(2^E3E3^^^^^E3^^^E3^^E8E
Dl
(D H
E Champaign Public Library |
and
D)
(D
(B
»
61820
Information Center I
Champaign, Illinois ^
Local
Hiftory.
U Room 11
I
ID ID
II ra
JUL 1983
i^-<i
L^ ■/'^-t^v ^".-;,
r
John F. Snyder. M D.— President Illinois State HistorlcallSoclety.
PDBIICATION NO. 9 OF THE IlLIBOIS STATE HISTORICJl LIBRARY
TRANSACTIONS
OF THE
M Hisioiii mm
Fob the Year 1904.
[
Bloomington, Jan. 27, 28, 29, 1904.
Published by Authority of the Board of Trustees of the
Illinois State Historical Library.
SPRINGFIELD, ILL..
Phillips Bros.. State Printers
1904
Champaign Public Library
Champaign, Illinois
BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE ILLINOIS STATE
HISTORICAL LIBRARY.
Edmund' J. James, Ph. D., President Northwestern University,
Evanston, 111.
Hon. George N. Black, Springfield, 111.
PUBLICATION COMMITTEE OF THE ILLINOIS STATE
' HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
Geoege N. Black, ^Chairman.
EvARTS B. Greene, Ph. D.
Mrs. Jessie Palmer Weber.
Gen. Alfred Orendorff.
J. F. Snyder, M. D,, President of the Society, ex-offlcio.
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
Llstof officers of the Illinois State Historical Society. 1904 ii-—„,.. M
List of members of the Illinois State Historical Society VII. VIII, IX
Committees of the Illinois State Historical Society. 1904 VI
Constitution of the Illinois State Historical Society ^. ...........X, XI. XII
Transactions of the Fifth Annual Meeting of the Illinois State Historical Society.
BJoomlngrton, January 27-29. 1904
Meetings of Board of Directors 1.12
Business meeting 3
Secretary's Report o
Committee Reports 6-12
Program of Literary Sessions ....^ ... 13
Memorial— John N. Jewett. Resolutions upon the death of Hon. John N. Jewett.
Read by Dr. Richard Edwards. Bloomington 16
Address of Welcome to the Society on behalf of the McLean County Historical
Society and the Citizens of Bloomington. Mr. George P. Davis, President of the
McLean County Historical Society 18-20
Response to the Address of Welcome— Dr. J. F. Snyder. Virginia. 111.. President of
the Illinois State Historical Society 21-24
Annual Address— Personal Recollections of Some of the Eminent Statesmen and
Lawyers of Illinois.- Hon. Charles P. Johnson, A. M.. St. Louis,
Mo 27-58
Memorial-Hiram W. Beckwith.— E. J. James. Ph. D.. Evanston. Illinois 25-26
An Inquiry— Dr. J. F Snyder 59-61
Illinois in the War of 1812-1814. Frank E. Stevens. Chicago 62-197
A Trip from Pennsylvania to Illinois in 1851. W. W. Davis. A. M.. Sterlintr. Ill 198-204
Newspapers and Newspaper Men of Illinois.- Hon. E. A. Snlvely. Springfield. 111... 205-213
The Part of Illinolsans In the National Educational Movement of 1850-1862.—
Paul Selby. A. M.. Chicago. Ill 214-229
Illinois In the Councils of the Nation.- Mrs. John A. Logan. Washington. D. C 230-239
The Country Lawyer.— Hon. James A. Connolly. Springfield. Ill 240-244
The Salines of Southern Illinois.- Prof. George W. Smith. Carbondale. Ill 215-258
Morris Blrkbeck and his Friends.— Daniel Berry. M. D.. Carmi. 111. 259-273
Maj.-Gen. James D. Morgan— In Memorlam — Hon. W. H. Collins. Quincy, 111 274-285
The Life of Hon. Gustavus Koerner.— Hon. R. E. Rombauer. St. Louis. Mo 286-307
The Scotch Irish In America.— Hon. Robert A. Gray. Blue Mound. Ill 308-313
The Woman's Club Movement in Illinois.— Mrs. E. C. Lambert. Jacksonville. Ills.... 314-329
McKendree College.— M. H. Chamberlln. LL.D.. Lebanon. Ills 32t)-364
InMemoriam— Members of the Illinois State Historical Society, deceased. January.
1903-January. 1904 365-391
Dt. H. H. Hood. Litchfield. Ills., by Miss Olive Sattley 367-373
Dr. Bernard Stuv6, Springfield. Ills., by Dr. J. F. Snyder 374-377
Dr. Robert Boal. Lacon. Ills, by Dr. J. F. Snyder 378-383
Hon. John MayoPalmer. Chicago. Ills., by Hon. Alfred Orendorfl.... 384-386
Rufus Blanchard. Wheaton. Ills., by Frederick Latimer Wells 387-391
Addendum 393-568
Kaskaskia Church Records. Transcribed and Translated by Rev. C. J.
Eschmann of Prairie du Rocher. Ills 394-413
Illinois Legislation on Slavery and Free Negroes. 1818-1865. by Mason
McCloud Flshhack 414-432
Mr. Lincoln as a Wrestler, by Col. RlsdonM. Moore 433-434
A Prophecy— Three Hundred Years Hence. Written In 1830— by Prof. John
Russell 435-440
Governor Kinney's Prophecy. Edited by J. F. Snyder 441-444
Illinois under the French. 1673-1765. by Stephen L. Spear 445-469
Chicago-Origin of the Name of the City. The Old Portages, by John F.
Steward 460-466
Township Government in Illinois, by Mason H. Newell 467-504
Pioneer Mothers of Illinois, by Miss Savlllah T. Hlnrichsen 505-513
Forgotten Statesmen of Illinois, by Dr. J. F. Snyder 614-623
Hon. Jesse Burgess Thomas
Hon. Jesse Burgess Thomas, -Tr
Richard Symmes Thomas. Jr
Prices In McLean County. Illinois, from 1832 to 1860. by EzraM. Prince,
Secretary McLean County Historical Society 526-542
Addresses Delivered in the Hall of the House of Representatives, by the
Hon. William Brown, A. M., Vandalia, 1839 543-568
IV
Table of Contents — Concluded.
List of Illustrations—
J. P. Snyder. M. D.. President of the Illinois State Historical Society, Frontispiece
Hiram W. Beckwith 25
William H. Blssell 47
Illinois inl812-18U. Map 62
Prof. Jonatiian Baldwin Tamer 214
Morris Birkbeck 269
Gen. James D. Morgan 274
Gustavus Koerner 286
McKendree College, original building 328
Bishop E. R. Ames 330
Rev. Peter Akers '. 332
Dr. John W. Merrill 334
Annls Merrill, LL.D 336
James W. Sunderland 338
Dr. H. H. Hood 367
Dr. Bernard Stuv6 374
Dr. Robert Boal 378
John Mayo Palmer 384
Rufus Blanchard 387
Ren6 Robert Cavalier, Sieur de La Salle 445
The Chicago Portage, a Map 460
Vote on Township Organization in Illinois Constitutional Convention of 1847. Map. 479
Vote on Five Per Cent Limitation to Municipal Indebtedness in Illinois Constitu-
tional Convention of 1870. Map 495
Hon. Jesse Burgess Thomas 514
Richard Symmes Thomas, Jr 524
Hon. William Brown 545
Index 569
OFFICERS OF THE ILLINOIS STATE HISTORICAL
SOCIETY, JANUARY, 1904— JANUARY, 1905.
President,
J. F. Snyder, M. D., Virginia.
1st Vice President,
Paul Selby, A. M., Chicago.
2d Vice President,
Hon. William Vooke, Chicago.
3rd Vice President,
Dr. a. W. French, Springfield.
Honorary Vice Presidents.
The presidents of the local Illinois historical societies; J. O. Cun-
ningham, president Champaign county Historical society, Urbana;
Hon. Franklin H. Head, president Chicago Historical society, Chi-
cago; President DeKalb county Historical society; — Hon. Harvey B.
Hurd, Evanston Historical society, Evanston; Hon. Wm. Vocke,
German-American- Historical association, Chicago; James T. Hoblit,
Logan county Historical society, Lincoln; Mr. George P. Davis,
McLean county Historical society, Bloomington; J. F. Steward,
Maremecli Historical society, Chicago; S. B. Kerr, Massac county
Historical society. Metropolis; Frank Moore, Old Settlers' Historical
associatiou of Randolph county, Chester; Hon. Lorenzo Bull, Quincy
Historical society, Quincy; Lovejoy Johnson, Stillman Valley Battle
Monument association, Stillman Valley; Hon. E. P. Wade, Madison
county Historical society, Alton; — President of the Vermilion county
Historical society, Danville; President of the Jersey county His-
torical society, Jersey ville; President of the Peoria Historical society,
Peoria; President of the Southern Illinois Historical society, Car-
bondale; president of the Woodford county Historical society.
Eureka; Hon. Moses Dillon, president of the Whiteside county
Historical society. Sterling.
Board of Directors,
J. F. Snyder, Virginia; Edmund Janes James, Ph.D., President
Northwestern University, Evanston; George N. Black, Spring-
field; J. H. Burnham, Bloomington; M. H. Chamberlain, LL. D.,
President of McKendree college, Lebanon; Hon. David McCulloch,
Peoria; Evarts B. Greene, Ph. D., University of Illinois, Urbana;
Edwin Erie Sparks, Ph. D., University of Chicago, Chicago; Hon.
Alfred Orendorff, Springfield; Hon. J. O. Cunningham, Urbana;
Hon W. H. Collins, Quincy; Prof . George W. Smith, Southern Illi-
nois Normal university, Carbondale; Rev. C. J. Eschmann, Prairie
du Rocher; Mrs. Jessie Palmer Weber, Springfield.
Secretary and Treasurer to the Board of Directors.
Mrs. Jessie Palmer Weber, Springfield.
VI
Committees of the Illinois State Historical Society, 1904.
Publication Committee — Greorge N. Black, chairman; Evarts B.
Grreene, Ph. D.; Mrs. Jessie Palmer Weber, Hon. Alfred OrendorfP.
Program Committee — Evarts B. Greene, Ph. D., chairman; Jessie
Palmer Weber, M. H. Chamberlin, LL. D., J. H. Burnham, E. E.
Spark, Ph. D., Mrs. S, P. Wheeler.
Finance Committee — George N. Black, chairman; E. J. James.
Constitution and By-Laws — David MoCulloch, chairman; J. H.
Burnham, J. O. Cunningham.
Legislation — Georgfe N. Black, chairman; Alfred OrendorfP, E. J.
James, J. McCan Davis, W. H. Collins, (with power to add to its
membership )
Local Historical Societies — J. H. Burnham, chairman; J. O. Cun-
ningham, Prof. O. B. Clark, George W. Smith, David McCulloch, W.
W. Davis.
Louisiana Purchase Exposition Committee (continued) — E. J.
James, chairman; George N. Black, J. H. Burnham, Alfred Oren-
dorfP, Dr. William Jayne.
Committee on the Marking of Historic Sites in Illinois — Edwin
Erie Sparks, chairman; Mrs. Thomas Worthington, Dr. William
Jayne, Mrs. Helen M. J. Little, J. McCan Davis.
Special Committee on Membership of the Illinois State Historical
Society, appointed by the president of the society March 28, 1904 —
Edwin E. Sparks, chairman; J. Nick Perrin, E. A. Snively, J McCan
Davis, H. E. Barker, Dr. William Jayne, J. F. Snyder, ex-oflficio.
vn
MEMBERS OF THE ILLINOIS STATE HISTORICAL
SOCIETY.
HONOKAKY MHMBEKS.
♦Boal. Dr. Robert Lacon, 111,
Bradwell. Judge James B Chicago, 111.
Edwards, Mrs. Benjamin S..Sprlnfi'fleld.Ill.
Johnson. Hon. Charles P St. Louts. Mo.
*McClernand. Gen. John A. .Springfield. 111.
McClernaDd. Mrs. John A Springfield, HI.
Morrison, Mrs. 1. L Jacksonville, 111.
•Palmer, Gen. JohnM Springfield. 111.
Palmer, Mrs. John M Springfleld, 111.
•Ruggles. Gen. James M Havana, III.
•Stuart. Mrs. John T Springfield, 111.
Thwaltes. Reuben Gold Madison, Wis.
Yates. Mrs. Catherine, (Mrs. Richard
Yates. Sr.) Jacksonville, 111.
LIFE MEMBER.
Barry,Hon. P. T
77-79 Jefferson street, Chicago. 111.
ACTIVE MEMBERS.
(This list Includes all members, Includine
those who have Joined the society since its
annual meeting, up to and including Nov.
1,1904.
Adams, J. C Peotone, 111.
Adams. J. R Piano. 111.
Anderson. Horace G Peoria, HI.
Atkins. Gen. Smith D Freeport. 111.
Bacchus, Mrs. Annie
(Mrs. Leroy Bacchus) Springfleld, 111.
Baker. J. J Mt. Vernon. 111.
Bangs, Prof, J. E Springfield. 111.
Bangs, Mrs. Margaret M
(Mrs. J. E. Bangs) Springfleld. Ill,
Barker, H. E Springfield. 111.
Barry. Hon. P T , (life member)
77-79 Jefferson street, Chicago, III.
Beach, Hon Myron ti
401-106 The Rookery, Chicago. 111.
Becker. J. W Jerseyville. 111.
♦Beckwith, Hon. Hiram W Danvllle.IU.
Beebe, Hon. Avery N Yorkville. III.
Bentley, Geo. L. L Elmwood 111.
Berry. Dr Daniel Carmi, 111,
Black. Hon. George N Springfield. 111.
Black. Mrs. George N Springfleld, 111,
•Blanchard. Rufus; Wheaton, III.
Bliss. C. W HiUsboro, 111,
Bowman. E. M Alton, ill.
Bradshaw, Chas Carrollton. III.
Brevoort. J. H Rurland.Ill.
Brown, Hon. C. C Springfleld, III.
Brown, Mrs. C. C Springfleld, 111.
Bucklin.Geo. M Morris. III.
Brydges. W. R....277 Division St.. Elgin. 111.
Bnrehard. Hon. Horatio C Freeport, 111,
Burke. Rev. J . J Bloomington. 111.
Burnap. Prof. W. L
Lake Forest University, Lake Forest. 111.
Burnham, Capt. J. H Bloomington. Ills.
Burt. J. S Henry. Ill,
Bush, Hon. J. M Pitt8fleld,Ill,
Butcher, U. G Astoria, 111.
Capen. Charles L Bloomington. 111.
Carrlel. Mrs. Mary Turner.. Jacksonville, 111.
Castle, J. B Sandwich, 111,
Chamberlln. M. H., LL. D. President Mc-
Kendree College Lebanon, 111.
Clark. Prof. Oiynthus B Eureka.Ill.
Clary. Prof. J. M., President Greer Col-
lege Hoopeston. 111.
Clendenin. Hon. H. W Springfleld. 111.
Collins, Hon. W. H Qulncy,Ill.
Congdon George E Waterman, 111,
Conkling. Hon. Clinton L.... Springfleld, III
Cook, J. S Leroy, 111.
Cooper, Hon. John L Fairfield, 111.
Crabbe, .Mrs. Harriet Palmer, (Mrs. Ed-
win G.Crabbe) Springfleld. 111.
Crandon. Frank P
1414 Forest av., Evanston, 111.
Crews, Rev. E. K. Flsher,Champalgn C0..III.
Cunningham. Judge J. O Urbana.Ill.
Currey, J. Seymour, secretary Evanston
Historical society Evanston, 111.
Curtis. Will Kewanee. 111.
Cushing. Prof. J. P New Haven. Conn.
Cyrus. Geo W Camp Point, 111.
Davis. Mr. George P Bloominsrton, 111.
Davis, J. McCan Springfleld, 111.
Davis, Mrs. J. McCan Springfleld, 111,
Davis. W. W Sterling.Ill.
Dearborn. Hon. Luther M
....Title and Trust bldg....Chlcago.lll.
Degge. A. R Peters burg. 111.
Dent, Thomas.... Portland blk.. Chicago, 111.
Dieffenbacher, Philip L Havana. 111.
Dilg. Charles A
606 Diveray Boulevard. Chicago, HI.
Dilg. Philip H
1727 Oakdale Ave . Lake View
Chicago, 111,
Donaldson. Owen M Oak Park, 111.
Dougherty, Mr N. C Peoria. Ill,
Dubois. Miss Agnes E Springfleld, 111.
Dunn, Mrs. Julia Mills Moline. 111.
Dyche, Mrs. F, B., (Grace Locke Scrlppa,
Dyche)
1896 Sheridan Road, Evanston, 111.
Edwards. Dr. Richard Bloomington, 111.
Engelmann. Mrs. Mary K ..Cleveland. Ohio
Eschmann, Rev. C. J. Prairie du Rocher, 111.
Fairbank. Rev. John B JacRsonville. 111.
Fancher. Miss Grace Springfleld, 111.
Faxon, E. W Piano, HI.
Felmly. Prof. David Normal, III.
'Deceased.
VIII
List of Members — Concluded.
Fisher, Albert Jiidson, (Historian 111. So-
ciety Sons of the American Revolu-
tion)...604 Masonic Temple. Chicago, 111.
FitzwlUiam. Mrs. Sarah E. Raymond
4824 Vlncennes Ave., Chicago, 111.
Forbes. Prof. S. A.. University of 111
Urbana, 111.
French. Dr. A. W Springfield. HI.
Funk, Hon. D. M Bloomington, 111.
Funk. Hon. Lafayette Bloomington, 111.
Garrett. T. M
301 Ontario, St.. Chicago. 111.
Gillespie, Mrs. David Lincoln. 111.
Greene, Prof. Evarts B., University of
111 Urbana, 111,
Gridley, J. N Virginia. 111.
Griggs, Hon. Clarence Ottawa, 111.
Gross, Prof. Lewis M Sycamore, 111.
Gross, Hon. W. L Springfield, 111.
Haines, James Pekln, 111.
Hall, F H Joliet. 111.
Hall. Henry H Jacksonville, 111.
Hardacre, 0. V Lawrence v1 lie. III
Hardy. H. L Chicago, 111
Harvick. Arthur L Vienna, 111.
Hatton, Frederick Hammond
Rock Island, 111,
Hay, Logan Springfield, 111.
Helnl, Hon. Frank J Jacksonville, 111.
Henderson, Judge John G
...416-417 Roanoke Building, Chicago, 111.
Henninger, Prof. J. W Macomb, 111.
Hollenback, George M
44 North View St.. Aurora. 111.
•Hood. Dr. H. H Litchfield, 111.
Hood. Mrs. H. H Litchfield, 111.
Hostetter. A. B Springfield, 111.
Houston, J. W Berwick, 111.
Husklnson. George Alton. 111.
Jackson. T. L Cave-in-Rock. 111.
James, E. J.. Ph. D.. President North-
western University Evanston. 111.
James, Prof. J. A., Northwestern Uni-
versity Evanston, 111.
Jayne. Dr. William Springfield, 111.
Jessup. Theodore
259 South Clinton St., Chicago, 111.
Jones. Miss Emma P Springfield, 111.
Jones, Miss Lottie E
112 W. North St., Danville, 111.
Kane, Judge Charles P Springfield, 111.
Kepley. Hon. Henry B Effingham. 111.
Kerrick. Hon. L. H Bloomington. 111.
Kimball. Rev. Clarence O LaJunta.Col.
Kirby. Hon. E. P Jacksonville, 111.
Lambert. Mrs. E. C Jacksonville, HI.
Lear, Mrs. Mary S
Brighton. Province. Ontario, Canada
Lear, Walter Edwin, Ph. D.. LL. D
. . . Brighton Province of Ontario. Canada
Lemmers.A. C Woodstock, 111.
Lewis. Hon. Ira W Dixon. 111.
Lilly, Mrs. John P Sullivan, 111.
Little, Mrs Helen M. J Bloomington, 111.
Lodge. William F Monticello.lll.
Lord. Mrs. P. W Plano.Ill.
Lowe. Leo. H Kewanee. 111.
Mc Adams, William, Sr
Kansas. Edgar Co.,in.
McCagg. Hon. E. B..67 Cass st.. Chicago.Ill.
McConnel, G. M Chicago Chronicle,
Chicago.Ill.
McCormack, Prof. Henry. Illinois State
Normal University Normal. 111.
McCullo-ih. Judge David Peoria. 111.
McPike, H G AIton,Ill.
Manny, Hon. Walter I Mt. Sterling, 111.
Marmon, Mrs. W. W Bloomington, 111.
Marnuy. John D Springfield, 111.
Maxwell. A. L Lawrencevllle, III..
Mead. Caldwell P Geneva, HI.
Mead Homer. M.D., Camd'n. Sch'yler Co., 111.
Mead, Mary Ward. M. U „
Camden, Schuyler Co.. 111.
Meese, Hon. Wm. A Mollne.lll.
Merritf. Hon. E. L Springfield, 111.
Mills. Richard W Virginia, 111.
Miner, Dr. James Winchester, 111.
Mous. John R Mount Vernon. 111.
Norton, Hon. W. P Alton,Ill.
Orendorff. Hon. Alfred Springfield. HI.
Orendorff, Hon. John B.... Bloomington, 111.
Osborne. Miss Georgia L... Jacksonville, 111.
Page, Prof. E. C, Northern Illinois Nor-
mal School DeKalb,Ill.
♦Palmer, Hon. John Mayo Chicago.Ill.
Palmer, Mrs. John Mayo Chlcago.IlL
Parker. C M Taylorville.lll.
Pearson. Hon. J. M Godfrey, 111.
Perrin, Hon. J. Nick Lebanon, 111.
Pettit. Guy V Reynolds. HI.
Prlmm, Enoch W Belleville. 111.
Prince. E. M., secretary McLean County
Historical Society Bloomington, 111,
Prince, Frederick C, vice-president and
secretary Sherman Historical associ-
ation P.O. box 244. Chicago.Ill.
Pitner. Dr. T.J Jacksonville. 111.
Putnam. Prof. J. W Madison, Wis.
Qulncy Historical Society Quincy.UI.
Kardln, James K Charleston, 111.
Raymond, Hon. James H
...1513-1515 Monadnock blk., Chicago.Ill.
Reeves, Mrs. Kate K Springfield. 111.
Roosa. Mrs.S. V Springfield. IlL
Rounds. H. E.... Rogers Park. Chicago, 111.
Sanders, Col. George A Springfield, III.
Sattley, Miss Olive
...411 East Capitol Ave., Springfield. IlL
Saylor, H. L
138 Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, lU.
Schmidt. Dr. Otto L
3328 Michigan Ave., Chicago, 111.
Schoolcraft, Prof. H. L Urbana. 111.
Scott. Edgar S Springfield, 111.
Scott, Mrs. Julia Green, (Mrs. Matthew
T.) Bloomington. IlL
Sell, Will J Grayville, IIL
Selby, Paul, A. M
5468 Monroe Av., Chicago, 111.
Sheets, J. M Oblong, IlL
Sheppard. Prof. R. D., Northwestern
University Evanston, IlL
Sibley, H. F Fairfield. 111.
Sibley, Dr. W. C Fairfield, lU.
Silliman. E. C Chenoa, lU.
Smith, Col. D. C Normal, 111.
Smith. Prof. George W., Southern Ills.
Normal University Carbondale. 111.
Snlvely, Hon. E. A Springfield. IlL
Snively. Mrs. E. A Springfield. 111.
Snyder, Dr. J. P Virginia, 111.
Sparks, Edwin Earle, Ph. D., University
of Chicago Chicago, IH.
Spear. S. L Springfield, IlL
Spence. M. H Elm wood. 111.
Stearns, Arthur K
112 114 Genesee St., Waukegan. IlL
Stennett, Dr. W. H
303 Linden Ave., Oak Park, 111.
Stevens. Frank E
1206 Chamber of Commerce Building
Chicago.Ill.
Steward. Miss Bertha, Steward. Lee Co.. 111.
Steward, John F
1889 Sheridan Road. Chicago. 111.
♦Deceased.
IX
List of Members — Concluded.
Stubblefleld. Hon. George W
Bloomlngton. 111.
•Stnve, Dr. Bernard Sprinefleld. 111.
Taylor, Mrs. Harriet Rumsey
LaQrange, 111.
Thayer, Ml3s Mauae Springfield, 111.
Tietsort, W. B Medora, 111.
Tomlin. Mrs. Eliza I. H.... Jacksonville, 111.
Urech, Mendon. Ill
IJtterback. J . C Salem, 111.
Vocke. Hon. William, President German
American Historical Society
103 Randolph St.. Chicago, 111.
Waite, Dr. H N Johnson, Vermont.
Wallace. Joseph A. M Springfield. 111.
Weber, Mrs. Jessie Palmer. .Springfield, 111.
Wells, Frederick Latimer Wheaton, 111.
Wertz. Miss Adda P Carbondale. 111.
West. Hon. Simeon H LeRoy. 111.
Wheeler. Mrs. Catherine Goss. (Mrs S.
P. Wheeler) Springfield, 111.
Wheeler, C. Gilbert
14 State St.. Chicago, 111.
Wheeler. Hon. S. P Springfield, 111.
Wightman. G. F Lacon. 111.
Wiles, Mrs. Alice Bradford
6711 Woodlawn Ave,, Chicago. 111.
Willcox, E. S Peoria, 111.
Wcolard. F. M Fairfield. 111.
Worthlngton. Hon. Thomas
Jacksonville. 111.
Worthlngton, Mrs. Thomas
Jacksonville. 111.
Wychoff. Dr. Charles T., Bradley Poly-
technic Institute Peoria. 111.
♦Deceased.
B H.
CONSTITUTION OF THE ILLINOIS STATE HISTORICAL
SOCIETY.
(Adopted, January 27, 1904.)
Article I. Name and Objects.
See. 1. The name of this society shall be the Illinois State Historical
Society.
Sec. 2. The objects for which it is formed are to excite and stimulate a
general interest in the history of Illinois; to encourage historical research
and investigation and secure its promulgation; to collect and preserve all
forms of data in any way bearing upon the history of Illinois and its people.
Article II. Officers of the Society— Their Election and Duties.
Sec. I. The mangement of the affairs of this society shall be vested in a
board of 15 directors of which board the president of the society shall be ex-
offlcio a member.
Sec. 2. There shall be a president and as many vice presidents, not less
than three, as the society may determine at the annual meetings. The board
of directors, five of whom shall constitute a quorum, shall elect its own pre-
siding officer, a secretary and treasurer, and shall have power to appoint
from time to time such officers, agents and committees as they may deem
advisable, and to remove the same at pleasure.
Sec. 3. The directors shall be elected at the annual meetings and the mode
of election shall be by ballot, unless by a vote of a majority of members
present and entitled to vote, some other method may be adopted.
See. 4. It shall be the duty of the board of directors diligently to promote
the objects for which this society has been formed and to this end they shall
have power —
(1) To search out and preserve in permanent form for the use of the peo-
ple of the State of Illinois, facts and data in the history of the State and of
each county thereof, including the pre-historic periods and the history of the
aboriginal inhabitants together, with biographies of distinguished persons
who have rendered services to the people of the State.
(2) To accumulate and preserve for like use, books, pamphlets, newspa^
pers and documents bearing upon the foregoing topics.
(3) To publish from time to time for like uses its own transactions as well
as such facts and documents bearing upon its objects as it may secure.
(4) To accumulate for like use such articles of historic interest as may
bear upon the history of persons and places within this State.
(5) To receive by gift, grant, devise, bequest or purchase, books, prints,
paintings, manuscripts, libraries, museums, moneys and other property, real
or personal in aid of the above objects.
(6) They shall have general charge and control under the direction of the
board of trustees of the Illinois State Historical library, of all property so
XI
received and hold the same for the uses aforesaid in accordance with an act
of the Legislature approved May 16, 1903, entitled "An act to add a new sec-
tion to an act entitled an act to establish the Illinois State Historical library
and to provide for its care and maintenance, and to make appropriations
therefor," approved May 25, 1889, and in force July 1, 1889; they shall make
and approve all contracts, audit all accounts and order their payment, and in
general see to the carrying out of the orders of the society. They may adopt
by laws not inconsistent with this constitution, for the mangtment of the
affairs of the society; they shall fix the times and places for their meetings;
keep a record of their proceedings, and make reports to the society at its
annual meeting.
Sec. 5. Vacancies in the board of directors may be filled by election by
the remaining members, the persons so elected to continue in office until the
next annual meeting.
Sec. 6. The president shall preMde at all meetings of the society, and in
case of his absence or inability to act, one of the vice presidents shall pre-
side in his stead, and in case neither president nor vice president shall be in
attendance, the society may choose a president pro-tempore.
See. 7. The officers shall perform the duties usually devolving upon such
offices, and such others as may from time to time be prescribed by the society
or the board of directors. The treasurer shall keep a strict account of all re-
ceipts and expenditures and pay out money from the treasury only as directed
by the board of directors; he shall submit an annual report of the finances
of the society and such other matters as may be committed to his custody to
the board of directors within such time prior to the annual meeting as they
shall direct, and after auditing the same the said board shall submit said
report to the society at its annual meeting.
Article III. IMbmbership.
Sec. 1. The membership of this society shall consist of five classes, to-wit:
Active, life, affiliated, corresponding and honorary.
Sec. 2. Any person may become an active member of this society upon
payment of such initiation fee not less than $1, as shall from time to time be
prescribed by the board of directors.
Sec. 3. Any person entitled to be an active member may upon payment of
$25 be admitted as a life member with all the privileges of an active member
and shall thereafter be exempt from annual dues.
Sec. 4. County and other historical societies, and other societies engaged
in historical or archeologic»l research or in the preservation of the knowledge
of historic events, may upon the recommendation of the board of directors be
admitted as affiliated members of tbis society upon the same terms as to the
payment of initiation fees and annual dues as active and life members. Every
society so admitted shall be entitled to one duly accredited repressntative at
each meeting of the society who shall during the period of his appointment
be entitled as representative to all the privileges of an active member except
that of being elected to office; but nothing herein shall prevent such repre-
sentative becoming an active or life member upon like conditions as other
persons.
Sec. 5. Persons not active or life members but who are willing to lend their
assistance and encouragement to the promotion of the objects of the society,
may upon recommendation of the board of directors, be admitted as corres-
ponding members.
Sec. 6. Honorary membership may be conferred at any meeting of the
society upon recommendation of the board of directors upon persons who
have distinguished themselves by eminent services or contributions to the
cause of history.
Sec. 7. Honorary and corresponding members shall have the privilege of
attending and participating in the meetings of the society.
XII
Article IV. Meetings and Quorum,
Sec. 1. There shall be an annual meeting of this society for the election
of officers, the hearing of reports, addresses and historical papers and the
transaction of business at such time and place in the month of January in each
year as may be designated by the board of directors, for which meeting it
shall be the duty of said board to prepare and publish a suitable program and
procure the services of persons well versed in history to deliver addresses or
read essays upon subjects germane to the objects of this organization.
Sec. 2. Special meetings of the society may be called by the board of direc-
tors. Special meetings of the board of directors may be called by the presi-
dent or any two members of the board.
Sec. 3. At any meeting of the society the attendance of ten members en-
titled to vote shall be necessary to a quorum.
Article V. Amendments.
Sec. 1. The constitution may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the
members present and entitled to vote, at any annual meeting: Provided,
That the proposed amendment shall have first been submitted to the board of
directors, and at least 30 days prior to such annual meeting notice of pro-
posed action upon the same, sent by the secretary to all the members of the
society.
Adopted by the society at annual meeting Jan. 27, 1904.
TRANSACTIONS OF THE FIFTH ANNUAL MEETING OF
THE ILLINOIS STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY,
MoLEAN COUNTY COURT HOUSE, BLOOM-
INGTON, ILL., JANUARY 27, 28, 29, 1904
Meeting of the board of directors of the Illinois State Historical
society, Bloomington, 111., Jan. 27, 2:00 o'clock, p. m.
In the rooms of the McLean County Historical society, McLean
county court house,
Present — Dr. J. F. Snyder, president of the society; J. H. Burn-
ham, Hon. David MoCallooh; Mrs. Jessie Palmer Weber, secretary
of the society.
It was expected that a committee appointed by the Illinois Press
association, May 1904, would according to arrangement meet with
the board of directors at this time, but none of the committee being
present the conference meeting with it was postponed until the ar-
rival of Gen. Smith D. Atkins of Freeport and Mr. E. A. Snively,
who had notified the board of directors that they would be able to
meet with it at a later time during the sessions of the annual meet-
ing of the Illinois State Historical society. The reading of the min-
utes of the last previous meeting of the board of directors was on
motion of J. H. Burnham, omitted. The secretary's report was read
and approved. The treasurer's report was read, The bills submit-
ted by the treasurer were approved and on motion of Hon. David
McCulloch were referred to the board of trustees of the Illinois State
Historical library, with the request that they be paid from the fund
appropriated for the support of the Illinois State Historical library
of which the Illinois State Historical society is now a department.
The committee on publication asked further time before making its
report. This additional time was allowed. There was no report sub-
mitted by the committee on legislation. Committee on constitution
and by-laws asked further time, which was allowed. The committee
on local historical societies by its chairman J. H. Burnham made a
report, which report was on motion of Judge David McCulloch refer-
red to the society . The board of directors adjourned to meet at the
call of the president.
Mbetin* op Conference Committee of Illinois State Historical
Society and Illinois Press Association.
Among the visitors at the meeting were several editors constituting a com-
mittee appointed by the Illinois State Press association at its annual meeting at
Cairo, last May, to confer with the State Historical society. At 11:30 a. m.
on Thursday, Jan, 28. when Hon. E. A. Snively coneladed reading his paper
on Newspapers and Newspaper Men of Illinois," that committee, with a
committee of directors of the Historical society, retired to the hall of the
McLean County Historical society and there held a protracted conference,
having for its object the instituting of a plan to ally the State Press
association and btate Historical society for mutual aid and promotion. Their
consultation resulted in the following agreement; 1st, any editor or pub-
hsherin Illinois who will send regularly a (weekly) copy of his publication,
free of charge, to the Illinois State Historical library, at Springfield, shall be
enrolled as a member of the State Historical society, and receive all its pub-
lications, on a parity in every respect with other members, and be exempt
from payment of annual dues. 2d, each organization shall be represented at
the annual meetings of the other by a committee of two or more, who will be
accorded the privileges of the floor for making reports, suggestions or other
statements pertaining to the welfare of either society.
This agreement of the joint committees upon submission to the Historical
society was unanimously adopted; and in accordance therewith the president
appointed Judge David McCuUoch, of Peoria, and Gen. Alfred Orendorff, of
Sprinelield, a committee to represent this society at the next annual meeting
ot the Illinois State Press association to be held in the city of Galesburg on
the J8th of February, 1904. This business concluded. Gen. Smith D. Atkins,
editor of the Freeport Journal, chairman of the State Press association com-
mittee, was introduced and presented to the society, a small gavel bearing on
Its ivory head the following inscriptions; on one end, "Illinois Press associa-
tion," on the other end, "Organiied Feb. 22d, 1866," and covering the cen-
tral portion the names of 27 presidents of the association commencing with
that of "John W. Merritt, 1866," and ending with "Chas. Boeschenstein, 1898."
In presenting the gavel to the Historical society. General Atkins said; "Mr.
President, On May 14, 1903. at a meeting of the Illinois Press association,
at Cairo, 111., Hon. Thomas Rees, of Springfield, stated that he had in his
possession the first gavel of the association, and it was agreed that Mr. Rees
should present it to the Illinois State Historical society at its next meeting,
m Bloomington Senator Rees is not present at this meeting, but he has sent
the gavel here by Hon. E. A. Snively, of Springfield, and Mr. Snively has re-
quested me to present it to your society to be retained by you as an interest-
^°c^rv?^^*°''\°^^ ^^^ " ^^ ^^^^ ^^ ivory, and on it are engraved the names
c ^ ?o<?i X °^,?,no^S5 "*^® served as presidents of the Illinois Press association
from 1866 to 1898, 32 years. The Illinois Press association purchased a new
gavel, because there was no more room on this one to engrave the names of
the presidents of the society. I was personally acquainted with 20 of the gen-
tlemen whose names are engraved on this gavel. Not now will I speak in
detail of them; they, or some of them, were distinguished citizens of this
State, rendering most valuable service as editors and public officials. It is
fitting that this gavel should now be deposited with your society for safe
keeping; and it affords me great pleasure to turn it over to you."
Receiving the gavel Dr. Snyder, president of the State Historical society,
responded as follows; "General Atkins, I gladly accept, for the Illinois State
Historical society, this venerable historic relic, and promise you and the as-
sociation you represent, that it will be permanently preserved by our society
among the other historic relics we now have at the State capitol as the foun-
dation of a future Illinois Historical museum. We will always highly prize
this symbol of order and authority, not only for its past associations, and the
service it has rendered when wielded by the honored journalists of our State
whose names are carved upon it, but also as a memento of this occasion that
marks the affiliation of the Illinois State Press association, and Illinois State
Historical society inaugurated here today, to bring the two in closer relation
to each other for their mutual benefit and improvement. Personally, I am
indeed much gratified that it has fallen to my lot to receive for the State His-
torical society of Illinois this valued souvenir, and I can assure you with
confidence that its future care and safe keeping will, by our society, be ever
regarded as a pleasant and sacred duty."
FIFTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ILLINOIS STATE
HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
Bloomington, III., Jan. 27, 28, 29, 1904-.
Business meeting in rooms of McLean County Historical society ,
McLean county court house, Wednesday, January 27, 3:00 p. m.
The fifth annual meeting of the Illinois State Historical society
business session was called to order, with President J. F. Snyder in
the chair.
Capt. J. H. Burnham read the report of the Louisiana Purchase
Exposition committee, and made some explanatory remarks favoring
declining the appropriation of two thousand dollars ($2,000) offered
to the society, by the Louisiana Purchase Exposition commission.
Judge David McCuUoch moved that the report of the committee be
received. Adopted. Prof. E. B. Greene moved that some plan be
devised whereby the money ofiPered by the commission could be ac-
cepted and used, and that the appropriation be accepted. Mr. George
P. Davis opposed the acceptance of the appropriation on the ground
of the insufficiency of the amount appropriated and the short time
remaining before the opening of the exposition in which to prepare
an exhibit, Mr. E. M. Prince also opposed the acceptance of the
appropriation. Judge David McCulloch moved that the Louisiana
Purchase Exposition committee be continued. This motion was not
seconded, as Capt. J. H. Burnham positively declined to act further
on such committee, and the motion was withdrawn by Judge McCul-
loch. Prof. E. B. Greene moved that the entire matter of the Lou-
isiana Purchase appropriation and the exhibit be referred to the
board of trustees of the Illinois State Historical library, with power
to act in behalf of the society. This motion was seconded by Judge
McCulloch and was carried. Capt. J. H. Burnham, of the committee
on local historical societies, read a letter from Hon. J, O. Cunning-
ham, relating to the work done by local historical societies in the
State. Captain Burnham also read the report of the committee on
local historical societies. Judge David McCulloch moved that the
report be received, This motion was seconded by Mr. E. M. Prince
and was adopted. Judge McCulloch made some remarks explaining
the difference between receiving and adopting a report. After some
discussion the report was, on motion of Prof. E. B. Greene, adopted.
Capt, J. H. Burnham read resolutions of respect and esteem for the
late Hon. H. W Beckwith. These resolutions were adopted by a
rising vote.
Whereas, Oar hearts have been saddened by the death of H. W. Beck-
with, president of this society for the first four years of its existence, and its
first vice president at the time of his death.
Resolved, That we cheerfully testify to our appreciation of his many lovable
qualities as an associate, and we desire to record our belief that the Illinois
State Historical society owes bis memory a debt that will never be fully
satisfied.
While a member of the Illinois State Historical library board for several
^u^^^^ic^® °°* ^^^^ ^^^^ careful and conscientious oversight to the duties of
the office, but he brought to it a critical and thorough knowledge of the his-
tory of the northwest, and of historical publications, with the ability to sift
the good from the faulty and the courage to make selections and reiections
on the basis of historic accuracy.
He was largely instrumental in bringing about the organization of the Illi-
nois State Historical society, which is deeply indebted to its first president
for much thoughtful advice, as illustrated in his first inaugural address, and
for his constant and continuous interest in its welfare until the close of his
useful life.
The secretary's report, as approved by the board of directors, was
read and adopted. Hon. David McCulloch, chairman of the com-
mittee on constitution and by-laws, read the proposed constitution of
the society, which had been approved by the board of directors of
the society Sept. 10, 1903, and copies of which had been sent by the
secretary to each member of the society 30 days prior to this (annual)
meeting. After some discussion of the proposed constitution, and
8om« explanatory remarks by Judge McCulloch, the constitution, as
printed and sent out by the secretary to the members of the society,
was adopted. The next business before the society was the election
of officers for the year January, 1904-January, 1905. Prof. E. B.
Grreene moved that the president appoint a nominating committee to
report to the society at the opening session the next (Thursday)
afternoon. This motion was seconded by Judge David McCulloch
and was carried. The president appointed, as a committee to nomi-
nate officers for the society for the ensuing year, E. B. Grreene, J. H.
Burnham, Greorge N. Black, M. H. Chamberlin, A. W. French.
Dr. J. F. Snyder read a brief paper entitled "An Enquiry," relat-
ing to a prospectus of a book by Grov. John Reynolds. This pros-
pectus was published in the Illinois State Journal, Springfield, in
1857.
Dr. J. F, Snyder read an address on the "Life and Work of Dr.
Bernard Stuve," a member of the society whose death had occurred
since the last annual meeting. Capt. J. H. Burnham called attention
to the number of deaths which the society had sustained among its
membership during the year, and suggested that from this time for-
ward the deaths of members of the society, with suitable memorial
biographies, be published in the "Necrological Department of the
Transactions of the Society," and that memorial addresses be not
read at the annual meetings of the society except in cases of persons
eminent in history or in historical research. Prof. George W. Smith
made some remarks explanatory of the proposed Southern Illinois
Historical society at Carbondale. Hon. David McCulloch reported
the organization and flourishing condition of the Peoria Historical
society, with some account of its methods and progress. Capt. J. H.
Burnham made some remarks relative to local historical societies and
their relation to the State Historical society. Prof. George W. Smith
made some further remarks relating to the plan and scope of the
proposed Southern Illinois Historical society. The question of local
historical societies, their fields of work, limitations and relation to
the State Historical society was discussed by Prof. E. B. Greene,
Capt. J, H. Burnham and Prof. George W. Smith.
There being no further business before the society, the meeting,
on motion of Mr. E. M. Prince, was declared adjourned until 7:45 the
same evening, Wednesday, January 27, in the circuit court room
of the McLean county court house.
SECRETARY'S REPORT.
The secretary of the society has to report a most gratifying growth of in-
terest in the Illinois State Historical society. Every day letters are received
asking for information about the society and the scope of its work. Societies
have been formed in several of the counties, but this will be reported to you
at length by the committee on local historical societies.
As secretary of the society I had the pleasure of accompanying the board of
trustees of Fort Massac park early in the month of November to Metropolis and
the site of the fort. Nature has done so much at Massac that there is not
much to be done in the way of beautifying the park. It is situated on a
beautiful bluff of the Ohio river and shows undoubted remains of a fortifica-
tion. The board was met by the leading citizens of Metropolis and taken in
carriages to the grounds of the fort. The grounds were carefully examined
in company with Hon. Reed Green, the owner, and a surveyor, and the num-
ber of acres and the shape of the park decided upon. The gracious lady, the
president of the board of trustees, going with the gentlemen of the board
(the Secretary of State and Auditor of Illinois) up and down the bluffs and
across the ravines, and personally seeing every foot of the ground and plan-
ning for its best utilization. I was only a spectator, but was glad to take
part in this historic event, in the name of the Illinois State Historical so-
ciety.
I do not attempt to tell of the workings of local historical societies, but I
do wish to say to interested persons, that it is the wish of the board of trus-
tees of the library to have, as soon as the quarters of the library are enlarged,
an alcove, or at least a book case, devoted to the history of each county of
the State. We wish to ask the local historical societies to help us collect the
history of each county. If the local society is able to have its own library we
would like to ask them to send to us such duplicates as they can secure. If
a rare local book is found, a local society will no doubt wish to keep it for
its own library, but suppose, when the book is found to be rare and of inter-
est, another person says, "Why, we have that old book at home," then it is
that the secretary of the local society can aid the State society by saving ' We
have it, but the State society at Springfield will be glad t9 have it," and can
urge the person to write to the secretary of the State society, or can himself
inform the State society of the existence of such a book or other historic ar-
ticle. While it will be interesting and valuable to the counties to have a
library collected at their county seats or chief towns, to the student of State
history and its phases, it will be of the greatest importance to have a com-
plete history of the State and its counties and towns collected at the capital.
The State society will publish valuable matter collected by local societies and
can help them in many ways which will be suggested by the committee on
local historical societies. The membership of the society has increased dur-
ing the year to a very gratifying extent.
The board of directors met in Soringfield on Sept. 10, 1903, and considered
the new constitution which was offered by the committee on constitution and
by-laws. This constitution as amended has been sent to each of you and it
will be read to you for your action upon it. The transactions of the society
for the last year— 1903— have been printed, and though still in the hands of
the binder, will be distributed to the members of the society and its friends
within the next ten days. The book in a number of respects is a decided
improvement upon any of our previous books.
The publication committee has held meetings in Springfield and has endeav-
ored to make the book such as will satisfy the society and meet with its ap-
proval. A full report of the meeting of the board of directors is with me.
The board of directors will be glad to have the members of the society make
suggestions in this meeting or to the board through its secretary.
Very respectfully,
Jessie Palmer Weber,
Secretary Illinois State Historical Society.
TREASURER'S REPORT.
KKCEIPTS.
Received of J. McCan Davis. Febraary, 1903
$31 78
55 00
Received for annaal dues
Total
$S6 78
DI8BUBSKMENTS.
Paid for postasre stamps
CO 00
19 76
Printing bills. Illinois State Journal Co.: Constitution of the
society, circular letter accompanying constitution, circular
letter accompanying programs to newspapers requesting
insertion of program; programs
Total
$39 76
REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON LOCAL HISTORICAL
SOCIETIES.
To the Members and Officers of the Illinois State Historical Society:
Your Committee on Local Historical Societies begs leave to report their ac-
tion. In the month of December, 1904, we sent out circulars to persons
supposed to be interested, a copy of which is hereby attached.
Circular Issued by the Committee on Local Historical Societies op
THE Illinois State Historical Society— Springfield, 111.
President. Dr. J. F. Snyder, Virginia. First Vice President, Hon. H. W.
Bsckwith, Danville. Second Vice President, Prof. Evarts B. Greene, Ur-
bana. Third Vica President, Hon. William Vocke, Chicago. Honorary Viee
Presidents, Tae Presidents of Local Historical Societies. Members of Board
of Directors, Dr. E, J. James, President Northwestern University; Hon.
George N. Black, Springfield; Hon. David McCulloch, Peoria; Capt. J. H.
Burnham, Bioomington; Dr. M. H. Chamberlin, President McKendree Col-
lege, Lebanon. Secretary, Mrs. Jessie Palmer Weber, Springfield.
Bloomington, Illinois.
To All Interested in Local Historical Societies:
The Illinois State Historical society, now in the fifth year of its existence,
is very desirous of assisting in the organization of county or other local his-
torical societies all over the State. County societies have been organized in
Jersey, McLaan, Champaign, DeKalb, Logan, Whiteside, Madison and Wood-
ford. A very great work has been accomplished by the Chicago Historical
society. Ttoe Evanston and Quincy societies also take high rank. This com-
mittee fully believes that a large number of other counties are perfectly able
and perhaps ready to organize county societies, and begin systematically the
great work of gathering and publishing their own local history.
At the last meeting of the board of directors of the Illinois State Historical
society, a plan was discussed and laid over for consideration at the next an-
nual meeting of the society, which will be held in Bloomington, Wednesday
afternoon, January 27, 1904. The program for this annual meeting will
soon be issued, showing what papers may be expected on the 27th, 28th and
29th of January. The board of directors will be pleased to have the society's
opinion of the plan, to the end that there may be a close and practicable
union between the State and local societies. The plan is as follows:
"The State Historical society shall aid in the organization of local histori-
cal societies by giving all practicable assistance through correspondence, or
the personal visitation of its officers or agents.
"It shall also assist and stimulate societies already organized, as far as
possible. All such societies are invited to co-operate with the State society
by reporting annually in January to the State Historical society, giving a
statement of their work during the year, with a list of all officers and a copy
of all printed publications issued. Such local societies as are unable to pub-
lish papers or reports are requested to furnish this society with copies of all
papers, reports and documents relating to their local history, from which the
State Historical society will make selections, for its own publications, of such
documents or papers as may appear to be of special interest to the people of
the State of Illinois, and the State society will keep all unpublished papers
and documents safely in its own custody, unless their return is requested by
the local societies."
Reports from all existing societies are hereby urgently requested, the same
to be directed to the chairman of this committee ; and persons in other coun-
ties interested in the organization of local historical societies are earnestly
urged to take action immediately, if possible, to secure county or other local
historical organization, in season to report the same before or at the next
annual meeting of the State society, Jan. 27, 1904.
For the purpose of assisting in such work, a copy of the latest constitution
adopted, that of Woodford county, is hereby furnished.
CONSTITUTION.
Article I— The name of the association shall be the Woodford County His-
torical society.
Article II— The officers of this society shall be a president, vice president,
secretary, treasurer, three trustees and an executive committee of five mem-
bers, three of whom shall be the president, secretary and treasurer of the
society.
Article III— The officers shall be elected at the annual meeting and shall
serve for one year, except the trustees, who shall be elected as follows: —
One for three years, one for two years, and one for one year, after which each
shall be elected for three years, one being elected annually.
Article IV— The objects of this society shall be to discover, collect an^ pre-
serve whatever relates to the natural, industrial, civil, military, political,
social, educational or religious history of Woodford county in particular and
8
Illinois in general; to maintain a museum and library; to cultivate the his-
toric sense and diffuse knowledge upon these subjects by meetings and pub-
lications.
Article V— Any person may become a member of this association by the
vote of its members and the payment of $1,00.
Artiole VI— Tuis society shall hold an annual meeting at the county seat on
the first Thursday o! De«ember of each year; and the society shall hold a
semi annual meeting on the first Thursday of June of each year. Further-
more, the executive committee may provide for such other meetings as it mav
think best. ^
Article VII— This constitution may be changed or amended at any regular
meeting of the society, providing that notice, in writing, of the proposed
changes or amendments be given at the last meeting preceding the meeting
at which the change or amendment is proposed.
Words and arguments from this committee are not needed. The importance
of these historical organizations is admitted by all. Action is the need of the
hour.
The chairman of this committee, or either of his associates will be very
much pleased to correspond with any person interested in this work.
J. H. BURNHAM,
Bloomington, Illinois.
J. 0. Cunningham,
Urbana, Illinois.
0. B. Clark,
Eureka, Illinois.
From responses received, we are of the opinion that in one or two
cases, action has been taken which will lead to the speedy organization of
local historical societies.
We have thought best not to attempt too much in this line, until the State
society shall have taken more definite action pertaining to the relation which
it is intended shall exist between State and the local societies, under our new
constitution which will now go into effect.
We would urge that a carefully prepared plan for the future relations be-
tween the State and local societies, be prepared as soon as possible, and to
this end would recommend that a special committee be appointed, consisting
of the standing committee on local historical societies, with an equal repre-
sentation made up from officers of the local societies now organized, to take
this whole subject into careful consideration, and report as soon as practic-
able.
We would further recommend that in case their report is ready before the
next annual meeting of the State society, that the State society hereby auth-
orize the board of directors to take such action as may be deemed to the best
interests of the State and local societies, without further action on the part of
this society.
There is much evidence that active and efficient work is now being per-
formed by most of the local societies. The following new societies have been
reported as organized since our last report: The Meramech Historical society
of Kendall county, the Madison County Historical society, the Woodford
County Historical society.
The following is the list of the different historical societies in this State as
far as reported: The Chicago Historical society at Chicago and the Illinois
society at Springfield probably should not come under the head of local soci-
eties, although the president of the Chicago society is one of the honorary
vice presidents of the Illinois State Historical society, and it is our under-
standing that for its work in certain lines of historical investigation, this so-
ciety is willing to act in the utmost harmony with the Illinois Historical
society.
Of city societies we have reported: The Quincy society at Quincy; presi-
dent, Lorenzo Bull, Quincy; correspondiner secretary, 8. H. Emery, Quincy;
Evanston Historical society, Evanston; president, Harvey B. Hurd, Evan-
ston; vice president, Frank H. Grover, Evanston; secretary, J. Seymour
Curry, Evanston.
The work of the Evanston Historical society deserves special notice. In
1902 this society issued a beautiful calendar containing a dozen views of his-
toric houses and natural objects, which is a good illustration of the possibili-
ties of such publications, but we desire particularly to notice the report of its
secretary concerning the five year's work of this society, which shows such
comprehensive efficiency that we urgently recommend its publication in the
society's transactions.
Elgin Scientific club. No report.
New England society, Rockford. No report.
Champaign County Historical society, Urbana; president, J. 0. Cunning-
ham, Urbana.
DeKalb County Historical society. No report.
Jersey County Historical society, Jerseyville. No report.
Meramech Historical society of Kendall county. Piano; president, John F.
Steward, 1889 Sheridan road, Chicago; secretary, Avery N. Beebee, York-
ville.
Madison County Historical society, Alton; president, E. P. Wade, Alton;
secretary, Miss Julia Buckmaster, Alton.
Whiteside County Historical society, Sterling; president, Moses Dillon,
Sterling; secretary, W. W. Davis, Sterling.
Woodford County Historical society; president. Col. B. D. Meek, Eureka;
secretary, Prof. O. B. Clark, Eureka.
McLean County Historical society, Bloomington; president, Geo. P. Davis;
secretary, E. M. Prince, Bloomington.
Logan County Historical society, Lincoln; president, J. T. Hoblitt, Lin-
coln; secretary, Mrs. Leila B. Collins, Lincoln.
Pike County Historical society, Pittsfield; president, Hon. J. M. Bush.
Considering the little effort that has been made to organize these societies,
your committee feels greatly encouraged in being able to report so many ac-
tive organizations. It is our belief that in case the State society should see
fit to properly encourage these societies, and provide a popular plan for their
affiliation with the parent society, a very large number of efficient and active
organizations would soon be formed, each one a local center of great influ-
ence, and each one constituting a center around which the parent society can
more efficiently perform its own work, aud where it could always find sympa-
thetic assistance in carrying forward its future plans.
J, H. BURNHAM,
J. O. Cunningham,
0. B Clark.
10
REPORT FROM EVANSTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
EvANSTON, Jan. 16, 1904.
Capt. J. H. Burnham,Bloomington,Ill.:
Dear Sir — Being unable to attend the meeting of the State Historical so-
ciety at Bloomington on the 27th, 28th and 29th of January, I will briefly
give some account of the Evanston Historical society, which will possibly be
of interest to you and the other members.
Since our orgainzation some five years ago we have laid the foundation for
a collection of historical material, which I will briefly describe. As you
know a collection of this kind embraces a great variety of written and printed
papers, portraits, views, diplomas, charts, maps, engravings, objects, etc.,
as well as books on local. State and western history. Oar attention was first
given to making up written accounts, or sketches of the earlier residents,
some of whom are still living. We obtained photograph portraits of many
of these, also letters and other writings whenever possible. Those who were
no longer living or had moved away were described by their descendants or
former neighbors. It was necessary to hasten in this work for every year
the survivors were becoming fewer. As the settlement of our region on the
shore of the lake north of Chicago, which is our field of work, began in the
early 30's; we searched the town and country adjoining far and wide for
those who were here at that early time, or in the subsequent decade. We
had pictures of them taken, pictures of the pioneer houses, such as remained
of them, narratives written at their dictation, describing their journeys and
arrival in the new country; their experiences, their mode of life, and many
other things of interest. We even made a directory of the names of those
who lived here 50 years ago. Oar amateur photographers found a fresh field
for their efforts and worked with great enthusiasm; our literary people coop-
erated in writing memoirs; and the old residents and their descendants
awakened to the fact that they were objects of interest and found themselves
famous.
We next turned our attention to gathering information on the physical
aspect of the country in the early day and the changes which had taken place
since that time. We traced the old roads, boundary lines of Indian treaties,
old shore line of the lake (which we found had worn away as much as a
quarter of a mile inland at some points) ; located school houses, roadside
taverns, log cabins, (some of which had long since disappeared); took in-
scriptions from old tombstones; and made written descriptions of them all.
We also found a large number of interesting trees — some bent by Indians
when they were saplings and made to take strange shapes which they re*
tained after becoming full sized, and so called "Indian trees;" some of im-
mense size and height; and views takenof them and preserved. We also found
remains of Indian camping grounds and villages, located an ancient burying
ground, and collected flint implements found in the neighborhood. The
topography of the region became a most interesting department of study.
In two respects our situation is remarkable. First, this region is the south-
ern limit of glacier action in North America, at least in this longitude; and
while north of us are the evidences of such action, south of us none exist. Sec-
ond, our region is on the divide between the waters that flow to the Alantio
ocean through the river St. Lawrence on one hand, and those that flow down
the Mississippi and the Gulf of Mexico on the other. Maps are in our pos-
session marking the height of land above the sea level at numerous points, so
that the height of bluffs, ridges and undulations of land is accurately known.
Among the narratives of thrilling interest is that of the steamer "Lady
Elgin" lost off our shores in 1860, wrecks of many other ships and steamers,
thrilling rescues; and the long tale of life saving through many years by the
crew located in the United States life saving station at this point.
11
We have extended our collection of books and pamphlets beyond those on
historical subjects, and included the works of all authors who have resided
here — now or at any other time. Some have a world wide reputation, and
many are well known in the world of letters. So that we not only have
sketches and portraits of a great number but their books as well. This por
tion of the collection is now quite incomplete but progress is making, but
when one considers that we found the names of 160 authors it will be under-
stood how formidable the task was to collect their works.
A part of our work is the dissemination of historical information. To this
end we have had some two or three meetings a year to which the public has
been invited. At these meetings lectures have been given on some subject
appropriate to the work of the society. On one notable occasion a lecture
was given and illustrated with lantern slide exhibition, showing portraits of
many of the pioneers, the houses thev lived in, diagrams of growth, and
views of remarkable natural objects. Publication of the results of our work
has not yet been undertaken beyond an annual report on two occasions and
a pamphlet on the Indians' occupation. The expense has prevented us from
doing more than this, but as the newspapers report our meetings in full, and
eagerly print our sketches of persons and places with views and portraits
reproduced, we have been able to have a great deal of our own manuscript
put in print.
This outline of our activities might be filled out with much interesting
detail, such as methods of preservation and care, system in arrangement of
matter, classification and indexing.
We desire to tender our best wishes to the Illinois State Historical society,
and we hold ourselves always ready to cooperate cordially in their work.
Very truly yours,
J Seymour Curry,
Secretary of the Evanston Historical Society.
LOUISIANA PURCHASE EXPOSITION REPORT.
REPORT OP CHAIRMAN OP THE COMMITTEE.
2o the Officers and Members of the Illinois State Historical Society:
The society, at its last meeting held in Springfield in January 1903, re-
quested me to continue to act as chairman of the committee to wait upon the
members of the Illinois Commission appointed by the Governor to act for the
State in expending its appropriation for the Louisiana Purchase Exposition.
The directors of this society, at a meeting held in Springfield, June 17th,
also requested me to attend a meeting of the commission at St. Louis on the
following day. I was present at the St. Louis meeting and also attended
another there on the 9th of July.
Other members of the committee sent letters to the board urging appropria-
tions for the Illinois building, to be expended for the purposes and objects
which had been proposed by the officers of the Illinois State Historical
society.
Our plans were approved by the members of the Illinois Commission, who
appeared anxious to see portions of the Illinois building decorated or orna-
mented by busts of the great men and women of this State, historic land-
scapes, photographs of some of our most important monuments or other
objects of historic interest and so forth.
12
But it seemed that the people of the great State of Illinois, represented by
various educational, commercial, cattle growing, horticultural and a multi-
tude of other organizations, presented such urgent requests for liberal appro-
priations, that the commissioners were only able to appropriate $2,000 to be
expended by the State Historical society under the direction and control of
the commission. This amount is so far below the sum which had been, by
our committees, deemed necessary for a fitting exhibit under the auspices of
the State Historical society, that, personally, I fear that the public's disap-
pointment at the slenderness of our display would have a worse effect upon
our society's good name, than will be felt if we decline to make any attempt
to use the appropriation. I have not been able to contrive any plans and
specifications to fit the case, and will make no recommendations either for or
against the acceptance of this appropriation.
In case it is declined, however, I wish to urge that this declension be
couched in language that will fittingly explain our kindly appreciation of the
efforts made by the commission to treat fairly all of the different interests
applying for portions of the State's appropriation towards an exhibit at the
Louisiana Purchase Exposition.
J. H. BURNHAM.
Meeting of the Board op Directors of the Illinois State His-
torical Society, Jan. 28, 1904, 7:45 p. m. at the Illinois
Hotel, Bloomington, Illinois.
All members of the board of directors present except, Mrs. Jessie
Palmer Weber, Rev. O. J. Eschmann, J. O. Cunningham, Prof. E.
E. Sparks, Hon. Wm. H. Collins and Dr. E, J. James. Dr, J, F.
Snyder was elected president of the board of directors. Hon. Alfred
Orendorff was elected temporary secretary. On motion of Alfred
OrendorfiP, Mrs. Jessie Palmer Weber was elected permanent secre-
tary and treasurer.
The standing committees as heretofore constituted were continued,
subject to the approval of the president. The following committees
were appointed:
Publication committee — Georere N. Black, chairman; Jessie Palmer Weber;
E. B. Greene; Alfred Orendorff.
Program Committee — E. B. Greene; chairman; Jessie Palmer Weber;
M. H. Chamberlain; J. H. Burnham; E. E. Sparks; Mrs. S. P. Wheeler.
World's Fair committee — Continued.
Finance committee — George N. Black; E. J. James.
Constitution and by-laws committee — David McCulloeh, chairman; J. H.
Burnham; J. 0. Cunningham.
Committee on legislation— George N. Black, chairman; Alfred Orendorff;
E. J. James; J. McCan Davis; Wm. H. Collins.
This committee was given authority to add to its membership.
Committee on local historical societies— J. H. Barnham. chairman; J. 0.
Cunningham; Prof. 0. Clark; George W Smith; David MeCulloch; W. W.
Davis.
Judge David MoCulloch and Gren Alfred Orendorff were appointed
a committee to visit Galesburg and appear before the meeting of the
Illinois Press association at its meeting in that city in February, to
perfect arrangements agreed upon by the committee of the Press
association which had met with the Historical society this day (Jan.
18
28, 1904,) that editors of papers are to send their papers to the Illi-
nois State Historical library and in return are to be furnished with
the publications of the Illinois State Historical library and the State
Historical society. An invitation from the Quincy Historical society
was read inviting the Illinois State Historical society to hold its
next annual meeting, January 1905, in the city of Quincy. The sec-
retary was directed to extend to the Quincy Historical society the
thanks of the society for the invitation, but to decline it, explaining
that it is the rule of the Illinois State Historical society to meet
alternate years in Springfield. On motion of George N. Black, the
city of Springfield was designated as the place of holding the next
annual meeting of the Illinois State Historical society, the time of
the meeting to be the last Wednesday and if necessary the succeed-
ing days of January, 1905. There being no other business presented,
the meeting of the board of directors was, on motion, adjourned.
PROGRAM OF EXERCISES.
Wednesday, January 27, 1904.
In the rooms of the McLean County Historical society, in the court house.
2:00 p. m.
Meeting of the board of directors, in conference with Committee of the Illi-
nois State Press association.
3:00 p. m.
Business meeting of the society, secretary's report for the board of direc-
tors, treasurer's report, reports of committees, election of officers for 1904,
miscellaneous basiness.
Memorial Address Dr. Bernard Stuve, Springfield,
Dr. J. F. Snyder, Virginia.
Wednesday Evening, January 27, 7:45 P. M.
Circuit court room, McLean county court house.
Music.
Address of Welcome to the Society Mr. George P. Davis
President of the McLean County Historical Society.
Response Dr. J. F. Snyder, Virginia
President of the Illinois State Historical Society.
Memorial— Hiram W. Beckwith E.J. James, Ph. D.
President Northwestern University, Evanston.
(Read by Prof. David Felmley.)
Annual Address— Personal Recollections of Some of the Eminent States-
men and Lawyers of Illinois
Hon. Charles P. Johnson, A. M., St. Louis
Music.
14
Thursday, January 28, 9:30 A, M.
Resolutions of respect for the late Hon. John N. Jewett, President Chi-
cago Historical Society
Read by Dr. Richard Edwards
In Memoriam — John Mayo Palmer, Chicago
Hon. Alfred Orendorff, Springfield
Illinois in the War of 1812-1814 Prank E. Stevens, Chicago
A Trip from Pennsylvania to Illinois in 1851 . ..W. W. Davis, A. M., Sterling
Music.
Newspapers and Newspaper Men of Illinois ..Hon. E. A. Snively, Springfield
In Memoriam— Dr. Robert Boal, Lacon, 111 Dr. J. F. Snyder
2:00 p. m.
The Part of Illinoisans in the National Educational Movement, 1850 1862
Paul Selby, A M., Chicago
Music.
Illinois in the Councils of the Nation
..Mrs. John A. Logan, Washington, D. C; read by Mrs. John M. Palmer
The Country Lawyer Hon. James. A. Connolly, Springfield;
Rufus Blanchard; In Memoriam, F. L. Wells, Chicago.
The Salines of Southern Illinois Prof. George W. Smith
Southern Illinois Normal School, Carbondale, Illinois.
8:00 p. m.
Reception to Illinois State Historical society in the parlors of the Illinois
hotel, by the McLean County Historical society, the Letitia Green Stevenson
chapter Daughters of the American Revolution; the Woman's club of Bloom-
ington; the Bloomington Amateur Musical club, and the George Rogers
Clark Chapter Sons of the American Revolution.
Friday, January 29, 9:30 A. M.
*The Destruction of Kaskaskia by the Mississippi River
J. T. Douglas of Chester and Frank Moore of Sparta
Music .
Morris Birkbeck and His Friends Daniel Berry, M. D. , Carmi
In Memoriam — Major General James D. Morgan
Hon. W. H. Collins, Quincy ; read by Dr. M. H. Chamberlin
The Life of Hon. Gustavus Koerner
Hon. R. E. Rombauer, St. Louis; read oy Prof. J. A. James
2:00 p. m.
The Scotch-Irish in Illinois
Hon. Robert A. Gray, Blue Mound ; read by J. H. Burnham
Music.
In Memoriam— Dr. H. H. Hood, Litchfield Miss Olive Sattley, Springfield
The Woman's Club Movement in Illinois Mrs. E.C. Lambert, Jacksonville
McKendree College M. H. Chamberlin, LL. D.
President of McKendree College, Lebanon, 111.
Local Committee on Arrangements, with Power to Appoint Associates —
Capt. J. H. Burnham, Mr. E. M. Prince, Secretary McLean County Bistori-
cal Society; Hon. A. E. Stevenson, Mrs. M. T. Scott, Mr. Charles L. Capen,
Hon. G. W. Stubblefield, Col. D. C. Smith of Normal, Mrs. W. W. Marmon.
*Omitted.
15
Literary Sessions— Held in the Circuit Court Room of the
McLean County Court House, Jan. 27-29, 1904.
The program as printed was carried out with the following changes:
The paper on the life and services of the late Hon. H. W. Beck-
with, written by Dr. E. J. James, was, in the absence of Doctor James,
read by Prof. David Felmley; the paper of Mrs. John A. Logan, "Illi-
nois in the Councils of the Nation," was read by Mrs. John M.
Palmer; the paper of Hon. W. H, Collins on Maj. Gen. James D.
Morgan, was read by Dr. M. H. Chamberlin; the paper on the "Life
and Services of Gustavus Koerner," written by Hon. R. E. Rombauer,
of St. Louis, was read by Prof. J. A. James; the paper of the Hon.
Robert A. Gray, "The Scotch-Irish in America," was read by Capt.
J. H. Burnham.
At the opening of the morning session Thursday, Jan, 28th, Dr.
Richard Edwards read a brief memorial on the life of Hon. John N.
Jewett, late president of the Chicago Historical society, and the so-
ciety passed resolutions of respect for the memory of Judge Jewett.
The secretary was directed to spread these resolutions upon the rec-
ords of the society and send a copy to the widow of Judge Jewett.
Resolutions on Death of Hon. John N. Jewett.
We, the members of the Illinois State Historical society, have learned with
profound sorrow of the death of Hon. John N. Jewett, president of the Chi-
cago Historical society, which occurred at his home in Chicago on the evening
of January 14, 1904.
He was born in Palmyra, Somerset county, Maine, on the 8th of October,
1827. Raised on a farm and assisting his father in its cultivation until arriv-
ing at the age of 18, he then entered Bowdoin college, and, taking a full clas-
sical course, graduated in 1850.
During the two years following he taught in Yarmouth academy, at the
same time employing his spare hours in reading law. In 1853 he migrated to
Madison, Wis., and was there admitted to the bar. There also he was united
in marriage, in 1855, to Miss Ellen M. Rountree, and at once removed to Ga-
lena, 111. In 1857 he removed to Chicago and became a member of the law
firm of Scates, McAllister, Jewett & Peabody. In 1870 he was elected to the
State Senate, and during his term his legal abilities were of valued service to
the public, and to Governor Palmer, in the enactment of new statutes to con-
form with the limitations of the present State constitution then just adopted
by the people. As a lawyer, particularly in that branch of practice relating
to corporations, he deservedly ranked with the first in the State.
At the annual meeting of the Illinois Historical society at Jacksonville in
January, 1902, in response to the invitation extended to him, Mr. Jewett de-
livered the annual address, taking for his subject "The Sources and Results
of Law in Illinois."
Besolved, That in view of these facts, we desire to express our sorrow at the
passing away of our departed brother, and also our high appreciation of the
value of the able services which he so unselfishly rendered to historical sci-
16
ence by his able presentation of facts and by his philosophical explanation of
law as applying thereto. Such labor as he performed will be of great service
to the thoughtful student of Illinois history in years to come.
Besolved, That the sympathy of the members of this association is hereby
lovingly tendered to his honored widow and her family.
Besolved, That a copy of these resolutions, properly attested, be sent to
Mrs. Jewett.
On Thursday afternoon a paper on the "Life and Labors of Rufus
Blanchard," the late historian of the Northwest, was read by Mr.
Frederick Latimer Wells, of Wheaton. The paper on the "Destruc-
tion of Kaskaskia by the Mississippi River," prepared by J. T.
Douglas and Frank Moore, was not ready for presentation to the so-
ciety and was omitted.
At the opening of the afternoon session on Thursday, Jan. 28th,
the nominating committee reported the following named persons for
officers of the society January, 1904-January, 1905:
President — J. F. Snyder, M. D., Virginia.
First Vice President — Paul Selby, A. M., Chicago.
Second Vice President — Hon. Wm. Vocke, Chicago.
Third Vice President— Dr. A. W. French, Springfield.
Board of Directors— J. F. Snyder, Virginia; E. J. James, Ph. D., Evan-
ston; Hon. George N. Black, Springfield; J. H. Burnham, Bloomington; M.
H. Chamberlin, LL.D., Lebanon; David McCalloeh, Peoria; E.B.Greene,
Ph. D., Urbana; Mrs. Jessie Palmer Weber, Springfield; E. E. Sparks, Ph.
D., Chicago; Wm. H. Collins. Quincy; J. 0. Cunningham, Urbana; Alfred
OrendorfE,Sprinjf field; Prof . George W. Smith, Carbondale; Rev. C. J. Esch-
mann, Prairie du Rocher.
The report of the nominating committee was received and accepted
by the society and the secretary was directed to cast the ballot of the
society for the above named persons as officers of the society for the
ensuing year. The ballot was cast by the secretary and the officers
as named by the nominating committee were declared duly elected
for the year January, 1904-January, 1905, the presidents of local his-
torical societies being honorary vice presidents as heretofore.
On Friday afternoon, at the closing session of the society, resolu-
tions were offered by Judge David McCulloch, and adopted by a
rising vote, thanking the McLean County Historical society and the
citizens of Bloomington for their hospitality, thanking the ladies and
gentlemen who added to the pleasure of the meetings by furnishing
the society with choice musical selections, and to the press of Bloom-
ington for the full, complete and satisfactory reports of the meetings
of the society.
The secretary was directed to make these resolutions a part of the
records of the society and to furnish copies of them to the news-
papers of Bloomington and Springfield.
17
RBSOLUTIONS.
The members of the Illinois State Historical society, now in session at
Bloomington cannot let the occasion pass without giving appropriate expres-
sion to the sentiments called forth by the highly satisfactory treatment ex-
tended them during their short sojourn in this city; and would extend their
heartfelt thanks to the board of supervisors of McLean county for the use of
their spacious and elegant court room, to the McLean County Historical
society, for the use of their rooms and for other courtesies extended to us; to
the Letitia Green Stevenson chapter of the Daughters of the American Revo-
lution; the Woman's club of Bloomington; the Bloomington Amateur Musical
club and to the George Roger Clark chapter of the Sons of the American
Revolution for the elegant reception tendered us in the parlors of the Illinois
hotel; to the ladies who so highly entertained us with classical music during
our sessions; to the citizens of Bloomington for their abundant hospitality
extended to many of us and for their generous attendance upon our meetings;
and to the newpapers of Bloomington for the full and satisfactory reports of
our proceedings.
We also desire to return our thanks to each and every one of the ladies and
gentlemen who have at this meeting furnished and read papers of the most
valuable character as contributions to the historical literature of the State.
— 2H
18
ADDRESS OF WELCOME TO THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
[Mr. George P. Dayls, President McLean County Historical Society.]
Mb. President and Members of the Illinois State Historical
Society — In the early settlement of a community the people are so
engrossed with their struggles for a livelihood, that they seldom
keep a full record of their own daily life; and have very little regard
for natural curiosities or the remains of a former race, they only pass
by those that cannot be utilized for their buildings or business.
After the community grows older and more wealthy, it begins to in-
quire about the natural and artificial objects that were so ruthlessly
mutilated or destroyed, and wishes to know more fully, the early
history of its own settlers and realizes how careless it was, in keeping
such meager records.
Then some public spirited men organize a historical society, its
object being: First — to record before it is too late, the recollections
of the living. Second — to search out the history of their forefathers.
Third — to collect, preserve and study, any of the traces of an ancient
race, that may still be in existence.
The object of all this collection is to furnish full material for the
specialist to make his work complete and correct. This, the Mc-
Lean county Historical society has endeavored to do, in the three
volumes it has published: First — the War Records of McLean
county and other papers. Second — the School Record of McLean
county and other papers. Third — the Republican Convention of
May 29th, 1856, at which time the Republican party was formed,
and Mr. Lincoln made his great speech, called "The Lost Speech";
which his friends consider still lost.
The society has been enabled to publish these volumes, by the aid
of the board of supervisors, who have placed a copy in each school
house.
But a county society can only occupy a limited territory, a combi-
nation of county societies or a State society must be formed to
occupy the whole State, and that society must be assisted by the State,
to procure books and manuscripts and to make copies of papers that
cannot be bought, and also to edit and publish the matter collected.
Most of the states have libraries, that have been supported with
fairly liberal appropriations. Some like Massachusetts, New York,
19
Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, have or are now publishing all their
early colonial and state records; and not only printing the books, but
in large editions which can be procured at a reasonable cost.
Some of the states have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in
such work, New York sent a man to England, France and Holland
and had all the accessible papers relating to its early Colonial his-
tory copied and published, and these books have numerous references
to the French settlement of this state, Illinois.
The Jesuit relations published by private enterprise, give the
ecclesiastical history of Illinois down to the expulsion of the Jesuits
by the French.
The report of the French military and civil authorities which may
still be in existence in Paris, should be copied, translated and pub-
lished by the State. There may be valuable papers relating to the
French, Spanish, British and early American settlements still in ex-
istence; these also should be put in print.
It has been generally known, but a comparatively few years that
the Spanish marched across this State and captured St. Joseph,
Michigan in January 1781, and took possession of all territory drained
by the Illinois and its tributaries.
The history of Illinois, since it was known to white men, has been
a romance; traversed and explored by Marquette, Hennepin, Joliet
and LaSalle; given to LaSalle, who appointed Tonty the first gover-
nor of Illinois; then given to John Law of "Mississippi Bubble" no-
toriety; his ''Company of the Indies" had its provincial council at
Fort Chartres.
The numerous French and Indian wars are full of interest, but
exasperating to the investigator, because of the lack of the French
military papers to enable one to fix definitely, locations.
Many are still ignorant that Illinois took a creditable part in the
Revolutionary war; Tom Brady of Cahokia, in 1777 with 16 men
captured St. Joseph, garrisoned by 21 regulars; and Paulette Meillet
of Peoria, in 1778 with a company of French and Indians captured
and destroyed St. Joseph.
Afterwards, appears George Rogers Clark with his Virginians of
whose doings, the historical library has published a volume written
by Judge Beckwith. Then the British and Indians troubled us
greatly in the war of 1812, and then our own Indian wars. Is it not
full of romance?
The State has also many objects that fill the traveller or student
with wonder and amazement; the Rock river valley is covered with
curious animal efiPigy mounds, which interested me greatly when I
was at school on the Rock river.
Near Cahokia are immense mounds, the largest in the United States.
The stone graves in the southern part of the State indicate a diflFerent
race from the builders of the mounds. These are all remains of for-
gotten races.
20
To quote Dr. Snyder; "the question what has Illinois to invite
archaeological research"? may be definitely answered by the single
statement, that not one of the vast group of Cahokia mounds has
been systematically explored.
Besides these, we have the relics of our own Indians; as in this
county: The old trails, and the palisaded Kickapoo town in Old
Town township, and the battle ground at the head of the Sangamon,
with its riflepits and entrenchments, The State of Ohio, with not
as many ancient earth works, has made a complete map of them.
This State has done nothing. But we must here give the State credit
for purchasing the site of old Fort Massac, and setting it apart for a
State Park. How much we must regret that an early legislature did
not preserve Fort Chartres, the only stone fortress ever erected in the
western country.
In 1889, the State organized the State Historical library, and
has supported it since with very meager appropriations. The State
Historical library has published several valuable books, the material
for which has been furnished mainly by the State Historical society.
There are many historical societies in the State which have done
good work; city societies at Chicago, Evanston, Quincy, and the New
England society at Rockford; and county societies in Champaign,
DeKalb, Jersey, Kendall, Logan, Madison, McLean, Whiteside and
Woodford and, I think, in Jackson and Peoria. If I am not mis-
taken, Chicago and McLean are the only ones which have published
books.
In 1899, some lovers of history and our State, realizing that the
existing county and city historical societies did not cover all the field,
organized the Illinois State Historical society, which, by the valuable
papers it has published, has stimulated the study of our State and
has encouraged the formation of several county societies.
Realizing the immensity of the field which you gentlemen of the
Illinois State Historical society are so capable of covering, and feel-
ing certain that this meeting will be conducive to a renewed interest
in the history of this State, we, the citizens of Bloomington, welcome
you to our city.
21
RESPONSE OF DR. J. F. SNYDER
( E»re8ident of the Illinois State Historical society, to the address of welcome by
Mr. Qeoree P. Davis.)
Mr. President of the MoLean County Historical Society:
Ladies and Gentlemen — Responding for the members of the Illi-
nois State Historical society who are present here this evening, as
well as for myself, personally, I assure you that we are profoundly
grateful for the cordial welcome you extend to us. and for the very
complimentary terms in which our organization has been so elo-
quently mentioned. We would, indeed, be dead to every sentiment
of pride and self-respect did this flattering reception of our society
by the citizens of Bloomington fail to stir within us emotions of the
sincerest thankfulness.
Coming to your beautiful and progressive city as guests of the Mc-
Lean County Historical society, total strangers — with few exceptions,
to all who compose this audience, we cannot attribute your heartfelt
greeting to the obligations of formal personal courtesy, but rightly
interpret it as an expression of your appreciation of the purpose of
our visit, and your estimate of the value of the work in which we are
engaged.
We gladly accepted your invitation to hold in this city the regular
annual meeting of the State Historical society for 1904, not because
of anticipated pleasant social intercourse and entertainment, alone,
but because of the certainty that in this community we would meet
with learning and culture from which we must profit, and gain in-
spiration for more diligent efforts to attain the objects our society
has in view. Your county, bearing the honored name of that brilliant
and talented early statesman of Illinois, John McLean, in the course
of its material, industrial and social development well typifies the
marvelous growth and progress of our great State. Less than three-
quarters of a century ago but a broad expanse of open prairie un-
marred save by trails of the buffalo and Indian, with here and there
along the timbered streams and isolated groves a few cabins of the
more adventurous pioneers, it now presents in its perfect agriculture,
its numerous thriving towns and cities, its noble educational and
charitable institutions, its busy factories, railroads, mines and other
wealth-producing industries, the highest achievements of modern
civilization.
22
Your city made famous, not only throughout our land but beyond
the ocean's limits, by the intellectual and moral force of many of its
citizens who have gained high distinction and reflected luster upon
Illinois, as statesmen in exalted posts of honor in the State and
nation, as jurists ranking with the most eminent of the age, as soldiers
of renown as scholars, artists, educators, financiers, has for the student
of Illinois history an attractive interest unsurpassed by few, if any,
other localities in the State. The high prominence attained in the
various nobler walks of life by the many residents of this city and
county serves to infuse in the young manhood and womanhood of the
advancing generation a spirit of creditable emulation and enterprise,
and commands the admiration and pride of all our people. With all
these pleasant considerations, and the personal gratification afPorded
us by coming here, endeavoring while enjoying your hospitality to
demonstrate to you the character of work we are attempting to do to
fulfill the mission of the State Historical society, we recognize in this
incident one of the many encouraging evidences of a marked awak-
ening of interest in general and local history everywhere among the
educated classes.
This increasing desire to acquire knowledge of the past, to which
I refer, is displayed by the increased energy and labor expended by
scholars pi both hemispheres in prosecuting investigations of oriental
antiquities, and in the increasing numbers and strength of agencies
employed by governments and scientific institutions to search for re-
liable facts concerning primitive man in every quarter of the globe.
For a long time we, of the United States, were passively content that
the monopoly of research in the ruins and records of extinct civiliza-
tions in the far east should be held by a limited number of European
savants; but within the last several years the systematic exploration
of those distant historic fields has been largely shared by American
students maintained by American capital. The surprising discov-
eries of Schlieman in Greece, of Cesnola in Cyprus, of Bliss in Pal-
estine, of Dr. Peters, Haynes and others in Assyria, verifying history
of ciyilized man so old that its meagre records descending to us seem
but myths of the poet's fancy, have not been exceeded by those of the
most noted archaeologists or historians of the old world. The uni-
versity of Pennsylvania, an American pioneer in that foreign search,
is entitled to the credit of having brought to light, at Nipur, in As-
syria, authentic proofs of man's civilization, in ruins of cities and
temples, dating 70 centuries before the beginning of the Christian era.
Until very recently the activity of Americans in Oriental antiqua-
rian research was limited exclusively to the older institutions and
societies of our Atlantic seaboard cities; but the impulse of their
amazing discoveries reaching the great prairies of the inland west
there stirred one of the wealthy universities of our own State to also
enter the lists of relic hunting in ancient Babylonia. It secured,
last summer, from the Sultan of Turkey the necessary firman of
permission, and ere now its employes are delving in the mounds at
Bismaya for remains of the traditional splendors of the first Sargon's
23
reign. The great university referred to, some years ago ereoted on its
spacious grounds a superb building designed specially for an Oriental
rnuseum. The expedition it has now sent to the valley of the Eu-
phrates— supplied with lavish means donated for that pupose by a
generous patron — may possibly astonish the world with its recov-
eries of historic records exceeding in importance or hoary age all
yet unearthed at Nineveh, Nipur or Birs Nimrud. But whether it
does, or not, it will very probably bring home from old Chaldea gen-
uine antiquites enough to fill the empty shelves and oases of the
beautiful building prepared at Chicago to receive them.
Not alone on the classic shores of the Mediterranean, or in Egypt,
or in the Bible lands of southeastern Asia, have the institutions of
our eastern states pursued their archaeological labors with success-
ful results, but they have conducted similar investigations in every
quarter of our hemisphere. They have sent trained scientists to
every province of Mexico, Central and South America to wring, if
possible, from the strange mounds, sculptures and ruins of those
regions the story of their authors and the secret of the puzzling indi-
genous culture that thus found expression there. Curious discoveries
have rewarded the perseverance and toil of those explorers; but none so
startling and inexplicable as the written and carved records in an
unknown language found in Yucatan and adjoining states. By the
intelligent and assiduous efforts of Gell, Champolleon, Bernouf,
Rawlinson, and others, in the first half of the last century, the cunei-
form inscriptions of Assyria and the ideographs of Egypt were ren-
dered as legible as the English alphabet; but the grotesque hiero-
glyphics carved by a little-known race of Indians upon weird
monoliths and ruins of vast stone edifices hidden in the dense
tangled forests of semi-tropical America have so far defied all at-
tempts at interpretation by the most skilled linguists of the world.
By the munificence of its president, Morris K. Jessup, the Ameri-
can museum, of New York City, has within the late few years sent
repeated expeditions to the coasts and bordering territories of north-
western America and eastern Siberia to closely observe the natives of
the opposite continents and study their ethnic characteristics, habits,
arts and languages, and the archaeological relics of their ancestors,
with the hope of solving the sphynx-like mysteries of the American
Indian's origin. Not the mainlands only but the intervening islands
of the Pacific were rigidly scrutinized for vestiges of their first oc-
cupants and earliest traces of human migrations, by sea and land,
however, with but negative results, and the original peopling of
America is yet an unsolved enigma.
Increasing popular taste for the literature and knowledge of more
recent history is keeping pace with the steadily enlarging eagerness
of scientists to coerce from remote antiquity elucidation of the many
occult problems obscuring the most ancient history of the human
race. A proof of this fact is the present phenominal popularity of
works of fiction based upon incidents or events of the past. The flood
24
of historical novels poured upon the reading public within the last
few years has had no parallel since the art of printing was in-
vented.
This modern charm of history for the public mind is seen, too, in
the rapidly multiplying numbers of statues and monuments, of va-
rious kinds to perpetuate the memory of historic events, or of soldiers,
statesmen, and others, conspicuous in the past annals of the country.
The world's fairs and local expositions commemorating occurrences
in the life of nations or states, far surpassing in cost and magnifi-
cence of architecture and exhibits those before instituted, are an
outgrowth of this sentiment. In America, not our men alone have
been infused with eagerness to better know and better perpetuate
the story of the conflicts and struggles through which our country
attained its present promd position among the nations of the earth,
but love of country and ancestral pride, here inherent in the femi-
nine mind, has within recent years been more emphatically asserted
by the social organization styled the Daughters of the American
Revolution, whose valued patriotic labors have enriched and enno-
bled the study of American history.
In Illinois there is plainly discernable of late, among all classes of
our people, the disposition to learn more of early times in the State,
and of the lives and deeds of the pioneers who won and developed
this splendid heritage for their posterity.
We see this in the frequent suggestions that the State Historical
society should be authorized by the Legislature to prepare an ele-
mentary history of Illinois for use as a text-book in our public
schools; and by the numerous inquiries we receive from every quarter
for information as to the best published histories of the State. The
broadening interest in the history of our commonwealth is also mani-
fested by the increasing numbers of local or county historical
societies annually organized in it, as well as by the prosperous condi-
tion of our State society. It was shown also — but very dimly it
must be admitted — by the action of the last Legislature in granting
to the State Historical society State recognition — but nothing else.
A most gratifying proof of the public interest in this direction is
this cheering welcome by cultured citizens of Bloomington to the
members of an organization devoted exclusively to the collection, col-
lation and preservation of Illinois history, and the difiFusion of the
result of its labors among the people.
The greeting we have received here will inspire us with stronger
hope and higher aims, and the impressive assurance it conveys of
the confidence and interest of this enlightened community in the
important task we have assumed will greatly encourage us to persevere
with renewed energy and determination in our efforts for its satisfac-
tory accomplishment.
Hiram W. Beckwith —Late President Board of Trustees. Illinois
State Historical Library,
25
THE LIFE AND WORK OF HONORABLE HIRAM
WILLIAMS BECKWITH.
[By Ednmnd J. James, President of Northwestern University].
Hiram Williams Beckwith, president of the board of trustees of
the Illinois State Historical lilDrary, and past president of the Illinois
State Historical society, died Tuesday, Deo. 22, 1903, at St. Luke's
hospital, Chicago.
Mr. Beckwith was born in Danville, 111,, March 6, 1832. He was
the son of Dan Beckwith, for whom the city of Danville was named.
His father was one of the pioneer residents of that section of the
State, was a government surveyor and surveyed large portions of
eastern Illinois.
Hiram W. Beckwith, after completing the curriculum of the local
schools, entered Wabash college, but was compelled to leave college
on account of his health before completing the course. He began
the study of law in the office of Ward H. Lamon, the Danville part-
ner of Abraham Lincoln, and was admitted to the bar in 1853. On
Sept. 19, 1857, he was married to Miss Emily Jane Reeder, of Oneida
county, N. Y,, resident at that time in Danville. Four children were
born to them. Two died in infancy, and two sons, Will and Clarence
H,, both attorneys at law in the city of Danville, survive him.
Mr. Beckwith's success as an attorney was immediate and marked-
He was associated, on one side or the other, with nearly all the law
suits originating in Danville during the years of his active practice
at the bar. He was connected in law suits with Abraham Lincoln,
Stephen A. Douglas, Leonard Swett and other noted circuit riders.
He was actively interested in extending the railway facilities and
other public enterprises in his native city. During the latter portion
of his career as an attorney, Mr. Beckwith was in partnership with
Judge R. W. Hanford.
In 1876 he retired from the active practice of the law, and from
that time on devoted great attention to historical research, finally
becoming famous as an authority on the history of the middle west
and the author of several valuable works on that subject. In 1877,
when the Vermilion County Historical society was organized, he was
elected one of its managers, and in 1878, assisted by his eldest son.
Will, he prepared, for H. H. Hill & Co., a history of Vermilion
county, prefaced by historical notes of the northwest. It was really
26
from his work on this county history that his most active interest in
local and State history began. He collected a very valuable library
of works relating to Illinois and the northwest, collecting many rare
volumes and preparing, from time to time, interesting articles based
upon his studies of the early records in this country and Canada es-
pecially. He prepared, for the George H. Fergus Publishing com-
pany, a number of monographs in their series on the early history of
the northwest, and contributed many interesting articles of an histori-
cal character to the Chicago Tribune .
Mr. Beokwith was the oldest living past master of the Masonic
lodge of Danville, and was one of several to whom were presented
solid gold past master's jewels by Olive Branch lodge No, 38 of that
city.
Mr. Beckwith's work in the history of Illinois was intimately con-
nected with the foundation of the State Historical Library board, of
which he was one of the first members, and of the Illinois State His-
torical society, of which he was the first president. The Illinois State
Historical library at Springfield, 111 , founded by the State and placed
under the care of the Illinois State Historical Library board, has be-
come one of the most valuable collections of its size in the United
States, and that this result has been attained in such a few years is
largely owing to Mr. Beckwith's loving and persistent attention given
during the years of his membership in the board without stint. He
carried its interests on his mind and heart continually, and even dur-
ing the period when he was not a member he gave thought and at-
tention as unreservedly as when he was oflBcially connected with it.
The books of the Secretary of State show that Mr. Beokwith was
appointed a member of the board of trustees of the Illinois State
Historical library by Governor Fifer on Oct. 24, 1889, and was com-
missioned the following day, Oct. 25, 1889. The library was organ-
ized a month later, Nov. 25, 1889. Mr. Beckwith was appointed
again, his term having expired, by Governor Fifer, on July 31, 1891.
He served until Sept. 9, 1893. He was subsequently reappointed by
Governor Tanner, May 11, 1897, and served until his decease, Deo .
22, 1903.
One of the last pieces of work which he accomplished was the
preparation of a volume published by the Illinois State Historical
Library board as "Volume I of Illinois Historical Collections " He
took great pride in this work and devoted the last months of his life
to its preparation. It was only the beginning of service which he
hoped to render to this board and to the community in the line of
historic research and investigation, His name will certainly be cher-
ished by all lovers of local and State history, and, as the State His-
torical society becomes more influential, his name and fame will
spread as one of those to whom the origin and first work of this so-
cieties owe more than to any other single man.
27
ANNUAL ADDRESS.
PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS OF SOME OF THE EMI-
NENT STATESMEN AND LAWYERS OF ILLINOIS.
[Hon. Charles P. Johnson. A. M., St. Louis.]
Mr. President, Ladies and G-entlemen — Historically speaking,
St. Clair county occupies the most prominent position of any of the
territorial subdivisions of the State of Illinois, Within its original
boundary lines were the two ancient settlements of Kaskaskia and
Cahokia. There has been some contention among antiquarian in-
vestigators as to which of these places had precedence in settlement.
The difference, however, involves either way but one or two years.
Their relative historical importance is about the same. The later
subdivision of the county placed Kaskaskia in Randolph county It
can be truthfully averred, however, without question, that the county,
as originally constituted, was the birth place or cradle of civilization
in the valley of the Mississippi. And, further, it can be authorita-
tively claimed that after the division referred to, the county, as now
constituted, became the centre of intellectual activity and was assoc-
iated for years with more of historical interest than any other county
in the State, In 1814 the county seat was removed from Cahokia to
Belleville, and thenceforth the annals of that place became more
intimately associated with the history of the State than either Kas-
kaskia or Cahokia. It was my good fortune not only to be born in
St. Clair county but to be born on the 18th of January, 1836. That
year is very generally referred to as marking a new era in the career
of Illinois, About that time old ideas, customs and methods were
passing away and new ones were taking their places. The people
were beginning to realize and appreciate the magnificent opportuni-
ties of their possession and location. A foreshadowing of the glori-
ous destiny of their State, the proud and advanced position she now
occupies in the republic, stirred their imagination, inspired their
patriotic zeal and aroused their energy. Their efforts were guided
by able and ambitious leaders with broad views and prophetic
visions, who added the stimulus of agitation to the new born spirit
of progress. The real birth of the internal improvement system
dates from this period. And notwithstanding the many foolish and
reckless phases involved in the efforts to carry it into operation on
the immense scale projected, it had its decided beneficial effects.
From out those efforts was generated that energizing force which has
28
brought to perfection the splendid system of railroads in the State,
as well as the improvements in canal and river transportation. At
the Internal Improvement convention of that year recommendations
were made which were incorporated into a bill by the succeeding
session of the general assembly, and became a law by which the
sum of $10,200,000, was appropriated for the construction of rail-
roads and improving the navigation of certain rivers. At the same
session this body provided for another loan of $500,000, to be expend-
ed on the Michigan and Illinois canal. Stephen A, Douglas was the
foremost champion of the cause. They wrestled with the State bank
question, increasing the stock of the State bank to $2,000,000, and
that of the Shawneetown Branch bank to $1,400,000. They also pas-
sed the bill providing for the removal of the Capital of the State
from Vandalia, a name closely associated with the events of the
State and Territory. Other important enactments were made by the
assembly, but these are enough to tell of the active spirit abroad in
the land. And, as might be expected, the questions involved in their
work produced a wide spread and healthy agitation among the peo-
ple throughout the State. I have not the time in this incidental
reference to note further the importance of this year as an epoch in
the State, but to the interested investigator who traces the lines of
progress and development from their origin onward, it will be a
source of surprise and instruction to learn of the rapid growth and
expansion in every department of united human effort. And it is
eminently proper on this occasion and a sonroe of pride to refer to the
numerious illustrious men in the General Assembly elected 1836.
As accurate and reliable an authority as your worthy president has
said on this point:
"The legislature, elected in August, 1836, including some of the
holdover senators, was, for mental strength and ability of its mem-
bers, the most remarkable of any yet chosen in Illinois. No pre-
vious general assembly of our State, and very few since, has com-
prised such an array of brainy, talented men, or as many who sub-
sequently gained such conspicuous eminence in the annals of the
State and Nation.
In the Senate were Orville H. Browning, Cyrus Gratewood, John
Gr. Hacker, Robert K. McLaughlin, Henry I. Mills, Wm. Thomas,
John D. Whiteside and John D. Wood. In the House, Edward D.
Baker, John Hogan, Milton Carpenter, Newton Cloud, Richard N.
Cullom, John Dement, John Dougherty, Stephen A. Douglas, Jesse
K. Dubois, Ninian W. Edwards, Wm. L. D. Ewing, Augustus C.
French, John J. Hardin, Abraham Lincoln, Usher F. Linder, John
A. Logan, John A. McClernand, James Semple, John Moore, William
A. Richardson, James H. Ralston, Robert Smith. In the list is
found one President of the United States; six who have occupied
seats in the United States senate; eight congressmen; three gover-
nors, three lieutenant governors, two attorney generals, five State
treasurers; two State auditors; one superintendent of schools and
several judges."
In addition, Joseph Duncan was Governor and Adam W. Snyder
represented the St. Clair county district in Congress. In view of the
foregoing, it was in many respects fortunate to be born in 1836.
29
In reviewing the lives of the prominent men, and the associated
conduct of the people of the earlier days in Illinois, there is one
prominent fact that arrests the attention, and that is the almost uni-
versal passion for politics and public life. Whether it came from
the wave of patriotic zeal that swept from out the revolutionary con-
flict with its mighty questions of human liberty, or that the spheres
of intellectual activity were more circumscribed, nevertheless it is,
a fact that everybody seemed possessed with the idea that upon his
individual political action depended the permanency of our new born
institutions. No sooner did a man become a licensed lawyer or at-
tain any kind of popularity among the people, then forthwith he
aspired to run for some oflfice. People had plenty of spare time to
talk politics, and they delighted to hear speeches and listen to
the amusing stories told by rival candidates or attorneys traveling
on the circuit. Newspapers were few in number, and reading a
spiritless method of communication. Individuality counted for much
more than at present. Take Lincoln and Douglas, for instance, as a
fair illustration of the then social conditions in respect to the time
whereof I speak. In Tarbell's life we read: "Although he was but
22 years of age in February, 1832, had never been at school a year in
his life, had never made a speech except in debating clubs and by
the roadside, had read only the books he could pick up, and known
only to the men who made up the poor, out of the way towns in
which he had lived, encouraged by his great popularity among his
immediate neighbors, as he says himself he decided to announce
himself in March, 1882, as a candidate for the General Assembly of
the State. His claims for support were found in his belief in "the
public utility of internal improvements," a question on which there
was more nerve vitality expended by Illinoisans than any other, un-
less it be the preservation of the Union."
As to Douglas: Politics and public life was the be all and end all
of his existence. Refering to these characteristics, I remember set-
ting up as a printer the following from the Providence Journal in
1853. About that time a report was circulated in the press that
Douglas had espoused the Catholic faith: "The pope will do well
to keep and eye on our friend from Illinois. If he has really embrac-
ed the faith of Rome, he will be for making St. Peter's chair elective
once in four years and will present himself as a candidate for the
next succession," And we all know how the illustrious Grovernor
Reynolds was always "in the hands of his friends" and "willing to
serve the people" in any office, and there were few of them to which
he did not aspire. These prevalent characteristics and customs made
the court house a centre of amusement and instruction. However
humble and unprepossessing in its appearance, it was to interested
citizens a forum as sacred and inspiring as that of Ancient Rome,
clothed with all the splendors of architectural strength and beauty.
Especially prominent among my earliest recollections of Belleville
is the old court house. Is was a solidly built brick building square
in form, and, for those dajs, of reasonably large dimensions, It
30
stood on the north line of the main street, near the centre of the
public square, and faced south. On entering a wide front door, there
stood on either side to the east and west, stairs leading to the upper
floor where the more important county officials had their offices.
Passing over a narrow vestibule and through a partitioned door, one
stood facing the raised seat of the Judge of the court. It was placed
in the centre and against the north wall of the building, and immedi-
ately above was painted, in rather an artistic style, the famous coat of
arms of the State of Illinois. In front of the judge's seat were arranged
chairs and tables for the use of attorneys; the space allotted being
closed by a strong wooden railing. On either side of the room were
benches for the use of the general public.and on both sides of the judge's
stand were seats reserved for the use of jurors. Immediately within the
railing, partialy to the north, was a box-like desk, wherein, on a raised
pedestal, sat what appeared to my youthful imagination the most
august person in the governmental organization — the sheriff of the
county I regret to say that this building was torn down some years
ago and has disappeared forever; a more stately and convenient one
has been erected for the uses to which it was applied in another part
of the public square. But I doubt whether the new edifice will ever
attain the same relative importance in the history of Illinois.
In addition to the old court house being among my earliest recol-
lections, I must say that, by reason of my personal associations with
its precincts — for I was christened therein by an itinerant minister
of the Presbyterian faith at a time when the congregation was too
poor to have a church, and the illustrious men who I heard in the
forensic and political contests, to a period that marked the dawn of
my manhood — it is to me one of the dearest and most revered spots
on earth. In looking back over the period to which I refer, it strikes
me as remarkable when I consider the large number of men more or
less prominent in the history of the State and nation who have graced
with their presence this old building. Of the local bar I recall as
having heard speak on various occasions Lyman and George Trum-
bull, Grustavus Koerner, James Shields, William H. Bissell, John
Reynolds, Jehu Baker, William H. Snyder, Philip B. Fouke, J. L.
D. Morrison, Nathaniel Niles and William H. and Joseph B. Under-
wood and J. B Hay; of the circuit, Sidney BreesB, Joseph Gillespie.
Wm. R. Morrison. Outside of that, Stephen A Douglas, Richard
M. Johnson, Edward Bates, A. P. Field, Usher F. Linder, Richard
Yates, Uriel Wright, T. G. 0. Davis and R. F. Wingate.
Shortly antecedent to the date of my earliest recollections, three
illustrious citizens of the town had passed away — ex-Governar Ninian
Edwards, Congressman Adam W. Snyder and Lieutenant Governor
Kinney.
SIDNEY BREESE.
Though a mere boy, the first time I saw Judge Sidney Breese the
impression made was lasting. My mind was more than ordinarily
receptive, because of my hearing his name so frequently mentioned
in my home life. Judge Breese emigrated from New York and lo-
cated in Kaskaskia in 1818 — the year of the State's birth. At that
31
time my grandparents and mother were residents of that celebrated
town, and the friendly family relations may be surmised from an ac-
count of a Fourth of July celebration, as described in the Kaskaskia
"Advocate" given in 1823, which was presided over by my grand-
father, General Philip Fouke. On that occasion, the report says,
Sidney Breese, Esquire, ofiPered as a toast, "Ourselves: we paddle our
own canoe, chew our own tobacco and make our own cigars." Per-
haps if the occasion had been less public, he would have added
"make and drink our own whisky," for, according to certain data of
those times there was some indulgence in that beverage There is
in the record of this event a smack of youthful exuberance not alto-
gether in keeping with the after modes of thought and expression of
the illustrious statesman and jurist. From the relation of events
connected with his early career, I already looked upon him in the light
of a hero worshipper. I met him afterwards as a judge upon both
the circuit and supreme court benches, as chairman of the commit-
tee on resolutions in a noted convention, and heard him in public
speeches; and, after entering the profession of the law in another
state, took especial pleasure in reading his opinions as published in
the Illinois Reports. The last interview I had with him was at the
Planters house in St. Louis a year or so before his death. The life
of Judge Breese from the time of his settlement in Kaskaskia covers
the most important period in the history of Illinois, and, in many
respects, the most important in the history of the United States.
For 60 years he looked upon a panorama of most marvelous events,
The title to the Louisiana purchase was but 15 years old, and he saw
nearly all of that magnificent, undeveloped expanse subdivided into
states and populated with teeming millions of people. He noted the
declining power of Spain in the cession of Florida. He read the de-
bates on the Missouri compromise in 1820, and doubtless was stirred,
as others were, by the fierce passions they aroused. He saw the in-
dependence of the South American republics acknowledged. Within
that time came the birth of the Monroe doctrine, the visit of the
illustrious LaFayette, whom he met at Kaskaskia, the death of Adams
and Jefferson, the destruction of the national bank, the throttling of
nullification and the appropriation by congress of $30,000 to erect
wires from Washington to Baltimore to test the practicability of the
Morse telegraph. By the way. Professor Morse was a relation of
Judge Breese The Indians still warred with the pale faces, and he
was one of the army who fought in the Black Hawk war and drove
that terror of the early settlers across the Mississippi river. Within
his time there came the Mexican war, with its reeord of brave and
heroic deeds, and in which the sons of Illinois performed their share
so nobly. Then came the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska bill,
championed by Judge Douglas, Judge Breese's associate in the
Senate of the United States; the election of Lincoln, the war for the
Union, the glorious emancipation proclamation, Vicksburg, Gettys-
burg, Chickamauga, the Wilderness, the march to the sea, Appomattox,
the thirteenth amendment, the death of Lincoln, the nation's mourn-
ing, the struggles of reconstruction, the development of the fraternal
spirit, the unity of the nation.
32
There never was a greater or grander drama presented to human
vision than that witnessed by your illustrious countryman. But what
is notable in the career of Judge Breese is the fact that he was in pub-
lie life almost the whole of that time. He was an indefatigable worker,
well educated and ambitious, though he seems to have been timid in
the use of his powers as an advocate or speaker. He tells, himself, of
his imagined failure in a trial in Jackson county before a jury in a
case shortly after he commenced the practice of his profession. He
was not aware at that time that such a feeling was the accompani-
ment in almost every case of successful advocacy. But he possessed
a will power to overcome such feeling, and his abilities were soon
being utilized on public occasions to perform such duties as his en-
dowments warranted. For instance, we find him on the occasion of
LaFayette's visit to Kaekaskia, April 13, 1825, at the banquet given
in his honor at the public hotel, again proposing a toast: "Our illus-
trious guest; in the many and trying situations in which he has been
placed, we see him the same consistent friend of liberty and man."
A very apt sentiment and felicitously expressed, for, surely, LaFay-
ette had been placed in many trying situations since he had last been
in America. In 1820 he was acting as Assistant Secretary of State.
Thereafter postmaster, and in 1822, succeeded by appointment John
Reynolds as circuit attorney of the Third judicial circuit. He also
was for a time under Adams, United States district attorney. Indica-
tive of his early industry and inclination of mind at that time, in
1881, he published the first volume issued of the reports of the su-
preme court decisions It contained the judicial opinions rendered
from the organization of the court to 1831. This was the first book
published in Illinois. From a statement made to me some years ago,
the author must have had some knowledge of the printer's business,
for it contained the information that he helped at the case in the
preparation for the publication of this volume. These were all im-
portant and responsible positions, and he filled each with ability and
honor.
During the interval between his leaving the position of United
States district attorney and becoming judge of the circuit court in
1835, he practiced his profession and served, as before stated, as a
soldier in the Black Hawk war. After his election in 1835 he re-
moved from Kaskaskia and made his home near Carlyle. In 1841
he was elected to the supreme bench, one of his colleagues being the
distinguished commoner, Stephen A. Douglas. His occupancy of
this position was short-lived. His popularity had rapidly grown;
his eminent capacity was widely recognized, and in 1842, he was
elected United States senator. It would be impossible, in the brief
time allotted to me, to relate in detail his career in the Senate of the
United States. SuflSce it to say, it was a distinguished one, During
his term of service that body contained as large a number of great
debaters and able statesmen as did the parliament of England in the
palmy days of Burke, Fox, Pitt, Sheridan and their associates.
Great questions were presented for solution and adjustment. The
Mexican war was prosecuted, the annexation of Texas was accom-
33
plished, the boundary of the Oregon line settled, a railroad projected
to the Pacific marked out, and its feasibility established, and the
grant to the Illinois Central railroad virtually assured. During this
time Clay was defeated by Polk, and the war swept Taylor into the
presidential chair.
In reading the records of those years it is a source of satisfaction
to the Illinoisans to know that in many respects he proved to be the
equal of the great men with whom he was associated. Five years
after his election, in 1847, Stephen A. Douglas became his colleague,
and, notwithstanding his marvelous powers as a debater, his accurate
knowledge of the politics of the country, his matchless gifts as a
leader, in some respects he was not the equal of Judge Breese. The
latter was at least his superior in legal attainments, in scholarship, in
strength and felicity of expression and a capacity for thorough and
exhaustive study. It was a serious loss to the State when he retired
from the senate; for, notwithstanding his unrivalled career on the
supreme bench as giving him a lasting fame as a jurist, a continuous
senatorial term during one of the most critical eras of our country's
history would doubtless have placed him among the most illustrious
and patriotic statesmen of the land. To the illustrious senator from
Missouri Mr. Benton, is usually given, by those not conversant with
the facts, the honor of projecting the idea of the Pacific railroad. It
is an undoubted fact that Judge Breese, when senator, gave the first
real impetus to that mighty enterprise and elaborated the feasibility
of the undertaking. His report on the question from the committee
on public lands, of which he was chairman, is a document of invalu-
able historical importance and its strength illustrative of his intel-
lectual characteristics. That report described the route ultimately
taken in the construction of the road. To make this plan com-
prehensible the report was accompanied by a map of accurate geo-
graphical and route delineations. This was not published with the
report and was omitted, strange to say, by the action of Senator Ben-
ton. History will, with unerring precision, record honor to whom the
honor is due for the projection of this great national work, and its as-
signment will be to Judge Breese. He retired from the senate March,
1849, Gren. James Shields being his successful competitor. After
leaving the senate he returned to the practice of his profession.
Pressed by his friends to be a candidate for the house of representa-
tives, he was elected and presided as speaker of that body in 1851-
1852. In 1858 he was urged to accept the nomination for judge of
the supreme court, but declined. It was during this year that a
movement was made to induce Gov. Joel A. Matteson to call an extra
session of the general assembly, more especially to further certain
railroad projects, notably the Belleville & Murphysboro railroad.
Judge Breese took a prominent part in the furtherance of this plan.
After an extensive discussion among the various counties of south-
ern Illinois, the movement culminated in a convention which met at
Salem on the 25th of November, 1853. Zadoc Casey was selected as
— 3H.
34
chairman and the usual number of men of prominence as vice presi-
dents. Judge Breese was assigned to the chairmanship of a desig-
nated committee to draft and report an address and resolutions ex-
pressive of the objects of the meeting. He had already prepared the
address and resolutions, and, as might be expected, they were both
able, instructive and conclusive.
"The object of this convention being to confirm the executive in
the necessity and expediency of an extra session of the general as-
sembly, it may be expected that some reasons for this measure should
be set forth."
Thus read the opening of the address. It then set forth, at length,
the various reasons why a called session should be had, and sustained
them with elaborate arguments. But the principal object in the
movement is shown in the following:
"The special acts and the general law, so called, for railroad incor-
poration, demand action that would alone justify an extra session.
Restriction upon the accomplishment of useful enterprise might be
removed by an act of ten lines opening the way for the immediate
construction of works that would bring in capital from abroad and
enhance the value of real estate to the amount of many millions.
Such as are now restrained by the want of these legislative facilities,
if permitted to go on would afford an increased revenue to the State
of more than $100,000. Yet, there is no reason to fear that at the
proposed extra session a liberal and just policy on the subjects of
railroads will not prevail and time and opportunity be afforded the
legislative body to carry into effect the recommendations of the Gov-
ernor as indicated in his just and admired inaugural message."
In this inaugural the Governor had referred to the beneficent ef-
fects of railroads in developing the State, and presented decided
opinions in favor of giving every facility to works of internal im-
provement, I was present in this convention as a delegate from
Randolph county, where I was publishing a newspaper. The speech
of Judge Breese in support of the report was very elaborate, in-
structive and comprehensive. The subject to him was a favored one.
I had heard him before, but noted more particularly on this occasion
his style and manner. He was below the medium height, was stoutly
built, with broad shoulders and full chest. An inclination to corpu-
lency gave his head, which was large and well shaped, the appear-
ance of being slightly thrown backward. His hair was black and
worn short; his face clean shaven; his complexion dark; his features
were large and apparently regular, but their effect marred by his be-
ing near sighted and having to wear spectacles. His voice was by
no means strong, nor did it vary much in intonation. His gesticula-
tion was limited and moved along straight lines. His bearing was
especially courtly and dignified. He spoke with fluency, was at times
rhetorical and, though not impassioned, he was persuasive, argumen-
tative, logical and forcible.
35
John A. Logan, a delegate from Jackson county, followed Judge
Breese in seconding the motion of the adoption of the report. He
was at that time about 26 or 27 years of age, but had already made
some reputation in the lower house of the legislature. He
He was an ardent supporter of Stephen A. Douglas. He
was full of fire and action, spoke in a continuously loud voice
and was profuse and vehement in gesticulation. He pleased
his hearers, for he was loudly applauded I heard him on several oc-
casions in after years, when in the zenith of a well merited national
reputation, and I was forcibly impressed by his improvement as a
public speaker. Study and practice made him a very attractive
speaker — impassioned and, at times, eloquent. One trait of the ora-
tor, action, that was noticeable in the first speech I heard, was still
with him in his maturity. Especially as a soldier, Illinois can well
be proud of John A. Logan, for he was unquestionably the ablest
civilian general who fought in the war for the Union.
William H. Snyder also addressed the convention. I had heard
him previously in the old court house. He was a son of one of the
best and ablest men connected with the earlier history of the State —
a man whose pathetic and untimely death prevented him from taking
his seat in the gubernatorial chair when it was virtually within his
reach. I refer to A. W. Snyder.
Young Snyder, for some years, took an active part in politics. He
was a member of the legislature, of the constitutional convention of
1870, and was elected to the circuit bench and remained there for a
number of years. He was a man of very decided talents, of scholarly
attainments; a great reader of the best literature and deeply versed
in history, both ancient and modern. He was possessed of a fine
presence, was tall, strong and straight, and graceful in deportment.
His face was full and expressive, his head large, and he wore his black
hair long. He was an effective speaker, rather rapid in declamation
and quick in gesticulation. Though genial and affable in disposition,
he did not like the coarser associations of politics. He was a good
lawyer, an able and conscientious judge.
The Salem convention proved to be of some importance to the
State. The address and resolutions were formally presented to Grov-
ernor Matteson by a large committee selected from the delegates, and
eventuated in the calling of an extra session, which met at the capi-
tal on the 9th day of February, 1854. A large number of the sug-
gestions for legislation, as urged by Judge Breese in his report, were
considered and passed into laws. The declination of Judge Breese
to become a candidate for the Supreme Court in 1853, and his subse-
quent speech in Chicago in answer to Senator Douglas' effort in de-
fense of his course in urging the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska
bill, convinces me that he still entertained hopes of returning to the
senate of the United States. Though naturally gifted with mental
powers that would enable him to become a distinguished jurist, his
ambition was to take part in the more active fields of politics. Added
to this, he evidently entertained some feeling of resentment as well
86
as a sense of humiliation that he had been defeated in his aspirations
at so important a period in the history of the country by one so far
his inferior in all the qualities of learning and statesmanship. His
ambition for official position and the opportunity presented finally
directed his future along that course he was so well endowed to fol-
low; and, in the year 1857, he was elected to the Supreme Bench. He
was re-elected in 1861 and in 1870. He occupied the position nearly
20 years, sitting by rotation twice as a chief justice. From the time
of his taking his seat in this exalted position to the time of his death,
his public career is written and recorded in the volumes of the Illi-
nois reports, and it is a career replete in the achievements of a great
and illustrious jurist. Sixty-seven volumes contain the inscription
of his judicial opinions, and their enumeration reaches 1900. Therein
is contained the ablest disquisitions upon every department of the
law. Therein is raised a monument of immortality as lasting as
Time's records shall run. I said that I met him, not long before his
death, at the Planters' House in St. Louis. Time had greatly changed
him in appearance. He was still apparently healthy and vigorous.
His hair was white and very long, as was also his beard. It gave him
a reverend look. His mental powers were as strong as ever. He al-
ways was a rare conversationalist. He delighted to talk on congenial
subjects. On this occasion he referred to his early experiences in
Kaskaskia; to the newspapers published there and the stirring events
of the Indian wars; his removal of the records of the office of Secretary
of State to Vandalia in 1820 in a small wagon, at a cost of $25, and its
taking a week to perform the feat; of the divers characteristics of the
people and the development from primitive to modern ideas, customs,
habits and conditions . Kaskaskia, when he settled there, was com-
paratively an alien settlement. The impression of the earliest settlers
was still paramount; the antique and the modern commingled but
were not united. Judge Breese died suddenly in 1878.
Capt. James Shields.
When James Shields came to Kaskaskia he was quite a young
man and was seeking a location to make his fortune. He was lucky
in the selection of a place. His first occupation was teaching school —
a labor that, according to my experience and observation, was what
every aspiring young man of education, and some without, under-
took to perform. It was either the forerunner or accompaniment to
the study of law. In his case it was both, and in 1882 we find him
entering upon the practice of law. He had left Ireland in 1826 when
but 16 years old. He was every inch an Irishman then and he re-
mained so all his life. He was a young man of fine appearance; a
little above the medium height, strong and well-proportioned, with
black hair and dark, piercing eyes. He wore a mustache; possessed
a military bearing; was gracious and affable in his manner, and by
no means timid, and, though somewhat rash and hot-headed, he was
brave and courageous. These latter qualities in those days were pass-
ports to success. They neutralized in his case an overweening vanity
and excessive egotism. His surroundings, experience and the associa-
37
tion of great and ambition men, made him a good politician. As
others of his profession, he soon sought public office. He ran for
and was elected to the Legislature in 1836; became State Auditor in
1839, and Judge of the Supreme Court in 1843. He did not remain
here long, and it is a reasonable presumption that the position was
not altogether congenial to his tastes and inclinations, It was while
Auditor of the State that he became angered at Mr. Lincoln, the
prominent Whig leader, for writing and publishing, in a Springfield
journal, articles of ridicule referring to certain of his vulnerable char-
acteristics and for which he was forthwith challenged to mortal con-
flict. There is something amusing in Abraham Lincoln fighting a
duel, but those were fighting days, and Mr. Lincoln had to recognize
the right of challenge. His fine sense of humor, however, came to
his rescue and gave to his friends an opportunity to extricate him
from the impending danger. Mr. Lincoln being the challenged
party had the right to name the weapon, and he drew up the prelimi-
naries. The first clause read:
"Cavalry broadswords of the largest size, precisely equal in all
respects, and as now used by the cavalry company at Jacksonville."
Then as to the position he wrote:
"A plank 10 feet long and from 9 to 12 feet broad, to be firmly fixed
on edge in the ground as a dividing line between us, which neither is to
pass his foot over or forfeit his life. Next, a line drawn on the ground
on either side of said plank, and parallel with it; each at the distance
of the whole length of the sword, and three feet additional from the
plank, and the passing over such line by either party during the
fight shall be deemed a surrender of the contest."
Mr. Lincoln's experience as a rail splitter gave him a decided ad-
vantage in the proposed duel. To what extent the prescribed condi-
tions worked in causing an adjustment will never be known. But,
suffice to say, the friends of the parties brought about an amicable
adjustment, and both of the interested ones lived to fight another
day.
In 1845 Mr. Shields was appointed Commissioner General of the
Land Office. It was while occupying this office that the Mexican war
broke out. That memorable conflict was precipitated by the annex-
ation of Texas in March, 1845. The Republic of Mexico had for-
merly owned that state and still claimed jurisdiction over it. The
conduct of our government was looked upon as unfriendly, and a
bitter feeling became manifest upon the part of the Mexican govern-
ment, This was increased by President Polk's order for an army of
4,000 troops to take a station on the Rio Grande. This was in March,
1846, and the command was given to Gen. Zach. Taylor. On April 24,
1846, 60 dragoons from this force on an observation tour were at-
tacked by a large force of Mexican soldiers and forced to surrender
after a loss of 16 killed. This precipitated hostilities. Three days
after, Congress declared war and authorized the President to accept
the services of 50,000 voluateers. The sum of $10,000,000 was ap-
propriated to support the declaration. The war spirit spread with
38
amazing rapidity throughout the entire west. The recruiting com-
menoed immediately. In every town and city the national flag was
unfurled and recruiting officers marched through the streets to the
music of the fife and drum In the old town of Belleville, patriot-
ism rose to fever heat. Even the boys organized miniature compa-
nies and marched with paper hats and wooden guns and swords. I
remember being so far affected as to join one of such companies as a
private and the captain of this company was no other than Gen.
Wesley Merritt, lately retired from the army after a most honorable
and illustrious career in the service of his country. The quota of
enlistment assigned to Illinois was three regiments of infantry for
12 month's service. Within ten days 35 companies reported for ser-
vice and as many more were making application for enrollment,
President Polk appointed James Shields brigadier general of volun-
teers, and the orders were for the troops to rendezvous at Alton. There
they were mustered in for service. Col. Edward D. Baker, one of
Illinois' most distinguished citizens (for I think she can claim him),
was authorized to raise an additional regiment. The Illinois con-
tingent arrived in Mexico early in August The first and second
regiments were commanded by Cols. John J. Hardin and William
H. Bissell, and were attached to the army of the centre under Gen.
Zaoh. Taylor. To General Shields' brigade were assigned a third
and fourth regiment, commanded by Colonels Foreman and Baker.
The bravery and discipline of both these regiments in the battle of
Cerro- Gordo was such as to call forth universal praise, and com-
mendation. The major general in command in his report says:
"The attention of the general in charge is particularly called to
the gallantry of Brigadier Generals Pillow and Shields, who were
both wounded at the head of their respective brigades."
The battle of Cerro-Gordo was fought under the generalship of
General Scott April 18, 1847. The wound of General Shields was a
severe one. The first report came that it was mortal. He recovered,
however, soon enough to be in the assault at Chapultepec, where he
was again wounded. The accounts received at home of the gallantry
and misfortune of General Shields raised him in the estimation of
the people to a high pinnacle of glory. His praises were heralded
on all sides and his popularity throughout the State increased im-
mensely. So it has ever been with the people of this and all other
countries. Military glory arouses an exalted admiration to heights
which no achievements in the paths of peace can attain. It carried
General Taylor into the presidential chair, made a presidential can-
didate of General Scott and sent General Shields to the Senate of
the United States After recovering from his wounds he returned
to his home at Belleville. He had formed a partnership in that
place with Adam W. Snyder and Gustavus Koerner in June, 1837,
which had to be dissolved because of his official duties requiring
his residence in Springfield. When he left that office he had
again taken up his residence in Belleville. The occasion of his re-
turn from Mexico was marked by many evidences of public respect
39
and rejoicing. He was tendered a public reception and addressed a
large concourse of people in the old court house. I was present and
heard his speech. Carried away by the general enthusiasm, Hooked
upon him as every inch a hero. The halo of human glory, stronger
in the youthful than in the matured imagination, encircled his brow.
His address was instructive and entertaining. He gave an account
of the causes which led to the war and defended the action of the
party to which he belonged. He animadverted upon the course of
certain members of the Whig party who had opposed the war from
the start. He gave a graphic description of the movements of the
troops in his command and the battles in which they and he were
engaged, He described very minutely the attack on the battery at
Cerro-Gordo where he was wounded, and pointed out on his body
where the wound was made. He also extolled very highly the endur-
ance, bravery and daring of the officers and soldiers of his command.
The occasion was notable; the speech a popular one, and the audi-
ence vibrated with responsive sympathy. In truth, it was an occasion
worthy of a great oration, but he did not make it. His bearing was
gallant and soldierly; his voice well modulated; his gestures not un-
graceful, but there was a lack of that magnetism which is the chief
power of oratory. His individuality was continually projected
throughout the whole of his discourse and his vanity impaired its
effect. However, the subject was of such a character as to cover all
blemishes, and he met with continuous applause. The ovation was
highly complimentary, and his reception by the warm hearted people
of St. Clair county of such a character as that he might well be
proud. Not long after this, President Polk, as a recognition of his
eminent services to the country, gave him the appointment of gov-
ernor of Oregon. He retained the position, however, but a short
time. He recognized his opportunities and aspired to far higher
honors, and in 1847 he received at the hands of the Legislature of
Illinois the election to the proud position of Senator of the United
States
As before stated, he succeeded Judge Sidney Breese. He retained
this position for one term of six years. His record as a senator was
in no sense as distinguished as his predecessor, and, besides this, he
was almost totally eclipsed by the splendid ability and increasing rep-
utation of his colleague. Senator Douglas, He voted consistently with
the pro-slavery party, and took an occasional part in the debates, and
devoted most of his time to the work referred to the military com-
mittee of which he was chairman.
In 1853 I met him when on a visit to Sparta, in Randolph county.
As a conversationalist he was interesting. I remember on that occa-
sion he took especial pains to extol the Czar Nicholas of Russia as
one of the greatest statesmen of Europe. The Czar was then engaged
in the war against the allies and the siege of Sebastapol and its out-
come had not yet been reached.
After the expiration of his term of service he returned to Belle-
ville, but soon thereafter left and located in Minnesota, Grood for-
40
tune politically attended him here in one respect. The first legisla-
ture of the state elected him as one of the United States senators,
but, iu drawing lots with his colleague for the long or short term, he
drew the short term, so his senatorial career was limited to two years.
He was not re-elected and he then went to California. When the
Civil war broke out, his old opponent, President Lincoln, appointed
him brigadier general of volunteers This was in August, 1861. He
served with some distinction in the valley of the Shenandoah, and
was severely wounded in the battle of Kernstown, He resigned his
position in March, 1863, and then became a citizen of Carrollton,
Mo. He opened an office for the practice of the law. His passion
for politics, however, never forsook him. During the candidacy of
R. Graham Frost for a seat in the 46th and 47th Congress he was
brought to St. Louis to tire the Irish heart in favor of the Dem-
ocratic cause, The district contained a large Irish vote, and it would
seem that he succeeded, for Mr. Frost was elected both times in a
closely divided district. In 1874 he was elected to the legislature of
Missouri, By virtue of my office as lieutenant governor I was pre-
siding officer of the joint session on the occasion of the inaugural
ceremonies of the newly elected Governor Hardin. General Shields
was a member of the house. I had not seen him since my meeting
with him in Sparta in 1853. After the adjournment he approached
and spoke to me Time had greatly changed him in every respect
except in his military baaring and the brilliancy of his eyes. Strange
to say, the first sentence he spoke was in reference to Kaskaskia:
"And is this the son of Eivira (meaning my mother) whom I knew as
a girl in Kaskaskia?" His conversation continued reminiscent and
was highly interesting to me.
Lewis V. Bogy, United States senator from Missouri, died Sept-
20, 1877. David R Armstrong was appointed to fill the vacancy un-
til the meeting of the legislature. When that body convened, an
election for the short term was to occur. R. Graham Frost and his
friends, anxious to repay General Shields for his assistance in the
congressional campaigns in St. Louis, visited JefiPerson City and
urged the election of General Shields to fill the short term, and,
surely, it was a short term. They were successful, and he was elected
and bore the name of United States senator from Missouri just 34
days from Jan. 21 , 1879, to March 4, 1879. He died at Ottumwa, Iowa,
June 1, 1879. What a strange, romantic and eventful career had this
wanderer from Ireland, for, surely, he was a wanderer! There was
a vein of the nomadic in him— a senator from three states, gov-
ernor from another, and dying in another. A few centuries earlier
he would have been a voyager into new and unknown regions or a
warrior fighting wherever his gallantry and adventurous spirit sug-
gested, He was neither a great statesman, orator or jurist, but he
possessed high military abilities, coupled with a knightly dash and
bravery that specially endeared him to the hearts of the people of
Illinois.
41
Col. a. p. Field.
Considering the number of eminent lawj'ers living in Belleville
and the judicial circuit in which it was located, it is not surprising
that it should occasionally have been the arena for notable trials and
great forensic contests. I have very distinct recollections of several,
but one in particular lodged in my memory and made a lasting impres-
sion. In fact, the incidents connected with it had a very material
bearing upon my future life. It was a murder case brought by
change of venue from Madison county. A man by name Duncan,
of an unsavory reputation, had located on a farm in that county and
his residence was supposed to be a rendezvous for gamblers, horse
thieves, counterfeiters and desperadoes generally. The citizens of
the county warned him to leave, but, standing upon the order of his
going, he had delayed or refused to do so. Violent means to drive
him from his stronghold were resorted to, and, in the riotous demon-
stration, Duncan was killed, Several citizens were indicted for his
murder, and it was in this trial I heard, for the first and only time,
Col. A. P. Field. He was assisting the circuit attorney, Philip B.
Fouke. in the prosecution. The defendants were represented by
Lyman and George Trumbull, Joseph Gillespie, William H. Snyder
and some others. The array of lawyers on both sides was imposing.
A wide spread interest was manifested in the trial, and a great con-
course of people came in from the country and the adjoining towns,
and there were a number of representatives from St. Louis. The
excitement intensified as the trial proceeded, and a desire to hear the
arguments was apparent on all sides. On the day set apart for the
forensic display, the seats to the left of the judge's bench were as-
signed for occupancy to the ladies, and quite a number embellished
the proceedings with their presence. Gustavus Koerner presided as
judge at the trial. Lyman Trumbull made an able and exhaustive
argument during the morning session, only a part of which I could
hear. His style of oratory was such as not to be appreciated by one
as young as I. The afternoon session was to be given to hearing the
closing address for the prosecution by Col. A. P. Field. The court
room was packed almost to suffocation. I had played truant that
day, and during the noon recess, shortly before the meeting of court,
I clambered onto the sill of the north window in the court house and
the one looking down on the space between the judge's bench and
the seats in which the jury sat. I thought that the place would be
secure because I knew that the crowd surrounding the window would
keep me from falling out, and I would have a fine position to hear
every word that was spoken. The court commenced; the judge was
on the bench; the jury in their seats The struggle from the out
side to get in grew tumultuous, and, in some respects, overpowering.
One consequence therefrom was important to he who addresses you:
The pressure from the rear of the window pushed me^ from the sill
and landed me immediately in the space between the judge and the
jury. I was startled and frightened beyond measure. It looked to
me as if I was the centre of a million eyes, and I imagined that I
42
would ba subjeoted to imtnadiate ejeotment and perhaps condign
punishment. But oh! shade of the immortal and illustrious Koer-
ner. If it be that thy spirit wanders in any sphere of the universe,
let me now bow to it in grateful reverence and thankfulness for thy
kind consideration and merciful kindness. The judge saw my be-
wilderment and dilemma and beckoned to me, and, in an undertone,
told me to take a seat on the steps leading to the platform on which
he was seated. Stationed here, within not over eight or ten feet of
the speaker, I heard the whole of the speech of Col. A. P. Field,
Time has carried me many years since that event; I have heard
many of the greatest efforts of great advocates; yet there lingers in
my memory an impression that it was the finest forensic address I
ever heard. Colonel Field was over six feet tall, straight as an ar-
row, well proportioned, with dark hair and large but attractive
features. In bearing he was erect, courteous and dignified. On this
occasion he was appropriately dressed in dark clothes. He occupjed
over two hours in the delivery of his speech. He reviewed the tes-
timony in the case at length, and applied it with a remarkable skill
to the law involved. His descriptive powers were intensely dramatic.
He described the home of the deceased; called it his castle, across
whose threshold no one had a right to pass unless clothed with the
majesty of the law. Then he vividly pictured the attack made upon
the defenseless victim; the malice, rage and wanton spirit of those
engaged, with hearts regardless of social duty and fatally bent on
mischief. He poured forth a perfect torrent of invective against
those whom he described as cowardly murderers; and again melted
his hearers into sympathy by pathetically picturing the cries of the
dying victim. Throughout, his gestures were in keeping with his
address, exceedingly graceful and effective. His voice was well
modulated and flexible; his accentuation clear and distinct, and, in
his impassioned appeals, of marvelous compass and strength. I re-
member distinctly when describing the features of the murder he
repeated an apt quotation from Macbeth, and other parts of his
speech abounded in apt and beautiful, poetical allusions. As a mat-
ter of course, his address was listened to with the closest attention
and produced a profound effect. At its conclusion he was highly
congratulated by the members of the bar as well as others.
For years this trial with all its incidents was frequently recalled
in memory, and I wondered at times whether my youthful judgment
was correct. To satisfy myself on this point, I took occasion to ask
Judge Gillespie, with whom I was intimately acquainted up to the
time of his death, as to his opinion of Colonel Field's address on that
occasion. He told me I was correct in my estimate; that it was,
without doubt, one of the most powerful appeals he ever in his long
experience heard fall from the lips of an advocate.
The reason of my gratitude to Governor Koerner on the occasion
referred to above is because it gave me an opportunity to hear an
argument that confirmed my ambition to become a lawyer.
43
Col. A. P. Field was at one time quite prominent in Illinois poli-
tics. He was in the legislature as far back as 1822, and in the mo-
mentous contest of 1828-1824, acted with those who tried to establish
slavery in the State. Fortunately that attempt failed, and the incu-
bus of that institution never incumbered the State in its march to
greatness and renown. He served again in the legislature of 1826
and 1828, and was then appointed Secretary of State, which office he
retained until 1840. He received an appointment to a minor position
in Wisconsin territory in 1841, and thereafter, in 1847, located in St.
Louis where he resided at the time of the trial, the particulars of
which I have just related. From there he went to New Orleans,
and, notwithstanding his strong pro-slavery views, was a Union man.
After the war, during the Warmouth regime he filled the position of
Attorney General of Louisiana. He died in 1877. His splendid
opportunities were circumscribed and limited because of his dissipa-
ted habits and a consequent lack of moral rectitude and stability.
GUSTAVUS KOERNER.
Judge Gustavus Koerner, mentioned above as the presiding judge,
was both a patriot and hero in the old world, and when he trans-
planted those qualities to this country they simply grew and flourished
with ever increasing strength. He was an elegant gentleman,
courteous, dignified, scholarly and well versed in the law. He was
devotedly attached to his profession but took sufficient interest in
public affairs as to be assigned to several offices of importance and
responsibility. Besides being judge of the Supreme Court, in 1845,
he was elected Lieutenant Governor on the same ticket with Gov. Joel
A. Matteson in 1852, and accepted the appointment of minister to Spain
from Mr. Lincoln in 1862. After the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska
bill, he became a Republican and was an active and zealous sup-
porter of the Union cause.
It was my intention to speak at greater length on the life and
character of Gustavus Koerner, but I see upon the program an
announcement that a paper will be read upon that subject by one
who is in every way able to draw and present a just estimate of his
character.
Lyman Trumbull.
From a practicing lawyer in Belleville, Lyman Trumbull
advanced to fill some of the highest positions in the State and became
one of her most distinguished citizens. He was born in Connecticut
in 1818, and came from a family of historical renown in the annals
of the country. He had an academic education, and, like so many
other noted men, commenced life as a school teacher, and then en-
tered upon the practice of the law as a profession. He was elected
a representative to the 12th General Assembly, and also held the
position of Secretary of State, He then aspired to the position of
Governor, but failed to attain the nomination, and was defeated for
the nomination for Congress in 1846. In 1848 he was elected to the
Supreme Bench, but resigned in 1858. This was the year when the
44
fierce and impassioned discussion of the Kansas-Nebraska bill was
precipitated upon the country. No event in the political affairs of
the nation caused such a widespread agitation as the introduction of
this measure, and never was there one more far reaching and import-
ant in its results. Its final passage, in May, 1854, was fraught with
momentous consequences. It violently dissevered the Democratic
party; swept from existence the old Whig party; gave birth to the
Republican party and eventuated in the war for the Union and the
destruction of slavery. Judge Trumbull early took a decided position
in opposition to this measure, and became a candidate for Congress
in the Belleville district, thoroughly canvassed that district on that
issue and was elected. He went to Chicago and spoke in reply to
Judge Douglas at the time that distinguished statesman made his
speech in defense of his course in introducing and supporting that
bill. In the 19th Greneral Assembly, which met Jan. 1, 1855, Judge
Trumbull was elected to the United States Senate In the contest,
Abraham Lincoln was his chief competitor, and on the first ballot in
the joint session Lincoln received 45 votes and Trumbull but five.
The five supporters of Trumbull had agreed to stand together under
every circumstance, and their unwavering adherence to that pre-
determined course finally resulted in his triumph. It is easy to un-
derstand the stubborn adhesion of these five supporters of Trumbull
when we consider that John M, Palmer, so often honored by the
people of Illinois with the highest positions in their gift, headed the
voting coterie His Democratic opponent, as selected by the caucus
of that party, was Gen. James Shields. When we consider the pe-
culiar condition of the country at that period of time, no more ap-
propriate selection could have been made for this high position than
Lyman Trumbull. He was peculiarly adapted to enter the arena of
debate on the questions presented at that time in the United States
Senate, and for the succeeding years of his service. The whole coun-
try was already in a vast political ferment. The spirit of unreason-
ing partisanship was rapidly rising throughout the length and breadth
of the land. The fiery pro-slavery leaders of the South foresaw the
ultimate triumph of the Republican party and were already pouring
forth their impassioned eloquence in denunciation of the wrongs be-
ing heaped upon the people of the South by those they called the
fanatics of the North. It was a time to stem the tide that was rush-
ing on to a most calamitous war. It was an hour for caution, for
conservatism, for cool and dispassionate debate, backed by rectitude
of purpose and great intellectual capacity, extensive legal acquire-
ments and accurate political knowledge. Judge Trumbull possessed
these qualities in a high degree. He never was a popular man among
the people. He was rather distant and reserved in his intercourse
with his fellow-citizens. His successes were obtained mostly through
the adherence and support of strong men, who admired him for his
great intellectual qualifications and his honesty of purpose. In per-
sonal appearance he looked more like a preacher than a lawyer. He
was tall, spare made, light of complexion, with clear and expressive
features, clear in outline, always wore gold spectacles and was rather
condescending in his manner. He was not graceful, rather angular
45
in motion, and had a voice sharp and clear but not melodious. At
times he wore a cynical and sarcastic expression, in keeping with the
line of his remarks. He was not eloquent in the general acceptation
of the term, but, as a logical and argumentative debator, he was the
peer of any public man of his day. He had one decided advantage
over most of his adversaries, and that was his splendid abilities as a
constitutional lawyer. On questions involving constitutional con-
struction he was clear, precise and forcible, and was always listened
to with interest and a certain degree of deference by his senatorial
associates. I heard him frequently in other trials than the one I
have described, and also in the discussion of the Kansas-Nebraska
bill before his election to the Senate, and in after years heard him at
his greatest advantage in the debates in the Senate during the winter
of 1860-61 His surroundings at that time were indeed critical, and
the tenor and character of the discussions foretold the approach of
the mighty conflict of civil war. Looking down from the gallery up-
on the Senators, the sectional condition of the country was apparent,
not alone in the debates as heard, but in the seating of the members
of the respective parties. The main aisle leading from the door of
entrance to the Senate chamber to the seat of the president, John 0.
Breckenridge, was as a dividing line between two combating forces.
The existing antagonism was continuously expressed, notwithstand-
ing the strained effort to observe the rules of senatorial courtesy;
and there were times when this barrier of senatorial courtesy was
overleaped and vindictive attacks were frequently made on individuals
and states. I never shall forget the description of senatorial condi-
tions and attitudes made by Senator Iverson, of Georgia, on Dec. 5,
lb60, when, virtually, the debate was upon the state of the Union.
"Sir," he said, "disguise the fact as you will, there is an enmity be-
tween the Northern and the Southern people that is deep and endur-
ing, and you never can eradicate it — never. Look at the spectacle
exhibited on this floor! How is it? There are the Republican
Northern Senators upon that side; here are the Southern Senators
on this side. How much social intercourse is there between them?
You sit upon your side silent and gloomy; we sit upon ours with knit
brows and portentous scowls. Yesterday I observed that there was
not a solitary man on that side of the chamber who came over here
even to extend the civilities and courtesies of life, nor did any of us
go over there. Here are two hostile bodies on this floor, and it is
but a type of the feelings that exist between the two sections. We
are enemies as much as if we were hostile states. I believe that the
Northern people hate the South worse than ever the English people
hated France, and I can tell my brothers over there that there is no
love lost on the part of the South."
The seat of Stephen A. Douglas in the body was suggestive. It
was situated on the main aisle I have mentioned, but on the Repub-
lican side of the Senate. He was virtually between the hostile forces
and was made the target for both sides, but, though he stood virtu-
ally alone in the debates at that time, he was as undaunted as any
46
chieftain who ever entered the lists, and never discomforted or over-
thrown. I heard his speech on the 5th of January, 1861, and there
was one circumstance that I took especial note of. It was that he
was rarely interrupted in the progress of his arguments. As illustra-
tive of his remarkable memory, one of the Senators from Virginia —
Hunter, I think — who had succeeded him as chairman of the Com-
mittee on Territories, interrupted him on one occasion by saying
that the Senator was mistaken in a certain statement he made in
regard to the action of the Committee on Territories on a given
amendment pending before the committee. He immediately turned
to that Senator and repeated what had occurred at the meeting, giv-
ing every detail and incident, those who were present, called the roll
on the consideration of the amendment and the names of those who
voted for and against it, and ended by saying: "The Senator from
Virginia is mistaken; the Senator from Illinois is correct." The
Senator from Virginia listened attentively to the reply, hesitated a
moment and then said: "I believe the Senator from Virginia is mis-
taken and the Senator from Illinois correct."
On Jan. 10 Senator Jefferson Davis, of Mississippi, made a lengthy
argument on President Buchanan's message, in which was submitted
the action of the commissioners of Soath Carolina, virtually upon
the right of that state to secede. His speech was a lengthy one, and
at its end resulted a running debate between himself, Senator Green
of Missouri and Trumbull of Illinois. It was one of the most enter-
taining contests that occurred at that momentous session. If I had
the time, I should like to give you an idea of the ability displayed
by each of these distinguished men. Senator Green's reputation
in Missouri especially, rested upon his wonderful dexterity in
debate, and the long political career of Senator Davis with his ac-
knowledged gifts as a speaker,made him a f oeman worthy of any lawyer
or statesman. But the debate involved legal and constitutional ques-
tions, and Senator Trumbull in that field was the equal of either of
his opponents, and on this as on other occasions became apparent
the appropriateness, as I have before remarked, of his selection as
Senator. The irritating conditions with which Republican Senators
were surrounded in debate is shown in the opening speech of Sena-
tor Trumbull, when he said: "Mr. President, it has been very hard
for me, and I doubt not my republican associates around me, to hear
the many misapprehensions, not to say misstatements, of our posi-
tion, and to see a perverted state of facts day after day urged upon
the Senate and country by gentlemen of the other side We have
listened to the Senator from Mississippi, and one would suppose in
listening to him here that he was a friend to the Union and that he
desired the perpetuity of the government. He has a most singular
way of proving it and a most singular way of maintaining the con-
stitution. Why, sir, he proposes that the government should abdi-
cate." This was a rather calm and deliberate way to commence an
argument against a speech permeated with treason against the gov-
ernment; but such was his style, and if such qualities as distin-
William H, Bissell. -First Republican Governor of Illinois.
47
guished his oourse had been predominant in the Senate at that
session, it might have resulted in staying the approach of war and deso-
lation. To the glory of his memory it can be said that he used his
highest and best ability to its fullest to avert the disaster, Nor should
it be forgotten that in another critical period in the history of the
country his calm and dispassionate judgment, together with his
conscientious rectitude of purpose enabled him to raise a barrier
against the waves of party partisanship and passion when an attempt
was made to impeach the President of the United States, Andrew
Johnson, and revolutionize the government. His course in those
proceedings added additional glory to his career as a patriot and
statesman.
The characteristics of Senator Trumbull that I have referred to,
extended through his entire term as Senator. On Jan 12, 1865, he
introduced the civil rights bill with the specification: "There shall
be no discrimination in civil rights ***** on account of
race, color or previous condition of servitude." It will be impossi-
ble for me to dwell further on his splendid work in the 18 years of
his service as United States Senator. After retiring from the Sen-
ate he returned to the practice of law, and took up his residence in
Chicago. There he enjoyed a large and lucrative practice. His
alienation with the Republican party barred the way to further
political preferment. He made one attempt to enter politics again,
and became a candidate in 1880 for Governor, running on the Dem-
ocratic ticket. In the Liberal Republican movement he supported
Horace Greeley and Gratz Brown for President and Vice President.
On the death of Jehu Baker, a lifelong friend and one of his strong
supporters, he visited Belleville to attend the funeral At the grave
of Mr. Baker, he delivered an appropriate address extolling the many
admirable qualities and distinguished services of the deceased. He
had intended further to visit St. Louis, where I expected to meet him,
but was taken sick and returned to his home in Chicago, where he died
on the 25th day of June, 1896. He belonged to the army of great
men who have shed luster and glory upon the State of Illinois.
William H. Bissell.
Of all the great men whom I met in my youth, the one most prod-
igally dowered with eminent qualities was William H. Bissell. At
his birth nature lavished upon him nearly all of her choicest gifts of
both brain and heart, but envious fate prescribed a cruel limitation
to their matured use and enjoyment. Death claimed him when in
the prime vigor of his remarkable endowments.
I first remember him in the trial of a case in the Belleville court
house, when he was defending a negro charged with some felonious
offense. The case had within it certain elements which aroused a
sympathy in behalf of the defendant, and he handled these with such
constant skill and pathetic effect as to acquit his client. It was not
a case of such importance nor did it involve such striking dramatic
incidents as the case in which I heard Colonel Field. Nevertheless
48
it left a vivid impression in my memory. I heard him frequently
after that in the trial of oases, in his political campaigns, and on the
notable occasion when a barbecue was given by the citizens of St.
Clair county to the officers and soldiers of the Second regiment of
Illinois volunteers in honor of their return, on the 29th of July, 1847.
William H. Bissell was born in Yates county, in the western part
of New York, in April, 1811. His earliest associations led him to
choose the study of medicine as a profession. He already was pos-
sessed of a comparatively good education as a basis, and, after read-
ing medicine for a time, he attended the Jefferson Medical school in
Philadelphia, where he graduated in 1834. With most young men of
the east in those days, the great west was the field in which to seek
and strive for fortune and fame. That region to the young and as-
piring easterner was a fancied Eldorado, although of a somewhat
more practical kind than that sought by the famed Spaniard. As a
matter of course, he was poor. The truth is in those days most every
young man was of limited means; to be otherwise, was an exception
to the prevailing rule, and, when we read the biography of all the
most illustrious men of the State, it leads one to believe that it was
a blessing, rather than otherwise, to have been possessed of limited
means. He decided to try his fortunes in Illinois, and left for his
destination in 1837 or 1838. He first went to Jefferson county, and
shortly after his arrival was attacked with a severe illness, which not
only used up his small supply of money but so discouraged him that
he decided to enlist in the United States army. He then went to
Jefferson barracks to carry out his intention, but fortunately could
not pass the required examination because of his physical debility.
Failing in his purpose to become' a soldier, he returned to Illinois,
but stopped in Monroe county. He became acquainted with Colonel
Jones, of that county, who was so favorably impressed with his ap-
pearance that he induced him to remain and teach school for a while.
He soon abandoned this and embarked in his profession, and shortly
thereafter was the recipient of a lucrative practice. The social con-
ditions in Illinois, as I have before remarked, were such as to tempt
any ambitious young man to take part in politics and aspire to offi-
cial position. Mr. Bissell was not an exception to the rule, and we
soon after find him associating with prominent politicians, speaking
at public meetings and increasing his acquaintance and popularity
among the people. His gifts as an orator soon gave him precedence
over other aspiring men, and in 1840 he was made the Democratic
nominee for the lower house of the General Assembly. He was duly
elected, and this position gave the first opportunity to exhibit those
remarkable qualities for political leadership, which, in after years,
gave him a national reputation and raised him to some of the high-
est positions of honor and trust. The county of Monroe was a Whig
stronghold. His carrying it for the Democracy, notwithstanding the
enthusiastic campaign conducted by the Whigs in the State and Na-
tion, attracted the special attention of party adherents and was
looked upon as a remarkable achievement. At the end of his term
in the legislature he returned home fully determined to abandon the
profession of medicine and study law. He had discovered the pos-
49
session of powers better adapted to that profession than the other,
and he saw the advantage the profession of the law gave in further-
ing his ambition for active political life. During his course of study-
he attended lectures at the law school in Lexington, Ky,, and after
graduating he located in the town of Belleville. Here he was thrown
in contact with a number of the ablest men in the State, and their
association proved of lasting benefit to him in his illustrious career.
The first office he held after he began his residence in Belleville was
that of circuit attorney. No state office presents a better opportunity
for an able and aspiring man to increase his popularity and political
strength; at the same time, it being in the line of his profession, it
enables him to increase his legal knowledge and experience and prac-
tice the art of public speaking. This office was ably tilled by Mr.
Bissell. To this day there are residents in St Ciair county who will
tell of his success in his prosecutions. He would only prosecute
when convinced that an accused was guilty, and his powers of ora-
tory were such that the closing address overcame the efforts of the
ablest attorneys. But he was soon to play another part in the drama
of life — soon to display such capacities as a soldier as would exalt
him to a place among the great patriots and heroes of the nation and
reflect honor upon the State and his citizenship.
In my sketch of General Shields, I referred to the causes of the
Mexican war; how it broke upon the country, and the rapid rise and
spread of the war spirit. I told of the prompt response made by Ill-
inois to fill the quota assigned to their state, and the brilliant achieve-
ments of the third and fourth regiments commanded by Colonels
Foreman and Baker at Cerro Gordo, and their after participation
in the campaign against Mexico. As soon as the call was made, Mr.
Bissell promptly enlisted. He joined the ranks as a volunteer, and
marched behind the fife and drum of the recruiting officers alongside
of those who afterwards fought so nobly as privates in the regiment
he commanded. The military spirit was strong in Mr. Bissell. He
was a natural born soldier. In the days of his early etruggles, as we
have seen, his inclination led him to Jefferson Barracks. At that
time the horizon was clear of war clouds; peace reigned throughout
the land, and it looked as if the temple of war was closed for an in-
definite period. The paths of peace, of profession and politics,
seemed to be the only ones for achievement and fame. Yet still he
was tempted to the soldier's life, with all its sacrifices and hardships.
When, in addition, we take into consideration his lofty spirit of pa-
triotism, it is easy to account for his prompt enlistment and his fu-
ture brilliant conduct. After enlisting as a private, he was soon
elected to the captaincy of one of the St, Clair county companies and
was subsequently chosen as Colonel of the Second Illinois regiment.
His services in the war are known to every reader of the history of
the country. His associate regiment was the first, commanded by
Ool. John J, Hardin, — a name dear to the heart of every Illinoisan,
and both of these regiments were under the command of Gen. Zach
Taylor. The greatest glory has been accorded to these two regi-
-4H.
50
meDts and their respective colonels for their brave and desperate
fight at the battle of Buena Vista. This battle stands in the annals
of warefare conspicuous for its desperate and bloody character, and
furnished a rare record of stubborn endurance, daring bravery, and
patriotic sacrifice. The attacking army under Santa Anna numbered
20,000. The opposing force numbered but 4,500. The battle lasted all
day, and, in resisting the final charge of almost overwhelming num-
bers in the afternoon, the gallant Colonels Hardin, McKee and Lieu-
tenant Colonel Clay were killed. Though in the hottest of the fight
Colonel Bissell escaped without injury, and blackened with powder and
smoke and worn and exhausted by the fierce struggles of the day,
when he threw himself upon his rough couch at night his brow was
encircled with the halo of an immortal name. Transportation was
slow at that time, and the full particulars of the battle were not re-
ceived for several days. The first authentic accounts came through
the St. Louis newspapers, and there is an amusing incident, personal
to myself, connected with their arrival and distribution The connec-
tion between St. Louis and Belleville was by means of a hack which,
owing to the wretched state of the roads, usually took several hours
to traverse the distance between the two places At the time of the
Battle of Baena Vista I was a carrier of the old Missouri Republican
and the St. Louis Reveille to Belleville subscribers, and always had
a certain number to sell. I usually stood at the post office waiting
for the arrival of the above mentioned vehicle to procure my bundle
of papers. On that day I received my bundle, tore ofp the cover and
handed the first copy to Mr. Murray Morrison, a lawyer who after-
wards became a member of the Supreme court of California. The
head lines of the Battle of Baena Vista arrested his attention. Every
person in town was expecting the account. As I delivered the paper
to him I was in the act of starting on the run, when he stopped me
and said: "Here, Charlie! There's an account of the great Battle of
Buena Vista in the paper, and General Taylor has badly defeated
the Mexicans. Do not sell your papers for less than a long bit". I
started down the street with the cry of: "Here is all about the
battle of Bu — ", but I stopped, looked at the paper, then tried again:
"Here is all about the battle of Bu— ", balked, and then changed my
call to: "Here is all about General Taylor's whipping the Mexi-
cans". And I followed Mr. Morrison's advice; there was a "corner"
on newspapers that day.
Battle Field at Buena Vista near
Saltillo, Mexico, Feb., 24, 1847.
Friend Koerner — A tremendous battle was fought here on yester-
day and the day before between our forces on the one side and Santa
Anna's, commanded by himself, on the other. We had less than
5,000 men, our enemy over 20,000. The battle was long-continued
and dreadfully sanguinary, but the result is most glorious, glorious
for our own beloved country. We routed the enemy and drove him
to seek safety by flight under cover of night, His loss in killed and
wounded is immense — we cannot conjecture what. And our own,
51
alas! is too severe. Cols. Hardin, Tell, MoKee and Clay were killed
upon the field, in the most dreadful conflict, and fell almost within
my reach.
My own brave regiment, which has won for itself eternal honor,
and which did more hard fighting than any other regiment or corps
on the field, has suffered most severely — about fi5 killed, 80 wounded,
9 or 10 missing. I sent a list of the killed in the two St. Clair com-
panies to Mr. Kinney in another letter. Engelmann acted most
gallantly upon the field, and was severely but not dangerously woun-
ded in the shoulder. He is doing well and has every attention and is
in good spirits. Oar whole loss in killed, wounded and missing will
probably be between four and five hundred.
We are all perfectly prostrated — worn out. You will get the par-
ticulars from other sources. I have not a moment to spare.
Good-bye.
(Signed.) William H. Bissell.
To Judge Koerner.
The news of the outcome of this battle and the bravery displayed
by the Illinois regiments produced the wildest enthusiasm through-
out the State. In every city, town and village, public meetings were
held, speeches made, gun-powder exploded and the nights brightened
with bon- fires and illuminations. It was a time of general revelry
and rejoicing. In after years, during the Civil War, I had occasion
to contrast the universal transports of joy visible upon the reception
of this news over a victory of a foreign foe and the divided exulta-
tion when news came of a victory of American over American. If
there is anything in the movements of men that will stir to its depths
the feelings and emotions, it is to look upon the returning veterans
of a successful war and one in which they have borne a brave and
heroic part. And so the people of St. Clair county were stirred upon
the return of the Second regiment and its noble Commander. The
reception was one never to be forgotten. There be a few old men yet
living whose eyes will moisten at the mention to them of the occur-
ance. One form of expression of public admiration and affection
took the shape of a barbecue given on July 28, 1847. An immense
crowd assembled on the occasion. The address of welcome to the
regiment was made by Judge Gustavus Koerner in his usual felici-
tous, able and eloquent manner. The response was made by Colonel
Bissell. It was a masterpiece of oratory. In opening he said:
"The volunteers, oflBcers and men on whose account this splendid
pageant has been gotten up are effected with feelings of deep sensi-
bilty at the honors they are receiving at your hands. In the im-
mense concourse of people here assembled, in the fervid and eloquent
address by the orator of the day, and in the warmth and enthusiasm
of feeling manifested all around us, we recognize an approbation of
our conduct and joy at our return which entirely surpass our expec-
tations and leave us without language to express our gratitude.
52
Twelve months ago we went forth from among you to do service; to
die, if need be, in our country's cause. Many an eye was dimmed
at our parting and many a bosom pained. Heavy was the sacrifice
which many of you were then called to make, but our country re-
quired it, and, upon her altar, that sacrifice was cheerfully offered
up. We went forth cheered and encouraged by you and followed by
your blessings. In all out wanderings you never forgot us, nor did
we for a moment forget our country or her honor. We never forgot
that we had the credit of our own Illinois to sustain, nor did we
cease to remember that we had cherished friends at home whose
eyes were ever upon us, and whose hearts were always with us."
He then referred to the characteristics of the volunteer soldiers
from Illinois; spoke of their lack of experience and discipline, but
explained how it was that by constant attention and practice they so
soon overcame these drawbacks and fought as trained veterans. In
this connection he paid them a splendid tribute for moral worth. It
is worthy of quotation as showing, aside from his style of speech,
the social condition of the times. He said:
"Of the officers and men of the Second Illinois regiment — concern-
ing whom I can speak from more intimate knowledge — of them I
take occasion to say that the high tone of moral character which
they always and under all circumstances maintained was alike cred-
itable to themselves and honorable to the State which claimed them
as her sons. They were not of the class found upon the wharves of
our seaports, and gathered up there — men who have no character to
sustain and no friends or country to love. They were chiefly the
well taught youths of our farming communities and our quiet, moral
country towns. The moral sentiments they had imbibed at home,
and the high sense of personal honor and personal respect they had
there learned to cherish, they carried with them, and these were a
panoply and a shield against temptation. Honor! All honor to you,
ye mothers! And you, ye fathers! for so forming the character of
your sons as to enable them, by the force of that character alone, to
draw down honors upon their State."
He then entered into a detailed account of the battle of Buena
Vista. It was intensely interesting, and remains a valuable acquisi-
tion to the history of the war. His recital in its plain and simple
force and beauty reads like a chapter from Caesar's Commentaries.
In speaking of Colonel Hardin, he said that the meditated charge
of the Mexicans in overwhelming numbers which might have resulted
in defeat instead of victory, was prevented by the charge so gallantly
led and so heroically sustained by that officer. And in the magna-
nimity of his nature asked: "May we not say, then, that that brave
officer and noble- heated man sacrificed himself on that occasion to
secure our victory?"
He described his death: "He fell battling manfully for his coun-
try's causa, on foot, armed only with his sword, a dragoon sabre; he
53
lefended himself with heroic firmness against the crowd of lancers
which pressed upon him, and only fell when overpowered by their
greatly superior numbers."
He then explained the great advantage obtained in the victory of
Buena Vista, and pointed out the terrible consequences that would
have ensued in case of defeat. After expressing the joy at meeting
friends once more, and the deep feeling of gratitude for the magnifi-
cent ovation, he closed in the following beautiful words:
"But alas! Our joy, like yours, is checked by the recollection of
familiar faces which are not here! By the remembrance of familiar
names, which we may call in vain; names, too, some of which there
are no prouder ones even in our own proud Illinois. Not a few of the
brave men who went with us have yielded up their breath in resist-
ing the foes of their country, and have found amid the mountains of
Mexico their last resting place. They will return no more, but
moarn them noi! They fell in their country's cause! They fell,
where they would have chosen to fall, in the arms of victory upon a
glorious battlefield, with their county's banner streaming o'er them!
Mourn them not! For though with their life-blood they have mois-
tened the soil of Buena Vista, and left their honored remains to
mingle with the dust of that famous battlefield, yet they are not
dead! No they are not dead! They still live! They live in the spirit
which animates our patriot bosom here! They live in the feeling which
thrills with electrical influence the hearts of this vast assembly ! They
live in the memory of a grateful country! They live! They will
ever live in a fame as extended as this vast republic and as lasting
as time!''
The splendid services of Oolonel Bissell in the Mexican war, to-
gether with his well known ability, made him the most popular man
in the Congressional district in which he lived, and, on his consent
to accept the candidacy, he was elected without opposition, in 1848.
He was again elected, without opposition, in 1850. The session of
Congress of the winter of 1849-50 was one of the most exciting that
had yet occurred in the history of the nation. The debate on the
admission of California as a free state was bitter and acrimonious in
the extreme. The domineering spirit of the pro-slavery party was
such that threats of sacession and civil war came from the lips of
several Southern senators and congressmen. In this body the de-
bates were remarkable for both violence and ability. "At no time in
its history" says Mr. Blaine, "has its members been so illustrious,
its weight of character and ability so great." Webster made his
great speech against his anti-slavery friends, and declared that the
South had monopolized three- fourths of the places of honor and
emolument under the Federal government ever since the Union was
formed. He was charged by his former Southern friends with trea-
son. Jefferson Davie and his associates tried in vain to have a jour-
nal entry made of their protest against the wrong done to the
slave-holding states in giving the entire Pacific coast to freedom, and
Henry Clay succeeded in his great compromise measure which, for a
time, stayed the waves of passion and treason. It is easy to premise
54
the effects these debates had upon a man of the patriotism of Colonel
Bisseli. He foresaw the consequences of the continued triumph of
a party controlled by such leaders as then represented the South,
and he foresaw the futility of any attempt on the part of the more
reasonable and conservative members of that party from the North
to control its policy or direct its destiny. When the time came for
the Congressional election of 1852, he refused to submit his name to
the Democratic nominating convention and ran as an independent
against Philip B. Fouke, Jr. (Democrat) and Joseph Gillespie (Whig)
and was triumphantly re elected The fierce warfare for slavery ex-
tension continued. Douglas reported the Kansas-Nebraska bill in
1853, and, after a giant struggle, it passed in 1854. It drove forever
from the Democratic party many of its adherents, and among them
Colonel Bisseli. He was prevented by severe illness, from taking
part in the House debates on that notable measure. That illness
attacked him in the winter of 1851, a partial paralytic stroke, and
continuously affected him to such an extent that he was unable to
take his seat in the summer of 1853, when the debate was progress-
ing. His decided opposition was manifested, however, in the declar-
ation that if his vote would defeat the measure he would insist on
being carried to the House in order to cast it even if the effort caused
his death. It was during his first session in Congress that be ran
counter to the fire-eating spirit of the South, A vindictive attack
had been made by a Congressman from Virginia against the North,
and an indiscriminate arraignment made against her people for im-
measurable wrongs against her rights under the slave code. It was
customary, in such efforts, for Southerners to extol the people of the
South as the possessors of higher qualities of manhood than those
possessed by the people of the North. Unfortunately, the member
from Virginia, illustrating his argument, made the historically inac-
curate statement that a regiment from Mississippi had met and re-
pulsed the enemy at a most critical time in the battle of Buena Vista,
and after the Northern troops had given way. Colonel Bisseli was
peculiarly sensitive to any adverse reflection on the conduct or char-
acter of the brave Illinoisans under his command and he resented
the mis-statement and imputation with characteristic indignation and
scorn. His speech, in which he incorporated his reply to the state-
ment of the gentleman from Virginia, gave an insight into the trend
of his mind and opened the way to the future distinction of being
the first Republican nominee for Governor of the State of Illinois.
He entered the lists as an advocate of the people of the North against
the unjust charges of aggression and spoliation; showed the weak-
ness of the material on which they based their accusation and the
distortion and misapplication of facts to sustain their arguments, In
regard to the statement about the Northern troops giving way, he
replied in the following eloquent strain:
"I affirm distinctly, sir, that at the time the 2nd Indiana Regiment
gave way, through an unfortunate order of their colonel, the Missis-
sippi regiment, for whom the claim is gratuitously set up, was not
within a mile and a half of the scene of action, nor yet had it fired a
55
gun or pulled a trigger. I aflBrm further, sir, that the troops which
at that time met and resisted the enemy and thus, to use the gentle-
man's own language, 'snatched victory from the jaws of defeat,' were
the 2ad Kentucky, the 2ad Illinois and a portion of the Ist Illinois
regiments. It gives me no pleasure, sir, to be compelled to allude to
this subject, nor can I see the necessity or propriety of its introduc-
tion in this debate. It having been introduced, however, I cannot,
sir, sit in silence and witness the infliction of such cruel injustice
upon men, living and dead, whose well earned fame I were a monster
not to protect. The true, brave hearts of too many of them, alas!
have already mingled with the soil of a foreign country, but their
claims upon the justice of their countrymen can never cease, nor can
my obligations to them be ever forgotten or disregarded. No, sir !
The voice of Hardin —that voice which has so often been heard in
this hall as mine now is, though far more eloquently — the voice of
Hardin, yea, and of MoKee, and the accomplished Clay, each wrapped
now in his bloody shroud, their voices would reproach me from the
grave had I failed in this act of justice to them and to others who
fought and fell by my side."
His reference to the Mississippi regiment brought a challenge
from JefPerson Davis. He was not to be cowed, nor did he propose
to be uselessly sacrificed. He accepted the challenge and chose as
weapons the army musket, to be loaded with a ball and three buck
shots; the parties to be stationed only 40 paces apart, with liberty to
advance to ten. The acceptance meant death to both parties. This
his opponent had not been anticipating. There was no humor iu
this proposed duel. Colonel Bissell's conduct in battle argued that
he would be the first to advance from 40 paces to ten. It required
the intervention of President Taylor to extricate his son-in-law, Mr.
Davis, from the terrible dilemma. He succeeded in adjusting the
diflBoulty and there was no loss of honor to Colonel Bissell.
Before the close of the last session of his service in Congress,
Colonel Bisyell had attained a national reputation as a skillful de-
bator and accomplished orator, a trusted leader and an able states-
man. Colonel Bissell returned home at the end of his last Congres-
sional term with the intention of retiring from a further active
participation in the political arena. The character and continuance
of his illness caused him to doabt the propriety of his again accept-
ing public office, but his intellect was unimpaired, and the part he
had taken in the political afPairs of the country made it an impossi-
bility for him to become a silent spectator of the great drama. The
formative processes of the reorganization of parties were at work.
The zealous advocates of a united and undivisible union and an ad-
vanced freedom, regardless of divers views on minor questions, were,
by the force of events and conditions, being gradually drawn into
cohesion and union. In most of the border states the contest was
assuming phases of dangerous antagonisms. Especially was this so
in Missouri where Benton, Blair and Brown were waging a bitter
war on behalf of free soil. Colonel Bissell took great interest in the
Missouri conflict and was constantly in correspondence with the
56
leaders named, and, at times, met them in consultation. No man in
Illinois was held in higher estimation by the early workers for free
soil in Missouri than Colonel Bissell. The final trend to a consolida-
tion of all elements in opposition to the pro- slavery and disunion
party culminated in the convention at Bloomington, 111., on the 29th
of May, 1856. One of your ablest historians records the event in
these words:
"It was a famous gathering, and marked the commencement of a
new era in the politics of the State. All those who subsequently be-
came leaders of the Republican party were there; Whigs, Democrats,
know-nothings and abolitionists. Those who had all their lives been
opposing and fighting each other, found themselves for the first time
harmoniously battling side by side, consulting and shouting their
unanimous accord."
John M. Palmer was made president of that convention, and
among the delegates were such men as Lincoln, Browning, Went-
worth, Yates, Lovejoy, Oglesby and Koerner. This convention re-
corded the real birth of that party which so successfully carried on
the war for the preservation of the Union and destroyed forever the
institution of slavery. Without solicitation, without even an antici-
pation on his part. Colonel Bissell was unanimously nominated for
governor of the State. No higher compliment could have been ex-
tended; no greater evidence of the exalted estimation of the man
could be given. It was the recognition on the part of great men,
sincerely earnest men, patriots and leaders of men, that he possessed
those pre-eminent abilities required in the leadership of so great a
cause. And he fulfilled the trust faithfully as long as life was given
him, During his administration he had to contend against the un-
reasonable attacks of partisanship, but so bore himself as to carry
through measures important to the interests of the State and en-
forced respect and support for his acknowledged statesmanship.
In person Governor Bissell was of the soldier's standard height.
In form, finely proportioned, he bore himself with boooniing dignity
but without the least semblance of vanity or ostentation His coun-
tenance was frank, open and prepossessing. A finely shaped head,
in harmony with his body, was crowned with dark brown hair lining
a high and broad forehead. His features were prominent, with a
large Roman nose, a square but not protruberant chin; a mouth indi-
cating firmness, with full lips and closely trimmed mustache; small
tufts of hair grew just in front of his ears. Eyebrows almost
et^raight, shaded his eyes; these were dark gray and very bright. The
muscles of his face were remarkably flexible and expressive. His
manners were exceedingly courteous and impressive, and his conver-
sation animated and interesting. His canvassing methods were en-
tirely different from most politicians. There was nothing of the
demagogue about him and he never resorted to subterfuges or
schemes for success. His habits were regular and temperate, and he
never courted votes in the precincts of the saloon. One of his prom-
inent traits, that of modesty, was in marked contrast to many of the
public men with whom he associated. I have given some idea of
57
his powers of oratory in the quotations read from his speeches, but
they can convey only, in limited measure, the beauty, strength and
power of the spoken words. A clear and well modulated voice, with
gestures graceful and appropriate and the fire and fervor of convic-
tion embellished his every effort, and, on occasions, when deeply
moved and an inspiration seized him, he rose to the highest flights
of eloquence. In daily life his course was in keeping with the noble
impulses that marked his public career. He was a kind and afiPeo-
tionate husband and father; a just and upright citizen; a staunch
friend and a devoted believer in the faith of immortality, and, lastly,
he was a type of the founders of the Republic. His ambition was
pure and exalted. He cared not, neither did he strive, for the wealth
of earth, but, dying, he left what was greater, "the imperishable heri-
tage of a lofty reputation and a spotless name." It is greatly to be
regretted that he did not live to accomplish the good he might have
done. He did not live to finish his term of office, but died on Sun-
day, the 18th of March, 1860 His death was pathetic in the extreme.
He retained his faculties until the last. His last hours are described
in one of the journals of the day:
'•On Saturday morning Governor Bissell had himself a conscious-
ness of the approach of death and about 5 a. m, called his family to
his bedside. One or two other persons, attendants during his illness,
were present. The scene at the last parting was only referred to that
it may place in its brightest light the character of the deceased.
Calling each member of the family to his bedside, he gave them a
last embrace —the wife and weeping daughters all sharing alike in
his affection. A brief address was made to each. Then followed
farewells to other members of the household, Of the faithful ser-
vants among these was a colored domestic who nursed Mrs Bissell
while an infant. Following this, during the forenoon of Saturday,
Messrs Lincoln, Hatch, Dubois and Herndon had a brief farewell
interview with him. He passed a painful night and on Sunday
morning the death struggle commenced at 7 o'clock. At intervals he
would rally; his eye would kindle aa its wont and his failing powers
by the force of his indomitable will would be roused and carry him
through some sentences uttered clearly and distinctly, waon the eb-
bing tide would sink back again. About the middle of the forenoon
he made a brief prayer to the Deity, as a dying man to his Maker
and Judge. It was clearly and distinctly uttered and full of feeling.
For an hour or two preceding his death he did not speak, but sank
gradually, and so passed from earth."
The voice of mourning — deep, sincere and reverential —was heard
in every part of the State on the announcement of the death of Gov-
ernor Bissell. Nor was it confined to the limits of Illinois. The
advocates of the perpetuity of our government, the friends of free-
dom, the brave, the true and the patriotic throughout the length and
breadth of the land mourned the death of the illustrious soldier and
statesman. The funeral procession at the capital was by far the
largest and most imposing that ever attended the obsequies of any
citizen of the State, save one, in later years. It was composed of
68
military officers of high degree, judges of the Supreme, Circuit and
Federal courts, United States senators and members of Congress;
governors and lieutenant governors of various states, members of the
State Senate and House of Representatives, members of the bar, nu-
merous civic societies, a great concourse of illustrious citizens, and,
last though not least, the officers and soldiers who served under him
in the Mexican war. x\mong the chief mourners was his dis-
tinguished friend and political associate, Abraham Lincoln. Conjec-
ture asks — What were his reflections on that solemn occasion? Aa
he heard the measured footsteps of the citizen militia, the boom from
out the distant battery and the noise of the platoon firing over the
grave of his friend, did his prophetic mind hear from out the future
the solid tramp of armed legions, the thunder from thousands of
hoarse- mouthed cannons, the wild tornado of rattling musketry and
the mighty rush of contending hosts in the yet unfought war for the
Union? Did his eye far down the vista look upon the terrible pano-
rama of war and desolation, of triumph and victory? Did he see the
full fruition and outcome of the work so devotedly commenced by the
illustrious dead and his associates? If so, then his sad face on that
day wore a more sombre tinge, and the tears that he shed for his
friend and co-worker in the cause of justice and human freedom
were commingled with those he shed for the coming woes and calam-
ities of his beloved country.
In conclusion, let me say that it was my desire and intention to
refer to other distinguished citizens of this State with whom I was
acquainted, but I find it impossible to attempt to do so in the cir-
cumscribed time allotted for this address. I regret it, for there are
several others whose memory I fondly cherish with sentiments of
esteem, admiration and affection. When I read the history of my
native State, my heart swells with pride and satisfaction at the mar-
velous work of her people and her long line of great and illustrious
characters. Other states have produced great and distinguished
men, but in the world's annals of human action is recorded that in
the greatest achievements performed in behalf of humankind in the
19th century. Illinois stands pre eminent.
59
AN INQUIRY.
Dr. J. F. Snyder.
Among several old newspapers I secured at Jacksonville a short
time since, was a copy of the Illinois State Journal of Nov. 25,1857,
published at Springfield, 111., by Bailache& Baker, in which appears
the following communication written by Prof. John Russell, dated
"BlufFdale, November, 1857."
"For the Illinois State Journal — The School Advocate — An Essay
on the Human Mind and its Education.
"Such is the title of a work of 118 pages, fresh from the pen of our
fellow- citizen, ex- Governor Reynolds. He and his writings are too
well known to the people of this State for it to be needful to offer a
single comment upon that little volume. Deposit a letter in any
postoffice of Illinois, however remote or obscure, with no other super-
scription than these three words — "The Old Ranger" — and it would
go straight to him at Belleville. As an author, his great personal
popularity has rather been a drawback to him, than otherwise, for
few are disposed to give to his writings the severe but salutary
criticism which other writers find so beneficial, though not always
very agreeable.
"There is hardly an office within the gift of our people which he
has not filled, and with distingished honor. For several years past
he has declined all public employment, and with an ample fortune
retired to the shades of private life, but not of idleness. The mind
of Governor Reynolds, both by nature and habit, is much too active
to content itself with listless inanity. During the period of his re-
tirement he has written and published several valuable works, of
which the one whose title is placed at the head of this article, is the
latest. Space in which to analyze the contents of that volume can
be afforded only in the ample pages of a monthly or quarterly Review,
It is useless to attempt it in the columns of a newspaper. The title itself,
however, discloses the scope of the author. It is philosophical as
well as practical, and rich in well matured and original thoughts.
No one will read the work without feeling himself abundantly paid
for its perusal.
"It is said that Governor Reynolds is already engaged upon an-
other work, which will appear in the course of a few months. With
his "Z/i/e and Times,"" the reading public is already familiar. Not-
withstanding the haste with which it went through the press, un-
60
avoidably carrying along with it many typographical and other not
very important errors, that volume of 600 pages has been pronounced
by competent judges the best work that has yet been written upon
the early history of Illinois.
"It is a remarkable fact, that St. Clair county contains the only
two living writers of the State, whose productions have the slightest
chance to outlive the passing hour, and descend to other times. The
Rev. Dr. Peck and ex- Governor Reynolds, each in his own appropri-
ate field, has collected, and in part published, a series of important
facts connected with the history of this State, which, but for their
labors would have perished forever. For this, if for nothing else,
the future sons and daughters of Illinois will hold them in grateful
remembrance."
A native of St. Clair county. 111., myself and reared in Belleville,
the home of Governor Reynolds, I was intimately acquainted with
him from my boyhood until his death in 1865. Familiar as I am —
or imagined myself to be — with his writings I never, before reading
this communication of Professor Russell's, heard of the book he
calls public attention to, and his account of it is the first I have yet
seen in print. That book, or essay, is not mentioned by any of
Governor Reynolds' numerous biographers. My inquiries of his
few remaining contemporaries in St. Clair county have failed to dis-
cover anyone there who ever saw, or before heard of it. It is not in
the public library at Belleville, or in what is left of Professor Russell's
library, though his son, Mr. S. G. Russell, of BlufFdale, thinks his
father must have donated the book, after writing this notice of it, to
the Chicago Historical society whose collections were later all
destroyed in the great fire of 1871.
My object in transcribing and calling attention to this communi-
cation of Professor Russell's is to institute a general public inquiry
for this forgotten work of Governor Reynolds, and, if it is not com-
pletely out of print and lost, to secure, if possible, a copy of it for
the Illinois State Historical library.
Mr. Edward W. West, a resident of Belleville for 80 years, sug-
gests that Professor Russell may have been mistaken in attributing
the authorship of the book to Governor Reynolds, That, however,
is not probable. This "School Advocate, or Essay upon the Human
Mind and its Education," appearing in 1857, was doubtless written
by the Old Ranger, and perhaps for an ulterior purpose, as less than a
year later he was nominated, in 1858, by the anti-Douglas wing of
the Democratic party — of which he was a conspicous champion — as
its candidate for the position of State Superintendent of Public In-
struction. Or, in justice to the Governor, it should be presumed
that his treatise on Schools and Education of the Human Mind, dis-
seminated in the fall of 1857, made so profound an impression on
his party, without design on his part, as to influence his nomination
the next spring,
The Douglas faction of the Democracy at that time nominated for
the same office ex- Gov. A, C. French. At the election following both
61
ex-Governors were defeated by Newton Bateman, the Republican
candidate, whose majority over Reynolds, however, was only 2,143 in
the total of 252,100 votes cast.
Anyone knowing of the existence of a copy of the book referred to
in this inquiry will confer a valuable favor by communicating that
fact to the librarian of the Illinois State Historical library at Spring-
field, 111.
62
ILLINOIS IN THE WAR OF 1812-1814.
By Frank E. Stevens, auilior of the "Black Hawk War."
IMPROMPTU.
At this moment, with the United States and England united by
ties of closest friendship, it may appear highly impertinent to dis-
turb their tranquil contemplation by turning over pages of the past
to a time when English subjects on this side of the Atlantic found
their greatest gratification in inciting Indians to lift the scalps of
our forefathers. But I shall not use unfortunate complications of
former days malevolently. They are past and forgotten and the man
of today cares very little about them anyway. In fact, I may say
that the average man of today bothers his busy brain very little with
affairs which concerned his forefathers, or even his father. They are
"charged off" his mind, if he ever had them there, pretty much as
he charges off his bad accounts at the end of the year and, apparently,
he does not care to get them back.
The events which I am called upon to relate have been set down
by others at different periods, but in books, periodicals and pamph-
lets now so rare as to be practically obsolete; therefore, I am con-
strained to admit that this paper is little more than a collation of
those recondite items.
In general, where quotations are used with no note of reference,
the item should be credited to the "American State Papers."
At the conclusion of our war for independence, it was stipulated
in the treaty that all frontier posts* of the northwest then occupied
by British garrisons were to be surrendered, but they were not The
Jay treaty followed, and even that did not secure their evacuation
until 1796.1
Had the British remained tranquil J, the occupation of those posts,
though unlawful, had not materially injured the officers of the United
States in arranging their Indian policy; but neither British officers
nor traders remained tranquil. From the moment the war termi-
nated, those individuals offensively meddled with the Indians and
the schemes introduced to keep them peaceful and contented— a most
delicate task when environments were most auspicious. §
*Mlchillmacklnac, Detroit, Niagara. Osweeotch6. Point Au Fer. Dutchman's Point and
Prairie du Chlen.
tBurnet's "Notes on the early settlement of the Northwest Territory."
JThe conduct of the British up to this date, and during all the long years which followed,
may be said to have had a three-fold object— resentment, a desire to retain the trade already
established with the Indians, and a desire to keep the American settlements confined to the
Atlantic seaboard by making life west of It as uncomfortable as possible.
? Armstrong very aptly mentions the treaty of Paris, 1783, as "virtually a truce, not a paci-
fication; a temporary and reluctant sacrifice of national pride to national interest; not a
frank and honest adjustment of differences."
63
During the French and Indian wars, the Indians had been engaged
with one side or the other; fed and pampered by both until new and
exaggerated wants had been engendered to such an extent that noth-
ing much short of genius could bring them back to peaceful habits
and simple needs, Coming to us intractable, sometimes belligerent,
against their will in a measure, the difficulties of the situation may
be readily imagined. No one appreciated those difficulties more than
the British, and, resentful at their recent failure to conquer, they
lost no time in multiplying the perplexities of this nascent country
with its new wards.
Naturally, a receptive mood was needed to secure the adoption of
American measures, but the Indians did not receive without objec-
tion. On the contrary, they returned to their old friends for advice.
Every real or fancied grievance was carried direct to British head-
quarters, and, instead of referring the matter back to the Americans
where it belonged, the grievance was magnified and the Indians
urged to resent it. No opportunity was lost to impress upon the
minds of the susceptible Indians that they had lost a good provider
when they lost the English father, and that they probably would
suffer to an uncomfortable degree with the new father. Presents of
whiskey and food were added at the same time, to cause the dissatis-
faction to spread and to make the Indians believe they were to be
systematically defrauded every time the Americans offered an inno-
vation. If a tranquil state were sought, the British exultingly pointed
to the fact as the entering wedge for something sinister to follow,
and so, from disquietude to alarm and from alarm to hostility, those
red men were brought until the Indian war of 1790-95 followed, which
was supported by the British; covertly at the start, but gradually in-
creasing in boldness until, at the battle before Fort Recovery, British
soldiery was conspicuously active in the attempt (unsuccessful) to re-
duce it. From prisoners* taken in that engagement it was learned that
Colonel McKee was the organizer and sponser for the 1794 campaign,
and that Governor Simcoe, Brandt and others equally prominent had
been exerting every influence to make the same as barbarous as pos-
sible. Specific instances were cited by the Indians in such numbers
that denial was never attempted It was only after General Wayne
had whipped the Indians into submission, Aug. 20, 1794, that any-
thing like submission was offered. The truth of British activity was
corroborated immediately by the examination of prisoners by General
Wayne, which may be found in Burnet's "Notes on the Early Settle-
ment of the Northwest Territory," page 179 et seq , foot note; so
careful and exhaustive that reference to it must prove his conclusions
to be incontrovertible. On Deo. 23, 1794, the facts were reported to
the secretary of war. The treaty of Greenville followed,! after nearly
five years of savage warfare. In 1790, after the Jay treaty, the British
finally surrendered the then important northwestern posts to the
United States J
*Barnet, 165 et seq.
tBurnet.
tAusr. 3. 1795.
6i
Feeling assured of safety by that treaty, the Americans commenced
an unusual migration into the Northwest territory in such numbers
as to attract the attention and likewise the envy and opposition of
British officers and traders, who feared the influence of the movement
would force the Indians further to the west, beyond their influence
and to their great loss.
In 1808, Little Turtle, who had formerly acted with the English,
was one of the first to notify the Americans of the perfidy of the
English agents and traders in the following talk:
"Brother — At the time we were making bright the chain of friend-
ship at Canandaigua, the commissioner on your part told us that the
time might come when your enemies would endeavor to disturb our
minds, and do away with the friendship we had then formed with
you. That time, brother, has already arrived. Since you have had
some disputes with the British government, their agents in Canada
have not only endeavored to make the Indians at the westward your
enemies, but they have sent a war belt among our warriers, to poison
their minds and make them break their faith with you. This belt
we exhibited to your agents in council and then sent it to the place
from which it came, never more to be seen among us. At the same
time we had information that the British had circulated war belts
among the western Indians and within your territory. We rested
not, but called a general council of the Six Nations and resolved to
let our voice be heard among our western brethren and destroy the
effects of the poison scattered among them. We have twice sent
large deputations to the council fire, for the purpose of making their
minds strong in their friendship with your nation, and in the event
of war between the white people, to sit still on their seats and take
no part on either side. So far as our voice has been heard, they have
agreed to hearken to our council and remain at peace with your na-
tion.
"Brothers, if war should take place, we hope you will inform us of
it through your agents, and we will continue to raise our influence
with all the Indians with whom we are acquainted, that they will sit
still upon their seats and cultivate friendship with your people."
By 1809, Illinois had acquired enough of that population to be
erected into a territory; far to the west and feebly protected, and to it
those agents and traders turned their attention, provoking friction,
subsidizing influential Indians, stimulating hatred and furnishing
munitions to be used against the inhabitants. The Prophet of the
Wabash, brother to Tecumseh, became one of their personal repre-
sentatives so early as lb08, by sending emissaries, and individually
penetrating to the remotest tribes of Illinois, haranguing some,
promising others, and all the while seeking cooperation to drive back
the Americans to the seaboard.
65
So far as the mouth of Rock River, emissaries were lodged to urge
suoh maloontentg as Black Hawk, who lived there with hie hirelings,
styled "the British band," to thefts and murders. If this statement
be doubted, the following authority should convince-
"St. Louis, April 30, 1809 *
"I have the honor to enclose you a copy of a letter which confirms
my suspicions of British interference with our Indian affairs in this
country. Extract from the enclosed letter: 'I am at present in the
fire, receiving Indian news every day. A chief of the Puantf nation
appears to be employed by the British to get all the nations of Indians
to Detroit, to see their fathers, the British, who tell them that they
pity them in their situation with the Americans, because the Ameri-
cans had taken their lands and their game; that they must join and
send them from their lands. They told the savages that the Ameri-
cans could not give them a blanket, nor anything good for their
families.
" 'They said they had but one father that had helped them in their
misfortunes, and that they would assemble, defend their father, and
keep their lands.' It appears that four English subjects have been
at Riviere a la Roche J this winter, in disguise; they have been there
to get the nations together, and send them on the American fron-
tiers. || Other Indians are pushed on by our enemies to take the fort
of Belle Vue."§
To the east as far as Sandusky, it was found, June 9, 1809, that,
contrary to all regulations of the United States, British traders were
introducing liquor among the Indians of that locality and seeking
recruits among them.
On June 28, 1809. Nicholas Jarrot, of Cahokia, made aflidavit that
Messrs. Portier and Bleakly, of Prairie du Chien, were inciting In-
dians to hostility and furnishing them arms and ammunition, with
the result that the Indians along the Mississippi became audacious
and warlike^ In fact it may be said that by reason of such conduct,
in conjunction with the influence of the agents stationed at the
mouth of Rock River, Ft. Madison was threatened during the winter
of 1808-9, and on April 19, 1809, Lieut. Alpha Kingsley, command-
ant, reported rumors of a contemplated attack upon him and wrote:
"The sooner the British traders are shut out of the river, the better
for our country,"
By July, the influence of those Rock River traders had fructified
and a large band of Sacs had started for Amherstburg, reaching
that point in conjunction with other bands from the Vincennes coun-
try, July 27th, where they received quantities of arms, ammunition
* From General Clark.
+ Winnebago, meaning "The Stinker."
1 Rock River.
i Black Hawk and his followers enlisted.
2 Ft. MHdison.
H The affidavit made those two traders so uncomfortable that it became necessary for them
to deny it with much vehemence.
— 5H
66
and provisions from the English agents. To add to our embarass-
ment thus created they invariably took advantage of the disappoint-
ments and dissatisfactions found among the Indians after the signing
of a treaty wherein some Indian might have received more than his
neighbor, or some other inequality, real or imaginary; at each of
which there always were found British agents to magnify the in-
juries, until the disgruntled became numerous and outspoken and
finally added new enemies to the States. The climax appears to have
been reached Sept. 30, 1809, when the treaty of Ft. Wayne had been
concluded with the Dela wares, Pottawatomies, Miamies, Kickapoos,
Wea and Eel River Indians, at which Tecumseh resented the aliena-
tion of the Indian title with all his power, claiming that lands were
given the Indian by the Great Spirit, never to be transferred for any
consideration. His hatred was aroused and never thereafter quieted,
and without delay his influence was secured by the British and his
hatred fanned to a fury which raged until his death. Through that
chief, the British secured the co-operation of the Wabash Indians,
while they in turn were supposed to assist Tecumseh in his scheme
for a great Indian confederation.
At once, irregular thieving was inaugurated by Indians who before
that time had been on good terms with the whites; then followed
bolder acts and larcenies of greater magnitude, and, being appar-
ently immune from punishment, by reason of the sparsely settled
country, murders were added here and there.
Thus we are brought down to the year 1810, when Illinois Terri-
tory had a population of but 12,282, scattered over a great area —
between the Mississippi and the Wabash and south of the present
northern boundary line of St. Clair county, extending across the
State, with a deflection allowed for the Peoria village and Ft. Dear-
born. There were then but two counties, St. Clair and Randolph
and while the Territory had no recorded militia laws, until June 22 and
26, 1811, which we can find, yet so early as May 1, 1809, Nathaniel
Pope, Secretary of the Territory, as acting Governor, began prepar-
ations for the erection of a military department by appointing Abram
Clark "captain of a militia company in the regiment of militia in St.
Clair county during the pleasure of the Governor for the time be-
ing." And BO on day by day threreafter, companies formed in the
little settlements and for them the Governor appointed officers, con-
spicuous among them being William Whiteside, William B. White-
side, Shadrack Bond, James Moore, Baptiste Saucier, Enoch Moore
and John Moredock. Elias Rector was appointed Adjutant General.
Stout hearted men they were, indeed, but to cover such a breadth
of country, under the circumstances, and in face of odds which we
. shall see confronting them, was a superhuman task; yet they man-
aged it as well, perhaps, as was possible, restraining the Indians from
great engagments, the Ft. Dearborn massacre excepted, because it
was beyond their jurisdiction. On July 19, 1810, a band of Pottawa-
tomies, who had been to war against the Osages, without result, were
returning home. Arriving at the Loutre settlement at the upper
part of the Loutre island , opposite the mouth of the Gasconade
67
river,* they stole a number of horses. Owners of the property and
friends to the number of six, to wit: Stephen Cole, William Temple
Cole, Larshal Brown, Cornelius Gooch, Abraham Patten and James
Murdough, immediately pursued the thieves for a long distance, or
as stated bj'^ Murdough in an affidavit dated Aug. 17, 1810, to be
found on page 55 of '"Memorial of the State of Missouri and docu-
ments," etc, published by order of the United States Senate in 1826,
as follows: "made ready and pursued the trail, in order to get the
horses, until next day about 1:00 o'clock, when the company came
in sight of a party of Indians in a prairie, between the waters of
Cuivre and Salt river. I did not see the Indians, but the men in
front of the company saw them, as they allowed, about four or five
miles distant in the prairie, and the company followed the trail until
they came to where the Indians had left some of the plunder, to-
gether with two sides of leather (Brown's) ; here I allowed the In-
dians discovered the company after them, which was the cause of
their leaving the plunder. The company followed on until them-
selves and horses were so much exhausted that they could not over-
take the Indians, and all concluded to return, and that night went
back and lifted the Indian plunder which they had passed, and trav-
eled about three miles back on the trail, and encamped on a small
branch of Salt river. Here three of the company agreed to go home,
and the others, Murdough, Gooch and Brown, were to take the Indian
plunder on the next morning and go and leave it with one Lagoterie,
so that he might try and get the horses, or find out what nation of
Indians it was. After this resolution the horses were turned out,
and the company lay down, and about 2:00 o'clock on the morning of
the 21st,the company was fired on by the Indians, (supposed then to be
Sacs)." The Indians suddenly opened fire, and before the men
could rouse themselves, William T. Cole, Gooch, Brown and Patten
were killed and Stephen Cole was wounded.
Cat-Fish, a Pottowatomie, was subsequently identified as the
leader of the band, having with him other Potto' , ^ Lomies and a Sac.
On the 22d Stephen Cole returned to the settlements and gave the
warning, when a party the following day went to the battlefield and
buried the dead.
Stephen Cole was said to have killed four Indians and wounded a
fifth with his own hand. The survivors were unable to reach the
settlements again to tell their story, until the 22d; then a party re-
turned and recovered the bodies, but the horses, blankets, guns, am-
munition, etc., belonging to them had been stolen and by that time
probably had been lost irretrievably.!
At Vincennes, on July 18, it was ascertained that the Rock river
Sacs had prepared to strike, the moment they should receive the
signal. The motive which prompted it being another pilgrimage to
* Annals of the West, 728. Edwards' Hist. p. 37, places the robbery at Portage des Sioux;
but affidavits made at the time all place them at a settlement called Lontre settlement, Fen-
sure township, in the district of St. Charles.
tA.nnal9. 625 9. Edwards' Hist, of 111., 37.
68
see the British agent, at Maiden to receive presents, most of which
could be used against the Americans in unprotected localities, the
Indians passing Chicago July Ist. A friendly Miami who was pres-
ent when those Sacs received their presents, afterwards informed the
Americans that the agent told him as he had the Sacs these words:
"My son, keep your eyes fixed on me; my tomahawk is now up; be
you ready, but do not strike until I give the signal." For ladians of
a peaceful frame of mind, the following inventory may be said to re-
flect many hypothetical interlineations:
"Fort Wayne, Aug. 7, 1810.
"Since writing you on the 26th ultimo, about 100 men of the
Saukies * ha^e returned from the British agent, who supplied them
liberally with everything they stood in need of. The parties received
47 rifles and a numer of fusils, with plenty of powder and lead. This
is sending firebrands into the Mississippi country, inasmuch as it
will draw numbers of our Indians to the British side, in the hope of
being treated with the same liberality.
"John Johnson,
"Indian Agent. ^^
(Annals of the West, page 577.)
On May 18, 1811, the government was notified from Chicago that
an assemblage of Indians was to take place on a branch of the Illi-
nois, inspired by the Prophet of the Wabash and from which, hostil-
ities might be expected to spring in the event of trouble with the
English. On June 2, 1811, a party of savages fell upon a family
named Cox, near the forks of Shoal creek. There were present at
the time but two members of it, a young man, who was instantly
killed, his body was mutilated in a shocking manner, and a young
woman, who was made a prisoner. With the prisoner and all the
live stock stolen, the Indians followed a northward course for home.
When the Coxes returned and found the desolation left by the mur-
derers, a party commanded by one Preuitt, with Henry Cox, Benjamin
Cox and others to the number of eight or ten, started in pursuit,
northwesterly, and continuing to a point seven miles from their
home and 50 miles north of the present site of the city of Spring-
field, where the Indians were overtaken and an engagement followed.
No lives were lost, but the property was recovered, and during the
excitement of the engagement, the girl escaped, receiving a cruel
tomahawk wound in the hip while she ran. On the 20th of the same
month, a man named Price was killed near the spring in the lower
end of what was later the city of Alton. f Price, a relative of the
Whiteside family, and another man named Ellis were plowing corn
when they saw the Indians approaching them at the spring, where a
small cabin was located. As the Indians approached, the whites
asked if they were for peace or war. One of their number, a large
• The same referred to In the paragraph above.
tDavlaon and Stuve, 249. Reynolds' Pioneer Hist.. 404.
69
and powerful fellow, replied by laying his gun upon the ground and
extending his hand to Price, who innocently grasped it. But the
Indian held him as in a vice while the other Indians murdered him
in cold blood. During the fight, the man Ellis escaped after receiv-
ing a wound in the thigh, by flying to his horse and making for
home.
Murders became so numerous and the unfortunate victims were
mutilated so frightfully, that a mass meeting of St. Clair county cit-
izens was held to consider the state of the country, demand protec-
tion by the government and in the mean time, protect themselves as
well as their numbers and means would permit. At that meeting,
"Col. William Whiteside was conducted to the chair and Samuel D.
Davidson, Esq , appointed secretary:
^^ Resolved unanimously , That the following memorial be presented
to Ninian Edwards, governor of the territory aforesaid, as the joint
sense of the meeting, to be signed by the chairman; which humbly
sheweth, that we are highly gratified with the prompt, speedy and
prudential manner in which your Excellency has issued your orders
for the defense of the exposed frontiers of said country, to oppose
the repetition of Indian hostilities and that we have the utmost and
incontrovertible confidence in your abilities and patriotism for our
safety in the present alarming times, as the constitutional channel
between the general government and us:
"Wherefore, we confidently request of your Excellency to forward
the annexed memorial to the President of the United States, with
such statements as may appear reasonable and just to gain the object
prayed for, as we are confident your Excellency must feel and see
with us, that one or more garrisons, established and defended by the
regular veterans of the United States, would be of the utmost safety
to the extensive and exposed frontiers of both the Louisiaaa and
Illinois territories in a more particular manner as the great and num-
erous tribes of Indians, who had the hardihood and insolence to make
war against the United States, (and in some instances with effect)
a few years since, that by the treaty of Greenville and other subse-
quent treaties, have relinquished their title to their former hunting
ground, which is now transformed into substantial plantations and
are changing their habitations faat from the lakes and waters of the
Ohio down the Illinois river to the Mississippi, where undoubtedly
it would be necessary to establish a fort, in order to set reasonable
bounds to their savage fury and unprovoked disturbance; we beg
leave to refer your Excellency to a view of the great and manifest
benefits lately obtained by the garrisons established far up on the
two great rivers, several hundred miles above their junction, when,
before the establishing of these strengths, there did not a season pass
by but some innocent person fell a victim to savage barbarity on
both sides of the river and we confidently believe it would have the
same salutary effect, in establishing one fort or block house on the
first eminence above either the mouths of the Missouri or the Illinois
rivers and another in the seditious village of Peoria, the great nur-
sery of hostile Indians and traitorous British Indian traders. We
70
hope it will not be thought superfluouB to mention, that the above
request is not to gratify our pride or avarice in obtaining military
pomp to decorate our streets, or the expenditure of public money to
buy our produce, but it is to keep the improving citizen in peace in
a remote region from the United States, who is now working to con-
vert the fertile and extensive plains of the Mississippi into the fair-
est portion of the Union.
"From different circumstancee the inhabitants of this country are
not in possession of a sufficiency of arms to repel any attack that
may be offered; owing to the present alarm, it is not in our power to
buy any, and a considerable portion of the militi i are not circum-
stanced to buy. If your Excellency will be pleased to make use of
your good offices to obtain from the general government the use of
what rifles and muskets may be thought in your wisdom needful, it
certainly would be of great service to this frontier country.
William Whiteside,
Samuel D. Davidson,"
"At a numerous meeting of the militia officers, and other inhabi-
tants of St. Clair county, Illinois territory, at the court house, the
.... day of ... . 1811, to take into consideration the alarming situation
of the frontiers of this county, from the numerous and horrid de-
predations lately committed by the Indians; Col, William Whiteside
was conducted to the chair, and Samuel D. Davidson appointed sec-
retary.
"Resolved, That there be a memorial immediately signed by the
chairman of this meeting and countersigned by the secretary, stat-
ing to the President of the United States the necessity of his order-
ing what number of regular troops he, in his wisdom, may think
requisite, to be stationed for the defence of said county.
'^Resolved, That the said memorial be sent to the Governor of said
territory, requesting him to forward the same to the President of the
United States and make such statement (to accompany said mem-
orial) as the urgency of the subject does require.
" To James Madison, President of the United States, Greeting —
"The memorial of the inhabitants of the aforesaid county, humbly
sheweth: That the inhabitants residing on the frontiers aforesaid,
have sustained frequent and repeated damages from the different
and numerous tribes of Indians on and in the neighborhood of the
Illinois river, these five or six years past, by stealing their horses
and other property, as well as the cruel murder of some few of the
citizens. In lieu of retaliating, the said citizens curbed their pas-
sions and restrained their resentment, lest they should be so unfor-
tunate as to draw a stigma on the government by punishing the in-
nocent for the transgressions of the guilty; and in one instance,
restrained the vindictive spirit, by taking two Indians prisoners,
who were in possession of stolen property, after a chase of 100 miles,
and gave them up to the law.
71
"We are become the victims of savage cruelty in a more hasty and
general manner than what has lately been experienced in the United
States. Last spring, there were numbers of horses stolen. On the
second of June, a house of Mr. Cox was robbed of valuable effects,
five horses stolen, a young man massacred and his sister taken pris-
oner; sad and conclusive presages of war. There was likewise a
man severely wounded, when following the aforesaid Indians.
"On the 20th of the same month (June) a man was killed and
scalped and another mortally wounded, which can be more fully
stated by the executive of said territory. Those who have suffered
are not intruders, but are living on their own farms, on the north-
western frontier of said county. From our knowledge of the danger
we are in, and our long suffering, we think we ask nothing but what
is reasonable and what will be advantageous to the United States
when we implore you to station what number of soldiers you may
think sufficient to establish a garrison at the village of Peoria, com-
monly called Opea, on the Illinois river; and one other on the eastern
bank of the Mississippi, at or near the place once viewed and adopted
by Captains Stoddart and Bissel, six or eight miles below the mouth
of said Illinois river, both sites being covered by treaty. We beg to
refer you to the governor of said territory concerning the urgency
and necessity of the case, not doubting but that you will grant our
request if you think it will be for the welfare of the Union.
Wm. Whiteside,
Sam'l D. Davidson."*
Which resolutions, with letters, were forwarded by Governor Ed-
wards to the President, Feb. 15, 1812.
At once (July, 1811f ) a company of mounted rangers was raised in
the Goshen settlement for the protection of the locality. Another
was raised in Missouri J An act of Congress followed, authorizing
the enlistment of ten companies of mounted rangers, to be styled the
17th regiment, of which Col. William Russell, of Kentucky, was given
command, and over each of which companies a captain was elected
by the men. Four of those companies, recruited from Illinois, were
assigned to the defense of Illinois, towit: The 3ompanies of Capt.
William B. Whiteside, Capt. Samuel Whiteside, Capt James B.
Moore and Capt. Jacob Short. Four of them were assigned to Indi-
ana and two to Missouri.
Over toward the Wabash five companies of mounted rangers were
organized, to-wit: The companies of Capt. Willis Hargrave,§ Capt.
William McHenry,§ Capt. Nathaniel Journey, Capt. Thomas E.
Craig (of Shawneetown) and Capt. William Boone of the Big Muddy. ||
Forts, block houses and stockades were erected over the State
wherever settlements were to be found, and, so far as known, are in-
cluded in the following list: Journey's fort, a short distance above
the site of the town of Aviston; one on the site of the present town
•Indian Affnlr8, American State Papers.
tAnnala. 731.
lAnuals. 729. and Davidson and Stuv6, 249.
?Both of White county.
liloses Illinois. Vol. I. p. 247.
72
of Carlyle; two (in the present county of Bond) on the east side of
Shoal creek, one known as Hill's fort and the other as Jones' fort;
one a few miles southeast of the present site of Lebanon, in St. Clair
county, on the west side of the Looking Glass prairie, known as
Chambers' fort; one on theKaskaskia river, called Middleton's fort, and
another on the same stream called Going's fort; one on (Goshen) Doza
creek, a few miles above its mouth, known as Nat Hill's; two in the
Jourdan or Jordan settlement, built in 1811 by Thomas and Francis
Jordan, with the assistance of the militia from the U. S. Saline, on
the road to the salt works in the eastern part of Franklin county,
eight or nine miles from old Frankfort; one at the mouth of the Illi-
nois river; one, a small block house, on the west bank of the Illinois
river (Prairie Marcot), 19 miles above its mouth, erected by Lieut.
John Campbell, U. S. A ; Fort Clark at Peoria; one on the Missis-
sippi, opposite the mouth of the Missouri; one on Silver creek,
northeast of Troy; one called Ft. Johnson, on the site of the pres-
ent town of Warsaw; Ft. Edwards; one, and by far the most im-
portant, called Camp Russell, in honor of Colonel Russell, was
established about a mile and a half northwest of Edwards
vilie; Ft. Massac was also used as a base of supplies. Also
the following over in White county: One on the Tangu-
ary land, the northeast quarter of section 16, in township No.
5 south, of range 10 east, built by Capt. William McHenry in the
summer of 1812, and from which Captain McHenry 's company ranged ;
one on the Stark ey place, built by Hardy Council in 1818; one on the
east side of Big Prairie, built by Aaron Williams in 1813; one on the
ground a little south of George Hanna's house, built by John Hanna,
upon which spot there now stands a Methodist church; one about
200 yards east of where Mathew Land now owns, built by Robert
Land, who lived in it during the war, about half a mile south of the
Hanna fort last above named; one east of Thomas Logan's farm,
built by John Slocumb; and one in the northern part of the county,
built by Daniel Boultinghouee near the prairie since named for him.
He was killed by the Indians out on that prairie, near the house, in
1813.
On March 20, 1818, a gentleman, writing to the Missouri Gazette,
referred, among other things, to the forts of Illinois in the follow-
ing manner: "We have now nearly finished 22 family forts
(stations) , extending from the Mississippi, nearly opposite Bellefon-
taine (the mouth of the Missouri), to the Kaskaskia river, a distance
of about 60 miles. Between each fort spies are to pass and repass
daily and communicate throughout the whole line, which will be ex-
tended to the U. S. Saline and from thence to the mouth of the Ohio.
Rangers and mounted militia, to the amount of 500 men, constantly
scour the country from 20 to 50 miles in advance of our settlements,
so that we feel perfectly easy as to an attack from our red brethren (?),
as Mr. JefiFerson very lovingly calls them."
In general, those forts were block houses, built of logs, a story and
a half or two stories in height, with corners closely trimmed; the
walls of the first being provided with port holes and doors, the last
named being made of thick puncheons, strongly fastened together
73
and as strongly barred on the inside. The upper story projected
over the lower some three feet, through the floor of which were port
holes commanding a range on the territory below. They were gen-
erally built in two diagonally opposite corners of the stockade; some-
times one was built in each of the four corners, and yet again one
was built in the middle of the enclosure. These stockades were built
by setting endwise into trenches, logs, trimmed on two sides, 12 or
15 feet high, through which port holes were cut high enough to be
above the head, and under which platforms were built to bring the
soldier near enough to use his gun. They were expected to enclose
sufiicient ground to contain the person and much of the property of
him who sought shelter within. Cabins to contain all were generally
erected, and in many cases a high degree of comfort for those times
was to be enjoyed in those cabins. Usually two heavy gates were
built to admit the teams and other stock, Wells were generally dug
to provide water and, in fine, nothing needed to resist a long siege
was omitted Those posts usually afforded ample protection and
few accidents were reported to those who "forted" themselves.
Fort Russell, in 1812, was provided with the single piece of artil-
lery of Louis XIV, brought from Ft. Chartres. It was made the de-
pot for military stores and virtually became the seat of government
of Illinois territory when Governor Edwards and his suite removed
thence. No regulars were quartered there save the small detachment
under Captain Ramsey early in the spring of 1812.
All the evidence at hand tended to prove conclusively to Governor
Edwards that thus far all the mischief to the settlements had been
conceived in the villages along the Illinois river , to which the Prophet
had directed his genius for a considerable time. The following dis-
patches bear upon the point:
"ViNOENNES, July 2, 1811.
"We were informed four weeks ago, that it was the intention of
the Prophet to commence hostilities in the Illinois Territory in order
to cover his principal object, which was an attack upon this place.
These events require no comments; they merit and no doubt will re-
ceive the immediate attention of the government. The people are
in great alarm and have talked of collecting in stations. A dispatch
has also been received from the Illinois Territory informing of hos-
tilities and murders."
Note as follows:
"Illinois Territory, July 6, 1811.
"An express has been received, with information of several other
murders having been committed by the Indians on the frontiers. In
fact, I consider peace as totally out of the question; we need not ex-
pect it till the Prophet's party is dispersed and the bands of Potta-
watomies about the Illinois river are cut off. Hostilities with them
has grown into a habit. There is no reason to believe that they will
make suflBcient satisfaction for the murders they committed and the
goods and horses which they stole last year, or for the very aggra-
vated and increased instances of similar hostilities in the present
year. Energetic measures would lessen hia power of forming ooali-
74
tions with other tribes; but we have not the power of taking any
efPectual means to arrest his progress. If we do not make prepara-
tions to meet him, an attack is certain. If we make x^reparationa
formidable enough to deter him, though no war actually take place,
we have to enoouater all the expense, inconvenience and injury to
which a war with him would subject us, and there seems to be
no reasonable ground to hope for a change for the better, whilst he
is permitted to increase his strength with impunity."
"Belle Fontaine, July 22, 1811.
"On the 11th instant I detached a subaltern, sergeant, corporal and
15 privates, with a month's provisions, to the Illinois river to choose
a proper site for a block house, for temporary accommodations and
defense, with orders to scout and reconnoitre the country and to
watch every movement of the Indians."
"Ft. Wayne, Aug. 18, 1811.
"It appears that the fruit of the Shawnee Prophet and his band is
making its appearance in more genuine colors than heretofore. I
have lately had opportunities of seeing many of the Indians of this
agency from different quarters, and by what I have been able to learn
from them, particularly the Pottawatomies, I am induced to believe
the news circulating in the papers respecting the depredations com-
mitted in the Illinois Territory by the Indians, is mostly correct, and
is thought by them to have proceeded from Marpoc and the influence
of the Shawnee Prophet. Several of the tribes have sent to me for
advice."
It was therefore thought best to apply moral suasion to the Indians
of that locality, with the hope that they would, upon discovering the
intentio^is of Governor Edwards, desist from further schemes of
murder and robbery. Governor Howard had made a requisition on
Governor Edwards for the Gasconade murderers which the latter de-
sired to honor as well as to capture the murderers of the Cox boy and
Price, and to recover, if possible, the stolen property. Accordingly
on July 24, 1811, he commissioned Capt. Samuel Levering to under-
take the mission which would carry him to the Peoria lake country.*
On that day Captain Levering left Kaskaskia for the Peoria village,
reaching Mr. Jarrots', in Cahokia, about 11 o'clock the following
day, where he received his full quota of men, his boat for their con-
veyance, equipment, provisions, etc. That same night he shipped
for Ft. Clark with his crew, consisting of himself. Captain Ebert or
Hebert, Henry Swearingen, Nelson Rector, a Frenchman called an
interpreter, but really a spy, Wish-ha, a Pottawatomie Indian, and
eight oarsmen named Pierre St. John, Pierre LaParohe, Joseph Tro-
tier, Francis Pensoneau, Louis Bevanno, Thomas Hull (alias Woods) ,
Pierre Voedre and Joseph Grammason, all of whom signed articles
as boatmen and soldiers for the expedition, and each of whom was
armed with a gun.
* Suspected of harboring: the culprits and the locality from which all trouble originated.
1
■\
75
On the 28th of July the boat reached Portage des Sioux, where it
was met by Captain Whiteside with the men of his command, who
had just arrived from the block house near the mouth of the Illinois
river, and who informed Captain Levering that his party had fired
on some Sacs under Quash-qua- me, a few days previous, while they
were ascending the river.
While it may distract the attention of the reader from the main
narrative to relate the details of that incident, it must be admitted
that no better moment will appear than the present to insert it iu
full.
"Illinois River Block House, July the 24 th, 1811.
"Capt. William B. Whiteside:
"Sir — I conceive it my duty to give you a statement of an affair
that took place here since you left the block house. All passengers,
either ascending or descending the Mississippi, both Indians and
whites, came too at our block house and have been treated with civil-
ity, until the 28d instant. In the afternoon we discovered two canoes
ou the river near the Louisiana shore. Agreeable to your orders, I
hailed them, in order to bring them too, but they did not come, and
slipt alongside of the island. I took two men with me and went
across to the island; one of them was a Frenchman who speaks the
Indian language very well. I hailed them again, as the distance was
not so great, and could hear them speak distinctly, and told them it
was my orders to know what Indians passed,
"There was a Frenchman who spoke from the canoes and gave me
very insulting and abusive language, and continued going up the
river. I then told them if they did not stop and come too, I would
certainly fire on them, and was answered by the Frenchman, "Fire
and be damned !" Then I fired off my gun for to strike about 20 or
bO feet ahead of the canoe, which I seen the bullet strike and skip
along the water above the canoe. Immediately after I seen a stout-
looking man that we took to be a Frenchman, jump out of the fore-
most canoe onto the sandbar and fired at me, and was very near hit-
ting mo. I then was irritated, knowing they must have seen I did
not aim at them. I then loaded my rifle and done my best at the
Frenchman who shot at me, but done him no damage that I know of,
as the distance was 200 or 800 yards. There was two more guns
fired at us from the canoes, but done us no damage and went on.
The day before the affair took place, a Sac chief called on me and
told me he had some Indians behind that would be along in the even-
ing and would stop. It appears to me that it was the Frenchman's
fault, as we told the Indians very civilly, in their own language, what
we wanted with them, and that we would not detain them. I shall
be extremely sorry to have done anything that may have the least
appearance of an unfriendly disposition towards Indians that is in
friendship with the United States.
A man that called his name Blondo came down the river and had
met several canoes of the Sac Indians this morning, not far above
this place, who told him they had been fired on the evening before
by the people of this block house, and that they were very angry in
consequence of it. I, not being acquainted with the nature of In-
diana, may have done wrong, but I have this consolation, if I have, it
was with an intention of doing right, Myself and the men are all in
good health. We have no provisions come on yet. I am, sir,
"Your obedient servant,
"Samuel Whiteside."
Letter op Governor Howard.
St. Louis, July 29, 1811.
"Sir — I have just been informed that some of the militia of Illinois,
stationed on or near the Mississippi, below the mouth of the Illinois,
a few days ago fired on a party of Sao Indians ascending the river
from this place to Fort Madison with their women and children. I
cannot believe that this act can be justified by any instructions from
you. The white man who was with the chief and ahead of the
party, when this affair took place, says that when they came up they
appeared much irritated. I expect every day some chiefs from the
Sacs here, and I think it important that the transaction should be
satisfactorily explained to them. These people are powerful and
now very friendly towards us, and 'tis possible that this affair may
have a tendency to change their disposition in regard to the Ameri-
cans. When those chiefs arrive, it will afford me pleasure to be
furnished by you with the means of removing any unfavorable im-
pression which this affair may have made. I enclose you an extract
from a letter of Capt. Levering on the subject. I am sir,
Your humble serv't,
Benja. Howard.
His Excellency, Ninian Edwards."
Goshen, the 4th'of August, 1811.
"His Excellency, Ninian Edwards.
Sir — I have the honor of receiving yours of the 2nd instant in
which I am informed that Governor Howard has made a communica-
tion to your Excellency expressing a dissatisfaction with respect to
an affair that took place at the Block House, on the Mississippi river
between our men and some of the Sac Indians on the 23rd. of last
month, and wished an explanation of the same. I have written to
Governor Howard and given him all the information in my power,
and that will be satisfactory to him, I hope, I do enclose to your
Excellency a copy of a communication made by the officer to me, giv-
ing the whole narrative of the transaction that took place with respect
to firing on the Sac Indians, I can only observe that I think the
boys was rather too forward, but I believe it was done by the officer
without considering what the consequences that might result from it,
would be Although I know him to be a deliberate man and one as
zealous for the safety of his country as perhaps any one in it. I am,
very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
Wm. B. Whiteside."*
*The Edwards papers, pp. 63-63.
77
On July 29th, the Levering boat reached Prairie Marcot, 19 miles
above the mouth of the Illinois river, where Lieut, John Campbell
U, S. A was stationed with 17 men. That oflBcer reported recent
trails indicating the presence of 15 Indians. Nothiu)^ further oc-
curred between that date and the arrival on August cJrd of the expe-
dition at Ft. Clark where it was met by Mr. Thomas Forsyth the
Indian agent there, who reported to Capt. Levering that he had
already delivered Gen. Clark's* letter of a previous date, requesting
the surrender of the murderers aad the stolen property, to Chief
Gomo at his village 24 miles further up the river and that the chief
had manifested an apparently honest desire to comply with the re-
quests; but that he, Gomo, stood almost alone for the Americans.
On August 4th, Jacques Mettie, of Peoria, reported that one of
the Shoal Creek murderers was Nom-bo-itt, a Pottawatomie, at that
moment in the Yellow Creek village of Chief Mat-cho-quis. about 90
leagues from Peoria, and that another Pottawatomie named Me-nac-
queth, was at Latourt or White Pigeon, on the route to Detroit; and
that the third one of the Cox murderers was Es-ca-puck-he-ah, or
Green, then 10 or 12 miles beyond White Pigeon, probably at the
apple orchard on the Kick-kal-le-ma seau.f (Kalamazoo.)
Immediately on arrival, Mr. Fournier was sent forward to visit
Gomo and notify him of the presence below of Captain Levering
with a message from Governor Edwards, but before reaching Gomo's
village, an Indian had preceded him with the report that an armed
party of 50 men had arrived at Ft. Clark. In face of such numbers,
Gomo concluded to take with him an escort of 14 armed warriors,
with which he at once marched down the river, floating the L^nited
States flag, to a point about 80 rods above the quarters of Cap-
tain Levering. At that point the chief received a message from
Levering to the effect that he. Levering, desired Gomo to call at his
quarters and receive a letter sent from Governor Edwards. Gomo
called, and after learning of the contents of the letter, at once com-
plied cheerfully and also agreed to return at once to his village and
send his young men out to call in the following Pottawatomie chiefs:
Neng-ke sapt, or Fire Medals, at Elkhart, Ind.; Topenuj'-boy, on the
River St Joseph; Mo-quau-go, on the Qui-que que river; Wi-ne-
mange,| or Cat Fish, on the Wabash. That Marpoc and his princi-
pal chiefs had gone to Detroit and probably would not return till
autumn. The chiefs of the towns on Fox river were at Milwaukee;
Little Chief on the An Sable or Sand; Masseno, or Gomo, about
seven leagues above Peoria; Black Bird, chief of the Ottawas, on the
An Sable. At the conference Gomo displayed willingness to render
every assistance to the Americans in running down the murderers
and recovering the stolen property.
With him was a cross bred Menominee- Pottawatomie, named Me-
che-kenoph, or Bittern, who stated that the Price murderers were
five Menominee brothers, whose names he repeated.
*Gen. Wiliam Clark waa then the superintendent of Indian affairs for the entire locality,
t Edwards. 39.
i Winnemec.
78
Bring furnished with tobacoo for distribution among his absent
chiefs, Gomo then left for his village.
In his absence, a difference arose in relation to the policy that
should be pursued by the council of Indians. Speculation on
Gomo's probable policy was discussed and its result imagined, out
of which it was evolved that the Indians in all probability would
adopt the prevalent policy, supposed to be the one recommended by
the English, of sending some talkative or boisterous Indian like Lit-
tle Chief to make promises from time to time until the affair had
blown over. Thereupon Captain Levering resolved that he should
attempt to make a serious impression upon the Indians by demand-
ing a joint council from the tribes in the territories of Illinois, Indi-
ana, Michigan and Louisiana to hear his grievances and act on them
unitedly, so that thereafter, no individual chief could say, "it is none
of my particular business, but my neighbor's." With this policy in
mind, Levering's party the next day proceeded up stream until dark
when a village, 20 miles from Ft. Clark was reached. At that point,
the crew refused to go further, insisting that they were not employ-
ed to work after dark, and Captain Levering was compelled to em-
ploy two Indians to take him and Mr. Fournier by canoe four miles
further up the river to a creek. From thence they were conducted
through "a moist and thicketty bottom" to Gomo's village, reaching
that place about 11:00 p. m. Gomo and his Indians were awakened
from their sleep without bad humor and the embassy invited to a
lodge, a large building built of bark, 25 by 50 feet inside, occupied
by about 80 persons Scaffolds 6 to 7 feet long, 6 feet wide and
5 feet high, extending all around the building afforded a space upon
which to sleep and sit. Upon this. Levering and Fournier were in-
vited to mount and sit next the family of Gomo himself. Though
late and inconvenient, Gomo's wife prepared and served a dish made
from new corn, which was eaten by the whites while Gomo sat by
and silently smoked. Two fires were smoldering near the center of
the room, about which the men had gathered to sit in silence; a
mark of respect to their guests.
The following morning, Gomo and another chief returned to
Peoria, from which point and hour, it has been thought best to re-
peat the narrative in full from Edwards' History of Illinois.
"Captain Levering introduced the conversation by saying to Gomo
that he wished a private talk with him, which he hoped would be
useful; that he would not then speak the words of our father who
sent him; that they were more interesting, and particularly concern-
ed all the nation, and that he was reserving them for the council of
chiefs who would be convened in a few days.
"Gomo replied that he would, was rejoiced that he had been sent
on this errand, and wished that the chiefs could attend and hear for
themselves, our father's words; for no communication which he or
any other Indian might make would be believed. They would, he
said, call him sugar mouth, and charge him with being excited by
fear or moved by treachery.
79
"For that reason, Captain Levering wished the presence of as
many chiefs and leading characters, from as many villages as could
be collected, that none should be left in a state of ignorance that
might and probably would be the means of involving the whole
nation in a war. He stated to Gomo that our great father desired
that peace and friendship should exist between the red and the white
man, yet one chief might and could, from want of the proper infor-
mation^ frustrate all these blessings; that it was important for the
Indians all to know that, although the whites wished peace and
friendship, some of the Indians had committed outrages, which, if
not satisfactorily explained and atoned for, would end in their des-
truction. "His father, before sending him, had advised with their
fathers on the west of the Mississippi and on the east of the Wabash,
and he now spoke agreeably to their united deliberations. Although
our fathers did not resent the first injury, it was only through a dis-
position of forbearance, hoping that it was an act of some unruly in-
dividual, which the chiefs would correct; for the whites cannot con-
ceive that individuals among the Indians can continue to perpetrate
outrages without the countenance and encouragement of the chiefs.
They believe that the chiefs can restrain their people from the com-
mission of acts which will be injurious to their nation. The most
forbearing, the greatest patience may become fatigued and worn
out. Though friendship, on our part, should be abundant as the
waters of a great river, yet, interrupt it till you choke it and it will
be converted into a flood of destruction, and in its course it could
not discriminate the innocent from the guilty — while any good man
would lament the sufferings of the innocent.*
"Gomo wished that all the chiefs could attend and hear the words
of their father, arid expressed a wish that Captain Levering should
also tell them the words he had spoken. He said that he would send
for them, although he thought it probable that the chiefs of the St.
Joseph and Qui-que que rivers and Yellow creek were abst-nt from
their homes, for there were a number of runners from the British
among them, with talks and messages, which was probably the occa-
sion of Marpoc, and many Indians from this and other towns, trav-
eling lately towards Canada. In order to lengthen the conversation,
Captain Levering continued as follows: "At about my age past, the
British and the Americans had a seven years war. Washington, the
man that handed you the papers which you showed to me before
leaving your village, was our Great Father, that had conducted our
warriors to the war. He is now dead, but we love him, for he was a
good and brave man and fought for our riglits against the unreason-
able pretensions of the British. Tbey would not allow us to be full
men, able to manage our own affairs; but, under Washington, we
fought them for seven years. They were worsted and asked for
peace. We love peace and happiness; and Washington became our
Great Father. But, ever since, the British cannot be our generous
friends; they are jealous of our growing strength, yet they know th&t
* It must be stated that by reason of th(^ many vicious InflJans, mixed up with the few
good Indians of the lUlaois river country, the whites found it impossible, finally, to distin-
guish and separate them.
80
in case of war they cannot stand before us, and they are continually
striving to get the Indians into trouble with us, in order to resent
their enmities. They offer the Indians protection while they are
unable to protect themselves. If they could protect themselves, they
would wage open war on us. If they could have beaten us my life-
time ago, they would have done it, and Washington, who gave you
those papers, would have been hung. But they were conquered, and
General Washington, 18 years ago, made a treaty with the Indians,
declaring that we will be friends with the Indians; and they made a
law that if an American should kill an Indian, that it should be the
duty of every governor of our different States and Territories to catch
that man and put him to death; and that if any one should settle on
any of your lands he should pay $1000 and be imprisoned for twelve
months. Such are the papers which that great and good man put
into your hands, and which you have shown to me. All of our
fathers, ever since, would treat you as children. They would also
remain at peace with the British; but for our kindness they must at
least treat us with justice — not insult us, not murder our people, nor
steal our horses."
"Gromo's elder brother spoke of a time when the British put tha
Indians in the front of the battle. Gomo said he saw Washington
in Philadelphia, when they made the treaty of 1793; that there were
two of the horses in the possession of his tribe, and a third in his
own possession which he had bought, saying that at the time of the
purchase he did not know that it had been stolen. He said that they
should be delivered up.
"On the 8th of August, 1811, Captain Levering delivered, at the
Governor's request, two commissions — one to Thomas Forsyth, as
justice of the peace for the town of Peoria, and the other to John
Baptiste Dupond as captain in and for the same place, both of whom
took the oath of office.
"Mr. Dupond said the Indians would expect him, now that he was
a chief, to give them some meat and tobacco, and that some unpleas-
antly disposed persons would instigate the Indians to worry him, and
that he hoped the Governor would notice such; that he did not wish
to accept the commission but that, as there were unfavorable reports
of the place,* he was willing to let it be known that there is a person
well disposed to the government.
"On the 15th of August, Miche-Pah-ka en-na, theKick-a-poo chief
and 11 of his warriors arrived and called on Captain Levering, who
told the chief that as he was the only chief he had seen whom our
father knew to be friendly with his white children, he was particu-
larly pleased to see him. He gave them some refreshments, and the
chief remarked that he had always heard that our father was kind
and good and he was happy to see an evidence of it in his sons, and
more particularly as some of his young men were present to witness
the friendly disposition. Captain Levering told him that their father
and his greater chiefs were all known, some of them through the
papers, some of them from the word of mouth, and they all desired
to live in friendship with their red children.
*Peorla was reputed to be the breedine eronnd of all the Indian conspiracies and troubles.
81
"On the same day Gomo, Little Chief and others waited on Cap-
tain Levering. Little Chief said that he had come to hear the words
of his father and he hoped that they would be all told to them as they
were written. Forsyth replied, with much warmth, that if they ap-
prehended any deficiency they must get another interpreter. Little
Chief said if they had come to his village he would have furnished
them with a cabin and plenty to eat, and, as he had come to hear the
words of his father, he wished to know where he should go. Captain
Levering replied that the white men were aggrieved and had sent
him to talk with the Indians; that he was a sojourner among them,
but, being in a strange place and unprovided, he could not give them
the kind and quality of provisions equal to his wishes. Little Chief
then showed him a paper and asked him what it was. Captain Lev-
ering informed him that it was a pass from Captain Heald of Chicago,
dated July 11, 1811, stating that Little Chief, a Pottawottomie, was
on his way to St. LouIr; as a further protection he gave him a flag.
The chief replied that he had given him a piece of coarse cloth; and
said that he was in the habit of speaking loud, but when they came
to the council they must not mind it. Captain Levering replied that
their white brethren used different kinds of cloth for different pur-
poses; the kind put into the flag was the best to flow in the wind,
being light; and, when it was made into a flag, their white brethren
respected it and would hurt no one under it; he carried it to war, and
before he would lose it he would lose his life. 'The loudness of your
voice will make no difference if you only talk of the business of the
nation.' In the evening, about dusk, Captain Levering walked up
the bank of the river, intending, if a suitable occasion should ofPer,
to deliver his address to the Indians. He observed the flag on the
fence, flying with the Union down; and, Mr. Fournier standing near,
he requested him to tell the Indians that they had hoisted their
colors wrong, for the stars should be upward The Indian that Four-
nier addressed himself to, replied that he knew it but it was not he
that had put it so. Captain Levering walked on a few steps and,
seeing Little Chief coming out of the gate, he walked back a few
steps, carelessly, and desired Fournier to say to Little Chief that the
flag was hoisted wrong; that the stars should be above. Little Chief
replied that he knew it; he was not an American — he was an Indian,
Some person must have made it in the night, for it had large stitches
and the sewing was very coarse.
"Captain Levering prepared the following address, to be delivered
to the Indians on the next morning:
" 'Brothers, Chiefs and Warriors — On yesterday I told you
how much we respect the flag of the United States; that, through
an act of friendship, one has been given to some one of you to guard
you in safety to St. Louis. The hoisting of the flag with the stare
downward is considered as degrading the flag, and an insult to
the United States, and our white enemies, whenever they take one
from us, hoist it so with the intention of insulting the government of
the United States, nor can the circumstance be less insulting when
— 6H.
82
it is done by the Indians, after they are duly acquainted with the
mode and etiquette.
" 'Myfather, a part of that government, feels himself aggrieved in
his children, by some persons from this quarter; yet, being unwill-
ing to use hasty measures, that are apt to injure the innocent with
the guilty, and hoping to find you disposed to be friendly, has sent
me to talk with you — yet I can not, nor will not, while you are in-
sulting the government. You must turn your flag and have it placed
properly, or I will immediately leave here without delivering our
father's talk.'"
"At a very early hour on the next morning, the Indians had raised
the flag, Union up.
"Being informed, on the morning of the 16th of August, that the
Indians were ready and on their way to the council room, Captain
Levering invited the inhabitants of Peoria to attend, and, accom-
panied by Mr. Forsyth, Mr. Rector, Mr. Swearingen and Captain
Hebert, met the Indians in the council room. He then proceeded to
address the Indians as follows:
" 'Brothers, Chiefs and Warriors — The weather is cloudy. In
the region south and west of this, you will see none moving — all hav-
ing drawn toward their cabins, in apprehension of a storm. But our
father, who presides over the tribes between the Mississippi and Wa-
bash, being a good man, has sent me to invite you under this shelter
to smoke a pipe in profound meditation — having our ears open to
the voice of the Great Spirit, and our hearts disposed to obey its dic-
tates— to see whether all may not subside, be calm, fair and cheerful.
But first let us smoke a pipe, and then attend to the talk of our
father."
"The following is Governor Edwards' address to the Pottawattom-
ies, delivered in council at Peoria, on the 15th of August, 1811:
"Illinois Territory, July 21, 1811.
"To THE Chiefs and Warriors of the Tribes of Pottawattomies,
RESIDING ON THE ILLINOIS RIVER AND ITS WATERS, IN THE TERRITORY
OF Illinois — My children, you are now met together, by my desire,
on a very important occasion. You are now to be asked to do an act
of justice. Should you refuse it, it may once more involve the red
and white brethren in all the horrors of bloody war. On the other
hand, if you should perform what justice itself calls for, it will
brighten the chain of friendship, which has for a long time united
the red people with their white brethren of the United States.
'*My children, ever since Wayne's treaty, our Great Father, the
President of the United States, has faithfully fulfilled all his treaties
with you. He has endeavored to make his red and white children
live as one great family, loving and obliging one another, and he has
always strictly forbidden his white children from doing harm to their
red brethren.
"My children, for a long time the bloody tomahawk and scalping
knife have been buried. The sun of peace has been upon us, bless-
ing us with his light and giving gladness to our hearts. The red
83
people have eujoyed their forests and pursued their game in peace;
and the white people have cultivated the earth without fear. But,
my children, these bright prospects are darkened. A storm
seems to be gathering which threatens destruction, unless it should
be dissipated by that justice which you, as good men, ought to ren-
der.
"My children, while we trusted to treaties with you — while we be-
lieved our red brethren to be friendly — some of our people, fearing
no danger, have been plundered of their property and deprived of
their lives by some of your bad men.
"My children, last year a perogue was cut loose on the Mississippi
and a considerable quantity of goods was taken out of it, and carried
off, by some of your people. A great many horses have been stolen
from this Territory, both during the last and the present year, many
of which have certainly been carried off by some of your people.
Other horses have been stolen from the neighborhood of St. Charles,
in Louisiana. I demand satisfaction for these outrages.
"My children, on the 19th day of July, last year, in the district of
St. Charles, and territory of Louisiana, a party of Pottawatomies
stole several horses. On the next day they were pursued by the
white people, who lost the trail and quit the pursiiit. On that night
those Pottawatomies fell upon those white men, in their camp, killed
four of them, wounded a fifth, and carried off several horses and
other property. Among those Indians were Cat Fish, 0-hic-ka-ja-
mis and Mis-pead-na-mis. I demand that these bad men, and all
others who were of the party, together with the property they stole,
shall be delivered up to Captain Levering and his party, or that you
yourselves shall deliver them and the property to me.
"My children, on the 2nd day of last June, on Shoal creek, in St.
Clair ccunty, in this Territory, three of your bad men went to the
house of a Mr. Cox, plundered his property, took two guns, two
mares and colts, and a stud horse, barbarously killed his son and took
his daughter a prisoner. A few days after this outrage, near the
Mississippi, in the same county and territory, others of your bad
men killed a man by the name of Price, and wounded another by the
name of Ellis. I demand that these bad men, together with all the
property they took off, shall be delivered to Captain Levering, or that
you shall deliver them and the property to me.
"My children, the blood of those innocent men who have been
wounded and murdered, cries aloud to the Great Spirit for ven-
geance. The hearts of their relations and brethren bleed with sor-
row, The fire of revenge flames in their hearts, and they thirst for
blood.
"My children, I have found it almost impossible to prevent the
white people from rushing to your towns, to destroy your corn, burn
your property, take your women and children prisoners, and murder
your warriors. But I told them that those who have done the mis-
chief were bad men; that you would disapprove their conduct and
84
deliver them to me as enemies both to you and your white brethren.
I commanded your white brethren not to raise the tomahawk or go
to war with you, and they obeyed me.
"My children, now open your ears to hear my words, and let them
sink deep into your hearts. If you wish for peace with us, you must
do us justice. If you disapprove those murders and other outrages
that have been committed, you must deliver up the offenders; for if
your harbor among you such deadly enemies to us, you cannot be
our friends, and you ought not to expect our friendship.
"My children, Grovernor Harrison demanded some of those bad
men, when they were within his territory, and they fled to the Illi-
nois river and took up shelter among you. I now demand them, and
you must not say that they are fled elsewhere. They murdered our
people — they are our enemies — and if you have protected them, and
they belong to your bands, you must find them and deliver them up,
or we must consider you as approving our enemies.
"My children, liars and bad advisers are among you; they profess
to be your friends, and they deceive you; they have their interest in
view, and care not what becomes of you, if they can succeed in their
designs. Avoid such people.
"My children, you can remember when such men pursuaded you
to make war upon your white brethren of the United States. They
promised you great assistance, but they left you to fight your own
battles, and you found it necessary to sue for peace. At that time
you were stronger than you are now; the woods were then full of
game of all kinds; large numbers of you could collect together and
traverse the country without fear of wanting meat. But this cannot
be done now.
"My children, when we were at war with you, we were then weak;
we have now grown strong — have everything necessary for war, and
are your near neighbors. Our Great Father's dominions extend
over vast countries, bounded by the great waters; his great towns
and cities are hardly to be counted, and his white children are thick
and numerous like the stars of the sky.
"My children, your Great Father, the president of the United
States, has nothing to fear from wars, but he wishes to be at peace
with you, because he loves you and wishes to make you happy. You
ought to try to merit hie kindness and avoid his resentment.
"My children, your Great Father asks nothing but justice from
you. Suffer not bad advisers to persuade you to refuse it. In kind-
ness, none can exceed him; but if you should determine to treat him
and his white children as enemies, storms and hurricanes, and the
thunder and lightnings of heaven, cannot be more terrible than will
be his resentment,
"My children, Capt. Samuel Levering will deliver you this talk; he
is authorized, by me, to demand of you the property that has been
85
Btolen, and those bad men who committed the murders, and all who
were of the party. You will confer with Captain Levering, and come
to as speedy a determination as possible.
"My children, let justice be done, let all cause of quarrel be re-
moved, and let us live like brothers.
"Your affectionate father,
"NiNiAN Edwards."
The council again met on the 16th of August, to receive the answer
of the Pottawattomies. Gomo spoke as follows:
"We have listened well to your information, and hope that you
will give the same attention to our words.
"I am very glad that you have come among us, and that you have
delivered the words of the Grovernor to all the chiefs and warriors in
hearing. I intended to have gone to see the Governor, but it is much
better as it has occurred, that he has sent his talk here.
"You see the color of our skin. The Great Spirit, when he made
and disposed of man, placed the red skins in this land, and those
who wear hats on the other side of the big waters. When the Great
Spirit placed us on this ground, we knew of nothing but what was
furnished to us by nature; we made use of our stone axes, stone
knives and earthen vessels, and clothed ourselves from the skins of
the beasts of the forest. Yet we were contented. When the French
first made large canoes, they crossed the wide waters to this country,
and on first seeing the red people they were rejoiced. They told us
that we must consider ourselves as the children of the French, and
they would be our father; the country was a good one, and they would
change goods for skins.
"Formerly we all lived in one large village. In that village there
was only one chief, and all things went on well; but since our inter-
course with the whites, there are almost as many chiefs as we have
young men.
"At the time of the taking of the Canadas, when the British and
the French were fighting for the same country, the Indians were so-
licited to take part in that war — since which time there have been
among us a number of foolish young men. The whites ought to
have staid on the other side of the waters, and not to have troubled
us on this side. If we were fools, the whites are the cause of it.
From the commencement of their wars, they used many persuasions
with the Indians; they made them presents of merchandise, in order
to get them to join and assist in their battles, since which time there
have always been fools among us, and the whites are blamable for it.
"The British asked the Indians to assist them in their wars with
the Americans, telling us that if we allowed the Americans to remain
upon our lands, they would in time take the whole country, and we
would then have no place to go . Some of the Indians did join the Brit-
ish, but all did not; some of this nation in particular , did not join them.
The British persisted in urging upon us that if we did not assist them
in driving the Americans from our lands, our wives and children
86
would be miserable for the remainder of our days In the oourse of
that war, the American General Clark came to Kaskaskia, and sent
for the chiefs on this river to meet him there. We attended, and he
desired us to remain still and quiet in our own villagje, saying that
the Americans were able, of themselves, to fight the British.
"You Americans generally speak sensibly and plainly, At the
treaty of Greenville, General Wayne spoke to us in the same sensible
and clear manner.
"I have listened with attention to you both. At the treaty of
Greenville, General Wayne told us that the tomahawk must be
buried, and even thrown into the great lake; and should any white
man murder an Indian, he should be delivered up to the Indians; and,
we on our part, should deliver up the red men who murdered a white
person, to the Americans.
"A Pottawattomie Indian, by the name of Turkey- foot, killed
Americans, for which he was demanded of us; and although he was
a great warrior, we killed him ourselves in satisfaction for his murders.
"Some of the Kickapoos killed an American. They were demand-
ed, were given up, and were tied up with ropes around their necks
for the murders. This was not what the chief who made the demand
promised, as they were put to death in another manner. Our custom
is to tie up a dog in tbat way, when we make a sacrifice.
"Now, listen to me well, in what I have to say to you. The red-
skins have delivered up their offenders.
"Some time ago one of our young men was drunk at St. Louis, and
was killed by an American. At another time some person stole a
horse near Oahokia, The citizens of the village followed the trail,
met an innocent Kickapoo, on his way to Kaskaskia, and killed him.
Last fall, on the other side, and not far from Ft. Wayne, a Wyandot
Indian set fire to a prairie; a settler came out and inquired of him
how he came to set fire. The Indian answered that he was hunting.
The settler struck the Indian and continued to beat him, till they
were parted, when another settler shot the Indian. This summer, a
Chippeway Indian, at Detroit, was looking at a gun; it went off acci-
dently, and shot an American, The Chippeway was demanded, de-
livered up and executed. Is this the way that General Wayne ex-
hibits his charity to the red-skins? Whenever an instance of this
kind happens, it is usual for the red-skins to regard it as an accident.
"You Americans think that all the mischiefs that are committed
are known to the chiefs, and immediately call on them for the sur-
render of the offenders. We know nothing of them; our business is
to hunt, in order to feed our women and children.
"It is generally supposed that we red- skins are always in the wrong.
If we kill a hog, we are called fools or bad men; the same or worse,
is said of us if we kill an horned animal; yet, you do not take into
consideration the fact that while the whites are hunting along our
rivers, killing our deer and bears, that we do not speak ill of them.
87
"When the French came to Niagara, Detroit, Mackinaw and
Chicago, they built no forts or garrisons, nor did the English, who
came after them; but when the Americans came, all was changed.
They built forts and garrisons and blockades wherever they go. From
these facts we infer that they intend to make war upon us.
