grain for our horses on the way, we
purposed to give them a good feed at Indiantown.
Our own provisions we carried with us, also two
blankets and a buffalo robe. On we Avent, stopping
only to lunch and graze, till the sun had far de-
scended the western sky, when on looking forward
we discovered a log house and deemed that we
were coming into the vicinity of Indiantown, but
as that house was several rods from the track of
our road, we concluded to pass on until we came
to the town before feeding. That house stood in
the forks of Indian creek and the East Nishna-
botna, where we saw also poles, crotches, and bark,
arranged in Indian style, for lodges. These doubt-
less gave rise to the name Indiantown, for we saw
no more houses in that region. We fed no grain,
for the good reason there was none to feed. Still
on we rode, until darkness closed down around us,
and the pressing, practical question was, " Where
shall we lodge? " On looking ahead we discerned,
as we descended a hill to cross a stream, a fire of
logs in a grove on the opposite bank, and a num-
ber of people gathered about it enjoying them-
selves apparently. On asking them if we might
share their fire with them for the night, they re-
Rev. John Todd 69
fused, and we rode on. They had their teams
out in the direction we were going, grazing. When,
therefore, we passed on, they followed us, until
we were quite by, evidently judging us to be horse
thieves, and deciding to give us no chance to steal
theirs. On we went several miles further in the
dark, then turned down in a hollow, several rods
from the road, where we camped, if camping it
could be called, when we had neither tent nor
wagon — not a tree, or stake, or bush to tie to —
the blue concave above bespangled with stars, and
the howl of the prairie wolf in the distance, from
different points of the horizon. We had not
learned to tie our horses, each to the other's tail.
There seemed no alternative but that one of us
hold the horses, while the other slept. Arranging
the saddles so as to ward off the wind, and the
blankets and robe for comfort and warmth, my
comrade was soon in dreamland, while I kept
vigils. About midnight we exchanged places; but
as the moon rose at two or three in the morning,
it was thought best to push forward, as we would
with difficulty reach a resting place for the Sab-
bath. So we packed up and mounted, finding, as
the day dawned, both frost and ice. We journeyed
on through all that day with scarcely the sight of
a human being, until we were glad to see and speak
with any man, be he Mormon, horse thief, or In-
yo Reminiscences
dian. The road seemed long. We traveled hours
in the morning by moonlight — all day long with
as little stop as possible — and to 9 o'clock at night,
always supposing that we went not less than sev-
enty miles. We came upon campers by the way-
side sometime before we reached our destination,
and sweeter music the writer never heard than was
the tinkling of that first cowbell that Saturday
evening. The place was called Pisgah, and we
took quarters with Elder York of the church of
Latter Day Saints, until the following Monday.
We were well entertained although we were not
treated to all the luxuries of a Boston market.
From our Pisgah we were more desirous just then
to see the land of Nod than the land of Canaan.
Whether this settlement has a place or a name on
modern maps I know not, but my remembrance of
it was that of a little valley among hills by a small
stream, in which were a few log dwellings, with
a small, plain house of worship on higher ground.
After seeing our horses cared for, and satisfying
the inner man, we were prepared to test Solomon's
truthfulness when he said, " The sleep of a labor-
ing man is sweet whether he eat little or much."
Surely the Sabbath is a godsend to weary mortals !
So dark was the night, that not until the morning
dawn could we form any adequate conception of
either the place or the people.
Rev. John Todd Ji
A SABBATH AT PISGAH
Many utterly refuse to hallow or keep holy
God's Sabbath, yet comparatively few fail to be
benefited, even by their very imperfect observance
of it. To most persons it breaks in upon the mo-
notony peculiar to other days, and by change brings
rest. There may be no thankful, prayerful, wor-
shipful heart — no reading or study of the Bible —
no going to church or joining in public divine wor-
ship — little thought of God, and less of obliga-
tions to Him, and yet the Sabbath is to man, as an
animal, a blessing — a rest as it is to his horse or
his ox. The day is by most persons treated rest-
fully. They lie longer in the morning — are freer
from care through the day — business presses less
heavily — fathers renew their acquaintance with
their families — children return from toil, and
gather around the home circle — flurry and hurry
are wanting — a leisurely, deliberate gait attends
every movement. This itself tends to lengthen
life, and promote health. The Sabbath evidently
brought a change in Pisgah.
As we entered the common apartment in the
morning our host greeted us with a hearty " good
morning," and sat down to entertain his guests by
conversation, while the breakfast was in course of
preparation. Among other things, the writer in-
quired of him the views of Morm.ons in regard
72 Reminiscences
to the Sabbath. He replied that they beheved in
the Sabbath just as Christians generally do — that
they regard it as of divine appointment — a day of
rest and worship, but that they had been so unset-
tled that they had not been able to observe it so
strictly as they otherwise might have done. Some
of them, he said, took the liberty to hunt prairie
chickens on Sunday, and justified themselves by
saying, " Anyone having domestic fowls would
think it no wrong to go to his hen house and get
a chicken to satisfy hunger on the Sabbath. The
prairie is our hen house. The only difference is
ours is less convenient." As we passed out of the
gate to go to church, some of the boys were play-
ing ball in the street. The Elder ordered them
into the house, and asked, "Where is John?"
They replied, " He is gone hunting." The whole
tone and manner of the boys showed very plainly
that they were not used to having their play broken
up in that way. The meeting house, a small very
plain structure, stood on the top of a hill or bluff
near by, where were gathering the residents of the
settlement, and travelers camping near. There
were present that day two Elders who had just
returned from the valley of Salt Lake to inform
the brethren on the way of the prospect that
awaited them there, and encourage them to go for-
ward. The first speaker, among other things,
commented on some passages of scripture in the
Rev. John Todd 73
following style: Gen. 2: 16-17, "Of every tree
of the garden thou mayest freely eat. But of the
tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt
not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof
thou shalt surely die." " Now, how is this? This
command was given to our first parents near the
beginning of their existence. They remained obe-
dient but a short time manifestly, and yet Adam
lived 930 years. How are we to understand it?
Peter tells us that ' one day is with the Lord as a
thousand years,' and Adam didn't live a thousand
years. So you see he died the same Lord's day
that he ate of the forbidden fruit. It is by com-
paring scripture with scripture that we may hope
to understand the Bible."
After he had finished and sat down, his brother
arose and discoursed upon the attractions of Salt
Lake valley thus: " You needn't be afraid to go
on to the valley, lest you want for bread. They
have had excellent crops there. Nothing but the
pure wheat grows there. They have raised wheat
in abundance to supply all that are likely to go on,
and more too; so that none who go on need fear
coming to want. You may have heard that the
crickets injured the corn. Well, they did eat some
of the outside rows, but by and by the gulls came
along and ate up the crickets, and so made a good
job of it all around. But before I stop I want to
tell you a story. A man at the east invented a
74 Reminiscences
gun which possessed properties of sufficient worth
to get it patented. He accordingly had a model
constructed, preparatory to applying for a patent.
But before he sent it off he undertook to exhibit
its extraordinary qualities to a friend of his, and,
while looking at it, it began to shoot — and it shot!
— and shot! — and shot! — until it shot itself all
away but the lock, and that lay snapping; and now
lest I be like that gun, I will sit down, for I don't
want to be snapping." These were the remarks,
the application, and conclusion, of this peculiar
discourse, and the speaker sat down.
An item of business was brought forward at
the close. Some of the poor saints had reached
them on their way westward, and lacked means to
proceed farther. A collection was accordingly
taken, and arrangements made to forward them on
their way to Council Bluffs (then Kanesville).
As there were no farther public services, we re-
turned to Elder York's, and improved the remain-
der of the day in reading and resting. That night
It rained, which Deacon Hall always spoke of as
a special providence to prevent the stealing of our
horses. We were hospitably received, well enter-
tained, and not exorbitantly taxed. On the morrow
we passed on our way rested and refreshed, both
we and our horses.
We were now so near " the three river country,"
that in conversation with Elder York, we learned
Rev. John Todd 75
that some of his neighbors had gone there in the
early spring to make sugar, I proposed, therefore,
to Deacon Hall that we leave the Mormon trail,
and visit that country often so highly commended.
But he would not hear of it at all, contemptuously
saying, " Do you think the Lord would send us
round by the Missouri river, if He wanted us to
go to the three river country? "
The rain during Sunday night rendered the road
somewhat muddy, nevertheless after breakfasting
and settling our bills, we again mounted our steeds,
and set our faces eastward. Our roadway was for
the most part discreetly chosen. As the country
was generally well watered by rivulets, whose flow
had commonly cut deep channels through the soft
alluvial soil, which required bridging, economy oft-
en prompted a crossing just above a break off where
the confluent w^ater of a marsh began to form its
channel. The safe way here was usually a narrow
way. To go too near the brink or waterfall on the
one hand, was attended with danger, and to venture
out among the cat tail flags on the other, was hardly
less perilous. Fortunately for us, we were on
horseback, and not cumbered with a wheeled
vehicle. Once we found a deep stream, where the
bridge had been carried off by a freshet, leaving
only the stringers. The problem to solve was, how
to get across. The horses could not walk the
stringers, and to attempt to ford so deep, swift and
76 Reminiscences
swollen a current, with banks almost perpendicular,
involved great risk. By carrying our saddles over
on the stringers, and by means of a lariat, one drew
the horses from the farther side, while the other
urged them into the stream on this side. Thus we
got safely over, and were enabled to pursue our
lonely way. Although houses were few in this part
of Iowa at that time, we always found lodging un-
der shelter. One night in the vicinity of the White
Breast stream, we stopped over night with a Mr.
Wilson of perhaps threescore years, who with his
wife had the year before come from the region
of Savannah, Mo., taken a claim, and made a
new start in frontier life. They had built a log
cabin, and made some improvements, and enter-
tained us right hospitably. From our host we
learned of his experience the following:
In beginning a home with everything to be done,
it is always wise to do first, what is most necessary.
His team was an indispensable helper, yet at first
he could feed his horses only by tying them out on
the prairie at the end of a rope to graze. One
morning he rose early to get his horses to go to
mill, as they were about out of flour; and went out
hatless, and lo ! his horses were gone. By tracking
them he ascertained the direction they had taken
and hoped to find them in the next hollow. So
he followed, lured on still by hope of seeing
them from the top of the next rise. On and on
Rev. John Todd J J
he went — drawn by hope, and impelled by ne-
cessity; for what could he do without a team?
r He could not go to mill, and two persons would
sooner starv^e on the little they had than would one,
and so on he pushed hatless and coatless, in the
dishabille in which he sallied forth in the morning.
After many disappointments, hope of overtaking
them began to fail ; but as he was already far from
his home, what better could he do than to follow
on to the place, from which he had brought them?
And so he did, and found them there, after a tramp
of not less than one hundred and twenty-five miles,
and most of the way across a trackless prairie.
Before reaching the Des Moines river we left
the Mormon trail, and crossed the river at Eddy-
ville on a ferryboat, which was propelled across
by the force of the current.
At Fairfield we found a member of the Iowa
legislature, and entrusted to him the petition sent
by us from the Gentile mass meeting held in
Wabonsie to the legislature, asking for the organ-
ization of a new county in southwestern Iowa. We
found Hon. Mr. Baker, a member of the Iowa
legislature, at work in his blacksmith shop, and
as we asked an interview on business, he dropped
his hammer, folded his arms, seated himself on
his anvil, and gave audience. We presented the
petition, related the circumstances in which it was
drawn up, and requested him to bring the matter
78 Reminiscences
before the legislature at Its next meeting. We
understood him to promise that he would, but
never heard from the papers afterward. After a
lapse of many years, I Incidentally met the same
Mr. Baker In Council Bluffs, when on Inquiring
about the m.atter, he replied that he never presented
the petition at all — that he took us to be Mormons,
and considered the whole to be a Mormon device.
From Fairfield, passing through Mt. Pleasant,
Burlington (where we ferried the Mississippi
river) , and Monmouth, we spent the Sabbath, and
worshipped with a good Methodist brother. In a
countr)^ place, about six miles south of Galesburg.
On Monday morning we passed on to Galesburg,
called on Rev. Lucius H. Parker, and thence
directed our course toward Granville In Putnam
county, where we found my father, brother, sister
and brother-in-law, Mr. French. As it was getting
late In the season, and cold weather seemed im-
minent, we only stayed over night, and passed on
in the morning. It had rained and snowed, so that
the puddles along the road were frozen over.
Near Valparaiso, Indiana, we passed the polling
place, where a crowd was gathered holding the
presidential election of November, 1848. Our
third Sabbath on the way was spent at a hotel
in Wheatland, Michigan. We attended service in
a school house, where the writer preached in the
evening. We found the road very bad through the
Rev. John Todd 79
Maumee swamp, but In the course of the week we
reached our homes in Ohio, without sickness,
accident or any farther remarkable occurrence.
Soon after, we met in pubHc meeting at Oberhn,
the friends interested in our enterprise, and
presented a detailed statement of what we had
learned about the country, and the feasibility of
the contemplated settlement. Some thought fa-
vorably of the project and others unfavorably.
CHAPTER IV
INTERIM AND RETURN TO IOWA
ON THE writer's return to Ohio, his pastoral
duties to the people of his charge in
Clarksfield were resumed, and continued
for about eighteen months longer. Meanwhile
correspondence was kept up between the friends
already in Iowa, and those in Ohio, who were
interested in the success of the enterprise. No one,
however, from Ohio joined those already in Iowa
during the year 1849. ^^^ ^^ ^^e spring of 1850,
Deacon John W. Smith, of Litchfield, and Deacon
Josiah B. Hall, of Oberlin, Ohio, with their fam-
ilies joined the settlement at Percival, going by way
of the Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri rivers. In
the same spring the writer's pastoral relations with
the church in Clarksfield ceased. His household
goods were packed and forwarded to Iowa in the
care of Deacons Hall and Smith, while we, after
sorrowful partings from those we had learned to
love, and sad farewells, repaired to the residence
of the writer's father-in-law, Judge Atkins in
Cleveland, where we also had a numerous family
meeting, which proved to most of that large family
group a last meeting on earth, as but one now sur-
Rev. John Todd 8i
vives. As we were going to so remote a part of the
country, it seemed like a last farewell. The writer
too visited the place of his nativity, and looked once
more upon the scenes of his childhood — the stone
house — the barn where we played " hide and
seek " — the old red pump where we so often slaked
our thirst — the green meadow coursed by a rippling
rill, where we so often sprinkled the bleaching
cloths — the pasture where on the green hill-side
the lambkins sportively played, while their dams
quietly grazed by their side — the pond near by,
the paradise of geese and ducks in summer and of
skating boys and girls in winter, but a worse than
Tartarus to the luckless hen that chanced to lead
her bastard brood of ducklings too near its shore —
there too was the orchard where we so often
satiated our craving for fruit — there the garden,
where currants and strawberries flourished, and
where wise and honored parents so oft required of
lazy boys the thorough cleaning out of a definite
portion of weedy garden, before any playing could
be allowed. They required it, and made their
word good, and now their children rise up and call
them blessed. How mistaken the notion that to
let children have their own way is kindness ! It
is a downright curse !
The writer also passed on to New York, and
visited Washington, — looked in upon the august
legislators of this great nation — Webster, and Clay,
82 Reminiscences
and Benton and their compeers, he entered the
White House, and stood by the side of President
Taylor, only a short time before he died. From
the center of national power, and wealth, and
culture, and art, and refinement, he turned his face
to the frontier of civilization.
As the friends in Iowa had expressed a wish
that a teacher for their school should accompany
the writer on his return, he accordingly obtained
the consent of Miss Rachel Tucker (now Mrs.
D. P. Matthews) to respond to that call. She
accordingly joined us at Cleveland, where with
wife and three children, we all embarked on a
steamer for Detroit — thence by the Michigan Cen-
tral railroad to Michigan City — thence by steamer
across Lake Michigan to Chicago (then an in-
significant village) — thence by Illinois and Mich-
igan canal to LaSalle — thence by private convey-
ance to Granville, where we visited for several days,
and saw father for the last time. Again we took
steamer at Hennepin on the Illinois river, but the
river was very low, and our progress was thereby
very much retarded, so that, instead of reaching St.
Louis before the Sabbath, as we were encouraged
to expect, when Saturday evening came, we found
ourselves many miles from the mouth of the
Illinois river. Accordingly we were put ashore
and stopped over the Sabbath, and not until
Tuesday or Wednesday did we find a chance to
Rev. John Todd 83
re-embark. Did a proper regard for the Sabbath
require this at our hands?
We reached St. Louis in safety, and were de-
tained there several days before we found a boat,
that would take us to our destination. We had the
usual experience of a boat ascending the Missouri
river, but had to contend with fewer obstructions,
as there was a full stage of water. Although de-
siring to stop at Lambert's landing, the captain
took us to Council Bluffs, and left us on his return
the next day, July i, 1850, at Lambert's landing.
We were glad enough to find a stopping place. We
found that a long and tiresome journey prepares
the emigrant to be content with the necessary
privations and hardships of a frontier settlement.
Our friends greeted and welcomed us most cordial-
ly, and our meeting was the occasion of mutual
gladness.
In the twenty months since Mr. Gaston's arrival
much had been done, considering the few there
were to do, and the inconveniences under which they
labored. A house had been built for Mr. Gaston,
a house for Mr. Adams, a house erected and en-
closed for the minister when he should come, a
school house also for the school, and a frame for
a steam saw mill, and boiler room to receive the
boiler, when the machinery already contracted for
should arrive. A kiln of bricks had been made and
burned, and a shingle factory had been started,
84 Reminiscences
and thousands of shingles been made, besides
stables, barns, and sheds for stock. Many acres
of land too had been broken and enclosed.
In Christian work too they had not been idle.
A union church had been organized embracing
most of the professed Christians of the neighbor-
hood. A Sunday school had been started, and
many of the people had been gathered into it. A
well attended weekly prayer meeting was main-
tained. A temperance society was organized, and
numbers in the community had been induced to sign
the pledge for the first time. When the minister
came among them, the various parts of the
machinery for Christian work were already in
operation. The first public service to which he was
called was a Sunday school celebration of the
Fourth of July, when he was called upon to address
the children in the unfinished boiler room of the
steam mill. Mrs. Piatt had drilled and prepared
the children to sing on the occasion, which they did
with great spirit and enthusiasm. After the public
exercises a picnic or basket dinner was discussed by
the assembled throng. Though comparatively a
day of small things, It was a great day to many —
a day such as they never had seen before.
CHAPTER V
GETTING INTO THE WORK
ALTHOUGH a log house had been raised
and roofed for the minister before his
arrival, it was not in a state to be occupied.
There was neither floor nor door in it. Mr.
Gaston's house was not completed, but such accom-
modations as it afforded were willingly shared with
the minister and his family, until his own home
could be made tenantable. A chamber floored by
a few loose boards formed his sleeping apartment,
and the forest near by, his study, so that he lacked
not for ventilation by night, or by day. Soon,
however, practicable measures were taken to finish
the parsonage. No pine lumber was attainable in
the region anywhere, and no lumber of any kind
nearer than 2<; miles, and only a little and at fa-
vored times could be had as near as that. Conse-
quently Mr. Gaston and Mr. Adams with some
others to assist repaired to the woods with team
and tools, selected and felled a free splitting cotton-
wood tree, sawed it into pieces of about six feet in
length, which were then split into slabs or pun-
cheons, as like heavy plank as they could be made
by splitting. These were drawn to the parsonage,
86 Reminiscences
a mile or more distant, where by a little ingenuity,
they were set and firmly held on their edge, until
one side was smoothed with a broadax. These,
when properly placed upon the sleepers, formed
a passably good floor. A doorway was also cut,
a door frame inserted and a door hung, and the
house was ready for the parson.
Owing to the late hour of its completion and our
desire to relieve our friends, and get into improved
quarters, we moved into our new house late Satur-
day evening. The three children had gone to sleep,
and were stowed away for the night, while we,
their parents, devoted ourselves industriously to
arranging our household effects, so that we might
keep the Sabbath in a Christian way. We had
provided ourselves with mosquito bars and fixtures,
but supposed that in a new house, we might pass
at least two nights without them. But very soon,
restlessness on the part of the children, and an
occasional outcry assured us that the enemy had
already gained entrance, and demanded immediate
attention. Not until we had surrounded our bed
with mosquito bars, and driven out the invaders,
did we dare to retire. Persons of the present day
can form little idea of the annoyance produced by
these insignificant pests, in those early days — in-
significant in size but formidable in numbers. The
usual prairie breezes kept them down in the tall
grass, but in a calm sultry evening it was amusing
Rev. John Todd 87
to see milking done. It was a brush with both
hands about the face and ears — then a hasty draw
from the cow's udder — these movements alter-
nating with great regularity until the work was
done. Sometimes it was with difficulty that
respiration was performed without inhaling mos-
quitos. Indeed, in some calm afternoons they
would rise from the grass so numerous and dense
as to cast a haze over the sun. They were of a
prolific and sturdy species. "A great many of them
would weigh a pound," and if they did not sit on
the trees and bark, it was because there were no
trees there. During that first summer the building
of a mosquito smoke toward evening became a
daily necessity. Nor would these sacrilegious pests
hesitate to break in upon our devotional hours.