"Whenever the United States make the Indians presents, they
afterwards say that we must give them such a tract of land; and after
a good many presents they then ask a larger piece. This is the wa y
we have been served. This is the way of extending to us charity.
"Formerly, when the French were here, they made us large pres-
ents; so have the English; but the Americans, in giving their pres-
ents, have always asked a piece of land in return. Such has been the
treatment of the Americans.
"If the whites had kept on the other side of the waters, these acci-
dents could not have happened; we could not have crossed the wide
waters to have killed them there; but they have come here and turned
the Indians in confusion. If an Indian goes into their village, like
a dog he is hunted, and threatened with death.
"The ideas of the Pottawattomies, Ottaways and Chippeways are
that we wish to live peaceably and quiet with all mankind, and at-
tend to our hunting and other pursuits, that we may be able to pro-
vide for the wants of our women and children, But there remains a
lurking dissatisfaction in the breasts and minds of some of our young
men. This has occasioned the late mischiefs, which, at the time ,
were unknown to the chiefs and warriors of the nation. I am sur-
prised at such threatenings to the chiefs and warriors (old people)
who are inclined entirely for peace.
"The desire of the chiefs and warriors is to plant corn and pursue
the deer. Do you think it possible for us to deliver the murderers
here today?
"Think you, my friends, what would be the consequence in case of
a war between the Americans and the Indians? In times past, when
some of us were engaged in it, many women were left in a distressful
condition. Should war now take place, the distress would be, in com-
parison, much more general.
"This is all I have to say on the part of myself and the warriors of
my village. I thank you for your patient attention to my words."
"After Gomo had finished, he laughingly said that we have had
long talks: will not a little whisky enable us to sleep? Captain Lev-
ering understood him by lulling their fears.
"On the next day, being the 17th day of August, Little Chief spoke
as follows:
"Listen to me my friends, if you wish to know the ideas and senti-
ments of the chiefs and warriors here present today. Give the same
attention to my words that I did to those of yesterday.
"At the conclusion of the American and Indian wars, the Ameri-
cans asked us to remain at peace and in quietness. I and my war-
riors have always observed the advice.
88
"One of the promises of the Americans to the Indians, at that time,
was that whenever murders should be committed on either side, the
murderers should be delivered up to the opposite party. We have
delivered up offenders; the Americans have delivered none.
"The intention of the Pottawattomies, Ottaways and Chippeways
has been to remain peaceable and quiet, as they always have done,
and still wish to do; and when that is observed, there will be nothing
to fear, as you will see today.
"At the peace of Grreenville, it was agreed on both sides to deliver
up all the prisoners; I myself ran from town to town gathering all;
and General Wayne said, 'now all is completed and hereafter we will
see which of us (red or white) will first take up the tomahawk. It
shall now be buried.' But from your talk of yesterday you threaten
to make war against us; to cut off our women and children.
"You astonish us with your talk, When you do us harm, nothing
is done; but when we do anything, you immediately tie us up by the
neck; some time ago we brought in a number of Osages, prisoners of
war; you demanded them, and we delivered them up. There is no
recompense for us.
"You may observe the ideas of the chiefs and warriors of the Illi-
nois river. Listen to their talk and see whether it is not right. We
wish that the Governor at Kaskaskia may hear our words.
"You see how we live — our women and children. Do not my
friends suppose that we are accomplices with murderers. Take cour-
age and let us live in peace and quietness, as we have heretofore
done. You said that we, our wives and children , should live in peace,
You hear what the chiefs in council say: they cannot interfere in the
demand you have made. They cannot interfere in any bad business
of the kind. You see the situation of the Pottawattomies, Chippe-
ways and Ottaways today. The Shawnee Prophet, the man who talks
with the Father of Light, blames us for not listening to him You
do the same. We are like a bird in a bush, beset, and not knowing
which way to fly for safety, whether to the right or to the left. If
our young men behave ill today, you blame the Shawnee Prophet
for it.
"The chiefs are reproached by the young men generally, They say
to us, 'you give your hand to the Americans today, and in the future
they will knock you in the head.' This is the occasion of their late
unruly behavior.
"Remember what you told us on yesterday. Among other sayings,
you threatened to kill our women and children. Do not think that
those young men that committed the murders belong to this place.
They came from the village of the Shawnee Prophet. All the mis-
chiefs that have been done have been committed through the influence
of the Shawnee Prophet, and I declare this to you for the truth.
"Behold the Shawnee Prophet, that man who talks with the Great
Spirit and teaches the Indians to pray and look to God! But for
us, we do not believe him. We wish to chase our deer and live in
peace with the Americans.
89
"Ever since the Shawnee Prophet has been on the Wabash river
he has been jealous of the chiefs and warriors of this river. He sus-
pects that we give information and a favorable ear to the Americans,
and says that the Americans will act like traitors to us.
"For my part I suspect no wrong. I do not listen to the bad ad-
vice of the Prophet.
"Our great chiefs of the Pottawatomies, Chippeways and Ottaways
command us to observe the alliance between us and the Americans,
that we and our children may live in peace and comfort. These are
the reasons for not listening to the Shawnee Prophet.
"My dear friends, do not believe us accomplices in the mischiefs
recently committed; we wish peace.
"Observe the chiefs and warriors in council. We think of nothing
but to live in peace and quietness. We would have been very much
surprised if the Americans had come and made war on us, feeling
ourselves perfectly innocent of these offenses.
"We think nothing of what is past, as we are innocent. These
are also the sentiments of the Kickapoos; and we. the chiefs of the
several tribes now in council, join our hands together and hold them
as fast as I now hold the wampum in my hand
"See, my friends, how matters stand today. If you wish for war
with us it lies altogether with yourselves. It is better to avoid it if
possible.
"If the Americans should commence war with us, we should have
to fight in our own defense. The chiefs are of the opinion that it is
best to remain at peace.
"I have finished, my friends. Perhaps you take us for little chil-
dren We whip our children, but men will defend themselves.
"For myself, I am indifferent. It would be the same with me to
raise or bury the tomahawk. I can but die at last.
"Observe, my friends; since our peace with the Americans we have
been and still are a poor people. We have not even a piece of rib-
bon to tie our speech.* 1 have finished."
"After Little Chief had concluded. Captain Levering spoke as fol-
lows:
"Brothers, Chiefs and Warriors — I have listened with close
attention to your words, and I shall be careful to convey them to
our father. It is for him to say what shall be done. But, being
among you, with my ears and eyes open to things that could not be
known to the distance of my father's cabin, I think that he will not dis-
approve of my speaking to you in my own words, for I shall hold
fast to his mind, I discover that you harbor a number of incorrect
opinions, that render you dissatisfied with your white brethren; and
I am really so far your friend, that in case I saw you and my white
brethren about rushing each other into destruction through want of
* A sarcasm on Governor Edwards' speech which had about It. a ribbon.
90
light, if I was able, I would inform you of it. But if I thought you
were acting with your eyes open, you might abide the consequences;
I should not push myself in the way.
"As you have spoken on many subjects, I wish to have time to
look over them, and I also wish to put my words on paper, that I
may show them to my father at Kaskaskia. I shall hope to meet
you here again in the morning."
After the council adjourned, the chiefs, in behalf of their respect-
ive nations, offered him the hand of friendship.
On the next morning Captain Levering continued his address as
follows :
"Brothers, you have offered me your hands of friendship. If there
was not something sincere within, to give your ofPer a cordial recep-
tion, I should not have requested this opportunity of speaking to
you.
"The brave and generous chief can show himself in his village at
at all times, and that, too, with his head loftily erect! Honesty,
still prouder can traverse the globe naked, and that through the
glare of day.
"Our fathers' mind and words to the Indians being as pure as
sterling silver, they have no fear nor objection to their sons talking
to them, so that their words are open and as clear as your native
fountains; yet they wish you to be careful about listening to every
one.
"Red men never injured me or my relations, and having grown up
far from their paths, I can have no prejudices or resentments
against them; and as all men, both red and white, understand how to
estimate honesty, I may say that I have no inducement to deceive
you. The very nature of my errand must assure you that the welfare of
my white brethren commands that I shall speak the truth. I shall
be no false prophet. I am not endeavoring to be a chief among you.
No generous man would ever be ofPended with the free, open, decent
candor of another, even though it should come from an enemy. Now
brethren, listen to the facts— all the white people can tell whether I
lie, for we have it down in black and white, and the most of them
can read.
"The first white people that came across the waters, and settled on
this side of them, were Spaniards, and they settled on islands further
distant than the mouth of the Mississippi. These people, seeing
flattering hopes in the west, gave the news, and encouraged many
people to come over from many nations, residing on the other side of
the great waters. The English were the first to settle on any part of the
land on this side of the mouth of the MissiBsippi,and all around the east
and north to the end of walking. After them came the French, who set-
tled on the other end of Canada. Then came the Dutch, on another
part of the large shores; and many people came from numerous
nations, on the other side of the waters, that perhaps you never
heard of. The Americans were formerly the British; our forefathers
91
were British ; the British king owned us as his children , and we obeyed
him like dutiful children. When he made war against the French
in Canada we went with his young men to fight his battles; and we
were proud to be and remain his children, until about 40 years ago,
when he began to ask things of us that were unreasonable.
"Although we had at that time regarded him as our father — be-
lieving that he had a right to ask it of us, we as dutiful children
gave him money and warriors, and both he and his big council ac-
knowledged that his childen had done more than their duty. But
in course of time he and his council thought that we were growing
too rich; that riches would give us the desire of leaving them, and
that we would become a nation of full strength. To prevent this,
they endeavored to take our money from us without asking, and that
too, whether we were willing or not; just as though your chiefs
should hamstring your young men, through fear of their leaving
them. This is exactly the case, for we never refused his requests,
but when he began to draw by force large quantities of honey from
a small, poor tree, we complained, but our complaints found a deaf
ear. We preferred nakedness, cold, hunger and all the horrors of
war, to such degradation. We fought him for seven years, under
poverty and hardship. The Indians did not know how much we
were injured, or they would not have increased our hardships. But
under Washington — a man now dead, yet we delight in remember-
ing him, for he was good and brave — our warriors fought our battles
and led us to well earned victory. The English asked for peace
and acknowledged us to be a separate nation.
"This was the beginning of the American nation, when we chose
Washington, our victorious chief, to be our Grreat Father. Since
then, the British cannot be our generous friends, although they dare
not come to open war with us. As a chief once said to me, "They tell
half lie, half truth— firing big gun into our canoe, and saying it was
a mistake!" They set the Indians on us to resent their own enmities,
and for the purpose of engrossing all the profit of the Indian trade.
"Can you not see, brothers, that the British ofiPer you protection,
when, in case of open war, they cannot stand in Canada? when they
cannot protect themselves? If I had sucked the same breasts with
your chiefs and warriors, I would tell you this.
"Now, brothers, attend, and you will begin to learn that your com-
plaints against the Americans are founded in error.
"Was it the present Americans that crossed the water to your land?
We were then British, and governed by a British king, whom we
had to fight as an enemy to our rights and welfare. The English
settled here some 210 years ago; the present American nation is not
of my age; and our government and Great Father, in their disposi-
tion, are as different from the British king, as the summer from the
winter day. The present Americans were nowise instrumental in
crossing the ocean; the first coming of their forefathers was owing
to the British king, who rules his sons far more imperiously than
you suspect. If wanted, they must go and fight, and cannot say
92
nay. Even then, although we were British, and under their king,
we, like you, found ourselves here, and from necessity we must be
near neighbors. It is, therefore, our interest to cultivate friendship,
unless we intend to destroy each other.
"I must have proven to you by this time, that your prejudices to
the Americans, at least in one instance, are unfounded. I could, in
a little time, make it appear that nearly all of your supposed griev-
ances are owing to a misunderstanding of our nation. If it is true,
you will find it agreeable as well as our interest to nourish and water
the friendship of the red and white men.
"Although our father constructs forts outside the settlements of
his white children, he does not, as you seem to think, act differently
from the French or the British. I have seen and have heard of forts all
along the British line in Canada I have seen other forts along the lakes
and elsewhere, that were built by the French; and let me tell you,
chiefs and warriors, that the most of the forts in this country were
built by the British and French. When we have the Spaniards on
one side of us, and the British on the other, in forts, and they are
endeavoring to make our red brethren discontented with us, is it not
advisable for us to keep up and garrison those forts that came to us
by the chance of war? Does the garrison at Chicago, Detroit, De-
fiance, Ft. Wayne, or that at the mouth of the Missouri, or any
other within your knowledge, come out to war with the Indians?
Those forts are intended and are kept up merely to protect our
friends; and to suppose that they presage or threaten war, when they
have never committed any, is rather an overstrained idea.
"You say that the whites first led the Indians to acts of outrage,
by inviting them to join in war against the whites; and, consequently,
the white people are to blame for the bad practice among the In-
dians! But, I ask, have the Americans even solicited the Indians
to join them in war against the British, or against any nation? I
answer, no. Our forefathers, even while we were yet fighting to be-
come a nation, advised the Indians to lay on their skins at home,
raise corn and kill deer, but not to engage in war on either side; and
such has been the advice of our fathers to the Indians ever since. It
is true that some Indians, since then, have offered to join us, and
certainly you would not object to our receiving and taking sides in
favor of our friends. Your ideas of the treaty of Grreenville are alike
inaccurate. You suppose that our fathers promised that all mur-
derers on either side, should be delivered up to the opposite party.
That cannot be the case; for our laws would not allow our Great
Father, General Wayne with him, to make such a stipulation in a
treaty. All offenders against our laws must be tried by our laws and
by a jury of 12 of our citizens, This is the way an Indian would
be tried under our laws, and in the same manner would a white man
be tried for killing an Indian. I know this to be true (although you
have said that there is no recompense for an Indiac,)that when I left
Kaskaskia, there was a man in jail, fastened with irons by the wrist,
for having abused an Indian; and this was done by order of the Gov-
93
ernor. because he thought it just. The treaty of Greenville requires
of each of our governors to catch a murderer of an Indian and to
have him tried for murder, and if found guilty, to see that he was
hung.
"In answer to your complaint in the case of an Indian that was
killed at St. Louis, I must tell you more of our laws, and you will
learn that the whites equal the red men in their conception of jus-
tice. I cannot hinder the belief that somebody told you wrong in
the case of the Indian at Detroit; but I know something of this at St.
Louis. Whenever a man makes an attempt to kill another, a third
party coming up, may kill the first to save the life of the second; and
our laws do say that the third was right in so doing — for the act of
the first makes the supposition strong that he was an unruly and bad
man; the second might have been a good man, and his life should be
saved. All this is like the case in St. Louis The Indian was drunk,
flourishing his tomahawk, and threatening to kill. Judge Meigs (a
chief), without weapons, stepped up to the Indian for the purpose
of persuading him to be quiet; the Indian drew his tomahawk on the
judge, and the young man, coming up and seeing him in danger,
killed the Indian to save the judge's life, Judge Meigs told me
this. He is now governor of Ohio.
"You must not think, from my words, that I am unfriendly to the
Spanish, French or English. They are my brothers, and they, as
well as we, are here from like circumstances. They, as well as others,
who have come from over the waters, are equally under the same care
and protection of our Great Father.
"Let us acquaint ourselves with times past, and with things that
do not immediately concern us, with the view of improving our
minds and dispositions, and not strain our brain to find out causes
of discontent and quarrel. Let us consider and find out what will
promote our mutual benefit and harmony.
"You have looked more to the threatenings of our father's words
than to the justice of them. Let us think of them for a while; and
in turning to them I would not now, or at any other time, make them
appear woxBe against you than the plain talk of truth, and neither of
us, I hope, are so far worse than children as to be frightened at
facts. It is true as our father also tells you, that the head chief of
all our tribes would, like the sun, bestow his genial blessings on all
— the weak and the strong — on the mole hill as well as the mountain;
and even when his goodness should be obstructed, he is yet mild and
forbearing for a season, hoping that a sense of right and wrong will
correct and restore the evil; but when he finds that forbearance and
kindness fail— like the sun, when fogs and poison threaten, the fire
of his justice will dissipate and destroy the evil. Before I left our
father's cabin with his words for you, a runner of his had returned
from our father and chief on the west of the Mississippi and one
from our father to the east on the Wabash, and our father knew that
their minds and determinations were in unison with his, and also
with that of our Great Father of all the tribes. Our father told you
94
of the murder of five whites and of the horses that were stolen at the
same time between the Mississippi and Missouri rivers; this summer
one has been murdered on one of the creeks that empties into the
Kaskaskia, and an attempt was made to carry off a woman; since
then, one has been wounded and another murdered near Piasa rock,
on the Mississippi; and I myself have heard of 35 horses having
been stolen by the Indians, during this summer."
"Little Chief said: 'My friend, I request you now, to take the
names of chiefs and warriors, that you may show to your father in
Kaskaskia how ready we have been to attend his words.'
"On the 18th of August, the Sac chief, Little Sturgeon, called on
Captain Levering, who explained to him the circumstance and cause
of Captain Whiteside having fired on some of his nation on the Mis-
sissippi.
"The council assembled again, and after Captain Levering had
given his advice, Gomo said: 'We have listened with patient atten-
tion, and I hope that the Great Master of Light was noticing it. When
the Master of Light made man, he endowed those who wear hats
with every gift, art and knowledge. The redskins as you see, live in
lodges and on the wilds of nature.'
"The council then adjourned. Gomo delivered up two of the
horses, and Little Chief agreed to deliver to Captain Heald, at Chi-
cago two more; and Gomo said he would endeavor to have them all
returned as soon as they could be found.
"The two chiefs told Captain Levering that the murderers of the
Coles party were two Indians by the name of Esh-can-ten-e-mane
and 0-at-che-cum-mich, and that they were both at the village about
20 miles on this side of the Prophet's village. After the departure
of the chiefs, Little Chief returned and said that he wished to tell
Captain Levering, in private, that the murderers of the Coles party
could be taken without out any trouble, by inviting them, among
others, to a meeting at Fort Wayne next fall, when their names being
known, the commandant could seize them."
This was the first of many talks with Indians in an effort to secure
the property and murderers mentioned, and it came to nothing but
promises, a feature of diplomacy which they used successfully dur-
ing all of the campaign of 1812-14, As a matter of fact some of the
murderers were sitting in that council at the time and the "loud talk-
ing Little Chief" knew of their presence, Gomo must have known
the fact too, but, presumably fearing a loss of influence with his
people, who largely favored the English, he dared not expose them.
So far no Indian had been punished for the frequent murders of
the region, which omission had more to do with subsequent troubles
than any other cause. They feared no punishment, and if, as in
this instance, a fair promise could tide over the evil day, no Indian
was so abandoned or undiplomatic as to refuse it. Therefore, the
fine promises here — and no prisoners. Captain Levering returned
to Governor Edwards with them and soon after died from the expos-
ures of his trip.
95
Meantime Joseph Trotier of Cabokia, a sagacious Frenchman who
had been sent among the Kickapoos along Sugar creek, in the north-
ern part of Logan county, returned, bringing the same story of in-
nocence and fine promises for the future.
This period of hostility (1811, and indeed until 1818,) was taken
so seriously by the War Department as to be denominated the "In-
dian war," projected by the British and such restless spirits as the
Prophet, Black Hawk, and others. The council at Peoria, from
which so much was expected, developed no present relief and no
prospect for the future, for the moment it was dissolved, most of
the tribes represented there, posted oflp to Maiden for British advice
and supplies, as may be seen:
"ViNOENNES, Sept. 17, 1811.
" states that almost every Indian from the country above
this has been or was then gone to Maiden, on a visit to the British
agent. We shall probably gain our desired point at the moment of
their return. If, then, the British agents are really endeavoring to
instigate the Indians to make war upon us, we shall be in their
neighborhood at the very moment when the impressions which have
been made against us are most active in the minds of the savages.
" succeeded in getting the chiefs together at Ft. Wayne,
though he found them all preparing to go to Maiden. The result of
the council discovered that the whole tribes (including the Weas and
Eel rivers, for they are all Miamies,) were about equally divided in
favor of the Prophet and the United States. Lapousier, the Wea
chief, whom I before mentioned to you as being seduced by the
Prophet, was repeatedly asked by what land it was that he
was determined to defend with his blood, whether it was that which
was ceded by the late treaty or not, but he would give no answer.
" reports that all the Indians of the Wabash have been, or
are now, on a visit to the British agents at Maiden. He had never
known one fourth as many goods given to the Indians as they are
now distributing. He examined the share of one man (not a chief)
and found that he had received an elegant rifle, 25 pounds of powder,
50 pounds of lead, three blankets, three strands of cloth, ten shirts,
and several other articles. He says every Indian is furnished with a
gun (either rifle or fusil) and an abundance of ammunition. A trader
of this country was lately in the King's stores at Maiden, and was told
that the quantity of goods for the Indian department, which had
been sent out this year, exceeded that of common years by £20,000
sterling. It is impossible to ascribe this profusion to any other mo-
tive than of instigating the Indians to take up the tomahawk. It
cannot be to secure their trade; for all the peltry collected on the
waters of the Wabash in one year, if sold in the London market,
would not pay the freight of the goods which have been given to the
Indians."
"ViNOENNES, Oct. 6, 1811.
"The Indians have again been plundering our citizens. They took
eight horses from a detached settlement in the Illinois Territory
about 30 miles above Vincennes, in open daylight."
96
"Vermillion River, Nov. the 2ad, 1811.
"A letter from Colonel Miller (whose indisposition was such as to
oblige me to leave him at the new fort) , announces that an attack
has been made upon a boat loaded with corn, which was ascending
the river from the fort to this place. It was fired on four miles above
the fort and one man killed."
Following the battle of Tippecanoe, one would naturally look for a
cessation of hostilities, but under the influence of English agents and
the Prophet, hostile acts were spread over a much greater extent of
country than before. The focal seems shifting from the Wabash to
the Illinois.
News from St. Louis, dated Nov. 23, 1811, came to Governor Ed-
wards that a band of Illinois river Pottawatomies had killed, just be-
fore, about 20 head of cattle and many hogs, the property of the
inhabitants of Peoria, which acts were accompanied with threats of
indiscriminate death should the inhabitants take part with the Amer-
icans. Peoria, the spot where Captain Levering had received such
fair promises!
Prairie du Chien, then in Illinois Territory, was likewise threat-
ened by Sioux and Winnebagoes, and it may be said with truth that
not one settlement was immune from the scourge of the red men's
ravages.
The campaign of 1811 closed with no advantages gained by the
whites, unless knowledge of the certain issue of war with England in
the very near future may be called such , which would give time for
the preparation of invasion or defense. Congress had called for in-
formation concerning the acts of the British, and so far as those acts
concerned Illinois at this period, the following correspondence may
shed some light:
'Trom Capt. H, Starke:
"Ft. Madison, Jan. 1, 1812.
"Mr. George Hunt has arrived from the mines, and brings the
melancholy intelligence that all the Americans of that place have
been massacred by the Puants and Winnebago Indians, His life
was spared only on the supposition that he was an Englishman."
On Jan. 5, 1812, N. Boilvin reported from Prairie du Chien, to
Governor Howard, that Indians were rising. About the same time
Maurice Blandeau, from the Spanish mines (Dubuque) reported that
he entertained fears for the frontier.
"From Gen. William Clark:
"St. Louis, Jan. 12, 1812.
"I have this moment heard, by an express from the commanding
officer at Ft. Madison, to Colonel Bissell, that a party of Winnebagoes
(part of them of the Prophet's party) did, on the 1st instant, rob and
kill several American traders, near the Spanish mines, on the Mis-
sissippi."
97
"From Gov. Benjamin Howard:
"St. Louis, Jan 13, 1812.
"I have the honor to enclose you the copy of a letter from Mr.
Johnson at Ft. Madison. The information it contains proves clearly
that our difficulties with the Indians are not at an end; and, my own
opinion is, that as soon as the winter is over, we have much danger
to apprehend from them. I feel no hesitation in recommending a
campaign to be carried on in the spring against the hostile Indiana
on the Illinois; for, until some of those tribes are punished, we shall
not have a durable peace with them."
(Copy of the Letter.)
"Ft. Madison, 7th Jan., 1812.
"Sir — I am sorry to inform you that on the 1st instant a party of
Puants, about 20, arrived at JSlr. George Hunt's house, lead mines,
etc., killed two Americans, and robbed Mr. Hunt of all his goods.
Mr. Hunt, bearing the name of an Englishman, saved his life; at
the same time, another party went to Nathan Pryor that was, and
killed him, after killing all the Americans there, as they thought, the
head men observed, the Americans had killed a great many of their
people, and that they intended to kill all they saw.
"I expect they went upward, in search of more. Hunt and his in-
terpreter, Victor Lagotery (Lagotiere) arrived here last night. . Mr.
Hunt on his way here, was informed by the Foxes, that a large party
of Puants had set oui for this place. The Foxes showed every dis-
position to be friends, and promised to save all his goods they could.
On the 3rd your express left here afoot; poor fellow, I fear he will
meet the Puants.
"Yesterday the express left here with Mr. John MoRae for St.
Louis, with many letters and public papers. Will you do me the
favor to show this letter to Gen. William Clark and ask him to write
General Mason, informing him the goods I furnished Hunt are all
lost? Every hour I look for a war party, and God only knows when
it will end. I hope you will cause immediate relief, by increasing
our number of men at this post. In haste,
"I am your very humble servant,
"John Johnson."
"His Excellency, Gov. B. Howard, St. Louis."
"From Capt. H. Starke:
"Ft. Madison, Jan. 26, ]812.
"I omitted to mention to you, that about the 6th instant, there was
a very general council held by the Sac Indians, relative to peace or
war, when their decision was for peace."
"This would indicate that notwithstanding the statements of Black
Hawk to the contrary, his party of 200 or 300, which was always in-
fluenced by British influence, was alone in traveling to Canada for
presents, and finally enlisting in the British service after war had
been declared against England."
—7 H.
98
"Chicago, Feb. 7, 1812.
''Capt. N. Heald:
"An express arrived here on the first of the month from St. Louis,
sent by General Clark, Indian agent at that place, for the purpose of
finding out the disposition of the Indians between here and there.
This express is a Frenchman, who is well acquainted with the Indi-
ans; and he is of the opinion that there are many of them determined
to continue the war against the whites."
The further fact was announced in the letter: "He (the French-
man) told me that the Indians on the Illinois were hostile disposed
towards the United States, and that the war between the Indians and
white people had just commenced, alluding to the late battle on the
Wabash."
"St. Louis, Feb, 18, 1812.
"General Clark:
"On the 8th. instant, a party of that nation (Winnebagoes) , some
of whom were known, fired on my express, about 40 miles above the
settlements, who was on his return from Prairie du Chien, the mines,
and Ft. Madison. On the 9th, an American family of women and
children was killed on the bank of the Mississippi, a few minutes be-
fore the express passed the house."
"Ft. Wayne, Ist March, 1812.
"From Wm. Wells (of Ft, Dearborn fame:)
"In my letter of the 10th ultimo, I informed you that the Indian
chief, Tecumseh, had arrived on the Wabash. I have now to state
to you that it appears that he has determined to raise all the Indians
he can, immediately, with an intention no doubt, to attack our front-
iers. He has sent runners to raise the Indians on the Illinois and
the upper Mississippi; and I am told has gone himself, to hurry on
the aid he was promised by the Cherokees and Creeks.
"The Prophet's orator, who is considered the third man in this
hostile band, passed within 12 miles of this place on the 23rd. ultimo,
with eight Shawnees, eight Winnebagoes and seven Kickapoos, in
all 24, on their way as they say, to Sandusky, where they expected to
receive a quantity of powder and lead from their father, the British."
"Chicago, 11th March, 1812.
"Capt. N Heald:
"I have been informed, and believe it to be true, that the Winne-
bagoes have lately attacked some traders on the Mississippi, near the
lead mines; it is said they killed two Americans, and eat them up,
and took all their goods; there was two French traders whom they
robbed of all their goods, and suffered them to go alive. This news
came to me from a Frenchman at Millwaike, who has been to the
Winnebago nation. The Winnebagoes who escaped from the Proph-
et's town are still in this neighborhood."
Penetrating the interior of Illinois, a band of marauding savages
ascertained the presence of one Andrew Moore and his son who were
returning from the Jordan block house. While encamped near the
99
crossing of the old Massac road over the middle fork of the Big
Muddy, they were attacked and killed after a bloody struggle; after
which the horses were stolen. In Jefferson county, Moore's prairie,
perpetuates the names of the murdered men.
At Tom Jordan's fort, on the road to Equality, about eight or nine
miles east of old Frankfort, three persons named Barbara, Walker
and James Jordan, stepped outside, after dark, to secure some wood
Some Indians who lay concealed in the brush, opened fire and killed
Barbara, wounded Jordan in the leg, while Walker escaped.
"St. Louis, March 15, 1812.
"General Clark:
"I this moment received an express from Fort Madison, with let-
ters from the agent at that post which informs me that on the 8rd.
instant, a war party of five Winnebagoes killed one of the corporals
of that post, a short distance from the fort. By express I received a
talk from a band of the Sacs, nearest our settlements, declaring their
determination of continuing in friendship with the United States."
"St. Louis, March 22, 1812.
"General Clark:
"The Winnebago bands, part of the Kickapoos, and some of the
Pottawattomies are yet friendly to the Prophet, and may join him
again in the spring. His brother, Tecumseh, returned from the
southern tribes in December last; he made great exertions to get the
Shawnees and Delawares of this territory to join the Prophet's party,
but without success. He proceeded to the Sacs and Sioux country,
where his counsels have been more attended to, The Prophet's com-
bination is not the only one we have to watch in this quarter. I
strongly suspect a coalition of the Pottawattomies will take place un-
der that vile fellow called the Marpock, who has been all the winter
at Fort Madison, and no doubt has received his lesson, as he has
sent runners to his nation, informing them, among other excitements,
that he will play a new game with the Americans. The point where
they are to build their town is at some small lakes, 60 miles north-
west of Chicago; I am informed through the Indians that some of
the Senacas of upper Canada are coming over, either to join the
Prophet or reside with the Sacs, whom they have applied to for
lands."
"Illinois Territory, March 23, 1812.
"Advices from Chicago, Peoria and Fort Madison, all confirming
the hostile intentions of the Indians between the lakes and the rivers
Illinois and Mississippi; the Sioux supposed to have joined the hos-
tile confederation; more murders committed."
In April, three families over in the Wabash country, were mur-
dered. One, the Huston family, on the Wabash; another, the family
of Mr. Harriman, on the Embarras, and the third, the family of Mr.
Hinton, on Driftwood fork of White river.
100
On April 6, 1812, a party of ten or eleven Winnebagoes attacked
the little settlement of Mr. Lee at Hardscrabble, about three miles
up the south branch of the Chicago river from Fort Dearborn, near
the present junction of the canal with that river, and killed two men,
one named Liberty White, the other a Frenchman. Following is the
report of Captain Heald on the affair:
Ft. Deakborn, at Chicago, 15th April, 1812,
"The Indians have commenced hostilities in this quarter. On the
6th inst. a little before the sun set, a party of eleven Indians, sup-
posed to be Winnebagoes, came to Messrs. Russell and Leigh's cabin
in a field on the portage branch of the Chicago river, about three
miles from the garrison, where they murdered two men; one by the
name of Liberty White, an American, and the other a Canadian
Frenchman, whose name I do not know. White received two balls
through the body; nine stabs with a knife in his breast and one in
his hip; his throat was cut from ear to ear, his nose and lips were
taken off in one piece, and he's skinned almost as far round as they
could find any hair. The Frenchman was only shot through the neck
and scalped. Since the murder of these two men, one or two other
parties of Indians have been lurking about us, but we have been so
much on our guard, that they have not been able to get any scalps."
One would think from reading that letter that Captain Heald
would have doubted the expediency of leaving Ft. Dearborn on his
ill-stared trip four months from that day.
As these troubles continued to come from the Peoria Lake country.
Governor Edwards made a final effort to pursuade the Indians to stop
them, as well as to live up to their promises made to Captain Lever-
ing, to which end he invited them to call upon him for a final talk.
In April a deputation of them, Pottawatomies, Chippewas and
Kickapoos, headed by Gomo, came down the river to meet him at
Cahokia. While journeying down, an inconsiderate action on the
part of the whites nearly caused the mission to fail. Following is
General Clark's account of it:
"St. Louis, April 12th, 1812.
"Some of the chiefs, considerate men, warriors, women and children
from the bands on the Illinois River, in all, sixty, are now here. They
came down by the invitation of Governor Edwards, to council on the
differences existing between these bands and our citizens, etc. Near
the mouth of the Missouri, on the way to see the Governor, they were
fired on by a party of the inhabitants of the Illinois Territory, fortu-
nately no one killed. They are now under my protection and I
believe so much alarmed that they will not visit the Governor at
Kaskaskia, Those chiefs have informed me that a large party of
Winnebagoes are out on a war party intending to attack the frontiers
of this territory." ' ^
The foolish act created some excitement and might have interfered
with the subsequent council, had not the Indians been assured by
General Clark and Governor Edwards of their regret at the unfortu-
nate affair and the irresponsibility of the parties committing the
101
indiscretion. Gomo readily believed them and with his associates
proceeded to Cahokia on his mission.
"Council held at Cahokia, April 16, 1812, between Gov. Ninian
Edwards, and the following chiefs and warriors:
Of the Pottawatomies — Gomo, Pepper, White Hair, Little Sauk,
Great Speaker, Yellow Son, Snake, Mankai, Bull, Deman, Neck-kee-
ness-kee-sheck, Ignace, Powtawamie, Prophet, Pamousa, Ish-kee-bee,
Toad, Man-wess, Pipe-Bird, Cut Branch, The South Wind, and the
Black Bird.
Kickapoos — Little Deer, and Blue Eyes (representative of Pama-
wattan). Sun Fish, Blind-of-an-eye, Otter, Mak kak. Yellow Lips,
Dog Bird and Black Seed.
"Of the Ottawas — Mittitasse (representative of the Black Bird),
Kees-kagon, and JMalsh-wa-she-wai.
"Chippewas — The White Dog.
"Governor Edwards addressed th«m as follows:
"Chiefs and Warriors of the Pottawatomies, Kickapoos, Chip-
PEWAYS AND Ottaways: — My desire to preserve peace and friendship,
if possible, between the red and white people, induced me to send for
you; and I am glad you have come to see me, according to my re-
quest, because it shows a desire on your part as well as mine, to keep
the tomahawk buried,
"My children, your Great Father, the President of the United
States, has given many proofs of his love for the red flesh, and the
red skins will always find him a kind protector so long as they act
with pure hearts. He loves both his red and white children, and
does not wish either to do hurt to the other.
"My children, for a long time the bloody tomahawk and scalping
knife have been buried. The red people enjoyed their forests and
pursued their game in peace; and the white people cultivated the
earth without fear. We were all then happy, and your Great Father
was glad to see it. For some time past, a storm has appeared to be
gathering. Injuries have been done, anger has been produced, and
war has appeared to be almost unavoidable.
'•My child ren, that great deceiver, the Shawnee Prophet, has been
hired by the British to tell you falsehoods and to cause ycu to raise
the tomahawk against your white brother. He pretended to hold
talks with the Great Spirit, to impose upon the weak and foolish.
He promised many things. He promised his followers victory at the
battle of Tippecanoe; but the American chief, Governor Harrison,
proved that he was a liar,
"My children, before the Shawnee Prophet began to work with a
bad heart, you were all happy; but he has distracted the red skins
and their happiness is gone.
"My children, those who listened to the Shawnee Prophet have
gained nothing but misery; many of them were wounded, and others
lost their lives and left their friends to mourn over their folly.
102
"My children, the British have had other bad birds flying among
you. I am not surprised that some of your young men should have
been deceived by them. Bat there are some of you, great chiefs, who
are old warriors, and wise enough to know them better Some of
you know the horrors and folly of war well enough to wish to avoid it.
"My children, you can remember when the British advised the red
skins to make war upon their white brethren of the United States.
They then promised you great assistance; but they deceived you and
left you to fight your own battles, and you found it necessary to sue
for peace. At that time you were stronger than you are now; the
woods were then full of game of all kinds; large numbers of you could
collect together and travel through the country without fear of want-
ing provisions. But this cannot now be done.
"My children, when the red and white people were formerly at war,
we were then weak; we are now grown strong — have everything
necessary for war — and are your near neighbors. Our Great Father's
dominions extend over vast countries, bounded by the great waters;
his towns and cities are hard to be counted, and his white children
are as thick and numerous as the stars of the sky.
"My children, your Great Father has nothing to fear from war with
you, for if it were possible for the red skins to conquer one army, he
could soon have another, ten times as strong to oppose you. But he
does not wish for war. You have nothing to hope from it, and you
can have peace if you will do justice and comply with your treaty.
"My children, we are about to engage in a war with the British. I
wish you to see how different our condition is from theirs. We do
not wish you to take any part with us in the war; we do not wish you
to fight for us, because we know we are able to whip them without
your help; when we were as little children we fought, conquered
them, and took the whole United States away from them ; and if we
fight them again, we shall whip them and take the Canadas away
from them. For this purpose our Great Father now has an army of
185,000 men,
"My children, the British pretend to be your friends, but their ob-
ject is to get you to fight their battles; and they care not what be-
comes of you afterwards. They tell you of the power of their king
over the great lake. They say to you, that he can conquer us, but
they know this is not true. If they thought they were able to fight
us, why are they so anxious to get you to assist them?
"My children, the British would now load you with presents, if you
would engage in the war, but remember these presents would last you
but a little while and would cost you very dear; for if you join them
in the war against us, remember now my words: We shall take
Montreal and all Upper Canada. British traders and English goods
will never be suffered to go among you again. Our own traders will
all be recalled. War will be waged against you. Your country will
be taken and strong garrisons will he built in order to retain it.
108
Consider how you are to live without any trade, when, at the same
time, you will be so harassed with war, that you can hunt nowhere
with safety.
"My children, your young men may not believe these things, but
your old warriors and brave chiefs have sense enough to know they
will come to pass. I tell you these things, because I am so much
your friend, that I do not wish you to bring those evils upon your-
selves, your wives and helpless children.
"My children, we do not wish to afflict you unless you raise the
tomahawk. When you do this, you may not get peace as soon as you
may want it; for if your Great Father, the President of the United
States, is obliged, by your bad conduct, to go to war with you, he will
strike such a blow as will be sufficient to prevent the red people from
ever going to war with us again.
"My children, remember it is easy to get into war, but hard to get
out of it again with advantage.
•'My children, I am satisfied that many of you have too much sense
to listen to all the Prophet's lies, and hate him in your hearts, be-
cause he deceived your friends and has brought trouble on you all.
But some of your people have listened to him, or other bad advisers,
and they have done us injuries which cannot be overlooked.
"My children, guilty as the Prophet has been, he has not done all
the mischief; others have done mischief, hoping they would escape
punishment by laying the blame upon him; but this must not be
suffered. While some of your tribes have been professing peace,
your men have been committing depredations upon us. This cannot
be suffered; unless such bad men shall be given up for punishment,
the tribe must be answerable for their conduct. Your Great Father
has been waiting to see if justice would be done in those oases by
yourselves, and this has led you into an error; for you suppose that
because he has not made war upon you to revenge himself, that he
does not mean to have satisfaction, and you do not seem to think
yourself bound to deliver up such bad men; but even protect them,
knowing their guilt, and they are encouraged to do more mischief.
If this conduct should be suffered, our people might be murdered
every day, and we never could get satisfaction — because we could
not distinguish the guilty from the innocent.
"My children, while we trusted to treaties with you — while we
believed our red brethren to be friendly — some of our people on this
side and some on the other side of the Mississippi, fearing no dan-
ger, have been plundered of their property and deprived of their
lives by some of your bad men; many horses have been stolen, for
which no satisfaction has been made, although it was promised. On
the 19th day of July, 1810, four men were killed and a fifth wounded
in the district of St. Charles, in Louisiana. On the 2d of June, last
year, three of your bad men went to the house of a Mr. Cox, in this
country, plundered him of a great deal of property, barbarously kill-
ed his son, and took his daughter a prisoner. A few days afterwards
104
another party killed a man by the name of Price, and wounded
another by the name of Ellis, in this country also, and near the Miss-
issippi.
"My children, these were great outrages, but I used my exertions
to prevent the people from rising to revenge themselves, and I sent
Captain Levering to you to demand of you to give up the offenders,
as you had bound yourselves, by treaty, to do. You did not deliver
them up, yet you say that you wish to be governed by the treaty, and
still you will not comply with it.
'"My children, when 1 demanded those bad men, by Captain Lev-
ering, you professed not to know where they were; and still you said
you could not deliver them up. Since that time I have found out
that some of them were actually with you — that they are positively
of your party, and have resided near Peoria ever since.
*'My children, you stated that the chiefs did not know, when mis-
chief was done, who of their party committed it. We know enough
of yoar customs to satisfy us that such things are seldom concealed
among you. Bat this, if true, was no excuse for failing to deliver
those you knew to be guilty.
''My children, you complained that we never delivered up our men
to you when they did mischief. We are not bound to do so by the
treaty; we punish our men when we can prove them to be guilty,
just as we would punish the red people for the same offenses. But
you have failed to give up the late offenders for us to punish them,
nor have you punished them yourselves, though you know them to
be guilty.
•'My children, when I sent Captain Levering to you with my talk,
I was 6sorry to find, in the answer I received statemeats so much
like those which the Prophet is in the habit of expressing. You at-
tempted to draw a contrast between the people of the United States
and French and British; you then said the French and British never
built torts, but that the Americans did so. This is not true. When
the British first made great canoes and crossed the great lake (the
ocean) they always built forts; and so did the French. There are
the remains of old forts everywhere near the great i''.ke; both the
French and English built forts at Pittsburgh, on the Ohio, You see
those works at St. Louis. There is also a fort called Fort Chartres,
between this place and Kaskaskia. There are forts in Canada and
many other places that were built by the British and French.
"My children, you also said to Captain Levering that when the
French and British made presents to the Indians, they never asked
any land; but that the Americans never made you any presents, ex-
cept they asked first for a little land and then for a groat deal.
"My children, there is indeed a difference between us and the
French and British in this respect. We never take your land with-
out payine: you for it. They claimed all your land and took it when-
ever they wanted it, without paying you anything. They did not
acknowledge that you had any land, and they have transferred it all
to us, without paying regard to your claim.
105
"My children, when the British first crossed the great lake, the
red people owned all the land to the great water. The British took
it all from you, and never paid anything. The red people also owned
Canada; but that has been taken from them, and you have never heard
that the Indians received anything for all the lands that the British
now hold there, nor did you ever hear that the Freuch paid for the
land they held on this or the other side of the Mississippi river.
"My children, we never want to buy your land, or take it from you,
unless you wish to sell it, and then we will give you the price that
you ask for it. You cannot show that we ever took a foot of your
land since we got clear of the King of England, without paying for
it, and we are not answerable for the sins of the British King; for we
all know that he is not a good man, and that he did great injustice to
the red people, by taking their land without paying for it, although he
now pretends to be their friend, because he wishes them to fight for
him. I hope, therefore, I shall hear no more upon this subject.
"My children, you told Captain Levering that if we did not have
peace with you, it would be our fault. This is not true ; we only ask jus-
tice of you. If you do justice, we wish for peace; but we cannot con-
sent that the land shall be stained with the blood of our innocent
brethren, without some satisfaction being given. Peace upon such
terms, is worse than war.
"My children, the blood of these innocent persons who have been
wounded and murdered cries aloud tj the Great Spirit for vengeance.
The hearts of their relations and brethren bleed with sorrow, and
they thirst for revenge.
"My children, now open your ears to hear my words, and let them
sink deep into your hearts. If you wish for peace with us, you must
do us justice. If you disapprove those murders and other outrages
that have been committed, you must deliver up the offenders, or
punish them yourselves; for if you harbor among you such deadly
enemies to us, you cannot be our friends, and you ought not to expect
our friendship.
"My children, you can choose peace or war upon proper terms. If
you choose peace and will do justice, it will rejoice the heart of your
Great Father and the hearts of all your white brethren.
"My children, if you or any other red people should be for war we
shall be ready for you. I have an army coming on for the defense of
my people. It will soon be at this place, and if any more murders
should be committed upon our people, I shall take revenge. You
must not let any such bad men come from among you, and you must
not harbor among you bad men of other tribes, knowing that they
have injured us
"My children, it now appears that the Winnebagoes are about to
make war upon us, and it is probable that other red people will also
do mischief, hoping that it will be laid upon the Winnebagoes; but
I shall be upon my watch to detect and punish all such.
106
"My children, there has lately been much mischief done. I have
strong reason to believe that others besides the Winnebagoes, have
been concerned, and that some of you have kaowledge of it, If you
are friends I expect you will tell us all you know.
"My children, let justice be done, let all cause of complaint be re-
moved, and let us again live like brothers.
"My children, we do not want your land. We have more land
already than we can use, and I shall neither propose to buy it, nor
does your Great Father, or myself, wish to take a foot of it from you.
Those who tell you to the contrary, tell you lies and wish to deceive.
"My children, shut your ears against all evil counselors and com-
ply with your treaty and you shall still be treated as friends and
brothers."
In reply to which, Mettetasse rose and said: "This is the one
(pointing to Gomo) who is to answer your speech of yesterday, in
the name of us all — Pottawatomies, Kickapoos, Chippeways and Ot-
taways."
The Pepper — "My father, my brother here, the oldest chief, will
answer you. We have all heard your speech of yesterday, and we
will all hear his answer to you, and, when the council is over, we all
desire to go home.''
The Little Deer — * 'My father, I am of the village of the Great
Lick. I speak in the name of Blue Eyes, the representative of Pam-
awatam. I give you my hand, and wish to be peaceable. You might
have heard talk of me, and I am well known by all these Indians
here, and it is well known to them all, that I never listened to the
Prophet; and I am the first chief who, after the battle of Tippecanoe,
went to Governor Harrison with my flag
"My father, my chiefs and warriors are here, who all know me to
be a peaceable Indian. My village is small. This man (meaning
Gomo) will speak to you, and we will all agree to what he will say.
"My father, the people of my village are now anxious for my re-
turn, to hear the result of this council.
"My father, we have reflected on your speech of yesterday, and we
have consulted together. Gomo will answer in the name of us all.
We wish to cross over so soon as the council is over."
After which introductions Gomo arose and with self-consciousness
replied:
"My father, you have heard what my war chiefs have said. I will
speak to you as the Great Spirit inspires me.
"My father, in this manner the Great Spirit has taught me to speak
by giving me a pipe and tobacco, therein to make my father smoke.
"My father, this is the pipe we have smoked together. I smoked
out of it in coming down to see you.
"My father, all the chiefs that I left at home hold their pipes in
their hands, to smoke with us on our return.
107
"My father, we always kept fast hold of the pipe of peace. That
pipe will remain with you; and although it remains with you, it is
still in our hands.
"My father, while you are smoking that pipe, your children smoke
also with you.
"My father, when the Great Spirit created us, he gave us the pipe
of peace. The wampum we wear was made by our white brothers.
"My father, the manner in which I present you the pipe is our way
and was transmitted to us by our ancestors, and we now know you
hold it.
"My father, all that you said yesterday was well said, and I assure
you, it has sunk deep into my heart, and it is from the bottom of my
heart that I will speak.
"My father, if I came here, it was to hear your words, and therefore
I thank you for what you did say.
"My father, I am not to make a council of myself, and when my
chiefs tell me what to say, I do so. Therefore what I now say is
from them all.
"My father, I now show you I obeyed your orders. I intended to
go and quarrel with the Prophet, but I have put that ojff because you
sent for me.
"My father, what has scared all our towns and villages is that affair
that happened on the Wabash.*
"My father, we have reflected considerably since yesterday. It is
neither you nor I that made this earth, and the Great Spirit is angry,
and we do not know what he will do.
"My father, by what I see today, probably our Great Spirit is
angry, and wants us to return to ourselves and live in peace. What
I now say is from the bottom of my heart.
"My father, you see many children have sold their lands. The
Great Spirit did not give them the land to sell. Perhaps that is the
cause why the Great Spirit is angry.
"My father, you have often been deceived. A chief will come and
sell land. Can a chief sell land? I am a chief, but I am poor and
worthy of pity, and want to live in peace on our land.
"My father, if there could be found among us one chief who had
influence enough to deliver a murderer, I would be happy to see such
a chief.
"My father, you probably think I am a great chief. I am not. I
cannot control my young men as I please.
"My father, I am a red skin; I am not a great chief. I am a chief
whilst my young men are growing, but when they become grown I
am no more master of them.
* Battle of Tippecanoe.
108
"My father, the Great Spirit created us all. We have not the
same power that you have. You have troops and laws. When a man
does ill, you have him taken and punished; but this we cannot do.
"My father, I could very easily secure or kill the murderers you
mention, but unless the whole of my chiefs and young men are con-
senting, I would be killed.
"My father, concerning the murderers, we will consult all together,
and we will then know what we will do.
"My father, I have not forgotten General Wayne's counsel, and I
have always tried to follow it and live in peace.
"My father, at the time the red skins were fighting, I was not
among them. I was then traveling through the States, and went to
Washington City, to see our Great Father, and I was led to several
sea ports in America.
"My father, when Turkey-foot came here and killed your white
children, you desired be should be killed. We got together and con-
sulted among ourselves and we killed him.
"My father, the Kickapoos were those that killed your children on
the Missouri. You demanded the murderers Here is the Blue
Eyes present who brought them in.
"My father, it is impossible for us to bring in murderers. They
are too much dispersed and too far ofP.
"My father, here is my oldest brother (General Clark) , that I saw
two years ago, who told us to live in peace, which I have always
done.
"My father, in our treaty we are bound to deliver up murderers. I
am not the only chief who could not deliver up murderers.
"My father, at the Miami village, a Pottawatomie was killed by an
American. We never demanded the murderer, but the factor there
covered our dead brother by giving us goods.
"My father, I have heard the good advice of your speech. I never
listen to any evil birds. I am for living in peace, and I will return to
my people and rehearse them your speech.
"My father, at the time the British and Americans fought in the
last war, we never meddled in it. We used to come down here and
follow the advice of a chief who was then here.
"My father, I have always said to you we never meddled in the
British battles, and, therefore, do you think we would now join them?
No, never.
"My father, no one can say I ever went to the English factories, or
ever got a blanket from the English. When I wanted a blanket, I
would buy one from our trader.
"My father, I must tell you the truth. I went to see them two
years ago, and when I got there the Indians, on seeing me, said,
'Here come an American,' and it was with difficulty I got home with-
out starving."
109
•'My father, a father, when he wants his children to do well, in-
struots them. You did so yesterday, and I was well pleased.
"My father, you asked me to tell you what was going on in our
towns. I cannot now say, for I have been long absent, in our sugar
camps. When I return home, I will be able to learn.
"My father, I will state what I learnt last fall.
"My father, When Mainpock went to war, he had one of his young
men killed, who was an Ottawa, and related to another old man, and
this old man sent his son to the English. He said 'My father has
sent for goods.' And they told him he must be very sorry for the
loss of his son.
"My father, the British then told him, 'Why do you go to war
against the Osages? Go against the Americans; they are close.'
"My father, when his son returned, the old man answered the
British agent, telling him to fight his own battles, as he was deter-
mined to live in peace.
"My father, do you think we would join the English? We remem-
ber when you beat them, they left us in the lurch, and we had to fly.
Certainly we will not join them again.
"My father, wo have friends among us who often tell us not to join
the English — that they will again forsake us; therefore we remain in
peace.
"My father, I do not speak for all the Indian nations; I speak for
those here.
"My father, you will easily know those who will assist the English;
it cannot be kept hid.
"My father, sometimes it makes me reflect, when I consider on the
promises you made us, not to leave us in misery.
"My father, you told us, when you spoke to the Black Bird, that
our fires would always be kept up clear, and that we should not suf-
fer. This has not been kept.
"My father, my chiefs have gone among the nations and received
prisoners, and returned them.
"My father, I never tried to sell land to get goods to cover us. I
always got my covering from my hunt.
"My father, I am not of those men who go and see their father to
sell land. I go and see my father to hear his words.
"My father, my desire is that our lands remain as clear as this blue
ribbon.
"My father, you see I have brought you our wives and children,
to show you how ragged they are.
"My father, I thought of asking you to place a factory in our town
of Peoria, but on account of the Winnebagoes, who are roving about,
should any be killed, we might be blamed; therefore I will not, at
present, ask for one.
no
"My father, if it was your wish to send us goods, we would wish
the factor to be a man who has resided with us.
"My father, I have been asked to go and see our Great father.
The voyage is so long that I would wish to remain at home in peace.
"My father, you sent for us and we came down, and were fired at.
We wish you had a fort at the entrance of the Illinois river, at which,
in coming down, we might stop.
"My father, when a garrison will be there we will come and see
you oftener, and feel better protected.
"My father, we are four nations here. Whatever the English may
do, you may rest assured none of us will join them.
"My father, I am at the other end of Peoria lake. It is there
where we will reside, and remain in peace in hunting to support our
families.
"My father, we intend to meet and draw near to one another, with
the intention of living together in peace.
"My father, I have not much sense, but when you shall send any
of your young men into our towns, they shall not be afraid for it.
"My father, when you sent us Captain Levering, he was received
and well treated by all our people.
"My father, it is all I have to say. I hope the Great Spirit will
assist me in complying with what I have said."
Governor Edwards' Keplt.
"My children, I will speak to you in a plain and short manner, and
I wish my words to sink deep into your hearts.
"My children, if any of your white brethern had gone among you
and committed murders and robberies, your Great Father never
would have forgiven them for it, but they would have been punished
as soon as their guilt could be proven.
"My children, your Great Father cannot forgive those who have
murdered his white children and taken their property. Your Great
Father's children would no longer love him if he were to suffer such
things to pass unpunished.
"My children, your Great Father now asks you to do nothing for
him but what he would do for you, in the same circumstances.
"My children, you objected to give up those bad men to be hung
like dogs, as you call it, and I now agree to permit you to kill them
yourselves; and, if you will consent to do it, I will send a man with
you to see it done, and we shall then have peace.
"My children, you do not acknowledge that all of the murderers
are of your party, except those who killed Cox and took his sister
prisoner. What you say may be true, and I now only demand that
you shall deliver to me or that you shall kill those murderers that
you acknowledge are of your party.
Ill
"My children, these three murderers that I now demand arePotta-
watomies, and I call upon you, great chiefs and brave warriors of the
Pottawatomies, to comply with your treaty and deliver up these bad
men, or kill them yourselves.
"My children, I want to see if you will do that justice which you
acknowledge is in your power, and then I shall believe you tell the
truth when you say you wish for peace; and you shall be treated as
good and dutiful children of your Great Father.
"My children, you say our people are not always punished when
they do you injury, but we always punish them, if we can find them
out; and you have no excuse for not punishing those who have lived
among you and whom you know to be guilty.
"My children, you say these bad men are gone to the Prophet.
This I know is not true, for one of them you left near Peoria, with a
sore foot, and they have lived in three leagues of Peoria for a long
time.
"My children, it is no excuse for you to say that these men are
gone to the Prophet, because they were with you when I demanded
them of you last year, and you have had it in your power to deliver
them up for a long time.
"My children, you cannot suppose that we are people who can suf-
fer our brethern to be murdered without having revenge. When we
demand the murderers of you, you say they are gone to the Prophet.
When Governor Harrison demanded them of the Prophet, he said
they were gone to you. You cannot suppose us such fools as to be
put off this way.
"My children, suppose some of our bad men were to go and kill
your warriors, and you could prove the fact. You find them to be
the children of the American chief, Governor Harrison; you go to
him and demand that they should be punished. He tells you they
are gone to Governor Edwards. You then come to me. I tell you
they are gone to Governor Howard. You go to him. He tells you
they are gone to Governor Harrison, by which you could get no sat-
isfaction. You would think we were trying to make fools of you. And
we now think the same thing of you. You would want revenge, and
so do we want revenge; and we will have it.
"My children, think of these things. One day or other you will
be sorry that you did not listen to my advice, and you will then be
convinced that I was your friend.
"My children, I have heard your words, and I am sure there are
good men among you, and wish we could be friends. It may be a
hard case for you to punish your bad men; but you must remember
it is a hard case for us to have our children and brothers murdered
without revenge. If you will do us justice by punishing your mur-
derers, and be friendly with us as brothers, you shall be protected
against white people and red people also. The Great Spirit made us
all, and loves us. I wish to take you to my heart and cover you with
my wing. We do not want to buy your land, but we will not give
112
up what we have bought. You sold the lands, or your fathers did,
and you have no right to keep the pay and the land too. If twenty
of your men murder a hundred of our people, what are we to do? We
cannot find them and you will not punish them; what are we to do?
You surely do not expeot that we will let our people be murdered,
without revenge. If you will not give up your bad men who kill us,
we must kill as many of yours — and then we may kill the innocent,
which we do not wish to do,"
GoMo's Keply to the Gtovernor's Second Speech.
"My father, we are happy to hear what you have said, for we have
come down here for that purpose.
"My father, what you have recommended me to do, I will do.
"My father, we came here to hear your words; the chiefs and war-
riors have all heard you. You will hear what I have done when I
get home,
"My father, this is all I have to say to you. We will pay attention
to your words."
When Gomo said that the battle of Tippecanoe put hia people to
flight, the conclusion naturally occurs to us that a good beating like
that of Harrison's would have saved all this ceremony which accom-
plished nothing and saved the territory muah annoyance and blood-
shed, Nothing serves to subdue an Indian so much as a good chas-
tising, the battle of the Thames serving as the best example I can
cite,
Gomo had learned well, how to meet and neutralize Governor Ed-
wards' stern address; and well he applied his tactics in this instance.
By bringing their women with them, ragged and dirty and appealing
to the generosity of Governor Edwards, they not only refused to re-
turn the murderers, robbers or property, but they secured abundance
to eat and to wear, carrying back the same in triumph until another
talk might be demanded, perhaps.
That Governor Edwards had little faith in those Indian promises,
may be seen from various reports to Governor Harrison, one of
which is as follows.
Illinois Territory, April 24, 1812.
"Has held a council with the Pottawatomies, Kickapoos, Ottawas
and Ohippe«7as; little dependence to be placed on the their profes-
sions; hostile Indians approaching the settlements "
In that same month of April, 1812, the families of Messrs. Hutson
(Huston on the Wabash), H'lrriman (on the Embarrass) and Hin-
ton (on Driftwood fork of White river) , were murdered.
In May, a party of Indians came to the house of a Mr. McGowan,
about 40 miles from Vinoennes, and killed him in bed. His family
escaped.
IIB
Levering's mission had failed, Grovernor Edward's talk had failed,
and as a last resort to avoid trouble by peaceful methods, he issued
the following:
PROCLAMATION.
Whereas, It is deemed improper to furnish the Indians with spir-
itous liquors at Peoria,
I do hereby forbid all persons whatsoever, to sell, exchange or in
any manner give or deliver, to any Indians, or Indian, any spiritous
liquors or any ardent spirits within 20 miles of Peoria. And I do
hereby enjoin it upon Thomas Forsythe, or any other justice of the
peace for St. Clair county, to enforce this proclamation.
In testimony whereof, I have caused the seal of the Territory to
be hereunto affixed. Griven under my hand at Kaskaskia, this 24th
day of May, 1812.
Ninian Edwards,
By the Governor:
Nat. Fope, Secretary.
But the proclamation had not the slightest weight with the Illinois
river Indians, saturated with hatred for Americans, as they were,
and so far as the advancement of peace by peaceful overtures was
concerned, the efforts of Governor Edwards were ended, and hopeful
that the government would relieve him from sole responsibility, he
set about strengthening his defenses; notifying neighboring govern-
ors and urging action by the President or Congress, as soon as the
latter might "find time to consider our condition."
Governor Harrison wrote on the situation from —
"ViNOENNES, 3d June, 1812.
The information received within a few days from Governor Ed-
wards, (and he has better means of acquiring it than I have, from
the intercourse that is kept up between the Tippecanoe and Illinois
river,) confirms that which I had previously received from a principal
Pottawatomie chief, viz: that the major part of the Winnebago tribe
are at Tippecanoe with the Prophet and Tecumseh; small bands
from the Illinois river and the east of Lake Michigan, making a
force at least equal to that which they commanded last summer, and
that their intentions were entirely hostile. The Governor also says
they are at this time, nearly 800 warriors embodied at Peoria; that
the British agents were endeavoring to effect a peace between the
Sioux andOhippewas for the purpose of uniting both those tribes in the
war against us, and they were making large deposits of Indian goods
at their establishments on Lake Michigan, and on the communication
between that and Lake Superior."
On June 18, 1812, Congress took the matter up, having previously
called for details concerning the movements of the Indians and the
possible influence of British agents in spreading them. Many of the
-8H
114
letters submitted with the report have been given already. It is
sufficient to note the fact that those letters formed the basis for the
following report:
•'12th Congress. No, 135. Ist Session.
Northwestern Frontiers.
"Communicated to the House of Representatives, June 13, 1812.
"Mr. McKee, from the committee to whom was referred so much
of the President's message as relates to Indian affairs, reported:
"That the attention of the committee has been directed to the fol-
lowing inquiries:
"1st Whether any, and what, agency the subjects of the British
government may have had in exciting the Indians on the western
frontier, to hostilities against the United States;
"2nd. The evidence of such hostility, on the part of the Indian
tribes, prior to the late campaign on the Wabash;
"3rd. The orders by which the campaign was authorized and
carried on.
"The committee have obtained all the evidence within their power
relative to these several inquiries. The documents accompanying
the President's message to Congress of the 11th instant, contain all,
and some additional evidence to what had been obtained by the
committee, in relation to the first inquiry. Those documents afford
evidence as conclusive as the nature of the case can well be supposed
to admit of, that the supply of Indian goods furnished at Fort Mai-
den, and distributed during the last year by the British agents, in
Upper Canada, to the Indian tribes, were more abundant than usual;
and it is difficult to account for this extraordinary liberality on any
other ground than that of an intention to attach the Indians with
the British cause, in the event of a war with the United States.
"That the Indian tribes should put to hazard the large annuities
which they have been so long in the habit of receiving from the United
States; that they should relinquish supplies so necessary to their com-
fort, if not to their existence, by a hostile conduct, in the absence of
all other evidence, is not the least convincing proof that some agency
has been employed to stimulate the savages to hostilities; and, hav-
ing pursued a course of conduct which must lead to a forfeiture of
those advantages, renders it at least probable that they had assur-
ances of receiving an equivalent elsewhere.
"Additional presents, consisting of arms and ammunition, given
at a time when there is evidence that the British where apprised of
the hostile disposition of the Indians, accompanied with the speeches
addressed to them, exciting disaffection are of too decisive a charac-
ter to leave doubt on the subject.
"With regard to the second subject of inquiry, the committee are
of the opinion, that the evidence accompanying this report, together
115
with the official oommunication made to the executive, by the Brit-
ish government, afiPords such evidence of the hostile views and inten-
tions of the Indians as to render it the duty of the President of the
United States, to use the necessary means of protecting the frontiers
from the attack with which they were threatened.
"Accordingly, in pursuance of the provisions of the act of Con-
gress, entitled 'An act for calling forth the militia to execute the
laws of the Union, suppress insurrections and repel invasions,' the
executive ordered the Fourth regiment of infantry, with one com-
pany of riflemen, under the command of Colonel Boyd, from Pitts-
burg to Vincennes, subject to the further orders of Governor Harrison,
who was authorized with this force, and such additional number of
companies from the militia as should be deemed necessary to establish
a new post on the Wabash, and to march against, and disperse, the
armed combination under the Prophet.
"These considerations, together with the documents, are respect-
fully submitted."
War with England had been anticipated by the people of Illinois
for a considerable period; in fact it was a matter of comment that
hostilities had not been declared a year or so before. But on June
18th the climax was reached when war was formally declared and ad-
ditional precautions were taken all over the frontier. On July 14th,
1812, Governor Edwards applied to Lieutenant Colonel Bissell to re-
occupy the block house, on the Mississippi, which had been aband-
oned for some time. Over the Mississippi, in the St. Charles district,
Captain Kibby with his rangers protected the country from the mouth
of Salt River to Loutre Island in the Missouri, and while it may be
said to augur long suffering, hardships, disasters and death, a feeling
of relief spread over the community, because the enemy could now
be met on equal terms, if such were possible.
The slender support lent by the United States to Illinois Territory
may be seen by the report of United States troops present on June
6, 1812, as certified by the Adjutant General, in and around Illinois
being: Fort Massac, 36; Fort Madison, 44; Vincennes and vicinity,
117; Fort Dearborn, 53. While the munitions issued were deplorably
insufficient to maintain a show of aggression, as will be seen by "the
returns of the number of troops in service on the peace establishment
and additional military force of 1808." Also stands of arms loaned
to the militia, issued conformably to the law of April 23d, 1808: Illi-
nois Territory, 216 stands of arms; 45 pistols; 216 equipments for
muskets."
While the territorial militia aggregated little more than a decent
battalion, at the time war was declared, it was ever ready and willing
to run down murderers and robbers, and what little of retaliation we
find, was confined to members of that militia who rode to revenge in
small detachments. By defense of the continued Indian raids upon
its friends and property, its numbers had been augmented gradually
116
until at this time four regiments were actively defending the frontier;
the First, of Raadolph County, along the Mississippi, consisted of
two battalions; the sSecond, of St. Clair County, consisted of three
battalions, one of them "the light Infantry;" the Third and Fourth
of that part of Randolph County along the Ohio and Wabash and
extending inland to a point about the middle of the county as it then
existed, one of which, "the rifle company," was the second battalion
of the Fourth. Later in the year, the two latter occupied the two
new counties of Johnson and Gallatin, which were then organized by
the Governor's proclamation.
Those rangers continued their duties with tireless zeal, gaining no
brilliant advantages, but confining the depredations of the Indians
reasonably, and the thought cannot be avoided that if the same vigor
of body and particularly the same vigor of mind had been used by
Captain Heald at Ft. Dearborn, that frightful slaughter of men,
women and children might have been avoided. But Hull's message
came; the Indians from the Illinois River pressed forward to that
point to receive a share of the plunder, and murder, if chance afforded
the opportunity, and thus momentarily, the settlements of the south
became exempt from punishment. The Ft. Dearborn massacre being
the next event in sequence and in importance; an effort will be made
to disentangle the many stories given to us with sincerity, yet with
Buch great width of version, that at first reading one is confused and
chagrined.
We are told * that a wild season of alarm followed the murder at
Hardscrabble. Captain Heald's report, already quoted, would indi-
cate that a feeling of insecurity prevailed all along the line of settle-
ments. Messengers from General Clark of St. Louis, who gathered
information with their progress, reported activity among the Missis-
sippi river Indians. Horse stealing became unusually aggravating.
Reports from the Rock river and Illinois river tribes, were of the
same tenor and calculated to cause the prudent commander to place
himself in a posture of security. The settlers about Ft. Dearborn
organized themselves and fortified the log "agency house," on the
river bank, just west of the fort, by planking up the porches and
otherwise preparing themselves to sustain a siege. Thus organized,
we are told in Munsell's history, that these men composed the "12
militia," mentioned by Captain Heald in his report as having taken
part in the fight of Aug. 15, and as having been killed to the last
man. But Captain Heald appeared indifferent. His faith in Indian
character must have been so great that he could not be persuaded to
think ill of the race, or fear that any respectable number, after the
protestations of friendship by the leaders, would menace the garri-
son. It must have been his unbounded confidence in them which
permitted his policy of hesitation. An old Indian fighter, inured to
savage trickery, would have fortified himself against every manner
of contingency; but Heald dawdled; disregarded the advice of his
subordinates for stupid, and at the same time discretionary instruc-
tions, and Ft. Dearborn fell.
*KirklaDd'8 Chica&ro Masaacre, 79.
117
His muster roll for May, 1812,* showed his garrison to have con-
sisted of one captain, (himself); one second lieutenant, Linai T,
Helm; one ensign, George Ronan; one surgeon's mate. Dr. Isaac V.
VanVoorhis; four sergeants, one of them Hayes and one Holt; two
corporals, four musicians and 4:1 privates, of the First infantry, which
was practically the same force he had on Aug. 15, as will be noticed
by Heald's later report and the letter from the Adjutant General
dated April 2, 18Sl,f which stated that the garrison's strength was 54
regular infantry; 12 militiamen and one interpreter (Capt, William
Wells) . Of the regulars, but 25 or 30 were available, the others
being then on the sick list.
On the 9th day of August, 1812,J Captain Heald received orders
from General Hull, at Detroit, to "proceed with my command, to
Detroit by land, leaving it in my discretion, to dispose of public prop-
erty, as I thought proper." It appears that evacuation, too, was
discretionary with him. Winnemac, or Winnemeg, the friendly In-
dian who bore the orders to Heald, told the captain that he knew,
(how he knew is not conceivable, but he knew) their contents, and
vigorously opposed their literal observance, or, if Heald insisted on
leaving, then to leave at once, and, by forced marches, distance the
Indians, while they were dividing the plunder.
When these orders came, we are told by Mrs. Kinzie, in "Wau-
Bun," that a council of officers was held to consider them; that Lieu-
tenant Helm and Ensign Ronan, together with Agent John Kinzie,§
opposed evacuation; but against all advice, Captain Heald decided
to evacuate — sometime. To leave, meant total annihilation of every-
thing owned by Kinzie; the accumulation of a lifetime, and naturally
with his influence with the Indians, he felt disinclined to sufPer
while he considered removal unnecessary. He knew the Chicago In-
dians personally; he knew the Indian character; he knew, or thought
he did, how to deal with them in all ordinary emergencies, while
Heald never had had the slightest experience with them before his
arrival at Ft. Dearborn. It may not seem at all strange, therefore,
that being the legal agent || of the government for the Indians and
well-beloved, he should expect Heald to respect his counsel to
some extent when a question of such gravity to him was suddenly pre-
cipitated upon the commanding officer, who had at that time, abund-
ant supplies of provisions.'ammunition and a formidable stockade,
behind which, a long period of resistance could be made. In view
of all the circumstances, one cannot deny the strength of Kinzie's
position, especially when fortified with the advice of Helm and
Ronan, the remaining officers. It has been said that Ronan was un-
friendly to Heald and desired his discomfiture; but no less authority
than Mrs. Heald herself, denied the allegation to her son Darius, in
*Klrkland'g Chicago Massacre, 182.
t Fergus Hist. Series No. 18. p. 49.
lEarly Chicago. 61; Nile's Register. etc.; Captain Flaald's report.
?Mrs, Heald, througrh her son. admitted that Elnzle objeeted to leaTins. Eirkland, 93.
i Interpreter and tradar.
118
a manner to command respect and dismiss the charge as groundless.
Anger under such circumstances could have played no part in ar-
ranging a plan to save a garrison with its many helpless proteges.
On the morning following the arrival of his orders, Captain Heald
read them upon parade, thus giving them currency among the Indians
almost immediately, which may have been unfortunate, by giving
them as it did, opportunity to assemble great numbers, by their
gossip, of covetous and unfriendly Indians, seeking at all times, to
make trouble for the whites.
We are also told that upon one occasion, while Captain Heald was
conversing with Mr. Kinzie, on the parade, he remarked, "I could
not remain, even if I thought best, for I have but a small store of
provisions." "Why captain," remarked a soldier, regardless of his
position, "you have cattle enough to last the troops six months."
"But I have no salt to preserve it with." "Then jerk it," replied the
soldier, "as the Indians do their venison." Unhappy condition, if
such a state existed in that garrison! In all probability, the fact
was, that no one in Ft. Dearborn, respected the genius of Captain
Heald to command.
During the period of inaction which followed, Mrs. Kinzie has
told us that the Indians entered the fort in defiance of the sentinels;
even the officers quarters were not respected.
On the afternoon of Wednesday, Aug. 12,Captain Heald accompanied
by John Kinzie, the government interpreter, held a council with the
Indians just outside the fort, to arrange for the distribution of the
property among them and arrange for an escort of sufficient strength to
protect the little force in its march to Detroit. Precautions were at
that time taken to prevent surprise, by opening port holes and plac-
ing therein, cannon trained directly upon the Indians, for use in
case they attempted any unfriendly demonstrations. Their numbers
had increased to include many from points not tributary to Ft. Dear-
born, which demonstrated that the news of the coming distribution
had gone on the wings of the wind to friendly and unfriendly alike
and that much more probably would be expected than they had
right to expect. Heald promised the Indians a distribution of the
goods, in return for the employment of a sufficient force of friendly
Indians from their number to escort the garrison through hostile
territory. It is more than probable that Heald made no reservations
from his gift, or that he forgot to expressly stipulate that no liquors
were to be included in the distribution, and after the conclusion of
the "'talk," returned to the fort, assured that he had accomplished
everything necessary for his safe removal to Detroit.
Once within the fort, with time to consider and council about the
details of the distribution, no doubt, the unwisdom of furnishing
them with liquor to madden the young men occurred to all and in
addition, allowing them arms to use against the garrison, in case the
friendly leaders could not restrain the young men and then it was,
as supposed, wisely determined to destroy tbe liquor and the surplus
firearms; a wise decision, but one which may have been a large factor
119
in inciting the Indians to a high pitoh of anger. It is sad to admit
that the Indian would barter his soul for liquor but it was neverthe-
less the fact and when expected, the probable loss of it, was apt to
bring about a change of feeling from friendship to fiendish hostility,
and that transformation has been acknowledged to exist in this case.
"On the 13th,* the goods consisting of blankets, broadcloths, cal-
icoes, paints, etc., were distributed as stipulated. The same evening
the ammunition and liquor were carried, part into the sally-port. f
and thrown into a well which had been dug there; the remainder
was transported as secretly as possible through the northern gate,
the heads of the barrels knocked in and the contents poured into the
river. The same fate was shared by a large quantity of alcohol belong-
ing to Mr. Kinzie, which had been deposited in a warehouse opposite
the fort."J Suspecting something unusal, the Indians crept closely to
the fort to observe the action of the whites, as well as the darkness
would permit, to see if any deception were to be practiced against
them. At fitful intervals, the destruction of the guns and liquor
was discovered and on the following afternoon at another council,
the whites were charged with perfidy, for which they would receive
no explanations; and subsequently Black Hawk, ever ready to abuse
the Americans, stated in his autobiography that the whole animus
of the attack was created because the Americans had broken their
promises.
Capt. William Wells, uncle of Mrs. Heald, then at Ft. Wayne,
having learned of Hull's order to evacuate Ft. Dearborn, conceived
the plan to be unsafe and unwise, and to counteract it if possible by
starting at once for that point with an escort of 30 Miamies to head
it off. The destination was reached in safety on the 13th of August,
and in the consultation which followed found it impossible then to
remain as he had wished, and as became a good soldier that he was,
joined heartily with his escort in the plans for evacuation, to follow
in a day or so. Meantime, Black Partridge, before then the friend
and ally of the whites — who had received from President Madison a
medal for his conspicuous services, at the treaty of Greenville, or
near that time, and which he prized highly, called on Heald on the
14th to surrender his medal and rejoin his friends because he could
no longer restrain them. His course as reported in "Wau-Bun"
was creditable. "Father, I come to deliver to you the medal I wear.
It was given me by the Americans, and I have long worn it in token
of our mutual friendship. But our young men are resolved to im-
brue their hands in the blood of the whites. I cannot restrain them,
and I will not wear a token of peace when I am compelled to act as
an enemy."
Even after this declaration, no council was convened; no plan of
march with a view of mitigating or avoiding the dangers, was formu-
*Captsiin Heald placed the date of the distribution on the 14th, which would aeem more
reasonable.
tAn under£:round passaere to the lake,
:Wau-Bun.
120
lated, and the possibility of battle seemed to have no consideration.
Possibly with the augmented force of Captain Wells, all fears of
dangers were removed; but Captain Wells himself had penetrated the
gathering gloom, and in token of his fear of war and its dreadful con-
sequences, had blackened his face for the morrow.
At 9:00 o'clock of the 15th , Captain Heald marched out with his
little cavalcade of soldiers, cattle, horses and wagons, 25 women, the
Indian escort, estimated at 300.
The Kinzie family, with the exception of John Kinzie, were to
travel by boat along the margin of the lake, intending to ascend the
St. Joseph river to Bertrand or Pare aux Vaches. The party con-
sisted of Mrs. John Kinzie, John H Kinzie, the daughters, Ellen
Marion and Maria Indiana, and the son, Robert A, Kinziej together
with the nurse, Josette LaFramboise, a clerk of Mr. Kinzie's, two ser-
vants, the boatman and two Indians as guards. The precaution of
the passage by boat had been recommended by To-pe-ne-be,a friendly
chief, who early that morning had warned Mr. Kenzie of projected
trouble from the "escort"; but regardless of his personal safety, Mr.
Kinzie marched with the column, to accept his chance with life and
death, as became a man.
First in the line was Captain Wells, with half his mounted Mi-
amis, followed by the 12 militiamen and such of the regulars as
could bear arms; next came the wagons containing supplies of food
and ammunition, camp equipage, women, children and the sick.
Bringing up the rear, were the remaining half of Wells' Miamis, Mr.
Kinzie, Mrs. Helm and Mrs. Heald, all mounted, making a procession
about five blocks long. On the river, which then bent to the south
and entered into the lake at the foot of Madison street, the boat fol-
lowed slowly, so slowly that it had reached the mouth of the river
only, when a messenger from To-pe-ne-be overtook and brought the
party to a halt by hurriedly advising it of the impending attack and
probable bloody battle.
The cavalcade had proceeded to a point at or not far from the
present Fourteenth street, when Captain Wells rode back from his
advanced position, shouting, "They are about to attack us; form in-
stantly and charge upon them."
From the rising sand ridges to the right (west) , above which the
heads of Indians were suspiciously rising and falling, a volley of
musketry followed. The wagons were put back next to the lake, the
men taking positions in front of them, in comparative safety. But
when the order came to charge them, they moved forward 200 or 300
yards in front of the wagons, which brought them a like distance
from the Indians and exposed them to a merciless fire from be-
hind the drifts of sand, and then the Miamis fled. It has been said
that Wells ordered the movements of the men, but it is not conceiv-
able that a mere reinforcing subordinate would offer a command over
the head of Heald, his superior, in the midst of a battle, with that
superior then at his very elbow.
121
The charge on the breastworks of sand followed gallantly, but mer-
cilessly slanghtered.the great majority of the little band of soldiers who
had fought their last battle. Heald received a bullet in his hip; Captain
Wells, with a ball through his lungs, rushed to his niece, Mrs, Heald,
to say, "Farewell, my child; tell my wife, if yon live to get there, I
died at my post doing the best I could." As he turned his horse fell,
while a party of six or seven Indians wera forming to concentrate an
attack for his undoing. No sooner had a bullet pierced his body
when the assailants pounced upon his warm body, out out his heart
and, after parading it, cut it up and ate it among them. By the time
a point at or near the present Sixteenth street had been reached, the
slaughter which followed is supposed to have occurred.
Finding his men dead or dying, with no possibility of escape left,
Heald advanced to meet Black Bird in the midst of the enemy, to
make proposals of surrender. Then a brief conference followed,
which terminated hostilities, and gave to all prisoners their lives; but
with a pertinacity of forgetfulness, or ignorance, the poor, helpless
wounded were omitted from the negotiations, and a few moments
later were barbarously butchered. They had stipulated, through
the interpreter, Peresh LeClerc, a half-breed boy in the employ of
the Kinzies, for the preservation of their lives and those of the remain-
ing women and children and for their delivery at some of the British
posts, unless ransomed by the traders; but in all the details, and they
seemed many, there had been no thought bestowed on the wounded.
Marching southward, Heald had the benejQt of the lake to his left
and his wagons to the right. Massed, the enemy could have been
checked, until the fury of the first assault had subsided, when in
common with Indian tradition, finding repulse their only reward for
each assault and death, they had surely abandoned the fight for the
plunder behind, and withdrawn their forces. Nothing disheartens
the Indian so much as a stout resistance, and no band of warriors so
soon abandons a strong resistance as the American Indian; but no
order to form back of the wagons was given.
Among the dead were Dr, Isaac V.VanVoorhis and Ensign Ronan,
with 24 more regulars and the 12 militiamen; but the report of Cap-
tain Heald is hereto attached:
"Pittsburg, Oct. 28, 1812.
On the 9th of August I received orders from General Hull to evac-
uate the post and proceed, with my command, to Detroit by land,
leavini? it to my discretion to dispose of the public property as I
thought proper. The neighboring Indians got the information as
early as I did, and came in. from all quarters in order to receive the
goods in the factory store, which they understood were to be given
them, On the 13th, Captain Wells, of Ft, Wayne, arrived with about
30 Miamis, for the purpose of escorting us in, by request of General
Hull. On the 14th I delivered the Indians all the goods in the fac-
tory store, and a considerable quantity of provisions, which we could
not take with us, The surplus arms and ammunition I thought
proper to destroy, fearing they would make bad use of it if put in
their possession. I also destroyed all liquor on hand soon after they
122
began to collect The collection was unusually large for that place,
but they conducted themselves with the strictest propriety until after
I left the fort. On the 15th, at 9:00 a. m., we commenced our march;
a part of the Miamis were detached in front, the remainder in our
rear, as guards, under the direction of Captain Wells. The situation
of the country rendered it necessary for us to take the beach, with
the lake on our left and a high sand bank on our right, at about 100
yards distance. We had proceeded about a mile and a half when
it was discovered thpt the Indians were prepared to attack us from
behind the bank. I immediately marched up, with the company, to
the top of the bank, when the action commenced. After firing one
round we charged, and the Indians gave way in front and joined those
on our flanks. In about 15 minutes they got possession of all our
horses, provisions and baggage of every description* and finding the
Miamies did not assist us, I drew off the few men I had left and took
possession of the small elevation in the open prairie, out of shot of the
bank, or any other cover. The Indians did not follow me, but assem-
bled in a body on the top of the bank, and, after some consultation
among themselves, made signs for me to approach them. I advanced
toward them alone, and was met by one of the Pottawatomie chiefs,
called Black Bird, with an interpreter. After shaking hands, he re-
quested me to surrender, promising to spare the lives of all the pris-
oners.! On a few moment's consideration I concluded it would be
most prudent to comply with his request, although not put entire
confidence in his promise.
After delivering up our arms, we were taken back to their encamp-
ment near the fort, and distributed among the different tribes. The
next morning they set fire to the fort, and left the place, taking the
prisoners with them. Their number of warriors was between 400
and 500, most of the Pottawatomie nation, and their loss, from the
best information I could get, was about 15. Our strength was about
54 regulars and 12 militia, out of which, 26 regulars and all the mili-
tia were killed in the action, with two women and 12 children. En-
sign George Ronan and Dr, Isaac V. VanVoorhis of my company,
with Captain Wells of Fort Wayne, to my great sorrow, are num-
bered among the dead. Lieut. Linai T. Helm, with 25 non commis-
sioned officers and privates, and 11 women and children, were pris-
oners when we separated. Mrs Heald and myself were taken to the
mouth of the river, St. Joseph, and being badly wounded, were per
mitted to reside with Mr. Burnett, an Indian trader. In a few days
after our arrival there, the Indians went off to take Fort Wayne, and
in their absence, I engaged a Frenchman to take us to Michilimack-
inac, by water, where I gave myself up as a prisoner of war, with one
of my sergeants. The commanding officer. Captain Roberts, offered
me every assistance, in his power, to render our situation comfortable
while we remained there, and to enable us to proceed on our journey.
To him I gave my parole of honor, and came on to Detroit, and re-
* An indication of bad sreneralship.
t The wounded were ignored.
128
ported myself to Colonel Proctor, who gave us a passage to Buffalo;
from that place, I came by the way of Presque Isle, and arrived here
yesterday.
The following which treats of the fate of more of the prisoners may
be of interest:
Chicago — Among the prisoners who have recently arrived at this
place (says the Plattsburg paper of the 21st ult.) from Quebeck, are
James VanHorn, Joseph Knowles, Paul Grommow, Elias Mills,
Joseph Bowen, Nathan Edson, Dyson Dyer, James Corbin and
Phelim Corbin, of the First regiment of U. S, infantry, who survived
the massacre at Fort Dearborn or Chicago, on the 15th of August,
1812. It will be recollected that the commandant at Fort Chicago,
Captain Heald, was ordered by General Hull to evacuate the fort and
proceed with his company to Detroit, that having proceeded about a
mile and a half, the troops were attacked by body of Indians, to
whom they were compelled to capitulate. Captain Heald, in his re-
port of this affair, dated Oct. 23, 1812, says: "Our strength was 54
regulars and 12 militia, out of which 26 regulars and all the militia
were killed in the action, with two women and 12 children; Lieut, Lina
T. Helm, with 25 non-commissioned officers and privates and the 11
women and children were prisoners when we separated." Lieutenant
Helm was ransomed Of the 25 non commissioned officers and pri-
vates and the 11 women and children, the nine persons above men-
tioned, are believed to be the only survivors. They state that the
prisoners who were not put to death on the march, were taken to Fox
river in the Illinois territory, where they were distributed among the
Indians as servants. Those who survived remained in this situation
about nine months, during which time they were allowed scarcely a
sufficiency of sustenance to support nature, and were then brought
to Fort Chicago, where they were purchased from the Indians by a
French trader, agreeable to the direction of General Proctor, and
sent to Amerstburg, and from thence to Quebec, where they arrived
on the 8th of November, 1818.
John Neads, formerly of Virginia, who was one of the prisoners,
died among the Indians, between the 15th and 20th of January, 1818.
Hugh Logan, an Irishman, was tomahawked and put to death, he
not being able to walk from fatigue.
August Mott, a German, was killed in the same manner for the
like reason.
A man by the name of Nelson was frozen to death while a captive
with the Indians. He wa3 formerly of Maryland.
A child of Mrs. Neads, the wife of John Neads, was tied out to a
tree, to prevent its following and crying after its mother for victuals.
Mrs. Neads afterwards perished with hunger and cold.
The officers who were killed on the 15th of August had their heads
cut off and their hearts taken out and boiled in the presence of the
prisoners.
Eleven children were massacred and scalped in one wagon.
124
Mrs. Corbin, the wife of Phelim Corbin, in an advanced stage of
pregnancy, was tomahawked, scalped, cut open, and had the child
taken out and its head cut off.
The names of some of those who served in the action, and whose
names were not mentioned by Heald, are of the militia: Charles Lee
and his son; Pittill, Burns and Ruesell.
Of the regulars: Sergeants Hays and Holt, and privates, James
VanHorn, Joseph Knowles, Paul Grrummon (or Grrumow or Gromit)
Elias Mills, James Bowen, Nathan Edson, Dyson Dyer, James Cor-
bin, Phelim Corbin, John Neads, died; Hugh Logan, prisoner, killed;
August Mott, prisoner, killed; John Cooper and Nelson.
During the tragedy of Ronan's death, while berating Dr. Van
Voorhis for cowardice, Mrs. Helm, barely escaped death from the blow
of a tomahawk aimed by a young Indian, but, by dodging it and grap-
pling the young man about the neck. While struggling, she was seized
by another and hurriedly borne to the lake and there submerged, as
she believed for a kinder death than by the hatchet; but her head was
cautiously supported until the battle was over, when she was borne
by her former friend Black Partridge to the sandbanks; thence on
horse-back, she was escorted back to the Chicago river. The Kinzie
boat was permitted to return and the family re-entered their house,
to which Mrs. Heald, badly wounded was removed the following day.
On the 16th, the Indians fired the fort, and later the prisoners,
distributed for different points until removed, some to reach safety,
others, to die miserably of hunger, by exposure or wound, or all
together.
Long years afterward, when Captain Heald had passed away, his
widow sought recovery for the property of the family, alleged to have
been lost; but as such a proceeding was reported unfavorably, the
claim was rejected. Following is a copy of the report of the pro-
ceedings:
"To the Honorable, the United States Court of Claims:
The petition of Rebekah Heald, the widow of Major Nathan
Heald, late of St. Charles county, in the State of Missouri, most
respectfully represents.
That on the 15th day of Aug. 1812, her husband, then Captain
Heald, an officer of the United States Army, commanded Fort Dear-
born, in or near Chicago; that she, your petitioner, resided there
with him, and that they were possessed of considerable personal
property, all of which was lost at the destruction of said Fort Dear-
born, on the said 15th day of Aug., 1812, by the Indians, and by
whom they were taken prisoners.
That an inventory or schedule of the property thus lost is here-
with annexed, together with its supposed valuation.
Your petitioner further states, that after the death of her husband,
she, in the month of Dec. 1847, petitioned Congress for payment and
remuneration for the property so destroyed by the Indians and lost to
125
them. That her petition was forwarded to the Hon. Tho's. H. Ben-
ton, then a Senator in Congress from Missouri and was accompanied
by the despositions of two ladies of Chicago, who were well
acquainted with all the facts in relation to their capture and the de-
struction of their property; that by some strange fatality, the peti-
tion and testimony were lost or mislaid, and were never presented to
Congress; that both of the ladies at Chicago are now dead; that their
testimony, duly taken, was full and complete; that her said petition
was furthermore accompanied by the additional testimony of Col.
John O'Fallon and Col. John Ruland, of St. Louis, Missouri.
Your petitioner prays that her claim may be examined and ad-
judicated upon, in such manner as may be conformable to the rules
and regulations of your court; and, if necessary, that a commission
may be granted to take the depositions of witnesses in St. Louis,
Missouri, to substantiate her claim.
The major part of the property lost, was her own and over which
her hus'oand exercised no control; but perhaps when legally consid-
ered, the title was in him. If such be the construction, then I
appeal in the name of his legal representatives for payment.
Relies upon fifth article of Amendments to the Constitution, three.
United States Satutes, 261; Id. 165, chapter 121; and general prin-
ciples of public law.
Rebekah Heald.
United States, to Rebekah Heald Dr.
For loss of property (personal,) taken and destroyed by Indians,
on the 15th day of Aug. 1812, at Fort Dearborn, on the destruction
of the fort, viz:
One neero woman, Ciclly. and her child, valued at $1,000 00
One sl(ie saddle, bridle and martinffale 3t 00
Three horses 600 00
Two cows and calves 60 00
Household furniture 200 00
Silver spoona end tumblers 75 00
Table furniture complete 75 00
Clothii.ff 600 CO
Jewelry, ear rlnsra, breastpins, rinsrs, etc 60 00
$2,685 00
State of Missouri, )
[• ss.
County of St. Charles. )
I, Rebekah Heald, do swear that the facts stated by me in the
petition, so far as they are of my own personal knowledge, are true
and so far as they depend upon the information of others, I believe
to be true; and that the schedule annexed, is a true account of the
property lost, and the estimated value, say, $2,5S5 00.
Rebekah Heald.
Subscribed and sworn to before me the undersigned Justice, this
9th day of Oct. 1855.
Josiah B. Cosby,
Justice of the Peaee.
A certificate of magistracy follows.
126
SUPPLEMENTARY PETITION.
To the Honorable y the Court of Claims of the United States:
Rebekah Heald, a petitioner to the Court of Claims, begs leave to
file this supplementary petition, to make certain amendments which
she is advised are necessary to her original petition.
Your petitioner founds her claim on the implied contract which
exists between the government and its citizens, to afford them pro-
tection against all hostile depredations, and the repeated recognition
of their liability in cases similar to this of your petitioner.
No one is interested in the said claim but the petitioner and the
legal representatives of her late husband, in whose behalf she peti-
tions, who are Darius Heald, (son of the petitioner and her late hus-
band, Nathan Heald,) and Nathan Heald MoCausland and Alexan-
der A. McCausland, (grandson of the petitioner and her late husband,
Nathan Heald.)
Your petitioner desires that her petition may be so amended as to
include the above statements, and prays leave to amend the schedules
thereunto annexed, by adding thereto, a watch and a gun, that were
lost at the same time and in the same manner set forth in the peti-
tion, and that were of the value of $150.
Rebekah Heald.
State of Missouri, J
> ss.
County of St. Charles. )
This day personally appeared before me, Josiah B. Cosby, Justice
of the Peace, duly authorized by law to administer oaths within and
for the county aforesaid, Rebekah Heald, whose name is subscribed
to the foregoing petition and who by me being duly sworn, upon her
oath says, that said petition and the facts therein set forth are true,
Sworn to and subscribed before me, this 4th day of Jan. 1856.
Josiah B. Cosby,
Justice of the Peace.
A certificate of magistracy follows.
JUDGMENT.
In the Court of Claims.
Rebecca Heald, vs. The United States.
Judge Blackford delivered the opinion of the court.
"The petition states the following facts: The petitioner is the
widow of Captain Heald deceased. On the 15th of Aug. 1812, her
husband was captain in the army of the United States and then
resided with the petitioner, his wife, at Chicago.
At that time. Captain Heald was commandant of Fort Dearborn,
in or near Chicago, where he and the petitioner then had personal
property of the value of $2,585.00.
127
The Indians, on the 15th of Aug. 1812, destroyed Fort Dearborn,
when all said personal property was lost and Captain Heald and the
petitioner, his wife, were taken prisoners. The greater part of the
personal property so lost, belonged to the petitioner.
The object of the petitioner is to recover the value of said personal
property either for herself or for the legal representatives of her said
husband
At the time of said destruction of Fort Dearborn, the United States
and the Indians were at war; and the claim thereof is for the value
of private personal property destroyed by an enemy in time of war.
We think that there is no difference in this case. The government
is not bound to pay for the property in question. No doctrine is
better settled than that the goverment of an invaded country is not
liable to pay for private property destroyed by the enemy. This sub-
ject was before us in 1856, in the case of Cassius M. Clay and the
decree was against his claim. In the opinion in that case, the
authority of Vattel is relied on. That author speaks of the damages
caused to individuals by acts of the enemy and says: "All the sub-
jects are exposed to such laws and woe to him on whom they fall."
The members of a society may well encounter such risk of property
since they encounter a similar risk of life itself. Were the State
strictly to indemnify all those whose property is injured in this man-
ner, the public finances would soon be exhausted; and every individ-
ual in the State would be obliged to contribute his share in due
proportion — a thing utterly impractical. Besides, these indemnifica-
tions would be liable to a thousand abuses and there would be no
end of the particulars. It is therefore to be presumed that no such
thing was ever intended by those who united to form a society.
Our opinion is that the petition shows no cause of action."
Ft. Dearborn fell; its garrison, wantonly slaughtered, but prepared
the savages for more raids to the south, where their butcheries might
continue until the last white man was destroyed or driven away. No
man realized that position so forcefully as Governor Edsvards and no
man could have made better or quicker preparations to defeat them
by anticipating the dangers entering the enemy's country.
The support of the militia was called for quickly and as quickly as
it could be concentrated, every available man responded. On the
11th day of September, Colonel Russell, who had been ordered, from
near Vincennes, promptly left that point with two small companies
of United States rangers, commanded by Captains Perry and Modrell*
to join Governor Edwards and move up the Illinois to make a dem-
onstration before the hostile Indiana (there concentrated) of a char-
acter to cower them, which if ineffectual was to be followed by
chastisement and destruction of their villages; likewise to recover the
property and murderers sought by Captain Levering, to suffer no
possible miscarriage. Gen. Samuel Hopkinsf commander of the
Kentucky troops raised for the occasion, some 2,000 in number, was
•Davidson and Stuve. 268.
tAnnala of the West. 616.
128
ordered to move up the Wabash to Ft. Harrison, destroy the villages
in his course near the Wabash; march across the prairies of Illinois
by way of the headwaters of the Sangamon and Vermillion rivers;
form a junction with Edwards and Russell and together sweep all the
villages along the Illinois river.
General Hopkins' Kentuckians, undisciplined, and hopelessly insub-
ordibate, after crossing into the Illinois prairies, became reckless and
disorderly. It was known among them that the success of the expe-
dition depended entirely on their activity and secrecy. Yet they
loitered and shot game along the way and otherwise disobeyed the
positive commands of the veteran general and his aids to such a
shameful extent that the Indians in all the territory desired to be
covered, learned the object of the movement and fled north to safety,
just as had been feared when orders for secrecy and haste had been
given. The season was rainy and the roads naturally slow; competent
guides were lacking and on the fourth day out from Ft Harrison, the
army lost its course in the vast prairies and returned disgraced, to
the Wabash. What a mortifying finish, after writing the following
letter to Grovernor Shelby of Kentucky, as gallant old General Hop-
kins did!
"ViNOENNES, Sept. 29, 1812
My present intention is to attack every settlement on the Wabash,
and destroy their property, then fall upon the Illinois; and I trust in
all the next month to perform much of it. Serious opposition I hardly
apprehend, although I intend to be prepared for it."*
On October 6th, 1812, General Hopkins addressed Governor Shelby
an account of his march which we shall consider before relating the
story of the Edwards and Russell exploit:
Fort Harrison,! 6th Oct. 1812.
My Dear Sir — The expedition of the mounted riflemen has ter-
minated. The Wabash was recrossed yesterday and the whole corps
are on their way to Busseron, where the adjutant general will attend,
in order to have them properly mustered and discharged; and where
their horses may get forage during the delay necessary for this object.
Yes, sir; this army has returned without hardly obtaining the sight
of an enemy. A simple narrative of facts as they occurred will best
explain the reasons that have led to this state of things.
The army having finished crossing the Wabash on the 14th inst.,
marched about three miles and encamped. I here requested the at-
tendance of the general and field oflBcers and captains, to whom I
imparted the objects of the expedition and the advantages that might
result from a fulfillment of them. The nearest Kickapoo villages
were from eighty to one hundred miles distant, and the Peoria not
more than one hundred and sixty. By breaking up these or as many
as our resources would permit, we would be rendering a service to all
the territories. That from their numbers, this tribe was more favor-
able than any near us; and from their situation and hostility, had it
•Nlles Keclster. 176; vol. 3.
L tA short distance above Terre Haute, commanded by Capt, Zachary Taylor.
129
more in their power to do us mischief; of course to chastise and de-
stroy these, would be rendering real benefit to our country. It was
observed by some officers, that they would meet the next morning,
consult together and report to me their opinions; desiring at the
same time to be furnished with the person on whom I had relied for
intelligence of the country.
This council was held, and all the intelligence furnished that had
been requested, and I had a report highly favorable to the enter-
prise. This to me was more gratifying, as early as our encampment
at Vincennes, discontents and murmurings, that portended no wish
to proceed further. At Busseron, I found an evident increase of dis-
content, although no army was ever better or more amply supplied
with rations and forage than at this place. At Fort Harrison, where
we encamped on the 10th, and where we were well supplied with for-
age, etc, I found on the 12th and l-:5th many breaking off and re-
turning without applying to me for a discharge, and as far as I know,
without any notification to their officers: Indeed, I have every
reason to suppose the officers of every grade, gave no countenance to
such a procedure.
Thinking myself now secure in the confidence of my brother officers
and the army, we proceeded on our march early on the 15th, and
continued it four days, our course near north in the prairie until we
came to an Indian house, where some corn, etc., had been cultivated.
The last day of the march to this place, I had been made acquainted
with a return of that spirit of discontent, that had, as I had hoped,
subsided, and when I had ordered a halt near sun set (for the first
time that day) in a fiue piece of grass in the prairie, to aid our horses,
I was addressed in the most rude and dictatorial manner, requiring
me immediately to resume my march, or his battalion would break
from the army and return! Tliis was a Major Singleton! I mention
him in justice to the other officers of that grade. But from every
information, I began to fear the army waited but for a pretext to
return! This was afforded next day by our guides who had thought
they had discerned an Indian village on the side of a grove about ten
miles from where we encamped on tiie fourth night of our march, and
turned us about six or eight miles out of our way. An almost uni-
versal discontent seemed to prevail, and we took our course in such
a direction as we hoped would best atone for the error of the morning.
About or after sun set, we came to a thin grove affording water; here
we took up our camp; and about this time arose one of the most
violent gusts of wind, I ever remember to have seen, not proceeding
from clouds. The Indians had set fire to the prairie, which drove on
us so furiously, that we were compelled to fire around our camp to
protect ourselves. This seems to have decided the army to return:
I was informed of it so many ways, that early in the next morning
(October 20ch), I requested the attendance of the general and field
officers, and stated to them my apprehensions, the expectations of
our country, the disgrace attending the measure, and the approbation
of our own consciences. Against this, I stated the weary situation
of our horses and the want of provisions (which to me seemed only
— 9H
130
partial, six days having only passed since every part of the army, as
was believed, was furnished with ten days in bacon, beef or bread
stuff) the reasons given for returning; I requested the commandants
of eaoh regiment to convene the whole of the ofl&oers belonging to it,
and to take fully the sense of the army on this measure; report to
commandants of brigades, who were requested to report to me in
writing; adding that if 500 volunteers would turn out, I would put
myself at their head and proceed in quest of the towns; and the bal-
ance of the army might retreat in safety to Fort Harrison, In less
than one hour the report was made almost unanimously to return. I
then requested that I might dictate the course to be pursued that day
only, which I pledged myself should not put them more than six
miles out of the way, my object being to cover the reconnoitering
parties, I wished to send out for the discovery of the Indian towns,
About this time, the troops being paraded, I put myself in front,
took my course and directed them to follow me; the columns moving
off quite a contrary way. I sent Captain Taylor and Major Lee to
apply to the officers leading the columns, to turn them. They were
told it was not in their power. The army had taken their course and
would pursue it. Discovering great confusion and disorder in the
march, I threw myself in the rear, fearing an attack on those who
were there from necessity, and continued in that position the whole
day. The exhausted state of the horses, nor the hunger of the men
retarded this day's march; so swiftly was it prosecuted that it was
long before the rear arrived at the encampment.
The generals Ray, Ramsey and Allen, lent all their aid and author-
ity in restoring our march to order and so far succeeded, as to bring
on the whole with much less loss than I had feared; indeed I have no
reason to think we were either followed or menaced by an enemy. I
think we marched at least 80 or 90 miles in the heart of the enemy's
country. Had he possessed a design to fight us, opportunities in
abundance presented. So formidable was our appearance in the
prairie and in the country (as I am told) never trod before by hos-
tile feet, must impress the bordering tribes with a sense of their
danger. If it operates beneficially in this way, our labor will not be
altogether vain.
I hope the expense attending this expedition will be found less
than usual on such occasions. I have consulted economy in every
instance; subject only to real necessity has been the expenditures.
The forage has been the heaviest article.
To the officers commanding brigades, many of the field officers,
captains, etc, my thanks are due; many of the old Kentucky veterans,
whose heads are frosted by time, are entitled to every confidence
and praise their country can bestow. To the adjutant, quarter master
general and members of my own family, I feel indebted for ready,
able and manly support in every instance. Let me here include our
friend George Walker, our judge advocate-general, who lived with me
and took more than a common share of fatigue and toil, and who did
all in his power to farther the service in the corps of spies and guides,
IBl
under the direction of Major Dubois, and the two companies of Ken-
tucky and Gwatkin who encamped near me and were under my im-
mediate orders. I experienced an alertness and attention highly
honorable to them. Tliese corps were ready to have gone on to exe-
cute any service; the whole amounted to about 120, and deserve hon-
orable mention.
Mr. Bairon and Messrs. Lacelly and LePiant, interpreters and
guides deserve well of me. I am certain we were not 20 miles from
the Indian village when we were forced to retire and I have many
reasons to prove we were in the right way.
I have myself (superadded to the mortification I felt at thus re-
turning) been in a bad state of health from first to last; and am now
80 weak as not to be able to keep myself on my horse.
A violent diarrhoea has pursued me ten days past, and reduced me
extremely low. I had resolved to continue with the line of march a
little, if unable to ride. There are yet many things of which I wish
to write; they relate substantially to prospective operations. Soon
again shall I have the honor to address your excellency. In the
mean time be assured of the perfect consideration and high regards
of your obedient friend and servant, Governor Shelby.
Samuel Hopkins.*"
The part assigned to Governor Edwards and Colonel Russell, more
hazardous, was executed with precision and despatch, though fraught
with nothing brilliant. Happily Governor Reynolds, in whose debt
the State of Illinois must always remain, was a member of that expe-
dition, as sergeant in the company of William B Whitesides, and has
left us the following faithful account of it:
"Towards the last of September, 1812, all the forces of the United
States rangers and mounted volunteers, to the number of 350, were
assembled at Camp Russell and duly organized, preparatory to
marching against the Indians, and join the army under General Hop-
kins. Camp Russell was one mile and a half north of Edwardsville,
and then on the frontier.
"Colonel Russell commanded the United States rangers; Colonels
Stephenson and f Charles Rector were in command of the volunteers;
Major John Mordock, Colonel — Desha, United States army, and
several others (names not recollected) were field ofiicers; Captains
William B. Wbiteside, James B. Moore, Jacob Short, Samuel White-
side, Willis Hargrave (William McHenry, Janny and Lieutenant
Roakson, with a small independent company of spies, consisting of
21 men,) commanded companies.
"Colonel Jacob Judy was the captain of a small corps of spies,
comprising 21 men. (Governor Reynolds was in this company.) J
* Nilng Reeister, 204, Vol. 3.
t Davlilsun and Stuve, page 270, say Elias Rector.
X He was priacipally a member of W. B. Whiteside's company.
132
"The staff of Governor Edwards were Nelson Rector, Lieut. Robert
K. McLaughlin, United States army, and Secretary Nathaniel Pope.
There may have been more, but the writer does not recollect them.
"This little army being organized, and with their provisions for 20
or 30 days packed on the horses, they rode (except in a few instances,
when pack horses were fitted out,) took up the line of march in a
northwardly direction.
"Captain Craig, with a small company, was ordered to take charge
of a boat, fortified for the occasion, with provision and supplies, and
proceed up the Illinois river to Peoria.
"This little army at that time was all the efficient force to protect
Illinois. We commenced the march from Camp Russell on the last
day of September. At that period the Indians on the Sangamon,
Mackinac and Illinois rivers were both numerous and hostile.
"The route lay on the west side of Cahokia creek, to the lake fork
of the Macoupin,* and across the Sangamon river below the forks, a
few miles east of Springfield. We left the Elkhart grove to the leftf
and passed the old Kickapoo village on Kickapoo creek, and directed
our course towards the head of Peoria lake. The old Kickapoo village
which the Indians had abandoned, was destroyed, J Ab§ the army
approached near Peoria, Governor Edwards dispatched Lieutenant
Peyton, James Reynolds and some others to visit the village of the
Peorias, but they made no discoveries.
"There was a village of the Kickapoos and Pottawattomies on the
eastern bluff of the Illinois river, nearly opposite the head of Peoria
lake. II
"The troops moved with rapidity and caution towards the village
and encamped for the night within a few miles of it. Thomas Carlin
(late governor of Illinois) , Robert Whiteside, Stephen Whiteside and
Davis Whiteside were sent by the governor to reconnoitre the posi-
tion of the enemy, and report to the commanding officer. This duty
was performed at considerable peril, but with much adroitness. Their
position was found to be about five miles from our troops, on a bluff,
and surrounded by swamps, impassable by mounted men, and scarcely
by footmen The swamps were not only miry but at that time cov-
ered with high grass and brushwood, so that an Indian could not be
discovered until within a few feet of him,
"In the morning earlj', and concealed by a dense fog, the army
marched, and it was not long before Captain Judy, with his spies,
came on an Indian and squaw. The captain shot him, but while
staggering and singing his death song, Captain Wright, of Wood
river settlement, incautiously approached him, when, with the in-
* Which was crossed near the present site of Carllnville.
t Crosfein? Salt creek not far from the present city of Lincoln.
i Which by reason of offensive pictures drawn by the Indiana, was reduced to ashes
'i Fearing attar>k. the army from this point on, marched after dark until until mldnlgrht,
which dispensed with the use of camp fires.
II Black Partridge's map.
183
stinctive emotions peculiar to a dying Indian, he shot and mortally
wounded Captain Wright, who died after he was brought home. The
squaw was taken prisoner and afterwards returned to her nation.
"The army marched under the bluff, that they might reach the vil-
lage under cover, but as they approached the Indians with their
squaws were on the retreat to their swamps. Instant pursuit was
given, and in a short distance from the village, horses, riders, arms and
baggage were overwhelmed in the morass. It was a democratic over-
throw, for the governor and his horse shared the same fate as the
subaltern, or the private soldier. We were all literally swamped.
"A pursuit on foot was ordered, and executed with readiness but
extreme difficulty. In the chase many of the enemy were killed, and
at every step, kettles, mats and other Indian property were distributed
in the morass.
"Captain Samuel Whiteside, with a party, pursued the scattered
enemy to the river, and several were shot in attempting to cross to
the opposite shore. So excited were the men that Charles Kitchen,
Pierre St. Jean and John Howard crossed the river on logs to follow
the retreating foe. The Indians fled into the interior wilderness.
Some of our men were wounded, but none killed, in the charge.
"On our return to the village, some children were found hid in the
ashes and were taken to the settlement. After destroying their corn
and other property, and securing all their horses,* we commenced the
homeward march. After traveling till dark to find a good camping
ground, the rain set in, and the night was dark. Not knowing but
that there were other Indian towns above, and learning that the ex-
pedition of General Hopkinsf had failed to meet us, we apprehended
danger from a night attack. Many of the soldiers had lost their
blankets and other clothing in the swamp, and there was much suf-
fering in camp that night.
"Captain CraigJ arrived at Peoria with his boat, where he remained
several days, was repeatedly attacked by Indians, but, being fortified,
and on his own ground, sustained no damage. He returned with the
stores in safety. The troops marched back to Camp Russell, where
they were discharged."
Natur vlly, reports by officers of their own actions, are apt to reflect
as much credit as the results will justify by judicious straining;
therefore this expedition which might have frightened the Indians
into temporary good behavior, and probably did, yet it received a
dignity from the report of Grovernor Edwards, which may seem un-
warranted.
I am well aware that public utterances receive injudicious and reck-
less criticisms from the thoughtless. I am well aware that we cannot
judge of conditions so competently as those present at the time, but
from the manner in which Governor Reynolds treated it; the pusil-
lanimous conduct of Hopkins' troops and the assinine and criminal
* Seme 80 head.
t As well as Cttptain Oral?.
t His exDluit follows a few pasres later.
134
action of Craig, we must, while conceding that to the expedition amid
the Indians, until they recovered breath to do more damaga, we must
regard with regret the treatment given the villages of the friends of
the whites. We will admit that much mischief was hatched in their
villages; possibly the Fort Dearborn massacre, of it who shall say an
indiscriminate assault should have been made upon friend and foe
alike? It was an incident of Indian life and character to find such
conditions, and when a raid was contemplated, the highest intelli-
gence should have directed its execution.
Finding no reinforcements from Hopkins and Craig and suspect-
ing attack from the exasperated Indians, Grovernor Edwards turned
his face toward Camp Russell, and reached it with his command after
13 days absence.
Strange as it may seem, a controversy arose as to who should have
the credit of originating the expedition. The question should have
been, to whom should we credit the execution of it.
Following is Governor Edwards' report:
"Elvirade, Randolph Co.,
Illinois Territory, Nov. 18, 1812.
'To the Hon. Wm. Eusiis, Secretary of War, Washmgto7i City:
Sir — Of the perils to which this territory has been exposed, during
this year, I need add nothing to my former communication; but I
beg leave to trouble you with a sketch of my military operations.
In the early part of the season, and until the month of August, my
measures were entirely of a defensive and precautionary character,
having kept a few companies of mounted riflemen ranging across the
territory in such a manner as to cover our frontier, their line of
march being sometimes three and never less than one day's journey
in advance of our settlements.
While this plan afPorded the best practicable means of obtaining
timely notice of the approach of a large body of Indians, I thought
that small parties, from whom I apprehended at that time the most
danger, seeing our line of ranging so far beyond the settlements,
would naturally be afraid to cross it, lest their trail should be dis-
covered and they be cut off And as there were so many points in
the territory equally accessible to them, I preferred the disposition
of my small force to that of collecting it together at any one place;
and my success has exceeded my most sanguine calculations, not hav-
ing lost a single life, on as dangerous and exposed a frontier as any
in the United States.
In the latter part of August, being convinced that a large body of
Indians intended to attack us, and Colonel Russell, who had arrived
only a short time before with one company of rangers, being called
off with them to Vincennes, I immediately determined to collect and
organize the most eiBScient force in my power, to take the command
of it myself and defend the territory to the last extremity. Many
circumstances induced me to believe that the meditated attack would
135
be made on that part of our frontier which lies between the Missis-
sippi and Kaskaskia rivers, under which conviction (which subse-
quent events proved to be well founded) I established and supported
several forts, at convenient distances on a line frc^m one river to the
other, and as near to the center of that line as a due regard to other
circumstances, which were entitled to weight, would admit of. I
built a large strong fort, at which I collected my principal force — it
being a point from which I could most conveniently aid or relieve every
other part that might be attacked.
Whilst the small body of infantry I had in service were relied on
for the defense of these forts, between four and five hundred mount-
ed riflemen were kept almost constantly ranging in the country be-
tween us and the enemy. But scarcely were these measures put into
operation, before I ascertained the very day on which the Indians
proposed to assemble at Peoria for the purpose of coming down upon
us, the route they intended to take, and the objects they had in view;
and I collected together, with as much dispatch as possible, all my
mounted men, with the intention of setting out on an expedition
against them, so planned as to fall in their rear and surprise them,
from which I did anticipate the most glorious result; and I am well
convinced I would not have been disappointed, for they had taken
such extraordinary precautions to prevent their intentions being dis-
covered, that ihey themselves entertained no doubt that they had
succeeded. But with every effort in my power to accomplish my ob-
ject, I was forced most reluctantly to abandon it, merely because the
contractor failed to supply the necessary rations.
It then became necessary to meet the danger in some other way;
and calculating rather upon desultory attacks from the enemy, than
a united one, I endeavored to have them opposed at every avenue
through which they would be most likely to invade us— for which
purpose I detached one company up the Illinois river, in a well for-
tified boat, armed with muskets, blunderbusses and swivel.
The mounted riflemen I sent out in separate detachments to differ-
ent parts of the same river, with orders to keep up a constant com-
munication with each other, and to act either separately or together,
as circumstances might require.
All these detachments, except one, fell in with Indian trails, gave
chase to the Indians for several days in succession, and would cer-
tainly have overtaken them, had they not been retarded by the heavy
rains that fell about that time Finally those Indians, after having
stolen seven horses and wounded two men, in an unsuccessful attack
they made on one of our forts, were completely repulsed, and re-
turned about the last of September to their own villages.
Of their number, various accounts have been given. All, however
agree that it was considerable, and I am pursuaded that there is not
one well informed man in this country who does not now believe that
if timely preparations had not been made to resist them on the fron-
tier that I occupied, the consequences would have been melancholy
136
and distressing. As the least of them, had only a few families been
killed, others would have removed, and terror would have pervaded
and depopulated this territory.
When I found that the Indians had retired from our frontier, I
began to prepare for an expedition against them; being fully con-
vinced that I could so regulate it as to surprise them in their villages
at the head of Peoria lake, At this time I calculated on no assist-
ance or forces whatever, beyond what I had raised in the territory;
but after every preparation was made and the day of our departure
fixed on, I received a letter from Colonel Russell, proposing to me an
expedition somewhat similar, and promising to come on before the
day I had appointed for marching. He accordingly arrived, with a
part of two companies of rangers, consisting of 50 privates and their
oflBcers, and tendered me his services, which I gladly accepted by ap-
pointing him second in command, well knowing and duly appreciat-
ing his great experience in Indian warfare and his merits as a mili-
tary.
Through him I also learned that General Hopkins was to march to
Peoria with at least 2,000 mounted volunteers, and would arrive at
that place about the time I expected to be at the head of Peoria lake.
In consequence of this latter information, as an addition to my or-
iginal plan, I sent one company of volunteers, with two boats, to
Peoria, one of them being well fortified and the other carrying as
much provisions as I could collect, and the necessary tools to enable
General Hopkins to build a fort at that place, provided he chose to
do so, or, otherwibe, to build it myself under cover of his army, whilst
it was marching, as he proposed it should do, up the Illinois river.
On the 18th of October, having made arrangements for the defense
of the frontier in my absence, and leaving a force, which under ex-
isting circumstances, I deemed adequate to that object, I commenced
my march with about 400 mounted volunteers. On our way, we burnt
two Kickapoo villages, on the Saline fork of Sangamon river— till
which time I had permitted it to be understood that I intended to
march to Peoria and cross the Illinois at that place. But ns my plan
was entirely a different one, I then thought it advisable to call a
council of officers and unfold to them my real views and intentions,
in which, they all concurring, we marched with uncommon rapidity
to a large village at the head of Peoria lake, inhabited by Kickapoos
and Miamies. It was situated at the foot of a hill, which terminates
the low grounds of the Illinois river at that place and runs many
miles parallel with it. In front of this village, the bottom, which is
three miles wide, is so flat, wet and marshy, as to be almost utterly
impassable to man or horse. Unfortunately our guides, instead of
leading us down the hill at the village, as I had expected, led us into
the bottom about three quarters of a mile below it, and thereby de-
ranged a plan of attack which I had at first contemplated. As we
approached the towa, the Indians were seen running out of it in con-
siderable numbers, and for some time I thought they were forming
to give us battle.
137
With the center of my little army I vrss marching in a direct
course towards them, the right wing being ordered to gain their flank
on the right of us, whilst the left was directed to out off their retreat
to the river. Bat in a short time, I discovered them, some on horse-
back, others on foot, all running as fast as they could at right angles
from that which I was pursuing, towards a point of woods in which
I expected they intended to form. I immediately changed my course,
ordered and led on a general charge upon them, and would have suc-
ceeded in cutting off their retreat had it not been for the unsound-
ness of the ground over which we had to run. We, however, rushed
upon them with such impetuosit}^ that they were forced to scatter
and take refuge in the swamp, in which those who were on horse-
back left their horses so completely mired that they could not move.
A part was pursued through the swamp to the river, where several
were killed and the town of Cheqeneboc (a Pottawatomie chief, who
headed the party that came down to attack us) together with all the
provisions and other property it contained, was burnt. Another
party was pursued into the swamp in a diffeient direction; several
were killed, but finally they rallied at that point in such numbers
that those who pursued them were forced to retreat. I then sent in
a reinforcement, which induced the Indians entirely to give ground.
The pursuit and fight over, we returned to the village, which with a
great quantity of provisions and other valuable Indian property, we
burnt and otherwise destroyed. We brought ofP with us about 80
head of horses and four prisoners, having kilkd, according to the
Indian accounts, frequently given, between 24 and '60 Indians, with-
out the loss of a single man, and having only one wounded; which,
in my opinion was entirely owing to the charge that was made upon
the enemy, as they were run so hard that when they attempted to
form, they were out of breath, and could not shoot with sufficient
accuracy.
Not meeting with, nor hearing from Hopkins, and knowing that
my force was too weak and our horses too much fatigued to attempt
anything further, I detached a party the next day to Peoria to leave
directions for the captain who commanded the boats to return as
speedily as possible. This party burnt another village that had been
lately built within half a mile of Peoria, by the Miamies; and we all
returned to my headquarters, at Camp Russell, after a tour of 18
days, only.
The conduct of both the men and officers under my command was
highly honorable to themselves and useful to our country, They
were uniformly obedient to my orders, appeared sincerely desirous of
giving me every assistance in their power, and in the attack upon the
Indians they displayed a gallantry and intrepidity that could not be
surpassed.
You will clearly perceive, from the nature of my arrangements and
plans of operation, that they have been actively employed in the most
arduous duties, and I hope they will soon receive the reward that is
due to their services.
188
The boats did not return till the 15th inst. which has delayed this
communication to this time,
I have the honor to be, veiy respectfully, sir,
Your most obedient servant,
NiNiAN Edwaeds."
Considerable acrimony was displayed subsequently, in comment-
ing on this expedition. Friends of Edwards, Russell and Hopkins,
all contending for its inception by their respective partisans; but
upon final judgment, the contention of Governor Edwards was adopt-
ed and he stands now secure in gaining whatever of good may have
come of it. Upon the other hand, Gosi'ernor Shelby on the second of
the following March, wrote to Governor Edwards, expressive of his
conviction that the troops ordered from Kentucky, "had been pre-
vented from reaching the territory by dishonorable steps."
The detachment of the militia from St. Clair county was discharged
by Governor Edwards at Camp Russell, with a lengthy letter on
November 10, to which the officers and men replied on the same day,
through William Whiteside, lieutenant colonel, chairman, and James
B. Moore, clerk.* In this letter and a message of Governor Edwards
sent to the legislative council and house of representatives, Dec. 2,
1814, the expedition is set out and the character of the service de-
manded of the rangers explicitly detailed, with recommendations of
alterations in the militia laws.
And now follows the pnrt taken in that expedition by Captain
Craig, of Shawneetown: Being unable to join Governor Edwards'
forces at the Peoria village, he reached that point much later, and
notwithstanding the fact that the governor had left orders to return
to Camp Russell, he proceeded to reduce to submission those people
thought to have been actually engaged in hostilities among the
French and Indians of that village. In April, he was directed to
prepare for service, but before he could collect his men his orders
were countermanded, as we shall notice by his letter attached:
"Shawneetown, Illinois Teeritobt, 28th April, 1812.
"Dear Sir — I received your orders of the 12lh instant, directing
me to come on immediately to Kaskaskia and at the same time re-
ceived your note countermanding them orders. I have made use of
every exertion in my power to have my company ready by the time
the next express arrives, to march. Governor, I want you to state, if
you see proper, in the next express, in what way we must come, the
payments per day, etc. I am much in hopes you will receive us as
mounted riflemen. I shall certainly have my company as large and
as well equipped as possible. I am bound to attend your call if I
have only five men, but I have no doubt but I shall have near the
quantity. I have not sent the swords you sent for, for want of an
opportunity. We have received accounts at this place of the Indians
doing considerable damage on the Wabash. Report says from several
♦Edwards' Hist. 73 to 76.
ic:9
boats that passed three days since that the Indians have killed three,
and some say more men, just below the mouth of Green river — all
since the battle on the Wabash. The correctness of those reports are
yet uncertain with me. I have the honor to be, sir,
'Your most obedient servant,
"Thomas E Craig."
"His Excellency, Ninian Edwards.''*
Subsequently he was ordered to report, man the protected boats of
provisions, intended for the army, ascend the Illinois to the Peoria
village, and there assist in the punishment designed for the Indians
and such whites as might be found hostile or engaged in secret
schemes to defeat the arms of the State or government. As nisual,
he was late in reporting, and notwithstanding the fact that the gov-
ernor's party had returned after leaving orders for Craig's return,
that oflficer proceeded up-stream to the village and committed the
most stupid, reckless, I may say criminal act to be found in the rec-
ords. Let us absorb his own account:
"Shawneetown, Illinois Territory, 10th Deo., 1812.
"Governor Edwards.
"Sir — No chance sooner offered for the conveyance of a letter to
you. Since my return home, I have felt anxious to communicate the
charges I have against Thomas Forsythe & Co , or the citizens of
Peoria. Forsythe, from every appearance, was chief commander.
Sir, agreeable to your orders, 1 went to Peoria with my company on
board the boats placed under my command. I landed at Peoria on
the 5th day of November and left the place on the 9th. On my way,
not far below Peoria, I met two canoes loaded mostly with squaws and
children, accompanied by five men. They were brought to the boats.
They said they were running from the Indians on their way to Par-
tushdism I kept one of the men on board my boat; the balance
past. This was a Frenchman called Polete. He said the Indiana
had told him what your men had done, etc., and that they had seen
Benet and Nail with you, and on that account had got mad with the
French.
"After fixing out my sentinels at Peoria at a proper distance, I
marched my company through the village, when I found the doors
of the houses open, and all the property left; appeared like entire
loss to the owners. I hourly expected you or General Hopkins' army
at that place. I thought the property they had left might be taken
as a prize. I thought no men more deserving than my own. All the
property that could be found was put on board the boats. We made
use of some pork and ate the fowls. The pork I paid for. On the
evening of the same day I landed there, I was anchored in the river,
or lake opposite. At dark I saw a canoe with six men about one mile
below me; they appeared to be in great haste. I thought them to be
Indians, as they appeared to shun us. I sent some men and had
them brought to the boats. They were the company of Forsythe. I
* The Edwards papers, page 68.
140
unarmed them and took them on board the boats. They told me that
Forsythe had sent them on to see what we were doing. At the same
time he might have come himself or written to me by them. This
was the first I had ever heard of his coming. He was then a little
distance below Peoria. The next morning his men wanted to meet
him. I released four and kept two. The evening after, Forsythe
came with about 25 men and all the squaws and children we had met.
After going through the proper ceremony, was admitted to pasa.
From the recommendation I had got of Mr Forsythe, I was glad to
see him. They took up their dwelling in town I suspect, as usual.
"I asked Forsythe if he would anchor in the lake with me that
night. He said not. I asked him if he was not afraid of the Indians.
He said they were all gone and he apprehended no danger, and I be-
lieve none of the citizens, from their actions. The sentinels on board
my boats could hear and see them passing through town with candles,
and hear canoes crossing the river all night for several nights. We
would land in the morning to cook, and see fresh horse tracks in
town. There is no doubt they were Indians. Forsythe and myself
were in company every day. On the third day, Forsythe made ap-
plication for the property we had got in town, he said it belonged to
him and the citizens. I, without hesitation, landed the boats and
let them take all they claimed, except some of my own cooking tools
and the peltry and property that came out of Laoroix and Bensong's
house, as I was told they were in Canada, trading with the British.
This property I held as a prize for the use of my company, though
subject to your order. Forsythe and myself lived in this way, I
thought perfectly friendly, for six or seven days. I am convinced
the French knew of your return and did tell him, but not me. They
were in council every day, and did detain Governor Howard's express
against his will after my letting him have rations to bring him down.
I asked Mr. Forsythe when he expected you at that place. He said
he was convinced that you were about 90 miles above Peoria, at a
place called Flat Island, and would be there in the course of six or
seven days. About midnight of the 6th of November the wind blew
so hard in the lake that we were forced to drop the boats about one
quarter of a mile be^ow Peoria. We there cast anchor. The wind
still continued to blow with such force that it broke our cable and
drifted the armed boat on shore. It was at that time very dark, and
our anchor lost I thought myself secure, as it was impossible for
the Indians to discover us before daylight, except they were in town
at the time we passed. Betwixt the break of day and daylight, I
opened the cabin door and was talking with the sentinel on the stern
deck; we had spoke but few words before we were fired on, by I
think ten or more guns, not more than thirty yards from the boat.
The men were instantly fixed for battle, but was disappointed, as they
made their escape immediately. We only heard them yelp after the
fiira. As soon as it was clear daylight, I had the boats landed about
the center of the village and sent to know what had become of the
citizens. They said they had heard nor seen nothing. I then sent
to the place from which we were fired on. There were tracks plenty,
leading from that place up to the village. This was what I expected.
141
I instantly had them all taken prisoners, except Howard's express.
They were all in Forsythe's house, with their guns. Their guns ap-
peared to be just tired; the most of them were empty. I gave them
time to collect their property, which was done immediately, For-
sythe said his cattle would be lost. I told him to take four of his
men and hunt his cattle; th-it I would wait two days longer, and that
he might drive them through the way he said he wanted to take
them. He said it was too late; his cattle was gone, etc, Howard's
express came on board my boat and told me that seven of the citizens
went out, they said to hunt beef, that morning we were fired on. They
started about the break of day and returned by daylight. He said per-
haps there were more, for they never would let him know what they
were going to do, and would talk together in his absence. He said he
wanted to come with the six men in the canoe, but Forsythe would
not let him. We stayed two days after they were taken prisoners. I
made them furnish their own rations all the time I kept them. I
burnt down about half the town Peoria, and should have burnt the
whole and destroyed all the stock, but still expected Hopkins' army
to pass that place. There was a keg of powder buried in Lecroix's
house. While burning down, I found four American muskets in their
possession and one keg of musket balls, and one musket in Forsythe's
house under the floor and some brass musket moulds,
"On our way down the river, they were all unarmed, I gave them
permission to camp on shore while I anchored in the river. They
always preferred the Indian side for their camping ground. Forsythe
appeared sulky and obstinate; in fact, every part of his conduct gave
rise to the strongest suspicion of his not being a friend, and in short,
I am well convinced that the citizens did nothing but what he was
knowing too. He claimed property after refusing to take it at Peoria.
He got all his property, and I am afraid, more. He and the rest of
the damned rascals may think themselves well off that they were not
scalped. I find it impossible for me to describe his conduct in a
proper manner. I have been very unwell since my return home. I
can scarcely sit up to write you; but mending.
"I have the honor to be, sir, your humble servant,
"Thomas E. Craig.
"His Excellency, Ninian Edwards,* Governor and Commander-in-
Chief, etc., of Illinois Territory, Elvirade."f
He burned down most of the houses in the village; captured the
inhabitants indiscriminately, and took the helpless creatures down
stream to a point below the site of the present city of Alton, where
he landed and left them in the woods; men, women and children — in
the month of November, without food or shelter and from which
place they finally struggled to St. Louis (and their old village) in an
almost starving condition — 75 in number, or thereabout.
* The Edwards Papers, page 86
t Got. Edwards' home farm, eo named in honor of his wife.
142
Among the number was Autoine Le Clare, a French half-breed, the
first settler of Davenport, and a man who ever occupied a high posi-
tion in the estimation of his neighbors. Another was Indian Agent
Thomas Forsythe, who for reasons of S!;ate, was not permitted to
disclose his office and for which reason, he had been abte to endear
himself to the French and Indians to an unusual degree. For the
indignity suffered at this time, he was later appointed agent for the
united tribes of Sacs and Foxes at Ft. Armstrong, an office of great
importance which he held until 1831, when for political reasons, he
was superceded by Felix St, Vrain, who, the following year, was
murdered by the Indians in the Black Hawk war.
At the conclusion of that demonstration, most of the militia was
mustered out, as we have seen
The "Pond settlement massacre" October, 1812, spread terror over
that section for a long time, but it did not frighten John Pond from
pursuing the murderers unto death for the atrocity. That story so
stern and romantic by turns, was told me by Dr. Daniel Berry of
Carmi, who took it down from the lips of Prussian Pearce, son of
Col. Hosea Pearce, the famous Illinois pioneer, and soldier. Let me
recite it:
About 1812 a man named John Pond opened a clearing in what is
now Indian Creek township, near New Haven. He soon had neigh-
bors and the community was called the "Pond settlement." One day
in October, Pond was called away from home to help some new
comers to raise a cabin He left his wife and two little boys at
home and was absent all day. On returning at night he found his wife
killed and scalped in the cabin, and his two little boys scalped and
lying outside in the corner made by the old fashioned stick and mud
chimney joining the cabin wall.
Pond lost no time in calling on his neighbors and before midnight
a pursuing party of vengeance was formed. It was learned that
three Indians of the Pi-an-ka shaw tribe had been skulking about
the settlement, and as this tribe was then living far up the Wabash
the chase promised to be a long one. Three men, John Pond,
Pearce, a brother of Col. Hosea Pearce, and Trousdale, were the
party who proposed to have retribution.
They were well mounted while the Indians were on foot. From
indications it appeared that the killing had been done in the morn-
ing; and as the pursuing party could not start until the following
morning the Indians had 20 hours start. The trail was found by no-
ticing the disturbed conditions of the wild pea vines in the little
prairie, westward.
The men pushed forward through the woods which ia those days
were open underneath, by reason of which the party soon reached Bon
Pas creek in the northern part of the county. On the prairie the grass
grew high and the trail could be followed easily; not, however, until
the third day did the party discover "fresh signs."
The next morning at sun rise they found in the Coffee creek bot-
tom three Indians seated, quietly making their breakfast off a wild
turkey. With steady nerves, each man picked out his Indian and
148
shot. One of the guns missed fire, but two Indians fell dead, They
hunted for the other Indian all day, but failed to find him, as he
made for the creek and they lost his track. The white party had to
return home with their vengeance only partly satisfied.
Years later the people around Pond became too numerous for his
comfort and he moved further west.
The incident of the massacre and the pursuit faded away from the
memories of the old settlers, amid the bustle of the incoming civili-
zation, but years afterward when one of the actors in the fore-
going scene, Pearce, had become an old man, he, too, feeling that the
country was becoming too thickly settled for his comfort, emigrated
to western Missouri, where lands were cheap, of which he could ob-
tain a plenty for "the boys." One of Trousdale's sons went there
with him.
These two were away from home one day, and at night stopped at
the house of a middle aged man, living on a fine and well furnished
farm.
After supper, the host, in the course of conversation, ascertaining
the locality of his guests' former homes to have been in White,
county, 111., asked, "Do you know anyone in the Pond settlement?"
"Why, that is right where I lived," replied Pearoe.
"Did you ever know John Pond? "
"Yes, sir."
This started Peace to talking, and he told all about Pond and the
killing of his wife and boys, the pursuit of the killers, etc.
Pearce was an interesting narrator and he told the story as vividly
as the facts would allow.
A slight pause was made at the finish, when the host said, "Well,
stranger, that is a mighty tough story, but I reckon it is about as
true as any you ever told." As he said this he stepped to the high
mantle shelf on which stood a clock; this he opened and took there-
from a little parcel wrapped in whitish paper that showed the marks
of age and much careful handling.
While doing this, Pearoe was getting mad at the doubt thrown on
his veracity by the words of the man, who, as he stood slowly open-
ing the little parcel, threw out reconnoitering side glances, noticing
betimes the change in Pearce's countenance. The climax came, of
course, but the farmer calmly continued by unbinding and saying:
"Now, don't get excited at what I said, I only meant to prove what
I am going to show you is true,"
By this time he had taken from the paper a little tuft of flaxen
hair which seemed to be grown from a piece of skin the size of a
dollar.
As he held it up he said, "Here is the scalp of one of John Pond's
boys;" and bowing down his head, parting the hair from the crown,
revealed a shining bald scar, when placing his finger on the spot, he
dded, "and there is where it came from."
144
Pearce had forgotten that while both boys had been scalped, only
one was killed, although both were left for dead. He had forgotten,
too, that among the trophies of the dead Indians the things most
highly prized by Pond were the tiny scalps of his boys, which he
had recovered.
Let it not be understood that the rangers of Missouri were idle
while those reports were current and while those plundering raids
and murders were multiplying. Though settlements were few and
far apart, the great distances were covered by pursuing parties al-
most constantly. In fact it may be said for the rangers, that all of
fighting, vengeance, reprisal, victory which came to the whites, came
through the steadfastness of companies of rangers or other detach-
ments and not from any combination of command or concerted expe-
dition. Those rangers were here, there and everywhere, abating not
their energies to protect the feeble settlements and by the time the
year 1813 came round, with its renewed needs of protection, the
rangers went from fort to fort, repairing some, enlarging others,
removing families'^to safer posts and running down thieves and mur-
derers.
On Feb. 9th, 1813, ten Indians eluded the vigilance of the Illinois
rangers, passed down near the Wabash, and massacred two families
at the mouth of Cache (Cash ) river, on the Ohio, seven miles from
the Mississippi.
In the month of March of this year, David McLain, a minister of
the gospel, and a Mr, Francois* Young, traveling from Boone's lick
into Kentucky, crossed the Kaskaskia river at "Hill's ferry" in Clin-
ton county, and near Hill's fort; at which point they were fired upon
by a party of Indians. Young was killed and scalped; McLain's horse
was shot, and fell but he escaped to the woods, pursued by the In-
dians at full speed. One by one they were distanced and fell back,
uatil one alone was left He, an athletic fellow, continued. MoLain,
encumbered with a heavy overcoat, wrappings on his legs and spurs,
had much to contend with, but with these great disadvantages, he
gained. As a fioal attempt to head him off, his pursuer fired, but
missed him. Casting aside the heavy ooat, McLain hoped the prize
would be seized by his pursuer and the chase abandoned; but the
plan was ineffectual. Still pursued, he adopted a series of tactics
quite incomprehensible at this da}': He first made signs of surren-
der, until the Indian came up, when he assumed an attitude of defi-
ance until the Indian had fired and (by dodging) missed him. Then
running again and inaugurating the same scheme of a truce and
chase, he continued. During one of the feints, he threw his
breast forward, he inadvertently threw backward an arm and received
a ball in it, which lost to him its further use. During the chase, he
had thrown away his boots, and still he ran along the bottoms until
the river was reached There, exhausted, he accepted the only chance
left him to escape by plunging in and attempting to swim with one
arm. For the eighth time the Indian loaded and fired, missing Mc-
Lain who swam diagonally down stream while his pursuer abandoned
♦Annals, 733.
145
the chase with a yell. The water was cold; the man was wounded
and exhausted and almost unable to stand when he reached the oppo-
site bank, yet he crawled up and after incredible effort and suffering,
reached the Badgley settlement the following morning. A party of
volunteers returned to the scene, buried Young and recovered Mo-
Lain's saddle bags.
Such were the dangers surrounding the settlers of Illinois in those
days!
Following is another story of the shocking murders of those days:
* "His Majesty's Allies."
"The savages are zealously employed to serve "his majesty" and
earn for themselves annihilation. They have lately committed many
murders in the Indiana and Illinois territories, and fears are enter-
tained of an attack upon St. Louis, etc., beyond the Mississippi.
"Extract of a letter from a gentleman at Kaekaskia, dated Feb. 27, —
"A horrid instance of savage barbarity occurred in this territory on
the 9th instant, upon the bank of the Ohio, seven miles above its
mouth In my last, I mentioned that an Indian trail had been dis-
covered passing from the northward in a direction to the mouth of
that river, crossing the road about half way between this and Shaw-
neetown After we heard of General Winchester's defeat, we con-
cluded they were runners going to the southern and southwestern
Indians, with the news of that disaster — which conjecture was prob-
ably correct. On their arriving upon the Ohio, it seems they traced
the shore till they came to where three small crafts were lying in
front of two cabins occupied by a 'Squire Clark and a Mr. Kennedy.
The former was standing before his door when the savages (ten in
number) came up the bank toward the house. One of them, who
could speak English and whom Clark knew, called out to him not to
be afraid for they were friends — that they had traveled far, and
wanted something to eat; on this, Clark permitted them to come up
and they shook hands very cordially. Setting their guns against the
house they went in, and C — ordered his Wife to prepare them some
victuals. She did so, and they sat down and they ate heartily.
No white people were in the house, but Clark and his wife and a
neighbor who happened to be there, On their rising, two of them
were observed to place themselves in the door passage, which excited
some suspicion but not much alarm. Two others came and stood by
the neighbor, one of whom (who could talk English), set to feeling
the white man's shoulders, knees, etc., and said, "you be stout man —
you be strong man — can you run fast?, etc," Soon, the man perceived
the other Indian drawing his tomahawk at his head, which he in part
avoided, but it struck in the upper part of the forehead and pealed
the skin down to the bone of the eyebrow, which arrested its force.
The man plunged to the door, and knocking over one of those
stationed there, made his escape toward a creek near at hand, with
four or five of the savages at his heels. He sprang upon the ice
*Nllei refflater, vol. <, p. 135.
— lOH.
146
which giving way, let him down to his middle in water — he scram-
bled up, however, upon the unbroken ice, which bore him across.
The Indians chose not to follow. Perceiving this, he made a short
halt to observe what would be done. He discovered Kennedy coming
from his cabin toward Clark's, and about half way was shot down.
He saw Clark rush out of his door and run, but he too was shot
down. He saw no more, but hastened to give the alarm.
A force assembled as soon as possible and went to the place, but
the Indians had crossed the river and could not be seen. They found
the bodies of Kennedy and Clark as above mentioned, and on enter-
ing Clark's house, found Mrs. Clark cruelly tomahawked and dead.
Proceeding to Kennedy's, they found his wife and one child also
murdered, two of their children, a boy and girl missing, supposed to
be taken away, as one of the girl's shoes was found in one of the
craft which took them across the river.
The situation of Mrs. Kennedy was shocking, beyond description.
She having been pregnant, her body was found entirely naked, cut
open and the child taken out and hung up on a peg in the chimney.
Her entrails were scattered all about the door and the hogs were eat-
ing them. Both houses were plundered of all they could carry off.
Thus ends the history of a horrid scene. The slain were five in
number exclusive of the unborn infant, and two missing. The bodies
were decently interred, and men have gone across the river in pursuit
of the savages.
The people of St. Louis are much alarmed by the defeat of General
Winchester, on account of the encouragement it will give to hostile
Indians. They consider themselves more in danger than other parts
of the country, as their town would be the first object. They have
determined to fortify, and have also sent out for 400 Osage warriors,
who are considered friendly — but I can hardly approve of the latter
policy."
The prospect for 181B was gloomy enough, The general govern-
ment made no provisions for the militia and on June 8,* Governor
Edwards discharged them from service. The moment that was done
hostile Indians began collecting about Peoria lake, from which point
marauding parties again began to harass the settlements. They
concentrated in such great numbers and became so bold and bloody,
that it at once became evident that the country must be protected
and the enemy scattered, else the former exertions of defense would
quickly be obliterated and many of the fortifications reduced.
About June 1, 1813, Gov. Benjamin Howard, of Missouri, had
resigned his office and accepted a brigadier general's commission in
the government service, to command the rangers from the territories
of Illinois and Missouri. /
On July 16, Ft. Madison was attacked by the Illinois Sacs, Foxes
and Winnebagoes, for the ninth or tenth time, but while the Illinois
♦Annals 737.
147
Indians were the invaders, the affair did not occur on Illinois soil
and was defended by no part of the Illinois troops; therefore, though
the event was important, as was the subsequent evacuation of Ft.
Madison, it will not receive notice here.*
Toward the Peoria lake hostiles General Howard then directed his
attention and while he fought no pitched battles and met with no
resistance, it may be said that his expedition was beneficial, in that
it scattered the Indians from that seditious section for all time.
Capt. Nathan Boone, who had been sent by General Howard with
16 picked rangers, to act as spies, was stationed between the Illinois
and Mississippi, While there he was attacked on the 15th of Au-
gust, 1813, by a party of 10 or 50 Indians. Captain Boone formed
his men back from the camp fires, and, as expected, the Indians
rushed on the camping ground. There had surely been much loss
to the enemy had it not been for the effect of a recent rain on the
ammunition and arms of the whites, who did little execution with
them; so little, indeed, that the company was forced to retreat, after
one of the number received a slight wound in the hand.
The Illinois rangers, being transferred to General Howard's com-
mand, he at once moved forward.
For three or four weeks the Illinois regiment had lain encamped
on the "Piasau" opposite Portage de Sioux, waiting for re-enforce-
ments until directed to concentrate at Camp Russell, when the men
swam their horses over the Illinois about two miles above its mouth.
On the high ground in Calhoun county a skirmish was had with a
party of Indians. To meet them. General Howard with the Mis-
souri troops crossed the Mississippi from Ft. Madison, swimming the
horses, while men and baggage were transported in canoes. When
joined, the force consisting of rangers, militia and volunteers, num-
bered about 1,400 men, under General Howard's command. Robert
Wash and Doctor Walker, of St. Louis, were members of his staff.
Cols. Benjamin Stephenson, of Randolph county. III , and Alexander
McNair, of St. Louis, commanded the regiments. W. B. Whiteside
and John Moredock, of Illinois were majors in the Second or Illinois
regiment and William Christy and Nathan Boone were majors of
the First, or Missouri regiment, Maj. Robert Desha, a United States
oflBcer from Tennessee, occupied a position. Col. Eli B. Clemson, of
the United States army, was inspector. In addition to these, there
were among the number some United States rangers from Kentucky
and a company from Vincennes. Of the companies of Illinois men,
the only names of captains of this expedition which have come down
to us are Samuel Whiteside, Joseph Phillips, Nathaniel Journey
and Samuel Judy.
The army marched along the Mississippi f for several days, until
the present site of Quincy was reached, where then stood a Sac vil-
lage and encampment, that is said to have contained 1,000 warriors.
This had the appearance of being deserted but a short time before.
• See Steven9"'BlRck Hawk War."
t Stephenson Dlong the west, the others to the east.
148
Continuing its march along the Mississippi to a point some dis-
tance above the lower rapids, the army struck across the country for
the Illinois river, which was reached below the mouth of the Spoon
river, from which place the march was made to Peoria village, at
which place was found a small stockade, commanded by Colonel
Nicholas of the United States army, and upon which the Indians
had made an unsuccessful attack just previous, During the march,
trails were found in abundance, made by the Indians in their flight
to the northward.
The following morning General Howard marched his troops to the
Senachwine, a short distance above the head of Peoria lake, to
Gomo's village. There it was found that the enemy had gone by
water up the river. That and two other villages were burnt.
This march covered all the territory from which danger was an-
ticipated, and having discovered no enemy, the army returned to
Peoria, to assist the regulars in the erection of a fort, which when
finished was called Ft Olark. From that point Major Christy, was
detached with a party, to ascend the river with two armed and pro-
tected keel boats, to the foot of the rapids, there to break up any
Indian establishments that might be found. Major Boone, with
another detachment was sent to traverse the country on Spoon river,
and from thence proceed in the direction of Rock river.
Passing to the east side of the Illinois river, the rangers cut
timber, which they hauled on truck wheels to the lake and rafted
over the lake. The fort was erected by the regulars under Captain
Phillips, which required about two weeks service from the rangers
and militia.
Finding only tracks, the forces of Majors Christy and Boone re-
turned with reports that the enemy had abandoned the country in
fright.
It was unfortunate that General Howard could not have pursued
the march originally intended, by returning by way of the Rock
river valley and visiting the strongholds of the Winnebagoes and Sacs,
particularly the village in which Black Hawk and his mercenaries
lived; but by the middle of October the weather became excessively
cold, against which the troops had no protection and the horses no
forage. Therefore, with the enemy dispersed far into the interior
and every prospect of further peace ahead. General Howard moved
his army back to Camp Russell, where it was disbanded on the 22d
day of October. Had the weather permitted him to have pursued
his original design of cleansing the Rock river country it might have
been the means of defeating the bloody enterprises of the bloody
Sacs in the following year and later. But all things considered, while
but two men were lost; while the fighting was insignificant, the gen-
eral result in good to the settlements was great, and one may say
lasting. The huge array for those days, brought forth the remarks:
"White men like the leaves of the forest — like grass in the prairies —
they grow everywhere." Had the Sacs and Winnebagoes seen them,
I am sure there had been no bloody 1814 to notice.
149
And here it may be well to insert an item of great importance in
the annals of Sac history; an event which has long been a matter
of conjecture and invariably set down by writers untruthfully — the
elevation of Keokuk to be the war chief and head of the Sac nation —
to the great discomfort of Black Hawk when he returned from fight-
ing the Americans.
On learning of the approach in great numbers of the whites, the
Sacs for want of a leader, by tumultuous lamentations were for in-
stant retreat; but in the emergency Keokuk rose, offered to lead any
number, however few, against the Americans, however great, to
victory or defeat. His eloquence and bravery appealed so forcibly
that his reward followed, by his selection as "war chief," though it
must be said that most of the Sacs were then comfortably protected,
below, by the Americans.
The following rare and important documents, pertaining to this
expedition of General Howard, were discovered just before going to
press. By reason of their great value in furnishing details which
can be found in no other place, they are given in full:
Copy of a letter from General Howard to Governor Clark, dated
Ramsey's Creek, Sept. 16, 1818.
"The direction given to the troops has been most fortunate for the
frontier. The 2d regiment crossed the Illinois about three miles
above its mouth, and moved up between the two rivers. On its
march it was discovered that several large parties had crossed from
the Illinois to the Mississippi; they were pursued, a rencontre took
place between a small party of the rangers, whose horses were stolen
by them. The Indians were driven into the Illinois with great pre-
cipitation. Some Sacs arrived on the night of the 14th, at Cap au
Gris. I had a conversation with Black Tobacco on the ]5th, who
informed me that on the 14th, just above Cap au Gris, he saw three
Indians of the Illinois with horses they had stolen from this side.
While conversing with him another party arrived, stating that about
two hours before they saw the trail of about 50 Indians, four miles
above Cap au Gris; the 2d regiment, commanded by Col. Stephen-
son, was about ten miles above, the same side of the Mississippi. I
instantly sent an express to Col. Stephenson, ordering him to detach
a sufficient force to attack them; I then proceeded on to this place;
I have not heard from him since, but expect intelligence every
moment.
The First regiment is now in my view, crossing the Mississippi;
tonight or in the morning a junction of the regiments will be formed.
I find that a number of small parties were on this side since the
troops came up, and have no doubt but a movement of between 800
and 500 Indians has been made down the Mississippi and Illinois in
concert; those of the Illinois crossed over to the settlements on this
side. The movement of the troops between the Illinois and Missis-
sippi, and also on this side, has completely routed them, together
with the boats which ascended the Illinois, all of which movements
150
are simultaneous. Although they have discovered troops under my
command, I believe they will still be embarrassed in finding out
their destination from their present positions.
I feel great anxiety lest some small parties have gone to the set-
tlement of Sugar Creek and Shoal Creek in Illinois, My force is
much less than I expected when I saw you; the troops in Illinois
have been sickly and many remain, others were sent back. The
troops now with me are remarkably healthy and in high spirits, al-
though we have had immense rains. I have sent expresses along the
line of frontier from Cap au G-ris to Loutre on Missouri, admonish-
ing the people to be on their guard. I have left some troops to re-
connoitre; they are now actually engaged. I enclose you a letter to
the people of Illinois, advising them to be guarded at least for a few
days; I would thank you to forward it by the first conveyance; in 15
days I hope to write you further. The party of Sacs and Foxes at
Cap au Grris is considerable. Mr. Boilvain met them, but they would
go on. I advised them to remain on an island near Cap au Gris un-
til his arrival, and all go to the Portage des Sioux together, agreeably
to your orders. I knew if they went to St. Louis it would be useless
to them and troublesome to you. The contractor's agent will furnish
them with provisions."
From The American Weekly Messenger, vol 1, page 125, of Nov. 13,
1813.
Communication.
St. Louis, Oct. 2, (1813) .
A few weeks ago we noticed that the Sacs and Foxes would winter
on the north side of the Missouri, above the Loutre, where a factory
would be established for them. On Sunday last, 155 canoes arrived
at Portage des Sioux, where Governor Clark held a council with
them. They have hitherto and continue to show every mark of neu-
trality in the present contest. That part of their nation who have
joined the British wished to come in, but they would not receive
them, as it would commit them with the United States. These
wretches have gone to Prairie du Chien to join the Sioux, who expect
Dickson with his regulars from Canada. They have taken a decided
part with the British. The plan of detaching the Sacs and Foxes
from the Mississippi, and from the neighboring hostile bands (who
infest its bank), is wise, and will no doubt lead to fortunate results.
Our army will meet now an enemy in every savage band, and, from
measures now in operation, that vengeance they have so long merited
will fall on them with redoubled fury; for the shades of our unsus-
pecting farmers, their innocent wives and children, call aloud for
revenge.
The whole amount of Sacs and Foxes who have gone to the win-
tering grounds, with a United States factor, is thought to exceed
1,500 souls. B-sides those contained in 155 canoes which ascended
151
the Missouri on Monday last, near 500 warriors crossed over by land,
accompanied by Blondeau, their interpreter.
War has broke out between the Sacs and loways, and two or three
Sacs have been killed. We sincerely hope that government will no
more meddle in their quarrels, to restore peace. Grovernment should
let them settle their disputes in their own way, for they are vipers
who will turn and inflict a deadly wound on their deliverers.
The regular troops who manned the gunboats have safely arrived
at Peoria, and in a few days have erected a fort. General Howard,
with the mounted men, will reach the Illinois, fifty or one hundred
miles above Peoria, ascending the Mississippi as high as the two
rivers in pursuit of a large body of Indians whose trails were discov-
ered on the frontiers, and intended to visit the villages of the hostile
bands between Peoria and Lake Michigan.
From American Weekly Messenger, Vol. I, Page 111, for Nov, 6,
1813.
Copy of a letter from Brig. Gen. Benjamin Howard, to the Secre-
tary of War.
Headquarters, St. Louis, Oct. 28th, 1818.
Sir — I had the honor of expressing to you the opinion during the
last summer that a movement of troops to dislodge the Indians at the
head of Peoria lake was indispensible to guard against that pressure
upon our frontier in autumn which I believed would take place. It
was with pleasure I found the measures approved. In pursuance of
the plan on the 19th of September the effective rangers on the Mis-
souri and Illinois were concentrated at Tower Hill, east of the Miss-
issippi, thirty miles above the frontier. In embodying these troops
the immediate safety of the frontier was steadily kept in view by
moving detachments in such directions as would enable them to dis-
cover and dislodge any parties which might be upon our borders.
The First regiment, commanded by Col. McNair, was marched on the
west side of the Mississippi and crossed just below the rendezvous;
the Second, commanded by Colonel Stephenson, was marched on the
east side of the river, crossing the Illinois a few miles above its
mouth; a detachment of about 200 regulars, under the command of
Lieutenant Colonel Nicholas of the First regiment of United States
infantry, at the same time ascended the Illinois in armed boats. It
was soon ascertained, upon the arrival of those several detachments
at points a little beyond the settlements, that the enemy had de-
scended the Illinois to invade the frontier. A skirmish Hook place
between some of Colonel Stephenson's command and a party of In-
dians; the latter were driven. From the appearance in the route of
the First regiment some parties had crossed to the west side of the
Mississippi, upon the approach of the troops. I have no doubt of
the Indians having returned to their canoes in the Illinois when they
found Lieutenant Colonel Nicholas rapidly ascending the river, and
fled before him without injuring a single citizen. Believing that
152
the frontier would be safe for the moment, I marched the mounted
troopa up the Mississippi bottom to Christy's creek, passing opposite
the encampment of the Sac nation who have professed themselves
friendly, but many of whom I believe have taken part in the war
against us, while others were undecided.
At this time Mr Boilvain, Indian agent, was in the neighborhood,
sent by Governor Clark, to conduct them to the Missouri, where they
had agreed to winter. However unsettled their neutrality might
have been before, the display of troops in their vicinity soon con-
firmed it; they immediately descended the Mississippi to the Portage
des Sioux, from whence they were sent up the Missouri from Chris-
ty's creek. The army was marched across the country, towards
Pioria, and on the evening of the 28th arrived within a few miles of
the old village. That night three men were sent to discover whether
the command of Lieutenant Colonel Nicholas had arrived, and bear-
ing a letter to that officer, stating my position, and calling for such
information in regard to the enemy as he might possess. During the
night he descended the Illinois river, to my encampment, and re-
ported to me that the day before an attack was made upon his com-
mand at Pioria, where he had commenced building a fort agreeably
to my orders; however, the enemy was soon dispersed by a well di-
rected discharge of musketry, with the aid of a six pounder from two
unfinished block houses. It was evident that the assailants suflPered
in this attack, but to what extent could not be ascertained. None of
our men were killed, and only one wounded. On the 29th the
mounted troops arrived at Pioria and so soon as provisions could be
drawn, were marched up the Illinois to the villages at the head of
the lake, which was the direction in which the enemy appeared to
have retired from Pioria. Upon my arrival at those villages, I found
them deserted. From the examination made by reconnoitering par-
ties, I had no doubt of the Indians having ascended the Illinois in
canoes, which is so situated from swamps on both banks that it was
impossible to pursue them by land. The villages were destroyed,
and some property of inconsiderable amount, taken. The army then
returned to Pioria, and remained until the garrison was put in a state
of defense. Shortly after my return I sent a detachment, in two
armed boats, under command of Major Christy, in pursuit of the
enemy.
This detachment ascended the Illinois, above the mouth of the
Vermillion to the rapids and within 75 miles of Chicago; but it was
impossible to come up with the Indians, notwithstanding the great
efforts of the commanding officer and his command Soon after the
departure of Major Christy, Major Boone was sent with about 300
men in the direction of Rock river, to examine whether there were
any parties in that quarter. He penetrated the country northwardly
from Pioria, in my opinion within 45 miles of Rock river, and re-
ported that there were several encampments on the Maquoine, which
appeared to have been deserted about the time the army arrived at
Pioria. The mounted troops remained near Pioria from the 2nd
until the 15th of October, during which time they were actively en-
15.^
gaged, together with the United States infantry, in erecting Ft. Clark,
which stands at the lower end of the lake, completely commanding
the river. This important fort was erected under many disadvant-
ages, the weather being unusually cold for the season, and without
the aid of a single team; the timbers were hauled by the troops a
considerable distance to the lake (nearly a mile in width) and rafted
over. This fort is unquestionably one of the strongest I have ever
Been in the western country, and certainly highly important to the
safety of the three territories, with the defense of which I have been
intrusted.
On the 15th, the mounted troops moved from Pioria for the settle-
ments, pursuing generally a south course until they arrived at Rus-
sell on the 2l8t instant, when the mounted militia were discharged.
The Indian rangers, on the march, were sent across from old Kicka-
poos town to Vincennes under the command of Captain Andre. The
safety to the frontier, which was anticipated from this movement,
has been fully realized, and the same enemy that has kept our exposed
settlements under continual apprehensions of danger, was compelled
to flee before a force in their own country, less than that assigned by
the government, for the immediate defence of the frontier. It is
with pleasure I acknowledge the energetic and intelligent execution
of my orders by those officers to whom I confided the command of
detachments and laudable conduct of the officers and men generally,
during the campaign, but more particularly on those occasions (not
infrequent) when it was hoped and believed by all that the enemy
would give us battle. I am, sir, with high consideration,
Your humble servant,
Benjamin Howard.
To Hon. John Armstrong.
P. S. — I have delayed the transmission of this communication
until I heard of Captain Andre, who was sent across direct from the
Kickapoos towns to Vincennes. He has reported to me his safe ar-
rival."
General Howard died, and the year 1813 closed with no advantages,
"producing an annual expenditure to a great amount, without gaia-
ing an inch of ground or a single advantage of the enemy."* Our
frontiers were still considered insecure, Governor Clark's expedition
to Prairie du Chien and his establishment of Ft. Shelby (later consid-
ered) was a bright spot, but it soon flickered and again threw the
country into darkness. f
After the battle of the Thames the Illinois Indians deserted in
large numbers, to return to their native haunts. The greater num-
ber tired of the defeats inflicted upon them and resented what they
claimed to have been bad treatment by the English; but the Rock
river Sacs and some of the Winnebagoes returned to the Mississippi
river to pursue a series of murderous attacks all along the line of
settlements. Beginning with the Wood river massacre, which may
not, however, be charged immediately to those Indians, the year 1814
* Governor Edwards' me^oagre.
t Stevens' 'Black Hawk War" treats thia sabjtct In fall.
154
baoame the bloodiest ia coafliot of all the bloody years of our war of
1812-181i. I shall take the liberty of copying intact the best ac-
count of that.
*WooD RivEE Massacre.
(By Volney P. Richmond, of Liberty Prairie, Madison County. Illinois.)
"Since my earliest recollection, I have heard and read of the
Wood River massacre, by the Indians, and have often had the place
pointed out to me where it occurred. I was early acquainted with
Capt. Abel Moore, and with several of Captain Moore's children.
Maj. Frank Moore cannot tell when he did not know me. I often
stopped to hear his father tell pioneer stories. I knew, but was not
intimately acquainted with, the other members of the Moore family.
Some years ago, some one published an account of the Wood River
massacre so very incorrect that I answered it and told what I knew
about it. In that paper, the scene was laid near where the two rail-
ways and wagon road cross Wood river, at a place called Milton,
some two miles or more from where I knew it to have taken place.
Not long after I met Major Moore, and after thanking me for making
the correction, said, that I was nearer to it than any one who had
written before me; but that I was still some what off, I said I would
try again, and with his help, and his sister's, Mrs Lydia Williams,
I thought I could get a correct history of it. There has been no
account of it heretofore written (not even my own), that is perfectly
reliable; as this, being a part of the early history of Madison county,
should be. Of course, there is no one who can personally vouch for
the facts of this Indian massacre, in 1814, during the last war with
England; but the remaining children of Capt. Abel Moore would be
able to come nearer to it than any one else. They have often heard
the story from their father and mother; and I too, have heard it from
their father.
The Indian massacre occurred on the southwest quarter of section
five, in Wood River township, Madison county, Illinois, on the 10th
day of July, 1814. The persons killed were Mrs. Rachael Reagan
and her two children, Elizabeth (or Betsy) aged saven, and Timothy
aged three years; two children of Capt. Abel Moore's, William, aged
ten, and Joel aged eight years; and two children of William Moore's,
John, aged ten, and George, aged three years. Mrs Reagan and
children went to spend the day at the house of William Moore, on
the farm now owned by Mrs. William Badley. Returning in the
afternoon by way of Capt. Abel Moore's farm, now the property of
George Cartwright, two of whose children, William and Joel, started
home with them to get some green beans. Miss Hannah Bates, Mrs.
Abel Moore's sister, visiting there, also started to accompany them
to remain at Mrs. Reagan's; but after going a part of the way, she
suddenly changed her mind, as if warned by some presentiment, and
against the earnest entreaties of Mrs. Reagan, retraced her steps and
*No. 6, of publications of tiie Illinois State Historical Library, page 93.
155
hastened back to Captain Moore's, At the point where she turned
back she could not have been more than 200 or 300 yards from
where the dead body of Mrs. Reagan was found. Mrs. Reagan and
the six children were all tomahawked and scalped, and they remained
all night on the ground where they were murdered, the Indians strip-
ped them of all their clothing, as well as scalping them.
William Moore having returned that day from Fort Butler, near
the site of the present village of St Jacob, where he was on military
duty, to look after the women and children at home, became alarmed
as night approached and the children not returned, and went in search
of them, first going to his brother's, Abel Moore's place, to see if they
were there. His wife, who was Mrs. Reagan's sister, also started on
horseback to look for them, taking a diflFerent route from the one
her husband went. Although they did not meet until they both re-
turned home, they both found the lifeless bodies in the darkness,
lying by the wayside, and each placed a hand upon the bare shoulder
of Mrs. Reagan. Mr Moore returned as he went, by Abel's house,
to notify the family there of the massacre, and warn them of the pos-
sible danger that night. When Mrs. William Moore found the chil-
dren lying by the road she thought they had become tired and had
laid down to sleep. She got down from her horse to pick up the
youngest child, but just then a crackling noise and flash of light from
a burning hickory tree near by alarmed her, and fearing Indians
might be in ambush there, she sprang on her horse and reached home in
advance of her husband. Mrs. Reagan and her two children were
killed nearest Capt. Abel Moore's place, the other children were
found lying further on, two at a place. One, the youngest child,
three years old, when found was still alive. A messenger was sent
for the nearest physician, who came and dressed the wounds of the
little one, but it did not survive the treatment.
John Harris, a young man living at Capt. Abel Moore's, was sent
that night to Fort Russell, near the present city of Edwardsville,
where Captain Moore was in command, and to Fort Butler, com-
manded by Captain Whiteside, to notify them of the massacre.
Leaving the latter post about 1:00 o'clock that same night, about 70
rangers from both forts, among whom were James and Solomon
Preuitt, arrived at Moore's block house (on the farm owned by the
late William Gill, and now by a German named Klopmeyer), just
as the sun was rising, and proceeded on to the scene of the massacre.
They soon found the trail of the Indians marked by broken bushes and
trampled grass, with some stains of blood, made probably by the fresh
scalps. In hot pursuit the rangers pressed upon the fleeing red devils
and overtook them about sunset upon a small stream in the northern
part of Morgan county. One of the Indians hid in the top of a fallen
tree and was shot by James Preuitt; of the other nine (they being
ten in number), but one escaped, and he got away by diving in the
water. (The stream mentioned, was called by the early French
traders, La Belleause, but after the occurence narrated, it has been
known as Indian creek, and the spot where the Indian escaped is
156
now know as Cracker's bend). The rangers, who were led by Cap-
tain Whiteside, camped on the creek that night and returned to their
forts next day.
The morning after the massacre, the friends and relatives pre-
pared to bury the dead; and that was no small undertaking. There
was nothing like any sawed lumber in the whole country; and besides
axes and hoes they had but few tools of any description. They de-
cided to bury the dead bodies where a few of the early settlers, who
had died some time before, were buried, on section 24, four miles
east of the Moore settlement; and that was the first burying ground
in that part of the country. Their only means to convey the bodies
to the burying ground was on rough sleds drawn by oxen. The
graves were dug with coffin shaped vaults at the bottom, which were
lined with slabs split from trees near by, as nearly like plank as pos-
sible; and after the bodies were placed in the vaults they were cov-
ered over with the same kind of split slabs. The seven were buried
in three graves ; Mrs. Reagan and her two children in one grave;
Captain Moore's two children in another; and William Moore's two
children in the third.
When I first visited that grave yard, which was situated in a
heavy growth of timber, there was an old church near by, built by
setting poles in the ground and siding up with rough split boards,
and covered with the same.
"Moore's settlement" in the forks of Wood river was commenced
in 1808, by George, William and Abel Moore, William Bates, Ran-
som Reagan, Mr. Wright, Samuel Williams, Mr. Vickery, and a few
others, and their families. On George Moore's farm was a block
house fort where the settlers assembled when apprehensive of Indian
attacks. At the time of the massacre of Mrs. Reagan and the chil-
dren there was but one man in that fort. He was George Moore, a
gunsmith, who made and repaired rifles for the settlement. Of those
who took refuge in the fort that night there is now (1898) probably
but one living, Mrs. Nancy Hedden, a daughter of Capt. Abel Moore's.
She resides at San Diego, Cal.,and was at that time about a year and
a half old.
Such is the true history of the Wood River massacre. I have taken
much time to trace out all the facts here stated, and I believe them to
be correct, I have often been over the ground where it occurred and
have been well acquainted with the Moores and their descendants all
of my life."
The two following letters are introduced for reference purposes,
only; they lead up to what follows:
"The Northern Indians— We are really afraid that we shall sorely
repent of the lenity shown these savage allies of the 'defender of the
faith,' last winter; when, if we had suffered them to lie down in the
bed they had made for themselves, we should have suffered little from
them hereafter. But this consolation remains, that we erred on the
side of humanity.
157
They have committed several murders lately — A letter from the
Illinois territory, says, "Much do I fear that we shall find that the
armistice has had the effect of pampering the savages in the winter,
for war in the summer."
Extract of a letter from Col. Anthony Butler, commanding Michi-
gan territory and its dependencies and the western district of upper
Canada, dated 12th Feb., 1814 to Governor Edwards.
"The principal object of this letter is to apprise you of my having
some time since dispatched a small but active and and confidential
detachment to St. Joseph's; who seized Mr. Bailly (agent to the
Michilimacinac company) and five others, with all the British merch-
andize in that quarter; and after traversing with great celerity, 600
miles, in going and coming, lodged with me the prisoners, safely.
Whilst they were at St. Joseph's they discovered that Dixon had
ascended Lake Michigan as high up as Green bay, with five large boats
loaded with merchandize for the Indians. From the Green bay he as-
cended the Fox river to a certain point where the goods were landed, and
he procured pack horses and penetrated into the interior, exciting the
Fals Avoines and Winnebagoes as he went on, by speeches and pres-
ents, to be ready for war, Emissaries are sent to the Kickapoos for
the same purpose, and each are promised that the Sacs and Sioux
shall unite with them. A Fals Avoine Indian has been with me; his
nation will not engage in the enterprise which Dixon meditates; but
the Winnebagoes who are restless and turbulent, are assembling and
holding councils, and will coalesce with any other Indians, or march
alone against the point Dixon shall direct, who is said to possess as
much influence over them as he does over the Sioux. It is not sup-
posed that he intends an expedition against this territory, but rather
that he will attack your territory, or some part, perhaps, of the Mis-
souri, at last nothing of this sort may take place; Dixon may not be
able to collect a sufficient force to act; or the Indians may refuse,
after they are assembled, to march against the point he will advise;
yet as the event of an attack is possible, and the information comes
to me direct, and in such terms, and by such means, as leaves no
reason to doubt Dixon's views, his intentions or his object; it became
my duty, as a citizen, and more so as an officer of the Government,
to apprise you of the communications I had received upon the sub-
ject.
From Niles, Vol. 6, 118— April 16, 1814.
Copy of a letter from Governor Edwards to General Harrison:
"United States Saline, Illinois Territory, March 17.
Sir — The Indians have realized my expectations, by recommenc-
ing hostilities in this territory.
The information which I have from time to time received, leaves
no doubt on my mind that Dickson has been engaged ever since your
battle on the river Trench, in preparing for a descent upon St. Louis,
158
&c. The last I heard of him previous to my arrival at this place, he
was at Green bay, distributing presents to the Indians, and some of
the Pottawattomies of the Illinois had gone to meet him at that
place
Since I came here, I have received a letter from Col. A. Butler,
commander at Detroit, stating that the movements of the Indians
who submitted to you in October last, indicate hostility — confirming
all my information of Dickson's designs — and strengthening suspic-
ions I had previously entertained that the Sioux intended to unite
with the enemy. He had learnt that Dickson had penetrated into
the interior of the country, and thinks his object is to attack this
territory, and a part of Missouri. He concludes by saying, 'as the
event of an attack is possible, and the information comes to me di-
rect, and in such terms, and by such means as leaves me no reason
to doubt Dickson's views, his intentions or his object, it became my
duty as a citizen and more so as an oflScer of the G-overnment, to ap-
prize you of the communication I had received upon this subject."
As those plans were contemplated and in train of execution, be-
fore the disaster of the Niagara frontier happened, it is to be pre-
sumed, that their influence will be decisive. And I am sure I need
not say to you, that a larger body of Indians can with more facility
attack St. Louis and Cahokia, than any other point on the American
frontier. You must know the amount of force provided for repelling
any attempt they may make. I presume you will be convinced, that
if it be the object of the enemy to produce a diversion of any part of
our forces from Canada, that he will make his attempt in time to
secure that object.
The recent alarms and the want of protection, are depopulating the
territory. The settlements are so isolated and detached, so equally
exposed, and the points of attack so numerous, that it would be im-
practical to raise any force from the local militia by draft, and if
raised, it would be useless, unless it were mounted, which I have no
power to order.
I have the honor to be, respectfully, sir, your most obedient
servant,
N. Edwards,
Six Niles, 113— April 16, 1814.
To allege that Governor Edwards formed the expedition to Prairie
du Chien which is reviewed at length a little later, without giving his
reasons would be unfair, therefore the following letter is set out in
full:
"Kaskaskia, I. T., March 22, 1813.
"A few days ago, I transmitted to you important information rela-
tive to the British and Indians in the upper parts of this territory.
An express yesterday, brought me information that 18 pieces of can-
non and a British officer had arrived at Prairie du Chien. The ice is
now completely out of our rivers. Some spies that I sent up the Illi-
nois river are returned, reporting that they saw too much Indian
159
signs to proceed as high up as they were directed. The express
states that an Indian was discovered a day or two past very near to
Fort Kussell; he evidently was a spy.
"I have melancholy presages of what is to happen in the country,
particularly at Prairie du Chien, or rather at the mouth of the Ouis-
consing. Should the British take possession of that place, I need
not point out to you the diflSculty of retaking it, or the importance
of it to them. By water we should have to ascend? 00 miles, by land
not less than 400. Seven thousand Indians may easily be assembled
at that place. Last year in time of peace, there were 8,377 there in
the months of April and May. The following facts, which you need
not doubt, will show its importance: goods can be carried there from
Montreal by way of the CJtawas river, more expeditiously, with less
expense and more safety, than by way of the lakes. It is a fact that
a canoe from Montreal by this route, arrived with dispatches to a
gentleman at Cahokia, in 33 days. On his return he went in the
same canoe to Makanac, by the Illinois river and could thence have
descended to Montreal in nine days. The traders of Montreal have
passed from Lake Superior to the Mississippi, thence into the north-
west, and have been brought into collision with the Hudson Bay
company. The British can easily push a trade up the Columbia
river. And combining all these facts, a person tolerably acquainted
with the geography of the country, the nature of the fur trade, the
inducements with the North-west company to retain it and the evi-
dent policy of the British in supporting it, can have no doubt of their
inducements to occupy the mouth of the Ouisconsing.
•'These anticipations make me feel for my country's honor; cer-
tainly it must be destructive of its reputation to permit such plans to
be realized. The point I have mentioned, once fortified, will be more
difficult to take than Maiden. I am well apprized of all the objec-
tions that may be made to these speculations, on the score of provis-
ions; but those who make them cannot know much of the supplies
that can be furnished by the settlements of Green bay (where there
is an elegant merchant mill, fine farms, etc) and Praire de Chien
itself.
"I never could see the advantage of so great a struggle for Maiden.
Montreal once taken, it would fall of itself; and one single expedition
would drive to the Mississippi country all the Indians that ever had
intercourse with that place. It would not cut off the intercourse as
has been supposed.
"Notwithstanding I have regularly communicated information which
must have shown what our situation would be at this time, and not-
withstanding our present difficulties, I am now as I was last year,
totally without any instructions, acting upon my own responsibility.
I have had great success in raising volunteers from the local militia;
and neither they nor myself have been idle. I again set out tomor-
row for the frontiers."
Letter from Governor Edwards to Governor Shelby, copied in 4th
Niles Register, page 148, which in turn was taken from the Kentucky
Argus.
1^.0
Governor Edwards for so long a time had endeavored to take
Prairie du Chien and fortify it, that, (in the absence of Greneral
Howard) Governor Clark finally consented to carry the scheme into
execution by sending a force of men to that point to build and garri-
son a fort, thereby the better to control the country contiguous, and
restrain wavering Indians from joining the forces of the British.
Col. Robert Dickson, Indian trader and British officer, had occupied
the place as a storeroom for the furs of his company and as a vantage
point for his country. At the time of which we treat, Dickson was
using the point especially as a recruiting station, and just before
Clark set out on his expedition, had left for Green Bay and Macki-
naw with 85 Winnebagoes, 120 Falsavoines* and 100 Sioux,f where
they might more effectively oppose the Americans. Behind him,
Colonel Dickson left a small detachment of "Mackinaw fencibles"
under command of Captain Deace to defend the place, or in case of
necessity to evacuate and notify him of danger from the enemy.
Naturally, the time was propitious for Governor Clark's investment,
and very naturally too, Deace with his handful of men withdrew
without firing a shot. The remaining Sioux and Foxes who had
been hovering near declared to remain friendly with the Americans.
At first the frightened inhabitants fled, but upon finding the Ameri-
cans in no mood to be revengeful toward them, all returned.
Governor Clark's force which consisted of 200 men, enlisted for
60 days, left St. Louis in five barges under his immediate command
May Ist, 1814. At the mouth of Rock river the Sacs made a demon-
stration against the expedition by the irregular firing of small arms;
but on taking from them their canoes and otherwise impressing upon
them the strength of the command, the affrighted savages sued for
peace. At Dubuque's mines the Foxes were more tractable and
readily fell into an agreement of peace.
Once landed the militia at once began the erection of a temporary
defense, while 60 of Major Taylor's company of the Seventh infantry
under command of Lieutenant Perkins took possession of the old
house belonging to and occupied by the Mackinaw company as quar-
ters, using it for the like purpose. Then work at the new fort was
begun on what was considered one of the strongest positions on the
western waters. Two block houses were built on its angles and
another on the bank of the river at the extreme of a ravelin, formed
to preserve a communication with the river. The fort was finished
in a few days, named after Gov. Isaac Shelby of Kentucky, Ft.
Shelby, and was occupied by the regulars.
With the capture of Prairie du Chien all of Dickson's papers, let-
ters and his journal fell into the hands of the Americans from which
an entry is copied:
"Aug. 2nd, 1813.
"Arrived from below, a few Winnebagoes with a scalp, Gave
them five carrots of tobacco; six pounds powder; six pound ball,"
* Menomlnees.
t Twenty days before Clark's arrival at Prairie du Chien.
161
All his letters were found to have been signed: "Agent and super-
intendent to the western Indians."
Governor Clark remained long enough with the troops to see the
place safely in the hands of the Americans; but utterly ignoring the
probability that the British would surely return, he returned to St.
Louis a few days before the fort was completed, leaving Lieutenant
Perkins for shore duty and two of his largest armed boats in the
river under command of Aid-de-camp Kennedy and Captains Sulli-
van and Yeizer, whose united force amounted to 125 men. Still
later, the time of enlistment having expired, Capt, John Sullivan
withdrew his company and 32 men from the forces of "The Governor
Clark" under Yeizer and sailed back to St. Louis, leaving the boat
of Captain Yeizer alone with the little band of regulars to defend the
new fort against the combined forces of English which were even
then on the march to retake it. "The Governor Clark" carried one
six-pounder on her main deck and a three-pounder and ten howitzers
on her quarters and gangway and that she, with the regulars was
considered invincible may be found from the following lofty extract
from a St. Louis paper of the time, of issue July 2nd, 1814.
"Last Saturday an armed boat under command of Capt. John Sul-
livan brought his company and 32 men from the Governor Clark, to
St. Louis, their period of enlistment having expired, leaving Captain
Yeizer in command of the Governor Clark. The fort is finished,
christened Ft. Shelby, and occupied by the regulars, and all are
anxious for a visit from Dickson and his red troops."
Alas for human and military vanity! Captain Yeizer was dis-
lodged without delay and with little efifort, leaving Lieutenant Per-
kins and his slender garrison of 60 men to defend the place against
the attack of 1,200 Indians and British troops.
On the return of General Howard to St, Louis he at once per-
ceived the danger of leaving the new fortification with so slight a
garrison and without dela}^ put under motion a relief expedition
under Lieut. John Campbell U. S. A. to ascend the river as expedi-
tiously as possible, to reinforce the garrison; but before the expedi-
tion had a fair start disaster befell the American troops as it fell
upon Lieutenant Campbell himself.
On the 17th of July a body of 1,200 British and Indians arrived
before the place and demanded its surrender. Lieutenant Perkins
answered that he should defend it. Before this answer had been re-
ceived by the British however, the latter had opened a brisk fire
upon the boat, "The Governor Clark," from a battery of one or two
three-pounders, which was quickly answered by the boat with its
six pounder. To silence the boat, if possible, the enemy crossed to an
island fronting the village, which position enabled them to reach with-
in pistol shot of the boat, and fire upon it from the heavy screen of
trees, thus rendering harmless the grape which poured from the boat.
The galling fire of the enemy became so harmful that the boat
moved down the river to avoid it, but in so doing ran a gauntlet of
— IIH.
162
musketry for nearly nine miles. Retiring still further down the
river, Captain Yeizer sent his skifif with nine men still further down
to reconnoiter, where the party came in sight of Captain Riggs' boat
in deadly conflict with the Indians, in Campbell's battle. Much
maneuvering was thus required by the reconnoitering party to enable
it to return to "The Governor Clark," which in the meantime had
fallen in with the sutler's and contractor's boats of Campbell's fleet,
thus augmenting his own strength, and in turn affording some pro-
tection of those boats the three fell down stream and later arrived
safely at St. Louis.
The loss of Captain Yeizer was seven wounded; Lieutenant Hen-
derson, Ensign St. Pierre and five privates, one of whom died on the
way down stream after the amputation of a leg.
For several days Lieutenant Perkins made a gallant defense of the
Shelby, but when ammunition and provisions ran out he was forced
to surrender.
Dickson's conduct in paroling them and furnishing them a pro-
tecting guard until all danger from the Indians down stream had
been passed was magnanimous enough to command a retraction of
some of the many bad things which the newspapers had said about
him and his alleged blood-thirstiness in dealing with American
prisoners.
Thus in a moment was dissipated the dream of Governor Edwards!
Returning from their trip to Prairie du Chien, which Governor
Clark had regarded as successful, it was a source of much pain to be
admonished by General Howard that it might prove worse than fu-
tile, and that reinforcements to make Ft. Shelby strong enough to
resist a siege or an attack which would be sure to follow, should be
sent at once to take the places of those withdrawn. Accordingly
Lieut. John Campbell, of the First regulars, was entrusted with com-
mand of the expedition, consisting of 42 regulars and 65 rangers.*
Three keel boats were supplied, with the contractor's and sutler's
boats in company, making a party, including boatmen and women, of
133. Rook river was reached without event, where the commander
with a slender guard visited the Sac village, just above — the home
of Black Hawk — to ascertain the disposition of the Sacs of that
place. He was received hospitably and assured of their friendliness
with every mark of good faith. He made the Indians many presents
and remained there the greater portion of the day.
Setting sail up stream, he was accompanied by the good wishes of
all; a fair wind for his keel boats and auspicious auguries for the
voyage. But the wind, blowing briskly at the start, soon enlarged
into a gale which separated the boats and drove the contractor's and
sutlers' boats far aheadf with the ammunition and their slender ser-
geant's guard. The cargoes in two barges were endeavoring to fol-
low, while the commander's boat had fallen two miles behind; the
latter inclined to the last or lee side in search of the main channel.
* Left July 19. 1811.
t Meeting the "Governor Clark" a.a we hare seen.
163
As the gale inoreased this boat drifted into shallow water within a
few yards of the high, grass-covered bank, waist high; a few steps
from the boat an umbrage of willows set out from the shore.
At that point Lieutenant Campbell thought proper to remain until
the wind subsided, comparatively secure. Far from being secure,
the Indians, who, in the meantime had received word of the repulse
of the Americans at Prairie du Chien, started in pursuit of the expe-
dition, and easily overtaking it at that point, opened a galling fire on
the unsuspecting boat, killing with the first fire all the sentries.
On each shore the savages were observed in motion; some in canoes
were rapidly crossing to the battle ground, until it was declared about
700 Indians were assembled within a few yards of the boat. With a
concerted whoop, the Indians commenced a tremendous fire, which
was answered with a swivel and small arms from the barge. At that
critical juncture Lieutenants Riggs and Rector, of the rangers, who
commanded the two barges ahead, dropped down. Riggs' boat
stranded about 100 yards below Campbell's, and Rector, an Illinois
officer, to avoid a like misfortune and the raking fire of the enemy,
anchored above; both barges then opened a brisk fire upon the
enemy, but as the latter fired from coverts little harm was done them.
Lighted arrows were fired at the sails, at first without effect, but
after an hour of unequal contest Campbell's barge ignited and the
flames rapidly spread. To relieve it, Rector cut the cable of his
boat and fell down to windward of Campbell's boat and took oJBP the
survivors. Finding it impossible to render assistance, Riggs, with a
number of wounded on board and in danger of being blown to shore,
made the best of his way down stream.
In this bitter engagement, three regulars were killed and 14 were
wounded; two died on their passage down; one ranger was killed and
four were wounded, while Lieutenant Campbell and Doctor Stewart
were desperately wounded. Two women and a child were also se-
verely wounded, one woman and the child mortally Lieutenant
Riggs, who rejoined the other boat at St. Louis, had three men
killed and four wounded. The contractor's and sutler's boats were
joined by the returning troops, who had been driven out of Ft.
Shelby by the English and Indians and reached St. Louis safely.
That bloody engagement lasted two hours and 20 minutes | and it
was indeed one of the bloodiest and fiercest of the war. To chastise
the perfidious Sacs, became at once the duty of Governors Edwards
and Clark, and Maj. Zachary Taylor was selected for the purpose; to
ascend the river and punish them. He left Ft. Independence with a
force of 334 effective officers and men in keel boats Aug. 2, 1814, and
reached Rook river without meeting any opposition, on the after-
noon of the 4th. Later, great numbers were discovered about the
mouth of Rock river, running wildly in every direction. Opposite
the mouth of the river Major Taylor reported the presence of an
I Stevens' Black Hawk War, 18 $t »ea.
164
island, which with the western shore of the Mississippi, was covered
with horses, ostensibly placed there for the purpose of inviting a
raid; but the plan, if so conceived, failed. The treacherous wind
played another vicious prank by suddenly rising and shifting until
by the time Major Taylor reashed the head of the island mentioned,
which he computed to be a mile and a half long, it blew a hurricane,
quarterly, down the river. With great difficulty he finally landed at
an island of six or eight acres, covered with willows, near the middle of
the stream and about 60 yards above the other island, intending to re-
main there until the storm passed. That was about 4:00 o'clock p.
m., and large parties of Indians appeared on both sides of the river,
while others were crossing, backward and forward; but not a shot
was fired. Far intb the night rain added to the misery of the men.
About day light the boat of Capt. Samuel Whiteside was fired on
and a corporal was mortally wounded. The willow island appeared
filled with Indians and when fully light. Major Taylor prepared to
drive them out; but with great composure they waded down to an-
other island just below, upon reaching which, Captain Whiteside, to
the left, fired into them. Returning the same, the Indians retreated.
When Captain Whiteside again opened fire. Captain Rector was
ordered to drop down with his boat and rake the island below with
artillery, and to fire on every canoe he could find passing across the
river. But the Indians had successfully scattered and no canoes
appeared on the river, so he dropped further down to destroy several
canoes lying on shore. After finishing the last boat and securing
his men safely back on board, the artillery sent down by the British,
opened fire on the little fleet from behind a knoll about 350 paces
away, and badly shattered Lieutenant Hempstead's boat. Exposed
to this merciless fire the little flotilla fell further down stream for
more than half a mile. In addition to the artillery, shot from small
arms was poured into the Americans from all sides, Capt. Stephen Rec-
tor here receiving, as had his brother Nelson in Campbell's battle, the
brunt of the attack. He was attacked at the beginning of the en-
gagement by a very large party, but with his three pounder and
muskets, the latter were driven off.
For two miles the fusillade was poured into Taylor's men with
great damage and not till three miles had been covered were they
able to effect a landing in safety to hold a council.
In that battle Major Taylor had 11 men badly wounded, three
mortally, and with the outnumbering horde of savages and English
against his 334 men and officers, he conceived it would have been
madness to continue the unequal contest, with no prospect of suc-
cess. At the council which followed he put the question to his
officers direct and to a man, his position was sustained. Accordingly
the expedition, a pronounced failure, fell down the Mississippi to
the "Lemoine,"
Returning again to the settlements, we find continued murders;
the reasons for which may be found, in a measure, to be stated in
the following letter:
165
"St. Louis, 12th of January, 1826.
"Upon entering the duties of Governor and Superintendent of In-
dian AfiPairs of the Territory of Missouri, I was informed by General
Benjamin Howard, who commanded the western department, that,
in June, 1813, the principal chiefs of the Sac and Fox nations visited
him, and ofPered the services of their nation to the United States, in
the war then carried on by the British and certain Indians, against
the United States. In answer to General Howard's refusal to accept
their services, the chiefs expressed much regret, and observed that,
when war was all round them, it was impossible to restrain the braves
from taking part; that they preferred the American side; but, as the
Americans would not sufPer the Indians to join them in the war, they
must go and join the British, who had invited them to do so. Without
loss of time, I sent an agent after the Sacs and Foxes, inviting them all
to meet me, in council, at Portage des Sioux, on the 28th of Septem-
ber, 1813. In that council the Sacs and Foxes agreed not to join
either party in the war, and to proceed, agreeably to my wish, to the
south side of the Missouri river, and remain on the lands of the
United States, outside of the settlement, and near the Osages, during
the contest. In 1814 a part of the friendly Sacs became restless in
their peaceful situation, and determined to return to their old village.
More than half of the nation took their families beyond the settle-
ments, returned, and attempt«d to rob the United States factory on
the Missouri, which was defended by the friendly part of that na-
tion, which remained south of the Missouri river, Failing in their
attempt on the factory, they scattered and robbed the upper settle-
ments on the Missouri, and returned to their old village on Rocky
river, and immediately commenced a destructive warfare against the
settlements of the Territory, and continued it till about June or July,
1815. The Sacs of Rock river, in conformity with the second and
third articles of their treaty, entered into the 13th day of May, 1816,
delivered up 22 horses which they stole after they were notified of the
treaty of peace with Great Britain."
On August 5th, while working on their farm near Shoal creek, Mr.
Henry Cox and his sons were attacked by a party of Indians, who
killed and sadly mutilated one son and took another prisoner.
As a relief, however, to this constant repetition of blood and mur-
der, with no offset in revenge, comes the remarkable story told of
Thomas Higgins, a native Kentuckian,* a ranger in the Illinois ser-
vice, a resident of the Silver creek country.f near the Bradsby's, and
an altogether redoubtable man in fact and fancy. To single out his
remarkable and desperate battle, one might be incredulous, and prob-
ably by the time this narrative is finished he will be hopelessly so.
But we have Mr. Higgins' word for the truth of every part of the
same, so what can the historian do, but record the story verbatim:
A "station" or block house. Hill's fort I believe, had been erected
about eight miles southwest of the present site of Greenville, which
in those days was one of the many points of rendezvous for the rang-
• Born 1790.
t Came to Illinois in 1807.
166
ers while ranging over the Territory, and at that time it was gar-
risoned by 11 men, including Thomas Higgins, under command of
Lieut. John Journey, of Capt. Jacob Short's company.*
On the 20th day of August,t signs of Indians in the neighborhood
were discovered in the vicinity; at night a party of them was seen
prowling about the premises, to rout which the garrison left the
fort the following morning before daylight. Before traveling far
Lieutenant Journey found his command surrounded by 70 or more
Indians, who without delay opeaed fire on the whites, killing Jour-
ney and three others and wounding two others named William Bur-
gess and John Boucher. The horse of Higgins was shot in the neck
and fell, but soon rose to run; but Higgins, "to get one more pull at
them," declined to move while the others were hastening away to
cover, and, leveling his gun, the foremost Indian fell dead. Then
mounting his wounded horse, Thomas could easily have escaped had
not Burgess in his agony, cried out from the grass, "Tom, you won't
leave we.?" "Come on," shouted Higgins. "I can't come; my leg is
smashed to pieces," replied poor Burgess. The appeal was too pow-
powerful for Higgins, who dismounted and endeavored to place Bur-
gess on the animal's back, to get him back to the shelter of the fort;
but the horse took fright, ran, and left both men to the mercy of the
pursuing Indians. Determined to yet save the wounded man, Hig-
gins told him "to limp off on three legs, and he would protect him."
Slowly the poor fellow crawled on his hands and a knee through the
grass to safety, while Higgins remained to fight it out with the In-
dians.
He had reloaded his gun and stood ready to make the charge count
for as much possible, a good deal as I remember the man in the pic-
ture of my boyhood, "The Trapper's Last Shot," only he had no horse
like the trapper.
Thus standing, three Indians appeared to close in on him, at which
he turned to run for a ravine nearby, of which he remembered; but
scarcely had he proceeded a rod when his leg, wounded in the first
fire from the Indians, failed him, and he could run no more. The
largest of the Indians drew a bead on him to fire, which Higgins be-
lieved he must receive if he could not dodge. He dodged, but re-
ceived a bullet in his thigh and fell, momentarily. As he was rising,
two other Indians fired and both balls hit the unfortunate Higgins,
driving him again to the ground; but with loaded gun in hand, he
rose again to receive the three who were now so close as to touch him
perhaps. They had thrown away their guns, believing that of course
they could easily despatch him with their knives, and were rushing
upon him, whooping and yelling, with spears, knives and tomahawks
raised high in the air. He hoped to frighten them off by feints of
shooting, to enable him to retain his load until the last stratagem had
been worked; but they refused to frighten and in a moment more all
had been over with Thomas Higgins. In that supreme moment, he
raised his gun and fired, bringing down the largest Indian, dead.
* Edwards. 347-s. '
tKeyuolds' Pioneer History. 378: Annals. 716. (
167
The two others, furious at the 1o3b of tbt ir companion, rushed upon
Higgins with savage fury to finish his career of Indian fighting.
They pressed the encounter with knives, slashing the prostrate man
inhumanly; with the tomahawk one Indian cleft the side of his head,
nearly severing an ear and leaving the bone bare. The force of the blow
felled him again, and in an instant a spear was presented to his breast,
and all that remained mortal of the redoubtable Higgins was again
upon the "point" of extinction, but the stricken and fainting hero,
with four bullets in his body, grasped the spear with such strength
that when the Indian attempted to withdraw it, he was happily re-
stored to a standing posture by the obliging Indian, who sought to
extricate it, and thus the battle was brought to a less unequal period.
In his extremity, Higgins had again grasped his gun, with which,
when again erect, he brained his antagonist, leaving but one foe re-
maining with whom to settle; but the blow broke the stock of his
gun and reduced it to a state of hopeless uselessness -and with
another antagonist waiting to be considered, the bloody drama was
in a decided state of incertitude — until help from the garrison came.
This terrible afiFray was witnessed from the stockade, (which had
been regained by the troops) with incomprehensible equanimity,
until a Mrs. Pursley became so excited that just as that last Indian
was upon the point of getting the agencies of death nicely in motion,
she shrieked that "she could not stand and see so brave a man as
Higgins murdered by the Indians," so she mounted her husband's
horse and rode forth to the rescue. The men of course could not
lag, with that brave example before them and they followed. In all
human probability the Indian had just covered a few degrees of the
circle of the blow which was to kill his enemy, when he saw the
party and fled or was killed, when Higgins fainted.
Governor Reynolds tells us that he had the story times without
number direct from Higgins and has related it to us in his "Pioneer
History." Judge James Hall has also recounted it in his communi-
cations to the editor of "Annals of the West," wherein he gave the
story credence, because Higgins had likewise told him the same
story; thus it comes to us from two distinct sources, yet from the
same original
But Higgins attempted to tell it to Judge Joseph Gillespie, who
has recorded much of value in Illinois history, in the most careful
and conscientious manner, and who in this instance took the trouble
to run the same down by cross-questioning Higgins rather severely
and by getting the real facts from a disinterested witness of the fight
who was one of the so-called rescuing party, one Hiram Arthur, "a
remarkably honest and truthful man, who was in the fort, and ob-
served it all." He, Arthur, branded the story thus: "about nine-
tenths of the account of the melee is all bosh." He conceded Higgins'
bravery but added that he "'was in the habit of telling tremendous
yarns " Accordingly Judge Gillespie committed his judgment Jan-
uary 25, 1883, to paper
168
It is unfortunate that we are obliged to doubt so fine a piece of
tragedy, but when so high an authority as Judge Gillespie has seen
fit to pronounce it untrue, I am compelled to adopt his version of the
affair. Gen. Benjamin Howard, commander of the government
forces, whose services were needed more then than ever, died on Sep-
tember 18th, which melancholy event added as much or more to the
general gloom than any of the disastrous defeats of 1814.
Almost the last murder of the year was that of Mrs. Jesse Bayless,
who was killed one Sunday evening in Sugar creek bottom,* not far
above the present town of Aviston. It seems that the dogs, annoyed
at the presence of something strange about the premises, began a
furious barking. Some hogs that had strayed were thought to have
been the agency which caused Mrs. Bayless and her husband incau-
tiously to approach the thicket where the object or objects seemed to
be. In an instant a volley of musketry disclosed the presence of
Indians and Mrs. Bayless was mortally wounded. Carried to the
house of her father, Mr. Bradsley, she soon thereafter died. This
was practically the last casualty, and the campaign in Illinois, with
sporadic cases of theft and other small annoyances, may be said to
have closed. Over in Missouri, however, Illinois Indians continued
a constant warfare well into the year 1815, after the treaty of Ghent
had been signed and promulgated; but those raids, wicked as they
were, should not be treated in this place. They continued until the
war department assigned Andrew Jackson to this department, with
orders to report to St. Louis, there to attach himself to the head of
the troops he would find awaiting him and march against the Rock
River Sacs for the purpose of annihilating them. Duncan Graham,
head of the British intriguers at that point, had formed a profound
respect for Andrew Jackson, by reason of the New Orleans affair and
other events, and without ceremony at once fled to Canada.
Up to that hour the messengers sent from St. Louis to Rook river
had been killed or sent back; but when Graham left, messengers
were at once despatched to St. Louis to inquire why no treaty was
being offered them and why they could not meet their esteemed
American friends in a friendly council without any farther misun-
derstanding, that they had in reality been desiring a good under-
standing for some time; in fact the United States could not act half
quick enough to please them. The treaty of Portage des Sioux fol-
lowed in 1815 and following that in 1816, the other recalcitrant Sacs
went down to St. Louis and there signed the treaty which was sup-
posed to end the troubles between the white and red men for all time.
That the English had formed an alliance, offensive and defensive,
with Tecumseh, under which they had promised to sustain the In-
dians as an independent sovereignty in their claims to the country
south of the lakes, and made the line established by the treaty of
Greenville the permanent boundary between the Indians and the
United States, never to be abrogated without the consent of the con-
tracting parties, is not now doubted. Of course, the former of the
* Present Clinton county, where O. and M. R. R. crosses a stream.
169
two propositions was not mentioned at Grhent, but the latter waa
made the subject of the sine qua non, which means, as we know,
"without which nothing," no treaty. The British plenipoteatiaries
insisted, until it became apparent that further insistance meant no
treaty, and they yielded the point, f
During the war it has been estimated that 800 horses were stolen
by the Pottowatomies of Illinois alone from Illinois and Missouri
settlers.
Statement of property destroyed by Illinois Indians in the war of
1812-14, which belonged to residents of Missouri:
Sacs, and Sacs and Foxes '^?'5Si ?5
Winnebasoea J'ifn 2S
Pottowatomies ■^•^2" ""
Kickapoos *2f ]°
Sacs and fuants ^5 00
$30,233 68
Every male person who could load a rifle went into service, and
many women lent their help to make bullets and load guns, while
many another helped in the fields, maintained near the forts during
the absence of the ranging. Most of this paper has been confined to
individual loss and defences and one or two campaigns to the Illinois
river, but the fact should not be lost that those Illinois rangers, though
they won no battles and made no brilliant battlefields, were constantly
on the alert, ranging from one blockhouse to another between the
Wabash, the Ohio, the Mississippi and the Illinois. In fact it may
be said of them that in a general sense the whites met with nothing
but losses from 1810 to 1815; but the fact remains that without the
efforts of those same rangers, the Indians had not only swept every
evidence of civilization from the confines of Illinois territory, but
Missouri as well. The least tribute I can pay to their memory is to
attach to this paper the names of as many as I have been able to
gather from records and a very wide correspondence, and that I shall
do after singling out one in particular, whom Judge Hall has seen fit
to mention at some length
Colonel John Moredock.
The name of Colonel John Moredock has been mentioned casually,
but to give it the importance deserved by that noted frontiersman, a
brief summary of his career has been taken from Judge Hall's
"Sketches of the West."'
He was a member of the Territorial Legislature of Illinois, a dis-
tinguished militia officer and a man generally known and respected
by the settlers of that region.
He was the son of a woman who had been married several times
and as often widowed by the tomahawk of the savage. Living always
upon the frontier, she was finally left husbandless with a large family
of children, at Vincennes, where she was induced to go further west
t In Niles. vol. 6. d. 11*. maybe fonnd incontrovertible authority on this point. Speeches
by Governor Proctor.
170
once more, with a party about to remove to Illinois, whence a few
families had recently preceded them. Mrs. Moredock and her friends
embarked at Vincennes in boats, intending to descend the Wabash
and Ohio rivers and ascend the Mississippi. The party proceeded
in safety until the Grand Tower on the latter river was reached,
where, owing to the embarrassments to an easy navigation, it became
necessary for the boatmen to land and drag the boats around a rocky
point, swept by a violent current, At that point a party of Indians,
lying in ambush, rushed upon them and murdered the whole party,
Mrs. Moredock with all her children, except John, included. He
fortunately had been consigned to another party,
When just crossing the threshhold of manhood, John Moredock
found himself the last of his race, in a strange land. Regardless of
the disadvantages arising to a man in those wild regions, when at
his best, enjoying peace and plenty, he formed the resolution of ex-
ecuting vengeance on that band of savages before thought of per-
sonal comfort should ever receive recognition, and without loss of
time he took up his quest. It was ascertained that the outrage had
been committed by a miscellaneous party of 20 or 30 Indians, formed
into a band to plunder and murder. The band was spotted by
Moredock and its actions for more than a year were watched accu-
rately, before the moment arrived that permitted him to strike. At
length he learned that the Indians were hunting on the Missouri
side of the river, nearly opposite the American settlements. He
raised a party of young men and pursued them; but that time they
escaped. At the head of another party, he soon thereafter sought
them and had the fortune to find them one evening, encamped for
the night, on an island, in security as they thought. Moredock's
band, about equal in strength to the Indians, waited until the dead
of night and then landed, turning adrift their own canoes with those
of the enemy, which meant annihilation to one of the two parties of
men. The fight ensued, in which every Indian was killed save
three, who plunged into the river for safety and thereby escaped,
while the whites lost not a man. But Moredock was still unsatisfied
so long as a single representative of the murderous band remained.
He learned the names and persons of the three Indians, whom he
now pursued with secret, yet untiring diligence, until one by one,
the last one fell by his hand. Nor did he falter at that period. He
had resolved never to spare an Indian, and,with that passion ruling his
breast, he roamed the forests silently and alone. If he met an Indian
alone, that Indian was seen no more in his native haunts; if a party
was met, too large to attack, one by one, its members generally met
the same fate, for he had skilled himself so thoroughly in the use of
the rifle and the wonderful and numberless expedients by which the
woodman subsists, pursues an enemy or conceals himself and his
design from discovery, that he became invincible. Thus by his
mastery of the woodman's skill, he became practically invincible.
Colonel Moredock was a square-built, muscular man of remarkable
strength and activity. In athletic sports he had few equals; few men
171
were willing to oppose him in single combat. Sternly couragous, he
pursued a determination with the coolness and constancy of fate;
but withal, he was not cruel or unsocial by nature. On the contrary,
he was a man of warm feelings, and even temperament with his
neighbors. At home, he conducted a large farm with industry and
success, gaining a deserved popularity with all his neighbors by his
popular manners and benevolence. Away from the trail, he was
cheerful, convivial, hospitable; and no man of the Territory achieved
a larger acquaintance or respect. In the service from 1810 to 1815,
he was an officer in the ranging service, acquitting himself with
credit and receiving at its close, the command of the militia of his
county, at a time when such an office was honorable and desirable.
At the formation of the State government, his name was prominently
mentioned for the office of Grovernor, but his unqualified refusal to
serve, compelled his great following to seek another. At a green old
age, he died.*
While it may not be said that such hatred permeated the breast
of every Illinois pioneer in June of 1812, it is a fair presumption,
that most of the militia, with records against the Indians of more or less
of an aggravated and personal nature, harbored such sentiments to a
modified degree, without carrying them to the extremity of death at
sight, because few deaths among the Indians from the militia, as a
body, have been recorded,
Another story has been told of Moredock f
In December, 181-1, whilst the command of Capt. James B. Moore,
consisting of about 50 rangers, had charge of a drove of cattle near
a grove on Sugar creek, on the trail between Camp Russell and Peo-
ria, Indians were discovered near by, one of whom was singled out
for pursuit. After a hot chase William Hewitt overtook the Indian,
who without resistance, surrendered himself and gun. Moredock,
unfortunately, was of the party and coming up at the moment of
surrender, raised his gun to fire. Hewitt protested vigorously, but to
no purpose as the Indian must have interpreted, because upon seeing
the apparent futility of Hewitt's eflForts to save him, he wrenched the
surrendered gun from Hewitt's hand and pulled the trigger just as
Moredock's bullet crashed through his head. Poor Hewitt fell dead
as the result of his intercession and that death attributable to More-
dock, may properly be called the last in Illinois resulting from the
war, and should have awakened the men to a sense of humanity for
the future.
Rosters.
I" May 1, 1809, Abram Clark was appointed captain of a militia
company in St. Clair county. The following appointments followed:
May 2, William Whiteside, major; William B. Whiteside, captain.
* Another phase of Moredock's character la giwen hy Governor Edwards, later on; prob-
ably authentio.
t Hist. St. Clair county. 126.
I Alao published in Illinois State Historical Library publications. No. 3, Territorial
Records of Illinois.
172
May 3, Elias Rector, adjutant general; Shadrach Bond, Jr,, lieu-
tenant colonel commanding; John Moredock, major; Elihu Mather,
adjutant of the St. Clair regiment; Jean Beauleau, Etienne Pincen-
neau, John Scott, James Moore, William Preuitt, Francois Racine,
Henry Munroe Fisher, James Stockton and Franklin Jarvis, cap-
tains; Greorge Dement, Joseph Manegle, George Atchison, Enoch
Moore, first of a cavalry company; Jacob Ogle, second of a cavalry
company; John Teaters. Pierre Lizje, Samuel Kinney, Samuel Judy
and Isaac Ferguson, lieutenants; and William Blair, Henry Mace,
cornet of a cavalry company; William Scott, Jr., Baptiste Saucier,
Francois Dernette and Harry Cook, ensigns of the St. Clair county
regiment.
May 4, Michael Brisbois, lieutenant, and John Mario, cardinal
ensign of a company at Prairie du Chien.
May 5, David Anderson, captain of a company in Randolph
county.
May 6, Pierre Menard, lieutenant colonel commandant; Robert
Robinson, major; Giles Hull, Thomas Leavens and Antoine La
Chappelle, captains; John Worley, Absalom Cox, William Goings,
Jesse Griggs and James Hughes, lieutenants; and Daniel Hull,
William McBride and Benjamin Vermillion, Jr., ensigns; all for Ran-
dolph county.
The following list contains the names of all oflBcers of the milita
appointed from Governor Edwards' induction into office to the close
of the war and the subsequent disturbances, until the treaty of 1815
at Portage des Sioux, after which the territory relapsed into
tranquility.
May 7, Andrew Barbeau captain, and Pierre LeOompte, lien-
tenant, for Randolph county.
May 17, Michael Jones, adjutant of regiment of Randolph county,
and Antoine LaChance, ensign."
June 23, a new battalion of militia having been formed in that
part of Randolph county, lying on the Ohio river. Governor Edwards
directed the commanding officers of companies therein to hold elec-
tions for the purpose of electing captains and for the recommenda-
tion of a major.
Governor Edwards having returned to assume the duties of his
office, and learning that some of the officers of the militia were in
many ways unworthy the commands to which action Governor Pope
had appointed them, it was resolved to call an election whereby the
men could select officers whose names were to be submitted to the
Governor for appointment. This general order was issued on July
4, and from the immediate and continued appointments to office in
the militia, it is to be presumed the elections were duly held.
Of course Governor Edwards was Commander-in-Chief.
His difPerent aids, were Nicholas Jarrot, William Rector, William
Mears and Shadrach Bond, Jr.
Brigadier general, William Rector.
173
The general's aids, John H. Robinson and David Anderson.
Brigade inspector, Benjamin Stephenson.
Adjutant general, Elias Rector and Robert Morrison.
His aid, Thomas T. Crittenden.
The first and third (the new one for the Ohio and Wabash country)
regiments were from Randolph county; the second was from St.
Clair county, the officers of whioh appear to have been as follows:
First Regiment,
(Consisting of two Battalions.)
Colonel, Michael Jones, who was subsequently removed, and
Thomas Levin was made lieutenant colonel commanding.
Majors, Thomas Levans (or Levin), James Hughes, Isaac White
and Pierre LaCont (or LeCompte )
Adjutants, David Anderson and Elihu Mather.
Quarter master, Ezra Owens.
Provost marshal, John McFerron.
Judge advocate, James Finney.
Fife major, Benjamin Fort.
Captains, Stace McDonough, Robert Gaston, Philip Trammel,
James Ford, Hamlet Ferguson, William Simpson, John Beard (who
resigned) , Philip Fouke, William Alexander, Pierre LeCompte, Ab-
salom Cox, Otho Lewis, (who resigned), John Lacey (who re-
signed) , Owen Eavans, William Boone, Jacob Fisher, John Cochran
(who resigned), Jesse Griggs, Clement Drury (who resigned),
Samuel Levering vice Philip Fouke removed, Philip Fouke reap-
pointed, Ajalon Dillingham, William C. Greenup, vice Levering,
deceased, Henry Lewis, vice Fouke moved away, Gabriel Duscher
and John Cockran (spelled Cochran above).
Lieutenants, Jacob Fisher, Thomas Roberts, Jesse Griggs,
Clement Drury, Isaiah Levans, William McBride, Nicholas H.
Stephenson. John Hibbins, Francis Wheatly, Samuel Levering,
William Everett, George Steele, Bazil Levens, Antoine Louvier,
William C. Greenup vice Samuel Levering promoted, John Thomas,
Philip Rochblave, vice Greenup promoted, Henry Connor, Elias
Bancroft, Antoine Blay, Jr., Antoine Blay, Sr. and Hypolite Menard.
Ensigns, Thomas Wanley, John Hill, Antoine Louvier, William
Everett, Antoine Danis, John Pillars, George Steele, Dickinson
Garrett, John Murphy, James Smith, James Gill, Joseph Z. Wam-
satt, James Lee, Henry Clendennen, Philip Rochblave, Samuel
Vermillion (who resigned), Adam Woolwriok, William Worley,
Thomas V. Swearingen, Jacob Bowerman, Otho Lewis and Henri
Rochblave.
Quarter master's sergeant, Clement C. Conway.
174
Second Regiment (St. Clair county) .
Consisting of three battalions, one of them called "The Light In-
fantry."
Colonel — William Whiteside.
Majors— John Moredock, William Prueitt, Samuel Judy.
Adjutants — James Smith, William B. Whiteside (who resigned) ,
and Samuel Judy.
Surgeon — Trueman Tuttle.
Provost Marshal — Simon Vanosdal,
Judge Adyocate — Russell E. Hicoook.
Bugler — Simon Wheelock.
Captains — Amos Scott (Squires), Jean Beaulieu, Etienne Pincen-
neau, John Scott, William Preuitt, Samuel Judy, Toliver Right,
Abraham Clark, Jacob Short, Abraham Stallions, John Lowton, Wil-
liam Edes, Valentine Brazil, Samuel Whiteside, Edward Ebert, Jean
Baptiste Duford, Solomon Preuitt, Isaac Griffin, William Savage,
James D. Thomas, Nathaniel Journey, vice William Edes, resigned,
Isaac Ferguson, Henry Cook, vice Judy, promoted, and Nicholas
Ohurzo (Jourange?)
Lieutenants — Joseph Maneagle, Pierre Lize, William McDaniel,
William Gilham, Valentine Brazil, Henry Cook, Solomon Prueitt,
Abraham Stallions, Moses Quick, Jacob Ogle, John Vaughn, Andrew
Bankson, Daniel Primm, John Lindley, James Bradsby, Josiah Rob-
erts, Pierre Martan, John Goings, Titus Gregg, Samuel Allen, Isaac
Gilham, rice Cook, promoted, and Hypolite Maillette.
Ensigns — John B. Saucier, Nicholas Fargeon, Phillip Rader,
James Duett, James Bradsby, Samel Whiteside, Thomas Rotter,
James Thomas, William Griffin, Christopher Barnhart, Thomas
Greene, Titus Gregg, Augustus Pinsino (probably Pincenneau),
George Mitchell, Isaac Gilham, Peter Waggoner, Marshall Hawkins,
John Soott, vice Barnhart, Samuel Gilham, vice Isaac Gilham, pro-
moted, Samuel Swagert, Elijah Talbot and William Bradshaw.
Second Regiment,
first battalion.
Major John Moredeck.
Capt. Jacob Short - 80
Capt. John Scott 7S
Capt. Abraham Stallions 65
Capt. Edward Ebart 91
Capt James B. Moore
Total. First Battalion.
71
372
SECOND BATTALION.
Major Samuel Judy.
Capt. Amos Squires 61
Capt. Samuel Whiteside 66
Capt. Solomon Preuitt 60
Capt. Henry Cook 79
Capt. Cale Jourange
Total. Second Battalion.
2S9
175
THIRD BATTALION.
Major William Preuitt.
Capt. Valentine Brazil
Capt. Isaac GrifiBn 30
Capt. Nathaniel Journey 49
Shoal Creek company
Total. Third Battalion 69
Aggregate 700
Third Regiment.
(Consisting of two battalions.)
Colonel, Isaac White.
Majors, Philip Trammel, Hamlet Ferguson, Owen Evans and Wil-
liam Simpson.
Adjutant, Henry Kenyon.
Paymaster, Francis Leach.
Quarter Master, John Murgly.
Surgeon, Henry Oldham.
Surgeon's Mate, Thomas Shannon.
Drum Major, John Ormsby.
Fife Major, James Hensley.
Quarter Master's Sergeant, John Choiser.
Sergeant Major, John Campbell.
Captains, Willis Hargraves, James Trousdale, Joseph Mott, Wil-
liam Alcorn, who died from his wounds; Thomas GrriflBth, Leonard
White, John Cooper, William McHenry, vice Mott removed; Lewis
Barker, vice Cooper resigned; Thomas Williams, David Snodgrass,
resigned; Thomas Green, John Cole, James Fox, Rice Sams and
John Bradshaw.
Lieutenants, Joseph Riley, resigned; Adrian Davenport, Jr., David
Snodgrass, Arthur Jourdan, Gabriel Titsworth, Thomas Wells, Henry
Kenyon, did not accept; Eirey (probably Ira) Ledbetter, Frederick
Busel, vice Davenport, resigned; William H. Ramsey, Jarrot Tram-
mel, vice Jordan, removed; William Maxwell, James Simpson, re-
signed; James Fox, Samuel Waters, Samuel McGowan, William
Hughes, Thomas Whitaker, Levi Hughes, Thomas Reid, Martin
Harwick, Vincent Larkins, Lewis McMillan, John Patterson and
Daniel T. Coleman.
Ensigns, William Simpson, Jr., Irvin Wilson, Jarrard (probably
Jarrot) Trammel, Jr., Edward Prator, Samuel Waters, Walker
Daniel, John Forester, resigned; William Thrash, John Scroggin,
vice Porter; Edward Prather, Curtis Anderson, David Tude, Dicken-
son Garrett, William Maxwell, John Bushfield, John Hargrave, Leon-
ard Waller, John Hogan, William McFallridge, John Tweedy,
Stephen Kirkendal and Irvail Borin.
176
About Nov. 28, 1811, the Fourth regiment was organized from the
Wabash country, which consisted of two battalions, one of them
"the rifle company" for which the following officers were elected and
later appointed by Governor Edwards:
Lieutenant Colonel, commanding, Philip Trammel.
Majors, James Ford and Willis Hargrave,
Adjutant, George E. Hart.
Paymaster, Francis Wheatley.
Quarter Master, John Murphy.
Quarter Master's Sergeant, John Choiser.
Surgeon, Henry Oldham.
Surgeon's Mate, Thomas Shannon,
Judge Advocate, James Ratcliflf.
Provost Marshal, Adrian Davenport.
Drum Major, John Ormsby.
Fife Major, Nathan Mays.
Captains, Leonard White, Lewis Barker, William McHenry, Thos.
E. Craig, John Graves, John Wicks, James Steele, Benjamin, Wilson,
James A. Whiteside and James McFarlin, vice Wilson, resigned.
Lieutenants, Jarrot Trammel, Frederick Bucks, Asa Ledbetter,
William R. Ashley, John Campbell, James Davenport, Alfred Wood
and Edmond Rose.
Sergeant Major, Absalom Ashley.
Ensigns, James Bradbury, William Maxfield, John Scroggins,
John Damerwood, John Lucas, William McCormick, Joshua Wil-
liams, Elbert Rose and Elisha Gordon.
Thus stood the field and staff roster of the Illinois militia on June
18, 1812, when war was declared between this country and Great
Britain.
On Sept. 14, 1812, Governor Edwards, by proclamation, set off the
counties of Madison, Gallatin and Johnson.
Subsequent to the declaration of war, as changes were needed in
the four regiments, they were made by Governor Edwards down to
Dec. 6, 1815, as follows:
FiBST Regiment.
Captains — James Creath, William Boone, George Franklin, Henry
Barbeau (resigned), Archibald McNabb, John Cockran, Otho Le-
vans, Absolom Bradshaw, Thomas Roberts, William Belderback, Ab-
solom Cox (independent company mounted volunteers) ,
Lieutenants — George Franklin, John Lacey, William Belderbeok
(2d Lt), James Clendenin, Adam Woolrick, Samuel Raner, John
Belderback, Amos Paxton, Archibald Steele, David Anderson, Geo.
Creath, William McBride.
177
Ensigns —James Clendenin, John Belderbaok, Archibald Steele,
Francois Menard, Amos Paxton, James Clark, John Wooton, John
Sykes, John Vance, Samuel Mansker, Cyrus Fulton.
Judge Advocate — John MoFerron.
Provost Marshal — Jacob Fisher,
Surgeon — George Fisher.
Surgeon's Mate — William Reynolds.
Second Regiment.
Colonel — Samuel Judy.
Majors — John Scott, Amos Squire.
Captains — William Jones, Ephraim Woods, Augustus Trotier, Au-
gust Pinconneau, Samuel Judy (an independent company) , Enoch
Moore, William Arundell, John Stuntz, John D. Thomas, Thomas
Pullum, Robert Gill.
Lieutenants — Hugh Walker, John Springer, Louison Parois, John
Giger, Thomas Cox, R. C. Gilham, William M. Going, Eli Savage, J.
Preuitt, Jacob Clarke, John Jarvis, Jr., Joseph Duncan.
Ensigns — William Crownsur, Thomas Finley, Baptiste Shamber-
ger, Thomas Cox, Thomas Nicholson, Etienne Douza, James Cham-
bers, Henry Carr.
Surgeon — James R. Eustis.
Judge Advocate — John Reynolds.
Third Regiment.
Major— Thomas GriflBth.
Captains — John F. Smith, Daniel T. Coleman, James B. Bailey,
William Thornton, Martin Harrick, John Shultz, Thomas Lawrison.
Lieutenants — John Harris, Ebenezer Kealough, John Tweedy, Ste-
phen Smith, William Hickam, William Richy, James Fisher, James
Johnson.
Ensigns — Nathan Longston, William Johnston, John Whitaker,
Isaac Borin, William Tripp, John Shultz, John Fisher, Robert Mil-
ler.
Fourth Regiment.
Colonels — Willis Hargrave (vice Ph. Trammel, resigned) .
Majors — Thomas E, Craig, Leonard White.
Captains — Jarrot Trammel, Harrison Wilson, John G. Damewood,
Joseph Pumroy, Daniel Boltinghouse, Moses Garrett.
Lieutenants — John Forester, Samuel W. Kimberly, Archibald
Roberts. Henry Stum, S. Clayton, Nathan Clampet, Seth Hargrave,
John Townsend, John Compton,
— 12H
178
Ensigns — Harrison Wilson, John G. Wilson, James Hodgkins,
Wyatt Adkins, Hiram Tedwell, William Eubanks, Samuel Hargrave,
George Viney and James Chism.
Paymaster — Leonard White.
Adjutant — Henry Kenyon.
Surgeon's Mate — Walter White.
Aide-de-Camps to Commander-in-Chief — Nelson Rector, Hugh H.
Maxwell.
Adjutant General — Benjamin Stephenson, William Alexander.
Chaplain — Joshua Oglesby.
Capt. George Kennedy, at Prairie du Ohion; Lieut. James Ken-
nedy, same
By reason of frequent enlistments, discharges and re- enlistments
among the militia, it has been found almost impossible to place be-
fore the reader any systematic statements of their services or com-
plete rosters of the various companies ; but such records as we have
at hand are here reproduced:
Pay roll of company of militia commanded by Capt. William Alex-
ander of the county of Randolph, Illinois Territory, by order of
Ninian Edwards, Governor of said Territory. (July 4th to July
29th, 1811.)
Captain-
William Alexander
Lieutenant-
William McBride
Sergeants-
Amos Chaffin
David Everett
George Wilson
John Anderson
Corporals-
Adam McDonald
William Dees
George Cochran
Joseph Koblnson
Privates-
Joseph Vassnme
George Martin
James Curry
James Murtry
Calvin Laurence
Idmar Patton
Drury Stephens
Leonard St. John
John Hill
John McBrlde
John Lively.
Daniel Hull
James McNabb
Jean B, londrow
FTiy&tea— Concluded.
Joseph Conway
Robert Robinson
Alexander Camudy
Joseph Petoin
John Fillers
Joseph Miller
Daniel Winn
Jerome F. Pure
John F. White
Arch. Snodgrass
Amos Robinson
Edward Lay
John Crawford
Daniel Bllderback
Robert Haggins
Israel Bailey
William Welch
George Creath
John May
James GUI
Robert McDonald
Edward Rolls
John Fisher
John Baptiste Pera
Joseph Butea
Louis Dore
William Bllderback
Joseph E. Verman
Henry Null
James White
Simeon Brundage
Eli Lankford
James Eden
179
Capt. Henry Cook's company. (Formerly the company of Capt.
Samuel Judy, who was promoted.)
A list of the first company detached from the Second regiment of
militia, Illinois Territory, for a three month's tour, by order of the
Commander-in-Chief, 3rd March, 1812. Inspected at Cahokia
Captain-
Henry Cook
Ensign—
Christoplaer Barnhart
Sergeants-
Samuel Gillham
Wm. Bradahaw
Charles Gillham
Thomas Eitchell
Drummer—
Hiram Beck
Pifer-
Bolin Sheperd
Privates-
Areas. John
Anderson, Robert
Adkins, John
Acklea. Richard
Andrew. Thomas
Bradshaw. Jonas
Bradshaw. Field
Bill, Jesse
Blankenshlp. Thomas
Cox. Thcma!<
Diliplain. Joshua
Dodd. Michael
Downing. Thomas
Elliott, Alexander
Emmert, Andrew
Fase. George
Flnley. John
Gillham. J. Clement
Gragg. Ezra
Gillham. William
i^TiY&tes— Concluded.
Green. Royal
Graham. Jonathan
Hawks, John
Hewitt, George
Hntton. Samuel
Johnston. John
Kirkpatrick, John
Kick, Justus
Kitchens, Charles
Llnvill. Aaron
Ledbetter, Merrill
Luster, Joseph
Linder, Jacob
Lockhart, Bird
Moon, David
McFadgin. James
McDow. John
Newman, John
Newman, John, Jr.
Ogle, Joseph
Prewltt. William
Quigley, Samuel
Ryan. William
Rogers. Henry
Rendell. Thomas
Samples, Benjamin
Samples. David
Starkey. John
Smith. Uton
Talbot. John
Vanhoofer. Abraham
Vickery. John
Wilson. James
Wardln. Hardin
Wodams. Absalom
Waddle. Davis
Wlllbanks, Willey
Whiteside. Robert
Whiteside, Jacob
Mustered and inspected by Elihu Mather, Adjutant Second regi-
ment, Illinois Territory Militia.
Capt. John Scott's company,
A list of the third company, detached from Colonel Whiteside's
regiment, the 3rd of March, 1812, as infantry.
Captain-
John Scott
Lieutenant-
Titus Gragg
Bnsign—
Philip Roder
Sergeants'-
John Mitchell
Jacob Randleman
William Cerns
Corporals—
Burdette Green
Christopher Hatterman
James Porter
John Stallions
Privates—
Atchison. George
Bradshaw, Abealom
Bradshaw, James
Clover. James
Carr. Leonard
Cullen. Patrick
Clark. Jacob
Cramer. Phillip
180
Privateg— Continued—
Private*— Coniud«d—
Eyman. Jacob
Porter. John
Fry. Joseph
Robins. John
Goldsmith, Charles
Ramay. Thomas
Hoean, Prior
Ramey. Georje
Huffman. John
Sink. Daniel
Hawk. Robert
Todd. Thomas
Jerome, Asyl
Trout, Jacob
Jamison. Alexander
Toland, Isaac
Jones, Martin
Wells. Alexander
Johnston, James
Winters. John
Miller. Abraham
Whaley. James
Moore. John
Whaley. Baker
Moore, Enoch
Whiteside, David
Mears. William
Wbiteside, John L
Patten, Robert
Mustered out and inspected by Blihu Mather, adjutant Second
regiment militia, Illinois Territory.
Capt. Jacob Short's company. (First.)
Muster roll of mounted riflemen, detached from the Second regi-
ment of militia, Illinois Territory, for a three months' tour by order
of the Commander-in-Chief, March 3, 1812.
Captain-
Jacob Short
First Lieutenant-
John Moredock
Ensigm-
Henry Carr
Serffeants—
Robert Middleton
Alexander Scott
George Mitchell
William Arundel
Privates—
Borrier, Jacob
Bresance, John
Bankson, Andrew
Bier. John
Brierham, John
Cooper. John
Clover. Adam
Carmack. Isaac
Eastes, John
Eckman. David
Guyee. Daniel
Hendricks. James
Hayes. Zachariah
Hoke. Elijah
Prlv&tea— Concluded—
Hill. Peter
Jarvis. Fulden
Kennedy David
Marney, Thomas
Middleton. William
Middleton. Robert
Myers. John
McKlnney. Daniel
Porter. Thomas
Phillips. William
Quigley. William
Rittenhouse, William
Radcllff, Charles
Risenbousfh, Peter
Scott, Samuel
Stout, Henry
Steele, William
Short. Hubbard
Shook. Samuel
Tldwell. Hiram
Wlsser.John B.
Walker, John
Wilderman. James
Wills. Peter
Wilderman, George
Walker. Henry
Waddle. John
Williams. Jeptha D.
Walker. William
Wilderman. Jacob.
Mustered and inspected by Elihu Mather, adjutant Second regi-
ment, the 3d of March, 1812, as infantry.
181
Capt. James B. Moore's company.
First company, April 15 to May 3, 1812.
Captain-
James B. Moore
First Lieutenant-
Jacob Oele
Second Lieutenant-
John Vaugn
Ensign-
Simon Wheeler
SereeantB—
John T. Luslt
Septimus Mace
Thomas Piper
Jesse Miller
Privates-
Bless, William
Biecrs, Isaac
Bonham, Samuel
Bear, Joseph
Bloom, John
Privates— Concluded.
Baderely. Hiram
Davidson, John
Gillham, Icham
Qillham. William
Goings. Pleasant Ipmhahlv Ooine'
Goings, William j "ODaDiy uomg.
Kirkpatrlck, James
Kirkpatrlfik. Francis
Lemon, William
Moore. J. Milton
Mace, Henry
Morgan. Arthur
Ogle, Joseph
Rutherford. John
Robinson. David
Robinson, Israel
Shook, Aaron
Talbot, Thomas
Talbot, Joshua
Teter, Philip
Vanarsdale. Simeon
Wright. Richard
Wilson, Cath
Walker, Charles T
Capt. James B. Moore's second company,
A muster roll of a volunteer company of cavalry, commanded by
Capt. James B. Moore, of St. Clair county, Illinois Territory. By
order of his Excellency, Ninian Edwards, Governor, from July 27,
1812, to Aug. 11, 1812.
Captain-
James B. Moore
First Lieutenant-
Jacob Ogle
Second Lieutenant-
Joshua Vaughn
Cornet-
Simeon Wheelock
Sergeants-
John T. Lusk, )8t
Septimus Mace
Thomas Piper
Jem Miller
Corporals-
William Reed
James McKlnney
John Davidson
Pleasant Goings
Privates—
Ackerman, David
Bonham. Samuel
Biggs. Isaae
Bell. Jesse
Brlggs, Wm., Jr
Blanklnship, Thomas
Bradshaw. Absalom
Beck, Guy
Cox, Matthew J
Crocker, John
Clark. Isaac
Dunnlgan, Isaiah
Deleplaln, John
Privates— (7owc?Md«d.
Davidson, Wm. C
Foncher, Anthony
Gillham, (sham
Gillham, Ezeklal
Gillham, Clement
Good, John
Gillhata, Charles
Gillham, William
Hays, Zfichariah
Hultt, John
Jervis, Fielding
Elrkpatrlck, James
Kirkpatrick, Francis
Moore, J. Milton
Moore, Daniel Q
Mace. Henry
Morgan. Arthur
Matheny, Charles R
Nr.wlau, Bennett
Ogle, Joseph (son of B. Ogle)
Otwell, William
Porter. William
Quick. Moses
Robinson, David
Robinson. Israel
Handle, Thomas
Shook. Aaron
Sanders. George
Teter. Philip
Talbot. Thomas W
Talbot. William
Vanarsdale, Simeon
Walker. Charles P
Wilson, Cath
Wright. Ri3hard
Wllbanks, Hardy
Whiteside. John L
Wright Isham
Whitney, Aaron
182
A muster roll of a detachment of mounted riflemen commanded by
Ensign Samuel Whiteside, of St. Clair county, Illinois Territory.
By order of his Excellency, Ninian Edwards, Governor of Illinois
Territory, from Aug. 7 to Aug. 22, 1812.
Ensign-
Samuel Whiteside
Privates-
Titus Qi&ee
John Swigert
Henry Taylor
Aaor Gragg
Abram Howard
Wm. Pursley
John Pursley
Joseph Borough
Privates— Concluded.
Matthew Roach
John Lacey
David Porter
John Howard
Abram Vanhoozer
Roland Hewitt
Alexander Blram
John Davidson
Jacob Smelcer
David Qragg
Charles Kitchens
John Gragg
Capt. Samuel Whiteside's company.
A muster roll of a volunteer company of mounted riflemen, com-
manded by Capt. Samuel Whiteside of St. Clair county, Illinois
Territory, by order of His Excellency, Ninian Edwards, Governor of
said Territory. Date of enlistment August 22nd; enlisted to Nov.
13th, 1812.
Captain-
Privates— Continued,
Samuel Whiteside
Ferguson. Joseph
Fnlmore. John
First Lieutenant-
Groats, William
Titus Gragg (or Qrelg)
Gragg, John
Howard, William
Second Lieutenant-
Howard, John
Hewitt, Roland
John Swigert
Hanlon, Matthias
Hewitt, George
Ensign-
Higgins, John
Henry Taylor
Hawk, Philip
Harmon, George
Sergeants-
Jacobs, John
Jesse Creek, 1st
Johnson. James
Azor Gragg (or Grelg), 2nd
Abram Howard, 3rd
Wm. Simpson, 4th
Kinder. George
Kitchens. Charles
LeCompt, Isaac
Lacev. John
Corporals-
Lamotte. Joshua
Lee, Samuel
John Pursley
Lee, Joseph
John Waggoner
Langlue, Raphael
William Parsley
LaBrau, Baptiste
Harmon Gragg
McFsrling. Walter
Marney, James
Privates-
McFadgin, James
Armstrong, Aaron
Million, Jesse
Bishop. Benjamin
Myers. Joseph
Burgess, William
Ogle. Jacob
Bridges, Allan
Posey, Jubilee
Borough. Joseph
Plant, Pierce
Bayne, Ellsworth
Phillips, William
Brisco, John
Pixley. John
Bradshaw, Jonas
Powell. John
Brundage. Simeon
Patterson, Joseph
Barnsback, George
Pullum, James
Balmmle, Louis
Paine, John
Cornelius. Daniel
Preuitt, William
Chelton. William
Porter, David
Carter, David
Pierce, Daniel
Davis. Samuel
Roach, Matthew
Delorme, Huber
Right, William
Ferguson, John
Stockton, Samuel
183
Privates— Continued.
Samples, Benjamin
Sampler, David
Smelcer, Jacob
Stockton, Robert
Sweeten. Moses
Smith. Thomas
Tolley. James
Teeter. John
Privates— Conc/wded
Tramble, Toussant
Tucker, Napees
Turner. John
Vanhooser. Abram
Williams. Joseph
Whiteside. Joseph
Warren, Benjamin
Muster roll of general and staff oflficers of a detachment of militia
of Illinois Territory, ordered into the actual service of the United
States, and commanded by His Excellency, Ninian Edwards, Gov-
ernor and Commander-in-Chief of the Territory aforesaid:
No.
Names.
Rank.
Commence-
ment of
servic*.
Expiration
of service.
Remarks.
Ninian Edwards
Ellas Rector
Benjamin Stephenson..
Na^h. Pope
William Rector
Nelson Rector \
Robert Todd j
Commander-in-Chief
Adjutant General....
Brigade Major
First Aid
Second Aid
Volunteer Aids
Sept. 2. 1812
Sept. 10.1812
Sept. 2,1812
Sept. 20.1812
Oct, 10.1812
Oct. 18,1812
Nov.
.. do
.. do
.. do
.. do
.. do
10. 1812
"Endorsed, examined, approved, certified and returned by me ac-
cording to law, to the Commander-in Chief.
Eli AS Rector,
Adjutant General Illinois Territory.'^
Capt. Absalom Cox's company.
Muster roll and inspection return of a detachment of the First
Regiment of Illinois militia under the command of Capt. Absalom
Cox at Kaskaskia, the 3rd of September, 1812.
This detachment did not go to Peoria, but was no doubt left be-
hind to protect the settlers.
PROM CAPTAIN ABSALOM COX'S COMPANY.
Captain-
Privates-
Absalom Cox
Alien, Solomon
Beatty. John
Lieutenant-
Bagfirs. George
Thomas Roberts
Clark, James
Little. William
Ensign-
Lively. Reuben
McBridB. Thomas
Adam Wobrlck
Miller. John
McFarland, James
Sergeants—
McClinton. John
Robert Foster
Pillere, John
William McDonald
Patterson. James
Richard Robinson
Ross. Andrew
Samuel Reiner
Smyth. John
Steel. Archibald
Corporals-
Thompson, Robert
John Irwln
Shadrach Lively
Thompson. William
Wilson. John
Amos Lively
Edward Clark
184
FROM CAPTAIN ALEXANDER'S COMPANY.
Bogres, Jesse
Chalfln. Seth
Connor, George
Marvel. Chester
McLauerhlln. Wm.
Jarvis, Matthew
Robston, Hagh
Warley. John
FROM CAPTAIN HENRY LEVON'S COMPANY.
Adklns. James
Glenn, Georee
Lamer, Patrick
McMurtry. Abraham
Vermillion, Benjamin
FROM CAPTAIN JOHN COCHRAN'S COMPANY.
Bowman. Jonathan
Ciendinin, John
Craln, Squire
Johnston. David
May, William
Steele, James
FROM CAPTAIN McDINEY'S COMPANY.
Ball, James
Barber, Alexander
Beson, Thomas
Belsher, George
Fulton, Cyrus
Garver. William
Garner. Charles
Hall, William
Lard, Samuel
Petel. David
Win gate, Adam
Sleter, James
FROM CAPTAIN GREENUP'S COMPANY.
Beatt, Alexis
Lessauree. Pascal
Beatt, Louis
LaChasspell, B.
Beatt, N.
LeMlene, Louis
Baker. George
Mitchell. James D.
Bearwais, Alexis
Montrow. B.
Curry, Joseph
Paxton. Amos
Chinia. J.
Segar, Louis
Charlevllle
Smyth, James
DePreet, Francis
St. Pierre, Robert
Gendeon, Jean
Tolouse, Francis
Lee. Ralph
Troupa, Manuel
FROM CAPTAIN GABRIEL DECOCHE'S COMPANY.
Alter, Auguste
Barboure Andre
Qodere, Alexis
Godere, Joseph
Gidier, Jean Marie (or Godere)
Louglore. Francis
Liouglore. Etlenne
Rilguer. Joseph
Roy. Andre (or Rol)
Tongue, Francis
Tongue, Joseph
Yasseuer, Joseph
(Signed)
David Anderson,
Inspector- Adjutant, First Illinois Militia.
Capt. Thomas E. Craig's Company.
A muster roll of a company of volunteer riflemen, raised in Illinois
Territory, under the command of Capt. Thomas E. Craig in the ser-
185
vice of the United States, by order of His Excellency, Ninian Ed-
wards, Governor of said Territory, from the 5th September to the 2d
December, 1812.
Captain-
Privates— OowcJuded.
Thomas E. Crale
Richard Hayden
Robert Cox
Lieutenant-
Hiram Hlrelns
John Forrester
Randall Davis
William Gable
Enslen—
Harrison Wilson
Lewis Younsr
Edward Farley
Sampson Dunn
David Stanley
Sergeants-
James Wrisrht
Walker Skantlln
Enoch Brown
Charles Hill
Edward Stokes
John G. Wilson
Jacob Willis
Phil Buckner
Elisha Livingston
John Powell
Corporals—
Robert Preston
Samuel Green
Dennis Clay
Russell E. Haycock
Joseph Lepau
David Johnston
Joseph Gordon
John Clendenin
Willis Wheeler
Joel Crane
Squire Crane
Mnslclans-
A.lex Barbour
John Ormsby. dnimmer
Nat. Reeves, flfer
Spencer Adklns i
Amos Paiton
John Farney
George Glun
Privates—
Michael Burrla
Ellas Hubbard
John Lord
Thomas Hatfield
Lasadore Gander
Jacob Tocum
Inlam Bart
Stephen Fowler
Peter Bono
Moses Kawllngs
George Connor
John Hazleton
Richard Hazel
John Woods
John Campbell
Robert Hfirrls
David SiPley
William Corn
George T. Woods
Charles Druyer
Antoine Sander
Henry Jenna
Lawis Freedom
Arthur Owens
John B. Genam
James Drake
Edward Miller
Samuel Eimberly
Capt. Willis Hargrave's Company.
We, the undersigned, being formed into a company of mounted
volunteers, under the command of Willis Hargrave, as Captain, ten-
der to your Excellency our services, to perform a tour of duty
against the Indians on the frontiers of Illinois Territory, and hold
ourselves in readiness to march at a minute's warning to any point
you may direct.
Captain—
Enlisted Men—
Willis Harsrave
Boatrlght, Thomas
Berry. Joel
First Lieutenant—
Battenhonse, Daniel
Wm. McHenry
/
Bradbury. John
Blackford, Ephralm
Second Lieutenant-
Blackford. Reuben
Buck. Frederick
John Graves
Covington. Edward
Cates, Robert D
Ensign-
Carr. James
Thomas Berry
Cannon, Simon
186
Enlisted Men— Continued.
Enlisted Men— Concluded.
Chambers, Barnabas
McAllister. Thomas
Davenport, James
McDanlel. James
Dnnnell, Josiab
McCormlck, William
Dover. John
Potter, Rial
Depkers. Michael
Smith. John
Fowler. William
Small, James
Flemlner. Philip
Slocumb, Charles
Garrett. Dickinson
Summers. John
Garrison, James
Stovery. Thomas
Hannah, James
Stewart. Ell
Hargrave. Seth
Stern. Philip
Harris. Glllam
Standlee, Neadham
Howard, Abner
Stewart. Charles
Hamilton, ^.lexander
Snodgrass. David
Loner, James
Sparks. Charles
Lisanbee, Jeremiah
Trammel. David (a spy)
Love, John
Trammel. Thomas
Lawton. John
Trammel, James
Lane. Joseph
Upton. Joseph
Maxwell. Wm.
Upton, Thomas
Mouldlnff. Taylor
Wilson. James
Moulding. Richard (a spy)
Williams. Aaron
Moulding. Lee *
Wheeler. Henry
May. Morris
Whooley. David
Mileh. David
Whltford, Martin
Morris. John
Winkler. Adam
Morris. George
Wheeler. William
Mitchell. John
Williams, Thomas
McKlnney, Thomas
Yonnr, Nathan
In a morning report of Sept. 12th, 1812, made at Camp Russell,
" of the troops under the command of Maj. Benjamin Stephenson,"
it will be found that Maj. Stephenson's command for that date
comprised the companies of Captains James B. Moore, W, B.
Whiteside, Absalom Cox, Jacob Short, Willis Hargrave, Samuel
Whiteside, Nathaniel Journey, and Amos Squires, with an aggregate
of 570 men,
In another "morning report" dated Oct. 10th, 1812, we find "troops
under the command of Lieut. Col. Whiteside" to have been the com-
panies of Captains N. Ramsey, Thos. E. Craig, Willis Hargrave,
Absalom Cox and James Trousdale, with a combined force of 316
men; the stafiP return on the back of which included, present: one
surgeon, one surgeon's mate, one adjutant, one sergeant major, and
one judge advocate.
Capt. Philip Tramell's company (Leonard White's):
Muster-roll of a detachment of mounted militia called into the
service of the United States under the orders of His Excellency,
Governor Edwards, to guard military stores from Shawneetown to
Camp Russell, under the command of Philip Tramell, Lieut. Colonel
of the 4th Regiment, Illinois Militia, acting as captain, from the 12th
day of October to the 31st day of October 1812:
Captain-
Philip Tramell
Sergeant-
Morton Ewbanks
Privates-
Blue. Solomon
Cumins. William
Campbell, John
Privates— Co«ciud«d,
Gillard. John
Inman. James
Lee, James
Murphy, John
McFarland. James
Pompey. servant to Philip Tramell
Sibley, David
Sibley. Isaac
Wilson. Covington
Wheeler. William
187
I do certify that the within muster-roll exhibits a true statement
of the detachment for the purpose mentioned therein, and that James
Ratcliff furnished a wagon and team for the purpose of transporting
military stores from Shawneetown to Camp Russell, which was em-
ployed in the United States service from the 5th day of October
until the 31st; the same month, with Adam Croaoh, wagoner, Wil-
liam Morrison furnished wagon, team and driver, for the same pur-
pose, from the 9th of October to the Slst of same month. Meed
McLaughlin and Davis Gillard each furnished wagon and team and
driver, for the above purpose, from the Blst of same month.
Philip Tkamell,
Lieui. Colonel 4th Illinois Militia, now acting as Captain in place
of Leonard White.
Capt. Dudley Williams' Company, 4th Regiment, Oct. 14th to Nov'
5th, 1812, "against the late invasions of the hostile Indians."
Captain-
Piiy&tes— Concluded .
Dudley Williams
Cain, Robert
Clarlt. Richard
Lieutenant—
Coshler, Daniel
Dayid Moore
Cook, James
Davis, Asher
Ensign-
Dilkerson. Hiram
Reuben Linn
Davis, Isaac
Fuel, Henry
Futral. Thomas
Comet—
Fort. MJcajah
A.lfred Lindsey
Futral. Wllburn
Ferguson. John
Serjeants-
Griffith. Hiram
Joseph Ferguson
Hallin, John
John Reed
Harrison, Furnas
Henry Qrlffln
Hallin, Andrew
James JVloore
Jennings. Samuel
Ladd, Elijah
Corporals—
Mathlas, William
Mitchell, Jeremiah
Wm. Magee
Matthews, John
James Brown
Thomas Armstrong
Maybnry, John
Neal, John
John JarroS
Randolph. James
Rascow, Jesse
Privates-
Reas, Samuel
Armstrong. William
Show, John
Bramlett. Harvey
Stevens, Ezeklal
Barnes, Allan
Thomas, Matthew
Bridges, Joseph
Walker, John
Brownfleld. Charles
Wolf. Redden
Blaslngham, James
Walker. Samuel
Calhoun, Daniel
Woolf, James
Cravens. William
Williams, Joseph
Casten, Thomas
White. Thomas
I certify that the foregoing is a correct muster-roll of my company,
and that they were mustered into the service of the United States
Saline, on the 14th day of October, 1812.
Dudley Williams, Captain.
Examined and approved:
B. Stephenson, Brigade Major.
Also endorsed by a certificate of Philip Tramell, Lieut. Colonel of
the 4th Regiment, Illinois Militia: "That this company found their
188
own provisions from Christian county to the United States Saline,
and back again, which going and coming may be considered 160
miles."
Captain Judy's Spy company, 1812.
Muster roll of Captain Samuel Judy's company of mounted spies,
called into service under the command of His Excellency, Ninian
Edwards, Oct. 18th, 1812, to Nov. 12th, 1812 (spy company) .
Captain-
Samuel Jady.
Privates-
Adams. Calvin
Adkins. John
Cox. Thomas
Clark. Edward
Cook, Henry
Cosey, Pierre (or Crossey)
Praxier, Robert
Qllham. Isom (or Isaac)
Going, William
Qilham. Samuel
Privates— (7oMttnMed.
QrliHn. William
Liarmer, Patrick (or Lamer)
Lusk. -John T
Moore, George
Newman. Joseph
Nix, Ambrose
Right. Tolivar
Radcliff. William
Reynolds, John
Smith, Thomas
Stockden. Davis
Waddle. Alexander
Muster roll of regimental and staff officers ordered into service by
His Excellency, Ninian Edwards, Governor and Commander-in-chief
of the Illinois Territory, from the 18th day of February to the 16th
day of June, 1813:
Names.
Rank.
Major
Phillin Tramwell
Major ,
Nathaniel Journey
George Fisher
William Reynolds
Adjutant
Surgeon
Surgeon's Mate
Daniel G. Moore ........................
Quartermaster
Aaron Whitney
Sereeant Mai or...
I do certify that the foregoing muster roll exhibits a just statement
of the regiment and staff officers, as above stated, this 16th day of
June, 1813.
B. Stephenson,
Brigade Major,
Sergeant James N. Fox's detachment.
Muster roll of a detachment of rangers on the frontier of Johnson
county, under the command of Sergt. James N. Fox, from Feb. 17th,
1813, to March 1st, 1813. This detachment being called into service
by order of His Excellency, Ninian Edwards, Governor of said Ter-
ritory.
Sergeant-
James N. Fox
Privates—
Blane. Mose
Buchan. James
Deason. George
Davis, John
Privates— f^on(tn«ed,
Edwards. William
Flannery, James
Griffin. Daniel
Harris, Buckner
Norton, John P
Rawllnson, Shadrach
Rawllnson, William
189
Elvirade, Randolph County, Illinois Terkitory,
May 4th, 1813.
Sir — A short time ago I received a letter from Colonel Bond, in-
forming me that you had authorized him to request me to raise and
organize three additional companies of rangers. I immediately
wrote you that I supposed what had been done would be sufficient,
and that those three companies who, through me, tendered the Pres-
ident their services as rangers, would be accepted.
They have been notified by me that they have been accepted, but
lest some accident may have prevented my letter from reaching you,
I will here give the names of these officers, all of whom have been
chosen by their companies and approved by me:
Captain—
James B. Moore
Second Lieutenant-
Samuel Gllbaur
First Lieutenant—
Darid Robinson
Enairn-
Arthur Armstrone
Second Lieutenant-
Arthur Morgran
Captain—
Jacob Short
Ensign-
John Hnitt
First Lieutenant-
Nathaniel Journey
Captain-
Samuel Whitslde
Second Lieutenant-
Andrew Bankston
First Lieutenant-
Joseph BorouKh
Ensiffn-
John Journey
These officers and those of the companies raised here last year are
all exceedingly anxious to be commanded by Benjamin Stephenson
as their major, with the exception of an ensign and a lieutenant who
were absent at the time. They have unanimously petitioned me on
this subject. The privates comprising the battalion are equally de-
sirous of it, and I can most conscientiously say that, in my opinion,
the Territory does not admit of a better choice.
The Legislature of this Territory, at its last session, by the solici-
tations of certain individuals, was induced to ask for this force and
to recommend John Murdock (Moredock) to be authorized to raise
and command it. But I beg leave to observe that the force I have
raised has been upon a different plan altogether. Murdock has not
raised a man and has endeavored to throw every impediment in my
way. He is not qualified, either by his knowledge or experience, for
the command, and those who have recommended him will not pre-
tend to say that his habits do not form a most important objection.*
I have the honor to be
Your obedient servant,
N. Edwards.
* ah which is also herein quoted, must be regarded as sllsrhtly exacrfferated.
190
From a "daily and weekly report of a detachment of rangers of
the Illinois Territory, under the command of Benjamin Stephenson,
brigade major, April 17, 1818," it is found that the command was
made up of the companies of Capt. B. Whiteside, Capt. James B.
Moore, Third company; Capt. Samuel Whiteside, Capt, Jacob Short
and Capt. Nicholas Jarott, the muster of which, with the exception
of Moore and Short, are not to be found.
Capt. James B. Moore's (3d) company:
Captain-
Privates— Concluded.
James B. Moore
William Ryan
John Stalllngs
First Lieutenant-
David Porter
David Robinson
John Waddle
John Briscoe
Second Lieutenant—
John Moore
Artliur Morgan
Jacob Clark
John Clover
Ensign-
William Harrington
David Moore
John Huitt
Thomas J. Mattingly
Willy Harrington
Sergeants-
Felix Clark
Thomas Jordan
Stephen Rector
Jacob Young
Joshua Vaughn
Benjamin Mamey
Charles Gillham
James Button
George Richardson
William Griffin
Corporals-
William Going
Isaac Basey
James Talbot
Henry Randieman
John Crawford
Pleasant Going
Fleming Cox
Bartley Cox
Aaron Whitney
Martin Wood
Privates-
Bennett Nowlin
Henry Mace
Enoch Moore
Isaac Smith
Jesse Miller
Daniel Winn
Joseph Miller
Roland Huitt
David Miller
Edward Crouch
Abraham Miller
Isaac Carmack
John Enoch
Ellsha Taylor
Jonathan Knox
Andrew Robinson
Anthony B. Connor
William Hogan
Samuel McFarland
Prior Hogan
George Lary
Robert Hawke
Thomas Johnston
Richard Windsor
HughRovlston
Jude Converse
Marcus Pelham
John Hogan
Peter Wills
William Chance
Thomas Marney
Josiah Langford
Solomon Strong
John Callino
Amos Shook
Daniel Converse
Francis Pelham
Janus Marney
William Forgason
Benjamin Edwards
Hiram Huitt
AlexandPT Biron
Joseph Forgason
George Hawk
Oman Beman
Eli Langford
John Finley
Jacob Luntzford
Fielding Porter
John Marney
John Ryan
Thomas Marney
Stephen Laery
John Ferguson
Ellhu Axely
Jesse Harrison
Examined and approved:
B. Stevenson, Brigade Major.
191
Capt. Jacob Short's company.
Muster roll of a company of mounted rangers, commanded by Capt.
Jacob Short, called into the actual service of the United States by
his Excellency, Ninian Edwards, Grovernor and Commander-in-Chief,
from the 27th day of February, 1813, to the 31st day of May, 1818,
inclusive:
Captain-
Jacob Short
First Lieutenant-
Nathaniel Journey
Second Lieutenant-
Andrew Bankston
Enalgn—
John Journey
Sergeants-
John Brigance
Alexander Scott
George Mitchell
James Wyatt
Robert Thomas
Corporals-
Richard Acklesa
Robert Lynn
George Soy
Nicholas Darter
George Wise
Samuel Ware
Privates-
Anderson. Robert
Adair. William
Allen. Solomon
Alexander. Hugh
Banksou. Elijah
Barnes, Ellsworth
Brimberry, Jacob
Boucher, John
Brlckey, Preston
Bateman, Abraham
Brooks. Taphney
Burgess, William
Cox. Beujamin
Clark. Isaac
Corathers. John
Clark, Janus
Cralne, Squire
Drocker, Jacob
Drocker, Thomas
Darneal, Isaac
Duncan. John Sr
Duncan, John Jr
Davidson, James W
Dodge. Stanley'
Edes. Matthias
Edes. William
Fray. Joseph
Fulton, Cyrus
Gaston, Robert
Gragar. Jacob
Hopton, John
Hill, Nathaniel
Hill, Jesse
Hill, Burrill
Hawkins, Martial
Huse. Robert
Journey, William
Jotinston, David
Kerns, Jacob
Lloyd, David
Juee, Samuel Sr
Lee, Samuel Jr
Llnley, John
Llveley, John
Lard, John
Liveley, Reuben
Lard, James Jr
Mattock?, Alexander
Moore, James
Moore. William
Morris, Thomas
Miller. Edward
McKiniiey. Daniel
McElroy, William
McNeal, Abel
Neal, Henry
O'Neal, William
Posey, Aden
Patterson, Samuel
Prenitt. Field
Preuitt. Joseph
Pritchard. Jacob
Rutherford, John
Scott, Francis
Sealey. Henry
Swlgart. George
Swlgart. John
Short, Hubbard
Stout. John
Scott. John
Short. Moses
Stout. William
Smalley, Abraham
Thomas, Abraham
Tilford, William
Virgin. William
Wakefield, Charles
Wakefield George
Watley, Henry
Woods, John
Wilderman. Jacob
Walker. John
Wakefield. John A
White, Andrew
Whitley, Mills
Wlnghart, Adam
Walker, William
Wright, Peter
Whitley. John
White. David
Examined and approved.
B. Stephenson,
Brigade Major.
192
Capt. William Boon's company
Muster roll of a company of mounted volunteers of Randolph
county, Illinois territory, commanded by Capt. William Boon, and
called into service by His Excellency, Ninian Edwards, Governor of
said territory, from the 6th day of March, 1813, to the 5th day of
June, 1813:
Captalu-
Dory, Louis
Willlam Boon
De Gognie, Gregone
Davis. Ralph
First Lieutenant-
French, Levi
French, Samuel
John Lacey
Fisher, William
Second Llentenant—
Garner, Charles
Qodler, Erne
William Bllderback
Gaston, William
Gadler. John
Ensim—
Glenn, Isaac
John Bllderback
Glenn, Thomas
Garner, Francis
Sergeants-
Robert Gaston
Garner, William
Gendron, Baptiste
Godler. Isadore
Louis La Chapelle
Hughes, James
Michael Buyat
Amos Chaffin
Honnon, Jacob (or Hannan)
Hull, Daniel
Lee. James
Corporals-
La Franbrls. Joseph
Joseph French
Adam Wolrick
Lively, Shadrach
Leone, Jabez
Zophue Brooks
Henry Barbeau
Lazadder, Jacob
Maohan, John
Montroy, Francis
May, Jacob
Privates-
McDonough, Stace
Alexander, Robert
Philhart. Jacob
Bailey. David
Plllet, Peter
Bllderback. Charles
Pesio,
Barnett, William
Pascal,
Bowerman. Jacob
Roberts, Elias
Bllderback, Daniel
Roy (or Roi), Andr6
Buyat, Benjamin
Robinson. John
Bart, Julian
Roberts, John
Barbeau. Antolne
Robinson, James
Chaffln, Ellis
Snodgrasa, Archibald
Cochran. George
Steele. Archibald
Craine, Joel
Tilford, William
Connor. Henry
Teabeau, Henry
Cossy, Peter
Thompson, Robert
Clarke, Alexander
Tamarava. Levi
Clyne, John
Tamarava, Jean Baptiste
Cola.
Wootan, John
Creath, George
Wadley, Thomas
Dolin. Peter
Wlnghart, Adam
Drury, John
Young, John
Examined and approved.
B. Stephenson,
Brigade Major.
193
Capt. Nathan Chambers' company.
A muster roll of a company of militia in the Illinois Territory,
under the command of Capt, Nathan Chambers, as footmen. Called
into the United States service by his Excellency, Ninian Edwards,
from the 12th day of April, to the 12th day of May, 1813.
Captain-
Nathan Chambers
Enslen—
John Sayaee
8erfireant«—
Henry Carr
John Nichols
James Baukson
Joseph Duncan
Corporals-
William Scott
James Crocker
Charles Cox
Henry White
Privates-
Armstrong, William
Abernathey. Robert
Aberuathey, Miles
Baker, Abraham
Broom, John
Bankson, Patton
Bone, Barnet
Bond, Burnet
Chambers. James
Crocker, Arthur
Crocker. William
Crocker, John
Dancan, William (or Dunkln.)
Pilv&tes— Concluded.
Duncan. Kohert, Sr. 1 t^ ^j
Duncan. Robert, jr. ; or Dunkln.
Farrar, Robert
Fike. Abraham
Gilbreath. Hugh
Gasklll, Paul
Oaskill, Jonathan
Holcomb, Joseph
Hagrerman, Benjamin
Hutton. Unnry
Hill, Jonathan
Johnson, Malcom
Journey, John. Sr
Langiiton. Nuthan
Winson. Abram
Maddos. Leven
Middleton. Robert
Middletin, Reuben
Moore, Ri'bert
Mooney. Bryant
McCracken, James
Nichois, George
Nichols, Pleasant
Nlchola, Thomas
Peek, Daniel
Pea. John
Petty. Jftmes
Robertson, John
Swan. Francis
Scott, Samuel
Van Wlnkie, Job
Wakefield, S'meon
Wakefield, William
Lieut. Daniel Gr. Moore's company,
Muster roll of a company of volunteer infantry. Commanded by
Lieut. Daniel G. Moore, and called into service by his Excellency,
Ninian Edwards, Governor of Illinois Territory, from May 9, 1813,
to June 9, 1813.
Lieutenant-
Friv&tes— Concluded.
Daniel Q. Moore
Beck. James
Braman. John
Sergeants-
Bartlett. William
Cosby. Hezeklah
Martin Jones
Ennls. Jesne
William P. Rowdon
Ennis. Willfam
Benjamin Stidman
Fullmore. Juhn
Zadock Newman
Hill. Burrlll
Hill. James
Corporals-
Jones. William
George Moore
James Beaman
John Ku«sell
KlrKpatrlck, John
Klrkpatrlck, Harrison
Klrkpatrlek, ihomas
Eli Savage
Lortun, John
Moore, Abel
Newman, Joseph
Privates-
Newman, John
Beck. John
Rlggor. Henry B
Bows. John
Starkey, Jesse
-13 H
194
Capt. William Jones' company — (1818),
A muster roll of a company of volunteer infantry, commanded by
Capt. William Jone8,ordered into the service by His Excellency, Ninian
Edwards, governor of the Illinois Territory, May 9, 1813 to June 9,
1813.
Captain—
William Jones
Lieutenant-
John Sprlnsrer
Ensign-
Thomas Flnley
Sergeants-
Edward Reavis. lat.
John Whitley, Sr.. 2nd.
David White (spy) 3rd.
Robert Brazil. 4th.
Corporals-
Solomon Preuitt
Jacob Gragg
Matthew Means
David Smeltzer
David Smelson
Andrew Lockhart
Privates-
Anderson, James, Sr.
Anderson, James, Jr.
Brazil. Richard
Brazil, William
Bateman. Abraham
Brazil, Valentine (spy)
Bateman, William
Cox, Ephrlam
Cox, Henry
C hilton. Matthias
Chilton, Joshua
Chilton. James, Sr,
Chilton, James, Jr.
Chilton. Wlllam
Dollarhide. Aguilla
Davis. William
Finley, Howard
Finley, Moses
Finley. John
Finley, James
Ferguson Isaac
Glger, John
Green, John
Privates— Concluded,
Green, Henry, Jr.
Green, Henry, Sr.
Green. John
Henson. Benjamin
Henson, John
Hill. John
Hopton, John
Howard. Wm. (spy)
Hlgglns. John
Hill. James
Hill, Burrell
Hott, John
Howard, Abraham (spy)
Hutton, George, Sr.
Hutton. George, Jr.
Jones, Martin
Jones, John
Llndly, Joseph
Lindly, John
Lockhart, Byrd (spy)
Lockhart, William
Lindly, Simon, Sr.
Lindly, Simon, Jr,
Lindly, Samuel
Lockhart, Andrew
Neely, Jacob
Preuitt, Fields
Roberts, William (spy)
Roberts, Andrew
Stubblefield. Wm. (spy)
St. John. Joseph
Stubblefleld. Easly
Smeltzer, Herman
Tayee, George (spy) (or Tayes)
Tayer, Battler (or Bartlett Tayes)
Tetrichs, Jacob
Tetrlchs, Charles
Tetrichs, Abram (spy)
Tetrichs. Peter
VanHoozer. Abraham
Whitley, Mills
Whitley, John, Jr.
Whitley. Randolph
Walker. Henry
Whitley, Ellsha
White, Robert
White, David S.
Capt James B. Moore's company — (4th company.)
A muster roll of Capt. James B. Moore's company of mounted
rangers of the Illinois Territory, under the command of Maj. Benja-
min Stephenson, from the 1st day of June to the 16th day of the
same month, 1813, by order of His Excellency, Ninan Edwards, gov-
ernor, &c.
Captain —
James B. Moore
Lieutenants-
David Robinson, Ist.
Arthur Morgan, 2nd.
Ensign-
John Hewitt
Sergeants-
Daniel Converse
Jacob Young
Benjamin Marney
James Hutton
195
Corporals-
Privates— Concluded,
Isaac Baser
Knox, Jonathan
James Talbot
Lary, George
Henry Kandleman
Lacey, Stephen
John Crawford
Lankford. Eli
Lankford, Josiah
Privates—
LuntEford, Jacob
Axley. Elisha
Moore. Enoch
Brlsco. John
Miller, Jesse
Beeman, Orman
Miller, Joseph
Biron, Alaxander
Miller. David
Clark. Jacob
Miller, Abraham
Clover, John
Marney, Thomas
Clark. Felix
Moore, John
Cox. Fleuiine
Moore, David
Crouch. Edward
Mattlngly, Thomas Q.
Connor. Anthony B.
Mace, Henry
Carmack, Isaac
Marney, John
Cox. Bartlfett
Marney, James
Converse. Jud
McFarland, Samuel
Chance. William
NowHn. Bennett
Collins. John
Pelham. Marcus
Davidson. Samuel D.
Pelham. Francis
Enochs, John
Porter, Fielding
Edwards. Benjamin
Porter. David
Ferguson, William
Royalston. Hugh
Ferguson, Joseph
Ryan. John
Flnley. John
Ryan. William
Ferguson. John
Rector. Stephen
Gillham. Charles
Richardson. William
Griffin. William
Robinson, Andrew
Going. Pleasant
Ramey, Thomas
Going, William
Roberts, Ellas
Glenn. George
Strong, Solomon
Harrington. William
Shook, Amos
Harrington. Wylle
Stalllngs. John
Huitt. Hiram
Smith, Isaac
Huitt, Koland
Taylor, Elisha
Hogan, William
Vaughn. Joshua
Hogan. Prior
Vanarsdall. Simon
Hawk. George
Wills. Peter
Hogan. John
Waddle. John
Hawks. Robert
Wood. Martin
Harrison. Jesse
Winn, Daniel
Jordan. Thomas
Windsor. Richard
Johnston, Thomas
Whitney. Aaron
The following interesting document, taken from Brink's "History
of Madison County," is reproduced for its value in dates and names:
"Edwardsville, September 24, 1814.
Sib — This day there was an election held at this place for a cap-
tain and first and second lieutenants, by the volunteers that have of
late been raised in consequence of your request to Isam Gillham and
J. G. Lofton, Esq. The company detained the election until about
the 4 of the o'clock in the afternoon in hopes we would have been
joined by Mr. Stout and a party from that neighborhood. On being
disappointed, we proceeded to elect John G. Lofton, captain, Thomas
Kirkpatrick, Ist lieutenant, and Samuel G. Morse, 2d lieutenant, and
intend when orders are received, to elect the balance of the officers,
so as to dispose of the officers in each settlement which may join.
We assure your Excellency that the old men have volunteered with a
spirit that reflects an honor on the old veterans of '76. The notice
196
of the election was so short in this settlement that the people had
not general notice, but there remains no doubt but the company will
be complete before this reaches you — there are 70 on the list now.
The above officers were elected by a unanimous vote.
Very respectfully, yours,
Thos. Kiekpatriok,
G. Cadwell,
Judges of the Election.'^
Last men called into service; Captain Boultinghouse's company.
Captain-
Daniel BonltlnghOQse
First Llentenant—
John Groves
Second Lieutenant-
Robert Tavery
Third Llentenant—
John Morris
Ensign-
Thomas Tavery
Sergeants-
William Nash
Stephen Stanley
James Boyd
James Hopkins
Tira Kobinson
Corporals-
John Wilson
Robert Boyd
David Haney
William Cammins
Asa Ross
Robert Clark
Privates—
Adkins. Wyatt
Adkins. William
Adkins, Jesse
Burney, John
Brown. John
Boultinghouse, James
Bonltlcghoase, Daniel
Barney. Charles
Brown. David
Buckles, John
Burney. William
Beck, John
Bowman. Jesse
Corn. James
Clayton. Archibald
Cates, Robert D
Coley (Cooley), Henry
Collins, Hugh
Chambers, Willis
ChaDB>«»r3 Tbomaa
Culbt..«on. Joseph
Chambers, William
Clark, William
Chaffin, Ellas
Dunlap, James
Dover, John
Daniels, David
Daniels, John
Dennis, John
Daniels, Joseph
Davenport, James
Dickinson, Charles
Davidson. Samuel
Ferret. John
Gaston, Thomas
Gaston. James
Ga»ton, John
Gaston, Robert
Hencely, James
Hencely. Charles
Harris, Nathan
Hargrave, Seth
Hix. James
Henry. Alden
Hyde, Ezekial
Hampton Jonathan
Hannhh. Brier
Hart, John
Haynes. James
Jones. Hiram
Kirkendall, Benj
Kirkendall, Jesse
Lane Rolln (RolUn)
Lucas, John
Lawry. Joseph
Lamb. Moses
Lezenby. Charles
Morris. John
Martin, George
Morris, George
Merlday. William
Moore, John
Martin, John
Meloy, Edward
Michel. Edward
Martin. James
Metcalf Joel
Morris, James
McHenry, Daniel
McAllister, Thomas
McCormick, William
McGee. William
McGahan. John
McCoy, Wil-iam
McAllister, John
McCann. George
Porter, Real
Potter, Edward
Patton. James
Pool. Thomas
Poley, John
Perry. John
Read. William
Rowan. Arrhibald
Reede. Elijah
Stumm. Geurge
Stanley, Neeiiham
Steward Jonathan
Selph, Ell
Steward, Charles
Steward, Philip
Snodgrass, Daniel
Stafford, Robert
Sweeton, Moses
Stark, Edmond
197
privates— Continued.
Privates— Concluded.
Stumm, Henry
Wilson, Arvln
Tra8k, William
Wheeler. Henry
Tramell, Jarrard (Jarrot)
Walla. John
Taylor, Merrltt
Wilson. Thomas
Taylor. Nimrod
Walden, Reuben
Vaughn. William
Whltaker. John
Wilson. Irvin
Young, Nathan
WlUon, James
198
PIONEER TRIP.
A Trip From Pennyslnania to Illinois in 1851.
(By W. W. Davis.)
"Perhaps the most famous year in modern times was 1809, Dar-
"win, Tennyson, Gladstone, Mrs. Browning, Lincoln, Oliver Wendell
Holmes, Edgar A. Poe, were all born in 1809. Another year of re-
markable events was 1851. Kossuth, the Hungarian patriot, and
Tupper the proverbial philosopher, visited the United States; Joanna
Baillie died, Jenny Lind was married, and the World's fair in Lon-
don, all took place in 1851. In that year, too, my father and I made
a trip to Illinois.
It was a great undertaking for that day. It meant a round trip of
3,000 miles by rail, canal, stage and steamboat. There were no rail-
roads across the continent, and traveling was tedious. Iowa and
Illinois were on the frontiers, and Ohio was the focus for most emi-
gration. People generally moved by wagon, and the journey from
eastern Pennsylvania occupied a month. They took a solemn fare-
well of their friends, as they never expected to see them again.
At 11:00, Wednesday morning, June 3, we took the cars at Lan-
caster an old town, founded long before the Revolution, its North
Queen and East King streets testifying to the loyalty of the early
inhabitants. Through Harrisburg, over the Susquehanna, Hunting-
ton, Lewiston, along the picturesque Juniata.
Wild roved an Indian girl.
Brleht Alfarata;
Where roll the waters of
The bine Jnniata.
Passing Hollidaysburg and 38 miles of inclined planes over the
mountains, Johnstown was reached at 2:00 on Thursday morning.
Little did the straggling town dream of the overwhelming catastrophe
less than 40 years afterwards. Here we were transferred to the canal,
our first and last experience of that primitive method of transporta-
tion.
George William Curtis calls the Nile the "Paradise of Travel."
This can hardly be said of the canal, yet the long ditch has a charm.
Slow of course, only as fast as a mule can walk or trot, but then there
is no danger of collision, of misplaced switch, of scalding steam, of
crushing timbers, or any other dreadful disaster. No rush, plenty of
time. True, the accomodations were not luxurious, but you cannot
always be at the Waldorf-Astoria. Diogenes would have felt per-
199
fectly at home. On risiag in the mDrning, a tin dip ;er was at hand
to dip the water from the canal into a tin basin for the face and
hands, and common towels were ready to complete the toilet. These
were limited in number and soon became saturated with abundant
and indiscriminate patronage. A common comb and brush which
fastidious folks hestitated to employ. The meals were substantial
but monotonous; breakfast, dinner and supper consisting mainly of
tea and cofFee, bread and butter, ham and bacon, liver and sausage.
As much exercise as you pleased, when tired of lying or sitting on
the deck or promenading its contracted area, you could readily step
ashore at one lock and walk to the next, as they were often only a
mile apart. Perhaps the most exciting diversion of the voyage was
the gymnastics required of the passengers when the lookout warned
of coming obstacles, "bridge" meant a slight ducking of the head,
but "low bridge" meant a violent contraction of the whole anatomy
to escape contact with some low roadway crossing the canal. Night
was our worst trial in the frail bark, There was no sound of revelry.
Extemporaneous shelves were placed along the sides, one over the
other, and a delicate man below was in danger of being crushed by
some stout fellow above. A close curtain swung on wire separated
the sexes. Long before day the air in the narrow cabin became dis-
tressingly foul, and at earliest streak of dawn, there was a general
scramble for the deck and the pure air of heaven.
To the lover of nature, the canal is an ideal method of travel.
Rocks and trees, birds and flowers on the shore can be studied leis-
urely in detail, and every landscape is indelibly photographed on the
memory as it slowly vanishes in the distance. The Pennsylvania
central was in process of construction, and as we moved through the
deep valleys or ravines, we could see the workmen on the track away
up on the hillsides. But every thiog comes to an end, even the novels
of Samuel Richardson, and on Friday we reached Pittsburg, 103 miles
from Johnstown; time, 30 hours.
At Pittsburg we began our 1,000 miles of sail down the Ohio. Our
boat was the "Messenger," a light vessel, the same on which Charles
Dickens was a passenger in 1842. It was on his return to England
that he wrote "American notes for general circulation," arousing
some patriotic indignation. But Boz was not too severe, our manners
and methods were certainly crude, and he honestly said so. He was
not censorious or uncharitable. For instance, some tobacco chewers
who called at his room in Washington, missed the spittoon at five
paces, giving Dickens some reason to doubt the vaunted proficiency
of American riflemen. He was surprised at the dismal quiet prevail-
ing at mealtime. Nobody says anything to anybody, no laughter, no
cheerfulness. Dinners are swallowed as if the necessities of nature
were not to be coupled with recreation or enjoyment, and so on.
These strictures were certainly justifiable, but there was a good deal
of kicking against the presumption of the author of Pickwick in
treading upon our American toes.
200
Sitting on the deck of the Messenger, sailing down "the storied
Ohio," as Mr. Thwaites calls the beautiful river, we were ready for
any object of interest. A few miles below Parkersburg is Blenner-
hassett's island. What a world of history and pathos and romance
hangs around those wooded shores! You think of the young Irish-
man and his wife fleeing from the old county, crossing the AUeghe-
nies, and rearing in these primeval solitudes a home of ease and
elegance; of Aaron Burr's appearance in this bower of Eden with his
dreams of empire; of JefPerson's proclamation and the charge of
treason; of Blennerhassett's flight and arrest; of the imposing trial
at Richmond before Chief Justice Marshall, and Barr's acquittal.
After a hopeless struggle to restore his shattered fortunes, Blenner-
hassett died on the island of Guernsey, in 1831, while Barr, as we
know, with the mark of Cain upon his brow, ended his days in dis-
grace near New York, the city of his early triumph. William Wirt,
an Attorney General of the United States, was the prosecutor of
Barr for treason, and some of us may remember his fervid rhetoric
in exonerating Blennerhassett from all guilt in the conspiracy.
"Who is Blennerhassett? A native of Ireland, a man of letters,
who fled from the storms of his own country to find quiet in ours.
Possessing himself of a beautiful island in the Ohio, he rears upon
it a palace, and decorates it with every romantic embellishment of
fancy. A shrubbery that Shenstone might have envied blooms
around him. Music that might have charmed Calypso and her
nymphs is his. An extensive library spreads its treasures before
him. A philosophical apparatus offers to him all the secrets and
mysteries of nature. And to crown the enchantment of the scene, a
wife who is said to have been lovely even beyond her sex, and graced
with every accomplishment, had blessed him with her love."
The island has returned to its orignal solitude, and nothing is left
of Blennerhassett's happy home but an old well which still furnishes
water to an occasional excursion.
We arrived at Cincinnati on Monday morning, the third day after
leaving Pittsburg, a distance of 465 miles, and went to the Broadway
hotel. Cincinnati was then the largest city west of the Alleghenies,
and bore the proud title. "Queen of the West." It was at the head
of river navigation in the low water of summer, the depot for all
merchandise or produce to be transported to St. Louis or New Or-
leans, a center of hog traffic and pork packing, and a general metrop-
olis for business and pleasure. Here was Nicholas Longworth with
his 200 acres of Isabella and Catawba grapes and wine vaults, and a
national reputation for horticultural enterprise. The population
was over 150,000 to Chicago's 30,000, five to one, but the ratio is now
reversed. The finest hotel was the well known Burnet House.
To Louisville the next morning by steamer Telegraph. A daylight
ride of 132 miles. A short distance below Cincinnati, on the Ohio
shore is North Bend. On a wooded hill the tomb of President Har-
rison could be plainly seen. After his death in Washington in 184:1,
201
the body was interred in the Congressional cemetery, but was after-
wards removed by the family to this spot The grave was neglected for
years. The ground was ceded by John Scott Harrison, his son, to Ohio
on agreement that the state would keep it in order, and in 1887 the
legislature voted a tax to build a monument. Mrs. Harrison, who
survived the general to 1864, is buried by his side at North Bend,
which seemed to be a part of the family estate. This son, John, was
a man of some note, having been in Congress from 1853 to 1857.
On leaving Louisville, we were obliged to take an omnibus to the
foot of the rapids, which interrupt navigation in low water. Our
steamer was the Lady Franklin. She was full of freight and passen-
gers. Thirty miles below Shawneetown, III., is Cave-in-Rock, the
resort of Mason, an outlaw, who plundered flatboats and traders in
1801. Cairo came into view at dusk. A group of small houses and
wharf boats, low and desolate, did not make as striking a picture as
Constantinople. Passing from the Ohio river into the Mississippi
our boat was floating on a waste of waters. It was a rainy season in
the west and all streams were over their banks. The bottom lands
were covered for miles in every, direction. Our pilot made no at-
tempt to keep in the channel, but took short cuts over fertile farms.
On the raging current were borne trees, cabins, sheds, stumps, debris
of every description Roosters on a barnyard fence crowed to us in
vain for rescue. Just one week from Pittsburg, 1,100 miles, we
touched the wharf or levee at St. Louis, a city even then of 100,000
people. The streets leading from the river were narrow, crowded
with drays as the steamboat trade was at its height, but they were
dirty, dead rats being conspicuous in this rubbish,
From St. Louis, 20 miles up the Mississippi to Alton. Here we
had to take stage across the country. Our introduction to the
Sucker state. No luxurious Concord coach with upholstered backs,
but a rough spring wagon with a canvas cover and soft boards for
seats. What roads! . A series of swamps.
"We traveled all night, but the continued jolting prevented sleep.
Happy dreams of Pullman cars would have lightened our slumbers.
We reached Jacksonville about dinner time; 79 miles from Alton in
23 hours . Jacksonville was already the seat of asylums, the blind, deaf
and dumb and insane, and also of Illinois college. Here we struck
the railroad from Naples on the Illinois river to Springfield, and
boarded the first train for that city. This was our destination, and
for two weeks we enjoyed the society of our relatives and early
friends of my father, who had moved from Pennsylvania.
Dr, William S. Wallace opened a drug store on the east side of the
square, married a sister of Mrs. Lincoln, was long a popular physi-
cian, and was appointed paymaster during the Civil war. J. Roland
Diller was in the postoffice. Obed Lewis carried on the carriage
business, married a daughter of Major lies, and was elected mayor.
Reuben F, Ruth opened a harness store on the south side of the
square, and was in later years president of the Marine bank. Roland
W. Diller and his brother, Isaac R , joined the colony afterwards.
202
Eoland and his friend Corneau continued the old Wallace drug store,
which for years was the popular rendezvous in the city for men of all
politics. Around the rusty stove gathered Lincoln, Douglas, Judge
Logan, Baker, and the worthies of that day whose names have since
become so familiar.
Capt. Isaac R. Diller, who acquired his title in the Mexican war,
was clerk of the House in 1850; postmaster of Springfield under
Pierce from 1853 to 1857; consul at Bremen, Germany, under Bu-
chanan from 1857 to 1361; consul at Florence, Italy, under Cleveland
from 1886 to 1890, later making his residence in Chicago. His wife,
Lenora, was the daughter of Doctor Heaton, a large land owner in
Jersey county, who ended his days in Chicago.
Daring our stay in Springfield, Mrs. Wallace gave a tea party in
our honor, inviting her sister, Mrs. Lincoln, Mr. Lincoln and a few
others. A table full, a lively company, but of the sayings and doings
of the occasion, there is no record. Often since have I wished for
the memory of Macaulay and the pen of Boswell to chronicle the
table talk of that assembly. The Lincoln of 1851 was not the Lin-
coln of 1861, whose fame gave every utterance widespread import-
ance. In Congress from 1847-1849, but with no reputation outside
the State. No doubt, he told some of the jokes that afterwards went
the rounds of the papers, and made him the popular storyteller of his
time. He may, for instance, have quoted the lines he composed for
the title page of his early arithmetic, but I am not willing to be
sworn:
Abraham Lincoln,
His band and pen.
He will be srood.
But God knows when.
Springfield at that day gave little promise of its present beauty
and prosperity. All business centered on the public square and the
old State house was the most commanding object Here Lincoln sat
as a member of the legislature, and was one of the "Long Nine" who
led in the removal of the capital from Vandalia. The desk he occu-
pied in the State house is now a cherished souvenir in the possession
of Roland W. Diller. On the north side of the square was a succes-
sion of little houses, called by the citizens "Chicken Row." The
town had about 4,000 people.
Turning our faces homeward we went by rail from Springfield to
Naples, on the Illinois river, 70 miles, and at Naples boarded the
steamer Connecticut for the voyage up stream. Heavy rains made
the river look like a vast lake, bottom lands covered to the distant
hills. We arrived at Peru the next day, a sail of about 200 miles, the
limit of navigation on the Illinois. Here, again, the Sucker stage as
a change in our method of locomotion, and we were soon floundering
through the sloughs of the rolling prairies. It was in earl)'- summer
and flowers and grass were waving in all their luxuriance. Bryant,
the poet, before he became a fixture in New York, came to Illinois in
203
1832 to visit his brothers who had settled at Princeton, and was in-
spired by the enchanting landscape to sing one of his noblest poems:
"These are the gardens of the desert, these.
The unshorn fields, bounrtle8^ and beautiful.
For which the speech of England has no name—
The prairies, I behold them for the first.
And my heart swells, while the dilated slsht
Takes In the encircling vastness, Lo! they stretch
In airy undulations, far away.
As If the ocean in her gentlest swell
Stood still, with all his rounded billows fixed
And motionless forever."
During a vacation visit in 1846 to his mother and brothers at
Princeton, the poet Bryant's stage experience gives a good idea
of Illinois roads in rainy weather. "A little before sunset, we were
about to cross the Illinois canal. High water had carried away the
bridge, and in attempting to ford, the coach wheels on one side rose
upon some stones, and on the other side sank into the mud, and we
were overturned in an instant. We extricated ourselves as well as
we could. The men waded out; the women were carried, and nobody
was drowned or hurt. A passing farm wagon conveyed the female
passengers to the next farm house. To get out the baggage and set
the coach on its wheels, we all had to stand waist deep in the mud.
At nine we reached the hospitable farm house, where we passed the
night in drying ourselves and getting our baggage ready to proceed
the next day."
From Peru to Dixon, an all-day stage ride of 60 miles, a distance
now traversed by the Illinois Central trains in two hours. At Dixon,
on Rock river, we hired a special team to take us to Sterling, 12
miles west, also on the river. Here we were again among friends
from Pennsylvania. Hugh Wallace and brothers, Geo. Woodburn
and Ezekiel Kilgour, from Cumberland county. They came in 1837,
Hugh Wallace was perhaps the most prominent citizen. He gradu-
ated at Washington college, read law with General Porter in Lancaster,
was a member of the Illinois legislature 1846-1852, and was appointed
by Pierce, register of the land office at Dixon. At his hospitable
frame cottage, known as "the fort," he and his noble wife, n6e Mary
Gait, entertained Senator Douglas, U. F. Linder, Judge Leffingwell
and other noted men of that time. The western part of Sterling is
built on his old farm.
Another esteemed citizen was Col. R. L. Wilson, who was a mem-
ber of the legislature when the capital was removed from Vandalia to
Springfield, and took an active part in that event. The committee
was called the "Long Nine," from their height; all were six feet, and
consisted of Herndon and Fletcher of the Senate, and Edwards, Daw-
son, MoCormick, Stone, Elkin, Wilson and Abraham Lincoln of the
House. Colonel Wilson was clerk of the Whiteside county circuit
court from 1840 to 1860, and was appointed paymaster by Lincoln
during the war.
Sterling stood high and dry on its lime stone hills along the river,
with a population of 200, in houses scattered over the prairie, east
and west of the court house. It was a "green county town," as
William Penn wrote of Philadelphia in its infant days.
204
Oar visit at Sterling ended, we left Dixon on our last stage ride»
for Aurora, 70 miles, and reached there at noon the next day, having
stayed all night on the way. The railroad from Aurora to Chicago
was the only one in Illinois in 1851, except that from Naples to
Springfield. Chicago had only 30,000 inhabitants, but was begin-
ning to boom. Buildings low; no skyscrapers, many of frame. ,Our
hotel was the old Tremont. The streets were covered with plank.
Omnibuses were the only means of transit. No union depots, as no
through lines of railroads radiated from the city. The purchase of
some good corner lots then on State street would have associated
our name with Marshall Field's,
From Chicago, a varied and delightful course homeward. Across
Lake Michigan to New Buffalo, the western terminus of the Michi-
gan Central, which had not then entered Chicago. It was late at
night when we took the train and at 11:00 the next day we were in
Detroit. Here resting all night, at 11:00 the next morning we em-
barked on the steamer Mayflower and after a charming sail, the boat
was at her wharf in Buffalo before we were out of our berths. By
rail to Niagara Falls. My boyish enthusiasm was aroused as I gazed
at last on the wondrous curiosity so, of ten admired in my geography.
The suspension bridge below the falls had been erected not long
before and was considered one of the engineering triumphs of the
age. Cataract House was the principal hotel on the American side.
Mrs. Sigourney was a stranger to me then or I should have uttered
her appreciative lines:
"Flow on forever, in thy glorious robe Of terror and] of beauty.
Yes, flow on, Unfathomed and resistless."
Buffalo to Albany over the New York Central, down the Hudson
in the Reindeer; New York to Philadelphia via Jersey City, Trenton
and the Delaware, Philadelphia to Lancaster.
We were gone nearly eight weeks, June 3 to July 26, traveling by
actual measurement 3,226 miles, at an expense for both of us of $180,
not much more than the trip would cost today with all our improved
facilities.
Although over 50 years have passed since that early tour "and rny
dear father, whose affectionate companionship added so much to its
pleasure, has gone to his reward, many of the incidents have the
vividness of yesterday. I live the trip over every year of my life.
"Haec olim meminisse juvabit.
"Oft In the stilly nlffht.
'Ere slumber's chain has bound me,
Fond memory briugs the light
Of other days around me."
205
NEWSPAPERS AND NEWSPAPER MEN OF ILLINOIS.
(Hon. E. A. Snlvely.)
Considering the part the newspapers and newspaper men have
played in the history of Illinois, the entire time of this meeting
could be taken up ia recounting their victories, and then the half
would not be told. For this occasion I have determined to make no
reference to any person whose connection with the press began sub-
sequent to 1860, leaving a history of the latter part of the last century
to be taken up by some one at a future meeting of the society.
I have selected this period in the State's history, at this time,
because with the beginning of the war of the rebellion, there was a
complete change in the newspapers of the State, The campaign of
1860 was so closely allied to this change that it should be included
in a history of the press of the State, which deals with it as it is
today. As we know newspapers there were few of them in Illinois
in the years of which I shall speak.
I propose to tell of the newspaper as it was in an era when no one
had dreamed of a telephone, an ocean cable, an automobile, a woman's
club, the daughters of the American revolution, a steam thresher, a
selfbinder, appendicitis, heart failure, or any of the other many mod-
ern improvements that now engross so much of our attention.
The average citizen of today, who takes his evening paper with his
supper knows little of the paper 60 and 70 years ago, and still less of
the struggles of the earnest men who, under the very greatest diffi-
culties, produced the early newspapers of the State.
The first newspaper published in Illinois was'published at Kaskas-
kia and called the "Illinois Herald," the publisher being Mathew
Duncan, the first issue dated Sept. 6th, 1814. It was a three column
folio, and the most of its space was given up to the publication of the
laws of Congress. The paper was subsequently sold to Daniel P.
Cook and Robert Blackwell. Mr. Cook sold his interest to Elijah C.
Berry, who subsequently became the purchaser of Mr. Blackwell's
interest. When Cook and Blackwell purchased the paper they
changed its name to the "Illinois Intelligencer." When the seat of
government was removed to Vandalia, the "Intelligencer" or at least
206
a goodly portion of it, went along and the name of the paper was
changed to the "Vandalia Intelligencer." Its name was again
changed in 1823, to "Illinois Intelligencer," and it was an important
factor in the fight against the calling of the constitutional conven-
tion in 1824. When the printing material of the "Intelligencer" was
divided, that part which remained at Kaskaskia was utilized in the
publication of a paper called the "Republican Advocate." Elias
Kent K;me was the editor, and after his election to the United States
senate, he sold the paper to Robert K. Fleming, who had been in
charge of the mechanical department. Mr. Fleming moved the
material to Vandalia and attempted to establish a paper there, but
meeting with no encouragement, he moved the material to Edwards-
ville and established the "Illinois Corrector." In about one year
the "Corrector" was suspended and the material taken again to Kas-
kaskia where a paper called the "Recorder" was published, and it
continued from November 1828 until October 1833, when the material
was removed to Belleville and the "St. Clair Gazette" established.
In July or August, 1818, Mr. Henry Eddy started from Pittsburg
with a printing outfit, intending to go to St. Louis and there publish
a paper. At Shawneetown the boat was stranded on a sandbar. The
citizens of the town, learning Mr. Eddy's intentions, induced him to
unload his printing material and the "Shawnee Chief" was given to
the world on the 5th day of September, 1818, and Illinois was the
proud possessor of two newspapers. After a few issues the name of
the paper was changed to the "Illinois Emigrant."
On May 23rd, 1819, at Edwardsville, Hooper Warren began the
publication of the "Edwardsville Spectator." Hooper Warren was
one of the great men of his day. A most forceful writer, his bravery
was a twin brother to his ability. He was opposed to slavery, and
in the battle to make Illinois a slave State his editorial pen was one
of the greatest weapons in the conflict. He sold the "Spectator"
and then repurchased it, moving the material to Springfield, where
he published the "Sangamon Spectator." In 1829, in company with
two other gentlemen he went to Galena and established the "Galena
Advertiser" and "Upper Mississippi Herald." In 1836 he removed
to Chicago and established the "Commercial Advertiser," which was
the third paper published in Chicago. Subsequently in 1850, he
removed to Princeton and published the "Bureau Advocate," and
afterwards again removed to Chicago where, in company with Z.
Eastman he published the "Free West and Western Citizen."
The fifth paper published in the State was called the "Star of the
West," and was published at Edwardsville. A man named Miller,
accompanied by his son, owned a printing office in Pennsylvania,
which they started with to the West looking for a location. Upon
arriving at Edwardsville they were induced to unload the material
and set up an office, and the paper was called the "Star of the West."
It became an advocate of the pro-slavery constitution and was pub-
lished from Sept. 14th, 1822, until July 28th, 1824, one week before
the convention was defeated.
207
On the 25th day of April, 1829, the first issue of the "Pioneer,"
published at Rook Spring, made its appearance. It was printed by
Thomas P. Grreen and his son, but it was edited by Rev. John M.
Peck. No mention of the early history of Illinois is complete with-
out bringing out prominently the life and history of Rev. John M.
Peck, and paying tribute to his work and worth not only in aiding
to defeat the pro-slavery constitution, but for the publication of his
Gazetteer and his untiring zeal in behalf of the upbuilding of the
new State. The "Pioneer" was a five column folio and was the first
religious paper published in Illinois.
Some of the historians assert that the publication of the "Western
News" began in 1826 or 1827. This is an error. The "Sangamon
Spectator" of Jan. 26, 1828, contains the prospectus of the "Western
News" and "Farmers' Weekly Intelligencer " The paper was to be
published as soon as cJOO subscribers were secured at $1.50 each.
Evidently when this prospectus was printed there had been a sus-
pension of some of the papers because it states there was then only
four newspapers in the State.
Beginning with the early 80's and from that time on newspapers
were established as the towns grew in population, and I will not fol-
low up, in chronological order, the various papers which made their
appearance.
The first daily established in Illinois was the "Gazette," published
then, as now, at Galena. Its first issue was June 1, 1817, and nine
days later the first issue of the "Chicago Daily Tribune" made its
appearance.
Prior to the war, the editors of papers had a more extended per-
sonal acquaintance — or were known by a much greater proportionate
number of people — than are the editors of today. The reason for
this can be found in the smaller number of papers then as com-
pared with the present time and the impersonality which now sur-
rounds the papers, and especially the great metropolitan papers.
In the earlier days the establishment of a newspaper was not
caused by the desire on the part of the business men to advance
the business interests of their town and county, so much as the
material interests of the politicians." The majority of newspapers in
Illinois, or at least, so far as numbers go, a most respectable minority,
were owned and controlled by the politicians of the county seat.
While printing material was high-priced, the amount required to
establish a political "'organ" was small, and the advantages to the
party, or a faction of a party, were considered very great. The early
history of newspapers shows that many were established. They were
published through one campaign and then suspended and the ma-
terial hauled away to some other field. Thus a part of the old
208
"Intelligencer" printing office went from Kaskaskia to Vandalia,
thence to Belleville and finally again landed at its starting point.
The newspaper then was not published to furnish news, but ideas.
The small amount of news furnished, was intended merely to give
force and effect to the editorial utterances The paper seldom con-
tained more than one editorial in each issue, and in a majority of
cases, the article was written by the local politician whose native
sense and acquired education made him the most prominent figure
in his party. The editorial was not written hurriedly and neither was
it written in the style of a freshman or a sophomore. It was the re-
sult of the same study and research which characterizes the minister
in the preparation of his sermon. The principles of government,
the action of congress and the State legislature were discussed in a
manner that showed the development of great study and profound
thought. This one article was called the "leader," and the country
paper of ante- war days would, under no consideration, go to press
without its "leader." If the politicians had not written one and the
editor could not, there was recourse to the scissors and one of the ex-
changes published farthest away. Seldom was the editorial page
graced with more than one article. At times of great political ex-
citement more than the usual amount of space was sometimes devoted
to the discussion of political matters, but it required a presidential
or gubernatorial election to bring this about. There was practically
no local news. A matter which now would be served up in a column
in any newspaper would then be disposed of in a half dozen lines.
Mrs. Jones might give the most elaborate pink tea ever known in the
county, but there would be no mention of it in the paper. The birth
of a two-headed calf, the sale of a 900 pound hog or a visit of the
member of congress might be recorded in a line or two, but it re-
quired some such event to produce a local item. The subscription
list was small and often paid in cord wood, beeswax, potatoes, pork,
cabbage or anything else the farm produced.
While all that I have said of the meagerness of the editorials in
the press, it is no doubt true, that the greatest battle, in the news-
papers, ever known in Illinois, was that waged for and against the
adoption of the pro-slavery constitution. The papers were few in
number and small in size. But their columns were filled with such
brainy production as never before or since have been known. Among
those opposed to the convention were Governor Coles, Morris Bick-
beck, John M. Peck, Samuel D. Lockwood, Robert Blackwell, Daniel
P. Cook, Henry Eddy, George Forquer and others, Among those
who favored the convention were Elias Kent Kane, Jesse B Thomas,
John McLean, Samuel McRoberts, Chief Justice Phillips, Judge
Casey, and others of equal ability and prominence While but few
of these men were actively engaged in the newspaper business, it is
but just to them and the craft, that their names be considered when
newspaper history is written, because they were all, more or less,
financially interested in the publication of the papers of that day.
209
And each of them, either in the form of communications or in edito-
rials written for the few papers then in existence, placed himself
along with the men whose names adorned the editorial columns of
the papers. That great contest, to the issue of which Illinois, un-
doubtedly, owes her position today, was a battle of intellects — a
battle of brain against brain — a battle in which every superior mind
in the young commonwealth took part, and through the columns of
the press carried on a warfare never before equaled. What could
not the State afford to pay for a file of the newspapers of that day?
What an example and an inspiration they would be to the modern
journalist whose only idea is to paint everything as yellow as pos-
sible.
When early newspaper men, in Illinois, are mentioned, the mind
instinctively turns to Alton and the murder of Lovejoy. His life,
his history and his tragic death are familiar to all. He was a type
of the old-time editor, albeit, he was a man of far more ability than
most of them, and with a courage that was never excelled. Others
there were who believed all he believed, who taught, but in a differ-
ent manner all that he taught, Many of these lived to see the fulfillment
of his desires and to realize that the blood of that martyr was one of
the seeds of the final abolition of slavery.
The destruction of another newspaper office resulted in a tragedy
which marks almost, if not quite, as important an epoch in our history.
Some parties in Nauvoo established a newspaper in opposition to
mormonism. Only one issue was printed, when the city council,
under the lead of Joseph Smith, declared the paper a nuisance and
ordered the press and type thrown into the Mississippi river. This
outrage on a free press together with other offenses against the laws,
lead to the arrest of Joseph and Hyrum Smith, their incarceration
in the Carthage jail and their subsequent death.
John Wentworth became editor of the Chicago Democrat in 1836
and continued in that capacity for more than a quarter of a century.
He imparted to the columns of his paper much of his unique person-
ality. It was he who gave to the State banks and their currency the
name of "wild cat" and for many issues of his paper each column on
its first page was ornamented with a picture of the ferocious animal.
He was one of the three men who have represented Republican
and Democratic constituencies in Congress from Illinois.
Joseph Medill assumed editorial control of the Chicago Tribune
on the 18th of June, 1855. It is doubtful if any other paper wielded
an equal influence in the earlier years of the Republican party. The
State has had no more independent journalist than Mr. Medill. As
a general thing he was always to be found in line with his party.
The most notable example when he saw his duty to be cut loose from
his party fetters was in 1869, when he ran as an independent dele-
gate for the constitutional convention, After his election he was
— 14H
210
offered the presidency of the convention by the Republicans, but re-
fused. He had advocated non- partisanship in the selection of dele-
gates and he adhered to his position.
It has been generally understood that Gov. John M. Palmer estab-
lished the Carlinville Free Democrat, now the Carlinville Democrat.
In his "memoirs," however, he, says, he and his partner merely loaned
the money to the gentlemen who established the paper. It is true,
however, that it was understood that Grovernor Palmer was the power
behind the throne in the early days of the paper's publication, and
this fact gave the paper a wide influence. In 1878 Governor Palmer
came into possession of the Illinois State Register, which he pub-
lished for some time. Once when he was called upon to defend
something which appeared in the Register, he said that while he
owned it, he hired an editor and never wrote anything for it except
on Saturday night, and then he only wrote checks.
Paul Selby, in 1848, assumed editorial charge of the Morgan Jour-
nal, and subsequently, for a time, edited the Quincy Whig. For
18 years he was editor of the Illinois State Journal. He was always
firm in his beliefs, and expressed them in a calm, dignified manner.
He was conscientious in his work, and in his long career enjoyed the
respect of all.
Charles H. Lanphier entered the office of the Illinois State Regis-
ter in 1836, when the paper was published at Vandalia. When the
office was removed to Springfield, Mr. Lanphier went with it, and his
connection with the paper continued until 18B6, during 20 years of
which time he was the editor. Mr. Lanphier was a close personal
and political friend of Stephen A. Douglas, and it was he who man-
aged the senatorial campaign in 1858.
Judge T. Lyle Dickey for a short time was the acknowledged edi-
tor of a Whig newspaper in Rushville, and it is no doubt true that
for two or three years he and James W. Singleton were the real edi-
tors of the paper.
John W. Merritt assumed control of the Belleville Advocate in
1848, and three years later moved to Salem, where he published a
paper called the Advocate until 1864, when, in company with his son,
he purchased the Illinois State Register, which he conducted for a
number of years.
Perhaps the one family most noted in the history of Illinois jour-
nalism during the period of which I write was the Brooks family.
S S, Brooks began his editorial career at Edwardsville about 1832.
From there he went in turn to Jacksonville, Alton, Springfield,
Quincy, Lewiston, Alton, Quincy, Peoria, Quincy, Upon returning
for his third residence in the latter city, he was elected clerk of the
circuit court, and was filling that position at the time of his death.
Austin, John P., Martin and Samuel S., ail sons of S. S. Brooks,
were noted for their connection with the press of Illinois. Austin
Brooks began his newspaper career in Shawneetown before he was 21
years of age Subsequently he went to Mt. Carmel, In 1847 or 1848
he went to Quincy, and from that time until his death in 1870, was
2J1
connected most of the time as editor and publisher of the Herald.
He was a second edition of George D. Prentice, and no paper in the
State was oftener quoted than the Herald under his management.
John P. Brooks began his editorial career in 1848, taking charge of
the Canton Register. He afterwards entered the ministry, but at
different times was engaged in newspaper work. In 1862 he was
elected State superintendent of public instruction.
Martin and Samuel S. Brooks have both been connected with
newspapers in the State, but that connection was subsequent to 1860.
In 1855 James M. Davidson began the publication of the Fulton
Democrat, which he conducted until 1858. The year following he
begun the publication of the Squatter Sovereign, and after changing
its name to the Havana Post, sold it to John B. Wright in the sum-
mer of 1861. In 1865 he became the owner of the Carthage Repub-
lican, which he conducted until his death in 1894. He was recog-
nized as one of the ablest editors ever connected with the press in
central Illinois. ^
Mr. Davidson was no doubt the first country editor to resort to
cartoons. He was his own artist. He drew his cartoons on a piece
of paper, then transferred them to the bottom of some old patent
medicine stereotype cut and with a sharp knife finished the work.
They were equally as original and appropriate as any which now
embellish the pages of the metropolitan papers and were very prop-
erly envied — and often borrowed — by his brother editors.
James ShoafiP, for years connected with the press of our neighbor-
ing city of Decatur was known all over the State. He was a kind,
genial man, a vigorous and forceful writer when he felt the occasion
demanded it,
In 1843 John H. Bryant became the editor of the Bureau Advo-
cate, and continued with the paper until 1863. Prior to Mr. Bryant's
assuming charge of the paper each issue of the paper was edited by
a committee of Whigs, a committee of Democrats and a committee
of Liberty advocates, each party having the use of two columns in
which to advocate its cause
John G. Nicolay began his literary career prior to the war, as editor
of the Pike County Journal, a Republican paper published in Pike
county.
I have named a few only, of the most prominent men connected
with the press prior to 1860. In a general way, I have selected
those whose business was journalism in the strict sense of the word,
and leaving out of count those whose connection with the press was
a mere temporary matter for the accomplishment of some particular
purpose.
So far as I now recall there are only seven persons actively en-
gaged in journalism today, in Illinois, who were so engaged prior to
1860. These are Charles Holt, Kankakee Gazette; William Osman,
Ottawa Free-Trader; Ben. F. Shaw, Dixon Telegraph; W. T. David-
son, Fulton Democrat; S. Y. Thornton, Canton Ledger; George W.
212
Harper, Robinson Argus and H. M. Kimball, Macoupin County
Argus. Chas. Holt began his career as an editor in 1848, but he did
not come to Illinois until 1864, and since that time has been con-
stantly in the business.
William Osman has been connected as editor and publisher with
the Ottawa Free-Trader since its establishment in 1848.
W. T. Davidson became proprietor of the Fulton Democrat in 1858.
S, Y. Thornton became part owner of the Fulton County Ledger
in 1856 and the following year became its sole owner and has con-
tinued as sole proprietor and editor since.
H. M. Kimball began his career as editor of the Carlinville Free
Democrat in 1856.
George W. Harper began the publication of the Banner at Pales-
tine in 1856. After serving in the army he settled in Robinson
where he has since published a paper.
Benjamin F. Shaw has been connected with the Dixon Telegraph
for almost half a century. He was a member of the Anti-Nebraska
Editorial convention which met in Decatur on the 22nd of February,
1856, and was also a member of the first Republican State convention
in this State, and he has steadily held to that faith since.
The old time editor was one of nature's most perfect composites.
In the office he was type setter, job printer, pressman, bookkeeper,
business manager and editor. He was prominent in every movement
that was for the benefit of his town. He was secretary for his party
conventions and committees. Sometimes he was a leader in the
church and superintendent of the Sabbath school, and sometimes he
did a great deal more than his share towards raising the government
revenue.
He was posted upon all questions from the tarifP to the proper time
in the moon to plant potatoes. He could discuss foreign affairs or
the creed of any religious sect. He may never have been possessed
of $100 at one time, but he could discuss financial questions with
the head of the bank of England. No man in the community received
as little pay (unless it was the preacher) for the amount of good he
accomplished. He went about his tasks with a willingness and a
cheerfulness that evidenced his patience under circumstances and
conditions that often were the most discouraging. He was firm
in his convictions but accorded to others the same rights he claimed
for himself. Like Charity, as described by St. Paul, the old time
editor suffered long and was kind, he thought no evil; he was not
pufiFed up; he vaunted not himself; he rejoiced not in iniquity but
rejoiced in the truth; he hoped for all things and endured all things,
A few of the number were in no way creditable to the profession —
they were coarse, vulgar and brutal in their editorials, but these soon
fell by the wayside while the gentlemen in the sanctum remained as
a living monument to the survival of the fittest.
213
The old time editor saved Illinois from the curse of slavery. He
followed along, but more often lead, the march of improvement, and
at all times was in the fore-front of all movements to aid in develop-
ing the State. As population increased and the time came when the
newspaper was a necessity, and not a luxury, he was ready to meet
the demands. Many of them suspended their papers and took up
arms in defense of the flag, and on their return fitted themselves
into the new environment as best they could, but found that in the
general conduct of a newspaper, they had to serve a new apprentice-
ship.
Nearly all of the men who were prominent in the newspaper his-
tory of our State during the period which I have briefly and most
imperfectly covered, have gone to their long home. On the founda-
tions builded by them has been erected a press that is recognized
everywhere as leading that of any State in the Union. At the meet-
ings of the national editorial association, Illinois has for years occu-
pied the seat of honor, and the hundreds of splendid newspapers
today which reflect the industry, enterprise and intelligence of the
communities in which they are publi8hed,owe their beginning to the
tireless energy and unceasing toil of the pioneers of Illinois journal-
ism.
214
THE PART OF ILLINOISANS IN THE NATIONAL EDU-
CATIONAL MOVEMENT, 1851-1862.
(Paul Selby. A. M.)
Not only the State of Illinois, but the entire nation, owes a debt
of gratitude to an earnest and progressive group of Illinoisans for
what has been accomplished, within the last 40 years, in the develop-
ment of a system of national education based upon instruction in the
practical and mechanic arts, as well as in general literature, languages
and the abstract sciences, and I felt that it was due to the memories
of the champions of this measure, that some record of their labors
and achievements should go into the "Transactions" of this Society.
In this I refer to the act passed by the Congress of the United States
in 1862, and approved by President Lincoln on July 2d of that year,
making a grant to each state and territory of public lands in the
proportion of 30,000 acres for each Senator and Representative or
Delegate in Congress to which such state or territory might be enti-
tled, for the "endowment, support and maintenance of at least one
college, where the leading object shall be, without excluding other
scientific and classical studies, and including military tactics, to
teach such branches of learning as are related to agriculture and the
mechanic arts, in such manner as the legislatures of the states may
respectively prescribe, in order to promote the liberal and practical
education of the industrial classes in the several pursuits and profes-
sions in life." An evidence of the far-reaching results which have
attended the operation of this act, is furnished by the fact that, ac-
cording to the report of the Commissioner of Education for the year
ending June 30, 1903, there are now 66 institutions in existence based
upon this appropriation of public lands — embracing at least one in
each state and territory of the Union except Alaska— having a total
yaluation of property amounting to nearly $70,000,000.00, and giving
instruction in their several departments during the year 1902 to more
than 47,000 students.
Although it may naturally occur to some that this subject has been
treated with entire accuracy and ample completeness by Mr. Pills-
bury in his comprehensive article on "The University of Illinois,"
printed in the biennial report of State Superintendent of Public In-
struction (Dr. Richard Edwards) for 1887-88 —and, while recogniz-
ing the value of that excellent article, I have not hesitated to draw
upon it for many facts in the preparation of this paper — I hope to
be able to present some additional items obtained from other sources,
Jonathan Baldwin Turner.
215
including contemporaneous journals, the records of Congress and
some of the principal actors in securing the enactment of this meas-
ure, which may not be without interest in this connection.
By way of preface, it may be said that the subject of founding
schools affording opportunities for industrial training, not only for
the benefit of the laboring classes, but for the promotion of social
and domestic economy in connection with literary and scientific in-
struction, began to attract the attention of philanthropists and econ-
omists at an early day. As early as 1651, during the days of the
the "Commonwealth" in England, as appears from an article by the
late Prof. Henry Barnard in the "American Journal of Education"
of 1871, one Samuel Hartlib, in a volume entitled, "An Essay for ad-
vancement of Husbandry-Learning; or Propositions for the erecting
a college of Husbandry; and in order thereto, for the taking in of
Pupills or apprentices; and also for Friends or Fellows of the same
CoUedge or Society," proposed a plan of instruction in agricultural
pursuits, stock-growing, the study and management of soils, etc., in
connection with popular education, in some respects not unlike that
championed by the friends of industrial education two centuries
later. That he had the sympathy and cooperation of Milton, Cow-
ley and other distinguished men of that period in his enterprise,
is shown by their correspondence with him approving his plans.
("American Journal of Education," 1871, pp. 29, 191.) Hartlib,
who was the son of a Polish merchant, married an English woman,
and spent his life and fortune in the effort to promote his scheme,
dying in poverty in 1665. A generation later we find that Thomas
Budd, who had come from England in 1678, and a few years later re-
ceived a large grant of land from New Jersey for building a market
and court house at Burlington, in that colony, in 1685 issued an elab-
orate treatise favoring a requirement that all children should receive
at least seven year's schooling; that this should include both literary
and mechanical training; that 1,000 acres of land should be set apart
for the support of each school, and that the children of the poor and
the Indians should receive the same benefits therefrom, free of charge,
as other pupils. ("Industrial Training Two Centuries Ago," by
George P. Morris— Popular Science Monthly, 1887, p. 608.) These
two schemes bear so strong a resemblance to each other as to justify
the belief that the later one may have been suggested by the earlier.
It is claimed that Edinburg University was "the first university in
Europe to possess a chair of agricultural science," founded "as far
back as 1790." Several institutions in England at a later period
maintained departments in which agriculture was taught as a science,
the most notable being the Royal Agricultural College at Gloucester,
founded in 1845. The greatest activity in the development of tech-
nical education appears to have been in existence, however, in the
continental countries of Europe in the early part of the last century,
especially in Switzerland. Germany, France and Belgium, and later
in America. An agricultural college was founded in Hofwyl, Switz-
erland, in 1806 — one report says it was established in 1804, as a
manual labor experiment, Originally intended for the benefit of the
216
peasantry class having "no other property than their physical and
mental faculties," in the thirty years of its existence it passed through
a course of development similar to that of some of our American
schools, during which classical and normal departments were added.
During the first half of the last century a decided advance was made
in this line in many European countries, to which a strong impulse
was given by the International Exposition at London in Ibol. An-
other developing cause in connection with technical education, at a
later period, has been traced to the Franco-German war in 1871, at
least as regards the two countries engaged in the struggle; and it is
now conceded that Grermany is in the lead in this line, with her rival,
France, a close second, followed by Austria, while similar movements
have been started in Italy, Holland, Sweden and Russia, and even in
Japan and some of the South American republics. In Germany and
most of the European states these institutions take the form of tech-
nological schools, in which engineering and the higher branches of
practical science are taught.
So much has been said by way of introduction to the main topic
of this paper, as indicating what had been in progress in other
countries, and illustrating "how history repeats itself" under varying
conditions, in different periods and among widely separated peoples,
possibly, at times, without the knowledge of its most active agents.
Coming to our own country, we find that, as early as 1820, the sub-
ject of manual labor in connection with the Maine Wesleyan Semi-
nary began to be agitated with a view to aiding indigent students,
and five years later the plan was put in operation, including both
farm and mechanical industries Probably the next step taken in
this line was the founding of the "Oneida Institute of Science and
Industry," established at Whitesboro, N. Y., in 1827, by the Rev.
George W. Gale, who afterwards became one of the founders of the
city of Galesburg in this State, which was named in his honor. Mr.
Gale retired from the Oneida Institute in 1835, and two years later,
in conjunction with others who had united with him in locating a col-
ony in Knox county, 111., matured his plans for the establishment of
the "Knox Manual Labor College," which was put in operation^ in
1838, A few years later, the manual labor feature having been elim-
inated, this institution took its present name of Knox College.
It is worthy of note that the manual labor feature was incorporated
in the plan of several institutions established in Illinois at an earlier
period, including Illinois College at Jacksonville, McKendree College
at Lebanon, and possibly others. "Agriculture" and "some branches
of mechanics" were named by the founders of Illinois College as "part
of the system of education whereby the health of the students will
be promoted and their expenses diminished," and the college started
with a farm of 160 acres, farming utensils, a carpentet shop, and
other implements of industry, while I have the authority of the pres-
ent president of McKendree College, Dr. Chamberlin, for the state-
ment that a manual training department was established in connec-
tion with that institution in 1836 and a shop erected. This was be-
fore the days of the gymnasium and foot-ball, and although the
217
manual labor feature, as a part of the "college curriculum," was
dropped later, there were still those who, from necessity or choice,
availed themselves of the privilege of "working their way through
college," and afterwards won distinction as scholars and in profes-
sional life, an illustrious example being our revered friend and the
distinguished educator, the late Dr. Newton Bateman.
Another institution which adopted the manual labor feature in a
more positive manner and had considerable prestige in its day, was
the "Ebenezer Manual Labor School," organized by the conference of
the Methodist Episcopal church in 1835 or '36, under the presidency
of Rev. Peter Akers, who had previously been president of McKen-
dree College, It was located four miles north of Jacksonville and
continued in operation several years under three or four different
presidents, Three young Chippewa Indians were educated in this
school, who afterwards became prominent as missionaries among
their people. About the same year Dr. David Nelson, a native of
Tennessee and former slave-holder, but denounced as an Abolition-
ist, established just outside the boundary of the city of Quincy what
was known as "Mission Institute," for the purpose of educating
young men contemplating becoming missionaries. This school, pro-
jected on the manual labor plan, was the successor of another of a
similar character set on foot by Dr. Ely and Nelson in Marion
county, Mo., from which they were driven by the friends of slavery.
A Rev D. W. EUmore, who settled in what is now St. Charles town-
ship, Kane county, 111 , about 1836, projected the establishment there
of a large industrial school, and in 1851 had platted a village as its
location, which he had named "Asylum." A bill for the incorpora-
tion of the school is said to have been introduced in the legislature,
but the consummation of the scheme was defeated by his death by
lightning, July 29, 1854. There has been no more prominent insti-
tution of this class than Oberlin College, Ohio, which was originally
founded as a manual labor school with the avowed purpose of admit-
ting pupils without regard to color; and it is claimed that, during the
iBrst 25 years of its existence, a majority of its graduates supported
themselves by teaching or by manual labor. Although its manage-
ment provoked bitter hostility, it still exists and is recognized as one
of the influential and prosperous institutions of the middle west.
It would be interesting to follow out the history of some of these
institutions in detail did space permit, but this is impracticable
within the space allotted to this paper. Their existence marked a
transition period in the history of education, implying an effort to
furnish to the young an opportunity of securing an education while
supporting themselves by their labor. With the passing of the
necessity for schools of this character in consequence of the more
liberal endowment of institutions and the increased wealth of the
people, the term "manual labor school" has undergone a marked
change in meaning, implying as it does now an institution whose
pupils, while receiving literary and scientific instruction, are quali-
fying themselves by a systematic training for some business pursuit
either in commerce, in the arts, as electrical or civil engineers, or as
218
skilled mechanics. The manual training and technological schools,
existing now in nearly every large city of the country — of which the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in Boston, is a notable ex-
ample— furnish an illustration of the progress that has been made
in this direction within the past half century — a progress called forth
by the marvelous inventions during the same period, and which it
has, at the same time, tended to promote.
The conditions and events already described, while indicating what
a progressive and philanthropic class were seeking to accomplish by
crude and imperfect methods, often in the face of insurmountable
obstacles, naturally leads up to the period in which Illinoisans be-
came prominent and influential factors in a movement which was
finally crowned with success and was of interest to the whole nation.
From an early period in its history Illinois had been in possession of
what was known as a "college"' and "seminary fund" — the first based
upon a percentage of the proceeds from the sale of public lands
within the State, and the second derived from the direct donation of
two townships of such lands, in accordance with the enabling act of
1818, empowering the people to organize a State government — both
being in practical recognition of the declaration contained in the
Ordinance of 1787, that, "Religion, morality and knowledge being
necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools
and the means of education shall forever be encouraged." Though
set apart for a specific purpose, these funds had been appropriated
during a period of stress in the State treasury to the payment of
current expenses, and never applied to the purpose for which they
were intended. Previous to 1850, as population increased and agri-
cultural and other industrial organizations began to multiply, there
arose a strong demand for the restoration of these funds and their
application to the founding of a State institution, either for the edu-
cation of teachers or furnishing instruction in branches related to
the practical arts and sciences, or both.
One of those who took a deep interest in the question at this early
day was Prof. Jonathan B, Turner, of Jacksonville, who had been,
for 14 years, a professor in Illinois College, from which he retired in
1847. In a convention of teachers held in Pike county in 1850, he
suggested a plan for the establishment of a State university based
upon the college and seminary fund — then estimated at about
$800,000 — which met with the earnest approval of those present, and
soon after he delivered an address at Griggsville in the same county,
in which he gave utterance to his views in reference to a "system of
national education." This is believed to have been the prelude, if
not the actual inception — at least so far as the west was concerned —
of the measure which, in the next 12 years, was debated with con-
stantly increasing interest, in educational conventions, industrial
associations and other deliberative bodies throughout the country.
The subject was taken up by the press — especially the agricultural —
with the result that Professor Turner was invited to address a con-
vention of farmers, held at Granville, Putnam county, Nov. 18, 1851,
219
in explanation of his scheme. This convention was held under the
auspices of the "Buel Institute," an association composed of mem-
bers from Putnam, LaSalle, Bureau, Peoria, Marshall and Livingston
counties, accustomed to meet two or three times yearly for the pur-
pose of holding annual fairs and discussing topics of common interest,
"Buel Institute" was organized in 1846, at Lowell, LaSalle county,
where Benjamin Lundy, an early abolitionist and the proselytizer of
William Lloyd Garrison, in 1839 projected the issue of his anti-
slavery paper — "The Genius of Universal Emancipation" — but which
was frustrated by his death soon after coming to Illinois.
The association embraced among its members the more prominent
and progressive citizens of that section of the State, many of whom
were farmers, including the Bryants (John H. and Arthur), brothers
of the poet William Oullen Bryant, of whom the first named still
survived until about two years ago at Princeton in Bureau county.
Among the speakers occasionally called upon to discuss public ques-
tions before the institute, were Owen Lovejoy and others of State
and national reputation.
The object of the meeting referred to, as announced in the call,
was "to take into consideration such measures as might be deemed
most expedient to further the interests of the agricultural community,
and particularly to take steps towards the establishment of an Agri-
cultural University." Professor Turner was made "chairman of the
committee on business" which, among other items, reported the fol-
lowing:
"That we take immediate measures for the establishment of a uni-
versity in the State of Illinois, expressly to meet those felt wants of
each and all the industrial classes of our State; that we recommend
the foundation of high schools, lyceums, institutes, etc., in each of
the counties on similar principles, as soon as they may find it prac-
ticable to do so."
The report adds:
"After reading the above resolutions. Professor Turner proceeded
in an able and interesting manner, to unfold his plan for the estab-
lishment and maintenance of the Industrial University.
Daring the second day's session resolutions were adopted express-
ing approval of "the general plan for an Illinois State University for
the industrial classes presented by Professor Turner," and requesting
him to "furnish the outlines of his plan" for publication. Provision
was also made for its gratuitous distribution in pamphlet form, with
the request that it be copied by the press; appointing a central com-
mittee (of which Professor Turner was named as chairman) to call
a State convention of the friends of the measure coincidently with
the meeting of the next session of the Legislature, and requesting
the Governor, in the event of the calling of a special session, to enu-
merate among the subjects to be acted upon, "the establishment of
an Industrial University." In a letter written by Professor Turner
220
in 1865, giving his recollections of the history of the movement, he
says: "This (the Granville convention), so far as I know, was the
first deliberative body by whom this subject (of an Industrial Uni-
versity) was ever discussed."
"The Plan," as it was called, was given to the public through
the medium of the press, and at once called forth wide comment and
discussion. Evidence of the date of its appearance and the character
of its recommendations, is furnished in the Patent Office report (Ag-
ricultural Department) for 1851, in which it was published in full.
As a reason for providing means for the more liberal education of
the industrial classes, "The Plan" says:
"The same general abstract science exists in the world for both
classes (the professional and the industrial) alike; but the means of
bringing this abstract truth into effectual contact with the daily bus-
iness and pursuits of the one class does exist, while in the other case
it does not exist, and never can until it is created. The one class
have schools, seminaries, colleges, universities, apparatus, professors
and multitudinous appliances for educating and training them for
months and years for the peculiar profession which is to be the bus-
iness of their life. . . . But where are the universities, appara-
tus, the professors and the literature specifically adapted to any one
of the industrial classes? ... In other words, society has
become, long since, wise enough to know that teachers need to be
educated; but it has not yet become wise enough to know that its
workers need education just as much."
It then proceeds to discuss the questions: 1. "What do the indus-
trial classes want?" and 2. "How can that want be supplied?"
The answer was:
"They want, and they ought to have, the same facilities for under-
standing the true philosophy — the science and the art — of their
several pursuits (their life business) , and of efficiently applying exist-
ing knowledge thereto and widening its domain, which the profes-
sional classes have long enjoyed in their pursuits. . . . They
need a similar system of liberal education for their own class, and
adapted to their own pursuits; to create for them an industrial litera-
ture adapted to their professional wants; to raise up for them teachers
and lecturers to elevate them, their pursuits and their posterity to
that relative position in human society for which Grod designed
them."
Among the needs of such a system, it was argued, were "a suffi-
cient quantity of land of variable soil and aspects" for experiments in
agriculture; "buildings of appropriate size and construction for ordi-
nary and special uses;" "philosophical, chemical, anatomical and in-
dustrial apparatus;" cabinets "embracing every thing that relates to,
illustrates or facilitates any one of the industrial arts;" specimens in
natural history — animals, birds, reptiles, trees, shrubbery, plants,
etc. Instruction, it was maintained, should be given in anatomy and
physiology; in animal and insect life; the nature, composition and
regeneration of soils; in "political, financial, domestic and manual
221
economy;" "the true principle of national, constitutional and ciril
law;" "the laws of trade and commerce;" in "bookkeeping and ac-
counts," etc. This part of "The Plan" concluded with the general
declaration —
"No species of knowledge should be excluded, practical or theoret-
ical; unless, indeed, those specimens of 'organized ignorance' found
in the creed of party politicians and sectarian ecclesiastics should be
mistaken for a species of knowledge."
The influence of such an institution, it was contended, should be
to teach "that work alone is honorable and indolence certain dis-
grace, if not ruin;" that "the final object to be attained with the in-
dustrial classes, is to make them thinking laborers, while of the pro-
fesional class we should make laborious thinkers.^^ Then, in answer
to the suggestion that such a system of education and the themes it
involved might be regarded as "too sensuous and gross to lie at the
basis of a pure and elevated mental culture," it was pungently added:
"If the created universe of Gcd and the highest art of man are too
gross for our refined uses, it is a pity that the 'morning stars and
the sons of God' did not find it out as soon as the blunder was made."
Whether a classical department should be attached to the proposed
institution was a question left to be determined by the future. "The
first thing wanted" in the realization of the scheme, Professor Turner
argued, "is a national institute of science to operate as the central
luminary of the national mind," although this, he thought, had been
furnished in the then recent establishment of the Smithsonian Insti-
tute at Washington, He then adds this significant paragraph:
"To co-operate with this noble institution, and enable the indus-
trial classes to realize its benefits in practical life, we need a univer-
sity for the industrial classes in each of the states, with the conse-
quent subordinate institutes, lyceums and high schools in each of the
counties and towns. The object of these institutions should be to
apply existing knowledge directly and efficiently to all practical pur-
suits and professions in life, and extend the boundaries of our present
knowledge in all possible directions."
A second convention was held at Springfield, June 8, 1852, the
Legislature being then in special session under a call issued by the
Governor naming the disposition of the college and seminary funds
as one of the questions for consideration. Professor Turner acted
as its chairman, and the convention adopted a memorial, which was
signed by him and submitted to the Legislature with the proceedings
of the Granville convention of the preivous year. While this memo-
rial indicated some modification in the policy advocated by the
friends of the measure in Illinois, it also gave evidence of progress,
the result of correspondence and comparison of views with its friends
in other states. It urged that a beginning be made towards carrying
the scheme into effect, in some form, at as early a day as might be
deemed prudent by the Legislature, with the added suggestion that,
"if possible, it be on a sufficiently extensive scale to honorably jus-
tify a successful appeal to Congress, in conjunction with eminent citi-
222
zens and statesmen in other states who have expressed their readi-
ness to co-operate with us for an appropriation of public lands for
each State in the Union, for the appropriate endowment of universities
for the liberal education of the industrial classes in their several pur-
suits in each State in the Union."
Here we have the distinct enunciation of the proposition for "an
appropriation of public lands for each State in the Union," as a basis
for the endowment of a university in each in aid of industrial educa-
tion; and this suggestion, coming ten years before the enactment of
the law of Congress adopting this principle, is believed to have been
the very earliest sug2:estion in this direction, as in "The Plan" sub-
mitted at the Grranville convention, we had that of a "university for
the industrial classes in each of the states." At a third convention
held in Chicago, Nov. 14, 1852, more positive ground was taken in
favor of action by Congress looking to a donation of public lands.
One of the acts of this convention was the organization of the "In-
dustrial League of Illinois," for the promotion of the objects had in
view by the advocates of industrial education, (1) "By disseminat-
ing information, both written and printed, on this subject;" (2) ''By
keeping up concert of action among the friends of the industrial
classes," and {'6) "By the employment of lecturers in all parts of the
State," to hold meetings and instruct the people on the question at
issue. Professor Turner was chosen principal director of the league
and one of its lecturers, while Bronson Murray, then a resident of
LaSalle county, and Dr. R. C. Rutherford were the others. Mr.
Murray is still living at an advanced age in New York City, while Dr.
Rutherford died in that city a few years ago. The convention of
1852 also declared —
"That this convention memorialize Congress for the purpose of
obtaining a grant of public lands to establish and endow industrial
universities in every state in the Union."
In the plan of action outlined by the "Industrial League," the fol-
lowing were named as departments of a State University proposed to
be established in Illinois:
1. A Normal School department for the education of teachers
(based upon the seminary fund).
2. A department of Practical Agriculture.
3. A department of Practical Mechanics.
4. A Commercial department.
(Incidentially it may be added that, among the measures advo-
cated at these various conventions, were the establishment of a State
Normal University and of Departments of Agriculture and Educa-
tion in Washington — the first of which was realized by act of the
Legislature in 1857, and the others by act of Congress in 1867.)
The action of the convention at Chicago in 1852 established the
attitude of the friends of the measure in Illinois, and, by opening
the way for united and harmonious action among its supporters in
223
all the states, went far to insure final success. Its growth from a
scheme for a single state institution, based simply upon the college
and seminary fund, to a plan for an institution in each of the states,
based upon a donation of public lands, furnished an illustration of
the process of "gradual development." No enterprise of equal mag-
nitude, either as to the number of individuals, communities or states
whose interests were to be subserved, or involving such vast financial
results, in connection with the cause of popular education, was ever
broached or brought to a consummation in this or any other country.
The principal act of the fourth convention, which met at Spring-
field, January 4, 1858, Bronson Murray presiding, was the adoption
of a petition to the State Legislature requesting that body to
memorialize Congress "to appropriate to each state in the Union an
amount of public lands, not less in value than $500,000.00 for the
endowment of a system of industrial universities, one in each state,
to cooperate with each other and with the Smithsonian Institute, for
the more liberal and practical education of our industrial classes and
their teachers in their pursuits." The response by the Legislature
was the adoption, by unanimous vote of both Houses, of a series of
resolutions, almost in the identical language of the petition, instruct-
ing the Senators and requesting the Representatives in Congress
from Illinois to support a measure of the character suggested, and
authorizing the Governor to forward a copy of these resolutions to
the Governors and Legislatures of the other states, and invite their
cooperation to the same end.
Meanwhile the subject had been taken up by the press, by agricul-
tural and educational associations, and by legislative bodies in other
states. The New York Tribune of September, 1852, had the follow-
ing: "Prof. J. B. Turner, of Jacksonville, in behalf of a convention
at Granville, has put forth a plan for an industrial university, which
sets forth the pressing and common need so forcibly that we copy
the larger part of it." In a later issue, commenting upon the action
of the Illinois Legislature just referred to, the same paper said: "It
is worthy of note that one of the most extensive of public land (or
new) States, proposes a magnificent donation of public lands to each of
the states in furtherance of this idea. . . . Suffice it that the Leg-
islature of Illinois has taken a noble step forward, in a most liberal
and patriotic spirit, for which its members will be heartily thanked by
thousands throughout the Union." One of the noteworthy indorse-
ments of the same act came in the form of a letter from the Hon.
Edward Bates, afterwards President Lincoln's first Attorney- General,
addressed to Bronson Murray, then corresponding secretary of the
newly organized State Agricultural Society. The letter bore date
"St. Louis, Sept. 20, 1853," and was as follows:
"The Legislature of Illinois has done itself honor in passing the
resolution, a copy of which accompanied your letter. It is peculiarly
fit and becoming in that honorable body to take the lead in the great
efPort to educate the classes devoted to agriculture and the useful
arts, and thus to make productive labor attractive and honorable by
22-i
giving it the strength of knowledge and dignity of science. For Illi-
nois is destined to become, and that right soon, the first and greatest
agricultural State in the Union."
But the history of a period so pregnant with momentous results
for the whole nation, would be incomplete did it fail to make men-
tion of what was going on in other states. In New York, Gov.
Washington Hunt, who had been one of the earliest and most zeal-
ous advocates of a system of industrial education, in a message to
the legislature commended to their consideration the subject of "an
institution for the advancement of agricultural science and of know-
ledge of the mechanic arts," and suggested the setting apart of a por-
tion of the proceeds from the sale of lands for taxes for the establish-
ment of such an institution. The Massachusetts Board of Agricul-
ture memorialized the legislature of that state in behalf of a similar
measure, with the result that the latter body adopted a resolution
suggesting "that Congress appropriate a portion of our public land to
establish and endow a National Normal Agricultural College, which
shall be to the rural sciences what the West Point Academy is to the
military, for the purpose of educating teachers and professors for
service in all of the states of the Republic." The signers of the
memorial to the Massachusetts legislature included the names of
Marshall P. Wilder, Edward Everett, Henry W. Cushman and John
W. Lincoln, besides others of state and national reputation. Among
those participating in a convention at Albany, N. Y., on January 26,
1853, to "consider the subject of a practical national system of uni-
versity education," and serving on a committee to report a plan,
appear the names of Pres. Francis Way land, of Brown University;
Bishop Potter, of Pennsylvania; Washington Irving, Governor Hunt
and Senator John A. Dix, of New York; President Hitchcock, of
Amherst College; Prof C. S. Henry, of the Smithsonian Institution;
Prof. O. M. Mitchell, the astronomer and later a general in the civil
war; Professor Pierce, of Cambridge, and Rev. Ray Palmer, the
noted hymn writer. A. J. Downing, the celebrated painter and hor-
ticulturist, who lost his life by the burning of the steamer Henry
Clay on the Hudson, in 1852, was an ardent supporter of the measure
in its early stage. There were no more influential factors in the pro-
motion of the enterprise east of the Alleghenies, both at this time
and at a later period, than Ezra Cornell, of New York, and Judge Asa
Packer, of Pennsylvania, both of whom made munificent donations
for the endowment of agricultural colleges in their respective states.
Among the more active cooperators with Professor Turner in his
own State, in addition to those already mentioned, may be named:
W. F^ M. Arney, afterwards governor of the territory of New Mex-
ico; Jesse W. and Kersey H. Fell, of Bloomington; Gov. A. 0.
French; David L. Gregg, then Secretary of State but gftorwards
United States Commissioner to the Sandwich Islands; William
Gooding, former chief engineer of the Illinois and Michigan canal;
John Wood, afterwards Lieutenant-Governor and Governor of the
State; J. S. Wright, the founder and proprietor of the "Prairie Far-
mer;" James N. Brown, president, and John P. Reynolds, secretary
225
of the State Agricultural Society; Dr. J. A. Kennicott, a prominent
horticulturist of Northern Illinois, besides the members of the "Buel
Institute," whose action first "set the ball in motion" in 1851, and, in
the later years of the agitation the great mass of the members of the
State Agricultural and Horticultural Societies. Senator Stephen A.
Douglas also became a friend of the measure in the later years of his
life and, if he had lived until 1862, would have been one of its sup-
porters in the United States Senate. That John A, Logan was not
a supporter of the measure on its passage through the House was,
no doubt, due to the fact that he was then battling in the field for
the integrity of the Union.
So far the history of this measure has been followed from its
original introduction to the people at the Granville convention of
1851, through years of agitation, tutelage and development, until it
reached substantially the form in which it was submitted to Congress.
Its history in that body may be concisely told. On Dec 14, 1857 —
six years after the Granville convention and five years after the sug-
gestion, in the memorial to the State Legislature adopted at Spring-
field, of a grant of public lands — Hon. Justin S. Morrill, then a
Representative from Vermont, introduced his first bill granting to
each State and territory 20,000 acres of land for each Representative
and Delegate in Congress from such state or territory, for the estab-
lishment in each, of schools for teaching the agricultural and me-
chanic arts. This having been reported back unfavorably by the
House Committee on Public Lands four months later, he immediately
submitted a substitute in which the territories were omitted from
the provisions of the act, and this passed the House by 105 yeas to
100 nays. In the Senate no action was taken on the bill at this ses-
sion, beyond its reference to the Committee on Public Lands, which
reported it back without recommendation.
In the early days of the next session (December, 185S) , Senator
Stuart of Michigan, called up the bill in the Senate, but that body,
by the casting vote of the Vice President, refused to consider it.
Later Senator Wade of Ohio came forward as its champion, and on
Feb. 7, 1859, by a vote of 25 yeas to 22 nays, it passed the Senate
with amendments which were agreed to by the House. This bill was
vetoed by President Buchanan on the ground (in general terms) of
bad policy and doubtful constitutionality.
On Deo. 15, 1861 — just four years and one day after the introduc-
tion of his first bill on the subject — Mr, Morrill introduced a new
laill (known as House Bill 138), which, having been reported back
unfavorably by the Committee on Public Lands, was referred to the
Committee of the Whole on the State of the Union. On May 2,
1862, Senator Wade again came to the front by the introduction in
the Senate of substantially the same bill as that introduced in the
House by Mr, Morrill This having been reported back with amend-
ments by Senator Harlan of Iowa, Chairman of the Senate Commit-
tee on Public Lands, after several days' debate passed the Senate
15 H.
226
by 22 yeas to 7 nays. In the House it was taken up June 17, finally
passing that body by 90 yeas to 25 nays, and received the approval
of President Lincoln on July 2, 1862. The large decrease in the op-
position vote in both Houses, as compared with that of 1858 and 1859,
was due in part to the withdrawal, in the first year of the rebellion,
of members from the southern states who had been the most deter-
mined opponents of the measure on alleged "constitutional grounds."
The act, as passed, granted 30,000 acres for each Senator and Repre-
sentative or Delegate from the several states and territories, making
the total appropriation on the existing basis of representation 9,272,-
000 acres, of which Illinois received 480,000. According to the report
of the Commissioner of Education for 1903, the public lands so far
distributed to the states and territories under the act, have amounted
to 10,320,843 acres, of which 934,980 acres remain unsold, the amount
realized from the lands sold aggregating $11,126,534. This undoubt-
edly indicates a lack of business judgment in the disposal of lands in
some cases at prices far below their intrinsic value, or what might
have been realized a few years later; but, as already stated, it has
resulted in the founding of 66 State institutions which, but for this
act, would never have come into existence, and which now, by acces-
sions received directly from the several states or private donations,
have increased their property valuation to $69,660,303, while the in-
stitutions themselves, during the year ending June 30, 1902, gave in-
struction to 47,047 students. By an act passed by Congress in 1890,
making an additional appropriation of $15,000 annually from the
public treasury to each state, "for the more complete endowment
and support of the colleges for the benefit of agriculture and the
mechanic arts," with the provision that it should be increased by
$1,000 yearly until it had reached $25,000, each state and territory
is now in receipt annually of the latter sum, which it would probably
not have received but for the original act of 1862.
The approval of the act by President Lincoln, has linked his name
for all time with one of the most beneficent and far-reaching meas-
ures of that history-making period.
While many minds in different parts of the country had been
turned in the same direction during the preliminary stages of the
agitation which resulted in the passage of this act, to Prof. Jonathan
B. Turner must be conceded the credit of conceiving, developing
and placing before the country the most elaborate and comprehensive
plan, as well as one most nearly in accord with that finally adopted.
During this period he remained the recognized head of the move-
ment in Illinois and the west generally— its representative and
spokesman — vigorously supported by the "Industrial League" and
other organizations which he had assisted in setting on foot. It nec-
essarily followed that he was in close communication with friends of
the movement in other states, especially in the east, where.he already
had a reputation as an educator as well as a practical anH progress-
ive agriculturist. The most efficient support of the measure came
through the memorials addressed to Congress by the Illinois Legisla-
ture and by agricultural and educational associations, traceable to
227
inflaences which he had been chiefly instrumental in setting in motion.
Mr Morrill faithfully reflected the views of these various organiza-
tions in his action in Congress Referring to this subject, Professor
Turner says in his letter of 1865, to which reference has already been
made: "We forwarded to him (Mr, Morrill) all our documents and
papers, and gave him all the encouragement we could." Of Mr. Mor-
rill's part in this great achievement. President Greorge W. Atherton,
of the Pennsylvania State Agricultural College, in an address at New
Haven in November, 1900— after Senator Morrill's death— says:
"It seems certain from our present point of view, that Mr. Morrill's
largest fame will forever be identified with the measure which he de-
vised and carried to a successful issue for the establishment and
maintenance of a great system of institutions of higher education, to
be aided by the United States, organized and controlled by the indi-
vidual states and fitted in as an integral part of the whole scheme of
public instruction."
While there will be no question as to the justice of this tribute to
Senator Morrill, it should be remembered that this measure had an
earlier history than its introduction in Congress, which was of at
least equal interest and importance, and without which it would
never have become an accomplished fact. This consisted in the orig-
inal conception of the measure and, while involving the labor of ex-
plaining its purpose to the people, included the duty of creating a
public sentiment which should demand its adoption by Congress.
The men who did this had a task no less difficult than its friends in
the halls of Congress, and which required years for its accomplish-
ment.
When it is remembered that this act, approved by the "Great Lib-
erator," provided for the establishment "in each state" of "at least
one college where the leading object shall be, without excluding mil-
itary tactics, to teach such branches of learning as are related to agri-
culture and the mechanic arts in such manner as the legislatures of the
states may respectively prescribe, in order to promote the liberal and
practical education of the industrial classes in the several pursuits
and professions of life," and that nearly 50,000 pupils of both sexes
and all conditions are now annually enjoying the benefits of 66 such
institutions located in 50 states and territories, the following extract
from Professor Turner's "plan" of 1851, reads like a prophecy scarce-
ly less striking in some of its features than Abraham Lincoln's
"house-divided-against-itself " speech in 1858. Summing up the
main features of such an institution as he hoped to see established,
Professor Turner then said:
"Let the reader contemplate it as it will appear when generations
have perfected it in all its magnificence and glory; in its means of
good to men — to men of all classes; in its power to evolve and diffuse
practical knowledge and skill, true taste, love of industry and sound
morality — not only through its apparatus, experiments, instruction
and annual lectures and reports, but through its thousands of gradu-
ates in every pursuit of life, teaching and lecturing in all our towns
and villages — and then let him seriously ask himself, Is not such an
228
object worthy of at least an effort and worthy of the State which God
himself, in the very act of creation, designed to be the first agricul-
tural and commercial State on the face of the globe?"
As a part of State history in connection with this subject, it
may properly be added that, while Illinois had been anticipated by
several States in the establishment of industrial colleges — notably
New York, Pennsylvania and Michigan, which had founded institu-
tions of this character, or endowed chairs of agriculture in connec-
tion with institutions already in existence before the passing of the
act of 1862— and while Michigan was the first State to avail itself of
the benefits of that act, steps were taken in the Illinois Legislature at
the session of 1867, for the establishment of the "Illinois Industrial
University," which was finally located at Urbana and formally inau-
gurated in March following, with the late Dr. J. M. Gregory as regent.
At first it was a regular manual labor school, from one to three hours
labor per day being required from each student five days in the week.
This feature was soon changed, allowing that labor should be volun-
tary, except when constituting some part of a regular study, and in
1885, by act of the Legislature, the institution received its present
name of "University of Illinois."
Wliile similar changes have taken place in other States, and may be
regarded as departures from the original plans of the advocates of
"industrial education," it detracts nothing from the importance of the
service rendered by them in their successful championship of that
measure between 1851 and 1862.
This paper would be incomplete did it fail to present some sketch
of the man who bore so conspicuous a part in the events to which it
refers. Born in Templeton, Mass., Dec. 7, 1805, Jonathan Baldwin
Turner grew up on a farm, but began teaching in a country school
before reaching his majority. After spending some time in an
academy at Salem, Mass., he entered the preparatory department of
Yale College in 1827, supporting himself meanwhile, in part by man-
ual labor arid teaching in a gymnasium. Two years later he entered
the classical department at Yale, graduating in 1838, and immediately
accepted a position as tutor in Illinois college at Jacksonville, which
had been established four years previous. In the next 14 years he
gave instruction in nearly every branch in the college curriculum,
during a part of the time occupying the chair of Rhetoric and English
Literature. In 1817 he retired from college duties to give his atten-
tion to scientific agriculture, in which he had felt a deep interest.
At the same time he took a deep interest in practical education for
the industrial classes, and, being a teacher by instinct, he wrote volu-
minously on educational and theological themes. About 1849-50
he began formulating that system of industrial education with which
his name was so prominently identified in later years. After 12 years
of almost continuous labor and agitation, he had the satisfaction of
seeing the system which he had advocated adopted by act of Congress
in the Morrill bill, and approved by President Lincoln — his personal
friend — July 2, 1862. An uncompromising foe of slavery, the most
229
bitter opposition to his plan of popular education, in the earlier stages
of its discussion, came from his political adversaries. In his cham-
pionship in behalf of this measure, as well as in the treatment of all
questions of belief and policy with which he had to deal in practical
life, he gave evidence of originality, initiative and a certain degree
of uncompromising independence which, while it not unfrequently
aroused the hostility, commanded the respect even of his opponents
and inspired the admiration of his friends. Demanding freedom
of speech and of thought for himself, he freely conceded it to others.
A radical and an enthusiast in reference to those questions which he
deemed of vital importance to the welfare of society — whether of polit-
ical reform, education or religion — he spoke with a logical power
and earnestness which carried conviction to the minds of others and
imparted to them the same enthusiasm which inspired himself. His
prominence as a political factor was indicated by the fact that he
was twice a candidate for Congress, though, representiDg the minor-
ity party in his district, an unsuccessful one. Nearly 66 years of
bis life were spent as a citizen of Jacksonville, 111., where his notable
career was terminated by his death, Jan. 10, 1899, at the age of a
little over 93 years.
No more fitting conclusion can be given to this paper than the
following quotation from an address by the late Dr. Newton Bateman
— himself an educator of national reputation, for 14 years State Sup-
erintendent of Public Instruction, and for a quarter of a century
President of Knox College at Galesburg — delivered on the occasion of
the inauguration of the University of Illinois, March 11, 1868:
"In the west, the man whose voice rang out earliest, loudest and
clearest in this great movement — whose words pealed and thundered
through the minds and hearts of the people, * * * whose tre-
mendous broadsides of irrefragable facts and logic, and fiery rhetoric
* * * brought nearly every farmer and artisan hurrying to his
standard from far and near, and put in motion the imperial columns
of our free-born yeomanry — the man who threw into the struggle not
only the best and deepest longings of his heart, and who pleaded for
the uplifting and regeneration of the masses and for the 'millennium
of labor,' as the patriot pleads for his country and the Christian for
the salvation of God — the man whose able reports, instructive ad-
dresses and thrilling eloquent speeches were caught up and re-echoed
by the enlightened press of the whole country, and which furnished
at once the material and the inspiration of auxiliary cooperative
movements and organizations in many other States — and the man
who, as I believe, through all these multiplied and overwhelming
labors, was animated not by considerations of self-aggrandizement
or sordid gain, but by the loftier purpose of serving his race and
honoring God by uplifting and blessing the toiling millions of his
children— that man was Jonathan Baldwin Turner."
230
ILLINOIS IN THE COUNCILS OF THE NATION.
(Mrs. John A. Logran.)
When Illinois was a part of the great Northwest Territory she had
her intellectual giants who made themselves heard at the capital. It
is not the purpose of this paper to go into a minute history of Illi-
nois or to attempt to give sketches of all her illustrious men.
Though long familiar with the history of the most conspicuous
characters, there are many whom I have not known personally, for
you must remember that Illinois was admitted as a State in 1818.
Long before admission, however, lUinoisans had made profound
impressions in the councils of the Nation by their superior abilities,
acumen acd political wisdom.
Among the early settlers in the great Northwest Territory, who
cast their lot in that part subsequently included in the boundaries
of Illinois, there came from Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania,. Ken-
tucky and North Carolina some remarkable men of collegiate educa-
tion and rare mentality. These, together with the large number of
French colonists, followers of LaSalle, who j&rst settled in Southwest
Illinois were without question, in advance in intelligence and erudition
of any of the pioneers who had ventured beyond the Alleghanies.
Among them we find such conspicuous names as Shadrack Bond, Sr.
and Jr.; John Rice Jones; Pierre Menard; William, James and
Samuel Morrison; Israel Dodge; John Hay; James McRoberts;
Robert Reynolds; Dr. Geo. Fisher; the Andersons, Thompsons,
Erwins, McDonalds, McBrides, Clarks, Edgars, Popes, Jenkins, Lo-
gans, Marshalls, Beggs, Thomas, and a score of others who have in
one way and another contributed to the glory and prosperity of Illi-
nois and made their own names immortal.
The scandals that had been brought upon the Northwest Territory
through the dishonest speculations and frauds perpetrated on the
Indians and earliest settlers by the connivance of St. Clair, the first
governor of the Northwest Territory, and his friends, were very
grave; his action being so flagrantly wrong that both VVashington
and Jefferson severely rebuked him. Consequently the movers of
the proposition to organize the Territory of Illinois were seriously
embarrassed. It required much sagacity, consummate diplomacy, in-
dubitable evidence of sterling integrity and public spirit to secure
favorable action by Congress and the government.
It was intended to make not less than three, or more than five
states out of the great Northwest Territory, therefore it was a matter
231
of no small moment that all prejudioe should be removed from th9
movers of the proposition so that the various interests of the new
territory should be properly protected.
Shadrach Bond, Sr., the delegate sent to Washington to secure the
passage of the bill authorizing the organization of the territory had
to exercise much skill in every move he made. He proved himself
equal to the commission. He was a farmer originally from Mary-
land, was a man of unusual ability without much education, but in
the matter of managing diflScult problems remarkably skillful. He
was genial and affable and made a most favorable impression, ac-
complishing much more than was expected and quite as much as
could be done today by the most astute representative from any of
the territories that have recently been admitted as states. His only
desire was to secure a government that would protect the pioneers
and original settlers of the rich territory that was only waiting to
be colonized to make it one of the most productive of the Union.
The people rewarded him by making him the first Grovernor after
the admission of Illinois as a State in 1818.
The advancement of the Territory from the first to the second
grade was naturally rather slow, notwithstanding the activity of the
people and marked ability of the delegates in Congress. However,
in January, 1818, Nathaniel Pope, the delegate in Congress at that
time, introduced a bill providing for the admission of Illinois as a
state. Few territories have been so fortunate as Illinois was in their
delegates in Congress at the time of their petition, for admission as
states. To his far-seeing statesmanship we are indebted for the pre-
sent prowess of Illinois, commercially, politically and geographically.
He appreciated that in all republics there was ever danger of disso-
lution, should one member of the confederated states have advan-
tages independent of the others. He understood the importance of
the commanding position Illinois would occupy through her geo-
graphical situation if the proper boundaries were established and
maintained. No petitions were placed in his hands setting forth the
important points to be incorporated in the bill establishing bound-
aries and fixing the status of the State and her relations to other
states,
In the fertile brain of Nathaniel Pope was conceived the wonder-
ful provisions of the bill under which Illinois was admitted. The
clause extending the boundaries "north of the southern bend of the
lake" giving extensive coast line on Lake Michigan; extending the
western boundary 50 miles west to the Mississippi river, establishing
the boundaries on the east and southeast along the Ohio river to the
confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, giving ue 150 miles
coast on the Ohio river, was a masterful stand evermore as silent
barriers against any movement for the dissolution of the Union.
The area included within its boundaries is of such a character that
it will continue to furnish support for a population of millions and
will also provide channels for the commerce of the world. Nathaniel
Pope watched with jealous care, vigilance and fidelity every interest
232
of the new State so favorably launched through his wise statesman-
ship. His son, Maj. Gen. John Pope, rendered conspicuous service
to his country in the Civil war and thereby added laurels to the name
of Pope so prominently identified with Illinois.
Ninian Edwards and Jesse B. Thomas were elected United States
Senators by the first Legislature, Two more dissimilar men could
not possibly have been found. Senator Edwards was a lawyer by
profession, He had been on the bench in Kentucky before he came
to Illinois. He brought with him to his new home where he was
destined to be so fortunate, all the dignity of the judiciary which
well befitted him for the Senate. He was a man of imposing appear-
ance, always well dressed, tactful and intelligent, he soon became an
important member of the Senate acquiring a national reputation.
Mr, Monroe appointed him, on the expiration of his term in the
Senate, Minister to Mexico. He became, however, involved in trou-
ble through partisanship in the presidential campaign of 1824, on
account of charges of corruption he made against W. H. Crawford,
then Secretary of the Treasury. He was called before an investigat-
ing committee and failing to prove his charges, feeling ran high
against him, and he resigned his mission to Mexico; returning to
Illinois to continue his warfare on dishonesty in public affairs by
attacking the banking system which had wrought such financial dis-
flster to the new State. Albeit the banking influence was against
Mr. Edwards he was elected Governor of the State and was inaugu-
rated with much pomp and ceremony, appearing before the General
Assembly, wearing a gold lace cloak over a suit of fine broadcloth,
short breeches, long stockings, top boots, he delivered his inaugural
address with much dignity and eloquence.
With the prejudice then existing against dress and display it was
curious that Governor Edwards should have always succeeded in his
campaigns notwithstanding he invariably canvassed, decked out as
above described, and was driven from place to place in one of the
finest carriages of the times, drawn by four magnificent horses with
two colored servants on the box. He would not descend to the low
electioneering arts of the times or cater to the mob by providing free
whiskey on every occasion as many good men did, In Congress and
as Chief Executive of Illinois, Governor Edwards was a potent in-
fluence in all that was done for the advancement and development of
his State aud country.
Senator Jesse B. Thomas was also a large and liberal minded,
good natured man, in no sense cultured or a good speaker, but a
most adroit and winning man. It was a maxim with him that
"no man could be talked down with loud and bold words, but any
one might be whispered to death," which is indicative of the frank
and honest man that he was. He bad no secrets, but won the support
of Congress for the measures he desired to pass by his honesty of
purpose and sincerity cf manner.
Daniel P. Cook, member of the House of Representatives from
1819 to 1826, was one of the most talented representatives Illinois
2b3
has ever had. He was accomplished, consistent, morally courageous,
a fine speaker, astute in judgment, gracious and sincere in manner,
his personality gave him great power in the house. He rose to the
chairmanship of the ways and means committee. He secured the
donation of 800,000 acres of land for the construction of the Illinois
and Michigan canal. His name has been perpetuated by naming
the county of Cook for him.
Almost all the counties in the State are named for men who have
distinguished themselves in the service of the State and it is to be
regretted that there are not more counties to be named for other illus-
trious Illinoisans.
Daniel P. Cook was succeeded by Governor Duncan, who was an
honest, agreeable man of sound convictions, but little education, and
from annals consulted does not seem to have equalled Mr. Cook in
ability, statesmanship or efiPectivness in securing legislation in the
interest of his State.
John McLean, of Shawneetown, was also a prominent figure from
Hlinois. He served one term in the House, and was twice elected to
the Senate, but did not live to serve out his last term. He died in
1830. He was one of the leaders in both Houses. The county of
McLean was named in his honor.
Elias K, Kane, originally from New York, one of the ablest law-
yers of his time, was also twice elected to the United States Senate,
but died in Washington during his second term.
Brilliant, finely educated and endowed by nature with all the qual-
ities of head and heart that go to make a manly man, he was enabled
to render important service to his State in the Senate as he had in
the Constitutional Convention.
Judge Sidney Breese, a college graduate, fine logician and a man
of genuine qualities, was also a United States Senator from Illinois.
To him belonged the credit of having first agitated the question of
railroads. He was not so brilliant or eloquent as some others, but
was a prodigious worker and gained many points in Congress for
Illinois.
In 1837, Stephen A. Douglas was elected to Congress from the
Peoria district. "The Little Giant," as you remember he was called,
had occupied his seat but a brief time when he attracted universal
attention by his brilliancy and readiness in debate. He knew
nothing of reticence, but was a dashing, daring, aggressive man, who
would have accomplished more if he had been less impulsive. He
was an intense partisan and would probably have followed the Demo-
cratic party in its advocacy of slavery but from the fact that he
represented a free state and it would have cost him his position.
The joint discussions between Stephen A. Douglas and Abraham
Lincoln will ever stand as the most remarkable exposition of politi-
cal questions and principles that has ever occurred, developing abilities
in both men previously unknown to their most ardent partisans.
234
Mr. Douglas won the prize of election to the United States Sen-
ate, but Mr. Lincoln won the popular vote. Douglas' victory did
not stay the swelling tide that was carrying the Nation to the con-
flict of the "impending crisis." In the Senate Mr. Douglas quickly
attained the leadership of his party. It is doubtful if the records of
Congress have preserved more eloquent speeches than those of Mr.
Douglas on the questions he espoused. "The Missouri Com-
promise," "Kansas Nebraska Bill," "Popular Sovereignty" and other
questions of vital national importance, he advocated with all the
vehemence of his intense nature. His appeal for the adoption of
the Crittenden Compromise as the last hope of averting the Civil
War is still ringing in my ears, though 43 years have come and
gone since I listened to his burning words as he stood in the Senate
pleading for peace at any cost save the dissolution of the Union.
His personal magnetism and the earnest words were of no avail, and
he had to bow his head in submission to another disappointment,
having been defeated for the Presidency in 1860. He was loyal to
his country and when he could hold his party no longer, he arrayed
himself on the side of the Union and was among the most sincere
patriots who hailed Mr. Lincoln's coming to Washington with un-
feigned joy, believing that he would save the Union from dismem-
berment.
Many of the southern Senators, personal friends of Senator Doug-
glas, had left Washington before the 4th of March, 1861, to join
the secession movement. I can never forget his deep grief over the
state of afiFairs. Night after night he came to the house where John
A. McClernand, P. B Fouke and John A. Logan and their families
lived, to talk over the approaching conflict; or how during the strug-
gle over the Crittenden Compromise he would send for the above
named to come to his residence on "I" street, where they met many
other loyal democrats who could not follow their party to the destruc-
tion of their country aiid the dissolution of the Union, No man
could have done more than Douglas to undo the mistakes he had un-
wittingly made. Could he have lived a few months longer he would
have been a great power in support of Mr, Lincoln and the war
measures that had to be adopted. Illinois is indebted to him for
much that marked her advancement and gave her power and influ-
ence in the Nation, not the least of which was securing legislation
that resulted in the building of the Illinois Central railroad.
Lyman Trumbull, that patient, astute, faithful Senator was the an-
tipode of Douglas, in every respect. He was always deliberate, cool and
calculating, a good lawyer, able debater. He labored incessantly in
the interest of Illinois but within much narrower lines than Doug-
las. He served his State, however, for 18 years in the United
States Senate with great credit and fidelity.
O. H. Browning, his colleague, appointed by Governor Yates to
succeed Senator Douglas, was a ponderous sort of a man but one
who wielded great influence. After his term expired he was secretary
of the interior and for a brief time secretary of the treasury.
285
During the eventful years between '56 and '61 Illinois had some of
the ablest men in the House of Representatives that have ever served
in that body. E. B. Washburne, Owen Lovejoy, the great champion
of human rights, Wm. Kellogg, his friend and co-worker, I. N.
Arnold, I. N. Morris, John A, McClernand, Samuel Marshall, John
A. Logan and many others. These men differed in politics, but
were earnest patriots. Washburne was long considered the "watch
dog of the treasury" because of his vigilant scrutiny of everything that
came before Congress asking appropriation of public money. His
New England traits of character never deserted him and made him
one of the most careful of legislators. His great abilities, methodical
mind and intense devotion to his country caused him to be indefat-
igable in his duty and enabled him to exert a marvellous influence
in the House. After General Grant's inauguration, March 4, ly69,
Mr. Washburne was made secretary of state for a short time, before
going to Paris as our American minister. Mr. Washburne belonged
to the Galena coterie who exercised so much power in State and
national affairs. He is said to have been the discoverer of U. S.
Grant. Be that as it may, General Grant was indebted to Mr.
Washburne for the potent influence he used in his behalf before
General Grant had achieved a reputation which placed him beyond
need of influential friends.
Mr. WashbuVne was one of Mr. Lincoln's faithful supporters, ad-
vocating with much earnestness every measure and movement sug-
gested by Mr. Lincoln for the salvation of the Union, and freedom
of the slaves. Of his brilliant career as a diplomat it is not for me
to speak on this occasion. Suffice to [^say, everything he ever did
reflected honor and glory upon Illinois.
Hon. I. N. Arnold, one of the most refined, conscientious and ac-
complished of men, labored assiduously during his term in Congress
for every measure for the development and progress of the varied
interests of Illinois.
To him belongs the honor of introducing and causing to be adopted
the first resolution in Congress advocating the entire abolition of
slavery in the United States. On the 15th of February, 1864, Mr.
Arnold moved the adoption of his resolution as follows:
Resolved, That the Constitution should be so amended as to abolish slavery
in the United States wherever it now exists and to prohibit its existence in
every part thereof forever.
The resolution when first introduced provoked much discussion
by the foremost men in the House and it was a signal triumph for
Mr. Arnold to have passed it. His record is one of unblemished
integrity, alike creditable to his State and to himself.
The fearless Owen Lovejoy was the great leader against slavery.
It is doubtful if his impassioned defense of himself and his friends
in the protection of fugitive slaves has ever been equalled in elo-
quence and pathos. He devoted his whole life to the advocacy of
the emancipation of slaves and left a glorious record as one of the
first and most brilliant advocates for human freedom.
236
Hon. John A. McClernand, a lawyer, a student and an indefatiga-
ble worker, made an enviable reputation in the House of Representa-
tives. In the trying months preceding Mr. Lincoln's inauguration
there was no more loyal man than General McClernand. He co-
operated with Douglas and the "war Democrats" of the House, de-
claring all the time that if the threats of the south of secession were
carried out that he would shoulder his musket to have Mr. Lincoln
inaugurated and would join the army to put down the rebellion. He
kept his word and was among the first to leave the halls of Congress
for the tented field.
Close on to Mr. Lincoln's inauguration came the rumbling sound
of the firing on Sumpter, when every man who represented Illinois
in Congress arrayed himself on the side of his country and either
went to the front to fight for the preservation of the Union or re-
mained to vote for men and measures with which to put down the
rebellion.
Mr. Lincoln, as chief executive of the nation, had no cause to grieve
over the disloyalty of members and senators from his own State.
Those who came to take the places of those who went to the front
dared not dishonor Illinois and themselves by affiliating with, or by
aiding or abetting, the enemies of the Union.
During the long, sad years of that unhappy conflict, Trumbull and
Browning, in the Senate; Washburne, B. O.Cook, S. W. Moulton, A.
C. Harding, and many others without regard to party affiliations, loy-
ally and ably represented the great Prairie State which had given to
the nation its chief executive in its most trying hour of need.
Immediately following and since the war no state in the Union has
been more eminently represented. There has been no time when
members of her delegation did not stand in the front rank of Ameri-
can statesmen.
Among the most illustrious was the invincible war governor of Il-
linois, Hon. Richard Yates, whose keen intuitions, unwavering re-
publicanism, sagacity, genial disposition, kind heart and native
eloquence made him the statesman and peer of any man in the
United States Senate. Charles Sumner once told me that Senator
Yates, in his opinion, "was one of the greatest men who had ever
been in the American Senate."
It seemed that the great civil war, with its prodigious events, had
developed a race of giants who were destined to be as distinguished
in peace as they had been in war. The men who had fought the bat-
tles of their country and those who stood on the watch towers at home
to protect the government from insidious foes in civil afPairs were
keenly alive to the possibilities and interests of the State and
Nation.
The people, anxious to reward them, elected the genial, honest,
loyal, intrepid General Oglesby, first as Governor, then as Senator of
the United States. He was as faithful in the Senate as he had been
in other high positions.
237
Gen. John M. Palmer, the gallant soldier and conscientious, able,
upright executive, was also promoted to the Senate, where he added
lustre to his already illustrious name.
Hon. David Davis, Mr. Lincoln's appointee on the supreme bench,
deemed it the crowning glory of his life that he should be chosen to
represent Illinois in the United States Senate, where his long expe-
rience as an associate justice enabled him to render inestimable ser-
vice as a member of the Senate judiciary committee.
Shelby M. Cullom, General Logan's colleague at the time of his
death, came into the Senate unusually well fitted for the distin-
guished position of a United States Senator on account of his long
experience as a legislator and speaker of the House in the Illinois
legislature, governor of Illinois and member of Congress. During
the 21 years of his peerless service in the Senate no man has done
more for his State or acquired a higher national reputation as a
statesman and incorruptible man. Time forbids an enumeration in
detail of the important legislation in which he has taken active and
conspicuous parts.
Hon. A. J. Hopkins, Senator Callom's present colleague, is des-
tined to be prominent in all legislation for his State and country.
His 20 years in the House of Representatives, where he was a most
valuable member, qualifies him to take a high place at once in the
Senate. His great pride in his native State, pre-eminent abilities and
unswerving integrity are guarantees of his future potent influence
in that august body.
I trust it may not seem unfitting in me to speak briefly of that
other native Illinois Senator, Gen. John A, Logan. From his major-
ity to the day of his deathj his whole life was devoted to the public
service, either on the field or in the forum, into which he threw with
intensity the whole weight of his gigantic abilities, indomitable en-
ergy, dauntless courage, honesty of purpose and loyalty to his coun-
try. After serving in the Illinois legislature he entered Congress in
185S, commanding much more attention than would have been ex-
pected for one of his age. Resigning after his election to a second
term to enlist in the defense of the Union, he followed the flag of his
country for more than four years. Immediately after the surrender
at Appomattox and peace was declared, he was called to resume his
seat in the House, March 4, 1871, in compliance with the behest of
his State, he took his seat in the Senate. For evidence of his achieve-
ments for Illinois and his country I have only to point you with par-
donable pride to the magnificent statue of enduring bronze which was
erected by his State, which stands in Lake Park, Chicago, silhouetted
by the shimmering waters of Lake Michigan; and to the no less su-
perb one of him in one of the finest parks in Washington, erected by
Congress and his devoted friends and admirers. To recapitulate the
measures of legislation of which he was the author and active sup-
porter would require more time than is allotted to this paper.
238
Those chosen to represent the people in the House were, for the
most part well equipped for the herculean task of legislating upon
the stupendous questions of reconstruction, adjustment of the prob-
lems that were the fruit of the Rebellion, and for the carrying out of
the many progressive enterprises for the development of the resources
of the country and the extension of the boundaries of civilization.
Hon. S. M, Cullom, Gen. John F. Farnsworth, Gen. S. A. Hurl-
burt, Horatio C. Burchard, Gen. Thos. J. Henderson, Hon. John
Wentworth, General J. L. Beveridge, Capt. John R. Thomas, Col. B.
F. Marsh, Honorables Wm. M. Springer, S. S. Marshall, Richard W.
Townshend, Norman B. Judd, Adlai E Stevenson, Samuel W Moul-
ton, David J. Bdker, Jehu Baker, Wm. R Morrison, JohnB. Hawley,
B F. Funk, Eben 0. Ingersoll, John A. Logan, Joseph G Cannon,
A. J. Hopkins, R. R. Hitt, Vespasian Warner, C. B. Farwell, and
many more illustrious men, have each in his own way contributed to
the progress of Illinois and the advancement of the nation.
There have been times when a crisis in national affairs seemed im-
minent. Illinois has always on these occasions had some one who
could step into the breech and help avert the difficulties. I can not
forbear mentioning one that occurred during Mr. Johnson's admin-
istration when he undertook to eject Mr. Stanton from the war de-
partment.
General Logan was then a member of Congress from Illinois at
large and also Commander-in Chief of the Grand Army of the Re-
public. He at once assembled the "Civil Army of ex-union soldiers,"
stationed his pickets, took up his abode in the war department with
Secretary Stanton and protected that officer in the discharge of his
duties until the crisis had passed. All of which was done so tact-
fully that very few knew of General Logan's action. Had Mr. John-
son carried out the schemes his perfidy had planned there is no
prophesying what might have happened.
This is only one of the many instances in which Illinois took con-
spicuous part in the solution of national problems.
Of this galaxy of statesmen many have gone to their reward, but
they left behind them immortal names that reflect undying glory
upon Illinois as well as themselves.
Of those who remain in Congress to honor Illinois are Hon. Shelby
M. Cullom, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations;
Hon. A. J. Hopkins, Hon. J. G. Cannon, Speaker of the House, Hon.
R. R. Hitt, Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Relations,
Col. B. F. Marsh, Hon. H S. Boutell, Col. Vespasian Warner, Hon.
George E, Foss, Chairman of the House Committee on Naval Affairs,
Col. James R, Mann, Geo. W. Prince, James R. Williams, and Geo.
W. Smith.
No words of eulogy would be too much to speak for them as men
and legislators. The high positions they occupy, their long service
in Congress, the influence they have in legislative matters, the bene-
factions they have secured for Illinois, tell in stronger words than I
2;j9
could utter of their achievements and usefulness. As long as Illi-
nois sends such men to Congress she will not be dislodged from her
exalted position as one of the most important states in the Union.
Had I not already trespassed too long, I would gladly mention the
names of many more who have honored Illinois and demonstrated
that they are "superior men" as the name Illinois signifies. Of those
who were given an opportunity by an indulgent people to make for
themselves imperishable names and a chance to add lustre to their
State, but who have failed to improve their opportunities, it were
better to leave in the nitch of oblivion into which they have passed.
240
THE COUNTRY LAWYER.
(Hon. James A. Connolly.)
The subject assigned me — The Country Lawyer — has its limita-
tions, but I will assume that it relates to all but metropolitan lawyers,
inasmuch as it is the fashion of the day to speak of the country as
including every place outside the boundary lines of a metropolis.
While the country lawyer might be classically termed "Rusticus"
yet if we take him as a class he will be found anything but a
"rustyouss," when it comes to a dexterous use of the "nice sharp
quillets of the law."
His clothes may not fit him like those of his city brother, but that
is the fault of his tailor. His hair and beard may not be trimmed
in "fashion plate" style, but that is the fault of his barber.
His office may not be swept and dusted daily; the "Horn Books"
may not be bright and clean as in the library of his city brother, and
smart clean volumes of reports and digests may not be so numerous,
but what are there look like old soldiers just returned from a long
campaign — they show that they have seen service.
While Hale, Coke, Blackstone, Chitty, Stephens, Story, if they
could return, would feel like unnaturalized foreigners in the offices
of his metropolitan brother, they could drop into the country lawyers'
office and feel at home, for they would find the cream of their life
work holding the place of honor on his book shelves and their names
household words in his unpretentious home.
The country lawyer loves "old friends, old books," and before the
advent of the reformers, he loved the other member of the famous
trinity — old wine — preferably of the Kentucky brand.
The country lawyer is a ruminant animal.
He don't swallow his legal food hastily, but he loiters in the rich
fields of the "Horn Books," knee deep in juicy legal provender, and
filling himself, retires to leisurely chew it over, until healthy diges-
tion enables him to assimilate it and make it a part of himself.
He don't have to hurry. He don't have to eat, sleep, think, ac-
cording to a time-table made by some street or steam railroad com-
pany. He makes his own time table, changes it to suit his own
convenience, and is, therefore, always on time,
He never runs to catch up, and he never waits at the station, but
he makes the trip from sun to sun once every 24 hours just as
241
well as his hurrying metropolitan brother, even if he does not move
forward quite as rapidly to the plaoe where "Finis" is to be written
on his last page.
While the metropolitan lawyer may be the clown in the cirous,
winning the applause of the half tickets, by his quips, his tumbles,
and his swelling importance, the country lawyer is the all around
variety man who holds the attention of the whole tickets, by his
bareback riding, ground and lofty tumbling, tight ropa walking, and
blowing the trombone in the band.
The country lawyer sits in Congress and Legislature while his
metropolitan brother plays Sherlock Holmes in quest of the fugitive
dollars.
The country lawyer is the nag that can pull his share of a load of
corn to market, or be stripped of his harness, mounted, and run and
win a race at the cross-roads.
The country lawyer is something like the poet; he is more born
than made, and Humor presided at his birth, for a good joke never
gets inside the lines of his circuit without giving him a call, and
meeting a welcome.
Skim the cream off your metropolitan bar and what have you left?
Skim the country cream off the milk in the dairy and what have
you left?
According to Darwin, it took a long time for the process of evolu-
tion to "evolute" the tails off our ancestors, so that their descendants
might comfortably wear fashionable trousers, but the process of
evolution works more rapidly on the country lawyer, and often, when
we find a metropolitan brother winning all the races on the fancy
track of a metropolis, until he attracts the world's attention, when
the world hunts up his pedigree and training, it finds him as a colt,
putting on legal muscle by nibbling the short stubby grass of jury
trials around the primitive courts of country justices.
Such early feed in the legal pastures of the country, gives wind and
mettle to the legal racer, and makes him a thoroughbred as surely as
the limestone blue grass of Kentucky, or the ozone of California give
it to the equine thoroughbred.
And when, in his maturer years he wins the metropolitan races,
he forgets the plaudits which greet him, while his thoughts turn
back with pleasure to the scanty country pasturage of his early days,
wherein he had to hustle
"From early morn 'till dewy eve,"
for a living.
With the country lawyer the law is still a profession, while with
his metropolitan brother it is a gainful business.
The country lawyer is a good deal of a fixture — he is the trunk of
the tree— while his metropolitan brethren are the branches. The
—16 H.
242
beauty is in the branches, but the sap is in the trunk. The branches
bathe in the sunshine and wave in the breeze, because the trunk
supports, uplifts, sustains them, and gives them new life when they
droop and fall.
The country lawyer is an eclectic, while his metropolitan brother
is fast becoming a homeopath, dealing in specifics and specialties.
In the broad field of equity the country lawyer roams, confident
and at ease, armed with all the weapons of full and even justice, while
his metropolitan brother rarely ventures into these fields unless pre-
ceded by an injunction, which he relies on as often and as implicitly
as the darkey does on his rabbit foot.
The country lawyer can, if he choose, live by the rule quoted by
Sir Edward Coke:
"Six hours to sleep, to law's grave study, six,
Four spent In prayer, the rest on Nature fix."
But his surroundings force our metropolitan brother to live by the
rule of Sir William Jones:
"Seven hours to law, to soothing slumber seven.
Ten to the world allot, and none to heaven."
Metropolitan law colleges are factories that turn out students as
keen, polished pocket knives and razor blades.
Country law oflBices are factories that turn out students as broad
axes, each tempered and fashioned by an experienced workman.
When comes the conflict between right and wrong the broad axe
is better than the pocket knife or razor blade, though not so polished
or keen of blade.
When truth is to be rescued from the wilderness of falsehood the
broad axe is the weapon needed.
When the interests of corporation or capital are involved, the
smaller, keener, more polished blades are highly efiPective, but when
the life, the liberty and the property of the individual citizen are
assailed, the broad axe is the weapon for their defense.
When the foundations for the structure and jurisprudence of a
state are to be shaped the broad axe is indispensable.
As nature, in all her varied moods of storm and sunshine, furnishes
the Indian, with tropes and similes wherewith he garnishes his rude
speech to the point of moving eloquence, so does nature, in her daily
touch of the county lawyer — nature, as it comes to him in the
spreading fields, the clear skies, the unstudied gossip of neighbors,
and the shrewd but homely speech of those among whom he lives,
give to him the strength of speech, a breadth of thought, a copious-
ness of illustration, an insight into the motives and minds of men,
that enables him to touch with master hand the chords that lead to
their hidden thoughts, and move them at his will.
The law is a coy maiden. She is not to be had for the asking.
She dislikes the "sounding brass and tinkling cymbal," and flies
from war's alarms.
243
The rude jostling she meets with in the busy metropolis, where
the dollar is Deity, makes her shrink from it, and exclaim with
Young:
"Give me. Indnlgrent Qods! with mind serene
And guiltless heart, to ranee the sylvan scene;
No splendid poverty, no smllina: care.
No well bred hate, no servile grandeur there."
The country lawyer, in his full stature, is an American product.
It does not flourish in Europe. The law there isno;^ a coy maiden,
but a worried and worn out wife, married to force, but she has no
control over the house, except when the old man is asleep, and even
then she gives her orders with bated breath, lest it may awake him,
to drive her out of the house as he has so often done.
The country lawyer cannot mature under such a regime, for he is
a guard on the people's watch tower, and has always been the first to
sound the alarm when force or wrong were found attempting to
usurp the domain of law.
The country lawyer by years of calm study, undisturbed by smiles
or frowns of fortune, years of reflection, of observation, and of fric-
tion against his fellows in the every day walks of life, gradually
gains wisdom as the bee gathers honey, and strength as the athlete
gains it, by daily endeavor, until, year after year in our nation's his-
tory, we find him coming from the obscurity of his country law office,
to lead the bar of a metropolis, to adorn the bench of state and fed-
eral courts, and crystalize into enduring law the wisdom he gained
in his country practice and life, by the study of those books which
God made — the minds, the thoughts, the aspirations, the feelings of
his fellow men with whom he was so long and so closely in touch
during his years as a country lawyer.
Life may not bring to him as many golden sheaves as to his met-
ropolitan brother, but if the intellectual part of man survives, and
we believe it does, it brings to him that which he can take with him
when Charon comes to ferry him over, whereas the golden sheaves,
so laboriously gathered, must be left behind in eternal quarantine,
as infected baggage, and the country lawyer leaves to the generations
that are to follow, the legacy of a jurisprudence enriched by him, for
the protection of the life, liberty and property of man.
To the country lawyer the court is a sacred temple where justice is
the presiding goddess, to which the lowly and oppressed may flee for
sanctuary. To him the bar is an idealized altar for the ministration
of sacred rites, not a mere place for the money changer.
The bar of the past was composed of country lawyers, earnest,
learned, modest, and conspicuous as an exemplar of all that was high
minded and honorable.
It pleaded the cause of the lowly and succored the distressed while
yet the gods of mythology were worshiped, before the dawn of Christ-
ianity upon the world. Undistinguished for piety, yet it has done
244
as much in the world's history to curb the passions and shape the
morals of mankind as the pulpit. Not boasting its valor, yet its
bloodless victories have advanced the standard of personal liberty far
beyond where the warrior dared to place it.
For 19 centuries it has stood on sleepless watch in the vanguard of
civilization, hurling its lances against the mailed front of wrong
wherever it appeared. Though the mists of the centuries have gath-
ered around it, yet they have brought to it the treasured wisdom of
the centuries. Time has not dimmed its eyes to discover wrong, nor
cooled its courage to defend the right, and the faintest whisper of
the oppressed still comes to it with the force of a command to spring
to the defense. It is one of the great centripetal forces of the world,
holding all the material interests of mankind within their proper
orbit, through all the long procession of the centuries.
It has ever been distinguished by good fellowship, and a broad
catholic spirit; welcoming the neophyte to its ranks with the same
cheerfulness that it recognizes and rewards the merits of its mem-
bers, encouraging them to roam in all the fields of learning, and cull
the choicest blossoms of Science, of Rhetoric and of Poesy, to adorn
their mistress — the law.
No narrow jealousies disturb its harmonies. Its fidelity and in-
tegrity— enforced by neither edict nor statute — are not to be bought
with a price, but are none the less assured by that lex non scripta
found alone in the breast of honor.
Its highest honors are reached by no royal road, and those who
win may wear them more securely than ever king wore crown, full
well assured of the unselfish homage of their fellows.
Its highest rewards spring from the consciousness of a trust well
kept, a duty well performed. Its best victories are those which lift
a feeble right above a giant wrong. Its monuments, more enduring
than brass or marble, are found in the tombs of garnered wisdom,
gathered from its ripened members, whose names and fame coming
down to us through the centuries invite us all to more exemplary
lives and higher efforts to adorn our profession.
In ages past the work of the bar was not in accumulating pelf but
in laying deep and firm the substructure of society, and its labors
have resulted in the security of life, liberty, and property in most of
the civilized world. Such was the work of our predecessors.
The country lawyer of today must maintain and preserve what they
secured. The burdens laid down by them must be taken up by us,
and if we hope that future generations will remember with respect
the bar of today, we must see to it that our era is marked by the same
love of learning, the same encouragement of modest merit, and the
same high standard of personal integrity that marked and made re-
nowned the bar of country lawyers of the past.
245
THE SALINES OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS.
(Prof. George W. Smith.)
The evidence that salt was made within the limits of the present
State of Illinois by other people than Indians and Europeans, would
not be regarded as very trustworthy before a court of the common
people. But to the man who is accustomed to look into the things
about him in a scientific way, there is abundant evidence that salt
was manufactured in Southern Illinois by a people whose history
antedates that of the tribes who inhabited this country at the com-
ing of the Europeans.
The evidence of prehistoric salt-making in the southern part of this
State, rests very largely upon the fact that 'in the region of Salt
springs and Salt licks, a species of pottery is found whose use can
be explained on no other theory so well as on the one which assumes
that the vessels were employed in the manufacture of salt.
On the Saline river, which flows toward the east and southeast
through the counties of Williamson, Saline and Gallatin, there are
two very noted localities. They are about four miles apart. One lo-
cality is noted for a very strong salt spring, a strong sulphur spring,
and a fresh water spring. This locality has several names, but is
usually called the "Nigger Spring," the "Nigger Well" and the
•'•Nigger Furnace." It is four miles down the river from the present
town of Equality, The other locality is marked by what in early
times was called the "Half Moon Lick," and also by very strong
deep wells. This point is about one mile from the town of Equality
and very near the Saline river.
The earliest known English people to settle in this locality came
about 1800, or possibly in IS02. In the region of the "Nigger
Spring" and in that of the "Half Moon Lick," the earliest English
settlers found large quantities of all sorts of pottery, tomahawks,
arrow heads, vases and other similar articles. In addition to these
familiar articles, there was found a species of pottery unlike that
found in other localities. These pieces of pottery seemed to be parts
of large vessels.
A sketch of Illinois published in Philadelphia in 1837, contains a
short account of Grailatin county. The "Nigger Spring" is called
the "Great Salt Spring." This sketch says: "The principal spring
was formerly possessed by the Indians, who valued it very highly,
and it appears probable that they had long been acquainted with the
246
method of making salt. Large fragments of earthenware are con-
tinually found near the works, both on and under the surface of the
earth; they have on them the impression of basket or wicker work."
Mr. George E, Sellers, a very noted man of Gallatin county, in an
article in the September issue of the Popular Science Monthly for
1877, attempts to disprove the current belief that the markings on
this pottery were made by a basket or frame work in which the ves-
sel is supposed to have been molded. His theory is that the impres-
sions were made by wrapping coarse cloth around the vessels as they
were lifted off of the mold, which was within the vessel. Mr. Sellers
quotes from a number of scientific writers who seem to have either
visited the region around the "Great Salt Spring" or else had speci-
mens of pottery from that locality. All the gentlemen who have ex-
amined this peculiar pottery are of the opinion that the vessels were
used in the manufacture of salt.
Mr. Sellers first visited the place as early as 1854, and he says at
that time that all about the salt springs there was an abundance of
this pottery. Just above the springs on a ridge which was in culti-
vation as early as 1854, Mr. Sellers found acres actually covered with
the old salt pans. He thinks the people, whoever they were, were
accustomed to take the water upon the hill and there in the pans
let the water evaporate. Possibly the process was hastened by drop-
ping into the pans large stones, previously heated in a fire. Again
all around the "Half Moon Lick" which is near the town of Equality,
large quantities of the same kind of pottery has been found. In the
report of the Illinois board, World's Fair Commissioners 1893, page
283, Prof. Wm. McAdams says these salt pans have been found in
abundance both in and around the salt works in Illinois, and in Mis-
souri, near St. Genevieve. He describes them all as having those
peculiar markings to which I have referred, Mr. McAdams found
two of these pans entire near the salt works at St. Genevieve, Mo.
They were serving for a coflBn. It seemed the corpse was put in one
of these pans and another pan inverted over the first one, and then
some earth thrown over the casket. Professor McAdams says these
salt pans are from three to five feet in diameter.
There are traditions that the salt springs, wells and licks on the
Saline river in Gallatin county, were operated by the Indians and
French for many years previous to the coming of the English about
1800. Certain it is that the French understood the salt making pro-
cess; the Indians without doubt knew where the springs and licks
were. An English gentleman writing to the Earl of Hillsboro in
1770, in speaking of the region around the mouth of the Wabash and
the Saline rivers, mentioned the abundance of salt springs in that
region.
Capt. Thos. Hutchins in a book called "Topographical Description
of Virginia" in describing the region of the Wabash says: ''The
Wabash abounds with salt springs and any quantity of salt may be
made from them in a manner now done in the Illinois country."
This was in 1778, 22 years before the coming of any English people.
247
Mr. Charles Carroll of Sbawneetown, told me it had always been
his understanding that the French operated the wells and springs
several years previous to ISOO. A history of Illinois said to have
been written by Calvin Leonard and published by Ivison, Blakeman,
Taylor & Co , about 1870, has an account of salt making by the
French and of a massacre of them by the Shawnee Indians. The
Chicago Historical Society knows nothing of such a book and I have
doubts of its existence. Count Volney who made a tour of North
America from 1795 to 1798 spent considerable time in Vincennes in
1798, and speaks of the "brine springs" at St. Genevieve, Mo., but
says not a word about the springs on the Saline river. Mr. Wm.
MoAvoy, now of Equality, says that Gen. Leonard Wl its knew Vol-
ney very well and says that General White told him (MoAvoy) that
Volney stayed a month in the neighborhood of the salt works. I
pressed Mr. McAvoy very closely and he still insisted that Gen. Leo-
nard White had often told him of Volney's visit to that locality.
But I could not find a single word about the salt works on the Saline
in Volney's writings. So I am inclined to think there is some error
in Mr. McAvoy's tradition.
The earliest reference I was able to find in the American State
papers is in the law of May 18th, 1796. In an act of this date it is
made the duty of the surveyors working for the United States and
making surveys in the territory northwest of the Ohio river "to ob-
serve closely for mines, salt springs and salt licks and mill seats."
Evidently there were no wells or springs operated in Ohio this early
for in the life of Ephraim Cutler, son of Rev. Manasseh Cutler, he
says that in 1796 when he came to the settlements below Marietta
that there was no salt to be had west of the mountains except at
Marietta, and what was for sale here had been brought over the
mountains on pack horses; he says further that this salt was sold for
16 cents per pound.
Mr. Cutler further says that in 1798 the Shawnee Indians told
Lieut, Geo. Irving that 50 miles inland from the Ohio river there
was a salt spring. Search was made and the spring found near what
is now the town of Chandlersville, ten miles southeast of Zanesville.
A salt company was organized by four settlements, and men sent to
make salt — four men could make six bushels a week by hard work.
In the winter of 1799 and 1800, Wm. Henry Harrison was the
delegate in Congress from the Territory of the Northwest. In his
report Mr, Harrison says: "Upon inquiry we find that salt springs
and salt licks on the east of the Muskingum, and near the Great
Miama are operated by individuals, and timber is being wasted:
Therefore we recommend that salt springs and salt licks, property of
the United States in the Territory Northwest of the Ohio, ought to
be leased for a term of years."
The report was referred to the committee of the whole but no
definite action was taken on the committee's recommendation. Har-
rison became Governor of the Indiana territory in the summer of
1800. In 1802 he visited Kaskaskia and was there importuned to
248
call a convention to take steps looking toward the introduction of slav-
ery into the Northwest territory, The convention was called in the fall
of 1802. Among other things, the convention asked Congress to
annul the 6th Article of the Ordinance of 1787, and to grant Saline
below the mouth of the Wabash to the territory. Congress received the
memorial and granted neither of the two requests,
On March 8, 1803, Congress authorized the Secretary of the Treas-
ury to lease the salt springs and licks for the benefit of the Govern-
ment. On June 7th of the same year, Harrison negotiated a treaty
at Fort Wayne between the Grovernment and five Indian tribes.
This treaty ceded to the United States 2,038,400 acres of lands in
what is now southern Indiana and Illinois,
In the same summer of 1803, Governor Harrison leased the saline
on the Saline river to a Captain Bell, of Lexington, Ky. I am inclined
to think that probably this Captain Bell was at that time working
the salt springs on Saline river by permission of the Indians. Rey-
nolds says the first white man to settle in Shawneetown was Michael
Sprinkle who came about 1802, and about the same time a French-
man La Boissiere settled there and ran a ferry to accomodate people
who were coming out of Kentucky to the salt works on the Saline
river.
Captain Bell no doubt worked the salt springs till the end of 1806,
for the records show that for the year 1807 the works were leased to
John Bates of Jefferson county, Kentucky.
By Act of Congress, March 26, 1«04, there were established three
land offices— one at Kaskaskia, one at Detroit, and one at Vinoennes,
and by the same act all salt springs, wells, and licks, with the necessary
land adjacent thereto were reserved from sale as the property of the
United States. The Territorial Governor was authorized to lease
these salt wells and springs to the best advantage of the Government.
On the 80th of April, 1805, Governor Harrison appointed his friend,
Isaac White, then of Vinoennes, to be government agent to reside at
the salt works and receive the rental due the United States. Mr.
White assumed the duties of his position and was assisted by John
Marshall who probably lived in Shawneetown. Just where White
resided is not known, but presumably at what I have designated as
the "Nigger well," some four miles below Equality. In 1806, Sept.
8th, Governor Harrison appointed Mr. White a captain in the Knox
county militia, From evidence of a private nature, White himself
became lessee of the salt works in 1808 and perhaps retained control
of them till 1810 or 1811. While Captain White was residing at the
salt works he became involved in a difficulty with a Captain Butler
and Butler challenged White to mortal combat. The challenge was
accepted, and two days before the day set for the duel Captain White
wrote his wife, who perhaps was at Vinoennes, a very touching letter
telling her he expected to be killed. On the same day that he wrote
his wife, he made his will, signed, and sealed it. On the day set for
the duel Butler and White both appeared on the appointed spot and
249
they were informed by their seconds that horse pistols were the wea-
pons—distance six feet. Butler backed down and refused to fight,
saying that it would be murder and he could not engage in such an
affair.
In 1811 Captain White, now a colonel in the Illinois militia, sold
out his interest in the salt works to three men, Jonathan Taylor of
Randolph county, Illinois, Chas. Wilkins and James Morrison of
Lexington, Ky. From the beginning of 1808 to 1811 Leonard White
afterwards known as Gen. Leonard White, seems to have been the
Government agent, He himself later on became interested in salt-
making. In the summer of 1811 Col. Isaac White was in Vingennes
and was initiated into the Masonic lodge at that place; and on Sept.
19, 1811, he was raised to the sublime degree of master Mason. Col. Joe
Daviess of Kentucky, who was in Vincennes at that time, acted as
Worshipful master. Colonel Daviess was in Vincennes in response
to an invitation from Governor Harrison preparatory to an attack
upon the Indians. On Nov. 7, 1811, Colonel Daviess and Colonel
White fell side by side in the Battle of Tippecanoe.
On Feb. 12, 1812, Congress created the Shawneetown land district-
Thos. Sloo was appointed register end John Caldwell was made receiver-
In this same act a provision authorized the President to reserve not
less than one township of the land around the salt works from sale.
Leonard White, Willis Hargrave. and Philip Trammell were made a
commission to select the lands which should be reserved as the
"Saline reservation." They performed their duty and set aside
96,766.79 acres. This was something over four townships. This was
and is yet called, the "reservation." About the same time Mr. Sloo
notified the general land office that there were saline indications in
other localities in southern Illinois and he was accordingly author-
ized to make reservations adjacent to such springs or licks. Mr. Sloo
made a tour of inspection and as a result about 84,000 acres addi-
tional were reserved for saline purposes.
From 1807 to the admission of Illinois, Aug. 26, 1818, the entire
rental accruing to the United States from the Salines on the Saline
river was 158,891 bushels, and the total cash turned into the treasury
for the same time was $28,160.26. Ohio turned in $240 in the same
time, while Indiana, Kentuckv and Missouri made no returns.
In 1818, April 18, an Enabling act was passed by which Illinois was
permitted to make a constitution and apply for admission into the
union. The act contains seven sections; the sixth section has four
parts Part two reads as follows: "All salt springs within such
State, and the land reserved for the use of the same shall be granted
to the said State, for the use of said State, and the same to be used
tinder such terms, and conditions, and regulations, as the Legislature
of the said State shall direct; Provided, The Legislature shall never
sell, nor lease the same for a longer period than ten years, at any one
time."
250
In pursuance of this act the constitutional convention met at Kas-
kaskia in the summer of 1818 and made a constitution. In that con-
stitution are some provisions that used to be a great mystery to me.
Act 6 deals with the question of slavery. Section 2 of the 6th article
reads as follows: ''No person bound to labor in any state, shall be
hired to labor in this State except within the tract reserved for the
salt works near Shawneetown ; nor even at that place for a longer
period than one year at any one time; nor shall it be allowed there,
after the year 1825. Any violation of this article shall effect the
emancipation of such person from his obligation of service." The
2nd section of the 6th article provides that all indentures entered into
without fraud or collusion prior to the making of the constitution,
according to the laws of Illinois Territory, shall be held as valid and
the person so "indented" must be held to a fulfillment of the agree-
ment in the contract. Section 1 provides that no person could be
held to service under an indenture hereafter to be made, unless the
person was in a state of freedom at the time of making his contract.
And indentures made by negroes and mulattoes are not valid for a
longer time than one year. This 6th article deals almost wholly with
conditions at the salt works on the Saline river at the time the con-
stitution was made,
Congress, as well as the territorial legislature of the northwest ter-
ritory, was memorialized time and again for some relief from the 6th
article of the ordinance of 1787. As soon as Indiana territory passed
into the second grade of political organization the legislature passed
a law permitting the bringing into the territory of negroes and mulat-
toes who were slaves in other states.
The law which regulated the bringing in of the slaves while Illinois
was a territory was passed by the legislature of Indiana in 1805 It
provided (1) that slaves over 15 years of age might be brought in
from slave states and within 80 days the owner might enter into an
agreement with the said slave by which the slave agreed to work in
Illinois for a stated time for a consideration. (2) If within the 30
days the slave refused to enter into such an agreement his master
had 'SO days in which to return him to a slave state. This law was
applicable in any part of the Indiana territory, but it was specially
advantageous to the lessees of the salt works on Saline river. Mr.
Sellers says in the article in the Popular Science Monthly that the
• "Nigger well or salt works was worked almost wholly by negro slaves."
The Rev. Samuel Westbrook, now 95 years of age, told me he came
to Johnson county in 1812, and from there finally to Equality in
1826. At that time the wells about the "Half Moon Lick" were vig-
orously operated. I was very particular to ask him about the use of
slave labor, and he seemed to think there were a great many negroes
and mulattoes at work in the various forms of industry, but he
seemed to think that most of the colored people were free at that
time.
251
In my search for information relative to the use of slave labor in
the salt works, I was directed to a colored family seven miles north-
west from Equality. I found the man of the house, Mr. Geo. Elliott,
about 50 years old, while an unmarried sister was 62 years old. I
found these colored people very intelligent and quite prosperous farm-
ers. When I made my mission known, Mr. Elliott said his sister
would provide me with all their old papers. His sister brought out
a large roll of papers that belonged to their father. From these two
colored people and the papers I secured the following facts: Their
father, Cornelius Elliott, was born a slave in 1791. His master was
John Elliott, of Maury county, Tenn. Cornelius had evidently been
a laborer in the salt works on the Saline river from the time he was
old and large enough to be of service. In 1819 Timothy Guard, one
of the lessees of the salt works, seems to have gone into Tennessee
and bought this slave, Cornelius, of John Elliott. He brought the
negro to the "Half Moon Lick" and set him to work. Cornelius was
a cooper, and barrels were in great demand In 1821 Timothy Guard
had it in his heart to set Cornelius free. It appears that Cornelius
had earned $1,000.00 in the three years. Either Mr. Guard had re-
ceived directly the profit of the negro's labor and counted it worth
$1,000 00, or else the slave had been permitted to "lay by" his earn-
ings. At any rate I read an indenture on parchment which was
written in Timothy Guard's handwriting in which he says that in
consideration of $1,000.00, cash in hand, he gives Cornelius his free-
dom, The document is signed by Timothy Guard and sworn to be-
fore John Marshall, a justice of the peace. Following which is a
certificate by Joseph M. Street, who was clerk of the court, to the
efPect that John Marshall was a justice of the peace.
Within a few years after Cornelius had purchased his own freedom
he bought the freedom of his mother and three brothers. For one of
his brothers he paid the sum of $550.00, and I read the manumission
papers. In 1828 Cornelius married a free negress from Kentucky.
He then bought 80 acres of land and commenced farming. He after-
wards bought more land, and at the time of his death he owned 360
acres of good farming land six or seven miles northwest of Equality.
This story of Cornelius Elliott i^ probably only one of scores of
similar stories which may be truthfully told of the period of "indus-
trial service" in the salt works in Gallatin county.
In 1818, when Illinois became a state, the salt springs, wells and
licks, with the lands adjacent, became the property of the State of
Illinois. At this time there were in existence five distinct leases of
salt wells and springs from the United States to individuals. The
leases had been made by Ninian Edwards, representing the govern-
ment, and all bore date of ] 817. One was with Willis Hargrave and
Meredith Fisher, a second was with Jonathan Taylor, a third with
George Robinson, a fourth was with James Ratcliff, a fifth with Tim-
othy Guard.
The benefit of the unexpired leases from Aug. 26, 1818, to June 19»
1820, fell to the State of Illinois. The legislature which met at
Kaskaskia the winter of 1818-19 authorized the Governor of the State
252
to continue these leases with the above named gentlemen. The Gov-
ernor was also authorized to lease the Big Muddy Saline for a term
of ten years. This saline was in Jackson county, three miles west
of the present city of Murphysboro. This saline had been leased to
Conrad Will, March 25, 1815 for three years. Brownsville was made
the county seat of Jackson county in 1816. The salt wells were near
the town, one a half mile above, and one a mile below or down the
river from the town. Mr. Will came to Kaskaskia from Pennsyl-
vania about 1811. He bought a drove of cattle and took them back
to Pennsylvania. He must have returned shortly after this, for he
seems to have been in Kaskaskia some time previous to his leasing
the wells in 1815. It is more than probable that either Mr. Will or
someone else was working the wells on Big Muddy prior to 1815. At
least Mr. Will returned to Pennsylvania the second time, it seems
after kettles to make salt. These kettles Mr. Will probably brought
down the Ohio, up the Mississippi and then up the Big Muddy on
keel boats. He brought his family to Brownsville about 1814 or
1815. They lived at first in a double log house which is said to have
stood for many years Help was scarce in Jackson county in 1815,
so Mr. Will is said to have gone into Kentucky and brought slaves
to his salt works. Conrad Will was a doctor, and his granddaughter,
now living in Carbondale, has some of his books He made salt and
ran a tan yard. He served in the Constitutional convention of ]818
and in several of the early legislatures. He has one granddaughter
who was born in 1828, several years before Mr. Will's death.
In 1824 the legislature authorized the Governor to lease the Big
Muddy saline to James Pearce. In 1827, Mr. Pearce not having ac-
complished much in his salt making, the legislature relieved him of
his obligation relative to the salt works. In 1884 the wells were
leased to Conrad Will again till 1840, at this time, 1840, the lands
should be sold. There is no record of any income to the general
government or to the State from the Big Muddy saline.
At this place, as I have noted, there were two wells about a mile
apart. The machinery consisted of a row or double row of kettles
set over an open ditch; the sides of this ditch were lined with cut
sandstone; at one end of the row of kettles the fires were kept going
and at the other end of the row was a smokestack. The kettles were
very large, holding about 100 gallons each. To within the past ten
years the old furnaces were quite undisturbed, but of late the rocks
have all been taken out to make foundations. The old kettles are
scattered over the neighborhood and are used chiefly for scalding the
hogs at butchering time. One of the wells had a copper pipe run-
ning down into the earth through which the water flowed out at the
top. A few years ago an enterprising citizen hitched his team to the
pipe and twisted it off several feet below the surface. Water still
flows out at that point.
There was in the first part of the last century a saline in Monroe
county, nine miles due west of the present city of Waterloo. It was
owned and worked by Gen. Edgar. The Hon. A. C. Bolinger, of
253
Waterloo, took the pains to secure some facts about this saline, but
he was unable to secure any information of value. Col. Wm. R.
Morrison was unable to furnish anything definite, but suggested that
Dr. Lewis James, of Old Mines, Mo., might be able to give some
valuable facts concerning this saline, but a letter to the doctor failed
to bring a response.
In 1826 the United States Senate asked the Secretary of the Treas-
ury for a complete report of all incomes from the salines and also a
description of all reservations. In this report from the Secretary of
the Treasury no mention is made of salinea in Monroe, Madison or
Bond counties. However, from reliable sources we know that Judge
Biggs made salt in Madison, on Silver creek, and in Bond on Shoal
creek. And from an act of the legislature in 1827, it appears that
Stephen Galliard and Samuel Montgomery were lessees of a saline
on Shoal creek, in Bond county. By act of the Legislature, Jan. 23,
1838, the Governor was authorized to lease the salines in Bond county,
or to appoint an agent to take charge of them.
The wells were on section 32, in township 6, range 4. One section
was reserved from sale. The first well was just at the edge of the
water of Shoal creek. The settlers dug a second well on higher
ground and drew the water with ordinary water buckets. The boil-
ing was done in kettles, and it is said there were as many as 90 of
them. Many of the kettles are to be found in the locality.
Besides Montgomery and Galliard above referred to, James Coyle,
Spencer, John Lee, and other made salt here. James Coyle
settled near the wells in 1817, and on April 4, 1822, a son, Jeremiah
Coyle, was born, and he still lives on the old homestead. I am in-
debted to the Rev. Thos. W. Hynes for the facts about the Shoal
creek saline.
In the early days of salt making on the Saline river wood only was
used for fuel. The water was boiled in large cast iron kettles, hold-
ing from 60 to 100 gallons. They were placed in rows, and one fur-
nace would sometimes have from 20 to 30 kettles. At first the furnace
was close to the well or spring. Timber was plentiful and it was not
difficult to keep the furnace supplied with fuel. As time went on the
process became more systematic and the works grew. More timber
was needed to make more salt. The item of hauling wood three or
four miles became a serious one. In those days there were "profes-
sional axe-men," expert teamsters," and '"skilled firemen." It was a
busy scene; 20 or 30 axe-men in the timber, eight or ten four or six
mule teams on the roads from the timber to the furnaces, six or eight
regular firemen, kettle hands, coopers, salt packers, salesmen, time-
keepers, boarding house keepers, freighters, hoop-pole merchants,
and hangers-on by the score.
The water was put in fresh at the fire end of the row and moved
from kettle to kettle back toward the chimney where there was a
large, flat stirring off pan. Attached to this pan was a large drain-
ing board; the salt was scraped up to one side of the pan and shoveled
254
up on this board, The water drained back into the pan and the salt
became dry It was then taken to the salt shed, where it was packed
in barrels, and was then ready for the market.
When the timber had been used up back three or four miles, then
they moved the works to the fuel. The water must now be gotten to
the furnaces. This to modern engineers would be a simple problem,
but to our friends of 100 years ago, it was not so simple a task. The
plan required a long, tedious preparation. Large, straight trees, from
16 to 20 feet long in body were cut. They must be at least ten inches
in diameter at the small;:end; this would make them 14 to 16 inches
in diameter at the large end. With a four-inch augur, a hole was
bored lengthwise through this log. The opening in the large end
was seamed to about six inches in diameter, while the small end was
trimmed down to about six inches from outside to outside. Strong iron
bands were then put on the large end, and the small end of another
log was forced into the large end of the first log. The second log
was driven into the first with a sort of battering ram such as we have
used to bombard the large hickory trees to knock off nuts in the fall
of the year. These wooden pipes were laid from the spring or well
to the furnace, which was often three to five miles away. The pipe
lines are said to have been always straight, and went over hills and
across creeks, However, the country is comparatively level. When
the pipes crossed the creeks they weighted the pipes to the bottom
of the stream with large castings, in the general form of a horeshoe.
These were straddled over the logs and are said to have weighed 250
to 300 pounds. All the pipes made prior to 1850 were made by hand,
but about 1850 or probably a little later they were bored by horse
power, As said before, the pipe line took a straight line from the
well to the furnace. At the well a pump, or rather an elevator was
rigged up, a continuous belt with flat buckets riveted to it. This
crude elevator raised the water 10, 20 or 30 feet as needed, and thence
it flowed down an upright pipe which connected at the bottom with
the regular pipe line. I was not able to determine whether or not
there were relay stations, but I am inclined to think there were. The
cisterns where these elevators were located were called "histing
cisterns."
The fact that this piping system was in use in an early day has led
to some errors with regard to wells. Some people living in those
regions have thought there was a well wherever there was a furnace,
and the old furnaces are thick all over the country. This is not the
case; there were few wells, but the piping system carried the water
in all directions The two chief places where wells were sunk were
at the "Nigger Spring" and at the "Half Moon Lick." It has been
estimated that one hundred miles of pipe was laid from 1800 to 1873.
The first wells were probably square and were 20 feet in diameter,
and about 60 feet deep. They were walled up with logs. All the old
wells as they appear to-day are circular and are about 20 or 25 feet
in diameter and from four to ten feet deep with sloping sides. The
water rose in these wells to within a few feet of the top of the ground.
In what may be called the middle period of salt making, pipes were
sunk in the bottom of these wells and a stronger brine secured
255
Timothj^ Guard, who was connected with salt making as early as
1816 and as late as 1880 or later, dug a deep well near the "Half
Moon Lick" perhaps as late as 1825. The well was dug down some
60 feet and walled up and then a boring was made in the bottom of
this well. A very fine quality of brine was thus secured, and Guard's
well is a very noted place, though few could point out the exact spot.
A large tree is growing on the inner mark>in of this well; its banks
are grassy and water stands in it some six feet below the surface of
the ground. This well was used till about 1854. About this time a
company was formed consisting of Stephen E,. Rowan, Andrew Mc-
AUan, Chalon Guard, Abner Flanders, Broughton Temple and Jo-
seph J. Castle. They made preparation to manufacture salt on a more
extensive scale than ever before. They sunk another deep well at
great expense, and expended so much money that the company broke
up and Castle and Temple eventually became the owners of the
grounds and improvements. These two men proceeded to complete
the preparations for the manufacture of salt. Large boilers, engines
and pumps were installed. Large boiler iron evaporating pans were
placed over the furnaces instead of the kettles. These pans were
from 12 to 20 feet wide and extended from the grates to the smoke
stack, a distance of 60 or 70 feet, There were three such rows of
pans all connected with the same smoke stack. The old pans are
lying there now in the weeds and brush. I calculated their area and
found they covered about 3,000 square feet. The pans were from ten
to twelve inches deep. Coal had been discovered in a near-by hill and
it was substituted for wood. A tramway was built from the coal
mine to the furnaces.
The water or brine was pumped from the deep wells to the top of
the "thorn house." This thorn house was a frame structure resem-
bling in general appearance the false work used in constructing a
bridge across a small river. It was 20 or 80 feet wide at the bottom,
and extended 60 feet high narrowing toward the top. This would be
the end view. It extended some 150 or 175 feet in length. There
were quite a number of cross beams, ties and braces and the whole
inner space was filled with bundles of thorn bushes. These bundles
of thorn bushes were carefully packed in the frame work in such a
way that all space was completely filled with them. These thorn
bushes were found in great quantities all about the works. On top
of this thorn house running its entire length was a trough full of
small holes. The brine was pumped into this trough and allowed to
flow gently to the other end, and if it did not all trickle through the
holes on the first trip it was guided into another trough and caused
to flow down it till all had passed through the openings in the bot-
tom of the trough. This brine now trickled through the thorn fag-
gots to the bottom of the structure where it was caught in a large
trench and conveyed to a large retaining basin. This "thorn house"
was a great mystery to the infrequent visitors to the salt works.
There are two explanations of its office in salt making. One that the
brine in passing from the top of the structure to the bottom lost by
evaporation 40 per cent of the water. This was a great saving of fuel
256
and labor in the boiling process. Another explanation of its use was
this: In evaporating the brine by boiling the water there were de-
posits of some substance like gypsum in the bottom of the pan which
adhered to the bottoms of the pans and if not often removed would
prevent the passage of the heat from the fire to the water and thus
the pans would be burned. Now the thorn bushes were supposed to
have the power to crystallize this foreign matter and thus purify the
brine.
This plant was owned and operated by Temple and Castle from
about 1854 to 1873. They are said to have made 500 bushels of salt
every 24 hours.
In about 1873 Temple and Castle constructed a very complete
plant a mile away at the coal mine, thinking it cheaper to move the
water to the coal than the coal to the water. The plant was an ex-
pensive one and when everything was nearly ready for work, hard
times came on, salt became cheap, and the new works were never put
into operation. In course of time the machinery was removed, and
little is left to mark the new plant,
On Deo. 18, 1903, I visited this region. I spent four days in gath-
ering up the facts concerning this great industry of a former age. It
was a pleasant task. Mr, A D. Biankenship, a former student in the
Normal, was kind enough to furnish me a conveyance and accompany
me in my investigations. On reaching Equality I was fortunate to
make the acquaintance of Messrs. Moore, druggists, who are very
much interested in preserving the story of early days about their
town. Mr. Harry Moore accompanied me to the old works. The
ground is quite level and subject to overflow. The day was an ideal
spring day, and as I stood on the spot where for three-fourths of a
century a great industry flourished I had a strange feeling. It was
deathly still, there were no noises, no bird songs, no cattle, no life.
A mile away we could hear the noise of the village, a passing train,
and the noise about the coal mine and coke ovens. We soon came to
the cinder roads and then we knew we were near the furnaces. Now
and then we passed an old well. We had a camera and we took views
of wells, pans, thorn bushes, etc. We found the old furnaces. The
outlines of the old pans are still to be seen. One old pan is quite
well preserved, but it will soon be mouldered back to earth whence it
came. We found the old retaining cistern and found the location of
the old residence of Temple and Castle. About a quarter of a mile
away we visited the noted "Half Moon Lick " This is some one- half
quarter long and half quarter wide at the widest part. It is about
20 or 25 feet deep and is destitute of any growth except some willows
and tufts of grass. This lick is supposed to have been the resort of
wild animals for centuries past. The teeth and bones of mastodons
have been found here. We got a fairly good view of this lick.
The afternoon I spent with Mr, MoAvoy, a very intelligent and
courteous old gentleman who came to Equality about 1855. Mr.
McAvoy is a friend of Mr. Temple and is in possession of much
valuable information which he has gathered in the last half century.
257
The second day I visited the "Nigger Well," four miles below
Equality and across the river from the town. There was a downpour
of rain this day which prevented me from making a close study of
this region. However I was able to find the exact spot, the "Nigger
Spring" which was salt and is the one evidently just used. The
sulphur spring which I found very strong and was evidently formerly
in use for the old timbers are still to be seen imbedded in the mud,
and the fresh water spring not far away. These were all described
by Colonel Sellers as early as 1854. Just to the right as you go
down the river toward the southeast is a high range of hills and at
the "Nigger Well" the bluffs come close to the river and it is just
up on these bluffs where Colonel Sellers used to find the Indian
graves and evidences of a village. A few yards below the springs I
found a native to the manor born. He had lived in that immediate
vicinity for 50 years, and seemed a little surprised to think any one
would attach any importance to these old salt springs. He told me
that in a little bottom field just in front of his house and lying just
below the springs that he had plowed up bushels of broken pottery
and that the whole field seemed to be one big furnace. I asked him
if any salt had been made there within the last 50 years, and he said
that everything looked just as it did 50 years ago. I examined care-
fully the trees and I am very sure there are many of them 3 feet in
diameter and yet Colonel Sellers affirms that in an early day every
stick of timber was out off for fuel, I learned from the native above
referred to that there was an old pipe line running from the springs
near to an old furnace down the creek, but across from his house,
and he said that he was sure the old kettles were there yet, but said
they were covered up in the dirt but he was sure they could be
found. He said further that another line of pipe led to a furnace
further down the river. This line may have led to Weed's works
which were one-half mile below the island ripple.
I visited Shawneetown and spent considerable time with Mr.
Charles Carroll whom I found to be a very pleasant gentleman. He
is probably the best informed man in Shawneetown on early Gallatin
county history. I spent some time in the recorder's office verifying
some facts which I had gathered elsewhere Incidentally I took oc-
casion to visit the old flag said to have been carried in the revolu-
tionary war by General Pavey. I also viewed for a few moments the
old brick house in which General LaFayette was entertained. This
is called the Rawlins house. Finally I viewed with no little interest
the humble home in which Illinois' greatest soldier and our honored
guest today were married. (General and Mrs. Jno, A. Logan.)
The third day, in company with Mr. McAvoy, Mr. Mclntyre, Mr.
Bunker, and Mr. Smith, I visited again the old salt works on the
outskirts of Equality. This second visit was very profitable, for Mr.
Mclntyre was, from a boy, an employ^ about the works, most of the
time in the capacity of cooper. Mr. Mclntyre knew every foot of
the ground and with his help I drew a map locating every important
— 17H.
258
place of interest about the grounds. On this day, in company with
Dr. Gordon and Mr. McAvoy, I called to see Uncle Peter White
(colored) now 70 years old. Uncle Pete was brought up in the im-
mediate vicinity of the salt works. When he was 10 years old he
and three other children were kidnapped and taken into Arkansas and
sold. He was afterwards rescued by Watt White. Uncle Peter's
memory is good and I gathered some valuable information from
him.
On the fourth day I visited the Elliott family previously referred
to and also the Rev. Samuel Westbrook now living in El Dorado.
Mr. Westbrook was born in 1809. He came to Johnson county in
1812, and in 1826 he came to Equality and began laboring in various
capacities in the salt making business. He was, among other things,
a teamster. He had lived in the immediate vicinity of the salt works
for the past 78 years and has a very vivid picture of most of the in-
cidents which occurred within that period.
The men and women who have lived in this region from a very
early day are very few and their ranks are thinning every day. In a
few years there will be none living whose lives cover the period of
salt making. And so far as I have been able to find out little, if
anything, has ever been written and printed of this great industry of
southern Illinois.
/-A-
i/^:
(yct^*^^-*^
*-'^^^!^^,^iv«i
'X
J
Morris Blrkbeck.
259
MORRIS BIRKBECK AND HIS FRIENDS.
(Daniel Berry, M. D.)
Morris Birkbeok was born sometime in the year 1763 in the vici-
nity of London, England. He died June 4th, 1825, aged 62 years,
and lies buried in New Harmony, Indiana. He came up and out of
the sub strata of English life. His character we must measure by
his work. Of his personality we have an outline in Mr. George
Flower's History of the English settlement in Edwards county.
He says: "The father of Morris Birkbeck, also named Morris, was
an eminent Quaker preacher, whose good name was well known by
friends in America as well as in England. Old Morris Birkbeck, as
he was familiarly called, when his son arrived at manhood, although
eminent as a preacher, was by no means so for his wealth or worldly
possessions. But he gave to his son a much better education thaa
generally falls to the lot of the children of poor Friends.
"Morris Birkbeck the younger, had a thorough knowledge of Latin,
and a slight knowledge of Greek. In after life he mastered the
French language so as to read it with facility. Whilst a mere youth
he was appointed clerk to a Friends' meeting. The duties of this
office made him a ready writer, and a systematic arranger of docu-
ments and papers of every kind. Very early in life he was placed
upon a farm. There it was that he learned by experience farming
and farm work. When a young man he hired a farm with no capi-
tal of his own, and with a very small capital borrowed from a friend.
He worked on the farm with great assiduity, not only with his own
hands, but with such labor as his limited means allowed him to com-
mand. He watched his own progress, or rather position, with great
solicitude. He has often told me, that many times when he took
stock, after valuing everything he possessed, even his books and
clothes, he found himself worse than nothing, but by perseverance
he acquired a little. He afterward took, on a long lease, a much
larger farm called Wanborough, containing 1,500 acres of land, near
the town of Guilford in the county of Surrey. This farm he worked
with great perseverance and spirit, always adopting improvements
in husbandry, implements and live stock, that appeared of any prac-
tical value. Here he acquired a competence and brought up a
family of four sons and three daughters, to whom he gave a liberal
education and to whom he was a most kind and indulgent parent."
Here is Mr. Flower's description of the man:
260
"When I first became acquainted with Mr. Birkbeck he was nearly
50 years old, enjoying excellent health. Mental and bodily activity
were combined with unimpaired habits. In person he was below
middle stature, rather small, spare, not fleshy but muscular and
wiry. With a constitution not of the strongest, he was yet a strong
and active man. His bodily frame was strengthened and seasoned
by early labor and horseback exercise in the open air. He was cap-
able of undergoing great fatigue without injury. His complexion
was bronzed from exposure; face marked with many lines; rather
sharp features, lighted by a quick twinkling eye and rapid utterance.
He was originally of an irascible temper, which was subdued by his
Qaaker breeding, and kept under control by watchfulness and care.
But eye, voice and action would occasionally betray the spirit work
within.
"Mr. Birkbeck was of quick perception and lively conversation*
often spiced with pungent remarks and amusing anecdotes. He was
a general and rapid reader, and notwithstanding his business occu-
pations, showed a decided taste for scientific investigation, for which
be always found time to indulge."
When Mr. Flower first met Mr Birkbeck, Mr. Flower was
about 25 years old. Another interesting allusion to Mr. Birkbeck in
Mr. Flower's History is this:
"After the downfall of Napoleon, and the peace succeeding a 20
years war, Mr. Birkbeck invited me to accompany him in a journey
to France, to which I readily acceded. We traveled together three
months in that coantry, avoiding the usual route of English travel.
Passing from North to South to the shores of the Mediterranean,
skirting the Pyrennes, and returning through the heart of the coun-
try to Paris, we saw more of the country and Frenchmen at home,
than we otherwise should, if confined to any one of the popular
routes of travel."
Many years ago, through the courtesy of Mr. Alfred Flower, a son
of Mr. George Flower, I had the pleasure of reading the manuscript
itinerary of that journey written by Mr. Flower himself. It is a very
interesting account of a trip undertaken for pleasure and profit,
because the two travelers were incidentally studying the Merino
sheep industry.
But Mr. Flower continues in his history: "On our return Mr.
Birkbeck published his 'Notes of a Journey through France.' It
had a wide circulation in England, and was well known in America.
It was the first book I met with at Monticello, the residence of
Thomas JefiPerson.
"About this time Mr. Edward Coles, on his return from a diplo-
matic mission to Russia, spent some time in England. An introduc-
tion to Mr Coles in London was succeeded by a visit to Mr. Birk-
beck's house and family at Wanborough. Here an intimacy and
friendship was formed, in consequence of which Mr. Coles, when
Governor of Illinois, appointed Mr. Birkbeck his Secretary of State."
At this point in Mr. Flower's History, Mr, E, B, Washburne, its edi-
tor, makes the following note:
261
"Edward Coles was elected Governor of Illinois in 1822. His
election was followed by a contest which continued for 18 months
and which, for bitterness and despen.tion, is without a parallel in the
history of political struggles in the United States. It resulted from
an attempt to change the free State constitution of the State into a
constitution tolerating slavery. Though Governor Coles was a Vir-
ginian and had been a slave holder, he was the leader of the free
State men who fought out the great battle of freedom in that terrific
conflict. By this time the English colony in Edwards county had
become an important factor in the politics of the State. Morris
Birkbeck, Gilbert T. Pell, his son-in-law, George Flower and Rich-
ard Flower, his father, played an important part in this contest in
opposition to the slavery propogandists." I would remark here that
much of the time of Mr. George Flower and his father was taken up
at this period, in negotiating the purchase of the Rapp colony of
New Harmony, Indiana, for Mr. Robert Owen. This purchase was
consummated in 1824, at a cost to Mr. Owen of about $140,000.00.
Mr. "W'ashburne continues: "The vigorous and facile pen of Mr.
Birkbeck was called into requisition, and his writings were widely
read, and exercised a great influence on public opinion.
In 1824, David Blackwell, then Secretary of State, resigned his
office, and Governor Coles, recognizing the services of Mr. Birkbeck
and his exceptional fitness for the position, appointed him in his
place in September, 1824. The nomination had to be confirmed by
the Senate, and that body, having a pro-slavery majority, rejected
him on Jan. 15, 1825, he having held the office only three months."
English tenant farming became a poor business during the peace
following the downfall of Napoleon. Mr. Birkbeck sold out his
lease of Wanborough and all his personal property pertaining to the
farm. This sale netted him more than $55,000, and this sum we
may consider as his contribution to the English enterprise in Ed-
wards county.
He embarked with his family from the port of London, on board
the ship America, Captain Heth, in April, 1817. They arrived at
Norfolk, Va., in the month of June, of the same year.
Mr. George Flower, who had been traveling through the western
settlements searching for the prairie lands, of which he had read in
Imlay's work, and concerning which he had great doubt, joined the
Birkbeck family party and came west with them. Mr. Birkbeck's
observations on this tedious horseback journey from Pittsburg to the
prairie land of Illinois, are contained in "Birkbeck's Notes of Travel
in America." Read that book and then go over the same route and
you will have a better understanding of the man. You shall see,
that, as we say in these days, "he sized things up," as he came along
— told what this and that locality was fitted for — and you realize
that now they are doing just what he predicted for them.
He was now about 55 or 56 years old, just in his ripe prime. We
have Mr Flower's pen picture of the man, and the strongest charac-
262
istios we see there, are: a man of strong, unbending will power; a
man of intense nervous energy, where every fibre of muscle — every
mental endeavor can be tuned up to high concert pitch, and stay
there until the work is done; we see that this work is to be directed
by inflexible honesty and a very high grade of intelligence. He was
a man who would always fall into the right place, because with his
bithright of abilty and training he could adapt himself to anyplace to
be filled with prime elements of manhood. He was a man with a broad,
catholic mind, made so by wide reading, reflection and experience.
If the Territory of Illinois had been a personality endowed with
prescience to know the peril and ordeal she was to pass through as
an infant State, and had desired to bring up and train a champion,
defender and preserver in her distress, she could not have devised a
better school than the one through which Morris Birkbeck passed.
I want you to go back and look at the condition of such a man, as
we know Mr. Birkbeck to have been, in the England of 1816. Just
imagine the galling, bitter, burning irony of the situation that must
have tortured his very soul. With all his attainments, aspirations
and wealth he was not classed as a citizen, could have no lot nor part
in the governmental affairs of the land. He was an inhabitant, just
that and nothing more. As an inhabitant he was just a grade or two
above the rabbits in his lordship's warren and the foxes and pheas-
ants in his game preserves.
As he grew up he saw the sturdy American colonies assert their
manhood by throwing off the yoke of servile distinction bred of a
thousand years of castle tutelage; standing proud and dominant in
the full power and majesty of their re-captured Saxon birthright of
freedom. He saw the blood, horror and tumult of the French revo-
lution, where amid untold atrocities the top of society went down
and the bottom came up. His Quaker breeding led him to look on
such things, and such procedure with disgust and loathing, while his
mature reflection recognized the woeful disparity between classes, his
sensitive nature and habit of thought counseled moderation in the
means to attain better ends. He was anxious and willing, at any
cost, to assert and maintain his own manhood, rights and freedom,
but his solicitude did not stop here, he was anxious that all men
should enjoy the same privileges. From the nature of the case — he
was driven to espouse the anti-slavery cause in the land of his adop-
tion. In this work of the English colony of Edwards county, Mr.
Birkbeck had a two-fold task. One might say that he fought the
pro- slavery men with a sword in one hand, while with the other he
waved the olive branch of peace to his neighbors, This English
movement into Edwards county was by no means a welcome one to
the settlers in the vicinity, neither was it looked upon with anything
like friendly appreciation. You must remember they came there
only six or seven years after the battle of New Orleans; that many of
the victors in that battle were settled around them; and of those who
were not with General Jackson behind the cotton bales, many had
suffered from depredations and killings by the Indians "egged on by
263
the British," as the phrase was. To these Mr. Birkbeck's office was
one of reason and conciliation. He could make them see the un-
righteousness and cupidity of the British cause and action; he could
impress them with the sympathy of himself and fellow colonists, be-
cause of being sufferers, like themselves, from British injustice.
Feeling as he did, the expanding influences of his own manhood, in
bis newly acquired relief from caste prejudice, he could talk to them
of the glorious prospects around them and the social conditions that
allowed a man to grow to his full size.
In the work of arousing public indignation against the contem-
plated change in the State Constitution to admit slavery, Mr. Birk-
beck was certainly the acknowledged leader. In the tight that fol-
lowed the call for a convention he furnished all the ammunition.
His pen was ever ready and potent. He could appeal to all classes
of society, the illiterate as well as the learned. Over the name of
Jonathan Freeman his letters were spread broadcast over the State,
sowing the seed of a crop of passionate protest against the plans of
the pro-slavery men. Newspapers were few and there were not many
readers, but there were thousands of good memories in the land.
The percentage of illiteracy, in those days, was something we hardly
dare look back upon. But there was an agency that was courage-
ous; which became burning soul inspired ally of Mr. Birkbeck.
The itinerant preacher, the circuit rider, was abroad in the land.
These zealous men were coming and going through every settlement
with their saddle bags loaded with the gospel and Birkbeck's letters.
These letters were read at every meeting and house where the
preacher held service or was entertained. The listeners carried them
away in their memories and at every house raising, log-rolling, bury-
ing, wedding and infare, they were "norated round," as the phrase
was used, for the spreading of news.
I heard of Birkbeck's letters 25 years before they were published
in Mr. Flower's history. I got them with no tarnish on their inten-
sity and brilliancy.
Nearly 50 years ago I was teaching school in Lawrence county. I
wanted to learn something about practical surveying, and one vaca-
tion became a pupil of the county surveyor, Mr. Walter Buchanan.
This society ought to have a sketch of that man. He was one of the
pioneers in a colony of Scotch-Irish Presbyterians. He was a man
of splendid physique, with a head and face denoting high intellect-
uality; his manner was genial, cordial and so kind that everyone
called him Uncle Wat. His education was limited, but he had more
than any book knowledge could give. He was a mathematical
prodigy. His neighbors said of him, "he is a natural born mathema-
tician." I used to think of him as a mathematical monstrosity. He
was full of what he called crank questions, and one could not be with
him ten minutes before one was thrown at him. He had a book full
of abstruse problems — all invented by himself. Nothing pleased
him so well as to have some one give him a hard one, something that
264
he could think about, as he expressed it. I found some "tough cus-
tomers" in a new book I had. I copied many of these and read them
to him at various times. I would hardly finish reading one before
he gave the solution.
I finally came to the conclusion that he was possessed of a sort of
sixth sense, something that I could not comprehend; and with this
extra sense he thought with circles, triangles, squares, cubes, conic
sections, parabolic curves and tangential lines, much in the same
way as I thought with words. I never met a man with such a
memory. In our long rides about the country, whenever I could
lure him away from his tormenting mathematics, I would get him to
talking about old times On one occasion, he asked me: "Did you
ever hear how Birkbeck skinned the preacher?" I never had. This
opened up a long talk about the convention and anti-convention
days, and Mr. Birkbeck's work in "heading off" the convention men.
In Mr, Buchanan's account: "There was a preacher, Mr. W., who
thought he would like to look horns with Birkbeck on the divine
wisdom and holiness of slavery. The letter was printed in the
papers. Mr. W. was very proud of it. I reckon he was sure he had
squelched Birkbeck, and a right peart lot of other folkg thought so
too. But Birkbeck came back at him with another letter. There
was a right smart chance of scripture in both letters." Here Mr.
Buchanan broke into a laugh. "I never can help laughing," he
said, "when I think how Mr. W. must have felt and looked when he
saw his hide hanging on the fence." "Perhaps he did not realize
that he had been skinned," I suggested. "Well," said Mr. Buchanan
reflectively, "I know that Solomon says that you can bray a fool in
a mortar, but he comes out the same old fool. May be he did not
know he was skinned. Everybody else did; and, as proof of the skin-
ning, nobody ever heard any more from Mr. W." With that he re-
peated the contents of those two letters.
Years after, when I read the letters in Mr. Flower's History, I
recognized the fact that I had heard them before, almost word for
word, The old feeling of bitterness engendered in that old time
struggle, was but slightly toned down in Mr Buchanan's narration
of it. In the summer of 1860 I became acquainted with Mr. George
Flower and his wife. Through the courtesy of their son-in-law, Mr.
Charles Agniel, I read some of the manuscript of the history. That
year Mr. Flower was putting the finishing touches on it. In Sep-
tember of the same year he presented it, together with some valuable
autograph letters, to the Chicago Historical society. It was in the
society's library a long time before it found an appreciative reader.
In 1871 such a reader picked it up and was interested. He lived in
the country and obtained permission to take it home with him. Dur-
ing its absence from the city the Chicago fire came. This manu-
script and the letters were all that was saved to the society. After
ether years it thrilled another man, Mr. L. Z, Leiter. He generously
contributed the money for its publication. This was done in 1882,
the work being edited by Mr. E. B. Washburne, Only a limited
number of copies were printed. The book ought to be republished.
265
Its tenth chapter deals with the convention and anti-convention
days, and the spirited language of Mr. Flower gives us a fair view of
the ferocity of the struggle.
Perhaps it would be of interest to inquire into the cause that
brought on the most critical period in the history of Illinois when,
in its infancy, it came very near shipwreck on the rocks of slavery.
Momentous as the occasion was, it arose from what we would now
consider a very trifling thing. This was a small commercial enter-
prise known as the salines of Gallatin county.
In the territorial times the land in the vicinity was a government
reservation. The government leased these salines to individuals,
and when the Illinois Territory was enacted into a State, the salines
were turned over to the State. When under the generalf government
control the lessees were allowed to bring slaves into the Territory for
the purpose of working these salines. Under this arrangement hun-
dreds and thousands of slaves were introduced into the southern part
of the Territory, chiefly from the states of Kentucky and Tennessee.
The company who held the lease of the salines from the State was
composed of Granger, Gard, White and others. The State allowed
the work to be done by slaves; but in Article 6, Section 2 of the first
Constitution, there was a provision which read thus:
"No person bound to labor in any other state, shall be hired to
labor in this State, excepting within the track reserved for the salt
work, near Shawneetown, nor even at that place for a longer term
than one year at any one time, nor shall it be allowed there after the
year 1825. Any violation of this article shall effect the emancipation
of such persons from his obligation to service."
Mr. Flower says in his history:
"Here the whole thing was supposed to be settled; everybody
thought freedom was established, and, under that belief, emigrants
from free states and from Europe came in and began to make per-
manent settlements for themselves and families. These settlers saw a
menace in the practice of the company working the salines. Under
the law a slave could be employed there but one year, at the expira-
tion of which time he had to be sent back to where he came from.
The truth was, few or any of them were allowed to leave the State,
but were paroled out to the friends of the lessees, and in many cases
bartered for land or sold for cash."
The general inspector of the salt works for the United States gov-
ernment, and also for the State, was Major Willis Hargrave, of
Carmi. He was with General Jackson at New Orleans. He was
made a general in the Black Hawk war. He led about 500 White
county men into that war.
When the lease of the Salt Works company, with its slave labor
privilege, was about to expire, the company could not ask for an ex-
tension of its concession from the State, because of the constitutional
barrier. But Major Hargrave was equal to the emergency; he would
change the constitution of the State. Probably no man in the State
had a wider acquaintance than he. As a member of the Territorial
266
legislature, and State Senator in the First General Assembly, and as
inspector of the salines, where everybody came for salt, he had op-
portunities for making friends possessed by few men.
As this was the first attempt made anywhere in the country by a
corporation, or trade monopoly, to run the government, it is interest-
ing to see how the work was started. In this work Major Hargrave
was the master spirit. We must not forget that he was a forceful
man. With him common, ordinary men were like clay in the hands
of the potter. His army experience had taught him the value of
organization and the importance of attention to the smallest details.
In his legislative experience he had learned to work the machine
that was to accomplish his purpose. His first object, then, was to
shape that machine to his liking, in the election of members to the
coming Third General Assembly. With the spirit of a born tactician
and strategist he stealthily placed his scouts and advance guards so
as not to alarm the enemy. All the counties were organized. Four or
five careful, discreet, thorough-going partisans, men of position, were
appointed captains of the movement in their counties. Each of thesQ
selected a squad of like character, for work in all the settlements. It
was the duty of this detail to talk into being by easy gradations a
general, pro slavery sentiment, and to know how every man in his
settlement was going to vote. The next thing to do was to place the
battery of newspapers in position
You have seen the leader of an orchestra assemble the players to
tune up their instruments, preparatory to the grand overture In
some such fashion Major Hargrave tuned up this newspaper artillery.
They were not to alarm the people. In the opening of the fight they
were to shoot nothing more dangerous than paper wads showing the
benign expediency of extending the slavery privilege with a well de-
fined limit.
But as the fight grew, the discharges from these guns began to do
some damage, until finally they began to deal in red hot shot and
shell calling for a change in the constitution to admit slavery. Hap-
pily there were some papers that could not be trained in such fashion.
Under such circumstances the election of the Third General Assem-
bly took place.
This Assembly of 1822-1824 contained 54 members — 18 Senators
and 36 Representatives. Among these were four men directly inter-
ested in the salt works as lessees. Leonard White, of White county,
and Michael Jones, of Gallatin, were in the Senate; Daimwood of
Gallatin, Sloo of Hamilton, and Hargrave's man Logan, of White,
were in the House. This man Logan had been elected by his friends
in the Methodist settlement in White county, under pledge to vote
against any change in the constitution. He it was who introduced
the resolution calling for the convention. My authority as to the
manner of his election is from the mouths of old settlers. The record
tells the rest.
Every once in a while we hear men and women sigh for the
*_'good old days, when men were honest." If these people will
just look up the transactions of that Third General Assembly of Illi-
287
nois, they will be better satisfied with things as they are now. The
words caucus, ring, boodle and graft were not in use then, but they
had the full grown things just the same. This was the method of
procedure as recorded by Mr. Flower, and he says he gives it in the
words of an eye witness:
"The history of the business appears to be shortly this: Certain
members of the Assembly, anxious to introduce a forbidden system
among us, formed themselves into a junto, or caucus, soon after the
commencement of the session, and offered to other members their
votes in favor of any proposition which those members had any in-
terest in carrying, in consideration of their pledging themselves to
support the measure of a convention. (Doesn't that sound like up to
date legislation?)
By the accession of these, their first victims, the junto, in fact, be-
came the legislature, as by comprising a majority of both houses, it
was capable of carrying every question, the convention alone ex-
cepted.
Other representatives, who had not as yet bartered away their in-
dependence, soon discovered that they were completely at the mercy
of the junto; and, in order to recover the means of serving their con-
stituents on those points of local interest, which when combined,
form the general weal, suffered themselves, one by one, to be bought
over, until the function had acquired nearly two thirds of the whole
number of votes — the strength requisite to carry their favorite
measure, without the accomplishment of which, they declared they
would not quit Vandalia.
They repeatedly tried their strength by preparatory resolutions,
and at length, on the 5th of February, brought forward the main
question; but it was decided against them by a majority of two.
They were not, however, to be so baffled. They carried a vote of re-
consideration, and the resolution was laid upon the table. On the
11th of February, having gained over the deficient votes by means
which it would be invidious to mention, the resolution was again
brought forward, and again lost, through the defection of a mem-
ber who on a former occasion, had voted for it. Notwithstand-
ing this second decision, they persevered in their purpose. One of
the party, although in the constitutional minority on the last divi-
sion, again moved a reconsideration of the question. The speaker
declared the motion to be out of order, because the mover was in the
minority. They attempted to overrule the decision of the speaker,
by an appeal to the house, but the chair was supported by a majority
of three. Here, it might be supposed, the question was finally de-
cided, and would have been allowed to rest; but it proved otherwise.
On the succeeding day, the vote confirming the speaker's decision
was reversed, and the motion for reconsideration, made by one of the
minority carried ; and to extinguish the vote of the defaulter, and
create a favorable one in the room of it, as no such vote could be
found in the house, they had recourse to a proceeding, the most un-
just and impudently tyrannical that ever, as I believe, disgraced the
Legislature of a free country.
268
By an arbitrary resolution, in direct violation of law, they ex-
pelled one of the representatives who had been established in his
seat, by a decision of the House, and introduced in his room a man
favorable to their views, who had been declared, by the same decision,
not to be a representative. Thus was Mr. Hansen illegally expelled
from his seat in the Legislature, and Mr. Shaw illegally placed in.
Having accomplished this, they brought forward the main question
the third time, and carried it by the vote of this man, whom they
created a member for the express purpose, at the close of the ses-
sion."
Ford, in his history of Illinois, confirms this statement, but makes
the tergiversation of the Assembly more apparent, He says, on page
52. When the Legislature assembled, it was found that the Senate
contained the requisite two thirds majority ; but in the House of Rep-
resentatives, by deciding a contested election in favor of one of the
candidates, the slave party would have one more than two thirds;
but by dividing in favor of the other, they would lack one vote of
having that majority. These two candidates were John Shaw and
Nicholas Hansen, who claimed to represent the county of Pike, which
then included all the military tract and all the country north of the
Illinois river, to the northern limits of the State,
The leaders of the slave party were anxious to elect Jesse B. Thomas
to the United States Senate. Hansen would vote for him, but Shaw
would not. The party had use for both of them, and they deter-
mined to use them both, one after the other. For this purpose, they
first decided in favor of Hansen, admitted him to a seat, and with his
vote elected their United States Senator; and then, toward the close
of the session, with brute force, and in the most bare faced manner,
they reconsidered their former vote, turned Hansen out of his seat,
and decided in favor of Shaw, and with his vote carried their resolu-
tion for a convention."
Mr. Wafahburne's note in Flower's history p. 205 reads as follows:
"In the account Mr. Flower has given of the celebrated contest be-
tween Shaw and Hansen, he has simply followed the accepted histor-
ical version. Governor Reynolds and Governor Ford are both mis-
taken when they state that Hansen was admitted to a seat in the
lower branch of the Legislature, in order to vote for Thomas, for
United States Senator, and was then put out in order to admit Shaw,
for the purpose of having his vote for the convention resolution.
Hansen was the sitting member whose seat was contested by Shaw.
The contest was settled in the early part of the session, and without
any reference whatever either to the Senatorial or convention ques-
tion. The House decided that Hansen was entitled to his seat. It
was only at the end of the session, and after Hansen had
held his seat unchallenged for eleven weeks, that he was turned out,
to put Shaw in, so by his vote to carry the convention resolution.
The proceeding was lawless, revolutionary, and utterly disgraceful
and contributed largely to the defeat of the convention scheme before
the people."
269
After the resolution calling for a convention to change the consti-
tution was carried, until the election in August 1824, the war grew
bitter and fierce. The pro- slavery men knew their arch antagonist.
It is sometimes, in the opinion of posterity, the highest compliment and
tribute to a man's power, that can be given him, to hang him in effigy,
and hunt him like a mad dog at the point of a pistol. Mr Birkbeck
achieved both of these distinctions in Vandalia. He was there hung
in effigy, and, as a defenceless man, had to flee from the pistols in
the hands of partisan blinded, maddened judges of courts, distracted,
let us hope, with something beside politics.
But all this did not deter him. As the fight continued he in-
creased in efforts and in strength. His pen neither slumbered nor
slept. Just at the close of the campaign he issued an address to the
people. This appeared in the Illinois Gazette, and was also printed
in hand bill form and sent out by men, hired for the purpose, all
over the stale. Please observe there was no campaign fund then, and
all this expense was borne by Mr. Birkbeck. It was this address that
turned the tide of battle, and because of this, and its artistic, intrinsic
merit, I cannot refrain from giving it entire.
"An address to the citizens of Illinois for the day of election, and
worthy of their serious attention preparatory thereto:
"Blessed beyond all the nations of the earth in the enjoyment of
civil and political freedom, under a constitution which is the admi-
ration of the wise in every nation to which the knowledge of it has
extended, the citizens of this great republic have yet to deplore that
there exists within it a system of oppression, greatly exceeding in its
cruelty and injustice all other calamities inflicted by tyranny upon
its victims, an inheritance of wretchedness, extending from genera-
tion to generation.
"In those sections of the republic where this system prevails, a large
proportion of the people distinguished from the rest by color, but
alike susceptible to pain and pleasure, with minds capable of im-
provement, though disgraced by their condition, are deprived of all
rights personal and civil, and groaning in hopeless servitude. The
effect of this evil upon the states, laboring under this curse, (in ad-
dition to the every day misery of the slave) is to obstruct their improve-
ment to an astonishing degree, especially by repressing population
According to a census made by Congress in 1774, Virginia at that
period contained 650,000 inhabitants. New York, including Vermont,
and Pennsylvania including Delaware, contained together only
600,000— that is to say, 50,000 less that Virginia alone, In 1820, by
the last census. New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware contained,
omitting fractions, 2,600,000 free persons; having increased above
four fold in 46 years, eight of which were under a consuming war.
But these states had during this period, delivered themselves from
slavery, that still more consuming plague with which we are now
threatened. Virginia unhappily remained in bondage; and by the
census of 1820, instead of a population of two million and a half,
which she probably would have attained, if free, had little more than
270
1,000,000, of which 445,000 were slaves; exposing a deficiency arising
from this source in that single state, of 2,000,000 of free persons.
In the value of land and the amount of manufacturing and commer-
cial capital vested in public institutions, canals, hospitals, seminaries
of learning, etc., the contrast is still more remarkable; a ten-fold
proportion in favor of the free state is probably below the truth.
To this add the number and vast superiority of their towns and cities
and cultivated farms, with the industry, tranquility and security of
the inhabitants.
"Pursue the comparison throughout the Union, and such is the
lamentable result; misery and vice, restraining population where
slavery prevails, and drying up all the sources of prosperity.
"We are assembled this day to make our election between freedom
and its blessings, and slavery and its curses unutterable; between
good and evil. Indiana, our sister state, has given us an example of
wisdom by an overwhelming majority against a slave making con-
vention. Ohio, another sister rejoicing in her own freedom, is ex-
erting herself in the generous hope of laying a foundation of universal
emancipation; as appears by an earnest appeal to the Union lately
issued by her legislature. United as we are with these states in a
solemn compact against the admission of slavery, let Illinois prove
herself worthy of their aflBnity, and coming forward with one consent
on the side of wisdom and virtue, let us disappoint the hopes of a
short sighted party among us, who would sacrifice our permanent
interests to their mistaken views of temporary advantage. The indi-
vidual who presumes thus to address you is no politician; has no
object at variance with the general welfare; no ambition but to be a
friend of mankind, and especially his brethren of this State."
Here spoke the patriot; the lover of his kind; the far seeing man
of affairs; the keen logician and broad minded statesman.
Through the courtesy of Hon. James A. Rose, Secretary of State
for Illinois, I present here the vote of Illinois by counties in the
election held Aug. 2, 1824.
Counties.
For
Convention.
Agraitist
Convention.
AlflTATldfir . - ..........•>.•.•..«•......•.••••.•••••■■>•••••>•••'
75
63
31
134
3
189
126
170
5
697
164
173
180
99
74
158
351
46
74
■ 42
61
Bond
240
Clark
116
OraTvford . ....
262
Ederar ..••... ••••
234
KH wards -. ............•.••..•....••.••«...•••....•..•••>•••
391
Fftvettfl
121
Franklin
113
Fulton
60
Gallatin
133
ftrftPTift .........*.... ....■••.■•■•....•«..•■.••«•••••■•-•
379
85
,T«f»lr con - ................•..■..■•••■>•••••■••>•«••>•••
93
43
•ToVin^oTi . ----- ..-.....••.••••>>■•••••••>•••>•••••••■•
74
261
Mftdl^on -. - - •...••......•..••..•••■■•
663
62
MnnteroTOfirv -^ .----, .......,.•••••■•••••••*
90
Morgan
432
271
Counties.
For
Convention.
Aeainst
CcnTentlon.
Plfce ,
Randolph ...
8ang»mon. ..
St. Clnlr
Union ,
Washington
Wayne
White
165
284
722
606
240
173
111
326
6640
Majority against the convention, 1,668.
I want you to notice the counties that gave those large pro-slavery
majorities. Look at them then, and now. While the rest of the
State has been advancing with leaps and bounds, these, blest with a
wealth of material facilities, are creeping along in much the same
old, old fashion. Why? Let me tell you.
The body politic is sometimes attacked with a peculiar disease.
As the sociologist has not yet recognized this lesion, or complaint, I
venture to give it a name. It is communal atrophy, or arrest of de-
velopment. It is really an interesting study in ethnology. To un-
derstand it we must take a lesson from Darwin. More than 60 years
ago, this gentleman, in his book — "The Origin of Species" — showed
to the world that in his study of the laws of animated nature he
found there were three great paramount principles, which he called
Natural Selection, The Survival of the Fittest and Cross Fertilization.
He proved conclusively that cousin-ship marriage was a crime against
nature; that the infraction of this law of cross fertilization, whether
in plants or animals, was followed by the penalty of degeneracy, de-
cadence and annihilation.
The priests and preachers could not use Darwin in their business;
but the stock breeders, the flock masters, the agriculturists, horticul-
turists and floriculturists did. By following the laws, Darwin indi-
cated; each, in his line, selecting the best unrelated individuals as
progenitors, and continuing this practice through all succeeding
generations, they have given to the world the four distinct types of
horse; they have bred the horns off the ox; the bristles off the hog;
given us many sorts of sheep, each sort having a distinct grade of
wool; and they have adorned, beautified and rendered more endura-
ble what the preacher calls "this vale of tears" with fruits and flowers
such as the garden of Eden never saw.
Strange to say, Darwin, with all his acute penetration, failed to
recognize the fact that our mutual Uncle started out to breed his na-
tion on these same three principles, 200 years before Darwin was
born. He gathered in the best, bravest, most virile men, and the
most womanly women that broad Christendom could furnish; here
was natural selection; the weakest of these succumbed in the perils
of early colonization, here was the survival of the fittest; these sur-
vivors of all the contributing nationalities, intermarried and their
272
progeny have done the same, until now Unole Sam presents to the
admiration, respect and fear of the world, a new type of men and
women, such as never trod the earth before.
But there was an exception. There were two sorts of early colo-
nists. The first, who broke into the country by their own energy.
Nothing could have kept them out. The second, those who, lacking
this initial force, were brought into the country as menials to the
first class. This was notably the case in Virginia. The lot of these
was an unhappy one. Their services were supplanted by slaves. Left
to their own devices they could not make headway against the large
plantations and the new order of things. They moved away into the
mountain regions of southwestern Virginia, eastern Tennessee and
Kentucky, carving out little farms in the fertile valleys to supply
their simple wants. Here they remained isolated for genera-
tions. There was no intermingling with the bounding, strenuous
new life that was accomplishing wonders all around them. There
was no chance to improve the stock by cross fertilization. On the
contrary, there was constant intermarriage among closely related
families with resulting degeneracy, or communal atrophy.
The more adventurous among these left their mountain homes
and came to the Illinois Territory, hoping, in time, to carve out a
plantation and own a slave. They formed the majority of the popu-
lation in the counties along the Ohio river.
Intermixed with these, and forming settlements north of them,
were many emigrants from the Carolinas, Georgia, Central Kentucky
and Tennessee. These were men from Scotland, Ireland, France and
Germany. They had lived long enough with slavery to learn to hate
it and all that followed in its train. These men helped make the
State and did manful duty in fighting against a change in the con-
stitution.
Standing here and looking back over the 80 years that mark a daz-
zling phenomenon of progress, in which the emancipated soul— freed
from the shackles of untold centuries of caste, creed and kingly pre-
rogative—has given to the world a constantly accelerating series of
glorious, transcendent actualities, that so far surpass the most fervid,
audacious dreams of the older philanthropists, philosophers, men of
invention and men of business, as the tidal wave surpasses the tiny
ripple of a brooklet; we can hardly realize the tremendous destinies
that trembled in the balance of that slender 1,600 majority for free-
dom.
But look at the logic of the situation: With Illinois as a slave
state, and Missouri already doomed, nothing could have saved Wis-
consin and Iowa from the same fate. Kansas and Nebraska would
have remained impotent possibilities in the womb of the great Ameri-
can desert.
We must remember that the flow of emigation in 1824 was a small
affair when compared to the movement of later years. At that time
the contributing nations of Europe had not recovered from the Napo-
leonic scourging.
273
With Illinois as a slave State, and with the sure prospect of a fur-
ther spread of slavery in the northwest, small as the stream of emi-
gration was, it would have ceased coming to the United States, It
would have been directed to Canada, or deflected to Australia, New
Zealand and to the Dutch and Huguenot colonies at the Cape of
Good Hope.
The eastern states would have dwindled in poverty. There would
have been no incentive to domestic manufacture.
With the spread of slavery in the northwest, there would have
been no trumped up excuse for a war with Mexico. There would
have been no acquisition of California; no gold discovery that has
changed the whole material and social features of the country; go
which ever way you will and for thousands of miles you are among
neighbors.
There would have been no civil war. The slave power would have
had eminent domain in this land, and the present United States,
instead of being a triumphant actuality, would have remained the
feverish dream of an enthusiastic lunatic.
That feeble majority was brought about by the work of a few in-
trepid men who were willing to fight for better things. Foremost
among these was Morris Birkbeck. Look back at the situation and
the desperate crisis. There was the State — an immature maiden in
the grasp of rapacious lust and cruel greed — crying for a deliverer.
Birkbeck came to her relief. With masterful strength and tact he
encouraged her friends and beat off her enemies; took her by the
hand, led her, turned her face toward the Goddess of Liberty and
bade her smile. She owes to her fearless champion a debt of eternal
gratitude.
Now in the plentitude, gladness and majesty of more mature years,
let her erect to the memory of this man a monumental shaft fitting
to his worth and work. Let it be surmounted by an enduring bronze
figure of her defender in her hour of need, that all generations may
see and learn to love him. Let this grateful tribute rise on the lake
shore of the city he made possible, facing the east whence he came,
facing the sun in his rising — that his radiant beams shall gild the
benignant countenance with a glory akin to that he caused to gleam
on the face of the maiden Illinois.
-18 H.
274
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF MAJ. GEN. JAMES D.
MORGAN.
( By Hon. William H. Collins.)
James D. Morgan was born in Boston, Mass., Aug. 1st, 1810. His
father was a sea captain in the East India trade. When nine years
of age he quit school, and, thrown upon his own resources, he became
an apprentice in a cooper shop. Active and full of the spirit of ad-
venture, so quiet and prosaic an employment did not suit him and
at the age of sixteen years, he shipped for a term of three years upon
the ship Beverly.
When about 30 days at sea, a mutiny broke out. This was sup-
pressed, but later, the vessel burned to the water's edge, the crew
escaping in boats. They were several hundred miles from land.
Drifting in their boats, they suffered great privation and severe
hardships, but finally landed upon the coast of South America.
He returned to his native city and found employment with Peleg
Churchill. Among the papers left by the general, I find the follow-
ing contract: ' Boston, Oct. 27, 1832. This agreement made and
concluded between Peleg Churchill on one part, and James D. Mor-
gan on the other part, witnesseth: That the said Morgan agrees to
work for the said Churchill one year from the 29th, at the following
rates as foreman of his, the said Churchill's fish store or shop, as the
case may be. The first six months, the said Churchill is to pay the
said Morgan $1.42 per day, including evenings when the business
shall require it, and $1.50 per day the last six months: Provided,
however, that if the said Churchill shall want the said Morgan
in the cooper shop before the first six months shall expire, then the
said Churchill is to pay the said Morgan $1.50 per day from the time
he commences in the cooper shop. Said Morgan is to lose his own
time when he is absent and receive his wages on demand by perform-
ing his part of this contract."
With this prospect of earning $1.42 per day, he married Miss
Jane Strachan. In 1834, he left his native city and settled in Quincy,
Illinois. He engaged in various enterprises. Pork packing was one
of the most important kinds of business at that time. Quincy became
an important center of trade for a large district, The river afiPorded
an outlet toward the south for the products of the farms of this part
of Illinois. The manufacture of whiskey, flour and pork products
created a great demand for barrels. To supply this demand, in con-
J
275
nectiqn with Mr, Ed. Wells, he established an extensive cooper shop.
The forests of the country furnished an unlimited supply of cooper-
age material, and the business was eminently successful.
After five years he became engaged in a bakery and confectionary
store. For a time he had an interest in a grocery store. He became
a contractor for public work and paved the levee at the steamboat
landing. The substantial and durable character of this work, after the
wear and tear of more than half a century, attests the honesty and
thoroughness with which he executed his contract.
He entered into partnership with 0. M, Pomeroy, under the name
of Pomeroy & Co., for the packing of pork. The firm afterward be-
came Pomeroy, Morgan & Bond. He was engaged in this business
for about 25 yeara. He accumulated a comfortable fortune, as for-
tunes were estimated at that day.
Morgan had belonged to a military company in Boston. He had a
natural fondness for military affairs. If he had any over-mastering
passion, it was for a soldier's career. Consequently, he threw him-
self with energy and enthusiasm into the work of organizing a mili-
tary company in the young city of his residence. He helped recruit
and organize the "Quincy Greys." It became a company of marked
local fame for the excellence of its drill. It was armed with the old-
fashioned flint-lock musket. It drilled in accordance with the Scott
Manual of Arms and Tactics, Organized in 1837, this company was
maintained for several years and out of it grew organizations which
were kept up in some form, until the breaking out of the civil war
in 1861.
The Mormon war having its theater of operations in Hancock
county, immediately north of Quincy, Morgan was brought into
prominence, as the captain of a company of about 50 men, called the
"Quincy Riflemen." They were mounted, and during the war did
patrol and police duty.
Upon the breaking out of the war with Mexico, Captain Morgan
organized a company of 100 men. It was made Company A of the
First regiment Illinois infantry, commanded by Col. John J. Hardin.*
Hardin was killed in the battle of Buena Vista. Captain Morgan
was on detached service at the time of this battle, but from the roof
of a church upon the position he was detailed to guard, the battle
field was in full view. He once told me of the chagrin and disap-
pointment he felt at being compelled to remain an inactive specta-
tor. So far from congratulating himself and his command, for being
out of the risks of the fight, it was a grief to him to be denied the
"luxury" of it. He appredated the gay sally of General Kearney,
who, when asked by a commander of a regiment where he should
"go in," replied, "go in anywhere; there is lively fighting all along
the line."
* See letters of Hardin to Morgan appended to this sketch. Orljlnal letters In library of
Qalncy Historical society.
276
For a time during the war, Captain Morgan was in command of a
battalion consisting of Companies A and I. Among other officers of«
the battalion was Benjamin M. Prentiss. George T. M. Davis and W.
H, L. Wallace, who was in command of a brigade and killed in the
battle of Shiloh.
At the close of the Mexican war, Captain Morgan returned to his
home, but his interest in military organization remained strong, and
he became the captain of the "Quincy City Guards," receiving his
commission from Gov. Joel A. Matteson.
I first heard of General Morgan in Jacksonville, at the Wabash
station. The civil war had opened and a train came in from Quincy
with a company of volunteers, on their way to Cairo. A large crowd
had collected and B. M. Prentiss (afterwards a major general by bre-
vet) made a characteristic speech, in which he alluded to one Captain
Morgan who was on his way with them, but with a broken leg, so
that he could not come out to address the crowd. From what I after-
wards knew of him, I think the reason for his not appearing was not
so much because of his lameness as his distaste for display and speeeh
making
At Cairo, companies from various points in the State were organ-
ized into regiments. As during the war with Mexico, there had been
six regiments of Illinois infantry; it was deemed advisable, in com-
pliment to them, to begin the numbering of the new regiments with
the number seven, so the regiments were numbered. John Cook, of
Sangamon county, was made colonel of the Seventh; Oglesby,
of Macon county, colonel of the Eighth; Paine, of Warren county,
colonel of the Ninth, and Prentiss, of Adams county, colonel of the
Tenth. He was soon promoted to be a brigadier general, and Morgan
became colonel of the regiment.
Cairo was the main strategic point in the west. The control of
the Mississippi river was an absolute necessity for the suppression of
the Rebellion, It was the base from which advances could be made
southward. At this point the volunteer army was gathered at the
outbreak of the war for a "three months" service. It was soon found
that more than a "three months" service would be required and the
regiments were reorganized for a three years' enlistment.
Colonel Morgan, immediately upon assuming command of his regi-
ment, began to train his officers and men in the details of military
discipline and drill. He inspired all under his command with a pride
in the regiment. This he had accomplished during the three months'
service, and the training received under his work at this time was
such, that numbers of non-commissioned officers and privates of the
regiment were made commissioned officers in the regiments organized
at a later period.
My personal acquaintance with Colonel Morgan began in August,
1861. Governor Yates offered me an appointment in the military ser-
vice, and as it seemed to me that having no training as a soldier, I
could be most useful in the line of work in which I had had some experi-
277
enoe, I was induced to take the position of chaplain. Colonel Mor-
gan expressed a desire for my appointment to his regiment. My ac-
ceptance of his proposal brought me into daily contact with him.
The Tenth regiment was ordered to Mound Oity. The camp was
on a level plain and the parade ground well adapted for a drill ground.
Morgan loved to drill his regiment, With a voice singularly clear
and penetrating, his commands could easily be heard from one end
of the battalion to the other. Every day the regiment was called for
drill. Every evening came dress parade. Every movement in Har-
die's Tactics was carefully practiced until every oflBcer and private
knew exactly what to do in response to the word of command.
"Fancy" movements, never used in actual war, were practiced. It
made officers and men active and alert. The regiment became a
sensitive, efiFective machine, animated by a living spirit, controlled
by a master mind.
The special duty of the regiment, while at Mound City, was to
guard the gun boats which were being constructed. With these
boats and the "Tyler," which was an ordinary steamboat transformed
into a "tin-clad," General Grant made his attack upon the Confeder-
ate forces encamped opposite Columbus at Belmont. They were be-
ing made ready for a raid into Missouri. Colonel Morgan and his
regiment were not included in the attacking forces. The sound of
the cannon could be plainly heard at Mound City. The roar of the
battle profoundly agitated Colonel Morgan. He nervously paced to
and fro in front of his quarters, his features revealing grief mingled
with anger. He told me of his experience on the roof of the church
in sight of the battle of Buena Vista. The tears coursed down his
cheeks as he exclaimed with disgust and grief, "They are in the fight
and we are carpet soldiers." He did not then see that he would have
abundant opportunity for battle before the close of the war.
The Tenth regiment next camped on Bird's Point. While here
the expeditions to Forts Henry and Donelson were undertaken, but
Colonel Morgan with his command remained behind on garrison duty.
He was very happy when he received orders to move toward New
Madrid. The Confederates occupied this place, protected by redoubts
and gun- boats, Morgan's command moved close to the Confederate
lines ia the night and threw up breast-works. During the next day
they were under fire and Colonel Morgan seemed happy. New Ma-
drid was abandoned in the night. A couple of gun-boats had run
past Island No. 10, and two small steamers had come down through
a slough which flanked the Island. The Federal forces crossed the
river and Morgan's regiment, with others, entered into an exciting
race to get possession of a narrow neck of land between Tiptonville
and Reelfoot lake. If this neck of land could be reached in advance
of the Confederates, their retreat would be cut off. The race was
won and, our forces being supported by the gun-boats in the river,
the Confederates were unable to go further and a fight seemed use-
less. I will never forget the event. General Paine, Colonel Morgan
and others were lying on the floor of a cabin when two Confederate
officers were brought in. One of them, a German by birth, in broken
278
English, said: "I am here to surrender Grenerals Grantt and MoCall,
with about 4,500 men; I have been in arms all my life and I never
thought it would come to this." "Such is the fortune of war," said
General Paine. Colonel Morgan said not a word but his face indi-
cated the profound satisfaction which he felt over the result of the
day's efforts, the capture of Island No. 10 and so large a body of
troops almost without the loss of a man. In the morning General
Pope arrived on a transport. He rubbed his hands with delight, his
face wreathed with smiles. He congratulated Morgan warmly but
Morgan was, as usual, absolutely undemonstrative.
A trip down the river to Fort Pillow followed. Meantime the bat-
tle of Shiloh had been fought and the army under Pope was ordered
back to Cairo and thence up the Tennessee river. The army landed
at Hamburgh and moved forward, constituting the left wing of the
forces under General Halleck in his advance upon Corinth. Colonel
Morgan's regiment took the lead and, by a bold attack, drove the
enemy out of a densiey wooded creek bottom, secured the bridge on
the road to high ground beyond. He participated in what was called
the "siege of Corinth" and, upon the evacuation of the place, moved
southward to Booneville, having some slight skirmishing on the way.
The regiment was camped at Big Springs and the program seemed
to be to lie quiet and camp and await for Beauregard's next move.
At this time desiring a different force of service, I left Colonel
Morgan's staff and resigning, returned north and assisted in raising
a regiment. I saw nothing more of the Colonel until in the spring
of 1863, I arrived in Nashville. He was in Nashville at this time.
He had been commissioned a Brigadier General. During the latter
part of 1862, he had been in Tuscumbia, Alabama, where he had re-
lieved Gen George H. Thomas. His brigade was in Gen. John M.
Palmer's division; he was in Nashville when General Bragg made his
raid into Kentucky. No better oflBcer could have been selected for the
service of holding this capital city in the heart of the Confederacy.
There were many officers who could have planned campaigns better
than he, but no one could be found who would carry out a definite
program and hold on in defense of a position he was assigned to, with
a more obstinate determination and indomitable purpose than he. He
was watchful, devoted to his duty and obedient to a strict interpreta-
tion of orders.
General Bragg made no direct attempt to re-capture Nashville. He
undoubtedly reasoned that if his expedition to the Ohio river was
successful it would inevitably fall into his hands.
During the campaign of 1863, Colonel Morgan commanded a bri-
gade in the Reserve corps. As the army moved forward toward Chat-
tanooga, his main duty was to organize and handle the troops which
guarded the railroad. Upon this railroad, running from Louisville
to Nashville, and on toward Stevenson, Bridgeport and Chattanooga,
Eosecrans depended for his supplies. It was of first importance to
put the care of it in the hands of a careful and competent officer.
General More:an was chosen for this task. After Rosecrans moved
south of the Tennessee river, crossing the ranges of Sand, Racoon
279
and Lookout mountains, General Morgan made his headquarters at
Stevenson, Ala. It was here that he received a dispatch from Gen-
eral Roseorans on the afternoon of the battle of Chickamauga. Sep-
tember 20th, stating that the army had met with a great disaster and
that he (General Morgan) must use his utmost endeavor to keep the
railroad from falling into the hands of the enemy. It was this service
in the rear of the army which prevented Morgan's brigade from par-
ticipation in the battles of Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain and
Mission Ridge.
When the army was organized for the Atlanta campaign. General
Morgan was assigned to the command of the First brigade of the
Second division of the Fourteenth corps. This brigade consisted of
the Tenth, Sixteenth, Sixtieth Illinois, and the Tenth and Fourteenth
Michigan infantry.
In February, 1864, a demonstration was made toward Dalton, Ga,,
to prevent General Johnston from sending troops to re- enforce the
Confederate army in Mississippi. Morgan's brigade participated in
this, and at Buzzard Roost, was in the advance. Several of his regi-
ments worked their way into the gap and suffered severely. The in-
formation General Morgan gained in this affair, was of great value
to General Sherman when he began his campaign for the capture of
Atlanta. I was at this time on the staff of Gen. John M. Palmer,
and often heard the conversation at the headquarters of the Four-
teenth corps, and I remember that once when General Sherman and
others were discussing the advisability of a direct attack upon the
gap, General Morgan freely protested against the plan. He said: "I
tried that last February and found that it was a hornet's nest; it is
stronger now than it was then." I think that he prevented a direct
attack which would have been exceedingly destructive to those en-
gaged in it. The army moved by the flank through Snake creek gap
and the Confederate army retreated from their strongest positions.
The bloody assault upon the Confederate line at Kenesaw moun-
tain on the 27th of June, was participated in by a party of the
Second division and in front of the position held by Morgan's
brigade. At a meeting of the general officers on the evening before
the assault, the question as to which of the brigade commanders
should lead was discussed. Finally Gen. JefiF C Davis, the division
commander, said: "Well, Morgan, you are the oldest man and Mc-
Cook of the Third brigade the youngest. So MoCook will lead,
Mitchell will support and you will be the reserve." "All right" said
McCook, "Here's for glory or a soldier's grave."
General Morgan advised that the assault be made with the regi-
ment "doubled on the center" but it was decided to charge with regi-
mental front. The result was a bloody repulse. Just before the
assault I was standing by MoCook, who was seated on the root of an
oak tree talking to Colonel Gross, and heard him say, with great
energy of expression: "We'll right shoulder shift, double quick,
and by G-d we'll go right over those works." He was shot and mor-
tally wounded after reaching a Confederate salient. It was not prob-
280
able, that if Morgan's plan of formation had been adopted, the
assault would have been successful. The ground was so difficult, the
obstructions so elaborate, the undergrowth so tangled and dense, the
morning so oppressively hot, and the fire of batteries and musketry
so severe, that the effort was foredoomed to failure.
General Morgan lost an opportunity for a signal service while the
siege of Atlanta was in progress. For this he has been sometimes
severely criticized. General Sherman was disposed to think he was
not without blame for a failure to carry out his plan. I think so far
as it was a failure, it was the result of General Morgan's conception
of his duty to follow exactly his orders. This was his fundamental
dominant principle as an officer. He was a literalist in interpreta-
tion. The circumstances and situation may be easily comprehended.
General Hood on the 28th day of July marched out of Atlanta by
the Lickskillet road for the purpose of attacking the right of the
Union line which had just been, in the night, moved into position.
It was an effort to repeat his movement of the 22nd day of July,
when he attacked the left rear and front of the Union line. It was
like bringing the two blades of the vast shears together. It was in
the angle between these blades that General McPherson was killed.
The movement was skillfully planned and but for the indomitable
courage and firmness of our veteran troops, would have resulted in a
grave disaster. On the 28th of July, Sherman attempted to give
Hood a taste of his own tactics Having discovered that a large
force was preparing to assault our right which had taken new ground
in the night and had not entrenched. General Sherman decided to
send the Second division around the Confederate flank and strike
them in the rear, as soon as they become engaged. To make this
movement they had to march down the Lickskillet road for about a
mile and then turn eastward, then northward with a left wheel. Gen.
J. C. Davis being sick, Morgan was placed in command. He set out
on his march with a guide who was believed to be familiar with the
country.
Meantime the Confederate attack had opened, Morgan continued
his march, Sherman was at the headquarters of the Second divison.
He was impatiently walking to and fro, nervously twisting his hands
together behind his back. He expected to hear from Morgan's
guns. He told Captain Watson of Davis' staff, "Go tell Morgan
not to mind the roads, to march to the sound of those guns."
Morgan, led by his guide and a literal construction of his orders, had
kept on the road and had marched away from the battle. In all
probability if General Morgan had carried out the plan of General
Sherman, he would have inflicted a heavy loss upon the enemy and
probably captured many prisoners. Our thin line was of itself, suf-
ficient to repulse the Confederate assault, leaving several hundred
killed and wounded on the field. General Morgan failed to execute
the movement and lost a great opportunity.
281
•
After General Davis had been put in command of the Fourteenth
corps, General Morgan was placed in command of the Second divis-
ion. Not long after this change in the command, General Sherman
began his movement to Jonesboro. It was the fortune of the division
to make an assault upon the Confederate lines.
General Morgan here had an opportunity for carrying out his
theory of assaulting the enemy with unloaded guns. This was a
kind of "hobby" of his. He advocated it very strongly. He believed
that firing and loading guns while making a charge, tended to confu-
sion loss of time and momentum. On this occasion, his command moved
over open ground in plain view of the enemy. They carried all be-
fore them and captured General Govan with his entire brigade, and
a battery of eight brass field guns. This battery was brought to corps
headquarters the next morning, and the gun carriages and equip-
ments burned. General Govan sat on a stool near by and witnessed
the destruction of his battery with tearful eyes.
General Morgan led his division on the "march to the sea" and
northward from Savannah to join the army of Virginia under General
Grant. At the battle of Bentonville, his division was handled with
great skill and did obstinate fighting and brilliant work. Johnston
with his entire army attacked two divisions which were practically
isolated. For a time it seemed sure that the Federal command would
be defeated. They had been taken by surprise and in detail. The
roar of the battle, however, soon brought assistance, and the Confed-
erate army was repulsed.
In the history of the army of the Cumberland it is claimed "that
viewed in relation to the magnitude of the army successfully resisted
by eight brigades of infantry, and Kilpatrick's cavalry, which held
position on the left and rear, the objects and hopes of the enemy and
the character of the fighting by Morgan's division, this engagement
takes rank among the decisive battles of the war,"
For his distinguished services in this battle he was made major
general by brevet.
General Morgan was in the army until the close of the war. And
during his period of service never was absent from duty for a day. He
never asked for a furlough. When mustered out of service in the
month of August, 1865, he returned to his home in Quincy.
General Morgan was twice married. His first wife died in 1855.
He married Harriet Evans, a native of Massachusetts, June 14, 1859.
He had two sons, William and James. William is a resident of
Quincy, 111 , James lives in Everett, Mass,
General Morgan felt greatly interested in the society of the army
of the Cumberland. He always made an efiFort to attend its annual
meetings. He was president of the organization in 1895 and opened
headquarters in Chattanooga, at the time the Chickamauga park was
opened and dedicated. Here he met, with the warmth of feeling
only an old soldier can feel, many of his old army friends.
He was for years treasurer of the State Soldiers' and Sailors'
Home. He was a vice president and for years a director of the First
282
National bank; a director of the Whitney & Holmes Organ com-
pany; of the Omaha & Kansas City Railway company; a stockholder
in the Empire theater, the Newcomb hotel, the Quincy Gas Light
and Coke company, the Qainoy Gas Light and Power company, and
also a director in the Barlow Corn Planter company.
In politics he was a Democrat of the old school. He was never a
blind partisan. If he thought his party in the wrong, he was free to
speak his mind. He had the courage of his convictions. In local
politics he advocated measures and men solely with reference to
their being in line with what he deemed to be for the public good.
He was an outspoken enemy of unsafe financial legislation. He was
a "sound money" Democrat and did not sympathize with the theo-
ries of Mr. Bryan. He regarded the doctrine of states sovereignty,
as having been definitely settled by the civil war.
In his religious sympathies he was liberal and broad. For many
years he was a leading spirit in the Unitarian Congregational church.
He endowed a fund for the bestowment of prizes for scholarship in
the public schools. He was always ready with a helping hand for
causes his judgment approved. Calm and undemonstrative in man-
ner he was a man of deep and tender feeling, If he had been born
in ancient Greece, he would have been a Spartan. If in Rome, he
had first seen the light, he would have followed the eagle in a Roman
Legion. If his birth had been in Cromwell's time, he would have
been a soldier of the commonwealth. If he had landed in Boston or
Plymouth in Colonial times, he would have stood shoulder to shoul-
der with Miles Standish. He came in time for a great war, and
though not brillant like some of the soldiers of that war, he had in
his makeup and to its core, the tough, rugged and solid qualities of
the soldier, He ever stood for law, order and honor. He held his
country's welfare as paramount to any question of his personal for-
tune. He risked his life in all the hardships of army experience, in
camp, on the march and in battle. His name to those who knew
him in business, at home, in the field, will ever suggest simplicity,
honesty, fidelity, heroism and patriotic devotion.
His strong constitution enabled him to reach the ripe age of 86
years, 1 month and 12 days. He passed away Sept. 9th, 1896. His
body was laid to rest in Woodland cemetery.
Letters of John J. Hardin to Gen. Jas, D. Morgan. Originals
OWNED BY THE QUINOY HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
"Jacksonville, June 6th, 1846.
"Dear Captain — I have just returned from Springfield. Baker
has just returned from Washington. He has authority to raise an
additional regiment of infantry. His arrival made great confusion
amongst those who wanted high commissions there. I suppose he
will have no trouble in getting a regiment, as more than 80 com-
panies will volunteer, and he can increase the number to 40. Many
of the volunteers in Sangamon wish to go with me, but I don't desire
this, as it might make some difficulty, and there are too many big
men there, anyhow.
283
I wrote ^Colonel Flood that you need not change your uniforms
unless you wished it. I should prefer your retaining your present
uniforms; it is niuch handsomer than the one adopted by the govern-
ment, and I have discretion to change it. The companies in this
county will uniform in cadet grey jeans. It looks better than the
blue.
It seems yet undecided whether we will march to the city of Mex-
ico or against the eastern provinces of Mexico. If against the latter
I have written to permit us to mount. The route in this case would
be by Ft. Gibson, on the Arkansas, to Chihuahua.
I am much gratified at your request to have your company attached
to my regiment. I want no better men nor oflBcers than I have al-
ways found in that company. A place shall be reserved for them,
and that place on the right of the regiment.
I design to have two flank companies of riflemen attached to the
regiment; yours shall be the first, if they desire it. I will write you
again in a few days.
I will write to Judge Lott and shall report another company from
Adams. If there is not a full company, I will unite them with
others. I will try also to save them a place in my regiment.
Yours truly,
John J. Hardin."
"We will rendezvous at Alton. But our place is fixed in the orders
of the government.
Here, merchants are furnishing the uniforms and agree to have it
charged on the pay roll. They will certainly get their pay.
We will be ordered to be on the ground by the 25th inst.
Volunteers should have a blanket, a fatigue suit of any color, an
extra pair of shoes, two or three strong shirts and a butcher knife in
a scabbard.
The government officers have written to the Governor that they
have ready for the volunteers camp kettles, mess pans, canteens^
knapsacks, haversacks, axes, spades and hatchets.
The government will have our tents made in St. Louis and furnish
them at Alton.
Sixty-four privates, eight non-commissioned officers, three commis-
sioned officers, two musicians, make a full company. The number
may be increased to 93."
"Jacksonville, June 11th, 1846.
"Captain Morgan — I desire to have with me a brass band in addi-
tion to the band of drums and fifes. Major Warren thinks you have
some musicians in Quincy who would go with us. If they are good
musicians or those who would be apt to learn, I would like to have
them. Is there anyone in Quincy who will go with us who is compe-
tent to teach the band and act as leader? If so, let me know. We
are entitled to 22 musicians in the regiment, which will make the two
284
bands. Three tenor, three bass and three fifes will answer for regi-
ment, with a good band of brass instruments I will have a box made
for the instruments.
It seems to me you had best get your uniforms before you go to
Alton. There will be a rush there for all sorts of equipments, and
it is probable we will not remain there long. The ladies of this place
have volunteered to make up all the clothing for the troops. If there
is an especial good drummer and fifer write me and I will find a place
for them, Good musicians are scarce here. I am pleased to hear
how nicely you are getting along. We will rendezvous at Alton
about the SOth. Colonel Churchill, the inspector general of the
army, will muster us into the service.
Yours truly,
John J. Hardin."
To this letter and on the same sheet is a letter from Major W. B.
TVarren:
"Above you have all the information in this place. We will be mus-
tered into the service on the 30th; in the meantime can you not get
your uniforms? Your old one is a good pattern. I am sorry you did
not write sooner on the subject of major. Under the impression that
you would quit the riflemen, Hardin and myself stand pledged to old
Buck Weatherford, I will do what I can for your friend Taylor, but
there are 80 odd applicants for that office; no pledges have been
made to anyone. Prentiss will be adjutant and must provide two
good horses. He will mess with the staff. Colonel Churchill is de-
sirous, upon my recommendation, to have E. Everett attached to his
family, and will offer him some appointment.
What is Kelly and Lott doing? Will they go, and will they join
our regiment? The regiment is now all full, and unless you and they
desire it, the places will be all filled.
Write me immediately. You will have some interest in knowing
the pay, so I send you the several amounts as given in the Army
Register for 1845: Captain, $126.85; first lieutenant, $93.11: second
lieutenant, $76.30; adjutant, $119.11. Phil is drilling a company
every night.
Yours truly,
W. B. Warren."
A Letter from Governor Ford.
Executive Department.
Capt. James D. Morgan — Your company is accepted as one of the
companies to compose the three regiments to rendezvous at Alton,
provided that it shall contain not less than 64 nor more than 80, over
and above the commissioned officers, non-commissioned and musi-
cians
As soon as your company is uniformed, you will march to the place
of rendezvous at Alton, In addition to uniform each man will have
to furnish a blanket, and it is advisable that each man provide him-
285
self with one fatigue suit of clothes, one pair of shoes, one pair of
boots and two pair of woolen socks. If your company cannot get
their uniforms at home I think they may be able to obtain them in
Alton or St. Louis. You will be allowed 20 cents for every 20 miles
travel, rations and transportation of baggage and provisions while
marching to the place of rendezvous. I am informed that nothing
will be allowed for transportation of the men, as they are supposed
to march on foot, but the allowance above specified will more than
pay for their transportation by steamboat, when that mode is prac-
ticable. You will report to Col. James Shields.
Yours,
Thomas Ford."
"It will be of no use to come with less than 64 privates who can
stand a thorough inspection. Let me know by the next mail whether
you can comply. If no answer, I will be compelled to order another
company in lieu of yours.
Thomas Ford."
286
THE LIFE OF HON. GUSTAVUS KOERNER.
( By Hon. B. G. Rombauer.)
I have been requested to present to you a brief history of the life
of Gustavus Koerner, an eminent citizen of your State. It is the life
of a patriot, scholar, lawyer and author, who was equally distin-
guished in every one of these callings, and of whom it may be truth-
fully said, as was said of England's sweetest poet, "nil tetegit quod
non ornavity It is a life covering a period of 87 years, more than
67 of which were devoted to the elevation of the condition of his fel-
low men on both sides of the Atlantic. It fell into a period of the
history of his native and of his adopted country which to a great ex-
tent moulded the ultimate destiny of both.
It is impossible in the brief space of time during which I am jus-
tified to occupy your attention to enter into minute details. My
object will be to present to you a truthful portrait and its setting, a
view of both of which is essential to a correct understanding of the
man, and of his successes and failures, The history of his life is in-
telligible only as part of the history of the times in which it fell.
His Early Youth and Education.
Gustavus Koerner, whom I shall hereafter designate by the per-
sonal pronoun mainly, was born in the free city of Frankfort on the
Main, on the 20th of November, 1809. His father Bernhard, was an
extensive dealer in books, engravings, and other works of art. His
mother, whose maiden name was Maria Magdalena Kaupfe, was a
woman of great culture, and devoted herself to his early tuition. In
1816, at the age of seven he was sent to a select school, which had
been established in Frankfort on the Pestalozzi system, He fre-
quented this school until he reached the age of 15 in 1824, when he
was transferred to the Frankfort gymnasium. He continued there
until he attained the age of 19 in 1828. During the last year of his
attendance he had the benefit of the private tuition in the classics
of Dr. Fextor, a nephew of the poet Goethe. He then went to the
University of Jena, which as the mother of the famous student or-
ganization known as "Bursohenschaften," was the hotbed of revolu-
tionary sentiment in Germany. There for one year he heard lectures
on civil and criminal law and medical jurisprudence, it being his in-
tention to devote himself to the profession of the law. An untoward
incident compelled him to leave the University. Duels between
QnstkVQS Eoemer.
287
students, and officers of the army, were then frequent, although the
government sought to repress them by severe punitive measures. In
one of these duels he acted as second for one of his fellow students,
who was seriously wounded. He concluded for his own safety to
leave the University of Jena, and go to that of Munich, where his
most intimate friend, later his brother-in-law, Theodore Engelmann,
was then attending lectures. A peculiar episode, to which I shall
refer hereafter, decided him to leave Munich at the close of the year,
and to go to the University of Heidelberg, where he finished his law
studies, and on the 14th of June, 1831, at the age of 22, graduated
with high honors.
During the period while he attended the various universities, he
made in vacation extensive foot tours, through Germany, Switzer-
land and the Tyrol, accompanied by his fellow students. While these
on the one hand tended to develop his physical condition, they on
the other hand filled his imagination with ever varying pictures, and
brought him in contact with all classes of the population.
Viewing the circumstances surrounding his early life, it is appar-
ent that they were particularly favorable to his healthy and thorough
intellectual , physical and moral development. While the means of
his father were sufficient to afford him a thorough education, they
were moderate enough to impress the young man with the convic-
tion that his future was dependent on his own energy and acquire-
ments. His father's business gave him ready access to extensive
literary and art treasures, and he acquired in early life the habit of
extensive and carefully selected reading, which habit he retained
through life. He also became early a student and lover of art, his
father's extensive art collections furnishing the facilities for his so
doing. This made him in later years, not only a competent judge
of art, but an art critic of very respectable attainments.
His Participation in Political Events in Europe.
In order to judge fairly his political activity in Europe, we must
take into account the atmosphere which surrounded his childhood
and early youth The political state of Europe at the time of his
birth was peculiar. With the exception of England, Europe was
dominated almost exclusively by the arbitrary will of one man,
Napoleon Bonaparte, not unfitly named the king of kings. After the
disastrous defeat of Prussia at Jena, came the Peace of Tilsit, and
Prussia was portioned among the allies of the Conqueror, as a fit
retribution for her share in the unholy partition of Poland, Then
came the war of liberation of 1813, which in the main was not a war
of the princes against the conqueror, since many of them were his
allies, but a war of the German people against him, despite their
princes, who sought but their own aggrandizement in the general
upheaval. It was Napoleon who was the incipient founder of Ger-
man unity, by wiping many principalities of its petty tyrants from
the map of Europe, and by rousing its people to a common effort in
288
their resistance against him. What this man of blood and iron
began, another man of blood and iron continued, until the humilia-
tion of Jena was cancelled by the triumph of Sedan.
Koerner's father was a German patriot of the liberal type, an in-
veterate enemy of Napoleon, and an ardent supporter of the rights
of the people. Many men whose names were then and thereafter
prominently connected with the history of the times, frequented his
house. Among them were Chas, von Stein, Prussia's fearless Pre-
mier, Ernst Moritz Arndt, the bard of liberty; General Blucher, the
hero of Waterloo, and the unfortunate enthusiast, Chas. Louis Sand,
who in 1820, expiated his rash act on the scaffold, and whose mem-
ory I presume was still honored as that of a martyr at the University of
Jena, his Alma Mater, when young Koerner became a student of that
University eight years later. Growing up under these conditions,
it is natural that young Koerner developed into an earnest champion
of the liberties of the people. When he reached Jena in 1828, Ger-
many was in a ferment. Its many rulers, forgetful of the salvation
of their thrones by a heroic people; forgetful of the many promises
of reform which they made to them during the days of their dire
need, vied with each other to curb the liberties of the people
everywhere. Untractable legislative assemblies were dissolved, the
liberty of the press was modified and in some instances wholly abro-
gated, and no expedient was left untried which might aid in re-in-
stating the ante-bellum conditions of rulers by the grace of God,
alone. Shortly after his arrival in Jena he became a prominent
member of the Burschenschaft, a student society, which was then the
leader in the movement for the political regeneration of Germany.
An incident which occurred while he was hearing lectures in Mu-
nich made him feel, in his own person, the results of arbitrary gov-
ernment. On Christmas eve, 1829, the population celebrated as
usual, by noisy demonstrations, the advent of the midnight hour. He
and some of his companions were serenading one of his fellow stu-
dents, who resided near one of the city gates. The hilarious popula-
tion joined in the serenade with fife and drum, and the demonstra-
tions probably became somewhat noisy. One of the guards of the
city gate rushed out and attempted to arrest Koerner, seizing him
by the collar. A fellow student of his knocked down the officious
soldier. The real culprit escaped but Koerner, the innocent cause of
the accident, was arrested, thrown into solitary confinement and kept
there for a period of four months, at the termination of which he was
discharged, it being ascertained that he was wholly free from blame.
Yet such was the terror of the "rulers by the grace of God" in those
days that this trivial incident resulted first in the closing of the uni-
versity altogether, a measure which, owing to the earnest remon-
strance of the magistracy, was subsequently modified so as to exclude
non-resident students only. Koerner utilized his solitary confinement
by pursuing his legal studies alone. After his liberation, and during
the rest of the scholastic year, being still excluded from the univer-
sity, he pursued them with the aid of private lecturers.
21:9
After he graduated, in 1831, he did not return home, but made his
headquarters for some time in Heidelberg, and thence made excur-
sious into neighboring districts, learning the sentiments of the peo-
ple on the absorbing topic of German unity and liberty. In the
winter of 1831-2, a meeting of the Bursohenschaft was held in Stutt-
gart, which resolved, among other things, "It is the aim of the Ger-
man Barschenschaft to secure the unity and liberty of the German
people by revolution, and we recommend that all members of the so-
ciety join the Patriotic league, in order to secure a common constitu-
tion of the re-united country, guaranteeing, among other things,
freedom of speech and liberty of the press.''
In May, 1832, he attended a m-'eting of German patriots, held in
the ruins of Hambach castle, which lasted for three days, and which^
as he himself says, was the most enthusiustio gathering that he ever
saw on either side of the Atlantic At the close of the festivities
the many thousands there assembled took a solemn oath, with up-
lifted hand, repeating Schiller's version of the oath of the confeder-
ated Swiss on Ruetli mountain.
All these events impressed him, as they impressed mnny others
equally ardent and enthusiastic, with the conviction that Germany's
regeneration was close at hand He was selected by the leaders to
make a missionary tour to the various universities to ascertain their
views and secure their cooperation in a general uprising, and un-
questionably found them as enthusiastic as himself. He devoted to
this journey part of February and March, 1333, and returned to
Frankforton-the-Main on the 17th of the latter month.