We often found it necessary in our weekly prayer
meetings to watch and fight as well as pray, and not
infrequently would be heard between the ascending
petitions the sweep or brush of the hand to drive
away the assaihng foe.
But the hot season soon passed by and the
bracing winds of autumn began to whistle around
our dwellings. Many were looking anxiously for
the steam saw mill in expectation, that they might
obtain the lumber needed to make their homes
comfortable for the approaching winter. The
parsonage was no exception. High enough for
a story and a half, it was open from puncheon floor
88 R
emtniscences
to the shingles on the roof, and a Stuart cooking
stove, that freezes the cook, could do little toward
warming properly such a house. Lumber was not
obtained until late in December — not until it had
become so cold that the water in our glasses at
table actually froze over, while we were eating
(for adhering still to our Oberlin principles we
used neither tea nor coffee). Our table too was
as near the stove as we could place it, and the stove
as hot as we could make it. The weather was
very cold. The piercing prairie winds had come
down upon us in their fury, as if to destroy us.
But the cold relaxed. Lumber was obtained. A
floor overhead narrowed the space to be warmed,
and we were more comfortable. The minister's
study was the common family room. Two holes
were bored in a log on the north side, at a proper
height and incline, in these two wooden pins were
inserted, and across these a puncheon was fastened.
This was the writing desk, but, as in cold weather,
this was too far from the stove to be comfortable,
the parson seated himself by the stove, and with
portfolio on his lap and inkstand on the stove or
on the lid of some pot, there prepared his sermons.
As the puncheon floor became seasoned, the children
were greatly annoyed by the sudden disappearance
of their playthings down the cracks. After ad-
justing matters around home and providing for the
comfort and welfare of the family, arrangements
Rev. John Todd 89
were made for holding religious services abroad.
About 1849 when the wonderful stories of rich
gold mines in California had crazed so many, a
company of emigrants set out from Bureau
county, Illinois, to cross the plains, consisting of
father and mother Clark, stepson Barnes and
family, two daughters, Mary and Cordelia, and
their husbands Tozier and Martin, two sons, Am-
brose and George, and their wives, and one un-
married son, James — thirteen adults In all,
for California across the plains, but having started
too late in the season to reach their destination,
stopped to winter on the east bank of the Missouri
river, at a point opposite the mouth of the Big
Platte river. There they laid out a town calling
it California City. (In later years it was known
as Florence.) As a company they never went
farther. At that point regular appointments were
made. Several of the company were professing
Christians, others became Interested and a little
church was formed which existed for a number of
years until several died, some moved away, the
location went into the river and other points
attracted the people.
At Trader's Point, 8 miles farther north and
nearly east of Bellevlew In Nebraska, a place of 35
or 40 buildings, another appointment was made.
Still another on Honey Creek, 18 miles above
Council Bluffs. Another at Stutsman's Mills on
90 Reminiscences
the West NIshnabotna. Again in Cutler's camp
on Silver Creek, not very distant from Silver City.
There were appointments also on High Creek, and
at Linden in Missouri. Glenwoood and Sidney
had then no existence. Sidney was selected for
the county seat in the summer of 1851, but had
only a pole with the stars and stripes flying there-
from to mark the site selected. No buildings were
erected on the site until the latter part of that
summer.
The steam mill did not reach the settlement on
the Missouri bottom until December, and was so
far from complete in its parts that it was a source
of great vexation all winter. The man, Mr. Lyons,
sent out to set it up, could not make it work satis-
factorily. It produced some lumber, but at a dear
rate. Every repair was made at a great disadvan-
tage so remote from all machine shops.
Since in the unorganized state of our county,
there was no legally recognized school district, or
established public school, some of the neighbors on
the bottom friendly to education co-operated, and
erected a comfortable log school house about the
year 1849. I" this a flourishing school, embracing
most of the children of school age in the vicinity,
was in successful progress in 1850, under Mrs.
E. G. Piatt as teacher. In the autumn of that
year a colored family by the name of Garner came
into the neighborhood, who had been known to
Rev. John Todd 91
Dr. I. D. Blanchard when in Kansas. They had
been industrious and economical and bought their
freedom and came to a free state to enjoy it. The
children of this family were of course invited to
attend both day school and Sunday school, and as
they accepted the invitation, immediately up
bounded the race question, which was soon prac-
tically solved by the incendiary burning of the
school house, the only place in the entire settlement
where either school or meeting could be held. Such
was the sentiment of the executive officers of the
county, and the laws of the state too, that this
family was required to give bonds that they would
not become a charge to the county, before they
could become residents of the same. I. D. Blan-
chard and G. B. Gaston became their bondsmen.
A case of Asiatic cholera occurred on the boat
on which the parson and his family ascended the
river from St. Louis in June, 1850. In July
or August of that year there were several
fatal cases in our settlement. Squire Lambert
and his wife both died of it, and were interred
by night. None who practiced total abstinence
were attacked by it.
In 185 I, about the time when the June rise in
the Missouri river had filled its banks, we were
visited with frequent heavy rains attended by sharp
lightning and heavy thunder. The rains came
usually in the night and often the flash of hght-
92 Reminiscences
ning was immediately followed by the thunder,
quick, short, and sharp, like the explosion of a
cannon. The streams from the bluffs swollen by
the rains poured large quantities of water into the
bottom, where meeting the overflow from the river
they spread out over a large part of the lowland. It
could not, however, be seen, on account of the tall
green grass, which at this season completely cov-
ered the Missouri bottom. From the roof of a
barn on which the parson had just been working,
there was as fine a view of the surrounding region
as he had ever had. Northward and southward
as far as the eye could reach was one sea of waving
green. Eastward it was bounded by the bluffs,
and westward by the forest along the river. The
land of Canaan never furnished to Abraham such
a view as this. But things seen are not always
what they appear to be. On a bright Saturday
afternoon in June, 185 i, our itinerant set out on
horseback for Linden, Missouri, to fill his appoint-
ment at that place the next day. All was dry and
pleasant around home and no indication of any-
thing unusual ahead. He accordingly mounted
his horse, and followed south along the sand ridge,
on which the road ran for a mile or two until
it struck across the bottom. On leaving the ridge,
he had gone but a few rods before he found
himself in water, four or five feet deep, with
water nearly across the entire bottom, as the se-
Rev. John Todd 93
quel proved, varying In depth from a few inches
to half way up the sides of the horse. As the
water made traveling faster than a walk im-
practicable, you can easily see, without much
exercise of the imagination, that your itinerant had
plenty of time leisurely to survey his position and
prospects, while plodding his way over that not less
than five miles of flooded bottom, perched much
of the time like a monkey in the saddle to avoid
the submerging of his nether extremities. The
Missouri bottom safely passed, and Argyle's ferry
on the Nishnabotna soon reached, that bottom too
was found overflowed. The ferryman, however,
promptly rowed his passenger over the river
channel, and disembarked him in the overflowing
waters on the other side, through which he slowly
made his way for yet perhaps a quarter of a mile,
directed by signals from the ferryman as the en-
gineer is guided by signals from the brakeman.
Once more safely on dry land the Itinerant pushed
on through McKissIck's Grove tovv^ard Linden, but
as the high waters had hindered the travel. Linden
could not be reached that night, and so lodging and
entertainment were kindly and generously afforded
at Squire Thomas Farmer's in McKissIck's Grove.
The parson was ushered into a spacious, well
finished room, with a small bright fire In the fire
place, surmounted by a mantlepiece on which stood
a bright lamp, and not a mosquito either seen or
94 Reminiscences
heard. This led him to reflect upon the com-
parative desirableness of life on the Missouri
bottom, and in the bluffs. In the bottom we had
no peace of our lives in the evening, and never
ventured to strike a light, unless prepared to take
refuge under mosquito bars. Here he could sit by
the burning lamp and an open fire, which recent
rains and a cool evening rendered vei-y agreeable,
and nothing to annoy or molest. What a con-
trast ! How deeply he felt it !
The sun rose bright and clear next morning.
The parson hasted forward to Linden and High
Creek, filled his appointments, and effected a safe
return home on Monday; but from that time the
Missouri river bottom has never seemed to him
the place to locate a College, and henceforth there
was a strong disposition to take higher ground.
In this Brothers Gaston and Adams were of the
same mind.
Independence day was now near, and was ob-
served by us in a Sabbath school picnic in Beattie's
Grove, Lawyer Ford being orator of the day, and
J. Todd to address the children. The former
though present refused to speak, so that an address
to the children, with some appropriate songs by
them, constituted the services of that occasion.
As Sidney had been selected as the site for the
county seat, in the summer of 1851, as soon as the
road across the bottom became practicable, and
Rev. John Todd 95
lumber could be obtained, building on the town
site commenced. In the after part of the summer,
Rev. Wm. Simpson, of the M. E. church, with his
family migrated to, and located at, Council Bluffs,
and took charge of the Council Bluffs M. E.
mission. In the fall Rev. G. G. Rice, of the
American Home Missionary society, took up his
residence at the same place with his family.
The overflowed portions of the bottom proved
to be good fishing ground. Two of our young
men went out one morning equipped with pitch-
forks for spears, and a horse and sack to carry the
fish. In a few hours they had caught as many
buffalo fish, as they could carry home. They were
able to follow them by the moving of the tops of
the tall grass, as they wriggled their way through
the water. But in the after part of the summer,
as the waters began to dry up, malarial fever
prevailed all along up and down the river. Very
few escaped. Quinine was a common specific, and
was prescribed by physicians, until the supply was
exhausted. None could be had at Kanesville, St.
Joe, or any of the towns around. Dr. Blanchard,
as a dernier resort, and taking a hint from the
Medical Journal, prescribed for his patients
chloride of sodium (common salt). Three tea-
spoonfuls were deemed a dose, and cures were
effected thereby.
96 Reminiscences
As the Missouri bottom was no longer a satis-
factory site to a number of the people of our
settlement, various tours were taken at intervals
during the summer, in search of a more eligible
location. Cutler's camp on Silver Creek was
looked over. Big Grove in Pottawattamie county
was considered. Several points in Harrison
county were visited and discussed. Finally the
present site of Tabor was decided upon, and
accordingly G. B. Gaston, S. H. Adams and John
Todd, with their families came to this vicinity in
April, 1852. When Rev. Wm. Simpson of the
M. E. church, a worthy and esteemed brother,
came to Civil Bend in the discharge of his duties,
he came to see the writer, and in his social, fra-
ternal manner accosted me thus: " Brother Todd,
if you have got any Methodists among your people
here, they belong to me." This rather relaxed
the hope I had fondly cherished, that I might be
able to unite in one organization, all the Christians
of any given neighborhood. But we had no un-
pleasant words or hard feelings. He on invitation
consented to co-operate in a protracted meeting in
Civil Bend in the winter of 1851-52, on the
express condition that he should be permitted to
say " Amen " as often and as loud as he chose.
This privilege was very willingly granted him
and a series of meetings was held to the edifica-
tion of Christians and conversion of sinners.
Rev. John Todd 97
In coming to the vicinity of Tabor, a footing
was obtained by Brother Gaston buying a timber
claim of Mr. Buchler, and J. Todd buying out
Mr. Frederick Argyle, who had a timber claim
with two log cabins, about two miles southwest
of Tabor. One of these cabins was fitted up for
a school house, and in it Mrs. M. A. Todd
taught the first school ever taught in Ross town-
ship. In the summer of 1852 Mr. Gaston and
Mr. Adams erected the first two houses built in
Tabor — Mr. Gaston's situated on the southeast
corner of Park and Orange streets, now (1891)
occupied by Henry Starrett, and Mr. Adams' form-
ing part of Mr. J. L. Smith's barn and woodshed.
During the summer of 1852, Sunday school and
public services were held under the shade of a
basswood tree near the pastor's log cabin in fair
weather and in the cabin in foul weather.
There on the 12th of October of the same
year, the Tabor Congregational church was
formally organized, with the following members:
Geo. B. Gaston, Maria C. Gaston, A. C. Gaston,
Alonzo M. Gaston, Sam'l H. Adams, Caroline
M. Adams, John Todd, and Martha A. Todd.
Rev. G. G. Rice of Council Bluffs was present by
invitation, and preached on the occasion from i
Cor. 2:5, "That your faith should not stand in
the wisdom of men, but in the power of God."
A weekly prayer meeting on Wednesday evening,
98 Reminiscences
a missionary concert on the first Monday evening
of each month, and an anti-slavery concert on the
last Monday evening of each month, were main-
tained from the beginning — the last of these was
kept up until emancipation by proclamation of
President Abraham Lincoln, when a jubilee of
praise and thanksgiving terminated its observance.
In June, 1852, a county Washingtonian Tem-
perance Society was organized at Sidney, which
held quarterly meetings in the county, and was
kept alive and running for about twenty years,
mainly by the people of Civil Bend and Tabor.
Having now taken higher ground, friends from
the east began to join us. In the spring of 1853,
Deacon Origen Cummings and family, and Abbie,
his sister, Wm. J. Gates and family, Jesse West and
family, John Hallam and Joseph Munsinger
landed at Civil Bend, on the 15th day of May.
S. R. Pearse and Jas. K. Gaston came also in
1853-
As the parson had brought with him the preced-
ing spring a red cow of strong attachments to lux-
urious living, and tenacious memory of good graz-
ing, no sooner had the vernal showers and balmy
breezes awakened to life and fragrance the pas-
tures along the river, than she broke away from
her accustomed range and set out for the " Bend,"
taking her companions with her, thus leaving her
owner and his family on short rations. In this
Rev. John Todd 99
plight was the parson on the morning after the
landing of the friends at the " Bend." According-
ly, as he then owned no horse, he set out early that
morning on foot, with staff in hand, to recover his
fugitive cows. Civil Bend was twenty miles dis-
tant, and on the Missouri bottom were several
sloughs or ponds to be crossed, which required of
the pedestrian the removal of boots and hose, and
their replacement on the other side. Just as the
parson had made one of these crossings and was
in the act of adjusting his apparel, Deacon O.
Cummings and wife drove up, on their way to
Tabor to announce the arrival of their company.
After a most cordial greeting and mutual congrat-
ulations, the parson trudged on, recovered his
strays, and reached home again in good season
the same evening, having walked forty miles and
driven his cows twenty.
CHAPTER VI
INCIDENTS BY THE WAY
THE FIRST GRIEF
JAMES GATES, oldest son of Wm. J. and
Emily P. Gates, was so unwell at the time of
their landing that they remained with him
for a few days at Lester W. Piatt's, hoping he
might recover. But instead of improving, he grew
worse, died five days after their landing, and was
brought to Tabor for burial. There was no bury-
ing ground then agreed upon, and he was buried,
temporarily, near where Mrs. Kempton's house
now stands. The loss of a loved child is always
trying to parents' hearts, but circumstances often
add greatly to the trial. If sickness must come,
who would not choose to be sick at home? But
this came when they were without a home — stran-
gers in a strange land ! They were not without
friends, but necessarily without many of the com-
forts they had left behind. Their prospects were
shrouded in gloom by this bereavement. They
came first to Tabor to bury their first-born son.
Rev. John Todd loi
WORTH OF HALF A DOLLAR
Escape from the overflowed bottom to the high-
lands around the sources of Plum Creek, leaving
all the improvement of years behind, necessarily
curtailed the resources of the escaping families,
so that during the ensuing summer the parson's
larder grew lean, and his barrel of flour failed,
and the bill of fare became brief and simple —
fried mush and cream for breakfast, Johnny cake
and butter for dinner, and mush and milk for sup-
per. This all went very well. Sleep was sweet
and refreshing, digestion was good, parents were
well, and children hearty and strong. But the
meal sack became exhausted, and this were a trivial
matter, had not the money failed first. Brother
Gaston had so often befriended the parson that
he was very reluctant to trouble him farther, or
let him know his strait. Had he known, he would,
if necessary, have generously shared his last flap-
jack. But the petition was offered with increased
fervor, " Give us this day our daily bread," nor
was there any disposition to spiritualize it either.
Just at this crisis, God sent along (the now
sainted) Abbie Walton, who, without any earthly
reason, gave Brother Gaston half a dollar for the
parson. She owed him nothing, but he accepted
it as a real godsend, as it was; and jumping
astride Old Queen, with an empty sack but replen-
I02 Reminiscences
ished purse, he hasted to Squire Wright's — a mile
or two south of Thurman — bought two bushels
of corn, shelled it with his own hands, got it
ground at Leeka's mill on his return, and he and
his went in the strength of that meal many days.
No other fifty cents ever proved so valuable to
the parson as that fifty. Never was there a half
dollar to him like that. It drove the howling wolf
from the door. It bridged the yawning chasm,
and all passed safely on their way.
OLD QUEEN
Since I have mentioned " Old Queen," let me
explain. For some time after coming to Iowa
the parson was dependent on his brethren for a
horse to get to his appointments. Brother Gaston
sent a letter to some friends in Oberlin informing
them of the parson's need of a horse. They, in
the true Oberlin spirit, circulated a subscription
paper, raised and sent about seventy dollars to
enable him to obtain a horse. With that money.
Queen, a clay-bank colored mare, better to ride
than to do hard work, was bought of Lester W.
Piatt.
Brothers Gaston and Adams built and moved
into their houses in the village of Tabor during
the summer of 1852. The parson, whose house
was the third one built, occupied his in August,
1853. Jas. L. Smith visited Tabor in June, 1853,
Rev. John Todd 103
and came with his family across the state in the
autumn of the same year, bringing with them
Loren Hume and Wm. L. Clark. During the
same season Darius P. Matthews and family re-
moved from Percival to Tabor.
From August, 1853, until November, 1854,
public religious services were held in Brother Gas-
ton's (Henry M. Starrett's) house, on the south-
east corner of Orange and Park streets. From
November 24th, 1854, till the autumn of i860
the place of meeting was the school house on the
northeast corner of Center and Elm streets (now
forming part of Mr. Webb's residence). From
i860 to 1865 the College chapel, in its original
size and form, on the northwest corner of Center
and Elm streets, furnished the place of meeting;
and from 1865 for ten years, the chapel in its
present size afforded the place of worship.
INCIDENTS OF 1854
The year 1854 opened Nebraska for settlement,
and many crossed the river from Iowa and took
claims there. There were a number of accessions
to the people of Tabor that year. In the spring
came Jonas Jones and family, Wm. Madison and
family, Isaac Townsend and family, Mrs. Ruth
V. Webster and family, and Judge Q. F. Atkins,
of Cleveland, Ohio, father of the parson's wife,
came along to visit his daughter and family. He
I04 Reminiscences
returned in a few weeks to Ohio. Egbert Avery
and Marcus T. Spees came on foot across the state
in the fall of 1853, and the former returned to
Ohio and brought his wife with him in October,
1854, but stopped for a time at Percival. There
were here early in 1854 also John West, M. P.
Clark, L. A. Matthews, L. T. Matthews, O. B.
Clark, Merrick W. Thayer and J. L. Hunter.
Wm. R. Shepherdson was among us as carpenter
and joiner. Jonas Jones, as requested, brought
with him our present bell — the first that ever on
this western slope summoned human beings to the
place of worship, or called redeemed sinners to
the work of praise and prayer. It was soon sus-
pended on a temporary frame at the corner of
Orange and Park streets and at once brought into
service. To those from Oberlin it seemed the du-
plicate of the Oberlin College bell, and its fa-
miliar tones unlocked the cells of memory, and
waked the echoes of other days. But when the
novel sound began to penetrate the neighborhood,
fears were expressed that it would frighten all
the chickens in the vicinity off thear roosts.
In those days our community was about as near
a pure democracy as is ever found. Whenever
any project was up of public concern, a public meet-
ing was called, and the matter deliberated upon
in open assembly. Conclusions reached were usu-
ally unanimous or nearly so, and each one seemed
Rev. John Todd 105
eager to do his part toward the general welfare.
The work of 1854 was to build a school house.
The people, therefore, were called together in
February and a subscription paper started. Nine-
teen, nearly or quite all the men in the place at
that time, subscribed cash or work. The subscrip-
tions ranged from five to fifty dollars, and footed
up four hundred dollars and eighty cents — that to
begin with. The house was built on the northeast
corner of Center and Elm streets, where it stood
for about twenty-five years. On its roof hung our
bell, on a little frame, for many a day, ready to
summon the citizens to worship, which a jolly York
state cousin coming along assured us looked like
a turkey on a sawbuck. During the winter of
1853-4 Jas. L. Smith taught the first school ever
taught in Tabor in the northwest room in Mr.
Starrett's house (then Mr. Gaston's). As the
school house was completed in the autumn of 1854,
a school was taught in it the following winter by
the parson. When, in 1852, Deacon Cummings
came to Tabor, he brought for the parson a trunk
of clothing from friends in Clarksfield, Ohio, as
far as Tipton, and for want of public conveyances
across the state, it was left there. In November
of 1854 the parson crossed the state with his buggy
and procured the trunk; and although absent but
about a fortnight, his nine months old son, sup-
posed to be as well as usual when his father started,
io6 Reminiscences
was in his grave when he returned. Little David
had sickened and died in so brief a time ! Yet who
will say that our heavenly Father, in whose hands
our breath is, and whose are all our ways, is any
less a God of love?