He was informed, upon his return, that steps had been taken for
a simultaneous uprising at Frankfort, Stuttgart and Kassel, and that
some military aid had been promised in the latter place; that some
arms and ammunition had been bought and that even a provisional
government had been agreed upon, with Dr Schtiler, then an exile
residing in Metz, France, at its head He was commissioned to call
on Dr SobiUer and to secure his acceptance of the office, which he
did, returning to Frankfort on March 30th. The date of the upris-
ing was set for April 3d. It was to begin with the seizure of the
main guardhouse and the headquarters of the constabulary, followed
by the storming of the armory and the distribution of arms among
the people, who were expected to rise en masse in support of their
own political emancipation.
It would seem, on reflection, that this movement was doomed to
failure from the start. Large standing armies are not overthrown
by resolutions, however eloquent. Professors, however learned, are
not adapted to direct a movement requiring an intimate knowledge
of the sentiments of the people, which they do not possess, and at
least some skill in military operations, of which they are wholly de-
ficient. The assemblies in Stuttg<irt, and in the ruins of Hambach,
were composed mainly of enthusiasts, who infected each other with
their sanguine vifws and who firmly believed that their ardor was
shared by the majority of the people. Germans, as a general rule,
— 19H
290
are slow and delibarate, and are not prone to act on the spur of the
moment, like Frenchmen, or the inhabitants of southern Europe,
and, since knowledge of the meditated movement, if it was not to be
betrayed, had to be withheld from the multitude, the masses would
necessarily be called upon to join in it spontaneously, on the spur of
the moment, without much reflection or deliberation.
On the evening of April 8d, 1888, 60 young men, mainly students
from all parts of Germany, assaulted with the bayonet the guard of
the main guardhouse in Frankfort and captured and disarmed the
garrison. The fatalities were few. One of the sergeants fell in de-
fending it and young Koerner received a painful but not serious bay-
onet wound in his left arm. Loss of blood prevented him from par-
ticipating in subsequent assaults, and he was taken to his home. The
headquarters of the constabulary were likewise taken by assault, but
there the resistance was more obstinate. Five soldiers and two of
the insurgents were killed and a number wounded on both sides.
Although the alarm bells were sounded, but few people assembled in
the streets calling to arms and cheering liberty and the republic. No
adequate force could be mustered for the storming of the armory,
and in a comparatively short time the few insurgents were dispersed
or captured by the rapidly assembling military forces and the revo-
lution of 1838 was at an end.
It goes without saying that Koerner's continued abode in Germany
after this incident was out of the question. His capture at best
meant many years imprisonment, to which all his associates were
subjected, who were not fortunate enough to escape. He remained
in hiding with some friends for some time, his wound, though not
serious, preventing his immediate departure, and then disguising as
a female, succeeded in passing through the gates at Frankfort, which
were closely guarded. His smooth face, slight figure and exception
ally small hands and feet, enabled him to make this disguise effect-
ive. His devoted sister, Augusta, accompanied him in his flight.
On the highway they were joined by his friend Theodore Engel-
mann, also an active participant in the storming of the guard house,
and hence also a fugitive. The friends made a circuitous route, in
order to reach France, where they thought they would be corapara-
lively safe, although it seems they were pursued even into that
country by demands for their extradition, Protected from capture
by many of their liberal friends both in Germany and France, they
succeeded at last in reaching Havre where the Engelmann family was
at the time preparing to sail for the United States of America. On
the first of May, 1838, in company of the Engelmanns, he embarked
on the ship Logan for New York, which they reached after a journey
consuming nearly seven weeks, on the 17th of June. He was not
to see Europe again until he returned to it 28 years later as Minister
and Envoy of the United States to the Court of Madrid.
291
The Journey Westward and Founding a Home in St. Clair
County, Illinois.
On the 20th of June, 1833, Koerner recorded in the Marine Court
of New York city, his intention to become a citizen of the United
States. Many companions of his voyage did likewise, — among their
number Frederick Engelmann, his son Theodore Engelmann, Henry
Abend and John Scheel, all of whom afterwards became residents of
St. Clair county, Illinois. Within a week after their arrival in New
York the whole party started westward, by steamer to Troy, thence by
the New York and Erie canal to BufPalo; thence by lake steamer to
Cleveland; thence by the newly completed Ohio canal to Portemouth;
thence by steamer down the Ohio, and up the Mississippi to St. Louis.
This route seems circuitous, but was the only rail and water wsy route
to the far West in those days. The steamer Jay over for quite a while
in Cincinnati, then the Queen city of the West, both in name and
importance, where the emigrants met a large number of intelligent
Germans and were much impressed with the extensive vineyards cov-
ering the hills of the Ohio, not unlike the vineyards of their cherished
Rhine. In St. Louis they met Theo. Hilgard and Theodore Kraft,
who had reached the West the year preceding, and had settled on a
farm in St, Clair county, Illinois, about six miles east of Belleville.
It was the intention of the emigrants who came by the Logan to
settle in Missouri. One, Duden, who had come to the United States
years before, and had founded a settlement on the Missouri river, in
Warren county, Missouri, which even at the present day bears the
name of Dudenville, had written a very exaggerated account of that
locality, which account had been extensively circulated in Grermany.
Koerner and Theodore Engelmann were deputed to visit this War-
ren county paradise, in order to verify Duden's representations, and
found them far below the mark.
There was however a more potent reason which deterred these
emigrants from settling in Missouri. The trip which the two young
men made on horseback through some of the interior counties of
that state, brought them into direct contact with the "peculiar in-
stitution." They witnessed the cruel beating of slaves by order of
their masters, often for trivial causes, — the pernicious separation of
mothers from their children by sale, and other demoralizing influ-
ences of chattel slavery. Their report determined the emigrants not
to settle in Missouri. Frederick Engelmann thereupon bought a
farm in Illinois, about six miles east of Belleville, and on the 3rd of
August, 1833, his family, accompanied by young Koerner, who was
engaged to be married to his daughter, transferred themselves, and
their wordly possessions, on ox teams from East St. Louis to the
farm.
Their life on the farm was of primeval simplicity. The produce
of their land, and the game with which the country was then teem-
ing, was sufficient to supply their simple table. The life of a farmer,
however, was not congenial to Koerner's taste, and he decided to fit
himself for his original profession, that of the law.
292
His Caeeer as Jurist and Statesman.
I speak of Koerner's activity as a jurist, and statesman, under one
head, because his work and activity in these two capacities was
closely connected. His thorough knowledge of the civil law, which
is founded on codified principles, was of great advantage to him in
his studies of the common law, which is founded on immemorial
usage and precedents. The foundation of both is supposed to be
common sense, intelligently applied in the light of experience to the
varying social and commercial conditions of mankind.
At the date when he became a resident of Illinois, any one could
become its citizen, who had resided in it for a period of six months,
and who had recorded his intention to become a citizen of the United
States, No one, however, could hold a State oflSce, or become an at-
torney at law, unless he was a citizen of the State. Study in the of-
fice of some lawyer of good standing for a period of two years, or the
diploma from a law school, was another pre requisite of admission to
the bar, as also a supposed thorough examination by the Supreme
court of the applicant's qualifications. The latter pre-requisite, as
many of us know from experience, was then, and remained for many
years thereafter, a mere sham.
Since his means were limited, he desired to enter upon the labors
of his profession as soon as possible, and hence choose the college in
preference to study in a lawyer's office. He went to Lexington, Ky,,
to attend there the law school which stood under the direction of
Judges Mays and Robertson of the Kentucky court of appeals, and
which enjoyed a great reputation in the west. The lecture course
consisted only of one year, at the expiration of which he returned to
Belleville, and in June, 1885, passed his examination before the
Supreme court in Vandalia, then the capital of the State.
His professional acquirements even at that early stage of his career,
must have been of a high order, because within a few months after
his admission to the bar, he was offered a partnership by A. W.
Snyder, who was then probably at the head of the bar in southern
Hlinois, Thus he became a member of the law firm of Snyder &
Koerner, which after the election of Snyder to congress was enlarged
by the admission of James Shields, the General Shields of the war
for the Union, and a gentleman who enjoyed the remarkable distinc-
tion of representing at various times three different states in the
Senate of the United States. In fact, those of us who knew the Gen-
eral personally, are aware, that had the Constitution of the United
States permitted his so doing, he would have felt equal to represent
them all, at one and the same time.
Koerner took an active part in public life, almost from the date of
his admission to the bar. Slavery was not then an issue, between
the leading political parties, and did not become an issue until many
years afterwards. In common with the great majority of American
citizens of German birth, his political affiliations were with the dem-
ocratic party. He took an active part in the VanBuren campaign
(1886) and since he spoke English, German and French with almost
293
equal fluency he soon became one of the most popular, and sought
after political speakers. While small in stature his voice was sono-
rous and far-reaching. He spoke gracefully but in an impassioned
manner, possessing in a high degree the courage of his convictions,
and uttering them fearlessly, and hence excercising a marked influ-
ence over his hearers.
He took a still more active part in the exciting political campaign
of 1840. Although the Whigs carried the country by an overwhelm-
ing majority, Illinois remained Democratic. In this campaign he
spoke at public meetings in every part of the State, being well re-
ceived everywhere. Without his solicitation, he was selected by the
presidential electors of the State as their messenger to carry their
vote to Washington. It is characteristic of the slow transit in those
days, that his journey from Belleville to Washington, although con-
tinuous, consumed l-l days, more than twice the time that would now
be needed for a journey from Belleville to London. While in Wash-
ington, Governor Reynolds, then congressman from Illinois, intro-
duced young Koerner to President Van Buren, John Quincy Adams,
Daniel Webster, John 0. Calhoun, Henry Clay and Thomas H. Ben-
ton, so that his visit to the capital proved equally interesting and
instructive.
On his return to Illinois he was appointed by Governor Carlin a
member of the commission to appraise all property of railroad com-
panies to whom State aid had been extended, preliminary to the
foreclosure of the lien of the State. To the great surprise of his po-
litical friends he declined the office, although its emoluments were
considerable. He assigned as a reason for so doing that he was not
technically qualified to fulifil its duties satisfactorily. It seems he
could not conceive how anyone could aspire to hold an office which
he was not qualified to fill — a view which I regret to say was shared
but by few men in public life then, or at any time since.
In December, 1840, Shields, one of the firm of Snyder, Koerner &
Shields, was appointed auditor of public accounts, and subsequently
judge of the supreme court of Illinois. In the following year Adam
W. Soyder. the other member, became Democratic candidate for
governor of Illinois, and died in May, 1842, These events led to the
dissolution of the firm of Snyder, Koerner & Shields, and to the for-
mation of the law firm of Bissell & Koerner, the same Bissell who
afterwards, in 1856, became the first Republican governor of Illinois.
Meanwhile, in 1841, Koerner himself was elected to the lower
branch of the General Assembly, overcoming the bitter opposition of
the so-called Native Americans, and served with distinction for one
term, being a prominent member of the two most important commit-
tees, that of ways and means and the judiciary. In 1844 he again
canvassed the entire State in the interest of the Democratic nomi-
nees, and it was due to his efforts mainly that Stephen A. Douglas
was elected to Congress from the Quincy district, and that both the
city and Adams county, hitherto Whig strongholds, were carried by
the Democrats in that year.
294
In 1845 Shields was appointed by President Polk commissioner of
the general land offioe. The vacancy on the supreme bench thus
caused was filled by Koerner's appointment through Governor Ford.
At the expiration of the short term, he was re- elected by the legisla-
ture for a full term, By the constitution adopted in March, 1848,
however, the supreme court was reorganized and made a purely appel-
late tribunal, The number of its judges was reduced from nine to
three, and it was provided that thereafter they should be elected by
the people, instead of being elected by the legislature, as heretofore.
In September, 1848, Samuel H. Treat, John D. Caton and Lyman
Trumbull were elected the first judges of the supreme court under
the new dispensation, and Koerner left the bench the January fol-
lowing, His judicial opinions, reported in volumes 7, 8 and 9 of the
Illinois reports, are distinguished alike by a thorough conception of
legal principles and elegance of diction.
Meanwhile the curtain rose on both sides of the Atlantic over
events far-reaching in their consequences. In 1848 Louis Philip,
king of the French, was dethroned, became a fugitive, and the Re-
public was proclaimed with the poet Lamartine at its head. The
people rose all over Europe against their oppressors, and the millen-
ium of liberty seemed close at hand. In the United States the war
with Mexico was initiated, in the opinion of many a most unjust and
unholy war, and the tocsin sounded everywhere calling volunteers to
arms. Koerner, whose love for his native land was not wholly over-
shadowed by his loyalty to his adopted country, took an intense in-
terest in both events. A mass meeting of German Liberals, which
assembled in Belleville, selected him to draft an address to the Ger-
man people, calling upon them to rise unitedly against their oppress-
ors, and form a confederated Republic, on the plan of the United
States of America. He drew such an address, a very statesmanlike
paper, which was printed and circulated in innumerable copies
throughout the Fatherland. His then law partner, Bissell, organized
the Second regiment of Illinois volunteers, consisting mainly of Ger-
mans, which did yoeman service in Mexico. His former law partner
Shields resigned his position in Washington, and was commissioned
by President Polk, first a brigadier general, and then a major gen-
eral, serving first under General Taylor, and then under General
Soott, and was severely wounded first at the battle of Cerro Gordo,
and then almost mortally wounded in the assault upon Ohapul-
tepec.
The failure of the revolutionists of Europe, brought for the first
time a large political emigration to America. The tide set in in 1849
and was not exhausted until 1856. Many of the emigrants were
theorists and ideal dreamers who had no accurate conception either
of existing conditions in the United States, or of the artificial struc-
ture which constituted the fundamental framework of the govern-
ment of a free people. Almost each of the more prominent leaders
had his own theories of government, and promulgated a program,
295
containing some grains of sense, in a mass of hair-brained sugges-
tions. One of the many programs thus published may serve as a
sample It demanded:
1. Uniform compensation on all kinds of labor.
2. Doing away with all executive functionaries, and vesting sov-
ereign power, in a legislative assembly consisting of one house.
8. Ownership of all public utilities by the people.
4 Repeal of all restrictions on naturalization, and intervention in
behalf of all republics.
5. Progressive taxation.
6 Increase of wages of hand laborers.
7. Changing penitentiaries to reform schools.
8. Gradual emancipation of slaves, with a fixed period of the final
extinction of slavery.
Koerner, who had been bred an American jurist, and who for a
period of nearly 20 years had carefully observed the political work-
ings of our institutions, at once turned his attention to combating
these wild theories. With keen analysis, and a satire which cut to
the marrow, he demonstrated their utter fallacy. It was due to him
in a great measure, that many of these political exiles, instead of ro-
maining fire-brands, dangerous to the welfare of the commonwealth,
became in course of time some of its most useful citizens.
The Illinois constitution of 1848, had reduced the salary of judges
of the Supreme court from $2,000 to $1,200, and the salary of the
Governor to $1,500. It seems to have been the policy of the people
then and for many years thereafter to lodge sherifFs and collectors in
palaces, and the heads of the judiciary and executive departments, in
humble cabins. The reduction of the salary of the high judiciary,
and executive, prevented Koerner, whose means were limited, and
who had a rapidly increasing family, to aspire to either of these
positions, although his political friends urged him to do so. In 1852,
however, he accepted the democratic nomination for Lieutenant-Gov-
ernor. The duties of the office absorbing but a limited part of his
time, during the session of the Legislature, enabled him to devote the
bulk of it to his lucrative law practice, in which he was then associ-
ated with Wm. R. Morrison. He was elected by a large majority,
and held the office until January, 1857.
It was during this period, and owing to the slavery issue which
was becoming a burning question, that the personal and political re-
lations between him and Stephen A. Douglas, gradually decreased in
intimacy, while those between him and Abraham Lincoln increased
in the same proportion. The admission of Texas as a slave state,
was followed by that of California as a free state in conformity with
the Missouri Compromise. But when New Mexico and Arizona were
acquired by purchase, with the Wilmot proviso, forever prohibiting
slavery within their territory, the southern states claimed that it was
a violation of that compromise since part of these territories lay south
296
of the compromise line of 36 degrees, 30 minutes. The ill feeling
between the advocates and opponents of chattel slavery, became
strongly accentuated, and a rupture became imminent when Kansas
and Nebraska applied for admission.
Douglas, who had presidential aspirations, and needed the support
of the south, tried to devise a medium of accommodation, and brought
forward his famous doctrine of "Squatter Sovereignty," enabling
each territory prior to its admission as a state, to determine by its
proposed constitution whether it would be slave or free. He at once
alienated the extremists north and south, and when the Lecompton
constitution of Kansas, sustaining slavery, was rejected by Congress,
on the ground that it was carried by fraud and violence, the rupture
became complete.
In 1855 a number of prominent men, without regard to their for-
mer party aflfiliations, assembled in Pittsburg and issued a call for a
convention to be held in Philadelphia in 1856, with a view of form-
ing a new party. It was to be known as the Republican party and
was to be built on new lines. The principal plank in the platform
was to be exclusion of slavery from territories. Koerner, who was
an uncompromising opponent of the further extension of slavery, was
earnestly solicited to join the movement. He declined to do so, as-
signing as a reason that, as an executive officer of the State, elected
by Democratic votes, he was not justified to sever his connection
with that party until it had officially declared that it was not opposed
to the further extension of slavery. At the same time he announced
that should his party do so, he would not hesitate for an instant to
bid farewell to his former political associates. The convention met
in Philadelphia and adopted a platform which was outspoken against
the further extension of slavery, although non-committal in other re-
spects on divergent issues between the two leading parties, since it
had to recruit its forces from both. It nominated Fremont, a dem-
ocrat, for president, and Dayton, a Whig, for vice president. Koer-
ner attended the convention as a careful observer of its proceedings,
although not a delegate, and was highly pleased with its action.
Shortly thereafter the Democracy of the State, as well as the De-
mocracy of the country succumbed to the influence of the Southern
states. He at once severed his political connection with his former
associates and was nominated by the Republican party for Congress
in the BoUeville district, but was defeated by his opponent, Robert
Smith.
Then came the historic campaign of 1858, in which Douglas suc-
ceeded in obtaining the senatorial nomination in spite of the opposi-
tion of the national Democratic administration and in spite of the
heroic efforts of the Repablican party, who tried to supplant him
with a man who, then almost a novice in the political arena, was soon
to become the foremost figure of the civilized world.
It Tvas in this campaign that the friendship between Lincoln and
Koerner, which was to remain a close bond between the two men
until the death of the martyred President, was firmly cemented.
They had been associates as counsel before, in several important
297
cases, but this campaign brought them into close contact as associ-
ates on the stump, and Koerner soon recognized the firmness and
astuteness of his friend and his thorough fitness to become the head
of the nation in the most critical period of its history. When the
convention of the Republican party met in Chicago in 1859, the men
most prominently named for the presidency were Seward, Chase,
Cameron and Bates. Lincoln was little more than a dark horse, but
owing to the national reputation which he had acquired in his polit-
ical debates with Douglas, during the memorable campaign of 1^58,
a very formidable one, Schurz, a member of the convention from
Wisconsin, was a strong advocate of Seward's nomination, while
Koerner, a delegate from Illinois, was a strong advocate of that of
Lincoln. Both these states possessed a large German population
and many delegates from them belonged to that nationality. Schurz
had not then obtained his marked prominence and was comparatively
a novice in politics, while Koerner had been in public life for many
years and was thoroughly at home in a political convention. It is
no wonder, therefore, that his indefatigable labors among these dele-
gates in favor of his candidate were very effectual. The argument
that Lincoln stood a better chance to carry the Western states against
Douglas, the presumptive presidential candidate of the Democracj^
than any other man whose name was mentioned in connection with
the Republican nomination, turned the scale in his favor.
In the light of subsequent events, an incident connected with this
convention is worthy of note. Greeley, Schurz and Koerner were not
only members of the committee on resolutions, but also members of
the sub-committee of seven who drafted the platform. Greeley in-
sisted on a high tariff plank, but finally compromised on a tariff for
revenue with incidental protection When he found, however, that
the sub-committee was determined to reject "squatter sovereignty,"
which was one of his hobbies, he left the committee sessions in a
huff" and their "subsequent proceedings interested him no more." It
is illustrative of the exigencies of our politics that 12 years after-
wards Koerner, as the nominee for Governor of the Democrats and
Liberal Republicans, found himself constrained to advocate for the
presidency the same Horace Greeley whose antics in the Chicago
convention were a source of amusement to his fellow members of the
committee, and who shortly afterwards evolved the historic phrase,
"Let our wayward sisters part in peace "
The choice of Lincoln was justified from the standpoint of expedi-
ency no less than that of merit, because it is a matter of history that
in the ensuing canvass he received the electoral vote of every free
state with the exception of New Jersey, which he divided with Doug-
las.
In the beginning of 1861, and after several of the slave states had
already seceded, Virginia called for a conference of all the states, to
be held February 4t.h, to consider a compromise of existing differ-
ences. Governor Yates appointed Koerner a delegate to this con-
vention, but the latter declined the appointment, stating he could
not participate in the deliberations of any convention the assembling
298
of which impliedly conceded a legal right of secession, which he de-
nied. When Lincoln, after the assault on Fort Sumpter, issued his
call for 75,000 volunteers to serve three months, Koerner addressed
him a strong personal letter, denouncing this half way measure and
calling the attention of the President to the precedent established by
the Swiss Confederation which, when seven cantons with an armed
force of 30,000 tried to secede, at once called for 150,090 volunteers
and suppressed the insurrection in course of a few months. Within
a short time the original call of 75,000 was changed to 300,000, and
the time of service from three months to three years. We all know
how even this force proved inadequate and how, before the close of
the war, when the ardor of the North had greatly cooled as a result
of successive reverses, drafting had to be resorted to. Had Koerner's
advice been followed the war might have been brought to a close
within a year, although it is highly improbable that it would have
resulted in the complete abolition of slavery. Judging by ultimate
results, a temporizing policy was justified.
In April, 1861 , volunteers began to assemble everywhere Upon
the request of Governor Yates, Koerner removed to Springfield, and
took charge of the organization of Illinois volunteers. While there
he first met U. S Grant under peculiar circumstances, He thus
narrates the episode himself: "One day E. B Washburne brought to
my office a man of slouchy appearance, and introduced him as U. S.
Grant, of Galena, stating that he was a graduate of our military
school, and had seen service in Mexico. Washburne thought he
might be utilized in the organization of our forces. I went with
them to Yates, merely introducing Grant and reporting what Wash-
burne had stated. Shortly afterwards Washburne came to my room
and reported that their mission had failed , and that Yates had in-
formed him there was no vacancy. Next day, having thought over
the matter, and concluding that Grant might prove of considerable
service, I went to Yates and urged his appointment, personally. He
at once appointed him assistant quartermaster with a salary of $2,00
per day." Shortly afterwards, his qualifications being better under-
stood, Grant was put in command of Camp Yates, and when the
Twenty- first regiment, Illinois volunteers, was organized, he was
elected its colonel, and began that brilliant military career which, be-
fore the expiration of four years, made him the foremost soldier of
the world.
It is a strange coincidence that Koerner became thus instrumental
in furthering the fortunes of the most beloved president of the na-
tion, and of its greatest soldier, both citizens of the State of Illinois.
Looking back to the early history of the war, the superficial ob-
server is surprised to find that our first colonels, brigadiers, and even
major generals, were civilian politicians, who had little if any mili-
tary training. The reason for this is obvious. Our regular army
and its officers were a body segregated from the people, and not at
all in touoh with popular ideas. They were even prohibited by law
from exercising the elective franchise. They looked upon volunteers
with distrust, which the latter repaid with interest. For volunteers,
299
an army meant a mass meeting of the people in arms. At first the
soldiers elected their officers of the line, and the officers, their field
officers.
On the other hand, the people had confidence in their political
leaders and readily flocked to their standard, but the discipline which
the office-holders could enforce against the man whose vote he had
solicited but a short time before, was necessarily lax. It took years
until an armed mob was converted into a disciplined army marching
at the tap of the drum and sound of the bugle in serried phalanx to
certain victory. Before the war closed all our armies, and most of
the army corps, were commanded by trained regular army officers. I
was somewhat amused myself, when I found thai the colonel of the
regiment in which I first enlisted, although a politician of national
reputation, was not qualified to put the regiment through the manual
of arms.
The military career of Koerner was short and uneventful. He was
authorized by Governor Yates to raise a regiment, which he did, and
which, originally known as Koerner's regiment, subsequently became
the Forty-third Illinois infantry He never commanded the regi-
ment in the field, being detached as aid with the rank of colonel, on
the staff of Major General Fremont, the commander of the western
department. His duties as such, however, were more political than
military. The President desired to have some one in the western de-
partment, in immediate touch with its commander, on whose reports
as to the affairs of that department he could absolutely rely, and
Fremont desired someone who could be of service in procuring the
necessary reinforcements from Illinois. He retained the position
until June 16th, when he was appointed by the president, and con-
firmed by the Senate, Cnited States Minister to the court of Madrid,
as successor to Schurz, who had returned to the United States seek-
ing a military command.
I may mention in this connection that President Lincoln was
anxious to provide for Koerner soon after his election. He first de-
signed him for the mission to Berlin, but Norman B Judd, who failed
to secure a cabinet position, insisted on that appointment for him-
self, and Koerner was not the man to embarrass the President by
urging his own persoual claims. He next offered him a position on
the supreme bench of the United States, which he was compelled to
decline, owing to the then very limited compensation of the office,
coupled with the expense of living in Washington with a numerous
family. So inadequate was the compensation paid in those days,
even to the highest officials of the nation, that Koerner found himself
forced to resign even the Madrid mission, after being its incumbent
for two and one half years, not being able to make two ends meet
with the salary assigned to him, allhougli that salary was twice as
large as that of a judge of the supreme court.
The Madrid mission was then, next to those of St. James and Ber-
lin, the most important foreign mission. The armed intervention in
Mexico by European powers, including Spain; the revival of the
300
slave trade by Spanish vessels, which were enabled to ship their hu-
man cargoes from Africa to Cuba, owing to the forced withdrawal of
American cruisers for use at home; the landing of Confederate
cruisers in Spanish ports, and the manifest desire of Great Britain
to bring about strained relations between Washington and Madrid,
made Koerner's position exceedingly irksome. Add to this that there
was a constant change in the person of the Spanish secretary of for-
eign relations, no lees than five different persons (Calderon Col-
lantes, Marshal Serrano, Marquis de Mira Acres, Senor Arrazola and
Senor Francisco Pacheco) filling that office in lees than two years,
and it is evident that the position of our minister at that court was
anything but a sinecure. He states that in less than two years he
sent 114 dispatches to Secretary Seward, receiving as many in reply,
most of them relating to matters of serious import. He made re-
peated requests to be relieved from the duties of his onerous position,
but at the earnest solicitation of President Lincoln, retained his post
until the most important matters of controversy between the United
States and Spain were definitely settled.
During his sojourn in Spain he employed his leisure moments in
studying Spanish architecture and art, ancient and modern, and pub-
lished several short treatises on the subject, to which brief reference
is made in another part of this paper.
After his return to the United States he devoted himself mainly to
re- establishing his former lucrative law practice, which, during his pro-
tracted absence, had fallen into abeyance. He was too much accus-
tomed to public life, however, and too prominent a figure to be per-
mitted to retire from it entirely. In 18n8 he became an elector of
the Republican party in Illinois, and as such canvassed the State in
the interest of General Grant, its presidential nominee. He did not
perform this task with his usual enthusiasm since, in his opinion, the
fit President for a free people was a jurist and not a soldier. The
subsequent appointments of Stewart as Secretary of the Treasury,
and in violation of the law, because he was an importer; of Borie and
Robeson as successive Secretaries of the Navy; of Cox and Delano
as successive Secretaries of the Interior, and of the notorious Belk-
nap as Secretary of War, were not designed to create confidence in
the wisdom of the administration, and many earnest Republicans,
who had been founders of the party, were led to believe that the
President was inclined to look upon a public office not as a public
trust but as a private snap.
The very questionable transaction in the dicker for the acquisition
of San DDmingo, which was opposed by some of the purest Republi-
can leaders in the Senate, added to the foregoing, induced many
prominent Republicans, and among them Koerner, to make open war
on the administration and determined them to defeat the re election
of Grant if possible.
In Missouri, some time before, a party had been formed, known as
the Liberal Republican party. It had succeeded, with the aid of
Democrats, to re-elect its state officers, including a majority of the
legislature, and had sent Schurz to the United States Senate. This
301
party, in fact, was not then a national party, its original program re-
lating almost exclusively to state issues. Its local success embold-
ened the opponents of the national administration to try the same
experiment on a larger scale in national politics.
In 1872 a movement was initiated in Missouri to extend the Mis-
souri program over the United States and make it the foundation of
the platform of a national party. With that view a convention of
delegates, volunteer and not accredited, was called to meet in Cincin-
nati in the first week of May of that year. The leaders hoped to
duplicate successfully the movement which, nearly successful in 1855-
6 and wholly successful in 18G0, had recently proved locally success-
ful in Missouri They ignored the fact that the conditions were en-
tirely dissimilar. The movement of 1855-6 had an ethical ideal base,
the preservation of the Union with universal liberty, while the move-
ment of 1872 was one directed against objectionable men and the ob-
jectionable methods of the national administration. The local move-
ment in Missouri succeeded because it was initiated bj^ Republicans
with a view to restore the elective franchise to the bulk of the Dem-
ocrats of that of which they had been deprived by a proscriptive
constitution, hence the seceding Republicans could dictate terms to
their Democratic brethren and were sure of the support of the latter
on any terms. In the national campaign of 1872, the Democrats
were in a position to dictate terms and candidates to the seceding
Republicans. I tried to moke this difference plain to some Illinois
delegates to Cincinnati, including Koerner, who, on the eve of the
convention, called upon me, and who all felt confident that Lyman
Trumbull would be the nominee of the Cincinnati convention. I felt
confident that the nominee of the allied parties would be dictated by
a number of prominent Democrats, who had contemporaneously met
at Covington with a view of bringing the necessary pressure to bear
on the Cincinnati convention. The supposition that the southern
Democrats would ever consent to the nomination of Trumbull, who
was one of the foremost opponents of the extension of slavery into
the territories, and one of the foremost supporters of a vigorous prcs-
ecution of the war against them, appeared to me as the wildest dream.
We all know the result of the Cincinnati convention and the dis-
astrous termination of that campaign for the allies. The man who
was in favor of "squatter sovereignty" in 1860, and in favor "to let
our wayward sisters part in peace," became the forced choice of the
convention for the presidency, with the man who, elected by the
Liberal Republicans of Missouri governor of that state, had deserted
his party and had affiliated wholly with the Democrats, as his running
mate. The candidates were doomed to defeat the day they were
nominated, wholly regardless of the fact whether one of them had
"buttered his watermelon." Koerner himself, who was nominated by
the Democrats and Liberal Republicans for Governor of Illinois, was
overwhelmingly defeated, although he led the national ticket by over
25,000 votes.
302
His next political activity in the national arena was in the Tilden-
Hayes campaign of 187G. A conference of reformers met in the Fifth
Avenue hotel, New York, May 15, 1876, and appointed a committee,
with Schurz as chairman and Theodore Roosevelt as one of its mem-
bers, who i8s^ed an address to the people, insisting on a reform of
the civil service, the resumption of specie payment and a jugt treat-
ment of the re-united Southern states It was not the aim of this
convention to bring about the nomination of independent candidates
for national offices, but simply to bring sufficient pressure to bear on
the conventions of the two leading parties to make them nominate
candidates friendly to reform. Koerner, who had been invited to at-
tend the New York meeting, could not do so, being engaged at the
time in other duties as a member of the International Peace Confer-
ence. He was, however, thoroughly in sympathy with the movement,
and, upon the nomination of Tilden by the Democrats and Hayes by
the Republicans, he at once declared for the former who, as annihi-
lator of the Tweed ring, had demonstrated his earnestness as a re-
former. He canvassed the State of Illinois in the interest of his
candidate.
That Tilden was elected President of the United States, receiving
not only an overwhelming popular vote, but also the majority of the
electoral vote, if honestly counted, few people doubt at the present
day. That the electoral commission found sufficient technical legal
difficulties to uphold this verdict, and that its so doing was brought
about by a strictly party vote of its members was perhaps the first
severe blow struck at the integrity of our judiciary and hence is to
be deplored. However this may be, the readiness with which the
illustrious candidate and the numerical majority of the American
people submitted to the ruling, preferring to rest under its ban rather
than to plunge the country into the horrors of another civil war, has
furnished a precedent of the people's obedience to the law as pro-
mulgated by its constituted authorities, which, in its final results, is
of inestimable value to the future welfare of the Republic. It is
needless to add that, although thoroughly convinced of the injustice
of the electoral commission's finding, Koerner was among the fore-
most to counsel moderation and submission.
He also took an active and earnest interest in the subsequent cam-
paign?, which resulted respectively in the elections of Garfield and
Cleveland, speaking occasionally to large audiences, although his
advanced age and the increased demand made upon his time by his
professional duties precluded his canvassing the entire State or
speaking outside of its borders. It must be remembered that during
the entire period of his political activity he was no less active as a
practitioner. The judicial reports of the Supreme Court of Illinois
and of the Supreme Court of the United States, bear convincing
proof of that fact. I have, myself, witnessed his trying an important
case before a court and jury, the trial lasting for several days, when
he was past the age of 80, and can vouch for the fact that he con-
ducted the trial with a vigor, intelligence and attention to detail
which might well have aroused the envy of any lawyer in the prime
of life.
y03
His Work as an Educator and Author.
Every author of right is, or should be an educator in the broader
sense of that term. If he is not he has failed in his mission. I do
not make any distinction in that respect between writers of pure fic-
tion, and those dealing with serious problems of life. Koerner fully
realized the truth of this proposition, and the great bulk of his liter-
ary work was of a character, conferring practical benefit on hiscotem-
poraries. Being of a vivid imagination, and keen and critical per-
ception, his mind at an early age took a literary turn, which was fur-
thered by bis close association in the gymnasium at Frankfort, with
Henry Hoffmao, a boyhood friendship, which was to last through
life. HofPmann subsequently became a writer of some note, and a
poet of respectable standing, although his main claim to be remem-
bered by posterity rests upon his "Strubelpeter " This little pam-
phlet, written in doggerel verse, and illustrated by the author him-
self, with excellent pen sketches, dealing with the various naughty
habits of little children, has been the delight of millions of their
number, on both sides of the Atlantic, has been translated into var-
ious languages, and has become for the growing generations, what
the Bible and Shakespeare are for the adult. Koerner began his
literary efforts, as most of us do, by writing verses, when very young.
These efforts seem to have been frequent at first but rapidly de-
creased in number with advancing age. He seemed to have pre-
served the manuscripts and they were found among his posthumous
papers. While they show good command of meter, elegance of ex-
pression, and a fair amount of poetical sentiment, they do not indi-
cate that he ever could have risen to the front rank in that class of
literature.
His first appearance before the public as an author, was an inter-
esting and instructive description of his voyage across the Atlantic,
which was published in Cotta's "Ausland," in 1834. Shortly after
engaging in practice of the law he became a regular contributor to
the "Anzeiger des Westens," the first and then the only German daily
in the city of St. Louis, of which his friend and classmate Weber,
was the editor. These contributions dealt mainly with political ques-
tions, discussing and critizing public measures. About that time he
began to be an occasional contributor to English periodicals, on sim-
ilar subjects.
In 1837, Dr. George Englemann and others, began the publication
of a periodical named "VVestland," of which Koerner became a cor-
responding editor, although owing to the fact that he was still ostra-
cized by the home government, his connection with the periodical
was not made public. The venture did not prove a financial success
however, and the publication was discontinued within a year.
Aware, that one of the main aids of public education, is a free and
select library, he with others founded the Belleville Public library,
about the same time. This undertaking, very humble in its incep-
tion, grew rapidly under his fostering care, In 1863, the title to the
library was transferred to the city of Belleville, and it now numbers
more than 20,000 carefully selected volumes.
801
Shortly after his settlement in Belleville, there being no public
school in the place at that time which the children of Grerman emi-
grants could attend with advantage, he established a German and
English school there, and became its first teacher for a brief time.
Shortly thereafter however, a school was established there by Ban-
sen on the pattern of the Frankfort elementary school, which became
the foundation of the German-American system of schools which
under the superintendence of Raab became highly beneficial to edu-
cation in Southern Illinois. Koerner himself remained an influen-
tial school director until his departure for Madrid.
In 1847, he wrote an essay on the history and statistics of Ger-
many, which he read at the session of the Illinois Literary and His-
torical society of that year. In 1818 he prepared the address to the
German people, referred to in a preceding part of this paper. In
1855 he wrote the letter addressed to the Republican editors of Illi-
nois, defining the issues then before the country and his own posi-
tion regarding them. This was published in pamphlet form in two
languages and entensively circulated.
In 1859, he delivered the main address on the occasion of the cen-
tennial of the birth of Schiller, the poet, which was also published
in pamphlet form. During the Franco German war he wrote the
open letter to Wendell Phillips, published in the Chicago Tribune,
which led that brilliant but somewhat eccentric agitator, to recant
some of his former views on that subject, publicly expressed.
Of course it is impossible within the limits of this paper to specify
in detail Koerner's literary and educational activity, which was so
manifold, and extended over so many years. The above instances
are given more for the purpose of showing the character, than that
of showing the extent of the work. He appeared frequently on the
lecture platform, he was a constant contributor to the press both
English and German, both east and west, daily and periodical, liter-
ary and political. No one who was not familiar with his great in-
dustry and tireless energy, could well conceive how he found time
for the performance of all these labors.
Among his more extensive writings may be mentioned, "Koerner's
Spain," a description of that country, its political and social institu-
tions, and its ancient and modern art and literature; "The history of
German Settlers in America," a very extensive work dealing with
the subject of German Colonists, from the earliest date to modern
times. These two books were published in German. Also the fol-
lowing works in English, "Critical discussion of history and limits
of the Monroe Doctrine," written for and forming part of the "Cyc-
lopedia of Politial Science, etc.," edited by John J. Lawlor. "The
Scope of Punitive and Exemplary Damages," written for and read
before the American Bar Association, and "Critical Analysis of
Blaine's 'Twenty Years in Congress.' "
305
His Family Life.
Koerner's father died in 1829. His mother, brothers, and sisters,
he never met again after he left Europe for America, although he
took a fostering care of their interests while they lived. He sur-
vived them all. While visiting his friend and classmate, Theodore En-
gelmann, in 1832, he became acquainted with the latter's sister Sophy,
which acquaintance soon ripened into affection, and resulted in an
engagement while the two young people crossed the Atlantic on the
Logan. As soon as his professional earnings permitted him to do
so, on the 17th of June, 1836, the two became one. That the two
became one was in this instance more than a trite conventional
phrase The union which lasted for a period of nearly 52 years was
in every respect a most happy one, and after his wife died, March 1,
1888, the loneliness of the bereaved husband was truly pathetic. I can
truthfully say, that although during a long and somewhat eventful
life, I have had many occasions to observe the lights and shadows of
family life, I have never witnessed one so thoroughly cheered by
mutual affection, trust and confidence. Their trials and difficulties
were many. The first household which they founded in Belleville
was totally destroyed by tire, and their children were saved with diffi-
culty from the flames. The proverbial wolf did probably more than
once prowl around their door, Of the eight children, five sons and
three daughters, issue of their marriage, only three survived their
parents. Most of these children died in their infancy, but the oldest
son Theodore, a young man of great promise, died at a maturer age
while a cadet at West Point, and their youngest daughter Pauline,
wife of George H. Detharding, a Belleville merchant, died within a
comparatively short time, after her marriage. All these trials and
afflictions, however, but drew the parents with each other, and with
their children, into closer union if possible. Of their surviving
daughters, the elder, Mary, married Henry Engelmann, geologist
and chemist, late of LaSalle, Illinois, and now resides as a widow in
Cleveland, Ohio. The younger, Augusta, married Roderick E. Rom-
bauer, a lawyer in St. Louis, and for many years presiding judge of
the St. Louis Court of Appeals. The surviving son, Gustave A., was
associated with his father in the law practice, during the latter years
of his life, and now resides in St. Louis, Missouri. All hold the
memory of these parents in grateful veneration. Whoever visited
the Koerner home in Belleville, modest and unassuming, ornamented
with an extensive library and some art treasures, but otherwise sim-
ple and unostentatious, could not fail to be impressed with the fact,
that it was an ideal home. It had seen the gathering of many under
its hospitable roof, and of some who were among the foremost of their
days, and it was while a guest at this house, that Carl Schurz pre-
pared the famous speech which he delivered at Veranda Hall, St.
Louis, during the campaign of 1860, which in my opinion is by far
the best effort of that brilliant orator, and which more than any other,
attracted to him the gaze of the then contending political forces.
— 20H
306
GrENERAL ChARAOTERISTIOS.
This sketch would not be complete, without a summary of the gen-
eral features of the character of the man with whom it deals. Fore-
most among these was his innate sense of justice, and his constant
endeavor to subordinate his private interests to the general welfare.
He readily forgave private injuries, but would never condone the
breach of a public trust. While both were at college, Frederick
Heeker, then not less impetuous than in later years, picked a quarrel
with him without any provocation, which student fashion, resulted
in a challenge and duel. Heeker was a noted good swordsman, and
as such rather given to seek broils, than to avoid them, but Koerner
was a better one, and in the onset which followed soon put his an-
tagonist hors de combat. When the two men met years thereafter on
the prairies of Illinois, Koerner was the first to extend to the fugitive
the hand of friendship, I have frequently heard him extol the good
qualities of his early opponent, without referring to any of his foibles,
some of which were rather pronounced. He delivered eloquent pan-
egyrics on the occasion of Hecker's funeral, and at the unveiling of
his monument in St. Louis.
During the Garfield campaign, he denounced in his public
speeches that presidential candidate in the most unmeasured terms,
going even beyond the limit of legitimate criticism. But when the
president-elect made an earnest effort to rid the country and himself
of machine rule, and carpet baggers' domination, and partly as a re-
sult thereof fell the victim of the assassin's bullet, Koerner was the
first to applaud his conduct, and at the memorial meeting held at
Belleville, upon the occasion of the President's death, as chairman of
the meeting delivered the eulogy.
He was naturally reserved in his intercourse with men, and those
who knew him superficially thought him cold, but those who knew
him intimately realized that heart of man never beat in warmer
sympathy with his fellow man, and that the cold exterior hid almost
a womanly tenderness.
He was never a seeker after wealth, measuring its value truly as a
means of independence, and some aid in dealing justly and fearlessly
with men and measures, He was generous and charitable, often be-
yond his means. When quite a young man, witnessing the sale of a
free negro, under the infamous law of this State which provided that
free negroes coming into this State, should be ordered to leave, and if
they failed to do so at once, should be fined, and on failure to pay the
fine should be sold into temporary servitude, he paid with his slender
means the fine of the negro thus to be sold, and turned him free.
In discussing the freedom of religion, he used the word "right" in-
stead of the inappropriate word, "toleration." He was himself a
Pantheist, but a great respecter of every creed. In the many discus-
sions which he had with Robert Gr. Ingersoll on the subject he dis-
countenanced the conduct of that witty lecturer, and thus reports
their final interview:
307
"I told him that the people require a religious system, which they
can grasp and which is in harmony with their instinctive sentiments
and aspirations. If such a system, erroneous though it be, gives
them rest, then it is wrong to destroy the hope and consolation furn-
ished by their faith. No philosopher has yet solved the problem of
man's ultimate destiny. However illusory the doctrine of future re-
ward and punishment may be, there are millions of people, who are
kept by it within the bounds of morality. I told him that as a states-
man he should give due weight to this last proposition. IngersoU
replied that 'truth should be proclaimed at all hazards,' to which I
replied, 'where lies the truth?'"
I have in what I have said endeavored to draw as complete a
sketch of the life of your fellow citizen, as I was justified to do,
within necessarily confined limits. The pencil at times may have
trembled in my hands, because the deceased in life stood very close
to me, but I have tried to draw the lines of the portrait straight
and true. When I say that among the many prominent citizens
of this commonwealth, there were probably some more potent to for-
ward the welfare of its people, but that there was not one more wil-
ling and ready to do so than Grustavus Koerner. I claim to have pro-
nounced a just verdict on the law and the evidence. I thank you for
having given me an opportunity to do so, and I trust that you will
preserve in your valuable archives, this tablet, among the enduring
monuments which they contain of your illustrious dead.
308
THE SCOTCH-IRISH IN AMERICAN HISTORY.
(Robert A. Gray.)
I am here today to raise my voice in behalf of a people that
never had justice done them by historians, either in Europe or
America, namely the Scotch-Irish. In that long struggle which ter-
minated in our independence, they played perhaps the most import-
ant part of any nationality engaged on our side. Oppressed beyond
measure at home, they emigrated to this country in droves, bringing
with them an undying hatred to English intolerance and oppression
When the last bigoted tyrant of the detestable house of Stuart
sought to win back the English throne by the aid of the Irish Cath-
olics, whom his grandfather had ruthlessly plundered of their posses-
sions; the Sootch-Irish of Ulster rallied in defense of their religion,
and liberty, and behind the walls of Derry, bade him defiance: Here
105 days they sustained a siege without a parallel in history since the
fall of Jerusalem; you can read in the glowing pages of Macauley,
the record of that siege, of its more than three months of heroic
fighting; the women dying with the men in their desperate resistance;
fighting side by side with them in the trench and in spite of famine,
pestilence and death in every shape, cheering them on to victory.
The religious liberty of Europe was secured behind the walls of
Derry, and what was the reward of the victors? On the return of
peace the men that saved the government of England to the Houses
of Nassau and Brunswick, found th emselves prescribed, banned and
outlawed, and placed in the same category with their Catholic fellow-
subjects who had sought to overthrow the government. The Catholics
had submitted on the solemn promise that their rights would be re-
stored and their religion protected, but alas! both Catholic and
Presbyterian, soon found themselves the victims of religious intoler-
ance and oppression. The infamous penal laws and laws against
non-conformity; test oaths and oaths of supremacy, debarred them
from all offices of honor and trust, they could neither preach, teach,
or sit on juries; they were forbidden to marry unless the ceremony was
performed by an established clergyman, otherwise their children
were declared bastards and could not inherit property. Was it any
wonder that under these circumstances they emigrated to this country
in droves, bringing with them an undying hatred to English oppres-
sion, In the twenty years preceding the American revolution, over
600,000 came over, the greater part from the province of Ulster, and
of the nine counties, Ulster, Antrim and Donegal furnished the
309
most. A limited territory in the latter county furnished, I believe,
more historic families to this country than any other section of the
same extent, either in Europe or America. Standing on the top of
Mingarry hill one can see the former homes of more than 20 families,
all of whom have left historic names in the country of their adoption.
Here, nestling at your feet and overlooking the beautiful valley of
Glenmaquean, lies the old homestead of the Buchanans; a little lower
down, but in plain view on the other side of the valley in the parish
of Kye lies that of the Calhouns, Houstens and Ewings; ofF to the
left about two miles lies the Polloch or Polk homestead and in the
adjacent village of Convoy was born Major- General Richard Mont-
gomery; from the same neighborhood came the Grays, Pattens, Gra-
hams and Polucks; from Ramelton in the same county, came Francis
Makemie the founder of the Presbyterian chuch in America, and at
a later day Robert Bonner of the New York Ledger. This vast tide
of emigrants settled mostly in Pennsylvania, Maryland and the Caro-
linas, though many settled in New York and New Jersey, and over
20,000 in New England. The Cumberland valley, the Piedmont
region in Virginia, Tennesee and Kentucky, were settled almost ex-
clusively by this race. In the passenger list of one ship that sailed
from Belfast in May, 1728, you will find the names of the ancestors
of the best historic families of Pennsylvania, Virginia, Kentucky
and Tennesee, such as the Prestons, Breckenridges, Pattens, Mc-
Dowells, Irvines, Grays, Campbells, McElroys, Mitchells, Logans and
Caldwells, and in another ship soon after they were followed by the
Meades, Morgans, Marshalls, Barrys, Waynes, St, Clairs, Armstrongs,
Fultons, McKeans, MoClures, McKibbens, Orrs, McClenahans and
many others too numerous to mention.
If one were to read our American history as written and taught in
our schools, it would be imagined that had it not been for the New
England Puritans alone, our Revolutionary struggle would have been
an entire failure. But I say here, without fear of contradiction,
that, had it not been for the outspoken words, the bravery and the
indomitable spirit of the Scotch- Irish of Georgia, Pennsylvania,
Maryland, Virginia and the Carolinas, there would have been no in-
dependence, Froude, the English historian, says: "This race fur-
nished 50 per cent of the patriot army." The first newspaper advo-
cating an appeal to arms was the Continental Gazette, edited by
Isaac Anderson, a Scotch-Irishman. The first declaration of inde-
pendence was made almost in the exact words of Jefferson's immortal
production in Mecklinburg county. North Carolina, two months before
the latter. Every delegate to that convention, with two exceptions,
were Scotch-Irish by birth or parentage. Here are some of their
names: Polk, Barry, Alexander, Downs, Graham, Irwin, McClure,
Wilson and Patten. Thirteen of the signers of the declaration of
independence were of the same race, viz., Hancock, Thornton, Whip-
ple, Paine, Smith, Taylor, Read, McKean, Nelson, Rutledge, Wither-
spoon, Carroll and Lynch. Charles Thomson, who wrote it from
Jefferson's rough draft. Colonel Nixon, who was the first man to read
310
it to the people from the steps of the old State House in Philadel-
phia, and Captain Dunlap, who printed the first copy of it, were of
the same race. The first blood shed in the struggle for self-govern-
ment was not at Boston, Concord or Lexington, as is generally stated
by historians, but at Alamance, N. C, amongst the Scotch-Irish, two
years before Lexington. Here, in defense of their just rights, they
bravely faced Governor Tryon and his organized forces, and though
defeated at that time and forced to abandon their homes and cross
the mountains, where they settled in the Watauga valley (the first
settlement west of the mountains) , they there afterwards proved that,
though overpowered, they were still unoonquered; and, in the en-
suing struggle, from that Watauga settlement came a body of patriots
that proved their hatred to tyranny on every battlefield of the south.
It was their broad boast that there never was a Tory amongst their
race or in their settlement. They furnished a large majority of Ma-
rion's men, and at Guilford court house, the Cowpens and King's
mountain, they paid England back for her oppression. At the Cow-
pens the gallant Morgan, the son of an Irishman, commanded and
won the battle that eventually led to the surrender of Cornwallis, At
King's mountain all the officers in command, with the exception of
Colonels Sevier and Shelby, were Scotch Irish, as were the greater
part of their men.
Of the other gallant leaders in that memorable struggle who were
of the same race the following names occur to me, and they were but
a part, and a very small part, of that heroic race that shed their blood
so freely to win that freedom which we enjoy. First in honor as
in place was Maj. Gen Richard Montgomery, who fell at Quebec,
and his companion in arms, Daniel Morgan, the hero of the Cowpens
and Saratoga Heights, who commanded the Virginia riflemen who
were nearly all of the same race, and who were pronounced by Bur-
goyne to be the most effective body of troops in either army; John
Stark, the hero of Bennington; Mad Anthony Wayne, who stormed
Stony Point; General Sullivan, who conquered the Five Nations and
avenged the massacre of Wyoming and Cherry Valley ; Gen. Hugh
Mercer, who fell at Princeton; Gen. John Eager Howard, who com-
manded the gallant soldiers of the Maryland line, who were nearly
all of the same race, as were also their brigade associates, the gallant
"Blue Hen's Chickens" of Delaware.
By the way, it was from a Scotch-Irishman named Caldwell that
the sons of Delaware derived this name. According to the story I
found in an old scrap book, Caldwell was a gentleman of prominence
who lived in Sussex county; he was a sportsman, whose horses and
game-cocks had a wide celebrity. His favorite axiom was, that the
character of the progeny depends more on the mother than the father;
hence for thorough gameness you could always depend on the pro-
geny of his favorite blue hens.
When the news of the battle of Lexington reached Delaware, the
martial spirit of her people was aroused, and in a very short time a
full regiment was raised and a day set for them to organize. On the
morning of that day a full company from Sussex county under the
311
command of Captain Caldwell was the first to arrive on Dover Green,
and on top of their loaded baggaiT'^ wagon was a coop of the blue
hen's chickens crowing loudly. The company was given the right of
the regiment, and under Colonel Haslett was sent to the north.
After their gallant conduct in covering the retreat from Long Island,
the whole regiment was dubbed "The Blue Hen's Chickens," a name
that has stuck to the people of the state ever since. This gallant
regiment, largely composed, as I have said, of Scotch-Irish, fought
at Trenton, Princeton, Brandy wine, Germantown and Monmouth.
They were then sent south, and at the fatal battle of Camden the
gallant game cock fought his last battle. When in that battle the
militia fled without firing a shot, the Blue Hen's Chickens with their
comrades of the Maryland line rallied round old DeKalb and fought
till they were almost annihilated. Their lieutenant-colonel,
Vaugn, and Major Patten were taken prisoners. The few that were
left participated in the battle of Guilford court house and were pres-
at the surrender of Coruwallis.
Gen. Henry Knox, Washington's chief of artillery and closest
friend; Colonel Fitzgerald, his favorite aid- de-camp; General Read
of Pennsylvania; Generals Clinton, Hand. Poor, Maxwell, Hamilton,
Stewart, Mcintosh, Pickens and Rutherford; Sergeant Jasper who
raised the fallen flag at Moultrie, for which gallaiit act he was pre-
sented with a sword by Governor Rutledge, himself a Scotch-Irish-
man by descent; and John Paul Jones, who was the first to hoist the
American flag on the sea, were all of the same race. So was Robert
Morris, who, on his own personal credit, raised the money that en-
abled Washington to move his army to Virginia and capture Corn-
wallis. Sad to say, his ungrateful country suffered him to die in
poverty and bankruptcy. Oliver Polloch (Polk the name is now
spelled) was treated in a similar manner. He had borrowed $70,000
from Count O'Reilly, governor of Cuba, and turned it over to Gover-
nor Henry of Virginia. This money enabled the governor to equip
George Rogers Clark for his Illinois expedition, one of the greatest
events of that memorable period. On the 4th day of July, 1778. a
little band of Virginia soldiers, recruited in great part in the Scotch-
Irish settlements of that state, under the command of Clark the son
of an Irishman, and commissioned by Patrick Henry also the son of
an Irishman, after one of the most memorable marches in history
since Hannibal crossed the Alps, captured the French village of Kas-
kaskia, in Illinois, then under British rule. The result of this con-
quest was the cession of the whole northwest to the United States,
a territory then but little known and lightly valued, but which now
constitutes the richest and fairest section of country over which our
flag floats. Without this territory so conquered, the United States
would have been restricted to the comparatively narrow limits of the
Alleghanies and the Atlantic ocean. You are raising monuments all
over your country to your famous men, whilst the grave of George
Rogers Clark is entirely neglected and his name almost forgotten.
Mark what Washington said of this race and tell me if there was
ever a higher compliment paid to a people. In the darkest hour of
the Revolutionary war, when surrounded by his few freezing, fam-
312
ishing soldiers at Valley Forge, he was asked what he proposed to do
now as the cause seemed to be hopelessly lost. Here is his reported
answer: "If all else fails, I will retreat up the valley of Virginia,
plant my flag on the Blue Ridge, rally around the Scotch-Irish of
that region and make my last stand for liberty amongst a people who
will never submit to British tyranny whilst there is a man left to draw
a trigger."
This race has furnished the following Presidents, viz: Madison,
Monroe, Jackson, Tyler, Polk, Taylor, Buchanan, Johnson, Grant,
Hayes, Arthur and McKinley, whilst Jefferson and Roosevelt, on the
maternal side, were of the same stock. A number of our vice-presi-
dents, amongst them your own honored citizen, Adlai E. Stevenson,
were of the same race. Our earliest supreme bench was in great part
filled by men of the same race. John Marshall, ihe most eminent
legal light that ever filled the position of chief justice, and his asso-
ciates, Rutledge, Wilson, Blair and Ivedell, were all of the same stock.
In the war of 1812, Scott and Jackson on land, and Barry, Stewart,
Perry and McDonough in the navy, added new glory to their race.
Of our late war it is needless to speak. The deeds of Grant, Mc-
Pherson, Sheridan, Slocum, Logan, Blair, Wallace, Oglesby,McCler-
nand and hundreds of others are familiar to all. Nine of the gov-
ernors of our own State were of this race by birth or parentage, viz:
Bond, Cole, Reynolds, Ewing, Duncan, Carlin, Ford, Beveridge and
Hamilton; and, in fact, there are more of this race in our highest
offices today, legislative, executive, judicial, ecclesiastical and educa-
tional, than any other race in this country according to their number,
and less of them in our poor houses and alms houses. To use the
words of a late writer, "they are teaching in our colleges, universities
and common schools; they are preaching in our pulpits; they have
fought our battles; they have written our literature in prose and po-
etry; they have led public opinion in the direction of liberty, right
and justice; they have made and administered our laws and, owing
to their efforts and example, our country is freer, stronger and better
today. But you will look in vain in their ranks to find a socialist or
an anarchist." "Wherever you find a Scotch-Irishman," says another
writer, "you will always find him the same; the same self-reliant,
persevering and, at times, dogmatical asserter of his own opinions —
opinions, by the way, formed from close thought and reasoning.
The same clear, firm assertion of his belief, whether in religion or
politics; the same God-fearing honesty and loyalty to friendship that
not even the fear of death can shake." "Wherever that race predom-
inates,'' says another writer, "you will find personal freedom and
representative government." The church and the school house al-
ways accompany them. Attached to old habits and customs, they
are not easily led into new fashions and habits of thought or action
until, by careful consideration, they are convinced of their truth and
utility, As educated freemen, they pay due deference to the consti-
tuted authorities but, at the same time, they will just as strictly con-
fine these authorities to their prescribed limitations. Whoever would
rule the Scotch-Irish must rule them through right and sufficient
313
reason. The eloquent Proctor Knott, in speaking of this race and
their achievements, said: "Would you know their names? You will
find them in every walk of private usefulness and public honor; in
every department of literature and in every branch of science; in
every avenue of active enterprise and popular progress; in the pulpit
and at the bar; on the field and in the cabinet; on the bench and in
the legislative halls; in our highest courts and in the presidential
chair, They and their sons have written them in imperishable char-
acters upon the brightest pages of our country's history. Go read
them there."
314
THE WOMAN'S CLUB MOVEMENT IN ILLINOIS.
(Belle Short Lambert.)
The corporations and unions which are so marked a feature in the
commercial and industrial affairs of today, the associated charities,
the fraternal leagues, the social clubs which have so large a place in
civic life, are manifestations the world has not seen before, and would
not have been possible in an earlier stage of society. They have dis-
tinguished the period and named it the "Age of Organization"
Numberless are the combinations through which this spirit of organ-
ization has manifested itself and all classes, all orders of men, are
drawn into its entangling meshes,
In the long history of the race, each epoch has been characterized
by social phases peculiar to its time, and there has been endless vari-
ation in the relative position of woman. In this generation, it has
come to pass that she is a sharer and co-laborer in a vast realm of
affairs hitherto deemed outside her province, and in these new re-
sponsibilities and opportunities she has found incentive and neces-
sity to enlarge her life and broaden her intellectual and ethical
culture that she might attain to her highest self; and in finding this
better self, give expression to it in a more gracious womanliness, a
more efficient service in her share of the world's work.
To meet this necessity came the spontaneous movement toward
the woman's literary club. Its phenomenal growth proves that there
was a need it could supply. It is no longer a fad, but is ingrained
in our civilization, and though yet in its immaturity, we can no
longer doubt its immediate or prospective usefulness as a factor in
the life of the community or of the State.
The Woman's Club movement, unlike that of some organizations,
cannot be traced to one definite source nor to the forcefulness of one
great leader. It has been evolved from conditions and shaped by
many influences.
The purpose of this sketch shall bb to indicate its beginning and
to follow the lines of its development, rather than to give with full-
ness the history of many individual clubs, since the great number in
the State and the similarity of their work would necessitate endless
repetition,
"Where shall I find the origin of the woman's club?" I asked a
man who is my neighbor. After a moment's reflection, he replied^
"In the Methodist class meeting,"
315
I laughed incredulously, but he continued, "There is the place she
first found opportunity of giving Toice to her thought. I believe you
will find it began there." And since my neighbor is a scholar and a
Presbyterian, his perspicuity and orthodoxy may not be lightly
questioned.
The radical changes in the industrial world that removed from the
home to the factory, the weaving of cloth, the cutting and sewing of
heavy garments, the drying and canning of fruits and vegetables,
left woman leisure for reading, for thought and observation. This
opportunity, with a natural social inclination, evolved the idea of the
reading circle, and then it was but a step to the society for the study
of history and literature.
The earliest of these appeared in our own State and elsewhere
soon after the close of the Civil war. It has often been said that the
great struggle of the 60's developed woman's capacity and resource-
fulness; that through the commissary departments and other relief
measures her ability as an organizer was shown as never before.
With the dawn of peace and happier years, it was natural that this
awakened energy should find new channels, Between 1870 and 1880, it
began to manifest itself through various educational, moral, religious
and reform movements. The Woman's Missionary Societies, the
Woman's Christian Temperance Union, the Association for the Ad-
vancement of Woman, the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle,
and the Equal Suffrage Association are among the more prominent
dating from that time.
The missionary societies were speedily propagated among the
churches, and have maintained a steadfast growth.
The Woman's crusade which started in a little town in Ohio in '73
was caught up with enthusiasm in Illinois and at a convention in
Bloomington in October 1874, the Illinois Woman's Christian Tem-
perance Union was organized, Francis Wlllard serving as secretary.
Four years later she was made president and the subsequent year
was called to stand at the head of the national organization, a place
she filled with signal ability, until her death four years ago. Beloved
and honored everywhere, Francis Willard found her most numerous,
most able support in the unions of her own State which today has
475 of these organizations, distributed in 91 counties. In the 40 de-
partments of this great body, women find not only occasion for bene-
volent service, but the opportunity of self development as well.
The A.S80ciation for the Advancement of Woman was instituted at a
congress called by New York Sorosis, Oct. 14th, 1878. Mrs. Mary
A. Livermore, then living in Chicago, was elected president, serving
two years. Maria Mitchell and Mrs. Julia Ward Howe held the
office during the three years following, when the president was again
chosen from Illinois, Mrs. Kate Newall Doggett of Chicago filling
the office for three years. The second convention, and the 11th, of
this association, met in Chicago, so that from the first, its impression
upon the women of this State was marked,
316
Thirty years ago the Equal Suffrage association of Illinois was
formed, and while it has not attained the object for which it stands,
it has helped bring about many beneficent changes in the laws relat-
ing to women and children, and as a pioneer has led the way and
made possible the achievements of more recent organizations.
The Chautauqua plan for home study, originated by Lewis Miller
and Bishop John H. Vincent in 1874, became very popular in this
State, where there have been about 675 circles in 425 localities. Over
200 were in towns of 500 to S,500 inhabitants. More than 60 were in
little hamlets; the others in cities. One third have had an existence
of four years or more, while many circles finishing the Chautauqua
course, continue under other names and other lines of work.
These moral, religious, educational and reform movements, as has
been shown, enlisted the earnest cooperation of Illinois women, and
this State led others in the number and efficiency of the societies de-
voted to these various causes. Here as elsewhere, they absorbed
most of the talent and ability for organization during the period of
the '70s, although a slight stimulus was given to literary and
aesthetic culture by the Centennial exposition, and a number of art
associations and several for the study of literature and history were
formed about that time. Few of them are still in existence, but they
mark the time when the first groups of women began to choose for
themselves, independently of any directing organization, the lines
of study they most inclined to pursue.
The earliest association of women in Illinois, and one which ante-
dates all others anywhere, is the Ladies' Education Society of Jack-
sonville, which a few months ago observed its 70th anniversary.
While it can hardly be included in the club movement, since it pre-
ceded it by 40 years, in its spirit and work it is in accord with the
most altruistic of modern associations. Organized Oct. 3d, 1838, for
the purpose of helping indigent girls in this then frontier country
to obtain an education, it has during this time assisted 1,584 students.
Last year, tuition was paid for 23 young women attending 12 schools
from Stanford university on the Pacific Coast to Oberlin in Ohio.
Before the establishment of public schools, funds were solicited east
and west, but the present income of the society is derived from in-
vested funds, legacies, and voluntary gifts, while beneficiaries are
preferably those who are beyond the high school course and desire
special or advanced work that they may prepare themselves for
teaching.
Another forerunner of this movement is the Plato club founded by
Dr. Hiram K. Jones in 1860. It included both men and women in
its membership and met on Saturday mornings for nearly 40 years,
until its continuance was prevented by the failing health of the
leader. Doctor Jones was recognized as the leading Platonist of the
age and when last summer his body was laid to rest beneath the
trees, Jacksonville recognized that its chief patron of letters and
philosphy had left vacant a place that never again will be filled.
317
Quinoy claims the proud clistinotion of having the oldest literary
club for women in the United States. The Friends in Council dates
its birth from the autumn of 1866, when 12 ladies agreed to meet
weekly for reading and conversation. After meeting in this way for
more than two years, they effected a formal organization in Febru-
ary, 1869. A further distinction of this council is that it has its own
club house, the gift of a devoted member, who in many other ways
promoted the culture and literary interests of Quincy.
Jacksonville Sorosis was organized and adopted a constitution in
November, 1868. No name having been decided upon when that of
the famous New York club was announced, permission was sought to
adopt it, and this society became the second to bear the beautiful and
significant name which since is so widely used.
Jacksonville Art association, the first in Illinois, was instituted
Dec. 17th, 1873. Both ladies and gentlemen are numbered in its
membership, and its monthly meetings and its exhibitions have for
30 years been one of the pleasant features in the life of the com-
munity.
The second art society in this State was formed in Lincoln just
after the Centennial exposition in 1876. From the influence of this
one, came the Art club of Champaign in the same year, and then the
Art society in Springfield in 1877. Decatur had two art classes;
Bloomington the Palladen and the Historical and Art society, both
founded in '79. These societies mothered the club interests that ap-
peared later in these cities.
Through the happy inspiration of Mrs. R. B. Latham, representa-
tives of these associations were invited to her home in Lincoln, when,
after two days of delightful program sessions and social converse, it
was decided to organize a Central Illinois Art union to meet annually.
This was in May, 1880, and for 14 years these meetings were con-
tinued, their beneficial fellowship attracting and bringing in other
societies from Peoria, Carlinville and Pana, and their influence doing
much to develop an appreciation of good art in this part of the State.
Besides these art societies, there were organized during this period
1870-1880, a few other clubs, well scattered through the State, the
southernmost being at Cairo. There the Woman's Club and Library
association was instituted in 1875 with the double purpose of raising
funds for a library and of improvement of its members through dis-
cussion of domestic, moral, social and political questions. That
these objects have been successfully realized, all who know the city
and its people will testify.
Situated as Cairo is in the lowland where the streams of two mighty
rivers meet in swelling flood, the utmost effort has been required to
hold within bounds these swirling waters. In the construction of
costly levees, the city's revenues have been expended, leaving little
for ornamental public buildings, and therefore the efforts of the club
to found a library were much appreciated.
818
In two years, the first books, 1257 carefully considered volumes,
were purchased. The collection increased steadily and in 1881 the
books were presented to the city and the entire movement made per-
manent by the gift of a fine building erected by Mrs. A. B. Safford
to the memory of her husband. The lower floor is devoted to the
library, and the elegant, artistically furnished suite of rooms on the
second floor is the permanent home of the club.
The Ladies Reading Circle of Mattoon, the Monday club of Eock-
ford, the Tuesday club of Pana and the Clionian of Pontiac, date
from 1877, the Every Wednesday of Elgin from 1879. All these
clubs are devoted to the study of literature, have passed their quarter
century mile stone, and have fostered the growth of a vigorous pro-
geny of later clubs in their vicinities.
In Chicago, clubs dating their formation from the '70s are the
Fortnightly 1873, the Friends in Council 1875, the Woman's Literary
club of Millard Avenue, 1878, and the Chicago Woman's club 1876.
The first three organized for intellectual and social culture through
the study of history, and literature, and their membership was lim-
ited to 25 or 30, The Friends in Council continue in the original
plan; the Fortnightly in 1886 was incorporated and its membership,
extended to 200, includes those ladies most prominent in the city's
social and literary circles. The Millard Avenue club has not only
extended its membership, but its scope and now includes the usual
lines of practical work.
The fourth club named in this group, the Chicago Woman's club,
although a direct outgrowth of the literary societies, bore the im-
press of other influences, and was a radical departure from accus-
tomed lines. Its purpose was more broadly inclusive, and as defined
in the constitution is "mutual sympathy and counsel; united effort
toward the higher civilization of humanity, and general philanthro-
pic and literary work." We note that the literary feature is last
named, and while the club is strong on this side and has commanded
the service of the best talent the city contains, still this interest has
been kept subservient to the practical work which was the chief ob-
ject of its founders.
The club was divided into six departments, reform, home, educa-
tion, philanthropy, art and literature, philosophy and science.
Through these departments, the club with its 900 members has en-
gaged in many lines of work — that which is corrective relates mostly
to women and children. It secured the appointment of women phy-
sicians to care for women patients in the hospitals for the insane in
Cook county and Kankakee; it procured seats for girls in retail
stores, it established a kindergarten for poor children; it supported
for many years a school for boys in the jail, which pro/ed of such
benefit and such a valuable aid to discipline that the support has
been assumed by the county, the management still being under the
supervision of the club. It raised $40,000 for the Manual Training
and Farm school for boys at Grlenwood, and has done much to pro-
mote the establishment of vacation schools.
319
Several societies have grown out of the Chioa^o Woman's club,
suoh as the Public School Art association, to promote school room
decoration and art instruction in the schools; School Children's Aid,
now in its 15th year, the means of keeping needy children in clothes
and thus in school. It originated the Municipal Order League; the
Political Equality League; and the Protective Agency for Women and
Children. This protective agency has for its purpose the securing
of justice to those who are wronged and helpless, by giving legal
counsel free of charge and extending to them moral support, In the
18 years since it came into existence, it has handled 24,708 cases and
collected in wages and other claims $35,202. These are a few of the
many lines of extensive and original work which made the Chicago
Woman's club in the first years of its organization unique among
clubs, and which introduced into the club movement of Illinois a
new type and standard.
The societies of this first decade in the club movement, being few
in number, have been given specific and individual mention because
they mark the beginning of the movement and because they illustrate
the different types, even as we find them to-day after nearly 80 years.
In the second decade of this movement, 1880-1890, the develop-
ment was in numbers rather than in methods, and literary societies
became generally distributed in towns and cities throughout the
State. Some included both men and women in their membership.
One of the few remaining in that plan is the Author's club of
Springfield, which has met fortnightly since February, 1882. The
range of topics considered in these 22 years is similar to that pur-
sued in all literary societies and embraces history and literature of all
people, science, philosophy, economics and biography, How com-
prehensive these studies have been can hardly be suggested until
club calendars of by- gone years set it before us
Classes for the study of Shakesperean drama and Browning clubs
were popular in the latter years of this period, and extended beyond
it. There were, however, a few clubs organized on the new and
broader basis of a departmental club. Among these were the Peoria
Woman's club, founded in 1886. It has, during the past 18 years,
centralized the literary, musical and philanthropic interests of the
city and has become a strong body of influence,
In 1887 the same result was achieved in Decatur by bringing to-
gether a number of existing societies — musical, literary, art study
and philanthropic — and making of them one incorporate body. A
monument to the harmony and wisdom of the plan is seen in the
substantial club house built by the members through the formation
of a stock company.
The most active period of the Woman's Club movement in Illinois,
as in other states, has been from 1890 to the present time. This
period has been active not only in the number of societies formed,
but also in the advancement of those already existing, and has been
characterized by the inauguration or development of great national
associations of women. The Columbian exposition greatly facilitated
320
these national movements, and with its splendid exhibits and its
congresses and its gatherings of representative women exerted a
stimulating influence in the Woman's Club movement of this
State.
The Woman's Relief corps instituted in 188B as auxiliary to the
Grand Armj'^ of the Republic, has been established in 240 army posts
in the department of Illinois, and 12,000 Illinois women are enrolled
in it, in pledge of loyal relief of needy families of United States'
soldiers.
The Daughters of the American Revolution, founded 14 years ago,
has extended until it is represented by chapters in every state in the
Union. Illinois, with 31 chapters and 2,200 members, ranks among
the highest of the states in respect to numbers, and claims pre-emi-
nence as having in the Chicago chapter, the oldest chapter of the
Daughters of the American Revolution.
The Daughters of the Revolution has an Illinois State society, or-
ganized in 1901. The Dames of the Loyal Legion instituted a society
of the State of Illinois in May, 1899. Its object is to cherish the
memory of those whose distinguished services during the civil war
aided in preserving the integrity of the government. All these asso-
ciations strive to foster the spirit of ardent patriotism and to obtain
and preserve records pertaining to national and local history.
The National Council of Women and the International Council of
Women were founded in 1888, and, with their affiliations, they are
the largest and most powerful associations in the world. All the
greater organizations of women in the United States are affiliated
with the National Council.
The National Congress of Mothers which has a branch in our
State is one of the recent organizations, having been instituted in
Washington on Feb. 17, 1897.
The General Federation of Woman's clubs which was organized in
New York in 1889, held its next session in Chicago in 1892. So
much of pleasure and of profit came from this meeting with club
women from other states, that the matter of a federation of clubs in
our own State was soon under consideration. Mrs. Clara P. Bour-
land called a meeting for this purpose in Chicago on Oct. 11, 1894,
when with great unanimity the Illinois Federation of Woman's clubs
was brought about. Seventy-seven clubs came into the federation
the first year, and the number has increased to 246, representing a
membership of 24,000 women. While there are double this number
of societies in the State, those that have come into this federation
are the strongest, most forceful organizations, and they represent
every district and all the larger towns in the State. The organization
is on the congressional district plan, with a vice-president from each
district, in addition to the usual officers. In this way all the clubs
are kept in close touch with the work of the federation.
There are 19 standing committees. Besides the ones relating to
the conduct of business and meetings, there are the education, do-
mestic science, literature, art, music, forestry, library extension.
321
philanthropy, civil service, industrial and legislation. These com-
mittees are the life of the federation, and through them, all clubs are
made familiar with the most advanced ideas in their special and var-
ious lines of work. I
The art committee has eight collections of good photographs, water
colors, etchings, pottery and glass, wall papers, textiles and rugs,
which are loaned at cost of expressage for exhibition, or for club
study. The literature and music committees strive to create higher
standards and are ready to offer suggestions for programs A musi-
cal library is loaned to clubs desiring it. Library exterlsion is carried
on by means of 225 traveling libraries which have been contributed
by clubs through the State — they contain 11,000 volumes, and are
sent to schools, clubs, or country places, at cost of transportation.
The philanthropy committee urge the seeking out and the care of the
unfortunate, and in co-operation with the education, industrial and
legislation committees, has helped to frame and secure the passage
of some of the best corrective laws affecting women and children that
have ever become operative in the State. Among them may be men-
tioned the Juvenile court, the Compulsory education, and the Child
Labor laws.
While these committees and the work done through them indicate
what the federation stands for, they by no means represent its entire
influence. No one club has in it all the elements of a perfect club.
In this fact lies the strength of a union of many, since in a compari-
son of methods and plans, there results a modifying, and a develop-
ment that brings all to a better standard. Through the federation,
there has been in the past ten years much improvement in the char-
acter of clubs all through the State, even the most conservative have
felt its influence. Ten years ago the majority were entirely literary
in their scope, now, while sustaining the literary side in better
arranged subjects of study, there are few that do not in addition to
that, extend some support to worthy objects. Many small clubs have
re-organized on the broader, more inclusive lines, indicated by the
federation's work, while new organizations very generally adopt that
method.
In the time allotted this paper, it is obviously impossible to even
enumerate the great numbers of clubs of the present period. The
most that can be attempted is to show some of the best and strongest
features of their work.
Among these features, the mission of music and art has not been
lost sight of. Both fill a large place in club plans and all depart-
mental clubs have music sections. The Amateur Musical clubs of
Bloomington and Belvidere, and the Beethoven of Havana, all or-
ganized in 1883, well illustrate the valuable influence of such so-
cieties. They not only add brightness and pleasure to club sessions,
but exert a refining influence on the taste and appreciation of com-
munities. Besides their own recitals and special programs for child-
ren and young people, these societies secure artists of note for
concerts, and in every way conspire to elevate the standard of music.
— 21H
'622
The early art societies have been mentioned. Others have growa
up, and in Chicago there are a number that are devoted to art inter-
ests, besides those that contribute in some way to the support of art.
Among those which are identified with the woman's clubs are the
Altrua circle, the Arch6 club, the Municipal Art league, the Nik6,
the Exhibition Committee of the Municipal Art league and the Pub-
lic School Art society. The last two are sustained by the co-opera-
tion of many clubs in and around Chicago. The Aroh6 has, from its
inception, been one of the most influential of these in cultivating the
sentiment for and appreciation of art. Organized in 1888 as a small
circle, meeting to discuss art topics, it has now attained a member-
ship of 400. It has held annual salons, giving artists opportunity to
exhibit their work and to compete for prizes to the amount of $400,
which is awarded each year. The Exhibition Committee of the Mu-
nicipal art league is made up of delegates from various powerful
clubs of the city. Its object is to promote the success of the annual
exhibition of works of Chicago artists, which takes place at the Art
Institute, when the artists and nearly all the clubs are brought to-
gether, and where much is accomplished for art life in Chicago. A
number of clubs purchase annually one or more pictures at these
exhibitions.
Educational afiFairs claim much attention, inasmuch as they bear
so vital a relation to the welfare of children. A noticeable depart-
ment of the club work in Bloomington are the Mother's clubs con-
nected with the city schools. They have a large membership, and
meet once a month to discuss the school work in its various phases.
They have given entertainments to raise money for the purchase of
pianos and other needed fixtures. They have helped to secure man-
ual training in the high school, toward which the Woman's club of
Bloomington gave $500, showing an interest in this work that is gen-
eral throughout the State. This large club has also supported a
kindergarten, as have clubs in Pekin, Alton, Chicago and other places.
The Ravenswood Woman's club has found a way by which, for two
years past, it has provided daily a warm lunch for 400 high school
pupils at a cost of about nine cents per capita. Many clubs have
evinced their interest in the public schools by decorating school
rooms in the gift of good pictures and in supplying clothing for needy
school children.
Domestic science has become one of the most absorbing objects
with club women. The Fortnightly of Urbana has the honor of hav-
ing introduced it as a study in the first school in the State to
place it on its schedule. This was done in 1897, the members of the
Fortnightly furnishing the necessary appliances by which 125 pupils
had lessons in cooking and 800 in sewing. Chicago next introduced
this study and now, largely through the influence of the clubs, the
idea is being carried out in schools where funds are available for that
purpose. Where this is not possible, the clubs, in several instances,
have undertaken to give such instruction in Saturday classes. A sig-
nal success has been made by the Watseka Woman's club, which,
organized in 1899, has for four years conducted a sewing school every
323
Saturday morning, with a salaried superintendent and eight volun-
teer teachers from the club. They have a two years outline of work
and an enrollment of 75 each year.
Grrowing out of a very general concern evinced in this important
subject, domestic science associations have been formed in a large
number of counties through the State They are, in most instances,
affiliated with the farmer's institutes and hold their annual sessions
at the same time. In some counties monthly or fortnightly meetings
are held. From these county associations has grown the Illinois
Association of Domestic Science, which was organized in 1898. In
Chicago, interest in this subject led to the founding of the School for
Domestic Arts and Sciences, which was established in 1901 through
the co-operation of individuals and of women's clubs.
Village improvements have, in some places, been undertaken with
marked success. In Winchester, the Monday club, and her daughter,
the Portia, have made the little park in the business square a joy to
all beholders. In Lincoln, a paved way to the cemetery and a beau-
tiful stone entrance have been secured through efforts made by two
clubs. In this city, too, and in several other towns, unsightly blocks,
adjacent to railways, have been transformed into places of beauty
with grass and flowers. In Freeport, a granite boulder, with an in-
scribed bronze tablet, has been set up by the club to mark the place
of the Lincoln-Douglas debate of 1858. In Springfield, the Woman's
club led in the organization of the associated charities; and, in* Jack-
sonville, the Woman's club, having successfully petitioned the board
of education for the introduction of manual training and domestic
science in the public schools, all clubs felt encouraged to unite this
winter in a petition to the city council for the passage of an ordinance
providing for a city matron. The ordinance was passed by a unani-
mous vote and the appointment to the office was made according to
the recommendation of the club. And thus it is, in many ways, that
clubs are giving attention to their local conditions and the needs ap-
parent in their civic afPairs.
The universal interest embodied in the clubs of today, how-
ever, whether they are new organizations or old ones "born again,"
is philanthropy. In its modern interpretation, philanthropy no
longer means a scattering of alms, but requires the more costly ser-
vice of giving of self in helping the unfortunate to find a way to help
themselves Such an exemplification of altruistic service do we find
in those who take up residence in the settlement houses, amid the
squalor, poverty and ugliness of their surroundings. And, among
the clubs for women in our great metropolis, none are more valuable
than those connected with these settlements. There are perhaps 10
or 12 of them. Hull House Woman's club, with its 400 members, is
the largest and the oldest, having been organized in 1892. These
clubs are associations of women of different creeds and nationalities
in a fellowship that broadens their sympathies and makes them tol-
erant. In the statement of their objects, we find these things: "The
making of better wives, mothers, sister's and neighbors; the promo-
tion of friendliness, of happy homes, healthful children, and the ele-
vation of the idea of good citizenship and social responsibility."
324
The University of Cbicago Settlement Woman's club, in the stock
yards district, has secured for its neighborhood a free public bath
and a gymnasium that is also used as an assembly-room for social
gatherings. The women are observant of the condition and needs of
their district, and a committee is sometimes appointed to confer with
the ward alderman regarding the supply of garbage boxes, removal
of refuse or other sanitary measures. The close of the World's Fair
left many people without employment and, to relieve the distress,
the Chicago Woman's club and the South Side club opened emergency
work rooms, where needy women were provided with sewing and paid
every night in groceries and clothing, receiving also a hot lunch free
of charge. The work room of the South Side club was in the stock
yards district, and was continued until 1901 when, the necessity for
such assistance being no longer evident, the work was changed to
that of a settlement character.
The Social Extension club, which grew out of this friendly move-
ment, has secured for its tenement district a play ground 200 feet
square. For several years this has been a source of enjoyment to
the youth of this neighborhood, who heretofore had only the street,
with its danger to life and morals.
Nothing is more worth doing than to help those who are doing
their utmost to help themselves. Much valuable assistance is given
in harmony with this idea. The West End Woman's club, among
the score of alien causes to which it lends its support, has several in
which it leads as a pioneer; one is the placing of a large number of
typewriters in a night school where young women receive instruc-
tion free of charge. The Klio association is best and widely known
through its philanthropic work in the management of the "Noonday
Rest," where 1,900 self-supporting women take luncheon daily, with
good wholesome food at its lowest expense, and with enjoyment of
the fine pictures and library, the music and the rest rooms, that make
the luncheon hour home like.
The Chicago Woman's aid, which, with 700 members, is engaged
in so many philanthropies, supervises and pays for the art education
of a gifted lad studying in the Chicago Art institute.
The founding and sustaining of a hospital is a great thing, because
of the expense and responsibility involved; and yet several clubs in
our State have undertaken this, because of its serious needs in their
vicinities. The Champaign Social Science club was moved to act in
this matter because of the sad case of a burned child with no one
and no place to care for it properly. Through the generosity of Mr.
Burnham and others, the hospital was built, and for ten years has
been sustained by the club, though with much labor and anxiety.
In Elgin the Woman's club maintains the Sherman hospital and a
training school for nurses, raising $12,000.00 annually for that pur-
pose. Danville has two hospital societies, and in Chicago the Chil-
dren's Hospital society has led to the formation of the milk
commission, which last summer greatly reduced the mortality among
children, through the distribution of more than 190,000 bottles of
325
sterilized milk. The support of the Jackson Park sanitarium for
infants, and of visiting nurses in tenement districts, are kindred
philanthropies that are undertaken by other clubs.
The Woman's clubs of Austin, Park Ridge, Rogers Park and other
suburban places have given country outings to children from the
settlements and vacation schools. In these ways clubs have sought
to make life safer, cleaner and happier for the children of the poor.
Perhaps the greatest advance towards this is through the Juvenile
Court law, by which young offenders may, as wards of the court, be
placed in the care of probation oflBcers who try to safeguard them
from wrong doing, and help them to a better standard of morals.
The support of a probation officer is a responsibility that has, most
willingly, been assumed by several of the large clubs, and others
make contributions for this purpose.
In some towns where there are many clubs a union has been
formed among them. In Bloomington 12 of the most promising are
united in a congress formed by the Men's College Alumni club. In
Mattoon and Quincy the Local Council of Women combines all. The
Cook County league brings together most of the 90 clubs in and
around Chicago, and expedites the work that is common to all. Joliet
and Rockford have their city federations. These federations promote
social unity, and are admirable instruments in the consideration of
civic affairs and in the directing of philanthropic enterprises; as has
been proven in Rockford, where, through its federation of woman's
clubs, 35 traveling libraries have been given the public schools, a
library of 200 volumes given to an outlying industrial district, a
Pingree garden managed, contributions made to the vacation schools
and a juvenile court officer supported.
All these achievements, and many others which might be enumer-
ated, are sources of gratification, and they show that through this
club movement women are manifesting, as never before, an intelligent
interest in municipal and state affairs which is of beneficial effect in
our great commonwealth. And yet, beyond these accomplishments,
is the good that, through the movement, has come to woman herself.
By instinct and education, women are less democratic than men.
The exclusive feeling has been fostered by long established conven-
tionalities. Men have an easy good comradeship, a free and happy
ignoring of differences in opinion and taste, which women should
learn to emulate. The tendency of club life is to overcome this
narrowness and to engender that kindly appreciation that recognizes
merit of whatever order and whatever origin.
More important, too, than all the achievements mentioned, is a
basic fact underlying and fundamental to them, which in its signifi-
cance is of more importance than any, and through which is the
826
promise of greater things to come. This is the drawing together of
women of communities, of the state and of the nation in mutual
sympathy and helpfulness, in concerted study of affairs and in united
effort to advance the well being of all. This is the most valuable
fruitage of club life, and portends a time when woman also, freed
from narrow hindering standards, may attain a truer conception of
her own powers, and in her enlarged sphere of service in civic and
in national life, help to realize that kind and humane social state
that is the ideal federation of the world.
Illinois Federation of Women's Clubs.
1894. Organized in Chicago.
1895. First Annual Meeting at Peoria.
1896. Second Annual Meeting at Springfield.
1897. Third Annual Meeting at Jacksonville.
1898. Fourth Annual Meeting at Chicago.
1899. Fifth Annual Meeting at Quincy.
1900. Sixth Annual Meeting at Kockford.
1901. Seventh Annual Meeting at Decatur.
1902. Eight Annual Meeting at Champaign and Urbana.
1903. Ninth Annual Meeting at Cairo.
1904. Tenth Annual Meeting to be held at Danville.
PRESIDENTS.
Name.
"
Address.
Years.
MrR.
H. H. Candee
Cairo
1894-1896
Mrs.
Kohert Hall Wiles
Kreeportand Chicaeo...
Chicago
Evanston. ................
1896—1898
Mrs.
Robert B. Farson
1898-1900
MrR.
Thaddeus P. Stanwood
1900-1902
Mrs.
George R. Bacon
Decatar
1902—1804
327
CLUBS UNITING IN THE STATE FEOERATION IN THE FIRST YEAR OF
ORttANIZ ' TION.
Year.
Name of Clab.
1895
Jan.
Feb.
Mar
Mar.
1 Cairo Woman's Club.
1 Decatur Woman's Club.
1 ^'eoria Woman's Club.
1 (^hampalen Social Science Club.
1 Chicago Woman's League.
8 Chicagro Woman's Club.
9 Lawndale Literary Club.
10 Ottawa Monday Club.
11 LaGrangre Woman's Club.
14 Springfield Every Wednesday.
14 Waukegran Sesame Club.
14 C'hicaeo Every Wednesday.
21 Tiie Atlantic. Quincy.
22 Wilmette Woman's Club.
23 E. Re Nata, Streator.
23 Chicago Friday Club.
23 Otfawa Woraau's Progress Club.
24 Galesburg Hawthorne Club.
31 Irving Park Woman's Literary Club.
2 Argyle Park Portia Club.
4 Streator Callers Club.
4 Aurora Woman's Club.
6 Chicago Household Economic Asso-
{ elation.
11 Raven swood Woman's Club.
14 Lake View Woman's Club.
14 Chicago Alternate Club.
14 BAtavIa Columbia Club.
14 Chicago Hull House Woman's Clnb.
16 Riverside Woman's Reading Club.
16 Chicago Catholic Woman's National
League.
16 Henry Woman's Club.
26 Kenwood Fortnightly.
5, Ottawa Tuesday Club.
5 Klgin Womens' Club.
12 Englewood, Harvard Woman's Club.
ISiEnglewood, Home Club Fortnightly,
15; Havana. Beethoven Club.
19,LaHarpe Womens' Club.
22iDanvllle Literary Class
25
25
Chicago Kilo Association.
Chicago Brotherhood National Coun-
cil of Jewish Women.
Year.
Name of Club.
1895
April 8
20
20
>Iay 2
6
8
19
22
June 6
12
13
24
24
July 2
17
27
Aug. 2
22
Sept.18
Oct.
1
1
4
6
6
6
6
11
It
11
11
11
11
11
I'.
11
Savana Womens' Literary Club.
Ittcksonvllle Wednesday Class
Aurora West Side Reading Circle.
Kreeport Shak^spearf» Society.
EflQagham Emerson Club.
Rogers Park Woman's Club.
Poutiac Cliontan Society.
Monticello Wcmans Club.
Woodlawn Woman's Club.
River Forest Woman's Club.
Sycamore Literary Columbian Club.
Social Science Club of Champaign.
Pekln Woman's Club.
Galesburg Mosaic Club.
Chlcaeo Olio Club.
Pana Tuesday Club.
Peoria Womens' Catholic League.
Paris Monday Club.
Entrlewood Nineteenth Century Club
(Chicago).
Pekin Woman's Club.
Hinsdale Womens' Club.
Jacksonville Monday Conversational.
Club.
Evanston Womens' Club.
Chicago South Side Club.
Moline Daughters of the American
Revolution.
Dixon, Pnidian Art Club.
Chicago Newspaper Womens' Club.
Chicago. Illinois Womens' Press *>^s-
sociation.
Springfield Woman's Club.
Jacksonville Sorosis.
Lacon Womens' Club.
Moline Fortnightly.
Monmouth Fortnightly Club.
Toulon Womens' Club.
Chicago West End Womens' Club.
Woman's Keeley League, Bioomlng-
ton.
32S
HISTORICAL SKETCH OF MoKENDREE COLLEGE.
[By President M. H. ChamberliD, of McEendree College.]
The task assigned me by the President of this Society is not a little
embarrassing, from the fact that the proprieties of this occasion
would be violated were I to consume the time adequate for even its
proximate fulfillment. Even the skeleton sketch to which I must
confine myself, of a movement, the beginning of which runs parallel
with the earlier civilization of Illinois, and which has maintained an
unbroken existence for more than three quarters of a century, will
have its deficiencies.
The history of Illinois education — especially as to its highest
forms — when fully written, will prove one of its most interesting
chapters. For the most part, the first promoters of higher education
found its zealous adherents in the various religious denominations,
and, in our earlier history, these organizations were so engrossed in
antagonistic discussions, over what will now be conceded as mere
dogmas, that the rivalry between them could hardly be held as fra-
ternal. These antagonisms, coupled with the wholesome, though
unfounded, fear on the part of "outsiders" of movements which
might lead to the union of church and state, and, on the part of
others, the unwholesome fear of the "Yankee" made it impracticable,
prior to 1835, to secure legislation, from the General Assembly of the
State, granting corporate privileges for denominational institutions.
The Baptists, Methodists and Presbyterians, severally, were active
in their espousals of some corporate form of expression whereby
education might be fostered under their respective auspices.
The Methodists, from the date of their coming into Illinois, were
the ardent friends of education. After their organization, in 1824,
into the Illinois Conference, embracing all the territory west of the
Ohio to the Pacific — excepting Missouri — and north to the British
Possessions, the question of providing an institution of learning for
its patrons became a much discussed proposition among its people.
At its annual session, held in Mt. Carmel, III, September, 1827, Rev.
Peter Cartwright presented a memorial from certain citizens of
Green county, praying the consideration of that body in behalf of
establishing a Conference seminary. This led to the appointment of
a committee of five, the Rev, Peter Cartwright being one Af the num-
ber, to examine into the situation and report back to the Conference
at its next session.
This can be fairly counted the beginning of McKendree college
o
»
a
O
5*
o
a
B
B
•»
a
<i
a
a
(-»■
9
S
(S
1
o
•4
«
Q.
O"
Bi
t
9
e-i
tD
B
d
329
On Feb. 20, 1828 — lees than five months after the adjournment of
the Conference— the people of Lebanon, a village of about 200 souls,
to anticipate the action of this committee, determined, independent
of church affiliations, that the seat of this proposed institution of
learning should be located in their midst. Articles of association
were promptly formulated by Rev. A. W. Caead, to which subscrip-
tions were solicited "for the erection of an edifice for a seminary of
learning to be conducted as nearly as may be, on the plan of Au-
gusta college, Kentucky." The articles provided that "Any sub-
scriber in the sum of ten dollars should become a shareholder — shares
to be transferable," that each shareholder should be "entitled to send
one scholar for each share, free of house rent, and charges for the
public library, etc; also shall be free from charge for fuel." The
building was to be two stories in height and "not less than thirty-six
by forty-eight feet, with two wings of suitable dimensions for con-
venience, to be commenced as soon as $600 dollars is subscribed " It
was further provided that "The Illinois Conference is respectfully
solicited to take the institution under its fostering care," etc, with
the added statement that "It is very desirable that the Missouri An-
nual conference should unite with the Illinois conference and make
it a conference seminary for both conferences " The final provision
runs as follows: "In case the Conferences do not signify, by special
communication to the secretary of the institution, their intention to
aid the institution by the first of October, the stockholders shall, on
notice, convene and select a suitable number of managers and other
officers whose powers and duties shall be delegated to them by the
stockholders,"*
To these Articles of Organization, still preserved, are appended the
names of 104 persons — three of them women — whose subscriptions
toward establishing the institution aggregated the sum of $1,385.00.
As evidence of the systematic zeal with which these early pioneers
were pushing this educational enterprise the subscribers met, on
March 1st, and elected the following persons as trustees: Samuel H.
Thompson, Nicholas Horner, George Lowe, Theophilus M. Nichols,
Joshua Barnes, John Thomas, sr. , Samuel C. Stites and David S.
Witter. At this meeting it was resolved to erect an edifice, and A.
W. Casad, Nathan Horner and George Lowe were appointed a com-
mittee to purchase a certain eight acre tract of land owned by
Richard Bradsby, provided the same might be secured at a figure not
exceeding $3.00 per acre; the committee also being authorized to
let the contract for the erection of the building. On November 8th.
the Conference not having, at its session in the preceding October,
taken the institution under "its fostering care," as expressed in the
Articles of Organization, the stockholders held a meetins: and elected
thirty three managers, of which body the Rev. Samuel H. Thompson
was made president, David S, Witter secretary and Nathan Horner
treasurer.
•For Articles In full, and slffnaturea. see appendix.— Exhibit 1.
330
The managers were chosen from a wide area of territory and em-
braced some of the most conspicuous persons connected with the
early day history of the State, as will be seen from the names here
given: Rev. John Dew, Rev. Joshua Barnes, Col. Andrew Bankson,
James Riggin, Thomas Ray, David L. West, Col, E. B. Clemson,
Rev. Samuel Mitchell, sr., V\^m. Padfield and Wm. Bradsby, of the
County of St. Clair; Rev. Peter Cartwright and Charles R. Matheny,
of Sangamon county ; Hall Mason, Rev. Washingtun C. Ballard, John
C. Dagger and Major Isaac Furgeson, of Madison county; Rev.
Aaron Wood, of Mt Carmel; Hon. Shadrach Bond, of Kaskaskia;
Rev. Smith L. Robinson, of Kaskaskia Circuit; John Tillson, jr., of
Hillsboro; Peter Hubbard, of Bond county Charles Slade and Pom-
roy Easton, of Carlyle; John Logan, of Jackson county; Major John
Phillips, of Washington county; Col E. C. Berry, of Vandalia; Dr.
Thomas Stanton, of Waterloo; Rev. Zadock Casey, of Jefferson
county; Rev. Andrew Monroe, Major John O'Fallon and George W.
Kerr, of St. Louis City; Rev. Alexander McCallister, of St. Louis
county, and Rev. Jesse Green, of Missouri District.
At the same session an elaborate Constitution* was formed, de-
fining, in detail, the powers and privileges of the organization, as
also By-laws and Rules were adopted. The nature of the work, both
as to the Preparatory and College Departments, was indicated and
the importance of employing some one capable of "teaching the
higher branches of Mathematics, Natural and Moral Philosophy, and
the Latin and Greek Languages" was emphasized. This was in
keeping with the provision contained in the original Articles that the
"Seminary of Learning" should be conducted "as near as may be on
the plan of Augusta College, Kentucky," then in operation with full
courses of collegiate studies. f
That no time should be lost in waiting for the completion of the
building — preliminary steps for the erection of which had already
been taken — the two school houses of the village were rented, and on
Nov, 24, 1828, with Mr. M. R. Ames — subsequently Bishop — as prin-
cipal, and Miss McMurphy, assistant, McKendree College, then
known as "Lebanon Seminary," was opened for public patronage.
The year was divided into two sessions of five months — each session
being followed by one month's vacation. The terms of tuition were
fixed for the "lower branches at $5,00 per session." and for the
"higher branches," embracing Mathematics, Natural and Moral Phi-
losophy and the Latin and Greek Languages, "at $7.00 per session."
The close of the first term showed an enrollment of 72 students, five
of whom were women, yielding a revenue of $464.41. The principal
received, as compensation for his services, $115 00, and the assistant
$83,33. The Board of Managers, by resolution, highly complimented
Miss McMurphy for her excellence as a teacher, and appointed a
*For full text o£ Constitution see Appendix.— Exhibit 2.
tAugusta Collegre. founded in 1822. was the successor of Cokesbury Collegre, founded
by the Methodists, near Baltimore Md., In 1785. and destroyed by an incendisry fire In
1795. Augusta College, yielding to the unfortunate Influences created by the acrimonious
discussion of the slavery question, closed its doors in 1844. leaving McKendree the oldest
existing college having its origin under Methodist auspices.
Bishop E. R. Ames. D D.. L. L. D.— First Principal McKen«lree college, 1828.
From photoeraijh taken in later years.
831
committee to urge her continuance in service for another session.
Both Mr. Ames and Miss McMurphy were elected to their former
positions, with equal salaries, each to receive $25 per month for a
five months' session.
As a bit of history, it is as gratifying as it is significant, that Mc-
Kendree, commencing its career with college espousals, in an era
when it was seriously believed that the lack of "gray matter" in the
brain of woman disabled her from the successful pursuit of any but
the most simple sort of mental culture, should have made up its
Board of Instruction (small though it was) from the two sexes, in
equal numbers and on equal salaries, at the same time welcoming
women to the privileges of tuition. This condition of things never
met with a solitary protest in the legislation of the early managers.
On the contrary, there was, up to 1836, constant solicitude on the
part of its members to provide adequate means to meet the require-
ments of women students, and Mrs. Peter Akers, followed by Miss
Polly Thorp, as faculty teachers, were successors to Miss McMurphy.
About the last named date it seemed that feminine patronage disap-
peared, not from any hostile legislation on the part of the Board, but
in spile of its persistent attempt to furnish adequate facilities for its
proper maintenance. The records show that in the Board session of
1852, 1866, 1868 and 1869 the subject of co-education was resur-
rected, and while it was not restored until the latter date, by a vote
of fourteen to seven, there is on record no evidence that the
small minority held any other grounds of objection than inadequacy
of preparation for its re-introduction. After thirty-five years of un-
broken experience with the joint system of education, McKendree
has no disposition to retrace its steps, or even to advocate "Segrega-
tion" of the lady students because, as is substantially held, by some,
her superior precocity and intellectual grasp is so much more mani-
fest than that of her brother, in the recitation room, as to discourage
the latter in intellectual endeavor; nor on the further ground of her
unfitness to create a splendid ''college spirit" by itinerating in a cos-
tume not wholly unlike that of a knight of the middle ages, to do
strenuous service in behalf of her college on the bone-breaking, in-
sane-making and death-dealing "gridiron."
The building, the construction of which was commenced in 1828,
was completed the succeeding year and, after 27 years of service, in
1856 the first erected edifice for higher education in the State of Illi-
nois, went up in fiames kindled by the hand of an incendiary.
In 1830 the Illinois Conference took McKendree College under its
"fostering care," and at a general meeting of the stockholders a re-
organization was efPected whereby it was provided that in future
there should be elected eleven managers by the Conference and five
by the stockholders, to have in custody the afPairs of the institution.
Later, the Missouri Conference accepted the College as its institu-
tion, and for a time, sent visiting members to the sessions of its
Board of Trustees. Its adhesion to the College, however, was luke-
warm, induced by the growing sentiment against free state ioflu-
ences, and in a little time its official patronage was discontinued.
332
Bishop MoKendree, about the period last named, in his rounds
over a diocese embracing a territory half continental in its propor-
tions, visited Lebanon. He was greatly pleased with the prospects
of the new institution of learning and pledged, as a donation, 480
acres of land located in St. Clair county, for the promotion of its in-
terests, with the expressed desire that the Missouri conference should
join, with the Illinois, in giving its patronage and support. It was
at this time that the name of the institution was changed to "McKen-
dree College." So important did the Bishop hold the object of
maintaining an institution of learning for the two conferences named,
that he committed the execution of his will to the entire board of
Bishops of the then undivided church, Bishops Roberts, Hedding,
Andrew, Waugh, Morris and Soule. The last named was given power
by his associates, to carry out the provisions of the will, which duty
he performed by a conveyance of the land to McKendree college
in 1889.
In 1834 the board of managers"appointed a committee to petition
the Legislature for a charter for the institution, under the name of
"McKendrean College," The Baptists and Presbyterians in like
manner, presented similar memorials, and, as an illustration of the
old adage, "in union there is strength", it resulted in the passage of
an omnibus bill*, which was approved Feb. 9th, 1835, granting
charters for the Illinois, McKendrean and Shurtleff colleges, repre-
senting, respectively, the Presbyterian, Methodist and Baptist denom-
inations, all of which still exist and have done splendid work for
western civilization. It should be stated that the original bill was
amended to include a fourth institution, the "Jonesboro College"
which passed out of existence many years ago, if indeed, it was ever
organized. This amendment seems to have been required to secure
the necefesary vote to pass the bill. The trustees named in the act
for the McKendrean college, were John Dew, Samuel H. Thompson,
James Riggin, Nicholas Horner, George Lowe, Robert Moore,
Theophilus M. Nichols, Joshua Barnes, Samuel Stites, David L.
West, Nathan Horner, Joseph Foulke, Thornton Peeples, John
S. Barger, Nathanial McCurdy, A. W. Casad and Benjamin Hypes —
seventeen in all, ten of whom were laymen and the remainder clergy-
men.
The bill gave authority to these institutions to exercise the func-
tions ordinarily incident to such organization; providing, however,
"that lands donated or devised over and above 640 acres (which
might be held in perpetuity) must be sold within three years of such
donation, or be forfeited to the donor," and also provided "that
nothing herein contained shall authorize the establishment of a
theological department in either of said colleges." The act, not im-
properly, provided that "these institutions should be open to all
denominations of christians." It did, however, authorize a school
for manual training, in pursuance of which one was established by
the college in 1836, and for a number of years was successfully main-
tained. The two restrictive provisions in the act, bear out the
• See full text of act In appendix— Exhibit 3.
ReT. Peter Akere, D. D.— First President McKendrean college under charter of
1836. From photosrraph taken In later years.
333
thouglit suggested in the opening of this paper, that a wide-spread
suspicion prevailed that theological training would inculcate relig-
ious bigotry, which, coupled with the possibly gobbled-up lands of
the State, would eventuate in subjecting the civil government to
churchly domination.
That such modest and safeguarded legislation, in behalf of higher
education, should have passed the senate by a vote of only eleven to
nine, now seems surprising. The able report of Mr. Mather, chair-
man of senate committee on petitions, in behalf of education in its
higher form, and his plea for legislation in its favor, is a vigorous
defense of education in general, while its italicized portions are sig-
nificant, in that they show he was conducting an argument to reach
two classes of opponents — those who were actively hostile to the peti-
tioners, and those who were indifiFerent. That report* should be
taken from its hiding place, in the senate journal, and printed in the
publications of this society. As for its recitals of historic data, con-
cerning the colleges for which charters were asked, it will not be
surprising if errors are found concerning the institutions named,
since, in the case of McKendree, he speaks of its patrons having
"commenced their building four years ago," adding "the institution
has been in operation about 12 months, with an enrollment of about
60" students. As already indicated, the first building was com-
menced seven years before, in 1828, and occupied in 1829, while reci-
tations were actually commenced, in rented rooms, Nov. 24, 1828,
with an enrollment of 72 matriculants.
The first president under chartered organization was the Rev.
Peter Akers — chosen on recommendation of Bishop McKendree —
who served one year on a salary $500,00. He was succeeded by Rev.
John Dew, for a like period, to be followed by Prof. Annis Merrill,
as acting president, who, a few months later, was joined by his
brother, Rev. John W. Merrill, president-elect. These two, together
with Prof. J. W. Sunderland and Judge William Brown of Morgan
county — who came to the college about the same time — constituted a
faculty which reduced the courses of study to systematic collegiate
order, with a fittingly assigned division of labor. In the college
work, the course leading to a degree was the classical, the order ob-
served up to 1817, when a scientific course was added. Prior to 1836,
it is believed no candidate had offered for the study of the Greek,
though the Latin had been taught, as we learn from Professor Sun-
derland. The men composing this faculty were scholastic, ambitious
and hopeful, with a full appreciationof the heroic efforts of the found-
ers of the college, and, as Acting President Merrill stated to the
writer, "they had dreams of another Harvard to be built up thpre,
hard by the banks of the Mississippi river.'" At the instigation of
President Merrill, and his coadjutors, Rev. John Dew, Rev. B. T.
Kavanaugh and Judge William Brown, were appointed a committee
to memorialize the general assembly for a new charter. Mr. Lincoln,
then a member of that body, enlisted himself in the undertaking,
* For report in full see appendix— Exhibit 4.
334
with the result of securing a grant, quite in contrast with the legisla-
tion of 1835, authorizing not only the establishment of college courses
but all manner of technical schools, with power to confer all manner
of degrees and the holding of 3,000 acres of land in perpetuity, as
well as any added amount, provided the same should be sold within
the period of ten years after title to the same. The act contained a
clause providing it should be in force only when the trustees of Mo-
Kendrean collegre should accept the same. Rev. B. T. Kavanaugh
was present at Vandalia, the capital of the State, on passage of the
act, and hastened to Lebanon to have the McKendrean trustees offic-
ially signify its acceptance. This was in pursuance of the advice of
Mr. Lincoln, who warned him that the largeness of the privileges
secured by the act,* if fully realized by those opposed to legislation
of this character, might lead to a successful effort for its recession.
The act was approved Jan. 26, 1839, was accepted by the "McKend-
rean" trustees at a called meeting nine days later, Feb. 4th, and evi-
dently, that no question might arise concerning the validity of the
legislation because of its occurence at a called meeting, the accept-
ance of the charter was re-affirmed at a regularly stated meeting of
the trustees on March 4, 1839. This is a significant item, since it
shows not only a lurking danger of a reversal of the action of the
Legislature, because of dormant prejudices which might easily have
been excited, but by reason of the bit of sentiment found in the solic-
itude of one who subsequently became one of our greatest of presi-
dents, in an act he assisted to create in behalf of higher education.
The jubilant faculty and citizens of the village held the occasion
whereby the "splendid charter" was secured, worthy of a celebration,
and by resolution of the board, Professor Sunderland was appointed
to illuminate the front college windows with candles, and speeches
were made by Rev B. T. Kavanaugh, Judge William Brown and
others, commemorating the occasion.
The argumentation of the faculty, and the thorough classification
of the work of the institution, already alluded to, led to the gradua-
tion of the first class in 1841 — all classical — seven in number. The
year preceding. Rev. W. D. R. Trotter had been admitted to the de-
gree of Bachelor of Arts, on examination in the entire course of study,
in pursuance of a clause in the charter providing for such cases,
while the first honorary degree conferred was that of Doctor of Di-
vinity, in 1839, on Rev. Peter Akers, the first president of the college.
President Merrill, in a letter to the writer, alluding to the excellent
work of the first graduating class, said, "the class read as much
Greek as was required at that time by the best of American colleges."
On his retiracy, in 1841, he was succeeded by Rev. James C. Finley,
M. D., who resigned in 1845, at which time, by order of the board of
trustees, the collesce was closed from Nov. 17th of that year, to May,
1846 -a period of six months — its discouraged patrons, because of
long continued financial embarrassment, even debating the prudence
of ever again opening its doors. In succession came to the head of
* For full text of the charter see appendix— Exhibit 6.
Rev. John W. Merrill. D D.— President McKendree collesre. 1836 to 1842.
From photograph taken in later years.
385
the college, Dr. Peter Akers, Dr. Erastus Wentworth, Dr. Anson W.
Cummings, Dr. Peter Akers for a third term, and Dr. Nelson E.
Cobleigh, with terms of service of one, four, two, six and five years,
respectively, the last named closing his administration in 1863.
We have carried the presidential succession down to the latter
date for the reason that Dr. Ccbleigh's administration created an
epoch in the history of the institution, in that he was successful i|;i
establishing the nucleus of an endowment upon which its friends
could anchor their faith for the future. In other words, it was the
bringing to fruition the labors of those who had gone before, and the
close of his administration might be, not inaptly, styled the heroic
period of the institution. Dr. Robert AUyn — an experienced edu-
cator and able financier, the successor of President Cobleigh — in
alluding to the success of the endowment proposition of the latter,
wrote: ''Then the dry land first began to appear, and it was solid,
too, and will bear any structure built upon it " Following Dr. Cob-
leigh, twelve presidents, including the present incumbent, elected in
1894, have administered the affairs of the college. Since it is not
the province of this paper to dwell upon the more recent events, we
again revert to the earlier history of our subject.
The records of the Board of Trustees, unbroken from the date of
McKendree's founding to the present, are a source of information of
intense interest, as illustrating the high ideals entertained and the
labors and sacrifices endured by the early pioneers, who systematic-
ally, and in organized form, established this oldest college in the
State, dedicated, from its inception, to higher education. In these
records will be found every manner of legislation which it was
thought could in any way promote the interest of the institution.
Frequent sessions of the Board, all day sessions, adjourned to "early
candle-light" and continued until the candles had burned low in
their sockets, show with what persistent zeal our fathers sought to
promote the interests of this cherished enterprise.
The completion of the original building, in 1829, entailed a debt,
which was augmented by minor improvements made necessary by the
rapidly growing demands of the institution In 1838 a loan was
effected in the sum of 1^5,000 from the "Bank of Illinois, at Shawnee-
town," which, under order of the trustees, provided that so much of
the same as might be necessary to pay all pressing debts— estimated
at $2.500 — should be so appropriated and the residue applied on a
building, the construction of which had then been authorized. The
financial straits to which the promoters of McKendree's interests
were subjected seemed in no sense to diminish their enthusiasm for
the consideration of any question which looked toward the enlarge-
ment of the scope of its usefulness.
As already stated a Manual Training department was introduced in
1836, while legislation looking toward Agricultural, Normal, Biblical
and Law departments were seriously considered; none of which,
however, took the form of permanency, except the Law school, which
was founded by Governor French in 1858.
Almost from the beginning the necessity of endowments was felt
336
by McKendree's patrons, and some policy by which this deficiency
might be met was made the oft repeated subject of consideration.
The scholarship plan was thought to be the most available and four
separate attempts were made, all of which except the last proved
abortive. The sales were made on time notes, the large majority of
which defaulted, and the institution was glad to get rid of the in-
cumbrance on a basis of compromise, though a losing proposition.
From the last investment $10,000 out of $20,000 was realized, but
not without disagreements, and at times an exhibition of bad blood,
which makes it a matter of doubt whether that which was secured
was worth what it cost the institution. In the first ten years of its
history more than a s3ore of financial agents were appointed to solicit
donations, sell scholarships already mentioned, and to otherwise
enlist the patronage of the public. Indeed, at a called session of the
board held in 1832, one Judah Ely, of Philadelphia, was appointed
an agent "to solicit donations in Grreat Britain" for endowments, and
the succeeding year Rev. Smith L. Robinson was appointed to travel
"throughout the United States" for a like purpose, while Rev. James
Mitchell was constituted an agent "to travel throughout Illinois and
Missouri" for the same object. At first there may seem a bit of grim
humor in the transatlantic agency, but it will not be forgotten that
about that time our English cousins were making liberal donations
to western denominational enterprises, notably the Episcopal, and
the fact that McKendree was officially recognized by two Confer-
ences, embracing practically the whole Mississippi Valley, caused
our fathers to feel no small degree of hope that an agent, with such
formidable prestige, might meet with encouragement on such a
mission. As to the question of his ever having gone on his mission,
the records are silent, nor is there any evidence of success in the
the case of either Robinson or Mitchell, though appointed to a terri-
tory which, educationally speaking, McKendree had preempted.
A plan for building up the finances of the institution was devised
by Rev. B. T. Kavanaugh, which, but for unforeseen circumstances,
might have proven eminently successful. It was for the college
authorities to locate public lands for eastern capital — at that time
eager for such investments — the college and the investor to share
equally in the results, if, at the end of five years, the locations made
should prove double the value of the original price of purchase.
This, at first, met with decided encouragement. Investments were
made by some capitalists in Philadelphia and Washington, but the
veto, by General Jackson, of the bill for a National Road, which was
expected soon to reach Illinois, and the subsequent collapse of the
State banks, put a quietus on land investments. Some of these
lands evidently vested, for subsequent legislation of the Board signi-
fies that they, as also certain other tracts near Lebanon, including
those bequeathed by Bishop McKendree, together with a large
amount of brick which had been made for the contemplated new
building, were ordered sold to relieve the tension of accumulated
debts which imperiled the existence of the institution. Even after
this aotion, debts still remained. Indeed, every administration, even
to the present, inherited the legacy of debt, increasing and dimin-
Hon. Annis Merrill, L. L. D. — Professor Ancient Lan^uaires, 1836 to 1842.
From photoe:raph taken in later years.
337
ing by turns, until the last vestige of incumbrance was wiped out in
1895, with no probability of so dire a foe ever again menacing the
prosperity of the institution.
Touching the money bequests of which the institution has been
made the subject, some conception may be had of the burden added
to its financial misfortunes when it is stated that in all cases — except
as to the sum of $500, recently vested — expensive suits at law had to
be maintained against contesting heirs, wherein benefactions out of
which the college should have realized more than $50,000, yielded
but little above one-third that amount. Such experiences emphasize
the superior benevolent wisdom of benefactors like Dr. D. K. Pier-
son, Andrev7 Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller and Miss Helen Gould,
who make their donations while living, thereby saving the public
from the unseemly exhibitions of cupidity so often practiced by
heirs over the graves of their relatives, by reason of which the gen-
erous purposes of the latter in behalf of great and enduring objects
are ignominiously defeated.
The oft repeated efforts to secure a new building, and for which at
one time much material had been gathered, but had to be sold for
the payment of debts, finally culminated in the erection of a three
story brick structure 44x64:, under the administration of Dr. Went-
worth, with money raised by the late Dr. William Groodfellow.
The mention of some of the earlier names to the exclusion of
others who could fittingly be chronicled in this sketch, if space per-
mitted, will be excused when it is stated that the material is being
gathered for a full history of McKendree, and will prove a suflScient
apology for what might otherwise be construed as unwarranted
omissions.
Bishop McKendree, after whom the college was named, and who
was its chief early benefactor, entered the ministry from the battle
fields of the Revolution, where he served as Washington's most
trusted commissary. He was a man of great accomplishments and
power and the late Dr. McClintock wrote of him. "he was not only
the most truly eloquent bishop that his church has ever produced,
but one of the best preachers of any age or church," Ames, the first
principal, was a modest, scholarly gentleman, who, while serving as
teacher at Lebanon seminary, applied for license to preach and se-
cured his authority by the suffrage of a colored preacher, who broke
a tie vote on his application, afterwards became one of the most in-
fluential bishops of his church. Dr. Akers, the first president of the
college, was a profound theologian, and Mr. Lincoln said of him, "he
is the greatest preacher I ever heard." Rev. John Dew, the successor
of Dr. Akers, was a flaming preacher and a man of fine judgment.
Dr. Merrill, together with his brother, Annis; J. W. Sunderland and
Judge Brown, who inspired the university charter, under which the
college is now acting, and who, as elsewhere mentioned, systematized
the courses of study in collegiate order, were all accomplished
scholars. The first left McKendree to accept the chair of Sacred
Literature in the Wesley an Theological institute at Newberry, Vt,,
22 H.
338
and after a life of remarkable usefulness as teacher and preacher,
died in 1900, aged 92 years; his brother, Annis, after leaving the col-
lege, settled in San Francisco, where he practiced law with eminent
success and is still living, in full possession of his faculties, at the
age of 92; Professor Sunderland, after his term of service, taught in
Ursanus college, Penn., subsequently founding, and maintaining, for
17 years, the Pennsylvania Female college, claimed to be the first
established institution in the world with a high grade college curri-
culum for women, died at the age of 91, on the 9th of April of the
present year; while Judge Brown was a lawyer of distinction in
Jacksonville, 111., where he died many years ago. President Finley
was a man of fine attainments and dignity of character, and his suc-
cessor, Dr. Wentworth, was a superior preacher, a popular adminis-
trator and an efficient teacher. From McKendree he went to China
as a missionary, returning to this country to take editorial charge of
the "Ladies' Repository," published in Cincinnati, and died at Sandy
Hill, N. Y. in 1886 in the 7J3rd year of his age. Dr. Cobleigh was an
able preacher, a superior executive officer and an eminently suc-
cessful teacher. He went from McKendree to the editorlehip of
the "Zion Herald," Boston, and from there to the presidency of
Athens college, Tenn., thence to Atl&nta, Ga., where by appointment
of the general conference of his church he served as editor of the
Christian Advocate until the date of his death in 1874.
Of those not connected with the board of instruction, much might
be fittingly said. The names of those most active in support of the
institution, in its early history, have already been given in connec-
tion with the various organized forms the college assumed from the
date of the original articles up to the time of securing the university
charter of 1839. In the lists, the names of some will be noted who
were conspicuous in the religious, political and social life of the
State — even dating back to its territorial existence; Dr. Peter Cart-
wright, Col. John O'Fallon, Governor Jenkins, Governor Casey,
Governor Kinney, Col. E. B. Clemson, and others. In labors abund-
ant will be found the names of Rev. S. H. Thompson, first president
of -the board under the charter of 1835, and Rev. Thornton Peeples,
his successor. Rev. John S. Barger, James Riggin, H. K. Ashley
and Governor Jenkins, each rendered a term of service as secretary of
the board, while Joseph Foulke and Benjamin Hypes held the im-
portant post of treasurer — the latter continuously from 1836 to 1873.
Rev. A. W. Casad was auditor in 1836, followed by H. K. Ashley, J.
W. Sunderland and Rev. Davis Goheen in the same office. The last
named came from the east about the time the six months' suspension
of the college had been voted by the board, because of debts which
had become so onerous. Mr. Goheen, with a genius for organization,
was a good financier and an enthusiastic worker for the institution,
and in a little time he had the flagging hopes of the older patrons re-
established. Early in the California gold excitement— together with
his brother, S. M. E. Goheen, M, D. — he set his face toward that
new Eldorado, his chief purpose, as tradition has it, being to find the
hidden treasure which would establish McKendree, but died of
James W. Sunderland. L. L. D.— Professor Mathematics and Nataral Sciences,
McEendree college, 1836 to 1842. From photograph taken in later years.
339
oholera at Independence, Mo., while outfitting for his journey. Ben-
jamin Hypes, in helpful service, will always stand conspicuous in the
history of the institution. He was a Virginian, a student under
Ames when the school first opened, was elected to the board in 1835,
which position he held continuously until 1896, when he was gathered
to his fathers at the age of 92 years. In the meantime he had giv-
en 38 years of unbroken service to the office of treasurer. He was a
merchant, and it may be safely said that, next to his family, Mc-
Kendree college was the most cherished object of his devotion and
for its interests did more than any other person. He sacrificed for
it and was one of the few who never lost hope in its darkest hours A
son of his. Dr. Benjamin Hypes, of St, Louis, is now a member of
the board and a worthy successor of his father. There are two other
instances wherein the present board holds representatives from fam-
ilies who were signers of the original articles of organization; Dr.
Jotham Scarritt of Cairo, now the longest in service of any member
of that body and always eminently useful, and John M. Chamberlin,
who has served as treasurer the past 16 years, and of whose father,
Rev. David Chamberlin, President Allyn wrote, "But one or at most
two men, appear to have done more than he" for the institution.
Nathan Horner, whose father, Nicholas Horner, was the largest orig-
inal subscriber for McKendree's founding, was one of the most use-
ful of the board members. He was a good financier and cheerful
giver. His son, H. H. Horner, recently deceased, was a member of
the first graduating class, became an influential lawyer, and for sev-
eral years occupied the post of Dean of the Law department in his
Alma Mater. Of Dr. M. M. McCurdy, whose interest was abiding,
and whose well-meant bequest melted away after his death, before
vesting in the college, an interesting chapter might be written. Dr.
Thomas Staunton of Alton, was also an early benefactor, while Rev.
Samuel Mitchell, as also Rev. James Mitchell, Rev. Jesee Renfro and
others of the clergy, included among the names elsewhere given,
constitute a class of men who held the cause of higher education as
an essential auxiliary to the propagation of the great mission to
which their lives were dedicated.
The jubilation over the new Charter of 1839 has been dwelt upon,
but, as an item showing the tendency of thought on certain questions
at that early period, the substance of a certain preamble and resolu-
tions, by Rev. W. S. McMurray and Rev. J. S. Barger, are here given.
The preamble recites the fact that a University Charter had been
secured authorizing the establishing of all manner of schools and
departments, by reason of which fact there might be those who
would experience fear lest the organization of a theological school
might be effected, "contrary to the genius, the spirit and institutions
of the Methodist Episcopal church;" and it was resolved: First, that
no such school should ever be established; second, that the professors
should be restrained from talking favorably of such departure; third,
that the advocacy of abolition would prove prejudicial to the in-
terests of the institution, and that if any member of the board, agents,
or faculty, should be found advocating that doctrine, it would be held
340
as sufficient grounds to dispense with the services of such offenders.
These resolutions were all adopted except the second, thereby leav-
ing the discussion of theological schools, by the faculty, an open
question. That a resolution forever prohibiting the organization of
a theological school was adopted by a body of men so zealous in be-
half of higher education, would, at first thought, seem paradoxical.
Whatever may have been their motive, it is true that the number of
those who ardently favor higher education, and who feel that a can-
didate for the ministry— after completing a thorough classical edu-
cation— can afford to dispense with a theological school, is increas-
ing rather than diminishing. At all events, it may be said, no mat-
ter what induced the fathers to issue the perpetual injuction against
a theological department, their sucessors, time and again, sought its
dissolution and were only frustrated by lack of the means to inaugu-
rate the innovation. Touching the resolution on the slavery ques-
tion, it simply emphasizes how acute the question of abolition had
become at that time; a feeling that grew stronger with the lapse of
time, since nine years later, in rebuke of a rumor circulated against
the faculty, the board found it necessary to pass the following reso-
lution:
''Resolved, that there is no evidence that any member of the fac-
ulty is an abolitionist, but much proof to the contrary, and that we
consider such reports slanderous."
As early as 1884: the board legislated for the establishment of a
weekly periodical to be published in the interest of education. For
the want of means, this movement failed to take form until 1847, at
which time it was organized with Davis Goheen, Benjamin Hypes
and Greorge L. Roberts as publishers, and Dr. Erastus Wentworth
as editor. It was an able paper, served an excellent purpose, but
after its maintenance for a few years, as an expensive luxury, it was
transferred to the city of St. Louis and published as the "Central
Christian Advocate," from which place it was moved four years ago
to Kansas City, where it is now issued by the Methodist Book con-
cern, as one of the strong and influential journals of that denomina-
tion, under the supervision of the accomplished Rev Dr. Claudius
B, Spencer, as editor.
It will be noted that this sketch has had to do, more particularly
with the first few years' history of the college, incidentally touching
upon subsequent matters because of their intimate connection with
that period of struggle. That the pioneers of whom we have spoken
had high ideas touching the future of the college has been clearly
indicated, and to the credit of their successors be it said, they have
sought to maintain them. For a time, it is true, something in the
way of commercial courses found footing; though, even then, the col-
egiate courses were insistenty maintained as all important. In re-
cent years, however, everything of a superficial character has been
eliminated and the two college courses — classical and scientific — hold
the attention of the students with 76 per cent of their number pur-
suing the classical. The present faculty have no inclination to fol-
341
low the much too common modern method of short courses of study,
and the elimination of certain of the classics, on the theory that edu-
cation should be "practical" — the latter term simply signifying that
brain culture is to be commercialized, with the measure of its merit
expressed by the sign of the dollar.
The early struggle to erect the second building spoken of as having
been brought to a successful issue, under the administration of Dr.
Wentworth, has been followed by a new chapel and library hall, com-
bined, under Dr. Cobleigh's administration, a science hall under Dr.
AUyn, and a new gymnasium during the year current. $35,000 of
productive endowment is on the institution and it is expected soon
to have a $100,000 added, since $80,000 of the amount is already
promised. That point reached, and the sure beginning will be effected
towards making McKendree what was planned for it in the charter
of 1839— an outcome which its more than 76 years of history warrents,
and the sacrifices of its pioneer founders merit.
Think of it; the 104 subscribers to the original articles which
called McKendree into being, comprised more than one-half of the
population of Lebanon, a village located in a woodland strip, along
an old Indian trail scarcely obliterated by the emigrant's wagon ; to
the east, a full 100 miles to the first settlement, and to the west, 20
miles, where St. Louis, a mere trading post, was being built up by a
brave lot of pioneers who had the prophetic feeling that it would one
day become a city which would prove the gateway to the whole of
the great southwestern country. It was this latter fact which in-
spired Bishop McKendree to feel that Lebanon was a most fitting
place for a great institution of learning, and led him to give his lands
toward establishing the institution which bears his name.
A fitting question now is, "what is the value, what the fruitage of
all these labors?" The answer is found in the more than 9,000 young
men and women who have gone out from this institution into various
fields of endeavor, having finished, wholly or partially, its course of
study. The pulpit of every denomination — not excepting the Catho-
lic; lawyers with national reputation — the one who delivered your
annual address being among the number; distinguished physicians
and surgeons; college presidents and professors and teachers in our
public schools; the founders of colleges and newspapers and number-
less editors: judges of our higher courts; generals of the army — two
of whom have served their country in two hemispheres— as well also,
those who have labored in less conspicious but equally useful voca-
tions, will furnish a list of names who can answer to roll call as
having felt the influence of McKendree's power.
At this moment, Illinois feels the potent influence of McKendree's
sons. The honored president of this society was once a McKendree
student, while seven of the judges now occupying seats on the bench
of the higher courts of this State, were students at this institution,
and three of her graduates preside over Illinois colleges.
842
It may also be added that the candidates for governor and lieu-
tenant governor on one of the great party tickets, as well as the
candidate for attorney general on the other, and three candidates
for Congress hold McKendree as their Alma Mater,
These are the fruits of thy labors, and these be thy jewels, oh
wilderness fathers, and, while the influence of your lives can never
be lost, ours be the loving task to see that never so much as your
names are left unwritten in our annals.
348
APPENDIX.
HISTORICAL SKETCH OF MoKENDREE COLLEGE.
EXHIBIT I.
Copj' of Organization Articles of McKendree College, (formulated
under date of Feb. 20, 1828 )
We, the undersigned, estimating mental improvement of the first
importance to a commonwealth, as well as in a political, moral and
religious view, promise to pay the several sums annexed to our
names for the purpose of creating an edifice in, or near, the town of
Lebanon, St, Clair county, 111., for a seminary of learning, to be con-
ducted as nearly as may be, on the plan of Augusta College, Ken-
tucky, the hall of which shall be designed and used as a house
of public worship, when this will not interfere with the design and
object of the institution, and on the Sabbath day.
2nd. The property shall be deeded to the Methodist Episcopal
church for the purpose of safe keeping, and the benefits of incorpor-
ation with this limitation, that it shall never be sold or appropriated
to any other uses than as aforesaid, without the consent of all the
shareholders.
3rd. Ten dollars shall be the amount of a share, and a certificate
from the board, countersigned by the secretary, shall entitle the
holder to the benefits of a stockholder, which certificate may be
transferred and entitle the holder to all the benefits of the original
owner as a stockholder.
4th. Each shareholder, for each share, shall be entitled to one
vote, in all elections for the appointment of such committees, and
other officers elective by a stockholder, to send one scholar for each
share, free from house rent, and charge for the use of the public
library, etc, and also shall be free from charge for fuel.
5th. The Illinois Annual Conference is respectfully solicited to
take the institution under its fostering care, and take such methods
for increasing its funds, and endowing it with professors, and pro-
curing other means for its advancement as may to them seem best
and it is very desirable that the Missouri Annual Conference should
unite with the Illinois Conference, and make it a Conference semi-
nary for both Conferences.
6th. Should the annual conference refuse to accept the institu-
tion, the quarterly conference of Illinois circuit is requested to act in
conjunction with the quarterly conferences in this district in its sup-
port. Each circuit shall have a right to elect one manager, and
stockholders shall elect seven from among themselves whose duty it
844
shall be to solicit donations and subscriptions. They, or a majority
of them, shall constitute the board of managers for the governing
of the institution, selecting professors and teachers, library, astron-
omical, chemical and philosophical apparatus, elementary books, etc.
They shall regulate the internal economy, fix the price of tuition,
specify the terms of session, recees and vacation, and by their by-
laws, direct and ordain such rules as may tend to its advancement,
good order and respectability.
7th. The stockholders shall meet at the school house, in Lebanon,
on the 1st day of March, ensuing, for the purpose of electing a
building committee, secretary, and treasurer, defining their duty,
and specifying the compensation for their services, and to transact
such other business as the interests of the institution may require.
8th. The principal building shall not be less than 36 feet by 48»
with two wings of suitable dimensions for convenience, to be com-
menced as soon as $600 is subscribed. The subscription shall be
paid to the treasurer in three installments, as follows: One- fourth on
the 1st of June, one- fourth on the 1st of September, and one-half on
the 1st of December ensuing.
9th. In case the conferences do not signify, by special communi-
cation to the secretary of the institution, their intention to aid the
institution by the 1st of October, the stockholders shall, on notice,
convene and elect a suitable number of managers, and other officers,
whose power and duties shall be delegated to them by the stock-
holders.
SUBSCRIBERS' NAMES.
Name.
Amount.
Name.
Amotint.
Nicholas Horner
$100 00
50 00
20 00
10 00
60 00
20 00
20 00
20 00
20 00
20 00
20 00
20 00
10 00
10 00
10 00
10 00
10 00
10 00
10 00
10 00
10 00
10 00
10 00
10 00
10 00
10 00
10 00
10 00
10 00
10 00
10 00
10 00
10 00
\
Robert Abemathy
$ 10 00
Nathan Horner
Robert Moore
10 00
Robert Rankin
Theodore M. Nichols
10 00
John O't'allon
Evan Barnes
10 00
A. W. Casad
Elijah Moore
10 00
George Lowe
James Horter
10 00
Edward Youne
Meredith Jurney
10 00
Charles McDonald
Samuel Stites
10 GO
Phllonidas Balch
Austin Lyon
6 00
Daliel S. Witter
Robert Middleton
10 00
John Crocker .-
Peter Wright
10 00
Samuel K. Thompson
John McDonald
10 00
Charles Collins
Jacob Wldmer . .......
10 00
Joslah Patterson
John Thomas. Sr
10 00
James S. Simpson
William Moore
10 00
George McDonald
John Snrlnger
10 00
John Lowe
Thomas Stanton
10 00
Silas McCann
Caldwell Morrison
10 00
William Faires
William Clark
10 00
Richard Vanorsdol...
1. Baiim . .. -
10 00
Thomas Ray
Thomas B. Stevens.........
10 00
James Riggin
E. B. CIf*mson
30 00
Abraham sublet
Jamefl Moor©.
10 00
F. T. Crabb
William Middleton
10 00
Moses Twlss
Adam Vinevard
10 00
C. W. Ennis
Daussy Boring
10 00
Joseph Hypps
William Welsh
10 00
George W. Vineyard
John Brake
10 00
Asa Hutchinson
James S. McCann
10 00
Prettyman Beyce
James McCann. Sr
10 00
Thomas Nichols
David Chamberlin
60 00
Pleasant Nichols
Welsey Dugger
20 00
Joshua Barnes
William Parkinson
10 00
346
SUBSCRIBERS' NAMES-Conciwded.
Name.
Amount.
Name.
Amount.
Wharlotte Sherman and Abieall
Scarrett
Phillip Teter
Dempsle Guthrie
Abner Oliver Kelley
Martin L. Allen
John C. Dagger
Phillip Searses*
Isaac McMahan
John Thomas. Jr
Vison West
David L. West
Isaac Purgeson
Jarrett Dagger
W. C. Ballard
Daniel White
William Lewis
Samuel Mitchell. Sr
William C. Brown
1
1
$ 10 00
10 00
10 00
10 00
10 00
20 00
10 00
10 00
10 00
10 00
10 00
20 00
20 00
20 00
10 00
10 00
10 00
10 00
John Martiudale
George Temple
David Lincoln
Geo. W. Kerr
Betsey M. Klggln
John Dew
Charles Slade
J. C. Bruner
Huey Alexander
Joseph Follss
Gen. James Moore....
Enoch Moore
Milton Moore
Danile Whlttenburgh
Thornton Peeples
William W. Koman...
Thomas Mather
T. W. Gray
William Lunceford...
$ 10 00
10 00
10 00
10 00
10 00
10 00
10 00
10 00
10 00
10 00
10 00
10 00
10 00
10 00
10 00
10 00
10 00
10 00
10 00
346
APPENDIX.
HISTORICAL SKETCH MoKENDREE COLLEGE-
EXHIBIT 2.
Constitution, adopted by Board of Managers, Nov. 8th, 1828.
Article 1. Agreeably to the design of the original projectors of
the aforementioned seminary of learning, said institution shall b&
placed under the control and management of the Illinois and Mis-
souri Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal church, or
either of said conferences, under the limitations and on the condi-
tions hereinafter named: provided said conferences, or either of them,
shall at any further period accept the same and make it a conference
seminary.
Art. 2. All the property now belonging to the seminary, including
the buildings and lands appropriated to the same, or which may be
hereafter received by purchase or donation, that has not already been
conveyed, shall be conveyed to trustees for the use and benejfit of the
Methodist Episcopal church in manner and form as near as may be,
agreeably to the deed of settlement contained in the discipline of
said church securing the privileges of churches and meeting houses;
provided the property aforesaid shall never be sold or appropriated
to any other use or uses, than specified by the articles of association,
to which the original subscriptions were appended, and provided
further that all individual privileges granted and guaranteed to share-
holders shall by this constitution ba secured inviolate.
Art. 3. For the better organization of said institution and with a
view to carry into immediate effect the designs of its patrons and
friends, there shall be appointed by the stockholders, a board of
managers, consisting of 33 members of the Methodist Episcopal
church, who shall have authority to make by-laws to regulate their
own proceedings, and whose duty it shall be to regulate the internal
concerns of the institution, to appoint the times of sessions and vaca-
tions, fix the terms of tuition, elect a president and professors, pro-
cure and appoint competent teachers, regulate their salaries, take
such measures as to them may seem best, to increase the funds of
the institution, and in connection with the professors, attend the
public examinations of the students and adopt as they may think
proper a system of salutary discipline, and make an annual report of
their proceedings and doings as also of the fiscal concerns of the in-
stitution.
347
Art. 4. The first meeting of the board of managers under the pro-
visions of the foregoing article shall be held on Monday, the 10th of
November, instant.
Art. 5. There shall be a president, secretary and treasurer ap-
pointed by the stockholders, who shall be ex- officio members of the
board of managers; and at all meetings of the board of managers,
seven members shall constitute a quorum to transact business, and
the president or in his absence, such person as shall be chosen for
the time being, shall preside in all meetings of the stockholders, or of
the board of managers.
Art, 6. The secretary shall keep a regular journal of all the pro-
ceedings of the board of managers, and a regular account of all the
receipts and expenditures of the institution, which shall be published
with the annual report of the board of managers, signed by the pres-
ident and countersigned by the secretary.
Art. 7. It shall be the duty of the treasurer to receive and account
for all monies which may be collected for the benefit of the institu-
tion, including tuition fees and donations or subscriptions, and to
open and keep a regular account with the board of managers, and
whenever called on to exhibit a report of the fiscal concerns, etc. and
to honor and pay all orders drawn on him by the board, which orders,
when presented shall always be signed by the president and counter-
signed by the secretary.
Art. 8. The board of managers shall meet once every quarter, or
oftener if they deem it necessary, and shall always, on a call of the
professors, having ten days previous notice.
Art. 9. The provisions made in the third article of this constitu-
tion, for the appointment of managers and defining their powers and
duties, shall continue in force until the next annual conference of
Missouri and Illinois, and if neither of the conferences at their next
sessions should agree to make the above mentioned seminary their
conference seminary, then the above regulations contained in the
third article aforesaid shall continue in force until altered by the
stockholders.
Art. 10. This constitution, except the first and second articlesi
may be altered or amended after the next meeting of the above named
conferences, by a majority of the stockholders present, should the
conferences refuse or neglect to accept the conditions proposed in the
first article.
Art. 11. Should the conferences above named, accept the above
conditions, there shall be 33 managers appointed, one-third by the
Illinois, and one- third by the Missouri annual conference and the
other third by the stockholders, or a majority of those present, con-
vened for the purpose, after twenty days previous notice.
Or, in case but one of the above named conferences should accept
the conditions above named, then said conference so accepting shall
have the power to appoint 17 managers, and the stockholders shall
348
appoint the remaining 16, a majority of whom shall always be mem-
bers of the Methodist Episcopal church, whose powers and duties
shall be the same as those prescribed in the third article of this con-
stitution.
Art. 12. Whenever, in the judgment of the board of managers, the
interests of this institution shall require it, they shall have power to
call a meeting of the stockholders, and the secretary shall be required
to give at least ten days previous notice of such meeting, with the
objects for which it is called, in as public a manner as possible.
349
APPENDIX.
HISTORICAL SKETCH McKENDREE COLLEGE-
EXHIBIT 'S.
An Act to Incorporate the Colleges therein named. In force Feb,
19, 1835.
Section 1. Be it enacted by the people of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly: That Hubbell Loomis, Ben-
jamin F Edwards, Stephen Griggs, George Smith, Enoch Long,
Cyrus Edwards, and William Manniog, and their successors, be, and
they are hereby created a body politic and corporate, to be styled
and known by the name of "The Trustees of the Alton College of
Illinois," and by that style and name to remain and have perpetual
succession. The said college shall remain located at or near Upper
Alton, in the country of Madison. The number of trustees shall not
exceed 15, exclusive of the president, principal, or presiding officer
of the college, who shall, ex-officio, be a member of the board of trus-
tees; no other instructor shall be a member of the board of trustees.
For the present, the above named individuals shall constitute the
board of trustees, who shall fill the remaining vacancies at their dis-
cretion.
§ 2. That Samuel D. Lockwood, William C. Posey, John P.'
Wilkinson, Theron Baldwin, John F. Brooks, Elisha Jenny, William
Kirby, Asa Turner, John G. Bergen, John Tillson, jr., and Gideon
Blackburn, and their successors, be, and they are hereby created a
body corporate and politic, by the name of "The Trustees of Illinois
college," and by that style and name to remain and have perpetual
succession; that college shall remain permantly located in Morgan
county; the number of trustees shall not exceed 15, exclusive of the
president, principal, or presiding officer of the college, who shall ex-
officio be a member of the board of trustees; no other instructor shall
be a member of the board of trustees. For the present, the aforesaid
individuals shall constitute the board of trustees, who shall fill the
remaining vacancies at their discretion.
§ 3. That John Dew, Samuel H. Thompson, James Riggin,
Nicholas Horner, George Lowe, Robert Moore, Theophilus M. Nich-
ols, Joshua Barnes, Samuel Stites, David L. West, Nathan Horner,
Joseph Foulke, Thornton Peoples, John S. Barger, Nathaniel M.
M'Curdy, Anthony W. Casad, and Benjamin Hypes, and their suc-
cessors, be, and they are hereby created a body politic and corporate,
to be styled and known by the name of * 'The Trustees of the McKen-
350
dreean college," and by that style and name to remain and have per-
petual succession; the said college shall remain located at or near
Lebanon in the county of St. Qlair; the number of trustees shall not
exceed 18, exclusive of the president, principal, or presiding officer
of the college, who shall, ex-officio, be a member of the board of
trustees; no other instructor shall be a member of the board of trus-
tees. For the present, the aforesaid individuals shall constitute the
board of trustees, who shall fill the remaining vacancies at their dis-
cretion.
§ 4. That B. W. Brooks, Augustus Rixleben, Winstead Davie,
John S. Hacker, Daniel Spencer, Willis Willard, John W. McGuire,
Thomas Sams, James P. Edwards, John Baltzell, William C. Whit-
lock, and Isaac Bizzle, and their successors, be, and they are hereby
created a body politic and corporate, to be styled and known by the
name of "The Trustees of the Jonesborough college," and by that
style and name to remain and have perpetual succession; the said
college shall remain located at or near Jonesborough, in the county
of Union. The number of trustees shall not exceed 15, exclusive of
the president, principal, or presiding officer of the college, who shall,
ex-officio, be a member of the board of trustees. For the present,
the aforesaid individuals shall constitute the board of trustees, who
shall fill the remaining vacancies at their discretion.
§ 5. The object of said corporation shall be the promotion of the
general interests of education, and to qualify young men to engage
in the several employments and professions of society, and to dis-
charge honorably and usefully the various duties of life.
§ 6. The corporate powers hereby bestowed shall be such only
as are essential or useful in the attainment of said object, and such
as are usually conferred on similar bodies corporate, viz: To have
perpetual succession, to make contracts, to sue and be sued, implead
and be impleaded, to grant and receive by its corporate name, and
to do all other acts as natural persons may, to accept, acquire, pur-
chase or sell property, real, personal and mixed, in all lawful ways;
to use, employ, manage, and dispose of all such property, and all
money belonging to said corporation, in such manner as shall seem
to the trustees best adapted to promote the objects aforementioned;
to have a common seal, and to alter or change the same; to make
such by-laws for its regulation as are not inconsistent with the Con-
stitution and laws of the United States or of this State, and to con-
fer on such persons as may be considered worthy, such academical
or honorary degrees as are usually conferred by similar institutions.
§ 7. The trustees of the respective corporations shall have au-
thority, from time to time, to prescribe and regulate the course of
studies to be pursued in said colleges, and in the preparatory depart-
ments attached thereto; to fix the rate of tuition, room rent and other
college expenses, to appoint instructors and such other officers and
agents as may be needed in managing the concerns of the institu-
tion, to define their powers, duties and employments, to fix their
compensation, to displace and remove either of the instructors, offi-
351
oera or agents, as said trustees shall deem the interest of the said
colleges shall require, to fill all vacancies among said instructors,
officers and agents, to erect necess^y buildings, to purchase books
and chemical and philosophical apiftratus, and other suitable means
of instruction, to put in operation a system of manual labor, for the
purpose of lessening the expense of education and promoting the
health of the students; to make rules for the general management of
the affairs of the college, and for the regulation of the conduct of the
students, and to add, as the ability of the said organization shall in-
crease and the interest of the community shall require, additional
departments for the study of any or all of the liberal professions:
Provided, however, that nothing herein contained shall authorize the
establishment of a theological department in either of said colleges.
§ 8. If any trustee shall be chosen president of the college, his
former place as trustee shall be considered as vacant, and his place
filled by the remaining trustees. The trustees, for the time being, shall
have power to remove any trustee for any dishonorable or criminal
conduct: Provided, that no such removal shall take place without
giving to such trustee notices of the charges exhibited against him,
and an opportunity to defend himself before the board, nor unless
that two-thirds of the whole number of trustees, for the time being,
shall concur in such removal. The trustees, for the time being, in
order to have perpetual succession, shall have power, as often as a
trustee shall be removed from office, die, resign or remove out of the
State, to appoint a resident of the State to fill the vacancy in the
board of trustees occasioned by such removal from office, death, res-
ignation or removal from the State. A majority of the trustees, for
the time being, sball be a quorum to do business.
§ 9. The trustees shall faithfully apply all funds by them col-,
lected, or hereafter collected, according to their best judgment, in
erecting suitable buildings, in supporting the necessary instructors,
officers and agents, in procuring books, maps, charts, globes, philo-
sophical, chemical and other apparatus, necessary to aid in the pro-
motion of sound learning in their respective institutions: Provided,
that in case any donation, devise or bequest shall be made for par-
ticular purposes, accordant with the objects of the institution, and
the trustees shall accept the same, every such donation, devise or be-
quest, shall be applied in conformity with the express condition of
the donor or devisor: Provided, also, that lands donated or devised
as aforesaid, shall be sold or disposed of as required by the twelfth
section of this act.
§ 10. The treasurers of said colleges always , and all other agents,
when required by the trustees, before entering upon the duties of
their appointments, shall give bonds for the security of the corpora-
tion, in such penal sum and with such securities as the board of
trustees shall approve; and all process against the said corporation
shall be by summons, and service of the same shall be by leaving an
attested copy with the treasurer of the college, at least thirty days
before the return day thereof.
§ 11. The said colleges and their preparatory departments shall
be open to all denominations of Christians, and the profession of any
352
particular religious faith shall not be required of those who become
students; all persons, however, may be suspended or expelled from
said institutions whose habits are idle or vicious, or whose 'moral
character is bad.
§ 12. The lands, tenements and hereditaments, to be held in per-
petuity, in virtue of this act, by either of said corporations, shall not
exceed six hundred and forty acres: Provided, however, that if do-
nations, grants, or devises in land shall, from time to time, be made
to either of said corporations, over and above six hundred and forty
acres, which may be held in perpetuity as aforesaid, the same may
be received and held by such corporation for the period of three
years from the date of every such donation, grant or devise; at the
end of which time, if the said lands over and above the said six hun-
dred and forty acres shall not have been sold by the said corporation,
then, and in that case, the said lands so donated, granted or devised,
shall revert to the donor, grantor, or the heirs of the devisor of the
same.
Approved Feb. 9, 1835.
358
APPENDIX.
HISTORICAL SKETCH OF MoKENDREE COLLEGE -
EXHIBIT 4,
Page 386, Jan. 27, 1835. Mr. Mather, from the committee on peti-
tions, to whom was referred the petitions of the MoKendrean college,
and of the prudential committee of the trustees of the "Illinois Col-
lege," and the "trustees of the Alton College of Illinois" made follow-
ing report, viz. :
Report.
That, in the petitions on behalf of these colleges, they find the
following declaration of facts:
The petitioners, all of whom are citizens of this State, have been
engaged for several years in founding and rearing up these institu-
tions. They had their origin in a warm interest in the cause of edu-
cation in general. The intelligence of the people was regarded as
the only basis of our republican institutions, and common schools
the grand and only means of making this intelligence universal. But
then the necessity of institutions of a higher order, was felt, not only
to qualify young men for the various professions and the useful em-
ployments of practical life, but also to fit them for the business of
teaching common schools, as the only efiFectual means of making a
common school system highly and permanently beneficial. The
trustees have toiled in the midst of difficulties inseparable from so
new a country, at great personal sacrifice, and without the hope of
any remuneration but the pleasure of promoting the noble cause of
education.
The college of Jacksonville has been in operation for the last five
years, and now numbers about 100 students. It has attached to it,
not far from 320 acres of land, which is used as a manual labor farm.
A work-shop is also erected, in which various mechanical operations
are carried on by the students, about 40 of whom earned during the
last year, more than $1,800. Funds, to a considerable amount, have
been committed to the trustees in trust, for the purposes of education,
and they have sacredly pledged themselves to devote them to this
object. They have been principally expended in land, buildings,
apparatus, books, and the support of instructors.
— 23H.
354
The patrons of the McKendrean college commenced their buildings
four years ago, received a deed for about ten acres of land, erected a
building at the cost of something like $8,000. The institution has
been in operation about 12 months. The students number about 60,*
Books and apparatus have been procured and funds collected for the
enlargement of the plans of the college.
The trustees of "Alton College of Illinois," have purchased a tract
of 400 acres, immediately adjoining the town of Upper Alton, with a
view to manual labor operations, whereby the indigent but enterpris-
ing youth of the country may be enabled to defray the expenses of
their education. They have erected thereon a very convenient brick
building for college purposes, and are making arrangements for
putting up a boarding house and work shops. A library and appa-
ratus have been provided, funds have been contributed at the east
as well as in this country, and a portion of the land is to be laid off
into town lots which will command a good price, and thus materially
increase the available means of the institution. It has been in oper-
ation about three years, and now numbers near 60 students.
These three institutions now ask an act of incorporation, that their
funds may be secured from alienation in the future, and put into
such a shape as to relieve themselves from anxiety, and retain the
confidence of those upon whom they must rely for support; that they
may introduce greater simplicity into their business operations, and
have the power of conferring the usual college degrees. They ask
for nothing that is inconsistent with our constitution or laws — for
nothing that shall interfere with the rights of any citizen, or the
interests of any other institution — and for no powers nor privileges
but such as are common to similar institutions in other states. They
simply ask us to afford them such facilities as shall enable them to
prosecute their work without embarassment.
Your committee are of the opinion, that we have now reached a
most important crisis in the history of our State. This is especially
true as it respects the subject of education. We are called upon to
settle principles which will tell on the destinies of Illinois in coming
generations. It becomes us, therefore, to act with great caution, and
with our eyes fully open upon our present and future interests. Our
public policy throughout, should be based upon enlarged and liberal
views — views which will be found to promote the prosperity of the
State when our prairies shall swarm with population, and everywhere
teem with plenty under the hand of the husbandman. All will agree
that no one cause is more closely identified with the general welfare,
than that of education. And it is a fact full of interest and promise,
that public sentiment on that subject, like the swelling of the tide, is
everywhere in motion; and the voice of the people, in unbroken
power, is coming up from all parts of the State — demanding that
something should be done. And we may cherish the hope that the
day is not far distant when a judicious common school system shall
be in vigorous and successful operation. Associations of our fellow-
* See historical sketch for correction as to Items concemlnff McEendree.
355
citizens, too, are forming, in difiFerent directions, for the purpose of
rearing up, by individual enterprise, ingtitutions of a higher grade.
As a consequence, application from these associations for corpo-
rate powers are multiplying, What shall be done with these appli-
cations? Shall they be granted or rejected? Or shall there be such
limitations as will really embarrass their operations — and, in the
opinion of the applicants, amount to rejection?
In the view of your committee, three questions here arise, upon the
settlement of which the whole matter will turn.
1. Are institutions of this character really needed in the State?
2. Is it important to their success that the trustees who manage
them should become bodies corporate?
3. Can corporate powers be granted, with safety to the public
interests?
With regard to the first question, the committee would remark,
that, in their opinion, it is settled by the uniform experience of the
civilized world, and that continued through the lapse of ages So
decisive is this evidence, that the number and character of these in-
stitutions may be considered a very fair criterion of the state of
education in any country. While we admit that the great mass of
the people can only be reached through the medium of common
schools, yet of what use will even they be without competent
teachers? And where shall these teachers be educated except in in-
stitutions of a higher grade? The world may be challenged to pro-
duce an instance in which common schools have been efficient and
permanently prosperous without the coexistence of higher institu-
tions, Never was there a greater mistake than to suppose that their
interests clash, or that either can be kept in vigorous and permanent
operation without the aid of the other. How obvious that the in-
terests of market towns and the surrounding settlements are so iden-
tified as to create mutual dependence? Could the iuterests of one
be injured without detriment to the other? So is the relation that
subsists between common schools and institutions of a higher grade.
The connection is no stronger, and the mutual dependence no more
absolute in the one case than in the other. Can, then, the foster-
ing hand of government be withheld from either without detriment
to the highest interests of the State? Or can any policy which shall
operate to the injury of either, be sound policy?
Besides, institutions of a higher order are needed to raise up
scientific men. The single invention of the cotton gin, by Whitney,
a man whose mind had been stored with the principles of science at
a college, has probably added more to our national wealth than has
been expended to found and support all the colleges in our country
since our existence as a nation. And the invention of the safety
lamp by Sir Humphrey Davy, which he reasoned out on the rigid
principles of science, has not only rendered his name imperishable
in the scientific world, but by preventing an immense destruction of
human life in the coal mines of Great Britain, md adding in various
ways to the wealth of the country, it will cause him to be regarded
356
as a public benefactor so long as England shall endure. Who can
tell the advantages that have been derived even to the western
states, by the invention and perfection of steam boats? And it
should never be forgotten, that, for these and numberless other in-
ventions, we are indebted to scientific men. Had not institutions
existed somewhere in which such men could become acquainted with
the principles of science, we should, to this hour, have been plough-
ing our majestic and turbulent rivers with our flats and keels, as the
only means of transportation. Where, then, would have been the
tide of emigration which is now pouring upon our prairies? Where,
too, our vigorous commerce, our zeal in agriculture, and the marks
of industry and enterprize now visible throughout our territory?
How unfounded, then, the opinion that literary institutions are un-
friendly to the best interests of a state. We live in an age of im-
provement and invention, and there is a loud call for scientific as
well as practical men. But where shall they be educated? The en-
gineer, for instance, upon whom we must depend to survey, and at
every step of their progress direct in the construction of our canals
and railroads, must be acquainted with algebra, geometry, trigono-
metry, etc. It is well-known that these branches are not taught in
our common schools. These engineers, therefore, cannot be educated
there. We might as well think of constructing steam engines in a
common smith's shop, or carrying on ship- building in the centre of
the grand prairie. We must have institutions which shall be the
depositories of science, liberally endowed, and furnished with appa-
ratus, libraries and able and learned men as instructors. Shall none
be founded in Illinois in which our Whitneys and Davys may be
trained? Shall we depend on Missouri, or Indiana, or Ohio, or Ken-
tucky, or any other state, for our teachers, our engineers, our elo-
quent advocates, our learned jurists, and those who are to fill and
grace the various learned professions? Who shall write our school
books, and our histories and become our authors of imperishable
fame? Or shall we send abroad our young men to receive in other
states that education which they can not receive at home? And that
because we will not foster on our own soil those institutions which
are the pride of surrounding states? Multitudes of our young men
will have a liberal education somewhere, and if they can not at
home they will flock to other states. Their institutions are already
up all around us, incorporated, endowed and in full operation, and
they would doubtless be glad to educate our sons. But will the
high-minded citizens of Illinois thus stoop to become the vassals of
other states?
2. Is it important to the success of these institutions that the
trustees who manage them should become bodies corporate? This
question may be easily answered, by looking at the ends to be gained
by conferring corporate powers. The object of an incorporation is
to enable their members to act by one united will, and to continue
their joint powers and property in the same body undisturbed by the
change of members, and without the necessity of perpetual con-
veyances, as the rights of membership pass from one individual to
357
another. All the individuals composing a corporation, and their
successors, are considered in law but as one moral person, capable,
under an artificial form; of taking and conveying property, or con-
tracting debts and duties, and of enjoying such rights as are dele-
gated to them. One of the peculiar properties of a corporation is
the power of perpetual succession; for in judgment of law it is capable
of indefinite duration. The rights and privileges of corporations do
not determine, or vary, upon the death or change of any of the indi-
vidual members. They continue as long as the corporation endures.
Without the aid of an act of incorporation, the trustees of a literary
institution necessarily take all the property bestowed upon them in
their natural capacities— and should they disagree in the management
of the trust, there is no mode of compelling the will of the minority
to submit to the will of the majority; and hence they are liable to
have the very objects of the trust defeated by dissensions in their
own body, should the trustees unfortunately differ, A corporation
remedies this evil, by making the act of the majority the act of the
whole body. Again, without an act of iacorporation, should an indi-
vidual trustee pervert the college property to his own use, or, in any
other way, injure what is committed in trust, the law furnishes no
remedy. And although the trustees act with harmony and in good
faith without an act of incorporation, when a trustee dies, the portion
of real estate held in his name descends to his heirs. These may be
infants, or may be totally indisposed to carry into effect the object
intended by the donor, in giving the property to his ancestor; and
thus property originally designed for a noble and highly useful pur-
pose, may, by the cupidity of his heirs, be entirely diverted. The
evils arising from refusing to give corporate powers for the purposes
of education are manifold. The efforts of trustees, thus situated, are
frequently distracted by conflicting opinions; and where they un-
fortunately occur, there is no mode of producing united action. It
presents temptations, not only to the trustees, but to their heirs,
from motives of gain, to betray their trusts. These evils are so well
understood, that the founders of colleges universally apply to the
proper authorities for corporate powers, as a matter of course, and
just as much so as banking or railroad companies. As, therefore,
permanent funds are absolutely essential to the prosperity and use-
fulness of such institutions, and as these are the dangers to which
they are exposed, your committee are of opinion that the importance
of granting corporate powers is made sufficiently manifest.
3. Can these powers be granted with safety to the public in-
terests?
Your committee feel that they cannot better answer this question
than by repeating the language of the memorial presented by the
trustees of Illinois College, to- wit:
*'We would state that it can be done without the least hazard to
the interests of the community. One of the most distinguished
358
jurists and civilians in our country, in an argument before the
Supreme Court of the United States, has stated, that the uniform
testimony of experience, both in our own and other countries, is,
that such literary corporations are in an eminent degree safe, and
highly conducive to the public good, and that as a uniform fact they
have not been perverted from their original purpose to improper
ends. And so far as we know, no fact is on record which proves the
danger of any such perversion Not only do facts prove the safety
of such literary corporations, but the nature of the case also shows
that they are exposed to fewer influences which may lead to perver-
sion, than almost any other class of corporations. They depend al-
most entirely on public sentiment for their patronage and support,
and therefore cannot, with impunity, disregard the known interests
and wishes of the community. On the other hand, they aie under
the influence of every possible motive to regulate all their measures
so as to bear the test of public scrutiny, and to correspond with the
known expression of the public will."
These statements and reasonings, your committee regard as deci-
sive—but they would state in addition, that literary corporations
have been tried in all other states, and found safe. There are more
than 20 on the statute books of Missouri, In Kentucky there are
three or four colleges founded on peculiar religious sentiments; and
in Tennessee numerous academies and colleges are incorporated with
the most ample powers. Now, why should that which is so safe in
these states be dangerous in Illinois?
If, then, as we trust has been abundantly shown, colleges are so
much needed in our State, and the public interest would be as really
injured by neglecting to foster them as by refusing to cherish com-
mon schools, and if corporate powers can be granted with entire
safety to the public interests — what course does sound policy dictate?
It would seem to be as clear as the sun in the heavens. Shall we
hesitate to pursue it? By your own acts we have decided that it is
inexpedient to create these institutions by legislative enactment, and
endow them from the public resources. But are we prepared to say
that none shall exist within our bounds, when they are the pride
of surrounding states? Shall Illinois, with its unrivalled location,
beauty, fertility and natural resources, which prepare it to stand
pre- eminent in the confederacy, expose herself to the denunciation
of all her sister states, by refusing to fester literary institutions?
Will not the wisdom, liberality and enlarged views of this body avert
such reproach from our legislative councils? Or shall it be echoed
and re-echoed throughout the land, and go down to posterity, that
Illinois, and Illinois alone, has refused her assent, even to the incor-
poration of academies and colleges?
If literary institutions are not created by legislative enactment,
and sustained by the resources of the State, it must be done, if they
exist at all, by individual enterprise. Then, if we are unprepared to
say that colleges shall not exist — why not grant the petition before
us? Are not these different boards of trustees composed of our fellow-
359
citizens — and are they not worthy citizens? Have they done any-
thing to forfeit public confidence? ;Iave we evidence that any other
associations could do the work better? Shall we single out any body
of men, so long as they show themselves worthy of public confidence
and are engaged in promoting the public good, and deny them those
powers and privileges which any association of our fellow-citizens
might justly ask at our hands? Why, then, we repeat, not grant the
prayer of these petitioners? Shall they meet with a cold response?
Shall their generous ardor in this noble work be thus suppressed? Are
we ready to say to any body of our fellow- citizens who have exhib-
ited such a spirit of enterprise, and labored with so commendable a
zeal, and met with so much success — we will not sustain you?
But these men have some peculiar claims upon our confidence and
support. They commenced their operations in the infancy of our
State — when the means of education were exceedingly limited, and
schools of every description were few and far between. They do not
simply prepare to educate those who shall hereafter come upon the
stage — but the present generation also. The cry is now from all
parts of the State — educate the present generation. The petitioners
are ready to vociferate the same loud and long. This is the very
thing that they propose to aid in accomplishing They come to us
and point to the present state of education in Illinois, and simply
ask us to afPord them such facilities as will enable them to prosecute
this noble work without embarrassment. Shall we, then, withhold
from them that countenance and support which they ask? It would
seem that none could be more deserving of encouragement than the
pioneers in the cause of education. In the opinion of your commit-
tee, the petitioners are richly entitled to the confidence of their fel-
low-citizens, and the support of ourselves as a Legislature.
We need not spend time in attempting to prove, that corporate
powers are important to the interests of these several institutions.
The petitioners ask for nothing peculiar, and our previous remarks
have put that point at rest. The remarks which we have also made with
regard to the safety of literary corporations, will settle the question
whether the powers prayed for by the petitioners, can be granted
with safety to the public interests. As nothing is asked which is
inconsistent with our constitution or laws, your committee are of
opinion that the reputation of this State, and of ourselves as a Leg-
islature, would be put in much greater jeopardy by rejecting the
prayer of the petitioners, than the public interests would be by
granting it.
It ought to be understood that by refusing to incorporate these
three institutions so judiciously located, we do our part towards con-
signing them to absolute ruin, or entailing upon them an enfeebled
existence. But blot them all out — and where shall the young men
of Illinois resort for that education which such institutions alone
can furnish? Blot these out, and not another survives except in the
extreme south. Embarrass their operations by refusing them those
powers and privileges which they ask, and just in the same propor-
tion we roll back the cause of education in our beloved State. Shall
360
we do either? Let us rather extend the helping hand to these, our
fellow- citizens, and say to them — "Onward in your noble work."
Let this Legislature have the credit of protecting and fostering
three institutions which have already been for years, engaged in
scattering the blessings of education among us, and give fair promise
of becoming a lasting honor to Illinois.*
*Aii interesting address by Hon. William Brown, a. m.. a professor in McKendree col-
lege, delivered by request of the Legislature, in the hall of the House of Representatives,
at Vandalia. Jan. llth, 1839. was discovered too late for insertion in connection with this
paper, and will appear as the last article in the addendum to this volume.
M. H. C,
361
APPENDIX.
HISTORICAL SKETCH MoKENDREE COLLEGE.
EXHIBIT V.
(Charter of McEendree Collese.)
An Act to Incorporate the McKendree College.
Section 1. Be it enacted by the people of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly : That William Wilson, Samuel
H. Thompson, Thornton Peebles, John S. Barger, Benjamin Hypes,
Hiram K. Ashley, Joshua Barnes, James Riggin, Nathan Horner,
Benjamin T. Kavanaugh, Theophilus Nichols, Chrispin Cunning-
ham, John Hogan, Jesse Renfro, Benjamin M. Bond, and Alexander
M. Jenkins, and their successors in oflBce, be and they are hereby,
created a body politic and corporate, under the name and style of the
"McKendree College," and henceforth shall be styled and known by
that name, and by that style and name to remain and have perpetual
succession, The number of trustees shall not exceed eighteen, ex-
clusive of the president, principal, or presiding oflficer of the college,
who shall, ex-officio, be a member of the board of trustees. No other
instructor shall be a member of said board: Provided, however, that
the board of trustees by a majority of two thirds, at their annual
meeting, may increase the number of said trustees to any number
not exceeding thirty- six. For the present the aforesaid individuals
shall constitute the board of trustees, who shall at their discretion
fill the remaining vacancies, and such as may hereafter be created
should the number be increased.
§ 2. The object of said corporation shall be the promotion of the
general interest of education, and to qualify young men to engage in
the several employments and professions of society, and to discharge
honorably and usefully the various duties of life.
§ 3. The corporate powers hereby bestowed shall be such only as
are essential and useful in the attainment of said object, and such as
are usually conferred on similar corporate bodies, viz: to have per-
petual succession, to make contracts, to sue and be sued, implead
and be impleaded, to grant and receive by its corporate name, and to
do all other acts as natural persons may; to accept, acquire, purchase
or sell property, real, personal and mixed, in all lawful ways; to use,
employ, manage, and dispose of all such property and all money be-
longing to said corporation, in such manner as shall seem to the
trustees best adapted to promote the object aforementioned; to have
a common seal, and to alter and change the same; to make such by-
laws for the regulation of the corporation as are not inconsistent with
the constitution and laws of the United States, or of this State, and
362
to confer on such persons as may be considered worthy, such academ-
ical or honorary degrees as are usually conferred by similar insti-
tutions.
§ 4. The trustees shall have authority from time to time to pre-
scribe and regulate the course of study to be pursued in said college,
and the preparatory department attached thereto; to fix the rate of
tuition, room rent and other college expenses; to appoint the presi-
dent of the institution and other members of the faculty, and such
other instructors, officers and agents as may be needed in managing
the concerns of the institution; to define their powers, duties and
employments; to fix their compensations; to displace and remove the
presidents, and any member of the faculty, either of the instructors,
officers or agents; to erect necessary buildings, purchase books and
chemical, philosophical and other apparatus, and other suitable
means of instruction; to put in operation, if the trustees shall deem
it expedient a system of manual labor, for the purpose of promoting
the health of the students and lessening the expense of education, to
make rules for the general management of the afiPairs of the college,
and for the regulation of the conduct of the students; and to add as
the ability of said corporation shall increase, and the interest of the
community shall require, additional departments for the study of any
or all of the liberal professions.
§ 5. The trustees shall faithfully apply the funds by them col-
lected, or hereafter collected, according to their best judgment, in
erecting suitable buildings; in purchasing books, maps, charts,
globes, philosophical, chemical and other apparatus necessary to aid
in the promotion of sound learning in said institution.
§ 6. Any donation, devise, or bequest, made for the special pur-
pose, accordant with the objects of the institution, if the trustees
shall accept the same, shall be faithfully and truly applied in con-
formity with the express conditions of the donor or devisee. The
lands, tenements, and hereditaments to be held in perpetuity in vir-
tue of this act shall not exceed three thousand acres: Provided,
hoioever, that grants, donations, or devises in lands which from time
to time shall be made to said corporation, may be held for the term
of ten years from the date of any such grant, donation or devise; at
the end of which time the said lands, over and above the before
named three thousand acres, shall be sold by the corporation; and in
case of neglect to sell, said lands so donated shall revert to the origi-
nal donor or devisor, or to the lawful heirs of the same.
§ 7. The treasurer and the other officers of the institution, when
required by the trustees, shall give bond for the security of the cor-
poration, in such penalty, and with such security as the board shall
approve; and all processes against said corporation shall be by sum-
mons and service of the same by leaving an attested copy with the
treasurer at least thirty days before the return thereof.
§ 8. The trustees shall have power to establish departments for
the study of any of the liberal professions, particularly law and med-
icine, and to institute and grant diplomas in the same; to constitute
863
and confer the degrees of doctor in the learned arts and sciences and
belles lettres, and to confer such other academical degrees are are
usually conferred by the most learned universities. "
§ 9. Said trustees shall have power to institute a board of com-
petent persons, always including the faculty, who shall examine such
persons as may apply; and if said applicants are found to possess
such knowledge pursued in said college as, in the judgment of said
board, renders them worthy, they may be considered graduates in
course, and shall be entitled to a diploma accordingly, on paying
such fee as the trustees shall affix; which fee, however, shall in no
case exceed the tuition bills of the full college course. Said exam-
ining board may not exceed the number of ten, three of whom may
transact business, provided one be of the faculty.
§ 10. In its different departments the college shall be open to aU
denominations of Christians, and the profession of any religious faith
shall not be required in order to admission; but those students who
are idle or vicious, or whose characters are immoral, may be sus-
pended or expelled, g
§ 11. Said college shall remain located at or near Lebanon, in the
county of St. Clair, State of Illinois. The trustees shall hold at least
one meeting in each year for business, and may appoint other stated
meetings of the board; (special meetings may at any time be held by
order of the president of the board) ten of whom shall constitute a
quorum to do business; and it shall be lawful for the Illinois Annual
conference, of the Methodist Episcopal church, to appoint annually
a board of visitors, consisting of nine persons, who shall have power
to sit with the board of trustees at their annual meetings, and partic-
ipate with them, ex officio, as members of the board,
§ 12. Hereafter the filling of vacancies in the board of trustees,
and the appointment of president of the college, professors and
tutors, shall be made only at the annual meetings as provided in the
eleventh section of this act: Provided, that the trustees may fill va-
cancies in the professorship, or employ additional professors or
tutors, when necessary, until the succeeding annual meeting.
§ 13. In case of a division of the Illinois Annual conference into
two or more conferences of the Methodist Episcopal church, or if
any other annual conference of the said Methodist Episcopal church
shall unite with the said Illinois Annual conference in the patronage
and support of the said college, each annual conference thus patron-
izing said college shall have the same powers and privileges granted
in this act to the said Illinois Annual conference: Provided ^ that
said visitors shall at no time exceed the number of trustees; and
should it so occur by the increase of patronage that the number of
visitors herein provided for shall exceed in number that of the trus-
tees, the ratio of visitors shall be by the trustees so fixed as to limit
the whole number of visitors to that of the number of the trustees of
said college.
§ 14. The alteration of the name of the institution shall not affect
the title to any property acquired by the institution heretofore, but
the title to such estate shall be valid to the institution under the
364
name set forth in this aot, whether made to the same, or under the
name and style of "The Trustees of the MoKendrean College," or,
"The Trustees of McKendree College," that all contracts made with
said corporation whether made under the name of the "Trustees of
the MoKendrean College" or "The Trustees of McKendree College,"
shall enure as well for as against said corporation under the name
and style of "The McKendree College."
§ 15. If any trustee shall be chosen president of the college, his
former place as trustee shall be vacated and his place filled by the
remaining trustees and visiting committee, as hereinbefore provided.
The trustees for the time being shall have power to remove any trus-
tee for any dishonorable or criminal conduct: Provided, that no such
removal shall take place without giving to such trustee notice of
charges against him, and an opportunity to defend himself before
the board, nor unless that two-thirds of the whole number of trustees
for the time being shall concur in said removal,
§ 16. This act shall be in force from and after the time at which
the trustees of the MoKendrean college shall accept the same, and
the evidence of said acceptance shall be a copy of the order of the
board ordering this act to be spread upon their journals, certified by
the president and secretary of the board.
§ 17. Should the corporation at any time act contrary to the pro-
visions of this charter, or fail to comply with the same, upon com-
plaint made to the Circuit court of St. Clair county, a scire facias
shall issue, and the Circuit court of St. Clair county shall prosecute
in behalf of the people of this State for a forfeiture of this charter.
This act shall be a public act, and shall be construed liberally in all
courts for the purposes hereinbefore expressed and so far as this in-
stitution is concerned, all acts, as far as they may be contradictory to
this act, are hereby repealed. [Approved Jan. 26, 1839.]
At the first half-yearly meeting of the trustees of McKendree col-
lege for 1839, the following preamble and resolutions were, on motion
of James Riggin and Benjamin T. Kavenaugh, adopted:
Wheeeas, The people of the State of Illinois, represented in the i
General Assembly, by an act approved Jan. 26, 1839, and entitled '
"An act to incorporate the McKendree College," provided by the six-
teenth section of said act, that it should be in force from and after
the time that the trustees of "The MoKendrean College" should ac-
cept the same, and that the evidence of said acceptance should be a
copy of the order of said trustees ordering said act to be spread upon
their journals, certified by the president and secretary of the board;
and
Wheeeas, Said aot, which grants liberal amendments to the col-
lege charter, is of great importance; therefore, be it
Resolved, By the trustees of the MoKendrean College, that the aot
entitled "An act to incorporate McKendrean College," is hereby ac-
cepted by "the trustees of the McKendrean College," and ordered to
be spread upon their journals.
John S. Baeger.
March 4, 1839. Secretary.
IN MEM0RIAM.
Members of the Illinois State Historical Society, deceased,
January 1903 — January 1904.
Dr. Humphrey H. Hood.
367
DR. HUMPHREY H. HOOD.
1823-1903.
(Ml83 Olive Sattley.)
Humphrey Hughes Hood, fourth of the ten children of Lambert
and Sarah (Hughes) Hood, was born Sept. 19, 1823, in Philadelphia,
of which city his father's family had been residents for four preced-
ing generations. His mother was of Welsh nativity, coming with
her parents to this country in early childhood.
In 1837, the family removed to Alton, 111., and afterward to Otter
Creek prairie, then in Green, now in Jersey county. Their stay in
the west was only about 18 months, at the end of which time they
returned to Philadelphia. In 1848, after reading with a tutor, he
entered Jeff erson Medical college, of Philadelphia, and was graduated
in the spring of 1851. The following autumn found him in Jersey
county, 111., where he had lived a short time during his boyhood.
In the summer of 1854 he removed to the new town of Litchfield,
which had been laid out the preceding autumn, where he engaged in
the practice of his profession, and excepting one year spent in Tay-
lorville, remained a resident thereof until his death.
In June, 1855, he was married to Miss Matilda Woodhouse Jack-
son, eldest daughter of Mr. Charles S. Jackson, of Jersey ville. Five
children were born of this union, of whom three survive: George
Perry Hood, of Grand Rapids, Mich., and Misses Sarah Frances
Hood and Annie Hughes Hood, of Litchfield, Dr. Hood became a
widower Jan. 2, 1867; and July, 1869, was married to Mrs. Abigail
Elvira Paden, daughter of the late Mr. Joseph Terry, of Springfield.
Their children, both living, are; Harold Hood of Litchfield, and
Mrs. Louise Rahmeyer, of Manila, Philippine Islands,
In Sept. 1882, Doctor Hood entered the army with the appointment
of assistant surgeon of the One Hundred and Seventeenth Illinois
volunteer infantry, and, after one year, was appointed surgeon of the
Third United States heavy artillery, with headquarters at Ft. Pick-
ering, Memphis, Tenn., holding that position during the three re-
maining years of his service, a part of which time he was also on the
stafF of Gen. John E. Smith, as surgeon-in chief of the district of
west Tennessee.
When a boy, during his short residence in and near Alton, in 1837
and 1838, his attention was first drawn to the subject of American
slavery by the action of the pro-slavery mobs that destroyed the
368
presses of the Alton Observer and finally murdered its anti-slavery
editor, the Rev. Elijah P. Lovejoy. These outrages, committed with
impunity, together with the bitterly prescriptive and murderous spirit
exhibited by many people toward those who condemned them, made
the subject of this sketch an abolitionist for life. He, however, before
the Civil war, never favored any Federal interference with slavery in
the states where it existed; he did believe that its introduction into
the territories should be forbidden and that no more slave states
should be admitted into the Union. He identified himself with the
Free Soil party, whose platform enunciated these views and whose
battle cry was, "Free soil, free speech, free press, free labor and free
men." He followed that party in 1856, when it was merged into the
newly organized Republican party. He voted for the Republican
nominees at every presidential election from 1856 to 1900, inclusive.
Dr. Hood attended the Republican convention of 1860, which was
held in Chicago and which nominated Abraham Lincoln to the pres-
idency. Upon his return to Litchfield he gave an account of the
proceedings in a letter addressed to the "Free Press," the Montgom-
ery county Republican newspaper, then published at Hillsboro, 111.,
an extract from which may not be inappropriate:
"Old Times.
"The first nomination of Abraham Lincoln, as reported by a citizen
of Litchfield, H. H. Hood.
"The Chicago Convention.
"Litchfield, III., May 24, 1860.
"Mr. Editob — On the eve of my departure for Chicago, I made you
a promise to write you from that city, regarding the proceedings of
the National Republican convention. Upon my arrival, however, I
found it altogether useless to do so As it was quite impossible
for my communication to reach you in time for the Press of last
week, I propose now to give some account of my visit and my im-
pressions of the convention, and the facts connected therewith as
understood by me. We left the Litchfield station on the morning
train on Tuesday, the 15th inst. Our company was not numerous at
this point, but it received constant accession at each succeeding
station, so that when we arrived at Mattoon, we were comfortably
crowded. Here we changed cars, taking the Illinois Central. Our
old friend, John Kitchell, found us at this point. After a short in-
terval of waiting for the northern train, we again moved forward
with a long train loaded with "black Republicans," and at each sta-
tion the cry was "still they come." At the crossing of the Great
Western, a fresh inundation poured in upon us, but few of whom
found better accommodations than the aisles afforded; but atUrbana,
two additional cars were attached which furnished seats for all. At
the crossing we were joined by the future Governor of the State,
Hon. Richard Yates, We arrived at Chicago at 9:00 o'clock and at once
369
hurried to the Metropolitan hotel, where we were fortunate in secur-
iDg a room with a cot for each of our company. Aftor refreshing
our inner man at the table, we proceeded to the famed "wigwam,"
and found a large audience assembled, listening to the Hon. Anson
Barlingame. When I entered he was speaking of the certainty of a
Republican triumph next fall, no matter who the standard-bearer
might be, Of all possible candidates he spoke in terms of appropri-
ate eulogy, paying just tribute to the thlents and virtues of each.
Of Lincoln he spoke as "the gallant sou of Illinois, who fought that
wonderful battle of I808, the like of which had not been known
since the time when Michael encountered and subdued the arch
fiend."
To view the wigwam alone when crowded with its immense audi-
ence, was worth a visit to the Garden city; we hear much of the
meanness of Yaiikeetown, and the liberality of the southerner, but I
think Chicago will loose nothing in cc^mparieoa with Charleston.
Let it bn remembered that the wigwam was b nit solely for the use
of the Republican convention, whereas the Democratic convention
paid $')00 per day for a hall in which to meet. Tlie wigwam is a
substantial wooden building, admirably adapted to the purjose for
which it was constructed; well ventilated, well lighted, and for speak-
ing and hearing as well arranired as such a building could be. Ite
dimensions are L'-O feet by 100. One-third of this space was as-
signed for the use of the convention, and was divided into a platform
and two spacious committee lOoms, one at either end. The platform
was seated with settees and the space assigned to each delegation
designated by placards on each of wiich wiis the name of the state
represented. These were elevated so as to be seen from all parts of
the building. Tbe speaker's chair was at the rear of the platform
and toward it all sears looked On the wall immediately behind the
chnir were painted United States flags and the chair was canopied
with flatus. There were four other larger paintings on the wall repre-
senting Justice, Ceres, etc
A portion of the floor in front of the platform was railed off and
seated for the use of alternate delegates, members of the press, and
the telegraph operators. Outside of this railing were found excel-
lent standing accommodations for gentlemen not fortunate in hold-
ing tickets and not accompanied by ladies. In this unfortunate cat-
egory was your correspondent.
E.iftending round three sides were spacious galleries appropriated
to the use of ladies and their escorts; these were always filled to
overflowing On the front of the galleries were painted the coats of
arms of all the states. The roof was arched and well supported by
posts and braces as were also the gHlleri^8 and around all these
twined evergreens intermingled with fl )wer8. The whole space over
the platform was festooned with evergreens and the tri colors, the
red, white and blue; and there were states enough to represent a
whole firmament of stars.
— 21H
370
It was announced in the morning papers of the 16th, that the
doors would be open at 11:00 o'clock. Two hours before that time
the crovvd was satfioient to till the vast building.assembled on Lake and
Market streets, and when the doors were opened, the rush and pres-
sure were terrific. I was in the center of the crowd and thought
myself fortunate in escaping with whole bones. Nevertheless, I
tried the experiment again in the afternoon, but that sufficed me.
And indeed, my subsequent experience proved that the better way
to obtain an eligible position was to wait till the rush was over, and
then quietly insinuate one's self through the crowd In this way I
never failed to obtain a position where the whole proceedings of the
convention were open to me.
The first day but little of interest to outsiders occurred. Nothing
was done beyond organizing and appointing the necessary committees.
The morning of the second day was mostly taken up with the report
of the committee on credentials, which was finally recommitted, some
doubts arising as to the right of the Texas delegates to cast a vote
of that state. The report of the committee on business in regard to
the rules that should govern the convention also excited some dis-
cussion The committee recommended that on the vote for the
president and vice-president, a number equal to the majority of 606
(of which number the convention would consist were all the states
represented) should be required to nominate A minority of the
committee recommended that only a majority of all the delegates
present should be required. This question was not disposed of when
the convention adjourned. In the afternoon the minority report was
adopted by a large majority. In regard to Texas the committee re-
ported again in favor of the delegates from that state; the report was
adopted amid enthusiastic cheering.
The committee on platform and resolutions also reported during
this session. The platform appeared satisfactory to almost every-
body in particular Its reading elicited thunders of applause; par-
tioulirly the sections in which freedom is affirmed to be the normal
condition of the territories and in which protection to home in-
dustry, is recommended. With these and other sections the people
could not be satisfied with one reading; but after shouting till one
might suppose their lungs, if not their enthusiasm, were exhausted,
they would demand the reading of them again, when they would
again applaud with all the vehemence of the first demonstration.
On the motion to adopt the platform, Mr. Carter, of Ohio, demand-
ed the previous question, which was not sustained. Mr. Giddings
moved an amendment, which consisted in appending to the platform
a quotation from the Declaration of Independence. This was deemed
unnecessary, the truths of the Declaration beiug affirmed in the
second section, and it was voted down. At this point, the Missouri
Republican says, that Giddings left the convention, "shaking off the
dust of his feet," etc. This is a pure fabrication on the part of that
truthful journal. I had my eyes on Mr. Giddings during nearly the
whole of the session, and he could not have left without my seeing
871
him, and he did not leave. Mr. Wilmot proposed to amend the 14th
section, by striking out the worda, "or any state legislation," ete,,
regarding them as derogating from state sovereignty; but upon being
assured by Carl Schurz that they were not intended to recommend
any course of national legislation but merely to express an opinion,
he withdrew the motion.
Mr. Curtis of New York, offered an amendment similar to that
presented by Mr. Gidciings. It being objected that it had already
been voted down, and was therefore out of order, the chair so ruled;
whereupon Mr. Blair, of Missouri, protested against the ruling and
avowed his willingness to go before the convention on an appeal from
the decision. He then explained that this motion proposed to amend
the second section, whereas the amendment offered by Mr. Giddings
was to be appended to the platform. The chair reversed his decision
and the amendment was adopted. And then the platform was
adopted unanimously. Pending a motion to go to a ballot for presi-
dent the convention adjourned.
On the the third day of the convention, it was called to order at
10:00 o'clock. The New York delegation, and the Young Men's Re-
publican Club of New York and many others in favor of the nomina-
tion of William H Seward proceeded in procession from the Richmond
house to the wigwam. Many of them wore badges indicating their
choice for the candidate, and they were all hopeful and, indeed, con-
fident that their favorite would be the favorite of the convention.
But they were doomed to disappointment. The first ballot revealed
the fact that Seward had more friends in the convention than any
other man, but, it also revealed the fact, that he would not be nomi-
nated. On the first ballot the most determined opponents of his
nomination scattered their votes, and it was well known that Lincoln
was their second choice. On the second ballot Seward gained 11, and
Lincoln 79 votes; the former still having a majority On the final vote
when all the states had been called, Lincoln still lacked two votes of
the required number. Then Carter, of Ohio, rose and amid breath-
less silence, announced that Ohio changed four votes from Chase to
Lincoln. This was enough and for ten minutes, nothing was heard
but the roar of human voices and then came booming through the
open doors and windows the voice of the first gun of the campaign.
In five minutes from that time the dispatch from New York, 1,000
miles distant, announcing, "One hundred guns are now being fired
in the park in honor of the nomination," was read in the convention.
Before the vote was counted State after State rose and changed its
vote to Lincoln. Mr. Evarts, of New York, demanded: "Can New
York have the silence of the convention?" Instantly every voice was
hushed He stated that he desired to make a motion and would in-
quire if the result of the ballot was announced. It was not, he would
await that announcement. When the result was declared he took the
floor, or rather a table, and in a speech which won the admiration of
all that heard it; which was characterized alike by dignity, earnest-
ness and deep devotion to the great statesman of New York, he pro-
nounced a most glowing eulogy upon William H. Seward, It might
372
be deemed honor enough to be acoounted worthy of such devoted
frieadahip. At the clo3e he moved that the nomination of Abraham
Lincoln be declared unanimous; at the same time elevating high
above him a life sized portrait of "Honest Old Abe."
The motion was first seconded by Blair, of Michigan. He said:
"We give up William Henry Seward with some beating of the
heart, with some quivering of the nerves, but the choice of the con-
vention is the choice of Michigan." He was followed by Anderson of
Massachusetts and Carl Schuz of Wisconsin. This closed the morn-
ing session.
The convention re-assembled at 5 o'clock and at once proceeded to
vote for vice president. Hannibal Hamlin was chosen on the second
ballot. It may seem somewhat remarkable that Texas should vote
steadily in the morning for Seward and in the afternoon cast six
votes for Sam Houston. After appointing the committee the con-
vention adjourned sine die.
In the evening a grand ratification meeting was held in the wig-
wam. Pomeroy, Giddings. Yates and many others spoke. The ban-
ner of the "Young Men's Republican Club," of New York, attracted
much atttention, (they brought it with them) inscribed:
"For President "
the blank to be filled, as they hoped, with the name of William H.
Seward, but, instead, it bore the name of Abraham Lincoln, thus:
For President
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Thus ended the Chicago National convention. May we not con-
gratulate ourselves on the happy results of its labors? Those results
have satisfied all republicans."
Dr. Hood was never a seeker after public position, but, neverthe-
less, was not infrequently chosen to office. He was three times elect-
ed an alderman of the city of Litchfield and once the supervisor of
North Litchfield township. He serv^ed many years as a member of the
Litchfield board of education, and for much of that time was its sec-
retary. Dr Hood was one of the first to take measures toward the
establishment of a free public library in Litchfield On the currency
question he advocated the single standard long before it was made a
plank in any partisan platform.
In 18S4 he was elected as the republican minority representative
for the legislative district composed of Christian and Montgomery
873
counties, and was one of the memorable "One Hundred and Three"
by whose votes John A. Logan was, for the last time, returned to the
United States senate. His official duties in every case were dis-
charged with the most scrupulous and careful consideration for
the interests of his constituents and the people of the State, The
same adherence to his convictions of duty and a close observance of
the Golden Rule in his business and social relations, together with a
warm fidelity to the interests of his friends, characterized his con-
duct in private life.
Dr. Hood was always a total abstainer from alcoholic liquors as a
beverage; and, as a medicine, used and prescribed it very sparingly,
and would not permit the sale of intoxicating liquors on any premises
owned by him. In 1855, when a prohibitory liquor law was sub-
mitted to vote in Illinois, he gave his vote and voice in its favor. In
later years he entertained but little hope of the successful enforce-
ment or prohibition by statute and favored a local option law that
would give every town, city or county the opportunity to vote on the
question whenever a sufficient number of voters should ask for its
submission.
Dr. Hood was from childhood a regular attendant upon religious
services, and after his removal to Illinois, in 1852, upon those of the
Presbyterian church, to the support of which he freely contributed,
but with that communion he did not unite until 1890. Daring his
remaining years he was active in church and Sunday school work.
His death occurred in his 80ch year, on Friday, Feb, 20, 1903,
after an illness of but four days. Although in failing health for ten
years or longer, he had been giving unremitting attention to busi-
ness, and, on the day preceding the fatal attack, was apparently in
more than ordinarily good health His funeral, under the direction
of the Grand Army of the Republic, took place at the Litchfield
Presbyterian church on the Sunday following his decease, and was
very largely attended.
374
BERNARD STUVE, M. D.
1829-1903.
(Dr. J. F. Snyder.)
It is said of an eminent man of old that he has done things worthy
to be written; that he has written things worthy to be read; and by
his life has contributed to the welfare of the republic and the hap-
piness of mankind. He on whom this tranecendant eulogy can be
pronounced with even partial trust is entitled to the gratitude of his
race. Nowhere within the broad limits of the commonwealth of Illin-
ois has there died a man over whom this might more truthfully be
said than Dr Bernard Stuve, who for many years figured prominently
in Illinois as a lawyer and author and who in his private life was
distinguished by all that marks the true gentleman. It was in the
little village of Vechta in the duchy of Oldenburg, Germany, that
Doctor Stuve first opened his eyes to the light of day on the 10th of
September, 1829. When a lad of five summers he was brought to
America by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Herman Henry Stuve. The
father was a bridge builder and contractor and in the hope of enjoy-
ing better business opportunities in the new world he severed the
connections that bound him to the fatherland and with his wife and
children sailed for the United States. He landed at New York, but
did not tarry in the east, making his way at once to the west with its
great and growing opportunities. He settled first in Minster,
Auglaise county, O. Two of the children of the family died in in-
fancy, another died in early manhood and the eldest of the five
children departed this life about ten years ago, leaving Bernard StuT6
the sole survivor of the family for a number of years.
In the schools of Minster, O , Doctor Stuv6 acquired a thorough
English education, while from his parents he received instruction in
the German language. His choice of a vocation was influenced by
relatives, especially an uncle, who resided in Cincinnati and was a
practicing physician. This uncle induced Doctor Stuv6 to take up
the study of medicine and directed his reading in the elementary
branches of medical science. His lecture course was pursued in
Cincinnati Medical college, of which he was a graduate with the
class of March, 1851. Having prepared for active practice he then
located in Benton, Scott county. Mo., where be soon demonstrated
his skill and ability to cope with the intricate problems that contin-
ually face the physician. He did not find the place, however, en-
tirely to his liking and within a short time established his home in
Evansville, Ind. Still his ambitions and expectations were not satis-
fied and Illinois became the Mecca of his hopes. He journeyed only
Bernard Sluv^.M. D,
375
a8 fnr as Carmi, the county seat of White county, where at that day
resided many men who won national fame. In their midst Doctor
Stuv6 entered upon the practice of medicine and soon gained a large
and liberal clientage, but he found that the profession with its manifold
duties was not entirely congenial to him. However, he continued in
active practice for a number of years thereafter. In 1858 he removed
from Carmi to Hickman, Ky., and in 1860 he returned to Illinois,
locating tirst in lUiopolis There he resumed the active practice of
his profession, in which he continued for six years. He felt, how-
ever, that he had been unwisely iofluenced in his choice of a life
work and although he practiced for 15 years and his labors were
attended with good success when viewed from both a financial and
professional standpoint, he was never entirely satisfied with the
work and embraced the first oppoitunity for directing his activities
into other channels.
It was in the year 1866 that Mr. Stuv6 came to Springfield and
commenced the study of law. He had formerly acquired a good
competence in his medical practice and being thus enabled to pro-
vide for his family while pursuing his law studies he entered upon a
course of reading which he believed would lead him into a more conge-
nial field of labor, He applied himself assiduously to the mastery of the
principles of jurisprudence and in the Chicago Law school completed
a full course, being graduated with the class of 1868. He was then
admitted to the bar of Sangamon county and also obtained admis-
sion to practice in the higher courts. The same untiring industry and
strong purpose which had been manifested in his career as a medical
practitioner now found exemplification in his legal work and for 80
years he occupied a place among the strongest and most capable of
the Springfield bar. Devotedly attached to his profession, syste-
matic and methodical in habit, sober and discreet in judgment, calm
temper, diligent in research, conscientious in the discharge of every
duty, all these qualities enabled him to take first rank among the
distinguished lawyers of his day. Few members of the bar have
made a more lasting impression both for legal ability of a high order
and for the individuality of a personal character, which impresses
itself upon a community. Such was his force of character and nat-
ural qualifications that he overcame all obstacles and engraved his
name upon the keystone of the legal arch. The zeal with which he
devoted his energies to his profession, the careful regard evinced for
the interests of his clients, and an assiduous and unrelaxing atten-
tion to all the details of his cases, brought him a large business and
made him very successful in its conduct. His arguments elicited
warm commendation, not only from his associates at the bar, but also
from the bench. He was a very able writer; his briefs always
showed wide research, careful thought and the best and strongest
reasons which could be urged for his contention, presented in cogent
and logical form and illustrated by a style unusually lucid and clear.
It was not alone Doctor Stuv^'s work at the bar, however, that
gained him the attention of the public, for his literary taste won him
376
fame and found expression in writings which deserve a place in the
literature of the State. He was a man of broad readiog and schol-
arly attainments thoroughly at home in the domain of letters and
science. Shakespeare was one of his favorite authors and poetry in
its higher forms wasa source of great pleasure to him. His aesthetic
nature also found expression in his love of music, and everything
that promoted culture and refinement had its claim upon his atten-
tion and deep interest. He was especially fond of historical research
and in the early years of his professional career at the bar he em-
ployed his leisure hours in writing. In this connection he was asso-
ciated with Alexander Davidson and together these gentlemen com-
piled the "History of Illinois," which was published in 187H by H. W.
Rokker,of Springdeld. There came a demand for a second ar^d en-
larged edition of this work in 18^4. In their division of labor Mr.
Davidson, who had some time before commenced to write the history
alone, prepared with few exceptions the chapters detailing the dis-
covery and early settlement of the State, while Doctor Stuv6 treated
its later and more complicated political and industrial development.
This is one of the splendid works concerning the history of Illinois
and indicates the genius and scholarly attainments of its authors. A
vigilant and attentive observer of men and measures Doctor Stuve
also discussed for the press most of the great public questions which
were agitating his time as well as to present matters of historical
interest. He was likewise well known as an orator and in public
speech was deliberate and earnest.
It was during Dr. Stuv6's residence in Carmi, Illinois that he
formed the acquaintance of Miss Mary Illinois Wilson, and their
marriage was celebrated in 1857, The lady was the eldest daughter
of Jud.4e William Wilson, who was a native of Virginia and was 29
years justice of the supreme court of this State, acting as chief
justice during the greater p-^rt of that time. Mrs Stuv6 was educated
in Monticello seminary, Godfrey, Illinois, and in other private
schook She accompani'^d her husband on his removal to Kentucky
and on his return to Illinois and in 18(56 they came to Springfield,
where she was soon well known in social and church circles. In early
maidenhood she had united with the Presbyterian church at Carmi
and in Springfield, her membership was with the Third Presbyterian
church until 1872, when it was transfered to the First Church. She
was always found at her p'ace in the house of worship and her life
was the exponent of her Christian belief. Ali hough of a rather re-
tiring disposition, she was generous and kindly in all her impulses
and acts and her family knew her as a most devoted wife and mother,
her acquaintances a faithful and loyal friend. Unto Dr. and Mrs.
Stuv6 were born five children, the only son being Dr. Wilson Stuv6
now of Oklahoma City. Oklahoma. The living daughters are Mary, C.
Clemeatine and Alice D and one daughter died several years ago. Dr.
Stuv^ was called to his final rest April 11, 1903, when 73 years of age.
The Doctor found his greatest enjoyment at his own fireside when
surrounded by his wife and children. His deepest interest centered
there and he ever manifested a strong and sincere delight in the
377
pleasures which entertained his children in youth, and in their de-
velopment as they progressed toward manhood and womanhood. He
put forth every eifort in his power to promote the happiness of his
family, and in friendship he was equally faithful, holding the duties
of friendship as inviolable. He had been reared in the faith of the
Roman Catholic church, but his study of the religious questions
after attaining manhood caused him to sever his connection with that
denomination. He never united with any other church organization,
but was a firm believer in Christianity and gave his loyal support to
many movements that tended to promote the moral welfare of his city
and of higher civilization. His religious faith was shown in his daily
life, his kindness and consideration for others, in his honor and in-
tegrity and his upright career. He was temperate in all things,
using neither liquor nor tobacco, and everything that proved detri-
mental to the best development of the race received his censure,
while all that tended to advance man to the plane of high moral de-
velopment received his endorsement and many times his co-operation.
His political support was given to the Democratic party and he re-
garded it as a duty as well as a privilege to exercise his right of
franchise. He was, however, without political ambition for himself
and served in no public offices, save those of county supervisor and
as a member of the board of education. His was a notable character,
one that subordinated personal ambition to public good and sought
rather the benefit of others than the aggrandizement of self. En-
dowed by nature with high intellectual qualities to which were added
the discipline and embellishments of culture, his was a most attractive
personality. No man was ever more respected or ever more enjoyed
the oonfi'lence of the people among whom he lived and none have
more largely deserved the esteem in which they have been held. He
was honoraole in business, loyal in citizenship, charitable in thought,
kindly in action and true to every trust confided to his care. For
long years he was a resident of Illinois and for years to come be will
be remembered by those who knew him as a man of gracious pre-
sence, charming personality and of purity in public and private life.
378
DR, ROBERT BOAL.
1806-1903.
(Dr. J. F. Snyder.)
Dr. Robert Boal, a pioneer physician of Illinois, and for several
years a politician and legislator of State reputation, was elected an
honorary member of the Illinois State Historical society at its sec-
ond annual meeting, on Jan. 30, 1901.
He was born near Harrisburg, Dauphin county, Penn., on the 16th
of November, 1806. and was the oldest of a family of four children.
His parents were Thomas and Elizabeth (Grain) Boal, both natives
of Dauphin county, Penn., and of Scotch descent, their ancestors
having migrated from Scotland to America at an early day, Dr.
Boal's father, a merchant, moved with his family from Pennsylvania
to Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1811, when Robert was but five years old, and
there continued in the mercantile business until his death, which
occurred in 1816.
The death of the father disrupted the family and Robert became
an inmate of the household of his uncle, for whom he was named, who
was also a resident of Cincinnati. Robert Boal received a rudiment-
ary education in the public schools of that city, including a term of
instruction in the Cincinnati college. His residence was then
changed to the town of Reading, Ohio, and there, when about grown,
he concluding to enter the profession of medicine, he read for a year
and a half, in the office of Dr. Wright, of that town, the elementary
medical course Returning to Cincinnati he continued his medical
studies with Drs. Whitman and Cobb, professors in the Ohio Medical
college, which institution he entered as a student and from which he
was graduated in 1828,
He then located in Reading and practiced medicine there for four
years, when, desiring a larger field for the exercise of his abilities,
he moved to Cincinnati and there continued the practice of his pro-
fession for four years more, a part of that time having the position
of demonstrator of anatomy in the medical college from which he
graduated. On May 12, 1831, Dr. Boal was united in marriage, at
Reading, Ohio, to Miss Christiana Walker Sinclair, also of Scotch
descent, and in 1834 visited central Illinois to see what advantages
that region offered to an aspiring young physician. He was evidently
very favorably impressed with the broad prairies and rich soil of the
young State, as he left Cincinnati in 1836 and founded a permanent
home at Lacon, then known as Columbia, on the Illinois river.
Lacon was then in Putnam county, but became the county seat of
the new county of Marshall when it was organized on the 29th of
January, 1839. He there continued the active practice of medicine
until lb62, when he received the appointment of examining physician
Robert Boal, M. D.
379
for the United States board of enrollment of the Fifth Congressional
district, the duties of which position necessitated his removal to
Peoria.
After the close of the civil war he resumed the general practice of
medicine in Peoria, remaining there until forced by declining vitality
to retire from further professional labors, in 1893, at the age of 87
years. Laying aside the professional harness he had worn for sixty-
five years, he returned to his former home, at Lacon, to pass the
evening of life in well earned repose, with his widowed daughter,
Mrs. Greenbury L Fort, and there, from senile exhaustion, his long,
useful and honorable life was quietly terminated by death on the
16th of June, 1903, at the ripe age of 96 years and 7 months.
His wife, an admirable type of that noble class of pioneer women
who braved and surmounted the many frontier privations and dangers
incident to the State's infancy, after sharing with him the vicissi-
tudes and triumphs of life for fifty-two years, passed to her final rest
in June, 1883. She was survived by three children, two sons and a
daughter. Their first born, Charles T. Boal, is one of the prominent
business men of Chicago The other son, James Sinclair Boal, was
a successful lawyer of Chicago, for ten years assistant United States
district attorney through several administrations, and died there in
1888. The daughter, Clara B Boal, became the wife of Col. Green-
bury L. Fort, who served with distinction in the civil war, subse-
quently served four terms in congress, and died Jan. 13, 1883, leaving
one son, Lieut. Col. Robert Boal Fort, of the Spanish- American war,
now representing Marshall county in the State senate.*
De. Boal the Physician.
When Dr. Boal located in Columbia (now Lacon) in 1836, four
years after the Black Hawk war and expulsion of the Indians from
Illinois, that portion of the State was very sparsely settled and, in
common with other settlers, he was subjected to all the inconveni-
ences and many of the hardships inevitable in the condition of the
country at that time. The roads were but trails through the prairie
grass and timbered river bottoms, much of the time rendered almost
impassable by mud and water, no bridges spanned the streams, and
for half the year the country was infested with mosquitoes, green-
headed flies and other noxious insects, tending to render life of both
man and beast a continuous burden.
On the 4th day of July in that year (1836) was begun the first
actual work of excavating the Illinois and Michigan canal, and the
prospects of its early completion was attracting many immigrants
to the district of the State through which it was located. Dr Boal
was then 30 years of age, strong, vigorous and energetic, and ambi-
tious to gain success, if not local distinction. Intellectually bright
and eloquent of speech, with nearly eight years of exoerience in
medicil practice, he was well equipped for the arduous lifework be-
fore him, and at once his services were in demand to minister to the
*L"ol. Robert Boal Fort died at Sprlnsfleld, 111.. May 21. 1905.
380
sick in a circuit so large as to seriously tax his physical endurance.
The swampy bottoms and marshy prairies were prolific generators of
malarial fevers and bilious disorders that often prostrated every in-
mate of the settler's cabin, and of entire settlements, requiring the
doctor's attention at all hours of the day and night and much weari-
some riding on horseback.
Dr. Boal practiced the "regular" or allopathic, system of medicine
with all the refined barbarity of blood letting, blistering, emetics,
etc., then in vogue, but administered those old time tortures with
care, prudence and clear-headed judgment. In his care of the sick
he was attentive, kind and sympathetic, but resolute and relf-reliant,
and, apart from the harmless deception and humbuggery absolutely
unavoidable in the successful practice of medicine, he was invariably
conscientious and honorable.
He was thoroughly devoted to his profession, regarding it a high
and noble calling worthy of the best efforts of the most cultured
minds; and was an enthusiastic student keeping well informed of all
improvements and advancements in the healing art and adopting
them whenever available. In 1862 he received the appointment of
examining surgeon for the U. S. Board of Enrollment of the Fifth
Congressional district, which required his removal to Peoria, where
his services in that capacity continued until the close of the civil war in
1865. During that period he carefully examined over 5,000 volun-
teers and drafted men, deciding their degree of fitness for military
service. Peace restored and his occupation for the government
ended, he remained a resident of Peoria and resumed the practice of
medicine from which he at last retired in 1893.
He was an active member of the Peoria Medical society and for
some time its president, He was also a member of the American
Medical association, and of the State Medical society of Illinois, of
which last named he was elected president in 1882. He was one
of the organizers of the Edward Dickenson Medical club of Peoria,
and survived all of its original members. He was also one of the
founders and first incorporators of the Cottage Hospital at Peoria
and for some years one of its directors.
By all who knew him, Dr Bml was ranked among the best phy-
sicians of his time; and his success, his well stored mind, his quick
perception, sound judgement and common sense well sustained that
reputation.
Dr. Boal the Politician and Statesman.
Notwithstanding Dr. Boal's devotion to his profession, it was too
restricted a field for his versatile genius, and he soon became deeply
interested in questions of public policy, then attracting general at-
tention and provoking unlimited discussion. As a rule men inherit
their fathers' political opinions, and occasionally their mothers' reli-
gious faith. From early manhood Dr Boal whs a staunch Whig and
zealous partisan, as had been his father. He had tenacious, well-
grounded convictions, and never hesitated to express and defend
381
them, when occasion required him to do so. He was a fluent and
impressive speaker, and in several exciting political campaigns did
much effective service for his party as a stump orator. Had he in
early life abandoned the practice of medicine and adopted the legal
profession, as did his friend Governor Bissell, in all probability he
would have attained equally distinguished eminence in the political
affairs of the State and nation.
By his valuable services on the rostrum and at elections he be-
came an influential leader of bis party, by which he was nominated,
in 1844, its candidate to represent as State Senator, the district com-
posed of THZBweU, Marshall, Putnam and Woodford counties, defeat-
ing Maj Richard M. Cullom, father of our present U. S. Senator,
Shelby M Cullom. He was elected and served the term of four
years with high credit. He was an able, aggressive debater, ever
ready to defend the policy and principles of his party, and always
watchful of the interests of his constituents. He was chiefly instru-
mental in effecting the passage of the bill providing for establishing, by
the State, a hospital for the insane at Jacksonville. He supported
the bill providing for calling a convention in 1847 for revising the
State constitution, and championed the inter^-sts of the Illinois
and Michigan canal then in seriously depressed financial condition,
and succeeded in securing legislation for its relief as well as to pro-
mote its speedy completion, When his term of office expired, in
1848, he took up his practice and was again the busy physician
as before, but none the less vigilant politician.
Dr. Boal first met Abraham Lincoln at the Whig Congressional
convention of 1842, Pnd there a warm mutual friendship began that
continued through life. In the violent political ebulition conse-
quent upon the repeal of the Missouri Compromise and promulga-
tion of Senator Douglas' doctrine of Squatter Sovereignty Dr. Boal
was conspicuously active in opposition to those innovatir ns, and
upon the stirring issues then presented was elected a member of the
lower house of the Legislature, in 1854, with the distinction of being
the last Whig ever elected from that district. At the session of the
general assembly to which he was elected, a U S. Senator was elected to
succeed Senator James Shields, The candidate of the Whig caucus
for that position was Abraham Lincoln, who had been elected to
Congress, in 1846, from the Sangamon district defeating Rev Peter
Cartwright, his Democratic opponent, Joel A Matteson was the
candidate of the Douglas Democrats in the Legislature against Mr.
Lincoln. Dr. Boal and Stephen T. Logan with the Whig minority
stood loyally at every ballot for Mr. Lincoln until all hope of his
success was dissipated, and then only upon Mr. Lincoln's earnest ap-
peal, changed their votes to Lyman Trumbull.
The Democrats were divided upon the Kansas- Nebraska question;
and the Anti-Nebraska faction, led by John M. Palmer, holding the
balance of power, finally fused with the Whigs and elected Mr.
Trumbull. That defeat of Lincoln was the death knell of the Whig
party in Illinois, and, with the triumph of the fusion Democrat in
his stead, it passed out of existence forever.
382
Dr. Boal was a delegate from Marshall county in the ever memora-
ble convention of Whigs and Anti- Douglas Democrats which met at
Bloomington on May 29, 1856, and after electing John M. Paimer
its presiding officer, there organized the Republican party of Illinois
and nominated Col. Wm H Bissell, a former Democrat, for gover-
nor, with a full State ticket, all of whom were elected, Colonel Bis-
sell defeating Col. Wm. A. Richardson, his Democratic oppment by
a plurality of 47;32 votes, though the Democrats carried the State
for Buchanan, their Presidential candidate, by the majority of 9159.
At that election Doctor Boal was again elected to the lower house
of the Legislature, as a Republican, and on taking his seat found
himself again with the minority, the Democrats having a majority of
barely one vote in each House.
In the session of 1855, Doctor Boal was selected as chairman of a
joint committee of the two Houses appointed to investigate the con-
dition of the State Institutions at Jacksonville, which was thoroughly
done; and by recommendation of that committee the law was enacted
requiring the trustees of those Institutions to be selected from dif-
ferent counties in the State, and not all from Morgan county as
theretofore,
In 1857 Governor Bissell appointed Dr. Boal a trustee of the
Jacksonville Deaf and Dumb asylum, a position he held for seventeen
years, through the administrations of Governors Bissell, Yates,
Oglesby, Palmer and Beveridge, for the last five years of that period
being president of the board of trustees. With the expiration of Dr.
Boal's last term in the legislature his active participation in party
politics ceased, only appearing again in a political capacity as an
alternate delegate to the Republican National convention of 1860
that nominated Mr. Lincoln for the presidency. In public as in pri-
vate life Dr. Boal was conscientiously honest and incorruptable. As
a legislator he was dignified, patriotic and unselfish, having at heart
the welfare of his country, his party and his constituents. With
clear and comprehensive grasp of the great questions then wildly agita-
ting the public mind he never faltered in his bold defense of the
principles he deemed to be right, unmindful of possible consequences
of that course to himself. Though his public career was neither
brilliant or remarkable, his ability, loyalty and firmness commanded
the confidence and enthusiastic support of his party, and his invari-
ably courteous, gentlemanly deportment, and his manliness and fair-
ness in debate, won for him the respect and esteem of his opponents.
Dr. Boal the Citizen.
In stature Dr. Boal was above medium height, not quite six feet
tall , erect in figure, perfectly proportioned, with high, broad fore-
head, and strong, pleasant features.
Among his many marked personal characteristics was the gift of
oratory to a considerable degree. His command of language was re-
markable; in conversation he was always attractive and entertaining;
as a public speaker he was forceful and impressive, and his after
dinner addresses for pungent wit and humor were but little inferior
to Chauncey Depew's best efforts.
383
Nature endowed him with a sunny, afPable disposition and genial
temperament that attracted friendships and disarmed enmities. It
also c:ave him a lofty conception of honor and justice that controlled
him ia all business transactions, and indeed in all the relations of his
private and public life. He had an instinctive horror of vice, im-
morality, dishonesty and social depravity, whether in shameless
squalor or gilded by wealth or power.
Next to his rugged patriotism his abiding interest was in the wel-
fare and advancement of the community in which he resided, his
public spirit extending to all things tending to the welfare of the
people, to local improvement, to promotion of public education, the
helping of the poor and unfortunate, and actively sustaining all
agencies for the moral purification of society. Consequently, Dr.
Boal's citizenship was of the most substantial type. In the Augus-
tine age of Rome there was no higher honor than that of being a
"citizen of Rome." Dr. Boal occupied the more exalted honor of
being an American citizen, ennobling that proud station in life by
his thorough manliness, his integrity of character and his intellectual
and moral worth.
He was brought up by his mother in the Presbyterian church, of
which he was a faithful member until the 35th year of his age, when
he changed his church relations, seceding from the disciples and doc-
trines of John Calvin and joining the Protestant Episcopal church,
with which he remained to the close of his life. His personal habits
were most exemplary with the one exception that he was an inveter-
ate tobacco smoker. He was an omnivorous reader; in fact, a life-
long student, displaying his refined tastes in fondness of art, poetry,
the drama and higher literature.
To his last day Dr. Boal's mental faculties were bright and but
little impaired, his memory retentive, and he delighted in entertain-
ing his friends with reminiscences of his long and busy life. He
also retained to the last — because of his exalted character and valued
citizenship — the high esteem and veneration of all who knew him.
384
JOHN MAYO PALMER.
1848-1903.
(Alfred Orendorff.)
In presenting a sketch of the life of John Mayo Palmer I could
not if I would avoid being influenced by my warm attachment to bim
while living and the cherished memory I hold of bis admirable quali-
ties of mind and heart. He was a member of this Association. He
belonged to an historic family. He was a product of Illinois and
nothing concerning the history and progress of the State was foreign
to his interest.
It is therefore especially appropriate that a tribute to his mem-
ory should find a place on the records of this Society.
I will try to speak of him as he would have me speak. He was a
sincere man, disliked exaggeration and to whom fulsome eulogy was
distasteful. He was a devotee of truth and if his wishes could be
consulted he would have extenuated nothing. In estimating hia
character it could be fitly measured by paraphrazing the notable ex-
pression of his illustrious father. As strong as humanity, no
stronger; as weak as humanity, no weaker. The 53 years of this
man's life, from his birth in Carlinville, March 10, 1848, including the
half of the last century, was the most important in the state and
nation's history. They cover great events They were full of deep
significance and left their lasting impress on his mind. He in turn,
within the sphere of his activity, met the new issues with studious
thought and by pen and speech did his full part to settle right the
momentous questions submitted to the judicial and legislative
branches of our State government.
His father bore a oonspicious part in the War of the Rebellion, re-
turning from the service with the rank of major-general. John
Mayo, too young to enlist, had the interesting and dangerous ex-
perience of accompanying General Palmer on several of his hard-
fought campaigns.
His early education was obtained in the public schools of Carlin-
ville, at Blackburn university and Shurtleff college. He adopted the
law as his profession and after studying in his father's office, attended
the law school of Harvard university, where he obtained his degree
of bachelor of laws in 1868. He returned to Carlinville and began
the practice of law, was elected city attorney and served two years in
that position.
In 1872 he went to Springfield and entered the law firm of his
father. The firm of John M. and John Mayo Palmer had a large
f
w"^l^
Hon. John Mayo Palmer.
385
and lucrative business. This connection was maintained until 1889,
during which time he served one term as alderman and one term as
representative in the general assembly.
His health having become impaired, he removed to the state of
Washington. During his residence there his health was much im-
proved, but the opportunities for desirable business being unequal to
his capabilities, he returned to Springfield and took up the practice
in the office of his father, who had been elected to the United States
Senate.
After a year spent in Springfield he removed to Chicago and en-
tered the law firm of Duolittle, Palmer & Tollman. Associates of
the firm were Senator James R, Doolittle and Edgar B. Tollman, now
corporation counsel of Chicago.
Mayor Harrison, the elder, appointed him assistant corporation
counsel of the city of Chicago in lb93, and a year later Mayor John
P. Hopkins made him corporation counsel, a position which he held
with great credit, His opinions on municipal questions attracted
the attention of legal advisors of the great cities of the country and
were regarded as able expositions of the then mooted questions by
the bench and bar of the nation.
At the end of his official term he entered the private practice of
the law in which he was actively engaged until a few months before
his death.
His marriage to Miss Ellen Robertson took place at Carlinville
in 1869. They have three sons, who, with the widow, survive him.
The eldest son, Capt John McAuley Palmer, an officer in the regular
army, is now an instructor at West Point and has achieved success
as a writer for the leading magazines; the second son, Robertson
Palmer, is a practicing lawyer, and the third son, Dr. George Thomas
Palmer, is a physician in Chicago.
He aied at the Battle Creek Sanitarium, and was buried in the
family lot in the Carlinville cemetery; near the father and mother,
sisters and brothers, he sleeps well.
From the brief outline it will be seen that his life was devoted to
the law. It is said the law is a jealous mistress. If so, she had no
more devoted lover than he. He was engaged in famous oases.
Among the more noted ones are the Macoupin county bond cases, the
BO called Pekin Whisky Ring cases, the Sny Carte Levee cases, the
Railway and Warehouse oases, in all of which he took a conspicuous
part.
It is but tardy justice to him to state that the result of his
thought and research was often unoounsciously appropriated by
others, and while plaudits were ia store for them, this unostentatious
man had only the consciousness, with which he whs content, of
knowing that he had contributed something that met the approval of
his associates, and was frequently orystalized into statutory law and
the decisions of the highest courts.
—25 H
386
It could not be otherwise than that he suffered by comparison
with his father, who was a distinguished lawyer before the son was
admitted to the bar. It was for a time like a great oak overshadow-
ing a young hickory. But lawyers are the best judges of the abilities
of those with whom they come in contact, and a time came when in
the estimation of the members of the bar who knew him best, John
Mayo Palmer was not excelled in a knowledge of the law by any prac-
titioner in our courts.
It only remains for me to speak of his personal characteristics
which endeared him to all with whom he came in contact. As son,
husband, father, brother and friend he merited the love of all who
held this sacred relationship. To his loved ones, a number of whom
are in attendance here, how often has come the wish:
"Oh, for the touch of a vanished hand,
And the sound of a voice that is still."
This genial, gentle, courageous man was a lover of humanity and
a firm believer in the immortality of the soul. May we not all be
sustained by at least a comforting hope that the good night here will
be followed in some fairer, better clime by a welcome Grood Morning!
And may we not be upheld by an unfaltering trust that 'Since God
is just, that somehow, somewhere, meet we must.' "
&y ^u^^l^Aai-rC^
387
RUFUS BLANCHARD.
1821—1904.
(Frederlok Latimer Wells.)
In the very early hours of the 3d day of January, 1904, at Wheaton,
DuPap:e county, III., a member of this society sent for his lawyer in
order that he might make his will.
His wife, in alarm, asked if he felt seriously ill. He replied: "I
don't know, but I don't mean to take any chances." He was nearly
83 years of age. In about four hours he died. His name was Rufus
Blanchard.
Previously in the night he had been troubled with an attack of acute
indigestion. Five minutes before his death he even indulged in little
pleasantries with his wife, and then, without warning or struggle,
closed his eyes and gently passed away. That picture seems to show
how clear Mr. Blanchard's mind was to the end.
The third day before his death he spent at his office at Chicago,
reading proof for a new publication and arranging for the printing
of several thousand maps. On the last day of his life he spent an
hour or two reading Freeman'8"Hi8torical Geography of Europe"and
working over proofs. He literally died in harness, as, previously, in
the early 70's he had said a map-maker ought to die. Let us
hear Mr. Blanchard's own words, written some thirty years ago:
"The field of map-making in the United States is too large for one
man or a hundred men when towns are springing into existence with
a rapidity hitherto unparalleled in the history of the world. To
keep pace with all these and connect them with railroads as fast as
the same are built is the work of the restless map publisher who
never sleeps without one eye open, and works in his harness till he
dies. Men may engage in almost any other business and retire from
it, but the man who has spent the best of his life in mapping the
most progressive country on earth can hardly be lured from the at-
tractions which lead him along with the current of commerce and
the destiny of his country."
How fitting an obituary in those words Rufus Blanchard wrote for
himself.
At Lyndeboro, N. H,, in Hillsboro county, one of the southern tier
of counties, Rufus Blanchard was born March 7, 1821, the tenth and
youngest child of Amaziah and Mary Blanchard (Mary Damon be-
fore her marriage) His parents were very well-to-do for those
days, and were descended from many who had been active in making
colonial and revolutionary history.
888
He attended the Ipswich aoademy, not far from his home, and had
private tutors in mathematics and Latin. His brothers and sisters
always told of his great fondness for books and of his proficiency in
Latin; at 13 trying to carry on conversations in that language with
his uncle, Dr. Abijah Blanchard, who spoke Latin fluently.
At 14 years of age he went to New York to his brother, Calvin
Blanchard, who had a book store at 78 Nassau street. Calvin
Bfanchard and Horace Greeley were friends and learned the trade of
typesetting; side by side.
His brother Calvin shortly afterwards procured for him a position
with the firm of Harper Brothers. At the Harpers he was brought
daily into contact with the literary men of New York, meeting
and becoming acquainted with William Cullen Bryant, Wash-
ington Irving, N. P. Willis, James Gordon Bennett of the Herald,
and Moses Y. Beach of the Sun, James Fennimore Cooper, Parke
Benjamin, Charles Fenno Hoffman and other literary men.
These were a constant joy to the youth and he never tired of tell-
ing of their characteristics of speech and manner. He was fond of
relating stories where the joke was on himself
While working in the bookstore of Calvin Blanchard a tall and ex-
tremely dignified gentleman, wearing the white choker which beto-
kened his calling, asked the youth for a copy of Comte's "Positive
Philosophy," which the boy found, and began with the enthusiasm of
a young salesman to recommend very highly to his clerical customer.
Mr. Blanchard used often to relate with the greatest satisfaction
how the old gentleman adjusted his glasses and simply looked down
upon him in disgust. "A lesson I never forgot," said Mr. Blanchard,
adding, "Keep still if you don't know what you are talking about."
Mr. James Harper, the head of Harper Brothers, was very kind
and considerate. The first Sunday young Blanchard went to church
who should be coming down the aisle with the plate but his senior
employer. The lad's salary was $1 50 a week, but he meant to appear
as well as possible, so he dropped 25 cents on the plate. The next
day Mr. Harper came to him in the store and said, "Rufus, you need
not put any money on the plate because I pass it. If you do, don't
put on any more than one cent."
In the eyes of the young resident of the metropolis the Astor
House seemed a wonderful place with its imposing entrance and the
throngs of men going in and out. The boy decided to be a patron
also, and the only thing it occurred to him to order was cider. After
drinking his mug of cider with all the dignity at his command he
asked the price, expecting to pay 2 or 3 cents for what at his father's
home had always been as free as water, He was somewhat startled
when "25 cents" was ejaculated by the bartender, but he fortunately
found he had 27 cents in his little purse and paid his bill as grandly
as he could, using great care that no one should see he had only 2
cents left. He said that he never bought any more cider at the
Astor House.
Mr. Gordon, the inventor and manufacturer of the Gordon print-
389
ing press, enjoyed sports, and used a special room in his home for
fencing and boxing. He taught young Blanohard those gentle arts
and found the youth, tall and agile as he was, a very satisfactory
associate, writing him, after he had left New York: "1 miss you; you
are the best fencer I know outside of the professionals."
At 16, in partnership with a young printer a little older than him-
self, he undertook as a speculation the first publication on this side
the Atlantic ocean of paper copies of some of Dickens' works which
were just coming out at that time in London.
In 1888, in company with his brother, Edwin, he crossed the Alle-
gheny mountains by stage, with a small stock of dry goods. Pitts-
burg was then but a village. Going down the Ohio river to Colum-
bus they opened a small store. He bought 800 acres of wild land
and spent several months upon it, hunting deer and other game and
trading with the Indians for pelts. He also taught school during the
winter months in a log school house. It is interesting to note that
four of his students in that log school house corresponded with Mr.
Blanchard throughout his lifetime, a letter from one of them coming
to his address a few days after his death.
Longing, however, for the literary and social advantages of New
York he decided to return; so he purchased a string of horses and
started eastward, selling the horses one by one in Pennsylvania and
New York state. Reaching Albany with the last horse he aroused
some suspicion, and his story that he had brought the horse from
the wilds of Ohio was hardly believed. The suspicious purchaser of
that last horse became in later years a staunch personal friend.
With more money than he had ever before possessed he took
steamer from Albany to New York.
When B. J. Lossing was preparing to start out for his 10,000 miles
of travel through the Atlantic states, securing material for his "Field
Notes of the American Revolution," he asked Mr. Blanchard to buy
for him the horse he was to ride. Lossing and Blanchard were
cousins and friends and had many talks about the work Lossing was
undertaking.
Upon returning to New York Mr. Blanchard became connected
with the map house of the Coltons, at that time the largest in the
country. Then in partnership with Charles Morse he undertook
map publishing at 195 Broadway, using a new process of making zinc
map plates from a stone drawing.
In 1847 New York parties sent him to New Orleans to close out a
bankrupt book store. He also had a book store at Cincinnati, which
was burned in a couple of years and left him with nothing. At that
time at Cincinnati Alice and Phoebe Cary were beginning their lit-
erary work and became good friends with the young bookseller.
In 1858 Mr. Blanchard opened a general book and map store, with
a printing department, at 52 LaSalle street, Chicago, in a portion of
the old Metropolitan block. Since then, for a period of over fifty
years he has been actively in the map-making and publishing busi-
890
ness in Chicago and a familiar figure upon her streets, knowing and
being known by a very large number of Chicago's best men.
Mr. Blanchard never grew old in heart or brain. He was always
interested in the social life around him and the varied changes in
the political world. He was fond of his cozy home, the tirst brick
building of any sort ever erected in Wheaton, in which he lived for
nearly forty years. He loved the trees and the birds; the latter he
fed and cared for, particularly in the winter time. The wrens which
came each year and occupied boxes he had prepared for them, were
his especial pets, and he insisted that the same birds often returned.
Until the last few years Mr. Blanchard did much horseback riding.
He was gentle and kind in speech and thought, always praising
others and sayiiig little of himself. He was simple in his tastes; tea,
coffee and tobacco were strangers to him. He ate little meat. Al-
though a student of politics he never held an office.
Misfortunes such as would have seriously injured the life and char-
acter of many came into his life but had no effect upon his temper
or cheerfulness He was never known to frown.
Shortly after coming to Chicago he went to Albany to be married
to Miss Permilla Farr. On the way to New York a few hours after
the wedding, the train was wrecked and his bride so burned and in-
jured that she only lived a few days.
The great Chicago fire destroyed his book store and printing and
engraving establishments, including all his book and map plates,
leaving him only his home at Wheaton, a pair of horses, and some
8,000 bound volumes of his first edition of the "History of the North-
west," which, previous to the fire, he had sent to Wheaton for storage.
Mr. Blanchard sold his horses and mortgaged his home, and with
some 25 employes had just gotten well started when, six weeks after
the Chicago fire, his Wheaton plant burned, and was a total loss.
It is related that when he stepped from the train at Wheaton an
hour after the fire, his workmen were assembled at the station to tell
him of his loss. He heard them quietly and then simply said,
"Well, we all had better go to supper."
In 18F8, at Buffalo, he married Miss Annie Hall, who has been a
sympathetic and helpful co- laborer with him in his literary work.
She survives him, They had no children.
In lb65. accompanied by his wife, he spent two months driving
through Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska and Minnesota, going to a large
number of the county seats of each of those states, correcting maps
and getting material for guide books. He also visited and saw as
much of the Indians as was possible on that trip.
In the early 80's he went to Oregon, spending several months veri-
fying and collecting material for a history of that state Completed
manuscript for such a history was destroyed by another fire in 1885.
As to Mr. Blanchard's literary works, they speak for themselves*
His "Historical Map of the United States," published in 1876, and his
"History of Illinois," published in 1888, together with his "History of
391
the Northwest and Chicago," are books which posterity truly needs
and will most certainly highly appreciate. Without attempting to
enumerate them all I feel sure that the last book, which was pub-
lished only a few months ago, "The Documentary History of the
Cession of Louisiana to the United States," will at this special time
be largely welcomed owing to the present interest in the Louisiana
Purchase.
Although not regaining his physical strength after a serious ill-
ness some two years before his death, Mr. Blanchard nevertheless
went to his business daily and throughout the city of Chicago
wherever his pursuits called him, with never a thought of his physical
restrictions.
To sum it up, may we not all agree that he was what might
justly be called a "gentleman of the old school."
I
ADDENDUM.
394
KASKASKIA CHURCH RECORDS *
(Translated and Transcribed by Rev. C. J. Eschmann of Prairie du Rocher.)
Extrait des Registres de BaptSme de la Missioa dee Illinois soug
le titre de rimmaoul6e Conception de la S. V.
Anno, 1692, Martii 20 — Ego Jacobus Gravier, See. Jesu solem-
niter baptizavi Petrum Aco, recens natum. P., Michael Aco; M..
Maria Aramipinchic8e; Patr., D. de Mantchy, cujus vices gerit De
Montmidy. Matrina Maria Joanna pueri avia.
Julii 25 -Joannen Jacobum, recens natum. P., Ludovic Paquier
Delannas; M., Catbar. Rosoanga; Patr., Joan La Violette
Octob. 4— Michaelem, recens natum. P., Jean Colon Laviolette;
M., Catber ExipakinSa; Patrinus, Michael Aco; Matr., Catharina
Delannas.
1697, Maii 13 — Ego, Julianus Bineteau, Soc. Jesu, baptizavi Joan-
nem Jacobum, un dies. P., Jean Colon Laviolette; M., Cathar Exi-
pakinoSa.
1698, Maii 29 — Carolum, heri natum. P., Ludov de Lannai; M.,
Catharina Roeceauga.
Nov. 27— Henricum, un mensis baptizavit par P., Jean Laviolette,
de Montigny; Patri., Dominus Tonty, M., Cathar. Ekipakinoea.
1899, Sbre. 22— Mariam, hodie nat, P., Bizaillin; M., Maria;
Patr., Antonius Buillarioon; Matr., Maria Aco, uxor.
2
1699, Septemb. 7 — Ego, Gabr Marest, baptizavi Theresiam Pani-
coec 6 annos, apud Bizaillon.
1700, Juin 17 — Guillelumme, un dies. P., Guill. Marion; Patr.,
Michael Aco; M. Brigitta; Matr., Marie Aco.
1701, April 17 — Petrum . P., Antonius Baillarjeon; M., Dom-
itilla Choepingoea.
1702, Jan 6— Mariam hodie. P. Joan Gaultier Sakingoara; M.
Maria Susanna; Patr. Mich; Matri. Marie.
Feb. 22— Michaelem hodie natum— P. Mich. Aco; M. Marie; Patr.
Perrigan Andreas; Matr Maria Th. Bizaillon.
1703, Apr. 13 — Ego J Gravier bapt. Petrum recens natum; P. Bi-
raillon; M. Marie Theresia; Patr. Petr, Champagne; Matr. Elisa-
betha.
1703, Apr. 25 —Ad ripam Metchagamia dictam venimus.
*rhe flrnre "8" appears frequently In names, nsnally of women. Its meaning not
belne clearly understood, the fie:ur« has been «iad as it appears in the records.
395
KASKASKIA CHURCH RECORDS.
TRANSLATION.
(Translated and Transcribed by Rev. C. J. Eschmann of Prairie du Rocher.)
Extract from the Baptismal Records of the Mission among the
Illinois under the title of the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady.
A. D., 1692, March 20 — I, James Gravier, of the Society of Jesus,
solemnly baptized Peter Aco, recently born. F., Michael Aco; M.,
Marie AramipinohicSe; Godf., D. deMantchy, whose place De Mont-
midy took; Godm., Maria Johnanna, the boy's grandmother,
July 25 — John James, recently born. F., Louis Paquier Delannas,
M., Catherine RSscanga. Godf., John La Violette,
Oct. 4 — Michael, recently born. F., John Colon Laviolette; M.,
Cath. ExipakinSca.
1697, May 13 — I, Julian Bineteau, Society of Jesus, baptized John
Jamea, one day old. F,, John Colon Laviolette; M., Catherine Exi-
pakinSca.
1698, May 29 — Charles, born yesterday. F., Louis de Lannai; M.,
Catherine RSscanga.
Nov. 27 — Henry, one month old; Mr. de Montigny baptized him.
F., John Laviolette; M., Catherine EkipakinSca; Godf., Mr. Tonty.
1699, Sept 22— Maria, born today. F., Bizaillin; M., Maria; Godf.,
Anthony Buillarjean; Godm., Maria Aco, wife.
Dec. 7 — I, Gabriel Marest, baptized Theresa PanisSo, six years
old, at Bizaillon's.
1700, June 17— William, one day old. F. William Marion; M.,
Bridget; Godf., Michael Aco; Godm., Mary Aco.
1701, April 17— Peter . F., Anthony Baillarjean; M., Domi-
tilla CheSpingSa.
1702, Jan. 6— Marie today; F. John Gaultier Sakingora; M. Maria
Susan; Godf. Mich; Godm. Maria.
Feb. 22— Michael born today; F. Michael Aco; M. Marie; Godf.
Perrigan Andrew; Godm. Maria Th. Bizailion.
1703, Apr. 13—1. J. Gravier baptized Peter, recently born: F. Bi-
zailion; M. Maria Theresa; Godf. Peter Champagne; Godm. Eliza-
beth.
1703, Apr. 25 — We reached the shore of the socalled Metchagamia.
396
1703, Nov. 14— P. Gabr. Mar. bapt Domitillam 5 dies; P. Joan
Gaultier Sakingoara; M. Marie Susanna CapeSf seize.
1704, Julii 26— Jaoobum r. n.; P. Michael Phillips; M. Maria
8oanic8e; Patr. Jacob (?) Bourdon; Matr. Domit.
1706, Jan. 22-Agnetem r. n.; P. Michael Philippe; M. Maria
8canic8e; Matr. Symphorosa.
3.
1707, Jan. 19 — P. J. Mermet bapt. Joannem r. n.; P. Joan Sakin-
goara; M. Maria Susanna; Patr. Jacob Bourdon; Matr. Cathar.
SabanakSe.
Apr 26— Mariam 6 mens illegit: Pater Georgius Thoret vulgo
Parisien; M. Tinioe 8tankic8e; Matr. Maria 8canc8e.
1708, Feb. 7 — Petrum prid. nat.; P. Ludovio Duguet Duverdier;
Patr. Petrus Hugnon; M Helena Sacatchi8c8a; Matr. Cathar 8aban-
aki8o.
Junii 9— Mariam 3 mens; P. Steph Francisous La Boissiere; M.
Atehioa Panic8c; Matr. Maria 8canic8o.
1709, Sept. 9 -P. Gabr. Mar. bapt. Mariam r. n.; P. Petrus S.
Michael; M. Cecilia Maminapita; Matr. Maminapita vel. Maria
8canio8o.
Nov. 16— Petrum Heri natum; P. Petrus Chabot; Patr. Stephanus
Campo; M. Symphorosa Mer8tap8c8c; Matr Cathar. Forestier.
1712, Apr. 20 -P. Jo M. de Viller bapt. Michaelem 20 dies, ille-
gitim; P. Bisaillon; M. ApenfamacSe; Patr. Jos. de Sir.
Junii 22 -Elizabetham 1 d.; P. Michael Philippe; Patr. Petrus
Huynan; M. Maria bKanicSc; Matr Elizabeth Dee.
Julii 24— Baptizatus est in itinere a Ludovico Chauvin, Francis-
ous, 21 dies; P. Steph. Fr. la Bjissiere; Patr. Ladov Chauvin; M.
Martha Atchica; Matr. Cat. 8abanakio8e.
Nov. 24— P Jo, Mermet bapt. Caecilam 2 annos; P. Joa Brunet
Bourbonnois; Patr. Petrus Huynan; M. Elizabeth Dee; Matr. Sym-
phor Mer8tap8c8c.
Item Mariam 1 dies usem parentibus; Patr. Petrus I'Epine; Matr-
Maria 8canic8c.
1713, Januar 11 — Joannem 9 dies; P. Joa Sakinghoara; M. Maria
Sus. Cupki8pci8c, Matr. Maria Sakingoara.
Januar 26— Marianam 1 ann, 6 mens; P. Nicolaus Migneret; Ma-
ter Susanna Kerami; Matr. Petronilla 8cri8ic8c.
Jan. 30 -Cathrinam; P. Joan Alario; M Maria Joan Ai88ec8o;
Matr Oatharina Ae8ma.
1813, Oct. 18 -Petrum 4 dies; P. Nicolaus Mignaret; Patr. Petrus
Chabot; M Susanna Kerami, Matr. Cath. 8aban8kic8o.
1714, Januar 21 —Mariam 4 dies; P. Steph Philippe; Patr. Mich,
Philippe; M. Maria Ma8endic8c; Matr. Margarita Macate88c8e.
397
Nov. 14 — Father Gabr. Mar. baptized Domitilla 5 days old; F.
John Gaultier SakingSra; M. Maria Susan Capeibsreize.
1704. July 26— James r. b ; F. Michael Philippe; M. Maria 8oan-
io8c; Godf. James (?) Bourdon; Godm. Domit,
1706, Jan 22— Agnes r. b.; F Michael Philippe; M. Maria 8can-
ioBc; Godm. Symphorosa.
1707, Jan. 19— Fr. J. Mermet bapt. John r b.; F.John Sakin-
goara; M. Maria Susan; Godf. James Bourdon; Godm. Catherine
SabanakSc.
Apr. 26 — Maria, 6 months old, illegit; Father George Thoret, nick-
named Parisian; M. Tinioe 8taukic8o; Godm. Maria 8canic8o.
1708, Feb. 7 — Peter, born day before yesterday; F Louis Duguet
Duverdier; M. Helen Sacatohi8c8c; Godf. Peter Hugnon; Godm.
Cath. 8abanacki8o.
June 9 — Maria, 3 months old; F. Sfceph. Frank La Boissiere; M.
Atohica Panic8c; Godm. Maria 8canic8o.
1709, Sept. 9— Fr. Gabriel Marest baptized Maria, r. n,; F. Peter
S. Michael; M. Cecilia Maminapita; Godm, Mamiuapita or Maria
8canic8o.
Nov. 16 — Peter, born yesterday; F. Peter Chabot; M. Symphorosa
Mer8tap8c8c; Godf. Stephen Campo; Godm Calh. Forestier.
1712, Apr. 16— Fr. J. M. de Viller bapt Michael, 20 days old, ille-
gitim; F. Bizaillon; M. Apenfamac8o. Godf Jos. de Sir.
June 22— Elizabeth, 1 day old; F.Michael Philippe; M. Maria
8kanic8o; Godf. Peter Hugnon; Godm. Elizabeth Dee,
Jul. 24 — Francis, 21 days old, was baptized on a journey by
Louis Chauvin; F. Steph Fr La Boissiere; M Martha Atchica, Godf.
Louis Chauvin; Godm: Cat. 8abanickie8o
Nov 24— Fr. eJo. Mermet bapt. Cecilia, 2 years old, F., J. Brunet
Bourbonnais; M. Elizabeth Dee; Godf Peter Hugnon; Godm. Sym-
phor Mar8tap8c8o.
Likewise Maria, 1 day old, by the same parents; Godf. Peter I'E-
pine; Godm. Marie 8cannic8o.
1713, Jan. 11— John, 9 days old; F. John Sakinghoara; M. Maria
Susan Capki8pci8c; Godm. Maria Sakingoara.
Jan 26— Marianne, 1 year and 6 mos old; F. Nicholas Migneret;
M. Susan Kerami; Godm Petronilla 8cri8ic8c.
Jan. 30 Catharine; F. John Alario; M. Maria Jane Ai88eo8o;
Godm. Catherine Ac8ma.
1713, Oct. 18— Peter, 4 days old; F. Nicholas Migneret; M. Susan
Kerami; Godf. Peter Chabot; Godm. Cath. 8abanakic8c.
1714, Jan. 21— Maria, 4 days old; F. Steph. Philippe; M. Maria
Ma8ondic8c; Godf. Michael Philippe; Godm. Margaret Macate68o8c.
398
1714, Jan. 28— Mariam Josepham, 4 d,; P, Mio. Philippe; Patrin
Jos. Carrier; M. Maria BcaaicSc; Matr. Agnes Philippe.
Junii 8 — Mariannam 3 ann; P. Petro Boisjoly fafart; Patr. Petr.
Chabot; M. Accica Pat8kic8c; Matr, Elizabeth Dee.
1715, Febr. 10 — Jacobutn heri nat; P, Jacobus LaLande; Patr.
Ludov Chauvin; M. Maria Tetthio; Matr. Francisoa la Brise,
Marl. 3 — Joannem bapt, r. n.; P. Joa bapt, Potier; Patr. Jacob la
Lande; M. Franc la Brise; Matr. Maria ScanicSc.
Apr. 14— Mariam 4 d ; P. Augustinus La Pointe; Patr. Bellaison;
M. Martha Mer8n8etam8o8c; Matr. Marg. 8aft.
1715, Aug 4— Mariam 1. d. P. Joannes Olivier; M. Petronilla Mau-
sakime; Patr. Carolus Danis; Matr. Marie Tetthio.
Nov 7 — Jospphum 2. d. P. Michael Philippe; M. Marie ScanicSc;
Patr. Stephan Philippe; Matr. Fr. la Brise.
1717, Febr. 11— Symphorosam 2. d. Pater Lud. Tescier; Pratr.
Jacques Bourdon; Mater Cat, 8abanakic8c; Matr. Mary SafsecamSc.
Aug. 7 — Antonium r. n, P. Antonius Bosseron; Patr. Jac la Lande;
M. Susanna Kerami; Matr. Domit SakatohieSo.
Aug. 25— Mariam Ludovicam 2. d. P Petrus Roy; Patr. Jac. Board;
M. Maria MaeStensioSc; Matr. Agnes Philippe.
1717, Nov. 10— Marriam Franciscam r. n,; P. Joa Bapt. Pettier;
Patr. G-uill. Potier; M. Franoisca la Brise; Matr. Maria Tetthio.
Nov. 20— Elisabetham r. n. P Jac la Lande; Patr. Joa Pottier;
Tetthio; M. Maria; Matr. Francisoa la Brise,
Nov. 30— Franciscam r. n.; P. Joa. Olivier; Patr. Petrus du Roy;
M. Martha Accica; Matr. Fr. la Brise.
1718, Sept, 9 — Jacobum r. n ; P Stephan Philippe; Ptr. Jac Phil-
ippe; M. Maria oh8Pinckis8ga; Matr. DomitillaTching8anakigab8c8c.
Oct. 4— Mariam Annam; P. Carolus Danys; Ptr. Adrian Robillard;
M. Dorothea Mechipec8c8a; Matr. Fr. la Brise.
1719, April 6 — Paulum; Pater Lodov. Texier; Patr. Joa Huet; M.
Catharina 8aban8kic8c; Matr. Magdal Qaesnel.
Jnnii 18— Mariam Cathrinam heri nat; P. Joa B. Potier; Patr. Jac
de Verassae; M Fr. la Brise; Matr. Maa Cat. Julienne.
Oct 2— Grenvefam; P Petrus Roy; Patr. Franc Arnand; M. Maria
Anna Mafc8tent; Matr. Dorothea Mechiper8ata.
1732, Julii 14 — Ludovicum r. n ; P. Joa B. Barrois; Patr. Lud.
Du Tissoe; M. Magdal Cardinal; Matr. Mar, Fr. Rivart.
173S, Feb 14 — Mariam Josepham r. n ; P. Lud. Turpin; Patr. Petr.
Bellevue; M. Dorothea Mechipec8ata; Matr. Maria Migneret.
A.pril 29 -Ludovicum 3. d.;P Lud. Du Tissue; Patr. Joa B. la
Lande; M. Theresia Neven; Matr. Maria du Long.
1735, June. 6 — Oarolam 8 d ; P. Joa B Gruillemeau; Patr. Ste-
phan Longlois; M. Carola Marchand; Matr Maria Oat. Baude.
399
1714, Jan. 28 — Maria Josepha, 4 days old; F. Mio, Philippe; M.
Maria 8oanic8o; Godf. Jos. Carriere; Godm. Agnes Philippe.
June 3— Marianne, 8 years; F. Petro Boisjoly fafart; M. Acacia
Pat8kic8c; Godf. Peter Chabot; Godm Elizabeth D66.
1715, Feb 10— James, born yesterday; F. James La Lande; M.
Maria Tetthio; Godf. Louis Chauvin; Godm. Frances La Brise.
Mar. 3— John B., r. b., F. John Bapt. Potier,M. Frances La Brise;
Godf. James La Lande; Godm. Maria 8canic8c.
April 14 — Maria, 4 days; F. Agustine La Pointe; M. Martha Mer8-
nSctam; Godf. Bellaison; Godm. Marg. 8aft.
1715, Aug. 4— Maria 1. d ; F. John Olivier, M. Petronilla Mausa-
kine; Godf. Carl Danis; Godm. Maria Tetthio,
Nov. 7— Joseph 2, d.; F. Michael Philippe; M. Maria 8cani8c;
Godf. Stephan Philippe; Godm. Fr. la Brise.
1717, Feb. 11— Symphrosam 2. d.; F. Louis Texier, M. Cath.
SabanakicSo; Godf. James Bourdon; Godm. Mary 8as8ecam8c.
Aug. 7— Anthony r. born; F. Anthony Bosseron; M. Susan Kar-
ami; Godf. Jas. la Lande; Godm. Dormit, SakatchicSc.
Aug. 25— Maria Louisa, 2. d.; F. Peter Roy, M. Maria MaeSten-
sicSc; Godf Jas. Bourdon; Godm. Agnes Philippe.
1717, Nov. 10— Maria Francis r. b.; F. John B. Pettier; M. Fran-
cis La Brise; Godf. Wm Potier; Godm. Maria Tetthio.
Nov. 20— Elizabeth r. b.; F. Jas. la Lande; M. Maria Tetthio;
Godf. John Pettier; Godm. Francis la Brize.
Nov. 30— Francis r. b.; F. John Olivier; M. Martha Accioa; Godf.
Peter du Roy, Godm. Fr. la Brise.
1718, Sept. 9— James r. b.; F. Stephan Philippe; M.Maria ch8
Pinckinga; Godf. James Philippe; Godm. Domitilla TchingSanaki-
gab8c8c.
Oct. 4 — Maria Anna;F. Charles Danys; M. Dorothy Mechipec8c8o;
Godf Adrian Robillard; Godm Fr. la Brise.
1719, April 6-Paul; F. Louis Texier; M. Catherine SabanakicSo;
Godf. John Huet; Godm. Magdel. Quesnel
June 18 — Maria Cathrine, born yesterday; F. John B. Potier; M.
Fr. la Brise; Godf. Jas. de Verassae; Godm. Maa Cat. Julienne.
Oct 2— Genevieve; F. Peter Roy; M. Maria Anna MafcStent;
Godf. Francis Arnand; Godm. Dorothy MechipeaSata.
1782, July 14— Louis, r. b,; F. John B. Barrois; M. Magdel. Cardi-
nal; Godf. Louis Du Tissoe, Godm. Mar. Fr. Rivart.
1738, Feb. 14— Maria Josepha, r. b.; F. Louis Turpin; M. Dorothy
MeohipecSata; Godf. Peter Bellevue; Godm. Maria Migneret.
April 29— Louis, 3 d. old; F. Louis Tissoe; M. Theresa Neven;
Godf. John B. La Lande; Godm. Maria du Long.
1735, June 6— Charles, 8 d.old; F. John B. Guillemeau; M Carola
Marchand; Godf. Stephan Locglois; Godm. Maria Catharine Baude.
400
Registre des Baptemes faits dans L'Eqlise de La Mission et
DANS La Paroisse de La Conception De Notre-Dame,
CoMMENci; Le 18e Juin, 1719.
L'n mil Sept Cent dix neuf le 17e de Juin est n6e une filledu mar-
iage de Jean B. Pettier et de Francoiee Brize, et le 18e du meme mois
a 4>\.6 baptiz6e par moi soussign^ Aumonier des trouppes et on luy a
donn6 le nom de Marie Catherine. Le parrain a 6 6 Le Sr jKcques
Bouchart de verasae (?). enseigne des troupes et la marraine Marie
Catherine Juliette qui ont sign6 avec moi.
Sign6,
Le Boullenqer, S. J.
Cette mSme ann6e le 28 Juillet est n6 un fils du mariage de Jean
B. Mercier et de Marie Baretteo et le m6me jour a 6 6 baptiz6^ par
moi 8ou8bign6 Aumonier des troupes, et on luy a donn6 le nom de Jean
B. Le parrain a 6t6 Pierre Chabot et la marraine Catherine du Buis-
Bon qui ont 8ign6 aveo moi,
Signe,
Le Boullenger, S. J.
La meme ann6e le 27 Juillet est n6 le fils de Michael Philippe et
de Marie 8kenec8e Illinoise, ses p^re et m^re maries ensemble et on
luy a donn^ le nom d'Ignace, Le parrain a 6' 6 Joseph Poupart et la
marraine Marie Magdeleine Roi de Rochefort qui ont sigii^ avec moi.
Sign6,
Le Boullenger, S. J.
L mSme ann6e oe 28 d'Aout est n6 du mariage d'Antoine Bosseron
dit Leonard et de Susanne Pani8as8a un fils qui a 66 baptiz6 le
meme jour par moi sou88ign6 Aumonier des troupes, et on luy a doDn6
le nom d'Augustin, Son parrain a 6t6 Jean B. Pettier et sa marraine
Marie Mamensic8o, Le parrain a 8ign6 et la marraine, ne pausant signer
a mis sa marque.
Sign6,
Le Boullenger.
La m6me annee 1719 le 7 de pbre est n6e une fille de Catherine
Bechet, le pere est inconnu, qui a 6t6 baptiz6e par moi 8ou88ign6
Aumonier des troupes le 8 du dit mois de pbre et on luy a donn6
le nom de Francoise, Le parrain a 6t6 Le Sr Charles de L'isle le gar-
deur, Enseigne de la marine, et la marraine Francoise de Brize qui
ont Bign6 avec moi. Sign6,
Le Boullenger, Vic.
401
Kegister of Baptisms Administered in the Church of the Mis-
sion AND IN THE PARISH OF THE CONCEPTION OF OUR LaDY,
Commenced on the 18th of June, 1719.
On the 17tli of June, 1719, a daughter was born of the marriage of
John B. Pettier and Francis Brize. On the 18th day of the same
mouth she was baptized by me, the undersigned, chaplain of the
troops, and she was named Marie Catherine Sir Jacque Bouchart
(de verasae ?) an ensign with the troops, acted as godfather whilst
Marie Catherine Juilliette was godmother. They signed with me.
Signed,
Le Boullenger, S. J.
In the same year on July 23d a son was born of the marriage of
John B Mercier and Marie Baratteo, and was baptized on the same
day by me, the undersigned, chaplain of the troops, and was named
John B. The sponsors were Pierre Chabot and Catherine du Buis-
eon, who signed with me.
Signed,
Le Boullenger, S. J.
The same year on July 27 a son is born to Michael Phillipe and
Marie Bkanecyo, an Illinoise. Father and mother were seemingly
married. He was named Ignatius; Joseph Poupart was godfather
and Marie Magdalen Rio de Roohefort was godmother. They signed
with me.
Signed,
Le Boullenger, S. J.
The same year on August 28th a son was born of the marriage of
Anthony Bosseron, called Leonard and of Susan PaniHassa, who was
baptized on the same day by me, the undersigned, chaplain of the
troops. Thpy named him Angustin. The sponsors were John B.
Pottier and Marie MamensicHo. The godfather signed with me, the
godmother, unable to sign, placed her mark.
Signed,
Le Boullenger.
The Fame year, 1719, September 7th, a daughter was born to Cath-
erine Beohet; the father is uukuown. She was baptized by me, the
undersigned, chaplain of the troops, on the 8th of this said month of
September, and named Frances. The sponsors were Sir Charles de
L'isle, ensign of marines, and Frances de Brize, who signed with me.
Signed,
Le Boullenger, Vic.
-26 H
402
Cette mgtneann^e le 22ede zbre est n6e la fille d'une esclave de
Paul Bouohart nominee PaniasicSo qui a 6\6 baptis6e le meme jour
par moi soussigne Aumoaier des troupes. On luy a donn^ le nom
de Marguerite. La marraine a 6t6 Marguerite SaffesamScbo, femme
de Bourdon, Laquelle n'a on signer.
Signe
Le Boullengeb, S. J.
Cette meme ann^e 1719, 18c otbre est n6 le fils de PaniasieSo es-
clave de Paul Lami, qui e 6*6 baptiz6 par moi soussign^ Aumonier
des troupes, on luy a donn6 le nom de Joseph. Son parrain a 6t§
Antoine Carriere et Sa marraine Marie Catherine Juliette qui ont
sign6 avec moi. Sign6
Le Boullengeb.
Cette meme ann6e 19e otbre est n6 le fils du mariage d'Augustine
La Pointe et de Susanna CascaskieSe qui a 6i6 baptize le 20 du
meme mois par moi soussign^ Aumonier des troupes; le parrain le
Sr. Claude Charles du Tisne et la marraine Francoise de Brize, qui
ont sign^ aveo moi. Sign6
Le Boullenger.
L'Annee Mil Sept Cent Vingt.
L'Ann^e 1720, 30e du mois de Janvier est n6 un fils du marriage
de Charles Dauis et de Dorothea fille du grand vieur, qui 6i6 baptist
le meme jour par moi sou88ign6 Aumonier des troupes. On luy a
donij^ le nom de Charles Pierre, le parrain a 6te Monsieur de Bois-
briand, Lieutenant de Roi de la Province et la marraine a 6t6 Cath-
erine du Buisson, qui ont sign6 avec moi.
Sign6
Le Boullengeb.
Cette meme ann^e 1720 le 17e de Mars est d6 un fils du marriage
de Jean Olivier et de Marthe PadSca qui a 6ie baptiz6 le 18e du
meme mois par moi sousdign^ aumonier des troupes, on luy a donn6
le nom de Jean B. Le parrain a 6t6 Jean B. Pettier et la marraine
Doroth6^ Mercier. Le parrain a 8ign6 avec moi et la mariene a mis
settlement une marque.
Sign6
Le Boullengeb.
L'an 1719 le rlOe Mai est n6e une fille du marriage de Guillaume
Pettier et de Marie ApechicHrata, Laquelle a 6t6 legitiment bap-
tiz6e par Antoine Loysel par le qu'ils etrient dans des pays fort
Eloiques d'ici, et le 6 Avril 1720, le dit enfant aiant 6\6 apport6 a
I'Eglise. je 8ou88ign6 Superieur de la Mission donn6 lenom de Maria
Marguerite et fait les ceremonies aoooutum6es dans le Bapteme, Le
parrain a 6t6 Jean B Pettier et la marraine Marguerite SAffecam-
8o8o, Cella n'a on signer.
Sign6
Jean Chables Guimouneau,
Supr. de la Comp' de Jesu.
403
In this same year, 1719, December 22d, a slave, named PaniasicSo,
belonging to Paul Bouchart, gave birth to a girl, which was baptized
on the same day by me, the undersigned, chaplain of the troops.
They named it Marguerite. The godmother was Marguerite 8affe-
eamScSo, wife of Bourdon, who could not sign.
Signed
Le Boullengeb.
In this same year, 1719, Oct. the 18th, the son of PaniasicBc, a
slave of Paul Lacavi, is born, who was baptized by me, the under-
signed chaplain of the troops; they named him Joseph. His sponsors
were Anthony Carriere and Marie Catherine Juliiette, who signed
with me. Signed
Le Boullengeb.
In this same year, on Oct. 19th, a son is born of the marriage of
August La Pointe and Susanna CascaskieSe, who was baptized on
the 20th of the same mouth by me, the undersigned chaplain of the
troops. The sponsors were Sir Claude Charles du Tisne and Frances
le Brize, who signed with me.
Signed
Le Boullengeb.
The Yeab One Thousand Seven Hundred and Twenty.
In the year 1720, Jan. 30th, a son was born of the marriage of
Charles Danis and Dorothy, daughter of the grand , who
was baptized on the same day by me, the undersigned chaplain of
the troops. They named him Charles Pierre. The sponsors were
Mr. Pierre de Boisbriand, Lieutenant of the King of the Prov-
ince, and Catherine du Buisson, who signed with me.
Signed
Le Boullengeb.
In this same year, 1720, March 17, a son was born of the marriage
of John Olivir and Martha PadSca, who was baptized on the 18th of
the same month by me, the undersigned chaplain of the troops. They
named bim John B. The sponsors were John B. Pottier and Doro-
thy Mercier. The godfather signed with me and the godmother
placed only her mark. Signed
Le Boullengeb.
In the year 1719. the 30th of May, was born a daughter of the mar-
riage of William Pottier and Marie Apechio8rata, who was lawfully
baptized by Antoine Loysel, for they were in the country, but they
removed to this place, and the 6th of April, 1720, the said infant was
brought to the church, and I, the undersigned Superior of the Mis-
sion, gave it the name of Marie Marguerite, and supplied the usual
ceremonies of baptism. The godfather was John B. Pottier, and
the godmother, Marguerite 8Affecan8o8c, who could not sign.
Signed
John Charles Guimouneau,
Superior of the Company of Jesus.
404
Kegistre de Baptesmes faits dans L'Eglise Paeoissiale de La
Conception, de Notre Dame des Cascaskias.
]720— Cette ann^e 1720, 9 de Juillet j'ai soussign^ Cur6 de oette
Paroisse baptiz^e une fille esolaveoag^ede 5 a 6 ans; a laquelle on a
donn6 le notn de Marie Jeanne. Le Parrain a 6i6 Le Sr. Pierre d'Ar-
tagette Cap. de Compagnie, et la marraine Marie Catherine Julliette
qui ont sign^ aveo moi.
D'Artaguiette. N. Ig. De Beaubois, Ptr.
Catherine Julliet.
(Marginal note: Morte le 7 et enterr^ le 8 de Septembre, 1720.)
1720 — Cette metne ann^e 1720 le 6 de Septembre est n6 un fils d'une
esclave;le p6re est inconnu, qui a 6i6 baptiz6 par moi soussign^ pres-
tre reliigieux de la Comp. de Jesus ledixseptiemedu dit moisde Sep-
tembre, et on luy a donn6 le nom de Pierre. Le parrain a 6te Le Sr.
Pierre d'Artagette, Cap de Com, et la marraine Marie Catherine
Julliette qui ont sign6 aveo moi.
D'artagette. Jean Chaele Guymonneau, S. J.
Catharine Julliette.
1720 — Cette meme ann6e 1720 le 17 de Septembre est n6 un fils du
marriage de Louis Turpin et de Marie Colon, qui a baptize le 20 par
moi sou88ign6 prestre reliigieux de la Comp de Jesus, Cur6 de la
Paroisse de la Conception de Notre Dame des Cascaskias, on luy a
donn6 le nom de Louis. Le parrain a 6t6 Augustin La Pointe et la
marraine Magd^laineQaesnel. L'une et L'autre ayant declare ne sca-
voir signer ont mis leur marque.
La Pointe, M M. N. Ig. De Beaubois, Ptr.
1720 — Cette meme ann^e 1720 le 14 Obre est n6e une fille du mar-
riage de Jerome PaSnanga et de Marie InacSosic 8a qui a 6t6 baptiz6e
le 15 du m6me mois par moi soussign^ prestre reliigieux de la Comp de
Jesus, cur6 de la paroisse de la Conception de Notre Dame des Cas-
caskias, on luy a donn6 le nom de Marie, la marraine a 6t.6 Marie
Barette, laquelle a declar6e ne scavoir signer et a mis sa marque.
X N. Ig. De Beaubois, Ptr.
Cette mgsme ann^e, 1720, le 20 Ocbre, est n6 un fils de Francoise
Chonioone, esclave. Le p6re est inconnu, qui a 6i6 baptiz6 de six du
mSrue mois par moi soussign6 prestre reliigieux de la Comp de Jesus
car6 de la Paroisse de la Conception de Notre Dame des Cascaskias, on
luy a donn6 le nom de Thomas, le parrain a 6^6 Le Sieur Girardot
Enseigne dans les troupes de la Marine, et la maraiiie a 6t6 Elizabeth
Brunet.
Girardot, N. Ig. De Beaubois, Ptr.
La maraine ayant declare ne scavoir sign6 a mis sa marque X
405
Register of Baptisms Made in the Parish Church of the Concep-
tion OF Our Lady of the Cascaskias.
This year 1720, the 19th of July, I the undersigned pastor of that
parish, baptized a girl slave, aged five or six years, who was given
the name of Marie Jeanne The godfather was the Sieur Pierre
D'Artaguette, captain of the company, and the godmother Marie
Catherine Juliette, who signed with me.
D'Artaguette. N. Ig. De Beaubois, Priest.
Catherine Julliette.
(Marginal note: Died the 7th of September and was interred the
8th of September, 1720)
That same year 1720, the 6th of September, was born the son of a
slave. The father is unknown. He was baptized by me the under-
signed, a priest of the order of the Company of Jesus, the 17th of
the said month of September, and he was given the name of Pierre.
The godfather was the Sieur Pierre D'Artaguette, captain of the
company, and the godmother Marie Catherine Juliette, who signed
with me.
D'Artaguette. John Charles Guymonneau, S. J.
Catherine Juliette.
This same year 1720, the 17th of September, was born a son of the
marriage of Louis Turpin and Marie Colon. He was baptized the
20th by me, the undersigned, a priest of the order of the Society of
Jesus, pastor of the Parish of the Conception of Our Lady of the
Cascaskias, and to him was given the name of Louis. The godfather,
who was Augustin Li Pointe, and the godmother Magdalaine Ques-
nal, both declared themselves unable to sign, and made their mark.
La Pointe, M. M. N. Ig. De. Beaubois, Priest.
This same year 1720, the 14th of October, was born a daughter of
the marriage of Jerome PaSaauga and of Marie Mae8osic8a, who was
baptized the 15th of the same month, by me the undersigned, a priest
of the order of the Society of Jesus, pastor of the Parish of the Con-
ception of Our Lady of the Cascaskias. To her was given the name
Marie. The godmother was Marie Barette, who declared she could
not sign, and she made her mark, a cross. X.
N. Ig. De Beaubois, Priest.
1720 — This same year, 1720, the 20th of October was born a son
of Francoise Chonioone, a slave. The father is unknown. He was
baptized the 6th of the same month, by me, the undersigned, a
priest of the order of the Society of Jesus, pastor of the Parish of
the Conception of Our Lady of the Cascaskias To him was given
the name of Thomas. The godfather was the Sieur Girardot, an en-
sign in the troops of the Marines, and the godmother was Elizabeth
Brunet.
Girardot. N. Ig. De Beaubois, Priest.
The godmother said she was unable to sign and made her mark, a
cross. X.
406
Cette ann6e, 1721, le premier jour de Janvier est n6e una fille du
manage de Francois Chesne et de Marie Coignon qui a 6t6 baptiz^e le
meme jour par moi soussign^ prestre relligieux de la Comp. de Jesus
Cur6 de la paroisse de Notre Dame des Casoaskias, on luy a donn6
le nom de Marie Louise, le parrain a 6t6 Louis Turpin et la maraine
Magdelaine Quesnel, lesquels ont signe avec moi.
N. Ig. De Beaubois, Ptr.
Louis Turpaine — M, M
Cette meme ann6e 1721, le deuxieme de fevrier est n6 un fils du mar-
iage de J. B Pottieret de Francoise la Brize,qui a e*6 baptize ie meme
jour, par moi soussign^ prestre relligieux de la Comp. de Jesus, Cur6
de cette paroisse, on luy a donn6 le nom de Jacques Son parrain a
6t6 Jacque Bourdon et la maraine Marie Magdelain Quesnel. Lesquels
ont Bign6 avec moi.
N. Ig. De Beaubois.
bourdon; M. M.
Cette meme ann6e 1721 le 15 fevrier est n6 un fils du mariage de
Pierre Chabot et de Renee Mercier qui a 6i6 baptiz6 le 16 du meme
mois par moi soussign^ prestre relligieux de la Comp. de Jesus, Cur6
de cette paroisse, on luy a donn6 le nom de Pierre. Son parrain a 6t4>
Le Sr. Pierre d' Artagette, Capitaine dans la Marine et la maraine
Perrine Pivet, Lesquels ont sign 6 avec moi,
N. Ig. De Beaubois. ptr.
X marque de Perrine Pivet.
Dartaguiette.
1721 — Cette meme ann^e 1721 le 7 de Mars est n6 un fils du mariage
de Guillaume de Pottier et de Marie apechicSata. Lequel a 6t 6 baptize
le 9 du meme mois par moi, soussign6 prestre relligieux de la Comp.
de Jesus,Cur6 de cette paroisse, on luy a donn6 le nomde Guillaume.
le parrain a 6ii Le Sr. Nicolas Michel Guillaume Chassin, Commis de
la Comp. d'Ocoidentau pais des Illinois, etla maraine Marguerite 8-
asacamBcSo. Laquelle ayant declare ne scavoir signer, a mis sa
marque
N. Ig. De Beaubois, Ptr.
Chnssin
Marque de X Marguerite 8asacam8c8c.
407
1721— This year, 1721, the 1st of January, was born a daughter of
the marriage of Francois Chesne, and of Marie Louise Coignon, who
was baptized on the same day by me, the undersigned priest of the
order of the Society of Jesus, pastor of the Parish of Our Lady of
the Cascaskias. To her was given the name of Marie Louise.
The godfather was Louis Turpin and the godmother, Magdalen
Quesnel, who signed with me.
Louis Turpin, N. Iq De Beaubois, Priest.
M. M.
1721— The same year, 1721, the 2d of February, was born a son of
the marriage of J. B. Pottier aud of Francoise la Brize. He was
baptized the same day by me, the undersigned, a priest of the order
of the Society of Jesus, pastor of this parish, He was given the
name of Jacques (James). The sponsors were Jacques Bourdon
and Marie Magdalen Quesnel, who signed with me.
bourdon, N. Ig. De Beaubois.
M. M.
This same year, 1721, the 15th of February, was born a son of the
marriage of Pierre Chabot and Ren^e Mercier. He was baptized
the 16th of the same month by me, the undersigned, a priest of the
order of the Society of Jesus, pastor of this Parish. He was given the
name of Pierre. The godfather was Pierre D'Artaguette, captain in
the Marine, and the godmother Perrine Pivet. They signed with me.
N. Iq. De Beaubois, Priest.
X Mark of Perrine Pivet.
D'Artaguette.
1721 — This same year 1721 the 7th of March was born a son of the
marriage of William de Pottier and of Marie ApechicSata. He was
baptized the 9th of the same month by me, the undersigned, a priest
of the order of the Society of Jesus, pastor of this parish. He was
given the name of William, The godfather was the Sieur Nicholas
Michel Guillaume (William) clerk at the mine of the Company of the
West, in the country of the Illinois, and the godmother was Margue-
rite 8asacam8c8c. She declared she could not sign and made her
a mark.
Chassin. N. Ig. Beaubois, Priest.
X Mark of Marguerite SasoamScSo.
408
1721 — L'an mil Sept, cent vingt le dixseptieme Novembre est n6e une
fille du legitime mariage d'Antoine Burel at Jeanne Chardon. Laquelle
a 6t6 legitimement baptiz6e par le Sieur de Noyent, Major de la
Plaze a la Nouville Orleans a cause de risques et danger du voyage
ainsi qui me Tout declair^es plusieurs temoins dignesde foietle dix-
septiema de Mars mil Sept ceat vingt un, le dit enfant ayant 6t6 ap-
port6 a I'Eglise, je N. Ig De Benubois prestre relligieux de la Comp.
de Jesus, Our6 de cette paroisse luy a donn6 le nom de Jeanne et fait
les ceremonies aocoutum^es dans le Bapt^tne. Son parrain a 6i6 Le
S'r. Charles Le gardeur Delisle, Sous lieutenant dans la marine, et sa
maraine la Demoiselle Marianne Guerin qui ontsign^ avec moi.
Legardeur Delisle N. Ig. De Beaubois, Ptr.
Marque de X Marianne Guerin.
1721 — Environ l'an mil Sept cent dix le 25 au le 26 du mois de de-
cembre est n6e aux Natchez une fille de I'un Francois etde I'une sau-
vagesse, Laquelle a 6<6 legitimement baptiz6e dans le temp par un
voyageur nomm6 Pierre LavioUette vti qu'il n'y avoit aux Natchez
ancun prestre et le 18 du mois de Mai 1721 la ditte fille ayant 6t6
amende a L'eglise je N Ig, De Beaubois prestre relligieux de la
Uomp de Jesus, Cut6 de cette paroisse, luy a donn6 le nom de Therese
et fait les ceremonies acooutum^es dans le baptSme. Son parrain a
et6 Louis Turpin et la maraine Elisabeth Brunet qui ont sign6
avec moi.
N, Ig. De Beaubois.
Louis Turpain.
Elisabeth brunet.
1721— L'an mil sept cent vingt un premier jour de Juin est n6 un
fils du mariage de Pierre Thevenard et Marie Louise Medan qui a
6t6 baptize le 5e du me me mois par moi soussign^ prestre relligieux
de la Comp de Jesus, Cut6 de cette paroisse on luy a donD6 le
nom de Pierre. Son parrain a 6\6 Antoine Carriere et la maraine
Marie Catherine JuUiette. Lesquels, ont 8ign6 avec moi.
N. Ig. De Beaubois.
Antoine Carriere.
Marie Catherine Julliet.
1721 — L'an mil sept cent vingt un le Seizieme du mois d'avril est
Ji6e une fille du mariage d'un esclave negre, nomm^e Scipion et d'une
esclave nomm6e negresse. Laquelle a cause du danger pressant f ut legi-
timement baptiz6^ dfins le moment par Le Sr. Provost ohiurgien major,
et le 8e du mois de Juin de le mfirne ann6e 1721, la ditte fille aiant
et6 apport6 a L'Eglise, je N. Ig. Da Beaubois. prestre relligieux de
la Comp. de Jesus, Cur6 de cette paroisse luy ai donn6 le nom de
Francoise et fait les ceremonies accoutum^es dans le bapt^me. Son
parrain a 6t^ Simon Lucas et sa maraine Francois La Brize.
N. Ig. De Beaubois.
Francoise
Simon Lucas X
La Brize.
409
In the year 1720, the 17th of November was born a daughter of the
lawful marriage of Antoiue Burel and Jeanne Chardon. She was
lawfully baptized by the Sieur de Noyent, major of the fort at New
Orleans on account of the risks and danger of the voyage, therefore
this having been affirmed by several witnesses worthy of belief, and
on the 17th of Maroh 1721, the said child having been brought to the
Church, 1, N Ig. De Beaubois, a priest of the order of the Society of
Jesus, pastor of this parish, with the usual ceremonies of baptism
gave it the name of Jeanne. The godfather was the Sieur Charles
Le Gardeur DeLisle, sub-lieutenant in the marine, and the god-
mother was the demoiselle Marrianne Guerin. They signed with me.
Legardeur Delisle. N. Ig, De Beaubois, Priest.
Mark of X Marianne Guerin.
Daring the year 1710, the 25th or the 26th of the month of Decem-
ber, was born in the Na'chez, a girl, child of one Francois and an
Indian woman. She was lawfully baptized at the time by a traveler
(voyageur) named Pierre La Violett-e as there was no priest at the
Natchez, and on the 18th of the month of May, 1721, the girl having
been brought to the Church, I, N. Ig. De Beaubois, priest of the
order of the Society of Jesus, pastor of this parish, with the usual
ceremonies of baptism gave her the name of Therese. The godfather
was Louis Turpin and the godmother Elizabeth Brunet, They signed
with me.
N. Ig. De Beaubois.
Louis Turpain.
Elizabeth brunet.
1721 The year 1721, the first day of June was born a son of the
marriage of Pierre Thevenard and Marie Louise Medan. He was
baptized the 5th of the same month, by me the undersigned, a priest
of the order of the society of Jesus, pastor of this parish. He was
given the name of Pierre. The sponsors were Antoine Carriere and
Marie Catherine Julliette, who signed with me.
Antoine Carriere. N. Ig. De Beaubois.
Marie Catherine Julliette.
1721 — In the year 1721, the 6th of the month of April was born a
daugljter of the marriage of a slave, named Scipion, and a female
slave called Negrease. On account of the immediate danger, the
child was lawfully baptized at the time by the Sieur Provost, surgeon
major, and the 8th of the month of June was brought to the Church,
and I, N. Ig. De Beaubois. a priest of the order of the Society of
Jesus, pastor of this Parish, gave her the name of Francoise with the
usual ceremonies of baptism. The sponsors were Simon Lucas and
Francoise La Brize.
Simon Lucas. N. Ig. De Beaubois.
Francoise La Brize.
(Her mark, a cross )
410
1721 • La meme annee 1721 le 7e de Juin est n^e une fille du
mariagje de Cason Tagrigiege et de Francoise Chetomacha, qui a 6t6
baptiz^e le 8e du meme mois par moi soussigne prestre relligieux de
la Comp. de Jesus, Cur6 de cette paroisse on luy a donu^ If nora de
Marie. Son parrain a 6t6 Jaques La Lande et sa maraine a 6i6 Marie
Caulone.
N. Ig De Beaubois.
Jacques X La Lande.
Marie X Cauion.
1721 — La meme ann^e 1721 le 22e de Juin est rx6 un fils du mariage
de deux negres du Sr, Carriere, connus sous le nom de Pierre et de
Marie, qui a 6 6 baptize la meme jour par moi soussigD6 prestre rel-
ligieux de la Comp. de Jesus, Cure de cette paroisse, on luy a donne
le nom de Jean B, Son parrain a 6te J. B. Pottier et sa maraine
Magdelaine Quesnel. Lesquels ont sign6 avec moi
M. M. N. Ig. De Beaubois, Ptr.
Pottier.
1721 — La meme annee 1721 et le meme jour est n6e une fille du
mariage de Jean Olivier et Marthe Axiga qui a er6 baptiz^e le meme
jour par moi soussiga^ prestre religieux de la Comp de Jesus, Cur6
de cette Paroisse; un luy a donue le nom de Francoise; le parrain a
6t6 Joseph Meunier et la maraine a 6t6 Francoise Brize. Lesquels ne
pousant signe ont fait leur marque.
X Marque de Mensuier. N. Ig, De Beaubois, Ptr.
Marque X de Francoize Brize.
1721 — Le premier de Juillet mil Sept cent vingt un est n6 un fils
d'une Esclave panis, nom6e Fanchoa dont (?) ; le p^re est Inconnu,
qui a 6t6 baptize le cinquieme du metne mois par moi 8ou88ign6
prestre relligieux de la Comp, de Jesus, Cur6 de cette paroisse on luy
a donn6 le nom de Philippe, le parrain a 6i6 le Sr. Philippe de la Re-
nandiere directeur des mines pour la Compagnie d'Occident et la
marraine a 6l6 Catherine Julliette. Lesquels ont sign^ avec moi.
Ph. Renandiere. N. Ig. De Beaubois, Ptr.
Catherine Juliet.
1721 — Le 3 Juillet mil Sept cent vingt un est n6 un fils du mariage
de Sr. Philippe de la Renandiere, commis aux mines pour la Comp
d'Occidente et Demoieelle Perrine Pivet, qui a 6t6 baptize le 7du meme
mois par moi sousign^ prestre religieux Comp de Jesus. Cur6de cette
paroisse, on luy a donn6 le nom de Charles, le parrain a 6t6 Le Sr.
Charles Legardeur de L'isle et la marraine Agnes Philippe. Laquelle
ayant declar^e ne scavoir signer a fait sa marque.
Legardeur Delisle. N. Ig. De Beaubois, Ptr.
Marque d' Agnes Philippe X.
Chassin Dartaguiette.
J Le Drenost, Girandotte.
Pinot. Sr. Jean Tonty.
411
1721 — The same year 1721, the 7th of June, was born a daughter
of the marriage of Cason Tagrigige and of Francoise Chetomacha, who
was baptized the Sth of the same month, by me the undersigned,
priest of the order of the Company of Jesus, pastor of this Parish.
She was named Marie. The sponsors were Jacque La Lande and
Marie Caulone.
Jacque X La Lande. N. Ig. De Beaubois.
Marie X Caulon.
(Their marks.)
1721 — The same same year, 1721, the 22nd of June, was born a son
of the marriage of two negroes belonging to the Sieur Carrierre,
known by the names of Pierre and Marie The child was baptized
the same day, by me the undersigned, a priest of the order of the
Society of Jesus, and pastor of this Parish. He was given the name
of Jean B. His godfather was J B. Pettier and his godmother,
Magdelaine Quesnel. They signed with me.
M. M. N. Ig. De Beaubois, Priest.
Pettier.
The same year, 1721, and the same day, a daughter was born of the
marriage of Jean Olivier and Martha Axiga, who was baptized the
same day by me the undersigned, a priest of the order of the Society
of Jesus, and pastor of this Parish To her was given the name of
Francoise. The godfather was Joseph Meunier, and the godmother
was Franzoise Brize. They could not sign but made their mark.
N. Ig. De Beaubois, Priest.
X A cross, the mark of Meusuier.
X A cross, the mark of Francoize Brize,
1721 — The first of July, 1721, was born a son of a panis (Pawnee
Indian) slave named Fanohon the father of whom is unknown. It
was baptized the loth of the same month by me the undersitJfued, a
priest of the order of the Society of Jesus, rector of the parish. It
was given the name of Philippe. The sponsors are the Sieur Phil-
ippe de la Renandiere, director of the mines for the Company of the
West, and Catharine Juliette, who signed with me.
Ph. Renandier. N. Ig. De Beaubois, Priest.
Catherine Juliet.
1721 — The third day of July, 1721, was born a son of the marriage
of the Sieur Philippe de la Renandiere, clerk of the mines for the
Company of the West, and of the demoiselle Perrine Pivet, who was
baptized the 7th of the same month by me the undersigned, a priest
of the order of the Society of Jesus, and rector of this parish. He
was given the name of Charles. The godfather was the Sieur Charles
Legardeur de L'isle and the godmother was Agnes Philippe. She
having said she could not sign, made her mark, a cross.
Legardeur Delisle. N. Ig. De Beaubois, Priest
X Mark of Agnes Philippe. Chassin.
J. Le Drenost. Pinot.
412
1721 — Le quatorzieme de Juillet mil Sept vingt un sont n6s deux
fils du legitime mariage de Jaques Gruillaume Bigoto dit La Laude et
Marie Titio qui ont 6t6 baptiz6 le meme jour sous conditions dans
doute s'il asvient 6t6 bien ondoyez par moi soussign^ preste relligieux
de la Comp. de Jesus, Cur6 de cette paroisse, on a donn6 a I'aisne le
nom d'Etienne; le parrain a 6t6 le Sr. Etienne Hebert et la marraine
Agnes Philippe. On a donn6 au 2 de. le nom de Gabriel, le parrain a 6t6
Gabriel Bertrand Cardinal et la marraine Magdalaine Quesnel. Les-
quels ont sign6 aveo moi au fait leur marque.
X Marque d'Herbert. N. Ig. De Beaubois, Ptr.
X Marque d'Agnes.
bertrancardinal
M. M. marque de
Magdelaine Quesnel.
1721 — La mSme ann6e mil sept oent vingt un le lie de Juillet est
n6e une fille du legitime mariage de Michel RSensac et Susanne
AmesacSo, qui a 6t6 baptiz6e le 15e du meme mois par moi soussign^
Relligieux Prestre de la Compe de Jesus, cur6 de cette paroisse, J'ai
luy a donn6 le nom de Magdelaine. le parrain a 6t6 Louis Turpin et
la marraine Agnes Philippe. Lesquels ont sign6 au fait leur marque.
Louis Turpain,
X N. Ig. De Beaubois
Marque d'Agnes Philippe.
1721— La meme ann6e mil sept cent vingt nn le 28e de Juillet est
B6e un fils du legitime mariage de Pierre Pillet et de Magdelaine Bar-
ron; qui a 6t6 baptiz6 le vingt neuveieme du meme mois par moi sous-
sign6 relligieux prestre de la Comp de Jesus, Cur6 de cette paroisse,
on luy a donn6 le nom de Jean Baptiste, le parrain a 6i6 Le Sr Jean
B Girardot, euseigne des troupes de la Marine, et la marreine Marie
Magdelaine Quesnel. Lesquels ont sign6 aveo moi.
Marque de
X Chassin N. Ig. De Beaubois.
Marie Magdelaine Quesnal.
Girardot.
Lallemande.
413
1721 — The 14th day of July, 1721, there were born two sons of the
lawful marriage of Jacques Guillaume Bigoto, called La Laude. and
Marie Titio. They were baptized conditionally the same day, be-
cause of the doubt as to their having been validly baptized privately,
by me the undersigned, a priest of the order of the Society of Jesus,
and rector of this parish. The first bora was given the name of Eli-
enne. His sponsors were the Sieur Etienne Hebert, and Agnes
Philippe. To the second child was given the name of Gabriel. Ga-
briel Bertrand Cardinal and Magdelaine Quesnel were sponsors.
They signed with me or made their mark..
N. Iq, De Beaubois, Priest.
X A cross, mark of Hebert.
X cross mark of, Agnes.
bertrancardinal
M. M. mark of
Magdelaine Quesnel.
1721 — The same year, 1721, the 11th of July, was born a daughter
of the lawful marriage of Michel RSensac and Susanne AnnesacSo,
who was baptized on the loth of the same month by me, the under-
signed, a priest of the order of the Society of Jesus, and rector of
this Pnrisb. I gave her the name of Magdalaine. The sponors were
Louis Turpin and Agnes Philippe, who signed with me or made their
mark.
Louis Turpain.
X N. Ig. De Beaubois,
A cross the mark of Agnes Philippe. Priest.
1721 — The same year, 1721, the 20th of July, was born a son of the
lawful marriai^e of Pierre Pillet and of Magdelaine Barron. He was
baptized the 29ih of the same month by me, the undersigned, a priest
of the order of the Society of Jesus, pastor of this Parish. He was
given the name of Jean Baptiste, The sponsors are the Sieur Jean
B Girardot. ensign in the Marine troops, and Marie Magdelaine
Quesnel, who signed with me.
Mark a cross of
X N. Ig. De Beaubois,
Marie Magdelaine Quesnel. Priest.
Girardot. Chassin.
Lailemande.
414
ILLINOIS LEGISLATION ON SLAVERY AND FREE
NEGROES, 1818-1865.
(Mason McClond Flshback.)
Perhaps it would be difficult to find many citizens of the State
who are unacquainted with the general attitude of Illinois in the
struggle which terminated in the great Civil War, The history of
the State is too inseparably associated with the events of that period
to render such a condition probable. The commonwealth which gave
Lincoln and Grant to the Union could not easily forget the work of
her illustrious sons. Although it would be possible to find but few
persons ignorant of the part played by their State in the national
struggle over the slavery question, it is very much to be doubted if
there are many who are well informed as to the attitude of Illinois
toward the same question within her own borders When the war
began and Lincoln issued his call for troops, there was a ready re-
sponse from his home State. Too often, this condition is takt-n as a
matter of course, but this conception is a very false one. Illinois
was nominally a free state, but there is much in her history, (and
this is not so very remote either) that might tend to refute this as-
sertion. The question of slavery and free negroes played a large part
in the life of the State. To show how this is illustrated in the laws of
the commonwealth is the purpose of this discussion.
Although this paper deals with the period of 1818 to 1865, it is
necessary to begin before this time in order to get a clear view of the
situation in 1818. Slavery was originally established in Illinois by
the French, Great Britain at the close of the French and Indian
war in 1763 confirmed the right of the settlers to hold slaves. After
Clark's expedition in 1778, Virginia acquired possession of the terri-
tory, and held it as a county under her jurisdiction It was next
transferred in 1784 to the general government. The bill ceding Illi-
nois to the United States contained this clause: "That the French
and Canadian inhabitants and other settlers of the Kaskaskias, St.
Vincents, and the neighboring villages, who have professed them-
selves citizens of the state of Virginia, shall have their possessions
and titles confirmed to them, and be protected in the enjoyment of
their rights and liberties."*
•Act8 of Virelnla, (See 111., Revised Statutes, 1877, p. 17.)
I
415
Thus it is clear that there had been no change from the conditions
existing under the French. Their right to continue slavery had first
been approved by Great Britain and then by Virginia. But not
long after this time, in the ordinance of 1787, slavery was emphati-
cally prohibited in these words: "There shall be neither slavery nor
involuntary servitude in the said territory, otherwise than in pun-
ishment for crimes whereof the party shall have been duly con-
victed."*
Thus it is seen that the Virginia deed of cession of 1784 and the
ordinance of 1787 conflict. As a result two parties sprang up, one
advocating the authority of the former, and the other declaring its
faith in the latter. The pro slavery party took the initiative as early
as 1302, when it sent to Congress a memorial praying for the suspen-
sion of the article prohibiting slavery in the territory. This agitation
was continued for several years, but in 1807, just two years before
Illinois was separated from Indiana territory, upon a remonstrance
being sent to Congress by the anti-slavery party the whole matter
was dropped for the time being.
In 1807 a law was passed f which permitted masters to bring in their
slaves, provided that immediately thereafter an indenture should be
drawn up and recorded. If the slave should not consent to such an
arrangement his owner was allowed sixty days to remove him from
the territory. If the slaves were under 15 years of age, they could be
held for several years— the males until they were 35, the females un-
til they were 32 years of age. Male children born of indentured
slaves were to remain in bondage until '60 years of age, while this
was reduced to 28 in the case of females. The term of the indenture
that was generally agreed upon was that of 99 years J After the or-
ganization of the Illinois territory in 1809 this same law was adopted
by the governor and judges, and their action was endorsed by the
first legislature in 1812.
In 1817 a law was passed which provided for the repeal of as much
of the above law as provided for the bringing of negroes into the
State for the purpose of indenturing them as slaves. Governor
Edwards, however, promptly vetoed the measure.§
This was the state of affairs in 1818. There seems to be no ques-
tion that there whs a large party which was radically in favor of the
introduction of slavery. Morever this party contained the majority
of the leading men of the territory. The governor, Ninian Edwards,
was a Southerner having been born in Maryland and brought up in
Kentucky. Though a slave holder he was in favor of Illinois enter-
ing the Union as a free state. || Governor Bond, the first state exe-
cutive, was not so firmly opposed to the introduction of s'avery, and
was willing to countenance its existence The most of the people of
•Ordinance of 17«7. Art. IV.
tDavldson and Stav6; p 314.
tmilcsple. RpcollectloDH of Early Illinois, p. 9.
^Davidson and Stav6: 316.
IIBrowu: ijUyeryiQ Illinois: 1011.
416
the State held the same views * The ordinance of 1787 was the ^reat
barrier to the pro-slavery party. The fear that slavery agitation
might postpone statehood, prevented radical measures being taken.
The first constitutional convention met in July, 1818. The jour-
nal of this convention is not now available. However, it is known
that there was a great deal of discussion and strong feeling aroused
over the subject of slavery. The controlling spirit of the conven-
tion was Elias Kent Kane. That Kane was strongly pro slavery
in his views, the convention struggle under Governor Coles clearly
demonstrated.
What was really accomplished is best shown by an examination of
the constitution itself. Article VI, the one which refers to slavery
is as follows: "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall here-
after be introduced into this State, otherwise than for the punish-
ment of crimes, whereof the party shall have been duly convicted,
nor shall any male person arrived at the age of 21 years, nor female
person, arrived at the age of 18 years, be held to serve any person as
a servant, under any indenture hereafter made, unless such person
shall enter into such indenture while in a state of perfect freedom,
and on condition of a bona fide consideration received or to be re-
ceived for their service. Nor shall any indenture of any negro or
mulatto hereafter made and executed out of this State, or if made in
this State, where the term of service exceeds one year, be of tlie least
validity whatever, except those given in ttie case of apprenticeship "
Section II, of the same article, provides, that no person bound to
service in any other state should be hired to work in Illinois except
in the Saline tract near Shawneetown. The service should be for
one year at a time, and such contracts were to cease altogether after
1825 Violation of these provisions was attended with the emanci-
pation of the party concerned.
Section III, relates to indentured slaves. The indentures made
under the territoral laws were to remain intact and in force. How-
ever, it was ordained that the children born after the formation of
the constitution; of indentured parents should become free after a
specified period of service. The male children were to serve until,
they were 21, while the female children were released at eighteen.
Thus, it is seen that the question of slavery and of service formed
a large part of our first constitution, Reasoning from effect to cause,
it would seem that there must have been a great deal of discussion
in the convention In fact it is known that the article on slavery
was the subject of a heated debate, and was almost the only one over
the adoption of which there was any excitement.
It was recognized before the convention met that this was going
to be a disputed point, and as a conse:iuence it wae debated withi
great earnestness in the canvas f Ford states that in the election of
•Davidson and Stuv6: 316.
tReynolda' "My Own Times": 209.
417
members to the convention the only questions placed before the
people were regarding^ the right of the constituent to instruct his
representative, and the introduction of slavery.
Considerable objection was advanced against the Constitution when
it was presented to Congress. Tallmadge of New York objected to
it on the ground that the prohibitory clause, if not actually. sanction-
ing slavery, was not sufficiently strong.
The wording of the clause was that slavery "shall not hereafter be
introduced." He objected to the use of tbe word hereafter, General
Harrison and others thought that the prohibition was adequate,
Tallmadge believed that the Illinois Ci»n8titution iufrinyjed upon the
ordinance of 1787. His faction was a small minority, for when the
question of admitting the territory into the Union was put, it was
carried by a vote of 117 to 84.*
Although Illinois was known as a free State, her status on the
slavery question was rather peculiar. The extent of the State north
and south has brouj^rht it into touch with both factions in the United
States. The southern half of the Stale whs first settled and conse-
quently the tide of immigration frotn Virginia, Tnunessee and Knn-
tucky -pro-slavery districts— gained an early control of the common-
wealth, and directed the trend of Illinois politics.
The Conntitution of 1818 was not referred to the people Shadrach
Bond, the governor elect, and the majority of the other executive offi-
cers were either avowedly for slavery, or passive in their attitude to-
ward its introduction.
Once admitted into the Union the process of legislation began.
This early included the subject of slavery and free negroes At the
second session of the First Creneral AHserably. whii^h met Jan 4. 1819,
a stringent slave code was adopted fThis act of March 80, L'^19. "An
act respecting free negroes, mulattoes, serva its and slaves," was the
first of a long series, the provisions of the most of vvhi ih remained in
the statutes of the State until 18H5. Tfiia act of 1819 is imp -rtant
not only in point of time, but with respect to its relation to those
which follow. It is not only the forerunner of the rest, but the
parent as well. All of its successors were itj reality amendments to
it, althout^h not always so styled in their titles Since the importance
of this act is so great, it is necessarv that a close examiuHtion of its
various features be made, and its different sections analyzed.
Sections 1 — 2. Previous to settling in the State the negro or
mulatto had to produce a certifi 5a»e of freedom ua ler seal of a court
of record This was to be endorsed by the circuit clerk of the county
in which he wished to reside, together with the date, name and de-
Boription of himself and family The overseers of the poor, however,
were empowered to remove any negro from the county who had failed
to comply with the provisions of the poor law.
♦Annals of Congress. 1818-1819: 309-311.
tLiaws of llllnole, 1819-1821: iU.
—27 H
418
§ 3. It was provided that it was unlawful for any one to bring in
a slave for the purpose of freeing him. In case this was done, how-
ever, a bond of |],000 was required as a guaranty that the former
slave would not become a county charge. Failure to comply with
this section was attended with a fine of $200 for each emancipated
slave.
Sections IV and V. — These sections related to free negroes already
residing in the State. They were to file name, description, and evi-
dence of freed >m, with the circuit clerk. Once recorded this was
considered sufficient evidence of freedom. No negro unprovided
with such a certificate was eligible for employment, and anyone hav-
ing such a negro was to be fined $1.50 for each day's work performed.
Section VI. — Anyone knowingly harboring a slave, or preventing
the recapture of the same was to be guilty of felony, and was to be
punished accordingly,
Sections VII and VIII. — Every negro found without a certificate
of freedom was to be considered a runaway slave, subject to arrest
and commitment by a justice, Ho was then for six weeks to be ad-
vertised by the sheriff, and in the meantime not having established
his freedom, was to be sold for the period of one year. If at the end
of this time he had not been claimed he was to be given a certificate
of freedom, which should guaranty his freedom unless he were sub-
sequently claimed by his owner. The "taker up" or the one who in-
formed against him, was to receive $10 00 or the reward ofiFered by
the owner. After his release the negro was to receive the amount of
the wages for which he had been hired. Any person gaining posses-
sion of a free negro by false swearing was to be punished for perjury.
Section 9. — This section prohibited kidnapping, it being provided
that anyone forcibly taking a free negro or indentured slave out of
the State — excepting masters removing their runaway slaves — was to
pay a fine of $1000 to the injured party.
Sections X and XXV. — The remaining sections of the code deal
with the relation of the servant or slave to his master and to the pub-
lic in general. The master was to provide suitable food and clothing
for his servants, and at the end of the period of service was to supply
him with a special outfit of clothing Servants guilty of misbehavior
or laziness were to be corrected by stripes. In case of mistreatment
the servant was to find redres3 in the circuit court. If he became
sick or lame, or otherwise incapable of service, he was nevertheless
to be maintained until the end of his period of service A negro
was not allowed to purchase as a servant anyone not of his own color.
This, of course, was to prevent negroes from holding wlide slaves.
Commercial dealings of all kinds, without the consent of the masters
were prohibited under penalty of forfeiting to the latter a sum equal
to four times the amount of the transaction. Where free persons
were to be punished by fines, negroes and slaves were to receive
whippings, at the rate of 20 lashes for every $8 00, though no offender
was to receive more than 40 at one time. Upon being found 10 miles
away from home without a permit, the servant was liable to be taken
419
before a justice and to receive 85 stripes, while ten were administered
if he appeared at any dwelling, or plantation without leave. Unlaw-
ful assemblages and routs of all kinds were prohibited, while any
person permitting dancing or reveling by slaves on his premises
could be fined $25 00. It was the duty of the county officers to as-
sist in the apprenhension of slaves guilty of any such misconduct,
This code was in fact a re-enactment of the territorial laws regard-
ing slavery, such a revision being necessary on account of tbe change
in the form of government. Naturally, the law which permitted the
introduction of slaves from the slave states was omitted. The sec-
tion which, perhaps, is opeu to the most criticism is the ninth, which
related to kidnapping. The clause stated that $1,000 should be
given the injured party, and not to the one who should cause the of-
fender's arrest. When the victim was carried so far south as to pre-
vent his return, the remedy was stolen with him. In the second
place, the penalty was insufficient, for in case the kidnapper was not
able to pay his fine, no other punishment was provided. This was
the "condition of the kidnapping scoundrels in 99 cases out of a hun-
dred, Again, many of the ignorant blacks were enticed out of the
state by fraud and deceit and then forcibly taken and sold into sla-
very. To prevent this the law made no provision." *Kidnapping
was very common at this time, the sentiment in the southern part of
the state being specially favorable to its practice.
Ford, in his history of Illinoisf thinks that the object of these
laws was partly to prevent free negroes from becoming numerous in
the State, and partly to discourage slaves from escaping to Illinois
in search of freedom He furthermore thinks that such an object
was highly commendable when one stops to consider the importance
for the sake of harmony and good government of preserving the
homogeneous character of the people. Of course it is idle to specu-
late as to what might have happened if a different course had been
followed, but it would seem that the danger of the State being over-
run with large numbers of blacks was highly exaggerated. As a
majority of the early settlers were from southern states, they uncon-
sciously— as Ford believes — imported these laws along with a num-
ber of others, although they did not fit into the new conditions. He
shows how laws were adopted from the south for the inspection of
tobacco and hemp, when neither was an Illinois product. It is pos-
sible these laws were passed for the above reason, but it does not
seem improbable that the contrary might be true. If the early legis-
lators were largely from the south, they certainly had the interest of
their native section at heart. In fact the history of the common-
wealth both before and after the passage of these laws (1S19) cer-
tainly proves this to be true. If it is reasonable to believe that the
act of 1819 was unconsciously passed by slavery sympathizers, how
much more credible it is that these same persons were alive to their
opportunity, and were taking advantage of it. Such a code, no
doubt, would have been justifiable in a slave state where the number
*Davld«on and Stav6. 317.
tFord; History of iUlnois. 34.
420
of blacks would have necessitated measures of this kind, but in Illi-
nois, out of a population of 55,162 (in 1820) there were only 917
slaves, and many of these were simply indentured and registered ser-
vants.*
In August, 1822, occurred thie second State election. There were
four candidates for the 'governorship, Ptiillips, Browne, Miore aud
Coles. The first two were pro-slavery in their views. Moore was
an independent candidate, although he was nominated by the mili-
tary faction. Coles had been private secretary to President Madison
and had been appointed register of the land office upon his removal
to Illinois. Upon his arrival from Virginia he had set free his slaves
and had establisded each family upon a quarter section of laud. He
believed that slavery was wrong, and was actively opposed to it
throughout his life.f
While the question of making Illinois a slave State was not one of
the express issues of the campaign, "it was in the air" and certainly
had some influence upon the election J Coles was successful, receiv-
ing 2,854 votes, Phillips 2,mi, Browne 2,44^ and Moore 622. Coles'
plurality was but 167 and he was in a minority of the total vote
cast § The lieutenant governor, Hubbard, was a pro-slavery man,
while a majority of the legislators were pro-slavery also.
The new governor delivered his inaugural address Dec. 5, 1822,
and then there began his fight against slavery in Illinois. He called
attention to the fact that, notwithstanding the ordinance of 1787,
slavery still existed in the State.
He recommended II that the legislature put an end to the practice
and that it adopt more effective means against kidaapping, which
seems to have been very common at this time, and "That justice and
humanity required of us a general revisal of the laws relative to ne-
groes, in order the better to adapt them to the character of our insti-
tutions and the situation of our country."
A committee was appointed to consider the governor's message, a
special one being named tor that portion referring to slavery. The
latter, as was to be expected, brought in an adverse report ^ It declared
that although restrictions against slavery were imposed in the first
Constitution, at the present time the State possessed the same right
as the State of Virginia to alter her Constitution or to settle the
slavery question.
It was considered that the best means to accomplish this would be
to call a convention to alter the Constitution To submit this to the
people it was necessary that a resolution be passed by a two-thirds
vote. The pro-slavery men had enough votes in the Sen«te, but in
the house jast one was lacking, a member by the name of Hansen, in
whom they had counted, having voted against them.
•D .vl ison »nd Stnv6. 311
tWsshburnc; Sketch of Edward Coles: 17.
t.Mo-<«!<' liiiuols: Historical and Staiis Iciil: 809.
i ^^ ashhurne: Sketch of Edward Colew: 68-59.
JWashburne: sfc;etch Edward Colea: 65.
iSee Moses: 316.
421
Hansen's election had been contested at the beginning of the ses-
sion by a John Shaw, but the committee on elections had reported
uaanimously in favor of the former. This episode was now remem-
bered and the House decided to reconsider the matter. The result
was in brief, that Sbaw was recalled and the resolutions calling the
convention were adopted.* The thing now to be done was to defeat
the measure at the polls.
The great majority of the political leaders of the State were against
Coles f The newspapers were about evenly divided. The most of
the common people of the State were supporting the Governor.
The election, Aug. 2, 1824, after a very heated campaign, gave the
anti-convention party a majority of 1,668 out of 11,612 votes X
During this struggle Governor Coles was subjected to a great deal
of abuse and annoyance, and whatever could be done to injure him
was attempted In 1824 a suit was brought against him in the
county of Madison for neglecting to comply with the provision of
section 8 of the act of March 30, 1819. This §provided that anyone
bringing slaves into the state for the purpose of setting them free
should execute a bond of $1,000 in guaranty that the emancipated
slave should not become a county charge. Failure to do this was at-
tended with a fine of $200 for each slave set free. The act was passed
a month before Coles came to Illinois, but was not published for
several months afterwards As a result Coles had failed to comply
with the law when he emancipated his slaves. The suit was begun
in the March term, but went over till September when a verdict of
$2,000 was rendered against the defendant. A motion for a new trial
was made, but not being terminated, the case was continued to the
March term in 1825. In the meantime (January) the legislature
passed a law releasing all persons from penalties inccurred in this
way. II Thereafter each person was immediately to comply with the
requirements of the law In other words, a second chance was given
to any who had unwittingly neglected this matter. This amendment
was passed especially in the interest of Governor Coles, in order to
release him from this unfortunate lawsuit. He was acquitted, but
not until the case was carried to the supreme court.
Governor Coles delivered his valedictory message Dec. 6, 1826.
In this last address^ to the legislature he again took occasion to refer
to the slavery question, and as a digest of the laws and a new crimi.
nal code were to be adopted during this session, he earnestly recom-
merjded that the laws referring to negroes be revised and be made less
repugnant to the conditions in Illinois. But if the Assembly should
not see fit to abolish slavery he would have them adopt such measures
as would ultimately put an end to it. But even if this could not be
done, he urged that the provision compelling children, born of in-
dentured slaves, to remain in bondage up to a certain age should be
swppt away. He also advocated more protection for free negroes
♦Washbnrne: Sketch of Edward Coles: 73.
tFord's History of llllnoi-: 53.
X oni'g History of llltn. Is. 65.
IWa-hbu-nf>. Sketch of Edward Coles. 199.
ILnws of 1825-1!j60 or Washburne's sketch of Edvard Coles, 203
Ideiiate Journal, 1826; 21-22.
422
Althousfh he was not in favor of encouraging their immigration, he
thought that the State should furnish protection for those who were
already within its borders. In conclusion he urged a change in the
general attitude toward the negro, and that instead of beiug consid-
ered a slave until proven free, the contrary should be the case.
This was the third time that Coles had called attention to this sub-
ject The first occasion was in his inaugural speech, Dec 5, 1822,
and the second in his message to the extra session of the Legislature,
Nov. 18, 1824:. Whatever one may think of Coles' method of proce-
dure and his lack of tact, he cannot fail to admire his wonderful
earnestness and zeal,
With the exception of the act of 1825 the "black code" remained
unaltered uniil 1829 * In that year an act was passed January 17,
which related especially to free negroes. It contains four sections,
the first two of which were largely reproductions of sections one and
two, and seven and eight of the act of 1lj19 No colored person who
was not a citizen of another state coald gain a residence in Illinois
without first filing a certificate of freedom in the county commission-
er's court and giving $1000 bond that he would be self-supporting.
It will be seen that in this act the responsibility was placed upon the
negro himself. No bond was required of a free negro by the former
act. He simply had to file a certificate of freedom with his circuit
clerk. It must have been almost impossible for a negro to gain a
residence under these conditions. This was but one more barrier to
the immigration of free negroes.
Anyone failing to observe these rules and hiring or harboring a
negro who had not complied with the law was liable to a tine of $500.
Section two details the manner of dealing with runaway slaves, which
is practically the same as that set forth in the first act. If a slave
should escape to this State (section 4) and afterwards institute a
suit to procure his freedom, he should at once be turned over to the
sherifip who should deliver him to his owner.
In section three a new point is dealt with which the former act had
failed to consider. The intermarriage of whites and blacks was very
strongly prohibited; such marriages were to be null and void and
punishable by fine, whipping and imprisonment for a period not less
than one vear. OflBcials taking any part in such ceremonies were to
be fined $200 and were to be ineligible for re-election
The act of 1829 was amended February 1, 1831 f This amendment
reiterated the necessity of the negro giving a bond. In addition the
act provided that a fine of $100 should be imposed upon any one aid-
ing a negro, in any way, to gain a settlement in the State. This act
is a distinct amendment to the act of 1819 and is far more severe.
The latter provided that a slave owner could bring his slaves into the
State and free them, provided he gave a bond for their self-support.
♦Revised L»ws of 1833; 4«3-166.
tLawsof 1831; 101.
1
423
The act of 1S31 makes no exception whatever. The sentiment against
the blacks must have been pretty strong that such a law could have been
passed. The violators and the opponents of this law however must have
been many, for at the next meeting of the legislature it was found
necessary to pass another amendment discharging from penalties all
those who had violated the third section of the act of 1819.* As was
shown above, an amendment was passed in 1825 affecting this very
point. Without a careful reading, one would suppose that the two
amendments were identical, with the exception of some minor dif-
ferences in wording But the second is much more comprehensive
than the first. The latter provides, "that any person who may have
failed or neglected to comply with the provisions of the third section
of the act above recited, and to which this is an amendment, shall be
and they are hereby released, and entirely discharged from any pen-
alty incurred under the provisions of the said act or from any ver-
dict or judgment rendered against them in any of the counties of
this State" * * The amendment of 1883 reads: "That any person
who may have failed or neglected or may hereafter fail or neglect
to comply (the italics are mine) with t le third section of the act to
which this is an amendment, shall be and they are hereby released
and entirely discharged from the penalty incurred or to be incurred
under the provisions of the said act" * * * * That which fol-
lows in each case is that the party shall proceed at once to comply
with the requirements of the act. The first amendment, as was seen,
was passed during the administration of Governor Coles and expressly
for his benefit No provision was made for the future violation
of the act, and of course none could have been made for those who
may have failed to comply with the act of 1^31. Hence the neces-
sity of making the provisions of the act of 1825 more general. Ap-
parently there was no opposition to the passage of the law of 1833,
as no discussion is recorded in the journals.
The act of Feb 19, 1841, to which also there was no opposition,
providedf that every native resident negro in the State should be
permitted to file with the circuit clerk the names of himself and
members of his family, together with their evidences of freedom.
Thereupon the clerk was to issue a certificate of such record, which
was to be prima facie evidence of his or her freedom, carrying with
it the protection of the law. However, this act was not to be con-
structed to bar the lawful claim of anyone to the negro in question.
During this period, from 1818 to 1848, there were several bills in-
troduced relating to slavery and to negroes which failed to pass,
partly, I believe, because of direct opposition, but largely owing to
indifference. The House and Senate journals are very unsatisfac-
tory, as scarcely ever is the text of any bill recorded. In the Senate
journal of 1835-6 an "Act in Relation to Runaway Slaves" is found
•Revised Laws of 1833; 466.
t Laws of Ibll, 189. 190.
424
introduced* It was reported to a committee of three, two members
of which were from northern counties. The latter probably opposed
it, for it never came up again. In the Senate journal of 1884-5 is
found mention of a bill referring to negroes and mulattoes, which
after a second reading was laid upon the table and ultimately lost
eight of t
In the first session of the Ninth General Assembly a resolution was
introduced by Maxwell, of McDonough and Warren counties, regard-
ing the immigration of negroes J The resolution was as follows:
"Mesolved, That the committee on the judiciary be instructed to en-
quire into the propriety of amending the law concerning negroes,
mulattoes, etc., so as to prohibit their introduction into the State for
the purpose of gaining settlements, under any pretence whatever;
and that they report by bill or otherwise." Though no action was
taken respecting these resolutions they are important in showing how
this question is thus early beginning to attract attention.
In the tenth general assembly the famous Lincoln resolutions were
introduced. During this session Governor Duncan had sent to the
legislature reports and resolutions from several of the states denounc-
ing abolitionists. As a result the assembly passed a set of resolu-
tions which denounced abolition societies, and maintained the right
of slave-holding by the south, and declared that Congress could not
abolish slavery at the seat of government without the consent of the
people of the district §
Lincoln could not endorse these resolutions and took occasion to
record his protest. The importance of the latter as showing Lin-
coln's position at this time will justify quoting in full :
"Resolutions upon the subject of domestic slavery having passed
both branches of the general assembly at its present session, the un-
dersigned hereby protest against the passage of the same.
'"They believe that the institution of slavery is founded on both in-
justice and bad policy bat that the promulgation of abolition doc-
trine tends rather to increase than abate its evils.
"They believe that the Congress of the United States has no power
under the constitution to interfere with the institution of slavery in
the different states.
"They believe that the Congress of the United States has the
power under the constitution to abolish slavery in the District of
Columbia, but that the power ought not to be exercised unless at the
request of the people of the District.
"The difference between these opinions and those contained in
the above resolutions is their reason for entering this protest.
(Signed) Dan Stone.
A. Lincoln.
Representatives from the County of Sangamon. ||
•Senate Journal. 1835 6. 154, 199.
tSf>nale .Journhl. I>"a4 5 371.
t Rous.' Journal. 18U-6. 61
? -ee Nickoiay and Hay; Abraham Lincoln 1; 150.
IIMoat accessible in Lincoln's iSpeeches I; 15, Nicko'ay and H^^y.
425
The sentiment in different parts of the State against abolition was
very strong, and in Alton culminated in the death of Lovejoy, Nov.
7, iy37. Instead of silencing the opponents of slavery, this incident
increased their enthusiasm Petitions were sent to the Legislature
of I88S.9. Two of these were presented in the House* Jan. 29, 1839.
Two days later Calhoun of Sangamon, took these as a text for a set
of resolutions. His statement was confined to three points: First,
that Illinois should openly declare her position on the slavery ques-
tion; second, that Congress possessed no right to abolish slavery at
the seat of government, or in the several states, and that the question
of slavery should not be considered in the admission of a state into
the Union; third, that the laws against negroes as a class should not
be abolished. The immediate adjournmentf of the Legislature pre-
vented any action being taken on these resolutions.
"An act for the safe keeping of runaway slaves" was the title of a
bill introduced in the first session of the Eleventh General Assembly,
1888-9 J After a second reading it was laid on the table. Shortly
afterwards an amendment to the "act in relation to free negroes" was
introduced § When it came up for third reading it failed to secure
a sufficient number of votes. The journal dies not record the text of
the bill, and so its exact nature is not known.
During this decade the southern part of the State manifested a
great deal of interest in, and sympathy with, the neighboring slave-
holding states at the loss of their escaping negroes. A bill for the
apprehension and safe keeping of fugitive slaves was introduced in
the Thirteenth General Assembly, 1842-8, although nothing came of
it. II February 7, IM-IS, Senator Dougherty of Union county, ex-
pressed this sympathy in a set of resolutions. After expressing re-
gret at the increasing number of desertions, he proposed to remedy
this evil (as he viewed it) by the united action of all the states in
the Mississippi Valley. To this end he advocated the calling of a con-
vention to meet in Illinois for the consideration of this problem. No
final action, however, was taken. ^ During the session of 1844-5
Representative Hick of Gallatin, recommended a bill for an act to
prevent the stealing and enticing away of slaves ** A motion to lay
the bill on the table was defeated, 78 to 11. The bill passed the
House without any difficulty and probably would have been equally
successful in the Senate had not the Legislature adjourned a few
days later, thus preventing its passage.
Perhaps it would be well to pause here to examine some of the
particular restrictive measures against negroes as a class. They
held an inferior position in the body politic, and were to a large ex-
tent ignored. In cases of law the negro's evidence had no weight
against that of a white — in fact his testimony was not listened to at
•Hon<e Journal, 1839. 301.
tHouse J<iurnal l^a9, 322.
tSf-nare JournBl. 183M, 62.
i!>enate Journal. 18a9. 222.
I Senate Jonrnal, I^-IS. 1:^4. ]67, 329.
^'^•uate Journal. 18«3 3i4.
•*flouse Journal, 1845, 481.
426
all * Every mulatto having one-fourth negro blood was likewise in-
capable of appearing against a white In the aot respecting appren-
tices, in force June 1, 1827, it was provided that the child who was
bound out should be taught reading and writing and the principles
of arithmetic. However, it was added in a proviso, if the apprentice
were a colored child, such education was not required f
Section 158 of the criminal code (1833) shows in an indirect way
another discrimination against the blacks. Here it is provided that
no ivhite female should be sentenced to stand in the pillory, thus im-
plying that such punishment would be allowed in the case of a negro
or mulatto woman. J
These illustrations are sufficient to show what a large part negro
legislation played in the history of the State. On the whole this
legislation is not very creditable when viewed from the present, but
it must be borne in mind that such laws were to a considerable de-
gree characteristic of the time.
Although the constitutional convention of 1847 was not called to
consider slavery measures, these played rather a large part in the
convention proceedings. Slavery, as such, was prohibited, and in no
such uncertain terms as in the first convention. Apparently the
proposition was supported unanimously as there is no struggle re-
corded. As first presented in a resolution by Church of Winnebago§
it was as follows: "There shall be neither slavery nor involuntary
servitude in this State, otherwise than for the punishment of crimes
whereof the party shall have been duly convicted. Nor shall any
person be deprived of liberty on account of color." As finally
adopted the last sentence was omitted. Although the most of the
people of the State were against slavery now, they were far from
being abolitionists.
The discussion in the convention concerning negroes may be ar-
ranged under three heads: Citizenship and the right of suffrage;
the "under-ground railway"; the immigration of free negroes.
Suffrage was to be exercised only by the whites. There seems to
have been almost universal opposition to the idea of allowing the
negro to vote, When a resolution was offered restricting suffrage
to white male citizens — the restriction being primarily to citizens,
Whitney of Boone moved to strike out the word white. Out of 185
there were only eight votes in favor of this || It was also voted that
colored persons should never be allowed under any pretence, what-
ever, to hold office in this State. ^ Shortly after the convention met,
Singleton of Brown presented a petition which strongly protested
against the citizens of Illinois interfering with the slave property of
adjoining states. Naturally, this was a blow at the workings of the
♦Revised Laws of 1833, #96.
tKevlsed Liws of I8i3. 70.
tHevlsed Laws of 1833. 208.
JOonventlon Joarual, lh47; 46.
IC .nvt-mlon Journal, 76.
^Convention Jonrnal. 469.
427
"underground railway" system, or "the Subterranean Underground
railway" as it was then called. The hatred of this system, for it was
fast coming to be that, was very great and no words were spared in
condemning it.*
Probably the most important matter discussed was that concerning
the restriction of negro immigration. Bond of Clinton, early pro-
posed that there be adopted an article in the bill of ritfhts prohibit-
ing slave owners from bringing their slaves into the State for eman-
cipation and prohibiting free negroes from settling in Illinois. f The
next day a petition to the same effect was presented; later Church of
Winnebago offered the following as an amendment to the bill of
rights:^ "The legislature shall pass no law preventing any citizen of
any one of the United States from emigrating to and settling with-
in this State." Eighty-nine voted against and 47 for it.
Rather than jeopardize the acceptance of the Constitution it was
provided that the immigration clause be embodied in a separate arti-
cle, and thus submitted to the people. The vote upon the Constitu-
tion proper was: for adoption, 59,887; for rejection, 15,859. The
vote on Article XIV (immigration clause) was not so large, being
49,0BB for and 20,884 against § This Article was much opposed in
the northern part of the State, especially in Cook county.
It might be presumed that the negroes were rather harshly treated
at thip time (1847) for there were several petitions presented in their
behalf. These generally prayed that the principles of the Declara-
tion of Independence be extended, and that protection and security
be granted irrespective of color.
An amendment to one of the immigration propositions provided:
"That the legislature shall have no power to pass laws of an op-
pressive character applicable to persons of color." This failed to
pass by a vote of 92 to 46 ||
Compared with the constitution of 1818 there are two differences to be
noted: there is no question that the new Constitution prohibits slavery;
secondly, free negroes are to be prevented from settling in the State
by a law which was to be passed by the legislature at its next session.
It may well be doubted whether the new Constitution was more lib-
eral than the old, for while the blacks gained in one respect they lost
in another. If the negro no longer was subject to bondage he still
remained the butt of abuse and oppression.
The Constitution provided, as above noted, that a law prohibiting
the immigration of free negroes be passed at the next meeting of the
General Assembly. Accordingly in the Senate in 1849 a bill to that
effect was drawn up. When the bill came up to be engrossed for
third reading Mr. Judd of Cook moved to lay it upon the table ^ His
motion, however, failed by a vote of 16 to 8, whereupon he proposed
•Convention Journal. 95,
tConventlun Journal. 92.
tOonventlon Journal. 458.
jDaTldsou and Stuv6: 650.
llConventlon Journal: 192.
Hcienate J carnal. 1819: 227.
428
as an amendment the repeal of Chapter 74 of the Revised Statutes.
The chapter contained the "black laws." His motion was lost.
Reddick of La Salle then offered* as an additional section a portion
of the Declaration of Independence — "that all men are created free
and equal." This also, strange to say, was promptly tabled. By a
vote of 13 to 12 the bill was ordered to a third reading and finally
passed the Senate by the same vote.f After the passage Mr Red-
dick and Mr. Ames of McHenry took occasion to become slightly
sarcastic. The former proposed the title of the bill be changed to
"An act for a crusade by a Christian State against negroes." The
latter desired a quotation from the Federal Constitution as the title:
"An act declaring citizens of ea^h State to be entitled to all privi-
leges and immunities of the citizens of the several States "X The
bill was lost, as it failed to pass in the House by the vote of M to 31. §
Another attempt || was made in the next meeting of the legislature
— the Seventeenth General Assembly, which met Jan. 6. 1851. But
after being referred to the judiciary committee it was lost sight of.
In 1853 still another attempt was made, which proved successful.
It was first introduced in the House and passed without difficulty.
When it came up for third reading another unsuccessful effort was
made to secure the repeal of the "black laws." The vote on the bill
when it came up for passage in the House stood 45 for and 23
against.^ Nixon of McHenry, thought that the title of the bill
should be "an act to create an additional number of abolitionists in
the State, and for other purposes." The vote in the Senate was
much closer, the vote standing 13 to 9.** Judd thought that a truer
title would be "An act to establish slavery in this State "
The provisions of this act of 1853 deserve special examination.
Anyone aiding a negro, bond or free, to secure settlement in Illinois
was to be fined not less than $100 00 or more than $500 00, aad was
to be imprisoned in the county jail not longer than a year. The
negro was to be fined $50.00 if he stayed in the State ten days with
the purpose of continuing his residence here. Upon failure to pay
the fine he was to be arrested and to be advertised for ten days by
the sheriff and then sold to the person who would pay the fine and
costs for the shortest term of service. Daring this period the tem-
porary owner was to work the negro at his pleasure. The prosecut-
ing witness was to receive half the fine imposed J J
There were several attempts to make this law more stringent. In 1857
an amendment was introduced in the House and got as far as a third
reading before it was dropped JJ In 1865 a resolution was introduced
in the House asking for a more effective law. This was adopted by a
*Senats .lotirnal, 1819: 227.
tSenate Journ»l, 18*9: 269.
t-'enate Journal, 18*9: 371.
SH.a^e .Journal. 1849: 475.
II -Senate Journal, 18.S1. p 31. 38.
Urtou^e Journal 1853, i43.
♦♦Senate Jourual, 1853. 475.
t+lj»w8 of Illinois. 1853. 57-60.
UUouae Joarnal, 1857; 116.
429
vote of 65 to seven * The constitutional convention of 1862 decided
"that no negro or mulatto shall migrate to or settle in this State after
the adoption of this oonstitution"f and this clause was ratified by the
people though the constitution as a whole was defeated. In 186B a
final efPort to make the law more efifective failed in the Senate al-
though endorsed by the House. J
In 1853 Nixon of McHenry tried to get a bill passed which would
enable colored persons to give testimony § But this was tabled by a
large vote. In 1855 a resolution was presented by Representative
Diggins of Boone county denouncing the policy which denied colored
tax payers the right to send their children to the public schools. ||
This was also tabled.
During this decade, 1850-1860 the feeling on the slavery question
in national politics grew more and more intense and the hope of a
peaceable settlement became more remote. This struggle was re-
flected much in the different states, finding expression in the state
legislatures. This was especially true in Illinois where each faction
had ardent supporters. In 1849 Haven, a representative from Ken-
dall county offered a resolution embodying these recommendations:^
1. That Congress should abolish slavery in the territories; 2, All
United States laws sanctioning slavery in the District of Columbia
or elsewhere should be repealed. That the resolutions were not in
favor is shown by the fact that they were laid on the table by a vote
of 40 to 24 ** In the preceding, or regular session, the two houses
adopted a resolution which instructed our congressmen to use their
iuflnence "to procure the enactment of such laws by Congress for the
government of the countries and territories of the United States, ac-
quired by the treaty of peace, friendship, limits and settlement with
the Republic of Mexico concluded Feb. 2, 1848, as shall contain the
express declaration that there shall be neither slavery nor involun-
tary servitude in said territories, otherwise than in the punishment
of crimes whereof the party shall have been duly convicted. ff
The next General Assembly met Jan. 6, 1851, and on the very first
day, Shaw, of Lawrence, started a discussion by offering a series of
resolutions on the slavery question XX These were pro-slavery in tone.
Four points were embodied therein: 1. That it was inexpedient and
unconstitutional for Congress to interfere with domestic slavery in
the different states; 2, that the resolutions passed at the preceding
session should be repealed; 8, that the compromise measures (of
1850) should be endorsed; 4, that the Federal Constitution ought to
be upheld. To show how strongly these sentiments appealed to
•House Journsl. 1861: 61.
t(>>uvenfion .louinal. 1*^62; 1098.
tHoiise Journal. 1H63. 500.
JHouie Journ»l. 1K53: 145-6.
IHouwp .fniirnal. 1855; 26i5.
% ami •*Hou«e .Journal. IM9; 27.
ft Senate To irnal, 1H9 (1st session) 60; House Journal, same session, 65.
UHouse Journal 1851; 6.
430
Shaw's oolleai^ues it is but necessary to give the vote upon a motion
to lay the resolutions on the table — 28 for and 45 against There-
upon the whole matter was referred to a special committee about
equally divided as to northern and southern members.* Besides
concurring with Shaw, the report endorsed the fugitive slave law
recently passed by Congress. After lyiag upon the table for some
time the report came up again Jan. 22. A new resolutionf was
added to the effect that no limitations should be placed upon the or-
ganization of a Territorial or State government other than that it
should be republican in form, and in harmony with the Constitution.
The set was adopted by sections, the opposition being small, the greatest
disagreement being to the fugitive slave law and to the repeal of the
resolutions offered at the preceding session, the vote being the
same for each, 54 to 15. Similar resolutions were drawn up in the
Senate^ and adopted, the chief opposition here being to the Wilmot
proviso clause, the vote standing 18 to seven. In the other sections
the vote generally was 21 to four, or 22 to three.
From now on to the beginning of war, the all-prevailing tone of
the resolutions on national affairs was that of peace, the maintenance
of the Union and the complete suppression of slavery agitation. Any
attempt to disturb the critical state of affairs was denounced. In
1855 and 185 < resolutions of this nature and purpose were adopted §
In 1859, Higbee. a Senator from Pike county, in a number of reso-
lutions || set forth the platform of the Democratic party, The planks
of this which referred to the slavery question were anything but
anti-slavery in aspect. Abolition movements were denounced, the
compromise of 1850 including the objectionable fugitive slave law,
was upheld. The Dred Scott decision was accepted as just, while
Lincoln's claim that the Union could not continue to exist partly
free and partly slave, was ridiculed. The Kentucky and Virginia
resolutions of 1798 and 1799 were declared important foundations in
the party's creed. Higbee's resolutions were accepted, 14 to 11 being
the vote. Two days later there was a motion to reconsider this
matter, but it was deferred until Feb, 7. On that day Marshall, of
Coles, offered a number of resolutions as substitutes for those pre-
sented by Higbee T[ He began by stating that he considered the
slavery question not merely one of dollars and cents. After this he
gave a brief outline of the history of slavery in the United States.
He maintained the government should not reject a state consti-
tution even if it did sanction slavery — provided it were republican in
form With this exception his resolutions were strongly anti slavery.
The vote resulted in a tie and the Speaker cast his vote in favor of
the resolutions. Higbee's resolutions thus amended were objection-
♦House Journal 1851: 71.
tHouse Journal 1851; 126.
tSenate Journal 1851; 4. 53.
2Hoase Journal, 1855; 235; Senate Journal, 327; Senate Journal, 1857; 323-4.
II Senate Journal, 1859; 191-7.
USenate Journal, 1859; 228.
431
able and his party rejected them by a vote of 12 to ten * The House
also during this session (1858-9) took an active interest in national pol-
itics. Davis,! o^ Montgomery, introduced a set of resolutions which
were adopted by sections. Loyalty to the Union was expressed ; popular
sovereignty endorsed; constant agitation of the slavery question
denounced; non-intervention of slavery in the states and the admis-
sion of a state irrespective of slavery were recommended; lastly it
was declared that admission ought not to be denied a state if the
latter prohibited the immigration of free negroes. The vote on this
last clause was, for, 65, against, three.
In 1861, in an attempt to do something to prevent civil war, reso-
lutions were offered in the Senate recommendiug that a national
convention be held to propose amendments to the constitution X
Another scheme was that Congress should enact several compromise
measures which should provide that slavery should not be interfered
with where it already existed, and that popular sovereignty should
settle the question in new states. § No action was taken respecting
these resolutions.
The Twenty-fourth General Assembly met Jan. 2, 1865. On the
next day II a bill was introduced for an "Act to repeal certain statutes
known as the black laws." When the bill came up for third reading,
Jan. 24, McConnell of Morgan, moved that the act of 1853 be not
included in the number to be repealed. His motion was lost, 13 to
ten Tf The bill finally passed the Senate by the same vote, while in
the House 45 supported it and 31 were against it.** The actual re-
peal of the "black laws" did not, however, take place until 1865.
Feb, 1, 1865, Illinois ratified the Thirteenth amendment, being the
first state to do so. On Feb. 7, the black laws were repealed. What
did the expression "black laws" mean at that time? The law repeal-
ing these statutes provided that sections 16 of chapter XXX and 23
of chapter XL of the revised statutes of the State be repealed to-
gether with the chapter on negroes (LXXIV) and the act of Feb.
12, 1853 ft The first two sections above, referred to the prohibition
of negroes acting as witnesses against white men JJ The act of 1»53
prohibited the importation of free negroes. Chapter LXXIV in-
cluded all the remaining restrictions against negroes. §§
The revised statutes referred to here were compiled in 1845, At
that time the acts of 1819, 1829, 1831. 1833. and 1841 were repealed
ard the above chapter substituted. It might be interesting to know
what changes were made at that time. Practically all of the act of
♦Senate Journal, 1859; 229-230.
tHouse Journal. 1859; 689.
tSenare Journal, 1861; 16.
§Hou8e Journal. 1861; 112.
llSenate Journal 1865; 67.
USenate Journalises; 261-2.
•♦House Journal, 1865; 354.
ttPubllc Laws of 1865; 105.
JtKeTised Statutes (18»5) Sec. 16. on p. 164; Sec. 23. on p. 237.
iiRevised Statutes (1845): 387.
432
1819 is retained and the sections respecting the kidnapping of neg-
roes and tbe selling of intoxicants to them are found in the criminal
code. All of the act of 1829 except the third section which dealt
with the iater-marriage of whites and blacks (and which is found in
section two of the chapter on marriages*) is retained. The act of
183rJ is omitted and in its place was included a portion of the act of
1831 which dogmatically declared that anyone guilty of the oflFence
of briui^ing a slave into the State in order to free him should be
fined $100 f The gist of the act of 1841 — regarding the registration
of resident free negroes — was included in section four of the new
chapter. In short, the revised statutes of 1845 were more stringent
against negroes than those laws for which they were substituted.
Thus ended with the repeal of these laws, the legal discrimination
against the negro in Illinois. It would seem that this was a tardy
piece of legislation. And yet repeated efiForts were made to Hnnul
these laws. It is claimed^! that with the exception of the act of 1853
these laws were long regarded as a dead letter. Ford thinks^ that
they would have been repeated lon^ before had it not been for the
abolition excitement which rendered it dangerous for a politician to
propose such a thing being done, since such an act might have
branded him as an abolitionist.
Washburnell in his "Sketch of Edward Coles" in accounting for
this indifference says that the pro-slavery sentiment which found a
lodgement in the State was vastly stronger from l!525 to 185i than
it was in 1824 when the movement toward the legalization of slavery
was blocked, From the study that has been made it would seem
that the last estimate is most correct. The act of 1853 or even the
amendment of 18U shows that there existed not only indifference to
the negro but antagonism as well The people of Illinois were will-
ing that the condition of the blacks in the far south should be
ameliorated, but were unwilling to do anything that might make the
State a haven of refuge for fugitive slaves,
•rieM-e«l »tatut<='8 of 1845: 358.
f^evi^ed statute-" of 1845: 389.
ti»avi(l«. n and -<tu<6: 318.
^P-.r.!'^ Hl-t.ry of lUinoi*: 34.
IWashburne: fiiketch of Edward Colea: 239.
433
MR, LINCOLN AS A WRESTLER.
(Col. Rlsdon M. Moore.)
[The following account of an incident that occurred in April, 1882,
when the volunteers responding to the call of Governor Reynolds to
repel Black Hawk's invasion of the State, were rendezvoused at
Beardstown, is from the pen of Col. Risdon M. Moore, who com-
manded the 117th Illinois regiment of voluuteers through the Civil
war, and previous to that time was professor of mathematics in Mc-
Kendree College for 12 years, and is now United States internal rev-
enue collector at San Antonio, Texas. — J. F. S.]
As requested by you, I will state the facts in the Lincoln- Thomp-
son wretjtling match as I had them from my father and from Mr,
Lincoln himself.
The place where the contest came off was near Beardstown, on the^
Illinois river, perhaps just across the river on the west side. It was
when the volunteers were meeting there preparatory to taking the
field against Black Hawk, in the spring of lb-i2,. The occasion of
the "wrasse!" was this: A company of mounted volunteers from near
Belleville, in St. Clair county, commanded by my uncle, Capt.
William Moore, and one from Sangamon county under Cnpt. Abra-
ham Lincoln, arrived at the same place at the general rendezvous at
about the same time, and both wanted the same camping ground,
which was just large enough, with conveniences of wood and water,
for one company, but not large enough for two.
The proposition to wrestle for choice of camp grounds came from
the Sangamon company, that the two captains, my uncle and Mr.
Lincoln, wrestle for it. My uncle declined this banter, and then my
father, Jonathan Moore, who was then orderly sergeani, or acting as
such, proposed to have any man in the St. Clair company wrestle
with any man in the Sangamon company for the camp ground in
question. This proposition was accepted. Mr. Lincoln stepped out
to represent his company, and my father designated D')W TliomosoQ
to represent the St. Clair company, his name being Lorenzo D jw
Thompson. When a boy I saw Thompson often. He lived, I think,
down south of Belleville, and was not a very large man. He was
a compactly built man, however, and muscular, very strong, and as
Buch was the champion wrestler of his company.
My father and Ciptain Lincoln tossed up a coin for choice of holds
and my father won. Thompson's hold was a side bold, while Lin-
coln's was an Indian hug. The match was "two best in three."
On the 8th of August, 1860, I called on Mr. Lincoln at his own
house in Springfield, Illinois, with a delegation of students from
— 28H
434
McKendree College, in Lebanon, to congratulate him on his nomi-
nation and to assure him of his election to the presidency. We found
quite a number of notable men there at the time. Among them were
Lieutenant Governor Koerner, Norman B. J add, R. J, Oglesby and
many others of national prominence at that time. I was introduced
as the spokesman, by Governer Koerner, to Mr. Lincoln.
As soon as the introductions were over Mr. Lincoln said to me: "I
want to know which of the Moore families you belong to, before we
go further, as I have a grudge against one of them." I, knowing to
what he referred, replied: '"I suppose I belong to the family against
which you hold the grudge, Mr. Lincoln, but we are going to elect
you president and call it even."
There were three Moore families in St. Clair and Monroe counties,
my own, 'Turkey Hill, or Moore's prairie Moores," the "Union Grove
Moores" and the ''Waterloo Moores," and there had been some men
of some note in each of these families. Of the Waterloo Moores,
Generals James and James B Moore were prominent in the early
history of Illinois, and "Little Enoch" was for years in charge of the
State treasurer's cash. Gen. Jesse H Moore, who commanded the
115th Illinois regiment during our late Civil war, was of the "Union
Grove Moores," and my grandfather, Risdon Moore, was a member
of the Territorial Legislature in 1^14 1816, and speaker of the House,
and was also a member of the State Legislature in 1822-1823, when
the question was up to call a convention to make Illinois a slave
state, and he was the first to sign the celebrated protest against the
call of that convention. It is a strange fact that a majority of those
who signed the protest'were from slave states.
H'^nce Mr. Lincoln might well ask which of the Moore families I
belonged to. Mr. Lincoln gave the details of the preliminaries for
the wrestle between him and Thompson about the same as given by
my father above. So, he continued, after the introductions and ex-
planation, as narrated, and said: ''Gentlemen, I felt of Mr. Thomp-
son, the St Clair champion, and told my boys I could throw him,
and they could bet what they pleased. You see, I had never been
thrown, or dusted, as the phrase then was, and, I believe, Thompson
said the same to the St. Clair boys, that they might bet their bottom
dollar that he could down me You may think a wrestle, or 'wrastle,'
as we called such contests of skill and strength, was a small matter,
but I tell you the whole army was oat to see it. We took our holds,
his choice first, a side hold I then realized from his grip for the
first time, that he was a powerful m-in and that I would have no easy
job. The struggle was a severe one, but after many passes and
efforts he threw me. My boys yelled out 'a dog fall,' which meant
then a drawn battle, but I told my boys it was fair, and then said to
Thompson, 'now it's your turn to go down,' as it was my hold then,
Indian hug. We took our holds again and after the fiercest strui^gle
of the kind that I ever had, he threw me again, almost as easily at
my hold as at his own. My men raised another protest, bat I again
told them it was a fair down. Why, gentlemen, that man could throw
a grizzly bear."
435
A GLIMPSE AT THE FUTURE.
THREE HUNDRED YEARS HENCE — A PROPHECY.
(By Professor John Russell. Written In 1830.)
But ye! ye »re chang'd since I saw ye last.
Ttie f-hMfiow of agn8 has rnuud you be^n cast.
Yh are chang'il — ye a' e chantf'd; and 1 see not here,
Wh;tt I ouce saw iu the long: vanished year. — Mb8. Hemans.
Where is the American that feels a deep interest in the fate of his
country, who has not sometimes wished, like Dr. Franklin, that he
could "burst the cerements of the grave," and revisit his native land,
after the lapse of a few centuries? Such a wish is certainly pardon-
able in a citizen of tbe United States, for his government is yet an
experiment, and his native land but just started in the career of
glory. He sees the splendor of its morning sun, and it is natural
that be should desire to awake when it has climbed to the meridian.
But, alas! the power of return is not given us, and we can only con-
jecture from the present march of improvement, the future popula-
tion and resources of our country. For myself, I never feel so
strongly the wish to return as I do while riding over one of our Illi-
nois prairies, with no boundary before me but the blue horizon. The
stillness that reigns over these wide regions of verdure and flowers
will one day be broken and the hum of a busy population be heard,
where the deer now graze in fearless security. The improvements
which the last tweuty years have wrought in the west are truly sur-
prising—what, then, may we not expect from two or three centuries
with all the increase of means that will exist?
While on a visit to a friend who resides on the high table land that
extends beyond that part of the American bottom which lies oppo-
site the county of St. Louis, I took a solitary wa'k one afternoon in
that wild, uncultivated region. The scattered forest trees, the oak
shrubs, the wild flowers and the gra^s, had "felt the warm breath of
spring." The birds were busy preparing their nests, and the joyful
Bong of returning spring was mingled with their labors.
In no part of our extensive country is spring a more lovely season
than in Illinois. There is something in the pure, bland air, in the
deep blue of the heavens, over which a single cloud is sailing and
throwing its long and moving shadow on the earth; in the ceaseless
plaint of the mourning dove; there is something in all this, joined
with the stillness and solitude of our boundless prairies, that finds its
way to the heart.
436
Wearied with my walk I sat down at the foot of an oak on one of
the high ridges that command an extensive prospect of the table
land In the edge of the landscape was an Indian mound of the
largest dimensions, crowned with trees equal in size to those that
grew around it. As I gazed upon the mound a fit of dreamy musing
came over me. I thought of the people who reposed in that sepul-
chre of other years. "The flood of ages" had rolled over them, and
its unceasing wave was still sweeping on. What changes, thought I,
have been wrought upon this spot, wild as it now is, and what
changes are yet to follow! In three hundred years, the shortest date
ever assigned to the most recent of these mounds, how changed will
be this landscape? I was attempting to pierce through the interven-
ing ages, and behold, with "my mind's eye," the landscape as it would
appear three hundred years hence; when a tall, majestic figure stood
before me, A long snowy beard swept his bosom, and the furrows
of countless years were on his foreheard. I felt my hair stand erect
as I gazed upon him. He waved the wand which he held in his hand
and addressed me in a tone that thrilled on every nerve: "Child of
clay," said he, "I am the genius of this valley! From the time this
globe rolled from the hand of Omnipotence, I have been its guardian
and directed its destiny. From my throne on the Rocky Mountains
I have seen the whale spouting in the ocean that once covered its
surface. The destined period when it was to be drained for the resi-
dence of man at length arrived. Since that period I have seen pow-
erful nations rise and fall. The schemes of war and ambition, the
yell of victory, the soft strains of peace and domestic love have been
here; but all that belongs to man soon joins itself to years and scenes
that never have been. The white man has come, and the light of
science beams on his track — the volume of destiny is now rapidly
unfolding its pages. Son of mortals! I have heard your wish to be-
hold this region as it will appear three hundred years hence It is
granted. For you I have rolled the tide of ages three centuries on-
ward! Arise, and behold this region as it will be three hundred
years hence!" He touched me with his wand and I sprang to my feet.
The oak, at whose foot I had just sat, was no longer there; the forest
trees, the shrubs and the wild flowers had disappeared, and I found
myself in the midst of a luxuriant vineyard. I cast my eye over the
tract which I had so lately traversed, but not a feature was left of its
former appearance. My first impulse was to return to the bouse of
my friend; but I soon recollected that he, and all whom I had known
were, long since, mingled with their native dust; and in the beauti-
ful language of scripture, "the places that once knew them wou'd
know them no more forever. I bent my steps to a cottage which I saw
at no great distance. As I passed along I heard the simple song of a
vine dresser, in a language which, at first, I did not recognize as
English. I reached the hedge that enclosed the field and passed
through a gate, near the cottage, into a broad and paved highway.
The people stared upon me with astonishment, and the children set
up a shout of surprise at my strange dress. In the streets was a
stream of people, some on foot, and some in carriages of every de-
scription, loaded with various commodities, all going to or returning
437
from the west. This was a sufficient indication that St. Louis or
fiome other town west of me had become the emporium of an immense
commerce. I followed the moving mass of human beings in that
direction. The road on either side was bounded by a hedge, and as
far as the eye could extend its vision, houses and cottages, gardens
and vineyards were thickly sprinkled. The small portion into which
the soil was divided, showed that no law of primogeniture, giving all
to the favored eldest, had yet prevailed.
From extreme old age to childhood all were busy. Before the
doors, children were seen plaiting straw, or picking leaves for the
silkworms, and old men preparing the bands to confine the grape-
vine to the stake. Next to the rond, the country was almost one
continued village. As I journeyed on, I saw nothing to remind me
of the former appearance of that region— even the natural features
of the country, hill and dale, had changed under the all-subduing
hand of human industry. A few miles onward, I came to a large
village, and lingered there to admire the new and strange commodi-
ties suspended at the windows of the shops. A troop of boys soon
followed me, attracted by the oddness of my dress. To avoid future
inconvenience, I entered a clothes- shop, and exchanged mine for a
suit of such as were worn by others I could not avoid smiling at
the strange appearance I made in my new costume.
I now passed on to the west, without further interruption, and saw
the denseness of the population constantly increasing. The culti-
vated land resembled one continued garden; and the passing throng
received new accessions from every road that led into the great high-
way. At length I reached a spot which I recognized in a moment —
the bluff that overlooks the great American Bottom! How beautiful
a prospect was presented! The deep forest that once covered it had
disappeared, and, as far as I could distinguish from the heights of
the bluff, the whole bottom was teeming with population. "Every
rood maintained its man." The little squares of land, bounded by a
green hedge row, with a house or cottage to each, looked beautifully
in the distance. At intervals, columns of smoke were thrown up
from the chimneys of large manufactories, and the sound of the
steam engine was heard in every direction. Industry is not among
the virtues of a slave, and I knew by the busy throng of old and
young around the low, straw- thatched, but neat cottages, that my
native land was yet free.
My thoughts reverted to St. Louis, and I was ruminating upon the
various changes that had probably taken place in its wealth and pop-
ulation, when that city, with its thousand spires, burst upon my
view! How glorious was the sight presented by the great "Father
of Waters!" A forest of masts lined both shores, for miles; and
every flag of Europe waved at the mast head of the steam ships that
ploughed its waters. I entered the city by one of the iron iDridges
that spanned the river. The streets near the water first excited my
attention. The bustle of loading and unloading the vessels; the con-
stant discharge of cannon from steam ships arriving and departing,
carrying on commerce with every portion of the globe; the various
438
costumes and dialects of merchants and sailors from distant regions
of the world, prepared me to learn, without surprise, that St Louis,
in the interior of the mcst fertile region of the globe, far exceeded,
in wealth and population, the largest city of the eastern hemisphere.
The language of the city bore a much nearer afiBnity to my own
than that of the country. Many new words had been introduced,
and others had acquired a new definition and pronunciation; but I
had less difficulty in understanding those who appeared to be the ed-
ucated Subsequently I was informed that the English language
was divided into three distinct dialects, differing from each other in
writing and in sound; that of the British Islands, that of America,
and that of India; produced by the difference of climate, govern-
ments, customs, and the languages of the people intermingling with
each other.
I left the streets near the wharves, and passed a great distance be-
yond the former boundary of the city, yet all was srill dense. The
displny of merchandise from the lofty buildings that lined the streets,
was rich beyond description. The stream of passing people, the rat-
tling of carriages on the pavement, the cries of people vending their
commodities in the street, and the din of the artisans' hammer, were
all mingled together in one confused sound. I wrs gratified that so
large a proportion of liuildings were devoted to religious worship.
I was particularly anxious to learn the state of Anierican litera-
ture, and the relative esteem in which English and American authors
were held. For that purpose I entered one of the immense book
stores, and obtained permission to survey their shelves. My curiosity
was fully gratified, but I will not reveal too many "secrets of my
prison house."
I obtained information of past ages from an antiquary, whom I
found in the store; but was astonished at the many gross errors into
which he had fallen, about the times in which I had first lived. I
asked of him the estimation in which some of our present great men
were held. Alas! their very names were unknown — they had followed
those of the "vulgar mass" into the gulf of "black oblivion." Man,
brief in his mortal existence, yet more brief in the remembrance of
others. The shouts of the mob at the success of political partsian,i8
not the voice of after ages. Superiority of mind only, is immortal
The sun was now setting over this wilderness of houses. His
parting beams flamed on the gilded spires of the metropolis, and re-
minded me of the years when I had beheld him sinking behind an
unbroken line of forest. I remembered the friend with whom I had
often walked, at that hour, on the banks of a romantic 'ittie lake in
the environs of the city. I wished once more to tread the spot, hal-
lowed by the memory of a long lost friend. With some difficulty I
reached the vicinity of the lake, A thick cloud of smoke hung over
that portion of the city, caused by the thousand fires of the steam
engines, which the lake supplied with water Here was the theatre
of the most extensive manufactories of the west, I would gladly have
entered these manufactories, but the labors of the day were closed,
439
and I heard only the expiring Bound of bnsineBS, and saw the
fading wreathes of smoke. The artisans were retiring to their houses
in the high buildings of the dirty and narrow streets. I rejoiced, as
I saw this multitude of all ages and sexes, that employment and sus-
tenenoe were afiForded to so numerous a population, and I remembered
with exultation, that I had warmly advocated every plan that was
suggested, to induce emigration to the west, even that of giving the
lands which belonged to al), as a bribe to entice settlers. Now was
the good policy of these measures apparent wherever I went, in the
overflowing population of country and town.
I lingered in this section of the city till the broad full moon arose,
and threw her beams from Illinois, in a long tract of light, wliich the
broken surface of the river sent back in a thousand glittering frag-
ments T thought of the years when I had ghzed upon the same
moon that now looked down with a smile upon tlie graves of all who
had lived in the same age with me Absorbed with these meditations,
I leaned against the corner of a manufactory. Presently, an indis-
tinct murmur arose, and broke the spell that bound me. I listened
with a vague presentiment that all was not right, and removed for
concealment into the shade of a building. People were gliding
quickly along, like spectres, evidently wishing to be unobserved. I
had not remained long in that place when a wild cry arose from every
quarter of the manufacturing section, and the bells from every spire
pealed an alarm. Multitudes of enraged manufacturers immediately
arranged themselves under the command of their leaders, and the cry
of "bread! bread ! bread!" was heard in every terrific tone that the
human voice can give it. An attempt was made by the insurgents to
demolish the buildings of the most obnoxious of their employers, but
the labor was too great, and the cry "fire them" scarcely had died
away, when a thousand fires glared on the sky. A scene of plunder
commenced, that baffles description; women and children of the man-
ufacturers, squalid with hunger and rags, rushed with frantic yells
into the buildings, for food and plunder. While this was acting the
government of the town had declared martial law, the city guards
were ordered to the disaffected quarter, and the militia summoned to
arms. The noise of the approaching troops sounded nearer and
nearer, and the insurgents posted themselves in the most advan-
tageous position for battle.
Theirchiefs rushed among them, animating them to the most deadly
resistance, by reminding them of their starving families, a)id of the
ignominious ceath that awaited all who were taken. The whole sec-
tion was now red with conflagration, and the insurgents, as the flames
glared on their faces, looked like a horde of demons, just escaped from
the Gulf,
I found myself directly between the city troops and the inpurgents,
with no chance of escaping either way. The artillery of both parties
was just ready to discharge, and sweep throuy;h the street in which I
stood. But one hope was left me; that of joining the city troops,
and watching my opportunity of deserting their ranks. I ran to-
wards them, but as I approached, a soldier seized me and declared I
440
was one of the insurgents. My loud protestations of innocence
availed not; the voice of reason and humanity was unheard, and
vengeance was the cry. An officer ordered me instantly put to death.
The soldier was prompt in obedience He drew his sword. Horror
seized all my faculties when I saw its glittering edge descending
upon my nnked head, with a force that— that — Awoke me! Yes,
awoke me; for I had fallen asleep at the root of a long oak.
The trees were sending large shadows to the east, the cattle were
returning homeward, and the tinkling of their bells, and the evening
carols of the birds had taken the place of the late noise of approach-
ing conflict. The vineyards and hedges, the thronged highway and
crowded population, had vanished with my waking, and the country
had assumed all its former wildness,
Now, gentle reader, peradventure. thou art not pleased with this
dream, which I have related unto thee; albeit, before thou venturest
to say ought against it, lean thine head against an oak, and see if
thou canst dream a better; and if thou findest that thou canst, then
verily, thou hast my consent to do thine own dreaming.
441
GOVERNOR KINNEY'S PROPHECY.
[Wm. Kinney, a native of Kentucky, was State Senator in the First
and Third Illinois Legislatures, was elected Lieutenant Governor in
1826, and twice afterwards was an unsuccessful candidate for Gov-
ernor. In 1837-88 he was president of the board of internal
improvement commissioners appointed by the Legislature to carry
out its gigantic scheme of railroad construction.
Nature endowed him with clear intellect, strong common sense
and kind, jovial disposition, but his education was extremely limited.
He was a fluent, pleasant and witty speaker, but not a writer The
only product of his pea extant is his "Answer to Dicken's American
Noies,"QrBt published on their appearance in the fall of 1842, in a series
of communications to the Belleville Advocate Governor Kinney was
then a physical and mental wreck. His once bright mind, clouded
by financial reverses, disappointments and dissipation, however,
occasionally scintillated with flashes of its former power.
When his "Answer to Dickens" was written, in 1842, the only rail-
road in the State was the "Northern Cross" extending from Mere-
dosia on the Illinois river to Springfield — the eastern section of that
from Jacksonville to Springfield, having been completed in M-iy of
that year. The State, in consequence of collapse of its famous in-
ternal improvement folly, was then on the verge of bankruptcy with-
out means to meet annual interest due on its enormous public debt.
Governor Kinney died at his home near Belleville on the 1st of
October, 1848. Some years later the newspaper articles he had
written in answer to Dickens were collected by his friend and aman-
uensis, Robert K Fleming, who republished them in the form of a
diminutive pamphlet which has for many years been out of print.
The answer to Dickens is merely a driveling, incoherent tirade of
abuse of the English government, of Dickens and of abolitionists
generally. In the part of it commenting upon Dickens' scurrilous
description of Cairo occurs the . following remarkable passage. — J.
F. S]
"Now, after all that Boz has said against Cairo, it is plainly written
in the book of natural philosophy, that some day, not far distant, the
Central railroad must,* and will be built — the God of nature has
*The Central rail'-oad referred to by Governor Kinney waa the one pr<'jected. amon<r
■everal oih-'r>< In the grreat Int-rnal Improvement s<^heme of 1837. to run fr m Peru, the
terminus of the Illinois nnd Michigan ciumI on the Illinois river, to Cairo, with possible
branches in future to Chicago atid lialena— J. P. S.
442
emphatically said so in ell the marginal notes and references to His
Book. The prosperity of this Sta'e, and the commercial interests of
the whole people call for it, insomuch that it must, shall and will be
done— if not by the energy of the State, a company will accomplish
it— as it will be the best stock in the Union. When completed, it
will set its foot upon the neck of the incredulous and its opponents;
as there is timber sufficient in the southern and northern parts of
the State, which can be carried into the interior of our prairie re-
gions, cheaper by the agency of steam, than it can be by animal power,
the distance of four miles to improve the whole, till the prairies,
studded round with white painted houses, will resemble wheat stacks
with flocks of pigeons on them, in the midst of plenty and to spare.
The whole distance from Cairo to Chicago will be a street — a thor-
oughfare— for depots, both for receivipg and discharging the exports
of this vast country. There will be no obstacles by icebergs or sand
bars in the Ohio or Mississippi at any season of the year to hinder
the products of the country from being pushed into the great south-
ern markets at the most propitious time for the benefit of the pro-
ducers. It will draw into its central vortex numberless men of
commercial enterprise, both carriers off and importers. The farmers
and mechanics will prosper, rejoice and sing together. Then that
ill-fated Cairo will raise herself above high water inundation, and
seated as she is, in the forks of the two great rivers, Ohio and Mis-
sissippi, with all their tributaries hanging over her, loaded with
commercial prizes, which, more or less, will be drawn at that point,
as there they must touch, or go at least as close as Paul sailed to
Crete. She will appear in the attitude of a fat turkey, in former
times in old Kentucky, in the forks of a beech tree, the limbs above
being loaded with mast, so that every hungry hunter desired a slice
from its breast. So, in those days will hungry hunters for pros-
perity, desire a slice from Cairo's breast. It must and will be so,
notwithstanding Boz's iuuendoes.
"What had New Orleans to contend with in her infsncy? and
how did she overcome it? Was it not by enterprise and industry?
And what was the cause of that enterprise and industry? It was the
natural commercial advantages of the location, which were foreseen
by sagacious men, which stimulated and prompted them to hazard
everything, even life itself, in search after their own pecuniary pros-
perity; and Cairo, in like manner, although perhaps, in a less degree,
must lead to a similar action and prosperity. The connection of the
railroad with this point, will furnish, on the lowest possible terms,
lumber to improve the whole prairie country on either side, both as
to fences and houses. Coal for fuel in abundance lies on the Muddy
river, and at other contiguous points, sufficient to supply the entire
prairie country. Passengers will travel with the greatest ease, cheap-
ness and comfort, from Cairo at the south, to Chicago and
Galena at the north end ri an empire State, and the garden of the
world In fact, when these things come to pass, and which is cer-
tain, a ride in a railroad car, from one extremity of the State to the
other, particularly in the balmy days of May and June, will drive
443
the blue dtvils from a passenger as far as a chase after a herd of
buffalo would from one of Dickens' red brethren west of the Rocky
mountains.
"What cannot man perform when fortified with capital, energy and
industry? In 1829 there was not a railroad in successful operation
in the United States. See in the space of a little rising 18 years, up
to 1842, what has been done. And experience has proved it to be a
fact, that railroad conveyance is a thousand times more safe for both
property and passengers, (and as saving property or money is the
same as to make it,) therefore, independent of the thousands of lives
lost on river navigation, a calamity to be regretted, if all the property
arid money lost on the Ohio and Mississippi for the last 20 years
could be reclaimed, it would build a double track railroad from Bos-
ton via the most commercial points to New Orleans, and one from
the same point, Boston, by Buffalo, St. Louis, and the Iron Moun-
tain, to the same point. New Orleans — saying nothing of the millions
of money that would be saved in the hands of the consumers, on ac-
count of reduction of risk or insurance.
"I shall not see it, but thousands who are now living beings in this
State, will see all these things come to pass, and who can then say,
we now see what the writer of this article, and many others of his
time Irnged to see, and died without the sight. The writer has been
in this county (St. Clair county) 50 years, and when he came, there
was not, perhaps, more than 200 or 800 American men in what is now
the whole State of Illinois. Taking that as a data, what will 20 or
80 years more produce? Everyone knows that when our railroad
system was born of the womb of the Legislature, dressed and handed
over to the people for nursing, it was discovered to have the big head,
which caused it to be unpopular with them, and a second Legislature,
(many of whom had a hand in establishing the system,) instead of
endeavoring to cure the disease, by lopping off those encumbrances,
(as you would trim an orchard,) most useless, and leaving, at least,
the Central railroad, that beautiful blaze in the face of the animal,
they cut off the whole head. Should not a man be considered crazy
or a fool who, having a fine colt or a valuable horse with the big
head, in order to eradicate the disease, would cut off the whole head,
leaving the body for corruption and worms? Certainly he would be
so regarded.
"If anyone should say, or think, that I am in error or visionary on
the subject of the utility and extension of the Railroad system, to
satisfy them on the subject that I am at least in good company, I
here quote from Col. Richard M. Johnson's speech at Springfield, on
this subject: He said, in alluding to the rapid growth of the great
west, of which he had been an eye witness, to the fact that in a few
years there would be 29 States in the Union, that our enterprising
population would soon pass over the Rocky mountflins to the Pacific,
and when there, he did'nt know whether we sliould throw a bridge
across to Kamskatka, or carry on commerce by means of steamboats.
444
He had seen improvementB and advances in civilization in the west
which, at one time, would have been regarded as wonderful as those
he enumerated.
"The writer is not a prophet nor the son of a prophet, but he will
venture to predict that the American eagle will spread her wings
across the Rooky mountains, and flutter the tips of its feathers over
the Oregon Territory, notwithstanding John Bull and his red allies.
And it is his opinion that the time will come when the beautiful and
fertile State of Illinois may appropriately be called the Key Stone-
State between the great western, south, and north-western States, in-
cluding Oregon. Then the Goddess of Liberty will descend, and
perching upon the topmast of our ship of state, Prosperity, with a
golden ring in her beak, pointing directly down the Central railroad,
directing the attention of the agriculturist to New Orleans, the great
southern market."
mMiii^^
J^^^^'-
/^9Rft
jjIMSfeci''.' . ii.'S^K.vL ^^v^^-^^J^^^^Ikv
1
.. "^"i
MH^i^tt
f
1
■ '^^^^^
^.■1111
1
1
W^PH
I'Sr
^^^^^^B^H^H^^^Bg^^H^^^I^^^^. - '' j^^^^Br
Keii^ Robert Cavalh r. Sleur de La Salle.
445
ILLINOIS UNDER THE FRENCH— 1673-1765.
(Stephen L. Spear.)
We cannot speak of Illinois without exultation, Recounting the
simple facts of our history in the plainest possible languap:e, seems
like wanton vaporing. The cold, formal figures of statistics, im-
partially compiled from the returns of an unsympathetic census,
seem to vaunt themselves, to be puffed up and proud. In describing
the rapid development of our State in recent years such overtasked
adjectives as "splendid," "grand," "magnificent," "wonderful," "mar-
velous," "unparalleled," seem stale and commonplace and wholly
inadequate to the purpose. As related to Illinois, history becomes
eulogy and statistical lore a panegyric.
All that we now have of wealth and population, of agriculture and
commerce, of mining and manufactures, of architecture and con-
struction, of art and science, of education and literature, has been
the development of little more than half a century. Fifty years ago
we had our virgin soil and native forests; our natural boundaries of
lake and river; here and there an overgrown wooden town, dignified
by the name of city; still other hamlets, by the grace of the stat-
utes called towns, a few scattered patches of rudely cultivated soil
by courtesy called farms; now and then a square brick house of a
dozen rooms or so, by common consent called a mansion, and little
else. Whatever we have today beyond these things has grown up
within the memory of men but little older than myself, We have
within our borders citizens whose years outnumber the years of the
State; whose lives began before the writing of our first Constitution;
who shared with the State her days of feeble infancy and blundering
youth; and who now, "with halting step and slow" upon the last
stages of their journey, behold our commonwealth, approaching
with majestic stride the outer threshold of her greatness, retain-
ing all the vigor, hope and promise of her lusty youth, enriched with
the wisdom garnered by age and bought of experience.
In the life of a State or a Nation, fifty years is reckoned but a
span; yet fifty years measures more than half of our existence as a
State. But. the history of Illinois is something more than the his-
tory of the State. It runs far beyond the memory of living men and
reaches back to a time nearer to the little fleet of sail boats, which
left the harbor of Palos in 1492 than to that more imposing armada
which left the shores of the same decadent nation in 1898 and now
lies wallowing on the rocks outside the port of Santiago. All Amer-
446
loan history is modern history. Whatever is ancient with us is
legend and tradition, and we have little of these. But modern events
seem old when compared with things still younger. Ten years be-
fore William Penn and his Broad Brims had established themselves
on the shores of the Delaware, Marquette and his Black Robes had
secured a footiog on the banks of the Illinois. Fifty years before
George Washington was born, LaSalle had obtained his commission
as the first Governor of lUincis A full hundred years before the
date of Boston's historic Tea Party, in December of 1773, Joliet at
his home on the banks of the St Lawrence regaled his friends with
the story of his trip through Illinois during his outing of the pre-
vious summer. Little of American history had been made when
the making of history began in Illinois. This early history of Illi-
nois, so slight in volume, so little read, so lightly valued, contains
chapters of absorbing interest — tales of patient toil and heroic
daring, of lofty enterprise and perilous adventure rarely found out-
side of fiction. The work done here and the manner of its doing as
outlined in these fragmentary tales of trader and trapper and priest
and soldier may be reviewed again and again with increasing inter-
est; but the value of that work as far transcends our powers of com-
putation as it overtopped the wildest dreams of those who wrought
it out in the heart of the wilderness 200 years ago. Such a story
furnishes the title for this paper: "Illinois Under the French."
This period of French control extends over nearly 100 years —
from 1673 to 1765 — from the discoveries of Joliet to the surrender
of Fort Chartres to the British. Comparing that century of French
control with the last half century of growth briefly referred to at the
beginning of this paper, we are led to wonder what these Frenchmen
were doing all these years. At the end of their stewardship of 100
years we know what assets they had on hand; a magnificent stone
fortress on a sandy foundation all too close to the erratic channel of
the Mississippi; a rude, wooden village insecurely founded on the
banks of the same treacherous stream; three or four still smaller vil-
lages scarce worth the naming; a few inefficient water mills located
on incapable streams; and what besides? No agriculture beyond the
supply of their immediate local wants; no buildings but of the rudest;
no commerce except trade and barter with the natives for the products
of the forest; no mines developed, no factories built, no schools es-
tablished, no printing press set up; no roads except the trail of the
Indian and buffalo; no bridge other than an occasional tree felled
across a narrow stream; no transportation facilities superior to those
of the native red men; and yet they had occupied the land for nearly
100 years.
We do not know how all these years were spent. The record is
incomplete. The details are meagre for the entire period, and for
some years almost a blank. We know enough, however, to assure us
that all those days were not holidays nor all those lives the lives of
listless ease and careless leisure.
The story of the French in Illinois had its origin in the desire of
the French government to prove the existence of the Mississippi
447
river, to determine its course and test its navigability to the sea. and
had its continuation in the effort of that goveniment to possess and
control the valley of the Mississippi as it already possessed and con-
trolled the basin of the St Lawrence From time to time traders
and trappers from the upper lakes brouglit to Quebec and Montreal
vague stories learned from the western Indians of a great river still
to the westward of the outermost trading post — a mighty stream,
flowing southward from its source in a larjd which the white man
had never visited— and discharging its waters in the sea. There
seemed little doubt of the existence of such a river, but whether it
found an outlet in the Atlantic somewhere between Florida and the
Virginias, or in the Gulf of Mexico, or far to the westward in the
Gulf of California, then known as "The Great Vermilion Sea," was
as far beyond the knowledge of the unlettered red men of the north
as it was beyond the scholarship of the learned European geograph-
ers of that day. In 1672 the governor general of Canada, resolving
to have this problem solved, put the question before Louis Joliet and
told him to go out into the wilderness and fetch him back the answer.
The adventure was much to Joliet's liking. His experience as a
voyageur, his acquaintance with the langupges of many Indian tribes,
his good fellowship with the natives and his tact in dealingwith them
fitted him for the undertaking. The issue confirmed the governor's
wisdom in the selection of his agent Father Marquette was ap-
pointed to accompany him — the one to proclaim to the dusky natives
of all newly discovered regions the temporal sovereignty of Louis the
Grand, the other to proclaim the spiritual sovereignty of the Holy
Church.
Marquette, at this time, was engaged in missionary work in the
vicinity of Mackinac where Joliet found him in December of 1672
and carried to him the news of their appointment to an enterprise as
congenial to the one as to the other— an enterprise the possibilities
of which they had discussed between themselves at former meetings.
They spent the winter here developing their plans, gathering such
information as was possible from the slender details possessed by
their Indian companions and making preparations for their south-
ward journey in the spring. On the 17th of May, 1678, they left the
mission of St. Iguace on the straits of Mackinaw for Green Bay,
spending some time here among the natives with whom Marquette
had previously labored, collecting additional information and sup-
plies and securing guides for the first stage of their journey. Early
in June they ascended the Fox river from the ba> to the portage,
where their Indian guides, after conducting them acro-^s to the head
waters of the Wisconsin, left them to their fate. Heedless of the
protestations of their timorous guides, their solemn warnings of
rocks and rapids to be encountered, of savage natives and superna-
tural enemies as well, — this well-matched pair of pioneers with their
five compnnions committed their canots to the unknown waters of
the Wisconsin and rapidly descended its course. Oue month from
the day of their departure from the mission at the straits — seven days
after embarking on the waters of the Wisconsin — they drifted out
448
into the swifter current of a broader stream, and on June 17, 1763,
became the first French navigators of the Father of Waters. The
weight of this newly acquired distinction was not allowed to impede
their progress; and, christening their discovery "The River 8t.
Louis," in honor of their sovereign, they continued down the chan-
nel of the greater stream past the mouths of the Illinois, the Missouri
and Ohio in quick succession, swiftly borne by the rapid current,
assisted at times by sail and oar, until they had reached a point near
the mouth of the Arkansas. Here, after a conference with a tribe
of natives whose confidence they hal gained, they decided to go no
further. Hostile tribes were ahead of them. The Spaniards— ene-
mies more to be dreaded than the native savages — were known to be
somewhere to the southward but how near to the mouth of the great
river they did not know. The mosquitoes, more implacable than
either Indians or Spaniards, assailed them by day and by night —
enemies they could neither propitate, intimidate nor conquer.
Furthermore, they considered the chief object of their mission al-
ready accomplished. The great river had been discovered and its
course followed so far to the south that they were sure it could find
no outlet either in the Atlantic or the Great Vermilion sea, and must,
perforce, discharge its waters into the Gulf of Mexico. Joliet wisely
concluded to turn his back upon mosquitoes, Spaniards and un-
friendly tribes alike and retrace his course. On July 17, one month
after his first sight of the Mississippi, two months after his depart-
ure from St. Ignace mission, he turned his face homeward, On
reaching the mouth of the Illinois, he entered this stream instead of
continuing up to the Wisconsin. Ascending the Illinois, the little
party encountered at their village near the present site of Peoria, a
band of Illinois Indians with whom they had established friendly
relations on the banks of the Mississippi some two months earlier.
The little party halted here three days resting from the fatigues of
their up-stream journey, replenishing their slender stock of provis-
ions, distributing presents among the natives, not forgetting for a
moment that part of the work assigned to Father Marquette. Again
they took up their journey toward the lakes, stopping at another
Indian village, a day's travel further op the river, then on up the
Des Plaines so far as practicable, across the portage to the Chicago
river, down its sluggish course to Lake Michigan, and, consting
along its western shore to Green Bay, they reached, late in Septem-
ber, the mission from which they had set out four months earlier.
It was a wonderful journey without serious accident or misadven-
ture from start to finish. No deaths, no sickness, no desertions, no
dissensions among themselves, no conflicts with the natives, no fatal
scarcity of corn, no waste of time, no change of plan, none of the
usual misfortune accompanying such expeditions in those days —
a canoe voyage of more than 2,500 miles completed within four
months— more than 20 miles a day for the entire trip. Cut off from
their base of supplies - beyond the reach of friendly aid in case of
need — 2,500 miles in bark canoes over an uncharted route without
449
map or guide— without shelter from scorching sun, or pelting rain
or driving wind — anchoring near mid-stream at night, not daring to
go forward for fear of rocks and rapids; not daring to camp on siiore
for fear of surprise by hostile natives; refraining from sliooting the
game with which tlie couuiry abounded for fear of attracting the
attention of unwelcome neighbors — their little stock of corn and
dried meat the onl}^ commissary on ^hich they could draw for sup-
plies; yet 20 miles a day up-stream and down, through foul weather
and fair, including all stops and portages, returning to their point of
departure without a mishap worthy of record.
Joliet and Marquette, at least, were not idlers. These 120 days
were not all holidays. They had, in this short lime, iii the face of
obstacles hardly hinted at in this paper, discovered the Wisconsin,
Mississippi and Illinois rivers; had added to the geography of the
world a fairly good map of the greater part of the course of the Missis-
sippi; had seen the outlet of all the principal tributaries except the
Arkansas and the Red, had navigated the entire course of both the
Wisconsin and the Illinois; had discovered two fea-iibie routes over
natural highways betsveen the great valleys of the St Lawrence and
the Mississippi, had seen for themselves and placed on rt^cord a
good descripti >n of the fertile fieMs, salubrious climate and wonder-
ful resources of Illinois; had established friendly relations with all
the native tribes with which they had to do; and, let us not forget,
had made the preliminary survey of the Illinois and Michigan canal,
and had marked the route to bo followed two and a quarter centuries
later by the great sanitary channel of Chicago. When any of u8
shall have formed the habit of dispatching business after this fnshion,
and can, in three short months, place to our credit such a volume of
work so thoroughly accomplished in every detail, we shall not Hnd it
necessary to explain to our friends how we spend our Christmas hol-
idays nor where we go for our summer vacations.
Had the work of that hundred years gone on as it began in this
summer of 1678, with the same wise discretion and the swrae good
fortune, John Bull, in the adjustment of his accounts with France at
the close of this era, would have found other things to place to the
credit of his new domain besides a groggy fortress and a backwoodB
town with a nondescript population of, perhaps, 800 or 400 souls.
No immediate eff )rts at colonization or further exploration fol-
lowed the discoveries of Joliet. It is true that the good Father
Marquette, faithful to his promise given the Indians in the Illinois
village, returned the following year and established a mission among
them and, on his death, was succeeded t)y Father Allouez Traders
and trappers from the lake region came and went amontr the Illinois
Indians, but nothing looking toward the colonization of the country
occurred until LaSalle came up m the scene abouo six years later and
took up the work of history making in Illinois. The tirst chapter
made by J 'lietisan unbroken record of successes. The second chap-
ter to be made by LaSalle, wider in its scope, more thrilling in its
details, is one sad series of misfortunes "following fatt and following
—29 H.
450
faster" until they overwhelmed at last this pioneer of pioneers, de-
scribed by one of his countrymen with pardonable exaggeration, as
"great as the greatest, as pure as the purest, as unfortunate as the
most unfortunate of men."
As early as 1669, four years before the Joliet discoveries, LaSalle
had fitted out an expedition to explore the Ohio from its source to
the sea. In July of this year he actually started from Montreal on
his journey; but, owing to disagreements with the ecclesiastical wing
of his expedition, he was diverted from his purpose and returned
home without even reaching the Ohio. From this time on for sev-
eral years, including the time of Joliet's explorations, he led the life
of a coureur des bois, a runner of the woods, a fine apprenticeship
for his greater work. These coureur des bois of LaSalle's day were,
as a rule, the French counterparts of those English colonists de-
scribed by Captain John Smith of Jamestown fame, as "coming to
America to escape worse destinies at home." LaSalle, however, was
of another type. He was something more than a runner of the
woods. He was of good birth and education, of correct habits and
unquestioned courage; a promoter of great enterprises whose man-
agement he always imposed upon himself; a man of energy, ambi-
tion, tenacity of purpose; fearing no dang'^r, shirking no hardship;
apparently incapable of discouragement and unconscious of defeat to
the last.
Joliet, upon the completion of his voyage, having made his report
and received hie fee, seemed to take no further interest in the dis-
coveries he had made, and the world took as little thought of him as
he of his work. Marquette, good and capable man that he was, had
no interest in the land of the Illinois except as a field for missionary
work. LaSalle was a man of difFerent mould As daring as Joliet
and devout as Marquette, he was a man of larger views and more
ambitious schemes. His idea was not simply to see, bat to acquire;
not merely to discover, but to occupy; not only to explore, bat to
possess, to colonize, to utilize; to add to the crown of France a new
dominion, he, under the king, to control, to develop, and to shape its
destinies. Following his futile effort of 1H69 to reach the sea by way of
the Ohio, his intercourse with the natives as a trader took him over all
the regions south of Lake Erie, down the Ohio as far as the falls and
to the west as far as the southern shore of Lake Michigan The work
done by Joliet determined him to transfer his operations from the
Ohio to the Illinois and, after completing the work of Joliet by fol-
lowing the Mississippi to its mouth, to hold the country for his mon-
arch and to exploit it for his own profit. With such ends in view,
he obtained from Louis XIV in 1678, five years after Joliet's voyage,
authority to explore the great river to its month, to erect forts at his
discretion, to garrison and colonize the country, to make treaties
with the natives and to enjoy a certain monopoly of *he trade over
all the country brought by him under the flag of France within a
period of five years. This privilege of exclusive trade was his only
means of re imbursement for the great outlay involved in the prose-
451
cution of this enterprise undertaken as a personal adventure and at
his own expense His only hope of reward, his only chance of escape
from financial ruin, lay in the success of his plans.
Late in the summer of 1679 he left his improvised ship-
yard on the coast of Lake Erie with his faithful lieutenant,
Tonti, for the land of the Illinois, They had a more pretentious
equipment than that of Joliet. A sailing vessel of 60 tons burden,
constructed by LaSalle out of his own means at a cost of $10,000 or
$15,000, carrying five small cannon with a considerable cargo to ex-
change with the natives for skins and furs, the profits on which were
to furnish means for the conduct of the expedition, set sail on Au-
gust 7th and reached Mackinac early the following month. Passing
on to Green Bay after some unfortunate delay and there remaining
until the vessel was loaded with furs, the Griffon, in charge of the
pilot and a crew of five men, was dispatched, September 18lh, for
Montreal with instructions to discharge the cargo and return the
vessel without delay to the southeastern shore of Lake Michigan,
there to meet LaSalle and Tonti, with supplies needed for the fur-
therance of the expedition. But the Griffon, constructed under much
difficulty and at great expense, the vessel which was intended by
trade upon the lakes to be the bread-winner and tax-gatherer for the
explorers and to keep them in touch with their headquarters on the
St. Lawrence, was never heard of again.
Unaware of the loss of his vessel, La Salle with fourteen men in
four canoes took up his journey southward along the western shore
and around the southern bend of Lake Michigan to the mouth of the
St. Joseph river. Here he built a fort and was joined by Tonti with
twenty men who had journeyed up the eastern shore of the lake to
the same place. In December, after completing the fort and despair-
ing of the return of the Griffon, all started for the land of the Illi-
nois by way of the portage between the St. Joseph and Kankakee
rivers. After a terrible journey through a difficult country in cruel
weather, the half starved, half-frozen adventurers on the last day of
the year reached the principal village of the Illinois Indians, in the
vicinity of the Starved Rock, to find it deserted; the natives, accord-
ing to their custom, being absent on their annual winter hunt. The
famishing voyagers supplied their immediate wants from a small
store found in the village and passed on down to the Peoria Lake
where they landed on New Year's day, 1680, among a large concourse
of the returning hunters, au'l, after a parley and feast and mutual
exchange of civilties. La Salle determined to go no further down the
stream until better prepared for the successful prosecution of his
plans. Here, near the present site of Peoria, he determined to take
up his winter quarters, to erect a fort for immediate protection and
as a future base of operations for the extension of his explorations
to the south and here await supplicf? for which he still depended on
the Griffon. He remained here until the first of March employed in
the construction of Fort Crevecoeur as well as in the building of a
boat of considerable dimensions for the descent of the river in the
following spring. After seeing the work fairly under way, he de-
spatched several of his men, including Facher Hennepin and Michael
452
Ako, up the Mississippi to discover its source, while he, with six
men, started back to Fort Frontenac for more men and fresh sup-
plies, leaving Tonti in command at Fort Orevecoeur. From the up-
per Indian village two men were sent back to Tonti with such pro-
visions as La Salle could secure there and he then pushed on over-
land, across southern Michigan and northern Ohio around the souih-
ern shore of Lake Erie to the Niagara, and on to Montreal by April
21 — a journey on foot of more than 1000 miles, across swollen
streams, through forest and swamp and fields of melting ice and
snow.
In the meantime things had been going badly enough with Tonti.
According to the instructions of La Salle, he had begun with a de-
tachment of his men, the construction of another fort near the site
of the upper village. While thus engaged the men left at Fort
Orevecoeur mutinied, destroyed the fort and such supplies as they
could not carry with them and proved themselves what La Salle had
long suspected, cowards and traitors as well as thieves. Only two of
the garrison proved true to their chieftain and his cause, but these
two, in the absence of both La Salle and Tonti, were powerless to
prevent the destruction of the fort or the desertion of its garrison.
This disaster was quickly followed by a sudden invasion by the war-
like Iroquois, who drove the Illinois Indians from their homes,
seized Tonti, kept him in captivity until after the conquest of the
country had been assured, and then allowed him to depart for Mack-
inac with his five remaining companions in a worthless canoe and
with insufficient supplies to last him half the journey
Vague rumors of Tonti's disaster came to La Salle at Frontenac,
and in August, 1680, he once more started to the west with a force of
25 men to rescue Tonti if he might yet be found, and with him push
on to the mouth of the great river. The summer had been speot in
a struggle with persistent creditors and in finding men and means to
continue his work. On reaching the Illinois country again in De-
cember he came upon a scene of desolation He found the country
depopulated. The work of the Iroquois warriors had been thorough.
His forts were in ruins; the Indian villages were obliterated; the in-
habitants, fortunate enough to escape the tomahawk, had sought
refuge beyond the Mississippi. He descended the Illinois to its
mouth in search of Tonti, but finding no trace of him, turned his
back once more upon the immediate goal of his ambition, intent upon
the possible rescue of his friend and faithful lieutenant, His com-
panions urged him to continue on down the Mississippi to its moutti
to complete the work for which the expedition had been organized.
But La Salle, intent upon the rescue of hie friend, once more traversed
the deserted land of the Illinois from the mouth of the river to the
fort on the St. Joseph, which he reached late in January, 1681; but
no trace of Tonti had been found — no living soul in that wide waste
to tell the story of his fate.
453
Here LaSalle entered upon a new role — that of diplomatist — a ne-
gotiator of treaties among the savages, and succeeded, after weeks of
toil and many conferences with many tribes, in uniting the Miamis,
the Ftjxes, the Shawnees, Tamoroas, Osages, and other tribes of
western Indians in an alliance, offensive and defensive, with the
French and with each other, and against their mutual enemies, the
dreaded Iroquois This work occupied the remainder of the winter
and it was the middle of summer when he reached Mackinac where
he joined Tonti after a separation of 14 months, neither, in the mean-
time, having received any direct communication from the other — no
reliable information of the other's movements or even of the other's
existence; but each true and loyal to the other's interests — each con-
fident of the other's fidelity.
During the time that LaSalle had been making his trip down and
up the Illinois and negotiating treaties from his headquarters at Ft.
Miami, Tonti had been engaged in a desperate journey on foot
through the frozen wilds of Wisconsin, continuously threatened by
frost and famine, in dire extremities at the hands of both. At the
last moment he was found by a roving band of Pottawattamies —
good Samaritans in spite of name and lineage — who took him to their
wigwam, bound up his wounds, fed him, clothed him, nursed him
back to health and strength and sent him on his way. He reached
Mackinac one day before LaSalle with a tale to tell of a fight for life
in that terrible wilderness which made the perils of savage warfare
seem trifles of little moment.
Again LaSalle started for the east to renew his supplies, dispatch -
ing the faitnfui Tonti to Fort Miami to hold that post and keep in
touch with those western tribes who were now, nominally at least, the
allies of LaSalle. Since the desolation of the Illinois country, this
place had been made a sort of western headquarters and second base
of operations. Here LaSalle joined Tonti in December, 1681, and in
the following month, all started on LaSalle's third winter journey
down the course of the Illinois, enroute for the mouth of the greater
river. Tne party consisted of 23 Frenchmen and 31 Indians, all told,
fairly well equipped for the enterprise in hand. They crossed the
lake to the mouth of the Chicago river where sledges were built, on
which the canoes were mounted, and hauled by the men, yoked in
pairs, over froz 3n streams and snowclad prairies. The site of their
ruined fort, Crevecoeur, was reached January 25th, where they halted
long enough to repair their canoes and transfer their supplies from
their sledges. Then exchanging the yoke for the oar, they resumed
their journey and on February Gth, reached the Mississippi at the
mouth of the Illinois. Here they halted till the middle of the month
on account of the ice still floating in the river, started again on the
15th, reached the mouth of the Mississippi on April 7, 1682 and
formally took possession of this country of Louisiana with all "its
eeas, harbors, ports, bays, cities, towns, villages, mines, minerals,
fisheries, streams and rivers," in the name of "the most high, mighty,
invincible and victorious prince, Louis the Great, by the Grace of
God, King of France and of Navarre, 14th of that name, and of his
454
heirs and the successors of his crown." The great object of this ex-
pedition had been accomplished and without delay the return
journey was begun on April 10, LaSalle fell sick about the first of
June before the mouth of the Ohio had been reached and Tonti was
despatched with two canoes to carry the news of the discovery to
Mackinac and to transact other business of moment while his chief
remained behind at his rude fort on the Chickasaw blufFs Here his
fever burned itself out at last and with the remainder of his force he
rejoined Tonti at Mackinac nearly two months later.
After his discovery of the mouth of the Mississippi and the prac-
tical demonstration of the navigability of the stream between the
gulf and the Illinois country — LaSalle's country — he resolved to
establish direct communication between France and his western do-
main by way of the lower Mississippi. His comprehensive mind
grasped the entire situation. To make his concession valuable he
must have a better route to Europe than was offered by way of the
St. Lawrence, and he must protect from the incursions of the Iro-
quois on the east and the Sioux and Foxes on the north, those tribes
of whose trade he had a monopoly. To this end he erected on the
Starved Rock of the Illinois, Fort St. Louis du Rooher during the
winter of 1682-1683 and gathered nbout the fort from the scattered
remnants of many western tribes, 20,000 or more of his dusky retain-
ers. This fort was to be the military headquarters of the country,
the principal trading post of the region, the depot of supplies, the
center of missionary effort, the rallying point of all the western war-
riors in opposition to the Iroquois and the nucleus of a French
colony of artisans and agriculturists yet to be brought out from
France. In the fulfillment of none of these designs did it serve its
purpose for any length of time, though it continued to be occupied
by the French for eight or ten years.
The fort finished, Tonti was placed in command, and early in the
summer of 1683 LaSalle left for the east never again to return to the
land of the Illinois. Arriving at Qaebeo in November, 1688, he
found LeBarre, who had succeeded his good friend. Count Frontenac,
not only wanting sympathy with LaSalle, but opposed to his schemes,
jealous of his growing power and popularity, professedly incredulous
as to discoveries already made and thwarting his plans for further
work at every opportunity The governor continuing unreasonable
and irreconcilable, LaSalle at last determined to appeal unto Caesar.
Of his trip to France, hie favorable reception at court, the adoption
of his views by those in power, of his new and greatest expedition —
consisting of three vessels — a large contingent of colonists fairly well
equipped with stores; of his plans to sail direct to the mouth of the
Mississippi, there to build a fort and found a colony which, with like
establishments at Fort St. Louis and intermediate points, was to
command his great feudal estate of the Mississippi valley; of his
failure to find the river, his landing on the coast of Texas, his fruit-
less wanderings there, his encounters with hostile natives and his
death at the hands of his perfidious followers, want of time prevents
455
consideration. Besides, all these things are beyond the boundaries
of Illinois and concern its history only as everything relating to
LaSalle concerns Illinois.
There is no sadder chapter in history or fiction than the story thus
passed over, of these last days of LaSalle. Broken in health and
worn out by months of incredible toil, unable to placate the savages
which surrounded his accidental establishment on the gulf, his ships
across the sea or at its bottom, his supplies exhausted, his men in-
subordinate, his only hope of success for himself or succor for his
men was to reach the land of the Illinois. Uaable to find the Missis-
sippi from the gulf, he started overland for the prairies of Illinois
undaunted by what he had endured and undismayed by what lay be-
fore him; and here in the Texas wilderness he perished at the hands
of a miserable assassin unable to comprehend the greatness of his
spirit or the goodness of his beart. Whatever may be your haste or
mine to finish this paper, let us stop long enough to quote the words
of Parkmati's tribute to the memory of the greatest of the early path-
finders: "It is easy to reckon up his defects but it is not easy to hide
from siu:ht the Roman virtues that redeemed them. Beset by a
throng of enemies, he stands like a King of Israel, head and shoul-
ders above them all. He was a tower of adamant against whose front
hardships and danger, the rage of men and of the elements, the
southern sun, the northern blast, fatigue, famine and disease, delay,
disappointment and hope deferred, emptied their quivers in vain."
During these last dark days of LaSalle's career, Tonti, while wait-
ing on the Rock for his master's coming, protected as well as he could
the interests of LaSalle against the machinations of his political and
clerical enemies and successfully withstood a savage attack of the Ir-
oquois and repulsed them with loss. He also conducted a band of
his western warriors to the far east and, in conjunction with the Gov-
ernor of Canada, fell upon the Iroquois in their own country and
struck them a blow from which they nev^er fully recovered. But the
settlement at the Rock was doomed. With the death of LaSalle and
the wreck of all his plans, support failed Tonti and his last important
act as commandant of the post was to conduct, in the winter of
16H8-9, an expedition down the river to the coast in quest of the
remnant of his chief's last ill starred expedition. After this the de-
cadence of Fort St. Louis was rapid. Tonti abandoned it and in 1700
sought and obtained service with Bienville in his new settlement in
lower Louisiana. The Indian mission was transferred to the mouth
of the Kaskuskia, with a considerable number of the Illinois Indians
and the few Frecch settlers left about the fort. The original route
of Joliet from the St. Lawrence to the Mississippi via the Wisconsin
had proved the more popular, the fort on the Rock was ofiF the line of
travel, and the means and necessity for its continuance alike seemed
wanting Upon the withdrawal of the garrison the valley of the Illi-
nois, exposed to the forays of the Sioux and Foxes of the north, was
virtually abandoned by the Freach and their Indian allies as well.
456
About this time begins the story of Kaskaskia. This sketch,
though still within the first decade of the 92 years of French control,
has dwelt so long upon Joliet and LaSalle that little time remains to
consider the doings of this first permanent white settlement of Illi-
nois This apparent disproportion of space has been purposely given
these two men because their work was the only work done during
this period of French control that proved of lasting value, The work
about Kaskaskia, whether viewed from the standpoint of the soldier,
the proprietor, the colonist, or the native, was of little temporary
worth and of no continuing importance; while the work of Joliet and
LaSalle in exploring the country between the lakes and the gulf; in
demonstrating the vast resources of the region; in conciliating the
natives in possession and permanently securing their good will and
in breaking the power of neighboring tribes of hostile natives, was a
work great in its design, great in its achievement, enduring in its
value; and yet, efiFected by such humble means, that we rarely think
of it as a great event of history.
Illinois under the French, after the time of LaSalle, was never a
distinct unit, ecclesiastical, military or commercial. It was always
the fractional part of a mixed quantity of which the integer was Can-
ada or Louisiana; Quebec or Montreal; New Orleans or Mobile. The
settlement of lower Louisiana was accomplished a year or two, per-
haps, before the establishment of the mission posts of Kaskaskia and
Cahokia, During the early years of the eighteenth century priests
and traders, none of them tarrying long, passed to and fro between
these points and the northern posts; occasional hunters and trappers,
tired of the rigors of the northern climate, settled round about the
mission, planting and harvesting their little crops very much after
the fashion of the Indian squaws; but no serious effort was made to
colonize the country until after 1712 when, under the proprietorship
of Crozat, some inefFectual attempts were made to build up a colony
here The first real impetus given to the work of colonization was
in 1718 under the "Company of the Great West," one of the many
products of John Law's fertile but erratic brain. A military com-
mandant with a small force was sent to Kaskaskia, the first Fort
Chartres was built and emigrants came in gradually from Canada
and lower Louisiana. It was during this era that Philippe Renault
came over from France with his compariy of colonists and a band of
500 slaves picked up in the West Indies to work his undiscovered
and undiscoverable mines. He acquired title to a large area of land,
founded the little village of St. Philippe to the south of Kaskaskia,
remained about four years prospecting the hills and streams of Illi-
nois and Missouri for precious metals and, after dissipating all his
dreams and much of his wealth, abandoned his enterprise He dis-
posed of his slaves and returned to France leaving upon the country
the stain of African slavery, traces of which remained even after Illi-
nois became a State
It is not worth while to recount the names or doings of the dozen
or more commandants who successively ruled this region with mildly
autocratic sway. None of them seems to have been specially capable
457
or incapable, neither very good nor very bad, very wise nor very
foolish. Little that occurred to distinguish one commandant or one
administration from another has found its way to record. In 1736,
D'Artiguette, young, handsome, brave, and greatly beloved of his
people, in an ill-considered attack upon the Chickasaws in their own
country, after being wounded and his force exterminated, was cap-
tured by his savage enemies and perished at the stake. Maoarty,
the Frenchman with an Irish name (or the Irishman with a French
commission, as the case may be) distinguished his administra'ion of
ten years by the reconstruction of Fort Ohartres at a cost to his gov-
ernment of something like $1,000,000. Finding it in Igs he left it
in limestone, the most notable fortification on the continent. His
successor, DeVilliers, while yet a major subordinate to Maoarty, led
from Fort Chartres an expedition to the headwaters of the Ohio, in
1754, and on the 4th day of July compelled the capitulation of Fort
Necessity ad its garrison commanded by Colonel George Wash-
ington of Virginia.
It would be interesting to review the character of these early col-
onists, the manner of their lives, their communistic cultivation of
fields and pasturage of flocks, their general immunity from all thirst
for wealth or appetite for power or ambition for distinction above
their fellows, taking thought, perhaps, of "what they should eat,
what they should drink and wherewithal they should be clothed,"
but surely of little else. It would be interesting to notice the many
striking contrasts between this little community midway between
the oceans and those colonies of the Atlantic coast with whose his-
tory (the more shame to us) we are more familiar. No sketch of
this era can be complete, or even approach completeness, and leave
unnoticed that heroic band of devoted prifsts, who, consecrating
themselves to a hopeless task, reaped little where they sowed much;
took up nothing where they laid down all. and yet who seldom
stopped in their work to murmur of the folly of casting pearls be-
fore swine. All these things might be made interesting; but, in
order to keep this paper within reasoaable limits, I lightly pass over
or wholly ignore many events belonging to this period.
The end soon came and with little warning to these dwellers in a
land where even ill-news traveled slowly. That fateful September
morning of 1759 on the far away Heights of Abraham had sealed
their doom. Negotiations carried on still further away in point of
distance and further yet removed from every thought of their placid
minds, ended in the treaty of Paris, Feb 10, 1763, by which the land
of the Illinois was made a part of the British empire and its people
subjects of the British king. The formal transfer of the post was
delayed by the difficulties thrown in the way by Pontiac, chief of the
Ottawas and greatest of Indian generals, who thrice drove baok the
detachments of red coats sent to take possession of the settlements.
October 10, 1765, nearly three years after the treaty stipulating their
surrender, the British took possession of Fort Chartres and the Kas-
kaskia settlements (the last spots upon the continent to fly the white
flag of the Bourbons) and finally turned ilrwn the last page of the
history of "Illinois under the French," The king of France and of
458
Navarre could transfer tbeir territory but not so lightly their alle-
giance. Repugnance to English rule, inherited from their fathers
and fostered by generations of conflict, could not be dispelled by the
bargains of diplomats and the proclamations of kings. Still ignorant
of the terms of the treaty and the broad sweep of its provisions,
many betook themselves to New Orleans, supposing lower Louisiana
still within the French domain, while others passed across the Mis-
sissippi to St Genevieve and St, Louis, only to learn that what had
been withheld from the hand of the English king had been laid at
the feet of another hereditary enemy, his Catholic majesty, the king
of Spain. Still others, fortunate enough to possess the requisite
means, found their way back to the mother country. A mere hand-
ful remained — few of them attempting more — and continued to re-
main, on and on, until submerged by the overwhelming tide of
Anglo-Saxon immigration and until the site on which they had built
crumbled away beneath them, a prey to successive floods of the in-
sidious stream which had brought them hither. The name of Kas-
kaskia and the memories that cluster around it are all that are
left us.
Kaskaskia and its environs seem a fitter field for the poet than for
the historian. When some skilled hand worthy of the task shall
weave into the sober warp of fact the softer threads and brighter col-
orings of romance, and do for Old Kaskaskia what has been done for
Acadia, we shall gladly excuse the historian from his labors. We do
not care to know the formal history of Acadia. We do not concern
ourselves about the number or the names of its governors, civil or
military, if such there were, nor seek to know the precise date of the
founding of the "beautiful village of Grand Pr6," the exact number
of its inhabitants, the extent of its cultivated acres, the quantity of
its agricultural products or the value of its fisheries. If these facts
were ever ours they have long since escaped us and we make no
effort to reclaim the fugitives; for we know the story of Evangeline
and of Gabriel, of saintly Father Felician and sturdy Basil the Black-
smith, and what more do we care to know?
Comparing old Kaskaskia with Acadia as a field for poetic endeavor
the setting seems as picturesque, the life as idylic, the souls as de-
vout, the spirits as brave, the hearts as true, the end as tragic, the
effacement as complete. They are all gone —
" •'cattered like dnst and leaves when the mlsrhty bJaste of October
Selz« thsm. and whirl them aloft and sprinkle them far o'«r the ocean"—
the soldier and his fortress; the priest and his people; the master and
his slaves; the gold digger and his dreams; thehunter and his quarry;
the trader and his traffic; the voyageur and his canoe; the cottager
and his village; leaving no more impress upon the country or upon
its institutions than was left by their fragile barks upon the broad
bosom of the Mississippi. The work of Joliet and LaSalle alone en-
dures— a priceless heritage, a legacy in perpetuity to all the ages.
459
Yes, it is a theme for the poet and not for the historian. Until
another Longfellow shall arise to take in hand suoh naked facts as I
have set before you, touch them with the magic wand of his sympa-
thetic genius and clothe them in the graceful drapery of poetic
thought and form, there will be no satisfactory rendering of the story
of "Illinois Under the French."
460
CHICAGO— OKIGIN OF THE NAME OF THE CITY AND
THE OLD PORTAGES.
(John P. Steward.)
The origin of the name of our city will probably never be settled
to the satisfaction of all, notwithstanding the many proofs left us.
We agree, however, that the natives gave descriptive names to all
geographical localities, and that the region of our present city was
given a significant name by them.
Few who speak any of the dialects of the Algonquin language re-
main, and not many more who knew the meanings of its limited
vocabulary. Fortunate it is that intelligent explorers left records
that avail us much. It is my pleasure to number among my friends
William Jones, a graduate of Harvard University, and having in his
veins a deep strain of blood of the Fox branch of the Algonquins;
from him I gather much information.
When came the first explorers the Miami branch occupied this re-
gion, and their names of our lakes and rivers were imitated by the
French as best their tongues, untrained to the sounds so new to them,
could do.
The name of our odorous river, and also of that into which we
strive to turn its repulsive waters, the French spelt in ways as repre-
sentative as to each making the attempt, seemed possible. The re-
sult, to us, is that we find the name was spelt a score of ways; the end-
ing is most varient. This was in consequence of the fact that in
French there were no symbols for the exact vowel and diphthong
uttered by the native tongue. Mr. Jones, in speaking of the origin
of our city's name, judging as best he can, the dialect he speaks and
that of the Miamis whom the French writers tried to imitate, differ-
ing much, gives the reason ascribed by the Foxes for referring to our
region as that of the skunk, says:
"A Fox, now dead, once had this story to tell: 'Some Foxes were
on a hunt and came to the shore of a big lake. Looking out over
the water, and toward the northwest, they beheld an object with only
the head above the surface. It was approaching and soon came near
enough for them to see that it was a skunk, a monster of a skunk, the
like of which had never been seen before or since. The hunters lay
461
in hiding till the monster came ashore and there they killed it. Ever
after that time the lake south of the course along which the skunk
came swimming was known as IShegagoegi, the place or the region
of the skunk.'"
"Egi is a locative ending, and the presence of the long o before it
is due to the fact that wa, the ending in Shegagwa, is not a happy
combination with egi, the locative; tea drops out, leaving a long o
but not with the meaning of a diminutive."
And he then refers to the probable origin of the name of the
onion.
"The Sauks and Foxes call a skunk Slipgagwa. Shpg, the fore part
of the word, is found in the verb to micturate, and the part in ngira
occurs also with agagiva, the word for a porcupine. A kitten skunk
should also be called Shegngoa, and the reason is this: A diminu-
tive of a word ending in gwa a kwa is sometimes got by dropping
out the to. and in that case a long o or a long u falls into the place.
For example, the word for muskrat is ashaskwa, and the word for a lit-
tle muekrat is ashaskoa. But instead of Shegagoa, meaning a kit-
ten skunk, it is the word for an onion. The word for a kitten skunk
is shegdgoaa. A has the sound of a in hat, and is a diminutive sign.
The woid really has two diminutives. Shegagwa and Shegagoa are
both animate nouns; that is, they are the names of objects endowed
with life; may both have the animate ending a in the singular and
gi in the plural, the plurals being shegagwagi and shegagoagi. To
a mind fond of drawing analogies the analogy between an onion and
a skunk would be easy and natural, and it is possible that the word
for onion came about in just that way."
In view of all this, Mr. Jones suggests, as a coat-of-arms for Chi-
cago, a skunk rampant on a field of onions! He further says:
"The wild onion in the Fox tongue is Chukagoh. The skunk in
the Fox tongue is Chekagwa."
On 13 early maps before me, mostly French, the Indian town, port-
age and trading post is spelled as follows: Franquelin, 1687, Che-
oagou; Tilleman, 1688, Chekagou; De Lisle, 1703, Checagou; Sutteri,
1710 ( ?) Checagon. (The n is probably a misprint. I find the script
u in French often copied in unfamiliar names as n.) Old French
map in British Museum, 1718, Chicagou; Moll, 1720, Chekagou; Bol-
lin, 1744. (two maps) Chicagou; D'Anville, 1746, Chicagou; Vau-
gondy, 1755, Chicagou; Andrews. (English) 1782 Chicago; Bowles,
178^. Checagou; Pownall, 1794, Checagou.
The French termination ou is in all probability the correct one,
and in Eoglish should be represented by double o, as in boot, that
sound being represented in the French language by ou. The change
from goo to go naturally followed because the latter is more easy and
euphonious
During the early harvest the prairie between the Des Plaines and
the Chicago river is pink with the blossom of the wild onion. The
early French writers were told that that vegetable, the little skunk
plant, gave the name to the region and the rivers.
462
Cadillac, who wrote in 1695, says:
"The post of Chioagou comes next. The word signifies the river
of the onion, because it is there produced naturally without any care,
in great quantities."
LaSalle, writing in 1681, says: "The land there produces natu-
rally a quantity of roots good to eat, as wild onions."
The Chicago Portages.
The following is the result of an effort to interpret Marquette's
journal, so far as it relates to Chicago history, and to get together
early references to the principal way between Lake Michigan and the
Des Plaines river. (Explanatory words, phrases and sentences in
the following enclosed in brackets are mine.)
Turning to the journal, at the date Nov. 27, 1674, we learn that
Marquette and his party were on Green Bay. He says: "Nousren-
contrames dans Vanse a VEsturgeon les Sauvages qui Marchaient
devant nous.'" Taking into account various circumstances, elsewhere
mentioned in the journal, these words mean, when translated freely:
"At Sturgeon Bay we overtook the savages who had preceded us and
whom we needed as guides." "28th. We reached the portage."
(From Sturgeon Bay, a small arm of Green Bay reaching eastward
toward Lake Michigan ) "30th. The Illinois women completed our
portage in the morning." "Dec. 1st. We went ahead of the savages
in order to have an opportunity to say Holy Mass." "8d Having
embarked, after saying Holy Mass, we were compelled to make for a
point so that we could land, on account of the floating ice."
For several days the party had been delayed, from the 27th of No-
vember, by varying conditions of weather; by "a wind from the land,
by heavy waves from the oflSng and by cold." The party was near-
ing the Chicago river, and I take it that the point referred to was
known to our early German settlers as "Gross Point " where Evans-
ton adorns the shore, 12 miles from the mouth of the now odorous
river, They had not gone far after saying mass, and hence it may
be possible that the camp of the Ist was at Highland Park, of our
day, as is now held by some well versed in our early history. (Tra-
ditions of the early settlers are not silent ) Quoting again, we find:
"We departed [from the point] under favorable conditions, for the
river of the portage." . . . "The navigation of the lake is good
enough from one portage to the other, not having any breadths
[bays] to cross."
It is contended by some that Marquette's portage was made by
way of the Calumet lake and river, thus passing beyond the Chicago
portagp; but such belief is not tenable, as may be clearly seen. If
he had known of any such portage then he could have bad a choice
between the two; which true, we may well ask which two he referred
to in saying "from one to the other." He continues: "The river was
frozen to the depth of half a foot, and there was more snow than
elsewhere." On the 12th is the entry "Daring our stay at the en-
trance of the river," etc., and, "as we began yesterday to haul our
468
baggage [over the ice] to approach the portage," etc. We thus
gather that the stay "at the eatrance of the river" was from the 4th
to the 12th, and that the "river of the portage" was a then well-
known stream, and, furthermore, one that led to a well-known port-
age; it was a portage certainly known to Marquette, as he had trav-
eled it 18 months before with Joliet. He gives no hint that he knew
of two portages into the DesPlaines. His map of 1673 shows the
existence of but one, and Joliet's map makes it plain that the portage
availed of by him and Marquette was by way of the overflowed
regions of the south branch of the Chicago river and not through the
20 miles and turns of the Calumet river and Stony brook, as told by
Andreas in his history or Chicago.
On the 14th Marquette writes: "Having encamped near the [be-
ginning of the] portage, two leagues up the river," etc. Now, the
government survey of 1822 locates the portage and represents it by
a double line running from the headwaters of the west fork of the
south branch of the Chicago river, two French leagues from the
mouth, to the DesPlaines, north of the swamps and Mud lake, to
which I shall soon refer.
On Governor Hull's map of 1812 we find the words, "The port-
age is generally from the Chicago R. to the R. des Plaines." And
in the table of distances we read, "From Chicago [then a trading
post] to the portage, six miles, the portage seven miles, from the
portage to the river aux Plaines [DesPlaines] three miles."
It is plain that the proportions of Hull's map outrage the facts, but
it nevertheless gives a good general idea; the distances given in figures
are approximately correct. Let it be noted that he shows two lake-
lets, in part connecting the two rivers, and that Marquette speaks of
two; and further, that LaSalle not only mentions them, but refers to
a beaver dam between them. We find a close correspondence with
these details in John Andrews' map of 1782 and in Hull's map of
1812. The beaver dam was on the small stream that flowed west-
ward, as Hull shows, at any rate, the fact that a beaver dam was be-
tween them shows that the outlet of one led into the other.*
In a report to the king of Great Britain dated Sept. 8, 1721 (New
York Colonial documents) we are told, when speaking of the traders,
that they passed "to the lake of the Illinois [Michigan], thence 150
leagues on the lake to the fort Miamis, situated on the mouth of the
river Chicagoe; from hence come those Indians of the same name,
viz. Miamis, who are settled on the fore mentioned river that runs
into Erie." "Up the river Chicagoe they sail but three leagues to a
passage of one-fourth of a league; then enter a small lake of about a
mile, and have another small portaga [to another lake] and again
another [portage] of two miles to the river Illinois, thence down the
stream 130 leagues to the Mississippi."
The above estimates of the distance from Lake Michigan to the
DesPlaines, by way of the river and portages, aggregate about 12
miles, which agrees fairly with that of the surveys; but we find
no actual mention of two little lakes, the presence of which the num-
*0n HatPhln's map of 17S1 thp Chlcapo rl7or, its branches, the two lakelets and the
swamps connectiDS them with DesPlaines river are shown.
461
ber of portages they made indicates. Variations in the descriptionB
given by early writers may be accounted for by the fact that as the
seasons came and went the aspects of the region changed. The
spring floods deepened and broadened the swamps into lakes, and, in
fact, into an almost continuous waterway, as Marquette's descriptions
indicate.
The distance traveled by the traders were always estimated, often
very inaccurately, which accounts for the disparities often noticed.
The approximate distance from the lake to the Das Plaines was es-
tablished very early, particularly that to the head of the portage,
given as two French land leagues (2 42 miles) Taking the United
Stages survey of 1822, and following the winding of the south branch
of the river 4§ miles (two French leagues) we find, where Lincoln
street now crosses the river, a house shown on the map, and near it
the words, "portage house." From that, always north of and along
tiie margins of the marshes and little lakes, to the Des Plaines is
drawn, nnd so named, "portage road " The two lakes that head the
marsh between which, no doubt, was the beaver dam mentioned by
La Salle, are laid down. One of them represents Mud lake, although
no ijame is given It is probable that at the locality of the ''portage
house" bad always been a stopping place. Marquette says they re-
solved to winter there, "two leagues up the river," and speaks of
"their cabin." He does not say that his men made a cabin, and,
judging by the way he speaks, we may conclude that the cabin was
alrendy tiiere; perhaps an Indian cabin or one made by the traders.
Mnrquette continues: March 30 — On the 28th the ice broke up and
stopped above us. The 29th the flood became so great that we scarce-
ly had time to decamp; we put our goods on trees and endeavored to
find a place to sleep on a knoll; the water gained nearly all night, but
freezing a little it fell. * * * The (ice) dam (above us) has just
broken, * * * and, because the water is rising, * * * we
are about to embark and continue our journey. * * * 31st. We
started yesterday and made three leagues in (on) the river, in mount-
ing, without finding any portage;" that is, without finding any place
where it was necessary to port (carry) the canoes and goods. "We
hauled our goods perhaps about an arpent." (A French lineal acre.)
"Besides this discharge the river has nnother (that we are to reach)
by which we are to go down " In other words, the outflowing Chi-
cago river had another outlet, through Mud lake and thence into the
Des Plaines, which is several feet lower than Lake Michigan, down
which they were to go. Until the hand of man had turned their
courses, the waters also flowed from the swamps into the great lake
and found their way thousands of miles to the northeast, as well as
into the Des Piaines, and sought the Gulf, a thousand miles south-
ward, seemingly at will,
Late in Dec 1681, La Salle's men, Tonty in command, made the
trip down the western shore of Lake Michigan, passed the Chicago
portage and waited for the great explorer at the end of one day's
travel down the Des Piaines, then called the Checagou. La Salle
465
had remained behind in order to cache (hide) supplies that he could
not take further, and he left there December 28th on foot to join his
party, which he overtook January 6th. He had been delayed by the
snow several days at the portage, and thus been given an opportu-
nity, by obaervation and inquiry, to learn the lay of the land. He
says: "This is an isthmus at 'il deg 50 min at the west of the lake
of the Illinois, which is reached by a channel formed by the union of
several streams that drain the prairies. It is navigable about two
leagues (4 84 miles) to the border of the prairie. At one quarter of
a league (a little less than three quarters of a mile) toward the west,
is a little lake, divided by a bea"'er dam, having a length of about a
league and a half (about three and two-thirds miles) from which
passes a stream that, after winding among the rushes a half league
(about a mile and a fifth) falls into the Cheoagou (Des Piaines)
when at full height, also discharges part of its waters into this little
lake, from which it flows into the lake of the Illinois."
The outflow of the Des Piaines into the present .Chicago river has
often been seen bj' many of us.
When LaSalle wrote the above he had not met Joliet and from the
accounts of the latter had gained certain information which he took
opportunity to criticise. He denied that by availing one's self of a
canal made for the purpose one could pass with boats to the Des
Piaines and thence descend to the sea. "This could perhaps be
done," he tells us, "during the spring time, but not during the sum-
mer, because there is not suflBcient depth of water [in the Des
Piaines] as far as Fort St. Louis." (Now Starved Rock )
The above is taken from a letter written in 1682 by LaSalle. (Mar-
gry, part 2, p. 164.)
In a previous letter written by LaSalle to his associates, dated
Sept. 29, 16S1, are found a few important facts. In speaking of the
difficulties of passing from Canada to Louisiana, he says, referring
to portages: "Another is at the lower end of the lake of the Illinois,
where the navigation ends, at the place called Checagou; there one
must pack up the things that one had brought in the barks and carry
to the canoes, two leagues from there, from which place only canoes
can navigate as far as the village of the Illinois, a distance of forty
leagues " We thus learn that the place called Checagou was located
at the point where the voyagers unloaded the barques, [large lake
boats] made the goods into packages and then carried them to the
canoes, two leagues from there; that is, two leagues from the begin-
ning of the portage.
There were two lesser portage routes — that by way of the Calumet
and Stony brook, sometimes used by canoemen when the swamps
were full, and another route up the north branch of the Chicago
river, past the Miami village (later Pottawatomy) at the present site
of Bowmanville, and onward to where the river most nearly ap-
proaches the Des Piaines. The land carriage may have passed the
-BOH
466
modern village Norwood Park. On some of the old maps now before
me the Chicago portage is laid down and so named. On others is
found simply the words ^'Portage les Chenes,'^ meaning Portage of
the Oaks. In the majority of cases where the latter is found the
North branch is laid down, and when only the South branch is laid
down the portage is usually called that of the Chicago. The writers
of many of the accounts knew the Des Plaines only as the Chicago,
and when those writers spoke of the Chicago portage they may have
referred to either. The Portage of the Oaks, or that by the lesser
branch of our river, must have been little used because of the shal-
lowness of its water, particularly during the summer months.
J. F. Steward.
467
TOWNSHIP GOVERNMENT IN ILLINOIS.
MASON H. NKWKLL.
Thesis for the cleeree of Master of Arts In PuMlc Law and Administration in the Gradaate
tjchool. Uiiiversityot iiUnois.)
Chapters.
I
II
III
IV
Introduction
Devcl"iimeiit TO 1818
The Couf'itutionai Conven-
tion of 1847
Fir^t Attempts at Organlaa-
tlon
The lutt-rnal Improvement
Craxe— State Aid
Chapters.
V Municipal Aid to Railroads...
VI The Con«ti'utional Coiiven-
tion of 1870
VII Present Oieanlzation and
Powers
VIII Crltielbnis and Suggestions..
Bibliography
INTRODUCTION.
The word "town" is the Icelandic Uin, Anglo-Saxon tun, German
zauii, and seems originally to have meant a hedge, then a hedged or
fenced plot or enclosure.* In Scotland it still denotes the farm
house and buildings; in Iceland the manured grass plot, enclosed
within a low green bank or raised dyke, which surrounds the baer or
farm house, In parts of eastern England, the chief cluster of houses
in a parish is still often called the "town." In the north of England,
where the parishes are more often larger than they are in the south,
the civil divisions of a parish are called townships. f
Township organization is of recent date, and no scheme having
much similarity to it can be found in ancient history. The municipal
divisions of Athens and the other ancient republics were rather into
castes or social ranks, than territorial; although the "demes" of an-
cient Athens, the Roman and Grecian colonies, and at a late date
the free cities of Mediaeval Europe possessed more or less of the
privileges of a municipal corporation, such as choice of voters, elec-
tion of oflBcers, possession of a seal, management of funds, and the
like. These cases, however, are exceptions; isolated instances of the
universal instinct of self-government, which is born with all men,
but repressed under non-elective and irresponsible governments J
King Alfred, about A. D. 871, instituted a territorial division,
which probably contains the first germ of our American idea of a
township. This was a division of the kingdom into "tithings," an
Anglo Saxon term equivalent to "tenthings," or groups of ten. Each
*Pifortothe Township Oreanlzation Act, the word "town'' was used to designate an
incorporated tnwrj la this State.
tBrlce, American Commonwealth, I, 665.
{Ualues, Township Laws, Introduction.
468
tenthing was the area inhabited by ten contiguous families, who
were "Frankpledejes," i. e., free pledi^es or sureties, to the king for
each other's good behavior, and were bound to have any offender
within their district forthcotning. One of the principal inhabitants
of the tithing was annually appointed to preside over it, entitled
tithing- man, or headborough, being supposed to be the most discreet
man within it.*
As ten families constituted a tithing, so ten tithings formed a
hundred, governed by a high constable or bailiff; and an indefinite
number of hundreds composed a shire f
Tithings, towns or vills, were in law of the same signification. The
word town or vill has, it seems, by the alteration of times and lan-
guages, now become in England a generical term, comprehending
under it the several species of cities, boroughs and common towns.
A city, says Blackstone, is "a town incorporated, which is or hath
been the see of a bishop. A borough is understood to be a town
either corporate or not, that sendeth burgesses to parliament.''
The inhabitants of these tithings, towns or vills in England, pos-
sessed but few powers or privilege; on the contrary all their officers
were appointed from without, and they had no voice in their local
concerns.
Before the reign of Edward I, there were all kinds of townships
beginning with the mere rural township, and ending with the great
community of London. Examining the "liberties" and "franchises"
bestowed by the charters of the 12ih and 13th centuries, we can de-
termine the corporate character of the typical borough. It had its
moot, held by the sheriff except in some boroughs which had been
Danish, where there seems to have been a group of hereditary law-
men or doomsmen. It is possible also that the miltary organization
of the borough has caused the formation of wards (custodiae) at the
head of each of which stands an alder- man, whose office, like every
office, is apt to pass to his sou. Bat the little evidence that we have
suggests that a close and definite college of doomsmen was excep-
tional, and we have small warrant for supposing the existence of any
legally constituted patriciate. Oftentimes one of the liberties
granted in the charter was that their court should not be held too
often — not more frequently than once a week Henry I had allowed the
Londoners to elect their sheriff and jadioiar;J many towns, London
included, bought their right to have an elected mayor; the bailiffs
were also elected in some of the greater boroughs, although before
they entered into their offices they had to be approved by the king's
justiciar. Beyond conceding these slight liberties, the charters of
this age seldom define any constitution for the borough. The active
organ of the borough was a court rather than a council. In 1200
John granted the men of Ipswich a charter providing for 12 chief
portmen ("as there are in the other free boroughs of England"),
•Davidson & Stuv6. 656.
tl Bl. Com. 116.
tStubba. Select Charters. 107.
469
who maintain the borough and render the judoftnents of the town *
At a little later time we find that the 12 chief-portmen hold their
oflBces for life, though they migrht be removed for misbehavior, by
the judgment of their fellows. Vacancies were filled by cooptation f
This body was first rather a judicial than a governing body, for the
powers intrusted to the burgesses by their charter were much rather
judiciary than governmental. But as municipal life grew intenser
and more complex; the court had to ordain and to tax as well as to
judge, and it was apt to became a council; the governing body of the
borough. When trial by jury came, the court aad the council were
slowly difiPerentiated. Tbis, except in London and a few other towns,
happened in the 14th century. The power of acting in the name of
the borough passed little by little from a general assembly of bur-
gesses to a council or select body; but even until 1838 there were
towns with long histories in which all the most important business of
the corporation had to be brought before a meeting in which every cor-
porator, every burgees or freeman had a vote. Such was the case at
Winchester, Maidstone, Cambridge, Ipswich X The charters do not
expressly grant any power of legislation but no doubt such power
was often exercised. Definite legislation begins in London at an
early date; the earliest English Building Act was issued in 1189 §
We now come to consider the first rise of the town organization in
America. The system, as at present existing in the northern and
eastern states, originated in New England, and is an evidence of the
confidence which the early patriots of those colonies entertained in
the ability of the people to govern themselves. It appears, as far as
the records show, to have been substantially a result of the experi-
ence of practical inconveniences which the Puritans took such pains
to remedy as were suggested to them by their home recollections, but
with whatever modifications their remarkably direct and practical
common sense suggested. The New England colonies were at first
governed by a general court, or legislature, composed of a governor
and a small council. The court consisted of the most influential in-
habitants, and possessed and exercised both legislative and judicial
powers, which were limited only by the wisdom of the holders. They
made laws, ordered their execution by officers, tried and decided civil
and criminal cases, enacted all manner of municipal regulations, and
in fact did all the public business of the colony.
The first general enactment to establish towns, that of the General
Court of Massachusetts, of March, 1685, so far as it indicates any
motive, implies convenience only as the reason of the law. It pro-
vides that whereas "particular towns have many things that concern
only themselves, and the ordering of their own affairs, and disposing
of business in their own town," therefore "the freemen of every town,
♦Pollock & Maitland. Eng. Law. 658 (Gross Gild Mer.. II, 116.)
tipswich Domesday. 167.
IMunlc. Corp. Rep. 1835. II. 899; 760; IV. 2188; 2306.
SPolIock & Maitland. Ene. Law, 6;)7 »t $eq.
470
or the major part of them, shall only have power to dispose of their
owu lands and woods, and all the appurtenances of said towns, to
grant lots, and make such orders as may concern the well ordering of
their own towns, not repugnant to the laws and orders established by
the general court." They might also impose fines of not more than
20 shillings, and "choose their own particular officers, as constables,
surveyors for the highways, and the like."* Evidently this enact-
ment relieved the general court of a mass of municipal details, with-
out any danger to the powers of that body in controlling general
measures of public policy. Probably also a demand from the free-
men of the town was felt, for the control of their own home concerns.
Similar provision for the incorporation of towns were made in the
first constitution of Connecticut, adopted in 1639; and the plan of
township organization, as experience proved its remarkable economy,
efficacy and adaptation to the requirements of a free and intelligent
people, became universal throughout New England, and went west-
ward with the emigrants from New England, into New York, Ohio
and other western states, including the northern parts of lUinois.f
But a different policy determined the character of the institutions
of the southern part of our State. This was the "County System,"
which originated with Virginia, whose early settlers soon became
large landed proprietors, aristocratic in feeling, living apart in almost
baronial magnificence on their own estates, and owning the laboring
part of the population, Thus the material for a town was not at
band, the voters being thinly distributed over a large area. The
county organization, where a few influential men managed the whole
business of the community, was consonant with their recollections or
traditions of the judicial and social dignities of the landed aristoc-
racy of England.
This system was spread from Virginia, where eight counties were
organized in 1634, to all the southern states, and some of the north-
ern states, unless we except the nearly similar division into "districts"
in South Carolina, and that into "parishes" retained by Louisiana
from the French laws. Illinois, which became a county of Virginia
on its conquest by Gen. George Rogers Clark, retained the county
organization, which was formally extended over the State by the
constitution of 1818 J Under this system, as in other states adopting
it, most local business was transacted by three commissioners in each
county, who constitutes a county court, with quarterly sessions. Dur-
ing the period ending with the constitutional convention in 1847, a
large portion of the State had become filled up with a population of
New England birth or character, daily growing more and more com-
pact and dissatisfied with the county system. Under the influence
of this feeling, the constitutional provision of 1848 and subsequent
law of 1849, were enacted, permitting counties to adopt a township
organization. §
♦Palfrey. History of New Engrland. I. 431.
tBaines, TowDship Law.?, x,
JSehedule. Seection i.
2Haiiie3. Township Laws, xl.
471
Chapter I.
DEVELOPMENT TO 1848.
For several years after the final ratification of the federal com-
pact, nothing was effectually done by Congress or the states in ref-
erence to the western lands. At length terms of compromise were
arranged between Virginia and the Federal Government, and Vir-
ginia authorized her delegates to make a deed of cession of her outlying
territory agreeable to the terms therein prescribed* This authority was
soon afterward executed and the cession of Virginia, upon the con-
ditions sanctioned by the report of the committee, was accepted by
Congress f Massachusetts followed the lead of Virginia, and in
April, 1785, ceded to the United States all her claims to territory
west of the western boundary of New York. This cession was based
upon the pledge given by Congress in October, 1780.J The last sac-
rifice of state pretensions to the common good was made by Connecti-
cut. In September, 1786, her authorized delegates ceded all the
land, within her chartered limits, lying 120 miles west of the western
boundary of Pennsylvania, to the common use and benefit of the
United States, Connecticut included.
After the cession of western land by the states to the government,
two aspects of the duty of disposing of it confronted them: first, the
governmental, and second the commercial, considering its value as
property to be disposed of for the common good. It was the occa-
sion for maturing and applying upon the vast interior a system of
land surveys, locations and entries, securing perfect titles with least
possible expense, such as had never before been attempted on such a
magnificent scale. In devising and maturing this scheme, the pre-
conceived ideas and practices prevailing in New England, on the one
hand, and in the southern states on the other, came into close con-
tact. The southern plan of entering and acquiring title to public
lands favored acquisition of large and choice tracts of land by those
only who could bear the expense of surveys. It was also attended by
great confusion of titles, as each purchaser, on paying a triflie (two
cents per acre) could locate his warrant on any land not already sur-
veyed. This resulted in lapping and over-lapping, the only lines
being those run by each individual proprietor. By the New
England plan the lines were run and established by government
authority, and titles came from grants made, each one of which was
defined by metes and bounds, marked out by surveyors, who acted
for the government under oath. Not only the rights of separate
ownership were thus protected, but the civil, religious, and educa-
tional wants of the population were carefully guarded and accommo-
dated. The following from the History of Hardwicke, is an illustra-
tion of the New England plan:
"June 17, 1732, the general court of Massachusetts granted six
•March 1. 17S4; see Starr & Cnrtia's Ann. Stat. 1st Ed.. 41.
tPltkin's Uniteii States. II, 210.
ILand Laws. United States. 102.
472
miles square for a township, to be laid out in a regular form, by a sur
veyor and chainmen under oath. The said lands by them to be settled
on the following conditions: that they within the space of tive years
settle, and have on the spot, 60 families, (the seitlers to be none but
natives of New England) ; each settler to build a good and convenient
dwelling house one story in height, Iti feet square at least; and clear
and bring to, four acres, fit for improvement, and three acres more well
stocked with English grass; and also lay out three shares in the
town (each share to be 1-63 of the town) , one share for the first
settled minister, one for the ministry, one for the school; and also
build a convenient meeting- house, and settle a learned and orthodox
minister within the time aforesaid."* This was for a company of
60 neighbors, who proposed to settle a new tract of country together.
"On Feb. 21, 1732, they voted unanimously that the remaining lands
belonging to the partners be lotted out by a committee, in such
quantities that each proprietor have three lots, and so sorted as that
in the draft each may have a just and equal share."
This sample gives the drift of the New England idea; that the soil
should pass into the hands of its future cultivator with perfect title,
and so that "each person may have a just and equal share." In this
way these little republics-townships of convenient size were origina-
ted, placing the civil and political power in the hands of those who
own the country, at the same time making some provision for moral
and educational wants.
So far as retaining control until definite boundaries were marked
out on visible objects, and disposing of titles only in accordance
with governmental surveys, the New England plan seems to have
been adopted very early by Congress, but it required long discussions
and efforts to agree upon details.f On May 21, 1779, the delegates
from the state of Maryland received instructions, that were entered
upon the journal of Congress, claiming that the unsettled country,
if "wrested from the common enemy by the blood and treasure of
the thirteen states, should be considered common property, subject
to be parceled out by Congress into free, convenient, and indepen-
dent governments, in such manner and at such times as the wisdom
of that assembly shall direot.'J
The first direct announcement by Congress of the policy of organ-
izing new states or distinct governments in the northwest is con-
tained in the journal of Congress for Oct. 10, 1780: "Resolved, that
the unappropriated lands that may be ceded or relinquished to the
United States by any particular state, pursuant to the recommenda-
tions of Congress of the 6th of September last, shall be disposed of
for the common benefit of the United States, and be settled and
formed into distinct republican states, which shall become members
of the Federal Union, and have the same rights of sovereignty, free-
dom and independence as the other states; that each state which
History of Hardwlcke. 23. (Manassoh Cutler. I, 124.)
tManasseh Cutler. 1, 123 fP.
Ubid. 336.
473
shall be formed shall contain a suitable extent of territory, not less
than 100 or more than 150 miles square, or as near thereto as circum-
stances will admit; that the necessary and reasonable expenses which
any particular state may have incurred since the commencement of
the present war in subduing any British posts, or in maintaining
posts or garrisons within and for the defense, or in acquiring any
part of the territory that may be ceded or relinquished to the United
States, shall be reimbursed; that the said lands shall be granted or
settled at such times and under such regulations as shall hereafter be
agreed upon by the United States in Congress assembled, or any nine
of them."
On May 1, 17S2, the following resolution was embraced in a report
made by a committee to whom had been referred the sessions of New
York. Virginia and Connecticut, and petitions from Indiana, Vau-
dalia, Illinois and Wabash Land Companiea:
"Resolved, that whenever the United States in Congress assembled
shall tind it for the good of the Union to permit new settlements of
unappropiated lands, they shall erect a new state or states, to be
taken into the Federal Union in such manner that no one state so
erected shall exceed the quantity of 180 miles square, and that the
same shall be laid out into townships of about six miles square."
The journal does not show that this resolution was adopted, but
it indicates the prevailing views at the time.
The next expression of Congressional policy is found in the adop-
tion of a report made by Messrs. Jefferson, Howell and Chase, April
23, 1784. In this case the previously declared intentions of Congress
in regard to new states were so far consummated as to work out the
general outlines of a governmental scheme. On May 7, of the same
year, Jefferson reported to Congress an ordinance providing for the
division of the land into townships ten miles square, each mile to be
6086 feet in length, thus dividing the township into 100 lots of 850
acres each.*
These efforts were evidently unsatisfactory, as no attempt was ever
made to effect a settlement of territory under their provisions. f
The next report, April 26, 1785, proposed townships seven miles
square with sections of 040 acres each, or 49 in a township, of these
one section, number 16 was to be set apart for school purposes, and
one section, number 29, for support of religion. This latter provis-
ion was stricken out by a singular expression of the legislative will.
Of the 23 members present, 17 voted to retain and six to strike out,
but the votes being by states, the rules gave the small minority the
control over that question, and the section for support of religion
was stricken out of the bilLff
*Forthe text of these OTdlnances see Manasseh Cutler, II, 407: and same work. I.
123 ff.
tManas^eh Cutler, I; 336-8.
ttibld. I. 123 ff.
474
On May 20, 1785, soon after the ratification of the treaty ceding
the western lands to the Federal government, Congress proceeded to
provide by ordinance for the future survey and sale of the public
domain in the west. The ordinance fixed the system substantially
as it has remained ever since; that is, surveys to be made by the gov-
ernment in ranges, towns and sections, townships six miles square,
divided into 36 sections of 640 acres each; title to be obtained only
by entry in a government office of a tract surveyed and recorded.
The Secretary of War was directed to reserve one- seventh of the land
surveyed for the use of the continental troops, Four sections in each
township was reserved for future sale by the United States, and one
section (16) for the use of schools. Three townships on Lake Erie
were allotted for the use of refugees from Canada and Nova Scotia^
and the towns of Guadenhutten, Schoenbrun and Salem, on the
Muskingum, were given to the Moravian Indians, already settled there.
The residue was to be distributed among the states, to be sold ac-
cording to regulations prescribed by Congress, and at the price of
$1 00 per acre * The provision for section 16 has been retained. All
this is substantially the New England theory f
By the terms of the ordinance of May 20, 1785.J "a surveyor from
each state shall be appointed by Congress, or a committee of the
states who shall take an oath for the faithful discharge of his duty,
before the geographer of the United States, who is hereby empow-
ered and directed to administer the same, and the like oath shall be
administered to each chain carrier by the surveyor under whom he
acts."
"The surveyors, as they are respectively qualified, shall proceed to
divide the said territory into townships six miles square by lines
running due north and south, and others crossing them at right
angles, as near as may be, unless the boundaries of the late Indian
purchases may render the same impracticable, and then they shall
depart from this rule no further than such particular circumstances
may require * * *." "The first line running north and south as
aforesaid, shall begin on the river Ohio, at a point that shall be found
due north from the western termination of a line which has been run
as the southern boundary of the state of Pennsylvania; and the first
line running east and west sh>ill begin at the same point, and shall
extend throughout the whole territory, provided, that nothing herein
shall be construed as fixing the western 'boundary of the state of
Pennsylvania. The geographer shall designate the townships, or frac-
tional parts of townships, by numbers progressively from south to north ;
always beginning each range with number 1, and the ranges shall be
distinguished by their progressive numbers to the westward * * *."
"The plats of the townships respectively shall be marked by sub-
divisions into lots of one mile square, or 640 acres, in the same direo-
♦r^and Laws, United States, 1828. 349.
tManasseh Cutltr. I., 125.
Ubid.. II.. 431.
475
tion as the external lines, and numbered from one to 36; always be-
ginning at the succeeding range of the lots with the number next to
that with which the preceding one concluded* * * *."
By section 7 of the ordinance of 1787, it was enacted that "previous
to the organization of the general assembly, the Governor shall ap-
point such magistrates and other civil officers, in each county or
township as he shall find necessary for the preservation of the peace
and good order of the same f "
Provision for the first civil township in the west was made in 1790
by an act of Governor St. Clair and the judges of the North west ter-
ritory, but these towns were invested only with rudimentary powers, It
was enacted that each connty should be divided by the justices of the
court of quarter sessions into townships with such "bounds natural
or imaginary, as shall appear to be most proper," and for each the
court shall appoint a constable to act "specially" for the township
and generally for the county, also a clerk and one or or more over-
seers of the poor.
The act, with a few minor omissions, is as follows:
"An act to authorize and require the Courts of General Quarter
Sessions of the Peace, to divide the counties into townships and to
alter the boundaries of the same when necessary, and also to appoint
constables, overseers of the poor, and clerks of the townships, and
for other purposes therein mentioned, passed at Cincinnati in the
county of Hamilton, the 6th day of November in the year of our
Lord, 1790, by his Excellency Arthur St. Clair, esquire, major gen-
eral in the late armies of the United States, and governor and com-
mander in chief of the territory of the United States northwest of the
river Ohio, and the honorable John Cleves Symmes and George
Turner, esquires, judges in and over the territory aforesaid."
Section 1. Be it enacted, that as soon as may be after the publi-
cation of this act, the justices of the court of general quarter sessions
of the peace in the several counties within this territory shall in their
sessions respectively, proceed to divide the said counties into town-
ships, assigning to such townships respectively such limits and
bounds, natural or imaginary, as shall appear to be most proper, hav-
in^r such regard to the extent of country, and number of inhabitants
residing therein; and the said townships or any of them to subdivide
from time to time whenever the interest and convenience of the in-
habitants thereof may seem to require it. And the justices in session
as aforf-said shall cause tneir clerk of the court to enter of record on
the docket of the said court the particular time when each township
is set off, and the specific boundaries assigned thereto.
§ 2. And he it enacted, that the said justices in session in each
and every county shall respectively nominate and appoint annually
in each township within their county, one or more constables, each
of whom shall continue to serve as a constable of the township spec-
ially, and as a constable of the county generally for the term of one
*MaDa<iSf h Cutler. II., 431-2.
tPoore's Charcers, I.. 130; Kevlsed Statutes of Illinois.
476
year next ensuing his appointment; and his power and duty shall be
to serve all such summonses, warrants, subpoenas, mittimusses, and
other lawful precepts, as shall be directed to him specially, or to him
generally with the others, or any constable of the county, and be put
into his hand for the purpose of service, and g;enerally to do and per-
form all duties and services incumbent on him as an officer of the
township or county, or of the several courts of law, and justice which
may from time to time be appointed and held in the county for which
he may be a constable and furthermore to do all and singular the
duties now or hereafter to be enjoined by law * * *."
§ 8. And he it further enacted, that the said justices in session
in their respective counties, shall annually appoint one or more over-
seers of the poor in each and e/ery township of the county, to serve
for the term of one whole year, and it shall be the duty of every such
overseer to make report to any such justice of the peace, in and for
the county, of all vagrant persons likely to become chargeable to the
township for which he is appointed overseer. * * *
§ 4. And he it further enacted that the justices in session as
aforesaid shall appoint in each township throughout the several
counties respectively a clerk of the township during good behavior,
whose duty it shall be to keep a fair book of entries, containing the
particular marks and brands assumed for distinguishing the horses,
cattle, hogs, or other beasts of such inhabitants of the township as
may choose to be at the expense of thus registering the same, and
the name and particular place of abode of every such inhabitant shall
at the same time be entered therein, and for every mark or brand so
registered the clerk of the township shall be entitled to demand and
receive of the person employing him, the sum of one quarter of a
dollar, and no more. And that it may be readily known to what partic-
ular township estrays belong, the justices in session as aforesaid shall
assign to each and every township a distinct letter of the alphabet to
be taken and used, as the particular and general brand of the same
township by all the inhabitants thereof, who shall cause the form of
such letter to be impressed upon one or both of the horns of every
bull, cow and ox, and upon one or both of the shoulders of every
horse, mare and colt to such inhabitants respectively belonging."
Provision is also made for the registering by the town clerk, of any
estray found, and penalties for not reporting the taking up of an
estray.* No laws were adopted on taxation until 1792.f
The above law was repealed in part by "an act providing for the
appointment of constables," approved Deo. 2, 1799. By this act the
court of quarter sessions was authorized to appoint one or more con-
stables in each township who should serve for one year and so long
thereafter as may be sufficient for their successors in office to have
notice of their appointment, take the oath, and enter on the duties of
their office J
•Laws of Governor and .Judges. N. W. Territory, 179t. 47.
tLaws of Governor and .Tudees. N. W. Territory, 1792. 16.
tLawa of (iovernor aud Judges, N. W. Territory, 1799, 101.
477
In 1802 the General Assembly of the Northwest Territory provided
for a more popular organization by "an act to establish and regulate
township meetings," approved Jan. 18, 1802,
It was enacted:
Section 1. That the townships in the several counties in this ter-
ritory as they are or may be laid out and designated by the courts of
general quarter sessions of the peace of the said counties respec-
tively, be, and they are hereby declared districts for the purposes of
exercising and enjoying certain rights and privileges hereinafter de-
fined.
§ 2. That it shall be the duty of the courts of general quarter
sessions of the peace in the several counties, at their tirst or second
session after the first day of February next, to issue their warrant to
a constable of each township in their counties respectively, appoint-
ing the time and place for the first meeting of the electors of each
township, and directing the officers then and there to be chosen; a
copy of which warrant shall be set up by the constables in three of
the most public places within the township, at least ten days before
the day of such meeting, and the electors, when assembled, shall
have the same powers and perform the same duties as are hereinafter
provided. All free males over 21 years of age and who pay a county or
territorial tax should convene on the first Monday of April yearly.
They should elect a chairman, township clerk, three or more trustees
or managers, two or more overseers of the poor, three fence viewers,
two appraisers of houses, one lister of taxable property, a sufficient
number of supervisors of roads, and one or more constables.
Thus a town meeting was instituted, but for election purposes only.
All the officers elected at town meetings were elected by ballot. The
duties of the town clerk were about as now; the trustees or managers
exercised the general supervisory powers of the town board, they
divided their respective townships into districts, allotting to each
supervisor one, settled accounts of supervisors of highways and over-
seers of the poor, for which purposes the said trustees, supervisors,
overseers of the poor and township clerk met annually on the first
Monday of March.*
Another act entitled "an act to authorize the courts of common
pleas to divide the counties into townships and to alter the bound-
aries of the same when necessary," was passed Sept. 17, 1807, by the
General Assembly of Indiana Territory It was similar to the act
passed by the governors and judges of the Northwest Territory in
17H0; in fact many of the laws enacted by the Northwest Territory
and Indiana Territory were re-enaoted by the legislature of Illinois
Territory.
The act of 1807 is as follows:
Section 1. The judges of the court of common pleas in the several
counties within this territory shall in their terms respectively pro-
ceed to divide the said counties into townships, assigning to such
*I Territorial Laws, c. 16.
478
townships respectively such limits and bounds, natural or imaginary,
as shall appear to be most proper, havinpj due regard to the extent of
country and number of inhabitants residing within the same; and the
said townships, or any of tbem, to subdivide from time to time,
whenever the interest and convenience of the inhabitants may seem
to require it; and the court of common pleas shall cause their clerk
to enter of record on the docket of the same court the particular time
when each township is set off and the specific boundaries assigned
thereto.*
Prior to 1820 the inhabitants of Illinois were almost exclusively
from Virginia, Kentucky and the Carolinas, the majority being set-
tled in the southern end of the State. Consequently the constitution
of 1818, and the laws made under it. organized the counties upon the
Virginian model. The Congress of the United States had divided
the State into townships and given one mile in each township for
school purposes. To give effect to this provision, the State enacted
a lawf making the township a body corporate for school purposes.
Soon the county election district was made to coincide with the
school township. Constables, justices of the peace, road supervisors
and overseers of the poor had their jurisdiction determined by these
same township lines.
With the admission of Missouri as a slave state, northern Illinois
began to be occupied by settlers from the eastern and middle states,
while southern emigration was directed to Missouri. A long and bit-
ter sectional struggle ensued, terminating only with the revised con-
stitution of 1847.
♦Pope's Territorial Laws. II. 673. Re-enacted by leelslature of Illinois Territory Dec. 13.
1812. Pope's Territorial Laws. 1. 33.
f 'An act relating to the lands reserved for the use of schools," Laws 1819, 107.
Conntles oreanlzingr In 1849. Vote on township oreranization In Illinois, Constltatlonal Convention
of 1817.
479
Chapter II.
THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION OP 1847.
Under the condition of the government survey, every man held his
land by a deed which reminded him that his freehold was part of a
township, and there is much even in a name.
As New England town life grew up around the church, so western
localism finds its necleus in the school system. Thus we see that
the township which was at first a tract of land laid out by the judges
with boundaries real or imaginary, and in size varying to suit condi-
tions, has become a definite local division ready to be made the unit
of our local government system.
The additional strength gained by the New England faction, with
the admission of Missouri to the Union as a slave state, made the
north or New England element dominant, when the question of a
new constitution was brought up*
The convention of 1847 met pursuant to an act of the General As-
sembly.t approved Feb. 20, 1847. The question had been submitted
to a vote of the people and only in the following counties was there
a greater vote against than for the convention; Alexander, William-
son, Perry, Edwards, Monroe, St. Clair, Clinton, Madison, Jasper,
Jersey, Shelby, Edgar, Menard, Tazewell, Woodford, Henderson,
Grundy, Kendall, DeKalb. The vote in Jackson was a tie; and no
returns were received from Stephenson. . See map.
Although the calling of the convention was claimed not to be a
party measure, delegates were elected on party lines in every county
except Morgan, where by an agreement of parties, four non-partisan
delegates were appointed J The convention consisted of 162 dele-
gates who met in Springfield on the first Monday in June, 1847. §
The only records available are the journal of the convention and
newspaper files.
The subject of townships seems to have received considerable at-
tention. On June 10, a resolution "that there be added to the stand-
ing committees, a committee on townships, with instructions to
report whether it is expedient so to amend the constitution as to
provide for the incorportion of the several townships in this State
for municipal and other purposes," |1 was not adopted, but on June
24, a special committee of eleven persons was "appointed to inquire
into the expediency of abolishing the commissioner's court and pro-
•See Local Govt. In 111.. Albert Shaw. J. H. U. Studies Vol. 1.
tLaws 1847. 33.
tAnthony's Constitutional History, 103.
gThe northern members wished the delegites apportioned aicordlne to tho n«w apportion-
ment act of that st-a-'l in baseii upon fhe -."n-ius of IHt't (6ti:i.l25); toe south prff-rrnd the old
apportlim^-ut on thn renxu-< of isio (4i6.l83). By m-iKlusr ih.?lr c jntentinu pr»-vail, the north
fraiQf d many delteates, the iucreaae of recent years bdlue largely in the north. Uarldson
& »tuv6, 513.
IJournal. 20.
480
viding for the organization of townships, which townships shall have
the general superintendency of their fiscal affairs, and also to report
a plan for the better administration of county affairs.*
Petitions were from time to time received from inhabitants of
northern counties praying for the abolition of the county commis-
sioner's court and the establishment of some precinct of township
organization, and were referred to the committee on organization of
townships.
On July 16, the special committee on organization of townships
and the management of county affairs, reported the following article:
Section I. The General Assembly shall provide by law that the
townships and parts of townships in the several counties in this
State may become incorporated for municipal and other purposes.
Sec. 2. All township officers shall be elected annually and their
number, powers, duties and liabilities shall be fixed by law.
Sec. 3. The General Assembly shall provide by law for the crea-
tion of a board of supervisors in the several counties of this State,
to be composed of one or more officers from each township and city
in the county, for managing the affairs of the county. The powers
and duties of the board of supervisors shall be fixed by law.
Sec. 4. The General Assembly shall provide by law, that the
qualified voters of the several counties of this State may abolish the
county commissioner's court, and substitute therefor, the board of
supervisors.
The report was laid on the table.f
On Aug 16, was offered the following as an additional section:
"The Legislature may pass a general law authorizing township organ-
ization in all counties in which a majority of the legal voters may, at
any general election, vote for such township organization, and when
such township organization shall be established in any county, then
the county court hereinbefore provided shall cease to transact county
business in such county. The additional section was adopted. J
On Aug. 20, the report of the select committee on the organization
of townships and the management of county affairs, was taken from
the table for consideration and the first and second sections were
adopted § The vote on the adoption of the first section was after-
wards reconsidered when it was stricken out and the following in-
serted in lieu thereof: The Legislature shall provide by law that
the legal voters of any county in the State may adopt a township
form of government within each county by a majority of votes cast at
any general election within such county. ||
•Journal. 87.
tJournal, 173.
tJournal, 378.
IJournal. 410.
IJournal, 416.
481
The first section as amended was referred to the committee on re-
vision and adjustment, where it assumed the form in which it ap-
pears in Art. 7, Sec. 6, of the Constitution of 1848.
Upon the final vote, the southern counties, generally speaking,
voted against the section, while the northern counties voted for it;
in the central portion, the counties along the Mississippi and along
the Indiana boundary voted for the measure, while those centrally
located were generally against it.
The constitution was ratified by the people, March 6, 1848; DuPage
and Monroe being the only counties casting an adverse vote. No
one seemed entirely satisfied with the new constitution, yet all con-
curred that the new was preferrable to the old.*
Some of the western states at this time had systems similar to that
conceived by the convention. Ohio had passed acts in 1881 and
1838, evidently patterned after New York's system but very rudimen-
tary and brief. Iowa's enactment of 1842 was similar so far as it
goes but the subject of local government there does not seem to have
been causing much anxiety.
Chapter III.
FIRST ATTEMPTS AT ORGANIZATION.
Pursuant to the provisions of Article VII, Section 6 of the Consti-
tution just adopted, the legislators passed "An act to provide for
township and county organization, under which any county may or-
ganize whenever a majority of voters of such county, at any general
election shall so determine."! In force April 16, 1849.
The bill provided that at the next general election the qualified
voters should vote for or against township organization. The clerk
of the county court should enter an abstract of the returns and if it
appeared by the returns that a majority of all the votes cast for or
against township organization was for township organization, then
the county should be governed by the provisions of this act on and
after the first Tuesday in April, 1850.
The county commissioners should appoint three commissioners to
divide such county into towns by making as many towns as there are
townships by government survey, and report the names and bounds
of each town to the clerk of the county court by March 1, 1850. The
clerk of the court should then make out notices to each town desig-
nating a place for holding the first town meeting.
Each town as a body corporate should have capacity:
let. To sue and be sued in the manner prescribed in the laws of
this State.
♦Davidson & Stnv^. 645.
t Approved Feb. 12. 1849; Laws 1849, 190.
31 H.
482
2d. To purchase and hold lands within its own limits, and for the
use of its inhabitants, subject to the power of the General Assembly.
3d. To make such contracts, purchase and hold such personal
property as may be necessary to the exercise of its corporate or ad-
ministrative powers.
4th. To make such orders for the disposition, regulation or use of
its corporate property as may be deemed conducive to the interests
of its inhabitants. No town shall possess or exercise any corporate
powers, except as are enumerated in this act, or shall be specially
given by law, or shall be necessary to the exercise of the powers so
enumerated or granted. All acts or proceedings by or against a town
in its corporate capacity, shall be in the name of such town; but
every conveyance of lands within the limits of such town, made in
any manner for the use or benefit of its inhabitants, shall have the
same efiFect as if made to the town by name.
These powers* are all among those of the old county commission-
ers' court,f which was abolished.
The annual town meeting of the whole voting population is the
central fact in the town government. They choose one supervisor,
one town clerk, one assessor, one collector, one overseer of the poor,
three commissioners of highways, two constables, two justices of the
peace, as many overseers of highways as there are road districts in
the town, and as many pound masters as the electors may determine.
The assessor and commissioners of highways are ex-officio fence
viewers %
The electors shall have power at the town meeting:
1st. To determine the number of pound masters and the locality
of pounds.
2d. To elect such town officers as may be required to be chosen,
3d. To direct the institution or defense of suits at law or in eq-
uity in all controversies where such town shall be interested.
4th. To direct such sum to be raised in each town, for prosecuting
or defending such suits, as they may deem necessary.
5th. To make rules and regulations for ascertaining the sufficien-
cy of all fences in such town and for empounding animals.
6th. To determine the times and manner in which cattle, horses,
mules, asses, hogs, sheep, or goats shall be permitted to go at large.
7th. To impose such penalties on persons offending against any
rule or regulation established by such town, excepting such as relate
to the keeping and maintaining of fences, as they may think proper,
not exceeding $10 for each offense.
♦Mentical with powers In New York system then in vogrue. I. R. S. 337, Ch. II. Article 1.
(3d. Ed.)
+ The old Commissioner's court was abolished by the Constitution of 1848, Art. VII. Sec.
6. an<l C'luntles nit under towasnip orffanizatloa are governt-d by the county court, com-
posed iif the county judir« ami two ass^'Ctnie justices, who have all the powers of the old
Commissioner's Court For prior law see R, S. 1815. ("h. 27.
rraken from 1 R. S. N. Y. 3d Ed. Title II. Art I. Sec. 4.
483
8th. To apply such penalties when collected in such manner as
they may deem most conducive to the interests of said town.*
Special town meetings shall be held to supply vacancies in the
several cases hereinafter provided for. They shall be held when the
supervisor, town clerk and the justices of the peace or any two of
them together with twelve other freeholders of the town shall, in
writing, file in the office of the town clerk, a statement that a special
town meeting is necessary to the interests of the town, and the town
clerk shall then, by posting up notices in five of the most public
places in the town, giving at least ten days notice of such special
town meeting, and such meeting shall act on no subject which is not
specified in the notice calling such meeting, f
The town meeting is opened between 9:00 and 10:00 o'clock in the
morning by the electors then present, who choose a moderator.^ The
town clerk shall be clerk of the meeting. § After the polls have been
proclaimed open, the supervisor, town clerk, assessor, overseer of the
poor, collector, commissioners of highways, constables and justices
of the peace, shall be chosen by ballot. || All other officers shall be
chosen either by ballot, yeas and nays, or by dividing the electors.
All the town officers shall hold office for one year, except the justices
of the peace who hold for four years. ^
The supervisor is general manager of the town and also member of
the county board. He receives and pays all moneys for the town,**
and prosecutes for certain penalties.ff Process against the town in
all legal proceedings shall be served against the supervisor.
The town clerk keeps all the books, records and papers of the
town. J J
The supervisor, town clerk and the justices of the peace, shall con-
stitute the board of auditors §§ They examine the accounts of the
overseers of the poor and the commissioners of highways. The town
clerk and the justices examine the accounts of the supervisor. The
board also audits all claims and charges payable by their respective
towns.
Each county as a body corporate has capacity to sue and be sued,
to purchase and hold land within its limits, to make necessary con-
tracts and to hold such property as is necessary to the exercise of its
corporate powers, to dispose of its property to the interests of its in-
habitants, and shall exercise no other corporate powers |||| All acts
by or against a county in its corporate capacity shall be in the name
of the board of supervisors, and the powers politic of the county can
only be exercised by them.^^
*Same powers as In New York system. 1 R S. 340.
tCf 1. K. S (M. Y ) Ch II Tit. 2. Art. I.. S^c. 15.
ilu New York a Justice of t(ie P»"ice presides; a moderator Is ohosen only when no Jas-
tlce Is present. I. R S.. Tit. 2 Art. 2. Sec. 19.
? f. I R S. (N. Y ) lit 2. Art. 2. Sec 22.
ll-ubj"ct matter identical with New Yurk Statute. I. R. 8. Ch. II., Tit. 8. Art. I. Sec. 2.
llOnf year fi<r all officers in .\ew York.
**Only certa'n moneys in New York.
ttCf i K. s (N Y ) th. II.. Tit. 4. \Tt. II.. Sec. 2.
tt-'ame In New Y..rk. I. R. S. Ch. 11 . Tit. 4. Art. 2. Sec. II.
(!i!-*ame in New York. I R. S. Ch. II. Tit 4. Art. 5' Sec. 47.
"II <&me la N.jw Y >rk. I. R. S. Ch. 12. Pit. I. Art. 1. Sec. 1 and 2.
f Same in New York. I. R. S. Ch, 12. Tit. 1. Art. 1. Sec. 3 and A.
484
The supervisors of the several towns meet annually* on the first
Monday after the general eleotionf and choose a temporary chair-
man. They have power to make orders concerning the corporate
property of the county, J audit accounts against the county, and pro-
vide for their payment, audit accounts of town officers, take charge
of the poor and management of poor housesg and equalize the assess-
ment roll. II
The clerk of the county court shall be clerk of the board and shall
keep a record of the proceedings. Tj
The county treasurer when elected shall file a bond satisfactory to
the board of supervisors. He shall receive and pay out all moneys
according to law and shall exhibit his books at the annual meet-
ing of the board of supervisors.** He collects taxes charged against
delinquents or non-resident lands, and can make sale thereof for
the same.
The assessorff shall between the first of May and July in each
year, proceed to ascertain by diligent inquiry, the names of all
the taxable inhabitants, and also all the taxable property in his
town, and shall enter the same on an assessment roll. J;}; The as-
sessment rolls shall be completed on or before the first day of Au-
gust in each year, and he shall keep a copy for inspection by the in-
habitants during twenty days, and at the expiration of said time
he shall set a day when, at some desirable place, he shall be ready to
review the assessment on application of any person conceiving him-
self aggrieved.§§ If there are no objections made, the assessor signs
and certifies to the roll. It is then equalized and delivered to the
coUectorllll on or before the 15th day of Deoember.^^ The collector
shall, in case of refusal or neglect to pay, give notice of the time and
place, when and where the property of the person so refusing or
neglecting, will be sold, at least six days previous to the sale, by ad-
vertisement to be posted up in at least three public places in the
town where such sale is to be made.***
The collector shall pay over money to town officers and to the
county treasurer and receive receipts. fff
*Board8 of supervisors meet annually in New York, on different days In different coun-
ties. I. R. S. Ch. 12. Tit. 2. Art. I. Sec. I.
tCommissioners' court had four sessions, R. S. 1845, Ch. 27, Sec. 22.
jSame powers as possessed by Commissioner's court, R. S. 1845.
gPower held by Commissioner's court, R. S. 1845. Ch. 80.
ICf. I. S. (N. Y.) Ch. 12. Tit. 2, Art. 1. Sees 4 and 5.
flln New York some person is appointed during the board's pleasure.
"I. R. S. (N. Y.) Ch. 12, Tit, 2. Art. 2. Sees. 33, 34. 35 and 38.
t+Under county system, county treasurer was assessor. R. S. 1845, Ch. 89, Sec. 13.
U rakf^n from I. S. R. (N. Y.) Ch. 13. Tit. 2, Sec. 8
d? Paken from I. R. S. (N. Y.) Ch. 13. Tit. 2, Sees. 19. 20. 21 and 22.
IDUnder the county system the sheriff was ex-officlo county collector, Ch. 89. Sec. 27. R.
8. 1845.
miTaken from I. R. S, (N. Y.) Ch. 13. Tit 2, Sec' 36.
»»*Taken from I. R. S. (N. Y.) Ch. 13, Tit. 3, Art. 1. Sec. 6.
tttTaken from I R. S. (New York) ch. 13, tit. 3, art, I, sec. 13.
485
It shall be the duty of the oommissioners of highways* in the sev-
eral towns who have the care and superintendence of the highways
and bridges therein:
Ist. To give directions for the repairing of the roads and bridges
within their respective towns.
2d. To regulate the roads already laid out and to alter such of
them as they, or a majority of them, shall deem necessary.
3d. To cause such roads used as highways, as have been laid out
but not sufficiently described and such as have been used for 20 years
but not recorded, to be ascertained, described and entered of record
in the town clerk's office.
4th. To cause highways and bridges which are or may be erected
over streams crossing highways, to be kept in repair.
5th. To divide their respective towns into so many road districts
as they shall deem convenient, by writing under their hands, to be
lodged with the town clerk, and by him to be entered in the town
book. Such division to be made annually if they shall think it nec-
essary, and in all cases to be made at least ten days before the annual
town meeting.
6th. To assign to each of the said road districts such of the in-
habitants, liable to work on highways as they shall think proper,
having regard to proximity of residence, as much as may be.
7th. To require the overseers of highways, from time to time, and
as often as they may deem necessary, to warn all persons assessed to
work on highways to come and work thereon, with such implements,
carriages, sleds, cattle or teams as the said commissioners, or any
one of them, shall direct. They shall also have power to lay out new
roads and discontinue old ones and to perform many other offices in-
cident to a good condition of the highways. The commissioners
shall report to the board of town auditors, in writing, at their annual
meeting.f
The commissioners of highways of each town shall meet within 18
days after they shall be chosen, at the place of town meeting, and
thereafter at such time and place as they shall think proper.
The overseers of highways^ make list of persons subject to road
labor, give notice to them when and where to work, and have gen-
eral supervision over the work done on the highways. §
The fourth section, declaring that "if it shall appear by the returns
of said election, that a majority of all the votes oast for or against a
township organization is for the township organization, the county
so voting in favor of its adoption, shall be governed by and subject
to the provisions of this act on and after the first Tuesday in April,"
1850," was declared unconstitutional ||
♦Powers Possessed by County Commissloriers. R. S.. 1845. ch. 93.
tldentlcal with New York law. I. K. S. ch 16. tit. I. art. I, sec 1.
tPossess powers of old Supervisors of Highways, ch. 93. sees. 12-17, R. S. 1845.
?Cf. I. R. S. (New York) cb. 16. tit. I. art. 7. sec. 6. tt teq.
I People vs. Brown. 11 III.. 478.
486
At the session of the legislature next ensuing, this law was
amended, or rather a substitute for it was adopted, i'he fourth sec-
tion was changed to conform to the requirements of the constitution
and some additions were made. By the fourth and fifth sections of
the 25th article, it was provided that upon the petition of 50 legal
voters of any county acting under township organization, an election
should be held at the next town meeting, for or against township or-
ganization, and if it should appear that a majority of all the voters
voting at such election voted against Euch township organization,
then the county should cease to act under such organization.*
These two sections were declared unconstitutional by the Supreme
court :f "If the law providing for township organization should be
repealed it must be done by pursuing the same course * * *
which was required to be observed in the adoption of the system. ";|;
In borrowing the law from the statute of New York, and adopting
it to our general statutes, many omissions, errors and imperfections
occurred, which soon required correction. The act of 1851 had been
amended at various times, § and several independent acts passed, ||
but still it was unsatisfactory, and another act was demanded. The
purpose of the act of 1861, said Mr. Haines, then a member of the
House, was *'to preserve as much of the act of 1851 and amendatory
acts, as could be consistently retained, making necessary corrections,
and to add such new provisions as experience under the system
seemed to demand, and withal to make no further changes in the law
than were actually necessary to perfect the system and adapt it to
our general statutes."
The subject originated in the House of Representatives, and was
referred to the committee on township organization, with instruc-
tions to enquire into the expediency of reducing the act to provide
for township organization, and the several amendatory acts into one
act, and to amend the same, and report thereon. The aim of the
committee was to reform as far as possible, the errors and confusion
existing in the old law, and to arrange the difiPerent subjects com-
prised under distinct heads, in methodical order, rendering the act
more perfect in itself, and a reference to any portion of it more easy
and convenient. The time allowed the committee during a session
of six weeks, in the midst of other not less important legislative
duties, was necessarily short, compared with the labor and care which
this important subject demanded.^f It is therefore not surprising
*Aa act to provide for township orsranliatlon, approved Feb. 17, 1851; Laws 1851, 35.
tPeople vs. Couchman. 15 III., 142,
tProvlslon In the constitution of 1848. that a majority of voters of a county must concur,
held to be satisfied by concurrence of majority of votes cast at election. People r Warfleld,
20 111., 159 (1850). so the sections appearing in th« later laws are constitutional. The United
States Supreme Court lu a case appealed from Missouri, Harshman v. Bates County, 2 Otto,
669. decided a similar case exactly the other way.
, SLaws 1851. 136: Laws 1854, 27; Laws 1857, 46; Laws 1857, 55; Laws 1859, 212; Laws 1869, 106;
Laws 1857, 183.
II Laws 1857. 82; Laws 1859, 129: Laws 1859, 213.
KHalnes, Township Laws. 8th Ed., Preface.
4b7
that some errors have chanced to occur. The law was as its title
implies, "An act to reduce the act to provide for township organiza-
tion, and the several acts amendatory thereof, into one act, and to
amend the same."*
Among the new features of this act were a provision for the divis-
ion of real estate, money and apportionment of debts, when a town
is divided in two or more towns, Art. 8, Sees 4, 5, 6, 9; provision for
compensation for town auditors, Art. 11, Seo. 4, and for the publica-
tion of the proceedings of the board of supervisors, Art. 14, Seo. 18.
This act, with amendatory actsf remained in force until after the
adoption of the Constitution of 1870. Of the amendatory acts a few
are important enough to deserve mention and to be compared with
like provisions in some neighboring states.
A local board of health was created for the township in 1865,§ con-
sisting of the supervisor, assessor and town clerk. It might quaran-
tine houses and take other measures to prevent the spread of conta-
gion. The act was made subject to acceptance or rejection of each
county. This act is similar to the Michigan act enacted before this
time, whereby the township board (consisting of the supervisor, the
two justices of the peace whose terms expired soonest, and the town
clerk) constitutes the board, || and quite different from the Wiscon-
sin provision whereby the town board, village board and common
council of every town, village and city, after each annual election,
organize as the board of health, or appoint wholly or partially from
its own members, a suitable number of competent persons who
ehall organize as a board of health.^
In 1867 the supervisor of each town was made ex-officio, overseer
of the poor in his town,** In Iowa the township trustees are over-
seers, C. 1897, Sec. 574, Oh. 10; in Wisconsin the supervisor fills that
office. Sec. 1501, Ch 63, R. S. 1898; in Missouri the county court has
supervision, Sec. 7327, Ch. 129, R. S. 1889; while in Nebraska, the
justices of the peace take care of the poor. Sec. 4, Ch. 67, 0. S. Neb.
1899.
An act providing for the payment of road tax in money was ap-
proved March 11, 1869,ff whereby the voters may at town meetings
provide that thereafter the road tax shall be paid in money only. J J
•The section on discontinuance of the system was not in accordance with the court's
decision iu 15 111 , 142.
tLaws 1861. 216: approved Feb. 20. 1861.
tLiws 1867. 169. 17.'; Laws 1865. 75: Laws 1869.407: Laws 1869. 406; Laws 1871-2.643; Laws
1871-2. 756; Laws 1871-2. 757,
§Law3 1865, 76.
llCompiled Laws. 1846.
^Sec. 1-3 Ch. 26. K. S. Wis. 1849.
**Laws 186if. 172.
t+Laws 1869. 406.
tlMls-ouri provided for the payment of all road'taxes In money In 1883, Law*. 1883. 173.
In Wisconsin and Iowa the citizens In l'*49 had power to determlnn if any portion of the tax
should b- paid In labor. Sees l-i. Ch 112. K. S Wis 1849; C. 1851. Sec. 568 Iowa. In Nebraska
one-fourth of the road tax must be paid in cash, Sec. 79, Ch. 78, C. S. Meb. 1899.
488
By an act approved April 2, 1872,* the legal voters of a town may,
by the adoption of resolutions at town meetings authorize the super-
visor to sell real estate owned by the town.
Thus we see that by this time the system appears about the same
as it is today.
Chapter IV.
THE INTERNAL IMPROVEMENT CRAZE — STATE AID TO RAILROADS.
The history of the Illinois town hardly begins until the year 1836
when the legislature passed an act known as "An act to establish and
maintain a general system of internal improvement " Aside from
the legislation of 1819 and 1827 making the township a body corpor-
ate for school purposes, no considerable attention had been given to
the town. A brief account of this famous legislation will not be out
of place.
The legislature elected August 1836 was supplemented by an in-
ternal improvement convention, composed of many of the ablest men
of the State, which was to meet at the seat of government simultan-
eously with the legislature. It is probable that the more zealous
advocates of the project entertained doubts regarding the stamina of
the members of the legislature when the vast project should be fully
brought forward for action.f Two questions came up for decision;
one was the project to move tne State capital from Vandalia, the
other to provide for internal improvement. The latter question was
stubbornly contested, and the vote appeared to be about equal; when
it was discovered that "the long nine" (the seven representatives and
two senators from Sangamon) held the balance of power on the in-
ternal improvement question, it was also discovered that Springfield
was a candidate for the location of the new State capital. The mat-
ter was arranged so that the capital was moved to Sangamon, and the
"long nine" put through the internal improvement bill.
The enthusiasm of the promoters of this bill approached the ridic-
ulous. It was urged that beyond any sort of doubt or question the
railroads would build themselves, and that the whole thing would go
through upon the endorsement of the State, without the expense of a
dollar or any demand on the taxpayer. Governor Duncan said in his
message on internal improvement, "Should the State be true to her
own interests and take one-half, or one-third of the stock in all works
of internal improvements, she will hasten the completion of the most
important first, and secure to herself a lasting and abundant revenue
to be applied upon the principles of the plan proposed, until the
whole country shall be intersected by canals and railroads, and our
beautiful prairies enlivened by thousands of steam engines drawing
after them lengthened trains freighted with the abundant productions
of our fertile soil. "J
♦Laws 1871-2. 643.
+ Oavldsoii & i5tuv6. 434.
X rJenate Journal, 1836-7; 19.
489
The system contemplated the building of 1,842 miles of railroad at
a cost of $11,4170,444.50. The legislature of 18'6d entertained doubts
of the feasibility of completing the whole system, and appointed a
committee to investigate. In their report submitted Feb. 16, 1889,
they declared that $14,000,000 would be sufficient to complete the
system and considered everything favorable for the execution of the
plan. Before the people realized what was going on, the State was
in debt over $12,000,000 The system was finally repealed,* but not
until the State was unable to pay the interest on its bonds. The
credit of the State was a by-word all over the commercial world. The
people were driven almost to the extremity of repudiation. The
period continued from 1889 until 1847, during which time the high
taxes and hard times made capital and emigrants shun the State as
they would the pestilence.f In 1847 the constitutional convention
adopted a two mill tax to pay the debt.
One of the delegates to the convention of 1870, speaking of this
period said: "It was a glorious time for two or three years, but after
the money ran through and was all gone, and pay day came, the
people had to pass through an ordeal such as no community perhaps
on this continent ever went through before; it lasted 20 years; it par-
alyzed industry; it drove emigrants from the State; it reduced com-
munities to pauperism, comparatively speaking "
The principal provisions of the Internal Improvement act were as
follows: An act to establish and maintain a general system of in-
ternal improvement. Approved and in force Feb, 27, 1837. Three
fund commissioners should be elected by joint ballot of the general
assembly and bienially thereafter, who should be practical and ex-
perienced financiers. Each commissioner should give bond to the
amount of $50,000, It was the duty of this board to contract for and
negotiate all loans authorized to be effected by the general assembly
on the faith and credit of the State, for objects of internal improve-
ment, and they should sign and execute certificates of stock therefor,
and should receive and deposit all moneys arising from such loans.
For the purpose of promoting and maintaining a general system of
internal improvements, there was created a board of public works,
consisting of seven members, one from each judicial district, elected
bienially by joint vote of the general assembly. They were styled
"The Board of Commissioners of Public Works." They should give
a bond of $20,000, and no commissioner was to have in his hands more
than that amount at any one time. The duty of the board was to
•Laws 1840, 98.
tQaimn population; 1810-20. 348 per cent; 1820-30, 185; 1830-10. 202; 1810-60, 83; 1860-60. 101-
1860-70, 48; 1870-80. 21.
490
looate, superintend, direct and construct on the part and behalf of
this State, all works of internal improvement by the State. The fol-
lowing appropriations were made:
For the Improvement of the Great Wabash river $ lOO.Oro 00
For the improvement of the Illinois river ICO. 000 00
For the improvemeut of the itock river 100,000 00
For the ioiprovement of the Kaskaskia river 50.000 00
For the improvement of the Little '.^ aba?h river 60.000 00
For the improvement of the Western mall route 260,000 00
Railroad from Cairo to termination of I. & Al. canal 3,500.000 00
Railroad from Alton to Mt. Carmel and Shawueetown 1,600.000 00
Railroad from Quincy to Indiana state line 1,800,000 00
Railroad from feoria to Warsaw 70'J.OuO 00
Railroad from Lower Alton to Central railroad 600.000 00
Railroad from Belleville to railroad Alton to Mt. Carmel 150.000 00
Railroad from Bloomtngton to Mackinaw 350,000 00
Distributed among counties without a railroad, in proportion to census* 200,000 00
The funds used for internal improvement consisted of all money
raised by the sale of stocks or State bonds, or by virtue of loans author-
ized by law, and of all appropriations which were made from time to
time out of the revenue of the State arising from the tolls and water,
and other rents of all the works of internal improvement, and of all
rents, issues and profits arising from the lands purchased or entered by
the State for the purpose of promoting and aiding in the construction
and completion of said works, either by leasing or selling the same,
and of the proceeds of all lands which may be donated by the general
government in aid of internal improvements in this State, etc.f
The people of Bond county, as soon as the act passed, had declared
in a public meeting that the system must lead to taxation and utter
ruin ; that the people were not bound to pay any of the debt to be con-
tracted for it, and that Bond county would never assist in paying a
cent of it. Accordingly they refused to pay taxes for several years.
The question of payment was considered a very dangerous one.
Both political parties evaded it; at a Democratic State convention, a
resolution offered against repudiation was laid on the table by an
overwhelming majority, so as not to commit the party one way or
another. J
By 1850, 110 miles of the 1,342, were completed, nearly ten years
after the system had been repealed, Most of the work seems to
have been done on the rivers, but for the debt of $12,000,000, the
people got practically nothing.
♦Population of Illinois in 1810; 476, 183.
tLaws 1837, 121.
tDavldson «fe Stuv6. 453.
491
Chapter V.
MUNICIPAL AID TO RAILROADS.
The 2 mill tax served its purpose and the State securities were
placed above par. On Dec. 1, 1869, the State debt had decreased to
|5,124r,995 64. The 2 mill tax was discontinued under the Constitu-
tion of 1870. Long before tbis time, however, the taxes had ceased
to become burdensome to the people.*
The desiie to overcome the natural means of transit, and the value
and importance of railroads to promote the public welfare, were felt
more and more stringently as years passed by, and railroads were
constructed and made their advantages manifest in the eastern states.
Finally the aid of Congress was invoked, cities, towns and counties
were asked for aid to induce the construction of railroads. This de-
mand of the people was at last urged so unitedly and forcibly that
Congress, in IboO, made a munificent land grant to the State, to en-
able the construction of the Illinois Central railroad. The act stim-
ulated all other railroad enterprises which the people in the various
parts of the State had been promoting, and by 1852 the construction
of railroads throughout the State was being pushed with great en-
ergy, the result of which was that in 1872, after about 20 years of
strenuous effort, between 5,000 and 6,000 miles of railroad had been
completed, which penetrated most parts of the State, and largely
realized to the people in the benefits conferred, the anticipation of
those who first labored for their construction.
Sparsely settled and unimportant townships voted fabulous sums.
The town of Harmon, Lee county, with an aggregate of real and
personal property of $56,000 voted a subscription of $50,000. f Sul-
livan, Moultrie county, offered $185,000; the city of Quincy, when
the convention of 1870 had convened, had made arrangements to ex-
pend $500,000 to build a railroad in Missouri J and a provision was
made in the constitution allowing it to do so, (Schedule Sec. 24) .
The town of Vandalia subscribed $149,000 to the St. L. V. & T. H.
R R. Co.
By the construction of railroads it is safe to say that the value of
land has been enhanced probably more than $25 per acre, (1895),
independent of the cost of the improvements put upon it by the
farmer. But estimating the rise in value strictly on the effect of the
construction of the railroads upon the eligibility of the lands to
market at $25 per acre, and the result shows a pecuniary benefit of
millions of dollars, very uniformly distributed to the original owners
of the laud. The average market value of these lands before the
construction of the railroads did not exceed $2 per acre. When the
roads were assured to be built, lands at once advanced to $15 and
♦Population of Illinois in 1870. 2.539,891.
tDebatea of the convention of 1870, 647.
tDlttO, p. 1762.
492
$25 per acre without improvements, and ever since that time have
averaged a net revenue per annum fully as great as the cost of the
lands to their original owners.*
The bonds of these counties, townships and cities bore a high rate
of interest and were apt to become a burden. To remedy this the
legislature in 18G5 passed an act under which $l,867,fcOO worth of
bonds were registered up to 1870. Counties and cities owing debts
for railroad purposes have been enabled by this law to reduce their
interest from eight and ten per cent payable semi-annually, to six per
cent annually. This was "an act relating to county and city debts,
and to provide for the payment thereof, by taxation in such counties
and cities," approved Feb. 18, 1865, It was provided that in all oases
where counties and cities have hitherto under any law of this State
issued bonds for money on account of any public improvement, and
the same remain outstanding, or any debt arising thereout remains
unpaid, the board of supervisors or county court of such county, and
the city council or municipal authority of suNsh city, as the case may
be, having issued such bonds or securities may upon their sur-
render, issue in place thereof, to the holder or owner, new bonds, in
such form, for such amount, upon such time, and drawing such in-
terest as may be agreed upon with the holder or owner: Provided,
such new bonds shall not be for a greater sum than the principal and
accrued interest unpaid of the bonds or debts in place of which they
shall be given, nor bear a greater rate of interest than six per cent
per annum, and such bonds shall show on their face that they are
issued under this act, and if so agreed, may provide for payment of
five per cent of the principal thereof, annually, until fully paid. On
presentation of any such new bond, at the office of the Auditor of
Public Accounts for registration he shall cause the same to be regis-
tered in his office in a book to be kept for that purpose; such regis-
tration shall show the date, amount, number, maturity and rate of in-
terest of such bond, under what act, and by what county or city
issued.
In all cases where any county or city shall issue bonds under this
act, it shall be the duty of the county clerk of such county, or of the
officer to whom or at whose office, the assessment rolls for State tax-
ation, whether county or city are, or shall be returnable, within five
years after such return, to make out and transmit to the Auditor of
State, to be filed in his office, a certificate stating the total value of
all property, real and personal, within such county or city, exhibited
by such assessment. When the bonds of any county or city to the
amount of $12,000 shall be so registered, the Auditor shall annually
ascertain the amount of interest for the current year, and shall add
five per cent of the principal to such bonds as provide for such addi-
tion, and this amount shall be levied on the said county or city, and
said addition deemed added to and a part of the percentum which is
to be levied for State revenue, and shall be collected in the same
♦Report of Railroad and Warehouse Com. III.. 1885. vl.
493
manner. The State shall be deemed the custodian only of the tax so
oolleoted and shall not be deemed in any manner liable for the
bonds*
Four years later, in 1869, another still more liberal measure was
passed. In the words of one of the delegates to the constitutional
convention of 1870, it is the most remarkable law passed by any leg-
islature in this coui^try. It is nothing more or less than an ingenious
contrivance to sieze upon the State revenues and appropriate them to
private purposes. It was passed by the influence of the lobby over
the Governor's veto, and against the judgment of many of the most
judicious persons in the General Assembly .f This was "An act to
fund and provide for paying the railroad debts of counties, town-
ships, cities and towns." It was provided that where any county,
township, city or town shall be indebted or shall create a debt under
the provisions of any law of this State to aid in building a railroad
near or through its territory, that shall be completed within ten years
after the passage of this act, the State Treasurer is required to place
to the credit of such county, township, city or town, for the next ten
years, all the State taxes paid in, on the increased valuation of the
taxable property as shown by the annual assessment rolls, over and
above the amount of the assessment roll of the year 1868, excepting
the State school tax and the 2-mill tax, and whenever any county,
township, city or town shall have created a debt as aforesaid, the col-
lector of taxes is hereby required to pay into the State treasury an-
nually for the next ten years, all the taxes collected on the property
of the railroad for whose aid the said debt was incurred. The whole
amount received, with the exception of the State school tax and the
2-mill tax, shall be credited to such county, township, city or town.
The said funds shall be applied to the payment of the bonded rail-
road debt of such county, township, town or city. Any bond in order
to obtain the benefits of this act shall be registered by the Auditor,
who shall see to the payment of the interest. The State shall be
considered the custodian merely of the taxes so collected and shall
be in no way liable for the payment of the bonds.J
The bill was vetoed by the Governor,J;J; and upon reconsideration
was passed over his veto.
The Governor said, in vetoing the act: "The bill contemplates in
its direct provisions, however carefully or artfully expressed, the
assumption by the State of the obligation, first, to pay the interest
and afterwards the principal of all the railroad debts of counties,
townships, cities and towns, that are now contracted in aid of rail-
roads already completed; and also to pay the principal and then the
interest upon all the bonds of counties, townships, cities and towns,
hereafter to be contracted, in aid of any railroad which shall be com-
pleted within ten years from the passage of the act; and in its ultimate,
indirect consequences invites counties, townships, cities and towns
to engage in railroad enterprises upon their own credit, with the
♦Laws 1865, 44.
tDebates of the Constitutional Convention of 1870. 819.
tLaws 1869. 316.
UGoT. John M. Palm« r.
494
delusive hope of ultimately succeeding in charging the debts they
may contract upon the State treasury. Under the provisions of this
bill, however, property of a particular description, as that of railroad
corporations, in the counties, townships, cities and towns that have
or may issue bonds in aid of their construction, is actually relieved
from all taxation for general State purposes, and at the same time,
while the property of all such counties, townships, cities and towns
as have contracted railroad debts, under the provisions of this act, is
taxed at a lower and different rate than the property in counties that
owe no railroad debt."
The bill was discussed next year in the constitutional convention
with much warmth pro and con. In the language of one member,
"The state treasurer is to become a general broker and cashier for
all those institutions; a growing system is built up in the State, at
some day to be put in force, to cause this State to stand responsible
before the world for the whole batch. It is but another form of re-
placing the State in precisely the position in which it was carried by
the unwise and improvident railroad legislation of 1836 and 1837."*
Another said, "No law has met with more general approbation than
that simple solitary act, and it ill becomes us coming up here as rep-
resentatives of the people of the State to repeal a statute to which
there has yet been received or heard from the people not a single ob-
jection."f Another said, "The gentleman from Alexander said that
the people of the State do not complain of the passage of this law by
the legislature. I do not know how it may be in his section of the
country, but with all the people in our section, this law is considered
a swindle, an outrage and a fraud upon the people of the State."! It
was referred to as the "tax stealing law," the "steal law," etc. An-
other delegate said, "The law in the first place was a premium to
townships and counties to run into debt. Seeing others investing
their credit in railroad enterprises, and thereby retaining in their
hands their excess of taxation, is influencing townships, counties
and towns to run into debt; while in other counties such excess goes
into the State treasury — they are induced to go into debt for the very
purpose of drawing from the treasury that excess or increase of taxa-
tion. This is done in self-defense even, for instance, take a county
which has already built its railroads; its property is increasing; its
increase goes into the State treasury, while that of other counties is
used by themselves, and hence such a county is induced to enter
upon the system in order to equalize the scale, It will project en-
terprises and incur debts in this view; so that there is more danger
now of counties, townships, etc., running into debt than there ever
was before §
The bills did undoubtedly affect to some extent the credit of the
State; the fact that the treasurer was employed in the payment of
the bonds gave color to the claim put forth by dealers in the bonds
that they were guaranteed by the State, This idea seems to have been
quite common in New York where many of the bonds were payable.
♦Dnbutps. Etc.. 810.
+Ibld..8U.
tlhld .812.
ilbid, 836.
ROCV<.
MERCER
HANCOCK
ADAM5
WARREN
o
KNOX
STARK
IPUTNAM
MARSHALL
PEORIA ; o
WOODFORD
LIVINGSTON
o
FULTON
TAZEWELL
SCHUYLER^y^
o
MASON
MENARD
BROWN
CASS
o
M MO
20'— 1
MORGAN
M c LEAN
o
S A NG A
,^ , GREEN
vikd.
l|o
l^VjERSEY
MACOUPIN
BOND
II MADISON "-> °
o
St CLAIR^
IMONROE
KANKAKEE
FORD
IROQUOIS
^RANDOLPH
Counties TotinB aKatnst proposition In regard to municipal subscription to railroad stock. On v«-
/ for adoption of Constitution of 1870.
495
Chapter VI.
THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION OF 1870.
Besides the provision for township organization, the two questions
pertaining to town government were, first, the question of municipal
subscriptions to railroads, and second, a 5 per cent limitation to mu-
nicipal indebtedness.
The question of municipal subscription was easily disposed of; the
right of municipalities to subscribe to railroad stock was denied with-
out a yea and nay vote. The argument advanced by the champions
of the measure was that the voting of a subscription to a railroad
was the voting by A of a tax upon B for the benefit of O.* Their
opponents refuted "such alphabetical nonsense" with the unanswer-
able argument that in this State the majority rule, and vote taxes
upon themselves f
The section, as adopted, provided that "no county, city, town,
township or other municipality shall ever become subscriber to the
capital stock of any railroad or private corporation, or make donation
to or loan its credit in aid of such corporation; Provided, however,
that the adoption of this article shall not be construed as affecting
the right of any such municipality to make such subscriptions where
the same has been authorized, under existing laws, by a vote of the
people of such municipality prior to such adoption."
The question of limitation to the extent of municipal indebtedness
to 5 per cent of her assessed valuation, caused much discussion and
argument % The proposition was finally agreed to. All counties
that had all the railroads needed were heartily in favor of the propo-
sition, while the many southern counties that had not yet obtained
a requisite number of railroads were against it.
•Chlcagro Tribune.
tllUnots State Register.
t\lthou?h the law rpqilred the assessment of all property at full value. It was listed much
lower in 1870. The establishment of a Board of Eq allzatlou In 1867 (Laws 1867. 105.) and the
abolition of the two mill tax were expected to rai»e the ass»-ssed valuation to Hppr>>ximately
full value. The advocates of the 5 per cent limiratlon provision expected full valuntlon and
thought that their limitation w ul<l aid In su-taining it. al'hough by many a 6 per cent limi-
tation on half vBlue was considered sufficiently liberal. At that time property was assessed
at about one-fifth of Its actual cash value, and in the Rveraee locality has remained so ever
Blnce. In some localltien. however, the temptation to avoid high state taxes has been so
great that It has fallen far below this. In some parts of Cor>k county the Hsse-ised valuation
descended as lowaB one-flftif-thof full value (Marvin A. Farr) while eva<iine the psymt-nt of
State taxes, the city of Chicago has been able to as.iune a large debt by m'lIrlDlying the
nnrabf^r of municipal corporatlonn within ht^r bord-Ts. (There are about 17 different muni-
cipal corporations in the city of Chicago ) Most counties being unable to aval them-elvea
of sanitary di-itricts and numerous park commissions are compelled to maintain a higher
ass'ssed valuation. The f ramer-* of the new revenue a"t. apparently actiiHtod by a d««ire to
maintain the statitt quo. provided for the assessment of pr<iperty at one-flfth of Its full cash
Valupi As full cash value is ascertained by personal correspondt-nce of thu writer to be
about 80 per cent, the assessed valiiatlun. therefore, upon which Indebt* dness is limited to 6
per cent ha-< been reduced from 100 per cent to 16 per cent. The Increase In the assessed
valuation in Cook county (110 per cent) shows the former assessed valuation to have been 2^
per cent, while difficulty Is antlelpatt d in one county (Calhoun) because pro"erty Is asse^aed
at only one fifth of full value. Despite the lack of uniformity, the 6 per cent limita-
tion, although In actual practice it has proved vastly greater than was Intended, has caused
no great Inconvenience, becau-e of the necessity in rural counties of a higher assessed val-
uation, and In Chicago on account of the more highly differentiated system of admin-
istration.
496
Representatives of counties negotiating the building of railroads
signified their willingness to vote for the proposition, saying that
they were heartily in favor of it if it would not operate to prohibit
their particular cases. As a majority of the counties had a sufficient
number of railroads, it was decided that the others should go without.
For the distribution of the vote see map.
The section provided that no county, city, township, school district
or other municipality,* shall be allowed to become indebted in any
manner or for any purpose to an amount including existing indebt-
edness, in the aggregate, exceeding 5 per centum on the value of the
taxable property therein, to be ascertained by the last assessment for
State and county taxes, previous to the incurring of such in-
debtedness. ^ Any county, city, school district or other municipal
corporation incurring any indebtedness, as aforesaid, shall before or
at the time of doing so, provide for the collection of a direct annual
tax sufficient to pay the interest on such debt as it falls due, and also
to pay and discharge the same. This section shall not be construed
to prevent any county, city, township, school district or other muni-
cipal corporation from issuing their bonds in compliance with any
vote of the people which may have been had prior to the adoption of
this constitution in pursuance of any law providing therefor.
On the question of township organization, both a majority and a
minority report was ofFered.f The majority report was substantially
the same as the article referring to the same subject in the constitu-
tion of 1848, but a provision was introduced in respect to the county
board of supervisors which would have made the supervisors consti-
tutional officers. Each town should have at least one representative;
another section was added providing for uniformity of fees and days
of holding township meetings. Supervisors were not mentioned in
the old constitution; it was deemed proper that there should be a
recognition of that part of the governmental machinery in the new
constitution. The question of representation upon the county board
was presented to the committee in various forms, but it was found
that there were so many local interests to be consulted, so many con-
flicting opinions, that it was preferred to leave it for the legislature
to arrange, simply requiring that all laws passed in reference to rep-
resentation on the county board of supervisors shall be uniforn
throughout the State.
By the minority report, in addition to what was contained in the
majority report, the following section was submitted: Whenever two-
thirds of the members elected in each branch of the general assembly
shall concur in a provision to that effect, all counties in the State
shall be placed under township organization. Some other rather
legislative features were continued.