A committee was appointed in May of this
year to plat the village of Tabor, but other things
engaged public attention, and the survey was de-
ferred till 1857.
INCIDENTS OF 1855-6
In June of this year the parson's wife revisited
friends in Ohio. The parson attended the state
association at Burlington for the first time. He
and his wife crossed the state in an open buggy,
she going on to Ohio, while he attended associa-
tion. He there met Robert H. Hurlbutt on his
way to Tabor to " look," and brought him home
with him. L. B. Hill and L. E. Webb came out
the same season on the same errand. Hill and
Hurlbutt both went back to Ohio, and returned
again in the following year, bringing their families
and goods across the state. Mrs. Esther Hill and
family accompanied her son, L. B. Hill, and Chas.
Lawrence drove one of Mr. Hurlbutt's teams.
B. F. Gardner and family came in the fall of 1855,
and B. F. Ladd and family about the same time.
L Hollister joined us in January, 1856, and L C.
Lyman the same year. H. D. Ingraham appeared
Rev. John Todd 107
among us not far from this time, also M. C. Pearse
and J. L. Hunter.
At this time our connection with the outside
world was mainly through a stage coach, which
ran between Council Bluffs and St. Joe regularly,
passing through Tabor daily each way, carrying
the mail and passengers.
Our place obtained its name in this way. When
we asked the department at Washington for a
postoffice, not knowing what names were already
appropriated in our state, we sent on several, ar-
ranged in the order in which we preferred them.
Osceola was placed first, and some others before
Tabor. But when the office was granted it was
called " Tabor." We afterward learned that Osce-
ola was the county seat of Clarke county. So our
little " burg " was named Tabor. The postoffice
was granted, and Jesse West was the first post-
master.
At first our prairie country was so open and the
wind so strong that it was not deemed safe to
build a higher than a story and a half house, and
Jonas Jones erected the first two-story house in
Tabor, on the northeast corner of Center and
Orange streets, now the residence of President
Brooks; and the posts of that were shortened after
the timbers had been procured.
CHAPTER VII
KANSAS TROUBLES
THE repeal of the Missouri compromise line,
and the opening to settlement of the terri-
tory west of Missouri and Iowa, soon pre-
sented the " irrepressible conflict " — the struggle
between freedom and slavery — in a new form.*
Said Wm. H. Seward in the United States senate
in 1854, " Come on, then, gentlemen of the slave
states; since there is no escaping your challenge,
I accept it in behalf of Freedom. We will engage
in competition for the virgin soil of Kansas, and
God give the victory to the side that is stronger in
numbers, as it is in right."
No sooner was it known that Kansas was open
for settlement than hundreds from Missouri
crossed into the territory and took claims, and held
squatter meetings, and then returned to their
*The following notice was found among my father's
papers in his handwriting, and I recall hearing that those who
attended were greeted by the proslavery rabble in a way char-
acteristic of those times, viz., with stale eggs. J. E. T.
ATTENTION ALL!
A meeting of the Antislavery friends of Fremont County
will be held in Sidney on Sat. Sep. 15, 1855, at 11 o'clock A. M.
All interested in resisting the encroachments of American
slavery are invited to attend.
Addresses alternating with appropriate music may be
expected on the occasion.
Sidney, Sep. 1, 1855.
Rev. John Todd 109
homes, after adopting such resolutions as the fol-
lowing :
" That we will afford protection to no aboli-
tionist as a settler of this territory.
" That we recognize the Institution of slavery,
as already existing in this territory, and advise
slaveholders to introduce their property as early
as possible."
Governor Reeder arrived In the territory In Oc-
tober, 1854, and November 29th of the same year
the first election w^as held, at which a delegate to
Congress was chosen. At this election 1,700 il-
legal votes were cast. On the 30th of March,
1855, the members of the territorial legislature
were elected. On this occasion not less than 5,000
Missourians invaded the territory. According to
the statement of the Congressional Committee's
report, there were at this election 4,908 Illegal
votes cast, and of course slavery carried.
The state of excitement in western Missouri
may be seen from the following extract from a
speech at St. Joe by Gen. Stringfellow (an as-
sumed title) In 1854:
" I tell you to mark every scoundrel among
you who Is the least tainted with abolitionism, or
free-sollism, and exterminate him. Neither give
nor take quarter from the d — d rascals. To those
who have qualms of conscience as to violating
laws, state or national, I say the time has come
no Reminiscences
when such impositions must be disregarded, as
your rights and property are in danger. I advise
you, one and all, to enter every election district
in Kansas, in defiance of Reeder and his myr-
midons, and vote at the point of the bowie knife
and revolver. Neither take nor give quarter, as
the cause demands it. It is enough that the slave-
holding interest wills it, from which there is no
appeal."
David R. Atchison, senator in Congress from
Missouri, was actively urging on the " ruffians "
by counsel, speech and pen. Blue lodges were
formed in all the western counties in Missouri to
help forward the cause. Organizations were
formed in the several slave states, and companies
of men sent forward.
There were also free state organizations to aid
in sending forward emigrants, the principal of
which were " The American Settlement Com-
pany " and " The New England Emigrant Aid
Company." The thoroughfare into the territory
was up the river by boat, or by private conveyance
across the state, so that it was in the power of Mis-
sourians to greatly annoy emigrants, and this power
they did not fail to exercise. Emigrants from the
north were driven back; they were tarred and
feathered; their claims were seized; their cabins
were burned down; they were often ordered to
leave the territory at once, on penalty of death.
Rev. John Todd iii
Steamboats on the river were searched for free
state men, and if any were found, they were forci-
bly turned back. Men were placed in skiffs in the
river current, without oars, and sent adrift. Fer-
ries were watched, and free state men prevented
from crossing into the territory.
To determine whether any one was Yankee or
not, he was required to say " cow," and if he said
" keow," he could not cross. Such was the deter-
mined hostility to free state men, that the route to
Kansas via Missouri was barricaded against them,
and they were obliged to seek a new way through
the free states.
That we may the better understand and appre-
ciate the occurrences of 1856, let us briefly review
the events in Kansas prior to this year.
1. The Kansas-Nebraska bill was passed by
Congress near the last of May, 1854.
2. The first company of eastern emigrants,
guided by Chas. Branscomb, numbering thirty, en-
tered the territory and settled at Lawrence in July,
1854.
3. Two weeks later they were joined by a sec-
ond and larger company of sixty or seventy, with
whom came Dr. Chas. Robinson and S. C. Pom-
eroy.
4. Gov. A. H. Reeder entered Kansas and
assumed rule in October, 1854.
112 Reminiscences
5. Hundreds from Missouri crossed over into
Kansas and took claims as soon as it was known
to be open to settlement, some of whom remained,
but many returned to Missouri, where was their
real residence.
6. Gen. Whitfield was elected territorial dele-
gate to Congress, November 29, 1854, at which
election 1,729 illegal votes were cast, which were
about three-fifths of the whole number. (See
report of the Congressional Investigating Com-
mittee.)
7. The election for territorial legislature oc-
curred March 30, 1855, when 4,908 illegal votes
were cast, or two-thirds of all. Many of the
members elected were Missourians, and never had
any legal residence in the territory, and some of
them were refused certificates of election by Gov.
Reeder, who in consequence became unpopular and
was superseded by Wilson Shannon in the sum-
mer of 1855.
8. The bogus legislature, so called because
illegally elected, held its first session in July, 1855,
and enacted a very stringent pro-slavery code of
laws for the territory. The free state settlers
elected a legislature early in September, 1855,
which met at Topeka on the 19th, adopted a dec-
laration of rights, and provided for the election of
delegates to Congress, on the 2d Tuesday of Oc-
tober, 1855. Ex-Governor Reeder was nominated
Rev. John Todd . 113
as a delegate to Congress, and accepted the nomi-
nation in a speech on the occasion, Chas. Robin-
son was recognized by the free state organization
as governor.
At this time, the United States government re-
cognized the bogus legislature and their laws as au-
thoritative. The government insisted on obedience
to the same. The United States marshal, with
United States troops at his back, and as many
thousands of Missourians as he might think proper
to employ as a posse, eagerly sought to enforce
obedience. Thus all the governmental power was
on the side of the pro-slavery ruffians. Soon
charges were trumped up against the leading free
state men, and papers issued for their arrest, and
placed in the hands of the United States marshal
to be served. Thus the pro-slavery party was
shielded by the power of the general government,
while the free state men were exposed to wrong
and abuse without any redress.
The free state constitutional convention assem-
bled at Topeka on the 23d of October, 1855, ^^^
proceeded to form a state constitution preparatory
to applying for admission to the Union. Novem-
ber 21, 1855, Dow, a free state settler at Hickory
Point, was brutally shot by a ruffian named Cole-
man. Branson, with whom Dow had lived, was
arrested shortly after by Missouri ruffians, taken
from his bed at dead of night, and carried off on
114 Reminiscences
a trumped-up charge, but taken from his captors
by free state friends. The United States marshal,
Jones, of Missouri, had thought to take Branson
into Lawrence to induce the people of that place
to forcibly release him and thus afford a pretext
for destroying Lawrence, the stronghold of the
free state cause. About the last of November or
first of December, Lawrence was besieged by 1,500
or 2,000 " border ruffians " for a week or two.
The ruffians were eager to destroy Lawrence, but
feared to do so without a sufficient pretext. Gov-
ernor Shannon on coming to Lawrence saw his
mistake. The free state men were armed in self
defense — a conceded right. The governor saw
they were not the lawless cut-throats their enemies
had represented them to be. Governor Robinson
and General Lane were called upon to protect the
people in their rights, and the governor recognized
them as the territorial militia and they acted as
such under his command. The " border ruffians "
were determined to drive out the free state settlers,
and the free state men were as fully determined
not to be driven out, so that a very unsatisfactory
state of things existed in the territory. Human
life and property were very insecure, murders were
frequent, houses were robbed and burned. By a
shrewd device, Capt. John Brown, as a govern-
ment surveyor, entered the camp of the enemy and
learned their plans for murdering the Browns and
Rev. John Todd 115
others who were obnoxious to them. He immedi-
ately informed the parties thus devoted to death,
and took measures to prevent the carrying out of
the plan, by taking the initiative. On the night of
the 24th of May, 1856, the three Doyles, Wilkin-
son and Sherman were slain.
About May 10, 1856, Gov. Chas. Robinson
and wife started east, by boat down the river. At
Lexington, Mo., they were violently and illegally
seized by a mob of Missourians. He was held
as a prisoner, while his estimable wife was per-
mitted to go on her way. Shortly after Gov.
Chas. Robinson left Lawrence, ex-Governor Reeder
was also induced to leave. He made his escape
from his enemies by going down the river in the
disguise of a boatman.
Companies of emigrants from Illinois, travel-
ing in their own wagons through northern Mis-
souri, were turned back from guarded ferries
on the Missouri, and compelled to retrace
their course. The blockade of the river ren-
dered it necessary to seek some other way of
ingress into the territory. Accordingly in the fore-
part of the summer of 1856, in May or June, a
small company, led by Dr. Howe, of the blind
institution in Boston, coming from Kansas across
the country via Nebraska City, made their appear-
ance in Tabor. This, I think, was the beginning
of the travel of free state men through Tabor.
ii6 Reminiscences
This company, which was engaged in locating a
road for free state men, were anxious to find
Colonel Dickey with a company from the east,
whom they were expecting to meet in this vicin-
ity. Strangers as they were, and in need of
a guide, the parson volunteered to escort
them to White Cloud. Leaving Tabor a lit-
tle before dark in the evening, we found Colonel
Dickey about lo o'clock p. m. at the residence
of Mr. Hargan in White Cloud. From this time
onward through that season. Tabor, being the near-
est point to Kansas, where all the people were in
full sympathy with the free state movement, was
made a place of deposit for military and commis-
sary stores. Our latchstrings were always out, and
much of the time our houses, and granaries, and
hay mows were occupied. Provisions were plenty
and free, and without price. Persons were passing
through almost daily, alone or in companies. Some
noted personages were among the number — Rev.
Bodwell, afterward pastor in Topeka; Rev. Par-
sons, a home missionary; T. W. Higginson, after-
ward colonel of a colored regiment; Dr. Cutter
and wife, author of Cutter's Physiology, so much
used in our common schools; S. C. Pomeroy and
James H. Lane, senators from Kansas after its
admission to the Union as a state. Capt. John
Brown was here repeatedly for a brief time, and
a number of colonels, captains, majors, etc., etc.
Rev. John Todd 117
April 21, 1856, a Republican political organi-
zation was formed under the leadership of Richard
Baxter Foster, then employed in running a steam
saw mill in the Missouri bottoms, afterward
an officer in a colored regiment in the Rebellion,
and since then an efficient and successful Congre-
gational minister in Kansas and Colorado. This
was the beginning of Republicanism in Tabor.
We have already seen that Lawrence was be-
sieged in the early part of December for ten days
or more by fifteen hundred or two thousand pro-
slavery Missourians, as a United States marshal's
posse, to serve arrests on citizens of that place.
They sought a pretext to destroy the place, but
were thwarted and disbanded, through the action
of Governor Shannon, the people of Lawrence,
through their leaders, promising submission to the
lawfully constituted authorities of the territory.
But the free state settlers must be driven out if
slavery would succeed, and hostilities were kept
up. Murders were still being committed by both
parties on each other. A very unsettled and un-
safe state of society existed. Hundreds of " border
ruffians," well armed, with four pieces of artillery,
led by United States Marshal Jones, surrounded
Lawrence, served writs on a number of citizens
without resistance, then demanded that all the
cannon and Sharps rifles be given up. The can-
non were surrendered — one 12-pounder brass can-
Ii8 Reminiscences
non and four i -pound breech loading guns. The
Sharps rifles could not be delivered up; they were
private property. When they had disarmed the
citizens, they then brought their forces into the
city, destroyed the printing presses of the two
free state papers, battered the brick free state hotel
with cannon, and burnt it to ashes. In addition,
private houses were broken Into, and money and
valuables carried off. Thus the ruffians vented
their hatred on the people of Lawrence on the
2ist of May, 1856. Because Gen. Jas. H. Lane
and Gov. Chas. Robinson and the committee of
safety wouldn't fight. Captain Brown left Law-
rence to Its fate. He was not there to witness its
sacking. After this onslaught upon Lawrence,
Colonel Eldrldge, the proprietor of the Free State
hotel, passed through Tabor on his way to New
England for reinforcements. Major Searles also
was at Mr. Gaston's some time, in charge of stores
deposited there.
About the end of May, Capt. H. Clay Pate, a
Virginian, set out from Westport, Mo., with an
armed force for the avowed purpose of arresting
" Old Brown." While near Ossawatomie, he took
John Brown, Jr., and Jason, his brother, prisoners,
while quietly at work, and carried them off, cruelly
treating them, and afterward transferring them
to the care of the United States forces. June 2d
the battle of Black Jack was fought, and Captain
Rev. John Todd 119
Pate, with twenty-one men, was captured by Cap-
tain Brown. On the 7th one hundred and seventy
of Whitfield's men, led by Reid, who had prom-
ised to disperse, sacked Ossawatomie. The free
state legislature met at Topeka on the 4th of July,
1856, and was forcibly dispersed by Colonel Sum-
ner, at the head of a troop of the United States
army, acting under orders of the general govern-
ment.
In consequence of hostilities existing in Kansas,
and not knowing how soon they might extend to
the neighboring states, the people of Tabor called
a citizens' meeting, and organized a military com-
pany, of which G. B. Gaston was chosen captain,
Mortimer P. Clark first lieutenant, and E. S. Hill
second lieutenant. A committee was appointed to
apply to the state authorities for arms, and also
to procure music for the company.
KANSAS TROUBLES IN 1856
During the summer of 1856, General Lane was
repeatedly in Tabor. The first time he was here
for two or three weeks " incog." He addressed
the citizens once or twice in the school house, on
Kansas matters, and on politics. He came in and
spoke and then retired without the people gener-
ally knowing where he had gone. He bought a
fine cream colored horse of Robert H. Hurlbutt,
that was an uncommonly fast walker, on which he
I20 Reminiscences
rode through the wars of Kansas. He entered
Kansas early in August, with a company of emi-
grants, by way of Tabor. Also Captain Brown,
who had brought a sick son and a wounded son-in-
law up to Tabor for treatment and safety, returned
to Lawrence with Lane. So prominent a part did
General Lane and Captain Brown take in military
operations, in protecting free state men and pun-
ishing " border ruffians," that they became espe-
cially obnoxious to the general government, and
all their appointees in the territory. The federal
troops were employed to disperse their forces and
arrest the commanders. On one occasion they
were reconnoitering in the northern part of the
territory toward the Nebraska line, to intercept
General Lane, who was reported to be coming in
with an armed force, when the general pushed for-
ward in advance of his company, artfully disguised
himself as a Mexican " greaser," joined the crowd,
and aided in searching for himself, without being
detected, while his company under the lead of an-
other, by forced marches, successfully evaded their
pursuers and safely reached their destination.
Rumors reached us about midsummer that five
hundred men were camped on the north line to
prevent free state men from entering the territory.
Three brothers, Enoch, Everett and Luther, whose
surname was Piatt, from Minden, 111., had come
on and were by these rumors deterred from going
Rev. John Todd 121
farther, until a sufficient number of emigrants could
collect to challenge respect and force their way
into the territory. These were a fine type of emi-
grants, intelligent, active and ready to do every
good work. The parson was then building his
barn and they helped to enclose it and put on the
roof. Luther, the youngest, had a violin which he
was fond of playing, and he gathered in the chil-
dren of the community and taught them to sing,
and entertained them with music and addresses.
Since then he has been promoted to the office of
Congregational State Sunday School Secretary for
Kansas.
Emigrants kept coming, and tents were pitched,
and teams were grazing here and there all along
on the green prairie, in the valley down by the old
mill, and in the timber by John Rhodes'. Mr.
Gaston's house was a kind of headquarters, and
as many stopped there to recruit, they were over-
run with company. Let me here quote from Mrs.
Gaston's own statement:
" That summer and autumn our houses, before
too full, were much overfilled and our comforts
shared with those passing to and from Kansas to
secure it to Freedom. When houses would hold no
more, woodsheds were temporized for bedrooms,
where the sick and dying were cared for. Barns
also were fixed for sleeping rooms. Every place
where a bed could be put or a blanket thrown down
122 Reminiscences
was at once so occupied. There were comers and
goers all times of day or night — meals at all hours
— many free hotels, perhaps entertaining angels
unawares. After battles they were here for rest —
before for preparation. General Lane once stayed
three weeks secretly while it was reported abroad
that he was back In Indiana for recruits and sup-
plies, which came ere long, consisting of all kinds
of provisions. Sharps rifles, powder and lead. A
cannon packed in corn made its way through the
enemy's lines, and ammunition of all kinds, in
clothing and kitchen furniture, etc., etc. Our cel-
lars contained barrels of powder and boxes of
rifles. Often our chairs, tables, beds and such
places were covered with what weapons every one
carried about him, so that if one needed and got
time to rest a little in the day time, we had to
remove the Kansas furniture, or rest with loaded
revolvers, cartridge boxes and bowie knives piled
around them, and boxes of swords under the bed.
Were not our houses overfilled? "
A Captain Chambry from Indiana came on with
a company of fine young men, who had been en-
trusted to his care by their parents. He was an
intelligent Christian reformer, an advocate of tem-
perance and freedom, one who practiced as he
taught.
As it was thought unsafe to go on without a
considerable force, a call was sent out to the friends
Rev. John Todd 123
of freedom around, inviting all who were willing
to assemble and form an escort, to come to Tabor.
Although our country had then few people in it,
a good many responded to the call and quite a
number of the young men of Tabor volunteered to
go, and went. 7he parson proposed to be one to
see them through the lines, but a pair of spurs
was the only part of an outfit he had procured,
when information came assuring us that the way
was open and emigrants could safely pass in. The
gathered host then moved on. But the morning
of their departure was overshadowed with gloom
on account of a very sad accident. Among those
who responded to the call was a son of the pastor
of the Congregational church at Lewis and a son
of one of the deacons of the same church — Leang
Afa Hitchcock and Chapman. They had
camped with others down by the mill, three-quar-
ters of a mile from Tabor toward Thurman, and
as the caravan started in the morning they, in boy-
ish glee, ran ahead of the teams, brandishing their
weapons and sportively showing fight. At the
crossing of Plum Creek, one mile and a half from
Tabor, as the road then ran. Chapman, holding
In hand a pistol supposed to be unloaded, play-
fully aimed it at Hitchcock and pulled the trigger.
It went off and Hitchcock fell, and in a few min-
utes expired. He was the oldest son of Rev. Geo.