*An Interesting Instance of the change of public opinion on the question of municipal In-
debtedness is revealed by comparing the excitement amid which the proposition to limit it
to 5 per cent of cash value was discussed In 1S70, with the utter lack of comment on the action
of the leeislarure in practically prohibiting it in ls98 (1 per cent is nowthe maximum), but by
Sec. 49 of the revenue act of 1898. municipalities in counties of 125.000 luhabitaDts were al-
lowed an indebtedness of only 2"^ per cent, declared unconstitutional in 133 111., which would
allow only one-half of 1 per cent of actual value.
tDebates of the Constitutional Convention of 1870, 873, 874.
497
The question of the abandonment of the system was disoussed.
Up to 1870 no oounty had abandoned the system after once adopting
it. There was a great deal of uncertainty as to the method to be
pursued in doing so. The old law's provision had been declared un-
constitutional, and the supreme court had prescribed a way. The
uncertainty in this regard was set at rest by a section providing the
ssme method as was prescribed by the court.*
Another consideration was equal representation of towns on the
board. Under the old law great abuses had arisen from the unequal
representation. The provision for assistant supervisors was not
satisfactory; there was no uniformity throughout the state; special
laws were made for every case; in some places the basis of represen-
tation was different from that in others, and some towns were by
special laws, set entirely outside of townships.f Finally all details
were left to the general assembly, and no oflSoers were mentioned in
the section.
The pronounced manner in which the constitution proposed in
1861 had been voted down, led the convention to avoid staking th&
fate of the whole constitution with that of certain clauses unpopular
in different sections of the state. The hostility of the south towards
the clause prohibiting subscriptions to railroads by municipalities,
was the cause ot that clause being submitted separately to the people,
yet with two exceptions^ those counties voting against the municipal
subscription clause also voted against the constitution.
♦Article 10. Section 6.
tMacomb and Uaiesibarsr, for Instance.
IBlontsomery and Wabash counties.
-82 H.
498
Chapter VII.
PRESENT ORGANIZATION AND POWERS.
The act under which counties are now organized was approved and
in force March 4, 1874 * It differs in few particulars from the act
of 1861.
Provision is made for the organization of cities not in tov^ns, into
separate towns, and for the first election of county commissioners,
where counties go back to the old system, disposition of the town
records, etc. A minimum area of 17 square miles is prescribed for a
town, and a majority of the electors is made necessary to divide a
town. Supervisors in Cook county are declared not to be members
of the county board.
The act of 1874 has been amended many timesf but the amend-
ments are mostly of little interest in this discussion. In 1877 cities
of over 3,000 inhabitants were allowed to be organized into separate
towns by the county boards upon request of the city council. The
town clerk was made clerk of the board of town auditors in 1879. In
1885 the territorial minimum for area of a town was lowered to ten
square miles.
Having concluded the discussion of the legal provisions, we shall
investigate the practical workings of the system as administered at
present.
When the people of a county have voted to adopt the system, three
commissioners appointed by the county board, J proceed to divide the
county into towns, making them conform with the congressional or
school townships, except in unusual cases.
Each town§ has corporate capacity || to sue and be sued.^ In all
such cases or proceedings the town shall sue and be sued by its
name, except where town officers shall be authorized by law to sue in
their name of office for the benefit of the town. To acquire and hold
property for the benefit of its inhabitants and to sell and convey the
same; to make all such contracts as are necessary in the exercise of
the powers of the town.**
*R. S 111. 1874. 1065.
tLawa Ih75. Ill; 1877. 212: 1877. 213; 1879. 316; 1883.174: 1885, 249. 251; 1887. 299. 300; 1889, 359,
361; 1893 (Brad well) 130. amemled Id Laws 1895. Hl7. 318. 319; 1899, 362.363
JDutp to appoint them may be enforced oy maadamas against the county board. Peo-
ple V. Kuyle.91, ill. 525.
gTown uniier township law is not incorporated town. Town of Woo-Sung v. People.
102 Ill,64'(.
lIThP ' o'porate authority is in the electors alone and in no board or oflBcer. Kankakee
V K & I K R Co., 115, 111 88.
UTown is liable m action of ti^rt for so building: a bridgre as to obi>trucl navigation. Town
of .Marlem v. Emmert 41. 11 . 319 Is not liable for materials furnlshfd bitrhway com-
m1.«8ioner8. Town of Hnrwoocl v HiimtltOD. 13. III.. A[>p. 358. Is not liable for torts of
commissioners of hiifhways Coon-y v. Hartland. 95, 1)1.. 616. Town may be sued on
coutraot, alth' ugh claim should have been paid out of special fund. EIrod v. Berna-
dotte. 63. Ill . 368. Towu prosecuting suit to execution is liable for levy on goods of a
stranger. Wolf v Boettcher. 64. III., 316 Town mHy sue the treasurer of commission-
ers of highways who refuses to pay over balance in his hj-nds to his successor, al-
though suit may also be brought on his official bond. Blanchard v. La Salle. 99, 111.,
278
**Laws 1861. 21H. Town can exercise only such powers as are conferred apon It by
statute. Drake v. Phillips, 40. HI.. 388.
499
The annual town meeting: is held on the first Tuesday in April for
the election of town officers* and the transaction of miscellaneous
business. The electors present at the town meeting have power:
1. To make all orders for the sale, conveyance, regulation or use
of its corporate property that may be deemed conducive to the inter-
est of the inhabitants.
2. To make all necessary measures and give directions for the ex-
ercise of their corporate powers.
3. To direct the raising of money by taxation for the following
purposes: 1. For constructing or repairing roads, bridges or cause-
ways, within the town to the extent allowed by law. 2 For the
prosecution or defense of suits by or against the town, or in which it
is interested. 8. For any other purpose required by law. 4. For
the purpose of building or repairing bridges or causeways in any
other town in the same county or in another county, provided that
notice is given by posting notices describing the location of the
bridge or causeway, and the probable amount required therefor, in
at least three public places at least ten days before the meeting in
^he town in which the taxes are proposed to be levied.
4. To provide for the institution, defense or disposition of suits
at law or in equity, in all controversies between the town and any
other town, or any individual or corporation in which the town is in-
terested.
5 To prevent the introduction, growing or dissemination of Can-
ada thistles or noxious weeds, and to allow rewards for their destruc-
tion and to raise money therefor,
6. To ofiFer premiums and to take such action as shall induce the
planting and cultivation of trees along highways in towns, and to
protect and preserve trees standing along or on highways. f
7. To make rules and regulations for ascertaining the sufficiency of
all fences in such town, and to determine what shall be a lawful fence
within the town, except as otherwise provided by law.
8. To regulate the running at large of cattle, etc
9. To establish and maintain pounds.
10. To determine the number of pound masters; to prescribe their
duties and to elect them.
11. To authorize the distraining, impounding and sale of cattle,
etc., for penalties incurred and costs of the proceeding,
12. To construct and keep in repair public wells and watering
places and enact by-laws, rules and regulations to carry their powers
into efiFeot; impose fines and penalties, and apply such fines in any
manner conducive to the interests of the town.
*Whf>re there Is a failure to elect the old officers will hold nntU an election can be or-
dered. 83. III.. 128.
tV'te directing donation does not authorize Issue of bonds to pay such donation
Schaeffer v. Bonham, 96, 111., 368.
500
The town officers are a supervisor, who is ex-officio, overseer of the
poor,* a clerk, an assessor, and a collector, all of whom are elected
annually,t three commissioners of highways elected for three years,
one retiring every year, two justices of the peace and two constables
who hold for four years.
On the morning appointed for the town meeting the voters assem-
ble and proceed to choose a moderator, who presides for the day.
Balloting for town officers at once begins, the supervisor, assessor
and collector acting as election judges. Every male citizen of the
United States, who is 21 years old; who has resided in the State one
year, in the county 90 days and in the township 30 days, is entitled
to vote at a town meeting; but a year's residence in the town is re-
quired for eligibility to office. At 2:00 o'clock the moderator calls
the meeting to order for the consideration of business pertaining to
those subjects already enumerated. Everything is done by the usual
rules and methods of parliamentary bodies. The clerk of the town
is secretary of the meeting, and preserves a record of all the proceed-
ings Special town meetings may be held whenever the supervisor,
clerk, or justices, or any two of them, together with 15 voters, shall
have filed with the clerk a statement that a meeting is necessary, for
objects which they specify. The clerk then gives public notice in
the same way as for regular meetings. Such special meetings act
only upon the subjects named in the call.
The supervisor is both a town and county officer. He is general
manager of the town business, J and is also a member of the county
board,§ which is composed of the supervisors of the several towns,
and which has general control of the county business. As a town
officer he receives and pays out all the town money except the high-
way and school funds. He prosecutes for all penalties given by law
to such town, and for which no other officer is specially directed to
prosecute. ||
The town clerk is custodian of town records, books and papers;
clerk of the town meeting, and certifies annually to the county clerk
the amount of taxes required to be raised for all town purposes.
The highway commissioners, in the oversight of roads and bridges
are controlled by the enactments of the town meetings and by a
large number of statutes. Highways are maintained by taxes on real
and personal property, and by a poll tax of from $1 to $2 from every able
•Supervisor cannot recover from county for services rendered in his ex-offlclo capacity
of overseer of the poor, services which by law he Is required to perform, but for which
the law provides no compensation. Madison county v. Bruner, 13, 111., Apn. 699; af-
firmed lU, 111 , 11. Wh-re the town is wholly responsible for the support of a pauper,
the supervisor is acting for the town and not for the county and is entitled to hla per
diem compensation from the town as for town business. Bruner v. Madison county,
111. 111.. 11.
tBefore qualification of successor, resignation does not relieve supervisor or town
clerk from duties of his office. United States v. Badger. 6 Biss, 308; Badger v. United
States. 93. U. S..699.
tis the town chief executive officer. People v. CUne. 63 111., 894.
IBrunerv. Madison county. Ill, 111.. 11.
I And may hire an attorney for that purpose. People v. Cline, 63 III., 394. A contract
made by the supervisor under vote giving him the power to employ counsel will bind town.
Mt. Vernon v. Patton. 94 111. 65.
501
bodied man between the ages of 21 and 50. The poll tax may be
abolished by the legal voters of the town.* One of the commis-
sioners is constituted treasurer, he receives and pays out all road
money.
The supervisor is ex-officio, overseer of the poor. The people of each
county determine whether the separate towns or the county at large
shall take care of the paupers. When the town has the matter in
charge, the overseer generally provides for the indigent by a system
of outdoor relief; if the county supports the poor, the board is au-
thorized to establish a poor-house and farm for the permanent care
of the destitute, and temporary relief is afforded by the overseer in
their respective towns at the county's expense.
The board of town auditors consists of the supervisor, town clerk
and justices of the peace. They examine all accounts of the super-
visor, overseer of the poor and highway commissioners; pass upon
all claims and charges against the town.f and audit all bills for com-
pensation presented by town officers. The accounts thus audited
are kept on file by the clerk for public inspection, and are reported
at the next town meeting. The town clerk acts as clerk of the board,
and the board meets semi-annually on the Tuesday next preceding
the annual meeting of the county board, and on the Tuesday next
preceding the annual town meeting.
The supervisor, assessor and town clerk constitute the board of
health. Their transactions are reported by the clerk to 'the town
meeting. The board possesses the usual quarantine powers to guard
the town against the spread of disease.
Chapter VIII.
CRITICISMS AND SUGGESTIONS.
While the county court, consisting of three members, is a smaller
and therefore as a rule more manageable or controllable body by out-
side influences, there is little doubt that a board of supervisors is not
only directly more expensive, but also that a thousand and one
petty claims of every conceivable character, having often no founda-
tion in law or justice are constantly presented and being loosely in-
vestigated and tacitly allowed, aggregating no insignificant sum. A
board of supervisors also acts or is controlled more by partisan feel-
ings X There is almost an entire lack of individual responsibility
and less able men are chosen than in the old system where the whole
responsibility resting upon three men, is more likely to be felt.
*Law8 1895. 310.
tClalm airttiint town for expense* of lltleatlnethe remoral of eounty seat, valid. Wells
T. Whitaker. 4 ill.. App, 381. Town suMltors nnay be compelled by mandamus to »udit judsr-
ment against the town. Liwpr v United Statex, 91 U. S.. 536. Membt-raof audltiue: board
cannot rt'lleve themselves of duty to le»y tax and pay juderment atfaln'^t town by resleuins:;
until their sacceasora qualify, they may be compellad to act. United States t. Badger. 6
Blae.aOS.
tDavldson & Stuv^. 657.
502
Business is transacted by three commissioners with greater dispatch,
there are no committee meetings, useless speeches, roll calls, etc.,
while a central government is obtained over county matters.
While the institution of the town meeting has been praised by
many illustrious foreigners who have diligently studied the theory,
it is very probable that the institution should be abolished in towns
of considerable size. The old New England town meeting in its pri-
meval purity is there extremely rare. The participants were mfen of
learning and intelligence with no mercenary interests, but when the
town had come to exceed 700 or 800 persons where the element of
farmers has been replaced by factory operatives, and still more when
any considerable part are strangers such as the Irish or French-
Canadians who have poured into New England, the institution works
less perfectly, because the multitude is too large for debate, factions
are likely to spring up, and the new immigrants, untrained for self-
government, become the prey of wire pullers or petty demagogues.*
Where a town has increased in population sufficiently to be incor-
porated as a city, the chief evil of the town meeting is encountered.
The city has its mayor, aldermen, etc., while the town has its officers.
The whole area of the town may not be incorporated in the city, but
practically it is so dwarfed by the city as to attract little attention.
It becomes then nothing but a theory .f
Speaking of the city and town of New Haven, Conn., where the
above conditions existed, it is said: J "This venerable institution
(the town meeting) appears today in the guise of a gathering of a
few citizens, who do the work of as many thousands, The few indi-
viduals who are or have been interested in the government of the
town, meet together, talk over matters in a friendly way, decide what
the rate of taxation for the coming year shall be and adjourn. Not
one-seventieth part of the citizens of the town have attended an an-
nual town meeting; they hardly know when it is held. The newspa-
pers give its transactions a scant notice, which some of their sub-
scribers probably read.
The actual governing force of the town is therefore an oligarchy in
the bosom of a slumbering democracy, but the town is well governed.
Its government carries too little spoil to attract those unreliable poli-
ticians who infest the city council. If the ruling junto should ven-
ture on too lavish a use of the town's money an irresistable check
would appear at once. Any 20 citizens could force the selectmen to
summon the town together, and the apparent oligarchy would doubt-
less go down before the awakening people. Boston discarded the
town meeting when her voters numbered only 7,000, because the
great mass of the voters took no interest in it. In Chicago the state
of afFairs is even worse, The town meetings held within the several
townships within the city limits are a caricature upon self-govern-
ment. Most of the voters of the city have never heard of their town
♦Brlce, American Commonwealth. I. 595.
tThe theory of a town meeting: is "that the corporate body of the town is present for the
purpose of transxctins. and competent to tran'iact, all the corporate business of the town
not srce'.ally delegared to certain individual officers." 2101 111.. 588.
» r '•nd City Govt, in New Haven, J. H. U. Studies, 4th Series.
503
meetings; much less ever attended one. Only those interested in
their salaries as employes of the town are ordinarily found in attend-
ance. The supervisor or some one interested calls a few friends
together at the appointed time and place, of which practically the
public has no notice, and if by chance a disinterested citizen is pres-
ent, he finds that the business is transacted, and the meeting is over
possibly without his having heard the proceedings or had any part
therein. Yet in these town meetings, it is probable that not less than
$500,000 of public money is raised and disbursed annually in the city
of Chicago.*
The board of supervisors is usually much too large; it is entirely
unnecessary for each town in a county to have one representative,
but where a city has several assistant supervisors it is worse. The
number of supervisors should be greatly reduced and better salaries
paid. The poor should be cared for by the county and not by the
supervisor, Highway commissioners should be appointed by the
county board, and the practice of paying tax in labor should be dis-
continued as too expensive. The grade of justice of the peace
should be raised, and he should be compelled to qualify. The office
of supervisor of highways should be abolished, all officers should be
elected for two years, and their duties stated more clearly.
Thus while retaining the local self-government part of the town-
ship organization system, something of the efficacy and economy
of the county system might be enjoyed.
BiBLIOGKAPHY.
Anthorny, Elliott, Constitutional History of Illinois.
Blackstone, Commentaries.
Brice, American Commonwealth.
Congress, Annals of.
Constitutional Convention of 1847, Journal.
Constitutional Convention of 1870, Journal and Debates.
Cutler, Manasseh, Life of.
Davidson & Stuv6, History of Illinois.
Edwards, Life of Ninian, and History of Illinois.
Goodnow, Administrative Law.
Haines, Township Laws.
Howard, Local Constitutional History.
Illinois, Revised Statutes.
Illinois, Session Laws.
Illinois, Supreme Court Reports.
Illinois, Territorial Laws.
Johns Hopkins University Studies.
•ProceediDES 111. Stale Bar Asa. for 1898. Part II. 85.
504
Journal, of Illinois Senate and House of Representatives.
Michigan, Statutes.
Missouri, Statutes.
Nebraska, Statutes.
New York, Statutes.
Northwest Territory, Laws of.
Palfrey, History of New England.
Pitkin, History of the United States.
Pollock & Maitland, History of English Law.
Poore, Charters and Constitutions.
Railroad and Warehouse Commission, 111., Report 1895.
Shaw, Local Government in Illinois, J. H. U. Studies.
St. Clair Papers.
Starr & Curtis, Annotated Statutes of Illinois.
Stubbs, Select Charters.
Tocqueville, Alexis de, Demooracj in America.
Wilson, Woodrow, "The State."
Wisconsin, Statutes.
Newspaper files: Chicago Tribune and Illinois State Register.
505
PIONEER MOTHERS OF ILLINOIS.
(Miss Saylllah T. Hinrlchsen.)
Not because of any special fitness for the task, excepting only in
one way, was the writing of this paper allotted to its author, and that
was that the writer was a lineal descendant of a true pioneer mother,
for her great grandmother settled in what was known as the "Illinois
country" before it became an independent territory; while it was yet
held as a county of the mother state Virginia, whose gallant son had
won it to his country from the English. This lady, came to live in
that part of the State now known as Egypt, when the last century
was in its infancy.
This pioneer mother saw Illinois county detached from Virginia,
and erected into an independent territory, and later she saw it ad-
mitted to the sisterhood of states.
Of her two daughters, one lived to attain a green old age, and in
my childhood she was a frequent visitor at the home of my parents;
and from this venerable relative I learned of many of the adventures
and trials of the noble pioneer women whose names deserve a lasting
recognition among those placed on the roll of honor, as "Makers of
America."
These stories told by my great aunt, were more fascinating than
any fairy tales, and told in the firelight, through the long winter
evenings were more thrilling than ghost stories, and best of all to us
children, they were true.
Her parents had first settled in Kentucky, but being early widowed
by one of the all too common border tragedies and in a few years re-
married (for what could a young widow do but choose a protector for
herself and her young children, from among her many suitors?) My
great-grandmother, and her children with her new husband, removed
to what was then known as the Illinois country, and settled near old
Kaskaskia, afterwards Illinois' first capit^il, from there they after-
ward went to the neighborhood of Fort Massac, to be near certain
relatives who had come into the territory with a company of settlers.
Here she raised and trained her children, one of whom, the son of
her first marriage, became known as the great and reckless Indian
fighter, Charles Kitchen. He has his own place in the annals of his
adopted State.
We, who walk in safety and sleep in peace, resting safely under
the shield of law and civilization, can we bring ourselves to realize
506
what life was to this woman and to so many like her; who had gone
with their husbands and fathers into the wilderness to found new
homes, and to better broken fortunes? While some of the wives of
the early settlers were trained in a hard school, and inured to hard-
ships, many others were of a different type; reared in homes of re-
finement and what was then luxury, they bravely endured life under
the conditions which a life on the frontier imposed; and the State
owes these gently bred women an untold debt of gratitude.
Most of them were southern women, these first comers, or they
were French emigrants, and at first they clustered together in vil-
lages, or on neighboring farms, near a block house or fort, where
they could seek safety in case of the advent of hostile Indians.
The French had come in while France held sway over the country
and Illinois as well as Louisiana was under the French rule and
these people brought and kept a spirit of gaiety that did much to
lighten the gloom of that early time. Their better classes, like the
settlers from the south, either brought slaves with them, or bought
them after they came to the Territory, and thus the women of their
families were saved the hardest kinds of domestic toil, still nothing
but a great courage, and deep religious faith could have sustained
them through those first dreadful years. This part of the country
had changed rulers and laws more than once, and at every change
there had been panic and a fear, not only of white foes, but of their
merciless savage allies.
Then aside from warfare which gave warning to the settlers, In-
dian raids were not uncommon, and the partings of the husband
and father, as he went to his daily work, might each time be the last.
Surely the wife that saw her husband go out in the morning, with
the fear that he might never return, welcomed him home at even-
ing with joy unknown to the woman who, safe at home apprehends
no evil abroad. And the husband — he must trust his family in
God's own hands — since he might return at night to find his home
a smoking ruin, and to know that it was the funeral pyre of his
family, or that they were carried away into a captivity worse than
death, or kept that they might be put to torture. Of this era
I will relate two stories out of the many that were told to me.
One is about the great earthquake. The house— a double log
cabin with lofts — began to rock, it was after dark, and the first
thought as the pans came rattling from their pegs, and the floor be-
gan to heave, was that Indians were prizing the house off of its rock
foundation with levers. The men seized their rifles, and the women
hurried to the fire to melt lead and mold more bullets; one of them
cried out, "The hearthstone is moving too." Now this hearthstone
was a great slab of sandstone buried in the earth, until its top
was level with the cabin floor; and that it was moving was proven
by the fact that the water with which a large iron kettle had been
filled was being splashed over the sides of the great vessel, and
thrown over the hearth and hissing in the fire. An old negro ser-
vant seeing this called out "The Lord's a rockiu' the earth ohillun,
607
better be gittin' outside before the house falls down on us all." The
other story relates to one of the last Indian massacres and is of later
date.
The Indians had raided the country, but the settlers warned by
the scouts, had taken refuge in the fort After a while the scouts
reported that the Indians had all recrossed the river and gone from
the neighborhood. Several men went out to look after their homes
and to care for whatever part of their stock and crops that had es-
caped the destroying raiders. Of these men, two sent back for their
families, and the women and children were delayed until late in the
day in setting out for their homes, a matter which they minded little,
as the weather was quite warm, and the moon was in its second quar-
ter. One of the women persuaded my grandmother, then a young
girl, to go with her. My great-grandmother gave her consent with
great reluctance, finally yielding with great misgiving and many pre-
cautions. Her daughter, weary of the long confinement in the fort,
and anxious for a change, went gaily, though for the first time
in her life against her mother's wishes or advice, though not without
her consent. The road lay through the prairie for the first part of
the journey, and the party was quite a merry one; but the heart of
the young girl grew troubled and she wished to turn back. "'Why
Rachel Kitchen, what nonsense," they said, and she rode on until
the road was about to turn into the forest. Here she stopped. "We
must go back; we must not pass the next turn." "Nonsense, child;
are you afraid of the shadow of the trees? There is no danger." "Not
for you perhaps if you do not feel it, but I am warned and must go
back, and, oh, do come with me; do not go round that turn." They
ceased to urge her to go forward, and she gave the child that she was
carrying on her horse to his mother, who took him behind her, and
as she had one child behind her already and one in her arms, she was
burdened with the care of them. The young girl wanted to take the
child back to the fort with her, and again begged the others to turn
back with her, and when they persisted in going on their way, she
turned her horse and rode as if for her life, back to the fort. The
party still ridiculing her fears rode on into the forest, but before
they had gone the distance of an eighth of a mile, they were set upon
by Indians and brutally murdered, only the child that the young girl
had carried escaping. He had fallen from the horse at the first at-
tack, and rolling, stunned, into the bushes had escaped notice. He
lived to tell how the "Bad black men came out of the woods and hit
mamma with their hatchets."
Added to the fear of savage men was the fear of wild beasts.
Mothers feared to let their children wander from the clearing, lest
the prowling wolf, or the stealthy panther should seize and devour
them. Schools under such conditions wore impossible, except in the
villages. At Kaskaskia, the school kept by the nuns was well pat-
ronized, and here with the rudiments of English and French and
mathematics, the young girls learned the dainty accomplishments of
needlework, sewing and embroidery; to cut and fashion garments.
At home they were taught to spin and to weave.
508
Early in the history of the State, after the Indians were no longer
a constant menace, grand bunts were planned, in which the hunters
encircled a given area, building fires at night, and beating the bushes
by day, until drawing the circle smaller and smaller, they finally
rounded up the game, when a general killing took place. In this way
bears, wolves, deer and other animals were killed off; the ferocious or
carniverous animals for safety, and for their furs, the deer for their
meat and skins, and to protect the crops, which they damaged and
destroyed. These drive hunts, as they were called, soon cleared the
country of the dangerous animals, for those that were not killed fled
farther into the wilderness, and the settlers had less cause for fear.
After the war of 1812, in which British interference was finally
stopped, emigration poured a tide from the east and south into the
territory, and the people, no longer dreading the hostile Indians,
treked into the wilderness to find new homes and larger farms.
The southern part of the State received its population largely
from the southern states, the more northern portion being settled
from Ohio and the east. In some cases special colonies were settled,
as the Waverly colony in Morgan county, but that came later. At
Waverly a number of New England people made a settlement, estab-
lished schools and an academy, and built a church. The first baby
born in this colony was Edward A. Tanner, afterward president of
Illinois college. However the Waverly colony came much later, for
the first settlers in the middle section of the State were from the
south and from southern Illinois. These people like the patriarchs
of old, taking their flock and their herds and their little ones with
their wives, ventured into the unknown, to commence a new chapter
in the "winning: of the west" Among the new comers from the
south was one William Wyatt, a soldier of the war of 1812, and the
son of a soldier of the Revolution, who had chased a band of Indians
and renegades through Kentucky into Illinois at the head of a band
of Virginia rangers, Meeting Charles Kitchen, the Indian fighter,
he visited him at his mother's home, and there he met the dark-eyed
maid who afterward became his wife After the close of the war he
again came to Illinois and wooed and married Rachel Kitchen, Re-
turning again to Virginia for slaves and blooded cattle and horses
(said to be the first brought into the State) he sought a new home.
At first he went to what is now Bureau county, but finding the land
bare of trees, and fuel and lumber scarce, he moved southward once
more and settled at what is now known as Diamond Grove, in Mor-
gan county. Later he sold this farm to a Mr. Wiswall and moved to
a location about three and one-half miles northeast of the present
site of Jacksonville, at a place now known as the Craig farm, Here
he built first a camp, then a cabin in the wil Jeroess, and later a
house with walnut paneling and oaken floors. This house is still
standing, and the floor on which my mother's feet took their first in-
fant steps is still in splendid condition.
Can you picture such journeyings, and the living in wagons or
camps while the cabins were in process of building, and the feelings
of the mother as she clasped her child in her arms while she could
feel the breath of the wolves coming hot and steaming through the
509
cracks of the camp or pen, before the open door of which the fire
must be kept burning all night to frighten the animals that came
sniffing and growling outside the circle of light to the back of the
camp dwelling, where the women and children were placed for greater
safety? And after the house was reared to shelter the family from
the wild animals and wild elements, the long, long hours of loneli-
ness and fear, when the head of the family had gone 50 or 60 miles
with the corn and wheat of the first crop from the virgin soil.
What must existence have meant to this bright, young girl, fresh
from the gay life and companions in a French settlement? Pierre
Menard called her, this grandmother of mine, to one of her de-
scendants, a namesake, "The sweetest, most gently reared and trained
young girl that ever grew up in the Mississippi valley." Ennui she
could not know, for her days were too full of duties to be done and
tasks performed, although she had black servants Slaves, at first
indentured, afterwards there was much that must have the hands as
well as the eyes of the mistress; but think of the homesick longing
that must have come for mother, sister and friends, to her and to
others like her, in all the strange new places, where each was
of the family of the "first settler." Term at once expressive of cour-
age and pathos, first settler in a new land.
Others came; soon some of her own people, her brother, the In-
dians being driven ofp, came bringing his own family, and his mother,
now once more a widow. He settled in what is now Green county,
but the country was too tame and well settled for hie adventurous
soul; and although he was a successful farmer, he sold his improved
land and sought in the southwest a home among wilder surround-
ings.
After a while churches and schools were established, but at first
all religious services were held in the homes of the settlers. What a
comfort it must have been to them, this gathering together to call on
their Protector, who had promised, "That where two or three are
gathered together in my name, there will I be also."
Schools were only held at irregular intervals and by subscription.
A wandering Scotch school teacher would come into the neighbor-
hood a id get up a school. On my grandfather's land a tenant cabin
became the school house, and the children were paid for pro rata,
that is the first child for so much, the second for a less sum, and so
on. Free schools were to come later. The week days of our grand-
mothers were full; each house was a manufactory, and each house
mother was the executive head and managing partner in the busi-
ness conducted therein.
We find it a weariness to shop and order the making of our gar-
ments. They clothed their families, like the women of the Proverbs,
with the work of their hands.
The wool, the flax and the cotton were raised on the farms by the
men, but this material passed in its raw state into the hands of the
women and came out cloth ready for the making, and the making was
done by the women, and in many instances, the clothing for an en-
tire family was made from the raw material, to its finishing stitch,
510
by the one woman, who was cook, laundress, nurse, and gardner, as
well as housekeeper and wife; and who made her own soap, or did
without, and in the intervals of resting, knit all the hosiery for a
large family. Later travelling tailors were employed, who cut and
made the men's Sunday clothes and the cloaks and "habits" of the
women, but this was a sign of great prosperity, and even then was a
late matter and not known in the first years of the State's settlement.
Ttie whir of the wheel, and the clank of the loom were heard in every
dwelling, and though the phrase "the strenuous life," had not then
been coined, the condition was existent.
Even their social gatherings, aside from weddings, had their origin
in utility. Apple parings, quiltings, corn huskings and barn rais-
ings, and often there was a combination of these entertainments, a
barn raising, or a corn husking would be held, and at the same time
and place there would be a quilting party, and the women guests
would help to cook and serve the dinner for the men who were doing
the rougher work; and at night the young people stayed to dance, the
more opulent ladies going and coming on their own horses with hab-
its and side saddles. The less fortunate (or were they less fortunate?)
riding behind their husbands, brothers or sweet-hearts on the same
horse. Even when neighbors went visiting they carried their knit-
ting or sewing — "calling" in its present sense, there was not.
Can you imagine an existence without friction matches? And
when you recall the importance of keeping fire, realize the strength
of the words of old Nakomis, "Like a fire on the hearthstone is a
neighbor's homely daughter." With all this hard labor there was
happiness, love and truth, perhaps all the more from the fact that
their time was so full of present duty that Satan found no idle hands
or minds to bend to mischief.
The old lady that picked up her knitting to do a few rounds while
the crowd gathered at her husband's funeral, may have been an ex-
treme type, but the anecdote illustrates the industry that had become
a fixed habit of their lives. Could they revisit the glimpses of the
moon, what would they think of morning card parties, or golf. The
maids and matrons of Illinois had all and more exercise than they
needed without tennis, golf or physical culture. Yet, they valued
their looks and took far better care of their complexions than the
belles of today. They realized that a skin once coarsened by sun and
wind, never regains its delicacy, and they wore deep shading bonnets,
or wide hats with thick veils, and kept their hands from the sun and
wind, as well as their faces; wool washing they did not mind, since
the oil in the wool kept their hands white and plump. Childrens'
bonnets and gloves were sewed on in the morning, and only removed
by their mothers or nurses at night. But they grew old fast in that
time and would be amazed at the modern society woman of fifty years.
It was at the best a life without conveniences, when all the house-
hold supplies that were purchased came in a crude state. The wash-
ing was done by pounding the clothes in a barrel, rubbing by hand,
or with "battles," a sort of paddle. If there was a near-by stream,
511
then the soiled clothing, great kettle for heating the water and boil-
ing the clothes, the tubs, vessel of soft soap, and material for starting
a fire, were placed upon a sled or wagon and hauled to the bank of
the stream near a smooth stone, if one could be found, and the
women and girls went to the stream or spring to do the washing.
Sometimes two or more families would resort to the same place on
the same day, and make the washing place a sort of industrial picnic
and when the nymphs were gathered in any number, the scene was
one of merriment, and would be worthy an artist's skill. The half
clothed nymphs with their bare feet and limbs, the attitudes of these
young priestesses of cleanliness, with a background of waving
boughs, or the far reaching prairie, meeting the skyline in the dis-
tance,
The clothes were first dipped in the running water, then soaped,
and laid over a barked log or a smooth stone, and beaten with
wooden paddles, and rinsed in the stream till clean. In the winter a
barrel with a heavy pounder served the turn, and this was harder,
and less pleasant than the running stream. There were no short cuts
to cleanliness in those days, and starch, like soap was homemade. To
quote from the esteemed Mr. Charles Bliss of the Hillshoro News,
•'There were no fly screens, no cooking schools. The housewives
leached their own lye, and kept off the flies with a tree branch. There
were no carpet sweepers, no yeast cakes, no baking powder, no
canned fruit, no shoe buttons, no chautauquas, no sewing machines,
no rubber shoes, no toilet soap, no clothes wringers, no washboards,
or clothes-pins." "Think of it," he says, "Our great grandmothers
of a hundred years ago never enjoyed the luxury of "hang out clothes
washday," with a two by four sycamore clothes-pin between their
ruby lips."
Fine laundry work and clear starching in those days were regarded
as elegant accomplishments and people made their own starch.
Even in the better settled portions of the country this was the case
and among the nobility and gentry of England, the beaux
carried the hot irons from the fire to the elegantly dressed laundress
at the ironing board, that she might not redden her fair cheek, or
coarsen her complexion by stooping over the fire. The frontier
belles, however, had to do their ironing without the attendance of
the beaux, powdered or otherwise; for her beaux had serious work to
do, and daylight of the week days was not often spent in dancing
attendance on even the fairest of damsels. The struggle for exist-
ence was a hard one and the weaklings went down, and their places
were filled with others. Daughters were blessings in those days, and
there were no superfluous women. Spinsters indeed — the whirling
wheel went round, wheels that must be kept going, and the rainy
days were welcome, for then was the best time for the flax spinning.
Many of the old songs dealt with the spinning, for instance, "As I
512
sat at my spinning wheel, A bonnie laddie he passed by;" and that
sadder song, "A maiden sat at her busy wheel.'' I give the verses
as my mother taught me —
"A maiden sat at her busy wheel, and her heart was light and free,
And ever anon from her bosom gushed forth.
Her song of girlish glee—
Her song was a mockery of love and oft have I heard her say—
Oh, the gathered rose and the stolen heart.
They charm but for a day— Oh, the gathered rose and the stolen heart,
They charm but for a day.
"I gazed on the maiden's cheek so fair, and her eyes so full and brleht.
And 1 sighed to think that traitor. Love, might conquer a heart so light.
8he thought not of future days of woe. as she carolled her song so gay —
Oh, the gathered rose and the stolen heart— They charm but for a day —
Oh, the gathered rose and the stolen heart, they charm but for a day.
"A year rolled round, and again 1 stood at that humble cottage door;
The maiden sat at hf r bu-<y wheel, bat her heart was light no more,
A tear drop stood in her down cast eye, and I sighed as I heard her say—
'Oh, the gathered rose and the stolen heart, they charm but for a day;'
And Well I knew what had dimm' d her eyes and hud made her cheeks so pale,
The maid had forgotten her early song and listened to love's sweet tule;
She had drank to the dref'S of the bitter cup, that was wasting her life away;
And the stolen heart, like the gathered rose, had charmed but for a day—
And the stolen heart, like a gathered rose, had charmed but for a day."
So many of the old ballads had the ring of sorrow and broken
hope, and they are in strong contrast with the gay hunting songs of
our great grandsires, Was it that they felt the hardness of their
lot, in spite of the courage and faith, and expressed it in a more re-
fined manner than that of the man who said that "Illinois was a fine
country for men and cattle, but powerful hard on women and
horses?"
However these women wasted little time on vain repinings, and
they would have held in scorn the modern problem novel, and its
idle, weak heroine. Their code was simple, stern and pure, and they
brought up their children in the same faith. Virtue was to them, a
matter of course and they taught their creed by precept and ex-
ample.
We wonder at their bravery and endurance; we honor their virtues;
but it is impossible for us to realize what these pioneer women did
for civilization, and what weight their home life had on the building
of the State. Of the State — yes, of the nation; for their sons and
daughters have kept on in their work, building a nation in the wil-
derness until there is little wilderness left to conquer, and modern
invention and improvement have lightened woman's household labors,
not only with the cooking range and sewing machine, but by doing
for her, so much more cheaply, so much of the work that used to use
up so large a part of her life, and, in this way, giving her the time
to take thought for her own mind and its improvement. Has there
been loss as well as gain? Are we in all ways worthy of our ancestors?
Let some ambitious woman who models in clay, or who puts her
dreams on canvas, create for us a portrait of these women in a typical
face and form that shall embody our ideal, as a composite photograph
might do. Give to her face strength and gentleness, make her nurse
and comforter, make her strong and patient under hardships, make
513
her fierce against selfishness, wrong and oppression, make her cour-
ageous against danger, give to her the steadfast hope and faith and
the grand motive of her life— "the love that oasteth out fear,"
Love to her family, love to her neighbor, and the love that looked
beyond death and snatched from the last dark hour its sting, and
robbed the grave of its victory. And when the statue, or the picture,
shall express all this and more, let her call it, a pioneer mother of
Illinois.
— 33H
514
FORGOTTEN STATESMEN OF ILLINOIS.
(Dr. J. F.Snyder.)
Hon, Jesse Burgess Thomas.
Jesse Burgess Thomas, youngest son of Jesse and Sabina (Symmes)
Thomas, was born in Hagerstown, Maryland in 1777, where the
Thomas family had long resided, and was descended from Lord George
Calvert, of the Irish peerage created in 1624, to whose son, Sir Ceci-
lius Calvert, Baron of Baltimore, the Maryland patent was issued by
Charles the Second on June 20, 1682.
The parents of young Thomas left Maryland in 1779, when he was
two years old, and settled in Bracken county, Kentucky; there he
grew up. working on the farm and attending such schools as the back-
woods then afforded Then going to Washington, Mason county,
Kentucky, he served for a time in the county clerk's office there, and
in the mean time studied law with his elder brother, Richard
Symmes Thomas, a distinguished lawyer who subsequently located
in Lebanon, Ohio. After his admission to the bar, Jesse B. Thomas
commenced the practice of law at his home town, Brook ville, the
county seat of Bracken county, and shortly afterwards married an
estimable young lady of that place.
His married bliss, however, was of short duration, as before the
year had passed his wife died That sad event blighted his life plans
and bright anticipations of the future. He left Kentucky and sought
a new home in Lawrenceburg, the county seat of Dearborn county,
in Indiana Territory, and again devoted himself to the practice of his
profession. On the 3rd of January, 1805, he was elected to represent
his county in the territorial legislature that convened at Vincennes
on the let of February, following. On organization of the House
Mr. Thomas was chosen to preside over it as speaker. During that
session of the legislature he was appointed a captain of militia by the
territorial governor, William Henry Harrison, between whom and
himself a warm friendship had been formed that continued through-
out life. He was re-elected speaker at the second session, serving in
that capacity three years and one month when he was elected dele-
gate to represent Indiana Territory in Congress.
While serving the second term in the legislature he married the
widow of Major John Francis Hamtramck, the former commander at
Post Vincennes, and then changed his residence from Lawrenceburg
to Vincennes. Indiana Territory, embracing the present states of
Hon. Jesse Barereas Thomas.
515
Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin, was organized after ad-
mission of Ohio, in lb02, and General Harrison, then a Virginia mem-
ber of Congress, was appointed its governor by President Jefferson.
In a few years, division of the territory began to be agitated by 'the
residents of Illinois, whose sparse settlements were on the Mississippi
river far remote from their territorial capital. The question of sep-
aration was made the issue in the election of their representatives to
the Vincennes legislature in 1808. A majority of the Indiana mem-
bers were decidedly opposed to separation, as was also Benjamin
Parke, at that time the delegate to Congress.
In that year, however, 1808, Mr. Parke resigned, and an opportun-
ity was offered the lUinoisans to elect his successor in their interest.
Speaker Thomas, an active politician, and ambitious for higher hon-
ors, decided to succeed Mr. Parke in Congress, but could not be
elected without the solid support of the Illinois representatives, and
they would vote for him only on condition that he would pledge him-
self, if elected, to secure from Congress an act for division of the ter-
ritory. That pledge he gave without hesitation, but the Illinoieansat
that early day had so little confidence in pledges of office seekers that
they exacted of him a written bond for the faithful performance of his
promise, and that he gave them. He was elected by a bare majority,
and at that, it was said, by voting for himself, as he received but little,
if any, support from the Indianans. His term in Congress, to fill a va-
cancy, was brief, extending from the Ist of December, 1808 to the 3d
of March, 1809. But he fulfilled to the letter his obligation to the
lUinoisans, securing passage of the bill providing for organizing the
separate Territory of Illinois with its capital at Kaskaskia, which was
approved March 7, 1809, The citizens of Vincennes were so incensed
at his perfidy — as they viewed it — they hung him in effigy, and
heaped upon him, on his return from Washington, the vilest abuse
and reproach.
Knowing that the service he had rendered the lUinoisans was fatal
to his further political aspirations in Indiana, he shrewdly made pro-
vision for the future by obtaining from President Madison, before
leaving Washington, the appointment to one of the three federal
judgeships for the new Territory of Illinois. His colleagues on the
district bench were Obediah Jones and Alexander Stuart, with whom
he lost no time in reaching their distant field of labor. Judge Thomas
settled on the American bottom in the vicinity of Prairie du Rocher,
ten miles north of Kaskaskia. Nathaniel Pope, of Kentucky, who
had received the appointment of territorial secretary, had preceded
the judges and was located in Kaskaskia, the designflted capitnl. The
newly appointed governor of Illinois territory, Niniau Edwards,
arrived shortly after, from Kentucky, with a number of neyro slaves,
and herds of live stock of various kinds, and located on the alluvial
plain in near proximity to Jud^e Thomas, and there established an
extensive farm that he named "Elvirade" in honor of his wife, Elvira.
As an inducement to those very competent men to accept, with
their offices and meagre salaries, social exile and many privations on
the far western frontier, Congress granted to the Governor 1,000 acres
516
of land, and to each of the other Territorial officers 500 acres, to be
selected by them from any part of the public domain within the
Territory not reserved for ports, or already occupied by settlers.
Judge Thomas did not long remain in that locality, but removed up
to Cahokia, the county seat of St. Clair county, and identified him-
self with the society and interests of that old village. Judge Stuart
was soon transferred to Missouri territory, and Stanley Griswold ap-
pointed in his place. Judge Jones resigned and was replaced by
"Wm. Sprigg. In the division of judicial labors Judge Thomas was
assigned to hold court in St. Clair and Randolph counties; Judge
Sprigg in the central counties and Judge Griswold in the counties
on the Wabash and Ohio rivers.
Governor Reynolds remarks, in his Pioneer History, of Judge
Thomas, "he was a man of talents, but did not particularly employ
his mind on the dry subtilties of the law," by which may be inferred
that he was not only a wide awake politician, but an energetic and
sharp business man. He dealt in lands, carried on farming and
other industries, and was always ready to embark in any enterprise
promising adequate returns upon his investments. Among other
schemes for increasing his revenues he established in Cahokia the
first wool carding machine put in operation in Illinois. It was
moved by the tread of oxen on a large incline wheel in the basement
of the building. All its machinery and fixtures were purchased by
himself in Pittsburg, Pa., and brought to Cahokia by keel boat.
For nine years Jesse B. Thomas discharged the duties of Territorial
judge with such ability and fairness as to earn the reputation of a
superior jurist. He was not a profound scholar, or deeply learned in
in either law or literature; nor was he at any time a student of close
application; but he possessed the quickness of perception, clear in-
tellect, sound judgment, and knowledge of human nature constitu-
ting strong common sense. He was not gifted with oratory, but
expressed his views in plain language with the force and earnestness
that generally carried conviction.
Though he acquitted himself well as a judge, the restrictions and
exactions of that dignified position were not in harmony with his
tastes and temperament; his order of talents fitting him better for
the arena of politics and statesmanship. He was one of the people —
plain in dress, in language and manners, exceedingly social and affa-
ble, and consequently popular with all classes. Of jovial, cheerful
disposition he was fond of mirth and pleasure, but his deportment
and habits never transcended the bounds of strict decorum and mor-
ality. Very prominent in all public affairs affesting the Territory
and the community in which he lived, broadminded and farseeing in
all questions of local or national policy, he was among the first to
commence the movement for raising Illinois to the rank of state-
hood, and was one of the ablest and most conspicuous leaders in that
movement.
In pursuance of the act of Congress approved April 18, 1818, en-
abling the people of the Territory of Illinois to form a state govern-
517
ment on certain conditions, an election was held for delegates to
meet in convention at Kasbaskia to frame a State constitution, on the
first Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, the 6th, 7th and 8th of the
foUowinf^ July. At that election Judge Thomas was chosen one of
the three delegates to represent St Clair county, and on organization
of the convention on the eld of August, he was unanimously elected
to preside over its deliberations.
The first Greneral Assembly of the State of Illinois, comprising 13
senators and 25 representatives, convened at Kaskaskia on the 5th of
October, 1818. After completing its organization, it proceeded, on
the 4th of December — the day after the resolution was adopted by
Congress formally admitting Illinois as a sovereign state into the
Union — to the election of two senators to represent the new-born
state in the upper branch of Congress. On the first ballot Ninian
Edwards was elected with but little opposition, and on the third bal-
lot Judge Thomas was chosen, receiving 21 votes to 18 for Leonard
White and one for Michael Jones. In casting for allotment of their
respective periods of service Judge Thomas drew the long, or full,
term.
Before going to Washington to take his seat in the U. S. Senate
Judge Thomas changed his residence from Cahokia to the new town
founded by Governor Edwards and bearing his name, Edwardsville,
the county seat of Madison county, where he had previously made
considerable investments in real estate, and that village was his con-
tinuous home until he left the State in 1829.
In the U. S Senate he found himself in the element for which his
order of intellect naturally fitted him. He was modest and unassum-
ing, but never distrustful of his own abilities, and always deliberate
and self-reliant. By his quiet, dignified and courteous bearing he
won and retained the respect and confidence of his fellow members
and officials of the government with whom he came in contact. There
was nothing of the demagogue in his composition — no deception or
dissimulation, but in all things he was candid and conscientious, and
expressed his opinions on all occasions when required to do so with-
out hesitation or reserve. On taking his seat in the Senate he ad-
dressed himself diligently to the work before him and exhausted
evf^ry means to inform himself fully of the duties of his position. He
seldom occupied the time of the Senate with set speeches, but gave
to the deliberations of that body watchful attention, and often in-
fluenced them by the evident justice and wisdom of his views. The
interests of his State and constituents always commanded his first
consideration; but all measures having for their object the develop-
ment, welfare and advancement of the entire country and its people,
found in him a ready and efficient advocate.
There were then in Illinois no organized political parties based
upon questions of public policy, but elections were decided altogether
by personal preferences for individual candidates. Early in their
senatorial careers Governor Edwards and Judge Thomas disagreed
upon several questions, but chiefly on that of Federal patronage in
Illinois. Their respective adherents in the State thereupon ranged
518
themselves in two political factions known as the Edwards- Cook
party and the Thomas- Bond-McLean party, and upon that alignment
voters were divided and elections contested until the radiance of
General Jackson's military glory, rising above the political horizon
of the nation, gave form to new and more permanent party divisions.
Governor Edwards and Judge Thomas were both born, nurtured
and educated in slave states and accustomed from infancy to the in-
stitutions of slavery. Governor Edwards was a slave-holder, but
mildly opposed to the perpetuation of slavery in Illinois. Judge
Thomas was not a slave owner, but believed the institution of slavery
to be morally and legally right, and strongly favored its permanent
establishment in Illinois. That question as it affected this State was
definitely settled forever by defeat of the convention scheme in 1824:;
but not for many years later did any aspirant for office in Illinois
dare to avow himself in favor of interferiug with the institution as it
then existed in the south, or to suggest that question as a factor in
any election. In sectional controversies that early obtruded in dis-
cussions of the Senate, Judge Thomas' predilections were for the south
and its people, and he was invariably in unison with southern states-
men.
Early in 1819 the Missouri Territorial legislature applied to Con-
gress for admission of that Territory as a state in the national
Union on an equal footing with the other states. The introduction
of that bill had somewhat the effect, not only in Congress, but in all
the states, of a firebrand thrown into a powder magazine. The ex-
plosion of fierce excitement it produced for a time seemed to place
the life of the Republic in imminent peril, Missouri was part of the
Louisiana Purchase in which slavery had been recognized by both
Spain and France, and was tolerated by the American Congress, and
expected to enter the Union as a slave state. But the sentiment of
the free states was earnestly opposed to the admission of another
slave state north of the cotton growing region.
When the application of Missouri was read in the House, Mr. Tall-
madge of New York, moved to amend it by addition of the following
proviso: ''And Provided, That the further introduction of slavery
or involuntary servitude be prohibited, except for the punishment of
crimes whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, and that all
children (of slaves) born within the said state, after the admission
thereof into the union, shall be free at the-age of 25." The prolonged,
frenzied discussion of this offered amendment marks the beginning
of agitation of the slavery question that, with increasing bitterness,
distracted our country until its solution was submitted to arbitration
of the sword in 1861. Pending that discussion Congress adjourned
on the 8rd of March, 1819.
The 16th Congress convened on the 6th of December of that year,
and on the 29th a bill was introduced to enable the people of Mis-
souri to form a state government. It was debated in, and out, of
Congress with such heat and passion as to cause grave alarm lest it
it would lead to dissolution of the union. The south contended with
519
great spirit and pertinacity that Congress, in 1790, had adversely set-
tled the question of its constitutioual power over the institution of
slavery; that in the admission of Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama and
Mississippi as slave states, no attempt had been made to impose re-
strictions or conditions such as the Talmadge amendment proposed,
and Congress tacitly admitted it had no right to prescribe to any
state the regulation of its domestic government, farther than it must
be republican in form.
On the part of the north, while it was admitted that Congress had
no constitutional authority to interfere with slavery in the 13 original
states, it had full power, it was claimed, to prohibit it in the terri-
tories; that Congress had undoubtedly the right to fix conditions to
the admission of new states; or refuse their admission at its discretion.
The voting strength of the two sections in Congress was about
equal, and tbe southern members declared that if the Talmadge pro-
viso was farther urged, neither Maine — then applying for admission
— or any other free state should henceforth be admitted into the
Union At the height of the turmoil and strife that threatened to
rend the foundation of the government, Senator Thomas of Illinois,
introduced, in a spirit of compromise, the following additional sec-
tion to the bill as an amendment: "And he it further enacted, That
in all that territory ceded by France to the United States, under the
name of Louisiana, which lies north of 36 degrees and 30 minutes
north latitude (excepting only such part thereof as is) included with-
in the limits of the state contemplated by this act, slavery and invol-
untary servitude, otherwise than in the punishment of crimes where-
of the party shall have been duly convicted, shall be and is hereby
forever prohibited: Provided always, That any person escaping
into the same, from whom labor or service is lawfully claimed in any
state or territory of the United States, such fugitive may be lawfully
re-claimed and conveyed to the person claiming his or her labor or
services as aforesaid."
This addition to the enabling act was adopted by the Senate and
sent to the House. That body amended it by striking out the words
embraced in the brackets, and returned it to the Senate. The Senate
refused to concur in that amendment, whereupon a joint committee
of the two houses was appointed for the conference, of which Senator
Thomas was selected as chairman. The conference resulted in the
House receding from its restrictive amendment, and the adoption by
both houses of Senator Thomas' additional section as first introduced.
That action admitted Missouri into the Union as a slave state, and
was the basis of the famed "Missouri Compromise" that quieted the
wild ebulition of party passion, and was accepted by both sections as
a satisfactory settlement of the vexed question of slavery in the terri-
tories, until it was repealed by brazen demagoguery in 1854.
In the spring of 1819, Edward Coles, a highly educated, courteous
gentleman "of the old school," came from Virginia, his native state,
to Illinois, with the appointment from President Monroe of Register
of the land office at Edwardsville. On his way down the Ohio river,
520
in flat boats, he dramatically emancipated his 26 slaves, and settled
them in Madison county, donating to each head of a family among
them a quarter section of land. A large majority of the inhabitants
of Illinois at that time were from slave-holding states, and though
divided upon the question of extending African slavery, they were
united in opposing its abolition where it already existed. In 1822,
three years after his arrival in Illinois, Mr. Coles announced himself
a candidate- for governor, and, owing to division of the pro-slavery
element, was elected, receiving 2,854 votes, the combined votes of the
three candidates opposing him numbering 5,752.
Governor Coles was intensely distasteful to the Illinoisans of
southern birth who regarded him contemptuously as a carpet-bagger
and adventurer — as Governor Moses was estimated by the patricians
of South Carolina in the reconstruction era following the Civil war.
In his message to the Legislature, having in each branch a decided
majority opposed to him and his views, Governor Coles earnestly
urged the abolition of the system of slavery then recognized in Illi-
nois. Such presumption as that eminating from a renegade from the
faith accepted as orthodox in his native state and all the south,
foisted upon them by a shabby minority, so incensed the leaders of
his antagonists that they determined to call a convention to so amend
the State's constitution as to authorize the perpetuation of slavery
in its limits.
In the discussion of Senator Thomas' compromise measure in
Congress the doctrine was admitted that, though Congress had the
power to demand the exclusion of slavery as a condition for the ad-
mission of a new state into the Union, that state after admission had
the right to change its constitution and establish slavery. The slavery
propagandists in Illinois were confident of their strength in the
Third General Assembly — of 1822-23 — to pass, by the requisite two-
thirds vote, a resolution for calling a constitutional convention, and
had no doubt of their ability to influence a majority of the voters to
ratify that act at the next State election in August, 1824.
Of the slavery party in Illinois Senator Thomas was the most
prominent and active leader. He was a candidate before that Third
Legislature for re-election to the United States Senate.and had through
his vacation in the past summer, made strenuous efforts to defeat
Coles by the election of Judge Phillips, and also to aid the election
of members of the Legislature who would favor his own re-election
to the Senate. He actively assisted Nicholas Hansen in his election
to the Lower House of the Legislature, in Pike county. Hansen re-
ciprocated by voting for him (Thomas) in the Senatorial election,
but was opposed to the convention scheme, whereupon the pro-slavery
majority ejected him and gave his seat to Shaw, the contestant, who
would not have voted for Thomas but did vote for the convention
resolution.
The Senatorial election was held on the 9th of January, 1823, re-
sulting in the re-election of Senator Thomas for the full term to
succeed himself, His chief opponent was Judge John Reynolds,
whom he always regarded as a presumptions ignoramus. On the
521
first ballot of the joint session 29 votes were cast for Thomas, 16 for
Reynolds, 6 for Leonard White and 2 for Samuel D. Lockwood. Sen-
ator Thomas did not visit Vandalia during that session of the Legis-
lature, but remained in Washington closely attentive to his public
duties.
The slavery party succeeded in passing their convention resolution
through both Houses of the Legislature by the constitutional major-
ity, and then appealed to the people of the State to adopt it by their
votes at the general election. Immediately the contest commenced
with fiery zeal and energy on both sides, increasing in bitterness and
malignity as it progressed for the next 18 months. When Congress
adjourned Senator Thomas came home and led the convention forces
in the conflict with his usual spirit and power until compelled to re-
turn to his post at Washington late in the fall.
However, the cause of right and justice prevailed in the over-
whelming rejection of the convention scheme at the polls, on the
2d day of August, 1824, when 4,972 votes were cast in favor of its
adoption, to 6,640 against it.
The long continued excitement and acrimony of that remarkable
struggle measurably destroyed the usual interest of the people in
the presidential election in the following November, evidenced by
the fact that in the convention election there were cast in Illinois
an aggregate of 11,787 votes, and in the national election of Novem-
ber only 4,707. Of the four candidates at that time in the field for
the Presidency, Illinois gave to John Quincy Adams 1,541 votes, to
Andrew Jackson 1,273, Henry Clay 1046, and to Wm. H. Crawford
218 Neither of the candidates having received the required major-
ity of the electoral college, the House of Representative decided the
contest by electing Mr. Adams.
The relations existing between the two Illinois Senators may be
inferred when it is remembered that about that time the senior Sen-
ator, Governor Edwards, who resigned his seat in the Senate to
accept the mission to Mexico, was engaged in a violent quarrel with
Hon. Wm. H. Crawford, then Secretary of the Treasury, in conse-
quence of which he resigned his diplomatic appointment to Mexico,
also. At the same time Senator Thomas and Mr. Crawford were
close, confidential friends, and Senator Thomas was the most promi-
nent member of the congressional caucas that placed Mr Crawford
before the people as a presidential candidate. Governor Edwards
was professedly a supporter of Jackson, but Senator Thomas enter-
tained for General Jaokson, personally and politically, the utmost
dislike and contempt.
The phenomenal popularity of General Jackson as an outgrowth
of that four-cornered presidential contest, had the effect in Illinois —
and all over the Union — of distinctly defining the political parties.
It was contended by his friends that having received the highest
number of electoral votes he should have been declared President by
the House of Representative, and that he was cheated out of the
office by the minions of the "Yankee Abolitionist," Adams. Daniel
522
P. Cook, representing Illinois in the House, oast the vote of this
State for Adams, and for that act, at the next election, was retired
from the pinacle of his brilliant career to the obsurity of private
life.
From that election of President Adams by the House of Repre-
sentatives dates the furious party antagonisms that have descended,
with increasing asperity, to the present day. The adherents of
Jackson appropriated to themselves the title of "Democrats," and stig-
matized their opponents as "Federalists," and later, "Whigs " In-
deed, no doubt, by his antipathy to General Jackson, Senator Thomas,
strangely, gave his support to the Adams administration — the very
embodiment of anti slavery sentiment — and was thereafter identified
with the Whig party. That course, he well knew, amounted to po-
litical suicide in Illinois, It at once alienated him from the power-
ful party where he had for years controlled absolutely, that had now
become intensely loyal to Jackson. Had he also given his allegience
to Old Hickory he could have retained his place in the Senate indefi-
nitely; but too honorable to stultify himself by such duplicity as the
pretense of supporting Jackson — even for a life tenure of the Senator-
ship — he chose to relinquish his high position and become a private
citizen At the close of his term, March 8d, 1829, he left Illinois
and located in Mt. Vernon, O.
In 1840 he attended the Whig national convention as a delegate,
at Columbus, O., and then exerted himself in securing the nomina-
tion of his old friend. General Harrison, for the Presidency. With
that exception he ignored all political matters, and passed the re-
mainder of his life in quiet retirement, but not in idleness. Natur-
ally a financier, the accumulation of property was his constant pleas-
ure and pastime. He was one of the founders, and the principal
proprietor of the town of Brookville, in Franklin county, Ind., and
owned large amounts of real estate in Mt. Vernon and other locali-
ties. He was a large, stately man, full six feet in height with florid
brown complexion, dark hazel eyes, dark brown, almost black, hair,
and usually weighed over 200 pounds The expression of his some-
what coarse features was kindly and pleasing, and when presiding
over a deliberative body, or seated in the Senate, he was quite a
majestic figure. His personal habits were without blemish; his
manners courtly, and in dress and bearing he had the appearance
of a refined gentleman of the colonial period. In all things he
was just, reliable and conscientiously honorable, and very considerate
of the rights and feelings of others. After locating in Mt. Vernon
in 1829, he assisted in organizing St. Paul's Episcopal church there,
of which he remained a consistent member.
No children came to bless either of Judge Thomas' marriages. For
his wife, Rebecca, he retained all his youthful affections; and in
their elegant mansion they lived for each other in perennial happi-
ness that defied the vicissitudes of passing years. Bat the d<^ath of
Mrs Tliomas in 1851 cruelly dispelled that elysium, and overwhelmed
the Judge with grief. He was utterly disconsolate and could not be
comforted. From constantly brooding over the loss of his beloved
523
companion, and his lonely condition, his fine intellect became unbal-
anced. Gradually overcome by deep dejection and melancholy, his
existence became an intolerable burden. All that devotion of friends
and relatives could do, or suggest for the relief of his mental depres-
sion was done, but in vain. All the resources of medical science
were brought to his aid, and he was faithfully attended every mo-
ment, but the gloom became more confirmed. On the 4th day of
May, 1853, evading the watchful vigilance of those caring for him, he
committed suiciae by cutting his throat with a razor. Thus he died,
in the 76th year of his age. His remains were interred by the side
of his deceased wife in the Mt. Vernon cemetery.
JESSE BURGESS THOMAS, Jr.
A year or more before the expiration of Judge Thomas' last term
in the Senate, his nephew, Jesse Burgess Tbomas Jr , second son of
Richard Symmes and Frances (Pattie) Thomas, born in Lebanon,
Ohio, on July 31, 1806, came, by request of his uncle, to reside with
him at Edwardsville. There he studied law and was admitted to the
bar, and there on Feb. 18, I'^SO, he married a daughter of Supreme
Court Justice Theophilus Washington Smith, and for some years oc-
cupied the residence of his uncle, the former U. S. Senator.
Following the precepts and example of his distinguished relative
he cast his political lot with the Whig party, but was at no time con-
sidered a pernicious partisan; his conservatism and moderation in
politics being probably in deference to his illustrious father in-law,
who was one of the prominent leaders of the democratic party in
Illinois.
In stature he resembled Senator Thomas; of prepossessing figure
and features, large, muscular and well formed, with pleasing address,
dignified carriage and the refined manners of a courtier. He was
well educated, a ready speaker, and, with studious habits and clear
intellect, in time became a good lawyer.
Emulating the successful course of his honored uncle he soon dis-
played an eagerness for public life, and cultivated the arts and meth-
ods of the office-seeking politician. Upon the organization of the
Seventh General Assembly, in 3830, he was elected Secretary of the
Senate, and re-elected to that position in the next legislature, in
1832.
In 1834, though a Whig, he was elected, with General James
Semple, a sterling Democrat and Jackson man, to reprer^ent Madison
county in the lower bouse of the Ninth General Assembly, from
which he resigned, on Feb. 13, 1835, to accept the office of Attorney
General, having on that date been elevated to that position by the
legislature. That office he also resigned, on Jan 8, 1836, when he
was again chosen Secretary of the Senate in the Tenth General As-
sembly. In that era, up to 1840, the Attorney Generalship of Illi-
nois was not the exalted and important position it now is considered
524
to be, and almost every incumbent of it resigned just as soon as he
could get into any other place, even one of as little consequence as
Secretary of the Senate.
That same legislature, the tenth, elected Mr Thomas judge of the
circuit court for the first district, his term commencing on the 20th of
July, 1887. After serving on the bench for 19 months he became
tired of the routine drudgery of the circuit and resigned on the 25th
of February, 1839, resuming, at Edwardsville, the practice of law.
On the 6th of August, 1843, then a resident of Springfield, he was
elected by the legislature, a justice of the Supreme Court to supply
the vacancy occasioned by the resignation of Judge Stephen A.
Douglas, who had been elected to represent the Quincy district in
Congress. Mr. Thomas' term as Supreme Court Justice expired on
the 8th of August, 1845, when he removed to Chicago and there
again embarked in the practice of his profession. On the 27th of
January, 1847, he was again elected to the Supreme bench, by the
legislature, in place of Judge Richard M, Youog, who had resigned
to accept, from President Polk, the Commissionership of the
General Land Office. Mr. Thomas' term as Supreme Court
Justice expiring on Dec. 4, 1848, he once more resumed the practice
of law at the Chicago bar, in which he continued until his death, oc-
curring on the 2l8t of February, 1850.
Jadge Thomas had the reputation of a learned and able jurist, and
a sound and clear-headed lawyer, and a citizen of exemplary charac-
ter and moral worth.
His wife, Adeline Clarissa, daughter of Judge Theophilus W. and
Clarissa (Rathbone) Smith, was born in New York city on May 13,
1812, and died at Chicago Dec. 14, 1866.
RICHARD SYMMES THOMAS, Jr.
Richard S. Thomas, Jr., the youngest son of Richard Symmes and
Frances (Pattie) Thomas, was born at Jackson, Missouri, on June
3d, 1817. In 1836, after having received a common school education,
he came to Illinois and entered Illinois college at Jacksonville, whore
he pursued his studies until the suspension of that institution caused
by the slavery agitation in 1837. He then commenced the study of
law with his brother, Jesse B. Thomas, Jr., in Edwardsville, and con-
tinued it at Mt Vernon, Ohio, in the office of Henry B. Curtis,
brother of Gen. Samuel R Curtis. Returning to Edwardsville he
was admitted to the bar June 29, 1840, and settled at Virginia, the
then county seat of Cass county, where he commenced the practice of
law before Judge Samuel D. Lookwood. On Aug. 2, 1841, he was
elected school commissioner of Cass county Oq July 9, 1843 he was
appoiuted by Governor Ford, Adjutant of the Twenty- first regiment
of Illinois militia. He followed the couaty seat to Beardstown in
Nov., 1845, but returned to Virgiaia in June, 1846.
KicbHid Sjiutues Tbomar, Jr.
525
In Aug., 1848, he was elected to represent Cass and Menard
counties in the lower house of the Sixteenth general assembly. In
18e'^4, removed to Chicago, but a year later returned to Virginia. On
organization of the Illinois River Railroad company, in Sept,, 1856,
he was elected president of the company and superintendent of con-
struction, a position he held for seven years, until the road was com-
pleted from Pekin, in Tazewell county, to Virginia. In the latter
town he established, in 185(3, a weekly newspaper. The Cass County
Times, supporting the newly organized Republican party, but intend-
ed chiefly to promote the interests of the railroad which he controlled.
He edited, at Virginia, in 1860, The Independent, a radical Republi-
can campaign paper, and took an active part in the election of Presi-
dent Lincoln and Governor Yates. In 1862 he left V^irginia and
again located in Chicago, and subsequently in Waukegan.
He was urged by Governor Yates, in the early years of the civil
war, to accept the colonelcy of a volunteer regiment, but declined
because of the distrust he felt in his skill and ability to discharge the
duties of that position with credit. During the war he was appointed
by Governor Yates one of the commissioners to audit the State's war
claims, a duty he performed without compensation, waiving the salary
to which he was entitled. For several years he was a member of the
board of trustees, and of the executive committee of the University
of Chicago, and also of the executive board of the Baptist Theologi-
cal Union.
On March 4. 1848, at Virginia, Illinois, he was united in marriage
to Miss Helen Malvina, daughter of William and Lucy (Clark) Naylor
early pioneers from Kentucky.
In 1865, he was stricken down by acute disease of the brain and
nervous system, and after lingering a few months, died at Jackson-
ville, on Dec. 14 of that year. His, wife, who was born at Edmonton,
Ky., Deo. 4, 1825, died at Boonton, N. J. in 1902.
Richard S. Thomas inherited the physical characteristics of his
father and uncle, and well sustained the high standing of the Thomas
family for talents and intellectual force. He was an able lawyer, an
eloquent speaker, and strong, pungent writer. Of striking appear-
ance and bearing, with some aristocratic tendencies, he was affable
and social in disposition, having easy, polished manners, irreproach-
able habits and pure character. That he did not attain high oivio
honors in the State was because his tastes and inclinations were not
in the direction of political aspirations, but rather confined to the
more fascinating pursuits of finances. He preferred a life of opulent
independence to that of the vicissitudes and uncertainties of a public
career.
526
PRICES IN McLEAN COUNTY, ILLINOIS, FROM 1832
TO 1860.
(By Ezra M. Prince. Secretary McLean Connty Historical Society.)
The prices given in this paper are taken from the probate and
other records of the county, and furnish as near an official record of
prices as can be made. The prices of stock and a few other articles
are taken from the sale bills of a large number of estates covered by
this period; the prices of merchandise and some other articles and
the prices of labor are taken from bills allowed in said estates. For
each year I have given the highest and lowest and average price of
stock. Where the prices are taken from other sources than those
records, that fact is indicated in the context.
1823.
The earliest mention of prices in McLean county I find is by John
Benson in the "Good Old Times in McLean County," published in
1874, page 827. who says in 1823 they paid $1 00 a bushel for corn
by splitting rails at 50 cents per 100. At that time the only families
here were the Hendrix and Dawsons, who came here in the spring of
1822, the OrendorfiFs, Stringfields, Randolphs and Burlesons, who came
in the soring of 1828. The first farms were all made in the edge of
the timber which had to be cleared up and prepared for cultivation
and cabins and stables built. It is evident that the crops for 1822 and
1823 must have been small and the surplus for sale in the fall of 1823,
when the Bensons came here, very small indeed, which accounts for
the high prices paid by them. The same year William Orendorff
bought a claim in the southeast part of Blooming Grove for $50,00.
(Good Old Times, p. 153 )
In the winter of 1825 John H. S. Rhodes went to Sangamon
county and husked corn, receiving for himself and team two and a
half bushels of corn per day. (Good Old Times, p. 169 )
In 1826 Jesse Funk split rails for 25 cents a hundred. (Good Old
Times, p 772.)
The same year Robert Guthrie husked corn for Isaac and Absalom
Funk for 50 cents per day and split rails for 25 cents per 100. (Good
Old Times, p. 191 )
In 1827 George Hinshaw bought 20 acres of a claim with a cabin
and growing crop on the south side of Blooming Grove for a wagon
and yoke of oxen worth about $50 00, and shortly after bought 220
acres for $1 25 per acre. (Good Old Times, 209.)
527
In 1827 Cheney Thomas sold to William Evans a olaim in what is
the southeast part of Bloomington for $100.00. (Good Old Times,
150, 748.)
In 1827 a good cow was worth only $5.00. (George Hinshaw Good
Old Times, 209).
1828.
In 1828 Isaac Funk paid William Biggs $8.00 per month for labor.
(Vol. 2 Transactions McLean County Historical Society, p. 623).
In 1828 William Lindley received ten bushels of corn for 20 days'
labor. (Good Old Times, p, 212)
1829.
In 1829 John Wells Dawson sold his claim in Blooming Grove for
$400 00 and moved to Old Town. His daughter, Mrs Paist, says the
improvements on the olaim were a one room hewed log cabin, a one
room split log cabin used as a kitchen, and a log stable. This claim
was made in the spring of 1822, and when sold in 1829 a considerable
part of it was in cultivation.
In 1828 William Evans, in the southeast part of what is now
Bloomington, broke the first sod in what is now that city and raised
a splendid crop of winter wheat, 30 bushels to the acre, which in 1829
he sold at 40 cents per bushel to settlers moving into the country,
(Good Old Times, p. 187.)
1830.
James Latta offered his claim, 160 of land and log cabin, where the
Durley addition to Bloomington is situated, for $-t0.00 to John Price,
who refused to buy it. (Good Old Times, 492.)
1831.
Estate of John Hougham, No. 12 — Seven gallons whiskey, $3.50;
calico, 37| cents; iron, lO cents per pound; paper of pins, 18 cents;
ticking, 37^ cents; nails, 12^ cents; coffee. 20 cents; 36 pounds salt,
$1 08; board, per week, $1.00; labor, $1.75; butter, 50 cents; three
doses calomel, 25 cents.
Achilles Deatherage sold to Benjamin Depew, Dec. 22, 1830, for
$100 00: W. i s. w ^E sec. 15, t. 26, r. 2 e. Deed Record A, p. 5.
James Latta sold to Anthony Albury, Feb. 24, 1830, for $100.00:
S. ^ w. I w. ^ n. w. ^ sec. 18, t. 23, r. 2 e , 42 acres. Deed Record A, p. 6.
John Benson Feb. 24, 1831, sold to Nathan Low w ^ e, ^ s. e, J
sec. 13, t. 23, r. e., 40 acres, for $75.00. Deed Record A, p. 3.
1832.
Estate of James Hodge, No. 3— Coffee, 25 cents; nails, 12^ cents;
socks, 50 cents; shoes, $2.00; skein silk. 6 cents; silk handkerchief,
$1 00; tin cup, 20 cents; tin bucket, $1.00; scythe, $1.25; ^ lb tea, 50
cents.
528
1833.
Estate of JoLn M^GoocLi, No. B—ChHco, -14 cents; domestic, 12^
cents; cotton yarn, 40o per lb ; sugar, 13 cents; sugar, 3^ Bbs. 35
cents; eggs, 6 cents; six glass tumblers, 75 cents; ^ Bb. tea, 38 cents;
shot, 12 cents, | fi). ginger, 25 cents; ^ lb tea, 38 cents; bacon, 6^
cents; rice, 12| cents; llf yards calico, $2 94; ^ Bb. pepper, 13 cents;
set knives and forks, $1.50; cow and calf, $11.00.
Estate of Charles Vasey, No. 6 — Iron, 8 cents per lb.; day's work,
$100 and $1.25; pt. brandy. 12|, 50 cents; whisky, qt., 12, 18 and
19 cents; sugar, 12^ cents; calico, 25 cents; coffee, 3o| cents; pork, 8
cents; corn, 42^ and 25 cents; white blonde veil, $2 50; wheat, 50
cents; salt pork, 2| cents; corn meal, 44 cents; grinding corn, 12^
cents; 600 feet laths, $3.75; 286 feet weatherboard, $2.12|; 228 feet
flooring, $2,85; shingles, 50 cents per 100; salt, $2 00 per bushel;
bacon, 6j cents; sickle. $1.00; eggs, 8^ cents; horse, $50 00; rent of 8
acres, $16.00; butter, 6^ cents; brick, $4 00
In 1833 prices were verv low. Corn, 10 cents; oats, 8 cents; wheat,
81 cents; flour, $1.50 per'lOO; pork, $1,25; wood, $1.00. (Good Old
Times, 12, Lewis Bunn, i. d., 254.)
1884.
Estate of Jesse York, No. 42 — One- fourth ft) powder, 13 cents; ^
yard linen, 75 cents; shoes, $1.75; 16 ft)s bacon, $1.28; 4 dozen eggs,
25 cents; 3 ft)3 rice, 38 cents; 2 ft)3 sugar, 25 cents; 6 ft)s butter, 60
cents; 10 yards shirting, $1.88; spool cotton, 13 cents; 4|^ yards of
jeans, $4.25; 1 lb tobacco, 37 cents; 10 S)s nails, $1.25; 3^ rolls wall
paper, 22 cents; 3 saddles, $10, $11 and $12; horse collars, $106^;
bridle, $2.75; cow, $10.
Estate of Wolford Wyatt, No. —Yoke of oxen, $50: 2- year-old
filly, $45; 30 hogs, $30; 4 sheep, $7; 13 acres corn, $50 ($3 85);
bacon, 6^ cents; sugar, 10 and 12J cents; shoes, $1 50; tea, $1 50;
coffee, 20 cents; cambric, 40 cents; shovel plow, $2.50; Carey plow,
$4.00; prairie plow, $4.50; 80 acres s ^ sec. 21, t. 24, 1 e., appraised
$480; 116 acres sec. 7, t, 25 1 e., $150.
Corn sold in Chicago at 50 cents per bushel. (J. C. Orendor£F,
2nd Transactions McLean County Historical Society, p. 653.) John
F. Rust, aged 18, worked for Jesse Funk six months for $50. (Good
Old Times, 807.)
1835.
Estate of Jesse York No, 42, (continued) — Five lbs. coffee, $1; 7^
lbs. salt, 22 cents; 6 dozen eggs, 37 cents; 7 lbs. butter, 88 cents; 1
quire paper, 75 cents; 2 lbs. rice, 13 cents; 8 yards flannel, $2.25; 2
buffalo robes, $8; 6 glass tumblers, 50 cents; 3 yards hemp linen,
$1.50; ^ lb. Young Hyson tea, 50 cents; ^ lb. patent thread, $1; 1
gallon molasses, 37 cents; 3 yards linen, $1.75; 2 paper tacks,
50 cents; 6 lbs. butter, 37 cents; board $1.00 per week; colt, $9;
cows, $12.50 and $8.44,
529
Estate of John Canady— Hogs, (5) $14.50 ($2,90); 5 hogs, $14 00
($2 80) ; 5 hogs, $10 00 ($2 00) ; 5 hogs. $6 50 ($1 30); 5 hogs, $5 00
($1 00) ; 5 hogs, $5 05 ($1 01) ; 5 hogs, $3 87^ and $6 77^; yoke oxen,
$40 00 ($12.00-$21.00) ; steers, $10 00; cows, $11 93|, $10.25, $14 00,
$10.06; 4 acres corn, $5.25; do 6 acres, $6.25 and $8.56; 40 bushels
corn, $8 00 (20 cents)
1836.
Estate Ebenezer Perry, No. 49— One-half bushel timothy seed,
$1.50; deer skin, 25 cents; breaking plow, $7.78; 25 bushels corn,
$7.75, $9 25 and $8.75 (30^, 37, 31 cents); potatoes, 5 bushels, fl 35
and $130 (27 and 26 cents); 19 hogs, $2137 ($1.12^); cows, $15.00
and $15 06^; heifers, $5.75, $10.37, $12.29, $10.52.
John F. Rust drove hogs to Chicago for Isaac Funk for 50 cents a
day. (Good Old Times, 807.)
1837.
Mary Thomas estate. No. 55— Large wheel, $1 62|; little wheel,
$2.75; horses, $32, $50, $75; colts, $30 77; 10 sheep, $23 25 ($2.32|) ;
hogs, 10, $83.12^ ($8 31); 18 hogs, $37.00, ($2 40); cow and calf,
$20.50, $28.31; cow, $15 50; bedsteads, 75 cents and $3.25; coffee, 20
cents; nails, 12 cents; cr. 17| lbs. sugar, $12.15.
Estate James Campbell, No. 59 — Cow and calf, $25 50; table,
$7.;00 bed and bedding, $26.00 and $36.25; tin pan, 75 cents; calico,
16| and 28 cents; handkerchief, 88 cents; 5| dozen eggs, 34 cents.
Estate Merritt Lyon, No. 75— Eighteen day clock, $20.00;
cheese, 12^ cents; blue blanket, $8.50; wheat, 75 cents; potatoes, 25
cents; tea, $1 25; calico, 20 cents; cow, $25.00; flour, 4 cents pound;
labor, $1.00 per day.
Estate Jesse Hyatt, No. 93 (new)— Bee stands 2, $1.50, 75 cents;
do. 2, $1.75, 87^ cents, $2 6^; do. $3 00, $2.94, $1,40; sheep 7, $15.75,
($2 25); 6 sheep, $12 00 ($2.00); 7 sheep, $11,41 ($163); 5 sheep,
$5 00 ($1.00); cows, $9 31, $12 50; heifers, $8.08 and $8 18; 2 steers,
$26.50 ($13.25); 2 steers, $12 62 ($6 31) ; horses, $18.62, $26 50; hogs 5,
$18 50 ($3.70); 5 hogs, $18 25 ($3 65) ; 5 hogs, $18 00 ($3.60) 5 hogs,
$15 25 ($3.05); 5 hogs, $13 25 ($2 65); 8 shoats, $8 37 ($1.48); 6
ehoats, $4 37 (73 cents); sow and pig, $4 00 and $.5.00; wheat, 56
cents; corn, 26, 25 and 22 cents; potatoes, 33 cents.
1839.
Estate of John Mitchell, No. 125— Calico, 31| cents; shoes, $1.25;
cows, $1100, $16.75; sheep, 4, $6.00 ($1.50); heifer calf, $4.31;
bull calf, $4 25; horse, $55.50; hogs, $2.25, $2.18.
Estate Caleb Hall, No. 132— Large wheel, $4.12|; bureau, $3.00;
clock. $11.12^; Carey plow, $5 00; diamond plow, $6.75; shovel plow,
$1 87J; scythe and cradle, $2 12|; cows, $12 50, $50 00, $24 00, $25 00,
$30,00; colts, $19.00, $24.75; horses, $61.00, $47.25; sheep 5, $18 62^
($3.72^) ; 5 sheep, $20.00 (4.00) ; 5 sheep, $18.50 ($3.70) ; 5 sheep,
—34 H
530
116 00 ($3.20); corn per aore, 14,47^ $4 82, $511; sugar, 12 cents;
ooflPee, 20 cents, | lb. pepper, 13 cents; J lb. tea, 88 cents; calico, 25
cents; gingham, 37^ cents.
Corn and oats 10 cents in Bloomington, wheat 35 cents in Pekin.
—Abraham Enlow. (Grood Old Times, 435.)
1840.
Estate of Gooden Lucas, No. 144— Bedsteads, $4.50, $6; bureau,
$13; cook stove, $25; 1 month clock, $5; wool 25 cents pd, yarn, 52
cents and 56 cents pd; large wheel, $3.50; loom, $5; bacon, 3| cents,
5 cents and 4 cents pd; sheep, 4, ($2.37 each,) $9 48; cow and calf,
$17 75, $13; sows, $5 and $6; turkeys, 62 cents and 50 cents pair; 6
hogs, $12, $2 each; 12 pigs, $11.10.
Estate of John Anderson, No. 178— Board at hotel, $1 50 and $2.00
per week; meal, 25 cents per pushel; 2 doz. quills, 63 cents; paper qr,
38 cents; sheep, $2 37, $1.52, $3 50, $3 37; cow and calf, $17 75, $23.50;
sows, $5, $6, $3.62, $4.25, $4, $3.75; Bhoats, $1 59; colts, $21, $25.25,
$41.22; bacon, 3^ cents, 5J cents, 10 cents; corn, 20^ cents; brick $7;
wheat, 50 cents; Eggs, 10 cents; apples 75 cents; labor, 75 cents.
1841.
Estate of William Goodhart, No. 180 (continued) — Blue domestic,
25 cents; cook stove and furniture, $30; making shingles, $2 per m,;
wood, $1; labor, $1.25.
Samuel Stewart, No 160 — Corn.20|^centsper bushel; hogs, per head,
5 at $3. $15; 5 at $3 per head, $15; 5 at $2 56. $12 80; 10 at $1 25, $12 50,
12 at $1, $12; oxen yoke. $55, $50, $50, $40.25, $28; cow and calf, $12 50,
$20 061; cow, $14 50; heifers, $10.50, $8, $6 50, $4 12|, $5 and $6;
steers, $7.25, $4.12|, $7.75, $3.75; horses, $41.50, $40; yearling, $27;
carriage, $25 50.
1842.
Estate of Joshua Hobson, No. 174 — Three calves, $3 94; heifers,
$2.14, $3.87|. $3 12|; cows, $7 and $8; horse, $36 75; 4 sheep, $7.68|;
3 sheep. $5 68|; 25 bu, corn at 13 1-2 cents, $3 37|; 25 bu. corn at 14
cents, $3 50; 25 bu. corn at 13 1 2 cents, $3.37 1-2; harvest hands, 75
cents per day; wheat in Pekin, 25 cents. (W J. Rhodes to E. M.
Prince, 14tti March, 1904); pork in Chicago, 25 cents per 100. (Good
Old Times, 15-241 ) Tbe summer of 1842 was the bottom of distress.
(J. E. McClunn, Good Old Times. 343 ) Dry cows, $5.00 and $6.00
a head, after wintering, sold for $7 50 and $3.75 each.
Estate of Dr John Anderson, No, 178 (appraisement) — E. 1-2, s.
e., 35, 20, 2 e., $4 00; 320, e. 1-2. n. e , 35, 20, 2 e.. $4; 320 e. 1-2 s. w.,
6, 19, 2 6., 60 16-100 acres. 60 16; w 1-2, s. w., 6, 19, 2 e,. 60 16, w. ^,
s. w. 6-19, 2 e, 60.16, $5, 300, 80, s. w., s. e., 5, 19, 2, 40 acres, |, $30.00.
531
1843.
Estate of William Brewer, No. 187—2 yearling steers, $8 37 and
$5.00; cow and calf. $4.25 and $8 00; cows, |5 25,$6e)2 and|5 3i;
sides of harness leather, $2 4:3 to $4 06; aides of sole leather, 10 to
16 1-2 tt)s., 26 to 28 cents; pair coarse boots, $2 50; upper leather,
$1.87 to $3 75; 6 deer skins, 81 cents to $1 50; deer skins, 25 cents to
60 cents; 10 pairs boots, $1 43 to $3 50 each; buggy, $31.00; hair, 25
cents per bushel; large wheel, 75 cents; Life of Marion, 12 cents;
atlas. 5 cents; 7 bed blankets, 25 cents to $1 00; 40 yards rag carpet,
$5 00; 3 months' labor, $16.00; wood, $1 00. $1.25; cider, 18| cents per
gallon; labor 75 cents and 50 cents; corn, 12 1-2 bushels; beef, Scents
per Bb ; breaking prairie, $2.00; two journeys to Chicago with wheat,
$16 00; butter, 6 cents; potatoes, 12 1-2 cents; 50 pounds flour, 75 cts.
Mr. Brewer was the pioneer tanner of the county. An examina-
tion of the papers of his estate will disclose the price of all kinds of
leather and everything connected with that business.
1844.
Estate of Nathan Low, No. 208— Corn, $3.00 an acre; salt, $3 75
per bbl; oats, 20 cents; bacon, 8 cents; improved Carey plow, $3 25;
shovel plow. $1 50; Rathbone plow, $5 00; rye, 56 cents; 39 bushels
of corn, $7 03; two- horse wagon, $50 00; Durham cow and calf, $30 00;
steer calves, $2 12^ to $4 00; cow and calf, $10.00, $9 00, $8 00. $5.62;
horses, $53 50, $50 50, $31 00, $37 00; oats, 18c. Low had 266 sheep
which sold as follows: 10 Wethers, $23.70; 10 Wethers, $2^ 50; 10
Wethers, $22 10; 10 Wethers, $21,80; 10 Wethers, $20.10; 10 Weth-
ers, $18 80; 10 Wethers, $18 70; 10 Wethers. $14.40; 29 ewes and
lambs, $::i2 17; 20 sheep, $27 50; 20 sheep, $26 00; 21 sheep, $23 62^;
18 sheep, $36.00; 20 sheep, $2d 00; 1 sheep, $1.12^; 16 sheep, $24 00.
Estate of William R. Robinson, No. 207 -Hogs, 10, $10.00 ($1 00
each) ; 10, $3 40 (34 cents each) ; 10, $2.10 (21 cents each) ; 9, $1.17
(13 cents each) ; scythe and cradle, $2 00; timothy seed, 75 cents per
bushel; tobacco, 10 lb. lots, 16 lots, 25 to 56 cents per lot; rifle. $8 00;
8 bedsteads. $1 37^ to $3 12^; cows $5 50 and $8 00; steers, $8 12^,
$9 37^, $6 12^, $4 00, $4 e2|. $3 37^, $2 12^; horses, $15 00, $24 50,
$35 00; sheep, 4, $7 25 ($1 hi each); 4, $7.50 ($1.75 each); 4, $6.00
($1 50 each), 2, $2.75 ($1 37 each).
Estate of George W. Wallace, No. 281— Corn, 12^ cents; apples,
50 cents; stove. $20 00, cow, $12 00; bacon, 12^ cents; eggs, 12J
cents; labor, 62^ cents, $1.25.
Yearling steers, $3 50 per head, which a year or two after sold for
$9.00. R. A. Wariow (Good Old Times, 135).
1845.
Estate of Mildred S. Clark. No. 261—20 sheep, $25 60 ($1 28 each) ;
2 cows, $13 00 ($6 50 each) ; barrel salt, $3.00; labor, 50 and 62^ cents
per day; 7 sheep, $8 96 ($1.28 each).
Estate of Abel Larrison — Whisky, 60 cents per gallon; oats, 19
cents; corn, 25 cents.
582
Estate of Hiram Patterson, No. 226—4 head of hogs, $3.56 (89
cents each) .
1846.
Estate of George W. Wallace — Apple tree, 12| cents; half dozen
hens, 75 cents; flour, 2 cents per lb.; bacon, 6 cents; cambric, 50
cents; hose, 37 cents; spool of thread, 8 cents; saleratus, 10 cents;
paper, 20 cents per quire.
Estate of William Karr, No. 248 — Scythe and cradle, $2 00; horses,
$26.62, 125 00; 6 sheep, $3 75 (62^ cents each) ; 6 sbeep, $6.00 ($1.00
each;) 6 sheep, $7 86 ($L.81 each); 6 sheep, $8.25 ($1.87| each); 6
sheep. $8 40 ($1.40 each) ; 2 sows, $5 00 ($2 50 each) ; cows, $8 75,
$8.25, $8 00, $^00; heifers, $4 00, $7.00; steers, $5.62, $5 00, $2 32;
3 yearling calves, $7.50 ($2 50 each) ; 2 spring calves, $4 00 ($2.00
each ) ; 6 stock hogs, $3 00 (50 cents each) ; 2 sows, $4 00 ($2 00 each) ;
42 hogs. $176 25 ($1 28 each) ; 5 acres corn, $11,75 ($2.35 per acre) ;
33 bu. wheat, $12 87 (39 cents per bu ; 8 lbs, cofiPee, $1 00 (12| cents) ;
10 lbs. sugar, $1 00; 1 lb tobacco, 13 cents; third class reader. 38
cents; 16 lbs. coffee, $2 00; 10 lbs. sugar, $1.00; ^ lb. tea, 50 cents;
linen, 50 cents; shoes, 75 cents, $1.13; drilling, 25 cents; pepper, 20
cents; rice, 8 cents.
Estate of Mildred S. Clark, No. 261-Cook stove, $12 00; shoes, 22
pair, 50, 75 cents, $1.05 per pair; fine bedstead, $4 00; wagon, $^^0 00;
5 hogs, $12 00 ($2 50); 5 hogs, $10 50 ($2 10); 5 hogs, $7 00 ($1.40);
6 hogs, $8 00 ($1.33) ; 8 hogs, $31 50 ($3.93) ; horses, $39.00. $52 00,
$68 00; 180 bu, corn, $18 00(10 cents); 91 bu. wheat, $47.32 (52
cents); 8 bu wheat, $4.08 (51 cents); 42 bu. spring wheat, $15 54
(37 cents); 107 bu. wheat, $35.31 (33 cents).
1847.
Estate of William Karr, No. 284— Shoes, 88 cents, $1.12; sugar, 10
cents; coffee, 12^ cents; molasses, 50 cents; 7 yards blue calico, $1.17
(16| cents) ; domestic, 13 cents; nails, 7 cents; white lead, $2.25 per
keg.
Estate of Nathan Gattan, No. 323— Two-horse wagon, $48.00; cow,
$11.25; heifers, 13.75, $4.98; sow and pigs, S2 50; 4 shoats, $5 62|
($1 40i) ; 3 shoats, $2 62 (87 cents) ; 4 shoats, $4 81 ($1.20) ; 4 shoats,
$3 25 («1 cents) ; 4 shoats, $2 43 (61 cents) ; 6 shoats, $3,00 (50 cents) .
Estate of Theophilus Caton, No. 317— Two- horse wagon, $10 00;
hogs. 9 at $2.94. $26 50; 9 at $1 69, $15.25; 9 at $1 11, $10; 9 at 93 cents.
$8.'37i; 10 at 65 cents, $6 52|; cow and calf. $6 51, $12 00; cow, $9 75;
steers, $11 75, $10 20, $7 50, 86,92, $5 00, $4 62^, $4 50; horses, 139 50,
$42.25; corn, 50 bu., $6 50 (13 cents per bu.) ; 50 bu., $6 25 (12|) ; 50
bu , $7 00 (14) ; 50 bu., 17 25 (14|) ; 50 bu , $7 50 (15) ; 50 bu,, $7,62^
(15|). domestic, 10 cents; calico, 25 cents; jackonet, 50 cents; black
veil, $1 00; skein silk, 6 cents; shoes, $1.00, 56 cents, 63 cents; 87^
62 cents
Wm J Rhodes split rails at 25 cents per hundred and cut wood at
25 cents per cord; madeabout 50 cents per day Hands in summer $8.00
to $10.00 per month (W. J. Rhodes to E.M. Prince, March 14, 1905.)
538
1848.
Estate of Michael Darnall, No. 836, May- Hogs 10, $10, ($1 each)
10, $2 50, (25 cents each) ; 12 pigs, $1.50 (15c each); 8 sheep, $11
($1.39 each) ; do. $9.75 ($122 each); do. $7.50 (94 cents each;) 5
heifers, $4.12^, $5 81^; bull, $5 6:H; cows. $8 50, $8.62^; cow and calf,
$8 90, $10 25,'^ $10.12^, $12 12 1-2,"^ $18.50, $10.75, $47; horses, $86.75,
$28-50, $57; mare and colt, $27,121.
Estate of Benj. Cox, No. 388 — Tea 50 cents, crackers 10 cents,
matches 79 cents, wood $1.50, one-half pound raisins 12 cents, sugar 10
cents, one-fourth bushel peas 50 cents, blacking 5 cents, one half
gallon vinegar 18 cents, lard 6 cents, board $1.25 per week, flour 2^
cents per pound, potatoes 25 cents, corn 12| cents, wood $1 .50.
Owen Cheney, No. 333— Shoes $2, kid boots $4.25, shoes $1 25,
brogans $2, $1 88; tuition, 2 scholars 1 quarter, $4; 3f gallons whisky
$1.40, 9 pounds coffee $1, 10 pounds sugar $1, coffee 25 cents per
pound, 2 1-2 yards calico 47 cents, 2 yards calico 25 cents, shoes $1 25,
one fourth pound powder 13 cents, box caps 10 cents, calico 16 1-2
cents; gingham 87 1-2 cents, 12 tumblers 60 cents, 5 papers garden
seeds 81 cents, one-half gallon molasses 81 cents.
1849.
Estate of Charles Hinshaw, No. 347— Five sheep, $5.75 ($1,15
each) ; 5 sheep, $4.25 (85 cents each) ; 4 sheep, $2.50 (62 cents each) ;
5 sheep, $6 ($1.20 each) ; 3 sheep, $1.05, (85 cents each) ; 2 calves,
$10,60 ($5 50 each); 8 calves $18.20 ($4.40 each); 2year-old steer,
$7.50; cows $9, $10.87, $11.12; horses, $79 25, $b6 50; 15 shoats, $6 25
(55 cents each) ; 10 hogs $14 ($1.40 each) ; 8 sheep, $8 ($1 each)
sow and pigs, $2.12; 50 bushels corn, $6,25 (12 1-2 cents per bushel)
20 bushels corn $3 (15 cents per bushel) ; 100 pounds side meat,
$2.45.
1850.
Estate of John Maris, No. 388 — Lawn 22 1-2 cents, calico 20 cents,
common chairs 50 cents, parlor chairs $1.20, bedsteads $2 and $6,
hay $3 per ton, 12 chickens II, starch 12 1-2 cents, brogans 50 cents,
labor $3 per month, horse $60, gloves 75 cents.
Estate of Charles Tilbury— Beef 2 1-2 cents, brick $3 per thousand;
whisky 12 cents per quart, horse $50, buckwheat 80 cents, iron 7
cents per pound, sugar 8 1-2 cts ; calico 12 1-2 cts., muslin 12 1-2, ots.,
nails 7c.
Estate of E. G. Dille, No. 385-Steers, 20 head, $426 20 ($21.31
each) ; 25 steers, $488 ($17.52 each); 21 steers, $312.80 ($14.90 each) ;
cows, $12,25, $13.10; horses, $71, $66 50, $57 62.
i Estate of Oliver Stanwood, No. 418 — Butter 12 cents, cheese 10
cents, eggs 5 cents, one half pound tea 56 cents, calico 12 and 15
cents, shoes $1, silk $1.90, ham 9 cents, molasses 66 cents, white lawn
50 cents; nails 7 cents, linen 88 cents, fine shoes $1 75, drilling 15
cents per yard, sugar 10 cents, satin $6 per yard, cambric 25 cents,
ifle $7, watch $11.50, 5 days' labor, $7.25 ($L75 each.)
534
Estate of Isaao Peasley, No. 415— Salt $3 50, shoes $1.81 1 2, rifle
$5 50, shot guu $5; horses. $35, $80; colts, $24.50, $32; yoke of year-
liogs, $28 50; 7 calves, $47 50 ($6.70 each;) cows, $12.25, $9, $15 35,
$13.75, $11.37, $13 12 1 2; 8 hogs, $25 ($3.12 1-2 each;) 8 hogs, $17
($2 12 1-2 each); 8 hogs, $9. 12 1-2, ($118 each;) 8 sheep, $14.75 ($184
each); 8 sheep, $13 25 ($1.66 each) 10 sheep, $12 25 ($1.22| each);
eggs, 6 cents; calico 18| cents; molasses, 60 cents; labor, $1.
]852.
Estate of A. Van Nastin, No. 241 — Spring wheat, 65 cents; corn,
20 cts.; horses, $16 00, $30; large wheel, $1.15.
Estate of Henry Bunn, No. 474-Flour, 80 5) $1.20; (2) linsey, 40
cents; drilling, 14 cents; muslin, 13 cents; flannel, 40 and 50 cents;
calico, 12^ cents; Irish linen, $1.00; suspenders, 40 cents; cassimere,
50 cents; shoes, $1.75; molasses, 60 cents; 4 Yb Rio coffee, 50 cents.
(12| cts.;) cr. 1 hog, 142 &, $4.97 (3|); board, $1.25.
Labor, 37^ cents; cutting cord wood, 65 cents per day. — Dr. H.
Schroeder
1853.
Estate Thomas Hitohens. No. 2, new— Horses, $42, $48.50, $41 00,
$48.00, $45 00, $82 50, $82 50, $44 00, $28 50, $70.00, $38 00; 12 pairs
boots, $27 00 ($2.25) ; 6 pairs, 9 ($1.50) ; 141 bu. oats, $49.35 (35 cents
b.) ; salt, $2.75; shoes, $3; board, 1 day, feeding horse, 25 cents; meals,
30 cents.
Estate George S. Hill, No. 5— Black silk, $1.35; drilling, 15 cents;
brick, $6 00.
Estate Henry Bunn— bbl, flour, $6.00; 8 yds .calico, $1.20 (15 cents) ;
8 yds. calico, $1.00 (12| cents) ; shoes, $1.25.
Estate Asa Roberts, No. 34— Tea, $1 00; butter, 20 cents; eggs, 10
cents; bacon, 9 cents; coffee, 12^ cents, muslin, 12^ cents; linsey, 30
cents; two chickens, 22 cents (11) ; flannel, 35 cents; calico, 12| cents;
boots, $3.25; blankets, $1.40; domestic, 10 cents; shoes, $1.25; wood,
$3.60.
1854.
Estate of Reuben L. Draper, No. 16 — Nails, 7 cents; Irish linen, 50
cents; cambric, 50 cents; muslin, 25 cents; sheep, 32 head, $56 00 (1.75) ;
cows, $18.00, $19.00; horses, $70; colts, $50, $5.00, $35 00; stock hogs
$82 50 ($2.50); 3 brood sows, $18.00 ($6.00); 5| acres corn, $33.75
($6 00).
Estate of Mary Price, No. 68 -Horses, $71, $98.50; cows, $26 10,
$32.00, $21.25; calves, $8 30, $10.00; sheep, $2 30; fat hogs, $5 15, 3.50,
$2 75; 14 shoats, $12,00(85 cents); molasses, 50 cents; salt, $3.50;
calico, 12^ cents.
Estate of Elisha Gibbs, No. 84— Corn, 25 cents; cow, $20.00; nails, 8
cents; labor, $1,50 per day.
535
1855.
Estate of Isaac Smalley, No. 118— Hocfs, 2 hogs $8.04($4.02) ; horses,
$87.50, 819.00; rye, 45 cents; labor, Sl.OO.
Estate of James Tompkins, No. 117 — Corn, 51 cents; horses
$135.00, $180 00, SlOl. 00, $14500, i^lOOOO, $14000, $6500. $12600;
cows, $35.00.130 00, $25 00.$2l 00. $24 75, $22 00, $36 00 $15 00,$25 00,
$30 00, $16.50, $25 00, $25 00. $15 00. $18.00. $25 00, $20 00. $25 00;
hogs. 4, $20 00, ($5.00) , 4, $8 00 ($2.00), 4, $7 50 ($1 87^), 6. $S.25
($1 37|) 18, $72 00 ($4 00) ; horses, $100.00, $125 00, $65 00, $100 00;
2.horse carriage, $150.00; corn, 50 cents; yearling calves, $12,00; oats,
30 cents.
1856.
Estate of William Bishop, No. 173— Cows, $36 00. $25 00. $25 00,
$20 00, $30 50, $50 00, $29 00. $42 00; heifers, $17.75, $20.25, $25 00,
$15.75; horses, $72 50, $57.50, $175. $175.50; colts, $52 50, $66 00,
$25 00; sheep, wethers, $2.10; ewes, $1.42; lambs, $1.32; 24 ewes, $122
($5.50) , bucks, $33 00, $34.00, $25 00, $4. This flock consisted of 23
bucks, 446 wethers, 566 ewes, 384 lambs, 32 buck lambs in all, 1468
sheep.
Calico 13^ cents, alapaoa $1.00 kid boots $5,00; labor, $1 per day,
$1«.00 per month.
1857.
Estate of R. E. Frisby, No. 207— Wheat, 75 cents; hogs 5, $53.75
($10 75);5hogs, $50 00 ($10 00); 5 hogs, $36.25 ($7.25); 5 hogs,
$42 00 ($8.40) ; 5 hogs, $30 00 ($6 00) ; 6 hogs, $38 25 ($6 37) ; horses,
$80 00, $100, $170 50, $185; yoke oxen, $125, $100, $52.50; cows,
$25.20, $43 50, $17.30, $16.50, $25 00, $50 00, $40 00, $2100, $13.00,
$21.75, $25 25, $41.00, $55.00, $2600, $27 00, $3050, $3000, $1675,
$25.25; cow and calf, $20.00, $27.00, $16 75, $35 00, $30 00, $18 00,
$25.10, $31.00, $34,75, $37.00, $32.10, $26 50, $12 60; labor, $1 00. s '|
Estate John Hendrix, No, 192 — Swiss muslin, 45 cents; apples,
50 cents; coffee, 12^ cents; eggs, 10 cents; tea, 75 cents; cotton
flannel, 12| cents; shoes, $1.38; Irish linen, 75 cents; boots, $3 50;
tobacco, 25 cents; rice, 10 cents. N. 1-2 s. w. | sec. 16, t. 23, 4 e.
$700.
The wages of carpenters in 1857 was $1.25 per day and continued
from that to $1.75 till 1861. (Richard Jones to E. M. P., May 8,
1904)
1858.
Estate Charles McGraw, No. 374— Cows, $39.00, $23.00, $25.00;
horses, $87 75, $150; oats 76 cents, wheat 75 cents.
Estate of William Talbert, No. 356— Cow and calf, $20 00, $16.00,
$25 25, $28.75, $19 50, $2125; steers $17.00; heifers, $12 25; cows,
$34 00, $27.00, $26.00, $25 00; hogs 20, $172 ($8 60); hogs 20, $112
($5 60); 10 hogs, $49.00 ($4 90); 10 hogs, $4100 ($4.10); horses,
$141, $155, $120, $100, $126 50, $76 00. $61 00, $60.00; sugar, 10 cents;
boots, $3.00; coffee, 6| pounds at $1 00 (16§ cents) ; molasses, 75
cents.
536
1859.
William Birdsell, No. 429-Two-year.old fillies, $105.00, $66.00,
$61.00; horses, $155.00, $85.00, $100 00, $88 00, span mules, ^'215 00;
cows and calves, $19 00. $66 00, $31.50, $31.50, $16 00, $13.25, $25 50,
$23.50; wood. $1 70; rifle, $8 30; cows, $40.00, $25.00, $42.25, $30 00;
heifers, $13 50, $12.00; yearling heifers, S8 00, 111.50; 2-year-old
steers, $24.20, $12 62; mowing machine, $66,00; corn, 77 cents, hogs,
5 sows, $75 00 ($15.00) ; 10 hogs, $72 50 ($7 25) ; 18 sows and pigs,
$50.25 ($2,80) labor, $100; rent, 76 acre, $190 00 (2 50); board, $2
week; oats, 25 cents; making underground ditch,20 cents rod; calico,
12^ cts.; calf boots, $5 50, $3.75.
Estate John Carter— Shoes, $1,45; cotton flannel, 15 cents; tea,
$1,00; domestic, 10 and 12 cents; print, 12^ cents; drilling, 15 cents;
molasses, 60 cents; paper, 20 cents a quire; nails, 6 cents; sugar, 11
and 10 cent; eggs, 8 cts. 10 cts. 12 cts. dozen, 44 cents.
1860.
Estate Cyrus Hinshaw, No. 480 — Hogs, sow and 5 pigs, $15 00; 2
hogs, $22 00 ($1100); 3. $2415 ($8 05) 3, $27.60 ($9 20) ; 6 pigs,
$13.20 ($2.20). 6, $10 20 ($170); 4 3-year old steers, $86.40 (2110),
2 yearlings, $30.30 ($15.15); cow and calf $17.00, $13 00; cows, 15.00.
$16 50; horses, $151 00, $61 00, $89.00, $31,25; mare and colt, $130.00;
filley, $118,50, $70.00, $28,00.
537
■to
00
<B
«
XI
00
Average
as
CO
CM
•-1NOJ
acou9
»HCoeo
•t-^^IOi-H • vHO> ^ U3 tOC4r- woo
n-(vHrHT-*T^ *r^ 1^ 1-H rH CM «H CO r^
Lowest
CO
: ^ : :
Oiata -toortt-to -AcoaoNua -t-^v
• • •
Hlehest
: -s
<o
a> •
CM
lOOO OJ00500 OJIOIO'WO Olio
Nc^i/d •aoou33u<« 'cccor^oot^ •coao^<
i i'*
m
U
o
m
Averasre
: J" :
Maot-ooioio«c^ »*t~o • lo ao •H •«• to M •
-N .-1 1- eo CO •« m »< »< j ra.H .h |
eoeO'^cMio Ic«i
»H ^# «-t .^ r- 'CO
c4e<icoc«co •(-
ooraeo
woo CO
iaa>QO
Lowest
» ■ •
• • •
• • •
: J" :
•coe^r- •
^ :
00 -^050 t^ tt*
^^ t-ioeo -co
rlTHPJPJrH 'to
OONO
cot-e»
Highest
•000»-^— 'OMOO
•OOOiNCOt^r-OC3
• •«»-NNaoeooto»
: :§ :
. *#oco ■
;a>00 ;
|C4<-IN j
CMOOOO lO
.HlOOlOO 'C-
cooocncoio -o
ooo
tooo
00«O-H
m
(D
Averasre
. WW
• <o
•o
• o
is
00 . o ^j" —' c^ o> CS ^H M .e^co
t- ■or-ooegco-H«M •oooo
o> •couacoc»iou3«r- !nr>
• cq .
.to ■
*^ ■
• 04 •
.C3 • -
.o • •
o^eo
t-ooo>
Lowest
CO •
r-NMMO loo
C0i10?0l0 ' ko OS
i§ :
;COrH
Highest
• «3
I'o
a :
If
mnsoocot- -ooM
eoo>aous>-i •••-^
«H «H * T-4C4
.lO .
■ eq •
Ico I
• OJ t
:gS
"oS
o
a
o
Average
^ : :
Sg :S :
OOOONIO
O-WlOOtOM
t-coeoiooto
i" :
M C^ Oi • CO **l
,-llOM -CMOJ
coNoo •a>o
• 'a
e-eoQO
Lowest
is
• -lOO
I 't-CM
www -lOOJ
: ;§
• • rH
0400
OCMO
to CO CO
Highest
:
• t •
• • «-4 •
•CO
. .OU3 •
■ -lOO •
I Imo I
ooc^ -oo
a>oo> 'e^co
CO 1 t-» 1^
ssg
otoo
coto^
•0
o
Average
.OOODlOMtOOOOlOUS^HlOTlcr-lOlOOJONOO • «• Tfi •-• aC O ?5 U3
•rj f-i ^ c^j ^ N f^ fH tH t^*-)*-i#H • c^ M ;^ ;vj c^ -o ffsi
Lowest
• ejO'«iioo — oooo — oooioooooo ooooooo
• r-i^'^^to930to«aoeoioiooc-kooiaoo .ooioc^ooo
• 0'waoiaiao>X'Hnfiaia;o«ca»aoioaoo>o -vtAtonroeia
• r^ t-i *-« viM 1^ «-4 *H • 1M iH rH «H C^ C4 «-4
Highest
■OOOOOOOO^lOtftOlOUSlOMOOlOO 'OO^OOlft^
• C30iOG?000>0»OWOMt*S^l!00-^CQO •O0000 5')*0
■ e^^oM■»>■lOu;otO'•xoO!>1oao<-lOD^soo40p- Iio-jsmoc»mo>
• r- -^ «-i CVJ Ci --^ OS *-l rH «-i .^ ,-( ^ rt ^H ^ • CO TO ^ 40 TO -« C4
so
ID
n
u
o
Average
oooo .
Lowest
■ o
• o ■
■ lONtAOOiOiOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
• tooor»«oo»M»ootnC5aoootDCDaomor'OOirtO
Highest
• o •
• o •
• o I
•02r-OOOOOO^iOOCfOOOOO;:5moOOO
a
°S
o
Wheat
•
1
i5
1 i
• ff«j ■ o -^ - tn
• lO •iOQD 'f
Il-l
Oats
ij5
is :
:5
CO -N
eioco
CCSI rH
Corn
• r
•0
• e.
^4» :
0? :.
«*OOOCO ^4 -H ■
M CO ffsi tM <-i ^ N •
• »H
•2 :
• OUStOTO '-^
]Ot--H
Nt-eo
u
•
aoa
3 CO:*?
3 00 30
4 v^ «-<
in
DO
ODC
C t-'Z
>? re c
coos
naooo
30
3D0C
00 oc
t-'ot
JOOC
rH r-(
30
*H
o-
ooo
i1 r
0 00
• i
• 1
oooo
00
oooo
1-H 1^
run -^
»oooo
fH «1 rH
538
00
CO
00
IN
o
00
of
u
(O
CM
ATerasre
4»
ftOCO
ooooo
OO!
ooo
ecu:
Its
Lowest
oo
2g§
^t-co
o^o
•— o
^g
lot-
tH.H
o
o
CM
Highest
'oo
•OJ
M
In
ooo
■aoto
MO
coo
CMO
CM CO
g
.2
o
O
Average
NO=>lO
»->OON
•9
I'^^ooraio
•C0t-<00«OM
• fr- :>5 CD to O CD
• r4 CM M .-> CM fH
Ne^3>
— lOlM
■ toe^ioo
C<IO>
!a>o
o
55
ot-«ao
OJC^O-H
CM CM oo CM
Lowest
'o
in
too
eM<D«#
ISO)
cooo
OOIOO
OOMO
ocoeoco
Highest
CO
iiS
o«o
too
coo
§gs
joooo
oo
oo
• NSO
oooo
oooo
Ic-occo
■93 CO CO 00
1
Average
eo^r-^*u30ffaa>^*O^Oio»nocDr-t-ot»
oo^ccc'j;coQOOOta-^to^<i?*iaiaAOc^ao
.-<t»Ot-OMOCOC»3t'»OOOOt'OOOt-»^HSMffO
*- .-• »-i CJ r^ M *-< T-4 .H .Ht-ivH
8&
OO^lOCOO--lO
'^ ^ <-^ 00 O 00 iO
N CO r* PI ^ ** CNj
C4 cs] c4 P4 00 CO e^
Lowest
e<io«»oor/-JOOOO'^ooousooooo
.-IO^CU3?5C5»OiOOCO»0*nOt*iOC3lOOO
O^ooiaioos — .-l»-ct»lOlOtCt00S00lOQP0»O
— ' Tl r-t T-* T-( tH .H
6^
ooooooo
ooiac^ooo
^ lO CD CO CO us lO
i-< rm-^ r-i 04 evi ^H
Highest
OOOOOOOONOIOOIOIOIONOOIOO
ooioooooiote>ocMONt-cjtoo>-<rao
MON«*ir>tOO«»'waOOOMOOO.-'OOCi5C»50Dt-
«-" rH r-t W C*J .-( C*t .-t .H tH .-* ^H *— .H rH ^H
6^
OOOOOlOO
OOOOOCVJiO
to •.© CM 40 oi e»j as
99 so <« to CO ^ CM
m
S,
Average
§
us
s
CO
s
in
co
lO
CD
esi
nco
eoiH
r-cM
■ ft-
Lowest
gg
ScM
Highest
CO
CO
OIO
ss
Horses.
Average
ooo
too i£»
r-io(T>
CONOrS
6w
OlOmOOOINt-l~-005D'--'t-0«*M'»l'OJOONOO<0
ONO.-lXltOroODOO-'OOOOlO — tOO»'W050000--0-H
o««m — coaor-ocr-me-i05Mcoot-tot-'»»~;>o;DeMt-N
«5'WC0t0lO«>IMr10S0S^«'«l0«0l0iaiOt-OCMm'-OtC
Lowest
lOCVIiOOOiOlOOOOOOOOOOO^OOOOOO
Highest
§
g
oot-oooooooiooooooooouaoooo
v-4 rH -H ri »iN ».^ »-^
c
eg
«
00
vH
CM
ao
JO
.H
so
CO
00
.H
CO
oo
o
00
oooo
U3
CO
00
00
00
1^
00
o
00
Ift lo
00 oo
TH.H
CO
in
00
lO
00
co'
lA
00
on'
flH
a:
g
oo
^4
539
Average
N M >« eo N
eooao^M»ooa^ii»x
— O5'WlO«0Nt-'CX
*H tH tH r-t 04 t— CO i«
Lowest
to
CO
o
cc o o t- ^>
•-■ = wJ JOiO
lO O «-« QC PI
o^coaoc^im
1-1 ^H
t-O
s
Highest
CO
o
COOIOOO
cooooo
re»t-aot-
OlO
coco
O
"HI
n
0^
Average
4*
ocMta
00
09
Lowest
2
o
•a
CO
CM
Highest
on
O
o
o
if
OS
o
CO
Average
o
^*
CO
Lowest
s
Highest
o
o
lO
- tt
Average
lOOO
lOMt-
■«<ON
ri'w.-irtr-cotocoooo
NC<icDMeo»-it»ioajos
Lowest
CI
J'
U5ION
«OCM t-
oo^^»or-ior^iaico
tHtHC-IOCC.^JIXXC-JO
»-l.-INNi-IQ0CO«t-t-
Highest
OOO— — ONOO
tsoa>wcoi--t-oo
o
o»oo
Nooooomooo
»-lOO«QOOI~COOO
soaO0>«Oia'«oaoio^
CD
Average
s
§
o
Or-Q0MC0^03S^
CO US m t- lo lo ^ t-
CO
C*SN
00 CO
1-tCsl
o
Lowest
M
CD
to
•»
o
CO
N
Highest
CO
o
I-
^ r- PI N lo
ooo5aoio«-t
00
•'CO
NC4
o
Of
at
00
cr
r-
a
an
c
o
X
1^
3D
00
U5
00
3D
X
X
05
X
o
X
in
X
X
1^
in
X
in
X
in
in
X
CO
in
X
in
X
X
1^
m
X
o
540
The Prices of Lands in MoLean County.
The prices of farm lands vary greatly with the improvements on
the lands. To get at the intrinsic value of the lands exclusive of im-
provements is somewhat diflficult. The sale of 4he school lands, the
sixteenth section, furnishes a good index of the value of unimproved
lands in this county. In the order of their sales they are as follows:
Town
Amount.
Per Acre.
Danvera
Bloomington....
Fnnks Grove...
Funks Grove...
Randolph
Randolph
Old Town
WhiteOak
WhtteOak
Empire
Lexinsrton
Lexington
Money Creek...
Money Creek...
Money Creek...
Money Creek...
Dale
Dale
Dale
Hudson
Hudson
Hudson
Dry Grove
Dry 9rove
Towanda
Towanda
Cheney's Grove
Cheney's Grove
Cheney's Grove
Downs
Dawson
Allin
Normal
Normal
Martin
Mt. Hope
Lawndale
Arrowsmith
Arrowsmtth
Arripw,8mith
Grldley
Blue Mound
Belleflower
Yates
T. 2«, R. I.W.. 610 acres. 27 Sept.. 1833
T. 23, R. 2, B., 640 acres. 13 March. 1834
T. 22. R. 1. E..520acres. 20 June, 1834
T. 22. R. I.E.. 120 acres. 10 Oct .1836
T. 22. R. 2. B., 200 acres 24 Sept., 1835
T. 22, R. 2. E.. 440 acres. 30 Nov.. 1836
T. 23. R. 3. E.. 640 acres 12 Nov.. 1816
T. 25, R. I.E.. 630 acres. 28 Nov., 18i6
T. 26, R. I.E., 10 acres, 3 Feb., 1838
T. 22, R. 4. E.. 640 acre.-. 22 April. i837
T. 25. R. 4, B., 620 acres. 28 June, 1837
T. 25. R. 4. E., 120 acres. 1 Nov.. 1839
T. 25. R. 3. E.. 40 acres, 3 Oct., 1846
T. 2S, R. 3. E.. 120 acres. 1 Nov.. 1848
T. 25. R. 3, E.. 400 acres. 30 July, 1849
T. 25. R. 3, B., 80 acres, 24 June, 1850
T. 23, K. 1. E., 120 acres, 26 May. 1849
T. 23, R 1, E., 40 acres. 30 July, 1849
T. 23. R. 1. E.. 440 acres, 28 Sept., 1850
T. 26. R. 2, E., 120 acres. 24 -Tune, 1848
T. 25. R. 2. E.. 320 acres. 21 Dec, 1849
T. 25. R. 2. H;.,200acres. 23 Jan.,1850
T. 24, R. 1. E..240acre8. 30 Sept., 1848
T 24. R. 1. E., 400 acres, 1 Oct.. 1849
T. 24. R. 3. B., 202.26 acres. 29 Sept., 1819
T. 24. R. 3. E", 44X.04 acres. 27 Sept., 1850
T. 23. R. 6. E., 240 9 acres. 9 March. 1850
T. 23. R. 6. E.,36;.246aere3. 21 Jan.. 1851
T. 23. R. 6. E.. 39.97 acres. 1 April. 1852
T. 22, R. 3, E.. 645.78 acres, 18 May, 1850
T. 23, R. 4, E.,630 55 acres, 1 July, 1851
T. 23. R. 1. W., 638 8 acres, 3 Nov., 1851
T. 24. R. 2. E.,S9.84acres, 6Nov., 1852
T. 24. R. 2, E.. 522.29 acres. 1853
T. 24. R. 5. B.. 611.54 acres. 14 July. 1853
T. 22. R. 1, W., 646 54 acres. 11 Au^.. 1853
T. 25, R. 6. B. 643 28 acres. 29 Sept.. 1853
T. 23, R. 5. E . 281.34 acres. 10 Feb.. 1854
T. 23. R. 5, E . 281.55 acres. 25 Dec. 1855
r. 23, R. 5, E., 80.38 acres, 16 June, 1856
T. 26. R. 3, B., 641.87 acres. 8 Feb . 1855
T. 24. R. 4. B„ 641.39 acres, 12 July. 1855
T. 22. R. 6. E., 640 acres. 26 June. 1857
T 26, R. 6. E., 323 37 acres, N. ^. 7 June, 1860
834 SO
603 27
282 20
150 00
250 00
560 00
209 80
616 85
8 00
187 50
237 50
IBO 00
60 00
220 00
710 00
110 00
150 00
50 00
650 00
380 00
670 00
400 00
325 00
515 00
293 60
558 7:;
801 12
450 46
60 00
975 71
891 65
367 26
633 28
299 38
291 06
414 52
641 34
215 98
307 21
464 19
283 86
753 13
320 00
213 27
S 1
7
2
1
1
1
1
2
30
19
461a
25
25
26
88
56%
80
6 64
2 67
1 25
1 50
83^3
75.
27^3
25
5
25
16>fl
371a
00
35
28
40
27
25
25
1 04
1 61
3 00
2 14
6 94
10 01
2 01
73
66
67
29
77
10
41
76
82
The examination of the probate files of McLean county from which
the above paper was prepared, was confined to the subject of prices.
These files are in excellent condition, all jacketed, arranged in chron-
ological order and indexed, so that any paper is easily found. They
deserve a much more extended examination than is here given them.
Everything the deceased owned, from old horse shoes to the horse,
the number of beds and quilts, crocks and jars, plates, cups and
saucers, the whole furniture of the house, stock of all kinds, grain,
books (if they had any), are all minutely appraised and sold, The
accounts proved up show what people ate and what tools they used
and clothes they wore, the books they read and frequently the church
to which they belonged, the prices for labor, etc.
541
If the probate files of some of our older counties, like St. Clair,
Randolph or Monroe, are in a condition to be examined from the or-
ganization of the counties, the State Historical Society should under-
take a full and careful examination of them, as they would furnish a
more detailed and exact history of the people and the county selected
than is elsewhere to be obtained. From the organization of McLean
county until about 1842 or 1843 was an era of expanded credit. Dur-
ing that time long accounts of merchants were universal. After that
time the credits were so restricted that for several years mercantile
accounts were very short, customers either paying in cash or settling
with short time notes. The full force of the panic of 1837 evidently
did not reach this county until after 1840 About 1854 credits be-
came more common, but not so extended as those of the SOs.
The pioneers of McLean county were not a rich people; they evi-
dently took life more easily than their children. They had few books,
the majority none at all; few had any beyond the Bible and the
hymnal of their church. James Mcdouch, an early Presbyterian
minister, had a collection of 500 volumes of the literature of his
church, a rather remarkable collection to be found in a little village
of a dozen families, and William French, the abolitionist of Ran-
dolphs, had 41 volumes, amongst them Uncle Tom's Cabin. Nearly
everyone kept sheep, but the flocks were small, seldom exceeding 25,
apparently enough to furnish wool for the consumption of the family.
Nathan Low had a flock of 266 sheep and William Bishop 1,468. All
the other flocks were small. The number of large and little wheels
were few, and the looms fewer still. This, I think, must have been
due to the fact that the houses of the early settlers were mostly one
or two room log cabins, crowded to find room for the large families,
and those that did not have wheels borrowed of their more fortunate
neighbors, and by the time they moved into larger houses clothes and
cloth manufactured by the family were superseded by those furnished
by the merchant.
The prices of groceries fluctuated less than dry goods. Salt was
$5.00 a barrel until about 1845, when it was $8.00 to $8.50; in 1853
it had fallen to $2.75. Coffee and sugar were most stable in price of
any commodities, about 20 and 10 cents for many years. Eggs were
usually 6| cents a dozen, and butter from 5| to 12 cents. Cloth va-
ried greatly in price, calico 19 and 37^ cents in 1831 to 44 cents in
1833; in 1851, 18| cents, and in 1858, 8 cents. Shoes usually $1 50 to
$2.00, and wood 37| cents to $1.00 a cord.
Judging from these accounts cofFee and sugar were universal ar-
ticles of diet as early as 1881. From the amount of sugar charged
in these accounts, the bee gums that nearly everyone had, one man
having 20, the amount of wild honey in the groves, and the maple
sugar, of which so many of the pioneers speak, I judge that the old
settler had a very sweet tooth.
The men of McLean county were evidently a temperate class, for
in only five of the 92 estates do I find any charge for intoxicating
liquors.
542
It is always interesting to note the first appearance of articles in a
community. I find in the accounts the following: In 1831 paper of
pins, in 1832 silk handkerchief and fur hat, in 1834 wall paper, in
1835 patent thread and paper 75 cents a quire, paper of tacks 50
cents, 1839 Durham bull, 1840 two dozen quills 63 cents, 1841 cook
stove and lead pencils, 1843 rag carpeting, 1848 blacking, 1852 reaper,
1859 mowing machine and the "underground ditch" or mole tile. Of
course many of theae articles may have been in use in the county
before these respective dates. It is the first time they appear in
these accounts.
ADDRESSES
DELIVEBBD IN THE
Hall of the House of RepresentatlYes
BT THE
HON. WILLIAM BROWN, A. M.
Professor of Political Economy and Constitutional Law in the
McKendree College.
For the purpose, among other things , of exhibiting the importance
of education (including a knoivledge of the prinoiples of
Oovernmentf as understood by us) to a proper dis-
charge of the duties of a citizen of the
United States.
FIVE THOUSAND COPIES ORDERED TO BE PRINTED.
VANDALIA. ILLINOIS:
William Hodge. Printer.
1839.
Hon. William Brown. A. M.— Professor of Political Economy
In filcEendree coUeere. 1837 to 1840. From
photofirraph taken In later years.
545
INTRODUCTION.
Illinois Legislature, House of Representatives,
Friday, Jan. 11, 1839.
On motion of Colonel Thomas of St. Clair, the following preamble
and resolution were unanimously adopted:
Whereas, The Hon, Wilnam Browo, (Professor in McKendree College)
proposd j o 1 the eveumer ot: Friday, this diy, to deliver aa ad iress oa the im-
portance of education, (inciudine a kaowiedi^e of the principles ot govera-
ment, as anderstood by us) to the proper discharge of tne duties of a citizen
of the United States, and on Tuesday evening to suboait som^ practical re-
marks toQchiug comaioa schools, academies, colleges, and other matters con-
nected with the cause of education; ttieretcre
Resolved, Tbat the use of the Hall of the Honse of Representatives b»
granted to Professor Brown, on the evtrnmg of Friday (this day) and Tues-
day next, at half-past six o'clock, for the purp ses aforesaid.
The addresses contemplated in said resolution were delivered in
Representatives' Hall, to large and respectable meetings of citizens
and strangers. At the close of the last lecture, on motion of Mr.
Cloud of Morgan, Col. R. B. Servant of Randolph, was called to the
chair, when, on motion of Mr. Cloud, the following resolutions were
unanimously adopted:
1. Resolved, That the thanks of this meeting be tendered to the Honorable
Jadge Br'jwu, for the interesting lectures which he has delivered on the sub-
ject of education.
2. Resolved, That a committee of seven be appointed by the chair, to solicit
a c >py oi Jadi?e Brawn's lectures for publication ; and tb^t said cmmittee
raise the necessary funds, and superintend the priutiLg of 5,000 copies taere-
of, in pamphlpt form.
The chair then appointed the following gentlemen that committee,
to- wit: Mr. Cloud, Mr. Churchill of M^idisoo, Mr. Butler, Mr Allen
of McLean, Mr. Hogan, Mr. Thomas of St. Clair, and Mr. McMillan.
-35 H
546
COREESPONDENOE.
Vandalia, Jan. 19, 1839.
To. Hon. Wm. Brown:
1 Sir — The undersigned were appointed a committee to communicate
to you the thanks of your fellow- citizens, for the very able and inter-
esting addresses delivered by you on the subject of education.
Conscious that the subject is one of the most vital importance to
a free people, and anxious to place your lectures in the hands of
as many of the people as possible, we would respectfully, in the name
of the meeting, solicit a copy for publication.
Respectfully, your friends,
N. Cloud.
G. Churchill.
P. Butler.
J. Allen.
J. HOGAN.
J. Thomas.
Rob't McMillan.
Vandalia, Jan 20, 1839.
GrENTLEMEN — In forwarding a copy of the addresses alluded to in
your note of the 19th inst., I will only say, that I fear that kind feel-
ings have induced you, and those you represent, to over-appreciate
their merits. If their publication will, in any manner, advance the
cause of education, they are at your service.
Respectfully,
William Brown.
Messrs. Cloud, Churchill, and others of the committee.
Address.
[Designed, in part, to illustrate the importance of education, (in-
cluding a knowledge of the principles of government, as understood
bv us) , to the proper discharge of the duties of the citizen of the
United States.]
As the present and late executive have earnestly directed the at-
tention of the General Assembly, now convened, to the subject of
education, it may not be improper that we, a portion of their constit-
uents, in the exercise of a constitutional privilege, should peaceably
assemble to discuss a subject of such acknowledged importance,
This evening exhibits, practically, one of the great privileges guar-
anteed to the citizens by the Constitution, and illustrates with much
547
force, the necessity of his being an intelligent man. Does a law, un-
intentionally or otherwise, operate unequally and unjustly upon the
community? Does a provision fail of accomplishing the design of
the framers of the Constitution— or, accomplishing the design, does
it confer too much of power upon the government? Citizens, unc er the
protection of the Constitution, peaceably assembled, consult for the
general welfare, express their sentiments, and if grieved demand re-
dress. To participate in these primary assemblies of the people, in
Buch manner as will be most creditable to the individual, and profit-
bly to the country, requires knowledge, and an easy and agreeable
mode of communicating that knowledge to others.
And when we reflect, for a moment, upon the sympathies of our
nature — upon the rapidity with which sentiment passes from breast
to breast, until it warms, animates, arouses a thousand hearts— when
we reflect that this sentiment may prevail, until it becomes that of
the people; and that it there enters into, and, to some extent, affects
the government in all its branches, we are somewhat prepared to es-
timate the value of an intelligent and virtuous man, who, in private
intercourse, and in the primary assembly, labors to give a proper di-
rection to public sentiment.
Is religion the topic of discussion? Bearing in mind, "that all men
have the natural and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God ac-
cording to the dictates of their own consciences," and that the Con-
stitution has guaranteed "that no preference shall ever be given by
law, to any religious establishments, or modes of worship," he reasons
with his neighbors, seeking to win them by force of argument, and
the oftentimes resistless eloquence of a quiet life and a godly con-
versation.
Is he a follower of the meek and lowly Redeemer? Does he believe
that God, in his mercy to man, has revealed his will? Is he happy
in the love of Christ? Does the hope of eternal life break forth from
the heavenly world, in mildest light, upon the pathway of his pil-
grimage? Oh, how natural, that his heart should burn with an ar-
dent zeal to scatter abroad this light, till the moral heavens of the
whole earth shall be illuminated by the rays of the Son of Righte-
ousness
Under proper influences, the sympathies of our nature impel us to
invite others to participate in those blessings, of which we are pos-
sessed. And it is cause of the deepest gratitude, that these influ-
ences are, now, so operating upon society, that the spread of the
gospel of Christ is irresistible. It is carried on by voluntary asso-
ciations, whose enterprize must succeed, because favored by a special
Providence. Christ "shall have the heathen for an inheritance, and
the uttermost parts of the earth for a possession." Who, my friends,
would have it otherwise?
Here it may not be inappropriate to refer to a sentiment, which
has recently been recognized as true, by Justice McLean, of the Su-
preme Court of the United States, in an address before the college
of teachers in Cincinnati. After alluding to war and fanaticism, as
548
passions, which in the past ages of the world, had been productive
of the most melancholy results, he remarks, that to control these,
comes in the Gospel gentle, kind, easy to be entreated, long suffering,
full of mercy and good works — and then advances the position, "that
the great missionary enterprises must succeed; and that upon it,
depends the success of the world,"
Do you doubt the opinion of the learned judge? Compare the
condition of those nations where Christianity prevails, with the
heathen nations of the earth and whilst you are gratified at the ele-
vation of the former, and deplore the degradation of the latter, give
your doubts to the wind.
Again, deprive man of the knowledge of the fundamental princi-
ples of the Bible, and you strip him of his chief glory. Let him
doubt his immortality — let him be unadvised as to the attributes and
perfection of the Deity — let him not understand the duties he owes to
himself, to his fellow and his God — let him be igaorant touching his
fallen state and the plan of salvation, yet fearing a judgment to
come — and his heavens are hung with dark clouds, which philosophy
cannot penotrnte. Upon these deeply interesting subjects, the Bible
— and the Bible alone — presents the necessary information, With-
out this information, intelligence, and virtue, and religion, and free-
dom, taking hence their flight, would leave man, unaided by the
counsel of the Eternal Throne, to grapple with the powers of dark-
ness, and the corruptions of his own soul!
These remarks, I trust, justify the conclusion that every system of
education, which hath other foundation than the Christian religion,
will fail of raising society to its proper elevation, and of increasing
to the greatest extent, the amount of human happiness.
It will be readily admitted, that it should ever be the aim of edu-
cation, to promote the happiness of man, and the glory of his Maker.
To the accomplishment of these ends, the powers of the whole man
should be developed. The body should be strengthened by appro-
priate exercises and labor; the faculties of the mind, by proper train-
ing, should be prepared for the various pursuits of life, for deep
investigation, and for those severe moral, scientific, political and
religious conflicts in which giant meets giant; and the heart, its pas-
sions being subdued, should delight in things "lovely and of good
report,"
In this enlarged sense, how important that education should pre-
vail amongst us We are, indeed, a peculiar people, peculiar in
our origin, peculiar in our progress, peculiar in our institutions and
peculiar in our duties and privileges Aod whilst we contemplate,
for a moment, these peculiarities, observe how intimate the connec-
tion betwixt them, and intelligence and virtue.
Look back, through the vista of time, to the period when the mind
of Columbus conceived the stupendous idea of a new world; see him
after he had purposed its discovery, struggling against the prejudices
of crowned heads, and superior to the derision of false philosophers;
view him launch into unknown seas, and whilst battling successfully
against the storms of heaven, see him superior to a mutinous crew,
549
and holding: on to his course till the joyful cry, "land ahead," glad-
dens every heart. Such an achievement, under such circumstances,
exhibits, boldly, the power of the cultivated man. Your own thoughts
have doubtless already suggested, that it would have been impossible
to have performed that voyage of discovery, had not philosophic in-
vestigation presented to the world the mariner's compass.
Time passes on and many of our forefathers, oppressed at home,
sought an asylum in the forests of the new world. Settlements are
made at Jamestown and Plymouth Rock — and exposed to the in-
clemency of the seasons, to the diseases and privations incident to a
residence upon a distant and newly discovered continent, and sur-
rounded by more than HO hostile tribes, who would not have expected
their extermination, rather than their growth, in so short a time, to
this great nation?
In their progress, they resist unjust usurpations of power upon
the part of the mother country — declare themselves independent, and
fearlessly battle for freedom. They are successful, and the United
States of America is admitted into the great family of nations.
Think you.that the glories of that eventful struggle would now light up
the pages of our national history,had the leading patriots of that day
been uneducated men? Could such men have planned the campaigns,
provided the means of carrying on a protracted war, or, when the
soldiery was unpaid and discontented, with passions untamed, could
such men have resisted the temptation to erect the government into
a military despotism, for their personal aggrandizement?
But, liberty achieved, the Articles of Confederation proved, in
time of peace, to be "a rope of sand," and inadequate to secure the
objects of a good government. Whilst the war raged, and a proud
foe was in the country, the states, standing side by side, won glory
and freedom. The lion crouched in his lair, peace came, state looked
with a jealous eye upon state, the requisitions of Congress were dis-
regarded, the government was destitute of the means of meeting its
engagements, the confidence and respect of the people was gone, and
standing upon the brink of anarchy and civil war, the people of the
states, through their representatives, assembled in convention, to re-
model the Union.
Upon the issue of that convention how much depended. The con-
federacy of the states was a signal failure. Can the collected wis-
dom of the country devise a plan upon which the people inhabiting
an extensive territory can govern themselvee? This was the ques-
tion. They who did good service in the hour of peril, and whose
wounds were hardly yet healed, as they looked back to the victories
of the eventful struggle through which they had passed, and forward
to the destiny which seemed to await their country, paused in view
of the crisis. They deliberated, and that Providence which favored
the American army upon the battlefield, enlightened her wise men
in the council chamber. They recommended the adoption of the
Constitution of the United States, It was adopted, Never before
did man achieve such triumph. It was the triumph of principle.
550
These soenes exhibited a new spectacle. What? Of state leaguing
with state in a grand confederacy? That experiment had failed.
They exhibited the people (in the exercise of that power, ever in-
herent in them) calmly, dispassionately, deliberately, deciding that
the Confederacy had failed to answer the objects of a good govern-
ment, the happiness and welfare of the governed, and then calling
into existence, by virtue of the will of the people of the United States
(expressed in the conventions of the several states) a new form of
government, to which, having delegated certain portions of sover-
eignty, they retained the controlling power in themselves. Limit-
ing, by written landmarks, governmental power, they afforded to the
people an easy method of detecting any encroachment upon their re-
served rights.
Thus originated the Constitution. It commemorates a new era in
the scieuce of government, It develops new principles; and these
principles are tending to the political regeneration of the world. Un-
der its banner we have grown until we are a mighty people. Our
past glory, our present happiness and influence, our future prospects
are all identitied with the Union. Binding together distant sections,
harmonizing the interests of the North and the South, the East and
the West; it was the result of concession, conciliation and compro-
mise. Built upon the principles of eternal truth, may this proud
temple ever stand, unshaken by the blasts of a false and misguided
philanthropy, unafiFected by the insinuating and destructive elements
of vice.
This federal government, emanating from the people, and deriving
all its powers from them, through the provisions of the Constitution,
has its orbit prescribed. The states also derive their powers from
their respective constitutions (emanating alike from the people) and
are controlled only by their own constitutional provisions, except as
to powers delegated to the United States by the Constitution, or pro-
hibited by it to the states.
Here, then, is presented to the world two governments, each the
creature of the people; each responsible to the people; each clothed
with some of the attributes of sovereignty; each operating upon and
controlling the same people; each exercising jurisdiction in the same
territory; and yet, when each has adhered to rigid principles, when
each has been satisfied to revolve in its appropriate orbit, the sys-
tem has worked well.
Here are citizens of Illinois good and true, yet owing allegiance
to the Union, And to determine, where run, the boundary lines be-
twixt the two powers, each having the highest and strongest claims
upon our regard, is often a delicate and difficult task; yet upon a
strict observance of these boundary lines, depends the success of the
system. Then you perceive, gentlemen, that to be a citizen of Illi-
nois, and at the same time a citizen of the United States, and to be
true (as it is your interest, your duty and your glory to be) to each,
requires, to some extent, a familiarity with the principles of our
government. I said that the Constitution of the United States com-
memorated a new era in the science of government. It denies the
551
omnipotence of the government. It recognizes the people as the
source of power; the government as a creature emanating from them
and deriving all its powers from the Constitution.
Denying the principle, that any man is born with the right to rule,
or that any set of men come into being with higher civil privileges
than those enjoyed by the multitude, it contemplates man as a
rational being, who of right ought to be free.
In this government (thus originating in the written expression of
the popular will) "the powers not delegated to the United States by
the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to
the states respectively, or to the people." Congress does not pos-
sess the undefioed and undefinable powers of the British parliament;
and the people retain the right "to enlarge or diminish the sphere of
authority which they have prescribed" to the federal government.
How dignified the situation of the citizen of the United States!
He stands upon the watch! His country has confided to him the
important trust of sounding the alarm when the foe shall approach.
And whether he comes in the person of the bold usurper, or the wily
and cunning demagogue, who steals away the liberties of his coun-
try, while the accents of devotion to the interests of the people linger
upon his lips; he should alike blow the blast of alarm and expose to
his countrymen the treasonable design. To fulfil this important
trust, this delicate duty of the citizen requires, not only that he be a
man of intelligence, but that he be acquainted with the occasion
which gave birth to the Constitution and with the principles upon
which it was constructed.
Do the states seek after powers conferred, by national consent,
upon the Union? Let him be prepared to sustain the interests of
the whole people. Is the tendency to consolidation? Let the land-
marks of authority, as ascertained by the Constitution, be pointed
out and then let the free and the fearless citizen make no compro-
mise. In private business, men may make honorable overtures and
good result; but when the hand of authority (whether wielded by
whig or by democrat) grasps unauthorized powers reserved to the
people, let the war be carried into Africa. And though the stealthy
politician "may cry peace," let there be no peace until the Constitu-
tion shall be restored to its original landmarks, and until the ruth-
less Goth, and the unprincipled Vandal, regardless of the party to
which he may belong, shall be driven by an indignant people from
the temple of liberty.
Under this Constitution, and those of the states, highly important
duties devolve upon the citizen, and their performance demands that
he be intelligent and virtuous.
In other countries the throne is esteemed the fountain of honor;
here, it emanates from the people. In other countries, men are noble
born, and important stations are filled by hereditary succession; here
our institutions delight to honor the man of qualifications and in-
tegity, and appointments to oflSce are mnde through the ballot box.
Then, how important that the elective franchise should be exercised
by competent men.
552
If the influence of sentiments expressed at the polls was confined
to Illinois, voters should be suflBoiently informed to understand its
true policy — to know what would tend to advance its prosperity and
what to retard its rapid growth — what would tend to lessen our influ-
ence as a State, and what to elevate us to the highest rank amongst
the confederated powers, Why? Because their votes fill these seats,
and their views regulate and control legislation. Representatives
generally reflect in their acts the will of their constituents, and
should they occasionally go ahead of public sentiment, their legisla-
tion is inoperative — remaining a dead letter in the statute book. But
enlarge the field of your vision — behold this great and extensive
Union depending for its prosperity, nay, for its existence, upon the
proper exercise of the right of sufiPrage, and you will perceive the ab-
solute necessity of immediately putting into operation an educational
system which shall extend at least the advantages of a sound common
school education to the great mass of the American people.
Thus perceiving how intimately the prosperity of our common
country is connected with the free, the intelligent and virtuous exer-
cise of the elective franchise, let us labor together in the cause of
education. And as none would abandon, at the peril of property and
life, this distinguished birthright of the American citizen, I trust
that the man will not be found who is not willing to aid in every
laudable effort to secure its proper exercise. Upon its being thus
exercised depends the security of "our lives, our property and our
sacred honor."
But again: Our privileges require the general dissemination of
knowledge. Here the highway of knowledge is open to all classes.
The humblest individual, in origin or occupation, may aspire to the
most elevated office. And how frequently, in the history of our be-
loved country, do we see men rising above the adverse circumstances
which surround them, and by dint of genius and merit seating them-
selves upon the high places of honor and distinction? See Roger
Sherman, in early life laboring industriously in making and mending
shoes Behold bim passing from village to village, with the imple-
ments of his trade upon his back, seeking employment, and by his
energies supporting an indicient mother. Presently he is figuring in
the councils and courts of Connecticut — then in that convention of
dignitaries which formed the constitution of the United States — and
now, by the weight of his personal influence, he procures its adop-
tion by the people of his own state.
The forces are marshalled upon the field — the fight begins amidst
the firing of the musketry, the roar of cannon, the clashing of steel,
warrior grapples with warrior — and as the British lion cowers beneath
the strong strokes of the American blacksmith, fame weaves one of
her gayest chaplets for the brow of the victor at the Eutaw Springs.
Need I multiply examples to fasten your afiFections upon this feat-
ure of our institutions? Where is the man whom any price could
tempt to barter away from himself and his children the privilege of
aspiring to office in which, whilst useful to his country, he may build
up the pyramid of his own fame? Then let us endeavor so to edu-
553
cate the rising generation that they may be qualified for the various
stations in society, that they may be able, when occasion shall re-
quire, to serve with advantage the country, the State, the Nation —
that they may be ready in any emergency to stand by the banner of
the Union, and to uphold it amidst the strife of excited parties.
Here, too, a great nation is making the experiment of self-govern-
ment. Shall she succeed, or shall her institutions yield to soft,
stealthy and insidious corruption? Let us profit by the experience
of other republics. Greece and Rome are only known in the history
of the past. The record of their downfall is the record of their cor-
ruption. Let us avoid their fate by the proper education of our
children.
In other countries the stability of the crown depends upon the ig-
norance of the people; here education is necessary to the existence
of the government. The citizens must understand the principles
upon which our institutions are based and duly appreciate the high
responsibilities which devolve upon them. Then, as we love our lib-
erty, and would perpetuate it, let us endeavor to have the people so
educated that they shall understand their duties and possess virtue
enough to perform them — that they shall appreciate their privileges,
and under all circumstances fearlessly maintain them.
Can I (need I, if I could,) say more to satisfy the reflecting man,
and especially those of my audience who occupy these eeats, and who
are busied and perplexed with the labors and toils of legislation,
whether instructions in the principles of our government— principles
adverse to those he gathers as he reads the history of other nations,
principles which elevate the people, principles which admit of no
castes or orders in society, principles which leave untram-
melled conscience, speech, the press; principles which recognize the
people as the source of power and the government as a creature called
into existence to advance their prosperity and happiness, principles
whicti constitute the essence of liberty — whether instruction in these
principles should not enter into and constitute an essential part of the
education of American youth. I mean not simply of those young
men who are so fortunate as to enjoy the blessings of a collegiate edu-
cation nor yet of those who may boast of academic honors. I mean of
the great mass of American youth who. though educated in the common
school may become (nay, have and will continue to become) the leg.
islators, the lawyers, the judges, the politicians of this country.
Whilst his youthful imagination delights in the natural beauties of
his native land, in the magnificence of her plains and the grandeur
of her mountaioB, shall his fancy be fastened upon the blazing badges
of nobility and the pomp aud parade of the court of the queen of the
Isles? Shall even the coronation of the youthful Victoria win his
affections? Genius of liberty, spirits of the mighty dead, forbid.
With early instruction (and who can so successfully impart it as the
intelligent, the affectionate, the beloved mother) whilst yet under
maternal teaching and strong maternal influence, let him drink in
republican principles, let them become a part of his nature, and then,
come what may, tempt who will, whether the enemy slyly offers him
his supposed price, or come like Caesar, at the head of his legions,
554
his afiPections are fixed and hia blood is ready to be spilled in defence
of that constitution which is associated with his country's happiness
and glory and around which cluster feelings — strong, resistless feelings
of attachment. These feelings can only be planted in the youthful
mind. Then let the American youth be so taught, and long,
very long, shall the American banner wave over a happy, thrice happy
people. And long shall every wave of that starred and striped ban-
ner beckon the nations to the pathway of glory and the enjoyments
of freedom. Nay, every wave shall waft the breath of liberty upon
crowned heads and orders of nobility, and its purity shall wither
them, and the nations shall be free.
Pursue this system of instruction, and our youth, instead of grow-
ing up in almost entire ignorance of the harmonious principles upon
which the noble structure of our government is reared — instead (in
the capacity of voters) of deciding grave and important questions
upon the judgment of others, and these not uafrequently designing
and ambitious, they will be prepared for themselves, in the light of
their own knowledge, to express their own sentiments, and to pro-
nounce their own decisions, upon constitutional questions, or points
of national policy.
Then as a citizen of Illinois, and of the Union, I shall be proud,
nay, I shall rejoice, to see the day, when the youth of the United
States shall in the common school, the academy, and the college, be
instr acted in those plain, republican principles, which constitute the
strength of the Union, and which are endeared to every American
citizen by the recollection that their price was the blood of their fa-
thers. They won them at the point of the bayonet. Let us under-
stand them, let us cherish them, let us defend them, let us love them;
and sooner will the everlasting hills reel from their rock- bound foun-
dations than our proud eagle cease its lofty flight.
If these considerations do not clearly demonstrate the importance
of education, including a knowledge of the principles of our govern-
ment, and the intimate connextion betwixt intellectual and moral
cultivation on the one hand, and the elevation of society, and the
amount of human happiness, on the other, let us examine yet a little
further.
Look at the glass, which lights this hall by day, and protects us
against the inclemency of the night. How largely does this product
contribute to the comfort of every civilized community. The chief
of the savage tribe is destitute of the advantages of this production
of human skill, which the humblest individual in this village enjoys.
But before the pane of glass was manufactured by the operator, the
investigations of the geologist, showing what kind of earth would
enter into combination with certain other substances, so as to produce
an article transparent, and admitting of great extension, were indis-
pensably necessary.
Upon this paper, manufactured from rags, otherwise valueless, may
be imprinted the learning, discoveries, and improvements of the
present period; and the record transmitted to distant countries and
future ages.
555
Examine the press, that mighty engine of power. See it, through
the periodicals of the day, keeping the world awake. See it throw-
ing off scientific productions, and multiplying books adapted to the
infant mind, so rapidly, that it is adequate to the supply of the world.
Under its benign influences the human family has been elevated in
the scale of being, and qualified to undertake schemes of enlarged
benevolence. But as it is powerful to accomplish good, so is it
mighty in working ruin, if conducted in the spirit of licentiousness.
To prevent its abuse should be the desire and aim of the good man
of every party.
Shall I allude to the improvements in machinery? Such is its
perfection and extent that it is now estimated to perform an amount
of labor equal to that of one-third of the population of the world,
with its 800,000,000 inhabitants. How materially the prices of the
common necessaries of life (upon the cheapness of which depends
chiefly the comforts of the poorer classes) are lessened by this vast
amount of artificial labor, I leave jou to determine. Only give to
education the credit of contributing, in this particular, in so large a
manner, to the cause of human happiness.
The application of steam to navigation has already produced great
commercial revolutions, and is likely to produce others still greater.
The facilities of the steamboat have advanced the prosperity of the
Great Valley, many years. But what will be the wondrous changes
in its agricultural and commercial condition, when the Great Wes-
tern, and the Liverpool, and the British Queen, ladened with the
products of other continents, shall ascend the great Father of Wa-
ters, and return, bearing to foreign ports our abundant produce? A
few years will serve to develop.
The improvements and enterprise of the age are bringing into
closer connexion the nations of the earth; and whilst this favors the
spread of civilization the way is open for the introduction of the Gos-
pel. Indeed, art, and science, and commerce, and war, and peace, are
each, by an over-ruling Providence, made subservient to the great
work of subjugating the world unto Christ.
Such conquest will far exceed in glory any achieved by earth-born
warrior. We have heard that Alexander conquered the world; we
have read of the victories of Napoleon. Their course is marked with
blood; and the wreathes which decorate their triumphal entries, are
bedewed with the tears of the bereaved widow and the helpless or-
phan. Not so the course and ascension of the Messiah. The angel
of the Lord proclaiming to the shepherds glad tidings of great joy to
all people, points them to the birth-place of the infant Savior "and
suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host,
praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth
peace, good will toward men." This Son of God was a man of sor-
row, and acquainted with grief. He spake as never man spakn; He
taught doctrines, bearing internal evidence of their divine origin;
and having triumphed over all His enemies, in the presence of the
gazing multitude, He ascends to the Eternal Throne, whence He will
556
judge the world, His kingdom, thus established, relieves the dis-
tressed, pities the poor in spirit, administers comfort to the widow,
supports the fatherless children, and points the deathless spirit of
the dying man to the glories of heaven. Fighting under no banner
but that of love, recognizing no principle but that of peace, tribe
after tribe, and nation after nation, has yielded to its conquering
power, until now the day dawns in which the continents and the isles
of the seas acknowledge that the Lord is God.
Whatever be the situation of an American citizen, let him always
aspire to the rank of an intelligent and useful man. Behold youog
Rittenhouse, whilst engaged in the mechanic shop, instead of loung-
ing away his leisure hours at the tavern, or spending them in idle
amusement, redeeming them in the acquisition of useful knowledge.
Presently he exhibits an orrery to the world, which displays the rela-
tions of the heavenly bodies at distant periods and, anon, he calcu-
lates the period of the transit of Venus. He is one of those who are
stationed in the observatory to watch the predicted event. As the
time approaches, mark the anxiety of his pale countenance and agi-
tated frame, and now, when the event transpires according to his cal-
culations, he sinks, overpowered by the intensity of his emotions.
This, indeed, was a triumph. And to such achievements let the as-
pirations of American youth be directed rather than to the acquisi-
tion of wealth. I cannot enlarge upon the pleasures of the cultivated
mind. Its seasons are indeed joyous, and I invite all to "the feast of
reason and the flow of soul."
One other remark, and I shall have done, Illinois is yet in her in-
fancy. Her character is not yet formed. Her local situation, her
commercial advantages, the fertility of her soil, secure to her, at no
very distant period, a heavy population, What shall be the character
of that population, is, gentlemen, a matter completely in your hands.
The ability to give a proper direction to public sentiment, and the
means of sustaining such a system of education as shall enlighten
the public mind, are with you. Then choose you, whether our chil-
dren shall grow up in ignorance, liable to be carried away by every
passing temptation, and subject to the control of the designing dem-
agogue; or whether, having enjoyed the advantages of a sound edu-
cation, they shall be liberal, enlightened and influential freemen.
Gentlemen, let us, as legislators, and citizens, act worthy the des-
tiny of our native or adopted State, touching the education of her
youth; and in all coming time, and through eternity, the recollection
will bring joy and consolation. Such action will scatter the cheering
beams of intelligence through all parts of the State, rescuing many
young men of talent from oblivion, and advance Illinois, the young,
the rich, the beautiful and the promising, to her proper station
among the States of the Confederacy.
557
Address.
(Hon. Wm. Brown. A. M.)
[Showing, among other things, the importance of the common
school, the academy and the college, and their necessary connextion
in any general system of education.]
In the address delivered on a former evening, in this hall, I aimed,
in part, to show the importance of education (including a knowledge
of the principles of the Constitution) to the citizens of the United
States, and that these fundamental principles of our government
should not only be taught in the academy and the college, but also
in the common school, where the great mass of American youth must
ever be educated.
Upon the present occasion, I shall, among other things, endeavor
to prove that betwixt the common school, the academy and the col-
lege, there exists a necessary connextion, that the interest of no one
of these institutions is at war with the prosperity of another, and,
indeed, that each is essential in every system of education which af-
fords sound, extensive and liberal educational advantages to the
whole people
First, as to the common school. Can I eay anything to impress
the views you already entertain, of the importance, nay the necessity
of a judicious, equal and effective system of common schools? Who
constitute the men, foremost in the battlefield, and foremost, the
most erect, in the political crisis? The plain men of the country —
the men who have received their school learning under the instruc-
tion of some laborious and worthy teacher of the village or the coun-
try school. And, gentlemen, those who have been, and must con-
tinue to be thus educated, constitute by far the greatest portion of
our youth. Might I not stop here? Might I not justly conclude
that the recollection, that in these institutions is to be laid the foun-
dation of our national character; that in these institutions the mind
is to be so trained as to conduce most to the development of its pow-
ers in after life, or to cripple it forever; that in them either correct
or incorrect modes of teaching, thinking, reasoning, speaking are to
be enforced, and that these modes will endure; that in them, either
good or bad principles, in morals and government are to be incul-
cated, and that these principles will cling to our children with all the
tenacity of early friendship; I ask might I not justly conclude that
these recollections would arouse the anxiety of every citizen and
awake the attention of every legislator to the necessity of devising
and carrying into execution such a system of common school educa-
tion as will afford to every child in the land the opportunity of hav-
ing his mind opened to understand something of himself, the im-
mortality of his spirit, his duties to himself, to his fellow and his
God; to understand something of the universe in which he lives and
the principles by which it is upheld and sustained in its grand
operations, to understand the natural rights of man, and how far
these rights have been yielded up in the organization of that gov-
ernment, which, through the instrumentality of our sires, a kind
558
Providence has established, and in which it is his high privilege to
be a citizen initiate. Surely such is the anxiety of the citizen and
such the attention of the legislator touching this interesting sub-
ject.
As early as the winter of 1833-4 an educational convention was
holden at this place. Of that convention some of the most honor-
able gentlemen of this legislature were members That body, for the
purpose of preparing the public mind for suitable legislation upon
the subject of common schools, sent forth an address to the people of
Illinois. That address I had the honor to draft, and as it expressed
the views then entertained by a very respectable portion of the com-
munity, it will not be considered presumptions in me, upon this oc-
casion, to suggest (from recollection) some of the sentiments then
commended to the consideration of the people.
It was assumed as a position that the state was responsible for the
education of its youth. Yes, sir, responsible for the education of its
youth. Is it a questionable matter, whether intelligence and virtue
be essential to the perpetuity of our institutions? Has the experi-
ence of the past been so easily forgotten? Do the ruins of other re-
publics teach no lesson worthy of consideration? Has the counsel
of those most prominent in the establishment of our government
been interred with their remains? No, sir. There is an abiding
conviction in the minds of this people that nothing can maintain
our institutions, nothing secure them against the tendency to an-
archy and civil war on one hand, and to consolidation on the other,
but the firmness, the integrity, the intelligence of those who exercise
the right of suffrage. The purity of the elective franchise is the
hope of the nation. If the great mass of those who enjoy this privi-
lege are oppressed with ignorance, are unacquainted with the char-
acter of those rights guaranteed to them by the Constitution, of the
tendency of this or that course of policy, how is it possible that the
complicated machinery of state and national government shall work
to the best advantage? Then by virtue of the obligation resting
upon every state, to preserve the government, she should adopt all
acts, honorable in themselves, and not contravening the provisions
of the Constitution, which tend to enlighten the public mind, and to
infuse throughout the body politic, a preserving principle. The
cheering and legitimate tendencies of sound common school instruc-
tion are to elevate society, to improve the mind and morals of the
rising generation and to give permanency to our political institu-
tions.
Then the argument is made out, and it fixes an obligation upon
the State to secure to all its children such education as shall be deemed
necessary to a proper discharge of the duties imposed upon them by
State and national government, and to the perpetuation of our lib-
erty.
How far the means, now under the control of the State, will enable
it to act eflBciently upon this subject, the better judgment of the
Legislature will determine.
659
There is one feature, however, in the common school system which
has told well in New York, to which I invite your attention: I mean
the principle of holding out the share which, upon distribution,
would fall to each neigh borhood.as an inducement to the appropriation
of a portion of its own means to the purpose of education. Let it take
interest enough in the cause, to build a school house, or to employ a
teacher a certain number of months in the year, or to do something
else toward advancing the system, before it shall enjoy any benefit
from the state fund. Should any neighborhood fail to comply with
these requisitions let its share go to the other neighborhoods in the
same county, in which the people take interest in the cause of edu-
cation and are willing to contribute towards making it common to all
the children of the state, Each vicinity would be too proud to suffer
adjoining neighborhoods (under circumstances so humiliating to its
character) to receive its distributive share of the school fund.
By such legislation, a spirit of emulation would be waked up, an
interest in behalf of learning would be aroused, and a small fund, by
judicious distribution, be the means of appropriating a much larger
amount of private wealth to the public good.
Another thought as we pass along. I have already remarked, that
the great mass of our youth must be educated at the common schools.
The number that will enjoy the advantages of a collegiate education,
will be comparatively small.
Then the question naturally comes up to the philanthropic mind,
may not institutions — numerous institutions— spring up throughout
the State, occupying the middle ground between the common school,
on the one hand, and the college on the other, in which many, very
many, (who, unless such institutions spring into existence, will be,
of necessity, confined to instruction in the common school) may en-
joy the advantages of a more extensive and liberal education. Will
not judicious legislation here, as it has done in New York, cause
academies to spring up in different parts of the State, and thus be
instrumental in rescuing from obscurity, many young men of hum-
ble means, but of the brightest promise, and of elevating them to
honorable ^nd useful stations.
Again, might not these academies be so organized, that assistance,
at least to tbe extent of the tuition fees, should be afforded to indi-
gent young men, of sufficient abilities, provided they should (after
having completed their education) engage for a specified time, in
the profession of school teaching; and in that mode liquidate the
amount due from them for tuition, to the seminary fund. In this
manner you may aid in the education of poor, but useful and tal-
ented men who will reimburse the State in services, which, in the
formation of her character, and the development of her resources,
are of the utmost importance.
And I doubt, I very much doubt, (if the consent of Congress can
be obtained) whether it would not be far more judicious, benevolent
and useful, thus to appropriate the avails of the "college and semi-
nary funds," than to appropriate them to the support of two mam-
560
moth institutions, which would ever tend to aggravate the violence
of party strife, and the management of which would ever be a source
of angry and expensive legislation. Let the State look to the educa-
tion of the many; and let individuals, who desire to obtain more
extensive advantages for their children, patronize (after their sons
shall have passed through the common school and academy) institu-
tions which, protected by reasonable and guarded acts of legislation,
have sprung into being, and are sustained by the voluntary aid of
those who, directly and indirectly, enjoy their wide spread blessings
Such a system would be the most advantageous to all. It would
be a bright star, to which the poor man could look for the irradiation
of hope and promise upon his family; and to such as might desire
their sons to enjoy the opportunities of a college, it would afPord the
means of training them in suitable institutions, at home, until they
had arrived at that age, when they might, with propriety, be removed
from the immediate authority of family government, and the present
force of parental influence.
I shall now submit to your consideration a few practical remarks.
Education is the work of years. In youth the faculties of the
mind must be developed by proper training, and moral principles
must be inculcated, if you would have useful manhood and happy
old age.
In order to the most successful accomplishment of this work, com-
fortable and convenient school houses and seminaries, and colleges,
must be erected and suitably furnished Is this proposition doubted?
The connexion between the body and the mindisso intimate.that the
condition of the one immediately afPects the other. The body must
be at ease, or the intellect cannot operate to the best advantage.
After sitting some two hours upon a rough slab, without a back to
recline against, could you advantageously investigate a subject
which, under any circumstances, would tax your ability to the ut-
most? The mind, sympathizing with the body, would be unqualified
for severe effort. Why then, is the child, similarly situated, expected
successfully to accomplish a task as difficult to him, as the solution
of the most abstruse question in science would be to the man of
ripe years.
Again, when the cold winds are entering the school room through
a hundred openings, and the 10,000 sensitive nerves send shivering
thoughts to the brain, how can the child learn to advantage?
Since the commencement of winter, many schools in the Valley
have been abandoned, for the want of suitable houses; and how many
more have lost half their value, on the same account? Shall this
state of things longer reproach us as a people, and repress the restless
genius of our youth?
There is amongst us another and a crying evil, to which I invite
your attention. I allude to the employment of incompetent teachers.
who, my friends, are impressing their manners, their habits and
561
their thoughts upon the rising generation? The common school
teachers. Look at the majority of those who are thus employed and
ask yourselves whether you wish your children to grow up in their
likeness.
The man who is engaged in the arduous and responsible business
of training the infant mind should not only be possessed of intellect-
ual attainments, but of moral worth. His character should be irre-
proachable, and he should be welcome to the hospitalities of your
table and the enjoyment of your fireside. To such men, and to such
only, should you commit the education of your children.
Their usefulness in life, their preparation for death and the scenes
of the judgment, depend much upon the man who teaches them in
early life. How responsible the trust! Next in importance to that
of him who stands in the sacred desk, proclaiming glad tidings,
is the station of the teacher. Then, as you design your offspring to
be intellectual, useful and happy; as you value their deathless spir-
its, I charge you to look well both to the moral character and the
mental qualifications of the schoolmaster.
To have such teachers, it is necessary that they should be paid, in
common with others, a fair compensation for their labor, and that
their profession should be esteemed honorable. But to build such
houses and procure such teachers will involvethe expenditure of
much money, says one, whilst another complains that tuition is too
high — can't possibly give more than $3,00 a quarter.
In the ordinary business of life do men act upon principles so con-
tracted? Let a cloud rest upon the title to your property; let an ad-
versary claim be set up, making it necessary to try the strength of
conflicting titles in the courts, do you inquire for that member of the
bar whom you may retain for $2,50 or $5.00? Certainly not. Your
judgment leads you to the office of him whose experience and legal
learning will enable him to understand the case and quiet you in the
possession of your estate. You need his services and are willing to
pay him a liberal fee, according to the usages of the profession. If
such would be your course in a mere business transaction, with how
much greater liberality should you act in compensating that man whom
you may select to aid you in the formation of the character of your
children.
And tell me into whose hands is this property, of whom many are
so careful, soon to pass? Into the hands of their children. Let them
reflect upon the temptations and dangers which surround that young
man whose parents, in their zeal to add house to house and field to
field, have neglected his moral and intellectual training, when he
comes suddenly into the possession of his father's estate. Finding
himself the master of his time and his fortune, and having no fond-
ness for literary pursuits, he seeks society. Unqualified to appre-
ciate the pleasures of the cultivated and refined, he naturally falls
— 36H.
562
in with those who delight in sensual gratifications. The rest is
easily told. His wealth is squandered in riotous living and he be-
comes a vagabond upon the face of the earth.
But the objector still urges that the general dissemination of edu-
cation amongst the children of this people will require the expendi-
ture of much money. Grant it. Its accomplishment will justify any
expenditure, however great.
And in human operations what great work can be accomplished
without means? The system of internal improvements, projected in
Illinois, requires its millions. Indeed, the necessity of money or
property to carry through successfully any vast enterprise is so man-
ifest that you would immediately doubt the practicability of any pro-
ject proposed to be efiPected without the one or the other.
Now, my friends, what work (strain your thoughts, give loose rein
to your imagination,) what work so important as the education of
the American youth? Pause upon the question, view it in reference
to the Union alone, cast your eyes over the land in its length and in
its breadth, gaze upon its green plains and snowy mountains, its broad
lakes and mighty rivers, its boundaries east and west, limited only by
the great deep, and ask yourselves if the development of its incalcu-
lable resources be a matter of small moment? And is there a heart
which has ever throbbed with one single patriotic emotion that does
not look with the most intense anxiety to the question whether, in
after ages, our country, our beloved country, is it to be the seat of
art, science, religion and freedom? The thought that ignorance and
vice and tyranny shall one day reign in this lovely land in the spirit
of licentiousness, oh! how it sickens the patriot's heart! Then let
us arouse from our lethargy and by the proper education of the rising
generation secure the perpetuation of our institutions.
View this question with reference to the world. The force of our
character and our principles has gone abroad, and has wrought great
changes in public opinion. The spirit of investigation is at work,
and the forms of government, if not changed, are bending themselves,
more or less, to American principles. The genius of government is
better understood and the people are ascending to their proper level.
What philanthropist and, especially, what citizen of the United
States, would have his country cease to exercise kindly influence up-
on the nations of the earth? Then, cost what it may, the rising gen-
eration must be educated.
But is it, indeed, the tendency of intelligence to impoverish a
people? That man who so supposes, has observed with little profit
the condition of nations, and but illy apprehends the simplest prin-
ciples of political economy. Compare the comforts," the improve-
ments, and the wealth of the best cultivated governments, with the
wants and poverty of ignorant tribes, and determine whether the ap-
propriation of means in the dissemination of intelligence, tends to
lessen individual or national wealth. Such appropriation requires
present expenditures, but it is returned (with interest) to the citi-
zens of an enlightened community, through a thousand avenues,
never opened to an uneducated people.
563
Further — I assume the position, that it is the will of God, that the
children of this people shall be educated. This proposition is sus-
ceptible of the clearest demonstration. "Train up a child in the way
he should go, and when he is old he will not depart therefrom," is
an express command, written in the Holy Book.
But this design is manifest from the very organization of the mind.
It possesses various faculties, each susceptible of great improvement.
Examine the great volume of nature, and point to a single instance
in which creative power was uselessly exercised in the formation of a
material or immaterial substance, or in clothing it with a useless
property. That instance cannot be found. Then, the mind of man
being susceptible of improvement, and that improvement being re-
quisite to his general enjoyment, I argue that it was designed that it
should be cultivated. And, if to be cultivated, in order to advance
his happiness, then the will of Deity, as to the propriety of using the
necessary means, is made manifest.
But again - The great objects of man's creation, were, his own
happiness, and the glory of God. Disclose to the uneducated mind,
for the first time, the astonishing fact, that all, the various modifica-
tions of matter — the valley, and the many beautiful flowers which
carpet it — the mountains, and the clouds which hang in deep drapery
upon its lofty summit, nay, that every material substance around and
about us, is composed of a very few original substances, in difiPerent
combinations, and his conception of the Great Architect is enlarged.
Teach him, that the substances, entering into the composition of
atmospheric air. if a little differently combined, would prove destruct-
ive of animal life; and that the cooling waters of the gushing spring
would be rendered unfit to slake burning thirst; and that the great
river which rolls along your western border, and the mighty deep,
would cease to float the steam boat or the ship, under a different
combination of their original elements, and he more fully discovers
the wisdom and goodness of the Deity. Let him understand, that
the sun is the center of the great system; that the earth is a small
orb revolving, in common with other orbs, around this common
centre; that there is no clashing in their orbits; that those twinkling,
stars, which he had fancied were hung out in the heavens, to beautify
the scenery of the night, are perhaps the centres of yet other systems;
and whilst he listens to the music of the spheres, and beholds in the
vast expanse, the benevolence, omniscience, the omnipotence of his
God, he is at once a more elevated and a more devotional man. Then,
whether we look at man in reference to his own happiness, or to the
glory of his Creator, he should be educated.
But the means of accomplishing this grand object are abundantly
provided. These children, by the happy institutions of society, are
provided in their parents, with natural guardians, whose hearts burn
with parental affection At the hands of these guardians, He, to
whom "the earth and the fullness thereof," belongeth, requires a por-
tion of the goods entrusted to their stewardship, to be expended with
liberality in the education of their children, and their neighbors'
564
children, Will you throw obstacles in the way of accomplishing this
heavenly design, by vesting these means in lands, in houses, or
schemes of wild speculation? Beware. The time will speedily come,
when the steward must give an account of his stewardship, and ohl
how many will mourn mis-spent time, talents abused, and wealth
greedily accumulated. Remember, we are warned to make to our-
selves friends "of the mammon of unrighteousness," and how can we
do it more e£Pectually, than in raising them up in our own household,
of the offspring with whom God hath blessed us, and in securing the
favor of heaven, by the performance of its plain requirements?
These conditions show that not only the faculties of the mind,
which are susceptible of great improvement, but that the ample means
and institutions provided, in order to secure this improvement, nay,
that the happiness of man, and the glory of the Eternal Throne, de-
mand the cultivation of the human intellect and the human heart.
In this cultivation, the mother plays a distinguished part. Her
nature, her education, her pursuits, the various situations in which
she is placed, from infancy to age— all tend to elicit and expand the
finest feelings. Whilst yet under the parental roof her love for her
parents, her deep attachment for her sister, her devotion to a be-
loved brother, and the various occurrences daily transpiring in the
family and social circle, wake up the sympathies of the soul — and,
shall I say it?— almost, in the estimation of the admiring youth,
transform her into an angel of light. Her affections fasten upon one
of noble bearing, and at the altar their destiny is united. She enters
upon the performance of new duties; and these duties tend still more
to the cultivation of the heart. Home and its endearments, her ten-
der solicitude for the success of her husband; her warm, burning affec-
tion for her offspring, bring into the soul so much of tenderness and
love, that the affections of youth (whether they palpitate in the bosom
of the delicate girl, or the active, spirited boy) center in the mother.
This is the secret of her influence; in this, is its exceeding strength;
with this yearning attachment, with this confidence, which, is never
easily lost, she may, she does, exert a power, for evil or for good,
which will not only tell upon the state of society, upon the destiny
of our government, but upon the woes and the joys of that deathless
state of existence to which all of us hasten
Then, by all that is amiable in virtue, by all that is enchanting in
liberty; by all the glories of that land of light, which "eye hath not
seen nor ear heard, nay, which it hath not entered into the heart of
man to conceive;" and by all the horrors of outer darkness, I beseech
mothers — and especially the mothers of the youth of the Union — to
lead them in the paths of honesty, honor and truth; unfold to them the
beauties of virtue, display to them, in the works of nature, and in tbe
Holy Scriptures, the manifestation of Divine wisdom,power and good
ness; walk with them, through the temple of liberty, and as you ex-
plain the principles upon which the magnificent edifice was erected,
and the powers which bind together its massy apartments, pour
upon their ready ears the manly tones of the Declaration of Inde-
565
pendenoe, exhibit the battles of the Revolution and of the late war,
point to the statues of Washington, Lafayette, Jackson, Perry, Clay,
Madison, Henry and a host of others, and with admiration they gaze
upon the scene before them, cherish feelings of gratitude towards
the benefactors of the nation and vow, at their very entrance into
the temple, eternal, undying and uncompromising enmity against the
foes of freedom.
Maternal influence and intelligence thus directed become the most
powerful allies of the school, the academy and the college.
This exhibition of the influence and the responsible duties of the
mother, is the strongest argument I can make to the reflecting mind
to show the importance of affording to our daughters, a sound and
liberal education. In a short time they will, to some extent, give
tone to public opinion, public taste, public manners and morals. In
a short time they will be moulding the character of those who, when
you shall be covered with the mantle of death, will occupy these
seats.
Surely, justice, chivalry, truth, religion, liberty, all demand that
the daughters of the citizens of the United State shall be so educated
that they shall, in some good degree, be prepared to discharge the
important duties which upon them necessarily devolve.
Another thought — to make common schools and academies most
useful, as well as to afford to such as may desire it, a thorough edu-
cation, it has been deemed expedient to establish, within the bounds
of this State, colleges. Is it asked how the prosperity of the com-
mon school is in any measure dependent upon the prosperity of
higher institutions of learning? I answer, that in them the teachers
of the common schools must be qualified for their profession.
I trust that we have perceived the great necessity of employing
none except moral and competent teachers. And whence shall we
obtain a supply adequate to the present and future wants of our rap-
idly increasing population? Shall we annually, or every five years,
send abroad and make an importation? What would you think of
that farmer who should yearly send to Missouri for produce to supply
his family which he could raise to advantage upon his own soil?
How much more unwise is the policy of a state which relies upon
another to furnish her with men necessary to educate her children?
Who is willing thus to pay tribute, and in so doing fill stations which
should be occupied by our own people with persons who, if not for-
eigners, are at least not bound to us by strongr local and family
attachments? And whilst, at the present time, I gladly see the qual-
ified man of any state or nation engaged in our schools, yet I do de-
sire to see the day when our own children (who have grown up in the
country and are familiar with our habits and feelings), having en-
joyed the advantages of a liberal education in the institutions of our
own State, shall become successful teachers in all our schools. The
character and the best interests of the State require that our teachers
be of our own people and of our own manufacturing.
566
But one objects — I do not expect to educate my son at college, and
therefore I am not interested in its prosperity. Sir, you are greatly
mistaken. Have you no State pride? Do you not desire your native
or adopted State to take a high stand among the sister states of the
Union? Do you not look forward to the day when Illinois shall be
as famous for her learning and religion as she now is for the fertility
of her soil? Then you must cherish her literary institutions.
Grant that your child does not receive a collegiate education, yet
if he enjoys the advantages of a good common school, conducted by
a neighbor's son, qualified for his profession at the college, do you
not, though indirectly, yet in the most happy manner, enjoy the
blessings of the institution? Most clearly. Then all are interested
in the prosperity of the common school, the academy and the college;
and each of these is necessary in any general system of education.
Under the force of these reasons the McKendree College was or-
ganized. The second annual catalogue exhibits (in the preparatory
and collegiate departments) 116 students, from this and other states
and territories. A patronage equal to the expectations of its most
sanguine friends. The winter term of the present year opened more
favorably than any former session, and the current expenses of the
institution being provided for, it stands upon permanent ground.
The scheme of endowing this institution to the amount of $50,000
(by the sale of 100^ scholarships) has been generously met by the
public. The scholarships have been all sold and the endowment se-
cured. Each scholarship confers upon the purchaser the privilege
of sending one student to the institution, free of charge for tuition,
room rent and the use of apparatus and library, by paying the inter-
est upon the purchase money of the scholarship, at the rate of 10 per
cent per annum. This mode of endowment at the same time provides
for the current expenses, scatters into different parts of the country
100 individuals of different denominations, and of no denomination,
who are interested in seeing that the institution is properly con-
ducted. These 100 men (all more or less influential in their imme-
diate neighborhoods, and some more extensively so,) are directly
interested in keeping the institution filled with scholars and in ad-
vancing its general prosperity.
Yet the institution is laboring under one difficulty. The buildings,
which were originally designed for the use of the Lebanon Seminary,
are inadequate to its wants, and especially to the flattering prospects
of the McKendree College. Under these circumstances the trustees,
who have determined to erect, during the coming season, an edifice
which will be creditable to the State, confidently appeal to the
liberality of the people. It must be erected. And whilst we rear an
institution which shall irradiate light and truth and science through-
out the land, we build the monument of the honored and lamented
McKendree.
Having labored to show the popular origin of this institution —
that it is endowed by the people — that all its tendencies were to en-
lighten and bless the people, we ask you for a liberal contribution.
567
It is a better investment than railroad projects, speculations in the
sites of cities, or even than land at $1.25. The results of these you
may calculate in dollars and cents — but the blessings of such an in-
stitution are incalculable.
Here I will take occasion to remark, that many gentlemen of dif-
ferent religious and political feelings, and from different and distant
sections of the country, have liberally contributed to the erection of
the proposed ediffice. To a proposition to raise $10,000 to this object,
by subscription of $100 ($83.38^ payable annually) 89 gentlemen
have subscribed their names, many more have subscribed smaller
sums, on the same terms.
The site upon which this building is to be erected, is at Lebanon,
20 miles east of St. Louis. This situation is beautiful and healthy.
Not a single case of fever occured amongst the students boarding in
the commons, during the past season, which has been one of general
disease. It is convenient to the people of Illinois and Missouri, to
the north and the south, the east and the west being easily ap-
proached by the great western mail route and by the Illinois, the
Missouri, the Wabash, the Ohio and Mississippi rivers.
Gentlemen, the facts are before you, and long, very long, may that
edifice (now about to be erected, and I trust, in part by your liberal-
ity) stand, and standing, dispense blessings to the inhabitants of
"the beautiful plains of the departed lUini."
Is there a man in this large and respected audience, who doubts
the policy of sustaining literary institutions? If there be one, I
would introduce that man to the Sage of Monticello. I would have
him listen, as he tells of times that tried men's souls, as he speaks of
the principles of the Declaration cf Independence, and unfolds the
fundamental principles of our government, I would have him ac-
company the great statesman as he retires from the presidency, and,
with his honors about him, seeks the quiet enjoyment of domestic
life, and the grandeur of his mountain home.
And then, as citizen speaking to citizen, I would have him ask if
he did not perceive something in the nature and tendencies of liter-
ary institutions to undermine the liberties of the country. It seems
to me, the Sage replies, "I have pledged my life, my property and my
sacred honor to the cause of liberty, when the clouds were dark,
gloomy and portentous, I have witnessed the dangers to which the
government was exposed, in consequence of the inefl&ciency of the
Articles of Confederation. I saw the people, in the exercise of in-
• herent sovereignty, call into being the present Constitution— under
the auspices of the Father of his Country, I saw the machinery of
the new government put into successful operation — at the will of my
country men, I have presided over the executive department of the
Union twice, four years, and now, standing before you in the garb of the
citizen, having no ambitious designs to gratify, and expecting soon
to terminate my earthly career, I turn you, sir, to the Central College
of Virginia, which has sprung up under my superintendence; and I
568
say to you, that unless the public mind is enlightened, unless the
common school, the academy, and the college emit a light sufficiently
strong to dispel the darkness of ignorance, and exert a power of suf-
ficient force to burst the fetters of vice, our government is but an ex-
periment and our freedom an empty name."
569
INDEX.
A
Page.
AbanakSc. Catherine— godmother at baptism of child of John Sakingoara 396-397
SAbanakicSc. Catherine— child of, bautized 398-399
Sabanickiebc. Cat— godmother at baptism of Francis Laboissiere 3^6-397
SabauackiJ-c. Cath— godmother at baptism of Peter Duverdier 396-397
SabanaklcSe. Cath— godmother at baptism of Peter Mlerneret 396-397
6abanaklc8c, Cath-wife of Louis Texier. child of baptized 398-399
"Abe. Honest Old" (Abraham Lincoln)- mention 312
Abend. Henry— becomes a citizen of the United States, locates In St. Clair County, 111... 291
Abernathey. Miles— private, war 1812 193
Abernathey, Robert— private, war 1812 193
mention 344
"Abolitionist. Yankee" (John Quincy Adams)— mention 621
Abolitionist— resolutions by Board Trustees, McKendree college, denying rumor that
there were abolitionist members of said board 340
Abolitionists— "An act to create an additional number of, in the State and for other pur-
purposes " Title sarcastically suggested by A. H. Nixon, in Ills. H. R. 428
Abraham— Heights of, near Quebec, mention 467
Acadia— Kaskaskia's past compared to 468
Acclca. Martha— wife of John Oliver, child of baptized 398-399
Ackerman, David— private, war 1812 181
Ackles, Richard— private, war 1812 179
corporal, war 1812 191
Ac8ma, Catherine— godmother at baptism of Catherine Alarlc 396-397
Aco. Maria— godmother at baptism of Maria Bizalllin 394-395
Aco. Mary— godmother at baptism of William Marion 394-395
Aco, Michael-child of, baptized 384-395
(•-T. godfather at baptism of William Marlon 394-395
Aco, Peter— son of Michael Aco and Marie AramlnplnchlcSe. baptism of 394-395
Acts of Virginia- foot-note, mention 414
Adair. William— private, war 1812 191
Adams. Caivlu- private, war 1812 188
Adams County, Illinois— mention 283.298
Adams. J. C— member Illlnoia State Historical Society VU
Adams, John Quincy— (Yaukee abolitionist) mention 293,521
votes given by Illinois to. in 1824 521
Adams, J. R.— member Illinois State Historical Society VII
Address— delivered In the House of Representatives Jan. 11, 1839, In the Interest of edu-
cation by William Brown. A. M 543-668
of Gustavus Ko' rner to the German people, calling upon them to form a con-
federated republic, mention 294
of welcome to the Illinois ■^tate Historical Society by George P. Davis, presi-
dent McLean County Historical Society 18-20
Adjutant General— mention 116
Adjutant General, United States of America— report of garrison strength of Fort Dear-
born 117
Adklns, James— private, war 1812 184
Adkins, Jesse— private, war 1812 196
Adklns, John— private, war 1812 179,188
Adklns, Spencer— private, war 1812 185
Adkins, William- private, war 1812 196
Adklns, Wyaft— private, war 1812 196
"Advocate" (The)— newspaper published at Salem, Illinois 210
Affidavit— of James Murdough August 17. 1810. on the robbery at the Loutre Settlement. 67
of Nicholas Jarrot concerning actions of two British traders in inciting In-
dians to hostilities 65
8Affecan8e8c, Marguerite— godmother at baptism of Marie Marguerite Pottler 402-403
wife of Bourdon, godmother at baptism of child named Mar-
guerite 402-403
Africa— mention 300,651
African Slavery— mention 456 620
See Illinois- Slavery in.
8Aft, Marg— godmother at baptism of Maria LaPolnte 398-399
"Age of Organization"— Present time so termed 314
570
Index — Continued .
Paere.
"Aarency Honse" (Indian) at Chicago— mention 116
Agniel, Charles— son-in-law of George Flower, mention 264
Agricultural Society, Illinois State,— mention 223
college, founded in Hofwyl, Switzerland in 1806 216
pursuits, earliest plans for instruction in 216
science Edinburg university, flrsi university in Europe to Institute chair.,. 215
Agriculture— chairs of, endowed in various educational Institutions 228
Ai88ec8c. Jane— wife of John Alaric. child of baptized 396,397
Akers, Rev. Peter— first president of McKendree college 333
first honorary degree of McKendree college conferred on 331
president of the Ebenezer Manual Labor school 217
mention 217,335,337
Mrs., wife of Peter Akers. Instructor in McKendree college 331
Ako, Michael (See Aco)— accompanies Father Hennepin, La Salle's expedition 461,452
Alabama— mention 619
Alamance, North Carolina— first blood shed of American Revolution at 3iO
Alaric, Catherine— daughter of John Alaric and Maria Jane Ai88ec8c baptism of 396,397
Alartc, John— child of, baptised 396,397
Alaska— mention 214
Albany, New York— convention held at— to consider the subject of a national system of
university education 224
mention 204.389,390
Albury, Anthony— early settler of McLean county, Illinois 627
Alcorn, William— captain. Third Illinois Regiment. War-1812 (died) 175
Alden. Henry— private. War-1812 196
Alder-man— early use of title in England 468
Alexander County, Illinois— votes against the Constitutional Convention of 1847 479
mention 270
Alexander, Huey— mention 345
Alexander, John M'Knitt. (and others of the same family name) delegate to the Meck-
lenburg convention 309
Alexander, Robert— private, War-1812 192
Alexander, William-adjutant general, War-1812 178
captain-first Illinois Regiment, War-1812 173
muster roll of , War-1812 184
pay roll of, War-1812 178
"Alexander The Great"— mention 655
Alfred, King of England— probably first instituted a form of township government 467
Algonquins (Indians)— mention 460
Alleghenies. (Mountains)-mention 200.224,230,311,389
Allen, Gen. John (?)— commands Kentucky troops, mention 130
Allen, J —of McLean county, Illinois, mention 645,546
Allen, Martin L.— mention 345
Allen, Samuel— lieutenant Second Illinois Regiment, War-1812 174
Allen, Solomon- private. War-1812 183.191
Allin. McLean County. Illinois— mention 540
Allouez, Father Claude Jean— Jesuit Priest, succeeds Father Marquette in Illinois ter-
ritory 449
Allyn, Dr. Robert— president of McKendree college 335
mention - 339,341
Alps Mountains— mention 311
Alter. Auguste— private. War-1812 18*
Alton College of Illinois- trustees of, mention • 3*9
mention • 353,35*
Alton, Illinois— kindergarten club 322
Alton Observer (Newspaper)— mention 368
Alton, Illinois— place of rendezvous for troops for the Mexican war... 38.283,285
railroad from Alton.to Mt. Carmel and Shawneetown. appropriation for . 490
mention 9.68,141,201.209.210.283.284.367.426
Altrua Circle— Chicago. lUinola. mention 322
Amateur Musical Club of Belvidere. Illinois 321
Amateur Musical Club of Bioomlngton, Illinois 321
America— early technical education In , 216
emigration to (political), mention 294
first country to introduce manual labor in the schools 216
first methods of town organization in *^^'*I3
Qomo, visits seaports of. mention 108
investigations relating to pre-historic inhabitants of 23
"America, Makers of"— mention 605
mention 23.305,374,378.450.549
America— (Northwestern) archseological research In ■ — 23
(ship) on which Morris Birkbeck and family embarked for America, mention. 261
American Army— mention 6*°
American Authors— mention *38
American Bar Association— mention 304
American Bottom— mention 435,437,516
American Citizen— mention 662
American Congress— slavery tolerated by S1&
571
Index — Continued.
Pasre.
American Eaarle— mention 44i
American Flag— mention 311
American Frontier— mention 158
American History— study of. fostered by patriotic organizations 24
mention 309.446
American Indians— arch ffiological research in Northwestern America and Eastern Si-
beria, to discover origin of 23
American and Indian Wars— mention 87
"American Journal of Education"— mention 216
American Journal of Education. 1871— quoted 215
American Literature— mention 438
American Medical Association— mention 380
American Museum of New York City— sends expeditions to Northwestern America and
Eastern Siberia 23
American Muskets— found in Peoria village, mention 141
American Nation— beginning of, reference to 91
"American Notes"— Dickens. Gov. Kinney's answer to 441
American People— educational system for 652
"American Revolution- Field Notes of the" by B. J. Losslng 389
American Revolution— mention 565
American Settlements— French. Spanish and British papers' influence in settlement of
Illinois, mention 19
American Slavery— mention 367
American State Papers— Law of May 18, 1796. duty of surveyors, to ob^^^erve for loca-
tions of mines, salt springs, salt licks and mill seats 247
mention 63
American (The) Weekly Messenger— Vol. l, Nov. 6.1813. mention 151
Vol.1. Nov. 13. 1813, mention 150
American youth— education Important to 662
education of 553.654
American citizens— mention 51,158,383.435.438,441.443.562.556,567
Americans— active in Oriental antiquarian research — 22
British agent distributes presents to Indians to be used against the Amer-
icans 68
British and American seven years war. mention 79
British methods employed to impress the Indians and incite distrust of
Americans 63
formerly British, reference to 90
Gomo. Indian chief, promises aid to. in war 1812 77
Indiana, suspicious of their motives in building forts, blockhouses, etc 87
Little Turtle notifies the Americans of the perfidy of English agents 64
massacre of, by the Puants and Winnebago Indians 86
mention 64,85,86,87,88.69,91,92,108,109,149,160,161,163
Amerstburg— mention 123
Ames, Alfred E.— of McHenry county (probably actually of Winnebago). Senator 16th
General Assembly, 1848-50 428
Ames. E. B,— principal of Lebanon Seminary (McKendree College) 330
mention 330.337
Ames, M R— (initials of Bishop E. R. Ames given by mistake as M. R.)
Amherst College— mention 224
Amherstburg- mention 65,123
Ammunition- British traders furnish Indians with 65
Ancient Rome— mention 29
Anders-on, Curtis— ensign Third regiment. War 1812 175
Anderson, David— adjutant First Illinois regiment. War 1812 173
aid to Brig -Gen William Rector. War J812 173
captain of Randolph county company. War 1812 172
lieutenant First regiment. War 1812 176
Anderson family— prominent in the history of Illinois, mention 230
Anderson. Isaac— editor the Continental Gazette, mention 309
Anderson. James, Jr.— private War 1812 194
Anderson. James. Sr.— private War 1812 194
Anderson, John— sergeant War 1812 178
estate of 530
AndersonY (Andrew). John A.— (probably means Gov. John A. Andrew, of Massachu-
setts), mention 372
Anderson. Horace G.— member Illinois State Historical Society VII
Anderson. Robert— private War 1812 179,191
Andre Capt —serves in War 1812 153
Andreas' History of Chicago 463
Andrew (Bishop) James O— mention 332
Andrew(?) (Anderson). John A.— mention 372
Andrew. Perrigan— godfath«r at baptism of Michael Aco 394-395
Andrew. Thomas— private War 1812 179
Andrews (English)— map of. published 1782. quoted as to spelling of Chicago 461
Andrews. John— map of Chicago, published 1782, mention 463
"An Enquiry"- paper read by Dr. J. F. Snyder before Illinois State Historical Society.
mention 4.59-61
"An essay for advancement of husbandry, learning, or propositions for the erecting of a
college of husbandry," Hortlib, mention 215
Index — Continued.
Pagre.
Anglo— Saxon Immigration, mention 458
Anglo— Saxon language, mention 467
"An Inquiry— Dr. J. F. Snyder 59-61
Annals of Congress— 1818-1819 417
Annals of the West— Indian affairs, quoted from 68
quoted. See foot-note 67
mention. See foot-note 71
quoted, foot-note 127
quoted, foot-note 144
quoted, foot-note 166
quoted 167
AnnesacSc, Susanne— wife of Michel R8ensec. child of baptized 412-413
Annual address delivered before the Illinois State Historical Society by Hon. Charles P.
Johnson. A. M., January, 1904 27-58
"Answer to Dickens' American Notes"— Gov. William Kinney 441
Anthony. Elliott—constitutional history of Illinois, mention, foot-note 479,503
Anti- Doug las Democrats— mention 382
Anti-Nebraska— editorial convention held at Decatur, Feb. 22, 1856 212
Anti-Nebraska Faction— mention 381
Antl- Slavery Paper— "The Genius of Universal Emancipation." mention 219
Antrim County. Ireland— emigration from. to the United States, mention 308.309
Anville. le sienr O'— map of. published 1746. quoted as to soelllng of Chicago 461
"Anzeiger des Westens" (newspaper)— Gustavus Koerner regular contributor to 303
ApechicSata. Marie— wife of William de Pettier, child of. baptized 406-407
ApechicSrata. Marie— wife of William Pottier. child of. baptized 402-103
ApenfamacSc— wife of BlzaiUon. child of, baptized 396-397
Appomattox — surrender of. mention 237
Appomattox— mention 31
Appropriation for Internal Improvement. State of Illinois 490
AramipinchlcSe. Marie— wife of Michael Aco. child of. baptized 394-395
Archaeological research— by American students 22
by eastern states 23
in Mexico. Central and South America 23
Arch6 Club. Chicago. Illinois 322
Argyle Park (Ills.) Portia. Club— mention 327
Arizona— acquired by purchase, mention 295
Arkansas River— mention 443.449
Arms and Ammunition- British tra<l era furnished Indian s with. In war. 1812 65
Armstrong. Aaron— private, war 1812 182
Armstrong. Arthur— ensign, war 1812 189
Armstrong. David R.— appointed to fill vacancy of U. S. Senator from Missouri, mention 40
Armstrong Family— historic family of Ireland 309
Armstrong. John— Secretary of War. copy of letter of General Howard to— dated head-
quarters St. Louis, October 28,1313 151-153
mention 153
Armstrong, Thomas— corporal, war 1812 187
Armstrong William— private, war 1812 187.193
Army of the Cumberland— battle of Bentonville, decisive battle in the history of 281
society of. mention 281
Army Register— pay of oflBcers. quoted from. 284
Armand. Francis— godfather at baptism of Genevieve Roy 398-399
Arndt, Ernst Moritr— the bard of liberty, mention 288
Arney, W. F. M.— governor of the territory of New Mexico 224
active in the cause of education 224
Arnold, (Hon.) I. N.— member of Congress from Illinois 235
characteristics of 235
resolution introduced by in Congress on the abolition of slavery.., 235
Arons. John— private. War-1812 179
Arrazola, Senor— Spanish secretary of Foreign Affairs, mention 300
Arrowsmlth— McLean county, Illinois 540
Art Association— Jacksonville. Illinois, first organized Art society In Illinois 317
Art Club-Chicago. Illinois 322
Arthur. (President) Chester A.— mention 312
Arthur, Hiram-witnessed Thomas Higgins' encounter with the Indians, his account of
the affair 167
Articles of Confederation of the United States— mention 549,567
Artaguette, D'—See D'Artaeuette.
See D'Artiguette'
ArtI guette. Pierre d'— French commandant in the Illinois Country, mention 457
Arundell, William— captain Second Regiment, War-1812 177
sergeant. War-1812 180
SaspcamScSc, Marguerite— godmother at baptism of William de Pottier 4C6.407
Ashaskoa- Indian word for young muskrat. mention *61
Ashaakwa— Indian word for muskrat. mention 4*51
Ashley. Absalom- Sergeant Major. Fourth Regiment. War 1812 176
Ashley Hiram K.— auditor, McKendree College 338
one of the incorporators of McKendree College 361
secretary of the Board of Trustees. McKendree College 338
Ashley. William R.— lieutenant Fourth Ills. Regiment. War 1812 176
Asia— Bible lands of southeastern Asia, Archaeological research in 23
573
Index — Continued.
Pasre
8as9Gcam8c. Mary— Godmother at baptism of Symphrosam Texler 398,399
Associated Charities of cities of Illinois— organization of, boards, etc 323
Association for the advancement of women— beglDnings of 315
K»te Newall Doffffett, president of 315
Maria Mitchell, president of 315
Mary A. Livermore, president of 315
Assyria— ancient inscriptions of, rendered legible by noted archaeologists, mention 22.23
Astor House (Hotel)— New York City, mention 388
Asyl, Jerome— private. War 1812 isa
"Asylum"- a village of Kane county. Ills; a bill for the incorporation of a school at, In-
troduced into the legislature of Illinois, mention 217
name given by Rev. D W. Ellmore to a village in Illinois, where he expected
to establish an industrial school . 217
Atchica. Martha— wife of Louis Chauvin. child of, baptised 396.397
Atchison, George— first lleut«nant. War 1812 172
private. War 1812 179
Athens College. Tennessee— mention 338
Atherton. George W.— president Pa. -^tate Agricultural College, pays tribute to Justin
S. Morrill and his part in the plan of industrial education 227
Atlslns, (General) Smith O.— chairman Illinois State Press Association 2
editor of the Freeport Journal 2
member of Illinois state Historical Society Vll
presents gavel to Illinois State Historical Society 2
mention 1
Atlanta, Georgia- mention 338
Atlanta. Slesje of— Gen. Jas. D. Morgan's lost opportunity at 250
Atlantic Coast— mention 457
Atlantic Ocean— mention 10,62.286,303,305.389,447
Atlantic Club, Qulncy, Ills..— mention 327
Atlantic Seaboard— mention, see footnote 62
Atlantic Seaboard Cities— mention 22
Atlantic States— mention 389
Attorney General of the United States. William Wirt— mention 200
Auditor of Public Accounts. State of Illinois— mention 6.492
Auglaise County. Ohio— mention 374
Augusta College, Kentucky-mention 329.330,343
See foot note 330
"West Side Reading Circle"— mention 327
"Augnstlne Age of Rome"— mention 3S3
Aurora, Illinois— mention 204
Aurora Women's Club— mention 327
Au Sable (or Sand) River— mention 77
Austin, Illinois— woman's club of, mention 326
Australia— mention 273
Austria— technical education in 216
Author's Club of Springfield, Illinois-organization of 319
Avlston, Illinois— mention 71,168
Axely,Ellhu,private— War 1812 190
Axiga, Mnrtha— wife of Jean Olivier, child of, baptized 410,411
Axlny.Bllsha. private— War 1812 196
Babylonia— University of Chicago given permission by the Sultan of Turkey to make
archreoiogical research in 22
Bacchus— Mrs. Annie, member Illinois State Historical Society VII
Bachand-Vertefeuille, Louis J.— member Illinois State Historical Society Vll
Bacon. iSlrs. (Jeorge R.— president Illinois Federation of Women's Clubs 326
Badger vs. United States— case at law. reference to, see footnote 500
Badgely. Hiram— private. War 1812 181
Badgley Settlement- mention 145
Badley. Mrs VVUllam- present owner of William Moore's farm, mention 164
Baggs. George— private. War 1812 183
Bail.James- private. War 1812 184
Ballache and Baker— Editors and publishers of the IlIlBois State Journal of Springfield,
Illinois, mention 59
Balley,Davld— private. War 1812 192
Bailey, Israel— prlvHte, War 1812 178
Bailey. James B— Captain Third Illinois Regiment. War 1812 177
Balllarjean. Anthony— child of. baptized 394.395
Baillarjean. Peter— son of Anthony Balllarjean and DomltUIa Che8ping8a, baptism of 394.395
Balllie, Joanna— mpntlnn 198
Ballly. M. Joseph (?)— British agent at Mlchlllmaclnac. mention 157
Baimmie. Louis- private, war 1812 182
Baker, Abraham— private, war 1812 193
Baker, David J —mention 238
Baker. Col. Edward D— authorized to raise an Illinois regiment In the Mexican war 38
Representative in Illinois Tenth General Assembly, 1836 28
mention 49.202
Baker, George— private, war 1812 1''4
Baker, Jehu— lifelong friend of Lyman Trumbull 47
mention 30,238
Balch, Phllonld as— mention 344
574
hidex — Continued.
Paere.
Baldwin. Theron— trustee Illinois College, mention 349
Ballard. Rev. Washington C— mention 330.345
Baltimore, Baron of, (Cecellus Calvert)— mention 514
Baltimore. Maryland— Cokesbury College founded near 330
test wires erected from W ashington to, Morse telegraph 31
Baltzell. John— trustee of Jonesborough College .350
Bancroft, Ellas- lieutenant First Illinois regiment, war 1812 173
Bangs, J E.— member Illinois State Historical Society VII
Bangs. Mrs. Margaret M. (Mrs. J. E,)— member Illinois State Historical Jjociety VII
Bank of England— mention 212
Bank of Illinois— at Shawneetown, mention 335
Bankson, Andrew— lieutenant. Second Regiment. Illinois MlUtla, war 1812 174
second lieutenant, war 1812 191
colonel, mention 330
private, war 1812 180
Bankson, James— sergeant Illinois Militia, war 1812 193
Bankson. Patton— private, war 1812 193
"Banner"— (The), newspaper published at Palestine, 111., mention 212
Baptist Theological Union— mention 525
Baptists— religious denomination, active in the cause of edugationin Illinois, meniiou.. 328
interest of. in education in State of Illinois, mention 332
Baratteo. Marie- wife of John B. Mercler. child of, baptiied 400 401
Barbara— killed by the Indians at Tom Jordan's fort 99
Barbean, Andrew— captain Randolph county company, war 1812 172
Barbeau, Antoine— private, war 1812 192
Barbean, Henry— captain First Regiment Illinois Militia, war 1812 176
corporal, war 1812 192
Barber, Alexander— private, war 1812 184
Barbour, Alex.— private, war 1812 185
Barboure. Andre— private, war 1812 184
Barette, Marie— godmother at baptism of Marie Pa8nanga 404-405
Barger, John S.— one of the Incorporators of McKendree college 361
secretary of the Board of Trustees, McKendree college 338.354
trustee of McKendree college 332,349
Barger, Rev. J. S— mention 339
Barker, H. E.— member Illinois State Historical Society VII
Barker, Lewis— captain Third Illinois regiment. War 1812 175
captain Fourth Iirinois rt>glment. War 1812 176
Barlow Corn Planter Company, Qulncy.Ill.— Gen. James D. Morgan, director of 282
Barnard (Prof.) Henry— article of , In the American Journal of Education ^15
Barnes, Allan— private. War 1812 187
Barnes, Ellsworth— private. War 1812 191
Barnes, K vans— mention 344
Barnes, Joshua- one of th<^ incorporators of McKendree College 361
Trustee McKendrean College, mention 332, 349
mention 329. 330. 344
Barnett, William— private. War 1812 192
Barnhart, Christopher— ensign Second Regiment IlUnois Militia, War 1812 174, 179
Barnsback, (George- private. War 1812 182
Baron of Baltimore (Sir Cecilius Calvert)— mention 514
Barre. Antoine Joseph La Pebvre de La— Governor of New France 451, 455
Barron, Magdalaine, wife of Pierre Pillet— child of baptized 412, 413
Barron. Mr. Interpreter and guide of the Kentucky troops in Indian campaign.. 131
Barry Family— historic family of Ireland 309
Barry, John (Commodore)— mention 312
Barry, P. r.— Life member Illinois State Historical Society VII
Barry. Richard— delegate to the Mecklinburg Convention 309
Bart. Inham— private. War 1812 185
Bart. Julian— private. Warl8l2 192
Bartlett, William— private War 1812 193
Basey, Isaac— corporal. War 1812 190, 195
Basil, the Biack-imfth, (of Longfellow's poem " Evangeline ")— mention 458
Batavia. 111.. Columbia Club— mention 327
Bateman, Abraham— private. War 1812 191. 194
Bateman. Dr. Newton— defeats ex-Governor A. C. French for Superintendent of Public
Instruction. State of Illinois 60,61
defeats ex-Governor Reynolds for Superintendent of Public In-
struction, State of Illinois 60.61
distinguished educator 217
educator of national reputation 229
extract from speech of, at the inauguration of the University of
Illinois 229
pays tribute to Prof J. B.Turner 229
President of Knox College, Galesburg, 111., for a quarter of a
century, mention 229
Supertutendent of Public Instruction, State of Illinois, mention. 229
Bateman. William— private. War 1812 194
Bates. Edward— letter of. indorsing the act of the legislature of Illinois In the cause of
industrial education 223, 224
member of President Lincoln's cabinet, mention 223
mention 297.307
575
Index — Continued.
Pa?e
Bates. (Miss) Hannah— escapes the Wood River massacre, mention 154, 156
Bates, John— of Jefferson County, Kentucky, leases Salt Springs 248
Bates. William— member of the "Moore Settlement", mention 156
Battenhouse. Daniel— volunteer. War 1812 185
Battle Creek. Mich— mention 385
Battle of Bentonvllle, Ala.— mention 281
Battle of Brandywtne— mention 311
Battle of Buena Vista— Col. John J. Hardin killed at, mention 276
mention 277
Battle of Camden— mention 311
Battle of Cerro Gordo— Col. James Shields wounded at 294
Battle of Chlckamauffa— Morgan's brigade defeudlnir railroads, prevented from participa-
tion in 279
Battle of the Cowpens— mention 3i0
Battle of Germantown— mention 311
Battle of Guilford Court House- mention 310, 311
Battle of Kind's Mountain— mention 310
Battle of Lookout Mountain— mention 279
Battle of Mission Ridge— mention 279
Battle of Monmouth— mention 311
Battle of New Orleans— mention 262
Battle of Princeton- mention 310. 311
Battle of the River Trench— mention 157
Battle of the Thames— mention. 153
Battle of Tippecanoe— Isaac White killed in, Nov. 7.1811 249
(Col ) Joe Daviess of Kentucky killed in, Nov. 7, 1811 249
see foot-note 107
mention 96. 101. 106. 107
Battle of Trenton— mention 311
Battle of Shiloh-mentlon 276.278
Baudva, Marie Catherine— Godmother at baptism of Charles Guillemeau 398.399
Baugh. Joe V" —member Illinois State Historical Society VII
Baum, I.— mention 344
Bayless. (Mrs.) Jesse— killed by the Indians 168
Bayne, Ellsworth— private, War 1812 182
Beach. Moses Y —mention 388
Beach. Myron M.— member Illinois State Historical Society VII
Be<»man. James— corporal. War 1812 193
Bear, Joseph— private. War 1812 181
Beard. John— Captain First Illinois Regiment. War 1812 173
Beardstown. 111.— volunteers of the War of 1812 rendezvoused at 433
mention 524
Bearwals. Alexis— private. War 1812 l*'4
Beatt. Alexis— private. War 1812 184
Beatt, Louis-private. War 1812 184
Beatt. N. -private. War 1812 184
Beatty, John— private. War 1812 183
Beauleau, Jean— Captain. War 1812 172
Beaulieu. Jean— Captain Second Illinois Regiment. War 1812 174
Beauregard. (General) P. G. T.— mention 278
Bechet. Catherine— child of, baptized 400-401
Bechet, Frances— daughter of Catherine Bechet. baptism of 400-401
Beck, Guy— private. War 1812 181
Beck. Hiram— drummer. War 1812 179
Bflck, James— private. War 1812 193
Beck. John, private. War 1812 193.196
Beeker, J. W.— member Illinois State Historical Society VII
Beckwith, Clarence— son of Hon. Hiram Williams Bpckwlth, mention 25
Beckwi'-h, Dan— father of Hon. Hiram Williams Beckwith 25
Beckwith. Hon. Hiram Williams-born Danville, 111., March 6. 1832. died at St. Luke's
hospital. Chicago, 111.. Dec. 22.1903.
President of the Board of Trustees of the Illinois
State Historical Library and past President of the
Illinois State Historical Society,
memorial sketch of the life and services of, by Ed-
mund J. James. Ph. D 25-26
admitted to the bar In 1853 25
appointed on the IIHdoIs State Historical Library
Board, served until his decease 25
authority on the history of the middle west 26
contributes valuable articles to the George H. Fergus
Publishing Company 28
devotes I is time and attention to historical research. 25
editor of History of Vermilion County 26
editor of Vol. 1, Historical Collections of Illinois
State Historical Library, reference to 19
576
Index —Continued.
Pasre
Beckwlth. Hon. Hlrain Williams— first President of the Illlnola State Historical
Society 25
historical articles In the Ghlcagro Tribnne, reference
to 26
Identified with Vermilion Connty Historical Society. 25
Instrumental In the orgranlzatlon of the Illinois State
Historical Society 4
last work of. Vol 1 of the Illinois Historical Collec-
tion, reference to 26
library of 26
married to Miss Emily Jane Reeder, Sept. 19, 1857 25
member Illinois State Historical Society VII
member of Masonic Lodge of Danville, 111,, presented
by Olive Branch Lodge No. 38 with gift 26
mention 4, 6, 13
resolutions of respect and esteem passed by the Illi-
nois State Historical Society 3-4
resolutions of respect and esteem read by J. H. Burn-
ham, mention 3
services to the State of Illinois on the Illinois State
historical Library Board 26
student of Wabash College 25
studies law In office of Ward H Lamon 25
Beckwlth. Will— assists his father in the preparation of the History of Vermilion
Connty 25
son of Hon. Hiram Williams Beckwlth 25
Beebe, Avery N.— member Illinois State Historical Society VII
Beebee, Avery N— Secretary of the Meremach Historical Society 9
Beeman, Ormau— private. War 1812 195
Beethoven Club of {Havana. Ill 321
Beggs Family— prominent in the history of Illinois, mention 230
Belderback, John— Ensign, First Illinois Regiment, War 1812 177
Lieutenant, First Illinois Kegiment. War 1812 176
Belderbeck. William— Second Lieutenant, First Illinois Regiment, War 1812 176
CaptalQ First Illinois Regiment, War 1812 176
Belfast, Ireland— passenger list of vessel that sailed from, historic families 309
Belgium, Country of— early technical education In 215
Bell, Jesse— private, war 1812 181
Bell. (Capt ) of Kentucky— leases the Saline on Saline river, mention 248
Bellalson— godfather at baptism of Marie LaPointe 398-399
Belle Fontaine— dispatch dated from July 22, 1811, with regard to block house and In-
dian affairs 74
BelleFontalne, Missouri— mention 72
Belleflower. Illinois— mention 640
Belleville and Murphy sboro—R. R.. Sydney Breese takes active part In securing con-
Btructionof 33.34
Belleville. Illinois— Bellevill e Advocate, newspaper published at 210, 441
county seat of St. Clair county 27
description of the old county court house at 29,30
early means of transportation between St Louis and Belleville 50
Gustavus Koerner establishes German and English school in— be-
comes its first teacher 304
journey from Belleville to Washington In fourteen days, mention... 293
mention 39,44.45,47,59.60.208.291,305.306,441.433.490
ovation given to Capt. James Shields at— on his return from the
Mexican war 38,39
patriotism of during the Mexican war 38
public library, Gustavus Koerner's interest in 303
public library of, mention 60
public library, number of volumes in 303
St. Clair Gazette, newspaper established at 205
school established at, by Bnnsen, on the pattern of the Frankfort
elementary school 304
speech of Col A. P Field in celebrated murder trial at 42
William H. BIssell locates and practices law at 48,49
Bellevue, Peter— godfather at baptism of Maria Josepha Turpin 398.399
Belmont, Missouri— Gen. Grant's attack upon, mention 277
Belsher, George— private, war 1812 184
Belviilere, Illinois— amateur musical club at j2l
Beman, Oman— private, war 1812 190
Benent, with Gov. Ninian Edwards, mention Ig9
Benjamin, Parke— mention I™
Bennett. James Gordon— mention 388
Benson Family, McLean County. Illinois— mention 526
Benson, John— "Good Old Times In McLean County," quotations from 526
sold land in McLean Coan'y. Illinois 527
Bensong. peltry and rroperty from house of. mention 140
Bentley Geo. L.— member Illinois State Historical Society Vil
Benton, Missouri— mention 374
Benton, Thomas H— mention °°'?™
United States Senator from Missouri 33.124.125
577
Index — Continued.
Page
BentonviUe. Alabama— battle of 281
Bergen, John G.— trustee Illinois college, mention 319
Berlin, Mission to— mention 5599
Bernouf. noted archaeologist 23
Berry (Dr.) Daniel— address before the Illinois State Historical society 1904 on Morris
Birkbeck and his friends 259-273
member Illinois State Hlstorlcai Society VII
of (Jarml, Illinois, relates story of Pond Settlement massacre... .142-143
Berry. Col. E. C, of Vandalia. Illinois— mention 330
Berry, Elijah C— purchases Daniel P. Cook's interest in the Illinois Herald 205
Berry Joel— volunteer, war 1812 185
Berry Thomas— ensign, volunteer, war 1812 185
Berirand (or Pare aux Vaches) destination of the Klnzle family 120
Beson. Thomas— private, war 1812 181
Bevanno, Louis— boatman, mention 74
Be veridge Governor John L.— mention 238, 312, 382
Beverly (Ship)— James D. Morgan ships for a term of years on 274
Beyce, Prettyman— mention 314
Bible Lands of Southeastern Asia— archaeological research in 23
Bible (The)— mention 303
Bibliography of authorities quoted in article on township organization In State of Ill-
inois 5(3-501
Bienville. Governor LeMoyne de— governor and commandant general of the province of
Louisiana, meaclon 466
Bier, John— private, war 1812 ISO
Big Muddy Saline— Conrad Will lessee of. mention 2S2
description of wells at, machinery kettles, etc 262
James Pearce, leases, meatlon 252
In Jackson County, Illinois, leasing of, mention 2i2
no returns from, to the general government, mention 252
Big Prairie- early fort built on what is now known as 72
Big Springs— mention 278
Biggs, Isaac-private. War 1812 181
Biggs. William— mention 527
Blgga. Judge William— manufactures salt in Bond and Madison coantles.lll 263
Biggs, William-private, War 1812. 18i
Bigoto, Etienne— son of Jacques Gulllaume Blgoto and Marie Tltio. baptism of 412-413
Blgoto. Gabriel- son of Jacques Gulllaume Blgoto and Marie Titlo, baptism of 412-413
Blgoto. Jacques Guilliaume— (called LaLande), sons of, baptized 412-413
Bllderback, Charles— private. War 1812 192
BUderback. Daniel-private. War 1812 178.192
Bllderback, John— ensign. War 1812 192
Bllderback. William— private. War 1812 178
second lieutenant. War 1812 192
Bin, Jesse-private. War 1812 179
Bineteau, Julian— (Society of Jesus) priest of the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady.
mission among the Illinois Indians d94-396
Biram, Alexander— private. War 1812 182
Bird Point— Tenth Illinois regiment camped at, mention 277
Blrdsell. William— estate of 636
Birkbeck, Morris. 8r.— father of Morris Birkbeck. Quaker preacher 259
Birkbeck, Morris— born in London England, 1763, died June 4.1825 259
accompanied by George Flower, makns a tour of France 260
address to the citizens of Illinois, for the day of election, etc., against
the constitutional convention of 1824 269-270
antl slavery leader, letters of, their influence, etc 263
appointed Secretary of State of Illinois, by Govprnor Coles 260
arrives with his family at Norfolk, Va.. June. 1817 261
contributions to the English enterprise in Edwards county, Illinois.. 261
Edward Coles visits at the home of. at Wanborou>rh 260
education of 259
George Flower's pen picture of, mention 260, 261. 262
hung In efiflgy. mpution 269
Illinois owes a debt of eternal gratitude to 273
Interested In Merino sheep industry 260
"Jonathan Freeman. " nom-dp-plume of Morris Birkbeck 263
leader In the fight against calling a convention to change constitution
of the State of Illinois 263
letters of. Influence of in the State of Illinois 263
letters of. mention 264
letters of. published in Flower's history, mention 263
mention 14
monument to. should be erected by the State, a suggestion 273
"Notes of travel in America." reference to 261
"Notes on a journey through France" by, mention 260
opposed to slavery 261
opposed to the convention of 1824 208
personality of, deaorlptlon of, from Flower's History of the English
S Settlement in Edwards County.Ill 259
Senate of the Illinois Legislature rejects appointment of as Secre-
tary of State, mention 261
Walter Buchanan relates Incident concerning 264
writings of . widely read, mention 261
— 37H.
578
Index — Continued.
Page
Blron. Alexander— private, War 1812 190.195
Blrs Nlmrud— mention 23
Bishop. Benjamin— private. War 1812 182
Bishop. William— estate of. mention 536.541
Blsmaya, mounds at to be explored 22.23
Blssell and Koerner— law firm, mention 293
Bissell, William H-— born near Painted Post, Yates county. New York, died March 15.
1860; eleventh governor of Illinois, colonel Second regiment
Illinois volunteers in the Mexican war 48
as an orator 66,57
^Mii-^£^rr...v,^.J,..t^^:-^- attends lectures at law school, Lexington. Kentucky 49
attends medical school at Fhiladelphta 48
captain of St. Clair county company in the Mexican war 49
colonel of the Second llllnola Volunteers, Mexican war 49
■ city attorney of Belleville, Illinois 49
.•v^Y''*':?V^.??'/fS*!'/75i^' commanded Second regiment of Illinois volunteers In Mexican war 38
company of, in the Mexican war. consisting principally of Ger-
mans, mention 294
death of 67
distinguished friends and political associates pay last respects to. . 57
elected as Independent candidate to Congress 64
elected to Congress 1848, re-elected 1850, mention 53
elected to the legislature of Illinois in 1840 48
enlists as a private in the Mexican war 49
fails to pass physical examination for United States army 48
first Republican nominee for Governor of the State of Illinois.
mention , 54
Interest in the Missouri conflict 56.66
Jefferson Davis challenges to a duel 55
lawyerin Belleville, Illinois 47
leaves the Democratic party, mention 54
letter to Gustavus Koerner, written on the battle-field at Buena
Vista 50,61
locates in Belleville, 111., practices law 49
locates in Jefferson county. 111 48
member of law firm of Bissell & Koerner 293
mention 30.48.49,96,115.381.382
national reputation as a skillful debater 55
nominated for Governor of Illinois, mention 56
personal appearance of 66
resents the statement by the Virginia Senator in Congress on the
conduct of the northern troops 54
responds to address of Gustavus Koerner on return of the Second
regiment, Illinois Volunteers, from the Mexican war 51
teaches school in Monroe county. 111., mention 48
quotations from his speech in Congress defending the troops to
whom victory was due at the battle of Buena Vista 54.55
Bissell, Mrs. W. H.— wife of William H. Bissell. mention 67
B^zaillin Maria— daughter of Blzalllin and Maria, baptism of 394-395
Bizaillon— child of. baptized 394-395.396-397
BlzaiUon, Maria Th.- Godmother at baptism of Michael Aco 394-395
Blzaillon— son of F. BlzaiUon and M. ApenfamacSc. baptism of 396-397
BliaUlon, Peter— son of Blzaillon and Maria Theresa, baptism of 394-396
Blzzle. Isaac— trustee J onesborough College 350
Black Bird- (Indian) Capt. Heald's proposal of surrender of Fort Dearborn to 121
( Pottawatomie chief) in council at Cahokia April 16, 1812 101
(Pottawatomie chief) mention 122
(Ottawachief) mention 77
(Ottawa chief) represented in council at Cahokia 101
"Black Code" of Illinois— (Slavery Law) mention 422
Black, George N.— chairman of committee on legislation. Illinois State Historical So-
ci©tv •• ..>■.«.. •••■•••••■•••■■>•••■••«••>•■•>■•••-.••■■•.••-■•■>-•■•••>« 12
chairman publication committee. Illinois State Historical Society... 12
member of board of directors, Illinois State Historical Society 16
member of finance committee, Illinois State Historical Society 12
member Illinois State Historical Society VII
member nominating committee, Illinois State Historical Society 4
mention 7,13
Black. Mrs. Geo. N.— member Illinois State Historical Society VII
Black Hawk— and the British Band, mention 65
gives reason for the attack on Fort Dearborn 119
enlists in the British service, mention 97
home of, mention 162
invasion of Illinois by 438
mention 65,95.148,149
Black Hawk War— Felix St. Vrain murdered by the Indians In 142
mention 32.62.265.397
Sydney Breese serves In 31.32
"Black Laws" of Illinois— Act to repeal statutes known as. Introduced in the 24th Gen-
eral Assembly of Illinois. 1866 431
repealed, meaning of 431.432
mention 428.431
579
Index — Continued.
Page
*'Black Robes"— name given by the Indians to the Jesuit priests, mention 446
Black Partridge— friend and ally of the whites at Fort Dearborn 119
rescues Mrs. Helm 124
map. mention, see toot note 132
Black Seed— (Kickapoo) In council at Cahokla April 16.1812 101
Black Tobacco— Indian chief, mention 149
Blackburn. Gideon— trustee Illinois College, mention 349
Blackburn University. CarltnvlJle. Jll.— mention 3S4
Blackford. Ephralm- volunteer War 1812 185
Blackford. (Judge) Isaac— opinion of. in the case of Kebekah Heald, before the United
States Court of Claims 126.127
Blackford. Reuben— volunteer War 1812. 185
Blackstone. (Sir) William-celebrated English jurist, born in London 1723. died in 1760.
mention 240
Blackstone's Commentaries— reference to. f ootnote 468
Blackstone's Commentaries 503
legal definition of word, "city" given in 468
Blackweli. David— Secretary of State of Illinois 261
Blackwell. Robert— opposed to the convention of 1824 208
i*-~S^ purchases the "Illinois Herald." mention 205
Blaine. James G.— (American statesman), mention 53
Blair, Francis P.— mention 371,372
Blair, Prank P.— mention 55
Blair. (Gen.) Prank Preston. Jr.— mention 312
Blair. John— Chief Justice of the United States, mention 312
Blair, William— cornetlst of cavalry company. War 1812 172
Blanchard, (Dr.) Abljah— uncle of Kufus Blanchard 388
Blanchard. Amaziah- father of Kufus Blanchard 387
Blanchard, Annie Hall— second wife of Kufus Blanchard 390
Blanchard. Calvin— brother of Rufus Blanchard 388
Blanchard. Mary Damon— mother of Rufus Blanchard 387
Blanchard, Edwin— brother of Rufus Blanchard 389
Blanchard. Permllla Farr— wife of Rufus Blanchard 390
Blanchard. Rufus- born Lyndeboro. N. H.. March 7. 1821. died Wheaton, 111.. Jan. 3, 1904.
Ailca and Phoebe Cary friends of 389
articles on map-making by 387
book store of, at Cincinnati, burned 389
built first brick building In Wheaton. Ill 390
business activities of 389
characteristics of 390
Chicago fire destroys his property 390
clerks in book store of his brother Calvin 388
connected with map house of Coltons 389
education of 388
engages in business with his brother Edwin at Columbus. Ohio 389
enters into partnership with Charles Morse as map publishers 389
goes to Oregon to collect material for history of that state 390
In map-making and publishing business 889
last illness of 887
marriage of 390
manuscript for history of Oregon destroyed by fire 890
member Illinois State Historical Society VII
memorial address on life and character of. by Frederick Latimer
Wells, read at meeting of Illinois State Historical Society, 1904... 389-391
mention 16
opens a general book and map store with printing department in
Chicago 389
parents of 387
position in Harper Bros 388
publications of 390,391
returns to New York 389
sent to New Orleans to close oat a bankrupt book store 389
speculations of 389
teaches school 389
travels of 390
Wheaton property of, destroyed by fire 890
Blanchard vs. LaSalle— case of. reference to, see foot note 498
Blandeau, (Blondeau) Maurice— Indian interpreter (see Blondeau) 96
entertains fears for the frontier 96
Blane. Mose— private. War 1812 188
Blankenshlp. A. D.— mention 256
Blankenshlp. Thomas-private. War 1812 179.181
Blankson. Elijah— private. War 1812 191
Blaslngham, James— private. War 1812 187
Blay, Antolne Jr.— lieutenant, first Illinois Regiment, War 1812 173
Blay. Antoine Sr.— lieutenant, first Illinois Regiment. War 1812 173
Bleakly. British agent at Prairie du Chlen 65
Blennerhassett, Harman— arrest, flight of, home of 200
death of, on the Island of Guernsey In 1831. mention 200
Blennerhassett. (Mrs.) Margaret Agnew— wife of Harman Blennerhassett, mention 200
Biennerhassetts' Island- mention 200
580
Index — Continued.
Page
Bllnd-of-an-eye. (Klckapoo Indian)— in council at Cahokia. April 16,1812 10*
Bliss, Charles W.— editor Hlllsboro News, mention. (Montgomery Co. News) 611
member Illinois State Historical Society VII
Bliss, Frederick Jones— explorer to ttie Palestine Exploration Fund, born Mt. Lebanon
Syria, Jan 22,1859, researches of. reference to 22
Block House— Illinois River Block house, letter dated from to Capt. William B. White-
side ... 75,76
on the Mississippi river, encounter with Sac Indians at, letter relating to. 76
Block Houses— built in Illinois Territory, description of 72.73
Blondeau, (Blondo) Maurice— Indian Interpreter, mention 75,151
Bloom, John— private. War 1812 181
Blooming Grove, McLean Co . Ills.— mention 526,527
Bloomington, Illinois— amatenr Muslcial club of 11,321
Bloomington amateur musical club, resolutions of thanks to
tendered by Illinois State Historical Soclety,for music furnished
by the club 17
art society in 317
citizens of. their interest in the preservation of Illinois history.. 2i
convention of May 1856. held in 56
fifth annual meeting' of the Illinois State Historical Society, held
at. business meeting 1,2
hospitality of citizens of, Illinola State Historical Society adopts
resolutions of thanks for 16
Illinois Woman's Christian Temperance Union organized at,
October, 1874 31&
men's college alumni club of 326
mention 2,7.8.9,10.12.16,20.224,490,527.530.540
mother's club of, work of 322
newspapers of, give full accounts of Illinola State Historical
Society meeting 17
Blucher.Oenl.) Gebhard Leberecht Von— hero Waterloo, mention 288
Blue Eyes (Klckapoo)— in council at Cahokia. April 16,1812 101
Blue Eyes— mention 106
Blue Hen's Chickens— origin of name given to sons of Delaware 310.311
of Delaware, regiment so named 310,311
Blue Mound, Illinois— mention 14.640
Blue Rtdge. Mountains— mention 312
Blue. Solomon— private. War 1812 186
Bluffdale, Illinois— mention 59.60
Boal, Charles T.— Chicago, mention 379
Boal. Christiana Walker SlDclair- wife of Dr. Robert Boal 378
Boal. (Fort) Clara— Lacon. Illinois, daughter of Dr. Robert Boal 379
Boal. Elizabeth Grain- mother of Dr. Robert Boal. 378
Boal, James Sinclair, Chicago— son of Dr. Robert Boal 379
Boal, (Dr.) Robert— born near Harrisburg, fa.. Nov. 16,1806, died at Lacon, Illinois, June
16,1903
active member of Peoria Medical society 380
alternate delegate to Republican National convention of 1860 that
nominated Abraham Lincoln 382
appointed examining physician for the U. S. Board of enrollment of
fifth congressional district 378,379.380
casts his vote in Ills. Legislature for Lyman Trumbull, for U. S.
Senator 381
championed the Interests of Illinois and Michigan canal 381
characteristics of 383
children of 37»
delegate from Marshall county to convention at Bloomington
where the Republican party was organized, May 29'1856 382
early settler of Illinois 379
educated in public schools, also a term in the Cincinnati Gollege... 378
elected member of the legislature in 1854, last Whig elected from
thatdistrict 381
elected State ■'enator defeating Maj. Richard N. Cullom in 1844 — 381
elected to legislature as a Republican in 1856 382
founder and Incorporator of the Cottage Hospital, at Peoria, and
one of the directors 380
honorary member Illinois State Historical Society VII 378
Impressive as a public speaker, compared to Chauncey Depew 382
instrumental in passage of bill for establishing hospital for Insane
at Jacksonville. Illinois 381
lifelong friend of Abraham Lincoln 381
locates in Peoria. Illinois 379.380
married to Miss Christiana Walker Sinclair at Reading, O., May
12.1831 378
member State Medical Society of lllitiois. and was elected presi-
dent of. in 1882 380
member of the American Medical Association 380
memorial address on life and character of. by Dr. J. F. Snyder.
read at meeting of Illinois State Historical Society 378-383
mention 14
581
Index — Continued .
Pacre
Boal. (Dr.) Robert— moved to Lacon (then known aa Columbia) in 1836 378.379
organizer of the Edward Dickenson Medical Club of Peoria,
(survived all of Its orlsrlnal members) 380
parents of 378
pioneer physician of Illinois, politician and legislator of Illinois . 378
political career of 381,382
professional career, as aphysician 378,381
religions beliefs of, churches he was identified with 383
resumes practice of medicine after the civil war 380
retires from professional life in 1893 379
staunch Whig 380
studied medicine in office of Dr. Wright at Reading. Ohio 378
supported Abraham Lincoln. Whig candidate for U. ^. Senator 381
supported bill providing calling a convention in 1817 for revising
State Constitution 381
Boal. Thomas— father of Or. Robert Boal 378
Boatrlght, Thomas— volunteer, war 1812 185
Boeschenstein. Charles— president Illinois State Press Association. 1898 2
Boggs, Jesse— private, war 1812 184
Bogy, Lewis V.—U. S. Senator from Missouri, mention 40
Bollvain, Mr.— Indian agent, mention 150,152
Bollvln, N.— reports from Prairie du Chien, on Indian affairs 98
Bolsjoly, Marianne— daughter of Petro Boiajoly and Acacia PatSklcSc, baptism of 398-399
Boisjoly, Petro— child of baptized 39!)-a99
Bolsbrland. Pierre de— sponsor at baptism of Charles Pierre Danis 402-403
Bollnger (Hon) A. C— mention ^53
Bollin, Maps of— published 1744. quoted as to spelling of Chicago 461
Boltinghouse. Daniel— captain Fourth Illinois Regiment, war 1812 177
Bonaparte, Napoleon— mention 287,288
Bond. Benjamin of Clinton County— delegate to Constitutional Convention of 1847 427
Bond, Benjamin M— one of the incorporators of McKendree college 361
Bond, Burnet— private, war 1812 193
Bond County. Illinois-mention 72.270.330
Bond County, Illinois— makes no report of Salines in report of Secretary of the Treasury
United States for 1826 253
refuses to pay taxes on internal improvement venture 490
Salines In. mention 253
Bond, Shadrach— born at Frederlckstown, Md . Nov. 24.1778. died at Kaskaskia April 12.
1832. first governor of Illinois
appointed oflBcer In militia company. Illinois Territory 66
mention 189.230.231.312,330
views of. on slavery 415.417
Bond, Shadrach, Jr.— aid to Go-", Ninian Edwards, Commander-in-Chief, war 1812 172
lieutenant colonel commanding, war 1812 172
mention 230
Bone. Barnet— private, war 1812 193
Bonham. Samuel— private, war 1812 181
Bonner, Robert— mention 309
Bono, Peter— private, war 1812 186
Boon. (Capt.) William— muster roll of. war 1812 192
Boone County, Illinois— mention 426
Boone, (Capt.) Nathan— commands spies of the Illinois and Missouri rangers 147
major in the First Missouri Regiment, war 1812 147
mention 148,152
Boone, William— captain. First Illinois Regiment, war 1812 173,176
Boone, (Capt.) William— commands company of rangers 71
Boone's Lick— mention 144
Boouton, N, J —mention 525
Booneville. Miss.— mention 278
Borle Adolph E.— Secretary of the United States Navy, mention 300
Borln, Irvail— ensign Third Illinois Regiment, war 1812 176
Borln. Isaac— ensign Third Illinois Regiment, war 1812 177
Boring. Daussy— mention 344
Borough. Joseph— first lieutenant, war 1812 189
private, war 1812 182
Borrler. Jacob— private, war 1812 180
Bosseron, Anthony— child of baptized 398-399
(called Leonard) child of. baptized 4(iO-401
Bosseron. Anthony— son of Anthouy Bosseron and Susan Karamlbapti.^m of 398-399
Bosseron. Augustln— son of Anthony Bosseron and Susan PanlSassa. baptism of 400-101
Boston "Tea Party" (The)-mentlon 446
Boston, Masiachusetts— discarded government by the town meeting, when her voters
numbered 7. COO 502
Massachusetts Institute of Technology located at 2i8
mention 282.310,413.446
Boswell. James— mention 202
Bouchart (Sir) Jacque— godfather at baptism of Marie Catherine Pottler 400-101
Bouchart Paul— Pania8lc8c slave of. mention 402-403
Boucher, John— private, war 1812 191
wounded in an encounter with the Indians 166
582
Index — Continued.
Page
Bonltlnehouse. Daniel— built early fort In Illlnoia in what is now known as White county 72
killed by the Indians 1813 72
muster roll of. war 1812" (last men called into service) 196
private, war 1812 196
Bonltlnghouse. James— private, war 1812 196
Bourbonnais, Cecilia— daughter of J. Brunet Bourbonnais and Elizabeth Dee, baptism
of 396-397
Bourbonnais, J. Brunet— child of, baptized 396-397
Bourbonnais, Maria— daughter of J. Brunet Bourbonnais and Elizabeth Dee. baptism
of 396-397
Bourbons— White Flag of 457
Bourdon. James (1)— godfather at baptism of James Philippe 396-397
godfather at baptism of Maria Louisa Koy 398-399
godfather at baptism of Symphrosam Texier 398-399
Bourland, Mrs. Clara P.— calls meeting to consider federation of Woman's Club, State
of Illinois 320
Boutell, Hon. H. S.— mention 238
Bowdoln College— mention 15
Bowen James— private in the rearulars, served at Ft. Dearborn 124
Bowen Joseph— survivor of the Ft. Dearborn massacre 123
Bowerman, Jacob— ensign. First Illinois Regiment, war 1812 173
private, war 1812 192
Bowles. Cannington. Map of— published 1783, quoted as to spelling of Chicago 461
Bowman E. M.— member Illinois State Historical Society VII
Bowman, Jesse— private, war 1812 196
Bowman. Jonathan— private, war 1812 184
BowmansvlUe, Illinois— present site of, formerly a Miami Village 465
Bows -John— private, war 1812 193
Boyd. Colonel— commanded fourth regiment of infantry against Indians in war of 1812.. 115
Boyd. James— sergeant, war 1812 196
Boyd, Robert— corporal, war 1812 196
Boys' manual training and farm school , at Glenwood, Illinois 318
Bracken County. Kentucky— mention 514
Bradbury. James— ensign, fourth Illinois regiment, war 1812 176
Bradbury. John— volunteer, war 1812 185
Bradsby, James— ensign, second Illinois regiment, war 1812 174
lieutenant, second Illinois regiment, war 1812 174
Bradsby. Richard— mention 329
Bradoby. William— of St Clair County. Illinois, mention 330
Bradsbys Thomas Hlgglns resided near- mention 165
Bradshaw, Absolom- captain, first Illinois regiment, war 1812 176
private, war 1812 ^'^vJfJ
Bradshaw, Charles— member Illinois State Historical Society VII
Bradshaw, Field— private, war 1812 179
Bradshaw. James— private, war 1812 179
Bradshaw. John— captain, third Illinois regiment, war 1812 175
Bradshaw, Jonas— private, war 1812 179.182
Bradshaw. William— ensign, second Illinois regiment, war 1812 174
sergeant, war 1812 179
Bradsley. Mr. Mrs Jesse Bayless dies at the house of— mention 168
Brady. Tom— of Cahokla. captures Fort St. Joseph. Michigan 19
Bragg (General) Braxton— raid into Kentucky, mention 27*
Brake. John— mention 344
Braman. John— private, war 1812 193
Bramlett, Harvey— private, war 1812 187
Brandt. Joseph— promoter of Indian hostilities against the United States 63
Brands wine. Battle of— mention 311
Brazil. Richard— private, war 1812 194
Brazil, Robert— sergeant, war 1812 194
Brazil, Valentine— captain, second Illinois regiment, war 1812 174-176
lieutenant, second Illinois regiment, war 1812 174
(spy) private, war 1812 19*
Brazil. William— private, war 1812 194
Breckenridge Family— historic family of Ireland 309
Breckenrtdffe, John C— president of the United States Senate 1860-61. mention 45
Breese. Sydney— address and resolutions before the convention of November 25, 1853, at
Salem, Illinois 33-34
appointed circuit attorney of the third judicial circuit of Illinois 32
assistant Secretary of State of Illinois 32
characteristics of 32
death of in 1878 • 36
declines to become candidate for the supreme court of Illinois In 1853.33.35
elected to the supreme court of Illinois 32,36
elected United States senator 32
emigrated from New York and located in Kaskaskla 1818 30
hla work in the United States senate, projector of the Pacific R. R. . . . . . 33
judge of the circuit court in 1835 32
judicial opinions of 36
meets General Lafayette at Kaskaskla 31
mention 30.39
personal appearance of 34
5«3
Index — Continued.
P&ge
Breese. Sydney— projector of the Pacific R. R.. his work In the senate as chairman on
committee of public lands 83
removes from Kasfcaskia and makes his home near Carlyle. Illinois — 82
removes records of the secretary of State from Kaskaskla to Vandalia,
cost and length of time to accomplUh 36
retires fro u the United States senate. March, 1849 33
Samuel Plnley Breese Morse, Inventor of the telegraph, relative of — 31
serves as postmaster 32
serves In the Black Hawk war 31
speaker of the house of representntlves. 1851-1852 ai
speech of. In answer to Dougrlas, reference to 36
Stephen A. Douglas colleague of 33
takes active part In rallroart projects of the State 33, 34
toast at Fourth of July celebration In Kaskaskla. 1823 31
toast to General Lafayette at banquet given In his honor at Kaskaskla. 32
U. 8. district attorney 32
U. S- Senator from Illinois, mention 233
urged to accept the nomination for Judge of the supreme: court, but
declines 33
Bregance. John— private. War 1812 180
Bremen, Germany— mention 202
Brevoort. J H.— member Ills. State Historical Society Vli
Brewer, William— estate of, pioneer tanner of McLean Co 531
Brlce— See Bryce •-:
Brlckey. Preston— private. War 1812 191
Bridgeport— mention 278
Bridges, Allan— private. War 1812 182
Bridges, Joseph— private. War 1812 187
Bridget- wife of William Marion, child of baptized 394-395
Brlgance. John— sergeant. War 1812 191
Briggs, William, Jr— private. War 1812 181
Brlgham, John— private. War 1812 180
Brimbery. ,]acob— private. War 1812 191
Brink's "History of Madison county"— Interesting document taken from 195
Brisbois, Michael— lieutenant of a Company at Prairie du Chien 172
Brlsco, John— private. War 1812 ^82.195
Briscoe. John-private, War 1812 190
British, Agents and Traders— perfidy of. Little Turtle notifies the Americans 64
British, Agents— at Maiden, gifts distributed to the Indians by 95
in northwest, mention ^*'55
British, (The) Band— Black Hawk and his followers so called 65
British circulate war belts among western Indians 64
British Empire— Illinois made part of *57
British Frontier- posts of the northwest garrisons of the British 62
British Forts— mention 104
British Garrisons of the northwest territory— mention 62
British Indian Agents— attempt to unite Indian tribes against Americans 113
make presents to Indians to buy their support in War of 1812.... 114
their conduct in exciting Indians against Americans, subject of
congressional investigation, report of the matter 113,114.115
British Indian policy 62
traders, reference to °9
British Indian War 1812-14 ?6
British in the War of 1812— mention 19
British Islands— mention *38
British King— Illinois under rule of *57
mention 91
British Lion- mention 55s
British-mention 79.85.86.102.108.160,158,159.446.608
Morris Birkbeck suffers from British injustice 263
British Museum— mention 461
British Parliment— mention ool
British— possession of Ft. Chartres and Kaskaskla ,. 467
promise Tecumseh assistance In his scheme for a great Indian confederation. .. 66
British runners— mention J9
British— secure the iufluence of Tecumseh 66
British— surrender the northwestern posts to the U. 8., Aug. 3,1795 63
British traders— mention 102
violate U. S. restriction on the liquor traffic with the Indians 65
British tyranny— mention 312
British Queen (vessel)— mention 655
Brlze, Francis— wife of John B. Pettier, child of baptised 400-401
Brize. Franzolse— godmother at baptism of Francois Oliver Brlze 410-411
"Broad Brims" (Quakers)— mention 446
Broadway Hotel. Cincinnati, Ohio— mention 200
Broadway, N. Y.— mention -^^J
Brooks, Austin— career as a newspaper editor and publisher 210,211
Brooks, B. W —trustee of Jonesborough college 350
Brooks, family— noted in Illinois journalism, mention 210
584
Index — Continued.