B. Hitchcock, of Lewis, in Cass county, Iowa.
124 Reminiscences
His father, from his deep interest in Christian
missions to China, named him Leang Afa, after
the name of the first Chinese convert. The corpse
was taken to the residence of James L. Smith, and
there prepared to be conveyed to his parents at
Lewis. But to lighten the shock, if possible, the
parson went ahead on horseback to break the sad
tidings to the stricken family before the arrival
of the corpse. He set out on horseback as the
dusk of evening came on, rode all night, break-
fasted at a farm house and reached Mr. Hitch-
cock's (a distance of fifty miles or more) about
9 o'clock in the morning. He had thought to
break the news to the father first, but as he was
over in the village half a mile distant he dared
not go in search of him, lest in his absence the
bearers should arrive with the body and find the
family wholly unprepared. The mother and grown
sister of the deceased were the only persons to
whom he could divulge the matter. They were
busy at work, and as the sister went out a few
rods from the door to hang out clothes, he fol-
lowed her, and there broke to her the news,
at the same time endeavoring to keep her quiet;
but she no sooner got the idea than she ran into the
house wringing her hands and screaming at the
top of her voice, " Leang is dead ! Leang is dead !
Oh, ma; Leang is dead! " The mother shrieked
and joined in the outcry. Both were frantic and
Rev. John Todd 125
uncontrollable. Soon the father returned, and hav-
ing created an excitement he could not allay, the
parson met him at the gate and informed him of
Leang's death. He was deeply moved, but re-
pressed his feelings. When Mrs. Hitchcock
rushed out to meet him, screaming, " Leang is
dead! " he tried to still her by saying, " My dear,
God always does right." Such a scene may I never
be called to witness again ! From it Mrs. Hitch-
cock never seemed to wholly recover. A shadow
appeared to rest on the household ever after.
The death by accident of young Mr. Hitchcock
occurred about the tenth of September, 1856. The
host, whose numbers had been accumulating for
weeks, and embraced the Platts from Mendon, 111.,
Captain Chambry and his company from Indiana,
Rev. Parsons of Maine and his followers, together
with a number from southwest Iowa, including the
following from Tabor: H. D. Ingraham, J. K.
Gaston, I. Hollister, Jas. Clark, and R. B. Foster,
all moved on, and scarcely a week passed before
we learned that Captain Chambry fell mortally
wounded in the capture of Ft. Titus, a log cabin
in which the ruffians had taken refuge. In the
plan of attack upon the fort, the captain had a
part assigned him, in the performance of which,
with more courage than discretion, he rode up in
front and was shot down. But the fort was taken,
and R. B. Foster exhibited in Tabor a short time
126 Reminiscences
afterward the sword of Colonel Titus, kept as a
trophy. A colored woman, who afterward passed
through here on the U. G. R. R., ticketed for
Queen Victoria's dominions, informed us that she,
as the property of Colonel Titus, was in the fort
at the time of the attack and that a cannon ball
struck a trunk on which she was sitting, going in
at one end and out at the other. With such mis-
siles flying around them, they soon concluded to
raise the white flag.
The company that came with Rev. Mr. Parsons
of Maine camped west of Plum Creek on the hill-
side, which was then covered with timber, and only
a few rods beyond the bridge, where Leang Hitch-
cock was accidentally shot. There the people of
Tabor worshiped with them in the grove on Sun-
day, August 31, 1856, when the parson preached
from Num. 14:8, " If the Lord delight in us, then
He will bring us into this land and give it us, a
land which floweth with milk and honey."
On the 13th of September, 1856, Gen. Jas. H.
Lane, with an army of seventy-five or eighty men,
drove an armed force of the ruffians into some log
cabins at Hickory Point, which from their struc-
ture afforded protection against even Sharps rifles
and from their elevated position gave a command-
ing view of the surrounding country. Aware that
their assailants had no cannon, the besieged defi-
antly raised a flag inscribed, " No surrender." This
Rev. John Todd 127
challenge was too bold and daring to pass unac-
cepted. So General Lane immediately despatched
a messenger to Lawrence for a cannon and rein-
forcements, with orders to come by way of Topeka,
and then retired several miles west to camp for the
night by a spring. On reaching his camping
ground a copy of the inaugural of Governor Geary,
who had just arrived in the territory, was handed
him. Being satisfied, from the address, of the
good intentions of the new governor. Lane dis-
banded his forces, countermanded his call for can-
non and reinforcements, and struck out for the
north and Iowa. At Nemaha in Nebraska he met
Redpath's caravan of free state men on the 20th
of September, and later in the month reached
Tabor with fifty mounted men, claiming that they
had left the territory to give the new governor a
chance to show his hand or indicate his policy, with-
out being biased or in any way impeded by their
presence. These with their horses were divided
around among the people of Tabor, who were
then few in number and limited in resources but
of large hearts and open hands and fully sympa-
thized with the friends of freedom. The parson's
barn was now enclosed, the basement still open
to the south, and no mangers provided. There
fifteen or twenty of the horses — as many as could
be accommodated in a space 24 by 28 feet — were
quartered. The length of their stay was deter-
128 Reminiscences
mined by the news received from the territory.
While here they practiced cavalry drill on the
public square. General Lane had arranged with
Jas. L. Smith on the 29th of September for the
keeping of six horses, purposing himself to go east,
when news received from Kansas caused them all
to leave in the night and return to the territor}^
as suddenly as they came. Redpath's caravan,
which left Tabor about the loth of September, and
met Lane's company of mounted men at Nemaha
on the 20th of the same month, moved on slowly,
and being informed that the government forces
were near the border, for the purpose of inter-
cepting and disarming them, they buried a cannon
and cannon carriage in the ground, and by forced
marches evaded the government troops, reached
Topeka in safety, and delivered their free state
stores.
To return in our story to Hickory Point: The
countermanding orders of General Lane, given on
Saturday evening, September 13th, on his depart-
ure for the north, failed to reach Colonel Harvey,
who left Lawrence with a cannon and reinforce-
ments that same night about 10 o'clock and reached
Hickory Point on Sunday, the 14th, at 2 p. m.
Failing to make any satisfactory arrangements
with the besieged ruffians, Colonel Harvey opened
his battery upon them with such effect that they
soon came to terms and agreed to leave the terri-
Rev. John Todd 129
tory if Colonel Harvey would graciously permit
them to do so, which reasonable request, it is hardly
necessary to say, was granted.
On this same Sabbath day, September 14th,
while Colonel Harvey was at Hickory Point with
a force of one hundred and fifty men reducing the
fortress, an army of border ruffians, variously re-
ported as numbering from one thousand five hun-
dred to three thousand, were at Franklin, five miles
southeast of Lawrence, on their way to attack and
wipe out Lawrence. Captain Brown had been up
to Topeka and stopped at Lawrence over the Sab-
bath on his way home. The rumors at first gained
little credence. The cry of "wolf! wolf!" had
been heard too often to create much excitement or
awaken much alarm. But after a time the forces
of the ruffians came in sight, their banners flying
and drums beating. Then a leader was in demand
and Captain Brown was soon called to take that
position — a position which he filled so well that
when the ruffian hosts came within Sharps rifle
range they were opened upon and driven back and
Lawrence was once more delivered. No sooner
had the ruffians left Franklin than Captain Brown
with four sons started for the east, by way of Ne-
braska and Tabor. As it had become known that
another large company of emigrants was expected
soon from the east, several companies of cavalry
and artillery marched north to arrest them. Cap-
130 Reminiscences
tain Brown, disguised as a surveyor, went with
them, camping with them every night. He was
sick and traveled slowly, having a light wagon
with a cow tied behind it, and a kit of surveyor's
implements in sight. He passed thus unmolested
and unsuspected, although the officer who led the
force had a writ for his arrest. The young men
who went to Kansas with Redpath were gone about
six weeks, and on their return traveled part of
the way in company with Captain Brown. They
reached Tabor late in October. As might be ex-
pected, many of the emigrants from the north grew
tired of the privations and hardships and perils
to which they were exposed, and especially the fear
for their lives, and left the territory that year.
The writer has already stated that after the
burning of the Free State hotel in Lawrence, May
21, 1856, Colonel Eldridge, its proprietor, passed
through Tabor eastward for reinforcements. He
returned from the east in October, with a train of
18 or 20 covered wagons, a mounted cannon, and
a company of about 200 persons, including among
others, a family from Clarksfield, Ohio. One
Wednesday afternoon in October as the sun was
descending the western sky and the shadows of
evening were rapidly lengthening, a covered wagon
came in sight as it ascended the hill by L. A.
Matthews' as the road then ran, closely followed
by a score of others. They proceeded directly to
Rev. John Todd 131
the southwest corner of the pubHc square, where
they proceeded to pitch their tents. It must be
remembered that there was not a tree then on the
puWic square, nor any fence around it. They
camped in front of the parson's gate, placing the
mounted cannon in the center, and hoisting on it
the stars and stripes. The 18 covered wagons
were arranged in a circle, around the national
banner. Outside the wagons was pitched a circle
of tents, and outside the tents campfires were built,
and still outside of the fires were placed armed
sentinels who challenged us as we passed by to
prayer meeting, "Who goes there?" This
seemed a little more warlike than anything we had
ever got into. On the next day about 200 men
drilled on the public square, report of which was
carried by the passengers in the stage coach to
St. Joe, only the numbers were multiplied tenfold
— the 200 had become 2,000.
General Lane was here at this time, and there
seemed to be no lack of colonels, and majors, and
captains, and titled military officers. There was
not the best feeling as it appeared, among the free
state men. Most of them had come from the
distant east. They had been promised Sharps
rifles, as they claimed, and they were eager to
get them. They had been promised them when
they would get to Albany, then when they would
reach Cleveland, and again when they reached
132 Reminiscences
Chicago, and next when they got to Tabor, and
now that they had arrived in Tabor they wanted
them, insisted on having them, and declared they
would go no farther, until they obtained them.
But the rifles were not here, and could not be
furnished. It was then an object to pacify the
men, and prevail on them to go forward. For this
purpose General Lane mounted the cannon car-
riage, and calling the men around him, addressed
them somewhat as follows: " Comrades — a good
soldier always grumbles. I know you have borne
much already, since you left your homes. You have
not always been fed on dainties, nor have you
slept on down. You have endured with fortitude
the perils, inconveniences, and privations of the
way as good soldiers. Now you want Sharps
rifles. Well, let me tell you, a Sharps rifle is a
good weapon to use on an enemy at a distance,
but it is good for nothing in a close encounter.
If you come into a close fight (and I hope to
God you may), a Sharps rifle is worthless. It
is far inferior to a weapon with a bayonet. If
I had my choice of arms, I would not arm more
than one in ten with a Sharps rifle. As the arms
you want are not here, I hope you will conclude
to go on and see us through." More was said,
but this much I can recall. The men went on to
Kansas. After a day or two of rest, the company
of Colonel Eldridge passed on to the territory.
Rev. John Todd 133
After defending Lawrence against a horde of
Missourians on the 14th of September, 1856,
" John Brown, with four sons, left Lawrence for
the east by way of Nebraska territory " and Tabor,
Iowa. Traveling slowly on account of being sick,
they did not reach the latter place until October,
and remained here several weeks. John Brown
reached Chicago late in November, and Albany,
N. Y., in December.
Later in the season, in October or November,
stores of arms and ammunition were brought on
and stov/ed in barns, corncribs, cellars, etc.
The parson had one brass cannon on his hay mow,
and another on wheels in his wagon shed. He
had also boxes of clothing, boxes of ammunition,
boxes of muskets, boxes of sabres, and twenty boxes
of Sharps rifles stowed away in the cellar all
winter. On some public occasion some of our boys
hauled the mounted cannon out on the public
square and fired 1 few rounds to try it. On the
4th of July, 1858, the friends at Sidney requested
the use of the cannon to emphasize the toasts of
the occasion. The cannon went and the people of
Tabor united with the people of Sidney in the
celebration of the day.
CHAPTER VIII
THE OPENING OF THE UNDER-
GROUND R. R.
FIRST PASSENGERS ON THE U. G. R. R. VIA TABOR
ON THE evening of the 4th of July, 1854,
there came into our quiet village a travel-
er with his family and several colored
people, three covered wagons and a carriage. The
father, mother and daughter rode in the carriage.
They were on their way from Mississippi to Salt
Lake and would have crossed the river at Nebraska
City, as their most direct route, but, on account of
the rush of emigration, and the freighting across
the plains, the ferry at that point was crowded, and
to avoid the crowci this company had passed on,
intending to cross higher up. They camped for
the night on the west side of Main street, and
about midway between Elm and Orange streets.
There were six slaves and two of them got water
from Jesse West's well, near which the first hotel
in Tabor was then in process of building. Whether
stimulated excessively on America's natal day by
large draughts of freedom and independence, or
whether the circumstances conspired to such a re-
Rev. John Todd 135
suit, or both prompted the deed, certain It is that the
builders found an interview with the darkies and
learned that they were slaves; that five of the six, a
father, mother and two children, with another man,
were anxious to escape from slavery, but that the
other slave woman didn't want to leave her master
and couldn't safely be trusted with their plans.
Arrangements were then made, the five desirous to
go were met at the corner by the hotel in the night
and conducted to and across the Nishnabotna and
concealed in the bushes. All this was effected by
the first faint glimmering of daylight in the eastern
sky. S. H. Adams, John Hallam, Jas. K. Gaston
and Irish Henry were the conductors on this train.
Mr. G. B. Gaston, to avoid the appearance of evil,
took some ladies in a buggy and made a visit at
C. W. Tolles', on Silver Creek, where arrange-
ments were made to care for the fugitives; and in
a day or two, with Cephas Case and Wm. L. Clark
for conductors, and an old horse to carry such as
could not walk, they made their way to a settlement
of Quakers in the vicinity of the Des Moines
river, and there leaving them in safe hands they re-
turned to Tabor. On their way out they had some
narrow escapes, but were delivered from all their
foes.
The fugitives reached the Queen's dominions
in safety, but their master, who we were credibly
informed was a Mormon elder, on his way from
136 Reminiscences
Mississippi to Salt Lake, was not willing to let
his slave property escape, without at least an effort
to recover it. On rising in the morning after the
exodus, there was an unusual stillness about the
camp. No one was astir. Fires were not lighted.
The teams were uncared for, nor was breakfast
being prepared. All seemed at a standstill. He
stepped out, and looked in all directions, but saw
no trace of the missing slaves. The reputation
of the people of Tabor, as being in sympathy with
fleeing fugitives, was too well known to admit of
his taking counsel with them in this emergency.
But in a neighborhood a few miles south of Tabor
sympathizing friends were found. The news was
soon heralded abroad. The dastardly deed was
denounced, and the Taborites anathematized. A
goodly number of pro-slavery sympathizers came
together. A general slave hunt was planned and
the groves, and thickets, and tall grass, and timber
bordering both sides of the Nishnabotna river —
every place where they might possibly be concealed
was carefully searched. But one of those, who
aided in the search, was at heart a friend of the
fugitives, and was careful himself to do the search-
ing around where he knew they were hid, and
just as careful to not find them. As I have already
stated, new conductors, both of whom passed to
their reward many years ago, took charge of the
train. When they had proceeded some distance
Rev. John Todd 137
on their way they met a man on horseback of whom
they Inquired the way to Quincy. He answered
them civilly, but eyed them closely and passed on,
and, as was afterward ascertained, went and re-
ported what he had heard and seen to the master,
who at once hastened forward to Quincy and,
when failing to find them there, posted printed
handbills in every direction to intercept them if
possible, but without success. The fact was, the
conductors suspecting the man they had met to be
untrustworthy, switched off to Lewis instead of
going to Quincy, and thus foiled their pursuers.
At Lewis they had some trouble from pro-slavery
men, but out of it all the Lord delivered them.
They ran the gauntlet of pro-slavery serviHty
through Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan, and
found freedom in Queen Victoria's land.
Of all the thousands of Oberlin students, I never
knew one who studied there long, who did not go
out from there a thorough abolitionist. John H.
Byrd, a classmate at Oberlin of the pastor's wife,
a native of Vermont, reared in the freedom-loving
principles of the Friends, was pastor of a little
Congregational church in Atchison, Kansas, during
the troubles there. A slave woman, who longed
for freedom, applied to him for counsel and aid,
as she had set out to obtain it. She was directed
to Tabor, and arrived here in the early part of
April, 1857. Conductors on the Underground R.
138 Reminiscences
R. very soon learned, that It was conducive to safe-
ty and success to forward all passengers with
promptness and despatch. As this colored woman
made her appearance just before the annual meet-
ing of the Council Bluffs Association, which met
this year at Council Bluffs, it was arranged that
the parson should take the w^oman along, as he
went to the Association, as far as Deacon D.
Briggs' and get Brother Geo. B. Hitchcock,
of Lewis, to come by Deacon Briggs', and take
her home with him, as he returned from the
Association. But Brother Hitchcock could
not return by Dea. Briggs', and so the parson
returned home from the Association and with
his buggy took the fugitive, cloaked, veiled,
and gloved, out to Lewis, no one mistrust-
ing that she was other than his wife. Other
conductors passed her on from Lewis to the next
station.
Nuckolls' slaves of Nebraska city
When Kansas and Nebraska were opened for
settlement in 1854, and the strife for the former
was hot, the" ruffians " were wont to say to the
free state men: "Why don't you go to Ne-
braska? We want Kansas, and you may have
Nebraska." But slave holders went also into
Nebraska with their slaves, and seemed quite wil-
ling to seize and hold that, too, for slavery.
Rev. John Todd 139
Among the slave holders in Nebraska was a
Mr. Nuckolls, a prominent merchant in Nebraska
City, who owned and held in that place two female
slaves. While abolitionists were not accustomed
to entice or coax slaves to leave their masters, yet
when they had sense enough to want freedom, and
grit enough to strike out, and attempt to get it,
abolitionists always stood ready to help the slave,
rather than the master.
A mulatto of considerable shrewdness and a deal
of experience in the world for one of his years,
by the name of John Williamson, about that time
did some trading back and forth across the
Missouri river, in a small way, buying butter and
eggs, etc., of the farmers and selling cheap jewelry,
and trinkets of one kind and another. It was
through him, as I have always understood, that
Mr. Nuckolls' slaves were brought across the river.
When once on this side there were plenty ready
to help them on their way. One morning in De-
cember, 1858, about daylight. Dr. Ira D. Blan-
chard brought them into Tabor from the west.
Consultation was had with a few of the friends
and they were placed at Mr. Ladd's for the
day. As it was considered unsafe to travel
by daylight, and no less so to hold them,
preparation was made through the day to start
them on their way at evening. When it was
known at Nebraska City that the girls were gone.
140 Reminiscences
there was a stir in Mr. Nuckolls' household. Tel-
egraphs and telephones were not in operation then
as now. But Mr. Nuckolls had a brother, a
merchant, in Glenwood and two brothers-in-law,
who sold goods in Sidney. Messengers were
accordingly despatched to them and their aid so-
licited. Detectives were placed at the bridges across
Silver Creek, and the Nishnabotna river, but some-
how, as a good Providence would have it, they
failed to intercept the train. It was a dismal, dark
night — moonless, cloudy and misty. A covered
wagon was provided, but the driver could neither
see the road, nor his horses. There were no fences
to keep travelers in the way. Deacon O. Cum-
mings led the way with a lantern through the
Egyptian darkness. Silver Creek was crossed near
its mouth and the river at White Cloud without
any obstruction or opposition, which fact can only
be accounted for on the supposition that the detec-
tives failed to reach the bridges until after the
train had passed.
The slaves escaped, and were never captured.
They stopped for a time in Chicago among their
colored friends, and were pursued to that point.
But they had timely warning, and hastily took
refuge to the Queen's dominions. To resume our
narrative : Having searched in Tabor and vicinit)^
and watched the crossings of Silver Creek and the
Nishnabotna in vain, Mr. Nuckolls returned to
Rev. John Todd 141
Percival to make a more thorough search, de-
claring that he knew they had not gone beyond
there. Accordingly a company of men from
Nebraska City took it upon themselves to search
the homes of the people without authority. They
went into houses and around the premises, prying
into things and places that were private and doing
things which they had no right to do. The citizens
remonstrated, protested, and warmly denounced
such conduct. Reuben Williams being very bold,
decided and outspoken, was set upon by Mr.
Nuckolls who rode up to him and struck him a
heavy blow over the head, which stunned and dis-
abled him, producing deafness from which he never
recovered. Complaint was made before the proper
officers, and Nuckolls was arrested. The prelim-
inaries having been taken, the next day was set for
trial and the parties retired for the night to pre-
pare for the same. Mr. Nuckolls and his followers
crossed over to Nebraska City. The people of
Percival, fearing the return of a larger party from
that place on the morrow, despatched E. Avery,
then a resident of Percival, to Tabor for help.