Fasre
Brooks, John P.— trustee Illinois coUeee, mention 849
Brooks. John P.— editorial career of, mention 210,211
elected State Superintendent of Public Instruction of Illinois, 1862 211
enters the ministry— mention 211
Brooks, Martin— mention 210,211
Brooks, Samuel S,— mention 210,211
editorial career of 210
elected clerk of the circuit court, Qalncy, Ills 2i0
Brooks, Taphney— private. War 1812 191
Brooks, Zophue— corporal, War 1812 192
BrookvlUe. Indiana— mention 522
Brookvllle, Kentucky— mention 514
Broom, John— private. War 1812 193
Brown. C. C— member Illinois State Historical Society VII
Brown, Mrs. C C— member Illinois State Historical Society VII
Brown, Co.. Illinois— mention 426
Brown. David- private, War 1812 196
Brown. Enoch— private. War 1812 , 185
Brown, (B) Qratz— Lyman Trumbull supports for vice President of the United States... 47
nominated for vice-PresIdent. Cincinnati convention, 1872 301
Brown, James— corporal. War 1812 1**7
Brown, James N.— active in the cause of education, in Illinois, mention 224
president of the Illinois State Agricultural Society, mention 224,225
Brown, John— mention 155
private War 1812 196
Brown, Larshel— member of party pursuing Indians after Loutre settlement robbery — 67
Brown, Thomas C— candidate for governor, 1822 420
Brown University— mention 224
Brown. (Hon.) William A. M.— Address, delivered in the House of Representatives. Jan-
uary 11. 1839. in the Interest of education 543-568
address of. reference to. see foot-note 360
death of. at Jacksonville. 111., mention .' 338
mention 333.334,337
professor in McKendree College 545
vote of thanks sent to, for addresses delivered before
House of Representatives 646
Brown. William H.— mention 345
Early movement in Illinois for the legalization of slavery." Fergus'
Historical Series No. 4, reference to. see foot-note 415
Brownfleld. Charles-private. War 1812 187
Browning Clubs— mention 319
Browning, Elizabeth— born in 1809, mention 198
Browning, Orville H.— appointed to U. S. Senate by Governor Yates to succeed Stoohen
A. Douglas 23*
delegate to the convention at Bloomlngton. 1856 56
mention 236
Secretary of the Interior. U. S.. and a brief time Secretary of the
Treasury 234
senator In Illinois Tenth General Assembly. 1836 28
Brownvllle. 111.— made county seat of Jackson county 1816, mention 252
Brundage. Simeon— private. War 1812 178,182
Bruner. J. C— mention 345
Brunervs. Madison County— case of. reference to. see foot-note 600
Brunei. Elizabeth— godmother at baptism of child of Indian woman 408-409
godmother at baptism of Thomas Chonicone 404-405
Brunswick, Royal House of— mention 308
Bryan. William Jennings— mention 28
Bryant. Arthur— member of the ' Buel Institute " Association 219
Bryant, John H.— editor of the Bureau Advocate, mention 211
member of the " Bael Institute " Association 219
Bryant. William Cullen— describes Illinois roads in 1846 203
mention 219. 388
quotation from poem on " The Prairies" -- 203
visits Illinois In 1832, mention 202. 20 J
Bryce. James— "American Commonwealth." mention 503
Bryce's American Commonwealth- mention, footnote 467. 502
Brydges. W. R— member Illinois State Historical Society VII
Buchanan Family— historic family of Ireland, mention 309
Buchanan, (President) James— mention 202, 312, 482
message of, mention 46
vetoes educational measure passed the United States
Congress 225
Buchanan, Walter— pioneer In a colony of Scotch-Irish Presbyterians 263
relates incident concerning Morris Blrkbeck 264
Buck. Frederick— volunteer. War 1812 185
Buckles, John— private. War 1812 196
Backlin, George M.— member Illinois State Historical Society VII
Buckraaster, (Miss) Julia— secretary Madison County Historical Society 9
Buckner. Phil.— sergeant. War 1812 186
Bucks, Frederick— lieutenant, Fourth Illinois Regiment, War 1812 176
585
Index — Continued.
Pasre
Budd. Thomas— receives a grant of land from New Jersey forbulldlnffamarket and court
house at Burlington 215
scheme of industrial edacation 21S
Bael Institute— members and oreanlxatlon of 219
mention 225
Bnena Vista— account of battle of 50, 51
battle field of. letter written by William H. Blssell to Qnstavus Koerner,
from 50 51
battle of, bravery and patriotic sacrifice 50
battle of. mention 52, 53.64.275.277
Buffalo, N. Y.— Captain Heald given passage to Buffalo by Colonel Proctor, mention 123
mention 21,204.291,390,443
Bulllarjean, Anthony— godfather at baptism of Maria Blzalllln 394-395
Bulsson du, Catherine — sponsor at baptism of Charles Pierre 402 403
Bull (Pottawatomie) In council at Cahokla, April 16. 1812 101
Bull, Lorenzo— president Qulncy Historical Society 9
Bunker (Mr.) of Equality. 111.— mention 257
Bunn, Henry— estate of 1 534
Bunn, Lewis— quoted in " Good Old Times In McLean County " 528
Bnnsen, George- establishes school at Belleville, 111., on the Frankfort elementary school
pattern, mention 304
Burchard, Horatio C— member Illinois State Historical Society VII
mention 238
Burdette, Green— corporal. War 1812 179
" Bureau Advocate " newspaper— independent newspaper prior to John H. Bryant's con-
nection with 211
JohnH. Bryant, editor of. 1848-1863 211
published at Princeton, 111., by Hooper-Warren 206
Bureau County. Illinois— mention 219. 508
Burel,Antoine— child of, baptized 408.409
Burel, Jeanne— daughter of Antoine Burel and Jeanne Chardon, baptism of 408.409
Burgess, William-private, War 1812 182.191
" ' "^•» wounded in an encounter with the Indians 166
Burgoyne, John— English general, mention 310
Burke, Edmund— member of English parliament, mention 32
Burke, Kev. J. J —member Illinois State Hls'torical society VII
Burleson— family, early settlers of McLean County, mention 526
BurHngame (Hon.) Anson— mention 369
Burlington. New Jersey— mention 215
Burnap, Prof. W. L— member Illinois State Historical Society VII
Burnet House, Cincinnati. Ohio— mention 200
Burnet (Mr.)— Indian trader, captain and Mrs. Heald taken to the home of after the Ft.
Dearborn massacre 122
Burnet's (Jacob) Notes— on the early settlement of the northwest territory, see foot note62, 63
on the early settlement of the northwest territory, quoted 63
Bnrney, Charles— private. War 1812 196
Burney, John— private. War 1812 196
Burney, William-private. War 1812 198
Burnham (Mr.) A, C of Champaign. Illinois- mention 324
Buinham, J. H.— chairman of committee on local historical societies. Illinois State His-
torical Society 12
chairman local historical societies, makes report 1
declines to act further on Louisiana Purchase committee 8
letter to from J. O. Cunningham on work done by local historical so-
cieties, mention 3
member board of directors, Illinois State Historical Society 16
member committee on local historical societies 8,9
member constitution and by-laws committee. Illinois State Historical
Society VII 12
member Illinois State Historical Society 12
member nominating committee. Illinois State Historical Society 4
member program committee. Illinois State Historical Society 12
mention 5.7
reads paper of Hon. Robert A. Gray 14,15
reads resolutions of respect and esteem for the late Hon. H. W. Beck
with 3
report of Evanston Historical Society, addressed to 10,11
report of, on the Louisiana Purchase Exposition exhibit 3
suggests necrological department for transactions of the Illinois State
Historical Society, publications 4
Burns, John— member of the militia, who served In the action at Ft. Dearborn not men-
tioned by Captain Heald 124
Burr. Aaron— mention 200
Burrls. Michael-private. War 1812 185
Burschenschaft (The)— German university student organization, meeting of. held at
Stuttgart, mention 289
"Burschenschaf ten"— student organization of the German universities, mention 286.288
Burt. J. S.— member Illlnoia State Historical Society VII
Bush, Hon. J. M.— member Illinois State Historical Society VII
president Pike County Historical Society 9
586
Index — Continued.
Pasre.
Bashel, Frederick— lieutenant Third lUlnola regiment, War 1812 176
Bnshfleld, John— ensign Third Illinois regiment. War 1813 175
Busseron— mention 128,129
Batea, Joseph— private. War 1812 178
Butcher, D. G.— member Illinois State Historical Society VII
Butler. Captain— challenges Isaac White to a duel 248,249
Butler (Colonel) Anthony— commander at Detroit, mention 158
extract of a letter from, to Governor Edwards on Indian af-
fairs in Michigan territory 157
Butler, P.— of McLean County, Illinois, mention 546,546
Buyat. Benjamin- private. War 1812 192
Buyat, Michael— sergeant. War 1812 192
Cache (Cash) River— mention 144
Cadillac, LaMothe— mention 462
Cadwell, George— judge of election held at Edwardsvllle, Illinois, to elect captain, first
and second lieutenants of volunteers. War 1812 , 196
Csesar's commentaries— mention 52
CBBsar. Julius— mention 454.553
Cahokia. Illinois— county seat removed from, to Belleville. Illinois 27
Indian council, between Governor Nlnian Edwards and representative
chiefs held at, speeches, etc 100-112
Indian mounds near, mention 19
Judge Jesse Burgess Thomas locates at 516
mention 19,27,74,86.158,159.179.517
mission post at, mention 456
Cahokia Creek— mention 132
Cahokia Mounds— have never been systematically explored 20
Cain. Kobert— private. War 1812 187
Cairo, Illinois— mention 1,2,201,278,339,441,442
mention in foot note 441
railroads from Cairo to termination of I. & M. canal, appropriation for .. 490
stragetlc point in the War of the Uebellion. mention 276
Woman's Club and Library Association, organization of 317
Woman's Club, mention 327
Caldwell (Capt.)— of the "Blue Hen's Chicken's" regiment, Delaware 310.311
Caldwell family— historic family of Ireland 309
Caldwell. John— receiver of the Shawneetown land district, mention 249
Calhoun County, Illinois— assessed valuation of property In, see foot-note 495
mention 147
Calhoun, Daniel— private War 1812 187
Calhoun family— historic family of Ireland, mention 309
Calhoun, John— representative from Sangamon County in Illinois legislature, 1838-40 425
Calhoun. John C— mention 293
California— acquisition of. mention 273
State of. debates in Congress on its admission to the Union as a free state,
mention 53
Gulf of, mention 447
(Capt.) James Shields locates in 40
State of. mention 50.241,295.338
Calllno. John— private War 1812 190
Calumet Lake— mention 462
Calumet River— mention 463,465
Cilvert (Sir) Cecilius (Baron of Baltlmore)—Maryland patent Issued to 514
Calvert, (Lord) George— Hon. Jesse Burgess Thomas descendant of 514
Calvin. John— mention 383
Cambridge. England— mention 469
Camden, Battle cf— mention 311
Cameron, Simeon— mention 297
Camp Russell— (Gen.) Howard disbands his army at, Oct. 22, 1813 148
location of, mention 72,131
mention 137,138,158,147,171
named in honor of Colonel Russell 72
troops marched back to. where they were discharged after campaign — 133
U. S. rangers and mounted volunteers assembled at. preparatory to In-
dian invasion 131
Camp Yates— U. S. Grant put in command of 298
Campbell's Battle— mention 162
Campbell Family— historic family of Ireland 309
Campbell, James— estate of 529
Campbell, Lieutenant John— commands expedition to reinforce Ft. Shelby, fate of 163
Campbell. Lieutenant John, U. S. A.— erects blockhouse on the Illinois river 72
wounded in encounter with British and Indians.. 163
Campbell, John— private War 1812 185,186
lieutenant Fourth Illinois regiment. War 1812 178
sergeant major First Illinois reerlment. War 1812 176
Campo. Stephen— Godfather at baptism of Peter Chabot 396-397
Camudy, Alexander— private War 1812 178
!
587
Index — Continued.
Pa are
Canada— forts In. bnilt by British and French, mention >. 1U4
Governor of (Antolne Joseph LePebvre de la Barre). mention 455
British agents In, mention 6*
mention 26, 85. 90, 91, 92, 97. 102. 105. 110, 150. 158, 168. 273. 414. 447. 456. 465
refneees from, townships on Lake Erie alloted to 474
Senacas of upper Canada, mention 99
Canady. John— estate of 529
Canals— New York and Erie Canal, mention 291
Ohio Canal, mention 291
Canandal^na— mention 64
Candee. (Mrs.) H. H— president Illinois Federation of Women's Clubs 326
ScanicSc. Maminaplta or Maria— Godmother at baptism of Maria Michael 396-397
8canlc8c. Maria- Godmother at baptism of John B. Potior 398-399
Godmother at baptism of Maria Le Boissiere 396-397
Godmother at baptism of Maria Thoret 396-397
wife of Michael Philippe, child of baptized 396-597.398-399
8cannic8c, Marie— Godmother at baptism of lUaria Bourbonnals 396-397
Cannon. Joseph G— mention 238
Cannon. Simon— volunteer War 1812 186
Canton. Illinois- Canton Ledger (newspaper) published at 211
Canton Keglster (newspaper) published at 211
Cap an Grls— mention 149.150
Cape of Good Hope— Dutch and Huguenot colonies at. mention 273
Capei8sreize. Maria Susan— wife of John Gaultier SalsinsSra. child of baptized 396-397
Capen, ilr. Charles L.— member Illinois State Historical Society VII
mention 14
Capital of the State of Illinois- legislature passes bill for the removal of 28
Springfield, obsequies of W. H. Bissell at 67
project to remove State Capital from Vandalla to
Springfield. 488
removed to Springfield. Ill , mention 488
Capkl8pci8c, Maria— wife of John Sakinghoara, child of baptized 396-397
Carbondale, Illinois- historical society proposed at 4
mention 14,16.252
Cardinal. Gabriel Bertrand-Godfather at baptism of Gabriel Bigoto 412-413
Carlin, Thomas— born near Frankfort. Ky.. July 18. 1789. died Feb. 14. 1852. sixth Gover-
nor of Illinois. Dec 7. 1838. to Dec. 8. 1842
appoints Gustavus Koerner as member of commission to appraise
railroad property, etc , mention 293
mention 312
sent to reconnoitre Indian villages on the Illinois river 132
Carllnville, Illinois— art society in. mention 317
Carllnvllle Free Democrat (newspaper), published at 210.212
mention 384.386
see footnote 132
Carlyle. Illinois— mention 72.330
Sydney Breese. makes hla home near 32
Carmack. Isaac— private, war 1812 180.190.195
Carml. Illinois— mention 14,142.375.376
Carnegie. Andrew— mention S37
Carolina— emigrants from, mention 272
Carolina South— mentloni 520
Carpenter. Milton— representative in Illinois tenth General Assembly 1836 28
Carr. Henry— ensign. Second Illinois Regiment, war 1812 177.180
sergeant, war 1812 193
Carr. James— volunteer, war 1812 185
Carr. Leonard— private, war 1812 179
Carriel. Mrs. Mary Turner— member Illinois State Historical Society VII
Carrlere. Anthony— sponsor at baptism of child named Joseph 402-403
Carriere. Antolne— sponsor at baptism of Pierre Thevenard 408-409
Carrlere, Joseph— Godfather at baptism of Maria Josepha Phillippe 398-399
Carrierre, Sleur— Pierre and Marie, Negroes belonging to 410-411
Carroll, Charles— of Shawneetown, gives information concerning the Salt Springs 247
of Carrollton. one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. 309
Carrollton, Missouri— (Capt.) James Shields practices law, at 40
Carter, David— private, war 1812 182
Carter, D. K.— .mention 370-371
Carter, John— estate of 536
Carthage. Illinois— "Carthage Republican" (newspaper), published at 211
mention 209
Cartoons in newspaper work— James M. Davidson, first country editor to use cartoons.
Mention 211
Cartwrlght, (Kev.) Peter— mention 330,336.381
Cartwright. George- present ownerof Capt. Abel Moore's farm 154
Cary, Alice— mention _.. 889
Cary, Phoebe— mention 389
Casad, (Rev.) Anthony W.— articles of association formulated by, for seminary of learn-
ing, etc 329
auditor McKendree College, mention 338
mention 344
trustee McKendree College 332,349
588
Index — Continued.
Page
CascaskieSe, Susanna, wife of Auenst LaPolnte, child of baptized 402-403
Casey, Zadoc— chairman of the convention at Salem, Illinois, November. 25, 1863 33.34
favors convention of 1824 208
mention 338
(Rev.) Zadoc of Jefferson county, Illinois, mention 330
Cash River— see Cache river 144
Cass County. Illinois— mention 524
Castan, Thomas— private, war 1812 187
Castle and Temple— manufacturers of salt on an extensive scale 255-256
Castle, J. B.— member Illinois State Historical Society VII
Castle, Joseph— manufacturer of salt, process of 255,256
Castle. Joseph J.— mention 256
Cat-Flsh— Pottowatomle Indian, leader of the robbery at Loutre settlement 67
Pottowatomle Chief— mention 83
Cataract House, Niagara Falls— mention 204
Catawba Grape Orchard of Nicholas Longworth- mention 200
Cates. Robert D.— volunteer, war 1812 185,196
Catholic Church (Roman)— mention 377
Catholic Faith (Roman)— report that Stephen A. Douglas had espoused 29
Catholic Majesty (King of Spain)— mention 458
Catholics- victims of religious intolerance— mention 308
Caton. John D.— elected judge of the supreme court. State of Illinois 294
Caton, Theophilus— estate of 532
Caulone, Marie— sponsor of baptism of Marie Tagrlgige 410-411
Cave-in-Rock. Illinois-thirty miles below Shawneetown, Illinois 201
Centennial Exposition- Philadelphia, 1876 316,317
Central America— archaeological research in 23
Central Christian Advocate— newspaper, mention 340
Central College of Virginia- mention 567
Central Illinois Art Union— organization of 317
Central Railroad (foot note) concerning— mention 441
Corns, VVlUlam— sergeant— war 1812 179
Cerro Gordo- battle of— reference to 38.39,49
Cesnola, Louis Palma de— noted archaeologist, born in Rivarolo Piedmont, Italy, June
12, 1832
researches of in Cyprus, reference to 22
Chabot— sponsor at baptism of John B. Mercler 400,401
Chabot, Pierre— child of. baptized , 406,407
son of Pierre Chabot and Ren6e Mercler. baptism of 405,407
Chabot, Peter— child of, baptized 396.397
godfather at baptism of Marianne Boisjoly 398,399
godfather at baptism of Peter Migneret 396.397
Chaffln. Amos— sergeant. War 1812 178,192
Chaffin. Ellas- private. War 1812 196
Chaffln. Ellis- private. War 1812 192
Chalfln, ^eth— private. War 1812 184
Chamberlin, David— mention 344
Chamberlin, John M.— mention 339
Chamberlain, Pros. M. H.— address before the Illinois State Historical Society, 1904; His-
torical sketch of McKendree College 328-384
member board of directors Illinois State Historical Society.. 16
member Illinois State Historical Society VII
member nominating committee Illinois State Historical So-
ciety 4
member program committee Illinois State Historical Society 12
mention 7.14.216
president of McKendree College, mention 335
reads paper of Hon. W. H. Collins 14.15
Chambers, Barnabas— volunteer, War 1812 186
Chambers' Fort— location of 72
Chambers, James— ensign. Second Illinois regiment. War 1812 177
private. War 1812 193
Chambers, Capt. Nathan— muster roll of, in the War 1812 193
Chambers, Thomas— private. War 1812 196
Chambers, William— private. War 1812 196
Chambers, Willis— private. War 1812 196
Champagne. Peter— godfather at baptism of Peter Blzalllon 394-395
Chamoaign county— historical society organized in 7
Champaign County Historical Society— mention - 20
Champaign— Illinois. Art Club in. mention 317
Champaign, Illinois. Social Science Club— work of 324
mention 327
Champollion, Jean Francois- noted archaeloglst. born in Pigeac. December. 1791. died
March, 1832, mention 23
Chance, William— private. War 1812 190,195
ChandlervlUe, Ohio— mention 247
Chapultepec— assault on. mention 38,294
General Shields wounded at. mention 294
Characteristics and customs of the early lawyers and politicians of Illinois 29
Chardon. Jeanne— wife of Antolne Burel. child of, baptized 408,409
Charles (King) the Second— mention 514
I
589
Index — Continued.
Paee
Charleston. South Carolina— mention 369
Charlevllle —private. War 1812 18*
Charon— ferryman who conveys the souls of the dead across the rivers of Hades, mention 243
Chartres- f'ort. preservation of 20
Ctiartres. Fort, mention, see Port Chartres 456
Chase. Hon. Jeremiah— of Maryland, mention 47S
Chase. Salmon P.— mention 297,371
Chassln -signs church record of the parish of Our Lady of the Kaakaskias 410.413
Chatranooffa, Tennessee— mention 278.281
Chautauqua Circles In Illinois- members of 316
organization of 316
Chautauqua Library and Scientific Circle— beginnings of. mention. 315
Chauvin, Louis— baptises Francis La Boissiere 396-397
godfather at baptism of Francis La Boissiere 396-397
g'dfather at baptism of James La Lande 398-399
Checagou— spelling of the word 'Chicago" as given by early writers, mention 461.465
Checagou River— mention 464,465
Chekagu— spelling of the word "Chicago" as given by early writers 461
Chekagwa— Fox Indian word for skunk 461
Chelton. William— private. War 1812 182
Chenes. Portage Les— (Portage of the Oaks), mention 466
Cheney. Owen— estate of 533
Cheney's Grove. Illinois— mention 540
CheSptngSa. Domitilla— wife of Anthony Baillarjean. child of, baptized 394-396
Cherokee Indians— Tecumseh promised aid by 98
Chesne. Francois— child of. baptized. 406,407
Chesne. Marie Louise— daughter of Francois Chesne and Marie Louise Colgnon 406,407
Chester, Illinois- mention 14
Chetomacha, Francolse— wife of Cason Tagnigige, child of. baptized 410,411
Chequensboc— burning of. mention 137
Chicago— spelling of the word "Chicago" as given by early writers 461
Checagon 461
Checagou 461
Chekagou 461
Chlcagoe 463
Chlcagou 461,462
advices from, prove Indians hostile 99
Chicago Alternate Club— mention 327
Chicago— Andreas' history of 463
Chicago. Illinois— art clubs of 322
Art institute, mention 324
Association for the Advancement of Women, conveutlon of, met at... 315
Brotherhood National Council of Jewish Women, mention 327
Chicago Catholic Women's National League— mention 327
Chicago— Cnlcago Dally Tribune (newspaper) establishment of, mention 207,304,504
Chicago Democrat, (newspaper)— John Wentworth. editor 209
Chicago— clubs dating their formation, from the. 1670-lfr80 318
Chicago, coat of arms for— suggested by William Jones 461
Chicago. "Commercial Advertiser"— third newspaper published in 206
Chicago, (The) Convention of 1860— mention 368
Chicago— Daughters of the American Revolution, oldest chapter of. in 320
Chicago. Domestic Arts and Science— school for. in 323
Chicago, domestic science in schools of 322
Chicago, evades the payment of State taxes— see foot-note 495
Chicago. Every Wednesday Club, mention 827
Chicago, Fortnightly Club of 318
Chicago. "Free West and Western Citizen"— newspaper published in- by Z .Eastman and
Hooper Warren 206
Chicago. Fire of 1871— mention 60
of 1873— mention 261
Chicago, Friday Club— mention 337
Chicago. Friends in Council Club 318
Chicago— foote-note 441-442
Chicago, Garrison at— mention 92
Chicago. Historical Society— collections of 60
mention 7. 8, 14. 15. 20
Flower's history of the English settlement In Edwards
County, Illinois— presented to 247
has no knowledge of a book on Illinois, sala to have been
published by Calvin Leonard— mention 264
and McLean County Historical Society— only two societies
that have issued publications 20
Chicago. Hospital Societies— In 324-325
Chicago, Household Economic Association 327
Chicago, Hull House Women's Club— mention 327
Chicago. Joliet travels through country 463
Chicago, KIddergarten Club 322
Chicago, Kilo Association— mention 327
Chicago, Known to early German settlers as "Gross Point", (now Evanston) 462
Chicago. LaSalle writes of 462
Chicago. Law School— mention 375
Chicago. Legend of name— told by Fox Indians 460
590
Index — Continued.
Paee^
Chicago, Marquette travels through present site of— In 1674 462-463
Chicago — mention 10, 14, 15,^16, 23, 26, 44,
47. 68, 87. 124. 125, 126, 200. 202. 273, 320, 368. 369, 385. 387. 389, 390, 391. 524. 525, 529. 630
municipal corporations in— see foot-note 495
Chicago Natloaal Convention 1860— mention 372
Chicago Newspaper Women's Club— mention 327
Chicago Olio Club— mention 327
Chicago— Origin of the name of the city and the Old Portages, John F. Steward. A paper
contributed to the transactions of the Illinois State Historical Society. 1904.460-466
Public money disbursements of 503
Public School Art Association of 319
Chicago River. (Chicagou)— Cadillac gives meaning of. as Kiver of the Onion 462
killing of Liberty White near, Capt. Heald's account of 100
mention 124,448,453.461-466
foot-note 463
Chicago— Sanitary Channel, mention 449
Chicago— Settlement Clubs 324
Shega^oegi (region of the skunk), name given by Fox Indians to 461
South Side Club, mention '. 327
Third convention held at. In the interest of Industrial education 222
town meetings held in townships in, caricatures upon self-government 502-503
Chicago Tribune— (Hon.) H.W. Beckwith's contributions to 26
Joseph Medill assumes control of, June 18, 1836 209
mention 304,604
reference to. see foot-note 496
Chicago West End Woman's Club— mention 327
Chicago Woman's Aid— philanthropic work of 324
Chicago Woman's Club— mention 327
organization of 318
societies the outgrowth of 319
Chicago Women's League— mention 327
Chicago Women's Literary Club of Millard avenue 318
Chicago Women's Press Association 327
Chlckamauga— battle of, mention 279
mention 31
Chlckamauga Park— dedication of, mention 281
Culckasaws ladians— D'Artiguette and company captured and killed by 467
"Chicken Row"— row of little houses in Springfield in an early day, so called 202
Chihuahua, Mexico— mention 283
Child Labor Law— mention 321
Children from Ft. Dearborn— eleven massacred and scalped 12S
Chilton. James, Sr.— private. War 1812 194
Chilton, Jr.— private. War 1812 194
Chilton, Joshua— private. War 1812 194
Chilton, Matthias— private. War 1812 194
Chilton. WliHam— private. War 1812 194
China, Dr. Wentworth missionary to— mention 388
Chlppeway Indians— chief of in council at Cahokia, April 16, 1812,mention 101
educated at the Ebenezer Manual Labor School, became mission-
aries among their people 217
execution of, mention 86
mention 87,88,89.100
Chism. James— ensign. War 1812 178
Chitty, Joseph— eminent English legal author, born In 1776— died 1841, mention 240
Choiser. John— quartermaster Sergeant Third Illinois regiment. War 1812 175
quartermaster Sergt-aot Fourth Illinois regiment. War 1812 176
Chonlcone. Francoise- child of baptized 404-406
Chonlcone. Thomas— son of Francoise Chonlcone, a slave 404-406
Christian Advocate— newspaper, mention • 338
Christian Era— mention 22
Christian County— mention 188.372
Christy, William— major in the first Missouri Regiment. War 1812 147
mention 148,152
Christy's Creek— mention 162
Chukagoh, Fox Indan word for wild onion 461
Church of Winnebago— resolution of. upon slavery 426
Church. Selden M —of Winnebago, delegate to Constitutional Convention of 1847 427
Churchill, Q.— of Madison County. Illinois, mention 645,646
Churchill Peleg— business contract with James D. Morgan, terms of 274
Churchill (Col.) Sylvester— Inspector general, of the United States Army, mention 284
Churzo (Jourange?) Nicholas— captain. Second Illinois Regiment, War 1812 174
Clcily— Negro woman, owned by the Heald's. mention 125
Cincinnati, Ohio-called "Queen City of the West," mention,.. 200, 291
Cincinnati College— mention 378
Cincinnati Convention— call for a convention at— May 1872, results of — ... 301
1872, Lyman Trumbull spoken of as probable nominee for the
presidency 301
Cincinnati, Ohio-mention 338,374,378,339,475,547
Circular Issued by the committee on Local Historical Societies 6-8
Circuit Riders— mention 263
Civil rights bill-Introduced in. U. S. Senate by Lyman Trumbull, quotation from 47
591
Index — Continued .
Page
C!lvil Service— Theodore Roosevelt, member of committee on reform of. New York May
15.1876 302
Civil War— see War of the Rebellion
Civil War— mention 201.232,388
Clampet, Nathan— lieutenant Fourth Illinois regiment. War 1812 177
Clark. Abraham— captain Second Illinois Regiment, War 1812 174
appointed captain of a MiUtla Company In St. Clair County Illinois
Territory 66
Clark. Abram— Captain of a militia Company in St. Clair County. War 1812 177
Clark County— Illinois, mention 270
Clark, Edward— corporal. War 1812 183
private. War 1812 188
Clark family— prominent In the history of Illinois, mention 230
Clark, Felix— private. War 1812 190.195
Clark, George Rogers— Illinois expedition of, mention 311
mention 19, 86. 4 14. 470
neglect of memory of 3U
Clark, Isaac— private. War 1812 181,191
Clark, Jacob— private. War 1812 179.190.195
Clark, James— ensign, First Illinois Regiment, War 1812 177
cw. private, War 1812 183,191
Clark, Mildred S.— estate of 532
Clark, (Mrs.)— cruel massacre of— by the Indians 146
Clark, (Prof.) Olynthus B.— member, committee on local historical societies 8.9. 12
member Illinois State Historical Society VII
Secretary Woodford County Historical Society 9
Clark. Richard— private. War 1812 187
Clark. Robert— corporal. War 1812 196
Clark, ((3enl.) William- account of the council between the Indians and Governor
Ninian Edwards at Cahokia. April 16, 1812 100-112
builds and garrisons a fort ai Prairie dn Chlen 160
commands forces on expedition to Prairie du Chien 160
copy of letter from General Howard to, dated Ramsey's Creek
September 16. 1813 149-160
extract from letter of. on British Interference with Indian affairs. 65
letter from, dated at St. Louis. January 12. 1812. on Indian affairs. 96
letters from, dated at St. Louts. February 13. 1812; March 16.1812;
March 22. 1812. on Indian affairs 98-99
letter of. dated St. Louis, January 12, 1826. on the attitude of the
Sac and Fox Indians 165
mention 97,108,116,150,153,161,344
superintendent of Indian affairs— see footnote 77
Clark, William- private, war 1812 196
Clarke. Alexander— private, war 1812 192
Clarke. Jacob— lieutenant, second Illinois regiment, war 1812 177
Clary. Prof. J M.— member Illinois State Historical Society VII
Clay, Casslus M— claim of, before the United States court of claims, mention 127
Clay, Dennis— private, war 1812 185
Clay, Henry— statesman. mention 33,63,293,565
votes cast for by Illinois in presidential election 521
( steamer) burning c f , on the Hudson river in 1852, mention 224
Clay, Lieutenant Colonel Henry. Jr.- killed at the battle of Buena Vista, mention 60
mention 51.56
Clayton, Archibald— private, war 1812 J96
J^ayton, S.— lieutenant, fourth Illinois regiment, war 1812 177
Clemson (Col.), Ell B.— inspector of forces, war 1812 147
mention 330,338,344
Clendennen. Henry— ensign, first Illinois regiment, war 1812 173
Clendenln, Hon. H, W.— member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
Clendenln, James— ensign, first Illinois regiment, war 1812 177
lieutenant, first Illinois regiment, war 1812 176
Clendenln. John— private, war 1812 186
Clendlnin, John— private, war 1812 1S4
Cleveland. Grover— Gustavus Koerner active in campaign of, mention 802
mention 202
Cleveland. Ohio— mention 291,305
Clinton, County, Illinois- mention 427
see footnote 168
votes against the constitutional convention of 1847 479
Cllonian Club— of Pontiac. Illinois 818
Cloud Rev. Newton— of Morgan County, member of the Tenth General Assemby,
State of Illinois, isae 28
mention 546,646
Clover, Adam— private, war 1812 180
Clover, James— private, war 1812 179
Clover, John— private, war 1812 190.195
Clubs— Young Men's Republican Club ot New York, mention 371.372
Clubs— see Woman's Club movement in Illinois 8314-327
Clyne, John— private, war 1812 192
Coal— mention -- — •,:••■•,-.•, v, 255
Coal Mine (The)— near Equality. Ill mention 256
592
Index — Continued.
Paee
Cobb, Dr , (Cincinnati, Ohio)— professor in Ohio Medical College 37
Coblelgh. (Dr.) Nelson E.—aeath of. In 1874, mention 338
mention 341
president of McKendree College, mention 335
Cochran, Qeoree— corporal, war 1812 178
Cochran, George— private, war 1812 192
Cochran, (Capt.) John— muster roll of, war 1812 184
Cochran (Cockran), John— captain, first Illinois regiment, war 1812 173
Cockran (Cochran), John— captain, first Illinois regiment, war 1812 173,176
Cofifee Creek— mention 142
Coignon, Marie Louise— wife of Francois Chesne, child of, baptized 406-407
Coke, (Sir) Edward— eminent English judge, authority on law, born Mileham, England,
1552, died 1633, mention 240
Coke, (Sir) William— rule quoted by 242
Cokesbury College— see footnote, mention 330
Cola. private, war 1812 192
Cole, John— captain, third Illinois regiment, war 1812 175
Cole, Stephen— bravery of . in Indian encounter 67
member of party pursuing Indians after the Lontre settlement robbery.. 67
wounded in an encounter with Indians 67
Cole, William Temple— killed In an encounter with Indians 67
member of party pursuing Indians after the Loutre settlement
robbery 67
Coleman. Daniel T.— lieutenant, third UUnoia regiment, war 1812 176,177
Coles County, Illinois— mention 430
Coles, Edward— born in Albemarle county, Virginia, December 15. 1786. died July 7. 1868.
second Governor of the State of Illinois
appoints Morris Birkbeck Secretary of State of Illinois 260
candidate for Governor 1822 420
"Sketch of Edward Coles.' Ellhu B. Washburne's, quotations from... 432
elected Governorof Illinois, mention 261.519,520
E. B. Washburne's note on election of. and result 261
mention 312,416,422,423.520
opposed slavery 420
opposed to the convention of 1824 208
political leaders of Illinois opposed to 421
register of the land office at Edwardsvllle 619
suit brought against for failure to comply with slave law 421
visits Morris Birkbeck at Wanborough. mention 260
Washburne's Sketch of Edward Coles, footnotes 420.421.432
Coles Party (The)— names ot murderers of. given by Gomo and Little Chief 94
Coley (Cooley). Henry— private War 1812 196
Collantes. Calderon— Spanish secretary of foreign relations, mention 800
College and Seminary Fund, State of Illinois- appropriated for current expenses of the
State, mention 218
demand for restoration of 218
College and Seminary Fund— one of the questions to be considered at special session
of the legislature, June 8, 1852 221
College and Seminary Fund, State of Illinois— mention 218
College of Cincinnati— mention 378
College of Husbandry— article on the propositions for the erection of 215
Collins, Charles— mention 344
Collins, Hugh— private War 1812 196
Collins, John— private War 1812 195
Collins, (Mrs.) Leila B— secretary Logan County Historical Society 9
Collins, (Hon.) William H.— address before tne Illinois State Historical Society, 1904,
"Biographical Sketch of Major General James D. Mor-
gan" 274-285
member board of directors of Illinois State Historical So-
ciety 16
member committee on legislation, Illinois State Historical
Society 12
member Illinois State Historical Society VII
mention 12.14
on staff of General John M. Palmer 279
Colon, Marle-wlfeof Louis Turpln. child of baptised 404-405
Colonial History of New York— researches for. In England, France and Holland, mention 19
Colonists of the United States— mention 272
Colton's Map House. New York City— mention 389
Columbia. District of— mention 424
Columbia. Illinois— mention 378.379
Columbia ttiver— mention 169
Columbian Exposition- mention 319
Columbus. Christopher- mention 648
Columbus, Kentucky— mention 277
Columbus, Ohio— mention 389
Whig national convention of 1810 held at 622
593
Index — Continued.
Pasre
"Commercial Advertiser"— third newspaper published In Chlcairo, published by Hooper
Warren 206
Commissioner of Education— report of. for 1903. amount of land for educational pur-
poses, etc 22S
United States, report of, June 80. 1903 214
Commissioners of Public Works— elected by the General Assembly, State of Illinois.... 48»
Committee on Local Historical Societies— members of 12
report of 6-9
Committee Reports— Illinois State Historical Society 1-6
Commonwealth of England— mention 216
Company "A." First Regiment, Illinois Infantry— commanded by Colonel John J. Har-
din, mention 275
"Company of the Great West"— mention 456
Company of the Indies— mention 19
Compton, John— lieutenant Fourth Illinois regiment. War 1812 177
Compulsory education— mention 321
Comte's "Positive Philosophy"— mention '.". ggS
Concord. Mass , Battle of— mention 310
Confederacy of States— mention 550,556
Confederate Army- mention 279
Confederated Swiss— Schiller's version of the oath of on Ruetli Mountain, mention..... 289
Conference Seminary— Rev Peter Cartwright presents memorial to M E. conference in
the cause of .328
Congdon, George E.— member IIUdoIs State Historical Society VII
Congress of the United States— act of, in 1867 In the interest of education, mention :e22
act passed by Congress granting public lands for educa-
tional purposes 214
mention 226
act passed 1890 making additional appropriation for in-
dustrial education 226
annals of, mention 603
grants land to newly appointed oflBcers of the new Illi-
nnis Territory 516
Investigation and report of the charge that England
through her Indian agents incited the Indians to hos-
tilities against the Americans 113, 114, 115
mention 118,616
Morrill bill, act of. July 2,1862. mention 228
Connecticut— steamer on the Illinois river in an early day. mention 20
Connecticut, State of— flrst constitution of 1639. incorporation of towns provided for 470
land, ceded to the United States Government by. mention 471
mention 473.552
Connolly, Hon. James A.— address before the Illinois "itate Historical Society 1904.
"The Country Lawyer" 240-244
mention U
Connor, Anchony B— private, war 1812 190.195
Connor George— private, war 1812 184.1^5
Connor. Henry— lieutenant First Illinois Regiment, war 1812 173
Connor Henry— private, war 1812 192
Constantinople, Tnrkev- mention ". 201
Constitution of the State of Illinois. See Illinois Constitution of.
Constitution of McKendree College— reference to. see foot-note 330
See McKendree college.
Constitution of the United States— thirteenth amendment, mention 31
mention 125.292.646,549,550,651
See United States.
Constitutional Conventions— State of Illinois. See Illinois Constitutional Conventions.
Continental Gazette (newspaper)- first newspaper advocating an appeal to arms, in
Revolutionary War 309
Convention— jonrn al 1862, foot-note 429
of November 25, 1853 at Salem, 111 . in the interest of an extra session of the
Leerlslnture to favor R. R projects 83,34
of May 1856. Bloomington" 111 . new era in the politics of the State 66
of 1860. at Chicago. Ill , mention 279
Conventions- Albany, New York, convention held at. to consider subject of a national
educational 224
held in the interest of Industrial education, measures advocated at 222
held In the Interestof industrial universities 218,221,222
Converse, Daniel— private, war 1812 190
sergeant, war 1812 194
Converse. Jud— private, war 1812 195
Converse. Jude— privatp. war 1812 190
Conroy, (village of) Ireland— mention 309
Conway Clement C.— quartermaster-sergeant First Illinois Regiment, war 1812 173
Conway .loseph- private, war 1812 178
Cook. B C— mention 236
Cook County, Illinois— assessed valuation of property in. see foot-note 495
league, consolidation of Chicago club 825
mention 427
— 38H.
594
Index — Continued .
Page
Cook Connty, Illinois— named for Daniel P. Cook, mention 233
supervisors of, declared not members of the county board, men-
tion 498
women physicians In hospitals for the insane in 318
Cook, Daniel P.— cast vote for John Qulncy Adams 621-522
Cook County, Illinois, named for. mention 233
one of the most talented representatives Illinois ever had in the United
States Congress 232-233
opposed to the convention of 1824 208
purchases the "Illinois Herald," mention 205
Cook Harry— ensign. St. Clair County Regiment. War 1812 172
Cook Henry— captain Second Illinois Regiment, War 1812 174
lieutenant Second Illinois Regiment, war 1812 174
captain, muster roll of, war 1812 179
private, war 1812 188
Cook James— private, war 1812 187
Cook John of Sangamon County, colonel of the Seventh Illinois Regiment Civil War,
mention 276
Cook, J. S.. member Illinois State Historical Society VII
Cook, Norman B.— senator 16th General Assemoly of Illinois 1848-50 427
Cooley (Coley) Henry— private, war 1812 196
Cooneyvs. Hartland— case at law of . reference to, see foot-note 498
Cooper, James Fenimore (author)— mention 388
Cooper. John— captain Third Illinois Regiment, war 1812 175
private, war 1812 180
private in the regulars, served at Ft Dearborn, mention 124
Cooper, Hon. John L., member Illinois State Historical Society VII
Corathers, John— private, war 1812 191
Corbin, James— private in the regulars, served at Ft. Dearborn, mention 124
survivor of the Ft Dearborn massacre, mention 123
Corbin Phelim-private in the regulars, served at Ft. Dearborn, mention 124
ifwm survivor of the Ft. Dearborn massacre, mention 123
Corbin, Phellm (Mrs.)— fate of. In the Ft. Dearborn massacre 124
Corinth, Mississippi— General Halieck's advance upon, mention 278
Corn, Cultivation of— by the Indians, mention i'iy'k ^^^
Corn — mention •• 68,78,83,87,96,133
Corn James— private, war 1812 196
Corn. William-private, War 1812 185
Corneau, W. B.— of Springfield. Illinois, mention 202
Cornelius. Daniel— private. War 1812 182
Cornell. Ezra— active in the cause of education, mention 224
Cornwallis. Lord Charles— British commander at surrender of Yorktown, mention. ..310,311
Cosby. Heiekiah— private. Warl8i2 193
Cosby. Josiah B— justice of the peace state of Missouri 125.126
Cosey (or Crossey). Pierre— private. War 1812 188
Goshler. Daniel— private. War 1812 187
Cossey. Peter— private. War 1812 132
Cotta's'"A.usland"1834— Gustavus Koerner'a first publication in 303
Cottage Hospital of Peoria, mention — - 380
Council. Hardy— builds early fort in Illinois in 1813. on what is now known as the
Starkey Prairie 72
Country law oflces. character of • 242
Country Lawyer (The)— address before the Illinois State Historical Society. 1904. by
Hon. James A. Connolly 240-244
an American product 243
County Court House, Belleville. Illinois— description of the old court house 29.30
County System— government by, originated in Virginia 470
Coureur des bois (a runner of the woods)— Joliet led the life of 460
Court of Madrld-Gustavus Koerner appointed U. S. minister to 299
mention 290
Covington. Edward— volunteer. War 1812 185
Covington Kentucky— mention •.••■-.• v, ^;"-:-" v ^"^
Cowley. Abraham— CO operates with Samuel Hartlib In his plan for a college of husbandry 215
Cowpens. Battle of— Daniel Morgan, hero of. mention 310
Cox family of Illinois— Indian depredations at home of. mention 104
kllltngof. by the Indians 110
massacre and robbery of. mention 71
requisition on Governor Edwards for murderers of 74
robhery at house of. by Indians, mention 83
Cox. Absalom— lieutenant Randolph county company. War 1812 172
captain. First Illinois regiment. War 1812 173.176
mention. ^86
musterrollof.Kaskaskla. Sept. 3.1812. War 1812 183
Cox, Bartlett— private. War 18 12 195
Cox, Barthey— private. War 1812 190
Cox, Benjamin— es' ate of 533
private, War 1812 191
pursues Indians after attack on Cox family near Shoal Creek 68
Cox, Charles— corporal. War 1812 193
Cox, Ephriam— private. War 1812 n-"V ^^*
Cox family— account of attack on by the Indians near Shoal creek 68
Cox, Fleming-private. War 1812 190.196
595
Index — Continued.
Page
Cox. Henry— attacked by the Indians, one son killed, another taken prisoner 165
pursues Indians after attack on Cox family near Shoal Creek 68
Cox. Jacob D.— Secretary of the Interior of the Dnlted States, mention 300
Cox. Matthew J— private. War 1812 181
Cox, Robert— private. War 1812 185
Cox. Thomas— ensign Second Illinois regiment. War 1812 177
lieutenant Second Illinois regiment. War 1812 177
private. War 1812 179,188
Coyle, James— makes salt on Shoal creek Saline 253
mention 263
Crabb, F. T.— mention 344
Crabbe. Harriet Palmer (Mrs. E. G.)— member Illinois State Historical Society VII
Cracker's Bend. Illinois- located a few miles north of Jacksonville, in Morgan county.
mention 166
Craig Farm— near Jacksonville. Illinois, mention 608
Craig. Capt. Thomas E.— captain. Fourth Illinois regiment. War 1812 176,186
commands company of rangers 71
inefficiency of (see letter and reports) 138.144
Inhuman treatment of the Indians at the Peoria village, mention 141
letter to (Governor Edwards from, dated Shawneetown. Illinois.
April 28,1812 138.139
major Fourth Illinois regiment. War 1812 177
mention 133,134.186
muster roll of. War 1812 184,186
ordered to proceed up the Illinois river to Peoria 132
see footnote 133
Grain, Squire— private. War 1812 184
Craine. Joel— private. War 1812 192
Cramer. Phillip-private. War 1812 179
Crandon. Frank P.— member Illinois State Historical Society VH
Crane. Joel— private. War 1812 185
Crane, Squire— private. War 1812 185
Cravens, William— private. War 1812 187
Crawford County, Illinois, mention 270
Crawford. John— private, Warl812 178
corporal. War 1812 190.195
Crawford. William H.— presidential candidate in 1824, votes given by Illinois to 521
secretary of the United States Treasury, mention 232. 621
Creath. George-lieutenant First Illinois Regiment. War 1812 176
private. War 1812 178,192
Creath, James— captain First Illinois Regiment, War 1812 176
Crete, Island of— mention 442
Creek, Jesse— first sergeant. War 1812 182
Creek Indians— Tecumsph promised aid by 98
Crevecoeur, Fort— built by LaSalle - 461, 452,453
Crewa Kev.E. K.— member Illinois State Historical Society VH
8crl8lc8c, Petronllla— godmother at baptism of Marianne Migneret 396.397
Crittenden Compromise (The) — Stephen A. Douglas advocate of. mention 284
Crittenden, Thomas T.— aid to Ellas Rector and Kobert Morrison, adjutants. War 1812... 173
Croach. Adam, wagoner— William Morrison furnished wagon, team and driver for trans-
porting military stores from Shawneetown to Camp Russell.
October 9.31. 1812. War 1812 187
Crocker. Arthur— private, War 1812 193
Crocker. James— corporal. War 1812 193
Crocker. John— private. War 1812 181.193
mention 344
Crocker. Wllllam-prlvate. War 1812 193
Cromwell, Oliver— mention = '* ' 282
Crossey (orCosey), Pierre— private. War 1812 188
Crouch. Edward— private. War 1812 ^. 190. 195
Crownsur. William— ensign. Second Illinois Regiment, War 1812 177
Crosat, Anthony— failure of, to establish a colony 466
Cuba— Count O'Reilly governor of , mention 311
Culvre Klver— mention 67
Culbertson. Joseoh— private. War 1812 19
Cullen, Patrick— private. War 1812 179
Cullom, (Major) Richard N.-inentlon ...... ............................ ^ 481
Representative In Illinois. Ten*h General Assembly.
1836; composed of many prominentand talented men.... 28
Cnllom. Shelby M.— governor of Illinois, mention 237
mention 238, 381
political career of, mention 237
tJnited States senator, mention 237, 381
Cumberland County, Illinois- mention 203
Cumberland Valley— Scotch Irish emigrants settle In 309
Cumln8,Wllllam-prlvatf^Warl812 ... .- 186
Cummings. (Dr.) Anson W.— president of McKendree College, mention 336
596
Index — Continued.
Page.
Cummins. William— corporal, War 1812 196
Cunningham. Chri8pln— one of the Incorporators of McKendree College 361
Cunningham. J. O.— letter of. in reference to work of local historical societies, mention.. 8
member commit 'ee on local historical societies 8, 9, 12
member constitution and by-laws committee, Illinois State His-
torical Society 12
member Illinois State Historical Society VU
mention 12
pr^.sldent Champaign County Historical Society 9
Curry. James— private. War 1812 178
Curry, J. Seymour— member lillnots State Historical Society VII
secretary Evanston Historical Society, report of 10. U
Curry, Joseph— War 1812 184
Curtis, George William— mention 198. 371
Curtis. Henry B.— mt-ntion 524
Curtis. (Gt-neral) "^-amuel P.— mention 524
Curtis. Will— member Illinois State Hi'^torical Society VH
Cushing. (e'rofessor) J. P.— member Illinois state Historical Society VII
Cushman. Henry W.— a signer of Memorial to the Massachusetts Legislature on in-
dustrial education 224
Cut— Branch (Pottawatomie) in council at Cahokla, April 16, 1812 101
Cutler, Manassah— Life of. mention 503
mention 247
Volume I. reference to, see foot-note 472, 474
Volume II quoted, see foot-note 473, 475
"Cyclopedia of Political Science." eUt'^d by J.J. Lalor. mention 304
Cyrus. George W —member Illinois State Historical "Society VII
Czar Nicholas of Russia— extolled by < aptain James Shields, mention 39
Daimwoud. J G— member of the Third Assembly, State of Illinois 266
Dale, Illinois— mention 540
Dalton. Georgia— mention 279
Damerwood. John— ensign. Fourth Illinois regiment. War 1812 176
Dsmes of the Loyal Legion— society of. in the State of Illinois 320
Damewood. John G.— captain. Fourth Illinois regiment. War 1812 177
Damon (Blanehard) — Mary, mother of Rufus Blanchard, mention 387
Daniel, Walker— ensign, Thlr-i Illinois regiment, War 1812 175
Daniels, David— private. War 1812 196
Daniels. John— private. War 1812 196
Daniels Joseph— private. War 1812 196
Danls, Antolne— ensign. First Illinois regiment. War 1812 173
Danls, ('arl— Godfather at baptism of MarlaOllvier 398-399
Danls, Charles— child of baptised 402-403
Danis, Charles Pierre— son of Charles Danls and Dorothy, baptism of 402-40S
Dauls. Dorothy— wife of Charles Danls, child of. baptized 402-403
Danish townships— boroughs In England, customs of. as to corporate management 468
Dan vers, ll'lnols 640
Danville, Illinois- hospital societies in 324
literary class, mention 327
mention 26
D'Anvllle. le Sleur— map of, 1746 461
Dany 8, Charles— child of. baptized 398-399
Danys, Maria \nna— daughter of Charles Danys and Dorothy SabanakicSc, baptism of. 398-399
Darneal. Isaac- private. War 1812 191
Darnall. Michael— estate of 533
D' Artaguette (D'Artlguette), Pierre- French commandant in the Illinois country, men-
tion 457
Godfather at baptism of Pierre Chabot 406-407
Godfather at baptism of slave, named
Marie Jeanne and Pierre 404,106
Darter. Nicholas— corporal. War 1812 191
D'Artlguet-re. Pierre— see D'\rt«guette
Darwin. Charles— born In 1809. menti m 198,240,241
Darwin's "ThH Origin of Species"- mention 271
Daughters of the American Revolution— Chicago, chapter, oldest chapter of 320
enoble the study of American history 24
Illinois State Society organized 1901 320
mention . 205
organization of 320
Dauphin County. Pennsylvania- mention 378
Davenport. Adrian— provost marshal!. Fourth Illinois regiment. War 1812 176
Davenport, Aflrlan, Jr.— lieutenant Third Illinois regiment. >.Var 1812 176
Dai^enoort. Iowa— Antoln-^ LeCiare. a French half breed, first settler of 142
Davenport, James— volunteer. War 1812 186
lieutenant. Fourth Illlnola regiment. War 1812 176
private. War 1812 196
597
Index — Continued.
Paffe.
Davidson, Alexander— associated with Dr. Bernard Stuv6 In Davidson and Stuv^'a "His-
tory of Illinois" 876
Davenport James M.— first country editor In Illinois to use cartoons, mention 211
list of newspapers conducted by 211
one of thp ablest editors In the State of Illinois 211
Davidson, James W.— private. War 1812 191
Davidson, John— corporal. War 1812 181
private. Warl812 181.182
Davidson, Samuel— private. War 1812 196
Davidson. Samuel D.— private. War 1812 195
mention 71
secretary of mass meetlne held In St. Clair County for protection
against the Indians 69
signs memorial to Nlnlan Edwards 70
Davidson, William C— private. War 1812 181
Davidson. W. T.— career as an editor, mention ...212
editor of the Fulton Democrat 211
Davidson and Stuv6. History of Illinois— mention 503
quoted as to representation in the Constitu-
tional Convention of 18i7, see foot note 479
reference to. see foot note 68,71,468.481
quoted, see foot notes
127.131,415.419,420.427,432.488.490.501
David, Asher— private, war 1812 187
Davie. Winstead-trustee of Jonesborough college 350
Daviess. Colonel Joe of Kentucky— killed in the battle of Tippecanoe. November 7.1811.. 249
Davis. David— appointed by Abraham Lincoln on the supreme bench, mention 237
United States seuator from Illlinois 237
Davis, Georere P.— address of welcome to the Illinois State Historical Society 18-20
member Illinois State Historical Society VII
mention 13
opposes accepting appropriation of the Illinois commission to the
Louisiana Purchase Exposition 2
president McLean County Historical Society 9
Davis. Isaac— private, war 1812 187
Davis, J. McCan— member of committee on legislation. Illinois State Historical Society. 12
member Illinois State Historical Society VII
mention 6
Davis. Mrs. J. McCan. member Illinois State Historical Society VII
Davis. James M. — of Montgomery county, representative to Twenty-First General
Assembly of Illinois 1868-6U, slavery resolutions Introduced by... 431
Davis (Gen.) J. C— mention 280
Davis. Jeflferson—chaiienges William H. BIssell to a duel 5S
mention 53
Davis, (Senator) Jefferson— of Mississippi, argument of. In United States Senate, on
President Buchanan's message, reference to 46
Davis, (General) Jefferson C— of Indiana, mention 279,281
Captain Watson, member of stafif of 280
Davis. John— private. War 1812 188
Davis. Ralph— private. War 1812 192
Davis. T. Q. C— mention 30
Davis, T. M.— In the Mexican War 276
Davis. Samuel— private, war 1812 182
Davis. W. W.-address before the Illinois Statp Historical Society 1901. "Pioneer trip.
atrip from Pennsylvania to Illinois in 1851" 198-204
member committee on local historical societies Illinois State Historical
Society la
member Illinois State Historical Society VII
mention 14
Davis. W. W.— secretary Whiteside County Historical Society 9
Davis. Wililam— private, war 1812 194
Davy. (Sir) Humphrey, noted English scientist, mention 365.356
Dawson family— early settlers of McLean county. Illinois 526
Dawson, Illinois— mention 640
Dawson. John, member of the "Long Nine." mention 203
Dawson, John Wells, early settler of McLean county 527
Dayton. William L— nominated for vice president of United States 1856 296
Deace. (Capt.)— left in charge of Prairledu Chlen 160
Dearborn County. Indiana— mention. 514
Dearborn. Fort— (see Fort Oearborn)
Dearborn. Hon. Luther M.— member Illinois State Historical Society VII
Deason, George— private, war 1812 188
Deatherage. Achilles- early settler of McLean county 527
Debates of the Illinois Constitutional Convention of 1870— mention, (see foot note) 496
DeBeaubois, N. Ig.— priest in the Parish Church of the Conception of our Lady of the
Cascaskias 404-413
DeBrize. Frances— sponsor at baptism of Frances Bechet 400-401
598
Index — Continued.
Page
Decatur, Illinois— Anti-Nebraska Editorial Convention, held at, February 22, 1856.
meution 212
Art Association in 317
Art Society in 317
centralization of women's clubs at, club house, etc 319
James Shoaflf, connected with the press of 211
Deckers Michael— volunteer. War 1812 186
Declaration of Independence— first declared in Mecklenburg county. North Carolina.
refereDce to 309
John Dunlap prints first copy of , 310
John Nixon, first man to read Declaration of Independ-
ence from the steps of the old State House at Phila-
delphia 310
mention 309.327.427.428.564,565.567
quotations from, suggested for platform Chicago conven-
tion i860 370
written from Jefferson's rough draft by Charles Thomson 309
Decoche. (Capt.) Gabriel— muster roll of. war 1812 184
Di6. Elizabeth— godmother at baptism of Elizabeth Phillippe S9B-397
D66. Elizabeth— godmother at baptism of Marianne Bolsjoly 398-399
D66. Elizabeth- wlfeof J. Brunet Bourbonnais, child of baptized 396-397
Dees, William— corporal, war 1812 178
Defiance, Ohio— garrison at. mention , 92
Degge. A. R —member Illinois State Historical Society VII
DeGognle- Gregone, private, war 1812 192
DeKalb, (Baron)— mentln 311
DeKalb, (Gen ) John— mention 311
DeKalb County, Illinois— Historical Society organized at 7
Historical "Society, mention 9,20
votes against the Constitutional Convention of 1847 479
Delannas. Louis Paquler— child of baptized 394-395
Delannas, John James— son of Louis Paquler Delannas and Catherine RSscanga. bap-
tism of 394-395
DeLannal, Charles— son of Louis DeLannai and Catherine RSscanga, baptism of 394-395
DeLannal, Louis— mention 394-395
Delano, Columbus— secretary of the Interior U. 8 800
Delaware Indians — mention 66.99
Delaware River— mention 204.446
Delaware State of— Inhabitants of 1774 269
Deleplaln. John— private. War 1812 181
Dellsle (see L'isle)— Legardeur 410,411
Debisle- map of, published 1703. quoted as to spelling of Chicago 461
DeLlsle, Sieur Charles 16 Gardeur— Godfather at baptism of Jeanne Burel 408.409
Delorme. Huber— private. War 1812 182
Dement, George— first lieutenant of a Calvary Company. War 1812 172
Dement, John— Representative Illinois Tenth General Assembly 1836, session composed
of many prominent and talented men 28
Democratic— Convention of 1860. mention 369
Democratic Party— Kansas-Nebraska bill violently dissevered by-, 44
mention 48,54.60.296,377.430,490
Democratic State Convention— of Illinois, attitude on Internal Improvement venture,
mention 490
Democrats— committee of. members of different parties .edits the "Bureau Advocate."
mention 211
Democrats— mention 381,382.522
DeMontmidy— acts as Godfather In place of D. de Mantchy, at baptism of Peter Aco ^.394,395
Dennis. John— private. War 1812 196
Dent. Thomas— member Illinois State Historical Society VII
Depew. Benjamin— early settler of McLean County 627
Depew. Chauncey— mention 382
DePreet. Francis- private. War 1812 184
Dernette. Francois— ensign. St. Clair Company, War 1812 172
Derry. Ireland— Selge of. mention 308
Desha. Colonel— U. S. A , field oflacer in Indian Campaign 1812 131
Desha, Major Robert— D. S A., mention 147
De Sir. Jos— Godfather at baptism of Michael Blzaillon 396.397
Des Plalnes River— known to early writers as the Chicago River 466
mention 448,461,462,463.464,465
mention— foot-note 463
Destruction of Kaskaskia by the Mississippi— paper on omitted, mention 14,16
Detharding. George H —mention 305
Detharding. Mrs.Paullne— youngest daughter of Gustavus Koerner 305
Detroit— (vaptain Heald receives orders from General Hull to proceed to 117
Detroit- Captain Nathan Heald arrives at. mention 122
Detroit— Colonel A. Butler, commander at. mention 158
Detroit— Escort of Indians to accompany Captain Heald and party to 118
Detroit— Frontier post, mention, see foot-note 62
Detroit— Garrison at, mention 92
Detroit- Land office established at 248
Detroit- mention , 77,97.92.93
Detroit— Post of. mention 66
DeVerassae, Jas— see Verassae 398,399
599
Index — Continued.
Page
DeVlllerJ. M.-(prlest) seeViller de iiA'^o^??!
Derr. (Rev.) John— mention -• 8d0.3i7.d4&
president of McKendree College, mention --- jii
trustee McKendree Collesre ^"'rn2
Diamond Grove— Morgan County. William Wyatt settles at 508
Dickens, Charles— "American Notes for General Circulation." mention.;. 199
"American Notes for General Circulation" Governor Kinney's answer
to **1
incident of hla visit to America, mention iAA-",- ^??.
mention 389.441,443
passenger on the "Messenger" 1842. mention 199
Dickenson, (Edward)— Medical Clnb of Peoria. Illinois, mention 3^0
Dickey, (Judge) T. Lyle— Editor of a Whig newspaper In RushvUle Illinois 210
Dickinson. Charles— private. War 1812 198
Dickson, (Col.) Robert— commands regulars from Canada, mention loJJ
extrrtct from journal of 160
Indian trader and British oflQcer .160
Journal, letters and papers of, fall Into the hands of the Ameri-
cans J^O
mention J°|
plans to attack the Illinois Territory, mention 168
Prairie du Chien. used by, as a vantage point for his country.... 160
preparing for a descent on St. Louis, mention 157.158
Dleffenbach, Philip L.— member Illinois State Historical Society VII
Digglns, W.— representative to the 19th . General assembly of Illinois 1854 °°iJ??
Dlig, Chas. A.— member Illinois State Historical Society VII
DUg, Philip H.— member Illinois State Historical Society VII
Diliplaln, Joshua— private. War 1812- 179
Dilkerson. Hiram— private. War 1812 Jfj
DUle, E, G -Estate of g»
DUler, Captain Isaac R— political career of f»i
Dlller,Isaac R.— Springfield. Illinois, mention --• 201
Dlller, J. Roland-Sprlngfleld. Illinois, mention ^"^'SSs
Oilier— Lenora wife of Isaac R. Dlller. mention - • ••••,••
Dlller, Roland W.— possessor of desk used by Abraham Lincoln when a member of the
Ltgiwiature 202
Dillingham, Ajalon— captain. First Illinois regiment. War 1812 173
Dillon. Mosea— president Whiteside County Historical Society 9
Diogenes 198,199
District of Coiumbia— mention".'.'.' *^*'!|2?
DIx, (Senator) John A.— of New York, mention iii
Dixon, British agent, commands boats laden with goods for the Indians, men-
tlon 167
Dixon, lU.-Dixon Telegraph (newspaper) published at --- 211
mention ^''^•?2J
Dixon Illinois Phldlan Art Club— mention 327
Dixon Telegraph (newspaper)— Benjamin F. Shaw, editor f}j
published at Dixon. Ill • 211
" Documentary History (The) of the Cession of Louisiana to the United States, '—last
publication of Rufua Blanchard 391
Dodd Michael-private, War 1812 179
Dodge, Israel— mention J»0
Dodge, Stanley-private. War 1812 191
Doggett (Mrs.) Kate Newall— president of the Association for the Advancement of
Women 315
Dohn, Peter— private. War 1812 192
Dollarhlde, Agullla-prlvate, War 1812 194
Domestic Arts and Sciences- school for. Chicago. Ill •:••;* ** *
Domestic Science— Fortnightly Club of Urbana. Ills., first to Introduce it as a study In
school VnclnS
Domlt— godmother at baptism of James PhlllDpe ^^^^Yl
Donaldson. Owen M— member Illinois State Historical Society ono^ni
Donegal County, Ireland— emigration from, to the United States ^ '• ,Hn
historic families from mention 309
Doollttle, (Senator) James R.— member of firm of Doollttle, Palmer & Tollman, Chicago.
111., mention 385
Dore. Louis— private. War 1812 178
Dory. Louis— private. War 1812 192
Dougherty, John— Representative Illinois Tenth General Assembly. 1836...... 28
Dougherty, (Senator) John— Union County, Illinois, senator Thirteenth General As-
sembly, 1842-48, slavery resolutions introduced by 425
Dougherty, N. C— member Illinois State Historical Society VII
Douglas— Antl-DouKlas Democrats, mention 382
Douglas, J. T.— mention •• J*
paper of, omitted, mention 14, le
Douglas, Stephen A.— advocate of the Crittenden Compromise 234
brilliant speeches of in ('ongress, mention 231
called "The Little Giant." mention 233
champion of internal improvement 28
championof the Kansas-Nebraska bill, mention 31
600
Index — Continued.
Pafire
Douglas, Stephen A.— characteristics of 29
colleaKue of Sidney Breese 33
defeated for president, mention 234
doctrine of "Squatter Sovereignty," mention 296
elected to Congress from the feorla district, mention 233
Gastavns Koerner's infiaence in his nomination to Congress,
mention 293
influence of, in the building of the Illinois Central Railroad,
mention 234
incident of his remarkable memory 46
John A. Logan ardent supporter of 35
mention 25. 30,32.39.64,60,202,203,295,297,381,624
representative, Illinois Tenth General Assembly, 1836 28
reports as to his religious belief 29
seat of. In the United States Senate, 1860-61, locationof, mention. 45, 46
sincere patriot, mention 234
speech In defense of the Kansas-Nebraska bill, reference to 44
supports the cause of education in the State of Illinois 225
Sidney Breese's speech, in answer to Douglas, on the Kansas-
Nebraska bill, reference to 35
Douza, Etlenne— ensign, Second Illinois Regiment, War 1812 177
Dover Green (1)— mention 311
Dover, John— volunteer. War 1812 186,196
Downs (Downes) Henry— delegate to the Mecklenburg convention 309
Downs. 111.— mention 340
Downing, A. J. — celebrated painter and horticulturist, mention 224
Downing. Thomas— private. War 1812 179
Doza (Goshen) Creek— fort known as Nat Hill's Fort, located on 72
Drase, James— private. War 1812 185
Drake vs. Phillips— case of, reference to, see foot-note 498
Draper, Reuben L.— estate of 534
Drocker, Jacob— private. War 1812 191
Drocker. Thomas— private. War 1812 191
Druyer. Charles, private. War 1812 185
Drury,Clement--Lieut. captain First Illinois Regiment, War 1812 173
Drurv, John— private. War 1812 192
Dry Grove, 111.— mention 540
Dubois, (Miss) Asnes E.— member Illinois State Historical Society Vll
Dubois, Jesse K.— mention 57
representative Illinois Tenth General Assembly, 1836 28
Dubois, Major— commander of the Soles and Guides, of the Kentucky troops, mention.. 131
DuBulsson. Catherine— sponsor at baptism of John B. Mercier 400. 401
Dubuque— Spanish mines near, mention 96
Dubuque Mines— Pox Indians at, mention 160
Duden, German emigrant. Dndenville. Mo., named after, mention 291
Dudenvllle, Mo —named after a German emigrant named Duden, mention 291
Duel— Captain James Shields challenge* Abraham Lincoln to a duel 37
Frederick Heckerand Gustavus Koerner, duel ot. mention 306
Jefferson Davis challenges William H Blssell 55
Duels— between students and officers of the German army, mention 286,287
Duett, James— ensign Second Illinois Regiment. War 1812 174
Duford, Jean Baptlste— captain Second Illinois Regiment. War 1812 174
Dngger. Jarrett — mention 345
Dugger John C. — mention 330,345
Dugger, Welsey— mention 344
DuLong, Marie- godmother at baptism of Louis Tissoe 398-399
Duncan. murder of. In Madison County. 111., mention 41
Duncan, John. Jr.— private. War 1812 191
Duncan, John, Sr.— private. War 1812 191
Duncan. Joseph— governor of Illinois, 1834-38 28,424
Duncan, Joseph— extract from his message on Internal Improvement 488
In the United States Congress, mention 233
mention 312
Duncan, Joseph— lieutenant Second Illinois Regiment, war 1812 177
sereeant, war 1812 193
Duncan, Mathew— publisher of the first newspaper la Illinois 205
Duncan (or Dnnkin) William— private. War 1812 193
Dunkin (or Duncan) Robert, Jr —private. War 1812 193
Dankln (or Dunkan) Robert Sr.— private. War 1S12 193
Dunkin (or Duncan) William— private. War 1812 193
Dunlap, James— private. War 1812 196
Dunlap (Captain) John— born Strabane, Ireland, 1747, died in Philadelphia November 27,
1812, mention 310
prints first copy of Declaration of Independence, mention 310
Dunn, Mrs. Julia Mills, member Illinois State Historical Society VII
Dunn, Sampson— private. War 1812 185
Dunnlgan. Isaiah— private. War 1812 181
601
Index — Continued.
Pasre
DaPaee County. IlUnolg— casts vote aealnat Constitution of 1848 481
mention 387
Dnpond, Baptlste— captain of the town of Peoria, mention 80
Durley addition to Bloomlngton, Illinois, mention 627
Dunnell, Josiah— volunteer, war 1812 186
DuRoy, Peter— irodfather at baptism of PraBcia Olivier 398-399
Duseher, Gabriel— captain First Illinois Kegiment, war 1812 173
Dutch— early settlements, reference to 90
Dutch and Hugenot— colonies at Cape of Good Hope, mention 273
Dutchman'sPolnt— frontier post, see foot-note 62
DaTlfne (Sir) Claude CHirles— sponsor at baptism of child 402-403
Duvedier. Louis Duaruet— child of baptized 396-397
Duverdier, Peter— son of Louis Dueuet Duvedier and M. Helen Sacatch8c8c baptism
of 396-397
Dyche. Grace Locke Scripps (Mrs. B. F. Dyche) member Illinois State Historical So-
ciety VII
Dyer. Dyson— private in the regulars served at Ft. Dearborn, mention 124
survivor of the Ft. Dearborn massacre 123
Earl of Hlllsboro— mention 246
Early newspapers of Illinois— character of editorials 208
East India Trade— Jas. D. Morgans' father, sea captain in 274
East St. Louis, mention 291
Bastes. John— private, war 1812 1^0
Eastman. Z.— publisher of the "Free West and Western Citizen," mention 206
Easton, Pomroy. of Carlyle, III —mention 330
Eavans. Owen— captain First Regiment, war 1812 173
Ebart. Edward— captain Second Regiment, war 1812 174
Ebenezer Manual Labor School, located near Jacksonville, 111., organized by the M. E.
Church Conference in 1835 or 1836 217
Ebert (or Herbert)— member of Captain Levering's crew 74
Kbert, Edward— captain Second Regiment, war 1812 174
Ecclesiastical history of the State of Illinois 19
Eckman, David- private, war 1812 180
Economists— mention 216
Eddy. Henry— editor the Shawnee Chief.. Sept. 5. 1818 206
Eddy, Henry— leaves Pittsburg with a printing outfit, was stranded on sand-bar at
Shawneetown, 111 206
Eddy, Henry— opposed to convention of 1824 208
Eden, James— private, war 1812 1<8
Edes, Matthias— private, war 1812 191
Edes. William— captain Second regiment. War 1812 174
private War 1812 191
succeeded by Nathaniel Journey. War 1812 174
Edgar County. Illinois— mention 270
Eduar Family— prominent In the history of Illinois, mention 230
Edgar, (Gen.) John— salines In Monroe county, Illinois, owned and worked by, mention. 262
Edinburg University— first university in Europe to possess a chair of agricultural
science 215
Edmonton. Kentucky— mention 525
Edson, Nathan— private In the regulars, served at Ft. Dearborn, mention 124
survivor of the Ft. Dearborn massacre, mention 123
Education— act of Congress granting public lands for educational purposes, results
of 214-226
act passed by U. S. Congress 1890, making additional appropriation for in-
dustrial education 226
addresses delivered In House of Representatives Jan. 11, 1839, in the Interest
of. by Hon. William Brown 513-568
Commissioner's report for the year ending June 30,1903 214
extract from plan of J. B. Turner for industrial education 227-228
Illinois receives 4S0.6C0 acres of land for purposes of 226
Ladles' Education Society of Jacksonville, Illinois, earliest association of
women In State of Illinois 316
number of institutlouB In the United States, based upon the appropriation
of the act granting public lands 214
report of the Commissioner of Education for 1903. showing amount of public
land for educational purposes, etc 226
report of Thomas Mather on 853-360
results of the act passed by Congress granting public lands for, number of
State institutions, valuation of property, number of students, etc 226
Educational convention— held at Vandalla, 1833-4. mention 558
Edward Dickenson Medical Club of Peoria— mention 380
Edward I, King of England— township organization in time of 468
Edwards, Benjamin— private War 1812 190,195
Edwards, Benjamin F.— trustee of Alton College, mention 349
Edwards County. Illinois- English colony in, plays an important part in early politics
of Illinois, mention 261
mention 259,270
MorrlslBlrkbeck's contribution to the English settlement in. 261
votes against the Constitutional Convention of 1847 479
Edwards, Cyrus- trustee Alton College, mention 849
Edwards, Elvira— wife of Governor Ninian Edwards 615
602
Index — Continued,
Pagre
Edwards. James P.— trustee of Jonesborough College 350
Edwards. Ninlan— born In Montgomery county. Md.. March, 1755; died July 20. 1833;
Territorial Governor of Illinois and third Governor ot Illinois.
Dec. 6. 1826, to Dec. 9. 1830
address to the Pottawatomies in council at Peoria, Aug. 15. 1811 82-85
appointed minister to Mexico, mention 232
appoints ofiacer s for the Fourth regiment. War 1812 176
Benj, Howard makes requisition on for the Gasconade murders 74
changes made in the four regiments subsequent to the declaration of
war. War 1812 176
conference or "talk" with Indians 113
Congress grants 1,000 acres of land to 516
copy of a letter from, to General Harrison, dated U. S. Saline. Illi-
nois Territory. March 17, 1814, on Indian situation 157-159
directs commanding oflQcers of companies in Randolph county to
hold elections for captains and other oflScers 172
Edwards-Cook party— political faction in Illinois 518
elected Governor of the State of Illinois, pomp and ceremony at-
tending same, mention 232
elected to United States Senate, mention 232
electioneering methods of 232
extract of a letter to. from Col. Anthony Butler, on Indian affairs In
Michigan territory 157
forwards resolutions of St. Clair county citizens to President James
A. Madison. Feb. 15. 1812 71
Gomo ( Pottawatomie chief) complies with requests of 77
Gomo's re'iponae to address of 85-87
has little faith in the Indian promises, see reports to Governor Har-
rison 112-113
quoted, see foot-note 67,77.138.166
Edwards. (Gov.) Ninlan— in favor of Illinois entering Union as a free state 415
invites the Indians for a final conference 100
learns that many officers appointed by Governor Nathaniel
Pope are unworthy to command and calls an election, names
to be first submitted to himself. War of 1812 172
letter of Gen. Benjamin Howard to, dated St. Louis, July 29,
1811 76
letter to Governor Shelby, dated Kaskaskla, March 22. 1815. on
British and Indian situation 158.159
letter of Wm B. Whiteside to. dated Goshen. Aug. 4,1811. in
regard to Indian affairs 76
letter of Captain Thomas E. Craig to, dated Shawneetown.
April 28. 1812 138.139
life of. history of Illinois, mention 503
mention 30.69.70.94,111.127,
128,131.133.163.171,172.178,181,183,185.186. 1S8, 191, 195, 251, 516. 517
memorial of citizens of St. Clair county asking for protection
against the Indians 69.70
message quoted, mention, see foot-note 153
names his home farm In honor of his wife, Elvlrade; mention,
see foot-note 1*1
proclamation forbidding sale of liquor to Indians, May 24, 1E12 113
proclamation of Sept. 14,1812, sets off counties of Madison,
Gallatin and Johnson 176
reaches Camp Russell after 13 days' absence, mention 134
received news of the destruction of property by the Indians
at Peoria ■••-• ^
received no reinforcements from General Hopkins and (i/ap-
taln Craig 134
reference to speech of. in Indian council, see foot-note 89
removes with his suite to Fort Russell when it is made the
seat of government 73
reply to Gomo's speech at council of Cahokla. April 16.1812 110-112
report to the Secretary of War. Hon. Wm. Eustls, on Indian
affairs In Illinois territory 131-138
resigns as U. 8. minister to Mexico ■■••■ 521
Governor Shelby, of Kentucky, writes to. concerning Ken-
tucky troops In the Indian invasion of Illinois territory.
mention 138
slave holder, mention 518
staff of. War of 1812 .... 132
vetoed slavery law passed in 1817 -- • *i5
Edwards. Ninlan Wirt— History of Illinois— narrative of conference betweea Gomo and
Capt. Levering quoted In full from 78-80
"Long Nine" In Illinois legislature 28,203
mention, foot note 67.77.138.166.503
"Edwards Papers (The)— edited by E. B Washburne. quoted: sea foot-note 76.139
Edwards, Dr. Richard— Bloomlngton. Ills., member Illinois State Historical Society. . . . VII
reads resolutions on the late Hon. John N. Jewett 14
State Superintendent of Public Instruction. State of Illinois.
biennial report of for 1887-88. mention 214
Edwards, William— private, war 1812 Iw
603
Index — Continued.
Page
Edwardavllle, Illinois— Camp Russell located near 131
election held at, to elect captain and Ist and 2d Uentenants, vol
unteers. war 1812 196
"Illinois Corrector," newspaper established at, by Robert K.
Fleming 206
mention 72,166.210,517,519.523.524
Edwardsville Spectator— newspaper published at Edwardsvllle, 111., May 23,1819. by
Hooper Warren 206
Edwardsvllle. Illinois- "Star of the West," newspaper published at 206
Eel Kiver Indians, mention 66
Eel River Mlamies. mention 96
EfflnKham, Ills., Emerson Club, mention 327
Egypt— mention 23
southern part of Illinois known as 505
Eighth Regiment. Illinois infantry, mention 276
EklpakinSc, Catherine-wife of John Laviolette. child of, baptized 394-396
Eldorado— mention *8
Eldorado, Illinois— mention 258
Election of ofllcers of Illinois State Historical Society, mention 13
Elgin. Illinois— Every Wednesday Club of 318
Elgin. Illinois. Scientific Club, mention 9
Elgin, IlllnolB- Woman's Club, supports hospital 324
Woman's Club— mention 327
Elisabeth— godmother at baptism of Peter Blzalllon 394-395
Elkhart Grove, mention 132
Elkhart. Indiana, mention 77
Eikln. Wm. F.— member of the "Long Nine," mention 203
Elliott, Alexander— private, war 1812 179
Elliott. Cornelius (slave) -indenture given by Timothy Guard to, mention 251
laborer in the salt works on the Saline river 251
purchases the freedom of his mother and brothers 251
Elliott family, mention 258
Elliott, Col. George— facts secured from, relative to slave labor in the salt works on the
Saline river 251
Elliott, John— of Maury county, Tenn., mention 251
Ellmore, Rev. D. W.— death of. July 29.1854, mention 217
projector of the establishment of an Industrial school in what is
now St. Charles township. Kane county. Ill 217
Ellis- account of an attack upon by the Indians 68-69
wounded by the Indians, reference to 83.104
Elrod V. Bernadotte— case at law of. reference to. see foot-note 493
Elvirade— home farm of Gov. Nlnlan Edwards, so named In honor of his wife, see foot-
note 141
Ills, territory letter dated at May 4, 1813, from Gov. Ninian Edwards, giving
names of officers in command of Rangers, War 1812 189
reporttosecretary of War, dated from Nov. 18th. 1812 134-138
mention 516
Ely. Dr.- projector of a school on the manual labor plan in Marion. Co.. Mo 217
Ely. Judah— agent to solicit funds in Great Britain for McKendree college 336
Embarras River— Harrlm an family massacred on, by Indians 99
Emery, S. H.— corresponding secretary, Quincy Historical Society 9
Emigrants (political) to the U. S.— Gustavus Roomer's influence over 296
theories of, some demands, etc.. list of 296
Emmert. Andrew— private. War 1812 179
E. M. P. ("EzraM. Prince")— see Prince, mention 635
Empire. Illinois 540
Empire Theatre. Qnlncy, Ills.— Gen. James D. Morgan stockholder, in 282
Engelmann, (Lieut.) Adolph— wounded at battle of Buena Vista 61
Engelmann Family— embark on ship Logan for the U. S., mention 290
Engelmann, Frederick— locates on a farm near Belleville. Ill 291
Engelmann. (Dr.) George— connected with the "Westland" a periodical 303
Engelmann. Henry— mention 305
Engelmann. (Mrs.) Mary K.— eldest daughter of Gustavus Koerner. mention 305
member Illinois State Historical Society VII
Engelmann. Sophy— wife of Gustavus Koerner, mention 306
Engelmann, Theodore— accompanies (-Justavus Koerner to the United States 290
becomes a citizen of the United States, locates in St.Clalr, Co. 111. 291
brother-in-law of Hon, Gustavus Koerner, mention 287
mention 306
visits Warren County, Mo., in the Interests of the German
emigrants 291
England— free boroughs, municipal customs of In early period 468
institutions in. teach agriculture as a science 215
mention 82.62.97.199.215.356.414,449
papers relating to colonial history of N. Y.. research in England for 19
parliament of, mention 82
towns in. usage of the word town 467.468
Englewood. (111.) Home Club— fortnightly, mention 327
Knglewood, (ill.) Nineteenth Century Club (Chicago)— mention 327
English— alliance with Tecumseh 168.169
604
Index — Continued.
Paere
English Alphabet— mention 23
EDgllsh Authors— mention 438
English Building Act— earliest act, Issaedin 1189 169
English Coloniats- mention 450
English Colony in Edwards Co., Ills., plays an important part in the politics of Illinois.. 261
English— early settlements of, reference to 90,91
English Factories— mention 108
English Government— mention 441
English King- mention 458
Engllgh Language— mention 438
English, (The)— mention 93,246.436,461,505,507,611
English People— hatred of France, mention 45
presents to the Indians 87
English Periodicals— Gustavus Koerner contributor to 303
English rule— French Settlers' repugnance to 468
English settlers— locate in the region of the "Nigger Spring;"mentlon 245
English— treatment of the Indians, mention 153
Enlow, Abraham— mention 530
Ennis. C. W.— mention 344
Ennls, Jesse— private, War 1812 193
Enochs. John— private. War 1812 190,195
Episcopal (Protestant) Church 383
Episcopal, St. Paul's Church, of Mt, Vernon, Ohio— Hon. Jesse Burgess Thomas, one of
the organizers of 52.2
Equal Suffrage Association- beginning of 315
Equal Suffrage Association of Illinois— formation of 316
Equality. Ills.— mention 247.218,250,251.257. 258
Equality, ills.— "Nigger Spring." "Nigger Well" and "Nigger Furnace" near, mention.. 245
Equalization— board, "*tate of Illinois, establishment of 1867, see foot-note 495
E. Re Nata Club— Streator, Illinois, mention 327
Erie. Lake— mention 450.451,452. 463
Es ca.puck-he-ah. or {(^reen)— Pottawatomie Indian, one of the Cox murderers 77
Eschmann, (Rev.) C. J., (of Prairie du Rocher)— Kaskaskia church records, translated
and transcribed by 395-413
member of board of directors, Illinois
State Historical Society 16
member of Illinois State Historical
Society VII
mention 12
Esch-can-ten-e-mane— Pottawatomie Indian, one of the murderers of the Coles' party... 93
Ethnology— mention 271
Eubanks, Wm.-Ensign, War of 1812 178
Euphrates Valley— University of. Chicago sends exploring expedition to 23
Eureka, Illinois— mpution 88
Europe— Edinburg University, the first university In Europe to possess chair of agricul-
tural science 215
emigrants from, settled in Illinois, mention 265
Gustavus Koerner's participation in politics, events in 287-290
mention 39,243.272,290.305,437, 464
religious liberty of Europe secured behind the walls of Derry, mention 308
European Countries— mention 216
European Geographers- mention 447
European States— Technological schools In, mention 216
Eustls, James R.— Surgeon Second Regiment, War 1812 177
Eustls, Wm.— Sec'y of War, letter of Gov. Ninian Edwards to, dated Elvirade, Randolph
Couniy. Illinois. Ter., May 4th, 1813 189
Sec'y War, U. S. A., report of Governor Ninian Edwards to. November
18.1812 134-138
Eutaw Springs— mention 552
"Evangeline"— heroine of Longfellow's poem, mention 458
Evans, Harriet— wife of Gen. J as. D. Morgan, mention 281
Evans, Owen— Major Second Regiment. War 1812 175
Evans. William— early settler in McLean County 527
Evanston, Illinois-authors of. number, ete 11
Evanston Historical Society— mention 7.9. 11. 20
Evanston Historical Society— secretary's report — 10-11
Evanston Historical Society— work of, mention 9
Evanston, HI. — mention 13, 16, 462
Evanston. Ills., Women's Club— mention 327
Evurts, Wm. M.— mention 371
Everett, David— sergeant. War of 1812 178
Everett, E.— mention 284
Everett, Edward— a signer of the memorial to the Massachusetts legislature on Industrial
Education 224
Everett, Mass.— mention 281
Everett, WlUlam—enslgn, First Regiment, War 1812 173
Everett, William— lieutenant. First Regiment, War 1812 178
605
Index — Continued.
Paee.
Every Wednesday Club of Eleln. Illinois 318
Ewbanks, Morton— sergeant, war 1812 186
Ewlng. Family— historic family of Ireland, mention 309
Ewlngr, William L. D. -member of Illinois Tenth General Assembly, 1836 28
EwinglGov.). William L. D— mention 312
Exhibition— Committee of the Municipal Art League, Chicago, object of 322
ExpaklnSca, Cath— wife of John Colon Lavlolette. child of. baptised .394-395
Exposition— Centennial exposition, mention 316,317
Exposition— Columbian exposition, mention 319
Eyman. Jacob— private, war 1812 180
Factory- established for the Sacs and Foxes, mention 160
Faires. William— mention 344
Falrbank, Rev. John B.— member Illinois State Historical Society VII
Fals Avoines— (Menomlnees Indians), mention 167,160
Fancher, Miss Grace— member Illinois State Historical Society VII
Fanchon— (Pawnee Indian slave), child of baptized 410-411
Fargeon. Nicholas— ensign, second Illinois regiment, war 1812 174
Farley. Edward— private, war 1812 186
Farmers' Institutes— State of Illinois, mention 323
" Farmers' Weekly Intelligencer "—newspaper 207
Farney, John— private, war 1812 185
Farnsworth. John F— mention 238
Farr, Marvin A.— see Cook County Assessments, footnote 495
Farr, (Blanchard) PermlUa— wife of Rufua Blanchard 390
Farrar, Robert— private, war 1812 193
FarsoD (Mrs), Robert B.— president Illinois Federation of Woman's Clubs 326
Fase, George- private, war 1812 179
" Father of His Country "—(George Washington), mention 667
"Father of Waters "-(Mississippi River), mention 437.448.555
Farwell.C B.— mention 238
Fayette County, Illinois- mention 270
Faxon, E. M —member Illinois State Historical Society VII
Federal Con»tltutlon— mention 428-429
Federal Government— see United States
"Federalists"- mention 622
Federation of Woman's Clubs in the State of Illinois— organization of. departments, etc .
number of clubs in 320-321
Fellclan— in Longfellow's poem, "Evangeline," mention 458
Fell. Jesse W— active in the cause of education in lilinoia 224
Fell, Kersev H.— active in the cause of education 224
Felmley, (Prof.) David— member Illinois State Historical society VII
reads memorial paper on Hon. Hiram W. Beckwith 13.15
Fensure Township— in the district of St. Charles. Missouri, sf-e foot note 67
Fergus, George H.— publishing company, Hon Hiram W Beckwith contributions to 26
Historical Series No. 16, quoted, see foot note 117
Ferguson, Hamlet— captain, first Illinois regiment. War 1812 173
major, second Illinois regiment. War 1812 175
Ferguson. Isaac— private, war 18i2 194
captain, second Illinois regiment. War 1812 174
lieutenant, war 1812 172
Ferguson, John— private, war 1812 182.187.190.195
Ferguson. Joseph— private, war 1812 182,195
sergeant, war 1812 187
Ferguson. William- private, war 1812 195
Ferret. John— private, war 1812 196
Fextor. (Dr )— nephew of the poet Goethe 286
Field. (Col ^ A. P— appointed secretary of State of Illinois 43
Appointed to position In Wifconslu Territory- attorney general of Louisiana 43
death of In 1877 43
eminent lawyer of Belleville. Illinois 41
locates in M. Louis. Missouri 43
mention 30.47
perconal appearance of 42
pro-slavery member of the legislature of Illinois 43
serves in the legislature of Illinois in 1822-26 43
Field. Marshall, of Chicago- mnntlon 204
"Field Notes of the American Revolution "—by J. B Lossing, mention 389
Flfer, (Gov.) Joseph— appoints Hon. Hiram W. Beckwith on Illinois State Historical
Library Board 26
Fifth Avenue Hotel. New York City- conference of reformers at. May 15. 1876 302
Figure "8"— in names usuallv of women, in Kaskaskia church records, see foot note 394
Flke. Abraham— private. War 1H12 193
Flnley. Howard— private. War 1812 194
Flnley. (Rev.) James C. -mention 334,338
Flnley, James— private. War 1812 194
Flnley, John— private. War 18i2 179.190,194.195
Flnley. Moses— prlvnte. War 1812 194
Flnley, Thomas— ensign, second Illinois regiment. War 1812 177,194
Finney. James— judge advocate, first Illinois regiment. War 1812 17S
Fire arms at Fort Dearborn- mention 118.119
First book published in Illinois- reference to 32
606
Index — Continued,
Page
First civil township In the west— provision for made in 1790 475
First plan to Introduce manual labor in the schools of America 216
Fishback, Mason McCloud— "Illinois Legislation on Slavery and Free Negroes,"
1818-1865. paper contributed by, to the transactions of
the Illinois State Historical Society lU-432
Fisher, Albert— member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
Fisher, George— surgeon. First Illinois regiment, War 1812 177,188
Fisher, (Dr.) George— mention 230
Fisher, Jacob— lieutenant First Regiment. War 1812 173
captain First Illinois Regiment. War 1812 173
provost marshal. First lliinoiu Regiment, War 1812 177
Fisher, James— lieutenant. Third Illinois Keglment.War 1812 177
Fisher, John— ensign. Third Illinois Regiment, War 1812 177
private, War 1812 178
Fisher, Meredith— one of the lessees of Salt Well* and Springs in the United States,
^ ^ mention 251
Fisher, William— private. War 1812 192
Fitzgerald. (Col.) Joan— favorite, ald-de-camp of General Washington, mention 311
Fitzwllllam, Mrs. Sarah B. Raymond— member Illinois Historical Society VIH
Flag, American Flag— mention 311
Flag, United States— Gomo marches down river floating a United States flag 77
Captain Heald gives one to Little Chief, incident concerning 81
Captain Levering's address to the Indians concerning 81-82
Flanders, Abner— mention 256
Flannery, James— prIvate,War 1812 188
Flat Island— mention 140
Fletcher, Job— member of the "Long Nine," in Illinois legislature, mention 203
Fleming, Robert K.— attempts to establish a newspaper at Vandalla, mention 206
establishes the "Illinois Corrector" newspaper at Edwardsville,
Illinois, mention 206
Governor Kinney's newspaper articles published by 441
purchases the "Republican Advocate, " mention 206
Fleming, PhlHp— volunteer. War 1812 186
Florence, Italy— mention 202
Florida— mention 31,444
Flour— manufacture of, at Qulncy, Illinois, mention 274
Flower, Alfred— son of George Flower, mention 260
Flower, George- accompanies Morris Birkbeck on tour through France 260
description of Morris Blrkbeck.by 220
Flower's history of the English settlement In Edwards county, Illinois,
edited by E. B. Washburne, mention 264
Flower's history of the English settlement In Edwards county. Illinois,
L. Z. Leiter contributes money for the publication of 24
Flower's history of the English settlement in Edwards county, Illinois.
presented to the Chicago Historical Society" 264
Flower's history of the English settlement In Edwards county, Illinoia,
mention 263
Flower's history of the English settlement In Edwards county, Illinois,
note from 261
his account of the legislature of the third General Assembly of Illi-
nois 267-268
his manuscript itinerary of trip, through France with Morris Blrk-
beck, mention 260
joins the Birkbeck family and comes west with them 261
mention 264
opposed to slavery 261
Flower, Richard— father of George Flower, opposed to slavery, mention 261
Folks, Joseph— mention 346
Folks, James— captain First Illinois regiment, War 1812 173
major Fourth Illinois regiment. War 1812 176
Ford, (Prof.) S., A. — University of Illinois, Urbana, 111., member IlllnolsiState Histor-
ical Society VIII
Ford, Thomas —born at Uniontown, Pennsylvania, December 5. 1800, died at Peoria. Illi-
nois, November 3, 1850. seventh governor of Illinois, 1842-46
Ford's history of Illinois, footnote 419,432
mention *32
Ford's history of Illinois, quoted on the legislation of the Third General
Assembly of Illinois 268
letter of, to Capt. James D. Morgan 284-285
mention 268. 283, 299, 312, 417. 419,524
Foreman, Colonel Ferris— colonel of the Third Illinois regiment of Volunteers, Mexi-
Ican war 38
mention *9
Forrester. John— ensign Third Illinois regiment. War 1812 175
lieutenant Fourth IlLnois regiment, War 1812 177
Forestier, Cath— godmother at baptism of Peter Chabot 396-397
Forgason, Joseph— private. War^SlS 19"
607
Index — Continued.
Pasre
PorKason, William— private, war 1812 190
* 'Forgotten Statesmen of Illinois"— Hon. J esse Burgess Thomas, Jesse Burgess Thomas,
Jr., Uichard Svmmmes Thomas, Jr., sketches of,
by J. F. Snyder, paper contributed to the transac-
tions of the Illinois State Historical Society. 1901,
514-525
Forquer, George— opposed Illinois convention of 1824 208
Forrester, John— lieutenant, war 1812 185
Forsyth, Thomas— Indian agent at Fort Clark 77
Forsythe, Thomas— Indian agent, mention 82. 139, 140, 141.142
justice of the peace for the town of Peoria 80
justice of the peace for St. Clair county, directed by Governor Ed-
wards to prevent sale of liquor to Indians at Peoria 113
mention 81
Fort, Benjamin— fife major. First Illinois regiment. War 1812 173
Fort, Mrs. Clara B. Boal— of La( on, Illinois, daughter of Dr. Robert Boal and wife of
Greenbury L. Fort 379
Fort, (Col.) Greenbury L.— son-in-law of Dr. Robert Boal 379
Fort, Mlcajah— private, war 1812 187
Fort, (Col.) Robert Boal— grandson of Dr. Robert Boal, died at Springfield, Illinois,
May 21. 1904. see footnote) 379
mention 379
Fort— erection of by the Regulars near Peoria, mention 151
Fort, Armstrong— Felix St. Vraln, appointed Indian agent at 142
Thomas Forsythe appointed Indian agent at 142
Fort Butler— in command of Captain Whiteside, mention 165
Fort Chartres— rebuilt by Chevalier de Macarty 457
failure of State to preserve 20
mention 19.73,104,446
Port Chicago— mention 123
Port Clark— (Gen.) Benjamin Howard's description of 153
bull'ingof. location, etc 148
built at Peoria by Gen. Benjamin Howard 72
expedition to, mention 77
(Capt.) Levering and crew embark for 74
location of, mention 153
mention 78
Regulars under command of Capt, Phillips erect 148
Thomas Forsyth, Indian agent at 77
Fort Crevecoeur— built by LaSalle 451,462
destroyed by LaSalle's soldiers 452
mention 453
Fort Dearborn— account of massacre at 116-124
Black Hawk gives reason for the attack on 119
children from, eleven massacred and scalped 123
fate of the prisoners from, in the hands of the Indians 123
garrison strength of. as reported by Captain Heald and the letter of
the adjutant general 117
George Ronan (ensign) killed in the Massacre of 121
George Konan (ensigu) opposes evacuation of 117,118
Indiana* enter in spite of the sentinels, report of Mrs. John Elnzle 118
Isaac (Dr.) Van Voorhls killed in the Massacre of 121
John Kinzle. marches with the column out of 120
John Klnzie opposes evacuation of 117
Kinzle family leave, members of. their destination 120
Linai (Lieut ) T. Helm, opposes evacuation of 117
Linal (Lieut ) T. Helm, taken prisoner 122
liquor and surplus fire arms destroyed at 119
massacre ,..66.116,124,134
massacre, wounded at. Ignored, mention, seefoot-note 162
mention 66,98,116.124.127
no provision made for the care of the wounded of 121
muster roll of. May 1812 117
(Capt.) Nathan Heald. Ineflaoient commander of 118
(Capt ) Nathan Heald's report dated from April 15. 1812 on the Indian
hostilities near iOO
(Capt.) Nathan Heald's report of Massacre of 121-123
number of troops stationed at in 1812 116
survivors of the Massacre, list of 123
(Capt.) William Wells. Indian Interpreter at 117
Fort Doneison— ext)edition to. mention 277
Fort Frontenac— mention 452
Fort Gibson— on the Arkansas Railway, mention 283
Fort Harrison— located a short distance above Terre Haute Indiana, commanded by
_^ Capt. Zachary Taylor, see foot-note 128
;tj^7T3 mention 128,129.130
Fort Henry- expedition to, mention 277
Port-Illinois Territory— Forts In, description 71,72,73.135.136
Fort Independence— Major Zachary Taylor leaves, with company to punish Sac Indians. 163
608
Index — Continued.
Page
Port Johnson— location of 72
Fort Madison— advices from, prove Indians hostile 99
(Lieut.) Alpha Kinsley commands at 65
attack by the Indians— mention 146
evacuation of, mention 147
letters from, dated at, on Indian Massacre 96,97
mention 72,76,98,99,505
number of troons stationed at. In 1812 115
(Port of Belle Vue), see foot-note 65
Port Maiden— Canada. British depot for presents to Indians Ill
Fort Massac— mention 5
number of troops stationed at, in 1812 115
site of, purchased by the State of Illinois 20
Fort Miami- mention 453
Fort Necessity— mention 457
Fort of Belle Vue— mention 65
Fort Pillow— mention 278
Fort Prairie du Chlen— fort at 160
Fort Recovery— battle at, British active in 63
Fort Russell— depot for military stores for Illinois Territory 73
near present site of Edwardsville Illinois, mention 155
seat of grovernment for Illinois Territory 73
Fort St. Louis— du Rocher, erected by LaSalle 454
mention 454, 455
Port Shelby— (Gov.) Benjamin Howard suggests reinforcements for 162
building of. named after Gov Isaac Shelby 160
(Lieut.) Campbell's expedition to the relief of. fate of 162.163
christened and occupied by the regulars, mention 161
mention 153,163
cfiScers left in command of, mention 161
(Lieutenant) Perkins defends 161
surrender of, demanded by the British and Indians 161
surrender of 162
Port Sumpter— mention 236.298
Port Wayne— dispatch dated from. August 18. 1811 on Indian affairs 74,75
garrison at, mention 92
John Johnson, Indian agent, letter from, on attitude of the Sac Indians 68
mention 86,94,95,119
Treaty of, September 30, 1803, mention 66
Treaty with the Indians at, mention 248
Fortnightly Club of Drbana— Illinois, first introduces domestic science in schools 322
Forty Third Illinois Infantry— mention 299
Foss, (Hon ) (3eorge E— mpntion 238
Foster, Robert— sergeant. War 1812 183
Foucher, Anthony— private. War 1812 181
Fouke Captain First Illinois regiment, removed and succeeded by Samuel Levering,
War 1812 17?
Pouke (General) Philip— grandfather of Hon. Charles P. Johnson 31
Fouke Philip— reappointed Captain First Illinois regiment. War 1812 173
Fouke Philip. Jr.— Democratic candidate for congress, defeated by William H, Bissell... 54
Fouke Philip B —mention 30.234
Fouike, Joseph— treasurer of the Board of Trustees McKendree College 338
Foulke, Joseph— trustee McKendree College— mention 332,349
Fournier. Mr..— mention ;--;-a :••; , •.•: '^-^^
messenger to notify Gomo of the arrival of Captain Levering with mes-
sage from Governor Edwards 77
Fourteenth Regiment Michigan Infantry- mention 279
Fourth of July Celebration at Kaskaskla 1823— report of 31
Fowler, Stephen— private. War 1812 185
Fowler, William-volunteer. War 1812 186
Fox Indiana- friendly disposed towards the Americans 97
meaning of the word "Chicago" in Fox language 461
mention 142. 146, 150, 160, 165, 463,454, 455, 460. 461
Fox. Charles James— mention 32
Fox. James— captain Third Illinois regiment. War 1812 175
Pox. James— lieutenant Third Illinois regiment. War 1812 175
Fox (Sergeant) James N— muster roll of a detachment of Rangers, War 1812 188
Fox River— mention 77,167,447
prisoners of the Fort Dearborn massacre distributed among Indians on 123
France, Country of— early technical education in 215-216
English people, hatred of 45
George Flower and Morris BIrkbeck, tour of 260
King of (Louis XIV), mention 457
mention 272,290.449,453,454.519
papers relating to colonial history of New York, research in 19
slavery in territory comprised. Louisiana purchase, recognised by.. 518
Franco-German War. 1871— gives impetus to technical education 216
mention 304
609
Index— Continued.
Pa^e.
Francois— Indian woman, child of, liaptized 408-409
Francolse— child of a slave named Sclplon and a female slave named Negresse, bap
tlsm of 408-409
Frankfort. Illinois— mention 99
Fran kfort-ou-the-Maln— elementary school Hansen establishes school at Belleville
after pattern of :-04
Qustavns Koerner wounded In students attack on euardhoupe 296
mention 286, JS9
Franklin (Dr.), Benjamin— mention 435
Franklin County. Illinois- mention 7.', 270
Franklin County, Indiana— mention 623
Franklin, George— lieutenant First Illinois regiment. War 1812 176
captain. First Illlaois regiment, War 1812 176
"Frankpledges"- title by which heads of ten allied families were called. In early Eng-
lish period 469
Franqnelln— map of, published 1687, quoted as to spelling of Chicago 461
Fray. Joseph— private. War 1812 I9l
Frarler, Robert— private. War 1812 188
Freedom, Lewis- private. War 18I2 185
Freeman, Jonathan— nomd« plume of Morris Birkbeck 263
Freeman's "Historical Geography of Europe" 3S7
"Free Press"- Montgomery County Republican newspaper 368
Freeport Journal- General Smith D. Atkins, editor of. 2
Freeport, Illinois— mention 1
Shakespeare Society, mention 327
Woman's Cluh. marks place of the Lincoln Douglas debate, 1868 323
"Free Soil Party"— Dr. Humphrey H. Hood identified with 368
"Free West and Western Citizen"— newspaper published In Chicago by Z. Eastman and
Hooper Warren 206
Freemont, GeneralJ. C— Gustavus Koerner on staff of 299
nominated for president of the United States 2a6
French, Augustus C.— born In Hill. N. H., August 1. 1808, died at Lebanon, Ills., Septem-
ber 4. 1864. eighth governor of Illinois. 1846-1853
active in the cause of education in the State of Illinois 224
defeated for oflBce of Superintendent of Public Instructions, of
Illinois 60,61
member of Tenth General Assembly of Illinois. 1836 28
mention 336
French, Dr. A. W.— Springfield. Illlnoia, third vice-president Illinois State Historical
Society. 1904-1905 16
member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
member nominating committee, Illinois State Historical Society... 4
French, Joseph— corporal, War 1812 192
French, Levi- nrivate. War 1812 192
French, Samuel— private. War 1812 (92
French. William— Randolph County, Illinois. Abolitionist 551
French and Indian Wars— mention 19,63,141
French-Canadian— mention 502
French Colonists— mention 230
French— company of French and Indians under Paulette Meillet capture and destroy St.
Joseph 19
early settlements of, reference to 90
established slavery In Illinois Territory 4)4
give presents to the Indians, mention 87
mention 416
forts, mention 104
(old) map in British Museum, published in 1718 quoted as to spelling of Chi-
cago 46t
people, mention 85, 87, 93. 414, 415. 445, 447, 450, 453, 459, 460, 461. 463, 464, 506. 507, 509
military papers, absence of, makes It dlflEicult to fix locations in French and In-
dian wars 19
people, massacre of, bv the Shawnee Indians, mention 247
people operate the salt springs, salt wells and licks on the Saline River, evi-
dences of 246
salt making by. descrlotlon of given In a history of Illinois, mention 247
pioneer mothers of Illinois were French emigrants 606
settlement In the State of Illinois, mention 19
revolution, mention 262
traders, mention 166
traders purchase the prisoners from Fort Dearborn, mention 123
wars, mention 19
Frenchman, (a)— affair of Samuel Whiteside with, at the Illinois River Block House 75
(Canaiilao), killing of by the IndlHus, Capt. Heald's account of 100
Chevalier de Macarty, the Frenchman 457
Frenchmen— express, or dispatch bearers, between Chicago and St. Louis, mention 98
mention 290
party of twenty-three accompanies LaSalle 463
—39 H
610
Index — Continued.
Paffe
Friends in Council (Chlcagro)— formation of 318
Friends In Council (Quincy, 111.)— oldest literary club for women In the United States, or-
ganization of, etc 317
Frlsby, R. E— estate of, mention 635
Frontenac, Count de— governor of Canada 454
Frontenac, Fort— mention 452
Frost, K. Graham— mention 40
Fronde, James Anthony— English historian quoted as to the Scotch-Irish race 309
Fuel. Henry— private. War 1812 187
Fnllmore. John— private. War 1812 193
Fulmore. John-private. War 1812 182
Fulton County. Illinois— mention 270
Fulton County Ledger (newspaper)- 8. T. Thornton, publisher 212
Fulton Cyrus— private. War 1812 184.191
Fulton Democrat, (newspaper)- W. T. Davidson, publisher of 211
mention 212
Fulton Family— historic family of Ireland 309
Funk, Absolom- early settler of McLean county 526
Funk. B. F.— mention 238
Funk. D. M— member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
Funk. Isaac— early settler of MfLean county 526.529
Funk, Jesse— early settler of McLean couaty 526
Funk. Lafayette— member Illinois State Historical Society ^ VIII
Fank's Grove. McLean County. Illinois— mention 540
Furgeson. (Major) Isaac, mention 330,345
Futral, Thomas— private. War 1812 187
Futral. William— private. War 1812 187
Fry, Joseph— private. War 1812 180
Gable, Wm— private. War 1812 185
Gadler, John— private. War 1812 192
Gale. (Rev.) George W.— City of Galesbursr, Illinois named after 216
established ihe Knox Manual Labor college 216
fonnder of the Oneida Institute of Science and Industry.
Whitesboro, N. Y 216
locates a colony in Knox County. Illinois 216
"Galena Advertiser" (newspaper)— published by Hooper Warren at Galena, Illinois 206
Galena Coterie, (The)— mention 236
Galena, Illinois— first dally newspaper in the State, established at 207
foot note, mention 441
Galena, Illinois— mention ^.15,298,442
Galena. Illinois."Upper Mississippi Herald,"(newspaper)— published by Hooper Warren. 206
Galesburg. Illinois, Hawthorne Club— mention 327
Qalesburg, Illinois, Knox College— located at 229
Galesburg. Illinois— meeting of Illinois Press association at. mention 2.12
Galesburg Mosaic Club— mention 327
Qalesburg, Illinois— named In honor Rev. Geo. W. Gale 216
special law regarding township organization, see footnote 497
Gallatin County. Illinois— mention 176,245.266.270
militia company in. in 1812 116
salines of, mention .' 265
sketch of, published in Philadelphia In 1837. mention 245
Galliard. Stephen— lessee of Saline on Shoal Creek, Bond Co.. Illinois 253
Gait. Mary— wife of Hugh Wallace, mention 203
Gander, Lasadore— private. War 1812 185
Gantt, (Gen.) E, W.— mention 278
Garden City, Chicago, so called - 369
Garfield, James A.— Gustavus Koerner active against In campaign of 1880 302
Gustavns Koerner delivers eulogy on, mention 306
Garner. Charles— private. War 1812 184.192
Garner. Prancia- private. War 1812 192
Garner, William— private. War 1812 192
Garrett. Dickenson— ens<ign Third Regiment, War 1812 175
ensign First Regiment. War 1812 173.186
Garrett. Moses— captain Fourth Regiment. War 1812 177
Garrett, T. M.— member of the Illinois State Historical Society VllI
Garrison, James— enlisted War 1812 186
Garrison, William Lloyd— mention 219
Garver, William— private. War 1812 184
Gasconade, River — mention 66-67
Gasconade Murderers— requisition on Governor Edwards for 74
Gasklll, Jonathan— private. War 1812 1S3
Gaskill. Paul-private War 1812 193
611
Index — Continued.
Page
Gaston. James— private. War 1812 196
Gasion. John— private. War 1812 196
Gaston. Kobert— captain. First tteglment. War 1812 173
Ga!<ton, Robert.— mention 196
Gaston. Kobert— private. War 1812 191
Gaston. Kobert— sergeant. War of 1812 192
Gaston. Thomas— private. War 1812 196
Gaston. William— private. War 1812 192
Gatewood. Cyrus— Senator in Illinois, Tenth General Assembly, 1836 28
Gattan. Nathan— estate of 632
Gavel— of the Illinois State Press Association, presented to Illinois State Histotlcal So-
ciety 2
Gazetteer— John M. Peck's Gazetteer of Illinois, mention 207
Gell, Sir William— English scholar and antiquarian, son of Phillip Gell. of Hopton,
Derbyshire. England, born In 1777. died at Naples in 1836 23
Genam, John B.— private. War 1812 185
Gendeon. Jean— private. War 1812 181
Qendron. Baptiste— private. War 1812 192
General Assembly— State of Illinois, see Illinois legislature
General Federation of Woman's Clubs— organization of. session In Chicago, 1892 320
■"Genius, (The) of Universal Emancipation,"— an anti-slavery paper, mention 219
George Kogers Clark— Chapter sons of the American Kevolutiou, mention 14
George Kogera Clark— Chapter Sons of the American Kevolution, resolutions tendered
by Illinois State Historical Society for courtesies shown by 17
Georgia— state of. emigrants from, mention 278
Germantown— battle of. mention 311
German-American system of schools— beneficial to education in southern Illinois 304
German Colonists — mention 304
German language— mention 467
German Newspaper— "Anzsiger des Westens," first German newspaper in city of St.
Louis 303
Germany- early technical education in 216
Germany— leads other countries in technical education 216
Germany— mention 272. 2S7, 290. 274
Germany— Technological schools in. mention 216
Gettysburg— mention 31
Glbbs. Elisha- estate of 634
Giddlngs.J K.— mention 370,871,372
Qldier, (or Godere), Jean Marie- private. War 1812 184
Glger, John— lieutenant. Second Regiment, War 1812 177
Giger, John— private. War 1812 194
Qilbaur. Samuel— second lieutenant. War 1812 189
GUham, Isaac— ensign. Second Regiment, War 1812 174
promoted 174
Gllham, Isaac, (vice Cook, promoted), lieutenant, Second Regiment, War 1812 174
Gilham, Isom, (or Isaac)— private. War 1812 188
Gtlham, R. C— lieutenant, ciecond Regiment. War 1812 177
Gllhdm, Samuel, (vice Isaac Gilham, promoted)— ensign. Second Regiment, War 1812.,.. 174
Gllham. Samuel— private. War 1812 188
Gilham. William— lieutenant. Second Regiment, War 1812 174
Gill. James— ensign. First Regiment. War 1812 173
Gill. James— private. War 1012 178
Gill. Robert— captain. Second Regiment. War 1812 177
Gill, William— Moore's block house, 1< cated on farm of, mention 155
Glllard, Davls—furni><hed wagon, team and driver for transporting military stores from
Shawnuetown to Camp Russell. War 1812 187
Glllard. John— private, war 1812 186
Gillespie, (Mrs ) David— member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
Gillespie Joseph— mention 30,41,42
"Recollections of early Illinois." see foot note 4i6
Gillespie (Judge) Jostph— his version of Thomas HIggins' encounter with the Indians. 167
Gillespie. Joseph— Whig candidate for Congress, defeated by William H. Blssell 64
Glllham, Charles— private. War 1812 181.190,196
sere-eant.War 1812 179
Glllham. Clement— private. War 1812 181
Glllham. Ezeklal. private.War 1812 181
Glllham, Isham— meutlon 196
private.War 1812 181
Glllham, J. Clements, private. War 1812 179
Glllham, Samuel— sergeaut. War 1812 179
Glllham. William-private, War 1812 179.181
Gilireath. Hugh— private.War 1812 193
Glrardot, Sleur Jean B.— ensign in the marine troops 412-413
godfather at baptls^m of Thomas Chonlcone 404-405
sponsor at bantlam of Jean Baptiste Plllet 412-413
Gladstone, William Ewart— born Dec 29, 1809, died May 19, 1898, mention 198
Qlenmaquean Valley, Ireland— mention 309
Glenn. George— private.War 1812 184.196
Glenn. Isaac— private. War 1812 192
612
Index — Continued.
Page
Glenn, Thomas— private. War 1812 192
Qlenwood, Illinois— Manual Training and Farm School for boys 318
"Glimpse (A) at the Future. Three Hundred Years Hence."— A prophecy by Prof. John
Russell 435-140
Gloucester, Enffland-Royal Agricultural College at, mention 215
Glun, George— private. War 1812 ls5
Goddess of Liberty— mention 184,273
Godere. Alexis— private. War 1812 184
Godere (or Gidier) Jean Marie- private. War 1812 184
Godere. Joseph— private. War 1812 , 1^4
Godfrey. Illinois— mention , 376
Godier. Erne— private. War 1812 192
Godler, Isadore— private. War 1812 192
Goethe, Johann (Wolfgang)— illustrious German poet, mention 2fc6
Goheen (Rev.) Davis- auditor McKendree college 338
Goheen, Oavls— publisher of the "Central Christian Ad vocate" 340
Goheen, S M. E— mention 338
Gordon. Ellsha— ensign Fourth Regiment, War 1812 176
Gordon, Joseph— corporal. War 1812 185
Gordon. George Fhlneas— (inventor and manufacturer) mention 388
Gordon Printing Press 388-389
Going (Goings) Pleasant— private. War 1812 181,190,195
Going (Goings) William— private. War 1812 181,188,190,195
Going, William M.— lieutenant Second Regiment, War 1812 177
Going's Port— location of 72
Goings, John— Lieutenant Second Regiment, War 1812 174
Goings (probably Going), Pleasant— private. War 1812 181
Goings. William— Lieutenant, Randolph county. War 1812 172
Goings (probably Going). Wm— private. War 1812 I81
Goldsmith, Charles— private. War 1812 180
Gomo (Pottawatomie Chief)— agrees to deliver up to Americans stolen property 94
complies with request of Governor Nlnian Edwards 77
conference with Captain Levering 78-80
delivers answer to Governor Edwards' address to the Pot-
tawatomies 85-87
friendly to the Americans 77
heads list of Chiefs at the conference at Cahokia 100
in council at Cahokia April 16,1812 101
marches down the Illinois River, floating the United States
flag 77
mention 78
replies to the second speech of Governor Edwards 112
speech of, at Cahokia council April 16.1812 106-110
wife of. prepares food for Captain Levering 78
Gomo's Village— burning of, mention 148
lodge of Gjmo, conference held at 78
Gooch, Cornelius— killed in an encounter with Indians 67
member of party pursuing Indians after Lontre settlement robbery.. 67
Good, John— private. War 1812 181
"Goo'i Old Times in McLeanCounty"— extracts from 526-531
Goodfellow (Dr.) William— mention 337
Goodhart, William— estate of 530
Gooding. William— active in the interests of education In the State of Illinois, mention. 224
Goodnow Administration Law— mention 603
Goshen Settlement— company of mounted rangers raised at. for protection against the
Indiana 71
letter from Wm. B. Whiteside to Governor Niaian Edwards, dated
from Aug. 4,1811 76
Gould (Miss) Helen— mention 337
Govan (Gen ) A. R— capture of. with his entire brigade, mention 281
Government. United states- theories of political emigrants to the United States, some
demands, etc 295
Qragg. (or Greig) Azor— private. War 1812 182
second sergeant, War 1812 182
Gragg, David- private. War 1812 182
Gragg, Ezra— private. War 18i2 179
Gragg, Harmon— corporal. War 1812 182
Gragg, Jacob— corporal. War 1812; private. War 1812 191,194
Gragg, John— private. War 1812 182
Gragg, (or Greig) Titus— Lieutenant. War 1812 179
private. War 1812 182
Graham. Duncan— head of British intriguers, flees to Canada, mention 168
Graham Family— historic family of Ireland, mention 309
Graham, Jouathan— private. War 1812 179
Graham, William— delegate toithe Mecklenburg Convention 309
Grand Army of the Republic— mention 373
Woman's Relief Corps, auxiliary to 320
Grand Pr6— beautiful village of. st^ene of Longfellow's *' Evangeline," mention 458
Grand Tower, on the Mississippi River— mention 170
613
Index — Continued.
Page
Granger— lessee of the salines in Southern Illinois— mention 265
Grant, Ulysses S— appointed Assistant Quartermaster of Ills 1861 by Governor Yates... 298
appointment of members of his cablner criticized 330
Colonel of the 21st Regiment. Illinois Volunteers, mention 298
commands Camo Yates 298
E. B. Washburne said to be the discoverer of, mention 235
Foremost soldier of the world, mention 298
mention 277,281.312.414
Grant. (President) Olysses .S.— movement to defeat the re-election of 300-301
Granville, Illinois. Convention— First deliberative body to discuss the industrial uni-
versity 219-220
Granville. Ills., Convention— J. B. Turner, Chairman of Committee on Business 219
Granville. Illinois— J. B. Turner invited to address convention of farmers at. mention... 218
Granville. Illinois, Convention— mention 225
Resolutions recommending State University, etc 219
Grammason. Joseph— boatman, mention 7*
Graves. John— captain Fourth Illinois regiment. War 1812 176
second lieutenant volunteers. War 1812 185
Gravier. James (Society of Jesus)— priest of the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady.
mission among the. Illinois 394-395
Gray family— historic family of Ireland 309
Gray. Robert A..— address before the Illinois State Historical Society, 1904, "The Scotoh-
Irish in American History" 308-313
Gray. Robert A.— mention 1*
Gray.T. W.— mention 345
Great American Desert— mention 272
Great Britain— confirmed right of settlers to hold slaves in Illinois, mention 414-115
mention 176, 336. 355. 4«3
Great Father— (President Madison), mention 81
(President Washington), mention 79
(President of the United States), mention
'(9.82.84,91.93.101.102,103,105,106.108.110,111
"Great Liberator"— (Abraham Lincoln), act of the legislature in the interests of educa-
tion, approved by 227
Great Salt Spring— George E. Sellers' account of 2J6
Great (The) Salt Spring— "Nigger Spring." so called, mention -45
Great Salt Spring— mention 215
pottery found near, mention '^i^
Great Speaker (Pottawatomie chief)— in council at Cahokia, Aprllieth, 1812 101
Great Sotrit-mentlon 66.82,85,105.106.107.108.108,110.111
Great Valley (The Mississippi valley)— mention 555
Glreat Vermilion Sea— mention 448
Great Wabash River- appropriation for the improvement of "190
Great West (The) Company of— mention 456
Great Western (steamer)— mention 368.556
Grecian Colonies— mention 467
Greece. County of— mention 22,282.653
Greeley, Horace— at the Chicago convention of 1860 297
historic phrase of ^97
Lyman Trumbull supports for president 47
mention 3h8
nominated for the presidency, Cincinnati convention 1872. mention ... 301
Green Bay-mention 157. 158. 159. 160. 447. 448. 451. J62
Green, Henry. Jr.— private. War 1812 194
Green, Henry. Sr— private. War 1812 194
Green, (Senator) James S. of Missouri— debate between Jefferson Davis, Lyman Trum
bull and Senator Green in United States Sen-
ate, mention 46
Green. (Rev.) Jesse of Missouri district— mention 330
Green. John— private. War 1812 194
Green (Hon.) Reed— mention 6
Green River- mention '39
Green. Royal— private. War 1812 179
Green, Samuel— private. War 1812 185
Green. Thomas— captain Third regiment. War 18i2 176
Green. Thomas P & Son— "Pioneer" (newspaper) of Rock Spring printed by 207
Greene County. Illinois-mention 270.328.367.609
Greene. (Prof.) E. B,— approves accepting appropriation of the Illinois Commissioners
to the Louisiana Purchase Exposition 3
chairman of program committee. Illinois State Historical Society. 12
member board of directors Illinois State Historical Society 16
member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
member nominating committee. Illinois State Historical Society. 4
m»-mber publication committee. Illinois State Historical Society. 12
mention 5, 6
moves that the matter of the Louisiana Purchase Exhibit be
turned over to the Board of Trustees of the Illinois State His-
torical Library 3
614
Index — Continued.
Page
Greene. Thomas— ensign. Second Regiment. War 1812 174
Greenup, William C— (vice Samuel Levering, deceased) Captain First RegimentV War
1812 173
Lieutenant. First Regiment, (vice Samuel Levering, promoted)
War 1812. afterwards promoted 173
Greenup. (Captain) William C. -muster roll of. War 1812 I84
Greenville. Ill— mention Ig5
Gregg, David L.— Secretary of State of Illinois, active in the cause' of "education *.'. 24
^ „,. United States Commissioner to the Sandwich Islands, mention..."!." 224
Gregg, Titus— ensign. Second Rf-giment. War 1812 174
lieutenant. Second Kegiment, War 1812 174
Gregory. (Dr.) J. M.— Regent of the Illinois Industrial Qnlverslty, mention...."..'.".'.'.'!!.".' 223
Greig (or Gragg), Azor— first lieutenant. War 1812 182
^,„ second sergeant. War 1812 !!!!!!!.!!!! 182
Grldley, Illinois 540
Grid ley. J. N— member Illinois State Historical Society !.!.!!!!.!!!'"! VIII
GrifSn. Daniel— Drivate, War 1812 jog
Griffin. Henry— sergeant. War 1812 107
Griffith. Hiram— private. War 1812 !!!!!!!'.!!!!!!!!!!!! 187
Griffith. Isaac— captain. Second Rpgiment. War 1812 ," '{74 175
Griffith. Thomas— captain. Third Regiment, War 1812 175
major. Tolrd Regiment. War 1812 !.!!!!!!!!!!!!'!'! 177
Griffln, Wllllam—enslgn. Second Regiment, War 1812 " 174
private. War 1812 '{sti iqn
Griffln. Williams— private. War 1812 ...'.'.,'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'."."".' ' 195
Griffon, (The) La Salle's — vespel, mention 451
Griggs, Jesse— captain. First Regiment. War 1812- .'.'.".'...'.'.".'..'.'.'.""."."*.'." 172 173
lieutenant. First Regiment, War 1812 173
Griggs, St-ephen- trustee of Alton College 349
Griggsviile, 111.— Prof. J. B. Turner's address at. on a system of national e'ducattc'n. men-
tion 218
Grlswold. Stanley— succeeds Alexander Stuart as judge in Illinois Te'rrlt'ory!!!!!!!!!!'!!! 516
Groats. William— private. War 1812 182
Grommow. Paul— survivor of the Ft. Dearborn massacre ..'...'/.'.'.'...".'.'..'.'.'.'. 123
Gross. Lewis M.— member illinols State Historical Society ' VIII
'Gross Point"— Evanston. Ill . formerly known as 462
Gross. (Col.) Samuel Weissell— mention 279
Gross, William L— member Illinois State Historical Society...! !!!' ! 'VIII
Grover, Frank H.— vice president Evanston Historical Society 9
Groves, John— first lieutenant, War 1812. '! 195
Grummow (orGrumow or Gromlt) Paul— private in the regulars, served at Ft. Dearborn,
mention 124
Grundy County, Illinois— votes against the ''onstltutlonal Convention of 1817 479
Guadenhutten— (incorrectly written; should be Gnadenhutten) town of. on the Muskln-
gun. Moravian Indians settle at. mention 474
Guard. Chalon— one of company formed for manufacture of salt 265
Guard. Timothy— Buys negro slave in Tennessee for work in the salt mines of ilil'no'is!!! 261
Indenture writing by. giving Cornelius Elliott (a slave) his freedom.
mention 251
one of the lessees of salt wells In the United States! mention!!!!!!!!!! 251
mention 265
. salt well of. near the "Half Moon Lick" !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 255
Guerln, Marrianne— godmother at baptism of Jeanne Burel 408 409
Guilford Court House.N.C- menrton ."'.'..'."*'.'. 310
Guilford, Surry County; England. Wanborough -home of Morr'i's'Bl'rk'beck. 'near!! !!!!!!!! 259
Guillaume, (Sieur) Nicholas Michel— clerk at the mine of the Company of the West. .406-407
„ ... _. , ,,^ ^ Godfather at baptism of William de Pottler 406-407
Gujilemeau. Charles— son of John Guillemeau and Carola Marchand, baptism of 398-399
Guillemeau. John B —child of. baptized 398-399
Gnlmonneau. John Charles— Superior of the Company of Jesus !!.!!!!!!462!403!404,405
Gulf of Mexico— mention 10 448
Gun boat« — mention !!!!!!!!! 277
Guthrie, Dempsle— mention !!!!!!!!!!!!!! 346
Guthrie, Robert— mention 626
Guyes. Daniel- private War 1812 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"!!!!!!!!!!! 180
Gwatkln (The;— one of the companies under command of Gen'.'Samue'l' Hop kin's 'from. 131
Hacker, John S.— Senator. Illinois Tenth General Assembly, 1836 28
trustee of Jonesborough College . 350
Hagerman, Benjamin— private War 1812 '. 193
Hagerstown. Maryland— mention 514
Higglns, Robert— private War 1812 178
Haines, Elijah M.— mention ! 48$
615
Index — Continued.
Paee
Haines (Elijah M.) Township Laws— 8th edition, preface, reference to, see foot-note 486
foot-note .. 467
Chap. X, reference to.see foot-note 170
Chap. XI, reference to.see foot note A70
mention 603
Haines, James— member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
Hale, (Sir) Matthew— eminent English judtre, authority on law, born at Alderly, Novem-
ber 1,1609. died December, 1676, mention 210
"Half Moon Lick"- (salt wells). English settlers find large quantities of pottery at.
mention 215
locality noted for salt springs 215
mention 251.254,255.266
pottery found near, mention 246
(salt wells) vigorously operated In 1826, mention 250
Hall (Blanchard), Annie— second wife of Rufas Blanchard 390
riall. Caleb— estate of 529
Hall, F. H.— member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
Hall. Henry H.— member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
Hall, (Judge) James— gives credence to the story of Thomas Hlgglns 167
mention 169
"Sketches of the West," sketch of. Col. John Moredock's taken
from 169-171
Hall. William— private War 1812 184
Halleck. (Gen.) H. W.— mention 278
Hallln. Andrew— private War 1812 187
Hallln. John— private War 1812 187
Hambach Castle— meeting of German Patriots at. mention 289
Hamburgh (Tennessee^ Landing— mention 278
Hamilton. (Gen.) Alexander— mention 311
Hamilton, Alexander— volunteer War 1812 186
Hamilton County, Illinois— mention 266,270
Hamilton County. Ohio— mention 475
Hamilton, (Governor) John L,— mention 312
Hamlin. Hannibal— mention 372
Hampton, Jonathan— private War 1812 196
Hamtramck. Major John Francis— mention 514
Hancock County. Illinois— mention 275
Hancock, John— one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, mention 309
Hand, (Gen ) Edward— mention 3U
Haney, David— corporal War 1812 196
Hantord, Judge R. W.— law partner of Hon. Hiram W. Beckwith 26
Hanlon. Matthias-private War 1812 182
Hanna, George— mention 72
Hanna. John— builds an early fort In Illinois on land of George Hanna 72
Hannah, Brier— private War 1812 196
Hannah, James— volunteer War 1812 181
Hannan (or Honnon), Jacob— private War 1812 192
Hannibal's march across the Alps— mention 311
Hansen, Nicholas— Pike county. Illinois, election of. contested in General Assembly of
1822 421
contested seat in the Illinois legislature, history of 268
ejected from General Assembly of 1822 by pro-slavery majority 520
Jesse Burgess Thomas assisted In his election 620
votes for Jesse Burgess Thomas for United States Senator 520
Hardacre, O. V.— member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
Hardin. (Gov.) Charles H.. of Missouri- mention 40
Hardin. John J.— colonel of the First Illinois regiment volunteers. Mexican war 38
death of. described In speech of Gustavus Koerner 62.63
killed in the battle of Buena Vista, mention 50,275
letters to General James D. Morgan 282-;84
letters to James D. Morgan, reference to, see foot note 276
member of the Tenth General Assembly of Illinois, 1836 28
mention 49.51.65
Harding. A. C— mention 236
Hardscrabble— near present site of Chicago, murder at. by Indians, mention 116
Hardwtcke, History of— quoted as to New England's plan of land ownership and settle-
ment 471-472
Hardy. H. L.— member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
Hargrave, John— ensign Third Illinois regiment. War 1812 176
Hargrave, Seth— lieutenant War 1812 186
private War 1812 196
volunteer War 1812 186
Hargrave, Samuel- ensign. War 1812 178
Hargrave. Willis-captain Third Illinois Regiment. War 1812 175.186
(vice Ph. Trammel resigned) Colonel Fourth Ills. Regiment, War 1812.. 177
commands company In Indian campaign, 1812 131
commands company of rangers 71
general inspector of the Salt Works for the U. S.. mention 265
major Fourth Illinois Regiment. War 1812 176
member of the committee to select land for the Saline Reservation 249
muster roll of. mounted volunteers. War 1812 186
616
Index — Contnued .
Page
Hargrave. Willis— one of the lessees of Salt Wells and Springs in the U. S 261
political methods of, his work with the members of the Third General
Assembly of Illinois 266
State Senator, First General Assembly of Illinois 266
Harlan, James— champion of education in the U. S. Senate 225
Harmon, George— private. War 1812 182
Harmon, (Lee county) Illinois- subscription to R. R., mention 491
Harper Brothers— mention 388
Harper, George W.— career as an editor 212
editor of the "Robinson Argus" 211,212
Harper, James— mention 288
Harrick, Martin— captain Third Illinois Regiment, War 1812 177
Harriman B^amlly— massacre of, by Indians 99
Harrington, William— private. War 1812 190,196
Harrington, Willy- private. War 1812 190
Harrington, Wylle— private. War 1812 195
Harris, Buckner— private. War 1812 188
Harris, Gitlam— enlisted. War 1812 186
Harris. John— lieutenant, Third Illinois Regiment 177
sent to notify loose in command of the forts, of the Wood River Massacre. 166
Harris, Nathan— private. War 1812 196
Harris. Robert— private. War 1812 185
Harrisburg. Penn —mention 198,378
Harrison (mayor) Carter H., Sr.— mention 385
Harrison, Furnas— private. War 1812 187
Harrison, Jesse— private. War 1812 190,195
Harrison, John Scott— son of William Henry Harrison 201
Harrison. William Henry— appointed Governor of Indiana Territory by President Jeffer-
son 516
authorized to lease Salt Wells and Salt Springs 248
copy of a letter from Governor Edwards to, dated U.S.. Jsallne.
Illinois territory, March 17. 1814 157.158
friend of Hon Jesse Burgess Thomas 614
Governor Indiana Territory writes letter relating to Indian
troubles on frontier 113
Hon. Jesse Burgess Thomas assists In candidacy for presi-
dential nominee 522
mention 84,101,106.111,115,247,417
member of Congress from Virginia 515
reports of Governer Edwards on the Indian situation 112,113
reports to congress on the Salt Springs 247
tomb of, at North Bend. Indiana 200,201
treaty with the Indians at Port Wayne, mention 248
visits Kasksskia 1802. importuned to call convention towards
the introduction of slavery in the Northwest territory ....247,248
Harrison. (Mrs.) William Henry— buried at North Bend, Ind., mention 201
Harshman vs. Bates County, State of Missouri— case of, reference to 486
Hart. George E.— adjutant Fourth Illinois Regiment, War 1812 176
Hart. John— private. War 1812 196
Hartlib, Samuel— plans for instruction in agricultural pursuits, etc 215
spends his life and fortune in educational efforts 215
Harvard University— mention 333.460
Harvick. Arthur L— member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
Harwick. Martin— lieutenant, Third Illinois Regiment. War 1812 175
Hurwood vs. Hamilton— case at law of, reference to, see footnote 498
Haslett. (Col.) John— mention 311
Hatch. Ozias M. — mention 57
Hatfield. Thomas— private. War 1812 186
Hatterman. Christooher- corporal. War 1812 179
Hatton. Frederick Hammond— member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
Havana, Illinois— Beethoven Club of 321,327
"Havana Post'' (newspaper)— published at Havana. Ills., purchased by John B. Wright. 211
Haven, Orlando H.— of Kendall County, representative to 16th, General Assembly of
Illinois 1849. slavery resolutions introduced by 429
Havre. France— mention 290
Hawk. George— private. War 1812 190.195
Hawk. Philip— private. War 1812 182
Hawk. Robart- private. War 1812 180
Hawke. Robert— private. War 1812 190
Hawkins. Marshall— ensign. Second Illinois Regiment, War 1812 174
Hawkins, Martial- private. War 1812 191
Hawks. John— private. War 1812 179
Hawks. Robert— private. War 1812 195
Hawley, John B.— mention 238
Hay, J. B. — mention 30
Hay. John— mention 230
Hay, Loean— member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
Haycock. Russell E 185
Hayden, Richard— private. War 1812 185
617
Index — Continued .
Pase
Hayes, sereeantln Captain Heald's company. Fort Dearborn 117
Hayes. Rutherford B.— mention 802.813
Hayes. Zachariah— private. War 1812 180
Haynes. Henry Williamson— noted archeologlst, born Baneor. Maine. September 20. 1831.
mention 22
Haynes, James— private. War 1812 196
Hays. sergeant of the regulars at Fort Dearborn, mention 124
Hays, Zachariah— private. War 1812 181
Hazel. Richard- private. War 1812 185
Hazelton, John— private. War lt'12 185
Heald. Darius— son of Captain Nathan Heald. mention 117,126
Heald, (Captain) Nathan— account of the killing of Liberty White and a Frenchman, by
the Indians 100
bad greueralship of, mention, see foot note 122
Black Partridge surrenders to Captain Heald his medal, as he
could no longer restrain the Indians 119
contldence in the Indiana, mention 116
distributes goods to the Indians at Fort Dearborn, see foot
note 119
gives pass to Little Chief, mention 81
holds council with the Indians outside of Fort Dearborn 118
letters of. dated Chicago. February 7. 1812; March 11, 1812; on
Indian affairs 98
mention 94.116.126
muster roll of company at Fort Dearborn, mention 117
proposes to surrender Fort Dearborn to Black Bird 121
reads on parade at Ft. Dearborn orders received from General
Hull 118
receives orders from Qeneral Hull to proceed to Detroit by
land 117
report by him of the Fort Dearborn massacre 121-123
report of. quoted, see foot note 117-123
taken to the home of a Mr. Burnett, Indian trader, after the
Fort Dearborn massacre 122
Heald, Rabekah- wife of Captain Nathan Heald. mention 117.119,120
niece of Captain Wells, mBUtion 121
petition of. to the United States Court of Claims 124.125
see foot note 117
supplementary petition of. to the United States Court of Claims 126
taken to the home of Mr. Burnett, an Indian trader, after the Fort
Dearborn massacre 122
Health, Township Boards of— in State of Illinois, created by act of 1865 487
Heaton. (Dr.) of Jersey county. Illinois, mention 202
Hebert, )Captaln)— see Ebert 74,82
Hebert. Sleur Etlenne— liodfather at baptism of Btlenne Blgoto 412,413
Hecker, Frederick— duel with Qustavus Koerner, mention 806
funeral of, unveiling of monument to. In St. Lonis. mention 306
Heddlng. (Bishop) Elijah- mention 832
Hedden, (Mrs.) Nancy— daughter of Captain Abel Moore, only survivor (1898) of the
Wood River massacre, mention 156
Heights of Abraham — near (Quebec, mention 4b7
Heidelberg, Germany— Glustavus Koerner's student life at. mention 289
Heinl, Frank J.— member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
Helm. (Lieutenant) Llnal T.— mention 123
opDoses evacuation of Fort Dearborn 117
second lieutenant at Fort Dearborn 117
taken prisoner at Fort Dearborn massacre 129
Helm, Margaret— wife of Lieutenant Llnui T. Helm, mehtlon 120
miraculous escHpe from death 124
Hemans. (Felicia Dorothea)— quotation from poetical writings of 435
Hempstead, (Lleutt-nant) Edward— boat of. badly shattered in fight with Indians 164
Hencely. Charles— private, war 1812 196
Hencely. James— private, war 1812 196
Henderson County. Illinois- votes against the constitutional convention of 1847 479
Henderson, John Q.— member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
Henderson. Lieutenant wounded In defense of Fort Shelby 162
Henderson, ((Jeaeral) ThomaM J —mention 238
Hendricks, James— private. War 1812 180
Hendrix Family— early settlers of McLean county, mention 626
Heudrix, John— estate of 635
Hennepin, Father Louis— priest and historian, member of LaSalle's expedition, men-
tion 19.451
Hennlnger, Prof J. W.— member Illinois State Historical Society VlII
"Henry Clay" (steamer)— burning of, on the Hudson Klver in 1852, mention 224
Henry, (Professor) C. S —of the Smithsonian Institution. Washington. D. C, mention — 224
Henry 1. King of England— grants electoral privileges to city of London 468
Henry. IlUnols, Women's Club— mention 327
HHury, Gov. Patrick of Virginia- mention 311-565
Hensley, James— fife major. Third Illinois regiment, War 1812 175
Henson. BenJ amln— private. War 1812 194
618
Index — Continued.
Paee
Henson. John— private. War 1812 — 191
Herald— newspaper Dubllshed in New York City 388
Herndon, Archer G.— member of the "Lous: Nine" in Illinois Leirlslatare, mention 203
Herndon. William H.. mention 67
Heth— captain of the ship "America" on which Morris Birkbeck and family sailed for
America, 1817 261
Hewitt. George— private, War 1812 179,182
Hewitt. John— ensign. War 1812 194
Hewitt. Roland— private. War 1812 182
Hewitt. William— death of, attributed to Colonel Moredock 171
Hlbbins. John— lieutenant First Illinois regiment, war 1812 173
Hiccock. Kussell E.— judge advocate. Second Illinois regiment, war 1812 174
Hick (Hicks), Thomas S,— of Gallatin county, representative 14th General Assembly of
Illinois, slavery resolution introduced by 425
Hlekam. William— lieutenant Third Illinois regiment. War 1812 177
Hlgbee, Chauncey L.— of Pike county, senator 21st General Assembly of Illinois, 1858-60,
resolutions offered by 430
Higglns, Hiram— private. War 1812 185
Hlggins, John— private. War 1812... 182.191
Higglns. Thomas— came to Illinois in 18DT; see foot-note 165
Hiram Arthur's version of Thomas Higglns' encounter with the In-
dians - 167
Judge James Hall recounts the story of, mention 167
Gov. John Reynolds relates the story of Thomas Higglns in his "His-
tory of Illinois" 167
Judge Joseph Gillespie's version of the story 167
remarkable story of his encounter with the Indians 165-167
Highland Park, 111.— Marquette probably traveled through present site of 462
Hllgard, Theodore— settled in St. Clair county, Illinois, mention 291
Hill, Burrell— private. War 1812 194
HUl, Burrill— private. War 1812 191,193
Hill, Charles-sergeant, War 1812 185
Hill, George— estate of 534
Hill, H. H. & Co.— publishes history of Vermilion county. 111., reference to 25
Hill, James— private. War 1812 193.196
Hill, Jesse— private. War 1812 191
Hill. John— ensign. First Illinois regiment, War 1812 173
private. War 1812 178.194
Hill. Jonathan— private. War 1812 193
Hill, Nathaniel— private. War 1812 191
Hill. Peter— private. War 1812 180
Hill's Ferry— in Clinton county, 111., mention 144
Hill's Fort-location of 72
mention 144.165
Hillsboro County. New Hampshire, mention 387
Hlllsboro, Earl of, mention 246
Hillsboro, Illinois, mention 330,368
Hlllsboro News (The)— newspaper published at Hlllsboro. 111., mention 511
Hinrichsen, Miss Savillah T.— "Pioneer Mothers of Illinois." paper contributed by. to
the transactions of the Illinois State Historical Society.
1904 505-513
Hinsdale. Illinois. Women's Club, mention 327
Hinshaw. Charles— estate of 533
Hinshaw. Cyrus— estate of 536
Hinshaw. (George- purchases land in McLean county, 111., mention 526-527
Hlnton family— massacred by the Indians 99
Historical map of the United States, published by Rufus Blanchard 390
Historical novels— popularity of. mention 23.24
"Historical Sketch of McKendree College"— address before the Illinois State Historical
Society. 1904, by Pres. M. H. Chamber
lln 328-364
Historical Societies— Illinois State Historical Society, mention 378
State of Illinois, list of 8-9
State of Illinois, that have done good work 20
History (the) of German settlers In America, mention 304
History of Hardwicke- reference to. see foot-note 472
History of Illinois— Davidson and Stuv6 376
by Rufus Blanchard 603.390
Davidson & Stnv&-f oot-notes 68. 71. 127. 131. 415. 419. 420. 427. 432. 468. 479.481. 488. 490. 501
"History of the Northwest." by Rufus Blanchard 390
"History of the Northwest and Chicago," by Rufus Blanchard 390-391
Hltchens. Thomas— estate of 534
Hitchcock. Edward— president of Amherst college. Massachusetts, mention 224
Hltt, Robert R., mention 238
Hlx, James— private. War 1812 196
Hoblltt. J. T.— president Logan County Historical Society 9
Hohson. Joshua— estate of 630
Hodge, James— estate of 527
Hodge, Wiliiam—Stateprlnter at Vandalia, Illinois 543
Hodgkins, James— ensign. War 1812 178
Hoffman, Charles 388
619
Index — Continued.
Pate.
flofifman, Henry— his association with Qustavus Koerner, mention 303
"Struwwelpeter." famous juvenile popm by 303
Hofwyl, Switzerland— Agricultural College founded in 1806 215
Hogan, J.— of St. Clair County. Illinois, mention 545-546
Hogan, John— ensign. Third llinols regimeut. War 1812 175
member of Tenth General Assembly of Illinois. 1836 28
Hogan, John— one of the Incorporators of McKeudree College 361
private. War 1812 190. 195
Hogan, Prior— private. War 1812 180. 190. 195
Hogan. William— private. War 1812 190.195
Hofee. Elijah— private. War 1812 ISO
Holcomb, Joseph— private. War 1812 193
Holland, (country of )— papers relating to Colonial period in New York, researches In
Holland to procure, mention 19
technical educational in, mention 216
Hollenback, Geo. M.— member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
Holmes, Oliver Wendell— born 1809. mention 198
Holmes. Sherlock, mention 241
Holt— sergeant In Capt. Heald's company at Fort Dearborn 117
sergeant of the regulars, mention 124
Holt, Charles— career as au editor, mention 212
editor of the Kaakaskia Gazette 211
"Honest Old Abe." (popular name for Abraham Lincoln), mention 372
Honnon. (Hannan). Jacob— private. War 1812 192
Hood. (Miss), Annie Hughes— of Litchfield, Illinois, daughter of Dr. Humphrey H.
Hood 367
Hood, George Perry— of Grand Hapids. Michigan, son of Dr. Humphrey H. Hood 367
Hood, Harold— son of Dr Humphrey H. Hood 367
Hood. (Dr.). Humphrey H.— born in Philadelphia. September 19, 1823. died February 20.
1903. memorial address outhe life and character of, by Miss
Olive Sattley, read at the Illinois Historical Society meet-
ing. 1901 367-373
among the first to work for establishment of a free public
library in Litchfield, Illinois 372
apnoliit.»d a=si(«t.HTir surp-fmn of the 117th. Illinois Volunteers
Infantry. September, 1S62 367
appointed surgeon of the Third (Jnlted States Heavy Artll-
iriiy. Septemt^Hr. 1663 367
attended Republican National Convention in 1860, which
nominated Abraham Lincoln for president 363
attitude on the currency question 372
elected Kepubllcan Kepresentative to Illinois legislature.
1884 372
elected three times alderman of Litchfield. Illinois 372
enters Jefffrson Medical College of Philadelphia in 1848,
graduates! 1851 367
funeral, under the direction of the Grand Army of the Re-
public, from Litchfield Presbyterian church 373
Identified with "Free Soil Party" 368
married to >i iss Matilda Woodhouse Jackson, of Jerseyvllle.
Illinois. June 1855 367
married Mrs. Abigal Elvira Paden. July, 1869 367
member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
member Litchfield board of education 372
member Presbyterian church 373
mention 14
one of the "one hundred and three" who voted for John A.
Logan for United States Senator, 1885 373
political views 367
removed to Litchfield, Illinois, in 1854, and engaged In prac
tice of medicine 367
resided one year In Taylorvllle, Illinois, returning to Litch-
field 367
reports first nomination of Abraham Lincoln to "Free
Pre3S."ofHIllsboro. Illinois 368-372
supervisor of North Litchfield Township 372
surgeonln-chief. staff of General John E. Smith 367
voted for Republican nominee at every presidential election
from 1856 to 1900 368
voted in favor of prohibitory liquor law. 1855 373
Hood. Mrs. H. H.— member Illinois state Historical Society VIII
Hood. (General). J. B.— military tactics of 280
Hood. Lambert— father of Dr. Humphrey H. Hood ' 367
Hood, (Miss), Sarah Francis— of Litchfield. Illinois, daughter of Dr. Humphrey H. Hood 367
Hood, Sarah Hughes— mother of Dr. Humphrey H. Hood 367
Hopkins, Albert J.— United States Senator from Illinois 237-238
Hopkins. James— sergeant. War 1812 196
Hopkins. Johns— see Johns Hopkins University
Hopkins. (Major). John P.— mention 386
Hopkins. (General). Samuel— commander of the Kentucky troops 1812 127
failure of expedition of. mention 133
620
Index — Continued.
Page.
Hopkins. (General), Samuel— letter to Governor Shelby, dated Fort Harrison. October
6. 1812, on tlie expedition of the Kentucky troops ... 128-131
„ ,, . ^ mention 128,131,136,137,139,141
Hopton, John— private. War 18J2 X91 194
Horner, H. H.— mention "339
Horner. Nathan— mention 339, 344
one of the incorporators of McKendree College 361
trustee McKendree College, mention 332, 349
Horner. Nicholas— mention 329, 339, 344
trustee McKendree College, mention 332, 349
Horse stealing— by Indians, prevalent in Illinois territory 116
Hospital Societies— of Chicago and Danville, Illinois 324
Hospitals— sustained and supported by Woman's Clubs State of Illinois 324
Hott. John— private. War 1812 194
House bill No. 138— in United States Congress, new bill introduced in the cause of educa-
tion byj. S Morrill 225
"House— divided against, itself." speech of Abraham Lincoln in 1858, mention 227
House Journal of Illinois- references to. 1834-5, see foot-note 424
1839. see foot note 425
1845, see foot-note 425
1819. see foot-note 428,429
1851, see foot-note 429.430
1853, see foot-note 428,429
1855. see foot-note 429,430
1857, see foot-note 428
1859, see foot-note 431
1861, see foot note 429,431
1863, see foot-note 429
1865. see foot-note 431
House of Repreaentatlves State of Illinois— Addresses delivered before, by Hon. William
Brown A. M.. in the interest of education.543-568
See Illinois Legislature
Hougham. John— McLean County. IlUaois. Estate of 527
Housten family— historic family of Ireland, mention 309
Houston. J. W.— member Illinois Slate Historical Society VIII
Houston, Samuel— mention 372
Howard, Abner— volunteer. War 1812 186
Howard, Abraham— (Spy) private. War 1812 194
Howard, Abram— private. War 1812 182
Howard, (General) Benjamin— copy of a letter from, to Governor Clark, dated Ramsey's
Creek, September 16. 1813. 149.150
copy of letter of. to Secretary of War. dated headquar-
ters St. Louis. October 28, 1813 151-153
death of, September 18. 1814, mention , 153, 168
describes Fort Clark, its buildings, location, importance,
etc 153
drives the Indians from the Peoria Lake region 147
Express of. (messenger), mention 140.141
Important documents pertaining to his expedition 149.153
letter from dated St. Louis, January 13,1812 on Indian
affairs 97
letter of. to Governor Ninian Edwards, dated St. Louis,
July 29.1811 76
march of the army, commanded by 147.148
mention , 160,162.165
resigns his office, accepts a Brigadier Generalship to
command Illinois and Missouri Territory Rangers 146
sends relief expedition under command of Lieutenant
John Campbell to Fort Shelby 161
Howard, John— mention 133
Howard, John— private. War 1812 182
Howard, (General) John Eager— commands solders of the Maryland line 310
Howard. William— private. War 1812 182
Howard. William— spy. War 1812 194
Howard— "Local Constitutional History" 503
Howe (Mrs ) Julia Ward— president of the association for the advancement of women... 315
Howell— (Hon.) David of Rhode Island— mention 473
Hubbard, Adolphus F.— lieutenant governor State of Illinois 1S22, pro-slavery man 420
Hubbard, Ellas— private. War 1812 185
Hubbard. Peter— of Bond County, Illinois— mention 330
Hudson Bay Company— mention 159
Hudson Illinois— mention 640
Hudson River— burning of the Steamer Henry Clay on, in 1852, mention 224
mention 204
Huet. John— Godfather at baptism of Paul Texler 398.399
Huffman. John— private, War 1812. 180
Hugh, Alexander— private. War 1812 191
Hughes, James— lieutenant, Randolph Company, War 1812 172
major. First Illinois regiment. War 1812 173
private. War 1812 192
621
Index — Contiued.
Page
Hughes. Levi— lieutenftDt Third Illinois regiment. War 1812 175
Hughes. William— lieutenant. Third Illinois regiment. War 1812 176
Hugnon, Peier— Godfather at baptism of Cecelia Bourbonnals 396.397
Godfather at baptism of Elizabeth Philippe 396.397
Godfather at baptism of Peter Duverdler 396.397
Huguenot and Dutch Colonies at the Cape of Good Hope— mention 273
Huitt. Hiram-private. War 1312 190.195
Huitt. John— ensign. War 1812 190
private. War 1812 181
Huitt. Roland-private, War 1812 190.195
Huitt. Samuel— ensign. War 1812 189
Hull. Daniel— ensign. Kandolph Co. Company. War I8i2 172
private. War 1812 178.192
Hull. Gllea-Caotaln. Randolph Co. Company. War 1812 172
Hull House Club— Woman's Club, organization, work of 323
Hall. Thomas— (alias Wood) Boatman), mention 74
Hull. (Governor)— map of Chicago, published 1812 463
Hull. (General) William— mention 116,119.123
orders to Captain Heald to evacuate Fort Dearbon and to pro-
ceed to Detroit by land 117
Hunt. George- life spared in the Massacre near the Spanish mines 96
mention 97
Hunt, (Governor) Washington— New York, mention 224
Plan for industrial education for the State of New York 224
Hunter. Robert M. V.— senator from Virginia. Incident in United States senate in con-
nection with Stephen A. Douglas 46
Huntington— Pennsylvania, mention 198
Hurd. Harvey B— president Evanston Historical Society 9
Hurlburt. (General) S. A.— mention 238
Huse. Robert— private. War 1812 191
Husklnson. George— member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
Huston family on the Wabash— massacred by the Indians 99
Hutchin's. (Thos )— mnp of Chicago, published 1781. see foot-note 463
Hutchlns. (Captain) Thomas, mentions Salt Springs on the Wabash River 246
Hutchins'— "Topographical Description of Virginia." mention 246
Hutchinson. Asa— mention 344
Hutton. George Jr.— private. War 1812 194
Button. George, Sr.— private. War 1812 194
Hutton. Henry— private. War 1812 193
Hutton. James— sergeant. War 1812 190,194
Hutton. Samuel— private. War 1812 179
Hyatt. Jesse— estate of 629
Hyde. Ezeklal— private. War 1812 196
Hynes (Kev.) Thomas W.— gives facts concerning Shoal Creek Saline 253
Hypes (Dr,) Benjamin of St. Louis, Missouri— mention 839
one of the Incorporators of McKendree
College 361
publisher of the Central Christian Advo-
cate, mention 340
treasurer of the board of trustee's Mc-
Kendree College 338
trustee McKendree College 332,349
Hypes. Joseph— mention 344
Iceland— towns in. usage of the word 467
Icelandic language— mention 467
Ignace. Pottawatomie Indian- in council at Cahokia, April 16, 1812 101
Ilea (Major) Elijah— mention 201
••Illlni'-mentlon .- 667
Illinois— A'ee Illinois State of, for Constitution. Constitutional Conventions, Laws,
Legislature, etc.
Illinois and Michigan Canal— mention 224.379.381
preliminary survey of. made by Jollet & Marquette 449
see footnote 441
Illinois and Missouri— annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Chnrch, men-
tion 346,347
Illinois and Wabash Land Companies— mention 473
Illinois Building at Louisiana Purchase Exposition, St, Louis. Mo H
Illinois Canal— mention 203
Illinois Central R. R.— Congress in 1850 grants land to 491
mention 33,368
Stephen A. Douglas' Influence in the building of, mention 23*
Illinois College. Jacksonville. Illinois- agriculture named as part of the system of edu-
cation by founders of 216
charter granted to, mention 332
622
Index — Continued.
Page
Illinois Collese— Prof. Jonathan B. Turner, instructor in Illinois Colleee 218
Illinois uoiiese ^^^^^^j^^^ 3 Turner, retires from professorship in 1847 228
J. B. Turner, tutor In - ••• 228
memorial of. to the Legislature, quoted .......367.358
mention 201,349,353,508
Richard S. Thomas. Jr.. attends 524
Illinois Commission Louisiana Purchase Exposition ... ine ;ii
Illinois. (Country of-company of the West in. mention ;;V«5"JSI
mention ani
IlUnols Ga^tte*(new3pa^er)-add7eVs oYMo^^^^^^ people of Illinois p'ub-
llshed in. mention 269
"Illinois Herald"— first newspaper published in Illinois, first issue Sept. 6.1814 206
"Illinois Historical and Statistical"— by Judge John Moses, foot- note 4i0
Illinois History— its preservation by citizens of Bloomington, Illinois 24
"Illinois. History of "..... *»»"
Illinois History— romantic... .- • /»
Illinois Hotel (Bloomington. Illlnois)-mention ... ... ............... ....l<i.l4
"Illinois in the Councils of the Natiou"-addre|s prepared for the Illinois State Historic
cal Society by Mrs. John A. Logan 230-239
Illinois— in the Revolutionary War •.••••.•..■.••••.•■vv'"a;' vv; yrVT*"* ^^
Illinois in the War of 1812-1814— address before the Illinois State Historical Society Jan-
uary 1904. by Frank E. Stevens 62-197
Illinois indlans-l^oquojs Indiansdriye from the^
statement of property destroyed by in the war 1812-14 in Missouri 169
village of the - *5l
Illinois Industrial University-establishment of ^^
firstregentlJ. M Gregory 228
located at Urbana. Illinois, mention 228
"Illinois Intelligencer" (newspaper)-important factor against the calling of the Con-
stitutional Convention In 1824 ^Ob
name changed to "Vandalia Intelligencer."' men-
tion 206
name of the "Illinois Herald" (newspaper)
changed to 205
(newspaper) mention 207-208
Illinois. Lake of the— (Michigan) mention -. *63
See Illinois. State of. Legislature.
Illinois Militla-field and staff roster of War 1812 ...
mention 624
Illinois-prairies of . mention.'.'.'.'*.' •••••■• J28
Illinois Rangers— mention •/:•••• w v, j iM.ioi.ioa
transferred to Gen. Howard's command 147
Illinois River-appropriation for the improvement of 490
block houses and forts erected on • '^
blockhouse, affairs at 76-7b
country. Indians of. foot-note... •■- v"V VV in
establishment of fort, or block house near the mouth of, recommended... 69
Qomo expresses a wish for a fort near 110
Indian depredations on and near, mention 70
Indian tribes, mention............. -. 16
Indian villages on eastern bluff of. mention 13^
Indians, mention ;v--V.-, Uo
Indians along, namerons and hostile..... ipy"J ,,|
Indians of. not Influenced by peace overtures of (iovernor Edwards 113
Indians from the bands along. In council at Cahokla. April 16. 1812....... 100
Lieutenant John Campbell. U. S. A., erects block house on, (Prairie
m^nYlon"^ V.l'/.'.l'.'.'.'.*.''.".*.*.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'l9r69.'70!n.'8"4!'98.113',"lV6","l27i35;
136 1397l47.'l48. 149. 151. 152. 169, 169, 268. 378. 433. 446. 448. 449, ,452, 453, 454, 491
Pottawatomie Indians on 96
(see foot-note) **l
Railroad Company, mention 5^B
Illinois. State of— ably represented in the U. S. Congress...... iib
Illinois, v-taio act of the legislature. January 26. l839.mention 334
act providing township and county organist *tions. etc....... 481-488
act relating to lands for school purposes, reference to. see foot-note... 478
act to fund and provide for paying the railroad debts of counties.
townships, cities, etc *53
act to incorporate colleges, etc.. reference to...... iSi
act to incorporate the colleges therein named. In force Feb. 19.1835.... 486
act to provide township organization, approved Feb.!17. 1851, reference
to, see foot-note --• --"V- J"1L *°®
act to reduce the act to provide for township organization and the sev-
eral acts amendatory thereof into one act and to amend tbe same 487
act relating to county and city debts and to provide for the payment
thereof by taxation in such counties and cities, Feb. 13,lSfa5... 492
acts under which counties of, are now organized, in force March 4, 1874. 498
active period in the Woman's Club movement in 319-320
623
Index — Continued.
Page
lllinols.Stateof— admitted aa a state 1818. mention 230
adopts the county system of organization 470
annual conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, mention 363
ardent supporters in the cause of education in, list of 221-225
Art associations In 317
Association of Domestic Science aflBUated with the Farmers' Institutes
of the State 323
attempt to introduce slavery in, mention 43
bibliography of authorities used in article on township organization.
State of Illinois 503-504
Board of Commissioners of Public Works, created 489
Board of Equalization, established in, see foot-note 495
Board of World's Fair Comissloners 1893 246
boundaries of, clause In the bill Introduced In Congress for admission
as a State, mention 231
called the "Keystone State," mention 444
Central Illinois Art Union, organization of 317
Chautauqua circles In, number of 316
citizens of, mention 550
coat of arms, mention 30
College and Seminary fund of. 218
colleges, in, mention 341
compiled laws 1846; reference to, see foot-note 487
Congress grants lands to the Illinois Central R. R 491
consequences following if Illinois had been a slave state 272,273
Constitution of 1818, and laws made under it. on the Virginian model.. 478
Constitution of 1818. article 6. section 2. reference to 250,285
Constitution of 1818, mention 417,470
Constitution of 1848, mention 295.426,427
Constitution of 1818, State of Illinois see foot-note 486
Constitution of 1870, reference to 487
Illinois, State of. Constitutional Convention 1818— Conrad Will, member of 252
journal of. not available 416
provisions of . relating to slavery 250
Illinois, State of, Constitutional Convention 1824 — (proposed). Illinois Intelligencer
(newspaper) important factor in 206
Morris Blrkbeck's address to the peo-
ple of Illinois, concerning election
to, etc 269,270
"Star of the West" newspaper advo-
cate of the pro-slavery constitution.. 206
votes by counties of Illinois, for and
against 270-271
IlUnoia. State of. Constitutional Convention of 1817-acts of 479, 481
mention 467.479-481
counties In Illinois voting against,
see list of 479
delegates (162) to, mention 479
journal of, see foot-note 426,427
journal of, mention 603
mention 467, 470, 489
nrovided for a law to be passed pro-
hibiting free negroes from immi-
grating into '^tate 427
provided for a law to be passed pro-
hibiting slavery in the State 427
report of William McAdams; describes
saltpans found in Illinois and Mo ... 246
report on township organization.
vote of 480-481
resolution respecting township or-
ganization 479-480
slavery a prominent feature of 426
Illinois. State of. Constitutional Convention of 1862 429
Illinois. State of . Constitutional Convention of 1870— 467.495-497
debates of, reference to 493.494
debates of, see foot-note 491
debates of, reference to, see foot-
note 493
delegate to, quoted on the Internal
Improvement scheme 4^9
journal and debates of 503
mention 35,467
provides for township organiza-
tion 496-497
lllinols.Stateof— counties of, adopt township organization 470
Dames of the Loyal Legion, society of, organized legislation in 1899 320
Daughters of the American Revolution, chapters of in 320
Daughters of the American Revolution, society organized in 1901 in... 820
Davidson & Stuv^'s history of, mention 376
destined to become the first and greatest agricultural state in the
union, mention 224
earliest association of women In the State of Illinois 31g
624
Inaex — Continued.
Paere
Illinois. State of— early Inhabitants of , mention 478
' early newspapers owned and controlled by the polltlciana 207
ecclesiastical history of. mention 19
education in southern Illinois, mention........... dO*
educational convention held 1833-4 for establishine suitable schools.... 558
Enabling Act of April 18.1818. by which Illinois applied for admission
into the union • 249
eaual suffrage, association of. formation of oic
establishment of the Illinois Industrial Oniveraity. mention 228
evidences of prehistoric salt maklner in. mention ^45
Farmers' Institutes of. mention -.. • :••;•••;:•: ^^'^
Federation of Woman's Clubs in. organization of departments in. list
of places of annual meetings, presidents, etc .320,321.325
Federation of Woman's Clubs, clubs uniting in the state organization
In the first year 327
first book published in, reference to ^.. f^
first dally newspaoer established at Galena, mention.... ;Q-:r:, „
First Regiment Illinois Volunteers. Mexican War, mention 38,49.52.55
first religions newspaper published in. mention 207
Ford's History of. see footnote *^5
formally admitted as a State into the Union.... .517
Fourth Regiment Illinois Volunteers. Mexican War. mention 38,49
French settlements In. reference to v-„vv%v:;;;v";v
gain in population of 1810-20. 1820-30, 1830-40, 1840-50, 1850-60. 1860-70.
1870-80. See footnote •• rci-"i;r:";"'ariL
General Assembly. State of Illinois 1822. mention. (See Illinois. State
of. "Acts") : *21,427
great earthquake In •- — WjV jV":""':' I.n
has done nothing to preserve ancient earthworks and old Indian trails M
high taxes and hard times make emigrants and capital shun in 1839-47. 489
Historical Collections. Vol. 1. edited by H. W. Beckwith. his last liter-
ary work i'iyhk'ba Ri
Historical Library 4, 13. ^i>. -2b. oi
Historical Museum, mention -
Historical Societies in. list of ».»
Historical Societies in. which have done good work ^u
History of Education In. some of its most interesting chapters, men-
tlon , oia
History of." saYd to have been written by Calvin Leonard, mention 247
Indebted to Stephen A. Douglas 234
Indian relics in „^;
Industrial League of Illinois, mention ^"
interest In the history of the State growing....... -•• f*
internal Improvement craze. State aid to railroads ....488-19U
internal improvement scheme places State In debt, system repealed... 489
Jesse Burgess Thomas favored establishment of slavery in 518
Illinois State Journal (newspaper)— mention................. ioi lo,
Illinois. State of-lands in, enhance in value, with the building of railroads 491-49J
Laws of. quoted: c * * in
1819-21 footnote 417
1825-50 do .-421
1^31-41 do *^^'!on
1*37 do 490
1840 do 489
isil do 4^3
1847.:::::::..::::.:::.." do 479
1849 do 481
1851-54-57-59-69 do 486
18J3-57-1860 do 428
1865 do Ml
l8t>l-65^9^i87i-2 do 4^7
1871 do 458
1875-77-79^i883-85-S7-89-1893-95-99 do 498
1895 do 501
1895-96 do 493
Laws of, mention ^^^
Revised Statutes: . .. . 490
1833 footnote 422
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 426
1845:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::"::".-''-'. footnote 431
::::::::::::::::::::::::: 482
484
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: *86
1874: ::::::::::'.:::::::'-::-•••:" :..':'•• footnote 493
1877: :::::::::::::::::::.::. do 414
Revised Statutes: mention:.....^ ;i;i-;-o«""bo«V;* V/CA" ^°'
Leelslatlon on Slavery and Free Negroes. 1818-1865. Paper con-
tributed to the transactions of the Illinois State Historical Society,
1904. By Mason McCloud Flshback 414-432
«
625
Index — Continued.
Page
Illinois. ^State!of, Legislature— Act in relation to runaway slaves 423
Act of, establisbiug the lUiaois Industrial University,
1867 228
Act of. by which the lillnois Industrial University re-
ceived name of University of Illinois. 1885 228
Act of 1857, in the Interests of education 222
Authorizes the coutiuuance of leases of the salines 261-252
Authorizes the Governor to lease salines in Bond county,
Illinois. Jan. 23.1833 263
bill for thn incorporation of an industrial school in Kane
couniy, Illinois 217
Edward Bates Indorses action of, in the cause of educa-
tion. In a letter to Bronson Murray 223-224
Eleventh General Assembly of, 1838-9, mention 425
extra session called Feb. 9. J854 36
extra session urged to further railroad projects In the
State 33,34
First General Assembly convened at Kaskaskia, Oct. 6,
1818 517
grants recognition to the Illinois State Historical Society 24
mention 414
legislation on railroad debts, etc 492-493
memorials addressed to Congress by 326
mention 203,219.237,328.443,545
New York Tribune (newspaper) comments upon its action
in the cause of education 223
Nineteenth General Assembly, 1855. mention 44
Nineteenth General Assembly, resolotion introduced
amending slave law 424
part taken by the Legislature In the industrial education
movement 223
petition to the Legislature in the cause of education 223
publication of elementary history of the State for a text
book in the public schools, recommendea to 24
Senate, see Illinois, State of. acts and laws
Seventeenth General Assembly. 11850-52, mention 428-429
Sidney Breese. Speaker of the House 33
slave law passed by 417
special session, June 8, 1S52, mention 221
William H. Blssell, member of the House of Representa-
tives 48
Legislature, Tenth General Assembly, 1836-38, composed of brainy, tal-
ented men. never since equaled in any General Assem-
bly of Illinois 28
Third General Assembly, legislation on the slavery ques-
tion 266-269
Third General Assembly, 1822-24, mention 43
mention 441
Thirteenth General Assembly, 1842-43, mention 426
Twelfth General Assembly. 1840-42 43
Twenty-fourth General Assembly. 1865. bill to repeal slav-
ery laws introduced In 431
Literary and Historical Society. 1847, essay on the history and statistics
of Germany, read before, by Gustavus Koerner. mention 304
manual labor a feature In the incorporation of the early colleges of ... 216
mention 12. 14, 22, 27. 40. 46. 47, 53, 54. 13 1 . 198, 205-213. 230-239. 274. 292,
354, 355. 358. 359. 360, 368, 369, 373-377. 379, 381. 282, 387, 390, 433, 435, 439, 441-144, 505,
506, 510, 511, 513, 515, 616, 519, 524. 537-539. 543, 652, 562, 566. 667
Methodist conference in, mention 343
mileage of railroads. 1850, mfntlon 490
Moore family prominent in hl'^tory of, mention 434
mourns the death of \Vm. H. Blssell 57
municipal aid to railroads 491-494
municipal Indebtedness in 4^5-496
musical club.5 In 321
Nathaniel Pope introduces bill in Congress for the admission of Illi-
nois as a State 231
national congress of mothers, branch of in State of Illinois 320
new era in the career of. the year 1836 27
newspaper editors of. eulogized 212-213
newspaper editors of, occupy seats of honor at National Editorial As-
sociation, mention 213
newspapers of, during the War of the Rebellion 205
newspapers in, their part in the fight to change the constitution of 266
Newton Bateman. Superintendent of Public Instruction. State of Illi-
nois 229
northern part of. occupied by settlers from the Eastern and Middle
States, mention 478
northern parts of Illinois, township organization in, introduced by
emigrants from the New England States 470
116th regiment, mention 434
—40 H
626
Index — Continued,
Paare.
Illinois. State of-117th ReKlment of Volunteers, mention 367,433
owes a debt of gratitude to Morris Blrkbeck 273
Poll tax 600-501
population of , in 1840, reference to, see footnote 490
population of, in 1870. see foot note 491
Illinois State Press Association— annual meeting held at Galesburg, Illinois...... 2
cooperates with Illinois State Historical Society for
mutual aid and promotion 2
committee of , mention 13
committee of. meet with Illinois State Historical Soci-
ety 1
gavel of. presented to Illinois State Historical Society.
inscription on, etc 2
meeting of. at Galesburg. Illinois, mention 12
Illinois. State of— proper station of. among States of the Confederacy 656
Public Laws of 1865. footnote 431
purchases site of old Fort Massac 20
Kailroad and Warehouse Commissioners report. 1895. reference to, see
footnote :Ai 4??
railroad bonds 492-494
railroad bonds of, payable in New York, mention 494
railroad enterprises In 1852. mention 491
railroad legislation of 1836-37, mention ..•-•• *^*
receives 480,000 acres as her proportion of public lands for educa-
tional purposes Vin'^ior cn^
Register, newspaper, mention 210,486,604
rental accruing to the United States from Salines in 249
Revenue Act of 1898, see footnotes 496
revised constitution of l'^47, mention 478
representatives in Congress, mention 238
Rock River Valley, objects of interest in 19
salt springs, salt wells and I'cks. become property of 251
Second Regiment Illinois Volunteers, Mexican War mention ...28, 49, 52, 55
second state election, August. 1822 420
Senate and House of Representatives, journals of, mention 504
Senators elected to represent new State of 517
session laws, mention 503
Shadrach Bond, first governor of, mention 231
should erect amonumentto Morris Blrkbeck, a suggestion 273
sketch of. published in Philadelphia in 1837, contains an account of
Gallatin County, mention.- 245
slavery Introduced by Renault -- - •••v- "6
southern part of, occupied by settlers from Virginia, Kentucky and the
Carolinas, mention •- 478
stands preeminent in behalf of humankind In the Nineteenth Century 58
Illinois State-State Agricultural Society, earlyofficers of. mention ;--224, 225
State Agricultural Soclety.members of. active in the cause of education in
State of Illinois 225
State Agricultural Society, mention j2S
State Bar Association. 1898, Part 11, reference to, see footnote 503
State Board of Equalization, establishment of. 1867, see foot-note 455
State Boardof Health created for the townships of Illinois. 1865 487
Illinois State Historical Library— anxious to secure copy of work of Governor Reynolds 60
collections of the most valuable of its size in the
United States 26
exhibit at Louisiana Purchase Exposition referred to
Board of Trustees of 3
H W. Beckwith, president of 25,26
Hon. H. W. Beckwith, his services on the library
' board 26
mention 2,3
organization of, by the State, 1889 20
mention 26
publication No. 3. Territorial Records of Illinois, see
footnote • 171
publications of. reference to 13, 20, 154, 156
Illinois State Historical Society-Board of Directors for 1901-1905 -•••••-•• 16
Boardof Directors of, H. W. Beckwith membT of... 4
Board of Directors meet In McLean Co. Court House,
in rooms of McLean County Historical Society 1, 2
Board of Directors, mention 13
business mt^eting of 3-9
committee appointed to nominate officers for 1904-1905 4
committee on legislation, members of 12
committee on local historical societies, members of.. 12
constitution and by-laws committee 12
constitution of. approved, etc 4
cooperates with Illinois State Press Asaociation for
mutual aid and promotion 2
election of officers and committees 12, 13
1
627
J?idex — Contin ued .
Paee
IlUnola State Historical Society— finance committee 12
furnishes material for publication to the Illinola
State Historical Library 20
(Hon.) H. W. Beckwlth. Instrumental In organlzlnfir,
first President of 4,25
meets alternate years In Sprlnefleld. Ill 13
meetlnar at Blooniington. 111., literary sessions 16-17
■ meeting of the board of directors 1-2
mention 1-18,21.22.24.378
officers of. for 1904-1905 16
organized in 1899, mention 20
papers published by. reference to 20
program committee, members of 12
program of exercises of the fifth annual meeting ...13-14
publication committee, members of 12
resolutions of thanks adopted by. for courtesies
shown at their fifth annual meeting In Blooming-
ton. Ill 17
resolutions on death of Hon. John M. Jewett 16.16
Illinois State Historical Society— secretary and treasurer's report accepted and ap-
proved 4,6,6
suggested that it should publish elementary history of
the Slate for use in public schools 24
world's fair committee. 1904.. 12
Illinois State— State horticultural societies, active in the cause of education In the State
of Illinois 225
Illinois, State of- -stone graves in southern part of. mention 19
suggestions for publications by the State on early settlements of the
French, Spanish, British, In the State 19
supervisors of cases cited in reference to, see foot note 500
supervisors of, ex-officlo overseers of the poor 601
Supreme Court Reports, mention 503
Third General Assembly, corrupt legislation In 266,269
Third Keglment Illinois Volunteers, Mexican War. mention 38.49
township and county organization In, first attempts at, etc 481.488
township government in, development to 1848 471,478
township organization in 467-504
township organization in, present ore-anizatlon and powers 498-501
traveling libraries In. work of woman's clubs, mention 325
Illlnals, State University— Oranville convention approves plan of Prof. J. B. Turner 219
Illinois. State of— University of Illlnoia. act of legislature. 1885 228
University of lllinol?. mention 214,467
William H Blssell. first republican nominee for governor of the State
of Illinois, mention 64
Woman's Christian Temperance union, organization of 815
woman's clubs of, support hospitals, list of 324
woman's relief corps in, members of. etc 320
Illlnolg Territorial Laws— mention 603
Illinois Territorial Legislature. 1814-16— Riadon Moore, member of and speaker of house,
mention 434
Illinois Territory— area and population of in 1810 66
county of Vlrgluia. mention 470
daily and weekly report of a detachment of rangers of. under com-
mand of Brigade Major Benjamin Stevenson. April 13. 1813, War 1812 ISO
Dickson. Britl!<h commander, plans attack on 158
dispatch from, dated July 6,1811. concerhlng Indian hostilities 73-74
early colonists in. mention 272
Ellas Rector appointed Adjutant General of 66
end of Indian depredation^ in, mention 168
establishment of a military department in 66
forts, block bouses and stockades erected in, list of 71-72
four companies of mounted rangers recruited from, captains In com-
mand of. list of 71
Indian depredations in. mention 95
Jesse Burgess Thomas secures passage of bill providing for a sepa-
rate territory 616
law which regulated the bringing in of slaves to, passed by the legis-
lature of Indiana. i805 260
Illinois Territory— laws enacted by the northwest territory and the Indiana territory
re-enacted by. mention 477
Legislature of. recommended that John Murdock (Moredock) be au-
thorized to raise and command companies. War 1812. Objected to
by Governor Edwards 189
mention 64. 69. 70. 78, 82. 96. 100. 123. 134. 138.
139. 141. 157, 158. 172. 178. 185, 189,189,191,194.265,445,446,449,450-456.459,606
militia laws of, mention 66
militia of. In 1812 115,116
number of troops stationed in, 1812 116
official seal, mention 113
receives little aid and protection from U. S. government in 1812-14... 115
slavery laws of 415
628
Index —Continued.
Page
Illinois. Under the French— 1673-1675. paper contributed by Stephen L. Spear 445-459
character of early colonists 457
colonization of the country by LaSalle 450
developmtnt of 145
early lllinoisihistory romance and beauty of, not appreciated 446
explorations of LaSalle 450
explorations in 447
Joliet returns to St. Ignace Mission after explorations In
Illinois , 448
last days of 457.458-469
period of French control 446
treaty of Paris, 1763 457
Illinois Villaare— mention 449
Illinois Volunteers— War of Kebelllon. Gustavus Koerner takes charge of the organiza-KaM
zation of 298
Illinois Woman's Christian Temperance Union— number of organizations of, etc 315
organization of 316
lUinoisans— mention 54,214
Imlay's work, reference to 261
Impeachment of Pres. Andrew Johnson— Lyman Trumbull's action on 47
"In Memoriam"- members of the Illinois State Historical Society, deceased January
1903-1904 367-391
Indenture— Given by Timothy Guard to Cornelius Elliot (a slave), mention 251
Independence, Mo.,— mention 339
Independent. (The)— newspaper of Virginia. Ills 525
India- mention 438
Indian Affairs- American State papers, memorials to Nlnlan Edwards and Pres. James
Madison taken from, see foot-note 70
Indian Agent— Thomas Forsyth 77
Indian— Camping Grounds 10
Indian Children— mention 133
Indian Confederation— Tecumseh promised aid by the British in his great scheme of
Indian confederation 66
Indian Council at Peoria— developes no relief; tribes go to Maiden for British aid and
supplies 95
Indian Council— Cahokia, April 16,1812 101-112
Governor Edwards' address to Indians in council at Peoria, Aug. 15,
1811 82-85
Gomo's speech at 85-86
Little Chief's (Pottawatomie) speech at 87-89
Indian Creek— mention 165
Indian Creek Township— mention 142
Indian fighter — Chas, Kitchen known as 506
Indian generals— Pontlae greatest of 457
Indian hostilities— Nlnlan Edwards' precautions against, reference to 69
Indian interpreter— mention 122
Peresh LeClerc In the employ of the Klnzie family, mention 121
Indian massacre— Ft. Dearborn, account of 120-121
Pond Settlement massacre, account of, incident concerning 142-145
Wood Kiver massacre, account of 154-156
Indian massacres— massacre of Clark and Kennedy families 146-146
mention 66,68,71,83.96.97.98.99.100.144.507
Indian— mention 21,433,461.464,446.447
Indian mission— mention 466
Indian mound— mention 436
Indian Rangers— mention 153
Indian squaws— mention 456
Indian trails— mention 135, 145, 14«, 341
Indian treaties— Treaty of Ghent, mention 168
Philadelphia. 1793. mention 80
Treaty of Portage des Sioux 168
mention 10,62.63,66.69,86,88.92,93,168,189.248
Indian tribes— mentioned by Joliet and Marquette 448-449
Indian war— French and Indian war. mention 414
of 1790-95. supported by the British 63
projected by the British, etc.. mention 95
Indian wars— mention 19.36
Indian villages— mention 10.129.131,135,448,452
Indiana, State of— attitude on the slavery question, mention 270
four companies of rangers recruited from 71
makes no returns to the U. S. from salines in 249
mention 366,473,490,615,522
Second Indiana regiment in the Mexican war. mention 64
Indiana Territorial Legislature— (Hon. ) Jesse Burgess Thomas. Speaker of House. IfcOS. 514
Indiana Territory— General Assembly of. acts to authorise the courts of common pleas
to divide the counties into townships and to alter the boundaries
of same, when necessary 477-478
composed of present states of Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wis-
consin 614-616
629
Index — Continued.
Paire
Indiana Territory— General Assembly of. passes act on township organization, Sept. 17.
1807. see act on same pages 477-478
Illinois separates from 615
Indian depredations in, mention 145
law passed by the legislature in 1805 regulating the bringing in of
slaves 2S0
legislature opposed to division of 615
mention 78.84.514
permits the bringing in of slaves from other states, mention 260
Wm. Henry Harrison Governor of, 1800. mention 247
Indlanans— mention 516
Indians— Algonqnlns. mention 460
archaeological research in northwestern America and eastern Siberia to dis-
cover origin of 23
British Influence over 63
Uritish interference with the Indians 62
British traders furnish Indians with arms and ammunition 66
See also names of tribes.
Chickasaws. mention 457
(Jhlppeway Indians, mention 87-89.101.217
Company of French and Indians under Paulette Meillet capture and destroy
St. Joseph 19
Dispatch, dated Vincennes Jnly 2. 1811. concerning threatened invasion by 73
(Gov.) Edwards by proclamation forbids sale of liquor to 113
Extract from letter of Wm. Clark, on British interference with Indian aflfairs.. 65
Fox Indians, mention 463-455.460.461
Geo, Washington's treaty with, 1793, mention 80
Hieroglyphics on monoliths and ruins of Central and South America by the
Indians— defy Interpretation 23
In war 1812 19
Illinois, mention 448.452.455
Iroquois Indiana 462.463,454.455
John Kinzle, legal agent of D. S. government for the Indians 117
liquor Introduced by British agents among the Indians 65
Little Turtle's speech to the Americans 6t
mention 10. U, 62, 66. 67, 68, 70-76, 113, 124-141, 142-151, 187, 379, 389, 390, 447-449, 606-509
Miami Indians, mention 463,463
Miami Indians, occupied region now Chicago 460
Moravian Indians, mention 474
operate salt springs, wells and licks on the Saline river, evidence of 246
Osages, mention 463
owathe "Great Salt Spring" 245
party of 31 accompanied LaSalle 453
Pottawatomles. mention 66, 67, 77, 82-94. 100, 101, 113, 122, 133, 169, 169, 463
relics in Illinois 20
St. Clalr county, Illinois, citizens of, demand protection from the U. S. govern-
ment against the Indians 69
Sauks Indians, mention 461
Shawnees, mention 463
Sioux, mention 454.455
Tamoroas. mention 453
Western, mention 453
Wlnnebagoes. mention 96.98.99,105.106,109,146.148.153,167,160,169
Industrial colleges— establishment of. in New York, Pennsylvania and Michigan 228
Industrial education- Benj. Wade champion of education in the U. S. Senate, 1858 225
bill for, passes in the D. S. Congress 225
Chas. E. Stuart champion of, in the U. S. Senate, 1858 225
Industrial Education Convention, Springfield, Illinois- petition to the State Legislature 223
Industrial Education— fourth convention in the interest of, held in Springfield, Jan. 4.
1853..., 223
history of the measure, its form and substance as submitted to
Congres 3 226
James ( President) Buchanan vetoes measure on, in U. S. Congress 226
J. B. Turner formulates scheme of. writer of educational and
theological themes 228
John A. Logan, non-supporter of the measure for Industrial Edu-
cation, reason advanced 226
Justin A. Morrill introduces his first bill in Congress In the In-
terest of 225
Justin Morrill introduces new bill in U. S. Congress in Interest of 2?5
Legislature of Illinois adopts resolutions in favor of 223
plans suggested and adopted by various states for industrial edu-
cation 224
schemes of, Samuel Hartllb and Thos. Budd 215
Industrial Leagaeof Illinois— departments proposed for a State University of Illinois by 222
mention 226
organization of. object of 222
Industrial Universities— conventions held in interest of 218, 221, 222
Industrial University— Granville convention, first deliberative body to discuss subject
of 219,220
630
Index — Continued.
Page
Industrial University— New York Tribune of September, 1852. comments on Prof.
Turner's plan for 223
Infantry— one battalion of Second Keglment called the "Light Infantry. March. 1812 174
Ingersoll. Eben C —mention .-. IWailS,
Ingersoll. Robert Q.— interview of Gustavua Koerner with * ,21
Inman. James— private. War 1812 186
Internal Improvement— State of Ilhnoia, act to establish and maintain, approved and m
force Feb. 27. 1837. provisions of. etc 489-490
appropriations made for 490
bill, "Long Nine's" iniiuence in 488
convention in Illinois 28
craze in Illinois, mention 467
State of Illinois, extract from Gov. Duncan's message on 488
State of Illinois, Constitutional Convention of 1847 adopts two-
mill tax to pay debts of the *89
State of Illinois, places State In debt, system repealed 489
State aid to railroads. State of Illinois 488-490
venture. State of Illinois, Bond county, refuses to pay taxes on. 490
mention 29
International Council of Women— mention — sm
International Exposition at London in 1851— impetus given technical education by ^ib
International Peace Conference— Gustavus Koerner. member of . mention 302
londrow.JeanB.— private. War 1812 1*8
Iowa Indians, mention :•"■■"< i'V.-Vl V- Zhi
Iowa State of— enacts laws similar to the Constitution of 1648. State of Illinois, mention. 481
mention 198,272,d90
overseers of the poor in. mention *»*
Ipswich Domesday (Book)— reference to. see foot-note Jba
Ipswich, England— King John grants charter to *o»
mention *J;
Iredell. James— Chief Justice, U. 8., mention ai|
Ireland. (Capt.) James Shields-leaves Ireland In 1826 •----• ^o
Ireland-mention *"',,V;?5
Island No. 10— Federal stronghold, mention Im
Irish-Canadian— emigration into New England, mention 6y*
Irish Peerage— mention °i*
Irish Race *'"
Irishman. Chevailer de Macarty— called *57
Iron Mountains— mention ***
Iroquois (Indians)— captured Henri de Tonti "j
Iroquois Indians— drove Illinois Indians from their homes ;:;•;;: :„
Iroquois Indians-mention "''•"••*5g
Irvin, Family— historic family of Ireland .••■a.v: i,t
Irving, (lieutenant) George— Shawnee Indians tell him of Salt Springs in Ohio 247
Irving Park Woman's Literary Club-mention ••• |^
Irving. Washington— mention 'VSo
Irwin. John-corporal. War 1812 Jw
Irwin, Robert— delegate to the Meckelnburg Convention aO»
Isabella. Grapes— mention ... ^uu
Ish-kee-bee' (Pottawatomie)— in council at Cahokia. April 16,1812 loi
Irsaei. King of— mention • *?*
Italy. Country of— Technical education in, mention ^ib
Itinerant Preachers— their labors, mention — vvvv,\ iit
IvedeU. Chief Justice U. S. -mention, (typographical error, read Ifedell).... 312
Iveraon. Alfred Senator-from Georgia, describes Senatorial conditions in 1860-61........ 46
Ivison, Blakeman, Taylor & Co.— publishers of a history of Illinois, said to have been
written by Calvin Leonard, mention 247
Jackson, Andrew-assigned to the department of Missouri territory, mention............. 168
mention 262, 265, ol2, aSS, olo, ozz, ooo
votes given by Illinois to, for president 521
Jackson, Charles S.— father-in-law of Dr. Humphrey H. Hood 361
Jackson County, Illinois— Brownville made county seat of, 181o, mention zw
Historical Society - y-i,-- 20
John A. Logan, delegate from, to Salem convention of Nov-
mtSo^-^!''':::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::32:262:m
vote of, a tie on the constitutional convention of 1847 479
"Jackson Man"— generalJames Semple a Democrat and a Jack8«mman 523
Jackson. (Hood) Matilda Woodhouse— wife of Dr. Humphrey H. Hood 367
Jackson, Missouri— mention %%*
Jackson Park Sanitarium. Chicago. Illinois— mention 3^6
Jacksonville, Illinois-art association ,--"i-vv v. mo
deaf and dumb asylum of State located in, mention 3W
Ebenzer Manual Labor School, located near 382
Hiram (Dr.) K. Jones, death of at, mention 31b
Illinois College, located at 228
J. B. Turner citizen of, for 66 years, mention 228
631
Index — Continued.
Paee
Jacksonville, Illinois— Ladles' Education Society of, earliest association of women In
Illinois 316
letter of John J. Hardin to Gen. James D. Moreran, dated from
June 11. 1846 283.284
letter of John J. Hardin to Gen. James D. Morsan. dated from
June 6. 1816 282.283
Monday Conversation Club 327
mention 14, id, 69. 201. 210. 216. 223, 276, 327. 338. 441. 608. 624. 525
Sorosls, mention 327
Porosis, ort;anlzatlon of 317
State institutions at 382
Wednesday class of, mention 327
Jacobs, John— private. War 1812 182
James. (Dr.) Edmund J.— address on life and labors of Hon. H. W. Beckwlth. "A mem-
orial" 25,26
member board of directors Illinois State Historical Society ... 16
member committee of legislation, Illinois State Historical
Society 13
member finance committee Illinois State Historical Society.. 12
member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
mention V. VI. 7. 12, 13
James. (Prof,) J. A —member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
James, (Prof.) J. A.— reads paper of Hon. R. E. Rombauer. mention 14, 15
James. (Dr ) Lewis- of Old Mines, Missouri, mention 263
Jamestown, Va.— mention 450.649
Jamison, Alexander— private. War 1812 ISO
Janny, commands company in Indian campaign 1812 131
Japan, Technical— educntion in, mention 216
Jarott, (See Jarrot) Nicholas
Jarrat. John— corporal. War 1812 187
Jarrat, (Jarott) Nicholas— aid to Gov. Ninlau Edwards. War 1812 172
captain of company under command of Brigade MaJ. Benja-
min Stephenson. April 17, 1813. muster roll lost. War 1812 190
Jarrot (Jarett). Nicholas— makes affidavit that traders were furnishing arms and ammu-
nition to the Indians 66
Jarvls, Franklin— captain. War 1812 172
Jarvis, Fulden— private, War 1812 180
Jarvls, John— lieutenant. Second Illinois regiment. War 1812 177
Jarvis. Matthew-private, War 1812 184
Jasper County, Illinois- voted against the constitutional convention of 1847 479
Jasper, Sergeant William— presented with a sword by Governor Rutledge, mention 311
Jay treaty, mention 62, 63
Jayne, Dr. William— member committees of Illinois State Historical Society VI
member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
Jean, B.— son of Pierre and Marie (negroes), baptism of 410-411
Jeflferson Barracks. Mo., mention 48.49
Jefferson County, 111.— mention 99,270.330
William H. Blssell located in 48
Jefferson County, Ky.— John Bates of, leases salt springs in Illinois 248
Jefferson City, Mo., mention 40
Jefferson Medical College of Philadelphia, mention 48,367
Jefferson, President Thomas— apnolnta General William Henry Harrison governor of
Ohio 516
mention 72,200.230.309.312
Monticello. home of. mention 260
reports to Congress an ordinance providing for the divi-
sion of land into townships, etc 473
"Sage of Monticello," mention 667
Jennlnsrs, Samuel— private. War 1812 187
Jena— Gustavus Koerner becomes student in xiniversity at, mention 286.288
defeat of Prussia at, mention 287
Jenkins. Alexander M.— mention 838
one of the Incorporators of McEendree college 861
secretary of the board of trustees, McEendree college 888
Jenkins family prominent in the history of Illinois, mention 280
Jenna, Henry— private, war 1812 186
Jenny. Elisha- trustee, Illinois college, mention 349
Jersey County, 111.— historical society organized at. mention 7.9.20
mention 202.367
votes against the constitutional convention of 1847 479
Jerseyville, 111., mention 9.367
Jerusalem, mention 308
Jervis, Fielding- private. War 1812 181
Jessup, Morris E.— president of the American Museum. New York City 28
Jessup, Theodore— member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
Jesuit relations, reference to 19
Jeeuits— expulsion of the Jesuits from Illinois, mention 119
632
Index —Continued .
Fate
Jewett, John N.— born In Palmyra, Somerset county, Me.. Oct. 8,1827, died Chlcaeo, 111.,
Jan. 14.T90i
becomes member of law firm of Scates. McAllister, Jewett & Peabody 15
delivered annual address before the lUInoIa State Historical Society
at Jacksonville, 1902 16
elected to the Illinois State Senate 16
graduate of Bowdoin collegre 16
lesral abilities 16
marriage of, to Miss Ellen M. Kountree 15
mention 14
removes to Chicago, 111 16
removes to Galena, III 16
resolutions on death of 15-16
teaches in Yarmouth academy 16
Jewett, Mrs. John N. (EllenM. Kountree)— wife of John N. Jewett, mention 16
"John Bull." England— mention 444,449
John, King of England— grants charter to Ipswich 468
Johnanna, Maria— godmother at baptism ot Peter Aco 894,396
Johns Hopkins University— studies, fourth series. Town and city government in New
Haven, reference to, see footnote 502
studies, mention 603
Johnson. President Andrew— Impeachment of, mention 47
incident In connection with his effort to eject Mr. Stanton
from War Department 238
mention 312
Johnson, Hon. Charles P.— ambitious to become a lawyer 42
born in St. Clair county. 111.. Jan. 18,1836 28
delegate from Randolph to the convention held at Salem, HI.,
Nov. 25,]853 34
delivers the annual address before the Illinois State Histor-
ical Society, 1901, "Personal Recollections of Some of the
Eminent Statesmen and Lawyers of Illinois" 27-58
impressions as a youth on hearing celebrated mnrder trial
at Belleville, 111 41.42
lieutenant governor of Missouri, mention 40
mention 13
relates anecdote of his "corner" on newspapers, account of
the battle of Buena Vista 50
Johnson. Elvira Fonke— mother of Hon. Charles P. Johnson, mention 40
Johnson County. Illinois— detachment of rangers on frontier of, War 1812 188
mention 176.250.258.270
Illinois militia company in. War 1812 116
Johnson, James— lieutenant Third Illinois regiment. War 1812 177
private. War 1812 182
JohnsoB, John— commander at Fort Madison, letter of, on Indian massacre 97
Indian agent 68
letter from, dated Fort Wayne. Aug. 7, 1810, on the attitude of Sac In-
dians 68
Johnson, Malcolm— private. War 1812 193
Johnson, Richard M., mention 30,443
Johnston, Gen. Albert Sydney, mention 279
Johnston. David-private, War 1812 184,185.191
Johnston, James— private. War 1812 180
Johnston, John— private. War 1812 179
Johnston, Gen. Joseph E.— at Bentonvllle, Ala,, battle of, mention 281
Johnston. Thomas— private. War 1812 190,195
Johnston, William— ensign. Third Illinois regiment, war 1812 177
Johnstown, Pennsylvania— mention 198,199
JoUet, Illinois— Federation of Woman's Clubs meet in. mention 326
Joliet. Louis— French Canadian explorer, companion of Marquette 447.448.449.451.456
mention 19.446.447,450,455,458,463.465
Jones, Colonel— of Monroe County. Illinois, mention -48
Jones, Miss Emma F.— member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
Jones, Fort— location of, mention '2
Jones, Hiram— private. War 1812 196
Jones, Dr. Hiram K.— founder of the Plato Club, Jacksonvllle,llllnols. 1860 316
leading Platonlst of the age 316
Jones, John— private. War 1812 194
Jones. John Paul— first to hoist the American flag on the sea. mention 311
Jones. John Rice— mention ir?,?
Jones. Miss Lottie E —member Illinois State Historical Society •^'^}}.
Jones, Martin-private, War 1812 ^^°-^§!
sergeant. War 1812 193
Jones, Michael— candidate for United States Senator in 1818 617
Jones, Michael— adjutant of regiment of Randolph County, War 1812 v-a,v "^
colonel, First Illinois regiment (subsequently removed and Thomas
Levin was made lieutenant commanding). War 1812 173
member of the Third General Assembly of Illinois 266
Jones, Obedlah- mention ^'^-fjf
Jones. Richard.. mention "35
633
J^idea;— Continued.
Page.
Jones, William— captain Second Illinois regiment. War 1812 177
ChlcaffO coat of arms suggested by 461
descendant of Fox brancii of the Aleonquin Indians, mention 460
Jones, Captain William— muster roll of. War 1812 191
Jones, William— private. War 1812 198
Jones, Sir William— rule of life for lawyers, quoted 242
Jonesboro College— (also spelled Jonesborough), mention 332
trustees of, mention 350
Jonesboro, Qa.— mention 281
Jordan. Arthur— lieutenent Third Illinois regiment (removed). War 1812 176
Jordan Block House— mention 98
Jordan, Francis— mention 72
Jordan, James— wounded by the Indians at Tom Jordan's fort 99
Jordan or Jourdan- settlement, forts built at 72
Jordan, Thomas— mention 72
private. War 1812 195
sergeant. War 1812 190
Jones. Tom— fort of. on the road to Equality, mention 99
Joseph— son of a slave named PaniasicSc, baptism of 402,403
Jouranee. Cale— captain Second Illinois regiment. War 1812 174
Jourange? (Chnrzo) Nicholas— captain Second Illinois regiment. War 1812 174
Jourdan, Arthur— lieutenant Third Illinois regiment, War 1812 175
Jourdan or Jordan— settlement, forts built at 78
Journal of the Constitutional Convention of 1847, State of Illinois— mention 479-480
reference to, see foot
notes 479-480
See Illinois State Constitutional Conventions.
Journal of Colonel Robert Dickson— extract from 160
Journalism in Illinois prior to 1860— list of those still actively engaged in, who were so
engaged prior to 1860 2H-21J
Journey's Fort— location of, mention 71
Journey, John— ensign. War 1812 189.191
Journey. Lieutenant John— killed by the Indians 166
Journey, John, Sr.— private. War 1812 193
Journey. Nathaniel— adjutant. War 1812 188
captain. Second Illinois regiment. War 1812 174,176
commands company of Rangers 71
first lieutenant, company of Rangers 189,191
mention 147,186
Journey. William-private. War 1812 191
Judd. Norman B.— mention 238.299,428
Judy. Colonel Jacob— commands small corps of spies In Indian campaign War 1812 181
mention 132
Judy. Samuel— adjutant Second Illinois regiment. War 1812 174
captain Second Illinois regiment. War 1812 174,177
colonel Second Illinois regiment. War 1812 177
lieutenant St. Clair County regiment. War 1812 172
major, first battalion, Second Illinois regiment. War 1812 174
mention 147,179
muster roll of "Captain Judy's Spy Company," War 1812 188
Julienne, Maa. Cat.— Godmother at baptism of Marie Catherine Potler 398-399
Juliette, Catherine— sponsor at baptism of child of slave 410-411
Juliette, Marie Catherine— Godmother at baptism of slave named Marie Jeanne 404,405
Godmother at baptism of slave named Pierre 404.105
Juilllette, Marie Catherine— Godmother at baptism of Marie Catherine Pettier 400.401
Julliette, Marie Catherine— sponsor at baptism of child named Joseph 40'i,403
*,■• sponsor at baptism of Pierre Thevenard 408,409
Juniata River— mention 198
Jurney, Meredith— mention 344
Juvenile Court— mention 821
law, mention 326
Kalamazoo River— mention 77
Kamskatka— mention 443
Kane, Chas. P.— member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
Kane County, Illinois— St. Clair township in, mention 217
Kane. Ellas Kent— death of in Washington. D. C. mention 233
editor of the "Republican Advocate" at Kaskaskla 206
favors the convention of 1824 208
member of the first Constitutional Convention of Illinois, 1818 416
twice elected to the United States Senate, mention 233
8Kanec8c, Marie— wife of Michael Phlllipe, child of baptized 400-401
8Kantc8c. Maria— wife of Michael Philippe, child of baptized 396-397
Kankakee County, Illinois- women physicians In .State Hospital for the Insane at,
appointed through Influence of Woman's Club 318
Kankakee Gazette— (newspaper) published at Kankakee. Ill 211
634
Index — Continued.
Page
Kankakee river— mention 451
Kankakee— vs. K. & I. R. R, Co., case of, reference to. see footnote 498
Kansas (State of)— mention 272,236
Kansas City, Missouri— mention _ aiO
Kansas-Nebraska agitation— mention 44,381
Kansas-Nebraska bill— causes widespread agitation 44
championed by Douglas 31
mention *....■.•.«.•...•...••.•.•••...•..•..••••.•.*•......... ,.35, 43, 45, 234
passed in 1854 44,54
William H Bissell's opposition to 54
Karami, Susan— wife of Anthony Bosseron, child of baptized 398-399
Karr, William— estate of 632
Kaskaskia Advocate— 1823 (newspaper), mention 31
Kaskaskia- banquet given for General Lafayette, Judge Breese's toast at 32
capital of Illinois Territory, mention 5l5
capture of, mention 311
church records, translated and transcribed by Rev. C. J. Eschmann 394-413
circuit, mention 330
convention met at, to frame State constitution. In 1818 517
extract of a letter from, dated Feb. 27, 1812. on Indian depredations 145-146
first permanent white settlement in Illinois 456
first newspaper in Illinois published at 205
Fourth of July celebration in, 1823, mention 31
Indian mission transferred to 456
Lafayette's visit to, reference to 31
land office established at 248
leerislature at, 1818-19, authorizes the Governor to continue leases of the Va-
lines 251-252
letter of Governor Edwards to Governor Shelby dated from, March 22, 1813,
on British and Indian situation 158-169
mention 14, 27, 40, 74. 88. 80. 92, 93, 91, 100, 104, 113, 138. 183, 208, 252, 330, 505
mission post at, mention 456
name and memories of, all that remain 458
"Recorder," newspaper published at, 1828-1833 206
records from office of Secretary of State removed from, by Sidney Breese
to Vandalia, cost and length of time to accomplish 36
schools at, kept by the nuns, well patronized by early settlers in Illinois 607
Sidney Breese locates in. 1818 30
Wm. Henry Harrison visits, in 1802 247-248
Kaskaskia river- appropriation for the improvement of 490
forts located on 72
mention 72,94,135,144
Kaskaskias (The)— French and Canadian inhabitants of 414
Kassel, Germany- political uprising at, mention 289
mention 2«9
Kaupfe, Maria Magdalene— mother of Hon. Gustavus Koerner 286
Kavanaugh, (Rev.) Benjamin F.— mention 333.334,336
one of the incorporators of McKendree College 361
Kealough. Ebenezer— lieutenant Third Illinois regiment. War 1812 177
Kearney. (General) Philip— mention 275
KeesKagon— Ottawa Indian in the council at Cahokia April 16, 1812 101
Kendall County, Illinois— historical society reported as organized in, mention 8.20
mention 429
votes against the Constitutional Convention of 1847 479
Kellogg, William Pitt— member of Congress 235
Kelley, Abner Oliver— mention 345
Kelly. (Capt.) Timothy— of Quincy. Illinois, mention 284
Kenesaw Mountain— Gen. Jas. D. Morgan's suggestion as to the attack on 279-280
Kennedy— aid de-camp, left in command of armed boats at Fort Shelby 161
Kennedy, David— private War 1812 180
Kennedy, George— Captain Fourth Illinois regiment. War 1812 178
Kennedy, James— lieutenant Fourth Illinois regiment. War 1812 178
Kennedy, (Mrs.)— shocking death of, at the hands of the Indians 146
Kennicott, (Dr.) J. A.— active in the cause of education in Illinois 226
prominent horticulturist of Illinois, mention 226
Kentucky Argus (The)— (newspaper) quoted 159
Kentucky— Conrad Will brings slaves from, to work saltmines In Illinois 252
Kentucky— early colonists in 272
early pioneers of. mention 625
emigrants from, mention 272
makes no returns to the CJ. S. from Salines 249
mention 138.144.
160, 230. 232. 240. 241. 248.356. 368. 376. 376. 416. 417.430.441.442.478.606.508.514,615.619
Second regiment Kentucky Volunteers in the Mexican war. mention 65
Scotch-Irish emigrants settle In 309
troops in Illinois territory— Governor Shelby's opinion of 136
troops, incompetency of 128
(Gen.) Samuel Hopkln's. commander of 127
veterans, mention 130
635
Index. — Continued.
Paffe
Kenwood. Fortnightly Club— mention 327
Kenyon. Henry— adjutant Third llUuoia reelment. War 1812 176-178
appointed, lieutenant Third Illinois regiment, War 1812. declined 175
Keokuk— war chief and head of the Sac nation 149
Kepley, Henry B— member lllluols State Historical Society VIII
Keraml. Susan— wife of Nicholas Mlgneret, child of baptized 396-397
Kernf, Jacob-private, War 1812 191
Kernstown, Battle of— mention 40
Kerr. George W.— of St. Louis, Missouri, mention 830,345
Kerrick. L. H.— member Illinois State Historical Society VIU
Keystone State— (reference to Uinois), mention 444
Kick, Justice-private, War 1812 179
Kick-kal-le ma-seau (Kalamaaoo Klver)— mention 77
Klckapoo Creek— mention 132
Klckapoo Indians— killed by citizens of Cahokia, mention 86
chiefs in council at Cahokia, April 16,1812, list of 101
mention 66,80.86.98.100.136,169
Klckapoo Towns— mention 20,153
Klckapoo Indian Villages— burning of. on the Saline Fork of the Sangamon river 136
destruction of. see foot note 132
mention 128.132
on east bluff of the Illinois river, mention 132
Kllgonr. Eseklel- mention 208
Kllpatrlck's Cavalry— mention 281
Kimball. Rev. Clarence O.— member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
Kimball. H. M.— career as an editor 212
editor "The Macoupin County Argus" 212
Elmberly. Samuel W.— lieutenant Fourth Illinois regiment. Warl812 177
private. War 1812 186
Kinder. George-private, War 1812 182
Kindergarten Clubs in Illinois— mention 322
King of England— (refers to government of England) George III. king. George the IV.
regent) 105
King of France— (refers to Louis XIV) 463.457
King of Israel— LaSalle likened to. Parkman's tribute 456
King's Mountain— battle of, mention 310
Kinney. Mr.— of St. Clair county. Illinois 61
Kinney. Samuel— lieutenant. St. Clair County regiment. War 1812 178
Kinney. (Governor) William— death of. October 1.1813 441
mention 30.338
prophecy 441-449
see foot note 441
short sketch of life of 441
Kinsley. Lieut. Alona— report of the contemplated attack on Fort Madison 66
Klnzie Boat, (The)— mention 124
Klnzle, Ellen Marlon— dauichter of Mr. and Mrs. John Klnzie. mention 120
Klniie Family— destination of. on leaving Fort Dearborn 120
Klnzle. John— agent for the United States government for the Indians 117
holds council with Captain Healdand the Indians outside Fort Dearborn.. 118
Interpreter and trader with the Indians, see footnote 117
liquor owned by. destroyed at Fort Dearborn 119
marches with the column out of Fort Dearborn 120
objects to leaving Fort Dearborn, see foot-note 117
opposes evacuation of Fort Dearborn 117
Klnzle, Mrs. John— author of "Wau-Bun," mention 117
mention 118.120
reports that Indians enter Fort Dearborn in defiance of the sentinels 118
Klnzle. John H.— son of Mr. and Mrs. John Klnzle. mention 120
Klnzle. Maria Indiana— daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Klnzle. mention 120
Klnzle. Robert A —son of Mr. and Mrs. John Klnzle. mention 120
Kirby. Capt— commands company of rangers, in War 1812 115
Klrby. Edward P.— member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
Kirby. William— trustee Illinois College, mention 349
Kirkendal. Stephen— ensign Third Illinois regiment. War 1812 176
Ktrkendall. Benjamin— private. War 1812 196
Kirkendall. Jesse, private. War 1812 196
Kirkland. Joseph— "Chicago Massacre." footnote 116-117
Klrkpatrick. Francis— private. War 1812 181
Klrkpatrlck. Harrison. War 1812 193
Klrkpatrick. James— private. War 1812 181
Klrkpatrlck. John— private. War 1812 179.193
Klrkpatrick, Thomas— first lieutenant Volunteers. Edwardsville. 111.. War 1812 196
judge of election, held at Edwardsville. ills., to elect ofiicers for
company of Volunteers, War 1812 196
private. War 1812 198
Kltchell. John— mention 368
Kitchell.lThomas— sergeant— War 1812 179
Kitchen, Charles— Indian fighter, mention 133.605,508
Kitchen, Kachel-wife of William Wyatt,mentlon 507-508
Kitchens, Charles— private. War 1812 179.182
Kilo Association— of Chicago, philanthropic work of 324
636
Index — Continued .
Pasre.
Klopmeyer present owner of the Moore farm, mention 155
Knott, Proctor— pays tribute to the Scotch-Irish 313
Knowles, Joseph— private In the regulars, served at Fort Dearborn, mention 124
survivor of the Fort Dearborn Massacre 123
Knox (Manual Labor) College— 1838, established by the Rev. George W. Gale 216
KnoxICollege. Galesbnrg, Illinois- establishment of 216
Newton Bateman president of, for a quarter of a
CGDtUrV 229
Knox County. Illinois— Militia, Isaac White appoiiiVed'CaptalnVn.'menHonVi.'I.' .'!.".*!.".'" 248
Knox County, Illinois- Rev. George W. Gale, locates a colony In 216
Knox (Gen.) Henry. Washington's chief of Artillery, mention 311
Knox Jonathan— private. War 1812 190.196
Koerner. Augusta— sister of Gustavns Koerner. accompanies him to the United States... 290
Koerner, Bernhard— father of Hon. Gustavns Koerner 286. 2S8
Koerner, Gustave A.— son of Gustavus Koerner 305
Koerner, Gustavus— Born at Frankfort on-theMain, November 20,1809, died at Belleville.
Illinois, April 9, 1896 286
advice to Abraham Lincoln on the call for volunteers 298
aid. with the rank of Colonel, on Major General Fremont's Staff.... 299
appointed by Governor Richard Fates (Sr.) to Virginia Conference.
declines, reasons for 297,298
appointed United States Minister to Spain by President Lincoln.
mention 43.290,299
appointed by Governor Ford, Judge of the Supreme Court of Il-
linois 294
associated in law practice with William R. Morrison, mention 296
association with Henry Hoffman, mention 303
attends law school In Lexington, Kentucky 292
becomes a citizen of the United States, locates in St. Clair County,
Illinois 291
Belleville Public Library, founded by Koerner and others, mention 303
career as a jurist and statesman 293.302
change in political views, mention 43
children of 305
contributor to the "Anielger des Westens" of St. Louis 303
contributor to English periodicals 303
corresponding editor of the "Westland," a periodical 303
declines appointment as member of Illinois commission to appraise
R. R. property 293
delegate to the convention at Bloomingtoa In 1856 56
delivers eulogy on James A. Garfleld. mention 306
disguised as a female, leaves Frankfort-on-the-Main 290
duel with Frederick Hecker, mention 306
efforts of, secures the nomination of Stephen A. Douglas to Con-
gress 293
elector of the Republican Party in Illinois, 1868 300
embarks for the United States 290
engaged to a daughter of Frederick Engelmann. locates on a farm
with family of, near Belleville, Illinois 291
establishes German and English school at Belleville, first teacher.. 304
extract from speech of, on the return of the Second Illinois Volun-
teer Regiment from Mexican War 51-52
first production of, as an author 303
forced to resign the Madrid mission on account of small conpensa-
tlon 299
founding of a home In St. Clair County, Illinois, Journey West-
ward 291
friendship for Abraham Lincoln 296
general characteristics of 306-307
German Liberals call upon Koerner to draft an address to the Ger-
man people, etc 294
his youth and education 286-287
his family life 1305
his participation in political events in Europe 287-290
his work as an educator and author 303-304
incident concerning, while a student at University la Munich 288
Infiuence of. over emigrants (political) to the United States 295
interview with Robert G. IngersoU 306-307
invited to the conference of reformers, held at New York May 16,
1876 302
law firm of Blssell and Koerner. mention 293
law partner of Captain James Shields and Adam W. Snyder 38
letter from William H. Blssell to, written on the battle field at
Baena Vista 50-51
letter to Republican Editors of Illinois, mention 304
Lieutenant Governor State of Illinois, 1853, mention 43,295,434
marriage of 305
member of the "Burschenschaft," student society of German Uni-
versities 286.288
member of the firm of Snyder and Koerner 292
637
Index — Continued.
Paffe
Eoerner, Quatavus— mention ■^•••; ^*'*'^**ijl5
member of the International Peace Conference 302
member of the thirteenth General Aasembly of Illinois, 1842-14 293
messenger to carry electoral vote to Washington, D. U 293
military career of , short and uneventful, mention 299
nominated by the Democrats and Liberal Republicans for Gover-
nor of Illinois, defeated 297,301
nominated by the Kepubllcan party for Coneress 296
open letters to Wendell Phillips, mention 304
political affiliations 292
reads paper before the Illinois Literary and Historical Society, 1847,
mention 304
regiment of. (subsequently became the 43rd. Illinois Infantry) 299
religious opinions of 806
severs his connection with the Democratic party 296
studies Spanish architecture and art, publishes treatises on 300
United States minister to Spain, mention 48,290.299
visits Warren County, Missouri in the interest of the German emi-
grant? 291
wounded in students attack on guard house In Frankfort 290
writings of. list of some of the more extensive, eta 304
Koerner, Sophy Eneelmann— wife of Gustavus Koerner, death of March 1,1888 305
Koerner, Theodore— son of Gustavus Koerner, mention 306
Kossuth, Louis— Hungarian patriot 198
Kraft, Theodore— settled in St. Clair County, Illinois 291
Kye— Parish of Ireland, mention 309
La Belleause Creek (later Indian Creek)— mention 166
La Brau, Baptlste— private. War 1812 182
La Boissiere— settles in Shawneetown, mention 248
La Boissiere, Francis— daughter of Stephen La Boissiere and Martha Atchlca, baptized
on a journey, by Louis Chauvin 396-397
La Boissiere, Frank— child of, baptised 396-397
La Boissiere, Stephen— child of, baptlied 896-397
La Brise, Francis— Godmother at baptism of Joseph Phlllippe 398-399
La Brlse. Frances— Godmother at baptism of Maria Anna Danys 398-399
wlfeof Jno. B. Pottler, child of, baptized 398-399
La Brise. Frances— Godmother at baptism of Francis Olivier 398-399
La Brize, Frances— Godmother at baptism of Elizabeth La Lande 398-399
Godmother at baptism of James La Lande 398-899
La Brlze, Francolse— sponsor at baptism of child of slave 408-409
La Chance, Antolne— Ensign, Randolph County, May 17,1809 172
LaChapelle. Louis-Sergeant. War 1812 192
LaChappelle, Antolne— Captain, Randolph County, May6,18(;9 172
LaChasspell, B.— private. War 1812 184
LaConte (or Le Compte), Pierre— Major, First Regiment, War 1812 17»
La Fayette (Gen,) Marie Jean Paul Koch Yves Gilbert Motler— born at{Chavanac. France,
Sept. 6, 1767; died May
20, 1834
banquet in his honor at Kaskaskla, toast offered by Judge
81dney Breeae 32
entertained In the house of Gen. Rawlins, at Shawneetown,
mention 267
mention 31
La Framboise. Josette— nurse in the family of John Klnile, mention 120
La i<>anbrl8. Joseph— nrivate. War 1812 192
La Grange, Illinois, Woman's Club— mention 327
La Harpe, Illinois. Woman's Club— mention 327
La Lande, Elliabeth— daughter of Jas. La Lande and Marie Tetthlo. baptism of 898-399
La Lande, Jacque— sponsor at baptism of Marie Tagrlglge 410-411
La Lande. James— child of, baptized 398-399
Godfather at baptism of Anthony Bosseron 398-399
Godfather at baptism of John B. Pottler 398-399
son of James La Lande and Marie Tetthlo, baptism of 398-399
La Lande. John B.— Godfather at baptism of Louis Tissoe 398-399
Lamartine, Alphonse Marie Louis de Prat de— born at Macon. Oct. 21, 1790. died at Passy,
March. —1869, mention 294
La Parche. Pierre— boatman, mention 74
LaPointe, August— child of, baptized 402-403
La Polnte, Augustin- Godfather at baptism of Louis Turpln 404-405
La Polnte, Augustine— child of. baptized 398-899
La Polnte, Marie- daughter of Augustine La Polnte and Martha Mer8n8ctam, baptism
of . 398-399
La Salle County, IlllnoYs— mention!. \"!I!".'!!!!II!l!!!I!I!i!II!!!I."i".!.*.'!!."i!.".'!!!2i9-222, 428
La Salle. Illinois- mention 305
La Salle. Ren6 Robert— Cavalier, Slenr de la. born Rouen. France, 1643, killed in Texas,
1687, by the treachery of Duhaut and Llotot, members of his
own party
colonization of the country under 449
explorations of, in the Illinois country 460
638
Index — Continued .
Page
La Salle, Ren6 Robert, Cavalier— extracts from letters of. written In 1681-82 466
last days of 154-456
mention..,.. 19.230,446.451.458.462,466
rejoins Tontl 453
returns to Illinois country to rescue Tontl * 452
takes possession of Ijoulslana .'.'.' 453
unites Indian tribes 453
La Salle Street. Chicago— mention 389
Lacavl. Paul— child of slave of baptized, mention ..'...'.'.'..'.'.'..'.'.'. ib2-l03
Lacelly. Mr. — interpeter and guide of the Kentucky troops in Indian
campaign 131
Lacey. John— lieutenant War 1812 176 177
private. War 1812 ["'] 182
Lacrolx— peltry and property of. mention .".". UO
Lacon. Illinois— mention ^.'.'..."."..14. 378. 379
woman's club, mention "". '327
Lacey. Stephen— private. War 1812 .'.' 195
Lacy, John— (resigned) captain First Regiment. War 1812 ""..' 173
Ladd, Elijah— private. War 1812 187
Ladles' Education Society of Jacksonville. 111.— earliest association of women in" 'the
State of Illinois 316
Ladies' (The) Reading Circle of Mattoon. 111.— mention " 318
Ladies' Repository Magazine— mention '...'.'...... 838
Lady H^igin— steamer lost off the shore of Lake Michigan near Evanston— mention!!!!!!' 10
Lady Franklin— (steamer) mention 201
Laery, Stephen- private. VVar 1812 190
Lagoterie— Indian plunder from the Loutre settlement left with !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 67
Lagotery (Lagotiere) Victor— interpreter, escapes from massacre by the Indians 97
Lake Erie— mention 450,451,452
»,. ,. townships on allotted for the use of refugees from Canada and Novia Scotia' 474
Lake Michigan— mention 113,151,157,204,231.237.448.451
Lake Park— Chicago, statue ot John A. Logan in, mention 237
Lake Street— Chicago, mention "" 370
Lake Superior— mention !!.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.ii3, 159
Lake View— woman's club, mention !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! .'327
Lallemande— signs church record, parish of Our Lady of the (Jascaskiaa !!.!!!!.. '!!!!!!4i2-4i3
Lalor, John J.— editor Cyclopedia of Political Science 304
Lamb. Moses— private. War 1812 . igg
Lambert. Mrs. Edward C. (Belle Short Lambert)— address before the Illinois State
Historical Society 1904 "'The
Woman's Club movement in
Illinois 314-327
member Illinois State Historical
Society VIII
„^. , . mention 14
Lamer. Patrick— private. War 1812 184
Lamon, Ward H.— law partner of Abraham Lincoln ^ !!.'!!!!!!!"! 25
Lamotte, Joshua— private. War 1812 ! !!.!!!!!!!!!!""' 182
Lancaster. Pennsylvania— mention !!.!!! !!!!!!!"i98 204
Land Laws. United States, 1828— reference to. see foot note !!!!!!!!!!!!!!. ..'474
quoted, see foot note !!.!!!!!! 471
Land. Matthew— early fort in Illinois built on land near present home of 72
Land, Robert— early fort built by, on land near present home of MatihewLand '. 72
Lands— ceded by Indians to the United States, land offices established 248
Lane. Joseph— enlisted. War 1812 186
Lane, Rolin (RoUln)— private. War 1812 '." 195
Langford, Ell— private. War 1812 !!!!"!! 190
Langford. Josiah- private. War 1812 ".!!'.'.!!"."*!* 190
Langlue, Raphael- private. War 1812 !.....".". 182
Langston, Nathan— private War 1812 ,] 193
Lankford, Ell— private. War 1812 " ns 195
Lankford, Josiah— private. War 1812 !'.!" """ ' jgg
Lannai, Louis de— child of baptized ! ! 394-395
Lanphler, Charles H.— editor of the Illinois State Register for twenty years.'.".!.!'.*.""". . 210
Lauphier, Charles H— manages the Senatorial campaign. 1858 for Douglas 210
Lard, James, Jr.— private. War 1812 191
Lard, John— private. War 1812 !... 191
Lard. Samuel— private. War 1812 !!!!!!!!!!!.!!* 184
Larkins, Vincent— lieutenant Third Regiment, War 1812 !!!!!!".!!!!! 175
Larmer (or Larner) Patrick— private. War 1812 "'" 188
Lamer, (or Larmer) Patrick— private. War 1812 !!! ! 188
Larrison. Abel— estate of 631
Lary. George— private. War 1812 ! 190 195
Laiourt, or White Pigeon, near Detroit— mention !!...' 77
Latta. James — land owner of McLean county "" 537
Laurence, Calvin— private. War 1812 !! 175
Lavans (or Levin) Thomas— major First Regiment, War 1812 !!!! 178
Laviolette. Henry— son of John Lavlolette and Catherine BxlpaklnSea 394-396
LaVlolette. John— Godfather at baptism of John James Delannas 394-396
639
Index — Continued.
Paare
Lavlolette. John Colon— child of. baptized 394-395
Laviolette, John James— son of John Colon Lavlolette and Catherine ExipakinSca. bap-
tism of 391-395
Lavlolette, Michael— son of John Colon Lavlolette and Cath. ExipakinSca, baptism
of 391-395
LaVlolette. Pierre— baptizes child of an Indian woman 408-109
Law Colleges— character of, mention 212
Law School (McKendree College)— founded by Gov. French, 1858. mention 335
Law, John— mention 19
Law, John— organizer of "The Company of the Breat West" 156
Law passed by the Legislature of Indiana in 1805 regulating the bringing in of slaves — 250
Lawndale, Ills.— Literary club, mention , 327
mention 610
Lawrence County. lU.-mentlon 263.270.129
Lawrlson. Thomas— captain Third Regiment, War 1812 177
Laws of Illinois, see Illinois.
Lawrenceburg, Ind.— Hon. Jesse Burgess Thomas, locates at, mention 614
Lawry, Joseph— private. War 1812 196
Lawton. John— volunteer. War 1812 186
Lawyers, Country Lawyer— an American product 213
the court to him a sacred temple 213
Lawyers, Country Lawyers— characteristics of 240-211
Lawyers, Metropolitan Lawyers— characteristics of 211
Lay. Edward— private. War 1812 178
Lazadder, Jacob— private. War 1812 192
LeBoullenger, (Society of Jesus)— chaplain of the troops 400-103
Le Brlze Frances— sponsor at baptism of child 102-103
Le Clare, Antolne— French half-breed first white settler of Davenport, la 11
Le Clerc. Peresh— Interpreter, half-breed boy in the employ of the Klniie's 121
Le Compt. Isaac— private. War 1812 182
Le Compte (or La Cont), Pierre— captain. First regiment. War 1812 173
Le Compte. Pierre— lieutenant, Randolph county. May 7,1809 172
Le Compte (or La Cont), Pierre— major First regiment. War 1812 173
Le Compton Constitution of Kansas, mention 296
Le Drenost, J.— signs church record of the Parish of Our Lady of the Kaskasklas ....110-111
Le Miene. Louis— private. War 1812 181
Le Pine, Petet^-godfather at baptism of Maria Bourbonnais 396-397
Le Plant, Mr.— Interpreter and guide of the Kentucky troopi in Indian campaign 131
Leach. Francis- paymasterThird regiment. War 1812 175
Lear, Mrs Mary— member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
Lear. Walter Edwin. Ph. D , LL. D —member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
Leases of salt wells and springs in the United States, 1817— list of 261
Leavens. Thomas— captain. Randolph county. War 1812 172
Lebanon, 111.— McKendree college located at 383,567
McKendreean (McKendree) college to be located at or near 350
mention 7.11.16,72,216.332,336,313.314,131
Lebanon, Ohio— mention 623
Richard Symmes Thomas locates at 611
Lebanon Seminary— bulldines of vicKendree college designed for 566
(McKendree college). Miss McMnrphy assistant principal of 330-331
(McKendree college), opening of 330
(McKendree college), mention 887
(McKendree college), E. R. Ames, first principal of 330-331
Lecroix's house — mention Ill
Ledbetter, Asa— lieutenant Fourth regiment, war 1812 176
Ledbetter. Elry— (probably Ira), lieutenant. Third regiment, war 1812 175
Lee, Charles— and his son, members of the militia who served in the action at Fort
Dearborn 124
Lee, James— ensign .^<lrst regiment, war 1812 173
prlv...e. War 1812 186,192
Lee, John— ma'.es salt on Shoal creek at Saline 253
Lee, Joseph jrlvate. Warl8l2 182
Lee. MaJor-.-commands Kentucky troops, mention 130
Lee, KalpL— private. War 1812 184
Lee, Samuel— private. War 1812 182
Lee. Samuel, Jr.— private. War 1812 191
Lee. SaD,;uel, >r.— private.... War 1812 191
Lee sett -ement at Hard'icrabble-Indlan hostilities at. report of Captain Heald on 100
Leglslat are of Indiana Territory in 1805— law passed by. regulating the bringing in of
slaves, iSee Indiana 260
Legislature of Massachusetts— signers of the memorial to, in the cause of education 224
Lelter,,L. Z.— contributes money for the publication of Flower's history 264
Lemmvirs, C A — mfrabers Illinois State Historical Society VIII
"Lemolne"— Major Taylor's f-xpedltlon ends at the "Lemolne" 164
Lemon. Wm.— private. War 1812 181
Leonard, Calvin— Chicngo Historical Society knows nothing of the book on Illinois said
to have been written by 247
History of Illinois said to have been written by, mention 217
Leone, Jabez— private. War 1812 192
Lepan, Joseph— corporal, War 1812 185
Lessauree. Pascal— private. War 1812 184
"Let Our Wayward Sisters Part in Peace"— historic phrase of Horace Greeley 29
6*0
Index — Continued.
Page
Letltia Green Stevenson Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution. Blooming-
ton, Ills— mention n
Letitla Green Stevenson Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution— resoiu-
tions of thanks tendered for courtesies shown the Illinois
State Historical Society 17
Letter from Gov. Thos. Ford to Gapt. James D. Morgan .'.'.."284-285
Letters of Col. John J. Hardin to Gen. James D. Morgan— orleinals owned by the Qulccv
T ... «r^ . T 1. T Tx j= . X r^ „ - Historical Society 282-284
Letters of Col. John J. Hardin to James D. Morgan— reference to. see foot note 275
Levans, Otho— Captain First Regiment War 1812 176
Levans. Thomas, (or Levin), mention 173
Levens, Bazll— lieutenant First Rpgiment. War 1812 ....'....'.'.'.'.'.'.'.' 173
Levens. Isaiah— lieutenant First Regiment, War 1812 !!!!*! "" 173
Levering (Capt.) Samuel— address to the Indians at Peoria '.'.'......'..'.'.'.'.'".'. 82
address to the Indians on the hoisting of the U. S. flag 81-82
address to the Pottawatomie Indiana in council August 17,
1811 89-94
captain First Regiment, War 1812 173
conference with Gomo 78-80
conference with Kick-a-poo Indians 80
conference with Little Chief. Pottawatomie Indian 81
commissioned by Gov. Edwards to negotiate with the Indians 74
delivers commission to oflBcers at Peoria 80
delivers Gov. Edwards' address to the Pottawatomie Indians.
mention 84,85
dies from exposure, effect of his Indian campaign 94
lieutenant. First Regiment, afterwards promoted. War 1812... 173
members of his crew, list of 74
mention 76.83,87.90,96.100,104,105,110,113.127
resolves to hold joint council with the Indians of Illinois.
Indiana Michigan and Louisiana territories 78
Levin. Thomas— lieutenant-colonel commanding First Regiment, to succeed Colonel
Michael Jenes, removed. War 1812 173
Levin (or Levans) Thomas— major First Regiment, War 1812 .' 173
Levon. Capt. Henry—muster roll of. War 1812 184
Lewis Henry, (vice Philip Fouke, moved away)— captain First Regiment. War 1812 173
Lewis (Hon ) Ira. Dixon. 111., member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
Lewis, Obed. of Springfield, Illinois— mention ^ 201
Lewis, Otho, (resigned)— captain First Regiment, War 1812 173
Lewis. Otho— ensign, first regiment. War 1812 173
Lewis, William— mention 34IS
Lewiston. Illinois— mention 210
Lewiston. Pa.— mention 198
Lexington. Illinois 540
Lexington. Kentucky— Gnstavus Koerner attends law school In 292
mention 248-249
Wm. H. Blssell. attends lectures at law school In 49
Lexington— battle of— mention 310
Lezenby. Charles— private. War 1812 196
Liberal Republican Movement— mention 47
Liberal Republican Party in Missouri— history of 800-301
Liberty Advocate— committee of, edits the "Bureau Advocate," mention 211
Liberty Prairie. Madison County. Illinois-mention 164
Librarian— Illinois State Historical Library, Springfield. Illinois. Mrs. Jessie Palmer
Weber 61
Libraries, Cairo. Illinois— Woman's Club and Library Association, organisation of... 317-318
Libraries— Traveling libraries. State of Illinois, mention 325
Lickskillet Road— mention 280
Life. (The)— and work of Hon. Hiram Williams Beckwith. memori. ' paper by Dr. Ed-
mund J. James, president of the Northwestern Unlveral" 25-26
Life. (The)— of Hon. Gnstavus Koerner, address before the Illinois State historical So-
ciety, by the Hon. R. E. Rombauer 286-303
Light. (The). Infantry— battalion of second regiment so called. War 1812 174
Lilly, Mrs. John P.. Sullivan, Illinois— member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
Lincoln, Abraham— Born In Hardin County. Kentucky. Feb. I2th, 1809, died Ii^ Wash-
ington City. April 15th, 1865, sixteenth president of the United
States
anxious to provide foreign appointment for (justavus Koerner 299
appoints Capt, Jas. Shields. Brigadier General, in the Civil Var... 40
appoints Gustavus Koerner minister to Spain 43
approves act of Congress, granting pupllc lands for educa.ional
purposes 214, 226
"Lincoln, (Mr.), As a Wrestler"- paper contributed by Col. Rlsdon M. Moore tc the
transactions of the Illinois State Historical So-
ciety, 1901 433-434
Lincoln. Abraham— challenged to a duel by Capt. James Shields.... 37
commanded company of Mounted Volunteers from Sangamon
County. 1832, mention 433
defeated by Lyman Trumbull for the U. S. Senate 44
delegate to the convention at Bloomington, May, 1856 66
E. B. Washbnrne. earnest supporter of. mention 235
Edward Bates, first Attorney General in cabinet of. mention 233
641
Index — Continued .
Page.
Liucolu, Abiaham— frif-ndship for Qustavus Koerner, mention 296
gives an account to Col. Klsdou M. Moore of Lincoln-Thompson
wrestliusr matca 434
Great Liberator, mention 227
Gustavus Koeruer's advice to. on rht; call for volunteers 29S
Gustavus Koerner's association with 295
historic campaign of 1858, mention 296
inaueuration of. meHtinn 236
interest in the cause of education 333-334
lines written by him on title page of his early arithmetic 202
lost speech of. r« ferenee to 18
member of the "Lonsr Nice", mention 203
member of thH Tenth General Assembly. State of Illinois, 1836 28
mention. . .25, 29. 31, 57. 198, 201. 202. 233. 234, 237. 300, 337. 36ti. 369. 371, 372. 381
382.414,430,626
Nlcolay & Hay. life of Lincoln, foot note 424
political associaie of W. H. Bisseil 58
silvery resolutions Introduced by. In Tenth General Aesembly of
Illinois, Lincoln's course 424
speech of In 1868, "'House divided against itaelf", mention 227
Tarbell's Life of quotation from. 29
Lincoln— Thompson wrestling match, as related by Mr. Lincoln and Jonathan Moore
to Col. Kisdon M. Moore 433
Lincoln, Mrs. Abraham— mention 201,202
Lliicoln & Douglas— itebate 1858. Freeport Woman's Club marks place of 323
dt bates, mention 233
Lincoln. David— mention 345
Lincoln, Illinois— art association, second art society in the State of Illinois 317
mention 9
Salt Creek near, mention, see foot note 132
Lincoln, John W.— a signer of the memorial io the Massachusetts legislature on Industrial
education 224
Lind. Jenny— mention 198
Linder, Jacob— prtvarp. War 1812 179
Llnder, Usher F.— member Illinois Tenth General Assembly, 1836 28
meution 30
Lindler, John— lieutenant. Second Regisment, War 1812 174
LIndley, John— War 1812 194
Llndley. Joseph- private. War 1812 194
LIndley. Samuel— private. War 1812 194
LIndley. Simon. Jr—orivate. War 1812 194
LIndley, William— receives corn in exchange for labor, in McLean County 527
Lindsey, Alfred— cornet. War 1812 187
Linley. John— private. War 1812 191
Linn, Reuben— ensign. W«r 1>'12 187
Linvill. Aaron-privatP. War 1812 179
Liquor— British traders introduce liquor, contrary to regulations of the U. 8. at Indian
post 65
Governor Edwards by proclamation forbids its sale or gift to Indians 113
Captain Heald decides to destroy all liquor at Ft. Dearborn 118,119
Lisanbee. Jeremiah— volunteer. War 1812 186
Lisle. Sieur Charles, Legardeur de— godfather at baptism of Charles Reuandlere 410-411
L'isle. (Sir) Charles de— sponsor at baptism of Francis Bechet 400.401
Lisle. De— See De Lisle 461
Litchfield. Illinois-mention 14.368.372.373
Literary Sessions— Illinois State Historical Society. meeting held in Bloomlngton, 1905.. 15-17
Little Chief (Pottawatomie Chief)— agrees to deliver up stolen property, informs on
murderers 94
conference with Captain Levering 81
meution 77,78,94
Little Chief- pass of Captain Heald to, dated Chicago, July 11.1811. mention 81
Little Chief (Pottawatomie Chlef)—speech at thf council held Aug. 17th. 1811 87-89
Little Deer (Klckapoo)-in council at Cahokla April 16, 1812 101
speech of at Cahokla council April 16th 1812 106
Little Giant— name given to Stephen A. Douglas 233
Little (Mis.) Helen. M. J.— member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
Little Sauk— Pottawatomie in council at ('ahokla. April 16lh, 1812 101
Little Sturgeon-Sac Irdian Chief, mention 94
Little Turtle (Indian Chief)— notifies the Americans of the perfidy of English agents.... 64
promises aid to the Americans 64
speech of. to the Americans showing perfidy of English
traders and agents 64
Little Wabash River— Appropriation for improvement of 490
Little. Wm— private. War 1812 183
Llveley. John— private. War 1812 191
Llveley. Reuben— private. War 1812 191
Lively. Amos— corporal. War 1812 183
Lively, John-private, War 1812 178
Lively. Reuben— private. War 1812 183
—41 H.
642
Index — Continued.
Pase
Lively, bhadrach— corporal. War 1812 183
private. War 1812 192
Livermore, (Mrs.) Mary A.— President of the Association for the Advancement of
Women 315
Liverpool, (steamer) mention n555
Livingston County Illinois— mention 219
Llvlngrston. Elisha— private. War 1812 185
Llze, Pierre— lieutenant second regimeni. War 1812 174
Llaje, Pierre— Uentenant. War 1812 172
Lloyd, Davis— private. War 1812 191
Local Council of Women, Mattoon, Illinois 325
Local Council of Women. Qulncy. Illinois 325
Local Historical Societies— circular issued by Illinois State His. Soc, committee on 6-8
committee, report of, mention 3
mention 3.5
presidents of. honorary vice-presidents of the Illinois
State Historical Society 16
report of committee on 6-9
their fields of work, etc., discussed 5
Lockhart, Andrew— corporal. War 1812 „.. 194
private. War 1812 194
Lockhart, Byrd (Spy)-prlvate. Warl812 179,194
Lockhart. William— private. War 1812 194
Lockwood, Samuel D.— mention 521,524
opposed to the convention of 1824 208
trustee Illinois Collegre. mention 349
Lodge William F.— member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
Lofton, John (5.— elected captain of volunteers. Edwardsville, 111.. War 1812 197
Logan County Historical Society. Lincoln. Illinois— mention 9,20
orsranlzation of 7
Logan County, Illinois- Sugar Creek in northern part of, mention 96
Logan family— historic family of Ireland 309
prominent in history of Illinois, mention 230
Logan, George— member Third General Assembly, State of Illinois 266
Logan, Hugh— Irishman, one of the Ft. Dearborn prisoners among the Indians, pat to
death 123
private in the regulars, served at Ft Dearborn, mention 129
Logan, John A„ of Jackson County. Illinois-mention 36
Logan, John A.— ablest civilian general who fought in the war for the Union 36
ardent supporter of Steohen A. Douglas 35
home of at Shawneetowa. Illinois, mention 257
member Illinois Tenth General Assembly, 1836. (mistake means John
Logan) 28
member United States House of Representatives, mention 235
mention 234.238,312.373
military services of. mention 35.237
non-supporter of the measure in Congress for industrial education,
reason advanced 225
political career of 237
protects Secretary Stanton in the discharge of his duties, mention .... 238
statue of In Lake Park. Chicago, mention 337
United States Senator from Illinois 237
Logan, Mrs. John A.— address before the Illinois State Historical Society 1901. "Illi-
nois in thp Connclls of the Nation" 230-239
home of at Shawneetown. Illinois, mention 257
mention 14. 16
Logan, (ship)- Gustavus Koerner. sister, and the Engelmann family sail on, for the
Jii United States 290
mention 290.291,305
Logan. Stephen T.-mention 202,381
Logan, Thomas— early fort in Illinois built by John Slocum near farm of Thomas
Logan, White County 72
London, England— electoral privileges in. in early days 468
international exposition at in 1851. mention 216
mention 95.259.260.293.389,469
Long. Enoch— trustee. Altnn College, mention 349
Loner. -J araes— volunteer. War 1812 186
"Long Nine" (The)-influence of In Legislation. State of Illinois 480
memb>^rs constituting, mention 203
members of the Legislature who led in the movement for the removal of
the capital to Springfield, mention 202
Longfellow. Henry W.— mention 459
Lontflois. Stephen— godfather at baptism of Charles Guillemeau 398-399
Longs ton. Nathin — ensign Third regiment. War 1812 177
Longworth. Nicholas— mention 200
Looking Glass Pruirie— mention 72
Lookout Mountain— hatr I H of. mention 279
Loomls. Hubbell— trustee Alton College, mention 8*9
Lord. Mrs. F. W.— member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
643
Index — Continued.
Page.
Lord John— private. War 1812 185
Lorton. John— private. War 1812 193
Liossin?. B. J.— mention 389
Lost Speech of Abraham Lincoln, reference to 18
Lott. (ludse) Peter, of Quincy. Ills, mention 283-284
Louis XlV.. King of France— compared to Caesar 154
Fort Kussell In 1812. provided with single piece of artillery
of Louis XlV 73
LaSalle appeals to 454
LaSalle obtained patent from to explore and colonize Illi-
nois country 450
"Louis the Grand." mention 447.453
"Louis the Great" 453
mention 451,457
Louis PhllHppe--KlnB of the French, dethroned, fueltlve, etc 29*
Louisiana, Country of— documentary history of the cession of Louisiana to the
United States. Kufus Blanchard. author, mention 391
LaSalle takes possession of 453
mention 465,456,458,466
LoulsianalPurchase— ExDositloECommlttee, report of Capt. J. H. Burnham on 2
Kxposition committee, to be retained 8
mention 39.391
Missouri, part of 518
Louisiana, State of— Col. A. P. Field, attorney-general of the State of Louisiana 43
government by parishes in. mention 470
Lonlsiana.Territory. mention 69,78.83,103,391,606,519
Louisville, Ky.. mention 200-201
Lourre Island- in Missouri river, mention 66. 67.115. 150
Loutre Settlement— Indian robbery at 66-67
see foot note 67
situated on upper part of Loutre Island 66
Louglore, Etiene-nrlvate. War 18i2 184
Louglore, Francis— private. War 1812 184
Louvier, Antolne— ensign First regiment. War 1812 173
lieutenant. First regiment. War 1812 173
Love, John— volunteer. War 1812 186
Love.ioy (Rev.) Elijah P.— editor Alton Observer, mention 368
Lovejoy, Elijah P.— destruction of newspaper office of, mention 209
anti-slavery journalist, murder of, mention 209,426
type of the old time editor 209
Lovejoy, Owen— delegate to the convention at Bloomlngton, May, 1856 56
great leader against slavery in United States Congress 235
member of United States Honseof Representatives 235
mention 219
Low, Nathan— estate of 531
mention 527,641
Lowe, George— mention 329
trustee of McKendree College 332,849
Lowe, John— mention 344
Lowe Leo. H— member Illinois State Historical Society VIll
Lovell. Ills —Buel Institute, organized at. in 1846. mention 219
Lower, vs. United States, case o'. cited, reference to, see foot note ', 50
Lowten. John— captain Second regiment, War 1812 174
Loysel, Antolne. baptlit-s child of William Pottler and Marie ApechlcSrata 402-403
Liucas, Gooden. estate of .^ 650
Lucas. John— ensign Fourth regiment. War 1812 176
private. War 1812 196
Lncas, Simon, sponsor at baptism of child of slave 408-409
Luncetord, William- mention 345
Luntiford. Jacob— private War 1812 190.195
Lusk, John T.— first serceant War 1812 181
private War 1812 •. 188
sergeant vVar 1812 181
Luster, Joseph— private War 1812 179
Lynch. Thomas. Jr.— one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence 309
Lyndeboro. N. H— mention 387
Lynn. Hobert— corpural War 1812 191
Lyon. Austin— mention 344
Lvon. Mtrntt— estate of ;,----a; 629
Macarty. Chevalier de— French commandant, reconstructs Fort Chartres 457
Mc Adams, William, 8r —member Illinois State Historical Society VlII
McAdams, (Prof>-ssor) William--descrlbes the salt pans found in Illinois and Missouri.. 216
Mc^llan. An<lri-w— mention 256
McAllister. John— private War 1812 196
McAllister. Thomas— private Wht 1812 196
volunteer War 1812 lf-6 196
McAvov, William, of Equality, HI. —mention 247.256.257.258
Macbeth (Shakesperean character)— mention 42
644
Index — Contin ued .