A military company had been organized in
Tabor, July 29, 1856, which was equipped by
the state. The citizens of Tabor were called to-
gether to hear the statement of Mr. Avery, when it
was unanimously agreed that we go to the aid of
our friends at Percival, and that we set out early
142 Reminiscences
next morning, in order to be present at the
opening of the trial. Accordingly there was a stir
in Tabor bright and early next day. The parson
mounted his steed, and set out in advance, going
by way of Father Rector's to inform him of passing
events, and suggest the propriety of his being
present, and aiding in keeping the peace. It was a
cold morning in December. The wind blew strong.
Gray clouds obscured the sky, and stray flakes of
snow were falling, and by daylight the parson
wrapped in his blue blanket had reached Thurman
on his way. A load of men armed with muskets
went directly from Tabor, to see that our friends
had fair play. But the ice was running so thick
in the river that crossing was considered unsafe,
and the defendants in the case did not appear, and
so no trial was had, and we all returned to our
homes. The case of Williams v. Nuckolls formed
a suit in the county court for several terms, and
finally Mr. Williams was awarded several thousand
dollars damages, which enabled him to build the
good house and barn, where Sturgis Williams,
his nephew, now resides.
Years fled apace. Mr. Nuckolls removed to
Denver. Mr. Williams was quietly enjoying his
declining years, when Mr. Nuckolls found occasion
to return from Denver, and stop for a short time
among his friends in Nebraska City. One night
during this short time, Mr. Williams was aroused
Rev. John Todd 143
from his slumbers, to find his barn in flames, and
a brisk breeze blowing directly toward the house,
so it was with difficulty that it was saved from
burning, too. Mr. Nuckolls' presence at Nebraska
City and the burning of the barn may have had no
causal connection, but it was not easy for Mr-
Williams to avoid the conviction that the former
sustained to the latter the relation of cause.
CHAPTER IX
LATER BUSINESS OF THE UNDER-
GROUND R. R.
FUGITIVES FROM THE INDIAN TERRITORY
EARLY In March of i860 four negroes from
the Indian Territory made their appearance
in Tabor, in the eager search for the na-
tural and inahenable right of personal liberty.
In the people of Tabor they found sympathiz-
ing friends. A covered wagon was provided,
the fugitives were loaded in and entrusted to
Edward T. Sheldon and Newton Woodford
as conductors. They started on Friday night,
and proceeded by way of Silver Creek, and
Mud creek. At the latter place as they stopped
to bait, the character of their load was discovered.
The wagon, however, was permitted to proceed
on its way; but some pro-slavery persons procured
papers of Squire Cramer, a justice of the peace in
the vicinity, and with a posse on horseback pursued
and overtook the wagon and arrested the con-
ductors, and took from them the slaves, turning
over the white men to be tried before Squire Cra-
mer. The arrest was made on Saturday morning,
Rev. John Todd 145
and the slaves were taken to Glenwood, to be
lodged in jail for safe keeping. But Mr. Samson,
who then had charge of the jail in Mills county,
loved liberty himself, and knew his duties too well
to prostitute his official position to so degrading a
business. As the slaves could not then be lodged
in jail, they were brought and lodged for a time
in the barn of Mr. Geo. Linnville, a couple of
miles southeast of Glenwood, and on Sunday they
were removed to the house of Joe Foster, of
Silver Creek. Daniel Briggs brought word to
Tabor on Saturday p. m. of the collision of the
last train on the Underground R. R. A council
was hastily convened at the residence of G. B. Gas-
ton. A company on horseback went to Glenwood,
to learn the whereabouts of the slaves, and not find-
ing them there, they returned homeward through
Wabonsie seeking them. They were probably in
Mr. Linnville's barn, when the company from
Tabor passed by to Glenwood. The time for the
trial of Edward T. Sheldon and Newton Woodford
before Squire Cramer was set at 10 a. m. on
Sunday. Many of the people of Tabor were in-
terested enough to attend, believing that if an ox
fallen into a pit might be lifted out on the Sabbath
day, much more might tzvo men be delivered on
the Sabbath. Jas. Vincent and Pascal Mason
acted as counsel for the defendants. Among others
present at the trial were E. S. Hill, Geo. Hunter,
146 Reminiscences
E. Avery, C. F. Lawrence, James L. Smith, S.
H. Adams, Clark Briggs and Dr. Sanborn.
The trial was late in its beginning and slow
in its proceeding, so that it was not through until
9 p. m. It resulted in the release and acquittal of
the defendants. But toward the close of the trial
one of the crowd, McMillan by name (others say
Wing), inquired of one of the Tabor boys if he
could keep a secret. On being assured that he
could and would, he handed him a paper which
stated that there was game for his party at the
house of Joe Foster, two miles away. This hint
prompted E. S. Flill and Geo. Hunter to go and
take a position in the brush near the house desig-
nated, where they could observe what was going
on. And here let me say, the ground was covered
with snow. The moon had been eclipsed that
evening and consequently was at its full. It was
a clear, cold, frosty night. There never was a
brighter moonlight night than that was. A wagon
drawn by four horses was brought out. They saw
the slaves brought forth and loaded into the wagon,
and watched, until they got fairly started on their
way, and marked the road they took, then hastened
back to Squire Cramer's to report. They reached
the Squire's just as the trial closed, and then as all
were released, they piled into two sleds and gave
chase. Though behind the wagon miles in distance
and hours in time, they soon struck the trail, fol-
Rev. John Todd 147
lowed on, and pressed their steeds to do their best,
passing down on the west side of the West Nish-
nabotna to White Cloud, where they stopped to
inquire, and learned that the wagon had passed
there not long before, and crossed the river. This
was the first real assurance that they were on the
right track, and greatly encouraged the pursuers.
The wagon led on down the river bottom on the
east side, and after a time was seen on a distant
rise. On pressed the kidnappers — Mr. Cassell on
horseback, Jim Gardner driving, W. K. Follett
piloting the way, Joe Foster on horseback "three
sheets in the wind," Squire Wyatt and Geo. Linn-
ville aiders and abettors. The pursuers embraced
Ed. T. Sheldon, E. S. Hill, Geo. Hunter, E.
Avery, A. C. Gaston, Chas. F. Lawrence, Jas. L.
Smith, and Pascal Mason.
On they rushed in hot pursuit, and overhauled
the wagon nearly due east of Tabor, in the early
dawn of morning. One of the sleds struck out
ahead, and doubled up the leaders of the wagon
team, and the other closed up behind enforcing
obedience to the simultaneous shout, "Halt!" while
all except the drivers leaped from the sleds, each
drawing a sled stake for want of a better weapon,
surrounded the wagon, and, in the attitude of tak-
ing aim, demanded a surrender, and surrender they
did. All were required to go to Tabor. They
came in and stopped at the hotel, then kept by
148 Reminiscences
Jesse West, where they warmed up, after an all
night's cold ride. Breakfast was soon ready for
all the company, but the pro-slavery party objected
to eating with niggers — declared they were not
used to that, and did not propose to begin now.
"Oh, well!" said the landlord, "you needn't. You
can sit down and eat, and the others can eat after-
ward." They sat down to breakfast, and by the
time they were through, the fugitives were well
started on their way to freedom, and the kidnap-
pers saw them no more.
As the fugitives had made their escape, and were
gone, there was nothing further to be done but to
send the pro-slavery captives to their respective
homes. This was accordingly done by escorting
such of them to their residences as had no teams
of their own to convey them there. O. Cummings,
J. K. Gaston, John Hallam, G. B. Gaston, W. M.
Brooks and others had been out all night searching
through Wabonsie, along the Missouri bottom,
and miles south of Thurman, from which night
search they returned, just as the captured party
from across the Nishnabotna river entered Tabor.
As the fugitives left the hotel without their break-
fast, they repaired to L. E. Webb's, two miles east
of Tabor, for breakfast and rested there through
the day. About sundown they set out for Canada,
escorted by O. Cummings, D. E. Woods, L. B.
Hill, Pascal Mason, and others on horseback.
Rev. John Todd 149
They started in a sled, but changed to a wagon
at Mr. Hill's. Streams were all frozen over, and
could be crossed on the ice wherever a team could
get down and up the banks. This train therefore
took a " bee line " for Lewis and, after striking
the divide between Walnut creek and East Nish-
nabotna, they followed it up to Lewis. Before
reaching that station, they sent part of their com-
pany ahead to reconnoiter to see that the coast was
all clear. The moon was setting in the west, and
the sun just rising in the east, as the train halted
at the O. Mills station for breakfast. This com-
pany left Tabor the first time on Friday evening,
March 6, i860, and reached the division station
at Lewis on Tuesday morning, the loth, being
three days and four nights in making a journey
which ordinarily required but twenty- four hours.
At Lewis they were placed in the care of other con-
ductors, and the Tabor people returned home
again. When we consider the number of days
and nights in succession spent by some of these
persons in the cold winter, scouring the country in
the saddle in search of the slaves, simply to help
a fellow mortal to the enjoyment of liberty, we
can see the strength of self-denial for others' good,
which this philanthropy inspires. Said an actor,
in these scenes in my hearing, who had joined our
community four or five years before from Ohio,
*' I aided in a single year in Ohio more than a
i^o Reminiscences
hundred fugitives to escape." This certainly indi-
cates great activity in this Hne of business. It
seems difficult for some to believe that so much
risk and self-denial can be incurred without pecuni-
ary compensation. In Ohio it was reported fifty
years ago by the pro-slavery people that abolition-
ists received $25 a head for every slave they landed
in Canada, and some seemed really to believe it
true. A man in Nebraska City years ago, who was
bitterly cursing the abolitionists, was asked what
he meant by an abolitionist, to which he replied,
"An abolitionist? Why, an abolitionist is one
who steals niggers and runs them off south and
sells them and pockets the money." With such
abolitionists none of us have ever had any acquain-
tance.
ANOTHER CASE
Two fugitives from slavery were arrested by
some persons (who were willing to do their owner
a favor, or were eager to get a reward, or per-
haps were prompted by both these motives com-
bined) and lodged in the Linden jail for safe
keeping. While there the weather was very cold,
and they begged of the jailer a pan of live coals
to keep them from freezing. When comfortably
warm other possible benefits from the fire were
suggested. With the pan of coals they managed
to burn a hole through the floor large enough to
Rev. John Todd 151
effect their escape. As they proceeded up the Mis-
souri river bottom a furious snow storm overtook
them, and in the bHnding bhzzard they got sepa-
rated from each other, and nearly perished in the
cold. One of them found his way to Tabor, and
stayed at Mr. G. B. Gaston's several weeks, hoping
that his companion in bonds would make his ap-
pearance. Accustomed to active life he disliked to
be idle, and asked for work. Mr. Gaston set him
to cutting wood In the woods and for weeks he '
repaired dally to the work after breakfast In the
morning, carrying with him a lunch for noon, and
returning home In the shadows of the evening.
After some weeks his companion In travel and trib-
ulation came along, and they proceeded on their
way to freedom.
Slavery had to foster a race prejudice In order
to maintain its haughty and oppressive assumption
of lordly power. Anglo-Saxons were created to
rule, Africans to serve. This doctrine was so as-
siduously Inculcated that It had its influence In
shaping legislation and modifying public sentiment
even In the free states. Hence the law which In
Iowa discriminates against persons of color and
forbids them to locate in the state until they give
bonds that they will not become a public charge.
But the baneful Influence of slavery manifested
Itself in other ways.
1^2 Reminiscences
CASE OF KIDNAPPING
About the year i860, as John Williamson,
Henry Garner, and his sister Maria, were on their
way from Percival to Omaha, a covered carriage
with two or three men in it overtook them. As
the Garners and Williamson were riding quietly
along, not suspecting any danger, the carriage
drove up behind them, the men jumped out hastily,
and one of them with a stick or club struck Henry
a crushing blow on the cheek, not only stunning
him but breaking the cheek bone. All three
were taken and hurried away into Missouri. But
Williamson managed to make his escape after some
days. Henry and Maria were lodged in a slave
pen in St. Louis, awaiting the day of sale in the
slave market of that city. News of the kidnapping
of the Garners no sooner reached Dr. Blanchard
than he dropped all else, and made it his business
to recover them. Mr. Gaston was informed of the
occurrence, and together they spent days in diligent
search through northwestern Missouri, and down
as far as St. Joe. After obtaining some reliable
trace of them and learning that they had been
taken to St. Louis, Mr. Gaston returned home and
Dr. Blanchard followed on to that place. He suc-
ceeded in tracing them to the prison, and stated to
the keeper the wrongful manner in which they had
been seized, and that they were really free negroes.
Rev. John Todd 153
The keeper proposed to test the truth of the
doctor's story by bringing him into their presence
and noting the effect of their seeing him. When
Dr. Blanchard entered, Henry, suffering severely
yet from the blow he had received, and apparently
in utter despair of any relief in the future, did not
look up. But Maria no sooner looked up than
she jumped up and ran and threw her arms around
him, exclaiming, " Oh! Dr. Blanchard! where did
you come from?" The testimony was indisput-
able. After proper legal steps Henry and Maria
were set at liberty, and the kidnappers were placed
in the custody of proper officers, brought to Coun-
cil Bluffs, and there imprisoned to await their trial.
But before the time for their trial they broke jail
and effected their escape.
The principal in this kidnapping was a man by
the name of Hurd, who had been in Kansas, and
came away in not very good repute. He had been
hanging about Dr. Blanchard's for several weeks
apparently watching his chance. He was after-
ward heard of in Kansas, and in a year or two
after this kidnapping scrape, it was reported that
he was hung for horse stealing, " The way of the
transgressor is hard."
CHAPTER X
JOHN BROWN'S PREPARATIONS
CAPTAIN BROWN — RESUMED
CAPT. JOHN BROWN, as we have seen,
went east late in the autumn of 1856,
where he spent the winter counselling with
and rallying the friends of freedom in Kansas. He
returned again to Tabor August 7, 1857, where
he remained several months, and until after the
fall elections in Kansas, the result of which he
watched with intense interest. He boarded in the
family of Jonas Jones, who then occupied the house
on the northeast corner of Center and Orange
streets, where President Brooks now resides.
Colonel Forbes arrived two days later and re-
mained until the 2d of November, and being an
expert as a military tactician, he seemed to be teach-
ing the captain military science. Owen Brown,
son of the captain, was also here that summer.
Part of the time they practiced shooting at a tar-
get with Sharps rifles. In the point of one of
the prairie ridges which nm north and south and
just north of Dragoon hollow, they dug a hole of
sufficient dimensions to contain a man comfortably.
Rev. John Todd 155
A sheet-like white cloth with a black spot in the
center, suspended on two stakes, was placed on the
north side of the hole, in which one of their num-
ber placed himself with his back to the marksmen,
fronting the target, and deep enough in the ground
to be safe from any balls that might be fired. There
with a long pointer in hand terminated by a black
knob about the size of a man's fist to render it
more readily distinguishable, sat the indicator
awaiting the report of a Sharps rifle half a mile
or more away south, whither Colonel Forbes and
Captain Brown had repaired to try their skill as
marksmen. No sooner was the report of the dis-
tant rifle heard than the black knob on the end of
the pointer was placed on the hole where the ball
perforated the target, which the marksmen, with
the aid of a field glass, could readily see and mod-
ify their subsequent attempts accordingly. A book
on military science entitled, " The Patriotic Volun-
teer," of which Colonel Forbes was the author,
formed a text book for study, while target prac-
tice afforded them ample exercise In the open air.
Thus passed the summer and autumn of 1857, and
when Captain Brown learned that the elections In
Kansas had passed quietly, unmolested by ruffians
from Missouri, he proceeded to gather up the
free state stores that had been deposited In Tabor
and ship them away. Though very reticent and
little disposed to publish his projects, Captain
156 Reminiscences
Brown was understood by his friends to be intend-
ing, in case the elections were interfered with again,
to raise, clothe, arm and equip a company of
mounted men and pitch in and fight it out in Kan-
sas; but as the elections passed off quietly, he gath-
ered all together and took his departure.
Colonel Forbes took steamer at Nebraska City
for the east November 2, 1857, and Captain
Brown took the emigrant road to Kansas, in a
wagon driven by one of his sons. His chief object
in going to Kansas seems to have been to gather
about him a company of young men, whose object
culminated in the Harper's Ferry tragedy. Later
in the season there met at Tabor, Captain Brown,
Owen Brown, A. D. Stephens, Charles Moffit, C.
P. Tidd, Richard Robertson, Colonel Richard
Realf, L. F. Parsons, Wm. Leaman and Captain
Cook. These had intended to go to the Western
Reserve to winter, but Forbes had betrayed their
plans to the government authorities, and they,
for this reason, together with limited finances,
concluded to remain in Iowa through the winter.
Here I quote from Captain Cook's confession:
" We stopped some days at Tabor making prepa-
rations to start. Here we found that Captain
Brown's ultimate destination was the state of Vir-
ginia. Some warm words passed between him and
myself in regard to the plan, which I supposed
was to be confined entirely to Kansas and Mis-
Rev. John Todd 157
sourl. Realf and Parsons were of the same opin-
ion with me. After a good deal of wrangling we
consented to go on, as we had not the means to
return, and the rest of the party were so anxious
that we should go with them. At Tabor we pro-
cured teams for the transportation of about 200
Sharps rifles which had been taken on as far as
Tabor one year before, at which place they had
been left awaiting the orders of Captain Brown.
There were also other stores consisting of blankets,
clothing, boots, ammunition, and about two hun-
dred revolvers of the Massachusetts Arms patent,
all of which we transported across the state of
Iowa to Springdale, and from there to Liberty, at
which place they were shipped for Ashtabula
county, Ohio, where they remained till brought to
Chambersburg, Pa., and were from there trans-
ported to a house in Washington county, Md.,
which Captain Brown had rented for six months,
and which was situated about five miles from Har-
per's Ferry."
These two hundred Sharps rifles (twenty boxes
and ten in a box) were stored in the parson's cellar
for about a year. So you see how nearly the
parson was implicated in the Harper's Ferry insur-
rection. Captain Brown and his ten young men
spent the winter of 1857-8 in Iowa, in the study
and practice of military tactics, under the drill
of A. D. Stephens. In the early summer of 1858
158 Rem
iniscences
he was again in southern Kansas, throwing his
power on the side of freedom in the strife between
freedom and slavery. The country at that time
was in a state of great excitement and turmoil, con-
stant raiding, and fighting and murdering between
the border ruffians and free state men. The great-
est vigilance was required to live at all. In this
state of things. Captain Brown and his faithful
clan endeavored to be prepared for any emer-
gency. Two hundred Missourians were collected
in Missouri, eight miles from the Kansas line, for
the purpose of invading the territory. At this
juncture, early in January, 1859, Captain Brown
began to talk of offensive operations and proposed
to invade Missouri. While yet undecided, a slave
who was to be sold with his family down the river
next day came to Captain Brown and besought
him to deliver them from this calamity. Accord-
ingly Captain Brown took twelve men and went
up one side of the Osage river, and Kagi with
eight ascended the other side, for the purpose of
freeing slaves. The former freed not only the
family that asked aid, but others, too, ten in all,
with team and wagon as remuneration for the
years of unpaid toil. Kagi's party obtained but
one slave, in securing which they killed the master,
who was attempting to take the life of one of the
party in defense of his property. Thus Missouri
was invaded, and slaves taken by force from their
Rev. John Todd 159
masters, even at the cost of life. After a short
stay in Kansas, Captain Brown with his company
of eleven slaves, which, by the way, had become
twelve by the birth of a young John Brown, set
out for the Queen's Dominions about the 20th of
January, 1859, and arrived safely in Tabor with
their escort early in February. They came the
latter part of the week and remained several days.
The small house across the street directly east
of the public school building then stood where Dr.
Sanborn's present residence stands, and had been
used for a primary school room. In that a cook-
ing stove was placed and there the freedmen made
their home during their sojourn in Tabor.
The following paper was handed the parson on
Sunday morning at the beginning of the morning
services: "John Brown respectfully requests the
church at Tabor to offer public thanksgiving to
Almighty God in behalf of himself and company
and of their rescued captives in particular, for His
gracious preservation of their lives and health,
and His signal deliverance of all out of the hand
of the wicked hitherto." " Oh, give thanks unto
the Lord ; for He is good ; for His mercy endureth
forever."
The parson preached at Glenwood in the even-
ing and from there went directly to Quincy in
Adams count}^ where he remained a week or more
assisting Brother Penfield in a series of meetings.
i6o Reminiscences
Before the Sabbath was past it was reported In
Tabor that Missouri had been Invaded and Hfe
had been taken to procure these slaves, and con-
sequently that Captain Brown might be heard in
his own defense, and that all persons interested
might hear and judge for themselves, a public meet-
ing had been called for Monday morning to hear
Captain Brown. A traveling MIssourian chanced
to stop for the night at the village hotel, and learn-
ing of the meeting, concluded to attend. This fact
came to the ears of Captain Brown, who refused
to speak in the presence of the MIssourian and
demanded that he be required to leave. The audi-
ence were unwilling to grant this, and leading per-
sons present strongly Insinuated that if no wrong
had been done the actors ought not to be ashamed
or afraid to let any and everybody know what they
had done. The MIssourian remained and Cap-
tain Brown withdrew, greatly grieved that his
Tabor friends refused to approve his course.
After Captain Brown left the meeting at the
school house that Monday morning, the citizens
proceeded to adopt some resolutions expressive of
their views of the captain's Invasion of Missouri.
They could not approve of an armed invasion of
a neighboring state with which we were ostensibly
at peace.
With mingled surprise and indignation Captain
Brown repaired to the residence of Brother Geo.
Rev. John Todd i6i
B. Gaston, whose hospitality he had been enjoy-
ing, apparently feeling that if friends deserted him
he must "trust in God and keep his powder dry."
In feeble health from continued exposure, beset
with a persistent ague, he seemed to feel forsaken ;
he carefullv examined and grasped more firmly his
weapons and curtailed his stay in Tabor. By way
of Chicago and the lakes, he reached Canada in
safety with his company in due time, and appeared
in Tabor but once again. About the first of Sep-
tember, 1859, he came to the residence of Jonas
Jones on the Sabbath, less than two months before
his capture at Harper's Ferry, and when taking
leave on the same day, as Mr. Jones stepped out
on the porch, he said very impressively, " Good-
bye, Mr. Jones. I don't say where I am going,
but you'll hear from me. There has been enough
said about ' bleeding Kansas.' I intend to make
a bloody spot at another point and carry the war
into Africa." From our present standpoint, this
daring deed of Captain Brown seems to have been
one link in the long chain of events which hastened
the final overthrow of legalized American slavery.
CHAPTER XI
SEEKING THE STRAY SHEEP
ABOUT tHe year 1855 ^he General Assembly
of the Presbyterian church, in session at
St. Louis, resolved to take measures to
plant Presbyterian "churches in new settlements
in advance of all others." This evidence that
young America was coming to the front in that
body naturally led other denominations to look to
their laurels, and see that no undue advantage
should be taken of them by any haste to occupy
new ground. Accordingly several of the older and
stronger Congregational churches of eastern Iowa,
in the spring or early summer of 1857, wrote the
parson requesting that he would take a trip up
and down among the settlements along the Mis-
souri river valley, in search of the Congregational
element, and organize churches where circum-
stances seemed to warrant such a course, they
promising to defray all necessary expenses. This
the parson consented to do, and so set out on
horseback on Friday, the 17th of July, booted and
spurred, saddle and saddle bags, prepared to hunt
up and fold all Congregational sheep. He dined
at Glenwood, and supped, lodged, and conferred
with Rev. R. E. Gaylord in Omaha — next day he
Rev. John Todd 163
proceeded on through Saratoga and Florence. At
that time there was comparatively a small space
from the north side of Omaha to the south line
of Florence, a distance of six miles, which was not
laid out in city lots. Crossing the Missouri river
again to the east of Florence, he dined at Crescent
City, which was largely a settlement of Mormons.
In the afternoon he passed on to Magnolia, and
stopped with Brother H. D. King and his estimable
wife over the Sabbath, preaching at 1 1 a. m. In
the afternoon two Mormon apostles, who had just
set out on a mission from Preparation, a place fif-
teen or twenty miles north of Magnolia, where
a branch of the Mormon church had established
themselves, and had for some time been preparing
to send forth twelve apostles, held services. Their
worship was similar to Christian worship in general,
but when they presented their distinguishing doc-
trines, they taught the transmigration of souls, and
held that some of their adherents remembered dis-
tinctly their previous life on earth, and one even
remembered the particulars of his former death,
declaring that a horse ran away with him and
dashed him to death. Such statements, if sub-
stantiated, might strongly confirm the theory of
" the Conflict of Ages."
On Monday, July 20th, Brother King accom-
panied the parson on his way, by Butler's Mills and
Harrison City on the Boyer river, eleven miles
164 Reminiscences
from Magnolia, thence to Olmsted, five miles,
where they found Mr. Henry Olmsted, recently
from Connecticut, busily engaged with numerous
hands in the work of building a residence — Mrs.
Olmsted not yet having arrived. Several Congre-
gationalists were found here from Connecticut,
who afterward became the nucleus of the Congre-
gational church at Dunlap. On the next day,
Tuesday, July 21st, they went to Denison, twenty-
three miles, and lodged with a Mr. Goodrich, one
mile beyond the village. The day following they
went by Wellington to Judge Morehead's at Ida
Grove — the only grove of any consequence in Ida
county, covering about a quarter section. There
were then but twenty-five persons in the county,
all told. At Morehead's, an old stage station,
they met a Mr. Hubbard, of Cherokee, a Yankee
settlement, twenty-five miles north of this place,
from whom they learned that Cherokee was the
only settlement in the county, and consisted of
four families, including twelve men.
Thursday, July 23d, they rode together down
the Maple river, as far as Mapleton, where they
parted; Brother King returning to Magnolia and
the parson proceeding to Smithland, a village on
the Little Sioux river, where he preached in the
evening. Here were found families of liberal edu-
cation and fine culture from the vicinity of Boston,
who had brought their pianos with them, and who
Rev. John Todd 165
informed him that in the previous winter of 1856-7
they had been so blocked by snow drifted by driv-
ing winds that they drew flour from a point forty
miles east of there on a hand sled, and to avoid
starving some had to subsist on bread made of
bran. While they were ready to perish, the peo-
ple in Fremont county were having plenty, and
receiving high prices at Council Bluffs for every
kind of farm produce taken to that market.
From Smithland to Sargent's Bluff is about
thirty miles, and for the last twenty of that thirty
miles the road was on the Missouri bottom, which
in this vicinity is about twenty miles wide. This
portion of the road was, at this season of the year,
impassable in day time by horses, unless well cov-
ered, on account of the prevalence of a species of
green-headed flies, from which, if unprotected, the
horses would be killed. The parson, therefore,
waited on Friday, July 24th, at Smithland, until 7
o'clock p. m., when he set out for a thirty mile
ride, twenty miles of which must be passed in the
night — the road a single track, through tall grass,
with a few branch roads to lead astray, and no
person of whom to inquire the way, nor dwelling
house in twenty miles. Silently plodding the lonely
way, the parson proceeded, surrounded by a chorus
of frogs, too modest to sing in the immediate
presence of a nocturnal traveler, but ready to re-
sume as soon as he had passed along — interluded
1 66 Reminiscences
by the incessant humming of myriads of mosqui-
toes, that never dreamed of modesty — eager to
sing in the face of a king, nor were ever known
even to blush in the presence of royalty. So the
parson passed on hour after hour in sombre sus-
pense, uncertain whether the outcome would be Sar-
gent's Bluff or some other destination, until the
barking of some faithful watch dog, or the dis-
tant glimmer of some friendly lamp occasioned a
sigh of relief, and assured him that he had not
missed his way. Between hope and fear the gaunt-
let has been successfully run, and he has safely
reached again an inhabited land. As " necessity
knows no law," orderly habits are forgotten and
the rider retires to his couch at one o'clock a. m.
of the 25th. After rest and refreshment, the itin-
erant is again in the saddle and completes the
journey to Sioux City — eight miles — by 1 1 a. m.,
takes quarters at the Pacific House, and improves
the remainder of the day in hunting up the wan-
dering sheep.
On Monday, July 27th, search was continued
for the flock in city and suburbs, and a number of
Congregationalists, as was supposed, were found,
some of whom proved to be of other denominations.
But having found some, and having arranged to
organize two weeks hence, the parson crossed the
river and turned south, through the settlements in
Nebraska, — Dakota City, Omadi, Omaha Reserva-
Rev. John Todd 167
tion, Decatur, Tekama, Cumming City, De Soto,
Calhoun, etc., finding some professing Christians in
every flourishing settlement, but nowhere a suf-
ficient number of Congregationalists to warrant
an organization.
After a week or more at home, the parson set
out on a second tour to Sioux City on the 4th of
August, 1857, passing up through Glenwood,
Council Bluffs, Crescent City, Magnolia, Prepara-
tion, Belvidere, Smithland, and Sargent's Bluff
to Sioux City. Desirous to get through with an
unpleasant task, he left Smithland earlier in the
afternoon than he had done on the first trip, so
that he reached the Missouri bottoms before the
sun was entirely gone, when, as he ventured for-
ward, the flies so covered and crazed the horse
that after fighting them for a time it seemed to
give up in despair, and so set forward on a keen
run, until the shadows of night came to its relief.
Sargent's Bluff was reached at 10 p. m, on Friday,
and Sioux City at 10 a. m. on Saturday, August
8, 1857, and lodgings taken at the Pacific House.
On Sunday attended Methodist meeting at 11
a. m., and announced a meeting and organization
of a Congregational church at 7 :30 p. m., but at
that hour a violent thunder storm and sweeping
rain took the precedence, and no meeting was had.
On Monday morning the parties interested were
convened. Articles of Faith and Covenant were
1 68 Reminiscences
agreed upon, adopted and formally assented to,
and the church duly formed. Crossed the Mis-
souri river at Sioux City as on the previous trip,
and returned home as before through Nebraska.
Still there remained that portion of Nebraska
south of the Platte river to be visited. Accord-
ingly the pastor set forth again on the 20th of
August, 1857, crossed the river at Kenosha, where
were found Bela White and wife, Festus Reed
and wife, Congregationalists. Next day he pro-
ceeded by Eight Mile Grove on Bachelor Creek,
crossing from there to Cedar Creek, about seven
miles without any road or trail, where he found
Mr. Tozier and wife, who had been years be-
fore members of the Congregationalist church
at California City or Florence. In the after-
noon he returned toward Plattsmouth, lodged
with Mr. Maxwell, a Presbyterian, and next day
passed on to Rock Bluff, crossed the river and re-
turned home, not having found any material to
justify the organization of a church. Thus ended
that special effort to hold our own as Congrega-
tionalists in the Missouri valley. Nebraska City
was occupied before this time by a Presbyterian
organization. The parson preached for some time
at Sidney, but as Presbyterians predominated there,
when Father Bell came on from eastern Iowa and
started a ladies' seminary there, he yielded the
ground to him.
CHAPTER XII
AMITY OR COLLEGE SPRINGS
THIS place like some others had the misfor-
tune or inconvenience, in the outset, of hav-
ing one name for the village and a different
one for its postoffice. It was named Amity by its
citizens, but as that name was already appropriated
elsewhere, the postoffice department named it Col-
lege Springs, which is rapidly superseding " Am-
ity."
Under the shadow of Knox College, in the city
of Galesburg, originated the idea of founding and
endowing a college in some of the frontier settle-
ments farther west. Rev. B. F. Haskins and
William J. Wood were the prime movers in the
matter. The plan proposed was in brief this : A
company was organized and officers chosen — a
president, secretary and treasurer. Persons by
the payment of one or more shares became mem-
bers, and when a sufficient sum was secured to
promise success, a location was to be selected and
a lot of land entered. A village was to be laid
out in a central and desirable place for a college.
The lands and village lots were to be appraised
at not less than twice the government price, and
170 Reminiscences
members of the company could receive back at the
appraised value lands and lots to the amount of
stock they had paid in. In this way they hoped
to enlist many in the enterprise — to speedily form
a good settlement — and to secure an endowment
in land for an institution of learning. In 1854
or 1855 ^ locating committee, consisting of B. F.
Haskins, W. J. Wood, John Cross, B. F. Atkin-
son and one more (name unknown), came into
Page county and selected a large tract of unentered
land for the object contemplated. It was not a
denominational movement, although the movers in
the matter were Christians, and did not hide their
light. Almost all the orthodox denominations were
represented in the company, and at first all aided
in maintaining religious worship. They were as
a body active in reforms, warm advocates of tem-
perance, anti-slaver)' and anti-secret societies. As
soon as a place could be furnished for a school, a
school was opened. Christian ministers were mem-
bers of the company, and Sabbath services were
regularly observed. About the year 1858, in the
autumn of the year, the parson accompanied B. F.
Gardner and wife to Amity. Though the particu-
lar year cannot be fixed with certainty, it was the
one when a most splendid comet decked the heav-
ens, the tail of which reached from the horizon to
the zenith — a sight which many among us never
beheld. The nights were cool, and the mornings
Rev. John Todd 171
frosty. The people of Amity were very busy pre-
paring for winter. There were many new comers,
and many hastily and poorly constructed dwellings,
as is common in new settlements. Some were even
living in tents, but " necessity knows no law." Not-
withstanding the urgency of business, religious
meetings were held every evening, and the parson
remained most of the week, visiting through the
day and attending meeting in the evening, where
was manifested unusual religious interest.
There for the first time I fell in with one, a
brief sketch of whose history 1 will venture to re-
late, for the lessons it contains:
Albert V. House, of respectable parentage, like
too many youths chafing under wholesome home
restraint, left home early to learn the shoemaking
trade. Next he enlisted in the United States army,
and served through the Seminole Indian war in
Florida. There he acquired a strong appetite for
intoxicants, which, though kept in subjection, at-
tended him through all subsequent life. He was
at Amity at this time, with a young and interest-
ing family, and was working at his trade. He
possessed an unusual gift for public speaking — had
exercised it as an exhorter in the Methodist Epis-
copal church, of which he was a member, and had
been active in Christian work in Amity. A few
days before I saw him, he had set out for St. Joe
to replenish his stock in business, taking his own
172 Reminiscences
conveyance, as there were then no railroads. He
reached Marysville the first evening as dayhght
was fading from the western sky. It was a cold
evening, and he, to use his own words, "was chilled
to the heart." Just opposite the hotel where he
stopped was a saloon brilliantly lighted, warm,
and very attractive. The temptation was too
strong to be resisted. He was brought back from
Marysville prostrate and penniless. I found him
profoundly penitent, greatly humbled, and deeply
depressed. His Christian friends gathered around
him and encouraged him to return to the Lord
heartily and renew his trust in Him. Conscious of
his weakness and aware of the temptation to which
Itinerancy would expose him, he united with the
Council Bluffs Congregational Association in April,
i860, and afterward preached at Hawleyville,
Glenwood, Nevinvllle, Otho, Parkersburg, Man-
son and Lawler, at which last place he died in
May, 1875. While laboring at Glenwood he was
invited to a celebration of a wedding occasion,
where wine was passed. It offended him greatly.
He spoke of It as a very narrow escape on his part
from a ruinous fall, and ignorance alone could
excuse the act, In his estimation. At the meet-
ing of the Iowa State Congregational Asso-
ciation at Sioux City in 1872, the Lord's Supper
was observed on Sunday afternoon, and a temper-
ance meeting was held elsewhere in the city at the
Rev. John Todd 173
same hour. Fermented wine was used. As I put
the cup to my lips I wondered if Brother House
was present. Afterward on meeting him I asked
if he were there. He said, " No, I was called
upon to speak at the temperance meeting. Why? "
I replied, " They used fermented wine."
" Oh! " he exclaimed, " I am so glad I was not
there. I wouldn't have been there for ten thou-
sand dollars."
The history of Amity affords an example of
the inutility of pushing organic union, where there
is not intelligent union of heart. At first all wor-
shiped together, but as numbers increased, the
preferences of the different denominations, while
attracting those who were of the same mind to each
other, at the same time drew them away from the
common multitude, until Amity has become noted
for the number of its churches in proportion to
its population.
The college movement at Amity was originally
undenominational, but even a Christian college
seems to flourish best under the patronage and sup-
port of some particular denomination. The ma-
jority of the trustees of Amity college has for
many years been United Presbyterians, and they,
therefore, hold the control of it.
CHAPTER XIII
EVANGELISTIC AND TEMPERANCE
WORK
I HAVE already spoken of a protracted meet-
ing, held in the vicinity of Percival, by the
aid of Rev. Wm. Simpson of the Methodist
Episcopal church, in the winter of 185 1-2. Tabor
settlement was begun in the spring of 1852 and
religious meetings were held in the grove under
a basswood or linden tree two miles southwest of
Tabor, near the pastor's log cabin, through the
summer, and when the autumn breezes began to
blow Brother G. B. Gaston's house, on the south-
east corner of Park and Orange streets (now Mr.
Starrett's) , became the place of meeting. Here
Mr. and Mrs, Laird, who had recently come from
Erie county. Pa., to reside, where F. M. Laird
has since succeeded them, first attended our meet-
ing. When in 1854 the school house was built on
the northeast corner of Center and Elm streets,
that proved the resort for all public gatherings in
our community until better accommodations were
provided as the village grew. For many years it
was customaiy to hold a series of religious meet-
ings at some time during the winter season, which
Rev. John Todd 175
were uniformly attended with more or less quicken-
ing of religious interest and conversion of sinners.
As at first ministers were few and far away, these
meetings were for a number of years conducted by
the pastor of the church, efficiently aided by the
deacons. On one of these occasions every indi-
vidual in the community was reached and all of
intelligent age except one cherished a hope in
Christ. In the autumn of 1856 the parson held a
protracted meeting in Glenwood, which resulted
in the organization of the Congregational church
of that place. In 1857 he aided Brother H. D.
King, of Magnolia, in holding meetings, and in
1858 assisted Brother G. B. Hitchcock at Lewis,
where Deacons Cummings of Tabor and Bush of
Exira also attended. A deep interest was awak-
ened and seventeen were added to the church on
confession. In one of the meetings a father arose
and, with tearful eyes and faltering voice, con-
fessed that he had wickedly broken his vow made
to God when In distress, for when on his way from
England to America, a violent storm overtook
them, and when in imminent peril of his life he
cried to God. He promised his Maker that if He
would but deliver and enable him and his to reach
their destination in safety he would serve Him the
rest of his days. But he had not kept his vow,
and now God had called his sin to remembrance.
He turned to God and began a prayerful life, his
176 Reminiscences
wife and several children going with him, and
there was joy in that household. In February,
1859, the parson assisted Brother H. Penfield at
Quincy in Adams county. In i860 he helped
Brother King, of Magnolia again. God worked
with us and eighteen were added to the church
on confession. In 1861 meetings were held at
Percival, attended Avith a good degree of interest,
and which resulted in the organization of the
present Congregational church there.
During the war of the rebellion attention was
very much diverted from matters of religion. The
public mind was absorbingly eager to get the latest
news from the seat of war. The news of the
stampede of Bull Run came late in the week and
furnished a theme for sermons and conversation on
the following Sunday. True patriots were very
much cast down, while rebels secretly, and some
openly, rejoiced. Men grouped together at the
street corners and gathered about the hotels and
postoffices and bulletin boards, pouring over the
latest despatches and eagerly attempting to pry
into the future. So many had gone at the call of
their country that a burden rested on the remnant
in order to keep home business moving.
About January i, 1868, the parson aided
Brother J. H. Morley, of Magnolia, in a few
days' meetings. Brother H. S. DeForest, during
his ministry at Council Bluffs, conducted a series
Rev. John Todd 177
of religious meetings in Tabor twice, with good
results. Father Orson Parker, a veteran evangel-
ist, labored with us in 1870 with much success.
Elder Balcom, of the Baptist denomination, and
Brother Lang, of the Methodist Episcopal church,
also conducted evangelistic meetings successfully
among us. Efforts of this kind for the past fifteen
years have been too numerous to mention in de-
tail.
TEMPERANCE
Forty years ago as has been before said, all the
people in this region of country were accustomed to
use intoxicants as a beverage. Liquor was freely
used at the polls on election day. The several can-
didates furnished it for their friends, and it
was not uncommon to see men drunk, fighting
dnmk and noisy, before the polls closed. Here
and there at the boat landings along the river,
whisky was kept for sale, and the imbibers
thereof were wont to frequent these places
for social merrymaking. Broils and fights, and
reckless smash-ups, were not uncommon. Whisky
used to be termed a good creature of God, but
time has shown the fallacy of such a statement.
For if Satan has any one tool more pliant, skilful,
Satanic, and more destructive of all good than any
or all others, it is Alcohol. It blunts conscience,
and prompts to the commission of crime; it beats
178 Reminiscences
mothers and beggars families; it ruins character
and destroys souls; it poisons the body and crazes
the mind; it drags down the talented and noble and
plunges them into the ditch. Murder, robbery,
theft, adultery, anger, malice, blasphemy and the
whole catalogue of crimes are incited and warmed
into life by this fell destroyer. But much has
been done to curtail this evil. It is made unchris-
tian to use it, make it or sell it. It has disappeared
from the public gaze. It finds no place in the most
genteel families. Many hotels are run successfully
without it. Elections are conducted quietly and
honestly and honorably without it. In no case is
it indispensable. In most it is decidedly hurtful.
Temperance has made decided advances. Great
changes have occurred for the better in the past
fifty years. May we not hope that intemperance
will yet be banished from the land?
CHAPTER XIV
INDIANS IN IOWA
THERE are no adults among us, and few
children, who have not heard of Indians as
dangerous creatures — a strange people to
be greatly feared; but many children have never
seen an Indian. Some years ago a Pawnee Indian
boy named " Ralph " attended school here in
Tabor. He dressed, and played, and talked, and
studied, and recited his lessons just like other boys.