Page
McBride family— prominent in the history of Illinois, mention 230
McBrifie. .'ohn— priv-.ie War 1812 178
McBride, Thoma-<— private War 1812 ^ 183
McBrlde. William— ensign Randolph county company. War 1812 172
lieutenant First Illinois rftrimfnt. War 1812 173,176.178
McCagff. K B —member Illinois State Historical Society Vlli
McCall. (Gen.) George A— mention .■■^.■■■, -, Bf,
McCaiiister. {t4ev.) Alexander, of Missouri District— mention aii)
McCann. George— private War 1812 198
McCann, James S —mention ^**
MeCann. Silas— mention •-• au
Alaeauley Thomas— mention... ... -. '^"-•^"5
AlcCausland. Alexander A.— grandson of Nathan and RePekah deald 12G
McCausland, .Mathan Heald— grandson of Nathan and tteoekah Heald 126
McClenahan family— historic family from Ireland 309
McCiellan. (Gen.) George Brinton— mention -• al2
McClernand. John A.— among the tirst to leave United States Congress for the war,
mention •• :"Vi ^*
cooperates with Douglas and the "War Democrats' in the House
meution 236
honorary member Illinois> State Hisfor!cal Society VI 1
member Tenth General Assembly of Illinois. 1836 28
member United States Congress, mention 235
mention va*"-' tItt
McClernand. Mrs. John A —honorary member Illinois State Historical Society VU
McCllntock. (Dr ) mention 3S7
McCllnton. John— private War 1812 183
McClunn, J. E.— mention o^u
McClure family— historic family of Ireland ^ oU9
McClure, Matthew— delegate to the Mecklenburg convention aU3
McConnel, George M.— member Illinois State Historical Society..... ......ylll
McConnel, Murray, of Morgan County- Senator of Twenty-fourth General Assembly of
Illinois. 1864-5. his legislative course 431
McCook. Daniel— severely wounded in assault on K«'nesaw Mountain -279
McCormack, (Prof.) Henry— member Illinois State Historical Society VIU
McCormick. Andrew— member of the "Long Nine." mention 203
McCormick. William— ensign Fourth Illinois regiment. War 1812 176
volunteer War 1812 ^86,196
McCoy. William-private War 1812 196
McCracken. James— private War 1812 ■T,,-;"--"bV": •■^VVT'i a*"TV'
McCulloch, David— appointed on committee to represent Illinois State Historical Society
at Press Association •.•^•■'.' Tff?
attends business meeting Illinois State Historical Society — ..._ Vll
chairman of the committee on constitution and by-laws, Illinois
State Historical Society ^-.•••".•••■.•o *•; tv^?
meets with the board of directors, Illlnoia State Historical Society... V,l
member of board of directors. Illinois State Historical Society.... — 12
member of committee on local historical societies, Illinois State
Historical Society irTl?
member of Illinois State Historical Society Vlll
mention \'',
reports on Peoria Historical Society -. 4-&
seconds motion to refer the Louisiana Purchase exhibit to board of
trustees of Illinois State Historical Library 3
McCurdy, (Dr.) M. M -mention....... • >» «»9
McCur'ly. Nathaniel— trustee McKendree College, mention iSr
MeOanlel, James-volunteer War 1812 ...^. i8b
McDaniel. William— lieutenant Second Illinois regiment. War 1812 i^»
McDlnev. Captain muster roll of. War 1812 lo*
McDonald. Adam— corporal War 1812 "»
McDonald. Charles— mention y,;.-.-", i; 9Qn
McDonald family— prominent in the history of Illinois, mention ""
McDonald. George— mention ^"
McDonald, John— mention "'
McDonald. Robert-private. War 1812 i'»
McDonald. William— sergeant. War 1812 JOf
McDonough County. Illinois— mention »-»
McDonough. Stace— captain, first Illinois regiment. War 1812 i'«
volunteer. War 1812 19*
McDonough. (Commodore). Thomas— mention ^'^
McDow. John-private. War 1812 J'J
McDonnell Family— historic family of Ireland «"J
McElroy Family— historic family of Ireland f"»
McElroy. William- privatp. War 1812 •-• J^J
McFadgln. Jame,«— volunteer. War 1812 ^^ ,«
McFallridge. Wllllam-ensign. third Illlnoia regiment. War 1812 J'a
McFarland. James— volunteer. War 1812 JSn iSr
McFarland. Samuel— volunteer. War 1812 ^'*"',,r
McFarlln. James— captain, fourth Illinois regiment. War 1812 I'o
McParHag, Walter— private. War 1812 i'^
645
Index —Continued.
McFerron. John— judgre advocate, first Illinois reslment. War 1812 177
provost marahal, first Illinois regiment. War 1812 i''3
McGahan. John— private. War 1812 198
Mc(^ee. William— private. War 1812 lf<6
McGooch. John— estate of b2H
MctJouch. James— early Presbyterlao minister in McLean County, Illinois 541
McGowan. Samuel— lieutenant, third Illinois regiment. War 1812 175
McGraw. Charles— estate of 5S5
McGulre. John W.— trustee of Jonesboro College H50
Mc Henry County, Illinois— mention 428-429
Mc Henry. Dani*-!- private. War 1812 196
McHenry. (Capt.), William— builds an early f jrr, in Illinois, 1812, on what Is known as
Tanguary land. White County 72
captain ot third and lourth Illinois regiments. War 1812 175-176
commands company in Indian campaign. War 1812 131
commands company of rangers 71
first lieutenant, volunteers. War 1812 185
Mcintosh, (Gen.). Lachlin— mention 311
Mclntyre, (Mr.) of Equality. Illinois, mention 267
McKean Family— historic family of Irelami ... 309
McKean. Thomas M.— one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, mention 309
McKee, (Col.). Alexander— organizer and sponser for the 179* campaign 63
McKee, (Mr.)— member of Congress, report on Indian Affairs 114.115
McKee. (Col.). William R— hilled at the battle of Buena Vista 50
mention 51.65
McKendrean College— former name of McKendree College, see McKendree College
McKendree College. (Lebanon. Illinois)— act to Incorporate 361-364
agriculture, named as part of the system ot
education by founderw 216
buildings designed for Lebanon Seminary 666
buildings ot, burned 1856 331
charter granted to, mention 332
co-educational from the beginning 3111
constitution, adopted ;by board of managers,
Novembers 1828 316-348
copy of articles of organization of, February
20.1828 343-345
distingnlBhed Alumni of, mention 341-342
enrtowmentof, plan for 5fi6-667
Incorporators of 361
Illinois Methodist conference footers 'a'il
list of fcurly subscribers to, amounts given.
etc 344-346
manual training department established in
1836 216
mention 7.14.
218. 3.S2. 349, 350. 353.354. 433. 434. 543,666,667
name given the institution 332
petition to the legislature for a charter for,
mention 331
resolutions ot the trustees on the acceptance
ot the act to incornorate 36ft
sketch of the organization and urowth of, bv
.M. H. Chamberlln, LL. D 328-364
trustees of, list of :«2
mention . 349,36*
McKendree, (Bishop), William— donates land in St. Clair (bounty for McKendree Collejie 332
founder ot McKendrei^ College, mention 566
gift of land to .McKendree College 332
McKendree College named for 3*1
mention 336
Washington's most trusted commissary 3a7
McKibben Family— historic family of Ireland 309
McKinley, President William— mention 312
McKlnney, Daniel- voluTjteer. War 1812 180.191
M.C Kinney, James— corporal. War 1812 181
Mc Kinney. Thomas— volunteer. War 1812 186
McLaln, David- minister ot the gospel, escapes from the Indian.-' 144
McLaughlin, Meed— furnishes wagon, team and driver for transporting military stores
from >hawneetown to Camp Russell, War 1812 187
McLaughlin, Lieutenant Robert K., U. S. A.— member of Governor Edwards' staff. War
1812 132
McLaughlin, Robert K— senator Tenth General Assembly of Illinois, 1836 28
McLaughlin, William— private. War 1812 184
McLean County. Illinois— Board of Supervisors, resolutions tendered to for use of court
room by the Illinois ^tate Historical Society 17
court honse, meeting of the Board of Directors of the Illinois
State Historical Society, held in rooms of the McLean
County court house 1
court house, mention 5,13,15
"Good Old Times in," extracts from 526-7,530
646
Index — Continued.
Page.
McLean County. Illinois— Historical Society— business meeting of Illinois State His-
torical Society, held in rooms of 3-9
mention 1,9. 17. 18. 20. 21. 626,529
organized at Bloomlngton. Illinois 7
publications of 18
rooms of 13
mention 527
prices in. from 1832 to 1860; paper contributed to the transac-
tions of the illlnols State Historical Society, 1904. by Ezra M.
Prince, secretary of the McLean County Historical Soci-
ety 526-542
table of grain and stock quotations 537-539
prices of land in 540-542
Probate Court records in 527-536
McLean, John— County of McLean named for. reference to 21,233
favors the convention of 1824 208
member of United States House of Representatives and Senate, mention 233
justice of Supreme Court of the United States 547
McMahan, Isaac— mention 345
McMillan. Lewis— lieutenant Third Illinois regiment. War 1812 176
McMillan, Robert— mention ....545,546
McMurphy, Miss— assistant principal of Lebanon Seminary, McKendree College 330
McMurray, Kev. W. S.— mention 339
McMurtry. Abraham— private. War 1812 184
McNabb, Archibald— captain First Illinois regiment. War 1812 176
McNabb. James— private. War 1812 178
McNalr. Colonel Alexander— commands regiment In War 1812 147
mention 151
McNeal, Abel— private. War 1812 191
McPheraon. General James Birdseye— mention 312
killed before Atlanta 280
McPlke. H Q,-member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
McRae. John, of St. Louis. Missouri— mention 97
McKoberts, James — mention 230
Mc Roberts. Samuel— favors the convention of 1824 108
Macarty, Chevalier de — French commandant, reconstructs Fort Chartres 457
Macares8e8c. Margaret— Godmother at baptism of Maria Philippe 396-397
Macauley. Thomas— historian, mention, 202.308
Mace. Henry— cornet in a cavalry company. War 1812 172
private. War 1812 181,190,195
Mace, Septimus— ser?eant. War 1812 181
Machan, John- private. War 1812 192
Mackinac, Michigan- mention 447,451,452,453,454
Mackinac River— Indians along, numerous and hostile 132
Mackinaw Company — quarters of. used by Governor Clark's men 160
"Mackluaw Fenclbles"— detachment In command of Captain Deace left to defend Prairie
duChien 160
Mackinaw, Illinois— mention 490
Mackinaw. Michigan— mention 87, 160, 447
Macomb, Illinois— special law regarding township organization In, see foot note 497
Macon C'ounty. Illinois— mention 276
Macoupin County, Illinois— Argus, newspaper, published at Carllnvllle, Illlnols 212
bond cases, mention 385
Macoupin Creek— mention 132
Maddox. Leven— private. War 1812 193
Madison County. Illinois— Historical Society organized at Alton, Illinois 7.9.20
mention 41.154.176,195.270,330,349,517,520.523
no report of Salines In United States Treasurer's report, 1826. 253
votes against the Constitutional convention of 1847 479
vs. Bruner. case of, reference to, see footnote 600
Madison Fort— see Fort Madison 116
Madison (President) James— Black Partridge receives medal from 119
(Hon.) Jess" Burgess Thomas receives appointment from.
of a federal judgeship of Illlnols territory 515
memorial to of St. Clair county citizens, asking for protec-
tion against Indian depredations 70-71
mention 82,312,420,565
Madison Street, Chicago, Ills., mention 120
Madison. Wisconsin, mention 15
Madrid. Spain, mention 299.304
•■tae8os1c8a, Marie- child of baptized 404-406
Mae8tenslc8c. Maria— wife of Peter Roy. child of baptized ...398-399
Mafc8tenr. Maria Anna— wife of Peter Roy, child of baptized 398-399
Magee, William— corporal. War 1812 187
"Maiden (A) Sat at Her Busy Wheel," poem, quoted 612
Maidstone, England, mention 469
647
Index — Continued.
Pasre
MalUette, Hypolite— captain Second Illinois regiment. War 1812 174
Maine, State of. mention 519
Maine, Wesleyan Seminary 1820, agitates the subject of mnnual labor 216
Main pock, mention 109
Makanac, mention 169
Makemle. Francis— born near Ramelton County Donegal. Ireland, In the seventeenth
century, died in Virginia 1708. mentlou 309
fouuder of the Presbyterian Church In America 309
"Makers of America"— pioneer mothers should be called 505
Mak-kak (Klckapoo)— In council at Cahokla. April 16. 1812 101
Maiden— British agent at, di-itributes presents to Sac Indians 67-63
tJrltlsh post, Indians go to tor aid and supplies, mention 95
mention 169
Malshwa-she-wai (Ottawa chief)— in council at Cahokla. April 16. 1812 101
MamenslcSc. Marie— sponsor at baptism of Augu«tin Bosseron 400-401
Mhmlnaplta. Cecillia— wife of Peter S. Michael, child of baptized 396-397
Maueagle. Joseph — lieutenant >!iecoud Illlnoig regiment. War 1812 174
Munegle, Joseph— first lieutenant of a cavalry company. War 1812 172
Manila. Philippine Islands, mention 367
Mankal (Pottawatomie)— In council at Cahokla. April 16. 1812 101
Mann. (Colonel) James K.. mention 238
Manning. William — trustee \ltou College, mention 349
Manny. (Hon ) Walter I.— member Illinois Stale Historical Society VIII
MaSondlcSc. Maria, wife of Steph. Phllllppe (-96-397
Mansker. Samuel— ensign. First Illinois regiment. War 1812 177
Mautchy. D. de— godfather of Peter Aco 394-396
Manual Labor— Ebenezer Manual Laoor School, organization cf. mention 217
tlrst plan to introduce manuwl labor In the schools of America 216
incorporated in the plan of early colleges in the State of Illinois 216
Manual Labor College— -'Stabllshraeut of In Knox county. Ills 216
Manual Labor School— llIlnMla Industrial University, mention 228
Manual Labor Schools — marked cQange in. meaning of 217
Manual Training— and Farm School for Boys at Glenwood. Ills 318
McKendree College, establishes a department of 216,332.335
school, Oberliu College Ohio, originally founded as such 217
schools, exist In nearly every large city of the country, mention 218
Man-wess (Pottawatomie)— In council at Cahokla, April 16, 1812 101
Maps— Black Partridge's map, see footnote 132
early maps quoted from, as to spelling of word. "Chicago" 461
tieorge W. Smith's map of the locality about the Salt Works near Equality, Ills.
mentlou 267-258
Sidney Breese map to accompany report for the Pacific K. K., mention 33
Maquolne (Klver) — encampment of Indians on, mention 152
March of the army commanded by General Benjamin Howard 147-148
Marchand,Carol8,wlfe of John B. Gullit-mau, child of (apttzed 398 31)9
Marest, Gabriel (Society of Jesus) —priest of the Immaculate Conception of our Lady;
mission among the Illinois 394,395,396-397
Margry Papers— reference to 465
MHrguerlte. child of a slave named Panlaslc8c. baptism of 402-403
Maria— godmother at baptism ot Marie Saklngora 3S4-395
Maria, wife of BizaUlln. child of baptized 3a4-395
Maria. ch8 Pinclfeinga. wife of Stephan Philippe, child of baptized 398-399
Marie. John— ensign, cornpauy ut Prairie du Chlen. War 1812 172
Marie, (Negro) child of baptized 410-411
Marie. Jeanne— slave, baptism of 404-405
Marietta. Ohio— mention 247
Marine Bank— Sprlng^eld. Illinois. Mention 201
Marine Court of New York City— mention 291
Marlon County. Illinois— mention 270
Marion County Missouri— school projected on the Mahual labor plan in 217
Marlon. William— child of baptized 394-395
Marlon. William- son of William Marlon and Bridget Marlon, baptism of 394-395
Marion's Men— Scotch Irish furnish large majority of 3iO
Marls. John— estate of 633
Market Street. Chicago— Republican Convention Hall (1660) located on Lake street and.. 370
Marlem— town of vs. Kmmert. case of. reference to. see foot-note 488
Marmon, Mrs. W. W. — mention 14
Marmon. Mrs. W. W.— member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
Marney. Benjamin— serereant. War 1812 190,194
Marney, James— private. War l«12 182.196
Marney. Janus— private. War 1812 190
Marney. John— private. War 1812 190.195
Marney. John D.— member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
Marney. Thomas- private. Wur 1812 180.190.195
Marpoc (Marpoek.Malnpok)- Pottawatomie chief, mention 74,77,79
Marquette, Father James (Jacques)— French explorer and missionary In Mississippi
Valley and North West, accompanies Jollet..
mention 448,447.448.449,450.462.464
returns to Illinois Village and establishes a mis-
sion 419
Marsh, (Col) B. F.— mention 238
648
Index — Continued.
Page
Marshall County. lIHnols-menMon 219,378.379,381.382
Maishall family— historic family of Ireland 309
prominent in the history of Illinois, mention 230
Marshall. John — chief justice of United State?— mention 200,312
Marshall. John— assists Isaac White as agent to receive rental due from salt works 248
Marshall, John— justice of the peace. Gallatin County, Illinois, mention 251
Marshall, Samuel— member of Congress, from iJlinois 235
Marshall. 8 S.— mention 238
Marshall, Thomas A— of Coles County, senator of 21st General Assembly of Illinois.
1858-60. resolutions on subject of slavery, introduced by 430
Martan, Pierre— lieutenant. Second IJimoIs reelnieut. War 1812 174
Mar8tap8c8c, Symphor— Godmother at baptism of Cecilia Bourbonnals 396-397
Martin, George— private. War 1812 178.196
Martin, Illinois— mention 640
Martin. James— private. War 1812 196
Martin, John— private. War 1812 196
Martindale. John— mention 345
Marvel, Chester— private. War 1812 184
Maryland line- soldiers of. Gt^nl. John EaserHoward commnnded ...310-311
Maryland State of— delegates to congress from, instructions to. May 21. 1779 472
mention 220.231,415.614
Nelson captive among the Indians formerly from 123
Scotch-Irish emigrants sfttle in. mention 369
Mason— outlaw, nlunderer of flat boats, etc. 1801, mention 201
Mason County, Kentucky— mention 6l4
Mhsou Hall— mention 330
Masonic organization— Danville Illinois, mention 26
Massac— See Fort Massac
Massac, road— Andrew Moore and son killed near, by the Indians 98-99
Massachusetts, State of— General Court of. enacts laws for the government of towns .469-470
Institute of Technology. Boston, notable example of manual
training and technological schools 218
land ceded to the United States government by. mention 471
begislature, memorial to,on the que&tion of Industrial education 224
mention 281.372
plan suggested by the board of agriculture for industrial educa-
tion in state of 224
publications of. mention 18,19
settlement in lands of, methods used, etc 471-472
Massacre of Cherry Valley— mention 310
Massacre of Fort Dearborn— see Fort Dearborn Massacre
Massacre of Wyoming— mention 310
Massacre, Wood Kiver- see Wood River Massacre
Masseno (or Gomo)— Pottawatomie Chief, mention 77
Mat-cho quls— Indian chief, villnge of. mention 77
Matheny, Charles K. -private. War 1812 181
mention 330
Mather, Ellhu— adjutant of St Clair County regiment. War 1812 172,173
muster rol's inspected by. War 1812 179-180
Mather. Thomab— interest In behalf of education, report of, reference to 333
mention 345
report of. In thp interest of education 353-360
Mathlas. William— private. War 1812 187
Matteson. Joel— born Aug. 8. 1808. Jefferson County. N. Y.; died in Chicago. Ills.. Jan. 31,
1873: ninth Governor of Illinois, Jan )0, 1663. to Jan. 12. 1857
mention 43.276,381
ursed to call txira session of the Legislature in 1853 in the interest of
railroads 33
Matthews, John— private. War 1812 187
Mattingly. Thomas G.-private. War I8I2 190,195
MattockH. Alexander— private. War 1812 , 191
Mattoon. Illinois— Lxdies' Ki^adiug Circle of. mention 318
Local Conncil of Women at 326
mention 368
Maury County. Tennessee— mention 251
Mausakine. Petionilla- wife of J(^hu Olivier, child of, baptized 398-399
May, Jacob— private. War 1812 192
May, John— private, "A'nr 1HV2 178
May, Morris— volunteer. War 1812 186
May, William- private. War 1812 184
Mayhury. John— private. War 1812 187
Mayflower— lake steamer, mention 204
Mays, Nathan— fife major. Fourth Illinois regiment. War 1812 176
Mays. Judge RoberriB — of the Kentucky Court of Api>eal8. mention 2H2
Maxfleld, William— ensign Fourth Illinois regiment. War l!J12 176
Maxwell, A. L.— member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
i
649
Index — Continued.
Page.
Maxwell, George W. P.— member of Ninth General Assembly of Illinois, resolutions re-
lating: to negroes. Introduced by 424
Maxwell, Hugh H.— alde-de camp Fourth Illinois r.-g1mPDt. War 1812 178
Maxwell. William— ensign. Third Illinois regiment. War 1812 175
lieutenant Third Illinois regiment, Warl812 176
volunteer. War 1812 186
Maxwell, General— mention 311
Mead, Caldwell P.— member Illinois State Historical society VIII
Mead family— historic family of Ireland 309
Mead, Homer. M. D —member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
Mead. Mary Ward— member Illinois State Historical Socii-ty VIII
Means. Matthew— corporal. War 1812 194
Mears, William— aid to Governor Edwards, War 1812 172
private. War 1812 180
Me-cheke noph (or Bittern)— cmss breed Menominee- Pottawatomie. mf»nt!on 77
gives Information concerning the Price murderers 77
MechipeaSata. Dorothy— Godmother at baptism of Genevieve Koy 398-399
MechipecSata. Dorothy— wife of Louis Turpln, child of. baptized 398-399
Mechlpec8c8c. Dorothy— wlte of Charles Dauys, child of. baptized 398-399
Meokleubnrg County. North Carolina— first declaration of Independence at. reference to. 309
Medal— Black Partridge recelvps medxl from President Madison, mention 119
Medan. Marie Louise— wife of Pierre Thevenard. child of. baptized 408-409
Mediffival Europe— free cities of, mention 4ti7
Medlii. Joseph— assumes editorial control of the Chicago Tribune, June 11*. 1855 209
Independent journalist, meution 209
Mediterranean Sea— mention 23,260
Meek. Colonel B. D.— president Woodford Connty HlstoricMl Society 9
Meese, Hon. William— member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
Meigs, Ketnrn Jonathan— born in Mlddl-towu. Connecticut, November, 1765; died Mari-
etta. Ohio. March 29, 1826: Governor of Ohio 1810-14; mention 93
encounter with an Indian at St. Louis 98
Melllet, Paulette— capture-, and destroys St. Joseph In 1778 19
Meloy, Edward— private. War 18i2 196
Memorial of Green County, Illinois, citizens to the Methodist conference In the cause of
education— mention 328
Memorial of St. Clair County citizens— addressed to James Madison. President of the
United States, asking protection from Indian
depredations 70-71
Memorial of the State of Missouri— and documentH published by the United States Sen-
ate 18^6. affidavit of James Murdough. quoted 61
publlsbed by order of the United titates Senate.
1826. QuotHtion from 67
Memorial paper on the life and work of Hon. Hiram Williams Beckwith— by Dr. Edmund
J. jHmes 25-26
Memorial presented to Ninian Edwards by citizens of St. Clair County. Illinois, askhjg
for protection against the Indians 69-70
Memorial to James Madison. President, of the Unitea States, by citizens of St. Clair
County. Illinois Territory 70-71
Memorials addressed to Congress by the Asricultaral and Educational Association in
the inttrest of education— mention 226-227
Memphis. Tennessee— mention 3*>7
Me-nacqueth— Pottawatomie Indian, one of the Shoal Creek murderers 77
Menard County. 1 lllnois— mention 525
votes against the constllutionhl convention of 1847 479
Menard, Francois— ensign First Illinois regimenr. War 1812 177
Menard. Hypolite—llf«uteuant First Illinois regiment. War 1812 173
Menard. Pierre— lieutenant colonel commandaut Randolph Co. company. War ISl'J 172
mention 230.509
Menominee Indians— meution. see foot not>^ ISO
Menominee— Pottawatomie. Me che ke-noph— cross breed 77
Menominee — Pottawatomie':- murderers <<t Price, mention 77
Men's College Alumni of Bloomington. Illinjls — 326
Meramech Historical Society— Kendall County. Illinois. Piano. IlllnoiC, men m)u 9
reported as organized 8
Mercer, General Hugh— fell at Princeton, mention 310
Mercler, Dorothy-Godmother at baptism of John B. Olivier 402-403
Mercier. John B —child of. baptizpd .400-401
son of John B, and Marie Baratteo, baptism of 400-401
Mercier. Ren^e- wlte of Pierre Chabot, child of, baptized 406-407
Meredosia. Illinois— mention 441
Meriday. William- i>rivate. War 1^12 196
Merino Sheep Industry— Morris Birkhpck and George Flower: interested i: 260
Mermet, Jo.— (Society of Jesus), priest of the Immaculate (.oncept'.dn of our Ladv
Mission amonethe IIHuoIh 3^6-397
MerSnSctam, Martha— wife of Augustine LaPointp, child of baptized 398-399
Merrill, (Professor) Annls—tcting president McKendree College 333
mention 337-338
Merrill, (Rev.) John W.— president of McKendree College 333
mention 334.337
650
Index — Continued.
Page
Merrltt. Hon. E L— member of Illinois State Historical Society VllI
Merritt, John W.— president of Illinois State Press Association, 1866 2
publlsiier of the "Advocate, " Salem, Ills., mention 210
publisher of th(» Belleville Advocate, mention 210
Merritt. John W. and Son— purchase the 'Illinois State Register" (newspaper), mention 2i0
Merrltt. (General) Wesley, mentloc 3«
Mer8tap8c8c, Symphorosa— wife of Peter ('habot, child of baptized 396-397
"Messenger" (The)— Ohio river boat on which Charles Dickens was a passenger, 1842, ffiii.
mention 199
Metcalf, Joel, private. War 18i3 196
Metchagamia, mention 394-395
Methodist Book Concern— Kansas City, Mo, mention 340
Methodist Class iSleetine— mention 3U-315
Methodist Episcopal Church— in White county. Ills., present site of an early Illinois
fort 72
mention 339,346,348,363
Methodists— active in the cause of education 328
Methodist Illinois Conference of; organization of, mention 328
Methodists, Interests of— in education; State of Illinois, mention 332
Metropolis, Ills., mention 6
Metropolitan Block, mention 389
Metropolitan Hotel- Chicago, Ills., mention ; a69
Metropolitan Law Colleges— character of 242
Mettetasse (Ottawa Indian) mention 106
Mettle, Jacques— gives information regarding the Shoal Creek murderers 77
Metz, France, mention 2'<9
Meunier, Jo.-<eph— godfather at baptism of Francoise Olivier 410-411
Mexico, City of. mention 2S3
Mexico, Gulf of, mention 447-448
Mexico— Archaeological research in 23
Mexico, mention 38.283,299,521
Mexico, Nlnian Edwards— appointed United States minister to 232
resigns as United States minister to 521
Mexico, Republic of, mention 37,429
Mexican War- Gustavus Koerner's address to the Second Regiment Illinois Volunteers
on their return from 51-52
Isaac R Diller acquires title of Captain in 202
James D. Morgan commands battalion in 276
mention 31,32,37.53,53
Officers and soldiers of, who served under Col. W. H. Bissell, attend his
funeral at the Capital 68
William H. Bissell, services in 49-50
Mexicans, mention 60.52
M. H. C. (Dr. M. H. Chamberlin)— explanatory note of.see foot-note — 380
Miami, Fort— headquarters of LaSalle 453
mention 463,463
Miamles— (Indian Tribe), mention 66,122,136,453.463
Indian present when the Sacs received presents from the British agent
to be u.sed against the Americans 68
(Indians) Weaand Eel river Miamles 95
Mlamies Indians — occupied region now Chicago. Ills 460
(Captain) William Wells starts with escorts of Mlamies to aid Fort
Dearborn party 119
with Captain Wells, first in Hue out of Fort Dearborn 120
Miamles Indian Village— burning of, mention 137
mention 108.466
Mich. godfather at baptism of Marie Saklngora 394-395
Michael. Maria- oaushter of Peter S. Michael and Cecilia Mamlnaplta. baptism of.. ..396-397
Michael Peter S.— child of baptized 396-397
Michael, Edward— private. War 1812 198
Miche Pah-ka-en-na, Kickapoo chief— conference with Captain Levering 80
Michigan and Illinois Canal— legislative appropriation for, mention 28
Michigan. Lake— mention 113,448,450,451,462.464
Michigan. State of— act creating board of health. '•eference to 487
establishment of Industrial College in, mention 228
first state to avail Itselt of the benefit of the act of Congress for edu-
cational purposes ■ 228
mention 372.379,452,515
see foot-note 441
Michigan Central K. R.. mention 204
statutes of. mention 504
Michigan Territory— extract of a letter from Colonel Anthony Butler to Governor Nlnian
Bdwanis. on Indian aflfairs In 167
mention 78
Mlchllimacklnac— (Captain) Heald gives himself up as prisoner of war. at 122
froDtler Post, mention 167
see foot-note 62
Mlddleton, Reuben— private. War 1812 193
Mlddleton, Robert— mention 344
private. War 1812 180,193
H51
Index — Continued.
Pajre
Middleton. Kobert— sergeant. War 18112 180
Mlddletou, William— mention 344
private. Warl812 180
Mlddleton's Fort— location of 72
Migneret. Maria— Godmother at baptism of Maria Josepha Turpin 398-399
Mlgneret, Marianne— daughter of Nicholas Mlgneret and Susan Kerami. baptism of. ..396-397
Migneret. Nicholas-child of baptized 396-397
Mlgneret. Peter— son of Nicholas Mlgneret and Susan Keraml. baptism of 396-897
MUeh. David— volunteer. War 1812 186
Militia Laws— Illinois Territory, alterations in recommended by Governor Edwards.
mention 138
mention 68
Military Tract -mention 268
Miller— accompanied by his son starts west, with printing press, locates at Edwardsville.
lUluols. establish'='8 newspaper 206
Miller. Abraham— private. War 1812 180.190.195
Miller. (Colonel)— mention 96
Miller, David— private. War 1812 190.195
Miller. Edward— private, War 1812 186,191
Miller, Jem— sergeant. War 1812 181
Miller. Jesse— private. War 1812 190,196
Miller, Jesse— sergeant. War 1812 181
Miller, John-private, War 1812 183
Miller, Joseph— private. War 1812 178,190,195
Miller, Lewis- originator of the Chautauqua plan for home study 316
Miller. Kobert— ensign Third Illinois regiment. War 1812 177
Million. Jesse -private. War 1812 182
Mills. Ellas- private inithe regulars, serred at Fort Dearborn, mention 124
survivor of the Fort Dearborn Massacre 123
MillH, Henry, I— Senator. Tenth General Assembly of Illinois 1S36 28
Mills. Richard W — menber Illinois Stare Historical Society VIII
Millwalke— Frenchman from, brings news of Indian Massacre to Captain Heald 98
Milton, John— co-operates with Samuel Hartllb in his plan for a college of husbandry ... 216
Milton. Illluols— mention 154
Milwaukee— mention 77
Minvr. Dr. James— member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
Mingarry Hill. Ireland— mention 309
Minnesota— Capt. James Shields locates in 39
mention 890
Minson. Abram— private. War 1812 193
Minster— Auglaise County, Ohio, mention 374
Mirhflores— Marquis de. Minisiter from Spain to the United States 300
Mts-pead-na-mis— Pottawatomie Indian, mention 83
Mission Posts of K*skaskia and Cahokia— mention 466
Mission Ridge- Hattle of. mt^ntlon 279
Mission institute— located near Qiilncy, Illinois 217
Missionaries— Schools established to educate missionaries 217
Missionary Societies— begining of, in Illinois, mention 316
"Missippi Bubble"— mention 19
Mississippi Regiment in the Mexican War- Jefferson Davis' challenge to William H.
Bissell In consequence of remarks in refer-
ence to 65
mention 64-66
quorHtion from William H. Blssell's remarks
in reference to 64-66
Mississippi River— blockhouse on. mention ..- 116
known as "Father of Waters" 437
first entered by Joliet and Marquette 448-449
mention 10. 14, 31. 65, 66, 69. 72. 75. 79, 82,90.93.94.96.98.103.104,105,
135,144,117.149. 150, 151. 162. 153. 159. 164, 169, 170,201,231,
291, 333, 442, 443. 446.418. 449. 452, 455. 458, 463, 467, 616, 556
press and type from newspaper office at Nauvoo thrown in 209
troops stationed on, in 1»'12 116
Mississippi State— regimmt from, in Mexican War, erroneous statement of Virginia
member of Congress in regard to 64,66
mention 619
Mississippi Valley— agricultural and commercial advantages of 656
mention 27,70.336,426,609
schools abandoned in, unsuitable school houses 660
Missouri Compromise (The) mention 31,295,381,519
Missouri Gazette— (newspaper) of March 20, 1813 quoted as to the early forts In Illinois... 72
Missouri Methodist Conference- Interest In McKendree College 331
mention 329,348
Missouri Rangers— mention , 144,161
Missouri Republican of St Louis- (newspappr). mention 60.370
Missouri River- establishment of fort or block house near the mouth of, recommended. . 69
garrison at, mention 92
Indians fired on, near the mouth of, by inhabitants of Illinois Territory. 100
mention 72,94,150,162.166,667
robbery of upper settlements on, by the Indians 166
652
Index — Continued,
Page
Missonri State of— admitted to the union as a slave state, mention 478,479,519
expected to enter Union as a slave state 518
company of mounted Kangers. raised at. for protection against the
Indians 71
controversy for free soil in, leaders of 55,56
county court has supervision of the poor in. mentlou 4i<7
German emigrants determine not to locate in, causes of 291
Liberal Republican party in, history of 300,301
makes no returns to the Unitfd States from Salines 249
memorial of the State ot Missouri and documents published by
order of the United States Senate. 1826. quoted 67
mention 40. 46, 108. 1J5, 143. 217.356. 368. 371, 874, 448, 456, 521, 665, 667
slave State, mention 272
Quincy. Illinois, subscription to build a R. R. to 491
southern emigration to, mention 478
statutes, mention , 604
Missonri Territory— Dickson plans attack on 168
Indian depredations In. continue to 1815. mention 188
legislature of, applies for admission to union as a State, 1819 618
mention 157,616
statement of property destroyed by the Illinois Indians In, War
1812 169
troops, mention 147
Mitchell Family— historic family of Ireland 309
Mitchell, George— ensign, second Illinois regiment. War 1812 174
sergeant. War 1812 180,192
Mitchell, (Rev.), James— agent to solicit funds for McKendree College in, Illinois and
Missouri 336
mention 339
Mitchell, James D.— private. War 1812 184
Mitchell, Jeremiah— private. War 1812 187
Mitchell, John— estate of 6?9
Mitchell, John— sergeant, Warl8i2 179
volunteer. War 1812 189
Mitchell. Maria— president of the association for the advancement of Women 315
Mitchell. (Professor), O. M —General in the Civil War 224,279
Mitchell, (Rev.), Samuel, Sr.— mention 330,339.346
Mittlttasse. (Ottawa)— in council at Cahokla, Aprill6. 1812 lOl
Mobile — early French settlement 456
Modrell, (Captain)— commands U. !S. Rangers 127
Mollne, Illinois- Daughters of the American Revolution, mention 327
Fortnightly Club, mention 327
Moll, map of— published 1720. quoted as to spelling of Chicago 461
Monday Conversation Club— of Jacksonville, Illinois 327
Monday Club— of Ottawa, Illinois, mention 327
of Paris, Illinois, mention , 327
of Rockford, Illinois, mention 318
of Wincnester. Illinois, work of 323
Money, disbusement of public money in town meetings, city of Chicago 603
Money Creek. Illinois, mention 640
Monmouth. Battle at— mention 311
Monmouth. Illinois— Fornlghtly Club, mention 327
Monroe, (Rev), Andrew— of St. Louis. Misisouri, mention 330
Monroe County. Illinois— casts vote against constitution of 1848 481
mention 434, 541
Salines at, mention 262
U. S. treasurer's report. 1826, mentions no Sailnes In 253
votes against the Constitutional Convention of 1847 479
Whig stronghold, mention 4'*
William H. Biasell teaches school in 48
Monroe Doctrine, birth of— mention . 31
Monroe. (President). James— Kdward Coles appointed register of lands in Illinois, by... 519
mention 232,312
Montgomery County, Illinois— mention, see foot-note 497
mention 270.368,372
Montgomery, (Major General), Richard— mention 309
killed at Quebec, December, 1775 310
Montgomery, Samuel— lessee of Salines on Shoal Creek, Bond County, Illinois, mention 253
Montlcello. Seminary— Godfrey, Illinois, mention 376
Monticello, lllinola. Woman's Club 327
Montlcello, Virginia, home of Thomas Jefferson, mention 260
Montigny, (Mr.) de— Henry Laviolette, baptised by 394-395
Montreal, Canada— mention 102. 159, 447, 450. 451. 452. 456
Montroy. Francis— private. War 18:2 192
Montrow. B.— private. War 1812 184
Monument— for Morris Blrkbeck. suggested 273
Mooney. Bryant— private. War 1812 193
Moore, (Captain). Abel—children of massacred in the Wood River massacre, burial of . . 156
commands at Fort Russell, mention 164, 155,156
6o:i
Index — Continued .
Faee.
Moore, (Captain). Abel— private. War 1812 193
Moore, Andrew, and his son— killed by the Indians, near the old Massac road 98,99
Moore, (Lieutenant), Daniel G.— muster roll of. War 1812 193
private. War i812 181
quartermaster. War 1812 188
Moore. David— Ueutenanl. War 1812 187
private. War 1812 179. 190.195
Moore, Elijah— subscription to AlcKr^ndree College 314
Moore, Enoch — appoiuted olficer in Militia Comriany. Illinois territory 66
eaptaln, second Illinois regiment. War 1812 177
first lieutenant of a chivalry company. 1812 172
(Little Enoch), one of the Waterloo Moore's 43t
private. War 1812 180,190.195
subscription to McKendree College 315
Moore families in St. Clair and Monroe count tes. mention 484
Moore, (Major) Frank— son of Captain Abel Moore, mention 154
Moore. Frank— paper of omitted, mention 14.16
Moore. George— gunsmith, only man in the fort at time of "Wood Kiver Massacre" 156
killed in tlie Wood Kiver Massacre 164
mention 156
corporal. War 1812 193
private. War 1812 188
Moore. Harry— accompanies Professor George W. Smith to the old salt works 256
Moore. James— subscription to McKendree College 344
private. War 1812 191
sergeant. War 1812 187
Moore. (Captain) James— appointed oflBcer in militia company of Illinois territory 66
Moore (General) James— subscription to McKendree CoMege 345
one of the "Waterloo Moores," mention 434
Moore, (Caot.) James B.— commands company in Indian campaign 1812 131
candidate for governor 1822. nominated by the military fac-
tion 420
captain. War 1812 171.174.166.189
commands company of mounted rangers 71
mention 138.171
muster rolls of. War 1812 181.190.194
oneof the "Waterloo Moores." mention 434
Moore, (General) Jesse H.— one of the "Union Grove Moores" commanded One Hun-
dred and Fifteenth Illinois regiment, during Civil War.
mention 434
Moore. J. Milton-private. War 1812 181
Moore. Jonathan— challenges Mr. Lincoln for a wrestling match, terms of 433
Moore. Joel— killed in the Wood River massacre 15*
Moore, John— killed in the Wood Kiver massacre 154
member Tenth General Assembly, State of Illinois, 1836 28
private. War 1812 180.190.195.196
Moore, Messrs.— druggists at Equality. Ills., mention 266
Moore. Milton— subscription to McKendree College 345
Moore. (Colonel) Kisdon M.— "Mr. Lincoln a'* a wrestler;" paper contributed by. to the
transaction of the Illinois State Historical Society. 1904.433-434
Moore. Robert— private. War 1812 193
subscription to McKendree College, mention 344
trustee of McKendree College 332.339
Moore, William— children of. massacred in the Wood River Massacre, burial of 166
killed In the Wood Kiver massacre 154
mention 16*. 155. 166
subscription to McKendree Collegre 314
Moore, (Captain) William— commanded company of mounted volunteers from Belleville.
Ills . 1832. mention 433
Moore. William— private. War 1812 191
Moore. Mrs. William— escapes from the Indians, mention 155
Moore's Block House- mention 155
Moore's Prairie, in Jefferson Counts— named for Andrew Moore 99
"Moore's Prairie Moore's." or "Turkey Hill Moore's." mention 434
Moore's Settlement — beginning of. block hon!<e. forts, etc 156
burial of the victims of the Wood River massacre In the Moore set-
tlement 156
"Moore's. Turkey Hill." or "Moore's Prairie Moorps" 434
Moore's Union Grove"— General Jesse H Moore, of the family 431
"Moore's. Waterloo Moore's"— Generals James and James B. Moore, members of the
Waterloo Moore family 434
Mo-quango— Pottawatomie chief— mention 77
Moravian Indians— mention 474
Morrtock. Major John— field oflBcer in United States Army. Indian <"ampalgn 1812 131
Moredeck, John— major first battalion. Second Illinois regiment. War 1812 174
first lieutenant, War 1812 180
654
Index — Continued.
Pase
Moredock (Murdocik, Colonel) John— authorized to raise and command companies. War
1812. objected to, by Governor Kdwards 189
Major in tiie second Illinois regiment. War
1812 147.172,174
death of William Hewitt attributed to 171
description of 170-171
member of Territorial Legislature of Illinois, men-
tion 169
mentioned for governor of the State of Illinois 171
noted frontiersman, summary of his career 169-171
seeiss revenge for the death of his mother and her
children 170-171
sisetch of his career taken from Judge Hall's
"Sketches of the West" .169-171
story of— in History of St. Glair county, mention,
seefootnote 171
Moredock, (Mrs.)— mother of Colonel John Moredock, mention 16H-170
murdered by the iTidlans 170
Morgan, Arthur— second lieutenant. War 1812 189,190.194
private. VVar 1812 181
iuurgaulluounty, Illinois— four non-partisan delegates appointed to consitituilonai con-
vention of 1817. from 479
Indians of the Wood River Massac ••e, found on stream, in 155
Journal (newspaper) Paul Selby. editor, mention 210
mention 270,333,382.431.508.546
Morgan, Daniel— hero of the battles of the Cowpens and Saratoga Heights 3iO
Morgan. Everett— son of (General James D. Morgan 281
Morgan family— historic family of Ireland 309
Morganj(General) James D.— born Massachusetts Angust 1, 1810 274
died September 9. 1896 282
Biographical 2>ketch of, by Hon. William H. Collins 274-285
business interests of, mention 275.281,282.283
captain of the "Qulncy Citv Guards," mention 278
captain of the "Qulncy Riflemen" 276
career in the War of the Kebelllon 276-281
commissioned Brig. General 278
compelled to be an inactive spectator at the Battle of
Beuna Vista 276
contract with Peleg Churchill, terms of 274
Interest in education 282
letter of Governor Ford to— dated executive depart-
ment of Illinois ^84-285
letters of John J. Hardin to 282-284
letters of John J. Hardin to, mention, foot-note 276
locates in Qulncy. Illinois 274
lost opportunity while the siege of Atlanta was in progress 280
married twice 281
mention 14
mustered out of service August 1865 281
organizes a company for the war with Mexico 276
organizes and recruits the "Qulncy Greys," mention 276
politics of 282
president of the Society of the Army of the Cumberland... 281
religious views of 282
General Sherman's orders to— before Atlanta 280
shipwrecked 274
work of his division at the Battle of Bentonville 281
Morgan. William— son of General James D Morgan, mention 281
Mormon War— Captain James D. .Moraran. Quincy Riflemen in 275
Morrill bill— act of congress. July 2. 1862, mention 228
Morrill, Justin S.— Introduced bills in congress In the Interest of education . 226
J. B, Turner, quced in reference to Justin S. Morrill and his part In
thft plan of education 227
member of congress from Vermont 226
tribute paid to nis effort in behalf of education by George W. Ather-
ton 227
second bill in congress in the interest os education 225
Morrls'Blrkbeck and his friends— Address bef <re the Illinois State Historical Society.
^ 1904. by Dr. Daniel Berry 269-273
Morris. George— private, war 1812 i96
jjH _:u*^~ volunteer, war 1812 186
Morris,' George P.— "Industrial training two centuries ago." article in Popular Science
lt23B Monthly, 1871. quoted 215
Morris, I. N.— member Congrpss from Illinois, mention 235
Morris. James— private, war 1812 196
Morris, John— third lieutenant, war 1812 196
private, war 1812 196
volunteer, war 1812 186
655
Index — Continued.
Page.
Morris, Robert— furnished money that enabled Washington to capture Cornwallls, men-
tion 311
Morris. Thomas— private. War 1812 191
Morris. (Bishop) Thomas A— mention 332
Morrison. CHldwell— mention 344
Morrison. (Mrs ) I. L,— honorary member Illinois State Historical Society Vll
Morrison. J ames— mention 230
Morrison, .lames— of Lexington. Kentucky, purchases interest in Salt Works, mention.. 249
Morrison. J L. D.— mention 30
Morrison. Robert- adjutant general. War 1812 173
Morrison. Samuel— mention 230
Morrison. Murray— early lawyer of Belleville. Illinois, mention 60
Morrison, William— furnishes wagon, team and drive'* for transporting military stores
from Shawneetown to Camp Russell, War 1812 187
mention 230
Morrison, William R,— associated in law practice with Gustavns Koerner 295
mention 238. 253
Morse. Charles— mention 389
Morse. Samuel Flnlay Breese— Morse telegraph test wires erected from Washington to
Baltimore 31
Morse, (Professor), Samuel Finley Breese— relative of Sidney Breese 31
Morse, Samuel G.— elected second lieutenant at Edwardsvilie. Illinois. War 1812 195
Moses, (Governor). Franklin J.— of South Carolina 520
Moses. John— history of Illinois, volume I. mention, see foot-note 420
"Illinois Historical and Statistical." foot-note 420
Moss. John R.— member Illinois State Historical Society Vlli
Mother's Club. Bloomington, Illinois- work of 322
Mott, August. German— one of the Fort Dearborn prisoners among the Indians, put to
death 123
private in the regulars, served at Port Dearborn, mention 124
Mott, Joseph— captain, third Illinois regiment. War 1812. removed 175
Moulding, ijee— volunteer. War 1812 186
Moulding. Richard, (a spy)— volunteer. War 1812 186
Moulding. Taylor— volunteer. War 1812 186
Moulton. Samuel W.— mention 236.238
Mound City. Illinois- tenth regiment. Illinois infantry ordered to 277
Mt Carmel. Illinois— mention 210.328.330,490
Mt, Hope. Illinois— mention 540
Mt. Vernon Cemetery. Mt. Vernon. O.— Hon. Jesse Burgess Thomas, burled at 523
Mt. Vernon. Ohio— mention 524
Mt. Vernon vs. Patton— case of. cited, reference to, see foot-note 500
Mud Lake- mention 463.464
Muddy Rirer— mention 442
Munich. Germany— Gustavus Koerner attends University at. mention 28i
Incident concerning Gustavus Koerner while a student at Univer-
sity in Munich 288
Municipal Art League, Chicago. Illinois 822
Municipal Corporations, city of Chicago— number of, see foot-note 496
Municipal Corporation— reports 1835. reference to— see foot-note 499
Municipal Order League— outgrowth of the Chicago Woman's Club 319
Municipal subscrlptons to railroads 495
Munsell's History of Chicago— mention 116
Murdock, (see Moredock), John
Murdough. James— afladavit of on the robbery at the Lontre settlement 67
member of party pursuing Indians after Loutre settlement robbery. 67
Mnrgly, John— quartermaster, third Illinois regiment. War 1812 175
Murphy, John— ensiirn. first Illinois regiment. War 1812 173
private. War 18i2 186
quartermaster, fourth Illinois regiment. War 1812 176
Mnrphysboro, Illinois- mention 252
Murray, Bronson, corresponding secretary Illinois State Agricultural 'Society 223
lecture -■ Id behalf of the Industrial League of Illinois 222
presides at fourth convention, in the interest of Industrial education. 223
Murtry, James— private. War 1812 178
Musicians, calls for— from Qulncy. Illinois, for the Mexican War 283-284
Muster Rolls. War 1812, (Brig Major.) — B'-njamln Stephenson, certifies to. 187. 188, 190, 191, 192
officers, companies, etc 173.197
Myers. John— private. War 1812 180
Myers. Jossph— private. War 1812 183
Nail, mpntloned as being with Gov. Ninian Edwards, see Thomas E. Craig's
letter 139
NaKomis (misspelled MoKomIs)— words quoted 139
Naples. Illinois— on tue Illinois river, meution 201-202
Napoleon. ( Emperor) -metition 260.261,272,555
Nash. Wm —sergeant. War 1812 196
Nashville. Tenn— mention 278
Nassau, Royal House of —mention 308
Nassau St., New York 3S8
Nat, Hill's-fort located on Dora ((ioshen) Cre^k, mention 72
National Bank, Qulncy. Illinois— Gen James D. Morgan, vice president and director
of 282-283
656
Index — Continued.
Pase
National Congress of Mothers— ork'anization of 320
National Convention 1860— Uhicago. mention 368,372.382
National Council of Women and tbe International Council of Women— founded lb88 320
National Editorial Association— Illinois occupies seat of honor at, mention 213
National Road— oill tor. mention 836
Nauvoo. Illinois— 'destruction of newspaper office at, mention 209
Navarre. King of France— (Louis XIV) 153.468
Naylor, (Thomas). Helen Malvina— wife of Richard Symmes Tnomas, Jr 525
Nay lor, Lucy Clark— mention 625
Naylor, William, mention 625
Neads, John— child of, tied to a tree by Indians and left to perish 123
one of the Fort Dearborn prisoners among the Indians, died January,
1813. mention 123
Neads, John— private in the Kegrulars. served at Fort Dearborn, died 124
Neads, Mrs. John— prisoner from t ort Dearborn among the Indians, perishes with cold
and hunger 123
Neal. Henry— private. War 1812 191
Neal, John— private. War 1812 187
Nebraska— anti-Nebraska faction of Democrats, mention 381
Nebraska, State of— justice of the peace in, have supervision of the poor, mention 487
mention - 272,296,390
Nebraska Statutes, mention 504
Necessity, Fort— see Fort Necessity
Neck-kee-nesH-Kee-sheck— in council at Cahokla, April 16. 1812 101
Necrologlcal Department- suggestions for such a department in the transactions of
Illinois Staxe Historical Society publications 40
Necrologists Report— Illinois State Historical Society 365-391
Neely, Jacob— private. War 1812 194
Negreese, (a slave)— child of. baptized 40S-409
Negro— Qustavus Koerner pavs fine of negro and turns him free 360
Negroes— "an act for a Crusade by a Christian State against," humorous title for bill
suggested by Senator Alfred E. Ames 428
Negroes— Illinois Legislation on Slavery and Free Negroes 1818-1865; Mason McCloud
Flshba^'k papt^r contributed by, to the transaction of the Illinois State Histor-
ical Society. 1904 414-432
Nelson, one of the Fort Dearborn prisoners, death of 123
Nelson, private in the Regulars, served at Fort Dearborn, mention 124
Nelson, Dr.— projector of a school on the Manual Labor plan in Marlon county. Mo 217
Nelson, Dr. David— establishes the "Mission Institute" near Qaincy, Illinois 217
Nelson, Thomas, Jr.— one of the signers of the Declaration of independence, mention... 309
Neng-ke-sapt (or Fire Medals)— Pottawatomie Chief 77
Neven, Theresa— child of, baptized 398-399
New Buifalo— mention 204
New England Colonies— early government of 469
New England Historical Society of Rockford, III., mention 9.20
New England— mention 235
plan of colonization, mention 474
plan of ownership of land, manner of settlement, etc 471,472
Puritans, mention 309
Scotch-Irish emigrants settle in. mention 309
settlpment of New England people at Waverly. HI 508
New England Town Meetings— mention 502
New Harmony, Ind.— Morris Birkbeck buried at 259
Rapp colony of, purchased by Robert Owen 261
New Haven, Conn.— Town and city government In, see foot-note 502
mention 227
New Haven, 111.— Indian Creek township near, mention 142
New Jersey. State of— educational vote of in 1860, mention 297
mention 215
Scotch-Irish emigrants settle in, mention 309
New Madrid, Mo.— mention 277
New Mexico— acquired by purchase, mention 295
New Orleans— Andrew Jackson at. mention 168
mention 43. 200,389,408,409,442,443,444,456,458
New York & Erie Canal— mention 291
New York Central Railroad— mention 204
New York City— General Federation of Woman's Clubs organized at. 1889 320
mention 23.204,222,290,524
Sorosis Society In, mention 315
New York Colonial Documents— mention 463
New York, Slate of— Colonial history of. research in England for. mention 19
establishment of industrial colleges in. mention 228
Inhabitants of, 1744, mention 269
mention 30, 269.371. 372. 374. 388. 3S0. 471. 473. 518
plan suggested by (iov. Washington Hunt for industrial education
instate of 224
publications of. mention ....18, 19
railroad bonds of Illinois payable in. mention 494
Revised Statutes, reference to. see foot-notes 482. 483, 484, 475
school system of. mention 5&9
651
Index — Continued.
Page.
New York, State of— Scotch-Irish emigranta settle In 309
statutes of, reference to » 486, 504
township organization introduced in, by emigrants from the New
England States 470
New Zealand— mention 273
Newberry. Vt— mention 337
Newcomb Hotel. Qalncy. 111.— mention 282
Newell. Mason H.— " 'Township Government in Illinois," paper contributed by. to Illinois
State Historical Society 1904 467-604
Newman, John— private. War 1812 179
Newman, .John. Jr.— private. War 1812 179
Newman. Joseph— private. War 1812 188,193
Newspapers— "Advocate." published at Saltm, Ills., by John W. Merrltt 210
Alton Observer, mention 368
American Weekly Messenger, Vol. 1, Nov. 6, 1813. mention 151
American Weekly Messenger. Vol. 1, Nov. 13. 1813, mention 150
"Anzelger d^s Westens. " first German dally newspaper city of.St. Louis. 303
••Banner." (The)-publlshed at Palestine. Ul-i 212
Belleville Advocate, published at Belleville. Ills 210.441
"Bureau Advocate." published at Princston. Ills., by Hooper Warren — 206
"Canton Ledger." published at Canton. Ilia 211
"Canton Register." published at Canton. Ills., mention 2U
Carlinville Democrat, published at Carllnvllle. Ills 210
CarllnvUle Free Democrat, published at Carlinville, Ills 212
"Carthage Republican," published at Carthage, Ills 211
Cass County Times, mention 625
Central Christian Advocate, mention 340
Chicago Dally Tribune, establishment of 207
Chicago Democrat 209
Chicago Tribune, mention 304.504
Chicago Tribune, reference to, see foot note 495
Christian Advocate, mention 338
Commercial Advertiser," third newspaper published in Chicago 206
Continental Gazette, first paper advocating an appeal to arms. Revolu-
tionary War 309
"Corner On," newspapers, incident related by Hon Chas. P. Johnson 50
Destruction of newspaper offices at Alton and Nauvoo. Ills., mention 209
Dixon Telegraph, Benjamin F. Shaw, editor 211.212
early newspapers of Illinois, editorials of, mention 208
"Farmer's Weekly Intelligencer." mention 207
(St Louis), first authentic account of the battle of Buena Vista, through
the newspapers of St. Louis 50
First newspaper in Illinois published at Kaskaskia 205
"Free Press." Montgomery county. Ills 368
Free West & Western Citiaens" published in Chicago, by Z. Eastman &
Hooper Warren 206
Fulton Democrat, published by W. T. Davidson 211
"Galena Advertiser," published by Hooper Warren. Galena, 111 206
"Gaiette," published at Galena. Ill , first dally established In the state.... 207
"Havana Post," published at Havana, Ills 211
"Illnols Corrector." established at Edwardsville. Ill 206
"Illinois Emigrant" 206
Illinois Gazette, mention 269
Illinois Herald. Kaskaskia, flr«t newspaper published in Illinois 205
"Illinois Intelligencer." mention 205.206
Illinois newspapers, battle against the Pro-Slavery Constitution 208
Illinois newspapers to be furnished the Illinois State Historical Library. 13
Illinois state Journal. Nov. 25. 1857. mention 4, 59
Illinois state Register, mention 210.601
Illinois State Register, reference to, see foot-note 495
Independent (The) of Virginia. Ill 526
"Kankakee Gazette, "published at Kankakee. HI 211
Kaskaskia newspapers mention 36
Kentucky Argus, quoted 159
Macoupin County Argus (newspaper) published at Carlinville, 111 212
Missouri GHzette, March 20. 1^13, quoted 72
Morgan County Journal. Paul selby, editor 210
New York Herald 388
New York Ledger, mention 309
New York Tribune. September 1852. mention 223
Niles Register. Volume III, quoted, see foot-note 128
Nlles Register. Volume IV. quoted 169
Nlles Register. Volume VI, April 16, 1814, quoted 157.1S8
Nlles Register, Volume VI. quoted, see foot-note 169
Nlles Register, quoted, see foot note 117
"O'tawa Free Trader," published at Ottawa. Ill 211
owned and controlled in Illinois by the politicians of an early day 207
Pike County Journal, published in Pike County. Illinois 211
—42 H
658
Index — Continued.
Paffe
Newspapers— "Pioneer of Rock Spring." edited by John M. Peck 207
Plattsbure paper, quoted with list of prisoners from Ft. Dearborn mas-
sacre 123
"Prairie Parmer," mention ..'..'.'.'.'... 224
Quincy Herald, mention 211
Qulncy Whlgr. Quincy. Ill 210
"Recorder." published at Kaskaskla. 1828-1833 206
Republican Advocate." published at Kaskaskla. Ellas Kane, editor 206
resolutions tendered to Bloomlngton newspapers for courtesies shown to
Illinois State Historical Society 17
"Robinson Argus." published at Robinson, 111 212
St. Clair Gazette, established at Belleville, 111 206
"Sangamon Spectator." published at Springfield. Ill 208
Shawnee Chief, second newspaper in Illinois, published Sept. 5th. 1818 206
"Squatter Sovereign." published by Jas. M. Davidson 2H
"Star of the West." published at Edwardsville. Ill 206
"Sun." (The) New York 388
their part in the fight to change the Constitution of the State of Illinois.
mention 266
Upper Mississippi Herald, published at Galena, 111 , by Hooper Warren... 206
Vandalia Intelligencer 206
"Western News." corrected error as to date of publication 207
Whig newspaper published at Rushville. Ill 210
Newspapers and Newspaper Men of Illinois— address before the Illinois State Historical
Society, 1904. by Hon. E. A. Snively... 205-2 13
Niagara Falls— mention 204
Niagara, Fort of— mention 87,462
Niagara. Frontier Post— mention, see foot-note 62
Nicholas, Col.. U. S. A.— commands stockade at Peoria village 148
JJichoIas. bleat. Col.. CJ. S. Vols.— builds a fort under orders of Gen. Howard, mention.... 152
mention 151
Nichols. George— private. War 1812 193
Nichols. John— sergeant. War 1812 193
J^ichols, Pleasant— private. War 1812 193
subscription to McKendree College 344
Nichols, Theodore M.— subscription to McKendree College 341
Nichols. Theophllus M.— mention 329
one of the incorporators of McKendree College 361
trustee McKendree College, mention 332,349
Nichols, Thomas—subscription to McKendree College 344
private. War 1812 193
Nicholson. Thomas— ensign, second regiment. War 1812 177
Nicolay and Hay, Life of— Abraham Liacoln, see foot-note 424
Nlcolay. John G— literary career prior to the war 211
Nineveh, Assyria— mention famous capital of the Assyrian empire 23
"Nigger Furnance"— location of 245
"Nigger Spring"— called the "Great Salt Spring." mention 215
"Nigger Spring"— English settlers find quantities of pottery, at 246
location of 245
mention 254
"Nigger Well," {The)(Prof.),Geo. W. Smith-visits, describes locality as It appears today 257
location of 246
mention 248
"Nigger Well," or Salt Works— worked by negro slaves 250
Nik6 Club. Chicago, Illinois 322
Nile River. Egypt— mention 198
Niles, Nathaniel— mention 30
Niles Register, (new8paper)—vol. 3. quoted, see foot-note 128
vol. 4, quoted 159
vol. 6. April 16. 1814. quoted 167-168
vol. 6. quoted, see foot-note 169
NUes Register— quoted, see foot note 117
Ninth Regiment, Illinois Infantry— mention 276
Nlpur. Assyria— mention 23
Nlpur. Assyria— research of University of Pennsylvania In 22
Nix, Ambrose— private. War 1812 188
Nixon, A. H.. of McHenry County— member 19th General Assembly, of Illinois, 1654-56,
20th General Assembly, 1856-68 428
Nixon, (Col ). John— first man to read the Declaration of Infiependence 310
Norfolk. Va.— Morris Blrkbeck and family arrive at June. 18l7 261
Nombo Itt. Pottawatomie Indian— one of the Shoal Creek murderers 77
Normal. Illinois— mention 14.256.640
North America— Count Volney makes a tour of, 1795-1798. mention 247
North America— mention 16
North Bend. Ind.. mention 200-201
North Carolina— State of. Scotch-Irish emigrants settle in 309
mention 330.478
"Northern Cross" R R . mention 441
Northern Indlt\n-<— letters with ref^srencf to 156-157
Northwest and Chicago— history of (Blanchard) 390-391
the Old state House. Philadelphia 310
Northwest— history of by Rufus Blanchard ii90
659
Index — Continued.
Paare
Northwest Territory— act for township oreanizatlon In 475 476
act to establish and regulate township meetings In, Jan. 18, 1802... 477
American migration to— after the Jay treaty 64
convention called, looking toward the iutroduclne of slavery In
1802, mention 247 248
first civil township in the west, made In 1790 476
laws of governor and judges of 1791. 1792. 1799. quoted, see foot-
note 476
laws of. mention 604
legislature of. mention 2S0
mention 230,311
ordinance for ascertaining the mode of disposing of lands in the
western territory, passed May 20. 1785, quoted 474-475
taxation, no laws adopted concerning, until 1792 476
William Henry Harrison's report in Congress on the Salt Springs
In 247
Northwestern Frontiers- Indian aflfairs in 1812, Congressional report on 114-115
Northwestern University— Evanston, 111, mention 7, 13
Norton. John F— private. War 1812 188
Norton, W. F.— member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
Norwood Park, 111., mention 486
Notes of a Journey Through France," by Morris Birkbeck, mention 260
Nova Scotia, Refugees from— townships on Lake Erie allotted to 474
Nowlan, Bennett- private. vVar 1812 181
Nowlln, Bennett— private. War 1812 190.195
Noyenr. Sienr de— Major of the Port at New Orleans, baptizes child 408-409
Null, Henry— private, War-1812 178
Oaks, Portage of the, mention 466
O-at-che-cum-mlch— Pottawatomie Indian, one of the murderers of the Coles party 94
Oberlin College, Ohio— mention 316
originally founded as a Manual Training school 217
O'Fallon. (Col.) John— of St. Louis. Mo . mention 125.330.338
subscription to McKendree College 344
OflScers of Port Dearborn— fate of 123
Officers of the Illinois State Historical Society V 6-7
Ogle. B., mention 181
Ogle. Jacob— lieutenant First regiment. War 1812 174.181
second lieutenant of a cavalry company. May 3. 1809, War 1812 172
private. War 1812 182
Ogle. Joseph— private. War 1812 179.181
(son of B.Ogle), private. War 1812 181
Oglesby. Joshua— chaplain. War 1812 --■-• ^'^
Oglesby. Richard J.— born in Oldham. Ky. July 25.1824; died at Elkhart. III., April 24.
1889. 13th, 15th and 17th governor of Illinois
characteristics of. 236
colonel in the Tenth Illinois regiment Civil War. mention 276
delegate to the convention at Bloomington. May. 1866 56
mention. 236.312.382.434
United States Senator, mention 236
O hlc-ka-ja-mls- Pottawatomie ludlan 83
Ohio and Wabash country— the new regiment for. War 1812 173
Ohio Canal— mention 291
Ohio River— counties along, settlers In. mention 272
massa''re on. of the Clarks and Kennedys 145146
mention 6.69.
72. 104. 144. 169. 172. 199. 200. 201. 231. 247. 2i2. 278. 291. 328, 389. 442. 443. 448. 464, 474. 649. 667
Ohio. State of— attitude on the slavery question, menrlon 270
makes complete map of ancient earth works and old Indian trails 20
Medical College. Cincinnati. Ohio 378
mention 93. 198.356.370.371.374 378.389.450.452,467,608,614,622,624
passes law similar to New York on local government, mtintion 481
reports to the United States from Salines In, mention 249
salt springs in 247
township organization introduced in by emigration from the New Eng-
land States 470
(Gen.) William Henry Harrison appointed governor of 616
Old Mines, Mo— mention 253
"Old Rnnger" (The)— title by which ex-Qov Reynolds was known 69.60
Old State House. Sprlnstleld, III —menrlon 202
Old Town Township. McLean county. 111.— mention 20
Oldenburg. German v— mention. 374
Oldest Literary Club for Women In the United states organized at Quincy. Ill 817
Oldham, Henry— surgeon. Third Rpgiment and Fourth Reglin^'nt. War 1812 176.176
Olive Branch Masonic Lodge No. 38. Danville 111 . presents gift to Hon H. W. Beckwith. 26
Olivier. Francis— daughter of John 01lvi»r and Mnrtha AccIch, baptism of 398-399
Olivier, Francoise- daughter of Jean Olivier and Martha Axlga. baptism of 410.411
Olivier. Jean-child of baptized 410.411
Olivier. John-child of baptized 898.399.402,403
Olivier, Maria— dauehter of John Olivier and Petronllla Mau«akine. baptism of 398.399
Ollvir, John 8.— son of Ollvlr and Martha Paii8ca, baptism of 402.403
Omaha & Kansas City Railroad Co.— Gen. Jas. D Morgan, director of 282
660
Index — Continued.
ponpA
"Omnibus Bill" (The)— Legislature of Illinois approved Feb. 9. 1835. mention 332
"One Hundred and Three" (The)— members Illinois Legislature voting for John A.
Logan for U. S. Senator. 1885 373
O'Neal. Wm— private. War 1812 191
Oneida County. N. Y.— mention 25
Oneida Institute of Science and Industry— establishment of 216
O pea— Peoria village commonly called 71
Ordinance of 1787— Congress called upon to annul the Sixth Article of 248
Congress petitioned often for relief from the Sixth Article of 250
foot-note 415
mention 218.415.416.475
provisions of. relating to slavery 415,416
Oregon, State of— mention 33.390
Oregon. Territory— (Capt.) James Shields appointed, by President Polk. (Governor of... 39
mention 444
Orendorflf Alfred— appointed on committee to represent the Illinois State Historical So-
ciety at Pre is .Association meeting. 1904 2,12
member of Board of Directors. Illinois State Historical Society 16
member of Committee on Legislation. Illinois State Historical Society 12
member of Illinois State Historical Society VIII
member of Publication Committee. Illinois State Historical Society.. 12
memorial addres^i on John Mayo Palmer before Illinois Stata Histor
leal Society. 1904 384-386
— '■ mention VI 12.14
Orendorflf Family— early settlers in McLean County, mention 526
Orendorflf, J. C —mention 528
Orendorflf. John B— member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
Orendorflf. Wm.— early settler of McLean County 626
O'Reilly. (Count) Alexander— Governor of Cuba, mention 31
Oriental Antiquarian Research— activity of Americans In 22
Oriental Museum Building- erected by the University of Chicago 23
"Origin of Species ( rht')," by Darwin, mention 271
Ormsby. John— drum-major. Third and Fourth Regiment, War 1812 175.176.185
Orr Family— historic family of Ireland 309
Osage Indian Warriors— mention 146
Osages (Indians)— mention 66.88.109.165,453
Osborne. Miss (jleorgla L.— member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
Osman. William— career as an editor, mention 212
editor of the Ottawa Free Trader 211
Oswegotch6— frontier post, mention, see foot-note 62
Otwell. Wm.— private. War 1812 181
Ottawa. Ill . Monday Club— mention 327
Ottawa. III.. "Ottawa Free Trader" (Newspaper)— published at 211.212
Ottawa. 111. Tuesday Club— mention 327
Ottawa, 111., Women's Progress Club— mention 327
Ottawas, Chiefs of— In council at Cahokla, April 16,1812,11st of 101
Ottawas (Indians)— mention 109
Ottaway Indians— mention 87,88,89
Otter (Klckapoo)— In council at Cahokla. April 16,1812 , 101
Otter Creek Prairie— mention 367
Ottumwa. Iowa— mention 40
Ouisconsing (Wisconsin) River— mention 159
Owen. Robert— purchases the Rapp colony of New Harmony. Ind 261
Owens. Arthur -private. War 1812 185
Owens. Ezra— quartermaster. First Regiment. War 1812 173
Pacheco. Senor Francisco— Spanish Secretary of foreign relations 300
Pacific Coast- mention 316
Railroad projected to. mention 23.33
Pacific Ocean. Islands of— mention 23
Pacific Ocean— mention 328.443
Pacific R. R— Promoters of 33
Sidney Breese's report on 33
Parker (Judge) Asa, of Pennsylvania— active In the cause of education, mention 224
PadSca, Martha— wlfp of John Oliver, child of baptized 402-403
Paden, Mrs. Ablea'l Elvira- second wife of Dr. Humphrey H. Hood 367
Padfield William-mention 330
Page, Prof E. C— member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
Paine, Gen. Eleaear A— Colonel of the Ninth Illinois Regiment, Civil War. men-
tion 276.277,278
Paine, John— Private, War 1812 182
Paine. Robt. Treat— one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, mention 309
Pal-t. Mrs. daughter of John Wells Dawson, McLean county 527
Palfrey's Hl-tory of New England— mention 504
Palfrey, History of New England- reference to, see foot note 470
Palestine, Country of— refererce to 22
Palestine. Illinois. "Banner" (The)— newspaper published at 212
Palladen. Art Society at Bloomtngton, Illinois, mention 317
Palmer, Dr Geo. Tboma^— son of .John Mayo Palmer 386
Palmer. John M.. and John Mayo Palmer— law firm 385
Palmer. John M.— born in Scott county. Kentucky. Sept. 13. 1817; died in Srlngfield. Till
nols. Sept. 25. 1900: fourteenth governor of Illinois. Jan. 11, tt'69, to
Jan. 13. 1873; heads thecoterle voting for Lyman Trumbull as United
States Senator 44
661
Index — Continued.
PftfiTd
Palmer. John M.— honorary member Illinois State Horticultural Society Vll
loans money to establish the Carllnviile Democrat (newspaper) 210
(Gen,). Morgan's brigade In Gen. Palmer's division, mention 278
mention 15.237.881.382,384.385
president of the convention of May. 1856. held in Bloomlngton, Illinois 55
publishes the Illinois State Register 210
reference to, see Ipot-note.. 493
United States senator 237
vetoes bill on debts of railroads, etc 493-4»4
Wm. H. Collins on staff of, mention 279
Palmer. Mrs, John M.— honorary member Illinois State Historical Society VII
reads paper of Mrs. John A. Logan at meeting of Illinois State
Historical Society 1904 11-15
Palmer, John Mayo— born Carllnviile, Illinois. March 10, 1848; died Battle Creek Sant
tarlum July 10. 1903; memorial address on life and character of,
by Hon Alfred Orendorff 384.386
ability as a lawyer 386
accompanies his fa'her, (3en. Palmer, on several of his cam-
paigns during the Civil War 384
appointed asst. coporation counsel of Chicago by Mayor Carter H.
Harrison, sr 385
appointed Corporation Counsel by Mayor John P. Hopkins 386
characteristics of 386
education of 384
elected Alderman in Springfield. Illinois 385
elected as Kepresentativeto General Assembly 386
elected City Attorney of Cariinville 384
engaged In famous law cases 385
entered law firm of John M Palmer, his father, in 1872 384.385
enters firm of Doolittle, Palmer & Tollman. Chicago 386
graduates from LawSchooI of Harvard University 384
member Illinois ^State Historical Society VIII
marriage of, mention 3S5
moves to State of Washington 385
practices law at Carllnviile 381
Palmer. Mrs. John Mayo— (Ellen Robertson). member Illinois State Historical Society. VIII
Palmer. Capt. John Mc An ley— son of John Mayo Palmer 385
Palmer. (Rev ) Ray, noted hymn writer 221
Palmer. Robertson— son of John Mayo Palmer 3^5
Palmyra, Maine— mention 15
Palos. Spain- mention 145
Pamawatam, Little Deer— represented In Indian council 106
Pamawattan (Klckapoo)— represented in council at Cahokla. April 16th. 1812 101
PamousH, (Pottawatomie)— lu council at Cahokla. April 16, 1812 101
Pana. Illinois- Art Society In. mention 317
Tuesday Club, mention 318,327
PaSnauga, Jerome— child of baptized 404-405
Paxnauga, Marie, daughtfr of Jerome PaSnauga and Marie Mae8osic8a, baptism of ....404-405
PanlSassa, Susan— wife of Anthony Bosseron, phild of baptized 400-401
PiiulcSc, Atcbica. wife of Frank LaBosslere. child of baptized 396-3«7
Panis8c. Theresa— baptized by Gabriel Marest at Bizallon's 394-395
Panisic8c— child of baptized 402,403
Paris, France— mention 260
valuable papers pertaining to early American settlements, may yet be
found in Paris 19
Pails, Illinois— Monday Club, mention 327
Paris- treaty of 1763. mention 457
Park Ridge, Illinois- Woman's Club of, mention 325
Parke. Benjamin— delegate to Congress; opposed to division of Indiana Territory 516
resigned aa member of Congress 515
Parker. C. M.— member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
Parkersburg. Ohio, mention 200
Parkinson, William, mention 344
Parkman, Francis— tribute to the memory of LaSaile 465
Parois, Lonlson— lieutenant second regiment. War 1812 177
Part, (the) of Illlnoisans in the National Educational Movement 1851-62; address by Paul
Selby before the Illinois State Historical Society, Jan. 1901.
214-229
Partridge, Black— see Black Partridge
Partushdlsm- Indians on their way towards, mention 139
Pascal— private. War 1812 192
Pat8klc8c. Acacia— wife of Petro Bolsjoly, child of baptized 398-399
Patent OfiSce— report agricultural department for 1851, published iu full J. B. Turner's
plan for an Illinois State University for the Industrial cla>8es 220
Patten, Abraham— killed la an encounter with Indians 67
Patten, Benjamin— delegate to the Mecklenburg convention 309
Patten Family— historic family of Ireland 309
Patten, (Major) John, mention 311
Patterson, Hiram— estate of 632
Patterson, James— private, War 1812 183
Patterson, John— lieutenant Third regiment. War 1812 175
Patterson, Joseph— private. War 1812 182
662
Index — Continued.
Page
Patterson, Joslah— subaorlptlon to McKendree College 34<
Patterson. Samuel— private, War 1812 191
Pattle,( Thomas) Frances— mother of Jesse Burgess. Jr.. and Richard Symmes Thoma8.523, 52*
Patton, Iilmar— private. War 1812 178
Patton, James— private. War 1812 196
Patton. Robert- private. War 1812 180
Paul, the Apostle— mention 412
Paxton. Amos— War 1812 176,177.184,185
Pea. John— private, War 1812 193
Peace of Tilsit- mention 287
Pearce, (Col.) Hosea— famous Illinois pioneer and soldier, mention 142
Pearce. James— leases the 3ig Muddy Saline, mention 252
Pearce. mention 144
pursuer of Indiana after Pond settlement massacre 142,145
removes to Missouri, mention 143
Pearce. Prussian— son of Col Hoaea Pearce. mention 14
Peaaley, Isaac— estate of 534
Pearson, J. M.— member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
Peck, (Rev ) John M.— Gazetteer of Illinois, mention 207
Peck, John M.— opposed to the convention of 1821 208
PecK, John M.— " Pioneer" newspaper of Rock Spring edited by 207
Peck, John M.— writing? of. mention 60
Peek. Daniel— private. War 18)2 193
Peebles. Thornton— one of the Incorporators of McKendree College 361
mention 345
Peebles. Thornton— president of the board of trustees of McKendree College 338
Peebles. Thornton— trustee of McKendree College, mention 33i,349
Pekln, Illinois— Kindergarten Club in 322
mention 525,530
whiskey ring cases 385
Women's Club, mention, 327
Pelham. Francis— private. War 1812 190,195
Pelham. Marcus— private. War 1812 190,195
Pell, Gilbert T.— son-in-law of Morris Blrkbeek, opposed to slavery, mention 261
Penn, William— mention 20.3,246
Pennsylvania Central R. R.— mention. 199
Pennsylvania State Agricultural College— mention 227
Pennsylvania, State of— establishment of Industrial College in. mention 228
female college in. mention 338
inhabitants of, 1774 269
mention 14,198,201,203.206,230.252,378.389.471,474,516
Scotch-Irish emigrants settle in, mention 309
University of, archaeological research of 22
Pensoneau. Francis— boatman, mention 74
Peoria County, IHlnois, Historical Society— mention 20
report from 4,5
Peoria County, Illinois— mention 219
Peoria, 111,— advices from prove Indians hostile 99
Art Society in, mention 317
breeding ground of Indian con<>plracles, see foot-note 89
District of, "Stephen A. Douglas elected to Congress from, mention 233
Gov. Edwards' address, delivered to the Pottawatnmles in ceunc'.l. at 82-85
Gov. Edwards, by proclamation, forbids sale of liquor to Indians at 113
Gomo suggests a factory for Peoria 109
Indian Council at, mention 95
John Baptlste Dnpond, captain of the town of, mention 80
LaSalle has winter quarters at 451
Lake (Country— mention 74
Lake Country— Benj. Howard drives the Indians from .... 147
hostile Indians collect at. 1813 146
mention 110.132,136.148,151,451
Peoria Medical Society 380
Peoria,meniiOD.2.7. 16, 19, 77. Ill, 113. 135. 136. 137. 139, 140, 141, 151, 171, 183. 379, 380. 418, 490
property of inhabitants of destroyed by the Indians 96
Thomas Forsyth, justice of the peace for the town of 80
Village— establishment of a fort or blockhouse at. recommended 69
mention 66,71,74.139.148
Woman's Catholic League— mention 327
Woman's Club of. mention 319,327
People vs. Brown— reference to. see foot-note 485
People vs. Cllne— case of. reference to, see footnote 500
People vs. Couchman— reference to, see foot-note 486
People vs, Ruyle— case of, reference to, see footnote 498
Paople va. Warfleld— reference to. see foot-note 486
Pepper (Pottawatomie)— In council at Cahokia, April 16,1812 101
mention 106
Pera, John Baptlste- private. War 1812 178
Perkins, Lieut.— gallant defense of Ft. Shelby, mention 161.162
left at Ft. Shelby for shore duty 161
mention 160
Perogue (Indian boat)— mention 83
663
Index — Continued.
Pasre
Peru. 111.— foot-note *4l
mention 208
limltof navigation of the Illlnoisi rlrer In the early days, mention 202
Perrin, (Hon.) J. Nick— member Illinois State Historical Society VUI
Perry. (Capt.) commands United States Rangers 127
Perry County, Illinois— votes against the Constitutional convention of 1847 479
Perry, Ebenezer. estate of 529
Perry. John— private. War 1812 196
Perry. Oliver Hazard, Commodore— mention 312,665
Pesic. private. War 1812 192
Pestalozzl System— educational system, mentioned 286
Petel. David— private. War 1812 184
Peters. (Dr ). J. P.— research of. in Assyria, reference to 22
Petoln. Joseph— private. War 1812 178
Petit, Guy v.— member Illinois State Historical Society VUI
Petty, James-private, War 1812 193
Peyton, (Lieut.)— mention 132
Philadelphia, Pa.— call for convention to be held at, 1856, mention 296
Jefferson Medical School of. mention 48
John Nixon, first man to read the Declaration of Independence from
the steps of the Old State Hoase In 310
mention 203,204.336,367
sketch of Illinois published at. in 1837. mention 245
treaty with the Indians at. mention 80
Phllhart. Jacob— private. War 1812 192
Philippe- son of Fanchon, (Pawnee Indian slave), baptism of 410-411
Philippe, Agnes— daughter of Michael Philippe and M. Marie 8canic8c. baptism of.... 396-397
godmother at baptism of Charles Renandlere 410-411
godmother at baptism of Etienne Btgoto 412-413
godmother at baptism of Maria Louisa Roy 398-399
godmother at baptism of Maria Josepha Philippe 39S-399
sponsor at baptism of Magdalalne RSensac 412-413
Philippe, Elizabeth— daughter of Michael Philippe and Maria 8kanic8c. baptism of... 396-397
Philippe. Ignatius— son of Michael Philippe and Maria 8kanic8c. baptism of 400-401
Philippe, James— godfather at baptism of James Philippe E98-399
son of Michael Philippe and Maria 8caDlc8c. baptism of 396-397
son of Stephan Philippe and Maria Ch8Plnckinga. baptism of 898-399
Philippe. Jos.-son of Michael Philippe and Maria 8canie8c baptism of 898-399
Philippe. Maria— daughter of Steph Philippe and Maria Ma8ondlc8c. baptism of 396-397
Philippe, Maria Josepha— daughter of Michael Philippe and Maria 8canlc8c. baptism
Philippe. Michael— child of, baptized!.\\'!,\\\\\\"*i.\\\\\\\\\\'.\'^".'.\\\'.".'.\\' ■.".'."".'.'.".'.'.' 388-399
child of. baptized 396-397,398-399.400-401
Philippe. Stephan-chlld of, baptized 396-397,398-399
godfather at baptism of Joseph Philippe 398-399
Philippine Islands 367
Phillips, Joseph— mention 147
Phillips. (Capt.). Joseph— regulars under command of, erect Ft. Clark 148
Phillips. (Maj.). John, of Washington County, Illinois— mention 330
Phillips, Joseph— favors convention of 1824 208
mention 520
Phillips, Wendell— open letters of Gustavus Koerner to, mention 304
Phillips, WUlIam-prlvate, War 1812 180,182
Pl-an ka shaw Indians, mention 142
"Plasau"— opposite Portage de Sioux, mention 147
Pickens (Gen.) Andrew, mention 311
Pickering, (Fort) Memphis, Tenn., mention 367
Piedmont Region of Virginia- Scotch-Irish emigrants settle In, mention 309
Pierce. Daniel— private. War 1812 -182
Pierce, Frederick C.— member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
Plerson, Dr. D. K.. mention 337
Fierce, (Pres.) Franklin, mention 202.203
Fierce. Professor— of Cambridge, mention 224
Flerre. (negro)— child of baptized 410-411
Pierre. Slave— baptism of 404-405
Pike Co . Illinois— convention of teachers held In. in 1850; plan submitted by Professor
Turner for State University 218
Historical Society. Pittafleld, 111., mention 9
mention 271.430
Nicholas Hansen and John Shaw, contesting candidates from, for seat
In Illinois Third General Assembly 268
Pike County Journal, (newspaper( published In 211
Pillars, John-ensign, First regiment. War 1812 173
Plllere. John— private. War 1812 183
Fillers. John— private. War 1812 178
Fillet. Jean Baptiste— son of Pierre Fillet and Magdelalne Barron, baptism of 412-413
Fillet. Peter-private, War 1812 192
664
Index — Continued.
Page
Plllet, Pierre— child of. baptized 412-418
Pillow. Gen. Gideon J.— wounded in battle of Cerro Gordo 38
Plllsbury. William L. —article on "The University of Illinois," reference to 214
Plnconneau, August— captain Second regiment. War 1812 177
Pincenneau. (probably Pinsino) Augustus— ensign Second regiment. War 1812 174
Pincenneau, Etlenne— captain St. Clair County regiment 172
Second regiment. War 1812 174
PincklngachS. Maria— wife of Steohan Philippe, child of baptized 398-399
Pinot— signs church record of the Parish of Our Lady of the Cascaskias 410-411
Pinsino (probably Pincenneau) Augustus— ensign Second regiment. War 1812 174
Pioneer History of Illinois— Governor Keynolds. mention 516
Pioneer Mothers of Illinois— mostly southern women and French emigrants 506
paper contributed by Miss Savillah T. Hlnrichsen to the
transactions of the Illinois State Historical Society 1904.. 505-513
social and domestic life of 5o9, 610.511
"Pioneer." (newspaper)— first religious newspaper In Illinois 207
Pioneer Trip— A trip from Pennsylvania to Illinois in 1851; address before the Illinois
State Historical Society 1904 by W. W. Davis 198-204
Ploria— village of. mention 152-153
Pitkin's— History of the United States, mention 504
Pitkin's History of the United States— Vol. II, quoted, see foot-note 471
Pitner. Dr. T. J.— member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
Pitt. William— member of the English parliament, mention 32
Pittlll(Pettell)— member of the militia who served in the action at Fort Dearborn, not
mentioned by Capt. Heald 124
Pittsburg— Henry Eddy starts from with a printing outfit; stranded at Shawneetown,
111., mention 206
Pipe Bird (Pottawatomie)— in council at Cahokia, April 16 1812 101
Piper, Thomas— Sergeant, War 1812 181
Pittsburg,. Pa.— mention 115,199.200,201.296,389,516
Morris Birkbeck journeys from, to Illinois on horseback, mention 261
(Capt.) Nathan Heald's report on the Fort Dearborn massacre, dated
from Oct. 23d. 1812 121-123
Pittsburgh— British and French build forts at, mention 104
Pirtsfleld. Illinois— mention 9
Pi vet, Perrine— godmother at baptism of Pierre Chabot 406.407
Plvet, Perrine— wife of Sieur Philippe de la Kenandiere. child of baptized 410,411
Pixley, John— private. War 1812 182
Piano. Illinois— mention 9
Plant, F'ierce— private. War 1812 182
Planter's House— (hotel) St. Louis, mention 31,36
Plato Club Jacksonville, Ills.— founded by Dr. Hiram K Jones in 1860 316
Plattsbnrg Newspaper— list of the survivors (prisoners) of the Fort Dearborn massacre,
taken from 123
Plymouth, Mass.— mention 282
Plymouth Rock— mention 549
Poe. Edgar Allen— born 1809, mention 198
Point au Fer— frontier post, see footnote 62
Poland— partition of, mention 287
Polete— a Frenchman kept on board boat of Captain Craig, mention 139
Poley, John— private. War 1812 , 196
Political Campaign if 1840— Gustavus Koerner takes active part in 293
Political Equality League— outgrowth of the Chicago Woman's Club 319
Polk, President James Knox— appoints Capt. James Shields governor of Oregon 39,312
appoints Capt. James Shields Brigadier General of Vol-
unteers in the Mexican war 38
mention 33.37.294,312,524
Polk, Oliver— see Pollock
Polk. Thomas— Delegate to the Mecklenburg convention 309
Poll Tax— State of Illinois 500-501
Polloch or Polk Homestead— historic family of Ireland, mention 309
Polloch, (Polk) Oliver— mention 311
Pollock and Maitland— English law reference to, see foot note 469
history of English law, mention 504
Poluck Family— historic family of Ireland, mention 309
Pomeroy & Co, Quincy, Ills— business firm, mention 275
Pomeroy, C. M.— James D, Morgan forms partnership with 276
Pomeroy, John M.— mention 372
Pomeroy, Morgan & Bond. Qaincy, Ills.— business firm, mention 275
" Pompey "—servant to Lieut. Col. Philip Trammel. War 1812 186
Pond, John— mention 142,144
Pond settlement massacre. October, 1812— account of. and incident concerning 142, 145
Pontiac— chief of the Ottawas 457
Pontiae. Illinois— Clionlan Club of 318
Cllonian Society, mention 327
Pool, Thomas— private. War 1812 196
Poor. (Gen.) Enoch— mention 311
Poo re's— charters and consiltution, mention 504
Poore's Charters, I— quoted, see foot note 475
Pope family— prominent In the history of Illinois, mention 230
665
Index — Continued.
Pa^e
Pope. (Major General) John— mention 232.278
Pope. Nathaniel— acting srovernor and secretary of the Illinois Territory 6S
appoints officers in mllltla companies for Illinois Territory 66
established a military department In the Illinois Territory 66
introduces a bill in congress for the admission of Illinois as a State,
mention 281
member of Gov. Edwards' staff. War 1812 183
officers appointed by. unworthy to command. War 1812 172
secretary of Illnois Territory 615
secretary Illinois Territory, signs proclamation 113
Pope's Territorial Laws, Vol. 1.— reference to, see foot note 478
Vol. II.— enacted by legislature of Illinois Territory Dec. 13, 1812,
reference to, see foot-note 478
Popular Science Monthly. 1877— article by Geo. E. Sellers on the "Great Salt Spring,"
mention 246
article in, by Geo. E. Sellers, quoted on the salt works
and negro labor 250
1887, article on "Industrial Training Two Centuries Ago"
by Geo. P. Morris, quoted 215
"Popular Sovereignty "—mention 234
Population of Illinois— percentage of gain and loss during periods of 1810-1860, see foot-
note 489
1870, see foot note 491
Pork Packing, Qulncy, Ills —important center for, mention 274
Portage des Sioux- mention 67,75.147,150,152,165
treaty of 1815 at, mention 172
"Portage les Chenes (Portage of the Oaks)— mention 466
Portage of the Oaks— mention 466
Porter, David— private. War 18l2 182.190,195
Porter, Fielding— private. War 1812 190.195
Porter (Gen.)— Lancaster, Pa, mention 203
Porter, James— subscription to McKendree College 344
corporal. War 1812 179
Porter, John— private. War 1812 180
Porter, Real-private, War 1812 196
Porter. Thomas-private. War 1812 180
Porter, William- private, War 1812 181
Portia Club of vvinehester, Illinois— work of. mention 323
Portier, British agent at Prairie du Chlen 65
Portsmouth, Ohio— mention 291
Posey, Aden— private. War 1812 191
Posey. Jubilee-private. War 1812 182
Posey, General Thomna— incorrectly called Parey 257
Posey, William C— trustee Illinois College, mention 349
Pottawatomles]
Pottowatomies >■ Indians— Catfish, leader of the robbery at Loutre settlement 67
Powtawamle j chief gives Information to Gov. Harrison in regard to Illinois
Indians 113
chief s of in council at Cahokla, April 16,1812, list of 101
chiefs, mention 122
estimates of horses stolen by, from Illinois and Missouri
settlers 169
Gomo delivers answer to Gov. Edwards' address to the Pot-
tawatomies 85-87
In council at Cahokla. April 16, 1812 101
kind treatment of, to Tonti 458
mention 66,87,88, 89, 100, 158,169
(Gov ) Ninlan Edward's address to the Pottawatomles in
council at Peoria, Aug. 15th, 1811 82-85
robbery by, at the Loutre settlement 66,67
(Capt.) Samuel Leverlngs' address to, in council August 17,
1811 89-94
Shoal Creek murdererR. names of murderers 77
village of. ou the ea^t bluff of the Illinois river, mention 132
Pottawatomy, (Miami village)— mention 466
Potter, (Bishop) Alonzo— of Pennsylvania, mention 224
Potter, EdwarU-pnvare, War 1812 196
Potter. Keal— volunteer. War 1812 186
Pottery— finding of . large quantities In the reirlon of "Nigger Spring." 245
Potier. Maria CitthrlDe— daughter of John B. Potior and Fra. L;« Brlse, baptism of.... 398.399
Potler, John B —child of baptized 398,399
Potler, John B — sou of John Bapt. and Francis La Brlse, baptism of 398,399
Potier, John Bapt.— son of baptized 398,399
Potter, William— godfather at baptism of Maria Francis Potler 39b.399
Pottler. John— tcodmother at bantlsm of Elizabeth La Lande 398,399
Pettier, John B.— child of, baptized 398,399, 400,401
godfather at baptism of Jean B., (negro) 410.411
666
Index — Conti n ued .
Page.
Pettier, John B.—ffodfather at baptism of John B. Ollvir 402,403
godfather at baptism of Marie Mareaerlte Pottier 402,403
sponsor at baptism of Augustin Bosseron 400,401
Pettier. Marie Catherine— baptized 400-401
Pettier, Marie Marguerite— baptized 402-403
Pettier, William— child of, baptized 402,403, 406,407
Pettier. William de— son of William de Pettier and Marie ApechicSata 406,407
Peupart, Joseph— godfather at baptism of Ignatius Phlllipe 400,401
Powell, John— private. War 1812 182.185
Pownall. map of— published 1794, quoted, as to spelling of Chicago , 461
Prairie dn Chien— capture of 160
endeavors to fortify it 160
frontier post, see foot-note 62
Mackinaw Fenclbles under command of Capt. Deace. defend 160
mention 66.98. 150, 168, 159, 160,172
N. Bollvin reports from, on Indian affairs 98
(Col.) Robt. Diclisen uses Prairie dn Chien as a vantage point 160
threatened by the Sioux and Wlnnebagoes 96
Prairie du Rooher— Jesse Burgess Thomas locates near 515
mention 16. 394,395
"Prairie Parmer." (newspaper)— J. S. Wright, founder and proprietor of, mention 224
Prairie Marcot— block house en the west bank of the Illinois river 72
Prairie Mareot— mention 66
Prairie State, (Illinois)- mention 236
Prather. Edward— ensign, third regiment. War 1812 176
Prater, Edward— ensign, third regiment. War 18X2 176
Pre-histeric salt making in Southern Illinois, evidences of 245
Prentice. George D.— mention 211
Prentiss. Benj. Mayberry— colonel of the 10th Illinois regiment. Civil War, mention 276
Major General by Brevet, mention 276
Prentiss. Benjamin M.— in the Mexican war 276
Presbyterian Church— Carml. Illinois 376
Francis Makemie founder of. in America 309
mention 373
Springfield. Illinois 376
Presbyterian minister— James Mc(3ouch of. in McLean county 541
Presbyterians— active in the cause of education 328
Interest of in education. State of Illinois 332
victims of religious intolerance, mention 308
Presidents of the United States— mention 69,103
number of furnished by the Scotch-Irish race 312
Preston Family— historic family of Ireland 309
Preston, Robert— corporal. War 1812 185
Preultt, commands party in pursuit of Indians 68
Prenitt. Field— private. War 1812 191
Preultt, Fields— private. War 1812 194
Preultt. J.— lieutenant, second regiment. War 1812 177
Preultt, James— pursues Indians after the Wood River massacre 155
Preultt, Joseph— private. War 1812 191
Prenitt, Solomon— captain, second regiment, War 1812 174
mention 194
pursues Indians after Wood River massacre 155
Preultt, William— captain, ma jor. War 1812 172 174,175
private. War 1812 179.182
Price, account of. the killingof by the Indians 68.69
killing of by the Indians, mention 83.104
reQuisition on Governor Edwards for murderers of 74
Price. Mary— estate of 534
Price. John— mention 527
Prices in McLean County, Illinois, from 1832-1860— Ezra M. Prince, secretary McLean
County Historical Society, paper
contributed by to the transactions
of the Illinois State Hist. Sec. 1904
526-542
Primm, Daniel— lieutenant, second regiment. War 1812 174
Primm. Enoch W.— member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
Prince. Ezra M,— member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
mention 5,9,14,530,535
opposes acceptance of appropriation for the Louisiana Purchase Ex-
position 3
(Secretary McLean County Historical Society), "Prices in McLean
County, Illinois, from 1832 to 1860." Paper contributed by. to the
transactions of the Illinois State Historical Society 1904 626.542
Prince. (Hon.) George W.— mention 238
Princeton, Battle of— mention 310,311
Princeton. Illinois. "Bureau Advocate "—newspaper published at, by Hooper Warren... 206
Princeton. Illinois— mention 203.219
Pritchard. Jacob— private. War 1812 191
Proclamation of Gov. Edwards. May 24. 1812. forbidding sale of liquor to Indiana 112
Proctor. Col. Henry A— gives passage to Capt. Heald to Buffalo, mention 123
Proctor, Gov. Henry A.— mention, see footnote 163
Program Committee— Illinois State Historical Society, members of VI 12
667
Index — Continued.
Page
Program of exercises of the fifth annual meetlaff of the Illinois State Historical So-
ciety 13-U
chnnges in 16
Prophecy (A)— A Glimpse of the Future Three Hundred Years Hence. A prophecy by
Prof. John Russell 436,440
Prophecy. Gov.. (Wm ) Kiautjy's 441-444
Prophet (The)— mention 113,115
Prophet, Pottawatomie— In council at Cahokla, April 16, 1813 101
Prophet of the Wabash— brother to Tecumseh. personal representative of British agents
to incite the Indians aralust the Americans 64
dispatch concerning, dated Vlncennes, July 2, 1811 73
Indian tribes friendly towards 99
mention S5.96
Pro-Slavery— counties of Illinois giving large majorities for, mention 271
Pro-Slavery Constitution— John M. Peck aids in defeating 207
newspapers of Illinois battle against 208
Pro-Slavery Leaders— mention 44
Pro-Slavery Party— mention 39.56
Pro-Slavery- "Star of the West," newspaper, advocate of 206
Protective Agency for Women and Children— outgrowth of the Chicago Woman's Club.. 319
Protestant Episcopal Church 383
Provost, Sieur Surgeon Major baptizes child 408-409
Prussia— defeat of at Jena, mention 287
Pryor, Nathan— killed by the Indians 97
Puant Indian— Winnebago, meaning 'The Stinker," see foot-note 65
Puant Indians— massacre of Americans by 96,97
mention 169
Public Lands— appropriation of, by Congress for educational purposes, act of, etc 214
United States House Committee on, reports unfavorably on grant of lands
for educational purposes. 1857 225
United States for educational purposes, Illinois receives 480,000 acres 226
United States Senate takes no action on measure granting public lands
for educational purposes, 1&57 226
Public School Art Associattoo, Chicago, 111 319
Public School Art Society, Chicago, 111 322
Public Schools— state of, Illinois, mention 24
Publication Committee. Illinois State Historical Society— members of VI, 12
Publications of the McLean County Historical Society 18
Pullum, James— private. War 1812 182
Pullum, Thomas— Captain Second Regiment, War 1812 177
Pumroy, Joseph— Captain Fourth Regiment, War 1812 177
Pure. Jerome P.— private. War 1812 178
Puritans— reference to 469
Pursley, John- War 1812 182
Pursley, William, War 1812 182
Pursley, (Mrs.)— goes to the rescue of Thomas Higgins, mention 167
Putnam County, Illinois- mention 218.219,378,381
Putnam, Prof. J. W.— member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
Pyrennes Mts., mention — 260
Quash-qua-me— Sac Indian, mention 76
Quebec— arrival of survivors of the Fort Dearborn massacre at, mention 123
mention 447.464,456
Quebeck, mention 123
Quesnal, Magdalaine- godmother at baptism of Louis Tnrpin 404-405
Quesuel, Magdalen— godmother at baptism of Marie Louise Chesne 406-407
Quesnel, Magdel— godmother at baptism of Paul Texler 898-399
Quesnel. Magdelaine— godmother at baptism of Gabriel Blgoto 412-413
godmother at baptism of Jean B. (negro) 410-411
Quesnel, Maria Magdelaine— sponsor at baptism of Jean Baptiste Pillet 412-413
Quick, Moses— lieutenant Second Illinois regiment. War 1812 174
private, War 1812 181
Quigley. Samuel— private. War 1812 179
Qulgley, William-private. War 1812 180
Qulncy, Illinois— City Guards, James D. Morgan, captain of 276
congressional district, Stephen A. Douglas, nominated to congress
from 293
Herald (newspaper), mention 211
Historical Society, invitation to Illinois State Historical Society 13
Historical Society, letters of John J. Hardin to Gen. James D. Morgan
owned by 282-284
Historical Society, Lorenzo Bull, president of 9
mention 7.20
Historical Society, mention, see foot note 275
Historical Society, member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
Local Council of Women, mention S26
mention. 13,14,16,147,210,274,275.281,282.291.490,524
Mission Institute, near, mention 217
musicians from, wanted for the Mexican War 283-284
668
Index — Continued.
Pacre
Qalnoy, Illinois— oldest literary club for women in the United States, oreanited at 317
"Quincy Greys.-' Military Co., James D. Morgan helps recruit 276
riflemen, commanded by Captain James lJ. Morgan 275
Whig (newspaper). Paul Selby. editor, mention 210
Qui-que-que River, mention 77.78
Baab. Henry— his influence in education in southern Illinois, mention 314
Racoon Mountains, mention 278
Racine. Francis— captain St. Clair County, War 1812 172
Radcliff. Chas.. private. War 1812 180
RadcliflE, James, mention 187
Radcliff. William, private. War 1812 188
Rader. Phillip— ensign Second Illinois reeiment. War 1812 174
Rahmeyer, Mrs. Louise, daughter of Dr. Humphrey H, Hood, mention 367
Railroad— bonds. State of Illinois 492-194
from Alton to Mt. Carmel and Shawneetown. apnroprlatiou for 490
from Bloomlngton to Mackinaw, appropriation for 490
from Cairo to termination of I. and M. canal appropriation for 490
from Lower Alton to Central railroad, appropriation for 490
from Peoria to Warsaw, appropriation for 490
from Quincy to Inaiana state line, appropriation for 490
Railroads, (Illinois State)— appropriation for by the internal improvement scheme 490
Aurora to Chicago 204
extra session of the legislature asked for, convention held
at Salem, HI 34
congress grants lands to 491
construction of In 1»52 491
Harmon. Lee countv. III., subscription to 491
Illinois Central K R. mention 234
Internal improvement craze, state aid to railroads 488-490
internal improvement scheme, number of miles contem-
Dlared, cost of, etc 489
Kankakee vs. K. & I. R. R. Co., case of reference to, see foot-
note 498
legislation on. bill passed over the (Governor's veto 493
mileage of in 1850, mention 490
mileage In 1872 491
mention 28
municipal aid to railroads 491-494
municipal subscription to 495
Naples to Springfield 204
railroad and warehouse commissioners report 1895, ref trence
to. see foot-note 492
railroad and warehouse commissioners report 1895. mention. 504
railroad and warehouse case, mention 585
St. L.. V. & T. H. R. R. Co.. Vaudalia, 111., subscription to.... 491
Sullivan. Moultrie county. 111., subscription to 491
Vandalia, Hi., subscription to the St L . V. & T. H. R R 491
Railroads— ((Jan.) James D. Morgan's brigade guards railroads to Chattanooga 278,279
Railroads— Michigan Central R. R., mention - 204
Railroads— New York Central R. R.. mention 204
Railroads— Omaha & Kansas City R. ti. Company, mention 282
Railroads- Pennsylvania Central R. R. in process of construction, mention 199
Railroads— Sidney Breese given credit for first agitating in Congress the question of
railroads 233
Ralston. James H.— Representative in 10th General Assembly, State Illinois, 1836 28
Ramelton. Ireland— mention 309
Kamey, George— private. War 1812 180
Ramey. Thomas— private. War 1812 180,195
Ramsey, (Captain), Andrew— commands militia at Fort Russell in 1812, mention 73
Ramsey, (General)— commands Kentucky troops, mention 130
Ramsey. (Captain). N— captain. War 1812 186
Ramsey. William H.— lieutenant, third Illinois regiment, War 1812 175
Ramsey's Creek— letter of General Howard to Governor Clark, dated from September
16. 1813 149,150
Randall, Davis— private. War 1812 185
Randle. Thomas— private. War 1812 181
Randieman, Henry— corporal. War 1812 160.195
Randleman. Jacob — sergeant. War 1812 179
Randolph County, Illinois— Captain William Boon's company of mounted volunteers of.
War 1812 192
first and third regiments fmm. War 1812 173
mention 27. 31. 66. 147.172. 178. 189. 192. 219, 271, 516, 541.545
Randolph Family— early settlers of McLean County, Illinois, mention 526
Randolph. James— private. War 1812 187
Randolph, McLean County. Illinois— mention 640
Raner. Samuel— lieutenant, first Illinois regiment. War 1812 176
Rangers and Mounted Militia— mention '2
669
Index — Continued.
Page
Rangers from Illinois and Missouri Territories— General Benjamin Howard to command. 146
mention 71
Rangers, (mounted)— company raised in the Goshen settlement 71
company raised in Missouri 71
five companies of. organized near the Wabash 71
four companies of. recruited from Indiana Territory 71
United States Congress authorizes the enlistment of ten com-
panies of 71
United State'?, mention 127
Rankin. Robert— subscription to McKendree College 314
Rapp Colony, of New Harmony. Indiana— mention 261
Rardln. James K— member of Illinois State Historical Society VIII
Rascow. Jesse— private. War 1812 187
Raicllff. James— judge advocate, four Illinois regiment. War 1812 176
lessee of salt wells and salt springs in the United States, mention 251
Ravenswood. Illinois- Woman's Club, work of 322.327
Rawlings. Moses— private. War 1812 185
Kawllns' House— home of General Rawlins, where Lafayette was entertained at Shawee-
town, mention 257
Rawlinson, (Sir), Henry Creiwicke- English Assyrlologist and diplomat, born at
Chadllngton. Oxfordshire. April 11, 1810. died.
March 5. 1895 23
Rawlinson. Shadrach— private. War 1812 188
Rawlinson. William, private. War 1812 188
Ray. (General) commands Kentucky troops, mention 130
Ray, Thomas— mention 330
subscription to McKendree College 344
Raymond, James H.— member Illinois State Historical Society VIU
Read. 6. vv.— one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, mention 309
Read, William— private. War 1812 196
Reading. Ohio— mention 378
Keagan. Elizabeth— killed In the Wood river massacre 154
Reagan, (Mrs.), Bachael— children of. massacred in the Wood river massacre, burial of. 156
killed in the Wood river massacre 154
mention 165.166
Reagan. Ranson— resident of the "Moore Settlement." mention 156
Reagan, Timothy— killed in the Wood river massacre 154
Reas. Samuel— private. War 1812 187
Reavis. Edward— first sergeant, volunteers. War 1812 194
Rebellion. War of— see War of the Rebellion
"Recorder" (newspaper)— published at Kaskaskia. 1828-1833 206
Rector, (rolonel) Charles— commands volunteers in Indian Ca:i.palgn, 1812 131
Rector, Ellas— Ad jutant General of Illinois Territory, War 1812 66, 131, 172, 173. 183
mention, see foot-note 181
Rector. Nelson— Alde-de Camp. War 1812 178
member of ('aptaln Levering's crew 74
member of Governor Edwards' stafi. War 1812 132
mention 82.163,164
volunteer aid. War 1812 183
Rector, Stephen— War 1812 164,190.195
Rector, William— Aide to Governor Edwards, War 1812 172,183
Brigadier General, War 1812 172
Red River— mention 449
Reddick, William- of La'^alle County, Senator, Sixteenth General Assembly of Illinois,
18<«50 428
Reed, John— sergeant. War 1812 187
Keed. William— corporal. War 1812 181
Reede. Elijah— privatp. War 1''12 196
Reeder (Miss) Emily Jane, of Oneida County, N Y.— wife of Hon. Hiram W. Beckwith.. 25
Re-'lf' ot Lake— mention 277
Rees, Thomas— sends gavel to be presented to Illinois State Historical Society 2
Reeves. Mrs. Kate K.— member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
Reeves. Nat —flfer. A^ar 1812 185
Register of Baptisms administered in the Church of the Mission and in the Parish of the
Immaculate Conception of Our Lady. 16921721 394-413
Reid. Thomas— lieutenant. Third Illinois Regiment War 1812 175
Reindeer (Hudson river boat)— mention 204
Religious Newspaper— "Pioneer" of Rock Spring, first religious newspaperln Illinois... 207
Renandlere. Charles de la— son of Sieur Philippe de la Renandlere and Perrlne Pivet.
baptism of 410.411
Renandlere. Philippe de la— child of baptized 410 411
clerk of the mines for the company of the west, mention.. 410 411
sponsor at baptism of child of slave 410-411
Renault. Philippe Francois de— founded the village of St PHIlppe and Introduced Afri-
can slavery Into Illinois Territory 466
Rendell. Thomas— private. War 1812 179
Renfro, (Rev.) Jesse— one of the Incorporators of McKendree College 361
mention 339
Reiner. Samuel— sergeant. War 1812 183
670
Index — Continued.
Page
RSensac. Maardalaine— daughter of Michel BSensao and Susanne ^nesacSc, baptism
of 412,418
RSensac. Michel— child of baptized 412.418
Republlc(The)— (United States) mention 518
Republic of Mexico- mention 37
"Republican Advocate" (newspaper)— published at Kaskaskla. Ellas Kent Eane, editor) 206
Republican Editors of Illinois— (justavus Koerner's letter to, mention 304
Republican National Convention of 1860. at Chicago- incident concerning 297
report of the nomination of Abra-
ham Lincoln for president, by Dr.
Humphrey H. Hood, to the "Free
Press" of HUlsboro, 111 368-372
Dr. Robert Boal, alternate delegate
to 382
Republican Party— birth and formation of.... 44,296
mention 47.209.300,382,625
National Convention of 1860 at Chicago, ill 297
Republican State Convention of 1856, at Bloomlngton, HI , mention 18,212
"Republicans, Black"— delegates so called at the National Convention of 1860 368
Resolutions Introduced in Congress by Hon. I. N. Arnold on the abolition of slavery 235
Resolutions of respect and esteem for the Hon. Hiram W. Beckwith 3-4
Resolutions on death of Hon. John N. Jewett 16 16
Response to the address of welcome to the Illinois State Historical Society by Dr. J. F,
Snyder 2124
Revenue Act of 1898, State of Illinois- see foot-note 496
Revised Statutes of lUiaois— see Illinois Revised Statutes
Revolutionary War— flag carried in by General Pavey, (Posey) mention 257
Illinois, part In 19
mention 62,79,308,809,311,327,508
Scotch-Irish in 309
Reynolds. James— mention 132
judge advocate, second Illinois regiment. War 1812 177
member of Colonel Jacob Judy's company in War 1812 131
mention 30,32
private. War 1812 188
Reynolds. John— born in Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, Feb. 26.1789; died at Belle-
ville, Illinois, May 8,1865; fourth governor of Illinois, Dec. 9.1830. to
Nov. 17.1834
account of the expedition against the Indians, written by 131-133
candidate for United States Senator from Illinois 1823. vote cast for.. 50. 521
defeated for office of superintendent of public Instructions of Illinois. 60, 61
Illinois State Historical Society anxious to secure copy of work of.... 60
"Life and Times" of. mention 69
mention 4.29.268.293,312.433
" My Own Times" see footnote 416
nominated for State superintendent of public Instructions of Illinois.
mention 60
opponent of Jesse Burgess Thomas for United States Senator from
Illinois, 520,521
Pioneer History of Illinois, mention 68.166.167
Pioneer History of Illinois, quotations from 616
Pioneer History of Illinois, reference to, see foot note 68
relates the story of Thomas Hlggins in his Pioneer History of Illinois.
mention 167
" School Advocate." or, an essay upon the Human Mind and Educa-
tion, title of a work by, mention 59.60
sergeant in company of William B. Whitesldes, mention 131
"The Old Ranger," name by which he was familiarly called 59
Reynolds. John P.— active in the cause of education in Illinois, mention 224,225
secretary Illinois State Agricultural society, mention 224,225
Reynolds. Robert— mention , 230
Reynolds. William— surgeon's mate. War 1812 177.188
Rhine River— mention 291
Rhodes. John H . Sr.— mention 628
Rhodes. William J.— estate of 532
mention 630
Richardson. George— private. War 1812 190
Richardson. Samuel— mention 199
Richardson. William- private. War 1812 196
Richardson. (Col.) William A.— democratic candidate for governor of Illinois In 1856. de-
feated by William H. Blssell 383
member Illinois Tenth General Assembly. 1836 28
Richmond House— mentlon(Chlcago hotel) 371
Richmond, Virginia- mention 200
Richmond. Volney P.— account of the Wood River massacre by 164-166
Rlchy. William— lieutenant, third Illinois regiment. War 1812 177
Rlggin. Betsey M.— mention 845
Riggin. James— mention 330.384
one of the incorporators of McKendree College 861
secretary of the board of trustees McKendree College 338
trustee McKendree College, mention 332,338
671
Index — Continued.
Paee
Risrcror, Henry B.— private, War 1812 193
Klggs, (Captain) boat of , In conflict, Uampbell's battle, mention 162
Blgsrs, (Lieutenant) mention 163
Blgut, Tollver— captain, second Illinois regiment. War 1812 174
private. War 1812 188
Right, William— private. War 1812 i82
Riley. Joseph— lieutenant, third Illinois regiment. War 1812, (resigned) 175
KUguer, Joseph— private. War 1812 184
Rio de Kochefort, Marie Magdalen— godmother at baptism of Ignatius Phllllpe 400,401
Rio Grande River— mention 37
Rlsenbough, Peter— private. War 1812 180
Rittenhouse, David— astronomer, mention 556
Rlttenhouse, William— private, War 1812 IbO
River Forest (Ills.) Woman's Club— mention 327
"River (The) St. Louis "—mention 448
Riverside, lllinois,Woman'8 Heading Club— mention 327
Riviere a la Roche (Rock River)— mention 66
Rixleben, Augustus- trustee of Jonesboro College 350
Roach. Matthew— private. War 1812 182
Road Tax, State of Illinois— act providing for the payment of, March 11,1869 487
Roakson. Lieutenant commands company in Indian campaign, 1812 131
Robillard, Adrian— godfather at baptism of Maria Anna Danys 398.399
Roberts, Andrew, private. War 1812 194
Roberts, Archibald— lieutenant Fourth Illinois regiment. War 1812 1<7
Roberts, Asa— estate of o34
Roberts, (Capt.)— commanding officer at Mlchlllmacklnac, mention 122
Roberts. Ellas— private. War 1812 192,195
Roberts. George L.— publisher of the "Central Christian Advocate." mention 340
Roberts, John— private. War 1812 192
Roberts. Joslah— lieutenant Second Illinois regiment. War 1812 174
Roberts. (Bishop) Robert R.. mention 332
Roberts. Thomas— captain first Illinois regiment. War 1812 176
lieutenant First Illinois regiment. War 18J2 173.183
Roberts. William— (spy) private. War 1812 194
Robertson. Ellen C — wife of John Mayo Palmer, mention 386
Robertson, (Hon.) George — of the Kentucky Court of Appeals, mention 292
Robertson. John— private, War 1812 193
Robeson. George Maxwell— secretary of the United States Navy, mention 300
Robins, John— private. War 1812 180
Robinson, Amos— private. War 1812 178
Robinson. Andrew— private. War 1812 190.195
"Robinson Argus," (newspaper) published at Robinson, 111 212
Robinson, David— War 1812 181,189,190,194
Robinson, George— lessee of salt wells and salt springs in the United States, mention... 251
Robinson, James— private. War 1812 192
Robinson, John— private. War 1812 192
Robinson, John H.— aid to Brie. Gen. William Rector, War 1812 178
Robinson. Joseph— corporal. War 1812 178
Robinson. Illinois— "Robinson Argus." (newspaper) published at 212
Robinson. Israel— private, war 1812 181
Robinson. Robert— major Randolph company, War 1812 172
private. War 1812 178
Robinson. Richard— sergeant War 1812 183
Robinson, (Rev.) Smith L.— agent to solicit funds in the United States for McKendree
college 336
of Kaskaskia circuit 330
Robinson. Tlra— sergeant. War 1812 196
Robinson. William R.— estate of 631
Robston Hugh— private. War 1812 184
Rochblave, Henri- ensign First Illinois regiment. War 1812 178
Roehblave. Philip— ensign First Illinois regiment. War 1812 173
lieutenant First Illinois regiment. War 1812 178
Rockefeller, John D , mention 837
Rockford, Illlnolg— New England Historical Society in 20
Federation of clubs in, mention 326
mention 9
Monday Club of 318
Rock River— appropriation for the Improvement of 490
British agents stationed at, mention 66
emissaries of the British lodged near 66
Indian tribes 116
mention 19,148,152.160,162,165,168,203
(Riviere a la Roche), see foot-note 65
Sac Indians along Rock river 67
Sacs, mention 168
Valley, mention 148
Rock Springs Ills. "Pioneer" newspaper published at ".! 207
Rocky Mountains— mention 436.443.444
Rocky River— mention 165
Roder. Philip— ensign. War 1812 \\', 179
Rogers. Henry— private. War 1812 179
Roger's Park. 111.. Womanjs Club, mention 326,327
672
Index — Continued.
Page
Rol or (Roy) Audr^, private. War 1812 18i 192
Kokker. H. W.— publisher of Davidson and Stave's. "History of iliinoVs" 375
Rolls, Edward— private. War 1812 t4o
Roman Catholic Church, mention '..'.'.'.'.'..'. 377
Roman Colonies, mention '.'.".'. 4S7
Roman, William W.— subscription to McKendre'e College !'.! 315
Rombauer, A'lgusta— daughter of Quatavus Koerner 305
Rombauer. (Hon.) R. E.— address before the Illinois State Historical "Society "woi.'on
„ , .,_ ^, The Lif e of Hon. Gustavus Koerner 286-307
Roderick E., mention 3X5
Rome. City of— mention n'iky^ak km
Ronan. (ensign) George-death of. mention \^\V^y^V^V/^V^"V^\\[V^Vf^.l2Z
in Captain Heald's company at Fortbearborn!!".".!!'.'.!!".*.",".".'.'. 117
killed In the Fort Dearborn massacre 121
_ ox , T, opposes evacuation of Fort Dearborn ...'...'.'.'.'..". in
Ronan. Stephen R,. mention 255
Roosa. Mrs. S. V.— member Illinois State Historical Society!.".'.".*".' VIII
Roosevelt. Theodore— member of committee on reform of the civil '8'e'rviceret"c"Ne'w
York, May 15. 1876, mention 302
„ „, , ,. (Presidentof the United States)imentlon '.'.'". 312
Rose, Edmond— lieutenant Fourth regiment. War 1812 ' 176
Rose, Elbert— ensign. Fourth regiment. War 1812 176
Rosecrans. (General), W. S.— mention 278 279
Ross. Andrew— private. War 1812 100
Ross. Asa— corporsl. War 1812 .'.'.'.".'.'.".'.'.'.'.*.'.'.'.'.'.' iSb
Rotter, Thomas— ensign, second Illinois regiment. War 1812..'.*.'.'.". 174
Rounds. H. B.— member Illinois State Historical -ociety VHi
Rountree, Ellen M.— wife of Hon. John N. Jewett. mention 15
Rowan, Archibald— private. War 1812 igc
Rowdon. Wlllam P— sergeant. War 1812 "'* 19?
Roy. (or Koi). Andr6— private. War 1812 jji jg-)
Roy, Genevleve-daughter of Peter Roy and Maria Anne Mafc8tent.*b"a'ptis'in'of!!".!I!1.398'399
Koy, Maria Loiiisa— daughter of Peter Roy and Maria Mac8tenslc8c. baptism of 398.399
Roy Peter— child of baptized 398 399
Royal Agricultural College— at Gloucester. England, nientl'o'n!!!.'.'.'.'!!"** 215
Royalston, Hugh— private. War 1812 195
Rolyston, Hugh-private. War 1812 111^!^.' .'!!.' !!!." 190
Ruetli Mountain. Swltzland— mention 289
guggles. (Gen.), James M.— Honorary Member Illinois St'ate"Hi's"t'or'i'c'al"Soc'i"et"y.'.'.!'.!'.;'.'' VII
Ruland. (Colonel). John, of St Louis. Missouri— mention 125
Runaway Slaves— act in relation to. Introduced in Illinois legislature In s'e's's'iono'f' 1835-6! 423
Runaway Slaves— an act for the safe keeping of." introduced in the 11th General As-
sembly of 1838-9 425
Rushvllle, Illinois— Whig Newspaper, published at. mention .'!!!.' 210
Russell. member of the militia who served in the action at Fort Dearborn,* not
mentioned by Captain Heald 124
Russell Camp— Davis Gillard, furnished wagon, team and driver for transporting mili-
tary stores from Shawneetown to. War 1812 187
detachment of mounted militia sent to guard military stores sent from
Shawneetown to. War 1812 186
James Radcllff, furnished wagon and team for trans'portin'g m'iii'tary
stores from Shawneetown to. War 1812 187
Meed McLaughlin, furnished wagon, team and driver for transport'i'n'g
military stores from Shawneetown to, War 1812 187
report of troops, commanded by Major Benjamin Stephenson.'s'eptem-
berl2. 1812, made at. War 1812 !..... ige
William Morrison, furnished wagon, team and driver for transporting
T, ,, , , military stores from Shawneetown to War 1812 187
Russell, John— corporal. War 1812 193
Russell, (Professor), John— "A Glimpse at the Future. Three "Hundred 'Ye'a'r's'flence.'"
prophecy by 435-440
communication from, published in Illinois State Journal,
November 25. 1857 69
mention 59 60
Russell. S. G.— sonof Professor John Russell, mention !!!!!!!!!!!! 60
Russell, (Colonel), William— commands company of mounted rangers .!!!!!!!!!!!!! 71
commands D. S. rangers ! !.. 127, 131
mention iss 134
Russia, C»ar Nicholas of Russia— mention !!!.!!!!!'.!!!!!!,...' 39
mention !!!!.!!!.!!!.!!!."!!.*!!!.!!! 260
„..-,„ ^, technicalieducation in !!! 216
Rust. John F.— mention 599
"Ru«ticu8"— country lawyer might be classlcaily'term'e'd!.'!.*!!!."!.*!*!.*!!!" 240
Ruth, Rueben F.. of Springfield. Illinois— mention 201
Rutherford. John— private. War 1812 ioi 191
Rutherford. ((General). Griffith— mention 311
Rutherford, (Dr.), R. C —lectures in behalf of the IndustVi'aVLeaVne ofiil'lno'ls!!!!!!!!!!! 222
Kut edge, Edward -one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, mention 309
Rutledse, (Governor). Edward— mention 311
Rutledge, John— chief justice of the United States, mention ..'.'.'..'.'.*.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.*.'.'.'.'. 312
R88canga, Catherine-wife of Louis Paqaier Delannas, child of, baptized .'."394,395
673
Index — Continued,
Peee
Ryan, John-private. War 1812 190.195
Ryan. William-private. Wnr 1812 179.1J0.195
Sacatchi8c8c. Helen— wife of Louis Duguet Duverdler. child of. baptized 396,397
Sac Indians— British agent, distributes presents ainongr. to be used against the Americans 6S
declare their friendship for the United States 99
mention 67,75.76.97.142.117.118.119.150.151. 152,163.163.165.168,169
received arms and ammunition from the British traders 65
Rock River Sacs prepared to strike , 67
sign treaty at St. Louis, mention 168
villaereof. mention 162
with Cat Fish (Pottawatomie Indian), at Loutre settlement robbery 67
Safford, (Mrs.) A. B.— erects building at Cairo. Illinois, for Woman's Club and Library
Association 318
"SageofMontlcello." Thomas Jefferson 567
St. (Jharles County, Missouri- mention 121-126
St. Charles (Territory of Louisiana)— mention 83.103,115
mention, see foot-note 67
St Charles Township. Kane County. Illinois- mention 217
St. Clair, Arthur— first governor of the Northwest Territory 230
mention 475
St. Clair County, Illinois— citizens of. hold mass meeting, demand protection of the
United States government against the Indians 69.70
German emigrants settle In 291
Qustavas Koerner locates in 291
history of. mention, see foot-note 171
mention 27.28.39.49,60.66.70.72.
83. 171. 172. 181 . 182, 271. 330. 332. 343. 350, 363. 361. 433, 434, 443. 516. 64 1 , 645
militia discharged by Gov. Edwards at Camp Russell 138
memorial of the citizens of, to President James Madison 70,71
mention 27.70
reception to 2nd Regiment Illinois Volunteers on their return
from the Mexican War 51
regiments in War J812 116.173.174
soldiers in the Mexican War. mention 61
votes against the Constitutional Convention of 1847 479
St. C'alr family of Ireland 309
jst. Clair Gazette, (newspaper)— established at Belleville, Illinois 206
St. Clair papers— mention 504
St, Genevieve, Mo,— mention 468
Count Volney — speaks of "Brine Springs" of. In his writings,
mention 247
St, Ignace. Mission of— mention 447.448
St. James. Court of— mention 229
St. Jean. Pierre— mention 133
St. John. Joseph— private. War 1812 194
St. John. Leonard— private. War 1812 178
St, John, Pierre— boatman, mention 74
St. Joseph, Mich.— captured and destroyed in 1778 by Paulette Melllot 19
captured by the Spanish 19
mention 167
Tom Brady of Cahokia captures in 1777 IH
St. Joseph River— mention 77.79.120,451.452
St. Lawrence River 446.447,419,451.454.455
St, Louis (Fort) du Rochet— fort erected by La Salle, mention 454,455
St. Louis. Mo.— Andrew Jackson to report at. mention 168
St. Louis, Mo.— "Anzeiger des Westens," first dally German newspaper, in city
of St. Louis 303
St. Louis. Mo— Benjamin (Gov.) Howard's letter dated from. Jan. 13. 1812. on the
condition of Indian affairs 97
Capt. Heald of Chicago gives pass to Little Turtle to St. Louis 81
St. Louis. Mo.— Court of Appeals, mention 305
St. Louis. Mo.— extract from letter of William Clark on Indian affairs dated at 65
General William Clark's account of the Indian conference with
Gov, Ninlan Edwards, dated at. April 12. 1812 100 112
Incident related of Gov. Meig's encounter with an Indian, at 93
Indians driven from the Peoria village, return to at. Louis 141
letter from Governor and Superintendent of Indian Affairs, dated
at Jan. 13. 1826 166
mention 11.14.27.31.36,40.43.86.116.125.146.146,147.
150. 157. 158. 160, 163. 200. 201 . 223. 255. 291 . 305. 330. 810. 137, 438. 443, 468. 465. 567
St. Louis, Mo.— newspapers give first authentic account of the Battle of Buena Vista. 60
newspaper. Issue of July 2.1814 16i
St. Louis. Mo., (Vessel) "The Governor Clark" (armed boat)— arrives safely after run-
ning the gauntlet of
fire 161.162
'St. Louis Post— letter from General William Clark dated from 65
-43 H.
674
Index — Continued.
Page
"St. Louis Reveille"— early newspaper of St. Lonla. mention 50
"St. Lonls River. (The)"— name given by Jollet and Maiquette to the Mississippi River. 448
St. Luke's Hospital. Chicago— mention 25
St. Paul, the Apostle- mention 212
St. Paul's Episcopal Church of Mt. Vernon, O.— Hon. Jesse Burgess Thomas, one of the
organizers of 522
"St. Peter's Chair"— mention 29
St. Philippe— Illinois village founded by Renault 456
St. Pierre (Ensign)— wounded Ind^-fenseof Ft. iShelby. mention 162
St. Pierre, Robert— private. Wur 1812 184
St. Vincents— French and Canadian inhabitants of 414
St. Vraln, Felix— appointed Indian agent at Fort Armstrong, mention 142
murdered by the Indians inthe Black Hawk War 142
SakatchicSa, Dormit— godmother of Anthony Bosseron 398-399
Sakinghoara. John— child of baptizeri 396 397
Sskinghoara. John— son of John i^akingoara and Marie Susan Capki8pcl8c 396-397
Sakingoara, John— child of baptized 396-397
Sakingoara, John— son of John Sakingoara and Maria .Susan, baptism of 39B-397
Sakingoara, Maria Susan— mother of John Sakingoara 396-397
Saklngora. Marie— daughter of John Gaultier Sakingora and Maria Susan, baptism
of 394-395
SakingSra, Domitilla— daughter of John Gaultier 3aklng8ra and Maria Susan CapeiSseize,
baptism of 3f!6-397
SakingSra. John Gaultier. child of baptized 398-397
Salary of Judges of the Supreme Court of Illinois reduced 296
Salem, 111., "Advocate" (newspaper)— published at 210
Salem. 111.— convention of Nov. 25, 1853. met at, to urge extra session of the Legislature. 33, 34
convention of Nov, 25, 1853, important to the State 35
Salem, Mass.— J. B. Turner attends academy in 228
Salem, Ohio— town on the Muskingum, Moravian Indians settled at, mention 474
Saline County. I 'llnois— mention 245
Saline Creek— fork of the Sangamon River, mention 136
" Saline Reservation "—committee selected to reserve land for 249
number of acres in township covering, mention 249
Saline River— French people operate salt springs on, evidences of, mention 246
Indians operate salt springs, wells and licks on. evidences of 242
mention 245
rental accruing to the United States from the salines on the Saline River,
mention 249
saline on. leased to Captain Bell, of Kentucky 248
salt-making on. process of 253-254
salt springs on leased by John Bates, of Kentucky 248
salt works on, slave labor In. mention 250,251
Saline Tract — near Shawneetown 416
Salines in Illinois— legislature of 1818-19 authorizes the continuance of leases of to indi-
viduals, etc 251-252
rental accruing to the United Slates from 249
territory, turned over to state of Illinois 249,265
Salines In Monroe County, Illinois— mention 252
Salines in Ohio— rental accruing to the United States from 249
Salines (The) of Southern Illinois— address before the Illinois State Historical Society,
1904 by -^rot George W. Smith 245-258
Salines of Southern Illinois- company holding the lease of, mention 265
Sally. Fort— under-ground passage to Lake Michigan from Furt Dearborn, see foot note. 119
Salt Cret-k— mention, see foot note 132
Salt Llfks— mention 245-258
Salt making on the Saline River— process of 253-254
Salt, Manufacture of — company formed on an extensive scale 255
in southern Illinois before the coming of the Europeans, mention 245
Salt River— mention 67.115,247
Salt Springs In Illinois- legislation on 249-250
mention 2J5. 216. 247. 248
Salt Springs In Ohio— mention 247
Salt Springs In the Northwest Territory— William Henry Harrison's report in Congress
on.... 247
Salt Springs in the Wabash Country— mentioned by Capt Thomas Hutchins 2«6
Salt Worfes— slave labor in, mention 260 251
Sal'illo. Mi-xlco— mention 50
Samples. Bpujamln- private. War 1812 179,183
Samples. David— private. War 1812 179
Sampler. David— private. War 1812 183
Sams. Rice— captain, third regiment. War 1812 175
Sams, Thoma-i— 'rustee of Jonesboro College 350
8an Antonio. Texas— menii"n 433
Saud Char IPS. Louis— meniion 283
Sand Mountains- mention 278
Sander, An' oiue— private. War 1S12 185
Sanders, George— private, vVar 1812 181
Sanders, (Col ) Geo'-ge .A — memt)er Illinois State Historical Society Vllt
San Diego. California— mention 166
675
Index — Continued.
Paee.
San Domingo— transactions relating to the acquisition of. mention 300
Sandusky. Ohio— liquor Introduced among the Indians at. by British. traders 65
mention 98
Sandwich Islands— David L. Gregg, United States Commissioner to. mention 224
Sandy Hill. N. Y.— mention 338
San Francisco. Cal.— mention 338
Sangamon County— company of mounted Volunteers from. In Black Hawk War 1832.
commanded by Capt. Abraham Lincoln 433
mention 271,276.282.330.381.424.425.626
Sangamon River— battle ground at the head of, reference to 20
Indians along, numerous and hostile 132
Saline fork of. mention 136
Sangamon Spectator(The) (newspaper) — published In Springfield, by Hooper Warren 206,207
Santa Anna. Gen. Antonio Lopez de. Mexican General- Battle of Buena Vista, mention.. 50
Santiago, mention 445
Saitley. (Miss) Olive — member Illinois State Historical Society Vill
memorial address on Dr. Humphrey H Hood 367-373
Saucier. Baptlste— appointed officer In militia company. Illinois Territory 66
ensign of the St. Clair County Reciment, May 3. 1809 172
Saucier. John B.— ensign Second Regiment. War 1812 174
Saukles, Sac Indians 68.461
Savage. Ell— War 1812 177.193
Savage. John— ensign. War 1812 193
Savage. William. Captain Second Ket;iment. War 1812 174
Savana. Illinois— Women's Literary Club, mention 327
SavanuHh, Georgia- mention 281
Sayler. H L.— member Illinois State Historical Society VI II
Scarrett. Abigail— mention 345
Scarrltt. (Dr ) Jotham 339
Scates. McAllister. Jenett & Peabody. law firm in Chicago 15
Schaeflfer vs. Bonham— case of. reference to. see foot-note 499
Scheel, John— becomes a citizen of the United Sta-es: locates In St. Clair county, 111 291
Schiller, (the poet)— Centennial of the birth of ; Gustavns Koerner's address on 304
his ver.'iion of the oaih of the Conlederaied Swiss on Ruetll moun-
tain, mention 289
Schlleman. Helnrioh — German archaeologist, born at New Bucklow. Mecklinburg-
Schwerin.Jan 6,1822; died at Naples. Dec. 20. 1890
researches of in Greece, reference to 22
Schmidt. Dr. Otto L— member Illinois State Historical Society VI 11
Schoenbrun. Town of— on the Muskingum. Moravian Indians settle at 474
School Advocate— an essay upon the human mind aud its education; title of a work by
Gov. Reynolds. An inquiry conceruing 59-60
Schools and Education of the Human Miud— treatise on by Ex Gov. John Reynolds.
mention 60-61
School Children's Aid (Socletv)— outgrowth of the Chicago Woman's Club 319
Schoolcraft. Prof H L— member Illinois State Historical Society VlII
Schroeder. Dr. H.. mention 634
Schurz. Carl— chairman of committee at Conference of reformers. New Fork, May 15.
1876 302
famous speech at Veranda Hall, St. Louis, 1860, mention 306
mention 297. 299. 300,371.372
Sclpion, (a slave)— child of baptised 408-409
"Scope, (The)— of Puoltlve and Exemplary Damages," written by Gustavua Koerner;
reail before the American Bar Association 304
mention 378
8cotch-Irl?h— emigration to the United States 308-309
Scotch-Irish In America— thirteen of the signers of the Declaration of Independence
Scotch- Irish by birth 309
Scotch-Irish (The)— in American history; address before the Illinois State HistorlcHl
Society. 1904. by Robert A. Gray 308-313
Scotch Irish— in the Revolntlonary War 309
patriotism of 309
Scotch-Irish Presbyterians— VValter Buchanan, member of colony of. mention 263
Scotch-Irish Race- Froude. the English historian, quoted on the Scotch-Irish race 309
George Waahlugton's tribute to. 311-312
list of presidents of the Uuiied States furnistied by 312
Proctor Knott's tribute to 313
Scotch School Teachers— mention 609
Scotland— mention 272.378
towns in. usage of the word term 467
Scott, Alexander— sergeant In War 1812 IfcO. i91
Scott, Amos (Squires)— captain Second regiment. VVar 1812 174
Scott. Edgar S— member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
Scott County. Mo —mention 374
Scott, "Ured Scott Decision."— mention 4oO
676
Index — Continued.
Page
Scott. Francis— private. War 1812 191
Scott, John— captain St. Clair County regiment and Second reerlment. War 1812 172,174
(vice Christopher Barnhart) ensign. Second regiment, War 1812 174
major. Second regiment. War 1812 177
muster roll of 3rd Co. detached from Col. Whiteside's regiment. War 1812. 179
private. War 1812 191
Scott Manual of Arms and Tactics— mention 275
Scott. Mrs. M. T. (Julia Qreen)—member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
mention 14
Scott, Samuel— private. War 1812 180,193
Scott, William-Corporal. War 1812 193
Scott, WilHam. Jr.— Ensign of St. Clair County Regiment. War 1812 172
Scott (Gen.) Wlnfield— Battle of Cerro Gordo fought under the generalship of 38
mention 294.312
Presidential candidate 38
Scroggins— John-Ensign. Third and Fourth Regiment. War 1812 175.176
Sealey. Henry— private. War 1812 191
Searsey, Philip— mention 345
Sebastopol. Siege of— mention 39
Second Regiment Illinois Volunteers, Mexican War— Gustavus Koerner's tribute to brav-
ery of .51.53
''Secretary's and Treasurer's report, Illinois State Historical Society— mention 5 6
Secretary of 6tate, Illinois— Col. A. P. Field appointed to office of 5 6
Lvman Trumbull. Secretary of State. 1841. mention 43
mention 5
records from office of, at Kaskaakia. removed by Sidney
Breeseto Vandalla 36
Secretary of the Treasury. U- S— report on Incomes of Salines. 1826. mention 253
Secretary of War. U S.— mention ,. 474
Sedan. Triumph of— mention 288
Segar. Louis- private. War 1812 184
Sell, Will J —member Illinois State Historical Socifty VIII
Selby. Paul. A. M.— address before Illinois State Historical Society. 1904. "The Part of
Illlnolsans in the National Educational Movement 1851-62" 214-229
editor of the Morgan Journal, mention 210
editor of the Qnincy Whig, mention 210
mention V,I4
member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
Vice-President Illinois State Historical Society. 1904-1905 V.16
Sellers, George E.— article in the Popular Science Monthly quoted, on Salt Works and
Negro Labor 250
mention 257
theory of. as to the markings found on the pottery In Gallatin Co.. 111. 246
Selph. Ell— private. War 1812 196
Semple, (Gen.) James— elected to Ninth and Tenth General Assemblies. State of Illinois.
1834-36 28,523
Senaca Indians of Upper Canada— apply for land to the Sacs 99
Senachwlne— short distance above Peoria Lake, Gen. Howard marches troops to 148
Senate Journal of Ills.— 1826. foot-note 421
1834-35. footnote 424
1835-36, foot-note, mention 423,424
1836-37. reference to, see foot-note 488
1839-1843. see foot-note 425
1849, footnote 428,429
1851. foot note 428.436
1853, foot note 428
1857. foot note 430
1859. foot note 430.431
1861-1865. foot note. See Illinois State Senate 431
Serrano. Marshal— Spanish minister to the United States, mention SCO
Servant. Col. R. B.— of Randolph County. Illinois 545
Servant. " Pompey"— servant to Lieut. Col. Philip Tramell. War 1812 186
Sevier. (Col.) John— officer in command at the battle of King's Mountain 310
Seward. W. H.-mention 297.300.371.372
Shakespeare— drama, classes for the study of 319
mention 376
works of. mention — 303
Shamberger. Baptiste-ensign. second regiment. War 1812 177
Shannon. Thomas— surgeon's mate, third and fourth regiments. War 1812 176
Shaw. Aaron— of Lawrence county, representative to the 17th General Assembly of Illi-
nois. 1850-52. resolution offered hv 429.430
Shaw, Albert— Local Government In Illinois, J. H. U. Studies Vol. I, quoted, foot note... 479
mention 504
Shaw and Hansen (contest)— contest over seat of in the Third General Assembly. State of
Illinois, mention 268
Shaw, Benjamin F,— career as an editor, mention 212
editor" The Dixcn Telegraph" 211
member of the first republican State convention In Illinois. 1856,
mention 212
677
Index — Continued
Pagre
Shaw. John— contests election of Nicholas Hansen In Illinois Legislature of 1S22 268.421
member of legislature In 1822 620
Shawnee Chief (newspaper)— name changed to the " Illinois Emigrant" 206
Shawnee Chief (newspaper)- second newspaper publlshea In the State of Illinois, Shaw-
neetown. Sept. 5. 181W 206
Shawnee Indians— massacre of the French by, mention 247
mention 99, 99, 247, 453
tell Lieutenant George Irving of salt springs In Ohio 247
Shawnee Prophet (The)— mention 74,88,89,101,103,104,106,107.111
Shawneetown, Illinois— branch of the State Bank at mention 28,336
David GlUard furnished wagon, team and driver for transport-
ing military stores from, to Camp Russell. War 1-12 187
detachment of mounted militia sent to guard military stores
from, to Camp Russell. War 1812 186
James Radcllff furnished wagon and team for transporting mili-
tary stores from, to Camp Russell, War 1812 187
land district created B^eb. 12. 1812, mention 249
Meed McLaughlin furnished wagon, team and driver for trans-
porting military stores from, to Camp Russell, War 1812 187
mention 71,201,210,247.257,265,490
Michael Sprinkle, first white man to settle in, mention 248
Rawlins House, mention 257
Saline tract near, mention 416
"Shawnee Chief," second newspaper in the State, established
In 1818 £06
territory, letters dated from War 1812 J38-139
William Morrison furnished wagon, team and driver for trans-
porting military stores from, to Camp Russell 187
Sheets. J. M.— member Illinois State Historical Society VIU
Shegagoa, (meaning onion) 461
Shegagoaa— Indian word for kitten skunk 461
Shfrgaeoagl— Indian word for kitten skunks, plural of S^hegagoaa 461
Shegagcegl, (Chicago)— name given by "Foxes." (meaning region of the skunk) 461
Shegaewa— Indian word for skunk 461
Shegagwagi— Indian word for skunks, plural of Shegagwa 4fil
Shelby County. Ills.— votes against the Constitutional Convention of 1S47 479
Shelby. (Col.) Isaac— officer In command at the Battle of King's Mountain 3l0
Shelby, ((iov.) Isaac, of Kentucky— belief concerning Kentucky troops in the invasion
of Illinois territory, mention 138
Fort Shelby nampd after 160
General Samuel Hopkins' letter to, on the Kentucky
troops exuedltlon against the Indians 128-131
letter of Gov. Edwards to. dated Kaskaskia, March
22. 1813, on British & Indian sitnatlou 158-159
Shenandoah Valley, mention 40
Shepherd, Bolln— lifer War 1812 179
Sheppard, Prof. R. D.— member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
Sheridan, Richard Brins ley— member English Parliament 32
Sheridan, (Gen.) Philip Henry— mention 312
Sherman Hospital— Elgin. 111., mention 324
Sherman, iQen.) W.T.— mention 279-281
orders to Gen. Morgan before Atlanta, mention 280
Sherman, Roger, mention 562
Sherman, Wharlotte— subscription to McKendree <Jollege 345
Shields, James (Capt.)— (later general), soldier and statesman. United States Senator
from three states. Illinois. Minnesota and Missouri
appointed by President Polk, commissioner of the general land
office 294
Shields, Capt James— appointed by President Polk, governor of Oregon 39
appointed commissioner general of the United States land
office 37,294
auditor of public accounts. State of Illinois 37,293
challenges Mr. Lincoln to a duel 37
commissioned brigadier-general, then major-general in the Mexi-
can War. mention 294
death of. at Ottumwa. la .June 1. 1879 40
Democratic opponent of Lyman Trumbull, for Uulted States Sen-
ate 4i
elected to the legislature of Illinois 1636 87
elected to the Uulted States Senate from Illinois 1847 39
elected to the United States Senate from Missouri 40
forms law partnership with Adam W. Snyder and Gustavus Koer-
ner. June 1857 38
Judge of the Supreme Court State of Illinois. J843 mention 37,293
leaves Ireland In 1826 86
locates in Kaskaskia. first teacher, later lawyer 36
member of the law firm of Snyder & Koerner, mention 292
678
Index — Continued .
Page
Shields Capt. James— member of the legislature of Missouri, 1874 40
mention 30.285.381
opens law office in Carrolton, Mo 40
ovation given him at Belleville, Illinois, on his return from the
Mexican War 38,39
personal appearance of 36
serves with distinction In the Valley of Shenandoah in Civil War,
mention 40
succeeds Sidney Breese in the United States Senate 33
United States Senate, mention 38.40.49
wounded In the battle of ("erro Gordo 38
wounded in the battle of Kernstown. War of Rebellion 40
Shiloh, Battle of— W. H L Wallace killed in. mention 276
Shoaff, James— conneote'l with the Press at Decatur, Illinois 211
Shoal. Creek Company— Third Battalion. Second Keglment. War 1812 175
Shoal Creek of lUinuls- Cox family, members of. killed and taken prisoners by Indians,
near Shoal Creek 68
fort erected on east side of, mention 72
lessees of Saline on, mention 253
mention 83,150,165
murderers. Jacque Mettle ffivfs information concerning 177
murdf-rers. Nom-bo-itt (Pottowatomle Indian) one of them 77
Saline, salt welis on. kettles found on 253
Shook, Aaron-private, War 1812 181
Shook. Amos— private. Wsr 1812 190,195
Shook. Samuel— private War l><i2 180
Short, Hubbard-privat-. War 1312 180.191
Short. Jacob, Captain- War 1S12 174,186,189,190
commands company mounted rangers 71
mention 166
muster roll Of, War 1812 180.191
Short, Moses— private War 1812 191
Show. John— prlvatp. War 1812 187
Shurtleff College— charter granted to. mention 332
mention 384
Shultz. John— Captain, Third Regiment, War 1812 177
Shultz, John— Ensign, Third Regiment. War 1812 177
Siberia, (Eastern) Archaeological, research in 23
Sibley, David- private. War 1S12 186
"Siege of Corinth." mention 278
Sigourney, (Mrs.) Lydia Howard iHuntley— mention 204
Silver Creek. Madison County. Ills., mention 72,253
Silver Creek Country, mention 165
Simcoe (Gov.) John Graves— Born near Exeter, England, Feb. 25th, 1752, Died in Torbay.
Oct.26th.lS06 63
promotes Indian hostilities against the United States 63
Simpson. James— Lieatenanr. Third K>^giment. War 18i2. (resigned) 176
Simpson. James. S.— Subscription to McKendree College 344
Simpson, William— Captain First Resriment. War 1812 173
Fourth Sergeant, War 1812 182
Major. Second Regiment. War 1812 175
Simpson, William. Jr .—En,«lgn, Third Regiment, War 1812 175
Sinclair. (Boal) Christiana Walker— Wife of Dr. Robert Boal. 378
Singleton, James VV —Editor of h Whig newspaper at Rushvllle. Ills., mention 210
Singleton, James vv —of Brown County, Delegate to Constitutional Convention of 1847 .. 426
Singleton, Major— mention 129
Sink, Daniel-private, War 1812 180
Sipl-'y. DavJd— private. War 1812 185
Sioux Indians— mention 96,99,150,157,160,454,455
Sixteenth Regiment. Illinois Infantry, mention 279
Sixteenth Street, Cbleago— Site of Indian Massacre, mention 121
Sixtieth Rpglment Illinois Infantry— mention 279
Skantlin, Walker— seargeant War 1812 185
"-Sketch of Edward Coles"— by Elihu B. Washburne. quoted 432
Slade. Charles-of Carlyle. Ills, mention 330,345
Slave party, mention • 268
Slavery— "An act declaring citizens of each State to be entitled to all privileges and
Immunities of the citizens of the several States." Title proposed for bill.... 428
"An act for a crusade by a Christian State against Negroas" title for bill
ssTcastically suggested by -Senator Alfred E. Ames 428
"An act to create an additional number of abolitionists In the State, and for
other purposes— title for bill suggested by Nixon 428
"An act to establish slavery In this State." title of a bill sarcastically suggested
by Sen. Norman B Judd *28
"An act to repeal Statutes known as Black Laws" Introduced In the 24th Gen-
eral Assembly, of Illinois 1865 431
Attempt tointroduce it into the State of IlllDois, mention *»
679
Index — Continued.
Page
Constitutional Convention of 1818. provisions of slavery Act. VI, Sec. 2. of the
6tii Article, mention 250
counties of Illinois, vote for and against the Convention. 1824 270.271
destruction of. mention **
Edward Coles, leader against in Illiaois. mention 261
exclusion of. from territories, prinrtipal pUuk in Republican platform 1856 296
German emmigrants decide not to locate in Missouri on account of. mention... 291
Illinois divided upon question of extending 620
Slavery in Illinois— Hooot-r Warren's editorial pen a great weapon aicalnst 206
Legislation on. and tree negroes, 1818-1865. By Mason WcCloud Fish-
back paper contributed to the transactions of the Illinois State
Historical Society 190* 4U-432
Slavery— I. N. Arnold's resolution lutroduced in Congress on the Abolition of Slavery... 235
Slavery in the Northwest Territory— convention called 1802 248
Slavery— mention 66. 209. 217, 272, 273. 292, 295. 296. 330. 340, 456
old time editors of the State of Illinois saved the Stale from the curse of slavery 213
originally established in Illinois bv the French *U
Owen Lovejoy. great leader against, in the United States Congress 236
Slavery question, (Tne)— mention 330,340
Slavery question— mention, see foot note 330
Slavery— recognized by Spain and France 618
tolerated by American Cousrress 618
Slaves— an act for the safe-keeping of runaway slaves, introduced in the 11th General
Assembly, Illiuois. 1535-9 425
an act in relation to runaway slaves. Introduced In Uliaois legislature in ses-
sion of 1835-6 its
Coruelius Klliott, story of 261
Indiana Territory permits the bringing In of slaves from other states 250
introduced into the Territory of Illinois to work the Salines 265
mention 295
"Nigger Well," or Salt Works, worked almost wholly by, mention 250
Slave trade by Spanish vessels— mentiuu 300
Sleter, James— private. War 1812 184
Slocum. (Gen.), Henry Wadsworth— mention 312
Slocumb, Charles— enlisted. War 1812 - 186
Slocumb, John— built early fort in Illlnoi-< near present farm of Thomas Logan 72
Sloo, Thomas- appointed register of th-? Shawneetown land district, mention 249
authorized to make aiditional Saline reservations 249
Sloo, Thomas. Jr.— member of the Third General Assembly, of Illinois 266
Small. James— enlisted. War 1812 186
Smalley. Abraham— private. War 1812 191
Smalley. Isaac— estate of •• 635
Smelcer, Jacob— private. War I8i2 182,183
Smelson, David- corporal. War 1812 194
Smeltzer, David— corporal, War 1812. 19«
Smeltzer. Herman— private. War 1H12 - 194
Smith, (Mrs ) Clarissa Kathbone— mother of Mrs Jesse Burgess Tnomas, Jr., mention,. 257
Smith. Col. D. C —member ll:iuois State Historical Society VIII
mention J*
Smith. George— trustee Alton College, mention -oif
Smith, George W.— member Illinois State Historical Society VIll
Smith, (Hon.) George W , mention 238
Smith. (Prof.) George W.— address before the Illiuois State Historical Society, 1904. on
"The Salines of Southern Illinois" 245-258
member of board of directors of Illinois ->tate Historical
Society ^...V.16
Smith, George W.— member of committee on local historical societies, Illinois State His-
torical Society VI, 12
mention 6,14
reports on proposed Southern Illinois Historical Society 4,6
visits the old salt works owned by Temple & Castle 256
Smith, Hyrum— death of. mention -09
Smith. Isaac— private. War lSi2 190,1|;6
Smith, James— ad jaiant Second regiment. War 1812 174
ensign. First regiment, W»r 1812 173
Smith James— one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, mention 309
Smith, John— enlisted. War 1812 186
Smith. (Capt.) John, mention 460
Smith. (Gen.) John E.. m-^ntion 3*>"
Smith. John F.— captain Third regimenr,. War 1812 177
Smith, Joseph— death of. mention - 209
his part in the destruction of the newspaper office at Nauvoo, 111 209
Smith, (Mr.) o! Equality. 111., mennon 267
Smith, Robert- defeats Gustavus Koerner for Congress, mention 296
representative in Illinois, Tenth General As'seinbly, 1836 28
Smith. Stephen— lieutenant. Third Regiment. War 1812 177
Smith. Theophilus W.— father-in-law of Jesse Burgess Thomas. Jr 623-6L'4
Smith. Thomas— private. War 1812. 1S3.188
Smith. Uton— private. War 1S12 179
Smithsonian Institution. Washlnsrtan. D. C, mention 221.223
Smyth, James— private. War 1812 184
680
Index — Continued.
Page.
Smyth, John— private. War 1812 ,03
Snake Creek Gap, mention .'.' 279
Snake. Pottawatomie— in council at Cahokia, Apr. 16. 18 12. !."."!"."..' '.'!.'.".' ini
Snively. (Hon.) E. A— address before tae Illinois Stale Historical Society 1904, on. News-
. , , „ . , papers and Newspaper men of Illinois 206-213
Snlvely. E. A.— member of Illinois Press Association, present at meeting of Illinois
State Historical Society..., 1
member Illinois State Historical Society •..".'....!..'".."..''!."*."."!".*VIII
mention "* oil
Snively. Mrs. E. A —member Illinois State Historical Society.".".".".'.'.".'.'.' vill
Snodsrasa, Archibald— private. War 1812 i^tf 199
Snodgrass. Daniel- private. War 18(2 "'.!'.""." 196
Snodffrass, David. Captain— Lieutenant Third Regiment,'res'i'gced."War'l8i2.' .'.".".".".* 175 186
Sny Carte Levee, cases — mention '385
Snyder.lAaam W.— member of the firm of Snyder & Koerner!.."!!.".'!."^.'!."!*!^!!!""'"' 292
oae of the ablest men of Illinois, reference to '.'..".*. "" '35
congressman from St Clair county, 25th Congress, 1835-37 ...".'. 28
death of In May 1842. mention 293
law partner of Capt. James Shields aad Gustavas Koe'rne'r". .'"...'.'."... 38
mention 30
Snyder & Koerner— law firm, mention .".".'.'.'.*.'.'.'.'.'.".*.'.' 292
Snyder. Dr. J. F.— accepts gavel from the Illinois State Press "A's's'ociation.'re's'ponse'of" 2
An Inquiry" 59
archaeological research of. quoted .'.'...".'!.!'!.! 20
elected president of the Board of Directors of the Illinois'Staie Hl'g'-
torical Society j2
Forgotten statesman of Illinois. Paper contributed" by. to thetrans'ac-
tions of the Illinois State Historical Society. 1901 514-525
Introductory note by, to "Mr. Lincoln, as a Wrestler," 433
member of Board of Directors Illinois State Historical Society V, 16
member of Illinois State Historical Society VIII
memorial address on Bernard Stuc6, M. D 374-377
memorial address on Dr. Robert Boal 378-383
mention V.VI 6 13 14
native of St. Clair county. Illinois .!.."!!!...'....'..'.. 60
President Illinois State Historical Society, attends annual meeting of
Society and presides at same 1
President Illinois State Historical Society, 1904-1905 ....'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.".".'. '.V. 16
presides at business meeting Illinois State Historical Society 2
reads paper entitled "An Inquiry" before Illinois State Hlgtoric;il
Society ..4
response to address of welcome ..".'..'.....'........"..'..'.'. 21-24
(J. F. S.) signs foot-note /...."'.!"'.".. 441
Sketch of Life of Gov. Wm. Kinney, introductory to Gov. Kinney's
prophecy 44I
Snyder. Koerner & Shields— law flrm.mtnlion .'. .'. ".'.'."" 293
Snyder. William H.— addresses the convention at Salem, Nov. 25, i853.!Ii!!!!!!!!I!I.".*!!*.'.' 35
member of the legislature, of the Constitutional Convention of 1870. 35
mention 30,41
personal appearance of 35
„ , ,„ ^ . „, son of A. W Snyder, one of Illinois' ablest men '.'..'.,... 35
Social Extension Club. Chicago, Illinois 324
Soclety^ot the Army of the Cumberland-Gen. James D. Morgan.'pres'lde'n't 'o'f.'me'iition.*. 281
Social Science, Ciub of Champaign. Ililuols— mention 327
work of ". 324
Soldiers & Sailors Home. Quincy, Illinois— mention ' 281
Somerset County. Matne-mention ' '.'. '. 16
Sorosis (New York) Association— for the Advancement of Woin'e'n. "congress "called' by
„ , ,, , .„»T„. . the New York Sorosis 315
Sorosis (Jacksonville) Illinois-organization of 317
soule (Bishop) Joshua— mention .....'". 332
Sources (The) and Kesults of Law in Illinois- address delivered b"y*Ho"n.' Jo'hn'N*. Je"we"t"t
before the Illinois State Historical Society
at its meeting in Jacksonville. 1902. men-
South America— archaejlogieal research In ."""."*'.'."!.'.'!! "!!!!!.'!!!. "!.'!.*!!! 23
mention '.'.111'.'."'" '. 74
South American Republics— mention ..'..'....'.'......... ','.'.'... '.'.'. 31
„ , „ ,, „ technical education In. mention..*.'.'.'.'.".'.'.'.*.'.'.'.".'.".'!.'.''!.'.'.".''.'.'.*." 216
South Laroliaa, State of— government by districts, mention 470
mention !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. 478
Scotch-Irish emigrants settle in, mention !.!.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!... 309
secession of, mention 46
South Wind, (The) (Pottawatomle)—iu council at Cahokla, April 16.1812 !!"!!!!!!!!!!!". . 101
Southern Illinois Historical Society at Carbondale- proposal of one. etc., mention 4.5
Soutoern Illinois Normal School, Carbondale, III 14
Soy. George— Corporal, War 1812 191
681
Index — Continued.
Page
Spain— Gustavas Koerner appointed minister to 43
mention 31.299
slavery in territory, later embraced in Louisiana Purchase recognized by 618
Spaniards— reference to early American settlements of 90
mention 448
Spanish-American War— mention 379
-Spanish Architecture and Art— Gustavus Koerner publishes treatise on. mention 300
Spanish Conquest In Mlchlcan. 1781 19
Spanish Mines (Dubuque)— massacre of Americans by Puant and Winnebago Indians... 96
Sparks. Challes-enllsred. War 1812 186
Sparks, Prof. Edwin E.— chairman of committee to mark historic sites In Illinois VI
member of Board of directors of Illinois State Historical
Society V. 10
member of Illinois State Historical Society VIH
member of prosram committee of Illinois State Historical
Society VI 12
mention V. V1.12
Sparta. Illinois— mention 14.39.40
Spear, Stephen L—"lllluois Under the French. 1673-1705" paper contributed by, to the
transactions of the Illinois State Historical Society,1904 445-469
member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
Spence, M. H.— member Illinois State Historical Society VlII
Spencer. makes salt on Salt Creek saline 263
Spencer, (Dr.) Claudius— editor of the "Central Christian Advocate, ' mention 340
Spencer. Daniel— trustee of Jonesboro College 360
Spies, War 1812— Caot Samuel -Judy's company of mounted spies 18S
mention 186,194
Spoon River— mention i48
Sprigg, William— mention 616
Springer, John— lieutenant, second regiment. War 1812 177,194
Springer, John— subscription to McKendree College 344
Springer, (Hon.) William M.— menilon 238
Springfield, Illinois— Art Socletv, mention 317
Authors' Club of. organization of 819
bar, mention 376
Constitutional Convention of 1847, met in 479
Every Weanesday Club of, mention 327
foot note, mention 379
fourth convention in the Interest of Industrial education held in... 223
Illinois State Historical Society meets alternate years in 13
Illinois State Hegister published at, mention 210
mention 2.4,
5, 6. 7. 8, 11. 13. 14. 16, 38, 132, 201, 202, 210, 282, 367, 376, 433. 441, 443, 624
Obsequies of W. H. Blssell at 67
project to remove Slate Capital from Vandalla to 488
Sangamon Spectator (newspaper) published at 206
second convention held at. in the Interest of Industrial education .. 221
Woman's Club of. mention 327
work of 323
Sprinkle, Michael- first white man to settle in Shawne^towu, mention 248
Spy Company— Captain Judy's muster roll of.— called into service Oct. 18. 1812. to Nov. 12.
1812. SVar]812 188
" Squatter Sovereign" (newspaper)— published by James M. Davidson 211
"Squatter Sovereignty "—mention 297,301
Squires, Amos— major, captain, second regiment. War 1812 174.177,186
Staff of Gov. Nlnlan Edwards in the War 18i2 132
Stafford, Robert— private. War 1812 196
Stalllngs, John— private. War 1»12 190,195
Stallions, -vhraham- captain. lleut-naDt, second regiment. War 1812 174
Stallions, John-corporal, War 1812 179
Standlsh, Miles— mention 282
Standlee. Neadham— volunteer. War 1812 186
Stanford. Leland— University of, mention 316
Stanley, David— private. War 1812 185
Stanley, Needham— private. War 1912 196
Stanley, Stephen— sergeant, War 1812 196
Stanton, Edwin M.— Incideut In connection with President Johnson, trying to eject him
from the War Department 238
Stanton, (Dr.)— of Waterloo, illinois. mention 330
Stanton. Thomas— subscription to McKendree College 244
Stan wood, Oliver— estate of 638
Stanwood, (Mrs.) Thaddeus P , President of Illinois Federation of Women's Clubs 326
"Star of the West"— fifth newspaper published in Illinois 206
Stark, Edmond— private. War 1812 196
Stark, John— Hero of Bennington, mention 310
Starke, (Capt. ri.)— letter from, dated Ft. Madison. Jan. 1. 1812 96
letter from, dated Ft. Madison, Jan. 26. 1812. on Indian affairs 97
letter from, showing condition of Indian affairs 96,96
Starkey, Jesse— private. War 1812 193
Starkey Place in White County, Illinois— early fort built on what is now known as the
Starkey Place 72
682
Index —Continued.
Page
Starkey. John— private. War 1812 179
Starr & Curtis— Annotated -tatutes of Illinois, first edition, quoted, see foot-note 471
Annotated Statutes of lUinoid, mention 50i
Starved Rock— Indian villag-e »x 451
baSalle, erected fort at. mention 454
meniion 465
State Bank of Illinois— mention 28
State Banks— mention 33g
State institutions in Illinois for Educational Purposes— demand for restoration of college
and seminary fund, for 218
State Medical Society of Illinois 380
State Superintendent of l*ublle Instruction, State of Illinois— Biennial report of, for 1887-
188S, mention 214
John P. Brooks elected.
1862 211
mention 60.214
State Treasurer, State of Illinois— menjlon 493 494
State Universities in the United States— number of in existence 214
number of students attending 214
valuation of property owned by 214
State University of Illinois— agitation of project for establishment of, by the press, men-
tion 218
departments proposed for.by the "Industrial League" 222
inception of 218
(Prof.) J. B.Turner suggests plan for, at Teachers' Conven
tion, held in Pike {Jounty, Illinois, in 1850 218
States of the Confederacy— meation 556
Statesmen, Forgotten, of Illinois— paper contributed by Dr. J. F. Snyder to the transac-
tions of the Illinois State Historical Society. 1904 .514 525
Staunton, (Dr.) Thomas, mention 339
Steamer Henry Clay— burning of. on the Hudson River in 1852, mention 224
Steamer Lady Eigln— lost off the shore of Lake Michigan, near Evanston, 1860, mention. 10
Stearns, Arthur K.— member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
Steele, Archibald— ensign, lieutenant. First Regiment, War 1812 .176,177
private War 1812 183,192
Steele, George— ensign, lieutenant. First Regiment, War 1812 173
Steele, James— captain Fourth Regiment. War 1812 176
private War 1812 184
Steele, Wm.— private War 1812 180
Stennett, Dr. W. H —member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
Stephens, mention 240
Stephens. Drury— private War 1812 178
Stephenson County, Illinois— no returns from, on vote on Constitutional Convention of
1847 479
Stephenson, Benjamin— Adjutant General, War 1812. 178
Brigade Major. Inspector. War 1812 173
examines and approvos muster rolls, War 1812 ....187,188.190,191,192
command !i regiment in War 1812 147
commands volunteers In Indian campaign 131
companies commanded by, Sept. 12. 1812, War 1812 186
daily and weekly report of a detachment of rangers of the Illi-
nois Territory, April 17, 1813, under command of. War 1812 .... 190
mention .■ 151,183,189
Stephenson Nicholas H.— lieutenant First Regiment. War 1812 173
Sterling, Illinois— mention 9,14,203,204
Stern, Philip— volunteer War 1812 186
Stevens, Ezeklal— private War 1812 187
Stevens, Frank E.— address before the Illinois State Historical Society, 1904, on Illinois
in the War of 1812-1814 62-197
author of the "Black Hawk War," mention 62
member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
mention 14
Stevens' "Black Hawk War"— quoted, mention, see foot-note 147,163,163
Stevens. Thomas B.— mention 344
Stevenson, (Hon.) Adlal B— mention 14,238,312
Stevenson. Tennessee— mention 278
Steward, Miss Bertha, member Illinois State His^torical Society VllI
Steward, Charles— private War 1812 196
Steward, Jonathan— private War 1812 196
Steward, John F.— President Meramech Historical Society 9
member Illinois State Historical Society VIII
"Chicago: Origin of the Name of the City and the Old Portag«s."
paper contributed by, to the transactions of the Illinois State His-
torical Society, 1904 460-466
Steward, Phillip— private War 1812 196
Stewart. Alex. T.— Secretary of the Treasury of U. S., mention 300
Stewart, (Capt.) Charles— of the U. S. Navy. War 1812 312
Stewart, Chas —volunteer War 1812 186
Stewart, Dr.— wounded In encounter with British and Indians 163
Stewart. Ell— enlisted. War 1812 186
Stewart, Samuel— estate of 630
683
Index — Contiued,
Page
Stewart (Gen.) Thos. J.— mention 311
Stldman, Ben j.— Sergeant. War \%li 193
Stltes. Samuel. C— mention 329.349
subscription to McKendree Colleire 314
Trustee McKeudree College, mention 33?
Stockden. Davi3— private. War 1812 188
Stockton. James— Captain. St. Clair County Regiment. War 1812 172
Stockton. Robt.— private. War 1812 182
Stockton. Samuel— private. War 18)2 182
Stokes. Edward— private War 1^12 185
Stone, Daniel— Representive In Tenth Q<^neral Assembly of Illinois 424
Member of the "Long Nine," mention 203
Stony Brook— mention 463,465
Stony Point— mention 310
Story, Jos— Eminent American Jurist. Authority on law. Born at Marblehead, Mass.,
Sept. 18. 1779. Died Cambridge. Mass., Sept. 10, 1845, mention 240
Stout, Henry— private. War 1812 ibO
Stout, John— private. War 1812 191
Stout, Mr.— mention 195
Stout. William— private. War 1812 191
Stovey. Thos— enlisted. War 1812 186
Strachan. Jane— Wife of J as. D. Morgan 274
Streator Callers Club— mention 327
Street, Jos. M.— clerk of the Court. Galiailn County, Ills., mention 251
Stringfleld. Family— early settlers of McLean County, mention 526
Strong, Solomon- private. War 1812 190.196
"Struwwelpeter"— juvenile po«-m by Henry Hoffman, mention 303
Stuart, Judge Alexander— mention 616
Transferred to Missouri Territory 616
Stuart. Chas. E.— Senator, from Michigan, Champion of education in the United States
Senate. 1858 225
Stuart— House of. mention 308
Stuart. (Mrs.) John. T.— mention XII
Stubt)lelield, Easley-prlvate. War 1812 194
Stubblefleld, (Hon.) George, W.— member Illinois State Historical Society IX
mention 14
Stubblefleld. Wm.— (spy) private. War 1812 194
Stubbs' Select Charters- mention 504
referei.ce to. foot note 468
Stum. Henry— Lieutenant. Fourth Regiment, War 1812 177
Stum. Geo.— private. War 1812 196
Stumm. Henry— private War 1812 197
8tunti. John— Captain Second Regiment, War 1812 177
Sturgeon Bay— mention 462
Stuttgart, Germany— meeting of the Burschenschaft at. mention 289
mention 289
political uprising at. mention 289
Stuv6, Miss Alice D.— daughter of Dr Bernard Stuv6 376
Stuv6, Dr. Bernard— born Sept. 10. 1829. Oldenburg. Germany, died Springfield. Ills .
Apr. 11, 1903. memorial address on life and character of. by Dr. J.
F. Sjiyder. read at meeting of Illinois State Historical Society,
1904 374 377
address on the life and work of . mention 4
admitted to bar of Sangamon county, also higher courts. 1868.. 375
Illinois." history of. by Davidson and Stuv6 376
County Supervisor 377
educated in schools of Minster, O 374
five years old when brought to America 374
graduated, Cincinnati Medical College. March, 1851 374
graduHtes at Chicago Law School, class of 1868 376
leisure hours employed in writing, and historical researches.. 376
locates at Evansvllle. Ind 374
locates at llllot>olls. 111., 1860 375
locates at Springfield and studies law in 1866 375
married Miss Mary Illinois Wilson. In 1857. at Carml, 111 376
member board of education. Springfield, Ills 377
mention 9, 13
moved to Hickman, Ky., 1858 375
parents of, settled in Minster. Auglaise county, 0 374
politics of, a Democrat 377
practiced medicine In Benton. Scott county, Missouri 374
practiced medicine In Carml. Ill 376
reared in Roman Catholic faith 377
received instructions in German from parents 374
Shakespeare, favorite author of 376
Stnv6. Miss Clementine— daughter of Dr. Bernard 8tuv6, mention 376
Stuv6, Herman Henry— father of Dr Bernard Stuv6 374
684
Index — Continued.
Page
stave. (Miss). Mary. Springfield. 111. -daughter of Dr. Bernard Stuv6 376
Stuv6. Dr. Wilson. Oklahoma City, Okla.— son of Dr. Bernard Stav6 376
sublet, Abraham— subscriber to McKendree Uolk'gre •. 314
Subterranean— Underground Railway, (the) mention .*.'..,"*.'.' 427
Sugar Creek— mention 95 150 171
Sugar Creek Bottom— present site of Clinton county, liii'nolV,' where 6V'&'m,*K.' R.'
^ . crosses stream, see foot-note 168
bu llvan. (Oapt.), John— left In command of armed boats at Ft. Shelby, mention 16i
BUlUvan. ((ien.) John— conqueror of the Five Nations 310
Sullivan. Moultrie County. 111.— subscription to K. K '. 491
Sulphur Spring, mention 267
Sultan of Turkey— grants permission to the UnlveraUV'of'Chlcago'f or researches 'in
Babylonia 22
Summers. John— volunteer. War 1812 186
Summer. Charles— his estimate of Richard Yates. wargoVernor'of'iflVnois!'.'.""!!''.."!!'. 236
ann"— (newspaper)- New York City, mention 388
Sunderland. Prof. J. W.— of Morgan county, auditor McKendree College '.'.".'.'.'.'. 338
mcDtlon ....... ^^1 ^^7 ^^R
Sanfish, (Kickapoo;— In council at Cahokiai'Aprll leVisis!!."!!!!.".'!!!!*,' 101
bupt. of PuDlic Instruction— State of Illinois, Newton Bateman .'.'"'." 229
Superior Lake, mention II3
Supervlsor-of each town. State of Illinois, ex-offlcio'overseer of Vhe'poor!!!!!!!!!.'!!!."487,508
of towns. State of Illinois, authorized to sell real estate 488
State of Illinois, cases cited In reference to. see foot note 5C0
Supreme Court, State of Illinois— (^ustavus Koerner In active practice before 302
recognlz'-d and made a purely appellate tribunal,
mention 294
a ^ ^ ...L », . -, salary of judpes reduced, mention 295
Supreme Court of the United States— Gustavus Koerner in active practice before 302
mention 358
Surveyors- appointed by Congress to divide territories into townships 474
Survivors— of the Fort Dearborn massacre list of taken from the Plattsburg paper 123
Susan, Maria— wife of John Saklngoara, child of baptized 396-397
Susquehanna River, mention 198
Sussex County. Delaware, mentioa ........'. '. * 310
Sutteri— map of. published 1710. quoted as to spelling of'Chicago.*.'.'.'.'.*. '.".""*.'.* 461
Swagert, Samuel— ensign Second regiment. War 1812 174
Swan. Francis-private, War 1S12 193
gwearingen, Henry— member of Capt. Levering's crew, mention II.".'!."."."."."!-!.*!!!.'!.'74,82
Swearingen, Thomas V.— ensign. First regiment. War 1812 173
Sweden, country of —technical education In. mention 216
Sweeton. Moses— private. War 1612 ' ' '183 196
Swett. Leonard, mention 25
Swigart, George— private. War 1812 '..'.'.'.'.'. '. 191
Swlgart, John— private. War 1812 ."*I.".*.'."."!i82,191
„ . ^ second lieutenant. War 1812 '.V ..'.'.'.'..'.'.'.'.'.'.......... .182
Swiss Confederation, mention 298
Switzerland— Agricultural College, founded in Hofwyl.!"".!!"!!."!!.*!!*.!!"!!,"!!.*!".!!! 215
early technical education in 215
mention 287
Sycamore Literary, Columbia Club— mention .".'...".".'.'".'*.' 327
Symmes, John Cleves— Judge Northwest Territory— mention '....'....'... 475
Symmes, (Thomas) Sabina-mother of Hon. Jesse Burgess Thomas 614
Symphorosa-Qodmother at baptism of Agnes Philippe 396-397
Sykes, John— Ensign. First Regiment, War 1812 177
Tagriglge. Cason— child of, baptized !..I!'.!4l6-411
Tagrlgige, Marie— daughter of Cason Tagriglge and Francoise Chetomacha, baptism
of 410-411
Talbot, Elijah— Ensign, Second Illinois Regiment, War 1812 '.'.'.''.', 174
Talbot, James— Corporal. War 1812 ISO
Talbot, John— private. War 1812 179
Talbot, Joshua— private, War 1812 I81
Talbot, Thomas— private. War 1812 181
Talbot, Thomas W— private. War 1812 181
Talbot, William— private. War 1812 I8I
Talbert, William— estate of '...'..'."'".". """"* 535
Tallmadge. James Jr,— member of Congress from New York in 1819, when" Missouri
Territory applied for admission to the Union as a state 518
rr T « .. P®°^*?° ••"v^ 417,518,619
Tamarava, Jean Baptiste— private. War 1812 192
Tamarava, Levi— private. War 1812 .'... I. !!I!!'..'!. .!!'.!!!";!!!" 192
Tamoroas Indians— mention. ."." 453
Tanguary Land— early fort built on what is now knownastheTauguaryiand!!!!!. !!!!!! 72
8tankic8c, Tinloe— wife of George Thoret, child of, baptized 396-397
685
Index — Continued.
Pa ere
Tanner, Edward A.— first white child born at Waverly, 111 60»
President of Illinois College 6b8
Tanner, John R.— born In Warrick County. Indiana. April 4, 184*. died at Sprinsfleld.
111., May 8,1901. twenty first Governor of liliuols
reappoints Hon. Hiram \V. Beckwith ou Illinois State Histcrlcal
Library Board 26
Tarbell's (IdaM ) Life of Lincoln, quoted 29
Tavery. Robert— Second Lieutenant, War 1812 196
Tavery. Thomas— Enslsn. War 1812 196
Taxation— no laws adopted concernlnur. In the Northwest Territory until 17a2, mention... 476
Tayec, (or Tayes) George— (spy) private. War 1812 194
Tayer, Bartler (or Bartlt^tt Tayes)— private. War 1812 194
Tayes. Bartlett (or Bartler Tayer)— private. War 1812 194
Tayes, (or Tayec) George— (spy) private. War 1812 194
Taylor, (Captain) commander of the Kentucky troops, mention 130
Taylor. Ellsha— private. War 1812 190,195
Taylor, George— one of the signers of tne Declaration of Indeoendence. mention 309
Taylor, (Mrs.) Harriet Rnmsey— member Illinois State Historical Society IX
Taylor, Henry-Ensism, War !8l2 182
private. War 1812 1*2
Taylor, Jonathan, of Randolph County, Illinois— one of the lessees of salt wells and salt
springs in the United States, mention. 251
purchases interest in salt works, men-
tion 249
Taylor, (Major)- mention 160.164
Taylor. Merrltt— private. War 1812 197
Taylor. Nlmrod— private. War 1812 197
Taylor, (Captain) Zachary— commander of Fort Harrison. (See footnote) 128
commands troops In the Mexican War 37
expedition of, against the Indians a failure 164
President of the United States 33.38.48.60.294
prevents duel between William H. Bi8.>ell and Jefferson
Davis 55
Tazewell County, Illinois— mention 381, Si's
votes against the constitutional convention of 1847 479
"Tea Party." Boston's (historic)— mention 4 16
Teabeau. Henry— private. War 1812 )92
Teaters, John— Lieutenant, of St. Clair County Regiment. War 1812 172
Tching8anaklgabSc8c. Domitllla— Godmother at baptism of James Philippe 398-399
Technological Schools now exist in nearly every large city of the country— mention ..216.218
Tecumseh— British promise assistance to, in his scheme tor a great Indian confedera-
tion 66
claims that lands were given the Indians by the Great Spirit 66
efforts to obtain aid from various Indian tribes 99
English alliance with 168-169
influence of, secured by the British 66
mention 64,98.113
secures aid of the Wabash Indians 66
Tedwell, Hlram-enslgn. War 1812 178
Teeter. John- private. War 1812 183
Telegraph. Ohio river steamer— mention 200
Temple and Castle— manuffieturers of salt on an extensive scale 255.266
Temple. Broughton— manufacturer of salt, process ot 256, 2f 6
mention 266
Temple. George— mention 345
Templetou. Massachusetts. J. B. Turner— born in, Dec. 7.1805 228
Tennessee River — mention 278
Tennessee. State of— Athens college in. mention 338
early colonist.'* in 272
emigrants from, mention 272
mention 147.367.417.519
negro slave purchased in, to work the salt mines in Ills., mention.. 251
Scotch Irish emigrants settle In 309
Tenth Regiment Illinois Infantry-mention 276.277.279
Tenth Regular Michigan Infantry- mention 279
Tennvson. Alfred, (Poet)— born in 1809, mention 198
Territorial Laws— Northwest territory, reference to. see foot note 477
Territorial Legislature of Illinois, Colonel John Moredock— member of, mention 169
Territorial Officers of Illinois— congress grants land to 616
Territorial Records of Illinois— Illinois State Historical Library pnbllcHtion No 3, see
footnote 171
Territory of Illinois- mention 262
Terry. Joseph, of Spring field— mention 367
Teter. Ph HI m— private. War 1812 ISl
Teter. Phillip— subscription to McKendree college 345
Tetrichs. Abram (spy)— private. War 1812 191
Tetrichs. Charles— private. War 1812 194
Tetrichs. Jacob-private. War 1812 194
686
Index — Continued.
Pagfe
Tetrlchs. Peter— private. War 1812 194
Tetthlo, Marie— godmother at baptism o£ Marie Francis f'ottler 398-399
srodmother at baptism of Maria Olivier 398-399
wife of James LaLaude. child of baptized 398-399
Texas— admission of. as a slave state, meniloa 295
annexation of, mention 32.33,37
mention 370,372,451,455
Texier. Louis— child of baptized 398-399
Tester, Paul— son of Louts Texier and Catherine 8abanakic8c, baotlsm of 398-399
Texier, Symphrosam— daughter of Louts Texier and Catherine 8abanakic8c. baptism
ot 398.399
Thayer, Miss Maude— member Illinois State Historical Society IX
Thomas, Abraham— orlvate. War 1812 191
Thomas, (Mrs.) Adeline Clarissa, wife of Jesse Burgess Thomas Jr 524
Thomas-Bond- McLean— political faction linown as 518
Thomas, Cheney— early settler in McLeau County, Illinois 527
"Thomas Family" of Maryland— mention 514
prominent In the history of Illinois, mention 230
Thomas, Forsythe & Co,, of Peoria. Illinois— mention 139
Thomas. (Mrs.) Francis Pattie— mother ot Jesse Burgess Thomas Jr., and Richard
Symmes Thomas Jr 523-524
Thomas, (General) George H.— mention 278
Thomas. (.Mrs.) Helen Malvlna. wife of Richard Symmes Thomas Jr 525
Thomas, (Colonel) J.,ofSt.Clair Co., ills.— resolution introduced inHouseof Regresenta-
tives by. In the interest of education 645
mention 545.546
Thomas, James— ensign, second Illinois Regiment. War 1812 174
Thomas, James D.— captain, second Illinois Regiment. War 1812 174
Thomtts, Jesae— father of Hon. Jesse Burgess Thomas 614
Thomas, Jesse Burgess- born in Hagerstown, Md.. 1777, died May 4, 1853. slietch of. by
Dr. J. F. Snyder 514-523
ancestors of 514
appointed captain of militia by Gov. William Henry Harrison. 514
associated with ThomasBond-McLean party 518
characteristics of. mention 232
citizens of Vincennes displeased with, in regard to his part In
the division of Indiana Territory 515
delegate to Whig National Convention, Columbus. O.. in 1810.. 522
domestic life of 522 523
education of 614
effort of. to defeat Coles for governor 520
elected to Congress to fill a vacancy, from December 1, 1808 to
March. 1809 515
elected to represent Indiana Territory In Congress 614
elected to Territorial Legislature In Indiana, and chosen
speaker of House 514
elected to United States Senate in 1818 517
mention 232
favors establishment of slavery In Illinois 518
favors the convention of 1824 208
first wool carding machine In Illinois iutroduced by 516
Identlfled with the Whig Pany 522
introduced in Congress amendment to Tallmadge Proviso 5i9
locates at Cahokia. Ill .• 516
locates in Edwardsville, 111 517
locates dt Lawenceburg, Ind 514
locates at Mt. Vernon. Ohio 5i2
locates at Vincennes. Ind 514
marriage of 514
mention 268.523
personal appearance of 522
pledged to and secured passage of bill which provided for or-
ganizing the separate Territory of Illinois. Ife09 515
practiced law at Brookville, Kv 514
prominent and active leader of slavery party in Illinois 520
re-elected Speaker of House. Indiana Territorial Legislature.. 614
re-elected to United ^tates Senate in 1823 520
second marriage of 514
secures appointment of federal Judgeship In Illinois Territory
from President James Madisoa 515
supported William H. Crawford for presidential nominee In
1824 521
Thnmaq .Tease Bargeil. Jr.— born at Lebanon, Ohio. July 31. 1806, died Feb 21,1850
inomas. jease uurBo... appointed attorney general by Legislature of 1835 523
elected judge of Circuit Court. 1837 524
elected justice of Supreme Court to succeed Stephen A.
Douela:*. resigned 524
elected Supreme Court justice 524
687
Index — Continued.
Pasre
Thomas, Jesse Burgess. Jr.— elected to Ninth General Assembly of Illinois. 1831 623
marrlae:e of ^55
personal appearance of ojg
political career of 623
practices law In Chlcairo, 111 624
resumes practice of law In EdwardsvUle, 111 624
Richard Symmea Thomas, Jr , studied law with 524
secretary of Senate in Tenth General Assembly of Illinois.
1836 523
studied law with Jud^e Jesse Burgess Thomas at Edwarda-
vllle 111 623
Thomas. John— lieutenant. Flrstlillnois ReKiment. War 1812 1]3
Thomas. John. Jr.— subscription to McKendree College 345
Thomas. John. Sr— mention 329
subscription to McKendree College ^4*
Thomas. John D.— Captain, Second Illinois Reslment. War 1812 177
Thomas. (Capt ) John R— mention 238
Thomas. Mary— estate of J*^
Thomas. Matthew— private. War 1812 .- isj
Thomas. (Mrs )— Rebecca, wife of Hon. Je^se Burgess Thomas, mention oii
Thomas. Ricaard Symmes. Sr.— brother of Jesse Burgess Thomas 614
father of Jesse Burgess Thomas. Jr 623
father of Richard Symmes Thomas. Jr 624
Thomas, Richard Symmes. Jr.— bora at Jackson. Mo . Juno 3. 1817. died Jacksonville. 111.,
December 14. 1865 •-■
active in the election of Lincoln and Yates 625
appointed Adjutant of the Twenty-first Regiment of II-
llnols MlUtia 524
appointed commissioner to audit State's war claims 525
characteristics and personal appearance of 625
editor of the Casa County Times 525
editor of "The Independent," of Virginia. Ill 625
education of •• ■•- 624
elected school commissioner of Casa County, 111 52*
elected to Legislature of Illinois in 1848 625
last days and death of 525
locates at Beardatown. 111., In 1815 524
locatea at Chicago, ill . In 1854 525
locates in Waukegan. Ill 525
marriage of 525
parents of 524
practices law at Virginia. Ill 624
president of Illinois River Railroad Company 525
studied lawand admitted to the bar, 1840 524
Thomas. Robert— sergeant. War 1812 191
Thomas, Hahina Symmes— mother of Hon. Jesse Burgess Thomas ol4
Thomas, William— senator Illinois teuth general assembly. 1836 ^»
Thompson, Lorenzo Dow ■-, ^--v. — r'^C
chimplon wrestler St. Clatr county, Lincoln Thompson wres-
tlinir match •---• •-•-•,•• ;;••;, i *"
Mr. Lincoln gives an account to Colonel Rlsdon M. Moore of
the Lincoln Thompson wrestling match 434
wrestles with Captain A Lincoln for choice of camp grounds
near Beardsto^vn, during the Black Hawk invasion 433
Thompson. Robert— private. War 1812 ^^^'.i^q
Thompson, Samuel H.— mention — .. j-j
one of the incorporators of McKendree (lollege... 3bl
Thompson. (Rev.) S H— president of the board of trustees McKendree College SiH
Thompson. Samuel R —subscription to ,VleKendr"e College •■• 314
trii-'tee of McKendree College ^"•*'*x
Thompson. Wllllam-nrivate. ^Var 1812 183
Thompson, Char!es-of Scotch-Irish <1eacent. copies the Declaration of Independence
from Jeflferson's rough dt aft -."oc -ioT
Thoret. George— child of ba .tlz»d ^n^'ial
fatherof Mnrla rhor«t •- ■•-. ■-•396.397
Thoret, Maria— dauijhtHr of George Thoret (nicknamed Parisian) and Tinloe 8tanklc8c.
baptism of llli-l
"Thorn House." U'^e of in salt maklne -... - V," ona
Thornton. Matthew-one of the sigaers of the Dflclaratlon of Independence, mention... 309
Thornton. William— caotain. Thirl lllluois Keglment. War 1812 Ij7
Thornton T. 8.— career as an editor f\^
Thorp, (>llai) Polly— ln-*tru''.'or In McKen'Iree Collfee ^ . mi
Thwaltes. Reuben Gold— honorary memberof the Illinois State Historical Society vu
mention 200
Tldwell. Hiram -private. War 1812 "0
688
Index — Continued,
Page
Tletsort. W. B.— member Illinois State Historical Society IX
Tilbury, Charles— estate of saS
Tilden-Hayes campaign of 1876— mention 302
Tllden, SamuelJ — annlhllator of the "Tweed ring." mention 302
his election to the presidency of the United States doubted by few
people 302
Gustavus Koerner canvasses State of Illinois In the interest of the
candidacy of 302
Tllford. William— private. War 1812 191,192
Tllleman— map of published 1688, quoted as to spelling of Chicago 461
Tlllson, John Jr. of Hlllsboro— mention 330
trustee Illinois College, mention 349
Tippecanoe River Indians, their part in frontier depredations 113
Tiptonvilie. Mo.— mention 277
Tissoe, Louis— child of baptized 398-369
son of Louis Tissoe and TheresaNevin. baptism of 398-399
Titio. Marie— wife of Jacques Gnlllaume Bigoto. sons of baptized 412-113
Titsworth. Gabriel— lieutenant Third Illinois Regiment. War 1812 176
Thash. William— ensign. Third Illinois Regiment, War 1812 176
Theresa Maria— wife of Bizalllon, child of baptized 394-395
Therese— child of an Indian woman, baptism of 408-409
Thevenard. Pierre— child of baptized 408-409
son of Pierre Thevenard and Marie Louise Medan. baptism of 408-409
Third General Assembly of Illinois— corrupt legislation in 266-269
Toad, (Pottawatomie)— In council at Cahokia, April 16 1812 101
Tocqueville. Alexis de— "Democracy In America," mention 504
Todd, Robert— volunteer aid. War 1812 183
Todd, Thomas— private. War 1812 180
Toland, Isaac— private. War 1812 180
Tolley, James— private. War 1812 183
Tollman, Edgar B.— member of law firm of Doollttle, Palmer and Tollman, Chicago, 111. 385
Tolouse, Francis— private, War 1812 184
Tomlin. Mrs. Eliza I. H —member Illinois State Historical Society IX
Tompkins, James- estate of 635
Tongue. Francis— private. War 1812 184
Tongue. Joseph- private. War 1812 184
Tonty (Tonti), Henry de— Italian explorer and soldier in French service, LaSalle's
lieutenant: commandant in the Illinois, born In Italy,
probably Naples. 1650, died at Ft St. Louis. Mobile, 1704
Tonty (Tonti). Henri de— appointed first governor of Illinois by LaSalle 19
carries news of discovery of Louisiana to Mackinac 454
mention 464
placed in command of Fort St. Loul«i du Rocher 454
protects Interests of LaSalle against his political and clerical
enemle 8 455
Tope-ne-be— recommends pasi=age by boat to the Klnzle family 120
Topenny-boy— Pottawatomie chief, mention 77
Topographical description of Virginia—by Captain Thomas Hutchlns. mention 246
Toulon, 111., Woman's Club, mention 327
Towanda. 111., mention 540
Tower Hill— east of the Mississippi river, mention 151
Town— derivation of the English word 467
Town meeting— theory of. see foot note 502
Town (A) under township law is not incorporated town— Town of Woosung vs. People,
rpference to. see footnote 498
Townsend. John— lieutenant. Fourth Illinois regiment. War 1812 177
Townshend. Richard W.. mention 233
Township and county crganlzallon. State of Illinois— act providing for, etc 481-188
Township government in the State of Illinois— development to 1818 171-478
"Township Government in Illinois"— paper contributed to Illinois State Historical So-
ciety 1905 by Mason H. Newell 167-504
Township organization— hlstorv of origin and progress of 167-504
Township organization. State of Illinois— present organization and powers 498-501
provisions of the Constitutional Convention of
1870. relating to 496-497
report of ihe special committee on, of the Con
stituttonal Convention of 1847 183-481
resolutions respecting. Constitutional Conven-
tion of 1847 479-480
Tramble, Toussant— private. War 1812 383
Tramell. Jarrard (Jarrot)— private. War 1812 197
Tramell. Lieut, Col. Philip- ennor.aed muster roll of Captain Dudley William's company.
War 1812 187
muster roll of, acting as cactaln of Capt. Leonard White's
company. War 1812. mention 186.187
Trammel, David— (spy) volunteer. vVar 1812 im
Trammel. James— volunteer. War 1812 1 8S
Trammel, Jarrard (probably Jarrot. Jr.)— ensign Third Illinois regiment. War 1812 175
Trammel. Jarrot, Capt.— lieutenant 3d and 4th Illinois regiments. War 1812 175.176,177
Trammel, Philip. M"jor, Captain, Lieutenant Illinois regiment. War 18i2 173.175.177
Trammel. Thomas— voluntper. War 1S!2 186
Index — Continued.
Page
Trammell. Phillip 219
Tramwell, Phillip— major. War 1812 ibS
"Trapper's Last Shot" (The)— picture, reference to J6&
Trask. WilllHm— private. War 1812 197
Traveling libraries. State of Illinois, mention 325
Treat, -Samuel H.— elected judge of the Supreme Court of Illinois 294
Treaty at fort Wayne between United States government and five Indian tribes, mention 248
Treaty of Ghent, mention 168,169
Treaty of Greenville— Black Partridge receives medal for services at, mention 119
Aug. 3,1795, mention 63.69,86,88.92,93,168
Treaty of Paris, 1763. mention 157
Treaty of Paris. 1783, mention, see foot note 62
Treaty of Portage des Sioux, 1812, mention 172
1815. mention 168
Treaty of Peace with Great BritHin, mention 165
Treaty with the Indians at Philadelphia, 1793, mention 80
Tremont House (Hotel)— Chicago, 111., mention 201
Trenton— battle of, mention 3U
Trenton. New Jersey, mention 204
Tripp, William— ensign. Third Illinois regiment. War 1812 17T
Trotler, Augustus- captain Second Illinois regiment. War 1812 177
Trotier, Joseph— mention 74
ot Cahokla, sagacious Frenchman 95
Trotter (Rev.) W. D. R.— mention 334
Troupa. Manuel— private. War 1812 184
Trousdale, one of the pursuers of Indians after the Pond Settlement Massacre,
mention 112-143
Trousdale, James— captain. War 1812 175.186
Trout, Jacob— private. War 1812 180
Troy, Illinois— mention 72
Troy. New York— mention 291
Trumbull. George— mention 30.41
Trumbull, Lyman— born at Colchester, Conn.. Oct. 12. 1812 43
died at Chicago. 111., June 25. 1886 47
abilities as a constitutional lawyer 45
action of, in the Impeachment of President Andrew Johnson 47
candidate for governor, of Illinois 47
characteristics of, mention 234
defeated for congress, 1816, mention 43
elected judge of the Supreme Court, State of Illinois, mention 294
elected to congress from the Belleville district 44
elected to the supreme bench of Illinois, resigns in 1853 43
elected to the United States senate, from Illinois 44.234
falls to obtain the nomination for governor of Illinois 43
introduces the civil rights bill In the United States senate, quota-
tions from 47
member of 12th general assembly. State of Illinois 43
mention 30.41.236,301,381
opposes the Kansas-Nebraska bill 44
personal appearance of 44.45
practices law in Belleville. Illinois 43
quotation from speech of, in the United States senate 46
secretary of State of Illinois 43
speech in reply to Stephen A. Douglas, on the Kansas-Nebraska bill.
reference to 14
supports B. Gratz Brown for vice-president of the United States,
mention 47
supports Horace Greeley for president of the United States, mention 47
Tryon (Governor) William- mention 310
Tucker. Napees— private. War 1812 If3
Tude. David— ensign Third Illinois Regiment. War 1812 176
Tuesday Club of Pana. Illinois 318
Tupper, Martin Farqn har— mention 198
"Turkey-foot"— Pottawatomie Indian killed by members of his tribe in satisfaction for
themurderof an American 86
mention 108
"Turkey Hill, or Moore's Prairie Moores"- mention 434
Turner, Asa- trustee Illinois College, mention 319
Turner. George— Judge North West Territory 475
Turner, John— private. War 1812 183
Turner.JonathanB.— born In Templeton, Mass., Dec. 7, 1806 228
died at Jacksonville. 111.. Jan. 10. 1899 229
address at Grlggsvllle. 111., on a system of national education.
mention 218
anti-slavery man. mention 228
attends academy in Salem. Mass 228
characteristics of 229
-44 H
090
Inaex — Continued.
Paffe
Turner, Jonathan B.— chairman of the committee on business. Granville convention 219
chairman of the convention held at tipringfleld. June 8, 1852, in the
Interest of Industrial University 221
citizen of Jacksonville. 111., for 66 years 226
credit given for conceiving: the plau of Industrial Education 226
defeated for conerress 229
director of the Industrial League of Illinois, and lecturer of 222
extract from his plan ot Industrial Education 220.221,227,228
formulates system of industrial Education 228
graduates from Yale College in 183d, mention 228
Granville convention approves plan of. for Illinois State University 219
instructor in Illinois College for 11 years 218
invited to address convention of farmers at Granville. HI 218
New York Tribune of September. 1852. comments on Professor
Turner's plan for an industrial university 223
Newton Bateman's tribute to 229
opposition to his educational plan 229
retires from college duties 228
suggests a plan for the establishment of a State University 218
teaches in eymnaslum in Yale College 228
tutor in Illinois College. Jacksonville. Illinois 228
writer on educational and theological themes 228
Turpin. Louis— child of . baptized 398-399,401-405
Turpin (Turpaln), Louis— godfather at baptism of child of Indian woman 40>)-409
godfather at baptism of Marie Louise Chesne 406-407
son of Louis Turpin and Marie Colon, baptism of 404-405
Turpin. Louis— sponsor at baptism of Magdalalne RSensac 412-413
Turpin. Maria Josepha— daughter of Louis Turpin and Dorothy Mechipec8ata, baptism
of 398-399
Toscumbla. Alabama— mention 278
Tweed Ring— Samuel J. Tllden annlhilator of 30 2
Tweedy, John-ensign, lieutenant. Third Illiuols Regiment. War 1812 176.177
Twenty first Regiment, Illinois Volunteers— U. S. Grant colonel of, mention 298
Twiss, Moses— mention 344
Tyler, (President) John— mention 312
Tyrol (The)— Austrian province, mention 287
Clster County. Ireland— emlgrationto the United States from, mention 308-309
Underwood. Joseph B — mention 30
Underwood. William H.— mention 30
Union County, Illinois- mention 271,426
"Union Grove Moores"— General Jesse H. Moore member of family 434
Unitarian Congregational Church, Qulncy, Illinois- mention 282
United States Army— mention 48.66.124.147.148,248,550
British surrender the Northwestern posts to, August 3, 1795 63
United States Congress— act passed 1890 making additional appropriation for Indus-
trial education 226
adopts New England's plan of settlement on public lands 472
authorizes the establishment of companies of mounted
rangers for protection against the Indians 71
authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to lease salt springs
and licks for the benefit of the government 248
congressional policy in regard to new states 478
grants land to The Illinois Central K. R 491
journal of October 10. 1780. on organization of new states and
government in the northwest, quored 472-473
memorialized time and again for some relief from the sixth
article of the ordinance of 1787 250
memorials addressed to. by agricultural and educational asso-
ciations asking donations for educational purposes 226
mention 230,231,232,233,234,235,269,414,424
Morrill bill, act of Congress. July 2. 1862 228
passes act appropriating public lands for educational pur-
po.ies 226
Rebekah Heald petitions Congress for payment for property
destroyed at Fort Dearborn 124-125-126
resolutions of May 1, 1782, on new states and township organi-
zation. 473
William Henry Harrison's report on the salt springs of the
Northwest Territory to .- 247
House of Representatives, list of Illustrious Illinoisans in. 235, 238
Senate, Carl Schurz sent to, by the Liberal Republican
party 300
Senate, election of Jesse B Thomas. Sr., to, means resorted
to by leader.s of the slave party 268, 620
Senate, memorial of the state of Missouri, affidavit of James
Murdough. quoted 67
Senate, mention 31,35,38,40.226,373,385,517,520
Senate, 1860-81 party conditions of, described 45
Senate tabes no action on measure granting lands for educa 5
tiunal purposes, 1857 22
691
Index — Continued.
Paffe.
United States— Constitution and Laws of, mention 350
mention 430.546.519.560,651
8tu(ly of. In schools recommended 667
Coart of Claims. Judge Blackford's opinion on Kebekah Heaid's
claim 126-127
petition of Kebekah Heald for property destroyed at Fort Dearborn
massacre 124,125,126,127
education of the youth of the United States 664
smlffration to. In 1»24. mention 272,273
factory, attempt at robbery of, on the Missouri river 165
flaff. Captain Levering'« address to the Indians concerning 81-82
Uomo marches down the Illinois river floating flag of the U S 77
incident concerning, with the Indians 81
life saving station, mention 10
mention 19, 22, 26, 62. 69, 70. 71. 75. 84. 98, 102. 103, 134, 150. 156, 168. 183,
185. 186, 187, 191, 198. 235. 273, 290. 291, 292. 294, 311, 369, 374, 380, 381, 387,
390, 391. 427, 429,433. 435, 443. 464. 471, 472, 519, 645. 646, 649, 650, 552, 662, 665
rangers, mention 127
rangers from Kentucky, mention 147
rental accruing to. from the Salines on the Saline river 249
Sac Indians declare friendship for the United States 99
Saline, Illinois Territory, letter of Governor Edwards to General
Harrison, dated from 157
valine, mention 72
Saline, militia from, assist in the bnilding of fort in the Jordan settle-
ment 72
Secretary of War, mention 63
soldiers, mention 320
statutes, mention 125
Supreme Court case, Har<)hman vs. Bates county, reference to. foot note. 486
presents to the Indians, expect land in return 87
vs. Badger, case of cited, reference to. see foot note 600,501
Universities, (State)— in the United States, see State Universities In the United States ...
University— education convention held at Albany. New York, to consider subject of a
national system of industrial universities 224
University of Chicago— erects building for an Oriental Museum 23
Richard Symmes Thomas. Jr., member of executive committee
of 625
secures permission of the Sultan of Turkey for research in
Babylonia 22
sends exploring expedition to the Euphrates Valley 23
settlement. Woman's Club, work of 324
University of Heidelberg— mention 287
University of Illinois- act of the legislature 1885. changes name of Industrial University
to 228
article on, by Mr. Plllshury. mention 215
extract of speech of Newton Bateman at the Inauguration of 229
Inaueuration of. Match 11, 1868. mention 229
see Illinois state University
University ot Jena. Germany, mention 286,287.288
University of Pennsylvania— archaeological researches of 22
Upper Alton, mention 349,364
"Upper Mississippi Herald— (newspaper) published at Galena. 111., by Hooper Warren.. 206
Upton, .loseph- volunteer. War 1812 186
Upton, Thomas- volunteer War 1812 186
Urbana, Illinois- Fortnightly Club of 322
Illinois Industrial University located at 228
mention 9,16,368
Urech & Son— members Illinois State Historical Society IX
Ursanus College, Pennsylvania— mention 338
Utawas River 159
Utterback. J C— member Illinois State Historical Society IX
Valley Forge— mention 8l2
Valuation of property owned by Statf universities In the United States 211
Vanarsdale, Simpon— private. War 1812 181
Vanarsdall. '<lmon— private. War 1812 195
Van Buren, Martin— Prnaldential (Jampalgn 1836, mention 292
Van Baren—( President) Martin, mention 293
Vance, John— ensign First IlUnui's Regiment. War 1812 177
Vandal B— mention 551
Vandalla. Illluois— attempt of Robert K Fleming to establish a newspaper at 206
Vandalla. Ill— Qustavus Koerner passes exuminatiou before supreme court In 292
692
Index — Continued.
Page
Vandalia, Illinois— Illinois State Register published at. mention 210
Intelligencer (newspaper), mention 206
Legislature passes bill for the removal of the capital from 28
mention 202, 205. 206. 208, a30. 334. 360, 473. 521. 643. 546
Morris Blrkbeck hung In eflBgy at, mention 269
project to move State capital from 488
suscrlptlon to the St. L.. V. and T. H. K. R Co 491
Sidney Breese removes the records of the office of secretary of
State from Kaskaskla to, cost and length of time to accomplish S6
Vanhoofer. Abraham— private War 1812 179
Vanhooser. Abram— private. War 1812 182.183
Van Horn. James— private. In the regulars-served at Fort Dearborn 124
Van Horn. James— survivor of the Fort Dearborn Massacre ]23
Van Hoozer, Abraham— private, War 1812 194
Van Nastin, A.— estate ef ...534
Vanorsdol. Richard— subscriber to McKendree College 344
Van Voorhls, (Dr.] Isaac V.— killed in the Fort Dearborn Massacre 121-122
surgeon's mate. Captain Heald's company at Fort Dear
born 117
Van Winkle. Job— private. War 1812 193
Vasey. Charles— estate of 528
Vasseuer, Joseph— private. War 1812 184
Vassume. Joseph— private. War 1812 178
Vattel— authority oa law, quoted, mention 127
Vaughan. (bieutenant Colonel) Joseph— mention 3U
Vaaghn. John— lieutenant Second Illinois Regiment, War 1812 174
Vaughn, Joshua-private. War 1812 190,195
Second lieutenant. War 1812 iSi
Vaughn, William— private. War 1812 197
Vaugn, John— Second lieutenant. War 1812 181
Vnugn. Lieutenant Colonel Joseph— see Vaughan 311
Vaugondy, Le Sleur, Robert— map of Publlched 1750 (corrected 1755), quoted as to spell-
ing of Chicago 461
Vfchta, Oldenburg, Germany— Dr. Bernard Stuv6 born at H74
Ver^inda Hall, St. Louis— Carl Schurz, famous speech delivered in 1860 305
Verassae, Jas de— Godfather at baptism of Maria Catherine Poller 393-399
Verman, Joseph E.— private. War 1812 178
Vermilion County, (Illinois)— Historical Society (Hon.) Hiram W. oeckwith Identified
with 25
History of, Hon. Hiram W. Beckwlth. editor of 25
Vermillion, Benjamin. Jr.— ensign, Randolph County Regiment. War 1812 172
private. War 1812 184
Vermillion. River- Captain H Starke's letter on Indian affairs, dated at, Nov. 2, 1811 96
mention 128.162
Vermillion, Samuel-ensign First Illinois Regiment, War 1S12 173
Vermillion Sea— "The Great Vermillion Sea," gulf of California, known as, mention 4*7
Vermont, State of— inhabitants of in 1774 269
mention 226
Vickery. Abraham— private. War 1812 179
Vlckery, Mr.— resident of the "Moore Settlement," mention 156
Vicksburg, Riisslsslppl— mention 31
VlUer, J. M, de, (Society of Jesus)— priest of the Immaculate Conception of our Lady,
mission among the Illinois 396.397
Vllllers, Neyon de— French commandant in Illinois, succeeds M.acarty 457
Vlney George— ensign. War 1812 178
Vineyard. Adam— subscriber to McKendree College 3*4
Vineyard. George W.— subscriber to McKendree College 344
Vineyards of Ohio— German emigrants Impressed with, mention 291
Vlncennes, (Ind.)— citizens of. displeased with division of Indiana Territory 515
dispatch dated from, July 2, 1811. concerning threatened Invasion by
the Indians 73
(Hon.) Jesse Biirgess Thomas, locates in 614
land office estatilished in 248
lesfislatlon of 1808. mention 615
letters dated from, showing condition of Indian affairs 95-96
Masonic lodge at, mention 249
mention 113,116.127.129.134.153.169.170.247.514
military company from, mention 147
post of, men lion 65,614
Vincent, (Bishop), John H —originator of the Chautauqua plan for home study 3i6
Virgin, William— private. War 1812 191
VirglQla, Illinois- mention 13,16,524,526
Virginia, (State of)— acts of. foot-note, mention 414
army of, under General Grant, mention 281
attakon the north and the action of the northern troops at bat-
tle of Buena Vista by Congressman f rom Va 64
call for a conference of all the states by. mention 297
Central College of. mention 567
confirmed right of settlers to hold slaves In Illinois 416
693
Index — Continued.
Page
Virginia (State of)— county system of organization originated In «70
early colonists In. nientioa — 272
Inhabitants of in 1774 269
inhabltantsof in 1820 269,270
Illinois Territory under jurisdiction of . mention 414
land ceded to the United States government by. mention — .. ..471
mention 46. 54, 123, 230, 311. 376. 416. 4l7. 420. 430. 457. 473. 478. 505, 508.
515.520,624,625
natlTe state of Edward Coles 519
Scotch-Irish emigrants settle In 309
Scotch-Irish settlements in 3U
Virginians under George Rogers Clark, mention 19
VocKe, (Hon.) William— member Illinois State Historical Society IX
mention V.6
second Vice-President Illinois State Historical Society for
1904-1905 V.16
Voedre. Pierre— boatman, mention 74
Voluey. (Count) C. F. S. Writings of speak of the "Brine Springs" at St. Genevieve.
Missouri 247
Von Stein. Charles— Prussia's fearless premier, mention 288
W. (Mr ) (Preacher)— incident related concerning his connection with Morris
• Birkbeck 264
V.'iibash College— Hon. Hiram W. Beckwith, student of ^
Wabash Country— massacre of families in. names ot 99
mention, see foot-note 497
regiments organized from. War 1812 173,176
Wabash Indians— British secure the cooperation of 68
Wabash River- Huston family masaacred ou by the Indians 1^9
Indian campaign on. mention 114
mention 66. 71. 77. 79. 82. 89, 93. 98, 107, 12g. 138. 139. 144, 169, 170. 516, 667
post fstabllshed on to protect frontier 115
salt springs on. mention 246
Wade, (Senator) Benjamin Franklin— champion of education in the United States
Senate. 1858 2'J5
Wnde, E. P.— president Madison County Historical Society 9
Waddle, Alexander— private. War 1812 ]«8
Waddle. Davis— private. War 1812 17!<
Waddle, John-private. War 1812 180,190,195
Wadley, Thomas— private. War 1812 192
Waegoner. John— corporal. War 1812 182
WHggnor, Peter— ensign Second Illinois Regiment, War 1812 174
WaitP. Dr. H. N.— member Illinois State Historical Society IX
Wakefield, Charles-private, War 1812 191
Wakt-field, George— private. War 1812 191
Wakefield. John A.— private. War 1M2 191
Wakereld. Simeon— private. War 1812 193
Wakefield, William- private War 1812 193
Walden, Reuben— private. War 1812 197
Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. New York City— mentiou 1H8
V^alker, escapes when attacked by the Indians at Tom Jordan's fort 99
Walker. (Dr.) of St. Louis— member of General Howard's staff, mention 147
Walker, Charles P.— private. War 1812 181
Walker. Charles T.— private. War 1812 181
Walker. George— Judge Advocate General, Kentucky, mention ISO
Walker. Henry— private. War 1S12 UO, I9i
Walker. Hugh— lieutenant Second Illinois Regiment, War 1812 177
Walker, John— private. War 1812 180.187.191
Walker. Samuel— private. War 1812 187
Walker, William- private. War 1812 180,191
Wallace, Drug Store. Springfield. Illinois— mention 202
Wallace. George W.— estate of. 532
Wallace. Hugh— appointed register of the land oflSce. Dixon.Illlnois.br President Pierce 203
member of Illinois Legislature 1846-1852., 203
mention 203
Walla-e. (Dr.) William, of Springfield. Illinois-mention 201
Wallace. (Mrs.) William 8, of Springfield. Illinois- mention 202
Wallace. (Gen ) William H. L.— mention 276,312
Wallace. Joseph— member Illinois State Historical Society IX
Waller. Leonard— ensign Third Illinois Regiment. War 1812 176
Walls. John— private, War 1812 197
Wampum- mention 107
Wamsatt, Joseph Z.— ensign First Illinois regiment, War 1812 173
WanboroHgh— home of Morris Birkbeck, near the town of Guilford, Surrey County.
England 259
sale of. etc - 260.261
Wanley. Thomas— ensign First Illinois Regiment. War 1812 173
War Department United States of America— mention 95
Warof 1812— "Illinois in War of 1812-14." Address before Illinois State Historical Soci-
ety. 1901. by Frank E. Steveas.. 62-197
reference to 19
694
Index — Continued.
Pare
War of the Rebellion— complete change in the newspapers of the State of Illinois, at the
time of 205
early oflicers of, bad little military trainiug. mention 298.299
Jamea Shields appointed Brigadier General of volunteers in, by
President Lincoln 40
mention. .31,35. 44.51.56,224,232,234.236, 238. 273, 276. 315. 320.379.364.
414,433,434.520
War, Spanish- American— mention 379
War with Mexico— James D. Morgan organizes a company for service in 275
mention 273.294
Wardin. Hardin-prlvate. War 1812 179
Ware. Samuel— corporal. War 1812 191
Warley John— private. War 1812 18«
Warlow. K. A..— mention 531
Warmouth Regime, State of Louisiana— mention 43
Warner, Vespasian— Congressman from Illinois, mention 238
Warren, Benjamin— private. War 1812 183
Warren County. Illinois-mention , 276.291,424
Warren. Hooper— editorial pen of, one of the greatest weapons against slavery in Illi-
nois 206
newspaper published by 206
Warren. Phil— mention 284
Warren, (Major) W. B,— letter of attached to John J. Hardin's letter to Gen. James D.
Morgan 284
letter of, gives information as to pay of officers in army 284
mention '. 283.284
Warsaw. Illinois— mention 72,490
Wash, Robert— member of General Howard's staff, mention 147
Waahburne, E. B.— called "The Watchdog of the Treasury," mention 235
characteristics of. mention 235
earnest supporter of Mr Lincoln, mention 235
edits Flower's History of the English Settlement in Edwards County,
Illinois, mention 264
member of Congress from Illinois 235
mention 236. 261. 2t8, 298
minister to France, mention 235
said to be the discoverer of CJ. S, Grant, mention 235
Secretary of State' United States, for a short period 235
"Sketch of Edward Coles '' by, extract from, mention 432
foot note 420,421,432
Washington College, Pa.— mention 203
Washington County. Illinois— mention 271.330
Washington, D. C— appropriation by congress to erect wires from Washington to Balti-
more, for test of Morse telegraph 31
Gomo, Pottawatomie chief visits, mention 108
mention 14,199.233.234.282,293.336,515,517,521
National Congress of Mothers, organized at. Feb. 17, 1897 320
Washington, George- treaty with the Indians 1793. mention 80
tribute to the Scotch-Irish race 311-312
mention 79, 90. 91, 230, 311. 337, 416.457, 565,537
Washington. Mason County. Kentucky— mention 514
Watauga Settlement— Scotch-Irish, patriots of » 310
Watauga Valley— mention 310
"Watchdog of the Treasury"- E. B. Washburne so called, mention 2a5
Waterloo (Battle of) Hero of— General Gebbard. Lebrelcht Blucher, mention 2(-8
Waterloo. Illinois— mention 252.253.330
"Waterloo Moores"— mention 434
Waters. Samuel— ensign, lieutenant Third Illinois Regiment. War 1812 i75
Watley, Henry— private. War 1812 191
Watseka, Illinois. Woman's Club- mention 322.333
Way land— (President) Francis, of Brown Dnlversity.lmention Aio^J
Wayne. A.nthony — mention 63,86,88, 108, .ilO
treaty with the Indians, reference to 82
Wayne County, Illinois- mention 27
Wayne Family— historic family of Ireland 309
"Wau-Bun"— Black Partridge speech, quoted from 119
by Mrs. Kirizie quoted HJ
see foot-note 119
Waugh (Bishop) Beverly— mention 332
Waukegan, Illinois. Sesame Club— mention 327
Waukegan. Illinois— mention 524.525
Waverly, Illinois, Morgan County— New England people settle in 508
Wea Indian tribe— mention "6
Wea River Mlamies— mention 95
Weatherford. Buck— mention -• 284
Weber. Mrs, Jessie Palmer— elected permanent secretary Illinois State Historical Soci-
ety, report of ^- ,■,■;:,•. '•°
librarian Illinois State Historical Library. Springfield. Illi-
nois -•• 61
member of Board of Directors, Illinois State Historical So-
ciety V, 16
695
Index — Continued.
Paee
Weber. Mrs. Jessie Palmer— member of Illinois State Historical Society IX
member of program committee. Illinois State Historical So
cletT VI. 12
meuiber ui pubiicatlou committee. Illinois titate Historical
S^ociety VI. 12
mention 1.V.VI.7, 12
Weber. William— editor of the first German daily newspaper In St. Louis. Mo 303
Webster. Daniel— mertion 53.293
Welch. William-private. War 1812 178
Wells. Alexander— private. War 1812 180
Wells. Ed.— James D. Morsran forms partnership with 275
Wells. Frederick Latimer— memorial address before Ills. Hist. Sec. 190*. on Rnfus
Blanchard 387-391
meutlon 14,19
Wells. Thomas— lieutenant Third Illinois regiment. War 1812 175
Welis vs. Whltaker— case of. reference to. see foot note 502
Wells. Captain WUllam-death of 121
first in line with his mounted Mlamls out of Fort Dearborn 120
Indian Interpreter at Fort Dearborn 117
letter dated from Fort Wayne. March 1, 1812. on Indian afTalrs.. 98
mention 119,120.122
Welsh. William— subscription to McKendree Colleee 344
Wentworth, Dr. Erastus- death of, at Sandy Hill. N. Y.. 1886. mention 338
editor of the "Central Christian Advocate" 310
mention 337.341
president of McKendree College 335
Wentworth, John— delegate to the convention at Bloomington. 111.. May. 1866 56
editor of the Chicago Democrat 209
mention 209,228
represented both Republicans and Democrats in United States Con-
gress 209
Wertz, Miss Adda P.— member Illinois State Historical Society IX
Wesleyan Theological Institute. Newberry. Vt.— mention 337
West. David L.-mentlon 330
subscription to McKendree College 345
trustee McKeudree College, mention 332,349
We=(t, Edward W.. of Belleville. IlUrois- mention 60
West End Woman's Clr.b. Chicago, Illinois 324
West Indies— Philippe Renault of France brings slaves to U. 8 from 456
We>-t Point Military Academy— mention 224.305.385
West. Hon Simeon H.— member Illinois State Historical Society IX
West, Vison— subscription to McKendree College 345
Westbrook, Rev. Samuel— engaged In salt making at Equality, Illinois. 1826, mention. 250. 258
Western mail route- appropriarion for the improvement of 490
"Western News"—error corrected as to dare of publication 207
"Westland" periodical— Dr. George Englemann and others publish 303
Gustavus Koerner's connection with 303
Whaley. Baker— private. War 1812 ISO
Whalev. James— private. War 1812 180
Wheatly, Francis-lieutenant. First Illinois Regiment. War 1812 173
paymaster. Fourth Illlncls Regiment. War 1812 176
Wheaton. Illinois- mention 387.390
Wheeier, C Gilbert- member Illinois State Historical Society IX
Wheeler, Mrs. Katherlne Goss, (Mrs, S. P.)— member of Illinois State Historical Socletv IX
mention VI, 12
Wheeler, Henry— private. War 1812 197
volunteer. War 1812 186
Wheeler. (Judge) S?amuel P.— member of Illinois State Historical Society IX
Whetler. Simon— ensign. War 1812 181
Wheeler. William— private. War 1812 186
volunteer. War 1812 186
Wheeler. Willis— corporal. War 1812 185
Wheelock, Simeon— cornet. War 1812 IHl
bugler, Second Illinois Regiment. War 1812 174
Whig Congressional Convention of 1842— mention 381
Whig National Convention of 1840— Jesse Burgess Thomas delegate to 622
Whig newspaper, published at Rushvllle. Illinois- mention 210
Whig Party- extinction of 44
Whigs. Committee of— edits "Bureau Advocate, mention 211
Whigs mention 4S.293,381.3S2.5?2.523
Whipple. William— one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, mention 309
Whisky— given the Indians at council 87
manufacture of 274
(Gov.) Nlnian Edwards proclimatlon against the sale of. to Indians 113
Whltaker. John— ensign Third Illinois Reglmeni. War 1812 177
private. War 1812 197
Whltaker. Thomas-lieutenant Third Illinois Regiment, War 1^12 175
White, Andrew— private. War 1S12 191
696
Index — Continued .
Paere
White County, Illinois— mention 7!» no hrr oeo o,, o-.
mention, see foot-note...:.....:.:: 72.143.265.266,271.376
White. Daniel— snbscrlntlon to McKendree College.. ttl
White, David S.-prlvate, War 1812 :i\ ?*2
White. David (spy)— third sergeant. War 1812 loi
White, Dog (The) (Chlppewa)-in council at Cahokla. AprlYi6,'l8i2 ini
White Hair— Pottawatomie in council at Cahokla, April 16, 1812 im
Wbite, Henry— corporal. War 1812 ,q,
White. Isaac-appointed by Governor Harrison agent'to 'receive 'rentai' due 'from saJt
appointed captain inthe'KnoxCounty'MiVitia::::: IS
challenged to a duel by Captain Butler ^is 9iq
colonel In the Illinois Militia, mention pjq
colonel, major. War 1812 i,™ f:?
killed at the battle of Tippecanoe. Novem'ber'i'isii 2dq
,^, . , lessee of salt works, mention njf
White, James— private. War 1812 ,,2
White, John F.— private. War 1812 \i%
White, Leonard— candidate for United States Senator'isis k\h K9t
captain, major, War 1812 175 176 177
^l^lV^ "S !k^ ^°Jf^*o®^ *° ?®i^°' '*?,^ f°f theSailne "Reservation.:.. .'249
memberof the Third General Assembly of Illinois :: 266
White, Llberty-WIkd by th^indTans.menVl"^^^ 178, 186. i87, 247. 265
White Oak, Illinois. eVn
White (Uncle) Peter (cororedy-glveV valuably informatron'c^^^^^ works"near "**
White. Robert— priva'te7 War ISl^T""" ^^
^. ,. „, , T . .^ Equality. Illinois ...t. 258
White Pigeon (or Latourt)— near Detroit, mention 7?
White River— Driftwood fork of. mention -
White. Thomas— private. War 1812 .' \t\
White. Walter— surgeon's mate. War 1812 T70
White. Watt— mention ,50
Whlff!}^T;pi-Jor?R^'*^* Institute of Science and InduVtVf estabVlVhedaV in 1827!:::::: 216
Whiteside. (Captain) B.-captam of company under command of Brigade Major Benja-
rtruij. -An, .l tt- ^ . DilnStephenson, muster roll of. War of 1812 190
Whiteside County. Historical Society-Sterling Illinois...: fa 20
Whiteside County. Illinois— mention hm
Whiteside. David— private. War 1812 Ton
Whiteside, Davis— mention Jq,
Whiteside Family-Price, a relative of, killed by Vhe'lndians:!:::!:!:': 68
Whiteside. Jacob— private. War 1812 179
Whiteside. James A.— captain fourth Illinois Regiment. Wari8i2:::::::::: 176
Whiteside, John L.— private. War 1812 im 181
Whiteside. Joseph— private. War 1812 lai
Whiteside. Robert— private. War 1812 :::::::" 179
mention , : j,,
Whiteside. Samel— ensign. Second Illinois Regiment. War*i8i2 174
Whiteside, Samuel— captain, colonel. War 1812 .'.".'.' i74'i79 189
captain of company under command of 'Br'igade'Major'iienjamlu
btephenson. muster roll of. War 1812 182 190
commands at Fort Butler, mention :. 155
commands company in Indian Campaign of 1812..:.::::!:.": 331
commands company of mounted rangers 71
letterdated Illinois River Block House, July 24.'i8iiVoCapt.'Wiiilam
B. Whiteside 75_7e
Whiteside, stephen^S&::::::::::\:::" :::":":: "^rcfMiassfiaiei.ise
Whiteside, William B.— appointed officer in Militia Company, iillnoisTerritory 66
captain, colonel. Major. War 1812 147 yii'{u 186
commands company in Indian Campaign. 1812 :.. 'i3i
commands company of mounted rangers 71 156
company of In the War of 1812. Governor Reynolds, m'einber'of."
see foot note 131
letter from Samnel Whiteside to. dated 'ilYlnois* River.' Block
House. July 24.1811 75 75
letter of. to Governor Edwards dated Goshen, ' Aug. "4, isil'ln '
regard to Indian affairs 76
mention .'.■.'.■.■.■.'69.'71*,'i3i,'i38, 174
wuu* A xj, ^i 1 signs memorial to Nmian Edwards 70
Whitford. Martin— volunteer. War 1812 isr
Wht ey. Ellsha-prlvate. War 1812 :.: : jo?
Whitley. John— private. War 1812 ' 19?
Whitley, John Sr.— second sergeant. War 1812 ::::::::: 194
Su J!}^^' i,'??.'! -^J" -P^^ate. War 1812 Jgi
Wht ey. Mills-private. War 1812 iqi \ll
Wht ey Randolph-private. War 1812 :..: ,94
Whltlock. Wilham G.— trustees of Jonesborough College .'.."."": 350
Whitman, Dr.-professor in Ohio Medical College 378
Whitney. Aaron-private, War 1812 isi'i'go 195
sergeant major. War 1812 .■::'.' 188
697
Index — Continued.
Paee
Whitney and Holmes— business firm, Qalncy. Ills 282
Whitney. Daniel H., of Boone Co , Ilia.— delegate to constitutional convention of 1847.... 426
Whitney. Bli— inventor of the cotton gin. mention 356
Whittenburg. Danlle— subscription to McKendree College 845
Whooley. Daniel— volunteer. War 1812 186
Wicks. John— captain, fourth Illinois Regiment, War 1812 176
Wldner. Jacob— subscriotton to McKendree College 344
Wightman. G. F.— member Illinois State Historical Society IX
Wigwam, Chicago. Ills.- built for national convention of 1860 369
Wllbanks. Hardy— orivate. War 1812 181
"Wild Cat"— name given to currency of 1836 40. by John Wentworth. mention 209
Wilder. Marshall P— one of the signers of the memorial to the Massachusetts legislature
on Industrial education 224
Wilderman. George— private. War 1812 180
Wilderman. Jacob— private. War 1812 180,191
Wilderman. James— private. War 1812 180
Wiles. Mrs. Robert Hall, (Mrs. Alice Bradford Wiles)— president Illinois Federation of
Woman's Clubs 326
C33S (Mrs. Alice Bradford Wiles).
member Illinois State Histori-
cal Society IX
WUkins, Charles, of Lexington. Kentucky— purchases Interest in salt works, mention... 249
Wilkinson. John P.— trustee Illinois College, mention 349
Will. Conrad— arrives in Kaskaskia about 1811. mention 252
brings slaves from Kentucky to work salt mines 252
lessee of the Big Muddy Saline, mention 252
member of the constitutional convenvion of 1818. mention 262
Willard. Frances— death of, mention 315
president Illinois Woman's Temperance Union 316
secretary Illinois Woman's Temperance Union, organlztd at Bloom-
Ington. 111.. October. 1874 315
Willard. Willis— trustee of Jonesborough College 3B0
Willbanks. WUley— private. War 1812 179
Wlllcox, E. S.— member Illinois Stare Historical Society IX
Williams, Aaron-built an earlv fort (1813) on Big Prairie 72
volunteer. War 1812 186
WllIIams.CaptainDudley-muster roll of, War 1812 187
Williams, Hon. James K.— mention 238
Williams, Jeptha D.— private. War 1812 180
Williams, Joseph— private. War 1812 183.187
Williams. Joshua— ensign Fourth Illinois regiment, War 1812 176
Williams, Mrs, Lydia— daughter of Captain Abel Mooro. mention 154
Williams, Sftmuel— resident of the "Moore Settlement." mention 156
Williams. Thomas— captain Third Illinois regiment. War 1812 175
Williamson County. Illinois— mention 245
votes against the constitutional convention of 1817 79
Willis. Jacob-private. War 1812 185
Willis. N. P.-mention 388
Wills. Peter— private. War 1812 180 190.195
Wilmette, Illinois, Woman's Club— mention 327
Wllmot. David- mention 371
Wllmot. Proviso— mention 295,430
Wilson, Arvln— private. War 1812 197
Wilson. Benjamin— captain Fourth Illinois regiment. War 1812 176
Wilson, Cath— private. War 1812 181
Wilson. Covington— private. War 1812 186
Wilson, (Jeorge— sergeant. War 1812 178
Wilson, Harrison— captain Fourth Illnols regiment. War 1812 177
ensign. War 1812 178,185
Wilson, Irvin— ensign Third Illinois regiment. War 1812 175
private. War 1812 197
Wilson, James— chief justice of the United States, mention 3i2
private. War 1812 179,186.197
Wilson, John— corporal. War 1812 196
private. War 1812 183
Wilson, John G— ensign. War 1812 178
sergeant. War 1812 185
Wilson. Mary Illinois— wife of Dr. Bernard 8tuv6 376
Wilson. Colonel Robert L— one of the "LonglNlne," mention 203
Wilson. Thomas— private. War 1812 197
Wilson, Judfe William— father in-law of Dr. Bernard Stuv6 376
Wilson. William- one of the incorporators of McKendree College 361
Wilson, Woodrow— "The State." mention 604
Wilson, Zacheus— delegate to the Mecklenburg convention 309
Winchester. England— mention 469
Winchester's, (General) James, defeat— mention 145,146
Winchester. Illinois— Monday Club of, mention 323
Portia Club of 323
Windsor, Richard— private. War 1812 190,195
Wlngate, Adam— private. War 1812 184
Wlngate. R. F.-mentlon 30
698
Index — Continued.
Page
Wlnghart, Adam— private. War 1812 jm jgo
Winkler. Adam— volunteer. War 1812 iSfi
Winn. Daniel— private. War 1812 ',■;.■ HSisO 195
Winnebago, 111.. Church of— resolutions of, upon slavery....'.'.".!'.*.'.'.'.'.'.'.',!'.'.'.'.' 426
Winnebago County. Illinois, mention 4<7
Winnebago Indians— large numbers of, join Tecumseh .'...'.'.' ifs
Wlnnebagoes-Indlans. mention . . . 96. 98, 99, 105, 106, 109. lie! US, iW, 151, 1'e'o. 169
Wlnnemac (or Wlnnemeg)— Indian bearer of the order of General Hull to Captain Heald
^^ at Fort Dearborn 117
Winnemec— Pottawatomie chief, see footnote 77
Wine-mange (or Catflsh)—Pottawatomle chief, mention !.'.'.'.'.!'.! 77
Winning of the West"— quoted kAb
Winters. John— private. War 1812 !.!!! 180
Wirt, William— Attorney General of the United States, pr'o's'ecntl'o'n' of ''Aa'ron'Bur'r!
mention 200
Wisconsin River, mention 447*448 449 455
Wisconsin, State of— Board of Health created In. reference to '.'.'.'.*.*.'.***. 487
"^^i?,^*"?. i 2*72.*297,*372.5I5
publications of 18 19
revised statutes 1849, reference to, see footnote!!!'.!'.!'.!!!!!!!!! 487
statutes of. mention !.! 597
supervisor, overseer of the poor In. mention...!!!!!!!! '! 487
^, . „ . Tonti journeys through !!!!!!** 463
Wisconsin Territory— mention la
Wise. George— corporal. War 1812 !!.*!.*!!!.* 191
Wish ha— Pottawatomie Indian, member of Captain Levering's crew'!!!!!!'! 74
WIsser. John B— private. War 1812 180
Wis wall. Mr. , mention !.!!!!!!*!! 508
Witherspoon. John— one of the signers of the Declaratio'n'of 'inde'p'en'dence!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 309
Witter. Dallel S., mention, subscription to McKendree College 344
Witter. David 8.. mention 393
Wodams. Absalom— private. War 1812 !.!!!.!!!!!!!! 179
Wolf. Redden— private. War 1812 !!!!. 187
Wolf vs. Boettcher— case of. reference to, see footnote ! 498
Wolrlck, Adam— corporal. War 1812 l9->
ensign. War 1812 183
Woman's Christian Temperance Union— beginning of 315
Woman 8 Club and Library Association- organization of. at Cairo, 111 !!!!*!'! 317
Woman's Club— Austin, 111., mention 325
Bloomlngton. 111., mention !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*!! 14
Jacksonville, 111 , work of in civic affairs !!!!!.!!!!!!!!!!!! 323
Federation of. State of Illinois, organization, annual meeting, list 'of
presidents 326-327
origin of 314-315
Park Ridge. 111., mention 325
Peoria. 111., organization of 319
Roger's Park. 111., mention !!!!!!!!!!!! 325
Springfield, 111., associated charities organized by !..!.!.! 323
"The Woman's Club Movement in Illinois," address before the Illinois
State Historical Society. 1904. by Mrs. Edward C. Lambert (Belle
Short Lambert) 314-327
_» ,, „ movement In the State of Illinois, most active period In!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!319-320
Woodlawn Women's Club 327
Women's K^eley League, Bloomington. 111.— mention!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! "! 327
Woman's Literary Club of Millard Ave., Chicago. Ill 318
Woman. s Relief Corps, State of Illinois-establishment of .'.!..' .' 320
Woman's Missionary Societies— beginning of ' 313
Women Physicians in Hospitals for the Insane— Cook County and Kankak'e'e County.
__, mention 31
Wood. (Rev.) Aaron of Mt. Carmel. Ill— mention ' 330
Wood, Alfred— Lieutenant. Fourth Regiment. War 1812 176
Wood. John- Governor and Lieutenant-Governor of the State of Illinois, mention 224
Wood, John D —Senator from Illinois. Tenth General Assembly, 1836 :;8
Wood. Martin— private. War 1812 190,195
Wood River- mention ' 154
Wood River Massacre— Volney O. Richmond's accoun*t'o'f"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!i54-156
Wood River Settlement— mentloa 132
Wood River Township. Madison County, 111.— scene of the Wood River Ma8*sacre!!!!!!!!! 164
Wood num. George— mention ■'03
Woodford County, Illinois— Constitution of Historical "SocYe'ty!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!! 7-8
Historical Society organized at. Eureka, 111 7,9
Historical Society, mention 8. 20
mention 381
xxT^r^Aj A n, ^ ^ . "^otes against the Constitutional Convention of 1847 479
Wood and Cemetery. Quincy, 111.— mention 282
Woodlawn Woman's Club— mention . ... 327
,Woods. Ephralm— Captain Second Regiment, War i8'l'2*!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!'! 177
/ Woods. George T.— private. War 1812 185
Woods. John— private. War 1812 185.191
Woo f. James— private. War 1812 187
Woolrlck. Adam-Ensign and Lieutenant, First Regiment, War 18"l2" .'..*.*.*..'..*.".'.. 17*3,178
I
699
Index — Continued.
Pas«
Woo-sane, Town of. vs. People— case of. reference to, see foot-note 498
Wootan, John— private, War 1812 193
Ensign, First Kesriment, War 1812 177
World's Fair Committee of Illinois State Historical Society 13
World's Fair, Loudon, 1851, mention 198
Worley, John— Lieutenant, Randolph County, May 6. 1809. War 1812 172
Worley, William— Ensign, First Regiment, War 1812 173
Worthlngton, Miriam. (Mrs. Thomas)— member Illinois State Historical Society Vl. IX
Worthington. (Hon.; Thomas— member Illinois State Historical Society IX
Wright. (Capt,)— of Wood River Settlement, killed by an Indian 133
Wright. (Dr. ) of Reading. O 878
Wright. Isham— private. War 1812 181
Wright, James, private. War 1812 186
Wright, John B.— purchases the "Havana Post" (newspaper), mention 211
Wright, J. S,— active in the interest of education in the State of Illinois— mention 224
founder and proprietor of the "Prairie Farmer", mention 224
Wright, Mrs.— member of the "Moore Settlement", mention 158
Wright, Peter— mention 344
private. War 1812 191
Wright, Richard-private, War 1812 181
Wright, Uriel-mention 80
Wyandot. Indian— killed by settler, mention 86
Wyatt. Adkins— ensign. War 1812 178
Wyatt. James— sergeant. War 1812 191
Wyatt, Wm.— soldier, of the War 1812 608
Wyatt. Wolford— estate of, McLean county 6^
Wyckoff, Dr. Charles T.— member Illinois State Historical Society IX
Yale College- J. B. Turner, graduates from in 1833. mention 228
J. B. Turner, teaches in gymnasium of. mention 228
"Yankee Abolitionist"— John Quincy Adams, known as 621
Yankeetown— (Northern Cities) mention 369
Yarmouth Academy— mention 15
Yates, Mrs. Catharine (Mrs. Richard Yates, Sr.)-honorary member Illinois State His-
torical Society VII
Yates. Illinois 640
Yates, Richard, tsr.— born at Warssw, Gallatin County, Ky., Jan., 18, 1818, died St. Louis,
Nov. 27, 1873, 12th governor of Illinois, Jan. 14, 1861 to Jan 16, 1865..
appoints Qustavus Koerner delegate to Virginia conference,
Koerner declines, reasons, etc 297-298
appoints D. S. Grant assistant quarter-master 1861,meeting with, etc, 298
Charles Sumner's opinion of 236
delegate to the convention at Bloomington, Ill.,May, 1856 56
mention 30,234,276,368,372,382,525
War Governor of Illinois, illustrious in the United States Senate... 236
Yelzer, Captain left In command of armed boats at Ft. Shelby, mention 161
Yell (Colonel) Archibald— First Arkansas Volunteer Cavalry Mexican War, killed at
Battle of Buena Vista, Incorrectly written Tell 61
Yellow Creek— mention 79
Yellow Creek Village— location of, mention 77
Yellow-Ltps— (Kickapoo) in Council at Cahokia. April 16, 1812, mention 101
Yellow-Son— Pottawatomie in Council at Cahokla, April 16. 1812 101
Yocum, Jocob— private. War 1812 185
York, Jesse— estate of 528
York. (Mrs.) Elizabeth— aged relative mentioned by Miss S. T. Hinrichsen In her paper
"Pioneer Mothers of Illinois" 605
Yorkville. Illinois— mention 9
Young, Edward— subscription to McKendree College 344
Young, Edward— quotation from poem by 243
Young, Francois- killed bv the Indians 144
Young, Jacob— sergeant. War 1812 190,194
Young, John— private. War 1812 192
Young, Lewis— private. War 1812 185
Young. Men's Republican Club, of New York— at Convention of 1860 which nominated
Abraham Lincoln for president of the
of the United States, mention 371. 372
Young. Nathan— private. War 1812 197
vol onteer. War 1812 186
Young. (Judg®) Richard M.— supreme Court Justice, succeeded by Jesse Burgess
Thomas. Jr 624
Yucatan— archaeological research in 23
Zadock. Newman— sergeant. War 1812 193
Zanesvllle. Ohio— mention 247
Zion Herald— religious newspaper, mention 338
700
ERRATA.
On page 28, for John A. Logan, read John Logan.
On page 51. for Col. Tell, read Col. Tell.
read 1852*^^ 210, for date of Paul Selby's conneition with The Morgan Journal. 1818.
On page 257. for Gen. Pavey, read Gen. Posey.
On page 303, for Strabeloater, read Struwwdpeter.
On page 312, for Ivedell, read Iredell.
Convlr^V^'^Cl^h'^^'^^^^^^'^^^^^ Monday Conversational Clab. read Jacksonville Monday
Oa page 367, for Joseph Terry, read Joseph Torrey.
On page 372, for Anderson, read Andrew.
On page 379. foot note, for 1905 read 1904.
On page 381, for Hon. Richard M. Cullom. read Hon. Richard y. CuIIom,
701
PUBLICATIONS OF THE ILLINOIS STATE HISTORICAL
LIBRARY.
*No. 1. A Bibliography of Newspapers published in Illinois prior to 1860.
Prepared by Edmund J. James, Ph. D., professor in the University of Chi-
cago, assisted by Milo J Loveieps, graduate student in the University of
Cbicago. 94 pages, 8 vo., Springfield, 1899.
*No. 2. Information relating to the Territorial Laws of Illinois, passed
from 1809 to 1812. Prepared by Edmund J. James, Ph. D., professor in the
University ot Cnicago. 15 p.iges, 8 vo,, Springfield, 1899.
No. 3. The Territorial Rrcords of Illinois. Edited by Edmund J. James,
Ph. D., professor in the University of Chicago. 143 pages, 8 vo., Spring-
field, 1901
No. 4. Transactions of the Illinois State Historical Society, for the year
1900. Edited by E. B. Greene, Ph. D., secretary of the society. 55 pages,
8 vo., Springfield, 19U0.
*No. 5. Alphabetic catalog of the books, manuscripts, pictures and
curios of the Illinois State Historical Library. Authors, titles and subjects.
Compiled under the direction of the Board of Trustees of the Library, by
thp Librarian, Mrs. Jessie Palmer Weber. 363 pages, 8 vo., Springfield,
1900
*N.'. 6. Transaotions of the Illinois State Historical Society for the year
1901. 122 pages, 8 vo., Springfield, 1902.
*No. 7. Transactions of the I linois S-^ate Historical Society for the year
1902. 246 pages, 8 vo., Springfi id, 1902.
No. 8. Transactions of the Illinois State Historical Society for the year
1903. 376 pag* s, 8 vo., Springfield, 1904.
No. 9. Transactions of the Illino « State Historical Society for the year
1904. 701 pages, 8 vo., Sprint^fi-^M, 1904.
Illmnis Historical Collections— Volume 1, et^ited by H. W. Beckwith, Pres-
ident Board of Trust' es of the Illinois State Historical Library. 642 pages,
8 vo.. Springfield, 1903.
Out of print.
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOISURBANA
3 0112 084206850
Live Music Archive
Librivox Free Audio
Metropolitan Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Internet Arcade
Console Living Room
Books to Borrow
Open Library
TV News
Understanding 9/11