The United States government removed the Paw-
nee tribe years ago to the Indian Territory, and
Ralph went with the rest of them. Geo. B. Gas-
ton and wife lived several years among the Paw-
nees in Nebraska, and became deeply interested in
them, so that some of them visited in Tabor more
than once. When we first came to Iowa, forty
years ago, Indians lived just across the Missouri
river from us, and when the river became frozen
across in the winter they frequently came over on
the ice. Some unprincipled white men, who kept
whisky and drank of it themselves, would give it
to the Indians, and sometimes they got drunk, and
then it crazed them and made them dangerous, just
as it does white men. Drunken Indians came to a
i8o Reminiscences
house in California City in Mills county once,
more than thirty years ago, when the men hap-
pened to be away from home, and the women shut
the door against them. When they could not get
in, one of them attempted to shoot in through the
open chinks at the side of the door with his bow
and arrow; but no sooner was the arrow-point in-
serted between the logs than Mrs. Cordelia Clark
Martin, with great decision and prompt presence
of mind, seized it and snatched it out of his hand.
Mrs. Cordelia C. Hinton probably retains that
arrow to this day as a souvenir of the perils of
the past. Baffled in their endeavor to enter that
house, they went to other houses, and made
themselves so disagreeable generally that some of
the party were killed before they recrossed the
river into Nebraska. So Alcohol proves to be the
apt tool of Satan for the destruction of mankind,
whether he be white, or red, black, brown, or
yellow.
Many still live in Fremont county to whom the
Indian trails or paths, that wound over the hills
and through the vales, from grove to grove and
from stream to stream, were as familiar, if not as
numerous, as are the roads that accommodate the
traveling public now. Indeed their camp fires were
still burning when some among us first came to
Fremont county. The forks and poles which
formed the frames of their dwellings, and the
Rev. John Todd i8i
bark which covered them, reminded us often of the
singular race that had so recently disappeared.
No history, then, of the county would be com-
plete without some account of the native tribes
which preceded the white man on this soil.
A feeling of sadness involuntarily steals over us
as we contemplate the waning glory of the nations
that once with elastic step, proud mien and brave
hearts chased over these beautiful prairies herds
of innumerable buffaloes, stealthily pursued the
bounding deer and graceful antelope, or more lei-
surely fished in the rivers, streams and lakes, or
waylaid the numberless birds of passage that vi-
brated between their summer and winter homes —
nations that displayed their military prowess in
sanguinary tribal conflicts on the field of battle.
Strong nations have dwindled to insignificant bands
in their retreat before the influx of the Anglo-
Saxon race, until they may fittingly adopt the poet's
sad strain :
" They waste us! Aye, like April snow
In the warm noon we shrink away;
And fast they follow as we go
Toward the setting day."
The aboriginal tribes of America are so related
to each other that a proper idea of one tribe can
no more be given without referring to other tribes
than can the geology of Fremont county be given
182 Reminiscences
without referring to the region around it. Indeed,
the very existence of Indians on this continent pre-
sents a problem not easy to solve. Its difficulty
appears in the variety of answers which have been
given. Since the human family was created and
cradled in the interior of Asia, the aborigines of
America must have reached the western continent
in the same way that the islands of the Pacific were
reached — that is, by some kind of ocean craft. In-
dians lined the Atlantic coast from Maine to
Georgia when the Pilgrims anchored the May-
flower in Plymouth bay. Four great families of
tribes, according to the languages spoken, were
then found in the country — the Iroquois, the Al-
gonquin, the Mobilian and the Dakotas. While
there were some exceptions, the mass of the In-
dians would naturally range under one or other
of these families. Their manners, customs, policy
and regulations were such, that alliances and con-
federations at some times seemed almost to blend
in one the different tribes; and again hostilities
would break out and not only separate confeder-
acies into the original tribes, but often would di-
vide tribes into bands or clans which, in some in-
stances, seem to have grown into distinct tribes.
The westward march of European emigration
and the exploration of new regions of country have
brought to light new tribes of Indians, until the
Indian commissioner's report for 1874 mentions
Rev. John Todd 183
one hundred and fifty or more different tribes and
bands within the United States, numbering in all,
excluding those of Alaska, 261,851 as reported
by the secretary of the interior in 1882.
The Indian tribes seem to have acted over in
America, on a small scale, the incursions, invasions,
conflicts and changes which were produced in Eu-
rope by the Vandals, the Huns, the Heruli, the
Goths and Gauls, and other nations in their irrup-
tions and migrations.
The tribes that have roamed and hunted and
fought over the fair fields of Iowa are the Sioux,
Winnebagoes, lowas, Illinois, Sacs and Foxes, and
Pottawattamies.
The Sioux or Dakotas, numbering 53,000, are
the most numerous and powerful tribe of Indians
within the United States and have long been the
terror of all the savage hordes, from Spirit Lake
to the mouth of the Mississippi. They shared with
the Illinois, and afterward with the Sacs and Foxes,
the lovely lands of Iowa as their hunting grounds.
They are a very warhke nation and have been the
long-time mortal enemies of the Ojibways, Sacs
and Foxes, and Pawnees. Sitting Bull and Spotted
Tail, who fought for their rights and homes in the
Black Hills, are prominent chiefs in this nation.
The Winnebagoes were found by Captain Jona-
than Carver in 1766, located around Winnebago
lake in Wisconsin. They were warm friends of
184 Reminiscences
the Sioux, not a numerous tribe, and could then
raise two hundred warriors. From their tradi-
tions, language and customs he judged " that the
Winnebagoes originally resided in New Mexico
and, being driven from their native country either
by intestine divisions or by the extension of the
Spanish conquests, they took refuge in these more
northern parts, about a century before." This
tribe seems to have affiliated with the lowas, and
Sacs and Foxes, and part of it found its way
with them into Iowa. From the commissioner's
report of 1882 we learn that the Winnebagoes on
their reservation in eastern Nebraska, adjoining
the Omaha reservation on the north, number
1,422, which are all of the tribe, except about 400
vagabonds, who have returned to Wisconsin, and
a few who have joined the Sacs and Foxes in Tama
county, Iowa.
The lowas, from whom our state takes its name,
were at one time identified with the Sacs of Rock
river, but for some reason separated from them
and assumed to be a band by themselves. For a
time the lowas occupied the same hunting grounds
with the Sacs and Foxes, and seem to have come
with them Into Iowa. In the beginning of the
present century they had two villages in the state,
one on the right bank of the Iowa river, about ten
miles above its confluence with the Mississippi, and
the other, which was their principal village, on the
Rev. John Todd 185
Des Moines river on the site of lowavIUe In Van
Buren county. Here the last great battle was
fought between the lowas and the Sacs and Foxes,
In which the latter were the assailants. The lowas
were taken altogether by surprise and unarmed.
The attack resulted In the burning and complete
destruction of the village and slaughter of great
numbers of the lowas, men, women and children.
In this fight, which was more of a massacre than
a battle, Black Hawk, then a young man, led a
detachment of the aggressors.
In 1 88 1 this tribe, numbering one hundred and
thirty, Is reported as occupying sixteen thousand
acres of a reservation In southeastern Nebraska,
known as the Great Nemaha Reservation, which is
shared by them and the Sacs and Foxes. Though
greatly reduced In numbers, they are said to be
making commendable progress In husbandry, learn-
ing and civilization. They have adopted a code of
laws, employ a tribal police, and fine every man
who gets dnmk five dollars. Sixty-three of the
Sacs and Foxes of Missouri share the civil regula-
tions and educational advantages with them. They
are Industrious, thrifty and provident.
At a grand council, held at the great Ojibway
village on the shores of Lake Superior In 1665,
we learned that the lUionls tribe was represented.
This tribe, from which the river and state took
their name, was at one time numerous and power-
i86 R
eminiscences
ful. Their hunting ground extended from Rock
river to the Ohio, and westward to the Des Moines.
Marquette and Joliet, French explorers, and the
first Europeans that ever set foot in Iowa, in June,
1673, visited three IlHnois villages on the bank
of a river, supposed to be the Des Moines. They
were cordially received, smoked the calumet with
their new found friends, and remained with them
six days perfecting their acquaintance.
Though the lUinois were at one time a formid-
able nation, and roamed over ample hunting
grounds, pursuing the buffalo and the deer on the
vast plains, fishing in the majestic rivers, or glid-
ing over the lakes and streams in their light canoes,
yet their pride, cruelty and vengeful spirit trans-
formed friends to foes, and produced a harvest
like the sowing of the fabled dragon's teeth, so
that enemies beset them round. When the Sacs
and Foxes crowded them on the north, the Miamis
on the east, Osages and Shawnees on the south
and Sioux on the west, they became straitened
and cut off on every side. They had a populous
village of 6,000 or 7,000 inhabitants on the Illi-
nois river, near the present town of Utica, in La
Salle county, where Joliet and Marquette found
friendly entertainment on their return from the
lower Mississippi in 1673. Tonti, the lieutenant
of LaSalle, spent the winter of 1679 and '80, and
the following summer, at this large Illinois town.
Rev. John Todd 187
In September of this year (1680) a bloody battle
was fought between the Iroquois and Illinois, on
the prairie skirting the timber along the Vermil-
ion river southeast of this village. The Iroquois
were victors, and, after the fight, crossed the river
and laid the Illinois town in ashes. Soon after,
Tonti, being deserted by his men, and attacked by
the Indians, took refuge among the Pottawatta-
mies on Lake Michigan. Two years later he, with
LaSalle, returned and fortified an almost inacces-
sible rock on the south bank of the river opposite
the site of this village, and named it Fort St. Louis.
This place, which Tonti held till 1688, is now
known as " Starved Rock;" it rises perpendic-
ularly from the water on the river side to
the height of two hundred feet, is level on the
top, and can be scaled only on the land side, and at
a single point, which is easily defended. It ac-
quired its name and notoriety from the following
incident: The Illinois tribe, beset with enemies
on every side, wasted by predatory incursions, and
slaughtered in sanguinary strife, had become re-
duced to a mere remnant of its former greatness.
The death of the great chieftain, leader and favor-
ite, Pontiac, at Cahokia in 1769, by the hand of
an Illinois assassin, caused the long gathering cloud
of Indian wrath to burst in fury on that devoted
nation. Seven cities claimed the nativity of Ho-
mer; more than one tribe claimed Pontiac. Park-
i88 R
eminiscences
man writes him an Ottawa chief, Carver a Miami,
and others a Sac. His was an eventful hfe. Born
in 17 12 — as an ally of the French, he defended
Detroit in 1746 — led several hundred Ottawas at
Braddock's defeat in 1755 — escorted the English
to Detroit in 1760 — conspired against the English
settlers in America in 1762 — besieged Detroit for
five months in 1763 — submitted to the English in
1766, and was killed in 1769.
The " Conspiracy of Pontiac " is the theme of
an interesting volume by Parkman. He was a
chief of broad views, great courage and daring,
and very extensive influence. He never liked the
English, and conceived the idea of destroying all
the English on the continent. To accomplish this
fondly cherished object he succeeded in enlisting
nearly all the prominent tribes in the eastern half
of the North American continent. He was artful
in diplomacy, skilled in treachery, and cunning, en-
ergetic and brave in battle. To effect his object,
a simultaneous attack was made on all the frontier
settlements from the lakes to the gulf. Many were
slain, and more were compelled to flee for their
lives. Whole families were massacred, houses
burned and happy homes laid waste. No one felt
safe to go abroad, and many trembled in their
homes. Every one who could went armed. The
minister, and all the men of his congregation, went
to church armed on Sunday. The pastor stood
Rev. John Todd 189
his loaded rifle behind him when he preached, and
famihes took their places in the pews, while the
head of the household sat next the aisle with his
ready rifle in easy reach to defend his own. (Thus
began the custom of the husband taking the head
of the pew, which continues to this day.)
During this time of terror, the following tragic
scene occurred on the farm adjoining the writer's
native place, as heard by him repeatedly later. A
large family of several grown boys and some small
children occupied the place. It was in the autumn
— wheat sowing time. Two boys with rifles in
hand were standing on guard. The father was
sowing, and two others with teams were harrow-
ing; when, before they had any knowledge of the
presence of Indians, the two on guard were shot
down. The others fled — one of the sons hastened
to the house, hid the small children, hastily ad-
justed affairs within, and then ran to the woods
and climbed a tree, where he could overlook the
proceedings, and while there he saw the Indians
pursue, overtake, tomahawk and scalp his father
at the door-yard gate. Though the Indians en-
tered the house, the hidden ones were not found.
When the survivors of that family gathered again
around the home hearth, how lonely ! how sad !
A stone house with port holes, which the writer
has often seen, was the refuge for that neighbor-
hood in a time of Indian alarm. Such a time of
190 Reminiscences
peril must be exceedingly trying; but such our
ancestors endured, and fearful times were had all
along the western frontiers.
A destructive war was waged by the Miamis,
KIckapoos and Pottawattamies, against the Illinois
In 1768. The latter were defeated at the Wabash
— at Blue Island near JoHet, and at Morris. The
remnant took refuge on this Inaccessible rock —
henceforth to be known as " Starved Rock." Here
their enemies besieged them until hunger and thirst
Impelled them, as a last resort, to attempt an es-
cape. On a very dark and stormy night, they broke
forth upon their besiegers, when eleven of their
number succeeded in escaping down the river.
Thus ended a once brave and strong nation. Their
name appears no more on the Indian commission-
er's report. The tribe of Benjamin is blotted out.
Their enemies have glutted their revenge. They
vanish before the advancing march of white men.
The Sacs and Foxes, whose hunting grounds
in Iowa, in the eighteenth century, extended from
the Mississippi to the rvHssourl, were first heard
of in the valley of the St. Lawrence. The con-
federated Iroquois, or five nations. In New York —
the Senecas, Cayugas, Oneidas, Onondagas and
Mohawks — to which were afterwards added the
Tuscaroras (when they were known as six nations)
had become so formidable, aggressive and hostile
to neighboring tribes, that many were driven from
Rev. John Todd 191
their ancestral homes, preferring exile to constant
fear and impending destruction. The Sacs and
Foxes were originally two distinct nations, and
were crowded westward by the encroachment of
their stronger neighbors. The various steps, by
which they reached the plains of Iowa, we are not
able clearly to trace, but we hear of the Foxes
occupying the banks of the Detroit river in 1685.
The Sacs were party to a grand council on the
shores of Lake Superior in 1665. Friendly to
the English and hostile to the French, and insti-
gated by the " six nations," the Foxes attempted
to capture the French post at Detroit in 17 12.
For nineteen days the siege was maintained with-
out success, when they in turn were shut up in their
entrenchments by the French and their Indian al-
lies, from which they escaped to Lake St. Clair,
where they again entrenched themselves; but were
pursued, and after five days' siege were compelled
to surrender. The victors massacred all the war-
riors who bore arms, and many of the rest, whom
they attempted in vain to enslave, they afterward
put to death. More than a thousand of the Foxes
perished in this strife. Exasperated, but not sub-
dued, they rallied their scattered bands on the Fox
river in Wisconsin, to take vengeance on the
French, by waylaying, robbing and murdering the
French traders and travelers in their passage be-
tween the lakes and the Mississippi. For a year or
192 Reminiscences
two they cut off almost all communication between
Canada and Louisiana. Many of the Indian alli^es
of the French also suffered greatly.
This aroused the French in turn, in 17 14, to
rally their forces and exterminate once and forever
so troublesome a foe. The plan, which was to
unite all the other tribes under a French com-
mander, soon placed at his behest a force of eight
hundred warriors, all pledged not to lay down their
arms while a member of the Fox tribe remained
on French territory. When the Foxes saw the im-
pending evil, they resolved to sell their lives as
dearly as possible, and, in their desperation, se-
lected a strong position near the confluence of the
Wolf and Fox rivers (now known as Butte des
Morts, or Hill of the Dead), which they fortified
with three rows of oak palisades and a ditch. Here
five hundred warriors and three thousand women
and children awaited the attack. De Louvigny,
the French commander, commenced by cannonad-
ing. On the third day the Foxes attacked their
enemies with great vigor, but, after a bloody fight,
were obliged to capitulate. A treaty of peace was
agreed upon, which the Foxes soon violated. The
result was that the French again chastised them
in 1728, and in 1746 drove them out of their
country westward. In their expulsion the Ojibways
were the eflScient allies of the French.
Rev. John Todd 193
When first known in Iowa the Foxes were in
alliance with the Sacs, and were recognized as the
Sac and Fox nations. Exactly when the alliance
was formed is not known, but it must have been
subsequent to 1746, as at that time the Foxes
fought the French alone. It seems probable
that the alliance was formed for the conquest
of their new hunting grounds west of the
Mississippi. Captain Carver, in his travels
in 1766, page 25, when speaking of Fox river,
says: " This river is remarkable for having been,
about eighty years ago, the residence of the united
bands of the Ottagaumies (Foxes) and the Saukies
(Sacs)." .
When, in 1805, soon after the transfer of the
Louisiana purchase to the United States, Lieuten-
ant Zebulon M. Pike explored the Mississippi from
St. Louis to its source, the Sacs and Foxes hunted
on both sides of the river from the Jeffreon river
in Missouri to the Iowa river north of Prairie du
Chien and west to the Missouri. The Sacs princi-
pally resided in four villages — the first on the west
bank of the Mississippi at the head of the Des
Moines rapids, at or near Montrose; the second
on the east bank, sixty miles above, at the mouth
of the Henderson river; the third on Rock river,
three miles from its mouth; the fourth on the Iowa
river.
The Foxes then dwelt mainly in three villages —
194 Reminiscences
the first on the west side of the Mississippi river,
six miles above the Rock river rapids; the second
about twelve miles in the rear of the lead mines,
or Dubuque; and the third on Turkey river, a mile
and a half from its mouth.
Both Sacs and Foxes engaged in the same wars,
maintained the same alliances, and were consid-
ered indissoluble in war and in peace. They were
efficient aiders and abettors, if not chief parties, in
the extermination of the Illinois. Thev became
hostile to the lowas, whose chief village, on the
site of lowaville on the Des Moines in Van Buren
county, they burnt, near the close of the eighteenth
century, and slaughtered and well nigh exterminat-
ed its inhabitants. In this battle Black Hawk, who
was born at the Sac village on Rock river in 1767,
led a band of warriors in the attack, and here
began the career for which he afterward became so
famous.
Black Hawk was never warmly attached to the
Americans. He was dissatisfied when, in 1804,
Louisiana was transferred to the United States,
and never approved of the treaty made at St. Louis,
November 3, 1824, by which five chiefs of the
Sacs and Foxes ceded to the United States their
lands east of the Mississippi, from a point opposite
the Jeffreon river in Missouri, to the Wisconsin
river. He objected that the chiefs had no author-
ity to cede the lands, that the compensation was
Rev. John Todd 195
inadequate, and that the chiefs were kept drunk
while at St. Louis. Black Hawk aided Tecumseh
against the United States in 181 1, became an ally
of England in the war of 18 12. On May 13,
18 16, with twenty-two chiefs and head men he
assented to, and signed, the treaty which had been
concluded in St. Louis in 1804. In the fall
of 1830, on returning from his hunt west
of the Mississippi, he found his village oc-
cupied by Americans, and his women and
children driven out and rendered shelterless
by the influx of emigration. This state of things
was intolerable, and led to the Black Hawk war,
which continued for more than a year and ended in
the capture of Black Hawk and the complete rout
and slaughter of his forces on August 2, 1832.
Seven weeks after his capture, the Sacs and Foxes
ceded by treaty to the United States the Black
Hawk purchase, a tract fifty miles wide on the
w^est bank of the Mississippi ; a reservation of four
hundred square miles on the Iowa river made at
that time, was ceded back to the United States,
September 28, 1836. On October 21, 1837, one
million two hundred and fifty thousand acres along
the west side of the Black Hawk purchase were
ceded. February 21, 1838, all their lands in Iowa,
between the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, were
ceded, and in 1842 all their lands west of the Mis-
sissippi.
196 Reminiscences
Part of them were removed to Kansas in the
fall of 1845 ^n<^ the rest in the spring after.
According to the estimate of the secretary of
war in 1825 the entire number of the Sacs and
Foxes was four thousand six hundred. The gov-
ernment report for 188 1-2 states the number of
Sacs and Foxes under the care of the agency in the
Indian Territory to be five hundred and sixty-two,
those on the reserve in Tama county, Iowa, three
hundred and fifty-five, and under the care of the
great Nemaha agency sixty-three, making a total
of nine hundred and eighty. How rapidly they are
wasting away !
The Pottawattamies were the last of the red men
that lived in Fremont county. This tribe, never
very powerful or very prominent among the Amer-
ican aborigines, is yet mentioned by the French
as gathering from the unexplored recesses of Lake
Michigan to learn of Christianity from the Jesuit
missionaries early in the seventeenth century
(1665-7). Marquette speaks of them at Fox
river, Wisconsin, in 1673. Tonti found refuge
among them on Lake Michigan in 1680. When,
in 1712, the Foxes attempted the capture of the
French post at Detroit, the Pottawattamies, with
Ottawas and Hurons, were in alliance with the
French. They, with the Ojibways and Ottawas,
formed a confederacy, of which Pontiac was the
virtual head. They entered warmly into the In-
Rev. John Todd 197
dian conspiracy against the English in 1763, and
took an active part in the siege of Detroit in the
summer of that year. We find them leagued with
the Kickapoos and Miamis against the Illinois in
1768. As the wave of emigration rolled west-
ward, the Pottawattamies with other small tribes
were borne on its crest. They probably came Into
Iowa with their former allies, the Sacs and Foxes.
We find them with this tribe and others parties to
a treaty formed August 19, 1825, by which the
United States was to establish a boundary line
between the Sacs and Foxes and the Sioux.
The Pottawattamies were still in Fremont county
when the first white settlers came. Shattee, a ven-
erable, hoary-headed chief, with his band of one
hundred and fifty or more, had a village in a hol-
low southwest of Lacy's, and about due west from
Sidney. Wabonsa's band lived on Wabonsie creek,
In Mills county. Government block houses had
been erected on the high ground near the descent
of the bluffs southeast of James Lambert's resi-
dence on the northwest quarter of the southeast
quarter of section fourteen, township seventy-one,
range forty-three, but were moved at some time
prior to 1847 to section twenty-four, township sev-
enty-one, range forty-three, near the residence ot
John Lambert. The house of Wabonsa, the chief,
was bought by a Mr. Cumlngs. A rude coflSn of
rough boards rested on the limbs of a tree just
198 Reminiscences
across the creek from this log house for a num-
ber of years after the whites had taken possession.
It was fifteen or twenty feet from the ground, was
said to contain an Indian corpse and thus showed
the Indian method of disposing of the dead. The
treaty by which the Indians were removed was
made In the spring of 1847, and permitted them
to remain a year, but some of them went to Kan-
sas in the autumn of the same year and some went
to the three river country, the forks of the Des
Moines, to winter.
About 1876, one thousand four hundred of this
tribe became citizens in Kansas and received their
land in fee. In 1880 there were four hundred and
thirty on a reservation in Kansas and three hun-
dred in the Indian Territory. They are reported
to be very desirous to have their children educated
and adopt civilized manners. Unless they can be
Christianized and civilized they must perish as
a race.
[finis.]
INDEX
Abolitionist, 56, 109, 150.
Adams. Dea. S'. H., 41, 53, 83,
85, 94, 96, 135, 146.
Albany, N. Y., 132, 133.
Amity, see College S'prings.
American Board of Commis-
soners for Foreign Mis-
sions, 16, 26.
American Home Missionary
Society, 57, 95.
American Missionary Soci-
ety, 26.
American Settlement Com-
pany, 110.
Anti-slavery Discussion, 55.
Argyle, Fred, 97.
Argyle's Ferry, 93.
Atchison, Senator David R.,
110.
Atchison, Kan., 137.
Atkins, Judge Q. F., 15, 80,
103.
Atkinson, B. F., 170.
Avery, Egbert, 104, 141, 146,
147.
Baker, Hon. Mr., 77. ■
Balcom, Elder, 177.
Baptists, 63, 177.
Barbour, Mrs. J. M., 41.
^33,rriGS 89
Battles', Kansas, 118, 119, 125,
128. Indian, 185, 187, 188, 190,
191, 192, 194, 195, 197.
Beacon, The Tabor, 5.
Bell, Rev. Father, 168.
Bell, , 104.
Belleview, Neb., 65, 89.
Belvidere, 167.
Big Grove, 96.
Black Hawk, 185, 194. Ally
of English, 195.
Black Hawk Purchase, 195.
Black Hawk M^ar, 195.
Black Jack, Kan., (fight) 118.
Blanchard, Dr. Ira D., 63, 91,
95, 139, 152, 153.
Blue Lodges, 110.
Bod well. Rev., 116.
Branson, Mr., 113.
Branscomb, Chas., 111.
Briggs, Clark, 146.
Briggs, Dea. Daniel, 138, 145.
Brooks, Pres. Wm. M., 28,
107, 148, 154.
Brown, Jason, 118.
Brown, Capt. John, 24, 114,
lis, 119, 120, 129. 130, 133. Tar-
get practice, 154. Raid into
Mo. Public, 158, thanksgiv-
ing, 159, grieved, 160, last
visit to Tabor, 161.
Brown, John, Jr., 118.
Brown, Owen, 154, 156.
Buchler, Mr., 97. •
Burlington, 78, 106.
Bush, Dea., 175.
Butler's Mills, 163.
Butte des Morts, 192.
Byrd, Rev. Jno. H., 137.
Cahokia, 111., 187.
Calhoun, Neb., 167.
California City, 89, 168.
Carver, Capt. Jonathan, 183,
193.
Case, Cephas, 135.
Cassell, Mr., 147.
Cedar Creek, Neb., 168.
Chambersburg. Pa., 157.
Chambry, Capt., 122, 125.
Cherokee, 164.
Chicago, 111., 82.
Cholera, 91.
Church, S3.
Church Services, 97, 103, 126.
Church, Tabor, organized, 97.
Cincinnati, O'., 54.
Civil Bend, 66. 96, 98.
Clark, Mr., 89.
Clark, Jas., 125.
Clark, Mortimer P., 104, 119.
Clark, 'Orson B., 104.
Clark, wm. L., 103, 135.
Clarksfleld, O., 15, 24, 52, 62,
SO, 105, 130.
Cleveland, O'., S2. 131.
Coleman, Mr., 113.
College Springs, 169.
Columbian Exposition, 36.
Congregationalists, 13, 162,
164, 166, 167, 168, 175.
Congressional Committee. 109.
Constitutional Convention,
112, (Free States), 113.
200
Index
Conversions, Remarkable,
171, 175.
Cook, Capt., 156.
Council Bluffs, 27, 74, 83, 107,
138, 176.
Council Bluffs Association,
138
Cowan, Rev. Jno. W., 31, 34,
37.
Cramer, Squire, 144, 146.
Crescent City, 163.
Cross, Rev. Jno., 170.
Cumming City, Neb., 167.
Cummings, Miss Abbie. 98.
Cummings, Rev. Crigin, 98,
99, 140, 148.
Cutler's Camp, 90, 96.
Cutter, Dr., 116.
Dakota City, Neb., 166.
Dalrymple, Dr. 66, 67.
Decatur, Neb., 167.
De Forest, Rev. H. S., 176.
De Louvigny, 192.
Denison, 169.
De Soto, Neb., 167.
Des Moines River, 77, 186.
Dickey, Col., 116.
Discussion on Slavery, 55.
Dow, Mr., 113.
Doyles, the, 115.
Drakola, S. D., 115.
Dunlap, 164.
Eddyville, 77.
Eight Mile Grove, Neb., 168.
Eldridge, Col., 118, 130, 132.
Emigrant Aid Society, 110.
Europeans, First, in Iowa,
186.
Evangelistic Work, 174.
Exira, 175.
Fairchild, Prof. Jas. T., 30,
41.
Fairfield, 77.
Family meeting, 80.
Farmer, Squire Thos., 93.
Florence, 89.
Florence, Neb., 163.
Fort St. Louis, 187.
Fort Titus. 125.
Forbes, Col., 154, 156.
Ford, Lawyer, 94.
Foster, Joe, 145, 146, 148.
Foster, Rev. Richard B., 117,
125.
Fourth of July celebration,
84, 94, 133.
Fox River, TVis., 191, 192.
Franklin, Kan., 129.
Free State Constitutional
Convention, 113.
Free State men, HI, 114. 158.
Free State Organizations, 110.
Free State Stores, 155.
French, Claudius B., 78.
Fugitive slaves, from Tabor,
134. Atchison, Kan., 137.
Nebraska City, 138. Indian
Territory, 147, rescued, 147.
From Linden, Mo., 150.
Galesburg, III., 78, 169.
Gardner, Ben F., 106, 170.
Gardner, Jim, 147.
Garner, Mr., 90. Henry &
Mana, 152, 153.
Gaston, (P. O.) 19— Civil
Bend.
Gaston, Dea. Alexander C,
41, 61, 147.
Gaston, Dea. G'eo. B., plans
colony, 52; selects John
Todd, 16; goes to Iowa, 53,
55, 60; at Civil Bend, 65, 83,
85, 91; changes to Tabor, 94,
%, 103; chosen captain, 119;
plans "underground rail-
road," 135, 148, 152; home
headquarters in Kansas
times, 121, 161.
Gaston, Mrs. G. B., quoted,
121.
Gaston, Jas. K., 98, 125, 135.
Gates, Wm. J., 98, 100.
Gaylord, Rev. R. E., 162.
Geary, Gov., 127.
Glenwood, 22, 90, 145, 159, 162,
175.
Goodrich, , 164.
Granville, 111. 82.
Grave, The First, 100.
Great Nemaha Reservation,
185.
Green-head flies, 165, 167.
Hall, Dea. Josiah B., 53, 60,
65, 67, 74, 80.
Hallam, John, 98, 135, 148.
Hanley, Dr. R. R., 21.
Harg^en, Mr., 116.
Harrison, Mrs. Margaret, 53.
Harrison City, 163.
Harper's Perry, Va., 157.
Harvey, Col., 128.
Haskins, Rev. B. F., 169, 170.
Hennepin, 111., 82.
Hickory Point, Kan., 113,
(fight), 128.
Higginson, Col. T. W., 116.
High Creek, 90, 94.
Index
20 1
Hill, Edgar S., 119.
Hill, Rev. Edwin S., 145, 146.
Hill, Dea. Julius M., 25, 41.
Hill, Dea. L. B., 106, 148, 149.
Hinton, Mrs. Cordelia C, 180.
Hitchcock, Rev. Geo. B., 123,
138, 175.
Hitchcock, Leang Afa., 123.
HoUister, Isaac, 106, 125.
Honey Creek, 89.
Horse stealing, 69, 74.
House building, SS, first In
Tabor, 97.
House, Rev. A. V., 171.
Howe, Dr. S. G., 115.
Hubbard, , 104.
Hume, Loren, 103.
Hunter, Geo., 145, 146, 147.
Hunter, Jno. L., 104, 107.
Hurd, , 152.
Hurlbutt, Robt. H., 106, 119.
Ida Gt-ove, 164.
Illinois River, 82, 186.
Indians: Algonkians, 182; Da-
kotas, 182; Poxes, 183, 185.
186, 190, 191, 192, 193, 197;
Hurons, 196; Illinois, 183,
185, 187. 194; lowas, 183, 184,
185, 186. 194; Iroquois. 182.
187. 190; Kickapoos, 190, 197;
Mlamis, 186, 190. 197; Mob-
ilian, 182; 'O'jibways. 183,
185, 192, 196; O sages, 186; Ot-
toganmies-Foxes; Ottowas,
196; Pawnees, 179. 183; Pot-
tawattamies, 189, 190. 196,
198; Sacs. 183. 184. 185, 186,
190, 191; Sioux, 183. 186. 197;
Shawnees. 186; Winneba-
goes, 183; Origin of. 182.
Indian battles, 1^. 187. 188,
190. 191, 192, 191, 195, 197.
Indian Creek, 68.
Indiantown, 68.
Indian trails, 180.
Ingraham, Harvey D., 106,
125.
Iowa River, 185, 193.
lowaville, 185.
Irish Henry. 135.
Jefferson River. 193. 194.
Jesuit Missionaries. 196.
Jones, Jonas, 103. 104, 107, 154,
161.
Joliet, 186.
Kagi, J. H., 158.
Kansas, 24, 108, 153, 156.
Kansas-Nebraska bill, ill.
Kanesville (Council BlufEs),
27, 65, 74.
Kempton, Mrs. Julia, 100.
Kenosha, Neb., 168.
Kidnapping case. 152.
King. Rev. H. D., 163, 175, 176.
Knox College, 111.. 169.
Ladd. B. P., 106, 139.
Lacy's, 197.
Laird, Mr.. 174.
Laird, P. M., 174.
Lambert, Jas., 197; Jno., 197;
Squire. 91.
Lambert's Landing. 83.
Lane, Gen. Jas. H., 114, 116,
118, 119, 122, 125, 127, 128, 131,
132.
Lang, Rev., 177.
La Salle, 186, 187.
Latter Day Saints, see Mor-
mons.
Lawrence, Kan., Ill, 114. 117,
127. 128. (flght) 129. (sacked)
118.
Lawrence, Chas. P., 106, 146,
147.
Leaman, Wm., 156.
Leeka's Mill, 102.
Legislature, "Bogus," 112,
Free State, 112, 119.
Lewis, 123. 137. 138. 149. 175.
Liberty, 157.
Linden, Mo.,90, 92, 94. 150.
Linville. Geo., 145. 147.
Lyman. Isaac C., 106.
Lyons. Mr.. 90.
McKinney, Rev., 65.
McKissacks Grove. 93.
McMillen. 146.
Madison, Wm.. 103.
Magnolia, 176.
Mails, 53. lOL
Mapleton, 164.
Martin, Mrs. Cordelia Clark.
180.
Marquette. Pere. 186.
Marysville. Mo.. 172.
Mason. Pascal, 145, 147, 148.
Matthews. Darius P.. 53, 61,
103; Mrs.. 82.
Matthews. L. Ashmun. 104,
130.
Matthews, Lucius T.. 104.
Maumee Swamp. 79.
Maxwell. Rev., 168.
Meeting, Antislavery, 108
foot note.
Meeting, Mass, 64. 77.
Meeting, Prayer, 55, 98.
202
Index
Meeting, Protracted, 96, 174,
175.
Meeting, Temperance, 98.
Methodist, 27. 63, 95, 96, 171,
174.
Michigan City, 82.
Military company, 119, 141.
Mills, Oliver, 149.
Missionary Societies, 26.
Missionary Work, 26.
Mississippi River, 78, 190, 19S,
195.
Missouri, 158.
Missourians, 109, 112, 120, 129,
158.
Missouri River, 59, 64, 75, 91,
142, 179, 190, 1^.
Mofflt, Chas., 156.
Monmouth, 111., 78.
Morehead, 164.
Morley, Rev. J. H., 176.
Mormon doctrine, 163.
Mormon elder, 70, 74, 135.
Mormon sermons, 73.
Mormon trail, 65, 67, 75, 77.
Mormons, 27, 67, 70, 71, 78, 163.
Montrose, 193.
Mosquitos, 86, 94.
Mount Pleasant, 78.
Mud Creek, 144.
Munsinger, Jos., 98.
Nauvoo, 111., 67.
Nebraska, slaves in, 138.
Nebraska City, 115, 138, 141,
168.
Nemaha, Neb., 127.
Nettleton, Prof. L. J., 41.
New Mexico, 1S4.
Nishnabotna River, 90, 93,
135. 136, 140, 147; East, 6S.
Nuckolls, Mr., 138. 141, 142.
Nutting, Rev. J. K., 22.
Oberlin, 'O'., 14, 15, 16, 62, 79,
88, 102, 109, 137.
Ohio River, 186.
Old Queen (mare), 101, 102.
Olmsted. 164; Mr. Henry, 164.
Omadi, NeD., 166.
O'maha. Neb., 162.
O^iaha reservation, 167.
Osceola, 107.
Ossawattamie, Kan., sacked,
119.
Parker, Rev. (Father) Orson,
177.
Parker, Rev. Lucius H., 78.
Parkman, Francis, 188.
Parsons, Rev., 116. 125, 136.
Parsons, L. F., 156.
Pate. Capt. H. Clay, 118, 119.
Patriotic Volunteer, The
(book). 155.
Pawnee Indians, 16, 179, 183.
Pearse, Sherman R., 98;
Marcus C, 107.
Penfleld, Rev. H., 159, 176.
Percival. 17, 66, 141, 152, 174,
176.
Pike, Lieut. Z. M., 193.
Pisgah. 70.
Piatt, Mrs. Elvira G., 16, 84,
90; Lester W., 16, 62, 100;
Enoch, Everett and Luth-
er, 120. 125.
Platte River, 89.
Plattsmouth, Neb., 168.
Pomeroy, Hon. S. C, 111, 116.
Pontiac, death, 187; life, 188;
conspiracy of, 188, 196.
Postage. 53.
Prairie du Chien, Wis., 193.
Prayer, Concert of. 24, 98, see
meeting.
Preparation, 163.
Presbyterian Mission, 65.
Presbyterians, 13, 162, 168;
United, 173.
Puncheon floor, 88.
Quincy, 137, 159.
Race. Prejudice, 157.
Realf, Col. Richard, 156, 157.
Rector. Father. 64, 142.
Redpath. Mr. Jas., 128.
Reed, Festus. 168.
Reeder. Gov., 109, 111, 112, 115.
Reeves. Reuben, 37.
Republican organization,
first, 117.
Reminiscences, origin of, 5,
51; when written, 5.
Rhode, John, 121.
Rice, Rev. G. G., 21. 40. 95, 97.
Robinson, Dr. Chas. (Gov.),
Ill, 114, 115, 118.
Robertson, Richard. 156.
Rock Bluff, Neb., 168.
Rock River, Wis., 186.
Sabbath observance, 57, 60,
71, 78. 82, 170.
St. Joseph. Mo., 54, 58, 60,
107. 131, 152.
St. Lawrence River, 190.
St. Louis, Mo., 54, 56, 58, 83,
152 193
Salt" Lake, Utah, 67.
Samson, Mr., 145.
Sanborn, Dr. J. F., 146.
Index
203
Sargent's Bluff, 165, 167.
School, 83, 90, 97; first in Ross
township, 97; first Tabor,
105; house, 105; house burn-
ed, 91.
Searles, Maj., 118.
Seward, Sec. Wm. H., 108.
Sharps' rifle, 117, 126, 129, 132,
154, 157.
Shattee, Chief, 197.
Shannon, Gr'ov. Wilson, 112,
114, 117.
Sheldon, Capt. Edward T.,
144, 145, 147.
Shepherdson, Wm. R., 104.
Sidney, 90, 94, 133, 168.
Silver City, 90.
Silver Creek, 66, 90, 135, 140,
144.
Simpson, Rev. Wm., 95, 96,
174.
Sioux City, 166, 167. 172.
Sitting Bull, Chief, 183.
Smith, Dea. Jno. "W., 80.
Smith, Jas. L,., 102, 105, 124,
128, 146, 147.
Smithland, 164, 167.
Spees, Marcus T'., 104.
Spotted Tail, Chief, 183.
S'pringdale, 157.
Starrett, Henry M., 97, 103.
Starved Rock, 187, 190.
Steamboat travel, 58.
Steam Mill, 87, 90.
Stephens, A. D., 156, 157.
Stringfellow, Gen., 109.
Stutsman's Mill, 89.
Sunday school, 84, 97.
Tabor, 18, 51, 96, 107, 115.
Tecumseh, Chief, 195.
Tekama, Neb., 167.
Temperance work, 98, 177.
Thayer, Wm., 104.
Three River country, 66, 74,
75, 198.
Thurman, 142.
Tidd, C. P., 156.
Tipton, 105.
Titus, Col., 126.
Todd, Mrs. Annie D., 35.
Todd, David, 14, 106.
Todd, Mrs. Martha A., 15, 35.
97.
Todd, Capt. Jas., 13.
Todd, Rev. Joihn, Ancestry,
13; Antislavery work, 24;
Chaplaincy, 25; College
work, 28; Closing years, 35;
Death, 37, 38; Funeral, 39;
Memorial, 41; Ministry, 19;
Missionary work, 26; Per-
sonal characteristics, 30;
Pioneer life, 17, 85; Preach-
ing, 19, 23; Synopsis of, life,
45; Temperance work, 28,
84, 98; W^ar record, 25.
Tolles, C. W., 135.
Tonti, 186, 187.
Topeka, Kan., 112, 127.
T'ownshend, ^saac, 103.
Tozier, , 168.
Trader's Point, 65, 89.
Underground railroad, 24;
opened, 134; Activity, 150.
United Presbyterian, 173.
U. S. Government, 113, 120,
194.
U. S. Marshal, 113, 114, 117.
U. S. Troops, 113, 118, 119,
128, 171.
Utica, 111., Is6.
Valparaiso, Ind., 78.
Vincent, Rev. Jas., 145.
Wabonsa, Chief, 64; his
house, 197; his grave, 198.
Wabonsie, (region), 145, 148.
Wabonsie creek, 64, 197.
Walnut creek, 149.
Walton, Miss Abbie, 63, 101.
Washington, D. C, 81.
Webb, L. E., 103. 106, 148.
Webster, Mrs. Ruth, 103.
Wellington, 164.
West, Jesse, 98, 107, 134, 148.
West, John, 104.
Westport, Mo., 118.
Wheatland, Mich., 78.
M-^hite, Bela, 168.
White Breast creek. 76.
White CToud, 116, 140, 147.
Whitfield, Gen., 112.
Williams, Reuben, 141, 142.
Williams, Hon. Sturgis, 142.
Williamson, Jo'hn, 139, 151.
Wilson, Mr.. 76.
Winnebago Lake, Wis., 183.
Wing, , 146.
Wood, TVm. J., 169, 170.
Woodford, Newton, 144, 145.
W^oods, Dea. Daniel E., 148.
Wright, Squire, 102.
Wyatt, Squire, 147.
York, Elder, 70, 74.
